bazaar magazine Issue June 2012

June 2012 - issue # 161 bazaar-magazine.com

Intr

The bazaar team...

Boss

Ahmed El-Adly

Operations

Yusra Ahmad

Business Development I hab M ok alled

Summertime and the living is easy! I must admit that every year, I dread the coming of summer with its intense heat, sticky humidity, and overcrowded beach clubs full of goldchain-wearing, cigar-puffing, balding members. But then, once summer actually starts, and the roads magically empty out when the schools and universities start their summer holidays, I realize that I love summer here. It’s the only time of year I can leave my house whenever I want, and still get to work in fifteen minutes. It’s also the only time of year I don’t mind going to the mall once the mass exodus of travelers has taken place, making it possible to park in peace, and stroll around without getting attacked by hordes of over enthusiastic teenagers.

This month’s uber cool bazaar cover was photographed by Hassan Hajjaj, courtesy of the Third Line Gallery, Dubai. We met him when he was in Kuwait last month for the infamous REUSE event and fell in love with his work. You can read more about him on page 54.

While Kuwait slowly empties as the summer approaches, there is no shortage of new happenings! Always on the top of our list of things to cover, we bring you not one, not two, not even three, but four restaurants to choose from this June. From The Butcher’s Den, every carnivore’s haven, to Hashtag Burger, Asha’s ‘Journey Through India’ menu, and zahr el-laymoun’s healthy rustic Lebanese dining to keep those poolside abs in check – the one thing we never fail to find is a new place to satisfy the palette. Meet Shamael as we get Up Close and Personal with one of Kuwait’s positively engaging political and social activists, and find out how you can get involved with the latest youth-oriented initiative organized by the Amiri Diwan – the most recent addition to Shamael’s many projects.

With summerwear providing minimal coverage and fabrics to play with, accessories are key! Check out Muneera Alsharhan, our June fashionality, and her funky jewelry line that would spruce up any summer look. And ladies, the answer to summer hair madness has finally arrived. Check out our interview with Mark Todd, Global Technical Director at Kerastraight as he walks us through the first Formaldehye-free Keratin product to hit the Kuwait market. Summer hair will never be easier. Armed with Kerastraight hair, step into Trim n Style for the perfect look to accompany that newly-tamed mane.

On a final note, we have increased our summer distribution of bazaar at all the beach clubs and gyms around town, since we know how badly you need reading material while working on your tans, or simply to fan yourself with our latest issue. If you can’t find copies at your favorite club, please let us know so that we can send some over! Happy reading!

Design

Sumaiya AL-Shar han

Staff Writer/Social Media Yasmine El Char if

Staff Writer Kevin Smith

Communications Consultant Hala Y. Sharara

Editor

A. Al-Duaij

Contributing Writers Ash McKnight Ayman K. B. Qureshi Bader Jamal Bibi Al-Falah Christopher Hockey Craig Loomis Deepa Pant Diva undecided Dr. Juliet & Dr. Nisrine Emma Abdullah Jaye Sonia Loaay Ahmed Strawberry Girl Sumayyah Meehan

Photographers Emma Staples Sumaiya AL-Sharhan Kevin Smith

Cover Image Hassan Hajjaj, courtsey of the Third Line Gallery, Dubai

Ahmed El Adly

Printing

British Industries for Printing and Packaging

Syndicates and Sources

LA Times Daily Star USA Today MTC International MIT Review Travel Times Hollywood Watch Tribune Media Services

bazaar can be found at the following locations: Starbucks Coffee (65 branches) Cozmo - 4 branches Topshop Galleria Complex The Video Club Souk Sharq Energie Costa Café H&M Bredz Jacques Dessange Miss Sixty Airport Mall Häagen Dasz Virgin Megastore The One Café ACK (Australian College of Kuwait) AUK (American University of Kuwait) AUM (American University of Middle East) Boxhill College Marble Slab D’Lush Early Bird Café Harley Davidson Al-Kout Mall Centrepoint Café Johnny Rockets Pizza Express Al Corniche Club Kuwait Airways Oasis Club Shay W Nanaa Le PQ Cafe Boushahri Clinic Al Salam Hospital 4 x 4 Customs Ligne Roset Hard Rock Café Pilates & More Mowasat Hospital Camille Albane Dar Al Funoon I.O. Centers Cutting Edge Salon Dasman Diabetic Centre The Burger Hub Dunkin Donuts Waterlemon Café Supreme International Clinic Casper & Gambini’s Segafredo Cafe O Pao Cafe

The views expressed in bazaar magazine are those of the respective contributors and not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff (but sometimes they are).

No one likes to be dumped;

recycle me, please.

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BVLGARI

INDEX JUNE ' 12

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110

102

HASSAN HAJJAJ

THE BUTCHER'S DEN

BIJA AT BAYT LOTHAN

A JOURNEY THROUGH INDIA

SIMO LAGNAWI

There’s more to Hassan Hajjaj than meets the eye.

Designer, photographer, shop owner… Find out more about the man behind the lens, responsible for our stunning cover this month.

At The Butcher’s Den they know their beef. From Wagyu fillets, to organic striploins paired with tasty, subtle sides, this is how steak should be served. They have cookies with bacon in too!

Nawaf Gheraibah is a living, breathing representation of the multiculturalism of Kuwaiti society. His performance at Bayt Lothan was not only inspiring and entertaining, but it pushed boundaries too.

All aboard for a culinary tour of India’s many regional delicacies and specialties! Asha’s takes you along for the ride as they explore the multitude of tastes and textures this vast country has to offer.

As passionate about playing traditional Moroccan Gnawa music as he is about fusing it with modern musical styles, Simo Lagnawi is a man of traditions who embraces modernity.

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86

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MUNEERA ALSHARHAN

SHAMAEL AL-SHARIKH

A Fashionality that expertly merges artistic expression and fashion in her bespoke collection of jewelry pieces, we’re given a true lesson in the meaning of style by Muneera Alsharhan.

From her demanding career in the oil sector industry to the National Youth Project, Shamael Al-Sharikh advocates positive political activism in our up close and personal.

The new M-Class, p. 70

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34

70

44

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ALPHABETIZING KUWAIT

GIRLY GUSTO

BAZAAR GOES CRUISING

HASHTAG

OLD IS GOLD

An exciting artistic project challenged by many technical difficulties, The Kuwait Alphabet Project is the brainchild of the talented multimedia designer, Patrick Semaan. Explore Kuwait like you’ve never seen it before!

She’s the fun, fearless, healthobsessed, Zumba instructor and a deviant foodie all at once. Amani Abbasy, the first licensed Zumba instructor in the ME, might be coined the Zumba goddess, but is she up to our truth or dare?

What happens when you get behind the wheel of a car that has all the plush comforts and features of a luxury saloon and the handling, safety and presence of an SUV? We took the new Mercedes-Benz M-Class for a spin to let you know.

Simplicity is key at this new burger joint in Kuwait City.

Hashtag Burger believes that life is simple and we should enjoy it, and the same can be said of their burgers.

They are simple but you’ll definitely enjoy!

The National Bank of Kuwait celebrates a milestone, sixty years of serving Kuwait since its initial institution in 1952. With an amazing display of historical photos, see how your favorite local bank evolved throughout the years.

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Sharq Co-op Sheikha Complex Souk Salmiya Souk Sharq The Avenues The Palms Hotel Zain Headquarters Clinics & Hospitals Al Safat American Hospital Boushahri Clinic Dasman Diabetes Institute Diet Care Center International Clinic Kaizen Seif Hospital Soor Clinic Hotels & Health Clubs Al Corniche Club Crowne Plaza, Farwaniya Flex Hilton Kuwait Resort & Spa Holiday Inn, Salmiya Pilates & More - Salmiya, Mahboula The Palms Beach Hotel Malls 360 Mall Dunkin Donuts Arraya Haagen Dazs Galleria

Marina Mall/Crescent Casper & Gambini Chocolate Bar Johnny Rockets P.Q. Paul Virgin Megastore Souq Sharq Starbucks Haagen Dazs Breadz The Avenues Johnny Rockets Paul Pizza Express Crumbs Haagen Dazs Starbucks Airport Mall Pizza Express Starbucks Dar Al Awadi I.O. Center Spoons Chocolate Bar Salhiya Complex Starbucks

Stand Alones 4 Boutique A.W.A.R.E. Center Alghanim Marine

Beautylicious Brush Salon Cozmo Bowling - Salmiya, Kaifan, Discovery Mall, Mahboula Dar Al Funoon Gallery Tilal Goji Boutique Jacques Dessange Salon, Shaab Karizma Kuwait 4X4 Landmark - Al Rai café, Fahaheel, Salmiya London Limos N Bar N Style Pink Moon Boutique Sultan Gallery THE One The Video Club TIES Center Schools & Universities American International School American University of Kuwait Australian College Kuwait Boxhill College Universal American School Kuwait University Starbucks Khaldiya Starbucks Adeliya Starbucks Jabriya Starbucks Shuwaikh

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up close and personal

POSITIVELY POLITICAL Shamael Al-Sharikh, former writer and social activist By bazaar staff

Any given meeting with Shamael Al-Sharikh, regardless of its brevity, will leave you buzzing with positive vibrations. The cynics will quip that anyone involved in the realm of community work is inevitably jaded, yet Shamael possesses an untarnished enthusiasm for change; realistic, hopeful and more importantly, actionable.

Since her early college days at Tufts University in the United States, Al-Sharikh found the power of community and volunteering by devoting her time to causes that included women's rights groups and student Islamic organizations. As a Muslim Arab female, breaking the stigma of positive and negative extremism motivated AlSharikh to be a part of change. She states: "You have to be able to maintain your own identity, and embrace the customs of the people of the place you're in."

Upon moving back to Kuwait as an adult, Al-Sharikh began a career in the oil industry, which was both challenging and time-consuming. However, she still found her niche own in joining the Women Cultural Social Society (www.kwcss.com), an organization to 30

which she loyally gives back.

"They were never condescending to me because of my youth. Instead, they appreciated my enthusiasm and nurtured my passion for volunteering, offering me invaluable knowledge in the field.”

From then on, Al-Sharikh delved further in her volunteer work, where her involvement with college student groups about awareness of the Kuwaiti democratic process and the Constitution ignited her passion for positive political change. She also wrote a weekly socio-political column for the Kuwait Times from 2006 to 2009, in order to keep non-Arabic speaking Kuwaitis and expats abreast of current affairs in the country.

Al-Sharikh is now advocating positive political activism through involvement with the most recent youth-oriented initiative organized by the Amiri Diwan, the National Youth Project. The project aims to mobilize young Kuwaitis to be a part of a nation-wide conference in November that will express many issues pertaining to their hopes, opportunities, and aspirations. She

excitedly states: "After this conference, the National Youth Document produced will be handed to HH the Amir, and a permanent youth council will be appointed to develop a continuous dialogue between young people and the government. I’m absolutely thrilled about this initiative, as we are trying to create change wherever change is possible."

bazaar questionnaire: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Happiness is waking up every morning healthy.

Happiness is knowing that your loved ones are safe.

Happiness is having loved ones.

What is your greatest fear?

Loss of anything (my faith, my health, my sanity, my optimism, my ability to see the big picture, my conviction that no matter how bad things get, there will always be a Higher Being who will pull you out of it)… and cockroaches.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I am a horrible judge of character. I give people the benefit of the doubt, only to find out that they are neither worth the time nor the effort. I can be too trusting of strangers and yet- and I am ashamed to admit this- not trusting enough of those who genuinely care for me.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

I wish I could hone on one particular trait, whereas in fact, there are many traits I deplore. I deplore cowards who cannot stand up for themselves, let alone others.

I deplore aggressive domineering types who believe the world revolves solely around their own individual interpretations of matters. I also deplore selfish human beings, because when you cannot give part of your time for someone, you will never be able to give part of your soul.

Which living person do you most admire?

I am one of the very few Kuwaitis that grew up- and still is growing- with not one but two living people I admire: my parents. I admire my father for his dedication to his career and for raising five children on a strict work ethic that is not exactly common in this part of the world. I also admire my mother for teaching me that you can be feminine but

assertive; you can be sensitive but thick-skinned; and you can be intelligent but not condescending to others. I am the product of two kindred, complementing spirits, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Shoes. I’m damn near shameless about it. I should seek professional help.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

I don’t really have any catch phrases, probably due to cruising through life as an Arabish speaker (halfArabic, half-English.)

When were you happiest?

Every time I am unrestrained by worries, I am happy.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Cooking. I would love to be one of those individuals that can take some shrimp, some strawberries, and a wok, and can whip up an exotic dish on the spot. Alas, my cooking skills are focused on sandwiches and the occasional omelet.

What would you consider your greatest achievement?

I don’t think I’ve achieved thus far, and I am comfortable

with that. The minute we start to believe that we have achieved “our greatest achievement”, we become complacent, if not arrogant. Life is better lived as a series of happy accidents rather than calculated events.

Where would you most like to live?

At the risk of sounding clichéd, I will venture out and say that I would choose to live in Kuwait. For all the insanity, the sheer incompetence, the continuous instability, and the slow regression from good to awful, this corner of mother Earth is the only home I ever want to live in. I see in it a glimpse of hope in the rebirth of a state that will eventually go back to its roots of tolerance and acceptance; hope in a mercantile system based on the principles of fairness and justice (not godforsaken wasta); and last, but not least, hope in a people that will embrace and capitalize upon their diversity, instead of compartmentalize themselves for it.

For more info on the National Youth Project, visit their website on www.youth.org.kw or follow them on Twitter at @NationalYouthKW. 31

what's on?

DAR AL FUNOON

GALLERY TILAL

Artist: ABDULLA AL AWADI Title of Exhibition: Anmatt 2 - The Clash of the Icons Opening: Sunday June 3rd at 7pm Date: June 3rd to 21st, 2012

Title of Exhibition: Margo Veillon Dates: May 27th - June 7th 2012

This is the second collection of Abdulla Al Awadi that shows here at Dar al Funoon about the subject of patterns: behavioral, cultural, or geometrical. Come and enjoy this clash of the icons.

A typical Margo Veillon line: she was never less than forthright and in life, as much as in her art, she avoided sentimentality like the plague. Her aim was clarity. Fortunately she possessed the requisite skills, and honesty, to avoid any tawdry claims on the emotions.

Born on 19 February, 1907 in Abbasiya, she was the second child of a Swiss businessman. She attended several schools in Cairo, at least five different primary schools, and the LycÊe Français, from which one might deduce she was, at the very least, a spirited pupil. Eventually she was sent to Switzerland, to school in Zurich, returning in 1924 determined to become a professional artist.

Throughout a long life Margo Veillon travelled extensively: work survives from Italy, Greece, Guatemala, Spain, Mexico, Sudan, Ethiopia and Switzerland.

Throughout the sixties she would spend at least one month a year in London, and sometimes New York. Yet, she would regularly insist, "I have never travelled for the sake of travel." All the time she drew, painted, photographed.

Eventually -- at which point she was well into her nineties -- Margo confided that she no longer felt the need "to capture, capture, capture". Having spent much of the previous century doing precisely that, and mostly in Egypt, the comment was less a reduction of that enterprise than an intimation (she would, typically, allow herself no more than this) that the project was as complete as it would ever be.

With the passing of Margo Veillon June 9, 2003, Egypt lost one of its most ardent chroniclers. Few could ever, will ever, match her passionate objectivity.

Dar Al Funoon is located in Al-Watiah, Behbehani Compound, House No.28. For more information please call 2243 3138 or log onto www.daralfunoon-kw.com.

Gallery Tilal is located in Shuwaikh, Jahra Road, Tilal Complex, M3-M4. For more information please call: 222 56101 or email gallerygallery@hotmail.com.

You can also check out their facebook page.

The dialogue continues between poetry, story, geometry, society, iconography and color in the work of Abdulla Al Awadi. Although in this collection the whole concept of icon has been challenged. What characterizes an icon? What gives it its significance? Is it size, color, meaning, myth or purely personal association?

In various artworks there may be more than one icon competing for visual supremacy although in most cases the battle is clearly won by the stronger icon.

In some cases, the line that divides the icon from other objects is blurred or even, for emphasis, highlighted.

Al Awadi is a trained architect and currently teaches in the Department of Architecture in Kuwait University. He also designs contemporary clothes, theatrical costumes, jewelry, accessories, indoor and outdoor installations and plastic art. He is also a photographer, a makeup artist, an art director, a choreographer and a lover of poetry.

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truth or dare

GIRLY GUSTO Amani Saad Abbassy By bazaar staff

We might have briefly introduced you to Amani Abbasy a few years ago through one of our reviews of the Zumba classes she regularly coached at the BIVT. A worldwide exercise phenomenon that has taken the world by storm, the fitness program that blends hypnotic Latin rhythms through memorable steps is the ongoing obsession of Zumba-fanatic, Amani. We coined her the Zumba goddess a long time ago, yet we realized that we know very little about this self-confessed health and gym addict.

Born and raised in Richmond, VA, she moved back to Kuwait after getting married, to arrive in the Middle East as the first licensed Zumba instructor in the region. Besides the usual attractive catchphrase of burning 600 calories with every Zumba session, Amani recounts how people were so hesitant to try the addictively fun exercise.

Before Zumba, Amani was a gym buff. She explains, “Like many people, I was hesitant! Yet, I was tired of the same routine and I hated cardio machines.

One day my friend took me took a Zumba class and I was instantly hooked. I started going two to three times a week until I ended up going every day!” By breaking out of the routine and having fun at the same time, Zumba is the perfect break from our routine-orientated lives in Kuwait.

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Oddly enough, our favorite and celebrated Zumba goddess is a sweet tooth junkie at heart, “TimTams, cupcakes, cookies, French fries; basically, I love everything that's bad. I do have more of a sweet tooth, though. However I limit my cravings to once a week on my cheat day where I "treat" myself for all the hard work I put in at the gym or teaching Zumba.” Sounds fair enough to us!

Before we let her have her go at our Truth or Dare, we had to ask Amani for some muchneeded healthy tips for the summer. She answers, “Maintain a healthy diet by eating smaller portions and more frequently throughout the day.

Add strength or resistance training to your cardio regimen 2-3 times a week to help burn more calories, shape and tone your body. Even if you can't get to the gym or a class, try to at least walk/ jog, or do plyometric training (using your own body weight) at home. Doing something is better than nothing!” Yes, Ma’am!

Looking to the future, Amani is planning on opening up a state-of-the-art training facility for women, while continuing her Zumba certifications, personal training, and pursuing her desire to become a nutritionist.

How would your mother describe you in one word?

OCD (CLEAN FREAK).

How would you describe your mother in one word?

Loving.

What is the most insane question you’ve ever been asked?

Hi, is this ZUMBA? (Me giggling) No, this is Amani.

What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

I was craving a Philly cheese steak. So when I lived in DC I drove 4 hours up to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to grab a real Philly cheese steak and drove back after I fulfilled my craving.

What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented?

OMG Where would you like to live? / What is your dream retirement location?

I would like to live back in my hometown of Richmond, VA. I would love to retire in St John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind?

In the END everything will be ok, if its not ok its not the END. What animal best describes the kind of partner you’d be interested in?

Rottweiler, because they are protective yet loving.

What do you miss about your childhood?

The innocence of the real world.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

I love my name I wouldn't change it.

How would you describe your handshake in one word?

FIRM. What is the toughest part of your character?

Sensitivity.

Who is your favorite historical figure?

Martin Luther King Jr. What in the world do you least desire?

Discrimination.

What do you think is lacking in the world, which would make the world a better place?

Respect.

Why do you think most girls/guys like you?

I hope it is because I’m genuine and have an outgoing personality.

Finish this sentence: “Happiness is a thing called…”

LOVE.

Get in touch with Amani by following her on twitter, www.twitter.com/ZumbaQ8 and Instagram, @AmaniZumba.

MOVADO

#LYPROJECT Jump to great heights this leap year By bazaar staff

Every four years something unique happens.

Depending on what year it is, you might think first of the World Cup, maybe the Olympic Games, depending on your sporting interests (or nationality!). But every four years is also a leap year. That extra day in February is there to stop time drifting and screwing up the seasons, so it’s probably more important than kicking a ball into a net or running really, really fast.

Rather than 2012 being about displays of athletic prowess, 26 year old Egyptian/American Victor Saad wants it to be about showing the power of human determination – what can be achieved when we set our mind to something. This is the nucleus of The Leapyear Project.

Whilst developing his MBA on Social Change in Chicago, where he conversed with hundreds of people, Victor kept coming across similarities – everybody has ideas and aspirations of doing or creating something that could change their lives, their family, the industry or even the world. It seems deep down we all want to do something. He sadly also discovered that most people find themselves unable to do so because 36

of differing constraints such as social, economic, geographic or emotional barriers.

In the inspirational short film on The Leapyear Project website we are told that a leap is a jump to a great height, with great force - so in 2012 Victor Saad wants people to take a leap, to jump, to see problems and create solutions, then share stories, photos, videos online using lyproject as a tag.

In February, Victor raised some money to take a leap. He wanted to know if this project could inspire people in the Middle East amidst the array of turmoil taking place. He flew to Egypt with a videographer in search of groups of people that were trying to invest in society to create a better future for Egypt.

They stumbled on Wellspring Egypt and loved everything about their mission. They’re dedicated to helping youth, families, and teachers in the Egyptian community live from the inside out through characterbased learning programs. His goal is to create a small community of ‘leapers’ in the Middle East, who share stories of what they are doing to change the world. He believes if people have a platform to share such stories it will inspire everybody else.

So if you’re interested in making the world a better place this is what Victor suggests: During 2012, take a risk (AKA: Leap). Make something in your life, community, or world better.

Step 1: Choose your Leap at: www.leapyearproject.org/leap Step 2: Tell stories online. Using Cowbird.com and your favorite social media sites, you can share photos, videos, and updates about your project.

Simply use the tag lyproject and everyone will be able to see it, too. Share personal heartfelt stories about the reason for your leap, the people you’re meeting and the things you are learning.

Step 3: Inspire the world. The more you share, the more you’ll inspire others to join. Also, they’ll be curating the stories into a book and art exhibition in 2013 that will set the stage for The Leapyear Project to happen every 4 years (Social Good Olympics).

To get involved visit: www.leapyearproject.org.

bazaar goes dining

THE BUTCHER’S DEN It’s all about the beef By bazaar staff

Walking into The Butchers Den, there is no mistaking what kind of restaurant you’re entering. The name alone will probably point you in the right direction, but one word echoes through the décor, the menu, and subsequently your appetite – beef!

Chicken lover? You’ll be limited to one main course. Vegetarian? You’ll love the sides. Vegan? Well...

Why do you do that to yourself? (I feel comfortable ridiculing vegans here as one look at that rare slab of beef will keep any vegan from reading this review!)

But to be honest, if you’re any of those things, a visit to The Butcher’s Den could very well make a beef-loving convert out of you. If not, you can still appreciate the décor.

Located at Al-Bida’a Strip, The Butcher’s Den occupies two floors with very distinct personalities.

The first thing you’ll encounter downstairs is the wallpaper. This Andy Warhol work, entitled Cow Wallpaper [Pink on Yellow], 1966, lets you know what you’ll be in for – classic steaks served in a contemporary setting. It’s fresh, bright and modern.

Passing the open kitchen you can check out where the meats will be grilled but I was drawn to the glass cube afoot the stairs. This is the refrigerator. I gazed through the glass like a kid outside a sweet shop.

Laid bare inside are all the cuts of beef, labelled with their details. The quality of the beef is apparent from this first viewing. Heavy marbling, especially in 38

the Wagyu cuts, signifies a good intramuscular fat content, which of course means more flavor.

After being dragged away from the fridge we checked out the upstairs, which has a warmer, cosier feel than downstairs. It is available for private functions and reservations and can be divided into two separate rooms. They have a small open kitchen area upstairs, too, for live cooking shows. At the top of the stairs you’ll find a conveyor belt, the kind normally employed in running sushi places – at The Butcher’s Den porcelain cows, painted by a variety of artists, ride around the belt instead of raw fish. It’s all about the cow here!

Taking our seats downstairs, our appetizers were waiting for us. Cotton Candy! It was such an oddball thing to find waiting on the table and we loved it. After we’d polished it off, we moved onto the first courses.

The Onion and Spinach Quiche imparted great flavors from such humble ingredients and the Leek, Shallot & Cherry Tomato Tart was delicious and, served in a mini cast-iron skillet, looked great, too. But I know what you’re thinking, all I’ve been talking about is cows, so where’s the beef? Wagyu Carpaccio was unlike any Carpaccio I’ve ever tasted. At The Butcher’s Den they serve it with rocket and figs. The slivers of beef melt on the tongue leaving an incredible flavor, and a taste for more.

Dominating the menu at The Butcher’s Den is the choice of meats. They offer Australian Wagyu of varying grades, USDA organic and Argentinian under

their Speciality Meat Cuts section, then a USDA CAB (Certified Angus Beef ) section and finally USDA Prime Cuts. Each section carries different cuts of beef.

A quick glance at one of the walls will provide an education for anyone not too familiar with where the cuts of beef come from. Illustrated cows adorn the wall, each one detailing which cut comes from where.

We tried an Argentinian Ribeye, an Organic fillet and a Wagyu Striploin Red (6 -7 grade). We opted to take the steaks medium and without rubs or glazes. Beef this good doesn’t need such things. We were served sauces such as Béarnaise, Mushroom, Peppercorn and a Mixed Berry Jalepeno sauce. I tried these and they were good, especially the mixed berry, but the meat didn’t need these either. Then came the two dishes that we’re probably still talking about as you read this; the USDA CAB Short Ribs had a smoky, sweet glaze that made the meat black on the outside. When you sliced through the meat, it fell off the bone with ease revealing a pink succulent center. I managed to refrain myself from gnawing at the bones when the meat was finished!

Then came the daddy of all steaks; a Wagyu Fillet Black (8-9 grade). My attempts to explain exactly what this meant to the table were put to shame by The Butcher’s Den manager Denzel’s knowledge. Wagyu, he told us, literally translates as Japanese Cow. It is a way of raising cattle, once almost exclusively in Kobe, Japan, that ensures great marbling and naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness, and juiciness. The cattle are fed milk, cheese

and, for the last 300-500 days of production, are grainfeed. The grade refers to the amount of marbling on a scale of 1-12. That’s pretty much how I’d said it, I’m sure!

It’s hard to describe the amount of flavor a piece of meat with no sauce, marinade, glaze, or rub can have.

As you’re eating it you realize the flavors are coming from the meat itself. It doesn’t taste merely of beef, but so much more. The meat is so tender and you’ll find yourself not wanting to swallow, savouring every chew as it releases its flavor.

The sides on offer at The Butcher’s Den are subtle and serve as perfect accompaniments to the meat cuts.

The Beetroot & Turnip Slaw was crunchy and light and the Crispy Parsnip Chips were a unique alternative to potato chips. We opted mostly for greens, preferring to fill up on protein (aka damn tasty beef ) rather than

carbs - Wilted Chard and Baby Marrow partnered well with all of the meats. The Charred Glazed Figs added a touch of sweetness and was my favorite side.

And so with a heavy heart we moved onto dessert - we were leaving the meat behind and that saddened me a little. I was roused a little by the Chocolate Chip Waffles with Vanilla & Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, but I was still thinking about beef. Then it arrived…

Bacon & Chocolate Chip Cookies! Yep, you read it correctly. That was bacon in a cookie. I couldn’t have been happier. Served on slate, with a cup of milk adorned with a sugar coated vanilla pod, the three cookies just looked like regular, albeit warm and still soft, cookies. But those little bits of beef bacon were waiting inside to tantalize my taste buds, combining with the chocolate to deliver a warm, salty, sweet

delight. From four of us eating, we were divided 50/50 on this concept. That was fine by me; I got to devour more of them.

The Butcher’s Den serves outstanding beef. You don’t really need to know more than that. But for those who prefer more of a conclusion; if you love a good steak, you’ll find that, plus a whole lot more, being served in a funky, lively spot with a kicking soundtrack to boot.

The Butcher’s Den is located at Al-Bida’a Strip.

For more information visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/TheButchersDen or follow them on twitter @ButchersDen For reservations or queries call 2226 3140.

39

Goji's Pick

ALL TUCKER’D UP By bazaar staff

Between the trends of clashing prints, setting electrifying neons against pretty pastels, mini’s versus floaty maxi’s; sometimes a simple reversion to the one-statement-item look is the ultimate solution to all of your fashionable woes. Instead of fretting over the right color, fabulously fret over which Tucker blouse to wear next! For effortless style, and instant chic, the Tucker look is universally loved by fashionistas worldwide.

Carrying a beautiful collection of signature Tucker by Gaby Basora pieces, online shopping hotspot, Goji Boutique, is always there to solve our frenzied wardrobe queries, while feeding our latest Tucker addiction.

Originally a stylist, Gaby Basora ventured into the world of designing with her signature vision of using vivid prints on fluid silk blouses, dresses and pants inspired by novels, magazines and travel mementos. Starting the Tucker line in 2005, she immediately gained international acclaim with one key 40

look, peasant blouses, winning an A-list following of fans like Gwen Stefani, Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Liv Tyler.

Inspired by all things visual, Gaby Basora is also the daughter of a skilled knitter, and even though she studied writing and literature during her college years, she would enlarge large candy wrappers to see how they would make for a fine print on a blouse.

The makings of a designer, and stylist, nonetheless, are the omnipresent factors that inspired Gaby to further pursue her passion. Even though she initially became a stylist, and abandoned her initial notion of pursuing fashion design, the Basora vision was bound by fate.

Interestingly so, Basora’s foray into fashion came as a complete surprise, as the first loose-fitting, button-down, silk peasant blouse with bold print she made had only one customer in mind: herself. Little did she know, her friends quickly wanted to emulate her look, and after selling this design to her close circle, a friendly introduction to a buyer

at Barney’s in New York turned her into a design sensation. Following a huge sell out at the reputable department store, Tucker was requested and sold at 200 retail outlets nationally and internationally, and we lucky fashionistas are now able to grab our signature piece from Goji Boutique. Today, her first design, and signature silk blouse is requested and sold at retailers worldwide.

In our minds, this defines true style.

Even though we’re equipped with trend reports, emulated runway looks to ‘create’ our individual style, having a timeless piece from Tucker remains fashionable no matter what season, and silk is an elusive fabric that emanates with instant chic.

For Spring-Summer 2012, Tucker's head designer Gaby Basora plays with the collection on so many levels. Vibrant colors, pastel patterns, soft fabrics, accessible silhouettes and mix and match patterns, can be wonderfully juxtaposed with leather jackets, monochromatic tops and powerful bags. This wanderlust, versatile collection easily goes from

bohemian, to city-chic and from bikerchic to exotic-vacation-chic. All it needs is different shoes, bags and accessories and voila the same dress and pants transform into a completely new outfit.

A travel enthusiast and a bookworm at heart, art and travel pose as Gaby Basora’s models of inspiration for creating the vintage-inspired line. With a wistful yet refreshing take on classics, the readyto-wear line is every dream come true for fashionistas interested in updating their wardrobes. Basora’s eye-catching prints and floaty silhouettes arrive in the form of signature silk blouses, pencil skirts, jackets, skirts, tunic dresses and much more. For a polished yet relaxed office look that takes you to your next social gathering without thinking twice of a wardrobe change, the choices of ensembles are endless with the must have collection

To get your signature Tucker look, order yours now by visiting www.gojiboutique.com.

ALPHABETIZING KUWAIT Patrick Semaan shows us K-town like never before By bazaar staff

Patrick Semaan, the talented multimedia designer, never ceases to amaze me. Every time I speak to Patrick, he is up to something interesting, and absolutely challenging. Recently, he unveiled an unprecedented journey in showcasing Kuwait in a totally new light, The Kuwait Alphabet project.

Starting the project three years ago while living in London, Patrick was innocently driven by nostalgia to Google Earth, trying to find an area in France where he grew up. In doing so, he was amazed at how many buildings, structures and nature scenes looked like alphabetical letters. He explains, “I realized I could find the entire alphabet using Google Earth and this is how the idea was born. I picked Kuwait because France was way too easy. Kuwait has a flatter, 'less built' area so it was more challenging. I checked online and found that someone had already completed this project in the UK. This motivated me to explore the notion of a Kuwait alphabet, as the previous success story made the idea more feasible.”

After collecting twelve letters, Patrick was half way through, when the Google Earth program suddenly crashed. Everything he found and saved was gone. He adds, “When I realized I had to start over, I gave up. I put the project on hold, until a year ago when I started finding letters all over again. Slowly but surely, I became engrossed with the project—I worked daily until I finished it all.”

So it’s official, not only does Patrick know Kuwait by heart now, he has officially released the project online for the world to enjoy. We couldn’t help but ask Patrick about the hardest letters to find, he responds, “The hardest letters were R, N and Z. I initially thought Z and N would be the easiest, I couldn’t have been more wrong in assuming that! I’m so happy that eventually, it all came together.”

Patrick also composed a video that is a flyover of all the letters, a nice little trip anyone can take to discover all the letters while watching Kuwait, from a top view.

For more on his work, please visit: www.patricksemaan.com and follow Patrick's tweets at www.twitter.com/PatrickSemaan.

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HASHTAG #beef #bun #cheese #simplicity By bazaar staff

It’s official, Kuwait is burger crazy! But it seems the more burger places that open, the more refined our palates become. We’re moving on from junk food towards back-to-basics burgers made from real food. And it doesn’t get more stripped down than at Hashtag!

Brought to you by the same guys who founded Solo Pizza Napulitana, Hashtag is literally about twenty paces from the much-loved pizza place. They have a credo at Hashtag etched out on one of the chalkboard walls – “Life is Simple… Enjoy it!” You have to strain to see it now though as it’s surrounded by enthusiastic messages from satisfied customers, who are encouraged to scribble their thoughts on the wall. Simplicity is all around when you visit. The subtle storefront is devoid of signage, the only reference to the name is a hashtag (or pound sign if you’re British and of a pre-twitter age) transfer on the window of the door.

Founders Amr Al Refai and Dari Al Huwail told me the name is not even a reference to the social media phenomenon of tagging every little thing we do. It is instead a nod to the simplicity of the symbol itself – something they relate to in their approach to flipping burgers.

Hashtag is a tiny burger joint. Behind the counter you’ll find one flat-top griddle and a double fryer. When 44

your menu consists of three mainstay burgers, one rotating special and one choice of fries though, you don’t need much else. Where other places focus on the many styles of burgers and varieties of fries they offer, Hashtag keep it simple; Old Skool is served with lettuce, onions and tomatoes, Yellowland ditto with the addition of cheese, and the signature Hashtag comes with grilled onions, cheese and their house sauce – all served on (nothing better than!) potato rolls. I devoured the Hashtag pretty swiftly and so moved on to the special; on the day we visited this was the Firecracker! Think jalapeños and hot sauce and you’ll have the right idea.

The fries are thin, crispy, super-tasty and I never ask for anything more than that. But the sprinkling of paprika that they serve them with takes them to the next level!

The guys flipping the burgers behind the counter are young Kuwaitis and this pleases me as much as the great burgers do. This gives the place a communal feel and it feels like a very real place. These guys do the local concept so well and the trend is catching on. So more power to these guys, we say!

Hashtag is located in Kuwait City behind Omar Bin Al Khatab Street (next to Solo Pizza). Check them out online at www.hashtagq8.com or follow them on twitter @hashtagq8 and don’t forget to tag!

fashionality

THE STORIES YOU WEAR Artist Muneera Alsharhan crafts meaning in her inspired jewelry pieces By bazaar staff

Today, stylists draft the greatest influences we see in the fashion world, and we can easily emulate certain looks to make a ‘statement’. However, upon meeting the talented artist and jewelry designer, Muneera Alsharhan, our stereotypical notions of style were reawakened with a lesson in self-expression, and the greater meaning of fashion. Focused on delivering the powerful connection people can make with jewelry, we were mesmerized by Alsharhan’s showcase of Saduinspired pieces using metal and precious stones she collected over time at the recent charity event, Pretty Little Things.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewelry and Metalsmithing from Rhode Island School of Design in 2011, Alsharhan set out to explore the capacity of jewelry to hold and represent secrets, dreams, and untold stories. By studying different 46

cultural customs, and how symbolism influences the craft of jewelry-making, she became certain that jewelry should be timeless, evoking the universal sentiment of connecting an experience to a precious, personal belonging. She comments, “It’s the personal connection people make with my pieces, or any piece of jewelry for that matter, that fascinates me. I love how people can take something I’ve created and interpret its meaning in their own way. That’s what I always wish to convey.” Alsharhan positively looks to her peers for motivation and progression, and wishes to remain true to her message in creating her bespoke pieces. Look out for her solo exhibition to be announced towards the end of 2012.

Does fashion ‘make’ the person or does the person ‘make’ fashion?

People make fashion. A person can be inspired from fashion and use it to express themselves, but

should not let fashion define them. The one thing someone should not do is dress in a way that would make them feel insecure. People can sense your insecurity, whether in your style, business or artwork.

How would you describe your style?

Comfort is really important to me; I don’t want to have to constantly think about the outfit I’m wearing.

But I do love colors and mixing patterns. I try to just have fun with what I’m wearing, like dressing with a sense of humor. Accessories are most important to me—most of my looks can only be pulled together with accessories as they complete my outfits.

How do you get inspiration for your style?

Colors and prints inspire me. I know what cuts work on my body and just because something is a trend doesn’t mean I have to wear it. I’ve studied fashion history, so details from past styles always give me new ideas. The way other people might put together an

outfit could inspire me, too. We have a great variety of designers today, so there are so many choices.

What does it take to become a style innovator?

Being yourself. Style innovators don’t ask anyone if they look okay before they leave their house, they wouldn’t care what you thought because they dress for themselves. Their confidence in their own style is what people try to attain.

What’s exciting right now in fashion?

Street style is inspiring top designers, and a lot of young fashionistas are DIYing (do it yourself ) the new trends. People are taking more risks in their looks and mixing and matching to their heart's desire.

Who or what has been your greatest fashion influence?

No specific thing or person. But I have realized I’m influenced mostly by self-assured creative

women, for example Marchesa Casati, Daphne Guinness, Victoire de Castellane.

What is the highlight of your ‘style’ career?

I hope to encourage people to have fun with their looks; there are no real rules in fashion.

Confidence is what carries a look. And its okay if one day an outfit doesn’t work, you will wake up tomorrow morning and do it all over again.

Every fashionality has as a style obsession, what’s yours?

Nail art.

Do you follow any fashion blogs? If so, what are they and which would you recommend?

I don’t follow any. When there’s something specific on my mind I’ll look it up and I’ll usually end up on some random blog.

What item of clothing (if any) do you wish that people wore more often?

I don’t really care what type of clothing people wear, as long as they play it up, have some fun and NEVER forget accessories.

To be stylish is to be fashionable. True or False and why?

Style is fashion and fashion is style, I believe that you can’t have one with out the other.

What are your Season’s Picks?

I love how a lot of people are experimenting with different types of accessories like headbands, ear cuffs, and rings for every segment of the finger.

And for the brave, bigger pieces like body gear, shoulder pads, armbands, and hand pieces.

Fore more information, please visit: www.muneeraalsharhan.com.

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TRIM N’ STYLE The space for beauty By bazaar staff

Ladies, you know summer is here when your schedules revolve around penciling in the following: much-deserved pool time, hunting down the perfect pair of sandals, finding that dress for next week’s wedding, attending this friend’s ‘barbeque of the season’, and wait for it, more dresses to find for more weddings to attend!

In light of the hectic times to come, your beauty routine takes a dive; you never get to try that new Ombre look, get the latest fish spa pedicure, or God forbid, get your roots done! If you wish to avoid the aforementioned beauty nightmares, then my sound advice is to head to the latest spot for all of your beauty needs, Trim N’ Style.

Consider this space your cozy beauty haven, where the pristine white walls mellowed out in tones of lavender and rose are home to all of the latest trends in beauty and hair fashions available to suit your every whim! From the latest fad in pedicures such as the fish spa treatment, to a team of fantastic hair stylists to give you the most glamorous updo’s for your evening 48

events, Trim N’ Style has everything you need.

In my experience, the summer season always means time spent getting the latest hair treatments to manage the damage my hair endures from too much sun, pooling, coloring and more importantly, dehydration. My ultimate hair indulgence is always The Caviar Treatment, as it rejuvenates my stressed tresses, leaving a lasting radiant glow and healthy shine. Trim N’ Style also offers a wide range of hair solutions to combat over-heated ‘summer’ hair, and what caught my attention the most is the Molecular Precision Hair Care range, including Scalp care, Hair loss treatments, or selective care for highlighted strands. Besides the wide selection of the latest kinds of Keratin treatments, Trim N’ Style also offers Power Define, a revolutionary smoothing treatment that covers the hair fiber by fiber.

Another treatment at Trim N’ Style that is a summertime-must is the Dr. Fish Spa treatment, where your tired feet are immersed in your own little fish pond, only to be nibbled on by said fish to remove any dead skin to reveal the softest feet that will have you pedicure-

ready in no time. If you’re not as adventurous, then the perfect treatment for soothing and moisturizing your hands and feet is the exclusive Soyaffin treatment, a sanitary single use treatment with antioxidants such as natural Shea butter extracts, beeswax, Soya extracts infused with green and white tea, grapeseed oil, green apple and berries extracts.

Not only does Trim N’ Style offer the trendiest hair and beauty treatments, an expert makeup artist is around to give you the hottest make up look to go with your hairstyle. Another joyous treat is all the funky clipin hair extensions on sale, to get that feathered clip-in extension, or change up your look with a neon pink strand! To maintain and upkeep your beauty regimen at home, Trim N’ Style also carries a wide selection of highend hair and beauty products.

Trim N’ Style is located on the first floor of Al Bustan Complex on Salem Al Mubarak street in Salmiya. For more information, please call 2571 4096 or follow Trim N’ Style on twitter @TrimNStyle.

FOOD REVOLUTION KUWAIT Change the way you eat for a better life By bazaar staff

In cities around the world on May 19, people were hosting dinner parties and local food events in support of food education. According to the World Health Organization, worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980, nearly 43 million children under the age of five are overweight and 2.8 million people die every year from being obese or overweight. Yet, obesity is preventable.

The world celebrated Food Revolution Day for the first time in history, with assigned ambassadors in more than 46 countries. Representing Kuwait, health coach Juna Al-Awadhi had just arrived in Kuwait from the UK to spread awareness and "empower people to stand up for real food." She further added, "We aim to change the way Kuwait eats, one family at a time." The Kuwait team has launched their website with the first workshop of its kind in the country. Dr Nada Alragum told us, "From my experience in family medicine I noticed that most illnesses common in Kuwait are reversible or can be prevented by changing the way we eat. We are responsible for the health of the future generations and we should help them lead a healthier life and eat smart."

Participants tried a variety of healthy dishes made with the best quality organic ingredients from the oldest organic farm in Kuwait, which was 50

established in 1992. Miss Budour Al-Gassar gave a live cooking demonstration, showing how to cook an easy recipe that could replace junk food. Everyone, including the kids, joined in.

The announcement of a list of intriguing workshops was another highlight of the evening. The life changing workshops included; organic gardening, healthy cooking, smart school lunches, and many other topics with inspiring speakers from Kuwait and outside Kuwait like Jumana Al-Awadhi, a pioneer in organic nutrition, as well as many other inspirational activists such as nutritionist Jumana Al-Othman, Zaina Al-Babtain and Dr. Abeer Hamada. Finally, the participants left not only with motivational thoughts and inspiring stories, but with a healthy dinner box, organic gifts and a handpicked collection of nutritional science books.

Revolution Kuwait believes that together we can change the way people eat by educating every child about food, giving families the skills and knowledge to cook again, and motivating people to stand up for their rights to better food.

They want to arm friends, family and community with the tools to make those choices, because better food education means a better life.

For more information visit www.revolutionkuwait.com.

bazaar fiction

MASHED POTATOES

By Emma Abdullah

It’s funny how different people define happy moments. I mean, what is a happy moment? How do you define happiness? To me, happiness is the end of suffering but that is a difficult thing to comprehend for those who do not suffer as I do. Sorrow is when every heart beat is more painful than the precedent and when every breath seems to be a waste of death.

It is as if I can see every second painfully passing by, as if each one stings me before letting the next take its place. I ignore what I am to feel, should I be happy?

Afraid? My emotions are in such a tight knot inside my stomach that it is complicated to determine whether fear, anxiety or pain bears the greatest share.

Today my guest will come for me. I do not know his name nor what he resembles but I wait for him, locked up in this room. If I could run, would I? Would I fight if I had the chance? There is nothing left to fight for. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

A knock on my door. I sit up. He has come.

“Your special meal,” says a voice, sliding a shiny 52

metal tray through a flap in the door. It is not him. I had forgotten about my meal. I get up from the hard bed on which I was resting and take little steps in order not to fall because of the chains on my feet. I sit down on the cold concrete floor and place the tray over my lap. I could have had anything I wanted to, but out of all the most delicious dishes, I chose mashed potatoes. Nothing but plain mashed potatoes will be my last meal. The fork feels cold in my hand as I take small bites. I can vaguely remember a toy I had as a child; it was a small colorful clown with exaggerated features and a wide grin. When I pressed its nose, it would start singing nursery rhymes and telling me to clap my hands if I was happy and I knew it. I think I am happy.

How do you judge a man? By the good things he does? Or do you just ignore them and focus on the sins?

Who are we to judge? In this prison cell, sits a murderer.

This murderer is me and I would not change a thing; not a chapter in my story. What I did, I did it because it was my duty. They say revenge is a confession of pain. In my case,

it was a confession of hatred and sorrow as well.

My son was the most precious thing in my life. Harry was only three but I sometimes felt he could understand me like nobody else. The way he giggled when I tickled him and how his eyes lit up when I talked to him; he was the perfect child. The day I lost him, I swore I would find the person who hurt him and make them pay the bitter price. The authorities took care of him for me; he was sentenced to prison for ten years but was let out after five for good conduct. Five years? Is that what a life is worth? Is that his punishment for torturing an innocent child so much that it caused death? A child who lost his parents is called an orphan; a person who lost their spouse, a widow. But why is there no word for a parent who lost their child? Simply because it cannot be put into words; the pain is endless. If only his death could compensate for a millionth of the sorrow I felt, then I would have to kill him.

I did it with a cold heart, feeling absolutely no pity. He was easy to track down as he had just come out of prison and I had found where he lived. I screamed. I cursed. I cried. I shot. The next day the police were at my house for I had made no effort in trying to hide it.

They say I had no right, that I may not create my own justice. To me this is justice and I have no regrets. I would do it again and again and again. Tears are streaming down my cheeks and my eyes are bright red. Why won’t he come? Let him come and finish me. Let me join Harry in heaven, away from this world of mad people and crazy ways. I wish my heart could be squeezed until it beats no longer. I wish my lungs could be blocked so that no air may enter this repulsive body. Today is my happy day, today the pain ends.

A knock on the door. I sit up. He has come.

The door opens and a tall man tells me to follow him.

I get up, taking one last look at the mashed potatoes, Harry’s last meal. I follow, without a word, into a room with white walls where I am ordered to lay down on a pale bed with bars and attached tightly. I find myself smiling. A man whose face I cannot see rubs my arm with alcohol. Why disinfect it? It’s ironic really. Why do you disinfect criminals’ skins before injecting lethal poison into them? Because it’s ethical? Human? Yes, of course.

Tonight, from six to seven, there will be no lights in the prison cells. Instead, there will be darkness mixed with a deafening silence because all the prisoners will know what this means; that another one of them has been executed.

A syringe is prepared. I think of my clown and its grin. I wish I could see my guest’s face. I wish I could clap my hands.

“Any last words?” he says. I can only see his eyes.

“Yes,” I reply softly “Thank you for freeing me.”

'bazaar' introduces Emma Abdullah, at the age of 14 Emma is our youngest writer ever.

HASSAN HAJJAJ From the souks of Marrakech to the streets of London By bazaar staff

54

We were so struck by the image you see on this month’s cover that we knew we wanted to use it the moment we saw it and, of course, wanted to then know more about the man behind the camera.

Not only did Hassan Hajjaj shoot the image on this month’s cover and the images on these pages, he’s also responsible for the truly personalitycatching shots of our Artist of the Month, Simo Lagnawi. As you’ll see, those images capture the essence of the musician - the traditional and the modern man of Gnawa music – so effortlessly whilst aesthetically blowing you away.

When you meet Hassan though, you quickly come to realize that he’s more than merely a photographer.

He’s a man of many talents (he designed and constructed the central ‘Diwaniya’ at REUSE 5.0 for example) and his life seems to be a constant evolution. He’s designed a restaurant, builds furniture from old signs, owns a shop in London, and in the 80’s even launched his own clothing label called RAP. The vibrancy of Hassan’s work is a feast for the eyes and the poignancy of the themes is stimulation for the mind. His work fuses the soul of Middle Eastern souks with the urbanity of London streets, exploring themes of tradition in our modern, global, branded world. His ability to hold a mirror up to society by focusing on objects we see (and consume) on a daily basis raises questions about the world we live in. The upturned Arabic branded Coke crates on our cover speak volumes about this.

Tell us a little bit about your background, how all this got started…

I was born in Morocco and came to live in London at the age of fourteen in 1973. I came out of school with no qualifications. Due to this, I worked many odd jobs from gardener, working in a timber yard, to working at Woolworths. Then I became unemployed for a few years and during this time got involved with opening a fashion shop while promoting clubs, DJs and bands.

I also assisted fashion stylist Andy Blake for magazines and catwalk shows. I worked with Zak Ove on his music promo videos and curated some art shows at my store. All these experiences come out in my art. continued on next page...

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You’re a man of many differing talents, has there been a natural evolution in your work?

Yes. I think it all happened naturally as I never thought of becoming an artist.

Do you have a preferred medium?

Not really, as I like to stay free.

What themes do you explore with your work?

Life around me, from travelling, living between the two places (London and Morocco), people I meet, food I eat, and music I listen to.

London or Marrakech? Why? Both. It gives me balance in my life as a person.

You blend the modern and the global brand, with the traditional and the local, what are you trying to say with this?

I have worked with what is around me. As a 60’s child there was a lot of branding. Growing up in Morocco with tradition and the artisanal, and then in London with all its influences. The work that I show is like a peep through a keyhole into my background in Morocco and London.

What inspires you?

Art, travel, music, fashion, food, color, people, sun, rain, happy, sad.

You have a shop in London…

Yes, I got this shop from the government and I was using it as a base at first; but the area has become very trendy so I decided to turn it into a shop to show my and some friends' design works.

And you designed a restaurant/bar in Paris…

This work took about fifteen years to finish at ‘Andy Wahloo’ in Paris. I was doing shows with this body of work in the 90's and Momo (restaurateur Mourad Mazouz) was sponsoring me. When he got this empty space in Paris he asked me to turn it into a bar with my work.

Tell us more about your use of the word ‘Wahloo’…

'Andy' means ‘I’ and 'wahloo' means 'nothing'. It is because my work was seen as kind of Andy Warholesque and this body of work was inspired by recycling that I decided to call it Andy Wahloo (sounds like Andy Warhol).

What are you currently working on?

I have two solo shows in the autumn with Rose Issa Gallery in London and the Third Line Gallery in Dubai.

Images: Hassan Hajjai, courtesy Projects of Rose Issa. For more information visit www.hassan-hajjaj.com or e-mail hassanhajjaj@gmail.com.

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continued from previous page

LOVE TRIANGLE

By Bader Jamal

Why do people cheat in relationships? I see it every day. Everywhere. To the point where I ask, why don't people cheat? Because I do see that in some cases, as well. Not often but I do see it.

I can't even count the number of married men I know that cheat on their wives. Heck, they cheat on their girlfriends that they’re cheating on their wives with.

Girlfriends for their girlfriends.

It has become the norm.

When I ask those that do cheat "why?" they say "it’s nice to change sometimes."

Sadly that answer never really answered the question. Not for me anyway. There are lots of things that feel "nice" yet we don't do them. The feeling I get after running 15 kilometers is nice, yet not everyone does it.

So why do we cheat? I think the best answer or more like THE answer to that question was given to me by a dear friend of mine. Thanks Zeinab for clearing things up.

It’s the triangle theory. The three corners and the center. Each corner has a vertex; a point of attraction.

On one corner you have physical attraction; the way your partner looks (body-wise) and how they satisfy you physically. The second is the emotional corner, the emotional attraction and support your partner has and can give you. And finally, the third, is the intellectual corner; the way your partner intrigues your mind. How they make you think, how they understand you. In the center of the triangle is the spiritual core.

For a person not to cheat, all three corners must be satisfied in order for a person to remain fulfilled in a 58

relationship. Why? Well, simple.

If your partner attracts you physically, emotionally but not intellectually then you will cheat. Someone will come along and say something that makes your mind click and hence you'll cheat.

If your partner gives you what you want emotionally and intellectually but not physically then you will cheat with whoever satisfies you physically.

If you get the physical and the intellectual but not emotional support, guess what? You're going to cheat.

With who? With the one who shoulders you when you need them.

Sadly, many people are a bit narrow-minded. All they look at and want is what the eyes see, the physical. This is why many relationships don't last long. That initial physical intrigue fades with time.

If they do, they’re usually dragged on for reasons such as "Oh, for the benefit of the kids" or pressure from society. Society doesn’t look well towards people who are divorced.

The physical corner is important. Yet it fades with time while the other corners become stronger. So it’s not a good idea to base the whole relationship on physical attraction. Your partner's shape and body will age with time and I think this is the main reason why some men will marry another younger woman when they hit their mid forties. This corner is only temporary and should be viewed the same.

All these corners are meant to elevate the triangle's center - The spirit; and in turn help the person’s partner elevate their spirit.

People don't necessarily cheat physically. You might just go to that someone and get what you need. Like emotional support.

So what's the solution? All three corners should be taken into consideration when selecting a partner. This will ensure that no matter where you are in the triangle, there will always be something that pulls you in.

If you are already in a relationship and you find yourself wanting to cheat or have already cheated, it’s not too late. There are solutions. You can salvage the relationship but only if you want to. If one requirement is met, then there is some attraction between the two.

If both parties identify what they lack and are willingly to work things out, then there might be a chance. You might be able to educate your partner on what you want from each corner. Tell them where they lack. If things don’t work out then at least you tired.

I don’t believe that people should drag a relationship on for years no matter what the reason. The longer they do, the less options they will have and the more time they’ll be wasting starting a new relationship.

Reasons such as kids, society and so on should be considered as leverage to salvage the relationship and not be used as an excuse to drag it through the gutter.

Satisfy all three corners and you have no reason to step out of a relationship. I think this is THE explanation as to why people cheat. They miss something and find it in someone else, sparking a connection with that someone.

Thanks for your words of wisdom, Zeinab. I think people will start to see things differently.

BAYAN DENTAL Modernizing the dental clinic By bazaar staff

The dentist? Come on, none of us like it. I’m not saying we all hate it, but it’s something we could all do without. This doesn’t necessarily come from a place of fear for everyone - although it’s surely pretty high up there as a reason not to go for kids!

For a lot of us though, me included, it’s about the inconvenience. Even if your face is numb enough that you could be happy-slapped and not feel it, ensuring you feel no pain as the dentist goes to work, it can still be a boring experience. We sit and wait in that drab waiting area reading magazines from when we still had milk teeth, thinking of a million better things we could be doing with our time, before reluctantly taking that seat and opening wide.

Sitting in the waiting area at Bayan Dental, admiring the view over the Gulf, you could forget why you are here. The floor-to-ceiling windows that afford that stunning view also flood the place with so much light that even if you are a little nervous, at least you won’t be miserable, too.

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Funky purple sofas and modern design do the job of livening up the waiting area at Bayan Dental, but that’s not all. On the wall behind the reception and behind the sofas, you’ll find pop-art prints by Hamad Al Saab. One of them, Ugly Betty inspired, is a brave choice to put in the waiting room of a dental clinic as it shows a girl in full orthodontic head gear. But at Bayan Dental, it just works.

At Bayan Dental they have raised the bar in the way patients are treated, both medically and hospitably.

They take great pride in their highly trained dental team and state-of-the-art dental clinics. Bayan Dental was established in 2005 and boasts a loyal and growing patient base of thirty-three thousand. They have three clinics in Kuwait – Salmiya, Sharq, Egaila – and are looking to expand further locally as well as throughout the GCC. They were the first medical company in Kuwait and the Middle East to be ‘green business certified’ and were also awarded ‘Superbrand’ status in 2010. The doctors at Bayan Dental are all U.S. certified specialists

and they offer a comprehensive list of products and services using the latest technologies and techniques.

Whatever your teeth need, they have it covered.

When you’re in the chair, the modern approach to dentistry continues. Not just in the medical sense, mind you. iPod docks play soothing music, helping you to forget where you are and keeping you relaxed. If you’re in for a treatment that takes a little longer, then sit back, relax and watch a movie on one of the overhead screens!

Suddenly a trip to the dentist seems less like an inconvenience and more like a little break from your work day!

Bayan Dental has clinics in Salmiya, Sharq, and Egaila.

For more information visit

www.bayandental.com or call 2382 4000 to make an appointment. You can also follow them on twitter @bayandentalkw where you can find funny tips and facts.

ZAHR EL-LAYMOUN Lebanese cuisine, au natural By bazaar staff

With its latest location at the Avenues, a new escape exists for those wishing to run away from the hustle and bustle of rushed shoppers. At zahr el laymoun, relax by the fragrant jasmine trees, rustic furniture, and take a moment to take an incarnated vision of the Lebanese countryside.

A concept focused on recreating the oriental Lebanese kitchen in its pure and basic nature, zahr el-laymoun aims to deliver the simpler, and more importantly, original, tastes of Lebanon, inspired by nature and its fresh ingredients. With a menu developed based on grilling and baking all of your local Lebanese favorites, one feels immediately at the heart of a mountainside garden, spoilt by the tantalizing flavors of provincial cooking.

Upon being seated, you’re presented with a basket of fresh Kaak, rounded pieces of herbed bread, along with small dishes of herbal mixes.

With fresh and dried thyme, mint and summak, you’re invited to try out an age-old Lebanese tradition: drizzle the light, and may we add extremely tasty, olive oil over the herbal mixes, then simply dip in your pieces of Kaak and enjoy.

With a side drink of refreshing Sharab, a cool rose water and pomegranate-infused concoction, your troubles will effortlessly vanish into thin air.

Starting off with the traditional mezza, I was surprised to see certain dishes I could only find in the heart of my hometown in Lebanon, such included the hummus paste with figs and 62

walnuts, or for mhamara fans, hummus with spicy mhamara. Lebanese fatteh is also served in many forms, and my absolute favorite, Fattet batenjan lahmeh (a meat and roasted eggplant fatteh) was my starter treat. Pastries, also called Rkakat, are baked and grilled to perfection, and filled with meat or Halloumi cheese. Ras Asfour is the must-try dish, and could be consumed as a full meal on its own! Small, succulent pieces of beef braised in a pomegranate and lemon sauce, accented with pine nuts and cherry tomatoes.

Also cooked in an addictive lemon-based sauce are the Makanek, better known as the muchloved, and spiced, Lebanese sausage. Another delicacy to fully devour without guilt includes the grilled Kebbeh, or meat and barley patty. Usually, these addictive rounded patties, or as we, the people of the Levantine, like to call them Krass, are fried, yet at zahr el-laymoun, the processes are simplified to deliver a lighter and fresher taste.

From plain, spiced, or an adventurous Labneh and mint stuffing, the expertly-seasoned and grilled Kebbeh was an indulgence I had missed out on after months of fasting (ie. Dieting). Batata Harra, or hot potatoes, a surprisingly delicious dish is served grilled, as nothing is actually fried at zahr el-laymoun. Instead of the usual service of frying the potato cubes then immersing them in olive oil and spices, the broiled cubes are spiced in kind, and then grilled until the edges are expertly crisped.

When it comes to the main course, it is

usually the Lebanese custom to choose a mixed grill platter, or better yet, start combining the divinely-flavored dips and mezzeh with the grilled meats! Also in tune with the rustic nature of the cuisine at zahr el-laymoun, oily fries are replaced with a display of grilled corn on the cob, peppers, and grilled potatoes. Offered grilled a la Provencal or fragrant rosemary, mashed, or even baked with Labneh and garlic, the disappearance of fries from our mixed grill platter is, first of all, unnoticed, and second of all, appreciated!

Where Lebanese country grills are concerned, the scenic setting where mountainous cedar forests meet a Mediterranean blue sea is no longer a visual experience, yet inspires a new culinary palate for incorporating natural, earthy ingredients.

Your typical experience of chicken Shish Taouk is forever changed when the herbal addition of thyme is infused in its flavors. Grilled meat cutlets are tenderized with spices to give an added kick, the minced meat Kafta is enriched with roasted pistachios and the lamb cutlets are slowly grilled to juicy perfection with an herbal marinade.

Our desserts swiftly followed, and that’s when the beauty of local flavors shone through. Along with a pot of expertly brewed Turkish coffee, we initially sampled the honey, fig and anise cake with a cream cheese and honey dip, followed by the rose water-infused mhallabieh pudding; I was instantly transfixed with a taste of simpler times, and simpler desserts. Tart el Khalil, also a

order any of their specialties in the form of a sandwich! From vegetarian options like seasoned Labneh with dried and fresh mint, cucumber, black olives and olive oil or any of the grilled specialties on offer, and even a hearty shawerma is available if you’re on the go! Because we couldn’t get enough of them the first time around, we ordered a batch of Makanek Sandwiches, all prepped to satisfy even the most decisive Lebanese palates, with a hummus paste, roasted tomato, pickles, mint leaves and lemon juice.

rare delicacy hard to find in Kuwait, is a baked tart stuffed with carrot jam, fresh cream, and roasted nuts. Inspired by the local ingredients of Lebanon, Tart el Khalil is a rare indulgence! Finally, we also enjoyed the Mini biscuit cake; a mixture

of Lebanese chocolate and praline biscuits, all compressed together to deliver the rich, unforgettable texture of biscuit meets chocolate.

For a quick and simple fix, or if you’re greedy like us and didn’t get enough of zahr el-laymoun,

zahr el-laymoun is located in Phase I of The Avenues and 360 Mall, for more information, please call The Avenues location at 2259 7422 and the 360 Mall branch at 2530 9511.

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ANNA DELLO RUSSO FOR H&M H&M announces an all-new collaboration with fashion maven, Anna Dello Russo By bazaar staff

Helmut Newton once described her as a ‘fashion maniac’, yet she simply describes herself as a passionate fashionista. However you wish to consider her over-the-top, larger-than-life, personality, Anna Dello Russo is a fashionable force of style, a trendsetting fashion authority. As avid followers of her fashionable extravagance, we often perceive this fashion maven as an artist, expressing her passion for all fashion and jewelry via her inimitable style and vision.

Known for exclusive designer collaborations, we couldn’t be more excited about H&M’s special collaboration with the fashion icon and legendary Fashion Director, Anna Dello Russo. Also a Creative Consultant at Vogue Japan, Dello Russo’s signature style is endlessly followed and idolized by bloggers worldwide, and in creating a special collection of accessories for H&M, we’re predicting a fanfare of fashionistas storming through outlets worldwide starting this October.

An expression of Dello Russo’s taste for ornamentation, the unabashedly glamorous, fun and playful collection will feature jewelry, sunglasses, shoes, bags, and trolleys, allowing H&M customers to embrace, or even follow in Dello Russo’s footsteps, 64

at far more affordable prices. Commenting on this special collaboration, she states, “I am excited by this collaboration; this is the first time H&M involves a Fashion Director in a special project. This is the sign of an important evolution in fashion, and I am both thrilled and humbled to be the one chosen to lead it. I wanted to create precious accessories that are impossible to find. As a stylist I know accessorization is essential; it is the personal touch to any outfit. With these pieces everybody can have fun, turning an ordinary day into a fantastic fashion day.” Her style commandments are followed, revered, and emulated by fashionistas worldwide, from her rules for shopping at sales, or making sure to avoid unnecessary fashion faux pas, Dello Russo’s work speaks volumes of the progression of the design world.

Fashion should be exciting, inventive and captivating, creating a visual aesthetic that communicates a unique personal statement; by collaborating with Dello Russo, H&M successfully bridges the gap between the tastemakers of the fashion realm and the rapidly evolving tastes of customers. Margareta van den Bosch, Creative Advisor at H&M, also remarks, “It’s been extremely exciting to involve Anna Dello Russo in this project,

something completely different from what we have done before. Anna has a fantastic eye and a strong taste, apart from being a veritable fashion icon. She produced an extravagant range of accessories that will get H&M customers and everyone in love with fashion excited. The collection is a celebration of excess, fantasy and decoration.”

With an unparalleled eye, Anna Dello Russo has shaped the way we see fashion today through her groundbreaking work at Vogue Italia, where she served as a Fashion Editor for over 12 years working with photographers such as Helmut Newton, Michel Comte and Walter Chin, and later as the Editor in Chief of L’Uomo Vogue. Currently holding the role of Fashion Director at Large and Creative Consultant at Vogue Japan, Dello Russo is a darling of the fashion bloggers, whom she likes to please with extravagant get-ups and countless changes of outfits during the world’s fashion weeks.

The Anna Dello Russo accessories range for H&M will be available from October 4, 2012, at the peak of the global fashion weeks tour, in around 140 H&M stores worldwide and online. For more information, please visit www.hm.com/kw.

YES, GIRLS GAME…

By Jaye Sonia

When I was younger, I was led to believe that girl gamers (and female geeks in general) simply did not exist. They were these elusive creatures that, like so much of myth and fantasy, didn’t live in the waking world. I had a hard time believing this, but it was reiterated to me over and over. Sadly, like so many male geeks, I grew to believe this illusion. Not because it was true, but because the truth was hidden.

(An illusion, I’d like to add, that is still perpetuated in popular media to this day – and one that we would all do well to toss out with the rest of the late 18th century so many people insist on hanging onto...)

Of course, as I grew older and borders began to grow thinner, the electronic world expanded – with the Internet leading the charge and console games sweeping into effective flanking positions.

Gaming (and geek culture in general) began to wake from its slumber, wipe the sleep from its eyes, and toss out the Mountain Dew-stained stereotype it had acquired in the 1980s. The law of percentages would play out, as well. For all the guys that embraced their inner geek, there were one or two 66

girls coming out of their proverbial geek closets beside them. They grabbed their favorite comics and game controllers, and started to make their presence known. Empowered by one another, they peeled back the digital darkness and formed their own social networks.

Even with their public appearances proving their very existence, there still seemed to be this idea… this stereotype that disempowered them.

That a girl could fill a role beyond the powerless princess that Nintendo championed in the 1980s was a concept alien to a lot of male gamers. It was, in a way, because of how we were trained to think. We wanted to play heroes that rescued the princess, so obviously, there needed to be these girl gamers to play princess! But with time, our ideas of play began to change and the competitive nature of gaming – from first person shooters to old school Gran Turismo – won out. The idea that girl gamers were locked into a single role began to fall away; one crushed Mario Mushroom at a time.

I believe it was in the late 1990s when I first encountered these girl gamers, out there playing, slowly coming into view. When I first met them,

though, the tableside talk most of my fellow (male) gamers engaged in was simple. Sure, there were girl gamers – but they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) be serious gamers. They simply didn’t possess the fire for it and they only gamed to make their boyfriends happy.

As I got older, I met more and more girl gamers. By the time World of Warcraft and HALO were out, this view had completely changed. Girls were no longer an army of powerless princesses, but rather forces to be reckoned with – and highly sought after! We male gamers wanted to find these elusive creatures! We wanted girls that could sit down and game!

Of course, in order for this to happen, we had to accept them as equals. They could no longer be secondary citizens, a subservient sector of our gaming culture who we only listened to when we had our headsets on! And our girl gamer counterparts knew that. In fact, they took it upon themselves to celebrate their very nature socially.

Web sites like www.girlgamer.com and www. geekgirlsnetwork.com were born and women like Felicia Day (The Guild, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Eureka) struck the final blow. And with each passing day, another girl gamer stepped out into the light.

Personally, I’ve watched this transition take place in two worlds. It started in the United States (where it continues). But I’ve also watched it take place here in Kuwait, as well. In fact, you’d think that, by comparison, I would have actively gamed with more girls Stateside than I ever did here in Kuwait. But that’s not so.

In fact, the average here in Kuwait has been much higher. I’ve averaged 2-3 girls at my games and, on some occasions, seen as many girls playing as men. These girls have been from all over – from the United States, from Egypt, from Pakistan, and even, on one occasion, from Kuwait. It’s a fact that several of my friends stateside continue to comment on (I think, to some degree, with a level of jealousy).

My theory, of course, is that with so many of us expats being thrown into a single culture that is not necessarily our own, we’ve sought out a community – through gaming – where one does not normally exist. And, because we all love gaming, we naturally gravitate toward one another!

Regardless of why they game, I, for one, am happy to have them!

K AREEM SALAMA Bringing us closer through music By bazaar staff

Kareem Salama (literally translated as ‘Generous Peace’) is known as the first American Muslim Country Singer, but he’s a guy who doesn’t seem interested in such labels. While he admits his music has a distinct country vocal styling, he is more interested in what he can say with his music than how to define it, or himself. He was born in Oklahoma to Egyptian immigrant parents, and so has a thorough understanding of both these worlds that he brings to his music.

What are you trying to say with your music?

Probably the biggest message I try to relate is the humanity of various people. I try to bring people together through my music. That’s a recurring theme. [Newly recorded song “I Am You”] is a conversation between an Arabic speaker and an English speaker and they say the same thing over and over to each other until they have some sort of sacred connection to one another. That theme comes back over and over again to try and make people see how close they are to one another.

Is music especially suited to trying to bring people together?

I use music as it comes naturally to me. But I think that music and words have a marriage.

In a powerful melody it can bypass some of the prejudices and go straight to a person’s heart. It’s harder to argue with a song.

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Was country music a conscious choice of genre?

Not initially. A lot of the music sounded country because I like country music. Then it changed as I worked with some different people and now it’s a hybrid. It changes more naturally, I’m trying to get to the point where there’s not a genre, just whatever the song calls for.

Is it hard being a Muslim country singer in America?

I don’t think so because my audience is diverse.

My mother’s friend, Martha from Mississippi loves country music, and I mean loves, and she loves my music. All my mother’s friends, who grew up listening to country music, love my music too.

Conversely, is it hard to deliver your message to Muslims in such a distinct style of music?

Folks over here listen to western music. I think that the music I do is more pop/country, anyway.

There’s a country vocal styling but I think if you sing Arabic it kinda sounds like that sometimes – a deep, sort of soulful sound of music.

Do you worry about alienating people on either side?

I don’t think so. I think my music is meant to bring people together. The only reason I recorded the song “I Am You” is because we did a show (originally only intending to play it live) and people just reacted so strongly to it that I knew we had to record it for people to have. A lot of times all you’re doing is reminding

people of something that is already in them, they know things, they just need reminding.

What is your favorite line of poetry?

In an Arabic poem a man sees a beautiful woman and starts to describe her using metaphor.

He said ‘a pearl fell from a mayflower and irrigated or moistened a rose.’ The pearl is her tear, the mayflower her eye and her cheek, the rose, and he just keeps going and going as he is overcome by the beauty of this woman. I remember I talked to my mom about that and she said, people don’t see people like that anymore. A lot of your ability to see beauty is contingent on the beauty that’s inside you.

What does the future hold for Kareem Salama?

A couple of years ago I partnered with an investment firm to build a label, initially around myself and then to take on other artists. So I would like to, even beyond my music, create a sort of creative center where artists feel comfortable bringing what they bring while finding a way to monetize that – but still make good music with authentic people who care about their message and care about their brand. So I want to be good on both sides – on the business side, but at the same time I want there to be authentic music.

For more information on Kareem Salama visit his website www.kareemsalama.com.

bazaar goes cruising

M-CLASS “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz” ~ Janis Joplin By bazaar staff

Buying a new car can be a dividing experience.

You’re going around the showrooms and are impressed by the might and presence of an SUV, but then you come across a luxury saloon, and are swayed by its comfort, internal features and the feeling you get sitting inside.

The third generation of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class combines the best of these worlds: the much-coveted SUV not only boasts a strong off-road vehicle heritage, but its passengers also benefit from levels of comfort comparable to those of a premium saloon. Turned aluminium or high-quality wood, finely detailed switches and highlights as well as exciting surfaces and powerful, harmonious lines help to create a highquality sense of wellbeing in the interior for both the driver and passengers. Just the kind of car we at bazaar love to take out for a spin!

Sure we spend a lot of time cruising the highways, 70

but when we want to bust off the roads and do some exploring, the M-Class has you covered. This is the desert after all! The optional ON & OFFROAD package for the new M-Class has six driving modes for optimizing driving dynamics and handling safety, as the optimum drive system control is provided for an extremely wide range of on-road and off-road operating conditions. This means at the flick of a switch you can optimize the drive experience, no matter where you are.

This is a seriously good-looking car. The new generation is instantly recognizable as an M-Class by its characteristic body design with the hallmark C-pillar shape. It combines high levels of design, appeal and ease of use to create a powerful presence. The front of the vehicle is dominated by the powerfully selfconfident design of the radiator grille with its centrally positioned Mercedes star, giving it that typical M-Class

look. Seen from the side, the elongated lines give formal emphasis to the on-road credentials of this vehicle, whose compact proportions are defined by a large wheelbase and short overhangs. The rear bumper, which features an integrated chrome-effect load sill guard in a new "wing design", defines the characteristic appearance of the SUV's rear end.

Think of all of the above as what everybody else will experience as you cruise on by. We got more than our fair share of rubberneckers driving the roads of Kuwait. But when you’re the driver you also don’t want to miss out on the aesthetic experience. Thankfully, the interior design concept clearly combines an authentic SUV experience with a sense of wellbeing that is usually the reserve of top-class Mercedes-Benz saloons. While an expressive dome shape embodies the power of an SUV, the gently sloping contours of the dashboard in the front passenger area afford an outstanding sense

of space, thereby highlighting the vehicle's suitability for long journeys. The spacious, bright interior offers substantially more elbow room than its predecessor, thus enhancing spaciousness. Eye-catching features on the dashboard include a large trim element that matches the trim used for the doors and therefore creates a harmonious wrap-around effect. The seats in the new M-Class have been designed to offer high long-distance comfort and optimum lateral support.

All of the key settings can be adjusted electrically.

We at bazaar love gadgets and couldn’t wait to get our hands on the cool features. The new M-Class comes as standard with the Audio 20 CD system, which comprises a radio with twin-tuner, a color display with a 14.7 cm screen diagonal, an MP3/WMA/ AAC-compatible CD player, a USB interface with CD Cover Art display (if saved on the storage medium), an AUX-IN socket in the centre armrest and a telephone

keypad. The Bluetooth interface also allows handsfree telephony and Audio Streaming for the transfer of music. We opted for a little bit of rebel rock for our journey, and the sound system blasted The Clash’s The Guns of Brixton with impressive clarity and bass.

The COMAND Online multimedia system with a highresolution 17.8 cm color display provides internet access in the M-Class for the first time. Customers can either browse freely when the vehicle is at a standstill or use a Mercedes-Benz App with pages that load extremely quickly and are also easy to use when the vehicle is on the move.

In line with the Mercedes-Benz brand philosophy, the new M-Class represents the embodiment of the Mercedes-Benz holistic safety concept of REAL LIFE SAFETY, which is derived primarily from what happens in a real accident situation. Good to know on the highways of Kuwait!

Parking at bazaar HQ is not always the easiest task, so we were more than happy to utilize the Active Park Assist and the reversing camera as we rolled back in from driving the Mercedes-Benz M-Class - a car that delivers everything you need from an SUV, with everything you want from a luxury saloon.

The new M-Class has been available in Kuwait from Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co. since March 2012.

For more information on M-Class or any other MercedesBenz product and service in Kuwait, please visit www.mercedes-benz.com.kw or become a friend on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MercedesBenzKuwait.

You can also download the iPhone application for Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Company by searching for ‘MBKuwait‘ in the Apple app store.

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snap

Title: Doctor, Doctor!

Location: Westlands, Nairobi Description: There are quite a few ads like this, pasted on trees, telegraph poles, walls, etc. throughout Nairobi. I saw this one in Westlands, Nairobi (Peponi Road) when I was walking into town. It was taken in March as part of my Daily Photo project. I was fascinated by the vast spectrum of subjects Dr Juma can help in! From losing your car keys to sorting your political career, not to mention sorting the missus out. And what does he mean by 'helps in' ... how do you quantify that?!

The beauty of photography is that it is left open for the viewer’s interpretation. It is an art form in which the artist sees and captures a moment in time for us to forever contemplate. Instead of saying “this is how I saw it” a photo asks the viewer to simply “see”.e For your snap submissions, please send an email including the photo with its title, location, and description to snap@bazaar-magazine.com. Give us something to see.

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Photographed by: Emma Staples

HEALTHY HORIZONS Good Health Arabia: everyday health tips for everyday women By bazaar staff

The Middle East bears witness to a refreshing new direction in publishing; creating content of the highest caliber in the region’s native language with the arrival of Good Health Arabia, the region’s first and only mental and physical wellbeing magazine focused on providing its readers with valuable content in the Arabic language. Under the umbrella of the Dubai-based publishing house, Lulua Publishing, Good Health Arabia is also a sister title to Good Health Australia, published by ACP Magazines in Australia.

In providing readers with a new take on health and wellbeing in the form of interesting, updated and informative content, Good Health Arabia breaks the mold of publications in the Arabic language that solely feature health tips as part of a wide content mix. Good Health Arabia aims to fulfill a need in the region for informative, upto-date, entertaining and relevant opinions that would empower women in their focus for a healthy and fruitful lifestyle.

The only one of its kind in the region, it addresses everyday challenges faced by everyday women in the Middle East, providing tips and solutions to confront the challenges of the future head on. The language barrier plays a huge role in the flow of information, as health-orientated content in the Arabic language needs to be communicated to women from all walks of life. Good Health Arabia provides a wealth of information in the areas of body and mind, healthy diet, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

Along with monthly features, recipes, fashion and travel features, Good Health Arabia builds on Good Health Australia’s extensive expertise and library in providing quality editorial content.

Recently launching its first issue with the ever-so-fabulous songstress Nancy Ajram striking a healthy pose for its cover, Lulua Publishing’s visionary Founder and 74

Publisher, Sheikha Intisar Al-Sabah, shared, “The region is lacking in reliable Arabic resources in the field of health and wellbeing, and the topical, informative and entertaining delivery ‘Good Health Arabia’ provides, serves our audience on many levels.” By vanquishing the language barrier, Sheikha Intisar Al-Sabah also stresses that Lulua Publishing is dedicated towards providing readers with quality content in the Arabic language, as the response to Good Health Arabia makes for a promising start.

She adds, “Our objective at Lulua Publishing is to provide our readers with solid yet entertaining information, and the inspiration to use that knowledge to improve their lives. As a result of this, and the absence of a dedicated Arabic-language publication, we have already seen tremendous response to this very credible title appearing on shelves in the Middle East.”

The May issue is truly a delight to read from start to finish, starting us off with an indepth interview with the Lebanese celebrity focusing on her personal techniques to live a healthy life; we had no clue that the much-loved Nancy Ajram also leads a vegetarian lifestyle!

For its highly anticipated Kuwait launch, Good Health Arabia was introduced to the market at an exclusive event where readers were able to meet with the star and receive signed copies of the May issue. In an energetic, vibrant atmosphere, the event immersed the attendees in the character and persona of the publication, imparting them with the knowledge to lead an empowered, spirited and wholesome lifestyle.

Available in the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan, the print edition of Good Health Arabia is to be followed by an Arabic language Good Health website, enabling women in the Middle East to access the publication’s rich information on a digital platform.

BETWIXT AND BETWEEN Contemporary Iranian expressions

By Deepa Pant

A collection of contemporary Iranian art offers a glimpse of artists that capture wide-range of idioms in their visual and narrative content.

The collective exhibition at Dar Al Funoon gallery brought together works by four contemporary Iranian artists. Participating artists were Mahmood Sabzi, Maryam Iranpanah, Sasan Gharedaghlou, and Hawar Amini. The works were woven together by nostalgia for the native land that transcends geographical boundaries.

Artist Mehmood Sabzi was born in Iran and was forced to go into exile during the Khomeini regime.

He traveled first to Germany and then to the United States; a turning point in his career. Living in different countries helped Sabzi to explore new artistic influences and thus one finds a concurrence of Persian themes with modernism in his figurative and abstract work.

Sabzi has been profoundly inspired by the likes of Klee, Cezanne, Matisse and Bonnard, stalwarts of modernism as well as from the mystical poetry of Rumi.

The artist, currently living in the US, is caught in multi-layered paradoxes, chasing the American dream, while still besotted with his native Iran. A closer look at his oeuvre reveals a deep connection with his roots and issues of identity and nostalgia that permeate his canvases. Mired in nostalgia, Sabzi’s complex artworks chronicle frames within frames, and an imagery of intermingling of ‘betwixt and between’ two diverse cultures.

Women have always held a special place in the 76

artist's work. Images of iconic Marilyn Monroe and wistful nostalgia with Iran abound in his work. The painting “The Night”, mixed media on canvas, represents Sabzi’s unique and powerful artistic vision. The subtle traditional themes flirt with Monroe’s image and accentuate magic that only a virtuoso can bring to the fine art of painting.

Says Dr Abbas Daneshvari, Professor of Art History at California State University, “In Sabzi’s paintings spaces of one world are filled with images from another. Forms circulate with irresistible energies even though they have risen from diverse psychological grounds.”

As is typical for him, Sabzi invites the viewer to participate in his experience in a way that can prompt an honest introspection on identity, migration and movement. His work titled “Wait until tomorrow”, “Marilyn”, and “Fusion”, mixed media on canvas, explore poetics of movement and migration, and are some of the strongest works. These stand apart for being part nostalgic, part narratives that speak to a contemporary audience.

In contrast, there is a riot of emotions in Hawar Amini’s somber works. His work hints at a story and it is what he leaves untold that engages the viewer. In his works, Amini brings together his personal thoughts on this tragic turbulence and it’s after effects. With memory and recollection, this sensitive artist explores the turmoil through multiplicity of silhouettes in his monochromatic works and raises the questions of loss, grief and anxiety.

On the other hand, Maryam Iranpanah’s, works are as much about color and composition as they are about candid explorations of nostalgia. Her artworks are marked by exuberance, and theatrical effects that resonate with diaspora and nostalgia. Daneshvari describes Iranpanah’s work as representative of “humanized perspective wherein memory persists across cultural zones.”

Sasan Gharedaghlou is a prolific calligrapher and his interplay of lines and colors create visual dynamics that are at once appealing and very imposing. His large scale, colorful works, beaming with tranquility and nuance are meticulously rendered.

Creating an interesting blend of past, and present, the defining artworks of the show were the selections depicting Sasan Gharedaghlou’s “Untitled”, acrylic on canvas, Hawar Amini’s “Untitled”, acrylic on paper and Mahmood Sabzi’s “American Magic”, mixed media on canvas, that successfully manage to engage the viewer in a dialogue.

These works reflect at once the individual achievements of each artist, but also the richness and diversity of the Iranian artists.

Dar Al Funoon Gallery is located in Behbehani Compound, House No: 28, Al Watiah. For more information, please call 2243 3138.

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OLD IS GOLD The National Bank of Kuwait: serving Kuwait for 60 years By bazaar staff

2012 marks sixty years since the institution of the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the first local bank and shareholding company in Kuwait and the Gulf region. Considered a milestone for the institution, the 60th anniversary celebrates NBK’s loyal and dedicated service to Kuwait. NBK has succeeded to evolve from a small shop located in the old business district of Kuwait City into the highest rated, best bank in the Middle East and one of the biggest banking institutions in the region with a presence in 16 countries.

On this occasion, here are some interesting facts that caught our attention about the bank we all grew up knowing and the name that has been serving us all along.

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Did you know?

- On May 19, 1952, The Amiri decree was issued to establish NBK with a capital of 13,100,000 Rupees (less than KD 1 million).

- NBK’s 9 original founders are Khalid Al Zaid Al Khalid, Ahmad Al Saoud Al Khalid, Khalifah Al Khalid Al Ghunaim, Khalid Al Hamad, Sayed Ali Sayed Suliaman, Yousif Al Fulaij, Yousif Al Ghanim, Mohammed Al AbdulMohsen Al Khorafi and AbdulAziz Al Hamad Al Sager.

- Khalid Zaid Al Khalid was the first Chairman for NBK’s Board of Directors.

- 6 months later, on November 15, 1952, NBK opened its doors to customers.

- April 1965, NBK’s first Headquarters opens in Mubarakiya.

- In 1984, NBK opened its New York branch to be the first bank to expand outside Kuwait.

- During the Iraqi invasion, NBK’s Board of Directors made the historic decision on the 2nd August, 1990, to continue operating and managing the bank from abroad, to assist all of its customers.

- Today, NBK has more than 176 branches and subsidiary offices around the world, covering more than 15 countries.

- NBK is the highest rated and best bank in the Middle East and one of the 50 safest banks in the world.

These are only but a few interesting facts about the bank that has been part of our heritage for the past 60 years.

For all the latest updates, facts and upcoming competition for NBK’s 60th anniversary celebration, connect with NBK, find them on facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/NBK.fans and twitter by following www.twitter.com/NBKPage and Instagram @nbkpage.

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LUXENTER Spanish luxury arrives to Kuwait By bazaar staff

This month, we celebrate the arrival of a brand new jewelry concept to Kuwait with the opening of the first Luxenter boutique at Al Fanar Mall, a one-stop destination for glamorous jewelry pieces and chic accessories by an iconic Spanish brand. bazaar meets with Mr. Alfonso Escribano, Luxenter’s Export Manager, and Miss. Mencia Lizarriturri, daughter of the founder of Luxenter, to tell us more about the brand’s exciting vision.

How did the African culture inspire Luxenter, a Spanish jewelry brand?

M: Before the company was founded, my father, who was a hunter, lived in Africa, and started doing business with many nations in the continent, trading raw materials; stones, ivory, and other desired decorative items. My mother, on the other end, started developing the jewelry and decorative design aspect using, ebony, onyx, and elephant hair. And so, Luxenter was born.

Luxenter is a family business. Can you elaborate on that?

M: The way the company was founded made it so that our direct involvement with the business grew with time. After my father died, my mother became the sole business owner, and had to develop the business alone.

She first focused on diamonds and gold, but with time, the economy presented us with many challenges. When my brother and I entered the business in 1999, we wanted to change the concept of jewelry to make it accessible to more people and markets. This turned the gold to sliver, as we were able to compete on offering fine jewelry at competitive prices.

When did the transition from gold to silver happen and why?

A: Between expensive gold or diamond jewelry, and 80

high street fashion accessories, silver jewelry came in the form of crafts, or artisanal pieces. There was nothing like silver jewelry with rhodium plating. Using the same process as plating gold, yet using less expensive materials like silver, allowed us to use all of these precious stones in interesting and imaginative shapes to create more options.

What is the Luxenter vision today?

M: Our aim is to offer an accessible jewelry line that is elegant, luxurious, and affordable. Everybody should be able to wear jewelry!

Is the African history always present in the design of the pieces?

M: Absolutely, it always was, and will continue to be present. It is our heritage, and our newest addition to our collections includes the Africa Collection.

A: Using updated materials that represent the history of Luxenter, we created the Africa Collection.

Popular with big, bold creations, we used new materials like different kinds of steel and precious stones.

How many collections are created every year?

A: Two seasonal collections are released every year, with four extensions that allow for different design ranges inspired by different materials and customer needs. The Simple collection, designed with natural and precious stones, followed by the Classic line, with cubic zirconium cut like diamonds and pearls. Then we added the Creative collections, which include customized collections like composing your own bracelet or necklace, collectable rings from our Ring Bar, and earrings. Lucky for you, this collection is available in Kuwait in our boutique.

Do Luxenter designs follow fashion trends?

M: Always! We look at the trends, and in light of that we design, in advance, our collections with natural stones that compliment fashionable trends. For example, bright

colors are in season, amazing pieces like big rings and necklaces that match this trend using beautiful precious stones.

Kuwait marks Luxenter’s first appearance in the GCC and Middle Eastern Market, how does it feel?

A: It feels great! We are so excited about developing our relationship with the Kuwait market by entering in this fantastic partnership in Kuwait; we think it's a perfect fit.

What collections should customers in Kuwait expect?

A: All collections should be present, as well as the fantasy collection that mainly includes natural stones.

It is very fashionable and young and all are offered at affordable prices. The shopping experience we are offering in Kuwait is the same experience as shopping in the Madrid store. The European design, the ambience of the store and designs offered are inspired by main street Madrid. Also, our Kuwait Store is the first independent boutique in the region, offering customers more than a display stand of Luxenter jewelry at other retailers.

Do new markets mean new designs?

A: I think our collection fits well with the market here, and perhaps with time we will make some special collections for the region. For example, our collectible charm bracelet series can allow us to design a line inspired by Middle Eastern designed symbols. The ideas are endless!

M: We have a great open mind! The Spanish culture is already inspired by African and Middle Eastern influences, so we would love to see where else we can go.

Luxenter is located on the basement floor of Al Fanar Mall.

For more information, please visit www.luxenter.com.

‫ﻧﻌﻠــﻦ ﻋــﻦ إﻓﺘﺘــﺎح وﺣﺪة ﺗﺸﺨﻴﺺ وﻋﻼج ﺿﻐﻂ اﻟﺪم‬ ‫ا�وﻟﻰ ﻣﻦ ﻧﻮﻋﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ دوﻟﺔ اﻟﻜﻮﻳﺖ‬

‫ﺗﺘﺒﻮأ ﻣﺴﺘﺸﻔﻰ ﻃﻴﺒﺔ اﻟﺮﻳــﺎدة ﻓــﻲ‬ ‫ﻣﺨﺘﻠــﻒ اﻟﺘﺨﺼﺼﺎت اﻟﻄﺒﻴﺔ وذﻟﻚ ﻳﺄﺗﻲ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫اﻳﻤﺎﻧﻨﺎ وأوﻟﻮﻳﺎﺗﻨﺎ ﺑﺘﻮﻓﻴﺮ اﻟﺮﻋﺎﻳـﺔ اﻟﺼﺤﻴــﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺘﻤﻴــﺰة واﻟﺠﻮدة اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻴــﺔ ﻟﻤﺮﺿﺎﻧــﺎ‬ ‫ﺣﻴــﺚ اﻧﻨــﺎ ﻧﻀــﻊ رﺿﺎءﻫﻢ ﻧﺼﺐ أﻋﻴﻨﻨﺎ‬ ‫داﺋﻤ�‪.‬‬ ‫ﻳﺴﻌﺪﻧﺎ اﻻﻋـﻼن ﻋــﻦ إﻓﺘﺘــﺎح أﺣـﺪث وﺣــﺪة‬ ‫ﺗﺸﺨﻴﺺ وﻋــﻼج ﺿﻐـﻂ اﻟـﺪم ا�وﻟﻰ ﻣــﻦ‬ ‫ﻧﻮﻋﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ دوﻟﺔ اﻟﻜﻮﻳﺖ ﻟﺘﻮﻓﻴﺮ أﻫﻢ‬ ‫اﻟﺨﺪﻣــﺎت اﻟﻄﺒﻴــﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺠﺎل ﺿﻐــﻂ اﻟـﺪم‬ ‫وأﻣﺮاض اﻟﻘـﻠـﺐ وا�وﻋﻴـــﺔ اﻟﺪﻣﻮﻳﺔ‪.‬‬

‫ﻣﺴﺎء‬ ‫ﻣﻮاﻋﻴﺪ اﻟﺰﻳﺎرة ‪ :‬ﻳﻮﻣﻲ ا�ﺣﺪ واﻟﺜﻼﺛﺎء ﻣﻦ اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ ‪ 5‬إﻟﻰ اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ ‪9‬‬ ‫ً‬

‫اﻟﻔﻨﻄﺎس‪ ،‬ﻗﻄﻌﺔ ‪ ،3‬أﺑﺮاج اﻟﺸﺎﻫﻴﻦ‬ ‫ﺑﺮج رﻗﻢ ‪ ،4‬اﻟﺪور ا�ول‬

closet Bibi

BEACH BUNNY Just a day at the beach

By Bibi Al-Falah

Now that summer is upon us (a bit TOO upon us...) it is time to, once again, re-assess our beach attire and achieve poolside perfection. Lying on a beach or lounging by a pool is meant to be synonymous with a natural look, so why is it that poolsides are starting to resemble runways? Nothing rattles my nerves more than seeing someone at a pool in full makeup and 5+ inch wedges. Let’s forget the fuss and plan a beach day-made easy!

Before we can even manage to look decent next to any body of water, a solid health and fitness routine is key. Kick-start your summer with a higher intake of fruits and vegetables and minimize carbs to the healthier kinds (yes, they do exist). It’s always better to consume carbs earlier in the day before you hit the gym or finish work and leave the night time for lighter options. I once heard that one must eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. It really helps flatten the stomach when you eat lighter at night, provided you haven’t ingested a Big Mac for lunch.

Skimping on exercise might fly in the winter time, but now we really can’t afford to do that. Keep your cardio high and never cut out light weights in high repetitions because that’s what will really tone your arms and legs and burn more calories when you are resting. If the gym bores you, just try to switch it up with different classes and activities like swimming. As for the dreaded workplace lunches (“who wants pizza today?!”) there is a three word rule: Just.Say.No. This rule also applies to Frappuccino’s and Baking Tray cookies. My cubicle neighbor is notorious for tempting me with these.

Now that you’re being healthy and good to yourself, make a date with the Avenues.

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All of your beach necessities will be there _ from the ultimate bronzing lotions (Lancaster) to the perfect sun hat. After taking a trip to the enormous mall with my friend the other day, I noticed that H&M has a really great collection of beachwear this year. River Island also has some colorful ruffled styles that have been popular since last year. Don’t rule out any stores because you might be surprised; some of my favorite swimwear in terms of fit is actually from BCBG. Topshop has some great cover-ups and a place that you might not think of that much anymore, Debenhams, usually carries a nice swimwear collection. I remember going to the Debenhams at Souq Sharq last summer and finding some great one-pieces and sarongs there.

Every beach bunny needs a huge beach bag to throw her iPods, sunglasses, and lotions into. I saw some really funky ones at Aishti with bright colors and adorable illustrations. Canvas bags are also great because they will match all of your beachwear and stay clean! Protect your feet from the scorching sand with fab flipflops. I love my Havanas the most, and Accessorize also has many different styles and colors to choose from.

Now that your clothing is set, don’t forget to take care in the sunshine. ALWAYS use SPF on your face and body (especially your face) to avoid looking like a leather bag later on in life. You should actually wear SPF every day because we basically live in an oven.

Don’t think you won’t get a tan _ you will get a tan, the only things you won’t get are wrinkles! Keep your mane healthy by pampering your strands with almond or coconut oil to get a great conditioning treatment while you bake. Happy tanning!

MUSIC The universal language

By Ayman K.

Music plays a vital role in all our daily lives. It sets the tone for working out, for intimate moments, for parties and celebrations. When we are happy, we listen to music. When we are sad, we listen to music. When we are ecstatic, we listen to music. Show me one person that does not enjoy music in one form or another, and I will show you someone who is missing out on one of life’s greatest experiences.

Ms Martin, our music teacher during elementary school, taught us a valuable lesson which I carry with me to this day. She split us up into groups, asked us to watch an episode of Tom & Jerry (muted) and then assign music to the animation using any instrument available in our music room. I may not remember all the instruments we used (the kazoo and the triangle stick out), but what I do remember is her words when it came to the greatest musical instrument mankind possesses. She told us that our voices are the most powerful instruments we possess, as there are no instruments that mimic the meows of a cat or the anguish and pain of having an anvil dropped on your toes.

Years later, her lesson to us was reiterated by Queen Latifah during the 2004 Grammy awards, “… sometimes it’s just about the music and the power of the human voice.”.

I have been addicted to the beat for the past 9 years and have carried in my pockets everything from the Walkman to the Discman, to a 3-in-1VGA digital/web cam/ mp3 player, to Generic MP3 players and now the iPod. My favorite past time is to listen to music whilst walking. Sometimes, most of the time, ok all the time, I get carried away, caught up in the moment and start either playing the air drums, air guitar, belting out a few off-key chords, or worse, doing a merry jig. One time whilst listening to a favorite tune of mine and getting caught up in 84

the moment, singing and dancing in the middle of the street, I saw, out of the corner of my peripheral vision, the shoes of a woman with her kids in tow, they were pointing towards me, then she hurriedly grabbed her kids and walked to the other side of the street, shielding her kids from the “crazy” man possessed by the devil.

Even whilst driving in my car, I make it a habit to outwardly enjoy my music, whether it is moving my shoulders to the beat, or waving my arms around as I sing, my car is known to bounce at red lights, as a friend who saw me amidst a rather heartfelt private rendition of a song later told me.

I am possessed, by a crazy notion that I might get “discovered” whilst singing to myself in the streets. It keeps me going, where is the harm in that? I usually turn my head around and lower my voice when in the vicinity of street folk, however most of the time, you cannot see everyone around you, hence you are bound to assault the ear canals of those in the streets at one point in time.

It happens, we’re human.

The beauty of music is that if offers a release, an escape from the troubles of the day, or acts as a catalyst, enhancing your current mood to elevated levels. Music has the power to transport us to a world where we are rock stars, standing up on stage, or newly weds on the dance floor.

Music is the universal language, you don't need to know the words being sung to feel your lips flapping, your fingers snapping, and your feet taking on a life of their own.

It is not a strange phenomenon to find yourself singing along, mindlessly mimicking what you think you hear, and completely butchering the language in the process, but it does not matter, for music is the language of the heart, and despite all the above occurrences, your heart will still be soaring. Whether you are listening to soft music, or heavy, one way or another you will feel something, and it will be enjoyable.

NATURALIZER

artist of the month

SIMO L AGNAWI A traditional modernist By bazaar staff

Simo Lagnawi plays Gnawa music, which is both a prayer, and a celebration of life. It is a traditional form of Moroccan music the roots of which can be traced to sub-Saharan Africa.

If you dropped by REUSE 5.0 in April you will have experienced Simo performing – and it really is an experience! Gnawa is not only music but can be used as a trance-inducing cleansing ritual. He plays the traditional forms of Gnawa but is also pushing the envelope by performing and recording fusions with jazz, reggae, trip-hop, folk and funk. This helps him explore his musical passions whilst finding a wider audience for the traditional Gnawa music he loves so much.

How did your musical journey begin?

My Family is musical. I remember when I was very young, my sisters, brothers, my mother, aunt, and friends would always get together and play popular music. My father used to take us to the Berber region 86

where he was born, and we would watch the Ahawash - the traditional music from our roots. When I was 13, I began playing popular music professionally.

What/Who inspires you to compose your music?

I was inspired by lots of different music from everywhere I’ve lived, and traveled to in Morocco.

I am inspired by the great Gnawa Masters; Maalem Sam, Maalem Hamida Boussou, Maalem Bakbou Aziz, Maalem Abdel Latif El Marzoumi, Maalem Ahmed Bakbou, Maalem Mahmoud Guinia, Maalem Mustapha Bakbou, Maalem Abdel Kadar Amlil, Maalem Omar El Hayat, Maalem Azuz Sudani, there are many more…

Why did you choose Gnawa music?

Gnawa music chose me.

Tell us a little about the instruments you play.

Gnawa music and its instruments came from sub-Saharan Africa many years ago. It was brought there by Black African slaves and tradespeople. The Guembri (also called Sintir or Hajhouj) has a camel

skin neck, three goats gut chords, and is carved out of a tree trunk. It uses pentatonic melodies. Krakabs are metal castanets which create the sound of horses.

They symbolize the handcuffs of the slaves. The tubl (large goatskin drum) beats out the messages and instructions for the dance. The percussion, call and response singing, and movements of the dance developed similarly to the blues. The dance represents freedom.

What are some of the challenges of performing Gnawa music?

My challenge is that I have to play alone; I don’t have lots of percussionists to play with me like in Morocco. I need to sing all the song, dance, and create the percussion with krakabs, Guembri and bells on my ankles - and the explanation. In a traditional ‘Lila’ the maalem (master musician) needs to continue the music as long as it takes until the person experiencing the trance has finished.

Sometimes this can take a long time, you need stamina.

Is the final sound of a musical track an individual or group effort?

Traditionally a track would include the guembri, krakabs, and singing led by the maalem, and response from the krakab players (soyos). However, I have recorded an album alone with just my singing and the guembri. It’s not for sale online yet! Also I make tracks alone but layer the other instruments on top, to create a track which sounds like there are lots of people playing.

In your opinion, what was the hardest challenge you faced in your musical career so far?

When I came to the U.K not many people knew about Gnawa music - having already built up my career in Morocco, I had to begin, again.

How has the rest of the world reacted to your sound?

Lots of people love it. They feel it is very powerful and they feel energized and peaceful.

Do you feel that music should always serve a specific purpose?

I think every kind of music does serve a purpose whether it is for relaxing, for expelling aggression, reaching a spiritual elevation, or just to enjoy.

What are some of your favorite tracks, and why?

I like all kinds of World Music. I love Milhoun music from Morocco as it has wise messages for life.

Ali Farka Toure’s track Ai Du – lovely, simple, African Blues style.

What is your dream performance space and destination?

I want to play to the Queen of England in Buckingham Palace.

What would you like to accomplish in the future?

I want people to know about Gnawa music from Morocco and the Great Masters. I want to play traditional Gnawa and my Gnawa fusion music all over the world.

Will you be visiting Kuwait again soon?

If I’m invited I would love to come back again.

Lovely people!

To listen to Simo’s music and for more information, visit www.myspace.com/simolagnawi All images: Hassan Hajjai, courtesy Projects of Rose Issa.

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YABEELAMOTOR.COM A one-stop site for all your motoring needs By bazaar staff

Back in September 2011 Michel Al Kazzi started a Facebook group called YabeelaMotor. Within no time he had 5,000 members and is currently well on his way to 15,000.

The group was set up for the purpose of buying and selling cars in Kuwait. This is something that Al Kazzi has a wealth of experience in. He has been dealing in cars for years as a hobby, buying them and then selling them on, usually around one or two cars per month. He would hunt down cars himself during this period, going around the garages and checking the cars over, paying attention to all the small details before laying down his own hard-earned cash to buy them.

He must know his stuff though, as he bought and sold more than twenty-five cars over a two year period! He spread the word between his friends that he was a car dealer with a little ulterior motive - when it came time for them to sell their own cars, they would, of course, think of him first. He loves dealing in cars though and from the Facebook page the website was born.

Not wanting to do what the other car websites are doing, Michel set up yabeelamotor.com as more of an automotive hub for Kuwait, not merely just a place to buy used cars. He wants it to be a place where consumers can come for everything car related. So as well as being able to sell your car completely free of charge via yabeelamotor.com (you can of course also buy the cars too), the site also posts all the current automotive campaigns and offers from the various press sources. It also serves as a directory for car dealerships, car service centers, spare parts, used cars, insurance companies, financing companies, taxis, car rental agencies – pretty much 88

anything you could want in relation to the automotive industry. In Michel’s own words, yabeelamotor.com is an online automotive directory.

It couldn’t be easier to sell your car through the site. You can simply open a free account and upload pictures, specifications and any details about the car. If you’re in the market to pick up a new (second-hand) car then searching through all the cars for sale on yabeelamotor.com makes this a breeze of a task. You can refine your search criteria through brand, model and even sub-model. You can further tweak the search by adding year parameters and even which car dealer. So if you have a very specific car in mind yabeelamotor.com will help you pinpoint the exact car you want.

But Michel hasn’t lost the personal touch or the attention to detail he employed during his humble beginnings. The website is his baby and he does everything himself. With help from a friend he built the website and uploaded all the data and subsequently did all the marketing and PR for the site. He goes around showrooms to introduce the website to dealers so they can make use of the platform to benefit from further reach and a larger client base online. He also still manages the Facebook page and updates the twitter feed almost hourly with offers and deals.

So whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or merely need some information – yabeelamotor.com is the place to be! Find their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/YabeelaMOTOR or follow them on twitter @yabeelaMOTOR.

A NEW ERA IN GERMAN TRAVEL Barakat Travel partners with Lufthansa City Center By bazaar staff

Summer travels are always mind-boggling, filled with unsuspected changes in rules, travel policies, hotel policies, visa requirements… shall we continue? I sometimes scratch the whole idea of going somewhere altogether, or I turn to the trusted help of an account manager at Barakat Travel. Consider this: your travel itinerary is made simple, and you’re connected with an experienced worldwide network that is aligned with your travel needs, no matter how customized!

A local agency with a global outlook, Barakat Travel’s expertise and excellent reputation in the market is the product of its dedicated mission in becoming a full service travel agency. Affiliated with a global network of professional partners including hotel chains, tour operators, car rental services and much more, it comes as no surprise that this distinguished agency enters a new era of travel experience in its enriching partnership with Lufthansa City Center.

Under the Patronage of the Ambassador of Germany in Kuwait H.E. Frank Mann and in the presence of the President of Directorate General of Civil Aviation 90

H.E. Fawaz Al Farah, Barakat Travel – Lufthansa City Center was officially inaugurated in Kuwait City on 21 March 2012 in a bespoke ceremony. Attended by many dignitaries, including the Undersecretary Ministry of Commerce for Tourism Affairs, Mr. Ali Al Baghli, Senior Area Manager for Lufthansa City Center International (LCCI) Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East, Mr. Andrej Skraba, and elite guests from the aviation and travel industry, the ceremony was an affair of true celebration.

Mr. Tayseer Barakat, president of Barakat Travel, is extremely excited about this new partnership, where this partnership means a new travel experience for his esteemed customers. Besides activating tourism between Germany and Kuwait, customers should expect nothing less than a full service that includes flight bookings, hotel reservations, theme park tickets, train tickets and much more. Offering the Kuwaiti traveler complete touristic services as well as their reliable travel offerings, Barakat Travel believes that every traveler deserves a hassle free, enjoyable trip.

Mr. Skraba, in turn, expressed his happiness for being in Kuwait and confirmed the significance of

this partnership as being one of the most important ones signed on an international level. In his turn, H.E. Frank Mann commended on the partnership between Barakat Travel and Lufthansa City Center, pointing out that this partnership will make the two companies work as one, in the best interest of travelers to Germany and beyond. He also highlighted that this is an important step towards getting the best information and services to Germany. He also confirmed that obtaining a visa for Germany is now faster and easier than ever.

Besides a tailor-made trip and a speedy travel service provided by a dedicated agency, we can’t help but get excited about what this partnership has to offer! From a discovery cruise down the beautiful waters of the Danube, staying at the most luxurious hotels in Hamburg, to immersing yourself in a cruise through the famous Christmas Markets between Nuremberg and Frankfurt, the choices are endless.

For your dream vacation in Germany, Barakat Travel is your one-stop destination. For more information, please call 2244 4460, or visit www.barakattravel.com.

bazaar shorts

RETRIBUTION

By Craig Loomis

“And I want this one and some of that one, and even this little blue one… so cute, don’t you think? Oh, Daddy, look at this, the red one with stars, and at. . . Daddy, you aren’t looking. . . ,” she continues, her tiny finger pointing at each and every chocolate candy bar on the shelf.

He frowns down at her, grabs her by the arm and leaning into her face says, “We talked about this. No candy. I warned you before coming in.

Didn’t I? Didn’t I? I warned you.” All done, he lets her arm drop.

Silent now, she stares down at her dirty white shoes, her lips pressed tight, wringing her hands until they are a blotchy red and white. Meanwhile I wait patiently behind them, holding tomorrow’s breakfast and lunch in hand, looking off into the depths of the supermarket—into the aisle of breads 92

and cheeses and cookies—to show them I haven’t seen, I haven’t heard.

The sign reads Express Lane: 10 items or less.

It is very clear, spelled out in bright red letters, the number 10 underlined. He has more than 10 items, anybody can see that, his green hand basket overflowing. I have eight items, nine if you count chewing gum. And as he begins to unload his basket, lining up one at a time, single file his more than 10 items across the countertop, I wait for the cashier to notice, to point to the sign, to say, . . . But no, and the best she can do is chirp, “Good afternoon, sir.”

Because the row upon row of candy looms impossibly close, at her shoulder, exactly at mouth level, she can’t help but glance one more time, a neat line of brightly wrapped red and blue candy bars, and, raising on tiptoes, she has no choice but

to say again, only louder, bigger, “Daddy, look, look.

I want this one and that blue one, and…”

When he slaps her across the top of her head, she stumbles, righting herself just in time before almost falling into a rack of potato chips. And with that same slapping hand, he takes hold of her neck, and bending down, his teeth up against the soft whorl of her ear, hisses, “I warned you.”

She cries the silent cry of a five-year-old who is surrounded by strangers at a supermarket, her face growing wet and red. This time when I look away, I’m looking to see if I am the only one who has seen, if I am the only witness to what has just happened. Is it possible? When I look to see, turning this way and that, there are only shoppers shopping; people driving their grocery carts, swerving to avoid collisions.

With his one hand still strongly clamped around her neck, his other hand digs deep into his pocket, probing for money. Her face wetter, redder, she stares into the smooth tiled floor, as if a tiled supermarket floor has suddenly become so special.

That’s when it happens: because when his hand climbs out of his pocket fat with money, a five-dinar bill flutters gently to the floor. By the time it finishes stretching, uncurling, pushed this way and that by the tiniest of supermarket breezes, it has found its way to the tip of my shoe. She sees it the same time I do. Together we stare at the money. Her face grows quiet and even something like serious as she turns to tug at his sleeve, whispering, “Daddy? Daddy? ..”

But Daddy, all done paying, gives her arm a furious tug, and just like some well-designed springbox, her mouth flies open, her eyes squint shut. As he chats with the cashier about the weather, how, ‘Oh, yes, it is most definitely getting warmer, and, yes, Ramadan is just around the corner, it won’t be long now,’ laughter all around, that’s when I change my mind and slowly place my shoe on top of the five dinar. She gapes up at me, as if she can’t believe. I press a finger to my lips.

All done shopping with his daughter, he politely thanks the cashier, saying, ‘See you again and have a nice day,’ and she, being a cashier, replies, ‘Yes, I will, and come again,’ and together, yanking her away by the arm, she stumbling to keep up, father and daughter move toward the exit, leaving me to be next. Almost at the exit now, the sunlight streaming long and yellow across the tile floor, and as I watch them leave, for the smallest moment she is able to twist away from his grasp, and craning her head to look back she waves good bye.

“Good afternoon, sir,” the cashier chimes. “And how are you today?”

I answer with a smile, “Fine. I’m just fine.”

NORAH JONES' 'HEARTS' A 'heavy relationship album'

By Elysa Gardner

Ten years after the debut album that made her America's multi-Grammy-winning sweetheart, Norah Jones still seems like an ingenue. The singer/songwriter fairly floats into a room in a loose-fitting sundress, doe eyes peering out from under dark bangs. She punctuates her sentences in warm, girlish giggles.

But sweetness and light aren't the first qualities that come to mind in discussing Jones' new album, Little Broken Hearts. She describes the first single, “Happy Pills�, as "different from the rest of the album, because it's upbeat" – musically, that is.

In the peppy refrain, Jones beseeches a lover to "please just let me go," adding for good measure that she hopes "I never see your face again."

"I like the contrast of having those dark, almost mean lyrics against a happy background," Jones, 33, says over a lunch of pad thai and iced cola. "We needed that darkness, so that it would match the other songs."

Hearts is "obviously a heavy relationship album," though a rather unconventional one.

Jones co-wrote the material with Brian Burton, aka 94

Danger Mouse, the songwriter/producer noted for his work in Gnarls Barkley and Broken Bells, and with other artists. Jones met Burton several years ago while contributing vocals for Danger Mouse's 2011 album Rome.

"I asked if he would be interested in producing something for me," Jones recalls. "He said yes, but not in a normal way. I had always gone into the studio with songs ready, but he wanted us to start from scratch. We worked side by side on every line, bouncing stuff back and forth, getting inside each other's heads like crazy."

The starkly atmospheric songs that resulted are "not a diary" of Jones' experience with her ex-boyfriend, whom she won't identify by name.

"There are bits of other things in there. I had a bad breakup, followed by another bad breakup. So I've done two albums based on that kind of thing."

(Jones' last studio album, 2009's The Fall, followed her split from musician Lee Alexander, still her bandmate in side project the Little Willies.)

Jones is happier these days, with a "wonderful boyfriend" who shall also remain anonymous. After

years on and off the road, the New York native is savoring domestic comforts.

When in Los Angeles recording Hearts, "I rented a really cool house. I went hiking a few times, but mostly I went to the studio and came home. I would listen to music and cook. I got to be kind of a grillmaster - had lots of barbecues."

She'll leave her Brooklyn digs again soon for a tour, with U.S. dates starting June 20 in Indianapolis. "I have a new band that I'm really excited about. And it's funny, but sometimes you can relax more on the road than when you're home working everything out."

One factor Jones tries not to concern herself with is Hearts' commercial prospects. Asked if the pop market is less friendly to understated troubadours like herself than it was during her breakthrough, she says, "It probably is, but I don't really have a good perspective on that.

"I'm not one of those people who does Internet research on today's trends. I feel like all I can do, which is all I've ever done, is to make music I love something that I can be proud of."

SAY HELLO TO KERASTRAIGHT HAIR beau-tique launches KeraStraight Hair Straightening and Repair By bazaar staff

With the long, dry, and dare I mention, dusty, summer months upon us, our hair dilemmas just got more complicated. Many women, like yours truly, turn to the latest hair treatments out there to soothe those frizzy hair woes, without questioning the long-term effects of the chemicals applied to my already stressed out strands. Offering an innovative solution that cuts out the chemicals, beau-tique cosmetics intl launched its first Keratin product to the market, KeraStraight, at the uber-stylish Tatami restaurant in Sharq. Hosting a product knowledge and application seminar, high-end salons and stylists were present for the much exclusive seminar conducted by KeraStraight Global Technical Director, Mark Todd.

Whether your hair is damaged, highlighted, bleached, colored, or naturally frizzy, KeraStraight is a wash-in, same day, treatment that is also Formaldehyde- and Aldehyde-free. Working with the hair’s natural proteins, KeraStraight gradually fades out, and is offered in three different variants depending on hair type. At the launch, Mark Todd enlightened us with some much needed Keratin knowledge and KeraStraight essentials.

What does Formaldehyde and Aldehyde do to damage the hair?

The Aldehyde family of ingredients act as a resonator to seal and compact oil based ingredients to the outside of hair. This also adds weight to the hair creating flatness and lack of movement. Because Aldehydes activate at high heat and must go through 96

an oxidizing process to bond to the hair, this normally takes at least 72 hours and the risks are twofold: as high heat is used there is a chance of burning the hair and this will become evident when the treatment washes out. Aldehydes react while the product is managed with ironing; the gases released are toxic and can cause respiratory issues, burning eyes and cardiac problems. It can cause serious burns to the skin if in contact. Aldehydes are now banned in most countries in both hair and cosmetic products.

How is KeraStraight different?

KeraStraight are the pioneers of protein treatments that are completely free of any Aldehyde or what is know as a denoting equivalent. KS also works mainly on the interior of the hair building from within and can be managed or used in a multiple of ways to create any desired effect without the restrictions of weight. Our product is also a ‘same day’ service and is washed out directly after the application so the client and the stylists see the results immediately. With three variants to accommodate different hair types, users are provided with a system that is very much three-dimensional.

What are the three different KeraStraight ranges?

Color protect has additional moisture for colortreated hair to protect both the hair and the color, enabling a relaxed result with improved condition shine and radiance. Color protect activates at a low heat providing increased protection for the hair.

KS complex is formulated for your average client and hair type and has the benefit of very flexible

ranges of heat and processing times with, again, the key benefits of strength condition and shine.

Intensive contains enhanced levels of protein and is used for more resistant natural hair types to enable a higher degree of transformation. It can also be used to thick hair that lacks volume.

How do I maintain my hair after the treatment?

KS supports the service with its own range of shampoos, conditioners and masks. These products are both sulphate- and chloride-free which allow cleansing of the hair without extracting the treatment aggressively.

Can you treat us to some summer hair care tips?

KS has a great sun protection spray which is ideal for treatment maintenance and protection. Another simple method of protection is to simply wet your hair down before swimming in a pool or the sea. Once hair is wet it cannot absorb anything as the porosity factor has been radically reduced.

You can find KeraStraight services and products available now at TONI&GUY Al Corniche, Strands, Top to Toe Salon, Brush Salon, Crystal Palace, Emmanuelle, Memento, Casa Del Belezza, Blush Salons, Lounge Men’s Salon, Tulips, Cutting Edge, Divina & Hermosa Salon.

For more information please call 2225 1285, or visit: www.beau-tiqueonline.com facebook; www.facebook.com/beautiquecosmetics and twitter, www.twitter.com/beautiquekuwait.

NBK

KUWAIT NATIONAL MUSEUM

By Christopher Charles Hockey

My peculiar, yet fascinating, experiences at the Kuwait Museum of National Memorial (bazaar May 2012) served only to bolster my desire to learn about Kuwait’s national identity. Surely, I thought, the obvious place to head next was the country’s national museum. The museum’s title alone suggested it would be a fountain spewing out information that could help me in my search. It is, after all, part of a national museum’s duty to preserve and present an image of the country’s identity.

However, on entering through the main gates I was immediately worried. The place was deserted, dirty and falling apart. Pathways were covered with piles of soil, there were no signs and no explanation of where to go (the man at the gate had been particularly unhelpful in this regard). The compound looked more like a building site than an open museum. I eventually found my way into the archaeological exhibits. Here there were some very impressive archaeological artifacts found on Failaka Island. Failaka was an important site from as early as the Bronze Age and was colonized by the Ancient Greeks in the fourth century BC. The archaeological remains found on the island should be celebrated by Kuwait and are a 98

key part of Kuwait’s earliest heritage. The artifacts in the exhibition include Bronze Age cauldrons, Hellenistic coins and even a small sculpture of Alexander the Great. These are stunning objects that are worth viewing but there is little explanation within the displays. Archaeologists often say that an object without context is meaningless and this is all too obvious in this gallery. There is only one information board and whilst most artifacts are labeled, there is no suggestion of their significance or when they date to. Some labels are translated into English but not all. Moreover the pamphlet I picked up was written in almost incomprehensible English. The exhibition dealt me more questions than answers.

I left the archaeological exhibition impressed with the artifacts but not feeling like I had learned anything.

I walked back outside through the rubble and into the heritage section. This is an absolutely brilliant life-size reconstruction of a street in “Old Kuwait”. A series of rooms depict a shoemaker’s, a goldsmith’s, a herbalist, a bakery, a weaver’s store, a Bisht shop, and a gun-maker amongst many other retail and service outlets. There is also a representation of a traditional Kuwaiti house (along with a courtyard, kitchen and dining room) and

a full-scale model of a ship building yard. All this is done tastefully and with great attention to detail. The idea is that the visitor is able to walk through “Old Kuwait” and gain an appreciation of how things have changed and an understanding of Kuwait’s “heritage”. However, the display is outdated and it does not look like any work has been done on it since its original construction. The booklet I was given was produced in 2003. The display has no concept of time and very little suggestion of when this street might have existed (the booklet did not help). This is further complicated when, wondering along the street, you suddenly stumble across displays of late nineteenth and early twentieth century British colonial artifacts: old guns, stereo systems and early cameras. Although interesting in their own right, there is no narrative to elucidate why these things are on display here and they appear incongruous with the rest of the exhibition; indeed they detract from it. The heritage section is impressive and is worth a visit but it could easily be so much better.

Leaving the heritage section I began to realize that this museum had a lot of potential but I still did not feel that I had learned anything. Next I was told to go to the

“Planetarium”. This was surreal. The contrast between the rubble outside and the high tech equipment and displays inside was striking. Downstairs there were truly educational displays, teaching all about the science of space. Above this, the Planetarium itself shows interesting educational films (involving two strange cartoon characters) about the nature of our milky way to visitors sitting in extremely comfortable seats. This Planetarium is a really useful resource centre but, again, there are issues.

None of the interactive computers were working and the whole place appears a little run down. As with the rest of the museum, there is little to engage the visitor.

As I was leaving I noticed that a huge ‘boom’ sits behind one of the largest empty buildings. This ship (Al-Muhalab) epitomizes the museum’s approach to preservation and customer experience. It is beginning to fall apart and, again, there are no information boards to explain what it is doing there or where it is from. I am sure it could potentially attract many visitors wanting to learn about traditional Kuwaiti shipping but at the moment it is simply another under-utilized resource.

Conclusion Whilst there are many interesting artifacts and good

ideas at the National Museum of Kuwait, it not only fails to provide basic customer services (a proper reception, information point, guides, signs) but it plays no role in uniting the country or promoting national identity; it does not send a clear message; and it fundamentally fails to educate the visitor. The museum has almost everything it needs to be a gem, protecting and promoting Kuwait’s national heritage. There are impressive artifacts and wellcreated displays. However as it stands it failed to help me in my quest to learn about Kuwaiti National identity.

Clearly the country’s early archaeology and pre-colonial traditions are both important aspects of the nation’s past but the museum does not explain why this is the case. National museums in other parts of the Middle East, especially the one in Bahrain, and in much poorer countries have managed to attract a stream of visitors to well organized and highly educational facilities. Why is the Kuwait National Museum not doing the same?

Perhaps it is in a phase of rebuilding and restructuring (many buildings currently stand empty with bricks sitting inside). If this is the case, and I hope it is, then this fact should be made clear to visitors. Perhaps the museum should even be shut down completely until new displays

are completed. I understand the museum was destroyed in the Iraqi invasion 20 years ago but one would expect repair work to have been completed by now. At the present time, the museum appears disorganized, neglected and devoid of purpose.

It would not take that much effort or money to sort the museum out. I have a few suggestions. The whole site could be tidied and cleaned; flowers could be planted to make the exterior more attractive; signs could be installed in order to direct visitors; up-to-date brochures and pamphlets (with good translations) could be published; the museum could be advertised; and most importantly, clear information boards (with consistent translations) could be produced to educate and guide the viewer. Until these things are done the museum will continue to fall short of its duties as a national protector of Kuwaiti heritage.

The museum is located in Kuwait City, not far from the Grand Mosque and next to the National Library.

Following the Gulf Road (25th Street) heading West, take the first left after Al Ma’arri Street. The main gate to the museum is on your right.

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bazaar psych

By Dr. Juliet and Dr. Nisrine

Do you have questions for a psychologist? Are you afraid or embarrassed to see one?

Well, we may have the answers you need! Now you can ask Dr. Juliet and Dr. Nisrine for psychological and social advice for free!

Dr. Nisrine

Dr. Juliet

Q. My 6 year old daughter is getting invited quite often to her friends’ homes for birthday parties or play dates. She becomes embarrassed if I accompany her or send the nanny with her. What’s the right thing to do as I want her to be independent but I also want to make sure she is safe?

Regards, Concerned Mom A. Your concern is quite understandable as children’s independence needs to be promoted but not at the expense of their safety and well being. It is always healthy that you get to know your child’s friends and their parents as this will give you some details regarding their home environment and value system, which will help you decide whether it's compatible with your own. With regards to your child being invited to birthday parties and play dates, remember that you have the right to call up the parents, introduce yourself, ask who will be there, and who will be chaperoning the kids. Based on your comfort level, then you can decide whether or not it is OK for your daughter to visit her friend’s house and whether you or someone you trust should accompany her. If it’s the first time, it’s always best that she be accompanied by a caregiver. Even though we want our kids to be independent, we are also responsible for their safety. At 6 years old, your daughter can demonstrate independence in other ways like completing assigned chores and having small responsibilities at home, then eventually going to her trusted friends' homes unaccompanied by anyone.

Q. I have been through an unsuccessful romantic relationship that affected me deeply and negatively. How can I get over this relationship and regain my identity, self confidence and resolve my trust problems?

Thanks, Hurt A. Individuals often undergo unsuccessful relational experiences. It is not uncommon that, when a relationship ends, we blame ourselves and put ourselves down. Additionally, previous relational experiences with friends and family also impact how we deal with

the success or failure of future intimate experiences.

The key, however, is to learn from these experiences and not allow them to impact prospective positive relationships. Whatever the scope of the relationship, it is important to not allow it to be the focus and center of your life, so that if it does not succeed, you don’t feel like you lost everything. Individuals often, initially, become distrustful, guarded and insecure when an intimate relationship ends. It’s important for you to take your time, grieve the loss of the relationship, but most importantly figure out why the relationship was unsuccessful so you can have a more successful future relationship. Again, if you want to move forward and begin to trust, you have to forget about self pity and remorse.

Q. How is it possible for psychologists who have not undergone a similar experience of a patient to understand them and how is it possible for psychologists who have problems of their own to help patients?

Thanks, Curious A. Qualified psychologists undergo years of training and supervision before providing services to clients. They receive knowledge and training regarding diagnosis, assessment and therapy of various symptoms and disorders. Remember, clients do not access psychologists for their personal experiences but rather for their professional expertise. In addition, psychologists are trained to not allow their personal experiences to interfere with their therapy and to maintain strict boundaries during the professional therapeutic relationships with their clients. Also, psychologists are human beings who have difficulties of their own but these difficulties should in no away impact the quality of the services they provide to clients. If, at any point, a qualified psychologists feels that he/she will not be able to objectively work with a client then the ethics of the profession ascertains that the psychologist refers the client to another psychologist who will be able to help the client objectively and professionally. If at any time, while seeing a psychologist, the client feels that his/her psychologist is not being professional, is talking about

their personal problems or they are not maintaining boundaries during the therapy sessions (i.e. inviting the client outside for coffee, dinner or a social activity), the client has the right to end the therapeutic relationship and look for someone professional and ethical.

Q. I have noticed that I have always struggled with setting goals but now that I am beginning my career, I find it important to learn how to do so.

Do you have any tips?

Sincerely, Unorganized A. Goal setting and organization are skills that can be learned. It’s great that you have noticed this to be a difficulty of yours as some people do not find it to be a problem and constantly repeat the phrase that there is “order to my chaos”. Goal setting is an important skill to have as it keeps you organized, focused and disciplined.

Before getting into the particulars of goal setting, try to have a rough plan of where you are in terms of life accomplishments on the various domains of family, personal and occupational. Then, make a list of things that you would like to improve or achieve. Remember, goal setting involves short term planning (daily or weekly routine) and long term planning (monthly or yearly targets). The first step is to learn how to manage your time. At the beginning of each month, you can set aside an hour and write down tasks that need to be accomplished during the month. Then you need to prioritize the ones that have time constraints and then you can start plugging in these tasks or goals into your calendar. It is important that you are realistic with your list of goals and to only write the ones that you can accomplish in the set time frame. Setting unrealistic goals can be disappointing and self defeating.

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For psychological advice, send your questions to drjdinkha@kaizen-kw.com. Please note that not all questions can be published. Dr. Juliet and Dr. Nisrine are bilingual and bicultural expert psychologists on various personal and social issues.

Visit www.kaizen-kw.com or follow them on www.facebook.com/kaizen2q8.

ASHA’S A journey through India By bazaar staff

Whenever I think of adding a nationality as an adjective before a type of cuisine, I’m always reminded of a scene from US Sitcom FRIENDS; Ross is pondering going to China and Chandler advises him to go, forget about Rachel and eat Chinese food, except of course, Chandler muses, in China they would probably just call it food.

We tend to do this kind of thing a lot, and when it comes to ‘Indian Food’ we throw the term around pretty loosely, as though it’s a term that could fully encompass all the dishes this culinary heavyweight of a country has to offer. The regional variations are frankly mind-boggling. Asha’s, the restaurant concept founded by legendary Indian singer Asha Bhosle, has mainly focused on serving traditional North-Western Indian cuisine and new-age fusion dishes. With the wealth of dishes on their menu focusing on this distinct geographical area, it’s difficult to imagine what 102

a comprehensive Indian menu would look like!

This is where Asha’s ‘A Journey through India’ menu comes in. This special menu serves as a gastronomic tour through the country, encountering the mountains of Kashmir, the fertile plains of Punjab, the Bay of Bengal and the backwaters of Kerala to name but a few destinations. They have put together a ‘best of’ if you will, of what the rest of the country has to offer. Think of Asha’s as your guide book, letting you know what’s worth your time to visit, and the service staff, who are young, friendly and knowledgeable, as your all-knowing tour guides who highlight authentic local flavors and popular regional delicacies along the way.

With Asha’s by your side on your journey, you won’t be slumming it in hostels and lugging around oversized backpacks. You’ll be taking your journey through India in style. The contemporary design of the restaurant and plush, funky furnishings will

give you the five-star experience the whole way. The drinks menu alone at Asha’s is so strong they even a have a bar seating area where diners can sip on one of their tasty tailor-made beverages before dinner.

The selection is too long to list, but we enjoyed the traditional Mango Lassi, Delhi Devil and a Ginger Moscow Mule. Honestly, you’ll enjoy any drink on the menu.

After we’d checked in we dived right in with the Tiranga Paneer Tikka, creamy coconut marinated cottage cheese skewered with pineapple, tomato and onion, popular in Punjab. As a tribute to the Kandahar region famous for its pomegranates, the Champ Anari is tender marinated lamb chops with fresh pomegranate. The Khumb Khazana, a delicacy from the royal courts of Hyderabad, consists of breaded button mushrooms, stuffed with cheese and spinach and topped with a creamy sauce definitely a discovery I wouldn’t have expected to

find in India, but my favorite of the starters. Seems I have regal tastes.

Traditional to Orissa and Bengal, Panch Phoran translates as five spices and comprises fennel, fenugreek, mustard, onion and ajwain seeds. This spice mix creates a seriously hearty lentil dish in the Panch Phoran Dal full of deep flavors and delicious aromas. The Macher Jhol is a traditional fish curry that utilizes this same five spice mix to create a delicately flavored sauce and a rich satisfying dish.

Moving on from Bengal’s spices to the backwaters of Kerala for the Boatman’s Prawn Curry meant a shift in flavors from deep and earthy to fresh and creamy. The prawns are cooked in a coconut sauce and blended with spring onion and fresh tomato in tribute to the boatmen who make this (my favorite) curry from their catch of the day. We then journeyed on through to Lucknowi for Anafi Kofta Biryani which features cottage cheese, pomegranate and

flavored with saffron, and a classic Chicken Biryani with a yogurt and star anise marinade.

Coming back to that term ‘Indian food’- whenever I think about it, I never associate it with dessert. I obviously am less well-traveled than I thought I was! Coconut Payasam from Kerala is a homely dessert with simmered coconut milk traditionally found in Grandma’s kitchen. Representing Gujarat is Shrikhand, which is a dessert made from sweetened yogurt and is very popular at wedding feasts. After seeing and tasting it, you’ll quickly realize why – it’s a delight for the eyes and the tastes buds. But my royal tastes were awoken again with the arrival of the Shahi Sandwich, which literally translates as ‘royal sandwich’. A favorite of the emperor’s court, it is made with fried sliced bread, evaporated milk, sugar, nuts and flavored with saffron and cardamom.

This dessert could make even the lowliest subject feel like a king with its exotic flavors and decadence.

After trekking though India’s culinary heritage we relaxed with a Massala tea and realized the sheer magnitude of what a full-scale gastronomic Indian expedition would be like. It would probably take you a lifetime but you’d certainly enjoy many new flavors and textures. Probably better to head down to Asha’s where they’ve done the hard work and hand-selected the dishes for you, focusing on regional specialities and favorites and detailing a little of the history for you along the way.

‘A Journey through India’ will run until the end of June with the most popular dishes being selected to feature on the permanent menu. So get down there and experience the full journey while you can.

Asha’s is located at Marina Crescent and The Avenues. For more information on Asha’s visit www.ashasrestaurants.com or call 2224 4502 for more details of ‘A Journey through India’.

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IS IT JUST ME OR… Is Kuwait getting louder?

By Sumayyah Meehan

“Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she laid an asteroid.” ~Mark Twain Honking horns, annoyingly loud cell phone ring tones, souped up car engines, rattling mufflers, barking dogs, airplane flyovers…the list goes on and on and on. Kuwait is a whole lot noisier than it used to be. Blame it on prosperity, a booming metropolis or just blame it on the rain (or lack thereof). Kuwait is not as peaceful or as quiet as it once was. And while it might seem like a trivial complaint, noise pollution has an adverse reaction on human health.

According to Oxford Dictionary, noise pollution is, “… excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life.” Noise occurs in the workplace, marketplace, at home and even in the car. Noise is everywhere, seeping into every thought and infiltrating every idea before it even comes to fruition. There are several ways that too much noise can be harmful.

Eardrum Damage Listening to your car radio or iPod at high levels can damage the eardrums permanently. Violently loud vibrations can rip the inner membrane of the ear and cause it to collapse. It can also trigger the onset of Tinitus, which is a constant ringing in the ears that is often permanent. So turn down the volume on LMFAO’s latest hit and preserve your ear health.

Cardiac Stress According to a recent study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a direct correlation between continued exposure to loud noises and stress levels. There is significant data that exposure to loud noises increases blood sugar and inhibits the immune system. Over time and repeated exposure, the effect on the heart is tangible and can create a cardiac episode.

Insulate your home from outside noise. Try wearing earplugs, if necessary, to mask loud noises when you are out and about.

Mental Toll The body and mind need to be rejuvenated on a daily basis. Eight hours of sleep is the norm for optimum cognitive performance. Loud noises interrupt the restful state of sleep, which is necessary for the body to regenerate. Someone who sleeps less than eight hours will most probably have difficulty completing tasks and their response time will be slowed considerably. Noise pollution affects our ability to think, process information and make decisions. A loud workplace hinders the ability of workers to perform whereas a quiet workplace encourages concentration and memory retention.

Kuwait is not going to quiet down any time soon. So take preventative measures to drown out unnecessary noise and embrace the silence!

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‫زيد الرفاعي‬ ‫بقلم‪Strawberry Girl :‬‬

‫أن تكون األول في في عمل شيئ ما فذلك احساس رائع‪ ،‬و ان‬ ‫كان هذا الشيئ انجازا عالميا فان األمر يكون أكثر روعة‪ ،‬و خاصة‬ ‫إن كان هذا االنجاز يسجل لبلدك‪ .‬زيد الرفاعي‪ ،‬متسلق الجبال‬ ‫الكويتي الشهير‪ ،‬هو أول عربي يصل إلى قمة إفرست و ذلك في‬ ‫العام ‪ .2003‬و بعد و صول زيد إلى قمة افرست‪ ،‬تمكن بعض‬ ‫متسلقي الجبال من الشرق األوسط بالوصول إلى هذه القمة‪.‬‬ ‫تسلق الجبال هواية زيد الرفاعي‪ ،‬الذي قضى سنوات من‬ ‫عمره في سويسرا و دبي‪ .‬و قد قام بهذا االنجاز لوحده و بدون‬ ‫اي مساعدة‪ .‬و بعدها اصبح معروفا و اكمل في هواية تسلق‬ ‫الجبال حتى تمكن من تسلق اعلى القمم في كل القارات‪ ،‬و‬ ‫المسماة بالقمم السبعة‪.‬‬ ‫و بعد انجازاته و اشتراكه بالعمل الخيري تم اختياره من‬ ‫قبل شركة سامسونغ لحمل شعلة األلعاب االولمبية في لندن‬ ‫‪ 2012‬و التي ستقام في لندن يبل هذا الصيف‪ .‬و يعلق زيد على‬ ‫هذا االختيار قائال‪" :‬المنظمون ينظرون الى انجازات االشخاص‬ ‫الذين يتم اختيارهم‪ ،‬و أنا انخرطت في العمل الخيري عندما‬ ‫كنت أقيم في دبي و التي كانت متصلة بالهماليا و نيبال‪ .‬و‬ ‫قد تم ترشيحي من قبل سامسونغ في العام ‪ 2008‬لحمل‬ ‫الشعلة في اولمبياد بكين‪ ،‬و لكني لم اتمكن من حملها حيث أن‬ ‫الحدث قد تم الغاؤه بسبب الزلزال الذي ضرب الصين‪ ،‬و قد مات‬ ‫أشخاص كثيرون بسبب هذا الزلزال الذي اثر في نفسي كثيرا‪.‬‬ ‫و قد خاطبت سامسون زيد و هذا العام مرة أخرى لحمل‬ ‫الشعلة‪ .‬و أكد زيد أن سامسونغ تدعم دائما األحداث الرياضية‬ ‫و الرياضيين‪ ،‬و أنهم يفعلون ذلك عن طيب خاطر‪ .‬و قد‬ ‫أجابهم زيد على طلبهم ب "نعم" و بدون تردد‪ .‬و أضاف‪" :‬في‬ ‫الواقع أنا أعتبر ذلك تكريما‪ .‬و سوف أحمل الشعلة لمسافة‬ ‫‪ 300‬متر تقريبا‪ .‬و سوف تنتقل الشعلة من شخص آلخر حتى‬ ‫تصل إلى نقطة االنطالق‪ .‬و أنا سعيد بان أكون جزءا من‬ ‫التاريخ األولمبي"‪.‬‬ ‫إن زيد يعشق السفر‪ .‬و يعترف بأن متعته بالسفر هي‬ ‫التي جعلت منه متسلقا للجبال و أضاف‪" :‬لقد بدأت في‬ ‫ممارسة هذه الهواية منذ ‪ 20‬سنة تقريبا‪ ،‬عندها كنت أتسلق‬ ‫سلسلة جبال األلب‪ .‬ثم جبال إفرست و القمم السبعة‪ ،‬و في‬

‫الوقت الحاضر أنا أتسلق مع أصدقائي عندما يكون عندي‬ ‫وقت‪ ،‬و ليس بتلك الكثافة كما في السابق‪ ،‬حيث أن الوقت لم‬ ‫يعد متاحا كثيرا"‪.‬‬ ‫لقد اتجه نشاط زيد للمشاركة في المراثونات أكثر‪ .‬فقد‬ ‫شارك في مارثون دي سابل الذي أقيم في صحراء صحارى‬ ‫في المغرب و الذي يبلغ طوله ‪ 250‬كم‪ ،‬و يعتبر أحد أصعب‬ ‫السباقات في العالم‪ .‬و هو مراثون االعتماد على النفس بعبور‬ ‫الصحارى خالل خمسة أيام‪ .‬و سوف يشارك زيد في شهر‬ ‫سبتمبر من هذا العام في مراثون التحمل الذي سيقام في‬ ‫نيفادا‪ ،‬في الواليات المتحدة األمريكية‪ ،‬و يبلغ طوله ‪ 260‬كم‬ ‫تقريبا‪ .‬و هو أول سباق يشارك فيه في أمريكا‪.‬‬ ‫لقد الحظ زيد بأن هناك العديد من األشخاص في الشرق‬ ‫األوسط و الذين يودون أن يعيشوا هذه التجربة لكنهم ال‬ ‫يعرفون كيف‪ .‬لذلك قرر المشاركة في شركة "رحالة" مع‬ ‫سوزان الهوبي‪ ،‬و هي أول عربة تصل إلى قمة إفرست‪ .‬و‬ ‫تنظم هذه الشركة رحالت االستكشاف لألشخاص من الشرق‬ ‫األوسط‪ .‬و يمكن أن تكون الرحلة لمدة يومين إلى عمان‬

‫مثال‪ ،‬أو تمتد إلى شهرين إلى إفرست‪ .‬و يقوم أيضا بإعطاء‬ ‫المهتمين دورات و نصائح عن األدوات التي يحتاجون إليها‪ ،‬و‬ ‫هم يتعاونون مع أفضل الشركات في هذا المجال‪.‬‬ ‫تسلق الجبال ليس رياضة أو هواية سهلة‪ .‬يقول زيد‪:‬‬ ‫"هناك أشخاص كثيرون يموتون كل عام في الجبال بسبب‬ ‫برودة الجو الشديدة‪ .‬فدرجة الحرارة تصل إلى ‪ 50‬درجة‬ ‫سيليزية تحت الصفر‪ ،‬و أثناء هبوب الرياح يمكن أيضا أن‬ ‫تصل إلى ‪ 100‬تحت الصفر‪ .‬و ذلك يعود إلى االرتفاع الشاهق‬ ‫الذي يبلغ ‪ 29‬ألف قدم‪ .‬و لذلك فإن أفضل موسم للتسلق‬ ‫هو فصل الربيع (نهاية شهر مارس حتى نهاية شهر مايو)‪،‬‬ ‫و تكون ظروف التسلق أفضل خالل هذه الفترة‪ ،‬كما أن درجة‬ ‫الحرارة تكون أفضل أحيانا‪ ،‬اذ تصل إلى ‪ 25‬تحت الصفر‪ .‬و‬ ‫يجب على متسلق الجبال أن يستخدم المنتجات التي تحتوي‬ ‫على أعلى حماية من الشمس‪ ،‬حيث يمكن أن يحترق من‬ ‫الشمس أو يصاب بعمى الثلج‪".‬‬ ‫و سوف يصدر زيد قريبا كتاب مجد القمم مع قرص دي‬ ‫في دي وثائقي و الذي يحوي مشاهد من رحلته‪.‬‬ ‫‪106‬‬

bazaar movie night The latest from the big screen playing in cinemas across Kuwait in June

ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Cast: Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo Synopsis: Scrat's nutty pursuit of the cursed acorn, which he's been after since the dawn of time, has world-changing consequences - a continental cataclysm that triggers the greatest adventure of all for Manny, Diego and Sid. In the wake of these upheavals, Sid reunites with his cantankerous Granny, and the herd encounters a ragtag menagerie of seafaring pirates determined to stop them from returning home. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle the pirates as they explore a new world.

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Cast: Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson and Ray Park Synopsis: In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend

with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. Framed for crimes against the country, the G.I. Joe team is terminated by the President's order, and the surviving team members face off against Zartan, his accomplices, and the world leaders he has under his influence.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller Cast: Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell and Dominic Cooper Synopsis: Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov reinvent the time-honored genre and present

the terrifying creatures of the night as they were meant to be experienced – as fierce, visceral, intense and bloodthristy.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter brings to the screen the secret life of our nation's favorite president...as history's greatest hunter of the undead. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Cast: Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith and Chris Rock Synopsis: Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman are still trying to get back to the Big Apple and their beloved Central Park

zoo, but first they need to find the penguins. They travel to Monte Carlo where they attract the attention of Animal Control after gate crashing a party and are joined by the penguins, King Julian and Co., the monkeys and a new arrival: a performing llama. How do a lion, zebra, hippo, giraffe, four penguins, two monkeys, three lemurs and a llama travel through Europe without attracting attention? They join a traveling circus.

PROMETHEUS Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi Cast: Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron and Patrick Wilson Synopsis: Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, returns to the genre he helped define. With Prometheus, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. A team of scientists journey through the universe on the spaceship "Prometheus" on a voyage to investigate Alien life forms. They become stranded on an Alien world, and as they struggle to survive it becomes clear that the horrors they experience are not just a threat to themselves, but to all of mankind.

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For more details on movie timings and the cinema nearest you, log on to www.cinescape.com.kw

NAWAF GHERAIBAH AT BAYT LOTHAN A seed is nothing without water By bazaar staff

If you were driving along the Gulf Road around Salmiya at the beginning of May, chances are you may have seen spotlights painting the dark night sky. You may also have heard music emanating from the source of those lights…

The root of both these things – the light and the sound – was Bayt Lothan. This traditional Kuwaiti house, not 100 metres from the Arabian Gulf, has been one of the beacons of the arts and culture scene in Kuwait for around twenty years – serving the community through the arts. Continuing in this tradition, the evening in question was one of music, but it also felt like so much more than that.

Half Kuwaiti, half Indian/Portugese, Nawaf Gheraibah is a living, breathing representation of the multiculturalism of Kuwaiti society. That he is a musician only serves to further remind people of the rich musical traditions so present in Kuwait’s history that may have been forgotten in recent times. As a musician who enjoys breaking through cultural boundaries with his music, Nawaf seems perfectly positioned to bring music to his people, and Bayt Lothan, the obvious platform.

Entering the courtyard that evening, the space was barely recognizable as the traditional landmark that we’ve come to know and love. Seating for four hundred people was laid out in front of an ample stage, and behind, a full audio mixing desk was set up to record the night’s performance. A mini crane holding a movie camera floated around overhead preparing to capture, along with two roaming cameramen, the entire evening’s proceedings to be issued as a DVD later. The courtyard was enveloped by heavy black curtains – studded with star-like stones that shone like a continuation of the night sky – rippling in the breeze, easing the humidity. Atop 110

the curtains, an industrial light rig illuminated everything. It was refreshing to learn that two Kuwait companies were responsible for all this – Camco Global provided the stage, lights and sound recording, while Eagle Vision Media Group were taking care of the filming and production. This was truly an inspiring and professional space. The arriving audience – a mixture of Kuwaitis and expats – all seemed stunned and excited by what they encountered. The multitude of instruments, and size of the stage itself, only further elevated our curiosity. A large screen behind the stage showed artwork designed by Nawaf’s wife Dalal Alomairi (who also helped Nawaf with his lyrics) and animation by Nawaf Al-Ali and Nawaf Al-Shaheen. The illustration of a tree, colourful leaves gently swaying above primitive musicians, encapsulated the mood perfectly.

Bayt Lothan though, wasn’t Nawaf’s first call when he returned to Kuwait and was trying to put his performance together. Farah Al-Sabah of Bayt Lothan was a little baffled by this, as Nawaf had been a teacher at Bayt Lothan before heading off to the UK for postgraduate studies. At the University of Southampton Nawaf had created the album Bija as an expression of his own multiculturalism and as an exploration of the evolution of music throughout the world. His intention now was to stage an expanded performance of Bija with full orchestra here in Kuwait. Ambitious indeed, but Nawaf also has a locally established reputation too. In 2011 The National Council of Culture, Arts, and Literature, Kuwait awarded him the prize of best Kuwaiti composer and he currently works as an instructor at The Higher Institute of Musical Arts, Kuwait.

After coming to his senses and with Bayt Lothan on board, Nawaf’s job would now be somewhat easier - Farah’s job suddenly got a lot harder, though. Bayt Lothan is a

private non-profit organization and so to stage a performance on the scale that they planned would require money in the form of sponsorship.

When Nawaf Gheraibah took to the stage a little after eight he was joined by twenty-five other people. The majority of these musicians were Kuwaiti students, but there were also musical students from other Arab countries. Nawaf had put this orchestra together only a few months previously and had been rehearsing with them at Bayt Lothan daily. He outlined the concept behind what we would experience and explained that Bija was a Sanskrit term for ‘seed’. He was the seed, so too his music, but a seed cannot grow without water and this is what he considered his orchestra to be – the water that would bring his seed to life. He then went on to thank Bayt Lothan and (much to her embarrassment, as she considers herself only a mere part of what Bayt Lothan does) Farah Al-Sabah herself. He then went on to thank the sponsors…

Bayt Lothan has an established reputation and usually securing funds for any of their events or programmes is not overly difficult. There is a long list of companies and individuals in Kuwait who are, with a little gentle persuasion, more than willing to support the arts. This is part of the reason why Bayt Lothan is such a successful organization. When Farah told people she was putting on a music concert though, the support was less forthcoming. This seems to be a crucial time to stage something of this ilk, and through the very generous support of Burgan Bank, Al Mulla Exchange, and Al-Soor Financing and Leasing, the idea started to become a reality. Four more sponsors, Wimd Wireless Mobile Data Co., Lulua Publishing, Bader Sultan & Brothers Company, and Taiba Hospital ensured the night could go as planned. Farah had to

work tirelessly though, still securing funds up until a week before the performance. It’s encouraging to know there are people who can focus on what is important to us as a society and want to support such causes, no matter what is happening peripherally.

Then of course there was the music. A blend of ethnic instruments including the Aboriginal didgeridoo, the Indian sitar and the Arabian lute were played alongside more modern instruments like electric guitar, saxophone and even an instrument never before played live in the Arabian Gulf – the Avant-garde zen tambour.

The sounds were a wonderful tapestry of world music with jazz, blues, folk, rock influences. One song, an ode of love to Nawaf’s wife even featured one of my favorite instruments, the ukulele. Nawaf mixed traditional poems with modern music styles and fused regional and international sounds to create something truly unique. The power of his singers, who performed his arrangements with such emotion, bellowed out into the ether above, transporting the audience to a world where everything can co-exist in harmony.

It was an evening of music but there was so much more to it than that. This was a triumph of will. Music has been a form of human expression for millennia; let’s hope it continues to be so.

Bayt Lothan is located on Gulf Road next to Marina Mall. For more information, visit www.baytlothan.org or call 2575 5866. You can also follow them on twitter @Bayt_Lothan.

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GOOD TIMES, UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES Goodbye

By Ash McKnight

Moving to a new country can be daunting, especially if you haven’t traveled much before your big move. That is exactly where I found myself in August of 2009. I was 23, just out of school and facing the task of moving halfway around the world, by myself, to a country I really didn’t know anything about, other than it was very, very hot.

After collecting my luggage, and meeting the staff members who had generously agreed to meet me and my fellow travelers at the airport, I stepped out into my first dust storm. My first thought was, ‘Will it always be like this?’.

I arrived within the first week or two of Ramadan, not only was it hot, dusty and strange- I was hungry too. I did my best to adapt to the local customs.

A few days later I found out that to locals I was the strange and interesting one (not them). We were getting fingerprinted for our Civil Ids and the fingerprint guy liked my tattoos, I think when they found out I was Canadian it suddenly made sense to them (somehow).

Within a month of moving here I was introduced to the Kuwaiti private health care system thanks to a case of Salmonella. The male receptionist, whilst taking down my info, told me that after seeing the doctor he would take me out to dinner...because that's clearly what I needed and wanted.

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I've made plenty of new and amazing friends in Kuwait. These are friends that, in the next three years, have been through many things together.

We have braved Kuwaiti traffic (always an experience), learned how to communicate with people who speak little to no English, been stared at in malls (and chased out of a shop complex by teenagers intrigued by my tattoos), gone to balls at the Hilton (who would have thought I'd learn to dance an Irish jig in the Middle East?) and explored the many unique sites that only Kuwait could have.

In case you're curious, here's what happened in the shop complex: About a month after first moving to Kuwait four of us decided to explore the local shops. My friends and I (all women) went to a shop complex and a bunch of teenage boys chased us, literally, through the building after several of us told them we didn't want to be friends. One of them had a tattoo, so he singled me out and his friends backed him up. He actually used the line "show me yours and I"ll show you mine."

He wanted my number and I said no, so he offered his to me and I still said no. He couldn't understand why I couldn't possibly want his number. We left for a different shop (in the same building) and he and his group followed us...this went on for ages.

One friend and I actually had to hide in different

shops and all four of us ended up running down several flights of stairs and into a department store's pajama section to escape them...we left after that. As soon as the coast was clear we bolted for the exit door.

We've all bonded from the experience, and while I can't speak for them, I look back at this incident and laugh- it was more funny than scary and quite the introduction to this county.

Not only did I make friends with other Westerners at work but I have made many good local friends, people I met by taking a chance and meeting them outside of Facebook. Together we have explored many cafes, Green Island and even gone paint balling out in the desert at an abandoned army base (an experience I’ll never ever forget).

I have adopted two cats (both rescues, one no longer in the land of the living), one off the streets and one from PAWS. My street rescue was intentionally injured before she was taken in and to this day is afraid of all humans outside of myself. The plight of animals in Kuwait saddens me and I hope you will do all you can to help. I know a wonderful group of women at work who do a lot for the local animals, including finding them homes in other countries- I feel privileged to know them.

There have been times, that I was sure I hated Kuwait. I don’t, not really. I’m truly realizing that now as I get ready to leave for good in a month.

I’m thinking of all the good (and bad) times I’ve had, the fun things I’ve done and the things I wish I had done.

Kuwait hasn't just given me good friends and funny stories to tell, it's also helped shape me as a globally minded adult.

When I first came here I was warned that cabbies, maids and other such people would be "nice" to us "rich" (ha!) white people because they wanted a bigger tip, this is such a service driven culture that the notion that anyone who helps me in the run of the day is on the take is beyond depressing.

I've chosen to treat these people as actual human beings...something that I forget to do sometimes. These people who clean our homes, drive our cars and wait on us in restaurants and shops are PEOPLE, they have families, problems and celebrations just like us. I will try to never be dismissive to people again. I honestly don't think I would have cared to learn that lesson if I had stayed in Canada where I never faced people trying so hard to make a better life for themselves.

I arrived here a shy, unsure 23 year old, I am leaving, thanks to my experiences and friends, a confident and adventurous 26 year old.

Thank you, Kuwait. You were the making of me.

bazaar techno Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. ~ Arthur C. Clarke

SENSU BRUSH We've seen plenty of awesome painting apps for the iPad, but let's face it: no matter how good the app, you're probably still just finger painting. Unless you're using the Sensu Brush ($30). This smart tool combines a rubber-tipped digital stylus with a capacitive paintbrush in a single, sleek, silver package that gives you all the feeling and responsiveness of a real brush without the mess.

www.sensubrush.com

KOGETO DOT PANORAMIC IPHONE LENS We've seen lots of camera lens add-ons for the iPhone, but never one like this. Built to work with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, the Kogeto Dot Panoramic iPhone Lens ($50) lets you take full 360 degree photos and video using nothing but your phone. Thanks to a dedicated app, you simply hold your phone facedown and let the iConic lens capture your surroundings, which can then be uploaded for viewing on Kogeto's website, or via the Looker app.

www.kogeto.com

PLANTRONICS BACKBEAT GO After years of taking up way too much space or otherwise looking dorky, Bluetooth headphones are finally starting to make sense as an alternative to their wired counterparts. Take the Plantronics BackBeat Go ($100) for example. This tiny set of in-ear phones offers passive noise cancellation, inline controls for skipping tracks and adjusting volume, up to 4.5 hours of playtime per charge, and the ability to function as a Bluetooth headset.

www.amazon.com

CANON EOS-1D C CINEMA CAMERA If you're looking to future-proof your footage, you want to be shooting in 4K. Which is why you might want the Canon EOS-1D C Cinema Camera ($15,000). Based on the EOS-1D X, the 1D C provides a DSLRstyle body, an 18.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor capable of 4096 x 2160 video recording, ISO 25,600 sensitivity for outstanding low light performance, dual DIGIC 5+ image processors, compatibility with over 60 interchangeable Canon EF and EF Cinema lenses, and — of course — all the still-image chops of the 1D X. http://usa.canon.com

REDSHIFT When most consumers think “electric car,” they’ve been conditioned to think green, to think “Prius” and “limited range” and “braking efficiency.” But electric’s greatest advantage isn’t necessary an environmental one; it’s that an electric motor isn’t limited by the physics of combustion. Rather, just like an electric screwdriver, an electric car can go full throttle, instantly, without switching gears. Smart designers can take advantage of that.

www.fastcodesign.com 114

A PERFECT BLACK

By B. Qureshi

Egg with Legs With a full three months left to go, I’m an egg with legs. I’m gaining all my weight in my stomach. My friends tell me I’m still the slimmest among them, who are also, incredibly, simultaneously pregnant. “Look at how small your face is.” “Look farther down,” I urge them. During my last check-up, my doctor had just given me the “be careful” lecture about putting on too much weight.

I can give up four cups of whole milk a day, cheese, brownies, and mayonnaise, but I won’t stop dunking bread in olive oil. As a compromise I blend fruit smoothies and cook vegetables for dinner. I have no problem with being larger, either. I can’t tell where I begin and where my baby ends, so I blame so much on this tiny floating creature that has taken over my body.

I have bigger problems, like taking my vitamins on time and sleeping on the left side.

But the problem with carrying my weight in my belly is that at times my husband, as proud as he is, wants me to wear clothes that don’t cling, that can hide the bump, especially when we’re around his friends.

We never bought larger dresses in Pakistan this time, so we opt to buy maternity clothes in Kuwait, which accentuate my condition. Growing ever larger, we’re looking for wardrobe solutions.

The Perfect Color My ability to think laterally (to recall details from the past and make decisions for the future, which comprises my ability to write) is shot. I enjoy my blissful state of forgetfulness, but the “baby brain” is making it harder to finish sentences, to be conversant. I call my husband at work and ask him what’s a better breakfast, eggs or 116

oatmeal? Again, I blame it on the baby—I must want eggs but it must want oatmeal. Forget picking strong verbs, I just can’t do it. However, immediate things like following recipes, reading, organizing spatially seem easier. It lands me in the present and doesn’t require the same amount of mining in the past for material or deciding for the future.

As a result, I have recently begun painting in watercolors. I’ve never done this before, but I want to learn. I have been trained in drawing, which makes basic sketches easy, but the ebb and flow of wet pigment on damp paper presents a challenge, which I am slowly conquering. My favorite part is mixing colors: alizarin crimson mixed with French ultramarine and burnt umber makes a surprisingly versatile gray that can be built up to black. And black, which should never be used from a tube marked “black,” is a color that can be difficult to create. It takes the least amount of water and the right blend of primary colors to achieve a deep, intense shade, which I use to paint flat washes behind peonies, or the necks of Canada geese. Since black is a blend of all the other colors and can be hard to create, it may be seen as a perfect color.

And black is slimming. It shrinks a space of white on the page almost immediately. I seem to be getting close to something.

The Right Head Covering “You only have three months left,” my friends tell me. “There’s no reason to buy more clothes that might not fall right or to send out for a package from your mother-in-law.” Their solution for me is an abaya, in a velvety black with only a touch of black rhinestone

detail along the front.

I have few qualms in changing my style of dress. I spent my life in jeans but still wear Pakistani clothes.

For my brother-in-law’s wedding I wore a sari for the first time. I think about all the figures in history who have used style as a way to make a statement: Gandhi trading in the suits he wore in Britain for simple Indian-made fabrics, Turkey’s Mustafa Kemal reforming his nation by encouraging people to shave their beards. I may feel uncomfortable, but I’m not changing my philosophy. This is an almost necessary adaptation. And when I step out with my abaya on, my husband tells me I look good.

The first day I wear it to my friends house, and then to the mall. I had originally draped a scarf over my head loosely, not knowing how to pin it down. For some reason the black of my hair against the deep black of the abaya seems sooty, dusty, less than perfect. I’ve seen another two women before who wore the abaya without a head covering, but they both had marvelously long, straight, jet black hair, which suited them perfectly. Short of dying and straightening my hair, I am thinking of finding some way to cover it instead. Not only do I want to wear something loose and slimming to make my condition less obvious, but I want to look presentable and fit in or blend in, like I did before in jeans. My gait has also slowed down, to prevent me from stepping on my hem. Although this makes me feel dignified and respectable, I’m working on developing a sense of natural comfort. Overall, this is a good way of dressing, and having never done it before, I like it. It seems for now that I have found a solution.

HONDA INTRODUCES THE ALL-NEW, Innovative features, new Real Time AWD and dynamic new looks set to wow customers

Globally, the CR-V has been recognized as a pioneer of compact SUV. Since its first launch in 1996, over 5 million CR-V’s have been sold today which amply proves its global appeal in terms of design, quality, refinement and popularity. Building on this solid reputation, the all new CR-V now enters into its 4th generation with enhanced exterior aesthetics, car like interior comfort, innovative features and a smoother & quieter ride; and is designed to offer urban sophistication and exceed customer expectation of a 5-seater compact SUV. Exterior Style and Design Concept The previous generation CR-V’s refined styling, size and proportions contributed a lot to its success since its launch in 2006.

Compared to the previous-generation CR-V, the 2012 model takes on a more aggressive and aerodynamic stance with deeper sculpting of the bodylines and a bolder front fascia. The front bumper's smooth-flowing lines are highlighted by a horizontal three-bar grille and deeply set multi-reflector headlights. The lower front bumper wraps smartly upward to convey SUV capability with a generous approach angle, while the lower front bumper design with fog lights (only for EX & EX-Leather grades) now integrates more smoothly with the fascia for improved aerodynamics. The CR-V's signature vertical rear brake lights have a more three-dimensional style that further compliments the design and aerodynamics of the vehicle. The CR-V's large alloy wheels (17” for LX grade and 18” for EX & EX-Leather grade) and bold fender 118

flares emphasize the vehicle's dynamic presence and capability. Adding to the sleekness of exterior styling is the Shark fin antenna.

Interior The Honda CR-V offers a modest increase in passenger and cargo volume. It also offers a more car-like driving position compared to the previous generation CR-V. Inside the CR-V, every tactile surface viz., interior door handles, steering wheel, etc. are designed to be pleasing to the touch—and easy to operate.

Fabric upholstery is standard in the LX grade, while the EX has upgraded fabric with a suede-like feel. The EXLeather grade has standard leather upholstery.

All put together, the CR-V offers a smart package which blends form and function like no other vehicle in the class.

• The controls and instrumentation of CR-V has a "smart interface" between the vehicle and the driver that requires minimal driver eye movement.

The steering wheel mounted controls allows the driver to operate a range of features without taking their hands off the wheel, thus avoiding potential distractions.

• For new CR-V, the Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink phone interface is standard on EX and EX-Leather, and offers intuitive hands-free calling convenience.

• Available on EX & EX-Leather grades, the color "intelligent" Multi-Information Display (i-MID) positioned high in the central part of the instrument panel within the driver's line of sight. The 5-inch TFT color display screen of i-MID shows a multitude

of information like, audio track titles, fuel economy information, Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® information, personal wallpaper and warnings such as door ajar and parking brake.

• Air-conditioning is a standard feature for CRV. The conveniently located AC vents for front seats and rear seat allows efficient climate control inside the cabin. The LX grade has a manual control and EX and EX-Leather grades have automatic dualzone controls.

• A green ECON button to the left of the steering wheel if switched on changes several operating characteristics of the vehicle to enhance fuel efficiency.

• The generously sized front console has a large 10.8-liter central storage compartment, and the sliding cover keeps contents out of view. 3 cup holders and a small storage tray are positioned at the front of the console within easy reach. Compartments in the side of the console and dual storage compartments in each door panel provide additional space for small items. The front doors also include bottle holders. In the rear seating area, a flip-down center armrest includes 2 cup holders.

• The CR-V is designed to offer cargo capability to suit the needs of active owners. Compared to previous generation, the new CR-V has gained cargo space behind the rear seats (up from 35.7 cubic ft. to 37.2 cubic ft.). For easier loading, the CR-V's liftin height and cargo floor has also been lowered by 20 mm, making it among the lowest cargo floors in

COMPLETELY REDESIGNED 2012 CR-V

the class. For maximum cargo capacity, the Easy Fold-Down 60/40 Split Rear Seat can be quickly lowered, creating a nearly flat load floor. The CR-V also includes a retractable cargo cover that can hide items stored in the cargo area behind the secondrow seats.

Engine and Transmission The all new CR-V is powered by a 2.4L, DOHC, inline 4 cylinder gasoline engine that produces max. power of 188 HP @ 7,000 rpm - up by 20 HP compared to the previous generation. And max. torque is 22.6 kg-m @ 4,400 rpm. A host of innovative features are designed to deliver a cutting-edge combination of performance, fuel efficiency, and low emissions. Most apparent is the i-VTEC "intelligent" valve-control system – which results in good fuel economy and low exhaust emissions.

The 5-AT gearbox works in conjunction with the engine's Drive-By-Wire™ throttle control to smoothly shift between gears. The new Real Time AWD with Intelligent Control System debuts on the 2012 CR-V and is available to help provide traction in lowgrip driving conditions. Compared to the prior 4WD system, the electronically activated AWD system offers a faster, more intuitive initial response when a loss of traction is detected. It also reduces weight and minimizes internal friction and help to minimize the negative impact on fuel economy inherent to virtually all four-wheel-drive systems.

Body and Chassis Significant improvements to body and chassis of

new 2012 CR-V improve interior quietness and ride quality compared to the previous model.

The 2,620 mm wheelbase, wider track dimensions, independent suspensions, and features such as VSA® and new Motion-Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS) all contribute to the CR-V's objective to provide a premium driving experience. The compact multi-link rear suspension helps maximize second-row seating and cargo space, while also providing outstanding handling characteristics and ride quality.

Safety The new CR-V is equipped with a host of standard safety features unmatched by any other vehicle in its class. These include: • Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body for enhanced occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal collisions.

• Front hood with features to mitigate pedestrian injury in case of a frontal collision.

• Front seats that help mitigate the severity of neck injuries in the event of a rear impact.

• Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) enhance control capability while the vehicle is accelerating, braking, cornering or when the driver makes a sudden maneuver.

• Brake Assist feature that helps shorten braking distance.

• Advanced 4-Channel ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution.

• Advanced front airbags (SRS) system for driver and front passenger incorporate dual-stage and

multiple-threshold activation technology. In addition, the front passenger's seat is equipped with the Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) that deactivates the side airbag if a child (or small-stature adult) leans into the side airbag deployment path.

• Side airbags for front seats are available for EXLeather grade.

• Side curtain airbags with rollover sensor system, are available on EX-Leather grade.

• Hill Start Assist.

• ISOFIX provides a simple and convenient method to install compatible child safety seats in a vehicle.

• Three-point seatbelts are standard for all seating positions. The front seatbelts are equipped with automatic tensioners and load limiters to help minimize injury potential in a frontal collision.

Colors An expressive color choice is available for 2012 Honda CR-V models. These include – Twilight Blue Metallic (new color), Alabaster Silver Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, Polished Metal Metallic, Basque Red Pearl II, White Diamond Pearl and Urban Titanium Metallic.

All grades of CR-V come with beige color interior as standard.

Check out the new CR-V here in Kuwait at the Honda showroom. Call 1833334 for more details or visit www.honda-kuwait.com.

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BEYOND MY BASIC COMPREHENSION 10 random public behaviors

By Diva undecided

Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Needless to say that, on a broad level, Jackson’s theory on the definition of general character was not just apt but more or less spot on when it came to coining human behavior. This theory was further reinforced when Jon M. Huntsman in his book Character REALLY Is How You Act When No One Is Watching, coined several notions on how human nature is most determined by integrity and courage, especially when no one is watching. The resultant traits are the foundation of one’s ethical decisions.

However, basic foundations of human behavior are underrated these days, with their value exponentially being devalued by each one of us.

Much too often, our behavior is primarily dictated by our character. And much too often the result of such is clearly determined by how one would choose to conduct themselves regardless of the judgment streak, whether in a crowd or in solitude.

Human behavior in solitude is often questionable; especially in the event when one makes a judgment call and expects it to be condoned in the absence of no one watching. We have all done it whether or not we admit it. But based on recent recurring incidents, I have created a broad list of public behaviors, the occurrence of which I fail miserably to understand. I have ensured to leave room for a possible sequel to this list, given that the possibilities of unexplainable human behaviors are endless.

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1. Poor public restroom etiquette: Whether it is failure to flush the toilet after use, leaving mudprints from your shoes or simply leaving the faucet running, the showcase of such behavior almost leaves you flabbergasted, making you wonder whether something similar would be replicated at the person’s home, as well.

2. Gym/workout machine etiquettes: 1 out of every 3 gym goers may have encountered such individuals. Those who relentlessly run on the treadmill at their athletic best, with all their possible might, leaving behind un-wiped sweat residue all over the machine.

3. People littering streets: Driving along the highway, walking around the mall, while in the workplace and most of all jogging or spending the day at the beach are true testaments of the fact that every minute you will stumble upon someone littering. Perhaps with such individuals, there is a belief that the trash magically disappears into a parallel world or is just picked up by the street cleaner.

4. Road rage and driver courtesy: Most of us have probably given up on this and rightfully so. As a concept, road courtesy is almost a myth. Nevertheless, given our human nature, certain behaviors such as people’s need to drive ahead of you, rushing or not giving way to a pedestrian crossing, or simply cutting you off because you drive a lesser expensive car still catches you off guard.

5.

People throwing away a banana peel: A widely remembered story from 1879 had Harper's Weekly claiming whoever littered with banana skins on the sidewalk would inherently be committing a great unkindness to the public, and in most cases, quite likely responsible for a broken limb. This, perhaps sourced from the general consensus in popular culture from the late 19th century, when bananas were a popular street food in American cities and the press portrayed them as a public nuisance. But much like bad habits, this continues to happen with people showing the least degree of regard for random accidents regardless of how such a behavior dates back to the yesteryears.

6. Women’s expectations of others to be maternal to their spoilt brats: Every other woman is probably guilty of this and perhaps, to an extent, it is acceptable when a random stranger is patient while you attend to your offspring in a crowded market or lets you pass them in a long queue in a restaurant, but to expect strangers to be patient of other’s children and their tantrum (at all times) is unreasonable and highly demanding.

7.

Staring: There is a fine line between engaging in subtlety when secretly checking someone out who walks past and point blank staring. Rude, creepy and borderline uncomfortable is an understatement to describe such behaviors.

8. Not picking up and cleaning your own food tray at a food court: The culture and norm of picking up after oneself has probably died with time as part of the lifestyle people have adopted over the past 10-15 years.

Health statistics are the strongest parameters to vouch for that. We live in a world where everything is either taken care of digitally/robotically or through hired help.

This translates into public spaces with people not having the presence of mind to pick up after their own food tray.

9. Strolling at glacial pace in the middle of a path/mall/market or gym – It has happened to everyone and somehow at a time when you most want to race through to get your job done, you meet people grazing by at glacial speeds almost as though they are the sole proprietors of the path.

10. Tending to personal hygiene in the office: There is always someone who decides to tend to their nail hygiene in the office. Or even that random someone who chooses not to blow their nose in the privacy of the washroom but shares the noise decibels of the act with the general public. As tempting as it may be to simply pass on a copy of the latest edition of Emily Poste’s book on etiquette, you are just forced to turn a blind eye.

With the summer holidays around the corner, one can only hope that with people traveling across the world, adopting basic acts of courtesy, manners and mindfulness will be practiced by us all. Wishful thinking I hope not!

two cents

Loaay’s Two Cents Got business problems or challenges at work? With his Two Cents column, Loaay Ahmed shares his expertise in strategic management consulting to help managers, employees and entrepreneurs thrive.

Q

There is always good and bad news at work.

Which one should be announced first?

LA: Philosophers throughout time debated and challenged principles, ethics and beliefs. I can almost imagine a discussion between Plato and Socrates about the topic of good and bad news. They’d think of many variables that control each situation. For example, who’s the news giver to the recipient? How severe is the bad news and how big is the good news in comparison? Is the bad news affecting the audience directly or is it bad news about someone else that they’ll feel sorry for but won’t threaten their wellbeing? How is the news communicated and when? It goes on and on and on. However, it’s essential that all these considerations and more be thought of to achieve maximum positive results or to minimize the negative impact.

To start, break it into two categories: Giving vs. Receiving. If you are giving the news, you can do two things: First, don't give the recipient an option of choosing which type of news to announce first because you won't be in control of your own communication anymore. Second, start with the good updates so you can put the audience in a positive state of mind. The bad news – assuming it’s at a tolerable level – will be betterreceived thanks to the mood-boosting upbeat updates. When you are on the receiving end it's a different story. Let's say you've been waiting for one of your executives to update you about a specific project where you know that at this stage things can go wrong. Since you need to take an action related to customers or investors, for example, ask for the bad news first so you can react in the most efficient and effective way.

Having said that, if the person who’s about to give some news has read this answer too then s/he won’t give you a choice…and that’s just my two cents.

Q

When you fire someone, in most cases there's a notice period. For the sake of workflow it becomes important to keep the employee during the notice period, but then you risk the drama and bad vibe. Are you with or against notice periods?

LA: If you're firing, make the cut fast and clean. Don't keep the fired employee hanging around. It's bad for the team's morale, company's security, and productivity of the unit. However, protect your image and the company's by making an official verbal statement to the immediate colleagues. Be diplomatic and respectful when you talk of the fired employee. Unless s/he stole money or caused a devastating disaster, don't mention the reason for firing in depth; a short objective hint will do. Otherwise, current employees might see the reason as personal or judge you, which can be a negative vibe for everyone.

If an employee resigns, it's up to you to assess the situation.

Does the employee have what it takes to behave professionally? Is his/her stay during the notice period crucial to the business or can you do without? If in doubt, pay for the notice period and ask the employee to stop. Remember, one answer does not fit all. Each case is different; so remember to discuss the firing decision with your legal department or your legal advisor before you fire the employee...and that's just my two cents.

Q

We all have experienced it, seen it in the movies, or read about it in some books. In order to bond with your team, you need to take them out to dinners, group sports, and social activities. I find this time consuming as far as my personal life is concerned. Is there a better way as the boss to build a team without the after-work obligations?

LA: When you were at school, could you have forced the kid next to you in class to be your friend? Sure, you can give them your lunch and help them with their homework, but that's bribery and denial, not friendship. By being nice, friendly, respectful and supportive you become friends over time. Sometimes, you just click and you don’t have to do anything other than being yourselves. Building a team is not much different than acquiring a new friend at school. Focus on what matters to make the team function. Provide resources for them to get their tasks done. Communicate openly. Celebrate achievements.

Share knowledge. Take responsibility for their wrong actions because you're the boss after all; therefore, remember, it's always your fault.

Such actions will organically form a bond that gels everyone together at times that matter.

When you reach that level of team spirit and positive work environment, you'll also know more about their personal interests by default. You'll know who's into playing sports and who's into just watching them. Only then, can you organize a "few" different experiences that are relevant to the attendees and no one will feel obliged. To make it a homerun, take a couple of hours from work for such outings. Giving your staff a free lunch all the time will feed them, but won't satisfy their professional needs. Do what matters the most, otherwise, they will resign regardless...and that's just my two cents.

For Loaay Ahmed's advice on business or work matters, send a short email to loaay@knightscapital.com. Please note that only the questions chosen for publishing will be answered.

Loaay Ahmed is a management consultant and strategic expert. To learn more about Loaay and his consulting service, strategic business therapy, visit www.knightscapital.com.

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GET GOOD OUT OF THE BAD 5 tips to help you deliver bad news, personally and professionally

By Soor Center

Receiving bad news can be very daunting, but we give little thought to the equally daunting feeling of delivering bad news. Whether you are an expert, a professional, or a friend, being the one to share unpleasant information can be very difficult.

There is no manual to tell you exactly how to do it, but Dr. Rose Logan, a clinical psychologist at Kuwait’s Soor Center for Professional Therapy & Assessment shares five strategies to make delivering bad news a less daunting task.

1. PLAN IN ADVANCE “Trying to communicate unpleasant news is already hard enough, but doing it when you are unprepared can create even worse results,” Dr. Logan says.

Plan out what you want to say and how you want to say it. It is also a good idea to practice in front of a mirror or to record yourself.

For professionals, planning in advance also includes preparing any needed information, pamphlets, or tools. “It’s jarring and very uncomfortable to make your patient wait after you’ve shared a critical health diagnosis while you leave to grab a pamphlet… Being prepared can also minimize distress to the hearer.”

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2. DIY No matter how difficult and how unpleasant the situation may be, Dr. Logan insists that if you have the responsibility of delivering the news, then hold to it. “Though it is easier to delegate this task, most of the time your best friend, client, or patient would rather hear it from you.

“Arm yourself with the right knowledge, especially when you’re delivering medical news,” Dr. Logan adds. “But, don’t add a long-winded introduction. Use the information as back-up to any questions that the person might have.”

3. ADAPT YOUR DIALOGUE “Talking to an adult is always different than talking to a child,” says Dr. Logan. “That’s why it’s always important to adapt your communication skills to better suit the person you’re talking to.”

Pay careful attention to how you’re talking, and take extra care with vocabulary, especially with children. Avoid jargon and abbreviations that might confuse the person.

Don’t forget that your non-verbal communication is just as important as what you say.

Your facial expressions, eyes, and body language play a major part in how you’re communicating the bad news.

4. TAKE TIME TO LISTEN You might be able to communicate your bad news in the best way possible, but if you don’t take the time to listen then you are likely to have a bad outcome. “Don’t just dump and leave,” says Dr. Logan. “Make sure you hear out the person’s questions and take in the reaction of those to whom you are communicating bad news.”

5. PROVIDE ALTERNATIVES In many cases, there are always next steps you can provide to those receiving the bad news.

Providing alternatives can help minimize the discomfort of receiving the unpleasant news.

“It also helps to empathize,” suggests Dr. Logan, “while remaining diligent, and helpful to offer possible solutions.”

Dr. Logan draws on theory, research and clinical expertise to reduce psychological distress and promote psychological well-being. She also provides neuropsychological and cognitive assessments, training, and workshops on mental health and psychology.

For more information, please visit: www.soorcenter.com.

bazaar a la mode BANANA REPUBLIC SPRING SUMMER 2012 In a season defined by easy living, its effortless shapes, distinctive finishes and airy, tactile fabrics—Banana Republic signatures, all—occupy the focal point. A relaxed palette gracing endlessly versatile separates make outfitting one’s warm weather wardrobe a refreshingly leisurely expedition.

As the seasons shift and the days grow warm, a sense of tailored ease provides a welcome relief for daytime wardrobes. Polished yet breezy, the new femininity revolves around a suite of knee-skimming hemlines and lightly structured silhouettes. Elegant staples from floral jacquard to subtle lace layers are made modern with clean patterns and a sprightly mix of hues. Menswear echoes this buoyant perspective: Fine khaki suiting, single button blazers and dress shirts worn open at the collar offer nimble options to every day attire.

Modern safari continues to explore this easy dialogue between color, shape and form, resulting in a look that’s as refined as it is wholly authentic. Celebrating the heritage appeal of the indispensible khaki, the pleasingly neutral palette sweeps from olive cognac to bright blonde.

BHS INTRODUCES BURTON MENSWEAR For Kuwait’s fashion-forward men Leading UK fashion brand Burton Menswear has made its way from the high fashion streets of London to Kuwait.

Brought to the Middle East for the first time through BHS, Burton brings to town a strong heritage in personal tailoring with a modern view of casual wear.

Catering to the metropolitan man’s style through its casual British high street fashion sense, Burton carries a range of collections to fit any taste, with easy to wear fashion and the latest styles in polos, shorts, chinos, jeans and casual clothing, as well as men's dress shirts, T-shirts and suits.

Having enjoyed great popularity over its history, including co-sponsoring the 1996 and 2002 World Cups, Burton is now here in Kuwait to set the trend with its much loved British style. Beyond their up-to-date men’s fashion lines, customers can find the latest trendy accessories, including bags, wallets, hats and more.

Now available in Kuwait, Burton can only be found in the BHS stores at The Avenues and opposite Al Fanar Mall.

BATH & BODY WORKS Introduces the new ‘Pink Chiffon’ Collection fragrances in the Middle East this spring Inspired by the effortless grace and beauty of a master ballerina, the arrival of Bath & Body Works’ quintessentially feminine Pink Chiffon Collection in the Middle East is sure to whisk you off your feet. Laced with a blend of soft pink petals and vanilla chiffon icing fragrance notes– the gracefully soft scent gives you the feeling of dancing on air. Pink Chiffon is great for spring and summer, giving you just the right balance of a strong yet delicate fragrance, creating a delightful aura of confidence and sunshine!

The Signature Pink Chiffon Collection will enhance your mood, while its scent will intrigue everyone.

This collection is a treat to wear and can be the perfect gift for a girl who has style, grace and a great outlook on life. This new fragrance is available in special 3oz. travel minis so you can have your Pink Chiffon body lotion, shower gel and fragrance mist wherever you go! The Pink Chiffon mist is the first to feature a new spray action – get more coverage for less spray. It’s a must see, must buy!

TED BAKER SPRING/SUMMER 2012 The Great Exhibitionist and his private views Womenswear celebrates the female form with defined waists, full skirts and cut away detailing. Flower power reigns supreme with English roses, peonies and cherry blossom in full bloom on feminine 50s dress shapes. The Rosebug print featuring bright roses, bugs and butterflies is key and appears on everything from cropped jackets to shorts and from peep-toe heels to clutches. The floral theme continues with laser cut appliqué and intricate floral cutwork adding interest to dresses, tops and flirty shorts.

In contrast a more structured silhouette emerges with pleated maxi dresses flowing in vivid pops of colour. Clean lines are colourblocked and played out in a modern minimal palette of blood orange, dove grey, ivory and black. Tailoring details are evident on jumpsuits, simple shifts and soft separates whilst origami folds, lace trims and pleating add structure.

Accessorise with towering cork wedges, wooden flatforms, oversized or mini box clutches in raffia and a stack of bangles.

The collection is finished with canvas duffle bags and shoppers, paisley and spotty neckerchiefs and bright suede deck shoes or brogues.

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SWAROVSKI WATCH COLLECTION 2012 Swarovski is proud to present its fourth watch collection featuring striking new additions. This year, the company will launch Lake of Shimmer, the third edition of its Avant Time concept.

Lovely Crystals and Crystalline are two new lines set for release, along with the reinforced flagship Octea model featuring brand new colors for the Octea Sport and Octea Chrono lines. Swarovski’s signature material Crystal Mesh is evident in the new collection and has been applied to the Elis Mini, Elis Lady, Piazza lines and Elis Bangle which is set for release in the fall.

The majority of the models in this collection, which now consists of nine lines extended with 16 new models, have been available across the globe since March 2012 in Swarovski’s wide range of boutiques and in selected specialist watch retailers.

EXPRESS Summer 2012 overview For Summer 2012, customers will find themselves adorned in fabulous vivid colors, wrapped in soft neutrals, and loving all the options Express has to keep them dressed from day to night.

The Express Girl will be drenched in color featuring combinations like aqua paired with kelly green, luscious pinks and bright blue. Bright color combinations of lemon and lime for a pop of citrus brighten up any look. Try a color block effect by pairing soft shirts with more structured pieces like below-the-knee pencil skirts and cropped jackets to create a more unified look, with plenty of eye-catching color.

For the Express Guy, classic combinations of black and white have never looked so fresh and crisp, and the bright seasonal colors give him ample opportunities to brighten up his wardrobe.

It’s all about keeping your cool this summer, and Express has everything you need to be the coolest.

KURT GEIGER LAUNCHES ITS STUNNING SPRING SUMMER 2012 RANGE For Spring/Summer 2012 the Kurt Geiger fashionista discovers her fascination with a rhinestone-studded California.

Collections of crystal coated stilettos and pin-up mules sit comfortably in a paradise where the rich and famous mingle amidst sun-drenched cityscapes.

‘Everything but the Dress transforms for spring with a kaleidoscope of shades whilst accents of scarlet and neon give pace to pretty pastels. Fusing fragility and provocation, signature stilettos are fashioned in white and soft shades of turquoise, mint, lilac, lemon and pink. Continuing the experimental print work from the debut collection, Kurt Geiger’s design team have continued to collaborate with British print designer, Joe Duke. Kurt Geiger also introduces the first in-house designed sunglasses collection. A unique series of handmade high-fashion styles bring a new take on timeless classics.

The design team behind the newly launched ‘Everything but the Dress’ accessories introduce a new spectrum to the ‘Candy’ collection of small technology accessories that are equally desirable for the fashion-thinking man. Laptop cases, iPad sleeves, wallets and cardholders come in Perspex and Sherbet embossed snake in slate grey and powder pastels.

VICOMTE A. Paris – Palm Beach Vicomte A. is the latest trend in multi colored Polo wear that has taken Europe & Palm Beach by storm. Vicomte A. will unveiled its summer collection at the official opening of its flag ship store at the Avenues Mall in May, 2012.

Vicomte A’s stylish outfits featuring their DNA of vibrant colors, compliments the personalities of Kuwaiti shoppers who are in constant search for the latest fashion in casual ensembles. The Vicomte A’s classic yet trendy summer collection can be matched and worn to create a unique look.

For those wanting to have fun with their wardrobe, Vicomte A. outfits provide the variety and appeal that will instill the confidence to be expressive. The Vicomte A. Summer 2012 collection is the cutting edge for smart & comfortable polo shirts, combining the style of men’s dress shirt collars with the comfort of a casual men’s polo.

Vicomte A. can be described as aristocratic, colorful, chic, fresh, impertinent and very French! So if you are looking to dress in outfits with Pizzazz, Vicomte A. is your quest!

Located at, the Avenues Mall. Phase II near the Valet Parking Entrance.

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REVOLUTION IN MUSIC Expressed in a symphony of color

By Chirine Lahoud

“not the pencil, not the paintbrush, but the hand.”

We take hands for granted as the principal means with which we (literally) grapple with the world. It goes without saying that hands play an important role in creative pursuits – applying to medical practice of treating a patient as much as the artistic practices of writing a book or creating an artwork. Lebanese artist May Haddad highlighted some of that importance while discussing “La Revolution en Musique” (A Revolution in Music), her solo exhibition. This show features 29 untitled paintings which document the artist’s investigation of colors and music.

It is the artist’s hand that creates, Haddad said, “not the pencil, not the paintbrush, but the hand.”

For some years an art teacher at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA), Haddad instructs her students on the importance of letting the hands go on the canvas. It is this freedom of movement that is felt when looking at her work.

Discussing her technique, she says she represents human figures by means of dots and lines. Her acrylics 128

and watercolors are expressions of joyful human gatherings. “I wanted to represent a mass of persons leading to happiness,” she said.

Orchestral musicians, particularly violinists and violists, often rendered in abstract terms, are omnipresent in “La Revolution en Musique.” Haddad says that in creating these works, her hand instinctively paints dots and lines. The question of whether she represents violins, violas, cellos or what have you was spontaneous since they “bear lines and semicircles in their features ... My goal was to have oblique, straight or curvy lines.”

As they don’t aspire to naturalism, the shapes of musicians and their instruments are less central than the motion that the artist depicts.

Asked about the “revolution” in the exhibition title, Haddad said her works were painted while the Arab Spring events were unfolding, though for her a revolution has a different meaning. “Since we heard everywhere in the media about these revolutions,” in the region, she said, “why not have a musical

revolution? Why don’t the people demonstrate in the streets with music and instruments?”

The notion of motion characteristic of “revolution” (the principal meaning of the term before it came to be applied to politics) is central to Haddad’s work. The paintings exude the impression of movement on the part of the figures.

Indeed, Haddad remarked that while painting she felt as though she were playing music. Her hand was guiding the paintbrush as a conductor would guide an orchestra. “It is similar to a graphic game,” she said, “almost like the arabesque” design technique. The lines and dots protrude from Haddad’s canvases like imprints or calligraphic scribbles found on some edifices.

The work “La Revolution en Musique” is a tour de force of color and movement. Haddad remarks that she used only five colors – magenta red, cyan blue, yellow, black and white – in these paintings. In this respect the exhibition is also a remark upon how much variety of hue that can be pulled from a restricted – yet precise – palette.

bazaar music OVEREXPOSED

by Maroon 5

Recorded in Los Angeles, CA in late 2011 and early 2012, Maroon 5's fourth studio album Overexposed is a rich, popinfused collection of tracks. Maroon 5's musicianship and frontman Adam Levine's vocals are as distinct as ever on Overexposed, continuing to showcase the band's ability for creating songs that have become part of the fabric of pop and rock music today. Maroon 5 began writing and recording the album during their most recent world tour and the resulting collection is chock-full of undeniable, anthemic melodies. The album includes such stand out tracks as the emphatic “Payphone” featuring Wiz Khalifa, the irresistible “One More Night” and the rythmic ballad “Beautiful Goodbye”.

THE IDLER WHEEL...

by Fiona Apple

Like her second album When The Pawn… which had an extensive poem as its title, Fiona Apple‘s fourth studio album The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do follows suit in length, albeit not as long. According to Pitchfork Media and Apple's Facebook page the album is scheduled to be released on June 18, 2012 through Epic Records. Apple kicked off the promotional tour with two performances at the South By Southwest Festival where she debuted three new songs from The Idler Wheel...The album's first single, “Every Single Night” has received positive reviews and was well received by fans and critics. Pitchfork Media's Jen Pelly gave the song their Best New Music designation the same day. On June 19, the next day that The Idler Wheel... releases, Apple will begin an expansive North American tour to promote the album.

BLUNDERBUSS

by Jack White

Produced by Jack White and recorded at his own Third Man Studio in Nashville, Blunderbuss has been described

by White as "an album I couldn't have released until now. I've put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name. These songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas."

BOYS & GIRLS

by Alabama Shakes

2012 debut album from the Athens, Alabama-based outfit. The band was originally formed when lead singer/ guitarist Brittany Howard approached bassist Zac Cockrell during a high school psychology class and began meeting after school to write songs. The unmistakable presence of giant musical ghosts from the past haunt this record. The echoes are everywhere and they suggest the finest of pedigrees. Yet the Alabama Shakes have that extra dimension which is a key feature of all the contenders for the bands that somehow define the moment.

They are hot, they are talked about in hushed tones and while there is nothing essentially new to be found on their debut Boys & Girls they have taken the familiar and infused it with the brilliant musical feat of making it sound new and original.

#musicislife

by Dash Berlin

After the release of their highly successful debut album The New Daylight that spawned anthems such as “Waiting,” “Till The Sky Falls Down” and “Man On The Run,” Dash Berlin is expected to release their follow up album #musicislife. On this album, they feature collaborations with ATB, Emma Hewitt, Kate Walsh (who was featured on Yuri Kane’s “Right Back”), Shogun, Jonathan Mendelsohn, and many more. Tracks such as “Disarm Yourself ” and “World Falls Apart” that have already seen releases as singles in the past will also be included on this album. The new single “Go It Alone” which features British singer Sarah Howells (of the band Paper Aeroplanes) has already seen plenty of support from Dash Berlin’s global fanbase and a music video filmed in Cape Town. Also included as a bonus track is the infamous “Man On The Skyfire Dashup”.

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source: www.amazon.com

bazaar checks it out

AFLAMNAH The first crowd-funding initiative dedicated to the Arab World is set to launch on July 1 Calling all aspiring Steven Spielbergs, budding Andy Warhols and J.K Rowling wannabes Aflamnah, a phenomenal crowd-funding website that allows individuals to raise money for fresh ideas is set to be the first such initiative to launch in the Middle East.

The concept, brand new to the region, is designed to help talented individuals fund a wide range of ideas that includes film, television, art, music, photography and fashion from passionate like-minded individuals pledging support to help bring their idea to life.

Aflamnah has been created to encourage people in the Arab world with a dream to think bigger and bolder and inspire and engage the public to get behind an idea from the beginning to help it reach a wider audience.

In a bid to build on the incredible talent and creativity in the region, Aflamnah focuses on projects for the Arab world by Arabs or by individuals or organisations that care about cultures, societies and people who reside in any of its countries.

The crowd-funding platform that launches on July 1 aims to turn fantasies into reality and enrich, inspire and educate all those involved. The initiative hopes to change the way creativity in the region is conceived and hopes to encourage a new generation of directors, geeks, artists and story tellers to pursue their passion.

People must post the information related to their idea via the Aflamnah website and once the idea has met with the guidelines they are given access to make their project live on the site. Their idea has to meet a self-assigned target within 28 days. If a project doesn’t meet its goal, no money is exchanged. Aflamnah has no ownership over the projects and acts to help support projects to get successfully funded.

Aflamnah already has 4 confirmed projects that it will launch with on July 1.

From July 1, please visit Aflamnah.com for detailed information.

AUDI 1-2-3-4 VICTORY AT SPA ON PREMIERE Audi delivered a thrilling premiere of two new vehicle models: Romain Dumas/Loïc Duval/Marc Gené won the Spa 6 Hours, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC, in an open battle of the vehicle concepts. The two Audi driver teams completed the perfect 1-2-3-4 victory of the brand.

The successful racing debut of the Audi R18 ultra and the R18 e-tron quattro marked an important milestone for Audi. In their first competition, the two vehicle concepts, in addition to their reliability, demonstrated a very balanced overall performance. The sporting results confirmed a basic agenda set by Audi – the decision in favor of two vehicle concepts – right on the cars’ first race. Major technical advantages of individual concepts can be offset by the LMP sports prototype regulations in a way that allows a thrilling competition to unfold – even though this question will have to be answered anew on each of the race tracks under highly different general conditions.

AUK INAUGURATES THE SPRING CAPSTONE GRAPHIC DESIGN EXHIBITION The Art & Graphic Design Program (GDES) at AUK inaugurated its Senior Capstone Exhibition on May 14th. The event was held in the Multipurpose Room and the Auditorium at the AUK Salmiya Campus. The opening ceremony was attended by the AUK President, Dr. Winfred Thompson, and saw high turnout from AUK students, faculty, parents, and media.

During the exhibition, the participating senior students showcased and presented their graduation projects to visitors, who were impressed by the creativity of the designs and concepts. The themes of the exhibition included identity designs, business concepts, awareness projects, child health projects, among others. Social activism campaigns to re-brand identity were the core essence of this year’s exhibition.

More information on the American University of Kuwait can be found at www.auk.edu.kw.

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MARELLA In 2009, Martina Grasselli, Vogue talent and renowned jewelry designer both in Italy and abroad, where she has worked for prestigious brands launched Coliac, a line of luxury jewelry based on the study of materials such as enamels, resins and semiprecious stones.

Coliac for Marella, a limited edition capsule collection of jewelry inspired by the warm, natural colors of Africa and by the trends in the summer 2012 collection: precious embroidery and tribal-chic prints.

African mood in a contemporary and metropolitan style.

SUBWAY Kuwait Opens Landmark 60th Store SUBWAY restaurants in Kuwait, part of the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchise, achieved a milestone in Kuwait with the recent opening of its 60th restaurant, with a plan of opening 70 stores by the end of the year. The SUBWAY chain is the largest submarine sandwich franchise in the Arab world with more than 290 restaurants in some of the most important locations. It currently boasts more than 125 stores in the UAE, 60 in Kuwait, 48 in Saudi Arabia, 17 in Qatar, 11 in Oman and Bahrain, nine in Jordan, and five in Egypt and Lebanon. Abdul Rahman Almutairi, SUBWAY Kuwait Development Agent and Franchisee, said: “We are proud to be a pioneering food and beverage brand in Kuwait. We feel the brand is getting very popular and closer to consumers. The popularity of our nutritious offerings is reflected through our quick-paced growth. We aim to continue on our growth-path and add 40 locations to our portfolio in Kuwait within the next five years. ” Almutairi received over 10 regional awards this year, including the Highest Combined Profit & Store Gain, Most Franchises Sold and Most Non-traditional Franchises Sold in 2012.

BEHBEHANI MOTORS COMPANY LAUNCHES THE NEW VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT CC IN KUWAIT Behbehani Motors Company, the exclusive dealer of Volkswagen in Kuwait launched the technically updated and stylish line of sports car in its sedan category, the new 2012 Passat CC, in a press conference held at the Volkswagen showroom at Al Rai. The exclusive launch took place in the presence of the senior management from both companies, the dealership and the Middle East head office, as well as the local media. Commenting on the occasion, Abdullah Ali, General Manager of Volkswagen, Kuwait said, “With the launch of the revamped Passat CC model, we can effortlessly conclude that the sedan has crossed over to the luxury class. The stylish coupé is powered by a strong and efficient engine, exquisitely designed that shifts segment boundaries along with uncompromising comfort and safety and added key new features—all in all, a choice for drivers who seek the charm of a coupé with practicality.”

With these specifications and features worthy of luxury class, the Volkswagen Passat CC proves to be beyond industry standard for a four-door coupé.

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FIVE REASONS‌ Why social networking is a parent's ally

By Jeff Herring and Maritza Parra

Social networking is my husband Jeff's best friend. He feels like a super sleuth and as if he has a doorway into his son's private world. And with social networking, he does! It's only this recent generation of children who've really grown up with this. We certainly didn't have anything like instant messaging, texting, Facebook or Twitter when we were growing up. Heck, we didn't even have the Internet! We had to rely on old-fashioned telephones, snail mail, actual conversations and smoke signals.

OK, maybe not the smoke signals, but you get what I'm saying.

One of the hidden treasures of social networking is that parents can see what is going on in their children's lives, particularly teenagers.

Teenagers converse, share and have their relationships out in the open on things like Facebook or Twitter. You know what they're doing and who they're doing it with, who they're hanging out with. You know what they think about things. You know things they would never talk with you about. You see how they relate with other people.

These teenagers are sharing their happy moments, their sad moments, what they're angry about, everything. They're an open book with social networking. There is no privacy for them any longer, by their own choice. It's like getting a front-row seat view into your teenager's brain and heart. This is incredibly valuable information. But you've got to be really careful with it, as well. You don't want them to know you're spying on them. If they think you are, they'll stop being themselves and you've lost a valuable resource of information. And before any parents get angry, I want to state that yes, it would be wonderful to have a completely honest and open relationship with your teenager, and we do. But teenagers will never tell parents absolutely everything that's 134

going on with them. And that's just what happens when they are developing their own wings to fly with. Social networking just allows you to watch and guide from a distance while they begin to jump out of the nest. So, you want to let them feel like you're not watching or listening.

What we've seen parents do is go to their teenagers Twitter streams to see what is going on with them. So when you see something that alarms you in a conversation stream, don't immediately barge into their room and confront them. You want to see what's actually going on, note it and then next time you're taking them to school or sharing a meal, subtly introduce that topic. The keyword here is subtle, so they don't block you or begin to hide things from their social networking. If every time they tweet that they're upset, and immediately afterward you ask them why they're upset, then this isn't going to work for you.

This has been extremely effective in our family to help guide our teen to make better choices and talk about why he's feeling a certain way.

It's a really great tool for a parent. But remember, you don't want to misuse the tool.

You do want to continue to let your teenager feel they have their privacy and spread his or her wings. But you want to help and guide them. And there has never been a better time to know what's going inside their minds because of social networking.

Teenagers used to sit there and stew and not have a place to vent things. Now they can go on Twitter and Facebook and they do it freely. So it's great information for any parent to have, so you can guide your child toward better ways of thinking and better ways of making decisions. If all is fair in love and war, then this type of parental factfinding and espionage is definitely a tool worth using.

bazaar bites All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. - John Gunther

WATERMELON COOLER SLUSHIE INGREDIENTS • 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon • 10 ice cubes • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice • 1/4 cup white sugar • 1/8 teaspoon salt

GARLIC & BASIL PIZZA ON THE GRILL INGREDIENTS • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast • 1 cup warm water • 1 pinch white sugar • 2 teaspoons kosher salt • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil • 1/2 cup olive oil • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 1/4 cup tomato sauce • 1 cup chopped tomatoes • 1/4 cup sliced black olives • 1/4 cup roasted red peppers • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

JUICY GRILLED CORN ON THE COB INGREDIENTS • 1 gallon cold water • 1/2 cup white sugar • 1/2 cup salt • 8 ears corn on the cob, husks and silk removed • 1/2 cup softened butter, or to taste • salt and pepper to taste

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DIRECTIONS Place watermelon and ice into a blender. Pour in lime juice, sugar, and salt. Blend until smooth.

DIRECTIONS In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, and mix in sugar. Proof for 10 min. Mix in salt, olive oil, and flour until dough pulls away from sides. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, about 8 minutes.

Place dough in a well oiled bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, and knead in garlic and basil. Set aside to rise for 1 more hour, or until doubled again.

Preheat grill for high heat. Heat olive oil with garlic for 30 seconds in microwave. Set aside. Divide dough in half.

Form each half into an oblong shape. Brush grill grate with garlic flavored olive oil. Place dough on hot grill.

When the bottom crust has lightly browned, turn the dough over. Working quickly, brush oil over crust, and then brush with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Arrange chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, and roasted red peppers over crust. Sprinkle with cheese and 2 tablespoons basil. Close the lid, and cook until cheese melts. Remove from grill, and prepare the second pizza.

DIRECTIONS Pour the water into a large pot, and stir the sugar and 1/2 cup salt together until dissolved. Place the ears of corn into the pot, and allow to soak at least 30 minutes but no longer than 8 hours. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

Remove the corn from the soak and grill the ears, turning every 2 to 3 minutes to cook the kernels on all sides. Brush the grilled corn with butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

source: allrecipes.com

bazaar around town JUMEIRAH GROUP SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES 2012 ROADSHOW IN KUWAIT Jumeirah, the global hospitality management company headquartered in Dubai and a member of Dubai Holding has successfully completed its 2012 Roadshow in Kuwait.

Enhancing engagement with key travel and trade partners in Kuwait, whilst introducing new regional and international hotels and resorts across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Rome, Frankfurt, Istanbul and new serviced residence in London were the key objectives of the 2012 roadshow.

During the roadshow, Jumeirah Group also affirmed that the glittering new Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa will open doors for guests by end of 2012. Conveniently located at a close proximity to Kuwait City’s business centre and only 10 minutes away from Kuwait International Airport, Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa is poised to be Kuwait’s finest five star hotel.

Upon opening, the magnificent Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa will feature 316 rooms and suites along with 80 residential suites and 12 palatial villas. The hotel will also offer a wide choice of cuisines at its six speciality restaurants, cafes and lounges.

VIVA SUPPORTS THE KUWAITI NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM IN ITS MATCH AGAINST REAL MADRID As part of its continuous efforts to support National Sport Teams VIVA, Kuwait’s newest and most advanced mobile telecommunications service provider, announced its support of the Kuwaiti National Football Team in its match against Real Madrid on Wednesday, May 16th 2012.

As part of its continuous efforts to support Kuwaiti national sport teams, which debuted with the FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier match between the country’s national football team and its South Korean counterpart, VIVA will sponsor the Kuwaiti National Football Team during the friendly match against the Real Madrid team, wishing both teams the best of luck. VIVA welcomes the “Best Club of the 20th Century” in Kuwait and is looking forward to this friendly match that will appeal to the public and all football fans.

WATANIYA TELECOM AND KUWAIT SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS INAUGURATE “WATANIYA HALL” Wataniya Telecom announced the official inauguration of the “Wataniya Hall” located at the Kuwait Society of Engineers (KSE) premises which took place on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012. The ceremony was attended by General Manager and CEO of Wataniya Telecom, Scott Gegenheimer as well as Husam Al-Khorafi Head of KSE in addition to a number of officials from both Wataniya Telecom and KSE. Commenting on this event, Wataniya Telecom’s GM and CEO, Scott Gegenheimer said that “Wataniya’s cooperation with KSE symbolizes our pursuit to take part in local projects and make vital contributions to the development of our society and its members. We want to assist KSE in providing the latest scientific and technical training to its members which is at par with international standards.”

Head of KSE Husam Al-Khorafi handed over notable trophies to Wataniya and Fono teams at the end of the ceremony.

Trophies of appreciation were given to several senior members of Wataniya and Fono’s management.

For more information on Wataniya Telecom’s social responsibility initiatives please visit www.wataniya.com , or follow them on Twitter www.twitter.com/wataniyatelecom , or check latest updates on www.facebook.com/wataniya or check latest news on the blog www.wataniya.com/blog.

NEW DELECTABLE DISHES FROM CHEF MICHAEL OF ZEEBRGR! Having been open for a mere four months at the high-end Palms Hotel, ZeeBrgr has already garnered a sizeable following in Kuwait. Having enlisted the talents of Chef Michael from Miami, and Brgr expert Joe Hajjali of Minneapolis, the ZeeBrgr team traveled to several U.S. cities and, inspired by the distinct cuisine of these glamorous cities, Chef Michael and Joe brought back several new ideas to share with ZeeBrgr fans. The Mexico Brgr on a special sun-dried tomato bun with creamy Velveeta cheese, nachos, and special mango salsa. Ready to please the palates is the Fish’N Chips Brgr. This newcomer brings the taste of the sea to ZeeBrgr fans. ZeeBrgr introduces lotus root and quail egg on three little “musketeer” buns with the high-end Angus beef, to present its Angus Bites. Last but not least, Chef Michael introduces two mouthwatering desserts, the Popcorn Pain Perdu, and the Chocolate Brownie Magma. As the ZeeBrgr culinary experience evolves, be sure to stop by at this new culinary monument, and try some of these sophisticated flavors that will certainly “tickle” your senses!

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THE ALL-NEW BMW 6 SERIES GRAN COUPÉ GOES ON SALE IN KUWAIT BMW ventures into totally new car segment with its first four-door Coupé The all-new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé – the first four-door Coupé in the history of the BMW brand – has arrived in Kuwait following its unveiling to global audiences at the 82nd Geneva International Motor Show.

The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé follows the successful debut of the next generation Convertible and Coupé models launched last year. The aim in the design process was to achieve a synergy between the aesthetics and dynamics typical of a BMW Coupé and functional versatility of a four-door sedan. The result is a unique car with a distinctive character but unmistakably a BMW. Commenting on the launch, Mr. Yousef Al Qatami, General Manager of Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive said: “The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé follows in the tire tracks of the BMW 6 Series Coupé that we launched in Kuwait last year.

We expect that its distinctive character combined with dynamic driving, unmatched features and elegant style will see the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé also prove extremely popular in Kuwait.”

LUXENTER LAUNCHES THE ICON'S 1ST BOUTIQUE IN KUWAIT Yacob Behbehani Sons Co. inaugurated its first Luxenter boutique, a renowned Spanish brand of elegant accessories worldwide, in the prestigious Al Fanar Mall in Kuwait.

Luxenter, an International leading brand with over 2000 outlets in more than 30 countries across the world and a track-record of long expertise, represents a fascinating blend of classic Andalusia and modern Europe that simultaneously combines the spirit of tradition, passion for innovation, and greatly captivates the Arab women as they are always searching for authentic taste and luxury elegance.

Featuring an extreme innovation confidence, luxury and sophistication, Luxenter Kuwait introduces the latest collection of fine jewelry and accessories with unmatched competitive price.

It's worth mentioning that a prominent feature of Luxenter reflects the brand's ability in attending to the clientele's views and the flexibility in responding to their expectations, not to mention the brand's unsurpassed competitive edge in terms of design, quality and price.

BEHBEHANI GROUP TAKES LUXURY TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL Behbehani Luxury, exclusive watch boutique, opens in the Hamra Luxury Centre The Behbehani Group (Morad Yousuf Behbehani), which carries the reputation for being the leading retailer for “luxury watches & jewelry” in Kuwait, proudly launched its new mega-boutique at Al-Hamra Luxury Center in Sharq area.

Behbehani Luxury is the name of the new boutique, which exquisitely reflects the company’s image and the prestigious luxury brands. It caters to the refined tastes of the elite watch connoisseurs of Kuwait. The boutique is an invitation to Luxury with an exclusive ambiance, warm atmosphere and a unique luxurious interior. The select collection features the world’s most luxurious brand names such as Cartier, Breguet, Blancpain, Hublot, Roger Dubuis, Omega, Baume et Mercier and many others.

Speaking at the launch Mr. Ali Behbehani, said “We attach a lot of importance to customer satisfaction, and so are on a continuous drive to better our own standards at every stage of our growth. We don’t rest easy with matching the expectations of our valued customers, but we are looking forward to exceeding them.”

STARBUCKS INTRODUCES NEW MOCHA COOKIE CRUMBLE FRAPPUCCINO Celebrating the Launch of a New Tribute Blend Coffee, Now Brewing in Kuwait To prepare for summer and the beautiful days, the international coffee company Starbucks invites everyone in Kuwait to discover two new beverages: the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino and the Whole Bean Tribute Blend Coffee. The Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino is an eminent iced frappé coffee drink and a creamy classic. Composed of mocha sauce, milk, vanilla, chocolate shavings, Chantilly cream and a delicious coulis of red fruits, this new drink reveals a subtle mix of flavors. The perfect drink to delight your taste buds! Introduced for the first time, the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino is adapted to your wishes and tastes in order to offer you the best of coffee. The Whole Bean Tribute Blend Coffee blend features four of their highest quality beans: Aged Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, Sun-dried Ethiopia, and hazelnut-flavored Colombia. Coming from the four corners of the world, these flavors are carefully chosen and blended together. For a gourmet break come and enjoy the Starbucks experience. The Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino and the Whole Bean Tribute Blend Coffee will take you on a new trip of mouth-watering flavors.

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APPROPRIATING PALESTINIAN HISTORY’S ORPHANS FOR FICTION

By Niamh Fleming-Farrell

He turns the key in the ignition and presses the accelerator. Minutes later he’s dead along with 63 others at Beirut’s U.S. Embassy. It is April 18, 1983. The U.S. Embassy truck bomber’s victims were eventually named. His identity has remained unknown – that is until Palestinian writer Susan Abulhawa claimed him in her debut novel Mornings in Jenin.

In this one thread in Abulhawa’s complex family saga spanning six decades, imbues this man – so conclusively labeled a terrorist – with a history, a family, a love story and a motive so moving that the reader veers close to forgiveness.

The truck bomber isn’t the only “real” person that makes an appearance. As she charts the movements and experiences of the Abulheja family from pre-Nakba Palestine to Jenin refugee camp to Beirut and later to the U.S. and Israel, she assigns her characters true histories.

One is a victim described by journalist Robert Fisk in his account of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre. Another is a boy whose kidnap by the Israeli state is recounted in Norman Finklestein’s The Rise and Fall of Palestine.

In a novel overflowing with enthrallingly compelling prose and plot, Abulhawa fearlessly marches fiction to the frontier with reality, then steps decisively across it. For some readers this technique may imbue her fiction with power and relevance. In others 140

it may provoke indignation – what right has a fiction-writer to claim a real person and write them a life story? Others, unsure of their memory, may find themselves clicking though Wikipedia entries in a frazzled gambit to separate imagined events from history.

Abulhawa says taking her fiction into the documentary realm wasn’t an especially conscious decision. “When I sat down to write that part of the story, nothing I wrote was really satisfying to me,” she says of the novel’s depiction of the Sabra and Shatila massacre. “I thought, ‘I just want this first-hand, reporting account.’ And as I was writing, actually as I was pulling it out of [Fisk], the idea that this character could be this person [came to me].”

Fisk’s report, in tandem with an image from Sabra-Shatila that had captivated a teenage Abulhawa, sealed her character’s fate.

The writer describes her technique of working nonfiction writing like news reports into the novel’s prose as the literary equivalent of injecting historical footage into a contemporary film. “Literature is the place where you can meet history on a very human level,” Abulhawa contends. “I told this story the way that felt right to me. I wanted to honor these stories in some way, and I wanted to give them humanity, and to sort of lift the veil over these lives, these human beings who are so vilified in so many ways, but who are such victims.”

Asked whether fiction has the right to borrow from reality this way, Abulhawa muses for a moment. “My feeling is that literature is an expansive, enormous landscape,” she says, “and I think that when you write something, whether it’s history or not, when you write it with humanity and honesty ... I don’t feel that I’m on shaky moral ground to do that.”

Depicting the more distant past in fiction she admits, presents a less sensitive or controversial undertaking but she insists that “part of a writer’s mandate is to unveil history ... I don’t accept that I don’t have a right to do that.”

In Abulhawa’s work, the mutilated body of a pregnant woman Fisk describes in Sabra and Shatila days after the massacre is someone her readers know. They gasp as Fisk’s words disclose her identity to them. She becomes a person whose life and trials and sufferings have become known and familiar.

As worked by Abulhawa, her destiny evokes emotions in a way the journalistic account can’t, while bringing readers closer to historical events.

Herself the daughter of 1967 Palestinian refugees, she says it was her experience of the 2002 Jenin massacre that provoked her to write this novel. “Had I planned to write such an encompassing novel I probably would have been too intimidated to do it,” she says. “I’m not a planner. I just started writing.

“I probably started it as an activist, with activist goals in mind,” she adds, explaining that it was her activism that took her to Jenin in 2002.

But her activist agenda “dissipated very quickly, very early on,” she adds. “Once I really got into the story ... I really stopped thinking about anything else. My only goal at that time came to be to tell their story with honesty and humanity. It’s not a piece of activism, it’s a piece of Palestine. It’s a Palestinian voice.”

Abulhawa doesn’t claim that her work belongs on some higher, purer plane than politics. Rather she confronts what for some may be an uncomfortable truth.

“Being Palestinian,” she says, “our mere existence is a political statement, so certainly anything we produce is going to be political. Whether it’s intended to be political ... or not, the fact that a Palestinian did it ... has a political dimension to it, because it ultimately does become part of our struggle.”

Abulhawa confesses that one of the “enduring aches” of her life is “that my [Arabic] language has slipped away from my tongue.”

Bloomsbury Qatar published the Arabic translation of Mornings in Jenin earlier this year, a daunting event for a writer who applies the diligence of a master woodcarver to her elegantly etched and deliberately shaped prose.

“I think the jury’s going to have to be out on how [the book] works” in Arabic, she says. “I worked so hard on the prose in English to get it just right. I agonized over single sentences ... No translator is going to do that in Arabic.”

EVA MENDES MOVING FORWARD With 'Girl in Progress'

By Andrea Mandell

Forget Joan Rivers. Eva Mendes has a far more reliable fashion critic.

Over tea at the Four Seasons, dressed in what she calls her standby - a long, flowy dress nipped at the waist - Mendes grins while describing her mother's reliable postmortem.

"She sends me these e-mails whenever I go to an event, wherever I am in the world," says Mendes, who glamorously walked the Met Gala's red carpet. "I think she has on Google alert, which I've asked her a million times to please take me off that thing. And then she'll write me 'Mom's Review.' It's the sweetest thing in the world."

Head to toe, Mendes says, Mom sends her thoughts (even her hair and makeup team await word). Mom's biggest complaint? "She'll be like, 'Evie, your hair up looks so elegant and beautiful, but why can't you just wear a red lip?'"

But the critique is always sweet, and a far cry from what comes out of Mendes' own mouth in new film Girl in Progress as Grace, a single mother and waitress who spends more time romancing a married doctor than noticing her own teenage daughter, Ansiedad (Cierra Ramirez), in crisis.

"She's a disaster, but that's what attracted me to the role," Mendes says after settling in on the patio and whispering French commands to her Belgian Malinois guard dog, Hugo, who lies obediently at her feet. (Mendes bought him five years ago after a stalker became threatening. Today, she says, she feels "absolutely" safer.)

"In the script, on paper, she's very edgy and just a mess of a woman." A woman entirely unlike the one she grew up with. "She's completely the antithesis of my mother," Mendes says. "Because my mother is one of those women who never, ever did anything for herself. Once she had children, that's what she lived for."

Playing Grace is a turnaround role for the Cuban-American actress, who has scored big at the box office with films including Hitch, The Other Guys and Ghost Rider. In the past year, she has "laid low," staying outside the spotlight, stepping out only to support friends, her endorsements and projects such as her indie film, Last Night. When not working, Mendes is happy spending time at home gardening and keeping house.

"I love cleaning my house," she says. "It's so fun. I take such joy in keeping a clean house. I'll check into a hotel and I'll clean the room."

Now, Mendes, 38, is launching new, edgier projects. In Girl in Progress, Mendes' infamous beauty is twisted into an ugly cipher of selfishness, and last month at Cannes, her film Holly Motors (with Kylie Minogue) premiered (although her schedule didn’t permit her to attend). This fall, she stars in The Place Beyond the Pines, a drama with Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. Mendes calls the latter the most creatively satisfying work she has done.

It was on Pines that Mendes met her current beau, Gosling. He's the one topic that the friendly, warm actress admits brings her guard up. "That's the most precious thing to me," she says.

But she can't help but chuckle describing her role in the film opposite him. "I play Ryan Gosling's love interest and his baby mama." She pauses, then laughs.

"There's the guard going up again a little bit! I'm pushing it down!" She soldiers on, "and through this horrible tragedy, I have to deal with the fact that I now have this child to raise. ... It basically is this epic family drama that is really beautiful and emotional."

Equally emotional is the standoff between mother and child in Girl in Progress, as Mendes' Grace clings to her youth while her on-screen daughter recklessly forces her own rites of passage into adulthood.

Some of Hollywood's trickiest rites of passage are happily in Mendes' rearview mirror.

"I love the fact that I'm no longer the new girl," she says. "I've been in the industry 12 or 13 years. I'm just happy that I can choose what I want to be a part of, because there was definitely a time that I just took the best of what was coming at me and I was trying to rack up my experience. And not being there feels good."

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bazaar investigates

VISION EXPRESS Protect your eyes this summer Recent studies have shown that the sun can seriously damage your eyes. Here are 5 ways to keep your eyes safe in the sun: 1.

Opt for the highest sun protection possible when choosing your sunglasses, whether with or without prescription lenses – go for 100% UV protection and polarized lenses.

2.

The tissue of your eye is vulnerable to sunburn. With the sun and UV rays strongest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., either wear sunglasses and a hat or stay in the shade at this time.

3.

Choose grey colored lenses as they not only offer great protection in all weather but also ensure colours remain natural.

4.

Make sure you wear sunscreen a well as sunglasses to protect your eyelids and the delicate skin under and around the eyes.

5.

Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water to prevent your body and your eyes from becoming dehydrated in the hot months of summer.

TANGLE TEEZER WINS A QUEEN’S AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE IN INNOVATION beau-tique cosmetics intl’ the sole distributor of Tangle Teezer in the Middle East, is proud to announce that Tangle Teezer has been chosen as one of the elite group of companies in UK to win a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation, putting Tangle Teezer among the most successful of UK businesses and the world. Tangle Teezer is an everyday hair brush that detangles hair and gives professional outcome in the palm of your hand. Detangling wet and dry hair without any tugs or pulls, it has an innovative centralised concave design that delivers firm, salon style brushstrokes from roots to ends.

Tangle Teezer has recently launched their NEW Salon Elite design, which is a unique design as the original but created for professional stylists. You‘ll notice the centralized concave that contours the head shape better, giving fast, even brushstrokes from roots to ends. It also enables the hairbrush to cradle the scalp for a blissful head massage. The New Salon Elite will be launching in Kuwait soon.

Tangle Teezer is available in Kuwait at TONI&GUY Al Corniche, Eden Salon, Brush Salon, Blush Salons, Lashes, Arnouba Dabdoub Salons, Top to Toe Salon, Nailit Salons, Boudoir Salon and Hermosa.

ALLOWING YOUR FEET TO BREATHE New CrosMesh collection by Crocs – Shoes that are “Cool by Design” As warm weather creates moisture in the air, rest at ease knowing that your feet won’t follow suit. The new CrosMesh collection from Crocs is designed to give you extra breathability. Each shoe is made from CrosMesh material providing ventilation for your feet. With the sporty sneaker design, be confident that your feet will stay cool in more ways than one.

Shoes for Him: Whenever it gets hot, the last thing any man wants to deal with is sweaty feet, and in this weather that is inevitable.

Don’t count your losses yet, boys! Stay cool and comfy all day long with the CrosMeshSummer Shoe and CrosMeshHover Lace Up. Shoes for Kids: Summer’s here, and it’s the perfect time for kids to release some extra pent up energy outdoors with Crocs’ lightweight styles that are perfect for their little feet. Taking the original clog a step further, Crocs presents the CrosMesh Clog Kids.

Inspired by the vintage sneaker style, the CrosMesh Hover Sneak Kids is extra durable for the little guy in the family. The CrosMesh Hover Skimmer Girls is a great cross between a traditional sneaker and a flat, giving young ladies a casual shoe in a girly style.

Visit www.crocs.com.kw for additional information. Join Crocs Kuwait social community on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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VANS FOOTWEAR SPRING 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Vans Classics reflect 40 years of heritage as the world’s first skate shoe company. The Classics line consists of Vans styles that have been the staples of boarders since the ’70s as well as newer silhouettes built off those simple, canvas profiles. Never resting on our laurels, Vans introduces a several new styles including the Madero, LP Slip, LP Zapato Gore and Authentic Lite for guys as well as the Slip-On Lo Pro for the girls.

While canvas Classics are the collections’ platform, releases utilizing richer materials such as leather, suede and unique textiles are abundant throughout the line this season.

Key Spring 2012 Men’s Releases: Madero Debuting this season, the Madero modernizes the classic wino style a clean, streamlined design and fresh materials including canvas and suede. Available in different shades.

LP Zapato Gore New to the men’s mix, the LP Zapato Gore is a slimmer, low profile take on our popular Zapato boat shoe and is available in three great distressed canvas models.

Rad Pack In a nod to Vans BMX heritage and legendary BMX movie Rad, we are excited to re-issue the Rad Pack, three Authentics in classic colors featuring the infamous Rad logo on the outsole.

Key Spring 2012 Women’s Releases: This season, fashion forward women’s footwear finds a home in the Classics collection. Tried and true styles get updated with rich textiles for spring, creating a range of great options available to the fashion conscious consumer.

Slip-On Lo Pro With a 45-year history of being one of the most popular shoes in the Vans collections, the Classic Slip-On has a new counterpart to share its name, the Slip-On Lo Pro. The Slip-On Lo Pro is styled off the Classic Slip-On but is slimmed down to make it lightweight and sleeker in profile.

JUICY COUTURE Your summertime companion We love the summer air, and the designers at Juicy Couture have captured the summer breeze in beautiful leather. Perforated and lightweight it's innovative and completely of the moment. Embrace it. The see-through airiness of perforated leather is captivating in their iconic daydreamer bag. The straps snap together for a sporty effect, and the grosgrain bows tell the world you're Juicy. Their iconic bag gets a sparkling rhinestone logo treatment. The new JC crown logo looks smashing on velvety soft velour. Add some energy to your look with Juicy's newest silhouette. This small structured bag is sized to go everywhere with a lightweight construction and terrific interior. Vibrant color in their iconic soft velour with the new JC logo embroidered in rhinestones. Perfect for the summer, the Pool Party Leann totes comes with a matching beach towel and a removable little wristlet pouch. You'll be pool couture-ready with this all-inone number just toss the bikini in the bag. Iconic Juicy crown perforated over bag. Their bestseller keeps getting better. It's an icon, with rhinestone-crusted embroidered graphic, big grosgrain bows, and a removable logo keyfob. Complete it with a matching small French purse in a contrasting shade.

Whatever your summer plans, Juicy Couture is the perfect companion. The Juicy Couture store is located in 360 Mall, Tel: 2530 9599.

EAT GOURMET Office Meal is our Business EAT Gourmet is launching a unique innovative service, the first concept in the Middle East that offers business meal solutions for office employees.

Eat Gourmet allows you to have your favorite food at your office through subscribing to their daily delivery meals that offer different kinds of subscriptions such as Executive Lunch, Breakfast, or sandwich packages with a menu combining different oriental and international dishes within affordable prices.

Moreover, Eat Gourmet professional staff is trained to deliver the highest standards to ensure the quality control and consistency of taste.

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bazaar scopes

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

TAU R U S

April 20 - May 20

GEMINI

May 21 - June 21

You could have such an urge to just go shopping for something nice for that loved one in your life. Interesting, huh? The good news is that you have the money at this time to do it right. Don’t forget to be good to yourself as well. By month’s end, you could be talking a move to a more permanent location, if not already settled. You could be asking if where you live is too small, or too big for you needs. Analyze the situations fairly before making a choice. Wait until the last two days of the month to make that decision.

CANCER

The communications will be rolling in with lightening speed this month. It may be something of a task just to keep up. Remain calm and eat that elephant one bite at a time. Don’t lose your perspective in any situation. This will help when things get just a bit frantic. After midmonth, a couple of home improvement projects might be just what the doctor ordered. A chance to get out in the sun and putter in the garden. Also during this period, an unresolved romantic problem could find a joyous solution.

June 22 - July 22

Your security is where you may be focused the first half of June.

Financial planning will be the most important thing going for you this month. Take your time and leave your options open as long as you can before committing. This would be an excellent time to purchase property as well. Once the security level is reached, you may find yourself in romantic surroundings and in the mood for companionship. Spring is in the air and even a Capricorn needs affection from time to time. So get out and circulate.

LEO

Romance is in the spring air for you. Also the creative urge is running through your life with abandon. Time to smell the roses and take some measures to enjoy your life. If you open yourself to new experiences this month you could get a big surprise. After midmonth, look to be spending more time on the job. This is in a positive way and not a taxing one, either. You may find you are there because of some new project you dreamed up and want to see to completion. A labor of love can be very rewarding.

July 23 - Aug 22

Work, work, and work. So much to do, so little time, or so it would seem. Time to get organized Scorpio. Listen to those around you for ideas on how to streamline your activities and reap the biggest benefits from your actions. You will feel that you have the energy to go ahead and get the job done right. After midmonth your focus moves over the Significant Other in your life. This comes none too quickly, either. Seems you been spending too much time with yourself. For some that’s OK. For others, it isn’t. Don’t get caught being rigid, as you can get that way sometimes.

VIRGO

Nov 22 - Dec 21 Dec 22 - Jan 19 Jan 20 - Feb 18

This month bodes so well for your committed relationships. There’s just a ton of activity in this area. You are changing things for the better. Making a new commitment or revitalizing an older one. Either way, it’s a wonderful ride this month. After the middle of the month, your focus changes to the shared assets area of your life. Shared with your Committed Other. You’ll be in the mood for doing some mass management. Making changes, setting up budgets, and just generally getting things organized. What’s really great is you’re going to have fun doing it, mainly because you have something to work with and a partner that cares.

Aug 23 - Sept 22

LIBRA

Sept 23 - Oct 22

S CO R P I O

Oct 23 - Nov 21

S A G I T TA R I U S C A P R I CO R N A Q UA R I U S PISCES

Feb 19 - March 20

what’s your sign?

Time to shine Aries! Like the morning sun, you seem to burst onto the scene wherever you go, spreading sunshine. Pluto and Saturn are giving you a big boost this month. Things are changing, but in a good way and not without some common sense and a sound foundation. Any changes you make will be for the best. Because of these changes, some friends may not agree with the direction you are taking. There may be resistance and this could cause you concern. They, and yourself, need to understand that these changes have been coming now for quite some time. Saturn and Pluto never do anything quickly, but always very carefully and methodically, even if it does look sudden.

So much to do and so little time. The gas tank is running low and the clock is ticking. Are you feeling the pressure? You may feel like crawling away and hibernating for a while. After the 21st the energy level comes back, so don’t push it so hard until then. As you settle into the month of June, Taurus, you will begin to wonder if this is the life that you’re destined to have. Your ideas come more easily, your money flows more readily, and you’re simply in sync with all of the things you’ve been doing for months. One of the main energies of June for you, Taurus, is that you’re going to find that you don’t have to work as hard at things as you might have had to do in the past. This can feel a little strange, given how hard you’ve had to work on certain goals in your not-so-distant past.

The last two weeks of June and the better part of this month the Dream Machine has been running into overtime. Seems you’ve been scheming and planning for the future. This comes at a time when, since way last summer, events have played an important role in setting up these choices for you now. After midmonth, you may feel like just taking the time with someone on a very personal and quiet basis. Nothing fancy, which is such a departure for you. A time of quiet talks and dim lights. Sounds romantic, but you’re more tired than amorous. Get some rest in the next few weeks.

Ball of fire. Could you be any more “ON”? The career arena is popping with achievement. The things you want out of life seem to be handed to you without effort. Even romance is in the spring air for you. I’d say June couldn’t get any better. After midmonth, you shift gears and focus on the future. What will be your next move? What height is still untouched? You spent most of the last half of the month thinking and discussing just that. Remember, the Universe doesn’t mind when we ask for things, It minds when we ask for too little.

You could be rolling in clover before June ends. Seems that all the work you’ve been doing is now going to start to pay off. The accolades will be rolling in on the career scene. You could wind-up very high profile as a result of your actions. This could also mean more money for you. After midmonth, you may start to lean a little towards the door and look for ways to evacuate the work scene and seek green pastures for peace and relaxation. Life has been good and now you may feel it is time to pay a little back.

Busy, busy. Get the taxes out. Balance the books. Cover all the bases.

Run here, run there. It’s a full schedule, but you’re up to the task.

It’s almost like having a private personal energy source this month.

Just don’t go overboard with trying to do too much. Remember to breath. After the middle of the month you may find yourself out of town suddenly. It would be an excellent time to mix both business and pleasure. Remember, the pleasure part is just as important as the work part. Take some time for yourself and those you love. source: www.horoscopessign.com

146

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Kuwait’s Leading Psychologists Under the supervision of USA Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa Clinical Director Dr. Susannah J. Schuilenberg Clinical Coordinator

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