bazaar may issue 2017 by bazaar magazine

May 2017 | Issue # 215 www.bazaar.town

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ABOUT THE COVER This stunning image was brought to us courtesy of Mohamed Taher, founder of the Ballerinas of Cairo project.Featuring Egyptian Ballerinas Nirvana El Nahhal and Veronica Emad, the image itself was captured by the superbly talented Sherif Ashour specially for this project in the infamous El Moez Street in Old Cairo. Flip through to read more about this initiative. May 2017 | Issue # 215 www.bazaar.town

‘April showers bring May flowers’, or so the saying goes, and that’s certainly applicable this year here in Kuwait. Although, I guess we could replace showers with dust, and flowers with heat, and more dust. The weather has been bipolar to say the least, and due to the overall lack of rain this winter, it promises to be a long, hot, dusty summer. On a more positive note, Ramadan is around the corner, so at least the heat will still be bearable and that combined with shorter working days should help ease the thirst and hunger a little bit!

The bazaar team...

This issue of bazaar is overflowing with inspiration. Have you seen our cover? From the heart of Cairo, we spoke to prolific photographer and founder of the Ballerinas of Cairo project to learn more about the beautiful shots featured on their Instagram account. Read the blurb above to find out more about the actual cover and flip through for the stunning feature. Because Kuwait is filled with some incredible success stories, we got together with creative duo Anes Al Rayes and Dana Alhanbali to learn more about their new agency: Beattie & Dane. And if you remember the “Who is Bu Salem?” campaign that took over our social media feeds late last year, we got Anes and Dana to tell us all about how it started!

Ihab Mokalled

If you follow us on Instagram, you’ll know that we had a super fun visit from musical wonder Yousif Yaseen. Serenading us with some of his latest compositions, we had a blast speaking to him about his new album and all the exiting projects he’s working on. And as the weather starts to heat up, we made our way to International Optique for a much needed eye exam and fun shopping spree – but first, we spoke to April Habig to find out more about their revamp. Fancy some 3D printed frames? Watch this space! April and her sisters will be bringing in this fun, new technology that’ll surely create your next fashion statement.

Staff Writer

Have you seen the 2017 Jewelry Arabia Expo that took place last month? We were absolutely blown away by the beautiful designs and just had to delve a little deeper by interviewing one of the designers there. We spoke to Suzanne Kalan to find out more about her stunning creations. And when the US Embassy in Kuwait mentioned to us that they were bringing in the creator of the iconic comic book series G.I. Joe, Larry Hama, we jumped at the opportunity to speak to him! He had some great stories to share and even greater advice to give the ever-growing comic scene in Kuwait.

Contributing Writers

But the real star this month came in the form of crispy, crunchy, Korean Fried Chicken at Kuwait’s hot new eatery, Bonchon. Read our mouthwatering review and go enjoy the delicious flavors of Korean fusion. We’ve already been back several times after the review – yes, it’s that good. Don’t forget to check out all our other incredible pieces. Happy reading! Ahmed El-Adly

Boss Ahmed El-Adly

Operations Tim Burns

Business Development Mixed Media Solutions Jennifer Cádiz

Content Coordinator Yasmine El Charif

Design Ahmed Al-Ashab

Staff Writer/Online Media Amira Haroun Yasmine Dalloul

Communications Hala Y. Sharara

Editor Alia Al Duaij

Cover By Sherif Ashour Barry Rodrigues George Tarabay May El Habachi Nejoud Al-Yagout Reem Al-Gharabally Ryan Abdulbaki Dr. Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg

members of:

w w w. b p aw w. c o m The views expressed in bazaar magazine are those of the respective contributors and not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff (but sometimes they are).

Contributing Photographers Yousef Al Nasser

Syndicates & Sources Baraka Bits Fast Company Kingdome.co LA Times MCT International Newsweek

Printing British Industries for Printing and Packaging

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INDEX MAY 2017 46

BALLERINAS OF CAIRO

BEATTIE + DANE

YOUSIF YASEEN

Can you keep up with the intense burn of Orangetheory Fitness? This amazing new exercise outlet has been described as the best one-hour workout out there, so we speak to Khaled Jafar to learn all about it!

Remember the mysterious Bu Salem campaign of October 2016? This hot, new local Independent Creative Agency was the mastermind behind the clever ad campaign, and had made their mark on Kuwait since then. We meet with founders Anes Al Rayes and Dana Alhanbali to discuss the fruition of Beattie + Dane.

What happens when an amazing musician comes to visit our office for a day, and graces us with beautiful music and a wonderful personality? We learn a lot and walk away feeling blessed and inspired. Meet Yousif Yaseen – the singer/songwriter who let us get Up Close and Personal with him for one day.

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Life, health, and fitness guru Sara Andari (AKA: Leanology) gives us the inspiring facts behind how she turned her life around to embrace all things wellness, in and outside of the gym and kitchen. Read all about her, her likes and dislikes in this month’s Truth or Dare.

Are you ready to freak out? Because we have, in this issue, an exclusive interview with the creator of G.I. Joe and editor of so many of our DC and Marvel favorites: The wonderful Larry Hama. Read all about his fascinating stories in this engrossing article.

The search for the perfect chicken wing is over with this delicious South Korean concept. All the way from NYC, Bonchon is one of the newest and most delicious additions to the Kuwait food scene, and is quickly turning into one of our biggest addictions. Read about our Bonchon feast in this issue.

Can you imagine anything better than enjoying freshly prepared Italian fare with a refreshing backdrop of the Arabian Gulf on a beautiful spring day? Tried and tested, Piccola Milano at Marina Waves is the very place to turn that vision into a reality. Read all about our delicious experience in this issue.

How gorgeous is our cover?! Courtesy of the Ballerinas of Cairo project that’s been taking the web by storm, we have been obsessed with the contrast images of graceful beauty combined with rough and real urban settings. We spoke to founder Mohamed Taher to get the scoop on this amazing project.

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Gulf bank

what's on May 2017

RBMA PRESENTS AH! KOSMOS, BOOM BEATS AND ESSA HASHEMI Date: May 12th Location: Radisson Blu Hotel – Sky Lounge Time: 6:00 – 9:00 PM The RBMA is proud to present acclaimed audiovisual artist Ah! Kosmos, also known as Basak Gunak, alongside Boom Beats and Essa Hashemi, at the Radisson Blu Sky Lounge. Expect a sublimely atmospheric and soulful night of house and electronic music, combined with an R&B vibe. To get passes for this event, visit www.eventat.com.

LA LUNE Date: May 9th-May 11th Location: Sadu House, Kuwait City Time: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM Welcome to 'La Lune', an ecru popup featuring the world of celestial magic and traditional talisman. This collection features new techniques like rosewood embedded with brass, Corian designs, and embroidered mesh. They've also brought back their clients' favorites; semi precious accessories, pearl inlaid homeware, hand block printed fabrics, and so much more. New shapes in clothing like our women's dishdasha, kaftan, and kimono robes. It's been two years since their last popup and this one will be worth the wait. Visit ecru's website at www.ecruonline.com. For all inquiries, contact them at info@ecruonline.com.

THE AFTERTHOUGHT Date: May 5th Location: Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) The Think Again Tour is The Afterthought’s debut headlining event, slated to be held on May 5th 2017 at the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK). The show kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with the unique comedic talents of George Tarabay, followed by a set list featuring a blend of original tracks and signature classic covers. With Rockhouse Sliders and Made Caffé also onsite to rox your taste buds, it’s a night you’re not going to want to miss! For ticket details and purchasing information visit www.tktti.com/AfterthoughtThinkAgain. For more information on The Afterthought, check them out on Instagram @AfterthoughtRox.

BLUE NIGHTS Date: May 16th – June 15th Location: Sultan Gallery The exhibition’s title takes its name from Joan Didion’s memoir, Blue Nights, originally published in 2011. Much like Didion, a writer known for exploring the cultural values and experiences of American life, the works in this group show comment on contemporary pop culture and the current global mood. Visually, all the works in Blue Nights contain or are the color blue. Similar to Didion’s titular reference to the final lingering hours of daylight in summer, the blues used in the show warn of darkness, though simultaneously seem to suggest that it may never come. Figurative and abstract, the exhibited works are executed in diverse media, yet cohesively come together to speak about the universal contemporary human experience. For more information, visit www.sultangallery.com.

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2017! Let us be part of your special moment by choosing your white graduation outfit from Harvey Nichols Kuwait! GRAND AVENUE - THE AVENUES / HarveyNicholsKuwait |

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What: @iklikl_kw Info: a platform for local farmers and producers to sell Editor’s Note: Shop local!

What: @meraki_kwt Info: All-natural & organic care exclusive distributors Editor’s Note: New organic products to try!

What: @aliveyoga Info: Favorite yoga studio in the city. Editor’s Note: An oldie, but a goodie.

What: @k9dynamix Info: Modern dog training and boarding. Editor’s Note: Troubled pooch? Problem fixed!

What: @enthusiastwood Info: Simple wood projects for your home. Editor’s Note: Beautiful butcher blocks!

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What: @nareel.kwt Info: Gluten free, vegan, allergy friendly. Editor’s Note: To die for dot cookies!

What: @skinnyfork Info: Boutique deli and more! Editor’s Note: Coming soon, and we’re excited!

What: @kahenart_kw Info: Luxurious Tunisian handmade pieces for the home. Editor’s Note: Get Ramadan ready with gorgeous trays!

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 34

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AN INTERVIEW WITH NEJOUD AL-YAGOUT

Founder of Co-Exist Kuwait By Ryan Abdelbaki

In January of 2017, Nejoud Al-Yagout founded Co-Exist Kuwait to spread the tentacles of love, peace, inclusivity and tolerance locally. Though the essential idea was "an invitation to ascend into love via the reverberations of music, the message is now expanding to include all forms of artistic expression." Al-Yagout adds that love is the only force that is inclusive of all, regardless of labels. And Co-Exist Kuwait came into existence to remind us that we are all on a journey together. To coexist with one another, she states, is to highlight the 'unity' in 'community', while accepting that "each one of us is a unique color on the palette of consciousness." Here, Ryan Abdelbaki interviews Al-Yagout for bazaar to find out more about this initiative. Co-Exist Kuwait is an initiative that is turning the tides of love. What do you think will stem from such a ground-breaking initiative for Kuwait's evolution? The concept of coexistence is not new. It has always been around, but the notion became commonplace in the Soviet Union during the Cold War as a way to bridge the divide between capitalist and socialist countries. Here, locally, there is no structure as yet; rather, love is guiding us to integrate all members of our local community. Every act of love begins in our individual hearts, spreads to the community, the nation, the continent, the world. Do you aim to manifest the energy Co-Exist Kuwait sends out to the world by letting love become an ocean in which all of us swim? The ocean, vast and inclusive, does not deprive anyone of its bounties due to skin color, nationality, gender, race, financial status, social status or ideology. So, we can learn plenty about love through nature, which knows no boundaries. At our Co-Exist concerts, there is no other, no us and them. The musicians are invited to an open jam session and we just bask in the collective reverberations of energy. This is our manifestation. No protest. No discussion. The fact that you involve music in your vigils is fascinating. Do you think it could become a place where all art forms come to one place, to color the land, one step at a time? Actually, for May's event, Manifesto 13 is joining forces with us. They have invited us to host our Open Jam Session at their gallery. They are also extending an invitation to artists to engage in live painting - with the theme of co-existence in mind. How cool is that? Describe your psyche in detail after each concert. What colors can you hear? What songs can you see? 36

I have yet to hear colors and see songs! But, might I add that I envision all colors of the rainbow and all songs on the spectrum of oneness. Finally, define love in one sentence. Love is unlearning everything we have been taught and operating from the space beneath conditioning.

Check out Co-Exist Kuwait on Instagram and Facebook: CoExistKuwait. You can follow Rayan on Twitter and Instagram @untitledpen; and Manifesto 13 on Instagram @manifesto13. You can find more information about Nejoud on Instagram @nejoud.alyagout or visit her website www.nejoudalyagout.com.

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up close & personal

VOCALIZING VISIONS MUSICAL MUSINGS WITH YOUSIF YASEEN By bazaar staff

There’s a stir of silence as we sit around our cozy office, gathered to hear the heartwrenching croon of Yousif Yaseen’s soulful voice. His eclectic range brings a symphony of sounds, sending the buzzing sensation of surprise to our ears with his unexpected tremolos bringing raspy rhythm and blues to classic Arabic tarab. It is indeed a unique experience, created by a unique voice, gifted to us by Yousif Yaseen – an extraordinary musician in his own right. Kuwaiti-born and raised Yousif didn’t always fancy himself an exceptional musician growing up, and to him, the shift really happened during his formative adult years. Though he had started playing guitar at the age of 13 and dabbled in music with his high-school rock band “Retroflex,” it took a few more years for his passion to escalate into a full-fledged profession and title as a composer and singer/songwriter. “I was originally studying to become a pharmacist, but around seven years ago, I started to take music very seriously and enrolled in Berklee College of Music in Boston where I stopped writing songs and playing guitar for a while to focus on broader aspects of music.” This led him to explore the different components necessary to create music, such as performing in various ensembles, studying music theory and studying the Maqam. To Yousif, this necessary incubation resulted in a new creative spurt and a renewed understanding of the aesthetics that shaped his sound, which ultimately formed the eccentric yet hauntingly beautiful musical personality he is known for today. Though Yousif's range incorporates jazz and contemporary influenes in his music, Maqam is a standout term within his musical abilities. This can be identified by those special variations of tremolo we encountered during his impromptu performance of songs from his album Visions. Maqam, a traditional and exclusive practice of Arabic music, is known as an improvisational technique that clearly 38

highlights the various pitches, patterns and development of a given tune. It’s basically what determines the difference between those who can sing in Arabic and those who can’t, and Yousif excels at it. His tone is reminiscent of OldKuwaiti bahri (sea-calling) music, and classical Tarab, which is defined as the act of musical ecstasy and was known by the likes of singers such as Oum Kalthoum and Sabah Fakhri. But within his mishmash of influences and styles, Yousif’s extra special touch is how he tunes his guitar in a shockingly different way, in reference to Maqam to have its sound slightly waver to a unique melody, accompanying his haunting vocals. “Tuning my guitar in that way was an accident, but I believe in paying close attention to those accidents, not disregarding them. After my friend had my guitar tuned weirdly, instead of fixing it to the standard, I saw something in its setting and created my own sound.” As is apparent on the recently released Visions, this created sound is both original and eclectic, making Yousif’s sound completely different from Kuwait’s other modern musical

acts. Recorded with his band and an ensemble of strings, horns and percussion, Visions combines mythology, nature and the mysteries of space to create what Yousif describes to be an “epic universe.” For example, one track “La Tinsani,” follows a young Arab woman traversing the infinite in a wormhole, on her way to Mars and beyond – a story inspired by a documentary special on civilians signing up to inhabit Mars that resonated within Yousif for a very long time. “It is a very lush and colorful album, and I had the pleasure of working on it with a superb international team in Boston and New York City.” And while he’s currently in the process of making the magic happen for his next album, Yousif continues to spread his whimsical nature and love for life and music in his experiences, while remaining humble toward his influences, mentors and the general surroundings that contribute in making his profession a passion. His shoutouts include Sawt scholar Dr.Ahmad Al Salhi, who is “basically reviving and revealing the

traditional music in the upper gulf, which in his hands becomes a self sustained, nearly classical musical language,” vir tuoso and independent music leader Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, who has created a whole independent Arabic music industr y/scene based in Egypt, and his honorable mention, mentor, Simon Shaheen, whom he describes as a great resource in traditional Mashriqi music. At the end of the day, it’s the people he meets and the stories they tell, that are his ultimate inspiration. As we manage to pull ourselves away from his shivering acapella cover of Nina Simone’s “Nobody’s Fault but Mine,” accompanied by his signature slap-thump drumming on his guitar, he leaves us with this pearl: “The most fun part of making music for me is how the things I see, and the things I read and think about seep. It doesn’t even have to be literal and in the lyrics even. Sometimes the melody can carry so much weight, and it’s incredible to see that emotion come out of you; it can feel redemptive.” We surely see it, and feel it too. [Continued...]

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE What do you most value in your friends? Their peculiarities and quirks. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Happiness could be an active engagement with your immediate reality, a sense of contentment, whether excited or calm. I don’t believe the concept of perfection always resonates with that perception of active engagement. I mean the world is so imperfect. What is your greatest fear? To be overcome by fear itself, to fear my own true potential. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Sometimes I forget what I am capable of, and it’s hard to shake off the doubts. You should never sell yourself short! What is the trait you most deplore in others? An eagerness to make quick assumptions and judgements. Which living person do you most admire? Too many heroes to number: Dr. Ahmad Al Salhi, Sawt performer and scholar; Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, composer and independent Arabic music icon; Erykah Badu, Thom Yorke, Tom Waits and Bjork. But the winner is Diana Nyad, who is by far one of the most impressive (read: badass) humans alive. What is your greatest extravagance? Socks. Life is too short to be wearing dull socks. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I’ve recently noticed myself saying “you’re kidding!” or “wow” all the time. I’m just filled with so much wonder for the world and I am constantly baffled, it seems. What is it that you most dislike? Walking in squishy wet socks and shoes after a rainstorm. But hot chocolate makes up for it. Which talent would you most like to have? I’d like to learn to dance. I saw the most incredible swing dancers recently at a jazz concert. I was astounded. It’s on my list of things to learn. If you could have any job, what would it be? I’d fancy being an adventurer/explorer with my own TV show. A bit like Steve Irwin! Sigh, music will just have to do. What would you consider your greatest achievement? Right now, it’s my debut album, Visions. I couldn’t 40

have done it without my band (Tomás Latorre, Clemens Graßmann and Benjamin Furman) and the rest of the ensemble and production team.

traveling to the far throes of space, which I think is probably going to be possible sometime before I die.

What is your most treasured possession? My guitar. We share years of history, and she’s my first true love.

What are your favorite words to live by? You are powerful. Trust yourself.

What is your most marked characteristic? I would say my intense curiosity (though its manifestation can be particular and moody) and love for sharing what I know. Where would you most like to live? I have a fantasy that only urban folk would have, and that is to live in a quiet place by a mountain, and just be... simply, writing music for the sun and the wind, probably somewhere in the jungles of Southeast Asia. The extreme alternative would be living on a spaceship

Yousif Yaseen’s album Visions is available on different platforms including ITunes, bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music and Soundcloud. Follow Yousif on Instagram @bu_yaseen, on Facebook: Yousif Yaseen Music, and Twitter @yaseenmusic. For more information, please visit his website at www.yousifyaseen.com.

sundek

truth or dare

LEANOLOGY

Reaching people through fitness By bazaar staff

We all know the routine: join a gym, do some cardio on your preferred machine, feel intimidated by all surrounding gym buffs, muster up the courage to consider strength training, then lose all faith and go home thinking “tomorrow is another day”. If you’ve sung this song many times, you aren’t alone. Luckily for all of us, tracking down Sara Andari (AKA: Leanology) on Instagram means that with her help, a daily anthem can turn into a one-hit wonder. Sara proudly identifies as a Fitness Nutrition Specialist and Body Lifestyle Coach: The two necessary factors for changing your mind, body and health for the better. But what brought her to this career path? “It started off with a medical issue and a lot of stress, causing me to gain weight and keeping me from taking care of myself. Once I got on the gym horse, I eventually saw the positive changes in the mirror. I was hooked!” So with this newfound passion for health, Sara proceeded to educate herself on the topic towards a certification, and thus began her journey. To Sara, her practice isn’t solely about changing your gym habits – she wishes to spread this education in any way she can. She has a one-on-one way of operating, and describes her services as providing customized mental and physical transformation programs and consultations to not only change a person’s body, but also, the way they approach stress, food, and exercise. “Getting people to love life through activities, rather than rewarding themselves and loved ones with food, is my ultimate pleasure. It is also the key to being a healthy person.” Part of Sara’s ethos is her ability to reach the public both bilingually, and by staying constant in her social media accounts to provide the best guidance to all of her followers. “I love to give [my followers] daily information, including my day-to-day workouts, food intake and activities. I am truly confident in their ability to prosper, especially because my involvement and accessibility turns most of my followers into catalysts of health and wellness to their family and to me as a person. They motivate me as much as I motivate them.” And as we find ourselves following suite of her motivators, we pry Sara away from her dumbbells for questioning – or rather, to play our favorite game.

TRUTH OR DARE QUESTIONNAIRE How would your mother describe you in one word? Persistent. 42

How would you describe your mother in one word? Superwoman. What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever been asked? "Do you take Steroids?” Of course I don’t! I don’t believe in them, and I’ve worked hard to achieve my fitness naturally. What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? Jumping off a waterfall in Vietnam without knowing if the water was safe to swim in. Best thing I have ever done. What is your theme song? "Scars to your Beautiful" By Alessia Cara. What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented? It isn’t a word yet, but I’d like to invent “Leanology” – LEAN: Fit, OLOGY: Knowledge. Where would you like to live? What is your dream retirement location? My native Lebanon. What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind? "It's such a shame for a woman to grow old without ever seeing the strength and beauty of which her body is capable." - Socrates What animal best describes the kind of partner you’d be interested in? A Penguin! Intelligent, identifies his partner and family, and takes responsibility. They like to spoil and cuddle!

What do you miss about your childhood? Eating whatever I want without thinking! If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Natasha? People say it suits me. How would you describe your handshake in one word? Leaderly. What is the toughest part of your character? I am perfectionist. I pay attention to details and I think too much. Who is your favorite historical figure? Mahatma Gandhi. What in the world do you least desire? The fact that material possessions became more important than spiritual values. What do you think is lacking in the world, which if there was more of would make the world a better place? Honesty, doing what you really love to do, and selfexploration. Why do you think most girls/guys like you? I am a good friend on a personal level, and I am a good mentor on a professional level. Finish this sentence: “Happiness is a thing called…” Health—the groundwork of all happiness.

Get out of your rut and follow Leanology @leanology on Instagram and sara.andari on Snapchat for daily inspiration and tips!

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THE HOUSE OF SECRETS

AIS’ 2017 Senior Art Show By bazaar staff

Your High School years are a significant time that build unforgettable memories – both good, and bad. After High School, life does go on to greater lengths, (we promise!) but those formative years are going to resonate within you for a while, whether you like it or not. What better way to express those memories and lessons learned than through art? The American International School of Kuwait’s (AIS) High School Art room is a very special place. It housed many different generations of artists over the past decades – and this year, the Class of 2017 showcased the near-end of their secondary educational journeys on a high note by commemorating all the magic that had happened in the vast classroom that will always smell of tangy turpentine and cool clay. Last March, The Visual Arts Diploma Program students at AIS celebrated one and half years of art creation and study through an exhibition entitled “DAR AL ASRAR” (The House of Secrets). With impressive works done by senior students Tala Adlouni, Athbah Al Muzaiel, Al Zainah Al Wahaib, Yasmine Rizk and Dana Salame, DAR AL ASRAR featured over 50 exciting, conceptual, thought-provoking artworks, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, digital media, mixed media, photography, film and installations. The exhibition opening was a huge success with, students, staff, family, friends and VIP guests attending to praise and admire the high quality of artwork. Most of the exhibiting students have been engaged in some form of art over the past four years, leading into the Diploma program. Taught by Visual Arts Diploma teacher, Angie Hani, the students involved in this year’s exhibition produced outstanding works of art, and have been intrigued and inspired by personal, social, cultural and political issues. They expressed their interpretations through a variety of visual media formats. With all that and more to inspire them, audience members and their teacher, were blown away by the result. Mrs. Hani has been teaching this program for more than nine years, and only grows more impressed each year with the deep conceptual thinking and detailed process her students engage in: “It is often believed that the study of art is just about the creation of art, however it also involves the understanding and appreciation of past and present art forms and art concepts. Continuing the conversation through visual arts and instilling my students with the power to stimulate the thoughts of their audience with art, is greatly encouraged in my art classes.” And as two talented members of the bazaar team are AIS alumni, it doesn’t come as a surprise to us that even 10 years later, the school’s support of expressive arts still stands strong, and has only intensified since then. AIS’ International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in the Visual Arts is said to be a challenging program that delves deep into the investigation and study of 44

Artworks by Dana Salame.

(Left to right) Zainah, Athba, Yasmine, Mrs. Angie Hani, Tala and Dana. conventional and contemporary art, and DAR AL ASRAR proves that all that is learned in the program is not only utilized, but is also appreciated. Mrs. Hani’s students not only create works of art, they also formulate in-depth comparative analysis of other artist’s works and their process in comparison to their own art making, and to be able to translate the inspirations and reflections of their artistic education. “The Visual Art's IBO Diploma Program at AIS encourages, and promotes students to be critical, creative, conceptual thinkers.” Mrs. Hani says of her students. “Graduates of the program are fully prepared for further study, armed with the skills and knowledge to serve them throughout their art careers and other careers they choose to pursue. They are always above

and beyond other members of their academic study due to the intense practice and structured organization of their DP Art class. They continue to further their education and experiences successfully in the most highly prominent universities around the world, only to return after university graduation to say ‘Mrs. Hani, if it wasn’t for art class…’” And judging by the gorgeous works of DAR AL ASRAR, we think we know how that sentence ends. Check out more details of the students’ journey by visiting their Instagram page @daralasrar. AIS is located in Maidan Hawalli. Visit www.ais-kuwait.org, or contact them at 1843 247 for more information. Photos taken by Lindsey Layman.

Int Optiques

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BALLERINAS

OF CAIRO

RECLAIMING THE STREETS OF CAIRO THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY AND DANCE

By bazaar staff

The beauty and gracefulness of a ballerina is one that is not lost on anyone. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something so elegant about the way they move, that anyone watching is instantly mesmerized. While many will have you believe that everything has its time and place, we stumbled across a project that does the exact opposite: Using Cairo as the backdrop for this delicate art form. And in late 2015, the Ballerinas of Cairo project was born. Having started as a passion project by film director Mohamed Taher and Ahmed Fathy, it has since taken a life of its own and continues to grow wonderfully. 46

[Continued...]

Inspiration came to Mohamed when he came across NYC’s Ballerina Project and thought he can do something similar in Cairo. “Our main goal with Ballerinas of Cairo is to explore Cairo from different perspectives and to showcase the diversity within the city,” he explained, “Adding a ballerina to this backdrop creates a beautiful contrast between the roughness that is Cairo and the smooth, delicate lines of created by the ballerinas.” It also gave them the perfect opportunity to promote an alternative Cairo – one that is hidden away from the public eye, and to spread joy within the communities as they conduct the photoshoots. But how are the backdrops decided? “For each photoshoot we [the photographers] choose the theme,” Mohamed added, “but sometimes the ballerinas themselves wants to shoot in a specific location or in a certain style. It’s a group effort!” Since we still had many questions on our mind, we managed to track Mohamed down and sat with him to learn more about the project and the incredible people behind it. When you and Ahmed Fathy started Ballerinas of Cairo, it was just the two of you – is that still the case or do you now have a team? We have a team who joined us for the documenting process and sometimes they go out and do photoshoots as well – such as Sherif Ashour, Amir El Shenawy and Aya Ahmed. 48

[Continued...]

Photographer Mohamed Taher

Can you tell us more about your background? I’m a freelance Producer and Film Director by trade – usually producing documentaries, commercials and shorts. I also work as an assistant director for feature films and most recently for the movie ‘Clash’, Eshtebak , directed by Mohamed Diab. Originally though, I studied Photography in the Savannah College of Art and Design in the U.S. I then went on to do my MFA in Film Directing at the same university. Currently, I do some photography, but for very particular and carefully selected projects – but my main job is in the film industry. How do you select the ballerinas? We select ballerinas based on previous images we’ve seen or by recommendations from their friends who are already a part of the project. Do you plan each photo’s composition or do you pick a location and keep snapping until you find ‘the one’? For some locations we decide on the composition ahead of time. But sometimes, we just pick a location and figure out the most suitable look and feel after we get to the location. What are some of the challenges you face when taking these photos? The biggest and most difficult challenge is making what we do seem normal. We need people to start accepting all types of performance arts in our streets. There’s an abundance of hidden gems and beauty that we just tend to ignore on a daily basis, and bringing art out onto the streets can revive this beauty. So, our main challenge was to get people used to seeing us shooting and filming in the streets, and to create an awareness for our art. Truth be told, it's kind of risky taking such photos in Egypt, especially during this critical time where we’ve all witnessed real social problems. Sadly, the streets of the city aren't very friendly for both women and photographers alike. But the ballerinas have shown so much courage by going out and doing this in the streets. They’ve pushed the boundaries and tested the limits beyond to display their art, and themselves, freely. How are people reacting to the project – on location and when a post goes up? When out on location, people were impressed by how brave these ballerinas were by dancing in their tutus and soaring in the streets. They sometimes even approach us to take photographs with the ballerinas! As for social media, our followers are reacting extremely well to the project. Generally, we get a lot of positive feedback that we honestly didn't even expect on both social media and the streets. People are constantly encouraging us to take more photographs and they’ve even gone as far as suggesting places for us to shoot in next. How did you view Cairo before you started the project – and of course, how do you perceive the city today? Before the project, Cairo was just a hectic, grayish, busy and dusty city – a place you can’t seem to slow down in. But now, I find myself

“You look so skinny! You must not be eating enough Mahshi!” constantly looking for that one frame, one location or instance that I’m yet to capture. The project forced me to view the city from a different perspective. Now, I’m always in search of beauty; that beautiful hidden corner that I can feature in my next photograph or video or that stunning building that no one knows about to introduce as a backdrop for my next photo. What is your most memorable moment captured (or behind the scenes)? I’ll never forget this one shoot with Yasmine Shahir, back in the early days of the project. There were these two women that just walked up to her and said, “You look so skinny! You must not be eating enough Mahshi!” We all ended up laughing and even asked them to join her for a picture. It was so unexpected that it came to be one of my favorite pictures from the entire project. I absolutely love so many of them! However, the one with Yasmine Shahir in Old Cairo is still my favorite, simply because we managed to capture a lot of stories in each frame. Especially because we’ve included onlookers in every photo taken at this shoot. It seamlessly incorporated all aspects of art, the city’s culture, its architecture and

history that we try to portray with every images. What do you hope to accomplish through this project? I would love for us to wander through as many cities in Egypt as we possibly can. Earlier this year, we had a photoshoot in Aswan and it was mesmerizing! So ultimately, we hope to continue making art, and to spread the project across many other cities in Egypt – and possibly even around the world! We’re also currently creating and producing several high quality videos, and we’ll continue to explore more themes and narratives to share in the project’s next phases. Is there anything else you’d like to add? I’d like to thank all the ballerinas and photographers who joined the project. Showing gratitude for their art is very important to me.

Follow and scroll through Ballerinas of Cairo’s stunning feed on Facebook and Instagram: @BallerinasOfCairo. 49

SWING AT THE SAHARA GOLF RESORT

One fourteen year-old’s journey towards Autism Awareness By bazaar staff

What were you doing when you were fourteen? Most of us were holed up in our rooms, listening to angst music and complaining about how unfair our parents were in our diaries. Hamad Al-Barrak, however, is an exception to that rule, and spends his free time building something great for a community of individuals who face endless stigmas in today’s society. How does he do it? Golf. Inspired by a school project, the non-profit SWING club specializes in teaching children ages 6-12 years old with exceptionalities such as autism and Down’s Syndrome the togetherness of community via playing golf as an outlet. Hamad states that he never thought he would start a non-profit, let alone one focused on special needs. However, when his Honors English teacher Mr. Alzaid assigned a large project to be conducted throughout the entire school year, and meant to occupy 20% of the student’s time, the answer of “what to do” came to Hamad through interest and compassion. “It took me about 2 weeks to finally decide on starting SWING, because I knew that whatever I did, I wanted to enjoy it, and also wanted it to have a good cause.” And being part of Kuwait’s national golf team made choosing his passion as a basis to start from an easy choice. Through research, Hamad learned that golf was 50

also an ideal activity for those with exceptionalities. “Many people aren’t aware of the benefits of golfing for autism, as it is more common to engage [the kids] in swimming and horseback riding.” But Hamad’s discovery opened up a whole new possibility for Kuwait’s autistic community. “Golf happens to be one of the best sports for them, simply for its individual and non-competitive nature. It's not stressful for the kids because they don’t need to read social cues from teammates, and the game’s relaxed pace is suited for their needs.” SWING can serve as a catalyst to offer more sports or activities available towards children with special needs. Coupled with its main objective, motivating children with exceptionalities to go out and enjoy the fresh air while having fun, SWING increases the happiness levels and positive behaviors brought on by physical exercise and socializing. Parents noticed behavioral changes with their children’s improving sociability, and have also mentioned that the children were happier in the days leading up to SWING meets, which in turn would positively affect everyone around them. “It’s a ripple effect that leaves behind happy kids, happy parents, and also very happy and content volunteers who feel they made a difference in that hour.” But like anything else that’s making a positive change, serious efforts are needed to sustain it. In addition to the obvious outlier in playing outdoors year-round, being Kuwait’s weather, having an apt number of volunteers to run operations has proven difficult. “We enjoy having a 2:1 volunteer to student ratio, but on some days its 1:1.” However, they’re

always accepting more volunteers to help out! Their only requirements? “Be committed, and be great around children. If that’s you, we will gladly have you join the SWING family.” Despite any concerns, Hamad has high hopes for SWING, and is eternally grateful for everybody involved in its process. From the generosity of Sahara Golf Club’s opening up its grounds to the initiative, to having full support of head coach Edward who created the training program and took it upon himself to coach along side co-coaches Cameron and Xu and all the volunteers. Hamad believes that SWING could turn into something even greater than what it already is. “Everyone invested immense time and effort into SWING and without their determination and dedication I don’t think this program would have been possible. When they say ‘it takes a village’, well, it surely does!” With all this support, Hamad hopes to continue SWING and expand the amount of students and volunteers over the following years. “It would be a great loss if we don’t. At the end of it all, if our young golfers are excited and happy to golf, learn and advance, make new friends and improve their social skills, then we have definitely accomplished something very special and worth being proud of.” SWING can be found at the Sahara Golf Resort, off of 6th Ring Road. Follow SWING on Instagram: @swingkuwait. Interested in becoming a part of the SWING family? Email them at swingkuwait@gmail.com to volunteer or to sign up your child.

garmin

SARD SPOKEN WORD

Palestine’s premiere Open Mic By Lina Samad

“It is often assumed that those who are not heard are voiceless. In order to be heard, one must have a voice, an audience, and something that is not often provided: a platform. In the Arab world, particularly in occupied Palestine, most of the youth are not voiceless. However, their voices are not heard due to political and social shackles. In 2016, a safe space was created to allow for the self-expression of the Palestinian youth; a medium called Sard Spoken Word was born, and Barakabits snatched a chance to interview the organizers of this intitative! Here is what they had to say: What is Sard Spoken Word? Sard is basically a podium that allows the Palestinian youth to express their work or their thoughts in an environment that is very accepting and non-judgmental. Sard is a place where they can be free to vent without having the type of anxiety that results from the fear of being judged by others. The performers usually present their raps, songs, poetry, or stand-up comedy, in either Arabic or English. When did Sard actually start and whose idea was it to bring it to life? 52

In 2015, a young British woman named Sameya Khan came to study at Birzeit University for a year. She brought along the open-mic culture to Palestine by teaming up with us. Together, they formed an openmic event called Empoword. After a year, Sameya returned to Britain and teamed up with us and decided to further grow on this open-mic project. Why did you choose the name Sard for this Spoken Word Project? We wanted to grow on the Empoword project in a way that was our own. We choose the name Sard (which means “to narrate”) because we live in an Arab society, and so our project’s name must be in Arabic. Which art form (poetry, drawing, singing, etc.) is the most popular performance at the monthly events? While it was mostly centered on spoken word poetry we’re beginning to see the variety from art, singing, rapping, music, and theatre. The sky is the limit with open mics. What are the main topics that are usually presented by the performers? Each performer has a different story to tell, so it varies from one performer to the next. The topics touch upon the problems they are facing which includes personal problems, imposed societal standards, and how it feels to live under occupation.

One of the main goals of this project was to provide a non-judgmental zone to self-express in a hypercritical community. Why is this one of your goals? There is a root reason as to why the youth of this society do not express themselves. One of which is safety. What you say may trigger consequences. We are taught as young people to not say anything that could raise a flag, where it is socially or politically unacceptable. We are creating a safe space for youth to express themselves in. Our arms are wide open with love, tolerance and respect for difference. Palestinian writers such as Abbad Yeheya, and Sonia Nimer have been special guests at Sard and have presented their work as well. What was the goal of inviting these special guests to Sard? The idea behind inviting these guests of honor was to give the audience chance to listen to the writers they admire to read and present to them. These special guests also get a chance to interact with the audience in an open-discussion after the reading. In a community that doesn’t always welcome such artistic exposure, Sard Spoken Word definitely “cracks open locks”, as the celebrated spoken word poet Sarah Kay once said. Follow Sard Spoken Word on Facebook: SardSpokenWord for more information.

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REHAM ALSAMERAI

From film festivals to folktronica

By Reem Al-Gharabally

I meet Reham Alsamerai at Jumo café at Sadu House, opposite the National Library, where the first edition of the Kuwait Film Festival she produced was held. It is a day after the closing ceremonies and Reham is exhausted but inspired. She laughs when I ask her if she considers herself more a musician or a festival producer. The Kuwaiti musician, who describes her music as folktronica, regularly makes it on lists of Indie musicians to look out for in the Middle East, is also the co–founder of Green Caravan Film Festival and the director of NEST 2016 among other festivals she has been involved with. “It really depends on what time of the year you ask me, “she says. “Because right now fresh of the festival buzz I would say I feel more like a festival producer because my 54

brain is still in that mode, but if you ask me in a couple of months when all I am doing is writing...” A self-taught guitarist, she started writing songs while in college in Florida when she joined a 5-piece girl band as a rhythm guitarist and back up vocalist. “It was kind of folk rock surf. We lived in Florida so we were very influenced by the beach and that sound,” she says. “We all wrote. It was good fun. And it was then when I had my first experience of being in a studio and recording and producing. And I quickly realized that I was much more into that then playing live, touring and all that. That stuff I can live without. But I really caught the recording bug.” After a short-lived career in the oil sector as a new graduate, she pursued her passion for recording, working at a studio in Dubai’s Media City, learning on the job and went on to do a Certificate course in sound recording in London. On her return to Kuwait, she set up her own small studio on the roof of her house “That was my most prolific period for a couple of years,” she says.

It was during a stint working at AUK as an editor of the in-house publications where she met Sandra Al Saleh with whom she set up the environmental consultancy Equilibrium and its project Green Caravan Film Festival. Reham has one of those jazz inflected smoky voices. Many of her songs are searingly honest social commentaries about the environment and about moving between cultures. In the track “Nomadsong” she sings, “Nobody said I had to roam, I could stay home, and I would have but my roots got the better of me.” Now London-based, where she was posted as Entrepreneur in Residence at Goldsmiths College and where she also did her MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy, she has watched the music scene boom in Kuwait in the last two years from afar. “I am really happy musicians in the country are finally being given opportunities to play. Because that is all they want to do,” she says.” It is a lot livelier, and light and fun.” But she is quick to add, “You cannot really gauge the music scene by me. I think anywhere in the world I would tend to be a bit of a recluse musically.”

During our conversation I quickly realize why Reham found my first question on whether she defines herself as a musician foremost or an arts administrator so funny. Throughout her career the two seem to interweave and film played an important role in her career. Her music video collaboration with acclaimed French director Francois Vogel with her song “This Thirst” was commissioned by the Gulf Film Festival, but was deemed too critical to screen in Dubai. However, it did make the international film festival circuit where it picked up some awards. The makers of the documentary Speed Sisters also approached her and her songs “This Thirst” and “Lion Song” are part of the film’s soundtrack. Reham sometimes keeps her festival producer hat on even when she is thinking about music. With the new creative opportunities coming up for artists in Kuwait, she has started to plug back into the local scene but with the idea of giving local artists wider audiences. “I was approached by a festival in London to

submit some ideas and I started to think what can I do that incorporates Gulf based artists and musicians to come up with a show or set of songs that can be taken to festivals around the world,” she says. From her own experience she has contemplated the double-edged problem of nurture for Kuwaiti artists. “When I was here there was this very obvious dysfunction in the infrastructure of nurturing artists. As an artist you don’t feel you have somewhere where you can go to for support, for funding, for equipment, for studio time,” she says. “But then I go somewhere like London where everything is at my fingertips but then I am lacking a different type of nurture which I can only find here and a different kind of inspiration which I can only find here because most of my songs tend to be about this place in some shape or form.” “When I am living abroad I have everything I need physically as a musician but I am missing the

substance that I need so it is kind of a dilemma. What can I write about in beautiful, green, lush London where I can wake up in the morning, pick up the phone, book a rehearsal space, pick a studio space, pick a session musician. But I don’t do it because I don’t have much to say when I am there. So it is very much a Catch 22.” She has played several shows in London over the past years, but she has never performed in Kuwait. Will she? “Maybe. One day,” she says. Is there an album on the cards? “I am hoping that this summer I will lock myself away somewhere on a beach and record music,” she says. As a fan of her work, I am keeping my fingers crossed for both.

You can follow Reham’s music on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/reham or visit her website www.reham.live. Photography by Nousha Salimi. 55

SOCIAL MEDIA

A tool for connecting or disconnecting? By May El Habachi

We are all guilty of engaging with our phones when we should be connecting with those around us. With a click of a button, it has become all too easy to like, comment or share instead of having real human communication and interaction. Our fascination with social media is clear. With more than two billion social media users worldwide, it seems we are all connected in one way or another. People from across the globe can talk in real time and develop connections that would otherwise not have been possible without the advent of social media. But while we connect with others online, sometimes we fail to connect with those closest to us offline, usually our family and friends. Disconnect to Connect Sarah Moussa, therapist specializing in grief and trauma, yoga teacher and author of Reflection of a Self-Discovery Journey, believes that while social media has proven to be a valuable tool for connecting people and sharing information, it can also create disconnect if not used carefully. “Social media is a great tool for connecting with others. However, what happens sometimes is that people substitute it for real connections and attachments. For example, instead of spending time with our families, spouses, children or friends, we connect with social media,” says Moussa. “It becomes a substitute to what’s missing in our lives, and that’s when it becomes unhealthy.” 56

Social media is not only sometimes used as a substitute for real connections, but it has also become an integral part of our lives. With most people leading busy lives, it can be challenging to stay present and engaged in the moment. It is now all too common to eat dinner while looking at our phones, but such multitasking doesn’t work. “Our brains are structured to do one thing at a time, and when we try to multitask, we feel stressed,” says Moussa. She suggests making time for everything you do. “Life is not a race. Enjoy your meal, spend time with others and be fully engaged with whatever it is you are doing in the moment.” Making Time to Connect Marian Bahader, a mother of two and an expert marketeer with more than a decade’s worth of experience, has recently decided to become a digital minimalist. “Although I used to be a heavy social media user, I decided to cut back and reclaim my time. Today, we’re bombarded with content, messages and promotions that we don’t necessarily need or want. There is so much clutter and I felt that enough is enough.” While Bahader is now taking charge of her time on social media, she also recognizes that social media has helped her connect with friends that otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to connect with. “I think social media, particularly Facebook, has brought amazing people into my life and has helped me connect with old friends,” she says. “I also believe digital minimalism is important nowadays. It’s important to take control of our time and decide what we want to do with it.”

Use Social Media with Purpose So, should we eliminate social media from our lives to reclaim some of our lost time? Probably not. The key is to use it effectively. “It’s important to know what you want to get out of social media. For example, I use social media to help grow my business and inspire others to live a life where they are connected with themselves and their surroundings. I don’t use social media to see what others are up or get absorbed in peoples’ negative comments,” says Moussa. She advises to first know what you want to get from social media before using it. “You control how to use social media. Don’t let it control you.” Social media and other social apps should be used to serve a purpose. While the purpose may differ for each one of us, we nonetheless need to use it constructively. “Sometimes we forget that we have a life besides our social media profiles, smart phones or lap tops. If social media stops you from living your life or being with yourself, your family or friends, then you need to revise how you use it.” Like anything else, it takes time and practice to change any habit. Bahader who is now taking charge of her time to focus more on her family, friends and achieving her life goals believes that while it can be challenging at times to disconnect, it is well worth it. “I am trying to minimize the time I spend on my phone and on social media. It’s not always easy, but I’m slowly becoming more conscious of what’s really important to me.” So next time you’re on social media, think of who you really want to be connecting and how you want to be spending your time!

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/SolarisSunglassesME

THE MOST ELABORATE SANDBOXES ON EARTH Digging deep into the UAE’s impressive theme parks By Stephen M. Silverman

You are about to board the fastest roller coaster on the planet, the 150mph Formula Rossa, the pride of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park — where pride, like most everything else in this desert architectural playground, comes supersized. The first theme park in the universe devoted to a luxury Italian sports car, Ferrari World is also home to the brand-new, 75 mph Flying Aces coaster, which boasts not only the world’s steepest cable lift (51 degrees) and tallest loop (170 feet), but presumably the most fearless riders on earth. Not a car fan? No worries, because Ferrari World is but one spoke in many wheels. Formerly the exclusive domain of Southern California and Central Florida, world-class theme parks are now springing up at roller-coaster speeds in the United Arab Emirates. Where once stood sand dunes, skillfully engineered immersive environments now allow visitors to interact with internationally familiar pop-culture icons. Included in the mix: Smurfs, dinosaurs, Marvel superheroes, protagonists from the Cartoon Network, Hunger Games, Ghostbusters, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Hotel Transylvania and, the jewel in the crown, blockbuster Bollywood movies. “We’ve got something for everyone, from ages 5 to 100,” said John Hallenbeck, general manager of the Hollywood-inspired Motiongate Dubai, which welcomed its first guests in December. Mostly made up of family groups from the Arab states, the audibly enthusiastic crowds — some 5,000 to 6,000 people a day, a park rep told me — tend to filter in not first thing in the morning, as in American parks, but starting late in the afternoon, after the midday heat. Adjacent to the 2,000-acre Motiongate, as part of a $2.85 billion (KD 869 million) resort complex collectively known as Dubai Parks, are the new Bollywood Parks, Legoland and Legoland Water Park. Connecting them all is Riverland, a retail/dining area that also accommodates the 500 rooms of the Polynesian-themed Lapita Hotel, along with the construction sheds for the region’s first-ever Six Flags park, due in 2019. What they find inside Motiongate are five separate, tree-shaded zones set to different themes. While one remains under scaffolding in anticipation of a late spring reveal, eventually the park is poised to offer 27 rides, five of them roller coasters. The fastest, the smooth-as-silk 60-mph Madagascar: Mad Pursuit, is now operational and, like Disney’s Space Mountain, runs its course entirely in the dark. Among the park’s distinctions: It’s the first anywhere to unite rival studios (Columbia Pictures, Lionsgate and DreamWorks, the last of which is 58

sheltered inside a giant soundstage); the first to exploit both The Smurfs and Hunger Games franchises; and the first in the region to offer a water rapids ride, the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs River Expedition. Far less sprawling, but abundantly charming, is the neighboring Bollywood Parks Dubai, which tips its turban to the Mumbai film industry’s exaggerated escapist fare. Outstanding among the more than a dozen exotic attractions is the Lagaan: Champaner Cricket Carnival, a robust motion-simulator adventure based on a 2001 Hindi sports drama. (All ride narratives are in English, though safety instructions are also delivered in Arabic.) “Bollywood is a lot about shows, and India is a lot about food,” said general manager Thomas Jellum, emphasizing that his park, where at any given moment a live musical number breaks out on the grounds, places human experience above mechanical rides. In fact, a planned-for roller coaster remains in the blueprints stage, though Bollywood does boast its own pulsating landmark — the 850-seat Rajmahal Theatre, home to the elaborate stage extravaganza Jaan-e-Jigar, a musical melodrama about twin brothers. “Disney has its castle, and we have the Rajmahal,” Jellum said of the Taj Mahal-like entertainment venue. “Inside is a full Broadway musical, with a cast of 70.” That’s actually about three times the size of Broadway’s largest cast, but Bollywood is about extravagance — and Jaan-e-Jigar requires a separate

ticket for its nighttime performances. “This is very much an evening park,” Jellum noted. Elsewhere in Dubai, the stand-alone IMG Worlds of Adventure is an anytime park, given that its recordsetting 1.5 million-square-foot expanse is completely enclosed, at times making it seem that you’re inside an enormous shopping mall. Open since August and named for its cochairmen, Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari, the $1 billion (KD 304.9 million) IMG houses rides fashioned around Spiderman, Thor, The Hulk, Avengers and even the Powerpuff Girls, not to mention a haunted hotel maze restricted to those 15 and older, an upscale Iron Man restaurant and, in its prehistoric Lost Valley zone (one of four), the aptly named Predator coaster. IMG Worlds of Adventure also has huge ambitions, seeking to attract 4.5 million visitors in its first year. Already, plans have been announced to build an adjoining park with nine more zones, including those for Pokemon, Barbie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. To be called IMG Worlds of Legends, it is intended to span 2 million square feet. Like all of the other parks in the region, it should help set the stage for Dubai’s Expo 2020, the world’s fair and tourism booster that the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, hopes will do for his already popular emirate what the 1893 Columbian Exposition once did for a certain town in Illinois.

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BEATTIE + DANE

A story of viral properties

By bazaar staff

Following the dissolution of parliament in October 2016, everyone’s attention went to the potential candidates and their extensive campaigns. With very little room for anything else, one particular candidate captivated everyone’s attention, and hearts – Bu Salem. Our phones were suddenly erupting with WhatsApp notifications about the elusive candidate appearing on billboards across the Sixth Ring Road that would be representing, naturally, the “Sixth Ring Road.” [A spin on the electoral circles and their numbering.] No matter who you spoke to, everyone had one question on their minds: ‘Who is Bu Salem?’ With the topic trending and everyone talking about it, Kuwait finally discovered that this was a superbly clever ad campaign for Al Munayes tea, specifically their tea bag product. Who was behind this spectacular idea? None other than a local creative firm that’s here to make a difference, Beattie + Dane. And we knew that we just had to talk to them to learn more about the work that they do. It all began with the meeting of two creative minds who decided to challenge the communications industry. When Executive Creative Director Anes Al-Rayes and Managing Partner Dana Alhanbali first met, Anes was ECD at JWT while Dana was their Group Director. It was a classic story of art-at-first-project for them when they realized they could be doing better if they branched out and started something. “You see, working in the business for so long,” Anes explained, “we’ve seen so many lost opportunities to do things differently, so there was an opportunity that we decided to jump on.” From there, Beattie and Dane was born. Having started this adventure exactly a year ago, Anes and Dana have achieved so much. What exactly did they achieve? They’ve already received a Dubai Lynx Award for Independent Agency of the Year 2017! But how did they settle on the name? “Every time we’re in a meeting someone would interrupt in the middle and ask us about the name!” Anes exclaimed. “All it took was a simple Google search and we found it,” he continued. Finding the definitions of their names on a baby name website, they then looked at the translations and 60

were instantly drawn to the Gaelic ones: Beattie (Anes) and Dane (Dana); making for a perfectly understated solution and a wonderful beginning. Dana laughed and added casually, “It was literally the first name we found!” It’s that level of clever panache that one can always expect, and receive, when working with the duo. Still, Anes’s idea of success is measured differently, “If people remember the name, then we’re successful –

that’s at least my perception of it.” Dana also said that “it carries the international tone we’re looking for, but still represents us.” Looking to the region, there are always incredible ad campaigns from places like Dubai, Cairo, Beirut and Amman. But that certainly doesn’t mean that the creative talents in Kuwait are lacking, they just haven’t found their voice. “It’s what I love about working with Anes,” Dana

started, “He believes in the country so much and I agree with him wholeheartedly. Kuwait has all the potential to create amazing content – the other countries aren’t just successful because they’re more interesting, we have that too!” Combined, that’s what Anes and Dana stand for, creating awareness and shedding a light on all the wonderful locals – their stories, brands and many talents. And in turn, that’s exactly what Beattie + Dane stands for, believing in Kuwait 100 percent. “I’m a sucker for potential,” Anes added, “I would like to believe that we can help local companies grow to their full potential while having fun.” Still, it all boils down to creativity, which to them, is a superbly important factor. “Creativity is very subjective, so it should in some way address a business problem in a way that isn’t necessarily business related,” Dana began, “It’s a form of expression that addresses a certain problem or message that you want to get out to your customer or people.” And because creativity is a broad term, it helps them with their approach to any challenge or problem since each one is diverse with it’s solution or audience requirement. “You can’t use the same technique for everything. That’s why when we go for a pitch, we never promise a certain approach, we assess what works,” Anes added. “As an industry, I feel like they sometimes struggle with staying true to why they started in the first place which is what tends to happen,” Dana started. It should never simply be about development for the sake of gaining clients she had explained. “It’s not about getting everything, but getting one thing and doing it extremely and unbelievably well.” “I just feel that one of the biggest challenges as well is that a lot of work in the region isn’t done for the right audience – it’s done for the chairman or the CEO or internal communications. I don’t think that being King Kong and pounding on your chest is the way to go. With the amount of content, we’re exposed to daily, you need to truly acknowledge that and think about the audience,” Anes explained. And when it came to the Bu Salem campaign: “It wouldn’t have been this great without the incredible people we collaborated with. We’re so proud to have collaborated with amazing people and we wouldn’t be where we are right now without them.” Dana said. As for their vision as a firm, they’re taking it slow and steady, hoping to keep Beattie + Dane small and independent and grow eventually without losing quality. Anes concluded, “To grow, we need to do it at a steady pace in the market.” Dana smiled and added, “The more challenging a project is, the more likely you’ll find Beattie + Dane there. That’s what drives us, the challenge that has an interesting background.”

For inquiries, you can contact Beattie + Dane via their website www.beattieanddane.com. 61

ORLEBAR BROWN

Interview with founder Adam Brown By bazaar staff

When Adam Brown was on a birthday holiday with friends at a swanky resort in Rajasthan back in 2005, he noticed an inconvenience whenever it came time to eat. “I remember we had to change to have lunch at the poolside bar,” Adam explained, “I felt there really was a need for a pair of shorts you could do more than swim in.” It was at that moment Adam knew something had to be done when it came to resort wear. The former London-based photographer then joined forces with an old friend, Julia Simpson-Orlebar, the summer of 2005 and Orlebar Brown was born. We sat with Adam to learn more about the brand and its new flagship store set to open this month here in Kuwait. What is Orlebar Brown's style ethos? Who does it target, specifically? We began with the 'short you can swim in' but all our clothes are designed as a celebration of sunshine, travel, happiness and good times. Vibrant, they're holiday clothes crafted in key hero fabrics that help you feel summer all year round. It targets men, of course! Men of all ages can find something here, and the beauty of OB is that the fits and fabrics are timeless. Plus, you can style it as you feel fit. They’re versatile clothes designed to take you from urban settings to the beach. How has Orlebar Brown revolutionized menswear as a brand? I'm not sure if 'revolutionized' is quite the word, but what we've done is bring a new category to menswear which perhaps wasn't celebrated in such a big way. Historically, resort wear and holiday clothes were very much tacked on to bigger collections. By bringing this tailored approach to swim shorts it was a real switch in focus and emphasis. What was the most exciting thing about creating the SS17 collection? Spring is always one of our favorite seasons. As the weather begins to warm up there's a real feeling of freshness around. It's also the first of a two-part Artist's Studio story, beginning with Pablo Picasso. The inspiration for the season was so much fun to play with; we looked at Picasso and his years on the Riviera, which were so rich in imagery, color and storytelling. It was a fabulous starting point. Are there any pieces in the collection that stand out? Spring 2017 features hero silhouettes in key fabrics and a fresh new palette. The combination of pomodoro, bluestone and fawn is an exciting color palette for summer. The ‘Jack’ short is a really exciting launch for us. As part of our tenth anniversary we're introducing a whole new product category with our brand-new sport 62

swim short. It has 13 percent stretch and is tailored for flexibility. It’s a more sporting approach to our OB Classics—all the same DNA just with lightweight fabrics and tonal finishes. We also collaborated with Gerry McGovern, who is the Design Director at Land Rover. He’s an excellent designer and a great friend of OB so we're thrilled to be working with him on a threepart collection. What tempted you to open a branch in Kuwait? Do you feel your brand style attracts a Kuwaiti male demographic? The Middle East has a highly desirable climate that is intrinsically linked with everything OB does. We also

know that a lot of our customers choose to summer in places like Kuwait and Dubai. The vibrancy of our palette is incredibly appropriate for the customer and the linen capsule collection offers great fabric weights for hot weather. I think that the essence of anything that is classic in style and approach is will be celebrated and relevant in years to come. One of our founding principles is that our clothes shouldn't look dated in five years' time and could have been worn five years ago. Our products, our fabrics and our palettes should all stand the test of time. That's what OB is all about. The Orlebar Brown flagship store will be located in the 2nd Avenue – The Avenues this month!

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REFUGE OF THE MIND

Gaza's First English Library By Lina Samad

A library is usually thought to act as a reference service, a portal to boundless knowledge, or the center of academia. Yet, for 24 year-old Gazan Mossab Abu Toha, a library is a refuge. Books are an escape from the trauma in besieged Gaza. In the world’s “open prison”, freedom is not obtainable, except through books. This realization led Abu Toha to crowdfund Gaza’s first English library. Libraries in Gaza are necessary, as they are deteriorating from war in recent years. But why create a library in English? Books in English are a rare commodity, as Abu Toha clarifies to AlJazeera: “Whenever I go to a bookshop or library, I rarely see English books, especially books by Edward Said, Noam Chomsky – these intellectuals who write in English,” As an English Literature graduate from the Islamic University of Gaza, Abu Toha has devoured the works of Tolstoy, 64

Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, Chomsky, and Said, among many others. Since the July launch of the “Library & Bookshop for Gaza” Facebook page, Abu Toha has collected more than 200 books, including from American and European donors. He has also collected $2,000, and urges donors to send books in English, either new or used. This flourishing initiative has received positive feedback from within his community and from intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky! Al- Jazeera reports that Chomsky has lauded the approach : “It’s a wonderful idea”. The scholar has even personally donated some books to Abu Toha. “I did send several books … I am now collecting others.” This project has books flooding from all over the world, opening a window into caged Gaza. Abu Toha’s initiative is particularly significant because political obstacles hinder the access to books in Gaza. Politics infiltrates everything, even the realm of reading. “For 10 years, we were going to Cairo to purchase books, but for the past five years, we can’t go because of the

security situation and because of the bad relations between Hamas and the Egyptian regime,” said the university’s library director, Mamdouh Firwana. Power cuts are frequent. This means that electronic books are not reliable. The Israeli postal service is now running again. The postal service was suspended to Gaza from last June to December. Despite the long waiting period, the books eventually reach their destination in Beit Lahia, Gaza. Despite these bumps in the road, Abu Tohan and his team remain determined to accomplish their ultimate goal. They aspire to achieve mental freedom within this soon to be sanctuary. He says, “Freedom is a state of mind. [With books], you’re liberating yourself by living in an imaginary world where there are no boundaries … If I choose to be free, I can be free through my writing, through speaking.” As the esteemed writer Angela Clarke once wrote, “A library is not just about books: it’s also a place for the vulnerable.”

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WEAR IT WHITE

To the Class of 2017, from Harvey Nichols Kuwait By bazaar staff

“There’s always a reason to celebrate!” Harvey Nichols Kuwait’s stylish Vice President-Luxury Rebecca Jobo says jovially as we peruse the glittering racks that hold gorgeous ready-to-wear items. Each piece is more beautiful than the next, glowing prettily in elegant shades of white, and whisper promises of happy endings and new beginnings. Welcome to your one stop Graduation shop, ladies – Harvey Nichols Kuwait is ready to celebrate the revolution and independence of the strong-minded and achieved female’s new step into the future. “For young ladies to feel that they’ve accomplished something and to enter that new stage in their lives looking great and feeling confident, is what’s important to us – because we’re proud of them and we want them to feel proud, too.” Rebecca Jobo says as we sit down to discuss Harvey Nichols Kuwait’s current campaign, a theme dedicated to all things graduation. And who better to head this campaign than the poised, accomplished and confident Rebecca herself? With years of experience in luxury retail, and an impeccable sense of style, she knows what’s important when it comes to picking the right outfit for the occasion that marks the first page of a new chapter in your life. With this, we take a closer look at what Harvey Nichols Kuwait has to offer for the young women of the Class of 2017 looking to make a difference, and step out with the confidence that will take them there. What inspired Harvey Nichols Kuwait to curate a collection dedicated to young female graduates? It’s important to celebrate young people in general, but as a female, I see the value in celebrating young women. It’s such an amazing time to acknowledge their achievements, and help them understand that graduation is a great transitional point between being a young lady and growing into an independent woman. Harvey Nichols is here to help make that transition, and we aim to help them realize that they can still have fun, but embrace transitions and change, all while being chic. What makes the shopping experience at Harvey Nichols Kuwait stand out in comparison to other department stores? We are Kuwait’s pioneering luxury department 66

Vice President- Luxury at Harvey Nichols Kuwait Rebecca Jobo

store, and we do it well. Our personal shoppers and sales associates have a sense of fashion and style, and cater to eclectic needs – they know how to mix it up, and know that they don’t have to exclusively shop designer. Harvey Nichols also has an array of great collections to choose from, within contemporary styles, the season’s best trends, and of course, pieces from regional and local designers. What can graduating shoppers look forward to this season while shopping at Harvey Nichols Kuwait? We have done an amazing job with curating our collection. As always, we’ve been committed in finding the latest and greatest on the scene, while straying away from bringing the expected onto our floors. Offering pieces from great brands like- Alexis, Three Floor, Elliatt and Ted Baker, we want to bring our fashionable Kuwaiti clients fashion that they’ll be happy to own. It’s important

to us that we bring in the “WOW!” factor with excellence, and that you find that our floor and associates can parlay all that we have to offer into beautiful outfits. What makes Harvey Nichols Kuwait the ideal one-stop destination for graduates? There’s nothing that we can’t service a client with. From accessories and jewelry, handbags and shoes, we’ve got it all covered, from head to toe and everything in between. We’re even offering facials and makeup application to our customers at this time, in order to celebrate them and let them know that we appreciate the hard work they’ve done to get them this far. We want you to go home with an experience that’ll make you say, “That was fun!” whether you purchased anything or not. We like inspiring people. We’re here to make people look good and feel great. What would the stylists at Harvey Nichols

Kuwait recommend for graduates to wear underneath their robes and for their postceremony celebrations? Wear white! Anyone can wear black, but it takes a very confident woman to wear white. White is such a sophisticated color and makes you look chic and put-together. It’s also symbolic in that it brings a sense of hope: You’re moving to the next phase of your life after mastering the last one. It represents aspirations for the future. As for everything else, there are no rules! You know your own body type and style better than anyone else, so wear what you love, and wear it proud! Everyone else is taken, so be the best you that you can be. Harvey Nichols Kuwait is located at Grand Avenue – The Avenues. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @HarveyNicholsKuwait for more information and updates on their collections and campaigns! 67

ON MINDFULNESS

An interview with Aruna Ladva By Nejoud Al-Yagout

Aruna Ladva is the founder of Harmony House, Kuwait and travels extensively to share spiritual insights across the globe. Aruna specializes in Raja Yoga Meditation and is the author of five books – better known as the It’s Time series – in addition to a workbook on conflict resolution. It was very inspiring to ask Aruna how to be still in a world of movement. Meditation is not practiced widely in Kuwait, but is slowly becoming integrated. Do you notice an increased interest from when you first began teaching at Harmony House? Definitely. Earlier, people were a bit dubious about it; perhaps fear of the unknown. Now, as the idea is growing worldwide, we find that they are more at ease and can see the benefits. Also, I believe there is a need now, more than ever, to create a positive mindset to maintain inner calm despite outer turbulence. Why do you think people fear stillness? We all are so action-oriented. It’s as though we don't feel purposeful unless we are doing something. Even when we enter our quiet homes, we turn on the TV, listen to music or open a window, just to feel connected with the world. 'Being' doesn't seem enough. Stillness, though, is a gateway to the soul. As I still my body and mind, I come to know who I am. Silence can speak volumes if we stop and listen. There is a time for action and a time for stillness. Not sleep, but stillness. Sleep is still a form of action; it does not rejuvenate the soul, only the body. Meditation can rejuvenate the soul. Are there tips you can give us to incorporate daily meditation? For those who have no idea of meditation and can't get to a center to take the meditation course, I would suggest beginning by sitting in a quiet room and creating positive self-talk, such as: “I am good. I have the power to get through the day, etc…” Meditation is also about observing your thoughts. Begin by calming the self with only positive thoughts. If there are other thoughts, tell yourself that you will attend to them later. The mind is like a little kid; in order for it to give up one toy, you have to give it another. So, for example, instead of telling the mind not to get angry, say: “I am peaceful.” The first premise of Raja Yoga Meditation is that I am a Peaceful Soul. We are all this by nature, we have just forgotten. Also, the practice of being an observer to the drama of your life helps. Take a few minutes to detach, as though you were watching a movie and sitting in the best seat! Enjoy everything that is happening around you; the drama will pass within a few minutes. We get so caught up in our world that we forget that everything 68

is fleeting, and what is more important is the peace and happiness within the soul. At no cost should we lose or let go of these treasures. You often use music to assist us in tapping into our inner selves. Tell us more. It's about applying sound to come closer to silence. Maybe slightly paradoxical, but gentle music or meditation commentaries are a springboard to that other realm - away from the hustle and bustle of the sounds around us. Once we are there in our home of stillness and silence, we do not hear anything. We become dormant, like a seed. That is when the world stops for a few minutes and we can replenish ourselves. Most people are afraid that they will become unproductive zombies if they practice mindfulness. Others find that tapping into our spiritual side seems to enhance creativity and give us energy. You are a testament to that. You have authored FIVE books, have a blog and travel around the world giving lectures and conducting workshops and retreats, among other activities. Do you agree that meditation increases vitality?

Totally! As we reduce waste thoughts, we conserve a lot of energy. We are able to prioritize better. When we actualize ourselves as souls and not bodies, we realise what is truly important and lasting. Also as we meditate, we get more connected with our higher purpose and there is more bliss. Life is no longer a struggle. That enthusiasm gives us a lot of energy. It is an illusion to think that more is better. As our thoughts become more and more powerful, we can use the power of our mind to accomplish things and achieve success. In the past we used to travel by horse and cart, and then by car, train and now via airplane. In the same way, our thought energy is fully energized now and we are more enlightened than ever before in our history. Everyone has the key to this enlightenment and not just a few. So as we use thought - which would be the equivalent to an airplane - instead of speech and action (car and train, respectively), we can achieve more in life utilizing less energy. For more information, visit hhmeditation.org and itstimetomeditate.org. You can follow Nejoud on Instagram @nejoud.alyagout or visit her website www.nejoudalyagout.com.

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IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IMPORTANT?

Recommended track: Vidya Vox, “Let Me Love You / Tum Hi Ho”

By George Tarabay

Rhetorical question, don’t bother. But if you think not, then look up the word “Rhetorical” because I assume you would not understand that either. The world is a mess, like literally. It’s such a mess that if Mother earth walked in on us and saw it, she would ground us for not keeping it tidy. (PUN SCORE IS LIT, SON!) But through that mess of suffering, injustice, theft and pineapple pizza, I believe that there’s one issue that we can start fixing, and fast. Suffering has always been there, it’s how people better themselves. Injustice has always been there, it’s how people better society. But when it comes to the matter of theft, this should immediately be eradicated because it is unnecessary and it causes suffering and injustice (I’m confused). Yet, one type of theft that has always caught my attention because it seldom goes unpunished is intellectual property theft! (I’ll address the issue with pineapple pizza in later articles, believe you me). I am a big William Shakespeare fan. For a good 6 years of my life, I devoted almost all of my free time to reading his works and understanding them. Yet, through my reading I came across many theories. One of which claims that he copied the works of Christopher Marlow, and that kind of killed my idolatry, awesomely, for a short period. You see, that disappointment could really destroy someone, especially if they had built their character traits around someone they idolize. It’s really not just about you or the person you stole from, but also the audience. Hence, why we are here laying it thick like pineapples on pizza (sorry, couldn’t wait). But let us reel it back from that extreme, back to the thread that binds us all in our journey through the 86400 seconds we endure everyday: Attention seeking. In the era of social media and “every person becoming a performer “(Bo Burnham: Make Happy) I keep noticing that art is deviating from its original purpose of expression. therefore, quality, towards “Production” therefore quantity. And though, there are many out there who still strive to express themselves in the most original way possible, many are just surfing the interwebs, shopping (like Winona Ryder) and just using somebody else’s work as their own (CC: Cable DJS). While many suggest that copying is a form a flattery, it is not! It’s pure theft, it’s pure plagiarism and it is as disgusting as the act of taking someone else’s French fries. Be it an artist, be it a musician, a painter, a filmmaker. 70

These people spent a substantial amount of time working on their pieces and trying to make a living out of them, then someone ‘Winona Ryders’ it as their own just because they have 7 KD to pay for a monthly data plan! How unfair is that, not only to the artist, but to you too? When you mishmash your persona from other people’s art or work, you turn into this complex creature that surfs in depths that they cannot produce. People will taint you with the attributes of the art you stole “Oh Em Gee, he is so deep” but deep down you know it is not you. You are being diluted and projected under the name of the person from which you stole! So, I am approaching you, asking you: can you please stop? It sucks for both you and the original master of the work and it just kills off the unique voice most have. What is even more disturbing, is that if you take a drive in the restaurants area, you’ll find many restaurants that stole the exact same logo from international franchises just by tilting their

design, or by creating a variation of it. If brands and businesses are doing it, then how can we blame a population that sees that as a normal everyday act? Okay, technically we can, because you shouldn’t do it. At the end, all I can say is: this piece was one of the hardest pieces I had to write to date. I had writer’s block for a good two days. It was so bad that I considered copying somebody else’s work to finish it off. But luckily I did not, because I am a strong woman* who believes in originality. I kept it original, will you Winona?

Footnote: *George Tarabay. George Tarabay is a local radio host, comedian, and marketing expert. For his latest updates, follow him on Instagram @GeorgeTarabay. For more comic relief, visit Facebook.com/ Georgethecomic or scan this page using the Layar App!

ACK

GETTING INTO THE ORANGE ZONE WITH KHALED JAFAR

On entrepreneurship, fitness and everything in between By bazaar staff

“Kuwait is currently experiencing a booming trend in exercise, health and fitness but it was way back in 2014 when Khaled Jafar spotted the real potential in this market. After gaining his MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS), his keen senses discovered Orangetheory Fitness. Khaled sought and won ownership of the license for the entire GCC, with the ladies only studio in Salmiya’s Symphony Mall being the first to open recently. Local interest and membership is growing daily and Khaled is rightly considering a second location opening soon. No wonder it is popular, as Orange60 has been voted as the number 1 workout by Men’s Journal, The New York Times and Shape magazine. Bazaar spent some time with the intrepid entrepreneur to find out more about the man behind the brand. How does a young man in Kuwait set his sights on Harvard and who encouraged you to apply and supported you throughout the application process? Honestly, the decision to get an MBA and apply to HBS came during a point in my professional life where I felt lost. I was working as a consultant for the first three years of my professional career and I realized that this wasn’t what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. The problem was, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. So I decided to apply to business school and use my time there to figure out the next step in my life. I knew I wanted to do something entrepreneurial, but I didn’t know what. You come from a diversely entrepreneurial family. Where did that desire to pursue business come from? I count myself blessed and fortunate to have great role models in my mother who started her own construction company and my father who spent his life working at KOC and rose through the ranks to be CEO. They instilled in me the belief that through a strong family foundation, hard, honest work, and a bit of luck you can accomplish things in life. As far as why a life in business, I guess this just happens to be a field I’ve always been interested in. All businesses interest me as I find it fascinating how there are so many different ways to build sustainable and impactful businesses. My curiosity and wide interest in business is what led me to pursue this opportunity. 72

What was your very first business idea, and what did you learn from that time? This is actually my first foray into business, and I hope through delivering a highly level of service to our clients and committing ourselves completely to delivering on their goals, that we can be successful, but only time will tell. Why did you decide to open a single sex studio, and why for women and not men first? I believe the Orangetheory Fitness workout is a great and effective workout for both sexes and we do plan on opening a men-only studio at a later point in the future. As far as opening a single sex studio, the decision was made for us as it is difficult to get a mixed studio license (you have to be affiliated with a hotel). We decided to open a women’s only location first as we felt there was a gap in quality fitness offerings for women in Kuwait. What is it about Orangetheory Fitness that captured your attention to bring it to Kuwait? I could see that exercise and clean living is a phenomenon that is taking hold globally and I was very interested not only in the business of Orangetheory, but also the fact that this exercise and program which works, is something that is changing people’s lives. It’s been 3 years of hard work and commitment to bring it here to Kuwait and I wanted to start here because it’s a market that I know very well. Why do you think Orangetheory Fitness is so successful? The number one reason Orangetheory Fitness is so successful is because it’s the most effective workout at delivering results, especially if your goals are to be toned and to lose weight, which is why we have the highest Net Promoter Score (percentage of people who would recommend our services highly) in the fitness industry by far with an average of 83% (Fitness industry averages are below 40%). Our workout and methodology is backed by science and each workout is designed for you to spend 12-20 minutes in what we call the Orange Zone (where you’re working out at 84-91% of your maximum heart rate). By achieving that threshold you continue to burn calories post workout due to EPOC (Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption). Our workouts are suitable for all fitness levels and allow you to control exactly the kind of burn you desire. With just one glance at the screen the instructors can also see how you are performing, and encourage you to keep on pushing yourself that little bit harder, or relax a little to burn differently. You can enter our class and see athletes working out next to total beginners and women of a variety of ages as well. It’s a very supportive environment. Lastly, the brand has been very successful because they’ve continued to innovate to make sure their workout remains ahead of the curve. Since I’ve started our negotiations they’ve already upgraded the heart rate monitors twice, and continue to make changes to make sure we deliver a more effective

workout and maintain a high level of service to all our clientele. Have there been any other benefits to opening the studio that were unexpected? We’ve had amazing stories of ladies who have already had their lives transformed through this workout. We’ve had one lady lose 16 kg in the first two months working out with us, and many others make significant progress towards their fitness goals. We’re seeing women join who have never exercised to those who are used to working out daily. Our members are a diverse cut of Kuwaiti society, from conservative to liberal, and a wide variety of nationalities. It’s led to women who may not have sought each other out previously, actually talking to one another, working together in the gym, and creating friendships where there may not have been friendships before. Orangetheory builds communities, we know this, but across cultural

differences too is an unexpected bonus. What is the next chapter for Orangetheory in Kuwait? We are currently developing our second location in Kuwait in Egaila. Opening date TBD but hopefully before fall! Which country is next? Along with my partners in the UAE, we are close to signing our first lease in Dubai. The plan is to have our first studio in Dubai open by end of 2017 or beginning of 2018.

To register for a free session, go to Orangetheory Fitness, Mezzanine Floor, Symphony Mall, Salmiya or call 9412 2294/5. For more information, please follow Orangetheory Fitness on Instagram @orangetheoryfitnesskw. 73

THE SPRING EDIT

With American Eagle Outfitters

By bazaar staff

Summer is almost here, and we wholeheartedly welcome the warmer weather that comes with it! And as American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) celebrates this new season with wonderful key pieces, we find ourselves enviously eyeing the menswear department. Ladies, fret not! Luckily, the ‘borrowed-from-the-boys’ look is still very much a thing. Go on and treat the men in your lives to something awesome. [Read as: we’re totally wearing these but we’ll never admit we bought them for ourselves – NEVER!] Now men, listen up: This is how you can get the most out of AEO’s incredible offerings. We’ve all suffered from the too-hot-too-cold dilemma here in Kuwait where there’s a sweltering heat at times when you’re outdoors but the AC indoors is at subzero temperatures. AEO has solved that by altering the hottest trend around – The Reversible Embroidered Bomber Jacket. This gorgeous silky creation combines the effortless look you adored all winter long, but with the aesthetic and fabric suitable for warmer weather. Embroidered and reversible, this bomber jacket is a stunning versatile statement waiting to be made. Take it to the next level by pairing the bomber with a pair of AEO Extreme Flex Denim Shorts! You’ll thank us later. Now about the denim shorts – we have no words. That’s a lie, we have plenty! With hems that have been playfully described as “rawer than Gwyneth Paltrow’s dinner,” we were intrigued. Our investigation into the menswear department led us to two variations of the Extreme Flex Denim Shorts: With patchwork and without. The patchwork denim shorts are so on-trend! As for the non-patchwork variation, we were still blown away with their carefully placed rips and distressing, rendering them the coolest thing after ice. Not a denim short kinda guy? Why not opt for a more preppy look and go for a pair of Extreme Flex Flat Front Shorts? The chino-inspired shorts are guaranteed to be your new go-to in the warmer months as they’re made with a revolutionary fiber that’ll keep you looking, and feeling, cool. But if you’re simply looking for a pair of shorts to workout in (or lounge in, we won’t judge!) check out the AEO Active Shorts. Now go on and be daring, pair these shorts with one of AEO’s polos or basic tees and have an iced-coffee. You’re guaranteed to look as cool as you feel. Happy shopping! The Reversible Embroidered Bomber Jacket is only available at AEO in The Avenues. As for the other pieces, you can find them at the AEO stores in 1st Avenue–The Avenues , Grand Avenue–The Avenues, and Marina Mall. Follow AEO on Instagram @AmericanEagleME or on Facebook: AmericanEagleMiddleEast for the latest trends. 74

Reversible Embroidered Bomber Jacket

Extreme Flex Flat Front Shorts

Extreme Flex Denim Shorts

Extreme Flex Flat Front Shorts

bridge water

MINI-ME AND THE MELTDOWN

By Dr Susannah Joy Schuilenberg

Anxiety is a strange duck. For some people, it’s an internal sense of agitation that won’t go away. For others, it’s a feeling of dread; like something bad is about to happen …all the time. Still others experience anxiety as irritation, unexplained anger, an inability to focus, feelings of dizziness, blurry vision, or that sense of being ‘outside’ yourself. As I wrote last month, for some, anxiety is a heart-pounding, dry mouth, ‘I’m-doingto-die’ agony that comes out of nowhere and wrecks a perfectly good life. The thing is, feelings of anxiousness are actually normal so it’s simply not possible to find some magic key and banish that discomfort permanently. The whole thing about anxiety is that it is a Central Nervous System response to sensory input – whether internal (thoughts) or external (physical senses) – and is the body’s “Early Warning System.” When we are about to take an exam those butterfly feelings in the stomach, the sweaty palms, and the inner restlessness are proportionate to how much is riding on the outcome of the test. There is a danger of failing. In the case of an exam, the input is internal and the danger is not physical. We can usually rationalize the discomfort and choose to endure it because we know it will be mostly gone the minute the test is over. When anxiety becomes a focal point of our lives, it’s time to do something. Education is a huge part of understanding the complexity of this issue, and one of the ways I explain the mechanics to my clients is by introducing them to “Mini-me.” Mini-me is the mental image of you …in your head S/he is Control Central. Nothing happens internally or externally that Mini-me isn’t monitoring …sort of like a mental supervisor. Sometimes, for way too many reasons to list here, Mini-me gets jangled and decides the whole world is a dangerous place. Life becomes risky, and being on guard (hyper-vigilance) is the only way to ensure safety. Everything is dangerous. Every. Little. Thing. One of the most common things I hear from clients struggling with panic attacks is, “I don’t know why! There’s nothing I can think of that would trigger a panic attack at home and yet, there I am freaking out.” On a rational level, we can understand in our immediate environment there’s nothing dangerous happening, or even likely to happen. Mini-me’s filter, however, is set to “Freak Out” and the potential for ‘Something Bad To Happen’ is always high. This degree of vigilance triggers the Amygdala, which boots the Parasympathetic Nervous System into action which fires the adrenal glands, and… PANIC! Just like that, in the space of one heartbeat, our 76

bodies step up like a Boss and we’re ready to meet the danger …except there isn’t any, and the physical reactions, out of context, feel a lot like we’re about to die of a heart attack. The key here is “context.” If our bodies were performing like this in a 100m sprint or while escaping the Zombie Apocalypse, we’d be really happy with all that heart-pounding, which-way-do-I-jump potential. Because there are no zombies, we conclude something must be wrong. Know this: There is no quantifiable difference between the body’s physical response to intense exercise, real danger, and a panic attack. None. Did you get that? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to endure the physical discomfort while doing the work of bringing your thought life under control so that Mini-me no longer hits the panic button. One of my clients told me that she began to get control of her anxiety when she imagined locking Mini-me in a virtual panic room until she (Mini-me) calmed down. Another reported that her panic began lessen when she unintentionally had a vision of Mini-me bursting into flames at the height of a severe panic attack. As she began to laugh the panic abated. She decided to continue imagining this satisfyingly

gruesome response, immolating Mini-me whenever she tried to stage another Anxiety Coup. Anxiety sucks but it doesn’t have to control you. The work of recovering your equilibrium begins with self-compassion, acceptance and perseverance. There is no way past the hijack of anxiety without the willingness to endure the physical discomfort of the process. Is it uncomfortable? Heck, yes! Is it dangerous? No. You are NOT going to die. The beginning of success in managing your anxiety is to decide to quit panicking about panicking. Begin here: simply acknowledge the beautifully appropriate response of your body to the false alarm Mini-me is sending, and then practice the grounding techniques that you’ve learned. With consistent effort, and a willingness to accept the discomfort of the physical reactions, you can win this battle.

Dr Susannah is a leading psychologist, registered professional counsellor and Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling based in Canada. Follow @DrSusannah on Twitter and Instagram.

that alasalasil

INTERNATIONAL OPTIQUE

On the business of family with April Habig By bazaar staff

Eyes, or so the saying goes, are the windows to the soul, and at International Optique they’re surely in excellent hands. Just ask anyone in Kuwait and they’ll tell you about the incredible people at International Optique – opticians to the generations since 1978. A truly family run business, you still get the same personalized treatment today as you would have when they first opened. When you walk in, you’re greeted warmly by everyone as they make sure your requirements are met swiftly. It’s that level of care that has prompted our parents to take us there, and why we continue the tradition by taking our children there. But as time passes and the faces change – there are always constants in the form of head optometrist and founder, Rolf Habig’s daughters April, Erika and Alexi, who have literally grown up in the shop. And when Dr. Habig officially retired, all eyes turn towards none other than his eldest, April, who has now taken over from her father. We sat with April to find out more about her plans moving forward. As generations continue to make their way to International Optique, “We generally want to keep the family business feel going,” April stated. “Now that we’re expanding, we’re changing the actual look of the shop and developing the practice further. While we’ve been more on the conservative side in the past, moving forward with our new branch [opening soon], it’ll offer a totally different look!” April promises us – and we whole heartedly believe – that the quality of service and general feel of the shop is going to remain exactly the same, like a family. The most notable change International Optique is offering is on their equipment. “We’re always improving our equipment – although we’re pretty ahead of the market already, we’re now working on bringing in personalization,” April added, “which is a huge trend in optics now.” Between the readymade products and the new custom-made ones, there’s no stopping them! “This is the direction the industry is moving in!” April laughed, “We’ve just placed our orders and now we’ll start getting the personalized items soon – for both frames to spectacle lenses.” They’re always on the lookout for the latest styles 78

and technologies to introduce to the customers. While the high-end brands will forever exist, April and her sisters continue to bring in independent designers to join the ranks of the others. “50 percent of our collection is from independent companies – which is can be attributed to our success, because we offer something different,” she smiled. “And Kuwait being a small community, everyone wants to have something as unique as possible, especially when they’re at gatherings – they want to see something different. If everyone ends up wearing the same glasses, they don’t feel as special.” They also take into account the fashion influencers’ needs and what they look out for – “Most of them are happy to try different brands and stray from the conventional names out there,” April elaborated, “it sets them apart from everyone else.” But how do they select the styles and designers they want to work with? They purely rely on feeling and intuition! They travel the world in search of all

things new and exciting in the field, that they feel would meet the demand and fit the criteria here. “We always follow the trends – we check what’s happening [in terms of style] socially and around the media to see what we can bring in,” April explained. “We also follow optical news and learn more through our guides and suppliers to find out what’s new and happening. And we just have to go with our gut feeling, that’s the best thing!” Still, it’s the service that sets them apart from all the rest. “We’re always on top of what’s happening internationally and we don’t just settle for what we know and have. Catering to everyone and to everyone’s needs – no matter how niche they are.” Always putting themselves in their clients’ shoes, they ensure that what they bring in would make everyone happy. “Quality control is very important,” April went on. “We make sure that everything is perfect before we send it out. If the glasses are good and they’re done to the specification that I would wear, then, and

April Habig, CEO and Managing Partner at International Optique only then, do we send them out.” Continuing with the exact specifications requirements, International Optique is bringing in some incredible technologies. “We’ve also started focusing on personalization,” she explained. By getting a 3D scanner with cameras that can capture the exact measurements of your face, you can now get a pair of glasses that fit you perfectly. After making the frame selection, the glasses can be tailored to the exact size of your nose and the width of your face. Meaning that you no longer have to worry about preexisting styles out there, because you can get a similar pair that actually suits you! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the future of eyewear. “We’ve tested the equipment and there are just a few tweaks that need to be done to the software before we revisit the machine again and finally bring

it to Kuwait.” April also reassured us that, “of course, it would still take a few months, but it’ll be here.” But that’s not the only new technology they’re bringing in. They also have brand new technologies that can get a precise reading on your eyesight as a whole, not just your vision. “We don’t just test for regular vision, we also check for binocular vision,” she added. “Sometimes people have perfect vision but suffer from headaches – we provide them with glasses that could help ease the headaches. Because it’s not all about sight, it can sometimes be about comfort as well.” At the end of the day, International Optique wants to continue being the optician, first and foremost. “We try to find the perfect balance between the fashion and style aspect of the business and still provide [the customer] a great service.” Going above and beyond to offer what people would

actually need is their goal, “because it goes beyond sunglasses and optical frames.” But to April, the most important part of all this is the passion behind what they do and the service they provide. In a way, everyone in the International Optique family is there because they enjoy what they do and are passionate about it. It’s no longer just a job they do, but they’re happy to assist you find your perfect fit and make sure you walk away having found all that you need.

You can find the International Optique Flagship showroom in Salmiya’s Central Plaza on Salem Al Mubarak Street. Please call 2571 4007 or visit www.intoptic.com for more information. Follow International Optique on Instagram @IntOptique for the latest styles and service offerings. 79

ASPIRE TO BE A “SOCIAL” CEO By Barry Rodrigues

In the fragmented world of social media, most top level executives in the Middle East like CEOs, COOs and CFOs choose to remain invisible. They lack a social media presence on major platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and a sizeable amount of them focus on LinkedIn. The problem here is that today, almost everyone who is online is reachable in some way or the other and if your brand is reachable on it, there is no reason why you, as the CEO of your company, shouldn’t be. In the late 90s, a brand being online was considered convenient and trendy. Fast forward to 2017, it is no longer about the convenience of technology but is more about capitalizing on a cultural shift that has begun to reshape the way we do business worldwide. In most developed markets, consumers want to check out the profile of the CEO of a particular brand to make sure that he or she identifies with the values and philosophies of the brand or the company. This helps win confidence and to a certain extent plays a part in the decision making process. This is exceptional for B2B businesses. Let’s put it this way; if you’re going to research a company before becoming a customer or partner, why not research the CEO? Putting your personal brand online for people to see gives your customers confidence in the brand. While it is important for CEOs to identify with the core values of their brand, you don’t have to spew corporate talk and jargon on your personal profile. The idea is to let people in on your personality. Let them discover the non-official side of you so that they can not only be fans of your corporate page but become fans of you as well. 80

To explain this better, ever wondered why celebrities come to talk shows and similar programs? Obviously, they want screen time to promote their movie or music album but they also want to showcase their personalities to the public. This enables regular folks to see their human side and in some cases, people may even relate to them. It is pretty much a similar case with CEOs being on social media. So what do you do to get the ball rolling and where do you start? Read on… One: Start small Start with one or two networks that work for you but try and figure out the segment that you are communicating with. Are you talking to your customers or the entire community? What social media channels do they use? Picking the right network is as much about where your audience lives as it is about how you like to communicate. If you’re the person that likes to communicate through visuals, maybe Instagram or Snapchat are good fits. If your audience is more traditional and likes to read long form posts, facebook is more suited to you. A few of you may be thinking “facebook is not as popular in Kuwait” but the truth is, it is enjoying a kind of resurgence and is becoming popular once again. Finally, if you are a multi-tasker who likes to provide commentary on the goings on in the day, twitter is your tool. In order to cultivate a more wholesome professional image, LinkedIn would be your best bet and this is where you ensure that your personal values are aligned with those of your business. Two: Don’t be “salesy” I know that really isn’t a word but you get the idea.

Remember, salesy = sleazy. Social media is not about talking at your audience but talking to them. While it is OK to occasionally brag about the award your company won recently or to advertise the new product you will be launching soon, don’t go for the over-kill. Talk to your followers and engage in a conversation. This is a great way to move around corporate communications guidelines and brand marketing guidelines and focus on creating relationships with customers who want to buy from you. Three: post regular content You don’t always have to have original content on your feeds and it is perfectly all right to curate content with your views and opinions. Share headlines in your industry, provide your commentary and invite discussions from the crowd or from your peers like other CEOs and influencers. This is a great way to tag other players on social media channels and drive attention to your brand. Once you get the hang of this, you can focus on creating your own content and position yourself as an influencer. If you are good at it, your followers will eventually start advocating for you and help drive sales and eventually increase your brand value.

Barry Rodrigues is Head of Marketing & Product Development at Future Communications and an associate advisor with the International Advisors Group in Kuwait. For comments, please email Barry at barry@nexgenconsulting.co.uk.

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DATA IS THE NEW BLACK

Smaller startups with new ideas take on big data

By Marisa Kendall

Delivering an eBay order in under 30 minutes, mining 11 million financial documents for evidence of illegal activity, helping humans reach Mars more quickly — three seemingly unrelated feats made possible using a new data analysis tool that is sweeping Silicon Valley. Forget spreadsheets. It’s all about graph databases, which map information using an intricate web of connections between data points. Looking at data that way, an idea popularized by industry leaders like Facebook and Google, lets users spot relationships that otherwise might be missed. Experts say it is helping revolutionize the field of data as the world is flooded with more information than ever before. “Data does feel like the new oil. It’s kind of the commodity that makes everything go,” said Zavain Dar, a principal at Menlo Park-based venture capital firm Lux Capital. “And it’s really on the enterprise now to have as fine-tuned of an engine as possible.” Collecting the data is no longer the hard part — it’s sucked up when you search and post online, and gathered by everything from autonomous cars, to satellites, to smartphones, and funneled to companies or government organizations. Tech companies’ challenge now is figuring out how best to analyze that data. Silicon Valley startups are attacking that problem, a trend that experts say could ultimately be problematic for incumbents of the big-data industry — such as Palantir — which risk losing some of their market share to the newcomers. Neo Technology, a startup named after the main character in The Matrix movie trilogy, is one of the early pioneers of graph database technology. Previously, that type of data analysis was reserved for companies with big wallets and deep talent pools, like Facebook and Google. Neo Founder and CEO Emil Eifrem says his team offers its own version of that “little piece of Silicon Valley magic” to the masses. For example, last year the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists used Neo’s technology to dig through the more than 11 million records revealed in the Panama Papers leak, searching for evidence of corrupt offshore tax activity. NASA uses Neo technology to manage the space agency’s database of more than 10 million documents detailing lessons learned from past mission failures and successes. Using Neo, searches in the database take less time — days instead of weeks or months — and return more relevant results, said David Meza, chief knowledge architect at NASA. He said Neo helped one NASA engineer save millions of dollars and up to two years by locating existing research he could use in his work on the Orion, the spacecraft NASA hopes 82

eventually will take humans to Mars. Closer to home, eBay engineer Volker Pacher demonstrated another use for Neo’s technology. Standing onstage at Neo’s 2014 graph database conference, Pacher ordered a bottle of bourbon on eBay. As he finished the talk half an hour later, a courier approached the stage with his delivery, eliciting cheers from the crowd. Neo had facilitated the transaction, working behind the scenes to find the best delivery option. eBay has since pulled the plug on same-day delivery in the U.S., but continues testing the service, using Neo, in the U.K. Eifrem said he has seen interest in his industry explode since Neo launched its first graph database product in 2011, holding a meet-up for graph database fans that drew four or five people. Now the events bring in crowds — more than 1,000 attended the company’s recent conference in San Francisco. Eifrem called that buzz “amazing,” but admitted it has brought more competition. “The flip side is that in the past 12 to 18 months, IBM has announced a graph database,” he said. “Microsoft has announced that they’re working on several internally; Oracle has launched a graph database.” There also are smaller companies to contend with. Objectivity, which has been in the data analysis business for two decades, started developing its own

graph database two years ago to address the growing demand for the technology. Ayasdi sells data analysis software that uses graph databases and other tools to help hospitals pinpoint the best patient care, or banks uncover money laundering. Many data companies are eyeing the giant in the room — Palantir. The secretive, $20 billion (KD 700 million) company has long been known for helping government and corporate clients solve tough data problems — its technology is rumored to have helped U.S. forces track down Osama bin Laden. San Francisco-based data analysis company Gemini advertises itself as “the poor man’s Palantir” because it offers similar services that it says are cheaper and simpler to deploy. Unlike Palantir, which custom-builds platforms for each client and sends its own engineers to help clients get set up, Gemini builds a service that any company can put on top of its existing platform. Palantir declined to comment. That type of competition puts pressure on companies like Palantir, Dar said. “Once you’re so big it’s harder to pivot and incorporate emerging technology paradigms as they mature,” he said. “Can Palantir successfully incorporate these novel toolkits in a way that meets their customer expectations before getting displaced by faster, more agile upstarts?”

savana

D’FINELINE

Line Risom on Making Spaces Beautiful

By bazaar staff

Think construction and you wouldn’t normally think tall, beautiful Nordic blonde but the finished build is exactly what Danish interior architect Line Risom has been concentrating on. Arriving in Kuwait as a fresh graduate, she always knew that she wanted to lead her own design team, and worked hard to make it happen. d’fineline celebrates a decade of design in Kuwait this year, and Line continues to champion the benefits of the complete project design and construction service.

The d’fineline experience is one of communication and creating strong client relationships. Sole owner Line will listen to your vision, and to how you wish to use your space. She then clearly explains the way d’fineline works and what to expect from them at each stage of the design, construction and handover processes. She also clearly indicates what they will need from you. In this respect, the importance of two-way communication is clearly laid out, so you can know exactly how your project is unfolding and be confident in knowing that your voice is being heard throughout. Line stated that “There is room for compromise but no room for compromising on quality. It’s our reputation at the end of the day. This is why I sometimes remove my name from projects as the designer. It’s not always the case that as a designer you get to finish your projects all the way through to construction. I was frustrated to invest so much time in understanding the client’s vision and then not having control over delivering what is a true reflection of the client’s needs and aspirations.” The statement “The devil is in the details” can’t be truer than with d’fineline. Line’s eye, with 15 years of experience, is keenest when it comes to the smallest of details. Her classic sense of quality, what would best work given the client's aesthetics and what their space needs to be, may require a little more effort to fulfil but it’s worth it when you see the end results. From precisely hand-carved stone walls to finding just the perfect pin for accurate shelf articulation, she personally takes the time to source the products and oversee the services needed from a wide list of her global connections, definitively delivering that d’fineline difference. Upon seeing British spy film Kingsman: The Secret Service, one particular client was inspired to create the very first super-luxury gentlemen’s gym in Kuwait. Line successfully met the challenge of X CLUB, to juxtapose stateof-the-art modern gym equipment and sound technology with burnished leather effect, elegant dark wood, brass fittings and antique picture frames giving an English Gentlemen’s Club elegance. Slabs of Italian marble in black and white were imported for the flooring of the foyer and hallways. Line had these slabs cut by hand and painstakingly placed each and every one of the thousands of pieces of marble, creating a classic inlaid decorative floor. Moving away from the gravitas of designing X Club, there has also been fun décor projects, where using the least expected materials best creates the desired effect. Bringing a smile to your face is Little Nest Café, where Line successfully executed a fellow designer's vision. She used chipboards to represent a mish-mash of materials birds use to build their little homes. The ceiling even has hanging wooden beams to look like the overlapping sticks seen in nests! Today, d’fineline goes above and beyond the basic interior design firm, as Line prides herself on offering a complete interior design and construction service, “Today, D’fineline does it all! My clients are happier with me delivering a complete interior design and construction service from concept through to completion, and that makes me happiest most of all.”

D’fineline designs and constructs residential, retail and other corporate or commercial spaces. For enquiries please call 2572 1752 or visit www.dfineline.com, and follow Line on Instagram @dfineline. 85

FOUR CREATIVE WAYS TO LAND FREELANCE WORK Landing gig work doesn't get easier than this! By Anne Loehr

According to a recent study by Upwork and the Freelancers Union, the most common places for freelancers to pick up work are friends and family (36%), professional contacts (35%), and online job platforms (29%) like Upwork, Freelancer.com, Guru, and even Craigslist. This breakdown spells trouble for some. If you can hire someone to transcribe an interview for $3 (KD 0.920) an hour, you aren’t giving that contract to a freelancer charging $15 (KD 4.5). So where else can freelancers find work? Just ask these guys, who picked up gigs in some unexpected places. 1. ADVERTISE IN REAL TIME If you’re a freelancer, chances are you’ve sat at coffee shops with your nose in your laptop. So why not let passersby know exactly what you’re doing and that you’re available for hire? Shayla Price says she landed a gig by creating and placing a makeshift placard saying "freelance writer" in front of her computer while working at Starbucks and other public places. Price says she’s received a few inquiries every time she whips out the placard. 2. EMAIL THE CEO DIRECTLY "I've been obsessed with a large, multinational 86

hair care brand for many years now," says Termeh Mazhari, "so when I became a freelancer, I decided to just email the CEO directly." Going straight to the source may sound like a waste of time—execs usually aren’t the ones hiring contractors. But in Mazhari’s case, it paid off. "I told her about myself and the value I could bring to the company, and to my great surprise her assistant wrote me back and arranged a meeting with the CEO at their posh Manhattan office!" What’s more, Mazhari landed more than just a tiny one-off project this way. "I ended up getting a year-long consulting gig with the brand, even though they already had a large internal PR team as well as multiple external agencies working with them." 3. HUSTLE FOR FACEBOOK SHOUT-OUTS After Stephanie Moore got laid off, she decided freelance full time and turned to Facebook to market her services. "It started with one client . . . that I met through Facebook. She was very popular with a national brand," Moore recalls, so she decided to attend one of the client’s networking events. There, Moore told her she wanted to "shift my focus from marketing and design to PR," and the client "agreed to be my guinea pig." Their bargain went like this: "After each big accomplishment," Moore says, "she would shout me out on Facebook as her publicist. Every time she tagged me, there was a guaranteed client on the way. All of her friends and potential clients began to reach out and ask for press releases, designs, etc.

The more work I did, the more tagging I would get." By tapping into one happy client with the influence to amplify Moore’s work, offers began piling up. "People would post my designs tagging me in the post, almost bragging that Stephanie Moore did it." Like another "solopreneur" who recently shared her method with Fast Company, Moore never thought Facebook could drive so much of her business—95% of which she now estimates comes from the social network. 4. TELL PROSPECTS WHAT THEIR COMPETITORS ARE UP TO If one company is looking for services, then their competitors are probably looking, too—or will want to as soon as they learn of it. "I had one company contact me for a strategic marketing plan for the upcoming year," recalls freelancer Stephen Twomey. He saw that as not just one potential opportunity but several. "I knew they were looking at other consultants as well." "So, since I knew company A was looking for something, I contacted companies B, C, [and] D and mentioned that one of their main competitors was looking for strategic marketing consulting"—without mentioning which one. Twomey says "Company A ended up going with a different [contractor], but company C actually bought a consulting package." The services you offer may not belong in a creative field, but it still often takes ingenuity to land those gigs in the first place. For just about every freelancer, thinking outside the box can really pay off.

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GET YOUR VITAMIN SEA WITH SUNDEK Your ultimate guide to the perfect summer

By bazaar staff

Stepping up your summer look comes easy with one simple visit to Sundek. With a strong surfer brand heritage that began in the 50s in beautiful San Francisco, Sundek is every surfer and beachgoer’s destination of choice. Originally a swimsuit brand, Sundek expanded its offerings in 1958 to introduce a small line of cotton-nylon surfer shorts that became an instant hit with surfers. From sunny California, to Hawaii and now Kuwait, Sundek’s surfer ethos rings true with beach lovers all over the world. Considered as the ultimate surf wear brand, Sundek pioneered and perfected the basic board short—a move that was welcomed by the first surfer community in San Francisco. Using innovative techniques, such as adding Velcro instead of zippers to the board shorts, and colorful tropical prints on cotton, Sundek became a success in no time. 88

While we might not all be surfers, we surely love to celebrate the surfer way of life! With designs teeming with color and vibrant patterns, and Sundek’s signature colorful rainbow stripes, you’re guaranteed a glimpse of sunshine and sea in in each and every item you add to your summer wardrobe. For this summer, enjoy a wide selection of attractive board shorts in every color of the rainbow, with key items like the Miami Dream shorts that bring tropical vibes to Kuwait through the incredible pattern on this style of board shorts. Going beyond offering solid colors, we love how Sundek also plays with eye-catching prints, patterns, photography and fun designs when it comes to their board shorts. Women can also enjoy a variety of exciting swim pieces, from shorts, bikinis to one-piece swimsuits signified with Sundek’s happy stripes design. Sundek’s selection of swim and board shorts are available for men, women and children, and are perfect for matching father and son swim shorts! Hitting the beach, family style, never looked better! Also available in stores is the Sundek Cruise Collection that extends the surfer and beach lifestyle beyond the sandy shores. Choose

from a selection of men and women's t-shirts, polo shirts, summery dresses, and an array of accessories including beach bags in ontrend metallic shades to get feel that perfect summer vibe. Speaking of shades, you’ll love the collection of sunglasses available, and we’re particularly in love with the skyward style shades from Sundek. To complete your beachready look, choose a pair of colorful flip flops and printed beach towel, or a funky backpack to keep on hand all of those important pool and beach side must-haves. And what happens after you’re stocked up on all of your summer essentials from Sundek? Pack your portable speakers, find your summer track of choice, lather on that sunscreen, and enjoy the sun!

Sundek is located at The Avenues, Phase III (2220 0831) and Marina Waves in Salmiya (2224 4777). For more information, please visit www.tigkw.com and follow them on Instagram for the latest updates @SundekKuwait.

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ON FLOURISHING FIREWORKS

Interview with jewelry designer Suzanne Kalan

By bazaar staff

Suzanne Kalan with daughter Patile

Today, the mention of Suzanne Kalan’s name is synonymous with bespoke jewelry design, specifically bewildering baguette diamond creations that have captivated the likes of both international publications and celebrities. For this lucky bazaarite, meeting Suzanne at the recent Jewelry Arabia Kuwait expo was truly a dream come true. With over 28 years of experience designing fine jewelry, Suzanne Kalan continues to create stunning collections that are both innovative and unique. Her signature design style involves working with 18-karat gold, utilizing custom-cut colorful gemstones as well as artfully working with dramatically placed diamonds to deliver classic pave and baguette diamond designs in a modern light. With several award winning jewelry collections under this designer’s belt for her ‘Fireworks’ and ‘Fireworks Vitrine’ collections, it is Suzanne’s beautiful mind that effectively marries the chaos of scattered baguette diamonds with large custom-cut gemstones. Suzanne sat down to speak with me, and to also take pause from a very busy and fruitful 90

first day of the Jewelry Arabia Kuwait Expo at the Overdressed Pavilion. Conversing with the designer is easy, as she passionately began to tell me more about the first piece of jewelry that she’s ever designed, “I would work with different wire jewelry and beads, which is very different from my collection! But, there was a defining moment that prompted me to create my own brand. One day, I was standing in a building waiting for the elevator. While I was waiting, I was looking into the window display of a store in the lobby. The owner of the store came out and asked me where I had gotten the jewelry I was wearing, and it just so happened that I was wearing my own designs. He placed an order right then and there. That moment changed my life forever. With the support of my family, I was able to start my own company.” How did your beautiful journey with jewelry design begin? My first introduction to jewelry started at a very young age for me. In Armenian and Middle Eastern culture, you’re gifted jewelry the day you’re born. I was given this beautiful rose gold bracelet with pearls and dangling gold hearts. It’s absolutely beautiful, and I still have the bracelet! I remember my mom taking the bracelet from me whenever I would bite the little

hearts.My appreciation for art, style and fashion came from my mom. She was a seamstress, and at a young age she would have me design my dresses for events or gatherings. My family has a long history in the jewelry industry. My father owned a jewelry store, and I worked with him closely. He taught me a lot about jewelry and design, but most importantly, he taught me how to run a business. What inspires your work? I find inspiration all around me, especially in nature and during my travels around the world. Whether it’s the color of the sun, or the texture of sand, there are a lot of different aspects that influence my designs. Touch and sound really influence my work as well. Who does Suzanne Kalan design for? I design for the everyday woman. She is inspirational and has many roles in this fast-paced world. She is classic, edgy and exquisite. I want the women who wear my designs to be able to wear it today, tomorrow and 20 years from now. You’ve perfected the art of diamond stacking, specially utilizing baguette cut diamonds, why do you love working with this specific cut? When I am getting ready to design a new collection, I first start by touching, feeling and playing with

the stone I’d like to use. I had a couple baguette diamonds at my desk, and I started to think of all the traditional ways baguette diamonds have been used in jewelry. I then started to map the baguette diamonds out on my desk, and found that scattered settings would make the diamonds more interesting and that’s how I started the Fireworks collection! The line has really taken off, and I am continuously expanding the collection. You can say I’m a little obsessed with baguette diamonds!

From the 'Fireworks' rings collection

'Fireworks Vitrine' Earrings

Can you tell us a little bit more about how your Middle Eastern origins inspire your work? My Armenian and Lebanese ancestry have definitely influenced my designs. Jewelry is very important in Middle Eastern culture. It’s gifted to you from the day you’re born and until you’re married. Growing up in Lebanon, there was always an appreciation for beauty, art and unique pieces of work. These ideas have always resonated with me and have influenced my designs. What are your thoughts on Kuwait’s, and the region’s, jewelry customers? There are so many fantastic artists and designers in Kuwait, so I definitely think that perception has shifted. I have had the chance to live in different regions including Kuwait, Beirut, Montreal and Los Angeles. I love the history, culture and fashion found in Kuwait! There is a true appreciation for handcrafted quality jewelry, and I find that to be true with all our customers in Kuwait. Your daughter, Patile, also grew up to become a part of the Suzanne Kalan journey. How did this come about? Patile joined the family business almost five years ago, and it has been so wonderful to have her by my side. She has helped grow the line and has taken a load of the responsibilities off my shoulders! Patile runs production with my husband in our studio in Los Angeles. She also designs the 14-Karat line, KALAN By Suzanne Kalan. She has a unique vision and a younger perspective, which has been a great asset to us, in growing our brand internationally.

Necklaces from the 'Fireworks' collection

Do you feel that you both share the same design ethos? We share several similarities when it comes to our design approach, especially with our technique. We are both inspired by color, and that’s how we start our design process. I often start with the color of metal, and Patile starts her design process by working with the color of the gemstone. What’s next for Suzanne Kalan? I am continuing to expand my Fireworks collection with beautiful statement piece gift sets that include necklaces, earrings and rings. Stay tuned!

'Fireworks' Classic Baguette Bangles

'Fireworks Vitrine' Earrings

For more information about Suzanne Kalan, please visit her website www.suzannekalan.com. 91

THE HEAT IS ON

As the planet gets hotter, some mammals may get smaller By Deborah Netburn

Fifty-six million years ago, about 10 million years after the dinosaurs went extinct, something strange happened to our planet. It got hot. Really hot. Hotter than it had ever been since the Earth formed a few billion years earlier. Carbon signatures in the geological record show that global temperature surged 5 to 8 degrees Celsius within 10,000 years. They also indicate that the planet’s temperature remained elevated for an additional 170,000 years before returning to normal. Scientists describe this (relatively) rapid rise in temperature as a “hyperthermal event,” and it is not the only one that has ever occurred. About 2 million years later, the Earth experienced another surge in temperature that was about half the magnitude of its predecessor. Over the course of the Earth’s history there have been other, smaller hyperthermal events as well. Most scientists would agree that we are in the midst of one right now. Abigail D’Ambrosia, a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire, is interested in what happens to living things when the global temperature jumps. Do they go extinct? Do they adapt? Do they change? Her research, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, shows that at least in the case of some mammals, they shrink. And it turns out that the amount they shrink is directly related to how hot the planet gets. The findings are based on a new analysis of fossilized teeth and jaw fragments collected from the Bighorn Basin in northwestern Wyoming, about 80 miles east of Yellowstone National Park. “For adult mammals, measuring teeth is a great proxy for body size,” D’Ambrosia said. “In particular, the first lower molar tends to exhibit the strongest correlation between crown area and body weight in most animals.” By comparing the change in tooth size of the same species over time, researchers have already shown that mammal dwarfing occurred during the largest ancient warming event, approximately 56 million years ago. Specifically, they showed that the earliest equid, Sifrhippus, shrank by at least 30 percent during the first 130,000 years of the warming event. As the global temperature slowly returned to normal, its body size rebounded by 76 percent. 92

D’Ambrosia, whose Twitter is @ClimateDentist, wondered whether similar dwarfing had occurred during the smaller warming event roughly 54 million years ago. To find out, she set to work gathering and measuring teeth of four mammals that lived before and during it. Included in her research was Arenahippus pernix (an early horse about the size of a small dog), Diacodexis metsiacus (a rabbit-sized predecessor of pigs and deer), Hyopsodus simplex (a weasel-sized herbivore), and Cantius abditus (an early primate similar to modern lemurs). D’Ambrosia said that especially for the little horse, the difference in tooth size between individuals that lived before the warming event and those that lived during it was obvious. “That was the coolest thing,” she said. “When I first started taking measurements my adviser started randomly grabbing teeth and guessing which came from the hyperthermal. Just visually, he could pick them out.” A scientific analysis of the data revealed that during the second warming event, Arenahippus shrank in size by an average of 14 percent — the equivalent of going from dogsized to cat-sized, D’Ambrosia said. This finding suggests that at least for equids, the dwarfing response to an increase in climate change scales proportionately with the magnitude of the warming. During the first warming event, the small horse decreased in size by 30 percent. In the second warming event, which was about half as intense, a different small horse dwarfed by 14 percent.

D’Ambrosia had fewer teeth from the other three species included in the study, but she was still able to report that Diacodexis, the deer predecessor, exhibited dwarfing of 15 percent. The change in size of the weasel-sized herbivore Hyopsodus was an insignificant 4 percent, and the primate Cantius bucked the trend by appearing to grow 2 percent. However, neither of these last two findings were significant. “It’s hard to say what is going on in detail without collecting more samples,” D’Ambrosia said. Although shrinking in the face of climate change may seem like a strange response, it is well known in scientific communities that mammals get smaller in warmer climates. For example, red foxes that live in higher, cooler latitudes are larger than those that live closer to the equator. This phenomenon even has its own name — Bergmann’s Rule. “The idea behind it is that it is more efficient to cool off if you have a small body size because you have a larger surfacearea-to-volume ratio,” D’Ambrosia said. This ratio allows smaller animals to let off more heat, while having a larger body size in a cooler environment helps an animal retain heat. But she added that it is also possible that animals living through ancient hyperthermal events may have shrunk for other reasons, including not being able to get enough water or food. As the planet continues to warm today, scientists may be able to see for themselves what drives the mammal dwarf response. “Unfortunately, today is a really great experiment,” D’Ambrosia said.

Al Kout wishes you a happy and blessed holy month of Ramadan! We welcome you every night to enjoy seasonal coffee and dates in our Ramadan hospitality corner, in addition to our Gergean festivities for families and children on 9th & 10th of June.

alkout

GARMIN

A closer look at the Fenix 5 Sapphire series By bazaar staff

Wearable technology is taking the world by storm – that’s a fact. Just walk into any lifestyle or electronics shop and you’re sure to find several styles to suit different functions and aesthetic requirements. But when it comes to tracking your steps, sleep, distance traveled, multisport activity, heart rate, alarm, weather alerts, music controls, smart notifications, GPS, not to mention have several other integral functions and be water resistant – you need about four different kinds of wearable accessories. Enter Garmin with their all-new Fenix 5 Sapphire series: The only wearable you need to see you through your everyday life. All you have to do is pick the variation you like most, and go about your day! With WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, you’re literally able to sync every aspect of your day, between your watch and phone, without missing a beat. Not to mention that the glass watch face is entirely scratch-resistant! The Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire series is the ideal multisport GPS watch that’s fit to take you from office to adventure hike in no time. The Garmin Chroma Display features transflective technology that allows your watch face to be read even under the most grueling of light conditions. Allowing you to track your everyday activity is a key feature with the Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire series, and it excels in its field. Measuring your heart rate, the watch will accurately estimate how much oxygen you need to safely continue on with your fitness routine. Not to mention the recovery advisor mode where it tells you how much time you need to cool down! It truly is the perfect way to track your fitness levels. Did we mention that it’s water resistant? You read that right, you no longer need to hope your tracker logs your laps around the pool, simply because you can continue wearing your watch as you perfect your breaststroke. It even goes as far as tracking the number of strokes you do and the distance traveled! Not to mention you can control your music through your watch so you can keep listening to your favorite swim-tracks. The watch comes in three different sizes: Fenix 5 boasts a 47mm watch face, the Fenix 5s is smaller with a 42mm watch face, while the Fenix 5x is the biggest with a 51mm watch face! 94

Because connectivity is important, Garmin’s technology allows your watch to receive notifications wherever you are! Giving you the freedom to navigate through life your way, the Fenix 5 Sapphire series is your ultimate companion. Fully customizable, you can change the look and feel of your watch with free downloads from the Connect IQ store. Control the apps you get notifications from and the apps you can flip through on your watch face easily. You can even change the watch face to show off any photo from your phone! And you can make the watch truly your own by changing up the watchbands easily

– no tools required, just snap on and off! Pick from premium leather, metal or silicone to suit your every need and reflect whatever mood you are in. The Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire series truly is the definitive smart-watch! Garmin Kuwait is located in Al Rai, Street 20. For more information, please call 182 2288, Ext. 333. You can find this watch and many other Garmin products by following Seas & Deserts on Facebook: Seas & Deserts and on Instagram and Twitter @SeasDeserts, or check out: www.garminkw.com for more!

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CREATING AN ICON

A conversation with Larry Hama

By bazaar staff

It was a series of fortunate events that led him to the path of comic book writing, but it all started in fashion design and illustrations. “I had a job drawing shoes for catalogues in the 60s,” he began casually thumbing through a menu before deciding on his order. Illustrating shoes for several big-name retail catalogues in the US had seemed to be his ideal job until he was recruited to join the army. “When I came back from the army, I just really didn’t feel like drawing shoes anymore,” he laughed. The Vietnam War veteran had lost his interest in fashion but couldn’t figure out what to turn to. Having dabbled in comics when he was in high-school [“I sold my first illustration when I was 16!”], an old friend offered him a gig as an illustrator for comics. “He said to me, ‘You can pencil and I’ll ink,’ and I thought this might be good for a year or two until I figure out what I want to do next,” he stirred his coffee with a smile. “Then one day, I woke up and 48 years had gone by!” This, is how Larry Hama – creator of G.I. Joe, Bucky O’Hare, and writer for Wolverine and Elektra – got his start in the world of comic books. The US Embassy in Kuwait sponsored Larry’s visit to Kuwait this last April to present a lecture at Fikra’s Kuwait Game Expo – GX2017, as well as judging a cosplay competition. His lecture, entitled “Storytelling without words,” was aimed at those wanting to break into the world of comics. His advice: Keep practicing and keep drawing. “100,000 drawings later will lead you to that one good one. You need to be prepared for the struggle and not making much money for a while, and really not care about that. You need to have that commitment to it, it’s not something you can do as a hobby.” While entering a career in your early 20s is now considered reasonable, Larry says that wasn’t the case for him. “A lot of people in comics started very young, especially the generation before me. They were working professionally when they were teenagers, so I was sort of late to the game,” Larry laughed. Luckily for him, the industry wasn’t as cutthroat as others, “In comics, people helped one another get ahead, they opened doors for each other and were very welcoming of new talents.” Or at least that used to be the situation when Larry was getting started. Still, his beginnings were in the underground comic book scene in New York and 96

London back in the 60s and 70s. “There were a lot of people working in the same publications I worked in who became mainstream comics. Because at that time it was very difficult to break into the mainstream and there wasn’t much opportunity – which is basically why the underground was so important. They were sort of the independent comics of the day, but nowadays, there’s dozens and dozens of them.” As someone that’s worked the underground scene as well as DC and Marvel, Larry noted the biggest difference between the three, is the control of the intellectual properties (IPs). “The major companies [DC and Marvel] are in the business

of promoting and selling their individual IPs, which means their value is bound into the worth of their IPs,” he elaborated. “So they are legally obligated, since they’re public companies, to promote their going products.” That’s why in most cases, there’s a lack of new characters and stories, because at the end of the day it’s about growing what works. “That’s where the independents come in and fill that gap – they’re not bound by the restrictions and the industry codes,” Larry went on. “Also, the creators tend to be younger and probably hipper and they have a lot of freedom!” he laughed. “And with independent deals, you own your own property. When you work for the big guys you work for their

property and they can tell you how to do it. In fact, they demand to be able to do that and they want control.” Yet everyone’s goal is to eventually work at DC or Marvel, and it’s an artist’s dream come true to draw The X-Men, Batman, or The Avengers. “They’ll even go as far as forsaking ownership and shares to be able to do that,” Larry mused. Though, realistically, that never seems to be the case for too long. As many avid comic book readers and collectors know, the most coveted position on the cover is for the writer and illustrator’s names to precede the comic book’s title. That’s how you know someone’s made it big! “And as soon as somebody gets their name

above the title, they no longer want to play that game anymore,” Larry explained. “They look around and see someone going the independent route and owns the property completely and makes a movie deal and all of a sudden, they want that too.” When it comes to protecting your work, most likely, the illustrations are copyrighted by the company you work for. But as an independent, or someone that’s just starting out away from the show-runners, you’d need to register your own work as you go along. But our most burning question was about G.I. Joe and Bucky O’Hare. Simply because one does not simply speak to the man responsible for bringing the characters to life without asking

about the generational icons. “I have never seen an episode of either!” Larry confessed. He did assure us though that he’s the proud owner of every single licensed product sold for both franchises. When we asked him about his thoughts on having written for generations, he laughed, “It’s sort of frightening and startling! Especially when someone that’s going gray and balding comes up to me and says I loved your stuff when I was a kid!”

For more information about Fikra and their future events, you can follow them on Instagram @FikraKW. Photography by Yousef Al Nasser @Yousefcam. 97

UAE ON MARS

A next space frontier is fueled by a Gulf vision By Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Humans may not have ventured to the moon in more than four decades, but that doesn’t mean we’ve lost our ambition for visiting other worlds. Serious plans are now underway to put two space tourists in a commercially launched rocket that will circle the moon in a year or two. Meanwhile, NASA continues its plans to put humans on Mars in the late 2020s or early 2030s. China and India have also announced plans for 98

manned expeditions to the moon, with Mars as an eventual possibility too, later in this century. These are all ambitious missions that should excite everyone who believes it is humanity’s destiny to explore the frontiers of space. But as ambitious as these plans may be, they are dwarfed in scope by the United Arab Emirates’ plan for the next century. One of the world’s richest nations announced that it is planning to build a glistening city on Mars fit for habitation by 2117, a century from now. UAE engineers have already unveiled plans for a city the size of Chicago. The tiny oil kingdom is also rolling

out scientific programs meant to create the kind of generational interest in space exploration needed to keep the effort vital and rooted. They would like scientific innovation and know-how in space to take the place of petroleum as its greatest export. The initial leg of UAE’s plan begins with the launch of its first Martian probe in 2021. The Emirates plan to take the century-long march methodically given the obstacles that await humanity as we take our first steps beyond the moon. Just as there’s something inspiring about the mythical “city on a hill,” there’s something just as inspiring about a city on Mars.

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HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES AT WORK

By Ximena Vengoechea

You're a hard worker, just like you said at your job interview. In all your time at your company, you've done consistently good work. You’re reliable. But for some reason, you just aren't shining as much as you'd like. You're starting to wonder if your hard work doesn't cut it. You’re doing some great things, but your boss doesn't seem to notice. You aren't getting bigger or better projects, which means you aren't really growing in your position. Is there something else you should be doing? EXECUTING ISN'T ENOUGH The solution here isn't necessarily to approach your boss and ask point-blank what gives. Before you charge into your boss's office demanding a change, stop for a minute and ask yourself: How proactive am I in my career? Do I take on more than is required of me? Do I go out of my way to take on projects that benefit teams other than my own? Do I regularly help my teammates? And do I do these things without permission, or only when I'm asked to? In other words, am I fearless? If the answers here are mostly "no," it’s time to be more proactive. Don't wait for your boss to create opportunities for you—create them yourself. No matter what stage of your career you're at, simply "doing" the work is never enough. In order to take charge of your own career, you often have to take the initiative. Depending on your personality, this might not 100

feel so natural. It may also come more easily to people at senior levels who typically don't have to wait for a supervisor to approve every decision they make. People earlier in their careers might hesitate to be so proactive, fearing that if they do, they'll be scolded for overstepping. Here are a few tips for being more proactive at every level. TAKE AN INVENTORY OF YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Just as you would while preparing for a job interview, sit down and log your strengths and weaknesses. Has your team actually seen the full breadth of your skills? Do they know what you’re capable of? Are you actively utilizing your strongest skills, or are they being underleveraged? Sometimes assets are hidden inside what appear to be disadvantages. Maybe you’ve been harping on the fact that you’re the youngest on your team—does that also make you the most social-media-savvy? Consider your strengths and weaknesses from all angles. You need to understand them better before stepping up to show your team more of what you've got. PICK THE RIGHT PROJECT Being proactive isn’t about picking any extra project and adding it to your to-do list. It’s about identifying strategic opportunities for the good of the company—not just for yourself. Which opportunities are those? Ask yourself these questions to pinpoint where you can help your company or team—and your career in the process: - What do you know about the business, company, or industry that only you can see?

- What are some possibilities your company or team haven't explored yet, and why not? - What gaps do you see? - What business objectives are you most passionate about at your company, and which of those are you uniquely qualified to help with? KEEP UP YOUR EXISTING RESPONSIBILITIES The only way you can get away with working on something only you see the value in (at first) is if you're keeping on top of all your current duties. As you start to stretch into self-initiated projects, it can be tempting to focus on those alone, but that's a mistake. Being proactive only to drop the basics isn’t a sign of leadership potential—it’s a sign of poor time management, a reason why you might not be progressing in your career as quickly as you thought yourself capable. That can be tough to recognize, but it's useful intel. DON’T WAIT FOR PERMISSION TO DO MORE This is crucial, whether you're an intern for the season or a seasoned manager. If you find yourself waiting for someone else to signal or approve the next step, check yourself: It’s up to you to keep the ball rolling. Rather than waiting for a new assignment or task, ask yourself what else could be done, and do it. Of course, be sure to use your best judgment here. There's a category of things that you may in fact need approval for; sending a mass email to the whole company or expensing some unapproved dinners might create some challenges. But for a more run-of-the-mill project, it may not be necessary. Default toward asking for forgiveness, not permission.

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THE ROAD TO A NEW YOU

Royale Hayat Hospital’s Dr. Al Mulla on obesity surgery By bazaar staff

Weight loss is a difficult journey. For some, it’s a life or death situation. For others, it’s an opportunity to get themselves back on track, or prevent drastic complications from taking place. Either way, the topic of weight and health is something that can’t be avoided.

People seek help in altering their body weight for different reasons, many of which could be lifesaving. 102

That’s why, dear readers, we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Ahmed Al Mulla. Dr. Al Mulla is a surgical consultant and head of general surgery at Royale Hayat Hospital, with expertise in Obesity surgeries of the bariatric, laparoscopy and oncology nature. The RSCI graduate boasts fellowships and qualifications from the American College of Surgeons, and the International Federation of Obesity Surgery, as well as the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. With his credentials, it’s no wonder that the surgeon has a passion for what he does; “I chose to become a surgeon because I respect

it as a medical practice,” he says matter-of-factly. “The difference between surgery and medicine is that, with surgery, you can confront the issue and treat it right away, then after allowing the patient to rest for a short period of time, you see instant results. Medicine is a waiting game filled with hope and anticipation – taking tablets, and significantly guarantee less that the patient’s ailment will be cured.” Enter the obesity ailment. According to Dr. Al Mulla, “Obesity was classified as a disease in 2012, due to its widespread over the past century. It used to be known as a state, but with minimal mobility and overconsumption

of processed foods, it has turned into a pandemic.” Though it may seem dramatic, the numbers don’t lie: Did you know that in the 1980s, Obesity in children was less than 10 percent, and now it’s reaching at 35 percent in some countries? That’s a terrifying statistic to be faced with, and what’s even scarier is that obesity is reaching up to 45 percent with adults in Kuwait. With almost half of the population being obese, this burdens the Ministry of Health, who have to keep up to treat the 195 diseases associated with and caused by obesity. If you fall into that category, keep calm and ask the right questions. At Royale Hayat Hospital, Dr. Al Mulla and his team of talented surgeons are prepared to help change your life for the better, if you have a skyrocketing BMI (body mass index) anywhere between 35-40 or above, and some cases, if your BMI is between 30-35. “Generally, we encourage people whose BMI falls in the overweight-grade one obesity range (25-35) to alter their lifestyles with diet and exercise before considering an invasive surgery. We only operate on Grade 1 Obesity patients (30-35) if they’re suffering from an extreme case of diabetes, or have Metabolic Syndrome: diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol all at once.” But, if you do classify as overweight to mildly obese and have reached your breaking point, you could opt for an endoscopic (oral) method like the balloon. The “balloon” is filled with water, and goes into your stomach through your mouth to aid in lessening your portions. It stays in there for six months and can be adjustable. Think of it as a tool, giving you the push to reach your weight-loss goals, along with a sustainable food and fitness plan. However, those with a higher BMI and medical issues such as diabetes, bronchial asthma, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and any of the other diseases linked to obesity, more than qualify for the updated surgical methods of bariatric surgery, or the Sleeve Gastrectomy. “The greatest thing about the innovation of this surgery, is that the incisions we make aren’t like they were 15 years ago – nowadays, we make smaller keyhole incisions, which makes for a less invasive surgery and a quicker recovery. Where a recovery used to take a couple of weeks, the patient can now go back to work three or four days after surgery!” And to further sweeten the road to a new life, Royale Hayat Hospital’s full package treatment includes dieticians, physicians, pharmacists and nurses, in addition to Dr. Al Mulla and his team of surgeons, who will walk you through the best surgical experience possible. “But don’t forget, you have to put in the work as well. We cannot stress how important it is for the treatment of obesity to include a healthier lifestyle. All we’re doing is our part to help fight it, treat it, and giving you a chance to start over. It’s up to you to do the rest.”

Royale Hayat Hospital is located in Jabriya, off the 4th Ring Road. For more information on the General Surgery wing, visit their website at www.royalehayat. com, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook @royalehayat. Follow Dr. Al Mulla on Twitter @doctoralmulla, Instagram @dr_ahmed_almulla, and Snapchat: doctoralmulla. 103

VEGETARIAN NEANDERTHALS?

Extinct human relatives hid a mouthful of surprises

By Amina Khan

It seems modern humans aren’t the only ones to have had regional cuisine. According to the plaque on their teeth, Neanderthals had striking differences in their diets, depending on where they lived — and they may have also used plants and mold to treat illness and pain. The findings, described in the journal Nature, mark the first and oldest dental plaque to be genetically analyzed, shed light on the relationship between humans and their closest extinct relatives, and hint at the complexity and diversity of Neanderthal life across Europe. “The typical view of a Neanderthal is a clubtoting beast who grunts at people and lives in a cave,” said lead author Laura Weyrich, a paleomicrobiologist at the University of Adelaide in Australia. “But this research, as well as years of other research, suggests that these were very capable and intelligent individuals that could pass down information from generation to generation and likely lived in friendly contact with humans at some point.” When scientists look to understand a creature’s diet, they can look to its teeth — specifically, the layers of hardened dental plaque on the surface of the teeth, known as calculus. This mineralized muck contains the DNA of food particles as well as the microbes that inhabited the mouth. “Dental calculus is calcified during the life of the individual, so it really locks in those bacteria and preserves it quite well,” Weyrich said. Scientists have studied the information contained in tooth plaque for decades. But now, with high-throughput genetic sequencing and other recent technological breakthroughs, she and her colleagues were able to pick out the genetics of what they ate and of the microbes in their bodies. The international team of researchers looked at Neanderthal samples from one individual taken from Spy cave in Belgium (around 36,000 years old) and two individuals from El Sidron cave in Spain (around 48,000 years old). The hominins ate very differently, depending on their region: The calculus from present-day Belgium was full of meat such as woolly rhinoceros and wild sheep, which were available on the wide open grasses of the steppe. The diet in Spain, on the other hand, had plenty of mushrooms, pine nuts and moss — the kind of menu you’d have in dense forest — and no detectable meat. The Spanish Neanderthals, whether by necessity or by choice, may have been vegetarians. Those dietary differences seem 104

to have influenced the microbial communities in the Neanderthals’ mouths, Weyrich said. “It really looks like meat is kind of a new idea for hominids,” she added. It’s unclear if the calculus preserved years of accumulated foodstuff or simply recorded a “last meal” of sorts. Still, it’s interesting that there were no squirrels or other small tree-dwelling animals in the calculus of the Neanderthals from Spain. Whether that was intentional or not remains to be seen, she said. Incidentally, the vegetarian Neanderthals apparently met a nasty fate, according to earlier studies of their remains. “Somebody definitely filleted them back in the day,” Weyrich said. Cut marks on their bones show they were probably eaten by other people — though whether by humans or Neanderthals remains unclear. “There are all sorts of wild stories, but the bottom line is we just don’t know,” she said. “We don’t have a time machine to go back; we just have these little pieces we can try to assemble.” One of the Neanderthals at the Spanish site had a dental abscess, which was probably quite painful, as well as a gastrointestinal bug (Enterocytozoon bieneusi), which likely caused vomiting or diarrhea (or perhaps both). In his ancient plaque, scientists discovered evidence of poplar, whose bark contains salicylic acid (the active ingredient in the painkiller aspirin); they also found signs of a natural antibiotic mold,

Penicillium rubens, that wasn’t found in the teeth of the other individuals. The scientists suspect that this individual did not specifically seek out that exact mold, because he seemed to have consumed a wide range of molds found on plant material. But it does suggest that they may have known that eating mold somehow made them feel better, the scientist added. “When you had a stomachache, maybe you ate moldy grain as a way to try to treat bacterial infections,” Weyrich said. The scientists also managed to sequence the oldest microbial genome yet — a bug called Methanobrevibacter oralis that has been linked to gum disease. By looking at the number of mutations in the genome, the scientists determined it was introduced to Neanderthals around 120,000 years ago — near the edge of the time period when humans and Neanderthals were interbreeding, Weyrich said. There are a few ways to swap this microbe between species, she pointed out: by sharing food, through parental care, or through the exchange of bodily fluids. “We really think that this suggests that Neanderthals and humans may have had a much friendlier relationship than anyone imagined,” Weyrich said. “Certainly if they’re swapping oral microorganisms — or swapping spit — it’s not these brute, rash-type encounters that people were suspecting happened during interbreeding. It’s really kind of friendly interactions.”

karak gholam

karakgholam

PUTTING THE “DIE” IN “DIET”

The ranks of diets are thinning, study shows By Melissa Healy

It stands to reason that if you know you’re overweight or obese, and you know your extra pounds are unhealthy, that you’ve made a stab at losing weight. Right? Not so much anymore, at least in the USA, as a new research shows. The proportion of American adults who were either overweight or obese has been growing steadily for decades, rising from about 53 percent a generation ago to roughly 66 percent more recently. But the share of these adults who had gone on a diet dropped during the same period, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study relied on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, an ongoing project of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the first survey period, between 1988 and 1994, about 56 percent of overweight or obese adults reported they had tried to lose weight in the last year. By the last survey period, between 2009 and 2014, the proportion of overweight or obese respondents reporting recent weight-loss attempts had declined to about 49 percent. In the first survey period, about 66 percent of women who were overweight or obese said they had tried to lose weight in the last 12 months. By the last period, 55 percent of overweight or obese women said they had made weight-loss efforts. The authors of the new report, a team from Georgia Southern University’s College of Public Health, offered a relatively simple explanation for this phenomenon, stating “socially acceptable body weight is increasing.” They pointed to a 2010 study in the journal Obesity that chronicled “a generational shift in social norms related to body weight” in which, effectively, fat has become the new normal. Between 1998 and 2004, that study showed, both men and women became less likely to classify themselves as overweight, even when their body mass index indicated that they were. That shift, said the authors of the Obesity study, may make people less likely “to desire weight loss than previously, limiting the effectiveness of public health campaigns aimed at weight reduction.” (On the other hand, those authors suggested, “there may be health benefits associated with improved body image.”) But the researchers who produced the new report in JAMA acknowledged that there may be other faults in the chain of reasoning that goes, “if fat, then diet.” Certainly, they wrote, it’s possible that “body weight misperception” may be reducing people’s motivation to engage in weight-loss efforts. And 106

it may be that primary-care physicians, who are supposed to counsel obese patients to lose weight, are failing to do so. But the authors also acknowledged another possibility: that many people have been overweight or obese for so long — and tried dieting so many times — that they have simply given up. “The longer adults live with obesity, the less they may be willing to attempt weight loss, in particular if they had attempted weight loss multiple times without success,” they wrote. That wearying pattern is very real: A 2011 study in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that the post-diet body undergoes a host of changes designed to ensure that lost weight is regained. Metabolic rate drops, allowing the post-diet body to do more with fewer calories. Myriad hormonal signals shift in ways that boost appetite. Those changes endure for at least a year after weight is lost, the study found. Even after weight is regained, many of those changes persist, leading to further weight gain. Replicated by other studies, that research helps explain the discouraging finding that within five

years of having lost weight, 95 percent of dieters will regain all the weight they lost. And most will gain a few extra pounds as well. It is likely that many Americans are just “letting themselves go.” But it’s also possible that some of the overweight and obese people who haven’t tried losing weight in the last year have heard from a growing chorus of experts — or discovered for themselves — that dieting may not be the most sustainable way to improve their health. While weight loss would be ideal, regular exercise can mitigate some of the effects of carrying excess weight. And for public health officials, laying off the fatshaming might not be such a bad idea either. A study published this year in Obesity found that for some obese people, weight bias and discrimination raise the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. Nearly 90 percent of the study’s participants were women. Obese people who tended to “internalize” weight discrimination and fat-shaming were less healthy, the study found. The author, University of Pennsylvania psychologist Rebecca L. Pearl, said that absorbing messages of weight bias “can negatively affect … mental health and lead to unhealthy behaviors like overeating.”

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7 YEARS TO CELEBRATE

Commemorating TONI&GUY’s 7th Anniversary

By bazaar staff

Whenever any of us are faced with terrifying hair, or we just need a change, we always know where to go to solve all our problems – TONI&GUY. Over the past seven years, this amazing British Salon has become our number one spot to relieve all hair woes, and turn our hairstyle fantasies to realities, be they big or small. Seven years later, they’re still going strong, and this month, they’d like to remind us that they’ve been there for us, and still will be – through thick or thin tresses.

Beverley Van Staden, General Manager at beautique cosmetics

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TONI&GUY was founded in the early swinging 60s in London, and is now the most recognized hairdressing brand in the world. Renowned as an innovator within the hair industry, this iconic brand is the Official Sponsor to London Fashion Week in Partnership with the British Fashion Council and never fails to deliver their clients edgy cuts, color and style to transform their locks into a trendy London look. And from London to Kuwait, TONI&GUY was recognized as a valuable asset in 2010, when beau-tique cosmetics international franchised the brand to open its Kuwaiti doors for the first time in Al Corniche Resort & Spa in 2010. After a lot of success with an ever-increasing clientele, they opened their second location, Villa TONI&GUY in Salmiya, at the luxurious seaside apartment complex Cliffs. Both locations offer a stunning, contemporary interior that are bright, airy and flooded with natural light, making them the perfect spots for clients to relax and achieve their ultimate hairstyling goals under one roof. TONI&GUY prides itself in having an exceptional staff, and boasts their entire team of stylists and beauty therapists being well versed and trained in their respective fields. General manager of beau-tique cosmetics, Beverly Van Staden, wholeheartedly agrees with this sentiment, and intends to keep the excellence that TONI&GUY is known for in its brand ethos and practice. "We promise to continue paying close attention to all the details of your service, maintain the highest standard of customer service and exceed all your expectations to keep you coming back for more." Coming back for more, we will be! Especially during the month of May, where all types of perks and prizes are promised in celebration of TONI&GUY’s birth month! Are you a May baby too? Celebrate your birthday with TONI&GUY, and receive 50% off on all services throughout the entire month of May! What an offer! People born on the other 11 months of the year may have lovey opportunities to celebrate with other special May promotions. From the 18th-25th of the month, customers can enjoy 10% off of services, and will receive a Milly pouch and T-Shirt upon spending over KD 50. KeraStraight junkies will also be glad to know that every treatment purchased will provide their friends with a lovely gift! Treat yourself to a KeraStraight treatment, and in turn, land your friends a free KeraStraight Intense Boost treatment voucher and complimentary blow-dry, then proceed to bond over your new flawless hairdos. So whether you’re a longtime and loyal fan of TONI&GUY, or you’re in the market for a new look, head over to one of their two gorgeous locations and make May your month to shine! Because at TONI&GUY, there’s always a reason to celebrate – their 7th year anniversary is just one of them.

Villa TONI&GUY for Ladies is located in Cliffs Residential Tower, Salmiya, Block 9, Baghdad St. Lane 7, Bldg 638 (2572 3381). TONI&GUY Corniche for Ladies and Gents is located in Al Corniche Club, Shaab Al Bahary, Gulf Road (2566 3286). Follow TONI&GUY Kuwait on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @toniandguykw, or visit their website: www.toniandguykuwait.com. For product information, please visit www.beautiquecosmeticsintl.com 109

DESIGNING A CHATBOT

Male, female or gender neutral? By Queenie Wong

Picture a virtual assistant that helps find directions, schedules appointments or plays music, and the soothing yet robotic sound of a female voice likely comes to mind. From Apple’s Siri to Amazon’s Alexa, a majority of the world’s most popular virtual assistants have female personas, but that’s starting to change as a growing number of consumers — and companies — turn to digital assistants. Some developers are going against the grain, creating chatbots and messaging apps that no longer conform to one gender and challenging a tradition of female digital assistants that some say display submissive personalities. Making virtual assistants female by default can be bad for business and perpetuate stereotypes, these chatbot developers say, so they’re offering more options to consumers. “A bot can be male or female, but I think it doesn’t need to be submissive … ,” said Dror Oren, co-founder and vice president of product at Kasisto. “It can be a woman and have a smart, authoritative approach. A lot of bots are women, but they show behavior which is not necessarily what I would like to see when I think about my daughters.” 110

The New York startup, which spun off from a Silicon Valley research company called SRI International that helped create Siri, developed a banking chatbot called MyKAI that launched in 2016 to manage money, track expenses or even answer banking questions. Available on Facebook Messenger, Slack and text message, the bot can answer questions such as, “How much did I spend on groceries last week,” “How much money do I have in my checking account,” or “What is compound interest?” But ask MyKAI if it’s male or female, and it responds, “As a bot, I’m not a human. But I learn. That’s machine learning.” When Kasisto designed the bot, Oren said it hired a female writer to help create a bot that was genderneutral. “We wanted (its gender) to be relatively vague, and for us, it serves the purpose of focusing on the activity and function and not the personality of the bot,” he said. “This bot is helping you to manage money or set your budget, but it’s not about hanging out with you and being your flirty virtual buddy.” The name KAI stands for Kasisto AI, but the company also liked it because the name Kai has different meanings in different cultures, including victory, fire, willow tree or lovable. Like diversity on movie screens or in media,

some experts and developers say that chatbots can also reinforce stereotypes or biases about people who work in particular professions. “Technology has the power to reshape what the new normal is,” said Stuart Geiger, an ethnographer and post-doctoral scholar at the Berkeley Institute for Data Science at the University of California at Berkeley. Historically, secretaries and administrative assistants have been women, and women still comprise about 94 percent of people in those jobs, according to 2014 data from the U.S. Department of Labor. “When an engineer or product manager goes to automate a task, they sort of have an idea in their minds of humans who were performing it before,” Geiger said. Siri, perhaps the best known intelligent assistant, is a case in point. When Siri debuted as an iPhone app in 2010, the personal assistant only responded via text. In October 2011, after Apple purchased the startup that created Siri, the virtual assistant was introduced as a feature on the iPhone 4S and had a female voice in the United States. Apple didn’t offer users the option to give Siri a male voice until two years later. Those first impressions stuck; to this day, many people still use female pronouns to refer to Siri. Though if you ask Siri if it’s a man or woman, she replies, “I am genderless. Like cacti. And certain species of fish.”

mais alghanim

BUSYWORK IS HOLDING YOUR CAREER BACK Here's how to stop it

By Brendan Browne

We’re all so busy. Many people today say they don't have enough time to do the things they want to do. But often what's keeping us so busy isn't that important. "Most of us have no problem with being busy, but we’re often busy on the wrong things," says Angie Morgan, coauthor of Spark: How to Lead Yourself and Others to Greater Success. "You could spend nine to five just emailing, but that’s not driving results or moving you toward longer, bigger goals. When people say, ‘I’m so busy,’ it really means, ‘I’m a poor planner,’ or, ‘I don’t know how to prioritize or delegate.’" People treat being busy as a badge of honor, but it could be damaging your career and organization, says Renee Cullinan, cofounder of the management and work-practices consulting firm Stop Meeting Like This. "Busywork has a double negative impact," she says. "It consumes time that could be better spent on other things, and it drains energy. Longer term, it breeds a work culture that values activity over results and busyness over effectiveness." HOW TO IDENTIFY IT To avoid letting busywork consume your day, you first have to identify it. Morgan suggests looking at your job description and organization’s objectives. "Work that is connected to those things should have a meaningful outcome," she says. 112

1. You don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing. 2. The effort seems disproportionately high compared to the results, such as polishing an internal PowerPoint presentation for the tenth time. 3. The team is running in place, with long "reply all" chains, boring status meetings, or missed deadlines. HOW TO ADDRESS IT Always tie your work and tasks to clear business priorities, says Lori Scherwin, founder of the careerconsulting firm Strategize That. "When other work pops up, ask yourself how it fits into producing one of those goals," she says. "If it doesn't, it likely falls into the category of busywork and gives you a reasonable basis to push back on doing it," she says. But don’t push back without seeking clarity first, adds Morgan. "Rather than going to your manager and saying, ‘This is crap and not the best use of my time,’ get some insight as to why it’s important," she says. "You may not see the direct value, but that doesn't always mean it doesn't exist." Cullinan suggests talking to your manager about how your key goals and deliverables compare to how you spend your time. "Ask, ‘Can you coach me on what actions I can take to optimize how I use my time?’" she says. And if the problem is related to daily work practices, try to reduce the amount of busywork you have by

only attending meetings if your role is clear or asking to attend the relevant part of a meeting, suggests Cullinan. Also, reduce email busywork by avoiding sending messages that neither advance the dialogue nor produce a specific action, and by removing yourself from lists or subscriptions that aren’t applicable to your job. WHEN AND HOW TO HANDLE IT Unfortunately, some busywork will eventually need to be completed. Keep a "wait list," suggests Scherwin. "You likely run into daily situations where you are waiting; meetings run over, calls start late, people dawdle in," she says. "How much time are you wasting? Possibly up to several hours a week." Prepare a list of small but important tasks you can do in five- to 10-minute intervals to keep you on track, such as catching up on reading, emails, or scheduling. "You'll get through these busywork tasks during the day, rather than having them pile up at the end of the day, and thank yourself for finally getting out of work on time," says Scherwin. Reducing or eliminating busywork requires some cultural nuance, says Cullinan. "One person’s definition of busywork may be someone else’s definition of perfection or collaboration," she says. "If you think your actions could be misinterpreted, proactively communicate your intent, or consult someone in the organization who is particularly good at making great use of her time."

zaatar w zeit

bazaar goes dining

EAT HAPPINESS

Fall in love at first crunch at Bonchon Kuwait

By bazaar staff

Here at bazaar, we tend to obsess over experiences that resonate with us. Last month, we heard news about a new Korean fried chicken joint that goes by the name of Bonchon, and after our very first visit—this obsession ran a little too wild, but in the best of ways! By the end of April, we had consumed copious amounts of delectable fried chicken drumsticks, wings, strips, Korean tacos, and marinated Bulgogi. It all began when we bit into the fried chicken at Bonchon, and we instantly fell in love at that first crunch. The rest is history, or rather, a beautiful haze of delicious visits that kept taking us back to Bonchon Kuwait. Located in Al Bida’a's new sleek Dhai Complex, Bonchon is actually quite the renowned Korean Fried Chicken concept that has been spreading joy to the hearts, minds of stomachs of foodies all over the world with their specialized Korean-style fried chicken. Born in South Korea, and expanding to reach world-wide fame in New York and Asia, Bonchon’s key message is to spread happiness. Through their key motto #EatHappiness, Bonchon maintains an incredible standard by freshly preparing every piece of chicken to order. For one Abdulmihsen Al-Asfour, pursuing a career in the food industry came as a natural decision. With a love for the culinary world since a very young age, Mihsen took culinary courses while studying at the American University in Paris, and he was ready to follow his passions— specifically his love for amazing, incredible fried chicken and Asia. After he discovered Bonchon when visiting New York, he knew he had to bring this concept to Kuwait. He contacted the brand and began training with Bonchon in New York. “We used to prep an average of 4000 pieces of wings every morning; I basically absorbed the Bonchon concept from every aspect. I have nothing but respect for the brand and it’s a thrilling experience to bring this concept to Kuwait to share with avid foodies who will notice the difference.” We look around the cozy space, only to notice one wall that is quickly becoming covered with post-it notes, while another wall is elegantly decorated with testimonials from renowned reporters and international publications. Upon closer examination, we realized that the post-it notes were actually local customer testimonials! The message of #EatHappiness is quickly 114

spreading across town, and we havent’ even sampled the chicken yet at that point. Mihsen laughed at our hungry exclamations, and put together a mouth-watering selection of dishes for us to try. The key to remember with Bonchon is that the Korean style fried chicken is freshly hand-crafted, and orders typically take about 30 minutes to prepare, with good reason. We started off our Bonchon experience with fish cake dumplings drizzled in an expertly balanced soy-garlic sauce, and our first experience of the chicken—little, juicy chicken bites that were breaded to perfection and also drizzled in a beautiful honey and molasses sauce to accompany the spicy mayo served on the side. We also tried the Bonchon take on the classic of salmon avocado salad. Presented in the form of a ball, you have to unravel the seared salmon to reveal a mix of avocado, crab meat, crunchy cucumber and fish roe. This ball of salmon goodness is also topped off with spicy mayo and crunchier bits of tempura. Yum! Now, for the main event. At Bonchon, you can have their signature Korean fried chicken in several ways. Choose from drumsticks, wings, boneless strips, or sliders, served with either a slightly sweet soy-garlic, or experience the fire of Korean chilies and go spicy, or get the best of both worlds and go with half garlic, and half spicy. Guess what? That’s precisely what we did. Our taste-buds first enjoyed that famous, golden, crispy crunch when we sunk our teeth in (the sound that’s so addictive!), to reveal the juicy chicken within. Then, the sauce kicked in, and our taste buds were on fire when we tried the spicy option! From the drumsticks, to the wings, to the strips, we couldn’t get enough of the chicken and only wanted more, and that’s all thanks to its awesome preparation that Bonchon ensures with every order. Also served with a cool coleslaw salad, this is essential to cool down after that amazing spice. If you’re wanting to experience more Korean delicacies and modern takes on classics, then you should surely let your culinary palate explore their other menu offerings. Thinly sliced, tenderized, aged, marinated rib-eye beef served in a homemade sauce, or Bulgogi, can be enjoyed in their special Korean tacos, or also as a slider option. If you’re missing the crisp of the chicken, rest assured you can also enjoy it as a slider option, steamed wheat bun, or also in their amazing Korean tacos format that we dutifully devoured with happiness. We also sampled the Bulgogi Bonchon style, where it is served with mushrooms and onions, white rice and steamed vegetables. Then came the Bulgogi Fried Rice dish, which can also be served with their famous chicken. For the bold at heart, we think that you should try the 14th century Korean royal court favorite of Tteokbokki [read as: duk-bok-ki]. Prepared with a fiery red sauce (we promise you, that spice is amazing!) enjoy a hearty plateful of fish, rice, and

crunchy seaweed dumplings. We literally jumped out of our seats when we tried it, and fellow Korean diners at the restaurant couldn’t help but smile at our reaction. We left Bonchon filled with happiness, and found ourselves quickly back there the following weekend, then weekday, then the weekend again. Clearly, we’re obsessed, and we can’t wait to try out new menu additions that are constantly

being worked on at this little place that serves up chicken goodness in Al Bida’a.

Bonchon Kuwait is located in Al Bida’a at Dhai Complex, and the doors to happiness open at 3 p.m. For more information, follow @Bonchonkwt on Instagram. Photography by Yousef Al Nasser @YousefCam and Abdullah Al Saleh. 115

bazaar eats in

JUST ADD MILK

In-office fun with Cereal Killer Café By bazaar staff

When I was a kid growing up in Kuwait, and the weekends were Thursday/Friday, my favorite thing to do was to wake up super early on a Thursday morning, race to the kitchen and pour myself a nice big bowl of cereal. After that, I’d park myself in front of the TV, spoon in tow to watch my favorite program of 1996: Pee Wee’s Playhouse on Orbit’s Fun Channel. Fast forward to 21 years later, this rarely happens anymore. Some days, you just want to be seven again. But gone are the days of forgiving metabolisms, Thursday mornings filled with sugar rushes and filling out the mazes on the back of a cereal box. Instead, when you get older, it’s all about balanced diets and drinking coffee in your car on the way to work. However, as we discovered on a nondescript, dreary Monday morning, time travel can be made possible when Cereal Killer Café opened in Kuwait. And coupled with a magical delivery app, we were transported back to our childhood days in a matter of an hour or so. The Cereal Killer Café menu is surprisingly vast in comparison to its pioneering location in the UK, offering an impressive selection of savory sandwiches! From tandoori chicken wraps to a classic grilled cheese with brioche, an egg sandwich and a turkey ham on toast, we were beyond intrigued. So naturally, into the cart you go! 116

Cereal Cocktails were aplenty, and the child in each of us was bursting with excitement upon selecting our ideal concoctions. Our resident Cereal Killer Café expert decided to try out her UK go-to, whimsically named “Unicorn Poop” to see if it would deliver the same promise of deliciousness and sugary glee. Another coworker decided to acknowledge the nod to local culture the franchise had immersed itself into, by ordering the Saffron and Rahash offering. The cereal orders were topped off with the Sticky Monkey, ordered by our most adventurous sampler in the office: known for taste-testing the intricate offerings in most of our Eats In ventures. I, on the other hand, opted for a yogurt parfait, dubbed “Berries,” leaving my childhood fantasies behind. Still, my order was brimming with nostalgia of a different kind. It satiated my first year of university addiction to yogurt parfaits from the dining hall. So in a way, it still counts! Once the food arrived, we were super excited. The sandwiches are crafted with respect to classic comfort food and paid great attention to detail toward achieving what its build had promised. Take the Grilled Cheese Club; an ever-so-cheesy grilled cheese on brioche made with both cheddar and Emmental. One bite of this automatically hit the spot in the coziest way possible. And the Smoked Turkey Ham? With its unbeatable infusion of the killer cheese combo, you’ll be glad to know that your favorite sandwich resides in this quirky establishment. But wait, there’s a twist! All the sandwiches came topped off with a helping of cornflakes. We were happy to find

that the cornflake touches have been altered to act as crisps to our sandwich options. As for the cereals? They’re as fun as the menu promises! Each one delivering a sugar-rush with an exciting compilation of flavors, in addition to a CerealKiller selected milk to compliment the dish. The ravedabout “Unicorn Poop” cereal featured Ricicles, party rings, Marshmallow Fluff and 100's&1000's paired with whole milk. And yes, it completely lived up to its UK counterpart. The Sticky Monkey, featuring toffee crisp cereal, banana, whipped cream and crushed digestive, was complimented with a nice jug of banana milk, and delivered a jungle of flavors that were made to satisfy. And the grand finale, the cereal to end all cereals, The Saffron and Rahash: a pleasantly surprising local touch to the signature Lion cereal. With coco caramel Shreddies and Rolos, Cereal Killer Café’s addition of chunks of rahash and saffron-infused milk had Kuwait’s local and exciting tastes explode with every bite. Overall, we loved the experience! While it’s totally worth paying the Cereal Killer Café a visit – even if it’s just to try out their milkshakes! – we definitely had had our fun in the comfort of our office and regret nothing. Eventually reality kicked back in and we returned to our desks, like the adults that we are – but with a bit of a sugar-high. Cereal Killer Café is located in Kuwait City, on Ahmed Al Jaber Street. Follow them on Instagram @cerealkillercafekw.

boccini

NOW ON

Soku - The Avenues Tel: 22200669

bocciniKW

MILANO BY THE SEA

Lovely lunches at Piccola Milano

By bazaar staff

Walking through the scenic Marina Waves complex makes you feel like you’re on a boat perched atop the azure blue Arabian Gulf. And what better way to satisfy appetites accommodated by leisurely strolls beneath the salty sea air than some light and luscious Italian fare? Around the corner is a staircase leading up to the gorgeous second level of Marina Waves, where you’ll find the rustic terrace of Piccola Milano – Kuwait’s answer to Milanese hospitality, ready to serve you with the best of the best. Find yourself at Piccola Milano on a lovely spring day, and you’ll want to lounge in their modern terrace boasting clean minimalism melded with luxury-meets-rustic clean touches; but during unbearable hotter months, the cool interior offers a similar atmosphere in a well air-conditioned space. Quaint Italian music whimsically plays on the surrounding speakers of the restaurant, and walls are lined with jars and bottles of Italian products that are used: from pesto, to sauce, to olive oil – all of which are offered for purchase. So far, it’s clear that we are going to form a great friendship with this place. As we are handed a deconstructed menu, printed on two single sheets of cardboard paper (a larger one for entrees and appetizers and a smaller one for drinks and desserts) we glance excitedly while taking mental notes of the food we’re most excited to consume. But first, a lovely drink to quench our thirst under the pleasantly warm sun! One classic lemonade and a pink lemonade later, along with a chilled bottle of Acqua Panna at our table, we’re ready for lunch. We start off with an Insalate Spinacci, some Parmigiana for our Antipasti, and share three main courses for the ultimate experience. We choose a Pasta Gondola, classic pizza Fresca, and as recommended by chef Fulvio himself, the brand new Burgero – the Italian take on an all-American favorite. Our salad arrives, and appears as described on the menu – comprising of baby spinach leaves, crispy goat’s cheese, walnuts, and a tangy vinaigrette. The Goat’s cheese, in ball form, was quite possibly the best thing we’d ever tasted. Pro tip: layer a bit of spinach, goat’s cheese and walnut onto your fork and take a bite. The combination mixed with the tartness of the citronette dressing will explode your palate and exceed all expectations you might’ve had upon ordering. 118

Taste buds warmed up and happy, it’s time to move onto our appetizer: Parmigiana. Whoever came up with the term “appetizer” was obviously thinking about this sweet little dish, because from presentation to taste, it was sincerely appetite whetting. Made up of the holy grail of anything delicious in Italian cuisine; cheese, tomato sauce and basil; this mini variation of an Eggplant Parmesan dish was definitely the star of the show and a strong indicator of the goodness to come. But don’t be fooled by its size: this dish is definitely meant for sharing in quantity, but its richness isn’t hard on the stomach and promises room for more delicious food.

Onto the burger, which was made with a quality cut of US Angus beef, and perfectly complimented its accompanying build of cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, Parmesan, arugula and a delicious spread of homemade basil pesto. Sandwiched between Piccola’s freshly baked ciabatta bread offered a unique twist to the burger making it an experience like you’ve never had before – and its size is ideal for sharing, or for solitary indulgence, depending on your mood. But let me warn you about its delicious fried cube potatoes, innocently sitting at the side in a whimsical mini-frying pan. Not

only is this presentation extremely exciting, but the potatoes themselves are so addictive that wandering hands had to be slapped away so that everybody could get a taste. And that pizza – what symphonies could be orchestrated about everybody’s favorite comfort food? With a gorgeously floured and blackenedon-the-bottom crust, along with a mélange of fresh cherry tomatoes, olives, fresh mozzarella and a garnish of fresh basil, you’re transported to the terrazzos of Milan with each bite, leisurely enjoying pizza on a lovely spring afternoon. Trust us when we say that the closer to the crust you travel, the better it gets, and the crust is truly the best part! So crust abandoners, you don’t know what you’re missing out on. Then comes the masterpiece of all main courses, the Gondola. Created with a nod to Italian culture, Piccola reimagines the presentation of a comforting pasta dish consisting of spicy Italian sausage, tomato sauce and peppers in a hollowed-out eggplant shell made to resemble a Venetian rowboat. Visually pleasing and delicious, this was yet another dish we couldn’t help put constantly pick at, and offered a medley of sweet, savory and spicy flavors to wrap up our flavorful dining experience that served Italy’s finest. But just when we thought our waistlines were safe, we were proven wrong with dolci. After lots of coaxing from the chef in true Nonna style, we were gifted two desserts to end our Piccola lunch on a sweet note. Traditional Panna Cotta, a creamy and gelatinous dessert with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries throughout. It also featured sneaky biscuit crumbs that only made each bite of this lovely dessert more enjoyable. And of course, we couldn’t forget to discover and comment on another pro-tip; the important role the tangy fresh raspberry plays on the contrasting taste of the creamy, sweet Panna Cotta. Then, with the second (yes, we’re spoiled, we know) dessert – our lives were changed. The Biscotto reminded us what makes us love our job this much, and what makes discovering all these restaurants worth it. Let us paint you a picture: imagine a peanut butter and chocolate cookie, stuffed with Italy’s greatest gift to the world, Nutella. Now, imagine this huge Nutellafilled cookie cut in half, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on the side, seasoned with a sprig of mint. Yes, it was heaven, and it was definitely the favorable way to end our afternoon. On that note, we’ll take a lovely cup of espresso, please!

Piccola Milano has four different locations, call ahead for reservations today: The Avenues (2259 7222), Alhamra (2227 0303), Sea View (2372 0902), Marina Waves (2224 4525). Follow them on Insagram @piccolamilano_kw for more information. 119

KINGDOME GETS SLOPPY Kuwait’s take on a classic Joe

By Ashley Alleluya

I'm surprised to learn that the latest burger place I headed over to review, Sloppy Moe’s, is by no means new. "We've been setting up our food stand at places like Qout market for about three years now," Moe, one of the owners told me. "It's this location that is new; we received such good feedback from customers that we're finally giving Sloppy Moe's a base." Burgers so delicious they demand to be elevated from stand to store? This I had to taste. So I took my appetite to the soft opening of Sloppy Moe's on a sometimes windy, sometimes rainy Saturday evening. It is terribly easy to walk right past Sloppy Moe's and miss it, as I almost did. Owned by Khaled Zawawi, Mohammed J. Abuhakmeh (also known as Monstariam, the graffiti artist) and Hassan Kamrul, Sloppy Moe's is a hole-in-the-wall burger stop wedged between a coffee shop and a beauty store in the heart of the business district on Oman Street in Kuwait City. What may catch your attention is a large black door with a man peeking from a window, ready to take your order and serve up your burger. With a small collection of unfussy tables outside, Sloppy Moe's seems to have positioned itself as a grab-and-go burger joint – perfect for the work crowd it is looking to target. I had two choices for the night – in both cases a beef burger, either in the original recipe or the spicy variation. I chose the spicy burger and a soda to go along with it. There are no fries, onion rings or side orders of any kind to distract from the burger experience. As with their food offerings, Sloppy Moe's keeps it simple on the drinks front too; only burgers and fizzy drinks so the meat gets your undivided attention. I was also curious at the lack of vegetarian options – "That's the point of Sloppy Moe’s," Moe laughs. "Our burgers are all meat, for those who love meat." They also have chicken burgers on the menu served on nights when the beef takes a break. "We want people to come on different days and find different options," he continues. It's the Sloppy Moe's packaging that first caught my eye. This is a sturdy black box that would easily survive a tumble or two in your car. Inside was a decent sized burger, loosely packed meat slopped in a bright pink bun with cheese and the special inhouse sauce. "I've tested this burger so thoroughly over the past few years that I can tell you it holds up in taste even after thirty minutes," Moe said with a proud smile. So I take his word for it and let my burger rest while a friend seated next to me chomps down burger after burger with happy sighs. 120

Twenty minutes later, I cave in. The bun was soft, delightfully so, and blankets the meat in perfect balance with every bite. The meat itself was seasoned well and cooked to melt-in-yourmouth perfection. When I heard the word spicy, I was prepared to chug down my soda for relief, but I needn't have worried. Mildly spicy, the sauce, though absolutely delicious, had slightly sweet undertones and could have been used just a touch more generously. What I loved about the burger was its lightness – not a greasy or messy affair and does not leave you feeling stuffed. You could easily try one of each option without the dangers of a food coma. Even before my burger arrived and long after I'd wolfed it down, I heard the rave reviews around me. From the softness of the pink bun to the perfection of the meat, everyone had only nice things to say about the Sloppy Moe's offerings. Unanimous praise is rare, and when a number of people can find different things to appreciate in the same item, you know you have a winner on your hands.

"We have worked hard on this recipe and have more in store," Moe confides. "I want people to think of Sloppy Moe's as the place to get a good burger at a decent price within minutes." They've certainly made a solid start. In the current competitive burger market, Sloppy Moe's has a vibe and recipe that is bold, confident and most importantly, yummy. At KD 1.750 for a regular beef burger and KD 2.000 for the cheese option, these beauties will definitely have you coming back for more sloppy goodness. Sloppy Moe’s is located in Kuwait City, off of SoMu in the Aqarat Building. Make sure you follow them on Instagram for all the latest happening and working hours @SloppyMoes. Originally published on www.kingdome.co. You can follow Kingdome on Facebook and Soundcloud @KingdomeMagazine, Instagram @Kingdome.co, Twitter @KingdomeCo and on YouTube: Kingdome Magazine. Photography by Khaled Al Zawawi.

‫‪hatay sofrasi‬‬

‫ﺳﻤﻚ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻠﺢ‬

‫ﺳﻤﻚ ﺳﻴﺒﺎس اﻟﺘﺮﻛﻲ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺒﺤﺮ اﻻﺑﻴﺾ اﻟﻤﺘﻮﺳﻂ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺘﺒﻞ ﺑﺎﻟﺒﻬﺎرات اﻟﺨﺎﺻﺔ وﺣﺸﻮة اﻻﻋﺸﺎب اﻟﻄﺎزﺟﺔ‪،‬‬ ‫و ﻳﺘﻢ ﺗﺤﻀﻴﺮه ﺑﻄﺮﻳﻘﺔ ﻫﺎﺗﺎي اﻟﺘﻘﻠﻴﺪﻳﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻔﺮن ﻟﻤﺪة ‪ ٥٠‬دﻗﻴﻘﺔ‬ ‫@ﻳﺠﺐ أن ﻳﺘﻢ اﻟﻄﻠﺐ ﻣﺴﺒﻘﺎ ﺑـ ‪ ٥٠‬دﻗﻴﻘﺔ‬

‫@ ﻟﻠﺤﺠﺰ واﻻﺳﺘﻌﻼم‬

‫ﻣﺘﻮﻓﺮ ﻋﻠﻰ‬

AN ELEVATED CHOICE

Good food that is organic, sustainable, and always fresh!

By bazaar staff

There is a growing movement in Kuwait, rightfully celebrated, to offer foodies the choice between regular or organic food options. But what if customers could only choose products made purely from organic, free-range or premium ingredients? This was the goal when Elevation Burger was first conceptualized in 2002. Elevation Burger was founded by a driving passion for good food that is organic, sustainable and fresh. In a crowded marketplace, Elevation Burger continues to stand out with core values determining a constant focus on delivering high quality ingredients where the farm to plate ethos is palpable. Elevation Burger likes to partner with local farms to provide most of the fresh vegetables that accompany the burgers. You can safely eat the organic produce confident in the knowledge that they were grown using the best farming practices. 122

You can feel Elevation Burger's values as soon as you walk into any of their locations. Starting with the greetings you get from the smiling employees, to the way in which they can advise you on your elevation experience. Step into the Elevation Burger at Al-Seif in the city and you will see crate packaging recycled as decorative ornaments and stamped “100% USDA approved.” To have a clearer understanding of what this significant stamp of quality means, products have to be 95% free of additives, synthetic pesticides, antibiotics and hormone free to be certified organic. The topquality Halal Australian organic beef sourced for Elevation Burger and ground on the premises daily, comes from livestock with access to year-round, free-range grazing and so is naturally high in vitamins. Research has shown that that there are further benefits to eating beef that is exclusively grass-fed. A patty has less than half the fat, less saturated fat, 100 calories fewer than the same size of an ordinary burger, and triple the amount of Omega 3s! We’ll have the double, please! If you’re craving that double-patty satiety

and want to feel even happier about your burger choice, then Elevation Burger has created the perfect option. With the half the guilt burger there are still two hand molded patties, one beef and the other vegetarian which is packed full of organic grains and vegetables. You can go even further and wrap all this deliciousness up in an organic lettuce leaf, instead of the appropriately sized potato bun, but there’s no name ventured here to indicate how much more guilt you’ll alleviate with this option! Elevation Burger aims to be more than just a burger restaurant. It is a philosophy and a vision to offer authentic and sustainably prepared food that is better for both you and the environment. Fresh and flavorful food made from the highest quality ingredients. The way in which the food is prepared is also considered with goodness in mind. The freshly cut fries which are locally sourced are cooked only in heart healthy olive oil, giving them that pleasant crunch and a delightful, healthful taste. Although the cooking process itself may create

waste, Elevation Burger has found a way to reinvest that produced waste oil as energy. This environmentally responsible company sees waste as a valuable resource, so once used the cooking olive oil is donated for conversion into plant based biodiesel. The use of this type of fuel is better for the atmosphere and the environment and increasing in popularity globally. When it comes to sustainability itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only the food production that the business concerns itself with. The friendly and inviting Elevation Burger outlets are also built using sustainable materials such as the renewable bamboo flooring that you can see featured across all the Elevation Burger branches. Each Elevation Burger restaurant meets the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. Even though each of the 8 branches meet the same exacting standards of food production, design, cleanliness and well trained staff, each branch has its own unique characteristic to add to the overall Elevation experience. For example, if you have young children and you want a better food-choice to give them their energy to run around and enjoy themselves, the Discovery branch is ideal. Al-Bidaa is where you can find gluten-free buns and Al-Seif has the locally sourced organic breakfast. Al-Seif has also become a hub for teaching young children about caring for the environment, and celebrating artistic endeavors within the community to give back to local creatives and their valued customers. What we love about all locations though, is their shared ethos of becoming closer to the community by providing accessible branches that serve up Elevation Burgerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing offerings throughout Kuwait. You can catch Elevation Burger on tour as they bring their vision to university students in Kuwait, setting up a temporary mobile stall on campuses and continuing to strive to bring to you high quality food. Also, a recent partnership with Carriage will allow Elevation Burger to deliver food in the freshest form as quickly as possible! This move alone is representative of Elevation Burger's commitment and goals towards their customers to help them make better food choices. Not only is Elevation Burger available with its amazing locations, but they are also now even closer with their new delivery service and partnership with Carriage.

Elevation Burger can be found at The Avenues, Al Hamra Luxury Center, West Mishref, Al-Bidaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;a, Menus in Abu Halifa, Qortuba, Discovery Mall, AlSeif. For more information, follow Elevation Burger on Instagram @elevationkw or visit www.elevationburger.com. 123

bazaar apps

BARD

FOCUS TIMER REBORN

CORNERFLY

HANGOUTS MEET

ENERGY BAR

IQBOXY

Bard is a cool little app. It lets you find YouTube videos, cut them up, and make fun little clips that you can share on various social media sites. The app includes a variety of pre-selected videos which helps you to learn how to use it. At any time, you can add other YouTube videos as well. Ones that you add will also be accessible to other users. It's not the most amazing thing ever, but it's a fun way to make a few clips that could bring some humor to some and waste some time, plus it's free to download with no in-app purchases.

Cornerfly is a customization app. It basically cuts off the corners of your phone and rounds them up, similar to what you'd see on the LG G6. Ironically, this app actually works well on the G6 too. The basic features are free to use but there are additional options such as different corner sizing available if you go pro. Going pro also removes the advertising, which is standard with free to paid apps. It doesn't do much in terms of functionality, however, it's a fun customization tool if you're looking for something different.

Just like Cornerfly, Energy Bar is another Android customization app. This one allows you to display your battery on top of your status bar. That way, you can easily see how much you have left. You can configure it so that it's a small bar at the top, or for those who buy the full version, can use their entire status bar. As well as the size, you'll be able to customize things like the colors of the bar. It's not an essential app to own, but it's great for themers who want to try something different.

Focus Timer Reborn is a productivity app for Android devices. It works by helping you time the parts of your workday where you're productiveâ&#x20AC;Śand you can set the work timer for as long as you want. When it goes off, you set the break timer so you don't dilly dally. The general idea is to help you stay on track and be as productive as possible without burning yourself out. It'll also keep a log so you can track how you've been doing. It's free to download and use so it's worth a shot if you've been slacking at work lately.

Google is slowly stretching Hangouts into its own suite of business oriented communication apps and Hangouts Meet is one of those apps. It's a video chatting app that lets you join meetings and conference calls. You can use the video function or disable the video portion and just use your voice. It supports up to 30 participants, integrates with Google Calendar, and more. You can join meetings as you please, but you'll need a G Suite account to make full use of the features. The app itself is free to download.

IQBoxy is an expense management app and, as you can imagine, it helps you track expenses. It features OCR support to help you digitize your receipts for future reference and can be an essential tool for tax season, especially for freelancers and those who need to keep track of things for deductions. It also has a simple, Material Design interface. The app also boasts no humans behind the curtain so there is no one reading your receipts when you scan them. It won't replace large expense tracking suites, but it's a great tool to augment them.

tomsguide.com androidauthority.com 124

MAC

TRIANGLE AT DOHA’S THE PEARL

Local Kuwaiti concept Triangle takes on the Qatari dining scene By bazaar staff

From the alleys of Kuwait City’s Salhiya neighborhood to the glimmering Venetian-inspired canals of Qatar’s The Pearl Canal Quartier, local Kuwaiti dining gem Triangle Restaurant is making waves in Qatar’s emerging dining scene. Recently opening its doors to Qatari diners in a bespoke setting, this step for Triangle Restaurant solidifies Kuwait’s everevolving culinary landscape and its ambitions. 126

What should we expect from Triangle’s Qatari rendition? More than anything, avid foodies who aren’t familiar with Triangle Restaurant from Kuwait will be introduced to the concept’s amazing spirit that people in Kuwait have grown to love since 2010, which is Triangle’s ethos of promoting happiness and togetherness. This contemporary dining concept combines modern flair with fine touches of elegance that are experienced throughout every aspect of the restaurant. Now seven years later, Triangle’s opening in Qatar marks a milestone for creativity and innovating the culinary scene for Kuwait and the region. It all began with a small business

in Kuwait growing, evolving and succeeding in presenting a hard working philosophy, originality in menu development and creative concept design. When it comes to the actual space, Triangle at The Pearl boasts an expansive location, with an on-site bakery and gorgeous fire grill to serve up delicious dishes —all under the modern, geometric inspired design that pays homage to the restaurant’s name. The combination of abstract, geometric triangle shapes in varying sizes that are inlaid with intricate wood carvings can be enjoyed throughout the restaurant from the walls to the ceilings, really bringing the

concept to life. Still keeping true to its spirit, customers can chill out in a cozy yet refined atmosphere while listening to the restaurant’s uplifting music that’s perfect to gather your friends and family over a meal that will bring you even closer together. When it comes to food, Triangle knows how to deliver the best of the best to your taste buds – and their new location in Doha only takes it to the next level when it comes to Americancuisine inspired favorites that are creatively presented. Triangle’s menu offerings are fun and cater to all of your cravings. Appetizers are vast and include creature comforts such as Buffalo Shrimps and stuffed mushrooms, and delicious Italian Nachos made with parmesan and Alfredo. But something we highly recommend would be their Smoked Jar Fries! Served in a little ramekin and overflowing with the most beautiful cheese-pull you’ve ever seen, this hot plate of goodness is the perfect way to gift your stomach with a preview of the delicious food you’re about to consume. Salads are also aplenty at Triangle Doha, and are made fun with each creation – because who said salads should be boring? With Triangle’s salads, you can have the best of both worlds by tucking into their array of offerings: from Steak and Potato to Mexican, all on a bed of healthy greens. Just don’t forget to pair that perfect crunch with refreshing sips of a pomegranate Mojito! When it comes to pasta, we can all agree that it is easily a regional favorite comfort food, and just like they do in Kuwait, Qatar’s Triangle pours its soul into the staple. Putting the heart in heartwarming, the menu offers a range of lovely pastas to enjoy, taking every possible craving into consideration. Do you love “Pink Pasta”? Then Rosa’s your go-to! Risotto fan? Shrimp Risotto it is! But to us, the most impressive has to be the newly offered and refined Lobster Mac and Cheese – because we believe that the best way to improve the celebrated classic dish is by adding the sweet lobster meat. At Triangle, burgers, sliders and satisfying sandwiches are what you should be sinking your teeth into. You can't help but fall in love with those triangle-shaped buns! We also encourage you to try a different protein– their famous Shot The Ribs short ribs dish prepared with coffee for a delicious flavor profile. We don’t know what it is they do to get these short ribs so tender, juicy, sweet, tangy and smoky all at once, but all we can say is that placing the pulled meat on top of a crisp slice of homemade bread makes for a magical meal. As for dessert, Triangle Restaurant will always win your heart over with their amazing specialties like their hot cheesecake and superbly famous freak shake! If you’re visiting Qatar soon, make sure you pop by the beautiful Triangle restaurant at the prestigious The Pearl to not only celebrate amazing food, but also an important Kuwaiti milestone.

Find Triangle Restaurant at No.18, Souq Al Medina Centrale, The Pearl, Doha, Qatar. Triangle Restaurant Kuwait is located in Jawhara Tower, Ali AlSalem St., Salhiya, Kuwait City. For more information call 5083 8483 or get social on Instagram at @Triangle.kw. 127

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PAVLOK HABIT-BREAKING DEVICE

FUORIPISTA EXERCISE BIKE

BANG & OLUFSEN BEOSOUND SHAPE SPEAKER

MARK LEVINSON NO.515 TURNTABLE

TOYOTA HILUX TONKA CONCEPT

STANLEY MODEL 1 3D PRINTER

Whether it's biting your nails, smoking, or procrastinating at work, we all have bad habits we'd like to break. The Pavlok Habit-Breaking Device is here to help. The wearable device pairs with your phone via an app and allows you to pick your specific bad habit. Their software can recognize whether you're pulling up to the drive-thru or letting your emails pile up. Once caught, Palvok will give you a smack on the hand by way of vibration, beeps, or zaps. The company even claims that their gadget's take on negative association can break most bad habits in as little as five minutes a day for five days.

Developed in collaboration with VPI, the Mark Levinson No.515 Turntable is the storied audio brand's first record player. It's built around a 20-pound aluminum platter, connected via a triple belt drive system to a high-torque motor mounted on a separate chassis and housed in an isolated enclosure. The main chassis is made from a sandwich of vinyl-wrapped MDF and aluminum that sits on vibration-damping feet, and the customdesigned record weight and platter mat further help eliminate all unwanted vibrations and instability.

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After lending their design expertise to the world of indoor table games with their beautiful ping pong, pool, and foosball tables, Adriano Design is ready to tackle home exercise equipment. The Fuoripista Exercise Bike is the fruit of their labor and is a piece that would look more comfortable in a museum than it would in a gym. Constructed using wood, glass, and polished chrome, it also includes a stand for your tablet to track rides or entertain during a workout. The bike's first destination is SaloneSatellite: an event that showcases work from some of the best young designers in the world.

Big, off-road trucks are already in many ways toys for adults. The Toyota Hilux Tonka Concept takes this idea literally. Inspired by the Tonka trucks of our youth, it's decked out in a branded black-andyellow livery, with a 2.8-litre four cylinder turbo-diesel engine under the hood. An increased ride height offers extra ground clearance, and the heavy-duty suspension handles harsh terrain with aplomb. It also has off-road LED lighting, a tubular frame in the bed to hold gear like fuel cans, a fire extinguisher, an ax, and a shovel, and 35-inch tires.

Designed to hang on your wall, the BeoSound Shape Speaker is far more than a single speaker. The modular system incorporates as many as 44 individual speakers, as well as optional integrated acoustic damper tiles that can improve the sound from any source in any room you place them in. It handles incoming streams via Chromecast, AirPlay, and Bluetooth, and of course, it also plays nice with the company's other Multiroom components for a whole-house audio experience. Available in a variety of fabric covers, including exclusive wools from Kvadrat, it can be adapted to match your style.

At its most basic, a 3D printer is just another tool. A tool that can make other tools, but still, a tool. So the Stanley Model 1 3D Printer makes perfect sense. This compact desktop printer can create objects up to 200 mm x 200 mm x 185 mm in size, and automatically loads and unloads its filament using refillable cartridges. You can control operation from your computer or via the 5-inch built-in touchscreen, and monitor the process via the built-in webcam. It's easy enough for a beginner and powerful enough for experienced users.

Source: www.uncrate.com

pinkberry

@PinkberryME /PinkberryMiddleEast

COOL DOWN WITH KARAK GHOLAM Summer’s hottest flavors have arrived!

By bazaar staff

Whenever we hear the word Karak, we automatically conjure up images of cold nights spent cozily under a blanket sipping on some warming Karak tea. As delicious and snug as a mug of Karak is, it’s a very difficult tea to master. It might be too bland, too bitter, too strong – you get the idea. So during the harsh winter months, we always head to our favorite eatery for a light meal and a delicious brew of milky Karak! But as the summer is nigh – we’re in search for something cooler. And at Karak Gholam, they’ve got just the thing! For a while now, Karak Gholam connoisseurs have enjoyed the summer version of Karak tea through a deliciously cool Iced version of the same. Just as creamy and flavorful, the once 130

exclusively hot beverage sees the light in the summer heat as a refreshing iced drink. But what caught our attention amid all the drinks, Hamsas, Pavs and Chapatis, Karak Gholam have reintroduced their Rose Falooda drink and also introduced three new flavors of ice cream, one of which is straight up Karak. You read that right, there’s a new sheriff in town. Creamy, deliciously decadent soft serve now has a new flavor profile, and we love it! But we’ll get to the ice cream in a minute as we explore the Rose Falooda Drink a little further. Originally an Indian dessert made with ice cream, fresh and dried fruits, basil leaves and rose petals – the Rose Falooda is a refreshing way to end any meal. But looking to their ethos, the ingenious people behind Karak Gholam decided to make it easily enjoyed on the go. It doesn’t take more than one look at their menu to notice that everything from their Chapati wraps and Pavs to their Hamsas are meant to be enjoyed as you go about your day. Not needing a second to

pause to consume anything, Karak Gholam cater to the busy bee running about their day. So when they created the Rose Falooda Drink, it was only natural to make it easy to consume without the mess. Served as a fun, refreshing twist on the original dessert, the Rose Falooda Drink is ice blended with basil seeds and rose petals giving it the iconic bright pink color without losing flavor. An incredible way to cool down in this heat, if you ask us! Still, there’s nothing quite like ice cream when it comes to keeping you refreshed and summer ready. So Karak Gholam decided to recreate their star – Karak Tea – into a heat-friendly delicious dessert, ice cream. The ice cream is soft serve as you’ve never seen it before with three flavors on offer: Karak, Vanilla and Karak Vanilla Mix.. Taking on the traditional chocolate, vanilla and Choco-vanilla mix soft-serve machines, the good people at Karak Gholam gave it their very own twist with these new flavors. Sampling the new Karak flavor will surely have you saying

“Chocolate? Chocolate who?” in no time! As for the vanilla: Forget everything you know about vanilla soft serve, because Karak Gholam have taken it to a whole new level. Using real vanilla bean in the mix, the soft and silky vanilla acts as a wonderful base to any of their eight different toppings. Taste testing all eight of their toppings to ensure that they go with each of their ice cream offerings was no chore. And the results were fantastic! You can add them on either in one-spoon portions or three-spoon portions, and trust us you’ll want to go for the three. The toppings created are: Chocolate hazelnut Rock, Creamy Cashew, Lemon Biscuits, American Cheesecake, Chocolaty hazelnut, Otto Caramel, Creamy & Crispy, and Chocolate Wafer. While the ice cream is fabulously sweetened to perfection, the toppings will only enhance the flavor profiles and never leave you with an overpowering sugar high. Volunteering as tribute, this bazaarite tried all three ice cream flavors and taste tested three toppings – naturally.

For my first bowl, I went for the Karak ice cream. I was completely blown away by the Karak-ness of it! Creamy and glorious, the ice cream on its own is an absolute hit in my books. But I just had to try it with a topping and went for the Creamy Cashew which gave it a welcomed crunch that only enhanced the flavor of the Karak. How did they make it? Simple! They literally just used their own Karak recipe to create this iced delicacy that you can now enjoy with a spoon. My second bowl was the Karak Vanilla Mix with the American Cheesecake topping. It was perfection. The cheesecake topping was so spot on it transformed the ice cream into, well, a proper cheesecake! And lastly, the Vanilla with Lemon Biscuits. I was rendered speechless for a few seconds as I collected my thoughts about this creation. Simply put, it was sunshine in a cup. Lemony, sweet and subtle, the Lemon Biscuits created a wonderful new light to see the vanilla with. And as far as deliveries go – because we just had to ask. The ice creams are currently only available in-store but soon enough, you’ll be able

to order them to the location of your choosing either via Talabat or by contacting them directly. Karak Gholam will be providing portions of 8 or 14 servings with 6 toppings of your choosing. We absolutely can’t wait!

Keep your eyes open for all of Karak Gholam’s creations as Ramadan approaches! Enjoy their ice creams and more at any of their four locations in Hawalli, Salmiya, Sharq and Murouj! Follow them on Instagram @KarakGholam for more information. 131

bazaar movie night

The latest from the big screen playing in cinemas across Kuwait in May

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2

THE ZOOKEEPERS WIFE

KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD

SNATCHED

THE VOID

ALIEN: COVENANT

Release Date: May 4th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Action/Sci-Fi Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista Synopsis: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team's adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fanfavorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes' aid.

Release Date: May 11th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Action/Comedy Cast: Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn, Joan Cusack Synopsis: In this modern take of the classic ‘buddy’ movie and after her boyfriend dumps her on the eve of their exotic vacation, impetuous dreamer Emily Middleton (Amy Schumer) persuades her cautious mom, Linda (Goldie Hawn),to travel with her to paradise. Polar opposites, Emily and Linda soon realize that working through their differences as mother and daughter is the only way to escape the wildly outrageous jungle adventure that they have fallen into.

Release Date: May 4th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Biography/Drama/History Cast: Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Bruhl Synopsis: In 1939, the Warsaw Zoo flourishes under Dr. Jan Zabinski's stewardship and his wife, Antonina Zabinski's care. When their country is invaded by the Nazis, Jan and Antonina are forced to report to the Reich's newly appointed chief zoologist, Lutz Heck. The Zabinskis covertly begin working with the Resistance to save the lives of hundreds from what has become the Warsaw Ghetto.

Release Date: May 18th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Horror Cast: Ellen Wong, Kathleen Munroe, Kenneth Welsh Synopsis: The Void is heavily inspired by classic B movie horror titles. When police officer Carter (Aaron Poole) discovers a blood-soaked man limping down a deserted road, he rushes him to a local hospital with a barebones, night shift staff. As cloaked, cultlike figures surround the building, the patients and staff inside start to turn ravenously insane. Trying to protect the survivors, Carter leads them into the depths of the hospital where they discover a gateway to immense evil.

Release Date: May 11th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Katie McGrath, Hermione Corfield Synopsis: When young Arthur's father is murdered, Vortigern (Jude Law), Arthur's uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down, and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy whether he likes it or not.

Release Date: May 18th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller Cast: Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, James Franco Synopsis: Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, members (Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup) of the colony ship Covenant discover what they think to be an uncharted paradise. While there, they meet David (Michael Fassbender), the synthetic survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition. The mysterious world soon turns dark and dangerous when a hostile alien life-form forces the crew into a deadly fight for survival.

For more details on movie timings and the cinema nearest you, visit: Cinescape: www.cinescape.com.kw or Facebook: Cinescape – Kuwait National Cinema Company. *Above programs are subject to change without prior notice. 132

nestle

NestleCafeKwt

NestleCafeKw

bazaar around town

JIMMY CHOO SPRING/ SUMMER 2017 COLLECTION The inspiration for the Spring/ Summer 2017 collection is brought to life by photographer Dan Jackson with a bold set design realized by Shona Heath that features enlarged hand-painted florals. The larger-than-life canvases seduce with flora in sensuous tones of iris purple, icy blues and marigold oranges. Botanica comes to life with animation that calls attention to the graphic flora-inspired shoes and bags. Delicate straps entwine around the foot and the ankle, with intricate arrangement of layered leather petals becoming a decorative corsage for the foot. The play of Mirror Leather with vacchetta echo the colors and textures of the nature that inspires them. The upper of the Lolita is composed of 66 separate pieces which are intricately hand-stitched. Leather lined with a leather sole, this sandal is must have item. This evocative, landscape blooms for the Jimmy Choo Woman to explore together. Jimmy Choo is located at The Avenues and 360 Mall. For more information, please visit www.alyasra.com. SAVECO AND KUWAITI FOOD BANK LAUNCH THE CHARITY PROJECT Saveco and Kuwaiti Food Bank have recently announced the launch of a charity project that aims to help 5700 needy families. The project includes the start of a clothes bank, providing charity coupons and training courses at the specialized Food Academy at Saveco. Customers can buy clothes and put them in a dedicated box located after the cashier counters in stores to be distributed by the Kuwaiti Food House to needy families, along with the charity coupons initiative. The Food Academy training courses at Saveco Al-Rei and Al-Qurain will serve to help people learn how to cook in a healthy way, enabling a healthier lifestyle that is also in line with Saveco’s slogan ‘A Way of Life’. The Kuwaiti Food Bank Assistant CEO Mishael Al Ansari has revealed the "Food Feeding Project", where 25 KD charity coupons will be distributed for each needy family in order for them to have access to basic food items.The clothes banks will be located at Saveco AlRai and Al Qurain. To find out more about Saveco, visit their website www.saveco.com. CELEBRATE A MOMENT OF PRIDE AND JOY Choose from over 40 delicious flavors and add a personalized message to show how proud you are of your loved one’s achievements. Thank well-wishers or congratulate fellow classmates with Bridgewater Chocolate’s variety of delicious treats, including chewy caramels wrapped around a selection of nuts, a mix of milk and dark chocolates, buttery toffees and fruitbased treats, created to pleasure those with tropical taste buds. Gift favor boxes of mouthwatering Almond Toffees and Soft A’ Silk Caramels or celebrate a moment of happiness with a meaningful gift ranging from a 10 piece assortment to an extra-large 108 pc assortment box made up of hand-decorated and individually packed pieces. Bridgewater Chocolate will also be hosting an online competition. Participating students will get the chance to win especially customized favor boxes for their entire class. Bridgewater Chocolate is located at Grand Avenue -The Avenues. For more information, please follow them on Facebook and Instagram @BridgewaterChocolateME or call 2228 3806. LIFE, AS IT SHOULD BE Life with Cacao introduced their new menu a couple of months ago and it lives up to its own renowned taste, from the revamp of their first pioneering branch in 360 Mall to the never seen before new dishes, you have no choice but to embark on their exquisite life journey. Life with cacao is a place where all kind of age groups easily could enjoy the dining experience. They aim to please people looking to spoil themselves and their loved ones in a restaurant that reflects their social status. The crown symbolizes Life with Cacaos’ emblem; making you the king/ queen, and the menu your kingdom. Try imagining a Life without Cacao and you wouldn’t see it any other way. You can feel the passion, refinement and dazzlement in every detail looking around and digging into your plate. Life with Cacao is open from 9 am to 11 pm, with the breakfast menu available till noon. Find Life with Cacao at Grand Avenues, 360 Mall, Salhiya complex, The Promenade Mall and West Mishref COOP. ZAATAR W ZEIT, A LOVE STORY Blending the traditional and modern, you get to always leave wanting more, grabbing a bunch of your friends and coming back, again and again. Zaatar w Zeit is perceived as a breakfast place but it’s much more than that! They have it all, from appetizers to salads, pizzas, platters, desserts, light items – notice how their wraps were not cited because they’re too famous to talk about; the mighty kafta is to die for! They’re always looking ahead and evolving, hinting of a new upcoming menu here so keep track of its release and the expansion of new branches, Khairan is next, a perfect weekend destination with the perfect place to satisfy your cravings. Zaatar w Zeit is located at Marina Crescent, Cubes Mall, EMall, Shamiya, Avenues, West Mishref COOP, Menus and ending in the heart of AUM. Opening hours vary but you’re welcome from early morning till midnight.

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bazaar around town

SHAPEWEAR|SPRING/SUMMER 2017 – SHAPEWEAR THAT SCULPTS WITH STYLE Shape, sculpt and style - three keywords which lead this season's shapewear conversation. For SS17 Triumph’s offering is not only great fitting but perfectly smooths and enhances women’s bodies, with complete style. The collection is split into two new innovative series: Airy Sensation, Triumph’s new line of fashionable, lightweight and architectural pieces and, back by popular demand and in new colors, True Shape Sensation with its high-shaping capabilities. Both are confidence boosting, designed for a range of body types and sizes, and suitable for any occasion. Find The One that shapes and supports you and is stylish enough to show off. Airy Sensation and True Shape Sensation are shaping collections you can wear with pride. For more on Triumph, visit www.triumph.com or stores at The Avenues, Al Bairaq, Marina Mall and Promenade. Follow them on Instagram @triumpharabia for the latest updates. ‘HEART OF GOLD’ SPLASH LAUNCHES PERFUME LINE AVAILABLE FOR MEN AND WOMEN Splash, the home grown fast fashion retailer, has announced the launch of its Perfume & Bath and Body range titled ‘Heart of Gold.’ Unique interpretations of this exquisite smoky sensual ingredient result in fragrances that can only be described as LIQUID GOLD. Pure OUD for men is enrobed with exotic spices, peppercorns and nutmeg with classic woods of oak moss and patchouli to bring out its deep sensual personality. Black OUD for men is blended with the richest amber & leather accords wrapped around pure jasmine and warm incense, the exquisite scent of attraction. Pure Gold for women adds the precious saffron and it is placed together with fresh aroma of mandarin. Bright white flowers are paired with a hint of leather, which is wrapped in soft tones of vanilla and amber. White Gold for women combines the nectar of cassis, modern chypre blond oud and musk. ‘Heart of Gold’ is available across all Splash stores in Centrepoint and at Splash -The Avenues, Phase II and at Salam Mall- Salmiya. ABK’S FREEDOM MULTI-CURRENCY CARD Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait’s (ABK) Freedom Multi-Currency prepaid card offers travelers a simple and secure solution for payments when traveling abroad. The card offers 10 major currencies including Kuwaiti Dinars, US Dollars, Euros, British Pounds, KSA Riyals, UAE Dirhams, Bahraini Dinars, Qatari Riyals, Swiss Francs and Canadian Dollars. Travelers can now enjoy greater control over their finances and can potentially save money through the ability to lock in exchange rates at the time of purchase thus protecting against fluctuations in currency rates. The card is backed by MasterCard and is accepted at over two million ATM machines and 35 million other locations around the world. The Freedom Multi-Currency card is available for both ABK and non-ABK customers and provides several additional great benefits. This includes free travel insurance of up to USD 250,000, purchase and fraud protection, a dedicated online portal to access card account details, MasterCard Global Assistance Services and a wide range of special promotions from Priceless Arabia, the exclusive online offers website from MasterCard. For more information, please visit eahli.com or contact a customer service agent via ‘Ahlan Ahli’ at 189 9899. FATBURGER, THE BEST BURGER JOINT IN TOWN A good quality lean beef burger is all what you can feel when you have a bite from Fatburger. Since 1952, they've been serving many burger options that will surely satisfy your taste buds whether you are on diet or not. Yes! They serve a skinny burger and a lettuce wrap, you must check them out to know! You can also have real onion rings, simply one of the many amazing items you can enjoy having from Fatburger. The story behind the store name is based on the founder who wanted to convey the idea of a big burger with everything on it, hence a meal in and of itself. Introducing their new 1,000 Island Burger will transport you to a whole different experience. Have it at any of their branches with their rock/pop music and there you have it, a fully fledged Fatburger environment! Fatburger branches can be found in Jassem tower in Al-Soor St- Kuwait City & Cube mall in Salem AlMubarak St- Salmiya. Open from noon till midnight.

KARAK GHOLAM INTRODUCES AMAZING ICE CREAM FLAVORS Are you an Ice Cream addict? Summer is here and Karak Gholam the Famous Karak hub announced that they have introduced three different flavors of ice cream. The ice cream is soft serve with three unique flavors: Karak, Vanilla and Karak Vanilla Mix. Karak Gholam just used their own Karak beverage recipe to create this iced delicacy that you can now enjoy, they gave it their very own twist with these new flavors. On top of that they introduced eight different toppings to complement the ice cream that goes perfectly with each flavor to keep their customers craving it during the whole day! And if you’re eager to try it you can visit any of their 4 stores. Now Instead of drinking Karak tea, you can enjoy eating it! For more information please follow Karak Kholam on Instagram @KarakGholam.

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bazaar around town

SPECIAL EVENT CELEBRATES PORSCHE’S HISTORY OF CUSTOMIZATION Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, celebrated the brand’s heritage of exceptional customization with a special event held at the prestigious C Club. Commencing with a display of unique Porsche sport cars including the 911 Sport Classic and 911 Speedster, guests were invited to witness an unveiling of the 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Design Edition. Renowned for its craftsmanship, the Stuttgart based manufacturer has offered high-end factory-installed vehicle personalization under the Porsche Exclusive program for more than 30 years. The brand’s ability to give customers an almost infinite number of individualization choices, so long as the car’s safety is not compromised, is what sets its sports cars apart. Following their assembly, all vehicles are hand-finished on the Porsche Exclusive production line in Zuffenhausen. With each car, the customer receives a specially designed indoor cover as well as a photo album documenting the production process. Every photo book features the individual vehicle identification number (VIN). Powered by a turbocharged, three-litre, six-cylinder engine, the 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Design Edition produces 420 hp, with a torque output of 500 Nm. The modern classic of the range has been redefined further, with a special Etna Blue exterior derived from the 1960 and 1961 356 B (TS). The front spoiler, “Targa” logo on the wide bar and rear apron are all covered in the limited edition model’s trademark color. Porsche lettering, accentuated in White Gold Metallic is also featured along the side. Creating an eye-catching distinction are the black LED headlights at the front, along with the Targa bar, 20-inch RS Spyder wheels and decorative Porsche side logo. Meanwhile, delivering a dynamic contrast is the rear lid grille and quadruple sports tailpipes with their striking black finish. Inside, the cool hues continue thanks to Graphite Blue leather and decorative stitching detail in Provence Blue. The headrests of the adaptive Sports seats plus, with 18-way adjustment, feature the embossed Porsche crest. The interior’s comprehensive refinement also includes leather trim on the seat backrests, steering column casing, dashboard components and air nozzles. The door entry guards made from black, anodised stainless steel, are emblazoned with the name of the special model. A 911 Targa silhouette adorns the center console storage compartment, while the lettering “Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur” on the dashboard’s trim highlights the vehicle’s origin. To learn more about Porsche Exclusive, please visit www.porschekuwait.com or call 1870870. For regular updates on the brand, follow Porsche Centre Kuwait on Facebook and Instagram.

THE “UNDERWATER” ADVENTURES BEGIN AT KIDZANIA’S ‘KIDS FOR A GREENER WORLD’ ANNUAL PROGRAM! Running until May 13, children can enjoy fun “underwater” adventures at KidZania, where they will also be educated about the aquatic ecosystems and the importance of preserving them. Inspired by the Right to Care, one of children’s five rights guaranteed by KidZania, “Kids for a Greener World” focuses every year on different issues pertaining to the environment, to help children become more responsible towards the planet and contribute to creating a better world. The highly-anticipated “Kids for a Greener World” kicked-off this year in partnership with EQUATE in a fun aquatic theme about the fascinating “underwater” world. Children visiting KidZania during the duration of the program will get to immerse in a variety of water-inspired activities around the city - from finding hidden gems in an authentic shipwreck treasure hunt, to a magnificent 3D backlight adventure that is guaranteed to take them on an in-depth journey to the aquatic world. At an additional cost, children visiting KidZania during “Kids for a Greener World” can also benefit from the “Underwater Pass” which will enable them to enjoy more fun activities and maximize their experience. For more information on KidZania Kuwait, visit www.kidzania.com.kw or check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube @KidZaniaKuwait.

FEEL THE FUTURE: COLE HAAN LAUNCHES 2.ZERØGRAND Cole Haan, the iconic American lifestyle footwear and accessories brand and retailer, announced the launch of 2.ZERØGRAND – the next generation of ZERØGRAND, which debuted in July 2014. Featuring a 360 degree platform design that makes it the most advanced Grand product to date, 2.ZERØGRAND is the ultimate marriage of heritage, craftsmanship and functional performance engineering, created for an on-the-go city lifestyle. Designed to mimic the natural motion of the human foot, each element of 2.ZERØGRAND promotes flexibility and cushioning, rivaling top-ofthe-line running shoes. An anatomically contoured GRAND.ØS energy foam footbed cradles the foot for better weight distribution and cushioning, while airflow channels and moisturewicking material assist in keeping feet comfortable. Zonal tongue and achilles padding provide an additional buffer, generating ready-to-wear comfort from day one, while also protecting the most important parts of the foot. A zonal laser-cut brogue pattern on the vamp is a nod to the time-honored wingtip design, while also increasing flexibility. Visit Cole Haan at 360 mall, Mezzanine. For more information, call them on 2530 9808 or check them out on Instagram @colehaan.kw.

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cake shop

+965 66199354,55991377,95545160 thecakeshop_kuwait

+965 2491 5167 TheCakeShopOï¬&#x192;cial

www.thecakeshop.com.kw thecakeshopq8

bazaar around town

YOUNG AND ASSERTIVE: THE NEW AUDI Q2 TO MAKE ITS MARK IN KUWAIT At first glance the Q2 already shows its muscles. With broad shoulders and angular styling, it is brimming with energy and confidence. The low roofline and high window line give the sporty car a coupe-like look and a crouching stance on the road. Especially striking are the wedge-shaped headlights, the high position of the Singleframe grille and the generously sized air inlets. The rear body has a taut appearance with a long roof spoiler and a diffuser with an underbody protection look. Behind the tailgate is a large luggage compartment with lots of space for sports equipment or plenty of shopping items, a power opening and closing tailgate is available as an option. A practical feature is a through-loading facility in the rear bench seat that makes it easy to transport large items. The compact car is available at Audi Kuwait showroom represented by Fouad Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company. Starting price for the Audi Q2 is KWD 11,495. AL KOUT MALL EMBRACES THE SPIRIT OF RAMADAN This Holy Month, Souq Al Kout will be embracing the spirit of the season and wishing all its customers a joyous Ramdan. Al Kout is known for its creative and fun entertainment and leisure-based activities and for holding unique events throughout the year, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. This year is no exception. On the 9th and 10th of June Al Kout will host a series of Gergeaan activities for kids and "big-kids" alike. This funfor-all-the-family event will see kids in their traditional costumes enjoying their Gergeaan candies and treats. In addition, every night during the holy month Al Kout will be treating its customers with complementary coffee and dates at the "hospitality corner" at the ground level of the mall. You can visit Al Kout Mall at Fahaheel Coastal Road, or call them for more information on 2393 0101. MIDAS LAUNCHED ALL ITEMS SALE CAMPAIGN IN KUWAIT Midas has launched an all items sale campaign in Kuwait valid until May 25th. As expected, the campaign has massive appeal to customers, especially as the sale includes all furniture products and accessories without exception. The sale is the latest initiative from Midas aimed at strengthening its relationship with customers. Midas is creating the benchmark on providing value to customers while still maintaining its mission to inspire others with stylish, high-quality home furniture and accessories which offer excellent value for money. The campaign provides customers an opportunity to discover the latest collections both in the Modern and Classical style categories. The state of the art Midas showrooms display a large variety of bedrooms, sofa sets, recliners, kid’s furniture, and an extensive accessories collection of crockery, cutlery, lamps, wall art, flowers, vases, candles, bathroom accessories and interesting curiosities. This wide selection of unique styles is presented by Midas through exclusive partnerships with over 30 international brands. Midas is one of the largest furniture retailers in home and office furniture, with branches located throughout the GCC and Arab world. Follow them on Instagram @midasfurniture or call them on 188 8886. THE SECRET LIFE OF A QUEEN Transcend into the summer state of mind with ANOTAH’s new summer collection. A season to love; most importantly because of the holy month of Ramadan. Anotah this summer has kids, teens and ladies covered for every day and all occasions – be it beautiful outfits the whimsical details or bold outfits with shimmer, prints and colors. Add some edge to your ensemble this high season with mix of fabrics, metallic sheen, elegant florals and much more available now at Anotah. Redefining a confident look with metallic effects, we have focused on stunning details with shine and shimmer, sheer fabrics and lurex for layers, sleeve details and cascading details to fall in love with and making for an enchanted summer season. This high season, ANOTAH is taking a journey embracing femininity from retro to the modern Rococo period. Make sure to check out Anotah’s new collection from your nearest store to be the epitome of summer perfection. Visit www.anotah.com for store details and follow @anotahfashion on social media to stay up to date on new collections, trends and activities. GO LARGE AND WIN BIG WITH HARDEES! There’s nothing better than a Hardees combo meal, and more often than not you’ll want to go large. Now, you have more reason than ever! Hardees are giving you the chance to win some huge prizes when you go large on your meal, with a grand prize of a Chevrolet Camaro 2017! Other prizes include a Vespa 300cc 2017, the ultimate gaming package of a PS4, PS4 VR, LED TV + surround system, and 100 gift vouchers for 100 winners from Lillywhites. You’ve got to be in it to win it! Offer running until May 19th. For more information on this fantastic giveaway, visit www.hardeesarabia.com/golarge. To keep up with Hardees, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube @hardeesarabia.

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‫‪TGrill‬‬ ‫ﻏﻤﺴﻬﺎ‪!..‬‬ ‫ّ‬

‫ﻳﻤﻜﻨﻚ ﺗﻐﻤﻴﺲ وﺟﺒﺘﻚ اﻟﻤﻔﻀﻠﺔ ﺑﻮاﺣﺪة ﻣﻦ أرﺑﻊ ﺻﻠﺼﺎت ﻏﻨﻴﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﻜﻬﺎت‬ ‫ﻟﺘﺠﻌﻞ ﻣﺬاﻗﻚ ﺟﺪﻳﺪ ﻓﻲ ﻛﻞ ﻣﺮة‪..‬‬

‫ﺛﻮم‬

‫ﻃﺤﻴﻨﺔ‬

‫ﻟﺒﻨﺔ‬

‫ﺣﺎرة‬

bazaar around town

HUGE CELEB LINE UP ATTENDED H&M’S INTERACTIVE OASIS AT COACHELLA! H&M’s installation this year at Coachella was a surreal representation of the Palm Springs House where the original campaign for the H&M Loves Coachella collection was shot. The tent featured a garage, living room, and patio with dreamlike photo moments, a pop-up shop for the collection, and a creature comfort yard for festival goers. Guests Emily Ratajkowski, Aaron Paul, Taylor Hill, Josh Hutcherson, Tyler Posey, Ariel Winter, Dove Cameron, The Atomics (Lucky Blue, Pyper America, Daisy Clementine, and Starlie), Freida Pinto and The cast of RIVERDALE (Cole Sprouse, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, KJ Apa and Casey Cott) and more were also on site to kick-off the weekend as H&M celebrated their eighth year as an official Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival sponsor. Starting in “The Garage” guests were invited to experience multiple activations to begin their journey. Featuring an immersive concaved video booth decorated with kaleidoscopic imagery, festival goers were filmed for 7 seconds, with their videos being retrieved digitally on iPads. One wall was plastered with Post-It notes where visitors posted their own message and make their mark on the weekend. This room was also home to H&M’s core sustainability actions, highlighting the Garment Recycling initiative, urging visitors to always recycle their unwanted garments. In the “Living Room”, guests had more than three different photo options to experience. Everything from a larger than life sofa to an infinity room highlighting conscious garments from the H&M Loves Coachella collection were captured. Lastly, a mountain peak with suspended clouds was the main photo attraction, giving thrill seeking attendees the illusion of being sky high. Finally, guests ended out on “The Patio” to do some shopping at the pop-up. The shop included the H&M Loves Coachella collection for guests to easily purchase on iPads. This room was also the last stop to power up and refill with a seating area to charge electronics and a water bottle refill station, educating guests on H&M’s initiatives around PET bottle recycling. Follow H&M on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @HM. ECCO LAUNCHES INTRINSIC AW17 COLLECTION Consisting of five styles for woman and four styles for men, each with their own unique personality, the ECCO INTRINSIC TR range fuses style and an aptly designed athleisure sole to create a collection of reliable and comfort led, sneakers that allows the wearer to stay on their feet all day. Taking inspiration from trail running, the ECCO INTRINSIC TR is built for movement and allows a natural range of motion which, when coupled with the sneaker’s TPU/PU sole, the range provides a meaningful level of function and superb grip. A highly wearable range that complements urban life, ECCO INTRINSIC TR, consists of a low boot that has a perforated leather combination upper, a textile shoe that has its own supportive high-frequency grid and a sneaker that features a hard-working knitted sock to provide a snug comfortable fit - the whole collection can be relied on to offer optimal breathability and stability – all without compromising on durability and artfully contrasting textures. You can find ECCO at The Avenues Mall, Marina Mall, Mohallab Mall, Muthanna Mall, Kout Mall and Promenade Mall. You can also keep up on social media by following @eccoarabia on Instagram.

KERASTRAIGHT INTENSE BOOST HAIR TREATMENT If your hair is feeling dry, damaged and in desperate need of some speedy TLC, KeraStraight’s Intense Boost treatment is the answer. The revolutionary in-salon backwash service comes in two varieties. Designed for weak, extremely damaged hair, Protein Boost delivers strength with softness, whilst Moisture Boost transforms dry, dehydrated locks by adding moisture without weight. In just 30 minutes, the treatment rebuilds the elements the hair is lacking and locks in moisture, renewing, repairing and rehydrating each strand from the inside out. The results are immediate and deliver intense conditioning and strength for up to 30 days. Luminous locks, here we come… Exclusively distributed by beautique cosmetics international. For more information. Please call 2225 1285 or visit www.beautiquecosmeticsintl.com.

ASHLEY GRAHAM X MARINA RINALDI COLLABORATION From being the voice of women of all sizes, color, and ethnicity around the world to making controversial changes in the fashion industry, Ashley Graham shows us what it truly means to be a confident boss lady. Ashley’s collaboration with Marina Rinaldi is all about catering high-end luxurious pieces for curvy women. The glamorous activist also shares with us the real definition of self-love and self-care. ‘Honestly, it is as simple to say be comfortable and happy and love the skin you are in but that’s probably one of the most difficult things than anybody today can do and I was being honoured as glamour woman of the year this past year and there was so many incredible women there.’ The Marina Rinaldi collection is now available at Prestige, The Avenues.

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bazaar scopes

VIRGO AUG 23 – SEP 22

ARIES MAR 20 – APR 19

Money may be coming your way through a contract of some kind. This is a positive development. Make sure you read every word in the document before you commit to anything. This is a good time to ask for a loan or fill out paperwork regarding scholarships, grants, or other forms of financial support. The process is going to be less complicated than you imagined. Things should manifest quickly.

The possibility of moving out of your neighborhood may have occurred to you before, but events might have you finally making up your mind to do it. Perhaps too many good neighbors have moved away, or maybe some good fortune has made it possible for you to move to a bigger place. There is much to consider and decide before it happens, but if this is what you really want, go for it.

LIBRA SEP 23 – OCT 22

GEMINI MAY 21 – JUN 21

Are you sometimes afraid of appearing silly in front of people? The fear of failing in the eyes of others might be holding you back from real progress. The celestial energies are asking you to think about this carefully. With all of your analytical strengths and abilities, just think of all that you could accomplish if you had the courage to take more risks!

You might decide to sequester yourself at home, catch your breath, get your thoughts together, and recall the events of the past several days. You will also plan for the future, as you feel especially optimistic and energetic enough to pursue whatever goals you have. At some point you're likely to share this with a close friend and seek his or her support and opinion.

SCORPIO OCT 23 – NOV 22

CANCER JUN 22 – JUL 22

You usually like to think of yourself as being a scientific, logical person, but you may think more like a mystic. Your intuition is more active than usual, and you might come up with the same words as someone close to you. You might also feeling especially inspired to work in an innovative way. Use your intuition and go for it!

You should feel especially strong, motivated and focused. Your ability to establish yourself in the world is enhanced by increased self-sufficiency. Your goals seem more attainable. Relations with others should be warm, congenial and cooperative. If you've been thinking of starting some sort of enterprise with others, start planning.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 – DEC 21

LEO JUL 23 – AUG 22

Social invitations or opportunities to participate in group activities should come your way for a few weeks. Your phone could ring off the hook. Relations with others should be warm, friendly and congenial, so any sort of get-together you schedule or attend should go well and be informative. In the evening, plan a romantic encounter with the special person in your life.

A group you're associated with but have been neglecting may be on your mind. You might want to fulfill your obligations to it. You could also consider completing a long-term project that was put on hold over the past week or so. Tying up loose ends may take up much of your time and keep you busy. Don't forget to take a little time for yourself.

TAURUS APR 20 – MAY 20 You might be pleasantly surprised to realize that you're in far better financial shape than you thought. You could discover a hidden talent for money management that you didn't think you had. You might also be anticipating a raise or some other increase in income. Optimism and enthusiasm are what drive you, Taurus. Your hopes for the future seem more grounded in reality than ever.

CAPRICORN DEC 22 – JAN 19 You're thinking about your future career development, and you aren't happy with your current situation. Advancement is on your mind. Perhaps you seek a promotion or you want another job or you prefer to change careers entirely. This is the time to get your head together and firm up your plans. Success is on the horizon, but only if you work toward it.

AQUARIUS JAN 20 – FEB 18 Take time out for the small, sensual pleasures. Perhaps this is a day for dessert, particularly chocolate or cheesecake. Don't forget about the pleasures that nature can bring. You may want to spend time in a park or forest or next to a lake, breathing in the fresh air and soaking up the beauty. You may also enjoy indulging in a massage.

PISCES FEB 19 – MAR 19 Some time alone with a special person is definitely called for. The social whirl of recent weeks has put you in touch with a lot of old friends and enabled you to make new ones. Now it's time to relax at home. You might discuss your plans for your future together, perhaps regarding possible changes in your living situation. You might also give some thought to your career. 144

www.horoscope.com

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