bazaar May Issue 2016 by bazaar magazine

May 2016 | Issue # 204 www.bazaar.town

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About the Cover:

May 2016 | Issue # 204 www.bazaar.town

As an expat working in the private sector with private health insurance, over the years I've had little, if any, interactions or encounters with the public health sector here in Kuwait. Except, maybe, for getting my kids shots once every few years at the small 'mustawsaf' (clinic) in Salmiya. I've heard all the horror stories over the years, and have always thanked God that 'it wasn't me'. That all changed, however, last November when a close family member got sick and I experienced firsthand the amazing service we received at several public hospitals, the very patient and knowledgeable doctors and countless friendly nurses. That incident was followed a couple of weeks ago by someone else I know getting seriously sick and being sent to Al Sabah Hospital for an extended stay. I'll never forget the dread I felt as I drove there on those winding bumpy roads, imagining the crumbling buildings, and snappy impatient employees, especially since this time the sick person was our housekeeper, and there was absolutely no 'wasta' involved. When I finally got to the right building and entered, I was dumbstruck. A shiny sparkling entrance, clean empty elevators, and impeccable wards staffed with some of the best doctors and nurses I've met, anywhere. Countless tests were carried out, countless X-rays were taken, and countless doctors diagnosed and treated our housekeeper, all for free, and all done courteously and with incredible amounts of patience.

The bazaar team...

It's human nature to complain a lot, and we are all usually very quick to point out the flaws and faults in everything around us, especially in Kuwait (it must be something in the air), but every now and then I think it's only fair to take a step back and acknowledge all that's great about this country, whether it's the excellent free health care (most of the time anyway), the overall sense of security and low crime rates, the incredibly cheap gasoline and electricity, no income tax (yet), and many other things that we all take for granted.

Alia Al Duaij

This issue of bazaar takes us on a rather uplifting artistic journey. We get up close and personal with talented underwater photographer Meshal Al Omar. In this feature, we discover how his passion for nature and need to bond with the underwater world led Meshal to uncover stunning compositions and remarkable beauty. Speaking of beauty, our cover feature with the incredible calligraffiti artist eL Seed redefines the definition of the word. We talk to the artist about his experience with Cairo’s Zaraeeb community and their collective effort to create the bespoke mural that graces our cover entitled ‘Perception’. A marginalized community located in Cairo’s suburbs, eL Seed’s work serves his vision of celebrating Zaraeeb’s existing beauty that lies in the daily lives of its residents.

Contributing Photographers

Happy reading! Ahmed El-Adly

Born in the suburbs of Paris, eL Seed grew up to world where cultures, languages and identities were constantly juggled. Embracing the west, while still holding on to his Middle Eastern roots, his calligraffiti work represents these two worlds beautifully colliding, clashing, and blending to form a new identity. Our cover image by eL Seed takes us to Cairo's Zaraeeb area. His calligraffiti mural cites Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, a Coptic Bishop from the 3rd century, that reads in Arabic, ‘Anyone who wants to see the light clearly needs to wipe his eyes first.’

Boss Ahmed El-Adly

Operations Tim Burns

Business Development Ihab Mokalled

Design Ahmed Al-Ashab

Content Coordinator/Staff Writer Yasmine El Charif

Staff Writer/Online Media Amira Haroun

Staff Writer Yasmine Dalloul

Communications Hala Y. Sharara

Editor Contributing Writers Ayman Nassar Barry Rodrigues Dr. Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg Maryann Horne Nejoud Al Yagout Tara Jeana Muneera AlKhulaifi

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

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INDEX MAY 2016 84

HAIDER AL ZAEEM

CHOCOLATE CUISINE

Many of us are familiar with the workout boot camp by the Protein Sheikhas, but do we really know the Sheikhas behind the Protein? Fitness friends Nikita Kohli and Georgia Canavan took a breather to play our favorite game: Truth or Dare, proving that teamwork really does make the dream work.

We’ve seen some amazing works from amazing artists, but Haider Al Zaeem brings something completely different to the table. We’re about to play tricks on your mind with this animator-cum-painter’s creations. Is it a photo, or a painting? Will you be able to tell?

Innovative desserts with unforgettable flavors? Yes, please! Treat yourself to decadence at this brilliant café, and be prepared to feel amazed with the edible art one can create, and how great it tastes – we sure were! Read our review to find out more.

This 29-year-old former accountant left the world of banking to live a more creative life. With a passion for nature and the deep blue sea, Meshal eventually got his diving license to only propel him further into the colorful and serene hobby of underwater photography.

Our gorgeous cover is compliments of the talented Tunisian Calligraffiti artist eLSeed’s latest stunning mural entitled ‘Perception’. We delve deep into the story behind his stunning work, and the definition of absolute beauty he uses that takes on a complex approach. Read more to find out.

From ex-marketing mogul to freelance chef, Saudi national Nadeen Aujan put forth her love for cooking and created a food-filled path between London and the GCC. We managed to track down the nomad chef for a quick chat to find out more about what makes her spoon stir.

While Harvey Nichols loves to pamper their lady-shoppers, debonair gentlemen also have quite the options when it comes to the fabulous men’s department. We’re giving you a sneak peek of the beloved luxury department store’s menswear collection for Spring/Summer 2016.

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Everyone has been buzzing about this hot new eatery, so of course we had to trek over to Bneid Al-Qar to check it out! With its vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian options, we discover why wholesome eating is soon to be an innovative hit in Kuwait!

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PROTEIN SHEIKHAS

EL SEED

CRUSHED CARDAMOM

HARVEY NICHOLS

We dedicate this issue to Prince (1958-2016) RIP, you legend

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toyota

what's on? TENSILE MODULUS: OMAR KHOURI Date: May 10th–June 9th 2016 Location: Sultan Gallery Abstraction and representation; self and other; science and art; geometric structures and natural shapes; autonomous units and parts of the whole; the suspended present moment and the perpetual flow of time… Our world is filled with dualities that pull at our lives in opposing directions, creating the tensile forces that move us forward. Taking the tension between the artist’s Arab cultural background and his Western one as its departure point, "Tensile Modulus" is a series of portrait experiments exploring the opposing concepts that suspend each of us in our unique and lonely spot in the infinite net of being that paradoxically connects us all. For more information on this and other events at Sultan Gallery, visit www.sultangallery.com or call 2471 4325.

MARLON WAYANS , TONY WOODS AND GODFREY IN KUWAIT Date: May 13th 2016 Location: Kuwait Stadium, Kaifan Guess who’s back in town! Mark your calenders for May 13th! Off the back of the recent Russell Peters tour arriving in Kuwait, we are treated once again to an upcoming night of top class comedy and laughs care of the Urban City Tour (for the first time in Kuwait). Get your tickets now and enjoy a 2 hour blast of laughter and excitement with Marlon Wayans (White Chicks, Scary Movie), Godfrey & Tony Woods. Book your tickets online through www.eventat.com for the Urban City Tour. Keep in mind that seats are limited. Brought to you by @vibrantinco.

IT’S A MAD WORLD BY SHUROOQ AMIN Date: Until May 21st 2016 Location: Contemporary Art Platform Kuwait It has been 4 years since the shutdown of Shurooq Amin’s last show in Kuwait and the subsequent censorship of her paintings. Since then, she has only exhibited her work abroad. She has been fortunate to have the representation and backing of Ayyam Gallery, who believed in her, gave her a platform to raise her voice uncensored, and invited her to show her work in Dubai and London, last April, Contemporary Art Platform – Kuwait have invited Amin to exhibit in Kuwait, to show her newest work in an exhibition titled It’s a Mad World which opened in April and runs until May 21st, in collaboration with Shurooq Amin’s representative Ayyam Gallery. It’s a Mad World is curated by Martina Corgnati with whom Shurooq Amin spent time with at the 56th Venice Biennale where Corgnati curated the pavilion Shurooq Amin was a part of: Contemporary Practices Pavilion. For more information on this and other events at CAP kuwait, visit www.capkuwait.com or call on 2492 5636.

Adel Ashkanani Not Pictured : Muneera Al-Sharhan, Aziz Al-Humaidhi Judy-Ann Moule

Mona Al-Qanai Ceyda Oskay

Rua Al-Shaheen

SADU ART & DESIGN INITIATIVE (SADI) Date: May 17th, 7:00pm Location: The Sadu House, Gulf Road SADI is a new program envisioned by Beit AlSadu to encourage creativity and innovation in contemporary textile arts and design for artists in Kuwait. The main objectives of the three month long program at the Sadu House are to inspire and enhance creativity in the field of textile arts, to encourage artistic dialogue and exchange and to promote the artistic textile heritage of Kuwait through research and innovation. SADI artists will be having an exhibition this month! Artists at the exhibition are: Muneera Al-Sharhan, Amani AlThuwaini, Rua Al-Shaheen, Mona Al-Qanai, Judy-Ann Moule, Aziz Al-Humaidhi, Adel Ashkanani, Ceyda Oskay and visiting artist Manal Al-Dowayan. Project Manager is Ceyda Oskay. For more information, visit www.alsadu.org.kw or go to Instagram @SaduHouse.

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what’s trending May 2016 As much as we work our hardest to give you one rocking print issue after the other, we’re socially active (or try our best to be, we are bazaar humans after all) and we love it! Find us online: It makes our day when we see your tweets/mentions/likes/comments/shares about your favorite features and more. facebook.com/bazaarmagazine

what: @blanchemedia info: Food blogger and fitness instructor. editor’s note: Classic Arabic dishes gone healthy!

what: @concreitist info: Contemporary concrete decorative pieces. editor’s note: Made in Kuwait!

what: @unicorn_kw info: Adorable baby harem pants! editor’s note: Tiny clothes are the best clothes.

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what: @fairtradeegypt info: Egypt’s premier fair trade organization. editor’s note: Because the best things in life are fair!

www.bazaar.town

what: @letscookvegan info: Easy vegan recipes and daily inspiration. editor’s note: For those who need the push!

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what: @beautiful.kuwait info: Gorgeous Kuwait centric photography. editor’s note: Use #beautifulkuwait to feature your photography.

what: @yatai_kw info: Delivery only fusion Japanese cuisine. editor’s note: Read our Review!

what: @hikmakwt info: Elevating society with knowledge, experience and understanding. editor’s note: follow for inspiring events!

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NEYMAR JR.’S FIVE

Neymar Jr. teams up with Red Bull to create a five-a-side street football competition By bazaar staff

Neymar Jr. has teamed up with Red Bull to create a five-a-side street football competition – a championship that is open to amateur and semi-professional footballers aged between the age of 16 and 25. The tournament will be contested first at a local level, then in a national final and will be concluded in a global final in Praia Grande, São Paulo, where the Brazil and Barcelona star’s career started. The side who comes out on top in the World Final will win an extra special prize; the chance to meet Neymar Jr. and watch a Barça match at the Camp Nou in the VIP area. Neymar Jr.’s 5 features one twist compared to normal five-a-side football – every time a team scores, the opposition loses a player. The games will last for ten minutes, however, if a team manages to eliminate all players on the other side, they take the victory before the full time ends. In Kuwait, the tournament will kick off on May 2nd, hosting eight qualifiers and giving 128 teams the chance to take part in this global competition. The qualifiers will take place in Hassan Abul (May 2-3) “Goal” football fields in Fahaheel (May 11-12), Al Shaab (May 15-16) Al Jahra (May 19) and in Kuwait University’s Adailiya campus (May 23). Teams of 5-7 players can sign up now via www.neymarjrsfive.com to represent Kuwait in Brazil. 22

“I always dreamed of putting on my own signature tournament and inviting the best teams over to my hometown. I'm really looking forward to seeing what these players can do and to having a great time doing it with them,” said Neymar Jr. To celebrate the launch of Neymar Jr.’s new signature football tournament “Neymar Jr.’s Five”, we asked the Brazil captain to pick the four current players he would want alongside him in a five-man team. Which players would Neymar Jr. choose to play alongside him if he was limited to a five-a-side team? Read on to discover the awesome foursome he would pick to join him. Neymar on Lionel Messi: “Right from the start, Messi had helped me a lot in Barcelona, both on and off the field. We have a great relationship and I want to continue playing and getting better alongside him. He’s the best player in the world.” Neymar on Luis Suárez: “Luis is a great player and should’ve been on the podium for the Ballon d’Or as well. With Luis and Leo [Messi], the secret is that we enjoy playing together and we try to play well and have fun at the same time.” Neymar on Thiago Silva: “Thiago Silva is one of the toughest defenders I’ve ever had to play against, and someone I’ve always admired. He’s also a great man and a great captain.” Neymar on Dani Alves: “When I arrived at Barcelona, he was my partner on the right wing and we formed a

great relationship. Dani is one of my best friends in football as well, so it would be fantastic to have him in the team.” Here are Five interesting facts about Neymar •By the age of 10, Neymar Jr. was already considered a rising star of the football world. •His unforgettable performances on the pitch have earned him the adoration of the Brazilian fans, scoring within 28 minutes on his debut match for the national team did much to cement his place among the greats. •He is often compared to legends Robinho and Pelé and, as such, he has attracted some very generous bids from many European teams. •Neymar Jr. started his career with the São Paulobased club Santos in 2003, having been promoted to the first team aged 17. His debut match was in March 2009 against Oeste and the following week he scored his first goal with the team against Mogi Mirim. •He is credited with helping reinvigorate the Brazilian nation’s passion for the sport through his creativity and spontaneous style on the pitch. In August 2010, he made his international debut for Brazil against the USA and scored his first goal (28 mins) and secured a 1-0 victory for the team.

Interested in playing with the best? Don’t forget to visit www.neymarjrsfive.com for more information and to sign your team up!

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“TASMEEM” WITH BASHAR ASSAF

Studio Nuqat continues to creatively educate By bazaar staff

Armed with a thirst for knowledge, an innate talent for design, and an ambition to create an imprint on the region’s fashion scene, Beirutbased Lebanese fashion designer Bashar Assaf never takes a moment for granted. The Elle Style Awards nominee was once a curious student of fashion design and like most successful designers, experienced countless challenges when the time came to launch his fashion line. As part of Studio Nuqat’s creative education modules, Bashar decided to impart his knowledge on a group of aspiring individuals with a passion for fashion right here in Kuwait through the fashion design module entitled “Tasmeem”. According to Bashar, the region’s fashion industry is coming of age, and that the demand for creative education will continue to rise. He said, “We are starting to see more appreciation for new and interesting designers. The Western media is also paying more attention to local talent and is providing us with more coverage and awareness. It's only going to get better from here!” With Studio Nuqat’s Tasmeem module, the designer shared his experiences and how his work has evolved since he embarked on his fashion design journey. Growing up in Saudi Arabia, where women’s garments tend to lack definition, he looked to create clothes that celebrated the female form with sophisticated yet demure silhouettes. Bashar pursued his studies at the Esmod institute in Beirut, and worked as a designer and stylist in both the advertising and entertainment industries in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia before he launched his now highly celebrated brand with several showcases at Dubai’s Fashion Forward event. Through the Tasmeem workshop, Bashar worked alongside participants to help them gain a better understanding of the industry from actually sketching designs, to the business predicaments of running a fashion brand like buying, pricing, retailing and predicting consumer demand. His second time teaching, Bashar considered the workshop a great experience. The student became the teacher in his case, and Bashar believes that education is a two-way street. He said, “With Tasmeem, I experienced that exchange. Through the participants' curiosity and questions, I revisited many of the concepts and technicalities that I learned in design school which was both fun and 24

interesting to me personally. The workshop was a great experience. The participants were very eager to learn and the energy in the room was a very relaxed and positive one, which I enjoyed a lot. Prior to his visit to Kuwait, Bashar admired the local creative and fashion scene from afar. He said, “I believe that Kuwaitis are one of the best dressed populations in the region and are not afraid to venture into new territory when it comes to personal style.” However, many people could be quick to assume that since they’ve got a creative eye for fashion, then starting a brand could be easily achieved. Bashar ensured that the Tasmeem participants understood the difference, “It definitely takes a lot of talent to enter the business. When that talent is polished and cultivated through studying fashion design, it's a recipe for success. The most challenging moments for any student of fashion design must be the decisions that would have to be made after graduation. Should I start on my own? Should I work for another designer? A lot of students don't realize the amount of work it takes to succeed.” Delivering these realities to anyone interested in the industry, while still inspiring the Tasmeem partipicants, was paramount. For local fashion consultant, personal stylist and Nuqat volunteer Khaled Zawawi, Bashar’s portrayal of these

realities truly distinguished the Tasmeem workshop from others. He said, “Bashar was extremely professional, and the workshop well-conducted and structured. The workshop in general was about the reality of fashion design and how much work you should put into your collection for you to be successful in the fashion world as a designer. The majority in our region don't know how tough the fashion industry is, so I think the workshop gave the participants a glimpse into that world and showed them how to start their own collection design-wise.” Through his successful collection launches, and participating in creative initiatives like Tasmeem with Studio Nuqat, Bashar proves that his hard work has paid off. Still, he’s constantly learning from both recognition and criticism alike. Not only is he focused on his nomination for the International Woolmark Prize, but Bashar is also working on his upcoming SS17 collection that will feature a collaboration with a visual artist. Leaving us with a mysterious hint, Bashar concluded that the collaborative collection will arrive as a tribute to one of his favorite icons of all time. For more information visit www.basharassaf.com. For more about Studio Nuqat, visit www.nuqat.me. Follow @Nuqat on Instagram, @Nuqatweets and Facebook: NuqatME.

Intersport

FROM CORPORATE TO CRUSHED CARDAMOM Chef Nadeen Aujan shares her culinary passions By bazaar staff

While working in London in the field of marketing and e-commerce might be a dream-come-true for many, Saudi national Nadeen Aujan had her sights set on a different path. “I realized I needed a change,” she explained, “So I enroled in a couple of cooking classes at a school near home.” Through the classes, Nadeen found her calling behind a metaphorical wok. Expanding her studies from a few courses to a full-on diploma, she graduated from the UK’s Leiths School of Food and Wine and never looked back. Currently a freelance chef, Nadeen finds herself between London and the GCC cooking for the masses. We managed to track down the nomad chef for a quick chat to find out more about her go-to meals and her most recent visit to Kuwait. What’s your first memor y in the kitchen? My early memories in the kitchen as a child always revolved around the women in my family. My grandmother, mom and aunts, all buzzing around in the kitchen, each contributing their own components to the feast. What’s your favorite cuisine – to cook and to eat? I don’t really have a favorite – I seem to jump from one cuisine/style to the next. Right now I’m into cross-pollinating cuisines. Bringing an Arabic dish, for example, and marr ying it with an Italian or Mexican recipe. Tell us about your favorite dish to make in the kitchen and why. These days I seem to be getting into salt baked fish. It’s a fun and healthy way to eat fish, something the whole family can enjoy, especially kids. It’s like breaking into a piñata. What are some of the challenges you face in the kitchen? Being a freelance chef, I tend to work in different kitchens all the time. And a lot of the time, things go missing or appliances just decide they don’t want to work anymore, so you really have to be quick on your feet and be ready for anything. Do you find your cooking style and tastes differ when you’re in different countries or cities? It’s always nice to find inspiration at a new destination, immerse yourself in their traditional dishes and create an offshoot based on their cuisine. I tend to follow the locals and see where they eat, or check out the markets and street food. It really gives 26

you a sense of their culture. Who is your favorite crowd to cook for? Definitely people who come in with an open mind and fun-filled attitude. What inspires you in the kitchen? I find inspiration in different places, or in new ingredients, or even in reinterpreting existing recipes in ways that gives them a new dimension. What is your most memorable experience to date as a chef? I think introducing some of my favorite Khaleeji dishes to a mostly English crowd was quite memorable. I was part of the annual Nour Festival in London where they were doing a Contemporary Gulf Cuisine segment. I made Machboos Arancini using rice dough stuffed with chicken, hasho (stuffing) and daqoos (sauce), bread crumbed with hakookah (crispy rice). I also took the traditional Saudi dish Saleeg and turned it into small bites of risotto with duck breast and crackling. Tell us about your most recent experience in Kuwait’s Green Caravan Film Festival and the

inspiration behind the dishes you created. I’m a big fan of the Green Caravan Film Festival and so when they approached me to do the catering for the closing night I was ver y excited. They asked me to do vegetarian/vegan food and that’s where the falafel nachos and churros came from - ever yone loves falafel. What made it even more special was collaborating with local vendors like Sadeer Farms and Urban Creamer y, which really completed the night for me. Can we get a sneak peek into what you’re planning next? There is always something in the pipeline, so keep an eye on @Crushed_Cardamom. Will you be coming back to Kuwait any time soon? I always come back to Kuwait! You can follow Chef Nadeen’s culinary journeys on Instagram @Crushed_Cardamom. For inquiries, y o u c a n e m a i l h e r a t crushedcardamom@gmail.com.

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STREET SCIENCE WITH AHMED By Tara Jeana

They say dancing is like telling a story. Well, one only has to watch Ahmed Kicks move to know that what they say is right. In my chat with him I learn his story and how he came to become such a lover of the powerful and influential street science of hip-hop. Describe your journey into dance. Sometimes, when I look back at everything, it feels like it was a journey I was meant to take. As a kid, I grew up listening to hip-hop because my brother was a DJ to the local music scene. Even as a young child, I loved the deep sensual beats of the genre and wanted to dig deeper into hip-hop culture. I was impressed by the huge impact hip-hop, as a way of life, has evolved and how it has changed many people's perspectives towards minority and disenfranchised communities. I sort of got into it because of this power and influence that it affords individuals like me. Hip-hop has origins in African-American culture. What does this mean for you coming from Sudan? What is the scene like in Sudan and how does that compare to Kuwait? Hip-hop is all about originality and representing where you come from. In my last trip to Sudan I was able to discover so much about different tribes, their rituals, and how they dance. I was fascinated with they way their culture seeped into their dance style, so I was excited to try and merge what I had always done and what they were doing. I was impressed with the street dance scene that is developing in Sudan. I think it's hard to compare Kuwait and Sudan because both are so unique in their own ways. There are so many different categories and types of hip-hop dance; describe your style. At the age of 13, I watched my first dance battle in Kuwait. I loved the energy and the competition. Thereafter, I started teaching myself through dance tutorials to improve my techniques. I love all types of hip-hop but I would say I mostly do Locking. Locking is a funky dance style that is mainly about pointing and wrist roll. I love the dynamism in that technique; I love how quickly it goes from hard to soft and how explosive it can become with whole body rolls and movements. Where is your greatest source of inspiration for your dancing and choreography? I'd say Michael Jackson is my biggest inspiration. Not only was his technique on point, but the energy and the way he executed every dance move was incredible. Among the choreographers I have worked with, Afid Zekhnini, my first mentor, and Pepito fractal, 28

who has become a very good friend, are both huge influences for me. Why do you think people choose dance as a way of expression? Some people are not very good at expressing themselves through words. Dance gives you the opportunity to express and say whatever is on your mind without having the need to speak. It gives people the freedom to break away from whatever chains they have. How does Kuwait’s diversity affect its dance scene? As a conservative culture, it was hard to introduce something that's completely different than what some people may be used to. Somehow, we managed to break through these barriers and help people in Kuwait see the art of street dance. Being in a dance group that has members from different parts of the world and with different backgrounds shapes our style. Originality and uniqueness are important factors for a great performance and that’s what we have here in Kuwait—a myriad of different people and ideas. Recently, you were involved in a huge dance show called ASWAT. Can you tell me more about that?

The concept of the show is to mix Kuwaiti culture with hip-hop, taking the audience on a journey between past and present through dance. We even portrayed a piece about the "bedouin" where we show their struggle and how poorly they have been treated over time. ASWAT 3, our latest version of the show, was a massive success and our crew’s biggest endeavor yet! Tell me about your crew. What’s next for you guys? We are a bunch of random people that got together to share our passion and love of dance under LOYAC's umbrella of support and sponsorship. It’s been years now since we started performing as a dance group and we are still like a family. That said, any dancer is welcomed to be part of our group. Currently, we are rehearsing for Peace of Art 2, which is going to be held at the 360 mall. Apart from that, we each have our own individual dance projects that give us a chance to stay creative despite our ‘real’ jobs. You can follow Ahmed @mylifeaskicks on instagram to keep updated with all his latest projects.

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PERCEPTION Renowned ar tist eL Seed presents Cairo’s forgotten Zaraeeb community By bazaar staff

Absolute beauty is always troubling. With it comes a sense of pride and self-entitlement that is sometimes presumptuous and unmerited. For the residents of Zaraeeb, a Cairene Coptic community that exists in the neighborhood of the capital city’s Mokkatam Mountain, this notion is a part of an ethos they deeply appreciated long before the recent media attention the area has received. With the unveiling of renowned Tunisian Calligraffiti artist eL Seed’s latest stunning mural entitled ‘Perception’, the definition of absolute beauty takes on a complex approach, as the mural sheds light on and celebrates an area that is perceived as dirty, marginalized and segregated.

The project was carried out in Zaraeeb, Cairo, where its residents sor t through, by hand, the capital’s daily garbage intake and with time, turned it into a highly profitable recycling system. We’re calling the mural beautiful, but did we ever perceive the community’s work as such? Through ‘Perception’, eL Seed effectively tackles this tricky question. The answer is inevitable, in the sense that society always has a tendency to judge, create misconceptions and divide opinions. This, in turn, divides communities based on these preconceived perceptions. The beautiful mural is now being hailed as an exceptional feat of ar t, as eL Seed’s famed style for creating ar t that flawlessly blends the historic ar t of Arabic calligraphy and modern graffiti is poetic in effect. At Zaraeeb, he cited words from Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, a Coptic Bishop from the 3rd centur y, that reads in Arabic, ‘Anyone who wants to see the light clearly needs to wipe his eyes first.’ In order to execute this feat of ar t, the ar tist flew in a team of 21 people from all over the world, and over the course of three weeks, created a moving ar t piece that not only spans more than 50 buildings, but also involved the Zaraeeb community. Visible from only one point on top of Cairo’s Mokkatam Mountain, the ar t piece is best perceived when looking down from that point on to the city, to essentially percieve one complete circular ar t piece. The image was created using the addition of fluorescent white paint that was illuminated for one night only on the culmination of the project, for the people of the community. In carr ying out his vision, the artist was deeply embraced by Zaraeeb's [c o ntinu e d...] 31

[ . . . c o n t i nu e d ] residents. eL Seed explained in a post on Facebook, “Upon beginning the project, each building was given a number. Soon enough, each of these buildings became known as ‘the house of Uncle Bakheet, Uncle Ibrahim, Uncle Eid’. Each of these buildings is now associated with unforgettable memories.” Commenting on the Zaraeeb community, eL Seed said, “They welcomed my team and I as if we were family. It was one of the most amazing human experiences I have ever had. They are generous, honest and strong people. They have been given the name of Zabaleen (the garbage people), but this is not how they perceive themselves. The Zaraeeb community is not poor but isolated, not marginalized but pushed away. They are just a reflection of our society. They don’t live in the garbage but from the garbage, and not their garbage but the garbage of the whole city.” Born in the suburbs of Paris, eL Seed grew up to a world where cultures, languages and identities were constantly juggled. Embracing the west, while still holding on to his Middle Eastern roots, his work today represents these two worlds beautifully colliding, clashing, and blending to form a new identity. Such is his distinctive style; eL Seed successfully utilizes intricate composition in his work to not only achieve absolute beauty, but to also retain depth of meaning, movement, and impacting the viewer. eL Seed’s art has been shown on the walls of many cities around the world including Paris, New York, Jeddah and Melbourne. In 2013, Condé Nast Traveler recognized him as one of the years ‘visionaries’ for advocating peaceful expression and social progress through his work. In 2013, eL Seed collaborated with the international luxury maison of Louis Vuitton, where he created a unique calligraffiti design for the classic monogram scarf, as part of the Foulards d’Artiste project. He is the first and only Arab artist to have designed a collaborative product for the famous French maison. In March 2015, eL Seed was chosen as one of the 21 ‘TED Fellows 2015’. ‘Perception’ was recently unveiled at Ar t Dubai 2016 at the Global Ar t Forum during an exclusive talk with Glenn D. Lowr y, director of the Museum of Modern Ar t, New York. The awe-inspiring mural has been lauded by the international media community, and the mural still continues to draw crowds to Zaraeeb. Organizing and planning the project alone took an exhaustive one year to realize. ‘Perception’ will be showcased in a documentar y at a later stage and published in a book and comic for children. For more information, please visit: www.elseed-art.com. Follow the artist on Facebook: elseed.artist, Instagram @elseed, and Twitter @elseedartist. 32

eL Seed with the Zaraeeb community

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SLAM The Promenade Culture Centre’s first event By bazaar staff

Freedom of expression, creating and sharing your thoughts and feelings in artistic form is an age-old tradition, and a basic human right. However, if tools and opportunities for expression are sparse, it isn’t always easy to showcase your potential and express yourselves to the public. This is why spaces such as The Promenade Culture Centre (PCC) are vital to the community, as they serve as a safe and encouraging space for people to join or host workshops where self-expression is embraced. On Thursday, April 14th, UAS’ high school students from Mr. Robert “Bobby” Lincoln’s English 10 class and Ms. Tess Bandalos’ Speech and Debate class took advantage of the opportunity to express themselves through spoken word at an exclusive event called SLAM, hosted by the PCC. When Marketing Manager Alyah Al-Jasser and PCC Manager Noor Al-Sadoun invited bazaar to witness this wonderful event, we jumped at the chance. The center isn’t due to officially launch until the summer, but that didn’t stop the dynamic duo from accommodating this event to kick start the PCC’s calendar, showing us only one of the many types of events, workshops et al the PCC has in mind to host. Though the PCC’s resources are temporarily limited until their official Summer 2016 opening, a comfortable atmosphere was still provided by placing oversized pillows for the students to sit on, making the space reminiscent of a relaxed poetry hub. This environment only made it easier for them to stand before their fellow peers (and a small handful of guests) and recite the thoughts that they had been carefully constructing for two weeks prior to performance. Maybe it was the ambiance, the inspiring nature of the PCC, or the students’ raw honesty and bravery that allowed them to speak so eloquently and with depth, but the whole experience was eye-opening and enlightened. The students were all so well written, and were able to express themselves in an intimate way. Few topics were shied away from, from self-esteem issues, to current events, to divorce and the general questioning of life. They laughed, they cried, embraced and cheered each other on while they supported themselves and their peers sharing their deepest thoughts, qualms and questions. When talking to the students, the majority of them felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders, and it was clear to us that they had been stung by the adrenaline rush that comes with performing raw emotion. “We just want to express ourselves,” was the recurring response that many had, and it was clear that they seemed excited with having done so. “Being a teenager is like being a tightly wound ball,” said their teacher Mr. Bobby Lincoln, “so once they’re given the 34

outlet, the floodgates come out. I’m proud of each and every one of them for putting themselves out there and being confident enough to express.” Though not many seemed to be interested in pursuing a career in the artistic writing field, the value of self-expression through spoken word, slam poetry, writing and performance wasn’t lost on them. Student Zeina Jhaish embraced the opportunity of public self expression with a vehemence, boasting her love for the art of poetry, and how important this experience was to her: “I love writing, it’s my preferred art, and though I was a bit nervous because I haven’t performed this way before the experience opened the doors for my passion for poetry.” The Promenade Culture Centre is meant to be a hub for Kuwait’s creative community, hoping to welcome all those who have been looking for a

creative outlet. As Alyah Al-Jasser put it, “It’s a creative space, a dynamic space and an open space that welcomes all different types of arts from all walks of life, expats and locals alike!” It’s also a place that will host film screenings and exhibitions among creative workshops. So if you have the urge to express, create, teach or learn, be sure to take advantage of the PCC this summer.

The Promenade is located off the 3rd Ring Road opposite Qadsiya. The PCC is located on the second floor. For information about how to book a space or residency at The Promenade Cultural Centre, please call 2227 7130 or email a.aljasser@alothmanportfolio.com and nalsadoun@alothmanportfolio.com. Follow the PCC on Instagram @promenadeculturecentre for updates.

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CHARBEL ZOE COUTURE

Now available at Harvey Nichols Kuwait! By bazaar staff

Watching his grandmother create elegant designs, a young Charbel grew inspired and designed dresses for dolls. Charbel honed his sewing skills under the watchful eyes of his grandmother, and continues to add his own finishing touches to his presentday designs. From dolls to dazzling starlets, couturier Charbel Zoe has come a long way and is now one of the most sought after designers in the region. With an atelier in Kuwait and LA, Charbel Zoe has now found a permanent home for his couture and ready-to-wear collections at Harvey Nichols Kuwait! Cutting cloth and sewing it together into something beautiful wasn’t enough for Charbel, “I wanted to see if I really did love fashion, so I went to study in Paris!” And because Paris is always a good idea – not to mention, an excellent place to start – Charbel studied Fashion Design, Marketing and Photography, making him a true jack-of-alltrades. Art directing his own design shoots and sometimes stepping behind the camera, Charbel is a very hands-on couturier. Moving between Paris and Lebanon, Charbel’s training was extensive and his career promising from the start. “As a creative, I wanted to show that I’m different from all other designers in the industry, and this is what made me unique,” he explained. It was earlier on in his fashion career that Charbel found himself working alongside some of the industry icons. Scooped up by Givenchy, Ungaro, Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad, his apprenticeships benefited his career. “You teach yourself to do things, they [the design-houses] take your designs and offer you techniques and tips that you need to improve on,” Charbel started, “When you take up an internship somewhere, they take you because they know you have something that you can offer.” Of all the greats, Charbel found that his favorite design-house to have worked with was Givenchy. “Givenchy implemented many of the designs I created and I’m very proud of that,” Charbel elaborated, “I feel like it was the designhouse that had the same style-spirit that I have.” Having gained a lot of experience in the industry from his studies and apprenticeships, Charbel kicked off his career and launched Charbel Zoe Couture. His immediate shot to stardom though came after Miami Fashion Week back in 2013 where he won the Emerging Women’s Wear Designer award! Boasting an impressive clientele list, Charbel is making waves internationally and locally. 36

JLo, Shakira, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and the Queen Bee (Beyonce, of course) are just a few of his international clientele while regionally, Haifa Wehbe is a huge fan of his. “My favorite celebrity to dress has to be JLo,” Charbel smiled, “I love them all, but JLo has the perfect body and she wears them very well!” Still, his dream is to one-day dress Monica Bellucci, “Oh my God, she’s the woman of Charbel Zoe – her style I mean, she’s sexy, glamorous, elegant and fierce – I love her.” When asked why his headquarters is based in Kuwait as opposed to anywhere else in the world, Charbel simply said, “I officially started here, and I wasn’t going to leave my work and life behind, they also love my work here so it made sense.” He added, “Kuwait, I feel is the place that appreciates couture the most. It is also central in the region and the demand here is higher than most places.” With already a soldout ready-to-wear collection, he decided to appease the demand and branch into the prestigious Harvey

Nichols Kuwait. Acting as the medium between his couture and ready-to-wear designs and the public, Charbel Zoe has now become much more accessible with this stellar new location! Home to many several designers, Harvey Nichols Kuwait has welcomed Charbel Zoe Couture into their growing retail family.

You can now find Charbel Zoe’s designs at Harvey Nichols Kuwait! Alternatively, you can visit his atelier on Blajat Street, Salmiya. Follow Charbel Zoe Couture on Facebook and Instagram @CharbelZoeCouture, and on Twitter @CharbelZoe. Email him at info@charbelzoe.com or visit his website www.charbelzoe.com for more. Harvey Nichols Kuwait is located at Grand Avenue – The Avenues. Please call 2228 3008 for more information. Get social with Harvey Nichols Kuwait by following them on Facebook and Instagram @HarveyNicholsKuwait.

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MIND GAMES Discovering artist Haider Al Zaeem’s take on postmodern realism By bazaar staff

We’re about to play mind-tricks on you, readers. When you look at the photos, would you think that they were a result of excellent photography? There’s something fishy about this fish photo—something that’s more than meets the eye—it's actually a painting. No, we’re not kidding, and yes, we were surprised too. Enter Haider Al Zaeem, a talented artist with over 20 years’ experience to perfect his craft in this field, and the man behind these gorgeously realistic images. Al Zaeem is a graduate of the College of Law at the University of Baghdad, and went on to study Fine Arts at the University of the Arts in London. “Studying law never kept me away from my beloved hobby—drawing is a part of my life”. By making the post-graduate transition of adding an art degree to his education led him to the position as a directing Film maker of Animation in the Cartoon Network Arabic studio. We press for details, but he concludes the subject good-naturedly: “I’m bound to a contract and my discretion is appreciated! I can’t tell you which shows I worked on,” he chuckles. The question lingers, however: what sparked the interest that would inevitably lead to such beautiful artworks? It is evident when looking at one of Haider’s works that the intention behind each piece is alive with depth – which probably explains why his paintings look so lifelike! His works are clearly original, but he vehemently expresses how his inspiration is not derived from a passion for drawing as a child, but one that appeared later on in his life. “I wasn’t interested in painting at a young age, but I was passionate about art and have always felt myself talented and skilled with prerequisites of being a good painter.” By building foundations and crediting inspiration from past professors: “over the years, I found that with a lot of commitment and the mentors I have met so along the way, that I wouldn’t be the award winning artist I am today without that guidance.” Another major inspiration for the talented painter is the work of Henri Matisse, whom he describes to be the “most important artist of the 20th century.” After periods of devoted reading on the artist’s ethos and style, he has incorporated Matisse’s twist on modern realism, beautifully fitting in to Haider’s still life artworks that are inspired by everyday objects he chooses based on simple 38

appearances and deep complexities; “I like the challenge of trying to draw the definition of an object and accurately translating lines, shapes, light, lint and proper value level onto a great art on canvas.” With each work he paints, all challenges are clearly conquered— the visuals of each work are impressively lifelike, and though they’re on canvas, surpass the principles of “still-life” and give an animated feel. “My art is my voice, a powerful interpretation of my deepest thoughts, hidden emotions, and strongest desires. The artworks I create are coined from personal experiences, fear and interests. These ideas and experiences are better perceived through drawing rather than spoken.” Although the artist has displayed work throughout Europe and the Middle East, Haider has a variable collection of paintings and artworks produced as of late, and

is looking forward to continue exhibiting them to the public. His works have been showcased with his vehement participation in international exhibitions, boasting a resume of gallery work the United Kingdom, USA, Italy, France, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia and many other cities. Haider also proudly placed first in international competitions taking place in many different cities, the latest being in the US by “Prismacolor” for the pencil drawing and artwork. The first place award he won attracted news coverage from many countries around the world, notably the Middle East, and was featured in articles and segments from Al Arabiya and the Kuwaiti publication Al Qabas. Interested in Haider’s work? Follow him on Instagram @haider—alzaeem for more — information.

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CULTIVATING THE “ART” OF BEING SOCIAL By Barr y Rodrigues

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have taken the world, including Kuwait, by storm in the last few years and Snapchat is quickly gaining traction. But while using it is a great experience for users, navigating its murky waters is not so simple especially if you’re a business and want to connect with your customers. Social media has evolved tremendously and social media managers are becoming more like business development managers, learning to identify needs and then taking the necessar y actions to make sure those needs are met. It is all about optimizing your campaigns so that you reach the right demographic. While optimizing is an impor tant aspect of social media, most people especially marketers; seem to forget one crucial piece of the puzzle – content that is interesting, contextual and relevant. Marketers are responsible for ruining almost all forms of media that ever existed. The newspaper which was created for spreading news became a tool for businesses to sell products and ser vices. Radio, TV, the internet and pretty much ever ything else suffered the same fate – they all became sales tools. When social media became popular, we mar veled at the prospect of connecting with family in another countr y or reconnecting with a friend from middle school that we hadn’t seen in over a decade. But there was a marketer sitting somewhere thinking “I can make money off social media by turning it into a sales tool. While there wasn’t anything wrong in thinking that, what marketers including myself forgot, was that there was a danger in overcrowding the marketplace with ads. The result is a catastrophic increase in adver tising in a place where people are looking for interesting content. So what separates a company’s social media initiative from its competitors? What pushes a user to follow one company avidly and neglect another? The answer isn’t showcasing offers or pricing of your products. Trust me; there are very few people who care about that. Most people want to talk about themselves and things that benefit them. For the most part, they want content that they’re interested in. Today, most brands suffer from what professionals call the “Me” syndrome. These companies spend most of their time to talking about their own products. Instead, 40

they should focus on creating memorable and long lasting relationships with their fan-base; make customers fall in love with their brand. The content you upload should be designed for a specifically targeted demographic and a “one size fits all” approach hardly ever works here. That’s why Facebook and Instagram give you plenty of programmatic data to use for targeted adver tising. The adver tising targeting options are amazing but we will look into those another day. Brands need to ensure that the content they put out there is appealing to their fan-base. It needs to incite curiosity and eventually create the need to share it with others. That’s how they can build lasting relationships with their fans and customers; by using social media as an influence channel NOT a sales channel. The perfect analogy would be a cocktail par ty scenario. Cocktail par ties are mainly for networking and NOT for selling. Of course, it is customar y to make shop talk here but only after you’ve garnered the interest of your subject by sharing funny anecdotes from your last vacation or gave them advice on their next big car purchase. Only after you’re convinced they are on your side, do you star t making shop talk. Do it too early and risk the chance of boring them and turning them away.

The first key here is to listen and identify people talking about your brand, product or industr y and then join the conversation by throwing in interesting news and statistics. The second is to create conversations by engaging your fans, either by posting content that has the potential to go viral in the positive sense or by creating a contest where your fans can par ticipate and feel engaged. Either way, being successful on social media amounts to spending time on it. It is akin to going to the gym to get in shape. You won’t see the results unless you put in the work. It may mean spending hours online responding to your fans and engaging with them to retain their interest. And if you believe in Karma, they will eventually buy from you – when they are ready. It may be a long, painstaking process but much like a cocktail par ty, the fruits of your labor will eventually show and when they do – you could say you’ve cultivated the ar t of being social in a digital age. Barry Rodrigues is Head of Marketing & Product Development at Future Communications, and an associate advisor with the International Advisors Group in Kuwait. Barry also provides pro-bono consulting services for small businesses to help them achieve their marketing objectives. For comments, please email Barry at barry @nexgenconsulting.co.uk.

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up close and personal

MESHAL AL-OMAR Into the deep By bazaar staff

“I’m passionate about nature,” Meshal Al-Omar started, “I feel we need to bond with it, because we are from it.” This 29-year-old former accountant left the world of banking to live a more creative life. Starting a media company called Mukanik Creative Lab with his friend, Fahad Al-Hassan, he currently specializes in e-marketing and documentary making. With a passion for nature and the deep blue sea, Meshal and his brother, Mohammad, started taking scuba diving lessons at the young age of twelve. By 2004, he found himself in Thailand with a diving license that would only propel him further into the colorful and serene hobby of underwater photography. Though hobbyist he might be, his imagery is stunning and the composition pristine.

N o t o n e t o s hy away f r om a c h a l lenge, M e sh a l we n t t o t he I ndones i a n island S u l awe s i a t a t i m e o f t u r bul enc e . W h i le his fa m i l y o p p o s e d t h e t r i p, hi s need t o e xplore t h e d e p t h s of t he i s l a n d ’s oc e a n s wa s f ar t o o st r o n g . A l ot o f c o nv i n c i ng a n d 2 8 h our s l a t e r, h e l a n ded s a f el y and em b a r ke d o n his fi r st so l o a d v e n t ur e . Br a n d new c am e ra in h a n d , M e s h a l s et o u t t o s i l enc e t he S iren’s c a l l a n d d ov e r i g h t i n t o t he wat e r and e n r o l l e d i nt o a n u n d e r wa t er p h o t ography c o u r se . H av i n g l ear n e d t he bas i c s f ir sth a n d , h e l ef t t he c our s e a n d I ndones i a with a n a r se n a l of s t u n n i n g phot o g r a p h s and v i d e o s t o s h o w - of f and a s k i l l he f u r ther d ev e l o p e d . Fr o m j us t a r e g ul ar h o b by to a fl o u r i s h i n g c a r eer, M es h a l c ur r ent l y t eac hes t h e b a s i c s of under wat e r p h o t og r aphy. Still, not all challenges come in the form of convincing family members to go on a trip – others arise as you take the first step off the boat and into the water. Though Meshal insists that the gear he wears and regularly carries isn’t an issue, “the weight is barely there when you’re diving ,” there are cer tain calculations that need to be made. “It takes skill and you need to constantly monitor your air supply and surroundings,” Meshal explained. This calculation, like many other things, is perfected through practice. “The more I dive, the more comfor table I am with ever ything ,” Meshal assured us. What he taught us was that there are two different tanks you can take – one is a normal air supply tank, while the other required cer tifications due to the complicated calculations you need to be able to make on the spot, simply known as the Nitrox Tank. “The higher the oxygen level in your tank, the higher the depth restrictions are, simple,” Meshal elaborated. “ I wa s d i v i n g w i t h a N i t r ox Ta n k and I wa s a t 35 m et e r s deep,” he b e g an, “ the s a fe t y wa s at 3 2 b u t I wa s at my l i m i t tr y ing t o c a p t u r e a s hot .” To m a ke i t a l i t t l e more c o m p l i c a t ed, h e was a l s o ups i d e d o w n! “ M y m a sk wa s l eak i n g a n d s a l t wa t er g o t into my eye s ,” M e s hal r e m em b e r ed, “I wa nt to s h o o t t h e s u n t h r oug h t h e c o r al r eef and a ft e r [a n e ndl es s ] f i v e m i n u t es , I m anaged t o g e t t h e s h o t ! ” St i l l , t o c apt u r e this i m a g e , h e had t o m ai nt a i n h i s dept h while c l e a r i n g h is m a s k f r o m s a l t wa t er w ithout m ov i n g i t ! “N o t t o m ent i o n I was w o r ried I’d r u n o u t of g a s ,” he a d d e d . T hi s r e s ulted i n h i m c a pt ur i n g hi s f av o r i t e i m ag e – that o f t h e su n t hr o u g h t h e c or a l r eef c luster a n d t h e g l i s t e n i n g s ea a b ov e hi m ; “I lov e t h a t s h o t bec a u s e I wa s about t o hur t my se l f t a k ing i t ,” h e l a u g hed. Yet t he photo t h a t p e r fe c t l y p o r t r ay s h i s pas s i on are the o n e s h e s i m pl y a n d l ov i ng l y r e f er s to as ‘N e m o ’ – “ T hes e s h o t s ar e r e a l l y c a l m,” he e x p l a i n e d , “ a n d I r eal l y l i ke t he A n e m one in t h e p h o t o g raphs .”[ c o n t i nu e d . . . ] 43

[ . . . c o n t i nu e d ] M e s hal ’s m os t m e m or a b le div i n g e x p e d i t i on t o d a t e i s h i s 2 0 1 3 t r i p w i th his fr i e n d s t o t h e M a l d i v e s w her e he e n d e d up b u y i n g a b i g g e r, and b e t t e r, c a m er a t h a t prov i d e d h i m i n c r e d i b l e phot o s . To s ee t he w o r l d t h r o u g h h i s l ens , we g av e M e s hal our fun u p c l o s e a n d per s onal q u e s t i o n n a i r e. U p C lo s e a n d Pe r s o n a l W h a t d o y o u m os t v a l u e i n y our f r i ends ? I value honesty and communication the most. Positive friends are really valuable too. W h a t is y o u r id e a of per f ect h a p p i n e s s ? Th e way I s e e i t , happi nes s i s a n ac h i ev e m e n t . A c h i ev em e n t s , a s I s e e t hem , are fu l fi l l i n g my g oal s o r m ov i n g t o war d s th e m . Ac h i ev e m ent s c a n b e s om e t hi ng ta n g i b l e o r s o m et h i n g m or a l . W h a t is y o u r gr eat es t f e a r ? Fa l l i n g b e h i n d on f ul f i l l i n g my g o a l s . W h a t is t h e t r ai t y o u m os t d e p l o r e i n yo u r s e lf? G o i n g a b o u t my dai l y m or n i n g r out i n e and bei n g l a zy a t t i mes . W h a t is t h e t r ai t y o u m os t d e p l o r e i n ot h e r s ? Bei n g n e g a t i v e and n o t s eei ng t h i n g s diffe r e n t l y. W h ic h liv in g p e r s on d o y o u m o s t a d m i r e ? N o o n e i n p a r t i c ul ar, ev e r y s i n g l e hum a n bei n g i s a d m i r a bl e t o m e. W h a t is y o u r gr eat es t ext r av a g a n c e ? G o i n g o n a d i v in g t r i p i n a r e m ot e l oc a t i on w i t h g o o d fo o d . Which words or phrases do you most overuse? ‘Stay Positive.’ ‘You can do it.’ ‘It’s ok,’ and ‘I can do it.’ W h a t is it th a t y o u m o s t d i s l i ke? N o t b e l i ev i n g i n my s el f w h e n I ’ m f eel i ng dow n . W h ic h t a le n t wo u l d y o u m o s t l i ke t o h av e ? Pa i n t i n g , b u t I h av en’t f o l l o wed i t y e t . If you could have any job, what would it be? Cre a t i n g d o c u m ent a r i es . W h a t w o u ld y ou c o n s i der y o u r g r eat est ach iev e m e n t ? M a k i n g so m e t h i n g u s ef u l f o r ev er y one. W h a t is y o u r m os t t r e a s ur e d pos s es s i on? My brain. W h a t is y o u r m os t m a r ked c h a r act er i s t i c? Bei n g c a l m w h e n n e c es s ar y and t r y i n g to st ay p o si t i v e . W h e re w o u ld y ou m os t l i ke t o l i v e ? O n a n i s l a n d – a c l ean o n e , w i t h my f a m i l y. W h a t a re y o u r f av o r i t e w o r ds t o l i v e by ? Th a n k y o u , G o d , f or y o u r beaut i f ul c r eat i o n s . Yo u ca n fo llow M e s h a l ’s wor k b y fol l ow i n g hi m o n Fa ce b o ok : M e s h a l . A l om a r, I n s t a g r a m @M e s h .A lo ma r, a n d YouTub e @ M e s h A l om a r. Vi s it h is we b sit e a t w w w. m e s h yd p . c om a nd www.5 00p x.co m /m e s h _ a l om a r for m or e stu n n in g ima ge s ! 44

jeep

CHOO AT WORK By bazaar staff

With the Jimmy Choo Cruise’ 2016 Collection, we found the most stunning designs to complement our everyday bazaar uniform! The collection mimics the adventurous journeys of urban nomads, where imagination is driven to untamed, sunbaked desert dunes—it’s almost as if this collection was made for Kuwait living. Whether you’re dressing up or down, the anthracite metallic grainy leather with fabric feathers ankle boots, dubbed the Ladine 100, will carry any outfit from day to night for a sexy but feminine feel. We also fell in love with how the collection is celebrating the tassel trend with Jimmy Choo’s shimmer suede sandals with a nude shimmer suede tassel. These will elevate any look you choose to go with, from your basic black work trousers to your favorite floral crops. Who needs a bulky work bag,when you could embrace your inner minimalist (and 80s rock chick) with a black acrylic with crystal-studded clutch bag? The detailing on this beauty is sublime and features an asymmetric flap with ribbed acrylic paneling. Its basic black is completely reimagined with variously sized crystals scattered across the acrylic exterior. Small but mighty, you can pack in your basic essentials, and leave all of your work dealings for your favorite organizer. Jimmy Choo is located at The Avenues – Prestige, 1st floor (2220 0567), and 360 Mall (2530 9912). For more information, visit www.jimmychoo.com and follow their latest updates on Instagram through Alyasra Fashion, @alyasra.

Jimmy Choo Cruise 2016 Collection

regency

A LETTER TO YOUR

YOUNGER SELF By Ayman Nassar

If asked to draft a letter to your younger selves, how would you word it? What would you say? Would you do things differently? As I am closing in on three decades of existence, I find myself wondering if I would beg myself to do things differently, or simply stay the same trajectory. In school we did the opposite exercise (naturally, what past self would we have written a letter to? Ourselves in diapers? Don’t learn to walk or talk, it’s a trap, you’ll go to school!) We wrote letters to our future selves and buried them in a time capsule, which was probably unearthed by some bulldozer after they tore the school down to make way for a residential compound, but I digress. So what would your letter say? Love yourself before seeking the love of others. We go through our young lives trying to win the favor of others, be they a posse of friends or a more singular catch, in the end it all boils down to our need for others approval. If we learn to approve of ourselves first, the coming search becomes all the more meaningful and much more simple. Everything you learn in school will go towards your general knowledge as an adult. High school is the time where we know the most about everything, the humanities, the sciences, art, music etc. as we grow up our focus shifts and narrows substantially, deepening our understanding in only a single subject 48

(up to PhD). Those studies will make for interesting conversations with friends and strangers, so try hard to remember them! You will never be asked to have that much knowledge about everything again past university, so make it count for those few years. You will do well in your exams, so do not sit and fret and worry when they come around the corner. The real test is not to panic and forget everything. As you advance you will realize that there are a lot scarier things out there than test results i.e. job interviews, lease contract clauses and most scary of all, bank foreclosure letters! Do not spend all your time behind books! Most parents order their children to neglect the arts in favor of sciences, to put down instruments and pick up books, to discard paint brushes and embrace quadratic equations. Some skills are easier learnt in school than later, such as drawing or playing the guitar. If you do not make the time for it when you are young, you will struggle to find the time when you are older. Enjoy sports day! Yes, at times sports day seemed a modern-day torture devised by teachers to punish students for their misdeeds, and more often than not the majority of the year would rather be found in the bleachers snacking on pizza rather than on the track running a 1,500M race. Back in the day, this distance seemed most dreaded, nowadays, I kick myself over not having participated

in that race, especially after going for 5,000M, 10,000M and 21,100M races. The past has passed and all that remains are memories, both fond and frightful. Understand that it does get better with the passing of time. In the end, the good memories will outshine the bad ones, you will look back and laugh at what bullies said someday, even if it is a decade and a half from now. As a young adult the outlook is almost bleak; finish school, go to university, finish university, get a job, start earning, get married, have kids, repeat the process etc. whereas the reality is much more enjoyable. Life is not a rat race, it is not defined by the destination but rather the journey. When you look back, you will remember all that happened in between the “milestones” you were made to mark; the holidays abroad, the joy of spending your first paycheck, the freedom of movement across the globe, your first promotion etc. At the age of three decades, we look back at our younger selves with pride and recall the aspects of our journey that led us to this day. The world is now full of a new generation, to them we are ancient, but to ourselves, we are immortal. To the younger me, I say thank you for getting me where I am today, and to the next generations I say, live a life you can look back on and smile about, because in the end, we are only making memories.

We began making recycled polyester from plastic soda bottles in 1993—the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to transform trash into fleece. By reducing virgin polyester in many of our products, and replacing it entirely with recycled polyester in some, we reduced our need for petroleum to make raw materials and cut landfill and incinerator waste. For more than four decades, we’ve been looking for cleaner approaches to business as usual. Our greatest success is when others come along and create momentum.

patagonia.com/recycledpolyester

PORSCHE CENTRE KUWAIT CELEBRATES NEW PORSCHE 911 ARRIVALS

The most advanced 911 launches with new engine technology By bazaar staff

Bursting with more power, refined design and increased efficiency, the new Porsche 911 range has arrived at Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company showcasing cutting-edge technological advancements in what is the most highly evolved 911 to date. Now available in a range of model variants including coupe and cabriolet, the new 911 features entirely new turbocharged power units evolved from the racetrack to the road, as part of Porsche’s commitment to technology transfer. This gives the world's best-selling sports car a boost in performance alongside significantly improved fuel economy. On the exterior, the new 911 impresses with an evolutionary yet further sharpened design, while inside it features the new Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system delivering improved connectivity and controls. Speaking on the arrival of the new 911 range, Roger Kyriacou at Porsche Centre Kuwait, commented: “With its unique success story, the Porsche 911 is a car that has achieved iconic status over the decades and we are immensely pleased to be sharing its latest evolution with our enthusiasts and customers here in Kuwait. This model represents standard-setting sports car performance along with the convenience of everyday usability, all packaged in a legendary design. Thanks to the extensive range available right from the start, there is a 911 for every driver with each type boasting one overriding trait: pure Porsche performance. The innovations are nothing short of ground breaking and further extend the 911’s position as a segment leader.” The Carrera and Targa models feature a completely new engine generation with bi-turbo charging, which set 50

the benchmark in terms of performance, driving pleasure and efficiency. Across the range, a gain of 20 hp has been achieved, despite a fuel reduction of up to 1.0 litre per 100 km. 911 Carrera models The new 911 Carrera produces 370 hp, whilst the 911 Carrera S delivers 420 hp, thanks to a combination of turbochargers with modified compressors, enhanced exhaust system and tuned engine management. This allows the 911 Carrera to sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds – making it two tenths of a second faster than its predecessor. The 911 Carrera S with PDK and Sport Chrono Package performs its showcase discipline in just 3.9 seconds. Torque gains in the new models are also significantly improved by 60 Nm, with 450 Nm in the 911 Carrera and 500 Nm in the 911 Carrera S. Drivers will also now benefit from the full torque being available to be converted into sprinting power from as low as 1,700 rpm. The maximum torque is available over the entire range at up to 5,000 rpm. 911 Carrera and Targa four-wheel-drive models The four-wheel-drive versions of the new 911 boast improved drive dynamics and driving safety. In addition, the adaptive Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) chassis with its ten-millimetre lower ride height, included as standard, enables an even greater spread between sporty circuit and relaxed long-distance driving. Power distribution to all four wheels is now handled by Porsche Traction Management (PTM) from the 911 Turbo with electrohydraulic control. This enables the 911 Carrera 4 to achieve better acceleration values than its rear-wheel-drive counterparts for the first time, sprinting from zero to 100 km/h in 4.1, with the S model

registering 3.8 seconds. Rear-axle steering, which for the first time is available as an option for the Carrera 4S and Targa 4S models, considerably increases the overall dynamics of the vehicle. 911 Turbo models Regarded as the top athletes in the range and thanks to a 3.8-litre six-cylinder bi-turbo engine, the 911 Turbo now delivers 540 hp, with the coupe model sprinting from zero to 100 km/h in 3.0 seconds. The gain of 20 hp has been achieved by modified inlet ports in the cylinder head, new injection nozzles and higher fuel pressure. Meanwhile, the 911 Turbo S develops 580 hp thanks to new turbochargers with larger compressors. It is also the first production 911 to accelerate to 100 km/h in less than three seconds, reaching the milestone speed in 2.9 seconds. In conjunction with the optional Sport Chrono Package and for the first time, all 911 models now have a mode switch on the steering wheel. Derived from the 918 Spyder, mode switch consists of a rotary ring with four positions for the driving modes “Normal”, “Sport”, “Sport Plus” and “Individual”. In combination with the PDK transmission, the mode switch has an additional push button, the “Sport Response Button”. When this button is pressed, the drivetrain is pre-conditioned for maximum acceleration for 20 seconds, a feature that can be deployed for overtaking maneuvers.

The new Porsche 911 is now available for order at Porsche Centre Kuwait. Call 1870 870 or visit: www.porschekuwait.com for more information. Follow @PorscheCentreKuwait for their latest updates on Instagram.

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NOW AT OUR STORES Ec coSho es

E c co A ra bia

e cco.com

SEASONS OF LIFE By Dr. Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg

It's summertime. The season of heat, holidays, and hopping on a plane. The joke in Kuwait is; "What do you say to the last person in line at the airport?" "Did you close the lights?" It gets so hot here that the expectation is that if you can 'escape,' you will. For a variety of reasons, I have stayed in Kuwait over the whole summer for a number of years. Yes, it gets hot, but on the upside, people leave. The streets are virtually empty, there's very few queues anywhere I go, and work slows down to what feels like sauntering pace. No need to hurry for anything. If not today, then tomorrow, insha'allah. It's a season. Not particularly comfortable or pretty but thankfully, temporary. Time limited, definite beginning, expected end. We human beings can endure just about anything, even eyeball-searing heat when we know there'll be an end to it. Life is like that, moving in an ebb and flow of familiar, unfamiliar, painful, joyous, difficult, easy, happy, sad, busy, or lazy rhythms. These seasons are often brought on by life events outside our immediate control, and the only response we're actually able to make is to choose the attitude with which we'll face the event. Years ago, working with a woman who had lost her husband, we were talking (yet again) about how different life felt without her partner. She was feeling guilty and distressed that she was 52

completely unable to get back to "normal" life her friends were impatient with her sadness and tears, and had begun to suggest that she needed to "get on with her life," or at least, "get back to doing every day things. You'll feel better." Part of the problem was that she didn't want to feel better. She felt disloyal to her husband and angry with her friends. At the same time, she said to me, "Will this ever end? I asked how long she'd been married. "49 years," she said sadly. "We were planning our 50th wedding anniversary celebration when he died." "How long since he died?" I asked. "10 months, yesterday," she replied. "Did you know the general benchmark for grieving is one month for every year of marriage?" She thought about that for a moment. "That means it's okay if I'm still sad?" "Of course. You might be ready to be finished with grieving before that, but this season of grief in your life could easily be 4 years long, and that would be okay." From that point on, she relaxed into the process of learning how to live without her beloved husband. Though it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any more comfortable or any less lonely, she felt that the season, which had a definite beginning, would also have a definite end. She understood she would not always feel like this, but that right now, it was perfectly normal to be sad. So it is with any season. Whatever the situation, seasons pass. Always.

It's funny - we even get spazzed out about seasons when we're happy, when things are going really well. We secretly (and sometimes not-sosecretly) wonder how long it can last. We look for reasons why life is going to fall apart ~ because right now everything is perfect and that can't be good. We act as if being happy is something to be regarded with suspicion and slight paranoia. (C'mon. You sooooo do that...worry about what's not going wrong.) Seasons are just that. Seasons. If you've lived somewhere other than Kuwait, you've experienced the natural change in nature signaled by new life/Spring; growth/Summer; death/Fall; and rest/Winter. (Unless you're in Canada. Then the seasons are Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Road Construction). My point is this. If you think about life as rhythms or seasons, how would your perspective about your current situation change? Could you let go of the tension; the fear that life is always going to be like today? We know from research that as soon as we stop focusing on the pain of life, whatever that is, stress levels drop measurably. Accept what isâ&#x20AC;Ś for now. Paradoxically, it's exactly the same when we feel all anxious about being 'too happy.' Choose to BE in the moment. Stay present. Feel the heat, and go about your business. Whatever the season in your life now, it will pass. Enjoy the summer. Follow @DRSusannah on Twitter and Instagram.

the promonade

truth or dare

PROTEIN Nikita and Georgia’s ‘fit tribe’ wants you! SHEIKHAS

By bazaar staff

Friends since their high school years in Kuwait, Nikita Kohli and Georgia Canavan always dreamed of becoming certified trainers to make a difference in people’s lives, and they set about achieving their goals as a team. Known amongst local fitness circles as the Protein Sheikhas, cofounders Nikita and Georgia know a thing or two about the importance of group training, and are widely famous for their killer boot camp sessions.

Nikita and Georgia understand the challenges of finding a group of likeminded individuals who shared and encouraged progress. Nikita said, “When it came to finding our brand, we wanted to focus on women and more impor tantly relate to one another. Ever yone who trains with us becomes a par t of our ‘fit tribe’, and looking at our local environment, the name Protein Sheikhas came so naturally!” Besides, it’s a name people don’t forget easily, and who doesn’t want to belong to an awesome fit tribe? The Protein Sheikhas emerged at a time when boot camp sessions didn’t really exist in Kuwait at truly affordable price points. Nikita explained, “Health and fitness awareness had literally just star ted up in Kuwait. Gyms were opening left right and center, but not much group activity was going on. We star ted Protein Sheikhas in November 2014 because the weather was perfect for outdoor fitness sessions at various locations. Our main aim is to increase awareness about the impor tance of fitness, especially since obesity and diabetes present real issues for the local population. We don’t want to scare people into action, we wanted to instill some fun with the sessions so they became a social activity for anyone wanting to get fit!” With classes ranging from beginners to advanced levels, you can choose from a range of their fitness systems that can help you achieve your goals in a realistic manner. The Protein Sheikhas movement is a lifestyle, and not a quick fix. 54

Nikita Kohli ( lef t) with the Protein S heikhas at S h aheed Par k

G e o r g i a Ca n av an ( c e n t er ) w i t h t h e Protein S heikhas at S haheed Par k. Today, the weekly boot camp sessions conducted at Shaheed Park are free of charge, so you really have no excuse but to join in on the fun! For other classes like one-on-one training , specialized boot camp sessions or workshops, you can easily get in touch with the Protein Sheikhas to learn more about how their other ser vices are priced. Nikita and Georgia are polar opposites, which makes them perfect at running the boot camp sessions! Born in London, Georgia is a black belt in karate and was on the British team for equestrian vaulting for 6 years. Always playful and bustling with energy when it comes to the classes, Georgia will keep you on your toes, while Nikita’s meticulous attention to technical details will keep your form in check. Nikita added, “We both have different approaches, just like our personalities but we both achieve great results!” A cer tified coach and nutritionist, Nikita is also a restaurateur and she believes that a cheat meal, or two, should always be a par t of sustainable meal plan. She said, “My favorite cheat meal includes a burger from Shake Shack, or a killer shrimp Bir yani from Taal.” Georgia chuckled and admitted her fondness for “CAKE!” The Protein Sheikhas are constantly improving their offerings and ser vices, and they have many workshops, retreats and boot camp sessions planned for the rest of 2016 and beyond. For now, however, they take a break from kicking our butts into shape to play a game of truth or dare. truth or dare How would your mother describe you in

one word? N: Responsible. G: Creative. How would you describe your mother in one word? N: Caring. G: Kind. What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever been asked? N: How are you Indian? You’re white! G: Are your eyeballs real? What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? N: Attempted a road trip from Switzerland to Spain to look for Paella for a university project that was due the next day. We didn’t reach Spain we only got to France and realized we had no time. G: Moved to Bali. What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented? N: Awesome. G: Yalla. Where would you like to live? What is your dream retirement location? N: As of last week, the Caribbean islands. It will probably change next week. G: Still figuring that out. What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind? N: Live and let live. G: Not all who wander are lost. What animal best describes the kind of par tner you’d be interested in? N: Crocodile. G: Elephant. What do you miss about your childhood? N: Having no responsibility. G: Horses, and being closer to nature. If you could change your name, what

would you change it to? N: I don’t think I would. G: I wouldn’t. How would you describe your handshake in one word? N: Stern. G: Strong. What is the toughest part of your character? N: My guard. G: My diplomacy. Who is your favourite historical figure? N: Meh, I don’t have one. G: Frida Kahlo. What in the world do you least desire? N: Judgmental people. G: Drama. What do you think is lacking in the world, which if there was more of would make the world a better place? N: Equality. G: Peace and understanding. Why do you think most girls/guys like you? N: They don’t . G: I’m friendly. F inish this sentence: “Happiness is a thing called…” N: “Happiness is being in peace with yourself ” Sorr y, the only other thing that comes to mind to complete the sentence is “happiness is a thing called love” Cheesy! G: “Happiness is…ever ything.”

For more information, visit: w w w. p r o t e i n s h e i k h a s . c o m , a n d fo l l ow them on Instagram @ProteinSheikhas. F o l l o w N i k i t a K o h l i @ Tr a i n i n g w i t h N a n d G e o r g i a C a n a v a n @ Tr a i n i n g w i t h G . 55

FORGET MILLENNIALS—WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE SOMEONE OVER 55 By Gwen Moran

If Silicon Valley companies are supposed to shy away from hiring people with gray hair, no one told Maggie Leung. The senior director of content at NerdWallet, a San Francisco-based financial information website, has made a point of seeking out experienced hires since she joined the company in 2013. She was "immediately at least 15 years older than most people" at the roughly 50-person firm, which has since grown to more than 300 people. "When considering applicants, we look for candidates with experience at outlets with high standards. This tends to include older people, because they often spent years working to reach that level," she says. Since her arrival, Leung has added about a dozen people over age 55 to her team. While the unemployment rate for people age 55-plus was just 3.9% in March 2016, there are also some harsher realities for mature workers. Labor force participation in this age group was just north of 40% in March 2016, versus 81.5% of people aged 25 to 54, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve. Forty-five percent of job seekers 55-plus were out of work for 27 weeks or more in 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A 2015 report by AARP found that almost half (48%) of the re-employed respondents said that they were earning less in their current jobs than their most recent job before unemployment. And while those numbers paint a pretty dismal picture, there are two contradictory trends going on, says Ruth Finkelstein, associate director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University. People are staying in the workforce longer for a variety of reasons, which includes enjoying their jobs, wanting to delay retirement, being healthy and physically able to do so, or economic reasons. But if you lose your job after age 55, it can be much harder to find another one, she says. Finkelstein says that research indicates employers worry about older workers’ ability to perform job functions or their health care costs. But overlooking the benefits of hiring older workers is being shortsighted, she adds. Mature workers offer some important advantages, including staying in their jobs longer, Finkelstein says. BLS data backs this up. The 2014 Employee Tenure Report found that 58% of older workers had 10 or more years of tenure compared to an average of 37.3% of people in their 40s. That loyalty can mean lower turnover costs. 56

Lisa Sterling, executive vice president and chief people officer in the Milwaukee office of Ceridian, a global human capital management technology company, says that while many companies are focused on Gen Y or "Gen 2020" employees, there is vast opportunity in the 55-plus market to find skilled, experienced employees. "They understand how businesses work, have important people and office skills, and often require less training to get up to speed," she says. Mature workers also come to the table with a wealth of contacts and a track record that illustrates their strengths, says Lauren Griffin, senior vice president at staffing firm Adecco Staffing USA. While some employers worry that older workers aren’t adept in tech tools or platforms, that’s more related to the individual than the age, Griffin says. She recently told a millennial job candidate to update his LinkedIn profile. "They also communicate well. Years of navigating the workplace environment often give them the diplomatic skills to navigate the workplace," she says. At SYNERGY Home Care of South Jersey, it’s not unusual for owner Dennis Crippen to hire workers who are in their 60s and 70s. Concerns about their physical ability are unfounded, and

he finds they are able to connect with the clients who need the company’s home care services. Crippen says it’s important to get beyond stereotypes, whether it’s "assuming that older workers can’t fulfill certain tasks, or that younger workers are always on their phones." When you think of people that way, you miss out on good hires, he says. As companies become more aware of the benefits of hiring older workers, there are also entities and programs ready to help. iRelaunch is an organization that helps people re-enter the workforce after they’ve taken a break. Workforce50.com helps mature workers connect with jobs. Senior Job Bank lists jobs for people 50 and over. Of course, good, old-fashioned outreach works, too. Leung recently hired an automotive writer she found on LinkedIn who was near retirement. She says he hesitated because he thought he’d finish his career with his previous employer, but she won him over with "a compelling offer" because she thought he’d be a good fit for the company. "It’s important to think of it as a mind-set rather than an age-related thing. It’s about really being able to grow and adapt and have the humility to learn rather than to say, ‘Only people of a certain age can do that,’" she says.

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AARON PAUL FINDS HIS ‘PATH’ By Patrick Ryan

For Aaron Paul, the righteous path is fraught with freezing winds and icy pavement. On the set of Hulu’s The Path, nestled on a hilltop by the Hudson River, the biggest challenge is “standing outside, pretending like you’re not dying,” says the former Breaking Bad star, who plays a family man and cult member wrestling with a crisis of faith in the Hulu series, which began in April. Sitting on the wooden floor of an empty chapel, he removes his knit hat and empties his gloves of heat-warming packs: “Little tricks of the trade,” he grins. On this mid-January afternoon, Paul is shooting a later episode in which his character, Eddie, and son Hawk (Kyle Allen), return to a rustic religious compound, which houses the fictional Meyerist sect at the heart of the series. He is greeted solemnly by his wife, Sarah (Michelle Monaghan), a movement figurehead, whose relationship with Eddie is strained after he lies about personal 58

matters in an attempt to hide his own wavering belief. In the Scientology-like religion, “if you have any sort of doubt, you’re a nonbeliever, and are considered weak and thrown out to the curb by the ones you love,” Paul says. “He’s extremely afraid to be transparent with his family because he knows he will no longer have them anymore. He doesn’t want to lie to (them), but he feels that he must in order to keep them close.” The Path, which co-stars Hugh Dancy as the cult’s unofficial leader, was the first TV drama script that Paul, 36, read after Breaking Bad ended in 2013. He has since appeared in films including this year’s Triple 9 and Eye in the Sky, and voiced a character on Netflix’s BoJack Horseman. Initially, he turned down the role. “I wasn’t interested in jumping into another show just yet. I was a little spoiled on the last one I was a part of.” But he changed his mind, much to the delight of writer Jessica Goldberg (Parenthood), who

admires how much Paul has grown since his meth-slinging days as Breaking Bad’s Jesse Pinkman. "He’s such a man in this show,” she says, adding that when she watched the series premiere, “I realized how much he really captures the emotional pain of what it is to lose faith. It’s such a profound journey that many people will go on in their lives.” Paul says he drew from his own religious upbringing (he’s the son of a Baptist minister) to better understand Eddie, who converted to Meyerism as a teenager. And while The Path’s conflicted protagonist doesn’t have lewd catchphrases or an affinity for science, the actor still finds Eddie and Jesse to be kindred spirits. "I gravitate toward characters that are going through a lot and I see that a lot with Eddie,” Paul says. “It’s a very complicated role, but that’s what I love about him. It’s incredibly fun to play — a bit torturous at times, but for some reason, I love torturous.”

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CAN MORE WHITE SPACE SOLVE THE

WEB'S READABILITY PROBLEMS? By John Brownlee

What separates a good reader from someone with low literacy? Everything else being equal, a good reader reads in chunks, skipping over words and grouping them together into phrases and clauses, as opposed to trying to digest them one word or letter at a time. But whether you're a sub-par readerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or just reading in a sub-par scenarioâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Asymmetrica thinks it can make reading easier for you. Created by Chris Nicholas, a neuroscientist, and Ken Brownfield, an exPaypal exec, Asymmetrica is a browser extension for Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer that tweaks the typography of text on the web to make it easier to comprehend. Over the last 50 years, cognitive psychologists like George Armitage Miller have shown that 'chunking' a sentence into discrete parts (for example, by drawing lines under phrases, or bracketing clauses) can drastically improve reading comprehension. "The idea is that the brain processes things better when they are organized into higher units of meaning," Nicholas tells me by phone. 60

"So just as you recognize a word faster than a number of individual letters given to you one by one, the same is true of phrases and clauses." "The idea is that the brain processes things better when they are organized into higher units of meaning," Nicholas tells me by phone. "So just as you recognize a word faster than a number of individual letters given to you one by one, the same is true of phrases and clauses." Asymmetrica automates the chunking process, taking a website's text and then adjusting the white space between words to subtly group different parts of a sentence together. As a simple example, Asymmetrica might take the phrase "A dog barked" and insert an extra half-a-space between dog and barked, segmenting the sentence between the subject and the verb. More complicated sentences would have additional space added, adjusting the length of the spaces between words so that their slight differences in length convey a sort of visual rhythm, guiding readers through the sentence with a white space beat. Once you've installed the browser extension, Asymmetrica's chunking is a nearly invisible thing that

all happens automatically. But according to Nicholas, the results can be dramatic. "Lab studies show that depending on the technique, chunking can increase reading comprehension and speed by up to 40%," he says. And that goes for everyone. Even if you're a great reader, he says, Asymmetrica can still help you read better because you're not always reading in optimal conditions: you're reading when you're tired, on smartphones, on subways, or maybe all three at once. While Asymmetrica is just a browser extension for right now, what really interests Nicholas and Brownfield is the possibility of striking deals with publishers. "A lot of websites really overestimate the literacy rate of their readers," Nicholas says. A back-end way to typographically "chunk" content could have an equally big impact to publisher's engagement metrics and click rates. "The dream is to see this built into something like Facebook," Brownfield says. The day when Asymmetrica runs by default on the world's largest social network is still far off. In the meantime, you can see whether or not Asymmetrica helps your web reading by downloading their browser extension at www.asym.co.

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HEADPHONES THAT DELIVER 3-D SOUND By Mike Freeman

In the virtual reality video game Secret Shop, players hear a door creak open behind them, prompting them to turn around and set the game’s plot into motion. It seems like a simple thing. But creating accurate spatial sound — how people hear in real life — isn’t technically easy. It is vital, however, in the emerging virtual reality gaming marketplace to fully engage players in the action. San Diego startup Ossic has developed new headphone technology that it claims delivers incredibly accurate 3-D sound to users. The technology blends advanced 3-D audio algorithms, anatomy sensors and head tracking technology in concert to deliver richer, more realistic audio. “Headphones haven’t really changed a lot since the late 1950s when stereo headphones came out,” said Ossic co-founder and Chief Executive Jason Riggs. “They sound like a very close sound field next to your head. That is not how we experience sound in reality.” 62

Based at a startup incubator, Ossic thinks its technology can provide a better sound experience not only for virtual reality gamers but also for anyone watching video or listening to music using headphones. What makes Ossic different? Everyone hears the world differently based on their anatomy, according to the company. Its headphones include sensors and algorithms that deliver sound based on the user’s head size, ear shape and other physical characteristics. “You put it on and it automatically calibrates,” said Riggs. “That is what allows you to get the sounds out in front of you, or above you, or behind you. So I think we have something that is pretty unique.” Founded in 2014 by former Logitech audio engineers, Ossic launched a Kickstarter campaign late last month to raise a minimum of $100,000 (KD 30,000) in orders for its first product — Ossic X headphones. Kickstarter prices range from $219 to $299 (KD 60-90). When the headphones eventually go on sale online, the price is expected to be $399 (KD 120).

Ossic also was accepted recently into Abbey Road Red, a six-month music technology incubation program at the infamous Abbey Road Studio in London. The program promises access to studio facilities, mentoring and exposure to entertainment technology investors. The smart headphone market is predicted to reach $7.48 billion (2.25 KD billion) in the next six years, says market consulting firm Grand View Research. It will be driven by advanced features such as higher fidelity and better noise cancellation, as well as the explosion of portable devices. There are huge headphone competitors ranging from Bose to HTC to Samsung to Apple. In addition, virtual reality headset makers such as Oculus Rift include built in 3-D audio in their devices. But Riggs believes Ossic’s approach is different enough to find a niche. “If we were just doing headphones, I would say it was a crowded space,” he said. “But we don’t see anyone else taking on the challenge of individualization in a consumer product.”

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DR. MAHITAB AND DR. MAHINOOR AL BANNAY A chat about dermatology, skincare and the new Al Bannay Clinic By bazaar staff

Dr. Mahitab Al Bannay and Dr. Mahinoor Al Bannay

Did you know that your skin is your largest organ? With that in mind, skincare is one of those things no one should ever take lightly. Kuwait University College of Medicine and Surgery Graduates Dr. Mahitab Al Bannay and Dr. Mahinoor Al Bannay found their calling in the wonderful field of dermatology. While they originally wanted to study Surgery and Psychiatry respectively, Dr. Mahitab specialized at King's College, University of London while Dr. Mahinoor got her degree from the Canadian-Accredited Kuwaiti Board of Dermatology. Well versed in dermatology and armed with an extensive knowledge of the skin and its needs, their latest venture comes in the form of a brand new dermatology aesthetic medicine and laser clinic. Welcome to the Al Bannay Clinic, where skincare is all the rage. As we began the introductions, Dr. Mahitab began with a huge smile, “I’m the younger sister.” Laughing, Dr. Mahinoor jumped in to reclaim her title, “Mahitab will tr y and 64

claim that she’s younger sister, but I’m here to tell you that I am.” But when it comes to their skills, they’ve perfected the ar t of dermatology and offer a vast number of treatments. From non-invasive lipo-sculpting and contouring to facials and various laser therapies – the Al Bannay sisters have you covered! They also have a special offer to all our readers: “Mention this ar ticle to our receptionist and receive 30% off on all ser vices we provide!” We have to star t with your names! Mahitab: Our names are actually Turkish, as our maternal grandmother was from Turkey. Mahinoor (Arabic/Turkish) and Mahitab (fully Turkish) both mean “moonlight.” Did you always know you were going to be doctors? Mahitab: Yes, absolutely. I remember being as young as 5 or 6 playing and roughhousing with an older brother, cousins and friends and sometimes getting hur t. I never squirmed at the sight of blood, scratches or anything like that. If anything, I’d be the first kid to jump and check out the injur y- I’ve always been fascinated by medicine. Also, my mother is a doctor and my grandmother was a nurse. I guess, in a way, medicine is in our blood.

Mahinoor: Since we were kids, my father had a huge influence on us. He basically told us we were both going to be doctors whether we liked it or not. That was fine by me, to be honest, because I’ve always had an interest in science and medicine. I’m curious by nature, and when I was younger I was always interested in biology and chemistr y sets, playing doctor and pretending to give injections. How has dermatology evolved over the years? Mahinoor: It’s no longer invasive. Once upon a time, going to see a dermatologist for treatments could be a pretty painful, intrusive procedure. However, the changes made in dermatology in the last decade or so have taken us light-years ahead of where we were before. Plus, we work on the skin, so it’s pretty superficial to begin with. Skin is easier to work on and manipulate. What sets the clinic apar t from other dermatology clinics? Mahitab: I wanted a place that could care for a large number of my concerns. I wanted it to provide me with a wide range of options: from medical treatments to laser therapy, and all my beauty and cosmetology needs. People are also looking for a more natural approach. Still, it is absolutely necessar y

that ever yone understand that each patient, each face, all skin, is different. What works with one patient may not necessarily work for another, and it’s crucial we inform and educate ever y patient about that. We work with their skin and their personalized situations specifically, in order to find a solution. Mahinoor: It’s also impor tant to note that the skin, being the largest organ of the human body, needs to be maintained. Dermatologists have a responsibility to inform their patients as to what’s required, not have the patients dictate the procedures to us. We tr y to comply with the patients’ needs, however, by providing tailor-made protocols that cater to their lifestyles. We treat, not simply provide a quick, one-hit solution. That’s what I think people need to understand about dermatology: it’s usually never a simple, one-time result. Skin needs to be maintained for a lifetime, and that’s what we aim to teach our patients. What should patients expect in terms of treatment and follow up? Mahitab: Patients should expect to be diagnosed, educated and given custommade guidelines for their individual skin types and problems. We expect our patients to leave well informed and with realistic expectations as to what we can provide them to achieve optimal results. And lastly, can you share your skincare routines? Mahinoor: We never leave the house without sunblock, come rain or shine. We also use anti-aging products at night, ranging from serums to creams to masks, etc. Mahitab: We make sure to get medical facials at least once a month to revitalize the skin. Mahinoor: And don’t forget to remove your makeup before you go to bed ever y night. Mahitab: And moisturize! Always moisturize.

Don’t forget to mention this article when you visit them for your exclusive 30% discount – courtesy of Dr. Mahitab and Dr. Mahinoor Al Bannay! Make sure you follow Al Bannay Clinic for more information on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat @AlBannayClinic. Visit the clinic in Al Arabiya Tower, 5th floor, Ahmed Al Jaber St. Sharq. Open from Saturday to Thursday between 11 AM - 7 PM, closed on Friday. For more information, call 2226 7222, 2226 7220 or 9888 1041. Photos provided by Bdour @badwar on Instagram. 65

A LONDON HOTEL WHERE JAMES BOND GOES INCOGNITO By George Hobica

If you were James Bond and needed a London hotel where you could operate clandestinely, where would you stay? Probably a small townhouse hotel, such as the Draycott. There must be 50 similar townhouse hotels scattered across London, but this is probably one of the least well known. Perfect for a spy on the lam. At just 35 rooms cobbled together from three Victorian-era homes near Sloane Square, the Draycott is the perfect London hideout. In fact, it's so private you might have trouble finding it. Tucked in among other anonymous homes in Cadogan Gardens, it's easy to miss. To enter, you have to press the doorbell; you can't just walk in. Which is why, on a recent visit, James Bond was spotted in the living room (there's no actual "lobby" here), sipping a drink. Of course it wasn't really James Bond, but rather one of the several 66

handsome actors who have played 007 over the years. I won't say which one, to protect his privacy and to honor the hotel's tradition of discretion, but what impressed me most was that the few other guests joining him for the daily complimentary drink service were discreet enough not to blow his cover. No one asked for an autograph or complimented his work or exchanged knowing glances. With his beard (was it real or a clever disguise?), I didn't even recognize him at first. Another guest, Jill Sinclair, who runs a travel service connecting interesting locals with visitors to London, made the ID. "This is the perfect hotel for a famous actor to relax like one of the common folk without being pestered," she noted. Of course, the Draycott isn't just for celebrities. Businessman Keith Hemmings was here for his fourth stay. "It reminds me of home," he told me. "My daughter knew I would like it, she's the one who booked it years ago. It's home from home. You can meet interesting

people in a small place like this, just as we're doing. My granddaughter loves it because they serve hot chocolate at night." Upstairs, the rooms are all different. Many have 12-foot ceilings and gas fireplaces, but some are so cozy they only have single beds (at a greatly reduced nightly rate). Bathrooms are modern but hardly spacious, although the rain shower fixtures, heated towel racks, deep soaking tubs, supersized towels, thick terry robes, and Penhaligon toiletries make up for their diminutive size. One of the best features is a large private garden in the back of the hotel. It's an urban oasis perfect for relaxing in fine weather, and easily accessible from the living room. But the best thing is clearly the feeling that you're staying in a private home. No bustling, noisy lobby; no conventioneers or pretensions like you'd find at one of London's grand dame hotels. Just a home away from home, in the heart of London.

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THE BUSHMANS Meet Kuwait's musical power couple By Nejoud Al-Yagout

There is nothing hotter than a power couple! And in Kuwait we have our very own: Richard and Harriet Bushman. It’s hard to put a label on either of them. Richard, who has a fine ear for music, is a producer of operas, musical performances and is also a talent scout; and lovely Harriet is not only a supremely talented musician and pianist but also an entrepreneur. I am not just in awe of this power couple, but I had the chance to ask them a few questions about what makes them tick (apart from the obvious reasons of course). Your work seems to be closely knitted with philanthropic efforts. How do you weave business and charity together? Harriet: I started my Agapanthus business a few years ago, designing and selling luxury silk apparel. I used the income to help women in Kuwait prisons return to their own countries, get an education and go back to a normal life supporting their families at home. Since then, I have raised money for victims of the typhoon in the Philippines, the earthquake in Nepal, and war refugees arriving in Sweden - as well as much smaller cases based on individual need. In all cases, I donate only where I personally know every link in the chain that delivers the funds and the services to the beneficiaries, to be sure that there are no overheads or extra costs. Richard: This year we are also raising money for opera performance in Kuwait, which is an expensive business, and one that is funded entirely through private donations. The government helps us in several very valuable ways, but not with direct cash contributions, so we depend on the generosity of those who donate and support our fundraising events. How did the Ahmadi Music Group come to life? H+R: The group was started by KOC in the 1950’s for their expatriate employees; that’s why it is still called Ahmadi, even though we have not rehearsed or performed there for many years. When we arrived in Kuwait in 2006, the director was leaving the country and asked us to take over. We immediately felt that the group had way more potential than was being shown, and have tried since that time to elevate it from a community singing group to a high-level opera company, but without sacrificing the fun and friendship that the members enjoy. Now, every year is a mix of very complex difficult music and some relaxing fun music. Everyone is welcome to join; there is no need to try out. What’s a day in the life for you as a power couple? 68

Richard Bushman Richard: We teach music to children after school; about half of them are Kuwaiti and the other half expats. In the mornings, Harriet is usually composing, practicing piano or rehearsing. I have many administrative jobs related to music production, such as fundraising, reserving theatres, translating scripts, and planning schedules, as well as learning upcoming concert music to conduct. Can you tell us how music can change a person’s life? H+R: Music can change a person’s life in every possible way that a life can change – emotionally, intellectually, socially. When we sit down to play music with people, we know that even if they are from a completely different part of the world, they have spent 25 years learning to play this music, in the same way that we have, and that gives us a special shared bond. Even our little students, many just six or seven years old, are very interested in what the other students are doing, because of the powerful experience they are sharing. When we have a student concert, and the young violinists line up to play a piece together, it is thrilling for them to see how their hard work, practiced day after day alone at home, contributes to this exciting whole.

School and university admissions departments love classical music students, because there is no way to fake it. Nothing can replace the discipline and dedication that show up in a student who shows achievement in music. Finally, what’s your vision for the rest of the year? Harriet: As always, there are a lot of plans. We will have a very fun ABBA sing-along concert in May, and then we will do a charity fund-raising concert featuring the Elgar Piano Quintet in early June before everyone goes away for the summer. Right now, I am writing music for a new show called The Blue Box, by a young Syrian writer, which is about Syrian children. The production will tour to the Edinburgh festival. It will be a crossover between western classical and Arabic music. In a similar vein, I am also writing and arranging music for a new show by Hooda Shawa about Freya Stark. And we are already planning for concerts and performances in the fall. You can find more information regarding Harriet Bushman on her website www.harrietbushmanmusic.com or on Instagram @harrietbushman. You can also follow Richard Bushman on www.ahmadimusicgroup.com. com for future events and concert

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INSPIRING CREATIVE EDUCATION At the Royal Britannia Kindergar ten By bazaar staff

The Royal Britannia Kindergarten (RBK) is the brainchild of professional educationalist co-founders Dr. Hanan Al-Mutawa and Russell Byrne, who together have collective careers spanning over 50 years of experience. Since its inception, RBK has firmly set its sights on becoming one of the most respected preschools in the State of Kuwait. Through a detailed and involved curriculum helping young people make connections within themes, units of study and across academic disciplines, RBK offers a caring and friendly atmosphere with the exceptional quality of its qualified, experienced and wellmotivated staff. In Januar y 2016, the flagship location of RBK opened its doors in Al-Siddeeq. Holding the loftiest of aspirations and a singleness of purpose, they proudly hold uncommonly high expectations for the children’s learning achievements. By ensuring a dynamic, inquir y-driven education of the highest standard, RBK aims to inspire young learners to develop their intellect, creativity, and character to 70

become independent, adaptable, socially responsible, and internationally minded citizens. RBK’s mission is to be the leading, culturally diverse and family-oriented international preschool with English as the principal language of instruction. This world of ours requires intellectual dexterity, independent thinking, unflagging curiosity, social agility, courage, social responsibility and uncompromising character. Therefore, the RBK community is deeply committed to ensuring young people are prepared for future greatness – to lead, to be honorable, ethical and adaptable, with high levels of creativity and innovation. RBK’s curriculum includes academic and pastoral elements and extracurricular activities. The academic curriculum is based upon the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutor y framework and curriculum of England. Children at RBK experience an inquir y-driven approach to teaching and learning. Concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes and action are essential components. Knowledge is developed in an integrated, meaningful way into six transdisciplinar y themes of global significance. RBK’s structure of programs provide a safe and positive environment that suppor ts

students in their attempts to acquire and improve academic and social skills in this ever changing and dynamic world. The encouragement of independence through having children take responsibility, having the oppor tunity to be involved in decision making, as well as the promotion of selfconfidence through class based activities are significant features of the education we provide. The emphasis on developing and nur turing the whole child impacts not only on what they teach, but how they teach and conduct their day-to-day dealings with children. In addition to learning the outcomes taught in the units of study, preschool children are encouraged to be curious and inquisitive. Respecting self and others, working through differences, and being par t of a group are impor tant as teachers and children build communities in their classrooms. RBK understands the impor tance of children assuming responsibility for their actions and see it as essential for their success. They also understand the impor tance of letting children develop a positive selfidentity, compassion and tolerance for those whose perspectives and experiences may be different than their own. The

program has been designed so that the children feel competent in themselves as learners. Finally, the creation of close ties with parents and families is a principal aim for all the staff. This is achieved through continuous and positive communication between teachers and parents on both formal and informal bases. RBK also offers accredited activities that have been developed through dedicated environments with professionally qualified teachers and instructors. Examples of these activities include: Science– developing skills of obser vation, prediction, critical thinking and discussion through force, friction, electricity, sound, light and many other things explored. Technology– using a range of ever yday technology and applications that suppor t an identified need. Engineering– getting familiar with basic scientific concepts such as floating, sinking, experimentation, their environment, living things. Ar t, Music, Drama, Dance– developing imaginative ideas through selecting and using materials and working on processes of interest. Mathematics– estimate a number of objects and check quantities by counting up to 20 and solve practical problems that involve combining groups of 2, 5 or 10, or sharing into equal groups. Reading Club– reading and using phonic, semantic and syntactic knowledge to understand unfamiliar vocabulary to describe the main events in simple stories read. Hydroponics– when growing plants without soil, fruitful questions bloom, along with concepts related to basic plant par ts and needs, nutrition, food production, recycling, agricultural technology. Cooking– a dedicated purpose-built Chef’s kitchen for the children to enjoy har vesting a crop of their own incredible edibles from the Hydroponics Laborator y and prepare and cook it for themselves and their families. Wall Climbing– the joys of rock climbing in a safe super vised environment. Fencing– the age-old ar t and spor t of fencing through established posture and footwork methods, including Wheelchair Fencing, which is a Paralympic Spor t. Gymnastics– a fully-fledged gymnastics center utilizing the ver y same equipment that is being used at the Rio 2016 Olympics & Paralympics – Summer Games in Brazil – just on a smaller scale to suit the children, including rhythmic gymnastics, trampolining and tumbling, as well as aerobic gymnastics. Mar tial Ar ts– engendering physical health and agility, mind and spirit, discipline and concentration, with the concept of “goal attainment” (via the belt system), thereby building self-esteem and confidence.

RBK emboldens, engages, and empowers children so that they will thrive on their journey to Primar y School preparing them for meaningful lives full of potential and endless possibilities. In summar y, RBK’s Keys to Success are: To provide a caring, inclusive teaching and learning environment, to ensure a diverse and adaptable curriculum, and to warrant a flexible and sustainable educational surrounding for all. Sounds good to us! RBK is owned and operated by the Education Consortium (EC), an awardwinning, non-profit organization, spearheaded by passionate ‘philanthrocapitalist’ cofounders Dr. Hanan Al-Mutawa and Russell Byrne whose wealth of combined knowledge and experiences make for a truly distinctive offering in the Education space. EC’s primary objective is to successfully and seamlessly upgrade the skills and education levels by providing inspirational and empowering

educational solutions for each individual child during their learning journey. EC seeks to be a social responsible leader in the field of Education in Kuwait. As such, EC is extremely active sourcing multiple non-profit projects where the community is in dire needs for education solutions. EC aims to help foster the community needs by ensuring all children in Kuwait have access to quality education.

RBK is located in Al-Siddeeq, Block 4, Street 401, Villa 234, Kuwait. You can call them on 9800 9696 or email them at hello@RBK.education for inquiries. For more information and offerings, follow RBK on Facebook: RBK.edu and Instagram @RBKedu. 71

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I STOPPED USING SCREENS AFTER 11 P.M By Alex Cavoulacos

Although I am a productivity aficionado, forming new habits doesn’t always come easy to me. Given how busy my days are, finding the energy to start doing something differently is tough, even when I know it would be a helpful change. Over the years, I’ve repeatedly failed to develop habits, from getting out of bed as soon as my alarm goes off to finding a consistent workout schedule to carving out time to read more books. To combat that, my husband and I star ted a tradition: Ever y year we add a new habit to our lives for the month of Januar y. Some years they stick, some years they don’t, but it’s been a nice way to push ourselves to tr y changing our lifestyle in a positive way. This year, we decided to tr y something that seemed crazy: We vowed to stop using any screens after 11 p.m. No TV, no computer, not even my trusty iPhone. As a serious night owl and busy entrepreneur, working late into the night is a daily occurrence, so it should go without saying that this experiment was terrifying. It felt like I’d be cutting hours of work from my day and making the rest of my waking hours more stressful as a result. But I’d read the research on what screens do to your hear t and brain, so for just one month, I was willing to tr y it. I’ll star t with the spoiler: It was awesome and life-changing and you should definitely do it for at least four shor t weeks. In fact, I loved it so much that I extended the experiment permanently (give or take one really busy week at work). Not sold on giving your iPhone a bedtime? Here are the four things I learned from cutting off my screen time: 1. I CAN ACTUALLY DO IT Let’s star t with the most surprising lesson: As someone who regularly emailed well past midnight or 1 a.m., stopping cold turkey at 11 p.m. seemed insane. But, I found that as long as you’re dedicated to tr ying this, all it takes is closing that laptop at 10:59 and not looking back. In fact, I closed my computer on a par tially written email more than once. Guess what? No one died. No one even panicked. In the beginning, I found it helpful to set a quiet alarm at 10:45 to remind me that I should switch to winddown mode—and to make sure I did things like set my morning alarm, since I use my phone for that, too. 72

2. I PRIORITIZED MY WORK BETTER Since I now had a hard deadline each night after which no work could be done on my computer, I star ted to prioritize my to-do list slightly differently. Instead of just jumping into my inbox top down, I kept a list of things I absolutely had to handle that night. I would star t working with that list in mind, answering key emails that were holding others up (and finishing ar ticles like this one when they were due). After completing my list, I could choose to keep working on other non-urgent work until curfew time, knowing that it was all icing on the cake and helping me to get ahead for the next day. When 11 rolled around, shutting down came with a feeling of accomplishment, since I had done the most impor tant work first. 3. I FINALLY FOUND TIME TO READ Now, just because I stopped using screens at 11 doesn’t mean that this night owl could just star t falling asleep at 11 p.m. Rather than laying awake, though, likely thinking about work the next day, I chose to pick up a book. And then another, and then another. During the month of Januar y, I read more than the previous six months combined. In fact, I could now read for an hour and still

be asleep earlier than my normal time. And the best par t? I didn’t feel like I had wasted any time by doing work and watching filler TV in the background. Dare I say it, instead of melting my brain, I’m getting smar ter. 4. I SLEPT BETTER This should come to no surprise, but turning off my screens had a huge impact on the quality of my sleep. Turns out all those studies were right. I fell asleep more easily, stopped having sporadic insomnia, and— wait for it—hit snooze way less! After years of tr ying ever ything I could think of to curb this addiction to five more minutes, I solved it the old-fashioned way: Giving my brain a much-needed break. As you can imagine, the better I slept, the easier it was to wake up and star t my day. In fact, within a week of star ting this experiment, I found that snoozing wasn’t the only other habit I was able to change. Turns out that I inadver tently stumbled upon a trigger habit: I was reading more, sleeping more, and spending more quality time with my husband. All of this led to me feeling less stressed and better prepared to star t each day. All in all, a huge positive change in my life, all thanks to a single new habit.

ACK

A CALL OUT TO

DAPPER GENTS! Spring/Summer 2016 has landed at Harvey Nichols Kuwait By bazaar staff

While Harvey Nichols loves to pamper its lady-shoppers, debonair gentlemen also have quite the options when it comes to the fabulous men’s department. From a stellar brand assortment to structured fabrics and on-trend shoes, Harvey Nichols Kuwait has got it all covered! MENSWEAR Neil Barrett Neil Barrett’s Spring/Summer 2016 collection draws on the decorative patterns of men’s attire across the globe, fusing Western and Eastern references. The collection travels across cultures, dissecting different notions of the male identity: American workwear with European tailoring, Japanese denim with Italian jacquards. Archetypal motifs are reworked, reexamined and fused together to create an unexpected and modern mix: Like nautical stripes, keffiyeh checks, camouflage, leopard and batik patterns drawn from traditional kimonos. However, a uniformity prevails amongst the global outlook – a uniform of masculinity. This is expressed through matching prints - shir t and jacket in coordinating patterns, in different scales or colors - and a strict palette of tuxedo monochrome, white and shades of navy. A newly-found relaxation prevails, with silhouettes exemplifying an accurate ease. Trousers are cut with a low crotch, narrow in the hip but sitting low on the body, hems are turned-up or cuffed. Shir ts are worn open, with 2/3 sleeves nonchalantly foldedup. Garments and shapes are drawn from the established vocabular y of the male wardrobe, twisted with a contemporar y perspective to become future classics. Two-button suiting, Harrington jackets, light Crombie coats, cuffed jeans and denim jackets are the building-blocks of the looks. Neil Barrett reintroduces his own 74

Neil Barrett

Valentino

Dries Van Noten

Guiseppe Zanotti

Helmut Lang

“classics”: buffalo-leather, a lynchpin of the brand’s earliest collections, makes a reappearance, washed and soft for summer. Valentino Traveling in style, accompanied by an ever-changing soundtrack, adopting from cultures around the world as a tool for writing one’s personal stor y through clothing is the journey that Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli have embarked on for the new Valentino collection. This song-filled journey freely interprets Bruce Chatwin: a geographical and psychogeographical collage in which music is the channel for entering in contact with another place and absorbing its spirit to tell a completely new stor y. Travels are always seen through the eyes of the wanderers that endlessly create and recreate reality. The result is a glamorous, liberating polyphony that focuses on the man and his inalienable individuality. The link and signature of the collection is the exquisite ar tisan workmanship of couture, which is a defining and distinctive trait of this fashion house. Dries Van Noten The Spring/Summer '16 collection shows a surrealist encounter - an imaginar y chat between Marilyn Monroe and Salvador Dali. You will notice a juggling iconography with creative provocateurs: Schiaparelli, Elvis, John Lydon, Dali, Monroe. Marilyn’s iconic face is por trayed through photos, weaves, knits and applique. Utilizing digital manipulation, Marilyn languishes along the border of silks. Other symbolic elements include the lobster, lips, beetles, eyes, doves, faces, archetypes, palms, the leopard, Hawaiian plaid, and paisley. Juxtaposed against these symbols are raining rhinestones, panes of sequin scales in blood and gold, and stationer y brooches. Helmut Lang This season, the Helmut Lang menswear collection has a relaxed utilitarian vibe and classic undone tailoring, teamed up with soft shades of mid layers to cast a straight contemporar y shadow. FOOTWEAR FOCUS Guiseppe Zanotti Giuseppe Zanotti explores a new dimension for Spring/ Summer 2016. The men’s collection is androgynous and irreverent. Contrasting elements are perfectly and effor tlessly entwined. The collection features edgy details such as studs, chains and safety pins along with suede and fringes in ear thy tones which are reminiscent of California in the 70s. Axel Arigato The Axel Arigato collection offers a selection of statement pieces including the brand’s latest silhouette introduction, Clean 90. Inspired by the purity found in unfinished sentences, the collection is left open to interpretation yet always executed with the utmost attention to detail and quality. All shoes are handmade in Portugal with materials sourced primarily from Italy. Har vey Nichols Kuwait is located at Grand Avenue – The Avenues. Please call 2228 3008 for more information. Get social with Har vey Nichols Kuwait by following them on Facebook.com/Har veyNicholsKuwait and Axel Arigato Instagram @Har veyNicholsKuwait. 75

SURVIVING MOMMYHOOD IN KUWAIT

By Mar yann Horne

How do you stay true to your former self with a family? It’s not just about sanity. It’s about how to keep your core identity while changing status. And this is how to help yourself through the change. It hits you like a ton of brick: One day you are a professional with a blazing career, on top of your game and working with the big boys. The next, you are married and the bump is growing. After nine months of hormonal fireworks – your status changes forever. So does your body. Your mind. Forever. For us girls, the change is a tsunami. No one quite prepares you for its velocity. Your brain has turned to mush, literally. You can’t remember the date, let alone keep up with international politics. Your body has doubled in the wrong places and your wardrobe might as well be sent to Mars. All while hubby continues having a life outside the family cocoon as if nothing had changed ! In my case, we very wisely decided to do all the things most sane people do over the course of a decade in ten months. We got married, bought a house in London, got tenants, hubby changed jobs. I quit work, had a baby and started a new business. Oh, and we moved some four thousand miles across the globe to Kuwait in the midst of it all. I landed with a bump. Baby in one arm, keys to empty house in another. 76

Gone the hair raising work trips to Libya and Afghanistan. Negotiating with rebel commanders and purifying water? A doddle compared to feeding a baby. I followed my friends on Facebook. But soon, our conversations withered. They were on the next big stor y as I was left tr ying to digest “Mommyhood for Dummies”. The secret came in the wise words of a friend: “if you tr y and fight it, you’ll die. Embrace it and you will flourish. You can’t have it all. And women who claim they do are sitting on an emotional time-bomb”. And so I did. It took a while, but within a few months, I realized that Kuwait is a heaven for those who want to catch their breath and manage the change. And here are just a couple of tips to help: SANE BODY, SANE MIND – Hit the gym or swim. Endorphins counter post-natal blues and reshape the muffin-top that grows like fungus out of your favorite denims. Most leading gyms have nurseries if you are uncomfor table leaving bubs, and most will accept nannies of newborns. CATCH YOUR BREATH – The first year of your child’s life is a great time to chill, recentre and catch your breath. Do the things you always wanted to do. Hit the spas. Make a photo book, write poems, learn to cook. Nur ture your body and soul. EXPLORE AND ENGAGE – So what your hair is a mess and you haven’t slept. Get

out. For coffee. To shop. To walk. Soon bub will be on two feet so enjoy your freedom while car ting Joey kangaroo in his pram. You’ll feel you still belong to the real world. ENGAGE YOUR BRAIN – Learn Polynesian or web site design. Book onto a course. Kuwait has hundreds of training centers. You can also register online and an hour of learning can be fitted around naps. Grab that qualification or cours that will help you reposition professionally or star t a new career. You’ll meet people who are also going through life changes. ENJOY LIFE – Remember, it’s just a phase. And with hindsight the most beautiful one of your life. So stop beating yourself up. Indulge in the food you like, breathe a little and smile a lot. There is nothing wrong with loafing and doing nothing but contemplating the delicate features of your bundle, waiting for those first smiles and giggles and letting the happiness of motherhood take over for good.

Maryann Horne is a former BBC reporter and now a freelance editor. The British mother of two is also a KTV2 presenter and founder of the personalized calligraphy jewelry business Arabesqueq8. To find out more about what she gets up to, visit www.arabesqueq8.com or email her at info@arabesqueq8.com.

bosini

IPAD FINDS NICHE IN RESTAURANTS AND STORES By Troy Wolverton

Apple has often touted the millions of consumers who have switched from Windows PCs to Macs and from Android devices to iPhones. But there’s another, growing group of customers who are switching to Apple devices that the company hasn’t talked a lot about — owners of restaurants and retail stores. Giuseppe Carrubba is one of them. About two years ago, he replaced all the cash registers in the three restaurants and nine cafes he and his brother own in the Bay Area with iPads. His only regret? “Not switching three years earlier,” said Carrubba. “It would have saved me a lot of time and a lot of stress.” Carrubba is among the thousands of business owners small, medium and large who are ditching old-style pushbutton cash registers and even newer touch screenbased ones for iPads. The iPad has “completely revolutionized that market,” said Rhoda Alexander, director of tablet and notebook research at IHS Technology, a consulting firm. Startup companies have been designing applications that allow the iPad to be used as a sales system since soon after the first one hit store shelves in 2010. But the use of the device in restaurants and retailers has been gaining increasing momentum. Actual numbers in use are hard to come by, but it’s becoming more and more common to see them being used in both small and large stores. The Waffle House restaurant chain, for example, has rolled out an iPad-based cash register system at hundreds of its locations around the USA. Companies that design the apps that allow the iPads 78

to be used as sales systems say that the numbers in use have been growing at exponential rates. For example, the number of iPads running a sales system from Revel, a San Francisco startup, grew 300 percent last year, and the company is shipping out about 1,600 iPads with its software pre-installed each month, said Chris Ciabarra, the company’s chief technology officer. “Every month it increases,” he said. Companies that offer iPad and tablet-based sales systems typically include several components. There’s usually an app that can be used to take orders or ring up purchases. The systems usually include a cloud service that stores and analyzes sales data and makes it accessible on multiple devices. And the companies often offer directly or through partner accessories like cash drawers, receipt printers, countertop stands, credit card readers and cases that allow the iPads to duplicate the features of traditional cash registers. The companies generally charge a monthly per device fee to business owners who use their services. Some sell iPads directly to customers, while others direct them to Apple’s stores and other electronics outlets. Although some companies also offer apps and services for Android or even Windows devices, iPads tend to be the most popular among both businesses and vendors. They’re generally easier to support than rival devices, because there are fewer models to worry about and they’re sold in so many different places, said Alex Barrotti, CEO of New York-based TouchBistro, which offers another iPad-based sales service. The growing popularity of the iPad as a sales system for retailers and restaurants comes as Apple’s tablet business has been struggling. Apple sold 16.1 million

iPads in its most recent quarter, which was the lowest total for a holiday quarter since 2012. It also represented the eighth straight quarter in which its sales have fallen from the same period a year earlier. Business owners offer different reasons for why they switched from other sales systems to the iPad. For Gary Blackwell, a crashed hard drive on the server that backed up his sales records was the catalyst. He wanted to find a system that was cloud-based so he didn’t have to worry about another drive failure. He didn’t initially care that the system he adopted, which was designed by Ottawa-based Shopify, ran on iPads. But he quickly grew to love the advantages of using the tablets for his sales system. He could check out customers using one of his three iPads while walking the aisles, for example, or check his inventory without having to go to Windows-based desktop PC he previously used as a cash register. Such features were “hideously cool,” he said. The systems aren’t perfect. Laura Rodriguez, general manager at San Jose’s 71 Saint Peter restaurant said she’s been having some trouble getting sales reports after-hours from the credit card provider that works with her system, which was designed by TouchBistro. Blackwell said one frustration he’s had is that he can’t connect more than one iPad at a time to his receipt printer or cash drawer. But on the whole, both are more than happy they ditched their old systems. “Once we got switched over it was like, ‘Oh my goodness, why couldn’t we have done this in the past?’ “ Blackwell said.

toyota

'THE JUNGLE BOOK' IS BOX OFFICE GOLD By Tre’vell Anderson

When Disney takes one of its classic animated adventures and creates a modern, live-action version, the result is usually box office gold. With The Jungle Book, the trend continues. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man) and featuring a cast of celebrity voices including Bill Murray, Idris Elba and Lupita Nyong’o, the film grossed an estimated $103.6 million (KD 31 million) in the U.S. and Canada on its opening weekend, shattering the highest analyst projections of $80 million (KD 24 million) as well as the studio’s more modest estimates of just $65 million (KD 19 million). It’s the second largest April opening in history, behind last year’s Furious 7, and the highest April opening for a PGrated release, above 2011’s Hop. “We are ecstatic about where we’re starting and what it means for the future,” said Dave Hollis, the studio’s distribution chief. “When you combine really high-quality filmmaking and the reception you hoped for from critics and consumers enjoying it, the momentum started to snowball.” But The Jungle Book, based on both Rudyard Kipling’s 19th century collection of stories and 80

Disney’s swinging animated musical from 1967, didn’t come cheap, costing an estimated $175 million (KD 52 million) to produce. In addition to the Disney formula, the movie also benefited from overwhelmingly positive reviews. It received a 95 percent positive rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics, which was on par with the A grade the film received from audiences, according to polling firm CinemaScore. It also had a stellar performance globally, opening this weekend in China, France, Germany and other markets, to $136.1 million (KD 41 million) internationally. As for April's other new releases, Warner Bros.’ Barbershop: The Next Cut had a solid opening, while Lionsgate’s Criminal struggled. The Next Cut landed in second place. Though projected to take in $25 million (KD 7 million) in ticket sales, the comedy sequel grossed $20.2 million (KD 6 million). The picture is the third in the Barbershop franchise, the last of which, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, opened 12 years ago. The original opened in 2002. The storyline follows Calvin, played by Ice Cube, running the barbershop he inherited from his father, and unites previous cast members Cedric the Entertainer, Eve,

Anthony Anderson and Sean Patrick Thomas with new recruits Common, Nicki Minaj and Regina Hall. Comedy sequels are often gambles for studios, but The Next Cut received favorable reviews from audiences and critics alike. Moviegoers gave it an A-minus CinemaScore, while 92 percent of Rotten Tomatoes critics rated it positively. As for Criminal, the action-suspense film starring Kevin Costner landed in sixth place with $5.85 million (KD 1.75 million), below its $9 million (KD 2.7 million) projections. Universal Pictures’ The Boss landed in third place in its second week. The comedy starring Melissa McCarthy added an additional $10.2 million (KD 3 million) to its box office-topping debut from last week for a domestic gross to date of $40.4 million (KD 12 million). In fourth place was Warner Bros.’ poorly reviewed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In its fourth week, it pulled in $9 million (KD 2.7 million). This brings its gross to date to $311.3 million (KD 93 million) in North America. Disney’s Zootopia rounded out the top five with $8.2 million (KD 2.4 million). This brings the animated picture’s cumulative gross to $307.5 million (KD 92 million).

fanatasy world

FOOD PACKAGING SHOULD SHOW HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS NEEDED TO BURN OFF THE FOOD INSIDE By Charlie Sorrel

As health consciousness has become more universal, most people now have some sense of the number of calories in their food. But what do those calories really mean, beyond some vague sense of how many you should be eating in a day? How about this proposal: Food packaging should be labeled with "activity equivalent" information, says the Royal Society for Public Health's Shirley Cramer. Instead of a plain calorie count, a food's packaging "should show the exercise needed to expend its calories." "We desperately need innovative initiatives to change behavior at population level," says Cramer in an interview with Science Daily, noting that previous efforts at making information easier to digest have failed. "Little evidence has 82

shown that the current information on food and drink packaging, including 'traffic light' labeling, actually changes behavior," she writes in her report, published in the British Medical Journal. U.K. polls have shown that almost half of all shoppers find current labeling confusing. The answer, says Cramer, may be symbols that tell you how much exercise you'll need to do to burn off the calories in the food. If you ever counted calories as a way to lose weight, you'll know how surprising this information is the first time you see it, with seemingly small amounts of food taking a lot longer to burn off than you expected. "For example," says the study, "the calories in a can of [soda] take a person of average age and weight about 26 minutes to walk off." This labeling change would have other positive effects, not just the avoidance of calorific foods. It could encourage exercise, something which is good for more than just expending calories. Exercise has been shown,

for example, to be really, really good for your brain, and Cramer's report cites studies that say regular exercise "boosts self-esteem, mood, sleep quality, and energy levels, and reduces the risk of stress, depression, dementia, and Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease." There is one other big change in activity equivalent labeling. It encourages the consumer to do something, instead of telling them what they shouldn't do. This alone could have an effect on our relationship with the food we eat. Cramer's labeling scheme seems very smart. The problem will be in compliance. To be useful, all foods should be labeled in the same way, which means legislation and regulation, two things that the food industry and its powerful lobbies hate. Get past that, though, and we could finally have found a useful way to label food. At the very least, you'll know that you should buy your sugary soft drinks from a store no less than a 13-minute walk away.

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bazaar goes dining

OVO THE MOON

Vegetarians taking over with this hot new concept!

By bazaar staff

Since the beginning of the decade, the global trend of clean eating has been in higher demand, and this trend has inevitably made its way to the region. Because of this, vegetables have made a comeback in both presentation and taste, and this is showcased at Kuwait’s hottest new eatery, OVO. Situated in a dreamy corner of the beautiful mazelike Al Massaleh East Complex in Bneid Al-Qar is the trendy OVO, a delicious dine-in café that specializes in vegan, vegetarian, and “flexitarian” dishes. It is truly one of a kind in Kuwait, and there is no other place quite like it. It’s the ideal place to grab a guilt-free yet indulgent meal, a organic coffee, organic tea or cold juice with a friend, and is comfor table enough in ambiance and décor to make you want to lounge there all day while listening to smooth blues tunes and vintage vibes of Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf. The name OVO derives from ovovegetarianism, a class of the dietar y lifestyle that permits eggs, as opposed to veganism, which restricts the ingestion or use of any product that could have come from an animal. The flexitarians are the 84

friends of vegetarians and vegans who complain about having to eat “rabbit food” with their friends whose dietar y lifestyle choices are more restrictive and vegetable dependent than their own. OVO offers meals that cater to all three dietar y practice’s needs, ensuring that diners with different preferences in food will never leave hungr y. OVO’s menu is carefully curated by coowner Ms. Chahine herself, and she had a vision as she was doing so: “This concept has allowed me to explore using different ingredients to create dishes that will take you around the world. I believe in enjoying your food and experiencing it.” And the food is an experience! Even by looking at the salads on display at the front of the restaurant, you can automatically spot the international theme, from classic American to Middle Eastern, Italian, European and Asian influences, all seven continents are covered. We star ted off with drinks. The mint and cucumber-infused coconut water arrived as a refreshing spritzer with a twist. Fellow diners sampled the Passion Fruit juice, which was as delightful as its fruity origin, and a show stopping Mango Mint Lemonade concoction, which tasted exactly how it sounds. That’s the beauty of OVO – through

their drinks alone, we could tell that their complex ingredients were in fact simplistic, and there was no myster y behind what was put into each drink or dish. Based on the cleansing bliss we’d experienced upon taking our first sips, we knew that we were in for a treat. The Beetroot Carpaccio, with its thinly sliced pieces of both red and golden beetroot, is topped with a red tahini sauce that produces a more organic, ear thier taste than the regular sesame paste we are more used to. We also sampled a goat cheese trio, made of an assor tment of goat cheese balls stuffed with a surprise: one including a cherr y tomato, another including a grape, and the final infused with green olives. Ser ved with a shot of fresh, unadulterated cucumber juice to cleanse your palate before eating each ball in one bite, this appetizer was truly pleasing. Our favorite appetizer was the Chickpea Fries – big enough to share, but memorable enough to want your own plate. This crispy alternative to the beloved potato-based side was breaded and cooked to perfection, in long strips that are ideal to cut into smaller pieces so that ever yone could get their faire share of the goodness. Coupled with OVO’s signature

“cashewnnaise”, a vegan mayonnaise made of cashews, and another pot of homemade “raw ketchup”, which is better than any offthe-shelf ketchup you will EVER tr y (trust us on this), OVO had us dreaming about their chickpea fries even long after the attentive ser vers had to pr y the empty plate away from our table. Needless to say, we were ecstatic to get star ted on our mains. We were ser ved a lovely selection of three dishes: one vegan, another vegetarian, and a flexitarian choice to experience all three sides of this accommodating eater y. The vegan Sweet and Spicy Tofu dish took us to the Far East, with a brilliantly spiced, Indonesian sauce ladled over gorgeously cooked tofu, and accompanied with a lightly mixed veggie and quinoa pilaf. Though the dish was reminiscent of fish, and fellow diners couldn’t believe it when we insisted it was 100% vegan, its flavor compensated for the lack of white meat – the dish sang in spite of it’s vegan attributes. The flexitarian dish was their famous Panko Chicken, flash fried, panko chicken strips that offered a crispy texture and succulent crunch that only panko breading could ever achieve. Accompanied with beautifully spiced potatoes, this dish is an award-winning option that’s sure to keep eye-rolling, meat eating friends and family members of vegans and vegetarians satisfied. As for the vegetarian dish, we were lucky enough to sample the extremely talked about, already infamous, Open Face Lasagna – a dish that is so special, that upon its mere mention we’re considering driving to Bneid Al-Qar to pick up one of those bad boys. Made with fresh, homemade lasagna noodles, brown butter, sautéed seasonal mushrooms, garlic, and generously sprinkled parmesan cheese, this was hands down our favorite main on the menu. W h a t ’s s o w o n d e r f u l a b o u t OV O i s t he lightly-full-after feeling , becaus e of their health-cons cious cooking , s till manages to leave room for des s er t. Their innovative desse r ts are all made fres h and organic, with b oth vegetarian and vegan options , and are s trongly recommended with their ex c ellent organic coffee and homemade almond milk, which makes the perfect c af e latte. E ditor’s tip: be s ure to tr y the Organic Cocoa Marble cake – you won’t regret its decadence.

Visit OVO today! Located in the Al Massaleh East Complex in Bneid Al-Qar. Follow them on Instagram @ovokwt and on Facebook: OVO. Call them at 2257 5324/ 2257 5374. Photography by Muneera AlKhulaifi 85

RIGHT ON TIME Raymond Weil’s brand ambassador Katheryn Winnick presents the new shine collection By bazaar staff

Raymond Weil’s brand ambassador Katheryn Winnick introduces the new dazzling shine watches. Feminine, elegant and sensual, this exclusive collection features a unique patented system of interchangeable bracelets. It is a pure jewel for independent, modern women who want their watch to be a part of every occasion. R ay m o n d Wei l ’s s h i n e c ol l ec t i on i s an e x q u i si t e s y m bol of s ens u a l i t y and ele g a n c e . W h e n i t was f i r s t l a u n c hed i n 2005, its glamor, strength and audacity left a fo o t p r i n t i n t h e Br and’s hi s t or y. For i t s 40t h a n n i v e r s a r y, t h e Sw i s s wat c hm a ker pre s e n t s a n ew s h i n e, equi pped w i t h a qu a r t z movement, combining delicate cur ves, feminine refinement, diamond purity and enchanting mother-of-pearl of some models. The 32mm round case has been harmoniously set with diamonds and plays with the nuances of light Whether in steel or with yellow-gold PVD coated steel, shine’s many facets make this watch jewel a must – fully in tune with the rhythm of ever y woman. 86

Presented with two different straps, shine also plays with women’s various moods. A unique simple and discreet system accessible on the back of the watch has been entirely developed by the Brand’s internal Research and Development depar tment. It allows women to choose between two looks and feeling by changing the bracelet in a wink. Thanks to this new Raymond Weil’s patented, quick-and-easy interchangeable bracelet system, this watch jewel can go from a contemporar y urban and casual look with its steel bracelet to a more glamorous and sophisticated evening style with the satin strap. Raymond Weil’s multi-talented ambassador Katheryn Winnick perfectly embodies this new dazzling collection. TV series Vikings’ leading star is the face and wrist of the Brand’s feminine collection since 2015. Her natural beauty and undisputable charisma make her the perfect match for the independent watchmaker. shine’s double facets echo the actresses’ ability to por tray her different characters. “For me, time is about moments. When I glance at my watch I am reminded of how precious time is and how exciting it can

be. Raymond Weil’s new shine watch has been designed for active women like me, who cherish an elegant timepiece that is perfectly attuned to their choices, and style”, declares Kather yn Winnick. “Women have always been very important for Raymond Weil and the brand has been offering various ladies models since its beginnings. We are committed to develop elegant timepieces that will please their tastes. Both a watch and a jewel, the shine collection does not leave any woman indifferent, any time of day or night”, says Elie Bernheim, CEO of Raymond Weil. The new shine timepieces are yet another sparkling example of the independent Swiss watchmaker’s unique creativity for 40 years.

The shine collection can be found at many AlBatel locations throughout Kuwait. Find them at Marina Mall, Salem Al Mubarak Street, Mubarakiya, Souq Sharq, Avenues and Fahaheel. Contact them at 2575 8866/2245 5733.

that alsalasil

EXPATS' GUIDE TO… KUWAITI SUMMER

By bazaar staff

As I write, I picture you reading this from the comfort of a mellow air-conditioned café or restaurant, soft summer vibes playing from the speakers and an icey Frappuccino or other cold beverage of your choice in hand. This means you already have a good idea of how hot a Kuwaiti summer can be. But (spoiler alert)…it gets much worse than this. #July. Chances are, you’re probably not ready for your first Kuwait summer. Most of us aren’t ready for our umpteenth Kuwaiti summer. Kuwait has two modes-hot and cold. There are a few (and I do mean a few) perfect days in the year while the weather transitions, but as a general rule, remember hot/cold. Red/blue. Shor ts/hoodie. Flip flops/boots. Lucky us, we have now entered the hot stage. We get to enjoy this third degree burn inducing ride all the way until October. I know what you’re thinking: "what could you possibly tell us about sur viving the summer, faceless magazine person, other than to stay in the AC and wear plenty of sun cream?’’ Bear with me though, as I have a few extra tips and hints that will give you more of an idea what to expect during the summer here in Kuwait. You’re going to want to take plenty of cold showers this time of year. This might 88

be a problem since the water pipes become so hot in the summer that the cold water actually comes out extremely warm (but hey, saves wear and tear on the hot tap!). It can be a good idea to fill your empty water bottles with tap water, and leave a healthy supply of them in the home. With the AC cooling them down, should you find the shower water too hot, you can at least use the now room temperature bottles that you gathered instead. One of the great things about summer in Kuwait is the emptiness. The countr y becomes so much quieter during the hotter months, since so many people travel; either the locals for a long vacation, or else us expats off home for the summer months. What does this mean for the rest of us? Firstly, quiet roads. Oh man, the quiet roads. You can sleep in and get to work on time! In fact, leave home at any point in the day later than usual and still get to your destination on time. Just don’t be sad when it’s business as usual after the summer and the roads are back to chaos…until then, enjoy it! The quietness also makes for far more pleasant outings, specifically malls. By now, you know the madness of the Avenues on a Friday. If you don’t, you soon will, don’t worr y. During the summer, that disappears and you become king/queen of the manor. Well, not quite, but ever ywhere is much

emptier and shopping, dining out, coffee, even just walking becomes much more enjoyable without the assault course of people, hover boards, shopping bags and noise. If you drive, before setting off on a journey keep an eye out for animals hanging out under the car. There aren’t many shady spots for the street cats and dogs of Kuwait during the heatwave, so many will take shelter under vehicles. Sense would tell you that the sound of a car star ting is enough to make them move, but it doesn’t hur t to have a quick check and lure them out before you set off. Finally as a bonus thought, keep in mind the workmen that you find out in the blazing heat such as the trash guys, for example. While we go between an AC car to an AC building and take a 100 fils bottle of water for granted, it can be a ver y welcome and much needed refreshment for them. Don’t be shy to hand them a cold drink, snack or money if you see them out. This is an act of kindness ver y normal to Kuwait and other Arab countries. Simple but effective tips. And if all else fails, lock yourself indoors with the AC on, enjoy the hundreds of deliver y options available in Kuwait so that you never need to leave the house and emerge from your nest. Whatever you chose, enjoy the summer your way!

al nasser

Geeks & Gamers

HEROES IN A HALF SHELL By bazaar staff

I love each and every Geeks and Gamers that I work on, but this is easily my most favorite so far. You see, 32 years ago to this very month, during a casual evening of bad 80s television and halfhearted brainstorming, two artists created my all-time favorite comic/television/movie characters: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now, I was only a 1-year-old, tea sipping, fishand-chip-loving child of the UK when the Turtles were created in their original comic book format so naturally, I didn’t catch on to them until the late 80s when THAT cartoon series and Turtle Mania crept over to England and took over the rest of the world. The name was changed to Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in the UK and parts of Europe since our governments deemed the word ‘ninja’ to be associated with violence and, at the time, were on a real crusade against youth being corrupted by the TV. I remember the first action figures I owned were Chinese copies from a bargain store and as a 7-yearold Turtle fanatic, I could tell something wasn’t quite right about them, although I didn’t care. I spent hours with them and my parents must have thought they got an absolute bargain for the peace they got from me being away playing. My first trip to the cinema was to see the original live action TMNT movie and, while I’m aware this sounds cliché, it was honestly magical. My friends and I would be quoting that movie for months 90

later and asking our parents for pizza for dinner (the Turtles' meal of choice) every night. Every birthday and Christmas for the next several years, I’d find a new figure, vehicle, item of clothing, anything TMNT related (I still have my Turtle Blimp somewhere). I even imagine myself one day owning a pizzeria and naming it Ninja Pizza (trademarked, so don’t get any ideas!). Then there were the video games…so.many. VIDEO GAMES! Back in the old days, games were so expensive. They still kind of are today, I know, but while most things tech-wise reduce in cost over the years, games were more expensive then than they are now, and income was much less 25 years ago, so actually they were extra expensive. If you were lucky enough to get a new one, you’d better believe that’s all you were getting for another 6-12 months. The best you could hope for was to swap and borrow from friends at school. I had the first TMNT game in 1989, for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and for anyone reading that knows this game; I lost so much of my year to that underwater level, and I know you did too. I never passed it. Everyone I know that played it also couldn’t pass it, or else passed it once by total accident. Fast forward 20 years or so,and I still search for and buy any TMNT figures, comics and general memorabilia that I can find. I don’t know why I never grew out of the Turtles but I know now, at 33 years old, I probably never will. My wife-to-be

is aware of my addiction and luckily, supports it. So, 32 years ago. What’s so special about the number 32? How about we add 3 with 2…3+2=5 and there was almost a 5th Turtle in the mid-90s, to be either a male named Kirby or female named Venus Di Milo (true story). Thankfully, that never happened. Anyway, later this month we have a new TMNT game for the Xbox 360/One, PS3/4 and PC, and in June we have the second of Michael Bay’s TMNT movies, and as much as old school Turtle fans like myself like to say how much they hate what Michael Bay did…I quite enjoyed that first movie. They will never be as good as those first, live action ones in the 90s (with or without Vanilla Ice), but what we have to remember is that they are made for a new generation…not for us oldies. In recent years, I have become quite good at remembering that. If we don’t enjoy the latest reboot of a classic franchise then we can easily go and find the classic versions that our nostalgia yearns for, especially in this on demand, everything at our fingertips Internet age. The reboots are for the kids, so let them enjoy! I digress…wishing a very happy 32nd birthday to Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo, and here’s to many more years of enjoyment for kids and adults alike. I’m off to eBay to look for an NES and a copy of TMNT…26 years after my last try and with the help of the internet, I think I finally know how to beat that underwater level. Cowabunga!

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FURNITURE FIT FOR ROYALTY Getting lost in the beauty that is Flamant’s contemporary collection By bazaar staff

What’s better than updating the look of your living space? Whether you’re in the market for a larger furniture necessity such as a couch, dining table or a whole living room set, or you’re just looking for accent pieces and accessories to make a bland room come alive, consider the Flamant collection at the Al-Jerawy showroom your new go-to option. This collection is a breath of fresh air from the conventional, displaying state of the art pieces that exude luxury, taste and comfort. T h e F l a m a n t br a n d h a i l s f r om Bel g i u m and b o a st s c o n t em p o r ar y p i e c es t h a t re a p a t i m e l e s s n e s s g u a r ant e e d t o sa t i sfy a ny i n d iv i dual ’s t a s t e . F l am a n t i s fam o u s by r e p u t a t i on, f o r pr o d u c i ng t he fi ne st h a n d m a d e f ur n i t ur e a n d E u r ope, and fo r b e i n g t h e o n l y f ur n i t ur e b r and gra n t e d r oya l war r ant by t he c o u r t of Bel g i u m . W h e n yo u wal k i nt o t h e A l - J er aw y sh o w r o o m , yo u ’r e g r eet e d w i t h a s e a of opt i o n s . Ac c e ss or i e s s uc h as c a n d l e s — ele c t r o n i c a n d qual i t y wax al i ke — ador n th e wa l l , p r ov i di ng a s neak p e e k of th e b e a u t y t o e x p e c t w i t h t he F l a m ant co l l e c t i o n . B u t i t d o e s n’t s t op a t t hei r st a t e o f t h e a r t c a n d l e s ; t hei r e x t ens i o n of k n i c k k n a c k s , a c c e s s o r i es a n d o d d s and e n d s sh o w s t h a t t hi s i nnov at i v e bra n d i s a l s o t h o u g ht f ul , p r ov i di ng i deas and a d d -o n s t h a t c oul d e l ev at e y our dec o r a t i n g e x p e r i enc e . Fr om di nner war e , to n a p k i n s, t o ac c ent s and ev e n s uper so ft p a s t e l c o l o r ed t hr o w s , ev er y t h i n g i s th o u g h t o f t o c r e a t e y o u r p e r f e c t hom e fro m A t o Z . Al -J e r aw y ’s m et h o d o f s h o w c a s i ng Fl a m a n t ’s fu r n i t u r e p i e c es i s i nnov at i v e 92

w i t h t h e i d e a of qui et l y i nt e r ac t i ng with t h e c o l l e c t i on. W i t h f our d e c ades in fu r n i t u r e d is t r i but i o n s er v i c e s , A l - J er awy k n o w s h o w di s p l ay f u r ni t u r e t o c atc h a c o n su m e r ’s ey e . Se t up i n a m a z e of r o o m s , ju st w h e n y ou t hi nk y ou’v e s e e n it all, walk a couple of extra steps to find another room decorated in a completely different fashion. Yo u pleasantly get in each room, and feel engulfed in beautiful furniture and different options that illustrate ideas of looks y o u c a n g o f o r – b e c a u s e a ny b o d y w i t h a passion for interior design knows that t h e b e s t w ay t o c h o o s e y o u r p i e c e s i s t o v i s u a l i z e t h e w ay t h e y ’d l o o k i n t h e rest of your home. T h e ov e r a l l c o l l e c t i o n i s ec l e c t i c , with d i ffe r e n t p ie c es t h a t s ui t di f f er e n t i d e a s, b u t t h ey ’r e a l l c u r at e d s p e c i f i c al l y t o the t a st e s o f r es i d e n t s o f t h e G ul f r eg i o n. C o m fo r t a b ly c us h i o n e d c o u c hes with q u a l i t y t e x t i l e s , handpi c ked f o r t a s t e by t h e d e si g n er s of F l am a n t , d e c or a t e the c o l l e c t i o n in d i f f e r ent s t y l e s and s i z e s. F l a m a n t ev e n f e a t ur e s v i n t ag e pi ec es a n d c o l l e c t a b l e s f r o m d i f f e r ent r e g i ons s u c h a s In d i a . A s h o w - s t oppi ng pi ec e wa s a l a r g e , g or g eous , v i nt a g e c ouc h w i t h a t r a d i t i onal c a r pet - r em i n i s c e nt t e x t i l e m a r r i ed t o a qual i t y c a r v e d w o od fr a m e . If y o u ’r e l ook i n g t o i nv e s t i n a g r e a t q u a l i t y c ouc h t h a t w i l l l a s t l ong a n d b e c o m e a l ov ed p i e c e i n y our hom e, t h i s c o l l e c ti o n i s w o r t h t r y i ng out .

The c ollec tion also inc ludes an ar ray of dif f erent seating v essels: c haise lounges, beautif ully c ushioned dining table c hair s, ar tf ully designed f loor c ushions, and ev en a f loor c haise m ade entirely of genuine quality c ow’s skin. Other items in the c ollec tion inc lude beautif ul wood c ar v ed tables, of the dining , c of f ee, desk and side v ariety. M ade with eleganc e and c ontem porar y c lassic tastes in m ind, these timeless piec es are surely an inv estm ent to purc hase. I f y ou’re in the mar ket f or a c loset, the F lamant c ollec tion has those on of f er as well. S pac ious with a moder n str uc ture, F lamant’s c losets and storage units, both large and small, are v ast in v ariety and pric e to f it any body ’s needs. For the bathroom and kitc hen, ac c essories are abundant. From odds and ends to storage solutions, F lamant does it all with eleganc e. M oreov er, they make sink f ix tures! One par tic ular piec e inc luded in their c ollec tion is a gorgeous f ix ture c ounter m ade with a breathtakingly sm ooth marble f inish, and a c lassic wood f rame c ontaining side c om par tm ents and spac ious door s and drawer s. This piec e alone would hav e any body f rom a store stroller to a serious buy er doubt their bathroom déc or c hoic es of the past. Flamant has only been in Kuwait since the 18th of October, 2015, and has already

been a hit with the public – and it isn’t difficult to see why. From merchandise to presentation, the Al-Jerawy show room has exper tly represented this esteemed brand in such an appropriate fashion, showcasing the sheer elegance, quality and timelessness that Flamant has to offer. In terms of pricing , Flamant is highly affordable for such an endorsed and highend brand. Yes, you’ll be spending a little bit more than other excellent furniture retailers, but there’s something different and special about Flamant. When you’re sitting at a Flamant table, or lazing on a gorgeous chaise, you know that this oneof-a-kind purchase is definitely one for keeps –and is heirloom wor thy. Al-Jerawy has only displayed Flamant’s Fall/Winter collection as of yet, and their accompanying décor and layouts of their showroom compliments the pieces perfectly – making your Flamant shopping experience comprehensive and inspiring. We’re excited to see what they have in store for their upcoming Spring and Summer collection! Go check it out for yourselves, and maybe you’ll see us there, re-evaluating our past home décor choices. Li ke what y ou s ee? C heck it ou t at the Al-Jer awy Showroom on Ghazal i Road, o ppo site El ectrozan and nex t to Fantas y Wo rld . Fol l ow Al Jeraiwy @al jeraiwy on In stag ram for more information. 93

ADOLFO DOMINGUEZ The beauty in minimalism By bazaar staff

Spring/Summer 2016 is upon us! With a design ethos so strong, coveted label Adolfo Dominguez brings forth their simplistic sophistication that is much adored by all. Portraying a relaxed, natural woman; the collection provides pieces that compliment her style for every day, night and occasion. Bringing a beautifully simplistic collection, Adolfo finds its inspiration in the strong and independent woman. Taking us on a journey of color and design, the collection echoes with timeless and effortless chic.

To create the collection, Adolfo Dominguez looked into the rituals that make up the season by exploring everything from summer travels and the great outdoors, to the infinite oceans and horizons. Creating a stylistic journey between 94

the familiars and great-unknowns, the designs connect the spaces between the royally blue sophistications of Monaco, to Formenteraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s folksy bohemia. The more exotic designs are expressed through truly unique signature prints, with introductions to more ethnic cultures and natural landscapes. These pieces are filled with exuberant flowers reminiscent of spring blooms and a cool summer breeze. Floral prints and shades of blue being the major trends of the season, Adolfo plays them up while mixing in some subtle contrasts in the form of solid color and summery fabrics that entice the senses. Giving into a more ethereal flow, Adolfo brings in the sunlight to fill the collection with soft, harmonious lines that exude a subtle vintage tone throughout. Introducing colors with strong personalities like garnet and chocolate,

Adolfo has contrasted them with an understated palette of luminous neutral shades. Thus giving the silhouette a more relaxed feel with added flowing volumes and sheer fabrics to juxtapose the look. The natural expression of the design features strongly throughout, and with suggestive materials the look is enriched with strong graphic textures. Linens are embellished with artisanal techniques that enhance the beauty of its creases and its lived-in look.

Adolfo Dominguez is located in 2nd Avenues. For more information, call 2259 7836 or follow them on Instagram @Adolfo_Kuwait.

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CHOCOLATE CUISINE Where chocolaty dreams come true! By bazaar staff

Arabella location

Hawalli location

Ever wondered what a chocolate sushi roll could look like? Fancy a Milk Chocolate Burger? How about a Vanilla Spaghetti? We promise you, we’re not making this up. These dishes are only a part of the amazing experience that awaits at Chocolate Cuisine located at E-Mall in Hawalli and in Arabella, Al Bida’a. A local concept brought to us by three Kuwaitis in their mid-twenties, Chocolate Cuisine first began as a fanciful idea that quickly took flight. From there, it evolved into a fully-fledged concept in November 2014 and is quickly expanding across Kuwait. With no initial plans to compete with what the local market had to offer in the world of all things chocolate, the founders’ passion for chocolate led their brand to merit the name and gain amazing reviews from diners in Kuwait. Chocolate Cuisine is a concept truly built on innovative thought, a passion for chocolate desser ts, and a desire to deliver diners in Kuwait an affordable yet sumptuous experience prepared with local, high quality ingredients. We were already sold when we noticed Waffle Sushi on the menu. I mean, who could even resist such wonderful temptations? Ever y imaginative choco-inspired dish at Chocolate Cuisine made us think of Charlie and The Chocolate Factor y. With almost 35 desser t offerings on their internationallythemed menu, you can tr y an inventive chocolate desser t with ever y visit. Better yet, make it a group outing, celebrate all things chocolate and order many dishes to share! From cakes, brownies, crepes, to chocolate-only creations, you will be spoilt for choice here even if you’re not a chocolate fan. Chocolate Cuisine’s Hawalli location offers both an indoor and outdoor seating area, while the Arabella location boasts a seating capacity of 120. The concept’s décor and branding is clearly distinguished with its golden and chocolate brown hues, hinting at an indulgent journey filled with gooey cake fondants, sweet sushi offerings, and plenty of lotus-filled experiences. Before we embarked on our sweet experience, we decided to tr y some of Chocolate Cuisine’s savor y star dishes. We wet our appetites with their signature Crispy Salad. Prepared with a tangy special dressing, we loved the mix of crunchy greens with crispy fried potatoes, sweet potatoes and beetroot chips. We also tried the Creamy Pink Pasta with chicken and sautéed mushrooms. This dish is always a winner, especially when you sample Chocolate Cuisine’s delicate and succulent

marinated chicken! We also experienced this delectable chicken in the delicious Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Dessert here is obviously the main affair, and we didn’t even know where to begin! Do we start with the Waffle Stick, dipped and drizzled in a trio of chocolate sauces, or should we explore the Brownie Crepe? The brownie won, and we loved their take on a simple vanilla-infused crepe, filled with chocolate brownies and artfully drizzled in white, milk and dark chocolate sauce. Deciding to take a break from all the addictive chocolate sauces, we opted for the Pan Lotus, which consisted of a Lotus infused cake, filled with more Lotus sauce goodness, and topped off with Vanilla ice cream. Other imaginative creations include the bite-sized, dessert sushi. This varies from oriental flavors like Pistachio, old fashioned biscuit cake takes on a Japanese twist with the SucSec sushi, and your favorite coconut flavor is also present in sushi form. Chocolate Cuisine is also famous for its selection of fondant cakes, where our favorite was the cookie fondant—perfectly crunchy on the outside, and oozing with gooey deliciousness as soon as you crack it open with your spoon!

To end our experience at Chocolate Cuisine, we gulped down an espresso shot from their wide selection of beverages. We paired this, however, with their most famous dessert—The Cuisine Golden Daze. The name alone speaks miles of what customers should expect! Expertly tempered chocolate is constructed in the shape of a dome, covered in gold, and is then drizzled with warm chocolate sauce that melts the dome to reveal its delectable contents. This dessert is a pleasure to both witness and consume. Once melted, you can dive into a medley of delicious vanilla sponge cake, strawberries and banana. We loved our visit to Chocolate Cuisine, and we will surely be back to try more of their imaginative dishes at both their Arabella and Hawalli locations. Perfectly set up to entertain both indoor and outdoor diners, we can’t wait to spend a relaxing afternoon outdoors sipping on some hot chocolate and any of their devious dessert creations. Chocolate Cuisine is located in Hawalli’s E-mall, as well as Arabella in Al Bida’a. For more information, please call 9009 6007 and follow them on Instagram @ChocolateCuisine. 97

NAZ

Soul food done right, now in Salmiya! By bazaar staff

There’s nothing quite like the comforting flavors of a home-cooked meal. Renowned for offering just that, the contemporary casual franchising restaurant, NAZ, brings you heartwarming, freshly prepared meals every time! With speedy deliveries and a dine-in service, you can enjoy some Persian soul food any time, anywhere. Brought to us by the Gulf Franchising Holding Company, NAZ continues to be our go-to for delicious creations and modern spins on the much loved classics. Offering a large menu suppor ted by unmatched expertise in creating fabulous food, NAZ draws on inspiration from the flavors of Persia. It’s an undisputed fact that the region has established itself over the years as the culinary mother of the Middle East. This knowledge and deep-rooted understanding of flavor has made the food at NAZ extremely aromatic and palatable for all. Understanding that not all palates are the same, NAZ have further expanded their original menu and created new dishes to make experience perfect 98

for all their patrons. To trigger all three of your senses at once: sight, smell and taste; NAZ have put great care and paid meticulous attention to craft their palatable recipes to go with their superbly elegant plating skills. In order to appreciate the full NAZ experience, a visit is a must to one of their many locations across Kuwait. Let the soothing sounds and fragrance of Persian hospitality overwhelm your senses as you enter through their doors. Take a seat, and enjoy the warm and vibrant contemporary décor that reflects on the quality of the food – comforting, delicious and beautiful. Start your exquisite culinary experience with their extensive selection of appetizing starters, soups and salads. Be adventurous and dip your spoon into one of their seasoned soups – their Ash Joe is longtime favorite and specialty. Tantalize your senses further and order a selection of their starters to share or to eat alone – we won’t judge you! Go for their Mast-o Kheyar, a beautifully flavored yoghurt dip with cucumbers; or try their Kashk Bademjan for your roast eggplant fix. Better yet, order them both and add a helping of Nargesi and you’ll have the perfect mix of appetizers. Those on a health kick are not forgotten! NAZ has a wonderful offering of crunchy salads to indulge in. From the Shirazi

Salad to the Panir Ba Sabzi, you can’t go wrong with a salad or three. The main course offers a delicious selection of stews, sandwiches, grilled meat, chicken and seafood all of which are accompanied by a side of breads and rice. The kebabs are NAZ are succulent and bursting with flavor with every bite! But do leave room for dessert. You won’t want to miss out on the sweet Persian offerings. Indulge in the authentic subtle flavors of Iranian ice creams and order a Faloodeh, or the perfectly balanced saffron flavored Bastani and let them be the perfect end to a delicious meal.

You can enjoy NAZ at any of their locations in Sharq, Salmiya, Zahra, Bayan and Mahboula. For delivery, find NAZ on Talabat.com and make sure you follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NAZKwt. Visit their website, www.nazrestaurant.com, for more!

carraige

WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM

Indulging in goodies galore at Sloan’s Ice Cream parlor at The Promenade By bazaar staff

Dima Nuseibah ser ves up her favorite Sloan's flavor

Everyone has a secret sweet tooth – even those who say they’d rather indulge in the savory than the sweet, tend to have a certain pleasure that they’d make an exception for. At Sloan’s, you can rest assured, that whatever your pleasure is, they’ll likely have it in store. “There’s literally something for ever yone here! From ice cream to chocolate and baked goods, to candy and toys — no one gets left behind!” says an excited Dima Nuseibah, who together with her husband Ali Al-Mutawa brought over the Floridanative franchise earlier this year. “We were 100

always loyal customers, and would make it a point to drive from Miami to West Palm Beach to visit Sloan’s. There’s no resisting it –the smell always draws you in!” From familiarity and tradition, they managed to set up a franchising deal to bring the sweet haven to Kuwait, and here we are, sitting in a paradise of sugar. The M2 level location in the Promenade Mall happens to be the only Sloan’s store in the Middle East, AND the only international location thus far! Just from walking into Sloan’s, it’s easy to tell that this place will quickly become a hit in Kuwait and wherever future franchises may launch. People of all different ages casually stroll in and out of the sweet shop, whose layout is relaxed and reminiscent

of an old-school ice cream parlor, mixed with the vibes of just having walked into Candyland. It’s ever y sugar-loving kid, and adult’s, dream world come true. If you’re an ice-cream aficionado, you have a range of 31 flavors to choose from. You can kick it old-school with classic choices like Amazing Chocolate Chunk, Fresh Strawberr y, Extraordinar y Vanilla, and Pralines and cream, or you could opt for more adventurous signature flavors, featuring innovative touches, such as Cookie Monster, Snickers, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Mom’s Apple Pie or their incredible Carrot Cake, made with actual carrot cake. No matter what flavor you choose to accompany your freshly made waffle cone

(or classic cup, for the less indulgent), you can feel assured that each and ever y individual scoop is made with care, using natural flavors, no hormones, and pure, nonhomogenized milk and dair y products – just as Mr. Sloan intended when he personally crafted each flavor. Sloan’s also has a variety of sundaes to choose from, presenting themselves in imaginative forms, surpassing the traditional. You could order a Circus Box Sundae that arrives in a treasure box, filled with goodies like circus ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, sprinkles, gummy bears and a cherry. They also have Tracy’s impressive Kitchen Sink sundae, featuring 12 scoops of ice cream, every topping Sloan’s has on offer, and an overwhelming amount of whipped cream and cherries, all in a sink. You read that right—when you order Tracy’s Kitchen Sink, it actually comes in a real-life ceramic kitchen sink! How’s that for creative? If you’re craving a brownie sans ice cream, Sloan’s has those on offer as well, along with one of the best chocolate chunk cookies you’ll ever have. The baked goods are sourced from the United States and baked in store, making sure that each moist brownie and decadent cookie lives up to the Sloan’s name in every store, without exception. Baked goods, like the rows of candy glittering the walls and handmade chocolate goodies at the front counter, are charged by weight. At Sloan's, you'll find yourself expecting to see Willy Wonka pop up at any second, only you’re free to eat your hear t out without (other than obvious) concern! No risk of turning into a blueberr y or falling into a river of chocolate here! It also makes the perfect venue for activities and events. Sloan’s is more than willing to host bir thday par ties, and fun crafts workshops such as Tamara’s Teaspoons miniature ice-cream making classes. Also, Sloan’s has its ver y own toy corner, fully stocked with TY Beanie Babies, among other treasures!

With its endless options of sweet treats and cheerful atmosphere, Sloan’s might just be the happiest place in Kuwait, so why not add it into your weekend itinerar y? Don’t want to leave the house? They deliver! Call 9717 0754 to get your ice cream fix today. Sloan’s is located on the M2 level of the Promenade Mall off of 3rd Ring Road, opposite Qadsiya. Follow them on Instagram @sloans_kw and visit their website at www.sloansicecream.com for more information. Photography by Muneera AlKhulaifi. 101

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life." Prince

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bazaar music "Music can change the world because it can change people." – Bono

By Cyndi Lauper

DETOUR

By The Goo Goo Dolls

BOXES

CULT FOLLOWING

Cyndi Lauper’s celebrated musical journey takes an unexpected southern turn on Detour, her 11th studio album, which finds the Grammy, Emmy and Tony winning singer-songwriter putting her signature spin on a dozen classic country songs. Detour showcases Lauper s unmistakable voice on country classics from the 40s, 50s and 60s and features guest appearances from county music stars Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Willie Nelson. Lauper recorded the album in Nashville alongside a band comprised of the cities top session players. The album is Lauper’s first for Sire Records and executive produced by legendary Sire founder, Seymour Stein.

The Goo Goo Dolls are back with a vengeance. The band revealed that their upcoming album Boxes will be released this spring, marking their 11th studio album and first since 2013’s Magnetic. Additionally, a summer amphitheatre and arena tour will run between July and September. One of the most successful rock groups of the ’90s, the Goo Goo Dolls have been nominated for four Grammy Awards and are receivers of four ASCAP Pop Awards. The band has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide since the release of their debut eponymous album in 1987.

Little Scream (aka Laurel Sprengelmeyer) has detailed Cult Following, her new album and first for Merge Records. It features Sufjan Stevens, Sharon Van Etten, the National's Aaron and Bryce Dessner, Owen Pallett, TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone, and Mary Margaret O’Hara. Arcade Fire's Richard Reed Parry is credited as her creative partner, having assisted with the music. The album is out this month. She's also released the video for "Love as a Weapon’’. Directed by Dan Huiting, it features voguing, sign language, choreographed dancing, and Little Scream in rapidly changing outfits. Watch out for a tour coming soon also.

I STILL DO

By Little Scream

By Eric Clapton

By Pantha Du Prince

THE TRIAD

GOOD LUCK AND DO YOUR BEST

Eric Clapton will put out his 23rd solo album, I Still Do, this month. The singer teamed with producer Glyn Johns, who has previously worked with the Rolling Stones, Eagles, Led Zeppelin and the Who and on Clapton's own 1977 LP, Slowhand, home of the hits "Wonderful Tonight" and "Lay Down Sally." The record will come out this month via Clapton's own Bushbranch imprint, in association with Surfdog Records."This was a long and overdue opportunity to work with Glyn Johns again, and also, incidentally, the 40th anniversary of Slowhand," Clapton said in a statement.

Berlin producer Hendrik Weber, aka Pantha du Prince, has announced his first solo studio album in six years. The Triad follows 2010's Black Noise, as well as records with Bell Laboratory and Stephan Abry of Workshop. Says Pantha: ‘’Black Noise was very much about me being alone in a small room in Berlin and composing," Weber said in a press release. "The Triad opens the structure to more human ways of interacting, not digitized ways of interacting. It's not about Facebook; it's about meeting up and jamming. I wanted to cut through the digital dust that surrounds us."

Gold Panda's last album was 2013's Half of Where You Live. This year, he's back with a new one. Good Luck and Do Your Best is out May 27 via City Slang. Gold Panda recorded the album at his home in Chelmsford, mixed in Luke Abbott's studio, and was largely influenced by a pair of trips to Japan in 2014. The album's title was inspired by a cab ride: "...As we got out, the Japanese taxi driver’s parting words to us as we left, were ‘good luck and do your best.’" Gold Panda will perform at Echoplex in L.A. on June 2.

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By Gold Panda

‫"سوبر" فوودز سوبر فريش‬ "SUPER" FOODS SUPER FRESH ‫سلطة السلمون‬ ‫مع اللوز‬

Almond-Crusted Salmon Salad

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bazaar techno Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. ~ Arthur C. Clarke

BRUER COFFEE MAKER

LOOKOUT

SAVER EMERGENCY BREATH SYSTEM

As you know, the summer is almost here and people are now making the shift from hot coffee to cold coffee. Bruer coffee maker is very easy to use and it produces up to 600ml of cold brew coffee per patch with less acidity and bitterness than the regular coffee. The coffee maker was created by two guys, with their mutual love of everything coffee and design related leading them to form Bruer. Bruer is know for being dedicated to creating quality products that celebrate the process of brewing coffee. For more information about Bruer in Kuwait, visit @venture_kw on Instagram.

The people who make our phones try to keep them secure â&#x20AC;&#x201D; some more than others. Lookout just goes one step farther. It monitors your software, making sure things are up-to-date and ensuring that nothing nefarious is going on behind the scenes. It can back up your data, so you know your contacts and photos are safe. It can also let you know your phone's current location, sound an alarm to help you find it, send an alert if, say, the SIM card gets removed (suggesting it's been stolen), and, for those with an Apple Watch, can serve as a virtual leash, letting you know if your phone and wrist stray too far apart.

Extinguishers are the first thing you want if a fire breaks out. The Saver Emergency Breath System is the second. This home safety device is designed to keep you safe from smoke inhalation in the event of a fire, using a triple filter system to remove smoke, dust, and toxic gases from the air while turning carbon monoxide into breathable carbon dioxide. Saver comes in a 2-person portable set or 4-person wall-mounted set, and also includes a flashlight and built-in alarm to help alert first responders to your location. And Saver is easy to use and can be activated in only 5 seconds.

BEARTOOTH

BIEM BUTTER SPRAYER

AMAZON TAP SPEAKER

Staying connected is important to all of us, and equally so if you're part of a group exploring the great outdoors. Beartooth ensures you can reach everyone in your party whether your phone has a signal or not. This sleek, pocket-friendly receiver pairs with your existing device, and uses its own radios to let you talk, text, and find everyone in your group, all via a familiar interface. It's great for expeditions and campers, but can also come in handy for concerts, conferences, and crowded amusement parks.

There's little question that cooking with real butter is healthier than some spray from the store. It can also be a hassle. The Biem Butter Sprayer makes it easy. Its intelligent design stores an entire stick of butter in its body, melting only the butter you need at a burn-free 95 degrees and delivering it through a clog-free nozzle using nothing but heat and air. It's also great for buttering toast, veggies and popcorn, automatically turns itself on and off thanks to an accelerometer, and has a stylish design with a silicone front and brushed stainless back.

Amazon's Echo speaker has steadily grown in usefulness since its introduction, gaining the power to do things like order up an Uber car, check with Automatic to see if your car needs gas, and even order you a pizza from Dominos. Now the Amazon Tap Speaker is ready to give you all that power on the go. As the name suggests, you need to tap the microphone button to use it's Alexa-based interface, most likely to preserve battery life â&#x20AC;&#x201D; you get a healthy nine hours of playback per charge, and it comes with a wireless charging base.

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Seef Strip Arabian GuIf Street

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bazaar games "Reality is broken. Game designers can fix it." - Jane McGonigal

STARFOX ZERO

QUANTUM BREAK

UNCHARTED 4: A THEIFS END

An evil empire has risen and the Lylat system is in danger. As legendary space pilot Fox McCloud, blast through an onslaught of enemy forces to bring peace to the galaxy. In this white-knuckle space shooter, it’ll take more than luck to master the Arwing jet, the Gyrowing flight drone, and the Landmaster tank. You can use your TV’s cinematic view to fly and use the Wii U gamepad screen to identify targets and see through the eyes of Fox, lock on to enemies and fire. You’ll also have to use advanced flight techniques like boosting and barrel rolls to survive the relentless assault.

From the creators of Max Payne and Alan Wake, comes Quantum Break, a long awaited and unique entertainment experience that is part game, part TV show. Based around time travel and manipulating time and space, Matrix style, Quantum Break is an action packed adventure. How you play the game shapes a personalized version of the television show. Watching the show gives you strategies and insights that will impact the way you play the game and helps you discover unique content within the game. Together, the game and the show deliver a holistic entertainment experience, with top class actors from shows like The Wire, Lost and Game of Thrones.

This is the game that die hard PlayStation fans have been waiting for since the PS4 was first announced to the world, and finally it arrives! Several years after his last adventure, retired fortune hunter, Nathan Drake, is forced back into the world of thieves. With the stakes much more personal, Drake embarks on a globe-trotting journey in pursuit of a historical conspiracy behind a fabled pirate treasure. His greatest adventure will test his physical limits, his resolve, and ultimately what he's willing to sacrifice to save the ones he loves. A must have for PlayStation owners!

DARK SOULS III

DOOM

MIRROR’S EDGE CATALYST

The next addition to the hit Dark Souls series, Dark Souls III promises to be just as difficult and hardcore as the last 2 entries. Set in the Kingdom of Lothric, an undead warrior known as the Ashen One is tasked by a mysterious woman known as the Fire Keeper, to avert an oncoming apocalypse brought about by the ongoing conflict between Light and Dark. But the only means to avert this event is with the destruction of the Lords of Cinder, previous heroes who have linked the First Flame across eons.

Long before Call of Duty and Battlefield, Doom was one of the original games that set the way for first person shooters. All the way back in 1993, it was revolutionary and spawned a few sequels, not to mention endless mods from fans, even up until the present day. This month sees the release or reboot of Doom for the current generation. With a beta available during April, players got a chance to test the newest addition of Doom in its trademark frentic online multiplayer mode and largely feedback has been positive. Fans of intense and rapid online FPS should take a look at this.

A prequel to 2008’s Mirrors Edge, you play as Faith, a daring free runner, as she fights for freedom in the city of Glass. What appears to be an elegant, high-tech city on the outside, has a terrible secret hidden within. Explore every corner from the highest rooftops to the dark and gritty tunnels below. The city is huge, free to roam and Faith is at the center of it all. Through the firstperson perspective, combine her fluid movement and advanced combat with the city’s surroundings to master the environment and uncover the conspiracy.

(WII U)

(PC, PS4, XBOX ONE)

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(XBOX ONE)

(PC, PS4, XBOX ONE)

(PS4)

(PC, PS4, XBOX ONE)

just ask

big boys toys Because grown men still need to play

NASA QUESST PASSENGER JET

BUGATTI CHIRON

DJI PHANTOM 4 DRONE

SEA LEVEL CF8 CONCEPT YACHT

TRITON 6600/2 SUBMARINE

FOIL ORO NERO GOLD SKIS

When the Concorde called it quits in 2003, it took with it the only supersonic travel option we had. An unlikely group is trying to build a new alternative. The NASA QueSST Passenger Jet is based on Quiet Supersonic Technology (hence the name), and would create a sound more like a heartbeat than the traditional, house-shaking boom we're accustomed to while still getting you from point A to point B with remarkable speed. A team comprised of specialists from Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation, and Tri Models Inc. are working on it, and they hope to start their initial flight campaign in 2020.

We're going to go ahead and assume that if you own a yacht, you probably have a pretty stellar collection of cars. The Sea Level CF8 Concept Yacht gives you a glass-covered area to put them in, showing them off to passersby. While just a concept, the 80 meter long, 30 meter wide yacht is projected to have a top speed of 18 knots, and provide a highly stable, comfortable voyage thanks to that wide stance. It also packs a pool in the area underneath the top deck, a light-filled interior, and, of course, a helipad.

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It's hardly been a secret — we've known its name for months — but the successor to the Veyron is finally official, and it doesn't disappoint. The Bugatti Chiron is the most powerful road car ever produced, with a quad-turbocharged, 8.0L W16 engine producing an insane 1,500 hp. The company promises a 0-62 time of under 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 261 mph, numbers helped along by the seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, multi-plate clutch four-wheel drive system, and carbon fiber monocoque. Production is limited to 500 cars, and nearly a third of them have already been spoken for.

Thanks to the thickest transparent acrylic hull ever made, the Triton 6600/2 Submarine promises to do something no other personal sub can do: give you a glimpse of the ocean over a mile down. It can handle depths of 6,600 feet, to be more precise, has room for two passengers, moves at a pace of 3.5 mph, and has a maximum dive time of ten hours. For added reassurance, there's enough oxygen to last 96 hours in an emergency, as well as air conditioning, highoutput LED lights, and support for more, should you need added light for shooting photos or video through the optically perfect hull.

It’s beginners who have the most to celebrate with the DJI Phantom 4 Drone. Thanks to two new cameras on the front, two on the bottom, two belly-mounted Ultrasonic sensors, and the main camera, it can build a 3D model of the world around it and use it to avoid obstacles — including people. A new trick called TapFly lets you use it without the traditional two-stick controller, instead tapping on the live video feed to pilot the craft, while the new ActiveTrack system lets you select the subject you want to keep in frame, and the drone's intelligent software will take care of the rest.

Whether you're a frequent skier or just like to show off, Foil Oro Nero Gold Skis are the most ostentatious way to hit the slopes. The skis themselves are built using a topsheet of 8,000-year-old certified Bog Oak, with a graphite nanotech base, a core of Ash and Paulownia, bamboo sidewalls, and stainless steel edges. The high-performance bindings are plated in 14 karat gold, which matches the gold inlaid personalized initials that mark them as yours and the included bespoke 14 karat gold-plated poles. Customized for each client and available in limited quantities, they also come with a custom travel bag made from top-grain leather vegetabletanned in Tuscany.

mais alghanim

bazaar apps Literally at your fingertips

GHASEEL Here in Kuwait, we are lucky enough to live with certain luxuries. One luxury in particular is that pretty much everything and anything can be delivered to your doorstep instantly, from basic groceries to new electrical appliances. One addition to that list is car cleaning via Ghaseel. Ghaseel is the first marketplace for car wash services at the doorstep in Kuwait. The easiest and quickest way to get your car washed at your location, delivering a variety of offers and packages, including motorcycle washes. The app helpfully shows you photos of the various wash companies as well as rating for each company.

Now customers across Kuwait can use their phones to pay for their favorite beverages and treats in store. This latest digital innovation follows last year’s successful launch of the mobile app for iOS users. More Starbucks customers are discovering what some customers have already learned: it’s easy to download the app and convenient to pay with a quick scan of your phone. Downloading the app and joining My Starbucks Rewards gives customers the chance to receive valuable rewards and enjoy special benefits. You can find out information on the app and program on the Starbucks website: www.mena.starbucks.com.

MIITOMO

YOUNITY

EAT THIS MUCH

MASBAGTI

Finally, after much speculation and teasing, Nintendo have released their first ever mobile app/game. It is a little strange, given that they have a wealth of characters and game franchises they could have chosen from, but Miitomo is largely based on Nintendo Wii avatars (Mii’s). Miitomo allows you to design a character (you can do this manually or use your camera and the app will generate a character that looks like you), interact and play with friends that also use the app, and take part in competitions usually based around asking you questions that you need to get right.

It’s that time of the year when everybody wants to find the magic solution to rapid weight loss, in time to hit the beaches and pools. While there is no magic solution yet, you can use Eat This Much to at least get you on the right track. Just enter your metrics and goals, and it will calculate your meals. Pro users (the paid version) will also get grocery shopping lists and will be able to mark how much of each food they have at home, making it easier to remember what they need to buy when they stop by the store.

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STARBUCKS APP

Ever needed to get access to a file that’s only on your desktop at home or work? Younity is the app for you. It scans the files on your computer and syncs them with the younity mobile app, allowing you to stream your music and videos, or access files and photos stored on your desktop or laptop. The downside is that the laptop or computer you’re trying to access needs to be turned on and connected to the internet. Younity is cross-platform compatible, so for example, you can access files from your mac with your android phone.

Masbagti is the first of its kind… an app for laundry! The idea is that customers can reach a launderette, and arrange to have their clothes cleaned at times that best suit them. Masbagti offers two types of payments: cash on delivery (when you receive your clothes), or knet (either when you add your clothes to the basket or once the launderette receives the washing and sends you the bill). Most areas in Kuwait are covered already with even more to be added soon. The app is easy to use and the developers are always working on updates for users to get the most from it.

choco cuisine

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bazaar books “We read to know that we are not alone.” C.S. Lewis

THE SLEEP REVOLUTION

HAMILTON

THE NEST

CAPTURE

DISRUPTED

By Arianna Huffington

By Lin-Manuel Miranda

by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

by David A Kessler

by Dan Lyons

We are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis, writes Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post. And this has profound consequences – on our health, our job performance, our relationships and our happiness. What is needed, she boldly asserts, is nothing short of a sleep revolution. Only by renewing our relationship with sleep can we take back control of our lives. In The Sleep Revolution, Arianna shows how our cultural dismissal of sleep as time wasted compromises our health and our decisionmaking and undermines our work lives and our personal lives. She explores all the latest science on what exactly is going on while we sleep and dream. She takes on the dangerous sleeping pill industry, and all the ways our addiction to technology disrupts our sleep. She also offers a range of recommendations and tips from leading scientists on how we can get better and more restorative sleep, and harness its incredible power. In today's fast-paced, always-connected, perpetuallyharried and sleep-deprived world, our need for a good night’s sleep is more important – and elusive -- than ever.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this oncein-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims the country's origins for a diverse new generation. Hamilton: The Revolution gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages--"since before this was even a show," according to Miranda--traces its development from an improbable performance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. In addition, Miranda has written more than 200 funny, revealing footnotes for his award-winning libretto, the full text of which is published here.

Every family has its problems. But even among the most troubled, the Plumb family stands out as spectacularly dysfunctional. Years of simmering tensions finally reach a breaking point on an unseasonably cold afternoon in New York City as Melody, Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, freshly released from rehab. Months earlier, an inebriated Leo got behind the wheel of a car with a nineteen-year-old waitress as his passenger. The ensuing accident has endangered the Plumbs' joint trust fund, The Nest, which they are months away from finally receiving. Meant by their deceased father to be a modest mid-life supplement, the Plumb siblings have watched The Nest’s value soar along with the stock market and have been counting on the money to solve a number of self-inflicted problems. This is a story about the power of family, the possibilities of friendship, the ways we depend upon one another and the ways we let one another down.

Why do we think, feel, and act in ways we wished we did not? For decades, New York Times bestselling author Dr. David A Kessler has studied this question with regard to tobacco, food and drugs. Over the course of these investigations, he identified one underlying mechanism common to a broad range of human suffering. This phenomenon—capture—is the process by which our attention is hijacked and our brains commandeered by forces outside our control. In Capture, Dr. Kessler considers some of the most profound questions we face as human beings: What are the origins of mental afflictions, from everyday unhappiness to addiction and depression—and how are they connected? Where does healing and transcendence fit into this realm of emotional experience? Analyzing an array of insights from psychology, medicine, neuroscience, literature, philo s ophy, and theology, Dr. Kessler deconstructs centuries of thinking, examining the central role of capture in mental illness and questioning traditional labels that have obscured our understanding of it.

For twenty-five years Dan Lyons was a magazine writer at the top of his profession--until one Friday morning when he received a phone call: Poof. His job no longer existed. "I think they just want to hire younger people," his boss at Newsweek told him. Fifty years old and with a wife and two young kids, Dan was, in a word, screwed. Then an idea hit. Dan had long reported on Silicon Valley and the tech explosion. Why not join it? HubSpot, a Boston start-up, was flush with $100 million in venture capital. They offered Dan a pile of stock options for the vague role of "marketing fellow." What could go wrong? Mixed in with Lyons's uproarious tale of his rise and fall at HubSpot is a trenchant analysis of the start-up world, a de facto conspiracy between those who start companies and those who fund them, a world where bad ideas are rewarded with hefty investments, where companies blow money lavishing perks on their post-collegiate workforces, and where everybody is trying to hang on just long enough to reach an IPO and cash out.

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www.amazon.co.uk

biryani and kababi

22252490

BIRYANI AND KEBABI The flavors of the Spice Route under a modern light By bazaar staff

Have you ever questioned the origin of the elusive kebab? Is it originally Turkish or Persian? We all seem to hold the dish near to our hearts (and stomachs), as it is presented today in the most sumptuous flavor profiles from different parts of the region. For this reason alone, it makes perfect sense to set this question aside, and head to a destination that celebrates the bountiful flavors of the Middle East. Enter Biryani & Kebabi, a new restaurant concept by Al Sabah & Kohli group that bridges the gap between the various interpretations of Kebab, Biryani and other iconic regional dishes, all presented in one elegant, modern setting in Egaila’s Arabia Mall. Gone are the squabbles with friends over whether you’ll be dining at an Indian, Persian, or Kuwaiti restaurant, as Bir yani & Kebabi delivers authentic renditions of all of your favorites. While both words are of Farsi origin, the restaurant goes above and beyond to offer you an array of dishes that have been adopted by different regions in India and the Middle East throughout histor y given the region’s fame for the spice trade. Imagine a traditional Tandoor alongside a hear ty ser ving of Chicken Machboos. The sweet aroma of Kashmiri Bir yani and succulent Persian kebabs— such is the essence of the cuisine offered at this establishment. With its Ear th-inspired design, Bir yani & Kebabi offers a serene recluse in the hear t of Arabia Mall. You will first be greeted by large windows that open up to an outdoor terrace. The indoor dining area is flooded with natural light during the daytime, beautifully illuminating the shades of green and burnt amber that envelop the space. A sleek industrial wall offers a modern presentation that showcases large mason jars filled with glorious Middle Eastern spices, offering an elegant hint to diners about the flavorful meal that is soon to follow. We began our foray with a selection of star ters that included Hummus alongside 116

the basket filled with yoghur t, spicy pickles and local pitta bread. The salad selection will take you on a journey across the region, from Lebanese Fattouch to modern Middle Eastern-inspired fig and feta cheese salad. The breads on offer to accompany your star ters, or mains, include delectable Halloumi cheese naan, zaatar naan, stuffed breads, roti and so much more. When it came to our mains, we were mesmerized by the selections on offer at Bir yani & Kebabi. With plenty of options suited to kebab and vegetarian lovers, the menu curates Bir yanis of all kinds, Machboos, prawn and fish selections, stews like an imaginative Okra (Bamya) curr y, chicken, beef and lamb Kebabs. After much deliberation and the staff’s helpful suggestions, we settled on the Thyme Lamb Kebab, cooked on a coal fire and ser ved with French fries, mixed pickles and local pitta

bread. We loved this hear ty selection, and followed it with delectable Afghani Chicken Bir yani that was prepared with boneless chicken, dried fruits on dum, saffron and ser ved with yogur t. The rice was so packed with flavor; we could have ordered it as a side dish on its own. We couldn’t leave this place without tr ying the seafood, and we absolutely loved the gorgeous flavors of the Chargrilled Prawn ser ved in a beautiful, silver Tandoor. It arrived to our table piping hot, and you can see the smoke fumes still emanating from the ar tfully placed skewers. We also sampled the Hammour Fish Tikka Bir yani, also cooked in charcoal dum and ser ved with yet another beautiful ser ving of their authentic Bir yani rice. The beauty of the Bir yani & Kebabi concept lies in its versatility. There is something for ever yone here. For the more

adventurous, you can even tr y a Duck Machboos! Those who prefer a protein heavy meal can choose from dishes like Chicken Cheese Tikka, Shish Taouk, an authentic regional Grilled chicken marinated in garlic, olive oil and spices to even a Seafood Tikka Platter. If you’re after a traditional butter chicken, not to worr y, the exper ts here have you covered. To end our journey filled with delightful samplings from the entire region, we decided to go old school and order the Gulab Jamun. Ser ved alongside a refreshing mint tea, the warm, sticky sugar y desser ts perfectly satiated our cravings. Biryani & Kebabi is located at Arabia Mall in Egaila, across from AUM. For more information, visit biryaniandkebabi.com or call 2225 2490 for further delivery inquiries. Follow @BiryaniandKebabi on Instagram. 117

bazaar movie night The latest from the big screen playing in cinemas across Kuwait in May.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

TAKE DOWN

GOING IN STYLE

Release Date: May 5th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Cast: Chris Evans/Tom Holland/Elizabeth Olsen/Scarlett Johansson

Release Date: May 5th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Thriller Cast: Dominic Sherwood/Jeremy Sumpter/Ed Westwick

Release Date: May 5th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Comedy, Crime Cast: Morgan Freeman/Joey King/Peter Serafinowicz

Synopsis: Take Down focuses on the reckless sons and daughters of international billionaires, who have been sent by their frustrated parents to an exclusive, toughlove boot camp on a remote island, where they will be taught basic survival skills in the hope it will teach them to take responsibility for their lives. When they are taken hostage and held for a billion dollar ransom by a group of sophisticated kidnappers, the young captives suddenly need every ounce of their brief training to survive. The film stars Jeremy Sumpter, Phoebe Tonkin, Ed Westwick, Dominic Sherwood, Mark Bonnar, and Sebastian Koch.

Synopsis: A reboot of the 1979 movie that was directed by Martin Brest and featured George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg, directed by Zach Braff, this time written by Theodore Melfi, and starring Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Joey King, Matt Dillon and Ann-Margret. Three seniors, who are living social security check to check and even reduced to eating dog food at times, decide they have had enough. So, they plan to rob a bank...problem is, they don't even know how to handle a gun! A social commentary on growing old in America and what people are sometimes driven to, due to circumstances.

BROKEN VOWS

THE DEAD ROOM

THE FALL OF THE KRAYS

Release Date: May 5th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Thriller Cast: Wes Bentley/Jaimie Alexander/Cam Gigandet

Release Date: May 5th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Horror, Thriller Cast: Jed Brophy/Jeffrey Thomas/Laura Petersen

Release Date: May 12th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Crime Cast: Alexa Morden/Simon Cotton/Kevin Leslie

Synopsis: Broken Vows is a psychological thriller film directed by Bram Coppens from a screenplay written by Jim Agnew and Sean Keller, starring Wes Bentley, Jaimie Alexander and Cam Gigandet. The film will be Bram Coppens directorial debut with the script written by James Agnew and Sean Keller. Entertainment Attorney Wendy Benge will also produce the film with financing from Stonecreek Films. Patrick (played by Bentley) is a charming yet troubled man. When he meets and tries to seduce Tara (played by Alexander), she rejects him which sends him into a psychotic rage.

Synopsis: When a terrified family flees a desolate southern New Zealand farmhouse, two cynical scientists and a young psychic are sent to investigate their claims of a haunting. There they encounter a powerful spirit that will protect the house's secrets at all cost. The Dead Room is inspired by the chilling urban legend surrounding a farmhouse in Central Otago, New Zealand. In the early 1970s, two science tutors went to debunk claims a rural house was haunted and uncovered an incredibly disturbing mystery.

Synopsis: With Simon Cotton as Ronnie Kray and Kevin Leslie as Reggie Kray, The Fall Of The Krays picks up the story of the infamous Firm from The Rise Of The Krays as the sanity of the two brothers bring uncertainties to their business plans. Now with their empire in place, the brothers must now fight to keep hold of both as the obsession of one police officer becomes undeceived by the dangerous state of mind for Reggie and Ronnie respectively. Alternatively, you could check out Tom Hardy in Legend, where he plays both of the Kray twins.

Synopsis: The eagerly awaited next entry to the Marvel universe finally comes out this month! Political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability when the actions of the Avengers lead to collateral damage. The new status quo deeply divides members of the team. Captain America (Chris Evans) believes superheroes should remain free to defend humanity without government interference. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) sharply disagrees and supports oversight. As the debate escalates into an all-out feud, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) must pick a side.

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For more details on movie timings and the cinema nearest you, visit: Cinescape: www.cinescape.com.kw or Facebook: Cinescape â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kuwait National Cinema Company. *Above programs are subject to change without prior notice.

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bazaar eats in

SUSHI 2.0 Eating Japanese food with a twist, compliments of Yatai By bazaar staff

Like many of us who are born and bred in Kuwait, we have a thing for Japanese cuisine. If you all haven’t caught on by now, “bazaar eats in” is the newest game we’ve been playing, where we go on a hunt for deliveryonly concepts, savory or sweet, and review the first one we find to tell you all about it. This month, we stumbled upon a humble fusion Japanese joint named Yatai. The name of the eatery stems from the Japanese word for “food cart”. This seems appropriate as delicacies are delivered from their kitchen to your doorstep in a cheerful little car, and set up in separate compartments containing a set of chopsticks, wasabi, a pot of soy sauce, and a neatly pressed packet of ginger. Yatai generously sent us a smorgasbord of food to try, and with enough food to feed a village, our humble team of eight felt intimidated. We asked Yatai to send us their show-stopping items, and boy, did they ever! Right on time, when we were all ready to chow down on some lunchtime goodness, a delivery man arrived carrying three bags laden with different types of innovative maki, mains, and mouthwatering salads. We didn’t know where to start, so we unwrapped our chopsticks enthusiastically and tucked in to a bunch of different dishes, family style. We nibbled on flavorfully spicy edamame beans with a special sauce, dubbed Yatai Edamame, and knew we were in for a treat. Coupled with three different types of salads to tickle our taste buds prior to going to town on some sushi, as most should, the Light Wasabi Salad, the Crunchy Crab Salad, and the Kakiage Salad. Each salad brought something different to our plates, while delightfully defining the idea of Japaense fusion cuisine, but the Kakiage Salad was the real treat, and something different than the standard. With a mix of shrimp tempura, carrots, avocado, edamame, asparagus and sesame, drizzled with Yatai’s signature special sauce, fellow diners who are craving a sushi turned into a salad, this is what you should be ordering. Mains were aplenty, and delicious. We sampled one of their bestselling dishes, the Chicken Katsu Curry: a breaded filet with a delicious homemade curry sauce and served with a side of rice. This was our operation manager’s favorite, as he felt the chicken’s breading had a fresh crunch that complimented the spicy tanginess of the expertly concocted sauce. The beef teriyaki was delightfully glazed and paired wonderfully with a side of rice 120

as well, tantalizing our designer’s taste buds. Delicately sprinkled with sesame seeds, this dish was an award winner in his books. As for the sushi, where do we begin? We writers at bazaar are absolutely obsessed with salmon, and just from sampling their tender Salmon Sashimi, we knew that their makis would make our tummies smile, and this was especially achieved with the Caramel Salmon Maki. Yes, you read that right – a salmon maki drizzled with caramel sauce. Believe us, it works; the sweet and savory flavors create a symphony of yum! Other show stopping maki rolls included the Hollywood Maki, Sarati Maki, New York Salmon Maki, and of course, the Yatai Special Maki: a maki that is so delightfully tender and crunchy, the restaurant dedicated it as their signature roll. This concept, created by Mr. Omar Bassam Al Qenaie and Mrs. Nawal Ahmad Al Ayoub was

established in 2015, with the ethos to deliver quality Japanese food to your doorstep, with a fun kick. We’d say they’ve succeeded in adding an edge to the region’s loved classics like we’ve never had before. To conclude this month’s eating in experience, we were pleased, and rest assured, we finished all of the delicious food we were sent. If you have an affinity for Japanese food with a twist, then Yatai is the delivery only concept for you! Go ahead and give them a try!

Yatai’s menu is available on Talabat, and their delivery number is 2263 0203. Follow them on Instagram @yatai_kw. Do you have a delivery only concept or would like us to review one that you have in mind? Contact us with ideas at info@bazaar-magazine.com.

Lic No. 1127,1134,1133,1135,1130,1136,1125,1131,1128/2016 Date : 27/4/2016 - 4/6/2016

center point

Centrepoint: Al Rai: 24734160, Fahaheel: 23912485, Kuwait City: 22472856/7/8, Salmiya: 25711957 Hawally: 22610234/5, Jahra: 24582103/7, Fintas: 23824050, Sulaibikhat: 22219286, The Avenues: The Mall 22201001 Homecentre: Al Rai: 24717381, Fahaheel: 23910142, Kuwait City: 22472872, The Avenues: The Mall 22200841

bazaar around town AALFA ROMEO 4C SPIDER DELIVERS RACE-INSPIRED PERFORMANCE Al Mulla & Behbehani Motor Company (MBMC), the sole distributor of Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Fiat, Fiat Professional, and Mopar in Kuwait is delighted to announce that the highly anticipated Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is now available at the main MBMC showroom in Al-Rai. Adding to the Alfa Romeo brand’s legendary racing history and the exciting experience of open-air motoring, the all-new Alfa Romeo 4C Spider offers panoramic views complemented with a signature Alfa exhaust note, plus the essential sportiness of the award-winning 4C Coupe that has already proven extremely popular with the lucky Kuwaiti drivers fortunate to own one of these unique supercars. Handcrafted in Modena, Italy, the 4C Spider features groundbreaking, seductive Italian style plus a state-of-the-art Formula 1 inspired carbon fibre monocoque chassis that enables an incredible power-to-weight ratio. Packed with advanced technologies, including the all-aluminium 1750cc turbocharged engine with direct-injection, dual intercoolers and variablevalve timing the 4C Spider delivers true supercar-level performance. “Adding to the excitement of the 4C Coupe, the all-new 4C Spider further expands the brand’s product portfolio and continues the mission of building great Alfa Romeos,” said Maher Abu-Shaaban, Assistant General Manager of MBMC. “The 4C Spider takes the Coupe’s supercar level of performance and technology and opens it up, allowing the driver to experience the incredible 4C from an entirely different perspective.” The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider name recalls the brand’s great sporting tradition: the acronyms 8C and 6C in the 1930s and 1940s distinguished racing and road cars fitted with powerful eight- and six-cylinder engines. Like the award-winning 4C Coupe, the all-new Alfa Romeo 4C Spider model’s designation is a return to the great Alfa Romeos and continues this tradition with the innovative all-aluminium 1750cc turbocharged direct injection, dual intercooler four-cylinder engine, delivering an impressive 136 horsepower-per-litre. With seating for two, panoramic views and the soundtrack of an Italian performance-tuned engine and exhaust, Spiders are among the most exhilarating experiences in motoring - and represent the very core of Alfa Romeo’s DNA and heritage. Learn more about Alfa Romeo in Kuwait at www.alfaromeo-me.com, or visit the showroom on 4th ring road, Al Rai. Call the team on 1885 500.

MOHAMED NASER AL SAYER & TOYOTA LAUNCHES THE ALL-NEW 2016 INNOVA - FULL OF LIFE More stylish and spacious, the 2016 Innova boasts superior styling, cutting edge engineering, exciting new features and an improved safety package than ever. Combine all these developments with the same quality, reliability and economic performance you have come to expect from Innova and you have for yourself a drive that will bring you day to day journeys to life. Toyota is once again redefining conventional notions of a Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) with the launch of the all-new 2016 Toyota Innova in the Middle East. The new Innova, which can comfortably seat up to eight passengers, combines the essence of an MPV with the tough, emotional elements of an SUV to introduce the ultimate family vehicle. The global model we know today debuted in 2004, and over the years, Innova’s superb versatility, impressive performance and excellent value have earned customers and admirers the world over. The new Innova's exterior is carefully designed with SUV elements. The sculpted body is both stylish and impressive, aiming for a visual effect that makes the tires look bigger. Subtle aerodynamic effects and more emotional colors also enhance the exterior. A strong three-dimensional mass emphasises the shape of the vehicle, creating a stable and imposing appearance. The chrome-plated moulding of the trapezoidal grille has been designed to connect with the headlamps, while the side turn signals, positioned on the lower portion of the bumper, have been given distinctive shapes to accentuate the corner and provide a sharp overall impression. The side view of the Innova is just as dynamic and sporty. The top profile of the side windows slopes down towards the rear, giving a flowing impression that balances the overall height of the vehicle. The shoulder line runs from the headlamps to the rear combination lamps to produce a connected image, while the front and rear fenders are structured to emphasise the presence of the large, sporty wheels. The Innova’s wide, stable rear appearance is complemented by accents that create an advanced presence. The eye-catching rear combination lamps have been positioned higher up, adding to the sense of stability the vehicle projects and are emphasized by the structural theme of the rear. Aero Stabilizing Fins have been added to the rear combination lamps – contributing to stability and controllability. The innovative shark-fin styled radio antenna adds a striking touch to the roof towards the rear, as does the high-mount LED stop lamp. The 2016 Toyota Innova is available in a choice of 6 colors. These include Super White, White Pearl CS, Silver ME, Gray ME, Attitude Black MC and Avant-Garde Bronze ME. To find your nearest Toyota showroom, call 1803 803. For more information visit www.toyota.com/kw.

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wokhay

Entrance to Green Island Arabian GuIf Street

WOKHAY 22264526

bazaar around town ECCO LAUNCHES LUXE COLLECTION OF ARABIC SLIPPERS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST ECCO, the Danish footwear and accessories label known for its minimalist Scandinavian style, achieves another milestone with the release of its third collection of Arabic Slippers made exclusively for discerning customers in the region. Banking on the success of its first two ventures into the exclusive space, the brand has amped up its third offering with more luxurious styles and unmatched comfort that has become expected of ECCO products. To uphold the quality for which the brand has become globally renowned, ECCO infuses its patented technologies in the manufacture of these traditional designs. Staying true to its heritage, ECCO’s Arabic Slippers are crafted with the finest leathers and premium materials, now incorporating exotic leathers such as crocodile, ostrich and snakeskin while keeping in line with the design roots of the original and ECCO’s philosophy that form follows function. The brand prides itself for owning every stage of its supply chain, which means that design begins with the leather itself. ECCO operates its own tanneries and processes its own leathers, providing an ideal environment for great design and flawless craftsmanship to thrive as the brand maintains strict quality control on its products. You can find ECCO at The Avenues mall, 2nd Avenue – Marina mall – Promenade mall - Muthanna complex – Mohalab complex and Al Kout mall. Check out their Instagram account @eccoarabia.

‫مجموعة الباتل تفتتح أول بوتيك لساعات كاسيو يف الكويت‬ ‫ ويعترب هذا البوتيك باكورة تعاون‬.‫ بإفتتاح بوتيك كاسيو األول يف سوق املباركية الشارع الجديد‬،‫ الوكيل الحرصي لساعات كاسيو يف الكويت‬،‫إحتفلت مجموعة الباتل‬ ‫ وتم اإلفتتاح ضمن أجواء إحتفالية عىل‬.2015 ‫مجموعة الباتل ورشكة كاسيو الرشق األوسط التي إنطلقت يف السوق الكويتي مطلع شهر أكتوبر من العام املايض‬ ‫ فيام يعترب بوتيك كاسيو يف الكويت األول من نوعه والرقم‬.‫ باإلضافة إىل رسومات الجرافيتي الخاصة بساعات كاسيو‬،X ‫وقع املوسيقى الحية التي قدمها دي جي‬ ‫ عىل التوسع واإلنتشار يف كافة محافظات‬1959 ‫ حيث حرصت مجموعة الباتل منذ تأسيسها يف العام‬،‫ بالنسبة لصاالت عرض مجموعة الباتل املنترشة يف الكويت‬11 ‫ ويضم البوتيك الجديد أحدث إصدارات كاسيو للساعات الرياضية ذات‬.‫ وهي متتد اليوم لتغطي األسواق الخليجية وأبرزها أسواق اململكة العربية السعودية‬،‫الكويت‬ ‫ والتي تهدف من خاللها مجموعة الباتل بالتعاون مع كاسيو‬،‫ فيام يأيت افتتاح البوتيك الجديد متاشيا مع اسرتاتيجية النمو والتطوير وخطة التوسع‬،‫التصميم األنيق‬ ‫ الذي حرضه كل من السيد خالد الباتل والسيد بدر الباتل والسيد سهل بيلدي مدير املبيعات‬،‫ وخالل اإلفتتاح‬.‫إىل افتتاح سلسلة من البوتيكات اإلضافية يف الكويت‬ ‫ ونحن عىل ثقة بأن البوتيك وتصاميم ساعات كاسيو‬،‫" نحن سعداء للغاية بإفتتاح أول بوتيك لساعات كاسيو يف الكويت‬:‫ قال السيد سهل‬،‫اإلقليمي والرشق االوسط‬ ‫ التي نؤمن بأن ساعات كاسيو ستحقق‬،‫ ونحن نفتخر بالتعاون مع مجموعة الباتل‬.‫ستحظى بإعجاب رشيحة واسعة من محبي ساعات كاسيو والساعات الرياضية‬ ‫" إن افتتاح هذا البوتيك لحظة مميزة ونفتخر بإنضامم كاسيو إىل رحلة مجموعة الباتل الناجحة يف‬:‫ قال السيد خالد الباتل‬،‫ من جهته‬."‫إنتشارا واسعا من خاللها‬ ‫ ويعرض بوتيك كاسيو يف سوق‬."‫ الساعة التي تحظى بإعجاب كافة الفئات الشبابية‬،‫ فيام يعترب هذا البوتيك محطة متكاملة ملحبي ساعات كاسيو يف الكويت‬،‫املنطقة‬ ‫ لعشاق الساعات ذات التصميم الريايض األنيق‬G-Shock-‫ جي شوك‬:‫املباركية الشارع الجديد تشكيلة واسعة من ساعات العالمة اإلبداعية وإصدارات كاسيو الهامة‬ ‫ التي تستهوي املراهقني ومحبي الساعات‬BABY-G‫ و‬PROTREK ‫ وكذلك‬EDIFICE ‫ ويضم إىل جانب ذلك مجموعة تصاميم ساعات كاسيو‬،‫والكفاءة العالية‬ .‫ كام يسلط البوتيك الضوء عىل عدد من أكرث ساعات كاسيو العرصية طلبا والتي تشتهر بإستخدام أحدث التقنيات واإلبداعات الرائعة والحس الذوقي‬.‫امللونة‬ MRG- ،GWN-Q1000 ،GWF-D1000 ،600D، FROGMAN GWF-D1000-BABY-G line، EQB( ‫وسيضم بوتيك كاسيو الجديد أحدث ساعات كاسيو ومنها‬ G-Factory ‫ ومن املقرر أن تفتتح مجموعة الباتل بوتيك‬.)‫ وغريها من ساعات كاسيو الشبابية املميزة‬،100-SHB ،7000-G1000HT، MTG-G1000AR، PRW .‫ لتلبي بذلك تطلعات عمالئها الكرام وتكون أقرب لعشاق ساعات كاسيو‬،‫الثاين يف السالم مول قريبا جدا‬

AZIMUTH’S TWIN TURBO WATCH Swiss watchmaker Azimuth is well-known for using heavily modified base ETA movements to create unusual, avantgarde complications that shock and awe everyone. And they’ve done it again, unveiling a gorgeous timepiece that petrol-heads will surely appreciate: the Azimuth Twin Turbo watch. The 1960s was definitely the golden age of car design, a period when automotive icons like the Ferrari 250 GTO and the Jaguar E-Type have been brought to life, among many other beauties. Back then, the design process did not involve any computers, with talent and vivid imagination being the only things standing behind one of these four wheel masterpieces. The design of the Azimuth Twin Turbo has been also heavily influenced by this era, with a wonderful case that’s reminiscent of an engine block, crafted out of stainless steel and featuring polished and matte-finished parts. The latter are concealed by the “bonnet”, which was constructed out of anodized aluminum, and can be lifted if the owner so desires. The twin crowns are an interesting, yet useful feature of this watch. Each dial hides a vintage ETA caliber 2512-2, a small hand-wound movement used for ladies’ watches in the 1960s. Please note that each dial is independently powered, which means two different time-zones can be chosen. A ribbed leather strap acts as the finishing touch, making sure the vintage vibe is always felt. The Azimuth Twin Turbo will be available as part of a limited series, in a number of different colored covers: yellow, anthracite, silver, and red. This unique, limited edition Azimuth piece will be available soon at Yacob Behbehani Sons Showroom in Symphony Mall and Behbehani Complex. For more information please contact us at 2243 3780.

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vicotornix

mabrookco mabrookco Tel: 2220 4140 www.mabrookco.com

bazaar around town LABEL.M DIAMOND DUST COLLECTION A new collection comprising of an exclusive shampoo, conditioner and body lotion, created to impart sumptuousness and smooth silkiness, beautifying and illuminating your hair and skin with intense brilliance. The collection is infused with the light-refractive properties of genuine diamonds, ethicallysourced from Belgium. Diamond Dust products provide scientifically proven benefits including active hydration, as well as shine-enhancing and strengthening properties. The thermal damage limitation factor and cuticle sealing quality ensure that moisture is retained for longer, whilst resisting environmental and chemical exposure.The collection is completely free from Parabens, Sulphates, Sodium Chloride and Ceramides, providing UV protection without damage to your hair, so you can be confident that your skin and hair will always look radiant, luminous and beautiful. Exclusively distributed by beau-tique cosmetics international. Call 2225 1285 for more info or go to www.beau-tiqueonline.com.

H&M SUMMER 2016 To all the fashion lovers out there, the fabulous summer season has finally arrived to H&M stores for ladies, men and children. The beginning of summer is always a fun and fashionable affair, a season to enjoy stylish bikinis, unique styles and fun feminine dresses. It’s an ideal time to flaunt your figure and to show off the stylish new you! The women’s collection includes pieces with a bohemian spirit that focuses on long flowy dresses and kaftans featuring handcrafted details. Models Anna Ewers, Andreea Diaconu, Imaan Hammam and Dree Hemingway are the faces of the women’s part of the campaign, wearing the essential key pieces for the perfect summer as well as our swimwear line. The splendid 2016 summer fashion for all will have you stepping into summer in bold fashion! Follow H&M on Facebook and Twitter @HMKUWAIT and Instagram @HM.

SAFE AND STYLISH THIS SUMMER WITH POLARIZED SUNGLASSES FROM POLAROID Solaris, the Gulf’s first dedicated sunglass boutique, is committed to bringing the very best in terms of fashion and quality to their customers. This May, Solaris is highlighting polarized technology in sunglasses, focusing on Polaroid sunglasses that combine polarization and style at surprisingly affordable prices. While polarization can be tricky to understand, it is very easy to grasp once you try on a pair of Polaroid sunglasses. That’s when the magic happens. That’s when YOU’LL ACTUALLY SEE. When light reflects off a shiny surface such as sand, water, snow or roads, it travels in many directions. Vertical light is useful to the human eye as it helps us see, making clear colors and contrasts. Horizontal light, however, simply creates glare. Glare, also called visual noise, reduces visibility and makes it uncomfortable, painful and dangerous to carry on driving, cycling, skiing or even just sunbathing. While non-polarized lenses just make things look darker, Polaroid's polarized sunglasses block virtually all glare. With Polaroid’s unsurpassable anti-glare properties, you can wear Polaroid lenses all day every day and enjoy whatever you’re doing stylishly in safety and comfort. Polaroid sunglasses for men, women and children can be found at Solaris and Vision Express in the Avenues, Marina Mall, Gate Mall, Bairaq Mall, Rawda and Salwa Co-ops and the Kuwait International Airport- Debenhams.

THE SULTAN CENTER CELEBRATES ITS 34TH ANNIVERSARY WITH CUSTOMERS As part of its 34th Anniversary activities, The Sultan Center celebrates the occasion with its customers and launched an exciting promotion across all locations. TSC 34th Anniversary’s festivities included a range of tailor-made promotions and activities designed to cater to customers’ needs. Customers, that shopped during the promotional period had the chance to sample a range of products across the stores, while children enjoyed a variety of fun filled activities, from face painting and balloon making to arts and crafts and so much more. The 34th Anniversary promotion took place in TSC Salmiyah, Sharq, Shaab, Hawally, Promenade, Jabriya, Salwa, Fahaheel, Al-Kout & Ahmadi locations. The Sultan Center is situated throughout Kuwait. For information on locations, and products, visit www.sultan-center.com.

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leonor greyl These Leonor Greyl absolute must-haves will keep masculine manes looking healthy and sleek.

HEALTHY AND ELEGANT HAIR USING NATURAL PRODUCTS www.leonorgreyl.com

Available at TONI&GUY Men’s Salon, Al Corniche. Exclusively distributed by beau-tique cosmetics int’l. Call for more info 2225 1285. www.beau-tiqueonline.com beautiquecosmetics beautiquekuwait beautiquecosmetics

bazaar around town LOYAC JORDAN TRIP In March, 12 brave adventurers made the journey from Kuwait to Jordan to explore the country's steep canyons, hidden valleys and ancient monuments. This 3-day expedition was guided by a team of nomads and professional local adventurers who taught them the way of the desert, how to survive it and be more self-sufficient. The group bathed in the crimson sunset of Wadi Rum, rode camels bedouin-style through the deserts, floated on the saltiest sea on earth, and were wonderstruck by historic pink Petra. The group comprising of six high school Juniors and Seniors, and six young employers travelled as strangers and returned as friends – with lots of golden memories and stories to share. For more information on Loyac in Kuwait and their various events and programs, visit www.loyac.org. ARMAND NICOLET PRESENTS THE L09 COLLECTION The L09 collection is the first sporty line by Armand Nicolet created in Limited Edition. Because of its elegance and clean lines, this watch is fit for any style and occasion. The whole collection has been produced only in titanium to make it very strong and resistant yet light and comfortable. The standard titanium version features a silver dial, the D.L.C. black treated case displays a black dial and the brand new two-toned version with bezel in 18 Kt rose gold 5N and black case showing off a beautiful and eyecatching navy blue dial. The sapphire crystal with antiglare treatment on both sides, the easy readability in every light condition, the raised indexes and the wise use of Super Luminova on the hands and dial are just some of the characteristics that make this collection very contemporary and stylish. These features combined with the vintage movement add that “something” to it that will take this collection far beyond simple fashion trends. This Limited Edition of 450 pieces features AN0711A, a wonderful selfwinding mechanical movement with a melodic sound coming from its beating heart at 18’000 vibrations per hour. This movement has been created using original components from 1957 that have been modified and tuned by our manufacturing expertise. We have gifted it with the swan neck, integrated it with the shock absorber Incabloc and made many other modifications so that this masterpiece could achieve nowadays technical characteristics. Armand Nicolet collections are available at Yacob Behbehani Sons Co stores at Behbehani Complex (2240 3954) and Symphony Mall (2244 1614). For more information contact 2243 3780.

CARRIAGE: CHANGING THE WAY KUWAIT DELIVERS FOOD Trycarriage.com is a new, technologically advanced platform that aims to provide its customers the best possible food delivery experience. It’s focused on four main features: 1) Customers being able to live-track their order in real-time through GPS; 2) Faster delivery; 3) More accurate estimated delivery times; 4) No minimum charge on orders. In the past few years, there has been a great surge in local, independently-owned Kuwaiti businesses, and a lot of them are restaurants. This, alongside the variety of international chains has gradually been turning Kuwait into a hub for foodies. Carriage is another one of those Kuwaiti businesses, and its founders were keen on including the best of local restaurants. These restaurants chose to either switch their delivery option to Carriage or launch their delivery service for the first time through it because of its first class service. The most important priority for Carriage is customers’ satisfaction with the food that arrives to them, which is why the drivers will take the fastest route possible to the customer’s destination and their vehicles are equipped with boxes that will preserve the temperature of the containers, whether they’re meant to be hot or cold. Go to www.trycarriage.com right now and sign up to be one of the first lucky people to try it. The website and its Android/iOS applications will be available soon, so keep your eyes open for its launch and for some great offers from selected restaurants to follow! For more information, follow Carriage on Instagram: @try.carriage, Twitter: @trycarriage, Facebook: trycarriage , or visit www.trycarriage.com.

‫إنضامم الدكتور الريس لقسم طب وجراحات العظام يف مستشفى طيبة‬ ‫ إىل قسم‬،‫ عن انضامم الدكتور وائل الريس إستشاري جراحة العظام وكسور اإلصابات الرياضية وتبديل املفاصل‬،‫ الرائد محلياً يف تقديم الخدمات الصحية املتميزة‬،‫أعلن مستشفى طيبة‬ ،‫عاماً يف مجال جراحة العظام‬14 ‫ ويتمتع الدكتور الريس بخربة ممتدة تفوق الـ‬.‫طب وجراحة العظام وذلك بهدف تقديم أفضل الخدمات الطبية التي تفوق مستوى العالج بالخارج‬ ‫ كام يتخصص يف عمليات تبديل املفاصل الدقيقة وباألخص جراحات املناظري إلعادة بناء الرباط الصليبي وجراحات‬،‫وعالج إصابات املالعب والتي تنتج عن املامرسات الرياضية املختلفة‬ ‫ وكذلك زميالً يف كلية الجراحني امللكية الكندية يف‬،‫ والدكتور الريس حاصل عىل البورد الكندي يف جراحة العظام‬.‫الغضاريف واعوجاج صابونة الركبة وآالم القدم والكاحل للرياضيني‬ ، ‫ فقد عمل الدكتور الريس يف السابق كاختصايص يف جراحة عظام وكسور‬،‫ وفيام يتعلق بخرباته العلمية‬.‫ باإلضافة اىل كونه عضوا ً يف الجمعية األمريكية لجراحة العظام‬،‫تبديل مفاصل‬ ‫ "أن‬:‫ أكد السيد راشد الفضالة نائب الرئيس التنفيذي يف مستشفى طيبة‬،‫ وبهذه املناسبة‬.‫ورئيساً لوحدة اإلصابات الرياضية وكذلك رئيساً لقسم جراحة العظام يف عدد من املستشفيات‬ ‫ ويف إطار اسرتاتيجية واضحة من أجل تعزيز‬،"‫ متاشياً مع حملتنا الجديدة تحت عنوان "الحامس هو نبض الفوز‬،‫ يأيت من منطلق ثقة املستشفي بخرباته املمتدة‬،‫إختيار دكتور الريس‬ ‫ جدير بالذكر أن قسم طب العظام يف "طيبة" يقوم بتوفري‬."‫مستويات الكفاءة يف تقديم الخدمات الصحية التي يحظى بها فريق العمل يف مجال العظام ومختلف األقسام األخرى‬ ،‫ وعالج آالم القدم‬،‫ وحقن البالزما‬،‫ والعالج بالخاليا الجذعية‬،‫ واإلصابات الرياضية‬،‫ وعمليات تبديل املفاصل‬،‫عددا ً من الخدمات الطبية املتطورة يف مجال عالج وجراحة كسور العظام‬ .‫وجراحة املناظري‬

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bazaar around town X-CITE LAUNCHES ITS BIG SALE THAT WILL MAKE YOU “CRY WITH JOY” With daily deals up to 50% off, X-cite by Alghanim Electronics, the largest electronics retailer in Kuwait, is proud to announce its big sale, offering amazing savings and unbeatable prices that customers won’t find anywhere else. Loyal to its tradition of giving back to its esteemed customers by launching the most gratifying promotions such as giving away “30 Cars in 30 Days” or more than “half a million dollars cash”, this time, X-cite is offering direct rewards to all customers with unbeatable offers unseen in Kuwait by offering discounts on a wide range of electronics and home appliances from the world’s most beloved brands, in addition to daily killer deals with limited time crazy discounts up to 50% off. The main challenge will be keeping track of the incredible offers available throughout X-cite’s 18 showrooms and online store. This exceptional campaign will run from May 1st until June 7th, 2016, so customers are highly encouraged to use this window of opportunity by fulfilling their electronic needs while benefiting from outstanding savings and exclusive deals. Customers who don’t want to miss those deals should visit www.xcite.com and follow their social media channels where the daily deals will be announced @xcitealghanim on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat and Facebook: XcitebyAlghanim.

TRIWA DECORATES STOCKHOLM CITY CLOCKS The Swedish watch and accessory brand TRIWA is collaborating with Global Agencies and is the new brand decorating The City Clocks in Stockholm City.The City Clocks had, for the past decade, been decorated by the Swedish store Stjarnurmakarna but TRIWA will be taking over as of 2016. “Stockholm is an important part of our communication, this is where we work and get our inspiration. So, to be a part of the portrayal of the city makes us very happy”, says Ludvig Scheja, Creative Director and co-founder of TRIWA.TRIWA signed a contract with Global Agencies which states that the brand will be decorating the City Clocks for three years on 30 different locations around the city. ”We are excited to be able to show the brand for tourists that visit our city in this particular way, and at the same time establish our connection to the city”, says Scheja.“We are looking forward to co-operate with a young and successful business as TRIWA. What also excites us is that they were founded in Stockholm, and that they still have their base here 9 years later”, says Roger Starck, founder and CEO of Global Agencies. TRIWA collections are available at Yacob Behbehani Sons Co stores at Behbehani Complex and Symphony Mall as well as online at www.ybsco.net, www.theyard-kw.com, www.taw9eel.com and www.ubuy.com.kw

STARBUCKS LAUNCHES COLD BREW FOR HOT SUMMER DAYS With summer around the corner, Starbucks is introducing Cold Brew, its latest cold coffee innovation, for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa. Starbucks’ Cold Brew is all about a new method of coffee making called “cold brewing.” The lengthy preparation process involves fresh, specially ground, small-batch coffee beans, cold water and 20 hours of slowsteeping time to create this all-new beverage that boasts a naturally sweet and distinctively smooth flavor. The Cold Brew is crafted with the best of roasting and brewing abilities, as a testament to the dedication and passion Starbucks has for its products, said Rana Shaheen, Regional Communications and CSR Manager of Starbucks MENA. “At Starbucks, we aim to provide our customers with a perfect beverage and experience every time. The Cold Brew is a perfect balance of a naturally sweet taste and a refined, smooth finish. ” said Ms Shaheen. The Cold Brew is available at all Starbucks stores right now. Head over to www.starbucks.com for more information. PROTECT THE ONES YOU LOVE: EYE PROTECTION FOR KIDS Did you know that children’s eyes are more sensitive and more exposed to UV light than adults? Children tend to spend a lot of times outdoors: on average, their annual UV is about 3 times higher than that of adults. Children’s pupils are larger, meaning they let in more UV light. Their crystalline lens is more transparent, making it less efficient at filtering out UV. The need for UV protection is higher during bright summer days at the beach since water and sand reflect UV light. Up to 80% of all UV exposure occurs before the age of 18. Worldwide Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology, WSPOS, states that shielding children’s eyes from excessive ambient UV radiation in direct and reflected sunlight is extremely important. Yet, 3 out of 4 kids do not wear sunglasses. Solaris, the Gulf’s first dedicated sunglass boutique, offers a wide range of children’s sunglasses, to suit different ages and tastes. Committed to bringing the best in terms of fashion and quality, Solaris is focusing in May on Polaroid sunglasses, all of which have a combination of excellent UV protection and polarization technology: Ultrasight TM with 100% UV400 protection. The kids can wear Polaroid sunglasses all day every day and enjoy whatever they are doing stylishly in safety and comfort. Polaroid sunglasses for children can be found at Solaris & Vision Express in the Avenues, Marina Mall, Gate Mall, Bairaq Mall, Rawda and Salwa Co-ops as well as in the Kuwait International Airport- Debenhams.

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bazaar around town LUMINOX – NAVY SEALS ESSENTIAL GEAR Luminox kicked off 2016 as the official watch licensee of the Navy SEALs. The relationship started over 20 years ago when the SEALs were searching for an analog timepiece to suit their needs and discovered Luminox with its unique self-powered illumination technology for optimum visibility day and night in any condition. “As a research, development, test, and evaluation officer for the Navy SEALs, I was asked to find a dependable watch for night missions. After testing a variety of brands in the most arduous conditions, Luminox was the only one still functioning at the end of the evaluation.” Nick North said, retired Navy SEAL. Since the first meeting with Nick North, and the first Navy SEAL series, Luminox has continuously updated its line of watches to meet the demanding requirements of this community of warriors. The Navy SEAL Colormark series is the evolution of that original series of timepieces. In 2013, Luminox had the opportunity to develop a new series of watches with upgraded features and again collaborated with SEALs, both active duty and retired. This partnership resulted in the A.N.U. (Authorized for Navy Use) series featuring a black PVD-plated stainless steel case, with screw crown and case back, sapphire crystal, multi-jewel Swiss quartz movement and 10 year lithium battery. “When so much relies on the accuracy of a timepiece, we focused in on the essentials; accuracy, reliability and performance. The Luminox illumination system gave us the sustained superior performance that is expected of a Navy SEAL and what we expect of our gear.” Shaun Marriot, Lt Commander, retired Navy SEAL. “It is an absolute honor to have an ongoing relationship with the SEALs, and to be selected by U.S. Navy SEAL Commanders to design and supply watches for some of the most elite and respected Special Forces in the world. It is particularly exciting that two generations of SEALs arrived at the same conclusion and chose Luminox as their watch of choice. Becoming their official watch licensee formalizes this ongoing relationship,” says Barry Cohen, Co-Founder of Luminox. Over the years, Luminox became part of the SEALs’ Essential Gear as both the relationship and the watches continued to grow and expand. Today, Luminox can be sure that every Navy SEAL, wearing a Luminox is equipped with a timepiece where unmatched visibility is a given. LUMINOX watches are available at Yacob Behbehani Sons Co stores at Behbehani Complex and Symphony Mall, and online at www.ybsco.net, www.taw9eel.com and www.ubuy.com.kw.

MEC MENA WINS AGENCY OF THE YEAR AT THE FESTIVAL OF MEDIA MEC MENA was named Media Agency of the Year at the Festival of Media awards in Dubai. The awards celebrate the very best in media thinking and communications across the Middle East. MEC also won Campaign of the Year for MAGGI Diaries, a comprehensive content case that documents four housewives’ cultural and culinary journey as an inspiration to women throughout the region. Other wins included 3 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze Awards, making MEC the most awarded media agency. “This accolade is a testament to the amazing work our team in MENA delivers for clients,” said Mohan Nambiar, CEO of MEC MENA. “Producing excellent results is our motivation and this recognition will further strengthen our commitment to delivering and driving our clients’ businesses and brands forward. I am over the moon for all the team across the region.” Alastair Aird, MEC global COO and head of MEC’s newly launched content offer MEC Wavemaker, commented, “This is just fabulous news and a huge endorsement for the MEC Wavemaker team in the Middle East. These wins are proof positive that our approach to creating content is the right one; it’s specifically designed to make change happen – and measurably improving a brand’s performance. This thinking is the root of the MENA team’s success. And I couldn’t be any prouder.” MEC won in the following categories: Agency of the Year, Campaign of the Year: MAGGI Diaries - A Journey of Women, Food and Change, Best Content Creation, Gold - MAGGI Diaries - A Journey of Women, Food and Change – MAGGI, Bronze - Meet the Family – Nescafé Arabiana, Best Use of Digital Media, Gold - Mother to a Generation - NIDO Fortigrow, Best use of YouTube (new for 2016), Gold - Celebrate the Breakers' Breaks - KIT KAT, Silver - MAGGI Diaries - A Journey of Women, Food and Change – MAGGI, Best Engagement Strategy, Silver Meet the Family - Nescafé Arabiana, The Creative Use of Media Award, Silver - Mother to a Generation - NIDO Fortigrow, Best Communications Strategy, Bronze - Celebrate the Breakers' Breaks - KIT KAT, Best Use of Content, Bronze - MAGGI Diaries - A Journey of Women, Food and Change - MAGGI For more information on the award winning Mediaedge, visit them online at www.mena.mecglobal.com.

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On reading pretty By bazaar staff

Nowadays, it seems like there are so many books/blogs/apps out there that tell you how to live your life and what to do vs what not to do. It had started with regular self-help books like The Secret, The Power of Now, Chicken Soup for the Soul and [insert anything Deepak Chopra has ever written], just to name a few. I, personally, was never a fan – I once attempted to read The Secret just to see what the hype was about, and ended up tossing it across the room and later on binning it; don’t even get me started on the Chicken Soup series! However, like all reading material and general life things, to each his own. But then something interesting happened, a hyperbolic plot twist of sorts, non-self-help self-help books came to be. That, sparked my attention. Below are some of the books I found interesting and, at times, actually funny. Full disclosure: These books are super pretty to look at and make for beautiful decoration on your coffee table. 134

Now,amidst all the ‘How to be Parisian’ books out there, there’s an interesting gem to keep an eye out for: known simply as Love, Style, Life. Written under the pseudonym Garance Doré – yes I’m talking about that French blogger, fashion photographer and illustrator – the book takes us on a journey from how she started (as a human being) to where she is now. While her book isn’t about how one may become a Parisian (sorry Francophiles!), it speaks of all the trials and tribulations of how Garance found herself as a blogger, and then morphed into a New Yorker with a French accent. Following her every (mis)step from childhood to present day, the maverick isn’t afraid of sharing every aspect of what made her the woman she is today. A fun read, to say the least, with interesting insights into what it takes to be a fashion insider. From prolific columnist, journalist and broadcaster to blogger, to now published author, Sali Hughes knows it all when it comes to beauty. Currently working on a follow-up, her first book Pretty Honest, proved to be a very captivating read. As someone that made it her lifelong mission to discover every aspect of the beauty industry, Sali’s know-how proves valuable to many. While many of the things she talks

about may be common knowledge, and others seem to be obvious, there’s material in there that can keep you entertained for days. It also doesn’t hurt that practice makes perfect and repetition can be beneficial. This last one might not be about fashion or beauty, but it does help you see your world through prettier eyes. No, it’s not an actual self-help book! It’s all about organization, and trust me, we all need help when it comes to this department. The infamous Marie Kondo is here to help with her latest release, Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up. Dubbed as the KonMari Method, this mighty book takes you on a journey through your own home and helps you see how much you can actually love your space and your wardrobe – I struggle with wardrobe organization just as much as the next person. I’ve already started applying some of her techniques and it has done wonders! Next stop: the rest of the house. *shudders* Till next time – may your cup be filled with warm tea and your books never be a bore.

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bazaar scopes what’s your sign? LIBRA SEP 23 – OCT 22

GEMINI MAY 21 – JUN 21

Before searching far for something you need, take a look right in front of you. It may not seem so obvious at first, but it will be crystal clear in time. A show of independence will work wonders in a romance – especially with Scorpio. An unusual source tells you of an investment opportunity. Good news comes in threes.

A Taurus from your past resurfaces. You’ll find the bull a little deeper than you remember. A mid-month break from your busy schedule brightens your mood. Don’t be afraid to give in to relaxation. It’s really not so bad! Scorpio plays a role. Decisive action is key this month.

SCORPIO OCT 23 – NOV 22

A great month! Something you worked hard for and wanted for some time is finally yours. Don’t be afraid to celebrate in a big way. More free time is on the way, so don’t be afraid to take advantage. An especially romantic weekend is in store. Taurus plays a role. Finances look good.

Time spent alone gives you the opportunity to think through problems. You’ll be able to come to terms with a situation that has been troubling you for some time. If you’re in a management position, you may find that it’s lonely at the top. Change is imminent in a romance.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 – DEC 21 A career opportunity could come your way when you least expect it. Before discounting it at face value, take a deeper look. There may be more than meets the eye. If a major purchase is in the works, be sure to shop around. Don’t write out any check unless you’re getting a good deal.

CAPRICORN DEC 22 – JAN 19 Look back to the past to help fix a problem today. You’ll find that time has a way of repeating itself. Scorpio offers some words of wisdom. New romance should be avoided this month – especially if a Virgo is in the picture. An introspective mood leads you to answers.

CANCER JUN 22 – JUL 22

LEO JUL 23 – AUG 22 Keep a tight hold on valuables or something you love could be lost. This is especially true if you’re traveling this month. Try to make the best of a bad situation. Negative thinking makes matters worse. Staying focused helps you keep pace with a busy workload.

VIRGO AUG 23 – SEP 22 Speaking up is the only way to make others aware of your frustrations. Keeping it all bottled in won’t help one bit. A flirtation at work could be a recipe for disaster. Know what you’re getting into before flashing that smile. Leo is involved. A good time to get in touch with old friends.

TAURUS APR 20 – MAY 20

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, especially if you’re involved with Scorpio. A decision you made several months ago has an effect on you this month. A problem that arises will be a blessing in disguise. Expect delays. Leo causes you frustration this month.

AQUARIUS JAN 20 – FEB 18 A friend’s offer of help may not be totally selfless. There could be some motives you’re not totally aware of. If you’re looking for a new job, this could be a lucky time. Be sure to explore all options. Social invitations are more abundant now. Don’t be afraid to have some fun.

PISCES FEB 19 – MAR 20 Finances will become an issue –especially if you have moved or taken on additional expenses recently. Careful budgeting will get you through. A “to-do” list helps keep you organized at work. Social activities may have to take a back seat to family obligations this month.

ARIES MAR 21 – APR 19 A “Catch 22” situation arises and causes you frustration early in the month. Creative thinking could turn things around, however. Don’t be afraid to try the unusual. A Libra friend shows you the positive side. Cynicism slows you down. Financial problems may arise later in the month. www.bluffton.com 136

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