SOCIETY October 2018

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My top 3 picks

FROM THE EDITOR

The height of hospitality

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one are the days when we would head down to a nearest brick-and-mortar travel agent to book a family vacation or work trip. But today, thanks to technological innovation, travellers are playing a much larger role in the experience. They want to find hotels that match their style—on their terms—the very moment they need it. Whether planning a short trip or relocating to a new city, players like Airbnb help you find a place with high-quality amenities. Indeed, the digital transformation is a dream come true for introverts who like to travel. With mobile-first and mobile-only brands continuing to grow, customers can do practically anything on their phone, from checking in—to ordering room service—to unlocking the room door itself. In fact, one can plan an entire trip without even talking to a live human.

The fact that guests can book instantly also means they can share their opinions instantly via Facebook, TripAdvisor and other travel review websites. That’s why technology has pushed hotels and restaurants to focus even more on providing quality customer service. Yes, there are outliers. But there is no doubt the trend is towards better service for guests. One thing for certain is that hospitality industry is undergoing unprecedented digital disruption, and the emergence of game-changing technologies is irrevocably altering the very way that business is conducted in the sector. If you happen to be looking forward to a career offering immense variety, check this article ‘How about a career in hospitality?’ on P.26. With growing consumer interest in experiences rather than products – and the rise of the so-called ‘experience economy’ – demand for hospitality professionals is widespread and growing fast. Always remember success is about the difference we make in the lives of others. Read this incredible story on P.12 and get inspired by people like Vikash Das, who works towards the upliftment of tribal women in India. His social endeavour started when he saw a tribal woman being offended. Fast forward to today, that woman is a successful entrepreneur employing 35 women from her community.

Change begins at home Establishing a chore routine and assigning chores starting at an early age will be beneficial to both parents and children.

P.43

Top five most romantic wedding destinations From beautiful beachside settings to intimate historic venues with breathtaking scenery, and fairy-talelike celebrations, these resorts offer wedding and honeymoon venues that can meet every heart’s desire.

P.30

Get lost in the chocolate flavour

Happy reading!

Felchlin’s corporate pastry chef Simon Badertscher shares some of his favourite chocolate recipes to try at home.

Amjad Vanimal

Society • ISSUE 74 • OCTOBER 2018

Editor amjad.m@gulf-times.com

P.52

Director- Marketing James John Editor Amjad Vanimal Features Editor Dr. Sudip N. Copy Editors Rajith R Shemna Bijith Steve Joseph Advertising Marketing team

Design & Layout Majeed Nadapuram

Contributing Writers Homayra Billah Sondra Hope Sonia Fazal Jalpa Zubin M Katya Hvass Rabi’ah M Ruchika Dubey Dr Aruna Dhade Rida Khan Abdur Raqib Dr Rajeev Thomas

Editorial Enquiries Tel: +974 44466413 society@gulf-times.com Advertising Enquiries Tel: +974 44466620 Fax: +974 44418811 Email: advr@gulf-times.com Printed & Published by Gulf Publishing & Printing Co. W.L.L. Website : www.society.qa

CONTENTS

OCTOBER 2018 MOTIVATION Establishing a chore routine and assigning chores starting at an early age will be beneficial to both parents and children.

SCOPE

43

36

How often do you consider the impact of flying on your health? Do you feel exhausted and jet-lagged after flying? Follow these tips from airline pilots.

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TRAVEL

Known as a divers’ paradise, Grand Cayman has some of the best wall and drift dive sites in the world.

40 FREQUENT Photo of the issue

HEALTHCARE As more and more people look to improve their lives through a healthy routine, hotel industry innovators are working to make sure that routine isn’t broken when people travel.

FLAIR

GOURMET Felchlin’s corporate pastry chef Simon Badertscher shares some of his favourite chocolate recipes to try at home.

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FOCUS

Scope

How often do you consider the impact of flying on your health? Do you feel exhausted and jet-lagged after flying? Follow these tips from airline pilots. P.36

Healthcare

As more and more people look to improve their lives through a healthy routine, hotel industry innovators are working to make sure that routine isn’t broken when people travel. P.40

Motivation

Establishing a chore routine and assigning chores starting at an early age will be beneficial to both parents and children. P.43 Captured by Ray Toh

P.10

Style P.46 Gourmet

Felchlin’s corporate pastry chef Simon Badertscher shares some of his favourite chocolate recipes to try at home. P.52

Travel

Known as a divers’ paradise, Grand Cayman has some of the best wall and drift dive sites in the world. P.58

Next >>

CONTENTS

OCTOBER 2018

COVER STORY

SPOTLIGHT

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Top five most romantic wedding destinations: From beautiful beachside settings to intimate historic venues with breathtaking scenery, and fairy-tale-like celebrations, these resorts offer wedding and honeymoon venues that can meet every heart’s desire

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Eye-Popping Designs: Drawing from her own personal experiences, Qatar-based Indian expat Shazia Sheikh takes jewellery design to new heights.

26 Meet the man who quit his job to help tribal women in India: Vikash Das’s social endeavour started when he saw a tribal woman being offended.

Fast forward to today, that woman is a successful entrepreneur employing 35 women from her community.

FOCUS

COVER STORY

12 SPOTLIGHT

22

Date with dates: Qatar resident Kutty Mohammad has transformed the front yard of his residence in Kerala into little oases of greenery replete with exotic date palms. .

‘How about a career in hospitality?: With growing consumer interest in experiences rather than products – and the rise of the so-called ‘experience economy’ – demand for hospitality professionals is widespread and growing fast.

Spotlight Meet the man who quit his job to help tribal women in India: Vikash Das’s social endeavour started when he saw a tribal woman being offended. Fast forward to today, that woman is a successful entrepreneur employing 35 women from her community. P.12 Eye-Popping Designs: Drawing from her own personal experiences, Qatar-based Indian expat Shazia Sheikh takes jewellery design to new heights. P.18 Date with dates: Qatar resident Kutty Mohammad has transformed the front yard of his residence in Kerala into little oases of greenery replete with exotic date palms. P.22

Cover Stories How about a career in hospitality? : With growing consumer interest in experiences rather than products – and the rise of the so-called ‘experience economy’ – demand for hospitality professionals is widespread and growing fast. P.26

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Top five most romantiic wedding destinations : From beautiful beachside settings to intimate historic venues with breathtaking scenery, and fairy-tale-like celebrations, these resorts offer wedding and honeymoon venues that can meet every heart’s desire P.30

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PHOTO OF THE ISSUE Your cam. Your shot Submit a favourite photo you’ve clicked on any topic of your choice for possible publication in an upcoming issue of Society.

Send your photos to : society@gulf-times.com

Captured by: Ray Toh

FOCUS

spotlight

Vikash Das

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MEET THE MAN WHO QUIT HIS HIGHPAYING JOB TO HELP TRIBAL WOMEN IN INDIA Vikash Das’s social endeavour started when he saw a tribal woman being offended. Fast forward to today, that woman is a successful entrepreneur employing 35 women from her community Abdur Raqib is a business development and corporate engagement consultant at UN Headquarters, New York. He has done extensive industry research for over a decade to identify private sector entities with innovative business models for UN-enterprise collaboration. Abdur has worked with leading social entrepreneurs to help them develop profitable and scalable models for reaching poor communities and contributing to global development.

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t was October 2013 when Vikash Das, an IT consultant, visited his hometown Balasore, India, to celebrate Durga Puja. Durga Puja is an annual Hindu festival in the Indian subcontinent that reveres the Goddess Durga. The Puja at the Das’s residence is celebrated with great pomp and show. Thousands of devotees visit Vikash’s residence to have the

Abdur Raqib

glimpse of Goddess. This time, too, many people gathered around their house to have a look at the divine Goddess.

Surrounded by a roaring crowd, Sukima Majhi, a shabbily-dressed woman from the tribal community tried to enter the premises to offer her prayers. To her surprise, she was dragged out of the

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Vat Vrikshya’s vision is to be an agent of ‘financial change’, with the aim of improving the livelihood of tribal communities.

premises by the priests just because they considered her impure and unclean. After witnessing that, for the first time, Vikash felt a strong sense of responsibility. He was stunned to see the same society that worships Goddess, ill-treats women in the same vicinity. Having developed a worldview in tune with the times, Vikash could not cope with the notion that someone would not be allowed to take part in a festival that is meant to bring communities together.

“This was an epitome of hypocrisy for me.

We were offering our prayers to a Goddess and at the same time we were insulting a woman just because she belonged to a particular caste,” says Vikash.

Vikash decided to get to the root cause of this prejudicial treatment. Over the course of time, he realised that the tribal folks were being discriminated because they were poor, illiterate and malnourished. He noticed that in the tribal community, the men are usually indulged in alcoholism and gambling, whereas the women work very hard to support their family. Thus 14 Society

he decided to empower these women to ignite change and uplift the community as a whole.

The next thing he did was visit remote tribal villages where he stayed with the forest population for over two months to understand their problems. He also approached his friends from the corporate sector to join him and soon got a core team of seven people who accompanied him to these villages.

“We had to wade through rivers and cross dense jungles. Adding to the struggle, the geographic conditions and location are such that it becomes cumbersome for communities to explore avenues for economic upliftment. Furthermore, telecommunication and transportation facilities are so bleak, with one having to travel several miles to just make a phone call. Language was another barrier. We thought of interviewing tribal women but village elders and male members didn’t let women to come out of their home and speak to strangers. They thought we are another group of outsiders who have

come to exploit them. It took its fair share of time to convince them”, Vikash recalled.

He added, “I experienced all these personally as I was living among these communities. For the first time I felt devastating hunger. I had no clean water to drink. In due course of time situations changed. Despite their limited means, tribals welcomed me in their world and allowed me the exposure to both, the best and the worst of their lives. From taking part in festivities, preparing and sharing meals to hearing tales of deaths of sons and daughters due to lack of finances for medical treatments, I heard it all.”

In April 2014, Vikash quit his high paying corporate job and launched his social enterprise “Vat Vrikshya” to empower women from the marginalised communities. As the team did not had an office initially, they would sit under a banyan tree to discuss things with the tribal populace and thus came up the name ‘Vat Vrikshya,’ which in Sanskrit is a banyan tree and is considered sacred by the tribals.

Vat Vrikshya was set up primarily to empower tribal women catalyze their

Vat Vrikshya transforms the life of tribal women through vocational training, general awareness education, soft loans and community development programmes own process of change. Vat Vrikshya’s vision is to be an agent of ‘financial change’, with the aim of improving the livelihood of tribal communities. The enterprise aims to achieve this by creating a sustainable market as well as feasible business opportunities for them, based on their cultural knowledge and traditional skills, whilst ensuring fair and equitable remuneration.

“I was particularly interested in women’s economic empowerment, and my initial thought was to create a business around some sort of product that tribal women could manufacture,” says Vikash.

The idea behind this mission is that improving the financial health of women will lead to an overall improvement in the financial standing of the community. The organization follows a four-pronged approach to economic empowerment — needs assessment, networking and partnerships, education and marketing strategy, as well as transparency and involvement. The social enterprise provides women with vocational training, soft loans, expert advice and market linkages to help develop supplementary sources of income.

Vat Vrikshya introduces tribal women to concepts of savings and networking, providing leadership, marketing skills along with financial literacy. “We impart personality development trainings as well. We track their progress, we keep in touch and we are always ready to motivate them and cheer them on.

We have delivered our training programs to almost 20,000 women,” he says. Vat Vrikshya has linked over 250 tribal hamlets which are then connected with larger towns, cities, and various government-led institutions. The enterprise also helps people sell their wares directly in fairs and markets, bypass exploita-

Sukima Majhi

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n

tribal wome icrafts products by

nd Vat Vrikshya's ha

tive middlemen and earn better profits.

edge-sharing and training sessions.

Vikash adds, “We have also helped create spaces where women can meet and exchange information.” These village knowledge centres employ information technology to promote knowledge dissemination among women’s groups that gather on weekends to share knowledge on vegetable cultivation and seed and grain preservation techniques and perform various cultural activities.

A part of the profit is used to improve health and education in villages and support the women entrepreneurs with interest-free loans. “Encouraged by our training in business skills, a lot of women have started their own business. They have increased their family savings by 92 per cent,” he said.

“The beneficiaries’ banking activities went up by 70 per cent, while 78 per cent have moved away from private moneylenders,” Vikash said. Women representatives maintain records, manage the organisation’s fund and arrange weekly knowl16 Society

“We changed their financial behaviour and impacted the lives of women and their families. After attending our programmes, the women have developed a greater sense of confidence in decision-making and interpersonal relations.

We not only empower these women but Sukima Majhi, who was once not allowed

to enter the premises is now a business woman in the truest sense.

Sukima specializes in indigenous bamboo art, but middlemen who used to connect her to the market and sell her produce, had been exploiting her by paying a fraction of her fair wages. After Vat Vrikshya provided her with the required skills and market linkages, she has found a way to run her business without any need for the middlemen, and now gets more returns for her produce. She has now matured as an entrepreneur, who employs 32 women from her village to run her business. Her bamboo products have received widespread acclaim, both in terms of design as well as from an eco-friendly viewpoint.

Similarly Rani, who was once abandoned

from her village, is living a life of dignity thanks to the helping hand extended by Vat Vrikshya. Rani was skilled in weaving and knitting. Vat Vrikshya provided her a seed funding of 15,000, mentored her to start a new business, branded and marketed the products, and connected her to potential customers. Rani happily says, “My hand-woven products have found place in wardrobes of European customers. I feel highly elated that I make others

A part of the profit is used to improve health and education in villages and support the women entrepreneurs with interest-free loans

Rani

look beautiful through my hand-woven products. I look beautiful when I make others look beautiful through my hand-woven products.”

When asked about one piece of wisdom that he would like to share with readers, Vikash says, “We all have seen the ugliness of this world and feel dejected about it. We all want to bring reforms and challenge the status quo. But every time we decide to make a difference a little voice of self-doubt gets louder within – can I do it all alone? Do I have a large amount of resources to bring in the change? What if I fail miserably? We are reluctant to take the first step. When we started our organization we did not

have abundant resources, but what we had was the desire to bring in the change, the conviction and the guts to take that very first step. I thought to myself, I would rather try and fail than not to try at all and haunted by the “what if” question all my life”.

Vikash now plans to extend Vat Vrikshya to other countries of South Asia and Middle East and wants to maximise product distribution through e-commerce. We wish him all the best for his future endeavours and he may continue to illuminate lives of thousands others.

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FOCUS

spotlight

EYE-POPPING

DESIGNS

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Drawing from her own personal experiences, Qatar-based Indian expat Shazia Sheikh takes jewellery design to new heights. She tells Ruchika Dubey what her art means to her

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old and silver were known for making jewellery in the past.

Now focus of consumers is shifted to modern and customized jewelllery. Seeing the demand of artificial gemstones jewellery, Shazia Sheikh put her Jewellery on the map of Qatar jewellery market. Six years ago, she launched her latest collection to woo consumers with her innovative designs and even made Qatari women and Asian expatriates of all ages fond of designer jewellery.

A long-time Qatar resident and a successful entrepreneur, Shazia is overwhelmed with the immense response for her venture ‘SaheliMy Best Friend’ in Qatar. Drawing

inspiration from her own personal experiences, Shazia shares her views, “Indian craftsmanship is immensely unique and recognized all over Qatar.

So I am just helping women to beautify their personality. Our primary focus is to create a name for Saheli in Qatar with specialty being unique, superior quality and customized jewellery for the residents of Qatar. It also serves the motive of social responsibility to provide employment to many craftsmen back in India.

In a free-wheeling interview, Shazia tells us how she started her entrepreneurial journey and how she balances her family life and professional life.

Excerpts:

Q Tell us about you and your entrepreneurial journey?

A I am a fashion designer by qualification,

Shazia Sheikh

Ruchika Dubey is a long-time Qatar resident, former HR professional and is a mother of two kids. In her spare time, she loves to socialize, dance, jewellery making and writing blogs on places in Qatar.

working as a secretary for a reputed firm, owner and designer of Saheli Jewellery, social coordinator at Indian Women’s Association and a mother of three kids.

After office and household chores, I always wanted to do something of my own, especially related to fashion industry.

Apparently, in Doha it was very hard to find good Indian jewellery. If at all you manage to get it, it was expensive or not exactly matching your outfit. Being a woman, we always prefer to be perfect. That was the time when the whole idea popped up in my mind. I started working out on how we can make Indian jewellery to be customized. With a little bit of planning and strategies, I started my brand, Saheli-My Best Friend. The idea of Saheli started in the year 2011 with an investment of just QR 5000 and we had no idea that Saheli will reach this platform as it is today. I hired a team in Mumbai and Kolkata with the best craftsmen in their respective areas and then started surveying on the requirement or preference of the different kinds of jewellery worn by women belonging to different states and nationalities.

The first batch of designs took around 3 to 4 months to complete. We introduced the brand Saheli by conducting exhibition at

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A long-time Qatar resident and a successful entrepreneur, Shazia is overwhelmed with the immense response for her venture ‘Saheli-My Best Friend’ in Qatar.

my house and invited all my friends and relatives. It received an above average response and it motivated me extremely and brought many more ideas to my mind. We kept our work expanding. We started to participate in many exhibitions and received a very good response from all my clients. Since I’m occupied the whole day, I have leased a small kiosk at DG Fashion Gallery where all my jewellery pieces are displayed, hoping that it will be more convenient for my customers to go and purchase their favourite deigns.

Q Where and how is your

customized jewellery pieces are being created? What is the strategy behind bringing traditional shoppers come online?

A We have a manufacturing setup in Mumbai and Kolkata for both categories AD & Polki. The specialty of our jewellery is that it’s very light weight since we use brass copper and zinc with nickel coating as our base or dye. There are many types of machinery for polishing, casting, welding etc. which are used for jewellery-making and it is a very sensitive process even a single mistake can ruin the designs.

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Q What is your call on customized jewellery business today?

Q Tell us more about types of imitation jewellery that you deal with.

A There are always ups and downs in all sectors of industries. I feel if you work hard on the designs and keep on innovating new designs as per the audience choice, you will definitely gain success either today or tomorrow.

Sometimes there are challenges but by the grace of god I’m happy with wherever Saheli is today.

A Saheli, provides the finest collections of Indian jewellery from all parts of India.

The main categories in our jewellery are American diamond, Polki, Minakari, Kundan ,Oxidize etc. From daily wears to bridal wear; be it an earring, ring, necklace set, mangtika (forehead jewellery) baju band (arm band), anklets, ear chains, hath pan (rings connected from wrist to finger) hair accessories, waist band (chain worn around the waist), keychains (worn around waist), toe rings, saree pins made in polki, sindoor box etc. we have it all. We also take bulk orders for weddings, school annual day programs, theme partys etc.

Q How do you see the scope of jewellery manufacturing industry in Qatar?

A I have got offers from my local friends who are willing to help me in starting manufacturing in Qatar after the embargo. But still we have not finalized anything since our jewellery making involves many Indian artists in their respective area; be it a Patwa (who weaves beads into different mala), Master (who makes the raw molded metal into ring, necklace or bangle) and many more creative artists who help me until the final product is made. It will be difficult for them to migrate here. Still let’s hope for the best.

Q What types of jewellery do you promote in Qatar?

A From wedding ceremonies to formal get-togethers, we have it all. We have gathered taste of different states as well as religion. Arabic jewellery involves more of pearls and silver platting in rings, bracelet and longer chains which is visible from the abaya. I have launched

some items specially for them. These days I am shocked to see Arab women demanding for mangtika, anklets and nose pins which are more common in Indian tradition.

Southern kind Indian jewellery will have jhumkas and divine collections, peacock designs. It must match the saree or the traditional outfit my client wears.

Women from the northern part of India will be focused on lighter weight and socially popular jewellery in serials and movies.

Working women like teachers, corporates etc. prefer very lighter pieces to match all daily outfits. We have jewellery for all traditional outfits. Clients customize their jewellery to match the theme of the annual days or weddings.

We make full bridal jewellery set for brides as per the dress she is going to wear on her big day. Saheli Jewellery has to stand out from the rest and I feel happy in helping my clients have a smile on their face.

Q Why is it important to keep your jewellery on the more affordable end?

A My vision from the start was to create a luxury, quality jewellery brand that embraces amazing, good quality stones and unique designs at a price point that is of great quality, not very expensive, but attainable. Whether a woman wants to buy a pair of earrings for everyday wear or statement pieces from our seasonal collections for a special occasion, there is something for everyone’s personal taste and budget.

Q What are the future plans of Saheli?

A Saheli - My Best Friend started with a very less investment, and recently by the grace of god and the love of our clients we have started a counter inside DG Fashion Gallery (Airport Road) near FFC and Indian Supermarket. We have recently modified our display focusing mainly on the display which is the most important factor in any business. It is a platform where we have clients of all nationalities, with different taste in jewellery. We intend to launch our own store by the mid 2019.

Q What’s it like to see someone wearing one of your creations?

A Just awesome! It usually happens in events like IWA parties where ladies stop and tell me dear this is from your store. Also in wedding or annual day functions when most of the teachers as well as students are wearing my jewellery. I purposely ask them like from where did you buy this beautiful piece of jewellery. They happily start giving me information and guide directions to my store. I smile !!!! that’s the best feeling ever. I simply want every woman in Doha to wear my jewellery. She is fashionforward, has an incredible, vivacious personality and is not afraid of turning heads when she walks in a room. These are the kind of women I see wearing my jewellery. They are the ones who truly bring my collections to life! I love to make them happy and feel good with what I do.

It is a tremendous satisfaction and a great honour.

Q What advice would you give to other working mothers on how to balance their professional and personal life?

A Achieving balance with your professional and family life is a constant challenge. Most importantly, be

passionate about your work. Then, seek out a business with an environment that encourages the balance, allowing you to be a mom first. If you’re looking to start your own business, aim to create a company culture that maintains this balance and is true to your core values as a person.

Q What is the most important lesson that you’ve learned as an entrepreneur?

A Being a successful entrepreneur means constantly growing and learning. I have received so much incredible advice from others and have learned tremendous lessons from my own experiences. The most important lesson I’ve learned in recent years is the benefit of creating an interactive platform for our customer engagement. It is my goal for people not to just wear our jewellery but to be involved and recognize our brand as something they want to be a part of. We do this through providing “happy customer” board where we keep and maintain the photographs of all women wearing our jewellery and give maximum exposure on our social media platforms www.society.qa 21

FOCUS

spotlight

DATES ate with

Kutty Mohammad

22 Society

Qatar resident Kutty Mohammad has transformed the front yard of his residence in Kerala into little oases of greenery replete with exotic date palms

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hose who pass by Kutty Mohammad’s house in Karakunnu in Manjeri, Kerala, will likely do a double take. Kutty has given his residence, named ‘Oasis,’ a taste of the tropics by planting about thirteen 15-foot-tall date palm trees in his front yard.

A Qatar-based business man, Kutty wanted to set the scene for a tropical garden by

adding date palm trees to his newly-built house’s landscape design. He often stops his car and disembarks to conduct a search whenever he drives past an area with dense foliage; and since he is a longterm gulf country resident, his passion for date palms was always on top of the rest.

Kutty, who is managing director of the Oasis Engineering in Qatar, said it was his passion for this “magic fruit” that encour-

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Kutty Mohammad at his residence in Kerala.

aged him to cultivate gulf-like dates in his own yard back in India.

Kutty, with his gardening obsession and insatiable appetite for learning, is an anomaly. And anyone spending time with this self-effacing businessman will readily testify that it is precisely his meticulous attention to seemingly mundane details — like those many varieties of date palm trees — that underlies his uncanny ability to spot and endeavor on opportunities.

“In India there is a presumption that good, juicy dates are procured only in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Little do we know that similar quality dates can be grown in India too,” says Kutty.

“Every year, I would visit many places in India to learn about the dates. I visited the date farms and date traders to satisfy my queries on how to plant them in our coun24 Society

try like in gulf countries,” he added.

The date palm trees which he brought from Rajahmundry, the southeast Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, two years ago have become the centre of attraction for people who reside nearby his home.

Bunches of date palms have blossomed on many of the trees that he cultivated.

Numerous small green globules attached to each off-shoot from the trunk of the tree fill a sense of pride and satisfaction in the eyes of Kutty whenever he stops by his yard.

“Bite into one and its crunchy flesh gives way to a wholesome sweetness quite unlike familiar sun-dried dates,” says Kutty.

With the help of others, including his family and close friends, Kutty is determined to keep the trees alive and has gone through a lot of trouble to get them. “Keeping the date palm trees alive will be a lot of

work, but will be worth it,” he added.

Speaking about the misconceptions many people have, he said: “Everyone says it is difficult to grow date palm trees in our place as the climatic conditions do not favour this. But, I believe, through proper practices you can have a beautiful crop and you will be surprised to see them blossom.”

An ardent philanthropist, Kutty likes to spread the joy of date farming with people around him. He likes to share with people around his knowledge on growing date palm trees at home and also shares the yield from his garden. “I like to engage with our community. I distribute dates among my friends and acquaintances,” says Kutty.

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cover story

26 Society

HOW ABOUT A CAREER IN HOSPITALITY?

With growing consumer interest in experiences rather than products – and the rise of the so-called ‘experience economy’ – demand for hospitality professionals is widespread and growing fast By

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ike some other element industry, the friendliness business is definitely not static, it is constantly changing and moving position for better.

To remain applicable and current in such a condition of flux is for sure a consistent test. With information and technology transforming in a heartbeat, falling behind

is a costly affair in terms of customers and the ensuing profits. Well, in order to stay in the know, one needs to keep up with the latest in news. In order to succeed one must imbibe superlative tips for success.

The facets One must diligently follow the industry in

Soumen Roy

all its hues and facets, this is important in order to understand the impact on your business, just ensure you stay in the know to be able to perform not just optimally, but at your very best.

Mesmerizing world You need to check blogs periodically,

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Hotel and hospitality jobs offer a much broader canvas, and if you happen to be looking forward to a career offering immense variety, then this field is the best.

same is true of industry websites, podcasts, subject specific books and magazines and distinct social media presence. There are professionals who choose to leave traditional career fields like a finance program and choose to enter the mesmerizing hospitality world and with good reason too. Their criteria for a dream job is pretty simple, to be able to travel the world, have umpteen adventures and get paid for doing the same.

Immense variety The hotel and hospitality jobs are quite vast in scope and reach, and encompass lodging, cruising, airline industry, tourism, event planning and much more. Hotel and hospitality jobs offer a much broader canvas, and if you happen to be looking forward to a career offering immense variety, then this field is the best. You 28 Society

would come across a number of people who have been fans of hotels ever since early childhood and they will cite endless reasons for choosing a career in the coveted industry.

Rewarding career There are however compelling reasons as to why you should even consider it in the first place. For one hospitality offers simply great career avenues, you get to work with genuinely warm people, hospitality is indeed rewarding.

Rightful place under the sun The best thing about hospitality is, it welcomes everyone with open arms, that is indeed the most beautiful thing about this industry, regardless of what you have specialized in, you would be able to find your rightful place under the sun.

Operations If you come from an operations background, you may wish to engage in F&B operations, food and beverages encompass banqueting, restaurants, poolside areas, fitness centers, wherever operational intervention is required as also the front office, the back office, business center among many others.

Final thoughts The options to fast track to senior management abound not just in front of the house activities but back of the house activities too. You may choose to rise up the ladder in sales and marketing or move into finance if you happen to be a whiz with a penchant for numbers.

Countless crucial positions abound as legal and other support functions, be it risk management, revenue management, health, and safety or strategy and planning, the options are endless.

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cover story

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TOP

MOST

ROMANTIC

DESTINATIONS From beautiful beachside settings to intimate historic venues with breathtaking scenery, and fairy-tale-like celebrations, these resorts offer wedding and honeymoon venues that can meet every heart’s desire

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Gran Meliá Rome, Italy Located on the rest of the historic Villa Agrippina – once home to the famous Roman Empress and mother of Emperor Nero – Gran Meliá Rome plays a part in the rich history of the city. Likewise, the artistic merits of the city are reflected in the hotel’s public spaces, which feature artistic themes reminiscent of masterpieces by The Grand Masters, whose originals are exhibited at the gallery in Villa Borghese.

Whether traditional or modern, festive or formal, intimate or on a grand scale, weddings at Gran Meliá Rome will be just as couples always dreamed it.

Taking place at the stunning Lunae Terrace, offering trendy lounge atmosphere for up to 150 guests, the venue has a breath-taking view of the gardens, the Vatican City and Castel Sant’Angelo.

Couples can choose their own 3-meal customised menu, flower decorations, makeup and hairdresser service, open bar and personalised set-up and wedding cake.

The Kaya Palazzo Resort, Cyprus Seated proudly in Cyprus Island, The Kaya Palazzo Resort brings unique vibes overlooking the spectacular French Garden on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. With its world-class service, elegant and stylish atmosphere, first-rate cuisine and professional services team, the resort’s awardwinning chefs prepare and serve customised menus designed to suit the theme of each unique event.

The wedding package includes a Royal Suite for the wedding couple, a complimentary breakfast the morning after, special room rates for the guests, professional wedding assistance, welcome cocktail reception with unlimited beverages, extensive menu selections including a main course, dessert and individual wedding cakes.

In addition, the resort includes tailor-made offers such as henna night, hairdresser and makeup artist arrangements, decoration packages, video and photo shooting sessions.

The romance vibes continue with the resort’s unique honeymoon package, “A Moment Of Romance” making it the perfect choice for couples. It includes luxurious accommodation, private transfer from the airport, a 60-minute couples massage, a honeymoon breakfast and a romantic candlelit dinner.

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Porto Montenegro Porto Montenegro, the Mediterranean’s leading luxury superyacht homeport and marina village, has created unique wedding offers where couples will be able to choose from different venues and wedding packages that are tailored to suit the taste of each couple.

Beach Wedding: Romance is enhanced in a warm and sandy beachside wedding in Porto Montenegro Yachts Club, where the team takes away the worry out of planning and pays attention to every detail to make the best of the wedding ceremony, giving the couples more time to enjoy the moment.

The Classic: Walking down the aisle in the magical Italian Garden of the Regent hotel located next to the waterfront. With an old olive tree and other local herbs, this oasis of peace and harmony is a perfect place for couples to start the new chapter of their lives.

The Vintage: A vintage chic wedding at Regent Hotels offer a beautiful mix of the old and the new, classic and elegant– all is possible! It is a theme that will never go out of style. With the architecture inspired by Venetian palazzi this elegant building is great for vintage wedding style.

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Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort, Thailand Situated amidst lush landscaped gardens by the Chao Phraya River, the resort allows guests to unwind in riverside serenity whilst having access to all the amazing sights of the city. Romance is enhanced in the resort’s elegant suites, whether it is a Junior River View Suite, a plush Anantara Riverfront Suite or a truly extravagant Two Bedroom River View Chao Phraya Suite.

The “Romance by the River” package spoils couples with welcome amenities and authentic Thai treats, allowing them to linger over breakfast together in their suite or take in the extensive spread at The Market restaurant, share harmonious moments together with a complimentary couple spa treatment and take advantage of the longtail limousine boat to connect to the city for exciting exploration and end the night with the phenomenal Dining by Design experience.

Niyama Private Islands, Maldives Niyama Private Islands offers Honeymoons Passions on their very own island love nest surrounded by horizons of blue. Its very special staycation promotion for three nights or more sets the mood with bubbly, a 90 minutes couple’s massage ritual, a sunset cruise, a romantic picnic on a deserted sandbank and a professional photo shoot, complete with make-up and wardrobe.

Couples can enjoy a 20% savings on Exchange of Vows if booked with the “Honeymoon Passions” package. Commemorating their union with the romance of a ceremonial pavilion decked in flowers, the distinctly island rhythms of boduberu drumming, a bridal bouquet, an elegant twotier wedding cake and bubbly aperitifs.

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Society Magazine is always looking for fresh faces. If you think you have what it takes to be featured in the magazine, send us your sample photos for a chance to be considered.

Submit your short bio and sample photos to: society@gulf-times.com Have questions about the submission?

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FLAIR scope

HOW TO BE A HEALTHY TRAVELLER How often do you consider the impact of flying on your health? Do you feel exhausted and jet-lagged after flying?

Follow these tips from airline pilots Rida Khan By

Rida Khan

is an aviation author from India.

She is passionate about aviation industry and loves to explore different countries, cuisines and their culture. Reach her on Instagram @aviationauthor. ridakhan

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T

ravelling means leisure, enjoyment, exploring different places and countries, knowing about their enormous and varied cultures, lifestyles, heritage etc. But the question is.. do we take care about our health while travelling ? Do we see what we are actually consuming is healthy or not? These are small questions which affect our lives later on. In a simple term, we describe healthy food as food which consists of many nutritious elements and suits our body. Apparently, when we travel, there are unlimited food dishes/ items which we get, some are deep fried or roasted or dunked in sugar syrup or very fatty which taste so delectable that we just can’t skip them. Their aroma, presentation, flavours almost convince us to have them forgetting what our body needs are.

Here we should be careful because if we do not select the right food to eat, it will make a house of diseases in our body which can be fatal. So why not we should take precautionary measures beforehand only and prevent those diseases.

Wherever we travel, we don’t get food according to our needs but get new varieties, specialities of different countries cuisines which

we want to try to gain experience and to have good knowledge about their flavours. As a traveller, I also eat food at the airport, food served in the flights, in restaurants, street foods, hotels of the various countries in which I visit but I do care that I select the healthy one. If there are food items which are very sweet or very oily or rich in cream then I eat them in a very minimal portion just to know its flavours and ingredients. If I eat a very high calorie content food, then I make sure to burn those calories by doing workouts, so that extra fat does not get accumulated in my body. Like this way I try to be healthy while I am on a travel tour.

As an aviation author, every day I study pilots’ and travellers’ lives, examine their

Captain Jeffrey Alan

way of living and know more about how they remain fit while travelling. So I thought why not to discuss this topic with my pilot friends who are working in different airlines as they will lead this topic in much more depth.

Captain Jeffrey Alan (Instagram: jeffreythepilot) is a pilot who resides in Toronto, Canada. Currently he is a Lead Captain on a Citation Sovereign for one of the Canada’s largest companies and is passionate about family, flying and fitness. According to him, healthy food while travelling is to have a clean proteins (fish, chicken, lean beef, turkey) paired with a complex carb that can carry some great nutrients to help fight off sickness and provide a stable stream of energy (sweet potatoes, greens, veggies). Healthy travelling snacks include a mix of almonds, walnuts, pecans mixed with dried blueberries and

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cranberries as it is good for all age groups.

As for kids, they should carry home-made snacks and drink water before or after flight to keep oneself hydrated. The best thing parents can do for their child is to avoid refined sugar as it helps keep their kids blood sugar level at a healthy level.

Simple proteins like chicken and veggies with a fresh fruit in dessert is good. He believes that being fit while travelling need some adjustment and dedication to work for yourself. Once you have done it for some time, you will feel the benefits

Captain Dimitris Antoniou

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of better sleep and less fatigue. A proper diet helps to keep off illness. Don’t go for microwave food as it destroys lots of nutrients found in green veggies and any dense food. Personally, he enjoys cold food which is paired with some daily exercise and have a good hour sleep to regain his energy.

Captain Dimitris Antoniou (Instagram: fly_dimitris_antoniou) is a 34-year-old pilot from Cyprus. As a pilot, he has to travel a lot and have to stick to a proper nutrition plan to remain active, healthy and fit as much as possible. While travelling, staying fit is not an easy job that’s why he prefers to have homeprepared food in order to know his intake of calories and minerals. A traveller should always have some snacks and a bottle of water in their bag, these two things help them to travel with ease, as sometimes travellers don’t get time to buy food from airport as they get busy in checking up their flight schedule or an airport check processes etc. When they get hungry, at least they can go for these options. Health of a person is of utmost significance while they are travelling because there are different time zones

in different countries, thus consuming various cuisines makes it difficult to remain healthy. To manage this, a person should go for an exercise, walk a lot as it will keep you healthy, fit and active. A good and sound sleep is also recommended.

So if I say in a nutshell, the best food while travelling from airport to another country is first carry some home snacks with you, then if you get time in the airport go for lounge food which is best served by the airways, moving ahead to the inflight food, request for light foods with salads and yoghurt and some beverages to keep you fresh and active. You may consume green tea, coffee including some breads or muffins. Tasting a dessert is the best option to enjoy the flight but a person should definitely ignore/avoid consuming seafood while they are in the flight because it becomes dry and sometimes flavours are not too good. After landing in a different country, have food which suits your body and enjoy their cuisines but do take care that you should burn those calories by doing workout so that you can enjoy your travelling journeys with extremely good health.

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FLAIR

healthcare

Health & wellness in the hospitality industry As more and more people look to improve their lives through a healthy routine, hotel industry innovators are working to make sure that routine isn’t broken when people travel, Sondra Hope writes

Sondra Hope is a Qatar-based international certified fitness and health coach, specialising in personal, sports and child nutrition. She is the founder of HopeFit, which specialises in online and personal training and nutrition coaching. In her spare time, she also does motivational speaking, spends time with her other passion, Pixal8 Photography, as a professional photographer, and dabbles in painting and fine art.

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here is no denying the growth and awareness of health and wellness that is currently shaping our culture. In an increasingly more competitive hospitality industry, hotels and lodges are stepping up and realizing that now is the time to offer unique benefits that make you stand.

Accessing and implementing the right health and wellness strategies will appeal to hotel customers and increase the likelihood that leisure travelers will want to stay with you. With that idea in mind, here are some familiar trends making its appearance in the hospitality industry:

Juicing These days, juicing has become a big deal as more and more people recognize the benefits of eating healthy while also realizing that the diet optimization process doesn’t have to be complex. Juicing keeps it simple by allowing people to consume liquid that is rich in a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that the body needs to function optimally.

If viable, look at adding a juice bar to your hotel restaurant or make guests aware of where the nearest and best juice bars are in the vicinity of your hotel. Healthy, high energy, vibrant guests will also be happy guests.

Healthy vending machines Isn’t it crazy how hospitals offer sugary snacks on every floor to people who are already ill? Refined sugar drinks and snack foods contain a disastrous mix of chemicals and preservatives that are unnatural for our bodies.

When our bodies get ample nutrition from natural foods, we are naturally more healthy and happy. Show people you care about their health, with a bowl of fresh organic fruit at the front desk and swap out the vending machine snacks for healthy ones.

Paleo and veganism Various hotels with on-site restaurants are

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Accessing and implementing the right health and wellness strategies will appeal to hotel customers.

making an effort to ensure their menus offer healthy options and cater for various needs such as paleo, keto or vegans.

Again, if you don’t have a restaurant on site, this makes for great blog content to create an article that directs people to the best healthy restaurants and cafes in the area. Organic, grass fed, local produce and inspired healthy chefs are certainly getting noticed. Even master chef George Calombaris sheds a whopping 20 kilos and wants to be a healthy dad who can play football with his son.

Better coffee As science starts to share its many findings across the internet, there is a lot more awareness of what we put in our mouths and this even covers our favourite drink coffee. For many years, debates have raged regarding whether coffee is a health drink or debilitating liquid that hampers mental and physical well-being.

While the jury is still out on this question, many people have decided that they want to gravitate away from coffee brands and types that are considered unhealthy.

These days, many are looking for coffee that is organic, free of chemicals and 42 Society

less acidic. In recognizing this reality, you should make sure that your hotel provides people with excellent, organic coffee options. Again, either source a great blend for your hotel or know where your guests can have their fix and make it a healthy one, they will love you for it.

blocks, steps etc. to add to your guests’ experience. Another good option is to create a blog post of the nearby yoga studios and share this with guests on your pre arrival email. If you are a beach location and you know people offer a yoga on the beach, what a perfect experience for guests.

Yoga All over the world, people are realizing that yoga is not some odd, passing exercise trend that individuals engage in to be subversive or counter-cultural. Rather, yoga is a legitimate, complex form of physical activity that can provide participants with a wide range of absolutely incredible health benefits.

Healthy hotel amenities I have done some travelling and have stayed in hotels all over. The thing I always remember is the quality of product in the bathroom. It is more than just nice smelling product that feels nice on the skin, but it is the healing and health properties of good product that contains no harmful chemicals and organic essential oils.

Some of those health benefits include weight management, lowered blood pressure, better memory, and improved sleep quality.

If you’re serious about making your hotel business as competitive and cutting edge as possible, now is the time to acknowledge the power and prevalence of the health and wellness movement. Because more and more people are taking an interest in leading healthy lifestyles, you should respond by providing customers with a wide range of wellness options at your hotel.

There are many ways to help guests and you don’t need to build a full yoga studio.

One hotel I recently stayed in had a yoga mat in the cupboard which was a nice surprise and yes it got used. You can also offer Yoga DVDs and other Yoga materials,

CHANGE BEGINS AT HOME Establishing a chore routine and assigning chores starting at an early age will be beneficial to both parents and children Dr Rajeev Thomas By

FOCUS

motivation

Dr. Rajeev Thomas

is a Qatar based mentor, coach, and leadership transformation expert dedicated to bringing about positive change in the lives of individuals young and old. He can be contacted through his website www.RajeevThomas.in

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W

hen parents come to me and say that my son or daughter does not behave properly, does not show respect to elders, does not take care of things at home, does not help out with anything at home, the first thought that comes into my mind is “well, you have none other than yourself to blame my friend.�

We all know that children learn by observing everything around them.

As a child goes through early stages of development, and even later on through adolescence, they are consciously and unconsciously picking up tips and tricks from all around as they grow. They see things around them, they hear words and 44 Society

language around them, and they feel and understand the verbal and non-verbal communication all around them. All this gets deeply embedded in their mind, and they become conditioned to respond and behave in a particular manner through their entire life.

If the child has grown up seeing and feeling love, affection and care around them, you can almost guarantee that the child develops into a loving, affectionate and caring adult. On the other hand if the child has grown up watching and feeling anger, agony, and exploitation, you can invariably expect similar behaviour from them as an adult. The language patterns that parents use daily in their households

shape the language patterns that the child repeats, internalizes, and uses through their life too.

I come from a country and generation where great respect was paid to elders in the family. It would be normal to see all members of the family stand up to welcome an elder who walks into the room, even if it is a visitor coming to one’s house.

Similarly, when visitors left the house, it would be normal to see the whole family walk them to the door and wait and watch till the visitors had left. Today, in many households we see children including teenagers sit in the corner of their rooms, busy with their smartphones, with no care for anyone who may be visiting, and

Make children connect with the house whereby they see it as ‘their home’ and not just a place they go to at the end of the day to experience real life, and how they benefitted from such experience. We applaud these parents, yet are hesitant to ask our own kids to even pick up their school bags or socks from the floor and put it in the right place when they come back from school. My question to them – who is to blame for your child not participating in any chores at home?

By no means am I recommending using kids to do all work at home whereby it borders on exploitation – but I am referring to making the children and next generation connect with you at a deeper level. Make them connect with the house whereby they see it as ‘their home’ and not just a place they go to at the end of the day. Make them connect with everything that happens at home, participate in the discussions, participate in the age appropriate decisions.

Let them realize values of respect, sharing, caring, and participation. Let them become more mindful about the deeper meaning and purpose of life, and the deeper intricacies that go into becoming ‘real humans’.

often not even uttering a single word to the guests through the entire duration of their stay. Who is to blame for this behaviour? Perhaps some parents accept it as ‘normal for this generation of youngsters’.

My question to them – Is it? Really? Did you forget to embed in them certain values about respect to elders and others?

Do your children even respect you?

I grew up in a time when the children of the house would happily participate in helping around with the chores. Simple tasks like buying stuff from the nearby shops, cleaning up and setting the table before and after the meals, helping out with the laundry, ironing one’s own clothes, washing one’s own plates, help-

ing out with the cooking at home, making sure that the rooms you use are kept tidy with all your things in the right place – these were everyday tasks that every member of the family especially the children would help out with. How many households today can say that their children especially the elder ones actually help out on all these? Why would it become the responsibility of the mother, or in many cases the maid to take care of all these while the ‘next generation’ is busy with their smart phones? We read about, like, and share stories of how some of the extremely rich and famous parents sent their children to work in fast food centers, or packed them off on a backpack trip

Isn’t that what our world is missing today? People who care about one another? People who respect one another? Who is going to prepare the next generation to become these?

Look into the nearest mirror – the answer will stare back at you.

If you are a parent caught in such a situation, the good news is that it’s not too late to start. Go on and set some house rules.

Practice what you preach – you can’t ask them to do things and not do it yourself.

Lead by example. Be a benchmark for your children to follow. Start today without waiting for tomorrow. Let the magic of change begin in your home. Your children will be thankful for it many years down the line.

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FLAIR style

MODEL OF THE MONTH FATIMA MAJIDOVA

PHOTOS: SAJIN ORMA RETOUCHING: SAJITH ORMA

DRESS DESIGNS: @lazoyaz and @goldstrip.attire STYLING & ACCESSORIES: @lazoyaz MAKE UP: Salma Alyafei @sjmakeup

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FULL NAME: Fatima Majidova NATIONALITY: Azerbaijani OCCUPATION: Journalist ALL TIME STYLE ICON: Princess Diana FAVOURITE DRESS: Suit FAVOURITE CUISINE: Turkish

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I LIKE: Horses I DISLIKE: Arrogant and self-centred people HOBBY: Drawing, horse riding COUNTRY I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT: Japan I WANT TO CHANGE: My forejudgements MY BIGGEST DREAM: To work in Al Jazeera Media Network

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MODEL OF THE MONTH ALIA ABDUL-HYE

PHOTOS: SAJIN ORMA RETOUCHING: SAJITH ORMA

DRESS DESIGNS: @lazoyaz and @goldstrip.attire STYLING & ACCESSORIES: @lazoyaz MAKE UP: Salma Alyafei @sjmakeup

FULL NAME: Alia Abdul-Hye NATIONALITY: Indian OCCUPATION: Homemaker, fashion designer, critical lifestyle analyst and blogger.

ALL TIME STYLE ICON: My Mother. I have always looked up and admired her stylish modest fashion growing up. She was always so classy, confident and original in her fashion style.

FAVOURITE DRESS: It shifts from sporty to feminine - White shirt and denims to flared gowns/ long sun dress- every dress/outfit that makes me feel comfortable, happy and confident.

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FAVOURITE CUISINE: The cuisine that ends up with a good desert is my favourite - but other than that A good juicy steak at CUT by Wolfgang is good, Indian and Thai food.

Depends on the mood - I am not an adventurous foodie.

I LIKE: My family, my friends, chocolates and anything that›s shiny and expensive.

I DISLIKE: Liars, hypocrites, and creepy crawly insects and reptiles (they all fall under the same category) Hobby: Traveling, sports , critically analyzing people that’s fun.

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COUNTRY I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT: Spain and Fiji island. Bustling cities through to the peace and serenity of nature. Love both the vibes.

I WANT TO CHANGE: The way people think. Positivity and good thoughts attract positivity and goodness. It›s all in the mind.

MY BIGGEST DREAM: To open my own Boutique.

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FLAIR

gourmet

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GET LOST IN THE

CHOCOLATE

F L AVO U R Is there anything on earth more indulgent and sumptuous than letting a piece of rich, dark chocolate roll over your tongue? Felchlin’s corporate pastry chef Simon Badertscher shares some of his favourite chocolate recipes to try at home

M

ore than 100 years of tradition, Felchlin’s passion to create the exceptional with intense dedication and production transparency has always been the top priority. Felchlin is a small international family company located in Schwyz, in the heart of Switzerland as well as in the middle of Europe. They are flexible and honest with their employees, customers, and partners worldwide.

Indeed, they take great pride knowing that they are one of the few factories in the world, that still produces fine, diverse and unique chocolate through modern and traditional methods that are tailoured to each cacao bean in order to draw out the most appealing flavours. Felchlin’s corporate motto says, “The origin is important for us but more importantly it is the region and the uncontroversial trust, that our long term partners provide us with our demanded quality. It must be the perfect combination of climate, soil and fermentation and drying processes.”

In addition to premium varieties

of chocolate, they also provide an outstanding midline product line for the professional users, such as pastry chefs, chocolatiers, caterers, hotels and restaurants for diverse applications.

This also includes ready-to-use coatings, giandujas, natural fillings and products for decorations. They have the flexibility to produce, innovate or to adapt products to meet customer’s needs.

Quality assurance is an essential factor for Felchlin. It specialises in quality, not quantity, and it makes their couvertures truly unique and exclusive. Their production accounts for just 0.04% of worldwide chocolate manufacturing. This strategy places high demands on raw ingredients, production technologies but most of all, its people.

Felchlin’s ongoing commitment is to grow their business with the same honesty and integrity that they use to craft their high quality and reliable products,

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with sustainability and for the next generations.

Exclusive Swiss Couverture – Felchlin Max Felchlin has established itself as niche producer of noble Grand Cru couverture. Grand Cru begins with the selection of cacao beans. The origin and quality form the basis for the noble Felchlin cacao specialties. Their couverture guidelines confirm the uniqueness and purity of each individual product.

The origin of the cacao, the demands for sustainable production, selected raw ingredients and the gentle ennoblement have been specifically defined and form part of the couverture guidelines.

The established close relationship between Felchlin and the cacao farmers and cooperation’s own location allows us to select the choice rare beans from each harvest. This makes it possible to create the exclusive Grand Cru Couverture Sélection which includes only the finest flavours our core sensory panel does allow. The complete transformation from the cacao bean to a noble and exclusive chocolate occurs in their own factory in Switzerland.

CHEF SIMON BADERTSCHER Upon completing his apprenticeship in Switzerland, Chef Simon Badertscher received high praise for his outstanding performance.

Having worked as a Head Chef at a Swiss airline, Executive Pastry Chef in a number of five-star rated hotels all over the world, he continues to dedicate himself to the art of dessert by sharing his knowledge of Felchlin’s products and processes involved when using each ingredients.

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GRAND CRU BLANC ICE CREAM Edelweiss 36% White Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients: 1360g milk 3,5% 175g heavy cream 35% 155g glucose powder 40 DE 25g skimmed milk powder 40g invert sugar 145g granulated sugar 9g ice cream binding agent/ thickener 300g Edelweiss 36%

Method: • • • • • • • •

Pasteurise by heating Mix the glucose powder together with the skimmed milk powder, invert sugar and sugar and add to the milk and cream.

Bring all to the boil and add the ice cream stabilizer and couverture.

Homogenise using a hand blender and freeze.

Pasteurise using a pastomat.

Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the milk and cream together with the invert sugar.

Pasteurise in the pastomat at 84°C/ 183.2°F and add the couverture.

Cool to 4°C/ 39.2°F and freeze.

GRAND CRU NOIR ICE CREAM Dark Chocolate Grand Cru Ice Cream

Ingredients: 500g water 1500g milk 3,5% 40g heavy cream 35% 420g granulated sugar 100g dextrose 140g skimmed milk powder 60g glucose powder 40 DE 70g Cacao powder 22-24% 10g ice cream binding agent/ thickener Super Neutro Latte 420g Maracaibo Clasificado 65% Rondo 80g Maracaibo Criolait 38% Rondo

Method: • •

•

Pasteurise by heating.

Mix the glucose powder together with the skimmed milk powder, dextrose, sugar and Cacao powder and add to the water, milk and cream.

Bring all to the boil and add the ice cream stabiliser and couvertures.

• • • • •

Homogenise by using a hand blender and freeze.

Pasteurise using a pastomat.

Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the water, milk and cream.

Pasteurise in the pastomat at 84°C/ 183.2° F. Add the couvertures. Cool to 4°C/ 39.2°F and freeze.

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CHOCOLATE SORBET

Method:

Edelweiss 36% White Chocolate Ice Cream

• • • •

Ingredients: 15g sorbet stabiliser fruits Super Neutro Frutto 250g granulated sugar 900g water 25g glucose powder 40 DE 75g dextrose 75g Cacao powder 22-24% 200g Maracaibo Clasificado 65%

Mix sugar and binding agent together.

Bring water, glucose, dextrose and cacao powder to the boil.

Mix sugar and the hot liquid and add the Felchlin couverture.

Cool down immediately and leave to mature for 6 hours, then freeze in an ice cream machine.

Tip: You may leave out the binding agent if using a Pacojet. Instead bring the sugar with the remaining ingredients to the boil and continue with the recipe.

GRAND CRU TRUFFLES MARACAIBO Pralines & Chocolates

Ingredients: Ganache 250g heavy cream 35% 200g Maracaibo Clasificado 65% 300g Maracaibo Criolait 38% Warm up the heavy cream to 30°C/ 86°F and mix with the tempered Maracaibo 65% and 38% couvertures by using a hand blender.

Setting 500g Maracaibo Clasificado 65% 100g Cacao powder 22-24%

Method: • • • •

Place a round rubber stencil on a parchment paper, spread with Grenada 65% couverture to create couverture disks, immediately remove the stencil.

Pipe small domes of the Ganache on the disks by using a

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• • •

nozzle n°10, let set overnight at room temperature.

Dip in tempered Maracaibo 65% couverture and roll in Cacao powder 2224% shake off the excess powder with a sieve.

FLAIR Buoyant

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FLAIR travel

A HASSLEFREE TROPICAL HEAVEN Known as divers’ paradise, Grand Cayman has some of the best wall and drift dive sites in the world. Read on to find out more By

I

knew I was going to like Deserene Miller, also known as Miss D or Lady D — when she picked me up at the Owen Roberts International Airport in George Town. A tiny bundle of energy with an ever-present fedora perched jauntily on her head, Miss D had been assigned as my driver/guide for the four days I was on the island. After about 15 minutes, her job description had expanded to driver/ guide/friend.

Over our four days together we did a lot of laughing and some serious sightseeing, taking in attractions from the Cayman 58 Society

Patti Nickell

Turtle Center to the Blue Iguana Habitat; from Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park to the National Museum.

I had been to Grand Cayman once before, but only as an afternoon port-of-call on a cruise ship. For my shore excursion, I had opted for a trip to Stingray City, where — donning fins and snorkel gear — I frolicked among large southern stingrays inhabiting a shallow sandbar. If I was willing to get close enough, I was told, I could leave with a stingray kiss imprinted on my palm or cheek.

While it was quite an experience, it didn’t leave me with much knowledge of Grand Cayman aside from the canoodling Chordate cuties.

This time it was an entirely different story.

I learned a lot about the island, most notably that if you are looking for a hasslefree tropical getaway, this is it.

Grand Cayman is the largest of three islands that constitute the Caymans — along with Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. English is the official language; the U.S. dollar is accepted everywhere; the economy is strong; crime almost non-

existent, and the Caymanians are among the friendliest people in the Caribbean.

Scenery may be on a smaller scale than many of the other islands — Grand Cayman lacks the rugged mountains of neighbor Jamaica or the prolific rainforests of Dominica — but its expansive Seven-Mile Beach is second to none.

Even more spectacular is what lies below the water’s surface. Known as a divers’ paradise, Grand Cayman has some of the best wall and drift dive sites in the

world. Snorkelers have plenty of coves and reefs to explore, and even non-divers can experience the underwater splendor on an Atlantis Submarine Dive. They can watch schools of colourful fish and large turtles glide by their portals, while staying dry in the process.

Grand Cayman’s reputation for worldclass diving may be its main claim to fame, but there’s a lot to do on land as well. If you want to combine the island’s largest landbased attraction with an educational and cultural experience, a visit to the Cayman Turtle Center is in order.

The Center was started in 1968 as a

breeding and research facility for Green Sea Turtles and later, for the endangered Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles. Today, visitors can get a glimpse of newly hatched turtles in the nursery; hold the younger turtles and even swim with adult turtles in a lagoon setting.

While the prospect of up-close encounters with the turtles is appealing, the Center is not without controversy.

Various animal rights groups claim it is overcrowded and that constant handling of the turtles can cause them stress.

Nevertheless, it remains one of Grand

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The Cayman Islands National Museum

Cayman’s most popular visitor attractions.

If animal activists feel that the sea turtles would fare better in their natural environment, the exact opposite holds true for the blue iguana, a species found nowhere else in the world but Grand Cayman. The iguanas’ natural habitat — forests, mangroves and shrublands — have been deforested and developed to the point where the reptile has become endangered. The efforts of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, have resulted in a nature reserve where the iguanas can live and breed.

Open for public tours, the Habitat gives visitors a chance to see these striking creatures — ranging in colour from blue/ gray to turquoise — up close. Adjacent to the Blue Iguana Habitat is the Queen 60 Society

Elizabeth II Botanic Park. Opened in 1994 by Her Majesty, the Queen, the park is a floral paradise — from a serene lake brimming with lily pads to displays of colourful tropical flowers (the orchid garden is spectacular) to one of the best examples of an intact mangrove swamp I’ve ever seen.

A highlight is the Floral Color Gardens, a series of gardens arranged by colour — pink, red, orange, yellow, white, blue, purple and lavender — and with various design elements — grassy spaces, gazebos, arbors and trellises — to better showcase the exotic blooms.

Grand Cayman’s capital, George Town, is compact, its buildings painted in rainbow sherbet colors and housing the typical array of shops designed to lure cruise passengers. Unless you’re specifically in the market for perfume, jewelry or

Grand Cayman’s reputation for world-class diving may be its main claim to fame, but there’s a lot to do on land as well cameras, bypass the shops and head for the lovely colonial building (the oldest public building on the island) across from the harbor that is home to the National Museum.

While small, the museum has a number of interesting artifacts and exhibits educating visitors on all aspects of the islands — from sea turtle migrations to the

An aerial view of the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa

fact that, unlike the rest of the Caribbean, no people lived here before the European colonization.

GREAT EATS While Grand Cayman doesn’t have the long-standing tradition of classic French cuisine tempered by Caribbean influences that Martinique or St. Barts do, its food scene has blossomed in recent years.

Two of the current hot spots are Brasserie and Blue Cilantro. The former is a great place to go for a 3-course lunch in sophisticated surroundings (opt for the fresh catch of the day from the restaurant’s own fishing boat). The latter, whose decor is reminiscent of a Manhattan bistro, is a good choice for Sunday brunch (a bounteous selection that includes such dishes as roasted

pumpkin bisque, King crab legs with red pepper remoulade and BBQ pork ribs).

You may wish to go more “island-y” for dinner, especially when you can combine the freshest of seafood with stunning sunsets. Some of the best spots for this include the Lobster Pot, Morgan’s Seafood Restaurant and the Cracked Conch.

Save one evening for a sunset sail with Red Sails Sports. I spent my last night skimming over the water with the wind in my hair, sipping a rum punch and watching cloud formations in the shapes of a rabbit and a dragon chase each other across the sky.

If that wasn’t enough to make me want to schedule a return trip, the dazzling sunset and the blanket of stars that came out immediately afterward surely were.

IF YOU GO: Where to Stay: The Westin Grand Cayman. Located on Seven Mile Beach, this resort has it all: spacious guest rooms and suites with private balconies; lush landscaping with a free-form pool and two hot tubs; dining options ranging from the Beach House and Tortuga Grill to Ferdinand’s fine dining; the lobby Catboat Bar, and the Hibiscus Spa with its wide menu of treatments. westingrandcayman.com Where to Shop: If you’re looking for something a bit different from the usual cruise ship emporiums near the harbor, check out the trendy shops of Camana Bay. In addition, this waterfront village offers a dozen restaurants and bars; Farmers and Artisans Markets; dancing fountains, gardens and sculptures, and a year-round schedule of festivals and events. camanabay.com

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