dt page 01 april 18 - thepeninsulaqatar.com · park house english school students presented hamid...

Richa Chadha bags international project

COMMUNITY | 6 MARKETPLACE | 7 ENTERTAINMENT | 122

HOG Qatar Chapter supports Best

Buddies

Qatar Shell powering individual career

development

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

MONDAY 18 APRIL 2016 @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatarEmail: [email protected] thepeninsulaqatar

P | 4-5

CURATIVE CURATIVE ARTART A month-long exhibition

showcasing a collection of

works created by six students

from each VCUQatar and Weill

Cornell Medicine-Qatar at the

Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Student Center, explores the

intersection between art and

medicine.

| 03MONDAY 18 APRIL 2016

CAMPUS

Park House English School students presented Hamid Moharar, Head of Corporate Relation at Qatar Red Crescent, with a cheque for QR20,000 as a donation

towards medical supplies for the Syrian refugee camps. Dougie Smith, Headmaster PHES, said: “I am delighted that our students and the wider school community

worked together to raise funds for people in the region who are so desperately in need of support.”

DeBakey High School–Qatar held a ‘DeBakey Sports Day’. Students and faculty, participated in team sports and fun games throughout the day. Although DeBakey

offers a challenging curriculum for grades 7–12, this was a day of fun competition and team-building among students and faculty members.

DeBakey Sports Day

Park House students contribute QR20,000 for Syrian refugees

COVER STORY

04 | MONDAY 18 APRIL 2016

The Peninsula

Students of VCUQatar and Weill

Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-

Q) presented their original art-

works at a new exhibition ex-

ploring the intersection between art

and medicine. The expo opened at the

Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student

Center last Monday.

The month-long exhibition

showcases a collection of works created

by six students from each college,

utilising a range of materials, methods

and media, from laser-cut works based

on medical scans, to photographs that

examine the landscape as a metaphor

for neurological conditions, and kinetic

sculptures that question our perception

of what is mental and what is physical.

The artworks and the exhibition

are the result of a semester-long

collaboration between Virginia

Commonwealth University in Qatar

(VCUQatar) and WCM-Q that sought to

explore the many direct and abstract

links that exist between art and

medicine, as part of a research project

conducted by Dr Alan Weber, Associate

Professor of English at WCM-Q; Rhys

Himsworth, Director of Painting

and Printmaking at VCUQatar; Amy

Andres, Interim Director of Libraries

and Assistant Professor at VCUQatar;

and Dr Stephen Scott, Associate

Dean for Student Affairs at WCM-Q.

Himsworth curated the exhibition

and an exhibition catalogue and

documentary film about the project

will be published shortly.

Through an ‘Art and Medicine’

Learning Laboratory set up by the

researchers the project aimed to

develop innovative, interdisciplinary

pedagogies that will provide art

students with new understandings,

materials and tools to further develop

their artistic practice, and which

will also allow medical students to

rethink medical decision-making and

patient care.

The Learning Laboratory consisted

of a series of workshops, seminars

and lectures that investigated how

each discipline solves problems,

develops expertise, and utilises

creativity, analysis, synthesis, and

evaluation to create new knowledge.

Dr Weber said that the students

had benefited from working with peers

from a different discipline. “Clearly, art

and medicine are very different disci-

plines involving very different modes

of learning, so the students have to

move outside of their comfort zones

and think creatively to develop ways

to communicate and work productive-

ly with one another,” he said.

“Through this process the stu-

dents gained an entirely different per-

spective on learning, problem-solv-

ing, teamwork and creativity, which we

feel has been enormously enlightening,

both for the students themselves and

for us as researchers interested in ped-

agogical innovation.”

Art meets medicine atVCUQatar and WCM-Q expo

COVER STORY


VCUQatar student Emelina Soares

worked with WCM-Q student Yanal

Shaheen to create a sculpture that ex-

plores the fragile nature of human skin.

She said: “At first it was challenging to

pursue a project with a medical stu-

dent, since both our thoughts have

complex directions in regards to ra-

tionalising a final outcome. The medi-

cal students are trained to think struc-

turally in order to define circumstances,

while we emphasise on an imaginative

and conceptual approach to the world.

However, the course materials gave

us both the opportunity to encounter

both disciplines and discover a com-

mon ground to realize our final work.

“One of my main interests is the de-

piction of death in religious art, which

has a fairly clear link to medicine and

its study of human anatomy. This com-

mon interest really helped Yanal and I

to develop our sculpture.”

The researchers have document-

ed the interactions between the stu-

dents through photography, videogra-

phy and ethnographic-based research

methodologies.

The research project is the prod-

uct of collaboration and support from

WCM-Q, VCUQatar, Hamad Medical

Corporation, Qatar Science and Tech-

nology Park, Hamad Bin Khalifa (HB-

KU) Student Center, Qatar Robotics In-

stitute of Development, and the Qatar

Robotic Surgery Center.

Himsworth said: “In order to un-

derstand, comment upon, and critique

contemporary culture artists must use

the tools of their time. These will in-

clude traditional media we associate

with artistic practice but increasingly in-

clude new media such as robotics, bi-

ological materials, and computer algo-

rithms. Interestingly, these are also ar-

eas of interest to medical practitioners

and there exists a great opportunity for

artists to collaborate with scientists.

“By working together in a project

such as ‘art and medicine’ we hope

that young artists are exposed to new

collaborative opportunities that will al-

low them to create works that provide

a greater understanding and more viv-

id account of contemporary issues.”

Professor Andres added: “We

wanted to cultivate a mutually insight-

ful, disciplinary transfer of informa-

tion and ideas that would bridge the

gulf between the arts and sciences by

bringing science directly into art and

design. We strove to create scenarios

in which the students from the med-

ical sciences could bring their knowl-

edge and skill sets to the conceptuali-

sation and design of art works. We al-

so believed it was important to create

such an opportunity in Qatar, a coun-

try that has demonstrated its commit-

ment to education, interdisciplinary

collaboration, and creative production.”

The exhibition can be viewed at the

HBKU Student Center from April 12 to

May 14. Opening hours are Sunday to

Thursday 10am – 9pm, Friday 2pm –

9pm.

VCUQatar student Emelina Soares worked with WCM-Q student Yanal Shaheen to create a sculpture that explores the fragile nature of human skin.


COMMUNITY

Harley Owners Group (HOG)

Qatar Chapter participat-

ed in the opening of Lord of

The Wings, a contemporary

American casual dining burger restau-

rant owned by Siddiqi Holding, in Me-

dina Centrale, The Pearl Qatar.

The group of Harley-Davidson rid-

ers arrived to mark the launch of the

restaurant and to attract The Pearl vis-

itors and residents.

Within the social responsibility and

contribution policy, HOG Qatar Chap-

ter donated the reward of the cam-

paign to Best Buddies Qatar for the

noble cause to support people with

and without intellectual developmen-

tal disabilities. On behalf of Best Bud-

dies Qatar, Mohammed Al Sayeed, the

Manager of Rehabilitation and Inte-

gration Department, accepted the

check. He said: “Best Buddies Qatar

appreciates HOG Qatar Chapter keen-

ness in participating in Best Bud-

dies Qatar mission to enhance life of

people with and without intellectual

developmental disabilities through

social integration and one-to-one

long lasting meaningful friendships.”

Elias H Debis, the Assistant Di-

rector of HOG Qatar Chapter, add-

ed: “Harley Owners Group Qatar

does quite a lot of participation that

we call “giving back to the communi-

ty”. We are very glad to contribute to

Best Buddies Qatar mission.”

Laalei Abu Alfain, The Executive

Director of Best Buddies Qatar, said:

“We thank Harley Owners Group Qatar

Chapter for their kind initiative and

support to Best Buddies Qatar. We

highly value such enthusiasm of gov-

ernmental and non-governmental

entities to hold up our aim of social

integration of people with and with-

out IDD. ”

HOG Qatar Chapter supports Best Buddies

Barwa Bank announces two Thara’a draw winners

Barwa Bank announced the names of the seventh round of draw

winners for Thara’a, its Shariah compliant savings account, at the

bank’s headquarters. Salem Saeed M AAlmarri andFakhria Esmaeil

Mahmoudi each won a cash prize of QR50,000.

A cash prize worth QR25,000 was awarded to Nashwa Osman Ali

Omer, Abdulasees Chevidikkunnan Koyamu, Ali Hassan Y H Al Ansari and

Alawi Abdulkadir Aljuneid. The draw was conducted under the supervi-

sion of a representative of the qualitative licence and market control de-

partment at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce.

Thara’a offers account holders the chance to benefit from cash re-

wards up to QR1,000,000, a first for Islamic banks in Qatar. Based on

several criteria, Thara’a account holders are eligible for a number of peri-

odic draws for cash prizes. Totalling QR3,000,000. The cash rewards are

distributed on both a monthly and biannual basis to customers holding

a minimum balance of QR10,000.

On a monthly basis, there are 7 winners per draw for the cash prize

of 5,000 Qatari riyals, as well as 4 winners per-draw for the cash prize

of 10,000 Qatari Riyals. Additionally, twice-a-year there are 4 winners

per-draw for the cash prize of 25,000 Qatari prize, 2 winners per draw

for the cash prize of 50,000 Qatari riyals and 1 winner per-draw for the

grand prize of 1,000,000 Qatari riyals. Rewarding 102 winners in total

with cash prizes up to 3,000,000 Qatari riyals.

MARKETPLACE


McDonald’s Qatar backs

school badminton

championship

McDonald’s Qatar, the leading

food service company, as part

of the continuous commit-

ment to the local community,

has recently sponsored the First Doha

Secondary School Badminton Champi-

onship 2016, held at Doha Independent

Secondary School for Boys.

Organised by World Badminton

Player Ahmed Yeyha with the support

of Doha Independent Secondary School

for Boys, the event kicked-off on March

24 and ran until March 26. A total of

270 players, in addition to two players

from Bahrain and two from Dubai who

participated in the matches and com-

peted in different categories.

The tournament ended with a

grand finale on March 26, where Mc-

Donald’s Qatar presented 38 trophies

and 25 T-shirts for the referees and

organisers. The champion of the tour-

nament was Heri Setiwan from Bah-

rain and the best player of the tour-

nament was Ahmed Yehya from Qa-

tar, where both thrilled the crowd as

they smashed the shuttlecock across

the opponent net perfectly.

Qatar Shell powering individual career development

Joining Qatar Shell as a Reservoir

Engineer was the fulfilment of a

long-term ambition for Abdulla Al

Amoodi. While he was a student at the

University of Tulsa, USA, Al Amoodi set

his sights on working for the organisa-

tion. However, he had to wait several

years before joining the company.

“When I enrolled in college to study

petroleum engineering, working for

Shell was a goal of mine. Ever since I

was a student I have been impressed

by Shell’s reputation, achievements

and industry leadership. Many of the

most esteemed professors at college

spoke highly of Shell,” said Al Amoodi.

As a fresh graduate, Al Amoodi was

initially unsuccessful in securing a po-

sition at Qatar Shell. However, the re-

jection only motivated him further to

take on a position at Qatargas which

operates an asset for Shell. Al Amoodi

spent the next six years gaining insight

and experience on the upstream “sub-

surface” aspect of the oil and gas in-

dustry. With this experience he applied

once again for a position at Qatar Shell.

This time he was successful. “I joined

Qatar Shell as a Reservoir Engineer on

the North Field Wells and Reservoir to-

wards the end of 2012, during the be-

ginning of the surveillance campaign –

a subsurface data gathering campaign

for Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GTL), the

world’s largest GTL plant built in part-

nership with Qatar Petroleum (QP),” Al

Amoodi said.

The extensive industry background

he acquired at Qatargas coupled with

his work on Pearl GTL, led to Al-Amoo-

di taking on a new role last year as

Business Strategy Adviser for the Qa-

targas 4 asset, delivered in partner-

ship with QP. Abdulla believes that his

own career progression demonstrates

Shell’s commitment to investing in lo-

cal, Qatari talent.

In his latest role, Al Amoodi utilis-

es his technical knowledge while de-

veloping his leadership skills by focus-

ing on existing strengths. “Qatar Shell

is a unique organisation and it adopts

a structured career development plan

for each individual, the details of which

allow them to reach their goals and ful-

fil their target position,” he explains.

As the Business Strategy Advisor for

the Qatargas 4 asset, Al Amoodi is now

the interface between Qatargas, Qatar

Shell and the North Field Wells Reser-

voir teams.Abdulla believes his acceler-

ated development within the organiza-

tiondemonstrates Shell’s commitment

to recognise those who combine talent

with a strong work ethic.

Al Amoodi is one of 300 Qatari staff

holding technical and commercial po-

sition at all levels of Qatar Shell, which

continues to positively impact Qatar

through the training and development

of Qatari nationals.

“I am proud to work for Qatar Shell

because of its commitment to my

country,” says Al Amoodi. “Qatar Shell

focuses on my development as a Qa-

tari as part of this commitment, which

is why I am proud to be part of an or-

ganisation that nurtures Qatari talent

and supports its growth, while making

real contributions to my country, be-

cause at Qatar Shell we impact Qatar

together.”


FOOD

By Dorie Greenspan The Washington Post

Because I live in Paris part time,

and because that time is nev-

er the same from year to year,

I’ve gotten to see the mar-

kets in every season. I’ve been there

when the fragrance of strawberries

can make you dizzy, when the stalls

are piled with poultry in full plumage,

when all there is that’s “fresh” is pota-

toes, when there are so many varie-

ties of apples that you need to shop

with a botanist, and when, just about

now, asparagus spears are arranged

in pyramids so tall it’s impossible

to see the vendor behind them. The

French make a big deal about aspara-

gus, and I applaud them for it. It’s not

just a wonderful vegetable: It’s a sign

of hope and happiness, the harbinger

of all the other spring vegetables and

summer fruits to come.

Like mes amies, I frequently serve

asparagus solo. But I love to play with

the vegetable and pop it into other

dishes. Do it right, and even the sim-

plest dishes can be made to seem lux-

urious.

That’s what happens with this rice.

On its own, the rice is rich and satis-

fying. Add asparagus and it’s elegant.

Although the rice may remind you

of risotto, it’s actually a cross between

a pilaf and boiled rice ordinaire. The

last-minute additions of cream and

cheese give it the lush texture we love

in risotto, without the 30 minutes of

stirring. You can call it a cheat; I think

of it as culinary magic.

To give the rice layers of flavour

and texture, I also add sauteed shal-

lots, garlic and sliced asparagus stalks

as well as fresh, crisp sliced scallions

and lots of fresh herbs. It’s always fun,

and delicious, to add something fresh

and bright to a cooked dish. Before

the rice goes to the table — and I usu-

ally send it out as a starter — I finish

the dish with asparagus tips.

Be picky about your asparagus.

Choose medium-thick spears (you

can use pencil asparagus, but chubby

stalks are not right here) that are firm,

and look for tips that are tight. Wrin-

kled spears and blossoming tips are

signs of age.

Cheesy rice with asparagus8 to 10 servings first-course serv-

ings or 4 main-course servings. Al-

though this rice may remind you of

risotto, it’s actually a cross between

a pilaf and boiled rice ordinaire. The

last-minute additions of cream and

cheese give it the lush texture we love

in risotto, without the 30 minutes of

stirring.

Ingredients1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil1 cup arborio or other round rice

typically used for risotto3 ½ cups no-salt-added vegeta-

ble broth (may substitute no-salt-added chicken broth)

1 pound medium-thickness aspar-agus (about 20), trimmed and peeled

Fine sea salt1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 large shallot, trimmed, finely

chopped, rinsed in cold water and

patted dry2 cloves garlic, trimmed and

green germ removed, finely chopped2 ounces (about 2/3 cup) shred-

ded or grated cheese, such as pecori-no Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, sharp cheddar or a combination

¼ cup heavy cream3 large scallions (trimmed), white

and light-green parts only, thinly sliced

Handful of fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, chives and/or cilantro, finely chopped

Freshly ground pepper (white or black)

StepsHeat the oil in a medium sauce-

pan over medium heat. Once the oil

shimmers, add the rice and cook, stir-

ring, just until it’s glossy. Add the broth,

bring to a boil, stir and cover the pan.

Adjust the heat to medium-low so the

liquid is barely bubbling; cook undis-

turbed for 15 to 20 minutes or until the

rice is al dente and only a shallow layer

of broth remains above the rice. Turn

off the heat and allow the rice to fin-

ish cooking. When it’s properly cooked,

there will still be liquid in the pan.

Meanwhile, cut off the asparagus

tips (about 2 inches) and reserve; cut

the remaining asparagus crosswise in-

to small pieces.

Bring a small saucepan of salted

water to a boil over high heat. Drop in

the asparagus pieces; cook for 2 min-

utes; they should still be firm. Scoop

them out with a slotted spoon and re-

serve. Drop in the asparagus tips; cook

for 2 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Wipe out the same saucepan,

place it over medium-low heat and

add the butter. Once the butter has

melted, toss in the shallot and garlic;

cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes or

until translucent. Stir in the cooled as-

paragus pieces, then remove from the

heat.

Warm the rice (in its saucepan)

over low heat. Stir in the cheese and

heavy cream, heating and stirring gen-

tly until the cheese melts. Gently stir

in the shallot-and-asparagus mixture,

scallions and herbs. Season lightly with

salt and a generous amount of pepper.

Serve right away, with the reserved

asparagus tips alongside.

A cross between Pilaf and boiled rice


FASHION

By Kim Bhasin Bloomberg

Ivy Park, a new fashion line from

Beyonce Knowles, seems to have

everything going for it. It’s a pre-

mium activewear label with an un-

abashedly on-trend mix of sleek work-

out gear and casual clothing. And of

course, it has the superstar power of

Queen Bey herself and a built-in mar-

ket of fiercely loyal fans, the Beyhive.

But Ivy Park’s success may not be

as inevitable as one might think. Even

Beyonce will have to struggle to avoid

having it join the dead or dying celeb-

rity brands that litter the landscape.

Most celebrity clothing lines crash

in an embarrassingly public way. Miley

Cyrus tried to launch one at Wal-Mart

Stores with Max Azria. Paris Hilton’s

line for Dollhouse withered, along with

a Lauren Conrad line and Heidi Mon-

tag’s Heidiwood for Anchor Blue Re-

tail Group. Sarah Jessica Parker’s Bit-

ten and Amanda Bynes’s Dear died

with their partner retailer Steve & Bar-

ry’s LLC. Eve’s Fetish folded after years

of trying to gain relevance. Lindsey Lo-

han’s 6126 leggings line was brought

down by a series of lawsuits, and Jen-

nifer Lopez called the failure of her

fashion labels the biggest disappoint-

ment of her career.

Oh, and let’s not forget this isn’t Be-

yonce’s first time around. Her initial for-

ay into fashion began in 2004 with a

label called House of Deréon. When

that line was announced, the sing-

er’s solo career was in a much differ-

ent place. Destiny’s Child was record-

ing its final studio album, and she’d just

performed the national anthem at the

Super Bowl. House of Deréon’s styles

never won over the masses, and its

juniors line, founded by Beyoncé and

her sister Solange, folded in 2012.

Michelle Alleyne, a professor at Par-

sons School of Fashion and founder of

fashion consultancy M Shop NYC, said

celebrity fashion brands fail so often

because the stars don’t put in the ef-

fort to learn what their customers

want to wear. All celebrity brands are

hyped hard for their launch, but main-

taining that momentum, and keeping

shoppers interested in the goods that

eventually hit the racks, is the arduous

part.

Though celebrity brands start with

gobs of free marketing and exposure,

sales are determined by the fash-

ion items themselves, not the name

stamped on them, Alleyne said.

“Just because you have a fan base

doesn’t mean it’s going to be success-

ful,” she said. “It’s all about your prod-

uct.”

A few celebrity labels have tri-

umphed. Jessica Simpson created a bil-

lion-dollar empire by embracing wom-

en in Middle America. Victoria Beck-

ham moved on from Spice Girl roots

with her eponymous high-fashion line,

while Nicole Richie transcended the re-

ality TV universe with a jewelry busi-

ness called House of Harlow. Mary Kate

and Ashley Olsen won acclaim from

critics and fashion insiders with their

couture label The Row, alongside con-

temporary brand Elizabeth and James

and junior line Olsenboye.

Representatives for Beyoncé and

Arcadia Group didn’t respond to re-

quests for comment on her new line.

But as she told Elle magazine in a May

cover story, the singer seems whol-

ly devoted to Ivy Park and to avoiding

the fate of most of those who came

before her. For example, she’s the one

who contacted Topshop about a pos-

sible joint venture, not the other way

around. “We had countless meetings;

we searched for and auditioned de-

signers for months,” Beyonce said. “I

knew the engineering of the fabric and

the fit had to be the first priority.”

Ivy Park sells items you can wear on

or off the treadmill, jumping on a trend

the industry calls “athleisure.” Leggings

go for a bit less than their Lululemon

counterparts, at $65 to $85. Sleeve-

less hoodies and mesh tanks work in

the gym or on the street. Sweatshirts

stand out as the most unique items, in-

cluding a $75 corded black jersey and

a $45 split-back top. The collection has

outerwear, too, with mesh bombers,

zip hoodies, and reflective jackets. It’s

available at Topshop, Nordstorm, and

Net-A-Porter Ltd.

The label joins a wave of brands vy-

ing to take on such powerhouses as

Nike, Under Armour and Lululemon -

so many, in fact, that there’s worry of a

pliable pants overload. Sports Author-

ity and Dick’s Sporting Goods came

out with their own lines, while both

discounters and department stores

pushed selections of stretchy leggings.

High-end fashion designers like Stel-

la McCartney and Tory Burch hopped

on board. Even Donatella Versace gave

a nod to activewear in January when

she walked a collection of sporty out-

fits down a haute couture runway.

Smaller upstarts are carving out

their own niches, too. Outdoor Voices

Inc. goes for the more low-key group of

shoppers turned off by neon perform-

ance garb. K-Deer’s signature bright

stripes appeal to a more vibrant crowd.

Michi seeks out edgier customers will-

ing to throw down $180 for a pair of

leggings.

Similarly, Beyoncé’s Ivy Park pushes

its own point of view: a pastoral, acces-

sible, judgment-free getaway.

“When I’m working and rehears-

ing, I live in my workout clothes, but I

didn’t feel there was an athletic brand

that spoke to me,” Beyoncé said in a

press release. “My goal with Ivy Park

is to push the boundaries of athlet-

ic wear and to support and inspire

women who understand that beau-

ty is more than your physical appear-

ance.”

Beyonce takes on the fashion label meat grinder


HEALTH & FITNESSHEALTH & FITNESS

By Mamoru Kurihara The Washington Post

Slow calorie, a way of eating so

that glucose is absorbed slow-

ly into the blood and sudden

spikes in blood sugar are mini-

mised, is an idea that is gaining ground.

Garnering attention as a measures to

fight obesity and ward off diabetes or

prevent it from getting worse, slow-cal-

orie food products have hit the market.

Staving off obesityWhen you eat food containing

sugars and carbohydrates — such as

rice and noodles — the molecules are

broken down in the small intestine,

metabolized in the liver and turned

into glucose. Glucose, a form of sug-

ar, is an essential source of energy for

the human body.

As glucose enters the blood, the

blood sugar level rises. This prompts

the secretion of insulin, a hormone

that lowers the blood sugar level. A

sudden spike in blood sugar goes

hand-in-hand with a large secre-

tion of insulin, which tends to lead to

build-ups of fat inside the body.

Moreover, a sudden spike in blood

sugar is not good for diabetes pa-

tients, whose blood sugar levels do

not go down due to insufficient insu-

lin secretion.

In order to curb obesity and pre-

vent diabetes from getting worse, pre-

venting sudden spikes in blood sugar

levels — a condition called postpran-

dial hyperglycemia (PPHG) — is vital.

Don’t eat fastAttention is now being focused

on “slow calorie” - a method of en-

suring glucose is absorbed slowly in-

to the blood, thereby avoiding PPHG.

A concrete example of this is given

by Yoshio Ikeda, a doctor who serves

as chairman of the board of the Ja-

pan Preventive Association of Life-

style related Disease. “You should

avoid eating fast as it leads to sud-

den spikes in blood sugar levels af-

ter meals and makes it easy for fat to

build up,” he said.

“Be conscious about eating veg-

etables, grains and sweeteners that

are rich in fiber. (These are good be-

cause they) take quite a long time to

be absorbed as glucose,” he said.

According to the results of the

2014 National Health and Nutrition

Survey released late last year by the

Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry,

the proportion of obese people aged

20 and above was 28 percent for men

and 21 percent for women, while the

proportion of those strongly suspect-

ed of having diabetes was 15 percent

for men and 9 percent for women.

Modern people, who tend not to get

enough exercise, are being exposed

to the risks of obesity and diabetes.

Slow-absorbing sweetenersAmong sweeteners, the sugar-de-

rived palatinose is gaining attention.

In 1984, Mitsui Sugar Co succeeded

in mass producing palatinose which

takes about five times longer than or-

dinary sugar to be absorbed by the

body and thus makes it difficult for

blood sugar levels to rise.

It became widely known as a slow

calorie sweetener from around 2007,

and food products including palati-

nose are now available for sale.

In March 2014, Imuraya Group Co

started selling Sports Yo-kan Plus.

The product supplies energy to the

body over a long period of time, and

so appears to be ideal for replenish-

ing energy during endurance sports

such as marathons.

In March, Bourbon Corp released a

berry yogurt flavor of its cereal Cere-

al Slowbar product, calling it “a cookie

that stays longer in the stomach.”

Mitsui Sugar’s Slow Calorie Sugar

is a sweetener composed of half sug-

ar and half palatinose. It can be used

either raw or for cooking.

“Obesity and diabetes can be im-

proved by reexamining your eating

habits,” said Yukio Yamori, a doctor

who serves as the director of the Mu-

kogawa Women’s University Institute

for World Health Development.

“Just by starting to consciously eat

foods with ingredients that are rich

in dietary fibre and so are absorbed

slowly, it is possible to prevent your

blood sugar level from suddenly ris-

ing. This is as important as trying to

cut your calorie intake.”

“Be conscious about eating vegetables, grains and sweeteners that are rich in fiber. These are good because they take quite a long time to be absorbed as glucose.”

‘Slow calorie’ draws attention in fight against obesity

ENTERTAINMENT


By Michael O’Sullivan The Washington Post

There’s a line in Marguerite — a

strangely moving story of a

wealthy heiress whose pas-

sion to sing opera is matched

only by her profound tone-deafness

that put me in mind, ever so briefly,

of a corny old joke. When Marguerite

(Catherine Frot) is rendered temporar-

ily mute by a malady of the vocal cords,

her husband (André Marcon) turns to

the doctor and asks, with great solici-

tousness, “Will she ever sing again?”

Now, if this movie were interest-

ed only in going for the easy laugh —

and, to its credit, it isn’t — that doctor

would have replied, as in the joke, “I

don’t see why not.” To which the hus-

band would have said, after a suitable

pause for comedic effect: “That’s fun-

ny. Because she never could before!”

The actual dialogue doesn’t bear

repeating, if only to avoid spoilers. But

it does run counter to expectation, like

the rest of this off-kilter French film,

based loosely on the life of talentless

song thrush Florence Foster Jenkins

(1868-1944). Although there are mo-

ments of real humour, mainly having

to do with Marguerite’s painfully obvi-

ous inability to carry a tune, the mov-

ie is less funny ha-ha than it is poign-

antly, perplexingly wry. If we’re invit-

ed to laugh at Marguerite from time to

time, we’re also given the opportunity

to understand her, or to at least care

enough to try.

That’s the far more daunting task.

How is it that Marguerite can be so

clueless about her own ineptitude? In

the end, the movie gives voice not just

to Marguerite’s deficiencies as a singer

but also to emotional frailties that are

too human and familiar.

When we first meet our heroine,

she’s preparing to give a recital for

the dilettantish amateur music club of

which she is a patron and outside of

which she has never performed. But

after two young men — one a jaded

newspaper critic, the other a nose-

thumbing avant-gardist — hear her

squawky, bleating interpretation of

Mozart, they decide to use Marguerite

to further their own ends.

The writer, Lucien (Sylvain Dieuaide),

publishes a humorously equivocal re-

view — writing that Marguerite “seemed

to be trying to exorcise an inner de-

mon” — in order to obtain her patron-

age; his anti-bourgeois friend, Kyril (Au-

bert Fenoy), invites Marguerite to sing in

a dadaist cabaret he has mounted.

Marguerite, who may be clueless

but is not dumb, has some idea that

she is being exploited. Later in the film,

as she rehearses for her professional

stage debut — an inadvisable under-

taking for which she hires a sycophan-

tic voice coach (Michel Fau) — she re-

marks to Lucien that “I thought you

wanted to use me.”

“I did,” he tells her, “but one grows

fond. It’s silly.” By that point, he has be-

come her friend and feels more pro-

tective than predatory.

What’s most unexpected is how

skillfully director Xavier Giannoli guides

us through a similar transformation. In

the beginning of the film, it’s hard to

empathize with Marguerite. We feel

more for her husband, who has been

driven into the arms of a mistress

(Astrid Whettnall) by his wife’s absurd

ambitions.

But as the tale progresses, we

grow, like Lucien, more and more fond

of Marguerite. It is actually the mistress

who gives us insight into the character,

when she points out, quite aptly, how

the singer’s stubborn pursuit of the

spotlight may be motivated by a de-

sire to be fully seen - and heard - by

her husband.

In the end, Marguerite isn’t a come-

dy so much as a love story. True love, it

seems, isn’t just blind; it must be deaf,

too.

Tale of a would-be opera singer

Although there are moments of real humour, mainly having to do with Marguerite’s painfully obvious inability to carry a tune, the movie is less funny ha-ha than it is poignantly, perplexingly wry. If we’re invited to laugh at Marguerite from time to time, we’re also given the opportunity to understand her, or to at least care enough to try.


ENTERTAINMENT

By Subhash K Jha IANS

Film: Love GamesDirector: Vikram Bhatt

Cast: Patralekha, Gaurav Arora, Tara

Alisha Berry, Rukhsar Rehman

Rating: ***

This is the land of the loathsome,

unplugged. The stench of self-

indulgence among the stinking

rich is so all-pervasive in Love Games, we can almost smell the Chanel

and the expensive wine. Brand names

are dropped in conversations so casu-

ally that you almost miss the point.

These are people who don’t know

what to do with their lives.

Vikram Bhatt’s last film Hate Story 3 gave us no clue what was to come

next. Love Games is somewhat re-

demptive. The characters are despi-

cably self-absorbed Page 3 types who

have so much money and free time on

hand they plot their own self-destruc-

tion with the same level of enthusiasm

as they point the downfall of their ad-

versaries.

Ramola (played by Patralekha) is

a newly-widowed heiress who pre-

tends to be grieving in public while she

laughs her head off in the privacy of

her bedroom. Ramona needs a ‘bud-

dy’. And who better equipped for the

role than the super-rich wayward adrift

drug-addict Sam (newcomer Gaurav

Arora ).The two are the Bonnie and

Clyde of the bordello, shooting from

their hips like there is no tomorrow.

Their exploits are captured in lurid

details and a quirky background score

that gives the whole ritual of surrepti-

tious mating a feeling of ruinous mis-

chief.

Then Sam meets his nemesis. Ali-

sha (Tara Alisha Berry) is a brutalised

wife and doctor who instantly heals

Sam’s scorched and drugged soul.

There is a sequence where Ali-

sha takes the besotted Sam into a se-

cluded room and shows him the injury

marks on her back created by her hus-

band ( played by Hiten Tejwani). The

empathy that the sequence generates

is in direct opposition to the riot of he-

donistic hijinks that Sam whips up with

Ramona.

So far so watchable. And then mid-

way the film falls apart. In his pursuit of

excitement and adventure (not unlike

his protagonist) Vikram turns what is

predominantly a psychological study of

excessive self-indulgence into a messy

crime misadventure with all three main

characters trying to finish of one an-

other in a game that can only end in a

disaster and not the kind that augurs

well for the film.

This is not what I wanted to see

and know. Love Games plays the

game defiantly by its own rules. And

succeeds until the point when the

three characters bleed their inner-

most insecurities and cravings into a

plot that absorbs their auto-pleasur-

ing non-judgementally. It then takes a

firm grip of the three characters hands

and tells them, it’s time to walk the

talk. With infuriating resolve the narra-

tive turns the characters into puppets

of a crime orgy, rendering their earlier

self-indulgences into a nemesis that is

the equivalent of depression.

Nonetheless the film is gripping for

a large part. The principal characters

are unlike anything we’ve seen before.

All three actors perform confidently.

Patralekha’s portrayal of a masked au-

to-eroticism is one of its kind. Gaurav

Chopra provides some terrifying mo-

ments of insight into a mind that is so

far gone into self-indulgence,it doesn’t

feel anything any longer except per-

haps below the waist.

Tara Alisha Berry expresses the

pain and humiliation of spousal brutal-

ity without making herself look like a

bleeding martyr. The fourth interesting

character of a shrink is played by Ruk-

shar Rehman (the very beautiful ac-

tress from Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar).This character is never allowed to de-

velop in the plot.

This is not film about growth. It is

about lives lived so close to the edge

that the only certainly is self-destruc-

tion. Vikram Bhatt’s rips ruthlessly into

ruined lives. He is not afraid to let his

characters look vulgar in their cravings.

Love Games is a film about a self-

gratification so complete, it destroys

everything it touches.

Love Games destroys everything it touches

Richa Chadha bags international projectRicha Chadha has been roped in for

the lead role in David Womark’s In-

do-American production Love Sonia.

Richa says she is “honoured” to

be part of the “talented international

team”.

“I am delighted that I can be part of

this project. I really believe in the con-

tent and I can say that this film is being

made for the right reasons. I am hon-

oured to be part such a talented inter-

national team,” Richa said in a state-

ment.

The film is being directed by Tab-

rez Noorani and is set to go on floors

in May.

Womark has previously produced

films like “Life of Pi” and has been an

executive producer for movies like The Hulk and GI Joe Rise of the Cobra.

Love Sonia depicts the brutal re-

alities of human trafficking across the

globe and the film will be shot here fol-

lowed by a schedule in Los Angeles.

Fan (2D/Hindi) 11:00am, 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm Special Show 10:30am The Jungle Book (2D/Drama) 11:30am, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00 & 7:00pmBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 1:00, 9:00 & 11:00pmKung Fu Panda 3 (2D/Animation) 3:45 & 5:30pmCriminal (2D/Action) 7:00, 9:00 & 11:30pm

AL KHORFan (Hindi) 11:15am, 2:15, 5:15, 8:15 & 11:15pm Theri (Tamil) 11:30am, 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pmThe Jungle Book (2D/Drama) 12:00noon, 2:15, 4:30, 6:45, 9:00 & 11:15pmBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 1:00, 9:00 & 11:00pm

ASIAN TOWN

NOVO

MALL

ROYAL PLAZAVILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

THERI

BLONDIE

SHERMAN’S LAGOON

This thriller revolves around a policeman who takes revenge on a villain after his family is attacked.

13MONDAY 18 APRIL 2016

CINEMA PLUS

The Jungle Book (Drama) 2D 10:00am, 2:20, 6:40 & 11:00pm 3D 12:10, 4:30 & 8:50pmFan (2D/Hindi) 11:00am, 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pmCriminal (2D/Action) 10:00, 11:00am, 12:00noon, 1:20, 2:20, 2:40, 3:40, 4:40 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 8:20, 9:20, 11:40pm Zootropolis(2D/Animation) 10:00am & 12:10pmBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pmThe Boss (2D/Comedy) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00pm & 12:00midnightThe Dead Room (2D/Horror) 10:00am, 1:40, 5:20 & 9:00pmBefore I Wake (2D/Thriller) 11:40am, 3:20, 7:00 & 11:00pmMr. Right (2D/Comedy) 11:00am, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 9:40 & 11:40pm Bennesbeh Labokra Chou (Arabic) 7:00pmBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (3D IMAX/Action) 11:00am, 1:10, 3:20, 5:30, 7:40, 9:50 & 11:55pm

Theri (Tamil) 4:00, 6:15, 7:00, 9:15 & 10:00pm

Fan (Hindi) 3:15, 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30pm

Fan (2D/Hindi) 11:30am, 2:30, 5:30, 8:15 & 11:15pm The Jungle Book (2D/Drama) 11:30am, 1:30, 3:30 & 5:30pmCriminal (2D/Action) 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30pmTheri (2D/Tamil) 11:00am, 2:00 & 10:45pm Kung Fu Panda 3 (2D/Animation) 5:00 & 6:30pmBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 8:00pm

Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

EASY SUDOKU

MONDAY 18 APRIL 2016

Yesterday’s answer

Easy Sudoku Puzzles: Place a digit from 1

to 9 in each empty cell so every row, every

column and every 3x3 box contains all the

digits 1 to 9.

Yesterday’s answer

MEDIUM SUDOKU

ALL IN THE MIND

CROSSWORD

BRAIN TEASERS

Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal,vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.

APPLE, APRICOT, BANANA,

BEANS, BEEF, BEER, BREAD,

BUTTER, CABBAGE, CAKE,

CANDY, CARROT, CEREAL,

CHEESE, CHICKEN,

CHOCOLATE, COFFEE,

COOKIE, CREAM, EGGS,

FISH, JUICE, LEMON,

LETTUCE, MARMALADE,

MELON, MILK, MUSHROOM,

ONION, ORANGE, PASTA,

PEACH, PEAR, PEAS,

PICKLE, PINEAPPLE,

POTATO, PRESERVE, RICE,

SODA, SOUP, SPINACH,

STEW, SUGAR, SYRUP,

TOMATO, TREACLE, TURKEY,

WATER.

A. Copious (5)

A. Garret (5)

B. Fought (7)

C. Large aquatic rodent (5)

C. God of love (5) D. Hates (7)

E. The least difficult (7)

E. Raise (7) E. Concluded (5)

F. Plants of a region (5)

I. Urge or force (5)

I. Slope (7)

I. Examine (7)

I. Meteorological measurement (6)

K. Small canoe (5)

L. Softly glowing (7)

L. Depart (5)

P. Oars (7)

P. Sore (7)

P. Fragments (6)

P. Dried plums (6)

Q. Speedy (5)

Q. Silent (5)

S. Protection (7)

S. Tempest (5)

S. Stern (6)

T. Cogitate (5)

T. Search and find (5)

11:30 How Do They

Do It?

13:45 How It’s Made

14:10 How It’s Made:

Dream Cars

16:31 How The Earth

Works

17:18 Secret Space

Escapes

18:50 Through The

Wormhole

With Morgan

Freeman

21:15 Space Pioneer

22:45 Moon

Machines

11:00 Breathe In

13:00 Sunshine On

Leith

15:00 Foreverland

17:00 Short Term 12

19:00 Second

Coming

21:00 Last Passenger

23:00 God’s Pocket

11:00 Dog TV

11:55 Ten Deadliest

Snakes With

Nigel Marven

12:50 Search For

The Knysna

Elephants

13:45 Wildest

Indochina

15:35 Wild Iberia

18:20 Gator Boys

19:15 Rugged Justice

21:05 Australia

Doesn’t Just

Want To Kill You

22:00 Gator Boys

13:00 The Heart Of

The Oak

16:00 Worms

18:00 True Story Of

Puss’n Boots

20:00 Ploddy Police

Car On Case

22:00 Jungle Book:

Mowgli’s

Adventure

08:00 News

08:30 101 East

09:00 Valentino’s

Ghost

10:30 Inside Story

11:00 News

11:30 Rebel Geeks

12:00 News

12:30 Witness

13:00 NEWSHOUR

14:00 News

14:30 Inside Story

15:00 Citizen or

Stranger?

16:00 NEWSHOUR

17:00 News

17:30 Talk To Al

Jazeera

18:00 NEWSHOUR

19:00 News

19:30 Counting the

Cost

20:00 News

20:30 Inside Story

22:00 News

22:30 The Stream

23:00 Marco Polo: A

Very Modern

Journey

10:10 H2O: Just Add

Water

10:35 Wizards Of

Waverly Place

12:00 Violetta

Recipes

12:15 Whisker

Haven Tales

With The

Palace Pets

12:20 Jessie

13:10 Austin & Ally

13:35 Best Friends

Whenever

14:00 Gravity Falls

14:25 Descendants

Wicked World

14:30 Alex And Co

17:00 Gravity Falls

17:50 Violetta

Recipes

18:00 Twitches Too

20:45 Evermoor

Chronciles

21:10 Good Luck

Charlie

21:35 H2O

22:00 Binny And The

Ghost

TV LISTINGS

The first letter of each answer is written next to its clue in

alphabetical order. One letter has already been entered. Can

you find the words then fit them correctly into the grid?

14

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