Woman Today January 2012 by Oryx Group of Magazines

2012 January

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January 2012

contents

JANUARY 2012

Rekindle the fire Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for change

Having unrealistic expectations makes it hard to sustain the motivation to change writes Jacki Woodworth.

26 28 32

Did you have a very indulgent end-of-the-year festive season? January has just begun, and you would want to get back on track with your health goals. Nicole Van Hattem lends a 10-step guide to celebrate a healthy 2012.

Seven Ways to Stay Motivated at Work

Top Picks Books on Motivation

Leaving failure behind

Children who are intrinsically motivated are easy to teach, easy to encourage and learn readily. But what about children who are not, asks Dr Rajka Milanovic Galbriath.

Healthy steps towards success

Even the most motivated of employees experience an occasional slump and need a boost to regain their normal motivation levels.

Woman Today lists down books that inspire, guide, and motivate you to reach great heights...

2012 January

World Wide Women 22 Angel in the house

Lois Cook speaks to Vani Saraswathi on the work she does through Angels Den, and the power of strong ideas receiving meaningful investments.

38 MIXED BAG

16 work wise

To maternity and beyond

Marching Towards March

Victoria Scott discovers how fashion can help new Mums look and feel good.

How Women Work is running towards its third year and like the previous years, the conference is going to be highly interactive with a wide variety of workshops, panels and forums to choose from. Learn more...

60 THINKING ALOUD

56 QATARI MUSINGS

Lead the Law

Abeer Rawhani realised the importance of the legal profession quite early in life. Given her argumentative disposition, she knew the choice was right. One of only a handful of Qatari female lawyers in active practice, she shares with us her journey from childhood dreams to judicial courts.

36 health & fitness How to Rock it in 2012 Find A New Beginning in Each Moment

Many styles of yoga begin with sun salutations and the starting point for sun salutations is Tadasana or Mountain Pose.

42 style stop

Creatures of Comfort

How then do we find confidence in clothing that’s not painstakingly styled or craftily put together? How do we find comfort in ourselves while being utterly comfortable? Lynette Cowie offers you a practical, sustainable game plan.

The gory tale of boobs

Sindhu Nair finds out where our growing fixation for “looks” has led us to...

VOLUME V / ISSUE 12

JANUARY 2012

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Yousuf Jassem Al Darwish Chief Executive Sandeep Sehgal Executive Vice President Alpana Roy Vice President Ravi Raman

Managing Editor Vani Saraswathi Deputy Editor Sindhu Nair fashion & lifestyle correspondent Orna Ballout Editorial Co-ordinator Cassey Oliveira correspondent Ezdhar Ali Art Director Venkat Reddy Asst Director – production Sujith Heenatigala assistant Art Director Hanan Abu Saiam Senior Graphic Designers Ayush Indrajith Sampath Gunathilaka M D Graphic Designer Maheshwar Reddy B photography Robert Altamirano Managers – Marketing Mohammed Sami Zulfikar Jiffry Senior Media Consultant Chaturka Karandana Media Consultant HASSAN REKKAB

Accountant Pratap Chandran

sr. distribution Executive Bikram Shrestha Distribution Support Arjun Timilsina Bhimal rai

FROM THE EDITOR A new year begs new beginnings. As we party away the previous year or quietly herald in the new, even in the worst sceptics of us all there would be teeny hope for better tidings. This month Woman Today looks at the M word. Getting motivated is not as difficult as staying motivated; and our writers pull out a few tricks from their bags of expertise to help us stay on track, be it an exercise regime, career development or working on relationships, we discuss how best to keep at it. A key motivator is finding the right role model. This month, as always, we feature women who inspire: Lois Cook, and Arab Games 2011 athletes Yasmine Al-Sharshani and Nada Mohammed Wafa. For Woman Today 2012 brings tidings of a different sort. The magazine has not only been the voice of women power in Qatar, it has also been a source of inspiration to many, building a community around it. The women who create the magazine – writers, experts, in-house team – are also the women whom we reach out too. Because of which being in sync with our community has been a rather easy task. After 71 issues Woman Today will go into a hiatus to reassess its task, and see how better it can be leveraged to be the voice of women in Qatar. So, it’s more a ‘till we meet again’, than a ‘good bye’.

Have a productive and wonderful 2012. Published by Oryx Advertising Co WLL P.O. Box 3272; Doha-Qatar Tel: (+974) 44672139, 44550983, 44671173, 44667584 Fax: (+974) 44550982 Email: wtoday@omsqatar.com website: www.omsqatar.com Copyright © 2011 Oryx Advertising Co WLL

Address all your correspondence to Woman Today, Oryx Advertising Co WLL, P.O. Box 3272; Doha-Qatar Tel: (+974) 44672139, 44550983, 44671173, Fax:(+974) 44550982, email: wtoday@omsqatar.com. 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 advertising contents. Licensing/ Republishing WT content: To obtain permission for text syndication in books, newsletters, magazines, newspapers and web or to use images/pictures carried in Woman Today, please contact our syndication and licensing department on the numbers given above. Permission is also required to photocopy a WT article for classroom use, course packs, business or general use. Custom reprints: Published article/s to be used as stand-alone pieces can be reprinted by us on special request. The reprint cost is based on the length of the article and the quantity ordered. Contact our custom publishing division on the numbers given above for more information.To subscribe to Woman Today call our subscription department on the numbers given above.

January 2012

Vani Saraswathi

GO GREEN

Nokia C5-03

Woman Today invites readers’ feedback Share your views on the magazine or any issue connected to Qatar. One lucky reader will win a Nokia C5-03. Write to: The Editor, Woman Today, PO Box 3272, Doha Fax: (+974) 44550982 email: wtoday@omsqatar.com

Woman Today reserves the right to edit correspondence. Views and opinions expressed in the published letters may not necessarily be those of the publication.

Prizes sponsored by:

January 2012

letters The Grand Reveal I have been following Woman Today magazine quite regularly ever since I have landed in Doha. It’s an amazing magazine that focuses on real ordinary women with extraordinary strengths and achievements. I have been particularly very interested in following Woman Today Transform and read about Alyson Gilpin’s inspiring journey. I was shocked when I flipped through the pages of the December issue. There staring at me was Alyson looking smart, beautiful, confident, stylish and SLIM! It’s truly a remarkable transformation. It only proves that change is possible if you have the determination, attitude and the right people to help you go ahead. Alyson, you are a star! Rachel Connor Building Networks Woman Today is a great magazine. It has women in all walks of life sharing their success stories with the readers. Over the years, one can notice several women associations coming up in the country. Being a member of such groups is a great way of meeting like-minded women and learning about their experiences in life. It’s a good thing that Woman Today features these groups in its issues so that readers will be aware of how they can expand their network in the country, and make new friends. Fatima Ahmed

Letting Go Declutter – what a fantastic topic to end the year with! Believe it or not – we all are surrounded with clutter; clutter that we ourselves accumulate over the years. Be it emotional, virtual, health or work-life - it’s hard to let go. I’m glad that Woman Today dealt with the various aspects of decluttering in its December issue. All the articles make for an interesting read. I also loved the article on good clutter. Now I don’t feel that bad for having souvenirs, cards or photographs scattered here and there at home. After all “What’s your clutter might not be mine” they say! Susan George Healthy Bites I’m a fitness freak but honestly don’t have the time to hit the gym on a regular basis. Thankfully, Woman Today comes to my rescue. I’m always hooked on to the health & fitness section of the magazine. The December issue carried an amazing article on decluttering your kitchen pantry. The steps provided in it are fun and easy to apply. I also enjoy reading the different exercises that comes every month. I make sure to try them at home. P.S: It would be nice if you included some quick and easy healthy but tasty recipes as well. Reena Dayal

inshort

Female rooms at London hotel

London hotel has become the latest to roll out a suite of amenities for women, despite a ruling that declared a similar scheme in Copenhagen to be illegal under discrimination laws. The Dukes Hotel in London revealed in December that it will assign some of its rooms to be ‘Duchess Rooms’, loading them with treats to tempt single female travellers or groups of women. The Duchess Rooms will be looked after by exclusively female room attendants, contain extra items such as a makeup mirror, hair dryer and styling accessories, and offer a selection of glossy magazines. In the bathrooms, would-be duchesses will find female amenities, and the rooms are filled with fresh flowers. The Duchess Rooms are the brainchild of Dukes’ general manager Debrah Dhugga and could prove popular with the hotel’s discerning clientele – although the experiences of the Bella Sky Hotel in Copenhagen offer something of a cautionary tale. The property, which opened last year as Europe’s largest design hotel, blocked off a whole floor for women, adding extra amenities to keep its female guests happy. The seemingly innocuous move caught the attention of a member of the public who complained about the property to Denmark’s Equal Treatment Board – which agreed with the individual and ruled that the initiative was illegal last month. Now the hotel has been ordered to remove the ban on male access to the floor, although it has suggested that it will defy the law, with a spokesperson telling AFP: “The only man who can access this floor will be a fireman in the case of fire.”

Sugary breakfast cereals worse than Twinkies

ccording to a December report from the US Environmental Working Group (EWG), a majority of popular cereals marketed to kids in the US – 56 out of 84 in the study – don’t meet nutritional guidelines for sugar and salt content. Also, a bowlful of some cereals contains more sugar than a Twinkie cake bar. Three-fourths of a cup of Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, for example, contains 20 grams of sugar, compared to 18 grams in a Twinkie. The top offenders, including Honey Smacks, Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, and Quaker Cap’n Crunch, all contain more than 41 percent sugar (by weight). Current nutritional guidelines for ready-to-eat cereals recommend no more than 26 percent added sugar by weight. The EWG also found in its evaluation of 84 cereals that many contain more sodium and fewer whole grains than what is

January 2012

recommended. For parents aiming for more nutrition in their child’s breakfasts, an app called Fooducate lets you scan the barcode on food products in the US to get a quick grade from A to F. Similarly, International Consumer Research & Testing and Consumers International issued their own study a few years ago that involved 32 nations. They found that some cereals sold in the US contained more sodium and sugar than the same brands sold in other countries. Honey Smacks sold in Germany, Slovenia, and Switzerland had about 40 percent sugar, compared with 55 percent sugar in the US product. Consumers International hoped the World Health Organisation would develop international guidelines that would restrict advertising and marketing to children of foods high in sugar, fat or sodium.

inshort A new study suggests that working part-time can lead to healthier, happier mums.

Do you follow the lens rules? Happier, healthier... ...Mothers who work part-time

new study suggests that mothers who work part-time, especially when their children are very young, have fewer symptoms of depression and better self-reported health than mothers who stay home. “A mother’s economic role is central to family life, and it supports her well-being and her parenting,” researcher Cheryl Buehler, PhD, of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, told WebMD. While previous research has examined a mum’s happiness with full-time work vs staying home, WebMD cites that there has “been little study of part-time work in particular, and its effect on motherhood, family life, and parenting in general”. Researchers examined data from more than 1,300 mothers across the US, with information being collected from seven different interviews with the mothers over a 10-year period. In the study, part-time work constituted anything from one to 32 hours of work a week. The results found mothers who worked

January 2012

part-time were “just as involved in their child’s school as stay-at-home mums,” and more involved than mums who worked fulltime. “In addition, mothers working part-time appeared more sensitive with their pre-school children and they provided more learning opportunities for toddlers than stay-at-home mums and mums working full-time,” according to the researchers. “In terms of parenting and balancing work and home, being a part-time worker provides the best of both worlds for mothers,” Jennifer Fraone, Assistant Director of the Boston College Centre for Work and Family in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, told WebMD. The reason being, she said, that they simply have more time. “One thing I really dislike is the ‘mommy wars’ conflict... that one situation, working or staying home, is better than another,” she adds. “This is a very personal decision for every woman and for every couple.” The research was published in the December issue of the Journal of Family Psychology.

Director Susan Youssef with the Fipresci Arab Feature award for Habibi during the awards ceremony on day eight of the eighth Annual Dubai International Film Festival on December 14, 2011.

new study reveals that just two percent of contact lens wearers follow all the rules when it comes to contact lens hygiene, while more than 80 percent of people believe that they follow good practices. The biggest sins are showering, swimming and sleeping while wearing your contact lenses, and using contacts longer than you should before opening a fresh pair, according to the report. The study was published in the December issue of the journal Optometry and Vision Science. In the new study, 72 percent of the surveyed contact lens wearers said they had experienced discomfort from their lenses and 47 percent reported having had an infection from their lenses. Other bad habits include “topping off” the solution in the lens case instead of rinsing and soaking lenses in fresh solution each day and never or rarely replacing the lens case. The American Academy of Ophthalmology, Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, the Cornea Society and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery offer these tips: Try to avoid contact between your lenses and water (remove lenses before going swimming). Never rinse or store lenses in water, whether tap or sterile.

Saline solution and rewetting drops are not meant to disinfect your contact lenses. Discard your old lenses and start a new pair according to the schedule given to you by your eye care professional. To clean your lenses, rub them with your fingers (even if the solution is a no-rub formula) and then rinse them with solution. Rinse your contact lens case with solution, not water. Allow the case to air-dry. Replace your contact lens case every three months.

Arab women filmmakers rock Dubai festival

tale of forbidden love in the Gaza Strip won the top prize at the Eighth Dubai Film Festival in December, where a new generation of Arab women directors stole the spotlight. Habibi (My Love in Arabic), directed by Susan Youssef, won Best Arab Feature Film, and the film’s star, Maisa Abdel Hadi, won Best Actress. The film, which also won the Best Editor award, tells the story of two Palestinian lovers, Qais and Leila, growing increasingly religious under the control of the Islamist group Hamas. Youssef cried upon receiving the award, and in her acceptance speech said: “I hope we can show the film in Gaza.” The young director said she began shooting the film in Gaza but was forced to relocate after the Israeli authorities blocked her from travelling to the territory. She told AFP that she was prompted to make the film after she “fell in love with a theatre director in Gaza”.

Youssef, who is originally Lebanese but grew up in the United States, said that Habibi, her first film, cost less to make than “a luxury car in Dubai”. Jordanian filmmaker Deema Amr also tackled the social pressures facing women in Arab countries in her film A 7 Hour Difference. The film tells the story of Dalia, a college student in the US, who returns home to Jordan to attend her sister’s wedding but the celebration turns sour when her American boyfriend turns up in Amman unannounced. Dalia confesses the affair to her father, who then tells her to end the relationship: “I asked you to come back to Jordan with a degree, not with a boyfriend,” he says. Lebanese director Danielle Arbid presented her third film, Beirut Hotel, which narrates a love affair between a Lebanese singer and a Frenchman set against the backdrop of the assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

Arbid’s film shows relatively steamy and intimate scenes, unusual for Arab cinema, and was barred from screening in Lebanon because of its reference to the Hariri assassination. Female directors also starred in the documentary category, including Sudanese filmmaker Taghreed Elsanhouri and French-Algerian counterpart Yasmina Adi. Elsanhouri’s Our Beloved Sudan tells parallel stories of the struggles faced by the director’s mother, forced to marry a man with three wives, and the events that led to South Sudan gaining independence from Khartoum. Adi’s Here We Drown The Algerians follows the brutal suppression of the 1961 demonstrations by Algerian immigrants in France demanding their country’s independence from French rule. London Through The Eyes Of A Veiled Woman, a film about the struggles of a young Emirati woman studying in the West, also earned critical acclaim.

2012 January

inshort

Fruits & veggies reduce stroke risk

n another reminder to eat more fruit and vegetables, a new study has found that women who ate a diet rich in antioxidants reduced their risk of stroke, regardless of their cardiovascular history. Results of a study showed that women with the highest levels of dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) reduced their risk of stroke by 17 percent. In this group, fruit and vegetables contributed to 50 percent of their TAC, while whole grains made up 18 percent, tea 16 percent and chocolate five percent. Women with a history of heart disease with high levels of dietary TAC also lowered their risk of haemorrhagic stroke by up to 57 percent. Antioxidants help counter the effects of free radicals – organic molecules responsible for ageing, tissue damage and disease. They also help reduce the risk of stroke by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress, the imbalance between the production of cell-damaging free radicals and the body’s ability to neutralise them. Some of the most antioxidant-rich foods include berries, broccoli, garlic, green tea and tomatoes. Cooking also alters antioxidant levels in foods. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Food Science found, for instance, that cauliflower suffered the highest loss of antioxidants after it was boiled or zapped in the microwave. Peas lost much of their nutritional properties after being boiled, as did zucchini when boiled or fried. The sturdiest vegetables turned out to be artichokes, beets, garlic and green beans, which held onto their antioxidant properties after most cooking treatments. Not only did green beans hold steady to their nutritional properties, they along with celery and carrots actually increased their antioxidant levels after cooking. The most antioxidant-destructive cooking methods overall? Pressurecooking and boiling.

new scheme to provide women-only taxis is being welcomed by Malaysian commuters who say female passengers in the Muslim-majority country are vulnerable to robbery and other violence. Launched last month in the capital Kuala Lumpur by the government, the initiative already has an initial fleet of 50 taxis on the road, driven by women and emblazoned with the words “Teksi Wanita” (“Women Taxi”) across the tops of the windshields. “It’s good of course. It’s safer when we travel alone,” said Fiena Nasir, a 26-year-old office worker, as she stepped into a cab in Malaysia’s administrative capital of Putrajaya. Malaysia has previously launched pinkcoloured female train carriages and womenonly buses to protect travellers from sexual harassment. The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, which launched the cab service in cooperation with several local taxi companies, hopes to expand to 400 such

January 2012

Malaysia’s

female-only

taxi service taxis and to create more women cab drivers, who are currently rare. There are about 20,000 taxis now plying greater Kuala Lumpur, which has a population of around six million people. “These women (drivers), they need trans-

port to drive their children to school. So we want to encourage other women to call for these taxis,” said M Suaparmanyam, a local businessman who is working with the ministry on the programme. Suaparmanyam said some of the women drivers are concerned that male passengers will avoid their cabs. Concerns also have been raised that the “Women Taxi” label could make the drivers targets of violence. But Suaparmanyam says his electrical signalling company plans to help organise the training of 350 more women in self-defence and other basic skills to work as drivers by 2013. Malaysia introduced female-only buses last year on several routes in Kuala Lumpur during peak hours to help counter sexual harassment on crowded public transport. That followed pink train carriages launched earlier to give women the option of travelling separately from men.

Courtsey: afprelaxnews

Women, want to reduce your risk of stroke? Eat more fruit, vegetables and whole grains, all good sources of antioxidants.

workwise

How Women Work Marching Towards March

ow Women Work is running towards its third year and like the previous years, the conference is going to be highly interactive with a wide variety of workshops, panels and forums to choose from. This year, the conference will run over a day and a half and make things happen at a more sustainable pace. More often than not, conferences have long rows of keynote speakers who deliver condensed messages throughout the day, leaving the delegates in a state of utter exhaustion. How Women Work conference, however, offers an innovative and interactive conference concept that gives each of our delegates a voice.

January 2012

Founder Carolin Zeitler explains, “The conference is by women who live and work in Qatar for women who live and work in Qatar. We want our speakers and workshop providers to have first-hand experience of what it means to succeed in Qatar, how it can be done and what obstacles have to be overcome. Then we break our delegates up into small groups, so they can ask their questions, voice their concerns and share their experiences with the other women throughout the day.” The conference gives the participants a chance to speak up during the day if they wish to, and we want it to happen in a supportive atmosphere. “We want the participants to take

things away from the conference that are directly applicable in their lives and we cherish the growing number of stories from women who have launched their business, found their passion, and gotten the necessary contacts or insight to get on with their projects after our previous conferences. We look forward to hearing the new stories from women feeling empowered after attending the conference. Be prepared to have a good laugh too, and feel the energy of all these women who gather on the day to learn new things, get to know new people and move forward. If you have dreams and aspirations, we welcome you,” say the organisers.

How This Woman Works When I moved to Doha in September 2010, I came with several years of training and consulting experience and a number of methods in my backpack. I was trained as a systemic consultant and I appreciate this approach since it focuses on the resources available in an organisation. It is about great questions, listening and engaging people in finding a solution. I like to look at it like at sculpturing: helping to uncover the potential that is there but cannot yet be seen. Systemic consulting is also about seeing the big picture rather than the specific incident and exploring the issues and opportunities in the system. This approach came in very handy when I moved to Qatar, living in the Middle East and an Islamic country for the first time. I made a resolution to observe and not judge, to listen and see the different perspectives. A few weeks into the Doha experience I came across the How Women Work initiative and led a workshop on women and systems thinking in the 2010 conference. Being fascinated by the opportunity to work with an aspiring and growing team and contributing to empowering women in the local community, I joined the How Women Work organising team. It is a pleasure to be surrounded by such accomplished women of various backgrounds to bring next year’s conference to life. I found this to be a unique way to combine the challenge of growth on different levels – in a country that’s growing at such a pace, taking the How Women Work initiative to the next level and striving for personal growth along the way. A working mum, I learned to be flexible: jumping from facilitating a workshop on change management to playing Lego to being on a conference call to reading a good night story... but then, this is how women work! Birgit Radl-Wanko, Freelance Consultant and Trainer and coorganiser of next year’s HOW WOMEN WORK conference.

I am a writer Psst! Can I tell you a secret? What about a few secrets? Actually, they’re dreams and now not so secret, as I’m sharing with you. I’m sure you have a few... I’ve always dreamt of being a writer. I have always written but I did not deign to call myself a writer as I had not had anything published. So that’s the second secret: I wanted to see my work in print. The latter was fulfilled through the How Women Work Conference and the accompanying magazine. At a time when I doubted the wisdom of my decision to move to Doha, I heard of and entered Qatar Professional Women’s Network’s (QPWN) Dream Big competition. What I gained was greater than the prizes on offer; I met Jeanine from Empower People and Carolin from Arcata Interactive Communication Training who were organising the 2011 How Women Work conference. Through these introductions, I was encouraged to submit an essay on my personal journey to success for the conference magazine. This gave me the confidence to state in my biography that I

was a writer and that I planned to write at least twelve stories and enter six competitions that year. This pre-empted the self-reflection and action pages of the magazine, which encouraged planning for the fulfillment of your goals. To date I have written nine short stories, entered seven competitions and won no prizes, yet. I am learning the craft: drafting and redrafting; the mercurial nature of inspiration and the hard slog of finger to keyboard; the thrill of the submission, the anticipation of the outcome and the agony of the rejection. I am learning the art. I have subscribed to journals, joined groups, read books and plan to do some courses. But each story I write is a step away from my narrow notions of what is a writer. I am a writer because I write, every day. Shall I share another secret with you? I’ve also always dreamt of working on a magazine and for the How Women Work conference 2012, I’ve volunteered to help Carolin, Birgit and Trine with the magazine. What’s your secret dream? Is 2012 the year to start making your dreams less secret?

Suzette De Coteau-Atuah is a writer, currently daylighting as a Healthcare Improvement Practitioner. Married with a three-year-old son, she has lived in Doha since June 2010, having come from Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean, via a 20-year-stopover in the UK. Her goals for 2012 include writing at least 12 short stories or articles and entering a minimum of 12 competitions.

2012 January

workwise

To be or not to be? Scenario 1: Awakening, feeling my body resting on the bed, hearing my husband breathing peacefully beside me, hearing the birds singing and seeing the sun spread its light and warmth. Stretching and breathing – noticing lying here in this moment. Slowly getting out of bed being met by my dog Cha Cha, who always seems to be happy to see me. Showering and feeling the warm water heating my body and gently soaping and massaging life into it. Boiling water for the first cup of coffee, treating myself a nice cup in the garden, feeling the sun to a deep sense of gratefulness. Thinking about what this day will bring. What are my first steps? Getting up to meet the rest of the family, grateful for another day with them. And so it goes on... Scenario 2: Hearing the alarm clock go off, wakening and immediately remembering the programme

for the day, checking to see what I might have forgotten on my mental list, pushing my dog aside saying “not now” and off for the shower. Listening to hear if my children are turning off their alarm clocks and hope my husband is taking the dog out while I’m planning my first meeting in the bath. The inner dialogue is shouting “hurry, hurry” and I hurry to dress and get downstairs finding my children are not out of bed yet. Hurrying up the stairs shouting at them – and also to my husband: “Why didn’t you check on the children”? “You know I have to be on time today since I have an important meeting.” And so it goes on... Scenario 1 and 2 are both around 15 minutes. Which one do you prefer? There are many things in life we do not control but we do control how we meet them, and also we do plan and decide whether or not we will rush through life expecting things to

Tina Ringer Mogensen is a Danish Psychologist, and a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist, and MBCT Mindfulness Instructor.

January 2012

get better once we get somewhere else. I once read: life is what happens when we are busy making other plans – and chances are that we are sleepwalking through big parts of life and missing out on precious moments that would really nourish us here and now. Last year at the How Women Work conference I led a Workshop called Mindful Self-Leadership demonstrating the mindful approach to life – both personally and professionally improving the resilience and the awareness of inner dialogues and assumption about the outer world that might lead us to suffer instead of enjoy life to the fullest. Demonstrating how mindfulness meditations and awareness techniques can help us calm our scattering mind that often are our biggest stressor and obstruction in life. In the workshop and wherever I work with the mindful approach, I am touched when people discover the power of “being” instead of endless automatic mindless “doing”.

worldwidewomen

Qatari Women at the Games The Arab Games 2011 has seen one of the best performances in history by Qatar’s female athletes. Out of the 110 medals won by Qatar, 32 medals were earned by female individual athletes and teams which includes eight gold medals.

Nada Mohammed Wafa The first Qatari female swimmer to participate this year.

Yasmine Al-Sharshani

The only Qatari female golfer to participate this year. Yasmine Al-Sharshani is a graduate from the Sports Science Programme at Qatar University and looks forward to becoming a seasoned professional golfer in the future. She has also represented Qatar at the Arab Golf Championships, in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, in September 2011. “Golf is a game that needs patience and an immense amount of concentration – it’s a tactical sport, and that is what I love about it. I started playing three years ago, and participate in local tournaments on a weekly basis. My participation in Arab Games Doha 2011 is an extremely important experience for me. There aren’t a lot of Qatari or Arab female golfers due to a lack of knowledge about less conventional sports like golf. Therefore, I feel lucky that my country provided me with the opportunity, through an education in sports, to learn about golf. My studies encouraged me and I loved the game so I started reading and learning more about it. “From the facilities provided by the Qatar Golf Association and Doha Golf Club – which is our main venue for this competition - to the Athletes’ Village, Qatar provides the ideal environment for golfers to practice and compete alongside some of the best athletes in the world.”

January 2012

Nada Mohammed Wafa is a student at Doha College. She trains at the state-of-the-art Hamad Aquatic Center six times a week. “At the Arab Games, my goal was to be the best- and I have achieved it. I owe my accomplishment to the faith that has been put in me by my coach, my family, and most importantly my country, Qatar. “The training facilities are excellent, my coach is great, and even as the only female swimmer on the team and my needs were catered to beyond expectations.”

worldwidewomen

Lois Cook speaks to Vani Saraswathi on the work she does through Angels Den, and the power of strong ideas receiving meaningful investments.

angel in

the house 24

January 2012

5 tips for hopeful investors

If you are new to angel investing, take the time to attend one of our awareness and training sessions to make sure it is right for you, and then start small for your first investment.

02 03 Keep an open mind about which sectors to invest in.

Look for clever, profitable and scalable business models.

04 Most importantly, choose people who are credible, likeable and trustworthy. Find out what they do when things don’t go according to plan and spend some time with them before committing.

05 Don’t invest an amount that will give you sleepless nights worrying about it. Keep it fun!

getting to the heart of the problem”. Accord“...to get all the great businesses funded all “If you feel that you ing to her, funding is the biggest barrier to over the world.” Hers is not a modest ambiare held back by being SME growth. “When I supported growing tion, but Lois Cook, Co-founder of Angels a woman then you businesses it was the number one issue that Den, is taking it one country at a time, city by probably will be; a lot held them back. I had also met some angels city. “There is quite a bit of scope in that (amand found that it can be incredibly rewardbition), and I think it will probably keep me of the trick is about ing to invest in a growth business. Some of busy for a few years to come!” she smiles. self-belief.” our angels say it has been a lifeline for them. Angels Den connects business invesIf you have money but are not engaged in tors (angels) with entrepreneurs seeking something that gives you a sense of purpose investment. it’s easy to get frustrated and become aimHaving served as a corporate employee for less. Being an angel gives people a way to use around 20 years, she was immersed in that their skills, feel incredibly valued, have the excitement of business life world with no particular passion for entrepreneurship, Lois admits. “However, about 15 years ago I was selected by a UK government ini- (without the long hours) AND make money at the same time.” tiative to set up a pilot group that would create a bridge between senior management mentors in large organisations like mine and local small It’s a man’s world? businesses. I ran this group for around six years and was really taken When we think investors and entrepreneurs it’s a very male-centric viby the enthusiasm, ingenuity and ability to multi-task shown by the en- sual that comes to mind. But Lois is used to excelling in what is traditrepreneurs. Although the idea was for them to learn from the mentors, tionally considered the male forte. “I trained as an Electronic Engineer and worked initially for the I felt I learnt as much from them. I was drawn to change my career and re-trained so I could coach SMEs and set up an online support forum Dutch company Philips. After a couple of years I transferred to Mitsubishi Semiconductors where I spent 16 years growing the business for them so they could share skills and network.” and working my way up the corporate ladder of a technical, male-dominated, Japanese company. It is to their credit that they ignored the fact Biz match-making A decade and a half later, Lois’ jet-setting vocation has landed her in I was female and gave me responsibility for a department which I grew a tower in Doha’s West Bay, facilitating the city’s (and country’s) first to over $250 million. I was the second employee in Semiconductors Speed Funding event, where people with great business ideas meet and a lot of the time it felt like my own business – I lived and breathed those with money to invest. What transpired after that evening, and my job.” However, when she left this line of work Lois found quite quickly what dreams will be realised from there is not immediately clear. But Lois and Bill Morrow (husband and co-founder of Angels Den) are pros that she couldn’t face the idea of someone else telling her what to do. “I who have seen strong businesses emerge from such meetings elsewhere wanted to do my own thing and really make a difference to the world.” Though Speed Funding is Angels Den’s flagship model, the regional in the world, and are confident Doha will have many success stories to managers do personal matching. Connections are made through the share in future. The reason Angels Den was born, Lois says, is because she is “all about online facility and angel clubs are run where groups of angels meet

2012 January

worldwidewomen

Prove the business model - if you can spend X and generate Y in sales and Z in profit, you can argue that by investing 1,000X you have a chance to make 1,000Y and 1,000Z.

Protect your idea if you can, with trademarks, patents, clever leverage and partnerships.

regularly and talk to businesses that have been screened to their requirements. “All these methods are successful for different types of people and we continuously add new ways to get people funded,” she says.

Everyday lessons On angel investors in general, regardless of gender, Lois is expecting massive growth as Angels Den gets the message out to investors in

January 2012

Create a great brand that reflects your values and that you can keep when you are big.

04 05 Work out your expansion model and a sound financial forecast.

Find yourself an angel who will help you take the embryonic business into the market.

the region and they learn how they can contribute and make a difference to the world. “Angel investing is a truly sustainable way to benefit the long-term development of the country. You can make money for yourself and your family, while furthering economic growth and creating jobs.” She advises entrepreneurs always to prove their business model on a small scale. “Surround yourself with a good team, and once you are confident you have the right formula, raise funds and really go for it. If you do things on a meaningful scale that creates wealth and employment it is so much more rewarding and you can define your position in the market.” Recalling her early days as an entrepreneur, she says the big challenge was that although the market was researched before launch, the first model did not pan out as wished. “It was an online-only angel matching service. It only took a few months to realise that the best partnerships are formed face to face and that our market research subjects had told us what they thought they would do and not what they would actually do in practice. It’s a subtle distinction that can be the downfall of many businesses. As a result I’m now a great believer in people proving their business model on a small scale rather than relying solely on market research. “What defines you as an entrepreneur is how quickly you learn from mistakes and adapt, and I’m proud that it only took us a few months to change our model to include a human interface – we came up with our USP of SpeedFunding within nine months. We continue to learn and adapt to create the best way of connecting people and engaging them in great partnerships.” Married to Bill, Lois says they “eat and sleep angel funding.” With four kids between them – aged 9 to 22, all very enterprising and talented – she says they keep the duo inspired as well as busy. “That doesn’t leave a lot of time for other things, but for me my personal goal is around health and well-being and I’ve met some inspiring women on that front since being here. Like many businesswomen I focus intently on my goals and am guilty of letting my spiritual and physical well-being take second place. I think the greatest challenge in life is to be healthy in body, mind, spirit and business! That is true success.”

“Like many business women I focus intently on my goals and am guilty of letting my spiritual and physical well-being take second place.”

Level playing field Lois also doesn’t believe in separating women from their core business model by creating women-only programmes. “Women entrepreneurs tend to be more successful than male entrepreneurs in our relaxed pitching format, which was designed to be woman-friendly from the outset.” The proof of that could be seen at the event. “It was a good pilot event and the standard of businesses was high. I was particularly impressed by the two businesses owned by women, who had ambitious plans for things they really believed in. As usual everyone had a lot to learn from the angels and got amazing advice and feedback – as well as being able to start discussions about funding with some of them.” Lois adds, “However, we are working on some forums for female angels where they can get extra training and advice and discuss issues in a supportive and non-confrontational environment.” To reach out to female investors, Angels Den will be partnering with a number of existing organisations in Qatar. “We especially invite women with some spare money to enter the world of angel investing as part of their investment portfolio and a way of contributing to society. Qatar already has some great role models of successful, powerful businesswomen and angel investing is a great way to get involved, use your contacts to help the business and be one of their top teams, without having to commit to the crazy hours most entrepreneurs work. It’s the best part-time job in the world!” To women entrepreneurs she says: “If you feel that you are held back by being a woman then you probably will be; a lot of the trick is about self-belief. The amazing women in this world see the benefits of their position and artfully attract a team to help them do anything they can’t do themselves.”

5 tips for entrepreneurs

motivate

It's Having unrealistic expectations makes it hard to sustain the motivation to change writes Jacki Woodworth. 28

January 2012

hen we decide that it’s time for a change in our lives we inevitably tell ourselves we need to get motivated. Motivated to, say, quit smoking, lose weight, exercise or study more. We are all familiar with the drill. We convince ourselves that something needs to change and then we either don’t move beyond thinking about it, or we make a grand plan for the change of a lifetime. Either way we end up disillusioned and down on ourselves. What is it about sustaining the motivation to change that is so difficult? Often it’s because we set ourselves up for disappointment by having unrealistic expectations; we want too much, too fast. Take weight loss for example. We focus on a goal, such as “I’ll go on a diet and loose 20lbs in three months”. We begin the diet on Sunday and by Wednesday we’ve given up because it was an unrealistic approach. We are tired, hungry, and irritable, and the french fries and ice cream are calling. We then beat ourselves up for not being good enough. And then do it again in a month’s time! A friend once told me – the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So how might we find motivation to change in another way? Self Awareness means beginning where we are currently standing and looking honestly at our relationship to that which we desire to change. In his poem Start Close In, David Whyte reminds us;

“Start close in, don’t take the second step or the third, start with the first thing close in, the step you don’t want to take.” Self-awareness is the most difficult step because we are so often in denial and don’t see what these relationships are. In the example of weight loss, it means examining your relationship to food. What sustains your connection to overeating? Does it sooth you when you feel

hurt, numb you when you feel angry, befriend you when you feel lonely? Until we get real and acknowledge our struggles (get out of denial), we’ll not be able to move toward any lasting change. Patience means accepting that real change is not a ‘quick fix’, it takes time and persistence. It means doing a thing over and over again until it becomes a new habit. It’s like wearing a new path through a meadow of deep grass, each time you walk the same route, you wear a deeper pathway in the ‘meadow’ of your brain. Gratitude means start small and appreciate. Over time, small actions done repeatedly become habits that form strong foundations for laying further new habits. Take time to be grateful for your efforts no matter how small they might seem, for “the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step” (Lau Tzu). When we make a conscious practice of gratitude every day, we begin to notice that it’s these small steps one after another after another that ARE the motivation for change. So just start, take the first step, maybe it means drinking 8 oz. more water today, or going to bed 30 minutes earlier, or letting someone go in front of you in the queue (yes, random acts of kindness reduce depression). Courage means recognising this as a radically different, self-accepting approach to change. Get outside the boxes we confine ourselves to and take COURAGE!

“Start right now, take a small step you can call your own. don’t follow someone else’s heroics, be humble and focused, start close in, don’t mistake that other for your own. "

- David Whyte

Join a Mindfullness Course here in Doha. Jacki Woodworth and Tina Mogensen teach Mindfulness courses at Yama Yoga Studios. See www.yamayogastudios.com

2012 January

motivate

Leaving failure

behind Children who are intrinsically motivated are easy to teach, easy to encourage and learn readily. But what about children who are not, asks Dr Rajka Milanovic Galbriath.

January 2012

et’s explore motivation a little. John William Atkinson, an American psychologist pioneered the study of motivation in the 1960’s. He described two types of people: success seekers and failure avoiders. Success seekers were more motivated to succeed after a failure while failure avoiders decreased their efforts after failing a task. How does one apply this to children? Not surprisingly all the things that apply to teaching your child things such as: respect, discipline, happiness etc. apply to teaching a child motivation and more importantly how to comeback after a failure. Not all children are intrinsically motivated, some are extrinsically (aka motivated by external rewards) motivated. How do you then facilitate intrinsic motivation in them? It is important to know that an extrinsically motivated child is less likely to be motivated when external incentives are removed. I am not saying to never extrinsically motivate but if you choose to do so; do it sparingly and limit the level of rewards. Here is a list of tips to help intrinsically motivate that can be applied to your child’s homework, sports or any endeavour: Promote a child’s control over the activity. Ensure that there is an “ideal point” of challenge. Provoke your child’s curiosity. Add an element of fun to an undesirable task. If you yourself have control over a task don’t

you feel more empowered? This control can be as simple as: Where do you want to do your homework? What time do you want to do it? With mummy or daddy? The same can go for practicing a sport. When a child is not challenged enough, they are less likely to do more than what is asked. The converse is also true: a child who is challenged too much may give up because they get frustrated. For the tasks that are too hard, break them up into smaller tasks, present the problem in different ways, and if it is simply not sinking in, put it aside for a while. Tell them, “Sometimes it helps mommy to think about harder problems awhile, let’s put this aside and come back to it later.” Provoking curiosity starts from day one. Ask questions about life around you: “Look, the worms are out on the sidewalk after the rain. What do you think makes them come out? The birds are all flying in a group. Why do you think they do this?” And most importantly, associate a fun activity with a task that is least desirable. Play music, put on a silly wig or dance only when you do that least favorable task. Dealing with failure First and foremost, talk to your child about the failure in a non-judgmental way. Ask them how it made them feel? Reassure them that everyone fails at some point. Imagine my son’s surprise when I relayed one of my failures after he failed. You would have thought that the world was ending by his response of shock.

Focus on your child’s performance not the failure. If they are playing a sport how did they fare within the team? If it is a school assignment, what parts did they get right? Were they close in getting the right answer etc.? Ultimately your child will accept the failure more readily if they themselves have self confidence which comes from everything good that you as a parent have done to this point: loving them, nurturing them, believing in them. Additionally teaching optimism helps as it allows them to comeback from their failures more readily. You can teach optimism through humour. Kids love to be silly. Set aside time to be silly with your child. Pretend to be their favourite characters from a book or movie. Talk about something silly you yourself did and poke fun at it. It is important to praise children multiple times per day, 5-10 times even! However, it is all too easy to scold or give negative feedback. Avoid the words: No, Don’t, Stop and Can’t. Say if you do this chore then you can enjoy a fun afternoon at the park with mummy instead of “If you don’t do your chore then you can’t go to the park.” And don’t forget to model a positive response to failure yourself. Your day didn’t go as planned so now what? Explain to your children how you will move forward from the setback. I always ask my son: “How are we going to make lemonade... out of those lemons? The sky’s the limit for your child if you yourself believe it.

Dr Rajka Milanovic Galbraith is an American Board certified family physician, a mother of two and a wife who has resided in Doha for the past 6 years. She has over 14 years of clinical experience and is regarded highly by her patients, colleagues and staff. Recently she launched a website: www.expatdoctormom.com, which provides up-to-date information in a wide variety of areas including: healthcare, parenting, travel, and entrepreneurship. Dr Rajka writes a regular column covering subjects from women and family health to parenting issues. If you have questions you wish answered, please write to wtoday@omsqatar.com, subject line ‘Ask the Doc’.

2012 January

motivate

Ways to Stay Motivated at Work Motivated employees are usually happier, more energetic, more enthusiastic, more productive, more driven and better performing than their unmotivated peers. Employers are always on the lookout for motivated employees as they realise that motivation is often contagious and has positive spillover effects on the whole team. However, even the most motivated of employees experience an occasional slump and need a boost to regain their normal motivation levels. Career experts at the Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s #1 job site, Bayt.com, give you seven methods to stay motivated at work and enhance your performance during a period of low motivation.

January 2012

Clarify your goals Nothing is more demotivating than working haphazardly without having a clear vision, mission and set of objectives for your work. Without knowledge of how your work impacts the big picture, you may well end up spending a lot of time on unimportant matters rather than tasks that positively impact the big picture. Be clear with your goals and focus on them while keeping the end results in mind. It is remarkable what you will achieve once you have honed in on your precise goals and visualise yourself achieving them.

Establish a clear game-plan Once you have clarified your vision and goals, formulate a detailed strategy for getting there and chart your progress on a regular and ongoing basis. Break down large complex projects into a series of manageable tasks that are interesting and achievable. Having a blueprint for success that is composed of clear, sensible milestones and tasks will greatly simplify and lend meaning to your daily routine. It will also give you a feeling of control over your work and deadlines, and will boost your motivation. The more organised you are in accomplishing your goals according to your detailed blueprint for success, the more motivated you will be and the less likely you are to fall into a fit of panic or insecurity and lose confidence and motivation.

Ride the Wave of your Successes Success is very stimulating. Work hard enough to achieve successful results and see how motivated you are to achieve further successes as you excel in your performance. Remind yourself that once your vision is clear and you have a set of well-defined, reasonable objectives and milestones to reach, the secret of success is hard work, creativity and perseverance. Aim to overachieve your goals and ride the momentum of each success to achieve further successes. Channel the positive energy into achieving similar superlative performance in your next task or project. It is not always that you can ride the wave of euphoria that arises from a sound success story, so make sure you leverage and take advantage of these bursts of energy and motivation to the maximum.

Reward yourself Reward yourself as you achieve your objectives and/or reach specific important milestones. Plan ahead what forms this reward will take and what tasks/projects/

results will be rewarded. This will give you something to look forward to, an extra drive to get there and a surge of excitement and enthusiasm when you do attain your desired goals.

Keep Things in Perspective It is important to keep things in perspective and always remind yourself of why you work. Besides the pay, it is often about realising your potential, feeling alive and useful, feeling connected, making a difference in the world, expressing creativity, expanding your skills and abilities, helping others and contributing to the community. List the reasons you entered the field you are in, and when times are tough remind yourself of why you do the work you do. Also remind yourself that work is work and that you have a life outside work to enjoy and make a difference in.

Maintain a healthy work/life balance It is very easy to lose yourself at work and forget what awaits you outside the work arena. Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is essential both for your general motivation level and your overall wellbeing. Make sure you take the time off to do the things you like outside work, whether it be connecting with friends and family, exercising, reading, taking courses, shopping or other hobbies and activities that channel your creativity and energy. Having something to look forward to after work hours will help you through moments of drudgery at work when your motivation and energy levels are low, and will also make you more productive at work.

Think positive Negativity is a contagious affliction that drains you of energy, saps your enthusiasm and blinds you to the reasons you work. Avoid negative feelings at all costs and concentrate on the positive. To do this, listen to motivational tapes or music that particularly inspires you, read motivational books, talk to inspired or inspiring people, surround yourself with positive stimuli and concentrate on the reasons you work. Find things to laugh at as long as you are not laughing at your peers, and count your blessings at every opportunity. Focus on positives regardless of how small or inconsequential they are, whether it be a positive remark from a boss or peer, accomplishing your dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals earlier than usual, overachieving on a small deliverable, working well with people, a looming vacation, completing a difficult task or any other positive stimulus.

Bayt.com is the #1 job site in the Middle East, with more than 40,000 employers and over 5.5 million registered job seekers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the globe, representing all industries, nationalities and career levels. Post a job or find jobs on www.bayt.com today and access the leading resource for job seekers and employers in the region.

2012 January

motivate

Healthy steps towards success

Did you have a very indulgent end-of-the-year festive season? January has just begun, and you want to get back on track with your health goals. Nicole Van Hattem lends a 10-step guide to celebrate a healthy 2012. Achieving one’s goals may seem unrealistic for some. So let’s use Hannah’s health journey as an example to make our ten steps a little more real. Hannah is a 32-year-old expatriate mum with two young daughters who works full-time.

STEP 3

STEP 1 Set goals. Hannah took some time out to reflect on where she is now and what she truly wants to achieve with her health goals. She created a vision board with images of how she wanted to feel, look and live by the end of the year.

January 2012

STEP 2

Plan ahead. As Hannah is a full-time working woman with young children, time for exercise, food shopping and preparation were limited. Investing time with her health coach to look ahead at potential challenges on the road to her goals, gave Hannah the opportunity to identify success strategies. When challenges came, she was ready for them.

Challenge goals. Hannah challenged the definition of her goals to ensure they were clear, specific and realistic. She chose to use a health coach for this (a trusted friend, family member or colleague may also be good options for you) The original goal of: “I want to lose weight and be more fit.“ became: “I will be one dress size smaller by the May 31 and another dress size smaller by September 31. By October 31 I will run my first 10km race. I will have developed skills and gained knowledge that will enable me to confidently create a wide range of healthy quick meals for my family.“

What’s next? As Hannah built more and more confidence in her ability to set and achieve goals throughout the year, she began to look ahead to the next few years and to the bigger purpose of her life. With the skills she has developed and the new habits she has formed, success is practically guaranteed!

STEP 5

STEP 4

Support network. In Hannah’s case this was her health coach and her husband. Both played important and complimentary roles in her strategy and were equipped and willing to support her changes. From time to time Hannah also included her closest friend and work colleagues in her support network.

Focus. When progress was slower than she would have liked, Hannah went back to her original goals and recommitted herself to her plan and her vision for the year. She did this by calling on her support network to enhance her motivation and focus, putting challenges into perspective, and deciding to enjoy the journey going forward a little more.

STEP 9 Celebrate. Hannah chose healthy ways to celebrate her smaller and larger successes throughout her journey with manicures, massages, updated exercise and wardrobe, new kitchen equipment and planning a luxurious health retreat holiday for her and the family at the end of the year.

STEP 8

STEP 10

STEP 7 Review. With many conflicting priorities and demands in her daily schedule, Hannah invested a little time each month to review her progress with help from her support network. Acknowledging what was working and what wasn’t. Making changes where necessary.

STEP 6 Get going. Preparation and planning done, Hannah got going and took action.

Simplify. Yes Hannah (and you) can have everything. Being realistic and acknowledging that she can have everything, but perhaps not everything all at the same time, meant that Hannah was able to decide what she needed to say ‘no’ to and what she needed to say ‘yes’ to.

Hannah did it, she continues to do it. Many people are doing it, you can too!

Health Journeys are what Nicole specialises in. It's a holistic approach to wellness that empowers and transforms lives in a way that is individual and sustainable. Nicole created WT Transform to inspire everyone with the "I can do it" attitude to health and wellbeing, and to showcase a holistic approach to creating your best life. Along with Transform, Nicole has created More Raw – a Facebook group that is guiding participants through detox and cleansing, and also regularly takes individuals and groups to detoxing retreats in exotic locations worldwide. Nicole van Hattem is Founder and Wellness Director of Art of Abundant Living, which specialises in individual health coaching, corporate wellness programmes, health products and retreats. Find out more at www.artofabundantliving.com, join Art of Abundant Living on Facebook or follow Nicole on Twitter @AALNicole and LinkedIn. Nicole transformed her own life and as a result her body transformed too. To read her story and view the before and after pictures, please visit www.artofabundantliving.com -Success Stories.

2012 January

motivate

Top Picks books on motivation

Woman Today lists down books that inspire, guide, and motivate you to reach great heights...

01 Positive Affirmations: 92 Affirmations That Apply Positive Quotes And Positive Words To Banish Negative Thinking

Motivation: Biological, Psychological, and Environmental

By Gary Vurnum

The book combines classic studies with current research in the field of motivation. You will learn that motivation arouses from physiological states, psychological motives, and environmental incentives and goals. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an ideal book for students too as the topics covered are familiar to them and maintains a conversational tone to make it more interesting.

A simple and easy-to-apply book filled with ninety-two truths to fill you with positivity. Wash out all negative thoughts with positive quotes and words that the book offers.

January 2012

02 By Lambert Deckers

03 Weight Loss Motivation: Mental Exercises to Lose Weight and Keep It Off By Jeffrey Rosenberg Weight watchers are in for an unusual treat. Unlike many other weight loss formulas, this book promises less but achieves more. Author Jeffrey focuses on behavioural techniques that will permanently change your unhealthy eating habits. They are tools that will enable you to start despising junk food. A refreshing and effective approach to weight-loss.

05 100 Ways to Motivate Others: How Great Leaders Can Produce Insane Results Without Driving People Crazy By Steve Chandler and Scott Richardson The hardest task for any leader would be to motivate others. Authors Steve and Scott have crafted a vital, user-friendly, inspirational guide on innovative and effective leadership for executives, managers and professionals. The book is the culmination of many years of successful leadership coaching and training by the two authors.

04 Perpetual Motivation: How to Light Your Fire and Keep It Burning in Your Career and in Life By Dave Durand The most important element of success is balance. The book offers a practical motivational programme bolstered with anecdotes, research, and many years of personal observation and interaction with leaders and executives in training seminars to help you achieve this balance.

09 The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child By Richard Lavoie

06 Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us Daniel H. Pink In this provocative and persuasive book, Author Daniel dismisses the common belief that the best way to motivate is rewards like money. He says the secret to high performance and satisfaction - at work, school or home - is the human desire to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. The book further explores the three elements of true motivation – autonomy, mastery and purpose – and offers techniques for putting these into action.

17 Lies That Are Holding You Back and the Truth That Will Set You Free

The Compassionate Samurai: Being Extraordinary in an Ordinary World

By Steve Chandler

By Brian Klemmer

This book has two parts. The first part presents a list of 20 commonly held fallacies that prevent us from breaking our shells, such as: “It’s who you know”, “That’s just the way I am”, “I’m not good with people”... The second outlines the truth of one having all the power to free themselves and how to use this truth to change one’s life. It’s a self help book for helpless souls.

Why is it that nice, good-hearted, and compassionate people can’t make much happen in life while the creators, the go-getters, and the aggressive producers in society are often the self-centered, greedy and unethical types? The book unwinds the threads of this complex scenario by showing you the way to produce extraordinary results in a highly competitive world and still maintain the highest levels of ethics and integrity.

Teaching children to get motivated can be tricky. In this book, Educator and Author Richard provides a practical and innovative approach that helps parents and teachers to understand a child’s motivational style and inspire them to succeed and reach their potential. Some chapters also deal with motivating children with learning disabilities and how to create a motivated classroom.

10 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People By Stephen R. Covey The book is a holistic, integrated, principle-centred approach for solving personal and professional problems. Providing deep insights and inspiring anecdotes Author Stephen creates a step-by-step pathway to adopt principles that lead to change as well as the wisdom and power to utilise the opportunities that comes with change.

(Source:www.amazon.com)

2012 January

health&fitness

How to Rock it iN

2012 Find A New Beginning in Each Moment

January 2012

any styles of yoga begin with sun salutations and the starting point for sun salutations is Tadasana or Mountain Pose. Tadasana appears as though you are just standing. But outward appearances don’t always tell the whole story. Underneath, there can be a lot going on. Tadasana is the basic standing posture and a powerfully grounding foundation for all other poses. Establishing a stable foundation can create support for the rest of the body, invoke awareness of equanimity and begin to connect the body, breath, and mind. Standing evenly on both feet, first and foremost you look for balance. Next, you establish smooth and even breathing. With your body weight equally distributed, muscles are engaged with a motion of lifting, opening and expanding through the crown of the head while at the same time working to remain grounded to elongate the spine. When established, the posture should feel effortless, light and balanced. Along with the physical aspects of the pose, what’s going on in the mind can be just as critical. Tadasana is where it all begins for me. It is where I plant my roots and set an intention for my practice. And my intention is not the same as my goal. My goals for yoga asana practice might be to one day complete the Ashtanga primary series, balance in a headstand for 10 minutes, gain strength in my upper body, and alleviate back pain. These goals are what I hope to achieve in the future and all have a measureable, specific outcome. My intention, however, is a determination I make right now. It is the purpose behind my goal, a desire, a decision made towards an outcome. For example, my intention may be: Practice with grace and ease. Dedicate this practice to ... (a person, a

cause – something outside of myself). Find strength. Look inside rather than compare myself to others. Give all my effort to each upward facing dog throughout my practice. Create stillness, a sense of calm. My intention is the foundation of my practice. Like the strength of a mountain it is the rock that steadies me if I feel tired, weary, or unable to move forward. It is what I come back to again and again. Because Tadasana is the beginning of many other yoga poses, I arrive in it often. Ready to move into other standing poses, I stop and ask myself, “What is my intention now? Is it the same as when I began or has it changed? If I’m feeling weary do I cut myself some slack and move to a more gentle mode of practice? If I’m feeling strong do I intend to really rock this practice out?” When I come back to Tadasana, when I come back to centre, I check in with my intention. The same is with my life. My goals are somewhat distant, but my intention is always near. What is my intention for my life? Right now, in this moment? This is where I begin. Each moment is full of every possibility. Many of us will be setting goals and resolutions as to what we want to achieve in the year. A wise choice, as it these keep us moving forward. But what is going to get you started, and what is going to keep you moving? Why not try setting your intention for just this moment? Find your rock, your mountain, your Tadasana. Your centre, your starting point, your new beginning. Bring yourself to centre, set your intention for each moment. And those mountains you’ve been longing to climb? Well, those summits are always within your reach!

Tadasana, or Mountain Pose Stand with feet together, big toes touching, heels slightly apart. Lift your toes and let them fan out, then gently drop them down to create a wide, solid base. Firm your thigh muscles and lift the knee caps. Lengthen your tailbone towards the floor. Place your arms by the side of your thighs. Lengthen your neck so the crown of your head rises toward the ceiling and your shoulder blades slide down your back. Tighten your abdominals, drawing them in slightly and maintaining a firm posture. Align the crown of your head directly above your pelvis, chin parallel to the floor.

Jody Ryan completed her Yoga Teacher Training in June 2011 and is currently teaching yoga classes at Yama Yoga Studios, Doha Qatar. Being fairly new to yoga but older in life, she hopes to inspire those around her to dive deep into yoga and themselves no matter where they’re at along their journey.

2012 January

mixedbag

To maternity and beyond Victoria Scott discovers how fashion can help new Mums look and feel good 40

January 2012

“I make sure that every day I take a shower, wash my face and put on makeup” says Emily

remember very clearly opening my wardrobe after my son was born and thinking; what on earth am I going to wear? After months of picking out one of my trusty maternity outfits, I’d forgotten what other clothes I owned. Worse still, my body had changed beyond recognition, and given that I was now engaged in the somewhat daunting task of being a Mummy, I had precious little time to think about it. This is why I spent the first few months of motherhood wearing the same trusty skirt and three very dull tops. I’d have called the fashion police myself if I hadn’t been too exhausted. Later, of course, I realised that the better I looked, the better I felt. Just small changes brought the compliments that are such medicine to the bleary-eyed new Mum; really basic changes like a little bit of makeup or a pair of nice shoes. As part of my research for this article, I asked a few of my fellow Mums what else they do to make themselves look – and feel – good. Katy, mother of 5-month-old Sam, has changed her style. “I’ve found wearing skirts (I’m usually a non skirt wearer) has made me feel more feminine,” she tells me. “This was particularly good as my legs stayed slim, whilst other areas have not! A nice pair of flattering sunglasses also helps.” “I make sure that every day I take a shower, wash my face and put on makeup” says Emily, the mother of twins. “I also find that a nice pair of stud earrings helps make me feel put together.” “I definitely agree with the makeup – actually, I had a full face of makeup on while I had my c-section done!” laughs Claire, mother to Jasper. “I hated having the baby weight for so long and it took ages to feel nice in clothes again but things like wearing nice shoes and a nice bag can distract from the tummy area, which I was paranoid about for ages. I also like to carry a nice changing bag around. I wanted a fashionable one that didn’t look like I was carting around a load of baby stuff. Needless to say, my husband doesn’t like it – it’s not manly enough!” With these thoughts in mind, I arrange to meet stylist Chantal Boyajian at Villagio for a spot of window-shopping. Willowy and uber-fashionable, I wonder how much she’s going to understand the determinedly pear-shaped body I’ve been coming to terms with lately. I shouldn’t have worried. We begin in Marks & Spencer, which is definitely well within my comfort zone. Chantal picked out a long, red car-

digan which I instantly knew I’d feel confident in, and a lovely shirt and cardigan with a statement necklace that I wanted to rush to the till and buy. We discussed wrap dresses, which I’ve always liked, and Chantal confirmed my belief that they shape you in just the right way, and make you feel put-together without a huge amount of effort – all good things when you have a baby as an accessory. Next we found a colourful, sparkly wrap. Wraps, as all Mums know, are excellent for covering up where the baby has left its mark. Chantal also points out they can make you look smart in an instant, and that they’re extremely versatile. We also find the perfect Mum/baby bag. It’s big, shiny (wipe clean!) and has lots of pockets, but crucially it’s also attractive, and it comes in lots of different colours. I’m tempted to buy the set. Our second shop is Dorothy Perkins. I’ve been shopping at DPs since I was a teenager, so again, I feel at home here. I must have been a magpie in a previous life, because I love all things sparkly, and I’m drawn immediately to a row of shiny shoes. Chantal advises against heels, and I couldn’t agree more. New Mums have enough to worry about with-

2012 January

mixedbag

Finally, she demonstrates how a pretty hair band can tidy up my messy curls in a flash. This is a real bonus when you have about five seconds to do your hair in the morning.

Chantal’s top fashion tips for new mums Don’t be afraid of patterns. They’re great for hiding imperfections and stains won’t be so noticeable. Empire waistlines are a great for concealing unwanted bumps. Invest in a big, stylish handbag with a cross-over strap so you have your hands free. Layering vest tops and cardigans works well for breastfeeding mothers. Avoid trousers with pockets sticking out at the sides – they’re very unflattering. Darker colours are slimming – just add splashes of colour to add that extra bit of glam. A large necklace will draw the eye up and away from your tummy area. Keep a neutral coloured extra top for yourself in your bag ‘just in case’. Scarves and shawls are especially great for hiding stains, and for adding a splash of colour. Avoid baggy clothes, which will add the illusion of extra pounds you don’t have. Don’t worry about what size you are – this will be changing. In some cases it may even be better to buy a size bigger, so the clothes skim your body rather than cling in all the wrong places. Tops with a gathered hemline that just skim the tummy can be a great way to conceal a post baby bump. Avoid cropped jackets. They’ll only accentuate your tummy area. Wrap dresses are both comfortable and flattering.

January 2012

out learning how to balance themselves and a 4-kilo baby on stilettos. Instead, sparkly pumps are pretty but also practical. Next, we find an eye-catching dress with a shape which Chantal explains is perfect for skimming the tummy. Then I try on a chunky bracelet, which Chantal explains will make me feel more put-together, and draw people’s attention away from any bits I’m not so confident about (and I suspect my son will love playing with it, too). Finally, she demonstrates how a pretty hair band can tidy up my messy curls in a flash. This is a real bonus when you have about five seconds to do your hair in the morning. As our shopping mission draws to a close, I have to restrain myself from buying everything Chantal has picked out, which is unusual for me. Lots of Mums fall into the trap of just shopping for their baby, and I’m no exception. Furthermore, I’m feeling buoyed up by her enthusiasm and her refusal to be phased by my requirements. As I head out of the shop, I see my husband walking towards me with my little boy. One look at his smile confirms that he’s worth all the lumps and bumps life can throw at me. And he’s also given me a brilliant excuse to do all this shopping. Clever boy.

stylestop

Creatures of

Comfort Could it be that our wardrobes offer us such a shield from our naked truths that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve somehow lost the ability to see the beauty beneath style?

January 2012

n the spirit of new beginnings and, dare I say it, New Year’s resolutions, I’ll be the first to break the ice by standing up to reintroduce myself. “My name is Lynette Cowie and I’m body imperfect”. “Well of course you’re not perfect,” you might hiss onto the pages. Sure. I know that, but why is it then that I come across so many lovely ladies who expect body perfection of themselves, rather than seeing the beauty of their curves and imperfections. Could it be that our wardrobes offer us such a shield from our naked truths that we’ve somehow lost the ability to see the beauty beneath style? If so, how then do we find confidence in clothing that’s not painstakingly styled or craftily put together? How do we find comfort in ourselves while being utterly comfortable? There are days, or early mornings at least, when we’re just too tired, lazy or rushed to turn to anything but our ‘Comfort’ pieces. Even the faithful denims, slip-on skirts and simple dresses seem too much effort to wear. The temptation to either stay in tired jammies, or slip into ill-fitting tracksuit pants, underwear past their prime, or those unflattering leggings, seems particularly easy to justify while having a bad bout of PMS or simply paired with a lost desire to be kind to oneself. So unless you’ve mastered the art of effortless style (honestly, you don’t really believe style is effortless do you?) within your comfortable, no fuss style days, then allow me to serve you a more practical, sustainable game plan. BACK TO BASE LINE Your choice of underwear is the foundation of all good dress sense. Besides comfort – which is essential – ensure your bra supports your bust sufficiently. Similarly undies should support, tuck and hold. Make quite sure though, that there’s no sign of a panty line, or the panty itself. Wear pretty underwear that gives you wearing pleasure. BE A SPORT Rather than face an early-morning style faux pas, step your body into a coordinated sports ensemble until you have time to get styled for the day. Rather than use your partner’s old T-shirt, the fore mentioned track pants and flipflops, invest in a sports get-up that supports your body and inspires you to work out occasionally. The biggest mistake in wearing sports gear is to wear straight or bootleg pants that end mid-heel on your gym shoes. Buy them long, wash them and ensure the hemline ends no less than 1cm off the floor. If they’re too short, crop them to a below-knee or three-quarter length. GAME SET MATCH Unless you have a body to match the hottest of hot pink velveteen tracksuit on offer again this season, then this is a fashion trend to avoid.

That being said, I maintain a well fitted dark blue, chocolate brown or black velour tracksuit still beats a mismatched, unconscious ‘Comfort’ ensemble. Either way they’re destined exclusively for sofa time. FOLLOW THROUGH If you’re feeling body beautiful and style savvy enough to pull off a simple T-shirt, tracksuit pants and fashionable trainers, then go the extra mile by ensuring your accessories complement your whole style tone. By sporting a casual bag such as a playful across-the-shoulder style, you’re creating a unified look, while reserving your dressier bags for style-wise days. Similarly, shoes can either tie a look together or smash your style attempts. LEG IT If you’re resorting to leggings with a T-shirt then it’s time to leg it back to your wardrobe for an alternative. Leggings are best worn tastefully under nothing shorter than a mid-thigh length top, dress or cardigan; one that falls over, rather than clings onto, the hips. MIXED DOUBLES Avoid boldly branded T-shirts. You’re sure to send out mixed messages about who and what you are, if you’re wearing tops that transform your bust line into a 3-D marketing screen. Reclaim your sense of style by keeping your pair of assets your own, rather than succumbing a brand’s marketing ploy. LOVE GAME One becomes a bad sport when ill-fitting, dull-coloured or badly-styled items get relegated to the gym, or worse, sleepwear pile. No, it’s not okay. You, your romantic partner and your family deserve to see you looking better. If it isn’t doing your body, complexion or emotional state any kindness, these ‘Comforts’ need to leave the house! Whether motivated by finding comfort in style or style in comfort, the ball’s now in your court. And next time you pass a mirror be sure to let her know she’s loved, accepted and worth an effort! Up for a game of tennis anyone?

Aptly known as The Style Revivalist, Lynette Cowie dedicates her energies to family, friends and clientele. For personal styling consultations and viewing of her COWIE range visit www.lynettecowie.com

2012 January

stylestop

House of Boucheron comes to Doha

he House of Boucheron has opened its first flagship store in Doha – a 120 sq m boutique in the Lagoona Mall. As its third flagship store in the Middle East, the other two being in Beirut and Dubai, the store’s neighbours include the department store 51 East, a luxury retail division of Darwish Holding, Boucheron’s partner in Qatar. At the boutique, you will discover some of the House’s unique and exceptional high-jewellery creations such as Quatre, Ava and Serpent and timepieces among which can be found Boucheron’s iconic Reflet watches, first created in 1947, featuring a system of interchangeable watch straps. Also available is the elephant-inspired watch Crazy Jungle Hathi, which recently won the Prix de la Montre Dame (Women’s Watch Award) at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve, in addition to other animal-inspired pieces from the famous Cabinet of Curiosities. This and so much more...

Put on your shoes

his autumn/winter, head over to Shoe Mart for their latest arrivals in men’s and women’s shoewear. The women’s collection is a blast from the past – chunky pumps and heels in hues of orange, red and blue, decorated with bows and overlay straps, to shoes with metallic heels in darker tones of navy blue, rouge and black. For something more casual there’s a range from coloured loafers with trims and buckles to ballerina pumps assorted in metal studs, bows and chain decor – you are spoilt with choice. Men, too, get to look rugged yet elegant with Chelsea boots that come with exaggerated soles on pony skin fabric in black and cognac, or military-themed biker boots. Polished and suede formal wear comes with wedged soles in grenadine, earthy brown and black accessorised with monk and belt straps. For a chilled night out – moccasins are perfect!

January 2012

Clarins: Radiant beauty Clarins Colour Breeze Spring Makeup Collection is a must-have for this year. The collection’s Gloss Prodige dresses your lips in pure, intense colour with a high-shine finish – your lips look plumped with perfection. Get beautifully enhanced cheekbones with the Instant Light Blush whose creamy texture helps you sculpt and smooth cheeks. The collection also includes four subtle-shine shades to illuminate your eyes along with grey eyeliner and a white illuminator. It's glamour guaranteed!

Carolina Herrera: Art Inspiration Taking cues from the artistic moves of the 1920s, Carolina Herrera's Spring 2012 collection stands out with its modernity of lines and the fluidity of soft silhouettes, functional cuts, subtle folds and embroidery details. Colours such as cornflower blue, canary yellow, red and grass green don the collection. Don’t forget to pick up CH New York Eyewear and CH Matryoshka Handbag to complete the look.

2012 January

stylestop Paul Smith: Bold and Young Paul Smith Black autumn/winter 2011 celebrates the love of nature and the great outdoors. The essence of Black is highlighted in its confident, youthful attitude and contemporary style. Slouchy silk shirts, delicate prints layered with simple knitwear; sheepskin jackets over wide-leg trousers, skirts in kilts, A-line or maxi styles – these silhouettes use a rich texture of fabrics. Tailoring shapes are super slim, and tonally contrasting jersey panels are added for optimum fit and movement. Flat-fronted wide-leg trousers, boyfriend-style blazers, shawl collars and exposed zips create a boyish yet sexy look. Get in sync with style this season!

Nina Ricci: Wonders of Fragrance Nina Ricci’s Collection Cristal brings together the five original perfumes that have become timeless creations in the world of fragrance. Each of these perfumes, from their sculptured forms to their delicate aromas, is a legend. Coeur Joie was one of the first floral perfumes in the history of perfumery; L'Air du Temps is considered to be the first spicy floral fragrance; Fille d'Eve is a sublime chypre, while Capricci has a sensous charm; and finally Farouche, created in the 1970s, that defied all odds to incorporate vetiver in a woman’s fragrance – an ingredient that had previously been used only in men’s fragrances. Let the legends speak for themselves!

Mamas & Papas: Kiddie Delight

MAC: Fiery Glamour What do you expect when New York’s wonderfully outspoken fashionista Iris Apfel teams up with makeup queen MAC? A bold new collection of lipsticks, eye-shadow and nail paints. So be it bright orange lipstick, bright blue fuchsia nail lacquer or teal eyeshadow – the collection celebrates eccentric style.

January 2012

Now dressing up your tiny tots for a party is so easy. Mamas & Papas has come up with cute collections – kids will never say no! The Party collection has beautiful dresses in shades of pink and brown for girls, while boys will look funky in quirky cardigans and bow ties. The Fashion collection is a mix of bright and colourful Nordic Tale collection for girls and a lumberjack-inspired Northern Warrior theme for boys. There are also some limited edition collections such as English Charm, which is an adorable collection with an English countryside feel, and Over The Airways that has a nostalgic 1940s aviation-inspired theme to make your baby boy look super cool. Let the party begin!

aroundtown

Tantalising

treat at Tiffany’s

ROTA hosts Glittering Gala Dinner

n the presence of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, QF Chairperson, the fourth Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) Gala Dinner and Charity Auction raised $13 (QR47) million to support ROTA education projects in troubled Asian communities. ROTA Chairperson, Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, presented the ROTA Lifetime Achievement Award to HE Abdulla bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, the Deputy Prime Minister, in recognition of his outstanding dedication and commitment to Qatar’s progress. The glittering event at Doha’s Katara welcomed 500 international VIPs, dignitaries and celebrities. Bringing glamour to the night were HRH Prince Waleed bin Talal and HRH Princess Amira Al-Taweel, the Austrian President and his spouse, Hayat Al-Fahed, Hussein Al-Jassmi, Nawal, Nasser Al-Attiyah, Djamel Bouras, Khaled Mouzanar, Bader Jaffar and Olympic Decathlon Gold Medallist, Bryan Clay from the US. The Master of Ceremonies was five-time Olympian Charmaine Crooks. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah AlThani, ROTA Ambassador, said in a recorded testimonial: “I achieve my personal goals through natural ambition and by giving myself the right tools to fulfill those aims. In

the same way, ROTA believes and recognises that youth are the vehicles of change for our communities.” UAE singer-composer and UN Ambassador-at-large, Hussein Al-Jassmi and Grammy Award-winning Korean soprano Sumi Jo gave superlative performances to entertain the privileged audience. The charity auction at the end of the show was managed by world-famous auction house Sotheby’s and was conducted by Lord Poltimore, Sotheby’s Europe Deputy Chairman. Altruistic guests took the opportunity to purchase several unique auction items including a Porsche Panamera 4S Middle East Edition, a set of astonishing earrings donated personally by actress Angelina Jolie, VIP tickets for the FC Barcelona versus Real Madrid ‘El Clasico’ football match and works of art by acclaimed artists Richard Serra, Damien Hirst, Cai Guo Qiang, Matthew Day Jackson and Yousef Ahmad. In addition, a work of art by children with special needs from Qatar’s Al Koora art project was auctioned off. The fourth ROTA Gala Dinner enjoyed the support of Msheireb Properties as the event's Gold Sponsor, Qatar Petroleum as the Silver Sponsor and Qatar Vinyl Company Limited as the Bronze Sponsor.

eliopolis, a subsidiary of Al Faisal Holding specialising in food service and distribution, celebrated the opening of its first restaurant, Tiffany’s, in Merweb Al Sadd Hotel. Deliopolis, Managing Director, Jurgen Scharkosi said, “We are always aiming to expand and develop our business. So opening our own restaurant where people can experience the quality of food and service we provide is a very important step for us. "Tiffany’s is the new jewel amongst restaurants in Doha and essentially designed as a European restaurant. Our goal is to offer an ever-changing variety of tasty and healthy foods and beverages in pleasant surroundings at a reasonable price with pleasant and friendly staff.” Tiffany’s will offer a wide variety of dining options, such as a bistro, fresh market restaurant, gourmet deli shop, Swiss bakery, standard menu, seasonal menu, fresh market specials and breakfast at Tiffany’s.

2012 January

aroundtown

QBWA honours businesswomen

atari Business Women Association (QBWA) held the fifth Qatar Business Women Award ceremony honouring eight elite Qatari women in both professional and business categories. The award ceremony was held at the Four Seasons Hotel under the kind auspices of H H Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, Chair of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. The Awards are the culmination of a long process of preparation, training and assessment after the level of interest shown in the award by business and professional women in Qatar, and after the applications were assessed against five criteria that were at the same time subjects for the workshops provided for women to qualify for the award. QBWA, Vice Chairwoman, Aisha Alfardan said “We do not see in this award the end of the journey of success; it is only the beginning, the beginning of a long road I hope will be full with more successes.”

January 2012

THE QBWA winners: The 2011 QBWA Innovation criteria winner is: Dalia Ahmed Al-Khalaf, Enterprise Qatar The 2011 QBWA Community Contribution & Participation criteria winner is: Amal Abdulla Al-Aathem, Art Co-ordinator & Qatari Conceptual Artist The 2011 QBWA Career Achievement criteria winner is: Mashael Abdul Aziz Al-Derham, Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) The 2011 Leadership criteria winner is: Abeer Noaman Al-Emadi, International Bank of Qatar The 2011 QBWA Future Goals & Financial Performance criteria winner is: Sharoq Ibrahim Al-Malki, Qatar Museums Authority The 2011 QBWA Business criteria winner is: Noor Ajlan Al-Kuwari, Kro-K Interior Design The 2011 QBWA Professional runner up is: Sheikha Najlaa Binta Jabor Bin Jassim Al-Thani, Dolphin Energy The 2011 QBWA Professional winner is: Dr Hayat Khalil Hassan Nazar Heji, Al Noor Institute for the Blind

Opening the Green Box

he Green Box unveiled its newly refurbished website www. thegreenbox.me at a colourful reception at Dalloyau-The Pearl. The new website now has a better overview of all the company's products and each product’s details, easier access to all sections, an updated list of new and healthy products and an option of customised online shopping for fruits and vegetables. The Green Box is Qatar’s first and exclusive weekly fresh fruit, vegetable and poultry online shop and home delivery service. The products are freshly imported from Europe and Belgium. The Green Box also declared its partnership with Dalloyau-The Pearl and introduced its Wellness Team: Nicole Van Hattem, Health Coach and Wellness Corporate Consultant from Art of Abundant Living; Julie Bucks, Health Expert from Mater; and The Green Box cooking expert, Gill Johnsen.

It’s party time

n a bid to promote a healthy lifestyle among the youth, The Youth Company (TYC) organised a week-long festival, ‘Run the World’, with a message of good and healthy fun. Katara Cultural Village was left buzzing with live music, dance, games and other performances by over 200 local and international youth in the first, and largest, festival handled by the youth, for the youth. ‘Run the World’ is also the first culturally themed youth festival, based on the idea of spreading the traditions and themes of other cultures to promote fitness, sports, a healthy lifestyle and civic engagement. In line with the theme for this year, activities included photo and film exhibitions and contests, educational conferences, beach activities, a track marathon, parkour demonstrations, human foosball, break dancing and

skateboarding demonstrations, kite flying, open graffiti, a talent show and various short contests. Throughout the weekend, different health and medical associations such as Queen Medical, Qatar Diabetes Association, Qatar Recreation Centre and Hamad Medical Corporation offered visitors free consultancy for problems connected with youth and their health. The festival’s campaign also raised an important message for the country’s youth to adopt a healthier and active lifestyle, given that Qatar has recently been labelled as having high rates of obesity and diabetes. The festival was hosted by Katara Cultural Village and powered by the Qatar Museums Authority. With the success of its first attempt, TYC is hoping to make this an annual festival and create a platform for future events and opportunities in the country.

Katara

Amphitheatre Grand opening

nder the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa AlThani, the Emir of Qatar, Katara Cultural Village, celebrated the opening of Katara’s amphitheatre on December 11. The opening was marked by a magnificent live performance by world-renowned Greek Composer, Vangelis. Best known for his iconic, award-winning musical score for the film Chariots of Fire, Vangelis is regarded as one of the greatest composers of electronic music of all time. In honour of the fourth UN Alliances of Civilisations Forum, the grand opening hosted by Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons featured Vangelis’ original three-part Choral Fantasy, inspired by a message of hope. Gert Hof, the world’s greatest Light Artist, enchanted the audience and painted the skies to the alluring sounds of Vangelis. President of Katara, Abdulrahman AlKhulaifi said during the announcement of the opening, "Since opening, Katara has not only provided a platform for aspiring artists and musicians but also introduced Qatar to worldrenowned musicians and performers. As home to one of the largest open-air amphitheatres in the Middle East, Katara is dedicated to showcasing the diverse cultures of the world and the amphitheatre provides the perfect stage for international and local artists.”

2012 January

aroundtown

Arab Games 2011:

Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sporting Glory

January 2012

Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest sporting showpiece, the Arab Games 2011, came to a successful end with Bahrain emerging the winner of the final football match with Jordan. Qatar too garnered laurels for putting up their best ever performance so far in the Arab Games history. They finished fourth on the medals tally with 32 golds, 38 silvers and 40 bronze. HH the Deputy Emir and Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani patronised the closing ceremony of the 12th Arab Games 2011 on December 23 at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium of Al Sadd Club. The ceremony was attended by HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Private Adviser to HH the Emir. The next Arab Games will be held in 2015 in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

2012 January

aroundtown

Qatar National Day:

A day of Pride

January 2012

On the joyous occasion of Qatar National Day, hundreds of residents lined up to witness a colourful military parade at the Corniche in the early hours of December 18. The parade featured a large number of marching platoons and new armoured vehicles. The day-long festivities included a classic car exhibition, dhow laser shows and a captivating air show featuring a series of fighter planes. A 12-minute display of fireworks in maroon and gold above the Corniche served as the perfect climax to the National Day celebrations as the sky sparkled in Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national colours.

2012 January

review

Harry Potter:

Wands and Wizards

hile most of the world is waiting on the ‘ultimateedition’ laden with special features in a box set (a popular gimmick by producers testing the patience of fans) encompassing all eight movies of the epic saga, Virgin Megastore brings to Qatar just that – albeit with additional Czech audio options. Assuming that most of us Muggles (Potterspeak for humans) would do just fine with the phenomenal English DTS 5.1 Surround option on the DVD , the 16disc box set narrating the novels of J.K. Rowling from Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone all the way through to Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The films follow boywizard Harry (Daniel Radcliff) chronicling his coming of age, and the mystical world of Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This limited edition numbered box set contains 19 discs with several hours of extra content. Also, included is a collectible – a retrospective photo album that is highly prized memorabilia. Of late, I have written the epitaph of one too many a pop culture phenomena – the box-set of Transformers reviewed last month and the review of the collector-set Harry Potter this time round. The DVD box set comes with a classy hardback album chartering the rise and physical transformation of the characters mirroring the actors who are forever etched in time as Hermoine, Ron and Harry. In the epic finale that puts ‘Lord of the Rings’ war sequences to shame, the battle between the good and evil forces climaxes with a breathtaking showdown with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). While the extravaganza series kicks off with cars flying, pet guardian owls, violent trees and evil elves and goblins, the second film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban introduces soul-eating Dementors and silly werewolves along with several emotional and heart-touching flashbacks with a wide bevy of characters trying to make and break Harry. Through Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire, The Order Of The Phoenix and the HalfBlood Prince, we traverse the complex re-

January 2012

lationship (so to speak) between Harry and Voldemort. Warner Bros had the infinite (commercial) sense to split the final instalment Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final adventure in the Harry Potter film series, to two full-length parts with the magical trio aiming to track down and destroy the Horcruxes – the keys to Voldemort’s immortality. Over the past decade the fantasy epics that are now engrained in the minds of a majority of us, were conceived from children’s books that grew darker, more violent, and more ‘anticonvention’, that the idea of the young wizard relishing in the dark arts made religious leaders worldwide turn in their seats. I feel that the series that has been Warner Bros’ cash-cow for almost 11 years along after the Matrix series met a rather premature end; the series spoke an international language, an effect borrowed from the spill-over of the literature (not to mention that the Harry Potter book series has been translated to several tongues with many

CAST AND CREDITS Based on: Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Core Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter

HARRY POTTER wands and wizards

The 8-film DVD box set is available at the Virgin Megastore at Villaggio Mall and Landmark Mall in Doha for QAR 369.

spin-offs). It is one of those instances where you can actually apply the idiom “stuff dreams are made of”; with the success of the franchise making a divorced mother of two who couldn’t make ends meet and who wrote on napkins under the lights in a London pub, a billionaire in a timespan only fairies and wizards can fathom. On a side-note, for apparent titillation, the former children are sexualised with steamy romance and Hermione running around in a mini red dress with a plunging neckline thrown in; they have to compete with Twilight don’t they. The dramatic sexualisation is quite cringeworthy for people like me who were in their late teens, when the first film took off, with the actors just having turned eight or nine are remembered best as ‘children’. With spellbinding wondrous art design and cinematography and the recipient of several technical Oscars, the films have gotten close to capturing the enormously gratifying essence of the Potter books, most of them redefining the clockwork plots that other films in this genre offers. With an unparalleled level of detail and meticulousness to the craft both in the production and of course the witchcraft, the beauty of the series lies in the intoxicating idea between the lines it is that there’s magic in and around the things of apparently mundane everyday life. The movies also succeed in another unchartered territory, sustaining the momentum of the series over the span of ten years and keeping adults and children alike equally wide-eyed for those magical hours that the films present in Muggle time.

Reviewed by : Anand George Zachariah

BOOKS you must read

I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron

Then Again

by Diane Keaton

The Help

by Kathryn Stockett

his book of essays on life and getting older is both insightful and humorous. The author is resigned to the inevitable changes to come with aging and has set out to face them head on. She shares her frustration regarding her personal loss of memory, which includes names, places and things you can quickly “just go to Google to retrieve. “ The chapter titled “I Just Want to Say: Teflon” will keep you laughing. The lines: “I feel bad about Teflon. It was great while it lasted. Now it turns out to be bad for you.” are so true of much more in life than mere Teflon. Nora Ephron is also the author of the bestselling book ‘I Feel Bad About My Neck.’ Her life as a writer, in New York City, for both Newsweek magazine and The Washington Post newspaper is intertwined in all the essays. This common thread allows her to look at the world through the eyes of a journalist, a bit aloof and always critical. This book is entertaining and insightful and is especially good for any of us dreading the changes we cannot escape. It remains light-hearted in the face of memory loss, hair loss and the march of time; a quick read with a lot of wisdom.

his memoir by Diane Keaton does not give us many details or new revelations about her personal life over the years; rather, it focused more on her deep and lasting relationship with her mother. She does venture into her thoughts, joys and fears surrounding her decision to adopt her two children, Dexter and Duke right as she entered her fifties. Her approach to childrearing after 50 and her rational for how she goes about it reflect her deep and often complicated view of life. Much of what Keaton is known for, such as her strong sense of individuality and her personal quirkiness appear to be influenced by her mother. The 80-plus journals chronicled by her mother and their frequent personal correspondence (throughout their lives) in letters give unique insight into a very special mother-daughter bond. The book lacks the clarity of retrospection found in many memoirs. But, it provides a wonderful glimpse into the life of an American family in the sixties. It is a nice read for anyone wanting to better understand Diane Keaton; the daughter, the mother and the actress.

he Help is a wonderful fictional story about a very real historical problem predominant in the South of the United States in the early 1960s. In the book, a young white (amateur) journalist sets out to document the experiences of black maids in the south from their perspective. The author outlines the injustice, the heartaches and the insight many of these maids had. In the end, you will truly share their pain and their ability to laugh at the southern women they worked for. The plight of blacks in the south prior to the Civil Rights Movement is the backdrop for the story. The use of heavy black dialect in the book was somewhat difficult to get used to, and may be considered distracting to many readers. But, the book’s long lasting success is a testament to its far reaching appeal. The range of opinions surrounding this book appears to run the gamut; from questionable to all-out praise. But one thing is for sure, it has gotten the attention of readers world-wide. For a first-time female author, Stockett has hit the jackpot. It is safe to assume that we have not seen the last of this creative writer.

Rating:

Reviewed by: Sonya Schneider-Ghaddar 2012 January

qatarimusings

Lead the Law

January 2012

As an attorney, your true role and worth is to use your talent and resources to improve the life of your fellow humans, to selflessly serve the people around you

t an early age, to be precise in grade seven, I had made up my mind that I wanted to be a lawyer despite the challenges before me, especially those associated with an oriental society. Yet every time I shared this longing desire with my dad he always smiled approvingly. There was an inner urge to do something for my community and I understood the importance of the legal profession quite early. What better than help bring about justice, protect the innocent, raise the downtrodden, defend the rights of the defenceless and generally uphold the pillars of justice while speaking out against the injustices one commonly sees. I never had second thoughts about the profession I wanted to espouse, and my argumentative disposition made my choice more appropriate. There is no greater joy than when you extricate a wrongly accused person from the claws of a legal issue that is burdening him. It is only then that one appreciates how profoundly the legal profession affects our lives. As an attorney, your true role and worth is to use your talent and resources to improve the life of your fellow humans, to selflessly serve the people around you and thereby be an agent of change that is the hallmark of the legal profession. We live in a male dominated society and women cannot scale nobler heights without creating a stir. While growing up I always dreamed of becoming a prominent lawyer and prove to the world that I can be different and make a difference. I was determined to be an agent of change, to play a role in encouraging, supporting and inspiring women to aim high and to follow their dreams. The day I walked

on to the stage to receive my Law degree from the Chancellor of the University of Reading in UK, I felt it possible. My father always told me “the bigger you dream the more your family will support you and stand by your side.” I’m grateful to God for giving me such a wonderful family that supports me in every step of my life, education and career. Being the middle child and the only girl between two brothers made me strong and made me want to explore different avenues. My father has been my inspiration to dream big and aim high. He has made me the woman I am today. He has been a role model, a friend and a dad. He motivated me to study abroad and experience different aspects of life, this journey to independence opened my eyes to a different world.I have become motivated to learn more and help others learn and be part of this learning process. Giving back to society and devoting yourself to inspiring people is not only productive but satisfying. Being one of the younger female lawyer’s in court has had its own challenges – facing them motivates you to strive harder. All exertion and effort put forth by one whole-heartedly, if prompted by the highest motives, will succeed. I recall the first time I stepped in court I feared being the only woman in that room, with all male judges and lawyers. I hesitated and stumbled. It was a moment of shock but a power within me spurred me on, and I walked out of the court room smiling with my head held high. It is a matter of earning respect and proving yourself and to everyone that you can produce good work just as all your male colleagues can, nay, even better. In my opinion one of the more exciting fields

of law is the labour law that tries to balance the rights and obligations between the powerful employer and the weak employee, always aiming to secure fairer working arrangement for the employee and covering a range of issues that not only affect the employee but the society at large. Employment lawyers working with a law that covers such a broad scope of issues and influences such a large sector of society are in constant demand. As a practicing litigation lawyer, it has been my privilege to serve the community by advising and defending clients in the court. I believe a balanced society is one where men and women work shoulder-to-shoulder with equal rights and privileges and off course responsibilities. Together they are like two wings of a bird, and it is well-known that a brokenwinged bird can never fly. I’m happy that the legal profession has evolved in the last few years with an increasing number of female prosecutors, female judges and female lawyers. But we also need the legal profession to develop on a bilingual basis. As Qatar has become the fastest growing economy, we need Qatari men and women to stand at the frontline leading Qatar towards a bright future. In oriental societies women have never stood up for their rights except on rare occasions. By establishing equal rights between men and women I am sure this imbalance would be redressed. Women are becoming an integral part of society as they play a vital role in bringing up and nurturing the future leaders of this country. Undaunted by any hindrances, we, the women of this society, need to push ourselves forward and remain ambitious in our undertakings.

2012 January

speciality health services

self care and well-being

dining

Al BORG MEDICAL LAB

44472224

Aljawhara Chemist

44429924

Alexandre Zouari salon

44535353

Al Emadi Hospital

44666009

Al-Qatar Massage

55968467

Al Raed Dental Center

44509673

Be Bloom

44554422

Annab Lab & Radiology

44373880/1

Bellissima

44438843

Body Glaze

44659092

Bottega Verde City Center

44834535

Cloud 9

44933057

Foot Care Centre The Center

lounge & cafes

Aalishan (Indian)

33315999

Al Bandar (Seafood)

44311818

Al Majiles Al-Arabi Restaurant (Arabic)

44447417 44854444

Bader Chemist

44411888

Al Shaheen (Sheraton)

City Center Chemist

44839200

Almaharah (Arabic)

Doha Chiropractic Centre

44620012

Applebees (American)

Doha Specialized Dental Center

44568585

Asia Live (Marriott)

Dr Fahad Abdullah Center

44688228

Biella (Italian)

44323900

Bismillah Royal Tandoor (Indian) Bukhara (Indian)

44415959

Al Jalsa Café

44256666

al kut lounge

44343333

Atrium Lounge

44854444

Café Batteel (Salwa Road) 44441414 Café Joud

44429944

Cigar Lounge

44288888

Cigar Lounge (Sharq Village)

44256222

44323255

Cioconat Lounge (The Mall)

44666167

44833345

Habanos (The Ritz Carlton) 44848503

44360747/ 44934880 44298499 44677731/44933838

44366275

Dr Hassan Al Abdulla Specialised Dental Clinic

44930394

Dr Jean-Claude Saade (Dental Surgeon)

44507897

Franck Provost Salon

44948801

Dr Mariam S Al Mahmied (Diagnostic Ultrasound)

44582020

Chingari (INDIAN)

44417417

Gloria Hotel Doha

44236666

Dr Mohammed Ameen Febeit

44685444

Chopsticks (CHINESE)

44343333

Manhattan (Ramada)

44281428

44685444

grand gourmet (international buffet) 4434333

Orangery Café’ Trottoir

44288888

Green’s (Vegetarian)

Piano Piano (Movenpick)

44291111

Qube (Ramada)

44281428

Le Cigalon (international buffet) 44288888

Sky View (La Cigale)

44288888

Le Central (Mediterranean cuisine) 44288888

The Admiral’s Club (The Ritz Carlton)

44848000

The Coffee Beanery (Ramada Junction)

44657800

Foot Care Centre city Center

Dr Mohammed Ameen Zebeib (Consultant Physician)

Hongkong Body Care Center

44665816

Jean Louis David

44327990

La Reine Skincare Center

Dr Tamim Malas (General Dentistry)

44669988

Dr Tarek S Abdl El Azim (Oral Medicine)

44671118

Family Medical Clinics

44514557

Layal Beauty Saloon 55521356

44502929/44504848

44135245

Lo Spaghetto (Italian)

44341601

Nandos (MEXICAN)

44442345

Patchi (Chocolates)

44864101

Shanghai Garden (CHINESE)

44933188

Tajine (Moroccon)

44444171

tangia (moroccan cuisine)

44343333

Tanjore (Indian)

44320333

The Great Wall (Chinese)

44312812

44661947

The One (Continental)

44888669

Najat Dental Clinic

44474656

Yen Sushi Bar (Japanese)

44288888

Obstetrics&Gynecology Clinic

44423923

Pediatric Dental Cllinic

44366311

Tamima Medical Complex

44875515

44874771

Moulay Yaaqoup Beauty Center

Future Dental Center

44580800

44553465

GoodLife Chemist - Alsadd

44447943

Salon at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel 44848000

GoodLife Chemist - City Center 44839100 GoodLife Chemist The Pearl 4495 3876 ext. 1171

Saloon Osraa

55708742

Gulf Dental Center

44670701 / 44670702

Sehati Beauty Mall

44683831

Gulf Dental Centre

44670701/44670702

44697840/44580193

shopping and malls Centre Point Mall

44421766

City Center-Doha

44933355

HYATT PLAZA

44694848

Landmark Mall

44875222

ROYAL PLAZA

44130000

The Centre

44440202

The Mall

44678888

Villaggio

44135222

44341700/ 44341200

Le Pain Quotidien

First Dental Center

Slim Line

44417417

44371743

44582319

Sightly Beauty Salon 44567144

Khazana (Indian)

44445335/ 44660663

Le Gourmet (Meditteranean/Arabic)

Marinaa Beauty Saloon

Salon at Intercontinental Hotel 44844444

Chilli’s (American)

International Specialized Dental Center

44507897

Mr Mohad A Elwadia Dental Clinic

security Total Security Solutions

January 2012

44441941

expat groups

Inch Café (City Center)

44633054

Madison Piano Bar (Live international music) 44288888

The Coffee Cottage (Near Chili’s Ramada Junction) 44839042 The Irish Harp (Sheraton) 44854444 The Waterhole (Sheraton) 44854444 Wok Mee (Movenpick Tower)

44966444

pet care Pampered Pets Kennel & Cattery

55884132

Qatar Animal Welfare

American Women’s Association

44128177

British Council & Information Centre

44251888

Chelsea Football Club Supporters 66696524

Society

55396074

Qatar Pet Relocaters

55286335

Qatar Pet Travel

44808458

Qatar Veterinary Centre

44877144

The Veterinary Surgery

44367187

health and fitness

Al Dana Club

hospitals communities and entertainment groups

44960666

Al Khor Riding Center

44323245/66610527

AL Massa Active (ladies)

44444161

Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence

44136208

Badminton

44417417

Contours Express (ladies only)

44980099

Curves

44699955

Cycling

44475522

Diplomatic Club

44839000

Al Ahli Hospital

44898888

Al Amal Hospital

44397830

Al Emadi Hospital

44666009

Al Saad Paediatric Emergency Centre

Doha Hockey Club

44428198

Doha Netball

55855703

Doha Rugby Union

44683771

Doha Sailing Club

44439840

Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sport Hospital

44132000

Gold’s Gym

44666622

Hamad General Hospital

44394444

Gymnastics Federation

44655667

Qatar Medical Centre

44440606

Intercontinental Doha’s Bay Club 44844852

Rumaillah Hospital

44393333

Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex

Womens Hospital

44396666

American Hospital

44392948 44421999

44409666

Korea Taekwondo Center 44659066/55563305 Pepka Yoga

66806768

Qatar Golf Academy

44960755

Qatar Minor Ice Hockey Association

55063526/ 55034649

Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club Riding Club

44807413

Regatta Sailing Academy

55507846

Doha Singers

German Ladies Coffee Morning

Four Seasons Spa

Sandsport-Blo-karting

55236579

Sports for Women

44931024

grand regency hotel angsana spa 44343152/44343153

SqubaDiving

55836240

44910666 44910666

44795916

Elder Tree 44551020/ 44984984/ 44888493 French Nursery

44980639

Little Angels

44602713

Qatar Toastmasters

55547248

Little Cherubs Nursery

44113803

Redotters@Qatar

55209294

Mulbery Bush Nursery

44502545

Rising Stars Kindergarten

44673069

44352598/55870133 55468309

Life Time Nursery

44110953 44551010/ 44551212

Starfish Lane Kids 44875939/ 44110355 Sunbeam Kindergarten

44440108

Tots Corner Nursery

44688008

local tour operators

44948888

home decor

grand regency hotel perfect figure 44343446

Marriott Spa

44298520

Millenium Hotel Doha Spa

44247777

Ramada Plaza

44281621

Ritz Carlton Spa

44848503

Home Centre

44839400

ID design

44678777 44699920

Arteligno Interior Designers 44361580

44256999

Spa Chakra (Alfardan Towers)

Indoors Decorators (almuftah)

44999250

Pioneer Interiors

44342150

Habib’s Hair & Beauty Lounge

Salam Industries Wll

44600692

44130672

The One

44888669

Six Senses Spa

44472319

Creative Child

44425937

La Cigale’s Ozone Spa & Gym 44288888

Nokia repair services

44812147

Busy Bees Nursery

Indian Women’s Association

Intercontinental Doha Spa 44844444

Nokia phones and accessories

44680641

Apple Tree Nursery

IAID Instrumental and vocal classes 44320974

grand regency hotel shape & style beauty salon 44343447

phones and support

The English Kindergarten

Fun First Nursery

Turkish Women’s Association

Royal Yatching Association 6 6749254/55279198

55336851

Harley Davidson motorcycle group 55323680

Silver Dhow Association

spas and wellness

55574671/ 55315745

play schools and nurseries

Al Mazaya Tourism

44318440

Arabian Adventures

44361461

Black Pearl Toursism

44357333

Gulf Adventures Toursim

44221888

Qatar International Adventures

44553954

Qatar International Tours 44551141

2012 January

thinkingaloud

The

GoRYTALE

of boobs By Sindhu Nair

January 2012

hy are we women so obsessed with our personal appearance? While we should present our best self to the outside world, wasn’t it mentioned somewhere that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder? Isn’t beauty all about personality than just the outward appearance? While I am not advocating crimpy suits or untidy looks, I would be happier to see someone neat and natural, rather than someone who has a fake figure that is stunning and yet so unnatural. At a time when technology makes it easier to look younger, bustier or curvaceous, women have a tougher task at hand, not falling prey to the “looking good” fervour, another of the commodities that can be purchased by shelling some extra dough. While those who have resisted such lure in Europe can now sigh in relief, there are over 30,000 women in France, and tens of thousands more in Britain, Italy, Spain, Portugal and other countries in Europe and South America who will live in perpetual fear until they remove the breast implants, that were made by a French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP). At least eight women with the implants have developed cancer, one of whom has died from the disease, although the link is not confirmed. The French government is planning to pay for thousands to have their implants removed. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of British women and countless others are walking around with these potentially dangerous “bombs” stitched into their chests. Investigators say PIP, which pulled the implants from the market last year, used cheaper industrial silicone for the implants instead of medical silicone to save money. One reason for the drastic measure is the uncertainty about the contents of the silicone gel used and the risks it poses to internal organs. While all breast implants are subject to rupture, especially as they get older, and patients are meant to be informed of the risks before implant surgeries, these implants have a particular fragility and appear to pose risks of rupture earlier in their life spans than other implants, said Jean-Claude Ghislain of French health agency, AFSSAPS. The picture seems particularly gory as you conjure up images of bloody boobs! But it not so funny as we come back to our fixation for “looks” and the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery. The number of breast enhancement operations continues to rise even in times of recession. While a number of these surgeries are performed on women who have lost their breasts through mastectomy, a large portion of the surgery are choices women make to have a figure that resembles those in glossy magazines. In 2012, let us all women, promise to choose wisely, opt for a healthy lifestyle, and an exterior that reflects our own strengths rather than a fake figure that might burst.

slugname

January 2012