P6
Community
Doha College
Reception
pupils get
a fantastic treat as
they spend a school
day at the Racing and
Equestrian Club.
P16
Community
The St
Regis Doha
announce the
launch of an exquisite new
menu at one of its most
prominent outlets, Gordon
Ramsay Doha.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Rajab 29, 1438 AH
DOHA
27°C—41°C TODAY
LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 11
PUZZLES 12 & 13
The blues
COVER
STORY
Status of forests remains
dire as the world’s woodlands
continue to disappear on a
dramatic scale. P4-5
2
GULF TIMES Wednesday, April 26, 2017
COMMUNITY
ROUND & ABOUT
Unforgettable
DIRECTION: Denise Di Novi
WRITTEN BY: Christina Hodson
CAST: Katherine Heigl, Rosario
Dawson, Geoff Stults, Isabella Rice,
Cheryl Ladd
SYNOPSIS: Tessa Connover
(Katherine Heigl) is barely coping
with the end of her marriage when her
ex-husband, David, becomes happily
engaged to Julia (Rosario Dawson). Trying
to settle into her new role as a wife and a
stepmother, Julia believes she has finally
met the man of her dreams, the man
who can help her put her own troubled
past behind her. Tessa’s jealousy takes
a pathological turn, and she will stop at
nothing to turn Julia’s dream into the
ultimate nightmare.
PRAYER TIME
Fajr
Shorooq (sunrise)
Zuhr (noon)
Asr (afternoon)
Maghreb (sunset)
Isha (night)
3.41am
5.02am
11.32am
3.01pm
6.04pm
7.34pm
USEFUL NUMBERS
THEATRES: The Mall, Royal Plaza,
Landamrk
Emergency
999
Worldwide Emergency Number
112
Kahramaa – Electricity and Water
991
Local Directory
180
International Calls Enquires
150
Hamad International Airport
40106666
Labor Department
44508111, 44406537
Mowasalat Taxi
44588888
Qatar Airways
44496000
Hamad Medical Corporation
44392222, 44393333
Qatar General Electricity and
Water Corporation
44845555, 44845464
Primary Health Care Corporation
44593333
44593363
Qatar Assistive Technology
Centre
44594050
Qatar News Agency
44450205
44450333
Q-Post – General Postal
Corporation
44464444
Humanitarian Services Office
(Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies)
Ministry of Interior
40253371, 40253372,
40253369
Ministry of Health
40253370, 40253364
Hamad Medical Corporation
40253368, 40253365
Qatar Airways
40253374
ote Unquote
u
Q Our goals can
only be reached through a
vehicle of a plan, in which we must
fervently believe, and upon which we
must vigorously act. There is no other
route to success.
– Pablo Picasso
Community Editor
Kamran Rehmat
e-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 44466405
Fax: 44350474
The Void
DIRECTION: Jeremy
Gillespie, Steven Kostanski
WRITTEN BY: Jeremy
Gillespie, Steven Kostanski
CAST: Aaron Poole,
Kenneth Welsh, Daniel
Fathers, Kathleen Munroe,
Ellen Wong
SYNOPSIS: When
police officer Carter (Aaron
Poole) discovers a bloodsoaked man limping down
a deserted road, he rushes
him to a local hospital with a
barebones, night shift staff.
As cloaked, cult-like figures
surround the building, the
patients and staff inside
start to turn ravenously
insane. Trying to protect
the survivors, Carter leads
them into the depths of the
hospital where they discover
a gateway to immense evil.
THEATRES: The Mall,
Royal Plaza
Mall Cinema (1): 1971:Beyond
Borders (Malayalam) 2:30pm; The
Fate Of The Furious (2D) 5pm; The
Fate Of The Furious (2D) 7:15pm; The
Fate Of The Furious (2D) 9:30pm;
Unforgettable (2D) 11:45pm.
Mall Cinema (2): The Boss Baby
(2D) 2pm; The Boss Baby (2D)
3:45pm; The Boss Baby (2D) 5:30pm;
The Boss Baby (2D) 7:30pm; Ghost In
The Shell (2D) 9:30pm; The Void (2D)
11:30pm.
Mall Cinema (3): Ghost In The
Shell (2D) 3pm; Noor (Hindi) 5pm;
Can’t Help Falling In Love (Tagalog)
7:15pm; Yejaalo Amer (Arabic)
9:30pm; Noor (Hindi) 11:15pm.
Landmark Cinema (1): The Boss
Baby (2D) 2:30pm; The Boss Baby
(2D) 4:30pm; Ghost In The Shell
(2D) 6:30pm; Ghost In The Shell
The Fate Of The Furious (2D) 9pm;
Unforgettable (2D) 11:30pm.
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2):
(2D) 8:30pm; The Great Father
Smurfs: The Lost Village (2D) 3pm;
(Malayalam) 10:30pm.
Noor (Hindi) 4:45pm; Can’t Help
Landmark Cinema (2): Smurfs: The Falling In Love (Tagalog) 7pm; Noor
Lost Village (2D) 2:30pm; The Fate Of (Hindi) 9:15pm; Ghost In The Shell
The Furious (2D) 4:30pm; Can’t Help (2D) 11:30pm.
Falling In Love (Tagalog) 7pm; The
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3):
Void (2D) 9:15pm; The Fate Of The
Mine (2D) 2:30pm; The Boss Baby
Furious (2D) 11:15pm.
(2D) 4:30pm; 1971:Beyond Borders
Landmark Cinema (3): Mine (2D)
(Malayalam) 6:30pm; The Void (2D)
2:15pm; Oru Mexican Aparatha
9pm; The Fate Of The Furious (2D)
(Malayalam) 4:30pm; Yejaalo Amer
11pm.
(Arabic) 7pm; The Fate Of The
Asian Town Cinema: The Great
Furious (2D) 9pm; Unforgettable (2D) Father (Malayalam) 4:30 & 7:30;
11:30pm.
1971-Beyond Borders (Malayalam)
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1):
7 & 10pm; Oru Mexican Aparatha
The Boss Baby (2D) 2:15pm; Oru
(Malayalam) 7:30, 9:30 & 10:30pm;
Mexican Aparatha (Malayalam)
Baahubali: The Beginning
4:30pm; Yejaalo Amer (Arabic) 7pm; (Malayalam) 10:30pm.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
EVENTS
Hamad Aquatic
WHEN: Until April 30
WHERE: Aspire Zone Sports City
Free swimming membership for your kid
when you join Hamad Aquatic Center today!
Call on 44138484 or e-mail: hacreception@
mtmqatar.com Location: Aspire Zone Sports
City.
Ophthalmology Congress
WHEN: Tomorrow, April 29TIME: 5pm
The 2nd Annual Mena Ophthalmology
congress in Doha brings together regional
leaders and medical professionals in the field
of ophthalmology for a remarkable learning
and networking experience.
QNHG Talk
done directly at the venue, at the VIP Car
Park of the Losail International Circuit.
The minimum age is 15 years old and any
participant under the age of 18 needs
permission signed by a legal guardian for the
karting activity.
Art 29 Emergeast’s ‘Currents’
Exhibition
WHEN: Until May 20
WHERE: W Doha Hotel & Residences,
Qatar
TIME: 9am – 7pm
Who run the world? Girls! Check out the
all-female artist exhibition, ‘Currents’ by
Emergeast, which makes its debut in Doha
for the very first time. The collection will
highlight the flow of a cross-cultural dialogue
with concrete parallels.
QPW SuperSlam Wrestling
WHEN: April 28
WHERE: Ali bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena
TIME: 6pm
It’s time to watch some crazy stunts and
slams at the Qatar Pro Wrestling SuperSlam
event this weekend. QPW is back to host yet
another exciting and larger-than-ever scale
of wrestling event – the SuperSlam. The
current event will feature 25 international
Superstar wrestlers, also featuring, for the
first time, the Qatari Superstar “Ali alNaimi”!
Karting at Losail Circuit Sports Club
WHEN: Tomorrow-June 16
WHERE: Losail International Circuit,
DohaTIME: 5pm onwards
The Karting track at Losail International
Circuit is open for public. Also it can be
opened for private companies (upon request
and availability). The registrations will be
3
COMMUNITY
ROUND & ABOUT
Weather and Climate of Qatar
Speaker : Richard Angwin
Broadcast meteorologist with Al Jazeera
English TV
Date: Wednesday, May 3
Time: 7pm
Refreshments from 6.30pm. Q and A
afterwards
Where : Doha English Speaking School,
Madinat Khalifa South,
Synopsis: As this last winter has shown,
there is a surprising variety of weather
in Qatar. This talk will explain why our
weather is usually hot and sunny, and why,
sometimes, it is not!
Short biography of the speaker
Richard began his career with the UK Met
Office in 1979. He became
a weather forecaster in
1990 and spent almost a
decade providing weather
services for a range of
clients before working
with the BBC as a weather
presenter in Bristol. He
joined Al Jazeera in 2011
and provides weather forecasts for a global
TV audience.
GULF TIMES
Fly with the wind this April
WHEN: Until April 29WHERE: Aspire
Park
TIME: 12 to 7pmOver 50 kite flyers from
13 countries will gather in Aspire Park to
compete in Aspire’s first International
Kite Festival, organised by Aspire Zone
Foundation. Teams from Australia, Canada,
Colombia, France, Indonesia, Italy, Kuwait,
Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, US
and Vietnam will travel to Qatar for this
momentous occasion. The event is free to
attend and all are welcome to watch the
competitions and take part in unique family
activities and workshops.
Childhood Cultural Center
WHEN: May 31WHERE: Childhood
Cultural Center
TIME: 9am–11amChildhood Cultural
Center participation in ‘Schools enrich
our Culture’ programme includes a variety
of educational and artistic workshops. In
addition to personal development skills
with a focus on “problem solving skills”,
“rectifying inappropriate discipline”,
“planning principles” and “voluntary work”,
it targets all school academic levels within an
interactive entertaining framework.
Whose Line is it Anyway? Live in Qatar
WHEN: May 13WHERE: Grand Hyatt
Doha
Popular improve comedy show Whose
Line is it Anyway? hits the live stage in Qatar.
Andy Smart, Ian Coppinger, Stephen Frost
and Steve Steen are set to crack open a can of
laughter as they interact with the crowd and
improvise their way through the night. The
show garnered popularity worldwide and had
a largely successful version of the show in the
United States. Tickets for the show are priced
at just QR150 and are available for purchase
online.
Community Education Programme
WHEN: Until May 25
WHERE: VCUQatar
TIME: 8am-5pm
Learn new skills and deepen your
understanding of arts and culture at
VCUQatar. Choose from a wide selection of
art, design and craft courses you can take
from VCUQatar in Education City or from
IAID (Academy for Dance, Music & Arts).
Visit VCUQatar for registration, Sunday to
Thursday, 9am – 12pm and 1pm to 3.45pm.
You may also register online. Seats can only
be reserved with full payment. Community
classes are also offered at from Georgetown
University, Education City.
Qatar Running Series
WHEN: May 12WHERE: Oxygen
ParkTIME: 7am
The events will take place in Oxygen Park,
Education City and comprises distances
ranging from 3K to Full Marathon. All
events will be run on accurately measured
short courses with multiple laps and will be
restricted to a maximum of 120 participants.
Short Documentary Lab
WHEN: Until May 24
TIME: 2–7pm
Making a documentary is much more than
simply filming what surrounds us. It can be a
way of understanding the world, a tool to make
it a better place, an art form where you can find
your own voice. This intensive lab is designed
to introduce young people to the world of
documentary filmmaking. Through watching
and discussing, they discover the possibilities
of the genre.
Leadership Table conference
WHEN: April 28-29
WHERE: International School of London
The International School of London,
Qatar will host the first-ever Open Apply
Admissions Conference in the Middle East.
Managing admissions, enrolment becomes
more vital each year for school administrators
as the need for schools worldwide continues
to grow and competition increases. The twoday conference is open to all professionals
aligned to the admissions and leadership
of international schools. The experienced
speakers will add a wealth of knowledge to
aspects of the theme “Admissions at the
Leadership Table” and address key questions
such as ‘How can admissions help steer the
direction of the school?’
Festive time
WHEN: Ongoing
WHERE: Doha Festival City
The entertainment offering has been
designed to ensure there are numerous
opportunities for physical activities, from the
running track which features exercise stations,
the bike trail, through to our ‘first-of-its-kind’
in Qatar, Snow Dunes theme park. DFC is
excited to welcome first visitors in April and
to celebrate the best leisure facilities, retail
mix and dining options, all with exceptional
service.
Aqua Park 2017 season
WHEN: Until August
WHERE: Aqua Park
The Aqua Park 2017 season is finally here
and is happening with a big bang and splash.
Imperial Threads: Motifs and Artisans
WHERE: Museum of Islamic Art
WHEN: Until November 4
This exhibition focuses on the exchange
of artistic and material cultures between
the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires.
Highlighting MIA’s masterpiece carpets,
among other artworks, from Turkey, Iran and
India, these objects will be contextualised
within the historical circumstances of
politics and artistic production of their time,
primarily from the 16th to the 18th centuries.
Picasso-Giacometti
WHEN: Until May 21
WHERE: Fire Station Artist In Residence
This exhibition brings together more
than 120 works by Picasso and Giacometti,
drawn from the collections of the Musée
national Picasso-Paris and the Fondation
Giacometti in Paris, as well as exceptional
loans from French and other international
collections, covering paintings, sculptures,
sketches, photographs and interviews with
the artists. The exhibition reflects two years
of research undertaken by the Fondation
Giacometti and the Musée national PicassoParis, which reveals for the first time the
previously unknown relationship between
these two artists, who, despite an age gap
of 20 years, shared many moments, both
personal and professional. It has been
organised in six sections, evoking different
aspects of each artist’s production, including
the development of their work as young
artists through to their modernist creations,
showing the correspondences between
their works, the influence of the surrealist
movement, and the return to realism during
the post-war period. The exhibition will be
accompanied by a series of lectures and an
extensive education programme, as well as a
self-guided handbook for the visitors.
Reggae Beachfest Doha
WHEN: Thursdays and Fridays
WHERE: Oyster Beach Bar at St Regis
Hotel
TIME: 8pm onwards
In collaboration with Reggae Beachfest
in Dubai, Qatar will witness the best nights
around. The organisers say, “We’ve got the
setup sorted to get you feeling the Caribbean
vibe. Along with our resident band Earthkry
all the way from Jamaica, we have so many
big names in the Reggae scene lined up at
this huge beachfest!” Entrance fee is QR50
at the door. For more information, please call
44460105.
Senorita- Ladies Night
WHERE: The Club at St Regis
WHEN: Tuesdays
TIME: 7pm
The Club at St Regis promises the ‘finest
week-night in town with Cuban and Latin
rhythms’. The event starts at 7pm. The
dress code is “strictly fabulous-Latin vibe”
and there are no entrance fees. For more
information, please call 4446-0105.
FOODIE CHOICE
RESTAURANT: The Souq
LOCATION: ST Regis, Doha
Embrace the spirit of Ramadan at The
St Regis very own Souq. Savour traditional
Arabic dishes and an array of scrumptious,
contemporary international dishes. End
your journey with the most sumptuous and
delicious selection of desserts in the city and
tasteful shisha. The Souq will feature a kids
club making it the perfect tent for your little
ones. Iftar QR230 per person, Suhoor QR290
per person. For any enquiries or individual
reservations please call 4446,0000
Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change
4
GULF TIMES Wednesday, April 26, 2017
COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
The one way ticket to
survival: Think green!
Since 1990 the world has lost the equivalent of 1,000 football fields
of forests every hour — or 1.3 million square kilometres of forest —
an area larger than South Africa, writes Ann M Simmons
T
hey cover a third of
the world’s landmass,
help to regulate the
atmosphere, and offer
shelter, sustenance and
survival to millions of people,
plants and animals.
But despite some progress, the
planet’s woodlands continue to
disappear on a dramatic scale.
Since 1990 the world has lost the
equivalent of 1,000 football fields
of forests every hour, according
to World Bank development
indicators from last year. That’s 1.3
million square kilometers of forest,
an area larger than South Africa,
according to the international
financial institution.
“The situation is dire. Forests are being eliminated at
a very rapid rate and collectively we need to address
this problem as quickly as possible. There’s still time
to do this, but that time is quickly running out”
— Orion Cruz, Deputy Director of Forest and Climate
Policy for Earth Day Network
With the observance of
Earth Day last Saturday,
conservationists sought to drive
home the message that protection
of forests is more critical than
ever.
“The situation is dire,” said
Orion Cruz, Deputy Director
of Forest and Climate Policy
for Earth Day Network, an
organisation that grew out of the
first Earth Day in 1970. “Forests
are being eliminated at a very
rapid rate and collectively we need
to address this problem as quickly
as possible. There’s still time to
do this, but that time is quickly
running out.”
Tropical regions are seeing the
fastest loss of forests.
Indonesia, with its thriving
paper and palm oil industries,
is losing more forest than any
other country. Despite a forest
development moratorium, the
Southeast Asian nation has lost
at least 39 million acres since the
last century, according to research
from the University of Maryland
and the World Resources
Institute.
Brazil, Thailand, Congo and
parts of Eastern Europe also
have significant deforestation,
according to United Nations data.
Brazil managed to reduce
deforestation in the Amazon
by at least 70 percent between
2004 and 2014 and was widely
considered a success story in
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
GULF TIMES
5
COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
“The science is
really clear that we
are on a dangerous
path and if the
world temperature
increased by more
than 1.5 or 2 percent
it would make life
extraordinarily
difficult for billions
of people around the
planet, particularly
those who live along
the coast. Forests give
us the most efficient
way we know for
mitigating that”
— M Sanjayan,
Executive VP and
senior scientist
at Conservation
International
forest conservation, according to
the World Resources Institute’s
Global Forest Watch initiative.
But last year, a report by
Brazil’s National Institute for
Space Research, which monitors
deforestation, found that between
July 2015 and August 2016 about
2 million acres of rain forest was
depleted. Experts attributed
the destruction to the Brazilian
government’s relaxation of
environmental laws, among other
reasons.
“Many people around the world
are concerned about whether
Brazil is going to remain dedicated
to protecting its forests,” said
Cruz. “I think what we’re seeing
now is a backsliding.”
Meanwhile, forest loss is
accelerating in other regions.
The greatest loss between
1990 and 2015 occurred in South
America, the Caribbean and subSaharan Africa, according to the
World Bank. A significant uptick
in tree loss has been recorded
in countries such as Bolivia,
Paraguay and Argentina, where
the depletion is offsetting any
gains, according to Global Forest
Watch.
The organisation pointed to
Paraguay as “a notable hot spot”
because of expanding cattle
ranching and soybean farming.
Meanwhile, of the 10 countries
with the fastest acceleration of
tree cover loss, almost half can be
found in West Africa, according
to Global Forest Watch data,
which cited expansion of palm
oil development as a cause of the
accelerated clearing of forests.
Human needs are killing
forests
Aside from the increased
demand for food, energy
Outright forest clearance could
result in the loss of species, while
degradation — where a forest’s
quality is compromised — could
reduce species’ ability to find food
and reproduce and cause potentially
dangerous exposure to humans, said
Amy Smith, a forestry expert with
the World Wildlife Fund.
For example, while tigers,
elephants, rhinos and orangutans
are feeling the effect of
deforestation in Indonesia,
the habitat of Amur tigers is
being destroyed by the logging
industry in Russia’s Far East, and
alluvial gold mining in Peru’s
Amazon region is threatening the
environment that species such as
jaguars and howler monkeys need
to survive, Smith said.
LITTLE TO CELEBRATE: The world marked the Earth Day last Saturday
amid much gloom.
and minerals, the clearing
of forestland for agriculture
“accounts for the lion’s share
of the conversion of forests,”
according to the UN Food and
Agriculture Organisation.
Rod Taylor, global director of
the World Resources Institute’s
Forests Program, underscored the
role of the “death of a thousand
cuts” syndrome, in which
numerous small, bad things
accumulate to cause the demise of
forests. For example, a flourishing
forest is hit by illegal logging,
animals are pushed out, humans
move in and this eventually leads
to degradation.
New infrastructure, including
roads and rail that suddenly make
very remote areas much more
accessible for mining, farming
or settlement, is also “often the
precursor to deforestation,” Taylor
said.
When forests die, humans
and animals feel the pain
According to the Earth Day
Network, among the 1.3 billion
people worldwide who live in
extreme poverty (on less than
$1.25 a day), forests directly
contribute to 90 percent of their
livelihoods.
“People who are most
vulnerable tend to be indigenous
groups and people who live in and
around the forest,” said Taylor.
“Often they have weak land
rights. When land is grabbed or
converted, they … are the people
who bear the brunt of it.”
And neither is wildlife spared.
Climate change and
deforestation go hand in hand
Deforestation and forest
degradation have caused a
surge of greenhouse gases into
the atmosphere, according to
conservationists.
Belize and Bolivia have seen
their carbon emissions skyrocket
in recent years as a result of
increased deforestation, the
World Bank reported.
“Protecting forests can give
you 30 percent of the emissions
reduction and carbon capture
you need in order to keep the
planet from overheating,” said
M. Sanjayan, Executive Vice
President and senior scientist at
Conservation International. “The
most effective way that we could
spend to deal with climate change
would be to spend on protecting on
forests.”
But the international
community is failing to step up,
conservationists said.
“If you look at the $400 billion
that is being spent globally to deal
with emissions, only 2 percent of
that goes towards protecting and
restoring forests,” Sanjayan said.
“The science is really clear that we
are on a dangerous path and if the
world temperature increased by
more than 1.5 or 2 percent it would
make life extraordinarily difficult
for billions of people around the
planet, particularly those who live
along the coast. Forests give us
the most efficient way we know
for mitigating that.”
So what do environmentalists
suggest?
“There really needs to be
a multitiered, multipronged
approach to this, because these
are complex issues,” said Smith of
WWF.
Suggested solutions from
conservationists include:
z Using a system of
certification to hold companies
accountable for better forest
management, and combating
illegal logging.
z Putting pressure on global
corporations to reduce and
eventually eliminate deforestation
from their supply chain.
z Protecting the rights of
indigenous people who live in
forests, because they are often
viewed as being the best stewards
of the land.
If you don’t empower
indigenous and local
communities, financially and
legally, to take care of their home,
then all is lost,” said Sanjayan.
z Promoting soil restoration
and reforestation efforts, while
working with governments and
nongovernmental organisations
to establish protective zones and
employ more balanced land-use
practices. —Los Angeles Times/
TNS
6
GULF TIMES Wednesday, April 26, 2017
COMMUNITY
Ooredoo supports 16th Annual
Sri Lankan Majlis Symposium
O
oredoo has announced it will
continue its support of the
annual Sri Lankan Majlis Qatar
Symposium, which helps brings
together Sri Lankan families in
Qatar to do good.
The event, which will take place tomorrow
(April 27) at the Marriott Doha hotel, will
be fully supported by Ooredoo as Corporate
Sponsors and the company’s Director of
Community & Public Relations, Manar Khalifa
al-Muraikhi will speak at the event.
The Sri Lankan Majlis, which consists of over
200 families, plays a key role in the Sri Lankan
Muslim community and helps support projects
both in Qatar and Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Majlis
activities in Qatar include Iftar programmes
in Ramadan, Islamic lectures for families,
Umrah pilgrimages, family fun and sport days,
special ‘Eid’ day programmes, educational and
recreational activities and more.
Ooredoo’s support for the event aims to
further enhance the unity and integrity of
the communities of Sri Lanka living in Qatar.
Talking about the event, Manar Khalifa
al-Muraikhi, Director Community & Public
Relations, Ooredoo, said: “The annual
symposium offers the Sri Lankan Majlis Qatar
a chance to reflect on their work, look toward
the future and celebrate what they have
achieved in both Qatar and Sri Lanka. Ooredoo
is supporting this event once again because we
admire the commitment and community spirit
of the Sri Lankan Majlis Qatar and we hope the
event is a huge success.”
Ooredoo’s support for the Sri Lankan
Community is in line with its pioneering
Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy, which
aims to provide sponsorship for a range of
grassroots activities for the whole community.
Manar Khalifa al-Muraikhi, Director of Community and Public Relations, Ooredoo Qatar.
Doha College pupils spend a day at Equestrian Club
The young Doha College pupils learnt about horse care and nutrition, watched the horses being exercised in the pool,
and enjoyed the tactile experience of feeling the horses’ warm, smooth coats and velvety muzzles.
D
oha College Reception
pupils got a fantastic
treat recently when
they spent a school
day at the Racing and
Equestrian Club, learning all about
the horses and taking part in pony
rides.
Horse riding helps children
develop a number of skills including
motor skills and balance, the
psychological benefits are equally
as important, during the visit, our
children learnt self-confidence,
patience, focus, non-verbal
communication and were rewarded
with a sense of achievement.
These new skills combined with
the beautiful scenery and the open
spaces while riding, made for a
must-have experience.
The young Doha College pupils
learnt about horse care and
nutrition, watched the horses being
exercised in the pool, and enjoyed
the tactile experience of feeling the
horses’ warm, smooth coats and
velvety muzzles.
Another exhilarating part of the
trip – though not as easy to watch
for some – was witnessing the
farriers at work trimming horses’
hooves and changing their shoes.
The sight of metal bending under
the craft of the specialists, and that
of horses willingly undergoing the
procedure, made a huge impact on
the children.
Back at school, the children
recounted the highlights of their
visit, recapped all the new things
they had learnt, and drew and
named their own dream horse.
Undoubtedly, they will ask their
parents to bring them on a repeat
– and hopefully regular – similar
venture.
Pupils also learnt about an
important part of the Qatari
heritage. Well before natural
gas and petroleum changed the
landscape of Qatar, Arabian horses
played a vital part in daily life. Still
revered today, horses continue to
bring their contribution to society
in the form of sports, and offer
children a connection to nature
they are certain to cherish.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
GULF TIMES
7
COMMUNITY
Blue Salon holds private viewing of Memo’s latest fragrance
Blue Salon, in collaboration with Memo Paris, had a very unique experience and private viewing of Memo’s latest fragrance Eau de Memo and also to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. For Memo Paris,
smelling a perfume is a way of taking a magical journey, an olfactory round trip. The bottle is a destination. Fragrance kindles an excitement similar to that of a departure, it is about openness and
abandonment. Memo is a collection of scents from afar that now boasts 18 fragrances, it takes a destination and makes it the point of departure for a sense-awakening epic. Eau de Memo is their source.
ISL Qatar joins SHAMS Generation project
ISL Qatar recently held their inaugural solar art show to showcase students’ artwork created
for the SHAMS Generation project. Implemented as a stimulating after school activity, students
combined science, solar energy and a good dose of creative ingenuity to make several artistic
pieces.
The primary grade students used recycled materials to create artistic robots, a police station,
houses and a spectacular stained glass effect, solar chandelier.
Secondary students assisted the teachers during the after school activity to mentor the younger
children and help them enjoy and understand the science behind their art. More complex art
creations were displayed by the secondary level which combined motorisation through solar
powered batteries, light and an abundance of Pepsi cans!
The Shams Generation is a pioneering and award-winning CSR initiative established by Qatar Solar
Technologies (QSTec) in collaboration with Qatar Museums. ISL Qatar’s student projects have
joined the Shams Generation Art Exhibition which continues until May 1st in the Fire Station Artist
in Residence gallery.
8
GULF TIMES Wednesday, April 26, 2017
COMMUNITY
DeBakey High School-Qatar hosts first Family Fun Day
This was a social event for the school
community to bring families together apart
from an academic reason. The day was filled
with fun activities, food vendors, live graffiti
artist, sport competitions, live music, magic
show and more. Students, parents and faculty
brought their family and friends to enjoy a
relaxing time. “As students are the heart of our
school, establishing a family environment is
important to our school’s culture,” stated by
Linda Mabrie, Director of DeBakey.
DeBakey provides an accredited American
curriculum for grades 6–12. Since the
school’s establishment in 2008, DeBakey
has established a reputation for providing
a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum
to the Doha community. As the curriculum
has proven to prepare students for the best
universities worldwide, an ongoing effort has
been made to add balance to the students’
lives. The school’s first family fun day is simply
one example of their continued efforts.
Throughout the year, more objective-focused
field trips have taken place, end of grading
cycle activities and regular participation in
extracurricular competitions.
The student body comprises over 40
nationalities, unity through appreciation of
each other’s culture has been key to the family
environment at DeBakey. With the assistance
of parent involvement through the PTA (Parent
Teacher Association), DeBakey Family Fun
Day was made possible with vendors such as
Burgeri, Cold Stone, Popcorn Girl, and Argo Tea
just to name a few.
Sport competitions with family members
added an important element of team spirit for
the day as well. Additionally, the well-attended
‘sponge a teacher’ event was definitely a time
for the faculty and students to share a fun
moment beyond the classroom.
Bouncing castles, carnival games, photo booth,
balloon twisting and face painting surely
added to enjoyment for all. Everyone had an
opportunity to find a favourite activity for the
day; stay tuned for next year’s event!
SIS teachers attend Teaching Learning Forum 2017
Teachers of Shantiniketan Indian
School (SIS) who attended the Qatar
Foundation’s EDI Teaching Learning
Forum 2017 education conference
stated that they were highly benefited
by the keynote sessions of Dr Mae
Jemison (Astronaut and Nasa’s
first Science Mission Specialist),
Katherine K Merseth (Faculty
Director, Teacher Education, Harvard
Graduate School of Education), Dr
Deborah Jewell Sherman (Director
of the Urban Superintendents
Programme, Harvard Graduate
School of Education) and Tom
Schimmer (Education consultant
from Vancouver).
Dr Mae Jemison urged all educators
and teachers to empower children to
attain higher skills and to inspire them
to dream big. Katherine K Merseth
stressed on the integration of Science,
Maths and Technology for developing
the logical and critical thinking skills
of children to love mathematics. Dr
Deborah Jewell Sherman discussed
the different levels of leadership and
how a teacher could get transformed
to a leader of leaders and to ensure
higher productivity of the institution
or of the system.
Dudley O’ Connor, SIS Vice-Principal,
in a poster presentation elaborated
the new 3Gs strategy of teaching
and learning. The three Gs in the
process are Genuine self-awareness,
Generous hard work and Generative
innovations. The poster was highly
appreciated by many delegates.
Among the conference delegates
from SIS were K C Abdul Latheef
(SIS President), Dr Subhash B Nair
(Principal), Shihabudeen Pulath
(Senior Vice-Principal), Dudley O’
Connor (Vice-Principal), Mehjabeen
Hasan (Senior Head Teacher), Heena
Imran (Head Teacher), Shakir Hussain
(HOD Social Science) and Mudassir
Kirmani (HOD. Arabic).
Teachers carefully selected and
attended paper presentations during
the breakout sessions. The teaching
learning forum gave teachers a
wonderful professional development
and opportunity for interaction with
renowned educationists.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
GULF TIMES
9
COMMUNITY
MOTORING
‘PIXEL’ by Hiroto Yoshizoe
wins Lexus Design Award
A group photo of Lexus Design Award 2017.
L
exus International has
recently announced the
Grand Prix winner of
the Lexus Design Award
2017 – PIXEL by Hiroto
Yoshizoe – leading this prestigious
international event to a peak of
excitement.
Lexus Design Award 2017 drew
1,152 entries from 63 countries
under the theme of ‘Yet’. “The
Lexus Design Award always
presents a fascinating survey of the
issues currently engaging young
designers, and what they consider
to be the most important challenges
and compelling opportunities for
design today.
“The quality and scale of
ambition of the submissions to this
year’s award programme was truly
exceptional. It was very difficult
for us to whittle them all down to
12 finalists, then four prototype
winners and finally to the Grand
Prix winner, although every stage
of the process generated a feisty
and enjoyable debate,” said Alice
Rawsthorn, well-known design
Static Yet Dynamic – Lexus UX
commentator and Lexus Design
Award 2017 Judge.
Congratulating Hiroto Yoshizoe
on his winning project, Takayuki
Yoshitsugu, Chief Representative,
Middle East and North Africa
Representative Office, Toyota Motor
Corporation, said: “The Lexus Design
Award was created with the aim of
fostering the growth of ideas that
contribute to society by supporting
designers and creators whose works
can help to shape a better future. This
year’s winner – Hiroto Yoshizoe’s
PIXEL – is a work of tremendous
imagination and creativity that
captures the essence of what the
Lexus Design Award stands for.”
Yoshitsugu continued, “Design
and craftsmanship have always
been a fundamental part of the
Lexus brand, and the Lexus
Design Award attempts to extend
this tradition to an exciting
new direction. I would like to
acknowledge the support we have
received from our customers in the
Middle East for our efforts towards
shaping the future of design and
Grand Prix Winner – PIXEL
using the power of creativity to
build a better world.”
Hiroto Yoshizoe commented,
“I’m so surprised and honoured
to receive this prize from Lexus
Design Award. I would like to thank
Alex and Daniel of Snarkitecture for
all their mentorship. I also offer my
sincere thanks to all the people who
have supported me on this project,
and of course to Lexus for giving me
this amazing opportunity.”
First launched in 2013 to
stimulate ideas for a better
tomorrow, Lexus is celebrating the
5th anniversary of this international
design competition which supports
up-and-coming designers and
creators worldwide. The Grand
Prix winner was chosen by an elite
global creative design panel after
presentations by the four prototype
finalists. The works of all 12 finalists
– four prototype winners and eight
panel winners – were on display
at the Lexus ‘Yet’ pavilion and
revealed how they would apply the
‘Yet’ philosophy in original and
innovative ways.
Lexus ‘Yet’ took place from April
4th through April 9th at the La
Triennale di Milano, the Design and
Art Museum in Parco Sempione,
Milan, central to Milan Design
Week, the world’s largest design
exhibition, also known as Salone
Del Mobile.
In addition to the Lexus Design
Award 2017 display, the Lexus
‘Yet’ exhibition was composed of
the three following areas where
visitors experienced the exciting
and infinite potential of ‘Yet’
through immersive and engaging
installations.
Area 1: Ancient ‘Yet’ Modern
Inspired by Lexus’ ‘Yet’
philosophy and created for the
opening space, this installation
aims to create the experience of
being grounded ‘Yet’ suspended
by light–a wave ‘Yet’ a particle.
Utilizing an ancient material
‘Yet’ a modern technology, The
Mediated Matter Group debuts
Glass 3D Printing at architectural
scales.
Ancient Yet Modern
Area 2: Static ‘Yet’
Dynamic
By exploring things from many
angles, we are able to see beyond
the obvious and discover the
new and unexpected. This Static
‘Yet’ Dynamic installation reveals
the Lexus UX Concept car, and
expresses Lexus Brave Design. The
Lexus UX Concept car embodies
our ‘Yet’ philosophy. This
expression of a progressive and
strong ‘Yet’ artistic and premium
product further enhances Lexus’
unique brand position which
challenges conventional ideas
about luxury.
Area 3: Retrospective
This event marks the 10th
edition of Lexus International at
Milan Design Week, highlighting
the brand’s long-standing passion
for design and innovation. And as
we celebrate this opportunity, we
take a look back at our nine years
of design inspiration. Each edition
highlights one moment in time
through 24 frames.
10 GULF TIMES Wednesday, April 26, 2017
COMMUNITY
INFOGRAPHIC
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
GULF TIMES
11
COMMUNITY
LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE
Think you’re eating well? Misconceptions
lead to nutrient deficiencies for many
M
ultiple studies
have shown
many people
don’t get the
recommended
amounts of needed nutrients
every day, yet two-thirds
believe they can get all the
required nutrients by eating a
healthy diet.
Expert says a large number
of people live high-carb,
high-sugar, caffeineoverloaded, stressed-out,
no-exercise lives. People may
have good intentions when it
comes to eating well, but the
truth is that many of us fall
short of an ideal diet – and
even when we do our best
to eat well, it is extremely
difficult to get all the
nutrients we need on a regular
basis with diet alone.
What you can do
It is possible to take steps
to improve nutrition. Expert
offers these tips:
z Know the nutrients
you should be getting and
the recommended daily
amount for each. Expert
provides online tables
for recommended daily
allowances of vitamins and
minerals, based on age and
gender.
z Do your best to eat a
balanced diet; it delivers
health benefits beyond
vitamin sufficiency. Be sure
to get at least five servings of
fruits and vegetables per day.
z Supplement your good
eating habits with a quality
multivitamin. Eighty-one
percent of consumers realise
that not all multivitamins
are the same. Some company
makes a line of multivitamins
formulated to support the
health of men and women
during various phases of life.
They’re made from real food
from real family farmers.
©Brandpoint
ARIES
March 21 — April 19
Sometimes friends become a person’s real family. Your friendships
are deep and enduring. Many people are eager to give you help
today, so why are you reluctant to receive it? Haven’t you been the
one promoting the benefits of warm, sincere friendship? The day
ahead makes you aware of your talents and reinforces just how
important such friendships really are.
CANCER
June 21 — July 22
This will be a day rich in reflection, Cancer. You’re able to observe
what is going around you while still retaining your distance. Other
people’s ambitions will seem amusing to you as they play their parts
more like caricatures than real people. Stepping back like this does
you good. You should do it more often.
LIBRA
September 23 — October 22
This would be an ideal day to take extra good care of your body,
Libra. Don’t kid yourself that those back problems will just go away
– ditto that pain in your knee. Pick up the phone and make that
appointment with the physical therapist. It won’t hurt you to set
aside your ambition and responsibilities for one day.
CAPRICORN
December 22 — January 19
It’s an excellent day, but be careful not to go overboard. You might
be tempted to think that minor financial difficulties are already
behind you. Alas, they are not. What you do today provides the
blueprint for your future. Continued efforts to stabilise your
behaviour will provide the future security you desire.
TAURUS
April 20 — May 20
You’ve made it over the hump, Taurus. You’ve moved beyond the
problems of the recent past and are entering a more peaceful phase.
You will complete your projects at work, and your domestic life will
be the picture of bliss and harmony. Enjoy this period of rest and
relaxation. It will soon be followed by a period of intense longing
requiring your total attention.
LEO
July 23 — August 22
Some long-awaited recognition could come your way today, Leo.
You’re finished with the hassles you’ve experienced recently and
have now entered a calmer period. Those who could only criticise
before can’t find enough words to praise you. Take the compliments
at face value. There’s nothing wrong with being happy with yourself.
SCORPIO
October 23 — November 21
You may have recently modified the material aspects of your life.
Was it sufficient to stop there? More profound changes might be
in order. Take a look at what motivated you to create the life you
live now. Pay special attention to the choices you’ve made in your
professional life. Are you sure you’re doing what you were meant to
do? Are your talents being used to their fullest?
AQUARIUS
January 20 — February 18
You’re in the home stretch now, Aquarius! Kiss your worries
goodbye. Your efforts pay off in spades as people listen to your
advice and bend over backward to please you. Although certain
details in your love life still need ironing out, it’s safe to coast for a
while. You’ve spent months in this process of self-transformation and
you deserve a little rest.
GEMINI
May 21 — June 20
The outlook for today is excellent, Gemini. The current alignment of
the planets and the somewhat oppressive atmosphere of the past
few days inspire you to change your surroundings and visit new
places. Why not plan a little trip? All signs indicate that now is the
best time for such an adventure. If you delay, you will feel stuck in
the same old routine again.
VIRGO
August 23 — September 22
You have a day of profound reflection ahead. While you may be
tempted to think about how far you’ve come, your time would be
better spent thinking about what the future holds. You’ve entered a
period of rethinking your identity and objectives. These aren’t small
things. You will need every ounce of energy at your disposal to make
it through this time of transition.
SAGITTARIUS
November 22 — December 21
This will be a great day to meditate, Sagittarius. You may be a bit
dissatisfied with yourself because your various projects have yet
to take form. You’re impatient, but who wouldn’t be? This waiting
period has lasted for about two months, but will soon end. The
planets ask you to consider only what is essential. Don’t allow
yourself to start new projects based on anything superfluous.
PISCES
February 19 — March 20
Your life certainly seems to revolve around human contact. You’re an
outgoing, cheerful, engaging conversationalist who enjoys bringing
people together, though lately you’ve been yearning to be alone.
Pisces, don’t ignore any urge you feel for solitude. Even though it’s
an unusual need for you, it’s still a valid one.
12 GULF TIMES Wednesday, April 26, 2017
COMMUNITY
Wordsearch
Adam
Pooch Cafe
Tinker, Tailor
ARTIST
AUTHOR
BANKER
BARBER
BROKER
CABBIE
COWBOY
CUTLER
DOCTOR
DRAPER
EDITOR
FARMER
JOCKEY
LAWYER
MILLER
PORTER
SAILOR
SINGER
TAILOR
TINKER
TRADER
WAITER
WELDER
WRITER
Codeword
Puzzles courtesy: Puzzlechoice.com
Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once.
Squares with the same number in have the same letter
in. Work out which number represents which letter.
Garfield
Sudoku
Bound And Gagged
Sudoku is a puzzle based
on a 9x9 grid. The grid is
also divided into nine (3x3)
boxes. You are given a
selection of values and to
complete the puzzle, you
must fill the grid so that
every column, every anone
is repeated.
CARTOONS/PUZZLES
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
COMMUNITY
PUZZLES
Super Cryptic Clues
ACROSS
1. What the alarm clock gives?
(6,7)
8. A lead for a dog (7)
9. As I found out, putting it in
withers the flowers (7)
11. Doing a cartwheel round the
soldier, is really pathetic (6)
13. As before, run after the
animal (8)
15. Starts by taking round the
prisons (5)
16. A former (now rather fat)
model (7)
18. Is it sheer half a mile to the
high point? (7)
19. Consequently states he was
a composer (5)
21. How one dislikes bluff
people? (8)
23. Does the little creature pad
about in the wood? (6)
25. A new version of, in colour
‘The Lifesaver’ (7)
26. Be left at home, their having
gone out (7)
28. In which the blue-bird feels at
home? (7-6)
Colouring
DOWN
2. Copy it, taking a ridiculous
time about it (7)
3. Put away in the bottom of 2,
folded up (3)
4. Measure up, in the day-light
(4)
5. Be doubly helpful (3,3,4)
6. Feature one in ‘The Hue and
Cry’(5)
7. Order 6 out, to be offensive
(7)
8. Combined to assemble (3,8)
10. When you collect your
thoughts, notice you have a
good hand (3,8)
12. Copy the children (5)
14. Drunken Italian getting into a
plane.... (10)
17. .... beyond having a sample of
his country’s cooking (5)
18. Wrap up and go off to
quarters (7)
20. Suffer though anaesthetised
and given a shot (7)
22. The many about to catch the
ship (5)
24. Regard as a prospect (4)
27. Stopped ted following him (3)
Yesterday’s Solutions
Across: 1 Partridge; 8 Damosel;
9 Gambles; 10 Asunder; 13
Abridges; 14 Near; 16 The
East End; 20 Send; 22 Spar;
24 Paddy-field; 28 Snap;
29 Bavarian; 31 Posters; 34
Growers; 35 Example; 36
Patiently.
GULF TIMES
Down: 1 Pageant; 2 Remorse;
3 Riled; 4 Descent; 5 Edna; 6
Down; 7 Blurted; 11 Sundry; 12
Dare; 15 Asti; 17 Hop 18 Earn; 19
Supper; 21 Nil; 22 Stopper; 23
Asks; 25 Draught; 26 Eminent;
27 Dynasty; 30 Arose; 32 Time;
33 Step.
Answers
Wordsearch
Codeword
13
14 GULF TIMES Wednesday, April 26, 2017
COMMUNITY
CINEMA
Remembering Ray, 25 years on
By Gautaman Bhaskaran
A
quarter century ago on
April 23, one of India’s
greatest citizens,
Satyajit Ray, died in
what was then called
Calcutta. The name was messed
up into Kolkata later — a sad trend
that not only demolished a sense of
history, but also coincided with the
sharp decline of all things that were
charmingly Calcutta.
For me, who grew up there
and happily soaked into the
metro’s artistic sensibilities and
magnificent tradition and culture,
that famous mid-day halt of
Britisher Job Charnock which
turned into the foundation for
and the founding of Calcutta in
August 1690 was a wonderful city
to spend my early years. And part of
Calcutta’s rich history was Ray, and
like Charnock — whose name was
deleted from all official documents
as the founder of Calcutta after
a landmark 2003 Calcutta High
Court judgement — the memory
of the maestro, too, is being
obliterated into oblivion.
I found this to my sorrow during
my visit to Kolkata last January.
There was a time during my school
and college days when just about
every other man or woman in the
metropolis would know precisely
where Ray lived — 1/1 Bishop Lefroy
Road. But today, nobody seems to
have the vaguest idea of the famous
address, where his son, Sandip,
resides even today. Compare
this with Chennai, and any auto
rickshaw driver or cabbie will
be able to point out where Sivaji
Ganesan or Gemini Ganesan had
their homes.
And when the taxi driver took
me to Ray’s house — which is in the
heart of the city — I decided to do a
little quiz and asked a few passersby whether they knew Ray’s flat.
Not one of them could answer me,
and believe it or not, I was standing
bang opposite the building!
Stepping into Ray’s abode that
evening, I was startled to see Sandip
looking so much like his father.
With books and sketches and
drawings cluttered all around him,
he looked every inch Ray Senior.
Sandip’s study, once Ray’s, flooded
me with haunting memories.
Twenty-five years later, I realised
that my memory of Ray remained
unclouded, and I still remembered
some of the great moments I have
had with him. As a cub journalist in
The Statesman, I had walked into
1/1 Bishop Lefroy Road. His flat was
right on top, and there was no lift
— which was later installed by the
West Bengal Government after the
auteur had suffered a heart attack.
As I stood panting outside the flat,
Ray answered the doorbell — and
welcomed me with remarkable
warmth, my equation with him
having been strengthened by the
fact that Sandip and I had been
classmates in the same political
science graduation course at the
St.Xavier’s College.
Earlier during my days at school,
when I lived in an apartment just
adjacent to the Basusree Cinema, I
had enjoyed the privilege of not just
watching some of Ray’s greatest
works, but also seeing the man
himself attend a movie there. He
had no star trappings, and he would
sit with the audience and watch
a Mrinal Sen film or a Hollywood
classic. And from my balcony
that overlooked the road and the
theatre, I had the best view of
men and women trooping into the
auditorium.
Many years later, when I moved
from Calcutta to what was then
Madras (now Chennai), to The
Hindu, Ray remained with me. And
I still remember a long interview
with him during my first years
at The Hindu. What I recall best
about the meeting was Ray’s
extraordinary ability to appreciate
anything that was out of the
ordinary. I had taken along with
me a recorder — given to me by my
editor, N. Ravi, and it was really
attractive. In a rich leather case, it
looked like a slim book. “That is a
beauty”, Ray remarked admiringly.
“You can place it in a book rack,
and it would look like an elegant
volume”.
That was Ray, and I understood
this then and I understand this
even better now. I think that
he was one among the very few
in this world to have been so
accomplished. And what is more,
most people I meet outside the
country invariably talk about Ray.
Yes, even today after all these
years, and not very surprisingly
hardly anybody refers to any other
Indian director! Sometimes, yes
a Girish Kasaravalli or an Adoor
Gopalakrishnan.
Given all this, it is not surprising
that I should have decided to write
about the year 1956 for a book
being published by the Cannes
Film Festival. That year proved
to be a turning point for both Ray
and the Indian cinema. Asked to
pen a chapter on any one of the
70 years that the Festival has been
on for a volume commemorating
the milestone, I chose 1956 —
which saw Ray’s debut work
and undoubtedly a masterpiece
— Pather Panchali or Song of the
Little Road being screened at the
Festival.
A black and white classic in
the Bengali language — shorn
of glamorous stars or even
professional actors and performed
by an extremely ordinary looking
cast of men and women and
children — Pather Panchali was
initially dismissed by a critic as
renowned as Francois Truffaut. He
walked out of the movie’s latenight screening at Cannes, irritated
and angry at having to watch, as he
averred, “natives eating with their
hands”.
But luck was with Pather
Panchali, with Ray and with
India. It had a second show with
members of the jury, led by Maurice
Lehmann, watching it. They were
spellbound, and decided to honour
it with Prix du Document Humain.
If one were to look at the 1956
prize list, Pather Panchali, figures
at the number three position after
Louis Malle’s and Jacques-Yves
Cousteau’s Le Monde Du Silence
(which won the Palme dÓr) and
Ingmar Bergman’s Sommarnattens
Leende (Prix De L’Humour
Poetique).
And mind you, that year the
feature film selection included
such gems as Akira Kurosawa’s
Ikimono No Kiroku (I Live in Fear),
Vittorio De Sica’s Il Titto (The
Roof) and Alfred Hitchcock’s The
Man Who Knew Too Much. Not
one of these got an award. And a
virtually unknown and unsung
director from India walked away
with an honour that had farreaching implications for his
country.
Pather Panchali’s accolade at
Cannes opened the eyes of the
world not only to Ray’s genius,
but also to Indian cinema in
general. The Festival on the French
Riviera affirmed that India had
the potential to be a great moviemaking country. And India realised
that Ray had the makings of a
genius. Bengal certainly, a Bengal
which had been some months
before Cannes lukewarm to Ray’s
Song.
On the film’s 50th anniversary
in 2005, Time magazine placed
Pather Panchali among the 100 best
movies ever made.
And Pather Panchali’s
recognition at Cannes proved to
be the perfect launchpad for Ray:
he made 29 feature films (plus
some documentaries and shorts)
in his long career; won laurels
at Cannes, Venice, Moscow and
Berlin festivals, besides 32 Indian
National Film Awards; and was
given the Bharat Ratna, India’s
highest civilian honour, a lifetime
achievement Oscar and an honorary
doctorate from Oxford University,
making him only the second cinema
personality after Charlie Chaplin
to be accorded this privilege by the
institution.
Finally, I feel privileged and a
deep sense of satisfaction that I
could write about Ray’s Pather
Panchali in the 70-year celebratory
volume being released in Paris
at the end of April — a few weeks
before the Festival unfolds on May
17, a Festival that a long time ago
had the foresight to recognise a
gem. And I hope that my chapter
would be one small but significant
step towards re-kindling the
memory of a master. And what
better place than Cannes for this.
z A part of this article has
been culled from a chapter
written by Gautaman Bhaskaran
in the commemorative book,
and he may be e-mailed at
[email protected]
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
IN SYNC: “I know that it’s possible to both act in a show and run the room and be on set and edit,” says Tina Fey.
Fey’s hot streak continues
with sitcom Great News
T
ina Fey will inevitably
let down her legions
of TV fans with a real
stinker. But not yet.
The comic maestro,
whom Rolling Stone recently
ranked as the third greatest
player in Saturday Night Live
history, is following 30 Rock and
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt with
NBC’s Great News, yet another
fast-paced, perfectly absurd
sitcom about a single woman
trying to maintain a personal
and professional life with Mary
Richards-like spunk.
Executive producer Fey doesn’t
appear in the first season (back-
15
COMMUNITY
SHOWBIZ
By Neal Justin
GULF TIMES
to-back episodes will air once
a week starting Tuesday), but
the spirit of 30 Rock heroine Liz
Lemon is alive and semi-well in
Katie Wendelson (Undateable
survivor Briga Heelan), a secondtier producer at a fourth-tier
cable news network. She once
wrote an editorial for her college
paper on the lack of cake options
at her school cafeteria; she
invents names of sushi rolls to
look cool, and she does a mean
dance routine to Here Comes the
Hotstepper, all of which could
have been lifted from Lemon’s
résumé.
“There were a couple times —
and Tina was very much on it —
where we had to make sure Katie
wasn’t, like, eating tuna out of a
can or tucking her shirt into her
Arjun, Anil Kapoor fun
to work with: Neha
Actress Neha Sharma says that it was great
fun to work with actors Arjun and Anil Kapoor
in their upcoming film Mubarakan.
“I am working with Anil Kapoor for the first
time and it was a lot of fun to work with him and
even Arjun. The shooting is finally done and I
am very excited for the special appearance,” said
Neha.
“Mubarakan is a fun film. A classic Anees
Bazmee film. It has amazing comedy and it’s got
a gamut of stars,” Neha said.
The actress was present for her app launch
the other day. She has now joined the list of
stars like Salman Khan and Sunny Leone who
underwear,” said creator Tracey
Wigfield, pointing out the lengths
to which writers went to make
sure the two characters weren’t
too much alike.
One cue Wigfield did take from
her boss was to put herself into
the cast, although her character,
a delusional meteorologist,
averages only a couple of scenes
per episode. Still, doing double
duty proved a challenge.
“I thought you were just being
a drama queen,” she said, once
again turning to Fey. “I know that
it’s possible to both act in a show
and run the room and be on set
and edit, but, boy, is it hard.”
Wigfield, who served as a writer
and producer on 30 Rock, is not
the only veteran of that show who
benefited from studying at the
have their own app. Asked about the trend
of celebrities having their own app, she said:
“Whenever any new trend comes in town, it
catches up like fire. Some fade out and some
don’t. It’s very important to know what is
interesting in your app... that it’s going to stick
around for long.”
“The app which I am launching has amazing
things in it and people are really going to enjoy
it,” added Neha.
Neha was last seen in the 2016 film Tum Bin
II, directed by Anubhav Sinha.
“Every time there is a complaint that I rest
more and do less films. But now I will be very
busy doing a lot of films,” she said.
Her upcoming projects also include the third
instalment of the film Hera Pheri.
School of Tina. Donald Glover
was an executive story editor for
22 episodes before creating and
starring in FX’s Atlanta, which
won a Golden Globe last year for
best comedy. Former 30 Rock
producer Kay Cannon is the brains
behind Girlboss, a new Netflix
series that covers much the same
territory as Girls, but is funnier.
Great News may have sprung
from Fey’s imagination —
right after leaving SNL, she
unsuccessfully pitched a show
to NBC about a producer’s
relationship with a conservative
talk-show host — but the new
sitcom really blossoms when it
focuses on Katie and her nosy
mother, Carol, played with
unbridled zest by SCTV veteran
Andrea Martin.
IMPRESSED: Neha Sharma.
In the first episode, Carol
is hired as an intern and
subsequently causes so much
damage that it would have forced
30 Rock’s Kenneth the Page to
dump his wages into a swear jar.
The scenario was inspired by
Wigfield’s own mother, a regular
visitor on set.
“My mother was always
complaining, ‘I don’t dress like
that. I would never wear shoes
like that,’” Wigfield said. “And
then she showed up on set, and
Andrea’s costume was the same as
her real-life outfit.”
For Martin, who has mainly
focused on stage work for the
past two decades, the role could
do what 30 Rock did for Alec
Baldwin. But no cast member
stands to benefit more than
Nicole Richie, perhaps best
remembered as a spoiled socialite
on the 2003-07 Paris Hilton
reality show The Simple Life. As a
party-girl anchor, she can break
down the latest cellphone app,
but has to ask, “What’s a Walter
Cronkite?”
“Nicole is new to scripted
material, and she’s one of the
easiest and best actresses and
comedians I’ve ever worked
with,” said John Michael Higgins,
the improv veteran who plays
a pompous newscaster. “Her
performance is totally cliché-free.
It’s all new to her, and she’s so
refreshingly in the moment.”
One element you won’t see is
politics, which seems like a lost
opportunity considering that cable
news is enjoying record-breaking
interest. But production on all 10
episodes wrapped up months ago.
“You want to avoid doing a joke
that’s going to feel really old by
the time the show airs,” Fey said.
“You can never quite keep up with
Saturday Night Live in that way.
So it’s a different game. I think
you sort of take bigger ideas more
than day-to-day moments. But if
we’re lucky enough to do a second
season, maybe we can reflect
closer on real things.”
And maybe we can get a visit
from a much missed character.
While Fey has appeared on Kimmy
Schmidt and SNL, Liz Lemon has
yet to re-emerge since 30 Rock
went off the air in 2013. Great
News would be the perfect vehicle
for a cameo — and an excuse to
show off a duet interpretation
of Here Comes the Hotstepper. —
Star Tribune (Minneapolis)/TNS
16 GULF TIMES Wednesday, April 26, 2017
COMMUNITY
Gordon Ramsay Doha
brings in unique twists
to classic favourites
Elias Gemayel, head chef of Gordon Ramsay Doha and Davide Degiovanni, head chef
of Gordon Ramsay’s Union Street Café in London, collaborate to launch new menu
Chef Elias Gemayel and his team use seasonal ingredients to create exciting dishes that are modern, fresh and packed full of flavour.
T
he St Regis Doha announced the
launch of an exquisite new menu
at one of its most prominent
outlets, Gordon Ramsay Doha.
The menu showcases dishes
from a recent collaboration between
Gordon Ramsay Doha Head Chef Elias
Gemayel, and Davide Degiovanni, Head
Chef from Gordon Ramsay’s Union Street
Café in London, who have joined forces to
create an innovate new menu.
The new menu combines Elias’
knowledge of the local produce with
Davide’s Mediterranean experience, to
create unique twists on classic dishes. The
menu features freshly made pasta such as
Potato Gnocchi, Ravioli and Wagyu Beef
Cheeks, Tagliolini, and a fine selection of
Italian desserts including the traditional
Tiramisu and Pannacotta.
Davide Degiovianni said: “I spent a
lot of time working with Elias and the
fantastic team exploring the products
available to us and using them in clever
and interesting ways. We wanted to create
a menu for Gordon Ramsay Doha that was
different and on-trend, but with classic
Mediterranean dishes, such as the threetomato risotto.”
Tareq Derbas, Area General Manager
of Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq
for Marriott International and General
Manager of The St Regis Doha, said: “The
St Regis Doha has raised the bar in the
region’s luxury hospitality offering, by
providing world-class service and authentic
culinary offerings. Through the launch of
the new menu at Gordon Ramsay Doha,
we anticipate to continue offering regional
and international guests an unprecedented
experience in epicurean dining.”
Gordon Ramsay Doha is the destination
for lovers of exquisite cuisine, and has
previously been awarded Best Romantic
Restaurant by Time Out Doha.
Chef Elias Gemayel and his team use
seasonal ingredients to create exciting
dishes that are modern, fresh and packed
full of flavour.
Pioneered by Gordon Ramsay, the avantgarde restaurant offers a total theatre of the
senses. Guests can enjoy a modern dinning
ambience in the cosy yet classic space
inspired by an English manor house.
The St Regis Doha Hotel and resort
is situated in Al Gassar Resort, located
between Doha’s cultural heritage sites and
the city’s business hub.