Qatar Happening - October 2009

QH OCT 09 COVER.pdf

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QH OCT 09 INSIDE FRONT.pdf

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OCTOBER CONTENTS

36 pionships m a h C n o s s Sony Eric Doha 20 0 9

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SPORTS EXCLUSIVE

ON SPOTLIGHT

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R DS NNE’S WO 6 IN SUZA M 8 QH TEA HTS ER HIGHLIG 10 OCTOB OM M E N DS 12 QH REC N DS RECOMME 18 VIRGIN

RS ENCOUNTE 29 CLOSE S & WELLNES 58 HE ALTH LUB 66 KIDS C E NE D 69 IT HAPP UIDE 70 CIT Y G R SCOPE 72 COLOU

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HAPPE F OR MOR E : LOG ON TO

ning.com

rhappe a t a .q w w w

FASHION CAUSE

Let’s rally fo r

LIFE!

S N O I T A S N QH SE

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ENTERTAINMENT ARTS & CULTURE COMMUNITY FOOD KNOWLEDGE

IES, NING STOR

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Rage On Debates, Rage On

The Doha Debates start up again this month.

QH STUFF

14 ENTERTAINMENT Musical Oxygen 20 ARTS & CULTURE The Reel Deal 26 COMMUNITY We Are Survivors 32 FOOD Lebanese Delights 38 KNOWLEDGE Change Begins at School

G HOTLIS HAPPENIN

QH FEATURE

LIVE

e Celebrate th ve Li e W y a W scoop on

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Get the inside ning pe the Qatar Hap ! ds ar w A e Lifest yl E E XPERIENC

y Reasons to Fl tside of There is life ou t our ou Doha– check gs in th r fo s ck pi p to atar’s Q nd yo to do be th. on borders this m

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LOOK

y A ny A Designer b e m a O ther N i tells us

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Stephano Ricc ly not a how he’s real l. r al te af er gn desi TOUCH

ause Style for a C mfort co d ix st yle an

M picks with top pink uch, To from Mango lors Co d te ni U e, Segu sley.

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IN SUZANNE’S WORDS

Publisher: The Art of Business Chairman: Ahmed Hassan Bilal Executive Content Director: Suzanne Grant Content Producer: Jessica Davey-Quantick Proofreaders: Vanessa Gaudet, Lindsey Hunnewell Contributors: Jorge Granda, Cecilia Leigh, Fi Murray, Holly Wallace Web & Research Assistant: Jay Panganiban Marketing Manager: Moona Masri-Whitice Art & Photography Director: Jorell Legaspi Graphic Designer: Paolo Kurtis Tan Photography Production Coordinator: Nathy Fonseca Photography Assistant: Ahmad Oustwan Fashion Stylists: Chantal Mossess, Nathalie Billard-Arbelaez

Our First Big Issue QH OCT 09 COVER.pdf

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Our plans to evolve to a bigger format from our humble beginnings as Qatar’s first events guide started years ago.

My team is excited that October marks our entrance onto the media scene as a full-fledged publication since the arts and culture, entertainment, community and knowledge agendas are spilling over this month.

Life is a beautiful journey, its richness defined by the people and experiences we encounter along our paths.

Qatar’s post summer happenings make a compelling argument for jumping off the couch and mixing it up this month. So why not make your experiences RICH!

Distribution and Accounts: Lanie Fillo-Pana Distribution Assistants: Jaya Gautam, Durga Gautam Have Your Say: Feedback and comments are always welcome.

Please forward letters to the addresses below.

E-mail: editor@qatarhappening.com info@qatarhappening.com Contact Details: Inquiries: +974 491 0565 / Fax: +974 491 0570 Editorial: + 974 491 0573 Marketing: + 974 491 0572 Postal Address: P.O. Box 7848 , Doha, Qatar

The information contained in QATAR HAPPENING is correct at the time of printing. Details may change at any time without liability on the part of The Art of Business. Readers are advised to confirm details with the event organisers.

All rights reserved 2009, The Art of Business. Reproduction in part or in full is strictly prohibited.QATAR HAPPENING assumes no responsibility for content of advertisements.

www.qatarhappening.com

ON THE COVER

Great fun awaits. My picks for the month are celebrity spotting the guest lists for the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, the Sony Ericsson Championships and the annual Reach Out to Asia Charity Dinner scheduled late in the month might just find you rubbing elbows with the rich and famous.

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Dinara Safina

Photo: Nathaniel Welch

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QH TEAM Suzanne Executive Content Director

Moona

Jessica

Marketing Manager/ Contributor

Content Producer

Jay

Web & Research Assistant

Paolo

u o y l l e t e W ! g n i n e p p what’s ha

Graphic Designer

information and community t en ev st tte ho g you the g Magazine! ted team to brin atar’s Happenin Q H, It takes a dedica Q nd hi be eet the people each month. M

Jorell

Art & Photography Director

Chantal

Fashion Stylist

Lanie Ahmad

Photography Assistant

Fi

Contributor

Holly

Contributor

Distribution & Accounts

Nathy

Photography Production Coordinator

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Contributor

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OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS www.qatarhappening.com

SUNDAY Laughter Factory Shehrazad, Ramada Plaza 8:00 p.m.

Water Polo Clinic Sun 4th – Fri 9th, 4:00 p.m.

Olympic Committee Building Swimming Federation

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MONDAY Laughter Factory Shehrazad, Ramada Plaza 8:00 p.m.

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WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY Oktoberfest Tues 6th – Sat 10th InterContinental Hotel 7:00 p.m. – midnight

Oktoberfest Tues 6th – Sat 10th InterContinental Hotel 7:00 p.m. – midnight

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Wealth and Power in the “New Internation Order” 6:00 p.m.

Mirqab Hall, Four Seasons Hotel

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Musical Moments Il Teatro, Four Seasons Doha

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Romanoff & Juliet Wed 14th – Sat 17th Qatar Academy Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

13 Conference on Child Abuse Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar Time TBA

United Rhythm Band Ritz-Carlton Doha 8:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.

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INFDEX 2009 Wed 21st – Sat 24th Doha Exhibition Centre Time TBA Musical Moments Il Teatro, Four Seasons Doha 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

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SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIPS DOHA 2009

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Tues 27th – Nov 1st see page 59

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Paul Van Dyk in Doha

Marriott Beach 8:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.

THURSDAY

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Babies & Kids Tabletop Sale to benefit QAWS Qipco Clubhouse 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Ladies of Harley’s Think Pink Qatar Ride Doha Corniche 4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (registration at 3:30 p.m.)

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FRIDAY Oktoberfest Tues 6th – Sat 10th InterContinental Hotel 7:00 p.m. – midnight

Oktoberfest Tues 6th – Sat 10th InterContinental Hotel 7:00 p.m. – midnight

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Rakabayan Qatar 2009 Philippine International School of Qatar 4:00 p.m. onwards

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Air Supply Concert

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Doha Tribeca Film Festival Thurs 29th – Nov 1st see page 20

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INFDEX 2009 Wed 21st – Sat 24th Doha Exhibition Centre Time TBA

23 Think Pink Breast Cancer Walk

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Tues 6th – Sat 10th InterContinental Hotel 7:00 p.m. – midnight

Original Dirndljaeger Thurs 15th – Fri 16th Giwana Ballroom, Ramada Plaza 7:30 p.m. – midnight

INFDEX 2009 Wed 21st – Sat 24th Doha Exhibition Centre Time TBA

INFDEX 2009 Wed 21st – Sat 24th Doha Exhibition Centre Time TBA

Oktoberfest

Romanoff & Juliet Wed 14th – Sat 17th Qatar Academy Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

Romanoff & Juliet Wed 14th – Sat 17th Qatar Academy Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

Education City Ceremonial Court 8:30 p.m. see page 14

SATURDAY

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Doha Corniche registration at 5:00 p.m. see page 28

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24 Halloween Party

Pearl Lounge, Doha Marriott 9:00 p.m. till close see page 17

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QH RECOMMENDS

p kids even had a ap Tr n Vo e th , gs in th ite Oprah’s got her favour ve our own picks for ha am te H Q e th ow N whole song about it. delight this month! in le gg gi d an ile sm us g things that are makin That One Song by Taylor Swift Baby, Baby, Baby

Kanye West may have stolen her thunder, but Taylor Swift’s song ‘You Belong With Me’ rocks with or without MTV Video Awards (and note: even with interruptions she still won the award). It’s peppy, it’s fun, and it’s giving unreasonable hope to love-struck tweens everywhere.

Check out YouTube for the video, as well as the whole Kanyedebacle.

It’s big. Or so YouTube tells us. It involves the creative use of black bars. We can’t tell you what’s behind those bars, but let your fingers do the Googling (go ahead, we’ll wait).

Joel Plaskett This Canadian IndieRock musician with a penchant for sweater vests and old-man hats just found his way onto Perez Hilton’s radar, but he’s been on ours ever since he was winning Junos (the Canadian version of a Grammy). Favourite tracks include ‘True Patriot Love’, ‘Nowhere with You’ and his latest ‘Through and Through and Through’. His albums are available on iTunes.

Oh, the Lameosity!

MAC Lipsticks These recently turned up in our offices, and there may have been a mild scuffle over who gets to keep which colours. Why? It made it through four cups of coffee unharmed, which leads one to believe it just might be magical.

Facebook is a fickle mistresswho hasn’t found themselves tempted to post something silly, stupid, or poorly-thought out?

Well, thanks to the net-trolls over at www.lamebook.com, with a click of a mouse you can check out everyone else’s moments of Facebook shame.

Want to see what we’re talking about? Check us out at www.qatarhappening.com. Or just become our friend on Facebook (come on, you know you want to. We’ll play Farmville).

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As Always.

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A Breath of Music: Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock’s first performance in Qatar will pluck your heartstrings.

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SPOTLIGHT ON ENTERTAINMENT

Musical Oxygen

By Cecilia Leigh

More romantic than a fistful of Lloyd Dobblers hoisting boom boxes over head, Air Supply descends on Doha on October 15th. But while they are a staple of Soft Rock stations the world over, don’t describe them that way.

“I

think Soft Rock is a term that may be obsolete now, certainly for us. Our music is best described as Romantic Rock. We have big harmonies, great melodies and songs, amazing vocals and an incredible band that all together will leave a very strong impression with the people of Doha,” said Graham Russell, half of the duo. “We are certainly not Soft Rock. Our live show is very passionate, and quite loud. Emotions are best understood when they are at a certain level.”

However you categorize the band, they’ve managed to not only survive, but thrive for over 30 years in the music industry.

Formed in 1975 when Russell met Russell Hitchcock on the set of “Jesus Christ Superstar” in Australia, they originally formed a 5-man group.

Their first album went Gold in Australia, and they were invited to open for Rod Stewart.

But just because they’ve been playing longer than many newer stars have been alive, doesn’t mean all they do is throwbacks to their 80s glory days.

They’ve continued to make music right up until this year.

“We have a brand new studio album coming in a few weeks which we are extremely excited about, called Mumbo Jumbo,” said Russell. “Our new

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SONGS

SPOTLIGHT ON ENTERTAINMENT

YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW WERE

AIR SUPPLY As one of the mostcovered groups ever, you’ve probably rocked out to a few of their tunes without realizing it! Face it: they’ve eaten your brain.

Come What May No, not Ewan’s serenade in Moulin Rouge!

Making Love Out of Nothing At All

Carrie Underwood sang this on American Idol and impressed the judges. Extra points for the video for a prestigious example of wafro (whiteguy afro).

Music for a Cause: Organized by the Filipino group, Pag-Iribang Bicolnon, Qatar 2001 one of the Doha concert’s main beneficiaries is Reach Out to Asia.

stage show will reflect the new album as soon as it is released. We are also about to begin the autumn leg of our worldwide tour.”

What’s kept them going over the decades are their love songs, including ‘Making Love out of Nothing at All’ and ‘All Out of Love.’

That’s something that’s not going to change on any of their albums.

in numerous movies, TV shows, and commercials, not to mention being belted out in showers and cars the world over.

“For us, love is a key topic that is very complex and has many stories to tell. We didn’t choose this topic, “For us love is a key topic it chose us.” that is very complex and has many stories to tell. We didn’t choose this topic, it chose us,” said Russell. “The songs I write have always been of this nature. It is just who I am and who we are as people and performers. Most songs everywhere are really about love if you think about it. Most of the Beatles’ songs were too.”

And just like the Beatles, they’ve become a favourite among other artists. Many people know the covers of their songs almost better than the originals. Celine Dion made her mark with her 1993 version of ‘The Power of Love’ and Carrie Underwood sang ‘Making Love out of Nothing at All’ on American Idol. Their music has appeared

“I think our songs appeal to other artists because they know people will like them as they are known all around the world,” said Russell.

However, while their music has made it here and back many times, this is their first time in Doha.

“We have played in Dubai once before about ten years ago, and have been longing to play in the region again. I’m certain our reception will be a very good one. We are hoping the fans will be as enthusiastic as they are in other parts of the world,” said Russell. “We know very little about Doha, only what we have seen online. But we do know it is a beautiful city with a rich culture and that the people have a reputation for their hospitality and friendship.”

They hit the stage at Ceremonial Court in Education City on October 15th at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets range from QR 100 to QR 400 and can be purchased from Virgin Megastore. For more information, call 547-6019, 582-9182, or 573-3581.

The Power of Love

One of Celine Dion’s fans’ favorites, it’s actually originally a two-guy duet.

All Out of Love

Seriously, everyone has covered this one, from R&B groups like Jagged Edge to Boy-band Westlife. It even featured in an episode of South Park– yes, even the animated can’t keep their hands off Air Supply!

Here I am

There is not a teen movie of the Molly Ringwald oeuvre who didn’t include something like this in their soundtrack.

Emo bands everywhere have Air Supply to thank.

Check out www.qatarhappening.com for moments of pure 80s gold when we post some of their classic videos!

MEET THE BAND!

Be at Virgin Megastore Villaggio on October 14th for autographs and picture taking!

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ENTERTAINMENT HOTLIST

Original Dirndljaeger Thurs 15th – Fri 16th: Giwana Ballroom, Ramada Plaza. Celebrate the world’s largest fair and one of Germany’s most famous events. Feast on Weiss Wurst, Keise kreiner, Sauer Kraut and specially imported German beverages. QR 375 per person, from 7:30 p.m. till midnight. For more information, call 428-1555.

Oktoberfest Tues 6th – Sat 10th: InterContinental Hotel.

Celebrate the traditional Bavarian festival with food prepared by German chef Sasha and authentic Bavarian music by the band, Xelten. Tickets are QR 200, from 7:00 p.m. till midnight.

For more information call, 484-4444.

Halloween Party Sat 31st: Pearl Lounge, Doha Marriott. Start

thinking of your scary Halloween outfit now and have the party of a lifetime! Among skeletons, cobwebs, pumpkins and lots of funny and creepy costumes a complimentary cocktail awaits you at the Pearl Lounge starting at 9:00 p.m. For more information, call 429-8444.

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VIRGIN RECOMMENDS

Here’s how you can know what’s hot: Qatar Happening brings you the top selections from Virgin Megastore this month.

BOOKS Stephenie Meyer Collection

Stephenie Meyer is referred to by fans as an amazing phenomenon.

Using her gift with words, Meyer infuses her tales with light and hope no matter how much pain her characters suffer. The Host, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and her other top sellers are not just delighting readers across the globe, they are flying off the shelves at Virgin.

MUSIC The Best of Paul Van Dyk

The man was voted best DJ in the world by DJ Magazine’s influential annual poll in 2005 and his popularity obviously hasn’t dimmed.

HOT The Best of Paul Van Dyk Paul Va NE WS features favourites from his perform n Dyk will b e in five studio albums with the on Octo g live in Do ha ber 1st. majority of tracks coming Tic availab le at Vir kets from the most successful of gin Megas tore. them, 1996s Seven Ways and 2000s Out There and Back.

GAMES Uncharted 2 for PS3

Critics have described the game as a “long, visually stunning, deep and explosive experience.” Uncharted 2 has combined all the qualities serious gamers live for. Those who finished Uncharted and said to themselves that they’d love to have more can get happy right this minute with version two. It includes more climbing, more battles (and more ways to go about battle), more storylines (romantic interest included) and more action sequences!

MOVIES Knowing

A classic Hollywood blockbuster with an apocalyptic thrill ride thrown in! Nicolas Cage plays MIT professor John Koestler. Koestler is a single father of a boy who brings home a mysterious drawing. The drawing displays a series of numbers with seemingly no significance, until Koestler takes a closer look and realizes the cryptic numbers lay out a pattern of disasters and then the race to save the world begins.

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T NE W The release game is to be S d o you ca worldwide in fficially n get y our han October but Virgin ds M the rele egastore wil on it now! l celeb ase by compe r tition w organizing a m ate it ega h cool won by gifts Playsta tion fan to be atics.

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SPOTLIGHT ON ARTS & CULTURE

L A E D L E E THE R

By Jessica Davey-Quantick

The Doha Tribeca Film Festival hits town this month, but before they raise the curtain, they helped filmmakers in Doha get behind the camera themselves. Question is, is Doha ready for lights, camera, action?

C

igarettes should probably get a credit in Mohamed Al-Ibrahim’s movie, Where’s Cupid.

“There was nothing really to keep me going except for smoking,” said the 24-year-old, first-time filmmaker.

“We started at seven in the morning, actors showed up, everything was great, then all of a sudden the camera didn’t want to work. It was really humid and we had to wait for an hour. I was like ‘I can’t believe this’. I was outside, chain-smoking cigarettes.”

Welcome to the glamorous yet sweaty world of filmmaking. His film was one of the second set of one-minute-movies, produced as part of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

“People watch cinema like crazy, but as far as making films, there’s nothing like that here,” said AlIbrahim. “It’s a very visual art. I’ve always loved painting, but I suck at it. But with film you can tell a story, if you feel something, if you’re passionate about something and you can move people.”

What’s DT F F ?

stival The Doha Tribeca Film Fee this tim st fir launches for the till year. From October 29 th ll be wi s film November 1st, 33 of screened at the Museum ations loc r he Islamic Ar t and ot throughout the cit y.

Photo: Jorell Legaspi

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SPOTLIGHT ON ARTS & CULTURE

One-Minute Magic.

DTFF Executive Director, Amanda Palmer, was excited about how popular the short films have been.

“We’ve been looking for the film community, they’re hiding in all different corners. But they absolutely exist,” said Amanda Palmer, DTFF Executive Director. “The film-making community here in Qatar is limited, and we want to develop that. I hope with this film festival we can give them greater prominence.”

it, whether drama, comedy, or high-art, had a very Doha flavour.

people how to make it, and you show them that it’s easy, they will just grab the camera and make a movie,” said Copti.

“We wanted to create a film festival that’s He says one- minute movies are the perfect place very proud of being in the Middle East and to start. authentically Middle Eastern. I want people to be absolutely aware that they’re in Qatar. I don’t want anyone to be under any illusions that they’re “It gives you a lot of freedom you know? And it’s instant. You come for five days, you come out anywhere else but Doha,” said Palmer Scandar Copti, the Cannes-winning Palestinian with a movie. If you realize that in five days you filmmaker who’s been running the one-minute can make a one-minute, then in half a year the That’s exactly what Al-Ibrahim says the region’s film project, expected to get a few responses sky’s the limit,” he said. “You don’t need anything been waiting for. when they announced the program. Instead, he to make a movie.You don’t’ need money to do it, got dozens. So many in fact, they had to up the you don’t need anything. You just call your friends, number of participants in the second session from “It’d be a lot different (if we did this in another country). This one girl made a story about this girl you make your own movie, and you post it on the five to seven.

Internet. It’s easy.” growing up and how life changes, things around But it wasn’t just the interest he was surprised by. us change, how Qatar has changed a lot, but But is Doha ready for it? our traditions don’t. Those kinds of films have a unique message that someone from anywhere “I was surprised with the stories. They were so around the world would understand, but with a diverse,” he said.

Qatari flair if you will.”

DR. HORRIBLE’S Films ranged from existential explorations of what children see, to a testosterone-laden Thursday “Movies are important. They can change the way SING-ALONG BLOG night out, complete with ninja moves. And all of we live, the way we think. As soon as you show Joss Whedon, creator of Buf fy The Vampire Slayer (and nerd god ), created this musical short starring Neil Patrick Harris, among others. Distrib uted online GREASE for free during the WGA stri ke, it was and Without Danny small, inexpensive and it flip y wa ped ir the ng myi Sandy shim a jazzy finger at many of the from ing ryth eve rts, hea into our issues of the strike. g Centre Stage to Dirty Dancin THAT CHANGED t bes e’s ayz ORK Sw NE TW (arguably one of the de it THE WORLD ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m roles) might never have ma n not going to take it anymore’ (according to us) to our DVD shelves. But the h may have seemed satirical in again, neither would Hig 1976, when the movie about a School Musical. ision station and the lengths telev Want our full list? to to improve ratings was goes it Check us out online at released, but as journalism www.qatarhappening.com slides into of info-tainment, for all our choices! it’s got a point.

MOVIES

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“It’s been ready for a while! I can’t say this enough– it’s about time!” said Al-Ibrahim. “I don’t think people know what to expect from the Festival. I don’t know what kind of films they’re going to screen there, but it’s definitely going to start a buzz and people are going to start making their own films.”

Copti agrees.

“Of course Doha’s ready. But it needs the opportunity,” he said. “I love making movies. I’m not into educating, I don’t come patronizing people and telling them ‘listen, maybe your life will be changed’. No. We’re just sharing the same passion of filmmaking, this is the way I see it. This is what I have in common with anyone who likes moviesit’s an international language.

The One Minute Man QH catches up with Scandar Copti, the Palestinian director behind the one-minute film project in Doha.

But who is he?

Scandar Copti was meant to be an engineer.

“I began as a mechanical engineer, like all my brothers. Then I finished school and became a waiter,” he said.

“My neighbourhood is very complex because it’s like a melting pot of different nationalities and religions,” he said. This isn’t the first time someone’s made a movie about this topic. But, he says with this, he hopes people start to listen.

“No one cares about us,” he said.

He says that’s why it’s so important these events are recorded, both to inform people now, and help future generations understand. For several years he’s worked with groups of teenagers, showing them how to use cameras, and helping to document what they see around them.

The man, the myth, the goatee.

Scandar Copti helped many new film makers in Qatar create one-minute masterpieces.

But it’s not just what’s happening now that he’s trying to get on tape.

T H E GR A

DUATE Dustin Hoffm an MILF. This on and the original e broke grou nd on subject mat ter, as well as having a rocking so undtrack, an d has had cultural ram ifications fr om The Simpsons to high art.

THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN

It’s silent, it was made in 1925, and it managed to simultaneously introduce the baby-carriagecareening-into-danger scenario and be one of the first and most influential propaganda films ever made.

He put down the condiments and cutlery though when he heard about a film festival for ten-minute movies.

“They chose five people that had nothing to do with cinema, to make movies. They wanted us to make, like diaries, and my friend and I made a mocumentary. It made a lot of noise.”

Enough noise that soon after, he was approached by the director of the film festival to work on a feature film. Seven years later, his film Ajami won the Golden Camera Special Mention at the Cannes Film Festival.

The movie, set in his neighbourhood, Ajami, has gained him a reputation as a controversial, yet accessible filmmaker. Using real people from his neighbourhood instead of actors, the movie tells the story of five different people, and reflects what life’s really like in Jaffa.

“One of my projects also is documenting the Palestinian history, the oral history because it was erased,” he said. “This project, Autobiography of a City, is about the people, the old people of the city telling their stories. Very personal stories, but which reflect the history of the place. Sometimes silly stories, or funny stories, but it shows that there was life here, something was going on. It wasn’t empty.”

He hopes that by letting teenagers get behind the camera and document these stories themselves, it’ll have an even bigger impact than if they just watched his telling of it. The project includes kids of all religions, and he says he’s already seen it have an impact as more and more who participate are reluctant to keep up the cycle of violence that’s marred the region for decades.

“They experience on their flesh stories when they go to document old people telling them. It’s much stronger than books,” he said. “You can change your reality and your surrounding using your camera.”

For more information, check out www.jaffaproject.org. Ajami is currently being screened at film festivals around the world.

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ARTS & CULTURE HOTLIST

The Tribeca Film Festival hits Doha this month!

QH got the inside scoop on three not-to-be-missed films.

About Elly

CHECK OUT

w w w.qatarha ppening.com for full DTF F lis tings, including date s, times, and prices as they ’re released!

Iranian Director, Asghar Farhadi’s latest effort won him the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival, and the Crystal Symorgh at the Fajr International Film Festival. It also manages to poignantly deal with issues of male-female relationships, truth and lies, and living in a culture where any of these things are strictly controlled. The movie centers around a group of Iranian friends who go to the coast on holiday. With them they bring Ahmad: a recently-divorced Iranian living in Germany, and Elly: a kindergarten teacher no one knows well. They are invited specifically to try and orchestrate a marriage between her and Ahmad. In the midst of the group’s efforts at matchmaking, Elly disappears, and suddenly everything changes. Through gritty, hand held camera techniques, Farhadi tells a story of how people perceive themselves, each other, the lies we tell to support those perceptions, and how far we’re willing to go to save face.

Team Qatar: Up For Debate Directed by Liz Mermin, this film follows five teenagers as they represent Qatar for the first time in the World Schools Debating Championship. In true Qatar fashion, the team is comprised of a Qatari, an Iraqi, a Syrian-Armenian, and an Iranian. They are all determined to not only compete, but to prove people from the Gulf are more than just oil, money and jihad. The movie is funny, poignant, and uniquely Qatari– the ideas and ways of looking at the world are different than many, either watching the film or competing against them, would expect. But many elements will resonate with viewers (particularly a scene where one boy jokingly warns competitors ‘not to touch the girls’ in a post-debate handshake, as they are strict Muslims and not allowed to touch men). It’s a story as diverse as Doha itself, and shows where the country’s been and where it’s headed.

Road, Movie Fresh off it’s world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was the only Indian film to be invited as a special presentation, the latest from Dev Benegal creates a movie all about movies. Centering around Vishnu, a young man disenchanted with his father’s hair oil business, the movie’s real star is the Indian landscape, as Vishnu hits the open road in an antique chevy outfitted as a traveling cinema. With two 40-yearold projectors and an eccentric collection of films, the movie isn’t just about a young man’s journey to find himself, or about the breath-takingly diverse Indian road he takes to find it- it’s about a love of movies, and why they speak to us, anywhere, anytime. It’s a perfect match for Doha’s first International Film Festival!

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SPOTLIGHT ON COMMUNITY

We Are Survivors

By Jessica Davey-Quantick Photography Jorell Legaspi

October is breast cancer awareness month, and as Think Pink gears up to spread awareness, we talk to three women about what it’s really like living with the disease.

W

hen Marisa Silva’s hair started to fall out, her husband shaved her head.

“I lost my hair after the third week of chemo. I cried a lot,” she said.

She was diagnosed in May with breast cancer.

She also lost one of her breasts.

For her husband, Cristodao Fuhruch, it doesn’t change anything.

“When we love somebody, we don’t look at parts of the body. We love the whole person,” he said. “She is (still beautiful). Beauty is more than some part of somebody, more than hair. The beauty is the whole context of the body and the soul and your heart.”

Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, affecting both women and men. Both Marisa’s mother and grandmother had it, and many people have been touched by it. But if caught early, it’s also one of the most treatable.

Fighting Spirits: Both Marisa Silva (top) and Luiza Pancoti (right) are currently battling breast cancer. Both are determined to survive.

“It was like the end of life. But there are two options when you get this disease: one is to face the situation with your head up. The other is to go to bed and cry forever. I chose the first option, to stand up,” said Marisa. “When I am doing the chemotherapy, I look at the liquids coming into my body. I used to say to the liquids ‘you’re going to cure me’.“

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SPOTLIGHT ON COMMUNITY

“There are no borders for breast cancer.” she said. “I went to a couple of doctors and the last one, the minute he saw the results, he just put the x-rays up and said ‘come here, I want to show you what cancer looks like’ and pointed to my x-rays.”

Helping Others: M.J. Dooher survived breast cancer when she was in her 30s and went on to become one of the most successful fundraisers for breast cancer causes in Canada.

Since then, she’s gone on to raise thousands through the CIBC Run for The Cure, a Canadian breast cancer organization. For seven years her team raised the most money nationally, and she personally raised the most money of any individual across Canada, to the tune of around $450,000 Canadian in total.

But no matter how far she’s come, she still remembers.

“I didn’t lose all my hair, I lost big chunks, big patches of it, so I got rid of it. A few years beforehand, I received a really bad perm from a Support, she says, is crucial. But she says you can “I feel positive because I’m independent. Imagine hairdresser and it burnt my scalp. The only thing only get support when you ask for it. While she if you are sick in bed, with tubes, dependent on we could do to salvage my hair was shave my covers her head with a scarf, she and her husband people, breaking all the routines in the house– head. So I’d already lived through it and said ‘OK decided to tell people what was going on, and not my kids’ schedule was the same, my husband’s it’ll grow’,” she said. “But when it’s shaved for hide it– a controversial idea in a country where schedule was the same. I went everyday to the cancer, it feels different. It’s emotional. You’re modesty, especially for women, is ingrained in hospital by myself,” she said. “I met an old friend distorted, everything changes. The medications the culture. (who also had cancer). She lost her hair, and then change the way you look, the way you feel, she told me ‘I don’t go out. I don’t do anything. I the way you taste. Losing your hair and your She credits part of her positive attitude to Luiza arranged a driver to take my daughter to school’ eyebrows, corn doesn’t taste like corn anymore, Pancoti, another Brazilian. and I said ‘Why? You need to go. Be alive. and your toothpaste hurts your gums– it’s just Nothing’s changed.’ “ part of many things.”

“When (I first met Marisa), I told her everything was going to be OK. We are sick, it’s like we have Her positivity was hard won. Chemotherapy But that’s why she says it’s so important to talk a cold, but we’re going to get out of this,” said ravages the body, but she says others’ reactions about.

Luiza. ravage the mind.

“There are no borders for breast cancer,” she said.

Married to a Qatari, she’s been in Qatar for “It’s a tough feeling. You can’t explain it. Because “It affects so many people.”

19 years. And she’s had breast cancer since the hair, I believe, is the frame of your face. So I December. felt like I didn’t have a frame for my face anymore. For survivors and people fighting the disease, You feel weak in your femininity. I became shy, Luiza says it’s critically important to talk– to one “My first fear was dying without my kids knowing shy to talk to people. I had to discuss about another, to other people, to anyone who will anything about me. I come from Brazil– it’s a business and I was not me,” she said. “I cried a listen. And not just about the disease and early different culture, a different religion, a different lot and my husband said ‘look I’m bald forever. detection– about living with it, and surviving it. style of life. I’m Brazilian– I like to samba!” she Your hair will grow again, why you cry?” said. “I wanted to tell about me. So I started to “Somehow I wanted to show we are still alive, we write a book. I couldn’t believe how many things That’s something M.J. Dooher remembers vividly. still have a taste for life. I want to live 100 years I have to tell. Now I’ve stopped– I realized I’ll be She survived cancer when she was only 38, an more,” she said. able to tell them myself.” age where the disease is usually fatal.

Marisa agrees.

She’s also lost her hair, but covers it under an She didn’t tell her family for six months. abaya. Looking at her, a mother of three teenaged “I feel, I am alive. This is the most important thing“I didn’t want to alert my family to it until I was boys and a successful businesswomen, you I am alive. With breasts or without breasts, with wouldn’t know she’s battling cancer. absolutely certain. It was devastating for them,” hair, with no hair, I am the same person.”

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COMMUNITY HOTLIST

Ladies of Harley’s Think Pink Qatar Ride Fri 2nd: Doha Corniche. The Ladies of Harley kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a ride on the Doha Corniche from 4:30 p.m. till 5:00 p.m. It all starts and ends at Al Mourjan, near Orry Mascot. Registration for single riders is QR 75, QR 100 for double, starting at 3:30 p.m. All funds raised go towards Think Pink. For more information, check out the Ladies of Harley on Facebook or www.thinkpinkqatar.com

Pink Bake Sale and Carwash

Registration for Walk of Life Thurs 1st: Various. The Walk of Life is a

community-walk to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer causes. “We walk so we or someone else can live one step at a time.”

Organized by Think Pink Qatar, registration takes place from 10 a.m. till 10 p.m. at Virgin Records, Carrefour and the Food Court at Villaggio, City Center Doha and Landmark, as well as at various locations in Education City. Registration costs QR 150 with all funds going to Think Pink Qatar. For more information, check out www.thinkpinkqatar.com

mpound.

Fri 9th: Les Roses Cocar wash to raise

A charity bake sale and For more funds for Think Pink Qatar. help out, to er information and to volunte tar.com. kqa kpin hin w.t ww check out

Walk of Life Fri 30th: Doha Corniche.

Registration starts at 5:00 p.m. at Al Mourjan. The longer route starts at the Muesum of Islamic Art at 6:00 p.m.

The shorter walk starts at Al Mourjan restaurant by the Orry on the Corniche at 6:20 p.m. Both walks end at the Sheraton, with entertainment to follow. For more information, check out www.thinkpinkqatar.com

Global Pink Hijab Day Wed 28th: Various. Several groups, including Think Pink Qatar and the Human Rights Student Organization gather together to promote breast cancer awareness by painting Qatar pink. Events will take place in Education City, details TBA, and wherever you are, wear something pink to show your support. For more information, check out www.thinkpinkqatar.com.

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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

a WEALTH of

CHARACTER

By Holly Wallace Photography Jorell Legaspi

Better known as one of Qatar’s leading business men, Hussein Alfardan shares with QH the story of his journey from a pearl merchant’s son to the head of a billion-dollar empire that he’s built from scratch.

H

ussein Alfardan was playing a game of cards when we arrived at his farm house.

“Without friends, my life would not be complete,” said Alfardan whose home is always open to visitors.

The game of cards came to a close and he welcomed us with a warm handshake. He graciously ushered us towards a table laden with traditional Qatari dishes to share a meal and sample good, old-fashioned Arab hospitality.

The fish were caught by his personal fisherman off the coast of his beach house and delivered fresh that morning to be prepared by the farm’s cooks.

A large plate of fresh dates was harvested from a nearby tree shortly before lunch.

One dish on the menu was baranjoush – a sweet rice made by soaking the grain with dates. He explained that Qatar’s pearl divers ate only one meal a day consisting of fresh fish and this traditional meal. On this diet, they could dive as deep as 18 fathoms (32.4 metres) and stay under water for up to five minutes.

remembers watching his father make deals with the divers and pearl brokers in their family’s majelis (a large meeting room with cushions on the floor). It was the result of these animated and sometimes heated negotiations which sowed the seeds of his business acumen.

Alfardan’s father, Ibrahim Alfardan, was one of the Gulf’s most successful pearl merchants in the first half of the 20th century. He introduced his son to the business at the tender age of eight. Alfardan

A Gentle Soul: Hussein Alfardan relaxes at his farm, a world away from the empire he’s built.

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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

“My

assets are not money, they’re human beings.”

“The bargaining was fantastic. Back then, we used secret hand signals to negotiate, and when the deal was finally closed, my father would give everyone gifts.”

Although business meetings have moved out of the majelis and into the boardroom, Alfardan has kept the tradition alive by building a comfortable majelis on his farm where, “whoever comes is welcome.”

With the press of a button, shutters on the tower rolled open and immediately a strong wind filtered down into the room. It was hot and sucked in the heat of the surrounding desert. I was surprised this was used as a cooling method, but he explained people wrapped themselves in wet robes so the moving air cooled them down by evaporation.

Alfardan settled into a lounge chair and reflected on the past as the warm wind circulated around The majelis is one of the many traditional features us. In his 72 years, the Middle East has literally of Alfardan’s guest house. Self-proclaimed his reinvented itself. In 1952 his family moved to pride and joy, Alfardan said the building was Qatar from Bahrain. His father had four wives and designed and built to resemble a traditional many servants, so he grew up in a large bustling Arabian home. household and was one of 18 children.

“In those days the sea was our life,” he says.

After lunch we walked the short distance down a corridor of flowering bougainvillea and palm trees “I always had one eye on the horizon waiting for to the bright yellow guest house decorated with the pearling dhows to come back at sunset, or colourful sculpted motifs. trading boats from India to pull into port.”

Hand-carved wooded doors opened onto an ornate inner courtyard. Tradionally, women would draw water from a communal well in a courtyard like this beneath the shade of a single tree. Many rooms branched off of the courtyard, including the majelis, which stores an impressive collection of Arabic artifacts.

Model pearling and trading dhows, ornate perfume bottles, valuable Persian carpets, silver coffee urns, and photos of his friends on falcon hunting trips lined the walls. In the centre of the room a log of ‘oud,’ a rare wood from India worth 40,000 QR per kilogram, sat on top of a large incense burner.

After our impromptu cultural lesson, he led us to the main guest bedroom to experience another traditional feature – a wind tower.

He attended school for only two years before starting his first job at a bank at the age of 18 where he taught himself to read, write and speak English. His resignation at age 23 was refused by his British boss, “who needed [him]”. However, Alfardan decided to make his own luck and began his first small business in 1954 importing jewelry from India. By 1958, his monthly income had grown to over QR 12,000 a month, which was a princely sum back then.

In 1970, he set up a foreign exchange service and in 1975 made history by opening the country’s first private sector bank. After 32 years, he still manages the Commercial Bank of Qatar.

“I’ve faced a lot of difficulties in my life, but I was always moving strongly and never let anything depress me,” he said.

“I don’t look back; I fight.”

Wind towers were designed to catch the wind and funnel it into the room below. The only problem with these traditional structures is that they could never be closed, so even in winter, the wind whistled down the tower. However modern technology has taken care of this inconvenience.

It’s this fighting spirit that has made Alfardan one of Qatar’s most successful business figures with many visionary ventures under his belt.

The Alfardan Group now comprises automobile, jewelry, exchange, marine and real estate divisions, including the Pearl Qatar which is one of his most ambitious projects.

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“It’s my dream to see my vision [the Pearl] come true. The day I see it completed, this is my dream completed.”

Alfardan attributes his success to effective leadership and good relationships.

“Since I opened my eyes I was a leader. I feel I can guide people by letting them understand I stand behind them if they need me. I give to everyone and I thank God he gave me the strength to be able to do it,” he said.

“Some wealthy people are arrogant, but me, I’m simple. The He believes it’s this sense wealth means of social responsibility and community that keeps his home nothing to me. full of family and his life full of My richness is friends. However, he laments my character.” that Qatar’s modernization is

“I learned from my father: if you only take care of yourself, no one will come to you or be loyal to you. My assets are not money, they’re human beings.”

erasing these values from the younger generation.

“Life has to change. We cannot go back to the past as it was a hard life. We’ve gained many good things such as education and knowledge of the world, but we’ve left behind the confidence in each other and the beauty of our own simple life,” said Alfardan who revisits the simple life every weekend that he visits his farm.

We were treated to a tour in the gathering twilight of the numerous enclosures housing zebras, ducks, flamingos, impalas, deer, goats, emus, ostriches, peacocks and pigeons. Alfardan parked beside the cow enclosure and got out to chat with the farmer about the health of the herd.

It was a simple scene – a gracious mature man in an impeccable white thobe chatting with a farmer as the sun set and the moon rose, and for a moment I forgot the vast wealth and power he wields on a daily basis. Instead, I saw the person who measures his success not in dollars, but by the love of his family,friends, and loyal staff.

“Some wealthy people are arrogant, but me, I’m simple. The wealth means nothing to me. My richness is my character.”

Friday and Saturday Brunch in West Bay. Truly a treat for the whole family, Animato offers the best Friday and Saturday brunch.

Join us for all your favourite dishes including breakfast items, main dishes and live cooking stations and of course tempting desserts from the international buffet.

There is no need ot worry about the children as they have their own buffet and play room as well as access to the swimming pool – plenty to keep them entertained as you while away the afternoon.

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In a Class of its Own. Al Mourjan sits on its prime spot on the Doha Corniche (beside the Orry statue).

SPOTLIGHT ON FOOD

Lebanese Delights

By Cecilia Leigh The best food tastes like your mom made it. And Photography Jorell Legaspi possibly cut the crusts off for you.

So, considering Mohamed Al-Sadek’s mom likes his food, it’s got to be good.

ingredients that they cultivated on their land. They used a lot of olive oil, they used a lot of garlic and onion, spices and peppers. It’s basically using vegetables and turning them into different plates or appetizers which we call mezzeh” he said.

Al Mourjan, home of Lebanese “She loves it! My mother’s an excellent cook Al Mourjan serves over 100 different types Cuisine and the herself, and I learnt a lot from her,” said Al-Sadek, of mezzeh. of Al Mourjan. “At home you take care, you only restaurant owner And it’s popular– Al- Sadek says it’s probably in take time, to perfect your cooking. So when you on the Corniche, go to a restaurant and they say ‘wow this tastes the top-five cuisines worldwide. turns one this just like home’, that means it’s good.”

“Wherever you go in the world, you can find hummus. year. We dive into That’s step one, he says, “Every dish that in preparing quality Hummus is the most a vat of garlicky Lebanese food. appetizer to make, you taste here is difficult goodness and by the way. To perfect it is food takes time if really the authentic nearly impossible,” he said. check out what’s “Lebanese you really want it perfect,” taste of Lebanon” But that doesn’t stop kept them hopping he said. “You have to it. The chefs should people trying. since they opened. pamper be in love with what they do, they should be impassioned about creating food. And this does take time, you cannot make something quickly.”

Arabic food is one of the oldest cuisines in the world. The cradle of civilization is smack dab in the middle of the Middle East, making the land of milk and honey more a land of hummus and tabbouleh.

“Civilization started in this part of the world.

People used the very basic and natural

“Why? Because it’s so tasty!”

It’s also extremely healthy, something dietconscious folks, no matter their nationality, leap at. Vegetarians, particularly before the days of soya-bologna and tofu-everything, attacked Lebanese cuisine with gusto, as many dishes in a traditional mezzeh are not only meat free, but also high in protein and iron. Not to mention delicious– the Lebanese do things with chickpeas that are almost sinful.

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SPOTLIGHT ON FOOD But with so much competition, it’s hard to stand out. When most of your customers think they know what babaganoush tastes like after purchasing a frighteningly-purple container of it at the local grocery store, you’ve got to be really special to leave a mark.

He’s got Lebanese chefs in the kitchen, and tries to make sure that everything that hits his customers’ tables is something he, and his mother, would gladly eat.

“I would recommend (customers) try a few Lebanese restaurants and then come to Al Mourjan and taste the difference,” he said.

Al Mourjan tries to make their mark “They’re all good, but our food tastes completely with authenticity. different. It’s done authentically. It’s done the way it was done 30, 40, 60 years ago in Lebanon.

“Every dish that you taste here is really the A lot of Lebanese restaurants cook their food authentic taste of Lebanon,” said Al-Sadek.

“Lebanese food is about the right mixture, the right quickly. Our food is done by hand– we chop, we don’t use a blender. And that takes time.” blend. When you’re eating good Lebanese food you don’t need to add pepper, you don’t need to But then, so should your meal, according add salt, you don’t need to add lemon juice or to Al- Sadek. extra olive oil. A good restaurant would know how to bring out that perfect blend, that perfect “It’s very social. Everybody is sharing. This is mixture.” what mezzeh is all about, everyone sharing.

Everybody sitting, sharing, talking and eating. This Blending together the old and the new, and is something very beautiful and very nice about trying to match the gorgeous architecture of the Lebanese, and Arabic food in general.” restaurant and the Doha skyline with food that does it justice, was Al-Sadek’s biggest challenge For more information, call 483-4423. he says.

When you go: Take their hummus, muhammara, and tajine for a spin– all three are the best in the city, and the tajine is one of Mohamed’s personal favourites!

Feeling Carnivorous? Order the lamb chops: in fact, order two. You won’t be disappointed.

Looking for a little atmosphere? Al Mourjan keeps their patio, which juts out into the bay, open even as the weather heats up– the breeze from the water and strategically located fans keeps it cool. Delicious food lit by the light of the moon is sure to impress.

Take to the water on an Al Mourjan Dhow Cruise: they do the catering, you do the lounging like an Egyptian Pharaoh.

Love Bites.

Mezzeh should overwhelm the senses with scent and colour, even before it explodes on your tongue.

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FOOD HOTLIST

Chinese Food Festival Thurs 1st – Fri 16th: Doha Marriott.

Celebrate the Chinese National Day at Asia Live! with mouth-watering specialties prepared by Chinese chefs. Indulge in aromatic and tantalizing dishes from various regions of China. For more information, call 429-8499.

Turkish Food Festival Sat 24th – Thurs 29th: Doha Marriott.

Go on a tasteful journey through the beautiful country of Turkey and indulge in its specialties at Corniche Restaurant. Celebrate the Turkish way and enjoy the Turkish Buffet which is available in addition to the lavish seafood buffet. For more information, call 429-8499.

Chowder Chowder Chowder!

Thurs 1st – Wed 14th: Ramada Plaza. Dine at

Thai Food Festival

Pier 12 and take your pick from an amazing selection of 14 types of world famous chowders. A seafood extravaganza that should definitely not be missed. For more information, call 428-1555.

Musical Moments Wed 7th, 21st: Il Teatro, Four Seasons Doha.

Sept 26th – Fri 2nd: Grand Hyatt.

The Embassy of Thailand brings in dancers to perform the traditional dance known as “Fawn Thai” and a guest chef to introduce new delectable dishes from the menu of Isaan. For more information, call 448-1234.

Experience fine contemporary Italian cuisine, excellent wines, a tranquil ambience as well as duets of themed violin and piano recitals from members of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, starting at 7:00 p.m.

For more information call, 494-8888.

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QH FEATURE

RAGE ON D

By Jessica Davey-Quantick Anywhere in the world, the Doha Debates would

stand out. In their five years of existence, the program has tackled everything from conflict and crisis to the meaning of religion.

A new season of the Doha Debates starts “Basically we consider ourselves a current affairs this month, but what program. We look at what’s happening around us is it and why should at the time,” said exiting– producer Ali Willis. we care? The Doha Debates is financed by the Qatar

started. “There is that guarantee of editorial independence- that was promised and they’ve been good to their word. We’re here for the principal of it. (That’s) a vision perhaps no one else in this region has and I’m very grateful for it.”

According to Willis, there’s something unique about Qatar that makes this possible.

“I can’t imagine anywhere else in the Arab world Foundation for Education, Science and Community letting this happen,” she said. “The interesting Development and is broadcast eight times a thing about the Arab world is they often try to year by BBC World News. Willis says unlike copy the good bits each other are doing, but no many other media outlets and programs in the one’s ever tried to copy Doha Debates.”

Gulf Region, the Debates have managed to bring in speakers from all over the world. It has But copying the idea might be something worth drawn celebrities and politicians alike, armed thinking about. with nothing but words to debate a wide range of motions. The idea is to facilitate peaceful “I have to say people felt quite strongly about disagreement (not necessarily consensus) some things, people have a lot of opinions, but while encouraging participants and viewers to are very complimentary about what we do. There understand and respect different views– even if has never been any official backlash. We forge they don’t agree. ahead. We push boundaries, we push them hard and I think that’s appreciated by the outside world “From the very beginning we secured editorial and the people in Qatar,” said Willis. independence– we don’t ask for permission.

There is basically no interference from anyone Outside the Arab world, many people believe here on the topics we choose or the people we Gulf countries incapable of a free exchange of bring,” said Willis, who says without that promise controversial ideas. The Doha Debates go a long of freedom, the Debates would never have gotten way to changing that perception. It focuses on

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N DEBATES, RAGE ON

Debating the Debates: The Doha Debates has played to a full house since they started five years ago

topics and speakers of all backgrounds, nationalities, religions, and opinions talking about controversial issues while sitting in a studio in the Middle East.

“It’s brought a huge amount of positive attention to this country,” said Willis.

“We get praise from the educational community here, showing students different sides of stories that affect their lives, and allowing them to hear points they’ve never heard and maybe change their minds. Some of them even debate the debate we’re doing.”

That’s not the only ripple the Debates have created.

Recently there has been discussion about increasing press freedom in Qatar; something most journalists will agree can only be a good thing.

“I can’t imagine anywhere else in the Arab world letting this happen.”

“I’ve seen a huge change since I’ve been here– things are getting more open. It’s important for Qatar to have a level of media freedom,” said Willis. “It’s through the media you understand what’s going on.”

For more information on the Doha Debates, including where to get tickets (350 tickets are available per debate free of charge), check out www.thedohadebates.com.

The Debates started in 2004, and since then have hosted a range of ideas, views, and people from all over the world.

Highlights include: Hamas Offical Dr. Mahmoud Al Zahar Former U.S. President Bill Clinton Archbishop Desmond Tutu Head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Dr. Mohamed El Baradei

Close, but no Cigar

The Doha Debates almost hosted a special chat with U2 frontliner, Bono. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend at the last minute.

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SPOTLIGHT ON KNOWLEDGE

Change Begins at School

Starting Small: Mohamed Farid says small efforts can net big results.

By Jessica Davey-Quantick Photography Jorell Legaspi

M

ohamed Farid wants to break your nose.

The group is one of the largest in Education City, bringing together students from all disciplines and schools.

Or rather, he’d prefer you do it

yourself.

The Human Rights Student “One of the projects we have is called ‘Break Your Organization in Nose’. Don’t put your nose high up in the air and think ‘oh yes I’m superior, you’re poor, I don’t care Education City about you, I don’t give a damn about you’,” said gears up for their Mohamed Farid, president of the Human Rights second year. Student Organization.

We caught up He says it doesn’t have to take a UN Task force to effect change– in fact, some of the most with President powerful, that affect everyone involved, are the Mohamed Farid smallest. to find out what “We had students from Education City that human rights went out and distributed chocolates and water to construction people: those people are mean to him, and constructing the buildings we will study in. It’s a if they can work circle– if we acknowledge the presence of people, we treat people equally, it’s going to be a circle in Qatar. ifwhere we’ll all work together to evolve and make a better life. We went to labour camps, we were banned. They told us ‘get out’. But we still went in, we saw the misery. At least if we didn’t take the misery and show it to the world, we saw it ourselves.”

“As far as we know we’re the only organization of it’s kind in the region.”

But, what exactly are they?

“We follow the Declaration of Human Rights,” he said. “We believe the students in Education City are some of the best that the region will ever have. We need to give them an understanding of how important human rights are in our daily lives.”

To many people outside the region, the Middle East and human rights don’t exactly go hand in hand. That’s the first thing Farid says they’re trying to change.

“It’s not that people of this region are not active. It’s people of this region did not get the opportunity. They thought that ‘oh we’re not allowed to do this’. No, we are allowed, we are encouraged,” he said. “We are not the first people to start speaking freely– there’s the Doha Debates, there are incredible projects that created the platform for students to stand up.”

But while they’re trying to change the world, they’re starting with each person on campus.

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“I think if we start by affecting the students who have joined this organization, then we can really have an impact on the community. We’re trying to do human rights in a fun way,” he said.

KNOWLEDGE HOTLIST

“We’re trying to break the idea that people aren’t equal. People are equal. We respect where you come from, but it’s not a reason for you to treat me differently. We do not want people to discriminate against each others religion– religion is something between you and your god. A Security Guard standing in the university is not an object– he’s a person. Do not pass by every single day and not notice that he’s there– notice, smile, acknowledge his presence. Because if you do so, you are putting a smile on somebody’s face. You are making a difference: you are bringing the change. If every single person smiled at another person, trust me, it would make a difference.”

TowerTech Expo Mon 12th – Thurs 15th: Doha Exhibition Centre.

Various seminars are going to be held that feature the latest technologies in building management system, security, and smart building technologies. More than 180 companies from 20 countries are expected to showcase the latest trends and innovations in tower building technologies. For more information, call 495-4888.

They’ve organized several big events, including last year’s Conference on Human Rights, that saw students tackling issues and coming up with solutions, and Pink Hijab Day, to support breast cancer awareness.

No matter what they’re doing, Farid has been blown away by the reception, particularly from youth.

“If real change is attainable, we have to include youth. Last year we had a student that produced more than 1000 cookies, 1000 muffins, 1000 cups of pink lemonade for (Pink Hijab Day). We asked students to dress up in pink. A reporter was astonished, she was like ‘the campus was pink’,” he said.

“It’s our duty to make a difference. The people before us didn’t, we’ll have to catch up. And we have a duty to make sure the generation that comes has an understanding, that this is something important.”

INFDEX 2009 Wed 21st – Sat 24th: Doha Exhibition Centre.

The International Furniture & Design Exhibition features cutting edge interior design and architecture, furniture, art, lighting, fabrics, textiles and accessories. It is going to provide an inspiring and stimulating visitor experience, with informative seminars and presentations, innovative new product launches and B2B networking.For more information, call 495-48888.

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e h T

o P

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Add sensational life on your lips this month with powerful shades of pink! (clockwise for left) Girl About Town, Chatterbox, Impassioned, Ramblin’ Rose, Sweetie. All available from MAC, Villaggio and City Center Doha.

of

LIVE Celebrate the Way We Live EXPERIENCE Reasons to Fly LOOK A Designer by Any Other Name / Let’s Rally for Life!

TOUCH Style for a Cause Photo: Jorell 41 Legaspi OCT 09.indd 41

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QH SENSATIONS LIVE

Check out www.qatarhappening.com to learn more about category criteria and who should apply!

Arts & Culture Best Art & Cultural Experience Most Promising Cultural Project (Up and Coming)

Celebrate the way we live!

Creative Awards (Individual and Group Categories)

Health

& Wellness Best Campaign

Best Health Awareness Initiative Best Stress Buster

Community Best Community Initiative – Education Sector Best Cause Initiative – CSR

Suzanne Grant, Executive Content Director of QH, gives us an inside peek at the Qatar Happening Lifestyle Awards and what it means to live well in Qatar.

The word lifestyle means many things to many people.

QH shares the view that style is an expression of personal choice and taste. Living life with style is a matter of quality, woven from a spectrum of opportunities. It’s about living to one’s full potential while taking in some good oldfashioned fun along the way.

Personal style could be viewed in parallel to a brand. It may initially be perceived by the way we look, our own visual brands, but it is further defined through our memorable actions, values, consistent decisions, uniqueness, and contributions to the world in which we live – our living brand.

What does it mean to you when you hear “I like your style”?

The major categories of the Qatar Happening Lifestyle Awards were derived directly from our content. Composed of life and style indicators, they reflect a maturing Qatar which is experiencing a renaissance of arts & culture, an explosion of citizenship through community participation, an evolving awareness of healthy

living, an expanding live entertainment scene, a more defined hospitality sector, a quickly developing high standard spectator sport culture and a growing sophisticated style and fashion scene.

Benevolence Award

Sports Lifestyle Unbeatable Spectator Experience Best Sport Education Programs Sport Personality of the Year

Qatar Allure Favourite Out of Towner Attraction

All in all, the contributors to life and style are evolving in Qatar. What lies behind the success is the innovation, creativity and hard work of individuals and organizations. And that’s a success that Qatar Happening wants to shine a spotlight on!

Best Adventure Experience

Voting for the Qatar Happening Lifestyle Awards are open to individuals and organizations. Award winners will be determined by a People’s Choice online voting tool or through judging committees formed by upstanding citizens.

Outstanding Dining Experience

The Awards will culminate in a not-to-be-missed Glam Night showcasing and celebrating important life and style achievements within our community, recognizing the people and organizations behind them. The Awards aim to inspire excellence through awareness of new quality thresholds and benchmarks.

Concierge Award Best Photograph

Nightlife Most Promising New Restaurant Concept Event of The Year – talk of the town Best Nightlife

Style trends Best Boutique Experience Cutting Edge Accessory Design (Apparel / Home) Best Boutique Interior

Qatar – we like your style!

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QH SENSATIONS EXPERIENCE

Escaping to fantastic happening destinations around the world does wonders. Here are some

Reasons to Fly Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe October 4th: Paris, France.

Experience Europe’s richest race that brings together the crème de la crème of Horse Racing from various countries on October 4 at the Longchamp Racecourse, Paris. Various hospitality packages await you, ranging from £375.00 to £609.00 per person. For more information, check out www.prixarcdetriomphe.com.

Middle East International Film Festival Abu Dhabi October 8th – 17th: Abu Dhabi, UAE. Celebrate cinema in all of its wonderful audiovisual glory. Experience vibrant storytellers from the Middle East and around the world in the Emirates Palace Hotel. 1000 entries have been submitted representing more than 80 different countries. For more information, visit www.meiff.com.

Beirut International 9th Film Festival September 30th – October 7th: Beirut, Lebanon.

If you’re a film junkie, then this year’s Beirut International Film Festival is yours for the taking. From the 30th of September to the 7th of October, bear witness to 44 films ranging from features to shorts with a good mix of Arab and International films. Regular screenings will be at the Empire Sofil while the Gala screenings will be at Circuit Planete & Empire. For more information, www.beirutfilmfoundation.org.

Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix October 30th – November 1st: Abu Dhabi, UAE. The Ethiad Airways Abu Dhabi

Formula 1 Grand Prix breaks in the new Yas Marina Circuit this year! The climax of the World Championship season, it’s a show not to be missed. Tickets range from AED 1,600 to AED 2,500 for a three-day ticket and from AED 1, 500 to AED 2,000 for a two-day ticket. For more information and to buy tickets, check out www. yasmarinacircuit.com.

Lake of the Stars Festival October 15th – 18th: Mangochi, Malawi. Take a

musical journey unlike anywhere else from the 15th till the 18th in Mangochi, Malawi. With music ranging from afropop to reggae to folk to beatboxers and the best international DJs, there’s definitely something for everyone to enjoy. Visit www.lakeofstars.org for information regarding accommodation, flight sales, and festival tickets.

And Diverse are their Hues: Colour in Islamic Art and Culture November 2nd – 4th: Cordoba, Spain. Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, VCUQatar and the Qatar foundation present the Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art. Previously held in the United States and in Qatar, this one takes the grace of Islamic Art to Spain.

Registration is free and open to the public; early registration is recommended as spaces are limited. For more information and to register, check out www.islamicartdoha.org.

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Yotel Ahoy!

Opening first at London Heathrow and London Gatwick in 2007, and most recently at Amsterdam Schipol in late 2008, Yotel is a Japanese capsule hotel but with a luxury twist.

Designed like super-efficient ships cabins, the rooms come with a bed, a bathroom with shower, and a television. But while it may be small, it’s not lacking in those little extras– mattresses were designed by the same people who make crib mattresses, the TVs are flat screens, and the showers are waterfalls with designer scented body wash. Best of all, they’re right in the airport- you can walk in and out without having to go through customs or struggle your way through gates, security, and baggage claim. Unlike other in-airport hotels, they’ve got a new, clean, modern look to them, and cater to short-term stays of as little as four hours.

Now, considering most long-haul travelers do a dance of glee if they manage to score a flat surface of any kind (or one of the decidedly un-comfy ‘comfort chairs’ dotted around Schipol), having your own oasis of quiet, with or without high thread count linens, is pure bliss.

You can even order food and have it delivered directly to your cabin, avoiding hideous food court lines and yet more screaming children.

There are several flavours of Yotel cabin, from Premium cabins with double beds and Standard cabins with single beds to double cabins with bunk bed arrangements. Cabins range from QR 150 to QR 350.

For more information, check out www. yotel.com.

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QH SENSATIONS LOOK

A Designer by Any Other Name

By Jessica Davey-Quantick

D

ark wood, plush armchairs, and reason I concentrate on men is because I weed beveled mirrors meld together in out decoration. Men are graphic; the harmony of Stephano Ricci’s latest store at The lines.”

Pearl-Qatar to make it the retail equivalent of Frank Sinatra. It’s dark, But that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. it’s warm, and it’s capped off by an old-world swirl of smoke when the man himself lights up “You know, all men like black and white and navy. the first of his many cigarettes.

(From there) you can play,” said Ricci.

“I think I will shock you. The word luxury is dead. It has been used and abused to define things that “I’m a heavy smoker… everyone can smoke!” he as soon as the photographers have never had declares, are done snapping his picture. anything to do with Ricci isn’t your average luxury. I would talk designer.

But then today of excellency of again, he doesn’t production and a high want to be. tradition in finishing “I (don’t) consider myself a fashion and styling.” designer.

I’m not selling fashion, I’m selling culture.

I’m not trendy. I’m designing for men who already have enough suits, who don’t need my collection, but have a desire,” he said.

Now they can fulfill that desire in Doha, with his latest store on the Porto Arabia boardwalk at The Pearl-Qatar in a space he designed himself.

The store’s come a long way from when it was (as Ricci puts it) nothing but construction, coffee cups, chaos and table-top creation. So has Ricci, who now has 18 stores around the world. He credits his childhood in Florence for developing his creative brain.

“I was born in Florence. And even if you are a child, you walk in the street, you breath it in,” he said, puffing heavily on his third cigarette of the afternoon. “Honestly it is a great help to start breathing art. I’m a graphic designer. The

Known for never pressuring his tailors for speed, Ricci’s creations are almost always made to measure and tailored impeccably.

Their items are also never on sale.

“Not one of the stores has ever had a sale at the end of season; that’s another sign we don’t sell fashion,” said Ricci. “A nice cashmere overcoat doesn’t change season to season. A pleasure is always a pleasure.”

That’s something he says sets them apart from other design houses. His son, Niccolo describes other companies as being 80 per cent brand and only 20 per cent quality. The Riccis strive to reverse that, and it seems to be paying off. Their strategy, though slightly unconventional in light of the current economic climate, has meant that in 2008 when most other companies were losing money, they actually increased their profits.

“Our clientele appreciate they will be protected– in Qatar it will be the same. It’s a strange marketing strategy, but it’s kind of a religion for us, to protect and respect our clients,” said Ricci. “The real luxury is friendship, family, health. It’s a glass of fresh water in the desert.”

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f y l l a Let’s r

QH SENSATIONS LOOK

to raise breast cancer th on m is th s et re st e th their ld march Millions around the worDoha share how this illness made a difference in r strength. en in awareness. A few wom stories serve as testaments of beauty and inne lives. Their inspiring

On Maria (left): Pink chiffon strapless evening gown, Dolce & Gabbana. Scarf and sunglasses, Gucci.

All available at Via Domo, Villaggio.

On Luiza (centre): Chiffon kaftan dress and scarf,Gucci. Chain necklace, Dolce & Gabbana.

All available at Via Domo, Villaggio.

On Margarita (right): Grey evening gown with satin bow and scarf, Valentino.

All available at Via Domo, Villaggio.

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y for LIFE!

QH SENSATIONS LOOK

Photography Jorell Legaspi Styling Chantal Mossess

Production Manager Nathy Fonseca Photography Assistant Ahmad Oustwan Styling Assistant Valery Bolliger Make-Up Debbie Mendez @ MAC Hair Mohamad Al Sagheer Salon Fashion Villa Moda & Zai (NBK Fashion) Harley-Davidson Motorcycles courtesy of Qatar Harley-Davidson Group, Ladies of Harley and the Qatar Expat Motorcycle Club Pink Mustang courtesy of Michael James Khan Special thanks to Al Mourjan Restaurant, Doha Corniche and Think Pink Qatar

On M.J. (left): Beige tulle dress with side ribbon detail and silk crop jacket, Dolce & Gabbana.

Sunglasses, Gucci.

All available at Via Domo, Villaggio.

On Erin (centre): Grey silk halterneck evening gown, Valentino. Chain necklace, Dolce & Gabbana.

All available at Via Domo, Villaggio.

On Marisa (right): Pink knee length dress and beige silk crop jacket, Dolce & Gabbana.

All available at Via Domo, Villaggio.

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QH SENSATIONS LOOK

“My first fear was dying without my kids knowing anything about me. So I started to write a book.

Now I’ve stopped – I realized I’d be able to tell them myself.”

Luiza Pancoti

Fighter, diagnosed in December 2008

On Luiza: Grey chiffon shirt, beige coat with pearl neck detail and studded bangles, Valentino.

Light purple scarf, Gucci.

All available at Via Domo, Villaggio.

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QH SENSATIONS LOOK On Margarita: Fuschia pleated dress with floral detail, Valentino.

Floral bracelet, Marni.

All available at Via Domo, Villaggio.

“The Ladies of Harley are there to support those battling breast cancer every step of the way.�

Margarita Zuniga

Advocate and Member, Ladies of Harley

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QH SENSATIONS LOOK

“The surgeon put the x-rays up and said ‘Come here, I want to show you what cancer looks like’.”

M.J. Dooher

Fundraiser, survived breast cancer at 38 On M.J.: Pink chiffon dress, Emanuel Ungaro. Ankle boots, Paul Smith.

Bangles, Natalia Brilli.

All available at Zai (NBK Fashion).

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QH SENSATIONS LOOK “My grandmother was diagnosed in the late 1950s.

Back then there were no mammograms, biopsies or chemo, so they just took her breast and hoped for the best. She (survived another 50 years).”

Erin Brannen

Both Grandmothers survived Breast Cancer

On Erin: Pale purple chiffon evening gown with jeweled bodice, Carlos Miele. Knit cardigan with sequins and purple peeptoe shoes with floral detail, Alessandro Dell’Acqua.

Floral ring, Lanvin.

All available at Zai (NBK Fashion).

On Maria: Old rose ruffled dress, Nina Ricci. Black jeweled vest, Givenchy.

Black boots, Ann Demeulemeester.

Floral bracelet, Lanvin.

All available at Zai (NBK Fashion).

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“It changed my life, seeing someone I love go through it. It makes you realise how strong that person really is.”

Maria Gasan

Daughter of breast cancer survivor

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QH SENSATIONS LOOK

On Marisa: Pink silk dress with empire line beading, Glam. Shoes, necklace and ring, Lanvin.

All available at Zai (NBK Fashion).

“There are two options when you get this disease: one is to face the situation with your head up. The other is to go to bed and cry forever. I chose the first, to stand up . . . I am alive.�

Marisa Silva

Fighter, diagnosed in May 2009

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QH SENSATIONS TOUCH

Style for a Cause Photography Jorell Legaspi

Styling Nathalie Billard-Arbelaez

All roads lead to the Doha Corniche for this month’s Breast Cancer Awareness rally.

No matter how you show your support, mix style and comfort with splashes of power pink.

On Bike All accessories available at Mango Touch, Villaggio, Al Mana Tower, City Center Doha and Landmark.

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QH SENSATIONS TOUCH

On Foot Straw bag, umbrella, belt bag and cap, United Colors of Benetton. Shoes, Segue.

Wallet, Sisley. All available at Segue, Landmark Mall

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A taste of simple elegance for working adults & families who want fast, convenient, affordable Oriental food Delicious and freshly cooked – made to order

The #1 Oriental Quick Service Restaurant Chain in the Philippines is now arriving to Doha

GRAND OPENING

Wednesday, November 18th, 7:30 p.m.

The spice of life in every bite!

Conveniently located in Commercial Centre Building, Salwa Rd., near Ramada signal

An Ahmed Hassan Bilal Enterprise Tel. No. 442-8877 / 599-9036 P.O. Box 7848, Doha, Qatar

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Breast Cancer: Early Detection is Key to a Long, Healthy Life

By Lotfi Chouchane, PhD, D.Sc. Professor of Genetic Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar

It is estimated that one out of eight women will get breast cancer over their lifetime. Understanding the cause of breast cancer as well as its symptoms is a powerful way to ensure health over the long term.

DID YOU KNOW?

Men are also affected by breast cancer, albeit in much smaller numbers.

I

n healthy breast tissue, new cells replace dying ones in a well-orchestrated process. Genes control this, but when genetic mutations occur, the cells can divide out of control. This is how tumors form. Benign tumors are not dangerous as they contain normal, slow-growing cells that are contained in a small space. Malignant tumors, however, are called cancerous and can spread throughout the breast and to other parts of the body.

It is important to detect breast cancer in early stages because if the malignant cells grow into the underarm area, they can find their way into the lymph nodes: tiny organs that act like filters throughout the body. Once cancerous cells reach the lymph nodes, they can spread easily into other parts of the body—imagine a car driving from a dirt road onto a freeway; it can go a long distance, faster, in any direction.

From small lumps to swelling and changes in the skin’s texture, breast cancer symptoms vary widely. It’s important to make a monthly breast exam part of your health care routine. And if the disease runs in your family, or you are over 40, you should schedule an annual mammogram.

Although it is rare in many countries, inflammatory breast cancer—a very aggressive form of breast cancer that causes the entire breast to swell and become red—is more common in Middle Eastern populations. It affects women at a younger age and moves into the lymph nodes of the breast right away, causing them to swell and become warm and harder. The skin will become like that of an orange.

In any case, self-exams and knowing your family history of the disease is critical. Early detection and communication with your doctor can mean the difference between treating one part of the body and living a healthy life, and tracking many tumors, for years, throughout the body.

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Serena Williams comes back to challenge other international tennis stars on the Doha courts.

SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIPS DOHA 2009

By Jorge Granda

The event you cannot miss The Sony Ericsson Championships is the most prestigious tournament in professional women’s tennis. The best players in the world will gather in Doha for the final event of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Doha has hosted this tournament since 2008 and will pass the flag to Istanbul, Turkey after hosting the 2010 Championships.

The Sony Ericsson Championship is unrivalled by any other womens-only sports event for media coverage. It will be staged from the 27th of October until the 1st of November at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex. Prizes include $4.45 million dollars and the incredible honor of being proclaimed one of the best players in the world.

Photo: Nathaniel Welch

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SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTS

GET YOUR PROGRAM AND FOLLOW THE TOURNAMENT ON THE WEB! g professional sport for women with The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour is the world’s leadin The athletes compete for more than ns. natio 96 more than 2,200 players representing s and four Grand Slams hosted in 31 $86 million in prize money at the Tour’s 51 event women’s tennis events in 2008 with countries. More than 4.8 million people attended orks around the world. netw millions more watching events on television

The programs for the Sony Ercisson Championships will be available from the first day of the tournament at the Khalifa Tennis Complex. You can also follow the action on the official website of the Qatar Tennis Federation, currently under construction.

these tournaments and in the four Players accumulate points during the season in ledon and US Open). At season’s Wimb s, Grand Slams (Australian Open, Roland Garro es teams participate in the doubl four top and rs end, only the top eight singles playe year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships.

AUTOGR APH SIGNING SESSIONS

HOW THE CHAMPIONSHIP WORKS The singles event at the Sony Ericsson Championships will feature eight players divided into two teams of four: a white team and a maroon team for the colors of the Qatari Flag. From Tuesday through Friday the two groups play in a round robin style against each player in their group. The top two players of each group will go to the final phase during the weekend. In the semi-

Meet famous tennis players during the autograph signing sessions that will take place during the Championships. Times and dates will be posted online and at Khalifa Tennis Complex.

finals, the first-placed woman from one group meets with the secondplaced woman from the other. The winners then advance to the final.

All the matches are played to bestof-three-sets.

The four-team doubles event is a straight knockout affair, with the winning team essentially needing to score semi-final and final victories.

Opening one hour before the event, here’s the spot for your little ones to have some fun too! Playground equipment, face-painting, and other activities will keep them occupied.

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SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTS This is the fourth time Safina, originally from Russia, has ventured into Qatar. But she’s an old hand at competition. In April she was ranked number one in the world and made history with her brother by becoming the first brother/sister team to achieve a number one ranking.

“There are many Russians living here, so I just hope they’re going to support us. I hope I can bring them my best game, and they enjoy my matches,” she said.

Both agree, playing in Qatar is special.

WHO TO WATCH

By Jessica Davey-Quantick

QH catches up with two of the best tennis players in the world as they prepare for the Sony Ericsson Championships.

What are the stakes?

Prizes range from USD $50,000 to USD $1,340,000.

DINARA SAFINA

A True Fighter

Dinara Safina and Serena Williams know how to hit a ball. As two of the world’s best female tennis players, they’re getting ready to brave the heat and return to Doha to show off their skills under the desert sun.

“I’ve played in this region several times and always enjoy coming back.

I was so excited to play the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha last year and am really happy to have made it again. I didn’t do great last year so hopefully I can do better this year!” said Williams.

The American started playing when she was just a child, coached along with her sister, Venus, by their father.

Since then she’s achieved fame on and off the court, with television appearances and a fashion line on her metaphorical trophy shelf, right next to her 39 titles and Olympic Gold Medal.

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SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTS “There’s only one other tournament in the Middle East and it’s just fun – the weather is hot year round. The fans are really nice. And Doha has wonderful shopping – I’ve gotten some great stuff in Doha,” said Williams.

Williams started as a child along with her sister, Venus, and over time the pair have risen to the very top of their sport.

“I just love playing. I like walking out there, I enjoy the crowd, I enjoy the moment . I feel lucky to be doing something I enjoy so much,” said Williams.

Safina agrees.

“Every year you have to get better and better.” she said. “I love the sport. I love to compete, I love to play against everybody. I know that it’s not going to last forever so I want to give all of myself. For how many years, I don’t know. Now I want to enjoy it as much as I can.”

SERENA WILLIAMS A True Icon

But the real draw is the competition.

They’ll compete against the crème de la crème of the tennis world, something that doesn’t happen every day.

“You have to prepare differently for this tournament because every match is super hard since you are competing against the top eight players in the world. Every match is going to be really tough. You don’t have time to warm up so you have to be focused as soon as you get there,” said Williams.

Safina prefers to think of it like any other match.

“From the first match you have to be on 200 per cent, but that’s why we’re the best players competing there,” she said. “Practice is practice, nothing changes. This year I’ll have a little bit more time, I’ll have a week off to prepare. I’ll go there one week before to get adjusted to the heat, but basically I always prepare the same for any event.”

No matter how you look at it, it’s events like these that keep them both going. Both have been playing tennis almost longer than they can remember.

“At first I was doing it for fun,” said Safina. “I didn’t like to eat so much, so my mom would say ‘if you will not eat you will not come to the court’. It was motivation for me to eat to go to the tennis club!”

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SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTS

TIPS FOR FANS BEST PARKING WHAT TO BRING To avoid the crowds and enjoy the entertainment, it is recommended to be present at the Khalifa Tennis Complex one hour prior to the event in order to avoid lines.

A new parking lot is opening next to the tennis courts. Once in the area, be on the look-out for road signs directing you to the best parking spots.

TICKET INFORMATION AND PRICES

WHEN AND WHERE YOU CAN BUY TICKETS

All tickets grant access to Centre Court.

Middle B and Lower Sections have reserved numbered seating.

Middle A, C, and Upper Stands don’t have numbered seating; it is on a first come, first served basis.

Prices range from QR 60 to QR 175. VIP boxes are available from QR 19,500 to QR 46,800.

Apart from you energetic spirit and passion for tennis, you’re allowed to bring your camera to capture the excitement of this spectacular event. A hat and sunscreen are also recommended for early matches.

Tickets will be available from the 24th of September until the 24th of October at designated stands in Villaggio, City Center Doha and Landmark.Tickets will be sold from 10:00 a.m. till 8:00 p.m.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY DAY

DATE

TIME

MATCHES

Tuesday

27 Oct 2009

5 pm

Round Robin

Wednesday

28 Oct 2009

5 pm

Round Robin

Thursday

29 Oct 2009

5 pm

Round Robin

Friday

30 Oct 2009

5 pm

Round Robin

Saturday

31 Oct 2009

1 pm

Semi-final

Sunday

1 Nov 2009

3 pm

Final

HIGHLIGHTS OF PREVIOUS TOURNAMENTS

2007

The Sony Ericsson Championships returned to Madrid, Spain. Justine Henin kept her title for the second year. The victory also helped Henin consolidate her position as the top ranked player on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Cara Black and Liezel Huber took home the doubles title. It was the last year the Sony Ericsson Championships would be held in Spain.

2003

The Bank of America WTA Tour Championships return to a round robin format for the singles event, with eight players placed into two teams to produce four semi-finalists; Kim Clijsters won all three of her team matches and also the Championship earning $1 million as singles champion. She became the biggest winner at a womens-only sporting event.

2008 2005

Sony Ericsson comes on board as global title sponsor. It’s the first all-French final in history, with Amelie Mauresmo becoming the first all-French champion and Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur taking the doubles title.

2004

17-year-old Maria Sharapova defeats Serena Williams and becomes the first Russian to win the Championships singles title (and only the second to win on debut).

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The Championships come to Doha: the first time the tour’s year-end event was staged in the Middle East. Venus Williams secured victory, while Cara Black and Liezel Huber successfully defended their doubles crown. During the event, tour pioneer Billie Jean King was announced as a Global Mentor for Gender Equality as part of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s partnership with UNESCO.

2006

The Championships were staged for the first time in Madrid, Spain. Belgian Justine Henin won having never previously advanced past the semi-finals. Her victory also helped her to finish the season ranked No. 1 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur captured the doubles title again.

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SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTS

n i s i n Ten esert D e th

By Jorge Granda

Former professional tennis player and new Chairman of the Qatar Tennis Federation Nasser Al Khuleifi talks all things tennis with QH. Qatar has hosted the Sony Ericsson Championships for two years, and will host the ATP World Tour Qatar Exxon Mobil Open in January. Why is it important for Qatar to organise events like these?

It is extremely important and not only for the future of tennis, but sports in general. Remember that ultimately the main goal of all sports organizations in the country is to put Qatar in the spotlight as a nation deeply committed to sports.

By the successful staging of this type of event, we are exposing to the world our great abilities and skills in the organization of any world-class sport event and reassuring the trust put in us.

What do you want to achieve as the Chairman of the Tennis Federation during the period of your post?

I want to develop further tennis in Qatar and create a much stronger tennis culture in the country. I want to inspire the youngsters of Qatar to love the sport and become world-class tennis players.

I would say that Qatar has indeed developed a tennis culture. Since 1993 Qatar has been organizing international tennis tournaments, but our vision and commitment have changed. We are putting more effort in getting our message across by creating stronger promotion and marketing for our events than ever before. The team behind the Qatar Tennis Federation is formed by highly

qualify devoted professionals. The fact that I was a professional tennis player has also helped develop a better vision and identify the gaps of what needed to be improved. Furthermore I have to give credit to Karim Alami, his team and the new board of the Qatar Tennis Federation; they have been an incredible support and key players in the staging of all of our events.

Do you see in the future Qatar having a tennis player as good as, say, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer?

We are trying our very best to provide our young players with the same structure, discipline and high-level competition as the best players of the world, so hopefully we will.

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KIDS CLUB

TIME TO TUMBLE Gymnastics has thrived in Qatar, and starting in the new year with the opening of a new sports club for expats, everyone can get in on the action!

I

n the aftermath of the Doha Artistic Gymnastics World Cup, many kids are chomping at the bit to get their tumble on.

And up until now, if you were Qatari, that was no problem at all.

“We have around 15 professional coaches, and every day they go in the schools to try to give the opportunity to practice sports and try to attract kids in our animation centre,” said Serge Van Poelvoorde, Technical Coordinator for the Qatar Gymnastics Federation. “It’s not for high level, just for fun, to enjoy. But this is only for Qatari.”

That’s all about to change.

They’ve already broken ground by having girls and boys train together. Now, with two clubs, everyone in Qatar will be able to participate.

Which is good news, according to Van Poelvoorde.

Not only does gymnastics get kids moving, it provides a solid foundation for other activities later in life.

“You can start at age four or five. It’s a basic sport, you can practice it anywhere,” he said. “With gymnastics you get all sorts of skills if you want to continue later with football, swimming, any kind of athletics. It’s a very good base.”

For more information on the new club, check out www.qatargym.com

“In January we’re opening a sports club for expats, because 75 per cent of the population is expats,” said Van Poelvoorde.

With around 500 Qatari kids already involved, they’ve come a long way since they first started promoting gymnastics in Qatar five years ago.

But after two years successfully hosting the Doha Gymnastics World Cup, where thousands of spectators watched gymnasts from all over the world compete, he noticed something- most of them were expats.

“We had a lot of requests. (People would tell me) ‘I have (kids) who would like to start gymnastics’ but it wasn’t allowed. But now it’s more open, so we can start (letting non-Qataris in),” he said.

Why Gymnastics?

Gymnastics is a basic activity even toddlers can enjoy! It provides flexibility, agility, and strength training, and keeps kids active, as well as build a solid foundation for future sports and activities.

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IT HAPPENED

STEVE LAWLE

R DLIVOHEAIN

Progressive House Dj, Steve Lawler, performed for Doha’s party lovers for the first time at the Diplomatic Club. Made possible by Oxygen Nights, in association with Deep Motion.

VCU-Q GARANGAO FASHION SHOW VCU-Q celebrated Garangao in style with an eccelectic display of traditional garments by Dohabased designer Joe El Khatib of VIK Uniforms.

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9/30/09 4:50:19 PM

CITY GUIDE

AL MANA TOWERS, C-RING ROAD Tel 498 2593

LANDMARK Tel 486-1408

TOWN CENTER, SHOP 34.

BIN OMRAN STREET Tel 487-5760

VILLAGGIO Tel 413-5318

MOHAMED AL SAGHEER SALON

CITY CENTER DOHA Tel 411-5837

FLAGSHIP STORE, AL WA’AB CITY, SALWA ROAD Tel 409-2600 FASHION BOUTIQUE, SHARQ VILLAGE & SPA Tel 425-6156

VIK UNIFORMS

CITY CENTER DOHA Tel 483-9763

SHARQ VILLAGE & SPA Tel 425-6164

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FOUR SEASONS SPA

JAULA SPA

PICASSO’S

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL DOHA, C-Ring Road Tel 494-8888

GRAND HYATT DOHA, WEST BAY Tel 448-1234

RAMADA PLAZA DOHA, C-RING ROAD Tel 428-1555

MARRIOTT SPA

SIX SENSES SPA

JW’S STEAKHOUSE

DOHA MARRIOTT, RAS ABU ABOUD STREET Tel 429 8520

SHARQ VILLAGE & SPA, RAS ABU ABOUD STREET Tel 425-6164

DOHA MARRIOTT, RAS ABU ABOUD STREET Tel 429 8499 email DineMarriottDoha@marriott.com 71

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COLOUR SCOPE

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and that brings us all things PINK. What the pink ribbon stands for is clear, but what does the colour mean?

By Moona Masri-Whitice, MBA Dewey Color Instructor and Consultant

olour. c g in n te h lig n e n a is k Pin presses x e e d a h s g n ri a e d n e d This soft an rs. e th o r fo rn e c n o c e in u gen Nature of Pink. Pink is the softer, less vibrant, sweet side of red. It’s cotton candy, Fauchon chocolate and bubble gum. We all know something wonderful has to come out of a bright pink box. It evokes images of sugar and spice and everything nice.

Language of Pink.

Pink is a combination of the primary colour red and a smudge of white. It can range from the exotic berry (blue-based) magenta to salmon pink (orange-based). Its symbolism is complex and its popularity is subject to many influences.

While red stirs up passion and action, studies of colour have shown that large amounts of pink can create physical weakness in people, especially men! Perhaps there is a tie-in between this physical reaction and the colour’s association with the so-called weaker sex as most people associate this colour with little girls and feminine energies.

However, wearing pink conveys compassion and a giving nature. When people wear pink, whether they are male or female, they appear approachable. If you want to feel heart-connected this month, besides supporting a good cause, reach for that pastel pink shirt or sweater from your wardrobe. And if pastel colours don’t suit you, be brave and try on a more dramatic colour like fuchsia or magenta.

Using Pink In Your Home. While some

colors relax, and others excite, pink does both. Use pink in your home to convey playfulness and glamour (hot pink) and romance or tenderness (pastel pinks).

Multiple shades of pink and light purple or other pastels (apple green ) used together maintain the soft, delicate, and playful nature of pink. Add strength and character with darker shades of pinks and purple and burgundy or get sophisticated and add black or grey for contrast.

The more you like pink,

the more you are inspired to give and share.

The less you like pink,

the more suspicious you are of others.

The Dewey Color System® is the world’s only validated, color-based, personality testing instrument. It’s the first proven system that scientifically predicts the recognized major psychometric personality factors without language. www.deweycolorsystem.com

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QH OCT 09 INSIDE BACK.pdf

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QH OCT 09 BACK.pdf

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