D 15 C—23 C TODAY LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE PUZZLES Food for

DOHA 15°C—23°C TODAY PUZZLES 12 & 13D LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 11L P

Monday, December 12, 2016Rabia I 13, 1438 AH

CommunityFour hundred students from 54

schools participate in embassy’s ‘South Africa as I see it’ art competition.

P8 P16 CommunityInitiative by American School of

Doha raises funds to aid local educational institutions in Gambia.

Food for thought

At Nom, the mobile app,

telling stories through

food is on the menu. P4-5

COVERSTORY

INNOVATIVE: Vijay Karunamurthy, Nom CEO and co-founder.

Community EditorKamran Rehmat

e-mail: [email protected]: 44466405

Fax: 44350474

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

USEFUL NUMBERS

Quote Unquote

Monday, December 12, 20162 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITY ROUND & ABOUT

Dhruva (Telugu)DIRECTED BY: Surender ReddyWRITTEN BY: Surender Reddy,

Vema Reddy, Mohan RajaCAST: Ram Charan, Arvind Swamy,

Rakul Preet SinghSYNOPSIS: Dhruva (Ram Charan)

is a sincere IPS offi cer who wants to eradicate crime in the city of Hyderabad. Instead of catching the small time thieves, he decides to trace out that one man who is behind all these crimes. He hunts down various big wigs and through them fi nds out that a man called Siddharth Abhimanyu (Aravind Swamy) is behind all the corporate crimes.

Rest of the story is as to how Dhruva makes some clever plans and nabs the powerful Siddharth down and ends the crime in the city.

THEATRE: Royal Plaza

BefikreDIRECTED BY: Aditya ChopraWRITTEN BY: Aditya ChopraCAST: Ranveer Singh, Vaani

KapoorSYNOPSIS: Befikre is a story that

celebrates being carefree in love. A quintessential Delhi boy Dharam

(Ranveer Singh) comes to Paris for work in search of an adventure. Just when he was about to embark on this journey of his life he bumps into a wild, free spirited, French born Indian girl Shyra (Vaani Kapoor). A feisty romance ensues between the two in which both of their personalities- one

being an equal match for the other are tested to the limit. Battling their ups and downs, both realize that love is a leap of faith that can only be taken by those who dare to love.

THEATRES: Mall Cinema, Landmark

Mall Cinema (1): Befikre (Hindi) 2pm; Bad Santa 2 (2D) 4:15pm; Moana (2D) 6pm; Kavi (Malayalam) 8:15pm; Dhruva (Telugu) 10:45pm.Mall Cinema (2): Moana (2D) 2:15pm; Moana (2D) 4:30pm; Moana (2D) 6:45pm; Befikre (Hindi) 9pm; The Girl with All The Gift (2D) 11:30pm.Mall Cinema (3): The Girl With All The Gifts (2D) 2pm; Wolves At The Door (2D) 4pm; Underworld: Blood Wars (2D) 5:30pm; The Neighbor (2D) 7:15pm; Wolves At The Door (2D) 9:30pm; Chennai 600825 (Tamil) 11pm.Landmark Cinema (1): Befikre (Hindi) 2pm; Bad Santa 2 (2D) 4:15pm; Underworld: Blood Wars (2D) 5:45pm; Wolves At The Door

(2D) 7:30pm; Kavi (Malayalam) 9pm; Wolves At The Door (2D) 11:30pm.Landmark Cinema (2): Moana (2D) 2:30pm; Moana (2D) 4:45pm; Moana (2D) 7pm; Befikre (Hindi) 9:15pm; The Girl With All The Gifts (2D) 11:30pm.Landmark Cinema (3): The Neighbor (2D) 2:15pm; Chennai 600825 (Tamil) 4pm; Chennai 600825 (Tamil) 6:45pm; The Neighbor (2D) 9:15pm; Chennai 600825 (Tamil) 10:45pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1): Moana (2D) 2pm; Moana (2D) 4:15pm; Moana (2D) 6:30pm; Underworld: Blood Wars (2D)

8:45pm; Dhruva (Telugu) 10:30pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): Dhurva (Telugu) 2pm; The Girl With All The Gifts (2D) 5pm; The Unmarried Wife (2D) 7pm; Befikre (Hindi) 9:15pm; Wolves At The Door (2D) 11:30pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): Befikre (Hindi) 2pm; The Neighbor (2D) 4:30pm; Bad Santa 2 (2D) 6:15pm; Wolves At The Door (2D) 8pm; The Neighbor (2D) 9:45pm; The Girl With All The Gifts (2D) 11:30pm.Asian Town Cinema: Ore Mugham (Malayalam) 5:30, 8 & 10:30pm; Kattappana (Malayalam) 6 & 8:45pm; Dhruva (Telugu) 6:30pm; Chennai 600825 (Tamil) 8:15pm; Befikre (Hindi) 5:45 &11pm.

PRAYER TIMEFajr 4.48amShorooq (sunrise) 6.09amZuhr (noon) 11.27amAsr (afternoon) 2.25pmMaghreb (sunset) 4.47pmIsha (night) 6.17pm

If you spend too much time

thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.

– Bruce Lee

3Monday, December 12, 2016 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYROUND & ABOUT

E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change

EVENTS

Muhammad Ali: Tribute to a LegendDATE: Until February 25, 2017WHERE: Eastern Gallery, 4th Floor,

Museum of Islamic Art The temporary exhibition is curated by

Qatar Museums’ 3-2-1 Olympic and Sports Museum and presents a unique collection of artefacts from the boxing legend’s career, including photography from Ali’s outdoor exhibition bout at the Doha Stadium in 1971 and memorabilia spanning his journey to the 1960 Rome Olympics; Ali’s world title winning bout against Sonny Liston in 1964 and his final world title winning fight against Leon Spinks in New Orleans in 1978.

Katara National Day CelebrationsKatara Esplanade18-19 December, 1pm-10pm (18th) 10am-

10pm (19th)This year’s celebrations at Katara will

display a line-up of exceptional activities and programmes, including entertaining and rich events of military and traditional shows, as well as local and popular-themed competitions and contests that will be staged for your pleasure.

National Day ParadeDecember 18, 7am—8amAl CornicheA fantastic parade where people will

get to enjoy a parade by MOI, Emiri Guards, Lekhwiya, Civil Defence and other governmental bodies. There will also be aerial and sea displays by the air force and navy. The Corniche will be closed before 9am, so make sure to get there early!

Palm Tree Illumination15-31 December, Sunset-SunriseCorniche (and around Qatar)Don’t forget to pass by the Corniche, to

check out the Palm Tree illumination! It’s a beautiful sight. Honestly, we wish it could always look like that.

Al Doha - Retrospect8-20 December, All day eventDarb El-SaaiView a showcase of Qatar’s history

and development through the times. Government and Civil organisations have come together to show the public how Qatar became to what it is today.

Al Shaqab – Horse riding8-20 December, All day eventDarb El-SaaiThe Al Shaqab event provides special

trainers to teach visitors horse riding! Kids will also have the opportunity to learn horse riding. There will also be presentations that

will provide tips and advice on how to care and breed horses. For more information on Qatar National Day events, visit qatarnationalday.qa

Al Gannas(For school students) Until March 31, 20179am – NoonAl Gannas SocietyFree ( For boys only, requires

registration) Al Gannas association is participating in

the “Our culture is a school” programme, by organising many activities for the students every Monday and Wednesday of the week.

These activities include explanations on hunting and related items tools, kinds of falcons and preys, in addition to workshop on how to carry a falcon, set a traditional tent (made of goat & camel heir), prepare traditional Arabic coffee and start a fire. For further details, visit katara.net

Qatar Music Academy(For school students) Until March 28, 201711am - 2pmFree (Requires registration) Qatar Music Academy focuses on

teaching its students the principles of Arab and Western music. As part of the “Our Culture is a School” programme, Qatar Music Academy has offered interested schools the opportunity to attend various workshops. These workshops will include an introduction to Arab and Western music and instruments, as well as the teachers giving a brief overview of the educational music programmes at the Academy. For further details, visit katara.net

QMASS general body meetingDATE: December 16TIME: 4pmVENUE: ICCA general body meeting of the forum of

expatriates from Mahe and neighbouring

regions of Kerala is scheduled to take place on December 16 at ICC. All members are requested to attend the meeting. The executive committee requests all the expatriates hailing from the above mentioned regions to take part and to get registered.

Football for DevelopmentDATE: Until December 16TIME: 5pm-9pmVENUE: Mesaimeer With the success of the pilot training

conducted jointly by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and Naaas Group for Real Estate Project Management & Development, in July and August this year, the first in a series of Generation Amazing’s Football for Development Programme was inaugurated on October 14.

The programme continues every Friday from 5pm until 9pm at Labor City, Mesaimeer with a look of festivity, grandeur and boundless energy.

The training programme, held once a week, involves football-based activities and drills to educate, train and develop the social, behavioural and lifestyle patterns of the recipients. This, in turn, leaves a positive legacy on the society and the world at large. The concept is for each participant to absorb the values of inclusion, health, well-being and awareness of the environment around us.

Under the accomplished supervision of Naas and the SC, this 10-week programme is an excellent platform to use the power of football as a catalyst for social change, empower the next generation and allow Qatar to leave a lasting legacy as a result of hosting World Cup 2022.

The BackyardDATE: Every FridayTIME: 6pmVENUE: Sheraton Grand DohaThe Backyard is a first-of-its-kind venue

in Doha and brought to you by Candela entertainment. Live music every Friday with a variety of your favourite local bands and occasional surprises of bigger performers! Entrance: QR100 for gents including one beverage/ladies free entrance until 8:30pm, after it will be QR65 for ladies including one beverage.

FragmentsDATE: Until January 30VENUE: KataraIn this exhibition, Mahmoud Obaidi

retraces the ‘organised chaos’ that led to the destruction of Iraq, and presents a response to witnessing the city of Baghdad fall piece by piece. Obaidi recreates what has been stolen or destroyed to try to piece the city back together again.

Treasures of ChinaDATE: Until January 7, 2017VENUE: Museum of Islamic ArtTerracotta soldiers from the First

Emperor’s Terracotta Army will be on show at the Museum of Islamic Art where

visitors will get the chance to meet the warriors who guarded a hidden empire. The exhibition will display 116 pieces dating from the Neolithic period to the Qing Dynasty, spanning over 5,000 years of China’s history. Potteries, bronzes, jades, porcelains, gold, silver, enamel and many other Chinese treasures will be on show.

Tumbao Latin NightsDATE: Every SundayVENUE: Grand Hyatt HotelTumbao is not only a salsa rhythm, it

enables you to share in the creative flow of life and get connected to the beat and dance. Join us every Sunday at Dunes with the fellow Latin dancers in town and nightly competitions with valuable prizes brought to you by Salsa n Candela. For more info & reservation, contact 44481280.

Cake Decoration ClassesDATE: Morning and eveningVENUE: Tavola Royal Plaza, Al Saad

StreetTavola offers a range of cake decorating

and kitchen skills classes. It is the only authorised Wilton method provider in the Middle East. It is authorised by Wilton enterprises to conduct classes in the Wilton Method cake decorating and the Wilton Method Instructors (WMI) training programmes by Knightsbridge PME (UK). Tavola conducts sugar-crafting programmes and also offers programmes in baking and chocolate making.

Fitness TrainingDATE: Sunday, Tuesday, ThursdayTIME: 6pm-7pmVENUE: MIA ParkThere are fitness classes in the park on

Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights between 6 and 7pm. Open to all levels of fitness, Bootcamp is an intensive and fun way to train and also meet new people in the open and friendly group atmosphere. More information, from Bootcamp, Qatar or info@ bootcampqatar.com.

FOODIE’S CHOICE

RESTAURANT: SridhanLOCATION: Shangri-La HotelSridan presents outstanding value in an

entertaining souq atmosphere combined with an abundance of attractive offerings and warm Qatari hospitality.


COMMUNITY COVER STORY

“We’re super focused on user experience”

— Vijay Karunamurthy, CEO and co-founder of the food app Nom

BLAZING A TRAIL: Vijay Karunamurthy, the CEO and co-founder of Nom, a social network where foodies post live videos and photos, at the company off ices in San Francisco, California.

By Queenie Wong

Tourists snap photos of a scrumptious foreign dish, families gather around the dinner table to catch up and novice

cooks may turn to a video to learn how to whip up butternut squash soup or a rainbow grilled cheese.

For Nom CEO and co-founder Vijay Karunamurthy, cooking is a social activity that brings people together. Teaming up with YouTube co-founder and fellow foodie Steve Chen, the duo launched a social media site this year called Nom where people can post photos, videos and live broadcasts about

the foods they love.“We wanted to bring that energy,

connection or social vibe you get from thinking about a restaurant or what you want to cook for dinner to a mobile app,” Karunamurthy said.

He recently sat down with The Mercury News to talk about the art of storytelling through food. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

How did the idea for Nom come about?

Steve and I were working with Google Ventures, and the Google campus has a bunch of cafes. There’s one called Kitchen Sync, and they actually bring in a new chef every month who uses all this amazing fresh produce. We’re sitting at this cafe and hearing the story of the chef and thought, ‘Oh,

this is a great idea for a startup.’ Sharing stories around food, sharing the experience of going out to a great restaurant and also thinking about the food that you eat, where it comes from and what the deeper story is behind it. That was kind of the start of Nom.

There are a lot of options out there for people who want

to share their love for food, from Facebook to Instagram to Pinterest. What makes Nom diff erent?

We tried to tie together photos, video clips and live video together into stories. So you can actually start off telling a story from a farmer’s market. Here’s some spaghetti summer squash I might want to make in the future. That’s actually the beginning of connecting and getting questions from the audience. Two hours later, you can share a video clip of you pouring out the summer squash spaghetti. You want to bring people into what you’re sharing, and you want to do it in a way where people keep coming back throughout an afternoon or morning. It’s that

“Sharing stories around food, sharing the experience of going out to a great restaurant and

also thinking about the food that you eat, where it comes from and what the deeper story is behind it.

That was kind of the start of Nom”


COMMUNITYCOVER STORY

back-and-forth interaction that pulls people in. We haven’t seen that in other apps before.

Do you view food as a form of communication?

Yeah, it kind of connects to all these diff erent parts of people’s lives. We see people talk about sports and fi tness. They talk about travel and other countries they can go to. You might start off talking about an Argentinian restaurant in San Francisco, and it might lead you to learning about a home in Buenos Aires where you can have a home-cooked meal from a chef that no-one had heard of before. All these diff erent connections are built around food and cooking, and that’s kind of why we thought it was a magical place to start.

You recently teamed up with ABC’s The Chew and Vice’s

Munchies. What do you hope to achieve through that partnership?

Disney, ABC and Scripps Digital, which owns the Food Network, really get how storytelling ties with food. We’ve learned a lot, and we’re excited to share their content. The Chew has an amazing live audience experience in New York. Being able to share that at home on a mobile app and a behind-the-scenes view of how those shows are being built is kind of a special way to connect with an audience. It’s more than just recipes. It’s about the energy of what it takes to be in the kitchen. There’s pressure involved. The humiliation of something going totally wrong. Being able to share all of those human emotions is a core part of what we want to do.

There’s just so much going on in a kitchen. Do chefs stop to

answer some of the audience’s questions while they’re cooking?

The huge thing we’ve learned is that when you’re in the kitchen live on camera and trying to cook a dish (at the same time) is really hard. You can actually ask questions even when they’re not live. We try to do a great job of curating the best questions from audience members that are in that story. They can also just share photos and video clips. They don’t have to be live on camera. You get a lot of back-and-forth interaction just in the process of telling a story.

How much funding have you raised so far, and how many employees do you have?

We raised $4.7 million and we have eight employees right now, so we’re still a small team. A lot of our employees are engineer

friends we know from Google, PayPal or Facebook. So it’s a tight-knit group of people. One of the amazing things we’ve been able to do is connect with the wider food community and get advisers like three-Michelin star chef Cory Lee. The discipline and level of quality he brings with his food and cooking is something we wanted to capture in the app.

We’ve also been lucky to have advisers like Jared Leto from My So-Called Life. Folks like PSY from the Gangnam Style video really know how to entertain an audience on camera. His grandmother owns a chain of noodle restaurants in South Korea, so he understands how a restaurant brings in people.

Do you plan to generate most of your revenue from ads? And when you partner with a chef,

is there some sort of revenue split involved? Are you paying people to do live videos?

The answer is no. Right now, we’re super focused on the user experience and integrating ways to connect people together. We want to create a new class of creators who couldn’t express themselves in the ways they could on YouTube or Instagram in the past. It’s tough to do that when you bring in advertising or think about making money too early. Down the road, instead of doing something that puts a wall between us and these great creators and users, we want to fi nd ways to connect people to the things they want to do in real life. So being able to book a table at a restaurant. Being able to order a special ingredient in a meal. All of these fi t more into how people think about food and cooking, and that’s more exciting than just doing advertising.

What does the future hold for Nom? Where do you see this company headed in the next fi ve or 10 years?

Our fi rst hope for our iOS and Android app is that it shows up on people’s home screens. It becomes one of those apps that is so addictive. You’re getting people commenting on that cocktail that you shared last night and you want to reply back to them. If you’re sitting around at lunch and you’re deciding where you want to eat for dinner, hopefully you can bring up the app, see the content around the city and that inspires you to think about where you want to go. —The Mercury News (San Jose, California)/TNS

NOMCAST: Behind-the-scene stories.

Vijay KarunamurthyAge: 37

Birth place: Chicago

Position: Co-founder and CEO, Nom

Previous jobs: Engineering manager, Google-owned

YouTube; co-founder, AVOS

Education: Bachelor’s in biochemistry, University of Illinois;

master’s in computer science, Stanford University; MBA, UC

Berkeley.

Residence: San Francisco

Family: Wife, Julia Stiglitz

Five facts about Vijay Karunamurthy I just got married. My wife and I got married on a small

family vineyard on a hill in Sonoma, California. On our

wedding day, we almost got rained out and we didn’t have a

back-up plan. Fortunately, the skies held, and we got a lovely,

misty view of the Sonoma hills as a backdrop.

My favourite food is sushi — especially kaiseki — but my

comfort food is South Indian food.

I grew up in Chicago, and so did half our startup. We

were on pins and needles during the entire magical playoff

season. I almost still can’t believe the Cubbies finally won.

I love to travel but often do a poor job planning. I once got

stranded on a mountain top in Japan with no place to sleep.

Fortunately, a driver picked me up and a local Buddhist

monastery took me in for the night.

My best friends are from high school, including my co-

founder and teammates. It’s a small public school in the

Chicago suburb made famous by Wayne’s World, which

takes place in Aurora, Ill. We’ve stayed together for more

than 24 years.

HAPPY AT HOME: Vijay has only recently married Julia Stiglitz, vice president for business and market development for Coursera, an online education start-up.

HIP: A screen grab showing the live interaction.


COMMUNITY

Northwestern students, alumni network over ‘Dinner with Twelve’ events

The dinners, held in Doha, were hosted by an alum from the university’s law school, and one co-hosted by three alums – two from the Qatar campus and one from the Evanston campus.

Students attending Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) participated in a popular home campus tradition,

Dinner with Twelve, which connects current Northwestern students with the University’s alumni who have worked in the students’ fi elds of interest. Alumni host a dinner at their home or a restaurant for 8-12 students at no cost to guests, with the hope that everyone who attends a dinner leaves with 12 new Northwestern friends.

The dinners, held in Doha, were hosted by an alum from the university’s law school, and one co-hosted by three alums – two from the Qatar campus and one from the Evanston campus. The dinners off ered the students an opportunity to network with their alumni hosts, and also to learn more about the hosts career path and professional experience in a relaxed setting.

NU-Q, as the 12th school of Northwestern University, off ers its students and alumni a vast network of fellow alumni globally.

The Evanston campus works with Northwestern staff and alumni in Qatar to make those connections and to provide the students attending Northwestern on its Qatar campus with the unique opportunity to network and meet successful professionals from a range of careers. In 2015, the school hosted an alumni event in Dubai with Northwestern alumni from the university’s business school – The Kellogg School of Management. It plans to continue to off er similar opportunities for both students and alumni to connect and engage with fellow Northwestern alumni.

“The Dinner with Twelve gatherings,” said Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO at NU-Q, “create environments for NU-Q students to engage in conversations with alumni, both from our Evanston and Doha campuses, who can share their success stories and provide our students with career guidance. These events create strong networks and professional relationships that help our students determine the course of their careers, as well as provide

opportunities to meet professionals already engaged in their fi elds of interest.”

Imad Chemaly, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alum, hosted a dinner for NU-Q students who are interested in attending law school. Chemaly, who is the legal counsel for the International Bank of Qatar, has lived in Qatar for the past eight years. After hearing about Northwestern’s Qatar campus, he became interested in hosting a dinner to connect with undergraduates, who he said, “share a special bond with fellow Northwestern graduates.”

“The dinner with NU-Q students was a great experience. I was very impressed by their enthusiasm, curiosity, and shared interest in pursuing a law degree. Many students explained that their media law course has motivated them to consider law school after graduation, and that was very interesting to me – I really enjoyed sharing my experiences from the law school with them,” Chemlay said.

The second dinner was hosted by Alli Divine, a recent graduate from Northwestern University’s Evanston campus, along with two NU-Q alums. For Divine, who is currently serving as a special adviser in the Dean’s Offi ce, it was also a unique opportunity for her. “This was a way for me to engage with current students and alumni, and to learn about what drives and inspires them, as well as get to know my co-hosts. I would most certainly love to take part again,” she said.

“My Northwestern pride is boundless,” she added, “and I have had the good fortune of being part of the Northwestern community in Evanston and Qatar. This Dinner with Twelve was a perfect summation of what ties us together: inquisitive, driven individuals passionate about making the world a better place in whatever fi eld they choose to pursue.”

Huda Barakat, a student at NU-Q said that having Chemaly host the dinner was helpful and she found the discussion on graduate schools

very informative. “I thoroughly enjoyed attending the dinner and connecting with alumni from the Evanston campus, which is usually more diffi cult to do here in Qatar. It was very insightful, especially regarding graduate studies that we can consider as communications professionals,” she said.

Rezwan al-Islam who co-hosted the dinner with Divine and Florent D’Souza, is a 2012 NU-Q graduate and attended Harvard University for graduate school. “The love Wildcats have for one another is beyond words. Gather a bunch under one roof and magic happens. That’s exactly how I would describe the dinner. It was a celebration of purple love, purple pride, and all things Northwestern,” he said.

Their co-host, D’Souza, who received his undergraduate degree from NU-Q and attended graduate school on the Evanston campus agreed. “I had such a great time learning and sharing with the students. They were passionate, driven, and ambitious – everything that epitomises a Wildcat,” said D’Souza.

AlRayyan Hotel Doha, Curio – A Collection by Hilton, the fi rst Curio hotel in the Middle East, has unveiled the

executive members behind the city’s highly anticipated hotel, due to open in December 2016.

General Manager, Luca Crocco, who was appointed during the hotel’s pre-opening phase in June 2015, leads a multicultural team working together in a property that breaths fashion, glamour and comfort in its 201 rooms and suites, fi ve restaurants, three outdoor swimming pools, wellness areas, meeting rooms and Grand Ballroom. Luca joins the team with over 20 years’ Hilton Worldwide experience, fi rst starting his career

with the company in 1996 as Assistant F&B Manager at Hilton London St. Ermins.

The fi rst member to join the executive team was Isabel Fernandez, who takes on the role of Director of Business Development, bringing with her 11 years’ experience in the fi eld, including two in pre-opening roles. Isabel joined Hilton Worldwide in 2011 as part of the pre-opening team for Hilton Doha. In her role as Director of Business Development, Isabel oversees the Sales, Marketing, Conference, Events and Reservations departments.

Shortly after Isabel, Shaik Basha joined the AlRayyan Hotel Doha team as Executive Chef. During his career, Shaik Basha has been

part of fi ve pre-opening teams, with AlRayyan Hotel Doha being the sixth time Basha sets up the kitchen department in a brand new hotel. With more than six years’ experience as Executive Chef and 16 years working in the kitchen, Shaik Basha brings quality, fl avour and freshness to the menus of AlRayyan Hotel Doha’s restaurants.

He has been a part of the Hilton family since 2012, when he joined as Executive Chef of Hilton Shillim Retreat & Spa in India.

Othmane Lamine later joined the team in his fi rst role with Hilton Worldwide as Food and Beverage Manager, and brings more than 15 years’ food and beverage experience to the hotel. During his debut at the upscale AlRayyan Hotel Doha,

Othmane will oversee the operation of fi ve restaurants, fi ve meeting rooms and a Grand Ballroom, as well as manage all outside catering services. Throughout his career, Othmane has enjoyed a long list of successes, including the award-winning brunch concepts he

developed between 2010 and 2015.AlRayyan Hotel Doha, Curio - A

Collection by Hilton is rooted in Qatar’s culture and promises the perfect balance between tradition and trend. The hotel is located in Al Rayyan and directly connected to Mall of Qatar.

AlRayyan Hotel Doha, Curio unveils executive team

The executive team of the hotel. Sitting, from right, General Manager Luca Crocco with Isabel Fernandez. Standing, from right, Othmane Lamine with Shaik Basha.


COMMUNITY

Teachers training workshop at Pak Shamaa

Chief Columnist at the Abu Dhabi-based The National newspaper Faisal al-Yafai presents Ismaeel Naar with the award.

NU-Q alum named Outstanding Young Arab Journalist

Pak Shamaa Scchool & College (PSS) held a teachers training workshop titled Interactive Teaching Strategies. Muzaff ar Hussain, Head of English Department at PSS, conducted the session.

‘Hope and Participation’ at MathafA recent event at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art marked the International Day of People with a Disability. The event, titled “Hope and Participation” was held under the patronage of French ambassador Eric Chevallier. More than 150 students, including those

from Lycée Bonaparte School and those with autism, attended the event. They participated in a number of activities organised by the Department of Education in collaboration with the Museum of Hope Center, the Society “Doha Acceuil “School and Lycée Bonaparte.

Blue Salon showcases Gaby Charbachy’s latest collectionBlue Salon recently held a trunk show featuring some of the latest creations of fashion designer Gaby Charbachy. The Lebanese designer, whose specialty is evening wear, was in attendance at the fashion show that featured evening gowns and dresses from his Winter 2016 collection. Gaby Charbachy is from Beirut and his brand is featured in 22 countries in North and South America, Eastern Europe and most of the Middle East. He has participated in all the major fashion weeks including New York, Paris, Barcelona and Milan.He has been collaborating with Blue Salon for two years now. His specialty is evening dresses. While the dresses in the collection are ready to wear, they also offer a made-to-measure service. Clients who avail of this service can choose from the existing collection and work on it and customise it to their needs.

Ismaeel Naar, a Northwestern University in Qatar alumnus, has been named Outstanding Young Arab Journalist of the Year. Naar received the award

at an event recognising outstanding achievements by young Arabs.

Naar, an online journalist with Al Arabiya, was the student graduation speaker at NU-Q in 2013, as well as the recipient of the Dean’s Award. During his time as a student, Naar participated in a residency programme with The Financial Times in New York. He also received NU-Q Media and Research Awards in two categories – for Best Documentary, which he fi lmed on refugees in a UNHCR health centre in Jordan; and Best Profi le for a photography project on Qatar National Day celebrations.

“Ismaeel was an excellent student while attending Northwestern and his success as a professional

journalist is something that all of us at Northwestern take great pride in witnessing,” said Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO at NU-Q.

After graduation, before joining Al Arabiya, Naar worked for the Al Jazeera Media Network, as an online reporter for its English website. The 25-year-old Bahraini journalist was one of the youngest reporters from the region to cover the frontlines of the Saudi-Yemen war. He was also the fi rst journalist to break the news of the Haj stampede tragedy in 2015.

“In the career I’ve had so far, I’ve covered several breaking international news stories, including the failed coup attempt in Turkey and the recent US presidential elections. My journalism classes at NU-Q equipped me with the skills needed to handle such stories and develop solid and accurate coverage,” Naar said.

Naar was selected as the Outstanding Young Arab Journalist by a distinguished judging panel, which was headed by Chaker Khazaal – the 28-year-old author of the Confessions of a War Child trilogy. The other judges included former UK ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher, fi lmmaker Farah Nabulsi, columnist Fasial al-Yafai, journalist Momen Mahmoud, OMG (Mena) CEO Elie Khouri, Asda’a Burson-Marstellar CEO Sunil John, humanitarian Mouna Elhaimoud, and MBC Senior Vice President Mazen Hayek.

Naar said that he accepted the award with great pride and was “thankful to my fi rst editors, who were my journalism professors at NU-Q. My passion and drive to tell other people’s stories was born from their classes all those years ago,” said Naar.


COMMUNITY

Hannah Tunstall›s winning piece. Photos by Umer Nangiana

One good way to learn about a country’s culture, its people and history is to see it through works of art.

The embassy of South Africa made school children here do exactly that. Through an art competition held across local schools, the embassy aimed to make South Africa more familiar to people in Qatar and urge them to visit it.

The participating students had to research South Africa and aspects of its cultural heritage and natural beauty and they came up with surprisingly realistic portrayals.

The top 20 winning students and 3 honorary winners from Al Noor Institute for the Blind were awarded medals at a ceremony held at Virginia Commonwealth University-Qatar (VCU-Q) recently. Hannah Tunstall

of Doha College won the fi rst prize with her piece of art and with that two tickets to go visit South Africa.

The ambassador of South Africa to Qatar, Saad Cachalia and VCU-Q School of Arts Dean Dr Akel I Kahera distributed the medals and the prizes to the winning students.

The Children Art Competition with the theme ‘South Africa as I see it’ was held in September this year. More than 50 local and international schools in Qatar participated in the competition and submitted their artworks to the embassy.

The artworks, done around the competition theme, were adjudged by expert art instructors from VCU-Q.

“The art was beyond my expectations. It is amazing that students in this age group can be so creative. Being the dean of art

of school, I get a chance to look at a lot of artworks. These were very inspirational and I really enjoyed them,” Dr Kahera tells Community in a talk after the awards ceremony.

Art, he says, is a very powerful medium. It can convey information about people, their language, heritage and history. Art is just as powerful as writing an article or a book or conducting an interview. It is a medium of communication.

“I think these students have used it well. They had to do some research about South Africa so they have had a chance to learn about a foreign country. And in this global world that we live in it is important we understand that everybody has a role to play in the society,” says the VCU-Q Dean.

He says the university is always excited about the opportunity to

collaborate with all of the embassies here in Qatar. When the South African ambassador came to them, he says, they were really excited about the possibility and rose to the occasion to support and make the initiative a success.

“This initiative is clear indication of a part of our mission in Qatar that is to be good community partners to extend our knowledge and help beyond the walls of the school and to reach out to the community,” he added.

VCU-Q has been in Qatar for 20 years and is the oldest American institution in the country. During this time, it has graduated over 600 students.

“We continue to work to build opportunities to build capacity, to help build this nation, to support what is called knowledge economy

and to extend our curriculum in a way that it becomes relevant to the needs of Qatar,” Dr Kahera added.

The top 20 entrants received medals. However the winner of the competition, Hannah Tunstall received a fl oating trophy for her school as well as two air tickets to South Africa with a stay in the country.

“The whole idea of this competition is premised on a few things and the chief amongst them is the aim to strengthen the relationship between Qatar and South Africa. We believe that an art competition would allow Qataris’ exposure to South Africa and in return let South Africa open itself to Qataris,” ambassador Cachalia tells Community.

“Children at home are the ones who decide where to go on a holiday

Exploring South AfricaFour hundred students from 54 schools participate in embassy’s ‘South Africa as

9GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYMonday, December 12, 2016

a through arts I see it’ competition. By Umer Nangiana

and infl uence the parents to go to a particular place. This art competition allowed the children to do some homework on South Africa and better understand it,” he added.

The ambassador said the competition made the children learn about a country that they did not know much about and they will now share their information with others.

The theme of the competition, he added, also helped the embassy better understand what people think of South Africa and thus improve its tourism eff orts.

“I believe initiatives like this will open up Qatari visits to South Africa for tourism. Qatar is a great investor in art and we believe we can [generate interest in South Africa through such] competitions,” said ambassador Cachalia.

Douw Vermaak, political counsellor at the South African embassy, conducted the awards ceremony. During his introductory speech, Vermaak said the competition was part of the

embassy’s outreach eff orts to reach to the communities based in Qatar and to introduce them to the people and culture of South Africa.

“The theme ‘South Africa as I see it’ encouraged students to research not only South Africa but the African continent on the whole and produce works of art refl ecting their impressions of what a visitor to our country would experience,” said Varmaak, explaining to the audience why each piece of art was selected as winner by the judges.

The competition was open to children between the ages of 13 and 16. The embassy partnered with Etihad Airways and VCU-Q. The university helped and guided the embassy with the modalities of the competition.

“The Ministry of Education in Qatar fully supported the initiative and the number of participating schools went up to 54 from the initial 34 that we had identifi ed and we received over 400 submissions,” Vermaak told the audience.

Amal Zen from MES Indian School won the second prize, while Al Jazi Salman al-Sulaiti from Global Academy International School won the third. The honorary winners from Al Noor Institute for Blind included Nawal al-Ansari, Farhana Hafez and Amna Siddiqa.

Children came up with realistic portrayals of South Africa and its people.

Students from Al Noor Institute for Blind won honorary prizes.

Ambassador Cachalia giving his speech.

South African ambassador Saad Cachalia, second left, with Dean Dr Akel I Kahera, third left, giving the first prize and air tickets to winner Hannah Tunstall from Doha College, second right.

More then 20 students were given medals for their artwork.


COMMUNITY INFOGRAPHIC


COMMUNITYLIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE

ARIESMarch 21 — April 19

CANCERJune 21 — July 22

LIBRASeptember 23 — October 22

CAPRICORNDecember 22 — January 19

TAURUSApril 20 — May 20

LEOJuly 23 — August 22

SCORPIOOctober 23 — November 21

AQUARIUSJanuary 20 — February 18

GEMINIMay 21 — June 20

VIRGOAugust 23 — September 22

SAGITTARIUSNovember 22 — December 21

PISCESFebruary 19 — March 20

Stand your ground today Aries. You know instinctively what’s in your

best interests and you have a master plan. It’s easy sometimes to get

caught up in what other people expect of you and let yourself down.

Sometimes you win sometimes you lose Cancers and with

Mercury the communicator, going out of phase in your one on one

relationship zone on the nineteenth you might be in for a few losing

situations.

Unless you really don’t feel as if you are up to a certain challenge

today, it’s a good idea to get things done and off your “to do” list

asap...as Mercury the planet of clear thinking is getting ready to

retrograde on December 19.

Don’t turn a blind eye to something or someone today Goats. There

are some things you can’t ignore and luckily you know exactly what

they are.

Avoid people who seemingly only want to talk you out of doing

something that you yourself are very excited about. Be the boss of

you today Bulls.

Speak up today if you feel someone is trying to undercut your

authority Leos. With the Sun in your self–fulfilment zone twining

Uranus in your higher thinking zone today, you are in a wonderful

cosmic place.

Having doubts about something right now Scorpios? Doubts are

often simply our overactive imagination trying to put their two cents

worth in, Scorpios.

Uranus your ruler and the planet of the unusual and unexpected

gets into a fiery trine with the Sun in Sagittarius today. In your

communication and friendship zones respectively, this could be one

of those days when someone really surprises you.

Sometimes it’s not easy to focus on what’s in front of you because

you’re too busy thinking about and organising all the other things

buzzing around inside your mind.

Your ruler Mercury the planet of clear thinking and communication

goes out of phase on December 19, which is sure to throw many of

you into a whole lot of drama and trouble.

With a Super Moon shining on your relationship zone this

Wednesday, you have some thinking to do with regards to your

friendships.

Let bygones be just that Pisces...bygones. It’s vital that you keep

looking forward and refuse to look back with regret. Make the rest of

the year count.

The holidays are all about spending time with friends and family, but with the average size of an apartment smaller than 10 years ago, many lack a comfortable

space of their own to host a party. The good news is this: you don’t need ample budget or space to entertain. With some simple tips and inspiration, you can host a holiday gathering that truly embodies the season and creates lasting memories for family and friends.

While you may not be able to dine in the dining room, you can draw inspiration from the space and create your own unique entertaining experience at home with these fi ve tips.

Make your dining area feel specialHowever big your dining space is, keeping

it simple and special touches will make the space feel elevated. Start with your serving pieces – using real (non-paper or plastic) plates, silverware and glasses will bring a polish to your meal. Then, keep it simple with the décor and serving presentation. If your guests are eating in the living room, try setting up the food buff et-style in the kitchen to allow more space for your favourite holiday decorations in the living room.

Create great food without a catererSkipping a caterer saves money but not

time, so create a menu of low-preparation recipes and lean on high-quality, already-prepared foods, pot pies and desserts. You can serve already-prepared dishes alone, or simplify a recipe by using an already-

prepared dish. Simply repurpose the pie fi lling and turn one dessert into another.

Decorate smartEvery holiday party sees guests gather in

one or two rooms. Whether it’s the kitchen, living room or the dining room, spend your

decorating time and money in this space, instead of the entire house. Adorning the areas where your guests choose to celebrate will keep everyone in the spirit of the season while controlling your costs as well.

Establish and embrace the budgetWhen it comes to hosting a holiday

party, let the budget be your guide. Plan your festivities down to the last cheese square and account for everything in your overall budgets. The more detailed your budget, the less wiggle room and the easier it will be to stick to. Then, as party day grows closer, adhere to your budget wholeheartedly as it will protect you from any expensive whims.

Don’t go it aloneYou don’t have to plan your entire party

alone. A progressive dinner is a great way to save money and time. One person hosts one or two courses, so, if your apartment is small, off er to host cocktails and leave the big, sit-down meal for someone with more space. Together you’ll manage expenses and create a truly memorable party.

©Brandpoint

Five holiday entertaining tips for space and budget conscious hosts


COMMUNITY PUZZLES/CARTOONS

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.

Puzz

les

cour

tesy

: Puz

zlec

hoic

e.co

m

BLUSHBURGUNDYCARDINALCARMINECERISECLARETCOPPER

CRIMSONFLUSHEDGARNETGLOWINGMANDARINPINKROSY

ROUGERUBYRUDDYSCARLETTITIANVERMILION

Red

Sudoku

Sudoku is a puzzle based

on a 9x9 grid. The grid is

also divided into nine (3x3)

boxes. You are given a

selection of values and to

complete the puzzle, you

must fill the grid so that

every column, every anone

is repeated.


COMMUNITYPUZZLES

Colouring

Answers

Wordsearch Codeword

DOWN1. Insensitive to criticism (5-7)2. Scull (3)3. Zodiac sign (6)4. Fierce (9)5. Wireless (5)6. Much (12)7. Establish (3,2)10. Intoxicate (9)13. Strong muscles (5)14. Force (6)16. Tarnish (5)20. Curve (3)

ACROSS1. Main road (12)7. Antitoxin (5)8. Display of cowboy skills (5)9. Outfit for sport (3)10. Harmless (9)11. Smoked herring (6)12. Gruesome (6)15. Infamous (9)17. Simple tune (3)18. Shrub (5)19. Unadorned (5)21. Type of horserace (12)

ACROSS1. Unimaginative - not material for a novel (6-2-4)7. Wise men caught using spells? (5)8. A couple in minor athletics event (5)9. Suitability of a suit in good condition? (3)10. Pan I place somehow in a dishwasher, for example (9)11. Lure some of the apprentices (6)12. Element of a loud performer (6)15. Noble name given to wedding attendant in a book? (5,4)17. Do something in practice... (3)18. ...Or out of practice and browned off? (5)19. Give therapy as a special indulgence? (5)21. Happenings in the darkroom? (12)

DOWN1. Literary fellow such as Postman Pat? (3,2,7)2. Some work with an area of shifting sand dunes (3)3. Live in and keep busy (6)4. Material consumed in forge? (9)5. A sign of slavery in China? (5)6. Festivities for obscene trial, perhaps (12)7. French word and piece of music (5)10. Original model of cunning eastern kind (9)13. Pamphlet from an extended area (5)14. Cuban co-star? (6)16. Sample provided by the state (5)20. Tree of overwhelming beauty (3)

Quick Clues

Cryptic Clues

Yesterday’s Solutions

QUICKAcross: 4 Abusive; 8 Unable; 9 Purloin; 10 Pierce; 11 Gender; 12 Incisive; 18 Monotony; 20 Voodoo; 21 Strict; 22 Ammonia; 23 Rebuff; 24 Flatten.Down: 1 Culprit; 2 Cadence; 3 Slacks; 5 Bludgeon; 6 Silent; 7 Veiled; 13 Immobile; 14 Copious; 15 Mystify; 16 Formal; 17 Adroit; 19 Outlet.

CRYPTICAcross: 4 Fanfare; 8 Hold-up; 9 Upbraid; 10 Ramrod; 11 Runner; 12 Post free; 18 Matchbox; 20 Morose; 21 Poplar; 22 Stand-by; 23 Beasts; 24 Censure.Down: 1 Therapy; 2 Glimpse; 3 Put off; 5 Apparent; 6 Firing; 7 Ruined; 13 Remember; 14 Abolish; 15 Express; 16 Sortie; 17 Bounds; 19 Clover.


COMMUNITY BOLLYWOOD

All natural

The female lead in Befi kre is Vaani Kapoor, who in 2013 had seen success with her debut fi lm Shuddh Desi Romance. While she played a not so glamorous plain-looking kind of character in it, Befi kre has her in a chic modern avatar.

This change in image has also led to a minor controversy. Whereas in earlier movies, her face had tapering soft features, in Befi kre they have suddenly turned sharp and defi ned. It is the kind of look that one gets after plastic surgery. Her look had come in for considerable comments on social media. In an interview to a tabloid Vaani however denied that she had gone under the knife.

Instead she gave a number of reasons for why she looked diff erent. One was that she had lost weight, then there was the freezing winter in France where they were shooting and the camera angles. She also added that she couldn’t aff ord such a surgery since she was only one fi lm old!

Send your feedback [email protected]

Shah Rukh Khan seems to finally have a movie that is generating great excitement in people.

The trailer of Raees was recently launched and got more

than 20 million views within a day. The reason is not hard to see. For some time now, Shah Rukh has been playing it safe, taking on movies which only seemed to showcase the superstar that he is, instead of the actor.

It is ironic that someone who made his break in Bollywood purely on the dint of his acting prowess, should over the course of the years, as some analyse, have become hostage to his own image.

So long as this works, it doesn’t matter as

Salman Khan is proving with every passing blockbuster. But once the tide turns, it becomes clear that your audience wants something more than just the usual. In Raees, Shah Rukh plays a gangster, and the story chronicles the rise of the character who is admittedly larger than life but also at heart a criminal.

Negative shades in his roles had worked very well for Shah Rukh on his journey to superstardom but he gave up such roles to become a romantic hero. That image did magic for him but over the last few years, Shah Rukh just seems to have lost some of the connection with his audience.

Chennai Express looked like it might spark a revival but it turned out to be a one-

off. Perhaps because he too understood the precarious position of his career, he has been willing to experiment more. There was the recent release of the low budget Dear Zindagi, which saw Shah Rukh finally getting some acclaim from critics.

If Raees becomes a big blockbuster when it comes out on January 25, then he might well swing his way back to the top. The only spoke in the wheel is that Hrithik Roshan’s movie Kaabil is also releasing the same day. Despite Shah Rukh trying to

negotiate that they postpone and not eat into each other’s market, Rakesh Roshan, the movie’s producer, had been firm on the date. With Raees’s trailer’s success, Roshan must be wondering whether he made the right decision. Meanwhile, there was a curious turn of events around Shah Rukh and Salman. It was said that the two would for the first time host a segment together at an awards ceremony. But then on the day, Shah Rukh left early and Salman was the sole host on stage.

Raees trailer generates excitement

STEPPING OUT OF COMFORT ZONE: In an open letter, director Aditya Chopra said he was afraid that not working with Shah Rukh Khan would expose his own shortcomings, but that Ranveer has the same "energy, brilliance and intellect" as SRK.

A MATTER OF DUB: Rajnikanth has reportedly politely declined to dub for Aamir Khan in Dangal.

HOT PROPERTY: The trailer for SRK’s latest film was watched for over 20 million times in just 24 hours.

NEW LOOK: Vaani Kapoor insists that she hasn't gotten work done on her face.

A tit-for-tat ‘no’?

Robot 2.0, reportedly the most expensive Indian movie of all time with Rajnikanth in the starring role as in its fi rst edition, has Akshay Kumar playing the negative character. But arriving at Akshay was not an easy path. The role had been off ered to a few other superstars who all had not deemed it fi t for them.

There was Amitabh Bachchan who in fact called up his old friend Rajnikanth asking for advice on whether he should do the movie. The answer he got was to not do it. The reason Rajnikanth gave was that people would not accept Amitabh in a villain’s role.

Among the others approached there was said to be Arnold Schwarzenegger who agreed but then the deal didn’t work out. It was also said that Aamir Khan too had been approached but declined the role.

Now, in something of a reversal, there are media reports that Aamir himself has had to experience a rejection from Rajnikanth. His movie Dangal is ready for release soon and he had organised a private screening for Rajnikanth. Aamir reportedly asked him whether he would deign to dub for Aamir’s character in the Tamil version to be released in the state. This time it was apparently Rajnikanth’s turn to politely decline the off er. The two had acted once together two decades ago in a forgettable movie called Aatank Hi Aatank. Evidently, that didn’t help!

Coming out

Aditya Chopra, head of the biggest production house in Bollywood, is also the most reclusive of all personalities there. Forget about media interviews, over a span of two decades that he has ruled the industry only a rare few images of him have been managed to be captured by photographers.

The man who when he was just 23 gave a superhit like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge has for the fi rst time in his life directed an actor other than Shah Rukh Khan with Befi kre, which released last week.

It stars Ranveer Singh as its hero. And, once again for the fi rst time in his life, Aditya communicated in public but it was not in the traditional form of an interaction with the press. Instead, he wrote open letters around Befi kre which were then uploaded to the movie’s offi cial twitter handle.

In one of them, he spoke of his own insecurity of not having Shah Rukh in the movie because he had always assumed that his failings might been hidden under the charisma of the actor. But he said as soon as he started working with Ranveer he knew that it was just like working with Shah Rukh. Both had the same “energy, brilliance and intellect” even if their working process was diff erent.

Monday, December 12, 2016 15GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYSHOWBIZ

Jennifer Lawrence embarrasses Pratt

Actress Jennifer Lawrence embarrassed Chris Pratt on the set of Passengers by blaming him for her girly scream. The 26-year-old actress left her co-star red-faced when she let out a “high-pitched” scream after a light bulb exploded, and she blamed it on him, reports femalefi rst.co.uk.

“We were sitting in our chairs waiting for the next shot and a big set light bulb exploded nearby and she screamed. High pitched. Very feminine. Then she

immediately looked over at me and said, You scream like a woman! Did everyone just hear Chris?’ and for the rest of the shoot I couldn’t convince anyone it wasn’t me. I just had to own it,” said Pratt.

The 37-year-old also joked that he is terrifi ed of starting work on the Jurassic World sequel and fears he may not make it through the movie alive. “It’s amazing I made it out alive. The sequel shoots in a few months. I already have nervous diahrea, diarreah, diarreeah, how the $$%$ do you spell that? Anyways. Yeah. I’m probably gonna die on the sequel,” he said. – IANS

Always wanted to be an entertainer, says RanveerA

ctor Ranveer Singh, known for his live wire acts, says that he always wanted to be an entertainer and has thanked his fans for making it possible for him to live his dream. Ranveer completed his six-

year journey in Bollywood last week.He made his acting debut in 2010 with the

romantic comedy Band Baaja Baaraat, directed by debutant Maneesh Sharma. In his six-year long journey in Bollywood, Ranveer starred in blockbusters like Lootera, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Dil Dhadakne Do, Bajirao Mastani and Befikre.

He is currently busy shooting for filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati.

“All I ever wanted to be, was an entertainer. Your love and support has made it possible for me to live my dream. Thank you,” Ranveer tweeted.

The 31-year-old says he chatted along with superstar Aamir Khan about the craft of acting. “A special six years of Ranveer Singh celebration! Chatted about the craft of acting at length with one of my screen idols – Aamir Khan. Day well spent,” Ranveer said.

He also watched his latest film Befikre, helmed by Aditya Chopra, with a “live audience”. “And now for the best part of it all! Watching Befikre with a live audience! What a feeling! Truly blessed,” Ranveer, popular for his “infectious energy”, said. – IANS IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ranveer Singh

MARITAL BLISS: Lisa Haydon

SPACE TREK: J J Abrams

EMOTIONAL THRILLER: Dwayne Johnson

Blue is the colour of life, say Farhan, Shraddha

Actors Farhan Akhtar and Shraddha Kapoor said blue is the colour of life for them, and in a new night, as they unveiled as new range of colours for Dulux paints. Shraddha said: “Rightly observed by the team researching the colour trend, blue is the colour of life, of everyday life. It is familiar and yet new. ‘Denim Drift’ is the must-have colour of 2017, It is truly adaptable, fi tting into all life and interior styles, making it the perfect choice for refl ecting the mood for coming year.” Seconding her words, while highlighting the colour’s versatility, Farhan said: “The colour of the 2017, ‘Denim Drift’, is an essential part of our everyday palette, when teamed with rich shades it will bring your walls to life and exude energy. With lighter tones, it will bring a cool, calming and airy feel.”

The new range of colour comprises various shared of blue to capture various moods of interior and exterior space. Also present at the launch were Rajiv Rajgopal, Director, Decorative Paints of AkzoNobel South Asia Cluster, and Jeremy Rowe, the Managing Director of AkzoNobel Decorative Paints, South East and South Asia, and Middle East.

On the insight that led to the new product, Rowe said: “Blue is a colour that is soothing and restful. ‘Denim Drift’ seems to best describe the trend as the chosen shade appears to drift from being defi nitely indigo blue to a lighter blue-grey named smoke grey in our colour catalogues.” – IANS

Life hasn’t changed much aft er marriage: Lisa Haydon

Actress Lisa Haydon, who recently tied the knot with her long-time beau Dino Lalwani, says her life is more or less the same after marriage. “Life has not changed much after marriage. I went straight back to work. But I guess changes come after having a baby, not after marriage, especially if you are married to the right person who understands your lifestyle and profession,” Lisa told IANS.

She added: “I think I was married to my husband in mind before it happened offi cially. When you fall in

love, you make a commitment to each other. It’s all about that.”

Lisa, who started her career as a model, has featured on the cover for popular lifestyle magazines. In 2010, she made her debut with the Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol-starrer Aisha. Along with actress Kangana Ranaut, Lisa was also praised for her act in the 2014 hit fi lm Queen. She even garnered Filmfare Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the comedy-drama. Most recently, she was seen in Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which released in October this year. Since she is at the peak of her career, did she ever

have a fear of being in a committed relationship?

Lisa said: “Oh no. Not at all. For me, life is nothing without love ... and family is the most important thing for me. Everything else is a bonus. Yes, I am passionate about my work but my success is meaningless without my loved ones, my family and my husband. They are my priority.”

Lisa, who has stayed in Australia and the US, has no Bollywood background. So, is it the right time for newcomers to enter Bollywood?

“Yes, people are now more open to accepting those who are expressing themselves in a more honest way

... and the audience is receiving that. It took me a while to fi nd my niche, but now I know what kind of fi lms are good for me. So, I explore them. People always appreciate such honesty. Since so many fi lms are happening, actors can explore and experiment to fi nd their place in the business. It’ great,” she said.

The actress will now appear in a web series titled The Trip, which will premiere on December 15. The series, also starring Mallika Dua, Shweta Tripathi and Sapna Pabbi, is about four girls who go on a bachelorette road trip from Delhi to Thailand. – IANS

J J Abrams developing space drama Glare

Filmmaker J J Abrams has teamed up with premium cable network HBO to develop a space series titled Glare, an hour-long drama exploring the colonisation of another planet. Abrams will serve as the executive producer of the show, reports aceshowbiz.com.

Javier Gullon will pen the script. The space series marks Abrams’s latest TV invasion after he recently worked in Westworld as an executive producer. Abrams’s TV credits include crime drama “Person of Interest”, limited drama 11.22.63 and comedy series Roadies. His upcoming fi lm God Particle, which is the third instalment in the Cloverfi eld anthology fi lm series, is scheduled to be released on October 27, 2017 in the US. – IANS

Johnson surprises military family

Actor Dwayne Johnson, along with comedian and talk show host Jimmy Fallon, orchestrated an emotional reunion between The Tonight Show producer Karina Kabalan, an army veteran, and her husband who serves as a Master Sergeant in the US Air Force.

“I would love to give back to a military family that’s actually here in the audience,” Johnson told Fallon on the show’s episode, reports variety.com.

The two walked through the audience and to the studio’s control room where Kabalan was caught off guard. Johnson proceeded to list off facts about her life. He said: “I heard that you met your husband when you were both deployed in Iraq. Your husband’s name is Todd. And he’s a Master Sergeant in the US Air Force.” Kabalan nodded and started tearing up as she anticipated where the segment was going, until Johnson fi nally commanded: “Turn around and hug your husband.” – IANS


COMMUNITY

By Umer Nangiana

The American School of Doha (ASD) Upper Elementary Executive Council put on their fi rst fundraiser of the year

which 14, Grade 5 students named the event, Get Your Burger on for The Gambia.

With the generosity of Americana: Qatar’s Food Company, which provided the patties, buns and condiments, over 240 elementary students enjoyed a freshly barbequed burger.

The Executive Student Council, with the help of Alli Farmer, a Grade 5 classroom teacher, and Sara MacDonald, upper elementary counsellor, organised the successful event. It was aimed at raising approximately QR3,000 while thanks to the generosity of the ASD community the goal was greatly

surpassed with the offi cial amount raised being QR8,320.

The money raised will be donated to the National Federation of Gambia Unesco Clubs and Centers (Unesco-United Nations Educational, Scientifi c, Cultural Organisation) to help support local schools in Gambia. The Federation brings together all Unesco clubs and centres in Gambia. Unesco clubs are groups of people from all walks of life who are promoting the ideals and activities of Unesco to maintain peace and security.

Through this organisation and with the help of the Nova Scotia Gambia Association, and Run for Life Non-Profi t Organisation, local schools in Gambia will be provided with educational needs such as building maintenance, art supplies, sports equipment and technological demands.

“These organisations have already provided so much for school communities in Gambia.

They have built a computer lab; a solar hub to generate energy for the computer lab; and a water well with a water tank. Additionally, they have created a boys and girls football club with equipment and uniforms,” says Sara MacDonald.

An art programme was also started by paying for the art teacher and the needed supplies. “The Upper Elementary Executive Council is proud to be a part of this great cause and thank all people who participated in this event,” she adds.

Since 1985, the Nova Scotia-Gambia Association (NSGA) has worked with West Africans and Canadians to build healthy communities in Gambia. Through education and health promotion initiatives, NSGA staff and volunteers have become a major force in youth and community education in West Africa.

NSGA works to foster youth leadership, develop skills, and encourage citizenship. Its

programmes feature interactive and multimedia techniques that demonstrate a positive spirit and creative energy. It provides opportunities for youth, students, professionals, and community members to become involved in its projects at home and abroad. Over 700 work and volunteer placements have been created by the organisation since its inception.

Its projects emphasise the concept of learning through active involvement. It uses drama and theatre, radio and community video shows, and peer education techniques to build healthy communities and to introduce its programmes. The topics include gender equity, environmental sustainability, malaria prevention, ebola prevention and education, landmine sensitisation and education, sexual and reproductive health, including voluntary and confi dential HIV testing and counselling, environmental education and illuminating the

successes of Canadian-African development eff orts and combating stereotype.

Thirty years since its establishment, NSGA is well-respected in Canada and West Africa. In addition to its programmes in Gambia, the organisation has worked in Sierra Leone between 2002 and August 2010 as the Nova Scotia-Sierra Leone Programme on a wide variety of projects with at-risk communities and youth across the country.

Linkages with local schools, universities, service clubs, church organisations, and community groups in Nova Scotia have expanded over the years.

The projects have received fi nancial support from national and international funders, in addition to signifi cant in-kind and fund raising contributions from individual participants. Currently, NSGA supports a busy fi eld offi ce in Gambia and a head offi ce in Halifax.

The ASD fundraiser would help local schools in Gambia through non-profit organisations.

LARGE-HEARTED: The ASD community support helped surpass the initial target of the fundraiser.

ASD to the aid of schools

in GambiaInitiative by American School of Doha raises funds

to aid local educational institutions in Gambia Burger sale in ASD.

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