bazaar July 2022 issue by bazaar magazine

July 2022 | Issue #270 w w w.bazaar.town

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About the Cover: We are officially claiming the year 2022 as the year that Padel solidified its place in Kuwaiti society. The July cover is a testament to the habba that isn’t a habba anymore, it’s here to stay! Our cover image by OG Thouqer Ahmad AlGhanim says it all, for it seems that the love of Padel in Kuwait has surpassed our passion for Oud. A whimsical nod to culture, change and exploration, our cover image is actually taken from Padel C.T. Privé, easily the world’s fanciest, most beautiful Padel court the world has ever seen, and it’s right here in Kuwait! The visual itself is a stunning oil on canvas creation by the artist, who along with Thouq Studio, have absolutely changed how we perceive and enjoy the sport in Kuwait.

July 2022 | Issue #270 w w w.bazaar.town

The bazaar team... Boss Ahmed El-Adly “Sun is shining, the weather is sweet, yeah. Make you wanna move your dancing feet now. To the rescue, here I am. Want you to know, y’all, can you understand?” I’ve borrowed these immortal words from the legendary Bob Marley, since there is a definite feeling of giddiness in the air these days! People getting ready to travel, people taking staycations here in Kuwait, Eid around the corner, schools are out for the summer meaning the kids get to sleep in and so much more. Most people fall into one of two camps of summer vibes. Those who just want to completely chill out and take things easy, and those who want to do it all, see it all and experience it all. We’re not a judgmental bunch so whichever team you’re on, we’ve got you covered this summer. If it’s inspiration you’re after then start by reading this month’s Truth or Dare with Yousef AlRefaie, the world’s youngest mountaineer to climb all seven of the world’s highest volcanic summits. We were so inspired by his story that one bazaarite decided to join Talal Al Rashed and try fencing in our latest bazaar tries feature. Turns out you can really rediscover yourself and get a workout at the same time through the elite sport. Or maybe you’re more interested in flexing your creative or entrepreneurial muscles, so you should read Masood Bloushi and Irfan Nazir’s story of how they founded urban streetwear brand, Cre8 Clothing. We also spoke to Farah Assaad, our favorite stylist and art director, and now founder of FarahForReal The Brand (FFR The Brand). Her inaugural collection titled Safari, channels nature and carries a strong message of preserving it and whatever else you may be inspired by! Fear not, chillouters, we want to introduce you to Massimo, the kid chef who has mastered the art of croissants and pain au chocolats at the very young age of eleven. Even though we know that K-town is full of inspiring creative people who have found and chased their passions, we’re still surprised and awed every time we learn about their stories. If you still haven’t booked your vacation, then our feature on Expo Egypt might just inspire you to experience Egypt like you’ve never before. Kareem H. El-Sisi and Fady Ebeid just wanted to showcase the country in a different light on social media and ended up becoming so popular that they started their own travel agency that caters to people who want to see a more authentic and exciting side of the ancient country. You absolutely cannot jet set without the right gear. Get your suitcases, travel tools and more from MUJI and give your wardrobe a vacation refresh from Quiz’s 2022 Resort collection found exclusively at Debenhams. And most importantly, don’t forget to pack your issue of bazaar magazine for some in-flight entertainment.

Editor Alia Al Duaij

Operations Manager Ihab Youssef

Content Manager Yasmine El Charif

Mixed Media Solutions Jennifer Cádiz

Design Shadi Mofeed

Staff Writer/Online Media Mariam Raslan Sahira Ladha Yasmin Gamal

Contributing Photographers Muneera Alkhulaifi

Communications Hala Y. Sharara

Syndicates & Sources Fast Company LA Times MCT International Newsweek

Printing British Industries for Printing and Packaging

Happy reading, Eiding, traveling and more! Ahmed El-Adly

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

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OL MMER INDEX JULY 2022

CRE8 CLOTHING

The clothes we wear are just one of the ways we express ourselves. We spoke to How Masood Bloushi and Irfan Nazir who are crashing cultures together to create an urban look that reflects reality while also letting us show the world who we are.

MASSIMO THE YOUNG CHEF

Massimo is only eleven, but he can make fresh croissants from scratch. Instead of lazing around during the pandemic, this young boy discovered that with a little flour and determination he could make magic and has been sharing his gift with everyone every since.

YOUSEF ALREFAIE

FARAHFORREAL THE BRAND

Some people see mountains and think to themselves that they are unscalable. And then there are people like Yousef Alrefaie who feel inspired, put on their boots and start climbing. He already holds a world record and is already eyeing his next one.

EXPO EGYPT

When our favorite stylist and art director, Farah Assaad, launched her new fashion line, FarahForReal The Brand (FFR The Brand), we needed to know more. The nature-inspired inaugural collection titled Safari carries a strong message of preserving nature and whatever else you may be inspired by!

100

Kareem H. El-Sisi and Fady Ebeid wanted to share Egypt’s beauty with the world on social media, ended up going viral and started a travel agency that offers visitors a unique experience.

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Celebrate summer with Nissan’s latest highperformance, luxury SUV in Kuwait – the 2022 Patrol NISMO. Catering to Kuwait’s appeal for performance and prestige on the road. The raceinspired version of the legendary Patrol combining a bold exterior design and a technologically advanced interior offers customers the refinement of a luxury SUV with the thrill of a sports car.

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BAZAAR TRIES FENCING

We were inspired by Talal Al Rashed to try fencing, so we headed to Toosh which was founded by Lulu Al Ayoub who is recognized internationally by the Federation Internationale d’Escrime. Answer quickly learned that it is an intense yet romantic sport.

134 WABI SABI WITH MAKI

After visiting the newly renovated Maki at Marina Waves we have fully embraced Wabi Sabi, a worldview stemming from traditional Japanese aesthetics that focuses more on accepting life for its transience and imperfections. We indulged in sushi while reexamining our lives and realized thanks to Maki that we love all of it.

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

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what's trending July 2022

What: @mxknots Info: Stunningly high quality hand made knotted items Editor’s Note: Macrame is trending again!

What: @soundofbeads Info: Unique and bespoke natural stone jewelry designs Editor’s Note: Because you too, are one of a kind

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What: @bvjewelry_q8 Info: Handmade fine wire accessories Editor’s Note: Simple is always beautiful

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STUDIO TOGGLE NAMED “BEST YOUNG ARCHITECTURE OFFICE IN THE WORLD” Kuwaiti Architecture Office scores big at the A+ International Architecture awards By bazaar staff

We’ve always known that the local talent is amazing. And we were proven right by Studio Toggle, an architecture office from Kuwait. The firm beat some tough competition at the prestigious A+ International Architecture awards presented by the popular Architizer magazine.

Spearheaded by Architects Hend Almatrouk and Gijo Paul George, Studio Toggle focuses on logical design and problem-solving techniques. By balancing opposites and leading with function to create form, their designs are beautiful and aesthetic while still being practical. The office won the coveted “Popular Choice Award” for the “Best Young Firm” categor y, edging out four other finalists from the UK and China, chosen out of 5000+ nominations from

[Continued...]

100+ countries. Additionally, they also won the prestigious “Juror’s Choice Award” for the “Best Architecture Office in the Middle East and Africa” categor y. Studio Toggle was established in 2012 by Architects Hend Almatrouk and Gijo Paul George upon graduating from the University of Applied Arts (Die Angewandte), Vienna, Austria. Although it is relatively new, Studio Toggle has quickly emerged as one of the Middle East’s

most critically acclaimed architecture offices. The office has consistently won multiple international and regional awards, and its projects are regularly published in books and magazines worldwide. In 2020 Studio Toggle made its name known internationally by winning an Architizer A+ Award for its project Khat. It gathered more international acclaim in 2021 by winning two American Institute of Architects International Merit Awards. In 2016, Studio

Toggle opened a branch in Porto, Portugal and in 2021, another branch in Bangalore, India. Studio Toggle and AGi Architects are, so far, the only Kuwaiti architecture offices to win this prestigious award. The Architizer A+Awards is the largest awards program in the world, with an audience of more than 400 million subscribers, promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture and spaces. Its mission is to nurture the appreciation of meaningful architecture worldwide and champion those designers that are integral to bringing great buildings to life. 2022 is the 10th Anniversar y of this prestigious award, whose previous winners include Zaha Hadid Architects, Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM), Bjarke Ingels Group etc. This year’s winners were chosen by a jur y, including Patrik Schumacher: Principal of Zaha Hadid Architects; Bjarke Ingels: Founding Principal of BIG; Joe Gebbia: Co-Founder of Airbnb; Monica Ponce de Leon: Dean of Princeton University School of Architecture; Mohsen Mostafavi: Dean of the Graduate School of Design, Har vard University, amongst others.

Photos by Joao Morgado, and Gijo Paul George. To see more of Studio Toggles award-winning projects and designs visit www.studiotoggle.com and follow @studiotoggle on Instagram.

[...Continued]

‫أطلق بنك الخليج مســابقة «أمثال تدوم» خالل شــهر رمضان المبارك‬ ‫والتي حظيت بإقبال ومشــاركة واســعة على مستوى الكويت‪.‬‬

‫* تط ّبق الشروط واألحكام‪.‬‬

‫ونظــراً لإلقبــال المتزايد‪ ،‬أطلق بنــك الخليج لعبة «أمثال تدوم» الرقمية لتشــجيع الناس‬ ‫علــى حفظ األمثال الكويتية والبحث عنها بأســلوب شــيق ومبتكــر‪ .‬لعبة «أمثال تدوم» هي‬ ‫جولــة فــي تراث الكويــت ومصممة للترفيه وقضاء أروع األوقــات بعيداً عن صخب الحياة‪.‬‬

‫لالستمتاع بأحلى األوقات‬

‫وتذكر األمثال الكويتيـــة‬ ‫امسـح الرمز‬

‫‪1 805 805‬‬

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CRE8-ING PASSIONATE STREETWEAR

How Masood Bloushi and Irfan Nazir are meshing cultures together to create an urban look that reflects reality By bazaar staff

In early 2019 Mas and Irfan learned about a KicksTQ event. It was then that they witnessed how he had amassed a community inspired by art and music. People from different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities came together as a community, sharing their stories and experiences. From a personal perspective, Mas thought it was beautiful the way it came together and thought it would be awesome if he could be a part of something through which he could create something similar. With his strong affinity for basketball, an atmosphere which exposed him to the urban clothing scene and streetwear, he was deeply inspired to start a new narrative. So, he partnered up with long-time friend, Irfan, and buckled up for a wild and exciting ride that became Cre8 Clothing. The duo is a great match and have managed to split their responsibilities towards the brand. Mas handles the creative and fun side of things and Ir fan handles the boring (or so they claim) operations stuff. Right now, the Divine collection which features the words Hustle and Soul writing in English but adorned with Arabic tashkeel is out on tshirts and hoodies. It is an interesting melding of language and culture, naturally we were curious and wanted to speak to them to find out more. Why Hustle and Soul? What do they mean to you? Mas: Both designs have their own stor y, Soul was one of the first designs I’ve sketched out like a zillion times until I went for the final one, it always felt profound and inspiring to think, reflect and make a design that’s meaningful. Hustle has always been a mindset for us and applying it to ever ything we do, it became a driving force to run the extra mile, that we live by. Irfan: We decided to start off with these designs because these are the main ingredients to ones being. Hustle shows how hungr y you are for your success, and Soul connects to your tranquility and serenity. You chose an interesting intersection between Arabic and English, using English words but Arabic tashkeel, can you explain the story behind that? Mas: Drawing inspiration from Thuluth calligraphy was one of the main reasons to merge both my handwriting and Arabic Tashkeel to make it feel seamless and being able to read the words, this idea was my brainchild. What other words can we expect? Mas: These designs are a part of the Divine

Ir fan Nazir

series which we have dropped recently, and we have more designs and series in the works, keep an eye out! You have tshirts and hoodies, are there other products in the pipeline? Irfan: We are currently in the sampling stage of other products and hope to release them soon. Which one is your favorite design and why? Mas: Definitely the Hustle, knowing people relate to it and them wearing my handwritten design inspires me, that’s special. Irfan: Our designs (including our potential future designs) are all our babies, and it’s impossible to choose a favorite. But from an emotional perspective, the Hustle and Soul designs might be closer to my heart; these designs started the movement, allowing us to generate momentum and accumulate our community. How would you describe the cre8 customer? Mas: The Cre8 customer can be described as loud and bold, and desires to make a statement and wants to express themselves through the way they dress. No matter who you are or where you come from , Always be fearless to express yourself and embody the passion the drives you , this is what we believe in. Right now, you are selling via WhatsApp, is a website in the plan? Irfan: That’s right currently we are operating Via WhatsApp and we are working on our website which is in the works and also we are negotiating partnerships with retailers in the region.

Masood Bloushi [Continued...]

Are the designs vinyl or screen printed? Mas: Our designs are done with good old’ screen printing. Can you tell us more about what it was like starting a clothing brand? How did you start? How did you find suppliers/vendors? Do you print locally? Irfan: We envisioned the idea of cre8 back in early 2019 but were only able to actually start selling merchandise the summer of 2021. Initially we explored local suppliers, but were dissatisfied because of various reasons including quality, durability, and other things of that sort. Which is when we discovered that sourcing from abroad was a whole different ball game. Finally, we were able to zero in on suppliers we can trust and since then have been tr ying to move for ward all the way, our products are sourced and manufactured outside of Kuwait. What are your hopes for the future regarding cre8? Our goal is to bring together a community that believes in self-expression, embracing their creativity and passion forming a unity through the brand to bring out stories and various aspects of design languages that we hope will be appreciated by our customers. For more information follow @cre8clothing.kw on Instagram. 26

[...Continued]

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THE ALGORITHM

Inside the good, bad, and very ugly of social media algorithms By KC Ifeanyi

It feels strange to think back to a time when we weren’t so concerned with social media algorithms. To the layperson, algorithms were just a nebulous mix of code that we knew controlled what we were seeing in our feeds, but most of us weren’t bothered by it. We accepted the idea that they were a good thing serving us more of what we love. That’s true—to a certain point. The 2016 presidential election and the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal was a tipping point in how we think about what pops up in our feeds, as well as the offline ramifications of social media echo chambers. Those blinkered content streams only rushed more furiously that same year, as Instagram and Twitter took a cue from Facebook’s News Feed and switched to algorithmically ranked feeds as well. Since then, social media algorithms have been under increasing scrutiny. Ex-Google engineer Guillaume Chaslot criticized YouTube’s recommendation engine for promoting conspiracy theories and divisive content. The documentary The Social Dilemmawas a buzzy exposé of how these platforms manipulate human behavior. TikTok’s enigmatic For You page was called out for suppressing videos from disabled creators in a bid to mitigate bullying and harassment (a policy the company says is no longer in place.) Most recently, former Facebook data scientist turned whistleblower Frances Haugen released thousands of internal documents showing what Facebook and Instagram executives knew about the potential harms of their platforms. In short, there’s a lot to unpack in the current state of play with social media algorithms. Fast Company‘s podcast Creative Control explored this topic in three episodes covering what we know (but more specifically what we don’t know) about how these algorithms work, their toll on our mental health, and what effective government regulation should look like. The “black box” problem What we know of how social media algorithms work often feels dwarfed by how much we don’t know, which Kelley Cotter, an assistant professor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State University, frames as “the black box problem.” Cotter asserts that companies are intentionally opaque with how their algorithms work to protect proprietary tech and avoid any potential scrutiny. Social media platforms have given cursory explanations of why certain content winds up in your feed, albeit exactly what you’d expect: Videos or photos that have high engagement— comments, likes, shares, and so forth—are more likely to bubble to the surface. But, to Cotter, those explanations amount to little more than PR moves. 28

“A lot of it also is made up of rationales,” Cotter says. “So not just, ‘This is what the algorithm does,’ but ‘It does this because we want X to happen.’ Usually it’s like, We want to make sure that you’re seeing the things that you care about or you’re making real connections with people. So it’s really a lot of couching of the information in these really lofty goals that they have.” What is clear about social media algorithms is that TikTok’s has become the one to reckon with. An algorithmic addiction Social media algorithms are designed with retention in mind: The more dedicated eyeballs, the more advertising revenue that pours in. For some people, scrolling through social media for hours on end mainly leaves them feeling guilty for having wasted a chunk of their day. But for others, getting sucked in like that can have a major impact on their mental health. Studies have shown that high levels of social media use have been linked to increased depression and anxiety in both teens and adults. It’s something Dr. Nina Vasan has seen firsthand as a psychiatrist—and something she’s trying to help social media platforms mitigate through her work as the founder of Brainstorm, Stanford’s academic lab focusing on mental health innovation. For example, Brainstorm worked with Pinterest to create a “compassionate search” experience where if users searched for topics such as quotes about stress or work anxiety, there would be guided activities to help improve their mood. Vasan and her team also worked

with Pinterest’s engineers to prevent potentially harmful or triggering content from autofilling in search or being recommended. One of the most important issues that Vasan is trying to solve for across the board is breaking the habit of endless (and mindless) scrolling on social media. “The algorithms have developed with this intention of keeping us online. The problem is that there’s no ability to pause and think. Time just basically goes away,” Vasan says. “We need to think about how we can break the cycle and look at something else, take a breath.” Importing big tech regulation Social media companies aren’t as forthright as they could be about how their platforms work. We know social media has fundamentally impacted politics and our health. So what’s the government doing about social media? That’s been the trilliondollar question, specifically in the United States. Lawmakers have introduced bills here and there that try to take on such issues as addictive algorithms and surveillance advertising. But so far, no meaningful regulation has taken shape—unlike in the European Union, which has introduced legislation including the General Data Protection Regulation and Digital Services Act aimed at enforcing transparency from big tech and protecting users’s privacy.

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bazaar weekends

HIT THE BEACH

Escape the heat and head to the nearest large body of water By bazaar staff

If you are one of the 17 people this year who aren’t escaping the torturous summer heat this year by jetting off to a summer getaway, then you deserve (and desperately need) to reward yourself with a weekend at a beach or pool.

The Danish author Karen Blixen said “The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.” We don’t want you to cry and you’re already sweating buckets, so the best thing we can do is recommend some of the best places to cool off by the sea breeze. @shalehikw on Instagram If you are looking for a rental chalet, then hit this account to find one that fits your budget. Many of them offer extra amenities like pools, game rooms and kiddie swings. The Beach Clubs There are a couple of great beach clubs in Kuwait like Palms and Radisson SAS Vikings, where you can enjoy sandy beaches and salt water. If you are not a member, make sure to call in advance to make sure there are no restrictions, since some don’t allow non-members in on weekends. 30

Try the Hotels Many hotels in Kuwait offer beach access, like Jumeirah Messilah Resor t & Spa and The Movenpick Bidaa. Many others like The Four Seasons might only have pools but are still a wonder ful experience. Each one has extra bells and whistles that will make it wor th the extra KDs. Island Hopping You might think that island hopping is a thing you do in the Maldives or Bali, but really you can enjoy it right here in Kuwait. There are a few interesting islands that are accessible by boats during a day trip like Failaka, Kubbar and Ouha. If you have rich friends with yachts you can ask them to take you out to the water, if not you can book a trip via the many different boat rental offices across Kuwait.

Old School Beach Clubs If you’ve lived in Kuwait for a long time, you will know that you can enjoy many of Kuwait’s budget friendly beach clubs. Entr y usually only cost a handful of KDs and are a family-friendly way to spend the day. There are a few littered around Kuwait, but our favorite two are Sha’ab Club (next to Corniche), and Ras Salmiya Club (next to Pearl Marzouq). Public Beaches Finally, don’t discount public beaches. They’re absolutely free for ever yone and are great for a quick dip. Sadly, they don’t offer showers or a place to change, but if you plan ahead you can still have a wonder ful time splashing and building sand castles. Photo by Leo Rivas on Unsplash.

truth or dare

AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH Meet Yousef Hamed AlRefaie, the world’s youngest person to climb the seven volcanic summits bazaar staff

Yousef Hamed AlRefaie is an explorer and a mountaineer who has scaled more than fifteen mountains around the world including the seven volcanic summits. The latter feat earned him a Guiness World Record for being the first Arab, Middle Eastern and youngest person in the world to achieve this stunning feat. According to Yousef the stor y star ted back in 2015 when he was browsing Instagram and a post caught his eye. “I saw a post that said climb Africa’s highest mountain, I couldn’t wait. I signed up right away without knowing anything about the place, after summiting Kilimanjaro I caught the climbing bug and have been doing it ever since,” he explains. “In the beginning I was climbing them without a cer tain goal in mind until I came across the Volcanic Seven Summits from a blog online run by a mountaineer from the UK called James Stone who keeps track of all the people who finished them,” he says. Yousef is constantly being pulled towards his next challenge and easily follows his hear t. And he’s only getting star ted. He plans to cross the largest deser ts of each of the seven continents, something that hasn’t been achieved by anyone yet. His first deser t will be Tabernas Deser t in Spain which is the only deser t in Europe. After that he hopes to conquer the empty quar ter “Rub Al Khali” It’s an incredible feat and if he is able to finish it, he will be breaking multiple records, but the one he hopes to achieve the most is being the fastest to cross the Sahara deser t, which stands unbroken since 2011. He was always a curious child and would ask so many questions whenever he was traveling. Exploring new places and getting lost in them was par t of his experience. Yet, he was never interested in pursuing more traditional spor ts. He was more interested in exploration 32

and adventuring. He still needs to do strength training and cardio for his well being and in preparation for adventure. He focuses on endurance since all adventure spor ts including mountaineering require being fit. Unfor tunately being in Kuwait where there are no mountains or hills to climb he simulates inclines and elevations using stairs and treadmills. Surprisingly, Yousef is not a full-time athlete and holds a full time job. While the rest of us spend our free time watching Netflix and

chilling he trains for expeditions or is out in the wilderness exploring. Yet, he tells us that climbing a mountain needs the right mindset. “In the beginning of the climb I always tr y to conser ve my energy as much as possible and take it easy as much as I can. I tr y to never underestimate any mountain no matter the elevation or its technical difficulty because mountains have a way to deal with ego and this is where we see accidents happen,” he elaborates. But reaching the top is always

wor th it and makes him feel like an action hero receiving superpowers. He is definitely not done yet and told us that “Aviation is really intriguing to me, especially aerobatic flying. Maybe one day I’ll become a pilot.” It seems that Yousef really does want to conquer deser ts, mountains and the air. “I always remind myself of a quote by Mark Twain Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the things you did do’,” he tells us. And it seems that he truly does live by this. [Continued...]

TRUTH OR DARE QUESTIONNAIRE How would your mother describe you in one word? Dreamer. How would you describe your mother in one word? Everything. What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever been asked? Do you live in a tent? What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? During one of the climbs one team mate finished his water so I gave him mine and he dropped it only to realize it was my only bottle and the climb took 12 hours, it was really dangerous. I’m glad it went well. What is your theme song? Pirates of the Caribbean. What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented? Possible. Where would you like to live? I’m happy living in Kuwait. What is your dream retirement location? Union Lake, Seattle. What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind? ‘fill your life with experiences, not things: have stories to tell, not things to show. Which animal best describes your perfect partner, be it in business, or in life? A wolf. Do you miss anything from your childhood and if so, what is it? No, I think every phase of life has its own thing. If you could change your name, to what would you change it? I wouldn’t. How would you describe your handshake, in one word? Firm. What is the toughest part of your character? Stubbornness. Who is your favorite historical figure? Sir Ernest Shakelton. 34

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What in the world do you least desire? Envy. What do you think is lacking in the world, which [if there were more of it] would make the world a better place? I think it’s awareness and action on its broad spectrum that if people were aware of things like global warming and the water crisis it would make a huge difference.

Why do you think most people who do, like you? Outstanding, it’s nice to see people get out of their comfort zone and achieve. Finish this sentence: “Happiness is…” happiness is a choice, and it’s done by looking forward and keeping the past where it belongs. Follow Yousef’s adventures on Instagram @yhalrefaie and on his website www.yousefalrefaie.net.

JAMEEL ARTS CENTRE’S SUMMER/ AUTUMN 2022 PROGRAM More than 50 artists from 14 countries through major group and solo exhibitions and site-specific and digital commissions By bazaar staff

Art Jameel, an independent organization that supports artists and creative communities, announces today its summer/autumn 2022 program at Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, featuring more than 50 artists from 14 countries. Unfolding across Dubai’s contemporary arts museum is a packed roster of new group exhibitions (‘Proposals for a Memorial to Partition’, until February 19, 2023, and ‘An Ocean in Every Drop’, September 21, 2022 - March 26, 2023); solo exhibitions (Artist’s Rooms by Risham Syed, Daniele Genadry and Ayesha Sultana, November 9, 2022 - May 14, 2023); an all new Library Circles: Rashed Qurwash (September 14, 2022) and Jameel Library Commissions: Khalid Mezaina (July 15, 2022 - July 15 2023); Creative Career Days: ‘So, You Want to Work in the Arts?’ (October 23 -24, 2022), the UAE’s first young persons’ festival devoted to exploring a future in the arts; plus Art Jameel’s participation as one of 28 global arts organizations in the World Weather Network – which sees a ‘weather station’ open at Jameel Arts Centre and online, issuing ‘weather reports’, including a series of narrative podcasts by UAE and regional artists and writers.

View of the Jameel Library in the Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, Courtesy Art Jameel. Photo by Mohamed Somji

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Now available at

Grand Avenue - The Avenues | Souq Sharq | Gate Mall | Airport

JAMEEL LIBRARY

Proposals to a Memorial Partition_Image Courtesy of Jameel Centre

The Summer Arts Camp returns this year (July 4 - 8, 2022) in collaboration with Youth Animation Platform with a robust program for kids aged 8-12.

collaborative and curated in dialogue with the artist. All three artists featured in 2022-23 are exhibiting in a solo museum show in the Gulf for the first time.

EXHIBITIONS

Ayesha Sultana Gallery 1 Bringing together recent works on paper and canvas by upcoming artist Ayesha Sultana, this exhibition explores the artist’s longstanding engagement with the materiality and everyday iconography of her home city of Dhaka, rendering forms of street corners, architectural features, wall textures and construction detritus encountered during her day-to-day life. These impressions accumulate in her subconscious and find themselves on paper. They are not just observations of form, but of material, movement, and distance; key aspects that have held Sultana’s interest over time.

‘Proposals for a Memorial to Partition’ Until February 19, 2023 The group exhibition, curated by Murtaza Vali, brings together provocations by 20 artists and writers that revisit the traumatic shifts resulting in the modern nation-states of South Asia. This diverse, thought-provoking show includes the broadest spectrum of media, from text, drawing and painting to installation, maquettes, video and audio, offering a poetic and speculative look at a moment in history that resists narrow definition. ‘An Ocean in Every Drop’ September 21, 2022 - March 26, 2023 Taken from a poem by Rumi, “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are an ocean in every drop”, this major group exhibition, occupying the first-floor galleries at the Jameel, brings together works by 11 artists from around the globe that explore our human relationship to water through myth, spirituality, folk traditions and lived experiences. Investigating the complexity of our inner worlds, the exhibition highlights our connectedness in vast and ancient ways. Molecules of water formed billions of years ago travel through wetness, from clouds to seas to our bodies and out again, in a constant cycle. Water is also a force, producing history, culture and social relations. Through large-scale installation, video works and works on paper, the exhibition traces our understanding of this life force, its production of myth and its role in the current climate emergency. ARTIST’S ROOMS November 9, 2022 - May 14, 2023 Drawn largely from the Art Jameel Collection, Artist’s Rooms is a series of solo exhibitions by influential, innovative artists, with a particular focus on practitioners from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. These capsule shows are 38

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Risham Syed Gallery 2 The exhibition comprises established Lahorebased artist Risham Syed’s major installation The Seven Seas, (2012), a series of large-scale quilts depicting 20th-century maps of various port cities that were strategically located on the colonial European trade route – including Ras al-Khaimah, UAE; Izmir, Turkey; Kandy, Sri Lanka, among others. The artist connects the intricacies of contemporary geopolitics with the 19th and early 20th Century cotton trade of the British Empire, with the work itself created from fabrics sourced during her travels to Turkey, Bangladesh, the UAE, Sri Lanka, UK, India and within her native Pakistan. Daniele Genadry Gallery 3 This Artist’s Room is anchored around Paris and Beirut-based multimedia artist Daniele Genadry’s major painting Blind Light (2017), with new works based on her recent research in la Rochelle, France and the Grand Canyon, USA. Genadry focusses on distance, light and movement and how they combine to affect visual experiences. Her practice focuses on the relationship between painting and photography, exploring the potential of an image to generate its own temporality.

Library Circles: Rashed Qurwash From September 14, 2022 Jameel Library Library Circles is a series of research, talks and experimental interventions by UAE practitioners in the Jameel Library and Jameel Arts Centre. The program explores alternative research methodologies and representations with a focus on “thinking in public”. For the Fall iteration of Library Circles, Jameel Library presents a research display by artist Rashed Qurwash. Qurwash investigates the Jaddaf neighborhood in Dubai and the practices it had once held through images, documents and interviews conducted with people who have occupied the area at various capacities. In addition to individual accounts, Rashed investigates Jaddaf’s urban planning prior to the development within the local area in the 2000s. Jameel Library Commissions: Khalid Mezaina From July 15, 2022 Online Jameel Library’s upcoming digital commission features a study of regional textile and talismanic practices with entries released fortnightly starting from July 15, 2022 on Jameel Arts Centre’s website. The project explores themes and techniques on surface design, ceremonial textiles, costumes for the stage and the magical world of talismans. Khalid’s commission is two-fold: writings and a physical textile piece that reveals itself through the year-long duration of the commission, creating connections between traditional craft practices, contemporary textiles and the library’s collection. World Weather Network June 21, 2022 - June 21, 2023 Art Jameel joins 27 other arts organizations across the world to form the World Weather Network, a constellation of ‘weather stations’ located in oceans, deserts, mountains, farmland, rainforests, observatories, lighthouses and cities. Artists and writers share ‘weather reports’ in the form of observations, stories, images and imaginings about their local weather and the shared climate, creating an archipelago of voices and viewpoints on a new global platform. Art Jameel’s station, located in the desert gardens, library and public spaces of the Jameel, explores atmospheric humidity, a central climatic marker of the Arabian Gulf, accompanied by onsite air-to-water generators, providing visitors with fresh drinking water and insights into daily humidity and weather conditions. The Art Jameel station’s weather reports – featured on the central World Weather Network platform and via listening posts at the Jameel – primarily take the form of narrative podcast episodes by artists and writers, released throughout the year, that explore themes including The Threshold, Sweat and Labour and Technofutures.

View of the Jameel Library in the Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, Courtesy Art Jameel. Photo by Mohamed Somji

LEARNING Learning is at the heart of Art Jameel’s initiatives and central to the organization’s thinking and collaborations with an approach that considers the arts as a prism for lifelong learning. Programs begin at primary ages and continue through to post-graduate level, and include community events open to all. 2022 Summer Arts Camp July 4 - 8, 2022 9:00 am - 3:30 pm This packed five-day program offers children aged 8-12 the opportunity for immersive handson learning and the development of new creative skills, structured around maker mornings and animation afternoons. Participants at the end of the week will have learned an array of art-making techniques with an animated film of their own on their phone or laptop, created via an exploration of creative thinking, storytelling, and self-expression. Designed by Art Jameel’s early learning specialist Hadeel Al Heeti in collaboration with Fadi Syriani, founder and mentor of Youth Animation Platform, the week is structured to begin with morning tours of the galleries and behind-thescenes tours of the museum and collections storage, followed by process-based and handson making – from painting and ceramics to printmaking and performance. . Creative Career Days: So, You Want to Work in the Arts? October 23 and 24, 2022 Taking place at Jameel Arts Centre, the UAE’s inaugural Creative Career Days festival is devoted to exploring sustainable careers in the arts, and is designed to inform and inspire high school and university students to the breadth of possibilities in the arts and culture sector, match-making young people with the industry and its know-how. 40

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View (Detail) of Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, Courtesy Art Jameel A true community event, the (entirely free) program includes meet-and-greet and booths manned by leading UAE arts organizations and universities; behind-the-scenes tours of the museum; practical and inspirational talks and workshops led by established artists and industry leaders; and information on careerenhancing residencies, internship and volunteer opportunities. Day one (Sunday October 23) is open to teens and students and their families; day two (Monday October 24) is devoted to group visits by schools and colleges. DIGITAL Artist’s Garden: Desert is a Forest Sunoj D and Namrata Neog December 1, 2022 The ongoing Artist’s Garden, Desert is a Forest by Namrata Neog and Sunoj D, culminates with a new

online hybrid platform between a publication and a website. The platform will showcase the extensive research conducted for the project including interviews with experts in UAE botany, farming and local communities holding traditional knowledge of local fauna and flora. In addition, the platform will include commissioned essays, specially produced illustrations of native plants by Sunoj D as well as trekking trails, food and medicinal recipes.

Jameel Arts Centre is free and open to the public 10 am to 8 pm from Saturday to Thursday; 12 pm to 8 pm on Fridays and closed on Tuesdays. For more information visit www.jameelartscentre.org, Instagram @jameelartscentre, Facebook @jameelartscentre and Twitter @jameelartsctre.

MAKE A MAJOR DECISION The American University of Kuwait received its Institutional Accreditation from the Private Universities Council (PUC), Ministry of Higher Education in the State of Kuwait, and has a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation with Dartmouth College (Hanover, N Hampshire - USA).

admissions@auk.edu.kw Tel: 1802040/(+965) 2224-8399 Ext: 3148 www.auk.edu.kw

UNVEILING FARAHFORREAL THE BRAND Stylist, art director, architect and now fashion designer, is there anything Farah Assaad can’t do? By bazaar staff

When we found out that our favorite stylist and art director, Farah Assaad, had just launched her new fashion line, FarahForReal The Brand (FFR The Brand), we were so excited to find out more! Her inaugural collection titled Safari, has been inspired by nature for the past two years. The collection also carries a strong message of preserving nature and whatever else you may be inspired by!

Although launching her own brand has been a life-long dream, Farah decided to take the plunge when she was unable to find unique, high fashion pieces that celebrate a woman for her campaigns and for herself. She designed FFR The Brand to make women feel empowered, and a glance at her latest collection shows that she has been able to do just that. The Safari collection is a must-see, mustown situation for us, the pieces in the collection have a strong editorial look and feel and feature natural fabrics such as Italian silk, organic cotton, and linen, that are per fect to keep you cool this summer. Farah was chatting to us about how the collection draws inspiration from nature with its beautiful organic elements, colors, and wild animal prints. Since the collection is inspired from nature, she was also ver y careful to make sure that it is cruelty-free and uses sustainable materials. This intentional decision ser ves as a reminder for people; although we can be inspired by the beautiful things in life, we must preser ve

them so others can take inspiration from them too. From the collection, Farah’s personal favorites pieces are the Zebra Gala top and skirt, this was not just because she is definitely feeling zebra prints or because these are the first pieces she designed, but she tells us that you have to tr y the pieces on to fully grasp how stunningly the fabrics accentuate the feminine figure – we are definitely in love with these pieces too! When asked about the response to the brand, Farah tells us “It has been over whelmingly positive! Women are such beautiful beings, the support I’ve received since the start has been so humbling and it just feels amazing knowing that all the hard work that’s taken place is being met with so much positive feedback, some pieces were already sold out before the launch of the website!” Farah has set her sights high for the brand, she is targeting global success. She wants to reach people from all over the world and make

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editorial fashion accessible to them. She tells us that the aim for this brand is to allow inspiration to guide her, and the frequency and types of collections the brand launches will be driven by what inspires her and when. In Farah’s opinion, fast fashion has created an environmental crisis, and it is our responsibility to tr y to put an end to it. That is why FFR The Brand uses high quality fabrics, that are made to last and be re-worn, dressed up or down, that don’t follow a fad or craze. The pieces are timeless and unique, and limited in number; each piece is special. This is the true ethos of FFR The Brand. Farah is super passionate about the brand; she tells us that “This brand means a lot to me. It’s an extension of who I am and what I represent. I’m super-excited to see where it’s headed and I can’t wait to witness its growth. Also, men - there’s something coming your way from FFR The Brand too, so stay tuned!” The Bazaar Magazine team is so excited to see how this brand evolves over the next few collections; we are super eager to see more! We suggest you head over to the brand’s Instagram and browse these stunning pieces @ffrthebrand and perhaps pick up a few before they sell out at www.ffrthebrand.com!

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MEANING MATTERS

This is how to find meaning in any job By Kathleen Davis

There are a lot of things that make for a good job: fair pay and benefits, a boss who treats you with empathy and respect, an inclusive culture, and friendships with colleagues. But there’s one aspect of a “good job” that’s a little bit harder to pin down: What makes for meaningful work?

Meaningful work—a job that isn’t just about paying the bills, but is connected to purpose, that makes you feel fulfilled and valuable—isn’t just some lofty goal. In a tight labor market, it’s essential to keeping your employees. In fact, according to a recent Gallup poll, it takes more than a 20% pay raise to lure most employees away from a job where they feel engaged, and unsurprisingly next to nothing to poach most disengaged workers. So, what makes employees feel engaged with their work, and has that changed in the last few years? On the most recent episode of The New Way We Work, David Rock explains the factors that make a job meaningful. Rock is the cofounder and CEO of NeuroLeadership Institute, a cognitive science consultancy that has advised some of the biggest companies. He is also the author of four books including Your Brain at Work, and a contributor to Fast Company. Rock points to a process in the brain referred to as “the ladder of construal,” which is basically how you connect your actions to larger purpose. It’s how, as he says, the janitor at NASA doesn’t 46

view his actions as simply sweeping the floor, but instead as being connected to the larger purpose of putting people in space. But finding that connection to a larger purpose can be more challenging when your company isn’t saving lives or sending people to the moon. It can also be difficult for employees to stay connected to the larger meaning and purpose of work when they’re bogged down in back-to-back meetings. To help employees find that connection, Rock suggests that managers create a set of shared goals and return to them frequently. “The more a manager creates shared goals, the more they create a sense of being part of an ‘in group’ between the team. That’s a really important thing, because when you have a sense of [an] ‘in group,’ you have much deeper collaboration,” he says. “Your brain literally pays more attention and processes more accurately. . . . You get more accurate sharing of information, more accurate perception, better collaboration, and good motivation.” Of course, not everyone finds motivation from the same things. Rock points to NeroLeadership’s SCARF assessment which

has been used by many companies to figure out how to keep employees motivated and engaged. SCARF stands for Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness. The model, he says, was created over the course of several years by scientists studying the brain’s rewards systems. It describes what Rock calls the five intrinsic motivations. “When you’re trying to create meaning for someone [who is] really passionate about autonomy, they love it when they have choices, so to that person meaningful work is when they get to be more in control,” he explains. Meanwhile if someone finds more motivation in relatedness, meaningful work for them is when they feel really connected to people and helping other people. Listen to the episode for how to identify your and your colleagues’ motivations, how to keep all employees engaged with hybrid work, and how to adjust your mindset to make it through challenging work environments.

Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash.

TIKTOK HYPE

How to get budding TikTok stars to hype your products, without paying influencer prices By Brian Honigman

Influencers are often the gateway for companies to become TikTok-famous–but it can sometimes be challenging to find the right partners that align with your brand. Unless your company is in a well-established category on the platform like beauty, where there are thousands of creators to choose from, it can be time consuming to find collaborators. Big brands often rely on agencies and consultants to source and manage their partnerships with influencers to build buzz, handing off the complexities of negotiating and managing relationships with creators. For smaller brands and startups, a helpful self-serve alternative is TikTok’s Creator Marketplace, a platform where businesses can search for vetted creators based on three categories: audience, content engagement, and topic. One big advantage of brands using the Creator Marketplace is that they can easily discover up-and-coming creators who are growing quickly on TikTok and are new to working with advertisers. It’s an arrangement that can be beneficial for both parties: An endorsement from an advertiser will likely help the creator attract other brand deals, and these early sponsorships are often much more affordable. That’s what has worked for Scrub Daddy. The cheerful brand of sponges, which gained a following after its Shark Tank appearance in 2012, has grown its TikTok following to 1.7 million, partly by partnering with creators early in their rise to fame. “We had to find someone who was up and coming that wouldn’t break the budget because this was an experiment for spending money,” says Will Augenbraun, chief strategy officer at Scrub Daddy. “And we wanted it to be natural and not forced.” The right match turned out to be TikTok’s self-dubbed “queen of cleaning,” Vanesa Amaro, a housekeeper who now has more than 5.4 million followers on the platform. She’s known for her lighthearted tutorials and product recommendations for cleaning everyday items like ovens and kitchen drawers. The partnership with Scrub Daddy was her first, and she frequently featured Scrub Daddy products in her videos, often earning millions of views. The products were a natural match with her audience and content. “I would say it has benefited me in so many different ways,” says Vanesa Amaro. “It was more of a learning experience at the beginning. So, learning how to work with companies. Scrub Daddy gave me my first intro to the actual influencer world.” Offering a monthly retainer in return for approximately three posts per month, Scrub Daddy increases this fee based on her follower growth, given the company stands to reach more people as she grows. Amaro found 48

this arrangement more attractive and lucrative, since there’s more opportunities to grow together in the long term as well as earn recurring income compared with a typical one-off deal. Amaro, who says the best way to determine your prices as a creator is to compare notes with others who have similar followings, suggests those who have a million followers or more charge $10,000 per post minimum. Amaro has since partnered with other brands like Clorox, Hefty, and Hoover, but because Scrub Daddy got its foot in the door first, it was able to strike an affordable deal before there was any competition, says Augenbraun. Most important, the brand was able to build a longlasting relationship with her. She has since created a product line with Scrub Daddy, become an advisor on campaigns and product launches, and is even helping the brand build relationships with other creators. She helps Scrub Daddy find new partners to work with on TikTok and reaches out to them on behalf of the brand. Today, Scrub Daddy now has deals with about 25 influencers on TikTok. Ready to find your own influencers? Companies can search the Creator Marketplace by an influencer’s location, gender, age, and mobile device preferences, as well as the size and location of their audience.

You can filter results by the average views a creator’s videos earn, engagement rate, and level of expertise partnering with brands. Most important, you can narrow the results by the topics influencers cover, such as sports, arts and crafts, jewelry, cosplay, or something else. To zero in on fast-growing creators, review creators with 10,000 to 100,000 followers, and select “emerging” under “brand experience,” as this will only showcase people who are new to brand partnerships. Alternatively, you can turn on the “only show fast growing creators” feature. In order to be part of the marketplace, creators must be 18 years old, either apply for approval through a self-application process or get invited, and have at least 10,000 followers. Any organization can access the marketplace with their TikTok Ads Manager account, or by registering with documentation like a tax registration certificate or license of incorporation. Also keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to manage your partnerships with creators through the marketplace. You can also contact them directly, which some influencers say they prefer. Email addresses are often listed in their profiles. Photo by Amanda Vick on Unsplash.

A New Chapter, Inspired by Wabi-Sabi

JOINING THE NFT CLUB Art or investment? By bazaar staff

To say that NFTs have taken the world by storm would be an understatement. Whether for their technology (which is still mind boggling, at times) or for all the wacky stories that are happening because of them. We thought it was about time to sit down and clear some things up. NFT stands for non-fungible token, and it is a non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a blockchain. Think of it as a digital ledger that can be traded. The type of data stored can be anything from digital files, images, videos or music. So even though the data itself can be copied and held by many people, the blockchain identifies who owns it. Unlike cryptocurrencies which are not uniquely identifiable, NFTs are so they are non-fungible (are not mutually interchangeable). Art has always held value for humans and we as a species have always been driven to purchase it for many reasons, but in more recent histor y the art market has become a playground for investors. And NFTs are the latest entr y to this big wild space. With uncertainty in the global economy, distrust in flat currencies and the explosive rise of cr yptocurrencies, NFTs are now being used as a speculative asset. NFT ledgers claim to provide a public certificate of authenticity or proof of ownership, but the legal rights conveyed by an NFT can be uncertain. NFTs do not restrict the sharing or copying of the underlying digital files, do not necessarily convey the copyright of the digital files, and do not prevent the creation of NFTs with identical associated files. Yet, NFTs are being used as a speculative asset, and many buyers have already cashed in on their investments. And they are still art, which has value on its own. We spoke to Hamad who goes by the alias itshamadsworld to learn more about the new fronteir. “I go by my first name to be transparent about my Arabic and Muslim background, and although I never really stated I grew up in Kuwait, its a huge part of who I am,” he told us. Hamad got inspired to get started in the NFT world back in May 2020, right after he graduated from college. The pandemic had closed ever ything down and made finding a job challenging so he pivoted and decided to create and sell art. “I always had a passion to draw, paint and use various mediums to create as a child, so it was almost natural to start creating art,” he explained. Before 2020 he had no idea what an NFT was. And at first it was pretty over whelming to learn about the technology behind NFTs, but once he got his hands dirty it wasn’t as scar y as he thought. “I took it all in day by day, and found the biggest takeaway is to learn more about the NFT community. I went to Twitter to learn more about the community and got more involved online. Then I finally got a handle on what NFTs were

and how I could utilize them to spread my own art, such as the greats have been doing before me.” As an artist who sells NFTs, he may be biased but he truly believes that NFTs can be great for artists in the long run simply because NFTs are here to stay and are great for any artist’s career. Not only can they help reach different audiences but it can also help artists spread more awareness about their art. If taken seriously NFTs can become another source of income for artists. NFT profile pictures or PFPs as they are mostly called in the community have made a lot of noise recently. Hamad explained, “My view on NFT profile picture collections is that they are a natural way of the market figuring itself out. Yes, there is a market for PFP and people really are looking for the next image they resonate with so they can display it with their twitter handle and show all their followers. They bring a sense of nostalgia back to the user all while advancing

in technology. NFTs allow for the verification of digital assets such as pictures, videos, and art. Gifs, audio, and whatever else can be stored electronically and through the blockchain. PFPs are cool, they are here to stay. Some are clearly just money grabs with no intention of future world building, and some have serious potential (ex. Bored Ape Yacht Club, Clone X, Cool Cats) it’s all about experiencing a “rug pull” for yourself and knowing the red flags when you see them.” While ultimately NFTs are art, artists are being asked to provide more utility in their art beyond their emotions, skills, and talent. “I think it can be a lot more difficult for artists to provide more value beyond their art compared to bigger, more well known artists that are linked to bigger projects. I think it’s valid for an artist to add value to their art by strengthening their community by offering various merchandise, perks, as well as getting to know the artist’s story first hand,” Hamad elaborates.

Hamad has some great advice for artists who are interested in testing the waters. He thinks that you need to learn about different NFT communities, find a good group of people to talk to. Consistency is key, make sure to stay active and engaged with your friends and the community you build. You also need to be yourself, you’d be surprised by how far you can go by just being you. And finally he suggests that you need to do your own research – trust your gut and always ask people you trust for opinions. It’s definitely still too soon to tell what will happen in the art and NFT world, but what’s certain is that they won’t be disappearing and that there’s a learning curve ahead of all of us, artists and consumers alike, to navigate this brave new world.

You can find Hamad’s work on @itshamadsworld on Instagram. For more artists who are creating fun NFTs check out @shurooqamin, @OwaikeO, @jamelinft, @dewaniyadudes and @ktownslocal.

kuwait kulture

SAFE TANNING

Wear sunscreen By bazaar staff

The sun is out, so are the suntan oil bottles. Judging by the amount of random places and Instagram stores that offer suntanning oil, assuming that everyone in Kuwait is obsessed with looking darker would be very fair. And no, you’re not imagining it. Everyone does look three or four shades darker in the summer months and we don’t think it is because they’re doing hard labor outside.

CMY

And yes, we’re probably #teamtanning here too. But sun damage is not a joke. According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and that Melanoma rates in the United States have been rising rapidly over the past 30 years — doubling from 1982 to 2011 — but trends within the past decade vary by age. While white people have a 30% higher chance of developing skin cancer, that doesn’t mean those of us who have more melanin are immune to the ultraviolet rays from the sun. Since we know that no amount of science will stop you from tanning, instead we urge you to do it safely. Exfoliate first Removing the dead layer of skin means that your 52

skin is less likely to flake off and your tan will last longer, meaning you will need less sessions in the sun. Eat carrots and watermelon Foods rich in beta carotene like carrots, sweet potatoes, and kale can help you tan without burning by reducing sun sensitivity in people with photosensitive diseases. While lycopene naturally found in watermelon, tomatoes and guavas helps protect the skin naturally against UV rays. Slather on the sunscreen A sunscreen with broad spectrum UV protection of at least 30 SPF is your new BFF and should accompany you every time you leave the house. If your tanning oil doesn’t have sun protection, don’t use it. An SPF of 30 is strong enough to block UVA and UVB rays, but not so strong that you won’t get tan.

Be time-wise Melanin is the pigment responsible for tanning. The melanin cut-off point for most people is 2 to 3 hours, past that your skin can’t make more and you will stop getting darker. The sun is strongest between noon and 3 p.m and will do the most damage then increasing the risk of skin cancer. It might be best to tan in the morning or after 3 p.m. to avoid burning. And finally we leave you with the immortal words of the 1999 song by Baz Luhrmann; “Wear sunscreen,” as a reminder that you need to take care of your skin, it is the largest organ in your body after all.

Photo by Janne Simoes on Unsplash.

AERIE GETS REAL WITH ASCIA, HADEEL MAREI AND LOGINA SALAH Celebrating Aerie’s store opening at Al Kout Mall By bazaar staff

Ready to get REAL? Aerie by American Eagle has opened its second store at Al Kout Mall in Kuwait. To celebrate the opening a special event was held with the brand’s first Arab Aerie Role models Ascia, Hadeel Marei and Logina Salah.

Chosen for their unique stories and selfmade success, the Role Models gave an inspirational talk empowering all women to love their real selves. Building on the brand’s values of power, positivity and no retouching, Aerie is amplifying its mission and expanding its community by tapping into these new influential voices & rooted in positivity. 2022 surely is the year of comfor t with a splash of confidence, and Aerie knows it. Judging by the brand’s feel good emblems all over the store promoting body positivity and comfor t, the Aerie mission is to empower women while encouraging them to move, enjoy life and look good in their own unique way while doing it. 54

The welcoming store experience of fers the softest apparel, sweat-ready activewear, cozy loungewear, beautiful intimates, and the chicest swimwear—all designed to make females feel good about who they are, inside and out. The store is bright and air y with inspirational messages and gorgeous spor ty outfits ever ywhere. From a comfor table collection of intimates which you can stock up on and save, to cutting edge activewear and apparel. We loved their velour sweatsuits, with pants and matching sweaters that are ribbed and fitted with modern flared cuts. This loungewear is attractive enough to wear at home, for spor t, out to lunch, while travelling

– whatever your fashionista hear t may desire. Aerie is a lifestyle brand of fering intimates, apparel, activewear and swim collections. With the #AerieREAL movement, Aerie celebrates its community by advocating for body positivity and the empowerment. Aerie believes in inspiring customers to love their real selves, inside and out. Retouching-free since 2014. Visit americaneagle.com.kw to learn more. Let the Real You Shine. Follow the brand on @aeriemena #AerieREALMENA. Follow the Aerie Role Models @ascia @loginasalah @hadeelmarei.

THE ULTIMATUM

How Netflix turned an absurd reality show prop into serious branding By Rob Walker

Reality-show twists can be predictable: someone will betray someone else; someone will get into a shouting match or a slap fight; someone will hook up. But recently the Netflix series The Ultimatum has offered a genuinely novel subplot: What’s up with all those silver goblets? The answer may be one of the most subtly effective branding gambits of the year.

For those unfamiliar, The Ultimatum involves six couples deciding whether to get married by spending three weeks living with some other really hot person. (Don’t bother trying to make sense of this premise.) The usual reality antics ensue, but even a casual viewer of The Ultimatum can’t help but notice that everyone on the show, in every situation that involves imbibing any liquid, seems to use an opaque, metallic-looking goblet or tumbler. The aesthetic is Pier 1 meets Game of Thrones. At times the omnipresence of these objects is the most compelling thing on screen. “Seriously, though: what is with these goblets?” The Daily Beast wondered when the series debuted. “They’re in every shot of the damn show, iconic in a way Emily in Paris is—tacky, campy, and horribly wonderful.” The explanation, it turns out, is a kind of inadvertent branding strategy, cross-matched with consumer merch madness—that peculiar hunger for linking pop culture fandom to all manner of material goods. The back story actually begins on a different, sister show, Love Is Blind, which involved participants “dating” without being able to see each other, committing to marriage, and discovering how that works out. (This was positioned as a psychological “experiment.” Again, don’t overthink it.) The opaque drinkware crept into Love Is Blind gradually. Participants used normal glasses through most of season one, with only a few minor cameos by metallic-looking champagne flutes and wine glasses, growing more common in later episodes. 56

Someone at the show clearly recognized the utility or potential in these props, because in season two, which debuted earlier this year, the goldcolored wine glasses were, if not quite ubiquitous, definitely hard to miss. They cropped up not only in the studio but also at picnics on the beach, at the couples’ apartments, in their potential in-laws’ homes, and even at their weddings. “It’s something I like,” Love Is Blind creator Chris Coelen said when asked directly about the unmissable prop. “When you turn on the show, you know it’s our show. It’s . . . very authentic.” Setting aside the “authentic” claim for now, this answer makes perfect sense: It’s a visual signature, and a bit of embedded branding. Think of it, in fact, like a variation on product placement—but with the subtly promoted product being the show itself. Or maybe the product being promoted is the drinkware, too? The consternation about the distracting goblets overlapped almost exactly with the question of how and where to buy them. Refinery29, citing an anonymous producer on the show, soon revealed that the show used metallic drinkware from VonShef, then available on Amazon (but promptly sold out). In any case, Coelen is also the creator of The Ultimatum (which also shares hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey with Love Is Blind). And from the jump, the newer show has been all in on maximum goblet exposure. “The silver goblets in The Ultimatum are an homage to the gold goblets in Love Is Blind,” Coelen told a different interviewer. “We think the

goblets are a subtle but fun way to tie the elements of each show together.” Again: branding. But by this point there wasn’t all that much subtlety about it. The show’s official Twitter account openly joked about the goblets. And in a “reunion” episode, a pregnant couple is winkingly gifted a silver goblet sippy cup. It should be noted that as a piece of set décor, an opaque drinking vessel has a very practical use in a (heavily edited) reality show. “When putting together a video, editors will often swap the order of clips, piecing together dialogue to fit a storyline or making a more sensical order,” a Food52 contributor with a food video background explained. “Things like noticeably empty drink cups that were delivered to the table five seconds ago can throw a wrench in an editor’s ability to manipulate the show’s order.” According to The Daily Beast, similarly metallic and opaque drinkware has popped up on other Netflix reality shows The Circle and Too Hot To Handle. But The Ultimatum in particular has seized on and exploited the trope so insistently that the show truly owns it. In fact, you can even buy the silver goblets and tumblers (and sippy cups) — officially branded with The Ultimatum‘s logo and catchphrase: “Marry or Move On” — in Netflix’ online store. So feel free to bring (authentic!) product placement into your actual home. And let’s raise a goblet to obscuring pesky truths with a shiny surface: If there’s one idea that unites reality TV and branding, that’s it.

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PADEL CT PRIVÉ HALL The game is on at Padel CT’s newest court designed by Thouq Studio, and it is absolutely fabulous bazaar staff

Habbas, or trends, as they are locally called, often come and go in Kuwait, but Padel has taken on a life of its own in the small desert nation. Here at bazaar, we appreciate a good habba, especially because Kuwait does them well. But more importantly, this easy-to-pick-up, racket sport is getting people to exercise more and socialize--two things we absolutely can get behind. A sportier locale is a happier locale, and for those who appreciate the finer things in life, the Padel CT Privé hall is the stuff of legends. An intersection of Padel and luxury has arrived, and it is oh-so-fabulous.

The originally Mexican spor t is most definitely here to stay, but it just hits different in Kuwait. If the frequency of Padel cour ts popping up in ever y neighborhood hasn’t convinced you of this phenomenon, then one visit to Padel CT Privé Hall will. Designed and executed by Thouq Studio for Padel CT, the concept of the Privé Hall, equipped with your ver y own butler ser vice, of course, embodies how Kuwait’s youth has embraced Padel and celebrates it. The custom-designed private Padel cour t envisioned for Padel CT’s VIP customers has taken months of studying and prep by Thouq Studio founders Ahmad Al-Ghanim and Bader Alhejailan, and we can confidently say that we haven’t seen anything like this space in the world. We’ve done our deep dive into the most glamorous Padel cour ts across the globe, and learned that world-class Padel experiences are mostly defined by its surroundings. Consider, for instance, Maldivian seaside backdrops or green Argentinian hills, with Padel cour ts fully equipped to deliver an experience that makes you supremely connected to nature. With Padel CT Privé Hall, you will be immersed in an entirely different design ethos. One that is distinctly Kuwaiti, emblematic of ever ything that Thouq Studio stands for. Ahmad and Bader bring together a love of spor t and ar t, presenting a new ideology of how Padel can be enjoyed in Kuwait. “There is a clear love for Padel in Kuwait. Exercise and experiencing the game in an entirely new ambiance underlined our design process when it came to working on this special, private hall,” says Ahmad. [Continued...]

Thouq has inspired the minds of many people over the past two decades, whether we consider the cult following of thouqers shopping their latest offerings in merch, fashion, home accessories, and ar t, to the many projects they work on at Thouq Studio from residential homes to office spaces and cafés, and now Padel cour ts. What unites all of these various creative facets is an inimitable aesthetic we are decidedly naming the ‘Thouq effect’, which blends the best of two worlds, the essence of Arabia and the charm of the West. Ever ything about Padel CT’s Privé Hall is custom-designed, from the oil on canvas ar t pieces adorning the cour t’s walls to the furniture. Pops of the fluorescent green chosen for the hall’s comfor table seat cushions are emblazoned with the Adidas logo, juxtaposed against an energetic, electric blue that takes over the rest of the space. You can’t help but feel a power ful surge of excitement course through your veins once you’ve stepped foot inside the cour t. Maybe we were excited for the game to come, or it might have been the sight of Coco Chanel wielding a Padel racket that instantly put a spring in our step. Padel C.T is powered by Adidas, and the Privé Hall also features special edition Padel rackets which are provided to visitors upon booking this private cour t. All of the custom ar t in Padel CT Privé Hall references the Padel racket, and this is an intentional decision by the gurus at Thouq Studio. “We wanted to inject an element of fun into the space, to think out of the box,” Ahmad tells bazaar, “we really wanted to create an ambiance like no other for Padel CT Privé Hall.” Pristine, black and white photography per fectly complements the custom ar t, and cour t photographs ser ve almost as an ode to the spor t of Padel, elegantly decorating the space for the VIP private suites at Padel CT Privé Hall. 60

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The hall offers two private suites, each with its own changing room and private shower room. Prepare to fall in love with the ombré-washed, gray, and blue oversized settees, and relax in between games by nibbling on carefully curated snacks and refreshing drinks. Hand-blown Murano glass lamps add another level of luxur y to the private suites. The fluorescent green cushion seats which feature on the ground and upper-level areas of the private cour t are fashioned into made-tomeasure metal wire armchairs. These are spread evenly throughout the cour t, giving the space a unique industrial aesthetic, but also matching the metal construction of the cour ts themselves. Rest assured, however, that wherever you choose to sit, all the seats in this private hall will give you pristine views of all of the action happening inside the cour ts. For Thouq Studio, form and function are equally impor tant, and no detail was spared to make this project truly shine. Even the flooring of the cour ts, its surrounding hallways, and the walls seamlessly blend together in the commanding tones of regal blue, beckoning visitors to stand by and admire the ar t. “All the different tones of blue deliver a beautiful, monochromatic effect,” Bader says, “We love how blue is a ver y friendly color, and it is so welcoming. This is why opted for the overall look and feel of the space to be represented in its var ying shades.” An ode to Kuwait’s culture that is deeply rooted in the ar t of hospitality, and its historic marine culture. Each and ever y zone inside this private cour t is special, and your eyes will keep noticing little nuances, like the bespoke, hourglass sand clocks placed atop the sleek tables which ser ve as a nod to Kuwait’s deser t-scape, but also the impor tance of this beloved spor t in its Kuwaiti locale. This is Thouq Studio’s interpretation of how ar t and spor t inter twine, and we’re here for it. Padel CT has three locations in Kuwait. For more information and to book the Privé Hall, check out @padel.ct on Instagram. For more on Thouq Studio, check out @Thouq.studio on Instagram. 62

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WHAT’S YOUR TYPE?

The surprising psychology of fonts By Elissaveta M. Brandon

About four years ago, I received a surprising email—not surprising because of what it said, but because of the way it looked. The text was set in Courier, that font you see in movies when hackers write code on a black screen. The email became sort of a running joke at the office, and I couldn’t take this person seriously when they emailed again. That’s judgmental, I know, but it turns out I’m not alone. A new study suggests that fonts can indeed change the way we feel about a certain message. The study was run by Monotype, the world’s biggest type foundry, which partnered with applied neuroscience company Neurons. Together, they surveyed 400 people in the UK, who were presented with different words laid out in three contrasting types. The scope of the study is fairly small, and the motivations behind a type foundry publicizing a study about the impact of type can’t be ignored. But the study does confirm one thing: Fonts are subjective, and they can mean different things to different people. This isn’t the first study to explore the impact of different fonts. In 2018, a team of researchers at Australia’s RMIT University developed a typeface they said could boost memory retention (the font was difficult enough to engage the readers, yet legible enough so as to not obstruct the reading) but the impact of that font was later disproved. More recently, a major study determined that some fonts, like Garamond EB and Montserrat, were harder for older people to read. But the impact of typefaces on emotions remains largely unstudied, at least when it comes Latin languages. There’s a reason this hasn’t been done at scale. “[Typography] is your tone of voice,” says Phil Garnham, a senior creative type director at Monotype. “And the aroma, the feeling that generates is really important and it’s subliminal.” Indeed, subconscious reactions can be hard to qualify, let alone quantify. Also, fonts go hand in hand with words—so, how do you distinguish between people’s reaction to the meaning of a word compared to the font in which it’s presented? The founder and CEO of Neurons, Thomas Z. Ramsøy, explains that when we try to perceive the meaning of a word, the activity is reflected in the temporal lobe, a part of the brain that helps us process emotions. He says fonts can also trigger an emotional response. “More positive emotional responses are seen for softer and more recognizable font types,” he says. “Negative emotions are often triggered by pointy and sharp font types.” But to distinguish between the two, the study had to give people the same words, laid out in different fonts. In total, the team surveyed 400 men and women between the ages of 18 and 50. Each participant took the survey online and was given 64

three kinds of stimuli: single words (“quality,” “trust,” and “innovation), those same words in a sentence (“quality never goes out of style”) and that same sentence coupled with the name of a random brand (like Skova or Smith’s Bank). Each of these stimuli was set in three contrasting typefaces: FS Jack, a soft, lightweight sans serif; Gilroy, a bolder, more geometric sans serif; and Cotford, a serif font that looks more historical. (Monotype designed two of the three fonts, excluding Gilroy.) The findings showed that one typeface can elicit a more positive response than another by up to 13%. When participants were shown the word “quality” in Cotford, they found it 10% more memorable than the two other fonts. Conversely, when they were shown a full sentence in Gilroy, they found it stood out by 12% compared to the other two. These numbers may not seem like a lot, but Mike Storm, Neuron’s chief operating officer and partner, says that any difference above 5 to 6% is considered “significant.” As Ramsøy explains, some fonts can trigger existing associations with nostalgic brands. “Winding fonts work great for grandma’s jam products,” he says. To avoid preexisting associations, the team chose fonts that aren’t directly associated with particular brands but can be associated with three sectors more broadly:

Gilroy for the tech industry; Cotford for luxury and fashion; and FS Jack for banking and financial services (in other words, a large sampling of Monotype’s client portfolio). Inevitably, though, the choice of words matters, too. Marie Boulanger, a Monotype brand designer who also studied linguistics, says she chose words that come up often in brand mission statements. But if the words had been different, it’s likely the results would’ve been different, as well. (The team considered running the tests with nonsense words, but “you never look at type in a vacuum,” says Boulanger, so real words made the most sense.) For now, we know that different fonts can elicit different emotions based on the same word. And given that participants were given between half a second and 2.5 seconds to choose (most answered within 1 second), it’s clear that those reactions come from the gut. Until a more indepth study can be run, that’s a promising start. In the meantime, I know where I stand on Courier.

Photo by Amador Loureiro on Unsplash.

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ROMANCE SCAMMERS ARE ON THE RISE

And they’re ripping off millions in crypto By Moises Mendez II

It turns out, the “Tinder Swindler” wasn’t the only one allegedly scamming romantic partners. According to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans have been scammed out of more than $1 billion in cryptocurrency since the beginning of 2021; and a large chunk—$185 million—was lost in so-called romance scams, which are on the rise. Additionally, more than half of all losses —$575 million—went to bogus crypto investment opportunities. According to the report, cryptocurrency is becoming a popular vehicle for fraud. Some $329 million in crypto was lost to scams in the first quarter of 2022—nearly half of the amount for all of 2021. From January 2021 to March 2022, the agency found that “about one out of every four dollars reported lost to fraud paid in cryptocurrency”—more than any other payment method. And about 30% of the money lost to romance scams was in crypto. One of the most common entry points for scammers who made off with crypto was through social media, with nearly half of the more than 46,000 victims saying that the scam started with “an ad, post or message on a social media platform.” Instagram and Facebook accounted for 32% and 26%, respectively, of the reported scams that started on social media. Another 9% started on WhatsApp and 7% on Telegram. The median loss for individuals who were scammed was about $2,600, with Ether, Bitcoin, and Tether the most commonly stolen cryptos. In a post Friday, the agency explained why cryptocurrency is one of the most effective ways to steal money: “There’s no bank or other centralized authority to flag suspicious transactions and attempt to stop fraud before it happens. Crypto transfers can’t be reversed—once the money’s gone, there’s no getting it back. And most people are still unfamiliar with how crypto works.” Relatively younger groups are falling for crypto scams, notes the FTC. The agency reports that individuals ages 20 to 49 are three times more likely than older age groups to lose money to a cryptocurrency scam, and 35% of those scammed were in their 30s. To avoid scams like these, the FTC warns to look out for three main red flags: someone guaranteeing a big return on an investment; a company or person requiring you to buy cryptocurrency in order to “sort out a problem” or to “protect your money”; or a new romantic partner offering to help you invest. “If a new love interest wants to show you how to invest in crypto, or asks you to send them crypto,” the agency warns, “that’s a scam.” Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. 66

PORSCHE CENTRE KUWAIT RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE Porsche Middle East honours success with 2021 Importer of the Year Award By bazaar staff

Outstanding customer satisfaction and sales service are just two of the criteria which set the staff from Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motor Company apart when they were presented with the highest accolade offered by Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, the “2021 Importer of the Year for the Middle East and Levant region”.

Porsche Middle East and Africa management team joins Porsche Centre Kuwait in celebration of their success Taking into consideration results spanning the entire calendar year, all 18 official Porsche Importers from across the Middle East and Africa were assessed for a number of criteria that focused on individual as well as team performance across the full breadth of the business process. As an Importer for Porsche, customer loyalty, retention and attention to detail are all as vital to the success of the business as new car sales and offering a premium aftersales service, all of which were taken into consideration as part of a wider range of criteria used to assess each Importer. Dr Manfred Bräunl, Chief Executive Officer of Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, said the 68

award, which honours and celebrates strong performance by Importers in an extended field of business, was achieved through dedication and strong teamwork: “Every person who works for a Porsche Importer in the region should be proud of their commitment and dedication. Region-wide, we have enjoyed a great start to the year, so choosing a winner has been exceptionally difficult. However, the team from Porsche Centre Kuwait have excelled with their commitment to their customers through innovative retail activities plus the strong loyalty that is evident whenever we hear of customers returning to purchase another car or update their current Porsche. It is through hard work and passion that customers become long-term associates and this award recognises

An honorary plaque awarded by Porsche Middle East and Africa in recognition of the efforts of Porsche Centre Kuwait

Abdulmohsen Behbehani, Director, Ali Behbehani, President and Mishaal Marafi, Director celebrating the Importer of the Year Award for 2021

Ali Behbehani, Abdulmohsen Behbehani and Mishaal Marafi with Mohamed Hassan and Anne Schnieders from Porsche Middle East and Africa the achievements of everyone at Porsche Centre Kuwait from every department who have worked on the sales floor, in the service bay, in the offices or in the field to strive for the common goal of being the best.” Reflecting on a year that saw an increase in showroom footfall over 2020 and a return to more in-person enquiries and events, the award recognised the overarching achievements of bringing together individual incentive programs from the Porsche Middle East departments. Hany Marie, General Manager at Porsche Centre Kuwait said the team met the challenges of 2021 with positivity and creativity and is looking forward to an even brighter 2022: “I can’t thank the team enough for their tremendous efforts

throughout the year as we look to the future. It is testimony to everyone at Porsche Centre Kuwait and to the amazing products we have introduced in our market. Looking forward to what is on its way, with the arrival of the Taycan GTS and launching of the first fully-electric Macan, it is easy to stay excited working for a brand like Porsche, and it delights me to see this same enthusiasm and commitment from every person in our team.” For more information, please visit Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, please call 1870 870 or head to porschekuwait.com. For the latest updates on social media, follow @PorscheCentreKuwait on Instagram and Facebook.

Importer of the Year trophy in recognition of Porsche Centre Kuwait’s outstanding performance in 2021

MEET MASSIMO – THE KID COOK! The 11-year-old baker makes impressive pizza, bread and incredibly layered croissants! By bazaar staff

During the pandemic lock-downs, most of us indulged a little, watched a little too much tv (which is apparent by the growth of Netflix subscriptions), exercised a little less, and ate a little more! But some of us discovered a little bit more about ourselves. Meet Massimo, the 11-year-old who has found his passion for baking during the pandemic and has brought Kuwait some of the most delicious croissants and pain au chocolats that we have ever tasted!

Massimo was born in Kuwait and attends the Lycée Français de Koweït (the French School). On the surface, we have a regular kid who enjoys science at school, loves graffiti, swimming, sailing, and playing football! But deep down, Massimo is a young boy who has been inspired by his grandmother and her cooking, and while getting bored during the lock-downs, he tried his hand at baking. He chose to start baking over other types of cooking because they were unable to get fresh breads and croissants from the bakery during the lock-downs. Out of kindness, Massimo decided to share his croissants and breads with his neighbors, and they were hooked! His neighbors encouraged him to sell the baked goods on Instagram and it picked up like wildfire. To keep up with the demand, Massimo and his family had to buy a professional oven. The conventional home ovens were just not meeting the demand, nor were they giving the level of crispy perfection that Massimo was after. The pain au chocolats and the croissants are the most popular items on Massimo’s menu, customers often tell him that they are transported to Paris with the delicious pastries. His delicious rounds of bread are also worth trying! 70

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After per fecting croissants, pain au chocolats, and loaves of bread, Massimo started cooking with his dad even more. He now also makes burger buns, pizzas, cookies, macarons, meringues, and zeppole di San Guiseppe (similar to a donut, it is an Italian pastr y consisting of a baked dough ball usually topped with powdered sugar and can be filled with various sweet treats). Yum! Although Massimo doesn’t know what he wants to be when he’s older, (which is fair; he is still 11 years old) we think that he is a talented young chef with a bright future ahead of him in whatever he decides to do! For now, along with all his hobbies, Massimo loves holidaying in his home-town of Corsica Island in France, where his favorite pastimes are climbing trees, swimming in the river, and all sorts of outdoor activities. Some of the Bazaar team members are a little obsessed with croissants, we won’t name names here, but our verdict? The croissants and pain au chocolats are light and fluffy, and super crispy on the outside. They are darkened to per fection which adds another dimension of gloriousness. These are some of the best croissants we have ever tasted, and we are comparing these to the ones we had in France the home of croissants! We are obsessed! Go ahead, try some and tell us what you think! To order, visit @massimo_kid_cook on Instagram (and follow while you are there) or WhatsApp 6681 3202. We promise you won’t be disappointed! 72

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AlRai, The Avenues, Souq Sharq, Al-Kout, Boulevard, Promenade

EXPO EGYPT Visiting Egypt, reimagined By bazaar staff

Summer has arrived, you’re probably planning your trip to Mykonos, Amalfi, or Marseille. However, on the other side of the Mediterranean Sea is the prime destination for the clearest and bluest waters, impeccable views, and a story behind every shore: Egypt. This year has been a phenomenal year for Egypt, as the country has been making headlines and sitting high in travel expert rankings as one of the best countries to visit in 2022. The sun shines 12 months a year on Egypt’s stunning landscapes, from the beautiful beaches along the extensive Mediterranean coast, to the underwater fantasies in the Red Sea that make it the world’s best diving spot, and the tropical islands and desert oases that decorate Egypt. Summer in Egypt this year is going to be different

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Sahel: The North Coast The longest Mediterranean coastline in North Africa, the Northern Coast of Egypt, commonly referred to as “The Coast” or “Sahel” by locals, is the main destination for a luxurious or adventurous getaway. For decades, Egyptians have favored this coast as their ultimate summer vacation, in more recent years the world has caught onto the area’s popularity. Expo Egypt caught the hype and turned into experiences that anyone can book! Taking care of all the transportation and accommodation bookings to visit the beautiful coastline that offers a variety of activities fit for a family vacation or a friends getaway. Along the coastline and its renowned bays, you can find a range of beach sports by the water for all different ages to participate in including beach volleyball, soccer, racket ball, kitesurfing, and jet skiing. Don’t be surprised to see music festivals where world-renowned global artists and the MENA’s regional superstars come to perform! But if it’s just a beach and source of relaxation you’re looking for, Marsa Matruh’s beaches are considered as one of the best beaches in the world by travel experts due to its crystal-clear water and white sands, favored since ancient times as this is also where Cleopatra’s Bath is located, which was the queen’s favorite spot. Instead of spending the evening at nightclubs, you’ll be able to walk through the lively night market, with shops, local cafes, and restaurants. Siwa: The Hidden Gem of the Desert A short trip away from Marsa Matruh is a hidden gem and one of Egypt’s best kept secrets that has broken the internet when it was shared: Siwa. This oasis is decorated with its salt lakes that are renowned for their healing properties. However, it’s also haven for a unique history, impeccable views, and exciting activities. Expo Egypt has elevated Siwa to the next level, with a 4-day package that will take through the oases, deserts, and miniature islands to experience history, adventure, and tranquility. This is where miracles happen and fantasies are lived, which is why Alexander the Great came here during ancient times in an attempt to become immortal! Throughout your entire experience, you’ll be one with nature. 75

The Red Sea: Hurghada and Marsa Alam To the East of Egypt, lies its other coast line, the Red Sea. Known for being an under-water fantasy, its beauty cannot be described, only experienced in order to be fully understood. You’ll think you’re in a dream when you get close to the colorful and surreal marine life. This coastline is the global hotspot for gorgeous reefs and luxurious bays. Travel experts have ranked its main hotspot, Hurghada, as the world’s best destination overall, the best location for diving spots, and the city with the best beaches. The Red Sea will make you want to extend your vacation. Expo Egypt includes Hurghada in many of its summer itineraries, usually 3-5 days for guests to experience boating, scuba diving, snorkeling, and other water sport activities. During the nighttime you can enjoy night activities such as going to the nightclubs or going out to dinner at popular restaurants. For those who seek a hidden gem that has yet to be popularized to the mainstream, a 4 day trip to Marsa Alam will change your life. Aside from its heavenly waters, dolphins, and coral reefs, Marsa Alam is home to rare sea animals and unmatched safaris. You won’t be the only one vacationing here as this is home to the Wadi el-Gemal National Park where you’ll find camels relaxing and bathing in the vibrant blue waters! Sharm El-Sheikh No summer guide about Egypt would be complete without mentioning Sharm El-Sheikh, which has been a global tourist hot spot since 1982 with many all-inclusive beach resorts and several summer activities that will make you want to come back every summer. Its turquoise beaches will provide you with every water activity you can imagine in the day, and its magical sands will provide you with all the desert safari adventures you can desire at night. Expo Egypt has perfected the Sharm ElSheikh experience with its renowned selection of luxurious hotels and its collection of excursions! The most popular day activity Expo Egypt leads is a hike up Mount Sinai, one of the holiest sites across all Abrahamic faiths where Moses received the 10 commandments, followed by a trip to St. Catherine’s Monastery, the oldest inhabited monastery in the world! Whether you’re looking for an experience that entails private jets and staying in ultra-luxurious 76

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resorts or looking for a budget-friendly trip at a great value, Expo Egypt has a record of curating the best experiences you can imagine. By having the best guides and customer service in the industry, Expo Egypt revolutionized the Egyptian tourism industry and brought it to global standards. They’re known for leading the market when it comes to providing unique experiences and popular for boosting Egypt’s image by showcasing all of Egypt to their

millions of admirers on social media. This year, Expo Egypt has launched a special program to transport, accommodate, and host the attendees and members of the United Nation’s COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh in November. For more information and booking an unforgettable experience visit expoegypt.com and follow @expoegypt on social media!.

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LOOK INTO YOUR CRYSTAL BALL

And 5 ways to be ready for anything By Next Big Idea Club

Jane McGonigal is the director of Game Research & Development at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, California. She designs games that aim to improve real lives, and solve real problems. For instance, her game SuperBetter has helped more than one million players tackle real-world health challenges, like depression and chronic pain. She has created and deployed games in over 30 countries for partners such as the American Heart Association, the International Olympics Committee, and the World Bank Institute. Below, McGonigal shares five key insights from her new book, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything―Even Things That Seem Impossible Today. 1. Take a ten-year trip to the future. Thinking on a ten-year timeline will lift the ceiling on your imagination and give you that magical feeling of “time spaciousness” to achieve transformative change. It will help you open your mind, take in new information, reduce your blind spots, increase your empathy, set more optimistic goals, and see a much bigger picture. Whenever your mind feels stuck or rushed, give yourself a ten-year deadline, make a ten-year resolution, create an event on your calendar for ten years from today, or talk to others about how the world might be different in ten years. It will change how you think and feel today. 2. Be ridiculous—at first. Imagine if, in late 2019, you had been asked to consider that, in the near future, virtually all nations will shut and lock down their borders. One billion children will stop going to school and do all of their learning at home. Four hundred million jobs will be deemed nonessential and disappear virtually overnight. It will be against the law to hug your grandmother. (Where I live in California, that was true, thanks to social distancing rules for most of 2020.) In 2019, wouldn’t these ideas have seemed ridiculous at first? But a few months later, they were reality. We need to prepare our collective imagination for “unimaginable” possibilities—so if they do happen, we’re not frozen with anxiety or stuck in old ways. Any future scenario that you instinctively dismiss reveals a potential blind spot in your imagination. If something feels unimaginable, that’s the tip-off that it is an essential future to start thinking about. 3. Look for clues. You can see signals all around you. For example, the first time I saw a “No Drone Zone” sign in my local park, I knew it was a signal that drone technology was becoming widespread enough to deserve its own signage. Inspired by this signal of change, I got my own drone and learned more about how drones are being used: journalism, storytelling, activism, art, scientific data collection, 78

urgent delivery services. Finding signals can be as simple as a quick search on news or social media. This week, I searched for “future of learning,” “future of mental health,” and “future of pets.” (That was a particularly fun search—I learned about dinosaur chickens, therapeutic robot cushions, and “how dogs on Mars would live.”) You can also throw in terms like “innovation,” “experiment,” “surprising,” “trend,” “leading-edge,” “weird,” “strange,” “creative idea,” “new phenomenon,” “scientific study.” Make it a habit to find at least one new signal of change every week, or even every day. Let these signals spark curiosity. What would the world be like if these signals of change became more common? Follow the trail of clues wherever it takes you. 4. Turn the world upside-down. If thinking about the future of democracy, you could say that today there’s a minimum voting age. Flip that upside down: ten years from now, there’s no minimum voting age, babies can vote. Picture it—children voting! What does that look like? How does it change politics? Whatever you come up with, spend time mentally immersed in “upside-down worlds.” Make sense of why these changes could happen. How does this new reality work? Look for clues—in the news, on social media, and in your own life—that make these flipped facts seem more plausible. Type your

flipped facts into search engines and discover signals of change that you would otherwise have missed. This is a fun, mind-stretching game, but it’s also profound. Turning the world upside-down can help clarify what changes you want in society and your own life. 5. Build urgent optimism. Urgent optimism is a highly motivating, resilient mindset made up of three key psychological strengths: mental flexibility, realistic hope, and future power. Mental flexibility is the ability to recognize that anything can become different in the future, even things that seem impossible to change today. Realistic hope is a balance of positive and shadow imagination. It’s knowing which threats it makes sense to worry about and which new solutions, technologies, and ideas it makes sense to be excited about. Future power is a feeling of control and agency to directly impact the future, by taking intentional action today. The good news is that urgent optimism is not a fixed personality trait. It changes throughout our lives and, crucially, it’s changeable—we can purposefully build more of it through future imagination training. Photo by jasper benning on Unsplash.

NOT ALL THE SAME

How the pandemic impacted introverts and extroverts differently By Stephanie Vozza

The difference between introverts and extroverts is how they replenish their energy—introverts by spending time alone and extroverts by being around other people. The pandemic put both groups at risk of burnout, but for different reasons. The office environment historically has been set up for the extroverts,” says Mark Simmonds, author of Beat Stress at Work. “When lockdown happened all over the world, suddenly the introverts couldn’t believe their luck.” Separation from colleagues, family, and friends was more difficult for extroverts in the early days of remote work and self-quarantine, says Andrew Shatte’, PhD, chief knowledge officer and cofounder of meQuilibrium, an employee resilience solution. “However, by the end of 2020, we saw large spikes in loneliness, and introverts and extroverts were equally affected,” he says. “Burnout occurs when the demands placed on us greatly outstrip our psychological, emotional, and physical resources. Everyone needs social contact to preserve mental wellbeing.” Connection is a key pillar of belonging, says Dr. Natalie Bumgartner, chief workforce scientist for the employee engagement platform Achievers. “Those who say they have strong relationships at work are 2.4 times more likely to have a strong sense of belonging,” she says. “Even those who are introverted need to feel this sense of connection.” Social support is an important mediating factor for stress. Extroverts, who typically maintain more connections, had an advantage during the pandemic if they actively sustained those relationships, says Kelly Berte, director, HR Research & Advisory at McLean & Company, an HR research firm. But that advantage comes with another type of risk. “A counteracting factor is the potential for virtual fatigue for extroverts,” she says. “[They] had to rely on technology-based solutions to foster the same level of social connection as they did prior to the pandemic, in addition to using technology during working hours. Introverts may be more inclined to switch off at the end of the workday.” How introverts and extraverts can deal with burnout One good thing that can come out of burnout is recognizing that it’s your brain saying ‘enough is enough,’ and forcing you to change what you’re doing, says Simmond. “It’s taking things out of your hands,” he says. “It’s like putting your hand into a boiling pot of water. The brain automatically withdraws your hand. When you feel burned out, the brain is saying, ‘Okay, I gave you a warning. I gave you chances. Now I’m shutting down shop until you start to guard yourself.’” The state of constant change has made it challenging to use any existing coping techniques 80

that either an extrovert or introvert would typically turn to, says Berte. “Don’t try to solve the problem alone,” she says. “The best ways to cope are revealed when systemic root causes, such as work, family, and friendships, are identified and tackled together.” Shatte’ says the strategies for dealing with pandemic-inspired burnout are largely the same for introverts and extroverts. He recommends rebuilding a sense of calm by getting around the thinking styles that lead you to exaggerated emotional responses. “Ensure that you are taking care of yourself by navigating around those large ‘I should’ beliefs that push us to give too much care to others before we look after ourselves,” he says. “Inject positivity in your day to restore the balance of good and bad events. Reconnect to a sense of meaning in your job and your life. And return to in-person social interaction, whether you like it or not.”

Bumgartner encourages leaders to talk to employees to learn what they need to feel rejuvenated. “How can you support your team?” she asks. “What will help them be engaged and feel a sense of belonging? Belonging is the critical measure of whether an employee feels connection, security, and community at work—individuals with a strong sense of belonging at work are more productive, more committed to their jobs, and more engaged.” Embracing the hybrid working model provides an opportunity for both groups to thrive, says Simmond. “An introvert will say, ‘I want to come into the office two days a week to meet people and get enough stimulation, and then I will be home alone for the other three days,’” says Simmonds. “Extroverts can go back more days. That’s just a brilliant compromise.” Photo by Mike Juarez on Unsplash.

GRADUATES WOW AT 4TH CAPSTONE

Kuwait University’s College of Architecture students showcase exciting new ideas at this year’s graduate capstone By bazaar staff

This year, the Visual Communication Design Program concluded its four-year program with the capstone design projects, which showcased the exemplary works of 12 students on the program at a graduation ceremony under the patronage of the Al Othman Portfolio.

The Capstone projects are a culmination of the skills that the students have gained over the last four years, and the final project is based on a year-long assignment where students are asked to find solutions to industry challenges, create their own invention and develop innovative solutions for projects with social and cultural responsibilities. The projects go from concept to design to fabrication. The Visual Communication Program is one of the first design-based educational experiences that combine the art of visualization with the 82

science of innovation. The project falls within the Department of Visual Communication Design & Interior Architecture of the College of Architecture at Kuwait University. This year the students showcased their unique projects at a graduation ceremony on Sunday 19th June. The event was held at Soapbox in The Promenade. The projects were overseen by Dr Amar Behbehani, professor and capstone project mentor, and Dr Ahmed Al Oumi, professor and mentor, from Kuwait University. Both the professors stressed the importance of providing

students with the opportunity to display their works to the public and showcase their talents as well as the innovative experience. They also highlighted that showcasing their works to the public also gave them the chance to stress-test their ideas. The Al Othman portfolio was represented by Abdullah Zeki Al Othman, Dar Al Othman manager. The Al Othman portfolio participated in this year’s capstone since supporting education on all levels is a cause close to their hearts. They believe that promoting these projects and events are

essential for cultural growth. Al Othman portfolio was delighted to see the exquisite works that the graduating students presented. The product designs by the graduating students included several domains, such as human well-being, mental health (application), education, sports experiences, sign language, communications, games (application), and organizational skills (application), family communications (application), transportation experiences (mixed media), cultural heritage, and women’s self-defense. Some amazing ideas came from this year’s capstone. One idea is to design scissors for people with special needs or those that suffer

with issues of the hands. Another project was creating a smart wardrobe, this is an app where you can take photos of your entire wardrobe and the app will recommend outfits based on weather, friends and family feedback, and inform you when you haven’t worn certain pieces in a while. Another project is to create an application to facilitate the organization of family tasks and responsibilities and involve the whole family in managing the home and defining chores – we especially like this one. Another of our favorite ideas is to encourage people to use public transport to alleviate traffic jams, car parking issues, and pollution. The student analyzed areas underserved by public transport routes, and

provided solutions consisting of internal paths in the areas serving the residential and neighboring areas to increase the use of public transport. The event concluded with a closing ceremony, where the Al Othman Portfolio’s representative, Abdullah Zeki Al Othman, presented graduating students with gifts and he received a token of appreciation by the Kuwait University’s Department of Visual Communication. To find out more about Kuwait University’s College of Architecture, visit @coa.ku on Instagram. To learn more information about the event venue, visit @soapboxkw – which offers a fully turnkey event space for rent. 83

FROM VC TO CEO

4 lessons I learned in my journey from VC to CEO By Bipul Sinha

Someone could be an expert in designing and building pools, but that doesn’t make them a great swimmer. That was the first lesson I learned when I made a big career switch from VC to CEO. After several years at the top Bay Area venture capital firms, I had decided to go to the other side and become cofounder and chief executive of a cybersecurity company. I was now in the entrepreneurial deep end, and it felt very different. I realized quickly that no matter how much I imagined as a VC what the CEO role is like, regardless of how many company leaders I had advised, living it is another matter. To swim rather than sink, I knew I had to understand and appreciate the differences between the two gigs and hone my leadership skills accordingly. It’s hard to know how often VCs move to the corner office because such data doesn’t appear to exist. I think it’s fairly unusual, though. More common is ex-CEOs becoming VCs, a recent example being Bessemer Venture Partners’ announcement in May that former SendGrid CEO Sameer Dholakia was joining the firm as a partner. I suspect, however, that we may see more investors make the switch as competition among VC firms keeps heating up, and at a time in the world when people in general are more inclined to seek new experiences. In some ways, of course, the VC and CEO roles are just two sides of the same coin. Both types are driven by an innovative spirit and a passion to build and nurture companies that will change the world, or at least markets. Venture capital affords an opportunity to work with really smart people, and vice versa. But in other ways, as I learned, funding a company and founding and running one are profoundly dissimilar. Here are four examples that anyone else contemplating the transition might learn from. VCs supply the bucks, but the buck stops with the CEO VCs are invaluable sources of funding and expertise, but the CEO shoulders ultimate responsibility for every aspect of the company’s operation, from growth to communicating with board members to corporate reputation. What a deep responsibility it is. Put another way, VCs make their hay by spotting great investment opportunities and helping those companies along with advice, introductions to executive talent, and other value-adds. But it’s up to the CEO to execute the creation of a successful brand, in myriad ways. They must own every decision made. Strong CEOs must often embrace risk Venture capital works on a portfolio model, i.e., VCs will invest in, say, ten companies expecting 84

that one or two will return significant gains and the others will fall short. This inherently puts VCs in eternal risk-calculation mode. To optimize the portfolio’s growth, they must be just as rigid in determining a startup’s potential downside as its upside. A CEO, however, must be an eternal optimist, focused squarely on creating growth with every available dollar of capital. The equation is far more heavily weighted to opportunity than risk, as is the case with VCs. If they major on risk, CEOs can end up with analysis paralysis, constantly overthinking and falling prey to the maxim that “more is lost to indecision than the wrong decision.” The CEO job can be an emotional roller coaster You wake up one morning and you marvel at the business’s momentum; you wake up the next convinced it is in trouble. Startup CEOs are prone to wild emotional swings. It’s the nature of the game. Of course, what this really means cuts to the heart of entrepreneurship and the risk-based outlook I described in the second bullet: Company founders and leaders thrive on this thrill ride. In fact, if the CEO isn’t experiencing these swings,

something is wrong. They must not be taking enough risk! CEOs have to get in the weeds more than VCs do Sales commission structures. Recruiting and retention. The best way to run leadership team meetings. These are just a few of the day-to-day items on the CEO’s plate that are different from what typically takes up a VC’s time. While a VC cares about how a portfolio company is being run from a 50,000-foot view, the CEO is on the ground making it all happen. For example, I knew early on that I wanted to foster an ethos on our company leadership: that every viewpoint has value. It is so easy in any organization for the CEO’s bias on any topic to color discussion. That “my way or the highway” attitude inhibits creative and bold thinking, though. So I was careful from the start to have meetings flow in a way where everybody is encouraged to speak their minds on every matter at hand. I try to never make a decision without authentically considering the others’ perspectives. Photo by Brad Starkey on Unsplash.

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CHIN UP

3 ways to harness your self-doubt to improve your confidence and creativity By Herbert Lui

One of the most difficult emotions to come to terms with is doubt. We dislike it so much that we’d choose to lie to ourselves and pretend. That’s the allure of faking it till you make it; in a sense, you’re making a promise against your doubt, and trying to get more people to believe in you to be louder than the people who doubt you (maybe including yourself). Doubt doesn’t need to be a negative emotion though. If there was one important emotion that many successful people shared, it’s a sense of doubt. In fact, we can learn how to use our sense of doubt to grow, become more confident, and tap into a fountain of creativity that might otherwise be overlooked. Understanding your doubt is the first step to using it One of the best examples of the power of doubt is psychologist Daniel Kahneman. As author Michael Lewis writes in The Undoing Project, Kahneman’s doubt is a defining emotion that enables him to go deeper and deeper into his work, a driving force for exploration and depth. It was also the root of his collaboration with Amos Tversky. Lewis writes, Of course, left unchecked, doubt can dull and drain creative energy as much as it drives it. We all know of moments in our own lives (“Ah, forget it, this was stupid of me to even try”), when doubt rears its head on us and blocks us. At some point, we need to accept that we’re no longer in a place where we need to doubt ourselves. After we’ve done the work to unpack the doubt, we need to allow our confidence to grow stronger. That’s where Tversky also provided his own defining emotion to his collaboration with Kahneman: confidence, fearlessness, and irreverence. Confidence comes with effort There’s a quote often attributed to Henry Ford, “Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.” Something like this might blow your mind as you watch as these other people, chin up, assured, relaxed, almost effortlessly do exactly what you wanted to do. The reason many of them are able to tap into that confidence is because of the parts you didn’t see: They spent countless hours, days, weeks, months, even years, practicing and perfecting it. They don’t broadcast it on Facebook or Instagram, but they know it’s there. As Mindy Kaling says, “Because confidence is like respect; you have to earn it.” No matter how bold or confident someone successful might seem, you can bet they didn’t start off feeling that way. Everybody gets butterflies. It’s what you do during the moment that it feels the worst, when you feel sick to the pit of your stomach, your brain scrambles a mile a minute, you can barely breathe, and your knees 86

are shaking. If you decide to stay with it, you’ll earn the confidence that makes the situation more bearable for next time. Learn from other people—don’t compete with them There’s something really fascinating about watching someone else do the thing you wanted to do. Author Robert Greene explores the idea of mirror neurons, and how we learn by watching: The natural model for learning, largely based on the power of mirror neurons, came from watching and imitating others, then repeating the action over and over. Our brains are suited for this form of learning. In an activity such as riding a bicycle, we all know that it is easier to watch someone and follow their lead than to listen to or read instructions. Watching someone literally go through the motions can not only be educational, but inspirational. You remember that this task isn’t so impossible; the person in front of you is doing it.

No matter how distant the goal seems from your current place, it’s been accomplished before throughout history, probably by a lot of people, and they’re human beings. Just like me and you. If you’re just emerging from your starting point and doing your early work, you might feel so far away from your goal that you experience self-doubt. But doubt should be pursued as a point of curiosity, not a thing to be embarrassed about. It should be a starting point for exploration, not confrontation. This might feel impossible when you’re starting, and there will be points where it still feels impossible. But you can choose to remain inert or to build even just a little bit of momentum. The only way to build confidence, and believe in yourself, is to try something, learn from it, and do it again. If it’s important to you, focus and take just the next step with all your effort, no matter the difficulty or odds.

Photo by King Lip on Unsplash.

COS × LEA COLOMBO COS Announces A Mood-Boosting Capsule Collection And In-Store Exhibition By bazaar staff

The vibrant, atmospheric world of Cape Town-born photographer and artist Lea Colombo arrives at COS this July. Continuing to champion the creative community, COS × Lea Colombo encapsulates a mood-boosting limited-edition collection and an immersive exhibition at the brand’s hybrid store, Coal Drops Yard, in London. The location, a destination for contemporary culture and experience, regularly presents the work of both established and emerging creatives. The exhibit will showcase the colors, and prints at the heart of Colombo’s creative practice, spanning fine, installation, and experiential art.

Of the collection, Lea Colombo commented, ‘These ar tworks are par t of a flower series of mine – I create strong, vibrant, color ful images in the darkroom. The vibrant and contrasting colors are juxtaposed against the softer floral images, reflecting my constant exploration of duality, tension, and balance. They were produced back home in Cape Town, where my creativity is always awakened by incredible natural beauty – to transfer this onto clothing is a beautiful exchange of energy.’ COS Design Director Karin Gustafsson said, ‘We are always inspired by other creative disciplines – the oppor tunity to collaborate with Lea and explore her unique processes allowed us to take our brand DNA and truly reimagine the designs through her work. Embracing the synergy between ar t and fashion, we showcase Lea’s enthusiastic, mood-boosting approach to color and how she embraces an individual approach to style.’ The campaign, connected to color and emotion, which Colombo also shoots, showcases three exclusive prints on warmweather staples for men and women, including T-shir ts, shir ts, dresses, and accessories. Committed to innovation and driving a more circular economy, all women’s swim pieces use the sustainable fabric Econyl – a 100% regenerated nylon fiber with which can be recycled again and again.

The Capsule Collection will be available at kw.cosstores.com and in selected stores for a limited time only. 89

FEELING FORGETFUL?

Here are 5 easy ways to improve your memory according to science By Bill Murphy Jr. When you forget things, you fall short: What time was that meeting tomorrow? Was it April who said she might want to become a customer in August, or was it August who said to call him next April? Wait, what was the third thing? I joke, of course, but if there’s one thing many business leaders worry about—especially as they grow a bit older—it’s whether their memories have suffered. So, let’s go to the neuroscience: five specific tricks to improve memory and recall things better. 1. Walk backward Let’s start with my favorite on the list, because the neuroscientists who came up with it can’t even explain why it works. Researchers from the University of Roehampton in London divided their subjects into three groups. In Group 1, participants were asked to watch a short movie, or memorize words, or study a set of pictures while walking forward. In Group 2, participants completed the same tasks while walking backward. In Group 3, participants acted as a control group, doing the same tasks but standing still. Results? The walking backward group (Group 2) recalled the movies, the words, and the pictures more accurately later, as the researchers reported in the journal Cognition. Why? Well, we don’t know for sure. One theory is that the brain organizes memories spatially, so creating a rarer experience—like walking backward—leads to memories being stored differently. 2. Eat fruits and vegetables Next up: a massive study of 27,842 conducted by researchers associated with the Harvard School of Public Health, which found a link between diet and memory. Specifically, eating more vegetables and fruits (even fruit juice), and especially high levels of dark orange vegetables, red vegetables, leafy greens, and berry fruits, correlated to less memory loss later in life. The only bad news out of this study—assuming that you do in fact like to eat fruits and vegetables, which I assume most of us do—is that this was a very long-range study, and so it’s consumption of fruits and vegetables while young that counts the most. In other words, you can’t live on unhealthy food for 50 or 60 years and then make up for it by tripling down in your later years. Still, it can’t hurt. And it’s good advice for the next generation. 90

3. Get better lighting Here’s a simple one to fix. A laboratory study out of Michigan State University determined that working in an environment with dim lighting can “change the brain’s structure and hurt one’s ability to remember and learn.” This was literally a lab-rat study: Half of a group of Nile grass rats were kept in an environment with dim lighting; imagine a poorly lit office with fluorescent bulbs above. The other half of the group of rats lived in an environment with much brighter lighting. Imagine a sunny day outside. In the end, the rats in the dim light “lost about 30 percent of capacity in the hippocampus, a critical brain region for learning and memory, and performed poorly on a spatial task they had trained on previously,” according to the study. There’s a neuro-biological theory as to why, but for our purposes, the best takeaway is probably simply to make sure that you have sufficient lighting where you work. Oh, and if your employees are still working remotely — be a leader and make sure they do, too. 4. Try intermittent fasting Next up, a three-month study out of King’s College London. Researchers here wanted to determine if intermittent fasting might spur hippocampal neurogenesis (specifically, the development of brain genes known as klotho), and improve the memory performance of lab mice. So, three groups: A control group of mice who were treated and fed as always

A calorie-restricted group (CR), for which daily food intake was reduced by 10 percent An intermittent fasting group (IF), for which food was similarly reduced, but that were fed only every other day during the study The results? The study found that the intermittent fasting group had “improved longterm memory retention compared to the other groups,” and also had “upregulated klotho genes … and neurogenesis.” The lead author, Dr. Sandrine Thuret, leader of the Adult Neurogenesis & Mental Health Laboratory, gave a TED Talk on the whole thing that now has 12 million views entitled, “You Can Grow New Brain Cells. Here’s How.” 5. Don’t worry Neuroscientists at Trinity College in Dublin surmised recently in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience that forgetfulness has a lot more to do with inability to access memories, as opposed to whether the memories were still physically stored in the brain. Instead, accept it as a normal, healthy part of brain function–but also shore up your important memories with checklists, calendars, and other tools. It just might turn out that forgetting things doesn’t mean you’re getting older or suffering memory loss. It might just mean that you’ve got a lot going on.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

CHANGING MINDS

How psychology can help you change someone’s mind By Stephanie Vozza

If you’ve ever tried to change someone’s mind but found they were completely unwilling to budge in their thinking, it can help to understand how the brain works. Changing your mind—or someone else’s—is a complex process done through assimilation or accommodation, says David McRaney, author of How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion and host of the science podcast You Are Not So Smart. When the brain is confronted with novel information that generates cognitive dissonance, we tend to assuage that conflict by either updating our interpretations information or updating the models of reality that we generated to make sense of it,” he says. Assimilation is when the brain takes the new information and fits it into an existing model in the brain. Accommodation is when we acknowledge that our existing model is incomplete or incorrect. The brain updates the model so that the novel information is no longer an anomaly but a new layer of understanding. The easiest way to understand how it happens is to think of a child who is learning how the world works and building complex neural structures. For example, if they see a dog for the first time and are told the word for it, the brain creates a category that defines “nonhumans walking on four legs” as dogs. If later they see a horse, they may say, “dog.” Their brain is going through assimilation. Once corrected, the brain shifts into accommodation. “To expand your mind, you literally have to create a new category in which horse and dog exists,” says McRaney. “You have to change your mind, keeping what you already know but updating your interpretations.” Why You Think What You Think Everyone’s mind is filled with beliefs, attitudes, and values, says McRaney. He defines beliefs as an estimation of your confidence in the truth or falsity of a piece of information. Attitudes are positive or negatives evaluations of something. And values are an estimation of what is most important and most worth our time. All these things combined impact how someone thinks. To better understand how someone can have beliefs and attitudes that are opposite of yours, McRaney likes to give the example of “the dress” debate of 2015. Some people saw the dress as being black and blue and others saw it as white and gold. If you saw the dress one way, you couldn’t see it the other. “People were getting into arguments,” says McRaney. “They were saying, ‘There must be something wrong with you if you don’t see it how I do.’” Turns out, the photo was overexposed, and how you saw the dress was related to the amount of time you’ve spent in sunlight versus artificial light. After two years of researchwith more than 10,000 92

participants, Pascal Wallisch, a neuroscientist who studies perception, discovered that the more time a person had spent exposed to artificial light, which is predominantly yellow, the more likely they saw the dress as being black and blue. Their brains were unconsciously processing the overexposure as being artificially lit, removing the yellow light, and leaving the bluer shades. For a person who had spent more time exposed to natural light, the opposite was true, and their brains subtracted the blue light and saw the dress as white and gold. Changing Someone Else’s Mind When you meet people who disagree with you on certain topics, it’s important to realize that you’re unaware of all the forces that took place to create their conclusions. Someone else’s beliefs, attitudes, and values are made up of a culmination of years of experiences and behaviors. People can and do change their minds for a variety of reasons, and one of those is due to persuasion, such as a one-on-one conversation, a learning experience, or media messaging. McRaney says successful persuasion involves leading a person along in stages, helping them to better understand their own thinking. “You can’t persuade another person to change their mind if that person doesn’t want to do so,” he says. “Persuasion is mostly encouraging people to realize change is possible. All persuasion is self-persuasion. People change or refuse based

on their own desires, motivations, and internal counterarguing; and by focusing on these factors, an argument becomes more likely to change minds.” Letting Someone Else Change Your Mind When you try to change someone else’s mind, you should be open to having your own mind changed, as well. McRaney suggests asking yourself, “Am I right about everything?” “Most people would say, No,” he says. “But then ask yourself, ‘What am I wrong about?’ Suddenly that becomes a very difficult question to answer. If you know that you must be wrong about something, and you’re not aware what those things are, the next question is, ‘How can I go about discovering?’ If you don’t have a clear answer for that, that means that maybe you are operating in a way that doesn’t allow you to discover your areas of ignorance or conflict.” But being willing to change your mind can lead greater changes in culture and epiphanies that create a paradigm shift. “When creatures have the capacity to change but there’s little encouragement to do so, they remain mostly the same from one generation to the next,” he says. “But when the pressure to adapt increases, the pace of evolution increases in response.”

Photo by David Matos on Unsplash.

QUIZ RESORTWEAR:

NOW AT DEBENHAMS

A brand-new resort collection to give you everlasting summer vibes By bazaar staff

Summertime is magical. The days are longer and everything appears brighter, better and more exciting. And we’ve been practicing a new form of self-care; romanticizing life. Blame our social media addiction, but we have realized that making an effort to reimagine a more wonderful version of our daily lives actually makes the days sweeter. And one of the best ways to do that has been putting together looks and outfits that look dreamy.

You need to look no further than the brandnew Resort 22 collection from QUIZ. Full of dreamy summer dresses to statement coords, all of your summer staples are in one place at Debenhams. They’re all easy to wear, comfortable, color ful but oh-so stylish. Front and center of the collection are ditsy floral prints, bright pops of color and crisp summer whites - styles that make getting dressed in the summer just as bright as days themselves. Just add a statement pair of sunnies or a wide-brim hat and you will instantly feel amazing. There will be a bounce to your step and ever y time you catch your reflection in the mirror you will realize that you are the star of the show. Are you spending the day at the beach, enjoying a long weekend with family and friends, or have a summer getaway planned? Then QUIZ’s summer styles are per fect for your warmweather wardrobe.

Browse the collection from the comfort of your own home on Debenhams Kuwait’s website at www.debenhams.com.kw. Follow @debenhamsmiddleeast on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest updates. Shop the collection at Debenhams in Grand Avenue – The Avenues, Souq Sharq and Kuwait International Airport. Call Customer Service: 182 1212. 95

ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS LAUNDRY

How washing your clothes with cold water could help save carbon emissions and ocean pollution By Talib Visram

Over the course of our climate-solutions season of the World Changing Ideas podcast, we’ve considered grand ideas like replacing petrochemicals with plant-based chemicals and converting methane into polymers for producing everyday goods. And while many of us want to help make a difference ourselves, most of us probably don’t have a chemical manufacturing plant at home.

But, most of us do laundry. We’re trained to wash fabrics at high temperatures to get out harsh stains. Yet, it’s estimated that 90% of energy that a washing machine expends goes into heating the water and that home laundries in the U.S. produce an estimated 179 million metric tons of CO2 every year. On our last regular episode of this season’s World Changing Ideas, we find out how simple cold washes could save energy while also reducing ocean pollution. Last year, laundry detergent company Tide launched its #TurntoCold movement, in partnership with organizations like the NFL, WWF, and popular basic-apparel company Hanesbrands, whose packaging now contains calls-to-action recommending cold washing. Hanesbrands chief sustainability officer Chris Fox joined us to discuss what he called a “very simple ask.” Washing cold “will make more of an impact on the greenhouse gas emissions of the apparel than about anything else along the value chain,” he says. “So it really is that important.” That means just turning the machine knob to “tap cold,” if available. “In other words, there hasn’t been any energy expended heating it beyond whatever that ambient temperature 96

is,” Fox says. Contrary to our long-held beliefs, washing with hot water won’t get more stains out nor will it be more likely to eliminate germs, a fair consideration in the COVID-19 era. If energy concerns don’t convince people, a more visceral one might: the fact that with every meal, we are consuming microfibers, tiny strands of synthetic, petroleum-based fibers, many of which shed from our clothes. Washing our clothes in warmer water might be releasing more fibers into the Earth’s water systems, explains Andrea Huvard, professor of biology at California Lutheran University, who runs a research lab on microfiber pollution. Hotter water (and longer cycles) loosen the fibers more. A single wash can emit 700,000 tiny fibers; an average North American household releases about 135 grams of microfibers yearly. They’re extremely abundant. In Huvard’s lab, “we have yet to sample anything that doesn’t have microfibers in it,” she says. While they may not harm us as much as they do wildlife with less-developed digestive systems (“An albatross chick eating 17 water-bottle caps, 3 Bic lighters, and a Matchbox car [is] going to get an intestinal block and they’re going to die”), it’s going to get worse. “We may only eat 11 to 15 microfibers

per oyster,” she says. “Well, in 20 years, maybe that’s going to be 150 microfibers per oyster. See where I’m going with this?” And if it gets worse, it will harm the future generations most. For her young students, Huvard’s lab provides tangibility, so they can see the fibers under the microscope with their own eyes. “They can’t start to solve them until they have some appreciation for really what that is,” she says. “I find that firsthand experience is working for them.” For the rest of us, the push to washing cold may well be cost considerations, especially at a time of high inflation. Tide estimates that energy bills can drop by 90% by switching from hot to cold cycles, enough to power an American home for more than an hour; washing cold could also save up to $150 annually. The goal, Tide says, is to make a cold wash as ubiquitous as turning off lights when we leave a room. (Though there’s still a lot of work to do there. Only about 6 out of 10 of us turn off lights on a regular basis.)

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.

FULLY CHARGED

As sales of electric vehicles boom, battery makers are getting squeezed By Qichao Hu

The demand for electric vehicles is on the rise. Global EV sales more than doubled in the first quarter of the year, and about one out of every 10 new cars sold today is electric.

However, the supply cannot catch up. The EV batter y industr y is not sustainable in its current form. Batter y makers are facing shortages from all sides. Their most important raw material, lithium, is in short supply. There’s plenty of lithium in the Earth’s crust, but accessibility is an issue. Lithium from all mature lithium mines has been spoken for through 2026, and junior mines are at least eight years away from production. EV prices are rising due to these challenges with raw material accessibility and supply chain complexities. EV batteries are the No. 1 reason EVs are more expensive than gas-powered vehicles. These batteries can account for nearly 40% of the total cost of the car. It’s easy to find examples—the price of a midrange model of the new Chevy Silverado recently jumped by $12,000 to nearly $90,000. The spike has even affected the used EV market: A 2022 Rivian R1T pickup (factor y price $73,000) is listed at OnlyEV for $125,000. Battery Companies Will Need Bold Steps to Survive The price of raw materials is going up while the batter y cost target is coming down, so batter y companies are getting squeezed. The hard truth is that most EV batter y manufacturers 98

will not sur vive. The market is dominated by the three largest EV batter y producers (CATL, LGES, and Panasonic account for 64% of the global market share), while the top 10 batter y manufacturers have captured more than 90% of the market. The batter y industr y is highly capitaland technology-intensive, which puts added pressure on the smaller companies. One possible outcome is that automakers acquire a batter y company or become batter y makers themselves. Car companies will have the batter y technology and manufacturing capability, and the batter y manufacturing no longer needs to be profitable as long as the final vehicle sale is profitable. To make it on their own, however, today’s upstart batter y manufacturers will need to take a cue from an unlikely source: the oil industr y. While oil companies don’t have a great reputation on environmental issues, their business model remains solid. If batter y companies can assume the traditional role that oil companies have played—but in a more sustainable way—oil fields, refineries, and gas stations would be replaced by batter y mines, manufacturing plants, and recycling stations. Batter y companies would become the new oil companies and control the entire supply chain, and make car companies manufacturers of metal boxes with wheels.

Another solution would be for carmakers and battery suppliers to team up on a batteryas-a-service (BaaS) business model, essentially leasing batteries directly to end users. The idea would be that the car company owns the battery, but the consumer pays for it over the life of the car. After that, the car company takes the battery back and recycles it, incorporating the materials into future batteries. This could be a way to keep up-front costs down, even though the total cost of ownership would be higher than it is currently. Some of these scenarios are starting to play out. Chinese battery giant CATL recently unveiled EVOGO, a modular battery swapping solution that separates the idea of vehicle and battery. The vehicle belongs to its owner, and the battery is a shared product and is leased by the consumers. However, BaaS doesn’t require battery swapping; even if the battery is not easily swappable, the economics of the battery and the vehicle can still be separated in a BaaS model. Today’s battery and car industries are poised on the brink of seismic changes. Not every company will be around to take part in the next era, and it will take innovative thinking on both sides to succeed.

Photo by Kumpan Electric on Unsplash.

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ENJOY NEW EXPERIENCES ON THE ROAD WITH NISSAN PATROL NISMO

Discover the Luxury package offered by Nissan Al-Babtain By bazaar staff

As part of the summer celebrations, Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al Babtain Company (AABC), the authorized dealer of Nissan vehicles, is offering its fans the ultimate deal on its latest high-performance, luxury SUV in Kuwait – 2022 Patrol NISMO. Catering to Kuwait’s appeal for performance and prestige on the road, the new 2022 Nissan Patrol NISMO is a race-inspired version of the legendary Patrol combining a bold exterior design and a technologically advanced interior to offer customers the refinement of a luxury SUV with the thrill of a sports car.

[Continued...]

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Nissan Al Babtain is offering its 2022 Patrol NISMO owners a grand luxury package that comprises of a 2-year comprehensive insurance,5year service or 100,000 KM, 5- year warranty, and 5-year roadside assistance alongside free premium services such as window tinting and full body protection. The distinctive design of the 2022 Patrol

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NISMO reinforces the build of the Patrol V8, with a honeycomb three-dimensional mesh that, along with the new Nissan logo and iconic NISMO emblem, emphasizes the signature V-motion grille to create an imposing presence on the road. It also includes LED rear fog lights inspired by the Formula 1 cars, emitting the same brightness as the car’s brake lights in adverse conditions.

The interiors of the Patrol NISMO’s come with premium quality seats with crafted quilting, together with a black Alcantara steering wheel, and is balanced with a redesigned center console, which now features an all-new 12.3inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as an ergonomically-designed Intelligent Driving

dial in addition to the latest Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) technologies including Intelligent Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Intelligent For ward Collision Warning, Smar t Rear-View Mirror and High Beam Assist. The Patrol NISMO’s V8 engine is tuned to flawlessness by Nissan’s Takumi craftsmen, a group of five master engine builders allowed to

hand-build the Nissan GT-R engines – resulting in a concentrated 428hp and a peak torque of 560NM. Honoring The Patrol’s legacy of conquering ever y terrain while delivering a thrilling driving per formance that is synonymous with the NISMO brand, Nissan Al Babtain invites customers to visit its showrooms located in Al Rai, Ahmadi,

and Jahra to explore the coveted SUV combined with the incredible, peace of mind offer.

Customers with queries and interest in gathering more information can contact the dedicated call center on 1804 888 or visit the official website www.babtain.com.

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CONNECTING PHONES

How to FaceTime from Apple to Android or Windows By Doug Aamoth

The Aamoth household is a divided bunch when it comes to personal electronics. I, an Android person, am married to an Apple person. My mom is also an Apple person. My brother and father are Android people.

This makes video conferencing tricky but not impossible. We generally default to Google Duo (soon to be merged with Google Meet), which works well across devices, but there have been some painful moments. Last week when I was out of town, my wife wanted to fire off a quick video call before the kids headed off to school. She hadn’t installed Duo on her new phone yet, so it took a few precious minutes of frustration, downloading, and signing in to get everything hooked up. However, it has come to my attention that it is possible to FaceTime with the entire family, the Apple people and the Android people together in glorious cross-platform harmony. The best part about it is that nobody has to install anything new. Apple users already have FaceTime installed on all their devices, and Android or Windows users just follow a link to open up the FaceTime call in their browsers. It’s about as easy as it gets. Here’s how to do it. First things first I hate misleading headlines as much as the next guy, so before you go any further you should know 104

that for this to work, an Apple person has to initiate the FaceTime call from an iOS 15 or higher device and then share a link with the Android people. There’s no Android or Windows FaceTime app, in other words. It’s very easy to do, though. More info here directly from Apple. Creating a FaceTime call The Apple person should open up the FaceTime app. Next to the New FaceTime button, there’s a handy Create Link button. Tap that and then share the link that’s generated. You can do so via the Messages app, an email app, or one of several other options. Connecting the call On the Android person’s end, simply click the link that the Apple person sends you. You’ll be taken to a sign-in page where you’ll be asked to enter your name. Do so and then tap the Continue button. You’ll then need to grant access to your phone’s camera and microphone. After that, click the green Join button in the upper-right corner. On the Apple person’s end, there will be a little pop-up notification signifying that someone has

requested to join the call. Tap on that and grant the Android person access. A quick whiff of ozone later, and you’ll be connected. Apple and Android, chatting via FaceTime. Now what? You can follow the aforementioned steps to connect a FaceTime call between an Apple device and a Windows computer. It’s the same process, except you’ll be using your PC’s webcam and browser. I will also mention here that I found the quality of the test calls I did to be a bit on the spotty side— on both Windows and Android—to the point that if I have a choice, I’ll probably push for both sides to use Duo in the future. However, if that’s not an option, you’re dealing with an inexperienced iOS user, or you just want to get connected as quickly as possible, this is an easy way to do it. Photo by Ben Collins on Unsplash.

SHARING IS CARING

Why sharing your troubles with coworkers can increase your productivity By Stephanie Vozza

Over the past two years, the line between work life and home life has blurred, but talking about your personal troubles with your coworkers might feel like going too far. However, research by Susan Cain, author of Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, finds that it can have many benefits, including stronger connections with coworkers and productivity.

In her book, Cain shares an example of a company that normalized sharing personal woes. Midwest Billing, the billing unit of a community hospital in Jackson, Michigan, created a culture in which it was assumed that every worker had personal troubles. Instead of being seen as a flaw, sharing troubles provided opportunities for teammates to demonstrate compassion. Employees cared for each other during divorces, domestic violence, deaths in the family, and even when someone had a cold. In addition to being good for mental health, sharing troubles was a boost for business. “During the five years prior to the study, Midwest Billing got its bills collected more than twice as fast as before, beating industry standards. Turnover rate in the unit was only 2%, compared with an average of 25% across all of Midwest Health System, and a significantly higher rate across the medical billing industry,” writes Cain. The Role of Leaders Creating a culture of sharing often starts with leadership. In her book, Cain shares the story of Rick Fox, former leader of a Shell Oil rig case in the Gulf of Mexico. Fox hired consultant Lara Nuer, co-founder of Learning as Leadership, to help solve problems with drill schedules and numbers of oil production. After talking with Fox, Nuer told him that 106

his real problem was fear. The work was dangerous, as was managing people and keeping them safe. Nuer worked with the team, encouraging them to talk to each other and open up about their own fears, including personal troubles. The culture transformed from a macho environment in which you would never share weaknesses or ask questions to one where the men supported each other. “There were fewer accidents because the guys on the rig got more comfortable opening up when they didn’t know how to do something or didn’t understand how something worked,” says Cain. If you’re a leader, however, sharing your own troubles can get tricky, says Cain. “At least one study suggests that confiding one’s troubles in subordinates can cause them to lose confidence in and comfort with you,” she says. “At the same time, the best way to shift a culture is for leadership to go first.” Leaders don’t need to share all their troubles. “They don’t need to speak to their employees the same way they’d talk to their therapist,” says Cain. “It’s enough to move in the direction of open heartedness.” How to Share Instead of putting your personal life on blast, Cain says there are ways to do it correctly. For example, you can confide in a colleague quietly, one-on-one,

she says. Or you might call a moment with your team, such as a project manager at Google who called his team together to reveal that he was fighting Stage 4 cancer. “I also like the idea of creating spaces where people can share anonymously. So that, as a group, you get a sense of what your colleagues are dealing with, without people feeling too emotionally out there,” says Cain. If you’re on the receiving end, Cain suggests receiving the information with 100% warmth and 0% judgment. Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at University of California, Berkeley, says humans have “the compassionate instinct” that makes us wired to respond to each other’s troubles with care. Our nervous systems react similarly to our own pain as well as the pain of others. “As we know from [Harvard Business School professor] Amy Edmonson’s work on psychological safety, people work best in an atmosphere of trust, an environment in which they can say something wrong and feel that others have their back,” says Cain. “But psychological safety extends to the feeling of being able to be a less than ideal human—and we are all less than ideal humans.” Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash.

It’s

Summer Time

www.lovesushu.com 22091190

STRONGER SECURITY

The real key to a strong password? Math By Mary Lynn Reed

It’s hard to imagine that three random words have the power to both map the globe and keep your private data secure. The secret behind this power is just a little bit of math. What3words is an app and web-based service that provides a geographic reference for every 3-meter-by-3-meter square on Earth using three random words. If your brain operates more naturally in the English measurement system, 3 meters is about 9.8 feet. So, you could think of them as roughly 10-foot-by-10-foot squares, which is about the size of a small home office or bedroom. For example, there’s a square in the middle of the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers Turf Field coded to brilliance.bronze.inputs. This new approach to geocoding is useful for several reasons. First, it’s more precise than regular street addresses. Also, three words are easier for humans to remember and communicate to one another than, say, detailed latitude and longitude measurements. This makes the system well suited for emergency services. Seeing these advantages, some car manufacturers are starting to integrate what3words into their navigation systems. Ordered triples Here’s how three random words in English or any other language can identify such precise locations across the whole planet. The key concept is ordered triples. Start with the basic assumption that the Earth is a sphere, recognizing that this is an approximate truth, and that its radius is approximately 3,959 miles (6,371 kilometers). To compute the surface area of the Earth, use the formula 4πr2. With r = 3,959 (6,371), this works out to approximately 197 million square miles (510 million square kilometers). Remember: What3words is using 3-meter-by-3-meter squares, each of which contains 9 square meters of surface area. So, working in the metric system, Earth’s surface area is equivalent to 510 trillion square meters. Dividing 9 into 510 trillion reveals that uniquely identifying each square requires around 57 trillion ordered triples of three random words. An ordered triple is just a list of three things in which the order matters. So “brilliance.bronze. inputs” would be considered a different ordered triple than “bronze.brilliance.inputs.” In fact, in the what3words system, bronze.brilliance.inputs is on a mountain in Alaska, not in the middle of the RIT Tigers Turf Field, like brilliance.bronze.inputs. The next step is figuring out how many words there are in a language, and whether there are enough ordered triples to map the globe. Some scholars estimate there are more a million English words; however, many of them are very 108

uncommon. But even using only common English words, there are still plenty to go around. You can find many word lists online. The developers at what3words came up with a list of 40,000 English words. (The what3words system works in 50 different languages with independently assigned words.) The next question is determining how many ordered triples of three random words can be made from a list of 40,000 words. If you allow repeats, as what3words does, there would be 40,000 possibilities for the first word, 40,000 possibilities for the second word, and 40,000 possibilities for the third word. The number of possible ordered triples would then be 40,000 times 40,000 times 40,000, which is 64 trillion. That provides plenty of “three random word” triples to cover the globe. The excess combinations also allow what3words to eliminate offensive words and words that would be easily confused for one another. Passwords you can actually remember While the power of three random words is being used to map the Earth, the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre is also advocating their use as

passwords. Password selection and related security analysis are more complicated than attaching three words to small squares of the globe. But a similar calculation is illuminating. If you string together an ordered triple of words – such as brilliancebronzeinputs – you get a nice long password that a human should be able to remember far more easily than a random string of letters, numbers and special characters designed to meet a set of complexity rules. If you increase your word list beyond 40,000, you’ll get even more possible passwords. Using the “Corncob list” of 58,000 English words, you could generate more than 195 trillion “three random word”-style passwords. It’s important to note that there are a fair number of trade-offs among the different approaches to password selection and complexity rules. So, while “three random words” doesn’t give you a fail-safe for password security, the complexity of language does provide some amazing power in this realm as well.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash.

NEW

EVERYTHING IS BETTER WITH GARLIC

JET SET WITH MUJI

The travel hacks that will make your next globe-trotting adventure a breeze By bazaar staff

Whether you are planning a vacation that includes white sandy beaches, ancient cities or hiking in the mountains, there is one certainty. You need to pack. And while most people focus on itineraries, tickets and hotel bookings, an intelligently packed suitcase and truly transform your next trip. We’re not bragging (maybe a little bit) but we’re pros at the games, especially since we stocked up at MUJI.

Start with the right suitcase If you haven’t replaced all of your old soft suitcases with hard ones from MUJI, you’re missing out. The Hard Carry Bags come in several sizes and colors that are lightweight, durable and will keep the contents protected. They’re also easy to clean, while the twin-wheel casters are quiet and easy to drive. The TSA approved locks will keep your valuables safe from theft. bazaar hack We prefer the brighter colors that make spotting them on the baggage claim easier.

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Fill it up efficiently It can be tempting to just throw things into your suitcase, but that’s a waste of space and will make unpacking when you arrive harder. Invest in a bunch of nylon gusset cases to keep things organized. The cases protect your clothes from getting wrinkled and fold to a small size when they’re not in use. The smaller cases are perfect for storing smaller items like socks and unmentionables neatly. bazaar hack You can also pack full outfits in each case. It makes getting ready in the morning much easier if you can just grab and go.

Travel with your own toiletries Yes, you can absolutely buy shampoo and toothpaste wherever you are going. But it is usually easier and more affordable to pack the products you already know and love. Why test out a new shampoo when you are abroad when you can fill travel sized containers from MUJI with your favorite products. bazaar hack Pair with the EVA hanging case, and you have the perfect onthe-go shower solution while traveling.

Layer your linens We’ve been fans of MUJI linen for as long as we can remember. We look put together no matter where we go and we can dress in layers to accommodate for different climates. The breathability also means we never feel stuffy or sweaty and we can mix and match all the different neutrals together to build tons of stylish outfits. bazaar hack If your linen items are looking a little rumpled, place them on a hanger in the bathroom while you take a hot shower. The steam will help relax the garments with zero effort on your part.

Visit the MUJI stores in 2nd Avenue – The Avenues, Grand Avenue – The Avenues and Al Kout Mall or shop online at muji.com.kw. For more information, follow MUJI on Instagram @mujimiddleeast. 111

CORSET COMEBACK

The sneaky way that corsets have reemerged in modern life By Naomi Braithwaite

Throughout history, women have faced pressure to have certain body shapes—often leading them to use extreme methods to achieve them. So you’d think with a greater emphasis on body positivity in recent years that the days of wearing corsets and other restrictive undergarments would be behind us. In reality, the global shapewear industry is booming—with sales of these products projected to reach $3.7 billion by 2028. While corsets can be traced back as far as the 16th century, it was in the 18th century that the hourglass shape became fashionable. Corsets had also come to represent elite status and physical fragility, which was symbolic of femininity. Different body ideals have come in and out of fashion since, largely shaped by popular celebrities or even famous images and artworks. For example, Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty, was frequently depicted in paintings and sculptures with a curvaceous body. While hourglass figures were popular throughout the 1950s due to sex symbols such as Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, the mid- to late 1960s saw a shift toward a slimmer physique, thanks in part to the iconic British model Twiggy. The skinny, waif-like lookremained fashionable well into the 1990s—again thanks to the continued popularity of models such as Kate Moss. The 2010s saw a shift toward a “curvy” silhouette, where a small waist and fuller hips became the ideal again. Just as in previous decades, this shift was driven by celebrities, including Rihanna, Beyoncé, and—in particular— Kim Kardashian. Social media trends While social media has helped give space to celebrate a more diverse range of body shapes, there’s still continued pressure to conform to an ideal which may not be entirely natural. This is why shapewear remains popular—though the way these garments are perceived and worn has changed significantly since the 18th century. Before the U.S.-based underwear brand Spanx launched shaping leggings and underpants in 2000, shapewear was usually something reserved for special occasions. But thanks to celebrity endorsements and Instagram influencers, shapewear (including Spanx) has become an everyday clothing item, used to help improve appearance and achieve the ideal figure. Kardashian and Victoria Beckham have both launched their own affordable shapewear lines. We have now reached the point where young women are wearing shapewear as outer clothing instead of hiding it as underwear. Searches for the best shapewear garments even outstrip searches for the best way to lose weight. 112

Waist trainers in particular are a great example of the power of social media and celebrity endorsement in driving sales and shifting perceptions. For example, a 2015 selfie posted by Kardashian in a waist trainer created a surge in sales. Other celebrities such as Nicki Minajand Kylie Jenner have also posted about wearing waist trainers. In the past, women would have learned about the latest fashion trends only through dressmakers or magazines, which would feature illustrations of the silhouettes that were fashionable. But with social media, users are constantly exposed to images—whether of everyday people or extremely photoshopped models and celebrities. This makes it hard to escape idealized body shapes— and what items can be purchased to achieve them. Social media has a huge influence on the consumption of fashion products. With an estimated 3.2 billion users across the world, that creates tremendous potential for brands to expose consumers to fashion products on a daily basis. Trends that used to be driven by fashion magazines are now firmly in the hands of influencers. And with even ordinary people flaunting idealized figures and sharing their experiences with using shapewear products, products can appear more relatable than for previous generations.

Despite some influencers talking up shapewear as a way of celebrating the female form, its relationship to age-old notions of perfection and its endorsement by tiny-waisted celebrities raises questions over whether body acceptance is what these products are really trying to sell. But it’s unlikely these garments are going anywhere anytime soon—with celebrities as diverse as Billie Eilish and Lizzo continuing to popularize them. Harms There are increasing questions over the benefits and potential risks of using shapewear. While waist trainers might temporarily reduce waist circumference, the waist quickly returns to its normal size after stopping use. Plenty of research also shows that using corsets and waist trainers long term can cause problems—from digestive issues to even organ damage at the extremes. Some women who wear shapewear between 8 and 10 hours a day for many months have also reported tingling, acid reflux, organ compression, and breathing problems. Technical manufacturing innovations, such as making these products more breathable and flexible, may eventually offer a more natural fit that is less harmful. But to ensure safety, only wear the right size shapewear for your body, and avoid wearing it every day.

CRYPTO AND REALITY

Inflation is up, so why isn’t the price of Bitcoin? By Zoe Bernard

In early May, MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor took to Twitter to, once again, proclaim his trust in Bitcoin. “Bitcoin is the best hedge against inflation,” he tweeted, citing evidence that Bitcoin’s price has risen over time since his own company bought a billion dollar stake in the digital currency in August 2020. But Saylor’s words have rung hollow in the weeks since then, as Bitcoin has crashed alongside so many other facets of the U.S. economy. For years, cryptocurrency advocates have touted Bitcoin as a hedge against the inflating value of fiat currencies. Historically, Bitcoin has even seen popular adoption in foreign countries experiencing widespread economic instability like El Salvador, Lebanon, and Venezuela. But with inflation surging to its highest level since 1982 everything from gas to groceries is more expensive than it’s been in decades. And as the US dollar declines in value, investment in Bitcoin has experienced a steep dropoff: For weeks, the cryptocurrency has consistently hovered around $20,000, a lofty plunge from its historic high of $68,000 just seven months ago. (It even plunged to $17,592 at one point over the weekend, its lowest point since December 2020.) Bitcoin isn’t soaring during the current period of growing inflation shows that it still has a long way to go before it catches up with the vision of its top advocates, even despite widespread institutional investment. The reality is that, for the average retail investor, Bitcoin is still a highly speculative investment providing little value in the real world. “When inflation goes up, there are other things that are changing, and Bitcoin is not resilient to all [this change],” said Itay Goldstein, a professor of economics and finance at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Coupled with inflation is the fall of the financial markets which “is bringing down Bitcoin as well,” he continued. Beyond Bitcoin, cryptocurrency at large has been plagued by turmoil in recent weeks. In early June, the controversial cryptocurrency lending firm Celsius froze as much as $8 billion worth of transactions due to what the company described as “extreme market conditions.” The move has sparked a regulatory investigation that could lead to a wider market crackdown when it comes to federal regulation regarding cryptocurrency investment. The uncertain economic forecast has affected top cryptocurrency companies, many of which are bracing for an upcoming “crypto winter.” Both Coinbase and Gemini laid off employees in midJune, with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong writing in a blog post that “economic conditions are changing rapidly” into what appears to be an impending recession, which could in turn into another crypto winter. 114

Not only has this defensive position had a chilling effect on the cryptocurrency market at large, but it’s served as an indication that Bitcoin is subject to the rules of bear and bull markets. Bitcoin is often compared to gold because of the limited amount that can be produced, but in reality, it has more closely paralleled the performance of tech stocks. (In fact,gold has been outperforming Bitcoin in terms of dollar investment in the past year.) Money sapped from the financial markets has a big effect on Bitcoin , said Goldstein. “A lot of things that were keeping financial markets up were also helping cryptocurrencies,” he said. “People put money into cryptocurrencies as speculation, and these are the same people speculating on stocks. When the mood changes, they’re becoming more pessimistic.”

Today, Bitcoin still functions like a high risk investment, especially in times of economic turmoil. More than any other fiat currency, Bitcoin crucially depends on investor sentiment for its value: the more people who believe in it and buy in, the higher the price, and vice versa. Because its value is so inextricably linked to investor sentiment, it’s still a poor inflation hedge, especially during periods of economic turmoil. A shaky economic future means that fewer people are less inclined to dump their savings in risky investments, even if those same investments might someday counter a swiftly inflating fiat currency.

Photo by Kanchanara on Unsplash.

GET INVOLVED, GET INSPIRED, GET ACTIVE

The Body Shop, Marina Mall and Avenues workshop stores, a new local hangout for changemakers in Kuwait! By bazaar staff

There are countless places to buy beauty products, but how many where you are encouraged to show up and be a part of the change? The Body Shop is creating a local destination for changemakers. At the Workshop store you can moisturize your hands, learn about sustainability and fight for a better world all at the same time.

Now, more than ever, the world needs strong, confident bodies. That’s why The Body Shop, the iconic activist beauty brand, is rolling up its sleeves, starting with the launch of new concept stores in Marina Mall and The Avenues - Phase 3, Kuwait. The new stores are an interactive ‘activist workshop’ that encourages people to explore products and discover how, together, we can fight for a fairer and more beautiful world. The launch of this new concept store in Marina Mall and The Avenues - Phase 3 is a fully interactive and totally joyful beauty experience. The store offers a place to explore products, share ideas 116

and discover how we can speak up and speak out against injustice together. This is not just a store, but a lively, sensorial place to dunk your hands into The Body Shop products and explore the rich stories of the people and plants behind them. The Body Shop was born in 1976 with a passion for environmental and social justice that goes hand in hand with a passion for beauty. The brand offers an array of 800 cruelty-free products, using natural ingredients that work, such as edelweiss. Through its pioneering Community Fair Trade program, it sources shea from women’s communities in Ghana and much-loved tea tree oil from Kenya.

Famous for its high-quality naturally-inspired cosmetic and toiletr y products, The Body Shop is known all over the world for pioneering the philosophy that business can be a force for good, for launching new standards of ethics in business and for its consistency in campaigning for change on behalf of those whose voices aren’t heard. Today, The Body Shop operates about 3,000 retail locations in over 75 countries and offers an array of over 800 cruelty-free products, ranging from worldfamous Shea Body Butter, and much-loved Tea Tree skin care range.

The Body Shop’s new Activist Maker Workshop store is a place for play and discover y, where shoppers can get stuck in and get inspired by the brand’s legendar y beauty products and ethical purpose. Find out what makes this new concept store a truly unique experience. It’s time to scrub up our bodies and scrub up the world. Together, we’re unstoppable. THE STORE EXPERIENCE Recyclable materials, 100% recycled counter tops created from recycled plastic destined for landfill: circularity is the beating hear t of this store concept. The stores are fitted with a range of upcycled and reclaimed materials such as reclaimed wood and par trecycled plastic storage crates. Even down to the lightweight aluminum facade, ever y care has been taken to ensure the environmental footprint of ever y Workshop is as tiny as possible. Stride over to the central sink area where you will be able to smell, lather and caress The Body Shop’s best-loved products. There is also an all-new makeup stand complete with a mirror to experiment with the looks that make you feel most power ful. The gifting station is the place to unleash your creativity. Personalise gifts with ribbons and recyclable* paper and treat your loved ones to something special. RETURN. RECYCLE. REPEAT. Want to recycle your empty plastic products from The Body Shop? Workshop staff can do it for you. Empty packaging goes in the bin available in all The Body Shop stores across Kuwait.

MOST LOVED PRODUCTS Pick up The Body Shop’s most-loved products from the bestsellers’ bays, featuring an edit of head-to-toe heroes loved by customers around the world. Led by single ingredients - many of them sourced through the brand’s Community Fair Trade program - ranges like Tea Tree and Charcoal have become favorites for their hardworking formulas. The Body Shop’s friendly

staff is on-hand to offer demonstrations, tailored tips and new ways to experience these iconic products.

For more information about The Body Shop, visit www.thebodyshop.com.kw or keep up to date with the brand’s latest news on Instagram and Facebook: @TheBodyShopKuwait 117

RETHINK YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE

Meet your new workday, what Microsoft calls the ‘triple peak’ By Mark Wilson

Before lunch and after lunch. These are, traditionally speaking, the most precious times during your workday, when researchers believe you’ll be at your productivity peak. But with the rise of COVID-19 and so many people still working from home, Microsoft Research has spotted a new trend: Many of us are picking up a third grind between 9 and 11 p.m. Microsoft dubs this behavior the “triple peak” of our 9-to-5 workday. And you can see exactly what that looks like in a pair of area graphs that Microsoft published earlier this month. Based on the keyboard strokes of 50 consenting Microsoft employees over the course of four weeks, the first graph demonstrates average worker behavior: a camel-like double hump of activity, where many of us are doing nose-down work around 10:30 a.m., and then again after lunch around 2:30 p.m. From there, it’s a slow descent into the evening. The second graph shows a subsection of the first graph: only those employees who are engaging in a “triple peak” workday. We see a similar first two peaks, there is a larger dip of 118

productivity at lunch, and a steeper falloff of work after 5 p.m. But around 9 p.m. we see that third peak. What’s going on? Microsoft claims it has yet to analyze the data at play, along with what traits might be unifying this third-peak group. But its researchers hypothesize that we’re likely seeing parents who, working from home, are juggling more responsibilities for their children during the day, so after their children’s bedtime, they go back for another shift. Researchers also speculate that remote workers who’ve used this pandemic period to travel and live a less rigid lifestyle may be coming back in to work at night to make up for productivity lost during daytime adventures. Indeed, the parenting challenges check out. Way back in 2014, Fast Company published research that analyzed work hours for highearning working parents. A whopping 55% of them reported picking up a “second shift” at night, just like Microsoft details with its “triple peak.” Microsoft believes this trend is only growing— likely due to how working from home has blended

our personal and professional lives more than ever before. (Separate from this study, Microsoft measured that after-hours Teams messages are up 42% during the pandemic. On the second graph, we can see that play out, as 20% of people are still working at 7 p.m.) So now as our lives are more blended with work, and many of our workplaces are adopting hybrid hours instead of forcing 9-to-5 in person, what do we do with these findings? In short, Microsoft says we need to acknowledge that not everyone works the same hours these days but also ensure that having some people working later hours doesn’t pull everyone else into a 24/7 work culture. Balancing collaboration among more employees over a longer day is a tricky task. Yet the triple-peak day serves as a proof point that every manager should remember: Even when employees are distracted “at work,” we do what it takes to get the job done.

Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash.

NOT BABY APPS

These are the apps every new parent should have By Jessica Sillers

Baby showers are a great way for friends and family to help you get some of the stuff you’ll need for a new baby. While I may not be able to hand you a pack of burp cloths through a screen, as a third-time mom, I can offer something that’ll help make new parenthood a little less hectic: app recommendations. These aren’t baby apps—I’ve tried those, and the focus on diapers and feedings felt more like extra pressure than relief. The apps I’m suggesting here integrate with the rest of your life to lighten your mental load and make you feel functional as a person as well as a parent. Time tracker So many words of wisdom about babies have to do with time: “don’t blink,” “cherish every moment,” “the days are long, but the years are short.” Some days, I’m just asking, “Where did the time go?” You don’t need to cherish every moment to prove you love your baby—in fact, it’s nearly impossible. But knowing where your time is going can help you understand how to balance it all. Getting a sense of how much of your day is spent on childcare, work, errands, and other activities can help you plan more effectively and even (gasp!) carve out time for yourself. Calendar If you’re not using a digital calendar, now’s the time. I live in Gmail and Google Docs, so Google Calendar is a natural fit for running my schedule. If you have a partner, make sure you pick an app that allows for calendar sharing, so you can both update your schedules in real time. Calendars are, of course, important for the responsible stuff, but don’t underestimate how they can help remind you of happy milestones too. Example: create a recurring event to take the monthly baby photo (it’s cheesy, yes, but honestly so fun to see how they grow). To-do list You’re already going to lose some sleep with a baby in the house—the last thing you need is to lose more because your mind is racing. A todo list lets you brain dump the jumble of “mail birth announcements, get oil change, call gutter cleaner, buy paper towels, clean out fridge” and the thousand other things on your list. The best to-do list is the one you’ll actually stick with. Besides to-do list staples 120

like Todoist or Remember The Milk, some of my mom friends also enjoy niche task apps, like Toss for clutter control at home. Notes Sometimes a simple notes app is a lifesaver to catch the stuff you need to figure out later. Keep a running list of questions for the pediatrician (eye goop, tummy time, teething). As your baby grows, it can be fun to write down the new words they learn or cute things you want to remember for the baby book (the way she fist-pumped when she tried sweet potatoes for the first time). Some parents even take the art of note-taking to new levels. I’m part of a writing group with other parents, and several moms mentioned using their notes app and swipe-to-text to write articles onehanded while the baby napped or fed. Voice-to-text One benefit of working from home is that I get to spend a lot of time with my baby. But as much as I love snuggling my daughter, sometimes I need to get adult stuff done. If you don’t have the next-level coordination of feeding a baby one-handed and typing with the other, a good speech-to-text app can be a solution to combine adult projects and childcare. Whether you’re outlining a meeting agenda, adding things to your grocery list, or composing an email to a friend, it lets you snuggle with a sleeping baby while still getting things done. (But also, take some time to just snuggle.)

File and photo storage When my first kids were born, I didn’t think about a shared folder for baby files and photos, and I wish I had. Case in point: we just finished my second child’s baby album—days before her third birthday. A shared folder on Google Drive or an album on Google Photos would have made preparing the baby book way less overwhelming. (Here’s how to decide between Drive and Photos.) Cloud storage can also be a good digital home for important medical documents, scanned copies of birth certificates, and other documents you’ll need quick access to. If you haven’t done it already, let this be your reminder to snap a photo of the list of specialist referrals from your pediatrician, the warranty on the crib, the car seat label with the expiration date, or anything else you don’t want to dig for every time you need it. Making it all work These are the tools that help keep me on track with a baby, but everyone’s life will be different, so think through your schedule, and see if you can spot any other tools that might make things easier on you. And if you’re a working parent, you can use automation to keep your work and personal life in sync. Having a baby upends your world. So besides the obvious essentials for a newborn, consider what you can do to take care of the other new arrival in your home: you, as a new parent. Photo by Michal Bar Haim on Unsplash.

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AUK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCES HOLDS ITS FIRST CAPSTONE EXHIBITION

The graduating class of 2022 wowed everyone with their hard work and creativity By bazaar staff

The American University of Kuwait (AUK) College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) held its capstone exhibition at AUK. One hundred students presented their graduation projects during the exhibition, incorporating novel prototypes that combined their hardware and software skills. The event was open to students, alumni, parents, and industry representatives.

First place best engineering project award winners (Fire-fighting UAVs), Dean of CEAS, Dr. Amir Zeid, Ms. Khadija Oubala, and second place best engineering project award winners (Augmented Reality for Educational Purposes) AUK president, Dr. Rawda Awwad, emphasized the significance of CEAS capstones, “The capstone experience gives students the self-confidence necessary to problem-solve and provides them with opportunities to propagate a team spirit in service of others. Capstones are about contributing knowledge to improve lives. I’m proud of our students who have worked incredibly hard to make a difference and I’m truly grateful to the faculty and the dean of the College for their continued commitment to learning and exploration.” A total of 26 teams of 3 and 4 members 122

showcased their projects through informative posters, research papers, leaflets, and video displays. Supervised by faculty members of the College, students presented a wide range of prototypes such as Smart Helmets, Solar Powered Bikes, Smart Glasses, Dual Band GPS Antennas, Human Body Temperature Measuring Robots, Gesture Vocalizers and Self-parking Vehicles. Attendees were encouraged to vote for the best project through scanning QR codes allocated in each booth. The event concluded with a closing ceremony at the AUK theater where the dean of CEAS, Dr.

Amir Zeid, congratulated the students, “Today’s event showcased 26 capstone projects in different disciplines: computer and electrical engineering, computer science and information systems. We had around 100 students who have been working with their faculty supervisors for a full academic year to reach this important milestone. Congratulations to all.” The closing ceremony also featured a keynote speech delivered by Ms. Khadija Oubala, CEO of Sultan Group, a Fulbright scholar, a recipient of the MIT Heather Smith Memorial Fellowship, and a member of Young Presidents Organization. In

Third place best engineering project award winners (3D Hologram Fans) with Dean of CEAS, Dr. Amir Zeid, and Ms. Khadija Oubala

Student choice award winners (Typing Eye) with Dean of CEAS, Dr. Amir Zeid, and Ms. Khadija Oubala

her speech to the attendees, she drew on her experiences to motivate students, “So, for all of you dear smart engineers, do not rely only on your intelligence alone. Put in the hours, and go above and beyond. Run that extra mile.” A total of three winners were announced for the engineering category—the first-place winner was for project Fire-fighting Robot, by Noura Allahow, Dawood Boland, Shejon Alebrahim, Ali Abouzeid, and supervised by Dr. Mohammed El-Abd. The team highlighted AUK’s role in their capstone project, “Our accomplishments have been made possible through the facilitated support of many integral entities at AUK. Those include our professors, lab instructors, and of course, the dean and associate dean of Engineering. The overwhelming amount of support we received helped shape the people we are today. The campus as well has provided amenities required for completing our tasks and projects successfully. Those include the labs, equipment, and computer systems. Our journey was an endeavor filled with trial and error that was not severely punished as it is an environment that promotes learning from one’s mistakes and becoming a better overall student in both a scholarly and characteristic sense.” The second-place winner for the engineering project award was Augmented Reality for Educational Purposes, by Almuntaser AbdulSalam, Ahmad Aldulaie, Amer Alazemi, and supervised by Dr. Seyed Esmaeili. The third-place winner was the 3D Hologram Fans, by Ahmad Y Musallam, Omar W AlQalsh, Abdulhadi A AlQattan, Hashim B Kheitan, and supervised by Dr. Ali Bostani. Mobile App for 3D Augmented Reality for Sport Wear and Equipment—Fit Kit, was the winning project award for the computer science and information systems category. The project was implemented by Amir AlAghbar, Mustafa Karkour, David Liang, Rassim Melaab, and supervised by Dr. Iyad Abu Doush. “We’re very proud of our accomplishment after all the hard work, dedication, and teamwork to overcome the many challenges we’ve faced. We would like to thank the CSIS faculty, especially our advisor Dr. Iyad A. Doush, for their guidance and instruction that accumulated into our final project. We also extend our gratitude to AUK students who supported us and our work during the last two semesters. Lastly, we want to thank the community for coming and supporting us during the exhibition. It was a great experience,” stated one of the team members. Typing Eye, was the winning project award for the student choice award. The project was implemented by Abdullah H. Al-Dihani, Hamad Almutawa, Talal Al Shammari, Abdulhadi AlAjmi, and supervised by Dr. Jibran Yousafzai. The CEAS exhibition offers a platform for students to showcase their talents and apply theory to practice through creating prototypes.

For more information on the American University of Kuwait please visit auk.edu. kw and follow their latest on Instagram and social media @AUK_Official. 123

WHY SAVING NATURE IS WORTH IT

Should we protect nature for its own sake? For its economic value? Because it makes us happy? By Bradley J. Cardinale

As spring phases into summer in North America, with trees flowering and birds migrating, nature seems abundant. In fact, however, the Earth is losing animals, birds, reptiles, and other living things so fast that some scientists believe the planet is entering the sixth mass extinction in its history. This fall, the United Nations will convene governments from around the world in Kunming, China, to establish new goals for protecting Earth’s ecosystems and their biodiversity— the variety of life at all levels, from genes to ecosystems. Some people, cultures, and nations believe biodiversity is worth conserving because ecosystems provide many services that support human prosperity, health, and well-being. Others assert that all living things have a right to exist, regardless of their usefulness to humans. Today, there’s also growing understanding that nature enriches our lives by providing opportunities for us to connect with each other and the places we care about. As a conservation biologist, I’ve been part of the effort to value biodiversity for years. Here’s how thinking in this field has evolved, and why I’ve come to believe that there are many equally valid reasons for protecting nature. Defending every species Conservation biology is a scientific field with a mission: protecting and restoring biodiversity around the world. It came of age in the 1980s, as humans’ impact on the Earth was becoming alarmingly clear. In a 1985 essay, Michael Soulé, one of the field’s founders, described what he saw as the core principles of conservation biology. Soulé argued that biological diversity is inherently good and should be conserved because it has intrinsic value. He also proposed that conservation biologists should act to save biodiversity even if sound Valuing nature’s services Soule’s essay spurred many researchers to push for a more science-driven approach to conservation. They sought to directly quantify the value of ecosystems and the roles species played in them. Some scholars focused on calculating the value of ecosystems to humans. They reached a preliminary conclusion that the total economic value of the world’s ecosystems was worth an average of $33 trillion per year in 1997 dollars. At the time, this was nearly twice the global value of the entire world’s financial markets. This estimate included such services as predators controlling pests that would otherwise 124

ruin crops; pollinators helping to produce fruits and vegetables; wetlands, mangroves, and other natural systems buffering coasts against storms and flooding; oceans providing fish for food; and forests providing lumber and other building materials. Researchers have refined their estimates of what these benefits are worth, but their central conclusion remains the same: Nature has shockingly high economic value that existing financial markets don’t account for. This research found that spending time in nature tended to reduce blood pressure, lower hormones related to stress and anxiety, decrease the probability of depression and improve cognitive function and certain immune functions. People exposed to nature fared better than others who took part in similar activities in non-natural settings, such as walking through a city. Losing species weakens ecosystems A third line of research asked a different question: When ecosystems lose species, can they still function and provide services? This work was driven mainly by experiments where researchers directly manipulated the diversity of different types of organisms in settings, ranging from laboratory cultures to greenhouses, plots in fields, forests, and coastal areas. By 2010, scientists had published more than 600 experiments, manipulating over 500 groups of organisms in freshwater, marine, and land ecosystems. In a 2012 review of these experiments, colleagues and I found unequivocal evidence that when ecosystems lose biodiversity, they become less efficient, less productive, and

less stable. And they are less able to deliver many of the services that underlie human well-being. Many motives for protecting nature For years, I believed that this work had established the value of ecosystems and quantified how biodiversity provided ecosystem services. But I’ve come to realize that other arguments for protecting nature are just as valid, and often more convincing for many people. I have worked with many people who donate money or land to support conservation. But I’ve never heard anyone say they were doing it because of the economic value of biodiversity or its role in sustaining ecosystem services. Instead, they’ve shared stories about how they grew up fishing with their father, held family gatherings at a cabin, or canoed with someone who was important to them. They wanted to pass on those experiences to their children and grandchildren to preserve familial relationships. Researchers increasingly recognize that such relational values—connections to communities and to specific places—are one of the most common reasons why people choose to conserve nature. Research clearly shows that nature provides humanity with enormous value. But some people simply believe that other species have a right to exist, or that their religion tells them to be good stewards of Earth. As I see it, embracing these diverse perspectives is the best way to get global buy-in for conserving Earth’s ecosystems and living creatures for the good of all. Photo by Dhaya Eddine Bentaleb on Unsplash.

INTO THE UNKNOWN

We don’t know what’s around the corner. Here are 3 strategies for moving forward By Michelle Davey

Over the last few weeks, I’ve taken a trip back to the early 2010s, watching Jared Leto, Amanda Seyfried, and Joseph Gordon Levitt bring some of the most infamous tech founders and their fall-from-grace-stories alive on the silver screen. I was an early employee at food delivery and health tech startups during this pivotal time in the tech industry’s history. I remember navigating our own highs and lows while reading headlines about #DeleteUber or Elizabeth Holmes denying the Wall Street Journal‘s explosive charges. Now, as the founder and CEO of my own health tech startup, Wheel, it’s been interesting to reflect on this growth-at-all-costs approach. On one hand, if you want to create and deliver a world-changing service, you need to build a sustainable, world-changing business. At the same time, it’s impossible to grow without hitting bumps along the road. That’s the burden—and the gift—that today’s generation of leaders face. Moving fast without breaking things is much easier said than done. Building a high-growth company within the confines of accountability and sustainability can often be a painful and exhausting process. But we also have the opportunity to demonstrate a new roadmap to success and pass it down to the next generation of entrepreneurs. Determine your own way to measure success Investors may be looking for fast growth, but they’re also looking for a solid and sustainable business. Revenue isn’t your only measure of success. Work with your investors, board, and leadership team to determine which metrics matter the most as key drivers for the business. Then identify your North Star metric and align your team around it. Of course, that doesn’t mean taking the WeWork path of focusing on “community adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization).” But it does mean thinking outside the box from how we’ve traditionally measured success. Something we’ve found valuable—and surprisingly unique— is reporting our employee satisfaction results to our board of directors. At a time when the labor market is incredibly competitive, these metrics help to identify our investment in employee retention and sustainable growth. While it’s much harder to measure, we’ve also made clear that our success is dependent on being a responsible actor. Of course, having a healthcare regulatory attorney as a cofounder helps—along with bringing on investors with strong expertise in helping high-growth companies navigate complex, ever-changing regulation. But it’s our responsibility to prioritize compliance and communicate our progress regularly with our investors, clients, and employees. 126

Balance the daily grind with long-term sustainability It always rubbed me the wrong way when Elizabeth Holmes said that she didn’t have time for a personal life, implying the only way to grow a successful company is to put your own life on hold before the company’s needs. I believe the longevity of a business is often tied to the longevity of a CEO. You need to be physically and mentally prepared for the daily grind of building a world-changing service. And as someone with an autoimmune condition, I don’t always have the luxury of putting my health and well-being on the back burner. Of course, there are times when I have to pour myself more into work, which can sometimes lead to a flare up with my condition. It still feels scary to be vulnerable with my team and my board, letting them know I need to take some time away to focus on my health. But I know that I need to be up to the task in the long run. Expect bumps in the road, but be honest about shortcomings and mistakes The path to building a high-growth company can be challenging for even the most seasoned leaders, but we’re always presented with forks in the road. For example, if you scale too quickly and need to make the difficult decision to cut costs, you can either follow the example set

by Adam Neumann and throw a private concert with Run DMC to gloss over layoffs. Or you can follow the honest and transparent path set by Brian Chesky when Airbnb let go of 25% of its employees at the beginning of the pandemic. I’ve gotten a lot of questions from Wheel employees recently about the state of the economy and whether we’re prepared if we enter a recession. The truth is, we don’t know what’s around the corner. But I’d rather explain to employees how we’re thinking about an uncertain future rather than avoid the topic altogether. And setting that example creates a halo effect around the company, encouraging employees at all levels to prioritize honesty over hype. It’s important to recognize that companies like Uber, WeWork, and Theranos are the outliers rather than the norm. That’s why Hollywood is bringing their stories to our TV screens. But I hope their legacy does little to tamper the excitement behind world-changing ideas. We can still build high-growth companies while prioritizing accountability and sustainability. And we have the incredible opportunity to set a new example for tomorrow’s leaders.

Photo by Katie Drazdauskaite on Unsplash.

It’s Summer Time

It’s Summer Platter Summer Gatherings (40 Pieces)

www.chinamoonkw.com 22091190

bazaar tries

KUWAIT FENCING It’s about elite fitness, not elitism By bazaar staff

When Talal Al Rashed came to the bazaar office and delivered the epic yarn that he was adventuring through learning to fence, before he could finish his tale, we were already limbering up in the office to join him! Training at the fencing club - @toosh.winner on Instagram, is open to ages from five years old and up, so you may be surprised who you’re training with on a trial session. Toosh was founded by Lulu Al Ayoub whose qualifications to teach are recognized internationally by the Federation Internationale d’Escrime. Entering the hall, nervous excitement runs through you. It’s an alien world. Along the floor, thick strips of metallic mesh stretch across the hall, with sections of a couple meters at each end warning with markers where if you land on them you can be run off by your opponent. The strip is 14m long and only 1.5 meters wide. Each of these is a piste - the battleground on which you will duel. It’s thrilling to walk beside these combat zones imagining yourself, blade in hand, suited up, tall, slim and athletic all in white, light of foot, advancing and moving around your challenger with all the grace and strength of a ballet dancer. How active our imaginations are. It’s a romantic sport to be sure, but there is a lot of movement in fencing, so our first coach, Salah AboBraika, immediately makes us run laps around the hall to warm up our stiff muscles. This is un petit peu lesse glamoreuse than I imageend. A little late to the start of the training session a couple more athletes join us…neither of them over the age of six years old, I’m sure. There are lots of sprint drills, but you can tell why; this is prepping you for swift and deep lunges, training you for a quick recovery, how to maintain your balance, strengthen your core and once more be on the attack. But, getting red in the face and huffing and puffing like one used to in primary school PE class isn’t how I pictured this day going. The competitive spirit raises its ugly head though, as I throw myself at floor cones to make sure I beat my competition to the cones. I know, they’re just kids. But that’s competitiveness for you. Coach Salah teaches us the various terms, en garde – stance ready, marché – move forward, rompé – move backward, and he yells out drills for us to follow, moving two spaces forward, one back, forward again, back, forward, back, back… and I remember the shame of aerobics and dance classes in my youth where being so aware of my flailing body made me ruin choreographed steps. I’m sure once I’m fencing with blade in hand, it will all come to me. Just remember: shift your furthest away foot first, in the direction you’re going. Simple. We get suited up, just with the jacket and mesh helmet for now, the most convoluted part of 128

A piste in the fencing club

the process getting wired so points can be scored when we’re eventually plugged in. The helmet is fairly roomy in the front where the mesh is shaped to give you protection and space, but it’s still a little claustrophobic for me, and takes a bit of getting used to. I’m lucky enough to be partnered for my trial with Talal’s sister, Dalal, and she proves herself to be a thoughtful and strategic swordsman. We practice first with plastic weapons just in case we go rogue with the steel ones and do ourselves, or others, some damage during an assault. At this point Lulu is coaching us and watching Dalal and I immediately get into the fighting spirit, so she swaps us out to the real deal blades and we start a bout, where Lulu keeps score. At this moment we’re not plugged in yet, but I honestly don’t trust some of the calls so it’s a relief when we do get switched on. I want the machine to tell me if I hit my opponent. There is something about knowing that there is an objectively accurate measure of when you successfully land a blow, that makes you really aggressive. At least, this was the case for me. I felt I’d been hard done by previously, losing calls in practice assaults where I felt for sure I’d won, so I was going for it this time. Dalal and I both went away with bruises we didn’t expect, but had so much fun together. I actually got attacked so quickly by Dalal at one point that I forgot how to parry, or which foot to move first, and so I turned heel and ran! My thighs were burning, my glutes were tight, and I was heavy breathing like I’d just been on a five kilometers run. It was hot inside my helmet, and Dalal and I were a bit ambitious when [after our trial was done] we said we’d bout “for another ten,” only to give up about four more bouts in. This is the perfect HIIT sport (no pun intended); it’s exercise with an element of competition. There’s camaraderie at this fencing club because there aren’t hundreds of participants as yet. It’s a small community, but so welcoming to those men, women and children, that want to give this daring, chivalrous and enticing sport a try. I cannot wait to fence again. For more details on how and where you can try fencing, follow @toosh.winner on Instagram, or WhatsApp 9556 6901 for details.

Founder Lulu Al Ayoub

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INSTAGRAMMABLE FOOD

The latest Instagram trend is rooted in an ancient way of life By Aimee Rawlins

The past decade has seen the rise of the Instagrammable food trend, where restaurants have altered menus to prioritize visual uniqueness—often at the expense of taste. In a competitive social media landscape where users are inundated with content, the question for restaurateurs has been how to stand out and generate audience engagement in the form of likes, comments, and shares. Under the assumption that creating unique food items will help businesses stand out and garner more engagement on social media, the Instagrammable food trend has given birth to novelty items like unicorn lattes and poop cafés. But does this strategy actually work? Do unique, distinct, and atypical-appearing foods garner the most engagement? Or do people engage more with normal, familiar, and typicalappearing foods? What people think Instagrammable food is Since social media platforms use rank-ordering algorithms to prioritize and boost content, figuring out which foods garner more social media engagement will help restaurants and food content creators determine how to better amplify the reach of their online content. Conventional social media wisdom suggests that people will engage with social media content they deem entertaining, where “entertaining” is synonymous with unique, distinct, and atypical. In a food context, it has been assumed that entertaining means food that looks more unique, distinct, and atypical. This assumption has sparked an industry trend where restaurants have abandoned taste in lieu of visual aesthetics, such as bright and unusual colors, to spark engagement on visualbased social media platforms, such as Instagram. There are many different examples of this over-the-top food trend on Instagram, from the Bagel Store in Brooklyn, New York, to Fugo Desserts, the Enchanted Poutinerie, and Glory Hole Doughnuts, in Toronto. What Instagrammable food really is Our recent investigation, published in the Journal of Business Research, investigates which foods are truly the most Instagrammable—in other words, which ones garner the most likes, comments, and shares. Our research examined over 10,000 images of food on Instagram from over 850 top restaurants (according to Eater.com), using Google Vision, a machine-learning algorithm that extracts insights from images. We found that when Google Vision was more confident that an image contained actual 130

food—a proxy for how normal and typical the food actually is— the more social media engagement it received. A follow-up experiment suggests that positive affect, which is the extent to which we feel good, helps explain this relationship. While social media forecasters may suggest that unique foods are a trend, this logic contradicts some principles of evolutionary psychology. Humans evolved to quickly visually recognize foods, not just for what is edible, but also for what is calorie-dense. Since finding and eating edible food was crucial for survival when humans were hunter-gatherers, we may be hardwired to feel intrinsically good when we simply see food we know we can eat. Social media food marketing How is this relevant to social media? The average user spends over two hours a day on social media platforms, exposing themselves to hundreds of different posts in a single scrolling session. While rapidly processing content, the brain may instinctively feel more positively toward images

that are more easily recognized as food. These positive feelings can then transfer to behaviors directed toward the post, thereby increasing the likelihood of the post receiving likes, comments, or shares. Since people feel better when they see foods that are easily recognizable as food, normallooking food tends get more likes. On the other hand, unique foods tend to result in lower social media engagement because they are harder to recognize and classify as food. Despite food industry bloggers and social media trends suggesting that people crave unique, eye-catching content, the most successful Instagrammable foods are the normal-looking ones that are more easily recognized as food. Not ice cream disguised as feces served in a toilet, waffles shaped like penises, or unusually colored ice cream. Instead, consumers appear to engage more with regular food, like a classic burger or normal pizza—no unconventional shapes or colors required. Photo by Eaters Collective on Unsplash.

bazaar techno

LINESTAND

MX MECHANICAL KEYBOARD

WYZE ROOM SENSOR

FUJIFILM X-H2S MIRRORLESS DIGITAL CAMERA

VOCASTER

SENNHEISER TV CLEAR SET

The ultimate Air Desk. Snap your favorite wireless gears in the air, on a sturdy and elegant piece of design. The LINESTAND is an ergonomic wireless VESA mount allowing you to fast-charge your iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 7 and Airpods Pros all at once. All your gears, floating at optimal eyesight, always facing you, always charging. Ideal for professional setups and content streaming.

X-H2S offers a powerful and versatile combination of photographic and filmmaking features to enhance any storyteller’s vision. Central to its success are the 26.1-megapixel, back-illuminated X-Trans 5 stacked sensor and X-Processor 5, which combine to provide a 14-stop dynamic range and outstanding performance in all lighting conditions. For motion professionals, there is a wealth of 6.2K 30P full sensor 3:2 recording options, which includes internal 10-bit 4:2:2 Apple ProRes and external Apple ProRes RAW and Blackmagic RAW, all with an electronic shutter capable of making images at 40 framesper-second, with up to 7-stops of in-body image stabilization, and with an AI-powered advanced autofocus system designed to ensure that performance-seeking stills photographers will also not be disappointed.

Low-profile mechanical switches deliver a nextlevel typing feel. Ultra-precise and stable switches offer deep and reassuring key travel – in a lowprofile form factor. Your fingers glide effortlessly across the matte surface of the keys – and dual color keycaps make it easy to orient your fingers and stay in your flow. Choose between the fullsize MX Mechanical that features an integrated numpad or the space-saving minimalist MX Mechanical Mini. Both keyboards are crafted with an aluminum top case for ultimate stability and style.

With Vocaster, podcasters and other content creators have everything they need to start recording studio-quality sound in seconds. The range features two standalone interfaces, Vocaster One and Vocaster Two; and two studio packs, Vocaster One Studio and Vocaster Two Studio, that include everything needed to record high-quality podcasts in one box. Just plug in your new interface, follow the “Easy Start” onboarding process, and away you go. No matter where you are in your creative journey, whether just starting out and building a home podcasting studio from scratch or looking to take your existing setup to the next level, Vocaster has a solution for every creator.

Source: bestproducts.com 132

Rid your home of hot and cold spots by placing Wyze Room Sensors in important rooms and letting Wyze Thermostat balance your home’s climate. Wyze Room Sensors continuously communicate with Wyze Thermostat to balance your home’s temperature. When Motion-Sensing Comfort Mode is enabled, Wyze Room Sensor uses motion detection to prioritize only the rooms you’re actually using. Save energy and stay comfortable without ever thinking about it. Monitor the temperature of your baby’s room upstairs or your furry friends down the hall. Quickly adjust the climate with just a few taps in the Wyze app.

Your hearing needs are as individual as you are. With Sennheiser’s TV Clear you can enjoy TV with crystal-clear voice reproduction - and this with the convenience, comfort and discreet elegance of real true wireless earphones. The “TV Connector” transmitter ensures high-quality audio transmission with minimal delay on any TV. For a personalized sound experience, TV Clear offers five voice intelligibility profiles. The higher frequencies are raised by up to 20 dB, making dialogues crystal-clear. Using the transmitter allows you to set your preferred volume independently of the TV setting. This way, other people in the room can enjoy TV sound at a volume that they find pleasant. With the “Ambient Awareness” option, voices and acoustic events in the room are still perceptible while using the headphones - ideal for watching TV with family or friends.

u S m s m ’ t I e

e m i T

22091190

A NEW CHAPTER, INSPIRED BY

WABI-SABI, AT MAKI

Maki at Marina Waves is inviting you to dine mindfully, and here’s why you should By bazaar staff

Whenever we read the words ‘makeover’ we can’t help but get a little over-excited, particularly when you include our beloved Maki in this equation. However, our understanding of ‘makeovers’ was forever truly changed when we visited Maki at Marina Waves for a spot of lunch, as we were presented with an entirely different understanding of how ambiance and gastronomy can be deeply intertwined to deliver an entirely different culinary experience. We’ve always appreciated the interiors at Maki, opulent, glitzy, and dark, always highlighting the color ful dishes we’ve grown to love and anticipate from one of our favorite Japanese-inspired restaurants in Kuwait. When we consistently say that you always eat with your eyes first at Maki, we mean it. At Maki, sushi making is a practiced art form, and even the simplest roll featuring salmon and avocado is taken to a whole other level. It’s truly baffling to us that they always spend so much time ensuring each and every dish and roll is resplendently color ful, and we waste no time devouring each dish in mere moments. This visit, however, was different. We were in no rush; we simply wanted to slow down and appreciate those little details that elevate an otherwise typical lunch. And this invitation to take two steps back to appreciate our surroundings, and really admire the incredible food presented before us is most definitely an intentional move by the good folks at Maki. Enter our first introduction to wabi-sabi. A world-view stemming from traditional Japanese aesthetics that focuses more on accepting life for its transience and imper fections. It is a view that advocates being free from attachments, free from the stresses and anxieties that come with overindulgence, acknowledging and appreciating all that is ephemeral (such is life), and the imper fect nature of all things. As soon as you’ve stepped foot into Maki at Marina Waves, you will first notice how the light naturally bathes the space’s brushed gray walls, textured floors that almost had a roughness to them, and natural-wood furniture. It is a new chapter for Maki that enhances your culinary experience from start to finish, and you instantly feel this newfound appreciation of nature once you’ve arrived. 134

You almost feel as if you’re one with the sea, as the tantalizing views outside the restaurant seemingly blend in with the interiors at Maki Marina Waves. Unassuming and intimate, the comfortably inviting chairs in shades of green, gray, and white are wrapped in the clean lines of natural wood, offset by the minimalist, builtin shelves that are home to carefully curated pieces of glassware, pottery, books, and plants. The interiors are washed in shades of muted grays, with pops of fresh greenery throughout the space that will lead your eyes to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of the indoor fauna. Light fixtures resembling calm floating, woven orbs decorated the ceiling. Per fectly asymmetrical in size, this design element pays further homage to Maki’s appreciation of wabi-sabi. You don’t just want to come here to eat, you really do want to stay a while. And staying awhile is precisely what we did. We were so ready to dine, but more mindfully. We ordered our still water first, and let our eyes dance over their tantalizing offerings before we settled on the Hana Oliva Sashimi, Exotic Maki Marina Salad (I mean, we had to! We were right at Marina Waves), Filo Ebi Tempura Shot, Chicken Plum Bao, Ribs Crocante, Shehab Ume Maki, Terra Maki, and of course, the Donostia Cheese Cake for dessert. Our dining experience was leisurely supplemented with fragrant green tea, a must whenever we visit this establishment. Our salad firstly arrived, followed swiftly by the rest of our order. We appreciated every peppery bite of the rocket leaves in the Exotic Maki Marina Salad, the green lollo rosso, and delicious crabsticks, all beautifully flavored with the textural bite of sesame, tobiko, and delectable balsamic vinegar dressing. Then came the stunning Hana Oliva Sashimi, beautifully color ful with Tuna, salmon, yellowtail (hamachi), white fish, truffle pearls, olive drops, wasabi nori flakes, edible flowers, cress, Kizame wasabi, capers, sprinkled with Maki’s special truffle, balsamic, and yuzu sauce. Every bite brought on a wonder ful medley of flavors, colors, and textures. With wabi-sabi in mind, our appreciation for this dish is now newfounded, we couldn’t stop talking about the amount of time it would take any one of us diners to think of this flavor combination, let alone plate it so artfully. The Filo Ebi Tempura shot is always a gorgeous showstopper. Carefully resting atop Maki’s scintillating sweet and spicy sauce is a towering Tiger shrimp wrapped in Middle Eastern filo pastry. The result is always a sumptuous mix of crunch, sweetness, and spice. As longstanding fans of Maki’s Chicken in plum sauce, the Chicken Plum Bao is a delightful, pillowy soft, Bao-wrapped delicious rendition, giving our meal a bit of a street-food edge, which we deeply appreciated. From street-food inspirations to backyard barbecues, our protein foray continues with the Ribs Crocante. Teeming with flavor with every bite, we loved how the crispy rice and sesame seeds carried the teriyaki and homemade, tangy yuzu BBQ sauce-laden soft and braised ribs. A per fect ten for this dish. [Continued...]

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We refilled our green teas and welcomed the arrival of the Shehab Ume Maki and the Terra Maki. The Ume-wrapped Maki offered up the successful combination of shrimp tempura, crabsticks, avocado, and fragrant zaatar leaves, topped with thinly sliced kumquats, and zaatar powder. From the special blend of sauces, it is served with, to the delightful combination of flavors, we also wondered how Zaatar isn’t now a staple in Japanese cuisine, as it pairs wonder fully with the amazing Shehab Ume Maki. And the ultra-beautiful Terra Maki didn’t fail to amaze either, as this roll simply sums up everything we love from Maki: unexpected combinations to yield the most memorable flavors. You get to sample salmon, crabsticks, prawn tempura, avocado, asparagus, zaatar, caviaroli (our favorite textural pop of flavor here), fresh coriander, cress, and fried crunchy garlic all presented in an ume and nori wrap and topped with Maki’s renowned olive oil mixture. Fresh, delicious, and now our favorite roll at Maki! But you see, we weren’t done there, as good food makes for great conversation, and at Maki, you don’t just want to get up and go somewhere else, you simply want to stay. This is where the Donostia Cheese Cake comes into play. A creamy, soft delicious ending to a spectacular meal, you can choose the silky smooth cheesecake with your choice of chocolate or strawberry sauce.

Maki has three locations in Kuwait – The M2 in Salhiya (2247 9721); Marina Waves (2576 3226) and Burj Jassem, (2290 1010). Visit www.olivermaki.com for more information, call 182 3080 for delivery. Watch the innovation on Instagram and Twitter @Makirest and Facebook at MakiRestaurant. Photography by Muneera Alkhulaifi @i9ora on Instagram. 136

[...Continued]

bazaar books

THE SCHOOL THAT ESCAPED THE NAZIS

THE BODYGUARD

by Deborah Cadbury, Non fiction

by Catherine Center, Fiction

By 1931, Anna Essinger had read Mein Kampf and knew that Hitler’s world view was violent, utterly destructive, and that many of her pupils in her small progressive school in Herrlingen, Germany were in terrible danger. She decided that in order to offer them a refuge, and a future, she must first move her school entirely out of the Nazis’ reach. So, she did just that, creating a safe haven in Kent, England. Anna and the first seventy children escaped Nazi Germany in 1933, but in time she would accept waves of increasingly traumatized children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and then Poland as the crisis spread. Some children had, by the time they reached Essinger, been violated by five years of escalating deprivations. For those who escaped the camps and ghettos, Essinger offered the only salvation that mattered, in the words of a student: “a great deal of love and determination to help us.”

THE LAST TO VANISH

Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka “bodyguard”), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middleaged, corgi-breeding stalker. Jack Stapleton’s a household name―captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid. When Jack’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah―against her will and her better judgment―finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. Even though her ex, like a jerk, says no one will believe it.

TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW

by Megan Miranda, Thriller

by Gabrielle Zevin, Fiction

Ten years ago, Abigail Lovett fell into a job she loves, managing The Passage Inn, a cozy, upscale resort nestled in the North Carolina mountain town of Cutter’s Pass. Cutter’s Pass is best known for its outdoor offerings—rafting and hiking, with access to the Appalachian trail by way of a gorgeous waterfall—and its mysterious history. As the book begins, the string of unsolved disappearances that has haunted the town is once again thrust into the spotlight when journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn to investigate the story of the vanishing trail, then disappears himself. Abby has sometimes felt like an outsider within the community, but she’s come to view Cutter’s Pass as her home. When Landon’s brother Trey shows up looking for answers, Abby can’t help but feel the town closing ranks. And she’s still on the outside. When she finds incriminating evidence that may bring them closer to the truth, Abby soon discovers how little she knows about her coworkers, neighbors, and even those closest to her.

THE 6:20 MAN

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts. Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.

THE IT GIRL

by David Baldaci, Mystery

by Ruth Ware, Thriller

Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead. Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building--presumably a suicide, at least for now-prompting the NYPD to come calling on him.

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Source: Goodreads.com

April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford. Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead. Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.

bazaar Apps

VOODOO DETECTIVE

ASCENDR

COUNTDOWN TO DATE

PACK THIS

POETRY MAGNETS

NOMADIC WALLPAPER

Against this fascinating backdrop we meet a mysterious woman with no past standing at the center of a drama so profound the threads of reality are threatening to unravel! Join Voodoo Detective on his latest case, where danger hides behind every dirty secret and each thrilling moment may be his last. It’s time to don your fedora and trench coat, detective, you’ve got a mystery to solve!

Countdown makes it easy to track the dates that matter to you – whether it be your birthday, graduation, anniversary, wedding, retirement, or something entirely else. At any point in time, you can open the app to see the number of days that are left until (or have passed since) your event.

These poetry magnets will both amuse and inspire you with words you’ve never considered before! A perfect app for poets or English lovers alike, and with over 3,900 words to choose from (and more being added all the time) to give you hours of endless fun and creativity. You can even create your own word lists! Your creative writing needs will be satisfied.

Want to move ahead in your career but need some guidance? Get real-time advice from worldclass mentors, tailored to your unique goals. Book one-on-one sessions, listen to live drop-in audio rooms, and learn at your pace through ondemand albums.

Worried you’re going to forget something important on your next trip? Not anymore! With Pack This, you’ll never forget a thing again. Pack This will be your go-to app to prep for those upcoming getaways, whether big or small. Easily categorize and itemize everything you and the rest of the crew need to do and bring along for every adventure.

If you can’t travel this summer, you can still live vicariously through your phone’s wallpaper? Created by travel lovers for fellow travel lovers. Nomadic is filled with gorgeous pictures and custom designs to get you excited for your next adventure.

play.google.com itunes.apple.com 140

ONE EATERY - THE REGION’S FIRST VIRTUAL FOOD HALL!

KLC Virtual Restaurants’ latest cloud kitchen concept builds upon its vast offerings and brings you a dine-in and delivery food hall to satisfy every craving! By bazaar staff

Do you ever get together with a group of friends and everyone wants to eat something different? Or sometimes, on those days, you want a taco and a burger but both have to taste absolutely fabulous? Well, with One Eatery you can order both these things and we can assure you; they will taste amazing!

The good folks at KLC Virtual Restaurants are the OG purveyors of yummy delivery concepts in the GCC. The home-grown, Kuwaiti multi-brand virtual restaurant and cloud kitchen operator always brings something exceptional to the food delivery scene. With over 50 virtual brands under one roof operating out of more than 25 cloud kitchens located between Kuwait, Qatar and Dubai, KLC Virtual Restaurants continues to wow us with their amazing food concepts. Each concept offers a 142

flavor for every palate, and a unique twist on trendy or classic dining options. Some of our favorites include The Kitchen, Junkyard, Humble Burgers, Thunder Shrimp, Taco Mercado, Thrive Salads, Proper Sliders, Breakfast Fix, Hatch Chicken, Generation Acai, and so many more. It takes more than 500 dedicated KLC team members to make each concept a resounding success, and 2021 alone saw the company exceed 1 million successful deliveries in the region. Since the company’s establishment, KLC has exceeded

the 5 million successful order milestone, and we couldn’t be more proud for this local company with big dreams! One Eatery is the newest cloud kitchen concept by KLC Virtual Restaurants that is currently being rolled out across the region. With One Eatery, KLC is redefining the food delivery and dine-in scene. The aim of creating a cloud kitchen-meets-Food Hall concept was to cater to a selection of tastes from one kitchen, all while ensuring that the dishes offered are all absolutely delectable.

So, what did the bazaar team do? We packed up our laptops and drove over to the One Eatery Food Hall in Al Hamra Mall. The decor at One Eatery is super trendy and minimalistic, but bright and cool, as if you are in some trendy food hall in London. We especially loved the red and white neon signs behind the counter which gave us classic diner vibes. We loved that we could all sit around the same table yet order from a variety of different food concepts all under one roof, all thanks to the smart Cloud Kitchen operation. Depending on your current location, you can order from more than 50 concepts at One Eatery, including but not limited to: Junkyard, Thunder Shrimp, Pasta Di Risotto Italia, Taco Mercado, Pancake Rush, Egg Squared, The Brave Egg, Thrive Salads, Generation Acai, Chubby Balls, Chubby Cookies, Chubby Crepes, Wondas Waffles, Minime Pancakes, Generation Juice, Fog Tahat, Karak Al Messila, and Project Coffee Store. There is definitely something on offer to satisfy every craving here, no matter your culinary preference. Between us, we ordered a Grilled Halloumi Salad from Thrive Salads, the Classic Burger from Junkyard, Lightning Dynamite Shrimp from Thunder Shrimp, Spicy Chicken Tacos and Mercado Sweet Potato Fries from Taco Mercado, and for dessert, we had the Oreo Dream Waffle from Wondas Waffles. Yes, we were hungry. The verdict? Clean, empty plates all around! We all enjoyed the different items we had ordered. The Lightning Dynamite Shrimp had just the right amount of spice to tickle the taste buds with a beautiful crunchy batter. The Mercado Sweet Potato Fries were gone in minutes, all of us enjoying dipping the hot crispy fries into the cold sour cream and guacamole. And how can you go wrong with a classic burger from Junkyard? We love Junkyard so much, and we already order from them off of talabat regularly. One of our favorite dishes of the night was the Grilled Halloumi Salad, a seemingly simple salad that absolutely delights the taste buds and leaves you wanting more. We wish we could get buckets of that dressing. And of course, the famous chicken tacos from Taco Mercado, such an explosion of flavors packed into a single taco!

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Now, let’s take a moment to talk about dessert, the Oreo Dream Waffle. This was the show stopping ending to a fantastic meal. The warm crunchy, crispy waffle was topped with a white chocolate and dark chocolate sauce, with little mini cookies on top that added just the per fect crunch. Every time we think about that dessert our mouths start to water! We might just have placed an order right now! What we loved about One Eatery is that the cloud kitchen operation makes for a very inclusive culinary experience. We all have different tastes and this revolutionary new concept allows you to satisfy all the different tastes of a group, family, or friends at the same without having to compromise on taste or quality. We are very excited to see how KLC Virtual Restaurants’ newest concept develops and expands across the region. Soon you will be able to experience One Eatery in UAE and Qatar too! And they will soon be available on Talabat, Deliveroo, and other ordering platforms as well. We cannot wait for you to try One Eatery; you can find out more about them on their Instagram page @oneeatery. Or head on down to Al Hamra Mall to experience the variety of appetizing cuisines available on offer at One Eatery Kuwait. 144

bazaar movie night July Movies

A DAY TO DIE

ELVIS

THE RISE OF GRU

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

3AMOHOM

SUPERPETS

Release Date: 23 June Genre: Action Cast: Kevin Dillon, Bruce Willis, Gianni Capaldi Synopsis: Connor Connolly has one day to pay reparations to Tyrone Pettis. He is forced to ask his old military ops crew, led by Brice Mason, to come together to get him two million dollars before he loses everyone he loves in the process.

Release Date: 7 July Genre: Action, Adventure Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman Synopsis: Thor enlists the help of Valkyrie, Korg and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster to fight Gorr the God Butcher, who intends to make the gods extinct.

Release Date: 23 June Genre: Biography Cast: Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge Synopsis: A look at the life of the legendary rock and roll star, Elvis Presley.

Release Date: 21 July Genre: Action Cast: Mohammed Emam, Huda AlMufty, Mohammed Salam Synopsis: A movie about Sultan who is a boxer and a trainer who works in a training center along with his friend Saeed. Fait brings then together to discover a currency forging place in Egypt.

Source: cinescape.com.kw 146

Release Date: 30 June Genre: Animation Cast: Steve Carell(voice), Pierre Coffin(voice), Taraji P. Henson(voice) Synopsis: The untold story of one twelve-yearold’s dream to become the world’s greatest supervillain.

Release Date: 28 July Genre: Animation Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Vanessa Bayer Synopsis: Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime side by side in Metropolis. However, Krypto must master his own powers for a rescue mission when Superman is kidnapped.

bazaar scopes

SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 - DEC 21 Romance is a rush. Work is great. Partnerships are energetic. Your mind is clear and thinking straight, but watch out. You are in a sexual season of passion and pleasure. Discipline your desires and you will get much higher. Friends may be going down different trails with challenges and trials of their own, but don’t neglect them or let them down.

CAPRICORN DEC 22 – JAN 19

CANCER JUN 22 – JUL 22

So much to do and so little time. So much to accomplish, but is it worth it? You have priorities to set and deadlines to meet so don’t fall asleep on your feet. In the hustle and bustle of reality, you may be guided by your mind and make decisions that seal your fate. But wonder what could be if you could see what would be if you stood up against your fears and faced up to your responsibilities. You are positioned to win if you do all you can and if you be all that you are then you will go far.

Pay more attention to detail now than ever and do things that are routine but necessar y to the success of the project or assignment. Be ready for problems, but don’t let them stop you. Do what is necessar y to fix this or that and then get back to work. Take setbacks as lessons learned. You have a great deal riding on how you per form at work and career matters may be of high concern. Don’t fall asleep at the wheel or do things that are unbecoming. Clean out the cobwebs in your brain and be a little extra cautious.

AQUARIUS JAN 20 – FEB 18 Wake up and start dreaming. You have so many wishes to make and so many chances to take. You have to do this and that in order to be able to do that and this. You have to prepare to go far by taking each small step. Your love life heats up and your mind is aflame with passions. You have good deeds to do and promises to keep.

LEO JUL 23 – AUG 22

PISCES FEB 19 – MAR 19

Life can seem to be going at a dizzying pace, but don’t go get vertigo. You have a deep responsibility to take life super seriously for the next few months. Be careful about life and don’t take risks. Avoid making a bad situation worse with your unwanted opinion, unless you can make a difference in the long run. Take care of all old business now. Finish projects. Get ready for a new agenda. You are about to remake you.

Things are going fine if you don’t mind a few setbacks and unexpected events. Be cautious at first as you approach these times and spend more time at home if you need to. Get ready to do what you have to. Don’t inconvenience others or other wise upset matters. Get expert advice instead of relying on your first impulses. Be energetic but willing to take time to relax and enjoy your free time with those you care for.

VIRGO AUG 23 – SEP 22

ARIES MAR 20 – APR 19

Don’t keep all your assets in one area and don’t leave important matters unattended to. You have too much at stake and there are many chances to make mistakes. You have to watch your step at work and don’t get caught napping. If you are too proud to ask and too humble to demand just take from life what you can. The world is waiting for your goodwill and strong leadership now if only to get things done. Be a temporar y fix to all that needs doing. Be the adhesive for those situations that need gluing.

Times are a-changing back to what they used to be maybe, so stay tuned for old news. There are thoughts that you got to be thinking about if you are going to get things done and get your home in shape as well. Don’t break things now by doing reckless redecorating or positioning intrusive furniture in your life. Simplify and hold your horses if you’re going nowhere too fast. You are ready to ride the tides of fortune, but don’t be caught in the tides of misplaced trust.

LIBRA SEP 23 – OCT 22

TAURUS APR 20 – MAY 20

Hold on to your cash and hold on to all that you want to keep. Financial mistakes are possible this month, but are not likely if you only spend on what you must. And maybe put off an expensive present or purchase. You have to build up resources until the right moment and then go for ward. If you travel, be brief about it. If you have career matters to attend to, then make sure you are meticulous about details and dates, and figures.

You have a heart full of love and the more you share the more you’ll have in there. Be good and look good too. Be at your best even if you get put to the test. Let bygones be bygones and get past affairs or previous attachments behind you if you are looking and daring. Be cautious about spending, but spend what you need to in order to keep fit and healthy.

SCORPIO OCT 23 – NOV 22

GEMINI MAY 21 – JUN 21

Ever ything depends on you. You have to make the right decisions and do the right deeds and say the right things. You are on top of your game and have your wits about you. You are ready to win your way by doing what you must and walking the walk. The day is yours and the night is yours too. You have fun to wrangle and time to romantically tangle but first, make your peace.

You have been warned about doing all you want to do, so heed the warnings and do it anyway. You have luck on your side and a good attitude to make things go right. You have money to spend or deposit away for some necessity. You are ready to leap into action, but keep those goals short-term if you plan to keep up with changing times. You are positioned to win if you don’t jump before the time is right.

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Source: wisehoroscope.org

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