Gulf Times

P7
Community
Qatari
artist Ali bin
Dasmal’s
keen eye and
brushstrokes have
brought objects from
the past to the fore.
P20
Community
Pupils of
French school
in Doha had a
rare encounter with explorer
Jason Lewis, the first person
to circumnavigate the planet
using only human power.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Rabia II 9, 1437 AH
DOHA
15°C—24°C TODAY
WINNER: Margarita Zuniga says biking has opened endless opportunities for her.
COVER
STORY
LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 13
PUZZLES 14 & 15
Photo by Umer Nangiana
All the rage
Driven owners, mean machines and energetic enthusiasts
rev up 3rd Annual GCC Bikes and Classic Cars show. P4-5
2
GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016
COMMUNITY
ROUND & ABOUT
PRAYER TIME
Fajr
Shorooq (sunrise)
Zuhr (noon)
Asr (afternoon)
Maghreb (sunset)
Isha (night)
5.01am
6.21am
11.44am
2.47pm
5.10pm
6.40pm
USEFUL NUMBERS
Emergency
999
Worldwide Emergency Number
112
Kahramaa – Electricity and Water
991
Ooredoo Telephone Assistance
111
Local Directory
180
International Calls Enquires
150
Time
141, 140
Doha International Airport
40106666
Labor Department
44508111, 44406537
Medical Commission
44679111
Mowasalat Taxi
44588888
Qatar Airways
44496000
Weather Forecast
44656590
Hamad Medical Corporation
44392222
44393333
Qatar General Electricity and
Water Corporation
44845555
44845464
Primary Health Care Corporation
44593333
44593363
Qatar Assistive Technology
Centre
44594050
Qatar News Agency
44450205
44450333
Q-Post – General Postal
Corporation
44464444
Qatar University
44033333
ote Unquote
u
Q We must
learn to live together as
brothers or perish together
as fools.
— Martin Luther King, Jr
Features Editor
Kamran Rehmat
e-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 44466405
Fax: 44350474
Ride Along 2
GENRE: Action, Comedy
CAST: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika
Sumpter
DIRECTION: Tim Story
SYNOPSIS: It is the sequel to the 2014
film Ride Along. Ben Barber graduates
from the police academy and is now a
full-fledged Atlanta cop, and wants to
make it as a detective. James, Ben’s soon
to be brother-in-law, is still annoyed by
his tactics. Before Ben is able to marry
James’s sister, Angela, their boss Lt Brooks
(Bruce McGill) assigns them to a case in
The 5th Wave
GENRE: Thriller, Sci-fi
CAST: Chloë Grace Moretz, Matthew Zuk, Gabriela Lopez
DIRECTION: J Blakeson
SYNOPSIS: Four waves of increasingly deadly alien
attacks have left most of Earth decimated. Against a backdrop
Mall Cinema (1): Soggade Chinni Nayana
(Telugu) 2pm; Suffragette (2D) 4.30pm; The
5th Wave (2D) 6.30pm; The Hateful Eight
(2D) 8.30pm; Ride Along 2 (2D) 11.30pm.
Mall Cinema (2): The Good Dinosaur (2D)
2.30pm; Dragon Nest: Warrior’s Dawn (2D)
4.15pm; Ride Along 2 (2D) 6pm; Charlie
(Malayalam) 8pm; The Hateful Eight (2D)
10.30pm.
Mall Cinema (3): Nannaku Prematho
(Telugu) 1.15pm; Chalk “N” Duster (Hindi)
4.15pm; The Revenant (2D) 6.30pm; The 5th
Wave (2D) 9.15pm; Dictator (Telugu)
11pm.
Cinema Land Mark (1): Dictator (Telugu)
2pm; Ride Along 2 (2D) 4.30pm; Charlie
(Malayalam) 6.30pm; Ride Along 2 (2D)
Miami, where they will be working with
the Miami Police Department in order to
bring down a powerful drug lord named
Antonio Pope (Benjamin Bratt).
THEATRES: The Mall, Landmark,
Royal Plaza
of fear and distrust, Cassie Sullivan, is on the run, desperately
trying to save her younger brother, Sammy. As she prepares
for the fifth wave, Cassie teams up with a young man Evan,
who may become her final hope – if she can only trust him.
THEATRES: Landmark, The Mall, Royal Plaza
Along 2 (2D) 6pm; The Hateful Eight (2D)
8pm; The 5th Wave (2D) 11pm.
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): The Good
Dinosaur (2D) 3pm; The 5th Wave (2D)
9pm; Soggade Chinni Nayana (Telugu)
5pm; The 5th Wave (2D) 7pm; Ride Along 2
11pm.
(2D) 9pm; The Revenant (2D) 11pm.
Cinema Land Mark (2): Dragon Nest:
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): Wazir
Warrior’s Dawn (2D) 2.30pm; The Good
(Hindi) 2pm; Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Dinosaur (2D) 4.15pm; The 5th Wave (2D)
(2D) 4pm; Suffragette (2D) 6.15pm; The
6pm; The 5th Wave (2D) 8pm; The Hateful
Revenant (2D) 8.15pm; The Hateful Eight
Eight (2D) 10pm.
(2D) 10.45pm.
Cinema Land Mark (3): Nannaku
Asian Town Cinema: Charlie (Malayalam)
Prematho (Telugu) 2.30pm; Suffragette
(2D) 5.30pm; The Hateful Eight (2D) 7.30pm; 5.15, 6.15, 8, 9 & 10.45pm; Dictator (Telugu)
5.15pm; Soggade Chinni Nayana (Telugu)
The Revenant (2D) 10.30pm.
12.30, 3 & 8pm; Nannaku Prematho (Telugu)
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1): Dragon
Nest: Warrior’s Dawn (2D) 2.30pm; Dragon 5.30 & 10.30pm; Thaarai Thappattai (Tamil)
3, 10.30pm & 1am.
Nest: Warrior’s Dawn (2D) 4.15pm; Ride
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
EVENTS
IAID Talent Development Programme
DATE: Jan 30
VENUE: Al Tadamoun Signal, Hilal St
Introduce your kids to the wonderful world
of music smile emotion. Music is a natural
part of life for toddlers. They might sing to
their stuffed animals, tap their feet to the
rhythm of nursery rhymes, and enjoy the
sound of their parents singing to them. But
this early introduction to music does more
than entertain. It can kick-start learning,
serve as an important cue in a child’s routine,
and offer lifelong benefits.
Interfaith Dialogue Conference
DATE: Feb 16-17
VENUE: Sheraton Doha Hotel
12th Doha Interfaith Dialogue Conference
will be held this year under the theme:
“Spiritual and Intellectual Safety in the Light
of Religious Doctrines”. The conference
gives a great opportunity to experts and
professionals from all over the world discuss
the issues related to the conference theme,
and provide a certain framework for dealing
with the challenges that threaten the spiritual
and intellectual freedom and security of our
times.
3
COMMUNITY
ROUND & ABOUT
QNHG Talk
Purple Island: 4,000 years of
occupation on a very small island in the
bay of Al Khor
Talk by Prof Robert Carter, PhD, Professor
of Arabian and Middle Eastern Archaeology,
UCL Qatar
Date: Tomorrow
Time: 7pm
Light refreshments from 6:30pm — Q&A
afterwards
Where: Doha English Speaking School
(DESS), Madinat Khalifa South
Synopsis: Purple Island (Bin Ghanim
Island) is best known as the location of a dyemanufacturing site dating to the late second
millennium BC (Kassite or post-Kassite
Period), excavated by a French team in the
1980s. Here expensive dye was made from
a specific species of gastropod, possibly
for redistribution to the elites of Bahrain,
Mesopotamia and neighbouring regions.
This recalls an enigmatic connection with
the Phoenicians, who later manufactured
purple dye in the Mediterranean and
whose original homeland, according to some
authorities, was not far away in Bahrain.
This was not the only archaeological
occupation discovered on the island.
The island contains a scatter of earlier
Bronze Age pottery and features
(early Dilmun period, ca. 2000 BC),
suggesting that it was integrated into
the maritime trading and fishing activities
of the Dilmun civilisation, based in Bahrain.
Additionally, there was re-occupation
during the Sasanian period, comprising a
possible village or extensive campsite in
the western part of the island, as well as
remains dating to the most recent three
centuries AD. Apart from the (post-)
Kassite dye-manufacturing site, all of these
occupations are represented by campsite
remains or relatively ephemeral villages,
probably connected to sea-fishing and
pearl-fishing activities as well as woodgathering, hunting and grazing. In this
respect the archaeology of the island is
highly typical of the coastal and islands
region of the Gulf coast, where a surprising
amount of archaeology of many different
periods can be found scattered across
small and apparently isolated islands,
the legacy of many thousands of visits
across the millennia. More details on
the QNHG website: www.qnhg.org
GULF TIMES
Exhibition and Convention CenteR. Visitors
can enjoy convenient onsite parking, close
proximity to 5-star hotels, and more easily
accessibility by foot for the local community
and wider regional and international tourists.
Doha Dash 2016
DATE: Feb 9
VENUE: Losail International Circuit
TIME: 7am
The Dolphin Energy Doha Dash was created
by Professional Sports Group to support the
vision behind the Qatar National Sport Day.
The event will bring the community together
at Losail International Circuit for a chance to
run in one of the three distances on offer.
VCU Qatar Faculty Exhibition
DATE: Jan 20-Feb 15
VENUE: VCU Qatar Gallery
VCU Qatar will organise its annual
exhibition of works by artists and designers
who are teaching and researching at the
university. Entrance is free. This exhibition
aims to give faculty members an opportunity
to present their results of current artistic and
design research and exploration in a select
exhibition.
Art Exhibition
DATE: Until April 18
VENUE: Porto Arabia, Pearl
Diffusion by Peter Zimmermann — A
mesmerising solo exhibition of colourful,
futuristic works. Anima Gallery, Parcel 17,
Porto Arabia, The Pearl-Qatar. Contact:
40027437
Listen to Jazz music
DATE: Jan 30
TIME: 3pm-5pm
VENUE: Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha, St
Regis
Take the whole family to learn more about
the world of jazz at one of Jazz at Lincoln
Center’s monthly music talks. Kids and
adults will both love this fun and interactive
afternoon in equal measure. Free entry, à la
carte menu. Contact: 44460105.
Aspire Aquathon Series
DATE: Feb 20
VENUE: Hamad Aquatics Centre
You can join this popular combination of
swimming and running sport race, organised
by Aspire Zone Foundation in Hamad
Aquatics Centre pool facility and around
the Aspire Zone precinct. Entry fees: QR20.
Entry is open for all ages and talents, aged
8 years and above. Adult groups will run for
5km and swim 500m long, while kids will run
between 1.5 - 3 km and swim between 100200m long, according to their age group.
Falcons and Hunting Festival
DATE: Until January 30
VENUE: Sabkhat Marmi — Sealine
Al-Gannas Society is hosting the seventh
edition of Qatar International Falcons and
Hunting Festival.
This international competition, deeply
rooted in Qatar’s culture and traditions, is
showcasing some of the most beautiful and
well-trained falcons.
Qatar Motor Show
DATE: January 28-February 1
VENUE: Doha Exhibition Convention
Center
Offering motor-lovers and visitors a
journey to ‘Explore the World of Motion’,
the popular Qatar Motor Show will return
between January 28 and February 1 at Doha
Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change
How to Become Youtube Creator
Workshop
DATE: January 30
TIME: 10am-2pm
VENUE: Entube Center
Entube Center invites you to join a
workshop on How to Become Youtube
Creator from 10am to 2 pm. Participants
will learn the basics of online TV, the
incentive and drive behind the phenomenon
of online TV, the composition of the online
TV market, how money is being made and
how to capitalise on the phenomenon, the
standards that need to be met in order for
the channel to be successful, and more.
Neuroscience Conference
DATE: February 18-20
VENUE: Sheraton Hotel
The 1st Qatar Annual Neuroscience
Conference, organised by the Neurological
Institute at Hamad Medical Corporation,
offers a comprehensive educational
programme specifically designed for the
Mena region that will have significant
emphasis on practical aspects of common
neurological and neurosurgical disorders.
The scientific programme committee has
invited world leaders in their fields to share
their knowledge with the attendees.
Jewellery and Watches Exhibition
DATE: February 23-27
VENUE: Doha Exhibition and Convention
Center
Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition
(DJWE) is being held once a year in Qatar.
This show is one of the most exclusive in the
world for wealthy individuals interested in
fine jewellery and unique pieces, watches,
gemstones, and diamonds, all represented
by more than 500 exclusive international
brands. Additionally, a number of
educational seminars will be delivered on
jewellery and watches throughout the week.
Aspire Run the Park
DATE: Until February 13
VENUE: Aspire Park
Aspire Zone Foundation will organise
a series of four races on Saturday once
a month on January 16 and February 13.
Participants should compete in at least three
out the four races to win a medal and prize.
They have to be there an hour before the
race.
FOODIE CHOICE
RESTAURANT: Ziryab Restaurant
LOCATION: The Pearl-Qatar
Ziryab Restaurant is a Fine Dining
restaurant located in Medina Centralle on
The Pearl-Qatar Doha serving Italian and
Mediterranean cuisine in a sophisticated
environment.
4
GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016
COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
Passion and compassion
Riders and their indulgence of slick machines electrified the atmosphere
at the 3rd Annual GCC Bikes and Classic Cars show at Katara — many driven
by philanthropy. Umer Nangiana spoke to a select few who stood out
PROUD OWNER: Faisal al-Baloshi of Saudi Arabia.
W
CRAFTY: The customised Hayabusa ground up.
Photos by Umer Nangiana
ith great
motorbikes comes
great freedom.
And when you
hop onto one of
those heavyweight air-cooled
cruiser motorcycles with engine
displacements above ,1000CC, the
sky is the limit.
Some riding these burly twowheeler machines are seeking thrill
and unmatched fun while others see
endless opportunities to explore the
world besides covering miles to find
ways to help people.
There are hundreds of individual
bikers and biker groups across the
world involved in raising funds for
charities or awareness about noble
causes. A large number of such
enthusiasts gathered here in town
recently to primarily show off the
results of their passion for bikes,
and then, to share with each other
the possibilities of philanthropic
possibilities.
At the 3rd annual GCC Bikes and
Classic Cars show, recently held
at Katara, hundreds of motorcycle
aficionados from the region revved
up for competition with their
customised ‘beasts.’ The best were
awarded trophies.
Margarita Zuniga, a Qatari biker
and former head of Ladies of Harley
(LoH) group, won first prize for her
customised ‘Sportster’, a HarleyDavidson model.
Biking for more than seven years,
Margarita has long been associated
with charity work besides raising
awareness of important health
issues such as dangers of cancer in
Qatar.
“During my leadership of the
LoH, we have been involved in
raising funds for Qatar Cancer
Society. And apart from my bike
riding, I climb mountains and that
is how I raise funds for charities,”
Margarita tells Community.
“With the last two mountains
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
5
COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
that I climbed I contributed to
raising funds and awareness for
World Cancer Day in Qatar besides
raising funds to build a school in
Palestine,” she adds. Besides Beirut,
she has also been to Bolivia to climb
mountains.
Margarita says she was surprised
when her name was called for the
first prize for Sportster category.
She did not expect to win and
participated only to show her bike.
She changed almost everything
on the Sportster, which was her
first bike. In 2011, she decided
to buy a Deluxe Classic and thus
started neglecting the Sportster “a
little bit.” It was then she decided
to customise because she always
wanted an old-school ‘Bobber.’
Biking has become more of a
passion for Margarita, who debuted
in 2008. She says it gives her the
freedom to explore the world and be
close to nature.
She liked riding Harley right
from the beginning. “It was all
about just connecting with nature.
It was not just a speed bike and the
speed bikes do not really trigger any
interest in me. They are lovely and
beautiful of course, but I really did
not want anything with speed,” says
Margarita, adding, “I just wanted
to enjoy riding and being able to see
the surroundings and experience
nature and have adventures.’
She has taken her bike outside of
Qatar to Emirates and Jordan.
Margarita thinks her passion for
biking has settled down only in a
sense that she is not involved in too
many events while she was as an
officer for the LoH. But, she adds,
it has given her the opportunity
to travel more and ride bikes to
countries like South Africa.
She went to India last year, and
to the US and Bolivia before that.
Margarita still is a member of
Harley owners’ group which has
over 1.7 million riders around the
world and she belongs to the Qatar
chapter.
Bikers from different countries
in the region came up with some
stunning modifications done to
their bikes that simply awed the
visitors.
Faisal al-Baloshi from Saudi
Arabia brought his head-turner
Suzuki Hayabusa. The beautiful
GULF TIMES
STYLE QUOTIENT: Hussain Assiri, right, with his brother and their winning bike.
beast grabbed two prizes for the
best in its category and then the
best of the best.
Customised from A-Z, the
bike had fully custom-made 3-D
diamond-cut accessories and a
fully-customised diamond cut
chassis. The turbo bike made on
a stock engine around 240 hp, the
1,300CC bike had stainless steel
plates for tyre rims which with
custom-made 360 wide tyre on the
back and single side swing arm.
“It is all chrome. It cost us
around 300,000 Saudi Riyals and
actually we stopped counting after
that,” Iqbal al-Zahrani, the Crew
Chief of the Bike’s tea, says.
“This is our bike and we like to
RIDING IN THE NEW: Bikers came up with whole new designs this year.
give our touch to it. This is the bike
for show category and we are a bike
group called Discos. We also have
three stunt bikes and we are making
a drag bike to participate in next
year’s show,” he enthuses.
The team transported it from
Saudi Arabia on the back of a trailer.
“You can ride this to Saudi Arabia
but we would rather not. You can
cruise on it around the city because
we have spent a lot of money on it,”
says al-Zahrani.
He says he did not have a definite
figure in mind but if he has to sell it,
the price should be a little bit above
300,000 riyals.
Hussain Assiri, a bike enthusiast
from Bahrain, came with his sleek
looking aqua green ‘Bobber’ and
won the first prize in its category for
modifications.
“When I purchased this bike, it
was a mess. It was a good model with
good engine history but I was afraid
customising it was going to cost me
a lot and it did, but I really enjoyed
spending on it,” says Assiri.
It was completely designed by
Assiri and his brother. “My brother
chose the colour for it and I did
the design which you can see here.
We did almost everything in the
customising by ourselves, even the
paint. This is our third bike that we
have customised,” says Assiri.
He says they also do it for close
friends, but do not do it as a business.
Assiri won the prize for chopping off
all the extra stuff from his Bobber and
make it as naked as possible. Such is
the personality of Bobber.
Assiri says his love for bikes dates
back to when he was a child. He
collected a lot of toy bikes and then
went on to buy his first bike as soon
as he got his licence in 2004. “My
first bike was a Harley and then I
shifted to street bikes. But once again
in 2009, I got a Harley,” says Assiri.
He says he used to participate in
professional races but had a major
accident. Now he loves customising
the bikes and it is part of his life now.
Assiri says he would definitely come
back to the show in Qatar next year
as well.
ALL ROUND SHOW: Participants competed in different categories.
6
GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016
COMMUNITY
A slice of life, for the Record
Qatari artist Ali bin Dasmal’s keen eye and brushstrokes have brought objects from the
past to the fore, making people realise the roots of development. By Umer Nangiana
PAST FORWARD: Qatari artist Ali bin Dasmal preserves both tangible and intangible cultural aspects of the city.
P
hysical artefacts and
intangible attributes
of a society are often
neglected once they
are rendered irrelevant
in evolution and constant social
development over time. They,
however, form an integral part of
the society’s cultural heritage.
It takes the keen eye and sensitive
heart of an artist to bring these
objects from the past to the fore to
make people realise where the roots
of the development are.
It is a legacy inherited from
past generations which the artists
maintain in the present for the
benefit of future generations in
the form of paintings and other
art forms. These include both
tangible and intangible culture
such as buildings, monuments,
landscapes, books, works of art,
and artefacts, intangible culture
such as traditions, language and
knowledge.
Qatari artist Ali bin Dasmal bin
Ali al-Kuwari is one such artist
who in his recent solo exhibition
‘Record’ has presented his
preservation of Qatari cultural
heritage. His keen observation
of the aspects of daily life in the
present and how it used to be in
the past are beautifully depicted in
vivid colours in his paintings with a
tinge of nostalgia to them.
“Record is the name of the
exhibition through which the artist
highlights exceptional sights of our
life that we may overlook and their
beauty in the middle of the hustle
and bustle of our daily obligations,”
said Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim
al-Sulaiti, General Manager of
Cultural Village Foundation Katara
at the opening of the exhibition
at Building 22 in Katara Cultural
Village recently.
“It is as if the artist wants to send
a message to the public by inciting
them to enjoy the beautiful scenes
everywhere, and he also shows
some touristic places in Qatar,” he
added.
Once again Katara presents to its
public a new inspired exhibition by
giving the opportunity to a Qatari
creative to expose his artworks
and share his artistic and cultural
vision, said the GM, Katara Cultural
Village Foundation.
He added that Cultural
Village Foundation attaches
great importance to host Qatari
ingenuous artists and to present
their artistic experience. Artist Ali
al-Kuwari has an extraordinary
art talent which deserves all
appreciation and encouragement,
said al-Sulaiti.
In his work, the artist has
captured the non-physical aspects
of culture in a manner that relates
to the ways and means of behaviour
in the society. Giving glimpses
into social values and traditions,
customs,practices, aesthetic and
spiritual beliefs, artistic expression
and other aspects of daily life, Ali
al-Kuwari’s paintings are focused
on simple objects and human
activity.
The images he has used
relate back to the city’s heritage
incorporating social and religious
elements, acting as a form of
collective memory. The colours and
textures of life in the old city such
as Souq Waqif with its narrow alleys
and areas dotted with traditional
family homes are visible in some
close-up shots. There are objects
that formed the basis of family
life, daily rituals, customs and
festivities.
Ali bin Dasmal captures life through
simple objects.
They include a combination of
both desert and city life depicted
in costumes and old homes
expanding to include the means of
livelihood.
In essence, these simple objects
from past and present represent
the local values and social roles,
intangibly demonstrating the
communal bond within families.
Al-Kuwari has preserved in his
paintings the more familiar and
vanishing social scenes. They
depict his love for history and
cultural traditions. Through his
paintings he explores people’s
attachment with objects from
past and the moments in the life
of the city that are becoming past
every time.
His paintings would remind
the older generation of times
gone by, and opens up the eyes
of the younger generation to an
untapped wealth of traditions and
customs.
Born in 1979, Ali al-Kuwari
began his artistic pursuits in 1993
and since then has participated
in multiple group exhibitions
besides holding solos at national
and international level.
At the local level, he held his
first personal solo exhibition
at City Center in 2005 while he
started with Doha Youth Centre
Exhibtion in 1994 and continued
till 1999. Ali al-Kuwari has also
participated in Qatari Fine Art
exhibitions from 1997 to 2003.
Internationally, he has
taken part in the 10th Fine Art
Exhibition for GCC Youth, Doha
1995, Qatari Youth Fine Art
exhibition, Alexandria, 1996, The
11th Fine Art Exhibition for GCC
youth, Kuwait, 1997, Qatar Art
Exhibition for modernity Kuwait,
2013 and many others.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
GULF TIMES
7
COMMUNITY
MOTORING
DRIVE AWAY: The 2016 Lexus range of vehicles lined up at one of the waypoints during the drive event. From the ES to the LX, there were nine types of Lexus vehicles that were offered to the
journalists during this event.
Day out in Lexus stable
By Joe Koriath
F
or any motoring
enthusiast, the day
becomes a great one
when one gets to try out
a new car — the objective
being to experience as many
vehicles as possible. And so when
Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros, the
sole distributor for Lexus in Qatar,
decided to organise a test drive
for their latest range of vehicles,
the day started off as perfect even
before we got behind the wheels of
these great machines.
A delectable range of Lexus
vehicles were on offer for the
journalists to experience. The
sedan category had the IS, LS and
ES models and among the SUVs,
there were the RX, NX, GX and the
LX. And then there was the RC!
The journalists gathered at the
Hilton Hotel where RK Morgan,
Operations Manager, Automotive
Division at Abdullah Abdulghani &
Bros; Takayuki Yoshitsugu, Chief
Representative for the Middle East
& North Africa Regional Office for
Lexus and Ismail Yagen, Public
Relations Director for the Middle
East and North Africa Lexus
spoke about the new features
and technologies that had been
introduced in the new Lexus range.
The plan was to drive till
Al Khor Corniche and back,
switching as many cars as possible
at the different pre-decided
waypoints. We began our journey
in the Lexus flagship sedan, the
LS460L. The beautifully crafted
interior whispers luxury into
the occupants’ ears. While the
4.6-litre V8 does entice the driver
in you, it’s a car where you would
like to be driven around, enjoying
the plethora of comforts in the
rear seat. And the extra 120mm of
length in the LS460L, adds that
additional legroom, for when you
want to stretch your legs just that
little bit more.
With many journalists present,
switching cars took place at a fast
pace and even before we could
finish counting the number of
buttons in the LS, we switched
to the NX200t. This luxury
crossover, introduced only a
year back, is definitely a headturner with its looks. The sleek
design focused on the remarkable
spindle grille upfront, gives this
SUV a great shape to look at. The
2.0-litre turbocharged motor and
a light steering make it an easy
vehicle to zip around in the city.
Add to it the Lexus luxury touch
and this is definitely a good choice
for Qatar.
After the NX crossover, it was
the turn to get behind the wheels
of the big daddy, the LX570S.
This 2016 model has had a host of
refreshes done from its predecessor
making it sharper to look at and
giving it that much more of a road
presence. More changes have
taken place inside where Lexus
has now added multiple safety and
convenience features. There’s a
new camera set-up, which offers
front and side views, helpful
when manoeuvring through tight
spaces. In safety features, the
highlight is the introduction of
the Pre-Collision System (PCS),
which has pedestrian detection.
In simple words, this SUV can
detect vehicles and people and if
it believes that a collision is likely,
it will automatically apply the
brakes.
Our next set of wheels was
the IS200t. The first-ever turbo
under the IS badge is a rev-happy
customer. This sedan offering
from Lexus is one that excites the
enthusiast in you. The track-tuned
chassis, along with the quickshifting 8-speed direct-shift
transmission makes you yearn
for a couple of laps on the Losail
Circuit. It has two performance
modes – S and the S+, which
further increases the response of
this vehicle.
The only reason why we gave up
the IS200t was because the next
Lexus that we got to try was the
IS350. Moving to the powerful IS,
all the experiences from the 200t
were further enhanced. The 60HP
increase in power meant that every
press of the accelerator pedal was
met with a smile plastered on our
faces. And there was the gorgeous
sound of the 3.5-litre V6 burbling
in your ears and that smile simply
didn’t wipe off.
Our Lexus journey ended on an
exhilarating note with the only
regret being that we didn’t get
to try our hands on the RC350.
That’s for another day then. From
the LS to the IS, it was a day spent
experiencing some wonderful
and exhilarating machines. The
refreshed 2016 Lexus has a lot to
offer for each category of vehicle
owners.
8
GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016
COMMUNITY
GU-Q pupils learn basics
of disaster management
Q
atar Red Crescent
Society (QRCS) has
held a two-day basic
disaster management
course at Georgetown
University in Qatar
(GU-Q) for 25 students, to prepare
them for participation in the coming
Disaster Management Camp to be
organised by the end of this year.
The purpose of the course is
to build the disaster response
capacity among volunteers,
practice difference activities of
preparedness, and create a welltrained team ready for intervention
in emergencies.
It is the first step for volunteers in
the field of disaster preparedness,
response and management. Its
curriculum is accredited by the
International Federation of the Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC).
Several lectures were delivered
by eight relief experts on a wide
range of topics such as: Overview
of the International Red Cross
and Red Crescent and Qatar Red
Crescent, Disaster Management,
Sphere Project, Nutrition, Logistics,
Psychological Support, Field
Assessment, Water and Sanitation,
Risk Analysis, and Shelter and
Camp Management.
During the course, the
participants were divided into
four working groups. The sessions
ON COURSE: During the orientation, participants were divided into four working groups. The sessions involved brainstorming, teamwork and practice. There
were performed simulation scenarios, case studies and emergency planning.
involved brainstorming, teamwork
and practice. There were performed
simulation scenarios, case studies
and emergency planning.
The attendees were introduced
to the personal experiences of some
members of QRCS Risk Reduction
Team who took part in the relief
mission of the affected by Nepal
earthquake last year.
The course was commended by
the trainees, who said they acquired
valuable professional and practical
knowledge and experience. They
thanked QRCS for its constant
efforts for developing their
capabilities to be quite ready to
help the distressed everywhere and
raise public awareness. This, they
maintained, promotes humanitarian
action and volunteerism, in line
with QRCS’ charitable message.
QRCS and GU-Q have already
organised several basic disaster
management course for more than
60 students. Such courses are part
of QRCS’ training and qualification
portfolio, which involves holding
community lectures and courses on
safety and security, public health,
first aid, surface water rescue.
Also, there are several basic and
advance disaster management
courses, culminating in the annual
Disaster Management Camp, which
is the only Arabic event of its kind. It
seeks to build community capacity
in preparedness, which is a national
priority pursued by Qatar National
Vision 2030.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
GULF TIMES
9
COMMUNITY
ANNIVERSARY: Founded last year, Kompakers Qatar (KQ) celebrated its first anniversary recently.
In the beginning, KQ only had 20 members, mostly housewives who shared the same passion of
photography and most of them skilled in Still Life Food Photography. Currently KQ has several more
members spread out across Doha, Al Khor, Al Wakrah and Mesaieed under the leadership of Renny
Asti. Aside from the hobby itself, members use photography skills to promote their home-made
products or just to share their favourite family recipes in social media. Meet Up is a monthly activity
for KQ filled with various activities such as workshop on photography, charity, cooking classes and
crafting. Kompakers Qatar celebrated the 1st Anniversary on January 7 at Seasons Restaurant,
Movenpick Hotel Doha. The event was attended by the wife of Indonesian ambassador, Madame
Endang Deddy Hadi as Guest of Honour.
HONOUR: Doha-resident and
Qatar Airways IT (Strategic Projects)
Vice-President K K Ashraf has been
conferred with Bharat Samman –
Excellence in Technology Services
by the NRI Institute, an Indian NGO.
He received the award from Indian
Minister of State, External Affairs
and Overseas Indian Affairs, at a
ceremony in New Delhi, recently.
10 GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016
COMMUNITY
Run the World Fest
is back for fifth year
GAMES PEOPLE PLAY: Run The World Festival began in 2011 and since then has been organised annually, attracting over 120,000 youth.
By Umer Nangiana
C
elebrating its fifth year,
the exciting platform for
youth to celebrate their
talents and capabilities
while emphasising the
importance of healthy living and
leadership for a better society, Run
The World Festival (RTWF) is back.
Designed for the age group of 16
to 29, the festival revolves around
sports and culture of all mediums.
The values of the event as a flagship
festival lay in the celebrations of
five key elements around the world
that bring youth together to craft a
constructive impact. These include
arts, culture, entrepreneurship,
technology and sports.
Organised by The Youth
Company, Run The World Festival
will take place between January 2830, from 2pm-10pm at Aspire Zone
Foundation.
The festival in its previous
edition has emphasised on the
integration of Qatari culture and
traditions. The visitors get to
witness many unique performances
that have never been seen before
and get to know the Qatari culture
on a whole new different level.
The 2014 festival featured RTW
Souq which will allow visitors
to buy a variety of items and
experience many different cultures
at the same time. Youth Got
Talent performances have been a
permanent feature of the festival.
The festival has been getting
bigger and better, and it has been
providing the youth of Qatar with
the platform to showcase their
talents in the spirit of Run The
World.
Run The World Festival has been
operating successfully for the last
five years in Qatar, making it the
largest youth and sport festival in
the Middle East. In the last five
years, Run The World Festival has
brought youth in Qatar together to
deliver, showcase and work with
more than 500 artists and talents, 70
and more nationalities of organising
team of youth, more than 250 young
interns, 150 and more startups and
vendors, more than 80 trusted
sponsors and partners and 250,000
plus youth visitors.
The Youth Company, based
Designed for youth in the age group of 16 to 29, the festival revolves around sports and culture of all mediums.
in Qatar, operates as a social
enterprise, where they aim to create
social value through empowering
the youth in an efficient, effective
and sustainable manner. It has
created various educational,
community engaging, volunteering,
career-oriented, consulting and
rewarding programmes, which
directly and indirectly facilitate the
growth and development of youth in
different aspects, and thus ensure a
long-lasting social positive impact.
The programmes and services
target both youth and professional
organisations within private, public
and non-profit sectors, and are
aligned with the Qatar National
Vision 2030.
While most of the programmes
are free for youth to participate
in, they ensure operational
sustainability by providing
youthful consultancy services to
various organisations, and through
establishing a network of partners
and sponsors.
The Youth Company started
its operation in December 2010
and within only one year, it has
managed to involve 20,000
students, deliver 23 projects, and
cooperate with over 50 companies
and organisations.
It aims to provide a platform
for youth empowerment and
development as well as to supply
the community with youthful
consultancy services, to raise the
youth into healthy, active and
socially responsible residents, while
equipping them with the tools
necessary for their personal and
professional growth.
The 2014 edition of the festival
was held in partnership with Qatar
Stars League and Embrace Doha
at Katara Cultural Village on Qatar
National Day.
Run The World Festival began
in 2011 and since then has been
organised annually, attracting over
120,000 youth. Embrace Doha also
provided an additional platform
of visitors to learn about Qatar’s
traditions, customs, culture and
daily life. Besides learning the
traditional dancing, the visitors
were also given an opportunity to
be pictured sitting in a Landcruiser
in a ‘Qatari way’.
RTW Festival 2014 included
multiple sports activities, such
as parkour supported by Nescafe,
skateboard ramps supported by
Casio, beach volleyball, football,
basketball, cricket, and extreme
area BMX, supported by Galaxy
Sports and Qatar Extreme Sports.
Professional Red Bull Parkour
and BMX athletes entertained the
visitors. The street art space gave
a chance to young graffiti artists to
demonstrate their talents to wider
audience.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
GULF TIMES
11
COMMUNITY
ANNUAL DAY: The sixth annual day of Bhavan’s Public School was celebrated earlier this week at Al-Ahli
Indoor Stadium. The programmes commenced with a cultural fest by the tiny tots of Kindergarten section
titled Rhapsody of Earth. Raj Kumar Singh (Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian embassy) was the chief guest
of the occasion. Santhana Gopala Iyer (Director, Central Bhavan’s Mumbai), Baburajan, the President,
Principal Balasubramanian, presided over the function. Lt Fadal Nazer Ali Aswahdi (Community Police),
Mohammed Abdullah al-Kulaifi (Head of Awareness and Media Section, Ministry of Interior) and Saraf Salih
al-Hansi were the guests of honour. J K Menon, Acting Chairman, MP Philip, vice principal, Anjana Menon,
Director of Administration and other board of directors graced the occasion.
12 GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016
COMMUNITY
INFOGRAPHIC
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
GULF TIMES
13
COMMUNITY
LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE
Help your family’s health while
giving back this holiday season
T
he holidays are full of stressful
tasks such as event planning, gift
buying and last minute errands.
But when you get to see your
family, all of the business seems
worth it.
As the caretaker of the household, you
often take this time to check in with your
loved ones. Are they getting enough sleep?
Are they too stressed? Are they getting the
nutrients and supplements they need? You
know vitamins are an easy preventative
measure to fill the gaps in your nutrition,
and vitamins can make a big difference over
time, both for your family’s well-being
and the health of those around the world.
When you purchase vitamins at Walgreens,
a donation will be made to Vitamin Angels,
a non-profit that provides vitamins to
undernourished families near and far.
Here’s a breakdown by age of crucial
vitamins to talk with each member of your
family during this holiday season:
Children (5 to 13)
If your child is a picky eater or has a poor
appetite, one of the easiest ways to ensure
he or she is getting important nutrients is
with a multivitamin. While not a substitute
for whole foods, multivitamins can help fill
nutritional gaps in your children’s diets.
Look for a multivitamin that contains
calcium and vitamin D, which are
essential nutrients for strong bones.
Vitamin D also helps the immune system
work properly.
Teens (14 to 19)
Growing teenagers require all the
necessary vitamins each day, but some are
more important than others.
VITAMIN D: Even after the major
growth spurts are over, your teenager’s
bones are still rapidly developing. Vitamin
D helps bones and teeth take in calcium, to
ensure they’re sturdy and able. Vitamin D
is also essential for cell growth. Boys and
girls ages 14 to 19 need an average of 15
micrograms of vitamin D per day.
VITAMIN B12 AND B6: These
B vitamins make red blood cells and
heamoglobin, which transport oxygen
throughout the body. B12 and B6 are also
vital in maintaining energy levels and
metabolising carbs, fat and protein to keep
your teenager functioning all day.
ARIES
March 21 — April 19
Be open to advice today — even if that means constructive criticism
Aries. Sometimes sitting back and listening is the best thing you can
do for you and for your piece of mind.
CANCER
June 21 — July 22
Avoid getting all bent out of shape over what is basically nothing to
get bent out of shape about Cancers. If you overreact and blow the
situation up out of nothing...you only have yourself to blame when it
gets away from you.
LIBRA
September 23 — October 22
Keeping your doors open — your office doors and the doors to your
mind and soul is vital today and for the rest of this month Librans.
Mercury the communicator is out of phase and it’s important you be
available to talk anything and everything out!
CAPRICORN
December 22 — January 19
You’re in the hot seat again today, with your birthday month coming
to an end in a few days. For those of you who are celebrating this
week, Mercury retrograde is definitely a tough cosmic cookie to
crack. If something or someone doesn’t ‘feel’ right...don’t do it!
Young adults (20 to 30)
If you have kids coming home from college
or their young professional lives, take time to
make sure they’re getting the nutrition they
need.
CALCIUM: This is a time to focus on bone
health to maintain bone mass. Adults ages
19 to 50 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium
per day. If you suspect your young adult isn’t
getting enough in his or her diet, consider
adding a supplement from Walgreens into
their holiday gifts this year. When you
purchase vitamins and supplements at
Walgreens, Walgreens donates a portion of it
sales to Vitamin Angels.
FOLIC ACID: Folic acid is especially
important for young adult women who are
thinking about becoming pregnant. Taking
a folic acid supplement before and during
pregnancy can help prevent major birth
defects of the baby’s brain and spine. The
daily recommendation for folic acid is 400
micrograms.
Middle age (30 to 50)
While you’re busy taking care of everyone
else in your family, don’t forget to think about
yourself and your spouse.
TAURUS
April 20 — May 20
Once again, the Moon shining in your sign and on your first house of
personality and ego makes today a great day to do something you
love to do. Why not go see an award winning movie or hang with a
friend?
LEO
July 23 — August 22
Try not to get frustrated today when Mercury retrograde in your
hard work zone has many of you retracing your steps and having to
redo something you had thought was well and truly done.
SCORPIO
October 23 — November 21
The Moon spends another day in your one on one relationship zone
today and makes this a great day for you to get your point of view
across if you don’t feel people have heard you in the past.
AQUARIUS
January 20 — February 18
In a few days your birthday month begins. What are your plans for
the next year Aquarius? Do you have any or are you happy to drift
along on the cosmic current?
FISH OIL: The healthy fats found in seafood
can offer a range of health benefits. For those
that don’t eat an adequate amount of seafood
regularly in their diets, a fish oil supplement can
provide a source of these healthy fats.
Boomer generation (50-plus)
Help educate your grandparents or great
grandparents on which vitamins are vital to
their health.
MULTIVITAMIN: Men and women over
50 can benefit from a multivitamin to help
meet their dietary needs if they follow a
restrictive diet, suffer from loss of appetite,
or take medications which interfere with the
absorption of nutrients.
VITAMIN B12: Older adults may need
to take B12 supplements due to changes in
digestion that affect the ability to absorb the
vitamin from food.
VITAMIN D: As we age, changes in
the skin can reduce the ability to make the
vitamin in response to sunlight. If your
diet is also low in foods that contain this
vitamin, you may need to take a vitamin D
supplement.
© Brandpoint
GEMINI
May 21 — June 20
Venus and Saturn continue to transit your opposite sign of
Sagittarius, your one on one relationship zone today twins. This
means relationships are extremely important to you and you have to
make sure you pick them wisely.
VIRGO
August 23 — September 22
If you feel someone is trying to derail your plans, maybe they
are doing you a favour? It’s not as though things are working out
spectacularly, is it with Mercury your ruler out of phase?
SAGITTARIUS
November 22 — December 21
If you feel as if you and your other half — or the person you’ve just
started dating — aren’t getting along that well — use the charms of
Venus in your sign to liven things up again. It’s amazing how Venus
can make anyone fall in love with you all over again!
PISCES
February 19 — March 20
If you don’t feel as if a friend has ‘your back’ delve more into the
reasons why you are feeling that way today. You are extremely
intuitive and are usually on point about such things.
14 GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016
COMMUNITY
Wordsearch
Adam
Pooch Cafe
Latin Phrases
A PRIORI
AD HOC
AD LIB
AD REM
ALTER EGO
ANNO
DOMINI
BONA FIDE
CIRCA
CUI BONO
DE FACTO
ET CETERA
IN CAMERA
IN SITU
IN TOTO
MEA CULPA
PECCAVI
PER DIEM
PRO TEM
SINE DIE
SUB ROSA
VERSUS
VICE VERSA
VOX
POPULI
Codeword
Puzzles courtesy: Puzzlechoice.com
Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once.
Squares with the same number in have the same letter
in. Work out which number represents which letter.
Garfield
Sudoku
Bound And Gagged
Sudoku is a puzzle based
on a 9x9 grid. The grid is
also divided into nine (3x3)
boxes. You are given a
selection of values and to
complete the puzzle, you
must fill the grid so that
every column, every anone
is repeated.
PUZZLES/CARTOONS
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
15
COMMUNITY
PUZZLES
Quick Clues
ACROSS
1. Brevity (9)
8. Lengthen (3)
9. Eccentricity (11)
11. Remark (7)
12. Earlier (5)
13. Mix (6)
15. Leave (6)
17. Change (5)
18. Brass worker (7)
20. Book-keeping (11)
22. Extinguished (3)
23. To the letter (9)
GULF TIMES
Colouring
DOWN
2. Strike (3)
3. Strained (5)
4. Happenings (6)
5. Spire (7)
6. Journey’s end (11)
7. Dynamo (9)
10. Protest (11)
11. Mate (9)
14. Songlike (7)
16. Sudden (6)
19. Stage-player (5)
21. Pass (3)
Cryptic Clues
Answers
Wordsearch
ACROSS
1. Yet it’s wrong to imitate anything like
this (9)
8. Stern fellow in a row (3)
9. Unhappy animal from N. America (7,4)
11. Answers which may be dispensed
with (7)
12. Statute has two points that need
cutting (5)
13. Not what one expects from a good
writer (6)
15. He takes great interest in your need
for cash (6)
17. Girl of the month (5)
18. Sticks together one hundred pages
(7)
20. Following page in the marriage
service (5-6)
22. Were lacking a leader before (3)
23. Simple conditions a purchaser may
like to have (4,5)
DOWN
2. A gold-plated propeller-blade (3)
3. It’s often in hot water or a scrape (5)
4. Yet gas could make one most happy! (6)
5. The gardener likes to see it overgrown
(7)
6. Propeller tool? (11)
7. Disclosures made by photographers (9)
10. He may be required to give an
explanation (11)
11. Jack took a break outside and then
went back to work (9)
14. Few real changes are needed to
produce prosperity (7)
16. They may be nasty demonstrations,
though in play (6)
19. Build straight up (5)
21. Wood used in barrel making (3)
Codeword
Yesterday’s Solutions
QUICK
Across: 1 Power; 4 Recline; 8 Insipid; 9 Slant; 10
Abet; 11 Occasion; 13 Digs; 14 Stay; 16 Restrain;
17 Rise; 20 Place; 21 Grumble; 22 Correct; 23
Guess.
Down: 1 Philanthropic; 2 Waste; 3 Ripe; 4
Reduce; 5 Casualty; 6 Inanity; 7 Extensiveness;
12 Aggrieve; 13 Despair; 15 Midget; 18 Imbue; 19
Bung.
CRYPTIC
Across: 1 Scrap; 4 Traffic; 8 Chianti; 9 Tight; 10
Ales; 11 Good deal; 13 Deed; 14 Stet; 16 Instance;
17 Thee; 20 Brain; 21 Noticed; 22 Returns; 23
Poser.
Down: 1 Social climber; 2 Raise; 3 Pony; 4 Tailor;
5 Antidote; 6 Figment; 7 Cattle breeder; 12
Retainer; 13 Distant; 15 Scents; 18 Hacks; 19 Step.
16 GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016
COMMUNITY
POP SPOT
in
brief
Kanye West
Kanye West’s seventh studio album, Swish, is
scheduled for release on February 11. It will be
previewed by a one song per week posting on (no www.)
soundcloud.com/kanyewest though future releases will
hopefully be posted more smoothly than the first track.
“A slight distortion in the main loop” caused “Real
Friends,” which also features singer / rapper Ty Dolla
Sign, to be taken down just ten minutes after being
uploaded. Numerous uploads and take downs were to
follow until Kanye was happy with what his fans were
finally allowed to hear.
A snippet of a second song, No More Parties in LA,
follows Real Friends. Featuring guest artist Kendrick
Lamar, this track is almost certain to be on Swish.
Three other songs can also be found on Kanye’s
SoundCloud page. Clean and explicit versions of FACTS
were posted a week before Real Friends while Say You
Will and When I See It appeared around two months
ago.
Sia
DEFYING DESCRIPTION: Twenty One Pilots often perform different musical genres within the same song.
Twenty One Pilots and
the duo’s schizoid pop
By Geoffrey Rowlands
Y
ou never quite know what
to expect from Twenty
One Pilots. The Columbus,
Ohio, duo of singer/ multiinstrumentalist Tyler Joseph
and drummer Josh Dun are virtually
impossible to categorise. They often
perform different musical genres within
the same song.
“Our music has been described as
schizophrenic pop or schizoid pop,”
smiled 27-year-old Tyler. “I suppose it’s
as good a name as any. Our whole purpose
of creating music is to make people think.
I guess anyone trying to come up with
a name for the style of what we do is
thinking about our music so the objective
has been achieved.”
Many people have been thinking about
Twenty One Pilots music during the last
few months. Blurryface, their second
album on the Fueled by Ramen label,
hit top spot on the Billboard 200 and
is currently at number three. This was
perhaps no great surprise as their last
album, 2013’s Vessel, had been the duo’s
breakout record peaking at number 21.
But none of their singles had previously
made any significant impression on the
mainstream charts. There had been three
top ten hits on the Alternative Songs
chart but Tear In My Heart, the second
single released from Blurryface, was their
biggest Hot 100 hit reaching number 82.
This situation was changed
dramatically by the release of Stressed
Out. The single topped Billboard’s
Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs
charts and has now climbed to number
nine on the Hot 100.
“I think the lyrics have really struck
a chord with a lot of people,” Tyler
remarked. “The song is about the
pressures of being an adult and the
nostalgia for those carefree childhood
years that I think so many of us feel.”
Their US and international success now
is a long way from the roots of Twenty
One Pilots at Ohio State University.
Tyler’s life changed as a teenager when he
simply decided to become a musician.
“I’d seen a singer / songwriter
performing and just thought that was
what I wanted to do. I’d been given a
keyboard as a Christmas gift some years
earlier but didn’t really have any interest
in playing. I dug it out and started
mimicking song melodies. It wasn’t long
before I was creating my own songs.
“I was doing singer / songwriter
performances at college but decided I
wanted to form a band. I asked two of my
musician friends, Nick Thomas and Chris
Salih, to join me. I got our name from
Arthur Miller’s play, All My Sons. It’s a
moral dilemma about a man who caused
the deaths of 21 pilots during World War
II because he knowingly supplied their
aircraft with faulty parts.”
The band gradually built a following in
Columbus before venturing further afield
in Ohio and beyond.
“Our songs could be heard world-wide
through the Internet but we wanted to
keep concert expenses to a minimum by
only performing locally. As our popularity
grew, we could afford to play bigger
venues in more distant places.”
After two years together and selfreleasing their eponymous debut
album, Nick and Chris decided to
leave the band in 2011. Although Nick
was never replaced, former House of
Heroes drummer Josh was the obvious
replacement for Chris.
“I was a good friend of Chris and he
invited me to a Twenty One Pilots show,”
explained Josh, 27. “I met Tyler and Nick
after the show and became friends with
them. Chris actually suggested me as his
replacement when he left.”
Tyler and Josh created a second selfreleased album, Regional at Best, and
continued to increase their following
through a solid concert schedule. Less
than a year later, they inked the deal with
Fueled by Ramen.
“We were actually part of a bidding
war,” Josh laughed. “Quite a few labels
wanted to sign us.”
An EP, “Three Songs,” became their
first release on Fueled by Ramen. More
EPs have followed. Tours with Neon
Trees, Walk The Moon and Fall Out
Boy led to their own headline tour and
numerous music festival performances.
“It’s been a continual building of our
fanbase,” Josh stated, “All the concerts
and TV appearances have brought us to
where we are today with a chart-topping
album and top ten single. It just shows
that if you have a degree of talent, all the
hard work really does pay off in the end.”
Kanye West was also heavily involved in the creation
of Reaper, the latest track released from Sia Furler’s
forthcoming seventh studio album, This Is Acting.
The Australian singer / songwriter issued Alive as
the lead single. It was originally written with and for
Adele and intended for inclusion on the English singer /
songwriter’s record-breaking latest album, 25.
But like all but one track on This Is Acting, it was
rejected by the artist for whom the song was written.
Adele was probably wise to do so. Sia’s version of Alive
has gone top ten in Belgium, Finland, Croatia and
Australia but proved rather less successful elsewhere.
The music for Reaper was written and produced by
Kanye while Sia wrote the lyrics. It was intended for
Rihanna, who enjoyed massive world-wide success
with the Sia penned Diamonds, but Sia eventually
decided to keep the track for herself.
An audio posting of Reaper can be heard at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeM0lzQhigg. The
video for Alive is posted at www.youtube.com/
watch?v=t2NgsJrrAyM.
David Bowie
Fans were unprepared for the recent death of David
Bowie. The music legend had kept secret his 18-month
battle with liver cancer.
Shocked as they may have been, many of David’s
followers reacted in a positive manner by setting up
an event to mark his passing. An evening street party
was held outside The Ritzy cinema and music venue in
David’s birthplace of Brixton, south London.
The celebration of his life and music lasted well
into the early hours of the following day with fans
performing mass singalongs to David’s most popular
hits. Several videos filmed during the event have been
posted on www.youtube.com. They can be found by
typing David Bowie Street Party Brixton in the website
search box.
The Last Shadow Puppets
It was 2008 when The Last Shadow Puppets released
their Mercury Music Prize-nominated debut album,
The Age of The Understatement. A second album was
supposedly being recorded the following year with
more indications of a sophomore set in both 2011 and
2012.
None of these reports were true. But Miles Kane,
Alex Turner and James Ford did finally reunite last
year to record their as-yet-untitled second album. It is
scheduled for release some time in the spring.
Available now though is the lead single, Bad
Habits. The song has drawn a mixed response from
fans and critics. Make your own judgement by
viewing the official video at www.youtube.com/
watch?v=zGbOF4UPpfs
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
GULF TIMES
17
COMMUNITY
BOLLYWOOD
Sridevi is encyclopaedia
of acting, says Vidya
BUCK STOPS HERE: Sridevi
IN AUGUST COMPANY: Fashion designer Vikram Phadnis with Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan during the celebration of his silver jubilee in the fashion
industry, in Mumbai.
National Award-winning actress
Vidya Balan says Sridevi is an
“encyclopaedia of acting”.
Post-watching Anil Kapoor and
Sridevi-starrer Mr. India after
many years again, Vidya went on a
praising spree for the team of the
1987 cult classic.
Vidya tweeted: “Kamra...
Kamre ke aage balcony... balcony
ke aage garden... garden ke
aage samandar... Watching the
encyclopedia of acting... Sridevi.”
“Yes, we love you Mr. India.
Anil Kapoor is all heart... makes
you believe in goodness and
innocence... so genuine,” she
added.
Vidya also praised the film’s
director Shekhar Kapur. She
wrote: “Shekhar Kapur directs
children the best... au naturelle!
I just realised two of my all-time
favourite films are his... Mr.India
and Masoom.” — IANS
Akshay’s 15 years in
Twinkle of an eye
F
ormer Bollywood actress
and now entrepreneur and
columnist Twinkle Khanna
has joked that she got “a
blank look” from her star
husband Akshay Kumar on their 15th
wedding anniversary on Sunday.
Twinkle took to Twitter to share
some “lame jokes” while talking
about what she got as an anniversary
gift from Akshay.
“Your husband gave you anything
in your anniversary? Yes! He gave me
a blank look #Lamejokes,” Twinkle
tweeted.
In another tweet, she wrote: “Your
husband gave you anything for your
anniversary? Yes! He gave me a
headache. #Lamejokes.”
However, on a serious note,
Twinkle later posted a photograph
of the duo sharing a light moment
together. “Your husband gave you
anything for your anniversary? He
gave me 15 years of moments like
these,” she captioned the image.
The couple, who got married in
2001, have two children together —
son Aarav and daughter Nitara.
Akshay also shared an old
photograph of the duo and captioned
it: “Found this old pic and nothing’s
changed... couldn’t and still
can’t take my eyes off her. Happy
anniversary @mrsfunnybones”. —
IANS
CONCERNED DAD: Randhir Kapoor with daughter Karisma
We don’t have to run
after anybody’s money:
Randhir
MARITAL BLISS: Akshay Kumar with Twinkle Khanna
Veteran actor Randhir Kapoor
has quashed rumours that his star
daughter Karisma Kapoor married
Sunjay Kapur for money. He said
the illustrious family of Bollywood
can support themselves and don’t
have to “run after anybody’s
money”.
The actress married Sunjay,
now her estranged husband, in
2003. They have two children
Samaira and Kiaan Raj Kapoor
together.
“The whole world knows about
the Kapoors and God has blessed
us with enough wealth and talent.
We can support ourselves for the
rest of our lives. We are talented
also. So, we don’t have to run
after anybody’s money, especially
Sunjay Kapur’s,” Randhir told
IANS.
The veteran actor also shared
that Sunjay “must be trying to
impress his girlfriends that he is
very wealthy. He might be doing it
for his own publicity”.
Karisma, who is going through
a rough patch, has her father’s
complete moral support.
“I’m a typical Indian father and
I love my children very much.
I’m more protective about my
grandchildren. I’m concerned
about their wellbeing. I’m only
hoping it doesn’t get very ugly
and affect my grandchildren,” he
said. — IANS
18 GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016
COMMUNITY
HOLLYWOOD
30 upcoming movies
Furious 7
By Rafer Guzman
T
he drop in temperature
each winter usually
signals a drop in
quality at the movies,
but this season looks
unexpectedly sunny.
Last winter’s movie lineup was
remarkably dreary, enlivened only by
Disney’s live-action Cinderella and
the enjoyable hot-rod flick Furious
7. This year, though, is front-loaded
with such potential crowd-pleasers
as Ben Stiller’s long-awaited
Zoolander 2, the kid-friendly Kung
Fu Panda 3 and two major comicbook movies, Deadpool and Batman
v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The
new Coen brothers comedy, Hail,
Caesar!, and the Sundance-winning
horror film The Witch may also be
bright spots.
JAN. 22
THE 5TH WAVE When aliens
attack Earth, Chloe Grace Moretz
and others decide to fight back.
Based on Rick Yancey’s youngadult novel.
THE BOY An American nanny
(Lauren Cohan of AMC’s The
Walking Dead) is hired by a British
couple whose 8-year-old “son” is a
doll. Directed by William Brent Bell.
DIRTY GRANDPA Robert De
Niro plays a bad-boy senior citizen
in this road-trip comedy. Zac Efron
plays the uptight grandkid.
With Chris Pine, Eric Bana and
Casey Affleck.
JANE GOT A GUN Jerichoraised Natalie Portman plays a
defiant heroine in this Western
from Huntington-raised director
Gavin O’Connor (Warrior). With
Ewan McGregor and Joel Edgerton.
KUNG FU PANDA 3 Jack Black
returns as the voice of the rolypoly Po, who must train his panda
brethren for battle. With Dustin
Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and the
rest of the voice gang.
FIFTY SHADES OF BLACK
Serial spoofer Marlon Wayans
(Scary Movie) takes on the S&M
romance Fifty Shades of Grey. With
Kali Hawk.
JAN. 29
THE FINEST HOURS The
story of a 1952 Coast Guard
mission to rescue the crew of an
oil tanker split in two by a storm.
FEB. 5
HAIL, CAESAR! The Coen
brothers’ new comedy, set during
Hollywood’s Golden Age, stars Josh
Brolin as a studio fixer trying to track
Surely they can’t all be winners,
but keep your fingers crossed for
these 30 major winter movies:
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
GULF TIMES 19
COMMUNITY
HOLLYWOOD
to keep an eye on
MARCH 11
THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
An MI6 agent (Mark Strong) and his
idiotic brother (Sacha Baron Cohen)
must stop a doomsday plot.
THE YOUNG MESSIAH
A drama about the 7-year-old
Jesus and his family. Based on an
unlikely novel written by Anne Rice
(Interview With the Vampire) during
her Catholic period.
Robert De Niro and Zac Efron in Dirty Grandpa.
down a kidnapped movie star (George
Clooney). With Scarlett Johansson,
Jonah Hill and Tilda Swinton.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND
ZOMBIES Bodice-ripping and
brain-bashing combine in this film
adaptation of the 2009 parody
novel. With Lily James (Cinderella)
and Sam Riley (Control).
FEB. 12
DEADPOOL Ryan Reynolds
plays the Marvel anti-hero with a
twisted sense of humor. This is his
origin story. With Morena Baccarin
and Gina Carano.
HOW TO BE SINGLE A comedy
about two friends (Rebel Wilson
and Dakota Johnson) navigating
New York City’s dating scene.
ZOOLANDER 2 Ben Stiller
returns as America’s favourite male
Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool.
model in this long-awaited sequel.
Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Milla
Jovovich reprise their original roles.
FEB. 19
RACE A biopic about Jesse
Owens (Stephan James), the
African-American Olympian who
left Hitler’s master racers in the
dust. With Jason Sudeikis.
RISEN Two Romans (Joseph
Fiennes and Tom Felton) are
tasked with solving the mystery of
what happened to Jesus after his
crucifixion. Directed and cowritten
by Kevin Reynolds.
THE WITCH In the early
1600s, an isolated New England
family turns against one of its own.
Robert Eggers won best director
for this debut feature at last year’s
Sundance festival.
FEB. 26
EDDIE THE EAGLE A
comedy based on the true
story of British underdog skijumper Michael Edwards (Taron
Egerton, Kingsman: The Secret
Service). Hugh Jackman plays his
disreputable (and fictional) coach.
TRIPLE 9 A crew of dirty cops
is blackmailed into pulling off a
seemingly impossible heist. With
Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson,
Anthony Mackie and Kate Winslet.
CROUCHING TIGER,
HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD
OF DESTINY Michelle Yeoh
returns in a sequel to Ang Lee’s
Oscar-winning martial-arts
film of 2000. The original film’s
choreographer, Yuen Woo-Ping,
directs. Premieres in IMAX and on
Netflix.
MARCH 4
DESIERTO A group of illegal
Mexican border-crossers runs afoul
of a deranged vigilante in this topical
action-thriller by Jonas Cuaron
(Gravity). With Gael Garcia Bernal.
LONDON HAS FALLEN Gerard
Butler is back as Secret Service agent
Mike Banning in this sequel to the
2013 sleeper hit Olympus Has Fallen.
With Aaron Eckhart and Morgan
Freeman.
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT
Tina Fey plays a war correspondent
in a film based on Kim Barker’s
memoir, The Taliban Shuffle: Strange
Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Also starring Martin Freeman.
ZOOTOPIA In Disney’s animated
film, a rabbit cop (Ginnifer Goodwin)
teams up with a fast-talking fox
(Jason Bateman) to solve a mystery.
Ethan Hawke and Emma Watson in Regression.
MARCH 18
THE DIVERGENT SERIES:
ALLEGIANT Shailene Woodley
returns as the dystopian misfit Tris,
who must venture beyond the walls
surrounding Chicago. With Theo
James.
THE LITTLE PRINCE The
wistful children’s book by Antoine
de Saint-Exupéry is now an
animated film with the voices of
Jeff Bridges, Paul Rudd, Marion
Cotillard, Bud Cort (Harold and
Maude) and many others.
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL Michael
Shannon reteams with director Jeff
Nichols (Take Shelter) in a thriller
about a man whose young son has
special powers. With Adam Driver
and Kirsten Dunst.
MARCH 25
BATMAN V SUPERMAN:
DAWN OF JUSTICE Ben Affleck
makes his long-awaited and muchdecried debut as Batman. With
Henry Cavill as Superman and Gal
Gadot as Wonder Woman.
MY BIG FAT GREEK
WEDDING 2 Nia Vardalos returns
as the star and writer of this sequel
to her 2002 hit. With Andrea Martin,
John Corbett, Joey Fatone and new
addition Elena Kampouris.
I SAW THE LIGHT A biopic of
the tortured country legend Hank
Williams, played by the acclaimed
British actor Tom Hiddleston (Thor).
With Elizabeth Olsen. — Newsday/
TNS
20 GULF TIMES Tuesday, January 19, 2016
COMMUNITY
Voltaire students go on a field
day with modern-day explorer
Pupils of Lycée Franco-Qatarien Voltaire, the French international school in Doha,
had a rare encounter with Guinness record-holder Jason Lewis, the first person
to circumnavigate the planet using only human power. By Anand Holla
B
ritish-born explorer
Jason Lewis arrived
in Qatar on Tuesday
to the great delight of
the students of Lycée
Franco-Qatarien Voltaire, the
French international school on
Salwa Road.
Lewis is credited by ‘Guinness
World Records’ as the first
person to circumnavigate the
planet using only human power.
During his around-the-world
journey of 46,505 miles without
using motors or the power of
the wind, Lewis walked, cycled,
rollerbladed, kayaked, swam and
pedalled (in a unique pedalpowered boat called ‘Moksha’
meaning liberation in Sanskrit)
across five continents, two
oceans, and one sea.
He joined Voltaire students on a
kayaking excursion to explore the
mangrove in Al Khor and study
its biodiversity. Led by Lewis and
his wife Tammie Stevens, the
students gathered several large
bags of plastic bottles, tin cans,
fishing nets, and other discarded
rubbish. “The ecosystem of
the mangrove is fragile and
significantly affected by the
debris, so the student visit was
a great help and success,” said
Lewis.
Elyas, one of the students
who helped clear the mangrove,
remarked, “it was interesting to
interact with people from another
culture, and nice to know more
about Lewis’ convictions for the
environment and why he and his
wife chose to be vegan. It gave me
another view of what I do and how
it impacts the environment.”
The event was only part of
Lewis’ week-long visit to the
school which culminated in
a conference for the students
and parents during which Eric
Chevallier, ambassador of France,
spoke about the COP21 summit
in Paris and he and Lewis shared
their perspectives on the future of
our planet.
Lewis also drew from his
experiences exploring the
planet to engage and motivate
Grade 8-11 students in a wide
variety of curriculum areas and
international topics. Students
interviewed the couple for their
school magazine, wrote articles,
and also conducted video and
radio interviews. When asked
about her experience spending a
GREEN WARRIORS: Jason Lewis and Tammie Stevens paddle their way through on a kayaking excursion in Al Khor.
week with a modern-day explorer,
Ines said, “I have learned that
nothing is impossible. You can do
anything if you are willing to do
the work!”
Lewis, an award-winning
author, also conducted a
workshop with Grade 10 students
entering a short-story contest
for international French schools
in the Middle East and the Indian
Peninsula.
Stevens, a former actress, who
also participated in the week’s
events by coaching students on
speeches given at a public event
on Sunday, was “amazed at the
high academic achievement of
the students, their command
of so many languages, and the
complexity of the questions that
were posed to them during their
stay.” It is a testament, she says,
“to the level of professionalism
and dedication of Voltaire’s
teachers. They genuinely care
about the education and wellbeing
of each student.”
Lewis gives corporate talks
on goal setting and personal
performance which help to
defray costs for school visits.
While in Qatar he also presented
a talk to Total and would like to
thank them for their insight and
support. He plans to return to
Qatar in the hopes of continuing
his efforts to impact the lives of
children, spreading his message
of dedication, perseverance and
world citizenship.
He feels a future visit fits in
perfectly with Qatar’s National
Vision 2030 and the mutual goal
he shares of commitment to
sustainability and environmental
causes. Qatar’s example is one,
he says, other countries can learn
much from.
In addition to first humanpowered circumnavigation, Jason
set three world records: the first
east-west crossing of the Atlantic by
a pedal-powered boat; the first solo
crossing of the US on rollerblades
and the first pedal-powered crossing
of the Pacific Ocean from USA to
Australia — San Francisco to Port
Douglas, an 8,000 nautical mile
voyage that took 178 days.
Lewis making his presentation in the classroom.
One of the students, Sophia said,
“It was inspiring. I learned that I
never have to give up on my dreams
and that I can do anything. It might
be difficult, but it’s not impossible.”
Another student Ikram said, “When
I heard about this expedition, I
thought it was impossible. Then I
listened to Lewis and realised that
anyone could do it. You just need to
listen to your heart and believe in
yourself.”