Meet Kuwait`s new MPs

Transcription

T
he Democratic Republic of Korea and Kuwait
have worked progressively to improve ties on all
fronts,including on the political, cultural, social and
economic levels, says Ambassador So Chang Sik
while adding,“Ongoing bilateral relations are steadily
developing in all fields and I expect that imminent
visits by high-level ministerial delegations will lead to
further boosting ties between our two nations.”
KUWAIT’S PREMIER WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
Issue No 650
Established 1996
04 - 10 August, 2013
Read more on Page 3
w w w. t i m e s k u w a i t . c o m
250 Fils
Meet Kuwait’s new MPs
First constituency winners
Total valid votes: 33,227
Adnan Abdulsamad with
4975 votes
Faisal Al-Duwaisan with
3628 votes
Yusuf Zalzala with
3509 votes
Essa Al-Kandari with
3326 votes
Saleh Ashour with
3219 votes
Mubarak Al-Harees with
3209 votes
Abdullah Al-Turaiji with
3151 votes
Kamel Al-Awadhi with
3089 votes
Mohammad Merwi Al-Haddiya with 2804 votes
Maasouma Al-Mubarak with
2317 v otes.
Adnan Sayed Abdulsamad Ahmad Sayed
Zahed was born in 1950. He holds a BA in
political science and economics, worked at the
Ministry of Oil and won the membership of the
National Assembly in 1981, 1992, 1996, 1999,
2006, 2008 and 2009, and the membership
of the annulled parliaments of February and
December 2012.
Faisal Saud Saleh Al-Duwaisan was born
in 1964. He holds a high school diploma and
worked as an observer at Kuwait Radio and
Director for Technical Affairs in the Ministry
of Information and Director of the Channel 3
of Kuwait TV. He was member in the annulled
parliaments of February and December 2012.
Yusuf Sayed Hassan Sayed Ali Saleh AlZalzalah was born in 1959. He holds a doctorate
in statistics, held senior academic posts, is a
member of the Kuwaiti Society for Human Rights
and the Kuwaiti Journalists Association and
won the membership of the National Assembly
in 2003 and 2009, and the membership of the
annulled Assembly in December 2012. He
served as minister for trade and industry in
2006.
Issa Ahmad Mohammad Hassan Al-Kandari
was born in 1963. He holds a diploma in the
specialty of commercial banks, works at Kuwait
Recruitment agencies slam moratorium
proposal, calls it unfair and unjust
Ricky Laxa
Staff Writer
“W
hy do you always blame
the agencies for the
misfortunes that befall on Filipina
domestic helpers in Kuwait?
Who wanted these misfortunes
to happen to them? If such cases
happen we never fail to provide
support and defend their rights.
I agree some of these agencies
need to be disciplined and
suspended from operations for not
complying if not denies the rights
of the workers but generalizing the
suspension is unjust” commented
representative of a recruitment
agency Mariam Macapudi.
In confrontational and heated
argument between heads of
Filipino community leaders and
representatives of recruitment
agencies that lasted almost half
hour in a meeting organized
Thursday evening at the Philippine
Embassy, representatives of the
Philippine recruitment agencies
braved contentions hurled at them
A video grab of some of the officials of Filipino Association of Secretaries
for Employment Agencies in Kuwait (FIL-ASEAK)
by different community leaders on
issues of neglect, non-compliance
of contracts and several vital
issues, which FilCom leaders claim
as partly caused by the agencies.
Among questions raised by leaders
were the implementation of US 400
salaries for house helpers required
by the Philippine government, but
Executive Secretary of FIL-ASEAK
Jones Garcia contested that the
Kuwait sector called “Amala” will
never allow such salary in Kuwait
but nevertheless, the agencies
often provide the highest salary
possible for the house helpers
they deploy in Kuwait. “We cannot
demand what is not allowed in
Kuwait” affirmed Garcia. In fact,
Garcia added Filipina house
helpers are the highest paid in the
country at the moment and this
is due to the persistence of the
agencies to reach the maximum
salary approved for house helpers.
Another representative of a
recruitment agency Honeycel
Bermudez
contested
the
accusation that agencies neglect
their responsibilities after they
deploy the house helpers.
Continued on Page 6
Airways, is a member of Kuwait Journalists
Association and Association of Arab Journalists
and a member of the Human Rights Association.
Saleh Ahmad Hassan Ashour was born
in 1953. He holds a BA in economics and
a diploma of military science and higher
education diploma, served as engineer at the
Ministry of Communication, is a former Air Force
colonel and won the membership of the National
Assembly in the 1999, 2003 and 2006, 2008
and 2009.
Mubarak Salem Mubarak Nasser Al-Hurais
was born in 1964. He holds a bachelor’s
degree from Kuwait University, worked as a
legal researcher in the office of the Central
Bank of Kuwait, a governor and attorney in the
Fatwa and Legislation Department and head
of the development of legislation and holds
membership in each of the Kuwait Lawyers
Association, the Arab Bar Association and the
International Bar Association.
Abdullah Mohammad Abdulrahman Mohsen
Al-Turaiji was born in 1958. He holds a PhD in
security management, worked in the Interior
Ministry at the rank of colonel, worked in several
departments, is a member of Kuwait Lawyers
Continued on Page 6
Two Kuwaiti women win
consecutive terms
to Kuwait Parliament
Safa Al Hashem
Dr. Maasouma Al Mubarak
r. Maasouma Al Mubarak and
Safa Al Hashem have made
history in Kuwait by winning seats
in two consecutive parliamentary
elections. Winning 2,317 votes
from the First Constituency, Dr.
Maasouma, a former Minister of
Planning, Minister of Transport and
then Minister of Health, made her
parliamentary debut as a member
in 2009, when four women were
elected to the Parliament. But she
could not repeat that feat in the
February 2012 elections when all
50 elected members were male.
However she was elected again
to the annulled Parliament in
December 2012. She holds a PhD
in international relations, and is a
member of the Alumni Association,
Kuwaiti Economists Association and
the Kuwaiti Journalists Association
Taking 2,036 votes in the 2013
elections, Safa, who made her
parliamentary debut in December,
was ranked fifth in the Third
Constituency. She was one of
the eight women candidates who
signed up to run despite concerns
that the society was not ready to
support women in parliament.
Safa holds a Masters in business
administration.She was the founder,
chairperson and manager of
Advantage Consulting Company
(ACC). She received the Female
CEO of the Year award at the CEO
Middle East Awards 2007 in Dubai.
D
2
Local
The Times, Kuwait 04 - 10 August, 2013
Nelson Mandela painting
presented to South African Ambassador
timeskuwait.com
Regency plans a culinary feast for Eid
Staff Report
E
I
ndian national Mrs. Agnes Peter presented
a beautiful painting of South African leader
Nelson Mandela to His Excellency Delarey
Van Tonder, the South African Ambassador to
Kuwait. Agnes who works as Head of the Art
Department at the Indian English Academy in
Salmiya said her inspiration to do the painting
came from the greatness of Nelson Mandela,
who fought for the rights of the South African
people in achieving equality and freedom for
their people through non-violence.
mainly canvas, portrait, glass, pot, wall, foil
embossing, pencil shading. Recently she was
chosen as the Chairperson (India) of Euro Asian
worldwide.
H. E. Van Tonder hosted a reception to
appreciate the efforts of Mrs. Agnes and
thanked her for such a nice painting. “The
painting will be kept at a prominent place in
the embassy,” remarked the ambassador.
Ambassador Van Tonder also presented a set
of books on Mandela to Mrs. Agnes as a mark
of recognition for her efforts
Mrs. Agnes is well versed in all forms of art
T
xecutive Chef Roger Friggieri of the
Regency Hotel promises a culinary
extravaganza for the entire family this Eid
at the hotel’s famous Silk Road restuarant.
Friggieri, a culinary expert and accomplished
chef hails from Malta with Italian origins.
Having worked in different part of Europe
Chef Friggieri constant challenge to set and
maintain standards has met with tremendous
success here in Kuwait as he has further
consolidated the Silk Road restaurant as
among the most popular dining outlets in
Kuwait.
Since taking over six months ago he
has introduced new dishes and variety in
the menu as well as added to the cuisine’s
exceptional quality by way of ingredients.
“For Eid we plan to have different types
of cuisine ranging from Middle Eastern,
Mediterrean, Mexican, Latin American,
Indian a global feast of menus that will be
enticing to our guests,” he says.
It will be a culinary feast during the entire
Eid Al Fitr holidays and guests can enjoy
some remarkable and dazzling range of
home-made desserts as well.
Chef Friggieri is extremely delighted with
the positive feedback he receives from the
guests and this motivates him to constantly
change and improve the menu. It is a
constant challenge to match taste and texture
to come out with the best dishes, he says.
Ooredoo Supports Algeria’s 3G Licensing
O
oredoo, which operates the
company Nedjma in Algeria,
today praised the Algerian authorities
for the speed and professionalism
with which they launched the 3G
licensing process. The decision
brings the launch of 3G networks in
Algeria closer, and offers customers
the potential to access world-class,
next-generation services in the near future.
Commenting on the decision, His
Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed
Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman of Ooredoo,
said: “As a long-term partner in the
growth and development of the
telecommunications sector in Algeria,
Ooredoo will participate fully in this
process. In particular, we want to play
a role in enabling Algerian developers
and young innovators to create local
apps and content, to better meet the
needs of the people of this proud
nation.” The Algerian market is currently one
of the high growth markets for Ooredoo in its
global footprint, alongside Indonesia, Qatar,
and Iraq.
IDF holds enjoyable Gabqa evening
he Indian Doctors Forum (IDF) successfully celebrated their
GHABQA 2013 on Wednesday, 31st July, 2013 at the Andalus
Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel amidst a galaxy of Kuwaiti
and Indian dignitaries.
The evening commenced at 10pm sharp when the Anchor Dr
Sameer Humad (Finance Secretary - IDF) requested all to stand
in honor of the Kuwaiti and Indian National Anthems. This was
followed by recitation of verses from the Holy Quran by Dr T. P.
Abdulraoof. The welcome address was delivered by the General
Secretary of IDF, Dr. Jaganath R.C., wherein he welcomed the Chief
Guest H.E. Shri Satish C. Mehta, the Indian ambassador to Kuwait
and other officials of the Indian Embassy, the Guest of Honor Dr.
Ali Al Mukhaimi, President - Kuwait Medical Association and other
KMA officials, Kuwaiti doctors from the Ministry of Health, Faculty
of Medicine, Kuwait Institute of Medical Specialization, Eminent
Kuwaiti and Indian Businessmen and Government Officials and
last, but not the least, the IDF members and their families.
Following the welcome, was the Presidential address by Dr. Amir
Ahmed.He expressed his immense gratitude to all the attending
Kuwaiti guests for being a part of this auspicious evening. Dr Amir
stated that ‘Ghabqa’, is a local tradition celebrated by certain
GCC countries in the month of Ramdhan after taraweeh prayers.
Ghabqa helps to foster strong ties amongst families and friends.
This wonderful tradition of the locals has been adopted by IDF. We
too are part of the society and use this opportunity to strengthen the
ties between Kuwaitis and Indians and also to express our love and
gratitude to the wonderful people of Kuwait.”
The Ramadan Message was then delivered by Dr. Syed Faroukh,
Senior General Surgeon at Jahra Hospital. He strongly emphasized
the importance of fasting during the Holy month of Ramadan and
receiving its rewards.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Mehta, appreciated the
various community welfare activities rendered by IDF. He expressed
his happiness at the presence of large number of Kuwaitis at the
event, which reflected the acceptance, love and respect they had
for IDF. This was then followed by a message from the Guest of
Honor, Dr. Al Mukhaimi, where he lauded the efforts taken by IDF in
carrying out all its activities. He praised the vast appreciation, IDF
has earned in the Kuwaiti community in such a short span of time.
Prof. Adel KhaderAyed, Prof. Ali Hussein Dashti and Prof. Fouad
Al Ali also spoke on the occasion with kind words of grace and
appreciation.
Dr. Vinod Grover, (Vice President of IDF)then delivered the Vote
of Thanks where he thanked all the Kuwaiti dignitaries for having
come in such large numbers. He also thanked all the Kuwaiti
and Indian businessmen present for the support and assistance
rendered towards various IDF activities. He acknowledged the
sponsors of the event, particularly Al Mulla Exchange Company.
He expressed his gratitude to all technical staff, media personalities
and staff of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Immediately after the vote of thanks, Dr. Jasneet Narang
(Cultural Secretary of IDF),announced the prizes for the Fancy
Dress competition conducted for IDF children and judged by Dr.
Arvind Raina and Dr. Kiran Sharma. The event concluded with a
sumptuous dinner, and, on their way out, each guest was gifted with
lovely Girgiyans.
Diplomat
timeskuwait.com
North
Korea
A resilient nation
3
H.E. Ambassador So Chang Sik
Staff Report
A
mbassador So Chang Sik of the
Democratic People’s Republic
of Korea (DPRK) to Kuwait was
emphatic in stating that under the wise
leadership of Supreme Leader Kim Jong
Un and His Highness the Amir, Sheikh
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the
cordial and brotherly relations between
Korea and Kuwait would in the coming
years continue to develop in all domains.
After officially presenting his
diplomatic credentials to His Highness
the Amir on 15 January, 2013,
Ambassador Sik has endeavored to
strengthen relations between North
Korea and the GCC region. “Before
arriving in Kuwait, I was my country’s
ambassador to Italy; now, in addition
to Kuwait, I am also Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the
Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar
and the United Arab Emirates,” said the
diplomat in a recent meeting with The
Times.
Continuing about the firm bonds
that bind North Korea and Kuwait, the
ambassador noted, “On presenting my
letter of credence to His Highness, the
Amir expressed his great expectations
of enhancing bilateral relations and his
hopes that the friendly and cooperative
relations between the two countries
would grow stronger in all spheres.”
The envoy went on to add, “The long
and friendly ties between our two
countries were first cemented with the
establishment of diplomatic relations
in 2001. Relations became further
entrenched with the opening of our
embassy here, and the subsequent
opening of a department to handle
North Korean affairs at Kuwait’s mission
in China.”
Political relations between DPRK and
Kuwait are based on promoting peace
and stability in their respective regions
and around the world. Since launching
diplomatic relations, the two nations have
worked progressively to improve ties
on all fronts, including on the political,
cultural, social and economic levels, said
the diplomat, adding, “I am pleased that
ongoing bilateral relations are steadily
developing in different arenas and the
visits by high-level ministerial delegations
will lead to further boosting ties between
our nations. In September or October
we are expecting a visit by a delegation
headed by the Deputy Foreign Minister
of DPRK. This will be followed by another
delegation led by the country’s Deputy
Minister for Public Health. These visits
provide opportunities for both countries
to discuss various issues of mutual
concern and explore prospects of
supplementing and enhancing bilateral
relations in all fields.”
Saying that Kuwait contributed
significantly to the development of his
country, the envoy added, “The Kuwait
Fund for Arab Economic Development
has been active in DPRK providing
loans for several infrastructure projects
in water supply, sanitation and roads
running millions of dollars.” In 2005, the
Fund financed the rehabilitation of three
engaged in constructing model sets at
the Kuwait House for National Works
Museum. The displays at the museum
depict the history of Kuwait, as well as
the atrocities committed during the
invasion of Kuwait and the effects of the
aftermath of Gulf War. Our specialists
and technicians are also involved in
projects at the Kuwait Zoo and with the
Public Authority for Agriculture and Fish
Resources.”
“The economic cooperation between
our two countries is mutually beneficial
water treatment plants in Pyongyang
City, through repairs and replacement
of pumps and pipelines, as well as
the rehabilitation of Onha Canal and
Botong River. Three years later, the Fund
provided financing for the development
and expansion of sewage pumping
stations in the Capital. Last year, the
Ministry of Land and Environment
Protection entered into a contract with the
Fund to provide for the construction of a
new two-lane highway from Pyongyang
to Pyongsong.
Clarifying that the DPRK is also
involved in the development of Kuwait,
the diplomat added, “More than 4,000
engineers, specialists and technicians
are involved in several construction
projects around the country. For instance,
we have specialized architectural artists
and generates significant synergies and
greatly contributes to the co-prosperity
of the two friendly nations. In general, we
are very satisfied with ongoing relations
and look forward to taking these friendly
ties to even higher levels,” said the
envoy, before adding, “On the economic
and commercial sides we are examining
and exploring the possibilities of further
boosting bilateral relations; I am pleased
that the Kuwait Fund has evinced interest
in several projects in my country. In fact,
the potential for increasing investments
and business ties between DPRK and
Kuwait are immense and there are so
many opportunities all over the country.”
The ambassador went on to point
out, “Some detractors might say
there are many challenges to doing
business with DPRK, but this is not
Ramadan
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true. Since assuming leadership,
the wise Supreme Leader has made
economic development a priority for
the government. Special economic
zones in various parts of the country
such as the Rason Economic Special
Zone and the Kaesong Industrial Region
provide facilities, infrastructure and
favorable conditions for foreign business
developments, as well as the necessary
legal frameworks, regulations and
conventions for investment protection.”
“Tourism is another area of the
economy that is seeing significant
investments with several large resorts
being planned and implemented across
the DPRK. The government has given
tourism promotion great precedence
with the aim of bringing in over one
million visitors to the country in the
immediate future,” said the ambassador.
He added, “While there are tourists from
Kuwait visiting DPRK, the numbers
could be increased considerably by
creating awareness of the tourism
potential of our country. Visa and travel
formalities are relatively simple and
could be completed at the embassy,
and Air Koryo, the national airline, offers
direct flights from Kuwait to Pyongyang
several times a month.”
The government of DPRK is aiming to
promote tourism in a big way and in this
regard several mega tourism projects
are being implemented in different parts
of the country, including a large world
class ski resort of hundreds of thousands
of square meters in Masik Hill in Wonsan
of Kangwon Province.
Besides the ski resort, with its facilities
for skiing, snowboarding and other
winter sports, the government is looking
to promote mountaineering and several
scenic sites in the Mount Kumgang
Tourist Region, as well as game fishing
and other water-related sports along the
coastal areas. The Complex of Goguryeo
Tombs with their wall paintings from
more than 2,000 years ago, that became
a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004
is another site that attracts hundreds of
tourists.
On the diplomatic front, the DPRK
has historically displayed flexibility in
h
s
rate
e
n
t
fi
e
k
y
r
r
a
ve
em
its approach to foreign policy, while
consistently seeking to preserve
its political system and diplomatic
autonomy. Since declaring 1972 as the
‘Year of Diplomacy’ the country has
established representation in over 160
countries and with the European Union.
Efficient and pragmatic geopolitical
strategies by the Supreme Leader and
the government of DPRK have led to the
country being recognized as a power
to be reckoned with on the international
arena.
This year, on 27 July, DPRK
celebrated the 60th anniversary of
the Korea Fatherland Liberation War
at the Rungrado May Day Stadium in
Pyongyang. The May Day Stadium,
which can accommodate over 150,000
people, has the largest stadium capacity
in the world and the ‘Arirang’ Mass
Games, which were displayed on the
occasion, are the largest mass dance in
the world. ‘Arirang’ features over 30,000
school children forming mosaic patterns
with colored cards and choreographed
group routines by tens of thousands of
specially trained gymnasts. Child welfare
and education are also given very high
importance in DPRK. Education is free
of charge and compulsory until the
secondary level, and the country has
one of the most literate population in the
world, with an average literacy rate of 99
percent.
“On the occasion of 60th
anniversary celebrations, our Supreme
Leader joined political leaders and
other government dignitaries of DPRK
in witnessing the festivities. The
glorious events unfolded on the day
also included a large military parade
by the brave soldiers of DPRK and a
display of advanced and sophisticated
weaponry and armaments. The
mass drill displayed to the world the
capabilities of the invincible Korean
People’s Army, and international news
agencies and other media attending
the celebrations witnessed the strong
loyalty of the people and army to the
Supreme Leader, the Party and the
Fatherland,” said Ambassador Sik in
conclusion.
Wit
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4
timeskuwait.com
Kuwait towers feature
in top 20 GCC list
Malabar Gold & Diamonds
conducts Iftar events in Kuwait
M
alabar Gold & Diamonds hosted Iftar events
in Kuwait throughout this Holy month of
Ramadan. Iftar kits were distributed with their
special Iftar feast at various labor camps such as
KPTC Angara, Al Bahar Abbasiya, Bachelors Camp
and so on, during this period.
The group also organized several Iftar events
at different parts of GCC for over 50,000 people, to
spread the message of togetherness, brotherhood
and peace. Aiming at improving and uplifting the
quality of people in the region of their operations,
Malabar Gold & Diamonds conducts various activities
as a part of their CSR activities.
Malabar Gold & Diamonds is a leading jewelry
group with over 90 retail outlets in India and the
Middle East. Right from its inception, CSR activities
have been an important part of the organization’s
philosophy. Celebrating their 20th Anniversary, the
Group has announced its plans to allocate 10 percent
of its profits for the benefit of the needy and several
other CSR projects. They are focusing on making
significant difference in five priority areas such
medical, educational sector and environment, as well
as housing and women empowerment.
T
wo towers that will dot the Kuwait
Skyline are among the 20 tallest
towers under construction in
the GCC. While the tallest tower is
expected to be in Marina Dubai at a
height of 432m the smallest tower in
the list will also be in Dubai at a height
of 282m.
The two upcoming towers in
Kuwait included in the list are:
Gate of Kuwait Tower, Kuwait City:
an office, retail and five-star hotel
complex at 320m and 84 floors, which
is expected to be completed in 2015.
NBK Tower, Kuwait City: a 300m
high-rise comprising 60 floors that
is scheduled to be completed by
2016, and which will become the
new headquarters of the National
Bank of Kuwait. Piling work has been
recently completed on the Tower,
which has a distinctive oyster-themed
design created by UK-based Foster
& Partners. It is being built by main
contractor Al Ahmadiah, with Projacs
operating as project manager.
Over 4,000 stateless
residents declare true status
S
ome 4,038 illegal residents of
Kuwait have declared their true
legal documentation up until July 31,
since the formation of a body tasked
with their affairs.
Over the June-July period, some
707 people came forward to reveal
their true identities, said the official
from Kuwait’s Central Apparatus
for Illegal Resident Affairs Col.
Mohammed Al-Wehaib. Out of
these people were 3,062 from Saudi
Arabia, 529 from Syria, 265 from Iraq,
30 from Jordan, 28 from Iran and 224
of various nationalities.
The body, in cooperation with
other state institutions, provides
people who come forward with a
number of benefits, in addition to a
five-year cost-free residency permit,
added Al-Wehaib.
These individuals are also
Publisher & Editor-In-Chief
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Managing Editor
Reaven D’Souza
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granted services for free, namely
education and healthcare over a
five-year period that is renewable,
a food subsidies card - that is only
granted to Kuwaiti nationals - and the
priority immediately after locals for
employment.
Meanwhile, an official from the
Saudi Arabian Embassy in Kuwait,
Saeed Al-Maliki, disclosed that more
than 133,000 Saudis are currently
working in Kuwait, with 70 percent of
them serving in the Ministry of Interior
and Ministry of Defense, besides
women working in the public schools.
As per report published by Saudibased “Sharq” daily, an estimated
140,000 Saudi Arabians are working
in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar but
there are no records specifying their
number in United Arab Emirates and
the Sultanate of Oman.
P O Box 5141, Safat 13052, Kuwait
Tel
: 24814404, 24810109
Fax
: 24834815
Email : [email protected]
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Local
timeskuwait.com
5
Abuse and misuse of social media is
detrimental to repute and credibility
Ricky Laxa
Staff Writer
A
n Asian woman cried treacherous
and offensive after friends and family
members informed that her driving
license was posted on the social media wall of
a certain local organization petitioning for help
and assistance against her addressed to an
embassy. The picture of the driving license was
posted with her full details that caused alarm,
concern and fear of her personal security by her
families and next of kin. In such harsh situation,
the Asian woman who calls herself a victim of
cyber bullying posted via comments of readers
and viewers have further resulted to retaliation
and may cause further damage to both parties.
In an interview with the Asian woman,
she said that her family members who are
based overseas have called and informed
that her driving license was fully posted in the
social media wall with tag line petition by a
certain individual asking for help addressed
to an embassy for assistance to acquire her
husband’s money from the Asian woman who
promised to arrange her visa in Kuwait. The
acquisition of driving license details was vague
and unclear as to how it ended on the hands of
the organization but the Asian woman reiterated
that an individual bearing personal grudges has
orchestrated the whole scenario. Many viewers
and members of the commentaries have literally
pointed finger at the Asian woman who have
not been given the chance to air her side nor
consulted since she is in the country and have
not left. Few however sympathized with the
Asian woman who now questions the social
media’s lack of supervision and lax policies that
can cause detrimental effect on victims that
include both the petitioner and Asian woman.
Kuwait News Agency published; “In Kuwait
social media is growingly gaining ground in
media scene. Social networking sites have
become a major source of news and important
player in the political scene and that Twitter
tops the list of most influential media sites in the
political street. Social media refers to so-called
Web 2.0 technology that doesn’t merely present
information, but that allows for user-generated
content and community interactivity. The most
important and wide-spread social media sites
are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram
and Google+. There are over 1.3 million active
Twitter users in Arab countries. Kuwait leads
the way in Twitter penetration in Arab nations at
eight percent, ahead of Bahrain at four percent,
Photo grab of the driving license of Asian woman posted in social wall recently.
Qatar at two percent, the UAE at two percent
and Saudi Arabia at one percent. Kuwait sent
almost 60 million tweets in March, 2012 (source:
AllTwitter). Experts also added that successful
social media marketing maximizes customer
engagement to foster a sense of community
and increase traffic.
The experts, however, warned that users
have to take into account the disadvantages
and negative impact of social media. In spite
of its huge advantages, social media has some
disadvantages including the use of these sites to
damage reputation of innocent people, spread
rumors or extremist ideas or law-breaching
materials, Political Analyst Ibrahim Dashti told
KUNA. Legal expert and lawyer Mariam AlBahr echoed a similar view.
“A huge number of law suits have been
filed against Twitter users in Kuwait recently for
offending religion and political leadership.” She
also raised alarm that posts on social networking
sites were the cause of a considerable number
of family disputes in the past years. Social
media has not known just a platform for easy
and simple advanced online marketing but it
has become a revolution of our century. Many
people are using different social networking sites
and some have tried to capture its importance
but they do not know about its advantages and
disadvantages.”, KUNA published.
On the other hand hubpages.com published
the advantages and disadvantages of social
media such include; Brings people together,
Provides breadth of knowledge, Technological
literacy, Opportunity to widen business and
attracts attention while disadvantages include;
Understanding on how it works - one need to
understand how social media works, when and
how to use it and which channels to focus on
depending on ones end goal of using social
media in order to get its full effects, Commits
illegal crime - Social media may open possibility
for hackers to commit illegal crime such as fraud,
spam and virus attacks. People falling prey to
online scam may also increase, resulting in data
or identity theft, Viral social disadvantage - This
may damage one’s reputation. The wrong online
brand strategy could put one on this, Negative
effects on worker productivity -Results in lost
productivity and employees may use social
media to attack the company’s reputation.
Instead of working in their time of work, they
can waste such valuable time using social
media channels such as Twitter and Facebook.
This may result in negative comments from
employees about the company or potential
legal consequences if employees use these
sites to view objectionable, illicit or offensive
material, Distraction - Most people who suffer
from this are students. Instead of doing their
home works they tend to fail their academic
endeavors because of using social media in the
wrong way, Serious detrimental outcomes on
individual’s health - When social media is used
in a wrong way, it may have a negative effect
on both mental and physical health of individual.
According to a recent survey from Lawyers.
com, less than half of individuals using social
media believe their social media activity can be
held against them in court. Among the survey’s
findings are less than 50 percent of social media
users believe their postings can be held against
them in court, younger people are savvier on
this topic, nearly twice as likely to believe their
social media postings can be used against them
in court: 60 percent of Facebook users aged
18-34 versus just 33 percent of Facebook users
55 years and older, A higher income means a
greater belief that one’s social media postings
can be used in court: Facebook saw 41 percent
of those with a annual household incomes
under $25,000 believing their postings could
be used against them compared to 60 percent
of Facebook users with a incomes greater than
$75,000 per year.
Not surprising, more educated social media
users were more likely to believe their postings
could be used against them. Of those who
believed they were legally accountable for their
posts, 39 percent of Facebook users with a
high school degree or less versus 64 percent
of Facebook users who had a college degree
or higher.
6
Local
timeskuwait.com
Meet Kuwait’s new MPs
Continued from Page 1
Association and also won membership of the
annulled parliament of February 2012.
Kamel Mahmoud Mohammad Mahmoud AlAwadhi was born 1957. He holds a diploma from
the Police College and served in several senior
posts of the Ministry of Interior.
Mohammad Merwi Malfi Mubarak AlHadiyah was born in 1964. He holds a bachelor
of civil engineering and works as engineer at the
Kuwait Municipality, enjoys membership of the
Kuwait Society of Engineers and the American
Society of Engineers.
Massouma Saleh Mohammad Al-Mubarak
was born in 1947. She holds a PhD in international
relations, and is a member of the Alumni
Association, Kuwaiti Economists Association
and the Kuwaiti Journalists Association, served
as Minister of Planning and Minister of State
for Administrative Reform in 2005, Minister
of Transport in 2006 and Minister of Health in
2007. Won the membership of the National
Assembly in 2009 and the annulled December
2012 parliament.
a member of the National Assembly in 1981,
1985, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2008 and
2009, in addition to the annulled December
2012 elections.
Abdulrahman Al-Jeeran was born in 1962.
He has a PhD in Islamic theology from Glasgow
University, a master’s in Islamic culture from
Cairo’s supreme Islamic institution of Al-Azhar
University and a bachelor’s in sharia studies
from Kuwait University. He is employed in the
Ministry of Education’s curriculum department
and the strategic Islamic studies department
in Kuwait’s Basic Education College. He
was elected to the annulled December 2012
elections.
Khalil Al-Saleh was born in 1958 and has a
diploma in civil aviation. He was a member of
the annulled December 2012 elections. He was
an aviation instructor and held the position of
head of the Amir’s fleet. He is also a member
of the International Federation of Airline Pilots’
Associations, Kuwait Aircraft Engineers and
was minister of health in January 2009 and
minister of state for Cabinet affairs in May 2009.
Safa Al-Hashem was born in 1964 and
holds a masters in business administration.
She worked in the Ministry of Higher Education
in 1994, then was board chairperson of
Advantage company, and was a member in the
2012 annulled parliament.
Jamal Hussein Al-Omar was born in 1962
and holds a masters in business administration.
He was a member of the National Assembly
in 2003 and 2006. He held several posts in
company boards of directors.
Mohammad Nasser Al-Jabri was born
in 1974 and holds a bachelor’s degree in
information systems, and works at Kuwait
Airways Corporation (KAC). He was former
board chairman of Khaitan Cooperative Society.
Yaaqoub Al-Sane was born in 1976 and
holds a PhD in constitutional law. He works as
a lawyer, is a member of the Arab Bar Union,
chairman of human rights committee in Kuwait
Second constituency winners
Marzouq Al-Ghanem with 3170 votes
Riyadh Al-Adsani
with 2849 votes
Rakan Al-Nesf
with 2527 votes
Adel Al-Kharafi
with2058 votes
Ali Al-Rashed
with1819 votes
Hamad Al-Harshani
with 1753 votes
Ouda Oudha Al-Ruwaiee with 1667 votes
Khalaf Dmaitheer Al-Enezi with 1637 votes
Abdulrahman Al-Jeeran
with 1554 votes
Khalil Al-Saleh
with 1505 votes.
Marzouq Al-Ghanem was was born in 1968
and holds a bachelors degree in mechanical
engineering. He held a number of positions,
including Chairman of Boubyan Petrochemicals.
He was elected MP in 2006, 2008 and 2009
in addition to the annulled February 2012
parliament. Riyadh Al-Adsani was born in 1976
and has a Bachelor’s degree in finance and
marketing. He was employed at the investments
department of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
and was the deputy head of the Kuwait
Investment Authority (KIA) in 2006. He was
elected in the two annulled 2012 elections.
Rakan Al-Nesf was born in 1980 and has a
bachelor’s degree in finance. An entrepreneur
by trade, he is a board member of the Kuwait
defence of public funds and a former board
member of the Kuwait Society for Human Rights.
Adel Al-Kharafi was born in 1959 and has
a civil engineering bachelor’s degree. AlKharafi was elected a member of the annulled
December 2012 elections and is a municipal
representative in 2005. He has since held a
number of positions including President of the
Paris-based World Federation of Engineering
Organisations and President of the Arab
Engineers Union. He is also a member of the
Kuwait Journalists Association and a former
member of the Kuwait Engineers Society.
Ali Al-Rashed was born in 1976 and holds
a degree and a higher diploma in law. He
held a number of public positions, and was
member of the bureau investigating the crime
of the ousted Iraqi regime in 2000. Al-Rashed
became a member of the National Assembly in
2003, 2006, 2008 and 2009 in addition to the
two parliaments that were annulled in February
and December 2012. He was appointed State
Minister for Cabinet Affairs in 2011.
Hamad Saif Al-Harshani was born in
1965, has a high-school certificate and is a
businessman. He was elected in the annulled
December 2012 elections.
Ouda Oudha Al-Ruwaiee was born in 1968
and holds a PhD in psychology and chairs
the psychological guidance unit at Kuwait
University (KU). He is an advisor at the ministry
of justice and the public awqaf endowment. He
is a member of Kuwait Human Rights Society
and the US psychology association.
Khalaf Dmaitheer Al-Enezi was born in 1952
and holds a teaching diploma. He was a member
of the National Council in 1990 and was elected
Municipal Council member and held the position
consecutively for 10 years between 1999 and
2009.
Mohammad Tana Al-Enezi was born in 1956
and has a bachelor’s in law. He is a retired
major-general in the Ministry of Interior.
Askar Al-Enezi was born in 1971 and holds
a diploma in management. He is an employee
of the Communication Ministry. He also won a
seat in the Municipal Council in 2005. He was
elected MP in 2008 and 2009 and was voted to
the annulled December 2012 parliament.
Mansour Al-Dhifeeri was born in 1975 and
is a dentist and a member of the Kuwait Dental
Association.
Mubarak Al-Khrainej was born in 1948 and
holds a high school degree, He worked at
the Foreign Ministry as a political attache. He
was voted to the annulled December 2012
parliament and was elected MP in 1992, 1996,
1999, 2006 and 2009. He was also a member of
the National Council of 1990.
Hussein Quwain Al-Mutairi was born in 1968
and holds a bachelor’s degree in medicine
and surgery.He is a member of the Canadian
Board of Orthopedic Surgeons and is a
fellow at the Royal College of Physicians and
Surgeons of Canada. He is currently employed
as an orthopedic consultant surgeon at Al-Razi
Hospital. He was voted into parliament as an MP
on one occasion in 2008.
Abdallah Al-Adwani was born in 1964 and is
a member of the Kuwait Journalists Association
and is a magazine deputy secretary.
Fifth constituency winners
Pilots Associations and the Kuwait Airways’
trade union, before being elected to the annulled
parliament of December 2012.
Third constituency winners
Ali Al-Omair
with 3560 votes
Khalil Abdullah Ali Abdullah with 3099 votes
Faisal Al-Shaye
with 2623 votes
Roudhan Al-Roudhan
with 2148 votes
Safa Al-Hashem
with 2036 vote
Jamal Al-Omar
with 1996 votes
Mohammad Nasser Al-Jabrwith 1678 votes
Yaaqoub Al-Sane
with 1460 votes
AbdulkareemAbdullahAl-Kandari with 1424 votes
Osama Yusuf Al-Tahous
with 1403 votes.
Ali Al-Omair was born in 1958 and holds a
PhD in analytical chemistry and taught at the
UAE University in 1990 and 1991, at Kuwait
University between 1992 and 1994, and at
the Public Authority for Applied Education
and Training between 1994 and 1997. He was
elected MP in 2006, 2008, 2009 and the 2012
annulled parliament.
Khalil Abdullah was born in 1965 and holds
a PhD in computer science. He was a professor
in Kuwait University and is member of Kuwait
Engineers Society.
Faisal Fahad Al-Shaye was born in 1952 and
holds a bachelor in business administration.
He was a member of parliament in 1999 and
2006, chief of the investment office of the Public
Institution for Social Security, general manager
of Wafra Real Estate Company, secretary
general of the Al-Qadisiya sporting club.
Roudhan Al-Roudhan was born in 1965
and holds a certificate of the Kuwait Institute
for Applied Technology. He is a former deputy
chairman of the Municipal Council in 1999-2001
and chairman of the council in 2001-03. He is
also former secretary general of Al-Rawda and
Hawally Cooperative Society. He was a member
of the National Assembly in 2008 and 2009. He
Bar Association, the public fund protection
society and member of the 2012 annulled
parliament.
Abdulkareem Abdullah Al-Kandari was born
in 1981 and holds a PhD in commercial law. He
is a lawyer and professor at Kuwait University
(KU) Law School. He is a member of Kuwait
Lawyers Association.
Osama Yusuf Al-Tahous was born in
1979 and holds a bachelor of education
and postgraduate studies in economy and
planning. He is a teacher and member of Kuwait
Journalists Association.
Fourth constituency winners
Total valid votes 22,569
Sultan Al-Shimmiri
with 2901 votes
Saad Ali Khanfour Al-Rasheediwith 2478 votes
Saud Al-Huraiji
with 2459 votes
Majed Moussa Al-Mutairi with 2402 votes
Mohammad Tana Al-Enezi with 2372 votes
Askar Al-Enezi
with 2287 votes
Mansour Al-Dhifeeri
with 2202 votes
Mubarak Al-Khrainej
with 1962 votes
Hussein Quwaian Al-Mutairi
with 1873 votes
Abdullah Al-Adwani
with 1633 votes.
Sultan Al-Shimmiri was born in 1967 and has
a diploma in military science. He is currently
employed at the Ministry of Defence.
Saad Ali Khanfour Al-Rashidi was born in
1965 and has a high-school certificate. He
was formerly employed at the Interior Ministry
and was voted MP in the National Assemblies
of 2008 and 2009. He was also voted to the
two annulled parliaments of February and
December 2012.
Saud Al-Huraiji was born in 1962, holds a
bachelor’s degree and is a member of the crafts
labour union. He was voted to the annulled
December 2012 parliament.
Majed Al-Mutairi was born in 1960 and
has a high-school certificate. He is a former
Abdullah Al-Tamimi
with
Madhi Al-Hajri
with
Faisal Al-Kandari
with
Talal Al-Sahli
with
Hamdan Al-Azmi
with
Mohammad Hadi Al-Huwaila
with
Saif Al-Azmi
with
Humoud Al-Hamdan
with
Saadoun Hammad Al-Otaibi
with
Ahmad Al-Azmi
with
4135
3251
2977
2785
2407
2139
1754
1716
1645
1640
votes
votes
votes
votes
votes
votes
votes
votes
votes
votes
Abdullah Al-Tamimi was born in 1965 and
holds a high-school degree. He works in Kuwait
Oil Company (KOC), is a member of KOC’s
labor union, and was member of the annulled
2012 parliament. Madhi Mohammad Al-Hajri
was born in 1968 and holds a bachelor’s degree
in business administration. He worked in the oil
ministry.
Faisal Al-Kandari was born in 1970 and holds
a master’s degree in business administration.
He worked as assistant CEO of Al-Bilad Real
Estate Investment company, and was member
of the annulled 2012 parliament. Talal Al-Sahli
was born in 1972 and holds a bachelor of law
degree. He works as a lawyer and is a member
of the Central Tenders Committee, and deputy
secretary general of the Gulf union of lawyers.
Hamdan Al-Azmi was born in 1968 and holds
a masters in civil law. He worked as a lawyer
and legal researcher at the interior ministry. He
is a member of Kuwait Lawyers Association.
Mohammad Hadi Al-Huwaila was born in 1971
and holds a PhD in management from Yarmouk
University in Jordan. He is a faculty member in
Saad Al-Abdullah Security Sciences College
and the Arab Open University. He was elected
MP in 2008 and 2009.
Saif Mutlaq Al-Azmi was born in 1973 and
holds a diploma in business administration.
Humoud Al-Hamdan was born in 1962 and
holds a masters in Islamic sharia.
He worked as a schoolteacher and was
member of Kuwait Teachers Society. Saadoun
Hammad Al-Otaibi was born in 1959 and holds
a bachelor degree in law. He was a member
in the National Council of 1990, and MP in the
parliaments of 1999, 2006, 2008, 2009 and the
annulled 2012 parliament.
Ahmad Abdullah Al-Azmi was born in 1971
and holds a PhD in Islamic sharia and law. He
worked as director of auditing in the ministry of
state for housing affairs’ office. He was a member
of the annulled 2012 National Assembly.
E
Eid
timeskuwait.com
Eid al-Fitr around the world
id al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan,
the Islamic holy month of fasting, and
highlights many of the basic values
of the Muslim community, including charity,
compassion for the poor, worship and common
goal of unity. Eid falls on the first day of the month
of Shawwal, following the month-long fasting
during Ramadan. The exact date of the start of
Dendeng Pedas (Fried Beef)
Ingredients:
1 kg topside beef
1 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1 tbsp Dark soya sauce
10 Shallots
4 Red chilies
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
Salt
1 tbsp Lemon or fresh lime juice
Preparation:
Cut the beef fairly thin and trim it into
small, square pieces. Marinate it for
1 hour or longer in a paste made from
olive oil, black pepper and soya sauce.
Remember that these fried beef pedas
are spicy hot with a robust flavor of chili.
Slice the shallots finely. Seed and slice
the chilies. Fry them in a tablespoonful
of oil, in a wok, stirring all the time until
they are golden brown. Add salt to taste.
Keep hot. Put a tablespoonful of oil in
a thick frying-pan, and fry the slices of
meat a few at a time until crisp. Three
minutes on each side will be ample.
When all the pieces are cooked, put
them into the wok with the shallots and
chili. Heat, and mix well. Sprinkle over
the mixture 1 tablespoonful of lemon
juice, or, better still, fresh lime juice. Stir,
and add more salt if necessary. Serve
hot, with rice.
Eid varies in many parts of the world based on
confirmation of sighting the new moon by local
religious authorities.
Eid is celebrated from one to three days
depending on locality and Muslims are
encouraged on this day to forgive and forget any
differences with others or animosities that may
have occurred during the year.
They wake up early in the morning before
sunrise offer Salatul Fajr, (the prayer before
sunrise) perform ablutions and proceed for
Eid prayers. It is forbidden to fast on the Day
of Eid, so it is customary to have a few dates
or other sweets before heading for the special
Eid al-Fitr Salat (Prayer). An obligatory act of
charity to the poor (Sadaqat-ul-Fitr) is offered
before performing Eid prayers, which are
generally held in open spaces or a large hall to
accommodate the congregation.
After Eid prayers, Muslims visit their
relatives, friends and acquaintances or hold
large communal celebrations in homes,
community centers or rented halls and Eid gifts
are distributed among children and immediate
relatives.
Indonesia: With the largest Muslim
population in the world, Idul Fitri, as Eid al-Fitr
is known locally, is celebrated with great pomp
and glory in Indonesia. During the Eid holidays,
Indonesians who had moved to cities and
towns for their livelihood return to their homes
in villages across the country to celebrate
Lebaran, a word which means abundance in
local dialects. This homecoming, called pulang
kampung or mudik, leads to tremendous traffic
jams as hundreds of thousands of vehicles of
every kind throng the highways leading out of
cities.
Following Eid prayers Indonesian Muslims
greet each other on the happy occasion and
ask forgiveness for any physical or mental
agony caused in the past. Eid is considered not
only a time of celebration but also a moment
of atonement and reconciliation; a time to ask
forgiveness for sins committed and which
were cleansed by the steadfastness of fasting
during Ramadan. Later, it is common for many
Muslims to visit the graves of loved ones to
clean them and recite verses from the Quran.
Indian sub-continent: In many parts of
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh the night
before Eid is called Chaand Raat, or ‘Night of
the Moon’; on the eve of Eid people visit shops
and malls to engage in Eid shopping for the
family. Women and young girls adorn their feet
and hands with traditional motifs made from
henna paste and go about in their best dresses.
After Eid prayers in the morning people formally
embrace each other with greetings of ‘Eid
Mubarak’ and frequently gifts are exchanged
between friends and relatives.
On Eid day before prayers, people distribute
a charity locally known as fitra, while many
people use the occasion to distribute Zakat, an
obligatory alms tax in Islam that constitute 2.5
percent of one’s annual savings given to the
poor. After the Eid prayers, it is common for
some families to visit graveyards and pray for the
salvation of departed family members. Special
celebratory dishes in the sub-continent include
dishes made of fine vermicelli noodles with milk
and dried fruit.
Saudi Arabia: Eid al-Fitr along with Eid alAdha are the two main religious holidays in Saudi
Arabia. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated with splendor
across the Kingdom and while customs and
traditions vary from one region to another, the
generosity and hospitality that prevails on the
occasion is common to all regions.
Traditionally Saudi families gather at the
patriarchal home after Eid prayers to greet
relatives and present gift bags containing
candies and toys to young children. It some
regions of Saudi Arabia it is traditional for
people to anonymously deliver large quantities
of rice and other staples at the door of the less
fortunate. In the central part of the Kingdom
many people continue to follow the custom of
communal meals. Carpets are spread on one of
the neighborhood streets and each household in
the area will prepare a large meal that is shared
by neighbors.
Egypt: Eid prayers in the morning are
marked by large congregations of men, women
and children and sermons following the prayers
exhort Egyptians to follow virtues and do good
deeds unto others, even strangers, during Eid
and throughout the year.
Children wear new clothes and gather around
elders to receive Eid-ey-yah, the customary Eid
gift of money, while womenfolk receive special
gifts from their loved ones. Also mothers, wives,
sisters and daughters are given special gifts by
their loved ones.
After prayers and exchange of greetings,
people visit the homes of family members and
relatives, which is considered a must during
the first day of Eid. During the family gatherings
feasts are prepared and shared, including
cookies called Kahk filled with nuts and covered
with powdered sugar. The remaining two days of
the Eid holidays are spent by families and friends
in leisure and entertainment activities.
Turkey: Eid al-Fitr, referred to as Şeker
Bayramı in Turkey, is a three-day celebration
infused with traditions. The first day of the Eid is
generally regarded as the most important, with
family members waking up early, and men
going to neighborhood mosques for the special
bayram prayer. Other ceremonies include visits
to homes of relatives, neighbors and friends and
trips to cemeteries to pay respects to deceased
family members. Temporary bazaars selling
prayer books, flowers and water to sprinkle
on plants around the graves, are set up near
cemeteries.
During Eid holidays, it is customary for many
young children to go around their neighborhood,
wishing everyone a “Happy Bayram,” and
in turn receive traditional sweets such
as baklava and Turkish Delight, as well as
chocolates, candies and small amounts of
money.
In addition to large attendances at concerts
and other traditional forms of entertainment,
local authorities organize well-attended fundraising events for the poor.
Sudan: Eid al-Fitr is celebrated in splendor
across Sudan where the overwhelming Muslim
population prepares for the event days ahead.
Sweets and other delicacies like dainty biscuits,
meringues and cookies called ka’ak coated with
powdered sugar are prepared well in advance.
Popcorn is baked in large quantities and served
along with sweets to visiting relatives, friends
and other guests.
On the night before Eid, the entire family
participates in cleaning and decorating the
house and courtyard. The best sheets and
colorful tablecloths are spread out to welcome
guests arriving for Eid celebrations.
7
8
India
timeskuwait.com
RBI measures to help rupee just painkillers?
T
he Indian rupee recently slumped to its
lowest closing amid investor jitters that
measures to cure the currency’s ills are
hardly working. The rupee fell 1.1 percent to
61.10 per dollar, worse than its previous closing
low of 60.44.
Fears that the economic slowdown may
worsen in the wake of rising interest rates and
portfolio outflows due to rising yields in the US
are aggravating the currency’s fall. The fact that
India needs an average of $6 billion a month
to fund the current account deficit, and that it
imports more than three-fourths of its crude oil
import, are only helping the drag.
Despite the Reserve Bank of India curbing
speculation by international investors, the
currency continued its decline as better returns
in the US — S&P 500 is at an all-time high and
yields at 2.7 percent on treasuries, yield more
than the 8.3 percent on Indian bonds, adjusted
for hedging currency risk.
“The measures that have been taken are just
painkillers,” said Ashutosh Khajuria, President,
Treasury, Federal Bank. “They will only bring
temporary relief. The direction in the US is very
clear. Growth there is inclusive and sustainable.
In India, we do not know what to do. The RBI
on Thursday banned foreign funds investing
through so-called participatory notes from
hedging currency risks without client approval.
This followed a series of measures such as
banning banks’ proprietary trading in currency
futures, and mandating exporters to bring in
dollars within nine months instead of 12 months.
It also raised interest rates by as much as
200 bps and cut funds available through its
liquidity adjustment facility to just 0.5 percent
India spends an average of $6 billion a month to fund
the current account deficit, and imports more than
three-fourths of its crude oil needs.
of total deposits. The central bank has been
defending the rupee by selling US dollars, albeit
in a limited way, eroding forex reserves. Forex
reserves fell to a three-year low of $280.16
billion on July 26.
A vulnerable India, with a record high current
deficit at 4.8 percent of gross domestic product,
was hit hard when Federal Reserve Chairman
Ben Bernanke on May 22 hinted at tapering the
monthly $85-billion bond purchases that lifted
the emerging markets in the last few years. But
he has since toned down and there is no timeframe yet on when he will begin the tapering.
India’s problem now is that foreign investors,
which have been funding Indian imports, are
selling Indian assets as their investments have
lost money in the last four years if seen in US
dollar terms. With many cutting economic
growth forecasts for this fiscal, corporate
earnings may also be tepid. Goldman Sachs
on Thursday downgraded India to underweight.
Foreign investors have pulled out Rs 63,409
crore from Indian debt and equity since May
22. If economic growth slows, outflows may
accelerate.
Crude oil prices are near $110 a barrel, up
more than 10 percent in the last few months. With
the Index of Industrial Production contracting 1.6
percent in May, and manufacturing PMI falling
to 50.1 from 50.3 in June, the lowest since April
2009, chances of the slowdown worsening are
rising. If the central bank’s measures are kept
for longer than a few weeks, the overall interest
rates may rise, squeezing customers further.
Already, YES Bank has raised lending rates
and others such as Axis are raising deposit
rates. State Bank of India has hinted at raising
rates if RBI’s tight liquidity stance lasts for more
than three months. “Yields on US treasuries
are up and crude prices are up — all these
factors are playing on the minds of traders,”
said Anoop Verma, Vice-President, Treasury
and Money Markets, Development Credit Bank
(DCB).” Our bonds have been down because
of the measures. Maybe in the longer term,
the movement in US treasuries would also be
priced into bond prices.”
Telangana tangle,
a wily political calculation
W
Kerala: State with best health indicators,
has lowest density of doctors
Kerala — India’s role-model state for
healthcare development with basic health
indicators matching
many
developed
countries — has run into a peculiar problem:
shortage of doctors. The southern state has
the lowest doctor density in the country with
some of its cities having just 0.2 doctors for
every 1,000 people, says a study conducted
by the healthcare research firm IMS consulting. The average doctor ratio per 1,000 population
is 1.1 in 120 Indian cities surveyed by IMS,
which covered nearly 300,000 doctors. The
global average is two doctors per thousand
people.
“Though the state has the highest life
expectancy, it also has the highest morbidity
rate in the country, which means we might be
sitting on a time bomb,” said Amit Backliwal,
Managing Director at IMS Health South Asia.
The doctor shortage in Kerala exists right from
general practitioners to specialist doctors.
Other states with low doctor density
ratio included Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Haryana has the highest doctor density with
an average 2.24 doctors per 1,000 people.
North India, where 28 percent of the country’s
population lives, accounts for 31 percent of
doctors, the IMS report says.
But East and South India have significantly
lower density of general practitioners
compared to the Indian average. Among the
metros, Delhi was found to have the largest
number of doctors followed by Mumbai. The
survey also found that the cost of treatment
in super specialty hospitals is significantly
higher in smaller cities than in metros, hinting
that doctors are cashing on the demandsupply gap.
“Healthcare in India is an urban
phenomenon,” Kumar Hinduja, Senior
Director at IMS Health, says. “What is of
concern is when it comes to super specialty
doctors, the numbers drop from larger metro
cities to the smaller ones.” Hinduja says that
policy makers could look at several measures
to bridge this demand-supply gap and
technology-enabled solutions could be one
example.
hen Independent India began drawing
up plans for creations of states in
the dying days of the British Raj, the
main criterion used to demarcate regions was
linguistic, with people who mostly spoke the
same language being brought together in
one state. Demands for regional autonomy or
separate statehood began to be raised fairly
quickly in different parts of India. Among the
first was the demand for a separate state of
Telangana, which, despite opposition, had
been merged with other Telugu-speaking
regions to create the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Now, after more than six decades, and
several peaceful protests, hunger strikes and
violent riots, what has led to the creation of the
new state of Telangana, is not any significant
changes in ground reality, but rather the wily
political calculations of the Congress Party,
with an eye to the upcoming Parliamentary
elections in 2014.
The party dominated the last Lok Sabha
(lower house) elections in Andhra Pradesh,
gaining 35 precious seats for the ruling
coalition in Parliament.
But when the charismatic local leader
Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy died in a helicopter
crash in 2009, the Congress party suddenly
realized that it had created too powerful a
regional governor and so came down heavily
on his son and heir, who is now in prison on a
corruption charge. There are indications that
Congress may be wiped out in the state in
the next general elections, which are likely to
be held around next April. So this decision to
bifurcate Andhra could be a last-ditch attempt
to win itself some votes at least in one region
of the state, while throwing the other parties
into confusion and perhaps gaining from that
disarray.
This petty political calculation is obviously
not explicitly stated: instead, the official talk is
about the genuine grievances and concerns
of the people of Telangana. But already the
decision – which will take around six months
to implement – has generated significant side
effects nationally. Regional separatists across
the country have upped their antes: demands
for separate states such as Gorkhaland in
northern West Bengal, Bodoland in Assam
and Vidarbha in Maharashtra, are getting
louder and more insistent. There is even a
demand that the huge state of Uttar Pradesh
should be broken up into four states. India
may be in for a period of enhanced instability
on that score.
What is clear is that the Congress party,
in its push for some immediate political
benefit, has let the genie out of the bottle –
with very uncertain consequences. Already
the Telangana
Rashtra
Samithi (TRS)
president K. Chandrashekar Rao has called
for government employees from Seemandhra
to leave the new state, after it officially comes
into existence. About 60 percent of the top
jobs in government-run healthcare facilities
and 52 percent in government departments
are held by people from the Seemandhra
region, which has been a major bone of
contention, with locals claiming that they
have been shortchanged and ignored in the
matter.
Once again, we are reminded that we
need to be careful what we wish for.
Feature
timeskuwait.com
9
Style and substance
Pope’s new style papacy
wows the world
Uruguay passes bill
to regulate
marijuana market
L
ate week, the lower house
of
Uruguay’s
legislature
passed a bill providing for
the establishment of a fully legal,
regulated marijuana market. If the
bill is approved by the Senate —
a likely outcome, given the ruling
Broad Front’s sizeable majority
in the chamber — the tiny Latin
American country will become the
first to fully legalize the growth, sale,
and distribution of the world’s most
popular illegal drug.
The passage of the bill has been
controversial inside and outside the
country. Polls consistently show
that the majority of Uruguayans
are opposed to legalization, and
Wednesday’s vote only succeeded
by a narrow majority of 50 votes
to 44. Less than 24 hours after
its passage, the legislation drew
criticism from the United Nations’
International Narcotics Control
Board, which warned of “serious
consequences for the health and
welfare of the population” should
the bill become law. But the move
has also drawn support from some
drug policy activists, who praise
its creation of a legal market as
an important step toward a more
sensible law enforcement paradigm.
Uruguay’s marijuana bill differs
from liberal drug laws in other
countries like the Netherlands and
Portugal in that it provides not only
for decriminalization of personal
possession and use, but also for
the legalization and regulation of
every aspect of the production
and distribution process. The
law establishes three categories
of cannabis production: home
cultivation for personal use,
“membership clubs” where small
numbers of individuals can establish
growing and sharing cooperatives,
and licensed private enterprises that
will be allowed to grow marijuana
commercially. All sales are to
be conducted through state-run
pharmacies, and a new government
agency, the Institute of Regulation
and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA)
will be established to monitor and
regulate consumption, production,
and distribution. And legal purchase
is limited to Uruguayan citizens.
The downside (or upside) of
creating a market for marijuana,
however, is that in order to attract
consumers, officially sanctioned
marijuana will have to compete with
the old illegal stuff in both price and
quality. Which means, for this bill to
work, the Uruguayan government
is going to have to start distributing
some quality weed on the cheap.
According to an excellent report
from InSight Crime, most marijuana
in Uruguay is imported from nearby
Paraguay. To significantly cut into the
traffickers’ business, the Uruguayan
state will have to make the marijuana
sold in pharmacies more attractive
to users than the imported product.
This shouldn’t be too much of a
problem in the capital of Montevideo,
where 25 grams of smuggled
marijuana can cost upwards of $100
-- more than four times the estimated
pharmacy price of $22 per 25
grams. But undercutting the black
market’s prices will be considerably
tougher in the rural regions near
the Argentine border, where prices
are already astoundingly cheap.
To break into this market, the
government is instituting some major
quality control. The legalization
bill specifically bans ‘pressing’
marijuana — a technique that dries
out the plant in order to facilitate
longer storage and is a common
practice among drug traffickers,
but which is also believed to make
cannabis less potent. The legal
cannabis, on the other hand, will be
the narcotic equivalent of artisanal
goat cheese, fresh and local. And, of
course, for those with green thumbs,
there’s always the option of growing
your own.
While this is all great news for
Uruguay’s small community of
marijuana users, (an estimated
120,000 in a country of over 3 million),
the country’s Snoop Doggs might
still be driven to the black market by
the individual consumption cap of
40 grams per month, not to mention
the requirement that users place
their names on a state registry. And
private growers will no doubt face
a host of regulations that could be
passed on to consumers, making
it difficult to maintain a competitive
price point. All of this means that
the companies that produce the
official stuff will face an uphill
battle in converting users who are
already accustomed to the black
market. Nevertheless, if successful,
Uruguay’s legalization could not
only provide an early Christmas
for its cannabis connoisseurs, but
also provide a model for countries
looking for a way out of the U.S.-led,
decades-long Drug War.
O
n his debut abroad the first Latin American pope
put a spring in the church’s step in the world’s
largest Roman Catholic country. Also, with a long,
informal press conference, he underlined the new style
that his papacy has brought, heralding a softer tone on
sexual issues, and a tougher line on Vatican cliques.
Humble and plain-speaking, Francis drew huge
crowds despite the wet and cold of the southern winter.
His energy and urgency was a marked break with the
sense of drift that has afflicted the Latin American church.
And it contrasted with two lackluster visits by his cerebral
predecessor, Benedict. A final mass on Rio’s Copacabana
beach drew over a million people: a record rivaled only by
John Paul II’s trips to Poland. He told them: “Do not be
afraid to go and to bring Christ into every area of life, to the
margins of society, even to those who seem farthest away,
most indifferent.” At a meeting of bishops, he called for a
new “missionary spirit” and decried “obsolete structures”.
He led by example, visiting a favela (slum) and meeting
the sick, young offenders and former drug addicts.
In word and deed, that was a rebuke to the church
for its retreat from the poor urban peripheries, where the
church’s Protestant competitors have flourished. He also,
by implication, challenged the Protestant theology, often
a gung-ho message of prosperity through piety, with a
forthright attack on capitalism’s “disposable” culture. With
that, he offered an olive branch to the remnants of the
politically radical liberation-theology movement, long at
odds with Rome. As Argentina’s senior cleric, Francis had
disagreed firmly with the movement’s Marxist message,
infuriating its leftist fans. But he applauds its emphasis
on the poor.
Whether the public’s appreciation of the pope’s new
style will halt the church’s decline will not be clear for
years. Even when parts of the Latin American Catholic
church opted for the poor, the poor have often opted
for Pentecostalism, notes Andrew Chesnut, of Virginia
Commonwealth University. “The message of social justice
often appeals more to the liberal secularists than its
intended audience,” he says. The charismatic John Paul II
also drew vast crowds in Latin America — but in the very
years when the Protestant churches were making some of
their biggest gains there.
The trip underlined Francis’s image of a ‘barefoot pope’
who lives in a hostel, not the papal apartments, cares
for the poor and is endowed with human warmth that
Benedict seemed at times to lack. His likeability ensures
respectful attention (even from those who disagree with
him). For the leader of an organization in which the core
beliefs are not open to negotiations, style matters a lot.
People sense hypocrisy and pomposity; they also sense
the opposite.
In the plane on his return home Francis seemed
buoyed by his visit. Other popes have also spoken to the
travelling press corps. But this first press conference was
long, at 82 minutes, and relaxed: quite unlike the stilted
affairs of past years.
What particularly caught the headlines was a notably
non-judgmental remark about homosexuality. Francis
also said gays should be “integrated” not marginalized.
Though the generous tone (as with his remarks about
women’s service to the church) was new, he stressed that
church teaching is unaltered. Yet this is more subtle than
outsiders sometimes appreciate. The catechism deplores
homosexual acts, terming them “objectively disordered”,
but it also forthrightly condemns all signs of discrimination
against homosexuals, saying they “must be accepted
with respect, compassion, and sensitivity”.
The intriguing aspect of his remark, however, was
the question that prompted it: about Monsignor Battista
Ricca, appointed by Francis in June to perhaps the most
sensitive job in the Vatican, the Prelate of the Institute
for the Works of Religion (IOR), popularly known as the
Vatican bank. He will be the pope’s eyes and ears in
Whether the public’s
appreciation of the pope’s
new style will halt the
church’s decline will not
be clear for years.
an outfit that has besmirched the image of the papacy,
and which Francis seems set on overhauling. He has
since named one commission to scrutinize the IOR and
another to look at the overall management of the Vatican’s
finances.
Now many wonder if Francis was set up — perhaps
deliberately misinformed about his choice. Shortly before
he left Rome L’Espresso, a newsweekly, reported that
Monsignor Ricca’s time as a Vatican diplomat in Uruguay
had been beset by scandal. Though strongly denied, the
claims would, if true, deal a blow to Francis’s plans for
reform of the curial administration.
In February La Repubblica, (a daily sister publication)
reported that Vatican investigators had identified a
network of gay prelates, some of whom were being
blackmailed. Details of this ‘gay lobby’ are supposedly
in a dossier on the ‘Vatileaks’ affair, prepared by three
cardinals on Benedict’s orders. Vatileaks involved the
leaking by the papal butler of secret correspondence
purportedly revealing scandalous maladministration.
All this adds significance to Francis’s remarks: “We
must make the distinction between the fact of a person
being gay and the fact of a lobby.” Lobbies were bad, he
said. “But if a person is gay and seeks the Lord and has
goodwill, who am I to judge that person?”
The pope it seems wants his motives to be clear: that
it is not the sexual orientation, or even behavior, of its
members that he condemns, but the formation of interest
groups in an organization that is meant to have only one
interest, and one earthly boss.
Health
10
Natural
ways to lower
blood pressure
H
igh blood pressure is one of the most preventable
conditions. Although it causes no symptoms, high blood
pressure boosts the risks of leading killers such as heart
attack and stroke, as well as aneurysms, cognitive decline, and
kidney failure.
While medication can lower blood pressure, it may cause side
effects such as leg cramps, dizziness, and insomnia. Fortunately,
most people can bring down their blood pressure naturally without
medication.
Go for power walks: Hypertensive patients who went for
fitness walks at a brisk pace lowered their blood pressure by
almost 8 mmhg over 6 mmhg. Exercise helps the heart use oxygen
more efficiently, so it doesn’t work as hard to pump blood. Get a
vigorous cardio workout of at least 30 minutes on most days of the
week. Try increasing speed or distance so you keep challenging
your ticker.
Breathe deeply: Slow breathing and meditative practices
such as qigong, yoga, and tai chi decrease stress hormones that
elevate renin, a kidney enzyme which raises blood pressure. Try
5 minutes in the morning and at night. Inhale deeply and expand
your belly. Exhale and release all of your tension. Try some stressbusting yoga poses to relieve tension.
Pick up Potassium: Loading up on potassium-rich fruits and
vegetables is an important part of any blood pressure-lowering
program. Aim for potassium levels of 2,000 to 4,000 mg a day.
Stop grinding
your teeth
D
o you find yourself tightly clenching your teeth in heavy
traffic, at work, or while dealing with stressful situations?
Does your partner complain that you loudly grind your teeth
at night? Though it may seem like no big deal, you could
have a subconscious condition called bruxism. Brought on
by stress and anxiety, bruxism not only causes jaw pain,
headaches, jagged sleep, and neck and shoulder tension, it
can also cause broken teeth, facial misalignment and other
temporo-mandibular damage. Here we provide some tips on
helping you to quit grinding your teeth.
Relax your jaw: During the day, make a conscious
point of keeping your jaw relaxed and your teeth apart. As a
reminder to yourself, rest your tongue between your top and
lower teeth — so if you start to bite down, you will chomp
on some nerve endings. Doctors have observed that people
who can break the daytime teeth-grinding habit are less likely
Top sources of potassium-rich produce include sweet potatoes,
tomatoes, orange juice, potatoes, bananas, kidney beans, peas,
cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and dried fruits such as prunes
and raisins.
Be salt smart: Certain groups of people — the elderly and
those with a family history of high blood pressure — are more
likely than others to have blood pressure that is particularly salt
(or sodium) sensitive. But because there is no way to tell whether
any one individual is sodium sensitive, everyone should lower their
sodium intake. Half a teaspoon of salt contains about 1,200 mg of
sodium. Watch for sodium in processed foods as it is where most
of the sodium in your diet comes from and replace salt with spices,
herbs, lemon, and salt-free seasoning blends to flavor food.
Jump for soy: Replacing some of the refined carbohydrates
in your diet with foods high in soy or milk protein, such as lowfat dairy, can bring down systolic blood pressure if you have
hypertension or pre-hypertension.
Work less: Putting in more than 41 hours per week at the office
raises your risk of hypertension by 15 percent. Overtime makes it
hard to exercise and eat healthy. It may be difficult to clock out
super early in today’s tough economic times, but try to leave at
a decent hour — so you can go to the gym or cook a healthy
meal — as often as possible. Set an end-of-day message on your
computer as a reminder to turn it off and go home. Follow these
tips to make your weekends stress-free.
to do it unconsciously at night. Avoid excessively hard or chewy foods — not only gum
and hard candy, but also steak or dried foods that require
a lot of jaw action. And, if you are in the habit of chewing on
the end of your pencil, try to stop. When you work your jaws
during the day, the pattern is likely to continue in your sleep.
Wear a mouth guard: If nightly teeth grinding or clenching
is a problem, try wearing the type of inexpensive mouth
guard that can be found in any sports store. This isn’t as
good as a custom-designed mouth guard that dentists can
provide. But even a sports-store product can be moulded
for a good fit. Follow package directions to make it fit your
mouth.
Don’t stress before bed: Avoid stressful thoughts,
activities, and movies in the hours before bedtime. You
probably don’t realize it, but just before bed is the worst time
to pay the bills, watch action films, or talk about your in-laws.
Get to your finances, violent movies, and sensitive subjects
early in the evening. If you are bothered by worries, jot down
things that you need to address the next day. Then take a
long, warm bath before you go to bed. While you are in the
bath — or even when you’re lying in bed — cover your jaw
with a washcloth that’s been soaked in hot water. The extra
warmth will relax your jaw muscles.
Get more calcium: Take powdered magnesium and
calcium — in a two-to-one ratio — every day. These minerals
help your jaw muscles relax, particularly at night. Start at the
lower dose, and if you don’t get relief after a couple of weeks,
increase the dosages. Calcium/magnesium tablets are also
available, but they don’t dissolve as readily. When you use
the powdered form, dissolve the mineral supplements in an
acidic liquid like orange or grapefruit juice.
Check your medications: Since a side effect of some
medications is teeth grinding, talk to your doctor regarding
your use of herbal medicines, vitamins, minerals or prescribed
medications that may be contributing to your bruxing.
timeskuwait.com
Stress
Plans to
reduce tension
W
hen things in your life get stressful, the last thing you’re
likely to want to do is take time out of your hectic day
to make a stress plan. A better idea is to make a stress
plan ahead of time, so that it will be there when you need it.
Follow this simple guide to crafting a unique, individual stress
plan that you can rely on to calm you down when you need it.
A stress plan provides tactics that will help you tackle tension
in the moment, and put long-term strategies into place to keep
you feeling resilient and upbeat in the future.
Laying the foundation: To reduce tension in your life, it is
a good idea to have a multi-faceted stress plan. Start by listing
everything that causes stress in your life. Try to be as specific
as possible. Give yourself twenty minutes to complete this
stage of your plan. Then, group your list into two categories:
preventable stress that is a result of your own actions, and
unpreventable stress that is caused by events outside of your
control. Your stress plan will incorporate techniques to help
you deal with both so that you can feel healthier and happier
throughout the day.
Preventable stress: Common behaviors that cause stress
are procrastination, unrealistic expectations of oneself, or an
inability to learn from previous mistakes. For every item in your
preventable stress category, come up with three possible
actions that you could take to change your behavior and
reduce the stress or pressure it causes. Then, implement one
of these ideas the start of every week, and try to stick with it
for all seven days. If you start implementing your stress plan
a bit at a time, you will be able to tell which actions make the
most difference in your tension level, so you will know which
ones to keep and which ones to cross off the list. As you add
new techniques one by one, you will gradually work your way
through the entire category, thereby doing everything you can
to prevent stress in your life.
Unpreventable Stress: The best thing that you can do to
eradicate stress that comes from events like being cut off in
traffic, yelled at by a colleague with a bad attitude, or anything
else that you can’t prevent is to take good care of your body so
that you can stay resilient when tense circumstances appear.
Exercise can help you regulate your mood, lessening the
emotional swings that can come with stress. Try to include at
least twenty or thirty minutes of exercise on at least three or four
days of the week, and you will be sure to notice a difference in
the way your body reacts to stress. A diet of balanced meals
taken at regular intervals will help to keep you from sudden
blood sugar spikes and drops that can contribute to feeling
stressed or worn out. Taking time for quality relaxation is also an
important part of stress management. Spending even just ten
or fifteen minutes a day shaking off the cares of your work and
home life can do wonders for your ability to cope with stress,
so make exercise and a healthy diet a part of your stress plan.
How to stop feeling stress: When you experience a
stress episode, such as sudden feelings of aggravation when
confronted with a difficult task, try responding with a brief,
calming pause before you react. This will allow you to recover
from the sudden rush of adrenaline and cortisol before you
take an action, such as growing angry or being upset, that can
prolong the tension. To deal with stress in the moment, strive
to keep your perspective and your awareness that the cause
of the stress will soon disappear. Control your hormones by
breathing deeply and manually overriding your stress reflex.
Practice monthly updates: If you are feeling frazzled or
tense, you probably don’t have a minute to spare, and the
last thing you want to do is try to pinpoint the flaws in your
stress plan. By touching base once a month, you can make
sure that your support structure stays strong and current. Take
a quarter of an hour and appraise your stress plan, crossing
off anything that is not useful and thinking of new tactics for
handling any new stresses in your life. One of the best things
about updating your stress plan is seeing your progress.
Travel
timeskuwait.com
11
Trekking
for the
adventurous
I
f you are physically fit, well-prepared, have a
strong pair of lungs, sturdy legs and are willing
to forego many of the daily luxuries you are
accustomed to, sometimes for days on end, then
trekking is for you. If you do decide to go trekking
through some of the trails mentioned below, then
you can be assured of a lifetime experience unlike
any other.
Trekking came to the English language in the
19th century from the Afrikaans verb ‘trekken’,
which roughly translates to ‘pull a wagon or load;
to migrate’ and came to mean a long and often
difficult trip. Trekking differs from hiking in that
essentially hikes involve walking along pre-charted
trails, while trekking is traversing more challenging
terrain and usually along rarely used pathways
meandering through mountains and valleys.
Inca Trail, Peru
Thousands of people trek the Inca Trail every
year following in the footsteps of the ancient Incas,
who laid the trail more than 600 years ago. The
33km trail starts from the Sacred Valley and winds
its way up high mountain passes, down to valleys
below, skirting formidable peaks and providing
unparalleled views of Amazon jungles, whitetipped mountains and the cliff-hugging ruins of
Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m
above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain
forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was
probably the most amazing urban creation of the
Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces
and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally
in the continuous rock escarpments. The highest
point of the ascending trail is to Dead Woman’s
Pass at 4,200m that provides amazing views of
the surrounding terrain.
Patagonia, Argentina
Hike among Argentina’s fabled Fitz Roy Massif,
the iconic crest where the peaks of Poincenot,
St. Exupery, and 3433m Fitz Roy itself rise out of
the steppes of Patagonia like a vision. The nearly
60km trail,which could last from four to seven days,
gives you various views of Fitz at sunrise, with
Cerro Torre and Marconi Pass thrown in for good
measure. The winding trail that passes through
the 4460sq km Los Glaciares National Park takes
you from gnarled, spooky beech forests and
open plains to glaciers, roaring waterfalls, and
granite monoliths afire with orange dawn light. To
witness the full impact of sunrise on the Fitz Roy
Massif, hike up in the predawn hours from Camp
Poincenot to Laguna de los Tres with only light
from your headlamps to illuminate the way. The
best time to go would be from February to March,
when you can avoid the crowds of midsummer
while enjoying the stable fall weather when the
infamous Patagonian winds abate
Pays Dogon, Mali
Dogon country in Mali, arguably a jewel in
West Africa before the ongoing strife there, is a
magnificent trekking destination. This UNESCO
World Heritage Site and land of the Dogon
people, known for their masked stilted dancers
and huts with intricately carved doors, comprises
several traditional villages scattered around the
soaring cliffs of the Bandiagara escarpment.
One of Africa’s most breathtaking regions, the
ten day trek along Dogon villages that dot the
cliffs, and past old abandoned cliff dwellings, is an
extraordinary highlight of the trail. The pueblo-like
dwellings carved into the side of the escarpment
must have provided the ancient inhabitants with
protection from invading tribes and a panoramic
view of the surrounding countryside.
Everest Base Camp, Nepal
Arguably the greatest of all high-mountain
journeys, this trail that leads through Nepal’s
Khumbu district provides you with glimpses of three
of the highest peaks on Earth (Everest, Lhotse,
and Lhotse Sar) in one look, along with dozens of
lesser Himalayan peaks on the way. Reaching a
height of 5,545m at Kala Pattar, this three-week,
11okm trek is extremely popular with those who
want to be able to say, tongue in cheek, that they
too have been to world’s highest mountain, albeit
its base. The difficult trek passes undeniably
spectacular scenery helped by Sherpa people of
the Solu Khumbu. The heights reached during this
trek are literally dizzying until you acclimatize to the
altitude, and the continuous cutting across valleys
certainly has its ups and downs. It is advisable to
go slow on the way up so you can acclimatize to
the lower atmospheric pressures of the region;
it usually takes around ten days on the trek in to
Everest base camp, but only three days on the way
back. The imposed downtime allows you to savor
the experience all the more.
Tasmania, Australia
This six day trail through 80km of Tasmania’s
prehistoric looking wilderness is most accessible
along the Overland Track. Snaking its way between
Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair (Australia’s
deepest natural freshwater lake), the well-defined
path passes craggy mountains, beautiful lakes
and tarns, extensive forests and moorlands.
Those who want more can take numerous sidewalks leading to waterfalls, valleys and still more
summits including Mt Ossa at 1,617m Tasmania’s
highest spot. Or you could take the beach route
with the Bay of Fires Walk from the start in Mount
William National Park to the finish at the impressive
Bay of Fires Lodge. The route never deviates from
seemingly endless beaches of blinding white sand
and surreal rock formations lapped by a turquoise
Tasman Sea. Only the occasional headland of
granite boulders, turned blood red by lichen or
forested points of shoreline, pushes you up and
out of the coves. The Bay of Fires walk is a four-day
guided trip; you can’t do it solo, as there is no water
on the route so no place to overnight.
Grand Canyon, USA
Any walk in the Grand Canyon is going to rate
pretty high on the Richter scale of treks, but this
route takes you from rim to rivers offering different
trails in and out and giving you sufficient time within
one of the greatest features on Earth to enjoy the
majesty of this natural architecture. Time travel
through the multicolored layer cake of the Colorado
Plateau for two billion years’ worth of geology,
from the Kaibab limestone at the rim to the Vishnu
complex at the river, all on good ‘corridor’ trails
with known water sources and pleasant camps.
While most people take this 70km six day trip from
September to October or from April to May, a better
time would be to go in March or November to savor
a more contemplative experience. Ascending
through the Box, the inner heart of the canyon, up
to Cottonwood Camp and the remote North Rim
provides breathtaking views.
Abisko Mountain Trail, Sweden
Deep inside the Arctic Circle, Sweden’s
legendary 445km Kungsleden (the “The King’s
Trail”) begins its traverse of the last remaining great
wilderness in Western Europe in Abisko in the north.
The most traveled northernmost section, between
Abisko and Kebnekaise penetrates the vast Arctic
landscape of Sweden through birch forests, open
tundra, and big glaciers before crossing the
shoulder of Sweden’s highest peak, 2111m Mount
Kebnekaise. Using the comfortable huts placed
about a day apart assures you have refuge in
bad weather. Sturdy suspension bridges take the
danger out of the big rivers. The vibe here is ‘far
north’; with palpable emptiness and low-angled
light that stirs the soul. While the 105km roundtrip
five day route can be done in either direction, but do
it north to south, as that keeps the sun on your face
— no small consideration in the Arctic. The best
time would be before the European holiday makers
get there in August, around early September you
can be assured of authentic solitude
Petra, Jordan
The 80km seven day trail from the ancient city of
Dana to Petra leads first to the Feynan Eco-Lodge
before crossing the vast arid expanse of Wadi
Araba before climbing into the Sharah Mountains
past iconic oasis and Bedouin camps toward
Petra. Once in Petra, at the top of an ancient
stairway carved into the red rock, a narrow defile
leads around a sharp bend, and suddenly you are
stopped cold. There stands the exquisite carved
façade of Al Deir, better known as the Monastery,
perhaps Petra’s grandest monument. And you
have it to yourself. The off-trail travel through
the deserts and mountains can be grueling,
exacerbated by the heat, but the hike sets you up
to enter Petra in a receptive frame of mind, ready
to absorb the mystical qualities of the Rose Red
City. Remember that time in the canyon system
of Petra is precious, so it is best to know what you
want to see before you arrive. Besides the iconic
sites of the Siq, the Treasury and the Monastery
are mystical venues, as are the Place of High
Sacrifice and the Great Temple. The best time
would be in October to September when desert
temperatures relent, a little.
Women
12
timeskuwait.com
Realizing
your Passion
War of the
Y
ou are many things - maybe a wife and mom, or
prized employee. But perhaps there is another
side of you that is itching to show itself, a yearning
you are desperate to follow. Many women let their
dreams lag because their over-committed lives make
their aspirations seem impractical. When your day-today existence gets packed with too many ‘have-to-do’s’
and not enough ‘want-to-do’s’, you can end up with a
constant, low-grade “Is this all there is” kind of fever.
And that is no way to live. Here are a few suggestions
to help you achieve your dreams.
Give yourself permission: When you think you
should use your time for more productive things, tell
yourself that your dream activity does have a purpose
— to give you happiness, which will buoy you to you
tackle everyday tasks, from preparing dinner to leading
a meeting at work. To make your commitment stick,
involve your family and get them onboard by explaining
why you want the time.
Make room for your dream: Claiming a space
where you can indulge in your passion is like saying,
“X marks the spot.” It is an expression of your decision
to take your dream seriously. Designate a writing area
in your living room, or place an easel in a corner of the
bedroom. Don’t need a specific spot to practice your
passion? Make an altar to your effort: Display items
that move you or create an inspiration board by pinning
motivating clippings to a bulletin board.
Set a date: Every type of goal needs structure.
Otherwise, real life just washes over it like a tidal wave
and sweeps it away. To build a solid foundation for any
dream, construct a schedule for the amount of time
you will devote to your hobby — this makes a promise
to that time and, by extension, to yourself. As you
move along, don’t judge the time you’re using or try
to measure whether it is productive. Just be absorbed
into the activity.
Make a vow: Quit procrastinating on this dream by
being honest: draw a line down the center of a piece of
paper to create two columns; label one side ‘Why Now’
and one ‘Why Not’. In the “first column, list the reasons
why it is the right time to meet the challenge, and on the
second column note why it is not a good time.
Now, weigh the two sides: If you are ready to
commit to your goal, write a promise to yourself at the
bottom of the page, and put it in a place where you will
see it often. If you decide that now isn’t the time for this
goal, decide when to revisit it. Write that aspiration in
big red letters on your calendar.
Find your cheerleaders: Accountability is the
key to success. You don’t want to be left to your own
devices when the going gets tough. Your support
system can include family, friends, even someone you
hire such as a personal trainer. You might also want
to try an online chat group, or form your own support
group. Tell your pep squad that you will check in with
them at a specific, regular time with a status report, and
when you need extra reinforcement.
Pat yourself on the back: Working toward your
goal is an accomplishment in and of itself so reward
yourself weekly. Be especially kind to yourself when
you have setbacks. Instead of beating yourself up
or quitting altogether, examine why you veered off
course, figure out what you need to do to stay
on track, and remind yourself that you are the
smart, capable CEO of your busy life and
you have all the tools you need to
keep moving forward.
D
Home decor
ecorating one’s home is supposed to be fun activity for the
family, but occasionally His and Her decor ideas clash and
lead to long hours of discussions, discord and tears. However,
there is no need to feud over decor. It is in the nature of men and
women to have very different opinions when shopping for home goods
– especially furniture. Oftentimes, men want something comfortable,
affordable, and durable. Women tend to be drawn to luxurious fabrics,
trendy pieces, and bold colours and patterns that may cost a bit more.
That doesn’t mean there is no way for you both to be satisfied. Follow
these tips to create a stylish space that is perfect for both parties.
Learn to compromise: In the world of home decor, compromise
means blend, rather than sacrifice. Neither you, nor your spouse,
should surrender your personal style to that of the other. Instead, learn
what draws you to the style you each love, and then merge the best
of both worlds into a customized style that reflects both your interests.
Embrace mood swings: Since creating a gender-neutral space
requires give-and-take, keep a few pieces of gender-specific decor on
hand to conquer your mood swings. You can always add pops of colour
with accessories, throws, pictures and pillows. Some women like to
display cool gray graphic pillows on their sofas, and they also have pink
pillows. When they feel in a “pink” mood, they can change their throw
pillows and completely alter the appearance and feel of the space.
Color: Women are eager to embrace all manner of colors, from
wonderfully exotic cranberry red in a dining room or deep blue’s or
vibrant yellows while men don’t really appreciate the rainbow. The
answer is surprisingly simple. Neutral colors; they satisfy a woman’s
need for color but due to their deeper shade, they also appeal to man.
And when it comes to a sofa or sectional, leather pops out of a
man’s mouth long before it is uttered from a woman’s. One solution is
upholstery made of Ultrasuede, a soft but pricey polyester microfiber
that mimics real suede. But if a man has to have authentic leather, he
can get a club chair earmarked specifically for him. Once the man
gets what he wants, it doesn’t matter what the woman does with the
sofa or draperies. He has gotten his own turf.
Collections: Women tend to collect a lot of things, and the more
collections they gather, the more it is deemed by men to be simply
clutter. All too often collections are spread around a room — six pieces
here, four there and so on. Consequently, the mind gets cluttered;
visitors don’t see the beauty of the room anymore. Collections have to
be contained and beautifully displayed. If it is in a display cabinet, the
collection will be admired by everyone and appreciated by the owner
even more.
Pare down accessories: Edit your accessories. One vase of
flowers with one or two prized objects next to it, beautifully arranged.
That is how it should be done. Men don’t object to that. And if there
is simply too many items, put most of it away, then rotate out the
displayed pieces with the stored ones every three months or so. Most
of us forget how lovely many of the things we own are, because they
have been sitting where they are for so long, we don’t actually view
them anymore.
Returning to work after childbirth
A
fter all those weeks of bonding with your baby, leaving
her behind to go back to the office can be a very painful
experience. Nothing is going to make it painless, but these
tips can ease the transition.
Get a good babysitter: Whether it is your husband, your
mom, the nice lady down the street or a qualified daycare center,
you have got to line up someone you trust to watch your baby.
Leaving her behind is tough, but it will be easier if you know she
is in good hands.
If you are using someone you just met, spend some time with
her before you go back to work. Spend an afternoon in her home
or meet her out for lunch so you can get to know her. Bring the
baby along so you can watch her in action.
Ease in: Start back to work part-time and ease back into a
full-time schedule. Work half days the first week or two, or
go in only two or three days a week if your job allows such
flexibility. Easing back into work little by little will help
ease the shock for you and your little one.
Telecommute: If you can do some of your work from
home, ask your boss if you could telecommute at least
a day or two a week. Keep in mind
that being home with a baby
isn’t always conducive to work;
you may have to find a parttime nanny to be there while
you work, but at least you will be
nearby.
Morning routine: If you
thought your mornings were busy
before, wait until you try to get
yourself and a baby ready in time for work. Do as much as you
can the night before, including packing the diaper bag, prepping
bottles, showering, and laying out clothes. If you can, practice
your routine a few times before you go back to work so you won’t
be new at it on the big day.
Focus on work: It won’t be easy, but try not to spend all
day at work thinking about your baby. It will just make you miss
her more, and the day will drag on forever. Focus on the task at
hand, and you’ll be more efficient at your job; before you know it,
it will be time to leave and go home to your baby.
Share responsibilities: When you were on maternity leave,
it made sense for you to be responsible for everything at home.
You were always there while your spouse worked, so you could
juggle caring for the baby and doing all of the household chores.
That is not going to work so well when you are both working fulltime. Negotiate the chore list and figure out what each of you
can handle. You’ll get more sleep, be less stressed and be
much easier to live with if tasks are clearly delegated.
Keep mommy friends: You probably made some
mommy friends while you were off work; don’t
neglect those friendships when you return to
the working world. Moms need friends who
are also mothers with whom they
can empathize and share tips
and secrets. In fact, a good
mom friend is often the key to
survival in the darkest days of
motherhood. Schedule play-dates
and coffee outings for the weekends
so you can keep in touch.
Entertainment
timeskuwait.com
Movies
Jagger
at Seventy
13
worth waiting for...
Fruitvale Station
The Spectacular Now
P
S
ir Michael Philip Jagger turned 70 on
Friday, 2nd August, and if it’s been a
drag getting old for him, he certainly hasn’t
shown it.
The Rolling Stones are celebrating
their 50th anniversary as a band with new
music and an extensive tour. Jagger can
still move like, well, Jagger, his sinewy
dancing and endless energy showing little
sign of flagging despite his grandfatherly
age. (The man has two children in their 40s,
for Pete’s sake!) He’s made classic records,
kept the gossip columns busy and always
maintained an astute eye on the spotlight.
Besides, Jagger is only the latest of the
1960s musical heroes — the backbeat
of every classic rock station and babyboomer record collection — to cross the
three-score-and-ten age threshold.
Paul McCartney turned 70 last year.
So did Brian Wilson. Bob Dylan hit 70
two years ago. Grace Slick, Paul Simon,
Jagger’s bandmate Charlie Watts — they’re
all in their seventies.
Sure, it’s easy to make fun of that. Pop
music is a young person’s game, after all.
If you’re doing something you love, you
should keep doing it. McCartney still tours.
Dylan, who calls his travels the “Never
Ending Tour,” hasn’t stopped in years.
Why not? Most of the ‘60s-era rock stars,
believing the music was just a fad, had no
idea they’d still be rockin’ and rollin’ as they
entered their eighth decades. Asked in
1964 why they were so popular, the Beatles
could only shrug.
“If we knew, we’d get together four boys
with long hair and be managers,” said John
Lennon.
So go ahead and sneer at them like the
oldsters of their own youth did. Mick and his
ageless friends are having the last laugh.
Happy Birthday Mick!
assionate and powerfully acted,
Fruitvale Station serves as a
celebration of life, a condemnation of
death, and a triumph for star Michael
B. Jordan.
Winner of both the Grand Jury Prize
for dramatic feature and the Audience
Award for U.S. dramatic film at the
2013 Sundance Film Festival, director
Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station follows
the true story of Oscar Grant (Michael
B. Jordan), a 22-year-old Bay Area
resident who wakes up on the morning
of December 31, 2008 and feels
something in the air. Not sure what it
is, he takes it as a sign to get a head
start on his resolutions: being a better
son to his mother (Octavia Spencer),
whose birthday falls on New Year’s Eve, being a better partner to his girlfriend
Sophina (Melonie Diaz), who he hasn’t been completely honest with as of late,
and being a better father to Tatiana (Ariana Neal), their beautiful four year-old
daughter. Crossing paths with friends, family, and strangers, Oscar starts out
well, but as the day goes on, he realizes that change is not going to come
easily. His resolve takes a tragic turn, however, when BART officers shoot him
in cold blood at the Fruitvale subway stop on New Year’s Day. Oscar’s life and
tragic death would shake the Bay Area - and the entire nation - to its very core.
D
irected by James Ponsoldt,
“The Spectacular Now” with
its sly humor and an intensity of
feeling, creates a vivid, threedimensional portrait of youth
confronting the funny, thrilling
and perilous business of modern
love and adulthood. This is
the tale of Sutter Keely (Miles
Teller), a high school senior and
effortless charmer, and of how
he unexpectedly falls in love with “the good girl” Aimee Finecky
(Shailene Woodley). What starts as an unlikely romance becomes
a sharp-eyed, straight-up snapshot of the heady confusion and
haunting passion of youth - one that doesn’t look for tidy truths.
The film was written by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber (500)
DAYS OF SUMMER and also features wonderful supporting turns
from Brie Larson, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Mary
Elizabeth Winstead.
Our Children
W
The Conjuring
ritten by the team of Joachim
Lafosse,Matthieu Reynaert,
and Thomas
Bidegain,
and
directed by Joachim Lafosse, ‘Our
Children’ is a wrenching, quietly
violent psychodrama, which
has the courage to ask difficult
questions, and the strength to
leave the answers to the viewer.
Murielle (Emilie Dequenne) and
Mounir (Tahar Rahim) who love
each other passionately. Ever
since he was a boy, the young
man has been living with Doctor
Pinget (Niels Arestrup) who
provides him with a comfortable life. When Mounir and Murielle
decide to marry and have children, the couple’s dependence on
the doctor becomes excessive. Murielle finds herself caught up
in an unhealthy emotional climate that insidiously leads the family
towards a tragic outcome. E
xtremely well-crafted and
gleefully creepy, The Conjuring
ratchets up the dread with a series of
smartly delivered, terribly effective
old-school scares. Extremely wellcrafted and gleefully creepy, The
Conjuring ratchets up the dread
with a series of smartly delivered,
terribly effective old-school scares.
Before there was Amityville, there
was Harrisville. “The Conjuring”
tells the true story of Ed and
Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson,
Vera Farmiga), world renowned
paranormal investigators, who were
called to help a family terrorized
by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a
powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the
most horrifying case of their lives. Directed by James Wan and written
by Chad Hayes and Carey Hayes, the movie also features Lili Taylor
and Ron Livingstone as Carolyn and Roger Perron, as the couple who
call for assistance from the Warrens.
Book Review
Children Are Diamonds:
I
An African Apocalypse
n the late 1970s, the novelist and travel writer Edward
Hoagland spent several months in Sudan, which was
then Africa’s largest country and one of its most fragile. His
account of his journey, “African Calliope,” wove encounters
with government ministers and Dinka cattle herders,
expatriate businessmen and Khartoum taxi drivers into a
portrait of a country struggling for unity yet tipping toward
civil war. Hoagland’s terrifying and powerful new novel,
“Children Are Diamonds: An African Apocalypse,” revisits
the region long after the tipping point has been passed.
Hoagland’s central character, Hickey, is an American,
a former schoolteacher and current adventure-seeker
in Nairobi, Kenya.When a friend from a Baptist-financed
relief group, Protestants Against Famine, hires him to run
medical kits and food to a relief station in southern Sudan,
he loads up a Land Cruiser and heads off on the long,
risky drive north Hoagland’s novel evokes the time and place with
haunting imagery. Here again is the raw beauty of a land
where all development has been frozen by the fighting.
“Beyond the gorge sat endless savanna grasslands,
woodlands, parkland in tropical, light-filled yellows and
greens,” Hickey observes of the region around the Bahr
al-Jebel, the “Mountain Nile” in the territory of the Dinka
pastoralists. “Although the hartebeest, kob, buffalo and
reedbuck may already have been eaten and the rhinos
and elephants shot to buy guns with their horns or tusks,
the vistas remained primeval.”
Hoagland aptly captures the lives of Western dogooders and opportunists lured by the adrenaline rush
of Africa, evoking the closeness, and the randomness, of
death in a war zone. Announcement
C
inescape Theaters
in Kuwait will remain
closed for ten days starting
from 30 July, 2013 until the
First Day of Eid.
Cinescape Avenues,
Fanar, Marina, Muhallab,
Sharqia, Al-Kout and Laila
will open on 5th August,
from 8.30pm to 11.30pm
for advance bookings.
14
Career
Change jobs without
S
ometimes you know your job just isn’t
right for you. Most people would tell you to
find something that’s a better fit. But that
may not be possible. There are many reasons
you may not be able to leave: a tough economy,
family commitments, or limited opportunities in
your field. So what do you do when you’re stuck
in the wrong job?
Look at yourself: Whether or not you are
satisfied with your job often has to do with your
disposition. Some people are naturally inclined
to be unhappy, while others have a brighter take
on life. Before you declare your job a bad fit,
take a look at yourself. It is worth asking: Are
you just the kind of person who tends to be
dissatisfied? This understanding may not make
you like your job better, but may make you think
twice before you look for a new position.
Find meaning: Finding more meaning in your
work can dramatically improve job satisfaction.
Look at your job responsibilities through a
different lens. For example, if you are in a field
Quitting
that is emotionally taxing, like nursing or social
work, remind yourself that while you are tired
at the end of the day, you are helping others.
It also helps to connect with colleagues. Seek
out opportunities to show compassion and
express gratitude. Spend time with coworkers
you like. Stronger emotional connections at
work lead to a myriad of positive physiological
and social effects.
Alter what you do: If you can’t change your
perspective, you may be able to shift your job
responsibilities. Use job crafting exercises to
redesign your job to better fit your motives,
strengths, and passions. Some people make
radical moves; others make small changes in
how they delegate or schedule their day. While
the former might require approval from your
manager, the latter often doesn’t. Schedule
your most enjoyable task for the morning,
Gaining trust for
professional growth
Y
ou want to impress your boss and get
on the fast track in your workplace.
Who doesn’t? Here are three ways that
anyone, at any level, can use to achieve the
‘wow’ factor. Even the senior executives at
Fortune 100 companies use these tips.
Educate yourself: Yes, you already went
through school and training programs to get
the job you are in, but that is no reason to
rest on your laurels. Signing up for education
courses, certification classes or advanced
degree programs sends the message to your
boss that you want to grow with the company,
keep up with the industry and keep abreast
with the changing times. Even if your company
doesn’t offer education reimbursement,
the courses you attend help expand your
knowledge in a way that your boss can trust
and depend on.
Dress your best: Just because other
people in your office get away with wearing
untidy clothes doesn’t mean that you should,
too. If you arrive at work looking professional
and well-groomed, your boss will know
that he can count on you to represent the
company well.
Make a point to wear tailored, pressed
and clean clothing to work every day. You
may be surprised to find that when you
dress professionally, you end up acting more
professionally, too.
timeskuwait.com
Clean your space: You may know exactly
where everything is among the untidy mess
of documents on your desk, but your boss
doesn’t necessarily know that. If all your boss
sees is clutter on your desk, the assumption
will be that you are disorganized, sloppy or
unprepared. Spend five to 10 minutes at the
end of every day simply organizing your space.
This helps convey a sense of organization to
those around you.
Be on time: Most bosses could sum up
their opinions of consistently late employees
in a single word:
“disrespectful.” If they
had several words
to
describe
these
employees,
they
might add “poor time
management
skills”
and
“disorganized”
to the list. If you are
trying to win over
your boss, those are
not words you want
describing you. Make
a point of always being
on time for meetings,
appointments and other
work-related
events.
It is even better if you
can show up five to 10
minutes early. Work
is not the time to be
“fashionably
late.”
If you must be late
due to extenuating
circumstances,
then
give a reasonable excuse to your boss. If your
boss knows you can be trusted to always be
on time, you will gain the trust to be given other
assignments as well.
Be a problem solver: Winners are problemsolvers, and every boss appreciates a person
who leaves their complaints at home. You don’t
have to ignore the problems facing you on the
job or act like you are immune to challenges.
It is perfectly okay to have problems that need
fixing and to face difficult challenges.
If your goal is to keep growing professionally,
never bring up a challenge or a problem
without having at least one solution to propose
that makes your boss feel as if the situation
is well within your control. Offer up two
alternative solutions for any given conundrum
and discuss their relevance, this will also get
you noticed in a good way.
so you are energized to fulfill the rest of your
responsibilities.
Change who you interact with: If it is not
the work you dislike but the people you work
with, you may be able to change that too.
People successfully alter who they interact with
on a daily basis to increase job satisfaction.
Focus on forging relationships that give you
energy, rather than sapping it. Seek out people
who can help you do your job better.
Resist complaining: When you are in the
wrong job, it can be tempting to moan about it
to others, but it is not advisable. Complaining
about your job is a recipe for trouble. You never
know how the complaints may be shared with
others in the organization. Plus you may drag
others down with you. If you are unhappy, it is
better to focus on what you can change, not
grumble about what you can’t.
Building career
around true desires
A
ll of us know people who landed
fantastic jobs — jobs with high salaries
and prestige, or dream jobs in creative fields
— who, within a few years, burned out and
became unhappy. Although these are the
kinds of careers that people say they want,
they aren’t necessarily the kinds of jobs that
lead to career happiness.
If you want to be happy in your career,
you have to identify your real desires, not
just the ordinary yearning for a job that
comes with a big paycheck or a high-status
title. How do you do that? You do some
soul-searching and find out what is really
important to you. Then, you build a career
around your true desires, instead of trying to
force your dreams into a career.
Describe your ideal day: Take some
time to write out two scenarios: the first is
your ideal day right now, and the second is
your ideal day five years from now.
In these scenarios, don’t write about
a specific job. Instead, write about the
actions you take during the day. If
you love being around people,
write about interacting with
people and helping them plan
things. Notice how your five year
ideal day differs from your current
ideal day.
Discover your top five
desires: After writing your ideal
day scenarios, use them to identify
your top five desires. Maybe you want
a short commute, or you want
a job that doesn’t require
you to wake up early in the
morning. Maybe you
want a job
where you spend
all day talking to people
or a job where you spend very
little time talking to people. Make
a list and then cut the list down
to your top five desires: the most
important things you want in a career and
in life.
Analyze your finances: Like it or not,
your finances often determine the type of
job you have to get. Loan and credit card
debt all require you to get a job with a certain
salary in order to make the necessary
payments. Also, because you live in cities
with high costs of living, you may need
to take jobs you may not want in order
to pay for rent, car insurance, and other
basic needs. If you haven’t already made
a monthly budget, take an afternoon to
calculate all of your monthly expenses. If you
are not sure where your money goes every
month, your bank keeps a record of past
purchases for you to review.
Interview companies to see if they fit
your desires: Approach your job search
as if you were interviewing the companies.
Yes, tell them why you are the best person
for the job, but you also want to make sure
their job is going to fulfill your top
five desires. If the job and your
desires don’t match, you are
going to be unhappy in your
career.
Throughout the
process, remember: A
career, by itself, is not
success. Instead,
happiness is
success.
Food
timeskuwait.com
15
Delicious ways
to prepare
Grapefruit
G
Cooking habits to crack
H
abits can be difficult to sever, especially if they
have become ingrained over time. While many
habits are harmless, there are some, especially
those in the kitchen, which could prove to be hazardous
to your health, as well as to that of your family. You may
have developed these habits without being aware of its
consequences; here is a checklist of cooking activities
that allow you to cook food to perfection while keeping it
healthy for the family.
Heating oil until it smokes: Most recipes start with
heating oil in a pan. It usually takes a little time for the
stove to warm up, so we pour the oil and then turn our
backs on the pan to do something else while it heats.
Before you know it, you see wisps of smoke, which means
the pan is hot and ready for cooking, right? Wrong! Not
only do many oils taste bad once they have been heated
to or past their smoke point, but when oils are heated to
their smoke point or reheated repeatedly, they start to
break down, destroying the oil’s beneficial antioxidants
and forming harmful compounds.
Stirring food often: While it is tempting to stir your
food constantly to prevent burning, it can be a bad thing as
it prevents browning, which enhances the flavor of foods.
Moreover by stirring often you break food apart and make
the meal mushy. Resist the urge to stir constantly unless
the recipe specifically tells you to do so.
Overfilling the pan: Filling your pan to the brim with
ingredients actually slows the cooking process and
softens food in the pan. If you want to sauté, filling your
pan to the brim will cause your food to steam and not
give you the crispy results you are looking for. The same
goes for cooking meat. Shoving too much meat in the pan
lowers the temperature of the pan too quickly, which can
cause sticking and a whole host of other problems. Your
best bet is to cook in batches. The extra time you put into
it will make your meal much better.
Not letting your meat rest: Immediately digging into
the steak after you just pulled it off the grill is a bad idea.
By allowing your meat to rest before cutting into it allows
the juices to redistribute through the meat to give you
juicer results. Cut it too soon, and all the juice runs out on
your cutting board and doesn’t end up in your meat.
Using non-stick pans on high heat: Turn down
the heat when using nonstick pans. High temperatures
can cause the nonstick lining to release PFCs
(perfluorocarbons) in the form of fumes. PFCs are linked
to liver damage and developmental problems. Check with
your pan manufacturer to see what temperatures they
recommend.
Using metal utensils on non-stick pans: Do not use
metal utensils in a non-stick pan as you can inadvertently
scratch the surface of the pan. This could lead you to
ingest the PFCs in the nonstick lining. Use wooden or
heat-safe rubber utensils when using non-stick pans.
Blending hot liquids: Most blenders come with
a removable stopper on the top. If you have ever been
assaulted by hot liquids from your blender, it is probably
because you did not remove the stopper before you
blended. Steam from the hot liquid creates pressure that
literally blasts off the lid if the stopper is in place. To ease
the pressure, remove the stopper and cover the hole with
a folded towel to prevent a mess before blending.
Put pyrex dishes under the broiler: Pyrex pans are
great for making casseroles, but use a metal pan if your
recipe requires broiling — even for a short amount of time.
Pyrex pans are not designed to withstand the heat from a
broiler. If the surface gets too hot, it shatters and you have
a big mess to clean up in your oven.
Over-mixing batter: When you are making batter
for baking (or anything with large amounts of flour) you
combine everything by mixing well. But too much mixing
isn’t good. The mechanical action of the mixing causes
gluten to form in the flour, making baked goods tough. So
gently mix until the batter is uniform and then put down
your mixer.
rapefruit may not be as palatable as an apple or orange
and many people may not like its tartness, but the fruit is
good for you and is dubbed a super-food on account of its high
nutrient value. The benefits of grapefruit include helping to prevent
common ailments, manage certain health problems, and boost
heart health while lowering cholesterol and fat levels. Incorporating
grapefruit with other foods helps to cover its tartness and even out
its flavor, making it a delicious and healthy fruit to enjoy. You can
dress the grapefruit in salads, sweet and savory dishes.
Fresh green salad with cumin vinaigrette: Brighten any
salad with grapefruit slices and then toss it all with an oil, apple
cider vinegar, and cumin dressing for a delicious combination of
mild and tangy. Throw in avocado slices, dried cranberries, nuts,
or whatever is in the pantry to make a quick side dish or light meal
full of nutrition.
Sweet citrus salad: Combine oranges, grapefruit, a
sweetener, and any other citrus on hand like tangerines,
clementines, and mandarin or blood oranges, and you have a
simple breakfast, dessert, or snack. Pineapple juice concentrate
is a great sweetener to bring out the fruit juices, and adding a bit
of lime juice or crystallized ginger also livens things up. Serve in
a trifle bowl for a charming presentation.Grapefruit brûlée: This
recipe may sound strange, but give it a try before pronouncing it
too exotic for everyday. Grapefruit rings sans peel are sprinkled
with bits of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and
then placed under the broiler. A sweet and caramel-like dessert
emerges in minutes.
Creamy pink grapefruit tart: Try a sweet twist on the classic
Key lime pie by substituting grapefruit juice for lime juice. When
making dessert, presentation is a large factor, so keep that in mind
when selecting the grapefruit; to bring out the best colour, use a
deep pink or red variety of the pink grapefruit selection.
Grapefruit-campari compote: Serve a fruit salad that’s loaded
with flavour. Campari, a popular bitter, adds bittersweet flavour
to the sugar and ginger mixture. Add grapefruit sections and let
them soak in the tasty syrup in the fridge before serving. For best
flavour, use Ruby Red grapefruit; their sweetness helps balance
the dynamic flavor combination of the sauce.
Winter fruit-and-cucumber salad: Celebrate the seasons
and serve a vibrant winter fruit salad loaded with navel oranges
and sweet Ruby Red grapefruit. Basil vinaigrette, made with dried
basil, lemon juice, and red vinegar, brings out the fresh flavor of
the sliced onion and cucumber. Pair with oven-baked chicken or
chops for
a simple and delicious meal.
Shallot and grapefruit dressing: Prepare
an elegant dinner salad of gourmet greens,
goat cheese, and roasted
corn and then top it
with a zesty, citrusy
grapefruit dressing
made with fresh
juice,
chopped
cilantro,
shallots,
and a little sugar, to
cut the acidity. The
light, fresh flavour
will
leave
guests
wondering what your
secret ingredient is.
Foods that help you sleep
T
rying to get more shut-eye? Take a look
at your diet. Eating the right foods in the
hours before you hit the hay may help you
fall asleep faster, and even improve the quality
of your sleep. Keep reading for your get-sleepy
grocery list, and remember to have your dinner
at least two hours before bedtime to give the
body enough time to properly digest the food.
Almonds: They contain magnesium, which
promotes both sleep and muscle relaxation.
And they have the added benefit of supplying
proteins that can help maintain a stable blood
sugar level while sleeping, and help promote
sleep by switching you from your alert
adrenaline cycle to your rest-and-digest cycle.
Try this bedtime snack: Have a tablespoon of
almond butter or a 30g of almonds to help your
body relax. Tea: Yes, avoid all caffeine in the evening
hours, but some decaf varieties can help get
you into sleep mode. Chamomile tea is a very
helpful and safe sleep aid, so is green tea.
Green tea contains theanine, which helps
promote sleep. Just be sure you get a decaf
green tea if you drink it at bedtime. Experts
recommend trying a 1-cup serving of the hot
stuff. Miso Soup: You love to order this
comforting, broth-based soup in Japanese
restaurants, but keeping a few 250g packs
of instant miso soup at home ensures you
have no trouble falling asleep. Miso contains
amino acids that may boost the production of
melatonin, a natural hormone that can help
induce the yawns.
Banana: They are an excellent source of
magnesium and potassium, which help to
relax overstressed muscles. They also contain
tryptophan, which convert to serotonin and
melatonin, the brain’s key calming hormones.
Try this tasty and incredibly simple bedtime
smoothie: Blend one banana with one cup of
milk or soy milk.
Dairy: Yogurt, milk and cheese do contain
tryptophan, but also have a surprising sleepinducing nutrient: Calcium is effective in stress
reduction and stabilization of nerve fibers,
including those in the brain. That means a
serving of your favorite Greek yogurt before
bed can not only help you sleep, but also help
you stop worrying about your troubles.
Oatmeal: It is warm, soft, soothing, easy
to prepare, inexpensive and nourishing. Rich
in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon
and potassium — all of which are known to
support sleep. But go easy on the sweeteners;
too much sugar before bed can have an anticalming effect. Instead, consider topping your
bowl with fruit, like bananas.
Cherries: Oddly, a glass of cherry juice
may be an effective way to fall asleep faster,
particularly tart cherries, as they naturally
boost the body’s supply of melatonin, which
help people with insomnia. Having a serving of
fresh, frozen or dried cherries before bedtime
also helps. 16
Technology
R E V I E W
G
timeskuwait.com
Google’s new
Moto X smartphone
oogle unveiled the first smartphone
of its own design since it bought
struggling Motorola last year.
Rather than go toe-to-toe with top-of-theline smartphones, such as Apple’s iPhone,
Samsung’s Galaxy S4 or HTC’s One, Google
designed the Moto X to make clever use of
sensors and language processors to stay
one step ahead of you.
The Moto X is built upon a chip called
the X8, which allows the smartphone to
understand natural language and gives it
situational awareness. It’s always listening
for your command, whether it is sleeping or
awake. And it knows where you’re using it,
and how you’re using it.
By calling out “OK Google Now,” you can
place a call, map out a destination, log a
reminder, or search on Google. The special
language processing chip allows the phone
to constantly wait for your voice to tell it what
to do — without you having to activate the
microphone. Better yet, Motorola says that
will have no detrimental effect on battery life.
Other wizardry include a display that
will automatically reveal the clock when
you pick up the phone or pull it out of your
pocket. Place your finger on the screen, and
notifications pop up for your viewing. Let go,
and it goes back to the default lock screen,
quickly obscuring your communications
from prying eyes. When the phone is
sleeping (or in any other state), twisting the
phone like a screwdriver will allow you to
open the camera with minimal fuss.
There’s also a custom app called Assist
that can use the Moto X’s array of sensors
to detect what sort of setting the phone is
in and allow you to establish a group of
settings that automatically kick in during
these situations. For example, you can have
all text messages read aloud to you while
you drive. When you
exit the car, that setting
turns off.
It may emphasize
sensors and smarts
over power, but the
Moto X is no slouch. It
packs a 4.7-inch, 720p
high-definition
screen
into a body not much
bigger than an iPhone. It
has a 10-megapixel camera
with a special-made sensor
that devotes a quarter of each pixel to
collecting extra light (a feature that could
translate to more detailed photos without
a flash). And it has a battery that promises
24 hours on a single charge under “normal”
use conditions. Yes, 24 hours. It runs a
relatively clean, bloatware-free version of
Android, which means it’s fast, excellent
Watch-out,
your TV is
Watching you
M
any of the new high-end televisions are almost all equipped
with “smart” PC-like features, including Internet connectivity,
apps, microphones and cameras. But a recently discovered
security hole in some Samsung Smart TVs shows that many of
those bells and whistles aren’t ready for prime time.
The flaws in Samsung Smart TVs, which have now been patched,
enabled hackers to remotely turn on the TVs’ built-in cameras
without leaving any trace of it on the screen. While you’re watching
TV, a hacker anywhere around the world could have been watching
you. Hackers also could have easily rerouted an unsuspecting user
to a malicious website to steal bank account information.
Samsung quickly fixed the problem after security researchers
and will receive updates much quicker
than a phone like the Galaxy S4.
Moto X also allows customers in the
US, for now, the option to personalize their
phones with custom hues, patterns, and
engravings crafted to order at Motorola’s
new Texas factory. The $200 phone that was
hyped as the solution to our smartphone
problems, goes on sale at the end of August.
at iSEC Partners informed the company about the bugs. Samsung
sent a software update to all affected TVs. But the glitches speak
to a larger problem of gadgets that connect to the Internet but have
virtually no security to speak of.
Security cameras, lights, heating control systems and even
door locks and windows are now increasingly coming with features
that allow users to control them remotely. Without proper security
controls, there’s little to stop hackers from invading users’ privacy,
stealing personal information or spying on people.
In the case of Samsung Smart TVs, iSEC researchers found that
they could tap into the TV’s Web browser with ease, according to
iSEC security analyst Josh Yavor. That gave hackers access to all
the functions controlled by the browser, including the TV’s built-in
camera. Yavor and Grattafiori another analyst at iSEC were also
able to hack the browser in such a way that users would be sent
to any website of the hacker’s choosing. This could have serious
implications if a bad actor sent a user to a lookalike banking page
and retrieved a user’s credentials.
In a statement to the media, Samsung said it takes user
safety very seriously. Addressing the camera flaw, a company
spokesperson said, “The camera can be turned into a bezel of
the TV so that the lens is covered, or disabled by pushing the
camera inside the bezel. The TV owner can also unplug the TV
from the home network when the Smart TV features are not in
use.” Samsung also recommends that customers use encrypted
wireless access points. The iSEC crew, speaking at the recently
concluded Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas, said
they remain skeptical that the technology is perfectly secure, even
after Samsung patched the bugs.”We know that the way we were
able to do this has been fixed; it doesn’t mean that there aren’t other
ways that could be discovered in the future, “ Yavor said.
Users are advised to run regular updates from vendors like they
do with anti-virus software on their computers or system updates on
the smartphone. And when all else fails, users can always put tape
over their cameras. New program reveals all you do online
Y
ou may have never known about
a program called Xkeyscore, but
it definitely knows you. Xkeyscore is a
top-secret program designed by the
United states’ National Security Agency
(NSA)that essentially makes available
everything you’ve ever done on the
Internet — browsing history, searches,
content of your emails, online chats, even
your metadata — all at the tap of the
keyboard.
This was revealed by The Guardian
newspaper on Wednesday, 31st July and
the source of the information has been
traced to Edward Snowden, the fugitive
former employee contracted to the NSA,
who has now been granted asylum in
Russia. This latest revelation comes
from XKeyscore training materials, which
Snowden provided to The Guardian.
The program gives analysts
the ability to search through the entire
database of your information without any
prior authorization — no warrant, no court
clearance, no signature on a dotted line.
An analyst must simply complete a simple
onscreen form, and seconds later, your
online history is no longer private. The
agency claims that XKeyscore covers
“nearly everything a typical user does on
the Internet.”
The agency defended the program,
claiming that it helped capture 300
terrorists by 2008, and stressing that it
was only used to legally obtain information
about “legitimate foreign intelligence
targets in response to requirements that
our leaders need for information necessary
to protect our nation and its interests.”
XKeyscore is the second black mark
on the NSA’s record in the past few
weeks. First there was PRISM, a highly
controversial surveillance program that
reportedly allows the security agency
to access the servers of major Internet
organizations,
including
Facebook,
Google, Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, YouTube
and Skype, among others.
Beauty
timeskuwait.com
17
Lace for a
chic look
D
Beauty
without Borders
N
ext time you visit another country, give
yourself a few hours of active people
watching. What you will discover is the
disparate beauty that comes from different
cultures — complexions that appear without
blemish, and make-up techniques that aren’t
taught at a MAC counter.
This article celebrates the secrets of
women around the world; in most cases, you
don’t have to travel any further than the local
shops to start reaping the benefits.
France: Women in France do their own
manicures, often with red polish. First they
soak their fingers in warm water with lemon
juice. It erases the yellow tinge that red polish
can leave behind.
Singapore: Because humidity levels
hover at 90 percent year-round in this country,
women coat the ends of their hair with a few
drops of coconut oil before bed and leave it
overnight to keep hair frizz-free. For glowing
skin, women mash avocado or papaya,
slather it on their face, let it sit for 15 minutes,
then rinse with water. Avocado is loaded with
skin-friendly oils; papaya has papain, an
exfoliating enzyme.
Philippines: Women here use aloe to
make their hair glossy. Break an aloe vera leaf
in half and massage the juice into your scalp,
then rinse. To smooth rough skin, combine
quarter-cup grated fresh ginger and quartercup finely chopped limes and rub the mixture
onto dry spots.
Romania: An Eastern European trick for
pretty nails: make a soak of warm olive oil
and a few drops of vitamin A oil to moisturize
nails and make them less prone to splitting or
E
peeling (a result of dryness). Do it every two
weeks to keep them healthy and strong.
China: Many women in China use rice
water to cleanse their faces, because rice
has antioxidants that help prevent premature
skin ageing. Soak Chinese rice (from Chinese
delis) in water for 20 minutes; strain and then
dunk a flannel in the water. Rest the wet cloth
on your face for 10 minutes, once a week.
Costa Rica: To temporarily shrink pores,
combine equal parts fresh orange juice and
water and swab the mixture across your face
(avoiding the eye area) with a cotton ball.
Leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse. Want
to get rid of redness or bumps on your elbows
or armpits? Add the juice of 2 lemons to 1
tablespoon baking soda; rub the paste onto
your skin and leave for 20 minutes, then rinse
off with water. Follow this up with a moisturizer.
Greece: For shiny, bouncy locks, women
in Greece rinse their hair with rosemary water;
it deep-cleans and removes build-up. Boil
fresh rosemary in water, let it cool completely,
strain the rosemary and pour the water over
your hair. To ditch frizz on a humid day, Greek
women will tie a scarf tightly around their hair
and wear it for a few hours. The compression
de-puffs hair and brings it back down to earth.
Jamaica: Combine baking soda with
water and dab it onto a pimple. As it dries
and hardens, it sucks dirt and oil out of your
pores. If your skin is dry and showing signs
of age, add vitamin E oil to moisturizer and
apply to trouble spots (around mouth and
eyes). Besides being a skin hydrator, vitamin
E is a potent antioxidant that helps skin stay
young-looking.
one right, lace can be lovely, graceful,
feminine and sweet. As an accent, it can
also soften up a tougher look or give just a
pop of pretty detail to an outfit. But it can
be tricky to pull off. You don’t want to look
dowdy, or cheap. Be careful so your lace
does not overpower the rest of the outfit.
Fortunately, lace is having a fashion moment.
Designers including Jason Wu, Roberto
Cavalli, Vera Wang, Burberry Prorsum, Lela
Rose and Oscar de la
Renta showcased lace
on their spring 2013
runways.
Below we provide
a few ideas on how to
wear lace to look chic
and smart.
Make it officeappropriate: Lace
can work for office if
you are conservative
in balancing out your
wardrobe pieces.
Think a lace sheath or
A-line dress topped
with a fitted jacket or
cardigan and paired
with a plain peep-toe
sandal or pump as
the perfect ensemble.
Lace is always a great
way to add a feminine
touch to a traditional
suit or trousers. The
rule of thumb is to stick to neutral colors
and conservative shapes around the office.
A lace pencil skirt with a simple shell or
complementary button-up blouse can easily
be worn to the office.
Opt for color: Green, blue, coral and
pink laces were very visible on the spring
2013 runways. The bright color makes
the lace more youthful and provides an
attitude element when paired with warm
weather neutrals like khaki and white.
Since lace is already considered feminine,
buck the stereotypes by rocking it in an
acid-bright hue. A colored lace piece can
define your outfit drawing the eye up or
down to accentuate your figure. The best
recommendation is length-appropriate
lace shorts, a classic chambray shirt and
brown gladiator sandals for a polished
weekend look.
Look for quality: Only seek out
sophisticated, well-made styles to keep your
lace from looking cheap. And remember that
sheer lace is often seen as more feminine
than stylish, so know your audience. Look
for thicker or lined lace materials. When the
material is too thin it will snag, pill or potentially
unravel at the seams. Not cute. Instead of
super-delicate, flimsy lace, try looking for
pieces that weave ribbons and thicker threads
into lace-like patterns.
Be sure to balance things out. Lace has
a definite girly quality to it, so avoid pairing it
with florals, bows and other feminine pieces.
Let the lace speak for itself as your statement
dress, blouse or skirt and complement the rest
of your look with pieces that flow in the same
color family. Totally toughen up your look by
pairing a feminine lace dress with rustic boots
or a leather jacket to give the flirt a bit of fierce.
Keep everything else simple: Lace
speaks loudly so hair and accessories should
be kept simple and understated. Wearing lace
with traditional accessories like pearls dates
the entire outfit. Keep it fresh and opt for more
modern accessorizing, like layering necklaces
in different lengths and metals, playing with
stacks of bracelets and cuffs or selecting
a single statement necklace. And if you
just want a touch of lace, start with a scarf,
headband or other accessory in the fabric, or
looking for shorts or a jacket with a little lace
trim. For a lace collar that will never wilt, opt
for a metal necklace that’s been laser-cut to
mimic lace.
Flawless fixes
veryone has her flaws, and makeup
experts have made their careers out
of covering them up. Below are ideas
culled from experts on putting your best face
forward, no matter what.
Dark circles: Yellow-toned concealers can
counteract the blue and purple that are visible
in dark under-eye circles. Choose a concealer
that is one, maybe even two shades lighter
than your natural skin tone to brighten the area.
If it appears too light, just blend a little of your
foundation over the top.
Uneven skin tone: If you have dark spots
or redness, the last thing you need to add is
even more color. Choose a foundation as close
to your natural skin tone as possible and apply
it lightly. Follow up with a translucent powder
to hold everything in place. A powder with
yellow undertones can hide the redness. She
says yellow balances out redness and adds a
healthy glow.
Thin lashes: Wimpy lashes can leave your
whole face needing something more. Apply a
dark black mascara to ensure you get it right.
Start at the base of your lashes, where they
meet the eyelids, and wiggle the wand left
to right as you move it toward the tip of the
lashes. Do this as many times as you need to
get the look you want. This will get in between
your lashes for full, mega volume.
Blemishes: Pimples are an embarrassing
problem, but if you cover them right, no one
needs to know they exist. Apply an oil-control
foundation to the center of your face and blend
it outward. Follow it up with a yellow-toned
concealer to the problem spot and finish it
off with a powder to give your cover-up some
staying power. Use a brush when covering up
a blemish; bacteria on your hands can irritate
the problem spot even more.
Shine: A little shine is a good thing, but
too much just makes you look greasy. Powder
only your T-zone so you tone down the shine
but not your natural radiance. This way, you
will still get the radiance and dewiness from
the cheeks and the rest of the face, but also
a flawless finish on the T-zone, which can be
unflattering if it looks greasy.
18
Kids
Developmental
activities for
S
timeskuwait.com
infants
tumped on ideas for how to play with your baby?
These fun and easy activities help stimulate
your infant’s development — and bring on some
adorable smiles and giggles. And remember, much
of your baby’s learning in her first year will happen
naturally as you talk, read, make faces, and interact
with her every day.
Tummy time: Tummy time is one of the earliest
ways your baby will learn to play. The game helps
develop your baby’s neck and upper-body muscles
for better head control and also helps prevent the
back of her head from becoming flat. Begin tummy
time the first day your baby is home from the hospital.
Increase tummy time as your baby gets older and
stronger, and place toys in front of her to encourage
reaching, creeping, and eventually crawling.
Qualities
Fun with faces: Babies love to explore the world
through touch. Allow your little one to feel the different
parts of your face and his stuffed animals’ faces with
his hands. Say the names of the parts of the face as he
touches them, and direct your baby’s hand to touch his
own nose, mouth, ears, and more. Guide your baby’s
hands to your face while you speak and make facial
expressions so that he can get to know how we use our
faces to communicate.
to nurture in children
Experts say that happy, successful people —
those who do well in their chosen careers and
form satisfying relationships throughout their lives
— tend to share certain qualities. Parents can help
nurture those key traits in their children. According
to child-development experts here are five of the
top qualities your child will need to succeed.
Babies and boxes: Boxes are so much fun. There’s
no need to buy fancy blocks to build your infant’s motor
skills. Wrap up some smaller boxes (such as cereal
boxes or shoe boxes) with recycled newspaper or
wrapping paper and allow your baby to handle them
and learn to rip them open. She will love the sound of
the paper ripping as she pulls on it. She will also enjoy
stacking boxes, knocking them over, and rebuilding the
stack with your help.
Trust: A basic trust in others is the foundation on which all other
traits rest. Your child will have a hard time building relationships, feeling
confident, and moving forward unless he or she has the ability to trust.
Imparting trust starts right from the time your infant is born. You can
bond with your baby in a way that instils in her a profound sense of
security and faith in the world. To create a really safe feeling, introduce
rituals such as reading a story every night before bedtime. When your
child is a toddler, their needs become more complex, they need you to
acknowledging their achievements. Try to pay attention to your child’s
signals and react accordingly to their needs. Also pay attention to your
baby’s temperament. Not all children are alike and your little one will trust
you more if you tailor your actions to suit her personality.
Patience: Kids who learn patience are able to persevere and are
more likely to succeed. Teaching a child the quality of patience can help
them be independent and accomplished. First remember this: Your
baby is watching. If you fly off the handle when you come up against
rough traffic or a long line, you will set a poor example. Experts call it
modelling — do the right thing and your kid is more likely to follow.
Responsibility: To succeed in life, you need to know how to make
commitments and follow through. It’s something that even a baby can
begin to tackle. Specifically, that means you can start thinking about
baby-size responsibilities, like handing your child an item and asking her
to give it to Dad. As your child grows older, you can make chores more
advanced, perhaps asking him or her to throw their socks in the hamper
or stack their videotapes. Make it more sincere by explaining the value of
each task, but keep your explanations brief to avoid confusion.
Empathy: To have successful relationships, you have to know how
people are feeling and respond appropr iately. Help your child develop
empathy by holding conversations about pain and how they can help
relieve it in others. Certain Television programs convey the message
to children that empathy, compassion, and friendship are important
components of a happy life. They emphasize sharing, mutual respect,
and love. Children who watch these programs model this behaviour after
what they see. Even more crucial is your behaviour as a parent. Do unto
your child as you want your child to do unto others. That means paying
attention to his needs and showing him that you respect his feelings.
Self-Reliance: By learning to act independently, your child will grow
up with a strong enough inner compass to know what it wants and to
make sound judgments on its own. Perhaps the most effective attribute
you can pass on to your child is the ability to solve problems.
Help your child break tasks into small steps, and then let it master
each step on its own. If it can figure out how to open the cookie jar,
or spread jelly on its toast, your child will feel more autonomous and
confident about tackling bigger tasks around the house. You can also
help build self-reliance by giving your child age-appropriate things to do.
One of the best ways for your child to learn self-reliance is by modelling
your behaviour. If you are having trouble, say, assembling your new
computer, talk to yourself out loud, walking yourself through the steps, so
your child can see you going through the process of solving the problem.
Testing out textures: As your baby begins to
scoot and crawl, try laying rugs, blankets, or items with
different textures on the floor for him to explore as he
travels across them. Nubby carpet remnants, sticky
contact paper, and noisy bubble wrap are just a few
ideas. Also, carry your baby around and help him feel
the textures of different surfaces, such as a cool brick
wall or a round staircase banister.
Floating catch: Gentle games of catch give babies
a thrill — and help develop their hand/eye coordination.
Gather some lightweight, colourful scarves and toss
them in the air so that they float down in front of your
baby and he can attempt to grab them. If you don’t
have scarves, you can use non-toxic bubbles in your
game of catch.Responsible parent-child relationship.
What does my child need: Your job is to help your
child create a structure for himself, and for that, you
have to stay more involved and check in more often.
The question should be, “What does the child need?”
And then determine what your responsibilities are and
aren’t. It might be that you have to help your child
design a chart to keep track of what he has to do. But
he should then be in charge of putting a check next to
those things when they are completed.
Know when you’re in your child’s box: Most of
the time we are not necessarily aware that we have
crossed boundaries. It might be when you’re feeling
frazzled, at the end of your rope, and frustrated. On
the other hand, when you feel calm and engaged in
your own interests, it indicates that you are in your own
box. Know what the triggers are that cause you to jump
from your box to his. Try to increase your awareness
of yourself.
Most of us think we are teaching our kids
responsibility. But the truth is, we are really preaching it.
And guess what? This only creates more dependency.
The more you act in ways that respect your own values
and principles, the more you will promote the necessary
emotional separateness between yourself and your
child. The more emotionally separate you are, the freer
your child is to think for himself more clearly. You are no
longer in his box or in his head, telling him what to do all
the time. And the more clearly or objectively your child
sees himself and others and acts on that awareness,
the more responsible for himself he can become.
Responsible parent-child relationship
I
f like most parents you spend enormous amounts
of time and energy encouraging and explaining the
importance of being responsible; if you have tried
complaining, nagging and lecturing, but all to no avail,
then, here are a few steps that will get your kids to become
more responsible.
Put the lecture on ‘pause’: When you are worried
about your child’s irresponsibility and you are about to
lecture and preach, stop for a moment and breathe. The
moment between your child’s action and your response is
your most important parenting moment. When you pause
and think about the bigger picture, you can make a better
choice: the choice to stay out of your child’s box and to
remain emotionally separate. Without the pause, it is easy
to let your emotions lead you astray. Although it doesn’t
feel as good, the calmer choice you make can lead to a
more responsible parent-child relationship.
Shift your gaze off your child — and onto yourself:
Confront yourself with the important questions. Ask
yourself, “What would a responsible parent do in this
situation? What are my options if my child is not acting
responsibly — and which option do I want to choose?
And am I willing to live with the possible consequences
of that choice?” It is more effective to determine what your
bottom line is, and then give consequences when your
child doesn’t do his job.
What does my child need: Your job is to help your
child create a structure for himself, and for that, you
have to stay more involved and check in more often. The
question should be, “What does the child need?” And
then determine what your responsibilities are and aren’t. It
might be that you have to help your child design a chart to
keep track of what he has to do. But he should then be in
charge of putting a check next to those things when they
are completed.
Know when you’re in your child’s box: Most of the
time we are not necessarily aware that we have crossed
boundaries. It might be when you’re feeling frazzled, at
the end of your rope, and frustrated. On the other hand,
when you feel calm and engaged in your own interests,
it indicates that you are in your own box. Know what the
triggers are that cause you to jump from your box to his.
Try to increase your awareness of yourself.
Buzzart Ramadan
Expo
Eid Open
House at TIES
When: August 11
T
he TIES Center cordially invites
those who are interested in joining
in the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr. Expect
a fun, friendly and festive environment
where you can meet new people
and celebrate with friends. Guests
will be entertained by the Henna
hand-painting and calligraphy events,
bringing added fun to the party. This
is also an opportunity for visitors
to experience the hospitality and
friendliness of the Arab and Islamic
culture with the TIES staff and a
sociable party of Arab and Western
friends. The celebration will take place
from 5 pm to 8 pm.
Gallery Tilal – Ramadan
Feast & Exhibition
When: July 20 - August 16
Where: Shuwaikh, Al Tilal Complex,
Jahra road
Around town
timeskuwait.com
Konkani Drama
When: July - August 23
Where: FA Gallery, Sharq
T
19
he FA Gallery invites the
public to attend the “Summer
Extravaganza of
Creativity”,Buzzart.
Buzzart is all about
imagination and
individuality; and
it brings together
designers and
products from
different regions
and background
to showcase during the months of
July and August. Don’t miss out on
the great finds and interesting artistic
renderings. Ramadan timings are
10:30am to 2pm, and 8:30pm to
12am. For more information, please
contact 2249 8999 for more details.
When: August 30
Where: Kuwait Medical Association
Auditorium, Jabriya
Your very
own weekly
planner
M
.A. Production is all set to
present a Konkani Drama ‘Moje
Dhuvenchem Kazar’ to be staged on
August 30. The story is emotionally
charged, and filled with humor and
music, written by M. Dias and directed
by Sylvester Vaz and M. Dias. It will
be held at Kuwait Medical Association
Auditorium (near Blood Bank), Jabriya.
Popular actors and singers will be
flown from India including Seby
de Divar - Goa’s singing
Summerific
Event - Kids Talent Club
T
here is no better opportunity
than the Summer Kids Talent
Club for your children to express
their creativity and interact with
other imaginative children. Come
join for a fantastic world of fun-filled
summer activities that will have a
great impact on your kid’s minds.
The summer club activities will
be held at the Kuwait Continental
Hotel from Sunday to Thursday.
Children are entertained by specially
When: July14 - August 7
Where: Kuwait Continental Hotel
designed activities meant to assist
their wholesome development, from
9:30am to 12:30pm. Children of
ages 5 to 14 years are welcome.
For more information, please call
66062972 / 60981801. Fees for the
event is KD40.
Eating out in Kuwait
R
O
Walking for Health
T
he Rijeemy walkathon is
organized by the Kuwaiti
nutritionist and diet expert, Dr.
Abdulla Al Mutawa, owner of the
Rijeemy
Center.
The
walkathon
is held at
360 Mall
place
daily,
a safe,
weathercontrolled
environment that give participants
plenty of room to move freely. Last
year there were additional benefits
like educational facilities for weightloss, healthy practices and diet
tips. The goal of the walkathon
is to encourage the public to live
a healthier lifestyle and be more
active. Timings are from 5 to 6pm
daily.
UN
Football referees
coaching classes
Where: I E A School, Salmiya
F
W
AR
group of imaginative and talented
artists have gathered their best
works at the Gallery Tilal to give the
public a glimpse of their talent. The
artwork exhibited feature a variety of
artistic forms; calligraphy, abstract,
impressionism, digital and multimedia. Gaze in awe at the amazing
artistic artworks that exemplify
the Ramadan spirit and enrich the
viewer’s experience. Some of the
famous artists mentioned in the list
are Ibrahim Habib, Ibrahim AlAtiyah,
Samar AlBader, May AlSaad,
FareedAbdal and Nouf Al-Semari.
N
A
Where: 360 mall, Al Zahra’a Area
Tasty array of dishes
uby Tuesday is serving
delicious Iftar meals that are
as good as they sound. For only
KD 4.950, visitors can get three
fantastic choices from the menu
that surpasses expectations in
terms of satisfaction and flavor.
Savor the freshness of the Garden
bar and the choice of soup of the
day. Also, choose from a number of
great entrees: Tilapia Trio, Chicken
or Shrimp Parmesan Pasta, Sirloin
Beef Tips and Chicken Trio.
Accompanying your delicious meal
is your choice of Oriental ‘Bamiyan
O
T
D
sensation, John D’Silva - Goa’s best
known comedian and character
artiste, Yvonne - new sensation in
comedy, Fr Nevel Gracias (Vell’
lekar) - well-known actor and writer,
Sylvester Vaz - charming personality
of Konkani stage, besides a few
prominent well established actors and
singers from the tiatrist fraternity in
Kuwait. The proceeds of this drama
will be sent to Old Goa Retreat Center.
It is a must attend event by all parents
and children, and definitely those who
would like to assist a noble cause. For
more information, e-mail dias_q8@
yahoo.com, or telephone: 66698257,
99616965 and 65095345
ootball Referees’ Coaching Classes
for new recruits and a Refresher Class
for active members will be conducted by
the Indian Football Referees’ Association
(IFRA) Kuwait at the Indian English
Academy School in Salmiya from 9am
onwards. New candidates who have an
interest to qualify as football referees are
requested to contact Sarto at 99774635
or Francis at 66858245 or Christopher at
99738635 or Mubarak Y. at 97327238.
They live in the Mangaf, Fahaheel and
Ahmadi area and are available to disperse
more info. IFRA is the only
accredited and qualified Indian
Football Referee’s
Association in the
entire Arabian
Gulf region, and
Let the crowd know about the
has an affiliation with
next big event you’re hosting.
‘BRA (Bombay
Calling on all associations to
Referees Association) and
other Referee Associations.
reach your audience by sending
The Referees’ Association
in your event announcements and
is an organized body
details to [email protected]
of people involved with
refereeing. It is a voluntary
organization, run by referees,
for the benefit of referees and to
make the game of Football more
fun and competitive.
Or Shabzi’, Dates, Ramadan Drinks
or Oriental Sweets. Diners will
appreciate the varied dishes for Iftar
and vibrant atmosphere.
Palatable pastas
resenting for your pleasure,
IHOP has a mouth-watering
variety of tasty-sounding pastas;
the Pick A-Sauce Spaghetti,
Mushroom Spinach Pasta and
Jambalaya Pasta. These hearty
P
pastas are laden with
fresh ingredients and rich
flavors, and are prepared
the best way to represent
the quality of
the restaurant. Indulge your pasta
cravings with these tempting
unique pastas.
Ramadan special from Japan
atami, a well-known Japanese
restaurant in Kuwait, has a great
number of hot-selling Japanese
dishes.
For
Ramadan,
the
restaurant is offering a special price
on some of fan favorites with some
mouth-watering dishes: Ebi Trios
served with Tentsuyu and sweet
chili sauce, Lentil Soup served with
Wasabi crème fraiche and sesame
oil drizzle, and the Jarjeer Date
Salad, served with a soy balsamic
dressing. These three dishes are
amazing, and the sublime start to a
meal.
T
Celebrate Eid Al Fitar
Crumbs offer a variety of desserts
on this Eid Al Fitar to delight in with
your family and friends. Choose from
the festively decorated cupcakes,
to miniature cake bites, cookies
and more. Visitors can also decide
to deliver a lovely tray filled with
decorated cupcakes and miniature
sweets in Crumbs signature colors
to their loved ones’ door step
to wish them a Happy Eid. With
Crumbs, dessert has never been
more memorable! For your tingling
taste buds, the choice dessert
of the month is the Sticky Toffee
Cheesecake. This lip-smacking
vanilla cheesecake is baked with
chunks of date cake, and drizzled
with sticky toffee sauce.
20
Local
timeskuwait.com
Eid campaign to put smiles on orphans’ faces
F
or Kuwaiti philanthropist Fatima Hussain Al Ali, there is no
time for self-complacency. “I fully appreciate your generous
contributions that have enabled 100 orphans and needy
children to receive clothes for Eid,” she tweeted to her followers.
“Yet, I swear to God, there are many other families waiting for your
generosity, so do not hesitate,” she said.
The campaign she had launched to help orphans and the
children of needy and destitute Bedouin (stateless) enjoy Eid Al
Fitr, the feast marking the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, has
been moving ahead thanks to the generosity of people touched by
her vigorous humanitarian drive.
It follows a campaign she had launched to help Bedouin families
deal with the extra financial pressure associated with Ramadan,
when generally expenses on food consumption rocket. Fatima has
often been praised for her charitable drive at a time when many
preferred to shut their eyes and pretend there were no problems,
or that there were any destitute people around. For her, it all
amounted to having deep faith in the compassionate character
of Kuwaiti nationals and in people living in the country. “There are
so many charitable souls in Kuwait, but locked doors need keys. I
do have hope, especially that the beneficiaries are orphans,” she
posted on her Twitter account where she has slightly more than
8,500 followers. Her motto is “I have a dream.”
However, the challenges have been at times formidable
and Fatima needed greater commitment from people to offer
assistance, particularly those who were keener on publicity stunts
or self-serving interests than in philanthropic work.
“There are hypocrites who publicly pledge to assist, but in fact
do nothing,” she said. The Eid clothes for orphans drive coincided
for some time with the campaign by candidates vying for seats
in the country’s parliament on the July 27 elections. It was an
occasion for Fatima to witness how some people wanted to lace
charity with self-serving political interests.
“For instance, a lawmaker asked me to provide him with the
phone numbers of needy families,” she said, referring to an illegal
practice used by some candidates to contact voters and offer
them money for their support. “However, I told him that we did not
give families money and that I was the one who distributed the
items and the food. He simply refused to assist.”
In another case, a potential lawmaker offered her a large
sum of money if she accepted, alongside the supporters of the
campaign, to stand by him. “However, when I told him about
contributing money to the campaign to raise funds for the Eid
clothes for the orphans, he said that he could not help due to the
heavy financial pressure.” For Fatima, lawmakers should be the
ones to stand alongside the poor and the needy to be able to
appreciate the significance of the work that needs to be done.
“I insist on lawmakers because those who wish to help the poor
and witness their needs first-hand will certainly work for better
living conditions for Kuwait and Kuwaitis,” she said. Throughout
her campaigns, she adopted a direct approach with the people,
highlighting people’s needs and requirements to meet them. She
did not hesitate to press people to come forward. “I will be in the
Mubarikiya area as part of the Eid clothes campaign. Whoever
wants to assist financially should not hesitate, as donations are
works of charity that God rewards,” she posted.
Recruitment agencies slam
moratorium proposal,
calls it unfair and unjust
Continued from Page 1
Bermudez questioned “Who wants these things to happen
to our workers? No one! Should they ran away from employers
and decide to return to Philippines, we are often summoned
to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and required
to assist or face suspension of deployment and in most cases
we provide the tickets for their return”. Bermudez added that
in her case she has three different maltreatments and two are
now in court, which she personally look after. They also have
repatriated in numbers and employed thousands too and
provided jobs. “How can you say that we neglect to assist?”
questioned Bermudez.
“Why are these accomplishments not highlighted in
the media too? What we read are always the horrific things
that happen to the workers and not those who successfully
achieved certain status at work. Such as those who have
become successful businesswomen, graduated from
computer and secretarial courses in Kuwait, work in
prestigious places and holding on to good job positions or
further got married to locals and are now accomplished in
their own rights? There is a gap, which readers and people
fail to see, what matters most to them are the adversities
that occur and where do we read then the good part? Look
at the bad side but don’t close your eyes to the good part
too!” commented Macapudi. The recruitment agencies also
highlighted that instead of earning in most cases, they spend
more to assist ran way workers or those victims of violence,
rape and others. Tina Lim, another agency representative
said that she had the case of a ward, which jumped from
the balcony of the flat to escape her employer, the Filipina
was admitted to the hospital but due to loss of her medical
records in the hospital, she had to stay in the hospital for four
months to recuperate from broken and dislocated bones. In
an interview with the ward prior to her repatriation last month,
she told The Times that she lauds her agency for the regular
visits, provision of food and money and attention given to her
while she was in the hospital. “I have never been neglected
or ignored and thank my agency for getting me through this
ordeal and I am forever grateful,” commented the ward.
A media personnel explained that such problems would
not have existed if the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
was signed during the visit of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait
to Manila. The media personnel said that the protection of
rights of the workers and salaries were stipulated in the MOU
but what was signed instead was for the Visa 18 workers.
The media personnel said that when she asked former
Ambassador to Kuwait Shulan Primavera as to why the MOU
for Visa 20 failed to materialize, the former ambassador said
was due to lack of time.
Among the highlights of the meeting was President of Mga
Oragons sa Kuwait (Oragons in Kuwait) Ann Abunda read a
note that described her group’s stand as to why the moratorium
must be implemented immediately. The moratorium signature
campaign, which also gains and earns signatures from
other Filipino leaders, have gathered so far substantial
numbers prior to its submission to the Philippine government.
Charges D’ Affaires Atty. Raul Dado who also spearheaded
the meeting provided updates on fitness instructor Jenny’s
case as well as questions raised on concerns about travel
documents, assistance provided by the embassy and its
personnel and other vital issues pertaining Filipino Overseas
Workers (OFWs) in Kuwait.

Meet Kuwait`s new MPs

Transcription

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