The Source Magazine - Issue 13 - English

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Issue 13 - 31 May 2012

AinAwi’s Lift the Cup

AmericAn FootbAll hits the emirAtes

UAEU’SProvoSt BAniyAS on hiS nEw rolE

Win

a Raceway

Experience

Managing Director Mona Hennawi | Editor In Chief Mahra Saeed Al MuhairiAssociate Editor Khudayja Saloojee | Junior Writer Mehak Alam Senior Graphic Designer Ghulmiyyah Ghulmiyyah

Senior Arabic Editor Sami Rashid | Senior Translator Narmeen Al Assad | Translator Hanadi Jamil Finance & Administration Manager Haneen Farid | Sales & Advertising Joe Mathew | Distribution Manager Jeff Grigsby

Contributing Writers | Sarah Stoll, Tim Wilkins, Rawad Nasir

ContentsThe Source

No part of this publication or content, thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of The Source Magazine, published by Smart Design Publishing, in writing. The Source Magazine and Smart Design Publishing accept no responsibility, however caused, for errors or omissions contained in this publication. Any articles and/or images included in this publication and/or views and opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of The Source Magazine and Smart Design Publishing, and any of its affiliates, but remain solely those of the author(s). Such publications have been included for general reference and the purpose of fair review. Copyright © 2011 by The Source and Smart Design Publishing, and its affiliates. All rights reserved.

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Iss

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13

neWs

sPoRts

FeAtUReA look at the inaugural emirates American Football League

stUFF for menSheer, driving pleasure in the new BMW M5

LiFestyLeSarah Stoll, our resident child health expert, tells us the importance of playing with your kids

URBAn WoMAnQuick and easy summer hairstyles

AL MAJLisAs Al Ain lift the etisalat trophy, we chat with first team Supervisor Mohammed obaid Al Dhaheri

eDUCAtionThe changing face of the school library

DiARy

@ tHe MoVies

FRoM oUR ReADeRs

neeD to KnoW

Be insPiReDNewly appointed UAeU Provost Mohammed Baniyas talks about his upcoming role

My WoRLD48 hours in the heart of London

My eMiRAteescape the stress at Al Futaisi Island in Abu Dhabi

BUsinessFeeling stressed at work? Adopt KISS for smoother days and less hair pulling situations

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This week has been full of excitement. on Friday, the Ainawi’s celebrated winning the etisalat League by lifting the trophy and kicking of city-wide celebrations where purple was the order of the day. Fireworks and a fabulous laser show lit up the city just as the team has lit up the hearts of their fans.

The inaugural emirates American Football League will kick off in october and tryouts for the Al Ain Desert Foxes team will take place this weekend. We chatted with Marcos, head coach of the team, about the sport’s growing popularity in the UAe.

UAeU’s new Provost, Dr. Mohammed Baniyas, is looking forward to starting his role next month and chats to us about his vision for the future. In our education section, we scope out the new Learning resource Centers implemented by ADeC.

With the Queen’s golden Jubilee taking place this weekend, we jet over to the UK for 48 hours in London and, closer to home, we escape the stresses of everyday life with a trip to Al Futaisi Island in Abu Dhabi.

Finally, don’t forget to enter our competition on page 11 where you can win an adrenalin fuelled karting session at Al Ain raceway.

Happy reading!

Hayley Skirka

Letter from the Editor

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NEWS

A state-of-the-art service and maintenance center operated by eastern Motors (eM), the Mercedes-Benz dealership in Al Ain, and a business unit of Al Fahim group in association with The Department of Transport was inaugurated last week.

The center facilitates almost 100 public transport Mercedes-Benz buses commuting in Al Ain and is accessible 24-hours-a-day with a reaction time of only 15 minutes. It has a 40-strong staff and aims to provide first-class services in safety for the drivers and passengers of the city’s buses.

Saeed Al Hameli, general Manager at the bus office at the Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi said, “The safety of our passengers is our main priority at the Department of Transport. We aim to develop an efficient and well-integrated transport system in the emirate and, in order for us to deliver our mission; we need to work with partners who possess extensive experience in the mobility sector such as eastern Motors and Al Fahim group.”

Starting on June 1st, Al Ain Zoo will change to its summer hours and be open from 4pm to 10pm allowing visitors to enjoy the zoo in the cooler evening temperatures. All exhibits will be open, and the animals are likely to be more active having rested through the heat of the summer days. As well as this, visitors will also be able to enjoy Family Nights every Wednesday which will include activities, sport, games and movie screenings.

Saif Al Dhaheri, Manager Admissions & guest relations at the zoo said, “The summer offers a different and exciting way to experience the zoo and we look forward to welcoming our enthusiastic summer visitors once again.”

During the Holy Month of ramadan, Family Nights will cease and the zoo will open from 6pm to midnight.

BUs WoRKsHoP oPens in AL Ain

Also present at the event were Mr. Nassim Mourani eastern Motors general Manager, Saeed Al Fahim, Chairman of Al Fahim group, rashed Abdul Jalil Al Fahim, Managing Director of Al Fahim group, Chris Preston, Ceo of Al Fahim group’s Automotive Division and Mike Belk, President and Ceo of Daimler Middle east and Levant.

Al Ain’s Al Diwan Kindergarten held a workshop last week entitled ‘My Language Inspires Me’, focusing on incorporating the Arabic language into the education system.

varying methods of study tools, including literature, technology, music, arts and even physical education corners, demonstrated the usage of different mediums to teach and study the Arabic Language alongside english.

His excellency Dr. Mugheer Al Khaili, Director general of Abu Dhabi education Council (ADeC), was present and interacted with both teachers and students. He was seen observing the creative approach of both Arabic and english teachers in successfully implementing ADeC’s New School Model, which aims to incorporate both languages simultaneously in a fun-filled environment.

“This workshop is unique and shows the

AL DiWAn Kg on tHe RigHt tRACK

efficiency of the management and the teachers in the kindergarten” said Dr. Mugheer. He expressed his delight at the unconventional, innovative approaches the teachers had created for their students in comparison to previous systems that lacked inspiration and imagination. He congratulated the school saying, “They are on the right track, and I wish them good luck.”

Al Diwan Kindergarten has an outstanding reputation and the new workshop hoped to highlight their constant progression. Fatima Saeed Al Dhaheri, Head of the Arabic Faculty, told us “This is a new initiative from ADeC for establishing an educational system that will create a strong and powerful future generation.”

Parents were also impressed with the workshop, which took place in association with ADeC, the Al Ain Municipality and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, as it gave them an opportunity to see what their children are learning during school hours.

The new education model from ADeC leaves behind the old conventional approach towards education that relied on retrieving information and rote memorization. Instead, it uses creative approaches, innovative thinking and child-friendly environments to encourage learning amongst students.

sUMMeR HoURs At

AL Ain Zoo

HE Dr. Mugheer was impressed by Al Diwan’s efforts

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NEWS

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At the Cannes Film Festival last week, digital production company, Digital Domain Media group (DDMg) and twofour54, Abu Dhabi’s government-backed media core, announced they are to work together in setting up an animation, visual effects and motion capture studio and media school in the capital.

DDMg has contributed to over 90 major motion pictures. According to variety Arabia, DDMg Ceo and Chairman John Textor said “There is tremendous opportunity to produce original entertainment content for the Middle eastern audiences worldwide, and to bring Hollywood work and our own productions here as well.”

DDMg will eventually occupy a 14000 square-meter entertainment production

grade 12 emirati students have insufficient english to cope at university where almost all of the courses are taught in english. According to gulf News, Head of CePA, ryan gjovig suggested the UAe government should consider providing an alternative solution, where emirati students have the option of studying in universities offering tertiary degrees in Arabic.

All high school students in their final year are required to take the Common educational Proficiency Assessment (CePA) or the International Language

The Al Ain Muncipality has launched a ‘Prettier Al Ain’ Campaign after 788 cases of vandalism were reported in the city’s public parks between the beginning of last year and this month.

The campaign was initiated to preserve the beauty of the city. Mr. Salem Al Jabri, Head of Maintenance at the municipality said, “We hope this campaign will help reduce, if only in part, some of the behavior that calls for this kind of campaign in the first place.”

The destruction included damages to benches, swings, gazebo, water fountains and cables. Littering and graffiti were also evident.

This is an edited version of an original story that appeared in The National on May 23, 2012. For the full version,

please go to www.thenational.ae

VAnDALisM in AL Ain PARKs

stUDents not ReADy FoR UniVeRsity

complex which will also house the Digital Domain Institute Media School. It is expected to be operational by 2015. DDMg plans to recruit 500 people with priority given to emiratis.

Noura Al Kaabi, Ceo of twofour54, noted that collaboration will provide opportunities for young Arabs to develop skills and careers in an area of the media industry “that has simply never existed before in the region.” The collaboration will support the emirates goal in becoming the region’s prime source for media content creation.

News that the company is to open comes days after it was announced that Abu Dhabi will offer a 30 per cent tax rebate incentive for international production houses for shooting films in the emirate and promoting the local movie industry.

Testing System (IeLTS) to gain entry into the three federal universities. This year, 18000 of 23000 emirati grade 12 students sat the exam. Mr. gjovig commented that 18 per cent of emirati students, who took the CePA federal university placement exam, won’t be ready to enroll for bachelor degrees in the new academic year.

Dr. Cristina gitsaki, Associate Academic Dean at HCT said, “We need to create school curricula with an effective syllabus and pedagogy to support students in their language skills so that they only need to

learn study skills on foundation programs.” The focus of Foundation Programs should not be on teaching students basic english.

The results of the CePA testing will be released in July when students will find out if they have gained places in federal universities.

neW MeDiA stUDio FoR ABU DHABi

Millions of people around the world will be able to witness a once in a lifetime sight on the 5th and 6th June when venus and earth will both be in line with the Sun.

venus will appear as a black dot on the surface of the sun and it will take around six hours to complete its transit, an event that is not expected to take place again until 2117!

The first transit of such a kind took place back in 1639, according to scientists

working on the original theories of Copernicus starting from 1543, and was predicted by the english astronomer Jeremiah Horrocks.

According to the latest Physics World, Jay M. Pasachoff, astronomer at Williams College, Massachusetts, expects the transit to confirm his team’s theory about the phenomenon called ‘the black-drop effect’ - a strange, dark band linking venus’s shadow with the sky outside the Sun that appears for about a minute as

Venus to transit the sunvenus enters the solar disk.

Pasachoff went onto explain that the event will assist the work of astronomers searching for extra solar planets orbiting stars asides from the sun.

EDITORS NOTE: Looking directly at the sun can cause severe and permanent eye

damage. Do not look directly at venus’ transit of the sun.

of the spectators. Al Ain Coach, Cosmin olariou commended his players before giving special thanks to the Al Ain fans for their continued support.

This year’s title is Al Ain’s tenth and is all the sweeter after battling hard to survive relegation last year. Their success has proven them to be one of the top teams in Asia and they will now battle it out in the AFC Champions League.

A fabulous laser show and impressive firework display added to the celebrations before many of the fans took to the streets of their city to partake in one of the biggest and loudest car parades the city has ever seen. Prizes totaling AeD110000 were up for grabs for the best decorated cars, and purple was undoubtedly the color of the day, with ribbons, banners, flags and streamers on display.

The celebrations continued until the early hours of Saturday morning as residents of the city, both national and non-national, showed their pride in their Ainawi team.

The atmosphere was electric in the city of Al Ain on Friday evening. Fans, decked out in purple and white, piled into their favorite Tahnoun bin Mohammad Stadium to witness their beloved Ainawi’s lift the etisalat Pro league trophy.

Their spirits were not to be dampened as their football stars sealed their triumphant league win with a spectacular 4-0 defeat over Ajman. Two goals by Asammoah gyan and one each from Ignacio Socco and man of the match, omar Abdul rahman, got the celebrations off to a pretty good start.

The city’s loyalty for President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was displayed in an energetic musical routine by the emirati Folk Troupe and fans joined in the theme, unfurling a huge banner of the great man.

Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Adviser to the Security Council and the club’s First Deputy President, presented medals and the coveted trophy to the Al Ain players, accompanied by the deafening cheers

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SPORTS

Abu Dhabi ocean racing shot ahead in leg 7 of the volvo ocean race this week, speeding across the Atlantic ocean and reaching speeds up to three knots faster than their nearest rivals, racking up 338 nautical miles in just 24 hours.

At 8pm, UAe time, Ian Walker’s Abu Dhabi ocean racing held the largest lead of the contests so far with 87.9nm, averaging 14.1 knots over 24 hours. In second place was PUMA ocean racing, who averaged 11.7 knots and third placed were CAMPer, sitting 104 nautical miles behind.

Ian Walker, the skipper of Azzam, was happy the team managed to catch a breeze and hopes they can hang onto the lead. “The big question is, at what rate will they [the boats sailing behind] gain and do we have enough of a lead to hang on for two days until we enter the light air band 300 miles from Lisbon.”

He praised his team saying, “So far we have sailed a very good leg and everyone onboard is fiercely determined to defend our lead for as long as we possibly can.” Nothing new for the 11-strong crew, made up of both emirati’s and expatriates, who compete fiercely in every leg of the contest.

There are six teams participating in the volvo ocean race which will cover 37000 nautical miles in total.

AZZAM tAKe tHe LeAD

AL Ain CeLeBRAtes

Despite turning in their most complete performance of this year’s HSBC Asian 5 Nations, the UAe were unsuccessful in claiming victory over South Korea in their final match of the tournament.

The emirati squad managed to fight hard for 60 minutes before fading in the last quarter of the match. Korea eventually proved to be just too much for the visitors, defeating them 47-21, and grabbing their third victory of the tournament to see them finish in second place. Credit to the UAe for throwing everything they had at their opponents to dominate the early stages of the match. UAe vice captain, Tim Fletcher, scored the match’s opening try, which was converted by flyhalf Murray Strang to give the UAe a 7-nil lead. The Koreans replied immediately through

flanker Lee Kwang Moon, with the conversion from oh Youn Hyun leveling the score to 7-all. You Young Nam then edged the hosts out in front for the first time with a well-worked try, which was again converted by oh to put Korea in front by 14-7. But the UAe were not out yet and replied via fullback Imad reyal’s try, pulling the teams level at halftime. It was in the second half that the UAe began to falter under Korea’s sustained attacks. After pulling ahead with only twenty minutes game time left, the team from South Korea never looked back and went onto win the match by 47 to 21.

This saw this year’s HSBC A5N Top 5 contest come to an end with Japan topping the table, followed by Korea, Hong Kong, UAe and Kazakhstan respectively.

UAe RUgBy sqUAD DeFeAteD

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FEATURE

Sport is something of an institution here in the UAe. Football fans pile into packed stadium, supporters proudly wear their team colors, the hockey league is thriving and the annual rugby Sevens sells out almost every year. But now there’s a new guy on the scene. American Football is HUgeLY popular over in the states, so much so that it’s almost interwoven into the country’s culture. The Super Bowl is the biggest event in the game’s calendar and records around 150 million spectators each year! And now, American Football is coming to the UAe in the form of the first ever emirates American Football League.

The emirates League will kick off on the 20th october, with four teams namely The Al Ain Desert Foxes, Abu Dhabi Wildcats, Sharjah Wolves and The Dubai Stallions set to compete. The UAe Falcons will become the official All-Star Team of the eAFL and will compete against international opponents.

The league already has a solid base of players but they are looking to increase this number through a series of tryouts across the country. In Al Ain, the try out date is Friday June 1st and the event will be held at the Al Ain equestrian, Shooting and golf Club at 4:30pm; anyone interested in the sport can come along and join up or simply have a look and see what goes on.

We met with Severo Marcos guerrero, or Marcos as he’s known

to his friends, the head coach of The Al Ain Desert Foxes to chat a little about the development of the sport in the UAe.

Hailing from the US and of Mexican descent, Marcos played for some big teams back in the states and was, at one point, counted among the best linebackers in the league. Now, he’s taken on the challenge of being mentor and coach for the new Al Ain team and has big ambitions to take both his team and the sport to the top of the popularity stakes in the UAe.

Marcos grew up with sports. He played baseball, wrestling, martial arts, rugby and, of course, American football where he competed at both state and international levels. Since moving to Al Ain, he has been heavily involved with the Al Ain Amblers rugby Club and hopes this experience will help him propel American football, which has its roots in rugby, to success in the emirates. Marco attributes all his achievements to former coach, Jack Del rio Senior, father of current NFL coach Jack Del rio Junior. Jack Snr. was a mentor for him, carving his path through football by channeling his rage, anger and physical ability and helping him to skillfully polish his game. Marcos hopes to emulate his mentor and has a committed plan of action to get there. First of all, he’s looking for some dedicated new recruits.

The Al Ain Desert Foxes are already looking like a strong team.

Coach Severo Marcos Guerrero

FiRst eVeR eMiRAtes AFLBy Mehak Alam

Al Ain Desert Foxes Coach, Severo Marcos Guerrero, gives us his thoughts on the newly formed league

FEATURE

With Marcos as an experienced coach, and the AeSgC providing one of the best training grounds in the country, the team look like they could be tough competition. Contributions from the highly professional players of the Amblers rugby team will give the team an added boost in terms of big, physical, strong players. “A lot of other teams lack in size, which is where we will do well. even though our experience might be less, we are so much physically stronger.”

Interest has been pretty big in the garden City and Marcos is convinced he will easily recruit thirty strong players whom he can dedicate his time and energy to training and turning them into a successful team.

Asking him about the qualities he is looking for he tells us in no uncertain terms, “I want them to be hard…And by hard, I mean players who want to work hard, have fun, be successful. And whom I can trust as a team.”

The Al Ain Desert Foxes will also have the largest number of emirati players, with nationals in the team who have previous experience in soccer or rugby but want to turn their hand to American football. Add to this the experienced expatriate players and some excited beginners and the basis for a multi-talented, multi-cultural team is strong.

“A team that trusts each other have chances of doing a lot more together than a team that does not trust each other,” says Marcos while talking about his vision for his team.

His down to earth and frank nature is well blended with his strict temperament that will work wonders in training his new team. He is absolutely sure what he wants from his team. “on the field it is going to be my way,” he states when talking about his game plan.

He wants his players to fully trust in him and work according to his plans. “If they are going to trust me, they are going to see fruits of their labor” he adds.

Anyone displaying the skills Marcos is after and who can show commitment to the squad is welcome to come along and join the team. Dedication is important as tiring training sessions are not for everyone but are essential to build immunity, gain speed and increase strength and fitness. Those with commitment issues need not apply as it’s crucial that players realize that they’re committing to an entire team. This means, that not turning up to training sessions, fixtures or international sporting tournaments would not only be letting him down, but also the other guys on the team. It is, after all, a team effort.

The brainchild of Coach Dustin from Canada and Coach Kai from germany, emirates American Football League has been in the making for a few years now. With official recognition and contributions from skilled international players and coaches the league is now set to take off. It’s a far cry from the first American football match in the emirates which was played almost 20 years ago, as a friendly between two international teams and has only a handful of emirati military officers make up the spectatorship. However, things have definitely progressed and February’s match between the UAe and Turkey attracted many fans. There has also

been a definite increase in interest from emirati players and fans and this is reflected in the league which has

evolved to over 70 players and continues to grow.

“I want sports in the UAe to grow strong, I want to see emirati men play against the guys from the states” says Marcos. He is working hard to convince some of the top rugby players in the UAe, particularly in Al Ain, to play and practice football as well as their rugby to increase their strength and fitness. This, according to him, is

one way of protecting both sports and taking them together on the road to success.

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Photography by Paul Aiken

STUFF for men

By Ghulmiyyah GhulmiyyahtHe PoWeR oF M

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It’s competItIon tIme! Are you feelIng lucky?

This week we’ve teamed up with Al Ain raceway to offer one of our readers an adrenalin pumping challenge on their 1.6 km fully floodlit, world-class racing track. To be in with a chance of winning this exhilarating 15 minute ‘Arrive and Drive’ session, where winners will be given a full safety briefing before climbing into the karts and zooming around the state-of-the-art course at speeds of up to 85kph, just tell us….

How long Is tHe trAck At Al AIn rAcewAy?Send your answers to [email protected] and don’t forget to include your contact details.

Obsession - The domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, object or even a car.

Addiction - The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

Two words that accurately describe how I felt a few days ago when I drove past the Hilton Hotel, taking my usual scenic route to work, when I spotted a black, fully-tinted, mean-looking 2012 BMW M5 switching lanes, selfishly cruising on Al Ain’s perfect roads.

In a split second I was both obsessed and addicted. And trust me you will be too as this is a beast of a machine, in the most civilized way.

In comparison, driving my brother’s BMW 330 Coupe, I honestly felt like I was in a shopping trolley. I also felt that if I gaped at the car any longer, the driver may have stomped on the pedal, leaving me inhaling enough rubber to crash and burn.

very similar to the regular 5 series, the mat black signature grills, huge alloys and a hood that looks like its on steroids force the

M5 to stand out. With a v8 552 bhp engine that goes from 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, BMW have launched their most powerful production car ever. And, if you think about it, that’s pretty scary as the previous M5’s are already really fast!

To the BMW fans, I honestly prefer Mercs. But, when I saw the M5, I felt a little worried for their AMg rivals.

So, back to the roads of Al Ain, we spin around the Hilton roundabout and then, the awesome machine orchestrates a sound I have never before heard come out of a car. I was left, what’s the word? gob-smacked! In less than five seconds, the car had vanished!

This is not your regular sedan; it’s a super-sedan with a price tag of about AeD400000 and it’s worth every single dirham. Beautifully balanced in design and comfort, you get all the gadgets you’d expect from a BMW and, more importantly, the car delivers enough power to obliterate a serious amount of supercars. one thing to remember, never put the traction control off unless you’re on an airport landing strip!

‘Sheer Driving Pleasure’ is BMW’s tagline and, quite honestly, I couldn’t have put it better myself.

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LIFESTYLE

Many new parents are surprised by how inactive their new baby is. She doesn’t seem to do much except eat, sleep and cry. They start wondering when she’ll begin to laugh, clap, gurgle and take an interest in all those new toys just waiting for her attention. Be patient, this time will come and, very soon, your baby will be desperate to roll around having fun, laughing and giggling. Play is crucial to your baby’s development and, while you shouldn’t force it, there’s no harm in actively promoting it.

Your child’s senses develop through play. In the early months, you are their focus for play as they get used to the world around them. As the months progress, their interest in objects develop –usually for things that you don’t want them to have. As they get more active their coordination gets better; playing is an important part of their development... reaching for the toy that is just too far away is a great incentive to learn to crawl and move around. Playing is easy these days; there are so many options on the market for exciting kiddie toys. Bear in mind however that expensive does not always mean better. Instead put the priority on safety. Try to buy toys that have a safety kite mark to show that they have been approved as suitable for children. Be sure to wash all cuddly toys in the washing machine as they can harbor bacteria for a long time and be careful that young kids don’t get a hold of older sibling’s toys, as many have small parts that are unsuitable for small mouths.

So how do you play with a baby? Talking, pulling faces, tickling and cuddling are initially the things they’ll enjoy. Small toys that young kids can look at and hold are a great place to start, just be sure that they are washable and non-toxic as they will definitely try to suck them. Chewing and sucking object helps children to learn about textures and temperature as the mouth is very sensitive. As your baby gets older you’ll notice that they progress in leaps and bounds, they will start to gain confidence and will try to sit up and reach out for everything and anything. At this stage, babies like ‘where’s it gone?’ games where you hide a toy from their sight as they are developing an intense curiosity in the world. The ‘hold it and drop’ game provides hours of entertainment for toddlers ...they drop it and you pick it up! The grasping action and the passing of objects from hand to hand is an important stage of development.

From birth you can also introduce story time; babies love to hear your voices and being close to you will keep them happy. Whether you read a newspaper or a book to them it really doesn’t matter so long as they are hearing your voice. Books written for babies have clear pictures to help their young eyes to focus. Toddlers also quickly learn that they can turn the pages of a book, thus involving them in the process and making it all the more enjoyable.

As children grow it’s important that they have the opportunity to play with other children of the same age. This is how they learn about social skills such as communication, regulation of emotion and behavior and learning to take into account someone else’s feelings. Play allows children to practice the skills they will need as an adult.

You can identify your child’s developmental stage by observing how they play. There are three key stages of play. For the first two years of life, play is essentially egocentric as children find out

tHe PoWeR oF PLAy

about things, people and themselves. Their play begins solitarily and gradually moves along to playing with others. The following is a rough guide to how children play at different ages:

Age 0-2yrs: Solitary play - toddlers play largely by themselves and tend to play with things in an inventive way, exploring and trying things out.

Age 2-3yrs: Parallel play - although they are aware of others, they are not really able to cooperate for long with other kids as each child is still thinking egocentrically. They will play alongside each other but not necessarily with one another.

Age 3yrs & up: Associative play - their awareness of each other increases and they play together more. This develops into co-operative play as they are able to take others wishes into account and they become more sociable. They start to make friends and have best friends and are now able to have disputes and falling outs too!

Play is instinctive and, best of all, it’s free. Adults may describe play as something that is done for fun and not taken too seriously however, for children its a serious matter and they may concentrate on some aspect of a game for a long time, practicing it over and over and often getting cross when adults say it’s time to stop. remember, playing is learning! encourage your child to play and you are encouraging them to grow!

By Sarah Stoll

Sarah Stoll - Bsc (Hons) Com-munity Nurs-ing Specialist Practitioner, RSCN, Dip.He is an Independent Parenting Advisor , British qualified pediat-ric nurse and health visitor offering support for all aspects of parenting.

For further information email - [email protected] or call 050 135 2684

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URBAN Woman

Summer is the season for lazy, no fuss hair. But what happens if you have a wedding, a work-do or a birthday party to go to? Try one of these quick styles, to ensure frizz free hair that will last all evening.

Pile it Up - with an elegant bun. Keep it sleek by smoothing hair high into a ponytail before wrapping the tail around itself and pinning it in place. Secure with some hairspray and voila, you’re set for the evening.

The Braidy Bunch - add a touch of glamour to your daytime plait by braiding a colorful ribbon into a side swept braid. Just sweep your hair to the side and split into three even sections. grab the ribbon with one of the sections and braid the hair together.

Hang Loose - to get carefree looking locks without creating a giant frizz ball apply thickening mousse to wet hair before blow-drying. Use a large barreled curling iron to create waves, and then brush them through to add a touch of boho!

Chic Chignon - a quick, simple style perfect for any occasion. Work some styling cream through your hair then gather at the nape of your neck with an elastic. Split the ponytail into two sections, twist one and bring it to the other side, secure with a pin. Do the same with the other side and add a touch of hairspray before you rush off to your party.

An elegant bun

Go boho with long, loose waves

A simple plait

Chignons are wearable for any occasion

sUMMeR, HAiR

thesourceuae.com14

on Friday, Al Ain football fans eagerly packed into Al Qattara Stadium. They were donned in purple and ready to celebrate the handing over of the etisalat Pro League trophy, sealing their club’s 10th victory in the history of the competition.

A spectacular 4-0 win by the home side added to the electric atmosphere and, as the trophy was raised into the air, a deafening roar, amazing laser show and spectacular fireworks display sent the fans into rapture, kicking the party off in earnest with celebrations continuing until the early hours of Saturday morning.

It was, quite frankly, a spectacular sight and one that surely

brought pride into the heart of His excellency Mohammed obaid Hammad Al Dhaheri, the first team supervisor, and an Ainawi through and through.

He Mohammed was born in the Hosson Neighborhood of Al Ain in 1960. His studies saw him achieve a BA in Sports and he is now the first team supervisor at Al Ain Sports Club. His love for football is deeply rooted in him, having loved the game since he was a child. He began his football career in earnest and was chosen as a rising star by Saleem Khadoori and Ali rashid Al Dhaheri, the talented athletic scouts of Al Tadamon Club, prior to its mergence with Al Ain Club.

Let yoUR WoRK sPeAK FoR yoU

By Rawad Nasir

Photography by Mohsin Salim

15thesourceuae.com

Captain Ahmed Al elayan gave him the chance to play for the first team, an honor that he remembers fondly. His involvement in the sport progressed as he participated with the national team in several championships before fulfilling several administrative positions in the UAe Football Association. After retiring from the game, he decided to coach the sport and has had huge support from the Administration of Al Ain Sports Club.

Speaking about his sporting career, Mohammed explains “An athlete must exert lots of efforts and sacrifices during his journey; they often sacrifice their family and future.” However, these sacrifices motivated him to achieve success and push himself to excel. He is involved in providing training camps in many different countries in order to pass his experience on to the younger generations.

Throughout his life, His excellency Mohammed had the opportunity to meet many football stars and important figures in the sporting world. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of Al Ain Club, has always been his inspiration and the special treatment that he afforded Mohammed further fuelled his admiration of such a great man. He was also encouraged by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan to continue his role in the sport by transcending from player to coach. He’s honored by the support and trust of HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the guidance of HH Sheikh Hazza’ bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

He also speaks fondly of the support and motivation he received from HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak, who spotted the love he had for Al Ain Club, as well as Mohammed Salih bin Al Badwa, Abdullah Bu Hazzam, Captain rabeea Ibrahim and too many more to mention.

His motivation saw him gain second place in the gCC Champions League, qualify to the World Cup and grab a silver medal in China. recently, he has tasted even more success through his involvement in helping the National Team qualify for this summer’s London olympics.

When asking Mohammed about Al Ain’s spectacular tenth title triumph, he grinned widely and told me, “It’s an incredible feeling, and we have lived the most beautiful unforgotten moments, not just because we won but because the timing of the win was perfect for the club and the Ainawi’s fans.

He talks about that winning match and how the moment of victory became engraved in his mind as “I saw the happiness of 15000 spectators and noticed that most of the Ainawi’s audience are young; it’s a good thing to implant the love for this club in their hearts and to make them happy” as they are the fundamental supporter of the club as well as the city.

reflecting on his role in the club, His excellency Mohammed tells us that his motto is “we work as a family: players, management and technical and medical staff.”

“The club is known by its spirit of competence. According to that we will work hard to gain championships and stay there in the front rows in all of the coming local, gulf and international championships. We work hard preparing for upcoming events and we always seek to hold the cup.”

reflecting on the difficult moments he has faced in his career he relayed a time when, while playing for the National Squad in the 1996 Asian Football Championship Final, his team came so close to victory before heart achingly crashing out in a penalty shoot out. The current Al Ain team was also threatened by this ‘failure

LiFeLessons

obaid follows a wisdom, “Let your work speak for you.” He always seeks to practice this theory and,

he urges his players to follow it too.

“A friend in need is a friend indeed” has proven true for him, thus he professes that people should

strive to treat their friends well and be there for them when they need assistance.

Work is like family, everyone should work together with good will.

Finally, some words of peril: be cautious of the man to whom you were good.

ghost’. Before playing against Fujairah’s Kalbaa he recalls, “The squad and I couldn’t sleep before the match. We suffered the fear of failure. However, Al-Hamdallah, we got over it and it gave us a push to continue, concentrate and get back on track to win the League.”

Mohammed obaid Hammad Al Dhaheri is a man with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He passed on some of his wisdom to us.

16 thesourceuae.com16

EDUCATION

I remember as a young student I associated the library as a dingy, quiet space, where there was pin-drop silence and nothing to look at but books. But gone are the days when school libraries were just a storage place for dusty old encyclopedias and unloved hardbacks.

As part of ADeC’s New School Model, and its ongoing commitment to implement innovative educational programs and modern facilities, public school libraries have been upgraded and transformed into state-of-the-art Learning resource Centers (LrC). ADeC realized that the library could be the ‘spirit of the school’ and, in order to get younger generations passionate about reading, they set about making them bright, colorful, fun and a whole lot more appealing.

We were invited by Ms. Badreya, Library Section Manager, to visit the recently opened Al Bodoor Kg School in Mohammed bin Zayed City. We met with her and Ms. Bushra Al Qubaiti, LrC Specialist, who gave us some valuable insight on their Learning resource Center.

entering the center, the sound of gently flowing water (from an audio CD) gave us a total sense of calm and created a relaxed atmosphere. The LrC is well designed with colorful, comfortable furnishings. It has corners for recreational reading and a resource area for teachers. It is well equipped with the latest multimedia

tools, smart boards, computers, a huge flat screen Tv and the latest Arabic and english books attractively displayed on the shelves. We were fascinated with the plastic water bottles filled with colored water and neatly arranged on the large window sills, reflecting light and transforming the center into a myriad of colors.

Ms. Badreya and Ms. Bushra eagerly sat down to tell us more about some of the roles and responsibilities of the LrC Specialists. Public school libraries have undergone a metamorphosis in recent years and, as a result, so too has the role of the school librarians so much, so in fact, that this term is now redundant and they are known as LrC media specialists. The role of the LrC Specialist is to support the learning process of the children by providing an additional channel where they can access information, engage in different methods of learning and support the development of students’ abilities to find, decode, analyze, use, produce, and appreciate different varieties of information.

Ms. Bushra explains to me that she has three main responsibilities. Firstly, she has to ensure that she is providing a quality program that will enhance the students experience and encourage them to “improve and help them achieve academically.” Secondly, she must ensure “that this place is accessible to everyone,” including parents. Thirdly, she has to foster, promote and encourage reading.

RediSCoveRinG

ReADingBy Khudayja Saloojee

EDUCATION

Students are easily distracted by technology such as iPhones, iPads, Internet and television. often, children think of reading fiction and non-fiction as a chore, rather than pleasure. Ms. Bushra has made it her personal mission to bring back “the passion of reading”. She recognizes the importance of the aesthetics of a reading environment to entice kids to books. She also feels that the way you read, especially to younger children, is what will keep them interested. She explains the challenge telling us, “We are competing with technology, making it a challenging task to get students interested in books.” The LrC gives students the opportunity to experience these various multimedia tools and use them to enhance their reading experience. one example of this can be seen in the way Ms. Bushra incorporates interactive stories and sound effects in order to bring stories to life for the students. each student also has the option to listen to audio books and enjoy a story, song or animated movie related to a character or theme that they have seen in a storybook.

often, Ms. Bushra uses a digital book to simulate the hard book, for example turning the page so that they can see the differentiation between the two. Her objective is to show children that although the digital book is exciting as the animations come to life, it is limited as they have to sit in one place while “with a book they can take it home,” and use their imagination rather than animation.

She encourages parents, the principal, vice-principal and even the auxiliary staff to read to the students. She wants children to see that “the community is participating in reading and not just the teacher or herself.”

Parental involvement is vital to their children’s success. Ms. Bushra has implemented a program where the students are allowed to borrow a book for the weekend. They are given an interactive task, such as creating a poster, and the parents are given a newsletter guiding them on how they can get involved and help their children. Furthermore, parents are also encouraged to visit the school LrC and public libraries for leisure and general reading.

In addition to upgrading the facilities and resources ADeC also provides the LrC Specialist with ongoing training opportunities. recently, the ADeC Library Management Section conducted seminars and workshops in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al gharbeya regions for all LrC Specialists. The aim of these events was to review the duties and responsibilities of specialists according to previously distributed ADeC handbooks, guidelines and circulars. Ms. Bushra spoke about how helpful the workshops are, “This workshop avoids the gap of what is new and what we already know. We upgraded with new technology, new systems and new policies. Because we know about the new policies and standards we can update our LrC to match the new standards. I was also able to prepare a comprehensive information literacy skills instruction schedule so that the school administration and teachers understand that the LrC offers many activities and events that encourage the children to read for enjoyment, as well as for study.”

Ms. Badreya explained that another series of workshops will take place in June and they will focus on best practices and technical skills. All LrC Specialists have been invited to submit their best practices to ADeC, who will choose the best and invite those who proposed them to “then lead the workshops themselves.”

A lot of thought and consideration goes into the process of selecting age and culturally appropriate resources. The Library Management Section analyzes the collections on an ongoing basis for gaps in non-fiction and fiction titles in line with curricular, general knowledge and reading needs. LrC Specialists and teachers are also invited to submit ‘wish list’ of resources that they would like ADeC to purchase for their LrCs. The Library Management Section team then inspects and organizes many thousands of related samples throughout the year. Ms. Badreya explained that she convenes a special acquisitions committee consisting of members from the curriculum department, english and Arabic subject specialists and a huge number of LrC Specialists to further scrutinize the resources. After several rounds of meetings and discussions, the committee selects the books and multimedia resources that are culturally sensitive while best meeting curriculum needs and age requirements.

From our chat, it was clear to see that Ms. Bushra is striving to enhance educational goals and the school curriculum by developing a passion for reading and learning in all students along with the skills needed to utilize the LrC to their fullest potential. It is also evident that ADeC Library Management Section is fully dedicated to supporting LrC Specialists and LrCs in reaching their full potential.

17thesourceuae.com

Photography by Mohsen Saleem

18 thesourceuae.com

DIARY

Dining

Sports

CultureWant to learn more about Arabic Art and Culture? Then head to the third Cultural Festival of UAeU’s group Art exhibition. Learn about Arabic calligraphy, painting, sculpture, art, and jewelry design as well as much more besides.

INFO: 22 May-7 June, every Tuesday, UAe University-Al Ain,

Call 03 755 55577

Musicget ready to sing and dance the night ways at the rat Pack vegas Spectacular. With classic hits from mucial legends Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr and Dean Martin, collectively known as the rat Pack, this one-night only event will be a fantastic, toe-tapping, song belting affair complete with obligatory big swing band.experience what it was like to be part of a bygone era of cool cats and glamorous gals!

INFO: Friday 8th June, ADNeC,

Call 02 444 6900 or visit www.adnec.ae

Fancy a trip to the theatre? The

First group Theatre brings the infamous

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Ballet to town. Watch

the famous tale of a princess turned into a swan by an

evil sorcerer’s curse come to life with elegance and grace.

Possibly the best known ballet in the world, this performance

will feature no less than twenty six dancers who will delight you

with their artistic mastery for over two hours. Tickets out on

Sale!INFO: 6-9 June, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai

8pm, Call 04 366 6546or visit www.madinattheatre.com

Arts

Shopping

Looking for a bargain? Don’t look any further! Abu

Dhabi’s Shams Festival 2012 is just around the corner.

enjoy a mammoth array of discounts on big brands

and get a chance to win some fantastic prizes.

INFO: 31 May-9 June, ADNeC

5pm-12:30am, visit www.adnec.ae

Kick off summer with Summer Sports Majlis 2012, where

you can watch every goal, every miss and all the action

of the UeFA euro 2012. Free parking, free entry, giant

screens and great food make this one of the best spots

to watch the footie this summer.

INFO: 8 June- 15 July, DWTC, 5pm onwards,

Call 04 306 4000 or visit www.dwtc.com

Head to Trader vics at the rotana for some delicious

asparagus inspired dishes this month. Sure to be

popular with vegetarians, these scrumptious vegetable

themed dishes not only taste great but will give you a

health boosting dose of vitamin K and anti-oxidants.

INFO: 1-15 June, Al Ain rotana, Call 03 754 5111

Turn Italiano at Luce’s restaurant in celebration of the 63rd

Italian National Day. Be part of the celebrations, bring your

family and friends and enjoy mouth-watering Mediterranean

delicacies accompanied by some Italian singing and

entertaining dancers.

INFO: 1st June, Danat Al Ain resort,

Call 03 7046000

GRAnd AL Ain CinePLeXAL Ain MALL, AL Ain

Tel: +971 3 751 1228

1. SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN: 11:30, 14:00, 15:20, 16:30, 19:00, 21:30, 24:00

2. 21 JUMP STREET: 10:30, 12:45, 15:00, 17:15, 19:30, 21:45, 24:00

3. MEN IN BLACK 3: 11:00, 13:10, 15:20, 17:30, 19:40, 21:50, 24:00

4. AL MASLAHA (ARABIC): 12:15, 14:45, 17:00, 19:15, 21:30, 24:00

Movie Listings

GRAnd BAWAdi, BAWAdi MALL, AL Ain

Tel: +971 3 784 0300

1. SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN: 11:30, 14:00, 16:30, 19:00, 21:30, 24:00

2. 21 JUMP STREET: 10:30, 12:45, 15:00, 17:15, 19:30, 21:45, 24:00

3. MEN IN BLACK 3: 11:00, 13:10, 15:20, 17:30, 19:40, 21:50, 24:00

4. AL MASLAHA (ARABIC): 12:15, 14:45, 17:00, 19:15, 21:30, 24:00

1. SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN: 11:30, 14:00, 16:30, 19:00, 21:30, 24:00 2. 21 JUMP STREET: 10:30, 12:40, 14:50, 17:00, 19:10, 21:20, 23:303. AL MASLAHA (ARABIC): 10:20, 12:40, 15:00, 17:20, 19:40, 22:00, 24:20 4. THE AVENGERS: 12:15, 15:00, 17:45, 20:30, 23:155. MEN IN BLACK 3: 10:40, 12:50, 15:00, 17:10, 19:20, 21:30, 23:405. MEN IN BLACK 3: 10:40

oSCAR CineMA,AL FoAH MALL, Al Ain

Tel: +971 3 784 3535

RoTAnA HoTeL,ZAYed iBn SULTAn St., AL Ain

Tel: +971 3 754 4447

THe MovIe LISTINgS Are vALID FroM THUrSDAY To WeDNeSDAY everY WeeK.

In the epic action adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Snow White, Twilight’s Kirsten Dunst, is the only person in the land fairer than the evil Queen ravenna. Unable to tolerate this insult to her vanity, Queen ravenna, played by Charlize Theron, decides Snow White must die. In a twist to the tale, the Huntsman, played by the very masculine Chris Hemsworth, and ordered to kill Snow White is unable to do so, instead becoming her protector and mentor as the pair team up in a bid to take revenge on the evil Queen.

FiLM oF tHe WeeK

THE MOVIES@

1. SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN: 11:30, 14:00, 16:30, 19:00, 21:30, 24:00

2. ROWDY RATHORE (HINDI): 11:00, 14:00, 17:00, 20:00, 23:00

3. AL MASLAHA (ARABIC): 10:00, 12:15, 14:30, 17:00, 19:15, 21:30, 24:00

4. WHAT TO EXPECT: 11:00, 13:15, 15:30, 18:004. MEN IN BLACK 3 (3D): 20:15, 23:005. MEN IN BLACK 3: 11:00, 13:10, 15:20 17:30,

19:40, 21:50, 24:006. 21 JUMP STREET: 10:30, 12:45, 15:00, 17:15,

19:30, 21:45, 24:007. THE AVENGERS: 10:30, 13:30, 16:308. LOOSIES: 19:30, 21:30, 23:30GRAND CLASS: SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN:

13:00, 15:30, 18:00, 20:30, 23:00

thesourceuae.com20

FROM OUR READERS

We have lived in Al Ain for over 7 years, and one of our favorite places to go is the large red sand dunes in Zakher. These majestic sand dunes have been shaped by the wind, and are marked by animal tracks. They are well used on the weekend by people walking, driving cars and dune buggies. People bring small barbeques with them and spend the evenings eating and enjoying themselves in this beautiful area. In the evening, the street lights from Jebel Hafeet are an impressive back drop. It is a fabulous feeling to climb to the top of the tallest sand dune and jump or run down again into the huge bowl shaped by the wind. Just be careful not to cut your feet on the car parts left from some person’s car that has got bogged in the sand.

Unfortunately, these same visitors often leave their rubbish behind, as well as leftover food, plastic bags and bottles. We are all aware of the efforts being done in the UAe to highlight the environmental dangers of plastic; various days have been set aside by many different groups as ‘clean up the UAe’ days. The newspapers are full of photos of students and the general public collecting huge amounts of rubbish on the beach and the dunes and in wadis. Well done to the co-coordinators of these great efforts. Shame on those of you who leave your trash behind without a second thought.

During the cooler months we walk our dog on the sand dunes, and as the weather heats up we go early in the morning before our poor pooch’s feet burn on the sand. early in the morning, when nothing has yet stirred is an amazing time to walk amongst the sand dunes, completely unable to see roads, houses and cars. It is peaceful and quiet. It brings you back to an earlier time, before the rush and stress of modern living. I can almost imagine that there isn’t another person for miles around, and all is well with the world.

Imagine my surprise to find that MBM-Dallah, the waste management company, has established a dumping site right in the heart of the sand dunes! In less than half an hour, countless trucks had unloaded their waste into the site strewing it with lawn

clippings, garden cuttings, date palm fronds, tree limbs etc. As if this wasn’t bad enough, some people have also began to dump rubble, plastic bags and containers, couches and broken tiles around the dumping site. There is an ugly, wire fence around the perimeter of the area, which is about the size of a football pitch and covered in unsightly rubbish bags.

As we all know, Al Ain is a windy city, so don’t be surprised if you see rubbish bags flying up over the fence and into the desert wilderness. Also, what happens when this rubbish dump is full? Will it be left as an open monument for us all to see? even if it is covered over, all that rubbish will remain there just buried out of sight and out of mind. Hardly environmentally friendly!

This is a total kick in the face to those in the community who are doing their utmost to reduce, recycle and re-use. As soon as I stumbled across this dump, I felt sad but then that sadness grew to anger. I love spending time in the desert with my family, it’s a unique experience. I encourage my kids to pick up trash, even rubbish that isn’t theirs if we stumble across it. so how on earth do I explain a huge rubbish dump in the midst of all that beauty. I have no words to explain this. What a shame that such an amazing place cannot remain so.

AsA sMitH, A Long teRM

ResiDent oF AL Ain, teLLs Us HeR FRUstRAtions

WitH one oF tHe Most PiCtUResqUe sPots in

tHe City.

FRoM tHis...

to tHis...

21thesourceuae.com

NEED TO KNOW

HAVe A qUestionAsK tHe soURCe ?

ENVIRONMENTAL

Day Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha

Thursday 4:00 5:28 12:15 3:36 7:01 8:31

Friday 3:59 5:28 12:15 3:36 7:02 8:32

Saturday 3:59 5:28 12:15 3:36 7:02 8:32

Sunday 3:59 5:28 12:16 3:36 7:02 8:32

Monday 3:59 5:28 12:16 3:36 7:03 8:33

Tuesday 3:58 5:28 12:16 3:36 7:03 8:33

Wednesday 3:58 5:28 12:16 3:37 7:04 8:34

PRAyeRTIMES

Going Green on World Environment Day

1. Green your cleaning suppliesFill a spray bottle with a quarter of water, a quarter cup of white vinegar and a few drops of any essential oil. Use this in-expensive, disinfectant cleaning liquid to clean everything from greasy counter tops to shower rods and even to mop the floors.

2. Lemon adds sparkle to your potsMake those dull pots and pans sparkle both inside and out. rub the cut side of half a lemon all over them and buff with a soft cloth. This won’t cost you much and saves the utensils from chemical exposure.

3. Keep your home fragrantly freshMix lemon essential oils with a little olive oil and vinegar to polish your beautiful wood furniture. Add a tablespoon of cinnamon essential oil to wash the floors. Your home will smell like a bouquet of flowers, you’ll save money and keep everything natural.

4. Recycle your decorationsYou can reuse your floral bouquets by pressing them and spraying them with gold spray on, then using them as a decorative piece on your dining table.

5. Going nuts over the laundryWash delicate clothes in homemade detergents by adding the remains of some hazelnut scent to your washing powder. This not only gives your laundry a lovely fragrance, it’s also hypo allergenic.

WhERE caN I FIND a KaRaTE OR JIu-JITSu SchOOl IN al aIN FOR my 15-yEaR-OlD-SON?

from mr. abdullah Tayseer, al ain

You can find karate and jiu-jitsu schools at various locations in Al Ain. Try the following centers:

Danat Al Ain resort - Sports and recreation Club – 03 704 6000

Al Ain Sports and Cultural Club (Al Zakher Branch) – 03 722 2777

Al Nahyania Hall – 03 766 5788

WE HAVE THE ANSWER

everY YeAr THe WorLD CeLeBrATeS WorLD eNvIroNMeNT DAY oN 5TH JUNe. THIS YeAr’S THeMe IS greeN eCoNoMY, DoeS THAT INCLUDe YoU? WHY NoT MAKe AN eNvIroNMeNTAL reSoLUTIoN? STArT BY

INCorPorATINg SoMe oF THeSe HANDY TIPS INTo YoUr DAILY roUTINe WHICH WILL TUrN YoUr HoMe INTo AN eCo-FrIeNDLY oNe.

thesourceuae.com22

BE INSPIRED

The Source: First of all, thank you for agreeing to meet with us and congratulations on your upcoming promotion.Provost Baniyas: Well, thank you so much for your visit; it is our duty to serve the community and no need for congratulations. We are living in a blessed country that has spent a lot of money on us and it is our duty to serve the country.

How are you feeling about your new position as Provost of the University?This is going to be a new challenge with different dimensions; I think I have to learn a lot as there are challenges that have to be fulfilled.

Are you going to miss working at The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences?I’m going to miss them so much. I joked with them, I said, “Look, I’m going to be the Provost now so I’m not your advocate. I’ll be impartial, I’ll treat you the same as other faculties, maybe sometimes even worse!” But I’m going to miss the place… I cried the other day. If I work in a place, I try to do my best and I get attached to it and its going to be really difficult for me to move.

You worked with the departing Provost Hume and he has since spoken highly of you. Can you tell us why he resigned?Frankly, I learned a lot from Provost Hume; he has been a wonderful addition to UAeU. I think he has done a wonderful job and his departure after a four year term is normal. I will miss him; he’s been a good mentor for me.

I believe in rotation. I would like to see myself, in maybe two to four years, leaving the position to another new national or experienced colleague to take things in a new direction.

What changes do you hope to implement as Provost?My strategy is always building on what exists. The most important area to focus on is education. We know that within the UAeU the curriculum is very strong, the knowledge is fantastic. However, there are some practical skills that need to be incorporated with the theory. For example, presentation, communication and critical thinking skills so that students are ready for the job market.

on the research side, there are so many good research bodies in the university. We need to build more centers of research. For example, look at water. It’s a huge issue in the region at the moment and many people are doing research on it but we don’t have official groups looking at water. What we can do, is take the wonderful researchers we have and let them work together. They share the data, they share the knowledge and they help the community.

The UAEU is facing problems at the moment such as lack of funding and budget cuts. How has this affected the university?There is no budget cut or lack of funding. I think, for the UAeU, the funding is reasonable for the purpose we fulfill right now. For instance, as I mentioned, we could build a research nucleus with the funding we have and further funding will follow (from companies, governments and entrepreneurs). Funding is key; we have to utilize it wisely, prioritize and diversify our income.

You have the highest rate of Emirati students in the country. How do you plan to maintain this record and do you hope to employ more Emirati staff?The government provides education for free, so it’s reasonable to have a high number of emirati students, although I do welcome international students. our goal is to encourage more emirati students to attend UAeU and we tell them that we can give them great exposure to education, the opportunity to perform research or further education, such as Masters or PhDs, we have good international ranking and a great relationship with worldwide institutions if students wish to study abroad.

As for staff, we are the only university to have the proper capacity for nurturing emirati nationals to become future professors. We are the pioneer in this and, across the campuses, have between 26 to 32 per cent of emirati staff. No other federal or private university has these figures and I implore them to adopt the same system of nurturing their students to become future professors.

As the third Emirati Provost, you are an inspiration to many nationals. Do you have a message you would like to give to young people?As emirati’s we have an obligation to our society. Those of us who are older know how it was forty years ago. To see these changes and to see how much the country has given to us, we realize that we all have to give back to the country wherever possible.

Secondly, be good in your own field. Build your own expertise, this will give you a lot of knowledge and experience from which you’ll learn to respect others knowledge.

BUiLDing onWHAt existsEarlier this month, the UAEU announced the appoint-ment of their new Provost, Emirati National and long time member of faculty, Professor Dr. Mohammed Yousif Hasan Baniyas. We were lucky enough to have the chance to meet with him for a chat about his new role and the challenges and responsibilities that come with it.

By Hayley Skirka

And with that, we wrap up our chat in order to let Provost Baniyas continue with his busy day and his ever-increasing schedule.

Captivating Thailand.

Job No: 95792 Client: Etihad Campaign: Thailand Proof No: 01 Publication: Al Ain Magazine (UAE) Insertion Date: TBC

Explore Bangkok’s bustling markets and ancient temples, or if you prefer, escape to Phuket for its crystal waters, white beaches and the dazzling smiles of the locals. Whatever you’re looking for, Thailand has it all and with our great fares and all-inclusive holiday packages there has never been a better time to explore.

3 NIGHT PACKAGES

Phuket AED 2,370 per person*Bangkok AED 2,390 per person*Includes fl ights, transfers, accommodation and breakfast.

Flights also available from just AED 1,999**

Book by 31 May. Travel by 15 June.

*Holiday Packages: Travel until 15 June. Terms and conditions apply. Prices are starting prices per person sharing a twin room for 3 nights with breakfast and airport transfers. Prices include return Economy Class nonstop fl ights on Etihad Airways to Bangkok and on airberlin to Phuket from Abu Dhabi and are inclusive of all applicable taxes.

**Flight fares: Outbound travel until 10 June and return by 15 June. The Bangkok fare is valid for Etihad fl ights EY403/404 only with outbound travel not permitted on Wednesdays & Thursdays. The Phuket fl ight is operated by airberlin. Fares include taxes and surcharges but exclude service fees. Additional surcharges may apply at the time of booking. All fares are subject to availability.

Flights: 02 599 0000 etihad.com Packages: 800 2324 Or visit your local Etihad shop or travel agent

24 thesourceuae.com

MY WORLD

By Khudayja Saloojee

48 ho

ur

s inLondon

Town

25thesourceuae.com

MY WORLD

pageantry display of the Changing of the guards. You can see what the ‘royal treatment’ means for horses at the royal Mews and head to the ‘coloring rooms’ for a spot of family fun.

Don’t miss the Tower of London, one of the cities richest historical landmarks. Built almost a thousand years ago it houses the spectacular crown jewels, and is the sight of many infamous tales of traitors and injustices. When you’re little ones get tired of historical sites, head to Kensington, regent or Hyde park to let them run around and enjoy some fresh, crisp outdoor air!

My kid’s favorite was by far Covent garden and, if we’d had more time, we would have gone back multiple times. They were

thoroughly entertained by the outrageous street entertainers, their colorful costumes and fascinating tricks. The London Transport Museum is also located here, perfect for a step back in time and the park boasts a huge variety of dining options, so even fussy eaters will be catered for. London has a whole host of child-friendly museums. Most offer special programs or free activities and almost all of London’s kid-orientated museums have free entry. My kids were very young, but I still wanted to give them a little taste of english culture so we headed to the Horniman Museum.

It’s a children’s paradise with fantastic hands-on activities, an aquarium, and a nature base complete with a petting farm and beautiful gardens where your little ones can run around and let off some steam.

Finally, What better way to end your trip to england’s capital than with a ride on the London eye. raising you 135 meters into the air, it’s a unique way to see the city and we managed to get some great pictures.

London is one of the most kid-friendliest cities I’ve ever visited and is packed with fun activities and entertainment. All it takes is a little bit of planning, and some comfortable walking shoes, for a fantastic memory-building trip for all the family.

s a little girl, I watched in awe the fairytale wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles and, way back then, I decided that London was a city that I would one day have to visit.

A few years ago, my lovely husband decided to pull out all the stops and treat us to an extravagant holiday, an amazing three weeks in breathtaking geneva and a fantastic two day stay in London. I was ridiculously excited but, as this was our first international holiday as a family, I have to admit I also felt a tad apprehensive.

London is an astonishing city and a great place for families, holidaying abroad for the first time, to begin. The fusion of modern day life with such a rich history keeps everyone entertained. everyone speaks english, it’s easy to get around and there are endless activities to keep the whole family entertained.

My kids had never been on a train before so their first rail experience was an adventure on the London Tube. The great thing about riding the tube is that you can visit many of the big tourist destinations, such as Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, just by hopping on and off. If you’re staying for three days or less, opt for the London Travel Card giving you unlimited rides within specified tourist orientated zones.

The Big Bus Tour is a must-do London experience, hurtling you around the city giving you the chance to soak it all in, often quite literally so when you sit aboard an open top bus in the London rain! Travelling with small children that selecting tourist destinations carefully and the Big Bus Tour takes care of that. Highlighting the most important sights, and with a live commentary, it will keep kids and adults alike entertained for hours. This also means less trekking, less whining about sore feet and the chance to visit the sights you want to, while simply whizzing by those that you don’t.

No trip to London is complete without a visit to Buckingham Palace. If you have longer than 48 hours then I suggest that you pack a picnic basket. The whole family will be enthralled by the

The Queen’s Royal Horseguards

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MY EMIRATE

If you’re tired of spending your weekends at the mall, why not take your family to the beautiful Al Futaisi Island in Abu Dhabi? It’s a recreational paradise and the perfect place to de-stress. You could opt to stay the whole weekend or even just spend a day chilling out. Al Futaisi is located 15 minutes of the Abu Dhabi coast and is really easy to get to.

explore the island by bicycle or hop on a mini-train tour to take in the sights. You’re bound to spot gazelles bounding across the land, hopping in and out of the mangrove clusters. It’s also a bird watchers dream. osprey nestlings are found on outcrops of rocks and the endangered Sea eagle has also been known to find sanctuary here. other bird species you may come across are Socotra Cormorants, Terek Sandpipers and Plovers.

If you enjoy horse riding and prefer to discover the island on horseback, thoroughbred Arabian Horses are available for touring. Children and adults who have never ridden before fancy having a go are well catered for, and there are also camels available for the less adventurous traveler.

other attractions include a water sports complex, swimming pool, 18-hole golf course, authentic Arabian fort, fishing facilities, petting zoo and an amusement park for kids.

The island also has a convenient store selling souvenirs, novelties and any last minute additions for your family picnic. If you forget to pack one, don’t worry, you can enjoy a delicious meal at the nearby restaurant which boasts a wide selection of dishes including some scrumptious freshly caught seafood.

The true treasure of Al Futaisi Island is its untouched nature. The water around the island is very shallow, making it difficult for boats to access it and this, in turn, has ensured that the island remains quiet, undisturbed and totally peaceful. The perfect place to escape from the stresses of everyday life!

The island is totally accessible as a day trip but, if you prefer to make a weekend of it, you can book the fully serviced air conditioned chalets.

For more information email [email protected] or call 02 666 6601

exPLoRing AL FUtAisi isLAnD

BUSINESS

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Do you find there are just not enough hours in the week to get everything done? Do you stay awake at night, missing the sleep that you so desperately need, trying to plan your day…only to have your best laid plans fall apart before you’ve even finished your first cup of coffee? Maybe you need try KISS - Keep It Short and Simple.

There are many different acronyms for KISS, the most common is Keep it Simple Stupid, or Keep it Simple and Straightforward, or Keep it Simple Sir, or Keep it Short and Sweet. The term was started by rocket engineers trying to remind others that usually, the simplest design is the best. If it is good enough for a rocket scientist, shouldn’t it be good enough for you?

So, how do you change to a simpler, easier lifestyle? Like so many other lifestyle changes that improve the quality of your life, such as quitting smoking, dieting, exercising or saving money, the first step is to change yourself. Look into the mirror and say, “I will Keep It Short and Simple, I will Keep It Short and Simple, I will Keep It Short and Simple”. YeAH!! Do you see how easy that is?

Steven Covey, author of ‘Seven Habits of Highly effective People’, says to “begin with the end in mind.” Determine where you are going before you start out. Imagine you are in a boat trying to row across a lake…don’t you look across the lake to find your destination first? or do you just jump in and start rowing? once you know where you’re going, getting there is much easier and evokes much less energy. If you don’t know where you’re going, you tend to run around in circles, ultimately getting nowhere, thus how will you know when you’ve reached your goal?

Another one of Steven Covey’s habits is to “do what matters most”. Don’t waste your time and energy doing what’s not important. Is it more important to work on the report that is due at the end of the week or spend your time searching the internet? Ask yourself, before beginning of any task, “Is this the most important task I could be doing right now?” It is equally important to understand the difference between important and urgent. Just because something is urgent, it is not always important. Most of the time it’s easy to determine what is important. However, a lot of the time, other people will muddle the waters by demanding urgency. Deadlines are a part of our world and, yes, they can be a huge source of stress. However, if you can finish what is important AND urgent first, then you can eliminate the stress of deadlines to some extent. You’ll have earned a sense of accomplishment rather than a sense of helplessness which is what we usually feel when we have too much to do in not enough time.

Most of the time, less is more. In today’s world, where everything moves so fast, it is easy to get caught up in doing more, faster. But faster is not always better. When doing a google search that returns over a million hits, how many can you actually read? How many websites say the same thing? When do you stop searching? Facebook and Twitter have their purpose and have many positive features…but I promise you that the world will not end if you don’t check your Facebookو page or your Twitter account every 5 minutes. In the old days, the time before computers, internet, email and Facebook we received our communication once a day, delivered by the mailman via what we today call ‘snail mail.’ I remember the thrill and anticipation I felt every day, going to my mailbox, hoping to find a letter from the one I loved.

My mother also, talks about how much she treasured the letters she received from my father when he was away at war. No matter what, emails can never replace the love expressed in those letters. And no, I’m not saying that it’s time to burn the computers. Technology is here to stay. But, we do need to utilize said technology to help us make our life better and give us more time to do what is important, such as spending time with the ones we love…NoT just to help us to do more things faster because more, is not always better.

Now, it’s time to practice what I have been preaching…Keep It Short and Simple. remember, any change begins with you, so plan where you are going before you start, do what is important first, and don’t forget that less is usually more.

Tim A Wilkins

Why not tryK.i.s.s

Look into the mirror and say,

“I will Keep It Short and Simple...”

?Are you too Busy

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MAZE DOTS & BOXES2 CAN PLAY THIS GAME!FIND YOUR WAY TO FREEDOM!

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