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Sha’baan 3, 1437 AHTuesday, May 10, 2016

CommunityKatara recently hosted the

2nd Palestinian Heritage Festival, titled ‘Our History, Our Heritage... Steadfastness.’

CommunityMedals and certificates were

conferred on PEC students securing top positions in the Annual Prize Distribution Ceremony.

P6 P20

The dope on doze

COVER

STORY

What constitutes a normal

night’s sleep? Age, gender

and nationality aff ect how

much you get: Study. P4-5

ALL SET: The team behind Mainland China, which is opening its doors to Qatar today and promises a fine dining experience. Details on Page 10

Community EditorKamran Rehmat

e-mail: [email protected]: 44466405

Fax: 44350474

Emergency 999Worldwide Emergency Number 112Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991Ooredoo Telephone Assistance 111Local Directory 180International Calls Enquires 150Time 141, 140Doha International Airport 40106666Labor Department 44508111, 44406537Medical Commission 44679111Mowasalat Taxi 44588888Qatar Airways 44496000Weather Forecast 44656590Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222 44393333Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555 44845464 Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444Qatar University 44033333

USEFUL NUMBERS

Quote Unquote

PRAYER TIME

Fajr 3.28amShorooq (sunrise) 4.52amZuhr (noon) 11.30amAsr (afternoon) 2.58pmMaghreb (sunset) 6.11pmIsha (night) 7.41pm

Our lives improve only when

we take chances — and the fi rst and most diffi cult risk

we can take is to be honest with ourselves.

— Walter Anderson

Tuesday, May 10, 20162 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITY ROUND & ABOUT

The Man Who Knew Infi nity GENRE: DramaCAST: Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons, Malcolm SinclairDIRECTION: Matt BrownSYNOPSIS: Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel) is a 25-

year- old shipping clerk and self-taught genius, who failed out of college due to his near-obsessive, solitary study of mathematics. Determined to pursue his passion despite rejection and derision from his peers, Ramanujan writes a letter to G H Hardy (Jeremy Irons), an eminent British mathematics professor at Trinity College, Cambridge. Hardy

recognises the originality and brilliance of Ramanujan’s raw talent and despite the skepticism of his colleagues, undertakes bringing him to Cambridge so that his theories can be explored. Ramanujan leaves his family, his community, and his beloved young bride, Janaki (Devika Bhise), to travel across the world to England. There, he fi nds understanding and a deep connection with his sophisticated and eccentric mentor. Under Hardy’s guidance, Ramanujan’s work evolves in ways that will revolutionise mathematics and transform how scientists explain the world.

THEATRES: The Mall, Royal Plaza

Jacob’s Kingdom Of HeavenGENRE: Drama, FamilyCAST: Nivin Pauly, Renji Panicker, Lakshmi RamakrishnanDIRECTION: Vineeth Sreenivasan, G PrajithSYNOPSIS: Jacob (Renji Panicker) is a successful

businessman who has established a steel company in Dubai. A devoted family man, his entire life revolves around his wife Sherlyn (Lakshmy Ramakrishnan) and the couple’s four

children. But when the global economic crash strikes, Jacob fi nds himself in deep trouble. The business collapses, his wealth evaporates, and he fi nds himself stranded in Libya struggling to make enough money to repay his creditors. Now it’s up to eldest son Jerry (Nivin Pauly) to save the day by reconstructing and diversifying the family business, with the support of his indomitable, strong-willed mother.

THEATRE: The Mall

Mall Cinema (1): The Man Who Knew Infinity (2D) 11.45am; The Jungle Book (2D) 2.15pm; One Night Stand (Hindi) 4pm; 24 (Tamil) 5.45pm; Just The 3 Of Us (Tagalog) 8.45pm; 24 (Tamil) 10.45pm.Mall Cinema (2): Captain America: Civil War (2D) 11am; Captain Am;erica: Civil War (2D) 1.30pm; The Jungle Book (2D) 4.15pm; The Man Who Knew Infinity (2D) 6pm; Captain America: Civil War (2D) 8 & 11pm.Mall Cinema (3): Jacob’s King Of Heaven (Malayalam) 11.15am; Jacob’s King Of Heaven (Malayalam) 2.15pm;

The Adderall Diaries (2D) 5pm; Kangar Hoppiena (Arabic) 6.45pm; Jacob’s King Of Heaven (Malayalam) 8.45pm; 1920 London (Hindi) 11.30pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1): Captain America: Civil War (2D) 11.30am, 2.30, 5.30, 8.30 & 11.15pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): 1920 London (Hindi) 11am; One Night Stand (Hindi) 1.15pm; The Jungle Book (2D) 3pm; The Jungle Book

(2D) 5pm; The Man Who Knew Infinity (2D) 7pm; Just The 3 Of Us (Tagalog) 9pm; 1920 London (Hindi) 11.15pm.Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): Just The 3 Of Us (Tagalog) 11.30am; The Man Who Knew Infinity (2D) 2pm; The Adderall Diaries (2D) 4pm; Just The 3 Of Us (Tagalog) 5.30pm; Kangar Hoppiena (Arabic) 7.45pm; One Night Stand (Hindi) 9.45pm; The Adderall Diaries (2D) 11.30pm.Asian Town Cinema: Jacobninte Swargarajyam; (Malayalam) 4.30, 6.15, 7.30, 9.15, 10.30pm & 12am; 24 (Tamil) 6.15, 7, 9pm & 12am.

EVENTS

Pant 4 PAWS Inaugural TriathlonDATE: May 20TIME: 5:30pmVENUE: InterContinental DohaPant for Paws 2016, an inaugural event, will

be championed and led by Live Life Crossfi t and supported by a number of other crossfi t boxes and gyms in Doha. A Beach Triathlon Consisting of 3 stages: 3hrs duration.

Aspire In-Side-Out Fun RunDATE: May 20TIME: 7pmVENUE: Aspire ZoneAspire In-Side-Out Fun Run 2016 is an

exciting way to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Join us on May 20 at 7pm at the Aspire Zone Warm Up Track. The untimed race is approximately 5km of fun, where runners make their way around both an indoor and outdoor course, giving participants an exclusive chance to discover locations and areas of Aspire Zone they would not normally see.

The Runway Photographer 2016DATE: May 13TIME: 3pm-8pmVENUE: La Cigale Hotel, DohaEveryone is invited to watch our show as we

display the creations of our Filipino Fashion Designer of Qatar. And witness as we will award the Runway Photographer of the Year. Special prizes shall be given away to lucky audiences.

UB40 Live in DohaDATE: May 13TIME: 8pmVENUE: Intercontinental, DohaUB40, one of the world’s most iconic

reggae pop bands, will give their live performance at Doha’s Intercontinental Beach (West Bay Lagoon) on Friday, May 13. Doors open 7pm, show starts 8pm with guest DJ’s.

Conference & Recruitment FairDATE: May 12TIME: 8:30amVENUE: City Center Rotana, Conference

CentreFor all you talented women with ambitions

and aspirations, who are currently trying to start, re-start or kick-start your career here in Doha, How Women Work has created a conference for you.

Dance Classes with Salsa n CandelaVENUE: Hilton Hotel -West BaySalsa n Candela off ers variety of dance

classes for kids and adults at Hilton Hotel, Eforea Spa Studio, such as Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Swing, Tango and Greek classes. Price at QR 60 per class per person.

Ramadan Bazaar 2016Sri Lankan Majlis Qatar (SLMQ), for the

fi rst time will host Ramadan Bazaar 2016 on Friday, May 13, from 3pm to 10pm at Staff ord Sri Lankan School premises. The event will have a free medical camp, shopping stalls, food and drinks, homemade foodstuff , cake & sweets stalls, hand crafts, mehendi, games, fund activities and many more in store for the whole family. SLMQ invites families of all communities and nationalities to participate and spend a day full of excitement.

QSports Summer CampDATE: June 19-Sept 1TIME: 8am-1pmVENUE: Al Jazeera AcademyRegistration for QSports Summer Camp

2016 is now open. QSports summer camps are committed to providing a safe, fun and skill-based experience for kids between the ages of four and 14. We have a dedicated team of specialist kid’s coaches and classes and activities are safe, planned, progressive, active, creative, inclusive and designed to maximize participation of all children by off ering a variety of activities.

Anti-Doping in Humans and AnimalsDATE: May 31-June 1TIME: 8amVENUE: Doha Marriott HotelADLQatar’s 6th Annual Symposium:

Anti-Doping in Humans and Animals: Parallels and Divergences: As with doping in humans to enhance sporting performance, similar interventions to ensure outcome in competition are also apparent in animals (horses, dogs, camels). Practices such as administrations of steroids, inorganic substances such as cobalt, as well as, gene doping may be far more prevalent amongst competing animals.

Shifting SandsDATE: Until July 7VENUE: Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim

Museum, AlsamariyahMA students of UCL Qatar are organising

and curating an exhibition as part of UCLQurates. In the very recent past, Qatar has undergone a signifi cant transformation; through these developments, people have had to adapt to the changing landscape in which they live.

Yamativo Salsa ClassesDATE: Every MondayTIME: 7pmVENUE: Radisson BluIt’s always fun and always challenging.

Let’s meet and learn some moves every Monday night. You don’t need to do anything, just join us. Level 1 (intermediate level) 7pm and for beginner level 8pm. Be there are Raddison Blu Hotel Cabana Club.

Spring Exhibition MIADATE: Until July 16TIME: 10:30am- 5pmVENUE: QM Gallery Al RiwaqAn exhibition of 15 contemporary

Chinese artists, curated by internationally acclaimed New York-based Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, will be on view at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq. The exhibition will be the major highlight presented in the context of the Qatar China 2016 Year of Culture. Artworks exemplifying each and every artist’s unique artistic language and methodology will be displayed in individual galleries.

Qatari Agricultural Product YardsDATE: Until June 30VENUE: Al Mazrooa, Al Zakheera, Al Khor,

Al WakrahThe Ministry of Environment has opened

the 4th season of Qatari agricultural product yards for selling locally produced fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish and livestock. Work in these yards will continue for seven months. The yards will operate three days a week on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7am to 5pm, with livestock vendors in Al Mazrooa operating at the same times throughout the week.

3Tuesday, May 10, 2016 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYROUND & ABOUT

Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change

FOODIE CHOICE

RESTAURANT: Mamig Res ta urantLOCATION: Katara Cultural VillageA combination of traditional Armenian and

Lebanese dishes will tantalise your palette, while the interior decoration takes you back to the traditions of both Armenian and Lebanese cultures.

Cultural Diversity festivalDATE: Until May 31TIME: 7:30-9pmVENUE: Katara Beach Over 20 countries from all over the world are showcasing their traditions and heritage.

Al GannasDATE: Until Oct 30TIME: 9am -11:30amVENUE: Al Gannas SocietyAl 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 tools, kinds of falcons and preys, in addition to workshop on how to carry a falcon, set a traditional tent (made of goat & camel hair), prepare traditional Arabic coff ee, etc.


COMMUNITY COVER STORY

Eye-opener on eye-shutDanny Forger, a biological mathematician, and his co-authors use data collected

from ENTRAIN to provide an overview of the social and solar cues that influence

when we go to sleep and when we wake up. By Deborah Netburn

What constitutes a “normal” night’s sleep?

That all depends, says

Danny Forger, a biological mathematician at the University of Michigan and an expert in circadian clocks.

“People set guidelines all the time — you need eight hours, you need seven hours — but we’ve found that ‘normal’ sleep varies tremendously depending on your age, sex and what country you are in,” he said.

Forger is the senior author of a new study that analysed the sleep habits of more than 5,000 users of a mobile phone app known as ENTRAIN.

The free app was designed by Olivia Walch, a graduate student in Forger’s group. It was launched in 2014 to help users effi ciently overcome jet lag with the help of a complex algorithm based on Forger’s previous research. Essentially, the app tells people when to expose themselves to light and when to avoid it to minimise the eff ects of jet lag.

Entrainment is the scientifi c term for fully adjusting to a new time zone — hence the app’s name.

However, the group also invited users to send the sleep data they plugged into the app back to the servers at the university. Roughly 8 percent of the app’s international users agreed to share their information anonymously,

providing the team a treasure trove of real-world sleep statistics.

“Lab conditions in sleep studies are very regulated, and participants don’t have to deal with the stresses of the real world like spouses, children and all the stuff that keeps us up at night worrying,” Forger said. “Also, in the lab, it would cost about $20,000 per individual to get this type of information and we don’t have that kind of budget.”

In a paper published in Science Advances, Forger and his co-authors used the data they collected from ENTRAIN to provide an overview of the social and solar cues that infl uence when we go to sleep and when we wake up.

Most people in the data set

schedule between seven and eight hours of sleep a night, with a mean of 7.88 hours.

Of all the factors considered in their analysis, gender plays the biggest role in how long a person sleeps. On average, women schedule 8.07 hours of sleep, while men schedule 7.77 hours. Women both go to bed a bit earlier than men and wake up a bit later. The authors say this eff ect is most pronounced among people 30 to 60.

Age also seems to be an important factor for when people sleep. On average, older people schedule sleep earlier than younger people. Also, there is less variation in the times that older people sleep then younger people. The authors think this could be because

older people are more sensitive to solar cues, and can only sleep during certain times of the days. Younger people, such as college students, don’t seem to have those restrictions.

Nationality also plays a role in sleep duration. Residents of Singapore and Japan had the shortest sleep duration of the 20 countries represented in the study, getting an average of 7 hours and 24 minutes of shut-eye a night. People in The Netherlands were the most well-rested, averaging 8 hours and 12 minutes of sleep a night. In the United States, the average sleep duration is 7.87 hours.

The authors also note that despite black-out curtains, artifi cial lights and alarm clocks,


COMMUNITYCOVER STORY

solar cues — the time of sunrise and sunset — still have a signifi cant eff ect on sleep patterns.

“We recognise that these solar eff ects are dulled compared to predictive models, but the fact that they are still there in the data was pretty shocking to me,” said Amy Cochran, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan who also worked on the study.

Both sunset and sunrise had a bigger eff ect on when people woke up, compared to when they went to sleep. Later sunrises (after 6:30am) were associated with later wake times and bedtimes. Later sunsets were also associated with later wake times and bedtimes, but the eff ect of sunset on what time a person

went to bed at night was weaker than what models predicted.

The authors conjecture that the time we wake up is regulated by our internal, biological clocks but the time we go to sleep is more infl uenced by societal pressure to stay up.

“We didn’t expect to see that, since most people use their alarm clocks to wake up,” Forger said. “It could be that people are hitting snooze. They try to set their alarm clock for 5am, but it doesn’t work for them.”

But that’s just a guess. Forger said the ENTRAIN data set is full of unanswered questions as well as trends they would like to see validated in the lab.

In the meantime, the researchers are also hoping to soon collect even more detailed data from ENTRAIN users. They are launching a new version of the app shortly that will take advantage of information collected by activity trackers that monitor both exercise and sleep.

“It is a much richer data set, and we will be able to rely less on self-reported data,” Forger said.

He added that a large-scale sleep study such as this one could never have been done without the help of citizen scientists willing to share their sleep data.

“It is really a new way of doing science,” he said. —Los Angeles Times/TNS

By Karen Kaplan

The odds that you’ve seen a doctor in the last year vary quite a bit depending on where you live — but so far, the way your state has implemented the Aff ordable Care

Act doesn’t seem to have much to do with it, government data show.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fi nds that 17.3 percent of American adults did not have a home base for their medical care in 2014, and 34 percent had not seen or talked to a doctor in the last year.

But those fi gures ranged considerably from state to state.

Residents of Vermont had the best access to medical care: 84.1 percent of them had visited or been in touch with a doctor in the past year, and 97.2 percent said they had a place to go if they needed medical attention.

In four other states — Delaware, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Hawaii — at least 90 percent of residents had a medical home, and in two other states — Delaware and Virginia — at least 75 percent of residents had seen or talked with a doctor in the past year.

At the other end of the spectrum, in three states — Nevada, Idaho and Texas — more than 25 percent of residents didn’t have a

regular place to receive medical care. In three other states — Montana, South Dakota and Alaska — more than 45 percent of people had gone more than a year without seeing or talking to a doctor.

Although access to medical care varied greatly by state, the researchers found little diff erence when they grouped states according to their response to the ACA (also known as Obamacare).

Among the 25 states (plus the District of Columbia) that expanded their Medicaid programs in the wake of the federal law, 66.7 percent of residents had seen or spoken with a doctor in the last year, on average. In the other 25 states that did not expand Medicare, the fi gure was 65.2 percent — a diff erence

too small to be considered statistically signifi cant. The researchers did fi nd a slight but real diff erence in residents’ likelihood of having a usual place of care: 83.4 percent had a medical home in states that expanded Medicare, on average, compared with 81.8 percent in states that didn’t.

“Many factors likely infl uence rates of healthcare utilisation, and rates may change as the length of time since ACA implementation increases,” the report authors concluded.The fi ndings are based on adults ages 18 to 64 who participated in the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey. The report was produced by the agency’s National Center for Health Statistics. —Los Angeles Times/TNS

How often do you go to the doctor? It depends on where you live: study

Residents of Singapore and Japan had the shortest sleep duration of the 20 countries represented in the study, getting an average of 7 hours and 24 minutes of shut-eye a night. People in The Netherlands were the most well-rested, averaging 8 hours and 12 minutes of sleep a night. In the United States, the average sleep duration is 7.87 hours


COMMUNITYSecond Palestinian Heritage Festival debuts at Katara Katara recently hosted the 2nd Palestinian Heritage Festival, titled “Our History, Our Heritage... Steadfastness.” The Palestinian mega cultural event was organised by Katara in co-operation with the Palestinian National Friendship Association in Qatar. Present were Katara’s Deputy General Manager of Operations Ahmad al-Sayed and Palestinian ambassador to Doha Munir Ghannam. The inaugural ceremony of the Palestinian festival also attracted multi-national audience of culture and arts fans.The 2nd Palestinian Heritage Festival depicted charming images of the Palestinian rich and colourful heritage through traditional clothes, food and arts, while offering the opportunity to the public to better understand and appreciate the social and historical backgrounds of the rich Palestinian customs and heritage, which varies from one region to another, adding a taste of uniqueness and diversity.On this occasion, Katara’s Deputy General Manager of Operations Ahmad al-Sayed said: “Hosting the 2nd edition of the Palestinian Heritage Festival is driven by the outstanding success and popularity gained by the festival’s first edition.”For his part, Ambassador Munir Ghannam expressed gratitude for all the efforts made by Katara to organise the 2nd edition of the festival. He said: “This Palestinian Heritage Festival is a true demonstration of the deep brotherhood and friendship between the two nations of Qatar and Palestine, and a remarkable approach to further bringing together our rich cultures in this stunning venue of Katara.”The visitors of the Cultural village will continue to be enthralled by the Palestinian Heritage Festival which will run until May 14 in Building 3. Katara continues to host a number of cultural events aimed at promoting its message of bridging gaps between cultures and entertaining visitors from all walks of life.


COMMUNITY

In fourth attempt, Nepalese football team reaches ACT final

By Usha Wagle Gautam

It was the fourth time lucky for Nepalese Football Team-Qatar (NFT), as they beat Jordan 3-2 to qualify for the final of the fourth Asian Community Tournament 2016 (ACT).

The team had been knocked out in the semi-final on the previous three occasions.

The team has remained undefeated this year, winning all its matches in the group stages. They beat Japan 3-0, South Korea 4-2, the Philippines 5-1, Indonesia 6-1, and Sri Lanka 4-0 to finish on top of their group and qualify for the quarter-finals. They scored 22 goals in the group stages and conceded just 5. They played their quarter-final against Singapore on April 29 at the QFA Technical Ground. NFT won the match easily, scoring 4 goals to Singapore’s 1.

The semi-final against Jordan was held last weekend. Playing against a formidable Jordan side with having being knocked out in the semi-finals the last three times, the pressure on NFT was undeniable. They started off well, with Niraj Basnet getting the scoreboard moving at the 18-minute mark with an assist from Bhakta Bhandari.

Govind Rai doubled Nepal’s lead five minutes later. Nepal’s third goal came at the 30-minute mark, with Bhakata Bhandari finding the net with an assist by Arjun Subba. The score was 3-0 at the end of the first half.

The Jordanian outfit came out a different team in the second half, taking full control

of the ball. They managed to score their first goal at the 38-minute mark, followed by another goal at the 53-minute mark. Nepal came very close to losing their lead when Jordan was awarded a penalty kick at the 62-minute mark, but goalkeeper Purna Thami pulled off a remarkable save. Jordan

was unable to find the net again by the time the final whistle blew.

Thousands of spectators turned up to watch the match. The NFT squad features some experienced players who have played in Division A football tournaments in Nepal. The team practices weekly, with

Sanjiv Waiba coaching. City Express Money Exchange is the sponsor.

The team is being captained by Sudesh Shrestha, with its top two scorers being Prakash Giri with six goals and Arjun Subba with five goals. The team will play the final against India on May 20 at Al Sadd stadium.

CELEBRATIONS: NFT Qatar with their fans after winning the semi-final.

A large number of Nepalese expatriates came to see the semis.


COMMUNITY

Qatar Shark 11 wins MCB Cup 2016 Qatar Shark 11 lifted the MCB Cup 2016 by beating Team Hanan in the final. The three-day tournament was organised by MES College of Engineering, Kuttippuram, Alumni Qatar chapter (Mesceq) at the old Ideal Indian School ground. Mesceq chairman Vinod Vijayan, secretary Samjad Olakara and treasurer Shireeb Paliyath handed over the trophies to the winners. Seen here are the team members of the Qatar Shark 11.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week from May 15 to 17 After its success in December 2015, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is returning for a new season at Shangri-La Hotel Doha from May 15 to 17. The three-day event promises to be among the most glamorous events in Qatar and will showcase top local and international designers. Diplomats,

to Qatari businesspersons and celebrities will attend the show. Held twice a year, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has now become the most eagerly awaited event of the fashion industry in Qatar, and has continued to exceed expectations with each passing show.

PEC buys new buses The Pakistan Education Centre (PEC) has purchased Ashok Leyland Buses for its needs. Seen here are Jamil Ahmed and Muhammad Zunair Shoaib Khan of PEC receiving the symbolic key from Arun D’souza, general manager at Ibin Ajayan Trading.

DPS-MIS honours 650 middle school students DPS-MIS organised its Scholar Badge Ceremony for 2015-16 recently. The aim of the ceremony is to acknowledge and appreciate students for their dedication, commitment, and perseverance towards academic excellence. Harish Kanjani, director facilities at DPS-MIS, attended. Around 650 students from classes V to VIII were awarded with trophies, badges, merit certificates, blue blazers and blue ties.


COMMUNITY

W Doha bags fiveculinary awards W Doha Hotel & Residences bagged five prestigious awards at the Time Out Doha Restaurant Awards 2016 held recently. The awards are a celebration of the very best culinary talent in the city and the result of 12 months of reviewing by a panel of food experts to find the top restaurants Doha has to off er. This year, Market by Jean-Georges took home two awards including “Best Business Lunch” and “Best European”. W Doha’s La Spiga by Paper Moon also won in the category of “Best Italian” and Spice Market in “Best Asian”. In addition, W Café finished as Highly Commended for “Best Afternoon Tea”. Finally, the hotel manager of W Doha, Esra Parin, who previously held the position of the B&F Director, received the “Outstanding Contribution” award for her notable work in shaping not just the hotel’s B&F outlets but the whole industry throughout her 20 years of experience, four years of which were spent with the W Doha.

DPS-MIS holds senior school’s Investiture Ceremony DPS-Modern Indian School held its Investiture Ceremony recently to induct the newly appointed senior wing Prefectorial Body of 2016-17. DPS-MIS executive committee president Hassan Chougule was the chief guest. Head Boy A Ganesh Kumar and Head Girl Nayana Singh along with other office-bearers took charge at the ceremony. The prefectorial body of 2016-17 consists of 125 students.

CIHT holds session on professional qualificationsAn evening session on ‘Membership of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) and Professional Qualifications’ was held in early May for interested highways and transportation professionals in Qatar. The session was presented by Ben Haddock from WSP l Parsons Brinckerhoff , who shared his experience in preparing for his Transport Planning Professional (TPP) qualification. The presentation focused on the diff erence between qualifications in Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer, Engineering Technician and the Transport Planning Professional qualifications. Ben discussed the respective application procedures that recognise the individual’s knowledge and practical experience, and the overall benefits of joining the CIHT.Locally, the CIHT Qatar Group provides a range of technical events providing Continued Professional Development (CPD) and valuable networking opportunities for members to meet and exchange ideas and information. For more information, the group can be reached on [email protected]

One more Indian found dead

An Indian expatriate was found

dead in his accommodation in

Umm Slal Ali area in the morning

on Sunday. The deceased,

identified as Mati Deen (43)

was reportedly working in a

contracting company.

Earlier in the day one Gireeshan

Pillai (60) was found dead in his

company’s accommodation in

Ras Laff an. Pillai was reportedly

a native of Palakkad in Kerala

and was serving his company for

more than six years.

Both cases were reported as

suicides. Police have registered

cases. Social workers told

Gulf Times that 17 or 18 Indian

expatriates ended lives so far

this year.

Student Council, Prefect Board at Birla Public School sworn in Birla Public School recently swore in 249 students to its Student Council and 50 students to the Prefect Board for the academic year 2016-2017. Parents, board of directors, teachers and other guests attended. The chief guest was Michael Weston, the headmaster of Sherborne, Qatar. Malay Arya is the Head Boy, while Sharon Sarah Varghese is the Head Girl.


COMMUNITY

Fine, exotic, and met

At his new Chinese restaurant, slightly cut off from the continuous bustle of Suhaim Bin Hamad Street

in Al Sadd, Indian hotelier Anjan Chatterjee sits across the table in one of the 10 dimly lit private dining areas and anticipates the question moments before it would face him.

“You would ask me why Doha, why not Dubai or anywhere else in the Gulf,” he says, referring to the fi rst Gulf branch of India’s largest fi ne-dining chain of Chinese restaurants, Mainland China, which throws open its doors to the people of Qatar today.

“We were looking at entering the Gulf market and had considered Dubai as well. But somehow I sensed that the opportunity here in Doha is promising. Both Qataris and expats here are very discerning; they understand Chinese food. And then, when I saw P. F. Chang’s and Hakassans of the world coming in, I understood that there’s a huge

market for Chinese food here. At the same time, the market here is not too crowded. All we need to do is ensure that we can compete and have a product which is equally good,” the Kolkata-based food entrepreneur tells Community, just days before the big launch.

Located on the fi rst fl oor of Barwa Towers in Al Sadd, Mainland China off ers around 88 dishes that range from dim sums to desserts. The ambience is soothing, the lighting is mellow, and the décor serves as an arena for instant teleportation to China – a trail of lemon grass aroma perennially suspended in the air only helps.

There’s plenty of room what with the restaurant packing in around 160

seats. As for the private dining areas, they are suffi ciently isolated. “When I spoke to lots of families here in Qatar, I learnt that the locals prefer private dining areas. So we had to incorporate this facet. It’s important that one unlearns everything that one knows and understands the culture of the place and works things out accordingly,” Chatterjee says.

The most popular India-based Chinese restaurant is spread across 27 cities back home and now by debuting in Doha, the time has come for the brand to go truly international. “That’s because we truly believe service-wise, food-wise and standard-wise, we are at par with the best,” Chatterjee says.

It was in 1992 that Chatterjee

started Speciality Restaurants Limited; it’s fi rst brand being Only Fish in Mumbai – which would later be re-branded Oh! Calcutta, four years later. Today, his company runs nearly 120 outlets of which around 100 are restaurants and the rest are confectionary stores.

Around two decades ago, Chatterjee, aided in no small measure by his background in advertising, did a little research and learnt something interesting. “I fi gured that standalone Chinese restaurants of that time weren’t good enough to give the kind of palatable meal that one would expect. For instance, there would be no duck or broccoli or exotic vegetables available then. So we

planned on giving a menu which will come in from all four provinces of China – Sichuan, Hunan, Guangdong that is Canton, and Shanghai. Next, we wondered why not have Chinese chefs plan a menu for us,” Chatterjee recalls.

Once Chatterjee locked the idea, he fi gured that rather than focusing on what was already popular in India, the Sichuanese food, “the slightly spicy variant with the red paste”, it would be interesting to look beyond that. As he sat down with top chefs from China to devise a menu based on the four regions of China, the name sprang right at him – Mainland China.

That was 1994. The fi rst Mainland China opened in Saki Naka, Mumbai, and did exceedingly well. “In a year’s time, we learnt that there’s an opportunity to expand it. My plan was to roll out a multi-locational chain of Chinese restaurants because such a concept didn’t exist back then and also we wanted to test our ground with the

Anjan Chatterjee, centre, flanked by Chefs Lin Hong Bo, left, and Rajesh Dubey at Mainland China, Doha. Photo by Anand Holla

“If you look at the prices on the menu here, you will be surprised – pleasantly. The cost for two, for instance, is about QR120 to QR140 for a proper meal”

— Indian hotelier Anjan Chatterjee

India’s largest fine-dining chain of Chinese restaurants, Mainland China off ers


COMMUNITY

ticulously balanced s dishes from Sichuan, Hunan, Guangdong, and Shanghai. By Anand Holla

Food Consistency Quotient (FCQ), which we look at very closely. Since it’s a la minute cuisine, we wanted to see whether the branches in other cities match with the cuisine of Mumbai. So we immediately opened a Mainland China in Bangalore, and then in Hyderabad, Calcutta, Pune, Chennai, and the rest is history,” Chatterjee says.

Right from the start, Chatterjee’s vision has been to off er a fi ve-star dining experience, in terms of food and service, at non-fi ve-star prices. “If you look at the prices on the menu here, you will be surprised – pleasantly,” he says, “The cost for two, for instance, is about QR120 to QR140 for a proper meal.”

Of course, the menu has gone through some key changes. “This is a diff erent market. You can’t have the exact same menu as India’s, especially not the same spice levels,” Chatterjee reasons, “From getting licenses and permissions to nailing the taste profi le, nearly two years of work has gone into putting this restaurant together. For months, we have been conducting food trials internally.”

Chef Rajesh Dubey, backed by his nearly three decades of experience and a lot many months in China, explains that considering the local taste preferences, they have toned down the dishes and chosen more of Cantonese food. “China being a very vast country boasts of diff erent specialties in diff erent provinces. If you go to Canton in Guangdong, the food is very mild, geared more towards steamed and stir-fried. They use minimum spices. Since it’s close to the sea, the freshness of the food is very much maintained,” he says.

Whereas if you go to Sichuan, which used to face hostile climate for years on end, Dubey explains, a lot of the food stuff used are preserved ingredients. “The spice levels of

Sichuanese food are very high as it helps in preservation of the food. And when you go to Northern China, towards Beijing and Shanghai, you have more wheat-based dishes, like more noodles and dumplings. Mainland China’s menu is very balanced and has picked popular delicacies from all over China. In Doha, our stress is on the freshness of the food. We have chosen more stir-fried and fl avourful dishes that are closer to Canton. The trick is in combining the fl avours to create something memorable.”

Chatterjee seconds Dubey. “I am quite confi dent that the kind of standards we have created are very hard to keep, and that means we have to work harder. Almost all the things are now in place for Mainland

China in Doha,” Chatterjee says, “It’s basically the concept of diff erentiate or die. If I give you the same food as other Chinese places here serve, I won’t survive. So our menu has rare dishes like crackling spinach and corn chilli pepper – innovative and fl avourful.”

For Chatterjee, the most reassuring comment came from a local blogger who recently tried a full-fl edged meal at the restaurant. “He said that he goes to a top Chinese restaurant in Doha once in a while. But after having a meal here, and experiencing the ambience and seeing the price, he would never go there again because the food here is equally good or better for a lesser price,” Chatterjee says, “That means we are on the right track.”

Keong Chicken at Mainland China.

Some of the many dishes that are available at Mainland China.

The interiors of Mainland China, which opens today.

Steamed Dimsum.


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

Be careful that you don’t overdo the enthusiasm about something

today Aries, when chances are you might not be able to come

through with whatever it is you are raving about.

Sometimes there is nothing you can do to improve something or

someone. You simply have to let others work things out on their own

and let problems solve themselves, especially when Mercury is out

of phase.

Be careful that you don’t overestimate yourself today Librans.

While you might think you can do something or handle something,

chances are you can’t.

Sometimes there is absolutely nothing you can do about something

goats but go with it and try to learn from it. You don’t like being

wrong or not excelling at something, but every now and then, you

simply have to give up!

Don’t let someone talk you into doing something you really don’t

want to do today. Trust your instinct and if it’s screaming “NO” at

you, trust that too.

Don’t be disappointed today Leos if something you put your time

and eff ort into doesn’t pan out the way you hoped it would. Not

everything does - and with Mars the planet of energy out of phase

in your self-fulfillment zone, chances are things won’t be as easy for

you as they usually are.

Mercury retrograding in your opposite sign of Taurus, your

relationship zone (through May 21) means that you will definitely feel

as if you and your friends aren’t connecting as well as you once did.

It’s a temporary feeling Scorpios.

Be open to new people coming into your life today or this week

or even later in the month who open your eyes to a new way of

thinking or at least a diff erent perspective on some things.

Unless you are absolutely sure about something, don’t risk it today

twins. If you do, you might very well fall flat on your face and make a

huge mess of what was a small mess.

Keep in mind that with your ruler Mercury out of phase, the chances

of pretty much everything going wrong, now is not the time to be

trying to do too much Virgos.

Unless you are unable to come through with something today, try to

push ahead with it. As much as it might be diff icult for you to really

dig in your heels and get it done, you need to focus today.

There is nothing wrong with changing your mind midstream Pisces.

In fact, with Mercury the communicator out of phase in your hopes

and wishes zone, it’s practically guaranteed.

Step up your summer beauty regimen with help from expert dermatologists

While magasines make summer beauty look simple, in reality it’s anything but. From bloat to breakouts, summer is wrought with

beauty challenges.The experts off er advice on the most

common beauty and health concerns of summer.

Maintaining a healthy (natural) glowWhile tanning beds off er a quick-fi x

to achieving a golden glow, they also

cause exposure to damaging UV radiation which can cause premature ageing as well as increase the risk of skin cancer. If you’d like a sun-kissed glow without the risk, consider using a sunless tanning product. Whether in the form of a lotion, spray or done as a professional service at a salon, sunless tanning off ers a safe alternative to both tanning beds and sunbathing.

Ingrown hairsSwimsuit season often means

shaving more frequently, which can result in painful and unsightly ingrown hairs. These hairs grow out of the skin slightly and then curl back underneath the skin. To avoid ingrown hair, use a lubricating shave gel followed by a sharp, single-blade razor. Shave in the direction of hair growth and avoid pulling the skin taut.

Sunburn It’s easy to get lost in the fun of the summer

sun. Avoid sunburn by dressing in light layers and using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Remember, sunscreen

generally stays at original strength for three years. If you do get sunburn, take a cool bath or apply a clean towel dampened with cool tap water. Then apply moisturiser, aloe vera lotion or gel or a low-dose hydrocortisone cream.

BloatIce cream, hot dogs and fried goodies are

cornerstones of traditional summer festivals. Unfortunately, too much of these types of foods can leave you feeling bloated and sluggish. Fight bloat by eating fresh foods grown locally, such as carrots, tomatoes, melons and berries. Want a healthier cool treat? Try freezing grapes for a no-guilt sweet dessert.

Cracked nailsPool chemicals, hot sun, gardening and

building sand castles can all cause cracked nails. To protect nails, keep fi ngernails dry, clean and rub moisturiser into the nail beds and cuticles. Consider applying a nail hardener to add a protective layer against summer elements. If brittle nails persist, ask your doctor about biotin, a nutritional supplement that may help strengthen weak fi ngernails.

Healthy, hydrated skinStaying hydrated is a summer must, but

skin hydration isn’t as simple as drinking water. Dehydrated skin feels rough and loses elasticity. To maintain proper hydration, avoid prolonged exposure to dry air or chlorinated water. When bathing, use a gentle cleanser instead of soap and avoid using skin care products that contain alcohol. Moisturise immediately after cleansing. Also try incorporating antioxidant-rich foods into your diet such as spinach, blueberries or salmon.

AcneSunshine and heat can cause the body

to sweat. This combo clogs pores and can lead to acne. Some chemical treatments can leave the skin more sun-sensitive, so natural treatments such as tea tree oil, azelaic acid and even green tea extract are a smart choice in reducing infl ammation. Another potential cause for acne can be outdated cosmetics. Make sure the products you use are kept clean to avoid bacterial buildup and avoid using them past their expiration date — six months is a good rule of thumb.

© Brandpoint


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

ARMY ASSEMBLY BAND BEVY CLUSTER CROWD DROVE FLOCK

GAGGLE GANG GROUP HERD HORDE HOST MOB MULTITUDE

PACK RABBLE SCHOOL SHOAL SWARM THRONG TRIBE TROOP

Get Together

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

Down2. Suffer (7)3. Waterproof (7)4. Dull (13)6. Beg (7)7. Tout (7)8. Magnitude (6)13. Sure (7)14. Uplift (7)15. Pen (6)16. Persistent (7)17. Preclude (7)

Across1. Witty (8)5. Warmth (4)9. Image (4)10. Avoid (8)11. Snapped (5)12. Flood (7)13. Numismatist (4,9)18. Curb (8)19. Be delirious (4)20. Enliven (7)21. Telltale (5)22. Requirement (4)23. Assailant (8)

Across1. To resolve this case, hand out punishment (8)5. The first person in the south-west to produce a merganser (4)9. From the seas I approach a land mass (4)10. Raves about men getting mixed up scraps (8)11. Quick to describe frosty weather (5)12. Mad scramble produced by the Pied Piper? (3,4)13. Filming screen idols - they make meteoric appearances! (8-5)18. Stop Press: Disturbance in West Lane (4,4)19. Very keen to make a come-back as an opera-singer (4)20. Blue Nile in a turmoil (7)21. Find the answer when love’s all awry (5)22. A word of consent for those in favour (4)23. Meadows incorporated in unsullied contentment (8)

Down2. His mixture linked with the stew pot! (7)3. Lock cleaner (7)4. Handled by one who wishes to do a good turn on the road (8-5)6. Not a man will be unsettled in this state (7)7. Metal rings required for laundry equipment (7)8. Joins up with military detachments about the end of the battle (6)13. Ottoman emperor with a concubine (7)14. Not in the team in the open air (7)15. Activity that brings a driver into court (6)16. Wearisome version of 14 Down (7)17. Palindromic pick-me-up (7)

Quick Clues

Cryptic Clues

Yesterday’s Solutions

QUICKAcross: 1 Steady; 4 Victim; 9 Revolutionary; 10 Variety; 11 Aisle; 12 Knead; 14 Decry; 18 Creep; 19 Insipid; 21 Interrogation; 22 Taller; 23 Tennis.Down: 1 Strive; 2 Environmental; 3 Delve; 5 Isolate; 6 Transcription; 7 Mayhem; 8 Stays; 13 Asperse; 15 Script; 16 Divot; 17 Adonis; 20 Stake.

CRYPTICAcross: 1 Futile; 4 At ease; 9 Demonstrating; 10 Looks on; 11 Talon; 12 Barbs; 14 Graft; 18 Unite; 19 Apprise; 21 Break one’s word; 22 Resent; 23 Banner.Down: 1 Fiddle; 2 Temporariness; 3 Links; 5 Toaster; 6 A will of his own; 7 Edging; 8 Stone; 13 Break-in; 15 Lumber; 16 Gains; 17 Tender; 20 Pasta.


COMMUNITY POP SPOT

Bahari

Anyone who purchased Zedd’s 2015 album, “True Colors,”

will be familiar with American all-girl trio Bahari as featured

vocalists on the opening track, Addicted to a Memory.

Still all just 18, singer/bassist Natalia Panzarella, singer/

keyboardist Ruby Carr and singer/guitarist Sidney Sartini

have been together for three years. They will release their

debut EP next month. Available now though is the lead

single, Dancing On The Sun.

No off icial video has been made as yet but an audio posting

can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbkV_

f6mNK0

Dancing On The Sun is the follow-up to Bahari’s debut

single, Wild Ones. This track was among the first batch of

songs they wrote together and originally released at the

end of 2014. The Wild Ones off icial video is at www.youtube.

com/watch?v=o5ikNGZKJBU

Bahari recently did an interview and song showcase on

Los Angeles radio station KIIS 102.7 FM. This can still be

accessed at (no www.) m.kiisfm.com/features/nextup-1831/

articles/15/496632/next-up-artist-of-the-week-14652688/

David Bowie

With the weather beginning to warm up, it seems David

Bowie has given a surprise parting gift to fans who bought

his “Blackstar” album.

A photo was shared on the imgur website which shows a

cluster of stars within the black star depicted on the vinyl

album cover’s gatefold. It was discovered when the gatefold

was accidentally exposed to warm sunshine. The normally

plain black image magically came to life.

Anyone who has the album might like to view what they

can expect to see by checking out the photo at (no www.)

imgur.com/DWfh36J

Laura Marano

Laura Marano will be a familiar face to television and film

fans. She has been acting professionally since the age of

five gaining her first significant role at seven playing Kate

Malone, the daughter of lead character Jack Malone in the

CBS drama series, Without a Trace.

Now 20, Laura has a string of acting credits to her name

but is probably best known as Ally Dawson in the Disney

Channel teen sitcom, Austin & Ally. Laura’s musical ability

was showcased in the series and on the accompanying

soundtrack albums.

This led to a deal with Big Machine Records. The Nashville-

based label is primarily known for country music. But

the success of their major star, Taylor Swift, with her pop

album, “1989,” opened the door for pop acts such as Laura.

Her debut single, Boombox, is accompanied by an unusual

video which is more like a short comedy film. It can be seen

at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdFIKU53KEU

Although the song has yet to enter Billboard’s Hot 100, the

video has registered around 18 million views.

Radiohead

Radiohead have been teasing, or annoying, their fans in

recent times. British followers received postcards from the

band with “Burn The Witch” printed on them. Radiohead’s

social media pages, along with those of frontman Thom

Yorke, were completely erased. Their website gradually

faded eventually turning totally white.

After two blank days, everything was suddenly reactivated.

Two short videos eventually gave way to the full stop-

motion animated video for the band’s new single, Burn The

Witch.

The video imagery was clearly influenced by the innocence

of the 1967 children’s television series, Trumpton, combined

with the 1973 British horror film, The Wicker Man.

The movie starred Edward Woodward as a police off icer

who eventually meets an untimely end. It appeared

that the stop-motion protagonist’s fate would mirror

that of Edward’s character. But the closing moments of

Radiohead’s video reveal a somewhat happier outcome.

The video is posted at www.youtube.com/

watch?v=yI2oS2hoL0k

By Geoffrey Rowlands

It’s a great time at the moment for classically trained singers in the UK album chart. Aled Jones has so far peaked at number three with “One Voice.” Now,

Katherine Jenkins has shot straight to number seven with her latest album, “Celebration.”

“It’s fantastic to see our albums doing so well,” smiled 35-year-old Katherine. “Aled is a wonderful singer and a lovely man. I’m delighted that people have responded so positively to our work.”

There is a false stereotype that female classical singers all have a large and imposing build. Such a description could never be applied to Katherine. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women to grace the music business, it is no surprise to learn that she supplemented her student grant by working as a model.

“I did quite a lot of make-up and hair modelling,” she recalled. “It was a way to support my studies at the Royal College of Music along with other things like giving singing lessons and working as a tour guide on the London Eye.

“But I knew modelling was never going to supplant music. Even after I won a competition to become The Face of Wales. Many doors could have opened for me in the modelling world but music was the only career objective I’d ever had since I was a child.”

Born in Neath, Katherine’s vocal ability and stage presence was evident from an early age.

“I sung and played piano but I also enjoyed performing in stage musicals at school. My favourites were ‘Calamity Jane’ and ‘Guys and Dolls.’ The more serious side of singing was taken up by my performances in the Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers and the National Youth Choir of Wales.”

Katherine won three different Welsh Choirgirl of the Year competitions and earned the St. Cecilia Award, the highest honour for female choristers. A scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music was followed by a six-album record deal with Universal Classics and Jazz.

“I performed a lot of opera while I was at college. The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte and Carmen were works I particularly enjoyed. But my recording career has almost always been a blend of opera, hymns, classic songs and quality pop. The kind of music I’ve performed throughout my singing life but all brought together on each album.”

Apart from her 2011 pop crossover LP, “Daydream,” which reached number six on the mainstream chart, and her 2012 album of seasonal songs, “This Is Christmas,” every one of Katherine’s studio albums has topped the UK classical chart.

“I think the record company bosses were very wise in that they allowed me to become established to some degree

before releasing my first album. I’d sung at a special mass in Westminster Cathedral honouring Pope John Paul II’s silver jubilee, performed on television and supported Aled Jones on his concert tour.

“I even sung the Welsh rugby union team’s official song for the 2003 World Cup. This all meant the public knew me before there was an album for them to buy.”

Since then, Katherine’s fame has spread far and wide. She has even been a contestant on the US television show, Dancing With The Stars.

“I’ve never worked so hard as on that show,” she laughed. “Learning the dances was so demanding. I’d been a guest singer on one of the shows in 2011 and they invited me to compete the following year. I had a wonderful partner, Mark Ballas, but he certainly put me through my paces. It was a great experience though and we eventually finished runners-up.”

America has a special place in Katherine’s heart. She is married to US painter, sculptor, photographer, filmmaker, writer, producer and actor Andrew Levitas.

“He is an amazing person. I’ve never known anyone with so much talent in so many different fields. We had a wonderful wedding at Hampton Court Palace and the birth last September of our daughter Aaliyah just completed our happiness.”

A particular favourite of the British Royal Family, Katherine’s new album was principally recorded as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II commemorating her 90th birthday. It contains a new song, This Mother’s Heart, which was originally written as Katherine’s gift to the Queen. But since becoming a mother herself, the song has taken on a dual meaning.

“We were originally thinking of Her Majesty as a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and mother to the nation. But Aaliyah was in the studio while I was recording the song and I basically sung it to her.

“She actually inspired all the emotion of the song in me. I couldn’t get to the end without bursting into tears. It has become as much for Aaliyah in my heart as for Queen Elizabeth so I hope Her Majesty doesn’t mind sharing.”

in brief

Katherine Jenkins enjoys success with her latest album

GRACEFUL: Katherine Jenkins is one of the most beautiful women to grace the music business, and subverts the stereotype that female classical singers all have a large and imposing build.


COMMUNITYBOLLYWOOD

My song in Udta Punjabis quite grungy: Kanika

Kanika Kapoor has crooned for a track of Udta Punjab, which brings a dark story of prevalent drug menace in Punjab. And the singer says the song is diff erent with a “dark and grungy” vibe to it. Asked to describe the yet unreleased track, Kanika said: “The music on the whole is quite grungy”. “It is about the movie... it is about drugs and all that. So my song, what I can talk about, is grungy, dark, a very diff erent song but at the same time it is also a very Amit Trivedi song,” Kanika told IANS.

Udta Punjab, directed by Abhishek Chaubey, highlights the issue of rampant drug abuse among the youth in Punjab.

Shahid Kapoor is seen essaying the character of a high-on-drugs, long-haired rockstar Tommy Singh, who sings with glee and abuses with impunity.

It features Alia Bhatt as a migrant Bihari labourer, Kareena Kapoor Khan as a doctor who is determined to fi ght the illegal transportation of drugs, and Punjabi actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh as a police offi cer. Kanika declined to reveal more details about the song, which is picturised on Alia. The singer, who has given hits like Baby doll, Chittiya kalaiya ve and Nachan farrate, said: “I can’t say anything other than that it is an amazing song.”

Talking about highlighting social issues via songs, Kanika shared that “it is a great way of connecting”. — IANS DIFFERENT TUNE: Kanika Kapoor

ALL FOR BOLLYWOOD: Meera Chopra

BEYOND BORDERS: Nargis Fakhri

FREE THINKER: Omung Kumar

Actress Nargis Fakhri, whose origins trace back to Pakistan, says that at a “time when there are divides between cultures and races” she would like to cross borders for work. She would like to spread one

message — we’re all the same inside and working together is the key to moving forward.

Be it Ali Zafar, Fawad Khan or Mahira Khan, Bollywood has welcomed Pakistani actors with open arms. And Nargis shares that she would like to travel to Pakistan with her craft. Asked if she would consider working in the Pakistani industry, Nargis, who picked an action-comedy fi lm Spy for her fi rst Hollywood outing last year, said: “I’m not the one to rule anything out.”

“With Pakistan being in my blood, I would certainly look at opportunities to travel there,” Nargis told IANS in an e-mail interaction.

The actress, who will be seen portraying Mohammad Azharuddin’s second wife Sangeeta Bijlani’s role in Azhar, feels that with stardom comes responsibility. She said: “I believe that as actors, we have a phenomenal platform to spread positivity and infl uence people in the same way. In a time where there are divides between cultures and races, I would love to use my position to show that we are all the same inside and working together is the key to moving forward.”

Nargis took the fi rst step towards the world of glamour as a model in 2005. After Rockstar, she did fi lms on a wide variety of topics ranging from serious to fun like Main Tera Hero and Madras Cafe.

Post Azhar, Nargis will be seen in Housefull 3 and Banjo. — IANS

Nargis Fakhri wants to work in Pakistani entertainment industry

Meera Chopra wants to do a fi lm like Dostana

Actress Meera Chopra is a fan of her cousin Priyanka Chopra’s romantic comedy fi lm Dostana and wishes to do something similar in the future.

“I love Dostana and everything about the fi lm. I’m a fan of urban movies and I think Priyanka came across as reinvented in Dostana. So, I would like to see myself in that kind of a role,” Meera said at the screening of her fi lm, 1920 London. “I’m a fan of Fashion and Dostana since a very long time and she (Priyanka) knows that very well. She tells me, ‘Step by step, even you will reach there’. So, I’m just taking my baby steps right now,” she added.

Produced by Karan Johar and directed by Tarun Mansukhani, Dostana was a success at the box-offi ce. It also starred actors Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. After acting in numerous fi lms in southern cinema, Meera has made her full-fl edged Bollywood debut with the Sharman Joshi-starrer horror fi lm 1920 London, after a small role in Gang Of Ghosts.

“Yesterday the whole family of

Priyanka saw the movie. She is not here unfortunately. I wanted to show her the movie, because I feel very proud of it. She had liked the trailer a lot and her family liked the movie a lot. They especially liked me and Sharman,” Meera said.

She also credits Priyanka for not having any unpleasant experiences in the industry. “I have only seen the good side of Bollywood as of now, maybe because of Priyanka. I have always received very good treatment in Bollywood and have always got respect. I haven’t seen any dark or horror side,” Meera said.

Is she still open to southern cinema?

“If I get something good in South, I’ll defi nitely do it. I love Hindi, I love Bollywood, I want to do a lot of work, so right now my whole concentration is Bollywood,” Meera said.

“I am a north Indian Delhi girl. I was just working in South, I didn’t enjoy it. It is fun to work in Hindi, it’s our own people so you can speak your own language, so it’s comfortable,” she said.

Directed by Tinu Suresh Desai, 1920 London released last week. — IANS

I’m an independent fi lmmaker: Omung

Filmmaker Omung Kumar believes he is an independent fi lmmaker and that if you are independent you get the freedom to do whatever you want to do. What are his views on independent fi lmmakers?

“I’m an independent fi lmmaker. If you are independent, you will get the freedom to do whatever you want. In independent fi lms, you just come out with a good story. So obviously, the fi lm will be made well.

“But we have to ensure that we take out the best acting out of people,” the Mary Kom director, who worked with fi lmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali on fi lms like Black and Saawariya as an art director before helming his own movies, told IANS.

Asked if he would support “I am a Film maker, I am Independent”, initiated by We Manage Filmz, founded by Gaurav Pandey, he said: “100 percent. If there is something where all fi rst-time directors come together and strive, and if it can be an inspiration for them, I would obviously like to join them.” — IANS


COMMUNITY HOLLYWOOD

The Good Wife rests CBS staple has been one of TV’s most intoxicating soap operas. By Neal Justin

For the past fi ve years, astute viewers of Sunday night television have borne witness to the ultimate battle for power, played

out by a formidable fi eld of warriors: baby dragons eager to spread their wings, power brokers willing to be castrated for their masters, claimants to the throne so convinced of their rightful destiny that they’ve redecorated the royal castle a hundred times in their minds.

And now The Good Wife has called it a day. When the drama premiered in 2009, it was immediately showered with attention, steadily fi nishing among the top 20 series in the Nielsen ratings and earning its star Julianna Margulies two early Emmys as outstanding actress. Margulies would pick up a third in 2014, but the buzz had already died down.

When the series moved from Tuesdays to Sundays in 2011, it got lost in the carnage to edgier, bloodier fare, most notably The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. That was a crime. The Good Wife, which concluded last Sunday, has always been the more ambitious, more intoxicating soap opera. The stakes may not have been life or death, but you wouldn’t have known it the way its characters fought for position, most notably savvy litigator Alicia Florrick, who struggled to take her seat at the head of the table without sacrifi cing the healthy urge to book a nooner between depositions.

The Good Wife was originally sold to audiences as an upgrade to an old Lifetime network formula with Florrick gamely standing by her man (Chris Noth), a corrupt district attorney who used a press conference to confess his martial indiscretions.

But it soon became clear that creators Michelle and Robert King were interested in more than telling the tale of a woman scorned.

With Mr Big tucked away in jail, the series squarely focused on the newfound independence of its head attorney and her quest to prove her worth to a blue-chip law fi rm, the tabloids and, most dauntingly, herself.

Margulies, so impressive in the pilot of ER that producers scrapped the initial plan to kill her off , graduated to the top of her class with

a complex, vulnerable performance of a woman on the verge of a nervous breakthrough. Despite the obstacles — the cheating husband, backstabbing business partners, ruthless prosecutors, certifi able judges — Florrick stood tall, often with a glass in her hand for balance.

If Ally McBeal showed that women could manage in the courtroom, Florrick proved they could own it. The Kings, however, didn’t always serve their characters well. The story lines exposing the eccentricities of ageing law partner Howard Lyman (Jerry Adler) always seemed more like an opportunity to make politically incorrect jokes about old people than any pointed statements about the trials and tribulations of seniors in the workplace.

The fi rm’s chief investigator, Kalinda Sharma, started off as an inspired twist on Sam Spade, but was eventually undermined by an ill-advised plot in which we have to believe she’d put up with an abusive husband, as well as off -camera diff erences between the role’s actress, Archie Panjabi, and Margulies. Panjabi was written out of the show at the end of Season 6.

These are quibbles. Week in and week out, The Good Wife was the sharpest written, most addictive show on network television, a title it has held without any serious competition since Friday Night Lights went off the air fi ve years ago.

So many offi ce conversations on Monday mornings revolve around that hatchet to the head in the latest episode of The Walking Dead and how Game of Thrones Jon Snow will adapt to a resurrection. I get it. Both shows have helped make the case that TV has never had more compelling dramas. But try to start a conversation about whether or not Florrick will run away with hunky Jeff rey Dean Morgan and open up a B&B in Sunday’s fi nale, and you’ll get a lot of blank stares, especially from men.

“Oh, my wife watches that show,” many will inevitably say.

Big mistake not joining her on the couch, fellas. I strongly suggest you go back and binge-watch all seven seasons. If after that, you think I’ve misled you, go ahead and sue.

I know a good attorney. Star Tribune/TNS

Five standout guest stars

Julianna Margulies held court triumphantly for seven seasons of The Good Wife, but not without support from one of TV’s best ensembles and “special appearances” from familiar faces. The roster of guest stars included many performers better known for their comedic work, including these fi ve standouts:

Michael J Fox: Alicia Florrick’s most

charming frenemy used every trick in the book to get an edge, playing off his neurological disorder to gain sympathy from jurors. Elyse and Steven Keaton are so disappointed.

Matthew Perry: The former Friends star has fared best in recent years biting into grittier roles, most notably as gubernatorial candidate Mike Kresteva. The performance had fans hoping he would follow up with his

own cable drama; instead we got The Odd Couple.

Anna Camp: The Pitch Perfect veteran has made a nice career out of playing bimbo blondes, a past she mined nicely as rookie attorney Caitlin d’Arcy, a young attorney who’s craftier than her looks and Valley Girl vernacular suggest.

Ana Gasteyer: Every law series has its share of eccentric judges, but The Good Wife

had a particularly deep bench that included the versatile comic’s Patrice Lessner, whose insistence that attorneys preface their comments with “In my opinion” could have been a Saturday Night Live catchphrase.

Nathan Lane: It must have killed Broadway’s best not to have trustee Clarke Hayden break into song or, at the very least, mug for the camera. Lane’s restraint was our gain.


COMMUNITYHOLLYWOOD

Affl eck becomes executive producer of Justice League

Actor Ben Affl eck has expanded his role in the DC universe by taking on the duties of executive producer on Warner Bros.’ Justice League: Part One, in addition to starring as Batman.

Affl eck will work with director Zack Snyder and screenwriter Chris Terrio on the script and weigh in on post-production, reports deadline.com.

Affl eck has directing credits on fi lms like Gone Baby Gone and The Town. He also produced, directed and starred in Argo, which won him a Best Picture Oscar. Terrio won the best original screenplay Academy Award for the same fi lm.

Snyder began shooting Justice League: Part One in April with Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Amber Heard, Jeremy Irons, J K Simmons and Willem Dafoe.

The fi lm is scheduled to be released on November 17, 2017, with Justice League Part Two set for June 14, 2019. Affl eck also announced in April at Cinemacon that he would direct and star in a standalone Batman movie. – IANSNEW ROLE: Ben Aff leck

ACCOLADES: Jennifer Lopez, left, and Hillary Clinton.

DAD-IN-WAITING: Rob Kardashian

HORRORSCOPE: Russell Crowe, left, and Tom Cruise

Hillary Clinton gives JLo virtual high fi ve

Hillary Clinton has thanked singer-actress Jennifer Lopez for her surprising Ain’t your mama video shout-out. As the former US Secretary of State reamains busy with the campaigning for the presidential election, she took out time to tweet to Lopez in response to her recently released Ain’t your mama video, reports people.com.

Lopez’s video shows her playing out some of women’s many roles throughout the recent decades

including homemaker, secretary, factory worker, businesswoman and news reporter.

Clinton wrote: “Thanks for this. Women are so much more than the roles they’ve been assigned. -H.”

In the Ain’t your mama video, a sample of Clinton’s 1995 speech to the United Nations Fourth World Conference On Women is also used. Prior to releasing her latest video, the 46-year-old mother-of-two posted a selfi e in a white bikini asking fans if they were excited about the video. Lopez premiered the song last month on the fi nale of American Idol. — IANS

Russell Crowe enters The Mummy world with Cruise

Actor Russell Crowe has confi rmed that he will be joining Tom Cruise in the remake of The Mummy, saying that the fi lm will “scare the ##** out of everyone.

According to Collider.com, the actor shared that he will be joining Universal Pictures’ ‘monster universe’ as Dr Jekyll, reports dailymail.co.uk.

Crowe said: “This one is kind of more designed to seriously scare the ##** out of you.”

The fi lm is one in a series of reworkings of classic monster fi lms by the studio that’s seeking to create a ‘monster universe’ to rival the superhero universe of Marvel and DC Comics at rival studios Disney and Warner Bros.

Crowe is set to play the tormented Dr Henry Jekyll who changes into murderous madman Mr Hyde. The fi lming of the movie has already begun in England with Cruise as a Navy SEAL who must battle a rampaging mummy in the Iraq desert. — IANS

Ruff alo’s son thought he was stuck inside TV

Actor Mark Ruff alo says his son 15-year-old son Keen thought his father was stuck inside the television. Ruff alo says that Keen believed he was “literally” trapped inside the electrical appliance when he was two or three years old, reports people.com.

“The fi rst time he (Keen) ever saw me on TV, I was away and he was there with the nanny,” Ruff alo said. “He saw me on TV and he ran to the TV and started banging on the side of it, like: ‘How is he? Papa! Papa! Come out, come out’,” he added.

Ruff alo added that he found Keen’s reaction endearing. He said: “It was really sweet. It was so literal for him. He literally thought I was in the TV!” — IANS

Rob Kardashian ‘always wanted’ to be a father

Reality TV personality Rob Kardashian, who is expecting his fi rst child with his fi ancee Blac Chyna, “always wanted” to be a father. According to a source, the 29-year-old can’t wait to shower the child with aff ection, just like the way his father Robert Kardashian — who passed away in 2003 — cared for him when he was growing up, reports people.com.

“Rob was very close to his dad and lost him at a young age. He’s never felt like he had a real father fi gure. He’s always wanted to give that to his own kids. He’s really a loving guy and will give a lot to his children,” the source said. — IANS

I miss being in love, says Susan Sarandon

Actress Susan Sarandon, who split with her boyfriend Jonathan Bricklin last year, “misses” being in love. The 69-year-old says she doesn’t mind being alone but enjoys the feeling of investing in a partner, reports femalefi rst.co.uk.

“I guess the dating thing hasn’t worked out for me. I don’t mind being alone, but I do like being in love, so I miss that. The problem is, I’m kind of at the mercy of the gods in terms of who I meet,” Susan told HELLO! magazine.

Despite her share of heartbreak, Susan — who was married to Chris Sarandon from 1967 to 1979, previously dated late singer David Bowie and fi lmmaker Franco Amurri and was in a relationship with actor T im Robbins for 21 years until 2009 — believes being unhappy is a “choice” and always tries to learn from bad situations and stay positive.

“When I made (new movie) The Meddler, I had just broken up with my boyfriend and I wasn’t happy at all,” Susan said.

“I’m generally a happy person. I think being unhappy is a choice, so whatever happens to me, I try to fi nd some way to learn from it and get myself to a better place,” she added. – IANS

Jared eyed for Interview With the Vampire remake

Actor and musician Jared Leto is rumoured to take over the role of Lestat in the upcoming reboot of the 1994 American drama horror fi lm Interview with the Vampire. Actor Tom Cruise essayed the role of Lestat the vampire in the original fi lm. Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) and Jill Killington have completed the screenplay based on Anna Rice’s novels.

“Lestat - there can be only one. Jared Leto,” Boone recently wrote on Twitter, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The rebooted project is reportedly a part of The Vampire Chronicles universe developed by Universal. While Leto is eyed for Universal’s Vampire franchise, Tom Cruise is tapped for The Mummy reboot as part of the studio’s Monster universe. — IANS

In a colourful ceremony featuring impressive performances and tableau from the junior students of the school, Pakistan

Education Centre (PEC) felicitated the outstanding performance of its meritorious students who came off with fl ying colours in the annual examination of academic year 2015-16.

Medals and certifi cates were conferred on students securing top positions in the Annual Prize Distribution Ceremony which is a regular feature instituted to acknowledge the outstanding talent and diligence of the students. Rashid Nizam, Community Welfare Attache of Pakistan Embassy, was the chief guest at the occasion and awarded the medals.

PEC Principal Nargis Raza was the guest of honour. Muhammad Humaid al-Mansouri from Jassim Charity, Dr Abdul Shakoor and Liaqat Amin Satti, members of Board of Governors, parents and a large number of students attended the event.

The ceremony was a joint eff ort of all four wings of the school. The presentation made by little angels of the KG Wing earned the loudest applause by the audience. It was followed by an entertaining presentation by the students of Junior Wing.

“We had a really good result ratio for this year as well. We exclude the ‘E’ grade from our results so the average that we get is students scoring more than 85% marks. We also select the overall outstanding

performers from each of our four wings. The wing toppers are the ones who have the highest marks,” Nargis Raza Otho tells Community.

“We are very soon going to introduce interactive smart boards technology in our classrooms. It saves time as the teacher can just upload the lecture instead of writing them there. It opens endless possibilities for students to understand concepts,” she reveals.

Otho says normally the students who perform well in the 8th grade go on to do well in the

matriculation as well, however, some of them take a little bit of time to understand the new format and the subjects. Most of the teachers at PEC are from Pakistan and they do not have to leave so the school does not face the problem of shortage of teachers which mostly happens when you hire local teachers and they have to leave for good.

“We continuously train our teachers and with the installation of smart boards, we will once again train our teachers on how to use

them. We also have an English language laboratory where we train students in phonetics and spoken English,” says the principal.

Select teachers are trained in the use and execution of the laboratory so that they can teach others. The project to install the smart boards will roll out very soon, most likely this summer, she adds. “We have more than 170 classrooms, so we cannot update them all at once. The process will be gradual starting with the senior classes,” says Otho.

The principal says they are

expecting good results from their college students in the upcoming board examination especially from the grade 12 students. “I have been continuously topping my classes from grade 5 to 8 and I have been a topper of my wing. And it has all been possible because of the way we are taught here at the PEC. We get ample opportunities to participate in extra-curricular as well,” says Salman Khan, a Grade 8 student, who intends to become an electrical engineer.

“I secured 98% marks. I love science and mathematics because these subjects involve exploring new things and problem-solving. Our teachers here are really good and they make us understand the concepts really well. I want to thank my teachers who have been really great. I also want to thank our principal who is always active in getting us opportunities to participate in extra-curricular,” says Minahil Saeed, the overall topper.

The stars of Junior Wing, Girls’ Wing and Boys’ Wing were feted with certifi cates and medals. The trained choir of Girls’ Wing Music Club presented a beautiful song of inspiration, motivation and championship. The students of Girls’ Wing also performed a short skit conveying a message “save the planet earth” .In a mime based on the theme “save water”, the presenters of the Boys’ Wing inspired the audience with their enactment.

The live Qawali by the students of Boys’ Wing entertained the audience. Later, the overall top three position holders of their respective wings were awarded with medals and certifi cate by the principal and the chief guest.

The recipients of Junior Wing included overall 3rd position holders Kazim Haider and Shanza Fatima, overall 2nd position holders Maheen Zahid ,Ahmad Hasham and Isra Rashid, overall 1st position holder Noor Sajid. The recipients of Girls’ Wing included overall 3rd position holder Dania Imshad, overall 2nd position holder Maira Naeem and overall 1st position holder Manahil Saeed.

The recipients of Boys’ Wing included overall 3rd position holder Ahmad Khalid, overall 2nd position holder Adnan Tasswar, overall 1st position holder Salman Khan.


COMMUNITY

Medals and certificates were conferred on meritorious students

in the Annual Prize Distribution Ceremony. By Umer Nangiana

PEC fetes achievers on annual day event

RECOGNITION: Achievers pose with certificates with PEC principal, guests and school off icials.

Students from diff erent grades staged colourful performances.

P6 P20 - Gulf Times

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