CONCEPT
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Khaled Al-Qahtani, Editor-in-Chief
Lana Al-Resheed, Managing Director
The geography of Kuwait spans 6,880 square miles. Our landscape is quite vast but when considering our metropolis from an airplane descending into Kuwait International Airport, the city looks more like a giant square divided into grids. Highways, streets, and neighborhood avenues intersect and break apart at certain points and divide the grid into even smaller fragments. Kuwait has long been a source of deep fascination for us here at theCITY and not just because it’s our home—but because Kuwait is ever-evolving. When you look intently enough, Kuwait can actually inspire endless creative vision. Neighborhoods and areas—like Kaifan and Salmiya; Jabriya and Mishref—only separated by a few geographical miles and grids on a map, can sometimes seem like their own worlds. Worlds absolutely drenched in heritage, culture, and entirely unique aesthetics that collectively define Kuwait’s diverse and developing nature, despite it’s smaller size. It’s no wonder that we’ve dedicated an entire issue—our ‘Concept’ issue—to the extraordinary journey of exploring the labyrinth of Kuwait and the visions that extend beyond it’s borders as well. It’s also no wonder that this issue happens to be our biggest issue of theCITY to date. We invite you to think of this issue’s features and monthly pages as 'contexts' or rather as 'journeys in context.' That’s because this month’s selection of features and subjects are not strict interviews and profiles per se. No, these are more like a series of sketches that record and interpret Kuwait through various cultural and social terrain. We see Kuwait through cultivated sensibilities and wild imaginations in features like Looking Back; Looking Ahead and An Ordinary Impossibility. We evaluate and redefine our current perceptions of community and innovation in features like A Conscious Palette and Business Recoded. We envision Kuwait in context to it’s responsibility and it’s role within our larger world with features like Global Citizens and Inquiring Minds. Our March cover—provided courtesy of one of our feature stars and one of Kuwait’s fast rising illustrating talents; Zahra AlMahdi—represents a simple yet forceful concept. The concept of opening ourselves up and letting something beautiful come out. There’s a lot to explore in our Concept issue. In part, it is a narrative of Kuwait told through the dreams and visualizations of her artists, her innovators, her intellectuals, and her various beacons of individual hope. In yet another part, it is a mere peek behind the curtains of a future that promises a world of absolute beauty and wonder—and, at theCITY, we’ve got a front row seat.
Shaza Ayesh, General Manager
MEET OUR FAMILY Anmar Al-Aldarmi
Farah Al-Humaidhi
Khalil Al-Hamar
Rawan Elabd
Ali Al-Khudari
Haneen Al Rashed
Mohammed Al-Rasheed
Ramez A.Sabawi
Bashayer Al-Osaimi
Hisham Al-Sumaiew
Noora Al-Askar
Shabari Al-Qahtani
Dalal Al-Janaie
Jumana Al-Awadhi
Noor Al-Nafisi
Shaima Bourashed
Doha Al-Mutawa
Jinan Mohammad
Rawan Al-Sharif
Yousef Al-Neemah
Khaled Al-Qahtani Editor-in-Chief
Lana Al-Resheed Managing Director
Shaza Ayesh General Manager
Ziad Al-Obaid
Sales Director
Dana Baluch Content Editor
Hussain Al-Qatari
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Graphic Designer
Hussain Kuwala Design Intern
Muneera Al-Hendi Head of Photography
Abdulrhman Al-Yousef Published and Distributed By:
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Hussain Shamo
Abdulrhman Al-Yousef
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Eman Jamal @eman_jamal Statement of Copyright: theCITY™ is owned and published by GREAT KUWAIT MEDIA. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Ž the CITY logo is owned by GREAT KUWAIT MEDIA. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any format without the written consent of the publisher.
DISCLAIMER Our cover picture was exclusively provided and illustrated courtesy of Kuwaiti artist, Zahra Al-Mahdi.
Jalil Marvin @jalilmarvin
Reasonable care is taken to ensure that theCITY Magazine articles and other information in the magazine are up-to-date and as accurate as possible as of the time of publication. No responsibility can be taken by theCITY Magazine for any errors or omissions contained herein. Furthermore, responsibility for any losses, damages or distress resulting from adherence to any information made available through this magazine is not the responsibility of theCITY Magazine. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of theCITY Magazine.
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20 LIFE 10 12 18 20 24 26 30 34 36
The Secret of Visualization Global Citizens Wild for Wilde Sunny Side Up More than a Mother... Inquiring Minds Manufacturing Success
74 The Art of Upstyles
Change of Heart
76 FANFARE 90 A World of Fantasy
All Smiles Body Miracles by Rawan thePHARMACIST The Smile Makers Food and DNA: Our Genetic Blueprint!
FOOD 58 62 66 70
BEAUTY & FASHION
The Invasion of Technology
WELLNESS 42 46 50 54 56
SSue
A Conscious Palette Chef's Choice Anmar is Cooking Sweet Talk
ART & CULTURE 94 Wow, What a Concept! 96 theVISIT 102 Like the Wind 106 Looking Back;
Looking Ahead
112 They Live Where They Love 116 An Ordinary Impossibilty 122 Old is Gold 126 theCITY Kids
TECH & SPORTS 128 Business Recoded 132 theAUTO
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Dalal Al-Janaie dalal@marsvenuscoaching.com www.marsvenuscoachdalal.com @marsvenuskuwait @marsvenuskuwait
The Secret of Visualization "To accomplish great things we must first dream, then visualize, then plan... believe... act!" --- Alfred A. Montapert Dear readers, it’s so nice to connect with you once again! This month I would like to address the subject of achieving success. Do you want success? Do you know what it is going to feel like when you achieve it? Have you imagined yourself actually accomplishing your dream? If you answered yes to all of these questions, I congratulate you. If you answered no to any one of the questions, you have come to the right place! On the path to success, there is one step that is usually missed or skipped and this is Visualization. One of the most important steps in achieving success is knowing what success looks like, feels like, and tastes like, to you. For example, if you want to be wealthy, what does wealth mean to you? What will it feel like to be rich? What will you wear? What will you drive? How will you live? How will you feel? Going through this process is vital. Oftentimes, we may want something in our conscious mind but subconsciously, we are not ready to receive it. Remember, perception always precedes reality. Visualization uses your imagination and mind to create pictures and visual images of what you strive to achieve in your lives. So, if what you think about, you bring about, visualization is the best tool to attract the life you want. Michael S. Clouse says, “if you can see it in your mind, you can experience it in your life.” Visualization is an emotional process. When visualizing you must feel happiness and excitement as you attach your images to the experience. Without any feelings associated with the vision, it just isn’t quite as effective. For those of you less familiar with visualizations and have never performed this process, please allow me to guide you with the basic steps.
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1. Find a suitable location to perform your visualization. Choose a calm, quiet place where you can relax for a few minutes. Make sure you have a comfortable seat and the lighting is not too bright as you will need to be in a state of relaxation. 2. Close your eyes or focus on an inanimate object. Slow down your breathing by taking long deep breaths for a few minutes until you feel truly relaxed. As you have relaxed, do not control your breathing but just observe your breathing pattern. 3. Start visualizing by focusing on the end result. Focus on what goal you want to achieve. Remember that details are very important. Color of your clothes, the smell of the air, the taste of what you are eating, the feel of the sun or coolness of the breeze. 4. Attach a positive emotional state to the images and vision you create. Embrace the feelings of success. Feel the joy and happiness of achieving your goal. Make your heart jump at the sight of achieving what you truly want and let this felling of happiness envelop you. 5. Create your visualization in the first person. Your vision must be from your viewpoint and not as a person would see you, as in a movie. This is where true feelings appear, as you are the one who is experiencing the moment of success. 6. Allocate the correct amount of time for visualization. Timings for this process vary from person to person. I recommend trying it out and getting a feel for a span of time that you are comfortable with in the beginning and slowly move towards the suggested timing. Dear readers, visualization is a very powerful tool but it is only one part of the success process. Planning and implementation must parallel your visualizations. Jim Carey shares his viewpoint on the subject by saying, "Visualization works, if you work hard." The power of visualization is great and is a vital step to putting you in the right frame of mind by creating a deep belief to allow you to achieve your dream.
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Global Citizens
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Where does generosity come from? In Kuwait, the answer is easy—from our unique and fortunate ability to see and experience the world around us through travel. In seeing the world and understanding the issues and struggles that plague our planet along with it’s many inhabitants, we adapt our worldview towards a single, common goal: to make a difference. To travel is to be a enlightened and to contribute to the world’s overall well-being is to be a global citizen. This is the core idea that defines the small but driven cause of three young Kuwaiti hopefuls: Nora Al-Ruwaished, Saud Al-Juwaiyan, and Ibrahim Al-Fraih. Together they form the creatively inspired and admirably forward-thinking OXAdventure: an initiative that aims to gather and motivate Kuwaiti youths to empower vulnerable, poverty stricken communities around the world to gain the knowledge, confidence, and essential tools they need to drive their own sustainable stability and success in every concieveable field. Armed with sharp minds and optimistic attitudes they are a testament of how small moves, guided by bigger dreams, can make all the difference.
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What exactly is OXAdventure and how does it aim to uniquely enhance or contribute to charitable outreach in Kuwait? OXadventure is an organization which aims to inspire the youth through travel, charity and adventure to create global citizens and to enrich the minds of the future leaders. It is unique because it is the first charitable outreach created by the Kuwaiti youth, for the youth. The concept, which makes it original, is that it combines charity work while living amongst the locals, eating their foods and understanding their history along with their hardships/achievements, with adventures. By adventures we mean experiencing the country as much like a local as possible while still getting to experience museums, national parks, wildlife reserves and hiking trails. What does the 'OX' in OXAdventure mean or stand for? OX stands for the animal, the oxen. It was inspired by the mountain Oxen that we have seen often times in several countries and with some research we discovered that the oxen is used for transport and labor, which is essentially what we hope to achieve with our participants. Also, it is culturally respected and we hope to bridge the gap between racism and inequality by seeing what others lives are like outside of Kuwait. How did the idea behind OXAdventure come to you? All three of us enjoyed traveling differently than most, focusing on travel as opposed to tourism. When we left our borders, we wanted to adapt the customs and dress of the locals, blending in as much as possible and living the way they lived. Saud and Nora met on a building project in Kenya and from there they realized that their peers in Kuwait deserved to be enlightened as they were, after recognizing
"It is unique because it is the first charitable outreach created by the Kuwaiti youth, for the youth." 14 www.thecitym.com
how much volunteer work and adventure captivated them and changed them. Nora had experience working for Loyac for three years and felt that travel and charity were her passion, so she decided to go in the same direction with her lifestyle and career choice. Saud was the lone traveler who wasn’t afraid of the unknown, being a diver and hiker. So on a balcony in Kenya, Saud told Nora about his best friend Ibrahim whom he had gone on some adventures with and who had the same mindset of charity and adventure as they did. He suggested the three meet up when they got back to Kuwait and to begin thinking of how to start working together. From there, the three met in Caribou Coffee in Kuwait, agreed to move forward turning OXadventure
into the name of the organization, and they got started. This was in August of 2013. Little did they know what they were in for. You've already visited a good number of different locations on a different number of charity missions. What has been your most rewarding or fruitful mission as of yet? Our first project under our name OXadventure was OXIndia, where we built a bathroom in a
rural village with a small team of only three close friends (one who was living in India, one in Dubai, and one in Kuwait). We completed the build in only two days during Christmas with our bare hands and our own money. To this day, we personally fund all of our own projects, which is why at times we have been forced to move slow. This mission was successful because we planned our proposal to bring back to the youth in Kuwait and we
proudly built wearing our OXadventure tees and caps. This was the point at which we realized that we could do this. Before that, we completed a proposal which is on standby, and that is OXSri Lanka. Since then we have completed our OXRwanda project which is now open for registration. We are very proud of these three projects because we are just three people, and we feel like we have accomplished a lot for our limited resources
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and short timespan. No one knows how much work actually goes into planning a project in a third world country, let alone three in half of a year! What have been the most important lessons you've taken away from your various mission trips? We take way too many and too long of showers. Well, actually we just waste too much water period. That “dirty” water that pours down the drain as we shower and the tap water we never drink would be the equivalent of Evian water to a lot of people around the world. There is a huge difference between “starving” when you just ate three hours earlier and being malnourished your whole life, not knowing when or how your next meal will come. We buy way too many clothes and we throw them away instead of donating them, or even better, just refraining from buying them in the first place. People are out there wearing old plastic bottles on their feet for shoes, and they actually have to work in a field all day. Not sit in an air-conditioned classroom or mall. We think more is good, but less is more. We are killing our earth. These poverty stricken countries have found a way to be resourceful, waste nothing, and reuse everything in order to survive. Some may think they are dirty for it. I think they are the only ones actually doing their jobs on this planet. Because, believe it or not, most waste, pollution, and unhappiness lies in developed countries. We used to wonder why so many people take pictures of the children and villagers with huge smiles
on their faces if they had so little. The truth is that the life they live is all they have known and they have found a way to be happy and keep on smiling despite their deeply unfortunate circumstances. It is rare to see such genuine smiles in a developed nation on a daily, let alone monthly basis. Maybe the key to happiness lies in simplicity, quality, and less quantity. Maybe happiness is found in a bigger heart, more room for sharing, and much less greed. The list could go on and on, but when you go on trips like these, you will honestly come up with your own list. What do you think the world needs more of? Giving, patience, respect, equality, love, simplicity, peace, nature, smiles, sharing, compassion and passion, adventurers, dreamers, doers, courage, individuality… Should we continue? Reducing, reusing, recycling, renovating instead of building, eco-friendly materials and projects, a genuine care for others… Basically, we need a world that cares less about buying more in order to impress those who do not matter. Impress yourself and be kind to others. What do you hope to achieve through OXAdventure in the long run? To create a mini-army of do-gooders who can transform this country into a more health-conscious, active, eco-friendly, giving and compassionate society who sees how much good they can do and how much less they need for themselves. We want people to be smile-spreaders and dooropeners, dream chasers and mall-avoiders, activists instead of mindless followers. We want them to put down the television remote and hit
@OXAdventure oxadventure.com
the trail. In a nut-shell: a simple dream of ours is to get people to give up London and go for Nepal, for example. I mean, all we want to do is to make an ingrained change in the majority of youth in our society. Simple, right? What are your most exciting, upcoming missions? OXRwanda! We just opened it to the public. We will be dealing directly with women, orphans, and survivors of the genocide by participating in restoration projects and sustainable living and development projects, as well as working closely with university students in the evenings to help build their CV’s and help them with their interview skills. We are also collecting old laptops to donate to the students who we plan to work with and who desperately need the supplies. Not to mention, we will take participants around Rwanda to visit national parks, museums, hiking trails and give them the once in a lifetime opportunity to see the silverback mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. How can people join in or contribute to OXAdventure's cause? They can visit us on oxadventure.com or email us at info@oxadventure. com to apply for OXRwanda or any future projects. They can follow us on Instagram @oxadventure or they can visit us at any of the booths we promote on Instagram to purchase products that we sell the profits of which go directly back into our charity projects. Support by any means is appreciated, and if some want to donate to the project itself but cannot make it, we can put them in touch with our international NGO’s and partners to send money directly to the projects.
"Maybe the key to happiness lies in simplicity, quality, and less quantity. Maybe happiness is found in a bigger heart, more room for sharing, and much less greed. " www.thecitym.com 17
Haneen Al Rashed
Wild for Wilde I came across an interesting quote the other day by Oscar Wilde: ”Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals.”
we’re all-loving but it’s really just ‘mujamalat’ (empty compliments) most of the time. Clearly it’s every man for himself.” To put it faintly I was quite shocked.
I found his statement somewhat annoying and mostly because it was unclear what he actually meant by it and why he had made it in the first place. After some much-appreciated assistance from my dear friend Google, I discovered that, for a great deal of his life, Wilde saw ”governments as institution of individual suppression.”
Being secure about your life does not mean locking yourself away from other individuals in an egotistical manner. The topic of this quote was the heat of every discussion I had with anyone who ventured to open the subject with me. The majority of people kept saying that society is important, but in some circumstance, and when your personal interest is on the line, you’re bound to fight in order to win it or to sustain it. That’s just the way life works. To some extent, there is some truth behind it. Competition is everywhere and especially so for us because we happen to be living in a free and democratic community and, naturally, in that kind of climate everyone wants to be the best or “unique” from others. But has this full-blown competition to be the best ‘individual’ you can be actually turned us into cold-blooded vipers towards one another when it involves the matter of our own self interest? I believe not. I truly believe that some people agree with this remark because the reality is that everybody is cautiously walking on eggshells around each other, as opposed to instilling some belief in society at all.
But that’s not where my story with this quote ends. I kept going on and on about it to my friends until one of them told me how much she agreed with Wilde’s perspective. A little weary of going into any heated political discussions, I let her know that I had no interest in talking about politics. That was when she said something that downright floored me: “I am not talking about politics, the quote represents us individually.” Just as I had been the first time I across that Oscar Wilde quote, my initial reaction was one of deep annoyance. Being a Kuwaiti, we all know that everything in Kuwaiti communities is about tradition, culture, and society—so what in the world was my friend going on about? She then went on to further claim: “Come on, we joke about it as well, don’t tell anyone. We don’t want anyone to ‘yahsedna’ (envy us). We say
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I actually had the same discussion with a professor at the College of Social Science in Kuwait University, Professor Seham Al Qabandi,
and she made an interesting remark that hadn’t crossed my mind before. She told me that, instead of having intense conversations about the quote and people’s opinions regarding it, why not do something about it? I doubtfully asked her how could I ever change a person’s opinion if they are already very convinced of their position, to which she simply replied: “ebda’a bnafsik” (start with yourself). Start with yourself; it made complete sense. If people are cautious from one another because they are afraid of losing or hurting their own interests, then show them that society and personal harmony can and have co-existed in a realm which exceeds the mental or the spiritual. I see it every single day. Society was never a mental statement, but a true concept reflecting and affecting our daily lives. If it was a mental concept then why do we always go to social gatherings and social events? Why do we spread social awareness for good causes like Afkar Pro’s team when they went and gave goodie bags to the hardworking expat cleaners that clean our beloved Kuwait? Or why do we spread social love and harmony like Asnan’s idea of circulating yellow roses amongst Qout Market goers? How can some people fail to see all of that effort towards healthy, social interaction and remain so negatively entrenched in fear, where the concept of an edgy Oscar Wilde quote is not as fully true to the extent that they would like to believe it is. So, I propose we try to transmit messages that build and celebrate the concepts of hope, love, and trust in our societies as opposed to fear, distance, and bitterness. Some of you might be cautious of the society we live in because of mental fear and, in return, people will usually deal with you and treat you based on how you act upon them. Instead if thinking of society as a mental concept, start with yourself and see how you treat others. In return, you will see the same exact level of engagement and harmony being expressed by others towards you. To all those who are on the verge of losing hope of the true meaning of society, I urge you to reconsider. Harmonious societies in which individualism and community can cohabitate definitely exist. You only need to start with yourselves.
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By Rawan Al Sharif
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We all have brilliant ideas, dreams, and goals we’d like to accomplish. We all have things we'd like to see happen or make happen. However, turning these notions into realities isn’t exactly something everyone actually ends up doing.
www.thecitym.com 21 Photographer:Abdulrhman Al-Yousef
"Now is when you can make a difference, and now is when you can make your dreams come true."
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Reality is that people spend most of their time daydreaming and are too lazy to actually act on their thoughts and ideas. They don’t want to put in some extra effort or go that extra mile to make things happen. The things you put off the most or are too scared of doing are usually the things that you’re most meant to do. Some people think, some talk, others plan—and some people do all three and actually put their thinking, talking, and planning into action. Making a difference, making things happen, and successfully accomplishing things you’ve got your heart set on are all things that add value to your life. Set a list of goals or write up a bucket list of the things you'd like to do in your lifetime. Keep reading it, and keep reminding yourself about the things you'd like to see yourself accomplish. Reach out and seize every opportunity that brings you one step closer to your goal. Keep your mindset focused on what you want and constantly think and act in ways that will help you achieve this goal. Nothing is more fulfilling than making one of your dreams happen and, eventually, the feeling of accomplishment itself gets addictive. Imagine reading a magazine or newspaper and seeing someone else get credit for something you’ve been planning to do or someone else working on a business idea, event, or whatever it may be that you had swimming around in your head all along. Seeing someone exploit your idea and beat you to your dream is either going to bring
you down, or tick you off. Everyone has a great idea, and some of us have similar ideas. Realize that if you don't act your idea will always be a mere notion hidden only in your mind, far away from the world to see or experience. Don’t put yourself in such a position where you beat yourself up about why you didn’t work harder or faster or better. Do your best whenever you can, and actually put some effort into the work you do. And if you have a dream or goal chase it like your life depends on it! Let it be the thing that keeps you up at night because you’re working nonstop on making it happen. A little effort always makes a big difference so imagine what you can achieve if you focus all your energy onto making one thing happen. If you want something badly enough then there should be no limits to the time and effort you'd be willing to put in to make it happen. “Your ambition should be to get as much life out of living as you possibly can,” Eleanor Roosevelt once said. Stop putting off making things happen and start now. Now is the best time to start what you’ve been planning. Now is when you can make a difference, and now is when you can make your dreams come true.
@SunshineKuwait
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Doha Al-Mutawa
More Than a Mother...
Did you realize that the busiest months of the whole year are the first three months? After a New Year’s month, Kuwait’s national celebration and Valentines Day month, a special Mother’s Day month arrives... The questions that wanders in our head before and during the beginning of every March: what shall I give my mom? Is it roses? Is it a gift? Is it a box of her favorite chocolates? Perhaps a dinner surprise? Or a trip to another country? Well, I assume that we are trying to express our love by offering her something meaningful. But take a minute to think about it: isn’t the true meaning of love shown on a daily basis, not merely on occasions? It’s our all year round attitude, behavior, and support that determine our real measures of love. Offering something on that special day should be a complement and not a predominant indicator of love in itself. One of the truest and most expressive sayings I’ve ever read of a mother’s real worth reveals that “the most beautiful necklace a mother can wear is not gold or gems, but her child’s arms around her neck.” I couldn’t agree more. Nothing in this world could suffice what a mother deserves from her child, and no words are enough to express the reciprocal feelings of love we all have in our hearts for this pricelessly precious woman. The best intangible gift we can give her is our unconditional appreciation. Like birds, as we grow older we try to spread our wings and fly. But we should never forget that we received all the love, care, and comfort from the nest which made us who we are today. No matter how old we
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grow, to our mothers we are forever babies. No matter how much we think we know, mothers always know better. The only type of pure and benefit-free love is that of a mother’s heart to her children. Who else gives you absolutely everything you need and demands nothing at all in return? Who else would magically wash all your pain away and go to the farthest lengths to see you smile? Who else has been there for you night and day, even when you didn’t realize it? To all the mothers out there, everyday should be dedicated to you; Mother’s Day is just another day. To my own winning mother: to me, the cherry on top of this month is your birthday. I honestly don’t know where to begin. I have a mother, sister, and best friend all in one. By mother, I mean my candle in the dark; my doctor when I’m sick; my teacher when I’m in doubt; my encouragement when I give up; my role model in life, all this and more. If I had one wish it would be your eternal happiness and, if it were possible, I would deduct years from my life and add them to yours. “Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs... since the payment is pure love,” Mildred P. Vermont once said. Actually, you have exceeded your obligations as a full-time mother. I would pay my all just to see you smile, knowing that I’m the reason behind your happiness is priceless. Being named after you makes me feel so proud and having shared some of your beautiful features is the sugar on top; you are my mirror. May your every year be filled up with winning days.. I love you mama winner. Thank you for being more than a mother.
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B R O U G H T TO
The rate at which we consume, share, and outright create the news today is unfathomably fast and expansive. Whenever you share a tweet on Twitter, a status on Facebook, or a picture on Instagram, you are helping both spread and shape the way others view and comprehend the world around them. You may not even realize it but, in this very minute and as you read this sentence, you are being actively swayed towards a specific reaction or mode of thought. At theCITY, we believe that only informed minds can make informed decisions. So, in our ‘Concept’ issue, we want you to inquire and be as aware as you possibly can be about the power and the credibility of all your various media sources—even ours here at theCITY. We want you to listen closely, read carefully, and think clearly. To help us along this path towards authentic news and media literacy, we’ve enlisted the sharp, discerning expertise of one the USA’s and the world’s most prominent news literacy lecturers and specialists: Richard Hornik. YO U BY He talks to us about the importance and the vitality that comes with possessing an inquiring mind.
@USEmbassyQ8
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would have taken a lot of time, effort and money. Today it is quite easy for people to produce a fake website, or to hack into an authoritative website and post bogus news. The third problem we face is called confirmation bias: It is now possible to select only the information that supports our preexisting ideas, reinforcing those ideas rather than challenging them. What are the major consequences of having a society which is illiterate of it's news source accuracy? A healthy civil society can exist only if the public is well-informed. If the public is easily led to believe rumors or gossip, the consequences can be quite dangerous. For example, in the US and Europe, many people have been led to believe that vaccinations for childhood diseases can lead to autism. This has been comprehensively disproven, but still thousands of parents are refusing to vaccinate their children and this has caused a resurgence of measles and whooping cough. Shouldn't the Internet's immensely diverse and numerous news sources (which vary in authority and outlets) make it easier to find reliable information in today's world? The Internet has made it easier to find more information and more in-depth treatment of many subjects. But as I said before, it has also made it easier for people to post misleading information that looks authentic. This latest communications revolution has made it possible for everyone with access to a computer or a smartphone to publish information. This is a power that was once reserved to corporations, governments and wealthy individuals. It is a positive development that the public is now empowered to share their knowledge with others, but as Uncle Ben told Peter Parker in Spiderman, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” A major element of our course is to persuade our students that they have a major role to play in the quality of information on the Internet and Social Media.
What does news literacy mean in the context of today's media environment? How does it differ from other literacies, such as information literacy, media literacy, or digital literacy? News Literacy is a course that was developed at Stony Brook University in New York over the past 7 years. Its goal is to give university students the ability to use critical thinking skills to judge the reliability and credibility of news reports, whether they come via print, television or the Internet. This is particularly important in the Digital Age, as everyone struggles to deal with information overload and the difficulty in determining the authenticity of news reports. We view News Literacy as a branch of Media Literacy, focused primarily on analyzing the quality of the information rather than its origin. Why has it become so difficult to determine whether news is accurate or not? Three serious challenges face news consumers today. The first is simply the amount of information that floods over us each day. This makes it difficult to sort out reliable from fabricated information, a problem that is exacerbated by the new technical capabilities to create information that looks like it has come from an authoritative source. For example, 20 years ago, it would have been possible to create a fake newspaper, but it
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Is there a quick, easy, helpful method for our readers to critically evaluate their news? Unfortunately, developing the skills necessary for the critical evaluation of news in the digital era is hard work, but once developed those skills become second nature. The goal is for our students to have a sense of ‘Too Good To Be True” – like some of those amazing but bogus photos of sharks in New York City that appeared after Hurricane Sandy. That said, we do provide our students with some helpful tips for evaluating websites and social media postings. For example, just as our parents taught us not to take candy from strangers, we teach our students not to blindly accept information from anonymous online and social media sources. Another important lesson is that in Internet searches, how high the result is on a page has nothing to do with how reliable it is, simply how many other websites have linked it and people have viewed it. At a time when so many of us not only consume news, but also create and share news, why is news literacy such a critical competency to master in today's day and age? Today we are all publishers even through the simple act of liking something on Facebook or retweeting something on Twitter. Your friends, families and followers assume that you would not retweet something that was false, but roughly 50% of retweets with website links are done by people who have not bothered to read the material on the link. Every time you send out an erroneous piece of information, you are adding to its credibility so you share in the responsibility for any bad consequences which may result.
What are the implications for learning and civic engagement when social media has become one of the primary sources for both finding and sharing news? A great deal will depend on how seriously news consumers take the responsibilities they have acquired in the Digital Age. I believe that there are already signs that people are becoming more skeptical about information on social media and are beginning to hold accountable those who put out bogus material. What are your thoughts on the future of journalism? Unlike most journalists from my generation – I started 40 years ago – I am optimistic. I believe that news consumers are already beginning to understand the value of the ability of journalists to authenticate and then put into context the vast amount of information that constantly floods over us. One of the key lessons of News Literacy is that reliable information has been verified by a journalistic organization that strives for independence and that is accountable for its work. That is, it checks the facts as much as possible, tries to avoid conflicts of interest, and takes responsibility for the information it produces. Although currently most consumers seem unwilling to pay for such a product, I think there are already signs that this is changing.
great deal will depend "onAhow seriously news
consumers take the responsibilities they have acquired in the Digital Age.
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Success Manufacturing Kuwait is home to dreams and goals abounding; that much we know for sure. But for a lot of hardworking, far-reaching entrepreneurs it can be difficult to move past square one. Knowing where to go, who to ask, when to start, and how to go about 'the business of business' can be an intimidating and confusing endeavor to take on by ourselves. A helping hand and a guiding voice is always appreciated. This is where Al-Mubader comes in as a full-functioning support system and streamlined program to help ensure Kuwait's greatest, most promising entrepreneurs the chance at success and achievement that they deserve. Al-Mubader CEO and founder, Abrar Al-Masoud, takes us through her innovative process of manufacturing success. @AlMubaderKW
www.thecitym.com 31 Photographer:Abdulrhman Al-Yousef
We want the huge wealth of young talent in Kuwait to have the tools and the blueprints they need to build the better Kuwaiti future which we all dream of realizing.
support from Al-Mubader and in regard to the other participants we’ve also provided them with different support system that better suit their projects to help them start their business as well. What is the kind and levels of support that Al-Mubader offers to the qualified small business owners? • The winner of the initiator program will get full training and skills on SME managment and will get full consultancy from experts in several sectors. • They will be announced to finance their projects by competent funders (an industrial bank, a small development company, a leading manufacturer). • They will be provided with an opportunity to fund other projects either via specialized companies who are willing to finance their projects, through investing business owners, or large corporations. • Incubate and follow-up of participant progress during the implementation of their projects by providing them space to establish their business and even more so by providing the consultancy and studies required.
What is Al-Mubader's objective as an organization and the cause behind this objective? Al-Mubader is an integrated initiative for entrepreneurs and is an entity aimed at providing comprehensive support for the entrepreneur—starting from brainstorming the idea all the way down to the financing, production, and marketing of the products regardless of whether or not this entrepreneur is working in government sector, private sector, or as an independent freelancer. The initiative aims to refine the capabilities of the Kuwaiti youth for the establishment and management of SMEs in such a way that coincides with a detailed development plan and by an implemented partnership between the public sector and the private sector as well as some international organizations. Tell us about the process in which young, ambitious people can utilize Al-Mubader's services. Well, the first stage is to simply get accepted into the program and, if you are deemed qualified, you will be a participant in AlMubader. The second stage is about refining the capabilities of the participants and training them in global programs and intensive workshops, which allows them a better understanding of how to manage their projects. We also provide them with practical workshops that are held under the auspices of the concerned government authorities (Ministry of Commerce, the municipality, etc).
The third stage is the stage of competition. On our television program, Al-Mubader (which is a reality TV show aired on Kuwait Television), we aim to encourage participants to follow through to that final stage of creativity and diligence in their projects. A judging committee of relevant and well-experienced professionals in several significant fields both critiques and guides the participants in the right direction and, ultimately, they decide on the winning projects. At the end of the program the three final winners will get funding for their projects in partnership with several, prominent fund entities in Kuwait such as IBK and will also be awarded some truly special prizes. The fourth and final stage is what we like to call the ‘Al-Mubader Incubator.’ The Al-Mubader Incubator seeks to, in short, fully execute the idea and the projected plan of the winning participants whether that be in the industrial field, agriculture, services, or any other specialty. This incubation period entails all the necessary and fine-tuned support systems that any participant could possibly need to see the implementation of his or her project from consultancy to feasibility studies and many other available facilities. What are some of the greatest success stories that Al-Mubader had a hand in creating? We have already funded three majorly promising and winning projects so far. A magnesium plates factory, a hydroponics biophilia project, and a food factory. We provide the industrial projects with industrial spaces to establish their project within the first year as a method of
Why do you think that young, small businesses need Al-Mubader's help in Kuwait? Almost all entrepreneurs need consultancy, training, expert guidance, funding, and networking to help upstart their businesses regardless of how committed they are to the project and how inspired their ideas may be. They will almost always find themselves in a position that requires a helping hand of some sort. Al-Mubader is that helping hand. What does Al-Mubader believe in? We believe in the process of developing new ways of thinking for the youth in the SMEs sector. We believe in creating new SMEs projects that are going along with Kuwait’s larger development plan and we believe in their ability to lift up the nation economically, socially, and culturally. How does Al-Mubader want to make a difference in Kuwait's social and cultural environment? By letting the youth consider and implement strategically studied ways of establishing their SMEs projects in every possible field be it industrial development, agriculture, health, engineering, education. We want the huge wealth of young talent in Kuwait to have the tools and the blueprints they need to build the better Kuwaiti future which we all dream of realizing. What is alMubader's next upcoming project to support small businesses? The plan is to hopefully expand Al-Mubader onto the wider GCC region as a whole and to begin to implement our four-step plan on a much wider, international scale within the GCC and the Middle Eastern region. We’ve already set those wheels in motion and the future looks very promising!
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Ramez A.Sabawi ramez.sabawi@viva.com.kw
The Invasion of Technology
Communication technology is invading our life more than ever before. Mobile phones are never far away from us. Emails, social networks, and the internet as a whole are more present than they have ever been. More than 60% of all internet users also communicate via social networks and over 85 % of all teenagers have accounts on social networking sites and platforms. The communication revolution which we are living in today has managed to change the way we live and the way we interact with others in a remarkable, never before seen way. But is this good or bad? Depending on whom you ask, the answer can go both ways. To some, it could be a great thing; to others, an absolute disaster. In reality the truth falls somewhere in the middle. There are certainly benefits to social media but there are also some legitimate concerns about the way it has changed our interactions. These changes are likely to become even more pronounced in the future. But having said that, do we need to be concerned or alarmed? Is social media an addiction? Psychologists have started to define terms like Facebook addiction in their reports, so the subject is certainly no joking matter. It’s actually been reported that social media sites can be so addicting that users, especially youngsters, do not want to spend time doing anything else; they live their relationships in a virtual world and are quite happy remaining within that bubble. People often choose to talk to each other via mobile phone or Skype; a lot of of our day-to-day communication is via Facebook and Twitter, possibly because we are weary of getting to know one another on a face-to-face basis, which arguably ends up being a different experinece than our perfectly-tailored virtual communications. However, by doing this, we are missing out on modes of human expression and unspoken communication like facial expressions or the reflex gestures that reflect truer, deeper sentiments than any emoticon ever could. In this virtual world, emotions are reduced to only Likes or Dislikes; a sea of endlessly baffling emojis.
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It is undeniable that social media has opened many doors of communication for lot of people, and on a scale they could probably never have reached without this kind of technology. The sheer number of people that we can interact with in an instant today is quite amazing. In the past, you were limited largely to people that you knew in person, today you can directly interact with people from all around the world in a matter of seconds and all at once if you wished. This is why you see people who have thousands of Facebook friends who they may have never even physically met before. They would never have that many friends if they had to interact with them all in person. This gives you the opportunity to share opinions with a wider range of people. You can now make your voice heard and communicated to many social circles in a very short time and, many times, at zero cost. Sharing knowledge and information has become easier and much faster also. But what about the downside effects? We tend to form and congregrate into groups who share the same opinions as us. The result is that we are not exposed to the variety of opinions that we used to be and, in doing so, we are no longer tolerant to any opposing ideas. If somebody has an opinion that differs from ours, they are usually excluded from the group. Another result is that ourr beliefs and opinions become much more firmly entrenched than they used to be and, just as this can create unity and cohesion, too much of it can also create divisions amongst individuals. Another element is the lack of real personal interactions between family and friends, in which many of us tend to find it easier to communicate with our nearest and dearest through instant messages or other forms of readily available technologies rather than have real conversations and interactions with one another in realtime. In addition to many legitimate reasons of concern regarding privacy, social network applications have the abilitiy to not only share private data with your ‘friends’ or ‘followers’ but also keeps it stored on a public domain, which is susceptible to attack from hackers. In conclusion, social media is here to stay. In fact, it is only getting bigger, stronger and more innovative than ever. However, just as it expands and makes our lives easier, it gets more and more complicated as well. Regardless on where you fall on either side of the debate, it has become very hard—if not entirely impossible—to completely avoid social media in your life, but what you can do is try to control it rather than letting it control you.
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From the heart of the U.A.E
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Heart Change of
Hala Kazim is an Emirati woman of many inclinations; a vision of constant growth, change, and spiritual evolution. She is an artist, a motivator, and, ultimately, a purveyor of serenity. She started the worldrenowned Journey of Change to give women a chance to journey into the depths of their souls and come out on the other side as brighter, happier, clearer versions of themselves. She talks to us about the importance of detachment, the meaning of happiness, and the unstoppable power of change.
@HalaKazim
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Can you tell us more about the Journey of Change and how the idea came to you? The idea behind the Journey of Change came to me as a consequence to a rough patch in my life and how I went about trying to fix it. Several years ago I found myself feeling a little bit anxious and empty about my life and I felt like I needed to do something to jumpstart the energy and the drive back into my system. I wanted to incur real change in my life and embrace all the new and untapped qualities hidden within me. So, as someone who has lived most of my life among the desert-filled landscapes that we have in this part of the world, I decided to travel somewhere where the landscape allowed me a new set of activities and possibilities that I had never taken the time to explore before. I went to countries and places where I could hike—places where I could take long, lungfulls of fresh air with every step. I dedicated my entire travels to walking and exploring the world—and my place within the world— on my own two feet. It was a truly helpful, life-altering experience that changed the way I thought about myself and unraveled many previously unsought paths and truths about my personality and my potential. I wanted other women who were in similar ruts in their lives to go through that same experience of deeply embedded change. So I created the Journey of Change campaign and started working on this wonderful process. Based on your experience, what have you found to be the most important elements to facilitate inner growth and change? Well, I’ve found that, in order for anyone to ever start embracing the power of their own potential and to begin making major steps towards self-growth, there are three essential steps or stages that must take
I define happiness as indefinable.
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place. First, you must admit that you have a problem or that you are facing a frustrating situation. Many people live in denial of the fact that there is a real problem that needs to be addressed and force themselves to look the other way and remain silently miserable. Second, you must not simply dwell on the problem once you’ve admitted to it. This is the stage that I’ve found a lot of people tend to get stuck on. Many people have no problem pointing out the issues and discerning the problem areas in their lives but, instead of looking for proactive solutions or healthy outlets, they simply focus on the enormity or the despair of the problem and let it hinder them from seeing anything past it—like an imaginary brick wall of their own creation. Third, you must start (and not stop) looking for a solution. The solution doesn’t have to be based around a solid, laid out plan; it doesn’t have to comprise of a physical, reallife entity. It can simply be the affirmation you need to give yourself to start looking at the world through a new perspective or starting to treat yourself better enough to gain the confidence you need to thrive in your life. What do you think holds people back from embracing their best selves or growing spiritually? Unfortunately, in our part of the world, the way children (who eventually become adults) are raised can be very problematic. Many people in our societies are raised with the word ‘no’ far too often in their lives. We are constantly told what we cannot do, who we cannot be, where we cannot go, and many times without much rhyme or reason. We do not nurture the concepts of encouragement and boundless potential as much as we need to in our homes and with our families which does, unfortunately, end up coming back to haunt us later on in our lives.
learn more about nurturing their inner souls and learn how to detach themselves from the distractions of their lives in order to see things clearly. It teaches women to take care of themselves. The hiking comes in as more of a facilitator to this change rather than the main activity. When our bodies exercise and when our blood circulation becomes faster, we are compelled to release a lot of tension and we also start feeling the happy effects of endorphins on our bodies. This cathartic physical reaction paired with the beauty of nature that surrounds us throughout our walks gives us the stepping stone we need to start talking and start detaching enough to see the bigger, clearer picture when it comes to ourselves and our lives. Is it possible for women to apply those same principles in their normal, day-today lives as well? Well, of course, women can always take the time out of their lives to re-evaluate and reenergize their souls towards accepting and creating meaningful change. The Journey of Change, however, is simply a means to help them start on that road and to help them learn how to detach and apply those techniques
in their own day to day lives. Sometimes, it can be difficult for some women to even begin thinking about taking some time for themselves and giving themselves a break. The Journey of Change is a great platform to help them start in that direction and to guide them along their own personal path of detachment and self-growth. But, yes, of course, any woman can and should take an hour or two out of her day to walk in the park (for example) and remove herself from all the noise and the pressure of daily life in order to keep her soul alive with energy and positivity. How do you define happiness? I define happiness as indefinable. There is no one definition of happiness for anyone. Your idea of happiness might be different from my own and that does not make either one of us right or wrong. To be happy is to follow your own path, no matter how different it may be from someone else’s. You cannot ask anyone to define happiness for you and expect that to be a hard and fast definition of what you should want as well. You have to go on your own journey and figure out your own path towards your own happiness.
You're quite an avid, worldly traveller! What have your many travels taught you about the world and about yourself? Personally, travel has given me a chance to detach. It gave me the time I needed to step away from my surroundings and some of the noise that came with it and think about my own life and where I need to go to set it on the right track; the track which makes me happiest from within. When it comes to the world, I learned that, at the end of the day, what joins us is more than what makes us different. The outer shell of our bodies, our clothes, and our lifestyle habits may be different but deep down I’ve found that all humans, of all races, of all genders, and of all countries, are all the same. What principles, techniques, or activities did you use to help the women cultivate themselves during the Journey of Change? Well, first it’s important to note that the Journey of Change is not a hiking service or a hiking company. It is more of an openended journey that is there to help women
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Jumana Al-Awadhi @organickuwait @welovekuwait
لماذا الزراعة العضوية؟ الن ولدي يستاهل! فكلنا نبحث الطفالنا عن االفضل ،و ما افضل من غذاء صحي يغذيه و يحميه من المواد السامة المكدسة باالغذية الغير صحية .ان الغذاء الطبيعي للطفل ال يحميه من هذة االمراض و حسب بل يقوي جهاز المناعة لديه و يجعله اكثر مقاومة لالمراض. ال يمر اسبوع بدون ان نقرأ على صفحات الجرائد عنوان عريض مخيف عن االمراض التي انتشرت بهذا الزمن بسبب سوء التغذية التي تعودنا عليها لسنوات طوال! فحتى حسن اختيار طعامي ال يحميني من المواد السامة التي دخلته منذ ان كان بذرة! ثم يربكني احتمالية يعرض غذائي الى ما يسمى "التعديل الجيني" .و اذا سلمت من المواد الحافظة و الملونات و المثبتات و السكريات ،لن تسلم من مبيدات الحشرات التي تعلق على اوراق خضرتي فال اراها و يصعب علي ازالتها. ان اختيارنا لالغذة العضوية ال يضمن لنا نظافة غذائنا و حسب ،بل يفتح لنا باب واسع نستمتع فيه بتشكيلة اكبر من االغذية و يعرفنا على عالم جديد اّخر يحمل الخضار فيه رائحة الخضار الحقيقية! فيه ال نأكل الطعام فيه فقط ،بل نتغزل فيه و نعشقه! هذة هي الطريقة السليمة للحياة و هكذا يجب على االنسان ان يعيش ،مقدرا و شاكرا لكل ما لديه من نعم. الكويت ليست الدولة الوحيدة المتأخرة في مجال الزراعة العضوية ،و ان كانت هناك محاوالت جادة والذي يستوجب علينا ك ّاباء المطالبة بمراقبة الزراعة اكثر و االلتفات الى طرق الزراعة المناسبة لجونا و مواسمنا بالكويت .بزيادة الوعي سيزيد عدد المهتمين بالزراعة العضوية و لن يكون هناك مجال للغش التجاري و ادعاء ان المنتج عضوي و هو غير ذلك.. حاليا حيث اسكن باريزونا يشابه المناخ الكويت بشمسها و حرها و حتى غبارها ،و ايضا شتاءها الصحراوي ،يهتم الكثير بالزراعة العضوية التي تنساب الجو .ليس فقط بالمزارع بل بالمنازل ايضا .مع ان حديقة المنزل صغيرة نسبيا و نسكن بمنطقة تكثر فيها العقارب السامة و الثعابين النها مدينة جديدة لم تكن ماهولة ،ولكن تقريبا كل بيوت الفريج يتبادلون منتوجاتهم و يقدمونها بسلة كهدايا. الزراعة هواية ممتعة و مفيدة و تعلم الحنان و الطيبة و الصبر .اعتقد ان ال يجب ان يخلوا اي بيت بالكويت منها .فقد كبرت وانا اشوف امي تزرع و ابوي يبشر امي عن تطور تلك الشجرة. للزراعة طاقة ايجابية كبيرة على االسرة.
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Blazing your own trail and venturing out into uncharted territory is never easy. It takes a lot of perseverance and diligence to prove your worth and to make your mark. Even more importantly, it takes a commitment to unmatched excellence in your field and a wealth of regenerating knowledge and expertise. This is exactly what Kuwait's very first female dentist, Dr. Eqbal Al-Asfour has been doing since she started in Kuwait's dentistry field over 40 years ago. She has redefined herself time and again as a pioneer practitioner who has spearheaded and participated in such important initiatives as starting the Kuwait Dentist Association. Even after achieving so much and making a solid, respectable name for her self, she later went on to open and oversee Al-Mubarikiya Dental Center to further enhance her already expansive repertoire of skills and education, and as means of providing premium dental care for all her incoming patients. She talks to us about her journey down this revolutionary path of purpose, of innovation, and of endless growth.
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Smiles
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did you decide to pursue dentistry as a career? I pursued dentistry because my father wanted one of his daughters to become a dentist. As I started studying dentistry, I found it to be very interesting and I started liking the career path that I chose more and more. This made me have a high enough confidence to accomplish my goal, graduate with a dentistry degree, and to be the first female dentist in Kuwait with such a degree. As the first female dentist, what challenges and obstacles did you have to surpass in your career? There were many challenges that I’ve had to face as the first female dentist. During that time, our culture in Kuwait did not have many female doctors or professional women working in male dominating work environments. Therefore, I had to work twice as hard and give more effort in order to prove to the people around me that being a female doesn’t mean that I cannot work as hard or do as well as my other male colleagues. I have had a few patients that did not like the fact that I was a female Kuwaiti dentist and some did not want me to work with them for that reason. However, others accepted it and were intrigued by how good I was as a dentist, regardless of my gender. This has ultimately helped me build my reputation as a successful dentist in spite of the negative perceptions.
I had to work twice as hard and give more effort in order to prove to the people around me that being a female doesn’t mean that I cannot work as hard or do as well as my other male colleagues.
You've been in the industry for a very long time now and you've transitioned through different sectors. How has the progress and perception of woman working in your field changed throughout the years? I have been in the dental industry for more than 40 years and I have seen a number of changes throughout my years. Many of these changes revolved around the acceptance of more female dentists entering the market and working in different governmental sectors of the Ministry of Health. The changes have been very good as more and more people became increasingly aware of the fact that female dentists can indeed be just as good or even better than male dentists and that judging a doctor by their gender is not in any way a quality that distinguishes them to be any better or worse than other dentists.
@Mubarakiya_Dental mubarakiya-dc.com mubarakiyadental
hat was it like to be the first female dentist in Kuwait? 44 www.thecitym.com
I feel very proud that I am the first female dentist in Kuwait. My father was very supportive of me as well as the rest of my family. Therefore I wanted to make them proud to know that I have achieved this goal and have proved to people that I was capable of doing it.
What are some interesting or groundbreaking studies you've conducted or been a part of? One of my highest accomplishments was being one of the few dentists who was actively involved in the establishment of the Dental Association here in Kuwait. This association has had a great influence on the dental field in Kuwait until today. The Dental Association conducts conferences and seminars from which all dentists here in Kuwait can benefit, and helps introduce the latest in dental technology and methods to treat our dental patients. I myself have done a number of studies and surveys throughout Kuwait as part of my job when I was head of the dental sector (Capital
Area) of the Ministry of Health. These studies have been done with international doctors, some from the United States, specifically Boston University. It was a privilege for me to have participated and greatly involve myself in these studies that benefit my country and its growing dental sector. How were you able to balance your successful professional life and your personal responsibilities as a wife and mother at the same time? I had a tough time balancing between both my career life as a successful dentist and my personal life as a proud mother of three children. I have learned to balance my time between both my children and my career and, with the help and support of my family, I was able to do it with success. My children are all grown up now and I have 6 healthy grandchildren. My youngest son is following my footsteps into managing my dental centers and building on my legacy so I’m very proud and happy with the way everything has turned out. What made you want to strike out on your own and start the illustrious Al-Mubarakiya Dental Center? Before establishing Al-Mubarakiya Dental Center, I was working as a dentist in my own clinic after I had retired in 1993 from the Ministry of Health as the Head of the Capital Region, after 24 years of service. In 2004, I was allowed to open up an even bigger business and I chose to open Al-Mubarakiya Dental Center in Salmiya as my first branch. As an experienced working woman, I could not be a stay at home mother for very long. Working just makes me happy. The feeling of accomplishing such success makes me proud of myself and, therefore, I did not want to stop. Al-Mubarakiya Dental Center has, thankfully, been a great success and having a well-known
reputation in my field is a source of pride and credibility for me. It has helped my dental center grow and open up its second branch in 2011 at Al-Egaila. Can you tell us more about Al-Mubarikiya Dental Center and the variety of services it offers? Al-Mubarakiya Dental Center was established in 2004 in Salmiya as its first branch. With a group of 4 dentists of different professions, it started off on a very successful note and has been going strong until today. In 2011, I decided to enter a different market sector and therefore opened up my second Al-Mubarakiya branch in Al-Egaila. Our dental center offers a wide range of services, all involving dentistry. From time to time, we do add new services that enter the market depending on what our patients would like to do. Such services that have been introduced in the past are Veneers, Invisalign, and other services. All of our services are mentioned clearly on our website and our staff are more than willing to provide information to whomever is interested in certain services. Some of the services we offer use the latest technologies in Implants, crowns, endodontics, orthodontics (braces), whitening and scaling, root canal treatments and fillings. For more information, anyone can visit our website at www.mubarakiya-dc.com and, from there, they can find most of the information they need including our contact details.
importance of taking regular care of your teeth. Our doctors have put aside some time to help raise the awareness of this vital health need and to hopefully minimize the fear of dentists from some of the patients. Another special offer that we are offering is a special discount for all Kuwait University students for braces. This offer is only valid for the month of March and, upon presenting their KU ID, students are valid to get the special discount on braces in both our Salmiya and Al-Egaila Branches. After such a long, fruitful career, do you have any other future hopes and goals in mind? One of my consistent goals is to always have the latest technologies in my dental centers so that I can offer the best, most affordable services to my patients. This will help the reputation of my dental center grow and maintain it’s high standard. Another one of my goals is to open up a third branch in a different area in Kuwait as well. Hiring more doctors is also a goal of mine, as my vastly growing list of patients is expanding at very rapid rate and, therefore, I have to make sure that I am constantly able to meet this increasing demand.
Do you have any exclusive campaigns or offers on the horizon at Al-Mubarakiya Clinic? We have a special campaign that we are doing for the month of March. The 20th of March is World Oral Hygiene Day and, as a way to participate, we are providing free checkups and teeth cleaning for new patients only. Our doctors are more than willing to increase the awareness of oral hygiene and to stress the
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Last February, the 1st Kuwait-North American Update in Internal Medicine Conference took place in Kuwait and the medical community in Kuwait was absolutely buzzing with all the excitement of hosting some of the world’s most expansively well-read and groundbreaking medical professionals in their respective fields. As a member of Kuwait’s Medical Student Association, I had the great fortune to be a part of this unprecedented event and to witness many miraculous ideas and lectures, which are at the forefront of shaping the direction of Internal Medicine today.
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Unlike any of it’s predecessors, this year's conference was thoroughly unique; as it included a long list of valued guest speakers from North America’s leading universities and medical schools, such as Harvard Medical School, John Hopkins, and McGill University. It lasted for 2 days and was held in Jumeriah Hotel. The Conference Chairperson, Dr. Moudi H. Almutairi, added that the aim of the Conference is to advocate the dissemination and promotion of an updated knowledge concerning Internal Medicine as well as providing recent evidence based reviews which can be implemented to ensure a state-of-the-art Internal Medicine practice, especially so in Kuwait. Kuwait's Medical Student Association (KuMSA), which is managed by Kuwait's medical students themselves, proudly contributed to this exceptional gathering of professionals and intellectuals by organizing the conference, giving Kuwait's future doctors the chance to participate in such a career lifting experience and which will hopefully help them gather practical information in their fields at an early stage. KuMSA also holds several awareness campaigns and activities concerning health issues, such as obesity, AIDS/HIV, or Breast Cancer, to steer the public attention towards the importance of remaining mindful of our health. Through this path of active awareness, KuMSA hopes to reduce the chances for such conditions to occur or to proliferate. Namely, in April, the Medicine team is going to be holding a campaign which goes by the name ‘Still Beating' and which will take place in several private schools and public places. The campaign will include a marathon and is completely open for the public to join in. Its larger goal is to stress the fact that, when it comes down to it, prevention is always better than a cure. This is especially prevalent and vital for our society to understand, as many preventable diseases like cardiovascular diseases are among leading causes of death in Kuwait! Through these series of inspirational, informative, and progressive campaigns and conferences, KuMSA is on a mission to make a radical change towards the betterment of our minds and our bodies and to open up the field of medicine in Kuwait in order for it to continue flourishing and remain up to par with the world’s most advanced medical systems.
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KuMSA is on a mission to make a radical change towards the betterment of our minds and our bodies.
@KUMSA_Q8 kumsa-md.org
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thePHARMACIST Shabari Al-Qahtani @dwaa_kwt
B R O U G H T TO YO U BY
Mother's Day celebrations are about honouring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in Kuwait on the 21st of March. It is a day meant to express the gratitude of children to their mothers and for us to return the favour towards our cherished moms for their many years of love and devotion. They are our tireless support systems; they guide us along our life paths with patience and experience; and they actively help shape our personalities and our identities into the productive members of society that we were always meant to become. Who would any of us be without the sacrifices and the struggles that our mothers had to endure for the sake of our happiness and our wellbeing? We would never be who we are today, that’s for sure. She is the keeper of your health, your happiness, and your heart—how can you or I ever begin to repay her? While we do all that we can to make her proud and give her peace of mind, one of the best things we can do is look out for our mother’s well-being and beauty as she has looked out for ours over the years. Here are some invigorating, revitalizing and soothing health and beauty goodies from AAW/Pharmacy just for our one and only mamas!
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Perfect Skin Brightening Set from Rexol • Rexsol Vitamin C Facial Wash 200 ml • Rexol Skin Whitening Cream • Rexol Intensive Moisturizing Cream KD 22.244
Best of Bioderma Bioderma Sensibio H2O: Makeup Remover• Bioderma Photoderm Compact Max 50+ SPF with Light Tint• Bioderma W.O Moussant: 2 in 1, Daily Exfoliating Foaming Gel with• a Whitening Effect KD 18.500
Youthfulness Set from Institut Esthederm • E.V.E Serum Source 30ml • Time Technology Cream 50ml • Eye Contour Lift Patches - 1 month cure KD 120.47
Osmo Pack • Gentle Deep Pore Cleanser 75 ml • Lightening Buffing Mask KD 28.830
Radiance Beauty Set from Phasilab • Instant Protect Cream SPF 50+ • Instant Demake S 250ml • Instant Eclate 15ml KD 28.750
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Bio-Oil Bath Time Gift Idea 2X Bio-Oil 60ml• 1X Bio-Oil 125 ml• KD 14.300
Essential Care Set from Institut Esthederm • Cellular Water Spray 100 ml • UV inCellium Spray 100 ml • E.V.E Serum Source 30ml KD 80. 030
Photographer:Abdulrhman Al-Yousef
The Smile Makers A Perfectionist.
Dr. Rashed H. Al-Azemi
D.D.S., M.S.D, Orthodontics First thing's first! Tell us more about yourself and about your dental specialty. I have received my Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from the Medical college of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University (USA) in 1996. I have completed all the required examinations and practical tests such as the American National Dental Board and the Northeast Regional Board that are needed to practice in the USA. I have obtained a Pennsylvania dental license since May, 2000. I have also completed an internship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Hospital. After spending a total of 8 years in studying advanced General Dentistry I believed that specializing in orthodontics and becoming a diplomat of the American Board of Orthodontics will put in the highest level in our profession. I then fulfilled all requirements for both Master and Certificate in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at the University of Pittsburgh (USA) in 2002 with highest honor. I also became American Board certified and diplomate. I am trained in the latest orthodontic technologies and techniques including: Invisalign, Clear Braces, friction-free mechanics, and orthodontic mini-implants. I focus in the orthodontic preparation needed for Orthognathic Surgery cases and work in close contact with the Maxillofacial and Plastic Surgeons colleagues in Kuwait and the USA. I am now a fulltime Assistant professor at the Faculty of Dentistry of Kuwait University and have published many papers in International referred Journals in areas like Cephalometric analysis, Treatment need and Diagnosis, Trauma and Genetics.
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Did you always know you wanted to be a dentist? As far back as I can think, early years in middle school was the time that I thought being a doctor is the reward that I should get for all the hard work of maintaining a high rank in school. Which field of the health care profession should I go to, was not a major worry to me at that time. In the early eighties when America and its tremendous media were attracting every young man's attention and at the same time my two brothers were studying in the US. I was sure that the US is my destination if I want to become a doctor. After 7 prosperous years, I obtained a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the Medical College of Virginia. I then decided to specialize in Orthodontics. Besides sufficient medical treatment, what values and lessons would you like your patients to take away from you after every appointment? Being an orthodontist gives me the chance to know my patient and their families more because of their repeated monthly appointments. I hope that they enjoy life day by day, appreciate the time that their parents are giving to them and value what their country is giving to them. Tell us about your experience at Bayan Clinic. Why do you think it is a special place for both dentists and patients? Bayan Dental is a great place for those dentists who want to do Dentistry and be provided with the best environment without worrying about management issues. It also has a great team of the best dental specialists were our referrals are monitored and followed within the center. They also provide the latest technology and provide their doctors the chance to attend overseas conferences.
What do you most enjoy about being a dentist? One of the great excitements of being a dentist is that you have the chance to see the result of your work on the patient. The dentist has a major role in improving the self-esteem of a person. As an orthodontist these enjoyments are in addition to becoming friend with the patient and their family. Are there any dental tips you would like to pass on to our readers? If there is one message that I would love to pass to the readers is that whenever you want to get a major dental work make sure that you are involved in the planning of such treatment and that every advantage and disadvantage is well explained to you before you make the final decision. The old idea that the doctor knows everything and should decide for you does not exist anymore. What is so special about your field? Orthodontics has been a rewarding career from all aspects. It has allowed me to influence many lives through improving their smiles. It is very pleasing to see the big smile when the braces are removed, and in many instances the improvement in self esteem. As an orthodontist, I most enjoy dealing with people and the many variations in orthodontic cases. Some cases involve jaw surgery while others require functional appliances (growth appliances). I left Kuwait right after high school and spent almost 12 years in the US completing all my studies and Board requirements. I felt foreign in my own country in a way that I don’t know many people due to the fact that I spent a long time away from home. Working as an orthodontist gave me the chance to meet people and within no time I felt like I know almost every family in Kuwait.
@bayandentalkw
@bayandental
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Photographer: Hussain Shamo Creative Director: Zainab Bahman
Noora Al-Askar @NooraAlaskar
Food and DNA: Our Genetic Blueprint! Hello lovely readers, its nice to be back again filling you in with all that is new in the world of health and nutrition! This month’s issue revolves around the word ‘concept’. That’s quite a multifaceted word and I started thinking about what new concept has been introduced in nutrition that hasn’t been talked about before—then I thought about the Human Genome Project and the concept of ‘Nutrigenomics!’ Nutrigenomics is the science of nutrient-gene interaction. It explores how food and nutrition have the power to switch certain triggers on and off in our genetic blueprint: our DNA. This explains why people have different physiological reactions to the same food and how we may also prevent the onset of certain diseases through a certain diet program. Let’s take coffee for example. Studies show that coffee may lower the risk of heart disease as a result of its antioxidant content. However, research also shows that excessive coffee drinkers are more susceptible and are at higer risk of heart disease! So what has changed? Why do we have two sets of people drinking the same concoction but showing different physiological responses within their bodies? The answer is genetic variation! Some people have a genetic variant in their DNA that causes slow breakdown of caffeine in their body. This causes the caffeine to circulate longer than needed in their blood streams, disrupting normal heart rhythms and increasing blood pressure. This consequently increases their risk of heart disease. On the other hand, the second group of people are high metabolizers of caffeine therefore they will
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reap the benefits of caffeine without the disastrous aftermath on their heart! This may well explain why some people’s cholesterol levels easily respond to dietary and lifestyle changes whereas some people don’t respond as well, despite the fact they are both the same age, with the same medical history, and are both on a cardioprotective diet that is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, and exercise! I see this phenomenon at Taiba Hospital often and it used to baffle me, until I read in several medical literature that there is a gene variant called APOE which controls cholesterol metabolism! This causes some people to easily respond to dietary changes and cholesterol lowering, functional foods, while others require a different approach and more of a push to get the ball rolling. These genetic variations are called Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and are what make each and every one of us unique in every way. They affect how we respond to food, how we metabolize food and, most importantly, how we respond to the disease protective benefits of food. Once we understand this and identify these triggers we are then able to create a very specific, customizable diet approach that will help prevent various diseases and better tackle the worldwide GLOBESITY epidemic. Think of it as a switch where you have the control: what you eat not only optimizes your health but it also prevents the onset of certain diseases! Nutrition is a powerful tool, use it intelligently and use it well!
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A Conscious Palette
For plenty of people around the world, here's what it means to eat in 2014: a lot of generic, global fast food chains; an endless list of uninspired, irrelevant consumer blockbusters (how many Nutella-laced dessert start-ups can you name in under 10 seconds?); and an increasingly desensitized palette to the culturally irreplaceable flavors
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that define the histories, native identities, and embedded heritage of authentic cuisines across the globe, including our own. In the last few years, however, Kuwait's been leading a quiet food revolution. Through Kuwait's massive and rapidly expanding food market, there's been a great resurgence of Kuwaiti, certified, culinary talent peppered with a host of authentic flavors and inspired food concepts. Chef Feras Al-Zaid is among the highest of these young, ambitious, trailblazing ranks. Guided by an educated, curious attitude and his own promising food initiative—Community Table—Chef Feras is on a mission to reawaken the Kuwaiti palette one dish at a time.
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What are five ingredients you always have on hand? Salt, Olive Oil, Butter, Cheese, and Flour. What sparked your interest in food? My interest in food started at an early age. I was always an adventurous eater and loved trying out new things. I still remember eating raw fish, meat offal, and other ‘foodie’ types of dishes while my other friends thought it was so strange. When I was a teen I began to cook as a hobby. I then decided to get a job making soup at a local café in Canada where I was attending high school. I would visit the local markets daily to purchase fresh ingredients everyday for the soups, and I believe this planted the seed to my approach in cooking later on in my life: fresh, seasonal, local. What is the concept behind Community Table and how did the idea come to you? The Community Table is an idea that began during my culinary school days in Miami, Florida. Local produce, art, and other chefs in the city were constantly inspiring me. I was at the height of my passion and experimentation in food, and I wanted to create a platform that connected culture, food, and art when I came back to Kuwait. Our launch was at Sadu House, which was a special two-night event in affiliation with the Artist Bader Al Monsour’s Sadu Art Exhibit, where I created a menu of re-interpreted Kuwaiti Dishes. Since then, we have been hosting monthly dinners in different locations, and will continue to do so until we find a permanent home. We are also going to begin various food/culture workshops. Our first workshop will focus on preserving the classical Kuwaiti techniques of making pickles, an art that is slowly dying out. There is also a Community Table Forum that I just started on social media in which we pose questions that I feel should be part of the general public discussion. Our first topic touched on the different affects that large food corporations, such as McDonalds, have on our cultural food identity. The goal here is to hopefully transform this online forum into a monthly national publication at some point. We can spark some muchneeded debates on important food related topics, and express them to a larger group of people in hopes of finding solutions to some of our issues. Kuwait is in the midst of a culinary revolution and I feel like the Community Table is a positive addition to this. I want to make changes that help uplift people and put all of us in a better position.
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"Food is not only a representation of culture; it is in many ways the most significant part of culture." How do you think globalization has changed the way we eat? I think globalization has done a lot to help society, especially in the areas of communication and technology. With globalization comes a maximum level of consumerism though, which is the only way product transfer can occur on a global scale. In other words, produce as much of something as possible, to as many people as possible. For this reason, food is often adversely affected because it’s being treated as a series of goods rather than an entity necessary for our well-being. Visit any country in the world and you will find vast generational gaps in the way people eat. You will often hear elders complain that the kids don’t eat the traditional local foods that those same elders grew up eating. This is largely due to globalization. For this reason, it is important for us to educate our society, and in particular our younger generation on the importance of preserving our traditional cuisine. In what ways do you think food can represent culture? In a cultural context, food acts as a bridge between people and their roots in history. Food is not only a representation of culture; it is in many ways the most significant part of culture. I’ve had the opportunity to live in different countries and, my personal way of connecting myself to these different cultures, including my own, has been through food. Do you have a creative process when coming up with new recipes? Usually I will get an idea, and if I think it’s worth pursuing, I will build on it. Many times it’s simply a matter of trial and error. Any creative
process can’t truly be calculated. Once it becomes such, it looses its freedom and the thought process becomes forced. If there is anything consistent about my own creative process it’s usually the fact that I get my ideas late at night. What is the difference between a great chef and a great cook? People often misconstrue the titles of chef and cook as being interchangeable. Many times a Chefs’ fundamental job has little to do with actual cooking; it’s being able to properly run a kitchen, manage a crew, and be skilled enough to deal with any issues that may arise in a food operation. Some chefs don’t actually cook at their restaurants, while others are there on a daily basis cooking beside their staff; this is a matter of a chef’s own philosophical approach to their job. I know in my career, I’ve almost never seen the head chef actually cooking on the line. A cook can be great at cooking, but not necessarily have the knowledge, temperament, or wisdom that a chef must have to lead a successful
operation. Chefs have to know how to deal with suppliers, deal with costs/profits, ordering and receiving techniques, etc. Cooks can be in charge of a station. Perhaps they are prep-cooks that have the responsibility of prepping the ‘mise en place’ for that station. A nonprofessionally trained home cook can be an incredible cook, but not a chef. The differences are endless. What is the most underrated cuisine? Authentic Kuwaiti cuisine. How do you see the Kuwait eating scene growing or expanding in the next 5 years? I think Kuwait is heading in the right direction as far as our overall food scene. We are slowly seeing a resurgence of local produce, markets, and young Kuwaiti chefs that are making positive changes. It’s an exciting time for Kuwait; my only concern is being able to sustain this wave.
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@Chef_Ziad_Alobaid
@Bice_Mare
For our March issue I decided to visit Bice Mare, a seafood dining off-shoot of my January review location, Bice Al-Hamra. Bice Mare is, appropriately enough, located at Marina Waves Kuwait and I have to say that the minute I stepped foot in the place I felt an immediate sense of calm and refreshing hominess. The ambiance was definitely just right enough to get me in the mood for a nice, hearty Italian meal, that’s for sure. So, without much adieu, I immediately made myself comfortable and started perusing the menu for some equally homey, seaside eats.
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"That charmingly subtle blend of worldly modernity seasoned with homegrown flavors."
Some of the items available on the menu were the same as Bice Al-Hamara but there were also a lot of different additions to this menu which mostly consisted of seafood numbers because of the likely seaside locale. Alright—let’s get down to business, shall we? I ordered two appetizers, two main courses, and 3 desserts. Here is the break down.
Appetizers •
Gamberi e Avocado
Well, judging by the name, it’s three shrimps and a lobster on a bed of lettuce with avocado, topped with some light dressing. The seafood itself wasn't overcooked at all which is definitely a big plus in my book as it’s something that I always look at when judging the overall quality of most dishes. Plus,
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there wasn't that pungently strong, fishy odor that a lot of heavy-loaded seafood dishes like this usually have. I found that impressive. I have to say though that it was missing a particular kick in the bite. Don’t get me wrong I quite enjoyed the dish as a whole but some small things like a tiny but interesting punch of salt and pepper could’ve given it that extra bit of unforgettable flavor. Over all, however, I still highly recommend this one.
Who doesn’t like this creamy superstar with a big explosion of flavor? Well, I’m sorry to say that this was not what I got out of this particular tiramisu—not at all. It was honestly quite bland and the texture was very lacking. What really bowled me over however was the overinflated price! The amount was way too much to pay for a tiramisu—and such a subpar one at that. Not recommended.
•
This came in 3 flavors: pistachio, vanilla, and raspberry. I really loved how each bite of the macaroon introduces a slightly different taste of it’s contents. It gave the dessert an interesting,
Burrata Organica
This dish was basically a cheese and cream dish, softserved with baby arugula and maybe 3 pieces of cherry tomato, and it came with a balsamic dressing. To be honest, it was just alright. Not much of a wow factor to be found.
•
Macaroon Italiano
charming mystery. They were a little messy but in a good way— they kept the dessert portion of the meal light and fun, as it should be! Highly recommended for those of you with an infectiously addicted sweet tooth. This will definitely fulfill that need. •
Panna Cotta Variegta
I’m usually quite a big fan of Panna Cotta but this one was a bit of a letdown for me. Texture-wise, it kind of resembled a Muhalabiya and, unfortunately, the taste was just not there. Plus the raspberry sauce used with it was on the blander side and so it gave off virtually zero taste. Not a great experience. I would have gone with
a light caramel sauce instead and it would have done the trick just fine. Overall, Bice Mare was a nice, chilled out place to spend cozy dinner. It has a lot to offer in the way of authentically Italian, seaside dining that brings you that charmingly subtle blend of worldly modernity seasoned with homegrown flavors. The service was rather excellent and, for the most part, the meal came together quite well for me as a piece of genuine Italian cuisine. I’d definitely visit it again without a doubt.
Main Course •
Penne Alla Puttanessca di Mare
Now, here is a dish that was a big shocker to me and not in a good way. It was really just pizza sauce without any thing else. On the menu it says it comes with calamari but it was honestly diced so small that I had to fish for it. Plus, it was way too underseasoned. Supposedly on the menu, the dish comes with a lot of other ingredients that just weren’t appearing for me. The basil was more of a garnish than an ingredient, which was underwhelming. Can’t say I’d recommend it. •
Involtino di Sargo, Spincie e Composta di Limone Con Risotto
This is a fillet of fish served with risotto. When I ordered this dish I honestly didn’t know what to expect and I have to say it was a very pleasant surprise. In short: I flat out loved it. Everything was blended very well without anything overcrowding anything else. The fish was cooked to perfection and not a notch overcooked which is, as I mentioned before, a big plus in my opinion. The rice was cooked al dente, just as I had ordered it. All the various flavors really mingled and blended well together and came out quite spectacular as one, solid dish. Two thumbs up without a doubt!
Dessert •
Tiramisu
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Anmar is Cooking @anmariscooking
They say that family is where life begins and where love never ends, and I couldn't agree more. A family gathering is a blessing when you've got a big family of beautiful people inside-out. You find yourself constantly laughing, learning new things about them as well as yourself, and you also find yourself giving non-stop. We protect, laugh, appreciate, and pray for each other, which is why its so important to take into consideration what family loves to eat when they come over. That simple gesture will put a smile on their face and warm up your heart.
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The first type of dessert I decide to make every time we have a family gathering is my infamous cheesecake. I make several different flavors including strawberry, mixed berry, and even a Kuwaiti cheesecake, which I've previously shared in a past issue (and can be found on Instagram). For this month, I thought I'd share my recipe for the Blueberry Cheesecake with Blackberry Topping that I made: Ingredients: 140 g of digestive crumbs 55 g melted butter 450 g cream cheese 140 g caster sugar 2 tsp cornstarch plus 5 tbsp for the topping 175 ml sour cream (you can also use yogurt) 3 large eggs Zest and juice of 2 lemons 225 g fresh blueberries Frozen blackberries for the topping
3- Beat the cream cheese until it becomes very creamy then add in the sugar and 2 tsp of cornflour. 4- Add in the sour cream and beat until the mixture becomes very creamy and light. 5- Beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the lemon zest and juice. 6- Place the fresh blueberries on the digestive base or fold them into the mixture. 7- Pour the mixture on top of the digestive base and tap it on the surface.
A selection of fresh berries for decoration
8- Place your cake pan in a roasting tin filled with water and bake for 45 minutes.
Method:
9- Chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
1- Grease a cake tin and press in your digestive crumbs mixed with the melted butter. Wrap the sides with two layers of foil and keep it in the fridge until you've finished the rest of the cheesecake. 2- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
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10- Prepare the topping by stirring the frozen blackberries with a half cup of water and 5 tbsp of cornflour on medium heat until it becomes thick. 11- Before serving, cover the top surface of the cheesecake with the blackberry topping and your selection of fresh berries.
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From the heart of Saudi Arabia
Sweet
Talk We indulge in some seriously delicious, deliriously sweet talk with Saudi Arabian dessert entrepreneur, Lamya Al-Tuwaijri, about every delectable, scrumptious, downright mouthwatering bite of her Lamlicious cake. @Lamlicious
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Tell us about your early days starting the business. The business started earlier than anticipated as my best friend was trying to encourage me to commit to a date to pursue my dream of opening a bakery, so we started coming up with suggested names for the business followed up by creating a website and posting pictures of cakes I baked. This was not intended for publishing we were simply playing around, somehow someone got a hold of the website and the word spread like wildfire, and people started calling me to order cakes. At the time I was not ready to start commercial baking but on January 14, 2009, I caved in and took my first order. What is unusual or unique about your business? Every cake is baked as if it is made for my family, with top quality ingredients. We never cut corners that will jeopardize taste to increase revenue. We bake each cake with love and care to make each and every customer happy. What is your typical customer like? We cater for all, females and males alike. For the married couple or the singles, students or employed—we basically have customer diversity in every segment. What are some of the greatest challenges you faced in starting and running your business? Getting the right support to open the establishment and getting enough staff to meet our growing demand. On multiple occasions or
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on weekends we work more than 16 hours a day, and at times we lose potential clients because our schedules are full and our staffing level is not where we would like it to be. What are some of the most rewarding moments? Hearing and reading happy customers remarks, listening to encouraging words from my friends, and meeting our customers special occasions expectations. Who was your support system? My partners, my family, and my close friends. What would you advise those who want to create their own business but don't know where to start? Come up with something unique. Don't imitate; be creative and passionate about your business venture. Money or income should not be your major drive because that won't sustain you or give you the push to succeed. If your start a business that provides you with joy and happiness you not only fulfill your dreams but you will be happy within yourself as well. How are you finding the local Saudi market and the response from customers? The Saudi market is very selective and has a great taste. If you meet their expectation you will gain their support. Saudi customers appreciate good service and will be loyal if they see that the owner is involved and has a hands-on approach with the staff to run the business. They appreciate seeing me working, serving, taking orders from them. It is something that I believe increases customer trust in the product they are buying. What are the larger goals you would like to accomplish through your business? To be the preferred bakery for customers all over Saudi Arabia and to be able to deliver our products fresh to all regions in Saudi. Second, we would like to expand to other GCC countries within the next five years. Care to share any messages for the upcoming businesses and youth of the GCC? Do not be afraid; follow your heart and pursue your dreams. Start small and be involved in everything. Ask advice from people who you know and who have their own business. Create something new that is needed in your region and walk the path to leave a trail rather than following someone else's footsteps.
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Tara Sillery @tarasillery @rolasbeautylounge
The Art of Upstyles Our Top 5 tips • Think of your face shape • Think of what you are wearing before choosing your style • Follow trends but always wear a style that compliments your face and outfit • Always listen to advice from your hair stylist as it is their profession to determine what look suits you best • Always remember: less is more Weddings For up styles at weddings the bride should have a consultation with her stylist at least 6 weeks before the big day. Sometimes the style you choose does not compliment your dress nor theme therefore we advise that you always have a trial. Take into consideration whether the up style should stay all day or you will have numerous changes. Always remember that you should enjoy your day and not be burdened with loose pins or constant hairspray application, ladies! Always make sure you are comfortable with the style you have chosen as it is the most important day of your life and all focus is on you. Casual The trend at the moment is a loose or very severly tight upstyle using a sponge doughnut or something similar. These are styles which can be easily done at home, so once your stylist shows you the art of managing the donut, learn to master it. Braids are massively in at the moment and are always fun to play around with regardless of your age. Catwalk looks have seen a lot of loose waves and texture lately. Celebrities Celebrities worldwide have a huge impact on the styles we choose at Rola’s. We find that a lot of our clients come with a picture they want us to recreate. We always take into consideration what the client wants but will always give honest advice if we believe this is not the look that will suit our valued client best and in this case we offer alternatives.
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HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVORITE CELEBRITY LOOKS WHICH CAN EASILY BE DONE BY OUR PROFESSIONAL TEAM OF STYLISTS:
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When it unfolds beautifully, love is a lot like a fanfare symphony: overwhelming, loud, and joyously young at heart. In the midst of a theme park filled with lights, sounds, and the endless bustle of the lazy, hazy days of spring-turned-summer, is the candid story of boy-meets-girl.
FANFARE Creative Directors: Zainab Bahman @ZHBahman & Eman Jamal
Photographer: Eman Jamal @eman_jamal Stylist: Shaimaa Bou Rashed @shaimaab
Female Model: Promodel Service @promodel_service Male Model: Abdualqader Al-Mutawa'a @kad00r Wardrobe: Vintage 55 @Vintage55_KW Hair: O'Blush Beauty Salon @Oblush_BeautySalon_ & Khairya Sanasiri @Miss_Pink_ Makeup: Wallada Salman @FoxvisionStudio Sunglasses: Chilli Beans @ChillibeansKW Location: Hawally Park, Kuwait
Professional Model Service M O D E L AG E N C Y
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LET THE GAMES BEGIN
IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL
YOUNG OF HEART
UP, UP, AND AWAY
SWEET BANTER
SUGAR FOR MY SUGAR
ACES!
LOVE: A DAZE
A World of Fantasy Stepping up to your closet should be like opening the dressing-up box of imaginary fairytales and far-flung fantasies. This fashionable dream world of circus joy and land of make believe is exactly where Circus Maximos proprietor Mohalhel Al-Kluaib wants to take you.
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" The story started back in 2008 in a design studio near Via Della Spiga..." Why did you think Circus Maximos was worth bringing to Kuwait?
was a very important factor in choosing to bring this brand to Kuwait.
Circus Maximos is a brand that combines authenticity with modern trends; it blends them in a way that makes it attractive and desired. The brand has a vintage soul in its theme and graphics designs and it is reflected on everything related to it in an intriguing way that makes everything connected to that soul. From packaging, labels, and tags up to the final product itself; Circus Maximos provides a whole experience to the customer, and makes them feel and live the brand story without reading it as text. Moreover from the products design, the value (quality/price) ratio
What are the defining characteristics of a Circus Maximos line?
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As you can see from our major theme, Circus Maximos wants to implement vintage (circus culture) touches on the new trends and mix them together to create something new. You will see in the products a lot of twists like creating a t-shirt from two different materials or you will notice deliberate needle stiches on the piece itself, or even introducing stripes to be patched on the garment. Overall, the brand’s major characteristics
comprise of circus culture implications; redefining authenticity and vintage appeal; a stable quality/price ratio; fittings and designs that are executed and implemented with a solid understanding and reflection of youth culture. In addition, each and every piece of our launch collection has only 300 pieces to be sold worldwide. So if you got one, you will be 1 out of the 300 people owning this exclusive piece in a world of 7 billion people! As an added bonus, we also thought it was important to give back and to include charity work in our overall brand image. So 2 percent of our yearly income will be going to charity projects that we will handle our selves and the events of which we will publish on our blog.
storyline. Our business concept is to offer the latest fashion concepts and trends while mixing them up with authenticity and vintage twists and to offer all of that to them at an exceptional price value. Circus Maximos has a very vintage, whimsical feel to it. What do you think inspires this design approach? The design approach was influenced by the vintage circus, as you see from our major theme board. The designers fell in love with it and and came up with many ideas to fabricate a piece that reflects this culture perfectly. For example, the scissor-cut collars and sleeves sometimes pan the edges. Our tags are designed to be like circus ticket in order to sustain the illusion of that world. The labels and packaging are a direct inspiration of the vintage, classy, simple and charming world of the magical circus. Where would you like to take Circus Maximos next? We would like to take Circus Maximos into the physical shop expansion phase, its on our 5 years plan. For the time being, we will offer franchise opportunities for the MENA- Region and Europe.
When and how did you the idea behind Circus Maximos formulate? The idea behind the Circus Maximos brand came about by a group of passionate people and professionals who admired fashion and who are willing to set new benchmarks in the industry. The story started back in 2008 in a design studio near Via Della Spiga. Back in 2008 I was attending a fashion course in Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, where I met many fashion designers and graphic designers working for famous brands attending the same course as I was. Then I sat with two of them that had this amazing idea of creating a brand with a real, vintage soul, and we decided that they should handle the technical issues
and I can handle the planning and strategy, finance, accounting, and marketing. At this point I can tell that they created the fashion designs and I worked on the branding, the name, and finding the proper finance to bring this brand to life. Who would you say Circus Maximos is designed for? Circus Maximos designs are geared towards both genders, ages between 18 and 40, and those who admire authentic and vintage designs with a twist of chic, on-trend modernism. The aim of the brand is to make people love their clothes, enjoy wearing them, and live the experience of the brand’s unique
How can our readers find Circus Maximos in Kuwait? In the beginning we soft opened a shop through Etsy.com’s web and smart phone applications and that is still on operation. On the 21st of March our women collection will be available in a pop-up shop at the 360 Mall, which is quite exciting. Finally, in the next couple of weeks, we will be launching our e-commerce international website. We will announce timings and availability points as it comes to operation on our Instagram account so be sure to follow us for all the latest updates!
@CircusMaximos @CircusMaximos
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Farah Al-Humaidhi @interiorart @pa-ia
Wow, What a Concept! Theoretically speaking, concepts are solutions to unsolved problems or new solutions to problems that are solved unsatisfactorily. It could be a product, a service, or a combination. The task of creating concepts is referred to as Concept Design. However, a different perspective would be to consider concept as a broad, high level idea that one uses to help express the message and the starting point of building up a particular design. No matter how we comprehend it, principally, it is one of the most important elements that attributes to the success of a business, product, or even design (service). Concept leads to your choice of color and type; it defines your aesthetic template to start off from. Each design decision you take will make you fall back on the concept for the direction. It becomes the framework for almost every design decision you will make. It deliberately makes you think of design from a particular perspective. What is the design supposed to do? Who is it for? What is its function? Once you are able to answer these you are there. You have formed the vision of your concept. Concept is the roadmap you use to reach the final design. It could be abstract, buts it’s the adhesive that holds everything together The conceptual design is focused towards generating solutions to meet a specific need as embodied in the design intent. It engages the design team in various activities like exploring and refining the ideas by engaging in free-flowing, collaborative brainstorming sessions, during which a wide range of designs could be in the form of free hand sketches, 2D drawings and layouts, and 3D models and renderings. These are all considered and evaluated until a final concept design is collectively chosen. This aspect in particular makes the conceptual design stage one of the most important stages to the success of any good design. Concept design in Architecture also follows the same pattern. Through a series of design meetings; the designer modifies the concept, narrowing down a broad brush approach to a more precise & well illustrated idea
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which is also capable of being meaningfully discussed not only with the client but also external partners like planners, engineers, and other associated parties. In the field of Interior Design, concept is seldom a “Eureka!” moment where a single idea has the power to resolves everything. It is virtually a series of exploration, testing of ideas, and finally resulting in a satisfactory resolution of often conflicting criteria, whether that is aesthetic, organizational, technical, financial or even social. However, a successful concept design is one that fulfills most of the clients criteria and unifies them under a common aesthetic umbrella. Regardless of how the ideas are captured, the concept phase of any design is the time to assemble a company’s brightest minds to generate ideas, which in turn, are evaluated, blended, mutated, and reincarnated. A majority of the pioneering ideas are created by multiple sources after they have been filtered through each participant’s perspectives and until a proposed design is established. If there isn’t even a nugget of inspiration in the ideas at the sketching stage, no matter how much they are refined later on, they will simply fail to shine. It is only when all the designers are truly committed to seeing it through to the end, that a design can possesses originality and a high degree of completeness in order to be realized. A common failing that is often observed is marking one concept design little too early and rushing to get designs into the detailed design stage. This often occurs due to outside pressures from clients, tenants, or even contractors, and can usually result in bad design decisions that carry hefty downstream costs when design issues arise during the latter stages. In order to prevent such disasters from ever happening the designers need to really take the time they need during this crucial phase and evaluate multiple ideas and designs before landing on a final one. So, in a nutshell, if you want to create a wowing design you have to start with an equally wowing concept!
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By Noor Al-Nafisi
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"We are here to both expand and nurture the understanding of visual language so it has room to grow."
There is something very significant to be learned from our current time period; from this specific point in Kuwait’s journey of artistic evolution. For perhaps the very first time in our social history we are now beginning to see a real upsurge and co-habitation of newer, experimental mediums and visual languages take center stage in Kuwait’s local art scene. These rising and innovatively radical forms of creative expression continue to teach and remind us that, above all else, art knows no bounds and sees no differences. In these exciting and unconventional times, a worthy, cultured guide is all too necessary. Enter the Contemporary Art Platform, Kuwait’s essential source of communal support, intellectual stimulation, and visual manifestation of all that defines and sustains our current artistic sensibilities both within Kuwait and beyond. I sat down with CAP’s Managing Director Mr. Abed Al-Kadiri to talk about Kuwait’s rapidly growing art scene and CAP’s pivotal place in this melting pot of upcoming, diverse talent.
What role does CAP play in Kuwait’s overall art community and artistic identity?
How do you compare Kuwaiti tastes in comparison with American or European tastes when it comes to art?
CAP’s motive is to expose Kuwait to the understanding of the contemporary art language, and involve the community with educational programs and side events that create awareness in the visual culture. We are the only non-profit private institute with a fully equipped space including exhibitions, talks, workshops, and a library. We want to educate, and develop this language.
In the west, people are exposed to the arts within their very first years, and they are continually surrounded by it. From my experience, I find that Kuwaitis are well educated and open-minded about new art mediums and art forms because they travel a lot. We are well received by the people we are targeting which is more or less the younger generation.
What does 'contemporary art' exactly entail?
What does it take to lead and manage a non-profit art organization like CAP?
The word contemporary means belonging to or occurring in the present. So contemporary art is art that is currently existing and happening in our lifetime. Contemporary is of a continuation of postmodern and modern art, it’s an important mission to create the dialogue between all of them. Do you view CAP as an artistic tastemaker in Kuwait? Why or why not? Of course. We are here to both expand and nurture the understanding of visual language so it has room to grow. Since CAP was established we’ve brought a number of unique exhibitions to Kuwait and contemporary mediums, such as video arts, installations, and conceptual art. We are able to take risks and provide a well-rounded experience in the arts for Kuwait through CAP.
In short: all of my energy. It’s a very hard mission. You have to create the name, establish the name, make the space a trademark, a destination, and give it its own identity. You have to bring good exhibitions, and because we are not behind the concept of selling, we must be selective. I have to be aware of what’s current in the gulf and the Arab world and even beyond the Middle East. I have to know what we are missing, where we are strong, and what we lack to cover the gaps between Kuwait and other places. What are the different facilities and the resources which CAP uses to help foster and support contemporary art in Kuwait? How can people get involved? We host events with the community, and with students in the universities, in order for us to be more connected to them. We are
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looking to be even more present but this will take more time and planning. As for our facilities, we have a workshop space, a library, and we also do art film screenings and discussions. To get involved you can get on our mailing list or stay current through our social media accounts both via Instagram and Facebook. As social and cultural agents of contemporary art, I was wondering what your thoughts were on public art forms like monuments, architectural sculptures, and graffiti in Kuwait. Do you see this movement taking root here and are there any particularly striking examples you can point at? Dealing with public spaces in an artistic way is something that is obvious and prevalent in Kuwait, but of course from time to time. On the other hand you can see a lot of beautiful architecture in Kuwait, which I consider as monuments, which were done in the 70’s. To me, these pieces of architecture represent monumental importance as they are evident of a beautiful era in Kuwait’s history. Another really interesting aspect is how graffiti in Kuwait has been getting more attention lately and we tried to mirror and interpret this exciting change in one of the biggest workshops we held a little over a year ago with French artist Vincent Abadie. We transformed the space into a blank wall where all members of the community from children to adults could come, interact, and color the walls as they wished. We wanted to encourage them to express themselves through this new medium. Since then, I’ve found graffiti on many walls in abandoned spaces in Kuwait and it definitely grabs my attention. This is something promising; to see that people are working on their visual language in order to express their opinion or their identity is a very exciting thing indeed. Who are the most exciting contemporary artists in Kuwait right now? I am not really keen on selecting individuals as Kuwaiti artists are evolving and some of them may actually belong to more than one category. It is more important for us to find active, good artists with good vibes, talents, and values whose work can be shown internationally. The experience with the exhibition that CAP took to Hungary, for example, and our collaboration with the British Council was a great success and a signifier for a lot of worthwhile talent. The people considered these artists as contemporary, and a group of the most talented young artists in Kuwait at the moment.
@CAPKuwait
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When Did You Know? Since starting down the path of art and artistic expression, May Al-Sa'ad's journey throughout this long-winding, dubious, and wondrous road is perhaps best defined as a journey propelled by the desire to express and attain what she likes to call ‘the sound of color and the pulse of light.‘
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Since my very first exhibition in 1998 up until my latest exhibition in 2013, the challenge was to create a piece of art which vibrated at a higher frequency of rhythm and throbbed with a life force of it’s very own, unmoved by swishes and swatches of color as opposed to the play and surge of light. With this notion of fluid light moved and solid color unmoved in mind I sought to re-create the concept of the faces I drew and painted across the canvas. I wanted to tell stories of time, experience, and sentiment on the faces of my imaginary heroes; to let the patches of color that mark their skin and the subtle flicks of cursory sensation in the corner of their eyes and across the edge of their lips speak of tales which unfold through rays of streaming, ever changing light. In endeavoring to draw out stories, not features, in the contours and movements of my faces, I’ve discovered that what might seem like my own personal portrayal of heritage and national identity (an admirable goal in and of itself), was actually something entirely different. I imagine the soul as an open window, draped in curtains that vary in thickness and textile but which all undoubtedly shudder at every compelling gust of wind. In my art, I try to be that wind. From the deepest, most untapped recesses of my memory, I sometimes hear an elusive calling. Something in my past (or the past of my world) tugs me back in directions I had never sought to explore before, back to moments and people that I had once glossed over suddenly come alive again and take center stage in my memory. Singular sentences in leftover, forgotten books; a particularly vibrant melody that emerges out of a dusty, old record. But, like many gusts of wind, most of these sudden surges of memory move in and out of my mind too quickly and loosely for me to grab a strong hold of them and make them into something substantial again. For this reason, I found myself seeking comfort in the verses of poetry and literature, which consoled my otherwise failing skill to clutch on to a lot of my own memories before they slipped past me, but this time
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"I imagine the soul as an open window, draped in curtains that vary in thickness and textile but which all undoubtedly shudder at every compelling gust of wind. In my art, I try to be that wind. "
through sensuous strings of words that, in their own way, also made the curtains on my window lightly and happily flutter. So I began trying to conceptualize the works of great poets and writers, both old and new, as I did in my 2011 exhibition in which I interpreted the powerful yet delicate verses of Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad. From this point onwards, my fascination in the artistic conceptualization of literature has only grown and expanded into more literary realms. The point was to reflect that singular, sparking idea onto the secrets and the allure of the figures on the canvas—now seen through the fragile dash of one color here and the fierce stab of another color there. In my most straightforward, most simple of lines and in my most complex as well, I am not concerned with realism nor with conceptualism. I am not concerned with the synthetic construction of mixed medias. It is of little interest to me whether my pieces all come out as either flat or three-dimensional. In the end it is the narrative that guides the path of my work—my journey towards ‘the sound of color and the pulse of light’—and it is the narrative that chooses what tools will shape it best.
@MayArts
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;kcaB gnikooL Looking Ahead There’s a lot we can learn form the transcendental process of architectural rendering. It is a two-dimensional drawing of a three-dimensional idea that is yet-to-be. It is a process of simultaneously looking ahead by looking back. Waleed Sha’alan is a Kuwait-based architect who’s artistic eye for the suppleness of form and the beauty of texture opens a creative and complex window into the makings of Kuwait’s most powerful, towering of architectural forms. Here he offers an elaborate, articulate, and studied roadmap of the meaning and significance of architecture in Kuwait and beyond, to help us discover and reconsider how our past has informed our present cityscape.
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I was working in Sabhan, exiled from the city and with no physical stimulation except maybe the Pepsi Trucks that meander across the street. My driving mileage from Bneid Al Gar where I live to Sabhan during those four years was slightly more than the circumference of the earth on the equator, charted up and down road 50! I was starved for stimulation. With my new job downtown, I sometimes walk to work, or ride my bicycle and motorcycle when the weather permits and this allowed me to get stimulated from the built environment around me. I started my Chicago ritual again with my daily lunch hour sketch, on a mission to sketch Kuwait's interesting architecture. What was interesting was that, during my daily commute, I found that, again, I looked but did not see. The other day I was sketching the Fisheries Building and noticed that the cladding was inspired from fish scales, for example. When I spend time sketching old neglected buildings in Kuwait and strip them down from the clutter I realize that these are pretty good buildings and feel saddened by the possibility of their getting torn down. Maybe I will dedicate my sketches to the ongoing effort to save some of Kuwait’s architectural heritage, which I believe is very important to sustain. Tell us about your involvement with Drawing Kuwait. Why do you think it's important or useful for architects and sketch artists alike to come together in this way? The computer to sketching is like the automobile to walking. It will never replace it. When you walk you slow down and see things in more detail. Sketching is an input that takes visual information to your subconscious and when you are ready to sketch it comes out from within. Sketching has a fluidity and a hierarchy that enables you to work on a more macro, abstract level whereas with the computer you start pre-occupying your mind with commands, when you should be dreaming up ideas.
What sparked your interest in architecture? Fear. My interest in architecture was a compromise from my true passion: Art. I grew up in Egypt where the word 'starving' always accompanied the word 'artist.' Although my parents were very cool and did not put any pressure on me to be anything other than what I want to be, it was the collective pressure to conform with society which gave us the limited, dual options for success: ‘Doctor or Mohandis (Engineer).’ “May your child grow up to be a doctor or an engineer,” well-wishers would offer a prayer for your child. I never heard anyone say, “mqwway your son be a sculptor or a painter.” I went to university in the USA and took all of my electives in art and got an A in every single one. I loved the art school, the smell of paint, the texture of the corten steel sculptures scattered all over the place. But out of an inherent fear of failure I studied the most artistic field in ‘handassa:’ architecture. This was very similar to my father's choice when he compromised his passion for philosophy and the liberal arts and chose Psychiatry as his specialty in Medical School. Today, architecture is my profession and art is my hobby. I still dream of making architecture my hobby and art my professional passion. How does sketching help you better understand and appreciate the architecture of Kuwait? Sketching helps me slow down; it helps me see when I look. In the age of Instagram and all the smart phones at my fingertips, I capture a lot, but see little. After university I worked at Perkins and Will—one of the world’s largest architecture engineering firms—in Chicago, and during those pleasant months I would spend each lunch break with my friend and colleague sketching. This process was, in a sense, a reverse of design where you've got an input that is based on your eye-hand coordination's ability to register proportion, textures, reflections and color. When it is time for output, you develop a design sense that will certainly show in your work. I have been in Kuwait since 1998, and from 2009 up until last summer
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I was invited by Architect Hamad as a guest in his Drawing Kuwait initative and I have to say that I enjoyed it tremendously. Being surrounded by like-minded people sharing the same passion, enjoying the same music and sharing how we see things is always a pleasurable, worthwhile experience. Being outside also encouraged people to walk up and talk to us and interact with our activity. As an esteemed architect in your own right, do you have a creative process when coming up with an architectural design? My creative process evolved over the years, starting with my education and early career in the US in which I was very program driven. I would study the program requirements and solve the functional relationships, work out the plans and make sure it works then I would begin to generate ideas that grow out of that. I later had a great opportunity to work with Atelier Jean Nouvel on the Competition of Abdullah Al Ahmad Street in Kuwait and watching how he works has changed and exposed to a very different approach that I had never considered before. His method was totally different from what I was doing, and it was both an eye and heart opener to witness. Jean Nouvel has one of his team members read quite thoroughly about the culture, the history, the site, and conduct extensive research on the location as a whole. He then has another team member gather imagery that is relevant the location. There is a lot of time spent talking, discussing, and thinking before he begins to have a blurry, almost out of focus vision of what he wants to create. After that initial surge of budding inspiration, he begins to work with his team members to collage this fragmented image together into a larger, executable structure. As the vision becomes clearer over time, the program and other requirements get injected in the process. This was a truly liberating experience for me as an architect. I started to go outside of what I learnt; I started to collaborate more; collage more; read more; and search for the project itself in order for it to inform me of what it wants to be. How has globalization changed architecture? I think that globalization has made architecture more generic and less contextual with no roots to the place. If I was to blindfold someone and take them to a Starbucks anywhere in the world, this mass produced space will not inform them about its context. I guess Dubai is a good example when it comes to this overarching element of being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Don’t get me wrong; I
Sketching helps me slow down; it helps me see when I look.
@WaleedSha3lan
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admire Dubai and what they have done, but when architecture does not relate to culture and to place and seeks only to be ‘iconic’ we dilute the architectural language and strip it of meaning. The result is alienation and disorientation. How has technology changed architecture? Speed. Faster to design faster to build. Information technology has increased collaboration and has overcome geographical boundaries. It has increased efficiency and improved visualization fabrication. Digital fabrication has made it possible to mass customize and economically create unique pieces. Technology is making buildings smarter, more efficient and subsequently more environmentally responsible. This is a big topic that can be a subject of a standalone article. Does the architecture of Kuwait define or reflect the Kuwaiti identity or culture? If so, in what ways? Architecture of Kuwait in some aspects reflects certain characteristics of the culture. It certainly articulates the relations between the individual and the collective; the private space and the public space; the vehicular and the pedestrian. Architecture of Kuwait reflects a high level of individuality; houses become individual statements that speak more of the owner and less of the street or neighborhood. What makes architecture art? Architecture as a process is design and maybe the outcome will be art. Design involves coming up with a solution to a specific problem working with multiple parties including the client in a rigorous process. Whereas art is not necessarily about solving a problem. I could be making a statement or communicating an emotion, capturing a moment, exploring an idea, or provoking a reaction through my art. With art the client is usually not involved in the process. The mistake in thinking architecture is art usually happens when some architects act like the project is a canvas for them to make their statement and everyone else is simply an enabler. The end product could be a piece of art if it does something to it’s dwellers and the surrounding community which goes beyond fulfilling its basic obligation as a building. It might speak to their spirit or inspire their dreams. After all, it was Goethe who termed architecture as frozen music. What makes a good architecture design? In my opinion, good architecture design is timeless and not a fashion or a trend. A building or a space that honors the users and respects the place is an example of good architecture. Sometimes architecture is not about being different; there are so many “background” buildings that are far from mediocre and their beauty lies in their understated presence. Good architecture is not only a visual or spatial experience; architecture has a major responsibility towards contributing towards the sustainability of life on this planet. What are three architectural traits or characteristics that you think the rest of society can benefit from having? The first is social, and that is better designed public spaces which will encourage human interaction and communal activities. An improved public life will have a positive impact on reducing isolation created by the suburbs and different cultural groups. We have recently seen how some of the local markets such as Shakshouka and Qout have played a role in creating more public, inviting social life. Good architecture becomes the physical space where more of these activities can flourish. The second is both environmental and economic. With better performing buildings that conserve energy and reduce waste, the opportunity cost of burning the oil versus selling it will benefit future generations. The third is cultural; it was Winston Churchill who put it best when he said that, “we shape our buildings: thereafter they shape us.” In that sense, I suppose we are not what we eat, but we are what we build instead.
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@bruhaeveartworld
bruhaeveartworld.com
They Live Where They Love Bruha Eve is an artist who works like a laborer, thinks like an activist, and lives like a superstar. With a name as provocatively raw as 'Bruha,' this Filipino force of nature stands on the outer edges of the human experience where cheeky playfulness and heavy realities meet and reconfigure into an other-worldly piece of her own creation. Physically speaking, she is not quite so big in size, though she makes up for it in her larger than life, emotionally compelling explosions of art that bring fantasies down to earth and make documentaries of mythical tales. She started her journey of unbridled creative vision in Kuwait, and it is in Kuwait where she continues to evolve into the significant powerhouse of contemporary art that she has become today.
Photographer: Jalil Marvin
Where are you from? I hail from Cotabato, Southern Philippines.
Kuwait means my future. I’ve started my artistic journey here, therefore, I would always see Kuwait as the place where Bruha Eve was born and made. 114 www.thecitym.com
When did you come to Kuwait? I came here in early 2005 to do contracting for the US army. That was about 9 years ago. What do you do? I am a full-time painter/artist that is currently doing collaborations and designing stuff in between. Why did you choose Kuwait as your home? At the time, it was not an option. I had to move to Kuwait due to the recession. But along the way, I got used to the idea of living in the Middle East for work. Now, I don't see myself doing what I do anywhere else. What do you love most about Kuwait? Shopping! This place is heaven for shopaholics like myself, and it's always fun. When there's a big sale, I go gaga! Aside from the shopping galore, I love the diverse selection of food, street after street. You can almost find any cuisine you can think of. I gained a few pounds as evidence. What do you think of the Kuwaiti lifestyle and culture? The Kuwaiti lifestyle is very luxurious. You see people walking around with their maids who take care of their offspring. You see them in events or markets with the latest trends in fashion. You see them around with friends and families at the recently opened burger joint or shisha bar.
I also love the fact that Kuwait is so small that wherever you go, you have a 90% chance of seeing someone you know—whether it is a friend or foe! How much of an impact has Kuwait had on your life? Coming here as a teenager was a big challenge. I knew nothing about life and the struggles that came with it. I felt like a newborn in a different universe. I had to adjust to a lot of things: different set of rules, the way of living, how I had to dress, how to deal with people. Basically, I learned how to live because of Kuwait. What have you gained from Kuwait and given Kuwait? I gained 9 years worth of wisdom, experiences and friendships that I never would’ve expected. This is something that I will treasure for life and it will always remain with me. I have given Kuwait a plus one on their list of cuckoo artists! What does Kuwait mean to you on a personal level? Kuwait means my future. I’ve started my artistic journey here, therefore, I would always see Kuwait as the place where Bruha Eve was born and made. What words would you like to say to Kuwait if you could? Thank you Kuwait for continuously giving me endless opportunities and opening doors for me to become my better self.
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Imagine quickly glancing past a piece by Zahra Al-Mahdi. Is it any less real when you are confronted by Zahra’s conflation of imagined scenarios in actual settings? Is it more false because of the abnormal intrusion of average, lifelike, human giants in Kuwait’s familiar, eminent, physical surroundings, or is it truer so? Can you say, definitively, that these notions are based entirely within the realm of dreams and fictional imaginings? These are all questions Zahra Al-Mahdi forces the viewer to confront after that first, quick, absorbing glance, all questions that Zahra herself considers in the process of developing her work. How were these figures placed there? Carefully. How was this near-ordinary world constructed? Meticulously and deliberately. But before journeying into the depths of defining what is real versus what is realistic, Zahra arms herself with an assortment of power tools—namely ink, brush, and pen—with the intent to distort and re-distort what it means to see something. After all, Zahra Al-Mahdi’s work is not about constructing an alternate reality; it’s about using pen and paper to see the www.thecitym.com 117 impossible as ordinary. Photographer:Abdulrhman Al-Yousef
@ZouzTheBird zouz.almahdi@gmail.com
o you refer to yourself as an illustrator, a sketch artist, or some other term?
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Although I'm known for my drawings, sketches, and paintings, I don’t exclusively define myself as an illustrator or a sketch artist. My work would only be subsumed under the category of illustration if it was in the form of a graphic novel—where my illustrations would correspond to the content I create—and in the category of a sketcher—if I solely produced sketches. I characterize myself as an interdisciplinary artist, who merges seemingly distinct art forms, genres, and styles, to disrupt the restrictive labels of art in Kuwait. The integrative facet of my art parallels a basic aspect in my personality. You see, even as a child, I wrote stories, made sculptures out of wire and glass, painted, drew and combined such diverse forms together in the styles of mixed-media and multimedia.
Your color palette seems to be limited to diluted, darker hues for the most part, and which usually produces a rather dream-like quality. Is this color choice usually pre-determined before you start a piece? I personally think that it is positive for an artist to have a predetermined palette in order to establish a recognizable print and a distinct style of their work. However, in my case, the process of producing a piece is simultaneously predetermined and not. I’m rarely fully conscious of the color palette that I intend to use in my pieces. When I start working, I usually try to imitate the colors I mentally visualize; it is only after finishing the piece and viewing it wfrom a critical distance that I discern that I prefer darker colors and faded hues. It is only when I separate myself from my work that I come to realize that I lean towards using
particular hues which correspond to my concept. As such, my utilization of colors and shades—my palette—is indeed predetermined by my acquired specific taste. The ideas behind each sketch seem very deliberate, but your style also seems very loose and playful. How much preparation goes into each sketch? Despite having an initial idea that I seek to demonstrate before I start working on my piece (planning stage), the process of execution tends to provide me with more inspiration than that original idea (experimentation). Since I'm always open to dismantling the concept of the "origin" altogether, my end result, more often than not, is a transformation of my rudimentary notion.
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A person's 'face', I've come to find, is less about their facial features and more about their attitude, character, movement, speech, asymmetry, and body language.
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of features make a 'face.' Not until I started experimenting with live models, did I come to the conclusion that the conventionality of the previous method limited me. Now, drawing a figure I physically share a space with is crucial for my attempt to capture it in a sketch. A person's 'face', I've come to find, is less about their facial features and more about their attitude, character, movement, speech, asymmetry, and body language. All your pieces encompass a distorted and skewed depiction of figures that seem very real and life-like. How did you land on this particular style? My work seeks to capture the hyperbolic, the grotesque beneath the mundane, "deformities" and distortions, the "abnormality" of the normal, and the unlikely connections between bodies in the broadest sense. I attempt to pinpoint unheeded details, what we disregard in daily interactions. The intentional distortions, contortions, and misrepresentations I add are a way of exaggerating what I see for the purpose of sharply juxtaposing normativity with what has been habitually left out. How does your own brand of creative interpretation reflect and explore Kuwait? In my work, I don't simply represent, mirror, or reflect the reality of Kuwait. I seditiously use particular elements drawn from our social, political, economic, and cultural reality to create something new. In this sense, I use my art as a tool of affirmative criticism to subvert common expectations, spread awareness of our ethical responsibility towards society and our country, and possibly posit different structures of coexistence. Do some pieces mean more to you than others? Yes, but it's very relative. The degree of significance of each piece fluctuates according to the time frame and space they were created in and how I view them in other contexts. What's next for you? Any upcoming projects on the horizon? There’s a lot planned for 2014. My first solo art show opens on April 15th, hosted by CAP (Contemporary Art Platform). I’m also currently finalizing my debut graphic novel, which will hopefully be published this summer. In addition, I’m working with a fashion and art collaboration company called "BreakThread" to feature some of my sketches on T-shirts. It is worth mentioning that my enrollment in Kuwait University's Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies master's program is also giving me the artistic, literary, and theoretical background I need to further enhance my artistic career for upcoming projects. Because of the nature of your work as an illustrator or sketch artist, are you concerned about balancing a serious tone with lighter elements? Because I view my work as a process of experimentation, learning, and growth, I would not put it past my future self to attempt to find an equilibrium between serious tones with lighter elements. Have you or would you consider branching out into digital sketch work? I have tried my hand at digital painting. At one point, I even considered switching exclusively to digital art. Yet, I personally found that form to be lacking in certain key qualities which ink or a brush already possess. At this stage, I seek digital aid for mixed-media and multimedia pieces such as editing, collages, and designing book layouts. Therefore, it would not be far-fetched for me to use computer software to produce art in the future. You have a very interesting way of creating vivid, human portraitures. What part of a person's face makes it their 'face?' The concepts, sentiments, and senses that inspire me to produce new art—in terms of form, style, and genre—are direct results of my intellectual growth and newly-acquired knowledge (which stems from experimentation and theory). When I started drawing faces and figures at a young age, I resorted to the traditional way of using anatomy charts as representational references. Such methods, of course, gave me a restrictively rigid idea that realistic symmetry and the proportionality
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By Bashayer Al-Osaimi
@bashayeros
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نوخذة صقر القطامي في عام 1929ولد اصغر ابناء النوخذه عبد الوهاب القطامي في فريج المطبه وهو النوخذه صقر عبدالوهاب القطامي ،ويعتبر من النواخذه البارزين في الكويت واللي لهم بصمات مؤثره في تاريخ الكويت البحري. استضافنا في منزله العامر وكان في استقبالنا معاه األبن األصغر السيد /طالل القطامي ،واللي الحظنا مدى تأثره في تاريخ والده وخبرته الممتازه في مجال البحر والمالحه . في عمر 14سنه كانت بداية دخول السيد صقر القطامي مجال البحر مع والده لتعليمه اصول وقواعد النوخذه الحقيقي ،كانت البدايه في تعلم استخدام البوصله وطريقة قرائة الخرائط لمعرفة طريقة األبحار والوصول الى األهداف والموانئ المطلوبه. باإلضافه الى تعلم استخدام (الكمال) طبعا الغالبيه مايعرفون شنو الكمال وانا كنت اولكم ،الكمال اهو عباره عن اول نظام جي بي اس لتحديد النقطه المطلوب الوصول لها . في عمر 19سنه ابتدا السيد صقر القطامي مشواره في عالم النواخذه ،كانت رحالته البحريه للتجاره مو صيد اآلسمالك ،كانو يحملون السفن بالتمر من شط العرب من ايران او العراق ويسافرون فيها الى اليمن او الهند يبيعون التمور ويشترون بضائع لتحميلها للكويت ،وتختلف البضائع من دوله الى الثانيه . على سبيل المثال من افريقيا كانو يشترون خشب الصندل ومن اليمن قهوه او صل
(دهن السمك) ومن الهند كانو ياخذون اخشاب لبناء السفن وابواب ودرايش البيوت . النوخذه صقر القطامي ما توقف لحد االبحار والتجاره ،خبرته ودرايته في البحر خلته يبدع في رسم الخرائط ،ومن الخرايط المميزه واللي انا شخصيا حبيتها ،خريطه تبين وتشرح خط سير جميع الرحالت والسفن التجاريه الكويتيه في عمر الرحالت البحريه الكويتية ، وعمق البحر في كل ميناء زارته اي سفينه كويتيه . باإلضافه الى انه الف كتيب لهواة البحر على نفقته الخاصه وتبرع في ريعه لصالح المعوقين ،الكتيب يشرح طرق سير واحداثيات البحر للحداقه وهواة الرحالت البحريه . طبعا في وقتنا هذا الكل بيقول ان الجي بي اس اهو البديل وماراح احد يحتاج الكتيب ، بس بالنسبه لي االجهزه معرضه ساعات للعطل فالكتيب يعتبر من اهم االشياء اللي المفروض تاخذونها قبل ال تطلعون البحر . نصيحه ومعلومه من السيد صقر القطامي ،اي احد يضيع في بحر الكويت او يخرب عنده الجي بي اس مهما كان موقعه يحط البوصله على 270وراح توصله الى بر الكويت . النوخذه صقر القطامي بحر كبير ومقاله وحده ماتوفيه حقه ،حديثنا كان ثري و طويل في ضيافته وشخصيا استمتعت خصوصا ان ماكان عندي خبره في الخرائط من قبل ، هذي تبذه صغيره من تاريخه الحافل واهلل يعطيه الصحه وطولة العمر .
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@latifamadouh
By Latifa Madouh
CITY KIDS
the
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BRecoded usiness The scalability of social media impact in Kuwait is perhaps one of the biggest, most widely encompassing media bubbles that have ever crossed the market. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have revolutionized the Kuwaiti entrepreneurial experience into one that is built around a much more open, interchangeable social experience in which the worlds of business and media merge and cohabitate as a single efficient unit that is, more than anything else, a tool of and for the people. As we begin to rely more and more on the power of social media to enhance, expand, and ultimately define our virtual shopping experience both on the entrepreneurial and consumer level, we’re still lacking a completely streamlined, direct social media hub for the small business owners and shoppers alike. For that particular need you’ve got a ‘Phrind’ in the ever-inventive, resourceful developer and programmer, Nasser Al-Mutawa’a. He talks to us about his groundbreaking web platform concept to transform Kuwait’s small business experience into a purely social one.
www.phrind.com @Phrind
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Why and how did you develop the idea behind Phrind.com? It all started back in August 2010, when a friend and I were discussing the rise of social media all around the globe and how important it is now to large corporations. So I came up with the idea of building an application that allows users to upload pictures which other friends will be able to like and comment on. This idea was driven from the behavior I noticed on Facebook back then, and I started developing the web infrastructure for this app and called it “Phologger,” a photo-logging platform. Two months later, my friend messaged me to say that there’s a new application with the same idea and it was called “Instagram.” Honestly, I was extremely happy that I was on the right track. So, I studied the user behavior on Instagram and figured out later on that they were using Instagram to establish their own small businesses and that they were doing very well with them! This is the moment that the idea behind “Phrind” came to my mind, as a mega-hub for online small businesses. What makes Phrind different than other small business web platforms in Kuwait? Phrind was originally based on both social and commercial aspects. I believe that having a platform built as a commercial tool and spicing it up with social features can never be the same as utilizing the social aspect when developing a platform from scratch. The social element in Phrind comes above all; the commercial part comes second. This is the key difference in Phrind, and hopefully will be the game changer of the small businesses market. People usually seek full freedom, trust, direct communication, and most importantly the seamless relationship between the customer and the business owner without the interference of a third party. Phrind comes here, as a “friend” of both the customer and the business owner to facilitate transactions and communications, and this is the secret behind the name “Phrind.”
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Many technologies are there for developers to make the best use of, but how and when to use them was and always will be the question. How will Phrind serve both the owners and the customers of small businesses in Kuwait? Currently, Instagram is considered as the top E-business platform available in Kuwait. However, Instagram was never meant to be an E-business platform, and this is why it lacks the basic selling features as shopping carts, payment tools, statistics, and direct communication channels. Phrind covers all that and more but not as a replacement. It
What are the various tools and facilities that Phrind will offer its members? Members will get their free online boutiques of course, with other tools that will for sure make their sales go easier and higher. In a nutshell, Phrind will give communication tools between the buyer and the seller, statistics dashboard, personal profiles, offer customization feature, and more!
What motivates you as a programmer or web developer? People do. Seeing someone struggling in a complicated process will transform into a thought that will find a systemized solution. This is how I perceive things around me and this is what keeps me motivated. There’s another thing—which you may find a bit awkward! As a kid, I’ve always been fascinated by superheroes: their adventures and accomplishments. As a grownup now, they still inspire me but in a different way. Here are some shocking facts: Iron Man inspired me to build the foundation of a scalable platform; the Green Lantern inspired me to build a sentimental tool that will be used in Phrind at a later stage… and the list goes on! You can see tens of superhero action figures surrounding my workstation; they represent a real inspiration to me. What are the elements that you think make for a great web platform user experience? is a standalone platform, and guess what? It’s all for free. To be more frank, Phrind is only the beginning. I’ve been working for almost three years now on the smallest details, designing processes, coding and building user interfaces to provide a scalable platform that will expand to include more surprising projects to serve more segments in the future. It’s about time to reveal everything. Will Phrind be operating as a kind of social media platform as well? Of course, this is the essence of Phrind. As I have mentioned earlier, Phrind is and will always be based on the social element before anything else. The question I have always had in my mind before adding any feature was about how would people socially interact with this tool, and this scares me whenever I think about it! But I believe that sometimes we have to take a leap of faith first; tweaks and further development come later. I trust Phrind future users to deliver the best feedback, which in the end will give them what they’re looking for.
I believe Steve Jobs put it best when he said, “you’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.” Many technologies are there for developers to make the best use of, but how and when to use them was and always will be the question. There are these simple tweaks that can make any user’s life easier, and by that I mean simplifying the web interface, using less buttons and controls, using larger and cleaner fonts, and designing less steps to accomplish a specific task. I think putting most of the effort in sketching and designing the user interface and process flow is the best method to follow; the core function programming comes later on. Can we hopefully expect a 2014 launch for Phrind.com? Hopefully. Tens of thousands of lines of code and hundreds of connections between different programming languages and frameworks have already taken three years, so I think 2014 will be the year of Phrind for me. I’m currently finalizing some of the user interfaces, and I will hopefully roll out the first beta version of Phrind real soon.
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theAUTO By Hisham
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Think fast: what automobile first comes to mind when you think of the word 'super-car?' What about 'widow-maker?' What about 'power?' I know that for me the answer will always undeniably be the monstrously aggressive V-10 beast, the aptly and purely named, all-new 2014 Chrysler Viper.
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The Viper stares at all onlookers with that look of predatory dominance earned over decades of redeemable power, class, and unrepeatable identity.
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In my opinion, the Viper is about as realistically close as you can get to having your very own Batmobile. In fact, I think that it's exactly the kind of car Bruce Wayne would have constructed if he happened to be a bigger fan of Carroll Shelby. In it's latest outfit, the Viper's styling seems to have taken a considerable smoothing down of it's exterior edges and contours but, make no mistake, the trademark long nose and short deck proportions are still there and still define this classic structure from a mile away. Initially, the Viper is only available as a coupe at the moment, but there have been announcements made of a roadster soon to come in 2015. The interior has received a major overhaul and looks a lot more luxurious and richer in texture and quality than it's previous predecessors without losing the classic kit-like look of the old Vipers we all know and love. I most enjoyed the upgraded stability control which comes standard on these little
firecrackers and keeps them whizzing in a stable, straight line for the majority of road trips. The fact of the matter is that the Viper is all you can expect out of a true all-American classic with the added zest and power of an exotic masterpiece. Having left the Dodge-branded past behind, and now marketed under Chrylser's SRT division, the Viper is as rare as it is expensive. In a stationary position, the Viper stares at all onlookers with that look of predatory dominance earned over decades of redeemable power, class, and unrepeatable identity. It is a menacing presence to say the least. With standard 640-hp, V-10 power capabilities, anyone lucky enough to be seated in this driver seat will be absolutely catapulted into another timezone at 100 km/h in a mind-melting 3.2 seconds and guaranteed some riotously good fun along the way.
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M O M M Y'S M AR KET HELD I T' S FI RST S E A S O N A L G AT HE RING OF SMI LES, FUN, A ND EN D L E S S JO Y F OR THE WHOLE FA MI LY I N LI LLY C E N T E R !
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the VIBE
N I N E AV E NUE AN D FORTUNE COOKI E S T O R E C O L LABORATE D TO WELCOME KUWA I T TO T H E IR ST U N N ING WO RL DS OF WHI MSI CA L BEA UT Y A N D U NIQUE GOOD I ES!
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the VIBE
تنظم شركة كويت كونسيرج الدورة االولى لمسابقة الكويت الكبرى للتصوير الفوتوغرافي للعام .. 2014 وهي اول مسابقة رسمية تحمل اسم دولة الكويت لدعم المصورين بكافة فئاتهم .. و تنظم شركة كويت كونسيرج المسابقة التي تتألف من اربعة محاور برعاية كل من : 1.1المحور العام براعية شركة زين لالتصاالت. 2.2محور الفن االسالمي برعاية بنك بوبيان. 3.3محور الطبيعة برعاية مطابخ الفارسي. 4.4محور الكويت برعاية وزارة الشباب و الرياضة.
وتهدف المسابقة إلى تطوير فن التصوير الفوتوغرافي في دولة الكويت عبر تحفيز واستقطاب أكبر عدد ممكن من المصورين من خالل االهتمام بالمواهب ودعم المحترفين, .و تُبرز المسابقة تراث دولة الكويت وتنوع ثقافاتها و رؤى مختلفة للرعاة المشاركين ورسائل توعوية تطرحها المسابقة ويطرحها المصور برؤيته الخاصه الثاقبه ،عبر المحاور المطروحه في المسابقة. وكذلك تسعي مسابقة الكويت للتصوير الفوتوغرافي في ان تكون أحد أهم المسابقات االحترافية في العالم ،وتستقبل األعمال اإلبداعية المتميزة من مختلف المدارس واألساليب الفنية ،كاألعمال التركيبية والبانوراما والمعالجات التقنية الفنية الحديثة ،وفنون التصوير الرقمي ،إضافة إلى أعمال الطباعة المختلفة ،على أال تخرج تلك األعمال عن القيم األدائية لفن التصوير الضوئي ،والقوانين المتبعة في الهيئات الدولية الراعية للمسابقة. اما الراعي االعالمي للمسابقة فهي مجلة ذا سيتي والتي ترعى هذا الحدث االول و الفريد من نوعه وهي مجله سباقه في دعم االفكار المشرقه في الكويت. كما ترعى شركة سنابس طباعة الصور و هي شركة متخصصه في الطباعة الفوتوغرافية االحترافية. لجنه التحكيم في المسابقة تتألف من أربعة خبراء في فن التصوير الفوتوغرافي وهم: • الدكتور محمد علي الكندري وهو هاو تصوير منذ عام ،2006تخصص في تصوير الطبيعة والحياة البرية .له انجازات عديدة في التصوير منها :المركز األول في كل من مسابقة الظفرة للتصوير الفوتوغرافي في أبوظبي عام , 2011مسابقة ناصر بن حمد للتصوير في البحرين عام , 2012المركز األول والميدالية الذهبية في بطولة التصوير في النمسا عام 2013وذلك باالضافه الى العديد من اوسمة الشرف في كل من كرواتيا وصربيا و مونتينيجرو .2013 • أ.عبد العزيز محمد العسعوسي وهو مصور هاو حقق العديد من االنجازات العالمية وله أعمال منشورة في إصدارات عالمية .متخصص في تصوير الحياة البرية والتصوير الرياضي .من انجازاته الميدالية الذهبية في مسابقة التصوير الفوتوغرافي سوبر حلبة في النمسا عام 2013باالضافه الى تنويه شرفي في صربيا عام , 2013الميداليات الذهبية في الواليات المتحدة عن عدة فئات . • أ.ماجد سلطان ابراهيم الزعابي حاصل على العديد من الجوائز العالمية واألوسمة وكان من ابرزها المركز الرابع في مسابقة ناشونال جيو العالمية ومسابقة فرنسا وغيرها كما اقام وشارك في العديد من المعارض وقدم اصدارين في مجال التصوير وحكم بعضا من المسابقات المحلية والعربية وعضو في جمعية المصورين االمريكية واتحاد الفياب العالمي للمصورين. • و أ.فيصل البشر وهو مصور تجاري محترف نفذ الكثير من األعمال المنشورة في مجالت عالمية في دولة الكويت وخارجها .قدم العديد من الدورات في فن اإلضاءة والتصوير وحاز على العديد من الجوائز العالمية منها وسام الشرف في مسابقة بلغراد والميداليه الذهبية في النمسا.
للمشاركة في المسابقة يرجى التسجيل في الموقع االلكتروني للمسابقة: www.kwtphotograghy.com
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“Wataniya Telecom” Celebrated Kuwait’s National and Liberation Days A Brilliant 3D Show at the New Building Wataniya Telecom, the first private telecom operator in Kuwait and a member of the Ooredoo Group, presented an extraordinary 3D show that took place at the New Wataniya Tower - Kuwait City. Wataniya took the viewers on a colorful journey at its new building which is an exciting main landmark of Kuwait City and a jewel adorning the city’s skyline. As part of Wataniya’s commitment to its customers in bringing the latest communication technology and as part of its social responsibility, it developed this 3D show to offer its customers and the people of Kuwait an experience that is rich and pays tribute to the national spirit. Wataniya continues to take great strides towards growth, progress and innovation in alignment with Kuwait. It also continues to provide new technology, offers and services that are in line with the needs and expectations of the people by constantly making their lives easier and enriching their communication.
Wataniya Telecom Customers enjoy 50 % discount on Remal International Festival Ticket Wataniya Telecom, member of Ooredoo Group, announced today that all customers, members of the first loyalty program of its Kind in Kuwait “Nojoom” will now enjoy 50 % discount upon booking their tickets to visit the charming Remal International Festival located in Mishref until April 26, 2014. Members of Nojoom will enjoy a rich program of activities consisting of more than 2,000 vivid shows conducted by international teams, special children’s programs including a treasure hunt in a maze, light shows and the Garden Of Lights which will be the first of its kind in Kuwait and the region. Additionally, a selection of coffee shops and restaurants will complete the festival, guaranteeing an unforgettable cultural and entertainment experience. Wataniya has launched Nojoom 3 years ago which is considered the biggest Rewards Program in the country and the first of its kind too. It has been tailored around making day-to-day user experiences meaningful and privileged. Further details of Wataniya Nojoom can be found on www.wataniya.com/Nojoom
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British Council and HSBC Teaches Children the Value of Money
Kuwait, March 4th 2014: Bristish Council and HSBC have conducted a joint session to teach children about the value of money. Managing your money was the theme of the ‘Kids Read’ community event organized by HSBC and British Council on Saturday 1 March, 2014 at British Council Kuwait, Mansouriya. In line with Kuwait celebrating National and Liberation Days, British Council and HSBC are pleased to mark the event by adding fun and educational activities for children and their parents. Children and their parents took part in various activities to highlight the value of money. The family day included two popular children’s stories, ‘The Great Pet Sale’ by Mick Inkpen and ‘Master Money the Millionaire’ by Allan Ahlberg & André Amstutz. Both stories encouraged the children to think about issues surrounding money, including choosing how to spend it, and whether it can really buy happiness.
LOUISE ROE WEARS PRONOVIAS TO THE 86th ACADEMY AWARDS TV Host and fashion expert, Louise Roe hit the Oscars red carpet this season in Pronovias. Roe stunned in a Grecian inspired emerald green creation by the Barcelona fashion house. The Abalorio gown from Pronovias 2015 Fiesta Collection features an asymmetrical neckline with subtle lace and beaded detailing. Roe, a regular fashion correspondent on the red carpet during awards season, co-hosted Access Hollywood's 2014 Oscars coverage. A red carpet staple, Roe has co-hosted Access Hollywood’s Golden Globes coverage in 2013 and 2014, their Oscars coverage in 2013. Additionally, she hosted ABC’s LIVE pre-Oscars show in 2012, and also the red carpet at MTV International’s Movie Awards, VMA’s and EMA’s for two years running.
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