CityPages February 2016

MAGAZINE ISSUE No.

74

FEBRUARY 2016

issuu.com/citypageskuwait Scan this QR code with your smart phone /tablet and enjoy reading CityPages. To read it on your computer, simply visit the web link above.

Fawaz Al-Asad

On a mission to provide the best aesthetic care in Kuwait.

pinterest.com/citypagesmag

Scan this QR code with your smart phone /tablet and enjoy reading and sharing slective pages from this issue of CityPages.

To read it on your computer, simply visit the web link above.

LIFESTYLE / PEOPLE / EVENTS / FASHION

‫أحدث تقنية إلعادة إحياء الشعر‬ ‫ بالكافيار‬BTX ‫بالبالزما و‬ Art Style

Al Anadel

:‫تجدونه لدى الصالونات التالية‬ Jleeb Al Shuyoukh

24311020

Bneid Al Gar

22550513

Sabah Al Salem / Jabria

25356040

Brush

Abdullah Al Salem / Nuzha

Cheya

Jabria

22091900

Farah Chic

Hawally

22621696

Betty Boop Coiffured

Hawally

22532006

22250057

Gloss

Jabriya

25359051

Glamour

Al Shaab

22626277

Hair Affair

Al Shaab

22640505

Jacques Dessange

Al Shaab

22641111

GF’S Station Hair Boutique HUE Spa and Beauty Las Palms

Mangaf

Jabriya Sharq

23727678 25310041

22477717

Salwa / Subah Al Naser

25636981

Salmiya

25740001

Miss one

Qurtuba / Abou Hlefa

25333201

Nail Station

Midan Hawally

25630770

Rolas

Salmiya

25770410

Sai

Khaldiya / Sura /Yarmouk

25320441

Style De Coif

Salmiya

Lashes

Subah Al Salem / Al Yarmouk

MH Salon&spa

Salmiya/ Golds Gym

Mariam Sabhan

Marshmallows Nail Spa Pavaty Glamour Lounge Royal Elite Seven Haven

Yours Nail Spa

Salmiya

Al Shaab

Jabriya

Al Shaab

Fintas

25329008 22274721/0

25770433 22022112

25310663

99870400

25754542

23901888

ISSUE 74, VOLUME 6, FEBERUARY 2016

42.

90.

ENTERTAINMENT

89. Top Music Charts 94. February Movie Releases

FASHION

21. Falling In Love 40. Objects Of Desire 102. 30th Goya Awards Gala 104. CityPages Fashion Report 106. An insight into BELLA 109. Fashion News

FEATURES

18. Trapped Inn With The British Ladies Society Kuwait 20. Dealing With Sibling Rivalry

58.

22. Welcome To Art Wonderland 28. LOVE - A Journery 31. ‫أعيادنا من خلف الشاشة‬ 32. Reflections Of A Book Lover 33. ‫ من حلم إلى واقع‬..‫حروف جاسم‬ 34. Watch This Space 36. All In A Spin 38. Thinking Out Loud 42. David Bowie - Starman 47. ‫أنا مديري املالي‬ 48. Raindrops On Roses And Whiskers On Kittens 54. The Internet Of Peregrine Spode

FITNESS

70. Eat Right For Your Body Type

ISSUE 74, VOLUME 6, FEBERUARY 2016

FOOD

64. Food For The Soul 68. Istanbul - As A Food Destination 72. Yummy For Their Little Tummy

HEALTH

74.

44. Healthy Birth Practices 80. Hearing Care 101 82. Zika Virus

INTERVIEW

24. Meet The Entrepreneurs With Tass 50. Philip Kamble 58. Fawaz Al-Asad 74. Ahmad Hadi - Koot Sunglasses 84. One-On-One With Kinda 90. Tanya Kosta

84.

TECHNOLOGY

98. Cool New Gadgets 100. Tech Updates & News

TRAVEL

56. Top Five ‘Musts’ For Memphis

REGULARS 49. Adopt A Street Princess 66. The City Guide 88. In Permanent Pursuit Of Perfection 96. February Book Releases 97. Book Club 112. Events 120. From The Press 124. Horoscopes 126. Homework For Grown Ups

24.

18.

50.

MAGAZINE

From the Editor Dear Readers, I hope you’re enjoying the month of February and everything it has to offer. The Hala February festival included a wonderful carnival parade with fabulously decorated floats and impressive marching bands; a taste of things to come as we approach the Liberation Day and National Day celebrations. Preparations are already underway for this special anniversary weekend with residents of all nationalities decorating Kuwait with the colours of the national flag.

Dhari Al-Muhareb

February is also the month for love with St. Valentine’s Day providing the perfect excuse to spoil your loved one and show them how much you care.

Jameel Arif

On the subject of love, it seems you loved last month’s sixth anniversary issue of CityPages! It was tremendously well received, with each of the six special edition covers receiving wonderful appraisals. We are extremely proud to be able to showcase artistic talent and will continue to do so in 2016.

Editor-in-Chief

General Manager & Editor

Philip Kamble is a talented watercolour artist who believes you should surround yourself with positivity. I’d like to surround myself with his wonderful paintings and I’m sure you too will be impressed by his artistry.

This issue also introduces you to Tanya Costa, a skilled milliner aiming high with her beautiful hats and hair accessories.

Eng. Homoud Al-Muhareb Publishing Director

Gill Sherry

Group Editor

Tass Hassoun is back this month with her ‘Meet the Entrepreneurs’ segment. This month she introduces us to three health and fitness experts who take the promise of a beach body very literally indeed!

Kinda Al-Faris

Staying on the subject of health, our cover this month features Fawaz Al-Asad, the CEO of Noor Clinic. Fawaz talks to us about his commitment to plastic surgery, pediatric care and nutrition and explains why he is so devoted to dermatological care.

Nathalie Roland

Those of you fortunate enough to attend Dr. John Gray’s ‘Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus’ talk earlier this month will know how accurate his theory is! John gave an entertaining and enlightening talk at Jumeriah Messilah Beach Hotel and we were proud to be able to talk to the author/lecturer during his visit to Kuwait. Don’t miss Kinda’s one-on-one with Dr Gray, and the opportunity to learn more about this inspiring personal relationship counselor.

Executive Editor Sales Manager

Claudia Farias

Content Supervisor

Other subjects to be featured this month include Sir Richard Branson’s brainchild ‘Virgin Galactic’ and Kuwait’s real life escape game ‘Trapped Inn’. You can read about Koot Sunglasses, Kuwait’s first sunglasses brand; learn how to deal with sibling rivalry; and how to protect yourself against the Zika virus. We also pay tribute to David Bowie. Of course, you’ll also find plenty of Kuwait’s two favourite topics – fashion and food!

Tanya Burns

Creative Director Graphic Designers

Obviously, your opinion is important to us and we value your feedback. As a result, we have increased the Arabic content in this February issue without, of course, compromising on quality. Ultimately, we aim to ensure maximum reader satisfaction whilst maintaining our position as Kuwait’s leading English language magazine.

Mohammed Syed Khaled Al-Enezi

Thank you for sharing the journey with us. See you next month.

Jameel Arif

Published by:

General Manager & Editor

jameelrf@citypageskuwait.com

64

Reduce Waste Pass me along to a friend or recycle me after reading

66

DISCLAIMER

Extra care has been used to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this magazine. However, the publisher will not accept responsibility for errors and omissions in the publication. In addition, the views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Photos have been altered to comply with the Laws of Kuwait.

40

COPYRIGHTS

All rights reserved. No part of this publication including pictures, articles, artworks, and overall design may be reproduced, copied, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated in any language in any form or means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the written permission of the editor or the publisher. Copyright © February 2016

Free Copies of

are Available at:

Hawally - Zawya Center

(Kuwait International Airport)

Fahaheel & Jabriya

(British School of Kuwait)

New LAFEM

Salon & Beauty Co.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

If you would like to receive copies of CityPages magazine at your location as distribution point or reading material, please get in touch with our distribution team at: subscriptions@citypageskuwait.com

MAGAZINE

The Team! #74 FEBRUARY 2016 Kinda Al Faris Executive Editor

Dear Readers,

ON THE COVER:

Fawaz Al-Asad CEO - Noor Clinic

PHOTOGRAPHY Hamad Al-Ainati @7mdphotography

It’s February, the month for celebrating love. To be honest, as in previous years, I haven’t seen much fervor and excitement and I’m wondering if this has anything to do with us giving up finding true love and keeping it in our lives. I read an article on Facebook recently. It talked about how love is hard to find among the young generation due to our reliance on technology, as well as our addiction to instant gratification, which keeps us from maintaining the necessary dedication required in long lasting relationships. I have to admit the playing field has changed. Maybe this is evolution.

What do you think? I would love to hear from you on the topic.

In keeping with the theme of love, I had the excellent opportunity to spend some time with Dr. John Gray, the best-selling author of ‘Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus’. This man has the answers if you are willing to take the time to read his books, all based on the same premise. His advice is priceless, and can change your perspective greatly.

Abdullah Y. Shams AlDeen Abdulaziz Al-Khamis Abdalla AlMuzaini Ali - DJ RAVEN ASAMA Perfumes BirthKuwait Dr. Nazia Nausheen Faisal Al-Dhofari Erika Habig John McArthur Julieta Altamiranda Layla Harmony Maha Al-Rashed

Photography Team Abdullah Hamadah Abdulaziz AlSoraya Abdulaziz AlShayaji Natalia Sitcai Othman AlMishaan Dalal AlDhughaishem

Nadia Al-Hassan Nada Soliman Nada Faris Nour Al-Zaabi Paul Tunbridge Sanaa Abdul Hamid Sandra Bakhamian Sherihan A. Hassabo Talah Alabdulaaly Tassnim Hassoun Zahra Taqi

Distribution Team V. Rajan S. V. Gopal

CityPages is also a good source of information, as well as a good read, so make sure you pick up your copy this month!

Wishing you all a love-filled Happy Valentine’s Day!

Social networking shizzle

Kinda Al Faris

Be our friend and we'll tell you secrets

@citypageskuwait @citypageskuwait /Citypageskuwait

MORE NEW CONTRIBUTORS

Are you a local writer or artist? If you're passionate about your work we want to showcase it, so get in touch and get involved in 2016:

FEATURE

INTERNSHIPS

citypageskuwait.com

submissions@citypageskuwait.com

info@citypageskuwait.com

/citypagesmag

If you are an artist with work to exhibit, an event or entertainment organiser with an event coming up or a business with some exciting news or a new product to feature, get in touch.

We're keen to feature anything of interest that will entertain our readers.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTERN AT CITYPAGES?, EMAIL: info@citypageskuwait.com and let us know what is your area of interest.

CONTRIBUTE

ADVERTISE

Rip it, scrap it, comment, critique, research, report. Opinions wanted on fashion, lifestyle, business, news, home, music, gadgets, sports, and culture. Something annoyed you and you want to tell? We're here for you. If you'd like to see your name in... er... print, get in touch.

We understand that the medium is the message. The quality of a magazine reflects on the businesses that advertise within it.

CityPages is Kuwait's highest quality magazine and premium print media option for stylish and progressive brands. If you have a business or strategy to promote to Kuwait's forward thinking consumer, get in touch. Call us on 66973003 or drop us an email...

/citypageskuwait 66973003 CityPages 75371D01 Citypageskuwait @citypageskuwait citypageskuwait citypageskuwait ARE YOU IN?

submissions@citypageskuwait.com

advertise@citypageskuwait.com

EXTENSIONS FOR LENGTH.VOLUME.THICKNESS.COLOR

Worn by Celebrities throughout the Showbiz world.

SO REAL SO THICK SO LONG SO NATURAL SO GLAMOUROUS

DREAMS DO COME TRUE

INTRODUCING “THE INVISIBLE“

GL APPS

FAST • SMART • QUICK

Exclusive Distributor & Trainer - KUWAIT

New LAFEM Salon & Beauty Co.

Salmiya - Hamad AlMubarak Street, Block 9, Bldg. 33, 1st Floor

Tel.: 25722507 / 8 - 66733222 - 66711140

www.lafemkuwait.com

lafemsalonq8

info@lafemkuwait.com

lafemsalonq8

TRAPPED INN WITH THE

THE BRITISH LADIES SOCIETY KUWAIT

Gill Sherry

I

The game required logical thinking along with good observation skills and the ability to solve cryptic clues. Knowing we were against the clock increased the adrenaline rush – as did the horror movie type sound effects.

Having reserved four of the ‘themes’ we arrived at the designated time to be welcomed by the Trapped Inn staff. Our four chosen games were entitled Decode, Lost, Knight’s Castle and Secret of the Pyramid. After waving off our first three teams and wishing them good luck with their challenge, my own team was left with ‘Lost’ – the scariest of the games.

Yikes!

It’s easy to see why Trapped Inn is recommended as a team building exercise. It really does get you thinking, bouncing ideas off each other and working together as a team. But it’s also entertaining; a fact supported by the enthusiastic feedback received from each of my fellow game players. They all agreed it was a fun experience and one they would very much like to repeat. With a selection of different themes to choose from, varying in difficulty and content, there’s no reason why we can’t go back for more. In fact, I’m already looking forward to my next visit.

have to confess, I’m usually first in the queue when it comes to trying something different. So when a friend of mine suggested I try ‘Trapped Inn’, Kuwait’s real life escape game, I jumped at the chance. Never having heard of it before, I was intrigued to learn what was involved and impatient to try my luck escaping from one of the themed scenarios. But I couldn’t do it alone. Trapped Inn is a team game designed to test skills, stretch limits and discover hidden talents. Armed with this knowledge, I invited my friends from the British Ladies Society Kuwait to join me. Before I knew it, I had a team of twenty!

Before we knew it, we were locked in a dark room and the clock was ticking. We had exactly one hour to make our escape. Each theme has a different setting and the story behind our own theme involved babysitting a little girl. When we arrived, however, the house was in darkness and there was no sign of the girl. With all the doors locked, the only way to escape was to find the clues and solve the puzzles.

Easier said than done.

18

FEBRUARY, 2016

Despite our best efforts, we were beaten by the clock with one clue remaining; a frustrating blow softened by the fact that we weren’t the only team to fail.

For booking information, including cost and details of each theme, visit www.trappedinn.com or contact 25770518/99987893/99144911.

Trapped Inn is located in Symphony Mall, Salem-Al-Mubarak Street, Salmiya.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

19

DEALING WITH

I

Zahra Taqi Zahra is a Certified Professional Coach and the President of Milestones Coaching. She would love to hear back from you. So please feel free to drop her a line on her email: zahrataqi@gmail. com or find her on FB: http://www. facebook.com/MilestonesCoaching or twitter: @MilestonesCoach

SIBLING RIVALRY

f you are a parent of more than one child, then you’ve surely had experience with squabbles, fights and all other forms of sibling rivalry.

Today, I will help you sort through all that lovely mess while still being able to hold onto what is left of your sanity.

Sibling relationships are among the first relationships and your child’s introduction to friendships. Their relationship with each other offers a great learning experience in communication, sharing, turntaking, negotiation skills and frustration. This same relationship will not come without its own set of complications leading to feelings of jealousy that breed this rivalry.

There are many reasons that trigger these feeling in children, including (but not limited to) competition, attention, even hunger and exhaustion. When dealing with children, especially toddlers, remember that basic feelings like exhaustion and hunger play a great role in triggering all kinds of big, loud feelings.

Your kids will also fight to get your attention; in a child’s eye any attention is good attention and very often a child does not distinguish between good and bad attention. Your child believes that as long as mommy is looking at me, that’s enough.

Now that you know some of the triggers, here are a few tips on how to deal with sibling rivalry:

1.Don’t play favourite: As basic and straightforward as tip number one sounds, sometimes it is hard for parents not to play favourites. One child might be outgoing, bubbly and naturally in the limelight, while the other one is more reserved. While you may feel that you are naturally gravitating towards one and not the other, stop for a moment. Assess your actions and make an effort to celebrate each of your child’s talents. Praise each child for their hard work and passion whatever this might be and remember that every child deserves your attention.

2.Establish house rules: Make sure your children know what your house rules are. Take a few minutes every now and then to review them and go over them so your children understand their limits.

3.Remove kids from the situation: When a fight gets ugly, teach your kids to walk away from the situation. This is a great life lesson and will teach them how to handle their emotions and aggressions. Allow them a safe space where each child knows he can have his own time. This does not have to equal a time out (I do not believe in time-outs), it simply means that you will remove your children from the current situation to allow them time to collect their cool.

4.Mommy time (and Daddy time): Your

child will continue to vie for your attention, so make it a habit of having a date day with each one of your children on their own. This does not have to be an elaborate outing and it can be as simple as 15 minutes one on one at your dining table colouring together.

These precious few minutes alone with you will mean the world to them; it will help your child understand that he too matters.

5.Catch them being good: In the beginning

of the article I explained that children often do not make a differentiation between good attention and bad attention so help them by catching them being good. Praise them on the effort they are making; let them know that you see how hard they are working on something or that you appreciate how they are playing nicely with each other. This will slowly instill in them the understanding that they can catch your attention without the need to throw a fit.

6.Walk down memory lane: Children love to hear stories about how they came into the world and what they did as babies so take the time to indulge each one of them. Tell them their birth story (without the gory detail), share with them the loving memories of how they came into the world and what makes each one of them unique.

Children growing in the same household will always find a reason to quarrel. The good news is, when children learn how to deal with their emotions at home, in a safe environment, they will have a better understanding how to effectively deal with relationship troubles later on in school and in the outside world. Help your child at home but also sometimes allow yourself to step back and let your kids problem solve and brainstorm together. Soon you will find that not only do you have a more peaceful household but also mature kids who are able to deal with bigger issues out in the world.

20

FEBRUARY, 2016

FALLING FOR

LOVE

Stradivarius is prepared for Valentine´s Day with garments to fall in love with and celebrate the most romantic day of the year.

For the daring ones, head-to-toe looks in red even include a red bandana and inspiration shoe laces.

Stradivarius key items for this day are white basic T-shirts with sequin hearts and lips patches to give Valentine's Day a fun touch.

Love is in the air!

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

21

Welcome to Art Wonderland Afrah

Art is a peaceful tool which you can use to express your ideas, feelings and skills no matter how big or simple they are.

LOVE ART, LOVE LIFE I believe that creating Art can clear the mind, mend the behaviour and give you an amazing feeling of accomplishment, which will then give you a great sense of self-confidence and inner satisfaction.

Art is not just about the traditional Art which is familiar to most people.

It can be any style, performance or piece that has a beautiful Artistic creation.

It can be Photography, Drawing, Furniture/Fashion Designing, Music, Dance…..and so the list goes on!

ART IS IN MY BLOOD Colouring books was my passion at the age of 5. I started proper drawing at the age of 10, played the piano at the age of 12, wrote a few poems here and there, did some salsa dancing, and more recently, grew to like handcrafting and designing.

I have attended many Art galleries in Kuwait and abroad giving me the opportunity to talk to different Artists from various parts of the world.

Since I am a big Art enthusiast, I would like to use this humble space to spotlight talent, information, places or individuals, anywhere in the world, with a unique Artistic touch. In turn, I hope to introduce you to a whole new meaning of Art. If you know of an artist, of any artistic source, who would be worthy of a feature in this ‘Art Wonderland’ spot, please do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail at: a_najem@live.com

22

FEBRUARY, 2016

‫الفن عالم من العجائب‪..‬حياكم‬ ‫الفــــن أداة مساملة يقدر أي شخص يستخدمها للتعبير عن رايه‪ ،‬مشاعره ومواهبه مهما كانت‬ ‫كبيرة أو بسيطة‪.‬‬ ‫حب الفـــن‪ ،‬حب احلياة‬ ‫أنا مؤمنة إن ابتكار أي نوع من الفن يساعد على تصفية الذهن‪ ،‬ضبط السلوك ويعطيك شعور رائع‬ ‫باإلجناز واللي يؤدي إلى إحساسك بالثقة الشخصية والرضا عن النفس‪.‬‬ ‫الفــــن مو بس فن تقليدي اللي الكثير منكم سمع عنه أو شافه‪ .‬الفــــن كلمة أكبر تشمل‬ ‫األناقة‪ ،‬األداء أو قطعة فيها حس اإلبداع الفني‪.‬‬ ‫من تصوير إلى رسم ‪ ،‬تصميم أثاث\موضة ‪ ،‬موسيقى‪ ،‬رقص وغيره‪.‬‬ ‫الفـــــن في دمي‬ ‫التلوين كان عشقي بعمر اخلمس سنني‪ ،‬بديت أرسم بشكل مضبوط بعمر العشر سنني‪ ،‬كنت‬ ‫أعزف بيانو بعمر الـ‪ ،12‬شوية محاوالت كتابة شعر مني مناك‪ ،‬خذيت دروس في رقص السلسا‪،‬‬ ‫وحاليا مهتمة جدا بالتصميم وأعمال احلرف اليدوية‪.‬‬ ‫حضرت كثير معارض فنية داخل وخارج الكويت وهالشي ساعدني إني أتعرف على فنانني من‬ ‫مختلف دول العالم‪.‬‬ ‫ومبا إني ناشطة \ مشجعة للفن‪ ،‬راح أستخدم هاملساحة املتواضعة عشان أسلط الضوء على أي‬ ‫موهبة‪ ،‬معلومة‪ ،‬مكان أو شخصية في أي مكان في العالم فيها ملسة فنية مميزة عشان أعرفكم‬ ‫على معنى جديد ومختلف للفن‪.‬‬ ‫إذا تعرفون أي فنان وحابني أستضيفه في صفحتي‪ ،‬ال تترددون إنكم تتواصلون وياي على االمييل‪:‬‬ ‫‪a_najem@live.com‬‬ ‫‪23‬‬

‫‪CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM‬‬

IN MARBELLA!

We’re all familiar with the desire to achieve the perfect preholiday ‘beach body’. But how many of us actually return from our vacation fitter than we were before?

Meet the fat loss trio who not only promise their clients an enjoyable week in the sun, but an overall healthier lifestyle.

Instagram: @fatlossq8 @antbrownq8 @paulshannonfintessq8 @douglas

24

FEBRUARY, 2016

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

25

The health and fitness industry is riddled with misconceptions and false facts; from mainstream magazines promising a beach body by doing a couple of ab exercises, to doctors warning of the so-called negative effects of eating good healthy fats. In this interview we will talk to three industry leaders from Kuwait who run a new fat loss concept in sunny Marbella, away from your everyday life, which includes fun, adventures, health, fitness and nutrition all in one.

Let’s discover more about this Marbella Bootcamp with its three founders Anthony Brown, Douglas Leandro and Paul Shannon.

26

FEBRUARY, 2016

How did the idea of the fat loss camp start?

With over 30 years in the industry, we identified a gap in the market after we enrolled in a fat loss bootcamp in the states. We joined as a learning experience and quickly realized the potential this could have for our clients and anyone else struggling with weight and fat loss.

information is far more valuable than how someone looks. Pick your gym based on what they can offer you and your fitness journey.

Who are the coaches? What facilities do they offer that you will actually use? A quiet gym may not be a good gym - where are the members? Why is no-one training there?

A busy gym is normally one that is doing everything right, that's why people are there!

How can you help people achieve their goals?

The biggest problem is compliance. Having a trainer for one hour of the day is fine but having three trainers watching your every move and having your day to day schedule planned means there is no room for slip ups.

This makes it a lot easier to get results even in a short space of time.

Is this camp for anyone?

Yes, we have designed this year’s fat loss camp for everybody - no matter what your exercise experience, we have you covered. We are here to teach you the correct methods. The training has been structured to suit both beginners and the more advanced clients

What is so special about training abroad?

Who does not like to travel?! Pulling people away from their everyday environment can be very challenging but with no distractions, their focus can be on training, nutrition and education. They know this is the week they will start to get their body into shape with some super cool outdoor adventure activities.

How can you help people achieve their goals?

We have a proven system in place through our 30 years combined experience and thousands of hours training clients. This is not a gimmick or some quick weight loss program. Our target is to start your journey here with us; let us educate, teach and train you and then provide a six week follow up program after the camp finishes.

What do you think of the fitness industry in Kuwait?

The fitness industry in Kuwait is currently going through a boom phase. People are starting up small gyms and studios; every month we hear of a new venture opening.

This obviously cannot last. With so many different gyms and smaller studios it’s just impossible for them all to make a profit. With such a short supply of quality coaches, the industry is being laced with thousands of poor quality coaches giving people ill-based facts on training and nutrition. Some gyms will be happy to hire you if you have completed a two day coaching course, or maybe if you’re a strong athlete. Unfortunately these things don't make a quality coach and definitely not one you should be paying for.

When looking for a trainer or a gym never base your decision on looks. It's important to know who your trainer is, what studies he or she has completed and what results they have achieved with previous clients. Find out how long they have been a trainer/coach for. Ask if they continually up-skill themselves. This

Do you guarantee results?

Absolutely - we are with you the whole time!

We monitor and supply food supplements, rest and exercise. Our program has been tested over many years. Last year’s first camp was a huge success and everyone walked away with less body fat and on track for a healthier overall lifestyle. We take all of your measurements (bio signature analysis) on day one, then take them again on the last day. We know and will always guarantee our product.

What and where is this fat loss camp?

We run our camps in sunny Marbella, Spain.

They run for seven days and we train twice a day. Five meals a day are provided. We do an adventure activity every day. We also educate our clients on the importance of training, nutrition and supplements.

The camp includes: Air fares Accommodation Daily meals Transportation Supplements Training and relaxation sessions Adventure activities Six weeks post camp nutrition and training plans And much more….

Tell us more about you?

Anthony: I am Australian. I have always loved fitness and knew from a young age that I would do something in the sports industry. I have been studying and working in the industry for over 10 years now. I’m happy to be where I am. I love to travel and explore new places. I like to exercise too and get out on the water.

Douglas: My name is Douglas Leandro, I am from Brazil. I’ve been in the fitness industry for more or less 11 years. I’m married and have two beautiful kids. When I get time to myself I always like to watch movies and chill; like a

switch off button, you just sit and let go.

Paul: My name is Paul Shannon. I’m Irish and have been living in Kuwait for the last 5 years and loving it. I like to travel too.

What are your goals?

Anthony: To continue to grow and learn from the fitness industry and change and shape the way it's heading. I want to do more overseas internships this year. We will also be hosting a 3-4 day seminar with some of the world’s leading health, strength and sports practitionrs.

Douglas: Nowadays my approach is much more holistic than it was years ago.

I believe that to be able to reach your goals, you need to follow a simple, but at the same time, complex cycle: 1- Lifestyle 2- Nutrition 3- Exercise That is my goal - to educate and help people to reach their desired goals.

Paul: To continue to improve my knowledge and strive to offer the best service to my current clients and any future ones. To be known as a leader in the fitness industry and inspire people to lead a healthier and happier life.

Any advice for the readers who really want to do something about their lifestyle?

If you really want to change your body composition don't complicate things, don't make excuses, and stick to your training. More importantly, stick to your nutrition program.

Slow results are more sustainable long term.

Last word?

We want to prove that in the right environment you can make dramatic results and keep the results for the long term. We want to show you what it actually takes to lose fat and keep it off. This won't be a low calories scheme or gimmick exercise routine, this will be a week of health and exercise advice from three trainers with over 30 years experience between them, utilizing everything they have learned and combining it into a one week event for you to benefit from.

Instagram: @fatlossq8 @antbrownq8 @paulshannonfintessq8 @douglas

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

27

LOVE A JOURNEY Absurdity would be attempting to set parameters that mark the rules and principles of love; for when love comes it brings with it its very own rules and principles. When love stumbles upon our path, we automatically set idealistic expectations for the journey to be conquered; and should it stray from the designated plan we so wish to bind it to, we start to panic and lose hope for love.

Mashael Ali Sadeq A Kuwaiti hybrid studying medicine abroad. The power of the human mind captivates me. I write what I have envisioned in my mind, felt within my heart and seen with my very own eyes. I believe this modern world has destroyed us. I aspire to stand side by side with you as we paint the path of re-ordering what has been disordered by sharing points that have helped me personally. I believe the most important step for us in this journey, is to first acknowledge all that has been silenced in the past. Together, we can conquer the destroyed.

You see, we do not conquer love, for it conquers us. We cannot make a choice in the name of love, for it is love that dictates our destiny. We cannot search for love through the streets of our cities, and we most definitely cannot set a date for love. We must not fall in the trap of foolishness dictated by our arrogance to define love.

Love knows no arrogance and self-righteousness; love comes to us with all humility. It is through the tenderness of its humble approach that we become captivated by love and so cannot help but give into it so willingly.

Love will find a way into every individual’s life. When it decides to find us, its first appearance will be from within; within our soul, within our mind, within the very fibers that hold us intact. Love can perhaps be assimilated to the protocols of psychosis; for when it first strikes you, you experience a mystical, delusional rampage of a single emotion. It is after that first 'psychotic episode of love' that you become permanently labeled with the 'psychological disorder' of love. Actually, the term ‘disorder’ would be an unjust crime of literacy, thus it is not a psychological disorder but in fact a psychological re-order. What differentiates love from all other states that dissemble or reassemble order of the self?

Love is not complex. It is quite simple. However, it is the most destructive force any individual will encounter, for it conquers, destroys and rebuilds us into the potential we were initially set for in this life.

We can exist a lifetime without knowing love, but anything prior to the first interaction with love is merely existing and not living. You see, love is quite mystical in its ways. The first encounter will most definitely demolish any recollection we have had in successfully being able to function in life without it. Everything we had ever learnt through this ‘mere existence’ will become irrelevant in the path set to dictate our new found life. We become addicted to it, subconsciously accepting that it is now a fundamental part of our new found lives, and that without it we do not malfunction, but cease to function.

Changes will be brought about our existence, gradually, into different levels of love. We first transition from

28

FEBRUARY, 2016

a state of egoism, where survival was solely based upon individualistic interest, to a general state of collectivism, during which we adopt the interest of the community in whole. Throughout the transformation, our primitive nature of living life through others changes into the complete submission to living life for others and compromising personal needs, wants and possibly even rights. The final stage of love is altruism.

When altruism is reached, love conquers us in the sense that we willingly participate in the process of becoming enslaved to the dedication of giving without so much as thinking of receiving in return.

Fear not being enslaved to this dedication, for when love knocks on our doors, it will take us by the hand and patiently teach us how to victoriously tread on its path every step along the way. Rest assured that we will never be progressed into the next stages of love without being fully qualified, through its lessons, to bear all that comes with it. Fear not the sacrifice that we will impose on our behalf by prioritizing someone’s happiness before ours. Do not dare taint the ethics and values of love by demanding it back.

Love is art. Love is science. Love is religion. Love is a God in disguise. When you selflessly devote your time for the benefit of others, negating your basic needs and rights, love will respond to you when the time is right.

When you are worthy, love will direct another towards your path, for when you are caught up with giving, someone will be carrying out the same principle that you now abide by. You will be rewarded with the same selfless love that you are giving away. Someone will follow you on your journey of this new found life, and would willingly sacrifice their very right to live in order for you to have a better life.

Though love flows subtly through the circle of life, do not fall in the trap of ungratefulness because love has come to you unadvertised. Remember, love can be felt within our hearts, both the love we give, and the one we undemandingly receive back. Within the lessons of love, we become familiar with the languages of love.

Every individual communicates love differently, hence the name ‘languages of love’. Understanding that love is not confined to a single language will discipline us to successfully communicate love with one another.

Within the primary lessons of love, we learn to become more consciously aware human beings. As we progress through the stages of love, we also progress through the levels of conscious awareness. It is only when we reach a level of consciousness known as ‘absolute nothingness’, i.e. the Zen Soul, that we would have successfully mastered the arts, science and religion of love.

‫أعيادنا من خلف الشاشة‬

‫دينا عبدالكريم‬

‫أستاذة في علم التنمية البشرية‬ ‫مدرب ومستشار‬ ‫‪Instagram @ct_dina‬‬

‫بالدي هواها في لساني وفي دمى ‪ ..‬يمجدها قلـبي ويدعــــو لها‬ ‫فمي وال خيــر في مـــن ال يحـــب بــالده‪ ..‬وال في حليف الحب إن لـم‬ ‫يتيم‪.‬‬ ‫تحتفل دولتنا الحبيبة الكويت في هذا الشهر بالمناسبات‬ ‫الوطنية ويحتفي الشعب فرحة وحبا لهذه األرض العزيزة والغالية‬ ‫على قلوبنا جميعا‪ .‬فال زلت أتذكر احتفاالتنا في السابق في أحب‬ ‫المناطق إلى قلبي أال وهي منطقة األحمدي تلك المنطقة الراقية‬ ‫والتي تشعرني بالريف األوربي‪ ،‬والمسيرات كانت تقام بالقرب من‬ ‫حديقة المعرض ‪،‬كنا نعبر عن فرحنا وبهجتنا باألناشيد والتصفيق‬ ‫والتهليل‪،‬و كنا نعيش كل لحظة بكل جوارحنا ومشاعرنا ‪ ،‬نعيش‬ ‫الحدث قلبا وقالبا ‪ ،‬كيانا وعقال و روحا ‪،‬لم تشغلنا أجهزة نقالة وال‬ ‫جوالة‪ ،‬كنا نشاهد األحداث بأعيننا مباشرة ولم نعشها من خلف‬ ‫شاشة‪ ،‬فلم ننشغل في تسجيل اللحظات في سناب شات او‬ ‫االنستقرام ‪ ..‬كانت أيدينا للتصفيق‪ ،‬لم تكن مكبلة بتلك األجهزة‬ ‫الكئيبة التي سرقت منا أجمل لحظات العمر والحياة‪ .‬قد نستطيع‬ ‫منع أبنائنا من استخدام هذه األجهزة في مناسبات معينة ولكن‬ ‫بكل أسف نشعر بانشغالهم عقليا بالتفكير في‪ :‬متى سأحصل‬ ‫على جهازي؟‬

‫‪31‬‬

‫‪CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM‬‬

‫لم يتذوقوا يوما قيمة هذه اللحظات دون أجهزة ولن يعرفوها‬ ‫أبدا ما حيوا ‪.‬‬ ‫كانوا أهالينا يشاركوننا اللحظات بإحساس واهتمام تام‪ ،‬إنهم لم‬ ‫يريدوا التخلص من أحاديثنا وأسئلتنا بسرعة ‪ ،‬فلم يكن هناك‬ ‫جواال ينتظرهم وينتظرونه ‪ ،‬كنا نحن شغلهم الشاغل كنا نحن‬ ‫وقتهم فلم يتشاطر الجوال أوقاتهم معنا‪ .‬تعلمنا من أهلنا‬ ‫حب الوطن واإلخالص له دون الحاجة إلى دراسة مادة في المدرسة‬ ‫تعلمنا هذا الحب ألن حب الوطن ال يحتاج دراسة وال تفكير وتفكيك‬ ‫في السطور ‪ ،‬حب الوطن يحتاج إنسانا سويا يحب وطنه بالفطرة‬ ‫مهما كان هذا الوطن‪ .‬لم نسمع من أهلنا كلمات سلبية في حق‬ ‫وطننا بل كل ما كنا نسمعه أن الحمدهلل على هذا الوطن وكنا‬ ‫دائما نسمع منهم ‪ :‬مافي مثل الكويت‪.‬‬ ‫وفعال مافي مثل الكويت‪.‬‬ ‫فكل عام ووطني بخير وكل عام وشعب الكويت مخلص أكثر‬ ‫ومحبا لهذه األرض أكثر ‪ ،‬أبارك لحبيبي أميري سمو الشيخ صباح‬ ‫األحمد الجابر الصباح وولي عهده األمين حفظهما اهلل و رعاهما‪.‬‬ ‫وأبارك لكل إنسان يحب هذه األرض ويخلص لها حفظنا اهلل ووطنا‬ ‫من كل مكروه‪.‬‬

REFLECTIONS OF A

BOOK LOVER

Nadeen Dakkak

Nadeen studied English Literature in Kuwait and England. She's interested in language, literature, film, theater and culture.

'Sometimes there is a need to take pleasure in a favourite book for its story line alone, and the smaller editions facilitate this because the eye moves fast along a closely printed page. At other times one wishes to savour language – the rhythm of sentences, the precision with which a given word has been studded into a phrase – and on such occasions the larger size helps to slow one down, pause at each comma. Dawdling within a landscape'.

I have recently come across this simple reflection in Nadeem Aslam's novel The Wasted Vigil, and straightforward though it may be, something in it reminded me of the aesthetic value of printed books which many of us tend to forget in our pursuit of content. The design of the cover may well be an obvious marketing strategy, but the seemingly less important page design becomes rather repetitive, with the exception of poetry collections where spaces in the text produce desirable effects. The size of the page and the shape of the words on it, as well as the smell of paper and how it feels when touched, create a luxurious reading experience in which the bodily senses can indulge.

As a book lover, I may be romanticizing the whole situation and even implicitly reacting against the digitization of these friends without whom many of us would have no dusty shelves. For what could be more exciting than the act of turning the yellow pages of a book, knowing that one possesses it and is in control of its fate as much as the writer is in control of its characters?

One certainly cannot get that impression when reading a book borrowed from a library, but to merely have a stroll between its aisles is a compensating precious experience. For only then are we able to have a spiritual conversation with the dead, and to communicate with our predecessors or previous readers through the traces which their fingers have left on the pages.

During the nineteenth century, one reaction against industrialization was hand-made designs, like the ones

32

FEBRUARY, 2016

produced my William Morris. Hand-printed books with patterns and drawings were considered a form of art that is beautiful to read and to look at. Books in this sense are objects to be cherished not only for their content, but for their artistic value, and the reading experience becomes more visual as a result. I believe this approach to books depends on how we view art: as something restricted to museums and galleries, or as a creative human product that cannot be separated from daily life. In other words, it depends on whether we appreciate art for its own sake, or view it as a way of beautifying everyday banal things.

At a time when many of us have access to online books and to electronic devices that save us the effort of carrying heavy volumes, perceiving a book as a beautiful object for keeping may sometimes seem a bit irrelevant. At other times, however, books do seem to retain their aura – that mystic value which we associate with things we deem important or special, an inherited value that we got from other book-loving generations, but which we may still find inexplicable.

I guess this partially explains why new publications of famous classics are being produced these days. The novels of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and others are now available in beautifully designed fancy covers.

While we might think of this as a marketing technique, I also think to myself 'Wouldn't it be nice to buy all these lovely new editions?' I even find myself thinking that there is no harm in having a copy of a novel I've already read before I wisely decide to spend my money on a book that I actually want to read. Regardless of whether you think another copy is worth it or not, the point I am trying to make is that books can and still are considered beautiful objects that deserve more than to be read. The fact that they are available online should not belittle the role of nicely designed paper publications. Besides, giving one of those as a gift would certainly make the day of a book lover like me!

‫حروف جاسم‪..‬‬ ‫من حلم إلى واقع !‬

‫‪Mubarak AL-Esmail‬‬ ‫‪Follow Mubarak on Instagram at:‬‬ ‫‪@IdeasOwners‬‬

‫ذات يوم رن جرس هاتفي المحمول وإذا به اتصال من األخ جاسم‬ ‫المنيخ وكان يستفسر عن تصميم المواقع حيث كانت لديه فكرة‬ ‫عمالقة يحتاج إلى مناقشة كيفية تطبيقها ‪ ،‬وفع ً‬ ‫ال بعد أيام‬ ‫اجتمعنا وحددنا تفاصيل المشروع اإللكتروني والذي أطلق عليه‬ ‫أسم (حروف) وهو عبارة عن مكتبة إلكترونية حيث يستطيع‬ ‫الكاتب أن يقوم بكتابة كتابه عن طريق الموقع ومن ثم يقوم بنشر‬ ‫الكتاب داخل الموقع ‪ ،‬وتصنف الكتب بأقسام مختلفة منها (روايت‪،‬‬ ‫شعر‪ ،‬خواطر‪ ،‬إلخ)‪.‬‬ ‫وكان حماس األخ جاسم المنيخ وإصراره ملحوظين حيث قال‬ ‫"نحن أكثر من آمن بحروف الكتاب الموهوبين لذلك سننشئ هذا‬ ‫المشروع إلبراز حروفهم للعلن ‪ ،‬نود أن نبرهن بأن المواهب الكتابية‬ ‫المدفونة خلف الكواليس تستحق أن ترفع لها القبعة"‬ ‫أعجبتني فكرة المشروع جدًا فهي تسهل عملية اإلنتشار‬ ‫للمؤلفين الشباب الذين أصبحوا في تزايد مستمر في اآلونة األخيرة‬ ‫‪ ،‬هذا باإلضافة إلى قوله تعالى في سورة العلق (إقرأ باسم ربك‬ ‫الذي خلق) فبالقراءة يزداد المرء علم وخبرة وثقافة وبها تتقدم‬

‫‪33‬‬

‫‪CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM‬‬

‫المجتمعات وترقى‪.‬‬ ‫ال يقتصر موقع (حروف) على الكتب الجديدة فقط ‪ ،‬بل يمكن‬ ‫للمؤلفين والكتاب الذين سبق لهم إصدار كتب مطبوعة أن‬ ‫يقوموا باستخدام موقع (حروف) لنشر جزء من اإلصدار المطبوع‬ ‫كتشويق للقراء مما يدفعهم لشراء الكتاب لقراءة باقي األجزاء‪.‬‬ ‫وتم اإلتفاق بين جاسم وشركة أصحاب األفكار لتصميم المشروع‬ ‫على مراحل مختلفة ‪ ،‬وبعد حماس وجهد كبيرين تم أخير ُا إطالق‬ ‫موقع (حروف) كأول مكتبة إلكترونية كويتية تسمح بكتابة الكتب‬ ‫ونشرها إلكترونيًا ويمكنكم زيارة موقع حروف عن طريق الرابط‬ ‫التالي‪:‬‬ ‫‪7orof.com‬‬ ‫@‪7orof_com‬‬ ‫أنت أيضًا أيها القارئ ‪ ،‬يمكنك تحويل حلمك لحقيقة و واقع عن‬ ‫طريق اإلصرار والمثابرة واإلستشارة والتوكل على اهلل ‪،،‬‬

WATCH THIS SPACE

W

hen I heard that Sir Richard Branson was hoping to launch a commercial space flight, my first thought was ‘not in my lifetime’. Space travel is something I’ve never really allowed myself to get excited about. As far as I was concerned, it would always be beyond reach, both physically and mentally. Now however, having attended a Virgin Galactic event at the New English School in Kuwait, my opinion is somewhat different.

A satellite link between the school and Rose Kingscote (Space Agent and Astronaut Relations) and Julian Ranger (Engineer and Future Astronaut) allowed dozens of captivated students to ask space related questions and receive honest, professional answers. I was seriously impressed, not just by the thought behind each question, but by the detailed, candid responses given by Rose and Julian.

The information provided was both fascinating and enlightening; and enough to convince me that I may live to see a commercial space flight after all. Not only had I underestimated the advances in modern technology, I’d also failed to appreciate the determination of those involved in bringing this dream to fruition. Their enthusiasm was infectious and I was both educated and entertained by their accounts of future space travel.

Gill Sherry Having enjoyed a successful 30 year career in insurance, Gill left the UK to move to Kuwait.

She is now a valued member of the CityPages team where she is utilizing her editing and writing skills. In addition to her official role as Group Editor, Gill also contributes with regular interviews, features and reviews.

Instagram: @gsherryq8

34

FEBRUARY, 2016

I was amazed to learn that Virgin Galactic are not just building one spacecraft, but a fleet of spacecraft; and whist initially they plan to make one passenger flight per month, their aim is to fly every day. Not only that, but they’re already working on space hotels. You may think space hotels are just a big dream but as Rose was quick to point out “….you can’t go anywhere without dreaming really, really big; so watch this space!”

It is hoped that by early 2018, Sir Richard Branson and his family will have travelled to space. I imagine the TV pictures will be a lot clearer than they were when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon in 1969. However, it was these grainy pictures that inspired Julian Ranger to become an astronaut. “If you’re not inspired by that, it’s hard to be inspired by anything” he said. His excitement about his future space adventure was clearly evident as he went on to say “It was my happiest day in 2004 when Sir Richard Branson announced he would take tourists to space. I signed up straight away, once I had permission from my wife and family! Space is an infinite playground and we need to work out how to get there”.

From what I heard, they’re making serious strides towards doing just that and turning what was once deemed an impossible dream, into a reality. But once that first, long awaited space flight has finally been recorded, who will be next in line to don their spacesuit and experience zero gravity? There are currently 700 future astronauts registered with Virgin Galactic. Each of these intrepid adventurers believed in the project from the beginning and paid a significant sum of money to secure their place in what’s described as ‘the most exciting club on earth’. But anyone who dares to dream can apply. When asked about the joining process, Rose talked about their on-line application system which asks a series of questions designed to identify potential future astronauts. It’s Rose’s job to read the applications every day; a job she still gets

a huge amount of satisfaction from. “It makes me so excited to read them” she said.

Before you apply however, you’d be well advised to check your bank balance. When asked how much it costs to travel into space, Rose answered “It’s currently $250,000, but in the future and as we develop more, it should drive the price down”. That’s a big fare for a two and a half hour flight. Perhaps I won’t fill in the form just yet!

But my interest in space travel has certainly rocketed (pun intended) and I no longer see it as just a futuristic fantasy. Being able to talk to people directly involved in the planning of commercial space flights was hugely stimulating and, if nothing else, allowed me to visualize space as more than just a scene from a certain Steven Spielberg movie. The students at the New English School seemed to agree with me. Under the supervision of science teacher Mr. Greenfield, one question lead to another, which lead to another. Rose and Julian were exceptionally generous with their time and I for one was sorry when the session came to an end. But not before Julian had talked about Astrobotic. He explained that whilst Virgin Galactic aim to take people to space, Astrobotic hope to arrange the first commercial lunar landing. It is their desire to challenge humanity and make regular flights to the Moon. Surely not in my lifetime…

To find out more, visit virgingalactic.com or astrobotic. net

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

35

ALL IN A

SPIN Ali Stewart Born in Cambridge, England, Ali enjoyed a career in the logistics and safety sector for 15 years.

Following the birth of her son, she switched careers to pursue a life long love for education and teaching. Since moving to Kuwait in 2013, Ali’s interests include fitness, healthy living and running. From her University days she has maintained a passion for world history and creative writing, although thanks to her son, she can also now consider herself quite the expert on all things ‘Marvel super heroes’ and Karate related.

T

o welcome in 2016, rather than make any general New Year’s resolutions, I decided instead to set myself a series of monthly challenges. Trying a new activity each month, one that I need to do with others, will take me out of my comfort zone. As a self-confessed creature of habit I’ve found myself to be quite a predictable person; I tend to eat the same foods, follow the same exercise routines and visit the same places. Content in my own company, I want to try activities that challenge me in a new setting with new people.

So, to kick start my New Year I decided January’s activity would be Spinning.

For those who do not know, Spinning is an exercise class activity that can burn up to 500 calories in 40 minutes. With quite a celebrity following (think the Beckhams, Kate Hudson, Lady Gaga…), it involves the use of a special stationary exercise bike for a series of moves set to music, along with different resistance levels and physical positions to simulate outdoor cycling. Each bike has a mechanical disc to alter the difficulty of pedalling, for which the instructor provides direction and motivation on how to use. Each rider can then control their level and effort to suit their own abilities.

I love to exercise but it has always been more of a solitary pursuit for me; running and walking are my ‘comfort blanket’ activities. The thought of a public exercise class has filled me with fear ever since my teenage years. Then, Step Aerobics was all the rage

36

FEBRUARY, 2016

and classes only served to confirm what I had always known - I have ZERO coordination. My brain has a natural inability to follow any form of choreography, and I get confused between left and right when put under pressure. I still bear the emotional scars of never mastering the most basic Aerobic moves; settling instead for randomly waving my arms in imitation of whoever happened to be in front, hoping desperately to draw attention away from my feet.

So with some trepidation I signed up with a friend for a Spinning class at my local gym. Despite it being an early Saturday morning I was encouraged to see a mixture of men and women ranging in age from mid20s to a gentleman in his late 60s. Finding a bike at the back of the room I hoped to be able to avoid eye contact with the instructor and hide as best as I could.

My plan failed immediately because noting we were new, the instructor moved his bike so he could see us at all times.

Once familiarised with the basic set-up of the bike, I needed to find a comfortable position for the seat and handlebars in relation to my legs, hips and arms - not as easy as it sounds. It took several attempts to get it just right and required the aid of the more experienced individual next to me. As the class began, music began to boom out of the speakers whilst the instructor shouted out instructions for the warm up. Despite all instructions being in Arabic I was able to follow the first basic moves, and if I did go wrong the instructor was quick to gain my attention and provide a few

words in English. Not that language mattered as the music was at such a volume it was hard to hear much at all.

Following the hand, arm and leg positions was overall quite easy, even for the most ‘coordinate challenged’ of individuals like myself. I did find myself getting a little confused as to which way to turn the disc to increase or decrease resistance in line with the instructor’s direction. On more than one occasion I either stopped dead as I’d turned it too far one way, only to then find myself freewheeling when I turned it too far the opposite way.

As we moved into the core part of the workout the tempo of the music increased, along with the volume. As a teenager of the 90s, it was great to be taken back in time with the choice of house music, and subconsciously I found myself cycling to the tempo of the music, helping me to work harder.

I soon found out that there are five core movements involved in Spinning: • The Seated Flat with my hands on the centre of the handlebars • The Standing Flat with my hands wide on the rear part of the handlebars • Lifts involving standing and sitting with my hands on the rear part of the handlebars (like

a form of push ups) • Seated climb with my hands on the rear part of the handlebars • Standing climb with my hands wide at the far end of the handlebars With some relief I found these were all quite easy to master, with the exception of the ’Lifts’ that required me to move my legs and arms at the same time in different ways. This was more than I could easily cope with whilst humming along to the music. The instructor also did that annoying thing I’m sure all instructors do – the slow counting of individual repeat moves and the adding in of extra ‘half’ numbers to increase the number of moves we needed to do. Humorous the first few times, but as your limbs tire you find yourself thinking ‘Just count to ten!’

The classroom had a large mirror across the front wall which had two main purposes– one good and one less so. On a positive note I could see that the rest of the class were all involved and very comfortable to do their own thing; happy to slow right down when it became too much or to take water when needed. I loved the fact that the gentleman in his 60s spent much of the class clapping and shouting words of encouragement to others.

Less positively, the mirror did distract me by

showing me clearly the changing colour of my face and the increased frizziness of my hair as the class progressed. How celebrities can be ‘papped’ after a Spinning class with a dewy glow and immaculate hair is a million miles away from the sweaty, frizzy, bright red tomato that was me when I left the room.

Despite this, I found myself smiling and feeling slightly smug as we cooled down.

The time had passed swiftly and I really felt as if I’d had a good work-out. I can see why Spinning is considered a good exercise for the lower body and back, as well as your arms.

All main muscle areas felt like they had been utilised. More importantly for me I felt that I had finally waved goodbye to my long-held terror of being in an exercise classroom. I had emerged unscathed, had been able to follow the moves and had mastered the equipment.

As I chatted to people on the way out I was stopped by the elder gentleman, who asked if I was off to ‘Abs’ now as that class was just about to start next door. When I asked him what he got from attending these classes, he told me that he comes for the company and to keep himself young. What a fabulous answer, and a lesson for us all. So, would I go again?

Absolutely.

I can’t wait to see what new activity I’ll try next month. Any suggestions?

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

37

THINKING OUT

LOUD

John MacArthur John MacArthur was born in England, but has Celtic ancestry, so loves to sing. Abandoning his choral training, he sings songs of love and loss, owning several antique acoustic guitars. He has degrees in physics, chemistry and mathematics, has studied theology and business management, so, in fine nomadic tradition, he can call several universities home.

After seven years in Kuwait, he 'retired' and laughs at himself every morning, commuting between his Paris island home and country house in rural France where he lives with his wife, a food writer and stylist, and, perhaps soon, a dog, should he be allowed one. Much to her dismay, he is thinking of taking up the mandolin. He has written for various publications worldwide on whatever happens to catch his imagination.

I

t can happen anywhere. I might be driving my car, walking the dog by the river bank or sitting quietly in front of a screen. Sometimes suddenly, sometimes gradually and imperceptibly, I become conscious of words that no one else can hear; a small, quietly reasonable voice, telling me things, offering alternatives, evaluating my actions. I am doing something perfectly ordinary. I’m thinking and talking to myself.

If you ask most people to reflect on their own stream of consciousness, they often describe experiences like this. Usually termed inner speech, it is also referred to as the inner voice, internal monologue or dialogue, or verbal thought. But although philosophers have long been interested in the relationship between language

38

FEBRUARY, 2016

and thought, many believed that understanding inner speech lay outside the discovery abilities of science.

That is now changing, with new experimental designs for encouraging it, interfering with it and neuroimaging it. We are beginning to understand how the experience is created in the brain; its subjective qualities – essentially, what the words ‘sound’ like - and its role in processes such as self-control and self-awareness. The voice in our head is finally revealing its secrets, and it is just as powerful as our vividly coloured imagination suggests.

Much modern research has been inspired by the long-neglected theories of Lev Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist whose career unfolded in the early years after the Russian revolution. Starting with observations

of children talking to themselves while playing, Vygotsky supposed that this ‘private speech’ develops out of social dialogue with parents and caregivers and is therefore a function of a cultural environment, in contrast to Piaget, who proposed that development preceded social learning. Over time, these private mutterings become further internalised to form inner speech.

If Vygotsky was right, inner speech should have some very special properties. Because it develops from social interactions, it should take on some of the qualities of a dialogue, an exchange between different points of view. He further proposed that inner speech becomes abbreviated or condensed relative to external speech. For instance, when hearing a loud metallic sound outside at night and realising that the cat is to blame, you probably wouldn't say to yourself, “The cat has knocked the dustbin over”. Instead, you might just say, "cat," since that utterance contains all the information you need to express to yourself.

If this were true, where is the evidence? Sure enough, long after Vygotsky’s premature death, MRI studies have linked inner speech to the specific area of the brain which is known to be important for speech production.

Eavesdropping on thoughts, even our own, has its limitations, not least because their reporting and indeed their accuracy is highly subjective – we reveal what we want to reveal and retrospective commentary may have a layer of self-censorship which we subconsciously apply.

Quite how much our inner and outer speech overlap remains a matter of debate; and, indeed, what is its purpose? Vygotsky proposed that words in inner speech function as psychological tools that transform the task in question, just as the use of a screwdriver transforms the task of assembling a bookshelf. Putting our thoughts into words clothes them in tangible form which makes them easier to use. It may also be that verbal thought can allow communication between other cognitive systems, effectively providing a common language for the brain.

One of Vygotsky's more enticing predictions was that private and inner speech gives us a way of taking control of our own behaviour, by using words to direct our actions. While driving in France, one is conscious of the rule ‘priorité à droite’, meaning that a car may enter a main road from the right, which is counterintuitive to a British or American driver. Mouthing the words as the danger approaches changes cognitive awareness.

So, inner speech has a role in regulating behaviour, but could it also have a role in motivating it? Research on children's private speech shows that it frequently has an emotional or motivational flavour. Athletes often give themselves pep talks before their big event; one often sees a sprinter apparently talking to himself before the explosive start of a race. People write motivational memes, quick-fix mental uplifts on Facebook, often widely shared, suggesting that the reader has acquired some benefit.

Inner speech may even help us to become more self-aware. Some philosophers have proposed that awareness of inner speech is important for understanding our own mental processes, an aspect of what psychologists call metacognition. Children typically do not become aware of their own inner speech until they are about four years old, although it is uncertain whether that reflects their inability to reflect on their own thought processes, or the fact that inner speech is not yet fully internalised by that age. It is thought that people who use inner speech more often show better self-understanding, allowing them to verbally dissect their emotions, motives and behavioural patterns. The hidden labyrinth of the subconscious seems to therefore be able to find its way towards the surface of our consciousness.

It’s interesting to speculate about people who for a variety of reasons are unable to talk to themselves. It seems that the deaf who communicate in sign language often talk to themselves by signing. People with autism,

meanwhile, who often have problems with linguistic communication, seem not to use inner speech for strategic planning, although they do use it for other purposes as a cache for short-term memory. A more dramatic difficulty comes from damage to the language areas of the brain, which can silence some people's inner voices. A relative recently suffered a stroke which appeared to damage language control resulting in a consequent lack of self awareness and the ability to moderate a socially acceptable train of thought.

It would further seem that our unique internal dialogue might not always be beneficial. If we are crudely divided into the ‘glass-half-full’ or the ‘glass-half-empty’ types, when we are anxious or worried, we often express our fears verbally to ourselves, thus our inner speech may contribute to pre-existent anxieties and fears by keeping thoughts in the head that would be better off discarded. The half-empty glass looks emptier, in other words. Inner speech may play its biggest role, however, in an experience that is often associated with mental disorders. The schizophrenic complains of ‘hearing voices’ recommending a particular course of action, often one which is extremely socially unacceptable.

Some quite healthy people, however, report hearing a person speak when there is no one present. Such auditory verbal hallucinations are enigmatic, puzzling and are poorly understood. It is possible that the individual speaks internally in a voice that they do not recognise as their own. The result is that something self-generated becomes attributed to another person: an alien, potentially hostile voice.

The evidence converges to support this view. People who hear voices may subconsciously mouth the words – their facial muscles can be detected as moving - when their voices occur. Cognitive behavioural therapists treat voice-hearing by trying to interrupt or distract the loop by listening to music, so that the rogue inner speech cannot be generated. Hearing voices, however, may not be as simply understood, inner speech accounting for some cases, others may be related to a mutated memory of a traumatic event in childhood. Nevertheless, it seems clear that voices have important meanings for the individual, and therefore that they need to be understood rather than suppressed.

Some people don't report any inner speech at all. For some, it may be that inner speech is present, but that it is so condensed and abbreviated that it no longer seems like language. It might be quite a fruitful line of research to investigate what happens when people use deep meditation techniques to consciously empty their thought reservoirs, so any inner speech is effectively suppressed.

One thing we can be sure about is that inner speech takes many forms.

Some will be good for explicit self-regulation and motivation; others will be closer to a kind of deep thinking with no particular sound quality. In fact, understanding inner speech better will help us to be clearer about what we mean by the nebulous term ‘thinking’, and in this way make progress with some long-standing philosophical problems about how language, cognition and consciousness work together.

When I think about my own inner speech, I catch myself in the middle of a full-blown argument with myself, debating things from different points of view. Occasionally, I find myself, like Walter Mitty, using a simple visual or aural trigger to generate a complete narrative of heroism around a fragment of thought, as if a single piece of a jigsaw puzzle were being used to imagine the whole. More usually, the experience is more disconnected: thoughts and feelings that are tantalizingly close to being put into language, but are not yet quite the kind of speech you would hear spoken out loud. Vygotsky described this as being like "a cloud shedding a shower of words". Condensed or expanded, this rich internal dialogue must hold clues to understanding the distinctively creative, flexible properties of human thought.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

39

O B J E C T S FOR HIM

BENTLEY

VERSACE

TIMEX

DSQUARED2

NORTHSKULL

BRIC'S

TONINO LAMBORGHINI

HOGAN

40

FEBRUARY, 2016

DSQUARED2

O F

D E S I R E FOR HER

CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA

CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA

REBECCA MINKOFF

AURELIE BIDERMANN

CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA

LOVE MOSCHINO

ALCOZER & J PROENZA SCHOULER CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

41

DAVID BOWIE

STARMAN

Gill Sherry

M

usic lovers the world over were saddened to learn of the death of David Bowie last month. Not many artists can lay claim to a successful career spanning over five decades but David Bowie entertained the masses throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s, right up to his death in 2016. In fact, his final album, Blackstar, was released two days before he passed away on 10th January.

David Robert Jones was born in Brixton, South London on 8th January 1947. He developed an early interest in music, and was heavily influenced by the likes of Anthony Newley, Tommy Steele and Ray Davies. He began recording under the name of David Bowie in 1966, apparently naming himself after the American pioneer, Jim Bowie.

In total, Bowie recorded 26 studio albums beginning with his self-titled debut in 1967. He experimented with styles throughout his career, reinventing his music in accordance with the era and delighting his fans with his conciliatory talents. His styles included art rock, glam rock, electronic and pop and he was a master of both the guitar and saxophone.

After several failed attempts at stardom with various bands, Bowie finally achieved recognition as a solo artist with Space Oddity in 1969.

The early 70s then saw the introduction of his Ziggy Stardust tour and subsequent hit single Starman.

42

FEBRUARY, 2016

Photo Credits: Helen Dargie His album Diamond Dogs was released in 1974, combining soul and funk and earning him two further hit singles. Sadly, the tour of the same name was detrimental to his health, albeit self inflicted. The decade remained turbulent until he moved to Switzerland, controlled his drug use and then moved again, this time to West Berlin. It was this stage of his life that produced the Berlin Trilogy albums.

The 1980s saw the emergence of the ‘New Romantics’ and his phenomenally successful hit Ashes to Ashes. The accompanying video was heralded as one of the most innovative of all time and worked as a springboard for his third UK number one Under Pressure in 1981.

This pairing with Queen was followed in 1983 by Bowie’s greatest success yet, Let’s Dance. The album went platinum in both the US and the UK, its title track reaching number one in the charts. Modern Love and China Girl from the same album both reached number two, their promotional videos as talked about as the songs themselves.

Arguably, the 80s were his most successful. His Dancing in the Street duet with Mick Jagger was a runaway hit, as was the theme tune to the movie Absolute Beginners in which he played a character named Vendice Partners, starring alongside Patsy Kensit.

After returning to band membership with ‘Tin Machine’ in the late 80s, he didn’t perform solo again until appearing at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992. He followed this with the release of his Black

Tie White Noise album the following year, securing a number one spot with its combination of hip-hop, soul and jazz.

Despite his aging years (in terms of rock stars, at least) he proved his popularity and versatility with a second appearance at the world famous Glastonbury Festival in the UK. He also produced the soundtrack for the computer game ‘Omikron’ and opened the ‘Concert for New York City’, a charity event in aid of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.

Throughout the years, his often controversial lifestyle failed to dent his popularity and he continued to impress with his singing, songwriting, music and acting. Among his many accolades, Bowie received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, a welcome and well deserved addition to his already impressive trophy cabinet. Not forgetting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Hearing of his death, hundreds of mourners gathered in Brixton to pay tribute to the man who entertained them for so many years. A floral shrine was the scene of emotional outpouring as many left flowers, lit candles and wept openly at the news.

Whatever your age, you will be familiar with David Bowie. Whatever your taste in music, chances are, you will have a favourite Bowie track; and whatever else you say about this particular Starman, there’s no denying he reigned supreme throughout his Golden Years. His passing was a huge loss but rest assured, his legend will live on.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

43

HEALTHY

O

ur article this month features a number of short informational posts on labour, childbirth and healthy birth practices to support our lecture ‘Healthy Birth Practices’ from 28th January. Pregnant moms, expectant couples and families will find these interesting.

or blood show).

For those approaching the big day, here are some ways to prepare for your baby's birth:

2.Take a warm bath, it might sooth you and decrease the pain.

1.Educate yourself on the steps and stages of labour and childbirth.

3.Eat/drink light snacks such as apple juice, dates and raw nuts.

2.Choose an OB/GYN you feel comfortable with for your check-ups and the birth of your baby.

4.Sleep and relax. Again, save your energy as much as you can, you will need it for your active labour and pushing stage.

Roqaya Al Shatti .‫ جامعة الكويت‬-‫بكلوريوس عالج طبيعي‬ .‫ بريطانيا‬-‫ماجستير عالج طبيعي‬ ‫جامعة‬- ‫شهادة معتمدة من استراليا‬ .‫ لصحة المرأة‬- ‫ملبورن‬ ‫مقدمة مشورة في الرضاعة الطبيعية‬ ‫اختصاصية العناية بالمولود‬.

BSc physiotherapy- Kuwait University.

MSc physiotherapy- University of Brighton-UK Trained breastfeeding counselor Trained newborn care specialist

BirthKuwait is a non-profit organization operating as part of The Voluntary Health Association.

For more information, visit their website: www.birthkuwait.com or Instagram: @birthkuwait

BIRTH

The early labour stage can last anywhere from hours up to days. We suggest the following during this time: 1.Keep yourself busy with tasks you like to do but do not exhaust yourself; save your energy for the active labour stage.

3.Discuss your needs during and after the birth with your husband and family, or the person who will be supporting you during labour and birth, as well as helping you through your postpartum period (the 40 days).

Signs of active labour:

4.Decide who will attend the labour/childbirth with you.

2.Breaking of the bag of water.

5.Prepare older siblings (if any) for the new addition to the family.

6.Be sure to have someone who can help you with housework after birth.

7.Prepare your hospital bag weeks before your due date.

1.Regular painful contractions that get stronger and closer, and last longer.

Finally, the golden question: When to go to the hospital?

1.When you have 3 contractions every 10 minutes that each last for 60 seconds. This whole cycle would last for an hour.

2.Immediately when your water breaks.

44

FEBRUARY, 2016

Signs of early labour:

3.Vaginal bleeding.

1.Continuous abdominal or lower back pain similar to the menstrual pain.

4.Preterm labour.

2.Increased vaginal discharge (with some mucous plug

@kw.womenshealth

‫‪PRACTICES‬‬

‫سنغطي موضوع المخاض والوالدة والممارسات الصحية التي‬ ‫توصي بها منظمة الصحة العالمية بشكل مختصر‪ ،‬لنعطيكم‬ ‫فكرة عن موضوع محاضرتنا القادمة بتاريخ ‪ ٢٨‬يناير إن شاء اهلل‪..‬‬ ‫هذه المقالة تهم األمهات الحوامل‪ ،‬األزواج المقبلين على الوالدية‬ ‫واألسر‪.‬‬

‫نقاط مهمة لالستعداد للوالدة‪:‬‬ ‫‪ )١‬تثقفي عن خطوات و مراحل الوالدة‪.‬‬ ‫‪ )٢‬اختاري دكتور‪ /‬دكتورة نساء و والدة ترتاحين لها للمراجعات و‬ ‫التوليد‪.‬‬ ‫‪ )٣‬ناقشي احتياجاتك أثناء وبعد الوالدة مع األهل أو الشخص الذي‬ ‫سيكون معك طوال وقت الوالدة والنفاس‪.‬‬ ‫‪ )٤‬قرري من سيكون معك أثناء الوالدة‪.‬‬ ‫‪ )٥‬مهدي اإلخوة أو األخوات (إن وجد) بأن طفل جديد سينضم إلى‬ ‫العائلة‪.‬‬ ‫‪ )٦‬احرصي على تواجد شخص يساعدك في أعمال المنزل بعد‬ ‫الوالدة‪.‬‬ ‫‪ )٧‬احرصي على تجهيز حقيبة الوالدة قبل أسابيع من وقت الوالدة‬ ‫المحدد‪.‬‬

‫‪45‬‬

‫‪ .1‬حاولي أن تشغلي نفسك بأي شيء تحبينه‪ .‬لكن وفري طاقتك‬ ‫في هذه الفترة و ال ترهقي نفسك ليكون لك قوة للوالدة‪.‬‬ ‫‪ .2‬حمام دافئ‪ .‬يمكن أن يساعدك في االسترخاء و يقلل من آالم‬ ‫االنقباضات‪.‬‬ ‫‪ .3‬تناولي وجبات ومشروبات خفيفة (شفافة)‬ ‫مثال عصير التفاح‪ ،‬الجيلي‪ ،‬أو التمر والمكسرات النيئة‬

‫‪ .4‬نامي أو ارتاحي‪ .‬وفري طاقتك قدر اإلمكان ألنك ستحتاجين‬ ‫المجهود أثناء مرحلة المخاض النشط‪.‬‬

‫عالمات الطلق‪/‬المخاض النشط‪:‬‬ ‫‪ -١‬انقباضات مؤلمة منتظمة ‪ ،‬تطول وتقوى وتتقارب‬ ‫‪-٢‬انفجار كيس السائل ونزول ماء رأس الجنين‬ ‫وأخيرًا‪ ..‬السؤال الذهبي‪:‬‬

‫متى هو الوقت المناسب للذهاب للمستشفى؟‬

‫عالمات الطلق‪/‬المخاض المبكرة‪:‬‬

‫‪ .1‬عندما تأتيك ثالث انقباضات كل عشرة دقائق‪ ،‬و مدة االنقباضة‬ ‫الواحدة ستون ثانية‪ ،‬و يستمر هذا الوضع لمدة ساعة كاملة‪.‬‬

‫‪ .1‬ألم متواصل في البطن أو أسفل الظهر مع تقلصات تشبه‬ ‫تقلصات الدورة الشهرية‪.‬‬

‫‪.2‬عند تمزق كيس الطفل‬

‫‪ .2‬وجود افرازات مهبلية بنية أو مختلطة بدم‪.‬‬

‫‪CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM‬‬

‫مرحلة المخاض المبكر يمكن أن تطول لساعات أو أيام ‪ ..‬أثناء هذه‬ ‫األيام‪ ،‬نقترح عليك اآلتي‪:‬‬

‫‪ .3‬النزيف المهبلي‬ ‫‪ .4‬المخاض المبكر قبل إتمام الحمل‬

WINTER GOODNESS

SALTED CARAMEL HOT CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL CAPPUCCINO

46

FEBRUARY, 2016

‫أنامديريالمالي‬ ‫دروس في فن أدارة المال‬

‫روال سمور‬

‫محترفة في مجال تطوير الموارد‬ ‫البشرية ومدربة معتمدة لتطوير‬ ‫القادة ‪MBA, PMP, CIPD, CM, CBCM‬‬

‫‪Rula Sammur‬‬

‫‪HR Professional and Certified‬‬ ‫‪Coach for Leaders‬‬ ‫‪MBA, PMP, CIPD, CM, CBCM‬‬ ‫‪Instgram: @Rulasammur‬‬

‫ونحن على أعتاب سنة جديدة‪ ,‬لماذا ال نبدأ بالتخطيط إلدارة أموالنا‬ ‫بطرق أفضل؟ كلما بدأنا أبكر‪ ,‬كلما كان أفضل! لنتشارك في بعض‬ ‫الدروس ونطبقها أيها المدير المالي‪:‬‬

‫اعرف ما تستحق أن يدفع لك واصرف أقل من مدخولك‪ :‬سهلة‬ ‫الكتابة لكنها صعبة التطبيق هذه الفكرة لكثير من الناس! قيم‬ ‫مهاراتك واعرف قيمتها في سوق العمل‪ .‬اسع دوما للتطوير حتى‬ ‫تزيد فرصك‪ ،‬بسط نمط‪.‬حياتك لتقل مصاريفك‪.‬‬ ‫ضع ميزانية‪ :‬كل شركة لها ميزانية للسيطرة على مداخيلها‬ ‫ومصاريفها واستثماراتها‪ ,‬وهل هناك أهم من استثمارك في‬ ‫حياتك؟ ستساعدك الميزانية الشخصية على السيطرة على‬ ‫مصاريفك ومقارنتها بمدخولك‪ ,‬حتى تستطيع أخذ الخطوات‬ ‫االحترازية لحرية مالية أفضل وقدرة على مواجهة الغير متوقع‪.‬‬ ‫حدد أهدافك المالية‪ :‬ضع أهدافك التي تريد تحقيقها من حيث‪:‬‬ ‫مصادر الدخل المتنوعة‪ :‬نوع مصادر دخلك مستغال أوقات فراغك‬ ‫وهوايات طفولتك‬ ‫خطط التوفير‪ :‬اتبع القاعدة الذهبية بأن تدفع لك قبل أن تدفع‬ ‫لغيرك! ليكن لك اقتطاع شهري ثابت من راتبك (‪ , %15 10‬من‬ ‫راتبك) لحساب توفير ال يمس‪ .‬وهذا يختلف عن حساب الطوارئ‬ ‫(‪ 4 - 3‬رواتب) وحساب التقاعد‪.‬‬

‫‪47‬‬

‫‪CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM‬‬

‫المصاريف‪:‬‬ ‫‪n‬الثابتة (مسكن‪ ,‬مواصالت‪ ,‬مأكل‪ ,‬ديون‪ ,‬الخ)‬ ‫‪n‬المتغيرة‪:‬‬ ‫‪l‬المتعلقة بالتعليم والتطوير (الشخصية والعائلية)‬ ‫‪l‬المتعلقة بالمتعة (الشخصية والعائلية)‪.‬‬ ‫استثمر‪ :‬بعد التحكم بمصاريفك‪ ,‬خطة توفيرك‪ ,‬حساب الطوارئ‬ ‫وحساب التقاعد‪ ,‬اذا تبقى لك مبلغا فاستثمره في أوجه االستثمار‬ ‫المختلفة من عقار‪ ,‬أسهم‪ ,‬الخ‬ ‫راجع‪ ,‬عدل وطور‪ :‬راجع ما سبق بصورة دورية‪ ,‬اقرأ عن مهارات‬ ‫التعامل مع المال‪ ,‬اغتم الفرص التي حولك‪ .‬استشر وناقش‪.‬‬ ‫وأخيرا أتركك أيها المدير المالي الناجح مع بعض األدوات التي قد‬ ‫ستساعدك في رحلتك‪:‬‬ ‫كتاب ينصح به‪The Wall Street Journal: Personal:‬‬ ‫‪Finance WorkBook, Jeff D. Opdyke‬‬

‫أدوات التخطيط المالي‪:‬‬

‫بعض من نماذج الخطط المالية‬

‫الشخصية الجاهزة‪ ،‬متوفرة على رابط‪www.WSJ.com/ :‬‬ ‫‪BookTools‬‬

“RAINDROPS ON ROSES AND WHISKERS ON KITTENS” “Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favourite things.

Cream coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels, door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings, these are a few of my favourite things.”

… And thus were penned the lyrics of one of the most famous songs from the wonderful Sound of Music ; a movie I have watched and sung along with more times than I can possibly remember. Great movie, great song, and a must-have addition to your bucket-list if you’ve not yet watched this classic movie!

Paul Tunbridge A professional Facilities Manager from England, and with work experience across mainland Europe before arriving in Kuwait in 2007 Paul's interests include architecture and gardening as well as creative writing and the arts in general.

“Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, silver white winters that melt into springs, these are a few of my favourite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things, and then I don't feel so bad.”

But here’s the rub … If there’s a question I hate to be asked more than any other, it has to be “What is your favourite this?” or “What is your favourite that?” in which the “this” and “that” might be replaced with any number of options. Perhaps I’m unusual or simply indecisive, or maybe a tad argumentative, but I find such questions increasingly impossible to answer without entering into lengthy considerations relating to circumstance and context in attempts to justify any given response.

What frustrates me even more is that I am so often asked to commit to disclosing favourites as responses to questions used in identity recognition should I fail to remember an online site application password. In such circumstances I always opt for factual disclosures rather than selective; after all, my mother’s maiden name and father’s birthplace will never change, whilst my “favourite” anything is potentially more transient.

Let me explain through some examples…

“What is your favourite colour?” Now, here’s a good

48

FEBRUARY, 2016

one to start with…and how can I possibly answer that without a lot of thought and consideration? My immediate reaction is, of course, to question the question. What is my favourite colour for what? I could warrant that my favourite colour for my living room wallcovering and accessories is terracotta or burnt orange, but I would not want to buy a car in the same colour, nor wear orange shoes to work. I once chose to buy a new car in a delicious purple metallic paint colour, because it looked great on that particular model of car and was my favourite colour in the showroom. However, I would not have put the same colour on the walls in my home. It’s all a matter of context, you see. Surely I can be allowed to have different favourite colours for different things, and not just one favourite?

“What is your favourite car?” Surely this one has to be time and circumstance specific, because different cars meet different needs at different times, which means I could surely identify a number of favourites dependent on my circumstance at any given time. I might surely opt for a 2-seater Supercar if I want to impress others with my daredevil and carefree lifestyle; whilst a 4-wheel drive off-roader would be my choice for trips into the desert; and maybe a Supermini for shopping trips around the city. And with new models introduced each year with improved features and smarter designs, are my favourites in each category not also likely to change with increasing regularity?

I suspect you are now beginning to understand the weird workings of my mind, so shall very briefly mention just a couple more examples with my reasoned logic for not committing to a favourite in each case…

“What is your favourite holiday destination?” Is this for a beach holiday, winter sports holiday, adventure holiday or a cultural city break? And if I make a selection, is there not a danger that my favourite may change after my next vacation? Or the one after that?

Hence this becomes time or opportunity specific.

“What is your favourite book?” Tolstoy’s War & Peace may be a popular choice, but would not be my favourite volume if I want to read about the carpentry skills needed to construct a bookshelf.

Okay…so that’s enough already. I’m sure we’re on the same wavelength now. Of course, a declaration that CityPages must be everyone’s favourite magazine might be understandable, but I’d like to finish by asking each of you just one question … What is your favourite favourite? (Please forgive me if I don’t try to answer).

ADOPT A STREET PRINCESS www.facebook.com/adoptastreetprincess @ADOPT_A_STREET_PRINCESS Twitter: adoptastreetpr1 If you want to donate: PayPal: aasp.shelter@gmail.com - www.gofundme.com/adoptastreetdog

Dear CityPages Readers, Welcome to the February issue of CityPages.

These are exciting times for Adopt a Street Princess. After having the shelter open for just 7 months, we are already starting expansion works for the second time. This is necessary to provide the Kuwaiti dogs with safe accommodation until they can go for adoption into new loving homes. We will also insulate the dog kennels so the heat can´t affect the dogs in the summer; at the same time reducing the noise so the barking will not disturb the neighbourhood. We are happy to announce this construction work will be finished by the end of February and the shelter will again be open for visitors every weekend.

We already have many, many new dogs who are waiting to become your new best friend.

If you wish to have a dog but are unable to adopt one, we provide the opportunity to become a godfather/godmother to your favourite dog at the shelter. Please contact us for more information.

This year, there will be an adoption day at Animall @animall in Al-Rai, near The Avenues.

Please come to our adoption days and meet our amazing dogs and cute puppies!

Nathalie Veys Founder of AASP

February's 3 lovely dogs are:

Fiona, female, 10 month, Saluki Mix

Bella, female, 1 year, Sausage Mix

Sydney, female, 1 year, Labrador/Pitbull Mix CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

49

Kamble

“Painting every day is like feeding my own soul”

Philip Kamble is a self-taught artist inspired by Jazz. But his passion isn’t just limited to art and music; this artist also has a thing for shoes!

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Philip Kamble, an Indian man born and raised in Kuwait. I love watercolours and I would love to share this knowledge with anyone who is interested.

Tell us about your education.

I didn’t study art but have a Bachelor of Commerce from 2004.

When and how did your interest in art begin?

God gifted me the ability to paint but I didn’t know how or where to find a job in the industry, so I joined Color Me Mine in Salmiya as a studio designer. From there, I learned various different mediums and styles in paintings.

I would love to live as a full time artist and do freelance work but the sponsorship and legal affairs mean it is too expensive to make a living in Kuwait.

What made you settle on watercolour?

Watercolours are dynamic. They are the most difficult and challenging

50

FEBRUARY, 2016

amongst all the mediums so I gave up on oil paints and went on exploring with watercolours.

How would you describe your art style?

Line and wash. I draw rough lines to get the subject and then throw washes on and around the lines.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I love music. I began my art works by painting people in music. I was, and I am, truly inspired by Jazz and Jazz musicians.

Do you have a favourite subject or theme you like to paint?

Yes! It’s Jazz; and I would name it ‘Jazz in Colours’ Do you paint every day? What is your preferred time of day to paint?

Yes I do paint every day. Painting every day is like feeding my own soul.

Painting is like a stress buster, it’s pretty relaxing. My mood is always to paint and create some new paintings.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

51

Mornings are the best time to paint. Mornings are full of energy and natural light.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?

Self taught artist

Do you sell your artwork?

Yes, I often sell my work. Some of my works have also been auctioned at charity events.

What do you like the best about living in Kuwait?

The luxury. I was born and raised in Kuwait. After three decades of Kuwait’s warm culture and luxurious lifestyle, I call it home.

Have you exhibited your work?

I have exhibited my works twice in Dar Al Fanoon in Kuwait City, and also at social gatherings at Embassies and other welfare events.

There should be more galleries in Kuwait to support amateur artists.

There should also be more art competitions and more art supply stores.

What is your favourite food?

Shawarma.

What are your future plans?

I want to travel and see places with my eyes, not just through photographs.

Which country would you most like to visit?

Definitely Italy; and also France.

Do you only paint from photographs or do you also paint outdoors?

Mostly I paint from photographs. However, if the climate is good I visit Marina Crescent and paint the yachts. I take my small portable easel and watercolour pad. I also paint people at the cafés near the crescent.

I have many viewers during my outdoor painting sessions!

Besides painting, how do you like to spend your free time?

Eating in different restaurants - and buying shoes!

52

FEBRUARY, 2016

Do you have a favourite colour?

Sometimes red and sometimes yellow.

What advice would you give to would-be artists?

Don’t stop playing and exploring with paints and mediums; surround yourself with people with a positive attitude. Do not surrender if you fail to accomplish. Know that we are all here to learn.

How can people view or purchase your paintings?

Via my Instagram account @philip_kamble Do you have a message for the team at CityPages?

Firstly I am thankful to the CityPages team for considering my work as eligible to be published in their magazine and giving me and my art such a big stage.

There are many talented people in this country. They need encouragement and appreciation so they can build their path more clearly. I would like to thank CityPages for promoting the artisans who bring out culture and awareness by means of art.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

53

THE INTERNET OF PEREGRINE SPODE

Peregrine Spode

Dentally challenged. Still single.

C

ontrary to popular belief, Spode is neither a Neanderthal throwback nor a hapless illiterate. The forehead is almost perpendicular, the visage well-formed and looks surprisingly intelligent. Dental problems notwithstanding, he knows stuff about stuff. Ladies and gentlemen, I know about the Internet. The Internet of things, imbibed with mother’s (rather sour) milk, is my sweet spot, a place of refuge, entertainment and, indeed, cold, hard, business.

Now, just like me, at some time or another in the short but excitingly unpredictable world of email, you will have received something like this, addressed as if the sweaty little geek

54

FEBRUARY, 2016

in a barely functional, virus-ridden Internet café in Burkina Faso is your best buddy from elementary school: “Dear Respected One,” A promising, if businesslike start.

rather

overly

formal,

“Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you.”

Excellent. A person of shrewdness and undoubted integrity. Clever use of the juxtaposition of ‘desire’ and ‘relationship’. I like that.

“I got (poor grammar, but, hey, let it go)

your contact from the International web site directory (is there such a thing?). I prayed over it (another Brownie point – a Godfearin’ soul, thus to be trusted implicitly and without reservation) and selected your name among other names due to its esteeming nature (indeed yes, how very esteeming is my name? People have remarked upon it.) and the recommendations given to me as a reputable and trust worthy person (by whom?

My Editor? My mother?) I can do business with, and by the recommendations I must not hesitate to confide in you for this simple and sincere business…”

The writer goes on to tell me that she is a ‘girl of twenty six years’ (…a girl. I see, presumably

wide-eyed and helpless) seeking to deposit millions in my bank account on behalf of her ‘motherless younger brother’ and herself because her wealthy cocoa-merchant father was poisoned by business rivals…. you couldn’t make this stuff up, could you?…

How my old heartstrings are tugged by this sorry tale. Especially in light of the fact that upon further reading I stand to gain forty per cent of the loot, as long as I give full banking details and a phone number, doubtless to ensure that when the transaction is complete, I’ll get a phone call to ensure its safe arrival.

Frequently, our ‘girl’ signs off by thanking me and invoking a Divine blessing on our soonto-be joint endeavours.

Perhaps in some foreign tongue, I find myself asking, the person writing to me is unfamiliar with the finer and more subtle nuances of the English language, having learned it, perhaps by rote, from a Jack and Jill book at the end of a cane, wielded by someone with pedagogic delusion and a sadistic turn of mind.

There’s frequently a variant on the above, plus or minus a few little details. Often the poor unfortunate with millions hanging about in some fleabag bank in the Ivory Coast tells me that their late relative who seems to know me has left me vast sums in doubloons and bullion in their will. It does seem to stretch credibility a bit, nevertheless, the notion of a ‘will’ means, clearly, that this sadly lamented, obviously deceased individual might have sat next to me on an aeroplane a decade or so ago, and was so riveted by our six-hour conversation, that my face, name and email address somehow stuck in his memory. And, there’s money. Very well.

You have my (almost) undivided attention.

But, old Peregrine is not entirely damp behind the auricles. He has learned a thing or two about scammers, not least being the origin of the word. But with the concept of scam being therefore somewhat fresh in my mind, I wondered: is there anything especially interesting or noteworthy about the word itself?

I was surprised to learn both that it is actually quite a new word and that its origin is essentially unknown. ‘Origin obscure’ as that fountain of all wisdom, the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, but it’s quite possibly American. What a surprise.

OED trots out three definitions for the noun, all contemporaneous: a swindle (1963), a rumour (1964) or a fraudulent bankruptcy (1966). One of the examples given suggests that users at the time (mid ’60s) believed the verb ‘to scam’ was originally a carnival term, meaning ‘to fleece the public.’ Oh. How very disappointing. Does this mean that the Bearded Lady’s beard is stuck on with glue, after all? Although these are included as early examples, it’s worth pointing out that the OED doesn’t actually provide the origin of the word, suggesting that someone’s done research

down this route and so far come up empty.

The best I could do was a derivation from the French ‘escamoteur’ meaning a cheater or swindler, as used in Three Card Monte, or Find The Lady. Moving along, with a little bit of digging, I came across a suggestion from folk etymology that some believe scam to be a shortened form of ‘scandalous misdeeds’. I thought this was really quite cute; evidence is, alas, non-existent. We might further speculate, before expiring from sheer ennui, going back temporally and geographically back through scamp into Old Norse skammr, and from there into Proto Germanic Latin, and even Proto Indo European, finally arriving at a tenuous origin date of approximately 60,000 years BP. That’s clever. (No, it isn’t ‘clever’; you’re boring them to screaming sobs, again!

And me as well. Stop this immediately. (Ed)) Oh, very well. The modern scam is similar to the Spanish Prisoner trick dating back to the late 18th century. It’s quite beautiful, in its own way, appealing to a sense of justice, fair play and getting one’s own back on the authorities, thus not dissimilar to the modern version.

In the original, businessmen were contacted by an individual allegedly trying to smuggle someone connected to a wealthy family out of a Spanish jail. In exchange for assistance, the scammer promised to share scads of lucre with the victim in exchange for a small amount of money to bribe prison guards. One variant of the scam may date back to the 18th or 19th centuries, as a very similar letter, entitled ‘The Letter from Jerusalem’, is seen in the memoirs of Eugène Vidocq, a former French criminal who, after having turned his back on a colourfully disreputable past, founded the first French private investigation agency.

This one read something like this… “My noble friend is held captive - he will share his treasures with you if you pay for his release.

When he is free we will dig up the treasure and repay you”. Cue the music for ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’. Another variant of the scam, dating back to about 1830, appears very

similar to what is passed via email today: "Sir, you will doubtlessly be astonished (yes, I am.

Yes, indeed) to be receiving a letter from a person unknown to you, who is about to ask a favour from you...", then waxes rhapsodic about a casket containing 100,000 francs in gold and the diamonds of a late marchioness, the possession of which will make us both rich beyond the dreams of avarice. Oh, how very familiar it’s all beginning to look.

Some scams don’t want money. They just want us to swallow something which is so wonderfully far-flung and outrageously indigestible that our eyes will just pop out of our heads! The sheer, unadulterated stupidity of some members of the species known as ‘homo sapiens’ is a constant source of amazement, as my old Latin master was fond of remarking. For example, an Internet rumour gained traction recently that hybrid canine/ human pets have been ‘created artificially’ by ‘scientists’ (so it must be alright) and put up for sale for ‘the person who has everything’, for a modest $50m. Great. You get a dog that costs more than a spaceflight that can talk to you but isn’t much good at feeding itself, answering the phone or sweeping the floor.

Oh, enough of this, beloved. You’re much too smart to fall for any of it. Nevertheless, I am happy to inform you that there exists a considerable sum of money belonging to a relative of mine which is currently locked in an account in Nigeria and it is necessary to transfer this money overseas. A quick email to self, P Spode, plus bank transfer details and, of course, a phone number, buys you a share of the….

My editor has just threatened to send all my fingernails in the mail to my mother unless I just shut up now.

One final thought. You can’t sue Red Bull because you haven’t been given a pair of wings and handing over wads of cash to complete strangers is not recommended.

Until next time.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

55

TOP FIVE ‘MUSTS’ FOR

MEMPHIS

Jim West By day a Cyber Security Expert, and by night an award winning author of the Magicae Mathematica series. Jim has lived in Kuwait since 2007, and is excited to be part of the CityPages team.

A

long the Mississippi River lies a city that gave the world the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis.

Known for its BBQ and Blues, Memphis has a sweet southern charm to it that must be experienced in person. As Marc Cohn sings in his best known hit, Walking in Memphis, “Put on my blue suede shoes and I boarded the plane.”

1. The MUST see…Beale Street of course! Marc Cohn’s lyrics “Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale” refer to Beale Street, where he sang of seeing the ghost of Elvis on Union Avenue. Although I won’t guarantee you will see Elvis, I can guarantee you can see the studio where Elvis, Johnny Cash, BB King and many others recorded. Sun Studios is a US Historic Landmark and if you are a fan of rock, blues or jazz this is a must see. https://www.sunstudio.com and http:// www.bealestreet.com 2. The MUST eat…BBQ is king here. Beale Street has plenty to choose from. Yet if you don’t mind standing in line a bit, Blues City Café at the beginning of Beale has some ‘south for your mouth!’ http://www.

56

FEBRUARY, 2016

bluescitycafe.com/ 3. The MUST shop…if the vintage record shops and retro toy stores on Beale don’t fit your shopping needs, head over to Wolfchase Galleria. With every store you will find in the average mall in America, you should be able to satisfy the shopper in the family. http://www. simon.com/mall/wolfchase-galleria 4. The MUST stay…The Peabody Hotel is just a short walk from Beale Street. Plus how many hotels have a daily VIP duck walk to their fountain? For couples I recommend the Romeo & Juliet Suite for its spiral staircase and romantic décor. http://www. peabodymemphis.com/ducks-en.html 5. The MUST do off the beaten path…Well, no trip to Memphis could possibly be complete without seeing Graceland. It’s not so ‘off the beaten path’ as millions come to see the home of Elvis Presley, but once you think you know a lot about the King of Rock & Roll, you go here to find out even more. Book in advance and make sure to dedicate at least an entire day to pay homage to the King. Thank you, thank you very much! http://www.graceland.com/

For more information check out http://www.memphistravel.com CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

57

Fawaz Al-Asad

PHOTOGRAPHER: Hamad Al-Ainati - @7mdphotography

On a mission to provide the best aesthetic care in Kuwait.

58

Fawaz Al-Asad’s passion for dermatological care is more than just skin deep; it comes with a promise of energy, attention and heart. With personal experience of skin damage and the challenges it brings, Fawaz now devotes his time to helping those with their own skin related issues; and insists that every person has something to be admired for.

FEBRUARY, 2016

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

59

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Fawaz Al-Asad. I am 40 years old, husband to a beautiful Colombian wife and father to three young men; a king of my own empire and a servant to my followers.

I am currently the CEO of Noor Clinics, a subsidiary of Tri-Med Medical Services Company; a company specialized in providing primary health care services and home care solutions. Also, I hold the position of Secretary of the Union of Owners of Private Medical Professions.

Tell us about your education.

I graduated from California State University in Long beach (CSULB) with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with speciality in Marketing.

I have also attained recently a certificate in Health Care and Hospital Administration.

Many people find the transition between college and real life a bit daunting. Can you tell us about your journey between the two? What was your first job out of college?

Many people say that college does not teach you about real life and I find that misleading. A university degree is definitely necessary to prepare you and shape your mind to be able to face what is awaiting you. That said, it is clearly dependant on what and from where you attain your degree.

As a fresh graduate I was eager to work and six months after my graduation I was still unemployed. During the period of the Iraq liberation military operation, since I speak Spanish fluently, I accepted a job as a translator and fixer for an American based Latin American news channel (UNIVISION) here in Kuwait. I helped them enter Iraq during that period and assisted them in recounting stories about the period of the invasion of Kuwait. It was only during the period of the attacks and thereafter I joined an esteemed investment company (KAMCO) as a marketing officer and that’s where my journey in the private sector began.

Tell us about how and when the business was started and the motivation behind establishing Noor and New Noor Clinics?

When I was 13 years old I was in a fire accident and burnt my left leg.

Living in agony for many years to heal and recover I made a promise to myself that when I grew up I would do something to help people who have skin problems. I did not know how, but as I got more involved in business I found myself thinking of dermatology clinics. I made a feasibility study in 2007 for an advanced dermatology centre but it wasn’t until 2011 that that dream came true. After the necessary business start up factors were available, such as financial resources, the right partners, professionals and work experience, Noor Clinic was born.

What have been the company’s biggest achievements/ successes to date so far?

Acquiring a 20% market share in the Ahmadi governorate. Serving over 24 thousand satisfied clients in a short period of five years.

What challenges have you had to overcome?

Finding the right doctors to partner with, the right professional staff and governmental routines. Also, a competitive market that pushes us to create new ideas for marketing and creating a cutting edge patient experience.

What if anything, do you wish you had known before you entered this business?

This is not my first business. I was involved in a number of businesses; some functioned and some failed dramatically. Those failures taught me what not to do, so I guess when it came to Noor Clinic I was more prepared than any other time in the past.

What is your current outlook for the beauty and aesthetic sector in Kuwait?

It is a very competitive market and clean competition creates more room for excellence and quality. Furthermore, Kuwait’s Ministry of Health is very careful in accepting and licensing doctors and clinics that might be of a questionable level of professionalism and therefore I believe that we have in Kuwait an excellent level of aesthetic care and it is growing very big.

What do you look for when recruiting for the Noor Clinic team? How does Noor Clinic transmit its values to employees and make them feel identified with the company’s philosophy?

A person who is dedicated, creative and with high teamwork spirit.

By being one family regardless of our number. We live, work and communicate between us as family members do - freely but with respect. That by itself governs and transmits our values between us.

Which are the most challenging and gratifying parts of being the CEO of a company like Noor Clinic?

Trying to keep everyone continuously happy and motivated to ensure they give 100% of their energy towards our entity. I always tell my team that if they give me 100% I will give 200% of my energy, attention and heart.

If we had the chance to peek at your schedule what would your average day look like?

Busy, busy, busy - but not busy enough!

What makes Noor Clinic unique?

Our mission. We strive to provide the best dermatological treatments and skin care and laser hair removal technologies according to the standards of ‘International Society of Dermatology’ with a price that is affordable to the majority of patients.

What can you tell us about your existing service portfolio and areas you plan on exploring in the future?

Plastic surgery, pediatric care and nutrition.

60

FEBRUARY, 2016

Five years after the foundation, Noor Clinic is already a well-recognized clinic. What is your dream now?

This is just the first milestone of my dream. The sky is the limit as long as I am alive and healthy.

Who inspires you?

I find an inspiration in each and every person around me. Every person has something to be admired for.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

61

PHOTOGRAPHER: Hamad Al-Ainati - @7mdphotography

62

FEBRUARY, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHER: Hamad Al-Ainati - @7mdphotography

What expansion plans do you have nationally and internationally?

We have a plan to open three more branches here in Kuwait and seven branches in the GCC region and Egypt.

Tell us about your hobbies.

Reading, playing music, flying R/C airplanes and aquarium fish keeping.

What do you do to relax?

I go fishing.

Do you have a favourite holiday destination?

Denmark and Colombia.

City or beach? Beach Meat or fish? Fish Tea or coffee? Coffee - make that a double!

Dream car - A car made in Kuwait All-time favourite movies – Braveheart and The Devil Wears Prada Favourite band/artist – Pink Floyd and Bob Marley

What is your favourite food?

Persian food and sushi.

What is your motto in life?

The more we give the better we live.

Favourite book – The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy Favourite colour – Black Your next holiday – Finland

What would you like our readers to remember about Noor Clinic as a final message?

Noor Clinic is not a business, it is a family care.

Your message for us at CityPages magazine: Keep up the great work - you have come to be my favourite magazine to read.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

63

FOOD FOR THE

SOUL

Khaled Nazar Khaled is a Colorado School of Mines Graduate with a BS in Petroleum Engineering.

Currently working for KOC and co-founder of Kuwait Events mobile application, he is (but is not limited to) a cinematographer, photographer, filmmaker, artist, engineer, geek, food critic, wanderlust and car enthusiast. He prefers a mountain hike to a city stroll.

64

FEBRUARY, 2016

E

very month I sit down for a couple of hours and write about one of my posh experiences at some of the world's best restaurants. Today I'll be writing about not one, but two of my favourite things - eating and hiking.

Last August I decided to visit my second home, Granite Falls. Waking up to blue skies, running rivers and no traffic is bliss.

If I ever retire, you know where to find me! I hopped into my Volvo V90 rental and drove to town to try the newly opened diner, Buzz Inn. My choice for breakfast that morning was decided long before I grabbed the menu - 6 oz steak (cooked medium, pink and juicy in the middle) with a side of hash browns and sunny-side-up eggs. No, this wasn't any fancy $100 Wagyu, quail egg or any of that thin layered potato gratin. This, ladies and gentlemen, was the Steak and Eggs. If you've ever had Steak and Eggs and didn't like it, you had it at the wrong time, in the wrong place! As the egg yolk spills on the steak and hash browns, it creates a messy dish that will turn white in a matter of minutes. God bless Murica.

Later I hiked Lake 22 in Washington State, USA. In a sea of trees and waves of mountains, there are spots on this earth that amount to no man made marvel, belittling even the Great Pyramids of Giza. Your journey starts on the long drive down the all American road to the beginning of your hike. Packing water and food is essential but what's a nature walk without a chance to chill on a hammock when you arrive at your destination? Gigantic mountain tops look upon a crystalline lake. Formed from winter snow, these lakes are at freezing temperatures. It takes a couple of minutes to lose the sensation of your toes but drying out under the warm sun is just magical. So take out your packed Guacamole and chips and eat to your heart's content. The last thing here is to just stay still. Whether you're in a hammock or lying on a bed of earth, look up to the stars and just be alive. God bless Interstellar.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

65

Venice, Italy Venice, capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a marshy lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. Its stone palaces seemingly rise out of the water. There are no cars or roadways, just canals and boats. The Grand Canal snakes through the city, which is filled with innumerable narrow, mazelike alleys and small squares.

WHERE TO STAY

THINGS TO DO

Overlooking Venice Lagoon, Hotel Danieli is a legendary hotel 200 meters from St. Mark's Square. Each room is spacious and finely furnished. This award-winning Luxury Collection Hotel is comprised of 3 separate buildings, dating back to the 14th, 19th, and 20th centuries, and connected by covered bridges.

Get around in a gondola

Hotel Danieli, a Luxury Collection Hotel

Novecento

Sporting a boho-chic look, the Novocento is a real charmer. Its nine individually designed rooms ooze style with Turkish kilim pillows, Fortuny draperies and 19th-century carved bedsteads.

Outside, its garden is a lovely spot to linger over breakfast.

No trip to Venice would be complete without a punt down one of the city’s picturesque waterways in an iconic gondola.

WHERE TO DINE CAFFE FLORIAN

RISTORANTE LINEADOMBRA Tour the Venetian masters of art

Venice is a unique and precious repository of art. From the late Middle Ages until the mid-18th century, artists of the highest caliber left their mark all over the city and works by Venice’s grand masters Titian (c1488-1576), Tintoretto (c1518-94), Canaletto (1697-1768) and Tiepolo (1727-1804) can still be viewed in situ today.

See Titian’s glorious ‘Assumption’ above the high altar at I Frari, Tintoretto’s epic masterpiece ‘Crucifixion’ at Scuola Grande di San Rocco, and Tiepolo’s monumental frescos at the Pietà and Ca’ Rezzonico.

Hotel Colombina

OSTERIA AL PONTE DEL DIAVOLO

The Colombina is centrally located in the heart of Venice, just a few steps from St. Mark’s Square.

The noble Venetian palace which accommodates the main white Palazzo faces one of the world’s most famous gondola serenades canal and boasts a breath-taking view on the Bridge of Sighs and the spires of San Marco Basilica.

Dolomite Mountains Small Group Day Trip from Venice

Baglioni Hotel Luna

Ideally positioned a stone’s throw from Piazza San Marco, right in the heart of Venice facing the San Marco Basin and the island of San Giorgio, the Baglioni Hotel Luna, in Venice is situated a short distance from the most famous historical and artistic attractions of the city.

66

FEBRUARY, 2016

Escape the city and spend a day in the Dolomite Mountains on a full-day trip from Venice! With an expert driver-guide to tell you all about the region, you’ll see two of the area’s finest lakes, Lake Santa Caterina and Lake Misurina, headed up by the heart-stopping Tre Cime di Lavaredo peaks. Enjoy lunch in a traditional ‘trattoria’, soak up the scenery on a bracing mountain walk, and then enjoy free time to explore the chic ski resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Bon voyage!

RIOBA RESTAURANT

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

67

ISTANBUL AS A FOOD DESTINATION

Talal Al-Rashed

68

FEBRUARY, 2016

S

ince I was a child, I’ve always heard how delicious the food in Turkey is. I didn’t have the chance to go and try it for myself though, until I was 21 years old, back in 2005.

I remember well our first day in Istanbul and how stunned we were by the views of the city. I also remember our first meal. It was in a tiny, cheap restaurant somewhere in the historic peninsula, with only six tables, and with old rugs decorating the floor and walls. As is usually the case when trying a new cuisine or restaurant, we picked almost every interesting item on the menu; some spinach pastry, fasulia (which I knew would be beans as they use the Arabic word for it), lahmacun (which is lahm wa Ajin - meet and dough), cucumber yogurt salad…etc.

The waiter, who probably came from the same far away region of Turkey as the restaurant’s cuisine, took the order with a rare thoughtfulness to our capacity for eating. Every time we ordered another item, he would scratch a previous order from his docket, until I asked, “What are you doing?” He looked at me questioningly and said in broken English, “You..two just”. Not only that, but he also argued our desire to discover Turkish food and told us it was unhealthy and a sin to eat so much. Very good eating habits they have, I told myself. Just to end the saga I agreed to cancel one order.

I’ve realized since then that Istanbul’s dining scene is generally influenced by the very good eating habits of the Turkish people. They aspire to Istanbul’s glamorous and elite society, yet are unadventurous with their dining experiences. This in turn, impacts upon the expectations of the expats, tourists and business visitors who roam Istanbul. Restaurants cater for highly aware and price sensitive customers, which is why in Istanbul you can enjoy good food, but not necessarily gourmet, everywhere.

After experiencing the few home-cooked style dishes, or as Turkish people call it, ‘ev yemegi’, in that restaurant, we went to the most famous and crowded pedestrian street in Turkey (which I didn’t know at the time is called Istiklal Street). Of course, in a long pedestrian street in the heart of a very populated city, offerings of street food are plentiful: doner (which we call Shawarma, although there is a difference between the two, and they are both found in Turkey); Islak burger, which literally translates to ‘Wet burger’ since it’s a thin slice of cöfte between burger buns splashed with tomato sauce and kept warm by steaming it in a see-through glass case; Tavuk pilav, which is rice cooked with shredded chicken and chickpeas and again kept warm in a see-through glass case; peanuts stands, and dondurma, which is ice cream and other sweets (I know what they are called now, but back then, I had no clue).

My attention was caught in a small side street by a place where mussels are stuffed with a rice mix, or skewered, dipped in batter and deep-fried.

It was the first street food I had tried in Istanbul, and all these years later after trying all of them, it remains my favourite.

Istanbul is a cosmopolitan city, known as the economic, cultural and touristic city of Turkey. Millions of people roam Istanbul every day, either commuting or visiting, and their best eating option to save time and money is Istanbul’s diverse and delicious street food. So the vendors and small restaurants have been competing for decades to attract those customers to their stands. One can imagine how each one of them tries to be the place to go back to, or be recommended to others.

As much as authentic restaurants and street food might be sufficient for any gastronomic traveller to Turkey, no foodie would be happy about skipping the fine dining scene of Istanbul once she or he knows it. The Ottoman cuisine in an imperial setting with silver service is an unmatchable experience and literally, one of a kind. The view from any modern restaurant on any hill of Istanbul overlooking the Bosphorus is enough to make it a memorable evening, no matter how average the food is. Istanbul is a house for top restaurants in the world and with serious chefs so proud of their culture, cuisine and fresh, organic ingredients from Turkey’s diverse region, you are guaranteed to enjoy almost all fine dining restaurants in Istanbul.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

69

EAT RIGHT FOR YOUR

Jamie & Alana Karehana

I

f you missed the first article about eating right for your body type, make sure you check it out on our website at www. karehanafitness.com or in the January issue of CityPages magazine.

To recap, everyone is categorized into one, or a mixture of three, body types: Ectomorph (I type), Mesomorph (V type) or Endomorph (O type). Each body type has certain characteristics. For example, I types generally have a fast metabolism, find it hard to gain weight and are slim, while an Endomorph has a slower metabolism, doesn’t metabolise carbs well and finds it hard to lose weight.

BODY TYPE -1 cupped handful of carb dense foods -1 thumbs of fat dense foods Typical traits for both the male and female Ectomorh (I type) include having a small frame, are thin, have a fast metabolism and find it hard to gain weight. I types generally do best with more carbohydrates in the diet and less fat with a moderate amount of protein.

So that’s what we recommend; more healthy carbs and less fat with a moderate amount of protein.

Just like any other nutrition plan, these guidelines are only a starting point. You don’t know exactly how your body will respond in advance, so stay flexible. Adjust your portion sizes depending on your hunger, fullness, overall activity level and progress towards your goals.

For men, begin by eating for each of your main meals e.g. breakfast, lunch and dinner:

For example:

In our previous article, we covered the Endomorph (O type). In this article we’ll be going into more detail about the Mesomorph (V type) and Ectomorph (I type).

-2 palms of protein dense foods

Typical traits for both the male and female Mesomorph (V type) include having well defined muscles, athletic, strong, gain muscle easily and generally have a hard body. V types generally do best on a mixed diet, with balanced carbohydrates, proteins and fats. So that’s what we recommend.

-1 thumb of fat dense foods

In terms of portion control we use your hand as your measuring tool.

-1 fist of vegetables

For men, begin by eating for each of your main meals e.g. breakfast, lunch and dinner:

-0.5 thumb of fat dense foods

-2 fists of vegetables -3 cupped handfuls of carb dense foods

For women, begin by eating for each of your main meals e.g. breakfast, lunch and dinner: -1 palm of protein dense foods

-2 cupped handfuls of carb dense foods

-2 palms of protein dense foods -2 fists of vegetables -2 cupped handful of carb dense foods -2 thumbs of fat dense foods For women, begin by eating for each of your main meals e.g. breakfast, lunch and dinner: -1 palm of protein dense foods -1 fist of vegetables

70

FEBRUARY, 2016

of two body types including Ectomorph/ Endomorph or Mesomorph/Endomorph then follow the ‘O type nutrition guidelines’.

Your protein dense foods include salmon, tuna, egg, beef and chicken. Your good fats include avocado, olive/coconut oil, flax seeds, nuts and nut butter. Carb dense foods include gluten free oats, pasta and rice.

To help determine what body type or types you are, check to see if you fit two or more of the traits mentioned earlier for a ‘V body type’ or ‘I type’ and compare yourself to the pictures that feature in this article. If you are a combination

-Men who are ‘I type’ and want to add mass fast can add an extra thumb of fats and a cupped handful of carbs -Females who are ‘O type’ and want to lose more body fat can reduce their protein to 0.5 palm size, increase vegetables to 2 fists, exclude the carb dense foods, have 1 thumb of fats and reduce training from 4-5 times per week to 3 times.

Once you have successfully reduced your body fat or get close to reaching your goals, regardless of your body type, body composition, or overall health status, your ability to handle carbohydrate-dense foods is greatly improved the more active you are.

This means that the best time to eat the majority of those starchy (or, less ideally, sugary) foods is when you’re most physically active. Depending on your body type, your carb tolerance and needs are different and your strategy should be different to match.

Ectomorphs do better eating carb dense foods around exercise. Some starchy, whole grain, minimally processed carbs should also be eaten at other meals. Mesomorphs also do better eating carb dense foods around exercise. Some starchy, whole grain, minimally processed carbs should also be eaten at

other meals, though consumed in moderation. Endomorphs do better eating almost all carb dense foods around exercise.

Once you are satisfied with your progress and how everything is going, then we recommend that you start incorporating treat meals.

When you decide to have a treat meal, make sure it’s only a meal not a whole day. Aim to have your treat meal once a week or once a fortnight, depending on how close you are to achieving your goals.

To find out more about the ‘V type and I type nutrition guidelines’ go to karehanafitness.com, subscribe to our newsletter and we’ll send you a free guide that explains everything you need to know including an illustrated portion control guide, comprehensive list of food options, how often you should eat, snack foods and an example 7 day meal plan. If you would like us to run a free seminar at your workplace or organisation send an email to admin@karehanafitness.com.

Now that we have provided you with your body type nutrition guides, all we ask from you is that you start tomorrow. Make sure that your health is your number one priority, keep a good work life balance and be happy.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

71

YUMMY FOR THEIR LITTLE TUMMY:

THE GOODNESS OF BEETS

Sherifa Alasousi Owner of Sugar Box Bakery and winner of ‘Let's Cook’ competition in 2014, Sherifa loves exploring new flavors as well as new places.

Having a baby changed her life, particularly when it came to food, but she soon realized that for a healthy baby, you just need to cook with love.

B

eets contain a wonderful amount of calcium, potassium and even vitamin A. Both vitamin A and calcium play a large role in the healthy development of your baby. It’s hard to believe how high in fiber beets are; just 2 medium sized beets contain 2 grams of fiber!

Many pediatricians suggest introducing beets between 8-10 months of age. As always, we recommend that you thoroughly discuss any feeding issues with your pediatrician as generalities may not apply to your child.

Beets are not one of the ‘dirty dozen’ foods that are most highly contaminated with pesticides. Having said that, purchasing organic is a personal choice.

When selecting beets for homemade baby food, try to purchase fresh beets whenever possible. The medium sized beets are more tender and tasty than the large beets. Many recommend completely bypassing beets if they are over 3-4 inches in diameter. With beets, bigger is not better.

Avoid bruised or blemished beets. Beets come in all types of colours including red, yellow and of course, that well known purple colour. When possible, buy beets that still have their green leafy tops attached as they will remain fresh. Don’t look at the dirt on beets as a negative, seldom will you find nicely washed and shiny beets in your grocery store.

72

FEBRUARY, 2016

To store beets, cut off the greens and then place in an airtight container or a freezer bag. Put them in the ‘veggie crisper’ or the far back of your refrigerator.

Beets will remain fresh for about one week as long as they are kept cold.

Basic Beet Puree: (8-10 months old) Step 1: Wash and peel the beets (be sure to cut off the tops) and cut the beets into small chunks.

Step 2: Place chunks into a steamer pan with just enough water visible through the steamer basket. You may also boil them in a scant amount of water if you prefer.

Step 3: Steam until tender.

Step 4: Do not reserve any leftover water to use for thinning out the beets as Nitrates may seep into the cooking water.

Step 5: Place into your choice of appliance and begin pureeing. We find a food processor works best to make a really nice textured beet puree.

Step 6: Add water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin consistency, then add a little parsley for garnish and 2 spoons of Greek yogurt to achieve a lighter taste.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

73

KOOT SUNGLASSES The First Kuwaiti Sunglasses Brand

An exclusive interview with Ahmad Hadi - Founder and General Manager

Unique eyewear designed to reflect and express your personality.

74

FEBRUARY, 2016

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

75

Please introduce readers.

yourself

to

our

Ahmad Hadi - Founder and General Manager of Koot Brand General Trading.

Tell us about your education?

Bachelor degree in Business Administration – Accounting.

What is your business background and how did you get into entrepreneurship?

Tell us how Koot Sunglasses came to be.

I used to be a distributor of several sunglass brands from 2011 to 2014. From the ups and downs, the variety of designs and shapes, and being in touch with lots of customers throughout those three years, I had the idea of making my own brand. The name Koot was one of the proposed names, and when we saw the Logo, we were sure this was our new Brand Name.

I cannot call myself an entrepreneur; I need to make a dramatic change in this field to be an entrepreneur.

From a personal perspective, what was it that made you choose eyewear, rather than clothing for example?

I consider eyewear, sunglasses to be precise, as the piece that completes the artist’s work.

It’s not just top, pants, make-up and hairdo sunglasses add a lot.

What’s your earliest memory of sunglasses and how did you come to be so fond of them?

I have one memory of sunglasses - Aviator. I once believed that the only shape of sunglasses that could ever fit my face were the Aviator – a belief that is blown away now!

Who designs your glasses and where are they manufactured?

My partners and I work on the sketching and simple drawings, but we execute our work in China with the help of the designers at the factories we work with.

Where do you take inspiration from?

We get inspired by almost everything beautiful and artistic; and customers’ suggestions.

76

FEBRUARY, 2016

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

77

Do you have a store? Where are the sunglasses available?

Our online store will be launched soon, but for the time being we accept orders by WhatsApp. You can also find us at Moda Nest store in Creative Design Center, Luscious Boutique in Tijaria Tower, and on the happynest.gift website.

We know you provide clients with a wide array of sunglasses but can you name a few of your own favourite frames?

My own favourite frames are Catty, Hoop and Posh.

What sets Koot apart and how will you ensure it will remain unique in the coming years?

Well, we are the first Kuwaiti sunglasses brand and we are the first sunglasses brand that holds the name of old Kuwait. The sunglasses industry is huge, and we are sure we can still learn more and more to keep Koot unique.

What’s next for Koot?

Product variety.

78

FEBRUARY, 2016

What has been your most valuable lesson so far since starting your business?

The most important lesson I have learned is that you shouldn't have a huge principle to start a good lucrative business.

Is there anything else you want to share with fans and future clients?

The support we have had and are still having from our clients since the start of Koot is our most valuable asset.

Your message for us at CityPages magazine: On behalf of the Koot Family I thank CityPages magazine for this opportunity and their support. We hope we can inspire others on their way to success.

AMBER ASAMA Perfumes The creative method gave ASAMA Perfumes the time and the opportunity to craft fragrances while working with the highest quality ingredients in a bottle and using Arabic and Western scents as a unique concept point for the fragrances. They welcome your comments at PR@ ASAMAPerfumes.com Follow them on Instagram and Twitter: @ASAMAPerfumes

I

t is always confusing when Amber, also one of the most important fragrance families, is discussed in fragrances. It gets even more confusing when the terms Amber and Ambergris are addressed.

Amber, also known as Fossilised Amber, comes from plant resin and is a fantasy note in fragrances.

Ambergris, on the other hand, is an animal source which is excreted by some species of sperm whales.

Both are two entirely different notes and when it comes to their fragrance descriptions, there's a marked difference between them.

Ambergris, also referred to as ‘grey amber’, is a grey to black flammable substance produced in lump form.

The lumps can be as small as a ball and as big as the size of a head. It is secreted through the intestines of certain species of sperm whale. Formation of Ambergris in the gut of the sperm whale is attributed to the whale’s natural response to the constant irritation caused by the sharp beaks of squid and cuttlefish and their indigestible parts; or perhaps it is produced simply as a means of protection against the damage caused by

them, and is periodically excreted. It is thought to be a pathological process but this is just an assumption.

It was a highly valued material for its medicinal, aphrodisiac and fragrant properties even in the ancient times.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

79

HEARING CARE 101

Lina Adlouni Lina is an audiologist at The Hearing Care Center International Optique. She has a Master of Audiology from the University of Southampton.

For more information contact The Hearing Care Center International Optique. Tel: 25714007 – 97234753, www. intoptic.com – info@intoptic.com, Instagram: @intoptique

L

istening to loud music, working in a noisy environment, or even spending long hours in blaring traffic are everyday life situations that can cause irreversible damage to your hearing.

It is important to know that there are certain ways in which you can protect your hearing from future problems, and this can be done by following a few simple steps.

Use ear plugs. Unlike the common belief that ear plugs block all sounds completely, many of them are designed for multi purposes, such as listening to music, driving or walking, working in factories and travelling. Each of these ear plugs can precisely block specific harmful sounds up to a certain degree by using special integrated filters.

Wear noise-cancelling earphones. These earphones help in lowering background noise, therefore allowing you to set the volume at a lower level. You can enjoy listening to music, but at a safe level that is not harmful to your ears.

80

FEBRUARY, 2016

Avoid excessive exposure to noise. Move away from the source of the loud and raucous sounds.

Extending the distance to such sound sources can significantly help to protect your hearing.

Turn down the volume of the TV. No movie is worth damaging your hearing. Even a small decrease in the volume can make a great difference in protecting your ears in the long term.

Give your ears some recovery time. Your ears need a minimum of 16 hours of rest before they can recover from the effects of loud sounds.

Always remember that the best practice is to protect your hearing while you can! Once hearing is gone, it is gone for good.

Visit us at The Hearing Care Center at International Optique for more information. We can assess your level of hearing and provide you with further consultation on protection of your ears and hearing!

Choose the best

-

- Sharq

22409341

- Kuwait City

- Sharq

- Fahaheel International intoptique Optique

ZIKA VIRUS A NEW GLOBAL THREAT

Dr. Nazia Nausheen Dr. Nazia Nausheen is a certified medical doctor. She also holds a Masters Degree in Business, Specializing in Sales and Marketing.

Readers should look forward to her regular articles on women health and other general health related issues.

Z

ika. This mosquito-borne virus is an emerging global concern for two reasons. Firstly, it is spreading globally at an alarming rate; since Brazil reported the first cases of local transmission of the virus in May 2015, it has spread to 24 countries. Secondly, its connection to microcephaly, a neurological birth disorder resulting in babies born with abnormally small heads causing severe developmental defects and sometimes death.

The virus is transmitted when an Aedes mosquito bites a person with an active infection and then spreads the virus by biting others. For people who get sick, the illness is usually mild including fever, headache, rash and possible pink eye. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. That's especially concerning for pregnant women, as this virus has now been shown to pass through amniotic fluid to the growing baby.

What can we do to protect ourselves against Zika?

There is no vaccine to prevent Zika. The best way to prevent diseases spread by mosquitoes is to avoid being bitten. Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites by adopting the following preventive measures: lWear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. lStay in places with air conditioning or that use

window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside. lUse Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)registered insect repellents. All EPA-registered insect repellents are evaluated for effectiveness.

82

FEBRUARY, 2016

mAlways follow the product label instructions. mReapply insect repellent as directed. mDo not spray repellent on the skin under clothing. mIf you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen

before applying insect repellent.

lIf you have a baby or child: mDo not use insect repellent on babies younger than

2 months of age. mDress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs, or mCover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting. mDo not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, or on cut or irritated skin. mAdults: Spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to a child’s face. lTreat clothing and gear with permethrin (a synthetic insecticide used chiefly against disease-carrying insects) or purchase permethrin-treated items. mTreated clothing remains protective after multiple washings. See product information to learn how long the protection will last. mIf treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully. mDo NOT use permethrin products directly on skin.

They are intended to treat clothing. lSleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and are not able to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

Baghdad Street – Building 38 same as Boushahri Seema Pharmacy, Opposite Suleiman Al-Luhaib Mosque - Tel : 1888877

www.boushahricp.com

Boushahri_clinic CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

83

84

FEBRUARY, 2016

With the Relationship Counselor, Best Selling Author and all-round Holistic Health Devotee -

Dr. John Gray

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

85

S

ometime in the 1990s, when I was an avid reader of anything and everything, I was browsing the shelves at Waterstone’s on Kensington High Street; a place where I spent many a long afternoon, and came across a book entitled ‘Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus’. The brilliant title caught my attention; however the tenet of its content is what has stayed with me until present.

Nowadays, there probably isn’t a single person who hasn’t, in one way or another, been affected by the book’s premise which is that men and women are biologically built to operate completely differently to each other. Hence people can’t, nor shouldn’t, expect to treat the opposite sex the same way as they expect (being the key word here) to be treated in love relationships. Since John Gray is after all a relationship counselor with a knack for biology, it all made perfect sense; and the reason it all makes sense is because anyone with basic knowledge of how the human body functions, will have to agree that men and women react to life’s circumstances like polar opposites.

So, along comes John Gray to explain it in detail.

A relationship counselor, with many years of family therapy experience under his belt, the most interesting thing I found out about John Gray is that he was celibate for nine years while he worked as a personal assistant to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He went on to pursue Masters and Doctorate degrees only after this stint immersed in spiritualism, which no doubt affects everything he does and believes. Armed with all this potent information and experience he wrote ‘Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus’ in 1992, and has written 17 other books as well.

John believes that male and female hormones are what set us apart, and goes on to adeptly explain how Estrogen, Testosterone, Oxytocin and Serotonin (among others) are the sole drivers behind

86

FEBRUARY, 2016

human relationships and interaction. This information, if truly comprehended, makes complete biological sense and can help the sexes justify each other’s bizarre behavior in their romantic relationships with each other.

I for one benefitted greatly from his books and still apply the logic to my everyday life, not necessarily just to the romantic aspects either.

The fact that I choose to be single is perhaps also the result of understanding quite well my own biology, and realizing that it’s a lose/lose scenario as far as I’m concerned. He went on to tell me that judges have been known to pass out his books to couples who file for divorce in the hopes of educating them first.

He is also a staunch believer in holistic health and gave me advice on how supplements can assist with chronic illness, while introducing me to the concept of a healthy intestinal Biome, where he believes most illness and stress stems from if not maintained. Apparently, a healthy intestinal ecosystem can lead to a healthy, illness free life. He strongly advises that eating Yogurt rich in active friendly lacto bacteria can deactivate many of the harmful substances modern humans ingest daily and keep a person healthy without having to rely on medication. This information isn’t new, we all know the benefits of eating yogurt, however not everyone knows that an unhealthy stomach is the source of most illnesses and conditions.

The takeaway from sitting with John Gray was three-pronged. I learned that healthy relationships are a result of educating oneself in human biology first; that love releases Oxytocin, and if Oxytocin is constantly depleted, human interaction becomes difficult at best; and finally that a healthy stomach is the key to a healthy body. I’d say Dr. John Gray has hit the nail on its head.

For more information log on the www.MarsVenus.com

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

87

by: Melody Mackintosh @MelodyMackintosh

melodymackintoshblog.wordpress.com

MIND YOUR MANNERS I

was brought up to believe that good manners are a common courtesy. I was taught to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and to respect my elders. Sadly, I see little evidence of these simple civilities in evidence today. This lack of basic pleasantries isn’t just frustrating, it’s rude. When did it become acceptable to take kindness for granted?

Far too many people seem to have lost the ability to say ‘thank you’.

It doesn’t cost anything to be nice, so why not thank the person who holds open a door for you? Why not go out of your way to send a note of thanks to the friend or family member who has treated you to a coffee or a gift?

When I was a child, my parents insisted that I wrote to every person who bought me a birthday gift. I would excitedly unwrap each present, and then pause to write down who had bought it for me before opening the next. Within days, a personalised note would be on its way to the person concerned. These days, kids just expect to receive things without even thinking about the time, energy and thought that went into purchasing it.

Call me old fashioned but a text message or ‘WhatsApp’ just doesn’t cut it. First of all, hard as it may be to comprehend, there are still some members of the older generation who don’t have a mobile phone, so a text to Granny is not an option. Why not drop in and say thank you in person? You could even take a note of thanks with you so your gratitude is evident long after your visit.

In the absence of an official postal system in Kuwait, and if you’re not able to say thank you in person, pick up the phone! It’s that thing you speak into that connects you with other people – the same thing you use to take pictures, play games and tell the time – yes, it also lets you make calls!

I’ve lost count of the number of gifts I’ve bought for which I have received absolutely no thanks. The lack of courtesy is guaranteed to offend and is simply unacceptable. For the small amount of time

88

FEBRUARY, 2016

and effort it takes to say a simple ‘thank you’ why not just show your appreciation and express your gratitude?

Weddings are another example. Despite the huge amount of gifts received, we personally wrote to every person who bought a gift for our wedding. Nowadays, most people get a pre-printed note with no thought or effort other than putting it in an envelope. I appreciate it could take an enormous amount of time preparing personalized notes of thanks for each wedding gift, but imagine the time and effort that went into choosing, buying and wrapping that gift in the first place, not to mention the expense.

But it’s not just about gifts. Have you ever thought about the time and energy that goes into organizing an event? Or the preparation and worry that someone puts into preparing a meal? Next time you enjoy a night out, how about a word of thanks for the host?

As for ‘please’, it’s not exactly a difficult word is it? Yet it’s rarely used when ordering food, buying cinema tickets or re-fuelling our cars. The staff work hard to serve us, the least we can do is say please and thank you; and one word of kindness can make their day.

Failing to respond to e-mails and other messages is also inexcusable. If you’re not interested in meeting with the sender, just say so! It doesn’t have to be a rude message, just a courteous response to say you have other plans or the idea is not something you want to follow up. And remember that if someone is planning an event or an evening out, it helps them to know whether you intend to go along or not!

Good manners are indicative of polite, well-bred social behaviour so don’t forget to adopt this invaluable etiquette. Remember your ‘Ps and Qs’ and always treat someone else how you would expect to be treated yourself.

“Thank you”.

TOP MUSIC CHARTS 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06.

Love Yourself

Sorry

Stressed Out

Hello

My House (EP)

Roses

Justin Bieber & Jaden Smith

Justin Bieber

Twenty One Pilots

Adele

Flo Rida

Chainsmokers & Rozes

07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12.

Work

Hands To Myself

Here

Stitches

Like I'm Gonna Lose You

No Role Modelz

Rihanna & Drake

Selena Gomez

Alessia Cara

Shawn Mendes

Meghan Trainor & John Legend

J. Cole

13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Same Old Love Selena Gomez

Downtown

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee And Grandmaster Caz

Hotline Bling Drake

Focus

What Do You Mean?

Hit The Quan

Ariana Grande

Justin Bieber

iLoveMemphis

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

Locked Away

R. City & Adam Levine

All Eyes On You

Meek Mill, Chris Brown & Nicki Minaj

Tennessee Whiskey

Cake By The Ocean

When We Were Young

Adventure Of A Lifetime

Chris Stapleton

DNCE

Adele

Coldplay

25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Wildest Dreams

The Hills

Taylor Swift

Weeknd

Down In The DM Yo Gotti

679

Fetty Wap & Remy Boyz

I Know What You Did Last Summer Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello

Burning House Cam

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

89

Tanya Kosta

Heading for the top in the specialized art of millinery.

Tanya Kosta’s headpieces are a unique work of art. Inspired by nature, her coveted creations decorate the heads of a wide range of clients, including one very special fashion conscious canine.

Please tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Tanya Kosta. I am a milliner. For those not familiar with the term, I make hats and hair accessories!

When and how did you come to Kuwait?

I got my first job in Kuwait at Elysium Health Spa as a physiotherapist in 1999, and I’ve been here ever since!

Tell us how you got into millinery?

A few years ago I saw the new version of ‘The Great Gatsby’ movie and I fell in love with the beautiful and glamorous millinery. After that I was invited to a very artistic wedding in Bulgaria and found this to be a great opportunity to prepare headpieces for myself, the bride and some guests. It was an absolute success! That is how it started.

What kind of special training did you take to master the art?

I really believe in good training and the best is in the UK. At London Hat Week, the biggest

90

FEBRUARY, 2016

millinery forum in the world, I met the most famous milliners - even the milliner of the Queen! I had a chance to study their work closely and took numerous classes with them.

They taught me a lot, starting from where to get the best specialized materials, to different techniques for hat making and hat decoration, marketing, and how to wear a hat depending on facial features and hairstyle.

What makes a good hat?

High quality materials and hat blocks, work techniques, finesse of the design, colour play, unique shapes and innovative ideas - and the perfection of the finishing!

What would you describe as your typical client and typical hat?

I specialize in hats and hair accessories for special occasions such as weddings, parties, fashion shows, photo shoots etc. It is a very artistic and unique activity as I like to work on something new every time. Usually my clients send me pictures of their outfit and we decide what kind of hat or hair accessory would look best. 2-4 weeks in advance is the best time to start.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

91

What or who inspires your work?

Do you have sources for ‘creative recharging’?

I am very colour sensitive; an exciting colour combination is a perfect source of inspiration for me. Also nature; a beautiful flower, the dance of a bird, the colour of the sea, the stars or the sky. Of course, I follow fashion and the works of most milliners around the world; we are a very exciting community! In particular, I love Australian millinery. The explosion of colours and shapes is so imaginative!

What is your favourite material to work with?

I like light and fluid materials related to summer. Straw, silk and feathers are like magic in my hands!

How has the trend of hat wearing progressed in Kuwait since you came onto the scene?

First, I started selling lacy ears then slowly added everyday accessories. Now I work more on special occasion headwear - even bridal stuff. Usually my clients start with something simple and on each next occasion, become bolder. This is what I have noticed and what I also love!

Describe the process of making a hat in general terms. How do you begin, how long does it take and how do you decide what materials to use?

How do I make a hat?! First comes the idea, either my own or my client’s inspiration. I try to stick as much as possible to natural materials;

92

FEBRUARY, 2016

the finishing is incomparable to artificial ones.

The material is then coloured, stiffened and blocked - this is what gives a shape to the hat.

I use the highest quality blocks in the world, the Guy-Morse Brown hat blocks. Then there is wiring - the hats and the decor need support.

Next is choosing the right attachment for the head and the decoration and trimmings.

What piece of work are you most proud of?

Last year, two of my hats were selected for ‘The 21st Century Hat Exhibition’ in London during the London Hat Week. This was a unique chance to show my hats to an international audience. Immediately after, I did some very glamorous work for the Lina Baker music show ‘Une unité des rêves’. It was a great opportunity for me to work on costumes and I am really proud of it! I also have one very special client from the USA, the fashionista Little Lola Sunshine; a Yorkshire Terrier that goes to fashion shows all around the world, and always with my hats! There was also a feature in a first class British magazine about my hats.

And last but not least, I did some millinery work for local Royal Family members for their occasions here and abroad.

With custom work, do you measure the customer's head first and study their features? How do you match the hat to the person and their sense of style?

Measuring the head for a traditional hat is a must. In modern headwear for special occasions it is very important to select the perfect angle for the hat to be perched. Also the veil should be exactly fitted. It’s also essential to choose the right attachment based on the quality of hair, security and comfort of the client.

What else do you design besides hats?

I have a specially designed collection of energy healing jewellery from natural stones. I am a certified Crystal and Reiki practitioner too.

Tell us about your future plans.

I really want to participate in the Ladies Day hat competition at the Dubai World Cup. What fun it would be with a group of fashionistas from Kuwait wearing my @trente_si hats! It will need a lot of organization though. Maybe we can start with ‘Kuwaiti hat lovers’ club first!

How can customers reach you?

Clients can reach me through my Instagram account @trente_si Do you have a message for the team at CityPages magazine?

Firstly, thank you very much for giving me this wonderful chance to be on your pages! Kuwait is a very special country that is allowing many unique talents to bloom; keep discovering them and bringing their sensational works to the amazing public.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

93

FEBRUARY Movie Releases QUEEN OF THE DESERT STORYLINE: A curious and adventurous young woman eager to explore the world outside of England, Gertrude Bell (Kidman) goes to the British embassy in Tehran where she quickly falls in love with a secretary of the embassy, Henry Cadogan (Franco). This sparks the beginning of a life-long adventure among the beautiful but misunderstood peoples and cultures of the Middle East. Along the way, her path intersects with archaeologist T.E. Lawrence (Pattinson) also known as Lawrence of Arabia, and Major Charles Doughty-Wylie (Lewis), the British Consul General in the Ottoman Empire.

DIRECTOR: Werner Herzog CAST: Robert Pattinson, Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Damian Lewis GENRES: Adventure, Drama, Biography, True Story, Period

ZOOLANDER 2 STORYLINE: Set 10 years later and mostly

set in Europe, Derek and Hansel's lives have changed and they're not relevant anymore in the fashion world. An opposing company attempts to take them out from the business.

DIRECTOR: Justin Theroux GENRES: Comedy, Sequel CAST: Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Christine Taylor, Penelope Cruz, Billy Zane

94

FEBRUARY, 2016

TRIPLE 9 STORYLINE: In TRIPLE 9, a crew of dirty cops is blackmailed by the Russian mob to execute a virtually impossible heist. The only way to pull it off is to manufacture a 999, police code for “officer down”. Their plan is turned upside down when the unsuspecting rookie they set up to die foils the attack, triggering a breakneck, action-packed finale filled with doublecrosses, greed and revenge.

DIRECTOR: John Hillcoat CAST: Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Winslet, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul GENRES: Action, Suspense, Drama, Thriller, Crime

GODS OF EGYPT

THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS RACE

STORYLINE:

The survival of mankind hangs in the balance as an unexpected mortal hero Bek undertakes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love. In order to succeed, he must enlist the help of the powerful god Horus in an unlikely alliance against Set, the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt’s throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict.

STORYLINE: A wisecracking girl moves from foster home to foster home until she lands at the house of the weird Maime Trotter.

DIRECTOR: Alex Proyas CAST: Brenton Thwaites, Gerard Butler,

DIRECTOR: Stephen Herek CAST: Chloe Moretz, Nick Robinson, Alex

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Geoffrey Rush, Courtney Eaton, Bruce Spence GENRES: Fantasy, 3D, Epic, Period

THE CHOICE

Roe, Maika Monroe, Maria Bello, Maggie Siff

GENRES: Comedy, Family, Animation

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES

STORYLINE: The Choice tells the story STORYLINE:

4TH MAN OUT

STORYLINE: Race is based on the STORYLINE: Adam is your average incredible true story of Jesse Owens, the legendary athletic superstar whose quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler’s vision of Aryan supremacy. Race is an enthralling film about courage, determination, tolerance, and friendship, and an inspiring drama about one man’s fight to become an Olympic legend.

DIRECTOR: Stephen Hopkins CAST: Stephan James, Jeremy Irons, Jason Sudeikis, Carice van Houten, Amanda Crew, William Hurt GENRES: Biography, Drama, Sports

working-class guy living in smalltown America. He's an auto mechanic who spends his free time with his tight-knit band of bros, Chris, Nick and Ortu, with whom he does everything-poker, video games, shooting hoops, getting drunk and meeting women. But there is something about Adam that even his friends don't know. He is not that interested in women.

TOUCHED WITH FIRE

CABIN FEVER

STORYLINE: Follows two poets with bipolar disorder whose art is fueled by their emotional extremes. When they meet in a treatment facility, their chemistry is instant and intense driving each other's mania to new heights. They pursue their passion which breaks outside the bounds of sanity, swinging them from fantastical highs to tormented lows until they ultimately must choose between sanity and love.

STORYLINE: A flesh-eating virus makes

DIRECTOR: Andrew Nackman CAST: Evan Todd, Parker Young, Jon Gabrus, Chord Overstreet

GENRES: Comedy

of a long love affair that begins when Travis Parker and Gabby Holland first met as neighbors in a small coastal town and end up pursuing a relationship that neither could have foreseen. It spans a decade and traces the evolution of a love affair that is ultimately tested by life’s most defining events.

A zombie outbreak has fallen upon the land in this reimagining of Jane Austen’s classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England.

Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) is a master of martial arts and weaponry and the handsome Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) is a fierce zombie killer, yet the epitome of upper class prejudice.

DIRECTOR: CAST: Alexandra Daddario, Maggie Grace,

DIRECTOR: Burr Steers DIRECTOR: Tim Miller CAST: Bill Nighy, Heather Graham, Ken Jeong, CAST: Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby, Christine

DIRECTOR: Evan Astrowsky CAST: Gage Golightly, Matthew Daddario,

Rob Schneider, Zachary Gordon, Loretta Devine

Lahti, Griffin Dunne

Evan Astrowsky, Dustin Ingram, Samuel Davis

GENRES: Comedy, Romance, Horror, Adaptation

GENRES: Romance, Drama

GENRES: Horror, Comedy, Remake

Teresa Palmer, Tom Welling, Tom Wilkinson, Benjamin Walker GENRES: Adaptationr

a meal of 5 teens on spring break in a remote wood cabin in this update of Eli Roth’s classic gorefest, with allnew characters and all-new kills.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

95

FEBRUARY Book Releases Dead Presidents:

An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation's Leaders

In Other Words

Jhumpa Lahiri, Ann Goldstein

Brady Carlson

An entertaining exploration into the death stories of our nation’s greatest leaders—and the wild ways we choose to remember and memorialize them.

In Dead Presidents, public radio host Brady Carlson takes readers to presidential gravesites, monuments, and memorials to tell the death stories of our greatest leaders.

The Queen of the Night

The Most Wanted Man in China:

Alexander Chee

My Journey from Scientist to Enemy of the State

Fang Lizhi

Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, every singer’s chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past. Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her.

The Lost Time Accidents

FEBRUARY, 2016

Fang Lizhi was one of the most prominent scientists of the People's Republic of China; he worked on the country's first nuclear program and later became one of the world's leading astrophysicists. His devotion to science and the pursuit of truth led him to question the authority of the Communist regime.

That got him in trouble.

John Wray

Try Not to Breathe

In his ambitious and fiercely inventive new novel, The Lost Time Accidents, John Wray takes us from turn-of-the-century Viennese salons buzzing with rumors about Einstein's radical new theory to the death camps of World War Two, from the golden age of postwar pulp science fiction to a startling discovery in a Manhattan apartment packed to the ceiling with artifacts of modern life.

Amy Stevenson was the biggest news story of 1995. Only fifteen years old, Amy disappeared walking home from school one day and was found in a coma three days later. Her attacker was never identified and her angelic face was plastered across every paper and nightly news segment.

Holly Seddon

The Witches of Cambridge

Ways to Disappear

For fans of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Adriana Trigiani, The Witches of Cambridge reveals an astonishing world where the heart's deepest secrets give way to the magic of lifechanging love.

"Be careful what you wish for. If you're a witch, you might just get it."

Amandine Bisset has always had the power to feel the emotions of those around her. It's a secret she can share only with her friends all professors, all witches when they gather for the Cambridge University Society of Literature and Witchcraft.

Amandine treasures these meetings but lately senses the ties among her colleagues beginning to unravel.

For fans of Robin Sloan's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore and Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette, an inventive, brilliant debut novel about the disappearance of a famous Brazilian novelist and the young translator who turns her life upside down to follow her author's trail.

Menna van Praag

96

In Other Words is at heart a love story—of a long and sometimes difficult courtship, and a passion that verges on obsession: that of a writer for another language. For Jhumpa Lahiri, that love was for Italian, which first captivated and capsized her during a trip to Florence after college. And although Lahiri studied Italian for many years afterward, true mastery had always eluded her. So in 2012, seeking full immersion, she decided to move to Rome with her family, for “a trial by fire, a sort of baptism” into a new language and world.

Idra Novey

DECEMBER, 2016

‫‪BOOK CLUB‬‬

‫‪Nada Soliman‬‬ ‫‪Meet Nada, our team member is‬‬ ‫‪simply a book savvy. Every month‬‬ ‫‪Nada picks her favourite book and‬‬ ‫‪shares with you its review. Please‬‬ ‫‪feel free to contact Nada to discuss‬‬ ‫‪your opinion or ask her opinion on‬‬ ‫‪your favourite book or author.‬‬ ‫‪nada.soliman@citypageskuwait.com‬‬

‫‪97‬‬

‫‪CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM‬‬

‫فتاةعلىاالنترنت‬ ‫أرحب بكل قراء الى فقرة ‪ Book Reviews‬و لكن باللغة العربية‬ ‫‪ .‬هذه هي أول مرة سوف أقوم بكتابة ال ‪ Book Review‬باللغة‬ ‫العربية و هي الخطوة التي قررت أن أتخذها مع بداية العام الجديد‬ ‫بقرات كتاب عربي واحد في كل شهر و أشارككم رئي فيه‪ .‬أشكر‬ ‫مكتبة "ذات السالسل" الرسالهم هذا الكتاب لي‪.‬‬ ‫الكتاب لهذا الشهر هو بعنوان "فتاة على األنترنت" للكاتبة‬ ‫البريطانية "زوي سوج" و هو كتاب طبع و نشر أصال باللغة األنجليزية‬ ‫و لكن هذه النسخة العربية‪" .‬فتاة على األنترنت" هي أول رواية‬ ‫للكاتبة "زوي سوج" و البالغة من العمر أربعة و عشرين‪ ,‬و تعتبر‬ ‫"زوي" أحد المدونات المشهورات على شبكة األنترنت‪ .‬و لقد تتضمن‬ ‫مندونتها الموضة و أساليب الحياة المختلفة و لها العديد من‬ ‫المتابعين و المشتركين على صفحاتها في الشبكة العنكبوتية‪.‬‬ ‫و لفد فازت "زوي" بالعديد من الجوائز‪ ,‬من ضمنها جائزة أفضل‬ ‫مدونة مختصة بالجمال في عام ‪ 2011‬من ‪Cosmopolitan Blog‬‬ ‫‪Award‬‬

‫و حازت على لقب "نجمة األنترنت و الموضة" في عام ‪ 2014‬من ‪Teen‬‬ ‫‪Choice Award‬‬ ‫لقد كانت قصة الكتاب شيقة للغاية‪ ,‬فهي قصة عن فتاة تدعى‬ ‫"بني بورتر" زارت الواليات المتحدة األمريكية مع عائلتها عندما بدأت‬ ‫حياتها من السيء ثم األسوأ‪ ,‬و فجأة تلتقي بشاب أمريكي شديد‬ ‫الوسامة اسمه "نوا" فتقع في حبه و تدون كل لحظة من لحظات‬ ‫مشاعرها تجاهه في مدونتها‪ .‬و لكن بمأنه شاب تعرفت عليه‬ ‫مؤخرا فأنها ال تعرف بالسر الذي يخفيه عنها‪.‬‬ ‫"فتاة على األنترنت" قصة شيقة للغاية و الجميل أن أسلوب الكتابة‬ ‫جعل شخصية "بني بورتر" قريبة جدا من الواقع فأنها تجعل القارئ‬ ‫يشعر بأن كل األحداث و المشاعر التي شعرت بها الشخصية‬ ‫الرئيسية هي بالفعل مشاعر حقيقية مما تجعل القارئ يندمج في‬ ‫الكلمات و يستمتع بالقرأة أكثر فأكثر‪.‬‬

to add to your wishlist Some things are just ... better.

RIF6 CUBE MOBILE PROJECTOR Cube isn’t much bigger than a smartphone. But the pocket projector produces a big picture. Its battery recharges over micro-USB, meaning one fewer cable to trip over during movie time

TELESIN UNDERWATER GOPRO DOME PORT Underwater photography is cool. Telesin makes it cooler. This GoPro case uses a dome made of acrylic to create space between your lens and the water-allowing for a more visible waterline when simultaneously shooting below and above surface level.

SATECHI USB TYPE-C 3-IN-1

If you’re photo or video editing on the go, you need this adapter. It turns one USB Type-C port into three USB 3.0 ports, an SDcard slot, and a micro-SD-card slot.

APPLE IPAD PRO

Apple called on the king of all planets, Jupiter, when announcing its latest tablet.

And rightfully so. At 12.9 inches, the iPad Pro is the biggest iPad yet. There’s enough room to edit 4K video and to work in AutoCAD, and with full support for the company’s Pencil stylus, Apple wants professionals to use this for their great creations on the go.

98

FEBRUARY, 2016

JAMSTIK+

The Jamstik teaches you to play guitar, and any song note by note, with a 16-inch-long guitar and 3 apps. GarageBand pairing lets you record your creations. One step closer to rock-star status.

PAKPOD TRIPOD Outdoor gear needs to be durable. The weatherproof Pakpod gives photographers a stable yet rugged tripod for cameras.

Stakes at the bottom make sure it stays put.

ONEWHEEL Want to balance-board off-road? The all-terrain go-kart tire on this self-balancing electric vehicle lets you. It reaches 15 miles per hour, making it faster than most other electric balancing boards.

MOPHIE SPACE PACK iPhone owners want more storage and a better battery. The Space Pack improves both. It adds 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of added space. Plus it roughly doubles your battery life.

DRIFT SAFFRON The Drift Saffron is a black box that acts as a middleman between the TV/monitor and the AV source, it slowly and subtly removes the blue spectrum light from the display, eliminating the negative effect it has on your body’s natural melatonin.

That way, you can squeeze in a couple episodes of Daredevil right before bed time without having it keep you up for the rest of the night.

EMBER SMART MUG Control your coffee’s temperature using the dial on the mug’s base or via smartphone app. An LED indicator near the bottom offers precise temperature readings for a drink that’s not too hot and not too cold—satisfying your inner Goldilocks.

AERELIGHT A1 Fluorescent desk lamps are harsh on the eyes. This one uses organic light emitting diodes (OLED) to provide a warm glow. The lamp can be turned on and off with a tap anywhere on its body and offers three brightness levels. Qi inductive charging built into the base lets you easily charge some phones.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

99

iPhone 7, iPhone 5SE, iPad Air 3: What we know so far Well, the rumours never end until the launch day, but it won’t hurt to talk a bit about them. Let`s start with the iPhone 7. First of all, there will be no headphone jack as it will be replaced with the lightning jack and use Bluetooth. We hope there will be an adapter for the old headphone jack.

With a thinner design and faster processor, it will come in two sizes and maybe a 256GB capacity size as well.

3 ‫ وايباد اير‬، 5SE ‫ ايفون‬،7 ‫ما نعرفه حتى االن عن ايفون‬ ‫لن تتوقف الشائعات حتى يتم االعالن بشكل رسمي عن هذه االجهزة من قبل‬ ‫ تقول الشائعات‬، 7 ‫ فلنبدأ بايفون‬.‫ سنستعرضها بشكل بسيط هنا‬.‫شركة ابل‬ ‫ وسيحتوي على متفذ الاليتننغ وسيستخدم‬،‫بأنه لن يكون هناك منفذ للسماعات‬ ‫ نتمنى ان يكون هناك محول الستخدامه كمنفذ‬.‫البلوتوث لتوصيل للسماعات‬

‫ سيتوفر الجهاز‬.‫ تصميمالهاتف رفيع وسيكون المعالج سريعا‬.‫للسماعات العادية‬ The iPhone 5SE is basically iPhone 6 hardware in an iPhone 5 body. It ‫ اما بالنسبة اليفون‬.‫ جيجابايت‬256 ‫بحجمين وربما سيتم زيادة سعة الهاتف الى‬ has a 4 inch screen and might be available in March. The SE refers to ‘special edition’. Apple is doing this to prompt upgrades from those who ‫ وسيكون‬.5 ‫ الداخلية ولكن في شكل ايفون‬6 ‫ فهو نفس بنية جهاز ايفون‬5SE are still holding on to the 5s as well as a way to offer an alternate design ‫ ) ترمز‬SE ( ‫ الحرفين‬.‫ وقد يطلق في االسواق في شهر مارس‬.‫ انش‬4 ‫طول الشاشة‬ to those who don't like the larger and thinner iPhone 6 hardware. ‫ قامت شركة ابل بذلك لتسرع عملية‬.‫ وتعنينسخة خاصة‬Special Edition ‫الى‬ The iPad Air 3 looks like an iPad Pro but smaller, according to the ‫ حتى توفر لهم بديال مختلفا في الشكل لمن لم‬5s ‫التطوير لمستخدمي ايفون‬ leaked schematic. This version might also be available in March 2016.

It will have four speakers and could have a rear flash but it won’t have a ‫ اما فيما يتعلق في ايباد اير فهو يشبه ايباد برو بيد انه اصغر‬.6 ‫يحبذوا حجم ايفون‬ ‫ كما يمكن ان تتوفر هذه النسخة‬.‫في الحجم حسب المعلومات المتسربة عن الجهاز‬ pencil like the iPad Pro. This is what we’ve got so far and along the majority of the world, we ‫ سماعات وكشاف ولن يحتوي‬4 ‫ كماسيحتوي على‬.‫في شهر مارس من هذه السنة‬ can`t wait for the next iPhone, the iPhone 7.

‫ هذا ما توفر لدينا حاليا من معلومات عن االجهزة الجديدة‬.‫على قلم مثل ايباد برو‬ .7 ‫ ايفون‬،‫ونتطلع لرؤية االيفون الجديد‬

Yousif AlSaeed Yousif holds a BSc. in Information Technology & Computing Degree and is a Teacher and Software Developer. He loves sharing the latest technology news and gadgets with people.

Yousif believes that behind everything in the tech-world is a great story. He spends most of his time reading technology blogs and self development.

Saad Almseikan A burger lover who works as a Computer Technician during the day. Saad has a curious mind that likes to discover everything new that's related to computers, hardware, gadgets and technology.

You'll most probably find him holding a burger while playing with a new gadget. He is 27 years old, loves Mixed Martial Arts. Music is what keeps him going especially Rock & Roll.

100

FEBRUARY, 2016

Samsung start producing the world’s fastest DRAM. Samsung are on fire lately. They are producing the TP-Link reveal the world`s first 802.11ad router. industry’s first 4-gigabyte (GB) DRAM package based on the second-generation High Bandwidth Memory If you`re asking yourself what is 802.11ad, let us tell you! It’s (HBM2) interface, for use in high performance computing a 60GHz wi-fi standard that will work along with the existing (HPC), advanced graphics and network systems, as well 2.4GHz and 5GHz band. The Talon AD7200 supports transfer as enterprise servers. The new DRAM package features rates of up to 7.2Gbps by combining multiple bands together 256GBps of bandwidth, which is double that of a HBM1 - this is incredible. This is really great for sharing files or DRAM package. This is equivalent to a more than sevenstreaming a 4K movie wirelessly. The downside to this beast fold increase over the 36GBps bandwidth of a 4Gb GDDR5 is that it only works in a small range. When you get out of a DRAM. Samsung are planning to produce an 8GB HBM2 room it will work on the other bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) DRAM package within this year. By specifying 8GB HBM2 and it will work like a regular router that uses 802.11a, b, DRAM in graphics cards, designers will be able to enjoy a g, n and ac. This router has eight antennas that can fold space saving of more than 95%, compared to using GDDR5 down flat. It's got two USB 3.0 ports for external drives DRAM, offering more optimal solutions for compact devices and four gigabit ethernet ports. The price is not yet set, that require high-level graphics computing capabilities. I can`t but we believe it`s going to be pricey. wait to use this DRAM in my new PC!

Intel compute stick 2nd gen.

Everything PlayStation!

Every monitor, projector and television with HDMI input can be transformed into a PC. It’s not a trick, it’s a new Sony announces that it’s spinning off Sony Computer generation called ‘Micro-Desktops’. In the 2nd generation Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment into new Sony Interactive Entertainment. Sony wants to of Intel’s compute stick, Intel finally put full windows 10 integrate the strengths of PlayStation’s content, software into small USB-Flash memory size for only 159$. The new and hardware to become a new stronger entity. Let’s see if generation has one USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, new 802.11ac this move helps Sony in its financial struggle.

Wi-Fi and 32GB SSD storage.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

101

As with every year, the Spanish cinema dressed up with jewels from Carrera y Carrera. The presentation of the 30th Goya Awards ceremony sparkled with jewels from the international jewelry firm that was evidently a true protagonist of this very special evening.

The most famous faces of the national scene chose Carrera y Carrera to celebrate the grand event of Spanish cinema shining on the red carpet.

102

FEBRUARY, 2016

Carrera y Carrera shines once more at the 30th Goya Awards Gala

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

103

CityPages Fashion Report Julieta Altamiranda Julieta Altamiranda is a talented fashion designer on the rise. She was born and raised in Argentina. During her adolescence she started developing her artistic vision while living in The United States and in the capital of fashion (Italy). Eventually her love for sketching and for creative artistic expressions led her to study a career in fashion in one of the main institutions of her home country. From then on, she has been developing her own collections. Once having moved to Kuwait she has collaborated with one of the main Kuwaiti fashion companies designing several collections. Additionally she has participated in designing competitions where she has been awarded with multiple prizes. Her great devotion for the world of fashion keeps her constantly engaged in exciting new projects. @fashioncookieq8

Sparkling Metallics Give a twist to your classic looks by adding a touch of trendy shine to them. Copper, gold and silver were seen on many catwalks this winter and what’s great is that this trend will continue through the summer. This funky and glossy look can be super elegant if styled correctly. Simple shapes are the key for a posh look that will give you an ‘out of this planet’ feel while you shine like a superstar.

Seeking Warmth

104

It’s that time of year when the cold days are turning into a feeling of hope and we can start to feel the breeze heating up just a little; just enough so we don’t need to cover ourselves in our big coats anymore, or at least will use them less. We can start wondering how to update our closets without getting too summery.

Here, we will help you get some ideas on what you need to freshen up your outfits and enjoy the rest of the winter in a way that your inner fashionista deserves!

FEBRUARY, 2016

Fringe Obsession Something your wardrobe can’t miss this season is the fringe! It’s the placement and size of these beautiful details that can give you a trendy and eye catching, though ethnic, halo to your daily looks.

The Crafty Bag Statement bags have been an ‘It’ item in every fashion lover’s closet for a few seasons now. The good news is, now the bag trend gets even cooler! Embellishment, patches and all those pretty materials we love will help get a jaw-drop look that we girls just love.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

105

An insight into BELLA

WHERE FASHION MEETS ADVERTISING

Niki Jelveh Niki is a fashion enthusiast; passionate about fashion and forever eager to learn about the changes taking place in the fashion world.

Niki aims to encourage today’s society to not just follow trends, but create unique styles and have the confidence to stand out from the crowd.

Since 2008, the year BELLA COLOR CONTACT LENSES was established, we have witnessed the complete professional attitude of the managers, as well as all the team members, which has highlighted their dedication and their unique view of the products. In the past eight years, they have continued to improve the quality and standard of their advertising skills as well as ideas.

To get an insight into the advertising campaign of BELLA COLOR CONTACT LENSES and their future goals and past experiences working in this field, (mostly about their experiences working with famous celebrities!) we decided to ask Karen Itani a few questions. Karen is the Marketing Manager of the Optical Supplies Company.

Would you please explain briefly about BELLA? BELLA was a vision once. It was brought to venture in 2008 with much foresight of success and confidence due to its quality, wide range of color selections, characteristics to ensemble the varying technology, and health and fashion trends. With Bella, we invested not only in its exceptional manufacturing ethics but also in an unrivaled marketing campaign that sought demand for it in the territory.

What was your ultimate aim by deciding you wanted to follow this method of advertisement?

Aside from profitability, our ways of advertisement are intended to primarily distinguish Bella’s share in the market. We are stable, highly competent, flexibly growing and enviable!

106

FEBRUARY, 2016

The way in which you chose this method was very professional but quite difficult at the same time.

Why did you choose to work with famous and costly celebrities?

It’s always challenging whenever we delegate our celebrities. But we independently portray them with Bella from the start and in the long-run, all seems more than rewarding! The image that our celebrities carry for Bella isn’t about fame and luxury alone. The integrity comes from the pride from working with our Bella Brand Ambassadors.

How did you choose these celebrities among the many?

We, of course, consider eminent figures; celebrity images whose identities will not isolate from the

chic and charm of our lenses during the endorsements; and those who will draw ultimate passion and desire from the consumer, leading them to inherently patronize BELLA CONTACT LENSES.

Can you tell us the models you’ve worked with?

Introductory Celebrity: Ms. Zainab Al Askry (2008 – 2009) Succeeding Ambassadors: Hessa Al Loughani (2010 to date) Ghada Abdlrazek (2011) Mai Ezzedine (2012) Kim Kardashian (2013) Maya Diab (2015 to date)

Altogether, did you reach the goal you primarily set for the campaign?

Certainly! Our plans, actions and upkeep have recompensed enough.

We, however, do not stop just like that.

Our concept gets more ingenious so we can assure there will be more to celebrate and cherish about Bella.

What are your future plans for BELLA? We’d rather not disclose our plans this early but we’re certain as Bella extends its territories across the globe, even more surprises await!

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

107

108

FEBRUARY, 2016

Reverso, Celebrating 55 years of National Pride and 25 years of Liberation with Two Magnificent Limited Editions Jaeger-LeCoultre’s pursuit to kindle the imagination and add prowess to craftsmanship is represented in the Reverso watch, where, with a touch, the case swivels to reveal hidden wonders. Now, Jaeger-LeCoultre takes the idea of a personalized masterpiece further, with the launch of a Limited Edition Collection of two unique Reverso watches.

The Limited Edition Collection is intended to mark two special occasions in the rich history of Kuwait.

Winona Ryder announced as the new face of the Marc Jacobs Beauty 2016 Campaign Golden Globe award-winning Actress Winona Ryder has been announced as the new face of the Marc Jacobs Beauty 2016 campaign. The image, shot by David Sims with makeup by Diane Kendal, will appear in both print and digital campaigns for the prestigious beauty brand. A digital short film directed by Sims will debut this spring on www.marcjacobsbeauty.com.

In this image, Winona wears Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara, Fineliner Ultraskinny Gel Eye Crayons in Blacquer and (big)eyes!, and the New Nudes Sheer Gel Lipstick in Strange Magic. Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara and the Fineliner Ultra-skinny Gel Eye Crayons are a part of the new Spring 2016 collection launching in February 2016 exclusively at Sephora Middle East!

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

109

STYLE YOUR SEASON WITH CENTREPOINT’S SPRING SUMMER LOOKS Centrepoint, the region’s largest fashion retailer, has a collection that brings out your inner trendsetter to take on the season in your own personal way. Centrepoint’s fresh, fun and fashion looks let you transform every day basics in to statement styles with a collection of strong trend choices for the whole family.

Centrepoint’s latest collection gives you the trendiest looks to style your season.

110

FEBRUARY, 2016

Home Centre Rolls out ‘The Season’s Latest’ Collection Handpicked by Nancy Ajram

CITIZEN presents the stylish Silhouette, designed for a lady's wrist

Stylish, sleek and instinctively ladylike, the suave and elegant Silhouette EM0253-03A is made to adorn the wrist of the woman of style.

Framed by a distinguishing rose gold toned stainless steel case and powered by the Eco-Drive E031 movement, this watch is nicely set off by a classically elegant minimalist white dial and a caramel calf leather strap with a jewellery clasp.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

111

At The Official Showroom Opening Of Behbehani Group At The Gate Mall

At The Magazine Launch Event By Abyat

112

FEBRUARY, 2016

DECEMBER, 2016

Brunch Hosted By H.E. The Ambassador Of France To Kuwait

From The Opening Of “ Le Gourmet Cafe” by Fauchon Paris In Salhiya Mall

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

113

At The Launch Of Kia’s All-New Optima 2016

From The Press Conference To Launch The 3rd Kuwait Grand Photography Competition 2016

114

FEBRUARY, 2016

At The MarsVenu Talk Show By Dr. John Gray

At The Opening Of Hatay Restaurant At Mourouj

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

115

From The World Of Beauty 2016

From The Official Opening Of Yeprem Jewellery

116

FEBRUARY, 2016

At The Official Opening Of Cartier Salhiya Boutique

At The Media Dinner By Regency Hotel To Launch The Greek Food Week

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

117

From The Just Abaya Fashion Expo

An Evening Of Celebration for PWF's 10th Year

118

FEBRUARY, 2016

At The VisitBritain Exclusive Launch In Kuwait

At The Breakfast Buffet By Aldaar Restaurant In The Gate Mall

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

119

The University of Dundee and Dasman Diabetes Institute celebrate four years of delivering postgraduate diabetes education in Kuwait The Kuwait Motor Show 360 MALL customers Auto Moto 16 Concludes wowed by destinationActivities themed program

NIVEA partners with Emirati make-up expert Asma Lootah to unleash the secrets of Arabian beauty

NIVEA, the number one skincare brand, is delighted to announce its partnership with Emirati make-up and skin care expert, Asma Lootah, for NIVEA Face Care, the No. 1 Face Cleansing Brand.

Her experience as an architect has helped Asma Lootah to truly understand the art and importance of colours, proportions and lines, creating this passion and love for makeup. She now inspires consumers in the field of makeup through online tutorials, and also gives professional make-up and skin care courses at her own studio in Dubai.

120

FEBRUARY, 2016

Diabetes is a significant problem in Kuwait where it has been estimated that up to 1 in 4 of the adult population suffers from the disease. Since 2011 the University of Dundee, a world leader in clinical diabetes care and diabetes research, in partnership with the Dasman Diabetes Institute (which was established by Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences “KFAS”), with its mission to prevent, control and mitigate the impact of diabetes in Kuwait have created and delivered a Postgraduate Masters program in Diabetes Care, Education and Management.

This program is available to a wide range of Kuwait based healthcare professionals who study part time while in work.

Through face-to-face and innovative blended, interactive teaching, the program enables healthcare professionals to provide more effective care for their patients. They gain specialized knowledge of diabetes along with the educational and management training that supports them in effective communication with colleagues and patients.

The program is flexible, allowing students to choose modules from a range of clinical, management or education based topics that are most relevant to their professional requirements.

Throughout their studies students undertake multiple work-based development projects as assignments with the aim of immediately improving and developing diabetes healthcare provision and reflective practice throughout healthcare practices in Kuwait. So far, over 260 students have enrolled on the program and collectively they have achieved over 1000 work-based projects, directly impacting diabetes care in Kuwait.

The second Graduation Ceremony on Sunday 31st January 2016 marks the successful achievements of over 40 post-graduate students giving the program a total of almost 100 graduates. For all students the Graduation at the Dasman Diabetes Institute is the pinnacle of three years of hard work and dedication and Sunday’s celebration brings together dignitaries from across Kuwait and Scotland to celebrate their considerable achievements.

Should you wish to learn more about the education program or join the next cohort of students in May 2016 please refer to http:// www.dasmaninstitute.org/kuwait-scotlandeducation.

The Kuwait Motor Show Auto Moto 16 concluded its activities on Saturday, the 23rd of January with great success. The motor show kicked off on the 17th of January and lasted one week in the 360 MALL displaying more than 35 automotive brands by local authorized dealers in Kuwait. The Kuwait Motor Show Auto Moto16 is Kuwait’s largest motor show showcasing the newest models of the year.

The show opening was held on the first day of the show at the main gate of the mall in presence of Ambassadors, dignitaries, and VIPs including representatives of the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, local dealers, international companies and sponsors.

Guests took a tour around the mall where the automotive companies launched and displayed their newest models for the first time in Kuwait.

The Chief Executive Officer of EPR, the organizing company, Osama Bastaki said: "We achieved a successful show this year despite the tough economic situation in the country and we aim to further expand on our success and progress next year.” He added: “The Kuwait Motor Show is designed to generate traffic translating into sales which in turn reflects on the economy of the country. We achieved remarkable results in terms of the number of leads and sales generated at the show.”

Bastaki continued: “We would like to thank those who supported us in achieving a successful show especially our main sponsor the Kuwait Finance House. We also thank all of our other sponsors including our media sponsors who surely made this show a success.”

360 MALL, Kuwait’s iconic shopping centre, has received immense appreciation from customers who visited the unique destination-themed program called ‘Travel Around the World with 360 MALL’.

Customers and visitors were able to enjoy unique large-scale decorations and activations, with four of the main global sights showcased at the mall. The event was able to give visitors an incredible travel experience through impressive displays such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa of Italy, the Pyramids of Egypt, the famous streets of London, and with France’s Eiffel Tower receiving the most number of visitors.

Claudia Lopusinska, Marketing Manager, 360 MALL, said: “We were overwhelmed with the footfall of visitors for this event and glad to hear the positive feedback we received from them.

Customers expressed their satisfaction for both our idea and the overall entertainment provided to them. One of our key goals is to engage customers in the attractions of the mall and show them that we are always implementing new ideas to keep them interested and looking forward to their next visit with us.”

An additional feature at the event was the selection of four participants who won KD 500 tickets to their favorite destination, highlighting the company’s commitment to its customers who have always supported the mall through their visits over the years.

360 MALL was recently announced a Gold winner in the NOI Enhancement/Leasing category when the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) announced the winners of the 2015 Middle East and North Africa Shopping Centre and Retailer Awards.

The mall was recognized for creatively adapting unused locations inside the shopping centre, to host innovative exhibitions generating substantial increments in leasing revenues and footfalls.

IKEA recalls HYBY, LOCK and RINNA ceiling lamps for risk of glass shade falling

IKEA has received customer reports of ceiling lamp glass shades falling. In a few cases medical treatment was required and one customer reportedly needed stitches.

IKEA takes product safety very seriously. All our products are tested to and comply with applicable testing standards and legislation. In spite of this we have received reports that LOCK and HYBY ceiling lamps have fallen. In order to safeguard customers and avoid further incidents we are recalling the products for a full refund.

The HYBY and LOCK ceiling lamps have been sold on all IKEA markets, LOCK since 2002 and HYBY since 2012. The RINNA ceiling lamp has been sold in eleven European countries and in China since 2010.

HYBY, LOCK and RINNA ceiling lamps can be returned to any IKEA store for a full refund. Proof of purchase (receipt) is not required for a full refund. For more information, please visit www.

IKEA.com.kw or contact IKEA on 1840408.

20 years after the first Boxster made its debut, Porsche is restructuring its mid-engine roadsters.

With the introduction of new versions of its two-seater convertible, Porsche continues the tradition of four-cylinder flat engines used in the 718 mid-engine sports cars that won numerous races back in the 1950s and 1960s.

The newly developed engine with turbocharging result in the 718 Boxster developing 300 hp (220 kW) from 2.0 litres of engine displacement.

The 718 Boxster S, on the other hand, now produces 350hp (257 kW) from 2.5 litres of displacement, using a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry (VTG). Porsche is the only manufacturer to offer VTG technology in production cars with petrol-driven engines, both in the 911 Turbo and in the 718 Boxster S. The two Boxster models feature a considerable power gain of 35 hp (26 kW) compared to their predecessors. Thanks to the new turbo engines, efficiency has been improved, resulting in up to 13 per cent lower fuel consumption.

The new chassis tuning and stronger brakes facilitate passionate and sporty driving. The exterior design of the new 718 Boxster was also completely revised. The interior now houses a newly designed dash panel that includes the latest generation of Porsche Communication Management (PCM), with a state-of-the-art touchscreen as standard as well as the optional navigation module.

Certina - Sporty action and PrecidriveTM accuracy

Equipped with a three-row brushed stainlesssteel bracelet, the new DS Action is an impressive timepiece. Its broad bezel, oversized indices and skeletonised hands make reading the time a quick and easy task under all conditions.

Those sporty attributes are enhanced by the uncompromising accuracy of its cutting-edge PrecidriveTM movement. The DS Action's bold dial comes in a variety of different colours, black, blue or green, to match the preferences of every watch lover-gent or lady.

FROM THE PRESS

The new mid-engine roadster with fourcylinder engines: Porsche 718 Boxster

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

121

ALARGAN welcomes KISR to green building knowledgesharing session

Fitness Convention event held for the 8th year at Al Corniche Club

Landmark Group announces winners of “Art Olympiad IX”

C

M

Y

CM

MY

Sustainability focused real estate developer ALARGAN International Real Estate Company hosted a knowledge sharing session with experts from the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) on January 20, 2016, at the company’s headquarters within the ARGAN Business Park in the Shuwaikh Free Trade Zone. With discussions and a tour focused on ALARGAN International’s headquarters – Kuwait’s only LEED Platinum Certified building, and located within the ARGAN Business Park – the session was organized as a part of the Company’s commitment to sustainability, with an objective of passing on expert knowledge on the construction and management of sustainable buildings to members of the scientific research organization.

The session comprised over 25 qualified engineers and specialist doctors from KISR – including the Energy & Building Research Center – discussing international standards of sustainability and technical management in green buildings with ALARGAN Project Management’s team of skilled engineers and architects. The session focused on several touch-points regarding better management and enhancement of Kuwait’s energy needs and challenges, including a live tour of the ARGAN Business Park and the LEED certified headquarters located within it. LEED certification is awarded by the US Green Building Council ®, a USA-based community comprising of 78 affiliates, more than 20,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 140,000 LEED® Professionals.

Beyond discussions of green building construction and management, the interactive session witnessed rich discussions regarding the nation’s energy demands and Kuwait’s future sustainability strategy (2030). ALARGAN International CEO and Deputy Chairman Engineer Khaled Khudhair Al-Meshaan, commenting on the meet, said: “Our partnership with KISR provides an open space for knowledge exchange, constructive discussions and an opportunity to share and debate the best practices on sustainability.

122

FEBRUARY, 2016

CY

CMY

K

Al Corniche Club Kuwait was host to international health and fitness experts for the seventh consecutive year. The four speakers delivered seminars to a wide range of Kuwait’s health and fitness professionals and major players in the industry on how to improve the awareness of health and wellness in Kuwait and offer valuable insights of how to build on their expertise and advance their businesses.

These presenters included: Frank Furness, Frank Furness, Lesley Aitkens, and Peter Edward.

Delegates at the conference came from many different health clubs in Kuwait including Golds Gym, Radisson SAS, Spark Athletic, Sheraton, Costa Del Sol, Challenge Health Club, Gust University, Private Trainers, Al Corniche Members and Al Corniche Team. The event was sponsored by Lexus Kuwait, Al Sayer Group.

Simon Frith Business Director Lexus Kuwait said “We are pleased to have offered Al-Corniche club members test-drive experience of the top luxury Lexus models.

Over the last 12 months Lexus has brought more of that experience to its customers launching some incredible new models. The RC and RCF revolutionized the sports coupe segment, setting a new benchmark for the Luxury high performance car segment.

Earlier in 2015 Lexus entered the cross-over segment with the all new NX the ultimate premium crossover offering both coolness and supercharged capability, and in no time came the great news - the NX took home the award for ‘Best Compact Premium SUV’ at the 2015 Middle East Car of the Year Awards.”

Landmark Group announced the awarded talented students at the ninth Art Olympiad held this year. The event witnessed the participation of 180 students from 18 well reputed schools across Kuwait.

Famous Kuwaiti artists Asad Bunashi, Maha Al Mansoor and Mariam Al Mulla judged all participating paintings and have selected a total of eight winners at the end of the event. All wining paintings were selected on the basis of creativity, workmanship and overall impression.

The 9th Art Olympiad event is part of Landmark Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy to elevate the capabilities and skills of youth in Kuwait. The event is seen as a training platform for these students by helping them improvise their flair and encourage their innovative ability through Art. This year’s competition had two key age categories 9-11 and 12-14 years. Each of these categories had a total of three winners First, Second and Third place. In addition to the 6 awards there were three special prizes awarded as recognition for the Most Creative, Most Colorful and best Design & Imagination paintings Commenting on the event, Mr. Saibal Basu, Chief Operating Officer of Landmark Group Kuwait said: “I would like to extend my sincerest wishes to the winners; and would also like to acknowledge the efforts of all the talented students who participated in this competition.

Their creativity is a reflection of their hard work and artist vision which illustrates their views towards their surroundings. Once again we are proud and excited to host the Art Olympiad year after year as it proves to be a great success”.

WINNERS Age 9 - 11

1. Shreya Nath - Fahaheel Al Wataniya Indian Pvt. School 2. Najla - Ajial Bilingual School 3. Nawada Dilshani - Carmel School.

Age 12 - 14

1. Mariam Zaghloul - Kuwait National English School 2. ASHWIN RAMASUNDAR - Fahaheel Al Wataniya Pvt. School 3. Aysha Firosh - Fahaheel Al Wataniya Pvt. School

CREATIVE DRAWING Nawaf Ahmad - Ajial School

COLORFUL DRAWING

Meghna P R - Indian Educational School.

DESIGN & IMAGINATION

Safya Al Merri - The English School, Fahaheel

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

123

ARIES (March 21 - April 19)

The New Moon on February 8 is strong in your Eleventh House of friends, clubs, and social life. There may be a few personal fantasies and dreams of fun that won't be expressed in public, but you'll be so surrounded by people that you won't feel deprived or bored. The February 22 Full Moon reminds you to be your own best friend. Plan on more quality private time and less manic running around to promote what may or may not be your best interests. The Moon/Mars conjunction on February 29 could shorten tempers and increase intolerance. Be cool and low-key if you can.

TAURUS

(April 20 - May 20)

Work and career concerns are energized with the New Moon on February 8. If it's time for a change or adjustment, then it's time. If it isn't time, that's fine, too. Make some observations about the present and make plans for later. The Moon is in Taurus for Valentine's Day, February 14. Enjoy what pleases you most and share the love. Social life heats up as the Full Moon approaches on February 22. You have bright, fun ideas and your social circle will adopt them. Have some big fun out of the spotlight and maybe hear the private dream of a special friend.

GEMINI

(May 21 - June 20)

Go somewhere special or start the study of something exciting and new around the New Moon on February 8. If the idea or subject is big enough, you won't need to go far. The world is ready to come to you. Be ready. Some issue or mystery at work could clear up with the Full Moon on February 22. If there's any career dissatisfaction, you'll be able to resolve it in part or whole. A work opportunity is also favored now. Be alert and ambitious. February 26 brings surprising love your way, with a gentle Mercury/Uranus sextile to relieve any possible boredom or stale amusement.

CANCER

(June 21 - July 22)

The New Moon on February 8 might add a slight complication to your already complicated life. If so, people may also appear with the resources, experience, or suggestions that you happen to need at the moment. Relax and take things one at a time. Step up and do something that you've waited a long time to do as the February 22 Full Moon shines in your Ninth House of expanded horizons.

Make friends and try new food, music, clothes, and movies. February 28 ignites a profound, powerful dream in you with the Sun/Neptune conjunction. Continue nurturing that dream for future happiness.

124

FEBRUARY, 2016

LEO (July 23 - August 22)

The golden glow of romance could light up your world around the February 8 New Moon. It might not be a shiny new lover, but you never know. Someone else could be dreaming of you, but it's up to him or her to decide if you're ever to know.

The February 22 Full Moon may reveal things to you that solve other people's problems. Be generous with your insights, but don't push them as foolproof or sure cures. Attempt a lot, learn a lot, and achieve a lot. The Sun/Neptune conjunction on February 28 may renew and set your fondest dreams alight.

VIRGO

(August 23 - September 22)

Start a healthier habit or outlook on the February 8 New Moon. Good food, good company, and maybe a low-pressure romantic outing could make you feel like a whole new person. You deserve it, too, so schedule it in. Romance may bloom around the Full Moon on February 22. Hearts will be big and generous, so don't be caught off guard and overwhelmed. Protect your heart, but don't set up too many barriers. Some of this may be karmic. A Moon/Mercury square late on February 28 may settle any doubts about a fantasy earlier in the day. Enjoy the sweet memories anyway.

LIBRA

(September 23 - October 22)

Be bold and creative around the February 8 New Moon. You may want to do more and help out more than time allows, and you'll squeeze in more little works. Don't neglect home needs, then go for it. Be good to yourself and let others be good to you as the Full Moon approaches on February 22. You may prefer to be more private now and guard your thoughts and feelings, but people want to be open with you. Change your mind as often as you like on February 28 when the Sun/ Neptune conjunction creates fresh desires but the Moon/Venus square takes them away.

SCORPIO

(October 23 - November 21)

The New Moon on February 8 lights up your home and family life. Don't be afraid to hold on to some childhood dreams. You'll know which ones are holding you back and which ones feed your soul and take you forward. Passions rule with the Full Moon on February 22. What are you willing to risk in order to do or have something important? You can calculate the acceptable risk and then decide to not be reckless. The Moon/Mars conjunction in Scorpio on February 29 may shorten your fuse but motivate you with private plans for the month to come.

DECEMBER, 2016

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)

Enjoy a fun, friendly New Moon on February 8. Look for little gifts, favors, and good-natured small surprises. You may at times need to be the grownup in the room, but it can still all be fun. Be comfortable and especially loved at home and by family under this Full Moon on February 22. Some relatives may imagine things as less than they can be, but they mostly want things to be better for you.

You know what's real and if you're doing your best. The love is certainly real. The Moon/Jupiter sextile on February 28 adds to any sweet dreams of the day.

CAPRICORN

(December 22 - January 19)

February 5 sizzles with sexy, social mischief when the Moon joins the Venus/ Pluto conjunction in Capricorn. Money looks exceptionally good around the February 8 New Moon. You may want to spend a bit more, but friends will want to treat, too. And an anticipated expense may turn out to be unnecessary. The Full Moon on February 22 further inspires your local friends and neighbors to keep in touch with you. If it gets extreme and you get annoyed, you may be able to tune out some of the conversation. There could be a few important bits of information revealed, so pay some attention.

AQUARIUS

(January 20 - February 18)

The February 8 New Moon shines directly on you and how you want to present yourself. You may be getting all sorts of suggestions, comments, and advice, some of it quite confidential. Decide how much popularity or wide appeal matters to you, but be yourself no matter what. Money, material wealth, and perhaps gifts are highlighted by this Full Moon on February 22. Most likely will be many small increases or profitable gestures rather than one or two giant windfalls. Expect nothing, be generous, and attract more. The Moon and Uranus are quincunx on February 28, which may confuse intentions, desires, and dreams.

PISCES

(February 19 - March 20)

Look beneath the surface of things during this New Moon on February 8. A friend's puzzling opinion or position may suddenly make sense. Your world in general may come into better focus. Set aside more private time to think.

Everyone wants to love you with the Full Moon on February 22. A smile from you will have the effect of a hug, kiss, or blessing. You may not be wildly popular, but a new fan now will stay with you for a long time. The Sun/Neptune conjunction on February 28 gives you a day to luxuriate in dreams of love and bright futures.

The All New

Signature Mini Burgers

@bistromais

Miral Mall 1st. Floor - Al Mangaf, Coastal Road - Near Hilton Hotel w w w. b i s t r o m a i s . c o m

Tel.: 2205 4200 CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

125

HOMEWORK FOR GROWN UPS EVERYTHING YOU LEARNED AT SCHOOL... BUT CAN YOU REMEMBER?

2. What discipline contains 'asanas' including names such as Half boat, Full boat, Tree, and Happy Baby?

3. Genever is the old word for what alcoholic drink?

4. The cube root of 343 is: 7; 9; 13; or 26?

5. The Latin words bellum and bellus are similar because Ancient Romans saw (Which two concepts?) as highly noble: Love and Loss; War and Beauty; Nature and Science; or Incest and Marriage?

6. The Almeria region, driest in Europe, used for filming many famous Cowboy/ Western films, is in: Turkey; Spain; Cyprus; or Germany?

7. French lawyer Jules Rimet (1873-1956) became the longest serving president (1921-54) of: Ford Motor Company; FIFA; NASA; or France?

8. The Forth Road Bridge connects which major city to the 'Kingdom of Fife'?

He was fashionably dressed and ________, with his hair parted in the middle, well combed and pomaded, and wore a number of rings on his well-scrubbed fingers and a gold chain on his waistcoat.

Select the correct option: 1.unprepossessing 2. foppish 3. lilliputian 4. uncommunicative

ANSWER: 2. A man who is constantly checking out his outfit in the mirror might be foppish, or someone who loves dressing up in fancy clothes.

1. What affectionate word is a Blackadder TV character and famous English sea rescue heroine?

Test Your Vocabulary

For some reason, foppish is almost always used to describe men (not women), and that's why the word might make you think of an elegant suit, vest, and tie, and probably some over-the-top details like a flower in a buttonhole and a polka-dotted handkerchief. The word foppish also implies that this guy probably thinks he looks pretty good.

General Knowledge Quiz

9. Kuala Lumpar Airport is which nation's main air terminal?

10. In 2015 Kuala Lumpar Airport advertised unclaimed property (requiring collection in 14 days to avoid disposal) of three: Elephants; Van Gogh paintings; Human fingers; or Jumbo Jets?

11. Which one of these is not a member of the same Mustelidae mammal family as the others: Marten; Wolverine; Otter; Mink; Badger; or Fox? 12. A circle of 12.6 metres circumference has an area roughly how many square metres: 1.5; 2.8; 5.7 or 12.6?

MATH PROBLEMS Mary, Peter, and Lucy were picking chestnuts. Mary picked twice as much chestnuts than Peter. Boris picked 2 kg more than Peter. Together the three of them picked 26 kg of chestnuts. How many kilograms did each of them pick?

13. The American term 'sharecropper' refers to a: Stock market trader; Tenant farmer; Tax inspector; or Ice-hockey player?

14. Ares, equating to the Roman god Mars, is the Greek god of: Love; Music and dance; War; or Chocolate?

16. Annual global production (early 2000s) of rough diamonds is about: 9 kilos; 75 kilos; 500 kilos; or 26 tonnes/metric tons?

17. Which controversial mogul/celebrity/politician demanded a ban on all Muslims entering the USA in 2015?

18. English playwright Chrisopher Marlowe coined the phrase 'The face that launched a thousand ships' in his tragedy Doctor Faustus when referring to which mythical Greek figure?

JUMBLED WORDS L A P N T

19. A disabling attack on a website known as a DDoS stands for a 'Distributed (What of What?)'?

N E E S S

20. What legendary ruler visited King Solomon in the Bible, and became a metaphoric/ironic term for a female with delusions of grandeur?

B R I F D O

FEBRUARY, 2016

X I L I E R D O N E L O ANSWERS: PLANT, SENSE, FORBID,ELIXIR ,NOODLE

ANSWERS:1.Darling (Grace Darling rowed with her lighthouse-keeper father through a storm in Sept 1838 to save survivors of the wrecked ship Forfarshire - she became national heroine, inspiring tributes in the arts and significant charitable legacy), 2.Yoga (asana is Sanskrit for 'sitting down' and also refers to the place that one does this, as well as the pose itself), 3.Gin (from Old French reference genevre, to juniperus, the juniper tree, whose berries are used in production), 4.7 (7 x 7 x 7 = 343), 5.War and Beauty (respectively bellum and bellas - hence belligerence and bellicose, and belladonna and belle of the ball, etc), 6.Spain, 7. FIFA, 8.Edinburgh (Fife is an Scottish ancient Scottish county once titled and still called the 'Kingdom of Fife'), 9.Malaysia, 10.Jumbo Jets, 11.Fox (from mammal family Canidae), 12.12.6(fascinatingly above this circumference figure - or 12.57m to be more accurate - areas become progressively bigger in square metres than the circumference figure in metres, and below this the opposite effect happens, such that a circumference of 1m produces an area of just 0.08sqm, and a circumference of 50m produces an area of nearly 200sqm - amazingly a circumference of 500metres produces an area of nearly 20,000sqm), 13.Tenant farmer (the term was popularized in mid/late 1800s USA), 14.War, 15.Mona Lisa (recent research asserts that her portrait was painted over/altered, nevertheless Lisa Gherardini is considered the original subject for Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa painting), 16.26 tonnes/metric tons, 17.Donald Trump, 18.Helen of Troy (or Helen of Sparta), 19.Denial of Service (in which a website's systems for responding to users is overloaded by malicious bombardment from multiple computers), 20.The Queen of Sheba

126

Let x be the amount Peter picked. Then Mary and Lucy picked 2x and x+2, ANSWER: respectively.

So x+2x+x+2=26 4x=24 x=6 Therefore, Peter, Mary, and Lucy picked 6, 12, and 8 kg, respectively.

15. Lisa Gherardini (aka Lisa del Giocondo) is better known as the: Snow Queen; Barber of Seville; Cadbury's Flake model; or Mona Lisa?

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

127