Sunday, June 17, 2018 Shawwal 3, 1439 AH Community Wellcare Group launches ‘Purple Rewards’ on the occasion of its 18th anniversary celebrations. P7 P16 Community Pakistani embassy hosts Mango and Fruit Suhoor to mark 70th independence anniversary celebrations. The twists COVER STORY Fates and Furies author Lauren Groff on her craft and the latest short story collection. P4-5 DOHA 33°C—42°C TODAY PUZZLES 12 & 13 D LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 14 L P
Transcript
Sunday, June 17, 2018Shawwal 3, 1439 AH
CommunityWellcare Group launches
‘Purple Rewards’ on the occasion of its 18th anniversary celebrations.
P7 P16 CommunityPakistani embassy hosts Mango and
Fruit Suhoor to mark 70th independence anniversary celebrations.
Emergency 999Worldwide Emergency Number 112Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991Local Directory 180International Calls Enquires 150Hamad International Airport 40106666Labor Department 44508111, 44406537Mowasalat Taxi 44588888Qatar Airways 44496000Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222, 44393333Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555, 44845464Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444
Humanitarian Services Offi ce (Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies)Ministry of Interior 40253371, 40253372, 40253369Ministry of Health 40253370, 40253364Hamad Medical Corporation 40253368, 40253365Qatar Airways 40253374
and pride — and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high
but so are the rewards. — Paul Bryant
Deadpool 2 DIRECTION: David LeitchCAST: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin,
Morena Baccarin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz
SYNOPSIS: After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfi gured cafeteria
chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfi l his dream of becoming Miami’s most good looking bartender, while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a fl ux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas and the yakuza, as he
journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and fl avour - fi nding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coff ee mug title of World’s Best Lover.
THEATRES: The Mall, Royal Plaza
7 Din Mohabbat In DIRECTION: Meenu Gaur, Farjad NabiCAST: Mahira Khan, Sheheryar Munawar, Javed Sheikh,
Amna Ilyas, Mira Sethi SYNOPSIS: Set in Karachi, the story follows a young
man on a quest to fi nd his true love in a crowded Karachi neighbourhood. He must overcome the obstacles, both spiritual and physical, to achieve his goals. Saat Din Mohabbat In (Love in 7 Days) is a Pakistani romantic comedy fi lm, that
takes us down the journey of Tipu (Sheheryar Munawar) in fi nding himself, a fl ailing young man who just wants to get married and Neeli (Mahira Khan), Tipu’s cousin, a funny, dramatic and quirky young girl with a lot of dreams and a lot of heart. While Neeli swishes her dupattas, blushes frequently and blinks with stars in her eyes, the plot makes you laugh with witty repartee and plenty of physical comedy.
THEATRE: The Mall
The Mall Cinema (1): Race 3 (Hindi) 2pm; Maya: The Bee 2 (2D) 5pm; Race 3 (Hindi) 6:30pm; Abla Tamtam (Arabic) 9:30pm; Race 3 (Hindi) 11:30pm.The Mall Cinema (2): The Incredibles 2 (2D) 3:30pm; The Incredibles 2 (2D) 6pm; Race 3 (Hindi) 8:15pm; Deadpool 2 (2D) 11:15pm.The Mall Cinema (3): Maya: The Bee 2 (2D) 2:30pm; 7 Din Mohabbat In (Urdu) 4:30pm; Leilet Hana Wa Srour (Arabic) 7pm; Deadpool 2 (2D) 9pm; Naa Nuvve (Telugu) 11:15pm.Landmark Cinema (1): The Incredibles 2 (2D) 2pm; The
Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1): Maya: The Bee 2 (2D) 2:45pm; Maya: The Bee 2 (2D) 4:30pm; A Woman In The Time Of Blockage (Qatari) 6:30pm; Race 3 (Hindi) 8pm; Race 3 (Hindi) 11pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): The Incredibles 2 (2D) 2:30pm; The Incredibles 2 (2D) 4:45pm; The Incredibles 2 (2D) 7pm; Deadpool 2 (2D) 9:15pm; Deadpool 2 (2D) 11:30pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): Deadpool 2 (2D) 3pm; Al Risalah - Arabic (2D) 5:30pm; Heriditary (2D) 9pm; Race 3 (Hindi) 11:30pm.
3Sunday, June 17, 2018 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITYROUND & ABOUT
Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change
EVENTS
Summer CampsWHERE: TCAWHEN: June 24TIME: 8:30am-1pmThe TCA will be holding Summer Camps
in its branch for all students, starting from June 24. Every two weeks, a new batch will begin for every child to join and learn new forms of art. The summer camps will include Abacus, Drawing and Painting, Calligraphy, keyboard and dance. The camp will run for 10 days a week from, 8.30am to 1pm. You will be able to see the activities and schedules that will be upheld for every week and register your kid. For further details, call 974 44373259.
Summer Camp for Kids WHEN: June 24 to Aug 31 TIME: 7:30am- 2:30pm WHERE: Music and Arts Atelier, Villa 57
Bin Omran Doha’s Kids Summer Camp where artists
are made! The A to Z of kid’s summer camp – from artworks, dance and music lessons and PLAY in between. For ages 5 years and up. For registration, contact: [email protected] and/or mobile 33003839.
Soccer Festival WHERE: The St. Regis DohaWHEN: Ongoing till July 15TIME: 2pm - 12amThe St. Regis Doha has announced plans
to celebrate the month-long soccer festival and screen all matches to the delight of football lovers, to be held till Sunday July 15, 2018. Sarab Lounge and Vine Restaurant will transform their terraces into football lounges for football lovers to enjoy watching every angle of their favourite game, with giant screens to broadcast the games daily from 2 pm till 12am.
Summer Entertainment City 2018WHERE: DECCWHEN: Ongoing till August 31TIME: 12pmAn amazing range of local shopping stalls
will feature products from all over the world on the Eid. The Summer Shopping Souq has started from June 14 till August 31. Colour your summer at Doha Exhibition and Conventional Centre – West Bay during Summer Entertainment City 2018 with over 75 activities and games, more than 40 food and 132 retail outlets and amazing live performances. Get set for an exciting and eventful summer in 2018.
Meerat RamadanWHERE: KataraWHEN: Ongoing till June 20TIME: 8pm -11:55pm The Cultural Village Foundation – Katara
is inviting the public to Meerat Ramadan at Katara’s Southern Area.
Explore your talent with usWHERE: Mystic Arts Centre behind Al
Hilal Focus Medical CentreWHEN: Wednesday to MondayMystic Art Centre, is a holistic
performing arts institution and a one-stop solution for adults as well as children looking to explore their talents in various art forms. We offer classes in Carnatic Music, Hindustani Music, Karate, Yoga, Zumba, Classical Dance, Salsa, Hip Hop, contemporary and Bollywood dance forms. Personalised lessons, efficient mentoring and exposure to stage helps our learner to walk out as a confident performer at the end of their course. For further details, call 44723680/33897609.
Dance and instrument classesWHERE: TCA Campus, Behind Gulf
Times BuildingWHEN: Wednesday-MondayCome and learn the movements of dance
styles in Bollywood, Hip Hop and also the musical instruments such as Piano, Guitar, Keyboard for adults as well kids and move in the world of music. Classes will run on a regular basis on weekends and weekdays. For details contact 66523871/ 31326749.
Outdoor and five-a-side football pitches
WHERE: Aspire ZoneWHEN: DailyTIME: 7pm-11pmAspire Zone’s five-a-side football
outdoor pitches opposite Al Waab Street are available every day from 7pm until 11pm from Sundays to Thursdays, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 7am-11pm.
Torba Farmers MarketWHERE: Education CityWHEN: Thursday and FridayTIME: 9amQatar Foundation (QF) has partnered
with Torba Farmers Market, a Qatar-based initiative that aims to deliver organic and locally-grown food and homemade
products, to host a weekly market in Education City. Open to the public, the market be held at QF’s Ceremonial Court, accessible from gate 2, every Thursday from 9am-4pm and every Friday from 8am-11am and 2pm-5pm.The name ‘Torba’ is derived from Arabic, and means “the pure soil that feeds, nourishes, and nurtures.” A wide range of fresh, locally-grown items will be on offer, including organic fruits and vegetables, homemade preserves, syrups, and butters, as well as handicrafts and gardening supplies.
Zumba SessionWHERE: Bin OmranWHEN: Sundays TIME: 7pm - 8pmParticipate in Zumba Sessions (Adults)
every Sunday. For more information call 33003839 or [email protected]
Off -Road biking tourWHERE: ZekreetWHEN: FridaysBlue Pearl Experience Qatar is offering
the country’s first off-road biking tour. Ride in the desert on a fat bike to explore the local flora and fauna spot desert wildlife, hike up jebels, chill in the magic of the Richard Serra statues and this unique landscape. Participants will get to cross the desert riding fat bikes from Zekreet to the Richard Serra statues, on a route of approximately 13kms. The route is easy to ride and suitable for people with average fitness. You must be able to ride. Kids aged 9 and older are also welcome. The fee is QR 220 (QR190 for ages 9-14) and includes bike and safety equipment. The activity lasts about 2.5 hours.
Arab and German Tales Exhibition WHERE: Qatar National LibraryWHEN: Ongoing till August 18The exhibition is organised within the
framework of Qatar–Germany Year of Culture and provides an insight into the history of Arabic and German fairy and folk tales, and how the two traditions influenced each other. It aims to show the transcultural value of narrative traditions as a shared intangible cultural heritage and highlight mutual influences, shared ideas and cultural transfer between the Arab world and Germany through storytelling and tales.
TCA CHESS CHALLENGE 2018WHERE: TCA Campus, Villa number 5WHEN: June 29TIME: 9amBe a part of the TCA Chess Challenge 2018. The challenge is open for all dynamic
students of Qatar from all nationalities. The last date for registration is June 27. Registration fees is QR30. For further details contact, 974 66523871/31326749/44373259.
Remote-controlled car racing trackWHERE: Aspire ParkWHEN: Thu, Fri, SatTIME: 4pm-10pmAspire Zone Foundation has created a custom-made track specially designed for remote-
control car racing, for car lovers across Doha. Interested motorsport enthusiasts can try the race track opposite the Aspire Academy, from 4pm to 10pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Sunday, June 17, 20184 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY COVER STORY
SUNDAY CONVERSATION
“As a writer, it’s your job not to feel comfortable ”
CONCLUSION: "We’re all ducks that under the surface are paddling as hard as we can,” says Luren Groff of the 40-something women that populate her stories.
Part of the joy I get is
sewing confusion into the readers’
minds
By Mary Carole McCauley
The novelist Lauren Groff lives in the Sunshine State but fi nds herself inexorably drawn to the shade.
That’s a contrast she has probed relentlessly in three novels (including the best-selling Fates and Furies) and two short story collections. And it explains why she decided to name her
fi fth work of fi ction (and newest volume of stories) Florida.“People who don’t know Florida carry around the idea that it is a place
of perpetual sunshine and Mickey Mouse ears, a place that is a little bit ridiculous,” says the 39-year-old author. “But people who live here also see the darkness. There’s a pervasive, constant dread that is a mental state but also a physical and environmental state.”
The longer that Groff talks about the deceptive nature of appearances, the more it seems that she’s talking about herself. The tall woman with the classic bone structure is a fi tness buff who swam competitively when she was young — her sister is the Olympic triathlete Sarah True. Groff is married to her Amherst College sweetheart, and they have two sons, aged 7 and 9.
Her fi rst novel was shortlisted for the prestigious Orange Prize. Her second was named one of the best books of 2012 by The Washington Post and The New York Times. Her third was a fi nalist for the National Book Award, was Amazon.com’s 2015 book of the year and was chosen by former US President Barack Obama as his favourite read during the past 12 months.
It all sounds extremely enviable. But the fortysomething women who
— Lauren Groff , novelist
5Sunday, June 17, 2018 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITYCOVER STORY
populate Groff ’s stories struggle to live up to their internalised expectations. They are wrenched by ambivalence. They desperately want to communicate to the people they love but are beset by the conviction they’ve failed.
“These are feelings,” Groff says, “that are shared by almost all of the mothers I know. We’re all ducks that under the surface are paddling as hard as we can.”
She talked with The Baltimore Sun about the inspiration for her characters, the diff erent expectations readers have of male and female novelists, and her inability to feel genuinely comfortable no matter where she’s living — and why that’s a feeling she cherishes.
In one of your stories, the main character realises reluctantly that if she feels at home anywhere, that place would be Florida. Has that also become true for you?
At times I feel trapped by Florida; there are parts of it that I dread and parts that I love passionately. I belong here because it’s where my children were born and where the people I love the most in the planet are happiest.
And as a writer, it’s your job not to feel comfortable anywhere, so Florida is probably a good place for me to be. Writing is a deeply oppositional art form. As a writer, you’re always pushing against the constraints you’ve been given.
Place has always been terrifi cally important in your books. Would you be a diff erent kind of writer if you lived in Colorado or Maine?
I would be a profoundly diff erent writer. Where you live changes who you are on almost a cellular level. I grew up in upstate New York and I can clearly delineate my own change in my character after I moved to Florida. If you
come from a hilly, cold place with four very clear seasons, there’s a natural bent towards reticence and towards speed so you can get inside and away from the cold. In the summer, there’s a bursting, almost operatic feeling when you’re suddenly released from all your binds.
In Florida, you do have seasons, but you have 100 of them, and they are contingent on which plants are fl owering. Now, it’s magnolia season and before that it was Confederate Jasmine season and before that it was camellia season. It takes a diff erent kind of noticing. Summers you hibernate inside because it’s brutally hot, so it’s the opposite palate from New York.
How do stories start for you — with a picture in your head of a place or a particular character, a voice or a sentence?
Novels and stories are completely diff erent processes.
With a novel, I’m trying to get at a larger idea that’s sitting really uncomfortably on my heart. No matter what I do I can’t access it, so I write a novel in that direction. I know it will take years. I read hundreds of books and write hundreds of pages that will be destroyed. When I wrote The Monsters of Templeton, I was deeply and profoundly homesick and wanted to recreate a place through mythology. Arcadia was about the really fundamental emotional question of how we bring children into a world we are killing. Fates and Furies was about who gets to tell the stories.
A short story is diff erent. Sometimes images or characters waltz into my head, or an individual sentence. I don’t act on a short story until I put it back onto the compost heap of my subconscious and let it mature. Over the years new things fl ow in, and eventually the story becomes
mature enough so that it blocks out the larger projects I’m working on and makes me want to write it.
All the stories in Florida have female narrators except for one, At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners. How did you decide to tell that story from the point of view of a young boy?
Each of these stories is built around a grain of sand, an individual person I have known. Sometimes it’s just a hand gesture, and they would never know that they were the basis for the character. In that story, the main character had to be male because he was inspired by someone in particular.
Will you tell me who?[Laughs.] No.
Some of your stories intentionally mislead readers into assuming initially they’re autobiographical — only to have you take the story in a direction that clearly never occurred in real life. Do you enjoy messing with our expectations?
I’ve been playing with this very deliberately in my work. The characters in Florida who seem the most autobiographical are not in many ways. I’m very cognisant that people tend to overtly ascribe autobiography to any woman’s writing. People will still ask autobiographical questions of female authors in interviews and at readings. Part of the joy I get is sewing confusion into the readers’ minds; they’re going to assume my stories and novels are autobiographical anyway because I’m a woman.
Did you see how during the recent lionisation of Philip Roth [after the author died May 22], the tributes were very careful to never confl ate him with Zuckerman? [Nathan Zuckerman
is a character created by Roth who, like the late author, is a Jewish-American novelist.] Part of it is the willingness to concede authority to male writers. People are much less likely to grant authority to writers who are women.
Has writing gotten any easier now that you’ve been doing it
for a few decades?It’s funny — the more books
you write, the more of a struggle it is. I look back at the fi rst three books I wrote, and I marvel at how relatively quick and joyous the writing was. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I’m still terrifi ed on a daily basis. — The Baltimore Sun/TNS
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Lauren Groff’s first novel was shortlisted for the prestigious Orange Prize. Her second was named one of the best books of 2012 by The Washington Post and The New York Times. Her third was a finalist for the National Book Award, was Amazon.com’s 2015 book of the year and was chosen by former US President Barack Obama as his favourite read during the past 12 months
Sunday, June 17, 20186 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY
A BLAST FROM THE PAST: Susanne Hake shows photos of her grandfather, a prisoner of war in Japan. Her grandfather was part of the orchestra that played Beethoven’s Ninth for the first time in Asia in 1918. MUSICAL: Susanne Hake holds up the sheet music for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
SINGER: Susanne Hake travelled to Japan recently to mark 100 years since the piece was first performed in Asia in 1918 by an orchestra that included her grandfather, a German POW there.
“My dearest mother, the rainy season has begun.” So begins a postcard written by German soldier
Hermann Hake in 1918 and sent home from a prisoner-of-war camp in far-off Japan.
“Last Saturday night Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was played. The performance was a success.” Hermann’s granddaughter, who reads the postcard to DPA in Tokyo, must pause as she’s overcome with emotion.
On June 1, 1918, in the Bando POW camp on Japan’s smallest main island, Shikoku, Beethoven’s Ninth was heard for the fi rst time in Asia. And today, 100 years later, there’s nowhere else in the world where the Dai-Ku, as the Ninth Symphony is called in Japanese, triggers such a wave of enthusiasm as in Japan.
Every New Year’s, Schiller’s Ode to Joy can be heard more than 100 times across Japan, sung by choirs of up to 10,000 singers in some cases – and in German.
Susanne Hake was in distant Japan for the fi rst time to sing Beethoven’s Ninth with an international choir on June 1, 2018, thus marking the 100th anniversary of the symphony’s premiere in Asia.
They performed at the same place where the German prisoners of war, including Hermann Hake, once performed the symphony for the fi rst time to Japanese people. “My grandfather played second violin in Bando,” says Susanne Hake, clearly excited to take part in this great journey in her grandfather’s footsteps.
Hermann Hake was one of around 4,700 German soldiers who were captured by the Japanese during the battle for the German-occupied port of Tsingtao, now Qingdao in
China, during World War I.They were shipped to Japan and interned in
various camps.“Almost 1,000 of them were lucky enough
to end up in the Bando camp,” says Susanne Hake. Thanks to the humane treatment under camp commander Toyohisa Matsue, the German prisoners enjoyed a certain amount of freedom there. For example, they were allowed to bake their own bread, open up guesthouses for Japanese visitors and make music.
When Susanne Hake’s grandfather and the camp orchestra performed the Ninth, Matsue and his wife attended.
Today, the Ninth is part of Japan’s cultural landscape; nearly every Japanese person knows it. The Ninth’s text Be embraced, ye millions has a special meaning in Japan, one that goes beyond music, Manfred Osten writes in the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
From early on, Ode to Joy mutated into the “ritual identifi cation music of the Japanese people, the symbol of national unity, sovereignty and virtue, strength, courage and power,” the German cultural historian writes. The POWs could have had little idea at the time how much the Ninth would come
to mean to the Japanese. “He practised a lot back then” Susanne Hake knows from her grandfather’s letters. And now, 100 years later, his granddaughter also rehearsed diligently for the jubilee performance in Japan.
“It’s little wonder that the Japanese are so crazy about it,” she says, laughing. Anyone who is in a bad mood just has to sing the Ninth. “It’s really like medicine,” she believes.
And Susanne Hake’s grandfather was the same: He found peace and consolation playing it, he wrote back then to his mother.
His granddaughter remembers how, many years after both wars, her grandfather received a visit from the son of the postman who had collected those letters from the POW camp as well as delivered post to the prisoners at Bando from their homeland.
But apart from the decorative fans and sweets that the postman’s son had brought with him on his visits to Germany, Susanne Hake was long unfamiliar with her grandfather’s story. It was only when she saw Ode to Joy, a fi lm about Bando, at the Japanese Film Festival in Hamburg, Germany, that the experience had came to life, she says.
Last year, her grandfather’s letter to his mother was part of the exhibit ‘Encounters Behind Barbed Wire’ in Lueneberg, the German sister city paired with Naruto in Japan, where Bando was located.
Lueneberg also organised the choir’s trip to Japan, where it joined others from Qingdao, Naruto and Los Angeles in marking the 100th anniversary. “I hope I don’t cry,” Hake had said ahead of the event, thinking of her grandfather. She adds: “He was a happy person.” – DPA
Bound by Beethoven’s Ninth, German woman sings in Japan 100 years on
Susanne Hake’s grandfather, a German prisoner of war in Japan, was part of
the orchestra that played Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Asia for the first
time. To mark the 100-year anniversary, Hake travelled to Japan to perform
the now much-beloved music along with a choir. By Lars Nicolaysen
7Sunday, June 17, 2018 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY
Wellcare marks 18th anniversary, launches ‘Purple Rewards’
CHIEF GUEST: P Kumaran LAUNCHING: 'Purple Rewards' launched.
Wellcare Group recently celebrated its 18th anniversary with the title of
‘Wellcare Day 2018’ at Regency Halls, Al Hilal. During the event ‘Purple Rewards’ was launched by the group. ‘Purple Rewards’, which would be a fi rst of its kind in Qatar, comprehensively allows the customers and pharmacists in Wellcare pharmacies to keep track of medicines, interactions, re-fi lls, SMS reminders, loyalty points and many more benefi ts, noted a press release.
In the new pharma-technology feature in Qatar, the customers will get messages in advance on their mobile phones or e-mail about the chronic medication re-fi lling, product information, medication management follow-up and on special off ers for the loyal customers. SMS reminders will be very useful for those who are taking chronic medication, for diabetes and high blood pressure, as they will receive the alert messages in mobile and e-mail three days ahead of fi nishing their medication and Wellcare pharamcies could initiate insurance coverage procedure.
The chief guest on the occasion was P Kumaran, Ambassador of India to Qatar, who inaugurated the function. The guest of honour was Adrian Norfolk, Ambassador of Canada to Qatar,. ‘Wellcare Day’ is an annual event celebrating the culmination of sports and cultural activities for the employees and their family,
which also had invitees from friendly business groups, Ministry of Public Health, Qatar University, Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) and some academic institutions.
The gathering was welcomed by S K Vyas, Manager Pharmacy Academics Wellcare Group. Mukthar, Chairman of Wellcare Group, in his speech attributed the success of the organisation to the people of Qatar. He also welcomed Shiekh Abdullah A A al-Thani, President of Wellcare Group. The president appreciated all the employees. Mukthar, Ashraf K P,
managing director, and Dr Sameer, CEO of Aster-Qatar, launched the ‘Purple Rewards’ for the benefi t of all residents of Qatar.
In his address, Ashraf K P emphasised the importance of social service and commitments above business models. In a presentation on the evolution of Wellcare, he underlined the contributions, made by the group through its ethical professional practices, towards the growth of the organisation. He said that the Wellcare staff and management would provide the highest professional deliverance and live
up to the tagline ‘the care you can trust’. He added that social service activities like medical camps and blood donation drives would be a regular feature of the group.
Ashraf further said that Wellcare Group was committed to extending experience and education to the students of Qatar University College of Pharmacy and College of North Atlantic Qatar. He said Wellcare would open pharmacies in the areas where the facility was not available within 20 kilometre radius. Wellcare has recently launched a WhatsApp service helping the citizens to send
prescriptions in advance. Wellcare also launched a WhatsApp help centre providing information regarding what medicines could be brought into Qatar during travel.
P Kumaran said that Wellcare Group, besides being a successful business house, was a committed social service provider through its partnering with ICBF) Ministry of Public Health and diff erent health providers. He thanked the government of Qatar for providing necessary support for diff erent Qatari-Indian projects.
Adrian Norfolk said that his presence in the Wellcare Day celebrations showed the Qatari-Canadian business traditions. He wished the Wellcare family a grand celebration and Wellcare group a long standing fruitful relationship with Canada.
Audra Renyi, CEO of earAccess, gave a presentation on the hearing aid product which she expected to change and infl uence the hearing abilities of many patients.
The felicitation speeches were made by Dr Izzam Eldin and Dr Mohammed Izham, professors College of Pharmacy Qatar University’; Norman Wong, Lead Instructor Pharmacy Program College of North Atlantic Qatar; Niveditha, representative of ICBF; and Fahim from Topnotch Division.
The event also witnessed cultural and artistic displays from the members of the Wellcare family. The event concluded with vote of thanks from Maharoof, Manager Administration Wellcare Group.
GUEST OF HONOUR: Adrian Norfolk
Sunday, June 17, 20188 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY TRA
Ecuadorian Amazon
EXHILARATING: Going anywhere in the Cuyabeno Reserve in Ecuador’s Amazon requires long but exhilarating boat rides.
By Doug Hansen
If I close my eyes, I can still feel the warm, tropical breeze blowing across my face as our cigar-shaped motorboat purrs down the brownish, silt-laden
Cuyabeno River, heading for the remote Siona Lodge in Ecuador’s Amazon region. Our two-hour boat ride into the heart of the 2,300 square-mile Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve exposes our small group of adventurers to the wonders of a tropical rainforest: brilliant blue, iridescent morpho butterfl ies fl ash across the open space ahead of us; monkeys dart eff ortlessly through the branches of an overhanging tree; a toucan calls noisily as it fl ies from one towering treetop to another. We
are spellbound. Can this be real?I was fortunate to share this four-
day trip, arranged weekly by the lodge, with just fi ve other Americans and Europeans. Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect, but I fi gured that a trip involving Amazon-style tropical plants, exotic creatures and river-based travel should be a fun adventure, but it proved to be an experience of a lifetime.
Let me back up a step and explain how I got there. From my home base in Quito, Ecuador, I took a 50-minute fl ight to Lago Agrio, a forgettable little town named for the bitter waters produced by its surrounding oil industry. The next morning our group piled into a Siona Lodge van that careened down a curving, bumpy road for two hours through a landscape once teeming with jungle and wildlife, now cleared
and converted to homesteads by poor farmers who didn’t realise that nutrient-poor rainforest soil produces meager crops.
Eventually we arrived at a ramshackle restaurant across from the Cuyabeno Reserve headquarters, adjacent to the river’s entry point where a procession of motorboats transported visitors to and from the reserve’s fi ve lodges. While others enjoyed ice-cold drinks or fast-melting ice cream, my new photo buddy, Kyle from Manhattan, and I excitedly photographed a pair of the world’s most beautiful, day-fl ying Uranus moths, languidly sipping minerals from the mud and showing off their large, jet-black wings embossed with iridescent green and blue stripes.
Anxious to experience whatever adventures awaited us, we headed
down the gangplank to our slender 40-foot boat, and after we secured our gear and seated ourselves, the engine roared to life and we set forth into the great unknown.
All we knew initially was that our Siona Lodge package included a nature guide, transportation to and from the lodge, and all meals, excursions, rain gear and a private room. As we progressed through the rainforest, our eagle-eye guide, Neiser, proved to be invaluable as he spotted and explained details about otherwise invisible birds, monkeys, lizards, tree sloths and even a group of rare river dolphins. By the end of the trip, he fi gured we had seen all 10 species of monkeys.
As much as I delighted in seeing such spellbinding exotic creatures, I found myself mesmerised by the infi nitely varied sizes,
shapes, textures and colours of the tropical plants passing before my eyes. Calling the vegetation “thick and impenetrable” was an understatement.
But there was one fi nal touch that made this scene so surreal _ the sounds of the jungle. As we cruised down the river, the sound of our boat’s motor was interrupted at unpredictable intervals by the sudden pulsating, shrill sounds of a hidden army of cicadas serenading their patch of the jungle in a stereophonic blast. At other times we craned our necks to follow the high-pitched chirping of toucans perched in the tallest trees.
Eventually, we emerged from the confi nes of the river and glided across a moderately sized lake sprinkled with 20- to 40-foot high trees that appeared to fl oat on the
9GULF TIMES
COMMUNITYSunday, June 17, 2018
AVEL
n is a watery paradise
water’s stillness. Large and small bromeliads, with striking red, curved leaves, stood out from the surrounding orchids, delicate ferns, stringy mosses and philodendrons that blanketed the branches of these semi-submerged trees. Lime green parrots screeched at us while snow-white egrets gazed indiff erently as we passed by.
Seemingly from out of nowhere, hidden amid the leafy foliage, an oval, wood sign proclaimed “Siona Lodge” and our boat halted alongside a small wood dock. In the midst of an open clearing stood our lodge, with a covered, wooden walkway connecting all fi ve duplex bungalows and a combo kitchen/dining area/sitting room. Each wood structure sported a palm frond roof that blended perfectly with the jungle’s ambiance. At the farthest end of the compound sat a small hut at the edge of the lake from which we gazed at the sunset, chatted or just sat in meditative contemplation. My room, aptly named Caiman, was sparsely furnished but clean, with a double bed covered by mosquito netting and a private bathroom with hot water. The only drawback was that the high, partially open ceiling transmitted any sounds from the occupants next door.
Each day brought a new set of adventures as we set off on a sunrise bird-watching expedition, a nighttime search for caimans whose eyes glowed in the fl ashlight beam, two jungle hikes and a refreshing, daily sunset swim in “our” lake. The fi rst of our two terrestrial outings involved a three-hour daytime hike in the nearby jungle; thankfully the lodge provided rubber boots which were oh-so-necessary as we slogged through stretches of foot-deep mud. Our perspicacious guide spotted tiny but colourful poison arrow frogs, medicinal plants and most striking of all, a three-foot long earthworm! “The Siona Indians use these
earthworms for fi shing because they are the best bait,” he explained.
I eagerly awaited our night hike through the nearby trails, because my past experience told me that the phantoms of the rainforest only reveal themselves after dark. Nonetheless, I marveled at how dramatically the inky darkness had transformed the landscape into a foreboding place. Peering ahead into our headlamps’ pale circle of light, we stepped cautiously over rocks and roots, making sure not to confuse the shadowy objects with vipers. Call me crazy, but I was sorry that we failed to fi nd any snakes, though I was delighted to fi nd a harmless but wicked-looking tailless whip scorpion (aka amblypygid), a large owl butterfl y and a green,
leaf-shaped katydid waving a pair of delicate, 10-inch antennae.
Our fi nal excursion, a visit to a Siona Indian village, proved to be my favourite. Another two-hour boat ride took us through a maze of twisting tributaries until we reached our destination, a jungle clearing sprinkled with the Siona Indian’s wood homes. The billowing gray clouds overhead produced a light sprinkle of rain that soon grew into a monsoon-like torrent as we strolled through the village’s grassy pathways. Machete in hand, our guide cut large banana leaves for us to use as disposable umbrellas. We met a local woman who demonstrated her machete skills by unearthing and preparing a bulbous yucca root that, when cooked over a
set of hot stones, produced savoury, tortilla-like bread.
After a brief rest and lunch, we were greeted by the village’s diminutive head man who was also the region’s main shaman, or spiritual healer. He led us to a spacious communal hut with a hard-packed dirt fl oor, a series of evenly spaced sticks forming the chest-high walls and a high arching roof made of branches and woven palm fronds. We sat on log stools and watched as the man mysteriously disappeared. A few minutes later he reappeared, transformed by his shaman-best regalia: standing barefoot before us, he wore an emerald green tunic adorned with a bandolier of crisscrossed strings of tawny nuts; encircling his neck
were two dozen sharp, white boar tusks, and a jaguar claw hidden among the dozens of fi ne strands of green, red, blue and white beads. But most striking of all, above his red-streaked cheeks and forehead sat a resplendent headdress glowing with hues of light yellow, mustard yellow, crimson red, orange and turquoise feathers.
A translator enabled us to ask him about his life in the village and his shamanic duties. After patiently answering our questions, he proceeded to demonstrate one of his healing rituals on me. This time there were none of the hallucinogenic herbs that a shaman normally ingests for special, multi-day healings, but he did chant while gently striking me with a bundle of medicinal leaves. I kept my eyes dutifully closed and felt open to whatever aid the jungle spirits might invoke to keep me from harm.
Our four-day stay at Siona Lodge ended in the most perfect way _ as we prepared to leave, a seven-foot caiman crawled ashore by our pier, impressively close to where we stood. A cook rushed to fetch pieces of meat, which we took turns tossing into the fearsome creature’s snapping jaws. We departed with a deep sense of awe and gratitude for our brief but profound exposure to the rainforest’s unique ecosystem. I nodded as Celine, my young German friend, remarked, “I loved everything we saw, it was so magical, and I think the jungle refl ects the diversity of this world perfectly with so many species living together in one place. We desperately need to save the Amazon’s rainforest.”
In our travels we seek those places and events that change us and leave a lasting spell, and my four unforgettable days at the Siona Lodge in the mystic heart of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve did just that. – The San Diego Union-Tribun/TNS
WONDERFUL: A hoitzen (also called a stinky turkey) bird is a favourite, with its wonderful colours and textures. HIKING: Rubber boots were a necessity on our day hike through the muddy jungle.
GREETER: A shaman, or spiritual healer, greets visitors to a Siona village.
Sunday, June 17, 201810 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY QUIZ
“Eid Mubarak!” or “Blessed Eid!”, “Eid Saeed!” or “Happy Eid!” and “Kul ‘am waenta
bi-khair!” or “May every year fi nd you in good health!” It’s a time of festivity as Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the time of deep spiritual refl ection, and not just fasting.
According to tradition, the angels call it the day of prize-giving because all those who fasted are rewarded by God on this day.
In Arabic “Eid” means “festivity” and “Fitr” to break a fast. In Malaysia, it is ‘Hari Raya Aidilfi tri’, in Indonesia it is ‘IdulFitri’ or ‘Lebaran’ while in Turkey it is ‘Seker Bayramı’ or sugar feast.
And to add our festivity is the just started FIFA World Cup 2018. For Russia, the fi rst time host of World Cup fi nals, it has been a dream start at the sporting extravaganza as they thrashed Saudi Arabia in the opener.
There’s no debating that the “beautiful game” is the height of athleticism. The technical skills, IQ and talent needed to compete at this level, to say the least, is awe-inspiring, as more than a billion football-crazy fans reschedule their lives around the matches.
And for novices and uninitiated, Brazil is the team with the most number of World Cup trophies with 5. Germany and Italy have taken home the cup 4 times each. These 3 teams have a combined 13 World Cup titles of the 20 held. Despite winning the World Cup on four diff erent occasions, Germany have lost the most number of fi nals with 4. South America and European countries have won 9 and 11 titles, respectively. No other continent has produced a world champion.
Brazilian legend Pele is the only player who has won the World Cup trophy thrice. Germany’s Miroslav Klose is the all-time highest goal scorer in the tournament with 16 goals from 24 matches. Russian striker Oleg Salenko holds the record for most goals scored in a single World Cup match. In 1994 during a group game versus Cameroon, Salenko knocked fi ve goals.
FIFA World Cup 2018 is now a global behemoth. With a cost upwards of $12 billion to stage, it will be watched by more than half the world’s population. And despite the rampant bytes of commercialisation
and globalisation, some things will remain unchanged. There will be heroes and villains, unheralded headliners and faded superstars, golazos, outstanding saves, unbelievable howlers, edge-of-the-seat excitement and mind-numbing boredom. Yes, great teams will crash out and underdogs will defy the odds.
The time starts NOW. And welcome again to the world of
‘Nutty’s Infotainment.YAYS!’
1. Name the country which has been the highest goal scorer in all three previous editions of the World Cup.
Germany (18 goals in 2014, 16 goals in 2010 and 14 in 2006)
2. In football, how far is the penalty spot from the goal-line?
10.97m or 36 ft
3. Name the only sportsperson to have played both World Cup Football (qualifi ers) and World Cup Cricket.
Sir Vivian Richards. He played football for Antigua in 1974 World cup qualifi ers.
4. Which is the only Christian country in the world to recognise Eid al-Fitr as a national holiday?
Philippines. It is known to most as Wakas ng Ramadan.
5. Jimmy Donal Wales is best known as being the co-Founder and promoter of which Internet presence?
Wikipedia
6. ‘Hobby horse’ was the fi rst ‘mass production’ name of which invention, 320 of which were made in 1819?
Bicycle
7. Macau in China has the highest revenue of any city globally for what?
Gambling. Macau, arguably the gambling capital of the world, generates 3 times the gambling revenue as Vegas with gross gaming revenue of $28 billion annually.
8. Phytopathology is the branch of science that deals with the disease of what?
Plants
9. What is common to Amy Madison, Lavender Brown, Jadis of Charn, Aunt Clara, Bonnie Bennet and Penny Halliwell?
All are witches in diff erent stories. Amy Madison (Buff y the Vampire Slayer), Lavender Brown (Harry Potter), Jadis of Charn (Narnia), Aunt Clara (Bewitched), Bonnie Bennet (The Vampire Diaries), Penny Halliwell (Charmed).
10. Which game is it in the image below?
(Answer next week. Answer to last week’s photo-quiz: Mr. Clean)
Mahjong
What’s the Good Word?
1. Deglutition: (a) process
of swallowing (b) tasting (c)
disintegration (d) morality
2. Disenthral: (a) restrict (b)
disappear (c) set free (d) care
3. Nubivagant: (a) along the Nile
(b) wandering in the clouds (c)
circumspect (d) focused
4. Quietus: (a) highest (b) death (c)
energetic (d) infectious
5. Belle ame: (a) beautiful girl (b)
arrogant (c) old culture (d) colleague
6. Sirimiri: (a) futuristic (b) name of
star (c) confusing (d) light rain
7. Lissome: (a) lack of energy (b)
tenant (c) thin and graceful (d) ready
to eat
8. Limerence: (a) infatuation (b) form
of verse (c) iconic (d) profound
9. Wish book: (a) diary (b) mail-order
catalogue (c) almanac (d) religious
book
10. Umbriferous: (a) soulful
(b) supportive (c) shady (d)
knowledgeable
Answers: 1 (a); 2 (c); 3 (b); 4 (b); 5 (a); 6
(d); 7 (c); 8 (a); 9 (b); 10 (c).
Eid and football: Double delight
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, which team became the fi rst to be eliminated from the fi nals without conceding a goal?
Switzerland(Moamen Salhab, Arab International Academy, Doha)
What is the horn of a rhinoceros made of?Hair (Sathish V, Nakilat, Doha)Do you have some interesting bytes to share? And, does your vibe
attract you to the ‘Tribe NI.yays!’ Every week two of your best questions will be featured here. Please do write to us at [email protected]. And, please do mention the school/college/company (or just ‘home-sweet-home’) you belong to and make them proud.
Tribe NI.yays
UNMATCHED: Brazilian legend Pele is the only player who has won the World Cup trophy thrice.
TWO GOOD: Sir Vivian Richards is the only sportsperson to have played both World Cup Football (qualifiers) and World Cup Cricket.
11Sunday, June 17, 2018 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITYINFOGRAPHIC
Sunday, June 17, 201812 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY CARTOONS/PUZZLES
Adam
Pooch Cafe
Garfield
Bound And Gagged
Codeword
Wordsearch
Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once. Squares with the same number in have the same letter in. Work out which number represents which letter.
Career and business matters are likely to be very much on your mind
today, Aries. Perhaps a new opportunity has come your way, or you’re
thinking of becoming involved in a new enterprise on your own or with
a partner. This might not be a good day to make a decision, so don’t
rush it. Before you make any dramatic changes, think things through
carefully. You may regret it otherwise.
Today you might consider entering into a business partnership with
a relative or neighbour. This could show promise of success, Cancer,
and is definitely worth serious consideration. You’ll want to be sure it’s
right for you, so caution is recommended. You might even get around
to considering the nitty-gritty of a possible agreement, but for the most
part, it isn’t likely that you’ll be making any final decisions yet.
A lot of serious matters are on your mind, perhaps involving plans for
the future. It’s likely that you’ll want to stay home today and do some
contemplating. Various new opportunities could be coming your way,
Libra, and you won’t want to let them pass you by without serious
consideration. Chores around the house could prove a valuable outlet
for physical energy while allowing thoughts to churn in your mind.
The desire for personal and career advancement could cause you to
consider furthering your education in some way, Capricorn. Someone
close to you, probably a woman, could wake you up to the advantages
of returning to school and getting an advanced degree. You may want
to wait a little bit before deciding, but something has shifted within you.
It’s time for some kind of change. Be prepared.
Matters involving creativity, romance, and children could require
considerable thought today, Taurus. Some exciting new options may
be available to you and your loved ones. You might be inclined to mull
over the possibilities. You could consult others to get more opinions. For
the most part, you’ll want to decide on your own. In the meantime, you
could keep yourself occupied by working on ongoing projects.
The value of any investment you may have made in land, including
your home, could come into your thoughts today. Whatever time and
energy you’ve put into it is likely to pay off , Leo, and this might make
a diff erence to you when formulating plans for the future. You might
spend some time working outside, which should clear your head and
enable you to get your thoughts together.
Contemplation is the word for today. At some point, you might receive
a call from a friend wanting advice on a serious decision. Don’t be
surprised if you spend more time listening than advising, Scorpio.
Goals of your own might need some thought and possibly re-valuation,
as changes in your immediate environment could present new and
exciting possibilities to you. Think about it.
Today you’re apt to be a bit preoccupied, Aquarius. You might find
yourself considering concepts that others think are strange and
impractical. This might involve metaphysics or the occult or unusual
ways of making a living - or all of the above. You might want to discuss
this with others. However, you should make a decision based on your
preferences without influence from those who aren’t directly involved.
Matters involving the home could suddenly grow serious. This is a
positive development, Gemini, but new possibilities could be opening
up and force you to make a decision. The value of your home could
have gone up and you might consider selling it and moving. Or you
could have the opportunity to work out of your home and save
commuting costs. Whatever it is, you’ve reached a milestone.
A partnership of some kind, perhaps business, perhaps romantic, is
likely to be on your mind today. You might want to seriously consider
whether or not it has a future, and if it does, what to do next. You
could spend time socialising, Virgo, but you could be too preoccupied
to participate much. A lot of serious decisions need to be made. The
outcome is likely to be positive. Try to relax and have some fun.
Today much of your mental – and possibly physical – energy could be
directed at career matters. You might re-evaluate goals and ambitions,
Sagittarius, and consider other possibilities. The desire for more income
might be the catalyst, but there’s more to it than that. This is definitely a
good day to think about a number of options. You might have to make a
few decisions by this time next week.
Today is likely to be a gratifying day, Pisces, but perhaps more serious
than you’d planned. A longtime friend might call and want to get
together. This person or another might want to discuss a possible
business enterprise that’s apt to be worthy of consideration. Everyone
around you might seem egocentric, and you could feel that your
concerns are of no interest to anyone. Don’t let that upset you.
How to get rid of acne in summerY
ou can use cosmetics to cover up some facial fl aws, but if you have acne, you can’t completely hide it.
Summer skin is prone to infections as dust, oil, heat and humidity tend to stick to your face resulting in acne so make sure you are paying attention to it.
Cosmetologist and Homeopath Physician Karuna Malhotra from cosmetic skin and Homeo Clinic and makeup artist Tullika Pandey list some ways to prevent acne in summer.
Wash your face only once or twice a day with lukewarm water, a mild cleanser, and gentle motion — no scrubbing or harsh abrasive products needed. Make sure one of those times you’re washing your face is in the evening, to remove makeup and dirt.
Do not squeeze your pimple. However, this usually leads to further infl ammation, which makes the acne look worse and last longer. Also this will leave a bad pigmented scar.
Avoid processed foods, generally high in saturated fats and transfat; it can lead to an increase in
sebum production triggering acne.
Also avoid oily food like
chips, French fries, pakodas, aloo tikkis etc which taste yummy but contain saturated oils that increase
cholesterol in the body which leads to poor blood circulation and can worsen your acne.
Fibre plays an important role in getting rid of body toxins. Eat cereals and fi bre rich food and fruits such as blueberries, grapefruit to detoxify your body and clear your skin.
Include Vitamin A in your diet as it is a good source of corotenoids. Carrots, papaya, spinach, tomato juice are a rich source of corotenoids.
Stopping the use of foundation for a week could help clear up acne breakouts, and it could stop any rashes that are caused by irritating ingredients.
Do not use make up on acne skin and even if it’s important then use non-comedogenic and non-irritating products.
Don’t cover your entire face with several layers of concealer. Instead, use complementary colour to blend in the blemishes. — IANS
Sunday, June 17, 2018 15GULF TIMES
COMMUNITYSHOWBIZ
STARLET: Model practices self-care, avoids looking at phone for half an hour in the morning.
Amitabh starts shooting for Badla in Glasgow
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has started shooting for Sujoy Ghosh’s next Badla in Glasgow.
“Whoa! 9.5 hours on the road from London to Glasgow... starting shoot for ‘BADLA’ ... pehle din hi badla le liya unit ne (The unit took revenge on the fi rst day of shoot itself)” Amitabh tweeted on Saturday.
The 75-year-old thespian also took to his blog and wrote that it took nine and a half hours on the road to reach the destination because of bad traffi c and road blocks.
“But not regrettable at all. Great roads, soft and gentle on the traveller, services stop overs pleasant and enduring... Polite
in demeanour, and helpful. a bit lost in the room at the moment, as is always the case, but soon to be adjusted and in comfort,” he added.
The Piku star says the travel has not been tiring for him.
“The pretty countryside of Britain, renowned and in fi ne greenery, the dales as you approach Scotland, and the hospitable people around, simple and courteous quite a departure,” he said.
The fi lm also stars Taapsee Pannu. This will be the second time that Amitabh and Taapsee will be seen sharing screen space again after Pink.
However this will be the fourth time Big B will be collaborating with Ghosh after previously working in fi lms like TE3N, Kahaani and Aladin. – IANS
By Rafer Guzmán
A winning comedy-drama from fl edgling director Brett Haley, Hearts Beat Loud features Nick Off erman as Frank Fisher, a single parent and the owner of
a Brooklyn record shop. Frank’s daughter, Sam (Kiersey Clemons), is heading to college soon, but when their jam session demo tape becomes a minor hit, the parent is the one who starts acting like a teenager. From that simple premise, Haley and his co-writer, Marc Basch, weave an emotionally resonant story about indie rock, middle age, fear of change and the empty nest blues.
“Hearts Beat Loud” is a showcase for
Off erman, switching from his blowhard persona on TV’s Parks and Recreation to play a lovably grumpy rocker-dad. With a bushy grey beard, an occasional cigarette and an ever-present plaid shirt, Frank is an instantly identifi able type. He grouses about life and maintains a low-key crush on his landlady, Leslie (Toni Collette).
Frank saves his best self for Sam, whose mother died many years ago. Whenever Sam gets snotty, Frank resorts to kindness; when she pushes him away, he perseveres. Their musical collaboration begins as a goof-around session, but when Sam reveals real writing talent and a soulful voice, Frank gets serious. He dubs them ‘We’re Not a Band’, after a snarky reply from his daughter and submits their music to Spotify. (The fi lm’s yearning title song comes from Keegan Dewitt.)
Hearts Beat Loud could be the unauthorised sequel to High Fidelity (2000), Stephen Frears demographic-defi ning comedy in which John Cusack also played a record-store owner unable to face his future. Flash forward a couple of decades, and Cusack’s late-20s Rob could easily be Off erman’s late-40s Frank - slightly wiser, and most defi nitely wearier.
Filmed on location in Brooklyn’s industrial-hip Red Hook, Hearts Beat Loud is fi lled with perfect details and sharp observations. At a local cafe, Frank shouts out loud when he hears his song on a playlist for the fi rst time, but the reaction of the cashier, too young to remember the glory days of radio and spoiled by a universe of music at her fi ngertips is a polite and unimpressed ‘Cool’. Moments like that are what make Hearts Beat Loud feel like the real deal. – Newsday/TNS
COMEDY: Nick Off erman, left, and Kiersey Clemons in a scene from the film.
Bella Hadid restrictsaccess to social media
Model Bella Hadid restricts her access to social media every morning so that it does not “throw” out her day. While Hadid often shares updates with her 18 million followers on Instagram, she has now said that she avoids looking at her phone as a part of her decision to commit to practicing self-care, reports aceshowbiz.com.
“When I wake up, I give myself 30 minutes where I’m not allowed to check my phone,” she told Elle.com.
She added: “For a while, it would be the first thing I’d check in the morning and it would completely throw my mind off target, especially when the first thing I would read would be either something somebody I don’t know said about me or something that could possibly hurt my feelings.
“Having that half an hour in the morning gives me time for myself to just lay there and breathe.” - IANS
MEGASTAR: Amitabh Bachchan all apt to begin shooting for the movie, the fourth collaboration with Sujay Ghosh.
Sunday, June 17, 201816 GULF TIMES
COMMUNITY
Embassy hosts memorable evening to mark 70th independence anniversary
celebrations that coincide with ending of Ramadan. By Kamran Rehmat
Pakistani mango-inspired Suhoor makes a splash
As part of the ongoing celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence, the Embassy of Pakistan organised a delectable Mango & Fruit Suhoor
on the eve of the end of the holy month of Ramadan at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.
It was attended by Qatari offi cials, diplomatic corps, including ambassadors from many countries, dignitaries, the business community, and members from the print and electronic media as well as prominent Pakistanis living in the State of Qatar.
Although the spread — made up of a number of savoury traditional dishes of Pakistan — was lavish, there was one clear winner at the end of the day: the Pakistani mango — to anoint a collective noun for the several varieties on off er!
While guests from all walks of life — including smartly turned out ladies and gents — enjoyed the full spectrum of what was customised into a very Pakistani ambiance, the Pakistani mango eff ortlessly stole the show to reinforce its reputation as a world leader.
The guests couldn’t rave enough as they settled into a memorable evening of friendly chatter that ranged from the resilience of Qatar in the face of the blockade, the Ramadan, the weather and last but not least, the fortunes of the participating teams ahead of the Football World Cup in Russia.
As well as intermingling with each other, they also took the opportunity to interact with Shahzad Ahmad, the outgoing ambassador of Pakistan to the State of Qatar, and generously praised his contribution.
Talking to Community, Ambassador Ahmad expressed satisfaction at his nearly four-and-a-half-year stint that saw a major upswing in bilateral ties with Qatar.
“Personally, it brings me great happiness and satisfaction to have overseen the deepening of our mutually benefi cial relationship with Qatar. The increased engagement in various spheres and a fl urry of trade pacts during this time
have greatly bolstered our relationship with the brotherly State of Qatar,” the ambassador noted.
“We are extremely thankful to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Government of the State of Qatar and the brotherly Qatari people, for their generosity and facilitation in helping our community serve to the best of
their abilities,” he said. The evening came to a close with a
performance by an artiste whose traditional dance was in a colourful attire. He spun like a swinging fan with his deft moves, which spellbound the audience against the backdrop of a colourful logo signifying Pakistan’s 70th independence anniversary. The general consensus was that it was second only to the night’s mango beat.
INTERACTION: Shahzad Ahmad, Pakistan's ambassador to Qatar, second from left, interacting with diplomatic corps at the celebration.
MANGO MANIA: Guests indulge the day’s favourite pick.MESMERISING: A performer enthralling the audience.
