Salaam Bahrain January 2022 issue

BD 1.500

JANUARY 2022 - VOLUME 13, ISSUE 1

we speak your language

INDIA'S DEMOCRATIC TRIUMPH DECODING KOREA’S HALLYU WAVE |

BAHRAIN’S YOUNG INFLUENCERS

Disclaimer: ICICI Bank Bahrain is licensed an regulated as a cinvetional retail bank by the Central Bank Baharain (”CBB”).

Note From the Chairman It is fifteen years this year since we started Salaam Bahrain as an Asian diaspora publication which would reflect the aspirations and achievements of the community in Bahrain.

Every issue has brought amazing lessons, rewards and a sense of accomplishment and connected us to a growing circle of readers. This special Republic Day 2022 issue is no different.

Produced against the backdrop of a world that is healing from the wounds inflicted by the pandemic, it celebrates the extraordinary heritage of the world’s largest democracy from the eco-wisdom of India’s North-Eastern tribes to the money-saving savvy of Indian GenX who have taken to bridal outfit rentals and shopping for ‘pre-loved’ designer wear, saving serious money and reducing their fashion carbon footprint.

In this issue we are also discovering the wonders of the Hallyu Wave – how South Korea has used its soft power to reposition itself and show the world its prowess as a tech leader, an industrial powerhouse and a cultural inspiration.

Two countries, both with ancient legacies and a dazzling repertoire of contemporary achievement. It is a matter of pride that both are working closely with Bahrain to shape the Kingdom’s future. It shows the inter-connectedness of our world today and why, even in the middle of our WFH, our Zoom meetings and our habit of seeking everything from our entertainment to our relationships online, we still need to make the effort to understand the cultures and the habits of people and countries partnering us.

2022 has come with the gift-wrapping of hope and recovery. As we unwrap the months ahead, let us also give generously of harmony and understanding to everybody so that the world truly emerges as a better place where we use the hard-learnt lessons of the pandemic years to avoid isolation, love more deeply and learn more wisely.

CAPTAIN MAHMOOD AL MAHMOOD

73rd Republic Day Greetings

Juffair:

17813150

35373247

Salmaniya:

17230393

36957472

KOTTAKKAL AYURVEDIC CENTRE W.L.L. Tel.: +973 17813150 | Whatsapp: +973 35373247 E-mail: kottakkalbah@outlook.com Gents Villa No. 783, Road 4215, Block 342 Ladies Villa No. 906, Road 4217, Block 342 Juffair Al Ghurayfah, Kingdom of Bahrain.

KAIRALI AYURVEDIC CENTRE W.L.L. Tel.: +973 17230393 | Whatsapp: +973 36957472 E-mail: kottakkalsal@outlook.com Building 780, Road 1125, Block 311 Manama Al Salmaniya, Kingdom of Bahrain

www.kottakkalayurvedagulf.com

2 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Taking the message of The Mahatma to humanity

Abdulnabi Al Shoala’s masterly work connects the humanism of Gandhi, his philosophical curiosity and exploration of the tenets of Islam and his political influence on India’s foundational foreign policy vis-a-vis Palestine.

Now available in Arabic (National Book Shops) and in other languages (English, Malayalam, Urdu and Hindi at Jashanmal’s and Bahrain Airport Duty Free.

we speak your language

JANUARY 2022

HIGHLIGHTS INDIA – CELEBRATING A DEMOCRATIC ADVENTURE This January 26 sees a convergence of many milestones in the journey of India’s democratic adventure. Come celebrate the many aspects of this fascinating journey.

MESSAGE FROM THE AMBASSADOR

9

Indian Ambassador Piyush Srivastava addresses the community in Bahrain about the layered significance of January 26, the many milestones it denotes and the way ahead

ECO-FOCUS

16

INDIA’S LIVING BRIDGES

For centuries, indigenous groups in north-east India have crafted intricate bridges from living fig trees. Now this ancient skill is making its way to European cities.

REBOOT 2022

28

12

THE ALCHEMY OF SUCCESS Drawn to the secrets of Ayurveda, Mira Kulkarni has built a multimillion-dollar global brand based on luxury and sustainable beauty aids.

20

FASHION

DEJA-VU BRAND SHOPPING Indians are shucking restraint to shop for ‘pre-loved’ designer togs and even renting out luxe bridal wear.

30

PUTTING YOURSELF FIRST … is not about being selfish but all about caring for yourself. Make 2022 the Year of Good Health with top tips from KIMSHEALTH to jump-start your wellness plan.

BEAUTY

FOOD

INDIA LEADS THE VEGANUARY MARCH Indians are rocking the vegan scene globally and plant-based faux meat producers and vegan gourmet food are making profitable inroads.

SalaamBahrain

4 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

salaam_bahrain

38

40

AN AYURVEDIC LIFE One of the most R&D oriented Ayurvedic centres of India is in Bahrain – the Kottakkal Ayurvedic Centre tells us how to incorporate Ayurveda into our everyday lives.

SPECIAL FOCUS

YOUNG INFLUENCERS& ENTREPRENEURS OF BAHRAIN They may be just in their teens – or not! – but Bahrain has a band of vocal influencers and innovative entrepreneurs who are making their voices heard on social media. How do they stay relevant and safe in the world wide web?

KOREA CALLING We explore the fascinating rise of Korean ‘soft power ‘ – the Hallyu Wave – and how it has re-shaped perceptions about this hard-working, tech-savvy, modern country with an ancient history.

INTERVIEW

46

“Culture is the new language spoken among nations” - Korean Ambassador to Bahrain, Chung, Hae Kwan on decoding Korea for the world and how it has shaped his work.

K-DRAMA UPDATE

55

WHERE CONTENT IS KING Korean movies and series on streaming platforms are all the hype now. Popular star Gong Yoo salutes the storyline as primary reason for this success.

FASHION

52

KOREAN LIFE

HEALING THE STRESS A new type of café in Korea welcomes customers to come in and – do nothing. It’s called ‘hitting mung’ and is an antidote to the stress of a fast-paced life.

57

FOOD

CLIMBING ONTO THE K-FOOD WAGON There is a whole ancient philosophy of wellness and unity underpinning Korean cuisine. And it’s trending!

62

REINVENTING THE HANBOK The traditional Korean gown dates back centuries but is finding new fans as designers change its appeal.

PLUS Celeb Chakkar Shobhaa De Salaam Society

5 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Book Launch

4-language launch of Gandhi book in Arab world context Al Shoala’s masterly analysis resonates with scholarly insights

'G

andhi: His Engagement with Islam and the Arab World' will be launched in four languages on January 26, India's Republic Day. The virtual launch of the English, Hindi, Urdu and Malayalam editions of the Arabic language book written by Abdulnabi Al Shoala, takes place at the Isa Cultural Centre in Manama.

Organised by the Bahrain India Society, the book launch will be attended by the Indian Ambassador to Bahrain, Piyush Srivastava, Abdul Rahman

Mohammed Juma, the Chairman of the Bahrain India Society and Dr Shobhana Radhakrishna, a leading, internationallyrenowned Gandhi scholar, who will be the keynote speaker.

The acclaimed book, first published in Arabic two years ago and now in its third printing, was snapped up by four different publishing houses in India. The English-language translation, published by a leading Indian company, is already in its second printing with the Indianlanguages versions also ready for the international market.

Al Shoala is the chairman of Dar Albilad for Journalism, Publishing and Distribution Co. and the founding chairman, and advisor to the board, of Alfanar Investment Holding Co. Over his long and illustrious career he has served as Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and, later, as Cabinet Minister of State; he served as a member of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Advisory Council and also, been elected to the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce. He founded the Bahrain India Society and was its first Chairman.

An Indophile, known for his love for India, Al Shoala is an alumnus of the famed St. Xavier's College of

6 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Mumbai and has researched extensively on the relevance of Gandhian thought in the modern political and Middle Eastern context. His book, he said, is intended to both express his gratitude to India for the hospitality he received while a student and, also, to strengthen ties between India and Middle Eastern countries.

“Gandhi’s main principle was to solve differences through dialogue,” Al Shoala said. “History shows that he was able to wrest the jewel of the British Empire from them through a policy of non-violence. As we look around this region and see so much conflict and wars all around, this is my humble way of suggesting that non-violence and dialogue would serve all concerned going forward.”

The book makes for fascinating reading as Al Shoala revisits Mr. Gandhi’s intellectual heritage, reviews his appreciation of Islam and the Holy Prophet and takes an exhaustive look at the different stages of Gandhi’s life and the impact it had on not just Indian politics and society, but also the Arab world. e

Republic Day of India January 26, 2022

Congratulating all Indians on the

73 Republic Day rd

Stay Safe

Royal Bahrain Hospital | KIMSHEALTH Hospital KIMSHEALTH Medical Center | RBH Medical Center www.kimshealth.org

Ambassador’s Message on the 73rd Republic Day of India I convey warm greetings and felicitations to all members of the Indian community and friends of India in Bahrain on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day of India. The celebrations this year began from 23rd January, marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, our great freedom fighter and an intellectual par excellence.

2. We are at a historic juncture with two landmark events taking place – Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, commemorating the 75th anniversary of India’s independence; and the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between India and the Kingdom of Bahrain. We have last year witnessed the historic moment of the Bah Al Bahrain being illuminated in Indian tricolour and Qutub Minar in India in Bahraini national colours. In a heartwarming gesture, H.E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Foreign Minister of Bahrain and H.E. Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India met each other on 12 October 2021 and exchanged greetings on this historic occasion.

3. Despite the restrictions posed by the pandemic, our deep-rooted, multifaceted bilateral cooperation continued to grow. The visit of H.E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani to India in April 2021; the visit of Mr. V. Muraleedharan, Hon’ble Minister of State for External Affairs, to Bahrain in 2021; three virtual Ministerial meetings and a number of official level engagements not only continued the tradition of regular high-level bilateral exchanges and interactions, but also led to deepening bilateral cooperation in the key areas of youth, skilling and capacity development, hydrocarbons, renewable energy, IT, health and pharmaceuticals and sports.

4. The relationship between India and the Kingdom of Bahrain at all levels have remained stable and strong, including in trade and investment. Bilateral trade figures have crossed USD 1.1 billion for the calendar year 2021. Total investments from India to Bahrain are approx. USD 1.30 billion and those from Bahrain to India have risen above USD 180 million.

5. India today is one of the fastest growing economies of the world. The policies, reforms and initiatives undertaken by the Government of India including start-up India and Atma Nirbhar Bharat have contributed to its economic growth and development. India’s start-up eco-system is

9 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

—2—

creating waves around the world. The number of start-ups in the country have shot up from 500 to 60,000 in the last five years with a total of 82 unicorns, half of which have emerged in the last year alone.

6. The Government of Bahrain has also come out with a comprehensive Economic Recovery Plan based on “Five Key Pillars”. The plan introduces several initiatives and strategies that will create opportunities for citizens and enhance the Kingdom’s long-term competitiveness, thus promoting further economic development, trade and investment. This has reflected in the phenomenal growth of bilateral trade between our two countries this year.

7.

The close collaboration between Bahrain and India continued in dealing with COVID-19 pandemic. India recently crossed the landmark of one year of vaccination with more than 1.6 billion doses provided to its citizens. Our 94% of eligible population have received the first dose and 72% are fully vaccinated. Since the dawn of the pandemic, India has shown its commitment to protect its citizens and contributed to the global community’s efforts in fighting the pandemic. The WHO approval and approval by Bahraini authorities for Made-In-India and developed -in-India vaccine, COVAXIN (in addition to Made-in-India COVISHIELD vaccine), shows the prowess of the indigenous Pharma Industry of India, which lived up to its name as the Pharmacy of the World.

8. The way the Kingdom of Bahrain dealt with COVID-19 pandemic has set an example for the world. Its care of its citizens as well as the expat community has been exemplary. The Kingdom provided medical and other necessary support to the Indian community in Bahrain including providing free vaccination for all the residents.

9. An important component of our warm relations with Bahrain is the presence of a large Indian community that continues to remain an important anchor in strengthening our bilateral ties. I take this opportunity to convey our gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin isa Al Khalifa, HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Government and people of Bahrain for ensuring the well-being, safety and security of the Indian community in Bahrain, and their exceptional care and support to the community during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

10. On this important milestone in the history of India, I once again extend my warm greetings to all Indian nationals in the Kingdom of Bahrain and thank them for their consistent contribution to the growth and development of both our countries as well as to the expansion of our bilateral relationship.

11. I am confident that the longstanding dynamic partnership between India and the Kingdom of Bahrain will reach even greater heights in the times to come.

Long live India-Bahrain Friendship!

(Piyush Srivastava)

10 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

salaam society

Mumbai’s Kailash Parbat revs tastebuds in Bahrain The first Kailash Parbat – or KP as it is fondly called – was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador Piyush Srivastava at the newly refurbished Dana Mall Food Court. The all-veg eatery is a division of Jupiter Restaurant Holdings and promises the same great taste that made its flagship Colaba restaurant iconic – especially its classic Mumbai chaats, its signature chhole bhaturey and tandoor menu.

11 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

INDIA SPECIAL

ALCHEMY OF SUCCESS An Indian Ayurvedic brand, Forest Essentials, has won over the world with its exotic products made of 24-carat gold paste, Kashmiri saffron and herbs.

BY ADITI NAGAPPA

I

n 2008, amidst the melee of the Liz Hurley-Arun Nayar Jaipur wedding, another union was quietly taking shape. The story goes that Leonard Lauder, chairman of Estee Lauder, and a guest at the wedding, was gifted a package of Forest Essentials – luxury Ayurveda-based beauty products made by a fast-growing Indian company of the same name - by Lady Lynn Rothschild. He was so impressed by the products that he asked his country head in India about them. The international cosmetics giant then met Mira Kulkarni, founder of the Indian and by 2013, Estee Lauder had taken a 20% stake in Forest Essentials.

It was not the first time that sheer chance and fantastic quality saw Forest Essentials break through into the big league. In 2005, an expat manager at New Delhi’s Hyatt Regency was so impressed with the quality of the brand’s cottage-industry soaps that he persuaded the hotel to award a contract to Forest Essentials for the hotel’s soaps and toiletries supply.

Traditional secrets There was no looking back after that for Forest Essentials and the company’s founder and main alchemist, Mira Kulkarni. A Chennai lady, who graduated in Fine Arts from Stella Maris College, Mira was always interested in herbal cosmetics. She followed her passion by honing her knowledge with traditional Ayurvedic vaids or traditional healers.

She used her knowledge of Ayurveda and natural products to source local herbs, oils and medicinal roots from the Tehri Garhwal region for many years. This was at that time made in

Ashrams according to ancient Ayurvedic formulations.

Seeing a gap in the market for userfriendly Ayurvedic products as against the traditional Ayurvedic products available, which were too strongly scented and not very pleasant to use, Mira developed a sophisticated range of products, which while keeping the inherent properties of Ayurveda intact, 12 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

are wonderfully scented and pleasurable to use.

“We gave the brand a connotation of luxury. Our USP has been in making the use of such products light, pleasurable and utilitarian,” Mira points out.

The products range from handmade soaps made with pure essential oils and natural spring water to sensual body oils with evocative names such as ‘Chaandini Raatein’ and using the best quality ingredients such as Kashmiri saffron, neem, the sanjeevni herb known for its incredibly rejuvenating properties, aged cows' ghee with potent herb and root infusions and pure gold bhasma made into pastes. The end result is not only

beauty business

delightful to use, but actually works to firm and tone the body. These days, Forest Essentials has also expanded its product line into high-quality cosmetics which are made using Ayurvedic base mixes and proudly certified as not tested on animals.

The company is also the leading supplier to the majority of the Luxury hotel chains in India including the iconic Taj Group of Hotels and The Oberoi Hotels and has a chain of 100 luxury stores in India and is expanding abroad as well. Her son, Samrath Bedi, joined the company in 2001 after a short stint with the Standard Chartered Bank in New York, helping it become one of the leading players in the luxury Ayurvedic space.

Luxury growth At a time when luxury retail businesses were struggling, the executive director of Forest Essentials, Samrath Bedi, who is executive director, was busy planning an expansion. The luxury Ayurvedic skincare company opened 22 stores in the period in comparison to their usual rate of 10-12 a year besides setting up its presence abroad. Meanwhile, online business grew from 19 per cent of total sales pre-Covid to 35 per cent. Even after standalone stores opened, online numbers settled at 25-26 per cent.

“I always envisaged by 2025 we would be at 30 per cent. But I suspect it will be stronger than that going the way the world is. We have attracted a new lot of consumers, ,” Bedi said, “Even in times of crisis, women will continue to buy (into) beauty. Even if they can’t afford a pair of shoes or a handbag, they still want to feel and look good.”

Forest Essentials accounts for 30 per cent of the Indian market in the luxury beauty Ayurveda market. The objective was to open a new segment in the market, a prestige Indian beauty brand that gave back to the community, employed locally and is farm-to-bottle.

“All those pillars that are so fashionable today have been always our philosophy.

When we made this first (almond) soap, we figured you could not sell it for less than ₹100 in those days when there was no ₹100 price point in the market.

When we opened our first store in Khan Market (Delhi), it was life changing because the rent was literally more than

“We gave the brand a connotation of luxury.

Our USP has been in making the use of such products light, pleasurable and utilitarian.”

— Mira Kulkarni our turnover. We were selling a lifestyle, we had to create our own ecosystem to give an experience to the consumer.”

The brand’s parent company Mountain Valley Springs India Pvt. Ltd. recently reported net revenues of ₹253 crore in 2019-20, a 25 per cent increase from the previous year. But it saw only a 17 per cent decline in its revenues in FY 2020-21, to just under ₹210 crore, in lieu of their stores being closed. The company’s manufacturing hub is based in Uttaranchal, India’s Ayurvedic herbal hub where products made at its zerocarbon factories.

13 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

A layered market India has always been the focus of founder Mira and her team. Bedi says India is a deeply layered market that has evolved from being enamoured by the smell, packaging and how the product felt to asking about its ingredients. The customer today seeks information on sustainability, where the product is being made, where the packaging comes from and what is plastic free.

He says the Indian consumer is particularly demanding and complex, changing from state to state and one city to another. The south is enamoured

INDIA SPECIAL

“Why should we be an alternative? We should be mainstream like homeopathy. I believe that we must regulate and must have a situation where everyone can’t sell under (the label of ) herbal or Ayurveda.”

— Samrath more conservative but sophisticated.

Delhi customers have a herd mentality, to buy what others are buying or what’s trending. “In Gujarat, you would think they have all the money in the world, yet even the most prominent family will walk in and ask for a deal. Someone once used an entire jar and came back with a pinch left in it to say ‘it didn’t suit me’,” he recounts, laughing. “It is who we (Indians) are.”

The company’s products, according to him, are able to adapt to a different market with different skin tones without too many hassles. “We are not in colour cosmetics,” says the 46-year-old from his Delhi office. “We are a product that’s great for skin no matter what colour or tone you have. Our marketing principles remain the same too—it’s just the angle that has to change. Whether we use local labour, ingredients, zero carbon, sustainability… all remains universal.”

G(r)o(w)ing abroad with products that make you brighter, lighter while consumers of Mumbai are

The decision to expand internationally came last year before Covid-19 slowed

Mira Kulkarni 14 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

them down a bit. Forest Essentials launched in the UK in October this year, first through local beauty e-tailer LookFantastic.com. The idea is to open a store in the summer of 2022, but will depend on how Omicron swings.

The company hopes to further grow to 12 stores through UK by 2024, alongside the middle-east, south-east Asia and the US. The aim is to be present in seven to eight countries within the next three to five years, adds Bedi.

Both Mira and Samrath firmly believe that if a brand like Forest Essentials is to grow and succeed in the market, it must focus on its USP – delivering high quality Ayurvedic products in a sustainable way with a global appeal.

Samrath says he has been lobbying for stricter regulations, labelling and ingredients etc. and for Ayurveda to get certified. “Why should we be an alternative? We should be mainstream like homeopathy. I believe that we must regulate and must have a situation where everyone can’t sell under (the label of) herbal or Ayurveda.” e

book nook

AMIT BANSAL UNVEILS LITERARY JOURNEY The debut novel promises a bright writing sojourn for this newly-minted writer INTERVIEW BY MEERA RAVI

B

ahrain-based banker Amit Bansal concluded his 2021 on a high note when his novel ‘The Call of Mahadev’ was picked for publication and launched. Although he has published articles on business topics, this is his first creative work of fiction to hit the stands and he credits it to his children’s persistence.

“I love weaving stories and when my kids Raghav and Mishti were younger, it was a bed-time ritual for me to imagine a story for them, “ he says, “Over time, I had written these stories in random notebooks. Mishti particularly would remember the stories long after I had told them and as she grew older, she would ask me why I was not publishing them. Well, at first I just thought of it as a daughter’s fondness but her insistence and my success in getting some articles published, gave me the confidence to try my hand at this novel.”

‘The Call of Mahadev’ is a mystical novel which traces the spiritual journey of the protagonist, Raghu, as he undertakes a pilgrimage to the sacred abode of Shiva, Kailash-Manasarovar.

Written in simple and accessible style but with a profound message of spiritual truth, the slender book – just 135 pages – is moving briskly online and in Indian bookstores and is available in Bahrain too.

“Actually, the original plot was meant for children and Raghu, my hero, undertook the same journey but with adventures that were pitched to a different and younger age group,” says Bansal, “When I decided to write it as a book, it was really a culmination of many spiritually moving experiences that I

myself had undergone and the novel shaped itself as a more adult content.”

Readers have commented on the realism of the journey and the lucid description of the places en route, so it comes as a surprise when Bansal says it is completely a work of fiction and that he has not himself travelled to Mt. Kailash yet. But while the description of the places and people may be fictitious, the spiritual experiences and the exploration of philosophical ideas are the result of the author’s deep reading of the subjects. Hailing from a deeply spiritual family which cherished daily rituals and prayer, Bansal has always been interested in philosophy and spiritualism.

“My search for spiritual answers has been deeply influenced by the teachings of Ramana Maharishi, Sri Aurobindo and Nisargadatta Maharaj and readers can find echoes of their words in my novel,” he says.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about this debut novel is the fact that Bansal has managed to convey his ideas without being preachy and skillfully adopted a very contemporary tone that includes the reader in the journey.

“It took me three months of intense writing to finish the book – I had the time, thanks to the pandemic - and when I sent it off to Garuda Prakashan, the publishers, I must say I was not particularly hopeful.

Surprisingly, they expressed interest and agreed to publish it.”

He laughingly says his relatives are “more incredulous than surprised” by the book – “My siblings and I read a lot but reading was not a top priority in our extended family, so when the book came out, relatives asked me if I had really written it myself!”

The Ministry of Information, Bahrain has given Bansal clearance to distribute the book in Bahrain and he says he was happy with the broad-minded acceptance of the theme here.

“Bahrain is very liberal and I loved how the authorities gave such quick permission to market the book,” he says, “I am looking forward to sharing my first novel with local readers.”

Up next is a children’s book of short stories – a collection that will draw deeply from the imaginary world he created so painstakingly for his children.

“I never dreamt that I would become a published author,” Bansal says, “But now I have been bitten by the writing bug and am looking forward to pouring many ideas into my future books.” e

Readers who wish to buy the book in Bahrain may contact 35032412 for more information.

15 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

INDIA SPECIAL

THE INGENIOUS LIVING BRIDGES OF INDIA For centuries, indigenous groups in north-east India have crafted intricate bridges from living fig trees. Now this ancient skill is making its way to European cities.

BY ZINARA RATHNAYAKE

The trees are important not just for crossing rivers, but they hold a revered place in Khasi culture (Credit: Alamy)

W

hen monsoon clouds bring pelting rains to the village of Tyrna, Shailinda Syiemlieh takes the nearest bridge to reach the opposite bank of a gushing stream. The bridge is no ordinary structure made of concrete and metal. Instead, it is composed of a single giant fig tree that sits by the riverbank, and the support that Syiemlieh walks over is a mishmash of aerial roots tightly knotted and woven together. The bridge is not only a part of the landscape, it is helping to support its ecosystem at the same time.

Tyrna lies just above the plains of Bangladesh in the north-eastern Indian

state of Meghalaya, which hosts hundreds of these bridges. For centuries, they have helped the indigenous Khasi and Jaintia communities to cross swelling rivers in monsoons. "Our ancestors were so clever," says Syiemlieh, "When they couldn't cross rivers, they made Jingkieng Jri – the living root bridges."

Meghalaya hosts some of the wettest locations on Earth. The village Mawsynram, the world's rainiest place, receives an annual rainfall of 11,871mm (39ft) – that would be enough to submerge a typical three-storey house if deluged all at once. Nearby Sohra comes second, averaging 11,430mm (37.5ft).

16 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

From June to September, monsoon winds sweep north from the Bay of Bengal, passing over the humid plains of Bangladesh. When these air currents meet the hilly terrain of Meghalaya, they break open – and torrential rains begin.

When monsoon downpours periodically isolated the remote villages of Syiemlieh's ancestors from nearby towns, they trained living aerial roots of Indian rubber fig tree (Ficus elastica) to form a bridge across flooding rivers.

Researchers consider these living root bridges as an example of indigenous climate resilience. Aside from the connectivity they provide, these bridges attract tourists and help local people earn an income.

Meanwhile, as researchers have found, they have regenerative effects on the surrounding environment. Scientists hope this concept of indigenous living architecture can help modern cities adapt better to climate change.

Building these bridges takes decades of work. It begins with planting a sapling of Ficus elastica – a tree that grows abundantly in the subtropical terrain of Meghalaya – in a good crossing place along the riverbank.

First the trees develop large buttressing roots and then, after about a decade, the maturing trees sprout secondary aerial roots from further up. These aerial roots have a degree of elasticity, and tend to join and grow together to form stable structures.

Generations of builders In a method perfected over centuries, the Khasi bridge builders weave aerial roots onto a bamboo or another wooden scaffolding, wheedle them

across the river and finally implant them on the opposite bank. Over time, the roots shorten, thicken and produce offshoots called daughter roots, which are also trained over the river. The builders intertwine these roots with one another or with branches and trunks of the same or another fig tree. They merge by a process called anastomosis – where branching systems like leaf vessels, tendrils and aerial roots naturally fuse together – and weave into a dense frame-like structure. Sometimes, the Khasi builders use stones to cover the gaps in root structures. This network of roots matures over time to bear loads; some bridges can hold up to 50 people at once.

The generations that follow the initial bridge builders continue the maintenance of the bridge. While only one single person may maintain small bridges, most require the collective effort of families or the entire village – sometimes several villages. This process of care and development down the generations can last for centuries, with some bridges dating from 600 years ago.

As well as being a regenerative form of architecture, living root bridges grow stronger with time, self-repairing and becoming more robust as they age.

"When it rains heavily, small cement bridges wash away and steel bridges tend to rust, but living root bridges

The living root bridges of north-east India have become famous as a tourist attraction - but they could also inspire European urban architecture (Credit: Getty Images)

withstand the rains," says Syiemlieh, "People came to realise that root bridges are much more durable than modern alternatives, and they cost absolutely nothing. So villagers now repair root bridges they had abandoned in the forest valleys."

This resurgence in interest in root bridges is in part thanks to the efforts of Morningstar Khongthaw, a native from Rangthylliang village, who founded the Living Bridge Foundation.

Khongthaw and his team create awareness about root bridges, repair and maintain old bridges while also constructing new ones.

Ecological stability

The fig tree is uniquely adaptable to making root bridges, but other species can also be used to integrate into architecture, such as the London plane tree (Credit: Alamy)

Unlike conventional bridges, root bridges are also central to their surroundings.

Apart from producing their own building material, the trees absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide over their lifetimes. They help stabilise the soil and prevent landslides. Conventional bridges can disrupt the soil layers, but roots can anchor different soil structures which helps protect against soil erosion, says Ferdinand Ludwig, professor for green technologies in landscape architecture at the Technical University of Munich, who has been studying the bridges for 13 years.

This is true of many trees, but Ficus elastica plays a particularly important role in its ecosystem, says Salvador Lyngdoh, a local to Meghalaya and a scientist at the Biodiversity Institute of India, whose work focuses on conservation in the Himalayas. Fig trees are framework species that promote biodiversity around them: moss grows 17 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

on them, squirrels live in their branches, birds nest within their canopy, and they support insects that help with pollination. The act of turning these trees into bridges can also help animals to thrive in their habitat, says Lyngdoh.

Bark deer and clouded leopards are known to use root bridges to move from one part of the forest to another.

Root bridges may not be able to outperform the conventional kind in every sense, Lyngdoh notes. A conventional bridge can bear more weight, for example. "But root bridges are much more useful to a large sphere of natural species than the modern bridges we have," he says. "The living root bridge is a mosaic that's embedded within the forest. Species do not differentiate between the bridge and natural forest."

This form of indigenous architecture has fascinated scientists like the Technical University of Munich's Ludwig, for the potential to learn from them to make buildings and spaces in other parts of the world greener.

The lack of historical written information on the bridges has also been a challenge in researching them.

Until the British colonial period in the 19th Century, native Khasi inhabitants in Meghalaya didn't have a written script, as the Khasi way of life is passed down through oral histories. This has meant that documented information on the bridges is sparse.

So Ludwig's team turned to conversations with Khasi bridge builders and digital tools to understand the bridge-building techniques. They started with mapping the complicated

ECO-FOCUS shapes of roots and built digital skeletons of the bridges; next, they used photogrammetry – recording, surveying and interpreting root bridges using photographs – to document the bridges and construct 3D models using them.

With this information, Ludwig's team began designing a roof for a summer kitchen using a pavilion of trees, inspired by the root bridges. "[Conventionally], when we construct a bridge or a building, we have a plan – we know what it's going to look like," says Ludwig. "But this isn't possible with living architecture. Khasi people know this; they are extremely clever in how they constantly analyse and interact with tree growth, and accordingly adapt to the conditions." Whenever a new root pops up, Khasi builders find a new way to integrate it into the structure.

But in Europe, with its very different climate, using Ficus elastica wasn't a viable option, so they had to make compromises, choosing instead Platanus hispanica, the London plane tree.

"That's not all. The Khasi have incredible knowledge because they live in nature, and are deeply coupled with the ecosystems. We are not," says Ludwig.

So his team used digital tools to mimic this process and to settle on a geometry that allowed for weaving twigs together into a roof. The team constantly trims and prunes the trees to encourage them to grow to keep the trees thinner.

"We are learning how to react to plant growth in Europe: humans plant trees, trees grow, humans react, trees react again," Ludwig says. "This way of interacting with nature is essential for a sustainable and regenerative future."

Sacred selflessness Julia Watson, architect and assistant professor at Columbia University, whose work revolves around nature-based technologies of indigenous knowledge, says part of this is changing the way we see trees.

"Instead of viewing trees in cities as passive elements, we can view them as active infrastructures, to expand the ecosystem services trees provide in the urban context," she says. For instance, trees can reduce the effect of urban heat islands (where concrete structures absorb heat and keep cities warmer) and lower outdoor ambient temperature, Watson notes.

The Double Decker Root Bridge of Meghalaya is now famous, drawing tourists from around the world (Credit: Alamy)

As well as being a part of Khasi culture, the root bridges have always brought economic benefits to the community. In the past, a network of bridges connected villages with nearby cities, providing a pathway for locals to transport and sell betel nut and broom grass. Today, there is also the tourism economy they bring, says Syiemlieh.

About 3,500 steps below Syiemlieh's home village of Tyrna is the Double Decker Root Bridge that connects the two banks of the Umshiang River. When water levels rose high, Khasi villagers trained additional roots of the same fig tree across the river higher above the water, creating a second bridge over the first.

Today, it's a major tourist attraction.

As tourists began flocking, homestays opened. Locals built campsites and guided visitors through the hilly jungle.

Makeshift stalls stacked up everything from crisp packets to bottled drinks.

In March, when Syiemlieh visited Laitkynsew, a village just south of Tyrna, she saw locals pull, twist and weave aerial roots of a fig tree on bamboo scaffolding to build a triple bridge – two layers run parallel to each another as in the double-decker bridge, while a third root layer is slanted across the river bank. "Maybe they thought that three layers can attract more tourists," says Syiemlieh.

Tourism comes with concerns, Syiemlieh says. Aside from the empty 18 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

crisp packets and bottles, some root bridges see crowds of hundreds at a time as tourists clamber for selfies, potentially overburdening the trees.

But locals are already planning different models of sustainable tourism.

Khongthaw, for example, is building a museum and a learning centre to educate tourists about living root bridges and other infrastructure made of Ficus elastica, such as canopies and tunnels in the deep jungles, and ladderlike structures, which farmers would use to climb up and down rock ledges on the way to Meghalaya's fertile plains for cultivation.

In Meghalaya, the Khasi's practice of bioengineering takes integration of the trees with their surroundings one step further, bringing people together as well as the ecosystem. The bridges, Lyngdoh says, promote community life and create reverence within the society when people come together to build, maintain and repair the bridges.

The young bridges being trained today won't be traversed by those who are tending to them now, but by generations to come. "The community doesn't think of today. It's a selfless act.

It's a conservation philosophy," says Lyngdoh. He sees this selflessness as a sacred element that pulls the community together and protects the ecosystem.

(Article courtesy: Future Planet. For similar fascinating articles, do visit the FUTURE PLANET Facebook Page and support the work of the team.)

salaam society slug

Sampriti & Jessal’s Bahrain seashore wedding

we speak your Language

JANUARY 2022

THE EDITORIAL TEAM P.O. Box 50650, Arad Kingdom of Bahrain Licensed by the Ministry of Information Publication Licence no : GASB 740 Chairman and Managing Editor Mahmood Al Mahmood

It was a romantic seashore wedding at the Sofitel for Sampriti, daughter of Anjali and Sanjay Gupta with sweetheart Dr. Jessal Ladva of UK. The Gupta family decided on a Bahrain wedding since Sampriti’s schooldays and Sampriti’s schooldays were spent here. “We wanted to celebrate the wedding here, surrounded by the lovely memories we have of our daughter growing up here,” said the bride’s mother Anjali, “The Bahrain weather in November is perfect for a seashore wedding and because the BTEA has such a well-oiled destination wedding package, organising everything from visas for family and friends from around the world to flowers and décor, was so easy and joyful.”

The wedding itself was picturesque and gave off a super loved-up and youthful vibe, replete with designer togs for the bridal couple (and guests) to some hectic dancing and an amazing global vegetarian menu!

Chief Editor Ahdeya Ahmed Managing Director P.K. Ravi Editor Meera Ravi Contributors Digital Consultant: Sonrita Chauhan Maharaja Features Pvt. Ltd. Marketing P.R.M. Marketing Consultancy w.l.l Advertising Sales Contact: +973 3668 4011 advts.sb@gmail.com Published by Al Ayam Publishing Promoted by Ajyal Consultations w.l.l Advertising / Editorial / Circulation Enquiries +973 3668 4011 e-mail salaam.bahrain@gmail.com advts.sb@gmail.com Copyright Reserved.

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publisher and Editor. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the publisher & editor cannot accept legal responsibility for any error, content or omissions.

19 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Fashion

FASHION INDIA’S DÉJÀ VU MOMENT When fashionistas choose to wear second-hand designer clothes

BY SUNITA JOSEPH

I

t was at a women’s get-together in Bahrain, where everybody was flaunting their latest designer togs, that one guest caused the whole room to go quiet when she announced that the saree she was wearing was a ‘pre-loved purchase’.

“You mean second-hand,” sniffed one bold lady who prided herself on calling a spade a spade.

“Yes – but it’s part of Deepika Padukone’s engagement trousseau – its certified by her and the money went to her mental health charity,” said the wearer of the gorgeous six-yards.

Now, that cast things in a different light and soon others were quietly taking down the website deets to do some pre-loved designer shopping themselves.

India has a fabulous textile heritage and social media today is awash with special interest groups promoting specific textile arts and regional weaves. However, alongside the new awareness of fabric, weave and heritage, Indian shoppers, especially millennials and Gen Z, are beginning to understand that the fashion industry is one of the most wasteful and environmentally unfriendly sectors – environmental statistics show that globally, 85% of textiles produced end up in our landfills and India is just a sliver below this global average at 73%, despite a strong tradition of darzi-stitched clothes even today.

CIRCLE FASHION ECONOMY Things are changing though and Indians – especially the thirty-somethings, are finding transformational bliss in rented or preloved clothes. After all, when you have the option of renting something vintage, branded, or a garment/accessory stylish enough to suit the mood or occasion, why buy it? There’s certainly less guilt, it costs much less, and a

20 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

INDIA save-the-environment emotion makes it commendable .

It’s too early to say if this will lead to defining change but growth in the field of apparel rental and its sister, fashion resale, is not just back on track but seems to be growing exponentially. Two years ago, the global online clothing rental market, driven primarily by the US and UK, was $1.26 billion (around ₹92 billion), according to data from the firm ResearchAndMarkets.com. It took a hit last year but is on the rebound.

Rent the Runway, a New York pioneer in the rental space, saw a 92% increase in active subscribers in 2020.

While the designer clothing and even bridal wear rental business is still in its infancy in India, there is a steady increase in the number of players

and their growing client lists reflect that Indians are shedding any hesitancy they may have had about wearing used clothes.

Two-year-old Flyrobe, which has an online and retail presence across the country, has seen its average order size rise from ₹2,500 to ₹5,500 since the end of the first lockdown last year. Mumbai’s Beg Borrow Steal, has clients like actors Dimple Kapadia and Ali Fazal and is steadily moving towards its pre-covid revenue of ₹5 lakh a month. Ziniosa, which, like Beg Borrow Steal, rents and sells preloved luxury handbags, garments, shoes, belts and sunglasses, is seeing sales “never like before”. Saritoria, an e-store that sells preloved Indian couture, has gained over 100 clients in places such as Norway, Australia and the UAE since

21 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

its launch a little over two months ago.

Poshmark, the resale marketplace that went public this year, is heading to India later this month.

For Pernia Qureshi, who along with Shehlina Soomro launched Saritoria —a platform for pre-loved-couture— sustainability is no longer a choice, but a necessity. She says the success of her pre-loved couture company was underpinned by a steady move towards a circular economy. Indian wear takes up a lot of closet space and hardly gets re-worn in comparison to western wear, despite the huge amount of human and environmental resources required for each garment.

Vikram Ramchandani, Founder of Rewear, the e-commerce platform dealing in preloved fashion says,

Fashion

4 WAYS

TO UPCYCLE YOUR PERSONAL

FASHION I.Q.

1

Buy well, wear longer. Don’t get swayed by every sale you see online—instead invest in quality pieces that’ll see you through years. Contrary to what fashion pundits preach, Qureshi suggests steering away from statement pieces. “You know you’ll wear it only once, so instead, invest in something with more longevity and that you can wear multiple times. Pick more versatile pieces that can be adapted and styled in different ways, rather than that one garment that you know will go out of style in no time.”

Declutter your closet from time to time to take stock and give your clothes a second life. In this way, not only are you getting to be part of a sustainable community but also making a smart investment on idle garments in your wardrobe.

There’s nothing quite like an heirloom piece passed on from the generations. Go all out raiding your grandmother or mother’s closet. Not only are you preserving treasured pieces, but are also doing your bit for the environment.

Use what you have. Often you could breathe life into an old garment by repurposing it. So, you could perhaps create an outfit from a sari or make a top out of a dupatta and so on. Easy on the pocket, easy on the environment—what’s not to love?

2 3 4

“More people are talking about it in person and online and are starting to see clear benefits of selling garments they do not wear or having used clothes in their wardrobes.”

Dolce Vee, the thrift store founded by Komal Hiranandani has taken another unique approach to pre-loved fashion.

The brand has been one of the first few to get Bollywood involved in the movement. Their platform regularly hosts celebrity closet sales to contribute towards various social causes. Up until now, the brand has hosted auctions from the closets of celebrities like Varun Dhawan, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Bhumi Pednekar, Soha Ali Khan and Sonam Kapoor to name a few. “These celebrities have played a huge role in enabling the ecosystem, and we've been so thrilled to see how far it has spread today. At Dolce Vee, we are building on the foundations of our celebrity charity closet sales and have opened to the mass market as well, making fun fashion finds more accessible, lighter on your pocket, and kinder to the planet,” shares Hiranandani.

So how can you, as a consumer be sure about what you’re purchasing?

For starters, it’s important to make sure that the store you buy from has stringent quality control policies. For instance, Rewear has an articulate rating system that determines and discloses the quality of the garment. “It helps that we’re individuals from the industry who’ve had an opportunity to work with multiple designers. There are various tell-tale signs of garments that are duplicates—if we have even a shred of doubt, we decline acceptance,” explains Ramchandani.

Similarly, Saritoria has a seal that indicates that the product has been through a rigorous process of authentication. A team of trained professionals screen each and every garment before allowing a sale. “This means that our customers never get a surprise and can trust that we’ve done the vetting for them,” says Qureshi.e

CHARITY CIRCLE - Bahrain’s sakhis lend a hand An online saree-lovers groun in Bahrain has recently launched a movement called “Sakhi Haath Badhaana” (Sister, Lend a Hand). Sunanda G. and Pradnya S., the admin team of Saree, The Indian Drape have launched a move to collect pre-loved sarees in good condition and donate to needy women through an NGO in India.

In Chennai, a similar movement collects good-quality festive sarees and sells to women of low income for as little as Rs. 500 to plump out their wedding wardrobes.

“The response has been very good in Bahrain,” say Pradnya and Sunanda, “Many ladies don’t know what to do with their old sarees and this is a great way to reach out and help Sakhis in need.”

22 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

youngistan

Spectra ushers in creative new year

E

ach year, the Indian Community Relief Fund (ICRF) organises an art jamboree with a heart – the Faber-Castell ‘Spectra’ art competition which raises funds for the various

GROUP 1 SH IHARI SANTHO 1st Place : SR from Indian School IL JOJO SIL KOORUVEL 2nd Place : BA from Indian School EYA JHA 3rd Place : AM nium School from New Millen

ICRF community projects through generous sponsorships.

This year, there were 15 local winners and, since the competition was conducted online, 11 overseas winners as well. The winning entries and other outstanding creations by the children figured in wall and desktop calendars for the year 2022. These calendars were also released at the function by Ambassador Piyush Srivastava.

The winners were honoured at a ceremony held on 2 January 2022 at the Indian Embassy hall, Seef by the Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Piyush Srivastava along with the ICRF Chairman Dr. Babu Ramachandran and other team members.

Top 5 winners from each group from Bahrain were awarded trophies and certificates.

The differently-gifted children of Sneha recreation centre, an initiative

550+

CHiLDREN

80 SCHOOLS

17COUNTRiES

by the Indian Ladies Association, added vibrance to the competition by participating as they do every year and were presented with certificates of participation. The Sneha Coordinator Arati Phadke also received a memento for the same on behalf of Sneha kids and ILA from Ambassador Piyush Shrivastav.

ICRF is a non-government, nonprofit organization established in 1999, working under the patronage of the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the general welfare of the Indian workers in Bahrain at large and helping Indians in distress. e

GROUP 4 1st Place : ANGELIN RAMEESHA from the New Indian School 2nd Place : SHILPA SANTHOSH from the Indian School

GROUP 2 1st Place : DEVNA PRAVEEN from Asian School 2nd Place : SAMBHAVI JHA from New Millennium School 3rd Place : SMRITHI RAGHUPATHY IYER from New Millennium School

GROUP 3

AR 1st Place : ASITA JAYAKUM from the Indian School

3rd Place : SUMITH THACHEDATHU SAM from New Millennium School

2nd Place : SREYA SAJU from the New Indian School NATHPARAMB 3rd Place : ANANNYA KUN from the Indian School

GROUP 5 1st Place : CATHERINE BASSIG PAJE 2nd Place : NITASHA BIJU 3rd Place : VIKAS KUMAR GUPTA

Spectra International 2021 Winners

GROUP 1

a D ARMAAN M R, Indi 1st Place : MOHAME I NAMBIAR, India 2nd Place : MEENAKSH RAHMAN V, India 3rd Place : MANHA

GROUP 2 1st Place : SRIPARVATHI T P, 2nd Place : ANIKA S NAIR, India 3rd Place : AANYA JAISWAL

GROUP 4 GROUP 3 1st Place : KARTHIKA MAHESH KUMAR B P, Qatar 1st Place : KUSHAL L M, India 2nd Place : VARSHA S MENON, Qatar 3rd Place : BHAGYA SUD HAKARAN, India 3rd Place : ALONA SUN SON, United Kingdom

PLATINUM SPONSORS

SPONSORS

ICRF 24 Hrs Helpline : +973 39895971 | ICRF LIFE Helpline : 38415171, 35990 990 | www.icrfbahrain.com 27 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

ICRF Bahrain

health focus

PUTTING YOURSELF FIRST The buzzword for 2022 will be self-care and to kick-start your health reboot, here are some pointers from KIMSHEALTH

BY SONORITA CHAUHAN-MEHTA

I

n a modern world, most of us lead busy lives that is likely to leave us drained out and this is precisely the time our health and wellbeing needs to gain priority over everything else. Today, we can see many people often putting themselves first and working on ways to reboot that would eventually encourage a change in overall mind set. Making your own mental and physical health a priority is in our own self-interest and a gift to your own self. So, prepare to reboot yourselves for 2022 and ignite your journey to good health.

FITNESS Step One to rebooting your health would be to plan and stick to a practical fitness routine. A walk around the block is a better way to begin than training for a marathon and the benefits can build up from there. There are so many high-tech gyms that have sprung up in Bahrain that help you optimise your workout. If gym is not your thing playing an active sport plays a huge part in getting your fitness levels up.

28 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

WORK-LIFE BALANCE There is a little doubt that new work from home schedules have changed our work routines and have altered our life patterns. Even though we might stretch ourselves at times it is important to stick to sensible working hours and focus on nurturing relationships with family and friends on a more meaningful level. That will make you a more productive person all round.

health focus MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS Your mental balance helps you to shape your life and rise to your fullest potential. Watch your emotional health, your stress levels and do not be afraid to seek help – by building a circle of friends or even professional support.

EAT SMART There are diets galore out there and even if you try a new one every week, you will have hundreds of new options left over for 2023! The best thing to do would be to eat right, build a proper and balanced diet, watch your portion sizes and eat regularly without bingeing. Plan what you will eat through the week, shop accordingly and prepare the food in advance so that you are not tempted to eat the wrong stuff.

REGULAR HEALTH CHECKS As the 21st century lifestyle gets more sedentary, annual check-ups play a vital role in tracking your health issues.

There are several packages available to do just that - when you see your doctors regularly, they are able to detect health conditions or diseases early. Early detection gives you the best chance for getting the right treatment quickly, avoiding any complications.

VISION CHECKS Of all our senses, sight is one of the most delightful and perhaps most neglected. Regular eye examinations are important because: • Having your vision corrected can improve the quality of day-to-day life • They will help detect certain eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, which could lead to sight loss • Poor vision could be a risk for falls The pandemic has taught us that for our children, the new digital generation, long screen time is a part of normal life.

Regular eye check-up is vital to make sure that any visual problems such as squint, lazy eye (amblyopia) or short-

sightedness (myopia) are detected and treated early.

BONE HEALTH As we age, our bone health becomes a priority, especially in women. Women usually have smaller, thinner, less dense bones than men. Bone loss happens naturally as we age. Women also lose more bone mass after menopause with very low levels of the hormone estrogen. Proper care at the right time with the right specialists can let you tick off those bucket list adventures carry on with regular life with zest and vigour.

VITAMINS AND MINERAL TESTS When evaluating health it is important to keep vitamins and minerals in mind.

For example: Vitamin D deficiency is widespread in Bahrain, Vitamin B12 deficiency commonly occurs in diabetic patients and these are just two examples.

Taking a multivitamin supplement ad hoc may not be a solution and doctors can prescribe appropriate medications and other measures that need to be taken.

Connect with other people. Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing. ...

Be physically active. Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness.

Learn new skills. ...

Give to others. Be Kind.

Pay attention to the present moment by practising mindfulness

STAY HYDRATED DIGITAL DETOX 2022 might be a perfect year to embrace a digital detox and enable you to spend time focusing on what might actually make you happy and will help you get some rest. It's about getting you to learn you can live without your phone.

There are many ways to accomplish this - Phone usage apps that help you limit yourself to two hours of screen time.

Don't take your phone on your walk or social gathering instead pay attention to the nature & people around you. It's amazing how much you accomplish and learn about yourself when you are not on your phone.

LIMIT STIMULANTS’ USE Extolling the virtues of exercising moderation in coffee and beverage consumption and giving up smoking may come off preachy, and that's not us. This is just a gentle reminder that moderation is key.

29 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

How much water should you drink a day? Staying hydrated is a daily necessity, no matter what the thermometer says. Unfortunately, many of us aren't getting enough to drink – and often, we confuse thirst signals for hunger and eat instead of drinking water. Another common mistake is when we drink juices and soda-pop instead of water.

Keep a measured quantity of water in a bottle and track your intake to ensure you stay hydrated.

SLEEP IT OFF Sleep is vital to our health. These days because of so much electronic stimulation, we tend to get very poor quality sleep. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep daily. If you get less than that at night, try to build a 15-minute power nap into your afternoon. Do not take your laptop, your mobile phone to bed. e

CUISINE

Although there is some confusion about whether veganism is superior to vegetarianism, the movement is gaining ground worldwide.

IT’S VEGANUARY – ARE YOU LOOKING TO CHANGE YOUR DIET?

BY YASMINE MEHTA

O

ne fallout of the pandemic and the general slowdown in the pace of our lives (if one is not a frontliner, that is!) is that it has given us time to pause and reflect on the way we lead our lives. As a result there has been a proliferation of new lifestyle choices, especially in how we manage our diet and chronic conditions. In India, where a large number of people are vegetarian, the new diet of choice is veganism, a way of eating that avoids all animal products – not just meat but especially dairy products, eggs and even honey.

Seeing the growing demand, more and more Indian companies are beginning to produce plant-based and vegan substitutes for every edible animal food product – from milk to faux meat.

And Bahrain is not far behind. At recent festive gatherings, the conversation was dominated by discussions on a particular vegan diet plan that has a huge following in the Kingdom. It is run by an India-based doctor and seeks to help people reverse diabetes with a vegan diet.

BAHRAIN’S VEGAN SCENE “I came to this diet after years of trying to manage my diabetes with medication and was surprised that just a tweak in my eating habits could achieve so much,” said Ravi Moorthy, a senior executive, “The diet especially stresses giving up

dairy products and when I did that, I found my sugar levels stabilized and I could cut back on my meds. I also lost weight and grew fitter – despite days when all I had was liquids, I could climb the scaffolding steps in my construction sites much quicker.”

These days, when guests around him happily chomp on paneer tikka and butter nan, businessman Viren Bhatia sits calmly munching his vegan alternative meal. The results, he says, are so convincing that he is never tempted to break the diet and quite enjoys the new energy levels and freedom from meds. So much so that wife Rekha too has become vegan.

There are vegan options in most restaurants in Bahrain and most supermarket and hypermarket shelves carry them, along with “New Age” alternatives (which are, ironically, ancient heritage grains!) like quinoa, millets and ‘barista-quality’ nut, rice or oat milk.

The lockdown and the social distancing boosted social media marketing and jump-started the vegan movement in Bahrain. Banker-turned-chef, Wafa Al Mohanna, Instagram’s favourite vegan chef (@ veggie_chef_bahrain), is a pioneer who played a big role in making veganism cool in Bahrain.

Having struggled to find vegan options in local supermarkets and restaurants when she first embraced the lifestyle in 2015, she started cooking

30 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

CUISINE Eliminating dairy also helps reduce the risk of PCOD in younger women.

REAL VS. VEGAN MEAT ish and Rite Genelia tly n ce re kh Deshmu ir vegan e th d e launch pany food com eats.

M e Imagin

up her own vegan storm. Soon the taste of her dishes caught on and friends and family started placing catering and serving portion orders.

“That’s when I decided to get on Instagram.

Today, things have changed, there is a growing vegan community in Bahrain. I have a WhatsApp group of like-minded people and before COVID-19, we used to meet up all the time and had gatherings, workshops and seminars. Veganism has become trendy in Bahrain and I’m happy as it increases awareness and sheds light on healthier eating and plant-based diets. Earlier we had to source materials from abroad but now more brands have started offering vegan options.”

An increasing number of people are joining the vegan movement which even has its own dedicated month – Veganuary which taps the January resolutions rush to embrace change. Founded in UK in 2014 as a life-altering charity by British window salesman Mathew Glover and his partner Jane, it has been rapidly gaining followers, many of whom are remaining vegan even after they complete the 31 day challenge. Once you sign up, you get free vegan recipes and also advise on how to ramp up your protein and what to avoid.

There was even Veganuary celebration at the impossibly glitzy Expo 2020 in Dubai, which launched the Middle East’s first-ever Vegan Food Festival, in association with Vegan Days over three weekends this January. The one-of-a-kind gastronomic event boasts a diverse selection of plant-based food brands from around the world.

Earlier this month Veganuary announced that India joined the campaign as a 2022 campaign hub. The news came after a record 60,000 countrywide sign-ups in 2021. The figure placed India in third place for the most participants. It joins the U.K., U.S., Germany, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina as campaign centres and has recruited a number of celebrity ambassadors.

Veganism has plenty of health benefits. Not only does it help manage weight, by eliminating dairy and meat from their diet, people can reduce their cholesterol levels and hence avoid heart issues. The increase in lentils and beans as a source of protein in the diet improves gut health and bone health effectively reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes and age-related bone issues such as osteoarthritis.

It’s not that the concept of imitation meat is anything new. For as long as there have been vegetarians – or people too poor to buy meat – there have been mock meats of one kind or another. For centuries in Russia cooks have made an aubergine puree that goes by the name of “caviar”. Or consider the Welsh Glamorgan sausage made from cheese, leeks and bread crumbs, which became popular during the second world war when meat was rationed. A culture that is much more advanced along the fake meat route is China, where for centuries Buddhist cooks have made ingenious “roast goose” and “duck” and even “intestines” from layers of wheat gluten and tofu. Chinese food expert Fuchsia Dunlop says that the “bleeding’ burgers” of modern-day vegan restaurants “have the same purpose as Chinese Buddhist imitation meats”, of enabling people to eat vegan food without making dramatic changes to their eating habits. The difference, she notes, is that traditional Chinese fake meats tend to be made from tofu, mushrooms and other ordinary ingredients, whereas some of the new fake meats of the west are manufactured with possibly unhealthy additives. And this is where the huge and ever-growing enthusiasm for fake meat becomes somewhat tricky.

Bollywood star Riteish Deshmukh and his wife Genelia recently launched their vegan food company Imagine Meats, adding glamour to the ethical food movement. Nut and plant-based milks are being offered by more players than ever before.

This includes multinationals such as Hershey’s.

“Consumers are now seeking out ‘better for you’ alternatives in the snacking category by being conscious of their eating choices,” feels Ankit Desai, marketing director, Hershey’s India, Desai noticed this trend and launched Sofit Almond

31 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Veganism has plenty of health benefits. Not only does it help manage weight, by eliminating dairy and meat from their diet, people can reduce their cholesterol levels and hence avoid heart issues.

Healthy vegan jackfruit tacos

CUISINE

VEGAN SUBSTITUTE HACKS Egg • • • •

Applesauce Banana Puree Silken Tofu Commercial Egg Replacers

Water and Chia/Flax Seeds (Flegg) Note: If you’re using chia seeds, you might need to blend the mixture to avoid getting large clumps of seeds in your baked goods.

Meat Substitutions • • • • • •

Milk Substitutions

Honey Substitutions

• • • •

• Agave Nectar • Maple Syrup • Coconut Nectar

Soy Milk, Hemp Milk Rice Milk Almond Milk and Other Nut-Based Milks

Substitutes for Buttermilk Sometimes the recipe you’re working with calls for buttermilk, and your instinct might simply be to replace it with one of the plant-based milks listed above. Don’t be fooled -- there’s a difference between milk and buttermilk. Buttermilk has higher levels of acidity, which means that it will react differently with other ingredients. To substitute buttermilk, simply add about 1 tsp of vinegar for every cup of plant-based milk.

Tofu and Tempeh Seitan Beans Eggplant Mushrooms Jackfruit

Butter Substitutions • Coconut Oil • Vegetable Oil If the recipe calls for you to “cut in” the butter or just a regular stick of butter, vegetable oil is probably not your best option.

Nut Butters like casherw, peanut, almond etc.

Cheese Substitutions • Tofu Cheese • Nutritional Yeast • Cashew Cheese

Aquafaba If you’ve been anywhere near a vegan blog in the last few years, you’ve probably heard of aquafaba. In 2014, a man named Joël Roessel

discovered that if you whip chickpea brine (just like you would an egg), you the liquid starts to turn into a soft foam with a remarkably similar texture to meringue. Vegan baking was never the same!

Since then, vegan chefs and bakers have experimented with the substance and have given it the name “aquafaba,” which is a lot more appetizing than “chickpea brine.” The composition of the brine gives it the ability to bind ingredients together almost exactly like an egg does. Plus, unlike most other egg substitutes, aquafaba is not starch-based.

The only obstacle is the flavor. Yes, aquafaba alone tastes a little bit like chickpeas, which isn’t always what you want in your cupcakes. But the flavor is neutral enough that it can easily be masked with plenty of sugar -- even when making meringue.

32 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Healhty vegan lunch bo wl.

Avocado , quinoa, sweet p otato, tomato, spinach and chickpea s vegetab les salad

Milk in India catering more towards the vegan and lactose intolerant consumers.

The catch is that there is not necessarily anything particularly healthy about a vegan hotdog or burger. Meat-free burgers contain on average even more salt than meat burgers: 0.89g per serving as against 0.75g.

When switching to these products you also need to consider what nutrients might then be missing from your diet, such as iron and B vitamins and they do not deserve the “health halo effect” they sometimes get, just on account of being vegan.

The key thing is that any food that has been highly processed should be eaten mindfully – so not necessarily avoided completely, but I wouldn’t recommend a vegan sausage weekly due to the high salt content and most likely list of additives and preservatives.

While vegetarianism was always a well understood choice and a norm in India, three things have made a shift for people to choose veganism: The awareness of the health impact of dairy consumption, the cruelty of the dairy industry, and the unveiling of the fact, that dairy is not a required part of our diet, nutritionally - the biggest myth propagated for decades, according to vegans.

Certifying vegan foods India even has a loftily named “Sattvik Council of India” , the world's first pioneering vegetarian food and lifestyle standard development organisation established by Abhishek Biswas to promote the certification of vegetarian food. It ensures the creation of a 'vegetarian environment' for consumers worldwide. It is part of a growing awareness of food safety.

Biswas, a Pune-based entrepreneur, started the Sattvik Council of India, the world's first vegetarian food safety and regulatory compliance for vegetarian and allied adherents. On the lines

of certification preferred by the followers of different communities such as 'halal' for Islam and 'Kosher' by the Jews, this is the first of its kind global-level certification that will be a one-stop for all vegetarians across the globe. It offers four kinds of certifications: 'Sattvik Sattvam', 'Sattvik Vegetarian', 'Sattvik Vegan' and 'Sattvik Jain'.

It is the world's first and pioneering vegetarian food and lifestyle standard development organisation established to promote the certification of vegetarian food. It ensures the creation of a 'vegetarian environment' for consumers across the globe. With the requirement for the new SOP's and standards in the food supply chain, Sattvik Mark guarantees the trust and belief for 100 per cent vegetarian and vegan products. It aims to meet the consumers' expectations by providing a safe food supply as per the essential quality, safety standards and requirements of food hygiene, labelling and certification, use of food additives, limits for pesticide residues, etc.

"We target not only the food manufacturing and processing industries but also micro, medium and small scale industries which are facing innumerable challenges for their survival in the mainstream market. Sattvik Council aims at serving as an incubator for these industries,” said Abhishek Biswas.

The Sattvik Council created standards have even been adopted by Bureau Veritas (Global Audit Partner) to assure consumers of the authenticity of vegan or vegetarian products that created the "Sattvik/Vegetarian Certification Scheme".

The Council aims to generate one lakh certified skilled resources in India in food safety and vegetarian/vegan compliance by 2025 and certify approximately 1 million establishments by 2025, including kitchens, hotels, products and textiles, he added. To encourage and support vegetarianfriendly railway services, SCI recently provided vegetarian certification to the Indian Railway’s pilgrimage routes such as Shri Ramayan Yatra and Vande Bharat to Vaishnodevi shrine.

If you plan to experiment with a vegan lifestyle, you are in luck with the average Indian diet which offers plenty of non-meat food variety. All you need to do is watch for the liberal use of butter and ghee fats and the tendency to make up for a perceived lack of taste with an over-use of oil.

For starters, check out the delicious recipe for Dal Kachori, provided by Chef Kamal xxxx of Mega Mart. e

33 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

CUISINE

“We target not only the food manufacturing and processing industries but also micro, medium and small scale industries which are facing innumerable challenges for their survival in the mainstream market. Sattvik Council aims at serving as an incubator for these industries.”

Abhishek Biswas

CUISINE

Chef Kamal’s DAL KI KACHORI INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING:

PREPARATION

1 cup yellow moong dal 2 tbsp oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp minced ginger ¼ tsp asafoetida 3 diced green chillies 1 tsp garam masala 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 3 tbsp chickpea flour 1 tsp fennel powder – 3 tbsps water 1 tbsp tamarind (size of a walnut) soaked in little water and juice extracted ½ tsp sugar 1 tsp mango powder ½ tsp kasuri methi 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp. fennel seeds 2 tsp. fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped ½ tsp black salt – Salt to taste

1. For the Kachori shell: In a bowl, put the maida, the salt and baking soda.

2. For flaky Kachori shell, melt the vegetable shortening or oil and add the hot fat to the flour. Mix with a spoon till absorbed and warm and then mix lightly with fingertips till mixture is crumbly..

3. Add the water gradually, mixing well each time and bind into a firm, satiny, soft dough.

4. Lightly grease the surface of the doughball with ½ tsp of oil and cover the dough with a slightly damp cloth. Leave to prove for two hours.

5. For the stuffing: Soak the moong dal in lukewarm water for at least one hour. Drain well and grind to a coarse paste.

6. Take a pan and heat the 2 tbsp oil. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, the fennel seeds, the minced ginger, chillies and asafoetida and saute till aromatic.

7. Add the chilli powder and fennel powder and fry till well-mixed and aromatic.

8. Add the chickpea flour and continue stirring over medium-low heat till golden brown and aromatic.

9. Add the coarsely ground dal paste and mix well till the mixture looks homogenous.

10. Now add the salt, kasuri methi, garam masala, mango powder, fresh coriander leaves and black salt. Add salt to taste and mix well.

11. Add the water, the tamarind extract and sugar and give the stuffing mixture a final good stir.

FOR THE KACHORI SHELL: 1 cup fine white flour (maida) ½ tsp baking powder 2 tbsp Dalda ( vegetable shortening) or oil 1 cup water 1 tsp. salt Oil for frying

HOW TO PROCEED 1. Take a ball of dough slightly larger than a golf ball. Put it on a flour-dusted, even surface and roll into the size of a large puri and about 1 inch thick.

2. Take a lemon-sized ball of filling. Place it in the centre of the puri and bring the edges up together from all sides.

3. Pinch the extra dough away and pat the edge firmly down.

4. Now gently but firmly roll out the puri into a disc about two inches in diameter. The stuffing should not break through the covering.

5. Heat the oil for frying in a wok till medium hot. Then lower the flame. Slip in the Kachori and fry till golden brown, using a slotted ladle to gently press down the puri and turn the Kachori.

It will take a bit of time but resist the temptation to increase the flame – the low flame and gradual cooking is the secret to flaky and deliciously crisp Kachori. (In between adding fresh Kachori, raise the flame briefly to maintain the medium high temperature of the oil) 6. Serve with tamarind chutney – you get excellent readymade bottled tamarind chutney in stores – or sweet mango chutney.

7. The Kachori will last for three days in an airtight container

34 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

CUISINE

India gets smart about plant protein

I

ndia’s love affair with dairy is well documented. As a country, it has the largest dairy herd in the world and milk production accounts for 5 percent of the national economy. Local cuisines frequently feature dairy, as well as eggs and chicken. Despite this, India has been identified as a key plant-based market driver, thanks to its emerging smart protein sector.

Not just a location suitable for global brand expansion, India is developing domestic success stories. In 2020, a $2.1 billion development fund was announced to support the dairy and meat processing sectors. Despite this, the smart protein industry is growing competitively.

Taste and nutrition giant Kerry has undertaken a study into demand for meat alternatives, identifying India as a particularly high-growth market for plant-based foods. Findings demonstrated an overall openness to animal-free foods in the country of more than one billion. Taste, texture, and suitability for regional dishes were identified as significant purchase factors.

In India, one-third of the population identifies as vegetarian, according to the Kerry study. The remaining 70 percent regularly eat meat-free and vegan foods. This flexitarian approach is taking plant-based living from specialist to mainstream.

Acceptance of change Kerry has identified that 41 percent of people in India already eat six or more types of plant protein. These come in the form of pulses, beans, grains, and vegetables that are used in everyday cooking. Non-vegetarians use these as meal bases, preferring meat as an addition. Animal-free alternatives are widely experimented with, however.

“The opportunity and potential for plant protein foods in India is promising,” Gunjan Pandey, marketing director for Kerry Southwest Asia said in a statement. “Currently, the region’s alternative meat market is valued at $171 million and is expected to grow at 8.5% CAGR by 2025. The past five years have also seen the number of meat substitute launches rising year on year.”

The study revealed that 63 percent of Indian consumers would be willing to buy plantbased food items regularly, and 60 percent would not be put off by paying a premium for it.

The findings have been used to identify an unmet market need within Asia.

Taste/texture upset “Consumers are seeking products that have superior taste, texture, and nutrition but that also align with local or regional cuisines or tastes,” Ronan Moloney, VP & GM, Food and Meat, Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa said in a company statement. “However, many plant-based products fall short of these expectations with 70% of consumers in Asia Pacific saying that taste and texture of current meat alternatives do not match that of real meat, but add they would make plant-based foods a regular part of their diet if this were resolved.”

Kerry has created its Radicle platform to meet the needs of plant-based foodies in the APAC region. It has been designed to support food manufacturers and brands with consumer insights and product development.

“With an incredibly high percentage of the Indian population open to consuming meat alternatives, India presents a dynamic opportunity for brands to capitalise on this growing demand by creating innovative, nutritious and great tasting plant-based foods that would be the consumer choice, not the alternative,” said Pandey.

35 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

73rd Indian

Gr tings Deliciously Yours,

Main Office: Muharraq, 1734 1070

MEGA MART BUILDS ON QUALITY SUCCESS

More than two decades of success have secured BabasonsMegaMart / MacroMart a household name in Bahrain. In 1993, Babasons, backed by the internationally renowned T Choithram Group of Companies, set up their first grocery store at Salmaniya. With high standards of quality and service inherited from Choithrams, Babasons-Mega Mart continues to be one of the leading supermarket chains in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Today, with 14 MegaMarts and 2 MacroMarts, Babasons-Mega Mart is one of the biggest retailer and distribution network with imports from Australia, the UK, the US and South Africa. It prides itself on serving the local community with the highest quality fresh produce from around the world and its ultramodern, European style supermarkets.

Post Covid era, Babasons-MegaMart / MacroMart is now stronger than before and for that, they have expressed their gratitude to the Bahrain government and the community. “Bahrain government has done a commendable work at mitigating the spread of Covid-19 virus, ensuring protection of all residence by offering free vaccines and by supporting the businesses through various reliefs. We are working to return the kind gesture by increasing our community services and to optimizing our expenses & upgrade our stores to better hygiene standards in order to protect our consumers,” said Anil Nawani.

“We intend to serve all communities with range of products from fresh fruits & vegetables, meat, fish & fresh bakery products. This differentiates us uniquely as retailer from our competition. Recently we have also developed our inhouse brand “GOODNESS FOOD” range which caters to all customer with combination of good quality products with pocket friendly prices,” Mega Mart Segaya and Macro Mart Riffa has now become well known for its chaat & sweets counters, hot food and take away meals.

“At Babasons-MegaMart / MacroMart, we care about the planet and environmental sustainability, so this year we have initiated series of activities to do our part for environmental sustainability such as community beach cleaning, waste management and recycling, promoting reusable bags, etc.” says Anil Nawani. “We will continue this initiative and will look into partnerships with reputable organizations to maximum impact,” added Anil Nawani.

They have also initiated series of fun activities and competitions under “Goodness Campaign” to engage and reward its workforce. In 2022, they are also planning to apply for prestigious HACCP certification for its outlets.

With Nawani at the helm, way forward for Babasons-MegaMart / MacroMart is to continue providing high quality service with competitive pricing to their customers, ensure environment sustainability and contribute to the community while expanding its business.

Main Office: Muh

AYURVEDA

AN AYURVEDIC LIFE

A

yurveda is the ancient Indian system of medicine that originated around 5000BC and is based on a sound observational concept that has stood the test of time for thousands of years. In Sushruta Samhita (Sushruta's Compendium), Sushruta wrote that Dhanvantari, Hindu god of Ayurveda, incarnated himself as a king of Varanasi and taught medicine to a group of physicians, including Sushruta.

Ayurveda has been adapted for Western consumption, notably by Baba Hari Dass in the 1970s and Maharishi Ayurveda in the 1980s. But Ayurveda really came into its own when Arya Vaidya Sala was founded in 1902 by the late Vaidyaratnam P.S Varier in

Kottakal, Kerala. He figured out that if the Ayurvedic medicines were to really gain ground they needed to be prepackaged for the ease of the common man. This along with the long-term effectiveness of these medicines led to an exponential growth in the belief and usage of Ayurveda.

This famous institution of Kerala was the first to open a branch in Bahrain - the familiar blue signage that reads - Kottakal Ayurvedic Centre.

It is run by the great-grand nephew of the legendary founder, Sekhar Sethumadhavan, who is the founder of the Bahrain and Oman branches of this respected Ayurvedic centre.

38 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Kottakal Ayurvedic Centre is one of the best and busiest ayurvedic centres in Bahrain with some of the most experienced practitioners of Ayurveda from Kottakal advising patients on remedies and treatments.

They have all the facilities for performing Panchakarma and other classical ayurvedic treatments systematically.

Kottakkal Ayurvedic centre has treated many cases like blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, facial paralysis, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, back pain, impotency, infertility along with other degenerative and demyelinating diseases successfully with the help of their dedicated and experienced doctors and therapists. e

SHRADDHA HOSTS BTS PARTY Who said K-pop was followed only by youth in their trendy twenties?

When she turned 14, diehard BTS fan Shraddha Srikanth invited nine besties to throw herself a BTSthemed birthday party. Everything from the décor to the tees and the cake was BTS inspired and the girls made sure to belt out some of their fave K-pop numbers too!

The Management, Principal, Staff, Students and Parents of

wish all Indians a

Happy

rd

Republic Day

New Millennium School

Building 399, Road 3009, Block 330, Bughazal, P.O. Box: 26271, Manama, Kindom of Bahrain +973 17272700

www.nms.edu.bh

nmsbahrain

newmillennumschoolbahrain

39 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Nurturing Responsible Global Citizens

YOUNGISTAN

STARTING YOUNG SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS AND ENTREPRENEURS Children have truly become the digital generation as they navigate the choppy social media waters with ease and take to complex entrepreneurial schemes while still in school.

BY SONORITA CHAUHAN MEHTA

Teenagers seem to have bypassed the social media platform’s age restriction and are comfortably using its popularity and reach.

N

inety-five percent of all teenagers ( 13-17) own a smartphone, says Pews Research Centre which largely surveys American teenagers but it is unlikely there is any significant difference with the numbers in Bahrain.

The pandemic has forced people to adapt to technology with a rapid pace but setting the standards are the young.

While headlines like ‘80 per cent children in Bahrain spent a third of their time during the summer of 2021 on Youtube’ did send shock waves through the community, what children were engrossed in when they were fixated on their smartphones would leave many surprised. A survey by Kaspersky, the cyber security firm and it’s safe child module found that the most visited category was ‘Software, audio, video’, followed by games - a reminder that this is what we were like at their age and that they, in essence, are passionate 40 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

about the same things we were, only in a new, digital form.

YouTube is the world’s second-most visited website-the world’s second-most used social platform, right behind Facebook. People watch more than a billion hours of video on YouTube every day.

A billion hours. Every day. That’s an incredible amount of content being consumed, all around the world.

New beginnings And what is it that they are watching?

Data shows that view of videos with variations of ‘beginner’ in the title increased more than 50% between March and July 2020 and globally, these videos got more than 9 billion views. A whopping 82% globally used YouTube to learn to do things themselves (that was 94% in India).

A case in point is 11-year-old St. Christopher School student in Bahrain, Aarav Sethi, who honed his paper plane making skills thanks to Youtube and now has his own Youtube channel.

“YouTube has really helped me to develop my passion for paper planes and helped me to share my origami creations with the world. I really enjoy posting new videos of new unreleased paper planes.” Aarav said.

Youngsters like Aarav are especially quick to understand the joy of using social media to connect with others who share your passion, creativity and world view with strangers.

“I learnt that sometimes you can really enjoy having a channel, watching your views and subscribers grow over time, and checking the comments.

But, too much time on your channel can lead to social media addiction, and there are more important things to do, so we need to balance and plan our time well. I started my channel around six months ago. My channel (The Paper Plane Factory) is currently small, with 28 subscribers. I started off with about 6 subscribers, then as I started posting more content, my channel gradually grew. The channel has around 630 views. I feel happy when someone subscribes, and it is a little disappointing sometimes when the growth is slow but my mother often reminds me I should focus on creating the best content for my viewers rather than focusing on the number of subscribers and likes.”

Counting subscribers and views is an affirmation to these young content creators that they are being heard. One

social media channel that offers such gratification quickly is TikTok. The video platform has propelled young unknown artists, singers from the depths of obscurity to the top of the pops - think Tasher and Jason Derulo collab for ‘Jalebi Baby’ or the more recent ‘Love Nwantiti’ by Nigerian artist CKAY which racked up over 100 million weekly streams on Spotify and youtube apart from the countless Tiktok videos.

In fact TikTok (63%) overtook Instagram (57%) as the social media of choice for kids between the ages of 12-17.

And what makes it so addictive?

Well, most, if not all, social media is addictive. It is designed to be that way so that you spend more time on it. Anything which gives you small slices of information or mini “stories” the way TikTok does and Insta-gram has started doing with reels, will produce dopamine in the brain.

Ten year old Indian School student, Ayra Mehta, started her TikTok account (@sasha4toi) with the help of her mother.

It started off as a private account where Ayra would dance or mimic popular ‘sounds’ and trends but with no followers or feedback, the interest waned

AYRA

AARAV

YOUNGISTAN

41 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Most, if not all, social media is addictive. It is designed to be that way so that you spend more time on it. Anything which gives you small slices of information or mini “stories” the way TikTok does and Instagram has started doing with reels, will produce dopamine in the brain.

IQRA

YOUNGISTAN

and she was eventually able to convince her mother to make the account public with the condition that she wouldn’t reveal her face and the account could only be accessed from the parent’s password protected phone.

“I went from zero to 50 followers in two weeks, despite only posting a couple of videos a week. Today my account has 250 followers in three months. I know it can grow faster if I post more videos or show my face but I realise that it is important to balance my social media and screen time with my studies and other outdoor activities.

The thing I am most proud of since I started making videos on TikTok is that my video editing and graphic design skills are getting better, as is my art.

In fact one of my most popular videos which has over 300 views was me showing off my progress as an artist.”

Building your brand

“I use social media to create brand awareness for myself by making videos on recent trends on fashion, makeup, social issues and sharing tips on making the best use of time in the digital age. I also collaborate with local photographers, makeup artists, fashionistas and do photoshoots showcasing foods, festivals, clothes.

Apart from this I also have my own online show on Ten News.

The Middle East is home to some of the largest markets, as a percentage of population, for Instagram, including Turkey (3rd at 56%), Kuwait (6th at 54%) and Bahrain (10th at 50%). There were over 800,000 Instagram users in Bahrain with the majority of them being men (61.5%) and people aged 25 to 34 being the largest user group. What is unaccounted for is the rising number of teenagers who are using the platform ( Under 18s are not allowed to create an Instagram profile) for personal and professional exposure given the social platform’s issues with the backlash over the effects of Instagram on these young minds and bodies.

However, teenagers seem to have bypassed these rules and are using the social platform’s popularity and reach.

At 12 years of age, Iqra Khan is already a social media star, influencer, motivational speaker, model and entrepreneur. Born in London, she’s lived in several countries and attends a London-based online school.

“I use social media to create brand awareness for myself by making videos on recent trends on fashion, makeup, social issues and sharing tips on making the best use of time in the digital age. I also collaborate with local photographers, makeup artists, fashionistas and do photoshoots 42 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

showcasing foods, festivals, clothes.

Apart from this I also have my own online show on Ten News.

She summarises confidently, “Social media has helped me a lot in making myself known and in creating my own USP among youth. I am getting more and more opportunities for photoshoots, video shoots, collabs with established brands. My fan base is increasing by the day and I am getting love and support from across the region.

I am amazed that my popularity on social media platforms also translates to real life when people recognise me in malls, parties and restaurants.”

Head Prefect at British School of Bahrain, Kaviesh Kinger, believes that by consuming media as a young preteen on Youtube, through scrolling through countless Tik Toks on his phone as a teenager, his generation has truly understood and harnessed the power of social media.

“I first began using social media to build my brand in August 2020, when I would post summary posts on Instagram of articles I wrote on the intersection between politics and modern ideas perpetuated in the media on @kavieshscommentary. I instantly saw a greater interaction with my articles, since people were able to share and spread my thoughts much quicker.

Consequently, my information was more understandable for the average person, who was unable to explore and unpack complex ideas. I think this allowed me to build my brand by reaching a wider audience.”

Kaviesh proceeded to put his expertise to good use when he used social media to directly communicate with students in his school as Head Prefect.

“As the elected representative of the student body, there was a direct need for engagement with our community.

Through creating posts, polls and highlighting key issues on social media, we were able to accelerate the spread of information easily. But, what was even more significant than this was how students could easily engage with us.

Through a quick Direct Message, they would be able to give us any concerns or feedback they needed, more efficiently.

Students were excited to be featured in our stories, and continued to use our platform as a central area for the

KAVIESH BSB community. Thus, it was through using social media and connecting with the student community that I believe we were able to establish ourselves as student leaders.”

Educating parents Kaviesh says that the ease of arranging international channels of communication made it easy to plan and stage ambitious extra-curricular projects like the Model United Nations conference.

“Social media allowed me to advertise events easily- we pulled off a successful Model United Nations conference for which students from all over the world gathered over Zoom to discuss and debate, and I credit their stimulating discourse to the useful nature of social media. By starting my school’s first ever student-led magazine, The Monthly, alongside my colleagues, our social media (@themonthly_) allowed us to reach readers from the United States and Belgium as well.”

But it’s not all sunshine and success.

In March 2020, an internal Instagram presentation reportedly said that when 32% of teenage girls “felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse,” and even led to suicidal thoughts. According to researchers, platforms like Instagram can contribute to body image issues and depression because humans have an innate desire to compare themselves to others.

Last year, it came to a head as the governments of several countries took a harsh view of this ‘wilful negligence’ of such findings.

The concerns about these issues have been in the public domain for a while as 61% of the parents polled by Pew Research Centre said that they were concerned for the wellbeing of their children who use social media.

“Social media allowed me to advertise events easilywe pulled off a successful Model United Nations conference for which students from all over the world gathered over Zoom to discuss and debate, and I credit their stimulating discourse to the useful nature of social media. By starting my school’s first ever student-led magazine, The Monthly, alongside my colleagues, our social media (@themonthly_) allowed us to reach readers from the United States and Belgium as well.”

In response, Instagram has shirked responsibility by shifting blame on the wider industry. However, as the public (parental) outcry grew, Instagram, in a statement on its site, said “We’ll be taking a stricter approach to what we recommend to teens on the app, we’ll stop people from tagging or mentioning teens that don’t follow them, we’ll be nudging teens towards different topics if they’ve been dwelling on one topic for a long time and we’re launching the Take a Break feature in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which we previously announced.

“We’ll also be launching our first tools for parents and guardians early next year to help them get more involved in their teen’s experiences on Instagram,” the company promised, “Parents and guardians will be able to see how much time their teens spend on Instagram and set time limits.

And we’ll have a new educational hub for parents and guardians.”

This despite the widely held belief that Instagram’s problems may be inherent to the platform and therefore almost impossible to fix. e

43 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

YOUNGISTAN

Our young influencers believe that the onus also lies with them and their parents Iqra - I am aware of these and my parents keep

me updated as they are also influencers in their own field. My mom is a social activist too. She writes on a variety of social issues including bullying and body shaming. These issues are sensitive, I try to keep a tab on my followers and prefer quality over quantity. I avoid negative people, block contacts who post cheap messages. I also consult my parents and update them regularly.

Kaviesh - Just as central as football and

basketball is to growing youth, so are our social media accounts. Hence, I think there should definitely be more safeguarding in relation to social media use. As children, we are exposed to dangerous material daily- from extremist ultra-right bigotry on Youtube channels, through misogynistic cultures brewing on Reddit and increased exploitation of children through social media. I do think adequate education for the youth is the precursor to ensuring any protection for our generation against the downsides to social media. By being influencers, it is our responsibility to uphold positive attitudes and values at all times- since we are direct role models of those who consume our media. Often before posting on our Head Prefect Instagram, I make sure to consider any implications this may have on the younger students looking up to us, and how to set the most positive pattern for them to internalise.

Aarav - I use YouTube, and in YouTube I find

everything is safe if you don’t share too much private information. My channel doesn’t show my location and only gives the information I choose to give. If used carefully, a YouTube channel is nice. You can delete comments you don’t like, and you can also completely disable the comments.

There is also an option to restrict videos to under18-year-olds.

Nirvaan - According to me the most important

thing that I should keep in mind while using social media is that I should always watch something creative. I spend most of my time watching videos on chess (from where I learn to play chess and my current FIDE rating is 1250) , coding etc which will be helpful in my future. I avoid watching violence, crime and other destructive youtube videos.

44 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

THE START-UP TOUCH Teens take Instagram and Tiktok seriously as they take their first entrepreneurial steps. Social media platforms have millions of users under 18, particularly Instagram, Tiktok and Snapchat, which had more than 16 million users aged 12 to 17 (about 20 percent of total users) according to research by eMarketer. Many of them try their hand at monetising their hobbies and with success.

Hanan Hassan Shehabi, a Bahraini student from Muharraq Secondary School, is a fine examples of this as she sells her art online.

When you look at Hanan’s art there are three things that will amaze you.

• • •

She’s only 16 These are pictures and not photographs And she has built a business for herself at this young age selling her art on social media in just ONE year.

“I used Instagram as a platform to post about my art and then discovered TikTok, which turned out to be a better platform. Many people see TikTok as an app for some music and dances but for me, TikTok was the app that increased my visibility and let people know more about me and my art. I will never forget the moment when one of my videos on TikTok got a lot of views. It was a video of me preparing orders and people were interested in knowing my prices and the order details. I ended up getting more than 40 customers in four days. This would have never happened without social media. After this, I started to take my TikTok account more seriously because I realised that it was the best way for me to market my brand.”

Meanwhile, 11-year old Nirvana Modi used the accelerated digitisation to his advantage and started developing his own apps with help from teachers in India. “I heard my father talking a lot about new developments in computer programming, big data and artificial intelligence. That really excites me, and I have started coding using scratch platform.

Meantime, my mom enrolled me in online coding classes from India. I am a big fan of Harry Potter and have read the entire series more than once. With the help of my teacher I developed my first application HP Harry Potter quiz and was able to launch it on Google Play. In this way I got interested in coding and developing applications. I often download and visit free coding applications like Python, JavaScript, Thunkable, and code.org .

Youtube is my online entertainer as well as my anytime tutor.

Whenever I have doubts related to writing code I get it resolved by watching youtube videos.”

45 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

IN THE NEWS

Riding the Korean wave in Bahrain Korea’s Ambassador to Bahrain, Ambassador Chung, Hae Kwan brings youthful energy and insights to helping people in the Kingdom understand his country better.

IN CONVERSATION WITH MEERA RAVI

I

n recent months, there has been a flurry of keen interest in Bahrain in everything Korean. The attention that this ancient yet dazzlingly modern country is getting is due in no small measure to the enthusiastic efforts of the youthful and energetic Korean Ambassador to Bahrain, Ambassador Chung, Hae Kwan who, undeterred by the brakes on socializing that the pandemic put upon us, has been finding ways to take the wonders of Korean culture to the Bahrain public.

In a detailed interview for Salaam Bahrain’s first Korean special feature, Ambassador Chung, Hae Kwan talks about his vision for Bahrain-Korean relations and strengthening ties through Korean ‘soft power’.

Your Excellency, Korea-Bahrain diplomatic ties go back a long way, since 1976, but have been growing in strength since 2012 when the embassy was first established – this was also the year when HRH the Crown Prince Prime Minister visited South Korea. How significant is Bahrain to Korea in the coming years?

AMBASSADOR CHUNG, HAE KWAN: Korean Bahraini relations are as strong as ever; historically, these ties proved to be the pedestal on which Korea connected to the region. Bahrain was the hub where the Koreans would arrive to make the next move to other regional countries. 2021 marked the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Bahrain.

46 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

IN THE NEWS

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, an average of 20,000 Koreas crossed Bahrain via all its ports annually.

About 800 Bahrainis visited Korea in 2019.

Although we are a small community living here, we have a strong business and commercial presence, thanks to the innovation and technological excellence that we in Korea have set global standards for. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1976, Korean businesses have contributed to the energy and infrastructure projects including Dry-dock(ASRY), National Museum and BAPCO expansion.

I believe the cooperation in this traditional areas will continue considering Bahrain’s ambitious plan to build metro railway, the second causeway projects and so on.

For example, Samsung engineering company working for Bapco Modernization Programme (BMP). In the sector of health, Korean Health and Insurance Institute (HIRA) has successfully collaborated with the Supreme Council of Health to develop I-SEHATI programme and network hospitals under the system. LG CNS has been working for Sijilat, an integrated commercial registration system with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism. Samsung Engineering has also built and operated Muharraq wastewater sewage facilities.

At the same time, both countries have similar policy directions to enhance digital and eco-friendly economies. In this context, I expect more interest from Korean businesses in the field of IT, Fintech, green technology as well as healthcare sector. I believe that more renowned Korean companies like Hyundai, SK are also looking for opportunities to make a new mark in Bahrain too.

We are proud that Korean technology also touches everyday lives through popular consumer products such as Samsung and LG

electronics and home appliances and that KIA and Hyundai are seen regularly on Bahrain’s roads.

cartoons and Korean drama for the Bahraini public through this broadcasting channel.

Korean culture with its films, TV shows, music and beauty products have become a rage across the world and Bahrain has no exception. In 2020, a 19-yearold Bahraini student, Zahra Jaffar Ali Mohammed Hussain Al Safi, won the Korean-language speech contest after beating 1,918 competitors worldwide.

This has been made possible due to the efforts of the embassy.

Can you talk us through some of the activities that the embassy has initiated to facilitate this cultural exchange.

2021 was significant too with high level visits including that from the Bahrain Parliamentary delegation visiting Korea. Are there other similar visits being planned for 2022?

AMBASSADOR CHUNG, HAE KWAN: We are well aware of culture being the new language spoken among nations. The rise of the Korean Wave as we call it, is a key reason for this.

In this context, the Embassy has been actively cooperating with a number of Bahrain’s top educational institutions to provide Korean language courses, free education if I may say, for the public and university students.

Moreover, the Embassy is closely cooperating with the Bahrain national television, the international channel. So far, we’ve managed to provide a number of documentaries (IT and technology revolution),

AMBASSADOR CHUNG, HAE KWAN: Since I came here, I am glad to have facilitated high level visits including the visit of Korean Foreign Minister in December 2020 to attend the Manama Dialogue and also the reciprocal visits of the Speaker of the Parliament from both countries in February 2021.

In August 2021, Council of Representatives speaker Fawzia Zainal and South Korean National Assembly speaker Park Byeong Seug signed a MoU to deepen coordination, parliamentary cooperation in Seoul.

As for the year 2022, I can see that windows of opportunities are wide open for high level visits, ministerial and higher and I will exert all efforts to make sure that this year marks yet another year of exchanges that strengthen relations and partnerships.

The Embassy organised many events to highlight the cultural heritage and contemporary arts scene of Korea. How well were these events received?

The Ambassador addresses Korean movie fans at the 2021 cinema fest 47 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

IN THE NEWS to-make jjajangmyeon and tteokbokki. How important is culinary culture in understanding a country?

The Ambassador and guests at the 2021 Korean movie fest

AMBASSADOR CHUNG, HAE KWAN: We received great reviews and attendance of the people in the events hosted by the Embassy.

At the embassy we try to keep in mind the burst of interest in Korean drama, pop culture, food and heritage and build on that cultural curiosity. In 2021, all the events have recorded almost full houses in capacity of audience in the film festival, DASRUM, the musical performance and the Taekwondo (KUKKIWON) Demonstration.

The trust the people put in the Embassy’s organization only motivates us to challenge the situation – wisely – to come up with different ways to replenish the interest and love of the people. We have maintained our traditions even during the peak of the pandemic.

For instance, in 2020, the Embassy organized the 8th edition of the film festival in the STC Cinema drivethru. A very good presence of cars

was witnessed with what could be assesses with almost 700 people attending the three film screenings.

In 2022, we expect to have the annual film festival, a music or dance performance, Taekwondo competition, and whatever the opportunities serve us.

According to the surveys that the Embassy conducts towards the end of each event, over 90% of the audience have given positive reaction, expressing satisfaction of the overall organization, content of the event as well as conveying interest in attending similar events in the future.

You have done a lot to promote Korean cuisine beyond kimchi.

Do you see Korean food becoming more popular in Bahrain? After all, there are more ramen packs available in supermarkets along with ready-

The Ambassador and guests at the 2021 Korean movie fest 48 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

AMBASSADOR CHUNG, HAE KWAN: Yes, to paraphrase Napoleon, the task of understanding another country begins with the food! I can easily see Korean food becoming one of the most liked and appreciated Asian cuisines and I am sure this will lead to a better understanding of Korean values and culture. Food is a vital aspect of any civilization as any other trait or characteristic. It is not only something to eat and nourish the body; it reflects heritage, history and significance. In Korea for example, there are dishes only being made in certain occasions, like seaweed soup for birthdays and Tteok, or rice cake, distributed in the season of Choseok or the Korean Thanksgiving. All in all, culinary is one of the key areas which enable us to understand each other, the people and appreciate each other’s life style and culture.

Bahrain has a very robust culinary culture and Bahrainis are open to experimenting with and welcoming new food tastes. We have witnessed enthusiastic responses towards Korean food at the annual food promotion show including Korean street food festival at Lulu Hypermarket last year.

Your Excellency, in your work as a diplomat representing South Korea, have you seen any positive impact of the current interest in Korean serials, cinema and pop music? The recognition and fondness – have they made your work of furthering South Korean interests easier?

AMBASSADOR CHUNG, HAE KWAN: Absolutely. Whenever I meet Bahraini government officials and business people on various occasions, I am pleasantly find out that some of their families or friends enjoy Korean food, drama and music. These are very solid grounds to develop friendships and find the grounds to conduct fruitful conversations on all levels.

IN THE NEWS At the same time, promoting the Korean cultural impact is a part of my mission too because it serves for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship of the people between the two countries.

2020 and 2021 has been a difficult year for tourism, what has been the impact on the tourists visiting Korea from Bahrain.

AMBASSADOR CHUNG, HAE KWAN: As you’ve said, the past couple of years hit the hardest on the world in general. Koreans, as many other nationalities – Bahraini included - are remaining careful, not only about destinations but also about the general situation itself. Hopefully, the year 2022 brings more traffic between the two countries with the numbers and the variations of the cases ebb tremendously.

I understand that the Embassy encourages the study of Korean language and also an immersive experience of Korean culture through scholarships for study of the language either here in Bahrain or Korea. Give us more details and also of any other scholarships.

AMBASSADOR CHUNG, HAE KWAN: Annually, the Embassy promotes the Korean government scholarship program, Global Korea Scholarship, for the Bahraini nationals for postgraduate studies.

Besides offering the opportunity to pursue higher education, this program enables students, especially

Making music together - the Korean group with their Bahraini music collaborator

who have great interest in the Korean culture, to fully immerse in the Korean culture.

edly the openness, tolerance and resilience values of the Middle East.

I am actively encouraging more educating opportunities and looking into all possible passages that would lead us to platforms desired in the advancement of education cooperation between the two countries.

As for the people, it is not foreign to anyone in the level of friendliness and kindness shown by the society.

It is really a great honor and prestige for me to come here and perform diplomacy with the government as well as the people.

Your Excellency, can we get a little personal? Please tell us about your interests and what your thoughts are on Bahrain and its people.

About your family – we understand that your wife is a very good traditional Korean cook.

What are your favorite foods as a family?

AMBASSADOR CHUNG, HAE KWAN: As the Korean Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, my focus is always deepening and expanding relationships between our two countries towards mutually beneficial ways. I really do enjoy Bahrain, and consider myself lucky for ending up in here. Bahrain is a hospitable country that represents wholeheart-

AMBASSADOR CHUNG, HAE KWAN: I have to agree to this; it does contribute to the peace of my family. my favorite food is Kimchi and Bibimbap as well as traditional Korean barbeque. My daughters enjoy greatly Korean street vendor food and are big fans of tteokbokki and ramen, which I do enjoy occasionally.e

Enthralling taekwondo demo from Korea The 2021 Korean Ambassador Taekwondo Cup saw enthusiasts of the Korean martial art gather to watch the famous KUKKIWON Demonstration Team go through their amazing paces. Korea celebrates Taekwondo as a national martial arts sport for thousands of years. It has been listed as an official sport in the Olympics since 2000, and is set to be listed officially as part of the Hangzhou Paralympics games as of 2022.

The event was attended by His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS), President of General Sports Authority (GSA) and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) and the Korean Ambassador Chung, Hae Kwan.

The 3rd edition of the Ambassador’s Cup competition saw an increased number of participants from different taekwondo schools in Bahrain taking part.

49 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

driver’s seat

KIA DELIVERS THE RIGHT MIX OF FORCE AND FINESSE WITH THE KIA TELLURIDE 2022

50 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

driver’s seat Our guest car reviewer is a stylish driver who keeps her cool but gets her way on the road.

We got NISHA SHARMA KOTWANI to review the all-new KIA TELLURIDE 2022 for us.

Driving is something I truly enjoy and I can never say never to a drive. And it is a different pleasure altogether especially while driving on Bahrain roads, in a sweet SUV like the KIA Telluride 2022.

A test drive of this sturdy but handsome-looking SUV was on the cards and I believe that the 2022 KIA Telluride is a great option in the three-row midsize SUV segment and has turned out to be another big hit for KIA. What’s to like about this rugged urban SUV? Let me tick the boxes: GOOD LOOKS: The first look at KIA Telluride 2022 MY, I felt it looked tough and robust, yet stylish, both from outside and inside, making it more thrilling to test drive. The SUV model has a familiar look and felt like a blend of existing models, but it sure seems to hold the onlooker’s gaze with its impressiveness.

The modern looks of the KIA Telluride 2022 MY is the result of the stylish LED headlights, it’s bodyline that is well

contoured and looks strong, sturdy yet smooth and is topped by smart chrome trimmings all around.

From inside, the KIA Telluride 2022 MY is excellent in terms of the living space luxury which feels lively and attractive. It is spacious and comfortable with ample legroom for the whole family with three-row seating. In the electronics goodies and the modern technology, what remove which appealed to me the most was the high-definition touch-infotainment screen, a digital MID in the gauge cluster, Harman Kardon sound system, sunroof and moonroof that has a sliding front section, ambient LED lighting etc., making it look more premium.

THE DRIVE: The lane sensing indicators gives a live feed of the blind spots and the on-road live visuals while changing lanes. The excellent head-up display on the front windshield shows the vehicle speed and road speed-limits, driving and safety alerts, and navigation cues which is a visual treat while driving, making the on-road experience safer. The smoothness of the steering and the wheels as well made it feel one is almost gliding on the road.

The power rear-liftgate has easy access to convert itself to a big cargo space with the seats folding flat with the pull of a lever and turn back to a seat with the press of a small knob. The Smart Key allows to start the car from the push of a button on the key of the locked car from outside. The acceleration on start is farfetched.

When it comes to cars, a new SUV is always a welcome addition, especially in this part of the world which seems like an SUVadoring civilization, the KIA Telluride 2022 MY does more than justice with wireless phone charging, “Driver Talk” mode, electronic parking brake with auto hold, varied adaptive drive modes, ventilated and heated seats and big alloy wheels that gives it a good height on the road.

To conclude decorously, the KIA Telluride 2022 MY is smooth, easy-to-ride with just the right mix of force and finesse befitting the saying that roads were made for journeys, not destinations. stylish nd more For this a ons, p o obile ti KIA autom KIA Motors the check out mis. m in Kha o ro w o Sh

51 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

korea special

HEALING THE STRESS – KOREAN CAFES FOR CALMING THE SOUL A country that was once called the “ppali ppali” - or quickly, quickly – nation, rushing towards prosperity and development, is today taking its pauses seriously.

BY MEERA RAVI

and fast-paced society with soaring real estate prices and often-gruelling work schedules.

Art of zoning out

Healing forest

H

aving hit the fast-forward button on development, South Korea has gained economic prosperity, technological excellence and valuable democracy in a short span of about fifty years. But today, Koreans want to relax. According to statistics published in 2018, Koreans are one of the most sleep deprived people in the world despite clocking at least 6 hours per day. They complain of poor quality sleep aggravated by overwork - an average person in South Korea tends to work up to 55 hours per week, what makes them one of the busiest nations in the world.

Even for those who have time to sleep at night, quality is another matter. Between all the electronic gadgets, caffeine consumption — Reuters reported last

year that Seoul has more coffee shops per capita than Seattle or San Francisco — and stress, insomnia reportedly affects four million people, or about 12 percent of the adult population.

Leisure is in, speed is out. Some Koreans reportedly shun promotion at work because they would rather keep their job for as long as possible than burn out earlier in their careers. As they enter the post-pandemic phase when the virus creeps up as different variants, some are easing back into social life by visiting public spaces where they can be alone and do very little. Nothing is the new something in South Korea as people desperately seek refuge from the pressures of living as functioning adults in a global pandemic in a high-stress 52 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

And this has set off a new trend sweeping the country - to cultivate that art of ‘mung’. This is Korean slang for zoning out and true to their nature, the nation has taken to ‘mung’ with perfectionist zeal. “Hitting mung,” is a slang phrase to describe a state of being totally zoned out. You can indulge yourself by escaping into green spaces to get a spot of ‘forest mung’ and ‘foliage mung,’ meaning spacing out while looking at trees or foliage; There’s ‘fire mung,’ or spacing out while watching logs burn, and ‘water mung,’ being meditative near bodies of water.

In fact, even though ‘mung’ is supposed to promote a state of meditative calm, the South Korean competitive spirit is not too far below the surface – already, ‘Space Out’ competitions are being held where competitors seek to achieve the lowest heart rate possible while sitting in a “healing forest” in the scenic southern island of Jeju.

Tech mung And given the South Korean love for technology, there have been many attempts to promote ‘tech mung’ – recently, theatres throughout the country premiered a movie simulating a 40-minute plane ride above and through clouds. Viewers bought tickets for just under $6, only to sit in a movie

city culture

Green Lab inside

where the plot simply drifted them through clouds, true to the tagline which announced: “Take a brief rest through the fluffy clouds.”

It’s a sequel to “Fire Mung”, a movie released in the spring of 2021 which simply showed 31 minutes of footage of a burning campfire into which viewers stared and zoned out.

However, not everything is about technology and competitions. With their sense of aesthetics, Koreans have started patronising ‘healing cafes’ where they are served up a dose of peace and calm along with a caffeine fix. Urban healing spaces are turning selfcare into the newest daily indulgence. There is a growing “fast healing” cultural movement in South Korea, “where people look for a quick remedy for relaxation the same way they consume fast foods,” says the Korea Times. This has led to a rise in healing cafés, where visitors can recharge and relax.

At a Seoul urban park named Seoul Forest, for example, is a tea shop that barely seats 10. Here, you can’t talk.

Your phone must be on silent. No shoes allowed.

The rules have one aim. Relax. Just space out.

In Seoul’s Gangnam district, Shim Story provides a new kind of social venue with massage chairs, heated beds and video games to help visitors to unwind and decompress. Soothing music and scent

diffusers create a calming environment in one of the busiest districts in Seoul.

“There is no place in Korea to stretch one’s legs before returning home, so I decided to open a relaxing lounge that is as comfortable as home,” Shim Story founder Jung Oon-mo explains, “Nowadays, city life is causing high competition and life patterns are changing to reduce sleeping time, so most people are stressed and tired.

Coffee shops don’t allow people to rest, so lounges can help them spend time well while away from home through four different themes: sleeping, relaxing, massage and talking.”

On Ganghwa Island, off South Korea’s west coast, a cafe named Mung Hit also offers no-activity relaxation areas.

In one section is a single chair facing a mirror for anyone who wants to sit and stare. There are nooks for meditating, reading, sitting by a pond or the garden, or enjoying mountain views. No pets or children are allowed.

The cafe opened in April 2019 with the goal of providing a “self-healing space,” and it drew many visitors once the pandemic hit, said Ji Ok-jung, the manager.

Calming the soul ‘Hitting mung’ is a concept of emptying your heart and your brain so that you can fill them with new ideas and thoughts. We opened because we 53 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

wanted to create a space for people to do just that,” Ji said.

Mr Healing, another lounge chain, also offers massage chairs where visitors can wear eye masks and relax as lavender, rosemary and peppermint aromas fill the room. Mr Healing has 60 branches across South Korea, according to the Korea Times.

Cafes like Green Lab, the shop near Seoul Forest, have been featured in local media reports and have enjoyed a steady stream of visitors throughout the pandemic by offering spaces to heal and ‘hit mung.’ Customers receive tea, baskets of flowers and stationery for their relaxation sessions at Green Lab in Seoul. Over tea, customers can read, write poetry, meditate or simply stare out at the trees.

Green Lab opened just before the pandemic with a concept called “ritual,” an emerging trend that encourages a daily practice of self-care. Until recent months, customers were unaccustomed to the idea of visiting a shop just to enjoy their own company. But nowadays, the three time slots offered every day are snatched up quickly, with little room for walk-in customers.

Beauty industry executive David Taehyon said he had been looking for ways to find peace as he hustles in an intensely competitive business world.

He wanted to find a place that would require him to do nothing — and ended up at Green Lab. “I wanted to be able to press the stop button and simply step off the wheel but I felt like I constantly had to do something,” he said, “In this space, the rule is that I must do nothing. It made space in my brain. I even read a book, enjoyed the smell of diffusers, looked at flowers, wrote poetry. I started getting new ideas, one by one, and I felt so refreshed.”

Ahn Areum, a working woman articulated the feelings of females everywhere when she called these destressing spaces a place to focus on herself and cope with her pandemic anxieties and daily stresses.

“I’ve been so tired, and I don’t even have time to space out. After work, I go home, and I have to do housework, and then I barely have 30 minutes to an hour before I need to sleep. I spend that time on my phone,” said Ahn, 32, “So with a space like this, I can actually focus on taking a break.”

city culture

Luxe de-stress Some places offer semi-private rooms equipped with mattresses or reclining massage chairs. Others come with only hammocks hung closely together in a large hall. In any case, the point is to lie down and catch up on much needed snooze.

The art of hitting mung has also led to a luxury mass-market service – a classic Korean oxymoron. The First Class café chain offers an opportunity to unwind, pampering shoppers as if they were in a luxury airplane cabin. First Class’s service menu includes massages, eye masks, waffles, and complimentary beverages, as well as semi-private cabins where guests can rest. With kiosks in malls across South Korea, the chain is transforming the healing café format into a mass-market service.

Importantly, by offering public spaces where tranquillity can be found, the healing cafes are making mental wellbeing more accessible.

Such spaces and experiences are not quite a mainstream phenomenon, but researchers say they tapped into the growing feelings of being trapped and lonely in Year 2 of pandemic life.

shim story

Yoon Duk-hwan, a consumer trends researcher and co-author of the annual book “Trend Monitor,” said he expects the relaxation escape to become a trend as the public grapples with the endemic phase of the pandemic.

“It’s difficult to cope with feeling both trapped and lonely at the same time,” Yoon said. “They want the space where they’re alone to be somewhere else other than their home. … Until the pandemic situation is dramatically improved, we expect this trend to continue.”e

Two Korean villages named Best Tourism Villages

World Tourism Organisation announces inaugural list

T

wo Korean villages - Purple Island in South Jeolla’s Sinan County and Ungok Village in North Jeolla’s Gochang County - have been named on the list of Best Tourism Villages by the World Tourism Organisation under the United Nations on Thursday.

Sinan County intentionally painted the villages on two of its islands — Banwol and Bakji — purple in a bid to attract more visitors. Almost everything from the walls and roofs of buildings to the outdoor benches and bridges are all purple, and flowers planted in gardens and alongside the roads are also the same color. There is a 5,000 won ($4.20) charge to enter the island, but that fee is waived if you wear purple clothes, shoes, or hats or carry a purple

umbrella. Purple scarves, bags, socks and handkerchief don’t count!

Ungok Village is known for its damp and dolmens. The international organization recognized locals' efforts to live more sustainably, such as running an eco tour and offering meals made with local ingredients.

This year's inaugural list included 44 villages from 32 countries. It was launched to advance the role of tourism in safeguarding rural villages, along with their landscapes, natural and cultural diversity, and their local values and activities, including local gastronomy.

Each country was able to enter up to three villages with populations of fewer than 15,000 from June to September, 54 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

The Purple Island in South Jeolla's Sinan County [KOREA TOURISM ORGANISATION]

for consideration. A total of 174 villages from 75 countries competed. e

KDrama

“Great stories will cement South Korean content’s global popularity” — Gong Yoo, Star of Korean sci-fi thriller The Silent Sea

BY PARO FADNAVIS

A still from ‘The Silent Sea’ | Photo Credit: Netflix

H

e is a bit of a Luddite – a superstar who made his social media debut on Instagram only in December 2021; it marked his 20 years in showbiz and gained a million followers within just a few hours of his first uncaptioned post of a squid! That’s right – Gong Yoo played a cameo in the viral show Squid Game and has been trending ever since.

Right now, Gong Yoo is starring alongside Bae Doona and Lee Joon (My Father is Strange) in ‘The Silent Sea’ and fans are hoarse with anticipation. He

plays Captain Han Yoon Jae, leading the space mission in Netflix sci-fi drama series.

“I tend to be drawn to original and new productions,” he admitted, “The Silent Sea fell into that category and it’s also a genre that we haven’t explored much in Korea, or Asia, and that was the challenge that stood out for me,” he admits. “I have for long been drawn to dystopian stories and this was one such.”

55 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Adapted by director Choi Hang-Yong from his 2014 short film, The Sea of Tranquility, the show is set in a neardistant dystopian future. As the Earth’s water reserves dry up, a specialist team embarks on a dangerous mission to the Moon to retrieve samples from the Balhae Base station for the survival of humanity.

Reluctant celebrity A household name, the 42-year-old is, by his own admission, a ‘reluctant

KDrama

celebrity’. He “I am extremely grateful for all the attention and anticipation for my work, but I will admit that sometimes it does put pressure on me,” he begins. “Honestly speaking, I tend to be someone who follows my own heart and is drawn to and chooses productions that resonate with me.”

From his breakout role in the 2007 gender-bender drama, The Coffee Prince, to playing the immortal Goblin, in 2016’s most popular series The Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Gong Yoo is known to be cautious with scripts and projects. He also played an activist in the crime thriller The Silenced (2011) and a father trying to save his daughter and others in the zombie apocalyptic, Train To Busan (2016).

Although their personalities and ideologies clash in the thriller as they find themselves in space, both Bae Doona and Gong Yoo share an easy camaraderie off-screen. Bae Doona plays astrobiologist Song Ji An in the film. While she is no stranger to the world of sci-fi — she has headlined Wachowski projects such as Sense8, Jupiter Ascending and Cloud Atlas — the actor admits that she isn’t an expert in the genre. “Oddly, during the first decade since my debut, before Cloud Atlas, I was far from being a sci-fi expert; I was what you call a realism expert,” she laughs. The actor had credited director Bong Joon-ho with whom she did two projects, Barking Dogs Never Bite ( 2000) and The Host (2006), for encouraging her to her pursue acting.

There is a sense of pride as they applaud the global popularity and mainstreaming of Korean content as it breaks international viewing records.

Would this translate as more Asian representation with an impact on the stories being told? Gong Yoo gives the answer some thought. “It is important to remember that there can be a bubble.

In order that it is not temporary and a one-time wonder, but something that can be sustained, we must continue to create great stories from Korea. It’s a great time to be an actor.”

Global accolades Bae Doona agrees. “I am the happiest when I am part of a Korean production.

But when shows like Kingdom, Squid Game, Hellbound, which I didn’t even

Behind the scenes of ‘The Silent Sea’ | Photo Credit: Netflix

Gong Yoo in a still from the series | Photo Credit: Netflix

act in, do well, that brings me immense joy. I am proud of the recognition given to my favourite actor Youn Yuh-jung [who won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in Minari this year].

It could well be a trend but even then, the fact is that Korea is a very small country and this is an inspiring time for us actors.”

Incidentally, at the virtual press conference, we learned that there was 56 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

much song and dance on the sets of The Silent Sea. Singer and actor Lee Joon who plays Capt Ryu shared how they used to unwind after being suspended from cable wires, wearing heavy spacesuits and backpacks and the intense shooting. “It was almost like we were in a Bollywood movie. Unfortunately, we don’t show off any of our moves in the series. But when the cameras were not rolling, we just danced.”e

KOREAN FOOD

CLIMBING ONTO THE K-FOOD WAGON There is a whole ancient philosophy of wellness and unity underpinning Korean cuisine. And it’s trending!

BY MEERA RAVI

S

urprise! Korean food, which we only thought of in terms of ramen and kimchi, has a growing fan following in Bahrain. Proof of that is the increasing number of Korean restaurants in the Kingdom and the instant editions of Korean staples in supermarkets.

I was surprised to see not just instant ramen in my local small supermarket but also boxes of instant jajanmyeon with sauce sachets and ready-to-cook noodles. And in the deli section of a popular hypermarket, nestling among the pickled olives and feta cheese salad, lo and behold - a fiery pot of kimchi!

It is not as if the Korean community is very large in Bahrain or that the cuisine is ubiquitous like Indian, Italian or Thai food. But increasingly, Korean cuisine has become trendy and Bahrain of course, is always pretty clued-in on world food trends!

"Korean food and flavors has gained popularity due to a growing interest in Korean pop culture among Bahrain foodies,” said Michelle Ong, the partner of popular Korean fried chicken chain, Bonchon, “Foodies are also seeking exciting new culinary experiences and on-trend flavors. Korean dishes have become popular especially among younger consumers, as they enjoy the delicious combination of flavors—spicy paired with sweet and savory, etc.”

New taste adventures I remember the oldest Korean restaurant Arirang in Hoora from the late ‘eighties when some project work brought many Korean businessmen to the island.

Today, this place is joined by others like the stylish Seoul restaurant in Block 338, the youthful Bonchon chicken chain in

A rich coastal belt means ample seafood variety for the Korean diet.

Gudaibiya, Koolees and Da Rae Rang in Juffair and Adliya and Han Kook Kwan, a full-fledged restaurant in the Grand Safir…the list is growing. There are also many restaurants that combine Japanese and Vietnamese food with Korean. In stylish pan-Asian restaurants, you might see words like gochujang and bibimbap on the menu more often than before.

But just a few years ago, Korean culture — and cuisine — weren’t quite so mainstream. Slowly, that began to 57 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

change. First came Bonchon, the Korean fried chicken chain. On the music charts, K-pop and a catchy song called “Gangnam Style”— a rap about satirised life in a hip South Korean neighborhood — was everywhere. Today, thanks to the pervasiveness of K-drama, food names such as “bulgogi” (thin marinated slices of meat), Mandu (dumplings) bibimbap (mixed rice bowls), jjanmyeon (noodles with bean sauce and meat or veggies) and the most popular Korean-style

KOREAN FOOD

This chunky one-pot meal us called "Army Stew"

BBQ, where guests grill well-marinated meat on mini charcoal grills embedded in the centre of the table, are bandied around knowledgeably.

Unlike Indian, Italian, Thai or Chinese restaurant food, which served many communities, Korean eateries usually attracted mainly Koreans who missed home flavors – until recently. Thus Korean food has been less vulnerable to the “internationalisation” propelling the popularity of sushi and chains like Panda Express or the ”makhan-isation” of Indian curries abroad.

But slowly, more chefs discovered the joy of Korean flavors and started incorporating elements into their menus. As Korean barbecue restaurants became hip, Korean food’s complex, full-bodied condiments and bold flavors became a favourite.

But Korean food culture comprises more than just delicious flavors — it’s about the experience and meaningful customs behind it. Tradition calls for time and loving attention to go into the preparation of every ingredient, a philosophy that’s mirrored in the practice of connecting with the people gathered around the table.

numerous shared side dishes selected to complement each other. The number of side dishes may vary from two to a dozen or more but everyday meals will include at least a few. All dishes are served at once to share, rather than in courses. A Korean banquet consists of many dishes cooked in various ways, including being steamed and simmered, pan-fried and stewed, fermented and raw.

Another cornerstone of Korean food is rice, which forms the backbone of almost every meal, although it is sometimes replaced with noodles. Because Korea is a peninsula, seafood is also very popular.

The Koreans have perfected the art of preserving food, so many side dishes are picked, fermented or salted and many are spicy. Kimchi, Korea’s famous spicy cabbage, which has over a hundred varieties using different vegetables, is a constant of every meal. It is adored for its sour, tangy crunch as well as being a digestive aid.

Other popular spices and sauces include: sesame and sesame oil, chilli pepper paste (kochujang), soybean paste (daenjang), garlic, ginger and chilli pepper flakes. Korean food tends to be intensely flavoured, spicy and pungent.

Three principles of Korean cuisine The first principle, nature and time, is central to Korean cooking, says Soyoung Paik, the chief marketing officer at CJ Foods, one of the largest manufacturers of Korean food products worldwide and makers of Bibigo, Korea’s number one brand of Mandu (dumplings).

Complex history Much of the food that exists in Korea today and the customs surrounding it have come from royal cuisine and the complex customs of the ancient court.

The food is a study in balance with careful consideration given to temperature, spiciness, colour and texture along with considered presentation.

Starting with ritual bowls of rice and soup, the main meal is built around

A Korean street food stall 58 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Bibimbap - the name itself is cheery!

Korean food is seasonally driven, centered on vegetables but also featuring seafood and meat. Traditional Korean cooking employs ancient ways to preserve ingredients for year-round enjoyment. Fermented products, like kimchi and jangs, are foundational in the winter. Bold condiments not only characterise the assertive flavors of Korean cuisine; they also provide essential nutrients and are beneficial for digestive health.

Second, a keen belief of Korean cuisine is “yak sik dong won,” which literally means “food is medicine.” In other words, health begins with what you eat. Kimchi, for example, not only contains healthy fibre and probiotics, but has been shown in scientific studies to help support a flourishing gut biome and immune system. In addition, Korean cuisine’s abundance of hearthealthy seafood and a robust spectrum of vegetables and herbs like ginseng contribute to a balanced, nutritious diet.

Koreans also place great importance on the role of = “special medicinal ingredients”, using exotic ingredients such as dried persimmon, red dates

KOREAN FOOD (jujube), pine seeds, chestnut, gingko, tangerine and ginseng in their cooking and also in specially brewed teas.

Thirdly, Korean food is infused with the concept of balance. While much of Korean cooking is famous for its heat, other staples like aromatic broths, rice, and the delicate doughy skins of Mandu are more nuanced and mild.

Signature dishes like bibimbap balance carbohydrates, fibre, and protein in one satisfying serving.

A balanced feast fosters the Korean concept of bapsang, which means a table set up for shared enjoyment — the foundation for every good meal.

These tenets of Korean cuisine can apply to more than just food itself — they can help provide a philosophical blueprint. In times of stress, reconnecting with both our bodies and the world around us, as well as nourishing ourselves with nutritious food, is of immense importance.

Finally, Korean food is as much about presentation as it is about taste. Wellcrafted food does more than just nurture our bodies — it gives us a reason to come together to connect with those we love. The Korean food principles of nature, balance and nourishment are perfect for this moment, helping us reprioritise mealtime as not just an opportunity to refuel, but a way to reconnect and refresh. e

All the drama over food Want to understand Korean food better? Check out these interesting Korean serials on streaming platforms (mainly Netflix) – they’re luscious, they have a crunchy storyline and the food presentation in their scenes is mouth-watering!

IMMORTAL CLASSIC: A series about two families warring over their secret kimchi recipes and the right to own a historic recipe collection.

WOK OF LOVE: Our hero is a star Chinese chef out to avenge himself against his former hotelier boss and wife who cheated on him. He opens a Chinese restaurant opposite the hotel and trains a rag-tag group of former loan sharks and mobsters into becoming winning restaranteurs.

CHOCOLATE: A young boy whose dream of becoming a chef is thwarted by family politics – he becomes a celebrated neurosurgeon instead – and a talented chocolatier and pastry chef trace their shared history together. Lots of yummy food scenes.

OH MY GHOST: A shy rookie chef gets possessed by a lustful spirit and chases the reluctant hero, a celebrity chef.

Lots of laughs along the way.

PASTA: A decidedly misogynistic chef takes over a famous Seoul Italian restaurant, throwing our heroine’s bid to rise through the ranks into disarray with his ‘No Women or Romance in the Kitchen’ rule - until they fall in love. Watch it to see how the story captures the rhythm of a top-tier restaurant kitchen – fabulously done!

Bonchon means “My Hometown” in Korean and our mission is to spread the Joy of HAND-BATTERED, CRAZY CRISPY Korean Fried Chicken.

Enjoy a truly authentic, yet healthy Korean dining experience at Bonchon – using fresh chicken and quality ingredients to give you the best tasting comfort food.

Because it's not just chicken, it's bonchon

Handcrafted Taste & Flavor.

Bonchon Gudaibiya, 226 Palace Avenue Call or whatsapp 17334433 bonchon_bh

59 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

KOREAN FOOD

“KOREAN CUISINE IS CLASSIC ‘SLOW FOOD’” Young Suk Lim

Y

oung Suk Lim, wife of the Korean Ambassador to Bahrain is reputedly an accomplished cook and says she learnt the best of traditional Korean cooking from her mother and her mother-in-law.

“I first learnt Korean food preparations from my mother. Later, my mother-inlaw taught me distinctive food of other regions in Korea. I also Iearned cooking through TV cooking programmes, cookbooks and friends’ recipes,” she says.

In her opinion, Korean food is classic ‘slow food’ and despite the ramen effect, it cannot be speeded up. “It requires much time and effort,” she says, “However, these days, food companies such as Bibigo and Pulmuone make and sell healthy Korean food that the busy modern people can conveniently make and taste at home.”

Her favourite Korean food item is Bibimbap which she describes as “… a

perfectly well balanced single dish made with rice, various vegetables, beef, eggs, sesame oil, and gochujang (chilli paste).”

She explains, “Bibim means communicating with each other, sharing good things, filling up what is lacking, and blending into one. The colours and tastes of the various bibimbap ingredients go well together to satisfy the five senses of the person who eats it and maintains health by balancing it nutritionally.”

Many Korean fermented foods (soy sauce, soybean paste, red chili paste, and other sauces; salted seafood; and kimchi) are already well-known worldwide. To describe the taste of a dish, she says, Koreans often use the expression "deep taste," which expresses a savory flavour that results from a long period of fermentation and maturation. The family’s favourite food treat is Galbi-jjim, which is braised short ribs – the beef ribs are steamed in soy

60 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

sauce with radishes, carrots, chestnuts and jujube. It is a signature dish served to welcome guests and for the Korean New Year. Here is her take on this flavoursome dish:

YOUNG SUK LIM’S

KOREAN FOOD

GALBI JJIM

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

kg beef short ribs with bones (5cm long) cups water cups beef broth white carrot shiitake mushrooms chestnuts jujubes

Seasoning for beef

Ingredients

1 5 2 250g 100g 6 5 3

Preparation

(Braised short ribs cooked with vegetables, jujubes, chestnut and mushrooms)

4 tablespoon soy sauce 4 tablespoon pear juice (or 4 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon sugar) 2 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoon minced green onion 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, crushed Pinch of ground black pepper

Cut the white radish and carrot into 4 cm cubes, and round the edges.

Soak the shiitake mushrooms in water and strain. Once soaked, remove the stems.

Peel the chestnuts and remove the seed from jujubes.

Combine all the ingredients of the marinade for beef Place the ribs in a pot and cover with cold water to remove any blood from the ribs. Drain the ribs in a colander and discard the water.

Pour 5 cups of water into a pot and bring to a boil. When it boils, add the ribs and cook for 30 minutes. Skim off foam several times.

Remove the ribs to a platter and set aside until they’re cool enough to handle. Keep the broth in the pot.

Remove the extra fat and score diagonally at 3 cm intervals.

Let the broth cool and skim off the fat.

In a medium saucepan, pour the water and bring to a boil. Add the white radish and carrots and parboil for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a pot, place the prepared short ribs and pour part 2/3rds of the marinade and mix well.

Add the 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil for about 40 minutes over medium heat till the ribs become tender, add the parboiled white radish, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts, jujubes and the rest of marinade.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for an additional 15 minutes. the ribs and vegetables in a serving bowl.

61 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

fashion

RE-INVENTING THE HANBOK The Hanbok is a traditional dress worn by Korean men and women since the 18 BCE – today designers are changing its style to suit modern tastes

62 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Hanbok

The Hallyu Wave as the new interest in Korean pop culture is called, has sparked a craze for all thinks Korean. And gaining lost ground with it is the Hanbok, traditional dress of the Koreans, which has re-captured its spotlight. From fans of K-Pop artists who try to imitate their idols wearing this flowing dress to tourists who rent Hanboks for their Instagram clicks and fashion designers who are re-inventing the garment, the Hanbok is making waves.

As the modern Hanbok begins to gain traction, it has now become much easier to integrate this style into your special wardrobe collection thanks to the various stores which are now adding them to their fashion line.

FASHION REVIVAL The traditional Hanbok had gone out of fashion but modern Hanboks have updated the style without losing the grace of the garment. Hanbok for women is generally divided into two pieces, the long-sleeved top (jeogori), and voluminous floor-length skirt (chima).

With the dawn of the 19th century, Hanboks were largely replaced by Western casualwear which was evidently more comfortable, efficient and more ‘in-trend’. However, this outfit is treasured by Koreans to this day as an integral part of their heritage, and is still worn with a great deal of pride and joy during all kinds of important functions and celebrations.

While traditional Hanboks were simple due to their daily wear nature, they were also quite complex due to the many pretty-looking knots that one had to tie while wearing them in order to keep the outfit in place and still look elegant and presentable, which people of this day and age might not exactly find convenient. (Remember the heroine of the K-drama series ‘Live Up to Your Name’ about a time-travelling Joseon acupuncturist and a 21st century woman cardiac surgeon? When stranded in 19th century Joseon, the heroine needs help to wear her Hanbok) Modern Hanboks, however, bring fashion, convenience as well as tradition all onto one platter due to the way in which they have been designed. One can slide into these with ease, just as easily as we are used to sliding into a pair of jeans and a tee.

Seoul Fashion Week’s 2017 Autumn Winter collection can be considered a turning point for the integration of the style and essence of Hanboks into daily wear. The outfits showcased in the show were heavily inspired by the traditional style, but were cleverly integrated into western outfits so as to stamp the Korean trademark into them. These outfits can be considered the embodiment of modern Hanboks, and one can see Korea clad into these outfits in the coming years so as to make their traditional outfit a part of their daily lives as well.

Modern Hanboks integrate the features of Western casual wear into the functionality of the outfit, whilst retaining the traditional dress’ shapes and elements, such as the collars, the baggy pants, the floral embroidered as well

Seoul Fashion Week’s 2017 Autumn Winter collection can be considered a turning point for the integration of the style and essence of Hanboks into daily wear.

63 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

While traditional Hanboks were simple due to their daily wear nature, they were also quite complex due to the many pretty-looking knots that one had to tie while wearing them in order to keep the outfit in place and still look elegant and presentable, which people of this day and age might not exactly find convenient.

fashion The Hanbok Wave Digital Runway showcased a collection of various kinds of hanbok, ones that adhere to traditional standards and ones that can be worn in modern everyday life. Models of the runway show included A-Hyeon from Momoland, Jung Hyo-Min, ATEEZ, and Golden Child.

The show attempted to include various artists from different fields such as K-pop performers, traditional dance choreographers, taekwondo performers and even traditional artists, all of which collaborated to help design and promote hanbok.

as plane cotton brocade, as well as the styles of the jackets. These elements are played around with in order to produce aesthetically pleasing clothing which firmly holds onto its Korean roots. Oversized jackets which often reach down to your knees, shirts and trousers (or tent shaped skirts) constitute some of the key elements of this modernized version of the Hanbok.

More recently in December 2021, ten renowned fashion designers who specialize in hanbok design came together to promote hanbok by participating in the “Hanbok Wave” digital runway. Hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Hanbok Promotion Center of the Korea Craft and Design Culture Promotion Agency, and the Korea International Cultural Exchange Agency, the designers were able to showcase 60 different yet vibrant styles of hanbok during the exhibition.

The Hanbok Wave Digital Runway showcased a collection of various kinds of hanbok, ones that adhere to traditional standards and ones that can be worn in modern everyday life.

Models of the runway show included A-Hyeon from Momoland, Jung Hyo-Min, ATEEZ, and Golden Child. The show attempted to include various artists from different fields such as K-pop performers, traditional dance choreographers, taekwondo performers and even traditional artists, all of which collaborated to help design and promote hanbok.

64 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Hanbok

65 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

fashion

The 5-member boy group pulled off the local Hanbok look exceptionally well, replicating how the attire was worn by locals back in the day. Their outfits were mixed and matched to complement each other yet help each member stand out, but their stylist went for well-fitted, either the pastel or dark shaded colours of the jackets, loosefitted pants and shirts which was common back in the day for the townsfolk. Their sleeves and collars were puffy and white in colour to serve as a visual contrast, and the stylist finished their look off with belts which were of a contrasting colour, but still went along with the pastel tones.

V’s most popular drama appearance was in the 2016-2017 series Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, and the show’s most iconic feature, besides its famous and talented cast, was its beautiful and memorable costume design. Even to this day, looking at a Hanbok with a blue jacket, with a white shirt underneath, the image of Hwarang will pop up in any K-Drama fan’s head.

66 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Hanbok

Colour it right When wearing a Hanbok, keep the colour palette appropriate to the occasion. The colour red is considered highly auspicious in Korea and is believed to ward off spirits. Other such bright colours are suitable for festive occasions. Keep the colours muted when you are going for an everyday, effortless look. Light browns, blues and pastel pinks are the most common colours.

You should try to not go for an all-black or an all-white look, as these colours denote death.

Idols are often seen carrying a fan or tying a satchel onto their belts as it gives a true Korean essence to their looks, which is exactly what they’re going for. If you’re feeling a little fancy, don’t hesitate to pair your Hanbok with accessories like fans, satchels, earrings, jewelry and hair clips.

Three designers Korean fashion designer Hyunsook Park wants Hanbok fashions to break into mainstream couture, in both Korea and abroad. In 2014, along with the help of her sister Geumsook, she launched her first collection, titled GrangHanA. It took all of her savings and a grant she received from the Korean government to do it. Since then she’s opened up two retail locations in Seoul, in addition to her online shop, Granghana.com, and pieces sold on platforms like Etsy.

“If the Hanbok is not in everyday fashion, then it will disappear,” Park said, “I want to keep the Hanbok alive for future generations.”

Visitors to Seoul’s Insadong neighborhood, where the second shop opened in January, gush over Park’s designs. She said she’s had the best response from people outside of Korea too.

But in a conservative culture like South Korea, one that prizes tradition, not everyone is excited about someone redesigning a sacred garment that dates back centuries. Some critics say Hanbok designs should be left alone.

“The traditional fashion people say, you’re not making real Hanboks and you’re not making fashion either,” Park said. “But I say to them, if Hanboks are beautiful, why don’t you want anyone else to see it?

This is why I want to make the Hanbok wearable for everyday use, so it has life. I want to give it new life. It’s clothing and clothes are part of fashion. Foreigners already know about K-pop and Korean beauty products,” Park said. “Now they’ll know about Korean fashion as well.

Hanbok is part of the culture. Right now it’s called K-fashion, but one day it will just be called fashion. It’s already starting.”

Two other designers who are bringing the Hanbok into the future are Leesle Hwang of Leesle and Cho Young-ki of CheongUi MuBong To demonstrate the modern Hanbok’s adaptability, Leesle devised a campaign with her Gogori collection - a Goguryeo era -themed loungewear line presented in April 2021, showing people playing board 67 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

“The traditional fashion people say, you’re not making real Hanboks and you’re not making fashion either. But I say to them, if Hanboks are beautiful, why don’t you want anyone else to see it? This is why I want to make the Hanbok wearable for everyday use, so it has life. I want to give it new life.”

Hyunsook Park

fashion

Today, Leesle’s brand is established as one of Korea’s top three modern Hanbok brands. Leesle recently became the first Hanbok company to partner with the SPA brand SPAO.

“The future of Hanbok will be one where the competition decides the fate of new styles for consumers — and the designs that survive will be the styles of tomorrow.”

Cho Young-ki

games with friends, holding their shopping basket at the supermarket, walking a dog in the park, or accepting a delivery.

Today, Leesle’s brand is established as one of Korea’s top three modern Hanbok brands. She also launched a 2011 campaign titled “Wear Hanbok 100 Times Project” to improve aspects such as wearing methods, laundering, price, and accessibility for interested consumers. The recent “Wearing Hanbok Project” includes 1,000 different activities that can be done in Hanbok, with examples such as pop concert attendance and bowling shared on social network services.

“Back when I was doing the ‘Wear Hanbok 100 Times,’ a lot of people asked me whether I was a ‘shaman’ or a ‘traditional Korean musician,’” she recalled.

“They meant that there had to be some specific reason I was wearing Hanbok.

These days, the same people who used to cluck their tongues back when I launched Leesle in 2014 over me wearing Hanbok with sneakers and my hair dyed red, or wearing sunglasses with a dopo [traditional overcoat], are now accepting that as ‘the style,’” she added.

Leesle recently became the first Hanbok company to partner with the SPA (specialty retailer of private label apparel) brand SPAO. The name CheonUi MuBong comes from an expression that literally means “the clothing of heaven has no stitch marks.” It is used to express when something is flawless.

Living up to that name would seem like a heavy burden for a designer to take on. When asked about it, designer Cho Young-ki laughed and nodded his head.

“It was an entirely wrong name for a clothing maker. Even the slightest mistake and you’re in for it,” he said.

“At the company, we jokingly use the name JiHa YuBong [‘these are the kinds of stitches you’ll find here on earth’]. But since I studied Hanbok under a master of hand-quilting after graduating from the clothing department, I can’t be careless about anything.”

Cho was given the working name “Uibong,” which was meant to urge him to work toward achieving the kind of seamlessness the CheonUi MuBong name connotes. He continues to this day bearing the weight of the title he chose when he created his brand in 2003.

“When you talk about ‘modern Hanbok,’ people still have this image of modified designs, where they only think of it in terms of simplifying or getting rid of the cumbersome old methods. But the new Hanbok by CheonUi MuBong is an example of taking old forms of clothing and designing them in a way that makes them seem appealing even today,” Cho said.

“If you look at it just in terms of convenience, you may not need things like the goreum a ribbon for fastening the top] or the strings,” he added.

“But I decided not to get rid of those. They’re forms that I used because I thought I should incorporate them, even if they make it a bit difficult to put on.”

In fashion, you find forms and decorative elements that have been kept even when their original function and meaning has fallen by the wayside. People today choose to wear them for one reason only: they still look good.

With designers today producing all sorts of different creations inspired by traditional Korean clothing, Cho Young-ki says that the future of Hanbok will be one where the competition decides the fate of new styles for consumers — and the designs that survive will be the styles of tomorrow. e

68 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

fashion in Indian

VESTIRE COLLECTION puts glow on bridal looks

W

ith Bahrain all set to once again woo wedding parties who are looking for an intimate and scenic island wedding destination, it helps to know that VESTIRE in Bahrain has a fine collection of designer bridal wear.

“Bridal wear is bolder today than before and modern brides are no longer fixated on the classic red colour,” said fashion curator and owner of VESTIRE, Nazia Mustafa who personally ensures the fit, the cut and look of each garment at the stylish boutique, “Brides today love experimenting with bright yellow, soft pinks (a la Katrina Kaif), textures and patterns. One thing that stays the same is the need for perfect fit and drape.”

She added that having a bespoke bridal outfit from VESTIRE ensures attention to minute detail and takes the wedding’s ‘Made In Bahrain’ tag up a notch.

So now you really have everything for a Bahrain destination wedding – the sun, the sea, amazing hospitality and the designer bridal dress too!

“Bridal wear is bolder today than before and modern brides are no longer fixated on the classic red colour,” — Nazia Mustafa 69 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Celeb Chakkar

TOLLYWOOD STORY: TRACKING THE TELUGU RISE

The stupendous success of Allu Arjun-starrer ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ released in five languages Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi - has underscored the potential for Tollywood releases in non-Telugu markets.

If the year that ended is any indication, Covid lockdowns and restrictions not withstanding, the Telugu film industry is here to stay.

Imagine, no less than 182 Telugu movies had either theatrical or OTT releases in 2021! This despite a Covid pandemic that is yet to be understood or tamed effectively.

And with a string of big-ticket flicks in various stages of completion, and due for release in 2022, Tollywood certainly seems on course for further consolidation. 2022 is set to see several releases and quite a few of the established stars back on the silver screen after a short hiatus.

Megastar Chiranjeevi's 'Acharya' is among the most awaited Telugu movies this year. Coming after his last release 'Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy' in 2019, there's a lot of buzz around 'Acharya' which also has Chiranjeevi's son Ram

a

Charan giving him company on screen.

In 2022, the megastar will also be busy with two more productions in the form of 'Godfather' and 'Bhola Shankar'.

This year will also see a slew of cinematic offerings from the Chiranjeevi clan. This includes Pawan Kalyan's 'Bheemla Nayak' which appears to be a stylised remake of Malayalam hit 'Ayyappanum Koshiyum'. The movie also stars Rana of 'Baahubali' fame.

And then, there are Chiranjeevi nephew Varun Tej's 'Ghani' and 'F3' waiting in the wings, for release this year.

Actor Nagarjuna, with 'Bangarraju' and Mahesh Babu's 'Sarkaaru Vaari Paata' are among the other major releases expected in 2022.

2022 will also see 'Baahubali' fame Prabhas' return to the theatres with 'Radhe Shyam'. The movie is also set for simultaneous release in multilingual versions. And then, the original Telugu 70 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

version of 'Kabir Singh', actor Vijay Devarakonda is expected to set the silver screen on fire with his mixed martial arts movie 'Liger'. This movie is also being released in several languages.

What has come as good news for the film industry is the eagerness with which movies were lapped up by audiences in 2021. Despite doomsday predictions and restrictions on theatre screenings, Telugu movie releases in the past year have bolstered industry confidence.

In what seems to be a new trend, Tollywood has started actively looking beyond its traditional areas of influence.

Although south Indian movies have made a favourable impact on Hindispeaking audiences down the decades, they were never able to convert into box-office magic. In a way, it was S.S. Rajamouli's 'Baahubali' series that set the stage for presenting Telugu movies to a pan-Indian audience.

Tasting blood, Rajamouli went in with all guns blazing to create his next big screen project 'RRR'. Apart from lead billboarding with Jr NTR and Ram Charan, Rajamouli roped in Ajay Devgan and Alia Bhatt for the movie. The movie has created a buzz across the country.

Capitalising upon the new-born fascination among audiences for Telugu films and stars, Tollywood producers are also looking at these markets with new eyes. They are no longer content with settling down for revenues generated by selling their movies' dubbing rights.

The focus is now on straight releases in a whole set of languages.

Meanwhile, 'RRR' was set to release on January 7, but with Covid rearing its ugly head once again in the form of the Omicron variant, the makers of 'RRR' have decided to put off the release for now.

But in a sign of the good times ahead, names like Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, and Vijay Devarakonda, are no longer unknown beyond the borders of the two Telugu states. In fact, Bollywood seems eager to rub shoulders with their filmy cousins from south of the Vindhyas.e

Celeb Chakkar

Kamal’s Khaddar fashion statement

T

rust Kamal Haasan to come up with a ‘thinking person’s fashion brand’. The intellectual actor-politician recently launched ‘House of Khaddar’ which aims at putting Indian hand-woven material and clothing on the global map. The Fall winter 2021 line was launched by the actor himself taking to the ramp in Chicago last November. The series of clothing is designed by Amritha Ram. Commenting on the brand, Kamal Haasan says, “What we are proud of is that we have chosen a material which made a world political statement for India. Khadi is very closely associated to our history and we take pride in it. From a pure comfort point of view, Khadi is an all-weather textile. It can take on the discontent of the winter as well as the sweat and toil of the summer. Our endeavour is to make Khadi relatable to the young urban market and uplift the weavers and artisans who create this beautiful art.”

The tagline of the brand harks back to Mahatma Gandhi with the words, ‘’Fashion is civil – yet disobedient’’

71 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Celeb Chakkar

KRITI SLAMS BODY-SHAMERS With her film ‘Mimi’ being declared a 2021 hit on streaming platforms and five releases set for 2022, you would have thought actress Kriti Sanon is unimpeachable. But it seems even the leggy beauty with her slender good looks faces body-shaming – in a recent interview, Kriti opened up about the pressure to look perfect all the time and the indiscriminate use of filters and photo-retouching on social media. She says critics pick on her ‘gummy smile’, that she should go for fuller lips, that they don’t like the way her nostrils flare when she smiles and some random fans on social media have even advised her to go for a waist nip.

The super-fit heroine is unfazed and says she plans to turn a deaf ear to such comments, saying she is no plastic doll and is comfortable with her small appearance quirks.

We say, good on ya, Kriti. Just keep the hits coming, you, ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’, you! e

a

Foodie Sonu surprises underdog fan

72 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

With his ripped body and gruelling fitness routine, the last this you’d expect is foodie notes from actor Sonu Sood. Yet, his social media videos on seasonal and regional delicacies has a huge following and true to his reputation of supporting the underdog, Sood uses his influencer status to promote small and micro businesses and migrant worker entrepreneurs.

The actor recently paid a surprise visit to a roadside food stall set up in his name in Hyderabad.

'Sonu Sood Fast Food Stall' was the name of the eatery set up by one of the actor's fans in the city. Sonu Sood indeed surprised everyone with his visit, and a video of his interaction was shared on social media too. e

a

Celeb Chakkar

“I’ve stopped reading new scripts” — Manoj Bajpayee

Here is a mixed bag of new for Manoj Bajpayee fans – the good news is that he is busy with shooting for signed projects will keep him busy till 2023. The not-so-good

a

news is that the actor, known for his meticulous preparation for a role, has stopped reading new scripts till he finishes projects in hand. and he has stopped reading new scripts.

Kapil gets a biopic a Kapil Sharma’s movie adventures so far have been no laughing matter – both his films, Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon and Firangi crashed and burned at the box office. The TV comedian is still considered a hugely successful though, because of his TV show The Kapil Sharma Show.

Rising from a humble background in Amritsar to a struggling artist in Mumbai to one of the most popular entertainers in the country, his life has been an eventful journey. Along the way, the star comic hit the headlines for some decidedly unfunny moments – a spectacular airplane fight with his co-

star and friend Gulati, rumours of rehab for an alcohol issue etc.

But the world loves a bad boy and now producer Mahaveer Jain of Lyca Productions has joined hands with Fukrey fame director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba to bring Kapil’s almost-rags to stardom story to life in a biopic titled Funkaar.

Of course, we have an inhouse hero: Kapil himself.

Let’s hope this film gets him laughing all the way to the bank! e

73 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Manoj wrapped up the shoot of Raam Reddy’s yet-untitled project and Kanu Behl’s investigative thriller Despatch in 2021. Before he could take a breather, he dived into his next with Abhishek Chaubey. The yet-untitled project, which reunites him with the filmmaker after their gritty Sonchiriya (2019), will see him sharing screen space with Konkona Sensharma.

Bajpayee kicked off the shoot in early December. “The drama also stars Sayaji Shinde, M Nassar and some well-known actors from the south film industry. The shoot was recently put on hold after Mumbai witnessed a surge in COVID cases. But Abhishek has informed the unit that as soon as the cases are brought under control, he will return to the set.

Manoj has 10 days’ work remaining on the project,” reveals a source. Post that, it will be time for the actor to join forces with Rahul Chitela — who previously served as Mira Nair’s assistant — for his directorial debut. e

editor's view

L

Meera Ravi

ike most people I think we tend to equate rights with a certain hierarchy. How many times have we heard that the “unwashed poor” are not clever enough to choose their government? But in the context of the universal suffrage which Indians enjoy, the masses have often stepped in to proclaim their angst by kicking out leaders whom the world thought unbeatable. Think Indira Gandhi in 1977 and the Vajpayee government in 2004. When you entrust the task of keeping the democratic flame burning to every person as a birthright, you run the risk of the majority opinion not matching yours but that cannot over-rule the respect that the system of voting rights for all confers on one and all.

When we ponder over the narrative of modern nations and see the different struggles that people went through to win the right to choose their leaders, we realise that it is not for nothing that India is called the world’s largest democracy. Flawed, chequered and rambunctious it may be but it works. And that is what we celebrate every January 26 – a reminder of our cherished rights, a commemoration of one of the most progressive constitutions in the world.

It is also, every year, a call to renew our pledge to keep this spirit of freedom alive. We need to stay true to the beauty of the Indian democratic adventure by unhesitatingly questioning anything that seems slippery or unconstitutional. Whenever there is a question of rights and freedom, the only way to safeguard them is to keep our minds, our eyes, ears open, our voices ringing true and give our hearts to our country.

From India, a mighty land which lends its name to a sub-continental land mass covering 2.4% of the Earth, to an ancient yet perky nation that has won hearts with an impressive demonstration of contemporary ‘soft power’: Korea. We bring you two faces of Asia in this issue. Both timeless, it is fascinating to see how they have shaped their modern nationhood in such different ways. We loved researching and putting together this issue for you – here’s to a year of new knowledge, new pathways and growth!

74 SALAAM BAHRAIN | JANUARY 2022

Republic Day Greetings

AL NOOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

P.O. Box : 85, Kingdom of Bahrain Tel : 17 736773, Fax : 17 735650 • Email : roonlasc@batelco.com.bh www.alnischool.com Indian Curriculum: CBSE KG to Class 12 | British Curriculum: KG to A level | Bahraini Curriculum: Grade 1 to Grade 12

A School with a Difference

73rd Republic Day Greetings

NATIONAL GROUP OF COMPANIES P.O. Box: 11645, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Office Tel: 17531277 Fax: 17531288 Email: nfsafety@batelco.com.bh www.nfsafety.com

Office Tel: 17280544 Fax: 17280590 Email: info@ncbahrain.com www.ncbahrain.com

SHOWROOM TEL : 17246555, 17242217 | FAX : 17231261 BAHRAIN I KSA I U.A.E. I SINGAPORE I U.K I INDIA