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QATAR’S FAVOURITE EVENTS MAGAZINE
www.qatarhappening.com QR15
November 2009
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Redesigning Tradition Chat haute couture with Qatar’s hottest new designer
Backstreet’s Back! The Backstreet Boys are setting our inner tweens aflutter this month!
HOTLISTS &
TOP PICKS
Your guide to the coolest happenings in the city!
ONCE UPON A PANTOMIME Go behind the curtain with the Doha Players
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QH NOV 09 - INSIDE FRONT.pdf
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Celebrate
the way we live
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For more information, email awards@qatarhappening.com ARTS & CULTURE HEALTH & WELLNESS COMMUNITY SPORTS LIFESTYLE QATAR ALLURE NIGHTLIFE STYLE TRENDS
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NOVEMBER CONTENTS
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SPOTLIGHT ON ENTERTAINMENT Backstreet’s Back!
Our exclusive on their upcoming Dubai concer t
QH STUFF 6 IN SUZANNE’S WORDS 8 QH TEAM 10 OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS 12 QH RECOMMENDS 20 VIRGIN RECOMMENDS
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS KIDS CLUB IT HAPPENED CITY GUIDE COLOUR SCOPE
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SPOTLIGHT ON... 22 ARTS & CULTURE Once Upon A Pantomime 25 COMMUNITY Corporate Change 32 KNOWLEDGE Innovative Change 35 FOOD Leading the Good Life 60 Sports The Horse Of Course
HAPPENING HOTLISTS 18 24 27 34 36 62
ENTERTAINMENT ARTS & CULTURE COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE FOOD SPORTS
E PANTOMIM FASHION
QH SENSATIONS
38 LIVE
Girls’ Day In
Three girls enjoy some pampering at Jaula Spa
42 LOOK
Redesigning Tradition
Fabulous garments by Noblesse Oblige
40 EXPERIENCE 54 TOUCH Reasons to Fly Our top picks for things to do beyond Qatar’s borders
The Cinderella Effect Sparkly shoes from Salam
betes Living with Dia HEALTH & WELLNESS
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ORIES, APPENING ST FOR MORE H LOG ON TO:
ning.com
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IN SUZANNE’S WORDS
Publisher: The Art of Business Chairman: Ahmed Hassan Bilal Editor-in-Chief: Nasser Ahmed Hassan Bilal Executive Editor: Suzanne Grant Editor: Jessica Davey-Quantick Proofreaders: Vanessa Gaudet, Lindsey Hunnewell Contributors: Cecilia Leigh, Fi Murray, Jay Panganiban, Moona Masri-Whitice, Wairimu Marketing Manager: Moona Masri-Whitice Art & Photography Director: Jorell Legaspi Graphic Designer: Paolo Kurtis Tan Photography Production Coordinator: Nathy Fonseca Photography Assistant: Ahmad Oustwan Fashion Stylists: Chantal Mossess Styling Assistant: Katrina Cuneta-Quirolgico
After a relatively quiet summer and Ramadan seasons, Qatar moved into bustling mode; it was all happening the last weekend in October! Doha’s first Tribeca Film Festival, The Sony Ericsson Championships – Doha 2009, The Reach Out to Asia Annual Charity Ball and Think Pink Walk for Life attracted thousands. Celebrities, royals, volunteers and the masses shared roadside banner and parking spaces between the Corniche and a few hundred meters away at Khalifa Tennis Stadium. Pre-parties, players’ parties, after parties, celebrity spotting, community gatherings, prizes and charitable donations filled October’s calendar. So the question remains – how do you top that and was it good planning or a co-incidence? Either way, you have to admit that there was a real buzz in the city and QH loved every minute of it – especially the part where we got to share it all with you. It’s doubtful that Qatar will see another eventpacked weekend like that for some time – unless the master planners ARE really tight these days. We look to November to see how events will settle and eagerly await the full details of the Brazil/England match line up. Not too bad I would have to say – the city remains vibrant and alive.
Web Master & Communications Associate: Jay Panganiban Distribution and Accounts: Lanie Fillo-Pana Distribution Assistants: Jaya Gautam, Durga Gautam Printing Press: Dar Al Sharq, Doha, Qatar Have Your Say: Feedback and comments are always welcome. Please forward letters to the editor: E-mail: editor@qatarhappening.com info@qatarhappening.com Contact Details: Inquiries: +974 491 0565 / Fax: +974 491 0570 Editorial: + 974 491 0573 Marketing: + 974 491 0572 Postal Address: P.O. Box 7848 , Doha, Qatar
QATAR HAPPENING (QH)
Doha, Qatar 11 times a year.
is published monthly by The Art of Business,
The information contained in QATAR HAPPENING (QH) is correct at the time of printing. Details may change at any time without liability on the part of The Art of Business. Readers are advised to confirm details with the event organizers. All rights reserved 2009, The Art of Business. Reproduction in part or in full is strictly prohibited. QATAR HAPPENING (QH) assumes no responsibility for content of advertisements. QATAR HAPPENING (QH) retails for QR 15. Bulk subscriptions are available for QR 5 each, for orders over 50.
www.qatarhappening.com
ON THE COVER 6 NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 6
Masquerade Model: Katrina Cuneta-Quirolgico Photo: Jorell Legaspi
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QH TEAM Suzanne Executive Editor
Moona
Jessica
Marketing Manager/ Contributor
Editor
Jay
Webmaster & Communications Associate
Paolo
u o y l l e t e W ! g n i n e p p what’s ha
Graphic Designer
information and community t en ev st tte ho g you the g Magazine! ted team to brin atar’s Happenin Q H, It takes a dedica Q nd hi be eet the people each month. M
Jorell
Art & Photography Director
Chantal
Ahmad
Photography Assistant
Fi
Contributor
Fashion Stylist
Lanie
Distribution & Accounts
Nathy
Photography Production Coordinator
Katrina
Stylist Assistant
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R E B NOVEHM IGHLIGHTS 1
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WEDNESDAY International Heritage Photographic Experience Exhibition Wed 11th – Dec 3rd, VCUQ
Laughter Factory Shehrazad, Ramada Plaza
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United Rhythm Band Ritz-Carlton Doha
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World Innovation Summit for Education
International Education Week Sun 15th – Thurs 20th Education City
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The World Islamic Infrastructure Finance Conference Ritz-Carlton Doha
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MONDAY
Laughter Factory Shehrazad, Ramada Plaza
2009 FIVB Club World Championship Tues 3rd – Sun 8th Al Arabi Sports Club
Sheraton Doha
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Beaujolais Nouveau
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Al Fanar Expo Fri 20th – Tues 24th Millennium Hotel
Doha Marriott
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Shehrazad, Ramada Plaza
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THURSDAY Global Championships Tour International Equestrian Tournament Sun 11th – Thurs 15th Federation Facilities
DJ JOJO back at Pearl Lounge Doha Marriott
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FRIDAY Thanksgiving Cooking Class Ritz-Carlton Doha The Clash! Qube, Ramada Plaza
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The Clash!
Fri 13th and Fri 20th Qube, Ramada Plaza
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Brazil / England Football Match Khalifa Stadium
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2009 Annual AWA International Holiday Bazaar Grand Hyatt
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20 Eid Mubarak
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Thai Food Festival Sat 28th – Dec 5th Doha Marriott
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of entertainment, restaurant and cinema listings. www.qatarhappening.com NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 11
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QH RECOMMENDS
tive Holy piles of giddy delight Batman: QH lets you walk around our collec brain and check out what’s setting our hearts a twitter this month!
Deep-Fried Deliciousness Clearly publishing goons exist on caffeine, diet soda, and the scrapings from deep-fat fryers, so we know what we’re talking about when we say the best fries in the city live at Scheherazade at Ramada Plaza. Metal cones erupting with hot, golden potato excellence made many a planning meeting for our photo shoot go a lot smoother.
Cute Animals Finally Get Theirs So it’s true, some days you just need a photo of a baby panda sneezing to get you through. But ever since www.icanhascheezburger.com introduced the world to the concept of fuzzy creatures with bad grammar, the cute have conspired to destroy humanity. Thankfully, there’s www. fupenguin.com, a site that tells cute animals where to go, saving us all from being overrun by adorable kitties, puppies, and bunnies. And ocelots. Curse you ocelots!
Saving Jane Whether you’re in the mood for moody acoustic, jump up and go booty dance or angry girl pop; this group’s got it all. If Kelly Clarkson, Ani DeFranco and Liz Phair managed to spawn, their unholy creation would sound like this group. Seriously, one CD can take you through the entire spectrum of emotional meltdown and back, and make for good listening and car-singalongs while they’re at it! Favorite tracks in the halls of QH include ‘Super Girl’, ‘Ordinary’, ‘Loser’ and ‘Reasons Why’, available on iTunes.
Mango-book
Vests, Glorious Vests! The vest is best! These not-quite-shirts have turned up so often in the halls of QH that we’ve decided they’re essentially our uniform. They can be casual, they can be dressy, they can do it all. They’re basically the bat-tool-belt in top form (I’m pretty sure Robin may have worn one at some point too, even if Batman himself never did) and we love them! Staff favs can be found at Zara and H&M.
Mango hits Facebook with a neat little application that lets you win clothes and…wait, you had us at ‘chance to win free clothes’. Until Farmville starts spewing real grapevines and hot peppers through our monitors, this application has usurped its place in our Facebook-lurking hearts. Check it out at http://apps.facebook.com/closetbymango.
Want to see what we’re talking about? Check us out at www.qatarhappening.com. Or just become our friend on Facebook (come on, you know you want to. We’ll play Farmville). 12 NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 12
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BACKSTREET’S
Last Men Standing. BSB lost Kevin Richardson to the lure of family life in 2006, but Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and AJ McLean keep the pop torch blazing.
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SPOTLIGHT ON ENTERTAINMENT
BACK! By Jessica Davey-Quantick
Ready, Set, Swoon... QH gets in touch with our inner tween when we catch up with the Backstreet Boys as they prepare for their first-ever Middle East tour next month!
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hey rocked our worlds in 1998, and they’re getting ready to set tween hearts, both inner and present day, aflutter in Dubai on December 17th. With their second album since reforming in 2004 hitting racks in October as well, it’s a good time to be a Boy.
“Finally we will be playing the Middle East,” they said in a press release. “We can’t wait to meet our fans in Dubai!” The Backstreet Boys have been around for over a decade, first hitting fans with those smoldering smizes (shout-out to Tyra, another icon of the 90s, for coining a smiling-with-your-eyes word) and slightly inappropriate thrusting back in 1993. After success in Europe and Asia, they blazed their melodic way back to North America, with both their 1997 Backstreet’s Back and their 1999 Millennium filling millions of teen girls’ Discmans, not to mention leaping up the charts. After 2001’s Black and Blue, they’d officially eaten as many music-souls as the Beatles. Their tunes, from ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)’ to ‘As Long as You Love Me’ instantly bring back bubble-gum sweet memories of awkward junior high dances, first crushes, and youthful enthusiasm for people all over the world. And that’s exactly what they plan to bring with them to Dubai. “We made a conscious effort to go back to being ourselves,” said Brian Littrell, one-fourth of the current BSB lineup. Joining him are band-mates Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, and AJ McLean. Kevin Richardson left the group in 2006. “It’s important for the fans to remember what was, but it’s also important for them to know where we’re headed.” 15 NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 15
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SPOTLIGHT ON ENTERTAINMENT
The concert in Dubai will feature some of their old-time favourites, including “I Want It That Way’, ‘Quit Playing Games with My Heart’ and ‘Larger Than Life’. But it will also showcase some of their newer work. They released their first comeback album in 2005, to lackluster reviews – they were criticized for taking too big a step away from their roots. Not so with their latest, This is Us, which dropped last month. “This record here, we reached back into what made us who we are – that’s great pop melodies, great harmonies – and made it current and relevant,” said Dorough. This time around they’ve collaborated with a smorgasbord of producers, including Max Martin, who helped make some of their biggest hits back in the day. “He really saw the fire in our eyes,” said Litrell. “Like we were young kids again.” But they’re not kids anymore – 16 years after they hit the scene, they’ve grown up, and so has their audience. Including some of the very producers who helped create their newest album. “We really wanted to push the envelope with this record,” said Dorough. “We wanted to reach out to some writers that people wouldn’t have expected us to reach out to.” They reached back, including Jim Jonsin, better know for collaborations with hit artists like Soulja Boy, Tell ‘Em and Flo Rida.
“We made a conscious effort to go back to being ourselves.” “It was like, ‘hold on a second, you’re a fan?’” said Carter. “You’re one of the baddest beatmakers right now!” They’ve tried to summon up some of that old magic that made them the gold-standard for boy bands in the late 90s, and influenced everything that was to come after, from Britney to N’Sync (so they can thus also be blamed/applauded for Justin Timberlake).
“We want to continue to move forward,” said Littrell. “We want Backstreet Boys to keep setting the template and raising the bar.” The show starts on December 17th at 9:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:00 p.m.). Tickets range from AED 295 to AED 495, and are available online. For more information, check out www.backstreetboysdubai.com.
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BSB’s latest album, This is Us draws on some new influences, while pulling their old sound into 2009. Straight Through My Heart.
With a techno-beat replacing their older tempos, you might not know this one was BSB if you stumbled on it while changing radio stations. You decide if that’s a good thing or not!
Bye Bye Love. Melodic
heartbreak is a BSB staple, and they come back to their man-angst with this one, this time with a faster tempo and layered rhythms.
PDA. There was a time when
underage-girls plastered these guys on their ceilings, and many wouldn’t turn down a PDA with BSB today! This one sounds like it’d be home at a club, which isn’t something we’d ever have imagined back in 1998.
Those were the days...
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ENTERTAINMENT
HOTLIST
The Clash Fri 13th and Fri 20th: Qube, Ramada Plaza. For the fourth consecutive year, The
DJ JOJO back at Pearl Lounge Fri 6th: The Pearl Lounge, Doha Marriott. Once again, straight from the heart of Lebanon Beirut, Sky Bar Resident DJ JOJO will perform live at Pearl, taking you on a journey of the latest uplifting beats. DJ JOJO is the number one DJ in Electro House Music and one of the best DJs in Beirut and the Middle East. Show starts at 9:00 p.m. Tickets range from QR 100 for singles to QR 180 for couples. For more information, call 429-8499.
Clash is back by popular demand! Come and watch local, ultra talented bands thrash it out to win the title of Best Band in Doha! Starts this month and continues until December. Entry is strictly for members only for QR 80, inclusive of two drinks. For more information, call 428-1673.
Beaujolais Nouveau Sun 22nd: Doha Marriott. The New
Fizz @ The Ritz Sat 28th: Ritz-Carlton Doha. Join friends,
colleagues and loved ones for a wonderful evening around the magnificent outdoor pool and tropical gardens. This month enjoy the taste of Spain with exciting live cooking stations and bars around the edge of the pool and a DJ to jazz up the crowd. A perfect opportunity to savour these glorious balmy nights as the weather starts to cool down. For more information and reservations, call 484-8000.
Beaujolais has arrived! On the third Thursday of November, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau begin their journey from France to all parts of the world. One of the most frivolous and animated rituals in the vino world has begun! For more information, call 429-8499.
Planet Abba Fri 6th: Qube, Ramada Plaza. Planet ABBA is one of the leading Abba tribute shows. So bring your sequin-spangled tops and tight-fitting flares and party together as you say ‘Thank you for the music’. Entry is free before 10:00 p.m. for all members and QR80 (inclusive of one drink) after 10:00 p.m. For more information, call 428-1673.
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VIRGIN RECOMMENDS
Here’s how you can know what’s hot: QH brings you the top selections from Virgin Megastore this month.
BOOKS The Black Swan Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s latest offering absorbs its readers into the world of the “impact of the highly improbable,” which have been hailed as Black Swans. These events are actually far more common than most people would think. One thing that we can’t deny is that it definitely doesn’t run out of thought-provoking prose.
MOVIES The Uninvited
If you consider Halloween over for this year, think again with a film that’s based on the South Korean chiller “A Tale of Two Sisters”. The movie boldly proves and validates the time-old saying that “Every family has a skeleton (or more) in its closet.”
MUSIC Mika
The Boy Who Knew Too Much Mika’s newest album is a highly-anticipated follow-up to Life In Cartoon Motion. The Boy Who Knew Too Much whirls together stirring ballads and candy-coated choruses in one fine creation. Not only is it able to retain the artist’s melodic sensibilities and talent but also tell great stories stored within the songs.
GAMES FIFA Soccer 10 for PS3
The latest in the series is able to deliver the best gameplay in the series’ history and includes even more features and game modes to boot. Some of the note-worthy items include the 360-degree player control works well, virtual pro progression across most game modes, huge number of solo and multiplayer modes and the manager mode offers greater depth.
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SPOTLIGHT ON ARTS & CULTURE
ncUepoU Once n apon O
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Pant-Oh My! Last year’s show included people of all ages, both on stage and off.
By Jessica Davey-Quantick
Doha Players gears up for Pantomime season, and QH gets cozy behind the curtain with director Sarah Jenkins and producer Elaine Potter of this year’s show, ‘Cinders, the True Story’.
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pparently there’s never a problem finding men who want to wear dresses in Doha.
“They get the straight male part and they’re like ‘aww’, but you say ‘would you like to be a dame?’ and it’s ‘oh yeah, I’ll do that!’” said Jenkins. “I think that’s actually a psychiatrist’s question. It just means they can really give it their all and blame it on being in a dress and makeup.” Behind the scenes. Director Sarah Jenkins (top) and Producer Elaine Potter (right) say Panto is as much fun to make as it is to watch.
It’s also pure pantomime. Pantomime is a theatrical tradition that goes back hundreds of years. Over that time, it’s managed to amass a number of institutions, including sticking men in frocks to play loud female characters (called Dames), audience participation, and sometimes even live animals on stage. “We take a traditional story like Cinderella, and try to make it more into a comedy. The influences come from the Italian Commedia dell’ Arte and French vaudeville, but it’s
unique,” said Potter, who’s also the Theatre Administer for The Doha Players. Back in the day (and by day we mean anything before 1700), Pantomime was like the big-budget block buster, with familiar story lines and lots of special effects and gags, both high and low brow. “Pantomime is very fun, and very family oriented,” said Jenkins. “Good always triumphs over evil, and they always live happily ever after.“ In many ways, it’s stuck closer to traditional theatre-mores than other genres. Originally, much live theatre was considered very low class. Many of Shakespeare’s plays for example, although revered today, were closer to reality television, with audiences shouting at the actors and getting involved with the show. There was no such thing as the ‘fourth wall’- a term used by theatregeeks to describe the invisible wall that separates the audience from the actors on stage.
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SPOTLIGHT ON ARTS & CULTURE
Pantomime doesn’t just break that wall; it shatters it and grinds it to pieces under its glittery heel. “We do the traditional things, like we always get the children to join in. The children get really into it,” said Potter. But it’s not just the kids jumping and screaming – adults get in on the act too. “They’ll be shouting just as much!” said Jenkins. “Last year we had a Canadian come along, and he had a Dame sit on his lap; that was his introduction to pantomime. And he said for the first 10 minutes he was like ‘why are they shouting?’, but then gradually you just realize it’s ok to shout out. It’s not stiff, it’s not formal.” This year’s pantomime will also help celebrate the Doha Player’s big move, as they move into their new villa in the new year, after their theatre was destroyed several years ago. With rehearsal and even
Dames To The Left Of Me, Dames To The Right Of Me. No matter the show, men dressed as women (or ‘dames’) are always a hit.
“Good always triumphs over evil, and they always live happily ever after.“ performance space, it’ll make it much easier to socialize and get involved in the theatre community in Doha. Although they seem to be doing fairly well even without the villa. With a cast of almost 40 people, Cinders is a beast of a production.
But that’s the way she and Potter say theatre works- it just sucks you in, whether you agree to it or not. “It’s personal. You’re close to the person on stage, it’s not just a screen. It’s like listening to a CD or going to a concert- if you go to the concert, you get dragged in. I think people still like that. It’s something slightly different, it doesn’t happen every day.” said Jenkins.
“This is my third one for the Doha players. I’d been in panto and involved with Doha Players for many years, and thought it’d be nice to be back out front. I just went ‘Cinders, the True Story’ hits the stage in too far out front and ended up directing!” December. For full listings of times, where said Jenkins. “Then after that I said ‘never to buy tickets and prices, check out www. again’, then I did another one. And after that qatarhappening.com where information will one I said ‘definitely not again’, and now be updated as it’s released. here I am on my third.”
MORE BEHIND THE SCENES Want more? Flip to our fashion spread (page 46) where the cast of Cinders goes high fashion!
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ARTS & CULTURE
HOTLIST
International Heritage Photographic Experience Exhibition Wed 11th – Dec 3rd: VCUQ. The exhibition of the IHPE catalogue, published in Spain, showcases the winning 120 photographs submitted by students from around the world exploring the historical monuments and heritage of their cultures. Qatar is represented by two photographs submitted by Virginia Commonwealth University, Qatar’s Graphic Design senior students. For more information, visit www.qatar.vcu.edu
Recollections on Paper Aug 20th – Thurs 5th: Waqif Art Center. Go back
in history through art. In this tribute, a collection of 111 books are on exhibit that reveals the Arab world’s wonderful past. Works by calligraphists Hashim Mohammad Al Baghdadi and Abdul Aziz Al Rifai as well as manuscripts by Abu Tayyab Al Mutannabi and Abu Firas Al Hamdanii are included. Titles that are part of this exhibition are ‘The Art of Calligraphy in the Islamic Heritage’, The Arts of Islam’, ‘Islamic Science’ and ‘Islam and the Arab World. For more information, call 434-0921 or email info@waqifartcenter.com
Transit Oct 21st – Sat 21st: VCUQ Gallery. The exhibition in the Virginia
Commonwealth University, Qatar brings together the work of four Australian visual artists - Meredith Brice, Stephen Copland, Karee S. Dahl and Colin G. Reaney. The artistic discourses reveal subjective responses to moving in, living in and around local and global spaces. For more information, visit www.qatar.vcu.edu or email jsokoly@qatar.vcu.edu
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SPOTLIGHT ON COMMUNITY
CORPORATE
CHANGE By Jessica Davey-Quantick
Money makes the world go around, and as the global economy becomes more integrated, so does the chance corporations have to affect change. QH finds out what one company here in Doha is doing to change the world.
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is Holiness the Dalai Lama thinks Karen Al Kharouf is doing something right.
She was invited to represent Qatar Gas at the Vancouver Peace Summit in Canada, an initiative of the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education, recently because of her work with their ‘Home to Home’ project. Al Karouf got a chance to meet the Dalai Lama, along with other visionaries of the modern age. “We had a question and answer session, all 120 of us (at the summit) with the Dalai Lama. He took maybe five or so questions and was getting ready to walk out when he stopped and told his secretary he wanted to answer my question. At the time I didn’t think I had one!” said Al Kahrouf. “He put his hands next to my hands, he put his forehead to my forehead, and he said ‘this is what you’re supposed to do. You are supposed to go out and help the people who are in poverty, and people that need help.’ And he said ‘I want you to go out and feed my sheep’. I was just so overwhelmed.”
Giving Back. The ‘Home to Home’ project connects people especially in case of emergency. Al Kharouf recently spent some time in the Philippines, helping the families of workers affected by the typhoon.
eBay and other business people. Qatar Gas was included for their ‘Home to Home’ program, which connects the families of their workers together, as well as providing a pipeline of communication for the workers themselves. “Qatar Gas is on the cutting edge of doing something that’s going to catch on globally. I believe with the ‘Home to Home’ program, we’re just beginning,” said Al Karouf. “Our project employs about 20 to 23 thousand people. Sometimes they come from really small villages, (where) a lot of time they don’t have email, they don’t have phones, sometimes they don’t even have electricity. So the best way to get information back is word of mouth. What we’re finding out is it’s important for people to feel connected to their family members even if they’re here in Qatar.”
She compiles a monthly newsletter, distributed both in the home countries and the work camps, with everything from marriages to birth announcements. The project also connects the families themselves– families of Qatar Gas The event included delegates from all across employees have taken cruises together, held gatherings, and been the first phone the global spectrum- from the Dali Lama call for each other in emergencies. and Desmond Tutu, to the guy who created 25
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SPOTLIGHT ON COMMUNITY
actually built it at the expense of somebody. Me, you, we’re all in Qatar for a better future, better opportunity. And that equally applies for everybody who gets off a plane at Doha airport.” Al Kharouf agrees. She says safety is their number one priority, and helping create bridges back to workers’ home countries is a crucial step to enforcing that. For big business, this is news. Studies have shown that in most regions, poverty rates actually increase when resources are discovered, with stock prices and corruption sucking up newfound wealth. Whether it’s Nigerian oil or Sierra Leone’s diamonds (colloquially referred to as blood diamonds), some of the most resourcerich countries still have huge portions of their population living on under a dollar a day, without access to education, clean water, or health care.
Helping workers keep in touch with their families back home is not the first priority.
“It’s no benefit to us for someone to die. The Home to Home program gave them a tangible reason to be safe. You can say ‘be safe for your family back home’ but (how persuasive is that if ) they haven’t seen their family in three years?” she said. “When we say be safe for your family it’s actually because I know the families by name.”
But things are changing. More and more corporations are doing just what Qatar Gas has done – putting social responsibility and a commitment to fair, safe working Going to the summit in Canada opened conditions at the her eyes to the fact that while Qatar Gas top of their mission statements, and not may be one of the first major companies, particularly in the oil industry, to do just for the white something like this, they aren’t alone. collar workers who write them. They’ve found that by treating “I think what we have found out is that we’re all connected on some level. These were people like human really corporate people, of billion dollar beings, they all profit in companies, and they were actually coming the long run. together to say ‘we can make a difference’. I think so many people think ‘it’s just me, For regions flooded with migrant workers, “The workers in Ras Laffan get treated who am I’, but if you really join forces and the situation isn’t much better. Many reasonably well. You see how much you have a passion for something, you can transient workers, whether in the Gulf, the workers use the Internet cafes to change the world,” she said. South America, Africa, North America or communicate back (home), how important Europe, find themselves trapped in a limbo it is when we give them a hala card so “We are a pillar of this community, and we that can quickly turn on them, neither citizen they can call home,” said Ken Marnoch, have enough resources and money that nor immigrant. There usually aren’t laws Upstream Manager and Deputy COO. we have to make a difference. It’s not that set up to protect people that are actually maybe we should, we have to. We have to outside the system, and if there are, they “What we’re doing in Ras Laffan will get give back. The people make the company, built. But we’re not going to be proud of often aren’t enforced in favour of cheap the company doesn’t make the people.” what we’ve build if we feel that we’ve running shoes and low cost construction. 26 NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 26
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COMMUNITY
HOTLIST
Sat 14th: Corniche. Join together to help raise diabetes awareness! The walk starts at the Sheraton Park at 9:30 a.m., goes to Qatar Theatre, and back. Presented by the Qatar Diabetes Association in conjunction with Aspire, the event aims to raise awareness about the disease and it’s prevention. Last year the focus was on youth, while this year the theme is diabetes in the workplace. Both children and adults are encouraged to participate. For more information, check out www.qda.org.qa, or www.qatarhappening.com for updated information as it’s released.
2009 Annual AWA International Holiday Bazaar Wed 21st: Grand Hyatt.
From 9:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. Since it’s almost that time of the season, why not enjoy an event that allows you to shop until you drop? For more information, call 343-2692 or visit www.awaqatar.com
Calligraphy Workshop Sundays and Tuesdays: Education Centre, Level M. Itching to create beauty with your
own hands? This workshop with Saeed Al Ansari is tailored for beginners by introducing the fundamentals of Arabic calligraphy to common patterns and motifs commonly used in Islamic art. 10 participants per course. Entrance is free. Starts at 4:00 p.m. For more information and pre-bookings, e-mail educationmia@qma.com.qa or visit www.mia.org.qa
French Music Classes Sundays: TBA. Bonjour! Learn the basics of French Music for classes that cater to families from 4:00 p.m. till 5:00 p.m., for ages 9 months to 4 years with parent accompaniment. For more details and to RSVP, e-mail susanbush@dohaexpatmumsandkids.com or visit www.dohaexpatmumsandkids.com
Learn Belly Dancing Wed 4th, 11th: TBA. It would be haram to live in the Middle East and never learn this mystical dance! From 10:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. For more details, e-mail susanbush@dohaexpatmumsandkids.com or visit www.dohaexpatmumsandkids.com
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Reporting on the Other Side By Jessica Davey-Quantick
Photography Jorell Legaspi
QH finds out what it takes to survive over 30 years making news,
when we chat with Tony Burman, Managing Director of Al Jazeera.
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arshall McLuhan wrote “The medium “I’m somewhat of an idealist from that point of view – there’s more to journalism than simply the commercial is the message.” And for Tony aspect of it,” he said. “I have incredible distrust and Burman, Managing Director of Al a skepticism about the commercial influences on Jazeera English, that’d be true even journalism and on news organizations. To a certain if McLuhan wasn’t a Canadian icon. extent, I would say that wouldn’t I, considering I’ve spent most of my career at a public broadcaster.” “I’m a Canadian living in Qatar without a coat,” said Burman. A 30-year veteran of the Canadian His voice is warm and clearly a trained broadcast voice Broadcasting Company, Canada’s national public in the style of Walter Cronkite. He’s been around long broadcaster, he took over at Al Jazeera English a year enough to hone his voice, and to see how the profession ago. He’s been making regular trips back and forth to the Great White North ever since, visiting his wife, a has changed radically. Superior Court Justice in Toronto. Many news organizations are feeling the crunch, “I’ve seen a lot of the Middle East, but the Gulf is new to particularly during the recent economic downturn. me. And I like it,” he said. “One would expect me to say Stations, channels, magazines and newspapers across this, but there is a lot of progressive stuff happening the world have cut their staffs, closed their bureaus, here. I’m kind of used to it, in spite of the 50 degree and even slammed their doors, unable to compete. Celsius weather!’” But not Al Jazeera. Although affected by the economic Although he’s just had his first Doha-versary, he’s been collapse like the rest of the world, in a period where most companies are closing their foreign bureaus in making the news since he was a teenager. favour of focusing on local news, Al Jazeera is actually opening more. “When I went to university, on my second day, I wandered into the university newspaper office just to see if there were possibilities for a freshman, and from “Obviously people care about what’s in front of them, then on I was absorbed in the newspaper,” he said. “I’m what’s on their street and in their community, but that curious, I think I’m drawn to what journalism on a good should not be at the expense of understanding the day can do.” world. I think the financial meltdown was a reminder that what globalization means is a lot of the decisions That’s what he says drew him to first the CBC, and that affect your life are made far from your community,” eventually Al Jazeera. he said. “You have to see the wider world and what 29 NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 29
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
kind of impact it’s having on your lives. The only way you can do that is through the media, because the media provides a window on that world. And if those windows are shut by organizations that up till now provided international coverage, then people who are interested in the world have few places to go.” This isn’t something new, however. Burman spent most of his career before coming to Qatar working abroad. But that’s something he’s not sure would happen if he was starting out as a new journalist in 2009. “Part of it was I came of age in the 60s. It was a very intense period politically. I’ve always spent most of my life covering international stories. I was based in London where Brian Stewart and I did the Ethiopian famine, the release of Mandela, the Lebanese civil war, all of these intense stories,” he said. “I think in some ways it was easier for me. That period was an incredibly transformational period in the world. There were things happening in the world that were really really big, and I think it gave younger people like myself an opportunity to cover big stories in ways that wouldn’t necessarily happen today.”
purposes bringing the voice of the South, the voice of the developing world to international policy debates. I think the reality of the world and the reality I think of mainstream media is it’s always been western-centric. The majority of the world lives very far from these power centers, and is often excluded from the actual debates and decisions that affect the world.” Currently, the combined Arabic and English services at Al Jazeera have 69 news bureaus around the worldmore than both the BBC and CNN, with an estimated 150 million households tuning in worldwide in over 100 countries. Their latest projects are attempts to expand into North America, opening a new bureau in Canada. “I think when you watch Al Jazeera you have a window on a world that’s much broader, much more diverse, and much richer culturally than you would find in a Britishcentric BBC or an Americancentric CNN,” he said.
“Al Jazeera is a window on a world that is far broader and far more diverse than I think a lot of us realize”
“There’s a serendipity nature to everybody’s life and everybody’s career. Probably it was my decision in my early 20s just to leave Montreal and take a year and a half and see Latin America, where I realized that oh my god, there was much more to the world perhaps than what I was seeing in Canada.”
He wants to continue to use Al Jazeera as a platform to tell the stories the world isn’t hearing, in ways they’re not hearing them- particularly ones coming from this region.
“I think the consequence of that is people realize that what’s happening in the Middle East is far more interesting and far more diverse and dare I say far more complicated than the kind of comic book representation these issues often get, where things are simplified to the point of incomprehensibility.”
No matter where it’s happening, Burman says a crippled The problem though isn’t young journalists he says. The press leads to a crippled society. problem is a sense of global apathy, a turning inward and a return to isolationist thinking, particularly in North “People need accurate information to make sensible America, which perhaps didn’t exist 30 years ago. choices about their lives, about the direction of their countries. An informed citizenry produces enlightened “Literally there are countries that are regularly covered policies that benefit people generally. And the reverse and mentioned on Al Jazeera that are never seen in is true- when you have inaccurate information or you North America or in the UK. And whether it’s countries have sensationalism or distortion, that plays with in Latin America or Asia or Africa, I think that’s exciting,” people’s minds and leads to bad decisions,” he said. “I he said. “I think its location – it’s the only international think that organizations like Al Jazeera, and we’re news channel that’s located in the global South. not the only one in the world, that are committed to It’s the only channel that has as one of its primary accurate and full information, ultimately help society.” 30 NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 30
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SPOTLIGHT ON KNOWLEDGE
Innovative Change By Wairimu
The planet is changing, but so is our perception of what can save it. QH caught up with Dr. Andrew Hargadon, who recently spoke in Qatar, to find out how it takes a village, and a new definition of innovation, to change the world.
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alculate your carbon footprint!”; “Save Our Planet – 10 ways to live greener”; “Maldives President Holds Underwater Cabinet Meeting”. These are headlines that continue to highlight the need for personal, corporate, governmental and international accountability for the sustainable use of environmental resources. But there’s a new march in the green movement: innovation. The idea is simple: in order to save the planet, we need to look beyond Captain Planet’s ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’. That’s what brought Dr. Andrew Hargadon, an expert in bridging science, engineering and business with energy efficiency, to Doha as part of the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQatar) ‘Connected Speakers’ series.
Hargadon, who began his career as an engineer with Apple Computers in the late 1980s, is a scholar of technology, innovation and more recently, environment and energy. He teaches technological management and entrepreneurship at the University of California in Davis, U.S.A. He says it’s not about a brilliant mind working in isolation to come up with something never-beforeseen that will change the world. “This kind of thinking is most insidious to the development of innovation,” he said. “Innovation is about connecting through technology, not about invention,” said Hargadon. Innovation is essentially a combination of old ideas and old ways of doing business, of setting up systems, of devising ways of developing governmental policy and
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SPOTLIGHT ON KNOWLEDGE
“Innovation is about connecting through technology, not about invention”
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business strategy. It’s about recycling what already here, it’s just unevenly distributed”. we’ve done before to create something new. Alas, innovation is not about sitting in One of the most captivating results of a dark room doodling on a paper napkin about an earth-shattering (and depleting) Hargadon’s research may come as a idea that nobody else has come up with. It surprise. He discovered that while the pursuit of alternative forms of energy, is about learning from the practices that have worked successfully in other countries, namely solar (of which we are not lacking in Qatar) and wind is important, innovators across different industries and using ideas that already exist and practices that already must also focus on means of reducing work to pave the way for a greener, more waste created from the energy produced by suppliers of electricity, gas and oil. They efficient world. So the shocking green truth must identify inefficiencies in such energy is, the world of innovation is not just for scientists. Every one of us can begin to think generation and monitor them to come up of how an idea that works in one part of the with new ways to reduce this waste. Sure world, can be used in Qatar. we can find alternative sources of energy, but can we manage and control the way we Hargadon’s intention is to expand our utilize the current energy supplies? thinking because when we do, innovation based on shared knowledge that transcends So how do we take on the task of reducing homes, offices and borders. And indeed, it energy waste? Quoting author William is here that we meet our future. Gibson, Hargadon says “The future is
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KNOWLEDGE
HOTLIST
The World Islamic Infrastructure Al Fanar Expo Finance Conference Fri 20th – Tues 24th: Millenium Hotel. An exhibit that wishes to spread Tues 3rd: Ritz-Carlton Doha. The 4th Annual World Islamic Infrastructure Finance
Conference aims to have discussions that will further bolster how Islamic project finance influences in achieving the needs of infrastructure investment. It has been seen as key to revitalising growth. For more information, visit www.megaevents.net
World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE)
the Islamic culture by introducing the Islamic civilization and expound on the Islamic mission to non-Muslims. Hopefully, it has a positive effect on its visitors. For more information, call 444-7444 or e-mail info@qatarfanar.com
Mon 16th – Wed 18th: Sheraton Doha. Internationally renowned education
experts convene at the hotel’s convention centre to address the challenges of Pluralism, Sustainability and Innovation. Presented by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, it presents speakers from the University of South Africa, Microsoft and Princeton University to the British House of Commons, United Nations and the Canadian International Development Agency. For more information, call 454-0404 or visit www.wise-qatar.org
International Education Q-Money 2009 11th – Sat 14th: Doha Week External Wed International Exhibition Centre.
Sun 15th –Thurs 20th: Education City. A series of educational activities and events will be offered by the planning committee comprised of branch campus and Qatar Foundation campus and residence staff members under the auspices of the Education Division. For more information, call Ahmed Al-Salahi on 454-0404 or email ahalsalahi@qf.org.qa
The 6th Qatar Exhibition for Investment & Finance aims to create a state of positive investment oriented communication among the citizens of the GCC countries, provide the opportunity to identify available investment opportunity, as well as the creation of alliances with investors and businessmen in future projects. For more information, visit www.qmoney.info
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SPOTLIGHT ON FOOD
Culinary Roster Chef Xavier Salomon
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
Chef Dennis Depoitre The Langham Huntington Resort and Spa, Pasadena
Chef Vincent Choi
The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya
Chef Dirk Matschke Sharq Village and Spa
How to Dine
Each chef offers a special dinner and chef’s table throughout the festival, QR 300 per person for dinner or QR 450 for the Chef’s table. Not to be missed are the opening cocktail reception on Nov 16th, where all the chefs gather to impress, or the Grand Celebration dinner on Nov 21st which closes the festival. Reservations can be made by calling 425-666.
Leading the Good Life The Good Life festival returns in its ninthincarnation to the Sharq Village and Spa from November 16th–21st. The Good Life festival is back! With chefs visiting the Sharq Village and Spa from Ritz-Carlton properties all over the world and treating guests to a variety of special events, it’s a great chance to sample something new, from some of the best chefs in the world. Of particular interest are the Chef’s Tables: diners get to peek behind the cutlery and see what really goes on to bring their meals to fruition. This year sees it expanded from only one table of 10 people, located in the kitchen, to an open section on the Al Dana terrace.
Chefs will visit each table, and there will be a special Chef’s Table with Dirk Matschke, the new Executive Chef at the Sharq, in the Royal Villa. The festival doesn’t just give guests and visitors a chance to spoon up some celebration though; it also gives the chefs a chance to shine, and play with food. Last year’s highlights included a fois gras cappuccino that was definitely unique. It’s not just a dinner out. It’s a chance for everyone involved, from the kitchen to the dining room, to experience something different in Doha. 35
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FOOD
HOTLIST Magic Academy for the Weekend Brunch Fridays: Mövenpick Tower and Suites. Starting on the
6th, kids between five and 12 will be entertained and trained in the Mastery of Magical Trickery while you indulge the Weekend Family Brunch buffet, featuring dishes from across all continents. Reservations for this course are essential. For more information, call 496-6112.
Rocca Daily: Grand Hyatt.
The poolside restaurant is now open offering a gastronomic journey through the Mediterranean coastline. The menu reflects the beautiful cuisine and inspirations from the south of Italy, France, Spain and Greece. Open from 10:00 a.m. till 111:00 p.m. For more information, ccall 448-1234.
Thanksgiving
Thai Food Festival Sat 28th – Dec 5th: Doha Marriott. From 6:30 p.m. till
11:30 p.m., tempt your taste
Thurs 26th: Various. Dive into the holiday season with buds with mouth-watering Thai
American Thanksgiving! Want to eat-in but don’t want to slave over the stove? Try the takeaway turkey from the Ritz- Carlton Doha, QR 1200 gets you a turkey and all the trimmings for 6 to 8 people. Call 484-800 for more information. Doha Marriott offers takeaway turkey as well, or you can enjoy Thanksgiving without the prospect of washing up in the comfort of the Corniche restaurant from noon till 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. till 11:30 p.m. For more information, call 429-8499. Check out www.qatarhappening.com for full listings as they are released.
specialties. The culinary team is delighted to prepare authentic dishes from the Kingdom of Thailand which will be available in addition to the regular menu and Teppanyaki at the award winning Far Eastern restaurant Asia Live! For more information, call 429-8499.
Truffles Daily: Ritz-Carlton Doha. Keen truffle noses lead the way to Porcini, where the chefs conjure up Italian specialties featuring this aromatic fungus. Sample dishes such as Truffled sformatino of polenta with hamour mantecato, seared foie gras, melted taleggio cheese and black truffle and cappellacci with robiola cheese, shaved truffle and marjoram butter. Open from 6:30 p.m. till 11:00 p.m. during weekdays and 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekends. For more information and reservations, call 484-8000.
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Design Nobility. Qatar-based design house, Noblesse Oblige, is pushing its creative philosophy towards revolutionizing Arabian couture.
LIVE Girls Day In EXPERIENCE Reasons to Fly LOOK Redesigning Tradition / Behind the Cinders TOUCH The Cinderella Effect Photography by Jorell Legaspi
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QH SENSATIONS LIVE
Girls’ Day In
By Cecilia Leigh
Doha loves its spas, and what better way to enjoy a day of bliss than with some friends along? QH sent three readers to check out Jaula Spa at the Grand Hyatt and give us the dirt (or the face mask, as it were).
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here are worse ways to turn 30. When Minnie Das started pondering options for her birthday celebration, the idea of spending a day at the spa seemed like a fun and yet relaxing change of pace. But where to go?
Doha’s got dozens of spas, but what sets Jaula apart as a particularly appealing place to spend a day with the girls is the fact that all their treatment rooms are built like suites, including private toilets, changing areas, etc. Their Couple and VIP suites are even larger, including a large makeup area, a relaxation area, a private Jacuzzi, and plenty of room for treatments.
“It was lovely. The ambiance was really nice. It’s a really nice space, I liked the clean lines of it,” said Minnie.
“If you want to socialize you can, get in the Jacuzzi and hang out. You feel really like you’re an individual getting your treatments,” Minnie. “And it’s nice, you’ve got the shower and the bathroom right there so you The girls were treated to a sea salt exfoliation, an aromatherapy back massage, don’t have to run through locker rooms. It’s and a facial, capped off with a healthy soup intimate.” and salad combo (note to file: dates, next to halumi cheese in a salad, equals tongue Part of that was the staff. All three agreed that the therapists knew their stuff. summersaults of delight) at newly-opened Rocca restaurant. “The (therapists) were lovely. I think they The staff at Jaula say that any package were very skilled, in terms of how they can be customized to fit your needs, and massaged and their touch, they were really really great. Some of the best that I’ve accommodating groups is something they do remarkably well. The package Minnie had- and I’ve had some good ladies!” said Minnie. and pals had part in costs QR 700 per person for three people. It includes a twohour experience, as well as the use of the Want to give it a whirl yourself? Call Jaula hotel and spas facilities, pool and beach. Spa at 448-1056 for more details.
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QH SENSATION LIVE
Homemade Stress Busters Want to give the group-spa day a try, but not keen on leaving your house? Or maybe you’re just looking for some budget-friendly bliss? It’s easy to create your own spa-experience at home, using items most often found in your kitchen cupboard! Do-it-yourself, although generally terrifying, works particularly well with a gang of friends involved!
Mix brown sugar and honey to create a luxurious body scrub. The sugar exfoliates, while the honey works it’s bee-spit magic, leaving your skin smooth and soft (honey has been used as a cure-all and beauty product for thousands of years because of its moisture-trapping properties). Got dry skin? Try mixing banana, oatmeal cooked with milk, egg and honey together to make a cleansing and healing facemask. Break out the nail files and paint, and try a mani- pedi on for size. You can even manage French tips using kits that come with everything you need- polish, topcoat, and stick-on guides to help you cheat your way to glamour. Get your supplies at Nazia Trading, Boots, Carrefour, or similar stores in Doha.
Say Awww... Three readers indulge in pure relaxation, at the spa, and at home.
Double Plus Fun: get an economy-sized jar of cheap hair condition, mix a handful in a bowl with water, and soak away! It smoothes skin and cuticles as well as expensive soaks, for pennies. Sprinkle flower petals in a bowl of warm water and soak your feet while you chat. Light some candles – nothing creates ambiance better than dim lighting. 39
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QH SENSATIONS EXPERIENCE
Reasons to Fly Escaping to fantastic happening destinations around the world does wonders. Here are some
Beyonce at Port Ghalib, Egypt
November 6th: Port Ghalib. The newest luxury
resort by the Red Sea is having the international R&B megastar Beyonce as the main act of its official launch. There are plans to have a national recordsetting fireworks display as well. You’ll definitely be seeing stars at this event! For more information, visit www.portghalib.com
Jewellery Class 1 World Arabia 2009 Powerboat November 17th – 21st: Abu Dhabi Bahrain International Exhibition Centre. Be Grand Prix bedazzled by the largest and most prestigious jewellery exhibition in the Middle East. Around 600 exhibitors from 30 countries are expected to come such as Cartier, Patek Phillipe, De Beers. For more information, visit www.jewelleryarabia.com
November 19th – 21st: Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club.
If you weren’t able to get your torque fix when it was held here in Doha, now’s your chance to get it while you still can. Not only can you get to see all the action, you get to experience it as well with the Nor-Tech experience. For more information, visit www.class-1.com
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flydubai One-way Deal Until November 24th: Online. Itching to travel but worried about the budget? Fret no more! The latest offering from flydubai is definitely bargain you should try. After all, it’s only QR 165 and in about 40 minutes, you’re right smack in the middle of Dubai. Imagine that? For more information, visit www.flydubai.com
Friday and Saturday Brunch in West Bay. Truly a treat for the whole family, Animato offers the best Friday and Saturday brunch. Join us for all your favourite dishes including breakfast items, main dishes and live cooking stations and of course tempting desserts from the international buffet. There is no need to worry about the children as they have their own buffet and play room as well as access to the swimming pool – plenty to keep them entertained as you while away the afternoon.
Dubai Airshow November 15th – 19th: Airport Expo. Buckle up, ready your turbines and jet off to experience one of the biggest and fastest moving aerospace events in the Middle East. Expect to see at least 50 exhibitors from 80 countries all over the world. For more information, visit www.dubaiairshow.aero
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
Traditional Elegance. Noblesse Oblige takes the abaya to the runway with high-quality materials and haute-couture construction.
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
By Jessica Davey-Quantick
Photography Jorell Legaspi
QH dives into the regal and mysterious world of abayas, and helps Noblesse Oblige celebrate the launch of their line at Harrods in London. If Audrey Hepburn wore an abaya, it’d probably have looked a lot like those designed by Qatari fashion house, Noblesse Oblige. “We’re trying to take the abaya seriously,” said the owner and designer. Inspired by design traditions from the Mayans to Japanese Origami and meticulously constructed, right down to applying couture techniques and creating the pieces from single pieces of fabric, these are more than just abayas.
“That in itself is a big step for Qatar. It’s something to be proud of. It’s hanging in Harrods and it’s written ‘made in Qatar’,” she said. Her designs, which include everything from glittering layers of lace with architectural surprises tucked away inside sleeves to leather roses and python obi-style belts, are being coveted by everyone – Arab and expat alike.
“A lot of Western women say ‘I want to attend a business meeting wearing an abaya’. Because when you think about it, (a western woman’s suit) is derived from “It is a prerequisite for our culture, for the Gulf woman’s identity,” she said. “Although a male’s business suit. This is actually a female identity – it’s always belonged to it’s been modernized, it’s been around for centuries and it’s not going anywhere.” females,” she said. “It’s not just about respecting the culture. It’s about sampling the femininity, the grandeur of the abaya. It But her designs are. In their first year of gives you grandeur and poise. You have an existence, Noblesse Oblige has made it elegant gait, a confident walk, when you all the way to Harrods in London, the first wear it; all of a sudden you’re transformed. abaya line to do that. 43 NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 43
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
It’s like wearing heels. It gives you the length, it gives you the elegance, the femininity, a bit of a regal look as well.” As she walks around her shop, showing off piece after piece: this one with embroidered flowers that look almost real, that one with a fur collar that echoes Russian Tsarist gowns, and even one inspired by the film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, one thing shines through: these are not your grandmother’s abayas. She says while other traditional garments are receding into the background, replaced by globalized blue jeans and western style lines, younger women are still putting on the abaya because it keeps changing. And even though the spirit of the abaya seems intricately tied up with traditions, she says there’s definitely room for evolution.
“It’s like wearable art. You can see some dresses here that would look fantastic everywhere” “I cannot say the abaya is a religious garment. It is not an Islamic garment. Islamic garments mean to cover your arms, your hair, and your legs. It didn’t say it had to be black, it didn’t say it had to be an abaya. That’s cultural,” she said. “It maintains, within certain guidelines. It has to maintain being predominantly black, but we can embellish it, and take its cut and quality more seriously. It evolves yet retains its identity.” That’s something she says she hopes having her line being sold around the world will help get across. “Because they don’t see nice abayas, (many westerners) think oppression, think
subjugation of women (when they think of abayas). On the contrary – we’re celebrating our femininity and our individuality and style,” she said. “It does compliment women. It gives the woman some mystery. Actually the abaya makes covering up in, as opposed to taking it all off. Femininity doesn’t just have to mean taking it off.”
“It’s like wearable art,” she says, flipping to photographs of her Voyage line, a line of garments inspired by the idea of the abaya, but which look more like a stunning little black dress or draped piece of high fashion. “We want to make sure we cater to everyone in an international way,” she said. “We want to keep it very fashionable in a way where you don’t feel you stand out. You can see some dresses here that would look fantastic everywhere. You don’t feel this is Arabic, it looks gorgeous as it is.” And it’s working. She takes orders from all over the world, and has started designing a new line of high fashion western-style gowns, even getting requests from celebrities (although she won’t name who until the dress hits the red carpet).
Flipping through her catalogue and thumbing through the racks and racks of silk, lace, and organza in her shop, you see the elegance of the lines, echoing many famous fashion designers who made their She’s also filling a niche she thought hadn’t names flattering women’s figures. Chanel. been explored before. Gianfranco Ferre. People who drew on inspiration and women’s actual figures to create clothes that were closer to the Mono “Not all women wear abayas. Many women who wear hijab have to go to several shops, Lisa than the Gap.
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and they have to mix and match. They are sometimes frumpy, with a layered-on look, with a long sleeve then a shorter sleeve on top of it. What we’ve done, we’ve actually created a special line, especially for the hijab,” she said. Her designs allow for modesty, but with flair, and a fashionable elegance even nonMuslims embrace. But her main line is still her abayas. And there, she’s trying to tap into a market that knows what it likes, but has been so far hiding it under more traditional garments. always been enamored by fashion. I “The abaya makes “I’ve was raised in a household with a family is surrounded by couture. I’ve always covering up in, as that had that artistic streak so I’ve just applied opposed to taking it where it should be applied, to what wearing. It was a niche market that it all off. Femininity we’re was screaming to be taken seriously,” she “The Gulf women are really trendy, doesn’t just have to said. they follow fashion, and they invest heavily, mean taking it off.” but then it’s covered. But with Noblesse
Oblige, we’ve taken the latest trends and techniques and the quality, and we’ve pulled it onto the outside of the abaya.” Wearing one of her pieces, you are instantly transported back to the days of sparkling party dresses, twirling around so your skirt flies up around you. And that’s what she says keeps her going- the desire to help women, no matter their culture, size, or age, hold onto that beautiful princess feeling we all had when we were four. “I think it’s being beautifully worn by the beautiful women – our customers, the locals, even the expats, who have bought them. They are the ones that make it look beautiful.” Noblesse Oblige is located in the Royal Plaza, and online at www.noblesseoblige.us.
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
the Photography Jorell Legaspi Styling Chantal Mossess
Production Manager Nathy Fonseca Photography Assistant Ahmad Oustwan Styling Assistant Katrina Cuneta-Quirolgico Make-Up Debbie Mendez @ MAC Hair Salah Ali & Jad Hanna @ Mohamad Al Sagheer Salon Cast Lisa Smith, Sarah Jenkins, Pauline Keddilty, Helen Swan, Samantha McGill & Elaine Potter Shot on location at Shehrazad, Ramada Plaza Special thanks to Doha Players
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
On Cinderella: Beige tulle blouse with ruffles, Costume National. Skirt, Blugirl Blumarine. Halter top dress with denim detail, Woodstock. Shoes, Etro. Scarf, Marc Bouwer Glamit. Ring, Guess by Marciano. All available at Salam
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
On Dotty (left): Dress, See by ChloĂŠ. Cardigan with faux fur trimming, Catherine Malandrino. Handbag, Moschino. Ring, Jean Claude. All available at Salam
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On Potty (right): Shirt, Class Roberto Cavalli. Jacket, Blugirl Blumarine. Handbag, Givenchy.Watch, Ambrosia. Ring, Jean Claude. All available at Salam
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
On Dandini (left): Trench coat with pleated detail, Class Roberto Cavalli. Scarf, Fendi. Boots, Just Cavalli. All available at Salam On Prince Charming (right): Ruffled shirt, Cardigan and Trousers Class Roberto Cavalli. Shoes, Moschino. All available at Salam
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
On Fairy Godmother: Silk evening gown, Nicole Bakti. Cardigan with sequins, Galliano. Necklace worn as hairpiece, Abla Design. Necklace on wand, Guess by Marciano. Scarf, Fendi. Ring and Bracelet, Guess by Marciano. All available at Salam
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
On Prince Charming (left): Bejewelled military jacket, Alice + Olivia. Ruffled shirt, Roberto Cavalli. Bejewelled watch, Ambrosia. All available at Salam On Cinderella (right): Halter top evening gown with ruffled neckline, Marc Bouwer Glamit. Scarf, Marc Rozier. Necklace, Bangles and Ring, Guess by Marciano. All available at Salam
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
On Dandini (left): Trench coat, Marithé + François Girbaud. Shirt, GF Ferre. Trousers, Alice + Olivia. Necklace and Earrings, Abla Design. Boots, Marc Jacobs. All available at Salam On Fairy Godmother (centre): Silver cardigan, Alice + Olivia. Purple cardigan, Catherine Malandrino. Skirt, GF Ferre. Bangle, Guess by Marciano. Shoes, Sebastian. All available at Salam On Cinderella (right): Silk evening gown with crystal neckline, Marc Bouwer Glamit. Necklace worn as earring, Jean Claude. Shoes, Alessandro Dell’Acqua. All available at Salam
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QH SENSATIONS LOOK
The
End On Prince Charming (left): Bejewelled Jacket, VDP. Trousers, Alice + Olivia. Shoes, Gianfranco Ferre. All available at Salam On Potty (centre): Evening gown, Catherine Malandrino. Wool vest jacket, Just Cavalli. Bangle, Abla Design. Shoes,Moschino. All available at Salam On Dotty (right): Dress, See by ChloĂŠ. Vest Jacket, Class Roberto Cavalli. Belt, Class Roberto Cavalli. Shoes, Love Moschino. All available at Salam
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QH SENSATIONS TOUCH
Photography Jorell Legaspi
Sparkles! These pieces of fantasy footwear will make you skip a step! (from top to bottom): Black velvet pump with crystaled heel, Magrit. Gold patent pump, Moschino. Black Stilleto with gold studs, Sebastian. Pink satin with crystals, Magrit. All available at Salam
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
Life with a Diabetic By Moona Masri-Whitice, MBA
The circumstances of my daughter’s diagnosis were dramatic and terrifying. With sugars above 1000, she began a fight for her life in the confines of an ambulance speeding towards the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit.
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y husband and I spent the first few hours crying in disbelief and shock, as our beautiful 11-year-old lay scared and confused in a hospital bed in Florida. Celebrating Life. Only 37 days after being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, Yasmeen Whitice, her mom Moona, and the rest of her family took a trip to New York to celebrate life, health and family.
From that first day, our world was overwhelmed by carbohydrate counting, insulin mixing instructions, insulin value
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
calculations and blood glucose tests, every time she had to eat. Within days, and after practicing on oranges, the nurse asked me to give my daughter her dinner insulin shot. With shaking hands, I prepared the syringe and took a deep breath only to fall apart into a fit of sobs, unable to do it. After that incident, she managed without me, saying, “don’t worry Mommy, I can do it.”
her sugar five times a day. We made it a point to always have emergency “kits” with snacks, glucose tabs, cake icing, and extra blood testing strips everywhere; car, school, grandma’s house, aunts and friends. Her lunchbox at school always included a carbohydrate count, so she would not forget how much insulin to inject herself with.
1,030 days. 5,150 finger pricks. 1,460 insulin shots She grew older later, I have almost overnight, stopped crying. with so much Yasmeen is responsibility being presently using the placed on her little latest insulin pump, shoulders. a computerized delivery system that frees her from Like many mothers of newly diagnosed the regimen of scheduled meals and diabetic kids, I was devastated and angry. injections. We have refocused the energy we spent worrying and crying to promoting Type 1 diabetes had stolen my daughter’s childhood. If she didn’t take care of awareness about diabetes. Last year, herself the excess sugar in her system we helped raise QR 25,000 for Diabetes could eventually become toxic and cause awareness. This year we hope to raise complications like blindness, kidney disease, QR 60,000 more. nerve damage, heart problems and even death. Her vision was already damaged. Upon arriving to Qatar, we found invaluable assistance and support from the dedicated The months that followed, my husband and I staff at the Qatar Diabetes Association. At walked a fine line between over-protecting the end of the day, all we are waiting for is the news that they have found a cure! her and letting her go. We obsessed over the smallest things and made her check
Doha Diabetes Resources Diet Shop
Located on Salwa Road, they offer calorie and fat conscious dining and takeawaygood for diabetics and non-diabetics alike! For more information, call 436-8820.
Diet Café
Offering healthy catering for companies, schools and individuals; they help diabetics stay on target! For more information, call 436-1721.
Diabetes Emergency Hotline
Call 437-6704 or 527-4919 (Dr. Adam) from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Qatar Diabetes Association
With loads of information on the disease and treatment options, this is a great place to start if you’re new to the region or new to diabetes. Call Awatif Hussein El Sayed, Public Relations Officer at 437-6157 or visit www.qda.org.qa for more information. 57
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
Having your cake and eating it too
Y
asmeen Whitice would love to be able to have a corner piece of cake.
“I’m not allowed to have that much icing, and I used to love icing as a kid, because it’s the best part of the cake. I used to love the corners,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll actually forget, and sometimes I wish I wasn’t diabetic.”
She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on December 14th, 2006. She described it as the “scariest day of her life”. Other than her insulin pump, located on her stomach, she’s a normal teenager. When she arrived at the QH’s office, she was more concerned about an eight grade English test she had the next day than her her sugar levels. She attends the American School of Doha, where the faculty and her friends are very supportive of her. She enjoys horseback riding, playing soccer, watching movies with friends, and loves chocolate. Since moving to Qatar, she’s switched to the latest diabetes pump, inspired by
Teen Idol, Nick Jonas, who also has type 1 diabetes. But even though you can’t tell by looking at her, diabetes, still affects every aspect of her life. She’s not even 14 yet, but she’s already a seasoned pro at counting the carb, sugar, and fat content in her food. She has to prick her finger four or five times day and change her pod site every three days. Her new pump has made things easier though. It automatically injects her with insulin, more during the day and less at night. The pump is managed through a special meter that has an electronic dictionary with information about almost any food imaginable. “So if I go to Starbucks I’ll click say hot chocolate and it will tell me how much insulin to give myself. So it’s pretty easy,” she said. “No one knows I am giving myself insulin.” For her, that’s a big deal- it allows her more privacy and independence than ever before. She says she was tired of needles. Now, she knows she can live a better life.
“Sometimes I’ll actually forget, sometimes I wish I wasn’t diabetic.”
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SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTS
By Jay Panganiban
The Global Championship Tournament returns to Doha this month. QH scours the ring to find out how a horse can fly.
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ho would’ve thought that elegance and style could have four hooves and a tail? The Global Championship Tournament, an event that tests the quality of show jumping, shows off how classical elegance can be immensely athletic. Equestrian, or Show Jumping, has been on the road to Doha for almost a hundred years. The first variation of the sport was introduced in the Olympics back in 1912, and was only meant for military riders in its first 40 years. Now, it’s open to everyone, clad in chaps and suits, who have the knack for jumping over a series of obstacles on a horse without showing the least bit of difficulty, and exuding elegance, style and skill. This year, Doha takes center stage as it hosts this esteemed affair. The sport itself is put in a cherished place above all other sports in Qatar for its role in the values, culture and history of the region. Some of the most magnificent horses in the
world come from this region, with Arabian Stallions having a long history of being prized over all others. With everything in place, eyes are now on the upcoming GCT taking place from the 11th of November till the 14th at the worldclass Qatar Equestrian Federation Outdoor Arena in Al Rayan. A total of € 1.4 million in prize money is to be given away over the course of the event. 25 athletes from 18 countries, such as Olympic individual gold medalist Eric Lamza, World Champion Jos Lansink, leading Australian rider Edwina Alexander, as well as Qatar’s very own Ali Youssef al Rumahi, Sheik Ali Bin Khalid al Thani, are going to partake in the a prestigious game. Now before you go off like Big Ben, furnish yourself with the knowledge that it’s going to start daily at 6:00 p.m. and entrance is free of charge. Visit www.globalchampionship.com for more information, or check out www.qatarhappening.com for updated information as it is released.
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SPORTS
HOTLIST Brazil/ England Football Match Sat 14th: Khalifa Stadium.
Watch the battle of the football greats as Brazil and England face off! The match starts at 8:00 p.m., but entertainment for fans, including special activities for kids, starts at 3:00 p.m. Tickets range from QR 50 to QR 700. Tickets are available at Villagio, Landmark, The Mall, Souq Waqif, and City Centre, as well as online at www.qfa. com.qa or check out www. qatarhappening.com for updated information as it’s released.
Long Course Autumn Cup Fri 20th – Sat 21st: Al Sadd Sports Club. See over 15 local, regional and
international swim clubs participate in a high calibre swim event. This event is going to provide opportunities for swimmers in Qatar to compete against some of the strongest clubs from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Scotland, England, Wales, Russia and United State. From 9:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. For more information, email info@h2oswimclub.com or visit www.h2oswimclub
2009 ABRA Unlimited Hydroplane World Championship Thurs 19th – Sat 21st: Doha Bay. Get to witness the final leg of one great world-
class event. All throughout the event, heat races are going to be composed of four sections brimming with high-speed action and excitement. For more information, visit www.qmsf.org
Doha Paintball 2009 FIVB Club Tournament World Championship Sat 28th - Sun 29th: Paintball
Centre. The second regional paintball Tues 3rd – Sun 8th: Al Arabi Sports Club. 8 international tournament is up and coming, inviting teams are set to compete and vie for the top position in a fierce setting of a volleyball arena. A total of 16 games can be witnessed from this adrenaline-pumping competition. For more information, visit www.olympic.qa or call 455-4935.
people to enter as 5-man teams. Interested to splat competitors with paint? Now’s your chance! For more information, call 656-6219 or visit www.qatarpaintball.com
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KIDS CLUB
By Fi Murray
Instead of following the yellow brick road, just follow the cheeky monkey’s paw prints to get to Doha’s newest children’s play place. Although, calling Gympanzee a ‘play place’ hardly does it justice. The cheerfully coloured activity centre with its climbing wall, art tables and great running around space is the baby of Qatari graphic designer and busy mum of three Iman Al Kuwari, who moved back to Doha two years ago after a globetrotting life. “My boys monkey around, they call themselves monkeys and we love Curious George,” said Iman, who designed the logo and all the artwork herself. One of their most innovative activities draws on her love of art and design. KidzArt is a US franchise which impressed Iman so much she decided to offer it at Gympanzee. The weekly classes are carefully structured, but vary enormously in their themes and in the techniques and materials used. “You could come every day for 400 days and each class would be different!” she said. At the ‘Squiggles to Grins’ sessions for the youngest budding artists (around 18 months to three years old), mums join in, too. They meet Mr Squiggles the puppet
and every session includes play time, discussions on the special theme and of course drawing, painting, sticking and generally getting nicely messy and creative. If you’ve ever had a child in floods of tears and scrunching up their paper because ‘it’s all gone wrong!” then one aspect of KidzArt is particularly appealing: the children draw with a big marker pen – so mistakes can’t be rubbed out. “We’re showing that it’s okay to make mistakes; you don’t have to be perfect. The teacher will show her mistakes,” said Iman, explaining that you show how to make your wobbly line or smudge part of the drawing. KidzArt classes run at Gympanzee for toddlers, six to eight-year-olds and nine to ten-year-olds. Iman has also taken it out to several schools, including the American School and Qatar Academy, as an afterschool activity. “It’s an amazing program – it builds self confidence and anyone from babies of 18 months to adults can do it; it’s never too late to learn to draw,” said Iman. For more information, call 566-4402 or check out www.gympanzee.net.
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A taste of simple elegance for working adults & families who want fast, convenient, affordable Oriental food Delicious and freshly cooked – made to order
GROUP 10 The #1 Oriental Quick Service Restaurant Chain in the Philippines is now arriving to Doha
GRAND OPENING
Wednesday, November 18th, 7:30 p.m. The spice of life in every bite! Conveniently located in Commercial Centre Building, Salwa Rd., near Ramada signal
An Ahmed Hassan Bilal Enterprise Tel. No. 442-8877 / 599-9036 P.O. Box 7848, Doha, Qatar 65 NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 65
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IT HAPPENED
AIR SUPPLY CONCER
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They came, we saw, we swooned: Air Supply brought their smooth sounds to Education City last month. Funds raised from the concert going to support Reach Out To Asia. 66 NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 66
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IT HAPPENED
The Ladies of Harley kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness month in October with a ride along the Corniche. Hundreds turned out, bedecked in pink, to watch them roar by, and show their support for the search for a cure.
LADIES OF HARLEY DRIVE FOR BREAST CANCER
INTERCON OKTOBERFEST Hundreds of people pulled on their lederhosen and polished up their German for the annual Oktoberfest celebration at the InterContinental Hotel! With traditional German food and beverages, as well as a live band, it was sehr gut!
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IT HAPPENED
INFDEX 2009 Forum Design, an associate of Ahmed Hassan Bilal Group of Companies, unveiled its latest surprises for luxury home and business outfitting at INFDEX 2009, held at the Doha Exhibition Centre. INFDEX 2009 displayed the latest in interior design and entries for the Young Designers Competition. For more information on Forum Design, call 456-8716, email debi.sauls@ahbqatar.com or visit www.ahbqatar.com
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IT HAPPENED
NIC QATAR PHILHARMO MIERE E R P N O S A E S A R T S ORCHE
The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra opened their season with a program that included pieces such as Nader Abbassi’s The Nile Bride, Frédéric Chopin’s Concerto No. 2 in F minor for Piano and Orchestra, op.21 and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, op.64
MIDDLE EAST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2009
QH checked out the Middle East International Film Fest in Abu Dhabi this month. With a star-studded red carpet, and even more magic onscreen, it raises the cinematic bar. 69 NOV 09 STRIKE 4.indd 69
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CITY GUIDE
VILLAGGIO Tel 413-5318 63 MAYSALOUN ST, WEST BAY Tel 448-5555
CITY CENTER DOHA Tel 483-9763
MOHAMED AL SAGHEER SALON SHARQ VILLAGE & SPA Tel 425-6164
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FOUR SEASONS HOTEL DOHA, C-Ring Road Tel 494-8888
Asia Live!
Wok Mee
DOHA MARRIOTT, Ras Abu Aboud Street Tel 429-8499 DineMarriottDoha@marriott.com
MÖVENPICK TOWERS AND SUITES West Bay Area Tel 496-6666
Grand Gourmet
PIER 12
GRAND REGENCY HOTEL, Al Sadd District Jawaan Street Tel 434-3333
RAMADA PLAZA C–Ring Tel 428-1555
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL The Corniche, West Bay Area Tel 494-8631
GRAND HYATT DOHA West Bay Lagoon Tel 448-1270 71
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COLOUR SCOPE
Add possibilities to your life by adding a touch of magic to your home or wardrobe. After all, purple is the culmination of colours at the end of the rainbow. By Moona Masri-Whitice, MBA Dewey Color Instructor and Consultant
n boost your ca at th r lou co l ua irit sp e th is le rp Pu you to see new imagination and creativity allowing plish your goals. and easier ways to accom
Nature of Purple.
Purple is a mysterious colour, associated with both nobility and spirituality. In antiquity, only nobility could afford to use Tyrian purple dye as it was not only rare, but extremely expensive to produce.
The colour is created by a mixture of two opposites making it so much more mystical and exciting, as well as the perfect colour. Warm red and cool blue unite to create this intriguing colour, giving purple both warm and cool properties. Purple has a special, almost sacred place in nature because it is so rare. Lavender, orchid, lilac, and violet coloured flowers are seen as inspirational and violet gemstones are associated with spirituality and purification.
Wearing Purple.
Wear purple when you want to make a bold statement. Pair it with blue or a dark neutral like charcoal. A purple blouse under a dark suit not only looks great, but others see you as a knowledgeable person. Need to show off a little pizzazz? Combine a purple sweater or blouse with a bright green scarf – this radiates personality. Purple denotes luxury, wealth and sophistication.
Using Purple. Purple shades strengthen
the spirit and allow people to see possibilities; a purple room can boost imagination or an artist’s creativity. However, too much purple, like blue, could result in moodiness. In fact, Feng-Shui experts, often advise that dark purple should never be used in large quantities on walls, only as an accent color in small doses with accessories in the room. Either way, purple is everywhere since last year and for those who love the colour, it is the best time to add it to their homes. Deep purples suggest riches while lighter purples are more romantic and delicate. Combine deep eggplant purple with gold, yellow or brown shades, to create a luxurious feel to your home. Jazz up your backyard with green and purple cushions. After all, purple is green’s colour compliment and together they are a striking combination. Try them in either deep or bright jewel tones. Finally, orange or pink and purple have a feminine appeal that is both youthful and vibrant.
The more you like purple,
the more prone you are to contemplation and self-examination.
The less you like purple,
the more likely you are to deny your capabilities.
The Dewey Color System® is the world’s only validated, color-based, personality testing instrument. It’s the first proven system that scientifically predicts the recognized major psychometric personality factors without language. www.deweycolorsystem.com
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