bazaar March 2022 issue by bazaar magazine

March 2022 | Issue #266

www.bazaar.town

Kaftan Kaftan

KD KD 16.990 16.990

Ramadan to Eid and beyond

SHOES & BAG: OUTFIT:

IKEA for Business We’ve got you covered.

A project in mind?

You don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered! Already started your dream business, or is it time to revamp it and make it even more attractive to customers? You’ve come to the right place. IKEA can help you make it happen. We have all the furnishings and decor you need. Our expert designers and planners are at your disposal, ready to listen to you and offer you plenty of inspiring ideas and advice. Watch your dream become true while we take care of your project from A to Z. We have everything under one roof to help you make this journey as easy as possible. We will be by your side taking care of all the paper works, delivery and assembly and all other details on your mind. We’ve got it all covered.

Whatever your business and budget We’ve got you covered.

No matter the type of project, we will help you in everything you need, starting from offices, where productivity meets comfort, to retail where your product is the hero. We also help you in setting the right hospitality atmosphere where the comfort of your guests is your top priority. Our specialists will assist you as well in any area of the home where you can customize the solutions to meet your needs, styles and, of course, budget.

Don’t worry about your payments! We’ve got you covered.

Planning your dream home or project is now easier than ever! You can now buy what you want with 0% interest and the total amount of your purchases will be split into 12 monthly installments or even more.

Interest Rate

The IKEA for Business team can help you every step of the way. You may contact our specialists for appointment or extra information by: Phone: +965 18 40 40 8 Ext. 750 - 754 WhatsApp: 9712 6571 Email: ib@IKEA.com.kw Website: www.IKEA.com.kw You can always visit your IKEA store: IKEA, The Avenues, 5th Ring Road IKEA, 360, 6th Ring Road, new extension IKEA, The Assima Mall, Kuwait city

Discover the brochure! scan here

Monthly Installments or even more

UPT % O

FRO M 10

OFF

Int A lot of people have no idea how difficult it is to write this intro every month. As a happy-go-lucky lifestyle magazine, we tend to steer away from politics, and stick to what we do best, whether it’s meeting and interviewing amazingly cool people from all walks of life, to writing about all the new exciting things going on in k-town, to supplying our readers with tips on how to navigate life, work, and health, while at the same time keeping them abreast of what’s new and what’s happening elsewhere in this wonderful world of ours. But sometimes, like now, with what’s going on in poor Ukraine, just as we finally get a break from damn Covid, its hard to avoid expressing how one feels about how unfair it all is, and how the world can be a pretty grim place sometimes. I guess that’s why we have twitter, huh! And while the world can be a difficult and strange place, self-discovery and selfacceptance are key to navigating these challenging times. This is what one Ahmed Almonsouri is looking to achieve with his group adventure travel company, Prism Adventures. We speak to the intrepid traveler on why it’s so important for travel to be an inclusive space, and how he is changing the narrative of exploration in this edition of Truth or Dare. Self-growth is paramount to success, and this is also what Ooredoo’s Chief Human Resources Officer Omar Al-Bassam tells us in a very inspiring interview. Ooredoo has achieved remarkable growth despite very challenging times, and he reaffirms that success is achieved when employees feel heard. Ramadan is just around the corner, and we’re looking forward to everything the Holy month brings. We’ve already planned our outfits from H&M’s Ramadan & Eid Statement 2022 collection. Our home is getting a mini-makeover from IKEA courtesy of the HEMBJUDEN collection and we know that our next Ghabgah post COVID will be flawless, all thanks to JYSK Kuwait’s incredible guide. Some of our updates are long term, like our decision to order curtains from Mastara, Kuwait’s first and only app and website that offers bespoke curtains and blinds, and thanks to their tips we know which mistakes to avoid. But we’re not ready to slow down just yet, since we’re celebrating the last few weeks of great weather by signing up for The Scientific Center Kuwait’s eco-tours. These are informative and entertaining one-day trips to interesting locations all over Kuwait where we can learn about local flora and fauna as well as conservation and sustainability. We need lots of energy to have the kind of fun we normally do at the office. This month we tried China Moon and fell in love with the concept, the explosions of flavor and the delicious dishes. We also got to try Shake Shack’s take on the felafel. We love our felafels and can be extremely judgey about them, but Shake Shack delivered on all counts and delighted our tastebuds.

The bazaar team... Boss Ahmed El-Adly

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 Yasmin Gamal

Communications Hala Y. Sharara

Syndicates & Sources Fast Company LA Times MCT International Newsweek

Printing British Industries for Printing and Packaging

This issue is full of so much more than we could ever fit here, so jump right in. Just remember to be grateful for life and sharing it with who matter the most. In the immortal words of Robert Frost, “The only way round is through.” And so, we shall move forward into March.

members of:

Last but definitely not least, don’t forget that International Women’s Day is on March 8th and Mother’s Day on the 21st. Be sure to honor the women who empower us all to do better!

w w w. b p a w w. c o m

Happy reading!

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).

Ahmed El-Adly

tel.2571 6122 info@bazaar-magazine.com www.bazaar.town | Zahra Complex, Salmiya. 8th floor, office 35 @bazaargram bazaarmagazine @bazaar tweets

No one likes to be dumped;

recycle me, please.

INDEX MARCH 2022 34 OMAR AL-BASSAM AND THE JOURNEY FOR SELF-GROWTH

We met up with Ooredoo’s Chief Human Resources & Administration Services Officer and learned that so much goes behind the scenes at the telecom giant. He told us all about his role and why it is paramount to the growth of the company’s employees, boosting employee productivity, and in turn, overall company performance.

ECO TOURS WITH THE SCIENTIFIC CENTER

Are you ready to leave the city behind for the day and discover the mysteries of the natural world? The Scientific Center is offering amazing one-day tours in Kuwait’s ecosystems so you can discover local flora and fauna for yourself and even see conservationists in action.

TRUTH OR DARE WITH AHMED ALMONSOURI

Ahmed Almonsouri wants adventure travel to be inclusive, safe and life-changing for all. This is why he bravely went ahead and established Prism Adventures, to give everyone the opportunity to challenge themselves freely. We speak to the intrepid traveler on why it’s so important for travel to be an inclusive space, and how he is changing the narrative of exploration in this edition of Truth or Dare.

H&M RAMADAN AND EID STATEMENT COLLECTION

Get ready to look fabulous this Ramadan and Eid with H&M. This year we’re getting three drops for the season in pastels and bold colors. From beautiful flowy kaftans to stylish suits in bright colors, there’s an outfit for every occasion.

HOST A MODERN GHABGA WITH JYSK

The Ghabqa is a uniquely Kuwaiti experience. Great food, signature local hospitality and pure generosity are its trademarks. Which is why we’re adding some modern touches from JYSK to elevate it even more in this ultimate guide.

94 RAMADAN WITH IKEA

Let this year’s IKEA Ramadan collection, HEMBJUDEN add to the festive mood of the month. The collection will inspire you to do some late-night Iftar hosting and renew your home while adding a modern touch to your traditions.

120 MADE TO MEASURE WITH MASTARA

Curtains and blinds can really make or break a room’s look. They are more than just decor, they are functional items too. Our friends at Mastara, Kuwait’s first and only app and website to provide you with customized blinds and curtains told us all about the mistakes we need to avoid when choosing curtains

132

IT’S TIME FOR CHINA MOON

We started the year of the Tiger with a Chinese feast from China Moon. The newly launched concept filled our bellies and delighted our palates with delicacies like gyoza and classics like chow mein. The variety and diversity make it our new go-to choice for when the cravings hit.

ECO TOURS WITH THE SCIENTIFIC CENTER P. 70 24

FULL OF COLORS

SHOP EL GANSO NOW

SCAN THE CODE FOR MORE INFO

JACK WILLS, FIRST FLOOR - THE AVENUES & ONLINE AT TAMANNA.COM

bazaar connect Cafés & Eateries

Baker & Spice Café November Casper & Gambini Chocolate Bar, Al Bida’a, Marina Crescent, Spoons

Costa Coffee Outlets: Argan Square Marina Crescent Miral Mall, Mangaf Kuwait Airpor t Saqran Mall Ghawalli Mall Sahara Shaab

Starbucks Outlets: Abdullah Mubarak Adeliya Airpor t Mall Al Mowasat Hospital Al Shaya Head Office Aliya & Ghalia Complex Andalouse Coop AUK Bairaq Mall Baitak Tower Behbehani Complex Bida’a Complex BMW Showroom Daiya Co-op Dar Al Awadi Divonne, Abu Hassaniya Four Points by Sheraton Hilton Resor t Jabriya Kaifan Khalifa Resor t

Kout Mall Marina Crescent Marina Mall Mishref NBK Nuzha Co-op Plaza Hawalli Rosa Castle Salhiya Salmiya, Salem Al-Mubarak Salmiya Co-op Salwa Co-op Scientific Center Seif Hospital Shaab Shamiya Co-op Sharq Co-op Sheikha Complex Sheikh Saed Al Abdullah Terminal Shuwaikh Zain Headquar ters Souk Sharq The Avenues The Palms Hotel Zahra Co-op

Other Outlets:

Crumbs, Shaab Dunkin Donuts, Mall 360 Elevation Burger, Abu Halifa, Al Bida’a, Al-Hamra, Avenues, Mishref, Alseif Haagen Daz- Souk Sharq, Arraya Johnny Rockets- opp. Salhiya Complex, Marina, Salmiya, The Avenues, Alia & Ghalia Complex Made Caffe Al Salam Mall November Baker y P.Q. - The Palms, Marina Mall Paul - The Avenues, Marina Mall Prime & Toast - Al Bida’a, Seif Strip

members of: www.bpaww.com

facebook.com/bazaarmagazine

Scoop-A-Cone - Egaila, Fahaheel The Early Bird - Fahaheel, Jabriya Upper Crust Pizzeria

Clinics & Hospitals

Al Mubarakiya Dental Clinic - Egaila, Salmiya Al Safat American Hospital Boushahri Clinic Dasman Diabetes Institute Diet Care Center Gulf Clinic International Clinic Maidan Clinic - Fahaheel, Farwaniya, Hawalli, Sharq, Subah Al Salem Noor Clinic Salam Hospital Seif Hospital Soor Center Taiba Clinic The Cosmetic Surgery Clinic

Hotels & Health Clubs

Crowne Plaza, Far waniya Hilton Kuwait Resor t & Spa Holiday Inn, Salmiya Inspire Pure Fitness Jumeirah Messilah Beach Resor t Hotel & Spa JW Marriott – Residence Inn, Sharq Millenium Hotel & Conference Center Pilates & More - Salmiya, Mahboula Spaloon The Palms Beach Hotel The Yoga Center

Malls

Al Salam Mall Arraya Haagen Dazs

4 Boutique Alghanim Marine Alghanim Showrooms - Safat Al Rai, Shuweikh, Sharq, Fahaheel beau-tique cosmetics British Embassy US Embassy Brush Salon CAP Galler y Cookie Dough Dar Al Funoon Dar.Nur Gold Class Lounge - Grand Cinemas Al Hamra TONI & GUY- Al Corniche TONI & GUY- Cliffs Kuwait Airpor t Business Class Lounges Finesse Nail Lounge Media Elephant Shuwaikh Market Sultan Galler y THE One The Chairman's Club

Galleria Al Hamra Elevation Burger Boulevard Starbucks Costa Coffee The Promenade Caribou Mall 360 Dunkin Donuts Marina Mall Marina Crescent Casper & Gambini Chocolate Bar Johnny Rockets P.Q. Paul Souq Sharq Starbucks Haagen Dazs Symphony Mall Juan Valdez The Avenues Elevation Burger Johnny Rockets Paul Starbucks Airport Mall Starbucks Dar Al Awadi Starbucks Spoons Chocolate Bar Salhiya Complex Starbucks

Schools & Universities American International School American University of Kuwait Australian College Kuwait Bayan School (Hawalli) Boxhill College BSK - British School of Kuwait Universal American School

Kuwait University Starbucks Starbucks Starbucks Starbucks

Stand Alones Virgin Megastore Ar tspace Kuwait

Khaldiya Adeliya Jabriya Shuwaikh

bazaar magazine became a member of BPA Worldwide in June 2010, a renouned agency which ensures complete transparency, and verifies bazaar as an audited publication which distributes 10,000 copies on a monthly basis. To access our BPA repor t, please visit www.bpaww.com or log onto our website www.bazaar.town for a downloadable pdf version.

twitter.com/bazaartweets

instagram.com/bazaargram

bazaar Newsletter

bazaarTube

what's trending March 2022

What: @Thehappylunchbox.q8 Info: Sharing ideas for kids lunch boxes. Editor’s Note: We want to go back to school now

What: @cottonroomkw Info: Cotton Products and home accessories Editor’s Note: We want to lounge in these cotton robes forever!

#2 What: @chilloutaccessories_ kw Info: Handmade jewelry by Lebanese designer Editor’s Note: timeless and elegant

CMY

What: @puffycookiess Info: Homemade cookies Editor’s Note: We suddenly have a huge matcha and Oreo craving

What: @wafi.kaf Info: customized accessories for kids Editor’s Note: we love the ontrend belt bags

facebook.com/bazaarmagazine

twitter.com/bazaartweets

instagram.com/bazaargram

bazaarTube

bazaar weekends

ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET, MAKE!

Discover more creative ways to spend the weekend By bazaar staff

We’re always looking for creative ways to spend the weekend. We may have finished all of Netflix (Yes, we’re dramatic like that) and tried all the new restaurants, so we needed something completely new to do instead. Releasing our inner Picasso or Andy Warhol is not only cathartic, it is also the perfect activity to do solo or with a group of friends, or the little humans too. Kuwait has recently seen an explosion in the number of art studios and artists offering workshops, events and pop ups that will help you dip your toe into the colorful waters of art. So you don’t even need to be creative, all you have to do is show up and have fun.

But before you do, make sure to call and make a reservation or confirm that there is space for you. While most of these studios offer walkins, space is still limited. We also think it might be a good idea to dress in something you are ok with staining. Form Arts @formarts.kw This newly opened studio is changing the art scene in Kuwait one art project at a time. So far they have offered tye-dye, block printing and large scale mural classes. They also offer one-on-one classes if you are interested. Qesa.ti @Qesa.ti While not strictly an art only space, it is one that 30

brings people together using the art of storytelling to inspire and be inspired. It’s a different take on creativity and they do often host art therapy classes and other creative options. Wejha Arts @wejha.arts They call themselves the first incubator in Kuwait for art, and they do offer a wide variety of classes and workshops in addition to a monthly membership which allows access to their studio and support from their skilled instructors. Art Studio Kuwait @Artstudiokwt Located in the heart of Al-Adan, this is a sustainable home-grown Art Studio; gallery, work space, that has been offering art training and

workshops in a nurturing space since 2012. Fakhri Arts @fakhri_arts We believe that creativity does not come in a one-size-fits-all box. Fakhri Arts is truly multidisciplinary. From arts to fashion design and crochet to embroidery, they have a huge catalog of options for you to choose from. Barbis @barbis.kw This studio caters to the younger (or the young at heart) crowd. They want us to play together and create a happy mess!

Photo by Matthieu Comoy on Unsplash.

THE KUWAITI CHAMPION BREAKS ANOTHER RECORD WITH BACK-TO-BACK WINS The Kuwaiti Champion Breaks Another Record with Back-to-Back Wins By bazaar staff

Mohammed Burbayea has returned to his home country of Kuwait a back-to-back champion at the Jet Ski World Series, in the Pro Runabout Grand Prix racing category. The Kuwaiti jet ski superstar has repeated his previous success at Jet Ski World Series with another championship run at the prestigious major event, which was held between 2021 and 2022, and spanned three continents.

At the end of the first leg of the tournament he’d set his sights on winning the championship for a second time in a row, and he was off to an excellent start, having just been crowned the champion at the Eurofinals. That first round was held in Poland, and proved to him that the competition was going to remain tough to beat. He went to America and Thailand for rounds two and three. “I’m overjoyed with winning a fierce and challenging championship.” Burbayea said. The Pro Runabout Grand Prix category that Mohammed Burbayea competes in is known for its extreme difficulty, high level of never-ending endurance, and heavy-duty use on the jet skis, many of which cannot keep up with the stress of the race. Even so, Burbayea was able to bring his goal to fruition, and was, by the numbers, the most consistent rider in all three country tournaments. Where other riders occasionally took podium

spots, Burbayea was able to keep his score tally up there, thus remaining competitive until the last race. Speaking on how he achieved such steady consistency throughout the multiple stages of the tournament, Burbayea pointed to the efforts of his team, in his typically humble fashion. “My team is 100% Kuwaiti,” he said. “They’ve been with me from the start of the competition, going above and beyond.” The Jet Ski World Finals in Pattaya, Thailand, were taxing on his body, as Burbayea was dealing with nagging back pain. He had to overcome it to remain competitive, and even though he lost a couple of races to the talented Danish racer Marcus Jorgensen, the European star was not able to defeat Burbayea for the World Series title. “It was the most challenging starting race and competition of them all.” Burbayea said when

asked about the races at the Thailand World Series. Burbayea communicated his deepest thanks and appreciation to the Kuwait Public Sports Authority, the Kuwait Marine Sports Club, Kuwait Finance House, Power Sport Kuwait, Core Build, the M Center for rehabilitation and physiotherapy, Red Bull Kuwait, and ProRider Garage Kuwait. When Burbayea was asked if he would want to compete again in the Jet Ski World Series, he said, “I’d love to go back and defend my title for a third time.” It is also certain that his fans would be eager to see him return to attempt a three-peat performance at the major event. To find out more about Mohammed Burbayea and the Jet Ski World Series, follow @RedBullKuwait on Instagram and Twitter, and @RedBull on Facebook, or visit www.redbull.com

IN CONVERSATION WITH OMAR AL-BASSAM OOREDOO’S CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES & ADMINISTRATION SERVICES OFFICER REVEALS HIS TOOLS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS, AND IT ALL BEGINS WITH SELF-GROWTH. By bazaar staff

Omar Al-Bassam

It’s very easy to feel inspired when in conversation with Omar Al-Bassam. I left the Ooredoo building after our meeting feeling like I’m ready to take on the world. The man truly deserves his own podcast to motivate professionals not only in the telecom field but other industries as well. As Ooredoo Kuwait’s Chief Human Resources & Administration Services Officer, his role is paramount to the growth of the company’s employees, boosting employee productivity, and in turn, overall company performance. In 2021, Ooredoo Kuwait Group reported staggering net profit growth, 468% to be exact, and this doesn’t just ‘happen’. Offering great services and products to their customers is surely a reason behind this success, yet this exponential growth speaks miles of the company’s values and efforts not only towards its customers, but also the soul of the entire operation, its employees. 34

And while it is quick and frankly easier, to assume that giant telcos can be the big bad wolf of corporations, that’s not the case at Ooredoo, as growing individuals’ talents, careers, and fostering loyalty is Omar’s passion and bread and butter, especially when you throw in the challenge of navigating your organization’s people through a pandemic into the mix. But every good story has an origin, and Omar counts himself lucky that he found his passion in HR when he first returned to Kuwait in 1999. A seasoned HR professional and a strong advocate for education and continuous learning, he was making waves (but he humbly tells me that he spent all of that time learning) in the retail, banking, and aviation industries before his current eightyear tenure at Ooredoo Kuwait. The Portsmouth University, London Business School, and Harvard Business School graduate first discovered his passion for HR when he undertook a leadership program during his time in retail. His interest in inspiring and motivating others was naturally piqued. He started us off, “Believe it or not, my dad used to operate Kuwait’s first dedicated shop for men’s suits in Kuwait. He used to travel to Europe to procure these beautiful suits, and I was fascinated by the concept of operating your store, talking to people, and of course, the travel. My start in retail was to naturally follow in my father’s footsteps, and undertaking the leadership program opened up my horizons. That’s when I understood that I love to sit and explain things to people, I love to solve peoples’ issues, I’m a people person. I love to get involved to help peoples’ careers grow.” Fast forward to today, and Omar is still following his passion, growing his knowledge, helping others at Ooredoo pave their paths to achieve their career milestones. Perhaps what is most telling of Omar’s inspiring attitude towards work is his respect for balance. He firmly believes that having that time away from work is what grounds a person and keeps them focused. A quick tour of his office shows a passion for football, music, his team, and his family. “I am a father of twin boys above all else,” he said, beaming with pride, as he settled in for our interview. From retail to banking, and now telecoms, does the role of an HR professional shift from one industry to the other? HR is one of these professions that may be universal in theory, but the applications will vary from one industry to the next. If I know HR, I will be able to work across various sectors. It is at the base of everything. What changes is the product or service that is being offered, but the basis is the same. Training, recruitment, career paths, and progression may differ from one industry to the next, but at the end of the day, you need recruitment, training, governance, you need performance management to evaluate the employee. These are the key pillars that are cross-functional across various industries.

In turn, what attracted you to work in the telecom industry, and specifically Ooredoo? Now that’s a very interesting question. Once I joined this industry, I honestly and without exaggeration, felt that I wouldn’t survive, because it’s a very fast-paced environment. The technology alone is fascinating. There is never a boring day. Every single day there’s something new. We went from 4G to 5G and we’re talking about 6G in a matter of two to three years. We’re talking about Smart Cities, innovations that are very fastpaced in nature. Given these industry changes, we as HR need to be proactive and assist the business leaders to reach these objectives. So, this industry is constantly changing, meanwhile, other industries can appear stagnant in parallel. So, if you’re someone who enjoys the thrill of the pressure of this environment, and the fruits of its logic, then this industry is for you. What do you love the most about your role and what challenges you the most? It’s… [Omar pauses] believe it or not, both. What I find to be the most challenging is what I enjoy the most about my role. So, it’s a very fine line between the two? I mean, I’ve been in the organization for eight years and I am still learning about technology. Am I a technology expert? Not at all, but that’s what I enjoy. Part of every single person’s growth process is that they need to keep on learning. If you haven’t learned one thing during the day that you’ve had, then it’s a wasteful day. So that I enjoy, and that’s also the challenge as well, to wrap your head around complicated concepts and have conversations with the technology people here only to demand that they explain something to me like I’m a six-year-old. But jokes aside, working from a place of constant self-growth is what is truly rewarding. You’re constantly thinking about selfdevelopment as an integral part of an employee’s role, and this process trickles down to how you tackle employee growth at Ooredoo. Can you tell us more about how this works? On a personal level, I know I have been blessed with a growth opportunity here. Not all companies can offer their employees the opportunity to continuously develop, whether on the job or through training programs like we do here. We also regularly evaluate how we learn, and who we are learning from—our employees. I learned a lot since I came to Ooredoo, I joined as a director, then progressed to become a senior director, and in 2017 I was promoted to Chief, which is totally different in terms of role when I was previously managing a medium-sized entity. With time, my responsibilities grew to take over all of HR’s operations, and this is reflective of our company’s growth too. As previously, HR

managed Ooredoo employees only, but with the employee integration of our sister companies, my responsibilities evolved once again. Now we offer from start to end HR solutions to over 1000 employees. From setting HR strategies, balancing work/life time, renumeration, employees wellbeing and safety, organizational culture, development and career paths for these companies. How do you retain talent, hungry talent, from going elsewhere? This is always a challenge. If an employee doesn’t feel fulfilled, they will look elsewhere. This is why we offer our employees further growth opportunities as part of the learning and development programs at Ooredoo. The other key factor is to always be listening to them. This couch we are sitting on now has been the meeting point for many conversations with other employees across our organization. I always choose to listen, discuss, and find solutions that fulfill an employee’s aspirations. Without a doubt, COVID-19 presented its own set of organizational challenges. What role did HR play in navigating the organization through these tumultuous times? How did Ooredoo adapt? Frankly speaking, we were very prepared so we never found ourselves in the lurch, organizationally speaking. Now that’s a big statement and one that you should be proud of. Contingency planning is key to quickly adapting to unexpected situations. Before the first lockdown even took place, we had a pre-meeting. We walked through every worst-case scenario. We first discussed how our salary obligations would be met, especially if we couldn’t enter the Ooredoo building. Another major factor of consideration was the well-being and also operations of our call center team, who operate out of the Ooredoo building, and truly, serve everyone. Immediately, we took action plans, we decided on points and we distributed different priorities and tasks. We assigned laptops and telephone lines to the call center guys and prepared them to work from home. Did you have a vision for what work-from-home for Ooredoo employees would look like? Were you ready when the first lockdown came along? Yes, of course. And that’s thanks to our amazing Chief Technology Officer and the entire team. There’s a lot of logistics involved that make the process of remote work appear a lot easier than it actually is. Overall, I can proudly say that Ooredoo’s adapting to the pandemic, while ensuring customer demands are met swiftly, and guaranteeing employee well-being and safety, is a multi-divisional effort that showed great collaboration.

[Continued...]

From an HR perspective, one of our major considerations, for example, was making sure that Payroll dues were met on time. We were prepared, lockdown came in, and even after the first lockdown was lifted, HR’s objective throughout it all is to keep our employees safe, as we truly believe that our employees are our most valuable assets. We stopped manual fingerprinting and introduced facial recognition tech to record time and attendance, people manage their hours when working remotely, social distancing measures are in place throughout our premises, and of course, we spearheaded multiple vaccination drives to ensure that employees and their families received their required vaccines promptly. Our vaccine drives were very well organized, as we had three different drives (first, second, and booster doses) in the Ooredoo Building in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. All of our employees were vaccinated across all of our entities, and not just Ooredoo employees. Do you feel like there are some practices, from an HR perspective, that you want to keep even after restrictions have eased? Absolutely! Aside from remote work where it fits the job role, we also incorporated remote hiring which helped us to continue operations without interruption. What is remote hiring and how does this work at Ooredoo? If you recall, Kuwait Airport was closed for a very long time, and we were unable to bring in talent to Kuwait where they were needed. We had two options, either look to a very small pool of candidates available locally, and in most cases, they would be employed elsewhere and the cost of hiring them would be too high, or expand our search and consider hiring remotely. So, what we did, essentially, is offer the ideal candidate a remote contract, and upon the reopening of the airport, they would then be able to join the team in Kuwait. What’s interesting is that this policy also worked with some existing key members of the Kuwait Ooredoo team who had opted to leave Kuwait when restrictions were at an all-time high, and instead of losing these key people, we offered them a remote work contract and they are working from their home countries. The key is retaining talent, and not letting this pandemic tear up the great relationships we’ve built with our employees throughout the years. If they’re happy, we’re happy too. How is Ooredoo further safeguarding the health of its employees during these uncertain times? With COVID, one of the things that we also chose to change is our compensation practices, and the rewards, including the health benefits. All this has been reshaped for the benefit of our employees at Ooredoo. Since COVID did wonders for digitalization, it pushed all of us in various

sectors to get out there, out of our traditional comfort zones, and make new, different, and in most cases, better choices for our employees. There’s also the argument that work-from-home can be counter-productive, in the sense that employees work for longer periods and end up feeling burnt out. How does Ooredoo help guide employees towards maintaining an effective work-life balance, even when they are working remotely? The key danger with remote work is that often, there are no set office hours. In my opinion, the mentality of balancing work-from-home with other aspects of a person’s life is still not embedded in our culture in this part of the world. To a great extent, the process is still a learning curve for all of us. To better guide our employees through this, we often send out educational emails and the appropriate literature to help them better plan their remote workdays. Are employees still working remotely? This will depend on the job role. For instance, since health measures have eased, employees working at key branches are back at their locations with strict distancing measures in place.

What have you personally learned throughout the entire COVID experience at Ooredoo? That there cannot be a disconnect ever, between management and wider teams. I learned that we are very fortunate to be prepared to face the challenges brought on by COVID, and not only business or operational challenges, but there’s also the human factor too. We’re all in the same boat. Our CEO on the 27th floor or us on the 14th floor, we have our doors open, we speak with our teams and our employees regularly. I continue to learn from them above all, particularly newcomers. I like to speak to them a month after they’ve joined because I value their perspective. I constantly ask them about how we can improve, and this applies even more to newcomers with past experiences elsewhere versus new graduates. Do you think that Ooredoo employees are more loyal to the company today? Our experience with the pandemic says it all. Luckily, we were prepared and we can proudly say that not one salary has been affected by this pandemic. Whatever people used to make before the pandemic, they are still making now. We had valuable employees stuck abroad, and we continued to support them.

Locally, we noticed that demand for internet services skyrocketed, and our employees who couldn’t operate out of our branches during lockdown were ready to service them remotely, even conducting deliveries of online sales, with the support of management. I feel that allowing everyone to do their jobs, the best they could, fostered a sense of trust and loyalty between management and our valued employees. Our teams valued the safety measures we put in place for them; they felt supported and were financially secured during an uncertain time, and in turn, this showed in the company’s performance because our employees saw how we stood by them through it all. In this post-COVID era, and after experiencing remarkable growth in the past year, what makes Ooredoo an attractive workplace today? I would have to say, it is the growth opportunities. I’ll give you an example. 60% or more, of our Chiefs, are internally promoted. Typically, the promotion of a chief comes in with approval and the blessing of the Group. We have ready candidates to take over once a new Chief is promoted, or essentially, a succession strategy in place. And this policy is applied across all positions and departments to ensure career growth for each respective employee in the organization. We take succession planning very

seriously and ensure that if someone leaves, we have the right people in the right place to take on their role. We nurture and train, develop their skills on the job or through training. How do you want to further grow your teams moving forward? Digitization is going to continue to grow, and this applies to HR in terms of the tech we use, the analytics we collect. We are now able to collect employee feedback faster than ever before, across all 10 Ooredoo entities globally. Ooredoo has a presence in markets such as Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, the Maldives, Myanmar and Indonesia. Employee engagement is now extremely relevant, and we are aiming to build the best brand in Kuwait and across the region. Our annual Employee Health Index (This is essentially a survey), reveals how happy employees are, their satisfaction with management, the work environment, and this is where they are sharing opinions in our decisionmaking process. In 2021, our results went up by 20 points to hit the highest decimal percentage, which is 90%. This survey is run by an independent organization, and we were told that only four or five organizations worldwide made this significant jump, and Ooredoo Kuwait was one of these companies. This shows that our own employees are now more engaged than ever before, and this

is something that we want to move forward with and grow further. Knowing that we have a more loyal, better skilled, and satisfied workforce that wants to deliver and feels empowered, that their voice mattered was so important. In 2020, they gave us their feedback, and in 2021, we listened and implemented changes that worked for them, and in turn, for the whole organization. I personally would love to make Ooredoo the employer of choice for talent in Kuwait. Once someone graduates, I want this young person to close their eyes and say ‘I want to work at Ooredoo Kuwait’. In order for this to happen, the entire employees journey needs to be looked at from the moment a prospective employee enters Ooredoo HQ and how they are being greeted, entering the interview, Talent acquisition and onboarding processes, assigning a coach for the 1st 100 days to assist the new employees, development, career paths, remuneration and compensation processes, engaging the employees, and creating a sense of belonging. Only then we could achieve what I aspire towards and that is for us to be the Employer of Choice in Kuwait.

For more information, please visit Ooredoo.com.kw, and follow @OoredooKuwait on social media.

[...Continued]

ARTISTIC OBSERVATION

How looking at art can make you a better problem solver By Stephanie Vozza

If you want to improve your ability to solve problems, a trip to an art museum might help. That’s because how you observe paintings, photographs, or sculptures can provide you with tools that help you approach dilemmas at work, says Amy Herman, author of Fixed: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem Solving.

The best things happen on the exit ramp of your comfor t zone,” she says. “It helps to get out of thinking about the same things in the same way that you do ever y day. And ver y few people look at works of ar t ever y day.” Herman, who is an ar t historian and the founder and president of the Ar t of Perception, a New York-based organization that conducts professional development courses for leaders, including those at the FBI, NATO, and Scotland Yard, says seeking out new situations that are different than your ever yday life can give you a way to look at a problem from another perspective. Here are three steps to tr y out: First, Observe Go into a galler y (or look at ar t online) and ask yourself, “What works of ar t would I want to take home with me?” “Perhaps you were drawn to that par ticular image because it reminds you of yourself or someone you know,” Herman says. “Maybe you can relate to the expression or age or body type of the subject. Or maybe you just enjoy the composition and colors. See what compels your attention—from the colors to the form.” Then think about the work you like least, and allow yourself time to reflect. “Give yourself a full

two minutes—set the timer on your phone—and study that image with an eye toward what exactly you don’t like,” Herman says. Spending time with ar t, especially with works that we don’t like, gets us out of our comfor t zone. And how you look at ar t is a template for thinking about problem solving. Use your inherent sense of obser vation to walk around and think about things. “Don’t speak; just look,” Herman says. Ask Questions When you’re tr ying to solve a problem, don’t just put the burden on yourself. Ask someone else. What’s their perspective? Looking at ar t, ever yone sees something different. “I can put two people, such as two cops, in front of the same painting and ask them, ‘Tell me what you see,’” Herman says. “They’ll come up with entirely different versions of what they’re looking at, and it gets them thinking, Well, if this is happening here in front of the painting, what’s happening at the crime scene? It’s not about pointing out what you missed; it’s realizing that there is more to look at. It’s a fresh perspective to think about problem solving.” Be sure to ask others what they see, not what they think. “We all know people who jump into the meeting and say, ‘Let me tell you what I

think,’” Herman says. “I don’t want to hear what you think until you say what it is that you see . . . [they] are ver y different.” Finally, Read the Label Once you understand what you see and you hear what others see, reconcile your obser vations with what’s on the label, the name of the work, and the background stor y. “The reason I don’t let people read labels before they look at works of ar t is it’s a form of confirmation bias,” Herman says. “You’re going to look for what the label tells you. And I believe that we all have such a strong inherent sense of obser vation that you should rely on that first and see what your own obser vations tell you. Then see what the label says, see what other people say, and how you can reconcile that.” Thinking about problems in the way you would look at ar t provides a new road map, which Herman says is more impor tant now than ever. “Ever ything’s broken right now,” she says. “When we come out of this pandemic, we’re all going to star t from ground zero. We have to be able to fix it. This approach can give people help and a new perspective for tr ying to do that.” Photo by Igor Miske on Unsplash.

LOOKS ARE SERVED

SHOP RIVER ISLAND SS22 THE AVENUES | AL FANAR MALL | MARINA MALL & ONLINE AT TAMANNA.COM SCAN THE CODE FOR MORE INFO

BEIJING 2022

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, by the numbers By Connie Lin

The Olympic flame lit last month in Beijing, at the finish line of a pandemic-shortened relay that saw the torch travel from one side of the city to the other—passing landmarks like the Great Wall of China over the course of three days. It may be a far cry from the global tour that preceded its last Olympics in 2008, but nevertheless, Beijing is on the edge of glory: It’s poised to become the first city in history to host both the summer and winter games. Torch-bearers in the scaled-back relay—1,200 total—include basketball star Yao Ming, Oscar-nominated film director Zhang Yimou, and a Chinese army commander wounded in a bloody border clash with India in 2020—a harbinger, perhaps, of the political scrutiny that has engulfed this year’s Olympic Games. As last year’s affair in Tokyo would suggest, it’s a strange time to have an Olympics, especially one mired in global controversy amid the chaos of a raging pandemic. But still, the show goes on. The opening ceremony, staged by director Zhang, will unfold in the Bird’s Nest—an architectural marvel originally built for the 2008 summer games—on February 4, with 16 days of competition to follow. Here, a look at some of the numbers. 3.9 billion In U.S. dollars, the total cost of hosting the winter Olympics, according to China. That’s surprisingly budget-friendly, making it the least expensive games of the past two decades, and gives China bragging rights as president Xi Jinping touted a “green, safe, and simple” Olympics. (For its 2008 summer games, Beijing spent $42 billion.) However, a media report found that China’s 2022 total left off dozens of costs, including that of the Ice Ribbon speedskating oval and the bullet train; altogether, it estimated the Olympic price tag to be roughly $39 billion. 49 million The volume of water in gallons needed to cover Olympic race tracks, moguls, jumps, and halfpipes with fake snow, as Beijing becomes the first host city to rely exclusively on snow-making guns. The mountainous regions outside Beijing rarely get more than a light dusting of natural powder, meaning powerful machines do the rest, transfiguring compressed air and water into misshapen ice crystals. While artificial snow is increasingly common at winter Olympics— scientists ascribe this to climate change— experts worry that Beijing’s dramatic push to turn Zhangjiakou into China’s Alps could aggravate the region’s extreme water scarcity, which ranks among the worst in the country. 11,000 The estimated number of people quarantined 40

in Beijing’s COVID-19 “bubble,” likely the most ambitious strategy of its kind ever executed. Described by authorities as a “closed loop system,” it seals the games completely from the rest of the city, enclosing officials, journalists, and 2,900 athletes in a network of fenced-off, police-guarded stadiums, conference centers, and hotels. There’s a dedicated transit system, including buses with specially marked lanes— locals who cross into these lanes will be fined. In fact, locals are even instructed not to help if an Olympic vehicle crashes. 220 The top speed in MPH of the driverless bullet trains—currently, the world’s fastest—that connect three zones of competition. Built specifically for the games, they shuttle athletes and officials across 110 miles of railway track— from Beijing to satellite venues on mountain slopes near Yanqing and Zhangjiakou—cutting transportation time from 3 hours to 45 minutes. (The first-ever train, back in 1909, took 8 hours.) These bullet trains also have 5G news broadcasting studios on board. 109 The number of medal events, across seven winter sports. It’s a record total of chances to win gold at the winter Olympics, including seven debut

events in skiing, snowboarding, speedskating, and bobsled. Among them: Freestyle skiing’s “big air,” a primetime show of aerial acrobatics in which skiers propel themselves off a massive ramp, twisting and flipping as many times as possible before touching the ground again. 99 In degrees Fahrenheit, this is the body temperature will trigger an alarm in the armpit thermometers that some staff members are required to wear, thereby warning of a fever. Anybody who catches COVID will be booted from the games. 0 The number of international spectators at this year’s games—an echo of last year’s summer Olympics in Tokyo. Despite the development of COVID-19 vaccines, surges in the delta and omicron variants have forced Beijing into a state of high alert, especially as the virus continues to mutate. The organizing committee adapted its policy in mid-January, stating it would not sell tickets to the public but would invite 150,000 spectators from mainland China including diplomats and marketing partners, as well as locals and school children. International journalists are welcomed. Photo by Rowan Simpson on Unsplash.

WHAT THE HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE DO

The secret is counterintuitive By Heather Hartnett

Today, more than half of Americans consider themselves chronic procrastinators. The rapid evolution of technology is largely to blame: on the one hand, we are more globally connected to others than ever and we have limitless information at our fingertips. On the other, life online increases physical isolation, information overload, and distraction.

In a recent workshop at Human Ventures, we asked Peter Shallard, founder of one of our portfolio companies, Commit Action, to present his thesis: Lack of human connection is at the root of the growing focus and productivity struggle. The number of people feeling isolated has doubled in the past 30 years, a problem that has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. Mental and physical health risks aside—loneliness kills more than obesity does—isolation is the big, counterintuitive missing factor in personal productivity. A body of research is showing that regular, genuinely human accountability support can increase goal attainment by up to 95%. Commit Action’s answer to this is clear-cut cognitive science: humans are social primates that are hardwired to be our best when we are connected. Peter said that everything you need to know about personal effectiveness comes down to this question: “how many people on earth know if you crushed it this week, or just phoned it in?” For the vast majority of entrepreneurs, the answer is zero. Redefining productivity Often, people think productivity is checking the most urgent items off a to-do list. Peter offers a new definition of productivity as “high leverage 42

work.” The key characteristics of this type of work are: Important but not urgent: The urgent work always gets done. High leverage work presents an opportunity because it’s proactive, not urgent High reward and some risk: Big upside plus low(ish) risk means it’s truly worth it Courageous: Your to-dos that demand courage— vs working purely smart or hard—will have the biggest impact. Done in isolation: There’s no natural accountability for it because it’s always pushing beyond the status quo Zero accountability makes high leverage work difficult, but those who figure it out will reap the rewards. Fortunately, there are a few cognitive science principles you can apply to hack your way to high leverage work. Achieving high-leverage work Implementation Granularity: Be specific. It’s really hard to approach a goal that feels insurmountable. Break up projects into the right-size pieces for your brain. The ideal project size is different for all of us, so that means learning what works best for you. To do that, think back to a project where you were in flow state, and ask yourself what that project size was. If you can figure that out, studies show that you’ll outperform and be more motivated.

How do you know if you’re missing this skill? You have too many #1 priorities and can’t take action, you agonize over how to get started with your work every day, or you can never tell people what you’re working on Temporal Intention: Don’t just think about what you have to do, but when you are going to do it. The simple act of blocking time for specific projects more than doubles the likelihood of goals being accomplished and we get more done when we are time constrained. This only works if you keep your appointments with yourself: treat your most important projects like they are meetings with the most important person you know. Weekly productivity rituals Once a week, take the time to plan your week and create the right cognitive conditions for highleverage work. Ask yourself: What is the highest leverage use of my time? What size of accomplishment should I expect this week? When am I going to commit to this work? The new era of work presents both challenges and huge opportunities. The spoils will go to those victors who leverage genuine human connection to sharpen their focus and action-taking prowess. Photo by kris on Unsplash.

—

DINE ABOARD AL BOOM RESTAURANT

—

Take in the views and savor the delicious steaks and fresh seafood grilled to perfection by our expert chefs. Experience dining like none other aboard Al Boom dhow, an authentic piece of Kuwait’s heritage. Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait Al Bida’a Road, Al Ta’awn Street, Salwa, P.O. Box 26199, Safat 13122, Kuwait T: +965 2567 3430 sales.kuwait@radissonblu.com

radissonhotels.com/blu

10 YEARS OF THE INIMITABLE EYE BOUTIQUE Where fashion meets vision care By bazaar staff

Eye Boutique is a fresh concept in eyewear; it is not just about eyewear & contact lenses; it is a personalized and comprehensive approach to vision care with an eye on fashion. Eye Boutique’s vision and philosophy is to provide exemplary service combined with an outstanding variety of highquality products. The brand is famously known to continuously provide precise vision care without compromising on the most contemporary fashion trends around the world.

Nowadays, when we think of Eye Boutique, we immediately associate the brand with luxur y and style. Thanks to the company’s strong brand partnerships with the best international designers at their unique concept, Eye Boutique that has stores all across Kuwait. It specializes in offering unique and premium eyewear that is unparalleled in terms of offerings and ser vices. The Eye Boutique team strives to continuously offer Kuwait and the GCC market exclusive and exceptional eyewear products, making sure they always stood out amongst local retailers. The company’s success cannot be completed without their dedicated and talented staff that are trained not only to the highest standards, but also in understanding your needs in terms of style and vision care. Experience and individual knowledge are important to find the masterpiece just for you! We spoke to Sanaz Saadat, the dynamic woman who started building the concept in 2009 and manages Eye Boutique to this day. She grew the brand to six locations in two countries and is always excited about connecting young Kuwaiti designers with European design and manufacturing companies. The impressive Sanaz told us more about the brand and philosophy behind it. What makes Eye Boutique so unique? Our constant pursuit of excellence and uniqueness. We are constantly evaluating our 44

Sanaz Saadat

brand against the local and international markets, and introduce improvements in every new decision to offer a unique in-store experience. Why did you choose the luxury field? The Kuwaiti clientele is very aware and up-to-date with the international market, and they appreciate quality and high-technology. It was only logical for us to make these niche products accessible to the local and regional market. Is it true that some of the sunglasses are handmade?! Yes, the process of creating an eyewear can be very intricate and requires a lot of craftsmanship. From small details that are on the hinges of our products to the diverse materials that are used in some of the products we carry, there is a lot of attention to details that we and our clientele enjoy.

City Walk – Dubai

What is your absolute favorite limited collection that has dropped in Eye Boutique? It is difficult to talk about one specific brand that had the biggest impact, however, I would say that our own vintage collection was for sure the most exciting and unique collection. How did your background/knowledge support the success of Eye Boutique? We are always in a dynamic relationship with Hassan’s Optician Company. We bring a lot of our learnings from Hassan’s and use them to push boundaries in Eye Boutique. How do you measure the success of Eye Boutique? The diversity of our customers and our brands. Do you offer any services beyond providing fashionable eyewear? We have style advisors who would help you choose the best frame for your face shape and skin tone. Also we try to give you vision solutions that complements your lifestyle. What makes your service so convenient? We personalize our services to match with your requirements. From style recommendations to home delivery and follow-ups. Who supported you the most with opening Eye Boutique? We have a very good relationship with suppliers who are always on board with us when we plan to open a new location, also mall managements have appreciated the concept and worked closely with us in order to make the brand more visible. Are some items/brands exclusive to Eye Boutique? Yes, we do believe that if we combine exclusivity with quality service and other positive attributes,

we can garner loyalty. Some of our exclusive brands are; Jacques Marie Mage, Vysen, Ophy, Moscot, John Dalia, Kuborum, Massada in addition to exclusive capsule collections from Lindberg, Cartier, Mykita and Dita.

What struggles/hurdles have you faced in the past 10 years of operating? During the pandemic, supply chain got effected, and we had a shortage of some unique products. Now luckily things are improving and going back to normal.

Which sunglasses took the most time to craft? Dita eyewear, creating a single frame can take as many as 320 separate production steps over a period of 8 months.

If you could describe Eye Boutique in one sentence, what would it be? Where fashion meets vision care.

Who does Eye Boutique cater for? The target customers of Eye Boutique are connoisseur of eyewear who value technology and quality.

What does the future look like for Eye Boutique? We are ver y excited for what is to come. We have started partnership with new brands, and are planning for opening new locations.

What would you consider your greatest achievement since opening Eye Boutique? Creating a community of locals who understand and appreciate quality eyewear. It is thrilling when we see our customers’ eyes sparkle when they see in our store a brand that they saw in other parts of the world. Many times we heard from our customers that they are so happy to see this brand in Kuwait.

Any plans on expanding beyond the GCC? It will be a Surprise :-)! You can find the Eye Boutique stores at 360 Kuwait, The Avenues, Kout Mall and Gate Mall in Kuwait and Dubai Mall and City Walk in Dubai. Follow @EyeBoutiqueME on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with their news or visit eyeboutiqueme.com. 45

WHITE ROBATA NAMED THE BEST RESTAURANT IN KUWAIT WINNERS OF THE MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS ARE ANNOUNCED By bazaar staff

The culinary stars of the restaurant world converged in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi on the 7th of February, for the debut of the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. Restaurants from across 11 countries within the Middle East and North Africa were announced as the top 50 places to eat in the region at an event held in Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers. Hosted in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the event culminated in the announcement of the region’s first ever No.1 restaurant, 3 Fils, whose team took to the stage to receive the award.

MENA50BR22 The Best Restaurant in Kuwait - White Robata Local restaurant White Robata was ranked 43 on the list and won the title of The Best Restaurant in Kuwait. Located within the Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Center in Kuwait, White Robata is a Japanese concept where chefs create innovative dishes in an open kitchen allowing diners to watch as skilled chefs create inventive signatures. The anime-inspired Japanese eatery specializes in dishes cooked over fire including a six-hour braised short rib finished on the grill and offers a contemporary take on traditional Japanese cuisine including the playful spicy tuna wonton taco and the flank steak frites aburi nigiri with purple potato floss. 46

[Continued...]

William Drew, Director of Content for Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “It’s a great honor to announce that 3 Fils has made it to the top of the rankings at the inaugural Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. It is a brilliantly executed home-grown restaurant, loved by local residents and visitors alike. There is no doubt that it sets new standards in creativity, sourcing and food presentation, coupled with a personable service style, and we are delighted to announce that it has been voted No.1. Additionally, we are excited to see that 11 countries from the region are represented on the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants

list, demonstrating the extraordinary diversity of cuisine in this region.” The Japanese izakaya Zuma in DIFC, Dubai, founded by chef Rainer Becker, claims the No.2 spot. The United Arab Emirates tops the list with an impressive 19 restaurants, including three from host city Abu Dhabi. Following close behind are Lebanon and Saudi Arabia with five restaurants each: just outside the top 10 and leading the way for Beirut is Baron (No.12), named The Best Restaurant in Lebanon followed by Tawlet Mar Mikhael (No.28), while Riyadh’s Myazu (No.15) is the winner of The Best Restaurant in Saudi Arabia title. Egypt is also

Yo u r w i s hes . D e l i v e re d .

Download the Tamanna App now!

Kuwait's new favou rite destination f o r Fa s h i o n , B e a u t y a n d L i f e s t y l e

MENA50BR22 The Best Restaurant in Egypt - Sachi

Tawlet Mar Mikhael well-represented with four restaurants featured in the ranking including Sachi (No.5), making it The Best Restaurant in Egypt. Jordan also has a player in the top 10 with Fakhreldin (No.7) in Amman named The Best Restaurant in Jordan. Steakhouse Cut by Wolfgang Puck in Doha (No.36) bags The Best Restaurant in Qatar award. At No.31, Mirai is The Best Restaurant in Bahrain, while Tunis restaurant La Closerie (No.46) claims the title of The Best Restaurant in Tunisia. Three Moroccan restaurants also feature, with Marrakech’s La Grande Table Marocaine (No.26) being voted The Best Restaurant in Morocco, alongside Iloli (No.32) in Casablanca and +61 (No.49), also in Marrakech. Popular Singapore-born chef Reif Othman is honored with the Chefs’ Choice Award. Designed to give recognition to a chef who has 48

[...Continued]

had a positive impact on the regional culinar y community, the award is peer-voted by chefs of the restaurants on the MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Othman has worked in many of the leading restaurants throughout the region, including Zuma and Burj Al Arab in Dubai, and recently opened a new restaurant under his own name, Reif Kushiyaki, which features on the ranking at No.16. The Sustainable Restaurant Award honors the establishment in the list with the highest sustainability rating. This award is presented to Lowe (No.23) in Dubai, a restaurant that has set a new standard for exquisite food that goes hand-in-hand with sustainability. Chef-owners Jesse Blake and Kate Christou focus on reducing waste through nose-to-tail cooking while also supporting their team and the wider community.

As a recognition of excellence in restaurant service and dining experiences, the Art of Hospitality Award is presented to Dubai’s Trèsind Studio (No.4). The restaurant is commended for its theatrical gastronomic experience incorporating multiple changes of pace and scenarios. Chef Himanshu Saini’s brand of advanced Indian food is matched by the perfectly choreographed service. Sahar Parham Al Awadhi, formerly Head Pastry Chef at the esteemed Burj Al Arab in UAE, takes home the MENA’s Best Pastry Chef Award, sponsored by Valrhona. Sahar began her culinary career in 2014 and has worked at La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie in Dubai with Izu Ani and Le Saint Georges in Paris. As an Emirati, she believes in showcasing the origins of her ingredients and supporting local producers. Other pre-announced award winners accepting their trophies on stage include Tala Bashmi, often referred to as the voice of modern Bahraini cuisine, winner of the first Middle East & North Africa’s Best Female Chef Award; Kamal Mouzawak, one of Lebanon’s most prominent food activists, winner of the Foodics Icon Award for elevating the slow food movement in the country and his outstanding contributions to the restaurant industry; and innovative izakaya joint Kinoya, which picks up the One To Watch Award, presented to founder and ‘Ramen Queen’ Neha Mishra. The list is compiled by the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of 250 key leaders in the restaurant industry across the region, each selected for their expert opinion of the Middle East and North Africa’s restaurant scenes. The Academy is divided into six regions, each region has its own panel of members including a chairperson, called the Academy Chair, to head it up. The panel is made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded gourmets. For the 2022 list, each MENA Academy member voted for seven restaurants, with at least one of these located outside the country where they are based. None of the event’s sponsors has any influence over the voting process.

White Robata is located in the Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Center, follow @whiterobata on Instagram for more information.

Ramadan Collection Coming Soon

Grand Avenue - The Avenues | Souq Sharq | Gate Mall

WHO KNOWS YOU?

Why your personality test results are probably wrong By Kathleen Davis

Personality tests can be fun to take, but they can also be frustrating. They’re black and white. Most popular personality tests assume that people can be classified into distinct personality types. But, people don’t fit into neat boxes. Most people aren’t entirely introverted or entirely extroverted, for example.

But despite the fact that many of these tests rely on a flawed framework, they’re still widely used by employers of all sizes. It’s easy to see why: We want to be able to understand how people can work better together. In fact, Fast Company has published several articles over the years about personality tests at work, including one about the most popular test, MyersBriggs. That article, and especially that test, drew the ire of long-time Fast Company contributor, Art Markman. Markman is a cognitive scientist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin and founding director of the Program in the Human Dimensions of Organizations. His article–”Why Everyone’s Favorite Personality Test is BS“—was one of the most widely read Work Life stories last year. Markman joined me on the latest episode of The New Way We Work to discuss what’s wrong with many personality assessments at work, and how employees and managers can think about personality differently. 50

He pointed out that Myers-Briggs was developed in the 1940s, and there have been lots of advancements in the field of personality research since then. But the assessment, and ones like it, have staying power—especially in workplaces— because it feels like an easy way to match “types.” As Markman explains, there are several problems with that. First, the test has has a low test/retest reliability, meaning if you take it again, you’re not necessarily going to get the same results as you did the first time. Markman says that other kinds of measures, like the Big 5 personality characteristics, are more stable across one’s lifespan and so are more reliable. Second, many personality assessments end with your being labeled as a certain “type.” For these tests, “you are put on one pole or the other of one of these dimensions,” says Markman. “But in fact, chances are, you’re probably in the middle of most of those core personality characteristics. And so it

gives you a false sense of how extreme you are.” In other words, there is no room for nuance. You might get told that you are an extrovert because you’ve had to become comfortable leading meetings, but in reality, you don’t like to talk to strangers at parties and actually prefer to work alone. There are a lot of risks to taking these kinds generalizations to heart at work. Markman points out that if personality assessments are used in deciding teams, for example, you may end up with a group of people who are all so agreeable that no one is willing to voice dissent when necessary. Listen to the episode for more advice on how to accurately use personality assessments at work, including best practices for selecting teams with complementary skillsets, as well as how to avoid the “culture fit” trap in hiring.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash.

truth or dare

IT’S TIME TO GO OFF-KILTER, BUT IN A GOOD WAY Prism Adventures’ Ahmed Almonsouri on why he’s creating the space for inclusive travel experiences By bazaar staff

I would like to think that everyone’s had that one travel adventure that deeply changed them from within. A soulful realization experienced, perhaps by overcoming a fear of heights. New horizons embraced by listening to a stranger’s perspective. Coming to terms with a major life change, unhindered by societal pressures. Fresh life goals ignited by taking on thrilling challenges. But then, that would be an ambitious assumption on my part, as travel expectations will vary from one person to the next. More importantly, feeling empowered and supported to go on a soul riveting adventure is not easy, as you don’t just add ‘I need to be emotionally supported while hiking’ to your shopping cart on mainstream travel booking sites. This is why Ahmed Almonsouri created Prism Adventures, because sometimes you need to be thrown off-kilter, all while feeling supported and included by a fellow band of like-minded adventure seekers. When he’s not off exploring bike trails in Nor way, Ahmed is an architect by day. Project management is his for té; he loves design, and appreciates the sense of precision required to execute his job. He also applies this deep attention to detail when he is planning a trip for Prism Adventures. From var ying the destinations and adventure experiences for different levels (no, you do not have to be a professional mountaineer to attempt a Prism Adventures trip), including fun city explorations on the agenda, to creating a travel community that is truly inclusive, ever yone is welcome with Prism Adventures. 52

Ahmed deeply values and encourages inclusivity and unity across different cultures, religions, races, ethnicities, gender identities/ expressions, sexual orientations, ages, and personal beliefs. He tells me that when traveling from a place of acceptance of oneself and others, the entire experience is far more enriching. “What I love about traveling with groups is that you are always unsure of what to expect when meeting new people, but then you give it a couple of hours later taking on the same challenge, and you’ve become like a family.” The avid explorer is so keen on ensuring that Prism Adventures is a safe travel community for all, that he actually integrated this practice in the registration process on the website. He explains, “The main way to sign up for a trip is through our website – and you cannot submit the registration form before accepting the Prism Community Guidelines. Before you set on a trip, you will receive a waiver form, with the first point being the Prism Community Guidelines. I also talk about it on social media, I use it in our captions, I speak about it with the group. When you are genuinely yourself in front of people, they will star t feeling more comfor table to be themselves as well. It is challenging sometimes, but I tr y to break the boundaries from the beginning.” Ahmed had always loved to travel, but it was an adventure trip in Oman back in 2016 that completely opened up his mind to creating the space for inclusive adventure travel. “I experienced travel like I never have before when I went to Oman on a hiking and camping trip organized between myself and friends. It was my first time going on an “adventure” trip and it felt like I was home, in a ver y spiritual way. I star ted going on group trips ever since, and developed great friendships along the way. These experiences changed me a lot in many ways. I discovered how resilient one can be if they put their mind to it, I learned how to deal with my anxiety (and still learning), and one of the most wonder ful things I learned is that we will never be alone. We will always be surrounded by great people if we choose to.” Prism Adventures developed organically, with the first trip being organized to Nor way. He says, “I honestly star ted knowing that I wanted to create a ‘travel group’ in a sense, where ever yone felt accepted, ever yone felt safe. With that in mind, I loved ever y detail planning this adventure, and it was so successful. Ever yone felt happy, and realizing how happy they were with the outcome increased my happiness tenfold. [Continued...]

As soon as it was over, I knew that I wanted to do this more often. I wanted to give anyone the oppor tunity to feel this sense of satisfaction.” Today, a visit to the Prism Adventures website will present you with enticing options like other worldly Icelandic explorations (rated as a Medium-Easy trip, per fect for all levels), to trekking challenging Nor wegian trails, but also Glamping and water fall chasing, and even hiking and backpacking around Italy’s Amalfi Coast (This trip is already sold out, but Ahmed tells me he plans on doing this again soon). That’s the beauty of having a suppor tive, like-minded community, and when Ahmed solely focused on creating this safe space, both via the trips themselves and vir tually, Prism Adventures continued to grow in popularity. Ahmed tells me of how some adventurers star t out quiet, perhaps apprehensive about a challenging hike, unsure of what to expect from backpacking, or worried they might not get along with the travel group. But over the course of the adventure trip, they emerge completely invigorated by the experience. All of this because they went in knowing that they felt included, and that knowledge alone is empowering. “Before any challenging hike or experience, I have a candid conversation with the group where I talk about a ‘turning point’. This is usually when things get really challenging and you star t to question why you’re attempting this experience in the first place. But also, this is usually when you are allowed to reach a level where you can be alone with your thoughts. You might not want to converse with anyone, you’re just going to be with your thoughts and that’s when you’re going to develop.” Ahmed is usually in touch with Prism Adventurers who come back home with new perspectives, feeling stronger, and more emboldened by their time challenging themselves. Ahmed is definitely emotionally driven by these experiences too, “The evolution of a person is priceless,” he adds, “The name “Prism Adventures” as well as the logo both reflect the idea of one’s evolution after travel. When a single light travels through a Prism, it reflects into a spectrum of colors – this idea is reflected when I designed the logo – which shows a rocket traveling through a prism, star ting with a single color, and ending with a spectrum of different colors.” In looking to the future, Ahmed wants to fur ther expand Prism Adventures to include more countries, activities, and definitely more people. He concludes, “I want to continue growing the Prism Travel Community into being the multi-national, multi-disciplinar y, multicultural place for people to experience travel together.” 54

TRUTH OR DARE QUESTIONNAIRE How would your mother describe you in one word? I actually asked my mom – and she described me as liberated. How would you describe your mother in one word? Compassionate. What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever been asked? Can you design my house for free? What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? Back when I was in the US, I opened the map with my friend, randomly chose a state, and drove 14 hours to it. The state was Colorado. We booked hotels on arrival, and the hotel choices were based on their proximity to Macaroon bakeries, because we were going through a Macaroon phase. What is your theme song? Lana Del Rey’s full discography. What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented? Serendipity. Where would you like to live? I am enjoying living in Kuwait at the moment. What is your dream retirement location? Norway – it is one of the most magical countries I have been to! What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind? “Learn from every mistake, because every experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes are here to teach you and force you into being more of who you are. And then figure out what is the next right move, what is your true calling, what is your dharma?” –Oprah Winfrey – This is a quote I know by heart because it has been the gravitational force that grounds me and reminds me of the bigger picture in life. Which animal best describes your perfect partner, be it in business, or in life? Whales – they represent wisdom for me, they are mighty, and they are bigger than life! Do you miss anything from your childhood and if so, what is it? I miss the innocence and simplicity of life as a child. If you could change your name, to what would you change it? Rupaul or Michele Visage – for sure!

How would you describe your handshake, in one word? Honest. What is the toughest part of your character? The toughest part of my character is that I absorb the emotions of people around me like a sponge.

Why do you think most people who do, like you? For my empathy towards others. Finish this sentence: “Happiness is…” Being surrounded by loving and supportive friends, a plane ticket, and room service after a long night out!

Who is your favorite historical figure? The Golden Girls! What in the world do you least desire? The hate and division between people. What do you think is lacking in the world, which [if there were more of it] would make the world a better place? I believe the world is lacking compassion and understanding towards each other and towards people who live a different life than they do.

Follow Ahmed Almonsouri’s trailblazing adventures on Instagram @ahmedalmonsouri and @PrismAdventures. For more information, please visit https://www.prismadventures.com. [...Continued]

THE MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE Providing visitors with a glimpse on what life will look like in 2071 By bazaar staff

Often, we find ourselves wondering what the future could look like, envisioning an array of possibilities and questioning our own positioning in the world of tomorrow. What will our life look like? What will the future hold for our children?

Driven by the wise vision of its leadership, as always, Dubai has brought to life a one of a kind hub, for visionaries, talents and great minds from around the globe to shape the future, it is the eagerly-awaited “Museum of the Future”, which will open its doors to the rest of the world on February 22, 2022, welcoming guests to embark on a journey to the year 2071. From Dubai and the UAE to the rest of the world, the Museum of the Future is a ‘living museum’ aiming to contribute to a deep intellectual movement, through connecting thinkers and experts from around the world and acting as a test bed for future generations to create innovative solutions for the challenges facing society. As described by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, 56

[Continued...]

the Museum of the Future is “the most beautiful building on Earth”. It is a spectacular building that speaks Arabic, representing the revival of Arab excellence in the fields of science, mathematics and research, and an appreciation of the past Arab intellectuals that aims at resuming Arab civilization and renaissance. Rising 77 metres above the ground, the striking structure is an architectural marvel, built by using robotic technology and with an emphasis on sustainability. The building is powered with 4,000 megawatts of solar energy. The pillarless structure is home to seven unique and distinct floors. For its visitors, the museum comprises an unparalleled window to experience the future in all its aspects and dimensions. The Museum of the Future employs the latest technologies of virtual and augmented reality, data

analysis, artificial intelligence and human machine interaction. Answering many questions related to the future of humans, cities, societies, life on planet Earth and outer space, the museum’s exhibits orchestrate a world beyond human knowledge, providing visitors with innovative experiences unfold across five different exhibitions that explore the future of space travel and living, climate change and ecology, health, wellness, and spirituality. Coming face-to-face with never-seen-before space technology and getting introduced to humanity’s home in outer space, the visitor’s journey begins in the depths of our solar system. Paying tribute to the inspiring Emirates Mars Mission project that saw the Hope Probe successfully enter Mars’ orbit last year, this exhibit compliments a crowning milestone for the UAE and the Arab World.

The Museum of the Future experience encourages its visitors to partake in special missions and, unlike a traditional museum that showcases fragments of the past, it provides a portal to the future, in a scientific attempt to explore its variables, potential challenges and expected characteristics. The immersive experience will also see its visitors in an entirely new environment as they are re-introduced to planet Earth, the future of healing, sustainability and bioengineering technology. Reflecting the UAE’s ongoing work in sustainability and environmental stability, this part of the visitors’ journey also highlights the UAE position as one of the first countries to announce its commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, and a homage to the country’s efforts in planning to host the 28th United Nations 58

[...Continued]

Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) in Abu Dhabi in 2023. In an environment centred around health, wellbeing and the sense of self, visitors will embark on a peaceful and empowering journey, as light will be shed on reconnecting to human senses and learning to detach from the personal immense use of technology. The Museum of the Future will also showcase novel innovations from the near future through its partnerships with industry-leading companies and organisations to highlight emerging technologies and trends created for the betterment of humanity. Believing that the future does not have an age preference, this museum will provide children with dedicated experience that encourages their youngest minds to explore and learn several futureproofing skills through an open-world experience,

in a step that helps them to innovate, and allows them to create the future they look forward to and to be a pivotal part of its characteristics. As the new global scientific landmark and a beacon of knowledge, the Museum of the Future will become the headquarter to the ‘Great Arab Minds’ initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in search for 1,000 great Arab minds.

For tickets and more museumofthefuture.ae.

information

visit

JYSK’S GUIDE FOR A MODERN GHABGA JYSK is bringing ghabgas back, and we’re here for it! By bazaar staff

The Ghabga is a long-standing tradition in Kuwaiti and consists of a gathering in the evening during Ramadan. The word “Ghabga’’ comes from the word “Ghubooq’’ in Arabic, and it is a period late at night before suhoor where people drink laban and eat dates. Although Ghabgas can be found throughout the Gulf, the origins trace itself back to a tradition established by Kuwaitis. Ghabgas embody the spirit of Ramadan, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining community ties and encourages hospitality and generosity. Ghabgas have recently regained popularity among Kuwaiti youth. Rather than simply laban and dates, this long-cherished custom has been given a contemporary update and expanded to become a large gathering with plenty of food and activities. However, the Ghabga continues to represent the essence of the original tradition, bringing people to have fun and bond together as a community. Hosting a Ghabga this Ramadan, but not sure where to begin? No worries! JYSK has put together a comprehensive step-bystep guide that will help you prepare your home to host an unforgettable gathering.

Step 1: Create a Ramadan Atmosphere There are many ways to welcome Ramadan, one of which is by redecorating your home and accessorizing it to create that Ramadan-y atmosphere. Using the right lighting may do wonders for creating just the right ambience. It’s easy to change the mood in any room with JYSK’s beautiful tea light candle holders, which add a splash of color and switch up the look of any living space. If you prefer a more Ramadan aesthetic, JYSK’s modern lanterns can be placed around your house.

Step 2: Getting Your Set-Up Ready With the ambience set, let’s talk furniture set-up! Is this the Ghabga of the season? Or a low-key get-together with a few close friends? No matter the size, JYSK has all your seating needs. Whether your style is cozy or elegant, modern or classic, JYSK seats will make your guests feel right at home. Update your couches with our festive pillows and throws or go ahead and get that cozy armchair you might have been eyeing! Whatever your Ghabga vision, JYSK will surely have a selection to suit it. But before you rush to JYSK (or click away online), consider the color story you want to emulate. Is it the traditional Ramadan colors of gold and white? Or is it eclectic with blues and green? Either way, JYSK offers a line of sophisticated and modern palettes to inspire your setup.

Step 3: Keep your Guests Entertained with Activities Incorporate activities and games to make your Ghabga even more memorable. For example, henna painting has become more popular than ever. Decorate with JYSK decorative low tables and chair sets to make the experience all the more special. You can also simply gather around the television and settle in to watch your favorite Ramadan TV show of the year. No matter what activity you end up choosing, ensure that your guests have a stylish and comfortable set-up and space.

Step 4: A Feast for the Eyes What’s a Ghabga without food? And what’s food without a pretty Ramadan inspired dining setup? After carefully selecting the dining table and chairs that best fit your space, impress your guests with JYSK’s best dinnerware and glassware to serve all the Ramadan sweets and drinks. A trolley on standby is not only stylish but convenient for making sure snacks are always within reach. Mix and match various tableware for your dining table to create your custom layout and give it that extra je ne sais quoi. Your dining table will not feel fully complete until it’s been adorned with some accessories. For example, consider a gold palm-tree candlestick as a sleek centerpiece option (hint: this also makes an excellent “Naqsa” or giveaway gift for your guests), or embellish your plates with some decorative flowers. Check out JYSK’s entire home decoration range online for some inspiration. We promise your dining set-up from JYSK will be a conversation starter for your guests.

Step 5: Take it Outdoor This year, a spring Ramadan means that you can enjoy the warm and pleasant weather. So, move your Ghabga outdoors and take advantage of the various outdoor furniture that JYSK has to offer. This set-up is not only suitable for hosting during Ramadan, but it may also become a permanent fixture in your home. As extensions of your home, outdoor living spaces make for warm-weather spots for entertaining and relaxing with friends and family—as well as a secluded retreat for you to tune out the bustle of the everyday. Do you plan to host catered soirées and seat guests at a dining set with an expandable dining table and armchairs? Or do you just want to hang out with friends on an oversized comfy couch and lounge chairs with a coffee table for an intimate conversation area? Or maybe you are looking for something to spruce up your balcony? There are a wide variety of options to choose from. Have a hard time deciding? JYSK’s reclining chairs give the best of both worlds, serving as both a classic dining chair and a comfy place to stretch out. Be sure to have some JYSK throws on hand in case there’s a chilly breeze outside. JYSK also carries a variety of garden accessories. Decorating with colorful flowers and eye-catching flowerpots can create a stunning backdrop at a minimal cost and with little effort. And since it’ll be dark out, do not forget to install some lighting to illuminate your backyard. One of the easiest tricks for creating a memorable outdoor space is adding decorative string lights. Alternatively, you can choose to place floor lamps around the area. However, keep in mind lights should enhance rather than dominate the surrounding environment–less is more when it comes to outdoor lighting. Conclusion: Using this guide will help prepare your home and make sure your guests talk about your Ghabga for days to come. So put on your dara’a, and get ready to show off your hosting prowess!

All of JYSK’s furniture is available online at www.JYSK.com.kw or one of their showrooms in Dhajeej, Shuwaikh, The Avenues, and their newest location, Assimah Mall. Should you have any inquiries, feel free to contact their Customer Service Hotline through WhatsApp at +965 2226 1884 from 9 a.m. to midnight or send an email at customerservice@JYSK.com.kw

GIFT VOUCHER

٢٠٢٢

٣١

JYSK.com.kw

ON EVERYTHING! LETSRAMADAN

JYSK.com.kw

Terms & Conditions • Valid from ١ st to ٣١ st March ٢٠٢٢

• Valid for one time purchase only • Not valid on sale items

• Code is valid on everything available on website • Only redeemable on JYSK.com.kw

• Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions without prior notice

SMILEY FACE

The surprising case for emoji in healthcare By Ruth Reader

Last September, Dr. Shuhan He, a faculty member at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Computer Science Lab, contributed an article to the Journal of the American Medical Association drawing attention to the creation of a comprehensive set of medical emoji. “The next step is for the medical community to better leverage these hard-won emoji. But how? And why?” he wrote.

In his piece, the doctor outlined a rash of ideas for how clinicians could use these digital hieroglyphs. The use cases range from helping patients communicate their symptoms or pain levels to making discharge instructions more comprehensible. Plus, he noted, more of medicine is happening online. It makes sense that the healthcare community should embrace the natural language of digital spaces. Over the past six years, medical emoji have slowly been seeping into the lexicon defined by the Unicode Consor tium standards body. That star ted with a syringe and pill in 2016 and has since expanded to some 30 emoji representing illness, body par ts and organs, healthcare workers, medicines, tools, wheelchairs, and canes. Even the rod of Asclepius—the familiar symbol of medicine and healthcare dating to ancient Greece—is an emoji. There are now more than 45 emoji that 64

[Continued...]

are in some way related to health within the 1,853-character system. He, in tandem with technologist Debbie Lai and journalist Jennifer 8. Lee, are tr ying to get another 15 medical emoji adopted by Unicode, including intestines, leg cast, stomach, spine, liver, kidney, pill box, pill pack, blood bag, IV bag, CT scan, ECG, and white blood cell. So far, they’ve gotten a crutch approved. Medical emoji are gaining ground outside of Unicode too. In 2021, Daniel Burka, a former design par tner for Google Ventures and founder of global health initiative Resolve to Save Lives, launched Health Icons, an opensource set of medical images to be used in new health projects. The goal is to help suppor t the use of emoji in digital health. It’s not an unprecedented idea. The WongBaker Faces pain scale developed by Dona Wong and Carrie Baker Smiley in 1983—

which includes eight car toon faces expressing increasing levels of discomfor t—has proven to be an extremely useful tool in understanding how kids are feeling. It stands to reason that emoji could also be useful in instances where there is a language barrier or when a patient is unable to communicate verbally. And yet so far adoption of these medical emoji has been slow. In a recent repor t on emoji use in healthcare, Per fectSer ve, which provides communications software to health systems, noted that healthcare workers are largely using emoji with each other. As you might imagine, the most used symbols are many of the ones you probably use too: thumbs up; smiling face with smiling eyes; folded hands; face with tears of joy; okay hand; person face-palming; s lightly smiling face; person shrugging; beaming face with smiling eyes; and ye olde grinning face.

Happy Mother's Day A Dedication To The Person Who Fills Our Life With Joy And Love.

Clinicians did use some medical emoji as well, but the main use case seems to be affirming something that a colleague said. Among doctors, those in internal medicine used emoji the most in their communications. The data raises a question: Do healthcare workers need a whole dictionar y of medical emoji? “I don’t think emojis or even text messaging is ever going to replace the face-to-face conversation that clinicians have to have,” says Kelly Conklin, chief clinical officer at Per fectSer ve and a former emergency room nurse. “Regulator y bodies don’t allow for orders to be texted or sent electronically.” There are also concerns about emoji impinging on the overall sense of professionalism in medicine. But Conklin says that emoji are a common language and she could see a future where they’re used more regularly in a medical context—especially as more communication between doctors and patients is happening online. Messaging via emoji Bon Ku, an emergency room doctor and director of the Health Design Lab at Jefferson University in Philadelphia, says he doesn’t personally use emoji at work. But he does think that the conversation around emoji is intriguing. In par ticular, he sees an oppor tunity for their use in health campaigns. “Icons rather than text are useful in public health messaging, especially when you are communicating with different groups who speak multiple languages,” Ku says. Years before COVID-19, a 2018 paper in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control noted that emoji could be useful in global health effor ts to get people to wash their hands. “Concerning the infiltration of emojis into scientific literature, it is imperative to evaluate the impact of these symbols in health-related fields in order to harness their potential advantages for appropriate research applications and stave off scientific miscommunication,” the authors wrote. In situations other than public health messaging, par t of what keeps doctors from using emoji with patients is that there isn’t a clear context for them—yet. Patient intakes and followups are largely done in person. But even if more aspects of healthcare move online and emoji are incorporated into patient health questionnaires, it’s not clear that they’ll be received by the 66

[...Continued]

intended targets. BroadbandNow Research estimates that 42 million Americans don’t have access to broadband. The International Telecommunications Union, the U.N.’s agency for information and communication technologies, repor ts that globally 2.9 billion people don’t have internet. “Digital communication is susceptible to the digital divide that precludes those with less access to technology, especially older patients,” He wrote in his JAMA ar ticle, adding that

doctors have a duty to shape a medical emoji language and its use in a way that is inclusive and accessible. Emoji are already par t of the global, mainstream dialogue, he argues, and “with medical emoji still in their infancy there is a window of oppor tunity for the clinical community to proactively shape the way this method of communication is incorporated into medical practice and research.” Photo by Domingo Alvarez E on Unsplash.

QUIET PARIS

A new ‘quiet zone’ will ban through-traffic in the city center By Adele Peters

In Paris, roughly half of the city’s public space is dedicated to cars. But the city has been fighting to reclaim that space, turning a highway along the Seine River into a park and walking path, redesigning intersections to prioritize pedestrians, giving most space on one of the city’s busiest streets to bikes, banning cars on some streets near elementary schools, and planning dozens of miles of new separated bike lanes. One of the next steps involves banning through-traffic in the hear t of the city. By 2024, the city plans to stop cars from driving across four central districts and par t of the Left Bank of the Seine. “They’ve been reducing the space for cars, vans, and trucks quite a lot already these last years,” says Pierre Dornier, the France lead for the Clean Cities Campaign, a nonprofit that advocates for reducing traffic in cities to cut pollution. “But this low-traffic zone is going to go even beyond that. It’s quite ambitious.” The area, which the city is calling a zone apaisée or quiet zone, won’t be car-free— residents will still be able to drive there, and if someone is going to a store or ar t galler y or another destination in the area, they’ll still be able arrive by car. (Police will check all vehicles entering and exiting the area to see if people are taking a shor tcut; eventually, cameras will automatically check license plates.) Deliver y drivers, taxis, buses, ridesharing vehicles, disabled people, and people going to work in the area will also be able to drive. But more than half of the traffic through the neighborhoods currently comes from people who are cutting across the city; by banning those trips, more than 100,000 cars could be taken off local roads each day—along with the pollution they create. The city wants to tackle its smog, which is linked to asthma, hear t disease, lung cancer, and premature deaths. In 2019, before the city rolled out a plan to limit traffic around schools, nearly 300 schools had NO2 pollution levels above the World Health Organization limit. The city government also wants to reduce carbon emissions, and the cars that are left will soon have to be zero-emissions. Paris has been phasing out the most polluting diesel vehicles, and the government has said that it plans to ban all fossil fuel-powered vehicles by the end of the decade. But the city isn’t relying on electric cars to reach that goal; Instead, it’s working to shift drivers to bikes, walking, or public transpor tation, which can also improve safety by reducing accidents and open up room for more green space or other uses, improving quality of life. Mayor Anne Hidalgo has also championed the idea of the 15-minute city, city planning that makes it possible to walk or bike to run errands without needing to get into a car. Paris is also working on ways to help people 68

get from the suburbs to the city center without driving, including via cable cars and bike trails. The city police department, which shares jurisdiction for the project, has opposed its immediate rollout, so the city slowed down its timeline. Local business owners have also opposed it, saying that they’re worried they’ll lose customers, though that’s unlikely to happen; in other cities where car traffic has been reduced, pedestrians and cyclists have replaced customers in cars. “They actually tend to spend more money because it’s easier for them to enter the shop, and therefore to buy things,” says

Dornier. “And they tend to also come back more often than car drivers.” Others say that limiting traffic in the city center will just increase traffic in surrounding parts of the city. It’s important, Dornier says, that the city strengthens its mobility plan so that doesn’t happen, and that people choose to walk, bike, or take public transit rather than drive at all. Paris already has such a strong public transportation system that he thinks the low-traffic zone could be expanded across the whole city. Photo by Earth on Unsplash.

GET READY TO EXPLORE KUWAIT WITH THE SCIENTIFIC CENTER! Discover an interactive and immersive experience exploring Kuwait’s natural habitats By bazaar staff

We love exploring the world around us. Whenever we’re abroad we’re excited about hiking and nature trips so we can see the wildlife, but we often forget that Kuwait is just as enriching when it comes to flora and fauna. We have beautiful deserts and beaches that are full of interesting creatures and plants that don’t exist anywhere else on the planet. Did you know that Kuwait’s skies are home to vultures, flamingos and swamphens while the land is favored by spiny-tailed lizards, Arabian sand boas, and Arabian red foxes, to name a few? And while we would love to jump in the car and go exploring, we know that doing this on our own can be difficult and often, inaccessible. This is why we’re very excited about The Scientific Center’s new Eco-Tours!

The experience is the first of its kind in Kuwait. The center’s expert explainers will guide you on various exciting eco-tours across Kuwait to discover the beauty of nature of the various ecosystems of our home! The tours are only running for a limited time and began on the 12th of February and will continue until the 26th of March, and we are hoping that the tours do make a return for the upcoming fall season. The tours are designed to inspire appreciation for our local ecosystems and arrive as the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city with your family. Not only will you learn about local 70

environments but you will also get a sneak peek into the world of conservation in Kuwait. In order for conservation to reach its maximum potential, we know that education is key. Teaching our children to appreciate the world around us, however, is becoming increasingly difficult with the increase in screen time. This is why we feel that The Scientific Center’s Eco-tours are more important than ever before, as they will provide little ones with the opportunity to experience their habitats first-hand, and we truly believe that the tours will pique their curiosity and imagination. Each scheduled tour is planned to kick off from

The Scientific Center in Salmiya with a bus ride with a limited number of other visitors who are also interested in science and the environment. This might even be a great way to make new friends who share your passion for nature. Once you arrive at the eco-tour site, the Explainers will tour you through the ecosystem, highlighting flora and fauna along the way to your main site, where a range of activities are offered, depending on your choice. This is an unrivaled opportunity for you and your family to explore nature on foot and visit the exclusively selected sites where you and your

family can learn about Kuwait’s beautiful and diverse environment, starting from only 25 KD per person. The first trip in the Eco Tours series by The Scientific Center was to Failaka island and was a huge success. Visitors journeyed to the ancient ruins, the remains of the Gulf War, the Museum of Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Palace, and other historic locations that make Failaka island unique. On the second tour, visitors got to tour the Sabah Al-Ahmad Nature Reserve, which is usually closed to the general public, and learned about local flora like Kuwait’s oldest tree and Kuwait’s national flower the Rhanterium epapposum, known locally as Arfaj, and their ecological importance and reserve management methods. The trip also included a desert camp break station, where the intrepid explorers rested and enjoyed the beauty of the reserve. There are still three upcoming eco-tours and we think all of them are equally exciting! Al Jahra Nature Reserve - Saturday March 12 [9 AM – 3 PM] Explainers will take you on a walking exploration of the Al-Jahra reserve to learn about the local flora and fauna, emphasizing its ecological importance, reserve management methods, and local landmarks. There’s a special birdwatching session scheduled for visitors! Kuwait’s Mudflats - Saturday March 19 [9 AM – 3 PM] Ready to get your hands muddy? Join an expedition to this special mudflat habitat in Kuwait and get

busy on a biodiversity survey there. You will be amazed by the resident flora and fauna that live there and how they have adapted to this wondrous environment! El-Janah Wildlife Breeding Center - Saturday March 26 [9 AM – 3 PM] If you are interested in wildlife conservation, this tour is the one for you! The Scientific Center will take you on an exclusive tour to El-Janah Wildlife Breeding Center, where you can take a look behind the scenes at El-Janah’s animal care facilities and learn more about the national breeding programs for threatened species. Best of all, you will be able to visit the horse stables and aquaponic ponds! To ensure everyone’s safety, visitors are asked

to keep their masks on during the bus rides on the eco-tour. Food and beverages are not provided as part of the trip so pack a snack bag and don’t forget water. This is a family-friendly tour, so any children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Because you will be spending quite some time outdoors make sure you are dressed suitably for the weather and the kind of tour you are booking. Don’t miss out and book your eco-tour with The Scientific Center now! Visit the website to book services.tsck.org.kw/ecotour/en/ and to find out more. Make sure you are following @scicenterkw on Instagram to stay up to date with all of the exciting things they’re doing. 71

INNOVATION IS A MARATHON

Here’s 4 ways to stay the course By Andreas Sjöström

“Innovate or die.” It’s one of management guru Peter Drucker’s most famous dictums, which summarizes a critical difference between companies that are willing to disrupt themselves to become (and stay) leaders, and those content to rest on their laurels until the marketplace has passed them by. As urgent as that may seem, many organizations stagnate. Even in Silicon Valley, I meet industr y leaders ever y day expressing their fear of failing. Sometimes, this fear is a byproduct of the industr y they work in. A prime example is in the telecommunications industr y, where the longstanding ideal of providing “fivenines” (99.999% reliability and availability to customers) conditions employees to be more risk-averse. Although all organizations and industries have unique aspects that affect their ability to innovate, several tips and best practices apply across the board. Autonomous innovation Change doesn’t only star t at the top. C-level leadership must foster an environment where employees are encouraged to take risks. One way to achieve this is by minimizing the amount of top-down management and maximizing autonomy within a framework that ensures operational alignment. Real change also requires relentless passion and boldness from grassroots and up. Hire the new generation based not only on academic achievements but also on personality and curiosity. Fostering innovation The new culture also needs to encourage tenured employees to help junior colleagues who have innovative ideas but lack the network and organizational knowledge to get them off the ground. For example, experienced employees can help them refine use cases and make introductions to the right people, both inside the organization and with business par tners. Collaborative innovation Silos impede innovation. In the Industr y 4.0 era, a manufacturer’s IT and OT teams must work together instead of staying in their traditional silos. The OT team can describe their use cases and business requirements—such as implementing autonomous robots—so their IT colleagues can recommend the right technology enablers, such as a private 5G network. Besides laying the foundation for successful innovation, this close collaboration avoids common communication-related problems such as security vulnerabilities and surprise costs. 72

Journeyed innovation Journey maps provide a power ful tool for future innovation. Take household appliances. Catching and fixing a problem before it gets extensive also eliminates the risk that the owner will replace it with a competitor’s product. A futurestate journey map identifies those goals so the organization can begin working toward them. For example, instead of relying on customers to call when they’re having problems, a manufacturer can embed its appliances with a Wi-Fi or cellular modem that automatically reports emerging issues. Now that company can provide a superior, market-differentiating customer experience where owners are automatically alerted and then put in touch with a local ser vice partner. Innovation is a marathon Businesses must take the necessar y steps to remove the impediments to innovation and create a collaborative environment. Double down on innovation through digital ecosystems and build “back2code” initiatives to internalize

external software knowledge in core technology areas. By doing so, organizations can become reliable and effective co-innovation partners. Road maps highlight the importance of taking the long-term perspective—and having the culture, resources, and stamina necessar y to transform it into reality. Despite aphorisms such as “fail fast,” innovation often is a marathon rather than a sprint. It’s a fast marathon, however. If you’ve seen Olympic marathons, you know that ver y few would last even a short distance at the pace of the winner. By taking a long-term view of innovation, companies can avoid being discouraged by the risks and uncertainties of a long runway ahead– and instead envision the benefits of staying the course. Impactful innovation is a crucial characteristic of market leaders across all industries, and it requires thoughtful fostering, continuous exercise, and bold decisions.

Photo by Damir Spanic on Unsplash.

CLEANING THE AIR

An investment in clean indoor air would do more than help us fight COVID—it would help us concentrate By Peter Martin

Sometimes the best things you can do are invisible. Such as fighting cholera by ensuring drinking water wasn’t contaminated by sewage, as happened in London in the 1840s. Or setting up an emissions trading scheme, which drove emissions down, despite former prime minister Tony Abbott attacking it as a “so-called market in the non-delivery of an invisible substance to no one”. Air free from contamination is as invisible as uncontaminated water, but the case for air isn’t yet as widely accepted as it is for water. Air pollution from motor vehicles kills about 280 Australians per year, yet Australian petrol is allowed to contain 15 times as much sulphur as petrol sold in the US, the UK, Europe, Korea, Japan and New Zealand. Australia is planning to adopt in 2024 the standard adopted elsewhere in 2015. And poor air quality harms us in ways that fall short of death. Poor air harms performance A new six-nation study of office workers in countries from China to the United States found that where ventilation is poor and levels of particulate matter are high, workers perform worse or more slowly on tests involving adding and subtracting and colour-coding words. Another study on the relationship between indoor air quality and competitive chess players found that when the concentration of fine particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometres (0.0025mm, better known as PM2.5) climbs as much as it can, players are 26% more likely to make mistakes. The effect is worse if the players are running out of time. Smart employers recognise this. When Google moved into a new headquarters in Mountain View, California, it was offered air filtration that cut pollutants to 0.0001 parts per billion. It opted for zero parts per billion, and paid more to get it. If performance and education matter (and they do—on Monday the government launched a new inquiry into productivity) we ought to be treating clean air as an investment in productivity, over and above its undoubted benefit in containing the spread of COVID. Here’s my big idea. The A$14 billion Building the Education Revolution program Labor put in place during the global financial crisis both helped fight the crisis and left Australia with thousands of school halls. As far as legacies go, this wasn’t bad. The halls have been used for assemblies and plays and before and after school care. But a program designed to contain the spread of COVID that left Australia with schools and workplaces in which the occupants were able to think clearly, and rarely caught infections—that would deliver an enduring dividend. 74

Many schools have openable windows, as do some workplaces. But in winter and for security reasons they are often closed and not reopened. Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska, director of International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health at the Queensland University of Technology, says outside air typically contains about 420 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Beyond a few hundred parts per million indoors, the aerosols that carry viruses circulate rather than get blown away. In closed rooms and offices they can travel long distances and remain aloft for hours. Beyond 1,000 parts per million—and indoors, many times 1,000ppm is common—our ability to concentrate drops. In order to fight COVID in classrooms, education authorities in Victoria, NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania the ACT and the Northern Territory say they are prepared to install air purifiers where needed. The ACT is reusing those it bought to filter smoke during the 2020 bushfires. Victoria has gone the furthest—ordering 51,000 from Samsung. These so-called high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters work by removing ultra-fine particles rather than bringing in air from the outside. Portable purifiers are a stopgap As a stop-gap for fighting COVID Professor Morawska thinks purifiers are okay. But she says as soon as COVID passes they are likely to be put in cupboards and not used til next time. They are unlikely to produce a lasting benefit. A far, far cheaper and perhaps more enduring

solution would be to buy or mandate cheap carbon dioxide (C0₂) meters (portable meters can cost less than $100) for every classroom, office and shop. Heavy duty meters can be mounted on walls and set to glow red when the air is bad. They are in schools throughout Germany. C0₂ meters do more than monitor carbon dioxide. By calculating how much of it is in rooms where humans have been, they measure ventilation. They are a good guide as to whether air is circulating and viruses and toxins are being diluted. Installing meters and ensuring their output is displayed might just be one of the best-value interventions to fight COVID there is—leaving us with the lasting benefit of air that is safe in the same way as our water is safe. Meters make the invisible visible The initial cost would be low compared to the $14 billion spent on school halls. The lasting benefit would be an awareness of when and where we needed to open windows and spend money installing better air flow systems, and when and where we did not. The cost of poor indoor air can be measured not just in billions, but in billions per year. Back in the late 1990s the CSIRO calculated a cost of $12 billion per year. Two decades on, coronaviruses and bushfire smoke would make it greater still. We’ve been offered a cost-effective chance to make the invisible visible and extend our productivity and lifespans. I reckon we should grab it. Photo by Vlad Kutepov on Unsplash.

GENERATION ZERØGRAND II FEATURING FLOWERFOAM Cole Haan takes a step forward in sustainability By bazaar staff

Cole Haan, the iconic American performance lifestyle brand and retailer, unveils the brand’s first-ever sustainable shoe, Generation ZERØGRAND II with FlowerFoam. Designed with the customer in mind, Generation ZERØGRAND II represents the brand’s commitment to deliver more environmentally responsible products without compromising performance, comfort, or craft. Generation ZERØGRAND II is the inaugural product of Cole Haan’s new Change For ward™ initiative for Sustainable Innovation and Natural Design. Change For ward™ represents the Company’s intention to better themselves and the world around them by actively seeking naturally derived or recycled materials for many of its product components. This initiative also, formally, extends work the Company has undertaken over the past several years to reduce waste throughout its supply chain, such as introducing recycled materials in packaging and shipping cartons. Going for ward, all Cole Haan products labeled SUSTAINABLE will include a minimum of 25% naturally derived or recycled content by weight. Jack Boys, CEO of Cole Haan, said, “We believe we all need to do our part to protect our planet. Cole Haan has always been and is, now, publicly committed to do our part in contributing to positive change going for ward. This is how we work for what we believe in. And, more than ever, saving Mother Earth requires a sense of urgency. While we know our sustainable Generation ZERØGRAND II product delivers the all-day per formance our customers have come to expect, we also urge ever yone to choose sustainable products in all aspects of their lives, regardless of the brand or retailer.” Generation ZERØGRAND II is a revolutionar y product from the ground up. Its outsole is fabricated with patent pending FlowerFoam made from a minimum of 25% natural dandelion rubber. The lightweight FlowerFoam outsole helps to absorb impact while delivering all-day responsive cushioning and energy return. 76

Ibrahim Al Habbabi ‫لالمانه االهتمام بالبيئة صار له انتشار أكثر في اآلونة األخيرة والفضل يعود للناس اللي قاعد توعي بأهمية‬ ‫المحافظة على البيئة واالستدامة‬ ‫ وهم فيها تحفيز الستخدام مثل هالمواد‬،‫تعتبر خطوه جميله واضافه توعويه للناس بأهمية هذا الموضوع‬ ‫الصديقة للبيئة‬

Faisal Al Basri ‫كول هان تحافظ على التصميم الجميل والمسؤولية تجاه موارد األرض‬ “Cole Haan has pioneered a sustainable, per formance outsole made from natural dandelion rubber,” says David Maddocks, Brand President, Cole Haan. “We have been redefining footwear for nearly a centur y and we’ve always sought to bring innovative products to our consumers. Today, and tomorrow, we’re now innovating for their environment through our Change For ward initiative. Our entire company is excited to bring this product to market and transform our product line through this initiative.” There’s more to Generation ZERØGRAND II than it’s flower power. Its upper includes vegan microfiber suede made with 21% recycled content and reconstituted felt fabric made with 85% recycled plastic bottles (rPET). The laces are made from 100% rPET. The Ortholite® Hybrid™ footbed is made with 5% recycled rubber, 15%

Sama Al Wasmi I always say, you don’t have to give up on luxur y or quality when you go sustainable. The fact of the matter is, that the sustainable technologies are some of the most innovative and interesting! Making way for innovations not just in sustainability but in design and comfort. The Flower Foam technology for example is not only sustainable- but comfortable and light. The shoe itself is extremely innovative and functional because of the sustainability tech and not in spite of it.

production waste foam and a fabric topsheet made from 100% rPET. As with all Cole Haan products, Generation ZERØGRAND II adheres to the Cole Haan philosophy of Natural Design, which focuses on four primar y benefits: Natural Motion, Responsive Cushioning, Energy Return, and Breathability. Scott Patt, Chief Creative Officer of Cole Haan adds, “This is a significant step for the Cole Haan brand after setting the pace for innovation within our space for the past several years. With FlowerFoam™ technology and our charter to create products with more naturally derived and recycled components, we are expanding our Natural Design philosophy to marr y our beautiful, versatile products with the sustainability requirements our consumers have come to expect.”

To celebrate the release of the collection Cole Haan shot a campaign in partnership with three influential Kuwaitis. Author and social media Influencer Ibrahim Al Habbabi, cofounder and chairman of wellness network Mezan Ibrahim Al Basri and Sama Al Wasmi the entrepreneur behind Quinn Hop, the online shopping destination for eco-friendly, sustainable clothing.

Cole Haan ZERØGRAND is available at Cole Haan retail locations at Avenues phase 3 and 4, Al Kout Mall, Hamra Mall, Marina Mall and 360 Mall. You can call to order and get your pair home delivered: 5044 4226 or easily shop online at colehaan.com.kw. 77

POLICE X THE BATMAN MOVIE

The collection of three limited editon watches includes under 300 pieces available at Ontime! By bazaar staff

Police, the daring and urban Italian unisex eyewear and watch brand, announced a thrilling partnership with Warner Bros. and THE BATMAN. The two iconic brands have come together to craft three limited edition watches boasting bold and dark elements of the global phenomenon. The beguiling watches were unveiled at an exclusive event at Queen Elizabeth II : Float Restaurant and Lounge, Dubai, where VIPs and key media from the Middle East were in attendance, including GQ, Hypebeast, MOJEH and Forbes Middle East to name a few.

Crafting only 10,000 timepieces globally, with an enticing, limited run of under 300 pieces available with Ontime, the unique watches dropped globally on Friday 4th February 2022, and the collection is already in huge demand amongst watch collectors and enthusiasts, aiming to get their hands on one, or all of the limited edition collection. Designed to celebrate the long-anticipated movie, the time pieces are now available in Kuwait. Available to purchase at Ontime stores and online, the limited edition Police x THE BATMAN timepieces are priced from KD 68 to KD 128 and designed to cater to both male and female tastes. The four watches are aptly named after the gripping franchise including; THE BATMAN Watch, THE BATMAN Vengeance Edition Watch, THE BATMAN Gotham City Edition Watch. THE BATMAN Watch has a unique two-part 78

case construction, evoking the character’s dual identity. Each case can be set to a separate timezone, perfect for life’s international adventures. Signature element, the Bat Symbol and movie title art - adorn the lower half of the timepiece in an industrial way. The two crowns at unusual positions drive the two separate dials. The Police logo on the cylindrical connecting rod adds the dash of Police craftsmanship. The textured leather strap compliments the overall look and feel of THE BATMAN watch. The unabashed fury of THE BATMAN takes shape in the Vengeance edition. This timepiece is set with three dials for three separate time zones and comes in a black plated stainless-steel case and bracelet. The main dial is housed deep inside, with hour-markers rising upwards and outwards. The case and dial are wrapped in character with industrial screws and creative Bat Symbol layering

that create a sense of depth and innovation. Each grooved crown carries the famed ‘P’ logo. An ode to the city that witnesses it all, The Gotham City edition comes alive with a radiant backlight feature inside a black plated stainlesssteel case. The legendary Bat Symbol lights up across the dark honeycomb dial. A prominent crown is placed at the 4-hour position and is protected by the addition of a functional metal clasp. The watch is finished with a soft touch black silicon strap with The Bat Symbol engraved on metal hardware on each side. Celebrate the return of THE BATMAN to our cinema screens by boasting a Police X THE BATMAN watch and being one of 10,000 owners to hold the incredible timepiece. The three limited-edition watches are now available for purchase at Ontime stores and ontime.com.

designed in Switzerland

MYKRONOZ

The Smart Watch

19.950 KWD

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

DKNY SPRING/SUMMER 2022 CAMPAIGN By bazaar staff

DKNY continues the evolution of “Do Your Thing” with its Spring/Summer 2022 campaign, reinforcing values intrinsic to the brand’s ethos. Photographed by Marili Andre and styled by Edward Bowleg, “Do Your Thing For Love” kicks off a series of monthly themes, followed by “Do Your Thing For Fun,” “Do Your Thing For Family,” “Do Your Thing For The Future,” and “Do Your Thing For Community.” For over 30 years, DKNY has embodied citysavvy style for those with a unique point of view. DKNY encourages individuality, respects the hustle, and empowers positive intentional action. “Doing Your Thing” is the truest form of selfexpression, but it’s what you do it for that has true meaning. This season, we look to our community of multifaceted creatives to show us not only how they do their thing, but who or what they do it for. When it comes to love, we all have a story or two to share. “Do Your Thing For Love,” features real-life couples, model Ebonee Davis & rapper Smino, and designer Lindsay Vrckovnik & model Tyler blue golden, showing what they do for love and how they explore meaningful connections in

modern-day New York. This month, DKNY is set to launch “Do Your Thing For Fun,” spotlighting one-of-a-kind comedian Carly Aquilino and how she embraces humor and joy in the day-to-day grind. Carly reminds us to rewrite the rules and have fun while doing it. DKNY values family, given or chosen, and the unconditional encouragement to be who you are. starring in April’s “Do Your Thing For Family,” selfmade twin DJs, Coco & Breezy, along with their mom Dianna, show us what family means to them and what they would do for one another. For May and June, “Do Your Thing For The Future” and “Do Your Thing For Community” arrive as a call-to-action, spurring positive change.

The Spring 2022 campaign will take a digitalfirst approach with a focus on paid social and influencer partnerships supported by high-impact outdoor advertising in key global markets, and we can’t wait to shop the collection in Kuwait!

The DKNY Spring Summer 2022 collection is available online on ontime.com or call 5519 9767 for free home delivery. DKNY is located in Al Kout Mall, Al Kout – Soku, Gate Mall, Marina Mall, 360 MALL, The Promenade, Grand Avenue – The Avenues, Phase 2 – The Avenues. Follow the @DKNY.ME Instagram account for updates and fashion ideas or call 1 820 012.

DEBENHAMS IS ONLY A CLICK AWAY!

Our go-to store for everything fashion, beauty and home just launched their new website in Kuwait! By bazaar staff

As much fun as it is heading to the store and leisurely strolling between the aisles of products, we don’t always have the time or energy for it. Online shopping has helped us reclaim our day by making it more accessible and efficient. Especially when you can find all of your favorite brands at a single website. With Debenhams.com.kw, all your favorite brands are one click away!

Debenhams has just launched their brand new website which features over 122 of our favorite brands. Having to switch back and forth between websites is confusing and we usually end up too overwhelmed to buy anything. Debenhams, on the other hand, has combined the best of mens, womens and kids fashion as well as home furnishings, accessories and beauty under one (virtual) roof. The beauty section, which Debenhams is renowned for has everything from makeup to skin care and our favorite fragrances, it’s all there and it’s one click away! Debenhams’ strength has always been their brand selections. We can find a wide range of brands that offer diverse styles and aesthetics from Boohoo Woman to Dorothy Perkins and Karen Millen to GWD. Men haven’t been left out of the fun either and can look dapper with a little 82

help from brands like Burton, BoohooMan and Adidas. Even your home can get a makeover with beautiful linens from the Fine Bedding Company. From the Beauty category, you will find incredible brands like Lancome, D&G, Armani, Givenchy, Clarins, Tom Ford and so much more! With thousands of products already on the website and new items being added daily, finding what you need and want is a breeze. Whether you’re looking for functional items for the kids like socks and bibs or want to snag a new sparkly dress for yourself for a wedding, Debenhams delivers (literally now too). The website is structured by category, but you can also search by brands and fit, which we thought was really exciting because one of the best things about Debenhams has always been their fabulous curation of styles that makes mixing

and matching between brands really easy, and it is even easier on the website because you can search by color or length and you will get results in seconds. We also love that the site is responsive and mobile friendly, so we can shop from any of our devices. And we already know that Debenhams is going to be launching an app in a few weeks, to make things even easier for us. Don’t forget to make use of the fabulous discounts and checkout codes from great savings when buying online. At checkout you have two options, you can either choose click and collect to pick up your order from a Debenhams branch or have it delivered to your home. Once you have checked out, you get a confirmation of your purchase and an agent calls you on delivery day too. Delivery is free for any purchase over KD 18, which is another great feature too. If you are worried about sizing or are

not completely sure about an item, Debenhams offers their customers 14 days to return an item. We’re so excited about shopping from Debenhams’ website in the coming weeks because we are looking forward to their Ramadan edit which is always the easiest way to look great at Iftars and suhours.

Head to www.debenhams.com.kw and start shopping! Follow @debenhamsmiddleeast on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest updates. Debenhams is located in Grand Avenue – The Avenues, Souq Sharq, and The Gate Mall in Kuwait. Call Customer Service: 182-1212. 83

TACTICAL LEADING

A simple but effective tactic all great leaders do By Jason Baer

Imagine you’re responsible for an enormous cruise ship. What would your role be? I often ask this question when I first meet a new leader. What’s your role on this ship? Our work at SYPartners involves helping leaders guide their organizations through moments of fundamental change, and the way a person answers this question reveals a great deal about their leadership philosophy and their willingness to reshape their role around their unique strengths. Some say, “Captain,” because they feel responsible for making dayto-day decisions that steer the company. Others say, “Navigator,” because they’re charting the course and choosing the destination. Some leaders see their role as “Engineers,” because they’re designing the ship to operate like a well-tuned machine. Other leaders say, “Cruise Director,” because they want to create a fulfilling experience for everyone onboard.

I ask this question because there is no right answer, just as there’s no one right way to be a leader. But there should be an answer. The leader who says, “I must be all of these things” is set up for inevitable failure. All roles have clear responsibilities. However, how you show up has to reflect your natural orientation and skill set. Any leader who will successfully guide their organization through turbulent waters must design their role in the way that works best for them and their team members. This can be a tremendously liberating realization for many of our clients, freeing them from false expectations that there’s a right or wrong way to be a CEO, director, or senior leader—and giving them permission to lean 84

[Continued...]

into their superpowers. So, if you are a leader within your organization (hint: you are!), I encourage you to ask yourself this question to determine your own strengths and weaknesses. Here are three of the most common leader archetypes to get you started. 1. Vision setter I worked with a CEO a few years ago who remains one of the most visionary, and successful, leaders I’ve known. He had a unique ability to see around corners, and spent most of his time in deep conversation with customers, partners, and innovators, asking

them what they were seeing. Early every morning, he took an hour-long walk to the office, obsessing over a single question or challenge. When he arrived in the office, he had an idea ready to share with a colleague, and those ideas acted like rocket fuel for his entire organization. He was often the one pointing toward unexpected possibilities that sat on the horizon, raising the company’s ambition for greatness and sharing those enlivening perspectives with the rest of the organization. His business would never have thrived had he felt compelled to spend 80% of his time doublechecking the ledger or second-guessing his product team. Those just weren’t the places where he could add the most value.

If you’re a vision setter, be intentional about your involvement in the day-to-day minutia. We all have a fear of letting go, or a compulsion to remain part of every little thing, but be careful that you haven’t traded your critical ability to plan for the future in exchange for hours spent tinkering in the present. 2. Operational mastermind I partnered with a very different CEO recently who had an unparalleled ability to design the underlying systems that would make her business, and her teams, successful. Where others would see a cable knit sweater, she saw every strand of yarn, understood every stitch, and knew how pulling a thread in one part of the system would unravel another vital part of that same system. Her many superpowers included systems thinking, pattern mapping, and attention to detail. This was not a leader who wanted to spend her time on the speaking circuit or in the user experience lab—in part because she didn’t enjoy them, but mostly because she knew there were other people in the organization more capable of leaning into these areas. Like the visionary leader, her real value lay elsewhere. If you’re an operational mastermind, don’t let people tell you that leaders should avoid getting into the details. While visionaries get lost in the weeds, operationally-minded leaders resurface 86

[...Continued]

from those weeds with the critical gem everyone else had overlooked. 3. Cultural evangelist I once worked with an extraordinary leader who made the proverbial journey from the mailroom to the president’s office by always putting his people first. While his peers spent most of their time visiting customers, he chose to spend his days visiting remote offices and regional hubs, getting to understand the challenges, aspirations, and ideas of his teams. At first, this did not go over very well with other leaders in his organization. But he knew that though he could get closer to a handful of customers on his own, if he could teach an entire organization the art of customer intimacy, he’d help the company get closer to millions of customers. That’s why this leader spent his time finding and elevating each person’s hidden talent, creating new policies that made it easier for teams to do great work and cultivating a culture of empowerment. Over time, his impressive results spoke for themselves. If you’re a cultural evangelist, be prepared for your team’s objections that you’re not spending enough time “in the business.” If your greatest strength is building a high-performing culture and multiplying the talents of everyone around you, then make sure your team understands the value

of this approach, and invite them to take on some of the other important leadership responsibilities you won’t have time for. Of course, these are just archetypes and are purposefully reductive. No leader can thrive without some level of vision, operational genius, and cultural focus. The key here is to be keenly aware of your superpowers and play disproportionately to those strengths. You may be accountable for many things, but that does not mean you need to be personally involved in every one of them. Surrounding yourself with trusted people to whom you can delegate responsibilities that aren’t in line with your core strengths is often priority number one. And building a high-performing team of diverse, complementary superpowers usually comes next. The cruise ship won’t go very far with eight navigators and no one at the wheel. Redesigning your role around your strengths may sound like a selfish act, but in the end, this is about what’s best for your business. If you’re truly exceptional at something that’s vital to your company’s success, why impose artificial time constraints? What might happen if you spent an extra hour each day focused on that one thing? Or an entire day every week? What if that one thing was actually your fulltime job? Photo by Josiah Weiss on Unsplash.

MAKE A STATEMENT THIS RAMADAN AND EID WITH H&M A limited drop of elegant garments to take you from Ramadan to Eid and beyond. By bazaar staff

Ramadan is the most festive month in Kuwait. The Holy month is a great opportunity to spend time with loved ones be it for Iftar, Suhoor or Ghabqa. The festivities end on the high note of Eid, making it the perfect opportunity to express yourself in your style.

The H&M Ramadan & Eid Statements 2022 collection celebrates striking elegance, where layered and flowing silhouettes taking centre stage. The garments inspire confidence and authentically capture both laid-back and luxury aesthetics. This contemporary collection embodies the beauty of flowers, and each piece is as unique and expressive as its wearer. H&M have been treating us to wonderful Ramadan & Eid collections for a couple of years 88

now and every year they make dressing up fun and easy. The styles are decidedly Ramadan but are always timeless and can be worn all year round. Whether you want to feel comfortable but look effortlessly cool for Iftar or look exquisite for Eid – the collection has got you covered. Much like a beautiful bouquet, the H&M Ramadan & Eid Statements collection offers an impressive assortment of shapes, colours and silhouettes.

The collection’s cascading frills, bell sleeves, ruched hemlines and undulating pleats are undeniably floral. The red high-neck droppedhem dress, wide-sleeved drawstring-waist dress and the rippling sunburst pleated dress are particular standouts. Other key pieces include the painterly collared shirt, the metallic tunic, and the statement puff-sleeve dress, which encapsulate the collection’s broad range of styles. The tangerine-toned chunky slip-on heels, the layered

gold necklace, and the gilded chain-link belt encourage personalisation and bring a bolt of colour and embellishment to the expressive watercolour jacquards, prints and fluid textures of the garments. The collection is largely made with more sustainably sourced materials, such as sustainable viscose (ECOVERO), recycled polyester, Tencel and organic cotton. “What I love is how versatile these pieces are. The collection is tailored for occasion wear, but there’s such an opportunity for experimentation in any circumstance. From wide sleeves and delicate pleats to adjustable waistlines and floral motifs, there is lots to self-express and celebrate with”, says Eliana Masgalos, Concept Designer The first drop launches on 3 March 2022 with a fresh, feminine palette of crisp whites, pastel lilacs and soft blues. The second drop launches on 17 March 2022 and will present a rich, sublime palette of jewel-toned pinks, purples, and fiery oranges. The third drop launches on 14 April especially tailored for Eid gatherings, with limited pieces in alluring colors with a hint of pop. The collection will launch in three drops starting March 3 with prices starting from KD 4.990 and will be available at selected stores, kw.hm.com and the H&M MENA app, with the last drop available exclusively in MENA. 89

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN

The pandemic really has made your memory worse By Art Markman

If you look back over the last few months, you may find that you have a hard time picking out specific things you did. What did you eat for dinner two nights ago? Was that one client meeting last week, or week before? What happened again on that last episode of Yellowjackets? If you’re struggling to remember, you’re not alone. The pandemic has been bad for your memory in several ways. To understand why, it is useful to know a bit more about how memory works. You encounter a lot of information each day, and your brain does not store all of it away. Forming memories is energetically expensive, because it requires you to grow new connections among the neurons in your brain. So, your brain is starting out by estimating whether a particular piece of information is worth holding onto. Even after you do learn some new information, your brain is trying to figure out how likely you’ll need that information in the future, which can then make it more accessible. So, information you use often is easier to retrieve than information you only need in specific situations. Information you have used recently is easier to retrieve than information you haven’t thought about in a long time. Finally, memories are retrieved based on the similarity they have to the situation you’re in right now. You want to be able to think about things that are related to what is happening right now. The pandemic has messed with all three of these aspects of memory: You’re worse at paying attention A classic observation in research on memory is that the more deeply you think about something, the more likely you are to be able to remember it. But, the pandemic has made it hard for many people to concentrate. Anxiety about illness or your job tends to make it hard to sustain your attention to material you’re trying to learn. Part of the motivation behind The Great Resignation is that many people feel disconnected from their jobs, and so they may not be engaging as much with their work. In addition, the pandemic has led to a fair amount of self-medication with a rise in behaviors like binge drinking. Alcohol and marijuana can both impair the brain’s ability to form memories. The net result of this disengagement and substance use is that less information is triggering the work that is required to turn those encounters into long-term memories. Days may feel like a blur when looking back on them, because very few specific events may have been stored at all. You have lots of short-term encounters The pandemic has also created a lot of short90

term engagements. Binge watching a television series may be enjoyable in the moment, but when you engage with something for only a brief period of time, your brain ultimately decides that you probably don’t need to have access to that information later. As a result, you may have trouble describing the plot of something you bingewatched even a few weeks later. You might also find that when a new season drops from a show you binged, you may not have clear memories of what happened on the seasons you watched. If you want to remember some of the things you’re doing a more clearly, spread out the time that you engage with them. If you watch one episode of a show per week rather than the entire series at once, you’ll actually remember the details better later. Your situation doesn’t change much Remembering information is easiest when there is some distinct factor that is associated only with that information. That is why you may have many memories of a trip to a country you visited only once. When you see pictures from that trip or even think back on it, you may be able to call up lots of detail. The pandemic has had the opposite effect to a wonderful trip like that. Many people are spending a lot of hours in their own homes. Working from

home means that almost every event from every day is associated with the same space. On top of that, many meetings have involved tools like Zoom or Teams. That means that there are no distinctive spaces associated with particular meetings, as there would be if you were engaging with people in different physical locations. When you do encounter people, they’re often wearing masks, so you can’t see all of their facial features. As an example: This morning, I had an appointment with a primary care physician that I recently started seeing. She had no recollection of seeing me before. She apologized, but I wasn’t the least bit surprised. A combination of rapid office visits combined with seeing lots of masked patients means that she has almost no distinctive information she can use to keep straight who she has seen over the past several months. If your workplace allows you to work from home after the pandemic subsides, it is probably still worth finding ways to get out of the house or working from some other locations periodically to ensure you have other situations that you can associate with some of the work you’re doing. That might help to alleviate that feeling that you’re still stuck in March of 2020. Photo by Fredy Jacob on Unsplash.

A HAPPY, HEALTHY NURSERY

1st Avenue - The Avenues Whatsapp: +965 1821212

Scan QR code or visit:

www.potterybarnkids.com.kw

BETTER THAN THE CURE

Preventing future pandemics would cost just 5% of the cost they inflict By Kristin Toussaint

COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on the world, claiming more than 5 million lives and costing trillions of dollars in economic losses. Though it’s been an extreme global event, it’s not the first zoonotic disease that’s had massive effects on humanity. Over the past century, the number of lives lost and the economic damages of emerging zoonotic diseases, which transfer from animals (often wild, sometimes livestock) to humans, have been steadily increasing. And experts say there are likely to be even more in the future. Society has mostly dealt with these diseases after they’ve made the jump from animals to humans, focusing on interventions like testing, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals. But what if the focus was on preventing those diseases from spilling over into human populations in the first place? Tactics like reducing deforestation, better managing the wildlife trade, and global surveillance of pathogens could help do so—and while it would be expensive, it would cost less than 1/20th the value of those lives lost and economic costs incurred each year from those diseases. That figure comes from a paper published in Science Advances authored by 20 researchers who are urging policy makers to focus on preventing zoonotic pandemics, rather than contain diseases after they emerge. “We want to say, look, what we’ve learned from COVID has been an awfully bitter lesson, and the lesson is that even with all our resources, all our medical science, the cures aren’t working well enough,” says Stuart Pimm, conservation chair of Duke University whose work focuses on biodiversity and species loss, and one of twenty authors. “We’ve got to get involved in prevention. ” To calculate the cost of these pandemics, the researchers looked at every novel zoonotic disease that has killed at least 10 people since the Spanish Flu, including HIV, West Nile, SARS, and H1N1 (pathogens that affected livestock or crops weren’t included). Researchers assigned a value to every life lost, which ranges depending on the country, and calculated the economic losses of these diseases in terms of their effect on gross national income. Every year, on the low estimate, the world loses about $320 in terms of lives lost and about $200 billion in economic slowdowns due to emerging zoonotic diseases. The cost to take preventative actions that would limit the spillover of these diseases to humans in the first place, the researchers say, would be about $20 billion. The calculations the researchers did on the costs of dealing with these diseases are also limited; they couldn’t exactly quantify, they write, the psychological impact of COVID-19, or the costs of people who had to defer medical care during the pandemic, or the medical costs associated with dealing with these diseases years later. “The things we’re suggesting are really straightforward things. We need to know what’s 92

out there, we need to strongly suppress bringing wild animals in captivity to eat them…we need to suppress trade in live animals, of wild animals that are not checked for diseases,” Pimm says. “All of these are obvious, prudent, sensible things where what’s needed is some political will, or really an extraordinarily small amount of money to get things back into a safer world.” Another step includes surveilling pathogens, by mapping out where the world’s concentrations of species likely to cause spillover diseases are, and having a shared database of the pathogens they’re carrying. Other preventative actions would have broader benefits, too. Ending deforestation would allow wild animals more habitat space and keep them from living so close to cities, but tropical deforestation also accounts for 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Slowing it is essential to preventing pandemics—it’s “arguably the leading driver of pathogen emergence,” the

researchers write—and would also help us meet our climate goals. And while prevention has broad positive effects, reacting to each emerging zoonotic disease has limited benefits. The COVID-19 vaccine was a medical feat, but there’s no guarantee the next one will be developed so quickly. Preventing diseases from spilling over, in contrast, could stop not only one disease, but all of them. “We’re going to get a stream of these zoonotic diseases that are going to spill into our population. The numbers and severity are increasing,” Pimm says. “This may not be the last one, which is frightening. And the changes that we propose are very simple, very straightforward, and they have lots of other benefits too.”

Photo by Clarissa Watson on Unsplash.

‫ﺷﻬﺮ اﻟﺒﻴﺌﺔ‬ Environment Month ‫ أﺑﺮﻳﻞ‬٩ - ‫ ﻣﺎرس‬١٠ 10 March - 9 April

Tel: +965 184 8888

www.tsck.org.kw

BRING A MAGICAL MOOD TO ® YOUR RAMADAN WITH IKEA INTRODUCING THE HEMBJUDEN COLLECTION, A MODERN TOUCH TO YOUR TRADITIONS By bazaar staff

Let this year’s IKEA Ramadan collection, HEMBJUDEN, be a chance to bring something new to your celebrations. HEMBJUDEN is designed to inspire to inspire you to renew your home decoration and host your near and dear during this holy month. It will help you bring a modern touch to your traditions, set the mood for you and your guests and make this month one to remember. Porsche hosts one of the region’s largest car culture gatherings and attracts thousands of visi

HEMBJUDEN collection, was designed by British artist and designer Jennifer Idrizi. Jennifer has worked with IKEA before and particularly enjoys designing collections for cultural celebrations and festivities. For HEMBJUDEN collection, she was

inspired by the richness of patterns and colors from Morocco. Two beautiful patterns are found running through the collection – a colorful Moroccan tile pattern and an intricate floral print in black and white. Choose which pattern best expresses

your style or be bold and mix them up and bring a modern touch to your traditions. Just a new item in your home, like a flower-shaped serving plate, a striking cushion or a magical lantern will make a big difference.

HEMBJUDEN Lantern for block candle32 cm KD 9.950

MBJUDEN Teapot0.8 l KD 6.950 Cup6 cl KD 2.950/ 6 pieces

HEMBJUDEN Vacuum flask1.5 l KD 6.950

Give your home a special glow Light up a dark corner with this magical lantern that works as ambience-enhancement for your Ramadan entertaining, self-care rituals—you name it. Once lit, warm light from the candle shines beautifully through the pattern creating shadows and textures with a Moroccan feel. Get yourself a traditional serving Sized up for the perfect amount of tea (or whatever tastiness you’re pouring into your cup), these traditional cups and teapot are decorated with a Moroccan flower pattern in a graceful black and white print. Set the mood for coziness with a whole set, or mix with your own porcelain to spice up the occasion . Warm until you’re ready to serve Keep the vibes good (and warm) all night long with steaming hot coffee or refreshing tea in this silver vacuum flask. With its clean lines and subtle floral pattern, it has a modern take on the traditional coffee pot or Dallah, and makes an elegant addition to your buffet table. Level up your Ramadan table The beauty of an Iftar or Suhoor buffet is that it’s fun and celebratory for guests—and highly doable for hosts. The inspired pattern makes your dining room gorgeously welcoming for your friends and family. By further adding a few new items on your table, like floral plates and bowls, will definitely dress your table for a celebration mood. While the print is highly traditional, its modern rendition in the black and white Moroccan pattern is easy to mix with what you already have at home.

HEMBJUDEN Serving bowl22 cm KD 2.750 Side plate20 cm KD 0.900 Serving plate38x21 cm KD 4.500 You can go a little whimsical in the living room After the sun has set, new textiles are a simple way to refresh and uplift your space (and soul). You can mix and match the patterns from the HEMBJUDEN collection as you like to make your living room extra festive, create coziness and freshen up the home

before Ramadan – or any celebration with loved ones. Style your shelves for celebration time A new box from the HEMBJUDEN collection goes together beautifully with the boxes you already have

[Continued...]

HEMBJUDEN Rug, low pile170x240 cm KD 45

HEMBJUDEN Tray, set of 2 KD 11.500 Table-runner35x140 cm KD 0.900

but will change the vibe of your shelving. Just add a bit of traditional Ramadan expression in black and white for a graceful look and feel. Be intentional with the details Make this month even more memorable with something new, like a silver tray with raised edges, a few versatile bowls, a flower-shaped serving plate or table-runner from HEMBJUDEN. These are the small details that’ll make your table setting extra festive. Walking on (soft) Moroccan tiles For an instant atmosphere creator, add this wonderfully soft rug from the HEMBJUDEN collection 96

[...Continued]

HEMBJUDEN Hand towel40x70 cm KD 1.950 Scented candle in glass7.5 cm KD 0.800

to make your space feel warm and cozy. The black and white almost lace-like pattern with Moroccan influences is easy to combine with many different styles. Let your friends and family linger into the night and soak up the magical ambience. Bring those hammam vibes into the bathroom Welcome your guests to unplug, indulge, and unwind. Adding a scented candle is an invitation to slow down. A sweet soothing blend will help to put you in a mind on relaxation, joy and sophisticated warmth. Light it when you’re settling down for grounding mindfulness practice, before the guests arrive. Treat your skin to the soft HEMBJUDEN hand

towel in highly absorbent cotton terry. One side is completely smooth while the other has a decorative woven pattern inspired by Moroccan tiles.

Get ready for a festive Ramadan and Eid by visiting IKEA 360, IKEA The Avenues, IKEA Assima Mall or shopping online at www.IKEA.com.kw. For more information, please call 184 0408 or follow @ IKEAKuwait on Instagram.

PRESSURED MOM LIFE

The pandemic’s crushing toll on working moms By Clint Rainey

“The juggle is real.” That wordplay is probably the only part of a new report on how the pandemic has affected working moms that can put a smirk on your face. Entering year three of COVID, the millions of U.S. women who’ve had to balance work and home duties have never not faced a very real struggle. But this new survey affixes some alarming statistics to the question of exactly what that toll has been.

It’s a collaborative effort of three “mom-led” companies (Kuli Kuli, Sylvatex, Uncommon Cacao) and researchers from four universities (UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Northeastern). They spoke with 1,048 working mothers, and while the “supermom” archetype has rightly drawn a new round of criticism during the pandemic, their findings suggest being a working mom in America these past months would certainly have benefited from having some amount of superhuman strength. Sleep deprivation is a surefire way to not only burn out but also welcome problems with health and executive functioning that span from sluggishness and impaired memory to, eventually, greater risks for high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. Yet fewer than one-quarter of working moms surveyed said they get the recommended average night’s sleep: seven to nine hours. Over half of them—53%—said they get fewer than six hours. One in six said they don’t even get five. 98

Asked about their sleep schedules, a third of the women said that they now wake up “much earlier” each day in order to get work done. Nineteen percent said they stay awake “much later” for the same reason, and 15% said that they do both. And women from minority groups were between one-and-a-half and two times likelier to report getting less sleep. Unsurprisingly, the one-two punch of busyness and exhaustion affects what women feel like they’re able to accomplish each day. One in four moms complained that they no longer have time to engage in “common self-care practices” like walking or any kind of exercise, eating healthfully, meditating, and maintaining social connections. Most concerningly, the lower their income, the more likely women were to report neglecting basic self-care. Of course, the negative consequences haven’t only impacted personal well-being. “The women who participated in our study said it

was near impossible to keep the two spheres of work and home separate,” the researchers wrote in the sur vey, “let alone show up for the responsibilities to the extent they desired.” Many of them said they experienced workplace discrimination as a result of juggling work duties and family or childcare duties at home. The sur vey also includes stories from participants where they talk about being overlooked for promotions and, in certain cases, even fired. The need to manage new responsibilities left them exhausted, in turn negatively impacting work per formance—or, perhaps even more frustratingly, the researchers note, created “a perception,” true or not, that this stress meant they wouldn’t be able “to fulfill their work obligations.”

Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash.

READ AND CHILL

5 book to get you over the stress of not doing enough By Next Big Idea Club

Have you ever heard of “idleness aversion”? It’s a term that social psychologists use to describe an inability to rest, an anxious feeling that you should constantly be doing something productive.

We have all experienced idleness aversion at one time or another. And if for you, that time is right now, we have a few reading recommendations that will help you kick back, relax, and enjoy being idle.

Going beyond the how and why of burnout, a former tenured professor combines academic methods and first-person experience to propose new ways for resisting our cultural obsession with work and transforming our vision of human flourishing.

I Didn’t Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt By Madeleine Dore An inspiring call to take productivity off its pedestal; by dismantling our comparison to others, aspirational routines, and the unrealistic notions of what can be done in a day, we can finally embrace the joyful messiness and unpredictability of life.

Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention— and How to Think Deeply Again By Johann Hari Our ability to pay attention is collapsing. From the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections comes a groundbreaking examination of why this is happening—and how to get our attention back.

The End of Burnout: Why Work Drains Us and How to Build Better Lives By Jonathan Malesic

Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion By Wendy Suzuki

100

Drawing on her own intimate struggles and based on cutting-edge research, a world-renowned neuroscientist has developed an inspiring guidebook for managing unwarranted anxiety and turning it into a power ful asset. The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again By Catherine Price If you’re not having fun, you’re not fully living. The author of How to Break Up with Your Phone makes the case that, far from being frivolous, fun is actually critical to our well-being—and shows us how to have more of it.

Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash.

FAZEENA Not just an accessory; a piece of art By bazaar staff

Local jewelry brand Fazeena likes to think of exceptional pieces of jewelry as those that not only look beautiful when worn, but also pieces that empower us. The pieces we can connect with, that can be a part of our journey in life.

When Fazeena was created, founder and creator, Nessy Ibrahim, had the vision to change the definition of accessories and jewelry and to create a revolution in the world of fashion. What do we know about Fazeena? It was founded in 2018, as a Kuwaiti brand specialized in a variety of products: glasses chains, chokers, necklaces, and more. The goal was for Fazeena’s accessories to be companions that you could wear anywhere, and celebrate your life experiences with. What makes Fazeena unique? They have created their own secret metal material. After months of testing and consulting creative minds in the industry, they arrived at a mixture of metals, that doesn’t lose its color or luster. This material is also delicately chosen so that it doesn’t cause any allergy or skin reactions, and it is very gentle on the skin. In addition to that, the metal is made to be pleasant to smell and sounds good to the ear like a peaceful harmony. After much research and hard work, they finally found the perfect material that is fit to be a true-life companion, in any weather conditions and with a very long life. Coming up with this secret material is not the finish line, however, as Fazeena’s team is also currently working on a new line of products made from recycled materials. According to Fazeena’s founder, Nesreen, “we only have one earth, so we ought to be more considerate of it. Serious thought must be placed in making the best of what we think we don’t need anymore, hence, to recycle whatever can be recycled.” We can’t wait to see this line from Fazeena. Behind every great brand is a creative, motivated team, and Fazeena’s team is made up of individuals who like to create personalized experiences for their customers. They carefully choose which stones, materials, and colors 102

to use and how every single aspect fits within their design. The most important character shared by the team, is great passion, as passion is the brand’s fuel. Their team of designers includes people who wake up every day with the need to create, to inspire, and to design out of the box pieces. They revel in the little details to make the products attractive and dashing. Art is the new sexy, and it plays a huge role in Fazeena’s designs. For instance, when Fazeena’s designers visited Paris, they were so inspired by the art, that they decided to launch a one-of-a-kind necklaces collection inspired by famous paintings like Scream, Van Gogh’s self-portrait, and the always iconic Mona Lisa. Glasses chains are the revolution of fashion. Perhaps the most often underlooked accessory that is definitive of someone’s style is the simple glasses chain. Fazeena believes that glasses chains will arrive as a revolution in fashion because not only is this classic piece highly coveted, but it also can be stylish too. Glasses chains were first invented to help people keep their glasses close to them even when they weren’t using them, now they have made a revolutionary come-back with a touch of elegance and style with Fazeena’s creative collections.

Karafetta for ladies, why not? Nobody said that only men can wear ties. Fazeena was one of the leading brands to launch a whole line of chokers dedicated to empowering women with tie-like chokers. Music and shopping go together perfectly, and we love the customized shopping experience with music created by Fazeena. On many different occasions, Fazeena’s marketing team likes to surprise us with a music playlist on their website to give their customers the choice to engage in a fun shopping experience while playing some music. The beauty of wearing a piece of jewelry is that it always has a story of its own and only you know what the story behind your jewelry is. Fazeena wants to share in your life experiences, empowering you to march boldly and stylishly towards your dreams.

Remember a good accessory, is not just one the eyes can see, but one the soul can feel, touch and embrace. Be sure to visit www.fazeena.com to check out their awesome collections. For Fazeena’s latest, check them out on Instagram @fazeena.q8. 103

GHOSTBUSTERS

4 things to do if you’ve been ghosted at work By Judith Humphrey

Getting ghosted is an ever more present and unsettling reality—an unwelcome byproduct of a world where people feel more disconnected from each other than ever. The term “ghosting” first appeared in the world of dating, particularly online dating. But this abrupt ending of communication has spread to other areas of our lives. It is common for companies to ghost job applicants, or for coworkers and acquaintances to ghost each other. It’s not surprising that ghosting is becoming more common, given the fact that face-to-face communication is sadly on the decline. Yet, this way of communicating (or not communicating, rather) is troubling, particularly at a time when most of us crave understanding, empathy, and connection. Here’s what to do when you’re ghosted in these four situations. 1. If a company ghosts you This happens far too often. A recent study by Indeed reported that 77% of job seekers have been ghosted by a prospective employer in the past year–10% even after a verbal job offer was made. Only 27% of employers say they haven’t ghosted a job seeker in the past year. (Plenty of job seekers are also ghosting prospective employers, for what it’s worth.) I know a talented millennial who was seeking employment and was contacted by a recruiter and given a time slot for an interview. He was thrilled, and at the scheduled time, he dialed the recruiter up. Not only did she not answer, she never called him back. This practice is unfortunate, because now he’ll never want to work for that company she represented. If this happens to you, you may justly feel anger, rejection, and disappointment. It feels bad when you apply and then hear nothing. If you get ghosted, follow up with a phone inquiry after a week, and if the employer doesn’t respond, consider yourself lucky that you won’t be joining that enterprise. They’d be just as problematic to you if you came aboard. 2. If a new acquaintance ghosts you Suppose a new acquaintance ghosts you. You’ve had a nice chat with them at a networking event, and your new acquaintance even ended the conversation by suggesting you stay in touch. So, you do just that, and hear nothing in return. You think, “What did I do wrong? Maybe I made a bad impression.” But don’t question yourself. This person might simply have said “let’s stay in touch” as a formality. That’s no reflection of how the person feels about you. Or, if this is an 104

executive you would like some assistance from, it’s your responsibility to pursue him. If you really want this relationship to work, try contacting this acquaintance again via a different mode of communication. If you sent an email, now try a text, or reach out to a mutual friend. If it’s in your interest to persist, do so! Otherwise, let it go. 3. If a colleague ghosts you There are times when you may feel you’re getting what Erica Dhawan in her book, Digital Body Language, calls “the silent treatment” from a colleague. This can take the form of delayed emails, texts, or unanswered meeting invitations. You may have expected a reply within a day or two. But it’s been two weeks. This, according to Dhawan, creates “timing anxiety,” which “can last hours, days, weeks.” You wonder: Was the other person just busy? Did your email end up in a spam folder? Or is the person not returning your message on purpose? Dhawan advises that you begin by recognizing that instant messaging has created “the expectation for immediate responses.” So, “don’t jump to conclusions. Unless it’s critical that you get a reply ASAP, remember that people may have a lot on their plates. If you follow up twice with no response, switch to a different medium.”

I would also suggest you be specific when asking for a response. Did you say you needed a reply in the next few days? Or did you leave the response time vague? If you don’t indicate any urgency, your colleague may be justified in letting other things take priority. Close your email with a clear request: “I would appreciate the answer by Friday, since I need to let our client know what we can do.” 4. If a friend ghosts you We trust our friends to get back to us when we write or call. We invest a lot of emotional capital in our friendships. I was ghosted by a friend 10 years ago. She suddenly blocked me from her life. She was promoted to a CEO role, and I called to congratulate her and take her to lunch. She wasn’t available, and eventually the assistant called to say she was not interested in having lunch with me. I still to this day don’t have the foggiest notion of why she ghosted me. If a friend ghosts you, do your best to sit down with them and talk through whatever the issue was. If they are unwilling to accept your call or meet with you, don’t beat up on yourself. Move on. You deserve better.

Photo by Tandem X Visuals on Unsplash.

GOT ANXIETY?

Try this different but effective way to deal with anxiety By Next Big Idea Club

To fret is human. That’s according to recent estimates that suggest 90% of the population experiences anxiety. And because even mild anxiety can zap your confidence, squelch your sex drive, and isolate you from friends and loved ones, most people conclude that anxiety of any kind is a bad thing. But not neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. In her new book, Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion, she argues that we should treat anxiety like a form of energy. “Think of it as a chemical reaction to an event or situation,” she writes. “Without trustworthy resources, training, and timing, that chemical reaction can get out of hand—but it can also be controlled and used for valuable good.” Today on the Next Big Idea podcast, Wendy sits down with Lauren Miller Rogen. Lauren is a filmmaker and the cofounder, along with her husband, actor Seth Rogen, of the nonprofit Hilarity for Charity, which provides a range of free services to support families impacted by Alzheimer’s. Together they discuss the sciencebacked tools you can use to worry well. Listen to the full episode ahead, or read a few key highlights. How can anxiety be good? Lauren Miller Rogen: When I got your book, I was like, Well, I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression over the years. How can it be good? Wendy Suzuki: Here’s the 30-second answer: Anxiety is good because from an evolutionary perspective, anxiety—and that underlying physiological stress response that we’re all too familiar with—evolved over the last 2.5 million years to protect us. In fact, it’s critical for our survival. Think about a woman 2.5 million years ago [walking in the forest] with a little baby, and there’s a twig that cracks. Well, she thinks, that could be a lion, or a tiger, or a bear. She immediately gets anxious. Her physiological response shunts blood to her muscles, so that she can either run away or fight—that is, survive. Today, we don’t have many lions and tigers and bears attacking us. Instead, we have the newsfeed, social media, the threat of global warming, and of course the pandemic. Those are not dangerous to us in the same way, but we respond to them in the same way—so that response that was once protective is now just over the top. Our anxiety levels have gone way overboard. So a big part of the book is learning, based on science, how to turn those anxiety levels down. Everybody knows about fight-or-flight, but do you know about “rest and digest?” It’s the destressing part of the parasympathetic nervous system. While fight-or-flight increases your heart

106

rate, respiration, and blood flow to your muscles, rest and digest decreases your heart rate and respiration, and it shunts blood back to your digestive and reproductive organs. The best way to activate that is to breathe deeply. Here’s what I do: inhale on a four-count, hold at the top for a four-count, exhale on four counts, and hold at the bottom for four counts. On joy conditioning Lauren: I just love “worrying well” and “joy conditioning.” It can feel really daunting to be like, I’m anxious, I’m depressed—where do I even begin? But you make it very practical in your book. Wendy: Yeah, joy conditioning is my favorite nerdy tool for how to worry well. I’m proud of this one—it originated in my career-long study of how memory works. We have different memory systems in our brain, and we have one specialized for negative emotions centered on a structure called the amygdala. And what the amygdala does for us is called “fear conditioning.” So for example, when I lived in Washington, D.C., my apartment was burgled. I walked around the corner on a Sunday afternoon coming home, and the door was open. I can still picture it—you could see the crowbar marks. And for the rest of the time I lived there, every time I came around that same

corner, I would have this memory—that is, fear conditioning. It’s a protective kind of anxiety. It’s like, Be careful because this could happen. We carry around all this fear conditioning. But I thought, How come we don’t have [something similar] for when something good happens? We don’t, but because I know how that kind of memory works, I came up with this tool called “joy conditioning.” Here’s how it works: all you have to do is think about one of the happiest, most joyful, funniest memories of your life. First of all, this should make you realize, Oh, I never think about my joyous memories. How come I don’t do that? For instance, you could think about that funny time you had with your cousin or your friend. That’s called episodic memory, and it’s dependent on a brain structure called the hippocampus. The hippocampus puts together the who, what, where, and when, but also the emotions associated with it. And the thing about those kinds of memories is the more you bring them up, the stronger that episode becomes, including those good feelings of joy or happiness. This is not something that you can necessarily do in the midst of an anxiety attack, but it’s something that you can do in the background. Photo by Wei Ding on Unsplash.

MAKE THAT DO AS POWERFUL AS YOU With The Body Shop’s new vegan routines for all hair needs, power your do like never before By bazaar staff

Hair has an attitude, an identity. It tells a powerful story about who you are. Which is why it’s so important to give it the treatment it needs. Luckily, The Body Shop’s new vegan hair care routines are here to help your hair look and feel as powerful as you, so you can keep telling your story, your way. Hair and scalp health is not just integral for how your hair looks, but it is also super important to ensure that you’re always feeling great and confident. And many people will confess that they’ve been on a hunt for the holy grail of hair products for most of their lives. Fortunately for us, our search ended when we found The Body Shop’s latest hair care sets. There are five new and improved hair care routines for all hair needs. From dry and flaky scalps,oily hair and scalps, frizzy, to dry or dull hair, whatever your hair concern, these new routines are pretty hair-mazing. It’s time to love your unique hair unapologetically. POWER YOUR DO LIKE NEVER BEFORE Why are The Body Shop’s new hair care routines so powerful? For starters, they’re all made with Vegan Silk Protein, a 100% plant-based protein, which cleverly replicates the chemical structure of natural silk produced by the common European garden spider. But The Body Shop’s is fully plantbased – ALL The Body Shop’s haircare is now registered by the Vegan Society, so, no spiders or silkworms were harmed, used or disturbed to obtain it. Plus, all haircare is now made with (at least!) 90% ingredients of natural origin. The Body Shop’s new hair care routines are designed to improve the appearance of damaged hair, so they literally help repair the hair follicle from the inside out. A user trial discovered that 90% would recommend The Body Shop’s new haircare to a friend. COMMUNITY, FAIR-TRADE RECYCLED PLASTIC As consumers, we hold a lot of power when we buy a product and now, more than ever before, we’ve become more cognizant of only buying products that are sustainable and ethical. The Body Shop’s new haircare bottles and tubs are made from 100% recycled plastic, including Community Fair Trade recycled plastic collected off the streets of Bengaluru, India. It’s no secret that plastic pollution has become a global crisis and the planet is drowning in it. It affects marine and ocean life, but it affects people too. In India, almost a third of waste is uncollected. This has given rise to 1.5 million unsung heroes known as ‘waste pickers’ who work tirelessly to clean up their streets. Waste pickers, however, are mostly made up of ‘dalits’, formally known as 108

‘untouchables’, the lowest social group in India’s caste system. This means, unfortunately, that they are vulnerable to discrimination and poor working conditions. The Body Shop’s Community Fair Trade partnership with Plastics for Change not only helps tackle the existing plastic problem, it also helps support around 2,500 marginalized waste pickers in India with access to more sanitary working conditions

and a fair price for the plastic waste they collect. The Body Shop wants to do more than fight pollution. They want to drive social change and help empower people too. TEA TREE HAIR CARE: PURIFY & BALANCE OILY LOCKS Help purify and balance oily hair and scalps. Get fresh and clean locks for longer. Made with

organically-grown Community Fair Trade tea tree oil from Kenya and Vegan Silk Protein. This routine also helps eliminate build-up, leaving hair feeling purified and refreshed without stripping your locks of its natural moisture. MORINGA HAIR CARE: BRIGHTEN UP YOUR BARNET Get healthier-feeling and visibly shinier hair and help protect it from daily pollution. Made with Community Fair Trade moringa seed oil and extract from Rwanda and Vegan Silk Protein. This routine visibly restores dull hair’s radiance and shine. Expect softer, smoother and healthier looking hair that smells fragrant and floral. GINGER SCALP CARE: SHAKES FLAKES, SOOTHE SCALPS The Body Shop’s famous Ginger Scalp Care range just got even better. It’s made with ginger essential oil, white willow, birch bark extracts and Vegan Silk Protein. The routine helps wash away loose flakes, soothes dry scalps and strengthens weak hair. This zingy combo is formulated to keep your hair looking its healthiest, and your scalp cool, calm and collected. For a knobbly root, ginger has a lot going for it. Hair-raising fact: The Body Shop’s Ginger Scalp Care Shampoo is their number one selling product globally. Customers love it so much, one is sold every six seconds.

BANANA HAIR CARE: PURÉE BLISS FOR DRY HAIR If you have dry hair that’s prone to frizz, get ready for their best ever Banana routine. Now made with organic banana purée and Vegan Silk Protein, this routine nourishes hair and leaves it looking smoother and less frizzy. Bananas are also known to be naturally packed with vitamins, minerals and natural oils that are great for your hair. Plus, this creamy range will leave hair smelling ridiculously fruity. SHEA HAIR CARE: HELP REPAIR DAMAGED HAIR For people with curly and very dry hair that’s prone to breakage, The Body Shop’s best ever Shea routine should be on their wish list. Made with handcrafted Community Fair Trade shea butter from Ghana, which is renowned for its intensely nourishing powers, and Vegan Silk Protein, this routine helps strengthen hair and reduces breakage. It also replenishes dry locks with moisture, so it feels healthier, more manageable and intensely nourished. Find the right hair care products for you by visiting the nearest Body Shop store. Stay updated with the latest from The Body Shop by following @TheBodyShopKuwait on Instagram and Facebook, or shop online at www.thebodyshop.com.kw. 109

LEAD BOLDLY

3 steps toward being a more intentional leader By Shawn Casemore

Being intentional is something many leaders struggle with today. It’s not that they don’t want to be intentional, but the priorities, obstacles, and distractions keep piling up.While speaking with a CEO the other day, she shared that her goal this year was to be more intentional about her decisions and actions related to achieving the corporate strategy. Her challenge, however, was having to constantly put out fires, from employee vacancies to supply chain delays. As a result, she found herself reverting to old habits of rushing to make decisions as quickly as the questions arose. Despite the value of leading with intention, most executives I’ve spoken with find their ability to focus and remain true to their purpose a challenge. They set and commit to a strategic direction, only to be diverted away to various other priorities based on demands made by their board. They intend to support the development of their staff but become deflated after several top per formers leave to seek other employment. Their focus is on being more self-reflective gets lost amidst a day packed with back-to-back calls, meetings, and a never-ending stream of challenges to contend too. All this, and it’s only 9 a.m. Although there are several steps you need to take to lead with intent, I recommend three to the presidents, CEOs, and sales executives I advise. These are fundamental to sustaining intention over time. 1. Get clear on what matters to you Being intentional requires that you have clear goals and objectives. These can be overarching goals like your corporate strategic objectives or personal, such as development plans for specific employees. Here’s the key: If your reasons for being intentional aren’t clear, and if they don’t align with your objectives, there is a great chance you won’t sustain your intent. When I decided to quit my secure job back in 2009 and launch my coaching and consulting business, my goals were simple. I wanted to build a company where I could assist clients worldwide and earn enough to support my family. It wasn’t until I unpacked this statement that I realized my intention. My underlying purpose was to help clients accelerate their sales results, sharing the insights and best practices I learned throughout my career. I thrive by working with dozens of clients worldwide, which provides the variety and experiences I could never gain from a 9-5 job. 2. Set an intention so purposeful that you must commit When I first launched my business, I had no 110

option but to commit if I was going to succeed. I equated failing to establish my business to letting my family down. It’s not something that anyone would take lightly. When you have an intent that you are committed to, your chances of remaining focused increase exponentially. 3. Document your progress, good and bad When it comes to being intentional or even setting a goal, studies have shown that writing down your intentions is crucial to your success. For example, a study by Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University of California, found that we become 42% more likely to achieve our goals and dreams when we write them down daily. It’s one thing to write down our goals and intentions. Yet when we review and then write down our progress it adds an entirely different

level of accountability. I’m not suggesting journaling, although this could work. Instead, score yourself ever y week once you’ve assessed your progress. Remaining intentional requires that we are transparent and honest with ourselves. There will be times we will go astray, but reviewing our progress regularly gives us a greater chance to catch and correct our path when it’s leading us away from our original intention. Regardless of your intentions, leading with them is a noble pursuit that requires valiant effort. By continuing to come back to these three steps, you ensure that you have purpose, commitment, and accountability. This will keep you on track despite the inevitable challenges and distractions around you. Photo by Josué Soto on Unsplash.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

We need to talk about why so many people are lonely By Gwen Moran

We live in an age in which it’s easier than ever to communicate with other people. Yet, we’re seemingly lonelier than ever. While doing research on young people entering the workforce prior to the pandemic, workplace expert and speaker Ryan Jenkins found that most of the young people with whom he spoke reported feeling lonely on a regular basis. “That broke my heart,” he says. What’s more, Jenkins found that people were reluctant or even embarrassed to talk about their loneliness. There was an element of shame attached to it. But the pandemic has changed things, he says, both by making the problem worse and opening up communication about loneliness. For their new book, Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams from Isolated to All In, Jenkins and coauthor Steven Van Cohen conducted indepth research about loneliness in the workplace, and the findings are surprising. Fully 72% of workers are lonely, often because of remote work and hybrid workplaces. And that’s a problem. An increasing body of evidence shows that loneliness is linked to a variety of physical and mental health issues, ranging from depression to substance abuse. And their findings indicate that this is a problem for companies, too. Lonely workers are seven times less likely to be engaged at work and five times more likely to miss work due to stress or illness. They are also twice as likely to think about leaving their employers. So, there’s an incentive for employers to watch for this issue and address it. Why we’re lonely Why are we so lonely? One obvious answer seems to be social isolation. For roughly two years, people have been directed or encouraged to stay away from each other to prevent spreading the COVID-19 virus. And while that may be part of it, loneliness isn’t just the absence of people, Van Cohen says. “I can be surrounded by lots of people. I can be communicating with people all day, every day. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to be lonely,” he says. Instead, it’s about how we connect with others. Connection and interaction make the difference. “If we’re not making time to connect, oftentimes we just don’t think about it, or we assign it as an unimportant detail on a very long to-do list. And it just doesn’t get done.” Van Cohen uses his days of record-buying in this youth as an example. He recalls that he would travel to the record store and ask someone to play the record in the store. He would talk to other people about the record. Then he would buy it and get together with a friend to listen to it. The process of buying music has turned from what was, for him, a very social, interactive experience to an isolated experience of choosing digital music. For others, the shifts may be in areas other than music-buying, but the effects are the same: less interaction with others. 112

This is related to another cause—dependency shift. Problem-solving often required outreach and connection with others, Van Cohen says. If a faucet needed repair, he might call his father or someone else knowledgeable about how to fix it. Now, he says, he can simply go on YouTube and get the information he needs. “I don’t need to depend on anyone else,” he says. Because digital solutions offer a convenient substitute for human interaction in our busy lives, we end up more isolated—and lonely— unless we’re intentional about making time for connection, he adds. And while social media may offer the appearance of connection, that’s really just an illusion, Jenkins says. “It’s this idea of social snacking, right? They’re actually just snacking, not giving a full nourishing meal that would occur in a live, in-person, or [even] virtual conversation,” he says. What we can do about it So, what can we do to address this wave of loneliness? There are actions both employees and employers can take. First, we have to lose the overall stigma around loneliness and talk about it when it’s happening. There’s nothing wrong with you if you’re feeling lonely, Jenkins says. In fact, others around you are likely feeling that way, too. “It’s a universal human condition,” he says. “And the more we have conversations around it, the less power and stranglehold loneliness will have on us.”

From company culture and coworker perspectives, “be ‘interruptible,’” Van Cohen urges. He says we spend so much time trying to block out disruptions that we can actually ward off the very interactions that would make us less lonely. Sure, you need time for focused work; but there should also be times when people can reach out to you for questions and discussion. Showing people they are valued and needed is an enormous factor in mitigating loneliness, he says. Companies and individuals can also be mindful about “socializing smarter,” Van Cohen says. But that doesn’t mean another happy hour, which takes people away from their family and personal time, can foster cliques and leave everyone feeling tired the next day, he adds. A better tack would be to take time during a meeting to have people share what they did over the weekend or to give each person time to talk about something personal of which they’re proud. “It creates this lowering of the professional armor,” adds Van Cohen, “where we can start to really understand and see people from the personal side and get to know them more as who they are versus just how they show up at work.” Be intentional about connecting with coworkers and employees. Reducing loneliness isn’t always easy, but it’s an effort worth making within organizations. Finding more opportunities to connect in an authentic way can have benefits that extend far beyond the work world. Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash.

H&M’S EDITION BY COLLECTION Celebrating the power of personal expression By bazaar staff

H&M proudly announces their latest Edition by collection that celebrates brave and authentic men of style. Continuing an ongoing commitment to forward-thinking design and sourcing — the new drop features utilitarian pieces made using organic and recycled materials as well as pioneering plant dyes.

114

For its third iteration; the Edition by concept invites everyone to partake in defining the future of menswear. Featuring a street cast shot by photographer Matt Jones in the vibrant streets of New Orleans, the campaign is a celebration of progressive individuality and the power of personal expression. “The starting point for each Edition collection is to challenge and innovate within our sustainability work. One of the keys this season was to include natural and plant based dyeing techniques. Classic menswear pieces, the great outdoors and utility references are combined to create a modern look that we are very proud of. ” says Ross Lydon, Head of Menswear Design at H&M

The collection combines elements of workwear, gorpcore and streetwear, focusing on utilitarian designs that bring value both through aesthetics and functionality. The color palette is defined by the use of innovative plant dyes. A pioneering technique where fabrics are treated with plant extracts, natural clay, bio-resins and natural enzymes to create beautiful organic colors without the use of harsh chemicals. Continuing in line with H&M’s ongoing mission towards a more circular future, the majority of the collection features mono-material compositions that easily can be recycled into new garments at the end of their life span.

A standout piece in the collection is the cagoule jacket; made of 100% recycled nylon, it comes in bright orange with large cargo pockets that blur the line between city and outdoor wear. Present in the shapes of a jacket, jeans and a boiler suit, the denim in this collection is reimagined for the future using a more sustainable mix of organic and recycled cotton. With their oversized fits, soft indigo-dyed shades and natural plated silver button hardware — these traditional workwear garments are updated with contemporar y lightness. Overshir ts and jerseys complete the look with their effor tlessly loose fits, also entirely made of organic and recycled cotton in plant-dyed colors. The collection consists of 23 garments and 3 accessories that will be available at kw.hm.com, in selected stores and the H&M app starting March 10 with prices from KD 4.990. 115

GET IT DONE

3 ways to make the most of your day with the tools you already have By Rick Pastoor

I don’t have to tell you we’re living packed lives. We have jobs to nail, friends to think about, families to take care of. And on top of that, we also would like to have some time for ourselves, please. Oh, and it would also be great if we could get cracking on that bucket list. There are two basic approaches to this. One is the better decisions route, which often revolves around spending more time figuring out what is truly important. If you know that, you also know what not to do. That means answering the tough questions. While I do believe we need to occasionally stop to think about those, there is also the productivity angle. Or: How can we do more work in the same amount of time? This practice is sometimes frowned upon. Ideas that help us do more in the same amount of time can potentially be harmful. But the reality is that most of us do not always have the option to prioritize and say no. Sometimes we just need to get a ton of work done. The good news is that there are things you can start doing today that will have a huge impact on the number of things you can get done. Here are three of my favorite tactics. Use the clock to your advantage The sense that we’ll never be able to fit everything into our schedule can be daunting. But, we can make time work for us. Instead of thinking: “How can I fit all of this in this week?” focus on the next 60 minutes and decide what you want to get done before the hour is over. With this looming self-imposed deadline, the pressure is on to dive in and stick to the task. I’m a huge fan of using my calendar to help me out when I map out what I should be focusing on, and it pairs perfectly with this strategy. As an added bonus, your colleagues can also see what you’re working on, and you won’t be available for meetings. Prepare like a chef What’s the difference between an amateur cook and a chef? The way they prepare. Chefs don’t need to start from zero the moment the order for the dish comes in. They will have prepared anything that can possibly be done before they start. And with everything already laid out, it’s so much easier to begin. Want to make it easier to get started on a task you’re putting off? Begin with the preparation phase. That could mean cleaning your desk, closing applications you don’t need, putting your phone away. Some people even go as far as dressing up to get into a work mindset. Next, collect the materials you’ll need to do the job. Get all the documents you need. Type up your “ingredients.” Let’s say you must write a 116

tough email that you’re putting off: I prepare by jotting down a few bullets of what I think I should say in a draft. Obviously, this leads to actually doing the work. By preparing and doing the easy things first, you get in the right zone to attack the more difficult things. Don’t let others steal your focus When we’re trying to get something complicated done, our brains are wired to save energy. So basically, anything that requires less energy pulls us away from focusing on what we try to do. (I feel the desperate urge to check my inbox and Twitter right now, as I’m trying to draft this piece.) I believe fighting this urge is a skill we can get better at, over time. But that won’t help you this week. What you can do right now is eliminate all the distractions that hijack your focus. Not the triggers in your own head, but the external things, like your phone.

If there’s one gift you can give yourself, it’s disabling the notifications on all your devices. Really. And if you think “I don’t have a problem staying focused on the task at hand while my phone is lighting up next to me,” this tip is precisely for you. What do you have to lose? Ditch all the sounds and banners. (I have all of them disabled on my phone and computer, except for my calendar and old-school phone calls). If you have a Mac, you can go a step further by hiding your dock and menu bar. Each visual cue you can get rid of means less chance that something pulls you away from what you try to get done. We have the tendency to introduce new things when trying to improve our way of working. Most of the time, that’s a bad idea, but I hope these three suggestions help you to a simpler and more effective way of working. Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash.

HEY BOSS

The most effective way to talk to your boss about having too much work By Art Markman

One side effect of working from home is that supervisors have a hard time seeing how hard their team is working. As a result, you may find that you’re overwhelmed with tasks and that new requests come in faster than you can clear off the old ones. Don’t just assume that you are supposed to be over whelmed with work. You really are allowed to talk to your boss about your workload. Here are three things you can do to prepare for that discussion. Document your tasks You can’t just go to your boss and say that you have too much work to do. You need to be more specific than that. One thing you’ll want to do is to is to have a clear list of ever ything on your current to-do list, along with dates by which those tasks need to be completed, estimates of the amount of time it will take to complete those tasks, and other people (from inside or outside the organization) that you depend on in order to complete those tasks. This list is impor tant, because a big par t of solving the workload problem is understanding what trade-offs would need to be made in order for you to have a manageable number of tasks. You want to estimate the time you’ll spend on the tasks, because it is possible that one reason for your sense of over work is that you are solving the effor t-accuracy trade-off badly. You know that (in general) the more work you put into a task, the better the result you get. Not ever y task you are given requires a highly polished product, though. Sometimes, you need to just push a project for ward without tracking down ever y contingency, because there are lots of revisions still to be made before the outcome is finalized. A key aspect of balancing workload is determining the right level of work to put into a task. By giving your boss information about your estimate of how much time a task will take, you’re giving them your estimate of the effor t required. Be prepared for your boss to tell you that some of the tasks you have been given can be completed satisfactorily by putting in less work than you think. The trick is to do a job that is good enough and not one that is per fect. You also want to provide a sense of who else is involved in a project, because that may help your boss determine aspects of scheduling your work that are out of your control. You may feel over worked in par t because information you need to complete your tasks depends on the work of others. In that case, your boss may want to work with the whole team to schedule when ever yone will complete their tasks to help make your contributions happen more efficiently. 118

Analyze your workflow When you document the set of tasks you perform, you should also be clear about where particular requests come from and who you are passing your completed work to. There are two reasons this will help with the discussion. First, your boss may not be aware of the number of other people who can add things to your to-do list. That may be why your boss doesn’t realize how much is on your plate. This information can also be useful for deciding which people should be able to give you new assignments and how those additions to your task list should be handled. Second, the position of particular tasks in the overall workflow of the group is valuable, because it helps to determine what other aspects of a project depend on your contribution. This knowledge will help both in setting priorities for the work you do, as well as thinking through who might be able take over some of the work you can’t complete. Suggest priorities Assuming the burden of the work you’re doing isn’t just a reflection that you’re working inefficiently; you’re going to have to determine which tasks will get done and which ones will either be put on a back burner or given to someone else. The actual decision may ultimately belong to your boss, but

you have some information about your interactions with colleagues, customers, and clients that your boss does not. So, before you just present your task list and workflow, think about what you would prioritize if the decision was yours. Write down how you would justify that ordering. Bring that information to the meeting. This list of priorities provides a starting point for the conversation. You may find that your boss goes along with your recommendation. When your boss suggests a different set of priorities than what you came up with, that is valuable information. Orient the discussion to understanding the reasoning behind the decision, because that will give you additional information about how people in supervisory roles think about the workflow of the team. That knowledge is valuable as you think about the difference between your perspective in your current role and the problems that people a step above you in the organization are focused on. You can use this discussion not just to lighten your current load, but also to learn about the next level positions you may aspire to take on.

Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash.

It’s never too soon to try China Moon

22091190

GET 20%OFF CODE:BAZAAR20

www.chinamoonkw.com chinamoonkwt

Part of Novo Foods Company

MADE TO MEASURE WITH MASTARA 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Window Coverings By bazaar staff

It can be an overwhelming task to decide on new window coverings for your space. This includes the daunting task of choosing what color will suit your space best, to opt for blinds or curtains, what length they should be and a myriad of other factors to consider to ultimately have the perfect finish that both reflects your personal style and desired functionality of the window.

To make things easier, we’ve asked our pals at Mastara, Kuwait’s first and only bilingual app and website in the region to offer customized curtains and blinds online and they delivered! Here are the top 5 mistakes people make when buying new blinds or curtains for their home, and how to avoid them! NOT CONSIDERING PRIVACY Windows allow us to see the world, but we need to remember that they also allow others to see into our homes. Understanding the amount of privacy needed for each room affects the type of fabric you choose as well as the lining you opt for, like blackout or transparent or when considering blinds, this will impact the choice between a blackout or sunscreen see through blind where glare is reduced but the view can still be visible and enjoyed. 120

NOT CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT NEEDED PER ROOM Beautiful sunlight wafting into a room can add ambiance to any space, but not all settings need the same amount of brightness. You might want your living room to be bright and airy but want more control in the bedroom. If you want to let the light in, then a gorgeous sheer drape or zebra blind may be best. For a complete blackout when your curtains are closed, for instance in a bedroom, tv room or nursery. Light is a key factor to consider in choosing the right window covering type. NOT CONSIDERING THE STYLE OF THE ROOM AS A WHOLE When choosing the color and fabrics, many people just look at the window and think what may look nice, rather than looking at the room as a whole. Curtains complement and accentuate the overall style and ambience of any room; you can even make ceilings look higher with the right choice of curtains so be sure to look at your room in its

completeness to ensure that you’re matching the style and functionality requirement of the room. READY MADE VS MADE-TO-MEASURE Sometimes we are in a rush to get our windows covered and that can lead to finding the fastest available solution that comes our way, hence, buying ready-made curtains. Most windows in Kuwait are not built to a standard size, therefore, neither should your curtains be. Taking the time to book a consultation with a professional advisor or perhaps properly carrying out your own measurements to design and customize your own curtain online, will allow you to get the perfect fit and avoid poorly fitted window coverings that will negatively affect the overall look of the room and can also lead to functionality problems of your windows. NOT HAVING FUN Covering your windows should be a fun and exciting experience, it is part of your home after all and as the saying goes, your home is an

extension of you and your style, so get inspired by doing some online research (we love Pinterest) or ordering fabric samples online, link up with a professional company that you trust, take advantage of a free consultation where you can see and feel fabrics and assess all options to find your perfect end result. Mastara is the first and only bilingual app and website in the region to offer customized curtains and blinds online. Book a free consultation today at www.mastara.me/appointment or call 56611559. 121

BETTER CONVERSATIONS

This is how to skip the small talk and have more meaningful conversations according to science By Amit Kumar and Michael Kardas and Nicholas Epley

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic persists, there’s hope that life will return to some level of normalcy. This includes more opportunities to meet new people and build friendships, a process that’s critical for mental and physical wellbeing. This does not, however, mean that everyone will take advantage of these new chances to connect. Even before fears of a virus compelled most people to stay physically distant, our research suggests that people were already keeping too much social distance from one another. In particular, our forthcoming behavioral science research suggests that people tend to be overly pessimistic about how conversations with new acquaintances will play out. Across a dozen experiments, participants consistently underestimated how much they would enjoy talking with strangers. This was especially true when we asked them to have the kinds of substantive conversations that actually foster friendships. Because of these mistaken beliefs, it seems as though people reach out and connect with others less often and in less meaningful ways than they probably should. Moving beyond watercooler talk People usually only disclose their deepest disappointments, proudest accomplishments, and simmering anxieties to close friends and family. But our experiments tested the seemingly radical idea that deep conversations between strangers can end up being surprisingly satisfying. In several experiments, the participants first reported how they expected to feel after discussing relatively weighty questions like, “What are you most grateful for in your life?” and “When is the last time you cried in front of another person?” These participants believed they would feel somewhat awkward and only moderately happy discussing these topics with a stranger. But after we prompted them to actually do so, they reported that their conversations were less awkward than they had anticipated. Furthermore, they felt happier and more connected to the other person than they had assumed. In other experiments, we asked people to write down questions they would normally discuss when first getting to know someone—”Weird weather we’re having these days, isn’t it?”—and 122

then to write down deeper and more intimate questions than they would normally discuss, like asking whether the other person was happy with their life. Again, we found that the participants were especially likely to overestimate how awkward the ensuing conversations about the more meaningful topics would be while underestimating how happy those conversations would make them. These mistaken beliefs matter because they can create a barrier to human connection. If you mistakenly think a substantive conversation will feel uncomfortable, you’re going to probably avoid it. And then you might never realize that your expectations are off the mark. Yes, others do care Misconceptions over the outcomes of deeper conversations may happen, in part, because we also underestimate how interested other people are in what we have to share. This makes us more reluctant to open up. It turns out that, more often than not, strangers do want to hear you talk about more than the weather; they really do care about your fears, feelings, opinions, and experiences. The results were strikingly consistent. For the experiments, we recruited college students, online samples, strangers in a public park, and even executives at financial services firms, and similar patterns played out within each group. Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, regardless of gender, you’re likely to underestimate how good you’ll feel after having a deep conversation with a stranger. The same results even occurred in conversations over Zoom.

people engage in both a relatively shallow and comparatively deeper conversation. People expected that they would prefer a shallow conversation to the deeper one before it took place. After the interactions occurred, they reported the opposite. Moreover, the participants consistently told us that they wished they could have deeper conversations more often in their everyday lives. The problem, then, is not a lack of interest in having more meaningful conversations. It’s the misguided pessimism about how these interactions will play out. It’s possible, though, to learn from these positive experiences. Think of the trepidation kids have of diving into the deep end of a swimming pool. The uneasiness is often unwarranted: Once they take the plunge, they end up having a lot more fun than they did in shallower waters. Our data suggests that something similar can happen when it comes to topics of conversation. You might feel nervous before starting a deeper conversation with someone you barely know; yet, once you do, you might actually enjoy digging a little deeper than you typically do. The broader takeaway of our work is that these miscalibrated expectations can lead many people to be not quite social enough for their own good and the well-being of others. Having deeper conversations joins a growing list of opportunities for social engagement— including expressing gratitude, sharing compliments, reaching out, and talking to an old friend—that end up feeling a lot better than we might think.

Aligning beliefs with reality In one telling demonstration, we had some

Photo by Bewakoof.com Official on Unsplash.

TELL ME MORE

These 3 words are powerful conversation starters By Breetel Graves

My five-year-old son schooled me in geometry this week. My five-year-old son schooled me in geometry this week. He kept telling me that a cylinder is a 3D rectangle, and I kept saying it wasn’t. He would say, “IT IS! MY TEACHER TOLD ME IT WAS!” And I would respond with something like, “I believe you, but it’s not. Maybe there was more context? Maybe you misheard her?” After a few rounds of back-and-forth, he started crying and said, “I feel like you don’t want to be my mom anymore!” I just about died. How did he hear “I don’t want to be your mom anymore” in an argument about cylinders?! It felt awful, but it was a good reminder that so often the words we say have no actual bearing on what the tone and subtext behind them convey. When I was saying, “I believe you, but it’s not. Maybe there was more context? Maybe you misheard her?” what he heard was: You’re wrong. I’m right, because I’m an adult and I know more. 124

I don’t actually believe you, but I think I’m saying the right thing to appease your feelings. After stopping the conversation to tell him I loved him and am so happy to be his mom and nothing he could ever do or say would change that, I said, “Maybe I’m wrong.” He went and got a piece of paper (a rectangle) and curled it around to make a cylinder. “See, a rectangle becomes a 3D cylinder.” I was speechless. Luckily, my son felt safe enough to voice his feelings to me in the moment, but how often are we in this exact same situation with others where the communication disconnect isn’t so clear? My job is to help Zapier customers figure out why something they’ve built isn’t working. When their emails arrive in my inbox, they’re usually frustrated and annoyed at having to reach out. They’ve likely already tried troubleshooting the issue themselves, and contacting customer support is a last resort. Zapier customers are really smart. They’re building complex workflows, and often working with apps that I may have never used before. While solving the customer’s issue is always the end goal, I know I’ll never get to a resolution if I

don’t first seek understanding. What is the customer trying to accomplish? What assumptions does their end goal depend on? What needs to happen in order for this to be successful? Has this worked previously? What’s changed? Gathering context and confirming my understanding with the customer is essential. After my son showed me what he meant, I apologized to him and told him I was wrong to discredit his assertion so quickly. I told him, “Everyone is wrong sometimes. Even your mom! I’m proud of you for persisting in what you knew to be true.” While a cylinder is not exactly a 3D rectangle, we now had a shared understanding. I wonder if the emotional roller-coaster could have been avoided if I had taken the same strategy with him as I do with the customers I work with. Instead of telling him he was wrong and pushing my assumptions and experience on him, I simply could have become curious and said, “Tell me more.”

Photo by Pavan Trikutam on Unsplash.

THE INVISIBLE DISABILITY

THE CAUSES, THE STRUGGLES AND THE SOLUTION By bazaar staff

Like all of our senses, we take our hearing for granted until something goes wrong. Losing the sense of hearing can be terrifying, as we tend to rely on auditory input to go about our lives. If anything, our sense of hearing has been necessary to our survival as humans. We know not to cross the street if we can hear oncoming traffic even if we cannot see it. Additionally, people who are born with a hearing disability are required to navigate a world that was created by and designed for a hearing population, yet another massive challenge.

Porsche hosts one of the region’s largest car culture gatherings and attcts thousands of visit

Hassan’s Optician Company has been taking care of our eyes since 1951, however, did you know about their history of hearing care? This year they are celebrating 35 wonderful years of making sure that all our hearing needs are taken care of. In 1987, Hassan’s Optician introduced hearing aids to Kuwait and became the first company to represent the most advanced global companies that provided hearing aid technology and solutions. The different services and products offered by Hassan’s can help diagnose, treat or provide solutions to different hearing related problems, considering dealing with an invisible disability can be stressful and frustrating. Knowing that you have highly skilled and trained professionals on your side can make the journey easier. Who can check? Today, Hassan’s Hearing Care employs twenty-five professional in their hearing care centers including eight audiologist and hearing care specialists at your service as well as two engineers, four hearing aid lab technicians. Additionally, they offer patient counseling for hearing problems and can suggest the proper advice and solutions. Where do we go? There are four dedicated Hearing Care centers that perform screening Audiometric and Middle Ear Tests, as well as one Phonak certified 126

pediatric Hearing Aid center. The locations are all geographically located in Kuwait for easy access whenever the patient needs to visit. Who are Hassan’s Hearing Care partners? Hassan’s Hearing Care partners with the top hearing solution companies accompanied by the newest and most advanced technologies around the world: Phonak, Oticon & Starkey.

How will they check? Hassan’s Hearing Care has a wide range of different hearing instruments that will fit your needs and lifestyle. The team will also help with the proper fitting of hearing aids and mapping Cochlear Implants. Then they can verify the Hearing Aid’s fit using advanced verification equipment. You can also find wireless accessories that make your life easier. The center also services, repairs and

assembles all of your hearing instruments so you never have to worry if something breaks down. One of the many accomplishments known to Hassan’s Hearing Care is their success in being the first company in Kuwait to implement the 3D printing in their labs in full process; Scanning, Modeling and Printing. Fortunately, by doing so, they have reduced the time it takes to produce quality hearing aids with an increase in accuracy up to 99%! The success stories that we have received and continue receiving from our valuable patients is our motive and strive to keep pushing forward to deliver the best hearing care solutions in the market. Have you ever checked your hearing? The 3rd of March is World Hearing Day and it is the perfect reminder to book an appointment to check your hearing this year. Adding a hearing test to your annual preventative health screenings is just one of the ways you can make sure that you are not overlooking anything. Unfortunately, hearing loss is an invisible disability. Most of us will notice that our eyes are failing us quickly or that our knees are no longer as young and strong as they used to be. If we cannot hear, we might not notice until it is too late, so early screening is one way to avoid that. Our hearing is precious. We use this sense to listen to our loved ones and that alone is worth making sure we protect it.

To book an appointment call 180 6080 and follow @hassans_hearing_care for more information. 127

SMELL YA LATER

Why does COVID make us lose our sense of smell? A new study has answers By Ruth Reader

One of the most notorious symptoms of COVID-19 is the loss of taste and smell. There are varying estimates on just how many tongues and noses went out of business, but one study shows that as many as 1.6 million Americans lost their senses. Now a new study from researchers at Columbia University and New York University Langone Health, published in the journal Cell, finds that the culprit of this olfactory dysfunction may be our immune response to COVID-19. The new insight may help our understanding of how to treat long COVID. Previous research hypothesized that COVID-19 was infecting the receptors that send information about smell to the brain. “We took a close look at that and that definitely turned out not to be true,” says NYU Langone Health’s virologist Ben tenOever, one of the authors of the study. In tandem with researchers from Columbia University, who had studied autopsies of patients with COVID-19, tenOver conducted tests using hamsters to answer the question: why do you lose your sense of smell when you get COVID? What they found is that SARS-COV-2 infects cells that support neurons in the olfactor y system, called sustentacular cells. As those cells die from infection, they send out a massive amount of inflammator y molecules, also known as cytokines. “And those signals are basically pinging the olfactor y neurons,” says tenOever. What ultimately shuts down our ability to smell, he says, is the sheer amount of signaling. It over whelms the receptors for those neurons as well as the system that sends messages on behalf of those neurons. “The cells are there, but all of their constituents that make them work are all down for like three or four days,” he says. For most people (and hamsters), it can take two weeks for this inflammation to go down and for the body to return to a baseline state In another study that has yet to be accepted, tenOver and his colleagues looked at where else this effect might be happening in the brain. They found that the same inflammation that affects the olfactor y system also radiates deeper in the brain. That may explain the neurological issues, like brain fog, headaches, delirium, and problems sleeping that have been associated with COVID-19. But it doesn’t explain why these issues sometimes persist long after the virus has been evacuated. “Our neuronal system is designed to like learn and remember things,” says tenOever. Where human bodies are always tr ying to return to a baseline state, even when some sort of change knocks things out of whack, our brains are primed to learn and adapt. “So constant signaling that doesn’t go away eventually— for lack of a better a word —gets remembered,” he says. That sounds scar y, but knowing that sustained inflammation is leading to neurological

128

issues (rather than virus) may actually provide researchers and ultimately doctors with the information they need to understand how to treat long COVID. “The real value here is that, it would suggest that long COVID is probably best treated by just low-dose steroids that can

cross the blood brain barrier well; that tell your brain to go back down to baseline and all will be well,” says tenOever. “And those are the kind of studies we’re doing now.” Photo by Trude Jonsson Stangel on Unsplash.

Your healthy Pick! 22091190

pokepickkw Available on talabat and deliveroo

Part of Novo Foods Company

MORE MEATLESS MONDAYS

This simple theory of behavioral economics could convince humans to eat less meat By Clint Rainey

What we eat can have an outsized ill-effect on the planet. Food production is believed to contribute anywhere from 20% to 40% of Earth’s greenhouse gas emissions, but animal agriculture is responsible for twice as much pollution as plants. Food-industry disruptors argue that their crop of sexy new plant-based alternatives and lab-grown meats will fix this problem. Yet, despite a myriad of options (Beyond Meat pepperonis on Pizza Hut’s pies, Simulate Nuggs, the McDonald’s McPlant sandwich), Americans aren’t really adopting plant-based diets in droves just yet. The way their product sales are presented has, at times, given a false impression that they are—USA Today recently ran a stor y headlined “Restaurants saved 700K animals with plant-based offerings last year,” with no evidence those plant-based offerings actually displaced meat orders. Beyond Meat’s sales have slowed lately, but the bigger issue for this trend is it’s not zero-sum; alt-meat sales can grow, but meat sales don’t automatically shrink. (Measuring this displacement has actually proven quite challenging.) However, a new paper from the environmental group World Resources Institute suggests maybe there is one incredibly easy way to get diners to swap meat dishes for ones with plants, and it involves consumer messaging on restaurant menus. WRI’s researchers invited 6,000 meat-eaters to participate in a simulation where they would order food from a pretend restaurant’s online menu. The control group got the normal menu; ever ybody else got one of 10 prompts that gently “nudged” them to consider eating less meat, emphasizing how doing so could make them healthier and the planet more sustainable. They used what’s known in behavioral sciences as a “nudge inter vention.” Nudge theor y is built around the idea that positive reinforcement can influence a person’s decisionmaking. It’s been used in schools to improve student diets. (This 2020 paper found it helped get schoolkids to pick healthier lunches.) Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein wrote a 2008 book about it, called Nudge, that explains: “Nudges are not mandates. Nudges are not mandates. Putting fruit at eye level counts as a nudge. Banning junk food does not.” Building on all of this, WRI’s team hypothesized that by adding a simple, lowstakes message that encouraged customers to think greener as they debated what food to order, they could increase people’s selection of plant-based dishes. According to the paper, their hypothesis turned out to be right, and they report two messages in particular actually doubled the odds that a consumer would end up ordering a vegetarian menu item. 130

CMY

Message 1 falls under the theme “Small changes can make a big difference”: Message 2 goes under the theme “Join a movement of people”: The paper notes that the results were impressive: 25.4% of participants who were shown Message 1 picked a vegetarian dish, and 22.5% of those shown Message 2 picked a vegetarian dish, versus 12.4% in the control group. Cynics might describe these two consumer-messaging strategies as “guilttripping” and “peer-pressuring,” but to WRI the results support that “the use of social norms

works to positively influence consumers’ choices in a variety of domains, including dietar y choices.” The team adds that their next step is putting these climate messages on real restaurant menus, to measure the effect on actual hungr y customers. They write they feel optimistic that this “nudge” thing, if done as consumers are about to order, can prove to be “a promising, scalable strategy for encouraging more sustainable dietar y choices.” Photo by Alexandra Andersson on Unsplash.

CANE’S SAUCE IT Can’t Be described, only experienced.

CLICK & COLLECT NOW VIA

bazaar tries

IT’S NEVER TOO SOON TO TRY CHINA MOON We gathered to try out the newest Chinese delivery food concept in K-town, and we were not disappointed! By bazaar staff

It’s so easy to mess up a food delivery, especially when it comes to Chinese food. There’s truly nothing more awful than cold noodles, or room-temperature Kung Pao Chicken. This is why we were slightly apprehensive when the good folks at Novo Foods told us about their latest local concept conceived around delivering fresh, tasty Chinese food, China Moon. It’s been a while since we found a Chinese delivery spot that we can rely on to satisfy those Chow Mein cravings, but we marched bravely into the unknown and gave it a go. It was also Chinese New Year, and we really wanted to say hello to the year of the Tiger with confidence (we like any excuse to feast, too), so the bazaar team planned carefully for this office lunch. We knew we were going to order everything on the menu, and we almost did. We logged on to China Moon’s dedicated ordering platform (and you can always call up the call center for a friendly, personalized service), and we instantly fell in love with how easy it all was to order. Flavor profiles that are widely loved by local palates like Mongolian, Szechuan, Kindu, or Sweet and Sour are available in different protein varieties, so you could really satisfy the pickiest of eaters in your gathering. This variety means no more squabbles about what to order, especially when you’re in the mood for Sweet & Sour Shrimp and your partner wants chicken. Talk about saving marriages! Another thing we noticed about China Moon’s menu is that it brings together a medley of Asian-inspired flavors, so whether you are craving Singaporean noodles or you fancy yourself some heart-warming Tom Yum soup, it’s all there! Upon ordering on China Moon’s website, you can even track your order, which really worked for our hangry boss who kept refreshing the page every three minutes to see where our food was at. Within an hour, China Moon was here, and the bags were filled to the brim with delectable dishes, all piping hot! Saucier dishes were wrapped in cling film to avoid spills, and we loved the concept’s inviting signature white, red, and blue colors. Simple, cute, and the portions look more than generous. The cartons were all intact, nothing became soggy, and it all smelled so good. A promising start to the experience! From the starters, we opted for a spicy Tom Yum Soup, Spring Rolls, Shrimp on Toast, Dynamite Shrimp, and of course, Shrimp Gyoza. Immediately, we loved how all of the appetizers really popped with freshness. This comes down to the amazing quality of ingredients that China Moon chooses to incorporate in all of their dishes, but the real winner from all of the starters was the genius presentation of the Dynamite Shrimp. With the sauce separately packaged alongside crispy breaded shrimp, every bite 132

delivered on crunch and yumminess! We loved the dough on the gyoza, each dumpling plumply filled with deliciously flavored shrimp, enhanced with fragrant ginger and aromatic spices. Our shrimp fiesta with the appetizers (can you tell we were hungry?) ended with the Shrimp on Toast, with once again, visibly large and generous pieces of shrimp beautifully embracing the sesame oilladen toast, all with a healthy sprinkling of spring onions to make every bite wondrously textured. The real test came with the Tom Yum, as we were expecting more broth than vegetables, as with most delivery renditions. To our surprise, China Moon’s Tom Yum Soup was bursting with freshness, complete with fresh mushroom, cherry tomato, and fragrant lemongrass, and if you’re really hungry, you can order this soup with shrimp for more protein. Then came the main dishes, and we continued our feast with two orders of noodles and two orders of rice because we knew one type of carb was not going to be enough! We opted for two versions of spicy Szechuan, one eggplant, and one chicken, and boy did that Szechuan sauce SING! Its signature red color, marked by the use of red chillis, gorgeously enveloped tender pieces of chicken, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions, and the Eggplant version also has green peppers. Believe it or not, we actually preferred the Eggplant version, which went beautifully with the Veggie fried rice. The beef lovers on the team really did a number on the Mongolian Beef, simply presented with sesame and spring onions. The deep flavors of the sauce went really well with both noodles and rice, or so am I told. I was a little late to the party by the time I got to taste this dish. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of Sweet & Sour, it is a signature flavor renowned in Cantonese cooking. You get a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and sourness and the pairing works so well with seafood, but also chicken! For our China Moon order, I opted for Shrimp in this dish, and I wasn’t disappointed. Prepped with real pineapple chunks, bell peppers, red onions, and carrots, this dish was super filling. As mentioned earlier, you can flexibly choose any protein you prefer at China Moon, feel free to enjoy this dish how you prefer. [Continued...]

133

bazaar tries

For those of you who fancy spicier Chinese dishes, then the Kung Pao is for you. Cooked with peanuts, bell peppers, whole pieces of dry chili (which looked so innocently small and cute), and spring onions, I will only give you fair warning. Tread lightly when biting on those chilis as they are super spicy! This dish was a true zinger, to say the least. Also on China Moon’s menu are amazing offerings like Orange Chicken, Crispy Lemon Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Kindo, and Manchurian offerings. All of which have been neatly noted to be ordered the next time the mood calls for Chinese (which is usually, every Wednesday at this bazaar office, just in case our pals at Novo Foods are reading this). We know that some people prefer to order fried rice and call it a day, and you know what, the Fried Rice at China Moon is so flavorful and filling, that you might not want to add any protein to it! But you can choose beef, chicken or shrimp, to add if you’re looking to make it a complete, hearty, meal. If you fancy more spice in your rice, then surely order the Thai Rice. We really enjoyed the fresh ginger, whole basil leaves, and the spicy Thai sauce that came with it. While we ordered our plain so we add different proteins from our main dishes to it, you can definitely make this your main meal by choosing your preferred protein as well. On the menu, we also spotted Garlic Rice (a staple in my house every time we order Chinese) which I will be definitely trying out next time. Noodle lovers will not be disappointed with the Chow Mein, as the noodles arrived crispy, the texture of each bite was on point, and it was really chock-full of mixed vegetables. The Singapore Noodles, prepared with rice noodles, fresh vegetables that were still crunchy (yum!) are also a strong contender here. I have to admit, I was missing the protein in this noodle dish, and made a note to the team to definitely add protein to it the next time we ordered from China Moon. In conclusion, our tummies were extremely happy with everything we tried. It was really hard to fault the dishes we tried, and while we did have minimal leftovers (which tasted even better the next day), we cannot recommend this local concept enough. Get your China Moon fix and order via the website www.chinamoonkw.com or the dedicated call Center: 22091190, and follow @Chinamoonkwt on Instagram for their latest updates! 134

[...Continued]

LISTEN

These are the mistakes people make when listening, according to a forensic interviewer By Stephanie Vozza

Listening is hard work. It’s a skill that doesn’t always come naturally. The human brain is wired for survival, which means we’re more focused on ourselves than others. But, if you want to build good relationships, hire the right people, and solve problems, you’ll need to improve your listening skills, says Michael Reddington, author of The Disciplined Listening Method: How a Certified Forensic Interviewer Unlocks Hidden Value in Every Conversation. When it comes to listening, he says there are common mistakes most people make.

Falling prey to your biases When entering a conversation, people match their listening effort to the expectations they carr y into the exchange, says Reddington. “If I think a conversation is going to be a waste of time, if I think somebody doesn’t have any value to offer, or—maybe the worst—if I think I know how this conversation is going to end before it even starts, then I’m not going to be into it at the level I’m capable of,” he says. By downgrading the conversation, a lot of information gets missed or dismissed. Succumbing to distractions Distractions and biases often go hand in hand, adds Reddington. “Our brains are wired to listen for information that confirms what we already think and believe and disregard information that contradicts what we think and believe,” he says. “I can be ignoring the other person while reinforcing my emotions and biases. And unfortunately, I will likely trick myself into thinking that I listen to you, because I heard just enough of what you’re saying to think I got the message, when I really didn’t.” 136

Change your mindset While it sounds like some conversations are doomed from the start, it’s possible to override your tendencies by redefining the goal of a conversation. For example, if you’ve given an employee direction and they fail to follow through, you might go into a conversation thinking, “This person needs to understand how upset I am and how important it is for them to listen. They need to realize the effect that their behavior is having on the company, and the consequences if they don’t change.” Focusing on the long-term benefits allows you to take a different mindset into the conversation. Instead of focusing on imposing your viewpoint or emotions, you can go into the conversation focused on achieving the long-term goal. This approach will change how you listen to the other person. Leverage remote working to improve your listening The good news is that now is the best time to work on your listening skills. With remote working arrangements, you get to reduce the variables, says Reddington.

“If you were having a conversation in a coffee shop and were trying to be in tune to the totality of each other’s communication, you would be trying to evaluate all of the nonverbal body language, all of the verbal communication, while trying to be cognizant of your own choice and body language,” he says. “Plus, you’d be trying to keep track of everything going on around you.” When you’re on a call or virtual meetings, you can be far less worried about your own nonverbal behavior and you have to throw away most of the behaviors of the other person, because you don’t have context, seeing what’s going on around them. “Just focus on the verbal delivery, word choice, the speed and tone of voice, and pauses,” says Reddington. “You should be much more in tune and do a much better job listening. As long as you can limit the distractions on your end, this should be an opportunity for improving your listening.”

Photo by Franco Antonio Giovanella on Unsplash.

CLIMATE DAMAGE CONTROL

3 possibilities for our climate-ravaged future—and the solutions that could prevent the worst By Talib Visram

Unprecedented floods in Germany. Prolonged droughts in Kenya. Raging infernos in Siberia. The frightening acceleration of extreme weather catastrophes is an ever-more-tangible sign that all is not okay with the Earth.

But conditions could still get much worse. As part of the Paris climate accord, a coalition of 196 nations agreed to strive to keep carbon emissions low enough so as not to raise the Earth’s temperature by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. But a United Nations report released just before last year’s COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland, suggested that the Earth is currently on a pathway to warm by 2.7 degrees by 2100. It can be hard to translate those raw numbers into reality. So on today’s brand-new episode of the World Changing Ideas podcast, Kim Cobb, a leading climate scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, helps us visualize three different scenarios of our future world. If we keep emissions low enough to reach the 1.5-degree target, there will still be much damage: The sea level may rise by up to 2.5 feet, and coral reefs may decline by 70% to 90%. But at 2 degrees, those reefs will likely decline by 99%, while heat waves will occur 14 times more often, and the Arctic Ocean will potentially lose its ice 138

in the summertime. At 3 degrees—a worst-case scenario—cities from Shanghai to Miami could flood, the Amazon rainforest may not survive, and the extreme heat and humidity may make the world simply unlivable for human bodies. So, while abstract promises to limit that warming are a start, they’re not enough. “We don’t need pledges, we need plans,” Cobb says. “And where we have plans, we need action.” The responsibility of that action will have to be shared across sectors and industries. Fast Company senior editor Morgan Clendaniel joins us on the episode to assess the outlook. “I think the key phrase about fixing the climate is that everything is necessary, but not sufficient,” he says. “There is a place for all of us, and every sector, to be making a difference here.” And there are a lot of things we can do. As bleak as the horizon may look—and as this episode starts—we’re setting the scene for what’s to come on this brand-new season of World Changing Ideas dedicated to climate solutions. We’ll be

showcasing the most creative ideas to help us beat climate change, the cutting-edge climate tech that is building a new, clean economy. Though valuable, we won’t just be discussing the ideas you already know about, like solar farms and carbon credits. We’ll be talking to innovators and entrepreneurs about microorganisms that eat methane and turn it into a substance that mimics plastic, and a company that’s revolutionizing the petrochemical industry by converting corn syrup into our everyday chemicals through a carbonnegative process. We’ll talk electric trucks, plasticfree cleaning supplies, and robots that help bees pollinate. We’ll show what can be done and, crucially, what’s already happening. Urgency is key, because we’re running out of time. “There’s an amazing set of low-hanging fruit and win-win strategies,” Cobb says. “[But] we obviously have to get going. We’ve squandered so much time already.” Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.

SAY HELLO TO THE FALAFEL SHACK!

SHAKE SHACK RELEASES ITS VERY OWN FALAFEL-INSPIRED BURGER, AND IT’S DELICIOUS! By bazaar staff

Porsche hosts one of the region’s largest car culture gatherings and attracts thousands of visi

140

Tapping into the regional culinary palate’s favorite flavors, the Falafel Shack by Shake Shack is a brand-new, exclusive offering for the Middle East, and it’s delicious! It’s a celebration of everything we love about a good falafel, from the fresh vegetables that bring out the flavor of the falafel patty itself to the creamy sauces that make every single bite absolutely mouthwatering. The best part? It’s available across all Shacks in Kuwait! The Falafel Shack is cleverly constructed to bring us our favorite flavors from the region in one decadent sandwich. The new vegetarian offering that is now available on Shake Shack’s menu includes a crisp, falafel patty, freshly sliced cucumbers for that deliciously extra crunch, lightly pickled red cabbage for a tangy twist, a rich Labneh-herb sauce for added pizzazz and finally, a spicy tahini sauce to bring it all together. As someone who strictly adheres to their very own family tradition of Falafel Fridays, I have tried many falafels in my day, from small, eat-it-by-thedozen style falafels to supersized massive ones, I love all renditions of the humble but mighty falafel. But I can also most definitely say that the star of any falafel sandwich has to begin with the falafel itself, and there’s a trick to creating the perfect falafel. From the size and texture, to the spices, it is really a matter of balance to ensure that the falafel remains the hero of the sandwich. And Shake Shack delivered on this promise. Focusing on using premium quality ingredients to recreate the authentic flavor that is widely loved in the Middle East, Shake Shack’s Falafel patty is packed full of moreish and healthy chickpeas, fresh herbs, lemon juice and just the slightest touch of green chili for a nice kick. We could also taste the familiar spices we love in a falafel so much, like coriander, cumin and chili, without the spices overwhelming the balance of the whole sandwich. When combined with the freshness of the cucumber, along with the pickled red cabbage, every mouthful of this sandwich is pure joy. The Labneh sauce on top though is so good, we wished we could order it on its own! It’s prepared using a creamy, rich Labneh, freshly chopped aromatic dill and parsley, lemon juice, sumac, thyme (za’atar), and a touch of olive oil to bring it all together. The Labneh sauce, along with the spicy

tahini, are super successful pairings for the filling falafel patty, and when combined with the light vegetables, all nestled in Shack Shack’s signature bun, the result is a scrumptious medley of flavors that work together perfectly. Does the Falafel Shack pass the falafel loving local palate taste test? Of course it does! It’s nice to know that our favorite burger joint is paying attention to customer’s wants and needs, making your nearest Shack the ultimate destination for not only your next burger fix, but also fulfilling those Falafel Friday cravings, too. Double win! Just remember to order some Shack fries to complete your experience.

While you’re there, make sure you pair your Falafel Shack with their latest refreshing Lemonade flavor: Strawberry! Indulge even more and try out the Chocolate Chip Red Velvet Shake. We promise you that you will be able to even taste teeny tiny chunks of delicious red velvet cake in this milkshake, it’s that good.

Visit your nearest Shack today to try the Falafel Shack. You can also visit www.shakeshack.me for ordering ahead and picking up from the Shack or get your Shack fix at home with delivery through Talabat and Deliveroo. Keep up to date by following @shakeshackme on Facebook and Instagram. 141

bazaar techno

BENQ X1300I 4LED GAMING PROJECTOR

TONAL

TEMPO MOVE

BRIL

The most immersive gaming projector needs instant game modes, auditory impact, and complete command with industry-best input lag for smooth victories in any gaming genre. X1300i is purpose built for extended entertainment with Android TV for live content streaming. Longlasting LED light promotes consistent, vibrant color, and the sleek design complements any gaming den. Fully experience both the subtlety and intensity of the virtual world. As you explore a ruinous building rich in captivating detail, let powerful orchestral music with crisp strings and resounding bass guide you through the whole adventure in the medieval era.

Powered by 3D Tempo Vision, Tempo Move offers real-time feedback and turns your living space into a home gym. Requires a TV and select iPhones. Like a personal trainer, Tempo guides you through workouts offering feedback on your form, rep targets, and tells you when it’s time to move up to the next level. With better training, you’ll see more progress. Tempo tracks your performance, then tailors your training plan as you improve. 3D Tempo Vision scans and recognizes Tempo’s smart weights for accurate tracking, rep counting, and guidance.

Forget plates, barbells, and bands. Tonal uses revolutionary dynamic weight that adjusts to your every move, delivering personalized workouts to help you be your strongest self. Get an entire gym and personal trainer in your home. Your Tonal experience begins with a quick evaluation, so it knows precisely how strong you are. From there, Tonal tailors every workout so you can lift more effectively. Get detailed performance analytics that track your strength by body part to help you reach your goals faster.

Did you know? Your toothbrush likely has 100 million nasty germs crawling all over it right now! That’s where Bril comes in. Bril is a portable toothbrush case that uses natural UV light to kill germs on the head of your toothbrush – protecting you and your family from germs, viruses and harmful bacteria. Bril is strongly recommended for adults, kids, seniors, or anyone that wants a happier, healthier smile. Bril uses the same UV sterilizing technology trusted by hospitals & the International Space Station! The UV light from Bril kills germs on a molecular level by destroying their DNA. This proven technique is widely used in professional settings to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.

Source: bestproducts.com 142

DYSON PURIFIER HUMIDIFY+COOL FORMALDEHYDE

The 3-in-1 Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde combines intelligent sensing with an advanced filtration and humidification system to purify, humidify, and cool you. Three phases of purification sit within a fully sealed filtration and airflow system. So what goes inside, stays inside. A solid-state formaldehyde sensor and a unique catalytic filter detect and continuously destroy formaldehyde¹, an activated carbon filter removes gases and odors and a HEPA filter captures 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns in size. Then powerful Air Multiplier technology projects purified, hygienically humidified air throughout the room. For a healthier, more comfortable environment.

SLEEP NUMBER 360

In addition to providing personalized adjustments for effortless comfort, the NEW Sleep Number 360 smart bed features advanced multi-sensor technology that can monitor your overall health and wellness and detect potential sleep barriers, along with future health risks, all from the comfort of home. Sleeping at the right temperature is essential for restful, quality sleep. The NEW Sleep Number 360® smart bed will actively manage body temperature on each side of the bed, cooling or heating to maintain your ideal microclimate. So you both stay comfortable all night long. The NEW Sleep Number 360® smart bed can tilt to a gentle slope position while maintaining proper spinal alignment.

Delicious & Healthy Antibiotics free & rich in Omega 3

oceanspride.me

bazaar movie night March Movies

THE BATMAN

SHATTERED

TURNING RED

OPERATION FORTUNE

THE BAD GUYS

THE LOST CITY

Release Date: 3 March Genre: Action, Crime Cast: Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano Synopsis: In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.

Release Date: 17 March Genre: Action, Thriller Cast: Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett Synopsis: MI6 agent Orson Fortune and his team of operatives recruit one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars to help them on an undercover mission when the sale of a deadly new weapons technology threatens to disrupt the world order.

Release Date: 10 March Genre: Thriller Cast: Cameron Monaghan, Frank Grillo, Lilly Krug Synopsis: A rich divorcee Chris falls in love with a mysterious woman Sky where Chris, exwife and his child eventually gets trapped and a desperate fight for survival will most likely ensue.

Release Date: 17 March Genre: Animation, Adventure Cast: Sam Rockwell ,Anthony Ramos Synopsis: Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark and Ms. Tarantula hatch a plot to pull off the ultimate heist.

Source: cinescape.com.kw 144

Release Date: 10 March Genre: Animation, Adventure Cast: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh Synopsis: A 13-year-old girl named Mei Lee turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited.

Release Date: 24 March Genre: Action, Adventure Cast: Sandra Bullock, Daniel Radcliffe, Brad Pitt Synopsis: A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure.

ACQUA EVA GETS A FACELIFT New look, same spring By bazaar staff

We are creatures of habit and once we have found something we like we’re never letting go, especially when it comes to choices that nourish us and keep us healthy. We’ve been reaching for the Acqua Eva water bottles since they arrived on the shores of Kuwait. On our last trip to the supermarket, we almost couldn’t find our favorite bottled Mineral Water, until we realized that the brand had received a gorgeous, sleek facelift.

The new labels, logo and cartons stayed true to the brand colors and styles but now feel more modern and premium, just like the fabulous water that quenches our thirst and keeps our bodies hydrated. Acqua Eva’s packaging has always been

146

designed to satisfy global standards and consumer demands. The bottle still has the stable square base and the easy grip form factor, a dramatically different bottle shape compared to others on the market.

All portable water looks the same, but Acqua Eva’s chemical composition is quite unique and considered a breakthrough in the bottled water industry. It is extremely low in sodium – 0.32 mg/ltr – which helps prevent water retention and

improves kidney function. If you’ve never suffered from water retention, consider yourself very lucky, those of us who do not know what it is like waking up to our own puffy face and extra weight. Looks aside, a low sodium diet is also tied to other health benefits. Since blood pressure normally increases with age, limiting sodium intake becomes even more important as years pass. High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) forces the heart to work harder and can damage blood vessels and organs, thus increasing the risk of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. A low sodium diet can help to lower and maintain blood pressure within normal values, thus helping to reduce the risk of developing the diseases mentioned above. Additionally, Acqua Eva is microbiologically pure with a “total dissolved solids’’ level of 49.0 mg/ltr. The low number can be attributed to the source, the highest natural spring in Europe, the Monviso peaks – 2,042m above sea level. The Monviso mountain itself was awarded the UNESCO recognition of “Biosphere Reserve” for its pristine purity and sustainable development of the territory in 2013. The 100% natural water arrives on your table pure and genuine, as it flows from its source, in a protected and uncontaminated alpine aquifer. It is so pure that it is even safe to use for babies. Due to its distinctive characteristics, including the absence of chemical and bacteriological contaminants, constant chemical composition, low degree of mineralisation, low sodium and nitrate content, Acqua Eva has been recognized by the Italian Ministry of Health as water indicated for the preparation of infants foods. The award has propelled Acqua Eva’s steadfast commitment to preserve the environment and has been doing so by reducing the amount of plastic used for its bottles while keeping them as strong and stable as ever. The bottling plant is located in a beautifully renovated old spinning mill near the village of Paesana, which subtly blends into the surrounding landscape. Renewable energy sources are also used during the production process to reduce the company’s carbon dioxide emissions.

You can find Acqua Eva in supermarkets, co-ops, restaurants and roomserviceq8.com. For more information and great health tips, follow @acquaevamiddleeast. 147

bazaar Apps

MARIGOLD

WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

SHE’S WELL

SPEED CLEANER PRO

TERRARIUM: GARDEN IDLE

SAFEUP

Marigold helps women live more confident lives. Get unlimited access to exclusive audio sessions from expert confidence coaches. Find the perfect sessions just for you, and build confidence in your relationships, at work, with your body image, and more.

She’s Well is the app for Mindfulness, Nutrition, Activity, and Sleep, specialized for women. Join thousands of women experiencing better wellbeing, sleep, lower stress, and less anxiety with our guided mindfulness programs, meditation, yoga, stretching exercises, relaxing music and recipes to improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Try the most relaxing crop idle game: discover, collect, and grow lovely plants to increase your oxygen income and expand your garden! Let’s relax in this chill and cute mobile/idle game. You will see it’s the perfect new way to rest, get calm and Zen without going to yoga!

Would You Rather Choose is a great party game to play with a group of friends. If you are feeling adventurous you can play adult mode which contains dirty questions. Hundreds of difficult Would You Rather clean and dirty questions await for your friends and family! Can you answer them all?

Do you want to make your phone run faster, increase battery life, stop receiving annoying messages? Speed Cleaner Pro will solve all these problems. Optimize your mobile by removing junk files and boosting speed. Speed Cleaner Pro is a very effective tool to optimize the performance of your mobile, to free up available space and to block unwanted messages that will make it work better.

An instant sense of safety. Open the app and get a 24/7 vision of your community. The home screen shows you all your nearby guardians. Feel safe knowing that your guardians are available near you whenever you need them.

play.google.com itunes.apple.com 148

bazaar music

March MUSIC We’re not sure if International Women’s Day or Month is worth celebrating yet, since there are still so many injustices and challenges that half the global population still must deal with. But what we do know is that we can celebrate the female musicians that have been creating empowering music that will keep us going until we can fully celebrate.

Title: Quiet Artist: MILCK Release date: 2017

Title: Respect Artist: Aretha Franklin Release date: 1965

Title: You Don’t Own Me Artist: Lesley Gore Release date: 1963

MILCK wrote “Quiet” with her co-writer Adrianne “AG” Gonzalez in 2015. While the song draws on the artist’s adolescent experiences of domestic violence, depression, and anorexia, it was inspired by “a nightmare in which she was being assaulted and a bystander in her dream told her she just had to stay quiet until it was over.” The lyrical structure of the song breaks with the most common pop music song structure, taking the form of verse, pre-chorus, chorus, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus.

“Respect” is a song written and originally recorded by American soul singer Otis Redding. In 1967, fellow soul singer Aretha Franklin covered and rearranged “Respect”, resulting in a bigger hit and her signature song. The music in the two versions is significantly different, while a few changes in the lyrics resulted in different narratives around the theme of human dignity that have been interpreted as commentaries on traditional gender roles. Franklin’s interpretation became an anthem for the feminist movement in the 1970s.

“You Don’t Own Me” is a popular song written by Philadelphia songwriters John Madara and David White and recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963, when Gore was 17 years old. The song expresses emancipation, as the singer tells a lover that he does not own her, that he isn’t to tell her what to do or what to say, and that he is not to put her on display. The song’s lyrics became an inspiration for younger women and are sometimes cited as a factor in the second wave feminist movement.

Title: I’m Every Woman Artist: Chaka Khan Release date: 1978

Title: Independent Women Artist: Destiny’s Child Release date: 2000

Title: Run the World Artist: Beyoncé Release date: 2010

“I’m Every Woman” is the debut solo single by American singer Chaka Khan from her debut solo studio album Chaka. It was Khan’s first hit outside her recordings with the funk band Rufus. “I’m Every Woman” was produced by Arif Mardin and written by the successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The single established Chaka’s career outside the group Rufus, whom she would leave after their eighth studio album Masterjam was released in late 1979.

“Independent Women Part I” is a song by American girl group Destiny’s Child. It was written and produced by production duo Poke & Tone, consisting of Samuel Barnes and JeanClaude Olivier, along with Cory Rooney, and group member Beyoncé Knowles. The song first appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film adaptation of Charlie’s Angels, serving as its lead single, and was later included on the group’s third studio album, Survivor .

“Run the World (Girls)” is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé, from her fourth studio album 4, released as the lead single from the album on April 21, 2011. The song’s development was motivated by Beyoncé wanting to do something different: a mixture of different cultures and eras, a new sound, and a message which would give women strength.

Sources: wikipedia.com 150

bazaar books

ALL MY RAGE

THIS IS HOW YOUR MARRIAGE ENDS: A HOPEFUL APPROACH TO SAVING RELATIONSHIPS

by Sabira Tahir, Young Adult

by Mathew Fray Prose, Non-Fiction

Lahore, Pakistan. Then. Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Clouds’ Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start. Juniper, California. Now. Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding. Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding the fact that she’s applying to college so she can escape him—and Juniper—forever.

PEACH BLOSSON SPRING

One night during his divorce, a call with a phonein-therapist who told him to “journal his feelings” Matthew Fray started a blog. He needed to figure out how his ex-wife went from the eighteen-yearold college freshman who adored him to the angry woman who thought he was an asshole and left him. As he pieced together the story of his marriage and its end, Matthew began to realize a hard truth: even though he was a decent guy, he was a bad husband. Filtered through the lens of his own surprising, life-changing experience and his years counseling couples, This Is How Your Marriage Ends exposes the root problem of so many relationships that go wrong. We simply haven’t been taught any of the necessary skills, Matthew explains. In fact, it is sometimes the assumption that we are acting on good intentions that causes us to alienate our partners and foment mistrust.

THE RESTING PLACE

By Melissa Fu, Genre Fiction

By Camilla Sten, Thriller

Eleanor lives with prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize a familiar person’s face. It causes stress. Acute anxiety. It can make you question what you think you know. When Eleanor walked in on the scene of her capriciously cruel grandmother, Vivianne’s, murder, she came face to face with the killer―a maddening expression that means nothing to someone like her. With each passing day, the horror of having come so close to a murderer―and not knowing if they’d be back―overtakes both her dreams and her waking moments, thwarting her perception of reality. Then a lawyer calls. Vivianne has left her a house―a looming estate tucked away in the Swedish woods. The place her grandfather died, suddenly. A place that has housed a chilling past for over fifty years. Eleanor. Her steadfast boyfriend, Sebastian. Her reckless aunt, Veronika. The lawyer. All will go to this house of secrets, looking for answers. But as they get closer to uncovering the truth, they’ll wish they had never come to disturb what rests there.

It is 1938 in China and, as a young wife, Meilin’s future is bright. But with the Japanese army approaching, Meilin and her four year old son, Renshu, are forced to flee their home. Relying on little but their wits and a beautifully illustrated hand scroll, filled with ancient fables that offer solace and wisdom, they must travel through a ravaged country, seeking refuge. Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. Though his daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, he refuses to talk about his childhood. How can he keep his family safe in this new land when the weight of his history threatens to drag them down? Yet how can Lily learn who she is if she can never know her family’s story? Spanning continents and generations, Peach Blossom Spring is a bold and moving look at the history of modern China, told through the story of one family. It’s about the power of our past, the hope for a better future, and the haunting question: What would it mean to finally be home?

FRENCH BRAID

NINE LIVES

By Anne Tyler, Fiction

By Peter Swanson, Mystery

The Garretts take their first and last family vacation in the summer of 1959. They hardly ever leave home, but in some ways they have never been farther apart. Mercy has trouble resisting the siren call of her aspirations to be a painter, which means less time keeping house for her husband, Robin. Their teenage daughters, steady Alice and boycrazy Lily, could not have less in common. Their youngest, David, is already intent on escaping his family’s orbit, for reasons none of them understand. Yet, as these lives advance across decades, the Garretts’ influences on one another ripple ineffably but unmistakably through each generation. Full of heartbreak and hilarity, French Braid is classic Anne Tyler: a stirring, uncannily insightful novel of tremendous warmth and humor that illuminates the kindnesses and cruelties of our daily lives, the impossibility of breaking free from those who love us, and how close—yet how unknowable—every family is to itself.

152

Source: Goodreads.com

Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke—until very, very bad things begin happening to people on the list. First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common? Their professions range from oncology nurse to aspiring actor, and they’re located all over the country. So why are they all on the list, and who sent it? FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next…

bazaar around town THE RACING-INSPIRED HILUX GR SPORT WILL TAKE YOU ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE The Toyota Hilux is one of the legends of the Dakar Rally and a past outright winner of the world’s toughest race. The success TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has achieved in this extreme competition has inspired the creation of the Hilux GR SPORT, the new pinnacle of the Hilux pick-up range. The Hilux GR SPORT is designed to capture the attention of customers whose active lifestyles go well beyond the everyday, giving them an ideal vehicle for adventurous journeys and sporting pursuits. Toyota has introduced dedicated suspension enhancements to deliver an even more rewarding driving experience, with increased control, responsiveness and grip feel. A series of exclusive exterior and interior design features reinforce the vehicle’s appeal. The GR SPORT also benefits from the significant advances already introduced in the new Hilux, delivering the best driving experience yet. Its world-famous “go anywhere” off-road capabilities have reached new heights, aided by an automatic limited-slip differential and Active Traction Control. At the same time, exemplary handling and comfort in on-road driving has been secured with suspension upgrades and noise and vibration countermeasures. Want to find out what it feels like behind the Hilux GR SPORT’s wheel? Visit toyota.com.kw, call 1803803, or follow @toyotakw on Instagram.

OSN EXPANDS ITS SLATE OF NBCUNIVERSAL TITLES OSN, the region’s leading entertainment hub, today announced that it will exclusively premiere more premium NBCUniversal (NBCU) TV series and films in 2022 than ever before. The hit Peacock Original comedy starring Will Forte, MacGruber, already launched on OSN in December. Soon, OSN subscribers will have first access in the region to additional Peacock Originals, including the highly awaited Bel-Air. This one-hour series, executive produced by Will Smith and inspired by Morgan Cooper’s viral trailer, is a dramatic re-imagining of the beloved sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and is a new take on Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. Other much anticipated Peacock titles produced by Universal Studio Group that will be available on OSN in 2022 include the critically acclaimed comedy series We Are Lady Parts; the new drama Angelyne, starring Emmy Rossum (Shameless) as the titular character; as well as JOE vs CAROLE, a limited drama series based on the Wondery podcast “Joe Exotic: Tiger King,” hosted and reported by Robert Moor, that centers around big cat enthusiast Carole Baskin (Kate McKinnon – Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters) and fellow exotic animal lover Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel (John Cameron Mitchell – Girls, Hedwig and the Angry Inch). Stellar Sky Studios titles that OSN subscribers will have access to include I Hate Suzie, the bold dramedy starring BAFTA nominee Billie Piper (Collateral, Doctor Who) who co-created the series with Emmy® winner and critically acclaimed writer Lucy Prebble (Succession, Enron); sci-fi adventure series Intergalactic; and Robert Harris’ Fear Index starring Josh Hartnett. 2022 will also see the launch of the much anticipated second season of epic crime drama series Gangs of London. All series and movies will be available first in the region to OSN customers across the streaming app and channels. With hundreds of hours of exclusive content that appeals to the entire family, subscribers can immerse themselves into new worlds with the latest cinema releases, the latest Hollywood blockbusters, series, OSN Originals and enjoy the ease of entertainment anytime and anywhere with the OSN Streaming app. Visit www.osn.com to find out more and to subscribe today. LYNK&CO BRINGS A NEW BREED OF EUROPEAN AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY TO KUWAIT Lynk&Co was launched in Berlin in 2016. Lynk&Co is a new premium auto brand created for the new generation of open urbanites. The world is rapidly changing and today’s driver has a new set of needs and wants from their ride. Lynk&Co’s development is the comprehensive expression of advanced technologies beginning with European styling and design to fulfil the needs of city-dwelling drivers. Lynk&Co is a new brand in the car industry, but not just a new car brand. The brand was born global, open, and connected from the moment of its inception. With a global view, the brand wants to build an open platform connecting people, cars and the world. As the first model of Lynk&Co, Lynk&Co’s 01 adopts the unique design philosophy called “Mega-City Contrast” to lead the global aesthetics and urban fashion. It presents the brand mission of “Changing Mobility Forever”, which shall bring Lynk&Co’s exclusive sense of value to the end-user on product experience. Check out Lynk&Co’s instagram page @lynkco_kw, or visit www.al-zayani.com/lynkco/

154

bazaar scopes

that had been around you in a ver y quiet way could come for ward into your life, this could cause you agitation as lessons and responsibilities are ver y much in the picture.

VIRGO AUG 23 – SEP 22

PISCES FEB 19 – MAR 19

You could find yourself this month changing your mind in many circumstances but you probably will be keeping it to yourself. Confusion about past experiences could be reflected in your personal income and values and this will have to be reconciled through the help from your and your partner’s shared resources. This could also bring hard lessons for you and some worries in spite of the opportunity to improve your money area.

ARIES MAR 20 – APR 19 Your area of friends is ver y much in the spotlight this month. Changes in plans made with activities connected with friends could appear from nowhere but if you put your mind to this it will not cause you many troubles and it could rebound for the better. A strong desire to take a faraway trip could be felt by you and it could be made a reality if you could balance this with your personal responsibilities.

TAURUS APR 20 – MAY 20 The keynote for you this month is on your area of career, promotion, and new direction in life, monetar y reward from partnership or inheritance also could be featured. Opportunity to reap from outside sources of income could be featured, but agitation concerning changes in this area could be overinflated. A friend or acquaintance could be the bearer of much news that could help you to sort out this confusion.

GEMINI MAY 21 – JUN 21 The possibility of traveling could come to you from nowhere that could be connected to circumstances surrounding an older friend; a pleasant situation could be also attached to this. Find out ever ything before you put your hand in your pocket. You have a lot to learn concerning your shared values and emotions could be in the way; do not rush into anything as your nature could betray you.

CANCER JUN 22 – JUL 22 You could be giving a lot of thought to ver y unexpected circumstances surrounding your area of shared income. Slow changes in your work area could be triggering this matter. Your work area seems to be surrounded by ver y harmonious happenings and your sense of responsibility should be ver y much at the forefront. Worries concerning opportunities to improve your career status could be bothering you.

LEO JUL 23 – AUG 22 The spotlight this month is on your area of marriage and partnerships, surprising developments coming from far away could be happening in this area. Your mind could be going a mile a minute and you could be changing your mind in a matter related to this area of your life. Someone 156

Unexpected developments at work could find you change your mind ver y rapidly a few times. Insecurity connected to the opportunity of a lucrative enterprise will be calling for negotiations. Harmony should prevail at your home front and the need to be cautious on shared financial matters could be present; this could cause you some preoccupation reflected as a learning experience connected to your sense of responsibility.

LIBRA SEP 23 – OCT 22 Social activities are in the limelight for you this month. A possibility of taking a short trip could be featured. This could come to you in an unexpected manner, responsibility with mate or partner will have to be worked out before you could take this trip; this could come to reality on or after the 15th of this month. Opportunity to mend a situation in a past experience could appear, as lines of communication are open in a ver y harmonious way. Adjustments should be made.

SCORPIO OCT 23 – NOV 22 Your home affairs are ver y much in the spotlight this month, this is ver y much favorably connected to all the ver y slow changes that have been occurring in reference to your personal resources. Talk about possible changes of residence that could be present. An opportunity at work to increase your income could be coming your way this month. A superior could be looking at you in a ver y favorable way, but just remember that all these experiences are attached to learning.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 - DEC 21 The keynote for you this month is on your area of communications. Unexpected news connected to an old investment could be reaching you that could prompt a decision on your part. Looking carefully at the pros and cons could give you a better understanding of the situation and you might find that this looks better than anticipated — avoid any rash decision. This is connected to an experience that you have in the past that caused you and still is causing lots of agitation.

CAPRICORN DEC 22 – JAN 19 You could find yourself this month of march dealing with expenses concerning your home base and making too fast decisions that you could regret. A slower pace of thinking throughout any situation will be the best course. Ever yone deser ves a break now and then. Reconciling past responsibilities with the future with mate or partner could be worked out once you two decide where you both wish to head at in your life. The emotional need to move for ward is necessar y. responsibility.

AQUARIUS JAN 20 – FEB 18 This month could bring you a fast pace connected to your friends. You could be meeting new people but beware of some misguided information that could emanate from this. A learning experience could be received by you that could cause you unfounded worries, though love and understanding on your part could mitigate any wrongdoing. You could be feeling somehow confused about your role in the past and what is expected from you in the present; lots of communication could be ver y enlightening to you. Source: wisehoroscope.org

#10_Year_Holiday

For more information, please call Ahlan Ahli 1 899 899 or visit eahli.com

Scan here

Simpler Banking

2108104753

• KD5,000 monthly salary for 10 years - the grand prize that allows you to take a 10-year holiday • KD10,000 weekly - Kuwait’s biggest weekly prize

Open an Alfouz draw account for an opportunity to win:

Terms & Conditions apply

TAKE A 10-YEAR HOLIDAY WITH ABK’S ALFOUZ DRAW ACCOUNT

Designed with thoughtful, timeless details and made for gathering