CityPages March 2016 by CityPages Kuwait

MAGAZINE

SPECIAL SEGMENT

Page: 106

ISSUE No.

75 MARCH 2016

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FATMA ALQADEERI

The Marketing and PR Specialist who believes the sky is her limit. 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

Spring/Summer 2016 We're back new and fresh!

ISSUE 75, VOLUME 6, MARCH 2016

62.

50. ENTERTAINMENT

95. Top Music Charts 102. March Movie Releases

SPECIAL SEGMENT

FASHION

128. Citypages Fashion Report 130. Fashion News

FEATURES

90.

Page: 106

18. Remembering Dame Violet Dickson 20. Essential Tips Every Mom Needs For Work-Life Balance 22. Make The Most Of Your Space! 24. Newton's Laws Of Motion;The Rudimentary Man 29. ‫وباألم إحسانا‬ 34. No More First-Times? 36. Galaxy - Star Quality 38. Things No One Told Me About Being A Mum 40. The Poetry Of Mother Earth 44. Wise Words From The Revenant 47. ‫ماذا يتعلم املدراء التنفيذيون من رياضيي األوملبيات؟‬ 48. Switching Priorities 54. Goodbye To All That 57. Starfish Notes 76. Organic Vegetables And Free-Range Children

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ISSUE 75, VOLUME 6, MARCH 2016

FITNESS

70. How Food Influences Your Hormones

FOOD

66. Man Vs Food 68. Taste Of Dubai 74. Yummy For Their Little Tummy

HEALTH

73. 7 Myths About Women’s Health Over 40 88. Why The Twitch?

INTERVIEW

50. Dr Haitham Al-Kayat 62. Dr. Abdulrazzaq A. Al-Obaid 78. Good France/Goûtdefrance 90. Leandro And Iman Metwally 96. Fatma Alqadeeri

78.

TECHNOLOGY

124. Cool New Gadgets 126. Tech Updates & News

TRAVEL

60. Top Five ‘Musts’ For Houston

44.

REGULARS 31. Art Wonderland By Afrah 58. The City Guide 94. In Permanent Pursuit Of Perfection 104. March Book Releases 105. Book Club 136. Events 141. From The Press 144. Homework For Grown Ups 146. Horoscopes

90.

MAGAZINE

From the Editor Dear Readers, In recognition of International Women’s Day on 8th March, this issue of CityPages is dedicated to women. In particular, the eight very special Women of Substance who are featured on our pages and who share their inspiring stories with us. Of course, March is also the month when many countries across the globe celebrate Mother’s Day. The United Kingdom honored motherhood on Sunday 6th March while Kuwait will pay tribute to the miracle of birth on 21st March. With so many different ways to spoil the mothers in your family, no doubt it will be a special day wherever and however you celebrate.

Dhari Al-Muhareb

One lady who is sure to be celebrating is our cover star, Fatma Alqadeeri. The PR and Marketing Specialist divides her time between her freelance career and her family, juggling the demands of each with capable determination. Read her candid interview including tips for new moms and women starting out in their career.

Jameel Arif

We have taken this opportunity to pay tribute to Dame Violet Dickson. Umm Kuwait (Mother of Kuwait) as she was known by many, lived in Kuwait for most of her adult life and played a significant role in its history. What better time to remember this very special lady than the month when respect, love and appreciation of women is embraced?

Editor-in-Chief

General Manager & Editor

Eng. Homoud Al-Muhareb

As always, it was great to see so many national flags decorating streets, houses and cars for the National and Liberation Day celebrations last month – many of which are still in evidence. One thing’s for sure, Kuwait certainly knows how to party! There was no shortage of events going on in and around the city including firework displays, kite festivals and a fabulously entertaining brass band. Thanks to the US Embassy Kuwait, we were also treated to a concert by the USAF Band, Galaxy. The group performed in the courtyard at the Amricani Cultural Center where they delighted their audience with a thoroughly entertaining routine. They also took the time to talk to us about their tour of the Middle East so read on to learn more about their music and their mission.

Publishing Director

Gill Sherry

Group Editor

Kinda Al-Faris

This issue also includes exclusive interviews with four of the chefs taking part in the 2016 ‘Goût de France’, as well as H.E. Christian Nakhle, French Ambassador or Kuwait. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about this wonderful celebration of French cuisine – it’s sure to make your mouth water!

Executive Editor

Nathalie Roland

Another topical subject covered this month is ‘Earth Hour’, a worldwide event on 19th March encouraging us all to show our commitment to our planet; something Leonardo DiCaprio also alluded to in his Oscar winning speech earlier this month.

Sales Manager

Claudia Farias

Sadly, it’s time to say goodbye to that loveable (don’t tell him I said that) rogue Peregrine Spode. Whilst I will miss his tales of escapades and calamity, I suspect my editing duties may now become somewhat easier! I’m sure you will join me in wishing him well in his future adventures.

Content Supervisor

Tanya Burns

But as we say goodbye to one old favourite, we welcome another. Husband and wife team Douglas Leandro and Iman Metwally have joined the CityPages team and will be sharing their expert health and fitness knowledge in the hope of encouraging us all to embrace a healthier lifestyle. I for one am looking forward to reading what they have to say.

Creative Director Graphic Designers

Mohammed Syed Khaled Al-Enezi

Of course, our pages are also packed full of your regular favourites including the latest fashion news, tech updates, movie and book releases, a host of food related features…. and much, more. Finally, for those of you who braved the traffic and ventured to the Towers on 5th March, I hope you enjoyed the firework display. It was nothing short of spectacular and a fitting ceremony for the re-opening of everyone’s favourite landmark. Enjoy the read. See you next month.

Published by:

Jameel Arif

General Manager & Editor

jameelrf@citypageskuwait.com

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

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.

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 © March 2016

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MAGAZINE

The Team! #75 MARCH 2016 Kinda Al Faris Executive Editor

Dear Readers, March is here, spring is in the air, and this is the perfect time to be celebrating everything female.

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

On the occasion of International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day, we are celebrating some pretty impressive ON THE COVER:

Fatma AlQadeeri

PHOTOGRAPHY Hamad Al-Ainati @7mdphotography

ladies in our annual Women of Substance issue. I was spoilt for choice when the time came for nominations but I can’t think of better people than those featured this year. I am proud to be a woman in this day and age and want to say ‘onwards and upwards’ to all of the brave, committed females who are clearly running this country.

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

I won’t ruin the surprise, I’ll let you to turn the pages of this amazing (if I do say so myself) magazine to find out who they are this year.

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

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info@citypageskuwait.com

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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.

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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...

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REMEMBERING

DAME VIOLET DICKSON

Gill Sherry

here are few remaining examples of 19th century architecture in Kuwait; which is why Dickson House is of such historical significance. But it’s not just the building itself that offers a glimpse into Kuwait’s history. The story of its eponymous inhabitants provides fascinating insight into the long-standing relationship between Kuwait and the UK and what life in Kuwait was like before shopping malls and sports cars. Dame Violet Dickson was the wife of Harold Dickson, a British colonial administrator based in the Middle East. She was born in Lincolnshire in the UK but met her husband in Marseilles, France where she worked in a bank, and later followed him to India where they married. The coupled moved wherever his job dictated and after time in Iraq, Iran and Bahrain, he was appointed Political Agent in Kuwait. Violet found the natives to be kind, friendly and hospitable. She became fluent in Arabic and, despite having a reputation as being somewhat eccentric, was welcomed and respected by all who met her. No doubt she lived up to her name; soft and sweet but far from shrinking. Once her husband retired from his political duties, he was employed by Kuwait Oil Company. Violet would accompany him to social functions and during this time, got to know numerous dignitaries and rulers from around the region. Her knowledge of Kuwait and her neighbours became invaluable to British Ambassadors and played a significant part in building and maintaining relations between the two countries. So much so, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1942, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1964, and Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) in 1976. She was also awarded the Lawrence of Arabia Memorial Medal in 1960 in recognition of her work among the Bedouin women of Arabia.

MARCH, 2016

The couple had two children, a son (Saud) and a daughter (Zahra). They would often enjoy family trips to the desert, feasting on picnics and riding camels. They also got to know many of the Bedouin whose way of life they admired. They endured sand storms, locust plagues and fierce temperatures but Violet’s memories of those days were fond ones. She told how the Bedouin would welcome travellers, offering them food and shelter in exchange for news and information. They would often entertain the children, telling stories and feeding and riding the animals. In 1971, Violet’s book ‘Forty Years in Kuwait’ was published. Surprisingly, she was encouraged to write the book by Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond 007 spy series, after meeting him in 1960. He was working in Kuwait on behalf of Kuwait Oil Company and was impressed by Violet’s intimate knowledge of Bedouin customs. Ian was just one of the many notable characters she met during her time in Kuwait. The book, an autobiography, told of her life in Kuwait and the vast changes she had witnessed; particularly in relation to the discovery of oil. This rich discovery not only eclipsed the traditional pearl diving but saw changes spread throughout the whole of the country. Progress saw the Bedouin swap their tents for huts and their camels for pickups. This caused great confusion for some nomad women who were unaccustomed to keeping house. It was also melancholic for Violet who loved the proud nomadic herdsmen and their traditional way of life. The Dicksons spent more and more time in the desert as new streets, mosques, schools, hospitals, shopping malls, houses and refineries began to change the shape of Kuwait.

Harold Dickson died in 1959. Such was Violet’s love for Kuwait, she remained in the country and continued to live in the same house; one they had shared since 1929. She would often sit on the verandah overlooking the dhow boats and, in 1989, hosted a party to celebrate the 60th anniversary of her arrival in Kuwait; an event attended by many esteemed guests. It was only the Iraqi invasion that forced Violet to move (involuntarily); not just out of the house, but out of Kuwait and back to the UK. Sadly, she never returned. She died on 4th January 1991, aged 94. Dickson House, as it became known, was ransacked during the invasion. Thankfully, it was not destroyed and was later restored to its former glory. It is one of few houses with an open fireplace and includes an iron girder, imported from England, in the upstairs ceiling. The house is now a major attraction in Kuwait and a site of huge cultural importance. Items of original furniture still sit within its walls and photographs of the Dickson family remain proudly on display, taking visitors on a journey back in time. One lady who knew Violet personally, and who often kept her company when she became old and frail, still talks about her with great fondness. “Dame Violet was very well respected and stood no nonsense. She was also very generous; visitors to Dickson House rarely left empty handed”. She talked of one particular memory of Dame Violet, sharing this amusing tale: “One particular day we were sitting outside on the verandah. The house boy served us Arabic coffee from a dallah. She said to me ‘In England, my dear, they don’t serve dates with their coffee’. She clearly wasn’t impressed!” In an age where women were expected only to bear children and keep house, Dame Violet broke the mold. Not only did she travel extensively, something most women of her generation could only dream of, she embraced the local culture, immersed herself into the community and played a significant role in developing relationships. She was often referred to affectionately as ‘Umm Saud’ (mother of Saud) or ‘Umm Kuwait’ (mother of Kuwait), and even ‘Hajjiyah’, the term of respect given to a female who has completed the pilgrimage to Mecca; very unusual for a non-Muslim and a sign of the love and respect she had earned from the natives. After the death of her husband, she continued the male-dominated tradition of sitting in majlis. Women did not usually frequent such gatherings and whilst she raised a few eyebrows, she was welcomed and accepted by the throng.

She was also a keen botanist – an ideal hobby for a lady named Violet - even having a desert flower named after her (Horwoodia Dicksoniae) after she discovered it and sent it to Kew for evaluation. Without a doubt, Dame Violet left her own footprint in Kuwait’s sand but it’s nice to know that Dickson House is still there to remind us of her significant contribution to the country and its people. Her memory also lives on in The Tareq Rajab Museum where her ring, purchased in the old souq of Kuwait in the early 1930s, and gifted to the museum by her daughter, is displayed. Another tribute exists in the form of the Dame Violet Dickson Scholarship, offered by the British Council in Kuwait to encourage Kuwaiti women to continue their post-graduate studies in the UK. This is a prestigious scholarship and reflects the high esteem in which Dame Violet was held. It’s good to know her name, and her legacy, live on. Dickson House Cultural Center is situated on Arabian Gulf Street, opposite Sharq Fish Market.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

ESSENTIAL TIPS EVERY MOM NEEDS FOR

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

M 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

ore moms than ever before have entered the work force. Take a look at your mom and your friend’s mom and you will know this to be true. More and more mothers are choosing to continue working and pursuing a career after motherhood and that is a great thing! It’s a great thing for our economy and it’s a great thing for our children too! Now, if only it was easy to juggle motherhood and a career while still having a resemblance of your pre-working mama life! Unfortunately, somewhere along the path of being mothers and working mothers, we decided to be some kind of superhuman, super mamas; which is great if it worked. The latest research on the matter is telling us that working mothers who try to be super mothers are more depressed than others. Being a full-time working mother can sometimes lead to feelings of guilt and stress. You feel guilty about leaving your children at day care or for not spending as much time with them; and you feel stressed because you may feel you are continuously being torn between work and home. If this is sounding like it’s all doom and gloom from here, read on; it gets better (I promise!). The key to striking a work-life balance is to focus on a plan, get organized and find the right balance between your career, parenthood and you. To help you out a little more, here are 5 tips to get you on the right track: 1.Drop the guilt. Mothers should be crowned the ‘Queens of Guilt’. Somehow, we can always manage to guilt ourselves into something. If you are at work you feel guilty about not spending time with your children; and when you are with the kids, you feel guilty for not spending as much time at work. It is a never ending, vicious cycle. When you are at work, concentrate on being at work and doing the best you can. If guilt is eating you up at work remember that the role you have at your current position is helping your family. Look

at the positive opportunities your career has opened up for you and ultimately to your family. Now do the same when you are with your kids; when you are with your children believe that you are simply the best mom for your children, you are enough and you are the best mother that you can be. 2.Simplify your life. Our life can sometimes be riddled with too many responsibilities that ultimately add up to stress. Take a look at your daily, weekly and monthly responsibilities then start striking out the ones that no longer serve you. There are some responsibilities that you can probably delegate to other family members and other responsibilities that should not be on your list to begin with. 3.Enlist some help! It is ok to ask for help from your partner and family. Other times it is ok to pay for this help (think nanny and day care). It truly takes a village to raise a child so bring in your village and let them help you raise your child. 4.Create special family time. With everyone’s busy schedule, it is important to set aside some time weekly for the whole family to get together to bond and reconnect. Suggest a board game night, a movie night or any other activity that will help you all to unwind together and share. During this time let go of your phone, refrain from talking about work and instead, focus on enjoying quality family time. 5.Abandon all Supermom thoughts. Do NOT try to do everything perfectly all the time and do not try to do it all. It is ok to let go of some responsibilities; it is ok to take care of yourself (you absolutely MUST) and it is ok to have some good days and some bad. You are human, so is your partner and so are your children. There will be days when work-life balance will feel like a walk in the park and there will be hard days when you will feel this is just a delusional dream. Embrace the good and the bad, be grateful for all that you are and have and enjoy this ride. Life’s beauty lies in its mess, so embrace it all.

Happy Mother’s Day beautiful mamas!

MARCH, 2016

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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SPACE! W IKEA gives you clever storage solutions for a better everyday life

e all know the feeling of owning stunning clothes yet constantly complaining of nothing to wear. Simple tasks like getting ready to go to work or a fancy dinner become a difficult process that can take up much more time than needed. We often blame it on the lack of space, without understanding that a beautiful home starts with smart and well-organized spaces. Having efficient and smart storage solutions gives you the opportunity to display the things that you love, or hide those which you consider personal. IKEA offers relevant solutions for all possible storage needs and wants; products and solutions that are flexible enough to be combined and used for different storage needs, big and small.

PLAY DRESS-UP WITH PAX

We desire beautiful designer dresses and 5-inch stilettos and proudly purchase them wanting to show them off. However when the time comes to actually flaunt these beautiful pieces on a fancy night out, they simply vanish into the piles and mounds of items in your wardrobe.

The key solution in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;declutteringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; your wardrobe is to utilize products and smart solutions that will help you get organized regardless of your living situation and challenges. Smart solutions will help you save space, time and money and most importantly, give you a truly personal home.

Before customizing your perfect wardrobe or storage solution, always start by asking yourself the following questions: What needs to be stored? How much needs to be stored, and where? How often will it need to be accessed? Should it be visible or hidden?

MARCH, 2016

For example, if shoes are your weakness and you are keen on having them displayed in your wardrobe, then the KOMPLEMENT shoe rail, pull-out tray or shelf insert will be your solution in storing your shoes. Better yet, colour code your shoes on the shoe rail to save you time when you pick out the right pair for your fashion ensemble. Little things matter too and deserve to be given their due space. Separate your belts and jewellery and even your socks with the HOFTA drawer divider and say ‘goodbye’ to clutter and ‘hello’ to immaculately organized accessories. Sub-dividing the storage space in a flexible way will further improve the solution and reduce the frustration of not being able to find things quickly. A good idea here is also to be selective in displaying the more ‘everyday’ jewellery and accessories instead of trying to fit all of your items into the divider. Another quick tip in ensuring that the ‘Little Miss Organized’ in you shines through, is to opt for a walk-in wardrobe that constantly stares you in the eye. Having to face your clothes on a daily basis instead of keeping them nicely hidden in a closed space may actually prompt you to keep your clothes perfectly lined up and tidy at all times. We also tend to think of walk-in wardrobes as a luxury that is reminiscent of the celebrity lifestyle that needs abundant space, but in reality a walkin wardrobe can be very much part of your storage solutions at home. IKEA provides you with the option to customize your dream walk-in wardrobe through PAX storage solutions. So whether you prefer more space to store your shoes and accessories or if you’d rather utilize your

entire wardrobe for suits, dresses and clothing items, your needs will always be met with PAX. Keen on making the most of your space? Visit the IKEA store and let our experts help you choose from the wide range of storage solutions that are available, those that best suit your personality, style and budget.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

NEWTON'S LAWS OF MOTION; THE RUDIMENTARY MAN

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.

MARCH, 2016

ialect. Action. Choice. All three are simple words that play a major role in our life on a daily basis. It is quite remarkable that these simple words are, more or less, the simplest form of dictating our destiny. We consciously, and sometimes subconsciously, make a choice to say or do something in a certain way.

are related.

Now, you are probably wondering how Newton's laws of motion and the opening paragraph of this passage

motion with the same speed and in the same direction

The first law is known as ‘the law of Inertia’ and it states: “An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force. An object in motion continues in unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”

The second law suggests that: “Acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The greater the mass (of the object being accelerated) the greater the amount of force needed (to accelerate the object).” The final law proposes that: "For every action there is an equal and opposite re-action." In the philosophical sense, we are the object at rest, and we ironically are responsible for the creation of this unbalanced force. We direct ourselves through our choices that have a domino effect on our actions, and our dialect. Thus, this unbalanced force is created primarily by our choices, and secondarily by the effect of our choices on either action, dialect or both. Therefore, we are responsible for the speed and direction of motion. Having clarified that, mass, in this context has no association with the measurement of physical matter, nor does it refer to a large number of people. Mass can be thought of, in this case, as a measurement of someone's individuality; their soul, consciousness, ethics, morals etc. The greater substance to this metaphorical ‘mass’, the greater the ‘force’ required to cause alterations to its state of motion. For instance, a habit or an opinion that has been around for years is much harder to change than one we picked up yesterday. The last law is quite simple and straightforward; for every force moving right there is a re-action with equal force pushing up against the acting force, which in this case would mean pushing back left.  The human mind is quite a spectacular memory processor. Everything that has ever happened to us; visual, auditory, physical, it is all stored in our subconscious. Though our conscious mind may not remember everything, our subconscious does so vividly. It is true that we live not in the past, we are living in now, but the ravages of then do latch onto now and it is these ravages that define ‘re-action’. We may be moving at constant speed in a constant direction, but eventually, the forces exerted from the past will alter that state of constancy. Thus directing blame solely on nature for the state of our existence would be unjust. Nurture stands guilty upon the trial of man and time. It either builds solid forts or strikes havoc upon our natural self. Consequently, nurture is what dictates our future; it is what outlines the present character of our choices, actions, and dialect. Human behavior has fallen under the dictatorship of nurture as it subconsciously sets out laws and regulations that define natural existence. Nurture is the unbalanced force, and we are the objects that have created this unbalance ironically through Dialect, Action, and Choice. It is vital to understand that at birth the good and bad in our hearts are at equilibrium. We have a mind to make choices, choices that destine our exerted forces to move us in a certain direction at certain speed. Thus, the people whom we desire to be nurtured and surrounded by at any point in life, i.e. whoever interacted with us, whether a familiar face or an irrelevant one, did have a role in the character of our present nature. Thus, we all do, in a sense, have a role to play in marking the characteristic of each other's behavior. When we realize this, we consciously choose our unbalanced forces and thus we consciously choose our own inertia, acceleration, and reaction; the nature of our own self, We are all subconsciously maleficent beings, selfish to the bone with

cowardly hearts.  Though we are all very different, we all share the common characteristic of being unable to own up to the negative consequences of our Dialect, our Actions, our Choices, whether it was inflicted upon us individually or on those around us. Throughout the course of life, some of us see beyond this tyranny and become more aware of our interactions, while the rest of us linger onto this diabolical state of mind, chasing after the demons of any form of empowerment. We choose to change the direction of motion or not. We define the unbalanced acting forces. We define nurture. We all are responsible for the type of nurture we stand to serve in life. We make the choice to carry it traditionally, or to think and balance out the equation of existence and human behavior. For instance, psychologically, a victim of an abusive home will most likely grow up to inflict the same type of abuse on his/her children, and thus, the cycle continues, monkey see, monkey do is passed on from one generation to another. In this case, acceleration is not achieved since the state of motion has stayed consistent in this chain of reaction. We carry the pain of the past as if it were a permanent genetic marker and forget that we too would be inflicting the same pain that was once inflicted upon us, on those who do not deserve it. A traditional existence, that has conditioned our mind to shy away from seeing beyond its grounds, has destroyed humanity. We have set up ridiculous morals and standards that have prevented our thought processing dimensions to ever expand. Traditions have stood in the way of ‘non-traditional’ education that could have served humanity well. Many of us are ignorant when it comes to getting to know our true individual self, both psychologically and spiritually, regardless of superficial outside influences. Sadly, we are part of a society that labels itself as a religious law abiding one, but actually thrives to passing on the 'monkey see, monkey do' force traditionally. People abide by a moral code built upon ego, to outline right and wrong. Within doing so, traditions have redefined basic principles by successfully advertising human behavior that should fall into a ridiculously narrow frame of ‘morally acceptable’. It is morally acceptable to beat your child, thus human behavior should not be viewed through moral eyes, but perhaps ethical ones. Perhaps then we could achieve a more natural, neutral co-existence communally. Traditions have condemned us to a reality of pride and ego, free of compassion and forgiveness. Traditions have given birth to an incompetent generation capable of causing or negating destruction, never having the time to understand or explain. That contradicts our nature as curious beings that require explanation in order to exert a positively unbalanced force. Instead, we are left to deal with consequences of unexplained business, which results in confusion, targeting ethics, morals and behavior on a personal note. What does this lead to? The exertion of a negative unbalanced force; which in turn has led to the ‘disassociation and depersonalization’ effect on a global scale. Why is that? Because the foundation of our civilization has been based on a flawed man made structure. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

EBRAHIM AL SHEMARY WINS RED BULL KING OF THE ROCK IN KUWAIT

undreds of spectators lined up to witness the top 16 Basketball talents from Kuwait compete head-to-head for the prestigious title of Red Bull King of the Rock. The event held at Radisson Blu hotel, started at 7:00pm and the competition became fierce as the single elimination 1-on-1 games moved further through the brackets. The 16 players relied on endurance and composure as they battled through fierce competition, humidity and cold temperature. The action was intense and almost nonstop throughout the championship. However, there can be only one king, and at the end of the night, it was Ebrahim Al Shemary who was left standing to take the trophy.

“It was a tough battle," said Al Shemary. “Red Bull King of the Rock was an unbelievable experience, the atmosphere, the crowd and the players were amazing. The level at this year’s tournament is very high. I was so tired in the final, but I had to keep going and not let my fans down. I trained very hard and will train harder to represent Kuwait in the best possible way at the World Final in Turkey.”

In the final, Al Shemary managed to clinch the title with a hard-fought victory against Fares Al Fadhli. The game went to overtime tied at 10. Both players traded baskets but at the end, only two points (14-12) decided Al Shemary’s victory.

The fourth edition of the Red Bull King of the Rock Kuwait was held at a unique and iconic surrounding with Al Hashemi boom and the lit castle wall serving as a background. Al Hashemi is the largest dhow ever built, and one of the largest wooden ships in the world today.

MARCH, 2016

‫اطيب هدية من تورينو‬

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.‫متوفر لدى جميع الصيدليات‬

MARCH, 2016

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‫وباألم إحسانا‬

‫دينا عبدالكريم‬

‫أستاذة في علم التنمية البشرية‬ ‫مدرب ومستشار‬ ‫‪Instagram @ct_dina‬‬

‫يدق جرس المدرسة فينصرف الطلبة بجميع أعمارهم إلى المنزل‬ ‫فتبدأ المرأة العاملة بوظيفتها الثانية أال وهي األمومة وواجبها‬ ‫تجاه بيتها كأم‪ .‬وهيا إلى العمل الشاق‪ .‬تستقبل أبناءها بالحب‬ ‫واألحضان وتتلقى طفلها الرضيع المشتاق وتستمع إلى نشرة‬ ‫الخادمة األخبارية وترحب بزوجها المتعب‪ ،‬تحضر الغداء للجميع‬ ‫وتباشر الجميع وتستمع لحكايا الجميع وهي منهكة فتخفي تعبها‬ ‫خلف ابتسامها ‪ ..‬واليزال هناك المزيد فبعد الغداء تبدأ الواجبات‬ ‫المنزلية ‪ ..‬فهي معلمة في منزلها وتدرس جميع المراحل وجميع‬ ‫المواد وحتى وإن لم تدرس أبناءها يكفيها متابعتهم والضغط‬ ‫النفسي واألرق والقلق حيال دراستهم‪ .‬وبعدها العشاء ولن أقول‬ ‫ثم‪ ..‬بل مع تجهيز العشاء وفي نفس الوقت ‪ :‬تشرح لفواز مسألة‬ ‫رياضيات وتسمع سند األحاديث و تستمع لقصص سارة في المدرسة‬ ‫وتباشر زوجها في كل حين وتتحمل الخادمة الدلوعة الزعولة وترد‬ ‫على رسائلها ومكالماتها وتنهي أعمالها على الكمبيوتر كل ذلك‬ ‫بعقل واحد بقلب واحد وبيدين اثنتين‪ ..‬أال تستحق هذه األم الحب‬ ‫واالحترام والتقدير واإلجالل من زوجها وأبنائها؟!‬ ‫هنا ياتي دور الزوج ‪ ..‬األب القدوة ‪ ..‬أن يثني عليها أمام أبنائه ويلقي‬ ‫عليها كلمات إيجابية يوضح لها أنه يشعر بها كأن يقول لها‪ :‬اهلل‬ ‫يعطيك العافية‪ ..‬سلمت يداك ‪ ..‬أطال اهلل عمرك‪ ..‬فهذه الكلمات‬ ‫ستعلق في أذهان األبناء ويرددونها على والدتهم ‪ ،‬كما على الزوج‬ ‫أيضا أن يشجع أبناءه على الثناء على والدتهم وشكرها واحترامها‬ ‫وتحملها في كل ظروفها مهما كانت‪.‬‬

‫‪29‬‬

‫‪CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM‬‬

‫األم المثالية التي تهتم بأدق التفاصيل في بيتها وكل ما ينتمي‬ ‫لهذا البيت ستكون صدرا حنونا وقلب مرحبا وحبا فائضا وستكون‬ ‫الملجأ األخير لزوجها وأبنائها ‪ ..‬ستكون صديقة الجميع وأختهم‬ ‫قبل أن تكون أمهم‪ .‬وهنا تأتي أحد النساء تشتكي وتقول‪ :‬ما‬ ‫هذا؟؟ تقع كل االلتزامات على عاتق األم وهي مسئولة عن أغلب‬ ‫األشياء فهي تدرس وتربي وتطبخ وتعمل ووووو ‪....‬‬ ‫هنا ال يسعني إال أن أقول‪ :‬لذلك وصى اهلل ورسوله باألم‪ ..‬فأغلب‬ ‫اإلجالل الذي أمرنا به ديننا الحنيف هو لألم‪ ..‬ألن اهلل يعلم ماهي األم‬ ‫وما الذي تقدمه األم وغير التفاصيل التي تخص الحمل والرضاعة‬ ‫والوالدة التي لن يشعر بها يوما رجل وال أنثى مالم تحمل وتلد‪.‬‬ ‫رسالتي باختصار إلى كل ابن وابنة‪ ..‬أذكرهم بحديث الرسول ص‬ ‫‪( :‬أمك ثم أمك ثم أمك )دون شروط وال أوصاف وال صفات معينة‬ ‫لتلك األم‪ .‬وقال تعالى ‪ :‬واخفض لهما جناح الذل من الرحمة‪.‬‬ ‫عندما يأتي الموضوع لألم واألب فال كرامة تستحق أن نرفعها‬ ‫على حسابهما ‪ ..‬بل نخفض لهما جناح الذل‪ ..‬قدم أمك على كل‬ ‫أولوياتك واجعلها األولى في كل شيء فدعوتها تفتح لك كل‬ ‫خير وتصد عنك كل شر وسوء و رضاها من رضا اهلل ففي رضاها‬ ‫التوفيق‪ ،‬كن بارا صالحا قاضيا لحاجاتها محبا لها صديقا مستمعا‬ ‫وصندوقا ألسرارها وشافيا لجروحها أدام اهلل أمهاتكم وأمهاتنا‬ ‫ورحم اهلل األموات منهن‪ .‬لكم مني كل التقدير‪.‬‬

Since March is the month for celebrating mothers and women, I am pleased to introduce you to this amazing artist who has taken part in many Art Exhibitions. A pianist, a music teacher and also a young mother from Kuwait, meet Noura Al Hallaq: ‫ يسعدني أستضيف اليوم في صفحتي الفنانة المبدعة‬،‫بما إن شهر مارس هو شهر االحتفال باألمهات ويوم المرأة‬ :‫ مدرسة تربية موسيقية وأم شابة من الكويت‬,‫ عازفة بيانو‬،‫اللي شاركت بمعارض فنية كثيرة‬ 30

MARCH, 2016

Noura Al Hallaq ‫نورة الحالق‬

“I find inner peace when I draw, that’s why I always make time for it.” ".‫" ألقى السالم الداخلي في الرسم عشان جذي دايما أسويله وقت‬ @nalhallaq

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

Noura, you are famous for your art work and sketches, how/why did you become a music teacher? Initially I wanted to study art, since it was my lifelong dream to become an art teacher. However, my GPA wasn’t high enough to major in art, so I found the next best option that’s also art related, which is music. That’s how I got my Bachelor in music – specializing in Piano and Violin. How did you start sketching? Have you taken any courses or was it self-taught? My love for art started at an early age, growing up to see my dad drawing cartoon characters and my mother drawing birds and flowers. I then found myself using art (drawing) as a way to express my emotions, whether I’m angry or sad, and transforming it into a sketch. I never took classes in drawing, I was selftaught, using very basic tools and basic steps drawing faces before social media came along. How would you describe your art style? Pencil sketching. Why did you choose pencil as the main style for most of your sketches? Colours irritate me. Switching between colours confuses me and I find myself more focused and able to express my art using pencil with its different shades. Do you sell your art work? At the moment no, but I have a plan in the future once my kids are a bit older and more independent, to work on bigger art pieces and sell them. Between being a mother, your full time job as a music teacher, and your love for art, how do you make time for drawing? During my breaks at work, I put my headphones on and draw. When I’m home, I use the time when my kids have their naps and either draw or play the piano. Recently, I am using the time when I’m with my kids to draw with them and share my drawing tools with them. In your opinion as a young Kuwaiti artist, how do you think the art work in Kuwait can be recognized internationally? By creating different groups of artists with different art concepts. To open up to new artistic ideas and creations which are different from the old and traditional styles. The best way I personally found for my art work to reach international eyes was through social media. Most of my followers on Instagram are artists from abroad and I managed to contact some of them and keep in touch with some of the artists groups there.

I would like to thank the beautiful artist Noura Al Hallaq for her time and for the lovely information she shared with us in this interview. 32

MARCH, 2016

You can always make time to do the things you love in life. Do it and inspire others today. Wishing all mothers and women around the world many years of happiness and success.

‫نورة معروفة بفنها من ناحية الرسم‪ ،‬شلون‪/‬ليش‬ ‫صارت مدرسة تربية موسيقية؟‬

‫في البداية كان حلم حياتي أدرس الفن وأصير مدرسة‬ ‫تربية فنية لكن لألسف معدلي ما كان كافي عشان‬ ‫أدرس التربية الفنية فقررت أختار التخصص األقرب للتربية‬ ‫الفنية واللي له عالقة بالفن وهو الموسيقى‪ .‬حصلت‬ ‫على بكالوريوس تربية موسيقية ‪ -‬تخصص في البيانو‬ ‫والكمان‪.‬‬

‫شلون كانت بدايتج بالرسم؟ خذيتي دورات؟ وال‬ ‫تعليم ذاتي؟‬

‫حب الرسم بدا معاي من عمر صغير‪ .‬كنت أطالع الوالد‬ ‫يرسم لنا شخصيات كرتونية‪ ،‬والوالدة تحب رسم الطيور‬ ‫والزهور‪ .‬ولمن كبرت لقيت نفسي أستخدم الفن (الرسم)‬ ‫كطريقة أعبر من خاللها عن المشاعر اللي أحس فيها‬ ‫من غضب أو حزن وأحوله إلى لوحة فنية‪.‬‬ ‫أبد ما خذيت دورات في الرسم‪ ،‬تعلمت الرسم تعليم‬ ‫ذاتي باستخدام مواد بسيطة وخطوات بسيطة بديت‬ ‫أرسم وجوه قبل ال تطلع وسائل التواصل االجتماعي‪.‬‬

‫شنو توصفين نمط أو ستايل رسمج؟‬ ‫رسم رصاص‪.‬‬

‫ليش اخترتي الرصاص كنمط أساسي لمعظم‬ ‫لوحاتج؟‬

‫األلوان تستفزني‪ ،‬االنتقال من لون إلى لون ثاني‬ ‫يشتتني‪ .‬ألقى نفسي مركزة أكثر وأقدر أعبر عن فني‬ ‫أكثر باستخدام الرصاص بدرجاته المختلفة‪.‬‬

‫هل تبيعين لوحاتج الفنية؟‬

‫حاليا أل‪ ،‬بس إن شاء اهلل ناوية لمن عيالي يكبرون شوي‬ ‫ويعتمدون على نفسهم أكثر إني أرسم لوحات أكبر‬ ‫وأعرضهم للبيع في المستقبل‪.‬‬

‫بين وظيفتج كمدرسة تربية موسيقية‪ ،‬وأم في‬ ‫البيت‪ ،‬وحبج للفن‪ ،‬شلون قادرة تسوين وقت حق‬ ‫الرسم؟‬

‫خالل فترة االستراحة بالدوام لمن ما يكون عندي شغل‬ ‫أحط السماعات وأقعد أرسم‪ .‬لمن أكون بالبيت خالل وقت‬ ‫قيلولة اليهال أرسم أو أعزف بيانو‪ .‬وحاليا قاعدة أحاول‬ ‫أشارك عيالي بالرسم وبأدواتي وأرسم وياهم‪.‬‬

‫برايج كفنانة كويتية شابة‪ ،‬شلون نقدر نوصل الفن‬ ‫الكويتي للعالمية؟‬

‫عن طريقة عمل مجموعات مختلفة من الفنانين اللي‬ ‫عندهم مفاهيم فنية مختلفة‪ .‬وأيضا نكون منفتحين‬ ‫ألفكار فنية جديدة وإبداعات مختلفة عن النمط التقليدي‬ ‫القديم‪.‬‬ ‫أنا شخصيا لقيت إني أقدر أوصل فني للخارج عن‬ ‫طريق وسائل التواصل االجتماعي‪ .‬أغلب متابعيني‬ ‫في االنستجرام فنانين من الخارج وقدرت أتواصل ويا‬ ‫مجموعات من الفنانين وللحين أنا على تواصل معاهم‪.‬‬

‫أشكر الفنانة الرائعة نورة الحالق على‬ ‫وقتها في المقابلة وعلى المعلومات‬ ‫الحلوة اللي شاركتنا فيها‪.‬‬ ‫‪33‬‬

‫‪CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM‬‬

‫تقدرون تسوون وقت لعمل األشياء اللي تحبونها في الحياة‪ .‬ابدوا وكونوا مصدر إلهام لآلخرين اليوم‪.‬‬ ‫أتمنى لكل أمهات ونساء العالم سنين مديدة بالسعادة والنجاح‪.‬‬

NO MORE FIRST-TIMES?

Nadeen Dakkak

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

aving lived in Kuwait my whole life, I never had the chance to see snow – that fluffy ice-cream-like mass of whiteness which, as a child, I always imagined would taste like cotton-candy. I finally got to see snow for the first time during my adult life. Since it was probably one day old, it was not as soft or magically beautiful as I would have liked it to be, but playing with it was enjoyable nonetheless. What's more important is that this special life event counted as a first-time experience for me. I often find myself thinking of how saddening it must be that the older we get the less we are able to experience things for the first time. I am not talking about trying a new restaurant, a new electronic device or even a new recipe, although these can be pretty exciting at times. I am rather referring to the joy of seeing or trying something of which we had no clue before, and which our own fantasy tends to exaggerate and make more fascinating.

Think of how little children react to seeing a bird or touching a cat's fur for the first time. Think of how it must feel to get on a train or a plane, or even to watch a film in a movie theater. For children, these experiences can be so exciting that parents take videos of them, many of which go viral on the internet. Needless to say, a lot of children have become so spoiled these days that what ought to be new to them has unfortunately become the norm, leaving them with very few things to experience for the first time after their teen years. The invention of the train and the car in the nineteenth century must have been overwhelming to people, dramatically changing their perceptions of time and space as a result. But these days, even when a new type of car is invented or a game like the Wii is suddenly popular amongst kids and adults in every home, it is unlikely that they would be as overwhelming because there is no major shift between the inventions we've already seen and the ones we're introduced to everyday. I think an interesting example is what Kuwaiti writer Abdulla Al-Hatim says about the gramophone in his 1962 book mn hona bada'at al-Kuwait (Kuwait Started from Here). When the first gramophone arrived to Kuwait, people were intrigued by this small machine that mysteriously records and produces sounds. As Al-

MARCH, 2016

Hatim reports, some even claimed that the devil must be inside the radio and that it is a sign that Judgment Day is approaching. This may be funny to us nowadays but it definitely shows people's inability to understand and accept this invention because they cannot view it in relation to something they already know. On the other hand, education, media and the internet prevent us from making such assumptions. They allow us to anticipate what's coming beforehand, and reduce the excitement which a first-hand experience might involve. I am writing this to lament the first-time experiences which we are less likely to have the older we grow and the more used we become to the ways of the world. I am already nostalgic for those days in which the excitement of a simple experience meant a lot more than it does today, especially because the more we have of something, the less valuable it becomes, or so it feels at times. In one way or another, abundance leads to banality. The more photos we take with our smart phones the less special a photo becomes. But years ago, when photography was not as accessible and easy as it is today, a single unique photograph had a special place in people's memories and the pleasure and excitement of taking one with a camera was beyond measure. Seeing things as banal may be inevitable with the passage of time, but I guess what we can do for a try is to get inspired by the excitement which children have for things that most adults have grown accustomed to – something which many parents may have already learned to do. Nothing shows this better than Marc Forster's 2004 movie ‘Finding Neverland’ where, during a stage performance, a writer (J. M. Barrie played by Johnny Depp) deliberately makes children sit amidst the seats of adult audience members. The children's excitement during the fantastical performance of Peter Pan attracts the attention of the adults who begin to view the play differently. The point, after all, is not an absolute change in the way we experience life (an impossible prospect indeed!) but an occasional change of perspective that may perhaps help us appreciate it in a new way.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

GALAXY

STAR QUALITY

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

The band with the American Ambassador to Kuwait H.E. Douglas A. Silliman

must admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at the Amricani Cultural Center last month to see the U.S. Air Force Rock Band ‘Galaxy’ perform live. That said, I arrived with an open mind, and settled down to enjoy a rare treat of live music. Expecting to be seated inside the theatre, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the gig would take place outdoors. Patriotic bunting, part of the National Day and Liberation Day celebrations, was flapping overhead, which together with the palm trees swaying in the breeze, contributed with its own unique percussion. The audience included a cross section of ages and nationalities, all waving Kuwaiti flags and eagerly awaiting this musical treat. All in all, it was the perfect setting to celebrate the continued partnership between Kuwait and the U.S. The performance started with perfectly executed renditions of both the Kuwait and U.S. National Anthems. Any doubts I may have had regarding the vocal talent of the band members, were instantly silenced. The male and female vocalists were equally impressive and together, they entertained the audience with a range of tracks including Pharrell Williams’ Happy, American Authors’ Best Day of My Life and Major Lazer and MØ’s Lean On. They ended with a

MARCH, 2016

medley of U.S. rock hits, before treating us to a final encore. As a mark of respect, and to avoid disturbing those at prayer, the band took a short break at Maghrib. This allowed me, and other impressed spectators, to chat to the band members and learn a bit more about these talented musicians. Each member of Galaxy is a public affairs professional, whose full time job is to use the universal language of music to develop relationships with people around the world. They are musical ambassadors for the United States, United States Air Force and American Embassy in Kuwait. Their goal is to musically reflect the challenging work and professionalism of the men and women who serve their nation. They also want to help celebrate and say thank you for the partnership between the two nations whilst honoring military heritage and enhancing morale among uniformed service members. The group is deployed from Travis Air Force Base, California. Their ‘home away from home’ is Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Formed in early 2015, they have been together for almost a year – although listening to them, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was much longer. This particular line-up of musicians was put together specifically for this deployment and includes:

Master Sergeant Jeremy Laukhuf - Bass, Group Leader Technical Sergeant Clint Whitney - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar Senior Airman Michelle Doolittle - Vocals Airman First Class - Stephanie Allen - Vocals Airman First Class - Sam Bachelder Keyboards Airman First Class - Matt Heister - Guitar Airman First Class - Jacob Haynes - Audio Airman First Class - Joe Ganzelli – Drums Their visit to Kuwait was arranged by the United States Embassy in Kuwait as part of the Liberation celebrations; although the band then went on to continue their tour of the Middle East. Their high-energy, engaging performance was as fitting as it was gratifying and provided them the perfect opportunity to share the Air Force story. After their short break, the band continued to entertain. The moon now cast its spell, adding to the already magical atmosphere, as the audience swayed to the rhythm, clapped to the beat, and sang along to the lyrics. The concert ended all too soon, but once again we were invited to chat to the band members and hear more of their story. Their passion for developing relationships was as evident as their musical talents and it’s no wonder they take such pride in their ongoing support of both the welfare and morale of joint-combined forces across the globe. In an exclusive interview for CityPages, Jeremy told me ‘I've always thought that music is a universal language because it's a spiritual and emotional language. Those are two things all human beings share, regardless of what language they speak’. Despite their hectic schedule, the band members were able to tell me a little more about their music-making experiences. When did your interest in music first begin? Michelle: My interest in music goes back as far as I can remember! My mom was probably my biggest influence and taught me piano and singing basics when I was very young. I was a part of the children's choir at our church, and my love for singing eventually grew into a passion to study music in college and turn it into a career. When and where did your tour of the Middle East start? Jeremy: We arrived at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in early February. How long does the tour last?

Joe: This particular tour is about 90 days. We are stationed in Qatar as a ‘home base’ but frequently travel to other locations to perform for U.S. Service members and build relationships in the communities as well. Our trip to Kuwait was just that, and we’ve had a great time! Do you find it difficult transporting all of your equipment from one country to another or is it ‘all in a day’s work’? Jeremy: We try to be as professional and organized about the process as possible, so it usually ends up being fairly easy. We’ve learned to expect the unexpected. As long as we remain flexible to the changes, it frequently ends up being, ‘all in a day’s work.’ Are you looking forward to visiting a particular country? Joe: I really looked forward to bringing our band to Kuwait, as I had heard how beautiful it is and how great the people are! Do you have time to relax and take in the sights on the tour? Joe: Depending on the country we are visiting and if our schedule allows, we always try to get out for a meal or visit some local landmarks. We all particularly enjoyed eating plenty of machboos in Kuwait. What were your first and lasting impressions of Kuwait? Joe: The people of Kuwait are genuinely nice and caring people. The country has a great respect for music and the arts. That was great to become aware of. Do you have a favourite track you like to perform? Jeremy: My favourite song to perform is called ‘Riffology’. It’s an arrangement of 11 of the greatest Classic Rock songs. It was fun to figure out which sections of each song to perform, the order the songs should go in, and how to make the transition from one song to the next. At almost every performance, someone inevitably shouts ‘Freebird!’ I chose to end ‘Riffology’ with a shortened version of that song which seems to please many people in the audience. How long does it take the band to perfect a new track? Jeremy: This is a very talented group of musicians, and they learn songs very fast. The foundation of the song typically comes together quickly, usually in a couple of repetitions in a single rehearsal. What can take time is the icing on the cake; specific tones, background vocals, the arrangement and the ending. It can take 2-3 rehearsals with several repetitions to work out those finer details. We also like to sometimes change those finer details in songs

we’ve been performing for a while, just to keep things fresh for us. Do you get performance?

nervous

before

Michelle: It depends! If I'm taking the stage with the rock band, the nerves usually disappear pretty quickly because of the support I get from my band mates. If I'm performing solo for a big crowd, I definitely start to feel the adrenaline running and my hands get shaky and my knees wobble! Any major on-stage mishaps? Jeremy: There was a show where I had no bass sound when we started the very first song. My equipment was fairly new to me, with a lot of new pedals and cables, and it took me half the song to figure out exactly what the problem was! What do you enjoy most about being in the band? Michelle: Being in the Air Force Band has given me the most incredible performance opportunities. Especially as a deployed military musician, I've been able to travel and perform in regions I never thought I'd visit. Who is your favourite band or artist? Joe: I first started playing drums because of my parents getting me into various classic rock groups such as Styx, Rush and Led Zeppelin. Those bands had a huge impact on my playing at a young age. As I later began to start seriously studying music, I got into many other styles; Jazz, Classical and Latin music. I believe being exposed to all kinds of music is key to becoming a well versed and seasoned musician ready to take any gig! What/where was the biggest audience you've played to? Michelle: In 2014, I was invited to sing God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch of game 5 of the World Series, the USA's annual baseball championship. The performance was televised and reached over 12 million people. Of course, during my performance I pretended that only about 5 people were watching! Where was your favourite venue? Michelle: AT&T Park, the San Fransisco Giant's baseball stadium, World Series performance. Do you have a message to our readers? Joe: I hope to return to Kuwait soon to bring you more great music! CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

THINGS NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT

BEING A MUM I

n recognition of Mother’s Day, I thought I would share with you the ten things no one told me about being a mum. With zero knowledge of motherhood or babies before I had my son in 2007, I had never even held a baby. So non-maternal was I that when my mum shared the happy news that she was at last going to be a grandma, my aunties thought she must be referring to any of my three younger siblings (two of whom were not even married at the time). So here are my top ten surprises about motherhood:

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.

1. Not all babies are handsome or beautiful. I’m sorry to admit it, but my son was ugly when he was born. Skinny, scaly and bald apart from ‘little old man’ hair around the base of his head. It took at least 12 months for him to ‘grow into’ his features. No one told me either that his belly button clip would come away of its own accord (causing me to panic when it came away at bath time), or that cradle cap is a real condition. 2. I thought I knew what tired meant before I had a baby - I was wrong. My son did not sleep through the night until he was two and even then the definition of ‘night’ was often short. Sometimes he’d scream in the night, sometimes he’d just make the oddest of noises. Who knew babies could be so loud? 3. Babies have an inbuilt ability to start crying at the following times: when your food is placed on the table, when the phone rings, when you’ve just made a cup of tea, or when you need to go to the bathroom. Sadly, I’ve learnt that this need for attention at such moments continues right the way through toddlerhood and school days, with no sign of any let up yet. Now the tears have been replaced with ‘Mum, where is my shoe/toy/game/dad…?’ 4. I was prepared go to very strange and random lengths to appease my crying baby. When my son had colic or screamed, the only things that would soothe him were the sounds of the vacuum cleaner (I’ve never had such a clean home before or since), or the noise from the extractor fan above the oven and hob. Many an hour was spent with him on my shoulder in the kitchen with the fan blowing. 5. When he did sleep I found myself randomly poking him, just to check that he was still breathing. Even now at the age of 8, I cannot go to sleep until I know he is breathing and everything is alright. He’s starting to realise now and will sometimes

MARCH, 2016

open one eye as I enter the room, and tell me ‘Mum, I’m alive, you don’t have to poke me’. 6. I will never know (or want to know) as much about another human being’s poop and pee schedule as I did in those early years. It becomes an obsession in checking; too much, too little, and loads of graphic considerations that I wouldn’t dream of discussing in public now. 7. Many of the baby ‘essentials’ that magazines promote for new mums to buy are a waste of money. These included the baby bath (used once), the baby sling (used once out of principle to prove to my husband that I did need it), the moses basket (used for two weeks and then he was too long for it), the door bouncer (he hated it). And so the list goes on and on.… 8. It is a cliché, but true, that you spend ages teaching your child to speak, only to spend the years that follow wishing for moments of silence and a break from the thousands of questions. However, some of my best laugh out loud memories have come from the innocent questions and observations of a child. My favourites include ‘Mummy, what’s wrong with that man’s face?’ (loudly in a shop when he saw a beard for the first time), ‘Mum, come quick my pee has turned the toilet water blue’ (it was a new toilet bleach block) and ‘Why is that man’s head upside down?’ (this time referring to a bald man with a beard). 9. Make the most of the time reading bedtime stories before they start to learn to read. When they do, they will notice when you try to skip a few pages to finish quicker, because you are more tired than they are. I am now at the stage where my son likes to read his own stories. Sometimes he reads to me and I’m the one who ends up falling asleep. 10. The first few years really do go by so fast. Before you know it, it’s the first day at school, the first assembly, the first sports day, and so on. Treasure and capture as many memories as you can, as they can never be replaced. Remember the first step, the first tooth, the first conversation… They truly are precious. Before my son was born I had no idea that motherhood would be the hardest, the most tiring, the most rewarding, the most precious gift in my life. And guess what, even if I had known all of the above, I wouldn’t swap a second of it for anything in the world -well maybe for a bit more sleep!

Tel: +965 25754589/98 - 99617351 - Fax: +965 25754566 www.aigtkw.com

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

THE POETRY OF MOTHER EARTH T

he pair of swans on the river where I live are together again, paddling back and forth, bickering like an old married couple, under the eyes of morose, elderly fishermen. The ducks are pairing off noisily, drakes in spectacular, colourful plumage circling the females and another cycle of life is about to begin.

It’s Mother’s Day this month when we look back with both thanksgiving and gratitude from whence we came. The timing is no accident, deriving as it does from our agriculturally seasonal past, when we observed the natural world bringing forth new life, giving birth, seeds sprouting and blossoming. We ourselves are slaves to our own evolution, there are more summer than winter births; one theory suggesting that by making babies in the fall and winter, they’ll be born at a time of year when food is more available thus giving offspring a better chance for survival. 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.

MARCH, 2016

Perhaps some on this occasion will tend to write about the flowers and the chocolates, the garnishes celebrating what is now as permanent a part of our annual cycle as Valentine’s day. Its more recent history, for those who like to research the Victoriana that has shaped the modern celebration of gratitude, is a few entertaining mouse clicks away and the shops are full of sentimental glitter and mawkishness, if your mother enjoys that kind of thing. It might be interesting, however, to follow a few less obvious historical threads. Culture is an organic and constantly changing scenario, and, whether we like it or not, who we are and what we have become is inextricably intertwined with our past. In Europe, in pre-Christian times, Rome carved out our cultural identity for us and her fingerprint is engraved indelibly on many of our most beloved festivals. In Roman times, there existed the myth of the ‘mothergoddess’, whose worship was associated with new life. Amongst the pantheon of other, more remote deities, Ceres, the goddess of the harvest, was the only one who was involved on a day-to-day basis in the lives of the common people who worked hard to keep her happy. While others occasionally dabbled in human affairs when it suited their personal interests, or came to the aid of special mortals they favoured, the goddess Ceres was truly perceived as the nurturer of mankind and was much revered in consequence. She was worshipped at her temple on the Aventine Hill, one of the Seven Hills of ancient Rome and her festival,

the Cerealia, was celebrated in the springtime. The Romans explained the turning of the seasons with the following story: Ceres was the sister of Jupiter, and the beautiful Proserpine – or, in Greek, Persephone was their daughter. There is a painting in the London Tate by the pre-Raphaelite Dante Gabriel Rossetti of a sad, but achingly beautiful Proserpine. She was kidnapped by her uncle Pluto, god of the underworld, to be his bride. By the time a furious Ceres attempted to follow her daughter, she had disappeared into the earth. Making matters worse, Ceres learned that Pluto had been given Jupiter's approval to be the husband of his daughter. Ceres was so angry that she went to live in the world of men disguised as an old woman, searching in vain for her daughter and finding only her belt floating on a lake made with the tears of the nymphs. In her fury, she stopped all the crops from growing, ‘making a desert at every step’ as the poet Ovid put it, thus causing a famine. Jupiter and the other gods tried to persuade her to change her mind but she was adamant, the precursor of the mother lion fighting for her cub. Jupiter eventually realized that he had to get Proserpine back from the underworld, and sent for her. Unfortunately, Pluto secretly gave her food – four pomegranate seeds - before she left, and once one had eaten in the underworld one could not forever leave. Rossetti’s painting has her holding a half-eaten pomegranate, her lips the same deep red as its interior. Proserpine was therefore forced to return to the underworld for four months every year. She comes out in spring and spends the time until autumn with Ceres, but has to go back to the underworld in the winter. Her parting from Ceres every fall is why plants lose their leaves, seeds lie dormant under the ground, and nothing grows until spring when Proserpine is reunited with her mother, who then releases fertility on the earth once more.

We remember this day because our protectress has stood guard when we were too tiny and frail to protect ourselves, from the moment of conception until we were old enough to get a job and, often, longer still. This link between a mother and child is profound. Psychological and physical bonds shared by the mother and her child begin during gestation when the mother is all things for the developing foetus, supplying warmth and sustenance, her heartbeat a soothing, relentless rhythm. The rough and tumble of life is a world away. Recent research, however, suggests that there exists a physical connection even deeper than anyone thought. Once, you and your mother shared a body, and across the placental highway, your cells mingled. Her cells

slipped into your body and your cells circled back into hers. This process, called foetal-maternal microchimerism, turns both mother and child into chimeras, imaginative figments harbouring little pieces of each other, blurring the boundaries and inviting serious existential wonder. Cellular threads are knotting whole generations together in ways that science is just beginning to discover. The effects such understanding might have on our ideas about the Jungian collective may be more farreaching than we could ever have predicted. If you are reading this as a mother with a son, you know better than I that he can do no wrong, is perfection personified and if anyone dares to suggest differently they are in danger of losing an eye. If you are a son, also an Arabic speaker, should someone be unwise enough to insult you with one of the many phrases invoking or mentioning your mother, bloodshed is a very real possibility. I once separated two tenyear-old boys, locked in foaming combat, one of whom had disparaged the other’s mother and had they been in possession of weapons, the protagonists might well have fought to the death. Unlike the female codfish, who has a million babies and cheerfully abandons them all, trusting the fragile law of averages to bring a few to maturity, higher species have a genetic imperative for survival since the litter size is often pitifully small. Nature, red in tooth and claw, ensures that an indifferent parent will lose her offspring. A mother seal must place her pups high enough out of the water to prevent a killer whale from swatting them off their rocky perch with its tail like so many skittles. Kelp gulls gorge on imperfectly protected African penguins’ eggs unless the mother has dug a deep, protective nest for them, out of reach of sharp bills. Big cats tend to keep out of each others’ way but a hungry lion is no respecter of species and if he catches the scent of a leopard cub, he may very well attempt a snatch and grab. Unless, of course, Mom shows up. A leopardess is to a fully grown male lion as a David facing a Goliath, but, in most cases, speed and maternal fury can do some real damage if she stands her ground. The savagery of the much lighter but faster leopard will often induce the lion to stalk away in search of easier pickings, still hungry and with pride severely dented. Sometimes, the enemy is in the same household. A male lion growls dangerously at its cub, barely able to stand, cowering between its mother’s legs. The mother does not hesitate. As the cub takes shelter, she rears up and a stinging paw across the male lion’s face teaches him better manners. As we all give thought to our own mothers at this time, perhaps we might finish with a truly Arabic flourish. Poetry in the Arab world has a long, luminous history as storytelling, metaphor and myth - some famous recent examples have been set to music. The Palestinian poet, the late Mahmoud Darwish should, perhaps, have the last word - this excerpt from his 1964 panegyric to his mother will no doubt be wellknown. Poetry provides words for those who have none but even this poor English translation carries emotional breadth and something of the power of the original. I long for my mother's bread My mother's coffee Her touch Childhood memories grow up in me Day after day I must be worth my life At the hour of my death Worth the tears of my mother And if I come back one day Take me as a veil to your eyelashes Cover my bones with the grass Blessed by your footsteps As on holy land. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

‫جهاز إزالة الشعر نهائيا كاحملترفني لالستعمال بسهولة وأمان في املنزل‪.‬‬

‫آمن‪ ,‬سريع وموثوق به‪.‬‬ ‫أسرع إستخدام ‪ ،‬حوالي ‪ 26‬دقيقة فقط ملعاجلة اجلسم بأكمله‪.‬‬ ‫منطقة ضوء واسعة حتى ‪ 7 :‬سم ‪2‬‬ ‫أحدث تكنولوجيا مستخدمة من قبل اطباء األمراض اجللدية إلزالة الشعر‬ ‫نهائيا كاحملترفني‪.‬‬ ‫وظيفة الفالش املنزلق لالستخدام املتواصل‪.‬‬ ‫أقصى درجات األمان مع مستشعر مزدوج للون البشرة‪.‬‬ ‫للوجه ‪ ،‬والذراعني الساقني واإلبطني واملناطق احلساسة ‪ ،‬الصدر والظهر‪.‬‬ ‫نبضات ضوء مدى احلياة ** تشمل وحدة ضوء مع ‪ 150.000‬نبضة‪.‬‬ ‫ال حاجة لقطع غيار‪.‬‬

‫ذو شكل مميز وعصري‪.‬‬ ‫يحتوى على شاشة ‪ LCD‬كبيرة ‪Digital‬‬ ‫يتغير من كجم ‪ /‬رطل ‪ /‬ش‪.‬‬ ‫يتحمل حتى ‪ 150‬كجم‪.‬‬ ‫يعمل ويغلق بشكل أتوماتيكي‪.‬‬ ‫يعمل بالبطارية‬

‫يعمل بطريقتني باملوجات فوق الصوتية وتسخني املياه‪.‬‬ ‫يقوم بعمل غمامات ناجتة عن تبخر املياه للمساعدة على التنفس بطريقة صحية‪.‬‬ ‫يساعد االشخاص الذين يعانون من امراض اجلهاز التنفسي واالطفال الذين يعانون من‬ ‫حساسية الصدر‪.‬‬ ‫يقوم بتغطية مساحة كبيرة تصل إلي ‪ 48‬متر مربع‪.‬‬ ‫ميكن استعماله لتعطير اجلو‪.‬‬ ‫متوفر بلونني ابيض واسود‬

‫‪9959 0878 - 5066 6058‬‬ ‫‪Mob: 5055 5499 - Fax: 2575 4566‬‬ ‫‪www.aigtkw.com‬‬

‫حتتوي على ‪ 6‬أقطاب مغناطيسية‪.‬‬ ‫حجم اخملدة (‪ X 40 30‬سم)‬ ‫الغطاء قابل للغسل في درجة حرارة ‪.40‬‬ ‫حتتوي على ثالث مستويات حرارية‪.‬‬ ‫نظام حماية‪.‬‬ ‫االغالق الذاتي بعد ‪ 90‬دقيقة‪.‬‬ ‫الدقة في حتديد احلرارة‪.‬‬

‫لعالج اجلهاز التنفسي‪.‬‬ ‫لالستخدام في نزالت البرد والربو وأمراض اجلهاز التنفسي‪.‬‬ ‫يقوم برش رذاذ الستنشاق سريع وفعال‪.‬‬ ‫يقوم برش كمية عالية (‪ 0.25‬مل ‪ /‬دقيقة ) حتى يتم استنشاقها في وقت قصير‪.‬‬ ‫مثالي لألطفال‪.‬‬ ‫يأتي مع حقيبة للتخزين وقناع للكبار والصغار‪.‬‬ ‫ميكن تطهيرها‪.‬‬

‫تدليك إلرتخاء عضالت اجلسم‪.‬‬ ‫التحكم في مستوى احلرارة بشكل منفصل‪.‬‬ ‫يحتوى على ثالث انواع مختلفة من ادوات املساج‪.‬‬ ‫ممسك اليد غير قابل لإلنزالق‪.‬‬ ‫يعمل بقوة ‪.W 20‬‬

‫منتج صحي للقدمني‪.‬‬ ‫يحتوي على ثالث وظائف‪.‬‬ ‫تسخني املياه ‪ ،‬تدليك باإلهتزاز ‪ ،‬تدليك بالفقاعات‪.‬‬ ‫يحتوى على جهاز مساج للقدمني‪.‬‬

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‫‪www.beurercenter.com‬‬

WISE WORDS FROM

THE REVENANT

Gill Sherry

e all have our own favourites when it comes to movies and movie stars. After all, the world would be a pretty dull place if we all liked the same things. I must admit, a negative review wouldn’t stop me from watching a movie or reading a book; I’d prefer to form my own opinion than listen to someone else’s. But it works both ways. My sister once recommended a book to me saying ‘It’s the most moving book I’ve ever read, you’re guaranteed to cry’. I was bored by the first chapter and struggled to finish it (and there wasn’t a tissue in sight). It’s all about personal taste and what makes us tick. Some people get a thrill from horror movies - I hide behind a cushion! Others are fascinated by science fiction – I just find it ridiculously farfetched. So when it comes to giving out awards, who gets to decide which film was the best or which actor was better than the rest? Even with a panel of ‘expert’ judges, it still boils down to personal opinion, and we all know ‘there’s no such thing as a right or wrong opinion’. Fact is, more often than not, prizes awarded for the ‘best’ film, book, art etc. are rarely in sync with public opinion. I’ve seen Oscar winning films that have had me looking at my watch within the first twenty minutes. I’ve also read Booker Prize winning novels that have bored

FEBRUARY, 2016

me to tears. As for the so-called work of art ‘My Bed’, nominated for the Turner Prize in 1999, I’m still shaking my head now! That said, I doubt anyone can question Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar winning performance in The Revenant. At last the experts have agreed with us mere mortals, the movie-goers. It’s hard to believe (in my opinion) that he hasn’t won an Oscar before. He’s been nominated for ‘best actor’ at the Academy Awards three times previously for his performances in The Aviator, Blood Diamond and Wolf of Wall Street – the latter being my personal favourite. He also received a ‘best supporting actor’ nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. Many would say his Oscar for The Revenant is long overdue and that finally, he has received the recognition he deserves. Having seen (and enjoyed) the film, I’m inclined to agree. In a nutshell, Hugh Glass (DeCaprio) is left for dead after a brutal bear attack. Against the odds and driven by vengeance, he’s determined to survive and track down his former ally, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). It’s a fairly lengthy film - 2 hours 26 minutes in its entirety – but one I found to be utterly enthralling. Again, just an opinion, and one numerous critics don’t appear to agree with - ‘Emotionally stunted’ and ‘Overblown’ being just two alternative opinions. Perhaps that’s why it was beaten by Spotlight to the ‘best picture’ award.

DiCaprio wasn’t the only one to raise other, more serious issues in his acceptance speech. He took the opportunity to voice his concerns about Climate Change, describing it as ‘the most urgent threat facing our entire species’. His fear for the underprivileged, those most likely to be affected by so called Global Warming, was evident as he urged not just world leaders, but every one of us, not to take our planet for granted. Wise words indeed. Apparently his concerns were prompted by the fact that the production had to move to the southern tip of the planet just to find snow – a natural and essential prop for the filming of The Revenant. Thankfully for us movie-goers, find it they did. Unlike certain ‘spotlight stealers’ at the awards ceremony, DiCaprio’s observations were not biased, racist, sexist, or pro or anti-gay. They were genuine words of concern from a man who knew he had a captive audience and who had earned the right to express his opinion. In this particular case, his opinion was not only heartfelt, but based on fact. He should not only be congratulated for finally winning his first Oscar, he should be applauded for reminding us all that there are more important things in life than a night at the movies. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

MARCH, 2016

‫ماذا يتعلم المدراء التنفيذيون‬ ‫من رياضيي األولمبيات؟‬ ‫دروس من األولمبيات لك أيها المسؤول!‬

‫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

‫أكيد تابعت مبارات األولمبيات يوما ما! وأبهرك المستوى العالي‬ ‫من القوة‪ ,‬السرعة وقدرة التحمل التي يتمتع بها الرياضييون‪ .‬قد‬ ‫نفترض أن منبع هذه المميزات الفريدة هو التدريب القوي الحرفي‪,‬‬ ‫التغذية الصحية وبرامج العناية الجسدية المختلفة‪ .‬وبرغم صحة‬ ‫افتراضاتنا‪ ,‬فقد نغفل عن التدريب العقلي الذي يتلقاه ويمارسه‬ ‫هؤالء األبطال ليحققوا هذه النتائج الباهرة‪.‬‬ ‫فكل رياضي مميز‪ ,‬يمضي وقتا مقدسا للعناية بمستوى األداء‬ ‫العقلي لتحقيق ما يعرف باللياقة العقلية والسالمة الذهنية‪ ,‬فلقد‬ ‫تعلموا من تجاربهم المتنوعة أنهم لن يحققوا التميز الرياضي إال‬ ‫إذا حافظوا على لياقتهم العقلية والذهنية‪ .‬وبناء على ذلك‪ ,‬لماذا‬ ‫ال يتعلم المدراء التنفيذيون بعضا من دروس رياضيي األولمبيات؟‬ ‫فحالتنا العقلية وسالمتنا الذهنية هي أساس األداء المهني الرفيع‬ ‫وتحقيق النتائج المرجوة ‪:‬من مكالمة هاتفية‪ ,‬بدء مشروع أو خوض‬ ‫تفاوض! فما الذي دفعك لتواجه ضغطا‪ ,‬لخوض منافسة‪ ,‬لبدأ عمل‬ ‫جديد رغم معارضة الجميع؟! فقد بينت بعض ممارسات الرياضيين‬

‫‪47‬‬

‫‪CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM‬‬

‫األشهر‪ ,‬أن التمارين العقلية التالية‪ ,‬لمدة خمسة دقائق صباح كل‬ ‫يوم‪ ,‬ساهمت في رفع مستوى أدائهم وحتما ستنفعك‪:‬‬

‫‪ 1‬التمرين العقلي‪ :‬مشاهدة ذهنية لنفسك كبطل فيلم‬‫سينمائي يتصرف بقوة‪ ,‬ثقة وحماس ‪.‬‬ ‫‪ 2‬عبارات التركيز‪ :‬أعد جمل ايجابية في ذهنك وقم بإلغاء أية‬‫عبارات سلبية‬ ‫‪ 3‬قراءة وتفكر‪ :‬قم بكتابة رؤيتك وهدفك ورددهما في ذهنك‪.‬‬‫من هو الشخص الذي تريد أن تكونه؟‬ ‫يثق الرياضييون أن للتمارين السابقة‪ ,‬رغم بساطتها‪ ,‬أثر كبير‬ ‫على رفع مستوى األداء‪ ,‬فلماذا ال نستفيد منها في دنيا األعمال؟‬ ‫قد ال تحصل على ميدالية ذهبية ولكنك ستحصد حتما ما يليق‬ ‫بأدائك الباهر‪.‬‬ ‫بتصرف عن موقع فوربس‬

‫‪http://www.forbes.com/sites/siimonreynolds/2012/08/02/what-executives-can-learn‬‬‫‪from-olympic-athletes/‬‬

SWITCHING PRIORITIES

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.

wastage.

egular readers of my monthly scribblings in this magazine may recall previous articles I have penned about the waste of valuable world resources, and the growing cost of such

Just a couple of months ago I highlighted recent reports of a significant increase in the cost of electricity here in Kuwait, and showcased a property which had been constructed in the United Kingdom with the aim to reduce energy costs. Conscious that many householders will be hit hard in their pockets by the anticipated rise in their energy costs, I am looking again this month at ways we can all help ourselves to minimize costs by more efficiently using our domestic electricity. First though, I need to get something off my chest. As I write this we have not long completed a month of great celebrations. There was much to celebrate, with Kuwait’s National Day and Liberation day at the forefront, but also the accession to power of our current Amir and the first anniversary of an award to acknowledge and honour H.E. the Amir as a Humanitarian World Leader. It was of course right and proper to celebrate, and I joined with everyone in reveling in the festivities. I loved, also, seeing the National Flag flying wherever I looked, significantly blowing in the freedom of the fresh

MARCH, 2016

breeze as a colourful salute. But, call me a miserable scrooge if you must, I struggled with the excesses of public illuminations at this time. Whole buildings lit up in red, white and green on a nightly basis; and of course the absolutely wonderful displays that are an annual tourist attraction around Ahmadi that people visit from many miles distant. Please don’t get me wrong, they are always a wonderful sight and cannot fail to lift peoples’ spirits; but I shudder at the thought of the financial expense and, more importantly, the consequences of such extravagance on our natural resources. Surely there are better ways we can find to express our joy and national pride that will be less damaging to the environment? Of course, just one month after the celebrations, on 19th March, comes the global celebration of Earth Hour – a much-publicised annual event which is aimed at encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their nonessential lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to the planet. The vision is always to do more, so that the light switch is merely the beginning of a journey. Yet I am sure that many of the big organisations that will publicly declare their support of Earth Hour and their ‘commitment’ to protecting the environment and its resources will be the same companies and organisations who have so recently adorned their buildings with hundreds and thousands

of lights. How does this make sense? Am I missing something? Of course the protection of our resources and environment is one thing, and it’s a major concern worldwide, but it’s difficult to envisage what impact we can make as individuals unless the major corporations lead the way with visible energy reductions. On the other hand, as individuals we should want to reduce our consumption if only to reduce our monthly energy bills. So let’s consider what we can do in the home to help ourselves. There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy we use - changing our homes or changing our habits. Altering the way we use energy is something we can each implement today. The savings might not be as large but they don't cost us anything either. We've just got to remember to do them. Making alterations to our homes may come at a price but it can save us money in the longer term. There are key investments which, if right for each individual home, are likely to pay for themselves quickly and save us the most money.

Changing our homes If our homes need any of the following improvements, we could save on our annual expenditure if we get them sorted: draft proofing, swapping all traditional light bulbs for energy saving versions, getting an energy efficient shower head, installing a thermostat, insulating cavity walls and lofts. We shouldn’t forget that draft-proofing and insulation may be critical to help retain heat inside during winter cold spells, but is equally important to keep a/c generated cold air inside during the hot summer months too.

Changing our habits These are the kind of things we can change today, without spending any cash.

-Understand our air-conditioning systems and how to set them. This is easier said than done. Ideally we'd get the person who installed everything to explain it to us. If this isn't an option we might be able to seek help or advice from a qualified installation engineer.

-Turn off appliances at the socket. Ok, forgive me for being obvious here, but this can easily produce some genuine cost savings. The only things that shouldn't be turned off when not being used are satellite and digital

TV boxes which have been set for recording programmes. Oh, and our fridges and freezers of course! Electrical appliances like TVs, laptops and phone chargers will sometimes be using electricity when they're plugged-in but not being used. Some electrical appliances and chargers draw energy even when the devices are switched off. Let’s bear in mind too, that a desktop computer in 'screensaver' mode uses as much energy as if it were being used.

-Be careful with the kettle. Only filling it up with as much water as we need could generate a small saving – or a bigger one if the household drinks a lot of tea!

-Use a washing-up bowl. Using a bowl to wash pans and dishes (rather than leaving the hot tap running) will save wasting all that precious water, and will save money too. Of course, an eco-friendly multiprogrammable dishwasher is also an attractive option which gets the thumbs-up from me!

-Wash clothes at 30c. Washing our clothes at 30 degrees Celsius instead of 40 will save money, and may even guard against shrinkage.

So there you have it. I may not be able to exert much influence over the big business corporations, but I can at least pass on a few energy-saving tips to those of you who care about saving some cash and protecting the environment at the same time, if only in a small way. But let’s remember, it’s lots of little savings that will generate a greater one. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

Dr Haitham Al-Kayat “The key is to get help and advice before the weight issue gets out of control” There’s no denying the fact that Kuwait has an obesity problem. Fortunately, there are experts on hand to deal with this spiraling health issue. Dr Haitham Al-Kayat is one such expert. His string of qualifications and scope of practice ensure he is fully equipped to deal with patients seeking help with their obesity issues. But what does he really think of this problematic condition, and where does he stand on prevention vs cure?

Please introduce yourself to our readers. My name is Haitham Al-Khayat, Consultant General Surgeon from Kuwait. Tells us about your education. I am an American board certified in general surgery with added qualification in surgical critical care. I have had special interest in obesity since my residency in 2000 in the University of Miami. Why did you choose surgery as your area of specialization? I was impressed with general surgery since my medical school. During surgery, it was amazing to see wounds inflicted and to help them cure and treat their problem and suffering. Why do you think obesity is on the rise in Kuwait? There is really no easy answer to this question but it can be attributed to multifactorial reasons: -Most importantly, poor eating habits and bad choices of food both in quantity and quality. -Lack of physical activity, secondary to weather, poor city planning, cultural restriction, lack of city youth centers, lack of interest in physical

MARCH, 2016

education classes. -Lack of sleep. -Disturbed body images, aided by false beauty measures by media. -Consumption of processed and refined food products. -Failure to pass laws to warn the public of the danger of refined sugars and to oblige food suppliers and restaurants to label their products stating clearly the fat, sugar and calorie content. What are your thoughts on the various surgical options for weight loss surgery? Do you have a preference? Is one better than the rest? Weight loss surgery (WLS) is helpful for those who lost control of their weight and life and failed to lose weight with lifestyle changes alone. I think WLS will help obese patients to restore the balance between their brain and gastrointestinal (GI) tract and will help them shed the extra weight to enjoy a healthy active life again. It is a great help in their lifelong battle with obesity because it will restrict the amount of food that they will be able to consume. There are various types of WLS including bands, sleeve gastrectomy and bypass surgery. I have no preference but after reviewing patient diet habits, medical history and discussing benefits and risks of WLS, I will help the patient choose the best procedure for him/her.

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

MARCH, 2016

Who should have bariatric surgery? What are the criteria? - Any patient with extra weight more than 35 kilos above their ideal weight. - Any patient with a body mass index (BMI) more than 35.We calculate BMI by dividing weight in kilos over the height square in meters. - Those patients who have failed to lose weight in conventional ways. - Patients with a lack of severe medical problems. Please tell us of the pros and cons of bariatric surgery. Pros: It helps patients shed the extra weight and helps to decrease the strain on the back and knees. In addition, it will help to improve sleep and activity and to treat obesity related problems including, but not limited to, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, osteoarthritis, obstructive apnea, infertility, reflux disease, heart disease and even cancer. Cons: The patient needs to accept the small risks of surgical intervention along with lifelong follow-up with his primary physician for his vitamins; and also to commit to a healthy lifestyle. How has the safety profile in bariatric changed over the past years, for better or worse? It is much better because of improved safety of instruments, better visualization with laparoscopy and understanding of the anatomy of GI tract. Currently, it is comparable to removing gallbladder or appendix. How can you tell if it's time to ditch the diet and consider bariatric surgery? I would advise patients with severe obesity to visit a bariatric surgeon and listen to the options and advice. The surgeon will set a time limit of 3-6 months of serious life change. If the patient fails to abide by this, he needs to consider WLS. The key is to get help and advice before the weight issue gets out of control. What are the long term expectations in terms of weight loss, co-morbidity resolution and change in eating habits? Patients see remarkable change in their body from the first day of surgery. They will see improvements with their diabetes and blood pressure in 1-3 months and report much better well being. What are the myths and misconceptions that people have about this surgery? - It is an easy way out of obesity. This is not

true because patient needs to have lifelong commitment to a healthy life. - It is a slow death sentence. This is not true because numerous studies have shown that patients do better after WLS. Insurance companies in some countries approve it as a valid and safe option to treat obesity. What are the factors to consider the type of bariatric surgery one should consider? Age and excess weight. Presence of diabetes. Smoking habits. Any special medication needs. Commitment to vitamins. Reflux symptoms. What are the non-surgical options available for weight loss? Drugs and balloon. How does it work? Balloons are inserted with endoscopy. It is a nonsurgical option and will help put patients back on track. It is a scar-less procedure and will not cause any permanent change in the digestive system. It works by occupying one third of the stomach cavity and will help decrease the portion of food during each meal. How safe is the Intragastric Balloon in comparison to weight loss surgery? Much safer - and suitable for patients scared of surgery. However, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not suitable for patients with morbid obesity. What makes Spatz different from other Intragastric Balloon brands? It can stay for one year which will help patients to retain a healthy lifestyle for a longer time. In addition, it is adjustable which means that its volume can be increased during implantation time, to allow better weight loss. Approximately how many weight loss surgeries have you done in Kuwait so far? I have good experience in different types of WLS. I have also performed secondary procedures following failure to lose weight or due to complications from primary procedures. I have carried out more than 2000 surgeries since 2007 but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hoping for active measures from society to help with the obesity problem in Kuwait and surrounding regions. What are the best ways to avoid surgery? To lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Be responsible in your eating habits and avoid unnecessary calories. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

GOODBYE TO ALL THAT

(INVOLVING BABIES AND FAREWELLS) Peregrine Spode

Dentally challenged. Still single.

s you all know, I’m not married. But I might be one day (see later) and I know a lot of people who are. Being married seems to result, curiously, in the arrival of Small Persons. It’s rare for Spode to venture into these uncharted waters and when I myself fell into the category I am about to describe, the world was a rather different place. In the past, the less I was both seen and heard, the better pleased the Big People were. So, deep breath then, as today’s little morceau involves the alien and deeply disturbing world of babies and children. Oh, how I can so clearly hear my Chieftain (… careful! Ed) sniggering into his beard. What a remarkable blessing they are, are they not, beloved? Quivers full of them, in strollers and backpacks, small, grubby little fists holding the parental finger, so very easy to trip over as one wanders in The Avenues. To a man such as myself, the notion of walking into the baby store (I suppose such places exist) and emerging with arms full of leak-resistant – notice, they never actually say ‘leakproof’ diapers, plus creams, lotions and small plastic items which can be conveniently thrust into a small mouth is much like a visit to the Third Circle of Hell, where the sinners are forced to lie in a vile slush produced by never-ending rain. And, presumably, where those writing excessively long sentences are housed. Small persons of indeterminate gender who need to hold on to the furniture in order to stay upright (just call them toddlers, Ed), much like my grandmother after having raided the drinks cabinet, are not to be trusted. A toothily ingratiating smile from yours truly tends to send them into paroxysms of tears and stern glances in my direction from associated parent, as if I might be planning an early luncheon with offspring asplat du jour. Small people inspect me with not entirely unjustified suspicion. They cannot read and are thus incapable of the simplest dialogue about the front page of the Kuwait Times; or City Pages, for that matter. They speak a hybrid language, a cross between Vietnamese and Swahili, interspersed with gratuitous and entirely unnecessary screams; whether of delight, rage or fear is left to a more expert ear than mine. Mother’s soothing presence seems to restore order and she usually tells me to go away. Rather like a Presidential nomination, parenting is a skill that, with no training or experience, everyone is somehow expected to get right. If your ten-month old helps

MARCH, 2016

himself from the top shelf in the supermarket, concealing his ill-gotten gains in the papoose in which you carry him, this will trigger a panic alarm at the checkout, of similar stridency and volume to a terrorist alert. You, hapless parent, are then hauled off to a cupboard and strip-searched for contraband, as squadrons of armed police are mobilized to haul you off to jail for shoplifting. In the confusion, the real culprit has figured out how to open the stolen pack of M&Ms and is peacefully eating the evidence. When there’s more than one, the problems just mount up. An older sibling deprived of unilateral and continuous access to maternal affection deduces that the best thing to do with a newborn and rather unwelcome little sister is to dispose of her by the most convenient method. Being a well-trained child and a recent graduate from the humiliation of the potty to using a proper bathroom, the simplest procedure is to flush her down the toilet. The logic is unassailable; I think you’d agree. There’s been a lot of it about, this sibling rivalry, you know. From Ronnie and Reggie Kray to the meteoric rise of Richard III, whose death at Bosworth Field ushered in the Tudor dynasty, are two well-documented, if somewhat contrasting examples. Shakespeare quite erroneously described R3 as a ‘poisonous bunch-back’d toad’, which Donald Trump might like to bear in mind if he decides to continue to run for office and further alienate the Press. Richard was only the fourth son of the York family, but by the time he seized the throne the first, second and third sons were all dead – Edmund killed by the Lancastrians, and George, Duke of Clarence was, legend has it, forcibly drowned for treason in the famous butt of malmsey wine. This was, apparently, in ghastly retribution for plotting against his

brother Edward whose two sons, the so-called ‘princes in the tower’, met a secretive and untimely end. Perhaps the infant I mentioned earlier, not having access either to a vat of wine or a dungeon, used their initiative and a toilet bowl seemed the next best thing. And, then, of course, there’s the delight of mealtimes. Kids seem not to eat the same food as me. The enchantment of a slightly pink beef Wellington, washed down with something refreshing is, it would appear, quite alien to their taste. They do, after all, after a certain age, possess dentition of extreme sharpness, but carefully prepared and ruinously expensive baby food, most of which either ends up on the floor or on their clothing, seems to be quite sufficient for them. Mastery of the art of cutlery management seems to take an inordinately long time. Their first exposure to it if a recent dinner I attended with persons requiring elevated seating was any guide, consisted of attempting to hit their older brother on the head with a spoon. The spirit of the Krays isn’t quite dead then. On another, quite unrelated note, I am going to be ‘away’ for a while. Quite a long while, as it happens. No, I’m not going to prison, nor am I going to tell you why. Or where, but it involves South America and a lady of distinction. So, in the words of Robert Graves, ‘Goodbye to All That’. Old Peregrine has hit the jackpot and so, farewell and bonne chance to you all. I shall see you again, one of these days. Or not. (Finally. That’s a relief. Ed)

.‫متوفر لدى جميع الصيدليات‬ www.aigtkw.com @aigtkw

9959 0878 - 5066 6058 Mob: 5055 5499 - Fax: 2575 4566

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

STARFISH NOTES

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

lies within, as well as below, their skin. Sea Stars are sensitive to touch, light, temperature, orientation, and the water around them, but only if they are surrounded with precious salty water. The Sea Star is alive only if it feels and breathes the ocean...

The sea is the very essence of this creature. It has no heart, no brain, no well-defined sensory inputs like other animals, and it has no blood. The Sea Star is so tightly connected with the ocean that it even uses sea water instead of blood to pump nutrients through its body. Their whole body is actually filled with sea water, and a complex network of interlacing nerves

Sea Star is a very special kind of animalistic note in perfumery. Perfumes adorned with this note do not contain any kind of organic ingredient obtained from the Starfish. This beautiful creature serves only as a source of inspiration for oceanic and marine perfume blends. The starfish note stands for salt and softness, the freshness of the ocean breeze and aquatic notes. This is why Starfish, among many other sea creatures, are chosen for a perfumery note.

his marine animal truly represents everything a perfumer wants to accomplish while trying to capture the smell of the sea, the proximity of the ocean and the aroma of nourishing sea minerals. The note of the Sea Star is there to evoke a fine scent of salt drying on the skin after a dip in the ocean, memories of the journeys, the smell of seaweed, the soothing and restless roar of the seaâ&#x20AC;Ś

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

Mumbai, India

Mumbai, formerly called Bombay, is a sprawling, densely populated city on India’s west coast. On the Mumbai Harbour waterfront stands the iconic Gateway of India stone arch, built by the British Raj in 1924. Offshore, nearby Elephanta Island holds ancient cave temples dedicated to Shiva. The city is also famous as the heart of the Hindi-language Bollywood film industry.

WHERE TO STAY

THINGS TO DO

WHERE TO DINE

Taj Mahal Palace stands majestically opposite the Gateway of India, overlooking the Arabian Sea. Sprawled over 2.6 acres, this luxurious hotel boasts 10 restaurants and a variety of traditional Indian therapies at Jiva Spa.

Private Tour to Kanheri Caves, Elephanta Caves or Karla and Bhaja Caves

Grandmama's Café

The Taj Mahal Palace

Swap the concrete jungle of Mumbai for an underground adventure on this private full-day tour, including hotel pick-up. Choose from three different itineraries, including the Kanheri Caves in the Sanjay Ghandi National Park or the Bhaja and Karla Caves, which date from as early as 200 BC. Alternatively, hop on a ferry to scenic Elephanta island to explore the UNESCO-listed Elephanta Caves, renowned for their beautiful carvings and reliefs.

Bhaijaanz Trident Nariman Point

The 5-star Trident Nariman Point is located in Mumbai, overlooking the beautiful Arabian Sea from Marine Drive. Featuring a 24-hour business centre, the hotel has an outdoor pool, a fitness centre and pampering spa treatments.

Bollywood Studio Tour

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the famed Mumbai filmmaking industry on this Bollywood studio tour by private vehicle. Gain a deeper understanding of the process that takes script to screen and learn how the nation’s most popular form of entertainment is created from your informative local guide.

Rude Lounge

Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai

Featuring Mumbai’s highest rooftop bar accompanied by stunning city views, The Four Seasons offers comfortable rooms with a 42-inch LCD TV. It has an outdoor pool, spa and fitness centre. The spacious air-conditioned rooms come with a DVD player, an iPod docking station and a bar. The marble bathroom has a separate bathtub and walk-in shower.

Hotel Suba Palace

Situated near Gateway of India, Hotel Suba Palace offers free Wi-Fi and houses a multi-cuisine restaurant. 24-hour room service is available. The hotel is 2 km from the CST main bus depot and 11 km from the Dadar Central Railway Station. It is an hours' drive from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

MARCH, 2016

Gateway of India

Mumbai Harbour's vast monument was built to commemorate 1911's royal visit. The vibrant streetlife that has formed around it makes it a great starting point if you're new in town!

Haji Ali Dargah

This imposing mosque is also the tomb of Sufi saint Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. It can only be reached via a narrow walkway at low tide so plan your visit accordingly!

Bon voyage!

Leaping Windows

Five Fat Monks

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

TOP FIVE ‘MUSTS’ FOR

HOUSTON

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.

ne of the most iconic phrases of the 21st century, ‘Houston we have a problem’, will forever link Houston with the history of NASA. However, this sprawling metropolis has a lot more to offer. From cowboys to computer geeks, Houston has a diverse community and multiple cultures to take in. As America’s 4th largest city, it is bound to have something for just about everyone in the family.

3. The MUST shop…Anyone who has been to Houston can tell you about two locations for shopping; the Galleria and Harwin Drive. The Galleria is one of the largest malls in the US with every shop and store imaginable from Neiman Marcus to Saks 5th Avenue. Harwin Drive is for those seeking some bargain deals. It is perfect for haggling and negotiating prices. http://www.simon.com/mall/the-galleria or http:// harwindrive.com/

1. The MUST see…Houston is not just all rodeos and oil rigs. It has a huge museum district with 19 museums and something new to see every day. History, art and culture all come together here so bring some walking shoes! The best part is that most museums are free or low cost. http://houmuse.com/

4. The MUST stay…In Downtown Houston near the performing arts theatre is the Lancaster Hotel. Built in 1926, with a history of its original owners dating back into the 1800s, this hotel isn’t short of modern amenities and style. Their fantastic Bistro has just reopened after an extensive renovation. http://www. thelancaster.com/

2. The MUST eat…Home to over 10,000 restaurants, it can be a daunting task to pick and choose. If you are in the mood for Mexican food head down to Hugo’s in Westheimer Street. With its Spanish Art Deco décor you will be glad you came. Chef Hugo Ortega has won multiple awards for his deep complex flavours. http:// hugosrestaurant.net

5. The MUST do off the beaten path…If you like cars, and you like art, stop for an hour or two to take in the sights at the Art Car Museum. From Pink Cadillacs to cars that look like they could fly, there is quite an exhibit to see at what many call the ‘Garage Mahal’. http://artcarmuseum.com/

For more information check out http://www.visithoustontexas.com/

MARCH, 2016

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

Photo Credits: Mondell Salmon

Dr. Abdulrazzaq A. Al-Obaid Meet the man with an undisputed wealth of medical experience, and proud to have brought orthopedic and spinal surgery in Kuwait to a different level.

Please tell us about your education?I graduated from Kuwait University - Faculty of medicine. I then continued post-Graduate education at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and joined their residency program in Orthopedics. This is a five year program, after which I got my post-graduate degree in Orthopedics. After passing the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons final exam, I received my degree. I then continued my subspecialty training and fellowship for two years in Spine surgery including spinal trauma, deformities (Pediatric), degenerative, and tumors. This was followed by a one year fellowship in Neurosurgery (spine) at the Montreal Neurologic Institute. When and why did you decide to join the medical field? I knew earlier in my life that my dream would be to become a doctor and to help sick people get better. For example during childhood, I used to play the role of a doctor. So it was my dream since childhood and I worked hard in school so I could join the medical school. My parents provided me with the optimal environment and helped me throughout my school years to make sure I would have all the support to achieve this dream. Why did you choose Orthopedic Spine Surgery as your specialization? Actually, Orthopedics was not in my mind at all. I always thought of Orthopedics as those doctors who apply casts and put injured patients in traction beds. I knew from the early years of medical school that I liked to work with my hands. I liked surgery as a specialty. After graduation from medical school I wanted to explore the surgical specialties. One of my senior surgeons advised me to explore Orthopedics. He told that this field is growing fast with new techniques and procedures. What is special about it is the fact that you cannot hide your mistakes. You will know the result of surgery as soon as you finish your surgery. You can tell the difference between a skilful surgeon and non-professional. Everything can be seen by x-ray, you cannot hide it. Moreover, there is a big demand on Orthopedic surgeons worldwide and especially in Kuwait. So I joined an Orthopedic rotation at Al-Razi hospital where I was supervised by Dr. Ahmad AlRowieh who encouraged me to continue post-graduate training in Orthopedics. At that time there was huge demand for Orthopedic surgeons. After finishing Orthopedics I continued in spine surgery, which is a specialty shared by Orthopedic and neurosurgeons. I underwent both Orthopedic and neurosurgical training and fellowships. It took me not less than eight years of training after my medical degree from the medical school. The post-graduate training was all done in North America, away from my country (Kuwait). My wife had to live away from home and her family. She provided me with all the support I needed to go through this challenging period of my life. I did not have to worry about anything other than my studies and training. I then chose spine surgery because it was very challenging and advancing surgery. It is one of the few subspecialties that is growing really fast and with new technology and procedures every day. Moreover, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very challenging as you are dealing with the nervous system; any mistake can mean paralysis. The results of surgery have a direct impact on the patient's

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life. Also, the advancing technology in spine surgery is growing every day. It requires continuous update and training. What are some of the most common problems patients come to you with? Depending on age group, the most common in children is spinal deformity (scoliosis). Every summer the operative list is fully booked with cases of scoliosis correction surgery with excellent results. At the adult age group, the most common is disc disease, whether in the neck where we use total disc replacement or in the back, where many times microscopic surgical disecectomy is required. At elderly group the most common is spinal stenosis and osteoporotic fracture. For the later, we use the latest technology of utilizing Kyphoplasty through balloon and cement augmented stents. What other non-surgical options available for patients with spinal injuries? Physiotherapy, medication, and lifestyle adjustment are among the main modalities of non surgical treatment. Sometimes we need injection to help speed up the recovery time, and to deliver the medication at the pathology site. This includes for example, epidural injections and foraminal nerve root blocks. For how many years have you been performing spine surgeries? I have been practicing medicine for more than 15 years; spine surgery, for around ten years. We use state of the art technology and up to date surgical techniques. I also participate at an International faculty, where I deliver lectures and train other spine surgeons from all across the world. I am also a Journal Reviewer and I review and score many international papers for publications or presentations. What factors are considered before deciding that surgical intervention is the only option? Many factors are involved. First the diagnosis has to be confirmed. Identifying the pain generator is the major challenge. We always start with non-surgical approach. Many respond and do not require further surgical intervention. Some fail to do so and require surgical intervention either to decompress the neural elements or stabilize the spine, or both. Patient education is very important. The patient has to try to change their lifestyle and help with exercise. Obviously, surgery is no magic. If you continue to have the same lifestyle, and do not work hard on exercise and physiotherapy, then the results are no good. Patient's expectations are another important factor. You don't expect to become younger after surgery. What is a common misconception people have about spine surgeries? The most common is that the patients think that spine surgery has bad results and many get paralyzed. This was true in the olden days, but not now. Neurologic injuries should be considered, but these are not common.

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What is your success rate for patients with spine injuries? The success rate is excellent and is comparable with the published international numbers. Depending on the condition being treated and the complexity of the case, the results are encouraging and the technique and technology utilized is also matching International standards. With how many assistants do you work with during an operation? Spine surgery is one of the bigger procedures requiring a highly specialized team including the surgeon and at least one assistant, an anesthesia doctor specialized in spine cases, at least one scrubbed and one circulating nurse, and an x-ray technician. Depending on the type of case, other professionals would be involved. For example, if we are using the computer guided spine surgery (Navigation) then there will be a technical team dealing with the navigation machine. Another example is when we do complex deformity correction where neural monitoring would be required; then a specialist would be present for continuous nerve stimulation and monitoring during the case to ensure better results and to avoid nerve injury. Can you tell us some of your most unforgettable moments of your professional life? The life of a surgeon is very stressful and demanding. In spine surgery, you need to be alert all the time and be prepared to deal with any complications. It requires specific training. Every stage that you pass

through during this is of special significance - the first day you are in the operating room, the first day you hold a knife, the first day you put a screw, the first day you do a case on your own, and so on. Just to give you an example how difficult it is to be a surgeon, I can tell you about the day when my wife was giving birth to our first child; this is an important event for any couple, especially if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the first child. On that day I had clinical duties, so I was with my wife for 5-10 minutes holding her hand and trying to give her some support. Unfortunately, I had to leave and come back later every hour because I was unable to leave my clinical duties. I think you can imagine what type of social life a spine surgeon has! But this is ok, because we are helping people. What hurts is that some patients do not appreciate it. What is approximate cost of undergoing a spine surgery? Spine surgery is one of the most expensive surgeries for many reasons. Firstly, it requires special qualifications and expertise. It is technically and physically demanding. Moreover, most of the time we use implants which are very expensive. What is the duration of a typical surgery and what is the longest surgery you have performed? Depending on the procedure it can go from one hour for microscopic discectomies, to even 10 hours when you have a complex deformity. Sometimes, we have to stage the procedure into two stages at different settings. What are your hobbies? I used to like biking and water skiing. Now it is almost impossible with my clinical duties. Tells us about some of your achievements and awards that you have received? I am currently Chairing the Middle East region at the biggest International Spine Surgery Societies (AOSpine). I am considered one of few faculties from the Middle East to deliver lectures at International conferences and to train other spine surgeons at International courses. I have my own surgical techniques published at peer-reviewed medical journals. I was the first to bring the artificial disc technology in the Middle East. I was the first to perform Kyphoplasty stent for osteoporotic fractures in the Middle East. I am the only spine surgeon in Kuwait who utilizes computer guided navigation for spine surgery. You can simply enter my name in the internet and perform a search and you will find my name is all over the place when it comes to spine surgery. What are your goals/dreams for the future? I am already happy that we brought the level of Orthopedic and spine surgery in Kuwait to a different level. My dream is to see the medical system the same as it is in the modern world. And maybe one day I can have my own centre that will have the treatment of any musculoskeletal disease. What advice would you offer someone considering this career? You need to work hard, read plenty, travel lots and get trained at the best centres. Dedication is the key. Your message for our magazine? Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I want to tell the people in Kuwait that when it comes to spine surgery, everything is available here in Kuwait.

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MAN VS FOOD O

ne great thing about living in America is The Food Network. Adam Richman's Man vs Food was the show to watch when you've just about had enough of university life. Turn on that Netflix account and just drool away. My favourite episode is of course the one about Colorado. The episode introduced me to two of my favourite restaurants - The West End Tavern and Cherry Cricket.

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.

The former is located in Boulder, Colorado and in this particular place you will taste the best buffalo chicken wings in all of the 50 states. The half dozen, dozen or bucket challenge drumsticks and wings are presented in a shiny orange buffalo sauce that covers generously. The chicken is cooked perfectly every time to get your fingers dirty. My friend Abdulla Aljazzaf holds the highest count of chicken wings eaten within our group - around 40! I’m not talking about your Pizza Hut sized chicken wings, these are American chicken wings. The most I've ever eaten is around 30 - and that is after much training! The first time, I was only able to eat 6 pieces. I'll leave you this picture to dwell on.

Duffy's Cherry Cricket is THE ultimate, customizable, grease-full, enjoyable burger you will ever put in your mouth. This burger is not pretty but the flavour makes up for that by a long shot. You can select your toppings from what seems to be an endless list, but rest assured, I'm here to tell you the best combination. Ok, let's start with cream cheese and jalapeño. Then, add some sautéed mushrooms and onions, avocados, and my own secret topping (which is actually not on the menu but passed down to me from my Persian roots), the grilled tomato slice. Don't forget to tell them to remove that soggy pickle on the side or it will ruin the bun on the way to your table. Let's be honest, who likes pickles? Not me. Don't forget to order some delicious cheese fries with side combination of buffalo and ranch dipping sauces; and why not sit outside under the beautiful Colorado blue sky?

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If your mouth is watering and you want to apply for your US visa just to try this, you might want to know that Cherry Cricket is closer to home than imaginable. Denver's very own Park Burger, located in Tijaria Tower, is the closest thing you'll get to it. I think it's the best burger in Kuwait - period. Park Burger is a place I recommend to just about everyone. Forget your spicy mayo shrimp and quinoa salads and just have a heartwarming meal for once. I recommend skipping all the burgers on the menu and just ordering what I mentioned earlier from Duffy's. Warning: the jalapeño is so hot it might just melt your tongue off!

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A TASTE OF

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DUBAI W

hen I first moved to Dubai to do my hotel internship back in 2013, my plan was to stay only 3 months; I have been there for three years. For someone in love with restaurants like myself, Dubai is the perfect spot. It’s the top dining destination in the whole Middle East and North Africa region, competing only with Istanbul and even surpassing it in some aspects, variety for example. Unlike Istanbul, Dubai does not enjoy lush surroundings abundant in countless fresh, seasonal ingredients, with which big and small chefs can demonstrate their magic. However, Dubai is a base for top food companies’ headquarters supplying the market with any cooking ingredient you can think of, flown in every day from all over the globe – from Japan to Chile to Norway to South Africa. Not only that, Dubai also has no issues attracting chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, families, investors and service employees from all over the world with their experience, culture and style in cooking and serving their cuisines, and therefore creating the ultimate dining experiences with any ambience possible. In this desert cosmopolis of the Arabian Peninsula, almost every single world cuisine can be found - Peruvian, Ethiopian, Cambodian, Greek, Levantine, Korean, Tunisian, Russian, to name just a few.

FEBRUARY, MARCH, 2016 2016

While doing my internship in a hotel in Dubai back in 2013, I was eating out in a restaurant every other day. The restaurant scene in Dubai is so overpowering I decided to shift from hotels to restaurants. After a few months I stopped my internship and applied for a job in one of the restaurants of Dubai International Financial Centre ‘DIFC’, where most celebrated restaurants are located. In that one square kilometre lies more than 30 restaurants ranging from the fine-dining establishments catering to the rich and the glamorous, to the canteens in the food court serving the centre's thousands of busy employees during their working hours. Italian, Spanish, Argentinean, Japanese, French, Chinese, Lebanese, Peruvians, Turkish, Indian, seafood, gluten-free, cafe food, steak bar, Tex Mex, sushi bar, tacos and burritos, Turkish buffet and sandwich bars are some of the categories of restaurants that are found in this one district of Dubai – and that’s in addition to a steak house, a Café Belge, a pastry shop and a soonto-open NYC-based restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton next door. In addition to the DIFC, the Dubai Downtown area, Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road, Wafi centre area, Madinat Jumeirah - as well as hotels in Business Bay, in JBR, along Jumeriah Road and on the Palm - all offer restaurants with cuisines one would never think of; such as an Australian, where I tried Kangaroo meat for the first time in my life, and a Vietnamese where the best famous Pho soup is served. Again unlike Istanbul, eating out in famous places in Dubai can be very expensive, which is a very good reason for the ‘Dubaian’ to venture to the less ‘fancy-schmancy’ places in the less ultra-modern part of Dubai; such as Alkarama, Mankhool, and across from Dubai Creek in Deira. You might think it would be a compromise to do so, until you find out that actually in such places you can have the most authentic and delicious food from every world’s cuisine at great value-for-money. As Dubai is home to people from almost every diaspora, asking a South Indian sales lady in a mall shop about the best South Indian sea-food restaurant in Dubai is the best way to find it and enjoy it. She would know her food well and would not pay an overrated price for it. This is how I found, tried and LOVED Kerala cuisine without having to fly to South India i.e. in Dubai’s older districts; along with the best Shawarma stand, best Ethiopian hole-inwall, best Persian kebab place and best Chinese hotpot restaurant. Dubai is indeed a food haven. I know people who fly to Dubai every couple of months with a long list of to-go places for breakfasts, lunches and dinners as well as snack bars and speciality stores selling gourmet items that can be found only in Dubai. For a change sometimes, I go to vegan/ raw restaurants that serve food as delicious as the conventional options, or visit the weekly markets that take place in several spots around Dubai with small businesses and entrepreneurs selling edible gems such as Pakistani rotis with succulent fillings, or artisanal Italian pastas. The breakfast scene is growing remarkably in Dubai along Jumeriah and Wasil Roads; and on the famous Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Khaleeji restaurants are popping up one after the other as foreign tourists and expats wonder whether Tabouleh and Hummous are part of Emirati food or not. That encouraged Emirati, Kuwaiti and Saudi entrepreneurs and chefs to bring out our cuisines from homes to restaurants' dining tables to better represent the understated rich and delicious Khaleeji cuisines. Some examples are the Kuwaiti chef who opened ‘Khaneen’ along Sheikh Zayed Road, serving almost every Kuwaiti dish; and the gold medal winning Emirati chef in the Dubai international Hospitality Contest who started up her home kitchen ‘Maalatha’ offering Emirati dishes cooked the excellent original way. These were perfect additions to the exciting, ever-evolving food scene of Dubai that has multidimensional options - local or exotic, fancy or casual, light and healthy or rich and comfy. The chances of not finding what your palate craves in Dubai are getting smaller every day. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

HOW FOOD INFLUENCES YOUR

HORMONES U

Jamie & Alana Karehana Jamie and Alana can be found at the Al Corniche Club and offer Biosignature Assessments (body fat assessment identifying possible hormonal imbalances) as well as their KarehanaKitchen 21 Day Meal Plan. Go to their website www.karehanafitness.com to learn more about them or email them at admin@karehanafitness.com for more information.

nderstanding how hormones work and how our lifestyle choices affect our hormone levels is vital if you want to get the best results possible. In fact we would go as far to say that if our hormones are not regulated properly it can massively sabotage our results and lead to poor health. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease and depression are just a few of the diseases that hormonal imbalances contribute towards. Whilst the diagnosis and treatment of hormonal imbalances should be left to medical experts, we can have a positive impact on our hormones by leading a healthy lifestyle. A basic understanding of the key hormones that regulate metabolism, hunger, body fat, and energy levels is useful for understanding how different lifestyle choices affect our body. Every time we eat, exercise, sleep, get stressed or meditate, hormones are released. We want to make sure that our lifestyle choices are geared towards controlling these hormones. What are hormones? Hormones are chemical messengers that communicate information throughout the body.You can think of hormones as radio signals that are telling different cells in the body to do different things.

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have experienced an energy spike followed by an energy crash. This happens because blood sugar levels increase rapidly, prompting the release of insulin to lower your blood sugars, since high blood sugar is toxic. You can then be left with blood sugar levels that are too low. This can make you feel lethargic and hungry. It’s at these times when you are likely to crave more sugary, carbohydrate rich foods. This causes you to experience ‘peaks and troughs’ in your energy levels.

Depending on your lifestyle choices, the hormones released will dictate whether you burn or store body fat, feel hungry or satisfied, build muscle or not, feel relaxed or stressed, and whether you are able to sleep well or have restless nights. Can you see why this is so important to your health and the results you want to achieve? We are going to look at a variety of different hormones that influence your health and your body composition. Insulin Insulin is released from the pancreas in response to our blood sugar levels. When our blood sugars increase, insulin is released and its job is to tell the body to store the sugar in our muscles and liver. In order to have steady energy levels throughout the day and be able to burn body fat, we need to manage our insulin levels properly. You do this by controlling the amount and type of carbohydrates you consume. This doesn’t necessarily mean eating a low carbohydrate diet all of the time (although that might work for some people), it means

that you avoid the overconsumption of foods with lots of added sugars. After eating a sugary snack you may

The ideal scenario, both from an energy perspective and for you to get the results you want is to consume the right nutrients that will allow you to have stable, steady blood sugars and well regulated insulin levels throughout the day. These nutrients include: • Proteins • Fats • Fiber-rich complex carbohydrates Fats and proteins do not cause insulin levels to increase

anywhere near as much as carbohydrates do, that’s why it’s essential that you eat proteins and healthy fats. By doing this you can feel full and avoid energy crashes. We then need our pancreas to produce more insulin to shift the same amount of sugar out of the blood and into storage. This can be the beginning of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The two main culprits behind insulin resistance are lack of exercise and a hypercaloric diet, high in refined carbohydrates. The good news is that insulin sensitivity can be regained with the right combination of diet and exercise. Glucagon If you think of insulin as a ‘storage hormone’ then you can think of glucagon as a ‘mobilization hormone’. Glucagon tells our muscle and fat cells to release energy for us to use to fuel our daily activities. If we consume a surplus of calories and lots of sugary carbohydrates, glucagon doesn’t need to do its job because there’s already too much energy available. Insulin and glucagon are both released from the pancreas and work with each other to regulate our blood sugars and energy levels. If our insulin levels are jacked up due to having too much blood sugar, not much glucagon will be released and we won’t be able to burn fat effectively. When our insulin levels are low, the body will release more glucagon which can then prompt the release of our energy stores (including stored body fat). This is what we want! In a nut shell, by eating the right foods to prevent insulin spikes, glucagon can do what we want it to do; help us to use our fat stores for energy! Cortisol Cortisol is a hormone that is released from the adrenal glands (along with adrenaline). Although cortisol gets a bad wrap, it’s actually very necessary for us to have cortisol; just not chronically elevated levels or unhealthy cortisol rhythms. It’s usually described as a stress hormone because we release cortisol (and adrenaline) in stressful situations. If we didn’t release cortisol in the morning then we would struggle to wake up.

Cortisol levels should rise in the mornings

so that we feel energetic in the daytime and our cortisol levels should gradually lower throughout the day, enabling us to feel relaxed and naturally tired in the evenings. Modern life can be stressful and if, for example, we are stressing out over a work situation at night, then our cortisol levels can become elevated at a time when they should be low. Overtraining can also cause our cortisol levels to become chronically elevated so it’s important that our training programmes are assessed regularly. Some of the reasons that our cortisol levels become imbalanced: •Poor sleeping habits •Inability to handle or manage stress •Overconsumption of stimulants; caffeine for example •Overtraining; training too long / training frequently at high intensity. When cortisol gets out of control we can experience suppressed immune system function, elevated blood sugars, faster ageing, poor insulin sensitivity, lower sex drive and an increase in abdominal fat storage. This is the perfect recipe for getting sick, fat and wrinkly. As if that’s not bad enough, chronically elevated cortisol often leads to cravings for high calorie, sugary foods. Things that can help to restore healthy cortisol levels: •Getting to bed before 10:30pm every night •Taking time to meditate /relax /chill out more often •Reducing caffeine intake, especially in the afternoons •Ensuring your training regimen is assessed regularly Growth hormone Human growth hormone has been described as ‘the fountain of youth’ and not surprisingly, growth hormone supplementation is now big business, especially in the USA. Healthy growth hormone levels help to keep us lean, healthy and strong. As we age our levels of growth hormone decline, for example a 60 year old may only produce 25% of the growth hormone that a 20 year old produces. In that sense there’s not a lot we can do, because we’re all getting older! What we can do is to look at ways to help the body produce growth hormone normally and naturally. Growth hormone is mainly released/ elevated when we are: • Sleeping • Exercising • Fasting So if we are not sleeping properly, not only is our cortisol rhythm disturbed, we miss out on

our natural growth hormone release during sleep. Another great reason to get to bed early and to ditch the caffeine! Exercise causes the release of growth hormones, so if we are exercising regularly then our bodies will be producing growth hormones naturally. Fasting also increases growth hormone levels; that’s one of the reasons why intermittent fasting has become popular. Whether or not you should fast is an individual decision and it’s important to note that although it can increase growth hormone, it can also increase cortisol levels, so if you’re already stressed then fasting might not be the best option. Eating too many sugary carbohydrates can also lower growth hormone; yet another reason to ditch the junk foods. Testosterone Although testosterone is the dominant male sex hormone, it is produced by both men and women. Healthy testosterone levels are associated with drive, motivation and virility. As we age, testosterone production declines and this contributes to the loss of muscle mass that people experience as they age. Low testosterone levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, depression, lethargy and lack of motivation. It is to be expected that certain hormones decline with age, in fact it’s completely normal and natural, but what is a concern is the generational decline in testosterone levels in males. Our grandfathers, on average would have had much higher testosterone levels throughout their lives. One of the reasons for this is that modern life can be a lot more stressful. So it’s not surprising when we see studies showing that cortisol blocks the effects of testosterone. What can we do? Luckily there are things we can do to maintain healthy testosterone levels: •Get to bed early •Learn stress management techniques •Train with heavy weights •Eat enough fat (our bodies make testosterone from cholesterol) Training with heavy weights will not cause women to look big and bulky because females have a very small amount of testosterone compared to males. Estrogen It’s often thought that information about estrogen is only relevant to females. Estrogen however, is an important topic for any man experiencing the dreaded ‘man boobs’ or ‘moobs’. Men need a normal, healthy level of estrogen, just as women need a normal healthy level of testosterone. The problem arises when estrogen becomes out of balance with testosterone; this is when guys can literally start growing what look like breasts. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

Obesity, as well as exposure to environmental estrogens such as plastics, is thought to contribute towards the disruption of healthy sex hormone levels in males. For women, healthy estrogen levels are essential for heart and bone health as well as many other functions in the body. Estradiol is the primary estrogen that a woman relies upon during her younger years to keep her healthy and lean. Estradiol also helps to regulate appetite, mood and energy levels. As a woman goes through the menopause, production of estradiol decreases and this leaves another form of estrogen, estrone, as the main estrogen. Estrone is linked with increased abdominal fat storage and unfortunately, the more fat that is gained, the more estrone is produced. This can make losing body fat much more difficult and extra attention must be placed upon diet and exercise during and after the menopause. Estrone can also contribute to insulin resistance, another good reason to avoid binging on sugary carbohydrates and opt instead for proteins, fats, vegetables and complex carbohydrates. Another hormone that drops at the menopause is progesterone. Because progesterone is a precursor for testosterone and estradiol, this now means that there is less testosterone and estradiol available to have a positive effect on body composition, mood and appetite regulation. This is why it’s so important to do everything within our control to promote healthy body composition, mood and appetite regulation. We can do this by paying attention to diet, exercise and stress levels. Chronically elevated cortisol around the time of the menopause needs to be avoided because cortisol and progesterone may compete for the same receptors. This means that cortisol can exhibit a blocking affect on progesterone. This is definitely not good if we consider progesterone levels are already dramatically lowered after the menopause. The key message is to learn how to manage stress and make the right lifestyle choices. Thyroid Thyroid hormone is often referred to as ‘the master hormone’ and with good reason. Thyroid hormones have a huge impact on metabolic rate. If you or anyone you know has suffered with under-active thyroid then you know all about the weight gain and lethargy that can be experienced when the thyroid isn’t functioning optimally. On the contrary, when the thyroid is over-active, people lose weight rapidly and can become anxious. Important nutrients for thyroid health include; iodine, selenium, vitamin D3 and vitamin B12. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli contain substances called goitrogens that inhibit the thyroid gland. Most of these substances are destroyed by cooking, so it’s important to cook

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your cruciferous vegetables.

Leptin Leptin is a hormone that decreases hunger by signaling to the brain that we have enough energy (fat) stores in our body. The problem is that, as in the case with insulin resistance, we can become resistant to leptin. The leaner someone is, the more sensitive to leptin they are, so a small amount of leptin does the job of telling us we’re not hungry. This makes sense when we consider that leaner people actually have less leptin, even though they have less energy (fat) stored in their bodies. When someone is leptin resistant, although they may have more leptin, the message doesn’t get through and the result is feeling hungry. Not sleeping properly can also decrease leptin levels. What can we do? •Take Omega 3 fish oil – Omega 3 fats are associated with decreased hunger •Go to bed early •Reduce stress •Reduce caffeine Ghrelin Ghrelin is the hormone that tells us that we are hungry. When it’s coming up to meal time, we will naturally feel hungry; this is because ghrelin is being released. There’s not a whole

lot we can do to directly influence ghrelin, apart from, you guessed it, sleep well! Studies show that lack of sleep increases ghrelin, possibly making us hungrier and more likely to make poor food choices. It’s not only leptin and ghrelin that regulate our appetite, so we still can put practices into place to help us get our appetite under control. There are other ways to help: •Consume fiber rich foods to help keep us feeling full (download our body type guides by going to www.karehanafitness.com and subscribing to our newsletter to receive more information about these fiber rich foods) •Consume enough protein and fat because these two nutrients help to satiate us more than carbohydrates (download our body type guides by going to www.karehanafitness.com and subscribing to our newsletter to receive more information about how much protein, fats and carbohydrates to consume) •Drink enough water – sometimes when we think we are hungry, we’re really just thirsty •Avoid consuming too many sugary foods that cause blood sugar to spike then crash There are many hormones in the body, all having unique actions in maintaining sound health. The interplay between all the different hormones is complex, and while we don’t need to understand everything about hormones, we can conclude that the right lifestyle choices play a huge role in balancing our hormones. To help balance all of our hormones naturally we need to: •Get to bed early as often as possible •Learn strategies to cope better with stress •Taking time to meditate/relax/chill out •Ensure we are not overtraining •Perform resistance training •Reduce caffeine intake •Eat well Please be aware that this information does not constitute medical advice. If you are concerned about your hormonal health, please see a qualified medical professional.

7 MYTHS ABOUT WOMEN’S HEALTH OVER 40

There are so many myths circulating about women’s health over 40, it’s not surprising that women begin to feel anxious about menopause even before it’s started. The following information will hopefully dispel some of the many myths you may have already heard.

Myth 1: Bioidentical ‘natural’ hormones are better than traditional hormone therapy.

who get breast cancer have no family history or known genetic risk.

Fact: There is no evidence that bioidentical hormones are safer or more effective than other hormone therapy. Large research studies have not been conducted on bioidentical hormones, and the compounding pharmacies that prepare and distribute them are inadequately regulated. In the absence of data, women are probably best served by assuming that the potential harms of bioidentical hormones are similar to those of conventional hormones.

Myth 5: Unexpected pregnancies are concerns only for younger women.

Myth 2: You are a mess during menopause suffering from hot flushes, memory loss and depression - and the rest of your life is downhill. Fact: What an awful picture! In reality, for many women, the menopause transition involves relatively minor discomforts that do not require medical intervention or treatment. Even for women whose hot flushes or other discomforts are intense, the problems are generally temporary and there are often other options available for managing them. Similarly, the stereotype of all women losing their minds and falling into depression at menopause is simply inaccurate. Myth 3: Bone density predicts whether a woman will fracture a hip. Fact: Bone density is a factor in fracture risk, but not the only one. Age, medications and individual and family history of fractures are also factors. You can reduce your risk of fracturing a hip by getting enough calcium and vitamin D, exercising regularly, not smoking, having your vision checked and clearing your environment of fall hazards, such as scatter rugs. Myth 4: If no one else in a woman’s family has had breast cancer, she won’t get it either. Fact: A family history of breast cancer (particularly in more than one close relative, such as a mother or sister) does increase a woman’s chance of developing the disease. But between 70 and 80 percent of women

Fact: After teenagers, women in their 40s are the second largest group of women with unplanned pregnancies. Don’t relax just because your periods are few and far between. You can become pregnant until you have gone one full year without a period. Myth 6: Gaining weight and losing strength and energy are inevitable as we get older. Such changes are common, but not always inevitable. For many women, the main causes are decreased physical activity and poor eating habits. The solution is to introduce more healthy foods and snacks into your routine and find ways to get yourself moving, whether it’s using the stairs instead of the elevator or taking a dance class with a friend.

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.

While you may need to modify your activities as you grow older, studies have shown that strength can be maintained and perhaps increased at any age. If you exercise regularly, you will likely have more energy and sleep better too. Myth 7: Once you’re done having babies, you don’t need regular doctor visits. Fact: You need regular medical check-ups throughout your adult life. Don’t neglect your healthcare. You’ll need regular breast exams, Pap smears and pelvic and rectal exams. A doctor who knows your family history can also recommend lifesaving screenings at the right time. For example, if your mother had colon cancer at age 50, instead of recommending colonoscopy screenings between ages 50 and 55, your doctor will recommend them starting at age 40. Your doctor will also keep track of your blood pressure and weight, and provide wellness counseling. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

YUMMY FOR THEIR LITTLE TUMMY:

QUINOA FOR BABIES

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.

uinoa is commonly referred to as a grain but it is actually a seed. It is considered complete protein - all of the essential amino acids are represented and in correct proportions. 1/2 cup will fulfill a child’s daily protein needs.

Quinoa and Carrot Puree:

The health benefits of quinoa are well-documented - it’s a known source of protein, calcium, iron and fiber. Dieters like it because it doesn’t contain a lot of cholesterol like other protein-rich foods, which is also a consideration for babies. Moms will like it because it’s been shown to help prevent cases of constipation and excess bloating, aiding in your baby’s digestion and helping them to process all of their foods better. When you compare it to grains, there are several reasons why it makes more sense to feed your baby quinoa instead.

2. You’ll notice the quinoa opens, or releases a curl, changing its small, round shape. Once cooked, cover with a lid and let it sit for 10 minutes.

My baby started eating quinoa from the age of 7 months, but it is better to introduce it to your baby by the age of 8 to 9 months if they are slow in the solid food digesting process. Here is a recipe for a first time quinoa baby food:

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1. To prepare the quinoa, bring two cups of water to boil and then add one cup of dry quinoa. Allow to simmer over a medium heat until all the water has been absorbed, which takes about 10 minutes. Stir the quinoa often to keep it from clumping or burning.

3. While the quinoa is cooling, chop and measure the carrots and then steam until fork tender. 4. Measure and add one cup of the cooked quinoa to a blender. Add the steamed carrot. Cover the blender and pulse until the baby food comes together. You can also use a hand blender to puree. 5. If the blend is too thick, thin with additional water, formula, or breast milk. 6. For additional flavor, sprinkle with cinnamon, which is also helpful in soothing sore, teething gums! (6-10 months old) Bon Appetite!

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ORGANIC VEGETABLES AND FREE-RANGE CHILDREN

think it was just last year that I penned my ‘Rant & Rabbit’ comments across two or three issues of this magazine. It was a great opportunity to vent some of my thoughts, many of which were clearly shared by many other readers. Since then, my commentary has been held in check - but I can keep quiet no longer. So I’m once again opening the floodgates of my personal think-tank and offering you some random and diverse observations. Please feel free to dip in and share….

Organic Veggies I think we are all aware that organic food is food produced using environmentally and animal friendly farming methods on organic farms. As such, we believe that it must be healthier for us than the alternative produce grown in conditions where pesticides and other chemical treatments are used. My own experience is that organically farmed fruit and vegetables certainly

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are usually more full of flavour than their non-organic counterparts, but I’m not convinced that this warrants the significantly higher price charged at the cash registers. Given that the expensive use of chemicals have been withdrawn from the production process, I wonder how the high prices are justified?

Disabled Parking Spaces Sure, I have parked in ‘blue-badge’ parking spaces that are reserved for those in the community who are physically handicapped or less able-bodied, but I think I can safely say that I have never, ever, abused this valuable social facility. Truth is, I cannot lay any claim to a blue badge; but my mother, on the other hand, cannot walk long distances and was provided with her blue badge several years ago. Hence, when I take her out in my car, I am armed with her badge so I can park as close as possible to where she wants to go, and am using it with total validity. Even so, I still feel a pang of guilt when I get out of the car and people around can

see that I have full use of my limbs. Thus I fail to understand how so many people clearly feel it’s okay to brazenly steal the use of disabled parking spaces from those who so desperately need them.

Honking Taxi Drivers I’ve lost count of the number of times that taxi drivers have tooted their horns at me when I’m walking along the streets here in Kuwait. Not because they fancy me, of course (well, I should hope not) but because they are hoping to attract my attention and pick me up for their next fare. Even though I understand their intentions, it is nevertheless incredibly irritating – I really do not want taxis sounding their horns at me every hundred meters of a four kilometre exercise walk, or every few meters of a brief walk between offices in the city! If I am walking along the street it is because I have chosen to do so. If I want to ride in a taxi, then I will make my intentions clear and flag one down.

Driving & Texting Although I had this crazy belief that using a mobile phone whilst driving might be against the law, it seems instead that it has become the new national pastime here in Kuwait. Indeed, I have written about it on a number of previous occasions and, while not surprised that my words have fallen on deaf ears, I am nevertheless increasingly horrified by the number of drivers who so blatantly hold their mobiles in full view of others as they either text their friends or surf the internet instead of concentrating on the traffic around them. Is it any wonder there are so many road accidents as a result?

Lazy Traits If someone wants to be lazy, then I do not have a problem as long as it doesn’t affect others adversely. After all, I like to chill as much as the next man when I’m home alone - get up late; leisurely breakfast; general slobbingout around the house where nobody can see or judge me! But I do have a problem when someone’s thoughtless ways are thrust upon others. When my new neighbours installed a large cabinet outside their apartment in which to keep their shoes, I was encouraged to think that they would be tidy and respectful of the smart appearance of the building. So why, when they arrive home, do they leave their shoes strewn untidily in the corridor instead of taking a few seconds to put them neatly away in their cupboard? And why leave their garbage in bags on the floor instead of throwing them down the garbage chute just one meter across the corridor? Is it my fault that I’m a typical Virgo and like everything to be neat and tidy?

State of Road Surfaces I doubt that I’m the only one to wonder what is happening to all the roads around Kuwait at the moment, nor that I’m the only one who will need to buy a new windscreen for my car after suffering the harsh impact of a loose stone that shot in my direction from the tyres of another vehicle as it sped past me in the emergency lane! Slowly but surely, the weather damaged highways have been prepared for some major resurfacing works but, after several months, I have yet to witness any new surfaces being laid. Perhaps there is only one tarmac-spreader in the entire State?

Marathons and Fun Runs Some of my friends are accomplished Marathon runners. They have medals (and impressive finishing times) from Marathons in London, New York, Paris, Berlin, and many other capital cities across the world. I am immensely proud of their achievements and, indeed, have great respect for everyone who trains and competes in such events. Fun Runs are also inspiring events, giving encouragement and competition for athletes and others to enjoy running for glory at lesser distances. But I must admit that I have become a little confused over the past year or so. It seems to me that a lot of Marathon Runs have been held here in Kuwait over the past twelve months, but I’m wondering how many of these have been strictly the correct distance for a true Marathon – a full 42.195 kilometres, no less? If they have all been genuine Marathon distances, then holding so many in a relatively small country is a significant achievement. If not, then let’s see them re-named more appropriately and honestly as Fun Runs on future occasions. Whatever the distance, the participants deserve our respect and support, but it needs to be honest fun for all, too!

Windscreen Stickers As I write this, the National and Liberation Day celebrations are in full swing. I love to see flags lining streets, clothing buildings and flying from passing cars; the children having fun battles with their water guns (provided they’re not firing in my direction); the fireworks; and the overall patriotism and overwhelming sense of National Pride. Over the years I have become accustomed to such celebrations, a component of which is the enthusiasm of some to decorate the rear window of their cars with pictures of the most prominent Kuwaitis or the Kuwait Flag. But I become worried when such enthusiasm puts others in danger, and was horrified when I spotted a potentially lethal vehicle in the week prior to the celebratory days: not simply with bodywork resprayed in the national colours,

but with large stickers of His Highness the Amir adorning every window – side windows, rear window, and more scarily the front windscreen. I cannot believe that this would not impair the driver’s vision and therefore endanger the lives of anyone and everyone in his path. There’s really no need to go to such extremes. Let’s have fun, but please let’s all have fun safely.

TV Repeats Having been raised in an era where televisions were all black and white and there was a choice of just two channels, but with nothing broadcast during the day and closing with the National Anthem played before going offair as the nation prepared to go to bed, it’s a real treat to now have such a wide choice of programming for twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year. But with modern recording facilities to ensure that favourite broadcast does not have to be missed, I fail to understand why some channels repeat the same programmes several times a day, and on several days each week. Great scheduling creativity, huh?

Free-Range Children One of my biggest bug-bears in life has for a long time been children who misbehave and are allowed to run riot, often causing great annoyance to others in their vicinity! Of course, I cannot blame the children themselves, for it is the fault of parents and carers who give them free range to do whatever they want, and so often the children are misbehaving in an effort to claim some attention. Whilst such anti-social behaviour Is most irritating when dining in restaurants or trying to watch a movie in the cinema, it is also frustrating to witness young children who are unrestrained when in cars; their potential to distract the driver and cause an accident, and the risk of them suffering serious injuries in the event of an accident cannot be understated. But, by the same token, the influence of good parenting can bring out the best in offspring. As an example, there’s a family on the 9th floor of my building whose children are proof that the next generation has many good things to offer. They are polite, well-mannered and well-behaved, and I’m sure a great source of pride to their parents. They generously toured the building with packages of sweets during Ramadan last year, and recently I was the recipient of some gifts to assist in my celebration of Kuwait’s special days, which made me feel extra welcome in their home country. I shall not embarrass them by naming in print but, if you’re reading this, then you know who you are and I pass on my sincere thanks. Always good to conclude my ramblings on a positive note. Enough said? CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word ‘French’? Is it the seductive harmony of the beautiful French language? Or maybe the sparkling azure waters of the Côte d'Azur? More than likely, it’s a crispy French stick topped with creamy white brie! But there’s more to French food than the French stick. French cuisine has a reputation for being amongst the best in the world. And who are we to argue? Many of the world’s most influential chefs are, or have been, French; and the coveted Michelin Guide with its treasured Michelin stars, originated in France. So what better way to honour this palatable favourite than the Goût de France? This celebration of French gastronomy takes place in various locations across the globe, treating diners to a unique experience that is typically French. But remember, it’s not just about eating; it’s about sharing. French cuisine traditionally combines high quality, flavorful ingredients with a flair for innovation; with the resulting dishes being shared and enjoyed over time. The French do not believe in hurrying their food. It should be relished and savoured; treated as an occasion not just a meal. So, on 21st March, for the second consecutive year, the Goût de France will invite over 1500 chefs to take part in this unique culinary event. The event aims to ‘carry the colours of French cuisine with pride’ as well as promoting French tourism. French Embassies the world over will be actively supporting this year’s ‘Good France’. H.E. Christian Nakhle, French Ambassador to Kuwait, is once again involved in this culinary celebration and is looking forward to witnessing the ‘savoir faire’ of Kuwait’s creative participants. In an exclusive interview, His Excellency told us exactly what we can expect from this exceptional event. We also hear from the four talented chefs selected to take part. Gill Sherry

Twitter @Good_France @laurentfabius @francekoweit Instagram @Good_France @francekoweit @laurentfabius Hashtags #laurentfabius #GoodFrance

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GOOD FRANCE/GOÛTDEFRANCE

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Good France/Goût De France:

An Exclusive Interview with H. E. Mr. Christian Nakhlé The Ambassador of France to Kuwait What is Good France/Goût de France? Gastronomy is part of France’s heritage and our identity, as was demonstrated by UNESCO in 2010 when it incorporated the ‘French gastronomic meal’ into the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Gastronomy contributes significantly to our country’s image abroad and to our attractiveness, with almost a third of foreign tourist visitors saying that our food was one of the main reasons of their visit to France. In that spirit, on 21 March we invite everyone to the gastronomic journey that is Good France/Goût de France. All around the world, 1,500 restaurants will offer a dinner to celebrate France’s gastronomy by inviting the public to share a typical ‘French Dinner. Good France/ Goût de France was initiated by the Former French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Mr. Laurent Fabius, and organized now by Mr. Jean-Marc Ayrault, and the worldwide renowned French Chef Mr Alain Ducasse. Both of them found the inspiration in the ‘epicurean dinner’ of Auguste Escoffier to craft Good France/Goût de France. Auguste Escoffier was a French chef and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. He is a legendary figure among chefs and gourmets, and was one of the most important leaders in the development of modern French cuisine. In 1912, Auguste Escoffier launched the same menu, the same day, in several cities of the world. Good France/Goût de France is echoing that charming idea.

What was the outcome of the first edition of 2015? The first edition was a great success. Over 100,000 guests enjoyed a French dinner in over 1,300 restaurants and 150 embassies around the world. The French embassies abroad hosted some 5,000 guests in their residences throughout the world. In total, 1,500 Goût de France/ Good France meals were served that evening, highlighting the chefs’ creativity and the pleasure of sharing French food all around the world. People showed great enthusiasm and were delighted to taste a bit of the French culinary tradition. On 21 March, we will be wishing the whole world bon appétit! The fact that we are able, for the second year running, to organize the Goût de France/Good France event, is largely down to the initiative getting through to the widest public, across borders and cultures. Last year in Kuwait, it was also a real success. The young chef Faisal Al Nashni participated for the first time in this event.

What results are you expecting from Good France? The core aim of the Goût de France/Good France event is to unite chefs from all horizons and from around the world on the same evening, with one shared goal: celebrating the excellence and creativity of French gastronomy. We called upon chefs around the world who see themselves as working in the French culinary tradition, and they have committed to this event. We called upon all connoisseurs of great food – and they answered our call. Better still, this second edition of the event will count even more countries and participating restaurants. That is the great success of this initiative, proving that French cuisine is borne

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by a powerful dynamic, because it speaks a language of generosity and humanism. The world needs this appetite for happiness.

Who will be on the invitees list from Kuwait for the Good France event? Good France/Goût de France is a unique opportunity to enjoy and share the taste of France. The invitation is opened to all Kuwaitis, people living in Kuwait, to all the lovers of food, of creativity and to those who want to awaken their taste buds. This gastronomic experience is a perfect illustration of two important specificities of the French Culture: promoting local specialties and openness to the world. Everybody is more than welcome to enjoy a French menu in one of the participating restaurants. Indeed, all around the world, anyone can find participating restaurants in their country. Many chefs have already posted their menu on the Good France website (www.goodfrance.com) to enable everyone to imagine the dinner they will savour on 21 March.

How many Chefs from Kuwait applied for this event and how are they selected? The Embassy of France in Kuwait organized a large campaign of communication to promote this event and to invite all the Kuwaiti chefs to share this culinary experience. We started promoting this event in newspapers and also by publishing articles on our official website www.ambafrance-kw.fr and on our Twitter and Instagram accounts @ francekoweit. It’s wonderful to see that this year we count 4 Kuwaiti chefs for GoodFrance/GoûtdeFrance: Chef Maryam Al Qatami, Chef Zeyad Al Obaid, Chef Ahmad Al Attar and Chef Faisal Al Nashmi. It is an international selection committee of chefs that approved the list of participating chefs. The chefs on the committee assessed the coherence and quality of the menus proposed by the restaurants that have signed up in their respective geographic areas. Chaired by Alain Ducasse, it includes some 15 chefs from around the world, including Paul Bocuse, Guy Savoy, Joël Robuchon, Thierry Marx, Stéphanie Le Quellec, Michel Roth (Bayview/Switzerland), Genaro Esposito (Tore de Saracino/Italy), Claude Troisgros (Olympe/ Brazil), Kiyomi Mikuni (Mikuni/Japan), Mohamed Zai (Kenzi/ Morocco), Raymond Blanc (Great Milton/United Kingdom).

Any special travel tips for our readers? Today, French food is one of the main reasons that tourists give for choosing France as a destination (one third of all trips) and it plays a large part in France’s cultural influence worldwide. When you travel to France we invite you to step out of Paris and travel to the other parts of the country, because France being a rural country each and every region has its own unique food and flavor. Discover the delicious ‘crêpes’ of Britany, the ‘tarte tropézienne’ from Provence, the ‘Chantilly whipped cream’ from the city of Chantilly and many more.

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Chef Maryam Al Qatami Please introduce yourself to our readers. I am Maryam Al Qatami. I grew up in a close knit family, and just like any other family, food was always the key element that brought us all together.

How long have you been cooking professionally? My mother always had a profound passion for cooking. When she first started Caramel 15 years ago, I didn’t enjoy cooking at all. It wasn’t until 5 years later that I really got into it.

Where did you train to cook? I had mixed education between my mom’s kitchen, a stack of cooking and math (believe it or not) books, and the internet!

How would you describe your style of cooking? Whimsical, homey and a little unexpected.

Do you have a ‘signature dish’ or favourite dish you enjoy cooking? At the bakery, our signature dish is my mother’s Pumpkin Cake. I personally enjoy making sandwiches from scratch; the bread the sauce and everything in between.

Do you have a favourite ingredient? Chilli!

Which restaurant do you most enjoy eating at on your night off? Kei and I enjoy trying random sandwich places that I find along the way.

If you could cook a meal for anyone, who would it be and what would you cook? Michael Jackson! I always thought we would make good friends! But growing up I always pictured myself cooking for my family and friends and having my own little sandwich place.

What misconceptions do people have about Kuwaiti chefs and how would you like to change that? That they all fry their food, base it with mayonnaise, and use a pre-

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mixed base for their desserts and fillings. I’d change that by continuing to make my cakes from scratch, fresh every day, regardless of how much time and effort it takes.

What don't people know about you that you wish they did? I'm not so good when it comes to talking about myself. Some might not see this but I’m a really shy person!

What’s the modern kitchen gadget you couldn’t live without? I don’t have any fancy gadgets in my kitchen; an oven, a cake mixer and a pan does the job!

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? Cow knee cartilage (it was an accident I assure you!).

Any advice you would give to someone wanting to become a chef? You don’t need to go to culinary school to become a chef, but you need passion and a lot of hard work to get where you want.

How do you feel being selected to participate in the GoutdeFrance this year? I’m honored and humbled to be part of such an amazing team and to take part in this event alongside all these talented chefs. I hope I’m up to the task!

What are some of the preparations that you are doing for GoutdeFrance? Reading a lot of books; but mostly making an even bigger mess in my kitchen! Shout-out to Tariq and Amna my younger siblings for staying up and tasting everything I made.

Do you personally like French cuisine? What are some of your favourite dishes? I’m a fan of French pastries; Tarte tropézienne and creme brulee are a guilty pleasure of mine.

What will be the price for the meal? It’s a private event so price is not relevant!

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Chef Ahmed Al Attar Please introduce yourself to our readers. I am the self-proprietor of @HickoryKuwait, a small food consulting house. I currently work for myself and share what little I know.

How long have you been cooking professionally? 3 years.

Where did you train to cook? I started in Lenotre under the very best Chefs in Kuwait and gradually established myself.

That they all are chefs - some give themselves titles the second they flip burgers at home! You can’t jump into kitchen titles overnight! The food industry is GIGANTIC here; people open restaurants like peanuts! We need Kuwaiti’s in professional kitchens though. We lost our ‘Kuwaiti’ identity to burgers and buffalo shrimps. Remember, restaurants worldwide reflect societies to tourists.

What don't people know about you that you wish they did? There’s nothing I can think of. Maybe that I am a vegetarian three days a week, white carnivore three days, and a red carnivore once a week. I come home to veggie dishes my family makes without asking - they got the hang of it!

How would you describe your style of cooking? I am very fond of nomadic cooking. I try to find time and ways to use natural resources and fuels to cook food. Then I pair nomadic food with modern plating. Hence, old meets new.

Do you have a ‘signature dish’ or favourite dish you enjoy cooking? Braised ‘pulled’ goat shoulder. Oh my!

Do you have a favourite ingredient? I enjoy foods that keep you anticipated until the very last moment - like roasting a goat underground in the backyard. You leave it to Mother Nature and faith. You can’t see through the ground and tell the wellness of the meat. Once the ingredient is dug out, it’s make it or break it!

Which restaurant do you most enjoy eating at on your night off? There’s something I love about Kabab Stands! Fat droplets - tongue sizzling - thunder quick - and very delicious!

If you could cook a meal for anyone, who would it be and what would you cook? That would be my fiancée. I love making her pizza in my wood-fired oven. I’m no baker but I try making it the Neapolitan way. That buffalo cheese though! Tearing it into chunks, melting, kissing those wooden log flames! Total heartache - I mean ooh-la-la!

What misconceptions do people have about Kuwaiti chefs and how would you like to change that?

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What’s the modern kitchen gadget you couldn’t live without? Processor.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? Filipino food. Sorry!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become a chef? Work under someone great!

How do you feel being selected to participate in the GoutdeFrance this year? Blessed.

What preparations are you doing for GoutdeFrance? Sketching dishes. Brainstorming. Browsing French food.

Do you personally like the French cuisine? What are some of your favourite dishes? I love the French for their craftsmanship in this industry. I believe I saw the President of France address a culinary event in front of a few chefs. It seemed like an annual ceremony. So what does this tell you about the respect chefs gain?

What will be the price for the meal? I would say 7KD is the price for a dish that is very top-notch.

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Chef Zeyad Alobaid Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi, my name is Zeyad Alobaid. I am executive chef and co-owner of Fogoda Restaurant in Kuwait City.

What don't people know about you that you wish they did? I’m an open book. I can also tell you that I once burned a kitchen down - but no major thing!

How long have you been cooking professionally? I’ve been in this industry since 2003 but started professionally from 2008 onwards.

What’s the modern kitchen gadget you couldn’t live without? Sous-vide.

Where did you train to cook? Well, at first I was working part time with Loyac. Later on I started working at Radisson Blu and trained there. In 2003 I got my culinary degree from Florida Culinary Institute.

How would you describe your style of cooking? My style is to bring out all the flavours in one bite.

Do you have a ‘signature dish’ or favourite dish you enjoy cooking? I don’t have a favourite but I enjoy cooking a lot of meals including steaks and grilling.

Do you have a favourite ingredient?

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? A fruit bug!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become a chef? You have to understand that it’s not easy to be a chef and it does not happen overnight. You will be cooking under pressure and delivering food in the kitchen for 15 to 20 hours a day; but at the end of the shift if you are happy with what you did and you keep pushing yourself to be more productive, you learn a lot. It’s a long way from being a line cook to a qualified chef but if you want a challenge every day go for it - it’s fun!

Cinnamon.

How do you feel being selected to participate in the GoutdeFrance this year?

Which restaurant do you most enjoy eating at on your night off?

Happy and excited.

It is impossible to name only one!

What preparations are you making for GoutdeFrance? Well, I have a lot of prep to do but I will make it a surprise.

If you could cook a meal for anyone, who would it be and what would you cook? I would cook for Chef Thomas Keller and I would cook a Kuwaiti dish.

Do you personally like the French cuisine? What are some of your favourite dishes?

What misconceptions do people have about Kuwaiti chefs and how would you like to change that?

I love it - it’s the base of the most modern kitchens and cooking. I won’t say it’s my favourite but what I like to eat every time I visit France is Moules Marinières.

First of all, some people in Kuwait think about chefs as they see them on the screen (TV and social media). It’s not a true portrayal since it’s a very hard profession and you need to be updated with the world on what’s going on.

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What will be the price for the meal? 35.500 KD

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WHY THE TWITCH?

Natalie Rose Choonoo Natalie is an optometrist and contact lens specialist at International Optique. She has a Bachelor of Optometry from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal South Africa. For more information contact International Optique. Tel: 25714007 – 97234753, www. intoptic.com – info@intoptic.com, Instagram: @intoptique

MARCH, 2016

n eyelid twitch has driven many of us to the brink of insanity. This little repetitive and uncontrollable beating of the eyelid occurs suddenly, becoming a nuisance at every blink. Eyelid twitches, spasms and tics are common. A twitch can last from a few minutes to several weeks. The solution to this feeling of ‘twitch crazy' is to determine what is causing this sensation. Here are some daily culprits which could be causing that twitch:

needs to be discussed with your family doctor, who can further advise you as to your nutritional needs. Allergies: Eye allergies are usually associated with itchy, watery and swollen eyes. When your eyes are rubbed, this releases Histamine into the lid tissues and tears. This is significant, as Histamine is responsible for eyelid twitching. Talk to your doctor about antihistamine drops to assist with the above.

Stress: When exposed to stress, the body can respond in a variety of ways. Some of us develop a rash, some of us pile on extra kilos and some of us react through the eyes in the form of an eye twitch. The eye twitch is directly related to the amount of visual strain you are experiencing as well. In short, reduce the stress, to reduce the twitch. Fatigue: A lack of sleep due to stress or other reasons can cause twitching. Catch up on your rest or sleep to put those eyelid muscles at ease. Eye strain: This can occur if you need spectacles or a change of spectacle prescription. Your eyes could be working too hard, triggering the twitching. Caffeine and alcohol: This is thought to be a common trigger. If your intake of these beverages has increased, then perhaps a decrease in consumption should be considered to alleviate symptoms. Nutritional imbalances: A lack of magnesium has been associated with eyelid twitching. However, this

It must also be noted that eye twitching cannot always be related to the above irritants. It can also signal a neurological disorder when: • the twitching lasts for more than one week. • the twitching completely closes the eyelid. • the facial muscles are involved. • the eyelids appear to be droopy. • there is red and swollen eyes associated with the twitch. In most cases these eyelid twitches disappear on their own without you even noticing it. It is important to eliminate the possible causes like alcohol, caffeine and stress to feel a difference. Artificial tears are a viable option to treat dry eyes, thereby providing a lubricant for the conjunctiva and cornea surface and some associated relief. In very rare cases, severe eyelid twitches are treated with Botox.

Choose the best

- Sharq

22409341

- Kuwait City

- Sharq

- Fahaheel International intoptique Optique

Douglas Leandro and Iman Metwally share a passion for health and fitness. Together with CityPages, the husband and wife team aim to share this passion and to help the people of Kuwait lead not just a healthy lifestyle, but a happy one too. This March issue introduces you to the couple who are determined to make a difference. Stay tuned to learn more about this enthusiastic duo dedicated to helping others get to exactly where they want to be.

Please introduce yourselves to our readers. IMAN: My name is Iman Metwally. I am the Group Fitness Manager at Al Corniche Club and I am a Reebok sponsored athlete. Most importantly I am a wife and mother of two amazing boys, Yahia 6 years and Noah 8 months. I am also a dedicated female who loves to help others. DOUGLAS: My name is Douglas Leandro. I am the PT Manager from Al Corniche Club and Fuel Super Foods Consultations Manager. I also do Online Lifestyle Coaching. If you had to define all that you do in a title, what would you say? IMAN: LIFESTYLE COACH. I guide and help people to reach where they want to be. DOUGLAS: I change people's lives. What got you interested in personal training? IMAN: I came from a sportive family. When I was young, everything we did included sport. Our lives involved moving and getting people moving all the time. My father was a tennis coach and he was my biggest motivation and inspiration when it came to how to live life ‘right’. I started as a professional tennis player and became a tennis coach. When I came to Kuwait 9 years ago I got interested in learning more and sharing my knowledge. This is when I started my Personal Trainer non-stop journey. DOUGLAS: Probably my background. I started very young on football, and shifted quickly to Physical Education. During university I developed

MARCH, 2016

the passion of training people, and started to figure out how much I could help people with the tools I had learned. What are some of your credentials/certifications? IMAN: *CHEK Exercise Coach, specialized in core and back exercises, in addition to posture and corrective exercises and post and prenatal exercises. * ISSA personal trainer certified. *Olympic lifting trainer. *LES Mills Middle-East Trainer and Presenter. DOUGLAS: Let’s mention only the most important ones: Bachelor in Sports Science Masters on High Performance Athlete Development PICP Level 2 Biosignature Practitioner Level 2 Also, internships with some of the top Strength, Conditioning and Functional Doctors around the globe. How did you get started creating your passion into the profession you have today? IMAN: As I mentioned before, I started moving at a very young age and I understood how it is vital to live a healthy lifestyle. I admire people who change from bad habits to good, positive ones. Seeing all these changes is what keeps me going and satisfies me. My very first client here in Kuwait was a female who had issues with her back and joints. I decided to go through my CHEK Exercise Coach certificate to help people who might have the same issues. From there, I got interested in fixing people’s lives and bodies.

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DOUGLAS: The curiosity was always there, but I believe it started to become a passion when I began to see results on my first clients. I was around 19 at the time and people were always looking for experienced coaches – until they figured out that the young boy was doing something different and it was working! How would you describe your philosophy about being fit and healthy? IMAN: A healthy lifestyle can be understood wrong these days. Some people think of it as going on a very strict diet and getting stressed about what they eat, or their weight loss and gain. My philosophy is to guide my clients to a healthy lifestyle when workout becomes a routine; and for the benefit of being healthy and being able to move longer in life - it’s not about stressing about intangible things like weight and extra fats. DOUGLAS: I believe my philosophy is a constant mutation. In the past, during university and my first years in the industry, I was very much Holistic and Zen and doing plenty of ‘functional’ exercises. With time and knowledge I figured out that I was wasting time on trying things that hardly work, and that weren’t as functional as I thought. After my Masters I become much more goal oriented and trained people for performance (I trained a few athletes back home including footballers, swimmers and volleyball players – and pilots). Nowadays I create my own path, where my style is a combination of functional, body composition and athletic performance. You guys will learn more about me during the coming months. How many clients do you see in a typical day? IMAN: Well in 1 hour I can see up to 10 clients as I do group PT as well as my PT. On average I work up to 4 hours a day for PT. Besides that, there’s our on-line coaching and my management work. DOUGLAS: I used to see around 8 to 10 clients a day, but for the last two years I have been reducing my numbers; nowadays I see around 4 to 5, focusing on quality much more in each case. I’m trying to deliver the best service for the ones who I train or coach. Who or what gives you the most inspiration? IMAN: As I mentioned before, my father was my inspiration from a young age. Douglas, my husband, always inspires me and keeps me on my toes when it comes to work. He is a very hard worker and he loves what he does; that pushes me more to keep up with him and his passion in the fitness industry. When it comes to ‘what’, I would say seeing results in my clients and seeing them changing their lifestyle are what inspire me to keep going.

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DOUGLAS: My family gives me inspiration. Sometimes when you are down you need to look to the ones who really matter to get you up again. I find that inspiration inside my house with my wife and my little boys. What is your favourite piece of equipment? IMAN: I believe you make your body your own machine .Therefore my body is my favourite equipment! DOUGLAS: Actually I don’t have a favourite one. I have a favourite exercise though, that is the Front Squat. So maybe my favourite piece of equipment is the Hack Squat. How do your technique and workouts differ from other workouts out there what makes them so effective? IMAN: My Holistic approach is what makes me different. I focus on every individual, even in my group PT, and I reach to each person in their own way and according to their own goals. I change people’s focus from being worried about their bodies to enjoying it and thinking of the big picture of being healthy. Being healthy doesn't mean only being thin or having a toned shaped body. Being healthy comes first from a healthy mind and thinking. DOUGLAS: As I said before, it’s all about the mix of techniques and the sensibility to understand the case I have in front of me. The workout that was successful with ‘Ahmed’ won't be as effective for ‘Mohammed’ because every single person has a different background and genetic chain. The body will respond differently to the stimulus and we should respect biological individuality. Douglas, What do you think is the biggest issue facing people who hire personal trainers today? There are two main issues: 1 – The client who is hiring a Personal Trainer - they don’t know what they really want from a Personal Trainer. The worse thing is when you pay for a service but actually don’t know what to expect. 2- People don't know how to judge a professional Personal Trainer or Coach – they can’t differentiate from a guy/girl who just counts repetitions and copies and pastes their workouts from YouTube channels . And what do you think is the biggest problem that today’s personal trainers face? DOUGLAS: The good ones? Their issue is to not be respected and just be considered as someone who will give an exercise and count

repetitions and rest periods. So for me, it is the lack of respect. For the bad ones - they have no issues; they are in a winning situation already. Do you have any tips or tricks to living healthy, lean and fit? IMAN: A few of my many tips would be: Think positive. Eat and train smart. Sleep well and worry less. DOUGLAS: Yes of course! 1- Stick with the basics. People try to make it fancy. Keep it simple. 2- Be active. Your body is your machine; if you don’t move it will get rusty. 3- Drink water. A car can't move without fuel; it’s the same with your body. 4- Sleep early. Make your day longer by getting your deserved rest. 5- Follow the coming articles from Douglas and Iman. You will get lean with our easy and simple ways to get in shape for the summer. What makes you laugh, smile and be joyful? IMAN: Definitely my boys - they are the joy of our lives. DOUGLAS: Being surrounded by family and friends. Iman, how do you think being a woman in the fitness industry makes your experience different from being a male trainer? Being a female trainer, and especially a mom, gave me a huge advantage as my knowledge is supported by experience. Not only do I know what females are going through, I also understand it - especially before and after pregnancy. How do you unwind after a long days work? IMAN: I love to spend time with my family. I also love to have ‘quiet time’ - and definitely massage helps a lot after a busy long week. DOUGLAS: Food! I love to eat. I can't trust someone who doesn’t like food! Also, family time (they make me workout double!) and watching TV (because I’m only human!). So where can everyone keep up with you to learn more? IMAN: I will be providing all CityPages readers with awesome and beneficial articles every month along with workout programs. Also, you can reach me through Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat: Iman Metwally DOUGLAS: You can check my blog (we are updating but you can still check the articles):

https://dodoleandro.wordpress.com And also:

Supper: Eggs, cheese. Snacks or sweets: Nuts and dates, and

sometimes crackers.

Instagram: douglasleandroq8

Favourite beverage: Watermelon juice.

Snapchat: dodoleandroq8

DOUGLAS:

Email:douglasleandroq8@fuelsuperfoods. com

First thing upon waking: Coffee with coconut

Douglasleandro85@hotmail.com

celery, spinach or kale, broccoli (boiled), turmeric, ginger, lemon juice, spirulina and half a green apple. Omelette with 5 eggs: Sweat potato and bacon. Lunch: Any kind of animal protein, vegetables, rice and some fish oils. Supper: Protein shake and peanut butter. Snacks or sweets: Green juice or Greek yogurt. Favourite beverage: Water.

Fueling your body from workouts and living lean takes work, what are your typical daily meals? IMAN:

First thing upon waking: Water. Morning: Eggs, turkey. Lunch: Protein and salad and rice.

butter.

Morning: Green juice (Dougâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s green juice:

Your message for us at CityPages magazine: IMAN: I am very glad we are starting to work together. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to this new step and am sure we will do great work together. CityPages and your many years experience in the Kuwait market, Douglas and myself and our worldwide experience in the fitness industry for more than ten years, will give our readers the best experience I am sure. Can't wait to #fiturlife. DOUGLAS: First of all I am glad I will be able to share my passion and experience with all of you. I can't wait to actually start to write and help you out with nutrition, lifestyle changes and exercises programs. You can have high expectations from us. Big hug and see you in April. Are you ready for the summer? CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

by: Melody Mackintosh @MelodyMackintosh

melodymackintoshblog.wordpress.com

EXERCISING VANITY C

orrect me if I’m wrong, but I thought the whole idea of going to the gym was to keep fit. It allows you to reach, maintain and improve your physical fitness. Depending on your personal goal, it can enhance your stamina, your overall well-being or your actual physique – perhaps all three. The mirrors are there so you can see your technique and if necessary, improve it. They may help to identify a flaw in your running gait or a weakness in your weightlifting style. They are NOT there so you can blow kisses at yourself and flex your muscles to an imaginary audience. The testosterone level in some gyms is so high you practically have to jump over it. Men rarely take their eyes from the mirror as they admire their biceps, run their fingers through their hair and add another five kilos to the weight bench. They strut around with their mobile phone in their pocket; one eye on the mirror, the other on MTV. Credit where it’s due, some of them must work hard to achieve the physique they blatantly flaunt (along with their egos). Having said that, if they spent less time looking in the mirror they might actually notice that the gym includes equipment for legs as well as arms. But it’s not just the men who use the gym as a parade ring; the ladies are equally guilty. After an hour in the gym, I’m usually red in the face, sweating profusely, my hair resembling that from a 1980s girl band. On the other hand, my female gym companions look like they’ve just stepped off the catwalk. Their makeup (yes, makeup!) is still immaculate, their florescent Lycra gym wear bears no trace of sweat, their hair is still salon perfect and they smell like the Prada counter in Harvey Nichols. It took me a while to realize that it’s not me who should feel inadequate, but them. The swimming pool is no escape from these keep fit imposters. How

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can they say they’ve been swimming when their hair isn’t even wet and their makeup (yes, makeup!) isn’t even smudged? Not only that, but they barely move from their position in the shallow end of the pool, other than to sashay over to the Jacuzzi, pausing in front of the mirror on the way. It’s a similar scenario in the exercise classes. I was never what you would call ‘teacher’s pet’ but would always be respectful in a classroom environment and listen when someone was addressing the room. The same can’t be said for certain individuals who choose to hold their own conversation, ignore the instructions being provided and in one case, even answer their mobile phone. Why someone would take a phone into an exercise class is beyond me – surely you can live without it for an hour! Not only that, but why pay for the privilege of an instructor if you have no intention of listening to them? Their disrespectful behaviour extends to the changing rooms where, despite the signs on the walls forbidding the use of mobile phones, they take selfies of themselves both pre and post exercise (obviously, I use the term ‘exercise’ loosely). Naturally, such selfies are taken in front of the mirror and sadly, with total disregard for other gym members. I’m sure it will catch up with them in later life, when despite regular trips to the gym or swimming pool, they’re piling on weight and having to take the lift instead of the stairs. I bet they won’t be so keen to look in the mirror then! In the meantime, they seem content to use the facilities as an excuse to show off their latest designer gym or swimwear and watch the latest racy vides on MTV. One of these days they’ll be watching a cover version of Carly Simon’s 1972 hit, You’re So Vain. How very appropriate.

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

Work

Love Yourself

Stressed Out

My House (EP)

Sorry

Pillowtalk

Rihanna & Drake

Justin Bieber & Jaden Smith

Twenty One Pilots

Flo Rida

Justin Bieber

Zayn

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

Roses

Chainsmokers & Rozes

Cake By The Ocean DNCE

Me, Myself & I

7 Years

Hello

Summer Sixteen

G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha

Lukas Graham

Adele

Drake

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

Same Old Love

Here

Selena Gomez

Alessia Cara

Downtown

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

I Took A Pill In Ibiza

Hands To Myself

Focus

Mike Posner

Selena Gomez

Ariana Grande

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

No Role Modelz J. Cole

Hit The Quan iLoveMemphis

Uptown Funk!

Oui

Hotline Bling

Down In The DM

Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars

Jeremih

Drake

Yo Gotti

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

679

All Eyes On You

Fetty Wap & Remy Boyz

Meek Mill, Chris Brown & Nicki Minaj

Stitches

Shawn Mendes

Exchange Bryson Tiller

Back To Sleep Chris Brown

Locked Away

R. City & Adam Levine

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

FATMA

ALQADEERI

The Marketing and PR Specialist who believes the sky is her limit.

Fatma Alqadeeri believes the best way to avoid failure is to know what you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want. Excellent advice from the woman who balances a successful career with the demands of motherhood.

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CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

PHOTOGRAPHER: Hamad Al-Ainati - @7mdphotography

Please introduce yourself to our readers. My name is Fatma Alqadeeri. I am a social media influencer and Marketing and PR specialist. To me, I feel I have two full time jobs - taking care of my two sons, and my work as a freelancer. In between, I work out, work out and work out! Tell us about your education. I hold a bachelor degree in mass communications, graduated from Kuwait University 2006. Media nowadays is much different than when I studied it back then! But of course I have the basic information, history and the main communication theories. So I have been keeping my mind updated by completing many courses in marketing, social media and public relations. Tell us about your career journey. The funny thing that everyone in college used to tell me was that I'm a ‘studyholic’ and ‘workaholic’ at the same time. I was always eager to get more information and study more about media. I was very curious about this world and how the power of words and pictures can change opinions and how it can change a nation’s ideology, principles and thoughts. So I started working with the university newspaper as a journalist, and at a local magazine at the same time. After I graduated, I worked in one of the leading banks in Kuwait as a relationship officer. At the age of 27, my dreams came true when I started a whole new department (customer service) from scratch at one of the leading automotive companies in the country and being the head of it. I ended up managing three departments at the same time. When I had my first baby, I resigned and started to focus on raising him instead. Since then I've been my own boss as a freelancer and have many deals with big companies and new businesses, Alhimdellah.

Tell us more about your children. I have two children, the eldest is Yaqoub but we always call him Goubi. It’s funny that some of my followers and fans keep call me ‘Om Goubi’. Five months ago I gave birth to Abdullwahab. We named him after our role model (my father). Yaqoub and Wahab are the whole world to me. How did you feel the first time you found out you would be a mom? To be honest it was a terrifying feeling to be responsible for a tiny human being; to carry him inside your tummy for 9 months, to change your lifestyle including what you eat because everything that you do or eat has an effect on him. I remembered that I cried out my fears and happiness at the same time. What is one thing you learned from your mom that helped you in your motherhood? My mother has a strong personality; no matter what, you will never see her weak or crying. So I learned that whatever I'm facing in my life, I can beat it, I can survive it and I can get over it. How do you manage your time? How do you balance being a working woman and a mother? To be honest, sometimes I can keep things under control and sometimes I can't. Being a mom means the children always come first. I'm still learning how to schedule my day and my life; as they are growing up it's becoming harder and harder. But Alhimdellah, I've never let my personal life affect my work. I remember that last October I went to a business meeting and signed a new deal, only a week after my delivery.

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CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

PHOTOGRAPHER: Hamad Al-Ainati - @7mdphotography

What is your biggest strength? My husband's support. What is the most challenging about being a mother? How do you stay motivated during challenging times? The most challenging thing is always running out of time, and of course, the lack of sleep. It’s a challenge when the next day comes and I have to perform with full power. Every mother chastises herself every night that she could do better! Sometimes I can’t even remember when I last had a manicure or had a massage! What motivates me the most during challenging times is when my children smile or laugh; I picture in my mind when they grow up to be the best of the best. How does it feel watching your children grow up? No words can explain how it feels. What do you to relax? Recently, I somehow manage one hour for myself every day to go to the gym to work out. What relaxes me the most is boxing! What has been your proudest moment so far? I know that everybody who reads this will laugh, but my proudest moment was when Yaqoub graduated from nursery. I literally pictured him in my mind graduating from Harvard! What is your biggest fear? I put my fears in a box and buried it in my back yard! I always keep three things in my mind dream big, fear nothing, and achieve more. What is your favourite quote? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Name one item in life you can’t do without? Without a second thought, my phone. If my life is a studio then my phone is the control room. In your opinion, what are the three keys to success? 1-Discover your ‘1’ thing. 2-Align your ‘being’ and ‘doing’. 3-Figure out what you don't want - this will keep you away from failure. What is next for you? What would you still like to achieve? The sky is my limit. I always urge myself to keep upgrading my goals in life and career. The dream remaining is to start my own company in Marketing and Public Relations.

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What would you say to first time mothers? To get educated in how to raise your children. Do not depend only on what you learned from your mother and grandmothers. Enjoy every moment of this journey. What advice would you give to young women starting out in their career? Push your limits and invest your time for your future. The time that you have now without any responsibility, will get less and less with time.

PHOTOGRAPHER: Hamad Al-Ainati - @7mdphotography

Your message for us at CityPages magazine: Thank you so much for this amazing interview, you really dug deep in my mind with your questions. Keep up the awesome pages!

CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

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MARCH Movie Releases BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE STORYLINE: From director Zack Snyder comes Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, starring Oscar winner Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent in the characters’ first big-screen pairing. Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

DIRECTOR: Zack Snyder CAST: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot GENRES: Action, Adventure, 3D, Sequel, Superhero

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 STORYLINE: The film reveals a Portokalos

family secret that will bring the beloved characters back together for an even bigger and Greeker wedding.

DIRECTOR: Kirk Jones GENRES: Comedy, Romance, Sequel CAST: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin, Ian Gomez

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10 CLOVERFIELD LANE STORYLINE: Waking up from a car accident, a young woman finds herself in the basement of a man who says he's saved her life from a chemical attack that has left the outside uninhabitable.

DIRECTOR: Dan Trachtenberg CAST: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr., Maya Erskine, Bradley Cooper GENRES: Drama, Thriller, Spin-off

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR

THE PREPPIE CONNECTION WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT KNIGHT OF CUPS

STORYLINE: A family lives an idyllic STORYLINE: A working class prodigy STORYLINE: After arriving in the STORYLINE: existence abroad until a tragic accident takes the life of their young son. The inconsolable mother learns of an ancient ritual that will bring him back to say a final goodbye. She travels to an ancient temple, where a door serves as a mysterious portal between two worlds. But when she disobeys a sacred warning to never open that door, she upsets the balance between life and death.

(Thomas Mann) steps into the elite corridors of a prep school in his hometown and learns that the path into the world of “Preppies” is to supply them with cocaine. He uses his connections and fearlessness to impress his new friends, but finds that accessing the world of privilege comes at a steep cost.

Follows Rick, an Middle East region in 2002, a woman uninspired screenwriter living on works as a journalist in Afghanistan the event horizon of all the vice, and and Pakistan. some of the virtues, Los Angeles has to offer. He is a slave to the Hollywood system; addicted to success but simultaneously despairing at the emptiness of his life. With the death of his brother Billy hanging over him like a shadow and his surviving brother down on his luck, Rick seeks distraction in the company of women.

DIRECTOR: Johannes Roberts CAST: Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto,

DIRECTOR: Joseph Castelo CAST: Lucy Fry, Thomas Mann, Sam Page,

DIRECTOR: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa CAST: Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Nikolaj

DIRECTOR: Terrence Malick CAST: Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman,

THE LITTLE PRINCE

THE CONFIRMATION

Javier Botet, Sofia Rosinsky, Logan Creran

Logan Huffman, Amy Hargreaves, Ryan Ward

GENRES: Horror, Supernatural

GENRES: Crime, Drama, True Story

THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT

Coster-Waldau, Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, Christopher Abbott GENRES: Drama, Biography, Adaptation

Rooney Mara, Christian Bale, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett GENRES: Drama, Music

STORYLINE: MI6’s top assassin (Mark STORYLINE: After the earth-shattering STORYLINE: The story centers on a STORYLINE: Follows eight-year-old Strong) has a brother. Unfortunately for him, he’s an English football hooligan (Sacha Baron Cohen) from the town of Grimsby.

revelations of The Divergent Series: Insurgent, Tris must escape with Four and go beyond the wall enclosing Chicago. For the first time ever, they will leave the only city and family they have ever known in order to find a peaceful solution for their embroiled city. Once outside, old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless with the revelation of shocking new truths.

pilot who crash-lands in the Sahara desert and comes across a little boy who says he is a prince fallen to Earth from his home on an asteroid. As the pilot repairs his plane, the little prince regales him with stories about his home and the foolish inhabitants of nearby asteroids.

DIRECTOR: Louis Leterrier CAST: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ian McShane,

DIRECTOR: Robert Schwentke CAST: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Naomi

DIRECTOR: Mark Osborne CAST: James Franco, Rachel McAdams, Jeff

David Harewood, Gabourey Sidibe, Johnny Vegas, Penelope Cruz GENRES: Comedy, Spy

Bridges, Benicio Del Toro, Mackenzie Foy, Paul Giamatti GENRES: Action, Adventure, Romance, Sequel GENRES: 3D, Animation, Adaptation

Watts, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Jeff Daniels

Anthony and his estranged father spending two days together for the first time in forever, as the boy’s mom and new husband head off to a religious retreat. Their mutual unease is exacerbated when the father’s truck breaks down, his landlord locks him out of his house, and the toolbox that provides his living gets stolen. As they search for the stolen tools with help from an odd neighbor, the father and son begin to establish a connection. DIRECTOR: Bob Nelson CAST: Clive Owen, Maria Bello, Patton Oswalt, Stephen Tobolowsky, Spencer Drever, Michael Eklund GENRES: Family, Drama CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

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MARCH Book Releases Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business

Charles Duhigg

From the author of the New York Times bestselling phenomenon The Power of Habit comes a fascinating new book that explores the science of productivity, and why, in today’s world, managing how you think—rather than what you think-can transform your life.

The Summer Before the War

Revolutionized Medicine and American Politics

Stephen Coss

East Sussex, 1914. It is the end of England’s brief Edwardian summer, and everyone agrees that the weather has never been so beautiful. Hugh Grange, down from his medical studies, is visiting his Aunt Agatha, who lives with her husband in the small, idyllic coastal town of Rye. Agatha's husband works in the Foreign Office, and she is certain he will ensure that the recent sabre rattling over the Balkans won't come to anything. And Agatha has more immediate concerns; she has just risked her carefully built reputation by pushing for the appointment of a woman to replace the Latin master.

If at Birth You Don't Succeed: My

More than fifty years before the American Revolution, Boston was in revolt against the tyrannies of the Crown, Puritan Authority, and Superstition. This is the story of a fateful year that prefigured the events of 1776. In The Fever of 1721, Stephen Coss brings to life an amazing cast of characters in a year that changed the course of medical history, American journalism, and colonial revolution, including Cotton Mather, the great Puritan preacher, son of the president of Harvard College; Zabdiel Boylston, a doctor whose name is on one of Boston's grand avenues; James and his younger brother Benjamin Franklin; and Elisha Cooke and his protegee; Samuel Adams.

The Two-Family House

Adventures with Disaster and Destiny

Zach Anner

Lynda Cohen Loigman

Comedian Zach Anner opens his frank and devilishly funny book, If at Birth You Don't Succeed, with an admission: he botched his own birth. Two months early, underweight and under-prepared for life, he entered the world with cerebral palsy and an uncertain future. So how did this hairless mole-rat of a boy blossom into a viral internet sensation who's hosted two travel shows, impressed Oprah, driven the Mars Rover, and inspired a John Mayer song? (It wasn't "Your Body is a Wonderland.")

The Nest

MARCH, 2016

Playful, ambitious, and exquisitely imagined, What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours is cleverly built around the idea of keys, literal and metaphorical. The key to a house, the key to a heart, the key to a secret-Oyeyemi’s keys not only unlock elements of her characters’ lives, they promise further labyrinths on the other side. In “Books and Roses” one special key opens a library, a garden, and clues to at least two lovers’ fates.

The Fever of 1721: The Epidemic That

Helen Simonson

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What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours

Helen Oyeyemi

Brooklyn, 1947: in the midst of a blizzard, in a two-family brownstone, two babies are born minutes apart to two women. They are sisters by marriage with an impenetrable bond forged before and during that dramatic night; but as the years progress, small cracks start to appear and their once deep friendship begins to unravel. No one knows why, and no one can stop it. One misguided choice; one moment of tragedy. Heartbreak wars with happiness and almost but not quite wins.

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

Ken Liu

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

A publishing event: Bestselling author Ken Liu selects his awardwinning science fiction and fantasy tales for a groundbreaking collection-including a brand-new piece exclusive to this volume. With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie. This mesmerizing collection features all of Ken’s award-winning and award-finalist stories

DECEMBER, 2016

BOOK CLUB

LIGHT & DARKNESS

his month, I decided to read a poetry book by local author Ahmed Swayed. Ahmed Abdulaziz Swayed Al Qallaf was born in Kuwait in April 1990 to Kuwaiti parents. He graduated from Kuwait University with a Bachelor Degree in English Literature and Linguistics. He is currently working as an English teacher in the Ministry of Education. His inspiration comes from his daily feelings, music lyrics and especially the poet Lang Leav, who is also one of my favourite poets. Light & Darkness (2015) received recognition in the region at the Bahrain Book Fair as well as the Sharjah Book Fair in UAE. Light & Darkness was published in 2015; it is Ahmedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first published work. It is a short poetry book with titled poems that are very close to the heart. The words he chooses to describe certain feelings and emotions are so simple they are felt instantly. Moreover, because of Ahmed's young age it makes him close to his generation in terms of the subjects of

his poems. This is my favourite poem from the book and it is called Nature: "You are in love with nature never with the people you meet It's been always in your nature even in your heart that beat I see it now like a picture very beautiful and neat We never got hurt from nature but only from the people we meet"

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

The book is so wonderful and it is very affordable; you can purchase it for the price of only 2KD in most book shops. Also, you can purchase it directly from him by contacting him through his Instagram account @ ahmedswayed1. Hopefully this won't be the last book from him. I would be interested to learn what you think about it so please let me know. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

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CityPages is proud to introduce its eight Women of Substance for 2016. All women are special (as they are fond of telling us!) and every single one of them should be remembered and honored during the month in which we celebrate International Women’s Day. By featuring eight extraordinary women from Kuwait, we are putting our country well and truly on the map and reminding the rest of the world that our women are just as ambitious, courageous and successful as the rest. But success doesn’t always come easy. In fact, overcoming hurdles, challenges, and even failures, is what drove these women to succeed. Whatever their chosen path - be it fashion, medicine or education – they found the strength and determination to pursue their goals and make it to the top. But they won’t stop there; there are still mountains to climb and these eight inspirational women have every intention of climbing them. Dr. Steve Maraboli, bestselling author, life-changing speaker and behavioural science expert, once said ‘The empowered woman is powerful beyond measure and beautiful beyond description’. That particular quote was tailor made for our eight Women of Substance and credits each of them with the respect and recognition they deserve. As we pay tribute to these very special women, we’re not just congratulating them on their achievements but encouraging others to follow in their footsteps and show the world that they too can follow their dreams, make a difference and achieve great things. 106

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A woman of substance is a woman of power, a woman of positive influence and a woman of meaning

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Alanoud Al Sharekh “I am grateful for the support of my family and my community in having such a rewarding journey”

Please introduce yourself to our readers. I am an author, a researcher and an activist, and an avid supporter of youth initiatives. I am passionate about art, culture and above all, equal rights and representation for women, especially in the Arab world. I am involved in civil society projects that especially empower youth and women, and have been lobbying to end all violent legislation against women, starting with article 153 of Kuwait’s penal code, that sanctifies so-called honor crimes. Tell us about your education. Up until the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, I was enrolled in a progressive school founded by a group of concerned parents called Bayan Bilingual School, and I feel that I owe a lot to my early education and the life-long friendships that were formed there, and those I made at Cheouifat International boarding school later. For a brief period I was enrolled as an undergraduate at Wellesley College in the USA, where I think feminist ideas began to seep in, as well as the tools for critical thinking. I continued my undergraduate education at King’s College, London where I did a degree in English, and my Masters (in Applied Linguistics and Translation) and PhD in Comparative Literature and Feminism at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Tell us about your career journey. My career was shaped greatly by my political interests. As a pregnant Master’s student I was involved in the struggle to pass the bill to grant Kuwaiti women their full political rights in 1999, which lost by one vote. That experience led me to focus on an academic approach to gender issues, which shaped the majority of my teaching and research, both in Kuwait and abroad. Being involved in gender equality means that human rights, and the rights of the disenfranchised regardless of their sex, are also important issues, and I found my research areas widening to encompass both. I was brought in to the field of strategy and security as a ‘soft power’ expert, looking into the influence of youth, gender and migrant labor on strongly held cultural values surrounding identity and national narratives, always taking into account a civil society perspective. My career has developed in education in universities in Kuwait and abroad, and across both governmental and non-profit research institutions, and I am grateful for the support of my family and my community in having such a rewarding journey. How do you manage your time? Describe your average day. I am an early riser and I like to start my day with

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quality time with my children and husband, a boost of positive energy that uplifts me during the day ahead. At work I focus on research papers and field work, and preparing notes for the conferences and advisory work that I am involved in at home and abroad. A large portion of my day is devoted to promoting the two projects I am involved in most in Kuwait, both of which seek to protect and empower women, Abolish 153 and the Friends who Care project, both of whom are part of a larger network of civil society groups and NGOs that seek to end violence against women. I also do my best to attend cultural events and art openings, and encourage intellectual and civil projects founded by young people in Kuwait.

What has been your proudest moment so far? My proudest moment was seeing my daughter speak on stage at a young entrepreneurs event. There is nothing better than seeing your children confident, successful and happy.

What is your biggest strength? My stubborn belief that things can and will change. It makes me immune to almost all kinds of rejection and delays, and just makes me dig in harder when I am presented with an ambivalent response to a cause I am passionate about.

Name one item in life you can’t do without? I can do without things but I am addicted to people, starting with my family.

Do you have any weaknesses? Has anyone ever responded with a no to this question? There’s probably some truth in the saying that our strengths can be our weakness, and I can be difficult to dissuade once I have set my mind on something. With age and experience, I have cultivated a more flexible attitude, especially when it comes to civil society work which requires the cooperation of many parties to be successful. Have you made any mistakes that have made you stronger? I make mistakes on a daily basis, and find that accepting that as a fact and focusing on taking responsibility for what I can fix is a much more humane and loving attitude to have towards myself and others. How do you stay motivated during challenging times? Having faith helps, and so does continuing to work. I turn to my family and my friends, my mentors and my colleagues for advice and inspiration and try to remember during the darkest time that ‘this too shall pass’. What do you to relax? I spend time with my family, my friends, watch cooking shows and read books that are unrelated to my research. If I can escape for a short break to somewhere I had never travelled to before, I would do that too.

What is your biggest fear? My biggest fear is letting people down. What is your favourite quote? Besides ‘This too shall pass’… ‘Bloom where you are planted’.

In your opinion, what are the three keys to success? Perseverance, focus and enlisting the help of others. What is next for you? What would you still like to achieve? I am working on a book project that would look at the latest developments in youth culture and the gender issue in Kuwait and the GCC. I would like to see women judges become a Kuwaiti reality in the next two years and the abolishment of laws that promote violence, and a safe shelter for victims of domestic abuse; all of which I believe are achievable if we can raise awareness and lobby the right people. What advice would you give to young women starting out in their career? Develop a thick skin. Sexism is so entrenched and insidious that most people are unaware that they are victims of it so be ready to confront it, and don't take it personally. How does it feel to be a CityPages Woman of Substance? I am honored, and proud to represent Kuwaiti women in any way I can. I am also grateful that a Kuwait based publication would make a point of focusing on female achievement in such a way. Your message for the team at CityPages and our readers: Thank you for this opportunity to highlight some of the issues that I am passionate about. Please sign the petition at www.abolish153.org.

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Alison Verdonk Tabiaat “I want the best for everybody and believe it is not impossible to achieve”

Please introduce yourself to our readers. My name is Alison Verdonk Tabiaat. I am the founder and director of Happy Chappies Montessori Nurseries in Kuwait. I love education and am passionate about providing young children with the best foundations to assist them in learning for life. I have lived in Kuwait since 1994 and I am a happily married woman with 3 beautiful children, all of whom enrich my life daily. Please tell us about your education. I was born in Africa and educated in England. As a young child growing up I always had a love of young children and education. It was only natural that as I grew I would follow this career line. After completing my BTEC National Diploma in Nursery Nursing, I continued with a variety of educational studies, deciding eventually to focus on Montessori as my preference. I qualified highly commended at the prestigious St Nickolas Montessori College in London, to teach children 0-7 years. Tell us about your career journey. After qualifying I worked in a variety of schools around the world, observing and learning as I travelled. I came to Kuwait in 1994 to work for Mrs. Anwaar Al-Naqeeb who had recently opened The Kuwait Montessori and was hiring teachers. I spent 7 wonderful years falling in love with Kuwait and its people. Working for Madam Anwaar was a wonderful experience; she took me under her wing and acted as my mother, even making sure that the man I married was indeed a good man. I left teaching to marry and start a family but it was not long before I felt the pull of teaching and missed the joy of educating young minds. It was a simple passion to bring quality education and provide young children with a strong foundation and love of learning which was important for me to instill. I wanted to create a totally new classroom environment for children and was eager to create this haven that I envisioned. I opened Happy Chappies in Fintas in 2005 with the support of family and friends. From there our little school flourished and blossomed with a demand to open in more locations. Not wanting to spread myself too far and maintain quality at all times, I only agreed to open a second location in Rumaithiya in 2013. I am also proud to say that all our young children are accepted into the big schools thanks to our reputation and the highly committed teachers who dedicate themselves to the children’s wellbeing on a physical, emotional and educational level. It has been and continues to be an incredibly rewarding career. How do you manage your time? Describe your average day. My average day in Kuwait revolves around family and Happy Chappies. I spend time between both of the Nurseries, planning curriculums and events for the children with the Principals and staff. There are always many things to do and each day is unique in the work required. My greatest pleasure is to spend time watching and interacting with the children, observing their progress and chatting with their wonderful parents. I spend most of the afternoon sorting out the many pictures sent to me from each class for our

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happychappies Instagram. This can take time with 10 classrooms to upload and share, but for me it's a labour of love. The remainder of the day I spend with my family. I treasure hearing all the things they’ve been doing as we share our daily events together. I understand how fast time flies after watching so many young children grow up so quickly over the years. I want to enjoy every moment possible with my own children. What is your biggest strength? I think my biggest strength is my genuine love and care for children and people. I want the best for everybody and believe it is not impossible to achieve. Do you have any weaknesses? As I grow I find different weaknesses. I work to strengthen those points which take me to the next plateau of my life. Those weaknesses are not necessarily with you all your life, they are something you work at to overcome. Have you made any mistakes that have made you stronger? Well you know what they say about problems or mistakes..."When life gives you lemons - make lemonade" I think everybody has to make mistakes growing up, that is how you learn and improve. I have made many, as we all do, which have made me wiser and stronger. How do you stay motivated during challenging times? During challenging times I always turn to my husband for motivational support. He is always 100 percent supportive and ready to offer friendly advice should I ask. If there are issues that challenge me at work I know I can always count on my Principals and staff to pull out all the stops to assist and make things happen, even at short notice. To have a great working team is an absolute blessing and imperative to success. My husband and Nursery team motivate me, and it is something I don't take for granted. What do you do to relax? I love to read. To find a quiet corner with a good book is a wonderful way to relax. It's a time to selfishly unwind and create some ‘me time’. What has been your proudest moment so far? I have so many proud moments it would be impossible to pinpoint just one. From my children to my husband to the opening of both Happy Chappies Nurseries; each has given me immense pride over the years. What is your biggest fear? "All you have to fear is fear itself" I am against pessimism, I am against negativity, and I am against people who tell me things can't be done. I am a big believer in not letting fear get the best of you. What is your favourite quote? "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put

foundations under them". By Thoreau. (Philosopher 1817-1862.) Name one item in life you can't do without? Well this is very easy to answer. Chocolate! I love to treat myself once in a while to a piece of dark chocolate. It brings back lovely memories of my childhood growing up with my family who distributed Belgian Chocolates in the UK. Our house always smelt of Belgian chocolate. In your opinion, what are the 3 keys to success? I believe the 3 keys to success are what I encourage in our nursery and is written on every page of our school website. Encouraging Initiative, Discovery and Knowledge. This holds true to success at any age. Initiative is very important for any project and for when you wish to do things in life and take action. Discovery for what is important, what is the right and best way, and to learn as you progress. Knowledge comes from discovery and taking initiative. It gives you the power to achieve whilst knowing and understanding what you are doing. With these 3 elements you can achieve great things. What is next for you? What would you still like to achieve? I would love to open a school for older children; a school that continues in the Montessori philosophy and allows children to continue to enjoy learning as they grow older. Schools must make them believe in their abilities to achieve anything in life and to experience an education that challenges and excites the mind to achieve more. What advice would you give to young women starting out in their career? Embrace your individuality and be happy the way you are. Live up to your own morals and values. Always use your own voice and believe in what you are trying to achieve. So, be confident, keep good counsel and stay away from pessimism. Be careful that you don't get so tangled up in what you are doing that you don't see the wood for the trees. Take time to step back and look at the bigger picture and make sure you are still going in the right direction. Finally and above all, enjoy what you are doing. How does it feel to be a CityPages Woman of Substance? To be called a woman of substance is one of the greatest compliments one can give a woman who wishes to be a positively influential female role model. It is a great compliment indeed and one that I am truly thankful that CityPages feels I deserve. Your message for the team at CityPages and our readers? CityPages is a wonderful magazine which helps connect people in Kuwait. It is both informative and entertaining to all ages and I wish it continued success for many years to come.

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Ghadeer Al Barjas “Do something because you love it, not for recognition”

Please introduce yourself to our readers. I am Ghadeer Al Barjas, a Kuwaiti fashion designer and animal lover. I have a boutique in Salmiya called Ghadeer Al Barjas Fashion Lounge. You will learn more about me in the next few lines.

Do you have any weaknesses? Sure I do, but I won't tell my weakness to anyone because they can reduce my strength and my attitude. But I do have one I can tell you - I can't resist chocolates!

Please tell us about your education. I studied English literature and attended several fashion courses in the United States.

Have you made any mistakes that have made you stronger? Actually, mistakes don’t make me stronger but life does.

Tell us about your career journey. As an art lover, I knew I wanted to be an artist from when I was very young; and fashion designing is art. I remember going shopping with my mother and seeing all the famous designer clothing. That’s when I fell in love with fashion. I gradually started playing with fabrics and designing Barbie dresses. After that I let every one of my cousins wear my creations, even without sewing. I guess that was when I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was older and since then, I just threw myself into it. How do you manage your time? Describe your average day. Actually, I love to spend most of my time at work. What is your biggest strength? I have faith in myself as I am a hard worker. I always maintain a positive attitude in any situation. I am flexible so can adjust immediately to another person . I always chase after new knowledge. I enjoy difficult situations. I am self motivated, think deeply, and have the ability to always create new and special things.

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How do you stay motivated during challenging times? Success never comes easy. No matter what your goal is, you can expect to face challenges as you pursue it. I am always positive and I see myself as the one and only. What do you do to relax? I read and spend quality time with my dogs and cats they drain all of my negative energy. What has been your proudest moment so far? There is no one special moment, I am just proud to be Ghadeer Al Barjas. What is your biggest fear? Be the change you want to see in the world. What is your favourite quote? I have so many fears but the biggest one is losing anyone I love.

Name one item in life you can't do without? My mobile, because it has everything I need. In your opinion, what are the 3 keys to success? Love what you do. Be honest. Be yourself. What is next for you? What would you still like to achieve? I am working on my bridal collection. My dreams have no limitations and your pages won't be enough to take them all. What advice would you give to young women starting out in their career? If anyone, male or female, is passionate about a certain field, he or she will do whatever it takes to make it a career. If you are doing it to get thanks, you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Do something because you love it, not for recognition. How does it feel to be a CityPages Woman of Substance? It’s my pleasure to be a part of your Women of Substance feature. Thank you for choosing me. Your message for the team at CityPages and our readers? Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be on your beautiful pages and to be able to introduce myself to your readers.

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Amirah AlShaalan “I believe that mistakes are meant for learning not repeating”

Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi, my name is Amirah AlShaalan. I am the Founder and Managing Director of Amirah AlShaalan Events Co. Tell us about your education. Well, I have a bachelor degree in English linguistics, and different certificates in entrepreneurship, leadership in marketing, and strategies of marketing and selling. Tell us about your career journey. I've always been fond of events, especially the occasional ones like birthday parties and Mother’s Day celebrations. I used to buy event planning books and magazines and watch TV programs that feature international event planners. That excessive reading and watching taught me a lot. With my work experience in Marketing and Public Relations, I merged my passion with my practical experience which helped me in creating an Event Planning and Marketing Services Company.

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Do you have any weaknesses? Being a perfectionist with intense attention to details. So much so that it becomes tiring sometimes.

What is your favourite quote? A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.

Have you made any mistakes that have made you stronger? I believe that mistakes are meant for learning not repeating; if you learn from your mistakes, you will be ready for anything that life might bring. I have also learned to always be prepared for client’s surprises!

Name one item in life you can’t do without? Family.

How do you stay motivated during challenging times? When things get intense and difficult, I take some time out. This gives me time to relax, think deeply, and be ready to continue.

What is next for you? What would you still like to achieve? What’s next? More events and exhibitions. What would I like to achieve? To present and execute new event concepts in Kuwait that create an effective buzz in my country and GCC.

What do you to relax? Since I never switch off my mobile, I just divert it to switched-off mode and book a ticket for a short trip.

How do you manage your time? Describe your average day. Time management is a very vital part of any event planner’s life, and for that, you will always find me going everywhere with my planner book. On a regular day, I usually go early to my office, reply to emails, finish the team meetings, and finalize the ongoing projects. I spend my afternoons either attending events or enjoying some quality time with friends and family.

What has been your proudest moment so far? In 2013, I hosted a thank you event for all of my clients, social-media influencers, bloggers, and media personnel. The number of guests who showed up was surprisingly breathtaking. The amount of love and support I received was so much more than I expected, which made me feel even more determined to keep moving forward and keep the love of those people who generously support me all the way along.

What is your biggest strength? My team.

What is your biggest fear? Losing my mobile.

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In your opinion, what are the three keys to success? Love what you do. Be well-prepared. Never stop!

What advice would you give to young women starting out in their career? Find something that you enjoy doing and work hard for it because it is what you will wake up for every day. How does it feel to be a CityPages Woman of Substance? I’m glad to be chosen as a ‘Woman of Substance’ and thrilled to be sharing my experience out there in the community. Your message for the team at CityPages and our readers: I was lucky to meet the lovely people behind CityPages during my early events back in 2012. I am always grateful for their continuous support and wholeheartedly wish them all the best.

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Taiba Alnouri “I aim to be better than I was yesterday”

Please introduce yourself to our readers. My name is Taiba Alnouri. I’m 25 years old. I started doing triathlon in 2010, swimming cycling and running every day. Tell us about your education. I graduated from GUST, majoring in Mass Communication. Tell us about your career journey. Over the years, I have participated in more than 20 races in total in Kuwait and internationally. These included Olympic distances, long distance triathlons, 10k races and marathons. How do you manage your time? Describe your average day. I plan my day, month and year ahead. I pack my training gear the night before. It’s very important to be organised. I now work full time so my day is divided between training and attending classes. What is your biggest strength? Consistency, persistence and confidence. Do you have any weaknesses? Being too much of a perfectionist. Have you made any mistakes that have made you stronger? I missed a lap once in 2013 in the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon. It was a 200km bike course

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but I continued until the end even though, for more than 8 hours, I knew I would be disqualified. I just couldn't give up, I had to finish. I did the same race again the following year and finished 223km in 10 hours 52 minutes. How do you stay motivated during challenging times? I give myself a pep talk! I aim to be better than I was yesterday.

In your opinion, what are the three keys to success? Being humble, grateful, and surrounding myself with the right people. What is success without sharing it with the family and friends that supported me throughout my journey?

What do you to relax? Nature. I surround myself with a peaceful and calm atmosphere.

What is next for you? What would you still like to achieve? The Ironman 3.9km swim, 180km bike, 42km run In less than 12 hours!

What has been your proudest moment so far? Beating my personal record in a full 42km marathon. All my hard work paid off the moment I crossed the finish line.

What advice would you give to young women starting out in their career? Be fearless. Get out of your comfort zone and enjoy the beauty of doing something for the first time.

What is your biggest fear? Being forced to stop doing what I love the most. What is your favourite quote? "Be strong when you are weak. Be brave when you are scared. Be humble when you are victorious.” Name one item in life you can’t do without? My running shoes.

How does it feel to be a CityPages Woman of Substance? I’m honored to be chosen. Your message for the team at CityPages and our readers: Don’t limit your options in life - you never know how far you can reach.

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Johny Costa

Aseel Fuad Al-Turkait “When it comes to managing my time, my friends think I’m Superwoman!”

Please introduce yourself to our readers. My name is Aseel Fuad Al-Turkait. I was born and raised in Kuwait. I have 5 siblings and 14 nieces and nephews, including two great nephews. I’ve dedicated my adult life to my career. However, my family has been, and will always be, my number one priority. My top priorities also include giving back to my country, and to the community as a whole. My hobbies include travel, TV shows, movies and fashion. Tell us about your education. I graduated from Bayan Bilingual School in 1997 and went on to receive my Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from Drake University. I continued my studies in 2008 and received a Certification in Marketing Management. Tell us about your career journey. Once I graduated, I started working for NBK, and then went on to work for the KPCO group for about four years. After which, I moved to ExxonMobil, the largest private oil and gas company in the world for nearly seven years as Public Affairs Manager. During my time with ExxonMobil, I began to enter into the education sector through the Kuwait Science Fair (KSF), a competition I created that brought scholarships, internships and cash prizes to students studying in Kuwait. The competition was founded by ExxonMobil and Kuwait Energy at the time. In 2011, I moved on to work for Fawsec, the holding company that owns my Alma Mater, Bayan Bilingual School, as Public Relations Manager. During my tenure at Fawsec, I worked on all aspects of communications and marketing for all three of their subsidiaries. I am currently the Public Relations Director at Gulf University for Science and Technology, heading all communications for the university, internally and externally, with a team of seven. How do you manage your time? Describe your average day. When it comes to managing my time, my friends think I’m superwoman! I've learnt to manage my hours by focusing on finishing work during working hours, and spending quality time with family and friends afterwards. I’m still single, which gives me more time to focus on these areas of my life and on community service. It is very hard to fit everything you need to do in an average day, but the trick is to plan ahead of time, but to also make time for yourself.

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I wake up around 6:00 or 6:30am, have breakfast and start getting ready for work. Work is from 8:00am – 3:00pm, but anyone who works in the PR field knows that it’s a 24/7 job. I try to fit in a workout at least 3 times a week, meet my familial obligations and also try to balance seeing my friends on an equal basis. Again, I’m not superwoman but I try my best! What is your biggest strength? With all my years working I believe my biggest strength, which hasn’t been easy, is having productive patience. ‘All good things come to those who wait’, whether it’s for approval on a strategic plan, a project, or even a promotion. Personally, my biggest strength, which is something my mom saw in me as well, is my capability to accept, love and cherish friends and acquaintances from all walks of life. I don’t judge people; I accept them for who and what they are. I am an avid planner. I like to plan out my department’s action plan a year ahead, my social calendar at least a week ahead, and let’s not forget my meal plan. Both my family and friends make fun of the fact that I plan my suitcase weeks ahead as well! Do you have any weaknesses? You would think that after all these years I would have a harder shell, but I am still the same sensitive girl, and can easily get hurt. Have you made any mistakes that have made you stronger? I have made several mistakes throughout my life. No one is perfect. I don’t know about making me stronger, but I have definitely learned from my mistakes, and I believe it has made me wiser. How do you stay motivated during challenging times? Faith in God, my mother, my family and my friends, especially my best friends, keep me sane. What do you do to relax? Watch shows, workout, hang out with friends, and travel. What has been your proudest moment so far? My proudest moment was being able to secure a scholarship to Northwestern University for KSF

students. What is your biggest fear? My mother has been my rock since an early age, and my biggest fear, although unrealistic, is to lose her one day.

What is your favourite quote? “Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests and is never shaken;” William Shakespeare Name one item in life you can’t do without? My mobile phone. I know, sad! In your opinion, what are the three keys to success? Patience. Perseverance. Ambition. What is next for you? What would you still like to achieve? Personally, I would still like a family one day; even if it’s just a partner to share my life with. Professionally, to do bigger and greater things for my employer and the community as a whole. What advice would you give to young women starting out in their career? Work hard. Work very, very hard and you will achieve great things in life. How does it feel to be a CityPages Woman of Substance? It gives me great pride to be chosen as a Woman of Substance. I try my best to make a difference and it feels good to be noticed for what I’ve done and what I do now. Your message for the team at CityPages and our readers: To the team at CityPages, I think you’re doing a great job. The magazine is colourful, interesting and informative. I love reading it. Keep it up. To the readers of CityPages, nothing is handed to you on a silver platter. You have to work hard to create great things and everyone deserves great things.

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Hamad Al-Ainati - @7mdphotography

Dr. Suad Abul “Find your strength and follow your instinct”

Please introduce yourself to our readers. I am Dr. Suad Abul. Consultant Pediatric Surgeon and the Chief of Division of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology Department at Ibn Sina Hospital, Kuwait. Tell us about your education. •Graduated from the RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) – Dublin. •Then did General Surgery residency at McGill University (I was the first Kuwaiti female to be accepted in the program) and got the Canadian Board in General Surgery in 2007. •I was chosen to enter the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship at McGill University across Canada and North America (I was the first international doctor to be accepted in that competitive program) and received the Canadian Board in Pediatric Surgery in 2009 from Royal College of Surgeons in Canada. Tell us about your career journey. After I finished my postgraduate study in Canada I returned home with a dream to improve and upgrade pediatric surgery. I worked in the Department of Pediatric Surgery in Ibn Sina. I introduced new technology and advances and was elected to be their Head of the Department of Pediatric Surgery. I’m the President of the Kuwaiti Association of the Pediatric Surgery and also: Board member of the International Pediatric Endosurgery Group: Middle East Chapter. Board member of the Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgery. An academic site supervisor and mentor to surgical and pediatric residents. I was invited to many local and international conferences to present and to chair scientific sessions. I was chosen to represent the Gulf region in the major International Pediatric Surgery Group Association as a chair session. How do you manage your time? Describe your average day. I start my day early with a cup of coffee and a departmental meeting discussing the cases seen during the on-call time and plan the management for each patient. Then I start my operating list or attend

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the clinic. I finish off with some administrative work at the office. I try to go to the gym 3-4 times a week and spend some time with family and friends. I also have a TV show (called Ra’yahon) which is on the Almajlis TV channel every Sunday and I have to prepare for this every week. It's the first female TV show to discuss political, social, medical and psychological issues concerning events and issues happening locally in Kuwait. What is your biggest strength? Determination. Do you have any weaknesses? Every human being has strengths and weaknesses. What I think of as my weakness may be seen as a strength to others. But I would say children are my weakness. Seeing them in pain and suffering breaks my heart but at the same time, it gives me strength to try to make them better and relieve their suffering. Have you made any mistakes that have made you stronger? Life is full of episodes and risks which we should consider as experience. I believe we should learn from our mistakes and never give up. How do you stay motivated during challenging times? Remember that God does no harm to us and after the storm there is a rainbow. I keep my thoughts and mind focused on my goal and stay positive. What do you do to relax? Yoga. Listen to music. What has been your proudest moment so far? That I am the only Kuwaiti doctor who received McGill Chair as a graduation award from McGill University for being the first Kuwaiti female Pediatric Surgeon. What is your biggest fear? Well, fear is a negative feeling so I try to limit its existence in my spirit. If you focus on it and let it occupy your thoughts, it gets bigger. Therefore I have

no biggest fear. Having said that, I fear my life ending without fulfilling all my goals and wishes towards myself, family and others. What is your favourite quote? Nothing is impossible in life. Do not postpone today’s work to tomorrow. Name one item in life you can’t do without? My calendar. In your opinion, what are the three keys to success? Plan. Faith. Determination. What is next for you? What would you still like to achieve? I would like to improve the health system in Kuwait and have a better service for our children. I’m looking forward to seeing the Kuwait Children’s Hospital on site soon. To participate in children’s health internationally and be part of the United Nation/ Unicef Group. What advice would you give to young women starting out in their career? Be positive. Have faith in yourself. Find your strength and follow your instinct. Plan and work hard on your goals. Stay connected to God and pray for you and for others. How does it feel to be a CityPages Woman of Substance? I’m very proud and honored to be chosen as one of the Women of Substance coinciding with International Women’s Day on March 8th. Thank you so much for choosing me to be a CityPages Woman of Substance this year. Your message for the team at CityPages and our readers: I’d like to thank CityPages for interviewing me in this edition. I wish the whole team at CityPages all the best and more success. And to your readers, keep tuned in and updated with this excellent magazine.

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Hamad Al-Ainati - @7mdphotography

Fouz AlFahad

“I am who I am today because I've learned from my mother's mistakes”

Please introduce yourself to our readers. My name is Fouz AlFahad. I’m 25 years old and I've been working in social media as an influencer for almost two years. I've recently started a few businesses to help me grow as an individual. Travelling, art and music inspire me to feel, look and act a certain way. Iced coffee has definitely been a good friend of mine for a couple of years now. Tell us about your education. I have a bachelor's degree in Finance from Gulf University. Tell us about your career journey. I started working in a university; my goal was to teach finance at the university. I switched paths and worked in social media and considered it as an opportunity to explore a different field. This has helped me in various ways, including helping me with my businesses. How do you manage your time? Describe your average day. I don't! Sometimes things get too hectic and you can't keep up. Trying to organise your schedule will help drastically, but you just have to roll with it. What is your biggest strength? Thick skin! Do you have any weaknesses? I'm short-tempered, and sometimes that's not helpful. Have you made any mistakes that have

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made you stronger? Definitely; you only grow and become stronger when you make mistakes and learn. No one will know how to succeed if they don't fail or make mistakes in the beginning. How do you stay motivated during challenging times? I always talk to my mother and discuss almost every issue with her. I look up to her a lot. Believe it or not, I am who I am today because I've learned from my mother's mistakes as well as taking her advice on everything. What do you do to relax? I travel. It gives me an amazing feeling to meet new people and see new places. There's so much out there that we don't know about. What has been your proudest moment so far? I don't feel like I’ve got there yet. There is so much more I can do but I am definitely very proud of myself for doing what I've done so far. What is your biggest fear? My biggest fear is that I will end up being unhappy in my personal life while trying to succeed in my career. When you're happy it's all worth it. What is your favourite quote? Not everything that glitters is gold.

Name one item in life you can’t do without? Mascara. In your opinion, what are the three keys to success? Education, confidence and class. What is next for you? What would you still like to achieve? I'd like to achieve more in my personal life and do more for charity. I also want to grow my businesses and become more independent as a woman. What advice would you give to young women starting out in their career? Be confident and do what makes your heart happy. Don't compare yourselves to other women; and love yourselves. How does it feel to be a CityPages Woman of Substance? Amazing! I’m truly humbled and flattered to be a Woman of Substance. Hopefully, I can inspire more girls to do better and bigger. Your message for the team at CityPages and our readers: Love yourselves and be confident. We are all put on this planet for a reason and I wouldn't have made it this far without everyone's support. Thank you!

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Hamad Al-Ainati - @7mdphotography

AXEL AUDIO We all have our favourite genres of music. Axel Audio’s line of headphones is tailored to your preferred style: Deep for the bass lover, Pure for the instrumentalist, and Core for the balanced pop enthusiasts.

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

NONDA ZUS CHARGER Lots of smartphone chargers attach to a car’s cigarette lighter. But few offer a second USB charging port for passengers. Fewer still can help you find your car on a map via smartphone-this does both. Never go hunting for your car again.

SanDisk iXpand

Moving photos and videos off your phone to free up storage space is annoying. SanDisk makes it easy with the iXpand flash drive. Plug it into your iPhone and instantly store up to 128GB of data. Never delete one video to record another again.

BEVEL TRIMMER

Not much has changed in the electricclipper space-your barber likely uses the same tools as the one before him. Bevel’s Trimmer looks and works like it’s from the future: a cool blue LED, reduced vibration, and a dial to adjust blade alignment. Timeless tool, meet modern age.

MOTO 360 Sport

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Smartwatches don’t have to be precious. Motorola’s 360 Sport is rugged enough to survive your workout - that’s because it’s also a fitness tracker. The silicone band, heart-rate sensor, and round display are fixed inside an enclosure that’s dust- and water-resistant.

ZAPPLIGHT LED LIGHT BULB DOUBLES AS A BUG ZAPPER The ZappLight is a 9-watt light bulb that puts out 920 lumens of brightness, with an integrated bug zapper that consumes just a single watt of power. It’s, pretty much, a conventional zapper, using a blue LED to attract insects within its grid, where it safely blasts them with an electric jolt.

JETBLADE Hydro boosters for your feet. There’s nothing more to say-except that it works only on water.

ELLUM Ellum’s motion-sensing lights illuminate as you move past them and dim as you leave. The wood-grain lamp can be mounted to walls without having to drill a hole, which we’d say is a recipe for enlightenment.

GRAMOVOX For those who’ve wondered, “Why doesn’t anyone make a vertical turntable?” Gramovox does, and it’s the coolest vinyl player around. Once again, analog stands tall.

LUCI Solar-powered? Waterproof? Collapsible? Check, check, and check. Luci’s portable light also has a loop hook for easy hanging anywhere. An extra $10 gets you color-changing abilities. Thomas Edison would be proud.

BEELINE Clear directions are crucial for bikers mid-ride. But who wants to hold a cellphone and look at the map app while peddling? Beeline is a compass-size handlebar attachment that knows where you’re going, and uses an e-ink screen to get you there. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

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Microsoft Lumia 950XL Dual-SIM Review If you think no-one can compete with iPhone and Android, you should read this review. We are really impressed how Lumia is evolving!

Windows 10 First, when turning on your Lumia 950XL for the first time, you will not struggle with settings and complications. Just enter your Microsoft account and you’re done - you can set up a new one if you don’t have one. Windows 10 has great security and privacy features. Apps now ask for your permission to access your data (Location, Photos, Camera etc.). You can encrypt your data for more security by turning on this feature in the settings. There are more than 700k apps in windows store - and counting. You wouldn’t miss any app if you switch from Android or iOS, unless you’re using some very specific apps. If you’re a developer, you can turn on the developer option and install any app from any source, but we don’t recommend it for users because it can harm your device. Lumia 950XL comes with built-in Office suite but you need Office 365 subscription to unlock all the features. And YES, it supports Arabic too. Unfortunately, we couldn’t try Cortana because it’s not available in Kuwait.

Cameras This is a flagship smartphone from Microsoft. That’s why Microsoft didn’t hesitate to use the 20MP camera sensor. Moreover, it has triple LED flash to get stunning photos. You have many options and settings for the camera. You can set the focus to manual or auto, adjust white balance, ISO and shutter speed. You can record videos with 4K (3840x2160). You can zoom and adjust light while you’re recording. The lens supports optical image stabilization for both still images and video. The front face camera is a 5MP and supports recording video in Full HD. We missed some options like recording video in slow-motion and time lapse but you can find lot of apps in Windows Store.

Display Dock Simply the star of the show! When Microsoft announced windows 10 features, continuum was the big new feature. It’s where desktop and mobile meet each other. You can mirror your Lumia to a big screen and use it as a keyboard, touchpad and dictation. Or simply use the display dock. This tiny device weighs 230g but it’s very helpful to protect it from being dragged of the table. We were very impressed by the combination of continuum and the display dock. Plug your USB keyboard and mouse, connect your TV/Monitor with HDMI or Display Port, connect your Lumia and power source and you’re ready - no steps on the screen. You’ll find a familiar interface like windows10 on a tablet or a PC. We loved how the Office and Edge work like a desktop version. Swapping between open apps is simple as you can use a desktop version. However, not every app supports the big screen - only the universal apps. We have only one complaint about it - the phone’s display staying on 100%. If you turn off the display by the side button, it will shutdown continuum too! Fortunately, there is free software to solve this problem.

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.

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Hardware Lumia 950XL has really good spec. It has the latest Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor alongside 3GB RAM. It has 5.7” QuadHD AMOLED display (2560x1440, 518 ppi). Microsoft gives you 32GB to store your files and installing apps. You can install Micro-SD to expand it up to 200GB. Microsoft includes 3340 mAh battery which gives you stand by time up to 300 hours. Moreover, you can swap batteries because it’s removable. Unfortunately, you can’t hot swap SIM and you need to remove the battery to install SIM. We think it’s not a big problem because it’s rare to swap SIMs, especially if you have Dual-SIM device like this one.

External GPU War Starts - Again! Back in 2007, Asus introduced XG Station with 250MB/sec bandwidth. Since that year, external GPU has been pumping everything slowly until Alienware launched the subwoofersized Graphics Amplifier box. Unfortunately, they have limitations and a huge price! Razer wants to change to rules with Razer Core. With 40Gb/S (thanks to Thunderbolt 3) you can charge your Ultrabook at night. In the morning, just unplug your Ultrabook and take it with you. In the evening, when you’re back to your home, plug it on the fly to wake up the monster!

New GPU Architecture from AMD AMD has announced its latest GPU architecture; Code-name ‘Polaris’. AMD calls this an “historic leap in performance per watt”. Each chip takes less space (thanks to 3D transistor), uses less power and increases performance. Comparing it with Nvidia GTX950, Polaris draw just 84W when running StarWars: BattleFront at 1080P 60FPS, while GTX950 draws 140W! That means it’s designed for both laptops and desktops. Polaris also supports HDMI 2.0a and DisplayPort 1.3. AMD will start shipping it in the 2nd half of this year to compete with Nvidia’s new GPU Pascal.

New algorithm to pump Chrome speed. Google has announced that it will be rolling out a new compression algorithm to its Chrome browser in the near future. This algorithm will boost speed by up to 26% by compressing data, font compression and other common elements sent/received from pages to make them load faster. Google said the new algorithm will give mobile phones two more benefits. It will reduce battery use and reduce data transfer levels. Zoltan Szabadka, software engineer for Google’s Compression Team, said: “We hope that this format will be supported by major browsers in the near future”.

The Record For The Fastest Data Rate Is Set At 1.125 Tb/s I can hear some jaws dropping here. Yep, it is 1.125 Tb per second! That means you can download or transfer an entire TB within a second. We are happy about this breakthrough. The researchers in the Optical Networks Group achieved a rate of 1.125 Tb/s as part of research on the capacity limits of optical transmission systems, designed to address the growing demand for fast data rates. The current rate that we use now is set to 100 GB/s. The new data rate we have achieved would allow the entire HD Games of Thrones series to be downloaded within one second. In this study, the researchers connected the transmitter directly to the receiver to achieve the maximum data rate. They will now test the system and measure the achievable data rates in a long distance transmission scenario where optical signals can become distorted as they travel through thousands of kilometers of optical fibers. We hope this will work with fiber optics instead of using a single receiver.

5D Glass Disc Can Store 360 TB Of Data For Up To 13.8 Billion Years. The photo: “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” recorded into 5D optical data. The UK scientists are on fire these days. The scientists from the University of Southampton have created a new data format that encodes information in tiny nanostructures glass by femtosecond laser writing. The storage allows unprecedented properties including 360 TB/disc data capacity and virtually unlimited lifetime at room temperature (13.8 billion years at 190°C) opening a new era of eternal data archiving. The data is recorded via selfassembled nanostructures created in fused quartz. The information encoding is realised in five dimensions: the size and orientation in addition to the three dimensional position of these nanostructures. The technology was first experimentally demonstrated in 2013 when a 300 kb digital copy of a text file was successfully recorded in 5D and now they are up to 360 TB. WOW! CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

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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

Blooming Free December only feels like yesterday! But now, after going through every kind of weather (including snow!) in our beautiful Kuwait, we can start sensing the warm spring. Along with its blossoming flowers, the weather feels surprisingly pleasant. It seems like the most fascinating and talented designers of the past few seasons, have been working harder than ever to make a great impression on us. The truth is we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get over their extremely creative pieces; to the point that we feel we need them all! Have a look for yourself and check out the latest trends that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be loving and wearing this spring.

Enchanting Muse A walking utopia was seen on many catwalks this season. Ryan Lo, Jenny Packham, Marchesa, Ashish, Delpozo, and Carolina Herrera were inspired by fairies, unicorns and mermaids. Super frilly, embroidered or just flowy designs were brought out from dreamlands to be worn by the most stylish and feminine ladies.

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On your neck Chokers are the ‘it’ necklace, not just for spring, but for the whole year. Any outfit will become instantly cooler if you add this 90’s nostalgic neck accessory. The variety is huge. From the chokers made from fabric (like the one worn by Cara Delevingne) or seen on the Dior runway, to the super pearly one by Chanel for the more classic ladies. If you don’t like exposing your neck, opt to layer your tight necklace on top of your turtleneck top or you could even start tying a cute silk handkerchief like the burgundy one worm by Lily Rose Depp.

Perfect Shades There’s a serious situation going on with sunglasses this spring. The motto for sure is: ’Go big or go home’. The amount of creativity designers put into these shades is incredible. From Marni’s pentagonal specs to the Acne Studio bow tip ones, it can’t get any crazier and avant-garde than this. CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

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ICONIC launches its Spring Summer 2016 Collection Spring Summer 2016 at ICONIC presents an array of trends for the new season. ICONIC’s women's collection recreates the 60’s glam across the Spring Summer catwalks with this season's must-have. The key trends in the women’s collection this season include Retro Icon which is The 60’s mod elegance and classic style personified with sharp and sleek 60’s inspired silhouettes based on comfort and luxury. Icy blue, ivory and pale pink can be seen across the key pieces. Key pieces stand out with floral applique details along with sequins and scuba bow details for that ultra-feminine touch.

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‫كالركس جتمع بني أصالة األناقة البريطانية‬ ‫وأحدث صيحات املوضة‬ ‫ من األحذية‬2016 ‫في تشكيلة ربيع وصيف‬

CLASSIC SPORTS INSPIRE BERSHKA FOR NEW CLASSICS, START MOVING’S NEW CAPSULE COLLECTION

Carpisa And Penélope Cruz Together Again Carpisa, the famous Italian brand leader in handbags and suitcases, renewed for 2016 its collaboration with Penélope Cruz. Penélope, a perfect combination of international flair and Spanish sensuality, is the ideal interpreter for Carpisa’s world: the fascinating Spanish actress, after the great success of the 2015 campaign, is lending her image and style, and reinforces it with a very special project.

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Damas Launches Exclusive Mother’s Day Collection Damas, the Middle East’s leading jewellery and watch retailer, has a special treat for mothers this year with the launch of limited edition pendants created exclusively for the occasion of Mother’s Day. Designed with intricate craftsmanship and utmost attention to detail, each pendant tells a different story while encapsulating the love and gratitude we feel for our mothers. Inspired by the beauty in Arabic calligraphy, the collection features a contemporary take on the Arabic word ‘Ummi’, which translates to Mother. Each 18k gold pendant celebrates motherhood, and reflects pride in the bond we have with our mothers.

LACOSTE FOOTWEAR SPRING-SUMMER 2016

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Oysho Presents “Warrior” In Kuwait Its New Fitness Collection Inspired By The Olympic Games And Oriental Culture

THE TRAINER BY FENTY HITS STORES

Signature PUMA by Rihanna Training Sneaker Looks as Bad Ass as it Performs

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New Look Spring/Summer 2016

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From The Cause Children's Carnival

From The Yamaha Battle Of The Bands Stage 1 By GAS Events

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DECEMBER, 2016

From The Official Revealing Of The New Passat 2016 By Volkswagen

From The Toyota Prius Launch

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At The BLS Mother's Day Event

From The Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Unveiling Event

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Baghdad Street â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Building 38 same as Boushahri Seema Pharmacy, Opposite Suleiman Al-Luhaib Mosque - Tel : 1888877

www.boushahricp.com

Boushahri_clinic CITYPAGESKUWAIT.COM

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Divas Chain opened their new restaurants "Divas Lounge"

BSK Honours the Public Authority for Youth and Sport

Turkish Airlines Partners with Home Centre Receives Warner Bros. Service Hero Award Pictures to Offer for Superior Fans a ‘Flight’ into the Customer Service World of ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’

Home Centre, the largest home retailer in the Middle East, was awarded the Service Hero CSI award in the Home Furniture category. The brand was recognized for its commitment to providing outstanding service and value to its customers at the Customer Service Assessment Awards held on 15th February 2016 at JW Marriott, Kuwait. Service Hero is the Arab world's only 100% consumer powered customer satisfaction index which rates 16 industry categories such as cafés, retail banks, mobile operators, home furniture, electronics, airlines among others for customer service. After nominating leading brands in every category, Service Hero begins the voting process which lasts for a year. Launched in 2010, this index has measured over 100,000 consumer voices covering more than 300 private sector companies in Kuwait and has also recently expanded to UAE. Competing against 15 large multinational brands in the home furniture category, Home Centre, which has 5 stores in Kuwait, was honored by Service Hero based on votes which were placed by customers in Kuwait from 2015 to 2016. Médéric Payne, CEO of Home Centre said: “We are honored to have received this prestigious award by securing the maximum number of votes. Customers have always been our prime focus and this recognition reflects our longstanding dedication to providing exceptional customer service. This win motivates us to sustain our customer satisfaction index as we strive to remain the preferred home shopping destination in the region.” Votes are placed based on the service dimensions of reliability, speed, product quality, value, location, staff quality, call center and website quality. Customers were also asked to make a comparison between the expected and actual experience of the service and rate factors including overall satisfaction and loyalty. Service Hero has partnered with American Customer Satisfaction Index and members of European Society of Opinion & Market Research, ensuring results are impartial, objective and accurately reflect the voice of the consumer. Recently, Home Centre won the Most Admired Retailer of the Year award in the Home and Housewares category at the 5th Annual Images RetailME Awards 2015, where it was also conferred with the 2015 – 2016 Global Innovation Middle East Award.

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Turkish Airlines has announced its partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures on the highly anticipated action adventure film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In the movie, a pivotal scene unfolds aboard a 777 Turkish Airlines plane. Outside the movie, Turkish Airlines is unveiling innovative movie-themed experiences that give fans around the world an inside look into the world of the iconic Super Heroes facing off for the first time on the big screen when the film comes to cinemas worldwide beginning March 25, 2016. M. Ilker Aycı, Turkish Airlines' Board Chairman, said, “We’re extremely excited to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures on the most anticipated movie of the year. The excitment around Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will enable Turkish Airlines to showcase our global network and unrivaled hospitality to a legion of moviegoers across the world.” “We are delighted to be partnering with Turkish Airlines to take Batman and Superman into the skies and to fans everywhere,” said Gene Garlock, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Executive Vice President, Worldwide Promotional Partnerships. “What made Turkish Airlines such an inspiring partner was their aspiration to dream up something more than just a promotional program but an experience that would be as original and epic as the film.” Drawing inspiration from the film, Turkish Airlines has created an array of experiences, beginning with an invitation for travelers to “book” flights to two new U.S. destinations – Gotham City and Metropolis. Turkish Airlines currently flies to 113 countries, more than any other airline, with flights to 284 destinations – now including the home cities of Batman and Superman.

Saad Al-Rashid: In "Divas Lounge" guarantee for all his guests an experience of tasting different food and breathtaking views of exceptional Kuwait Wednesday, 03/09/2016:” Food and Beverages Company” invites the media and journalists to celebrate the opening of their new Project "Divas Lounge" located at Gold's Gym building near Hotel Holiday Inn Salmiya, In the presence of Mr. / Saad Al-Rashid - CEO and owner of Divas chain of restaurants - who welcomed the guests and pointed in brief words about the opening of a new branch for Divas restaurants under the name "Divas Lounge" located in Gold's Gym building, which offers panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf Street and opposite to The Scientific Center. Mr. Rashed added: the new restaurant consists of three floors equipped furnished in a unique way as it contains of the latest Technology in restaurants innovations, which were imported from Europe, for example special seats with special touches from” RocheBobois” global company. As for the outside seating area the chairs are imported from” Kartell” global company as to achieve the high level requested by the company , the series of three Divas Restaurants”” Divas Lounge” “Divas Olympia” Divas Miral Complex, with a central kitchen equipped in accordance with the requirements of ISO 22000 and a space of 1,300 square meter area, led by a French team of chefs specialists with international expertise, for example, Chef Edward Grosah and chef Olivia, which provides our restaurant to offer a rich menu of food that meet all our Guests requirements and tastes, and moreover the restaurant cares for the sources of the raw materials used by the chefs. This option ensures providing each guest a unique experience, where the welfare of the place and quiet corners in addition to the diversity and richness of the dining Menu and the magnificent scenery overlooking the Arabian Gulf Street The Company distinguishes this particular branch its equipped with the most modern audio-visual system and achieve complete privacy for those who wish to use a separate training hall or to hold several meetings and celebrations for companies and individuals. The restaurant is suitable to host a press conferences and meetings, and this came after a deep study of the requirements and needs of the market where there are many companies needs a hall that provide them with the highest levels of hospitality and services. It is worth mentioning that” Food and Beverages Company” recently opened another new company called “Le Pavillon”, which will offer a new concept of hospitality and Catering in the State of Kuwait and Gulf Area

The British School of Kuwait (BSK) hosted a presentation ceremony for Deputy Director for Youth Affairs, Mr Ahmad . A Al-Khazal at the Public Authority for Sport and his colleagues in appreciation of the assistance provided in the form of advice and artifacts which formed part of an exhibition held to celebrate the BSK Commemoration of National and Liberation Day 2016. BSK Director of Media, Mr Kefah Al Mutawa, acted as MC and welcomed the guests who included BSK Chairman, Mr Sadiq Al Mutawa; BSK Deputy Director Of Finance, Ms Kamelia Al Mutawa; TSK Principal, Ms Joanne Wild, BSK Head Teacher Ms Emma Bowie as well as colleagues from the management teams of both schools. The ceremony included an address by Mr Sadiq when he thanked the Public Authority for their co-operation, help and support to the school community for this most prestigious event in the BSK calendar and a response from Mr Ahmad . A Al-Khazal who spoke of his happiness at attending such an event and how his team are always at the ready to develop a partnership with BSK for future projects in sport and culture. The ceremony included Koran and poetry reading from BSK students Abdulla Al Mutawa and Hashem Al Hashem. The organizing teams was invited on stage to receive their plaques and certificates of appreciation and following the cutting of the cake guests enjoyed a lavish breakfast and the opportunity to mingle and reflect on the partnership between BSK and the Public Authority for Youth and Sport.

DEAN & DELUCA, Kuwait’s gourmet café, has launched the ‘Taste of Arabia’- an exclusive all-day menu featuring classic Arabian dishes with a modern international twist. The launch coincides with Kuwait’s celebration of National and Liberation days and pays tribute to local and regional food traditions. Available from February 23rd to April 9th, Taste of Arabia features dishes that will be made with premium quality ingredients sourced from around the region and prepared by experienced chefs. This seasonal menu pays tribute to DEAN & DELUCA’s presence in Kuwait and the café’s first location in the Middle East. The highlights of the new menu include an allArabian breakfast of Hommous Fatteh – slowbraised chickpeas on a bed of baked Arabic bread, laced with smoothed hommous and topped with pine nuts - and the classic Arabic Style Baked Eggs, with homemade soujouk and roasted tomatoes. No Arabian meal is complete without Cheese Sambosa, stuffed with DEAN & DELUCA’s special cheese mixed with black sesame seeds; or the Arabic Style Cheese & Meat Arayes, seasoned with a unique combination of spices and topped with tomato and cheese. Diners can also enjoy the Kuwaiti classic Chicken Majbous, slow-cooked to perfection and served on a bed of saffron-flavored rice, or a contemporary Prawn Hamsa Taco, topped with avocado and served with a side of sour cream, shredded cheese, pickled jalapeno, and mabouj. Guests can also relish the Jambalaya, cooked in dill, turmeric, tomato, and served with saffronflavored rice. For the perfectly sweet ending to a meal, dessert lovers will be delighted by the Taste of Arabia’s dense and creamy Date Cheesecake covered with caramel, or Rice Pudding & Orange Jelly “Moubaten”, flavored with rose and orange blossom water. For almost 40 years, DEAN & DELUCA has made it their mission to provide the world’s best epicurean treats for cooking, eating and entertaining. Committed to a quest for excellence, the chefs continue to innovate and celebrate sumptuous food with the introduction of fresh and uplifting menus aimed to inspire food lovers everywhere.

Al Muhallab Mall recently celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8th, by organizing its monthly Ladies Night event and hosting prominent society figures. The event witnessed an overwhelming participation by women who were entertained, empowered, and pampered, all for the aim of celebrating them on an internationally recognized day. The event featured a ‘Positive Energy’ lecture by Layla Kaizen – famous social media influencer and positive energy public speaker, who delivered an interactive session around how women can re-energize themselves to do and be their best while helping them communicate and connect more powerfully with others. Kaizen also presented several tips on how to banish negative thoughts and self-doubts that keep women from getting what they want, thus empowering them to reach for higher heights of success in their personal lives and professional careers. Following the ‘Positive Energy’ lecture, women were then entertained to a ‘Comedy & Illusion’ show which was delivered by Abdullatif Al Saleh and Khalid Al Muhareb; who are also known as The Imagine Team. The Imagine Team is the only Middle Eastern team that performs a combination of comedy and illusion shows professionally. Al Saleh and Al Muhareb performed several tricks while interacting with the audience in a fun-filled environment, by which audience received a chance to win significant prizes. It is worth mentioning that this event is considered the second of many Ladies Night events that will be held on a monthly basis by Al Muhallab Mall. Every month, ladies of all ages will be invited to an exclusively themed event with the participation of some of Kuwait’s most prominent social media influencers and public figures. Last month’s event hosted a number of female social media influencers, which featured a musical segment, food and beverage specials, interactive activities and surprises for ladies. The event also acted as an informative and interactive platform for ladies to know more about the trendiest of the beauty world, whether in makeup or skincare, which was discussed and led by several famous social media influencers.

INJAZ-Kuwait today announced that it recently held a Company Program workshop during the first week of February. The two day program, held at the Safir Hotel and Residences in Fintas, the Royal Tent, brought together 310 students from 15 public schools that are undertaking the Company Program to work with their volunteers in a competitive atmosphere. . The Company Program is one of INJAZKuwait’s flagship programs and is the most popular among students. Citi Foundation has been sponsoring this program since its launch.. The aim of this program is to engage students in the start-up of a real and original business concept through the help of a mentor or an entrepreneur. Students come up with a business idea, study its feasibility, sell stocks to raise capital, divide themselves into management teams and produce an effective business plan. They then move on to produce and sell a product or service and then liquidate the company. The program ends with an exciting national competition every year. The Company Program workshop is aimed to incentivize the students to put in as much work as possible to come up with new and innovative products or service ideas. By the end of the 2 day workshop, the student groups had come up with more than 10 new product ideas, for which they are preparing to introduce to the market. This was all done in preparation for the Company Program Competition and to ensure that all schools were on schedule. INJAZ-Kuwait CEO, Rana Al Nibari said: “The programs we offer at INJAZ-Kuwait aim to equip students with the knowledge and practical skills required to help them make a successful entrance into the real work world. Our responsibility also entails exposing them to different groups of students and hence; different thinking techniques and approaches which diversifies the experience itself and allows them to gain more insight into what could lead to successful operation and what could cause it to fail. Every opportunity we present to these students will further hone their skills and build their confidence and sense of entrepreneurism.” As part of The Company Program Workshop, INJAZ-Kuwait invited the Chief Executive Officer of Citi in Kuwait, Mr. Ozgur Kutay to address the students. Ozgur spoke to the teams taking part in the workshop about CSR and Citi’s contribution to local communities it operates in. He was impressed with the level of innovation and creativity the students presented as business ideas and plans during the workshop. He added “I was completely and happily surprised with the unique out of the box way of thinking that the future generation has when it comes to making a product, doing a business plan and in the end standing in front of all these people and confidently present. The Company program has the highest impact in supporting young, entrepreneurially-oriented students which is why Citi Foundation is supporting it in Kuwait and other countries in the region and today, I can genuinely see the program’s impact on each one of these bright students”.

FROM THE PRESS

DEAN & DELUCA Introduces ‘Taste of Arabia’ Menu

Al Muhallab Mall Celebrates International Women’s INJAZ-Kuwait Holds 2 Day during the Ladies Day Company Program Night Event Workshop for Public Schools

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‫جهاز إزالة الشعر نهائيا كاحملترفني لالستعمال بسهولة وأمان في املنزل‪.‬‬

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

Test Your Vocabulary

1. The Anglicized Japanese word futon basically refers to a: Seat; Mattress; Salad; or Fighting stick?

The results suggest that our brains actively delete memories that might distract us from the task at hand.

2. Five ninths of three fifths is a: Quarter; Third; Half; or Whole? 3. The 18C legal term 'Ragman Roll', a record of crimes, originated what modern word for a long complex procedure? 4. What term was popularised by the eponymous 1979 film about a nuclear reactor meltdown hypothetically 'burning' from the US through Earth to other side? 5. What clothing-part metaphorically classifies workers/jobs according to white or blue?

In this sentence, delete means to: 1. provide with abilities or understanding 2. cause to move faster 3. give a statement representing something 4. remove or make invisible

6. The Virgin space tourism business is branded: Galactic; Trek; Odessey; or Titanic?

8. What informal boxing term arose from Muhammad Ali's defeat of George Foreman in 1974, in which Ali covered up against the ropes, causing Foreman's exhaustion from sustained ineffectual punching?

Delete has its roots in Latin and was first used to mean destroy. In modern usage, delete means to remove completely. Delete used in writing means to edit by removing, often done by drawing a line through the text to be deleted . This process is also called “blue-penciling,” due to the use of the blue colored pencil that some editors use

7. What Anglicized German Italian term for 'circulation of money' became a brand for electronic financial transfer, and UK slang for a state benefits payment?

ANSWER: 4. The author looked at the computer screen in horror. With one keystroke she had deleted her entire manuscript. Delete means to erase.

9. The momentous Ali v Foreman world championship fight in Kinshasa, Zaire 1974 was dubbed '(What?) in the (What?)': Plunder, Stumble, Rumble, Fumble, Jungle, Thunder?

MATH PROBLEMS

10. Name the two famous mutually combative British Liberal and Conservative prime ministers of the late 1800s: Wellington, Peel, Gladstone, Palmerston, Disraeli, Churchill?

A student chose a number, multiplied it by 2, then

11. The Anglo-French court term meaning 'this action lies' gave rise to what word which means the essense of a communication/concept?

the number he chose?

subtracted 138 from the result and got 102. What was

12. Xinhau is China's official state: Anthem; Dance; News agency; or Soup? 13. A trug is used to hold/carry things when: Cooking; Gardening; Painting and decorating; or Grooming poodles? 14. 150 tonnes of (What?) are used by 20,000 people in a one hour event annually in Bunol, Spain? 15. What historic UK county part-comprises East Ridings and West Ridings? Northumberland; Yokshire; Kent; or Cork?

ANSWER: Let xx be the number he chose, then 2x−138=1022x−138=102 2x=2402x=240 x=120

16. Monsanto is a globally dominant corporation in the sector of: Pharmaceuticals; Agriculture; Mining; or Taxidermy? 17. The Australian wombat marsupial has what unusually adapted feature for burrow-digging: Metal claws; Teflon fur; Backwards-facing pouch; or Light-emitting ears? 18. Spell the Saudia Arabian capital city: Riyadh; Ryad; Rhiyad; Ryahd? and it means The: Oil; Gold; Gardens; or Sand?

S O G E O

19. The 'Dames Pipi' are traditional Parisien: Plumbers; Tobacconists; Dancers; or Public toilet attendants?

S R A H H

20. Smits and Lugs are Viking-originating (still used) painted marks and ear notches for identifying UK: Sheep; Horses; Rabbits; or Chickens?

O N V E R P

agency, 13.Gardening, 14.Tomatoes, 15.Yorkshire, 16.Agriculture (chemicals and seeds), 17.Backwards-facing pouch, action gist' [this action lies] from gesir, to lie - interestingly the word for 'lies' was the word adopted to mean essense instead of 'action'), 12.News

9.Rumble in the Jungle (Zaire is now Democratic Republic of the Congo), 10.Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli, 11.Gist ('cest 5.Collar (white collar = admin/official/managerial; blue collar = being manual/operatives), 6.Galactic, 7.Giro, 8.Rope-a-dope, equates to a third, or 1/3. To multiply fractions, multiply the tops and multiply the bottoms.), ANSWERS:1.Mattress (specifically unsprung, rollable or foldable),

3.Rigmarole, 4.The China Syndrome,

2.Third (5x3=15 over 9x5=45 is fifteen forty-fifths, or 15/45, which

FEBRUARY, MARCH, 2016 2016

DECEMBER, 2016

S C a P U M C E P T I D ANSWERS: GOOSE, HARSH, PROVEN, CAMPUS, DEPICT

18.Riyadh and The Gardens, 19.Public toilet attendants, 20.Sheep

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JUMBLED WORDS

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ARIES (March 21 - April 19)

Look within during this New Moon on March 8 and perhaps spot a personal flaw that is easy to remedy. It may be something tiny that has been irritating for a long time. It's easy to form a new good habit now. The Full Moon on March 23 shines with love on all the partnerships in your life. Romance glistens with tenderness. Go ahead and let your lover pamper you for a change. Easter Monday, March 28, is high energy with a Moon/Mars conjunction. You may be ready to start something that has been on your mind all winter long. Make it good!

TAURUS

(April 20 - May 20)

Your social life is calling you at the March 8 New Moon. Be careful to not overcommit, neglect an obligation, or sacrifice time needed for something more important. Other than that, enjoy yourself. People want to be with you. The Full Moon on March 23 strengthens your resolve to take better care of yourself. Get better rest and pay attention to your dreams. Focus more on you and enjoy more peace of mind now. On March 30, the Venus/Chiron conjunction could open up an old wound or bring back a bittersweet memory. Be brave and see the beauty and wisdom in it all.

GEMINI

(May 21 - June 20)

All eyes could be on you at work during the March 8 New Moon. Take your time, do your best, and learn from everything and everyone. If you repeat a small error in judgment, relax. It has an easy, effortless fix that you already know. Friends may want more input from you around the Full Moon on March 23. Have some creative discussions and fun, but warn your friends that it's all an experiment and you're following your heart. The Mercury/Uranus conjunction on March 31 could trigger some wild and crazy thoughts and schemes. Play it safe, but be crazy like a fox.

CANCER

(June 21 - July 22)

Explore new, exciting ideas with the March 8 New Moon. The world is so much bigger than we imagine. This is no time to let shyness get in the way. Meet people and try new things, if only that exotic restaurant down the street. The March 23 Full Moon spotlights work. Perform well and have all the clever ideas and solutions you'll need, plus some. Something at home may be tugging at your heart, though, so be sharp. The Moon/Neptune sextile on March 31 is sympathetic to a fond dream. It may take some effort, but the gentle touch will succeed.

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MARCH, 2016

LEO (July 23 - August 22)

Around the March 8 New Moon you could have the solution to someone else's problem, although the final result may not be problem free for you. Luck is on your side, though. Be generous if asked, but don't rush to volunteer anything. Energy is high and you're ready for anything during the March 23 Full Moon. Friends or family may be reluctant to go along with you, but sometimes it's impossible to sit still for long, so, dance! The Sun/Moon trine on March 26 allows people to relate easily. You can close a stubborn gap with someone special now.

VIRGO

(August 23 - September 22)

Are you the answer to someone's romantic prayer? The March 8 New Moon could make you appear perfect in another's eyes. Be patient, let this play out, and learn some valuable relationship lessons. The Full Moon on March 23 puts you in charge of a situation that may actually belong to someone else. If asked or approached, you'll know how to respond. You can do what's necessary without ruffling any feathers and receive more than verbal gratitude. A flash of stubbornness could hold you back on March 30, when Mercury squares Pluto. All will go well in the end.

LIBRA

(September 23 - October 22)

If driven to want to take care of everyone at once, start with yourself. Maybe you've burned out over this issue before, so you should spot the warning signs. Be good to yourself. The March 23 Full Moon could bring people to lighten your mood and get you out and about. If a fresh love sparks to life, it is spring after all! Love is in the air. Be receptive and let a dynamic spirit touch your heart. A bittersweet or tender memory on March 30 could bruise your heart again with the Venus/Chiron conjunction. Cherish these moments from the past.

SCORPIO

(October 23 - November 21)

Fun and games may appeal during the March 8 New Moon. If you're concerned about too much fun causing trouble later, well, you're probably right. Some old habits, fun as they are, can be hard to break. Don't beat yourself up over anything. The March 23 Full Moon reminds you that there are people who care about you. You may not want to be fussed over, but we all need and deserve the genuine concern of friends. Let someone special be good to you now. Your intense month ends with the Moon/Pluto conjunction on March 31. Work hard and get a lot done.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)

The Moon/Saturn conjunction on March 1 gets your month off to a productive, serious start. Be respected and honored. The March 8 New Moon refreshes interest in your home life and environment. If you've been putting off any domestic changes, make them now. Something you do at work now can also improve your home life. Go out on the March 23 Full Moon and enjoy just being with people. You don't need to do anything special, but you probably will and it will be beautiful and delight your heart. Make suggestions and choose what pleases you most. Your friends will oblige.

CAPRICORN

(December 22 - January 19)

The Moon/Saturn conjunction on March 1 sets you up for a busy, fun-filled month. Friends far and near may reach out to you around the March 8 New Moon. Longdistance friends may bombard you with messages, but you'll spend your time closer to home. Be tactful and don't be tempted into silly fun that could cause discord later. Life at home may dominate your thoughts during the Full Moon on March 23. Start a new routine or rearrange your wardrobe closet. Don't let the demands of work interfere with getting your own living quarters in order. Feel good about your space.

AQUARIUS

(January 20 - February 18)

With the Moon sextile Venus and then Mercury in Aquarius on March 2, you should brace for a busy spring! The March 8 New Moon is sheer magic (some of which is sheer fantasy but still fun) with good luck for money. Someone will spontaneously tell you what you need to make it happen. Think big thoughts around the Full Moon on March 23. Planning a trip? Eager to try out a new technique at work or school? Experiment on a smaller scale or closer to home, but keep those intentions to take your new skills to a bigger stage. Stick with it!

PISCES

(February 19 - March 20)

The Sun/Neptune conjunction of last month reverberates on March 1 when an innocent fantasy sends out hopeless ripples. You own the New Moon on March 8, when a partner or lover says the magic words to heal an old wound or solve an old problem. You don't need to repeat the original mistake ever again. Feel better. Take your finances in hand with the March 23 Full Moon. Money looks good and your mental organization looks even better. Get records in order, be well within budget, and feel secure when conversing. Be confident if seeking a loan or dealing with any bureaucracy.

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