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FEBRUARY FFE EBR BRU UA AR ARY RYY 2201 2011 011 01

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JULIAN ASSANGE

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CHAINE DES ROTISSEURS ART OF ENJOYING FOOD

WHAT MAKES THE CAR TICK PLUS, FASHION, ART, MUSIC

62 STOPOVER DAR ES SALAAM

CONTENTS 18

FRONT RUNNER JULIAN ASSANGE

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10 ART THE GENIUS THAT 30

UPFRONT THE LATEST IN NEWS

WAS YEATS

TRAVEL SKIING IN FRENCH ALPS

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ICON CHANEL NO 5

FOOD COURT CHAINE DES ROTISSEUERS TURNS ONE FOOD CHEFS AT LASSERRE ON FRANCE AND IT’S CUISINE

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SHOW A SNEAK PEEK INTO GULF BIKE WEEK 2011

MUSIC ERIK TRUFFAZ

FEATURE ROMANTIC RETREATS

PEOPLE TÊTE-À-TÊTE WITH FATMA AL KHARUSI PLUS MORE........

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FEBRUARY FEBR FE FFEBRUAR EBRUA EB EEBR BRUAR BRUA B BRUARY BRU RUAR RUARY R UARY U AR RYY 2011 201 011 11

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JULIAN ASSANGE CHAINE HAINE DES ROTISSEURS ART OF ENJOYING FOOD

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EDIT NOTE

WHAT MAKES THE CAR TICK PLUS, FASHION, ART, MUSIC

CONCEPT & CREATION MAYANK SINGH DEEPA RAJAN CONTENT RANA ALAWNEH GHALIB ABDULLAH AL FORI FATMA AL ARAIMI MYSSAA AL HINAIAH SUSHMITA SARKHEL EXPERTS Travel - BRUCE STEWART, ANNE COLBY Fashion - NATASHA LUNN, NADIA FOUZI Finance & Investments - K. L PRASAD ART Senior Art Director SANDESH S. RANGNEKAR Art Director MINAAL G. PEDNEKAR Designer AHMED AL HOSNI Photographers RAJESH RAJAN SATYADAS C. NARAYANAN MOTASIM AL BALUSHI PRODUCTION HEAD GOVINDRAJ RAMESH ADVERTISING & MARKETING Business Head MIMI DEB Advertising Manager CHANDNI MANIAR Assistant Advt. Manager - FAREEDA S. AL BALUSHI CORPORATE Chief Executive - SANDEEP SEHGAL Executive Vice President - ALPANA ROY Vice President - RAVI RAMAN Senior Business Support Executive RADHA KUMAR Business Support Executive ZUWAINA SAID AL RASHDI DISTRIBUTED WITH OER by United Media Services LLC Signature is an OER presentation published monthly and released in the first week of every month. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher does not accept responsibility for any loss occasioned to any person or organisation acting or refraining as a result of material in this publication. Signature accepts no responsibility for advertising content.

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Presentation Copyright © 2010 United Press & Publishing LLC

BEYOND CHOCOLATES AND ROSES

This is the age of decadence. Where luxury is not just enough. It’s super-luxury one lusts after. Where good things definitely don’t come in small packages. When, sometimes OTT signifies how much you’ve arrived on the social scene.

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, mush has always ruled; something like a time-and-tested formula. Flowers, candle-lit dinners, romantic getaways, chocolates, gifts – you may think, can it really get any better than that?

Recently, the Internet was abuzz with rumours of Jennifer Aniston auctioning herself off for a date on Valentine’s Day to support her favourite charity. There’s also news of Mark Wahlberg taking time out to auction off the chance for one winner to share a scene with him in his next film, 'Contraband'.

Now, we’re not saying you should do something bizarre to get your loved one’s attention!

But it’s certainly time to think ‘out of the chocolate box!’

What can you do this Valentine’s Day to feel good and make your partner truly special?

(After all, you have the watches, diamonds and the yachts!)

A few things may work to keep the continuum of love going…

Volunteer for a charitable organisation – Nothing beats the joy of giving and when you share a common cause, it makes your relationship enduring as well as endearing.

Do something you’ve never done before – Whether it’s deep sea diving, mountain climbing or bungee jumping – a double burst of adrenaline can give your relationship, a shot in the arm, literally!

Valentine’s Day is always not about being together with your partner. If your children are away at school or university, you can pay them a surprise visit and spend the day together.

Take a pottery class – Valentine’s Day is about being together and you could have a fun time learning a new art.

These are just a few ideas and we are sure you’ll be able to come up with plenty more.

After all, ‘Love is a many splendoured thing’ and will embrace and include all you want it to…

Happy Valentine’s Day! See you next issue…

BLOCK YOUR DATES

Cairo International Book Fair February 1 - 28 Cairo, Egypt

Muscat Festival - February 24 Oman

Extreme Sailing Series February 22 -24 The Wave, Muscat Saadiyat Island Cultural District Exhibition - February 25 Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dorakk Festival 2011 February 18 The Lost Paradise of Dilmun Waterpark, Bahrain

White Turf International Horse Races February 6 - 20 St Moritz, Switzerland

Tour of Oman February 15 - 20 Oman

Spring Festival/Chinese New Year February 2 - 8 China

2011 Omega Dubai Desert Classic February 7 -13 Emirates Golf Club, Dubai

The Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show 2011 February 3 - 6 Excel London, UK World Theatre Festival 2011 February 9 - 20 Brisbane, Australia Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week February 10 - 17 New York, USA

Venice Carnival February 26 - March 08 Venice, Italy

Bahrain International Garden Show February 25 - 27 Bahrain International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Bahrain

Qatar Fencing Federation, Grand Prix 2011 February 11 - 12 Qatar Doha Food Festival 2011 February 23 - 26 Doha, Qatar Nemr Abou Nassar, Epic The Tour February 14 Crowne Plaza Muscat, Oman

UPFRONT

THE LATEST AND OUT-OF-THE-ORDINARY… A CULTURAL EASEL

JAMM, an independent strategic art advisory, will host its 2nd auction in Kuwait on February 9, 2011 featuring over 90 works by emerging and established Arab, Iranian and International artists, including Hassan Meer, Nabil Nahas, Rokni Haerizadeh, Abdulrahim Sherif, Nabeela Al Khayer, Mohammed Al Mahdi, Reza Derakshani, Damian Hirst, Ahmed Alsoudani and Farideh Lashai. The auction will provide an opportunity for both new and existing clients in the GCC region and beyond to add to their collections of contemporary art. A public exhibition of the artworks will take place at the Avenues on February 8, ahead of the auction, which will be conducted by renowned auctioneer, Aileen Agopian. Part of the proceeds from this sale will benefit KAACH, the Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital.

A RACY CONCEPT

RACE’S ON

For all you sailing enthusiasts out there, here’s an event to watch out for.

The inaugural Sailing Arabia–The Tour, which is based loosely on the demanding and internationally renowned Tour de France à la Voile held annually in France, promises to be a true test of a sailor’s skills. Organised

by Oman Sail, the race will bring together several Gulf countries with sailors being represented from each of them. The race, which will last for 14 days, will see the teams sail across the region before stopping in Musannah Marina ahead of a short sprint down to the finish at The Wave, Muscat. Three teams from Oman include the Oman Sail Renaissance, Oman Sail (The Banks) and Royal Navy of Oman.

Porsche has rolled out a race-bred version of the 918 Spyder Concept at this year’s Detroit Auto Show.

Packing the same drivetrain as the trackproven 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car, Porsche says that the 918 RSR will bring a whopping 767 combined horsepower to the party when it shows up in the paddock. A total of 563 of those ponies are provided by a 6.2L V8 that revs up to 10,300rpm. Porsche has partnered its beastly eight-pot with two electric motors capable of 75kw positioned at each front wheel.

The Porsche range is available at SATA LLC, Porsche Centre Oman

THE POWER OF FOUR

The official Prancing Horse web site, Ferrari.com, has revealed the first photographs, from a dedicated shoot by Giovanni Gastel, of the new FF, the company’s most powerful, versatile four-seater ever, as well as its first ever four-wheel drive car. The FF – an acronym for Ferrari Four (four seats and four-wheel drive) – ushers in an entirely new GT sports car concept. This new V12 features the company’s first ever four-wheel drive system. Ferrari’s exclusive, patented 4RM (four-wheel drive) weighs 50 per cent less than a conventional four-wheel drive system, maintaining perfect weight distribution (53% over the rear axle).

The FF will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Ferrari range is available at Shanfari Automotive 10

UPFRONT

BRIGHTEN UP

The Guerlain Orchidée Impériale range introduces the new Eye and Lip Cream, skincare specifically formulated to target the common origin of premature ageing of the eye and lip contour area. With its incredibly subtle texture, this cream acts in multiple ways to ‘restore’ plumpness and vitality. The eye contour appears redefined, smoother and brighter. Lips regain their curves and shape and their contours appear more defined.

Guerlain range is available at Capital Store outlets

INFINITE ART

Infiniti Oman recently hosted an exhibition featuring the works of internationally-recognised jewellery designer, Nadia Dajani in their Qurum showroom. Dajani’s collection focuses on art jewellery; her pieces find their inspiration in natural forms, in the vitality of the symbolism of the written word, and in the art of Arabic calligraphy. This is the first time any automobile dealer in the country has combined auto with art and speaks to the core values of the Infiniti brand roots that are founded on innovation and design.

TRAVEL COMFORT

Oman Air has unveiled spectacular new First Class and Business Class lounges at Muscat International Airport. The two lounges are located on the first floor of the terminal and combine the ultimate in modern and elegant interior design, state-of-the-art materials and technology and the generous hospitality for which Oman and Oman Air are renowned. Open 24 hours, each lounge offers dedicated dining facilities, quiet rooms, men’s and women’s prayer rooms, wash and shower rooms, a business centre, and a ‘Chedi’ spa. Children also have a dedicated playroom.

LADY-LIKE

The new Omega Ladymatic Collection, with its Co-Axial technology and bold fashion features, takes the best elements of an earlier era and introduces them, completely updated and upgraded, to the sophisticated and smart women of a new century. The watches feature polished 34mm cases with a distinctive ceramic ring between an outer decorative wave and the inner case body. The cases are crafted in 18K red or yellow gold or in stainless steel. They are offered with a choice of polished or snowset diamond-paved bezels.

Omega range is available at Mistal, Darsait and Rivoli outlets 12

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UPFRONT

GOOD LIVING

Alargan Towell recently announced the 75 per cent completion of the Beyout AlFaye project’s first phase. The project, worth Rials 11.9m covers a gross land area of 54,800sq m in the well-developed area of Al Khoudh. Beyout AlFaye consists of a residential component, featuring three to five bedroom villas, a park, and a commercial component which will comprise a number of services and facilities to cater to the residents.

Three Model Homes and a Sales Office are now ready to welcome potential buyers and guests. The company has opened a special sales booth at the City Center at Seeb.

DAISY FRESH

Inspired by his love of art, Marc Jacobs introduces a new limited edition collectible bottle: the Daisy Marc Jacobs Pop Art edition. It captures the perfect mix of moods—the polish of uptown luxury and a relaxed downtown vibe. Bursting with vibrant colour and originality, it is the ultimate must have. Even the bottle, balances the sophistication and whimsy of the original daisy with the feeling of luxury and modernity.

BEAUTIFUL EXPRESSIONS

His Excellency Mohammad Al Zubair was recently invited to exhibit a solo show at the Omani Society for Fine Arts’ ‘Fine Arts Festival’ held at the Oman International Expo Centre in Seeb. The solo show consisted of 100 digital photographs and is part of a new series called ‘Our Beautiful World’. It focuses on the wonders of the natural world and the man-made environment; documenting the travels of Mohammad Al Zubair. You can now view these photographs at Bait Al Zubair Museum from Saturdays to Thursdays (9.30am-6pm).

SHOWER OF HEALTH

In order to lead the good life, one needs to be healthy. Keeping that in mind, ‘Healthy Shower Filter’ offers a range of modern luxurious filters that soften water, remove scale, harsh chemicals, bacteria and eradicates heavy metals from shower water while also removing 99 per cent chlorine to make the skin soft and look healthier and younger.

Qais United Enterprises Trading is the exclusive distributor of Healthy shower filter in Oman.

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PORT CALL

Royal Caribbean International’s The Brilliance of the Seas recently docked at the Port Sultan Qaboos during her second gulf cruise. In addition to nine seven-night sailings from Dubai around the region, the new plans for 2011 include two longer 12 night sailings, calling in to three Indian ports – Mumbai, Goa and Cochin. The Brilliance of the Seas, which made its maiden voyage in July 2002, has a passenger capacity of 2,114 (double occupancy) and 2,502 (maximum).

ETERNAL BLING

AHOY DISNEY!

For all those who always wanted to visit Disneyland, but did not know how.

Here’s a piece of good news. In an exclusive event conducted at Crowne Plaza Muscat, our very own Khimji House of Travel (KHOT) was appointed the sole representative for the Oman market for Disneyland® Paris as a sub-distributor for Al Tayer Travel Agency, Dubai, which has become the main distributor for the GCC. KHOT will promote, distribute and market all Disneyland® Paris products including Disney cruises.

LEATHER CHIC

From the House of Amouage comes the new Small Leather Goods Collection, introducing crocodile prints and patent leather with vibrant nappa leather contrasts. The spectrum of rich colour combinations range from elegant black with gold and tan with orange to bold purple with baby pink and black with fuchsia. The Collection comprises a contemporary and distinctive variety of small leather goods from wallets, credit card holders, business card and key cases to women’s cosmetic bags, luggage tags, men’s wash bags and passport cases.

Available at all Amouage outlets

Mouawad’s ‘Flower of Eternity’ collection continues the brand’s tradition and passion for excellence, through a stylish line of jewellery that exudes contemporary glamour. Crafted from 18k yellow, rose and white gold, and set with diamonds and colored gemstones, the ‘Flower of Eternity’ collection ranges from simple pendants to ornate four-piece sets. The result is a selection of iconic pieces perfect for every mood from daytime chic to the most dazzling evening sophistication.

Mouawad range is available at Mouawad, Al Khamis Plaza, Qurum

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FRONT RUNNER

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THE FALLEN ANGEL THE RISE AND FALL OF JULIAN ASSANGE “In the race between secrecy and truth, it seems inevitable that truth will always win.” Those words were written in 1958 by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who at that time owned and edited a regional newspaper called The News in Adelaide, Australia.

Thirteen years and Watergate later, a boy was born in the state of Queensland to parents who met at a demo against the Vietnam war. That child was Julian Paul Assange, who the mediatised population of the world now knows, despises, worships, even fancies, as the public face of WikiLeaks.

Doesn’t it seem remarkable that as recently as April 2010 most of us had never read or heard the word WikiLeaks, nor seen the Vitamin D-starved face or heard the low voice of the whistle-blowing website’s 39 year-old editor-in-chief Assange? Now, in a world post-‘Collateral Murder’, post-90,000 classified military records of the US campaign in Afghanistan, post-400,000 secret US military logs on Iraq and post-innumerable US diplomatic cables, WikiLeaks is arguably as (in)famous as Facebook and Assange himself recognised by more of us than Mark Zuckerberg. (Ironically, the face of Facebook, Zuckerberg, was only really exposed to the world

after he beat Assange in the race for Time magazine’s Person of the Year 2010.)

One struggles to remember an individual – and Assange is supremely one of those – who has arrived on the world stage so suddenly and elicited such a heady mixture of curiosity, admiration and vitriol.

With no other public or identifiable member of staff, no fixed address, nothing or no-one for the rest of us to get our heads around or our teeth into, Assange is the world’s sole human conduit into the world of WikiLeaks. The burden of terrible responsibility, or the glory of truth’s victory over secrecy, rest with him and him almost alone. (‘Almost’ because, as Assange himself is keen to point out, the US diplomatic cables were published concurrently by several daily newspapers.)

Assange describes himself as combative but speaks of WikiLeaks’ raison d’etre in terms which reflect his training as a physicist: “to maximise the flow of information to maximise the amount of action leading to just reform.” Possessed of a remarkable intellect and the kind of charm you wouldn’t associate with a man once described as a ‘monk of the online age’,

FRONT RUNNER

ON WAR

Assange grew up in rural Australia with a nonconformist, nomadic mother, in an environment in which those around him pulled no punches in expressing their distrust of big government.

Assange’s teenage was a whirlwind of schools – 37 in total – as his mother moved from to place to place running a travelling theatre company.

Being sedentary is not in the blood: Assange is officially of no fixed abode, and spends much of his time flying from continent to continent, living in airports. A rebel on the move, passing through transit, his only cargo a gaggle of mobile phones, a desktop computer, and a dark suit. From Kenya to Reykjavik to London. To Stockholm?

Allegations of sexual offences, if proven, may make a jail in the Swedish capital his journey’s final destination.

The authorities in Australia first learnt of Assange when he was in his early 20s, nicknamed Mendax, and hacking the computer system of a Melbournebased telecom company called Nortel. In the days before websites even existed, Assange had attached a modem to his computer and begun breaking into secure networks in collaboration with a small group of hackers known as the International Subversives. Their motivation – as revealed in a book called Underground, on which Assange worked as a researcher - was sharing information. The lead investigator in the Nortel case, which resulted in Assange being charged with 31 counts of hacking and related offences,

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recently told the The New Yorker that he believes Assange was motivated by a belief that everyone should have access to everything.

Faced with a possible jail sentence of 10 years, Assange became deeply depressed and firmer in his conviction that his only offence was looking at or seeing information, which for him was a victimless crime. The case resulted in little more than a fine, but a far greater battle was already underway. At 18 Assange had fathered a child while living in a squat in Melbourne. After separating from the boy’s mother, he fought to gain custody of his son in a case which escalated into a battle against Australia’s Child Protection Agency. He co-founded an organisation called Parent Inquiry into Child Protection, which encouraged whistle-blowing by dissidents employed by the state.

The physics department of the University of Melbourne followed. Briefly. He dropped out, disgusted that academics were employing their knowledge to the good of the military and intelligent services rather than to the advancement of knowledge of mankind as a whole. Assange was savage in his criticism, describing them as “wilful conformists of woefully, woefully inferior character.” He saw them as pawns in a battle between two forces: not one of right against left, or faith against reason, but of individuals against institutions. In 2006 he created WikiLeaks as a weapon in that fight. The rest will be history.

“PEOPLE HAVE SAID I AM ANTI-WAR: FOR THE RECORD, I AM NOT. SOMETIMES NATIONS NEED TO GO TO WAR, AND THERE ARE JUST WARS. BUT THERE IS NOTHING MORE WRONG THAN A GOVERNMENT LYING TO ITS PEOPLE ABOUT THOSE WARS, THEN ASKING THESE SAME CITIZENS TO PUT THEIR LIVES AND THEIR TAXES ON THE LINE FOR THOSE LIES.”

ON IMPARTIALITY “TO BE COMPLETELY IMPARTIAL IS TO BE AN IDIOT. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO TREAT THE DUST IN THE STREET THE SAME AS THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED.”

ON HIS CORE VALUES “GENEROUS, CAPABLE MEN DON’T MAKE VICTIMS. THEY NURTURE VICTIMS.”

PREVIEW

LET THE GAMES BEGIN! GET READY FOR THE SEVENTH EDITION OF OER CEO GOLF, THE MOST HAPPENING EVENT OF THE YEAR…

There are a few occasions in the crazy hustle of corporate life when CEOs get to leave the brainstorming of the boardroom and settle in for some quiet relaxation. But for Oman’s head honchos, OER CEO Golf 2011 has other plans.

The seventh edition of the country’s elitist leisure golfing event will be a day of recreational reckoning that will pit CEOs in a battle of guts, grit and glory on the greens. Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club plays host, while Nawras Business Solutions is presenting the corporate networking event of the year.

Ray Stopforth, Director of Golf (and a PGA Professional) – Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club, says, “We are proud that the OER CEO Golf has chosen Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club to host this prestigious event. Events such as this give Muscat Hills greater exposure to Golfers and Non Golfers throughout the Middle East.”

According to Markus Golder, Business Segment Director – Nawras, “We are enthusiastic about supporting activities that appeal to our customers and events that help to spread the excitement and innovation of the Nawras brand to an even wider audience,” says Markus Golder, Business Segment Director.

Adding to the power-packed performances on the greens, will be the debut of the INFINITI high-performance range of cars from the renowned Suhail Bahwan Automobile stable. INFINITI is the associate presenter. “This marks INFINITI’s entry into OER CEO Golf and we are happy to showcase our line of performance driven vehicles,” says Bibhudendu Pattanaik, Head of Marketing – INFINITI, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles LLC. The official timekeeper of the event is ROLEX from Khimji’s Watches. “We are very happy to be part of this prestigious event. It is the best event in Oman. We wish all players the best of luck and hope that they play hard to win a Rolex,” says Madhursinh Jesrani, General Manager, Khimji's Watches.

Sandeep Sehgal, CE of United Media Services says, “With each edition of CEO Golf we strive to incorporate new and exciting elements in the game and this time is no different.”

And, indeed this edition of CEO Golf has lots to keep you on your toes. The action will tee-off with a round of rapid-fire Power Play Golf, followed some light-hearted SNAG. Participants will also get to see a pro in action – world renowned Trick Shot specialist, Jeremy Dale. It’s no less than a red-carpet cultural extravaganza in the evening featuring electrifying performances by the UK-based, all-girl string quartet, Asteria.

Rounding off the event is a gourmet banquet and glittering awards ceremony with an array of exciting prizes.

is luxury partner of the event

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Publicity partners are Times of Oman and Al Shabiba; Media sponsors include Hi, and Al Youm Al Sab’e; prize partner is Samsung. Category partners are Signature (Luxury) and AXA (Insurance), Reach (Activation), Oman Printers & Stationers (Printing), OUA (Beverage), Infoline (Call Centre) and Aggreko (Energy). Prize partners include Samsung, Micromax Mobiles, Damas, Millennium Resort, Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Travel City and Graphic International Centre.

TRAVEL

FOR INTERMEDIATE SKIERS SERRE CHEVALIER This is the collective name for a dozen linked villages along the road from the garrison town of Briançon. Think of it as the laid-back, country cousin of the A-list resorts farther north – a bit smaller and a bit less hi-tech, but also friendlier, more relaxed and with bags more Gallic character. Some 62 lifts serve a respectable 250km of varied, but mainly intermediate ski slopes. Favourite villages include Chantemerle and Monêtier-Les-Bains, a picturesque spa that was popular in Victorian times. The long-established British-run company Eureka Ski (www.eurekaski.com) organises everything there from accommodation to childcare.

WHERE TO STAY The Residence du Temple offers luxurious, self-catering apartments in Briançon housed within the breathtaking 17th century city walls of the Cité Vauban, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Residence du Temple is perfectly located at the entrance to the Serre Chevalier Vallée ski area with easy access to Montgenèvre, Clavière, Sansicario, Sauze d’Oulx and Sestrière, a perfect destination for a winter holiday in the Alps. www.residencedutemple.com

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SKI HIGH! Thomas Spink takes you through some of best ski vacation spots in the French Alps

FOR ADVANCED SKIERS VAL D’ISÈRE More skiers and snowboarders go to Val d’Isère than any other French resort; 93 per cent of them are intermediates or beginners. So you don’t have to be advanced to enjoy yourself there, but if you are, you will. Few world-class resorts have such a quantity and variety of challenging terrain, both on and off piste. To explore the resort to its fullest you need expert assistance; Signature recommends Top Ski (www.topskival.com) which has some of the most experienced and charismatic instructors and guides.

WHERE TO STAY Located in the very heart of the old village of Val d’Isère, L’Aigle des Neiges hotel counts among the most fashionable hotels in the region. Perched at 1,850m altitude, the hotel is superbly located in the heart of the old village and just a few steps from the snow, thus enabling you to benefit from all the resort’s exciting features. Redecorated by the architect Alain Perrier, L’Aigle des Neiges perfectly combines modernity and traditional local style: natural wood and raw stone blend seamlessly in terms of colour and light. www.hotelaigledesneiges.com

TRAVEL

FOR ALTERNATIVE SKIING TIGNES You can ski here 10 months of the year. As early as midNovember you can ski from the top of the Grande Motte glacier to the funicular station at Val Claret – a drop of 1,400m, which is more than most resorts in the world can offer in February.

Some 90 lifts serve 300km of piste in Tignes and neighbouring Val d’Isère. You can ski 1,900m vertically all the way down to the satellite of Les Brevières. The piste grooming is some of the best in Europe.

WHERE TO STAY Chalet de la Cloche occupies an enviable position at the foot of the Espace Killy lift system, next to the clock tower in the centre of Tignes Les Brévières, a traditional Alpine village high in the French Alps. This spacious chalet can sleep up to 16 guests and its expert team includes a chalet manager, chauffeur and chef.

Although the village may be wonderfully serene, the nearest ski lift is just a two-minute walk away and will speed you up to the popular resorts of Tignes and Val d’Isere which are both part of the vast Espace Killy ski area. Even in the height of summer the high altitude and the glaciers mean you can snap on your skis and head for the slopes. www.mrandmrssmith.com

FOR CHARM AND ROMANCE ST MARTIN-DE-BELLEVILLE French resorts major on convenience rather than charm. Attractive villages with large ski areas are notable by their absence. St Martin, the prettiest destination in the Trois Vallées, is an exception. This old cheese-making centre below Les Menuires in the Belleville Valley has raised its traditionally sleepy profile in recent years. It offers a radically different experience from neighbouring international resorts. It will bore the pants off party animals – but that’s how its growing band of fans like it. Modern architecture respects the old farmhouses and 17th-century church. La Bouitte in the adjoining hamlet of St Marcel has two Michelin stars, quaint rooms, and a tiny spa. A fast gondola and a chair take you up to the ridge above the Belleville and Les Allues valleys. From there you can ski to Méribel, Les Menuires, and Val Thorens – or coast back down to St Martin.

WHERE TO STAY Right on the slopes, at the very heart of the 3 Valleys, the Kaya introduces a new mountain lodging concept that is more urban and trendier. A harmonious blend of traditional building materials and pure contemporary lines. South facing, with a splendid view of the mountain tops. www.chateauxhotels.co.uk

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FOR PARTY HOPPERS MÉRIBEL The geographical capital of the Trois Valleés is not my favourite French destination.

But there’s no denying that the thousands who migrate there each winter, along with a few French, know how to party in style. It has an unrivalled selection of good-quality chalets, although wickedly high prices have led to a sharp fall in the overall number of visitors in recent years. There’s easy access to the other two valleys (both of which have better skiing).

WHERE TO STAY In the heart of Méribel at the foot of the slopes, this authentic Savoy chalet doesn’t keep its “big heart” hidden away. There is the immediate promise of an exceptional stay.

Enjoy the princely rooms, piano bar, gourmet restaurant; nothing is left to chance for moments of pure relaxation in the Spa that are just as agreeable as the hours spent skiing. How therapeutic the spa treatments are for those aching muscles. www.chateauxhotels.co.uk

FOR FAMILIES LES GETS This is the best child-friendly village in the giant 650km Portes du Soleil ski area.

There’s a huge choice of good accommodation, ranging from child-friendly chalets with nannies (www.skifamille.com) to the incomparable hedonism of the six-star Chalet Ferme de Moudon (www.fermedemoudon.com). Les Gets itself is a pleasing mixture of old Savoyard chalets and more modern wooden-and-stone buildings constructed in keeping with their beautiful alpine surroundings. The only drawback is its modest 1,172m altitude, which ensures that snow cover is not reliable at village level throughout the season.

WHERE TO STAY Altitude Lodge is VIP’s funky new chalet hotel. You can ski to and from the door. Three rooms even have private outdoor hot tubs. www.vip-chalets.com

SIGNATURE EVENT

Move over Mondays Blues, for the ‘Zouk Girls Night’ is on in full swing! And, what a party it has been so far! Starting at 8pm every Monday, the night has been an extravaganza of free-flowing beverages, foot-tapping music and of course Fashion Nights, which has been a great success with as many a fashionista walking the ramp in hope for making it to the grand finale, which will be held on February 14 at the most happening place in town 'Zouk'.

The 20 participants have already been short-listed by a prominent jury and have moved into the semi-final rounds. The winner will be given the title, ‘Ms Zouk 2011’ and a further 11 will be selected to feature in the Zouk Calendar 2011. The girls will also be given a thorough grounding in fashion, walking on the ramp and make-up

by CB Modelling Agency before the grand finale. The models also have the chance to win exciting prizes, including prestigious modelling assignments with CB Modeling Agency. That’s not all! You can also look forward to entertainment with performances from celebrities and local talent!

And, we save the best for the last! Love, they say, is a many splendoured thing! Hence, in celebration of this divine emotion that makes the world go around, all the couples, who walk in to Zouk during the entire month of February, will stand a chance to win ‘The Signature Couple 2011’ award. Sponsored

by Signature magazine, this coveted title offers exciting prizes to behold!

For more details write to aabhatia@gmail.com

is media partner of the event

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LIFE’S A PARTY… ...WHEN YOU ARE LIVIN’ IT UP AT ZOUK. BECOME A PART OF THE ALL THE FUN AND MUSH THIS VALENTINE’S DAY

THE WRITE STUFF A QUICK GLANCE AT SOME NEW RELEASES THAT’LL GET YOUR READ-O-METER CRANKING

We, the Drowned Carsten Jensen Translated by Charlotte Barslund this epic tells the stories of the lives and journeys of sailors from a small Danish town.

One of Our Thursdays is Missing Jasper Fforde New York Times bestselling author, Jasper Fforde’s newest book in the Thursday Next series promises to provoke, thrill and leave you wanting for more.

Treachery in Death J. D. Robb What seems to be a regular crime turns out to be much more and two detectives suddenly find themselves surrounded by suspicion, lies and deceit.

The Paris Wife Paula McLain A charming account of Ernest Hemingway’s life with his wife Hadley Richardson.

A Red Herring Without Mustard Alan Bradley Super sleuth Flavia de Luce has to save a gypsy from being wrongly accused in the third instalment of this award-winning series.

The Calling of the Grave Simon Beckett A convict escapes prison and begins targeting those involved in his incarceration and it’s up to Dr. Hunt to stop him.

When the Killing’s Done T.C. Boyle In his 13th novel, Boyle explores mankind’s dysfunctional relationship with nature.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother Amy Chua In her latest offering, Chua talks about her experiences raising two daughters and the lessons she learned in the process.

ART

IDOL MOMENTS

THE CUT-OFF COMPOSITION AND THE LIVELY HANDLING OF PAINT ADD TO THE MODERNITY OF THE SUBJECT. THEY GIVE A SENSE OF THE PASSING MOMENT AND CONVEY TO THE VIEWER THE FLEETING GLIMPSE OF THE CAT AMONG THE MOVIE MAGAZINES. THE DARK SOLIDITY OF THE ANIMAL’S BODY CONTRASTS WITH THE FLATTER, LESS DEFINED FORMS OF THE JOURNALS. ITS ALMOST SCULPTURAL STRUCTURE IS CREATED OUT OF A RICH ARRAY OF BRUSHSTROKES OF DARK BLUES AND GREYS. ULTIMATELY, YEATS’ LOVE OF ANIMALS IS TO THE FORE IN THIS WORK.

JACK BUTLER YEATS CAPTURED THE ARRIVAL OF MODERN LIFE INTO THE BACKWATERS OF IRELAND. THE GREAT THREAT, HE BELIEVED, WAS THE CINEMA, SAYS ROISIN KENNEDY

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J

ack B. Yeats’ romantic images of Irish life and landscape have encouraged many to see him as the archetypal national Irish painter.

However, his work equally engages with universal themes that touch on mortality, creativity and the freedom of the human spirit.

Born in London in 1870, son of the portrait painter John Butler Yeats and younger brother of the future poet William Butler Yeats, Jack spent his childhood with his grandparents in Sligo on the west coast of Ireland. After attending art schools in London he began a successful career as an illustrator of magazines in the late 1880s. For more than 30 years he contributed cartoons to Punch under the pseudonym, W. Bird, which provided him with a regular income and about which he was secretive. These demonstrate his awareness of contemporary popular culture and current affairs as well as a sense of humour, although stylistically they are completely distinct from his art work. Yeats began painting and exhibiting watercolours of the landscape and peasantry of Ireland in both London and Dublin in 1899.

These were based on incidents or scenes witnessed by the artist on his visits to the west of Ireland and recorded in his sketchbooks. His new representation of the Irish peasant was greatly admired by prominent figures in the Irish Literary Revival, including the writers George Russell and Lady Gregory. Yeats’ understanding of rural Ireland was deepened by his travels through Galway and Mayo with the playwright John M. Synge in 1905, whose series of articles for The Manchester Guardian was illustrated by the artist. Yeats also provided illustrations for Synge’s The Aran Islands (1907).

In 1910 Yeats returned to Ireland permanently and at the same time he began painting in oils.

His early oil paintings share the realist approach of his graphic work and concentrate on scenes of rural and urban life, as in The Liffey Swim (1923) or An Island Funeral (1923). Such work provided a positive image of Irish society and culture at a crucial period in the country’s history, when the Irish Free State was gaining independence from Britain.

His style changed radically in the later 1920s,

when he applied paint more loosely and showed a greater interest in the expressive qualities of colour, experimenting by juxtaposing complementary and contrasting hues. He was aware of contemporary European expressionist art, which he saw in London, and he corresponded with the Austrian expressionist, Oskar Kokoschka. But the development also came out of the experimental and isolated nature of Yeats’ own practice.

While the subject matter of the later paintings is sometimes obscure, the themes are often closely linked to his early oeuvre. Images of strolling players, ballad singers and horsemen abound.

The handling of form and colour in these late works adds a significant dimension to their

content. Through the use of thick impasto or barely covered canvas, Yeats draws attention to the physical creation of the paintings. While always representational, parts of the paintings are deliberately ambiguous and difficult to decipher, a strategy of Yeats to draw the viewer into an engagement with the work of art and to recognise its artificial construction.

Jack B. Yeats exhibited The Cat among the Stars at the 1940 RHA exhibition in Dublin.

Its ostensibly inconsequential subject – a cat reclining among a display of film magazines, belies the more intriguing nature of its subject matter. Yeats was all too aware of the impact of modernity, and especially such manifestations of it as cinema, on contemporary life. His play Harlequin’s Positions, performed at the Peacock Theatre in Dublin in 1939, centred on the

proposed opening of a picture house in a rural Irish town. (From 1930 to 1947, Yeats wrote and published novels and plays prolifically.)

As an ardent admirer of live theatre, Yeats had an ambivalent attitude towards cinema, which, according to John Purser, is sometimes represented as a social blight in his writings.

Hollywood had a profound if indirect impact on life in Ireland, an influence not curtailed by the draconian censorship of film in the Free State.

It symbolised a fantasy world of escape and of possibilities, a central theme in Yeats’ artistic imagination. Its influence was particularly important for women as a marker of fashion, independence and alternative life models.

Yeats always recognised the connection between femininity and modernity, especially in his paintings of Dublin in the 1920s and 1930s. These provided cinema-goers with news and gossip concerning the stars of the screen and fed the insatiable public curiosity into their seemingly outrageous lifestyles. The features of two of the most notable actresses of the day, Bette Davis and Carole Lombard, may be discerned on the covers of Movie Mirror and Film in the foreground of the painting. Their unreal glamour is offset by the comparative worldliness of the cat, although it too has a distinctly seductive quality. Yeats loved animals and many of his early sketchbooks contain drawings of the dog and cat which he and his wife Cottie kept in their first home in Devon. The Cat among the Stars is undoubtedly based on something Yeats noticed on his ramblings around Ireland, and more probably in Dublin. He recorded such sights in the pocket-sized sketchbooks which he carried everywhere. His favourite haunts in the city included Greene’s Bookshop and the stalls of books and magazines on the quays, which provided him with amusing images of the interaction between modernity and the more traditional aspects of city life. Two important works, Jazz Babies (1929) and Gentlemen Prefer Books (1950), focus on the presence of young fashionable women in such locations. In The Cat among the Stars these figures are distilled into the feminine symbols of cat and movie star, both powerful indicators of leisure and display.

Yeats was adept at drawing humour and poetry from the simplest of scenes, as evidenced in this charming work.

Dr Róisín Kennedy, a former Yeats Curator at the National Gallery of Ireland, lectures in art history at Trinity College and University College Dublin.

As published in Bonhams Magazine.

fashion

GIVE YOUR STYLE THE SIGNATURE STAMP WITH ARMANI COLLEZIONI FALL-WINTER 2010/2011 COLLECTION

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THE ARMANI COLLEZIONI MAN LEADS AN ACTIVE, SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE. HE IS THE FASHIONCONSCIOUS TRAVELLER, WHO KNOWS HOW TO LOOK AND FEEL COMFORTABLE.

THE LATEST ARMANI COLLEZIONI MENS’ RANGE IS AVAILABLE AT TAHANI, SABCO COMMERICAL CENTRE, QURUM.

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THE ARMANI COLLEZIONI WOMAN LEADS AN INTENSE AND BUSY LIFE. AWARE OF HER OWN FEMININITY AND INDIVIDUAL CHARM, SHE IS KEEN TO CHOOSE HER OWN WARDROBE IN TOTAL FREEDOM AND LIKES TO DRESS WITH AN INTELLIGENT HINT OF IRONY.

THE LATEST ARMANI COLLEZIONI WOMENS’ RANGE IS AVAILABLE AT TAHANI, JAWHARAT A’SHATTI COMPLEX, SHATTI AL QURUM.

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THE STYLE FILES

ROSEMIN MANJI, ON HOW TO SURVIVE THOSE TRAVEL BLUES AND COME OUT LOOKING FRESH AND CHIC...

À LA MODE

Once upon a time, going to the airport was stressful, but with time saving online check-ins, you now have no excuse, but to look presentable while you are travelling. Of course, when dressing for the airport and then for a long plane journey, it’s essential you take into consideration many factors such a walking through the terminal, the drop in temperature once aboard the flight and the climate at the destination.

Here are some tips to get you to your destination looking refreshed and chic on arrival....

LOOK SMART

Wear comfortable yet flattering shoes.

Terminals are only getting bigger and if you are like me squeezing in all the last minute duty free shopping then flats are essential. French Sole makes a large range of affordable ballet flats in every colour and fabric (www.frenchsole.com or Bloomingdales, Dubai) for something more on trendy Christian Louboutin gingham flats look great with skinny jeans.

LAYER UP. Take a long cardigan with you for the flight to keep you warm CARRY YOUR OWN TRAVEL SET. Doesn’t take up too much space and it’s for your own personal use. For instance: The Cashmere kit. It includes a blanket, socks and eye mask.

Security rules have tightened up, so in many airlines you are allowed only one carry on, if this is the case then make sure it’s a good one.

The top of the line in luggage is TUMI, with user-friendly wheel and handles, the iconic 22” wheeled carry on Alpha travel bag is a long term investment piece. TUMI uses ballistic nylon in their travel bags - this makes it super durable.

For something more fashion forward yet sleek, Tom Ford makes the ultimate bag which you can even share with your other half. For something Parisian chic, go for Goyard and get the bag monogrammed with your initials.

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LOOK REFRESHED

The air inside the flight is not too kind to the skin, so make sure your skin is moisturised. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.

My lips always get dry on planes, so I always carry Creme de la mer Lip Balm. Creme de la Mer is a saviour, its thick formula locks in moisture. Fortified with a potent concentration of La Mer’s original Miracle Broth™, this luxurious balm softens roughness on contact and relieves discomfort especially when on flight.

TUMI’s new ‘Accent your Alpha’ programme at the retail level allows customers to customise their Alphas by accenting 6 components on the bag which includes a Coloured Monogram Leather Patch, Luggage Tag, Add-A-Bag hook, Protective Bag Guards, Zipper Pullers and a coloured zippered pouch.

Accents are available in six colour options: red, magenta, silver, blue, green and brown.

To avoid the obvious celebrity ‘sunglasses’ look, (a trick used by business travellers to hide the tiredness) use the Stress Relief eye mask by Estee Lauder. Use this for an hour before landing and it will take away any puffiness from your eyes, giving you the fresh look.

Add a sweep of Revlon’s natural grow longer mascara.

Its special formula gives the nutrients to grow your lashes and makes your lashes look thicker in just one sweep!

A pop of colour always does the trick for your cheeks.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer brick comes in four colours and a sweep across the cheeks will give you a polished look with a glow.

Happy travelling people!

ROSEMIN MANJI IS THE FOUNDER OF RR & CO. BESPOKE LUXURY MANAGEMENT THAT SPECIALISES IN STYLING, MEDIA RELATIONS AMONG OTHER LUXURY SERVICES. MANJI IS ALSO A REGULAR ON STUDIO ONE, DUBAI TV AS THEIR FASHION CORRESPONDENT. SHE HAS CONTRIBUTED IN HARPERS BAZAAR, GRAZIA AND ESQUIRE AND HAS COVERED ATLANTIS PALM DUBAI OPENING RED CARPET INTERVIEWING TOP INTERNATIONAL CELEBRITIES FOR MTV. MANJI HAS BEEN ON THE BEST DRESSED LIST FOR HARPERS BAZAAR, GRAZIA, PASHION, MONDANITE, AHLAN MASALA. HER CONTRIBUTION TO THE FASHION INDUSTRY HAS BEEN RECOGNISED BY ARAB NEWS AS TOP 20 BUSINESS WOMEN IN THE GULF AND AHLAN HOT 100 LIST 2010 AND 2011.

ICON

AN OLFACTORY LEGEND Tribute to Chanel N°5 by cartoonist Sem (1921)

There are few things in this fast-paced world that can be considered timeless, Chanel N°5 is definitely one of them. Signature follows the trail of success that this fragrance has made for itself It is said that a bottle of this is sold every 30 seconds. Marilyn Monroe notoriously claimed to wear nothing to bed but a few drops of this fragrant concoction. Such is its fame that the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, one of the finest art museums in the world, decided to bling its 2,890sq. ft. exteriors with an iconic Chanel N°5 perfume flacon made from 1,200 hand-assembled sequins.

So, what is the secret of Chanel N°5 that even now, 90 years after Mademoiselle Gabrielle Coco Chanel first put the tester bottle to her nose, it remains the most popular and most worn scent ever?

THE BEGINNING On a trip to Italy, Gabrielle met the Grand Duke Dimitri, cousin of Tsar Nicholas II, who encouraged her interest in perfume, so highly prized at the court of the Tsars, whose creator of perfumes was Ernest Beaux. The year was 1921 and Chanel was already a name to reckon with in France and the United States. At the age of 38, Mademoiselle was in total command of her ‘vocabulary’ of creation.

First with hats, then with dresses and accessories, she created a style: the importance of line over and above ornamentation. For her, seduction was to do with personality, with a way of walking, with a ‘vibration’ of the whole being.

It is not at all surprising that she did not like the perfumes of her time. They were mainly singleflower fragrances (based on rose, lily-of-the-valley, lilac), which in no way expressed a woman’s personality. She had become a couturière, not so

40

much to create what she liked, but to make what she disliked old-fashioned. She decided to apply this approach to perfumes, by inventing her own fragrance with Ernest Beaux, a creator of perfumes employed by the Moscow Court before the 1917 Revolution. He was to conceive for her a fragrance which was entirely new for its time.

Thus, was born N°5, a scent characterized by its overdose of a 1:1:1 accord of aldehydes C-10 (decanal), C-11 (undecanal) and C-12 (dodecanal), created by Beaux. N°5’s launch strategy was very simple: curiosity and ‘word of mouth’.

Mademoiselle started by giving a few bottles to her customers and friends. The sales assistants sprayed it in the fitting rooms. The customers were intrigued by this perfume which was unlike any other and they wanted to buy it. “Buy it? But, my dear, I don’t sell perfume!” replied Mademoiselle, not altogether innocently. In fact, when Beaux told her that production could start, she let her customers know that she would grant

their wishes. N°5 was sold at Rue Cambon, Paris and in her boutiques in Deauville and Biarritz.

Initially conceived as an exclusive fragrance reserved for Mademoiselle’s customers, it became a phenomenal success and soon small-scale production could no longer meet demand.

In April 1924, a company by the name of “Les Parfums Chanel” was founded, which was to market Chanel perfumes throughout the world in establishments carefully selected by Pierre and Paul Wertheimer, owners of the House of Bourjois, whom Mademoiselle met through Théophile Bader, the Founding President of Galeries Lafayette. At the same time, “Chanel Inc.” was founded in New York and “Parfums Chanel Ltd” in London. Ernest Beaux became Technical Director at “Les Perfumes Chanel” and an adviser at Bourgeois. Apart from Nº5, he created Coir de Russia (1924), Gardenia (1925) and Bois des Lies (1926) for Chanel, and Soar de Paris for Bourgeois.

From then on, produced in sufficient quantities and distributed through an international perfumery

Loving women as I do, I wanted to dress them in clothes in which they could feel at ease, in which they could drive a car and which at the same time would emphasise their femininity, in dresses that mould themselves to their bodies…I want to give her an artificial fragrance, truly artificial like a dress, that is to say manufactured.

My craft is couture. I don’t want rose or lily-of-thevalley, I want a composed fragrance.

Gabrielle Coco Chanel

Mademoiselle Chanel and her famous pearls necklace (1936) © Lipnitzki / Roger-Viollet

N°5, 2010, Eau Première, Purse spray © CHANEL

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network, N°5 began its career as ‘the perfume of the century’. Women immediately recognized the feel of modernity in the air, as did the specialists, who agreed that there was a ‘before N°5’ and an ‘after N°5’ in the history of perfumery.

Despite its fame, N°5 never loses its originality and maintains all its mystery. Its symbolic value has only increased over the years, in a world where sound emotional investments are increasingly sought after. For every woman who chooses it, it remains unique, as unique as her...

THE PYRAMID Top note: first floral notes Ylang-ylang from the Comoro Islands - Neroli from Grasse (the flower of the Bergamot orange tree) Middle note: a great floral accord Grasse jasmine - May rose Base note: woody notes Sandalwood from Mysore - Vetiver from Bourbon – Vanilla

N°5, Eau de Parfum, © CHANEL

THE FRAGRANCE Ernest Beaux, to respond to Gabrielle Chanel’s wishes, composed an olfactory structure without reference to a dominant natural component.

Jacques Polge, the present Chanel ‘nose’, stresses in his turn the abstract nature of N°5 and the original olfactory vocabulary which it pioneered.

"Other perfumes would not be quite the same without it," he says.

N°5 owes some of its originality to the daring displayed by Ernest Beaux in the proportion of aldehydes, synthetic components. It was the first perfume to use them to such an extent, which from the outset gave it a totally new fragrance.

The aldehydes amplify and make abstract the perfect harmony between three rare flowers which are at the heart of N°5: Ylang-ylang from the Comoro Islands, Grasse jasmine, and May rose.

For Jacques Polge, N°5 could be described as an 'olfactory symphony played by a great orchestra with the ylang-ylang on the organ, the jasmine on the violin and the rose on the piano'. Amongst the other components of the floral accord of N°5 are orange blossom, the very expression of purity, and neroli, the essence extracted from the bitter orange tree, which gives a sweet smell. And though, Vanilla is not perceptible in its own right in N°5, but it is part of the perfumer’s armoury to give persistence and charm. In its raw state, vetiver gives burnt and resinous notes. The vetiver used

by Chanel is a version which has been cleverly transformed and purified from the natural essence, making its scent much more abstract and precious.

Sandalwood gives a very sophisticated, warm and velvety scent, which adds character, just like vetiver.

Evolution of the design of the bottle of perfume CHANEL N° 5 © CHANEL

THE BOTTLE Restrained, simple, uncluttered, geometric, the bottle chosen by Mademoiselle was as revolutionary in its time as the fragrance itself. In making this choice she was asserting her passion for line, for allure, just as

she had done with her first hats, plain and without feathers; as she would do later with her 'little black dress'.

The first model had rounded edges. In 1924 it was reworked in order to improve its strength and the airtightness of its seal. From then on the bottle and stopper had bevelled edges like emerald-cut diamonds. This was the only really important change. The white box, edged in black, underlined the simplicity of a shape that was simultaneously modern and timeless. The contrast of black and white, emphasised with gold, the box echoing the edging on the jacket of a Chanel suit, the right angles, the transparency, the understatement – N°5 incorporates all the principal visual elements of Chanel design. In 1959, the N°5 bottle was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Today, Jacques Helleu, Artistic Director at Chanel, secretly makes sure that it remains up-to-date, making barely perceptible alterations every ten years or so.

During the sixties, Andy Warhol, who used cult objects and personalities of the era in the name of art, gave it star status in a series of his works.

In 1997, Chanel introduced a limited edition of four products with boxes in the colours of Andy Warhol’s silk-screen prints.

THE RANGE The Extract The extract is the original, quintessential N°5. It represents the fragrance in its most precious form, with its own exclusive ritual: a touch behind the ear, on pulse spots at elbow and wrist…

The “Extra Size Extracts” Because N°5 is a legendary fragrance, the response to it is passionate and intense. To cater for exceptional requests, Chanel offers extra-large size bottles (the largest containing almost one litre), to order only, presented in a luxury silk-lined coffret. A rare object, evocative of Haute Couture and “le rêve de Chanel”.

The Eau de Parfum This version of N°5 was created by Jacques Polge in 1986, from the enhanced palette available to modern perfumery. The specially designed gold and steel spray emphasises the modernity of N°5. Since 1998, the Eau de Parfum has also been available in sprays which are faithful replicas of the famous bottle.

The Eau de Toilette Less concentrated, popular with women for summer and weekend wear.

The N°5 Bath and Body Line This unique line allows every woman to experience the mystery of N°5 ‘with her whole body’, with products whose fragrance is intense and faithful. Presented in white, with a touch of black, set off by gold, the shapes are pure, and very contemporary.

The Chanel N°5 range and other Chanel creations are available at Khimji’s Luxury & Lifestyle stores

FOOD COURT

A CULINARY JOURNEY THE OMAN CHAPTER OF THE CHAINE DES ROTISSEUERS TURNED ONE THIS JANUARY, JOACHIM CAULA, BAILLI DELEGUE (PRESIDENT OF CHAÎNE DES ROTISSEURS, OMAN), TAKES US DOWN MEMORY LANE…

I

t was an evening of gastronomical delights at Shangri-La’s Barr al Jissah Resort and Spa as the Oman chapter of Chaîne des Rotisseurs, the international gastronomic society founded in Paris in 1950, celebrated its one year in Oman. The evening began with a cocktail reception on the resort’s main beach, followed by a swearing in ceremony for the members and then a gastronomic gala dinner, presented by the chefs from the Michelin-starred Lasserre restaurant in Paris. Taittinger added the required sparkle to the event with a selection of fine vintages. Joachim Caula, Bailli Delegue (president of Chaîne des Rotisseurs, Oman) was conferred upon a special award for his contribution and work for the Chaine des Rotisseurs.

A momentous occasion indeed for both the Oman chapter and Joachim. Joachim tells Signature about the journey so far…

"My father was a chef and my brother is a chef. I still remember how I got into trouble with my mother as a youngster. I threw away a cake, because I did not like it. It was not good enough, I thought. My mother did not appreciate this early exercise in insisting on quality. Cooking, good cooking became a lifetime passion, which in turn set the ball rolling for my career.”

Having travelled across the globe, I arrived in Muscat in February 2009 to take over as the Production Manager for Al Bustan Bakery. I have been a member of the Chaine des Rotisseurs since 1987 and was also the founder of the Istanbul Chapter in 1994. We started with 50 members and today they have 500 members. I even had the honour of presenting honorary memberships to His Majesty King Carl Gustav of Sweden (in 1997) and to Marchesi Leonardo Frescobaldi (in 2010) on behalf of the Chaine des Rotisseurs.

Encouraged by these pleasant memories and more, I thought that it would be great to bring this illustrious society to Oman.

"I, then, proceeded to ask a close friend of mine, Sumithra Raju if she would join to found the new chapter. We had a few chats and contacted Maurcie Gent, a well-known writer for his opinion as well. After many a discussions over pots of coffee at Starbucks, we decided to make this a reality. This heralded the beginning of the Oman Chapter. Emails were exchanged back and forth with the head office in Paris. We gathered all the information, including rules and regulations and Sumithra contacted people, whom we thought would like to join the Chaine. Appointments were set, and then Sumithra and I went out to meet people, who we thought would like to become Members of this elite group.

"The first couple of months posed a big challenge, mostly because of the soaring temperatures in Muscat, but as the temperatures rose, so did our group grow solid in terms of membership. We had people joining us from all sectors including the hospitality, banking, legal, and medical sectors.

All of them were more than honoured to be part of a society

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THE CHAINE HISTORY

The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is an international gastronomic society founded in Paris in 1950.

It is devoted to promoting fine dining and preserving the camaraderie and pleasures of the table. The Chaîne is originally based on the traditions and practices of the old French royal guild of goose roasters – the goose, a type of poultry, was particularly appreciated during the Middle Ages. Its authority was gradually expanded to include the roasting of all poultry, meat and game. The written history of the guild of “Les Oyers” or “Goose Roasters” has been traced back to 1248.

with a history that could be traced back to 1248.

We had secured the members and now it was turn to secure a venue to orgainse the grand opening of the Oman chapter. Grand Hyatt Muscat came to the rescue and my dear friend Christophe Franzen, General Manager of the Grand Hyatt Muscat, helped us organise the Grand Opening of the Oman Chapter. We finally launched on November 14, 2009 with a special delegation from the Paris chapter being invited to perform the introduction ceremony. The grand opening was an even great success than we imagined with around 50 new members inducted into this noble society.

A special menu had been created for this event.

It was hard work, but then looking back it was all worthwhile. Of course, being an active member of the Chaine, it has always been my passion to see the Chaine grow. As the president of the Muscat

Chapter, I knew that we had raised the bar high with our grand opening and I knew that we had to work hard to accomplish what the Chaine is all about: Good food!

"During the course of the year, we held many glorious events at the InterContinental Muscat, Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat, Crowne Plaza Muscat. We also supported a charity dinner with NHI and the 40/40 programme to support schooling programmes for young Omanis. As the Muscat chapter completes one whole year, I look back and feel a sense of pride at what we have achieved as a group. What’s more is that more and more young Omanis from across the country, including places such as Sohar, are joining the society, making sure that the Chaine’s Muscat chapter grows from strength to strength."

THE CHAINE LOGO

The logo created, used a former historic shield in the centre. It was encircled with fleurde-lis and two chains, between which the new name of the Society and the foundation dates of 1248 and 1950 were written. The inner chain represents the professional members; the outer chain the non-professional members and the bond, which unites all of the members.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is by invitation only. Most new members join through recommendation by friends who are already members, but it is also possible to obtain information directly through our national Chapters (or Bailliages as they are referred to within the Chaîne). There are two types of Chaîne membership: •Professional Member: is classified as a member who owns or works in either a hotel or restaurant, such as a Hotel Owner, Hotel Director, General Manager or a Chef.

•Non-Professional Member: is classified as an amateur member who does not own or work in a hotel or restaurant. All other professions and business sectors fall into this member category.

FOOD

THREE’S COMPANY

THE TERRIFIC TRIO THAT ADDS THE ‘AU NATUREL’ CHARM TO MICHELIN-STARRED LASSERRE RESTAURANT AND UPHOLDS THE BASTION OF FRENCH COOKING. DEEPA RAJAN MEETS THEM AND LEARNS THE ART OF CONVERSING WITH THE FRENCH AND MORE… things but alone you can’t do anything. And, Rejou is an integreal part of this team because, he has an amiable disposition. He’s a very quiet guy and at the same time keeps the kitchen alive with his jokes and pleasant manner. Most importantly, he doesn’t lose his calm in the kitchen.”

ON CLAIRE "Claire comes from a rich and solid kitchen background.

In fact, she has great experience when it comes to Japanese cuisine. Her portions are perfect – not too big or too small. She has great respect for ingredients.

She thinks like a cook and keeps in mind the seasonal

CHRISTOPHE MORET EXECUTIVE CHEF, LASSERRE ON FOOD AS A FINE-DINING CONCEPT “It’s always great to put the most beautiful food that you can on the table. Fine dining goes far beyond taking an order and delivering food, it makes dining a unique experience. The flavour is, of course, everything, but the presentation counts as well.”

REAL ESSENCE OF FRENCH FOOD “I think the real essence lies in our sources.

France is like a big garden and there a variety of natural ingredients are available. French cuisine is characterised by its extreme diversity and style. Each region has its own distinctive cuisine.”

ON REJOU “I think every restaurant’s kitchen is an example of teamwork. You just need to work with an open mind.

When you are a chef and the head of the kitchen, you guide your team members, but you let them imagine and create on their own. As a team you can do so many

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produce while working on a dessert. She is very dedicated and puts her whole and soul into whatever she does."

HIS THOUGHTS ON THE FRENCH SAYING: ‘MEASURE THE GIRTH OF THE CHEF AND YOU CAN RATE HIS RESTAURANT.’ “Well, one should never trust a skinny chef, they say.

And, if you look at my sous chef, he is very thin and eats more than me, but does not ever gain weight!”

(Laughs). But, honestly, I am in this profession because I love to eat and love to feed people. I started 26 years ago and still enjoy doing this. Every day comes with a new experience and new challenges."

Alice B. Toklas says, “The French approach to food is characteristic; they bring to their consideration of the table the same appreciation, respect, intelligence and lively interest that they have for the other arts, for painting, for literature, and for the theatre….”

If there is someone who know knows the art of food better than the French people, it is the French chefs. They are what one can call the high priests of the culinary world and such is their contribution to the world of good food that in November 2010,

the French gastronomy was added to Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ list.

Needless to say, when three extraordinary French chefs came calling on Muscat from the virtuously high pedestals of the Michelin-starred Lasserre restaurant (see box) in Paris, they quite literally had people eating out of their hands.

Executive Chef Christophe Moret, Executive Sous Chef Gregory Rejou and Executive Pastry Chef Claire Heitzler, brought together their expertise in the best of French à la carte fine dining and

delighted me that Japanese people were crazy about French pastries and preferred them over their own sweet preparations.”

ON MORET “We share the same spirit of the kitchen. We both have the utmost respect for our ingredients and we always prepare any dish keeping in view the availability, the freshness, the unique quality that the ingredient will bring to a particular dish. He treats the main courses and the desserts in the same way and will not rest till it is perfect.”

CLAIRE HEITZLER EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF, LASSERRE ON A DESSERT'S IMPORTANCE IN A MEAL “When it comes to a tasting menu (consists of small portions of several dishes as a single meal) you have many dishes and you have one or two desserts then you don’t feel comfortable eating them because you’ve already eaten too much. I would say a dessert offers the perfect ending to any meal. But, a good dessert is always generously made, but not too heavy. This is something that you have to keep in mind always.

Sometimes people eat the main course and then do not eat the dessert and it is always disheartening because so much effort has gone into its preparation.”

FRANCE’S GIFT TO WORLD CUISINE “Each country has its own special cuisine and has made a major contribution to the world’s food pot.

France has a long history with food and cooking, so it is difficult to point to one particular contribution. But, I do know that French pastries, in particular, are very popular around the world. During my stint in Japan, it always

took patrons of Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa’s award-winning Sultanah restaurant to a whole new level of gastronomical delights.

And when they were not cooking up a storm, they took the time out to sit with Signature and as they answered a medley of questions, one thing that was transparent as clear butter was the fact that they all have an affinity for ‘au naturel’ cooking and that is what binds them together.

ON REJOU “It is always good to have Rejou in the kitchen. We always work together to create a dish and for me that is the most important thing. It’s always better when everyone is working together as a team, because then the work becomes much easier.”

YOUR THOUGHTS ON ‘MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE’ “Everyone likes a good meal and today people eat for pleasure as well. Food is of course, a necessity, but yes, I think that a man can enjoy even without bringing bread to the table.”

FOOD ON MORET “I have been working with Chef Moret for more than three years. He is a very genuine and simple and generous person. His leitmotiv is his respect of the ingredients we work with. As a Chef de Cuisine, he is very methodical, precise and knows what results have to be achieved. However, he gives me a lot of freedom with my cooking, but always monitors and supports me and our team. He is like a vigilant custodian.”

ON CLAIRE “Claire has a very strong work background. She worked as Executive Pastry Chef with Alain Ducasse flagship restaurant in Tokyo. Then, she took over the Park Hyatt in Dubai and her latest assignment was

GREGORY REJOU SOUS CHEF, LASSERRE ON FOOD AS A FAST-FOOD CONCEPT “Fast Food became a mass industry which, from many examples, resulted in lack of quality and savoir faire.

I am not particularly a fan and I would rather go to a simple brasserie, where the quality and freshness of the products are always maintained and you get reasonable value for money.”

FRANCE’S LOVE FOR FOOD “First of all, we have a rich heritage and tradition of producers, who respect their produce. Also, France has a large variety of food coming from every part of the country, be it from the countryside or the coast. Also, French people love good food and this is something that is passed from generation to generation.

Internationally, French cuisine is well respected and it helps to promote our new generation of Chefs. Food is part of our history and culture.”

SAVOIR-FARE LOCATED IN THE HEART OF PARIS, LASSERRE WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE 1940S, WHEN RENE LASSERRE ACQUIRED A SIMPLE BISTRO WHICH HAD BEEN BUILT FOR THE WORLD EXHIBITION OF 1937.

BECAUSE OF THE WAR, THE EARLY YEARS PROVED TO BE HARD AND CHALLENGING. THE SHORTAGE OF PRODUCE REQUIRED SOME PURCHASES, SUCH AS JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SALAD AND CARROT VICHY, TO BE MADE WITH RATION TICKETS. TODAY, LASSERRE HAS BECOME RENOWNED AS A GOURMET INSTITUTION, WITH MANY FAMOUS FACES DINING IN ITS THEATRICAL SURROUNDINGS INSPIRED BY THE 18TH CENTURY GARDENS AT VERSAILLES. SALVADOR DALI AND AUDREY HEPBURN ARE AMONG THE MANY PERSONALITIES WHO HAVE ENJOYED THE AMBIENCE AND FLAVOURS OF THE RESTAURANT.

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the pastry division at the Ritz Hotel Place Vendome in Paris. She really has her own style and her work reflects her personality. She shares Chef Moret’s passion for the ingredients and products, and has a tremendous respect for them. She is a stickler for quality and always inspects any dessert, before it served to the customers.”

HIS THOUGHTS ON ‘WE SHOULD EAT TO LIVE OR LIVE TO EAT’ “Nowadays, I think people are really taking the time out to enjoy their food and share a moment of pleasure, conviviality when dining as a group. I also feel people also seek quality and simplicity in any meal.”

SHOW

RIDE HIGH

GET READY FOR SOME WHEELS, THRILLS AND ACTION-PACKED PERFORMANCES AT THE GULF BIKE WEEK, DUBAI. BOOK YOUR SEATS NOW!

B

ike lovers and off-road enthusiasts from across the GCC will be racing to Dubai Festival City in February to participate in the third annual Gulf Bike Week. In 2011, Gulf Bike Week promises an action-packed show with activities for all the family and performances from two major international bands.

The Gulf Bike Week 2011, organised by Clarion Events Middle East in partnership with Done Events, is held under the patronage of His Excellency Mohammed Bin Sulayem, FIA Vice-President for Sport and President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), and will take place from February 10 to February 12, 2011 at the Dubai Festival City.

In 2010, the Gulf Bike Week attracted over 30,000 enthusiasts as well as over 14,000 concertgoers.

In 2011, more than 150 exhibitors including Harley Davidson, Honda, KTM, Ducati, BMW, Kawasaki, Polaris and Victory through to custom bike builders and bike accessories are participating at the Gulf Bike Week. The event is expected to draw in 40,000 visitors.

According to Christopher Hudson, Managing

Director, Clarion Events Middle East, said: “Visitors will marvel at the exhilarating stunts being performed at the FMX Stunt Arena.

They can witness the three-day GCC Motor-X Championship Run which brings the spirit of competition and sportsmanship to the Gulf Bike Week. Having such talented racers participate in this competition will prove to be exciting and entertaining for both the riders and the spectators.

“The Gulf Bike Week will showcase the performance of All-Terrain Vehicles in multiple races and live demonstrations at the ATV/UTV Zone which is designed and run by Dubai ATV. This year the Gulf Bike Week is also gearing up to host the Middle East’s largest motorbike ride in which over 800 people are expected to participate.”

Displays at Gulf Bike Week will include the very latest bikes, custom bikes, terrain vehicles, bike accessories, lifestyle brands and ready to wear products from major international lifestyle brands in Europe, the USA and Asia such as Oakley, Powerbronze International and Ed Hardy, featuring special sale offers to visitors.

That’s not all Done Events is bringing full live performances by top international artists Amy

Winehouse and Pharrell Williams with his band N*E*R*D, and special guest Mike Posner at the 2011 Gulf Bike Week. In addition to the headline acts, Gulf Bike Week 2011 will also incorporate a special Rolling Stone Magazine stage with local and regional bands performing.

All this and more at the Middle East’s only dedicated urban bike festival in the region. Are you ready for this?

is media partner of the event

MUSIC

JAZZ WITHOUT BORDERS FRENCH TRUMPETER ERIK TRUFFAZ AND HIS QUARTET HAS TAKEN JAZZ TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL, SAYS SUSHMITA SARKHEL WHO CAUGHT UP WITH THE JAZZ LEGEND FOR A QUICK CHAT…

I

nspired by his father who played the saxophone, Erik Truffaz picked up the trumpet when he was just seven years old and quickly realised what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. In a conversation with Signature, Truffaz explains how his passion for music blossomed, “I realised at a very young age that I’d be happier being a musician than having an everyday job. It was my father who asked me to play the trumpet and also taught me how to read music.” As a youngster, he often joined his father on the bandstand and later went to study music at the Geneva Conservatoire in Switzerland where he studied classical music. He also learnt how to play the piano and began to truly understand and appreciate the works of Debussy, Ravel, Satie, etc.

In 1991 Truffaz won the prestigious Prix Special and soon found himself recording his first album Nina Valeria. Throughout the 90’s Truffaz continued to make great music and became a prominent artist in Europe’s music scene. He went on to record three albums more, Out of a Dream, The Dawn and Bending New Corners and began to carve a niche of his own along with his quartet. To this date his repertoire includes The Walk of the Giant Turtle, Saloua, Arkhangelsk, Paris, Mexico, Benares and his latest offering In Between. Each album has a different feel, a different soul. For instance, the album The Walk of the Giant Turtle was largely based on improvisations and had strong elements of rock (a genre Truffaz grew up listening) where as Benares had a more oriental flavour, heavily drawing influences from Indian Classical music.

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Truffaz infuses the vicissitudes of life into his music which pushes the boundaries of contemporary jazz to create a magical combination of music and culture.

So what inspires him to create such evocative works?

“My inspirations come from life and the people I meet,” replies Truffaz. “As you’ve probably noticed, my music has a lot of electro, techno, and hip hop as well. So it’s a good mix and we improvise a lot of our music. The same way we, as people, adapt to life and ever changing circumstances. When people interact with each other they vary their responses and it’s the same with music.”

Truffaz has travelled extensively and worked with musicians from virtually all kinds of genres and draws inspiration from his contemporaries as well.

“There’s a Tunisian oud player, Anouar Brahem who is a fantastic musician and a very inspiring person,” he says. Brahem was also a guest musician in Truffaz’s album, Mantis. This pioneering jazz artist goes to add that his music has a political streak as well. “My music is just not about jazz. The song Yabous,” adds Truffaz, “is a good example of the kind of message we want to get across via our music. The idea of Yabous was to bring ENTHRALLING THE to light the absurdity MIDDLE EAST of the Isreal-Palestine IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, TRUFFAZ conflict.” The song uses WAS ON A REGIONAL TOUR TO PROMOTE HIS CURRENT PROJECT, IN BETWEEN. HE, ALONG WITH Mounir Troudi’s versatile MOUNIR TROUDI (VOCALS) AND PHILIPPE GARCIA Arabic voice as well as (DRUMS) KICKED OFF THE TOUR IN ABU DHABI. FROM rap verses in English by THERE THE TRIO WENT ON TO PERFORM IN BAHRAIN, Nya. “At the end of the OMAN AND EVEN KUWAIT. day,” added Truffaz at THE IN BETWEEN CONCERT HAD PROMINENT the end the conversation, ARABIAN INFLUENCES WITH TROUDI’S VOCALS “I think the world would PAVING THE WAY FOR A UNIQUE FUSION be a much better place OF CONTEMPORARY JAZZ AND TRADITIONAL MUSIC. if people didn’t think so much about money.”

MUSICOLOGY CONTINUE YOUR MUSICAL EDUCATION WITH THE HOTTEST ALBUMS OUT THIS MONTH… 21 Adele Grammy-winning artist Adele’s much awaited sophomore album takes on a slightly new direction.

Late Nights & Early Mornings Marsha Ambrosius Former member of the soul duo Floetry, Ambrosius’ debut album shows much promise.

Touch of Truth Yanni Yanni’s back with a fantastic compilation of new compositions and recordings.

A Winter Tale Bobby Long Long’s debut studio album hits the stores in February - finally!

Hotel Shampoo Gruff Rhys A follow up to Candylion, Hotel Shampoo Rhys’ third studio album, has a collection of out-of-thisworld piano ballads.

Go-Go Boots Drive-by Truckers Recorded over three sessions, Go-Go Boots comprises of some of band’s finest works.

Wasted In Jackson Lauren Pritchard Often compared to the likes of Norah Jones and Carole King, Pirtchard, in the upcoming album proves that she can hold her own.

Live In Marciac Brad Mehldau A collection of Mehldau’s original compositions as well as covers from a summer festival in Marciac, France.

Original Sin INXS INXS teams up with the likes of Rob Thomas, Ben Harper, Nikka Costa, etc. to present some of their best tracks in completely new avatars.

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Live at the Royal Albert Hall Joan Armatrading This must have compilation for all Joan Armatrading fans includes Drop The Pilot, Love and Affection, and Woman In Love among hits.

CINEMA, CINEMA

HERE’S WHAT’S NEW IN THE WORLD OF MOVIES… Gnomeo and Juliet

Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son

Hall Pass

The Roommate

I Am Number Four

Just Go With It

Unknown

The Eagle

Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) wakes up from a coma only to discover that his identity’s been robbed and that no one believes him.

Channing Tatum stars in this epic drama about a boy who fights to uphold his father’s honour.

Drive Angry 3D

Sanctum

Loosely based on Shakespeare’s famous play, this animated movie is the love story of two gardening gnomes.

Hilarity ensues when two wives grant their husbands a ‘hall-pass’ to do whatever they wish for an entire week.

Based on the book of the same name, this teen sci-fi promises to keep you at the edge of your seats.

This 3D action thriller is about a father (Nicolas Cage) who’s out to get the men responsible for the murder of his daughter.

FBI Agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) goes going undercover as ‘Big Momma’ yet again!

A college freshman’s life turns to hell after she’s been assigned the roommate from hell.

A plastic surgeon goes through any lengths to get the girl of his dreams, or at least who he thinks is the girl of his dreams.

When their exit gets blocked, master diver McGuire and his team are forced to navigate underwater labyrinths of the Esa-ala caves.

FEATURE

CELEBRATING LOVE BE IT THE JOY OF A NEW MARRIAGE, OR THE WANT FOR SOME FAMILY TIME, OR BE IT JUST THE NEED TO SPEND SOME TIME TOGETHER, LOVE NEEDS NO REASONS. SO VALENTINE’S OR NOT, BREGJE VAN BAAREN LISTS THREE ROMANTIC PLACES IN MUSCAT TO MAKE IT ALL WORTHWHILE.

“Love is the greatest refreshment in life,” to borrow the words of the famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso. In order to celebrate the existence of this particular refreshment in our hectic lives in which time (management) is precious; we, sometimes, need to go somewhere where we can focus solely on our loved ones.

Research shows that our social relationships are just as important for our physical well-being as a healthy diet. Plus, even the most notorious workaholic knows that in order to work even harder, you need to play hard; one’s body and mind need relaxation and a rejuvenating reload from time to time….And what creates a better momentum than Valentine’s Day to retreat in optimum secluded sanctuaries offering privacy and tranquility?

You could be the newly weds, who want to cherish every moment you spend together; or you are in that stage of life where you want to focus on some ‘us’ time (your children all grown up and leading their own lives), or you want to celebrate this special occasion as a family.

No matter what the situation, you need not travel very far. Muscat is home to Five-star hotels that offer something for all of you this Valentine’s Day. All these retreats do have a few aspects in common: luxury, stunning views and surroundings, beautiful gardens to wander around in and aesthetic illumination creating a very romantic atmosphere when the sun sets.

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The Chedi Muscat

“Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery Hiding in the Al Ghubrah area in a low-rise building, The Chedi Muscat is one of those comfort zones characterised by understated elegance and luxury that offers seclusion and privacy to its guests. When you approach the sliding doors of this retreat, it is as if you are ‘Alice’ about the trespass from one world to a Wonderland that is a secret beckoning to be discovered.

Of course, unlike Alice’s Wonderland, there are no mad hatters waiting for you inside, only the welcoming staff that ushers you into the grand lobby. The lobby, with its big comfortable sofas, cushions, the many lamps and draped fabrics, is reminiscent of a different fairy-tale all together. So much so, that a guest once was heard remarking that she felt like she had just entered in to a page right out of the Thousand and One Nights.

The Chedi Muscat is ‘the’ ultimate couples retreat. You can opt for spending a romantic weekend in one of the minimalistic though comfortable Serai or Deluxe rooms overlooking the sea, the Hajar mountains or the gardens. And, if you want to really soak in luxury, the best option is to book a Chedi club suite by sea. These suites include a terrazzo sink-in bath tub in which water splashes from different directions while you get soaped up with Bvlgari products.

Each suite has a private terrace. You can a swim or go to the Spa for a signature couples treatment such as the Romantic Bathing ceremony with candles and flowers and Himalayan bath salts. Have a few drinks by pool and then continue to the Beach Restaurant for some fine sea food dining in a romantic setting.

For those who have nothing but romance on their minds and are oblivious to the world around them, then The Chedi Muscat and its luxuriously secluded surroundings are what the love doctor recommends!

Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Hotel

“There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love.”

Don Juan DeMarco (The film) Situated by an expanse of golden sand and against the backdrop of the Hajar mountains, this iconic hotel symbolises a lot of things, but above all it is the epitome of elegance and class that is Arabian splendour and sense of luxury. So, if you are looking for a place to give your loved one a surprise for your 30th wedding anniversary, then this is the ideal option.

This hotel was built in 1985 to host the Gulf Cooperation Council conference, and is still welcoming world leaders upon their visit to the Sultanate. Upon entering the eightsided lobby, you do feel to be part of something ‘bigger than you’ – the 38m high domed ceiling, 19tonne chandelier and crystalline water fountain all contribute to this feeling.

All rooms are wonderful in their own way and design, offering magnificent views thanks to the location of the hotel. It is supposed to be a very special experience to stay in the Al Bustan Lagoon Access rooms on the first floor.

Another nice feature is the exclusive butler service to provide you with that little bit of extra personal attention. In the evening, you can opt for a romantic stroll through the amazing garden, passing by the ‘enlightened’ infinity pool and the palm trees planted inside of it. There are four restaurants to choose from; Vue by the renowned Australian chef Shannon Bennet (inside only); China Mood offering, among others, nice dim sums either inside or outside on the terrace overlooking the garden and the sea; the Al Khiran Terrace where you can also enjoy a buffet breakfast (inside or outside) and last but not least, the Beach Pavilion.

If you are looking for opulent indulgence to rekindle your love, then this place comes highly recommended. After all, even the Royals choose to stay here!

Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa

“I think that enduring, committed love between a married couple, along with raising children, is the most noble act anyone can aspire to. It is not written about very much.” – Nicholas Sparks Shangri-La’s USP lies in the fact that despite of being in the city, it is away from the humdrum life. To begin with the drive to the resort itself is an experience. The winding roads that cut through mountains, offer the most picturesque view of the valley.

The resort, which is a breathtaking expanse of striking Omani architecture, is not just a sight to behold during the day, but also the night, when the not just the tree hotels, (Al Waha, Al Bandar, and Al Husn), but also surrounding parts of the rocky coastline are lit up in resplendent hues.

Each of the three hotels is a class apart. But, what makes it the ideal family retreat is the Al Waha (the Oasis). Touted as Oman’s first dedicated leisure hotel, it has been designed in such a way that the hotel’s swimming pools form an oasis incorporating many date palm trees. Each guest room offers a minimum of 37sqm of space including a balcony or terrace.

Shangri La (not just this hotel) has a lot of ‘active’ entertainment to offer to children, such as the Adventure Zone located within Al Mazaar Souk. For children aged 4 to 17, there is a fireman’s pole from which they can slide down, while there are also Over Under Hurdles, a Tumble Tower and a Swing Over Net and three different slides. For children under the age of three there is a Toddler Zone. Another feature of the resort is the 250m ‘lazy river’ in the romantic garden, which offers a way for guests to travel between the Al Waha and Al Bandar hotels. And then there is the Splashpad, an aquatic play area for all the family with a combination of water effects from light mists to touch sensitive sprays and projection jets.

The Shangri-La is also famed for its secluded Spa where they focus the flow of your Chi, your energy. The hotel offers babysitting services, but if you prefer to keep an eye on your children playing in the sand while still enjoying a signature Spa treatment, then opt for a massage right there on the beach.

For those who believe that family completes the circle of love, this is the place to go.

Whilst your children play in the safe and supervised environments of Shangri-La, you can take some time out for yourselves. Or, you can simply join in and ‘splashpad’ it all the way to some wholesome family fun!

Happy Valentine’s Day! And remember, as Jean Anouilh put it Love is, above all else, the gift of oneself.

DECOR

Carpet Dreams

DO YOU OFTEN HESITATE TO BUY A CARPET? WELL, FEAR NOT. SHAHDAB MIR, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KANI HOME, DUBAI, SHARES SOME TIPS ON HOW TO BUY THE PERFECT CARPET…

T

he most important thing to keep in mind while buying a carpet is to decide on a budget and then that is the moment you decide whether you want a handmade carpet or a machine-made carpet. Buying is a machine-made carpet is not as difficult.

In case, you have chosen to invest on a handmade carpet, you will have to decide on whether you want to go for a silk (Kani Home has a range of silk carpets) or a woollen carpet.

Carpet selection too is something very critical. As you walk into a store, you will be spoilt for choice, but buying one is like true love. Most importantly you have to fall in love with the carpet and it should be love at first sight (remember it’s going to be like your spouse and you have to look at it every day). As I always tell my clients to walk bare foot on them and see if you connect (when you do you will know it). The more intricate the carpet, the more beautiful it is. Every day you will discover more things about the choice of your carpet. Intricacy of design is connected to the number of knots in a carpet. The higher the knots, the more intricate the carpet.

Always remember that the price of a carpet, more than the size, depends on the quality. When we talk about quality, first of all we need to see what fabric is used in the carpet. If it’s wool, it’s less expensive. If it’s silk , it will cost you more.

Last but not the least, who is the artisan who has made the carpet. After all, carpet weaving is an art.

No matter how expensive the fabric is, how high the knots are, at the end of the day, it is the creator that has the power to make it look beautiful. Take for instance, a painting. When you buy a painting, you don’t quantify the painting, depending on the quality of the canvas and the amount of paint used, it’s the artisan and his hand that matters the most.

Most of the beautiful carpets in the world are oriental rugs. So if we modernise the design, they just become contemporary designs, which is not of any value or interest. If you are looking for something contemporary, just to cover your wall or your floor, go for machine made carpets. But, if delicate details woven into mystical pieces of art are what you are looking for, go for an authentic hand woven masterpiece. They will always be a treasure to behold!

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KANI HOME IS LOCATED IN TUNISIAN COURT, IBN BATUTA MALL, DUBAI AND IS OPENING SOON IN CENTRAL MARKET, ABU DHABI. KANI HOME ALSO HAS SHOPS IN DELHI, MUMBAI AND GOA IN INDIA.

PEOPLE

DRESSING UP HOMES

INTERIOR DESIGNER, FATMA AL KHARUSI BELIEVES IN CREATING LOOKS THAT ARE EASY TO LIVE WITH AND FUN TO ACCOMPLISH. SUSHMITA SARKHEL MET UP WITH HER…

F

atma Al Kharusi, who began her designing quest in Malaysia, is currently in Muscat as a guest Interior Designer for IDdesign. Here, Fatma works as a consultant for clients looking for expertise on how to make their living spaces personal and fun. So if you’re looking for someone to enhance your home or if you’re just clueless about how to decorate your home, then Fatma is the person to meet.

Apart from being an interior decorator, Fatma is also an interiors architect and has worked extensively with various architecture firms.

“I am actually an interior architect but I also have a diploma in interior design,” says Fatma. Interior designing isn’t just picking out products. One must have a sense of colour and understand how the whole room goes together.

And Fatma clearly realises that. “I am, in some ways, a ‘space designer’. I just don’t pick out the furniture, but plan how the entire space is going to look like. Also, I can also help clients decide on where the bedroom should go, how it should look like, etc. I calculate the movement, flow as well as orientations.” And the result? A style that easily merges a variety of objects into one harmonious whole.

Fatma doesn’t really follow trends and sticks to her own palettes and styles. She however confesses that she loves colours and tends to create her own canvas. Give her a chaise lounge in a sombre grey and she’ll immediately turn it around with a vibrant yellow cushion.

“Anything I do always looks alive,” says Fatma enthusiastically. Her style is never boring.

“But even though I love colours, I always listen

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to what my clients want. If my clients want something stately, then I’ll certainly do that, but at the end I’ll add something that makes the whole place stand out.”

Working with clients in Oman, Fatma has managed to get a real feel of what the typical tastes are like. “Omanis are very traditional when it comes to colour and hints of gold and silver are always welcome. However, I sense that a more contemporary trend is coming up mixed with traditional Omani, and it is nice to see that we still remember our heritage. My vision is to show people that we can blend traditional with modern. You can have a modern sofa coupled with a traditional carpet and it will still look really nice. People are usually hesitant to use that because it’s something new and they may not know if it’ll work. But I can actually help them find the right balance of the two and create a space that’s unique and sophisticated. I believe that this will make their homes look different from others. People should have their personalities reflected in their homes and I can help achieve that.”

And no matter that the challenge, Fatma’s always up for it. “I’m a very creative person.

I have even created furniture from recycled materials.” Apart from homes, she has also worked in commercial settings such restaurants, hotels and corporate houses.

Fatma’s talent certainly knows no bounds. Her work is a study in contrasts between casual and elegant, modern and traditional, simple and ornate. And her creations? Spaces that are welcoming, personal and supremely elegant.

FATMA AL KHARUSI BRINGS HER EXPERTISE TO YOUR HOMES. WALK INTO THE IDDESIGN STORE OR CALL UP FOR A SPECIAL APPOINTMENT WITH FATMA. MEET HER IN YOUR HOME SO THAT SHE CAN SEE THE SPACE AND UNDERSTAND YOUR NEEDS AND PREFERENCES. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS FATMA WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH YOU AND HELP YOU IN CREATING A CUSTOMISED MAKEOVER PLAN THAT FITS YOUR HOME PERFECTLY. AND ONCE THE PLAN IS FINALISED, YOU’RE READY TO GO! SHOULD YOU NOT HAVE ACCESS TO PAINTERS AND OTHER SUCH SERVICES, IDDESIGN WILL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO HELP YOU OUT AND WILL BE THERE TILL THE END TO GIVE YOUR HOME THAT FINAL ARTISTIC TOUCH. For booking your appointments, consultations and other information please call: 24545658.

PLACES

CAMP IN LUXURY

ENTER A WORLD OF DISCOVERY, LUXURY AND COMFORT AT THE DESERT NIGHTS CAMP, WAHIBA SANDS…

Nestled amid the dunes of Wahiba Sands, Desert Nights Camp is the ideal place to enjoy the beauty of Oman in style. Escape the chaos of city life into the tranquillity of the desert. Be it a romantic getaway or a family holiday, Desert Nights Camp is the perfect destination.

THE PLACE Desert Nights Camp comprises of 30 luxurious tents in Wahiba Sands giving you the ultimate desert experience. Guests are provided with air-conditioned Bedouin-style tents comprising of a lounge, bedroom and ensuite bathroom. The lounge provides beautiful panoramic views of the desert and is great for cosy sit-outs. Take a camel safari, brave the sand dunes on a quad bike or simply sit back and gaze at the stars.

Once the sun goes down, there’s a traditional majlis where you can unwind with friends and family, enjoy some dates and kahwa while listening to some enchanting music. Later sit around the campfire and have a relaxed, traditional meal and play some board games until you’re ready to call it a night. Whatever you chose to do, we promise, you won’t be disappointed.

DINING The camp provides guests with the finest traditional fare. You can opt to dine under the stars and make the most of your desert experience or dine in luxury in air-conditioned

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comfort. From the traditional Shuwa, a traditional Omani lamb dish, to delectable kebabs, the food is sure to tingle your taste buds.

The Two Dunes Restaurant, is where the main meals are served. With a cosy ambience and unparallel service, this restaurant can seat around 68 people and is tastefully furnished with traditional Omani wooden furniture. The restaurant offers a wide range of cuisines including Indian, Chinese and Arabic. Special meals are also available on request. The Oasis bar offers a wide range of beverages to help you unwind. Whether you want to watch your favourite sporting action on satellite TV or simply relax, the Oasis Bar is the place to be.

WHAT TO DO Brave enough for the sand dunes? You’ll have to find out for yourself. So strap yourself in and get set to enjoy the ride of a lifetime as experienced drivers take you whizzing across the dunes of the Wahiba Sands. It’s dune bashing at it’s best! Use this opportunity to venture several kilometres into the pristine desert and take a moment to gaze at the endless vistas of red gold dunes.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, then hire a quad bike and quench your thirst for adventure.

Even if you’ve never driven a bike before, you can learn the ropes in a matter of minutes.

Experience the sheer exhilaration of riding up and down the ever shifting sands of the dunes and enjoy a crazy adrenaline rush.

During the morning hours, guests can also enjoy a fun camel ride around the camp site. At the end of the day, when night has fallen, you and

your family can indulge in some star gazing with a telescope, play Scrabble, Chess, Darts, Monopoly or watch movies from an exhaustive DVD collection. The women can get Henna applied on their hands and on special request, a local Bedouin band can provide entertainment for the evening, thus setting the ambience for a truly Arabian evening.

GETTING THERE A mere two hour drive from Muscat, the camp is situated just about 11km from the small town

of Al Wasil. Once you leave Muscat, follow the Sultan Qaboos road past the airport and take the Nizwa Highway.

Follow the road towards Sur for 150km until you pass Ibra and reach Al Wasil. A dirt road just 500m from Al Wasil will lead you to the camp. Follow the special sign posts to ensure that you are on the right track.

STOPOVER What started out as a tiny fishing village has flourished to become one of Tanzania’s biggest and most significant city in terms of culture, politics and commerce. With a backdrop of a picture-perfect seaport, historic architecture and busy bazaars, Dar es Salaam is a unique melting-pot of cultures and lifestyles and makes for an ideal getaway - short or long. Here’s a glimpse of what the city has to offer.

SEE:

The Tanzania National Museum would be a good place to start.

The museum houses fossil discoveries such as a cast of a 3.6 million year-old hominid footprint. The Village Museum, which is also affiliated to the Tanzania National Museum, is a mustsee. Houses built by various tribes across the country give tourists the opportunity to explore the daily lives of the tribal people as well as the construction methods. Indigenous plants have been planted around the houses and tribal dances take place during the weekends. For those interested in taking a little something back, the museum has a shop where artists and craftsmen make and sell indigenous crafts.

The local markets are worth a visit and give tourists an insightful experience to the Tanzanian way of life. The lively bazaars with colourful stalls sell everything from spices to textiles. The House of Art, the Botanical Gardens and the National Stadium (football) are also noteworthy attractions.

EAT:

The city has an eclectic mix of African, Arabian and South Asian influences which is clearly reflected in their cuisine. From traditional cuisine to Italian trattorias, Dar es Salaam has it all! In the posh areas of the city such as Sea Cliff and Oyster Bay, one can find upmarket restaurants that are favourites among the locals, tourists as well as travelling businessmen. The Karambezi Café at the Sea Cliff Hotel and Oyster Bay Café is perfect for a lazy seaside brunch. Several casual dining joints along the Coco Beach are extremely popular for good food and music.

Grills, pizzas, sea food risottos - foodies will be in for a real treat! In and about Upanga, there are great Indian restaurants as well.

Mikocheni is another area where one can expect to find some great eating joints. Authentic Ethiopian restaurants with communal dining, Italian and French brassieres and great sea views, make for an unforgettable dining experience. Of course there are always the roadside stalls where you can indulge in some authentic local fare such as mandazi (Tanzanian doughnuts) and chipsi mayai (an omelette made with chips).

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DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, IS A CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES AND A VIBRANT CITY WHERE ONE CAN S OF ENJOY THE MYRIAD FLAVOURS AFRICA IN 48 HOURS…

SHOP:

Shopping in Dar es Salaam is a lot of fun, with plenty of souvenirs to pick up in local markets.

These markets are the ideal places to shop for handicrafts and artworks. Dar es Salaam aam is home to Tinga Tinga Art, as made famous by Edward Said Tinga Tinga. These Impressionist essionist paintings, different from Western Impressionism, represent the wildlife of the Eastern rn coast of Africa. Morogoro Stores at Oyster Bay and Tingatinga Centre on Haile Selassie Road d are the best places to pick up these paintings.

Handicrafts are abundantly available in most markets across the city but the Msasani ani Slipway Weekend Craft Market is by far the best. The Slipway shopping centre has stores that specifically cater to tourists. Zanazibari beaded slippers, hand-dyed cotton prints, kikoi ikoi fabrics and various crafts and curios are available at reasonable prices.

STAY:

Go all-out and enjoy a luxurious stay at the Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski or the Mövenpick Royal Palm Hotel. The Oyster Bay Hotel provides classy yet comfortable ble accommodations for overnight stays as well as shorter stays (few hours).

Other good options include: Southern Sun Dar es Salaam, Doubletree ree by Hilton Dar es Salaam Oysterbay Hotel, and nd Colosseum Hotel.

Oman Air Holidays has an extensive holiday programme to Tanzania, flying into/out of Dar-es-Salaam four times a week on Tue, Fri and Sat and Sun. Dar-es-Salaam Dar es Salaam is an exciting city in itself and well worth a visit with a range of good hotels and options for Day game drives. For beach lovers world-famous Zanzibar is only a short domestic flight away and has a number of beautiful resort hotels for a relaxing break.

Oman Air Holidays organises Safari Tours from 4 to 7 nights to a number of Parks teeming with wild life: Mikumi National Park, Lanke Manyara National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Tarangire National Park, and the oldest and most famous park – the Serengeti National Park featuring the Ngorongoro Crater. Oman Air Holidays can even organise for you to climb all 5,985m to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

For more details contact Oman Air Holidays on 24531000 or mail to holidays@omanair.com

CARS

THE ANATOMY OF AN F1 CAR With the F1 season just around the corner, we found our own way of helping you kick-start the fever. Here’s offering you a glimpse of what makes these cars tick…

1 AERODYNAMICS

The aerodynamic is one of the most important aspects of an F1 car, more important even than the engine that powers it. This is because any vehicle that demands such high performance during cornering must reduce air resistance as much as possible while at the same time increase downforce. F1 cars are low and wide to reduce air resistance while the wings, a diffuser, end plates and barge boards work together to increase downforce.

The Wings operate on the same principles as airplane wings, but on an F1 car produce downforce, rather than lift, which holds the car onto the track. According to regulations, the bottom of an F1 car must be flat from the nose cone to the rear axle line. Beyond that line, engineers have free reign. Most incorporate a diffuser, an upward-sweeping device located just beneath the engine and gearbox that creates a suction effect. Endplates are small, flanged areas at the edges of the front wings that direct air along the side of the car. The barge boards, located just behind the front wheels, pick up the air from there, accelerating it to create even more downforce. The result - downforce of about 2,500kg, more than four times the weight of the car itself.

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3 TRANSMISSION

The job of the transmission is to transfer the engine’s power to the driven wheels, the case of F1 cars it’s the rear wheels. According to current regulations, the gearbox must have a minimum of four forward gears up to a maximum of seven and one reverse gear.

Seven-speed gearboxes are what you will find most teams using today. The gearbox is connected to a differential, a set of gears allowing the rear wheels to revolve at different speeds during cornering. And the differential is connected to the driveshaft, which transfers power to the wheels. Shifting gears in an F1 car is done by using paddles located just behind the steering wheel. Downshifting is done on one side of the steering wheel, upshifting on the other. Although fully automatic transmission systems, including systems with sophisticated launch control, are possible on F1 cars, they are now made illegal. This helps reduce the overall cost of the power train and keeps the races competitive.

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2 ENGINE

Due to current regulations by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) current engine regulations mandate the use of 2.4 litre naturallyaspirated engines in the V8 configuration, with no more than four valves per cylinder. Also engine speeds are limited to 18,000 rpm, in order to improve engine reliability and cut costs down.

Despite these regulations, power can reach as high as 730 bhp. As such performance is equally impressive - 100km/h can be reached in just 1.7 seconds, from standstill, 200 km/h in 3.8 seconds and 300 km/h in 8.6 seconds (depending on aerodynamic settings).

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5 SUSPENSION

The suspension of an F1 car has all of the same components as the suspension of a road car. Those components include springs, dampers, arms and antisway bars. All cars feature a double wishbone suspension design and before any race, a team will tweak suspension settings to ensure that the car can brake and corner safely, yet still deliver responsive handling.

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EVENT Fundamentally speaking, there is not much difference between your everyday A to B car and an F1 car. They still have internal combustion engines, tyres, suspensions, gearboxes etc. like you would find on any car. But what make them so unique and insanely powerful is the way in which it is put together and the technology that governs the manufacture and performance of each component. Furthermore these are not cars that are built to last; they are built for one sole purpose – taking corners as fast as possible, restricted only by the regulation put into place by the governing body of the races and a team’s budget.

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4 STEERING WHEEL

The steering wheel of an F1 car bears little resemblance to that of a road car. This is because the steering wheel also doubles as the car’s command centre. It houses a dizzying array of buttons, toggles and switches. During the race, the driver can control almost every aspect of the car’s performance including gear changes, fuel mixture, brake balance and more with just the touch of a finger. Regulations state that the driver must be able to get out of his car within five seconds, removing nothing except the steering wheel. To allow for this, the steering wheel is joined to the steering column via a snap-on connector.

7 BRAKES

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Like every part of a Formula One car, tyres are highly regulated. Slick tyres - those with no tread pattern and a high contact area - were introduced in the 1960s and used until 1998. Then the FIA change the rules to reduce cornering speeds and make the sport more competitive. The 2009 season has seen the re-introduction of slick tyres.

On today’s Formula One cars, tyres can be no wider than 355 and 380mm at the rear while front tyre width reduced from 270mm to 245mm for the 2010 season. In rainy conditions, cars can have ‘intermediate’ and ‘wet’ tyres, which have full tread patterns designed to channel water away from the road surface. The tyres are made from very soft rubber compounds which, as they heat up, adhere to the road and provide enormous gripping power. In fact, racing tyres perform best at high temperatures, so they have to be warmed up before they are race-ready. The trade-off is decreased durability. An F1 tyre is built to last just one race distance, a little over 300km.

Like with almost all components of the disc brakes found on F1 cars can be found on any regular disk braking system. However, the brakes used in F1 must stop a vehicle travelling at speeds greater than 200mph. To help reduce wear and tear and increase braking performance, carbon composite rotors and pads are now used. These brake systems are lightweight and are extremely effective at temperatures up to up to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1800 °F). Holes around the edge of the brake disc allow heat to escape rapidly. The cars also have air intakes fitted to the outside of the wheel hub to cool down the brakes. An average F1 car can decelerate from 100 to 0 km/h in about 17m, compared with a 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo which takes 31.4m. When braking from higher speeds, aerodynamic downforce enables tremendous deceleration of 4.5g to 5.0g and up to 5.5g (54 m/s²) at the high-speed circuits. This contrasts with 1.0g to 1.5g for the best sports cars. Furthermore, an F1 car can brake from 200km/h to a complete stop in just 2.9 seconds, using only 65m.

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DISPLAYS 1) Info of FIA/Race Control 2) Shift Lights 3) Multi purpose display (gear indicator) BUTTONS 4) N= Neutral 5) W= Activate Front Wing 6) Multipurpose button 7) K= KERS Boost Button 8) - = presettings down 9) + = presettings up 10) Ack = acknowledge 11) PL = Pitlane Limiter 12) Spare 13) R= Radio 14) Box = Pit Stop 15) BP = Clutch 16) SC = Safety Car (Safety car Phase) ROTARY SWITCHES 17) Differential 18) Preload 19) Differential 20) Cruise Control 21) Selector (i.e. KERS, Front Wing, RPM) 22) Tyre Adaptation 23) Wing = Presettings Front Wing 24) Pedal = Pedal Map 25) Fuel = Fuel Mic PADDLES 26) Upshift 27) Downshift 28) Clutch

THE LAST WORD ¢ùª«L »≤«≤◊G ¬ª°SG â«dƒg

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His real name is James Howlett.

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He’s fluent in many languages, including Japanese, Russian, Cantonese, Cheyenne, Lakota, and Spanish; has some knowledge of French, Thai, and Vietnamese.

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He’s Canadian. He is believed to hold dual citizenship with Japan and maybe even the fictional place known as Madripoor.

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A»°T π°†aCG { ¬d IQÉÑY ô¡°TCG . { ¬H ΩƒbCG Ée ƒg His catchphrase: “I’m the best there is at what I do.”

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Weapon Ten, Death, ‘ ∑QÉ°T Patch, Canucklehead, ,9601# Mutate Emilio Garra, Weapon Chi, Weapon X, iôNC’G QGhOC’G øe ójó©dGh Wildboy Aliases: Logan, formerly Weapon Ten, Death, Mutate #9601, Patch, Canucklehead, Emilio Garra, Weapon Chi, Weapon X, Wildboy, many others.

) AÉeó≤dG ÚHQÉëŸG óMCÉc äÉjôcP ¬d óMCG ‘ πªYh ,¿ÉHÉ«dG ‘ ( …GQƒeÉ°ùdG ájõcôŸG á«μjôeC’G äGQÉÑîà°S’G ádÉch äÉ«∏ªY .Góæc ‘ ájôH øcÉeCG ¤EG äÓMôH ΩÉbh Possesses memories of being a Samurai in Japan, a mercenary operative for the Central Intelligence Agency, and a “wild man” in the Canadian wilderness.

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IQÉëHh …óæLh »bÉ°ùc ∂dòc πªY .ºéæe πeÉYh He’s also worked as a bartender, bouncer, soldier, sailor, and miner.

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things we did not know about

Wolverine