On May 1, the first RUSSIAN DESIGN FORUM was held in Dubai for Russian-speaking interior designers, architects and related suppliers.

These days, as well as being executive vice president and group general counsel for Emirates NBD, Qassim is a member of several corporate boards.

Qassim, the eldest of four daughters, credits her business acumen to the fact that her parents decided to send her to a British boarding school in Shropshire from the age of 15. Back then, in the early 1990s, “it wasn’t heard of for an Emirati schoolgirl to leave home”, she admits. “You’d hear of women in their 20s or 30s, going off to some foreign land to get a second degree, but they’d usually be married, or accompanied by a family figure.

“To say to me ‘fly away and create your goals’ wasn’t easy for my mum. She had to deal with all the calls from the women of the community. My father, who is a businessman, now says that investing in the education of his children was the best investment he ever made.”

When her schooling was over, Qassim decided to stay in the United Kingdom, and after studying for a law degree in London, she worked as an assistant for one of the first Muslim life peers in the British House of Lords, Baron Ahmed of Rotherham. It was a position that gave her privileged access to Britain’s political elite.

“I’d pass Margaret Thatcher along the corridor, and have John Major sitting on the table next to me drinking tea,” she says. “I also chatted with Tony Blair and Benazir Bhutto. They were all inspiring in different ways. It was a very different scene for me, at a very young age.”

In 2000, Qassim embarked on a law career and spent the next seven years working with one of the world’s largest “magic-circle” law firms, Clifford Chance.

Her career path took an unexpected turn in 2007, when she was invited to establish a legal regulatory affairs department for a Dubai Government agency.

“I had this huge passion to contribute to the legal landscape of this country, but I thought I’d be doing that after I’d retired from my private practice, in my 60s,” Qassim says. “Little did I know there was another plan being designed for me.”

Although at that time, Qassim says it “wasn’t unusual” for women to hold senior roles for the ­Dubai Government, in her field of economic laws and regulations, she was the only one.

“Whereas as part of a global law network, I’d had clients in New York, Japan and the UAE, in my new public sector role, the ­Government was my only client,” she explains. “Because my home was the UAE, I had the visibility to see how laws could [make an] impact.”

Qassim was then mandated to reform several of the UAE’s ­economic laws at the federal ­level, in particular the UAE’s Companies Law.

“My style was about consulting the business community and the community at large and how such a law would impact them,” she says. “It was a lot of work and took a very long time, but we eventually issued the new ­Companies Law in 2015.”

Qassim has also overseen the legal passage of other reforms, including start-up and bankruptcy laws to encourage private-sector growth. “There is a whole suite of economic laws which I take great pride in, because they’ve been credited as having a huge, very positive impact on the UAE,” she says.

Qassim joined Emirates NBD in 2014, and now leads two distinct teams.

“I have my one foot working very closely with the board as company secretary, administrating all the board meetings and as group general council, my other foot is in the management,” she says. “I’ve kept my ethical walls pretty distinct because of these two different mandates. It’s about navigating through very critical roles with a lot of diplomacy, and treading delicately.”

What do you most like spending money on?

Books. My favourite is a biography of the life of Indira Gandhi, who was India’s first female prime minister. She taught me resilience and leading in unknown territories.

What are you most proud of in your life?

My education.

What could you not live without?

My family – I have a 4-year-old and 2-year-old. One girl and one boy.

Where do you like to go on holiday?

I love Richmond in London. I’m also a great fan of the English countryside and I miss that greenery here, so whenever I’m in the UK on business, I’ll make that short trip to the countryside, just to feel among the greenery.

Where’s your favourite Dubai haunt?

I like to spend quality time at the Ritz-Carlton, JBR, on the beach.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

My mother. She is no longer with us – I lost her in 2006. She was an amazing woman because she always pushed me out of my comfort zone.

What’s your favourite movie?

I love The Pursuit of Happyness, which stars Will Smith, about an American man and his son who find themselves homeless. It’s about fragile human emotions, and understanding how to achieve something so valuable, but not tangible, which is happiness.

What do you do when spending quality time with your children?

I love playing hide-and-seek with them in the garden. I love seeing their joy and the dynamics of my son and daughter together. That really unwinds me.

Where else do you like to travel?

India enriches my soul, particularly Rajasthan. I love travelling, because I think it’s through travel that I’ve learnt so much about life and the world. You appreciate more what we have here in the UAE when you see different parts of the world.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years’ time?

I attempt to contribute to the UAE’s success at a global level and I would love to continue doing that. I still want to be intellectually stimulated in whatever it is that I’m doing.

What other interests do you have?

I sit on a number of different boards. One is the British Business Group. I’m bridging the gap between the UK and UAE.

(Inputs from The National)

A festival, unlike, say, a concert or exhibition, is a contained, utopian world, with a focus on a set of circumscribed pursuits. Like a highbrow summer camp for adults, festivals offer a jot of escapism, a chance to turn our attention away from some of the weightier issues of the past year. What makes them stand apart from other events is the joy of sharing the same fascinations with other festivalgoers. The feeling of being pushed along by a current of wonder and awe, in a school of like-minded fish.

Some of the most-popular cultural festivals celebrate their 70th, 75th or even 85th anniversaries this summer. Here are some events to mark in your diaries.

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Music

Tanglewood is a celebration of classical music, opera and a bit of dance in the Berkshire mountains in Massachusetts, United States. As the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, it’s the standard-bearer for American classical-­music festivals, drawing crowds as much for its line-up as its bucolic surroundings. When the festival was founded in 1937, the first two concerts honoured Beethoven and Wagner. To commemorate its history, this year’s festival features these composers, with Symphony No 9 and Das Rheingold. Headliners Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell and the Mark Morris Dance Group round out the programme.

June 18 to September 4

www.bso.org

Temperate weather and the ever-­present Alps make Switzerland an ideal host for many summer festivals, despite eye-popping prices – €10 (Dh40) for a grande Starbucks, anyone? On the shores of Lake Geneva, the 51st Montreux Jazz Festival’s broad interpretation of “jazz” includes rock and pop, with two weeks of headliners such as Grace Jones, the Pet Shop Boys and George Benson.

June 30 to July 15

www.montreuxjazzfestival.com

Aspen, Colorado, draws classical-­music fans in the summer with the same force that magnetises skiers in the winter. America’s biggest classical-music festival presents chamber music, philharmonic orchestras, baroque, dance and opera. The Aspen Music Festival has a double function as a training ground for musicians of all ages. There’s even a ­Listener’s Master Class for those who participate by listening. This year’s theme is ­”enchantment”, which runs the risk of being redundant in a valley bursting with flowers and melodious chords.

June 29 to August 20

www.aspenmusicfestival.com

Opera is adapted for a floating stage in the middle of Lake Constance for ­Austrian festival Bregenz, a setting so striking that it was featured in the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. ­Opera and classical music fans have been gathering at the shore since 1946. With ­orchestral performances in addition to opera, this year’s list of shows include well-known productions such as ­Carmen and lesser-known operas such as ­Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse.

July 19 to August 20

www.bregenzerfestspiele.com

At a higher altitude in a mountain resort in Verbier, Switzerland, choirs and orchestras take the stage for 17 days with a bounty of classical-music performances at the Verbier Festival. Known for its solo performances by classical-music headliners as well as its academy and student orchestra, Verbier Festival gives aspiring musicians a rare opportunity to perform with seasoned professionals.

July 21 to August 6

www.verbierfestival.com

Founded by Wagner in 1876, the Bayreuth Festival in Germany showcases the composer’s operatic oeuvre exclusively. For four weeks, diehard Wagnerians take in contemporary stagings of operas such as Tristan und Isolde or Siegfried. Seats are reserved by post or email only, five to 10 years in advance, and if you forget to apply one year, your name is moved to the end of the list.

July 25 to August 28

www.bayreuther-festspiele.de

Theatre, dance, comedy and performance art

Throw a black turtleneck and some skinny jeans in your suitcase for the five-week avant-garde Vienna Festival, which features performances, music, visual art and theatre. With new artistic director Tomas Zierhofer-Zin ­starting this year, the boundary-pushing festival expands further with 44 productions from 28 countries, and three new additions: lectures at the Academy of Unlearning; ­Performeum shorts on a former railway site; and an exhibition-slash-celebration of club culture called Hyperreality.

Until June 18

www.festwochen.at

Devotees of contemporary dance have been flocking to Jacob’s Pillow in the Berkshire mountains of upstate New York for the past 85 years, where international modern dance and ballet companies – with a bit of tap dance thrown in – stage shows for four days each. Headliners this year include Paul Taylor, Trisha Brown, the Miami City Ballet and, from the ­United Kingdom, Aakash Odedra. Jacob’s ­Pillow also runs a summer programme for young dancers.

June 17 to August 27

www.jacobspillow.org/festival

Grahamstown in South Africa has been hosting the National Arts Festival since 1974. Aficionados of African music, art or comedy in the style of Trevor Noah will revel in the vibrant, often politically charged comedy, theatre, dance and jazz. A fringe festival multiplies the offerings with a focus on children, a film festival and a Think!Fest that picks up where TED Talks leave off. Don’t forget to pack a scarf and a jacket, because July in Cape Town means winter, not summer.

June 29 to July 9

www.nationalartsfestival.co.za

For a performing-arts festival that prioritises innovation and abstraction, head to the Avignon Festival in southern France. Now in its 71st year, the intimate festival sets dance, theatre, music and video performances in venues like the medieval Palais des Papes, at dawn, to maximise the effect of the region’s summer light. There are 60 shows, such as a performance-art piece called The Great Tamer that takes place on a stage that’s continually changing shape, shrinking or growing, throwing the performers off-balance, while Grown Ups is a dance show for children that pokes fun at being an adult. Unlike other European theatre festivals, Avignon has many shows for children.

July 6 to 26

www.festival-avignon.com

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland throws open its arms to anyone who wants to take part, making it a bubbling, unedited melting pot of theatre, comedy, circus, dance and more. Walking around the city, you might pass a performance in a telephone booth or whizzing by in the back of a taxi. Recently, up-and-coming comedians have hogged the spotlight, launching careers in Edinburgh’s narrow ­alleyways. This year, the three-week festival celebrates its 70th anniversary.

August 4 to 28

tickets.edfringe.com

Fine arts

As the touchstone of the global zeitgeist for fine arts, this year’s Venice Biennale in Italy highlights the role of art in calling attention to crises of conscience around the world, from the plight of migrants to the reverberations of Trump’s presidency. Many of the exhibitions feature live performers. In the German pavilion, young people crawl under a glass platform, while ­Dobermans bark at the entrance. The 57th group of selected artists push against the four walls of their allotted pavilions. Water, rerouted from fountains and pipes, pours from the ceiling in the Canadian pavilion. Neon lights illuminate the ­Korean pavilion, while two Finnish sculptures talk to each other and show each other videos. For the fifth year, the UAE is there, and this year’s theme, Rock, Paper, Scissors: Positions in Play, features five artists across different generations who call the UAE home.

Until November 26

www.labiennale.org/en/art/exhibition

Keep the latest copy of Artforum and the Sotheby’s catalogue close, because Art Basel in Switzerland is for the serious collector. While many art festivals claim to be the largest according to various criteria, Art Basel is the measuring stick; the world’s largest art fair representing work from 4,000 artists in all media including film. Expect three frenetic days where the major players of the art world meet, transact and celebrate.

June 15 to 18

www.artbasel.com

weekend@thenational.ae

Havana gets its first major luxury hotel

The Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana, Havana’s first international luxury hotel, is open for bookings from June 1. The 246-room property was originally built between 1894 and 1917 as the city’s first European-style shopping arcade, Manzana de Gómez. Rooms have high ceilings and French doors, and there’s a rooftop pool, three restaurants, a cigar lounge, fitness centre and spa. Double rooms cost from US$440 (Dh1,616) per night, including taxes. For more information, visit www.kempinski.com

Turkey break with Real Madrid training

Visitors to Antalya in Turkey can now enrol their children in the first Real Madrid Foundation Clinic for young footballers ages 6 to 17. The five-day courses are at the Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort between June 19 and September 8. They include daily 90-minute training sessions on Fifa-approved pitches with Real Madrid Foundation coaches. The clinic costs $438 (Dh1,609) per child for Regnum Carya guests and $656 (Dh2,409) per child for external participants. There’s a 25 per cent discount for the second child, per family. For more information, visit promo.regnumhotels.com/rmf. Rooms at the resort cost from €471 (Dh1,919) per night for up to three people, all inclusive. For more information, visit www.regnumhotels.com

Viceroy Dubai offers GCC resident deals

Guests at the new Viceroy Palm Jumeirah hotel in Dubai between now and September 30 can save 15 per cent off the hotel’s best available rate, 50 per cent off their first spa treatment and 20 per cent off at two restaurants, plus receive a late checkout and room upgrade, subject to availability. With the discount, double rooms cost from Dh785 per night, including taxes. For more information, visit www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

New design hotel opens in Stockholm

Visitors to Swedish capital Stockholm can now check into At Six, a hotel in a 1970s brutalist block in Brunkebergstorg Square, in the heart of the shopping district. London-based architects Universal Design Studio renovated the interior. It was originally built as a hotel, and has 343 rooms and a large modern-art collection. Rooms cost from 1,741 Swedish kronor (Dh728) per night, including taxes. For more information, visit www.hotelatsix.com

rbehan@thenational.ae

Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for May 18, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. Ellen Fortini rounds up 10 things to do today in the UAE.

Want to see your event listed here? Email us with the details and contact information at listings@thenational.ae

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Abu Dhabi

Art workshop

Take part in Do Art, Do It Now!, an interactive evening during which visitors can engage with Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian, the three artists commissioned to create the installation Another Happy Day (pictured) for the current Guggenheim Abu Dhabi exhibition The Creative Act: Performance, Process, Presence. The event presents a series of performances that draw on poetry, music and theatre, in an evening that celebrates creativity and the value of fun, humour and participation.

Tonight, 6pm, auditorium, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, to register call 02 657 5800 or email manaratalsaadiyat@tcaabudhabi.ae

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Abu Dhabi

Comedy show

Have some fun with the Yalla Laughs crew, featuring top local and regional comedians including headliner Simeon Goodson, and Jon Boulton, Colin Armstrong, Rushdi Rafeek and MC Erik Thornquist (pictured).

Tonight, 8pm, free entry, ages 21+, Appaloosa, Marriott Hotel Al Forsan, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, www.yallalaughs.com

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Abu Dhabi

Performance

Abu Dhabi Choral Group present 9 to 5: The Musical, a play based on the 1980 movie that starred Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The story, set in the 1970s, is about friendship among coworkers, who take revenge on their sexist, egotistical boss. The empowering theme is suitable for all ages, and features songs, laughs and 1970s fashion.

Tonight and tomorrow, 7.30pm, from Dh100, Abu Dhabi Folklore Theatre, www.platinumlist.net

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Abu Dhabi

Art exhibition

Two Souls One Homeland by Ukrainian artists Grygori Sokyrynskyi and Igor Shipilin presents landscapes that depict the artists’ homes, focusing on the simple aspects that are important to one’s heart: water, trees, roads, mountains, houses and vineyards. Pictured: Gurzuf 1951 by Grygori Sokyrynskyi

Daily until May 24, 10am-10pm, Saturdays to Thursdays (closed Fridays), N2N Gallery, first floor, Nation Towers Galleria, Corniche, Abu Dhabi, 055 283 2642, www.n2nartgallery.com

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Abu Dhabi

Car show

Visit the Classic Car Show at Marina Mall, hosted by the UAE Classic Cars Club, to see more than 40 vintage cars exhibited in the indoor and outdoor areas of the mall.

Daily until Monday, Marina Mall, Breakwater, Abu Dhabi, 800 6623, www.marinamall.ae

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Abu Dhabi & Dubai

Film festival

Get tickets for the FrancOfilm Festival, which celebrates French-language cinema with a series of movie screenings, featuring a selection of films from France, Luxembourg, Senegal, Belgium and Switzerland. The films are in French with English subtitles. Pictured: the 2017 movie Cessez-le-feu (Ceasefire), directed by Emmanuel Courcol, which kicks off the festival with its Middle East premiere tonight.

Daily until Saturday, 9pm tonight; 2pm and 6pm on Friday; 2pm, 4pm and 7pm on Saturday, Dh25, Vox Cinemas, Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi; Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, www.voxcinemas.com

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Dubai

Pop-up market

Attend the Boom & Mellow Giving Back Pop Up and shop for top regional, socially responsible brands in celebration of the UAE’s Year of Giving. Find kaftans, personalised dolls, fair trade T-shirts, handcrafted jewellery, children’s clothing and more. The event kicks off today with the opportunity to meet the designers from 11am to 3pm.

Daily until Monday, 11am to 10pm, Boom & Mellow, Town Centre, Jumeirah Road, Dubai, www.facebook.com/boomandmellow

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Dubai

Concert

See a performance by the South Asian a cappella group Penn Masala. The US-based band perform mash-ups of popular Hindi and English songs, including Agar Tum Saath Ho/Treat You Better; Without You/Teri Jhuki Nazar; Viva La Vida/Jashn-e-Bahara and Fix You/Ishq Bina.

Tonight, 8pm, from Dh200, Centrepoint Theatre, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, ductac.etixdubai.com

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Dubai

Fitness talk

Register to attend the second event in the Flow Talk Series hosted by CrossFit coach Abeer Al Khaja (pictured), who will discuss the best ways to stay fit and healthy during Ramadan, including how to balance training with fasting, top tips and recommended food plans for the Holy Month.

Saturday, 11am, free, Flow, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai, www.flowdubai.com/talkseries

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Dubai

Kids’ camps

Register your children for the Ramadan Clubs presented by Gulf Star. Choose from karate, football, dance, gymnastics, cheerleading and more. The after-school classes are offered during the Holy Month at locations across Dubai. The ones held at Kids HQ include 30 minutes of free soft play.

During Ramadan, various timings from 2.15pm to 4.15pm, from Dh320, Kids HQ, Umm Suqeim Street; Clarion School, Al Quoz; Allstar Sport, Dubai. To register, call 050 429 4860 or email info@gulfstarsports.com

The welcome

Traffic is terrible when I leave the airport, but half an hour into the drive, the pretty side of Prague starts to emerge, a show that’s continued until I’m in the vibrant lobby of the hotel, on a quiet side street. There’s enough time to drink a tall glass of juice as forms are filled in, passports scanned and keys handed over. These keys, by the way, are old-school enormous, and should be left behind during outings. The bellhop is in absentia, so I have to drag my bags up the few stairs leading to the lift.

The neighbourhood

Prague’s gorgeous Old Town Square and Astronomical Tower are a 10-minute walk along streets filled with fashionable boutiques, the museums of chocolate, love and torture (in that order), and under Gothic arches, past the opera house and Palladium mall, sidestepping tram tracks and tour groups at all hours. It takes just as long to get to the main train and tram stations in the opposite direction, while Charles Bridge is a brisk 20 minutes away. The city’s main mall, various museums including the Franz Kafka Museum, plus the opera house and shopping and nightlife streets are all within reach. The cobblestoned pathways and gothic architecture lend credence to the “when in Europe, walk” philosophy.

The scene

The plush couches and carpets, 20-foot-long bar and boldly designed lamps and sculptures ensure the 18-month-old hotel lives up to its reputation as a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group. The lobby bar and outdoor breakfast area are punctuated with chatter in myriad accents, giving the space a buzzy vibe, yet without feeling cramped.

The room

Spacious by European standards and for a family-run boutique hotel – with a massive king bed and a dressing area that runs along the length of a wall. The bathroom is definitely the highlight, contained within a futuristic-looking bubble of soundproof dark glass, with a separate bathtub and shower area, and Natura Bissé and Roja Parfums products.

The service

Brisk and efficient. The language barrier can be slightly problematic, but most of the staff seem happy to answer questions, help with directions and other requests, without excessive chatter, save for the loquacious chef at the egg station and the musically inclined bartender.

The food

Breakfast can be had in a cheery al fresco courtyard, the plush library or the main dining room. The same, rather limited fare is served up for the four days of my stay – cereal, eggs, pancakes and cold cuts – but there is an innovative choice of breads. The toasted onion and tomato varieties are a must-try, while the chicken schnitzel (€14 [Dh56]) and apple strudel (€10 [Dh40]) from the main menu are some of the best I taste during my time in Prague.

Loved

The mod-cons in the bathroom, as well as the outdoor breakfast area, a perfectly positioned nook to enjoy the crisp breeze with just enough sunlight filtering in.

Hated

The limited food options at breakfast.

The verdict

Whether you’re in Prague for the food, shopping or culture, nothing beats the BoHo for location.

The bottom line

A standard double room at Hotel BoHo (www.slh.com/boho/) costs from €251 (Dh1,002) per night, including breakfast and taxes.

This review was done at the invitation of the hotel.

pmunyal@thenational.ae

Last summer, Abu Dhabi was scorching hot and immersed in thick, stifling humidity when I started having dreams of fishing along the stony shore of a cold river flanked by tall mountains. I had some time set aside for a week-long getaway, and wanted to do something different. I found little allure in the typical destinations most travellers head to when they want to escape the Gulf summer. It was a desire for unscripted ­travel.

Being a lackadaisical planner, there was always a risk of things going south with such a notion, but from this state of mind, the idea came about to travel east to Kyrgyzstan. I wanted to assess whether a fishing trip there in late summer was feasible. Did this Kyrgyz river, supposedly teeming with glistening trout, even exist? What about the prerequisite mountains? Was it even angling season, and would the fish be biting? Up until this point, I didn’t even own a fishing rod.

The thought of travelling to the central Asian nation of ­Kyrgyzstan had never crossed my mind before now, yet the answers to each of those questions eventually brought me there. Apart from knowing that the country has a history that reaches back to the height of ancient Rome, I knew precious little about this former member of the Soviet bloc and, it appears, neither does much of the world.

Kyrgyzstan has the distinction of being farther away from the Earth’s oceans than any other country on the planet. In 2015, about 1.2 million tourists visited the country, while in the same year, more than triple that number checked into hotels in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Intrigued by its relative isolation, I took to YouTube to learn more, and found an unvarnished video, set to 1990s-style punk-rock, of Russian fishermen reeling in big trout from a river supposedly in Kyrgyzstan. A couple of dated message boards in the deep recesses of the internet then led me to the Kyrgyz ­Community Based Tourism Association – a local group organising eco-tourism and cultural activities for visitors. I wrote to them, and the next day, I received an itinerary from a man named Suimonkol Zhooshbaev, a coordinator with the ­organisation.

With the Kyrgyz autumn in full swing, he said fishing was still possible. I would even have my own personal fishing guide, while warning me that he spoke no English. Minor details, I thought, as long as he could take me to the river. After a little tweaking, we agreed to an itinerary which included a homestay with a Kyrgyz family in a small village in the mountains.

Less than a month later, on a steamy October morning, I land before sunrise in the capital city, Bishkek, which to my astonishment, is being pummelled with an atypical, early-season blizzard. Looking out of the plane window, there’s zero visibility through the thick falling snow. I’m greeted at arrivals by ­Zhooshbaev. After some quick salutations, we’re in his Land Cruiser, driving in pale pre-dawn light towards the village of Kyzyl-Oi – my home for the next few days.

A few hours into the journey, we’re at an altitude of more than 3,000 metres, driving through a barely lit 2.7-kilometre-long tunnel through the Tien Shan mountains. On the other side, we’re greeted by spectacular views of the Suusamyr Valley, which we descend into as we pass red-cheeked vendors selling kurut – small, salty balls of dried sour milk.

We cross the valley, by now bare and brown after being stripped of its produce by roving livestock, finally reaching the mighty Kökömeren River. For the next several days, the sound emanated from this river’s ­thunderous, ferocious flow would never be out of earshot.

We arrive in Kyzyl-Oi under the midday sun, entering the village on a heavily potholed, mostly gravel road that’s shared by elderly pedestrians, women carrying jugs of water and young boys on horses.

The village’s name in Kyrgyz means “red bowl”, reflecting the steep clay slopes of its valley. I’m told that most of its ­inhabitants made a living by raising livestock and much of their existence is still handcrafted. Having been established well before the ­Russian Revolution, it’s noted as having retained much of its pre-­Communist heritage.

Zhooshbaev introduces me to a man named Artyk Kulubaev, my host, who provides me with a bed and generous helpings of soul food, including hot bowls of borscht, beshbarmak (noodles with chopped horsemeat), plov and oromo (a large tube of pasta stuffed with cabbage and potatoes, served with a mildly spicy sauce).

I’m taken to my room in a single-­storey house, adorned with photos of Kulubaev and his family. There’s no central heating, so I’m given a small electric heater and several heavy wool blankets to keep me warm during the cold nights. The shower and toilet are in a separate (unheated) building in the back of the lot.

I have just finished a lunch of crispy fried river fish when a smiling man in leather boots enters the room and introduces himself as Birdeke Torkoglu – my fishing guide. After several hand-gesture-heavy exchanges, I make out that he wants to see the fishing equipment I have brought from Abu Dhabi. I have my brand-new rod and a fishing reel loaded with 15-pound test line. I’m confident that I’m well outfitted to fish the mighty Kökömeren. Torkoglu isn’t so sure.

He cuts a piece of my fishing line, roughly a metre in length, looping one end several times around one forearm before doing the same with the other. Then with some force, he jerks his arms apart, easily snapping the line.

“Problyema,” he says.

“Excellent,” I think to myself, remembering the Russians and their catches from the YouTube video.

He replaces the line in my reel with a heavy-duty alternative, and we make plans to head out to the river the following morning. For several days, we traverse the rugged shores of the ­Kökömeren, climbing over boulders the size of small cars, stopping at one fishing spot after the other to toss a hook and worm into the frigid water.

As the Sun crosses over the valley, Torkoglu catches several trout, and within minutes, they’re gutted and tossed skin-side down onto the hot coals of a fire we start with wood scavenged from the riverside. With the temperature dropping, we throw a kettle on the fire to prepare our afternoon tea, which I sip as I huddle between two big boulders, eyeing the tip of my fishing rod, shrouded by jagged, snow-capped mountains that look just like the ones I saw in my dreams of Kyrgyzstan.

esamoglou@thenational.ae

One minute I’m in an office in Dubai’s Jumeirah Lakes Towers; the next, I have been transported to the grounds of a villa in the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme. I scan the garden – there’s a ball by my feet, so I pick it up and toss it out of the way. Next, I teleport myself just inside the front door. I take a wander around the interior, opening and closing doors, switching on lights and admiring the view from the bedroom window. The decor isn’t quite to my tastes, so with the click of a button, I swap the flooring for a lighter wood and change the colour of the sofa to a jaunty blue.

Such is the power of virtual reality. No longer the mainstay of millennial gamers, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are making their way into the mainstream. According to ­Goldman Sachs Research, by 2025, this will be an US$80 billion (Dh294bn) market – roughly the size of the current desktop PC market. “We think [VR and AR have] the potential to transform how we interact with almost every industry today, and we think it will be equally transformative both from a consumer and an enterprise perspective,” says Heather Bellini, business unit leader, telecommunications, media and technology, at Goldman Sachs Research.

It’s anticipated that the gaming sector will still account for the lion’s share of AR and VR usage in 2025 – but health care, retail, engineering and education are all set to be shaken up by these emerging technologies. So, too, will the property and interior-design sectors. Real-estate developers around the world are already using VR to aid in their sales process, offering their clients virtual walk-throughs of their off-plan properties to give them a more realistic idea of size, dimensions and finishes. Interior designing courses in Dubai and other relevant degrees offered across the globe would soon incorporate VR for a more immersive learning.

Similarly, interior design companies that are ahead of the curve are looking at ways to incorporate VR into their creative processes – being able to show clients what a three-dimensional design looks like while it’s still in the planning stages prevents misunderstandings and costly mistakes later on, and enables clients to make tweaks as they go along.

My virtual wander around the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme comes courtesy of Takeleap, a Dubai-based technology agency that specialises in AR and VR. The company has worked with a number of high-profile organisations and government entities to create everything from an artificial intelligence (AI) programme (the first ever developed in the Middle East); to immersive experiences for ­Mastercard that promote the brand’s vision of a cashless society; and virtual tours of Mars for the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. In this instance, during a one-of-a-kind event designed to inspire space enthusiasts, Takeleap created a virtual representation of what the journey to Mars would look and feel like, and then encouraged visitors to take a walk on the surface of the Red Planet.

The rapid uptake of VR and AR is reflected in Takeleap’s own growth – it has expanded from two members of staff to 67 since it was founded in 2013, and last year, was on Forbes Middle East’s list of 50 UAE start-ups to watch.

Salman Yusuf, managing director of Takeleap, offers a simple breakdown of what the terms AR and VR actually mean. “AR is a digital overlay on the real world. It’s that simple. That digital overlay could be lines; it could be 3-D elements; it could be text or pictures or anything else. When you put your car into reverse gear and those two lines come up on your rear camera screen, that’s AR. Meanwhile, VR is about placing yourself in a digital environment. It’s often referred to as an immersive experience. There’s also a new term on the market now: mixed reality. This can work with AR and VR, and is an overlay of digital content on the real world that you can interact with.”

VR and AR may be the new frontier in real estate and interior design, but the use of the technology isn’t restricted to large multinationals and government agencies. Because all that you really need is a smartphone and some kind of head-mounted device – which can be picked up for as little as Dh25 – this technology is accessible to all. In the interiors sphere, it’s already trickling down to the consumer in the shape of free apps such as Planner 5D.

As with many great ideas, Planner 5D was born out of a personal need, according to Alexey Sheremetyev, one of the company’s founders. “Both founders were designing their own homes – a country house and a city apartment – and we felt that we needed to have a tool that would help us visualise our ideas. We created a prototype of the app, which was later chosen by an accelerator ­programme.”

Planner 5D users start by entering the dimensions of their chosen room. They can then fill that space by selecting furniture and accessories from a series of constantly updated catalogues featuring about 3,000 items for the home. Users can move furniture around, adjust colours, materials and design details, see their designs in 2-D or 3-D, create renders and then share them with friends or on social media. To experience their redesigned room in all its glory, users simply have to slip on a pair of Google ­Daydream goggles, turn the virtual-reality mode on and then step into their space.

“Our app allows people to fantasise and to be creators of their reality,” ­Sheremetyev says. “Some users get really creative, and we end up seeing shapes and forms in their final renders that we didn’t know existed – and then it turns out that someone used a coffee-table top, enlarged many times, as the basis of their wall paint.”

Planner 5D has now been used by 18 million people around the world, with more than 100,000 users daily. ­Sheremetyev feels confident that the Middle East will be an important growth area for the company moving forward. “The Middle East is definitely high on our target user list, and all our apps are translated into Arabic,” he says.

“We know that people in the ­Middle East are very meticulous about their home design, and also interested in the newest technology, so we hope that our products will keep growing in this market. We feel we are on the brink of big growth in the whole Middle East region.”

VR and AR may be on an upwards swing, but both Yusuf and Sheremetyev acknowledge that there’s room for improvement. One issue for me is that the visuals aren’t yet photorealistic – they still look like renders, rather than the real thing. It’s possible to make things look completely lifelike, but the cost of doing so at present is still too high to be commercial viable, particularly when it comes to consumer applications.

“A photo still looks more appealing to people than a render,” Sheremetyev agrees. “One of the challenges for virtual reality is to convey an emotion that can only be transmitted with a real-life photo, and virtual-reality technology still has room for improvement. However, we definitely see virtual reality as the future of home design as the technology keeps improving.”

As Sheremetyev points out, the technology is still catching up with the ­promise. “When mobile devices will be able to show at least 8K images for each eye through virtual-reality goggles, and processors will be able to render them at similar speeds, the images will become more realistic and lifelike. Currently, the idea precedes the technology,” he says.

And just as VR and AR are entering the mainstream, those in the know are setting their sights on the next big thing. “When it comes to interior design, we imagine that in the near future virtual reality will be closely connected with AI to create lifelike user experiences,” Sheremetyev predicts.

“With the help of AI, users’ wishes will be guessed before they even think about a solution, and reflected through virtual-reality goggles. An algorithm will travel through someone’s projects looking for patterns.

“For example, some people tend to lean towards lighter wall colours and Italian-style furniture. So when a person chooses their wall colour, the system will suggest furniture that they might like – and everything will be shown in real-life virtual-reality technology.”

sdenman@thenational.ae

Fares Karem fans should expect a more subdued video to the new single Min Min. The Lebanese pop star made the comments from the Mawazine Festival on May 16, a few hours before his concert in the capital Rabat.

Karam says the move was partly in response to critics weary of the saucy nature of his videos, particularly last year’s Wala Hob, Wala Bateekh.

“After the backlash that I received for that song I said I wouldn’t a put a woman with me on this new song,” he said. “Instead I got a young girl and I play her father. It is more sensitive and I hope that people will like it.”

Karam also criticised the recent glut of Arabic television talent shows. The 43-year old singer was bemused when asked on his thoughts on the Arabs Got Talent finale on MBC this weekend.

“Look, talking generally without focusing on any specific shows, I just find that everything has become social media. We have stopped paying attention or following a certain artist’s career path. There are so many programmes you just don’t who has real talent anymore,” he says. “There are many shows, but not many stars. And the ones that often have that real talent they get over looked due to management, marketing or whatever. The aim of these shows is just the voting itself, which is all marketing. It is rarely about talent.”

Check out Arts&Life for all the latest news and interviews from The Mawazine Festival in Morocco. The Festival continues until May 20​

PalFest in print

The remarkable Palestine Festival of Literature celebrates its 10th anniversary this week, but the fun will not end tomorrow. Next month, Bloomsbury will publish This Is Not A Border, an anthology of “reportage and reflection” from the festival. Edited by PalFest co-founders Ahdaf Soueif and Omar Robert Hamilton, it features poems, stories and essays from a wide range of writers, including Mohammed Hanif, Teju Cole, Claire Messud, Suad Amiry and Pankaj Mishra.

Winter is coming. Still…

The six-year wait for the next instalment in George R R Martin’s A Song Of Fire And Ice saga continues. We were promised The Winds of Winter would be published this year but fans looking forward to it – rather than the next season of the TV adaptation (which has now overtaken the source novels) – might have been slightly perturbed by the announcement last week that Martin is now working not only on a new TV sci-fi series called Nightflyers (a 1980 novella), but also ideas for four Game of Thrones TV spin-offs. Best not hold your breath for that new novel, then…

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life goes on…

Next month marks the 15th anniversary of the publication of Yann Martel’s wonderful Booker Prize winner Life of Pi, and publishers Canongate are celebrating with a new audio edition narrated by British comedian and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar, best known for the TV comedies Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42. “Whether you’re listening in your car or at home, I wish you luck and fortitude with Pi and Richard Parker and I hope you reach the coast of Mexico,” Martel told The Bookseller.

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Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for May 17, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. Ellen Fortini rounds up 10 things to do today in the UAE.

Want to see your event listed here? Email us with the details and contact information at listings@thenational.ae

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Abu Dhabi & Dubai

Comedy show

Catch The Laughter Factory in the capital tonight and Dubai tomorrow and Friday. This month’s line-up includes “Spider-Man’s dad” Dominic Holland, whose son Tom plays Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; Geordie lad Kai Humphries; and the sharp and witty physical comedian Addy Van Der Borgh (pictured).

Tonight, 8pm, Park Rotana, Abu Dhabi; tomorrow, 9pm, buffet package available from Dh260, Grand Millennium Dubai, Barsha Heights, Dubai; Friday, 9pm, The Gramercy, DIFC, Dubai, Dh140, ages 21+, www.platinumlist.net

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Abu Dhabi

Art exhibition

The annual Art Souq exhibition features affordable artwork in a variety of styles, techniques and media – ideal for seasonal gift giving. Find modern calligraphic works, oil paintings, digital images and geometric compositions. Selected works are up for auction online until the end of Ramadan. An arts and crafts market on Thursday and Friday nights starts on May 25, from sunset to 11pm, and includes handmade gifts from Tajikistan. Pictured: Khorfakkan Book by Taqwa Al Naqbi

Daily until July 27, 10am to 10pm, Saturdays to Thursdays (closed Fridays) after Ramadan, Etihad Modern Art Gallery, Al Bateen area, Street 4, Villa 4/2, Abu Dhabi, 02 667 1229, www.etihadmodernart.com

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Al Ain

Museums tour

Take an interactive tour with the Museums by Night programme and experience a journey that evokes the history of museums and uncovers a link to their future. The tour will visit Al Ain Palace, Al Ain Oasis and Al Ain National Museum and will include a film screening, live performance, light installation and exclusive access to certain spaces and experiences for the first time.

Today and tomorrow, 7.30pm and 9pm, Al Ain Palace Museum, Al Ain, aanm@tcaabudhabi.ae

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Abu Dhabi

Film screening

Register for the film Losing Sight of Shore (2017), presented by Cinema Space. There will also be a Q&A with Lizanne Jansen Van Vuuren, one of the Coxless Crew featured in the documentary, about four women who set out to row unsupported across the Pacific Ocean from the United States to Australia in nine months.

Saturday, 7pm, free with registration, auditorium, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, cinemaspace-losingsightofshore.splashthat.com

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Abu Dhabi

Yoga class

Sign up to take part in the pop-up class Yoga Lab with Heather at Bodytree Studio. This creative vinyasa class, led by Heather Bonker, lets the student request what is included, whether it is more hip-openers, chanting, longer savasana or arm balances. The class is intensive and best suited to intermediate yoga participants.

Friday, 9am to 10.30am, Dh95 includes juice from Nectar, Bodytree Studio, Abu Dhabi, 02 443 4448, info@bodytreestudio.com

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Dubai

Ramadan talk

Attend the talk Wind Down, Slow Down, Reflect – A Ramadan Workshop at Souk Madinat Jumeirah. It features tips and insights on making the most of personal reflection and self-improvement during Ramadan. Learn to rejuvenate during the Holy Month from the inside out, from body and mind to nutrition and well-being, with four short, interactive sessions presented by guest speakers.

Tonight, 7pm to 9pm, free, Madinat Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 04 366 6546, www.madinattheatre.com

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Dubai

Family fun

Aventura Nature Adventure Park has night sessions available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until mid-June so visitors can enjoy exploring the lightly-lit park with a head torch during the cooler evenings. Have fun on the circuits, which include tree-surfing, zip-lining, rope-climbing and obstacles for various heights and age groups. Arrive early to attend a briefing session in advance of your booking time.

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, twilight until 10pm, with briefings at 6.30pm, 7pm and 7.30pm, ages 16+, Dh150 includes a head torch, Aventura Nature Adventure Park, Mushrif Park, Dubai, book at 052 178 7616, night@aventuradubai.com

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Dubai

Fashion event

Visit City Walk Fashion Week and browse pop-up stores featuring the season’s hottest trends and collections. Take a photo against the backdrops of global fashion cities, get complimentary make-up touch-ups from Parfums Christian Dior, and share a photo of yourself wearing an outfit from a participating retailer’s store for the chance to win a shopping experience, as part of the #MyCityStyle competition hosted by bloggers and stylists Samantha Francis and Kat Lebrasse (pictured).

Daily until Saturday, 10am to 10pm, City Walk, Dubai, www.citywalk.ae

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Dubai

Art exhibition

The exhibition Spring/Summer Blooms has been extended for another week. See a tribute to American painter Georgia O’Keeffe, famous for her magnified flowers, by Anna Galea and Reta Richards, two artists with different styles who present the same subjects in their own distinct ways. Pictured: Yellow Leaf by Reta Richards

Daily until Monday, 10am to 10pm, Art Couture, Event Centre, Lobby Level, InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Dubai, 04 701 1111, www.artcoutureuae.com

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Dubai

Kids’ camp

Register your kids for the Julia Donaldson Summer Camp: A Picture Book Journey. Children, ages 5 to 9, can enjoy exploring five picture books by the award-winning children’s author, including Superworm, Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book, The Gruffalo’s Child, The Highway Rat and Tyrannosaurus Drip, through activities such as poetry, puppetry and games.

June 25 to 29 and July 2 to 6, 10am to 1pm or 2 to 5pm, from Dh1,000 for early-bird pricing until May 31, afterwards Dh1,100, The Courtyard Playhouse Theatre, Al Quoz, Dubai, register at 0550 986 1761, kylie@courtyardplayhouse.com

listings@thenational.ae

Lauryn Hill made a solid return to the region with a performance at the Mawazine Festival in Morocco on May 15. Headlining the OLM Souissi stage in the capital Rabat, this was the second concert by the mercurial 41-year old in the Arab world – her last being a 2015 show as part of the Carthage Festival in Tunisia.

Hill provided a generous 19 song set that touched upon her work as a solo artist and her time with the political hip-hop trio, Fugees. But since this is Lauryn Hill we are talking about, there was always a sense the show could crash at any moment.

Wearing a Fez cap, black and white polka dotted shirt, oversized sunglass and earrings, Hill was the living embodiment of a Hassan Hajjaj photograph.

Determined from the get-go, she and her dozen strong band (including three back up singers), launched into the frenetic funky fury of Everything is Everything before delivering mesmerising rapid fire raps on Lost Ones and How Many Mics.

The latter was the first of three Fugees songs: a slightly chaotic Fu-Gee-La, a souped-up and bluesy Ready or Not and the heroic Killing Me Softly.

Since Hill’s oeuvre consists of only a solo album, the hip-hop classic Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998), and two Fugees releases – Blunted on Reality (1994) and The Score (1996), one can understand her reliance on covers to fill out the set.

However, it should have been more carefully curated.

The back to back performance of seven soul, pop and reggae standards – two from Sade, four from Bob Marley and one from Franki Valli – track was perilously close to sucking the energy out of the night.

But not every performer has a set closer like Hill’s debut single Doo Wop (That Thing) in their back pocket.

An absolute beast of a track, Hill’s horn section led the band in what was delicious mess of funk, hip-hop and Nu-Soul, with the crowing glory being Hill’s nimble flow and socially conscious lyrics.

Nearly two decades on Doo Wop (That Thing)​ remains urgent and needed in these increasingly insecure times.

Even if Hill doesn’t release another album – she cancelled all media interviews to perhaps avoid such questions – having her around seems somehow re-assuring.

Setlist

Everything Is Everything

Forgive Them Father

Final HourPlay

Lost Ones

How Many Mics (Fugees)

Fu-Gee-La(Fugees)

Ready or Not (Fugees)

Killing Me Softly (Fugees)

Your Love Is King (Sade)

Sweetest Taboo (Sade)

Your Lights Down Low (Bob Marley & The Wailers)

Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You (Frankie Valli)

This Love (Bob Marley & The Wailers)

Could You Be Loved (Bob Marley & The Wailers)

Feelin’ Good (Cy Grant cover)

Doo Wop (That Thing)

Check out Arts&Life for all the latest news and interviews from The Mawazine Festival in Morocco. The Festival continues until May 20.

sasaeed@thenational.ae

An intense and disturbing 30-part drama series showing what is life like under ISIL and how the terrorist organisation recruits women will make its debut on the MBC television channel during Ramadan.

Al Gharabeeb Al Soud (meaning Black Crows) is considered to be the first Arabic television show to delve into the rise of extremism in the region from a female perspective, relying on real-life accounts and true stories to “exposes Daesh’s despicable crimes, as well as its brutal methods involving repression and criminality”, according to MBC.

This is not the typical light viewing of Ramadan or the usual soap operas depicting lavish sets, elaborate costumes and romantic plot lines; episodes of Black Crow show everything from a matron clad in black and directing a group of teenage girls to get their rest before they are raped by ISIL fighters to the back story of a Christian woman who renounces her faith before planning to blow up a church.

All the show’s plot lines will feature well-known and documented atrocities committed by ISIL; reports that have made headlines around the world.

Children’s roles in the organisation is another plotline of the show, with episodes detailing the methods employed in recruiting children and the subsequent brainwashing and abuse they are exposed to.

The socio-political series will present the organisation structure within ISIL as well as the hierarchy of leadership, but its main purpose, says MBC, is to highlight exactly how women — and children — are recruited and convinced to join the organisation. Black Crows, say producers at MBC, will paint a picture of the Islamic State as a brutal criminal organisation run by leaders who are both corrupt and hypocritical, and the recruits are depicted as victims.

And like ISIL’s recruits, the show’s stellar cast comes from across the Arab region, including prominent stars from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon and Tunisia.

The purpose of the shows, which will have English subtitles, according to MBC, is “to shed light on the importance of proper education, awareness and prevention”.

Ramadan is predicted to begin on Saturday, May 27. The show’s first episode will begin airing on the first night of Ramadan, following iftar. However, because Ramadan is the biggest time of the year for Arab television — a time when local and regional broadcasters prepare to unveil new shows produced with huge budgets (think star-studded dramas, regional sitcoms, game shows, spiritual chat shows and more) — the line up of each evening’s shows remains a well guarded secret until the first night of Ramadan.

artslife@thenational.ae

“I have been there and, believe me, I have been afraid.” This was how the first African-American Arctic explorer, Matthew Henson, described his expeditions to the North Pole in 1912. It is a feeling novelist Laline Paull can empathise with, for totally different reasons.

During her trip to the Arctic, which became the inspiration for her fascinating new novel, Paull’s paralysing fear came from the obvious effects of climate change.

“We’ve gone out and explored – ‘conquered nature’, so to speak – but to the point where we’re now having to struggle to save it,” she says.

The Ice is Paull’s follow-up to The Bees. Her successful debut novel, set in a beehive, ended up being dubbed “Watership Down for The Hunger Games generation”, earning acclaim and literary awards.

But the long journey to the frozen north, and her new novel, began before The Bees had even been picked up by a publisher.

“There had been no emails from agents,” she says. “The children all had norovirus and I’d been up all night. So there I was, sitting at the kitchen table thinking, ‘I’m going to have to do something exciting’. And there was suddenly this strange, impulsive feeling that I just had to go to the Arctic.”

In her novel, which is set “the day after tomorrow”, the Arctic summer sea ice has completely melted, opening up this new location to big business.

Sean Cawson is a lonely millionaire who, with his best friend, environmentalist Tom Harding, sets up an exclusive Arctic retreat, Midgard Lodge, where the world’s biggest corporate players can relax and do deals.

Sean returns to the Arctic after Tom’s death in an accident at Midgard and must fight to save his fortune, reputation and, most importantly, his sense of self-worth.

A story of “friendship and betrayal, greed and love”, this could be set just about anywhere. But the chilly environment adds a strange, magical quality – and it will not be lost on readers that, as with her first book, Paull makes some interesting and urgent arguments about the way we treat our planet.

“The Arctic is an amazing place, unlike anywhere I’ve ever been,” says the author, the British daughter of Indian immigrants.

“You walk over the cairns where people mark the dead. There are whaling carcasses everywhere. The grandeur, the starkness and the otherworldliness of the Arctic, combined with its history and stories, is incredible.

“Then you have the ice melting, and you’re thinking about climate change and the new politics of that region. So all this was churning in my mind and I knew I had to find a story in there – it’s a compelling, beautiful and imperilled place.”

The first story she considered was about polar bears, because “well, I’d done bees and I’d heard that the investigation into the killing of a polar bear is actually taken more seriously than human murder”.

But as she started her research, the geopolitics of the region and what might happen to the Arctic became increasingly interesting. The Ice became a cautionary tale of a man who has a huge psychological and financial stake in the Arctic.

It is being sold as a literary, political, even legal thriller – but Paull isn’t convinced any of those descriptions are entirely accurate.

“I think it’s a character study at heart,” she says. “I’ve been really influenced by big Victorian novels where a lot goes on but the biggest thing is that you’re close to somebody who is in turmoil and changing in some way. Sean isn’t terribly likeable, but he is empathetic.

“It was about exploring that sense of seeing a friend do something dreadful and not being able to stop them. Some mistakes you make in a lifetime don’t go away, and I wanted to write about someone on that edge.”

The truth Sean sees in the world is summed up in one line: “He worked out the answer to the question he’d always pondered, about fairness and beauty and ugliness and justice. It was wealth”.

“He doesn’t have anyone around him to widen his vision, and he makes wealth his religion,” says Paull.

“That might sound awful but I think most people don’t intend to become like that. It’s incremental, it’s insidious – money can be a seduction to morality, it makes you lose your compass.”

In a book that features excerpts from Henson and other early-20th century Arctic explorers, does The Ice even have a hero?

“That’s a really good question,” she says. “The heroes are the people who have the strength to change. I believe people are fundamentally good and that everyone has done something they would rather undo. So I wanted Sean to win – but to do so he has to be prepared to be honest with himself.”

This question of honesty runs to the heart of Paull’s feelings about the Arctic. There is little dispute among scientists that the summer sea ice will be gone by 2030. She hopes this will finally usher in a new era of environmental pragmatism.

“We can’t have goodies and baddies in this debate, and it doesn’t help to tell a story where all business is bad and all environmentalists are saints,” she adds. “Survival of the planet is the most important thing.”

artslife@thenational.ae

Rolls-Royce has unveiled a new collection of cars with design touches inspired by Sheikh Zayed, Founding President of the UAE, as well as Abu Dhabi landmarks and Emirati history and traditions.

The Wisdom Collection features seven bespoke Rolls-Royces: a Phantom VII, two Phantom Coupés, two Wraiths, a Ghost and a Dawn. The concept was put together by Joseph Tayar, Rolls-Royce brand manager at Abu Dhabi Motors, the British carmaker’s official dealer for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

The Wisdom Phantom VII is the centrepiece of the collection, inspired by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Its complex embroidery comprises more than 390,000 stitches and took 800 hours to complete.

The other inspirations for the cars in the collection are Qasr Al Hosn and the desert rose (the two Phantom Coupés – the latter a Drophead), falconry and Sheikh Zayed Bridge (the two Wraiths), pearling (the Dawn) and the ancient trade routes (the Ghost).

Each vehicle features an embroidered logo reading “hikmah” in calligraphy – meaning “wisdom” in Arabic – plus a quote in Arabic from Sheikh Zayed hand-carved on the passenger side of the dashboard.

“The UAE’s founding father and his vision for the UAE has been a great inspiration for our designers to draw from,” said Abu Dhabi Motors’ general manager Arno Husselmann. “The Wisdom Collection is a remarkable representation of the rich history, culture, practices and sites in the seven Emirates.”

The cars in the collection are exclusively available from Abu Dhabi Motors and cost from Dh1.85 million each. Four have already been sold, with just the two Wraiths and the Ghost still available.

aworkman@thenational.ae

Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for May 16, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. Aarti Jhurani rounds up 10 things to do today in the UAE.

Want to see your event listed here? Email us with the details and contact information at listings@thenational.ae

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Abu Dhabi

Fitness class

Register to attend a Zumba class at Alliance Française Abu Dhabi on Wednesdays. Zumba involves dance, aerobics and upbeat music, and is a great option for a fun workout.

Every Wednesday, 6.30pm to 8pm, Dh50, Alliance Française Abu Dhabi, off 32nd Street near the Irish Embassy, Abu Dhabi, www.afabudhabi.org, to book a spot call 02 612 2900

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Abu Dhabi

Fashion and fitness

Enjoy a day of fashion and fitness with GuavaPass and the So Chic pop-up. Start the day with a hatha yoga session, open to all levels and aimed at strengthening the body and calming the mind. You can also get VIP access to the first viewing of So Chic’s new collection. Alternatively, update your wardrobe from a collection of pre-loved and new designer clothes, shoes and bags, and get pampered with mini-facials from French skincare brand Caudalie. In the afternoon, head to Saadiyat Beach Club’s gym for high-intensity circuit training, with a mix of cardio and weight exercises.

Today, 8am to 9am for the yoga class, 3pm to 4pm for circuit training, 8am to 9pm for the pop-up store, free, Saadiyat Beach Club, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, to register for the class email abudhabi@guavapass.com

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Abu Dhabi

Shopping

Check out the Abu Dhabi Summer Fair and shop for food, clothing, shoes and accessories from various nations, all under one roof. Explore different countries’ heritage, watch fashion shows, take part in recreational activities and enjoy dance shows from India, China, Turkey, Serbia, Palestine, Lebanon, the UAE and more.

Daily until Saturday, 3pm to 11pm, free, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street, Abu Dhabi, www.adnec.ae

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Abu Dhabi

Kids’ camp

Sign up your children, ages 5 to 11, for the Ramadan Kids Camp at Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi. There is plenty to keep the little ones busy – from swimming-pool games and indoor activities to arts and crafts, movies, a talent show and games.

May 28 to June 1, June 4 to June 8, 2pm to 6pm, costs from Dh160 per day, Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi, Al Zahiya, Abu Dhabi, to register call 02 697 9302 or email bodylines.beach@rotana.com

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Dubai

Art exhibition

See the exhibition Drifting Island, in which artist Marwan Sahmarani uses colour and gestural abstraction in expressive paintings that reflect his experiences, Lebanon’s day-to-day politics, the landscapes of Spain and current events. His work also explores the roots of violence. Pictured: I Had a Dream III

Daily until June 4, 10am to 7pm, Saturdays to Thursdays (closed on Fridays), Leila Heller Gallery, I-87, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, 056 831 3520, www.leilahellergallery.com

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Dubai

Art exhibition

Tehran-based painter Afshin Pirhashemi presents her exhibition House of Cards, featuring large-scale works portraying how the dominant role of media in everyday life increasingly shapes our world views. The artist incorporates popular culture references as well as iconic female protagonists to portray power in various ways. Pictured: An untitled image by Afshin Pirhashemi

Daily until May 25, 10am to 8pm, Sundays to Thursdays; noon to 8pm on Saturdays (closed Fridays), Ayyam Gallery, Gate Village Building 3, DIFC, Dubai, 04 439 2395, www.ayyamgallery.com

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Dubai

Film screening

Book tickets to see the Swedish comedy A Man Called Ove as part of the independent cinema initiative DIFF 365@Vox, sponsored by du. Directed by Hannes Holm, the film is based on a novel by Fredrik Backman and tells the story of an angry old man, Ove, who spends his days enforcing housing association rules that only he cares about, as well as visiting his wife’s grave. When a new family moves to the neighbourhood they form an unlikely friendship with the old man, and more is revealed about his past happiness and heartbreaks.

Thursday to May 31, various timings, Vox Cinemas, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, for more information and to book tickets visit uae.voxcinemas.com

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Dubai

Open-mic

Head to Alliance Française Dubai for an open-mic night (in French) and enjoy theatre, stand-up, poetry, songs and dance performances. French actress Morgane Gauvin will welcome six new performers every Tuesday. The first hour is a rehearsal with the actress, and the second hour is open to the public.

Every Tuesday, from 7pm to 9pm, free, Alliance Française Dubai auditorium, Alliance Française Dubai, Oud Metha Road, to register email ossama@afdubai.org, for more information visit www.afdubai.org/open-mic

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Dubai

Performance

See Mary Poppins at Dubai Opera. The nanny arrives at the Banks home on Cherry Tree Lane, bringing a world of magic, travel and imagination to the family’s children. The timeless score includes the popular Disney singalong songs Jolly Holiday, Step in Time and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Until May 25, 7.45pm daily, plus 3pm on May 19, 20, 24 and 25 (no shows May 21), tickets from Dh250, Dubai Opera, Downtown Dubai, www.dubaiopera.com

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Dubai

Dance class

Sign up to attend salsa classes at Ritmo de Havana. They are available for different levels of experience and are held twice a week, for three weeks. Since course dates are subject to change, check the website for the latest information.

The Level 1 Salsa course starts May 27, classes are held on various days from 9pm to 10pm, Dh600, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, www.ritmo-de-havana.com/salsa-classes

listings@thenational.ae

Food trends often centre around a single ingredient or innovative cooking technique. However, it seems the latest global food craze is not so much about the food but how it is served.

Food bowls have grown in popularity in the United States and United Kingdom, and are now rolling into many of the UAE’s trendiest restaurants and cafes.

Over the past five years, data collected by Technomic – one of the leading food research and consulting firms in the US – suggests that food bowls have grown in popularity by nearly 30 per cent rise as an entrée.

“Bowl meals are definitely a trend with traction,” ­Technomic’s managing editor, Aimee Harvey, recently told the New York Post.

It is thought the trend is being driven by global shift toward healthier eating. Bowls are often packed with healthy ingredients and usually contain at least one health-boosting super food.

“The bowl trend is definitely all about healthy and wholesome ingredients put together in a colourful and beautiful way,” says Candice Walker, the acting head chef at The Sum of Us in Dubai.

The restaurant added six bowls to its menu a month ago, ­including a confit lamb and quinoa salad bowl, a kimchi bowl, and The Sum of Us bowl, which is filled with feel-good ingredients such as roasted cauliflower, black rice, spinach, pumpkin seeds and beetroot hummus.

“Our bowls are all about fresh produce, diverse grains such as buckwheat soba noodles, quinoa, buckwheat, pearl barley and freekeh, and unique ­dressings that give it different textures and flavours,” says Walker.

Bowls are also more convenient than food on a plate. Poke Poke Dubai, the UAE’s first poke restaurant, whips up customisable bowls with fresh ingredients in a fraction of the time it would take to order a meal at a traditional restaurant.

Poke (pronounced poh-kay) is a centuries-old traditional Hawaiian raw-fish salad, which has burst onto the global culinary scene in the past two years. ­Modern poke restaurants serve the raw fish with a variety of healthy mix-ins and sauces. They also offer alternative protein options, including chicken and tofu.

Poke Poke Dubai’s bowls have been a hit with foodies since the shop opened in February. Jeremiah Dupin, one of the partners in the business, says the variety is endless.

“We have more than 60 mix-and-pick ­ingredients,” he says. “You could eat at Poke Poke every day and never have the same bowl. You can pack a lot of flavour and easily mix it into the bowl – and bowls are easy to take on the go if the foodie is in hurry.”

Such is the popularity of such food, that Poke Poke will open a delivery-only outlet in JLT in two months and another branch in Dubai’s Galleria Mall.

“Most of our options can be considered healthy,” Dupin says. “I think that’s why people are drawn to it. ­People are tired of all the burgers, kebab shops and other restaurants that don’t give them much control over their order.”

Trendy restaurants across Abu Dhabi and Dubai are onto it too, with many revamping their ­menus and devoting entire ­sections to bowl food.

Nolu’s Café, which has outlets in Al Bandar and the Galleria Mall in Abu Dhabi, ­recently added a build-your-own bowls section, to their menu, where customers can pick a grain, a protein, a dressing and four healthy toppings for Dh70.

Home-grown concept ­Common Grounds, in Dubai (from the same company behind Tom and Serg and The Sum of Us), just launched a new menu devoted to bowls at its JBR ­location.

“There is a trend for healthy foods right now and bowls is one of them,” says Sumi Payne, general manager of Common Grounds, JBR. “Most places have the ­option of building your own bowl so people have full control over what they’re eating. It ­began with poke bowls from Hawaii, and restaurants and cafes around the world are following suit with their own version.”

Even big chains are getting in on the act. SushiArt Arabia introduced donburi (which translates as “bowl”) options to its menu last year and added poke bowls on its 2017 menu.

“Bowls answer the fast-paced needs of our society,” says Nadim Majdalani, chief financial officer and business development director of SushiArt Arabia. “One of the reasons behind the popularity of food served in bowls is the option to gather protein, whole grains, vegetables and sauces into one dish that is nutritious and healthy, providing a unique combination of flavours and ­textures.”

Don’t underestimate the power of social media’s influence.

“The variety of colours and ­ingredients make bowls so visually appealing,” Majdalani says.

Dupin adds: “People eat with their eyes before their mouths. Bowls are popular on social media because they’re photogenic. You can mix and match an array of colourful ingredients that will appeal to many people.”

artslife@thenational.ae

As the UAE Pavilion was readied for the opening of the Venice Biennale, paper aeroplanes were strewn across a brick floor with yellow markings.

To the untrained eye, they might have looked like the result of some celebratory fun and games from the young members of staff who had just finished the week-long installation work at the Sale d’Armi (Weapons Room) in the Italian city’s old fort, the Arsenale, ahead of the start of the Biennale last Saturday.

But the planes are a part of Rock, Paper, Scissors: Positions in Play, the exhibition hosted by the UAE Pavilion, as are the bricks daubed with yellow paint.

Five artists are featured at this year’s pavilion: Nujoom Alghanem, Sara Al Haddad, Vikram Divecha, Lantian Xie and Dr Mohamed Yousif. Curator Hammad Nasar says that in the past 10 years, both in and outside the UAE, he has observed a sense of playfulness in older artists like Hassan Sharif and Mohammed Kazem, as well as in the younger generation who are also exhibiting in Venice.

When he started planning the exhibition, he asked himself two questions.

“Where is this play coming from and how is it nurtured, because play in the UAE is not the first thing that you’re thinking about,” says Nasar. “And why are people doing it?”

He reached one early conclusion: “Play is part and parcel of making a place home.”

That statement was echoed by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, who said, “such effective participations create cultural interactions between artists from different backgrounds, allowing them to be part of the global cultural movement”.

Behind Nasar in the gallery, there is a row of oars arranged in a wavelike pattern. It is the work of Yousif, who trained as a sculptor and then spent years in the theatre. Nautical imagery is nothing unusual in the UAE, although this work features neither ship nor sailors.

Nasar translates an inscription that appears in Arabic: “The rhythm of the oars under the water.” Oarsmen traditionally sing when they row, and the oars arranged by Yousif, says Nasar, “looked like musical notation”.

Music or not, rowing is hard work, but soon enough, we were back on the subject of play.

“Let’s use a surfing metaphor,” Nasar says. “The best way to use a wave is to ride it. Play has that element: you ride what life throws at you. He’s doing sculpture in which the body is absent – but completely there.”

A few steps away, the small courtyard of bricks with the yellow paint is another “playground”, titled Degenerative Disarrangement.

The artist, Divecha, brought the bricks from Dubai, where they had been discarded after road workers repaired a bus stop.

The project was first shown in Sharjah in 2013. Divecha shipped all four tonnes to Venice then rearranged them in a different, random order.

He and Nasar suggest that using the bricks in a work of art allocates a different value to them from their normal, everyday use. The paper planes, which visitors are encouraged to throw from a platform, feature a text from NYU Abu Dhabi-based creative writer Deepak Unnikrishnan playing on the notion of the “Gulf Return” that South Asians bring home with them after working as expatriates in countries such the UAE. The works become symbols of what Divecha calls “Venice Return”. “It will go back [to the UAE] in November with this new value accrued by entering a far more important art circuit,” he says.

Divecha also plays with public expectations in another work, Bathing Boulders, for which he took rocks to be placed in a temporary sculpture garden and washed them with water.

They have since been reduced to rubble for road works and other construction projects, but videos of the rocks being gently cleaned are now on view.

Nothing could be further removed from the harsh texture of stone than the pinkish-yarn wrapped around one of the pavilion’s upright iron support beams. This is can’t you see how i feel, a work by Al Haddad.

“She occupies time and space through elements of surreptitious performance,” says Nasar. “There is something playful and subversive about taking something so masculine… like black steel, and wrapping it in girlie pink.”

Standing in the gallery, which is demarcated by black beams, Al Haddad says: “Basically, an interruption was needed. I love pink. People look at it as a feminine colour but to me it’s more empowering. It’s one of these things that you just want to hug.”

As Nasar notes, artists rarely create work in a vacuum, and the UAE artists featured in Rock, Paper, Scissors have company elsewhere in the Biennale.

On the grandest of scales, the sense of playfulness towers over anyone who visits the Palazzo Grassi on the Grand Canal to see Damien Hirst’s Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable, a fictional treasure trove from an invented civilisation discovered in an pretend archaeological expedition.

The faux-bronze figure “saved from the deep” that fills the atrium of the Palazzo Grassi is about 18 metres tall. Hirst’s fantasy of jewelled fragments of treasure lost and rediscovered is not part of the Biennale’s official programme – it opened last month to pre-empt any competition for press coverage – but it is a key attraction nonetheless.

Visitors are flocking to see it, as they are to the Austrian Pavilion in the Biennale’s Gardens (Giardini), where a large lorry stands vertically on its front bumper, as if it has fallen from the sky.

Somehow the vehicle, shipped in from Russia, avoided any damage in its imagined plunge – unless you count the hollowing-out of its interior by the sculptor Erwin Wurm to make space for a stairway that takes you to a viewing platform at the truck’s rear end, elevated about eight metres in the air.

On a somewhat smaller scale, in galleries across a path through the historic Arsenale, other whimsical experiments take up the theme of play in a vast exhibition called Viva Arte Viva.

Echoing Al Haddad’s fabrics are ladders and lattices of cloth, about 12 metres long, by Portuguese artist Leonor Antunes, that hang from the ceiling and form a line that sways slightly with the movement of the crowd. They are pure lyricism as they define and divide the space from above.

For some playful satire, one need look no further than Acqua Alta (High Water), a nearby pile of 6,000 printouts of Instagram photographs of Venice, assembled by French artist Michel Blazy. Controlled drops of water also fall one by one from the ceiling.

As passers-by looked up on the exhibition’s opening day, Blazy was on hand to scrub the water off, also scrubbing off parts of the Instagram images. Was the water slowly erasing memories – or posing even more of an existential threat?

“In Venice, we feel the power of time at every level,” says the artist. “We have the long history of Venice, and then we have the risk from the water around it that threatens to flood Venice at any moment.”

Blazy, a bushy-headed man in his 50s, has another installation nearby. It is a wall of scaffolding on which training shoes are placed, as if in a shoe store – only each shoe is filled with green plants.

It is a playful jab at any assumptions about the august, self-important nature of art – and a reminder that art can be made with virtually anything.

• The Venice Biennale runs until November 26. For more details, visit www.labiennale.org

artslife@thenational.ae

Nawal Al Zoghbi has announced she will star a new reality series to launch in the second half of the year. The 44-year-old Lebanese singer, known for hits Min Habibi Ana and Alf Wa Miye, made the comments before her Sunday performance in Morocco as part of the Mawazine Festival.

Al Zoghbi said the weekly series will appear online and more details will be revealed soon. “We are still working on it. But what I can say is the show will be about my life and what I am doing from day to day” she explained. “It will be show online and shared on social media. That is coming in the next few months so keep an eye out for that.”

While Al Zoghbi said the show will provide an intimate look at her professional and personal life, there are a few areas off limits to the cameras.

“I am one of those people who would love the fans to join me in my social life but in some cases there are few redlines and that concerns my family, particularly my children,” she said. “When you got children you have to be aware of their feelings. Now I have twin boys and they simply don’t like their photos being taken, even if its a personal one with me. They don’t like cameras or being fussed over. That’s their personalities and I will respect that.”

Check out Arts&Life for all the latest news and interviews from The Mawazine Festival in Morocco. The Festival continues until May 20.

sasaeed@thenational.ae

“A child’s drawing is pure ­imagination,” says Sara ­Shamma as she reflects upon the paintings in her latest exhibition. “I am fascinated by the way they draw, without any preconceptions or thought. It is coming straight from them.”

The works in the Syrian artist’s show – titled London, as a result of recently moving to the United Kingdom after being awarded a visa for exceptional talent – ­explore this subject.

Shamma conducted several workshops with children and studied the way they drew, watching them as they played with pens, pencils and brushes.

She took those drawings and used them in her works. First she painted portraits of the children in incredible detail. Then she added another layer, copying the outline of the child’s drawing on top of the child’s image.

The effect is a masterstroke of perspective. On a flat canvas she has managed to create a 3-D ­effect, in which, in some cases, it seems as if the child is drawing on a window, with the viewer standing on the other side. In others, it is as if she has tried to capture the child’s pure imagination.

“I want my paintings to be more than just portraits, I want to capture what is behind the eyes so that the faces are alive,” she says.

“Working with children is amazing because they have the same emotions as adults but in smaller proportions and I feel I can sense it. I want my paintings to convey this feeling so that my viewers can touch a little bit of this, too.”

The titles Shamma gave to the paintings come from the shapes the children drew, including ­Alien, Octopus and Ghost.

She also achieves a mesmerising effect in her work by playing with normal colour conventions. The background of each painting is a rich, dark red, with purples and pinks for tonal variation. The foreground, which features the child’s drawing in most cases, is painted in lighter colours, such as blue, green or white – shades more usually associated with backgrounds.

“There is a trick with colour,” Shamma says. “The blues and greens are supposed to be in the background and red is a bold ­colour, used more sparingly and to draw attention. This is what your eye usually understands – but I have done it in the opposite way to change your perspective and to attract the viewer.”

In Dinner, a painting that shows children peering over a table top into their bowls during meal time, one child sits to the right of the drawing and his face has been partly obscured by the blue and green brushstrokes that denote imagination. He is staring at a smudge of thick paint of the same colour, to which Shamma has­ ­given a shadow, making it seem to jump out of the image, ­becoming the focal point. The painting cleverly invites the ­viewer to dive into the world of the child’s ­imagination.

Managing to capture the ­subtlety of such an intangible subject as imagination is a difficult feat for any painter, but Shamma has achieved it with aplomb.

There is also a slightly ominous undertone to the works, which are not simply paintings of wide-eyed children and the innocent fruits of their imaginations. The portraits have a kind of ghostly quality and, in some, a shrewdness in their eyes that makes them appear older than their years.

In her previous work, ­Shamma, whose home country has been locked in armed conflict for years, has focused on the victims of war and the pain in their eyes after witnessing such ­bloodshed.

Although her latest series is ­supposed to be a celebration of the freedoms of children in the West, in most cases, as the child fades into the background, we are left to ponder on the preciousness of innocence and how quickly it can disappear.

• London runs until May 20 at Art Sawa, DIFC.

aseaman@thenational.ae

Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for May 13, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. Aarti Jhurani rounds up 10 things to do today in the UAE.

Want to see your event listed here? Email us with the details and contact information at listings@thenational.ae

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Abu Dhabi

Film screening

Cinema Space and the Korean Cultural Center present a screening of the 2002 film Oasis. Directed by Lee Chang Dong, the story begins when Jong-du (Sol Kyung-gu), who was in prison for a hit-and-run accident that resulted in the death of an old man, is released. He is immediately arrested again for being unable to pay a restaurant bill, but his brother bails him out and sets him up with a job and a place to live. He goes to visit the victim’s family, and meets Gong-ju (Moon So-ri), the old man’s daughter, who has cerebral palsy. After a disastrous first meeting, the two begin an unlikely love affair, which eventually exposes uncomfortable secrets of both families. The film is in Korean with English subtitles.

Today, 7.30pm, for ages 18 and above only, free with registration, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, register at cinemaspace-abudhabi.splashthat.com

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Abu Dhabi

Art exhibition

See Walking Rock Tour by Lebanese painter, sculptor and poet Rudy Rahme, who presents a series of detailed sculptures focusing on the human form. Pictured: Dream

Daily until the end of Ramadan, 9am to 10pm, Le Royal Meridien, Sheikh Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi, 02 674 2020, www.leroyalmeridienabudhabi.com

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Abu Dhabi

Shopping

Check out the second edition of Fashion Days Closets at Nation Towers Abu Dhabi. It features six UAE-based designers of different nationalities and backgrounds, showcasing a selection of their designs, all of which will be on sale.

Daily until May 22, 10am to 10pm, free, Nation Towers, Corniche, Abu Dhabi, www.abudhabifashiondays.com

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Nationwide

New film

The Dinner focuses on two couples – Stan (Richard Gere), Claire (Laura Linney), Paul (Steve Coogan) and Katelyn Lohman (Rebecca Hall) dining at a restaurant, deciding what do about a crime their sons have committed. Directed by Oren Moverman, the film is based on the Dutch novel of the same name written by Herman Koch. Mystery drama, also starring Charlie Plummer, Michael Chernus and Chloë Sevigny.

Screening at cinemas across the UAE. (18+)

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Dubai

Fitness class

Attend a series of free fitness classes at Boxpark presented by experts from Fitness First. They include Zumba, Body Attack high-intensity interval training and chilled-out morning yoga. Refuel post workout with a healthy bite at Markette, where class participants can enjoy a healthy breakfast or tropical smoothie bowl with fresh juice for only Dh54.

Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays until May 31, 8.30am to 9.30am; Markette breakfast offer for Fitness First activity participants, available from 8am to 1pm, free, between Bianca and Markette, Boxpark, Al Wasl Road, Dubai, www.boxpark.ae

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Dubai

Performance

See a performance by the local band Physical Graffiti as part of The Fridge Concert Series. The alternative/pop band was formed by Zubin Aroz and Darren Dharmai in 2013 while they were at university, and were joined by Ankurr Chawaak and Sandeep Sequira a few months later. They released their second studio album, Return, in November last year. Monteath, a four-piece act with melodic groove-oriented originals will be the opening act.

Tonight, from 7.30pm, tickets cost Dh50, The Fridge, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, www.platinumlist.net

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Dubai

Fitness class

Head to Fit Inc’s high-energy and fun weIlluminate x Spin class. A glow-in-the-dark spin experience, it helps not only your legs, core, arms, shoulders and back to work out, burn fat and improve strength, it is a fun session as participants ride in sync to the beat of specially curated music. A t-shirt and glow stick will also be provided.

Tonight, 7pm to 8.30pm, free with registration, Fit Inc, City Tower 2 car park, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, to register call 800 348 462 or email info@fitinc.ae

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Dubai

Women’s event

Book tickets now to attend the first edition of Dream Woman Live. The event aims to inspire and support women to “be their own dream woman”. A casual business networking event, it features talks by inspirational women, including the founder of the event, speaker, movement coach and team facilitator Suzanne Blake (pictured), the founder and chief executive of Simply Better Co and SimplyBetterYou coaching, Rosalie Berrios MA, and others. The event will also include sunset meditation, group activities and a chance to meet and connect with other driven women.

Thursday to Saturday, various timings, tickets cost from Dh540, location will be revealed to attendees, visit iammydreamwoman.com for full schedule and to book tickets

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Dubai

Kids’ fun

Buy tickets now to take your little ones to the End of School Carnival at Splash ‘n’ Party. Children can experience a variety of entertainment options, carnival games, fun with water guns and balloons. Meals will also be provided.

Sunday, 3.30pm to 6.30pm, Dh100, Splash ‘n’ Party, Villa no.1, Street 8A, Al Safa 2, Jumeirah, Dubai, for more information visit www.splashnparty.ae

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Dubai

Performance

Book tickets to see four French comedy shows as part of Tous En Scene at Ductac. In Encore Un Matin, actors will bring to life several situations played out in a café; in Improvisation, actors will create and play out stories based on ideas suggested by the audience; Huit Femmes En Pieces Detachees includes 11 short stories about human interaction; and in Building, the writer has created 13 different stories, each of which is played out in a 13-floor office building, showing how funny, and sometimes sarcastic, it can be working in a big corporation.

Wednesday and Thursday for Encore Un Matin, Sunday for Improvisation, May 22 for Huit Femmes En Pieces Detachees, May 23 and 24 for Building, all shows at 8.30 pm, for ages 8 and above, tickets cost from Dh95, Kilachand Studio, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, www.ductac.etixdubai.com

listings@thenational.ae

Model-of-the-moment Winnie Harlow will walk the runway during Arab Fashion Week at The Meydan Hotel in Dubai this week.

The 22-year-old Canadian, who has the depigmenting skin condition vitiligo, is one of many famous figures taking part in the event, which runs from ­tomorrow until Saturday.

“Cardi B, the American influencer and hip-hop artist, will be flying in,” says Jacob Abrian, chief executive of the Arab Fashion Council. “And hosting our gala dinner and fashion awards ceremony on Saturday will be Australian television and radio presenter Dean McCarthy, of the Golden Globes and Oscars fame.”

The fourth edition of the ­biannual ready-couture showcase will feature big names from the world of fashion, including the house of Marchesa, Antonio Marras and Jeremy Scott.

More than 20 other international and domestic brands will also present their latest collections to buyers and the press, including Michael Cinco and ­Aiisha Ramadan.

In addition to public shows, which require prior online ­registration, there will be ­industry workshops – held in conjunction with the American University in the Emirates – and pop-up ­boutiques, which are also open to the public.

Established three years ago by non-profit organisation the Arab Fashion Council, AFW has carved out a niche for itself as the go-to platform for custom-made ­garments with bespoke elements and ready-to-wear appeal.

“Arab Fashion Week defined the term ‘ready-couture’ back in 2014,” says Abrian. “But it had never been officially discussed, classified or regulated with any other fashion councils. Its importance is today understood.

“Looking back, the fashion ­industry started with haute ­couture then. With economic and social revolutions, the need for ready-to-wear and mass production emerged. Today, all the major fashion houses are ­creating exclusive and limited-edition pieces, but allowing clients to change fabrics and alter certain elements. Nobody knew how to define this until now – and that’s what we call ready-couture.”

To give designers showing their ready-couture collections at AFW the best possible showcase this season, the timing of the event was moved from its previous March slot.

“We used to always be on the shoulders of Paris fashion week, following Milan, London and New York.” says Abrian. “The timing wasn’t helping us grow.

“Buyers had been flying around for six weeks and they would finish their budget spends in Paris. The region’s fashion industry was suffering so we shifted the dates. The new timing has also paved the way for us to become the leading destination for pre-collections and resort.”

Helping the Arab Fashion Council to realise its ambitions of promoting Arab talent and helping global designers to flourish in the region, is a ­partnership with Sheikh ­Mohammed Maktoum Juma AlMaktoum Investment (MBM) that was formed last month.

“We love the idea of supporting new and young designers.” says Federico Cervellini, director of corporate affairs at the private office of Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum. “Let them come and study here in the UAE and fully understand the fashion business. We’re here to give them the facilities and tools to develop their ideas and designs. “So much of the fashion we know is ‘made in Italy’ or ‘made in France’. It would be great to have things ‘made in the UAE’ one day.

“The fashion sector could be better developed and there’s huge potential here, so that’s what we’re helping to do. We’re here to help the AFC grow bigger too and have an action plan in place to support them however we can.”

One designer making the most of growth opportunities in the UAE is Dubai-based Aiisha ­Ramadan, who established her couture label in 2007. On Friday, she will send a resort 2018 collection from her eponymous label down the runway at AFW.

“I’m really looking forward to growing with AFW,” she says. “I don’t view the platform as a place where I’m simply going to showcase my collections and that’s it. If I did, I would have just done a trunk show in a beautiful restaurant.

“That’s not what I’m after, ­especially having been in the market so long. If I’m not going to sell and have added value, I’m not going to showcase. I love Arab Fashion Week’s ­aesthetic and admire the heights the council wants to reach. When they say they’re going to do something, they do it.”

As for hints about her ­collection, Ramadan is ­giving little away about her latest ­aquatic-themed range of ­separates and accessories.

“Let’s just say you’ll see things you’ve never seen before from me.” she says. “There are, of course, dresses – my staples – but also some products for a completely new genre.

“I’ve started a beautiful ­collaboration with one of my favourite Egyptian accessory brands called Sami Amin. I was already a big client and ­realised the things Sami was ­creating were really great. So, as an ­expansion of my brand, we’ve worked together on some ­pieces and they’ve turned out to be ­unbelievably beautiful.”

• Arab Fashion Week begins tomorrow and ends on Saturday at The Meydan Hotel, Dubai. www.arabfashionweek.org

rduane@thenational.ae

Young professionals interested in pursuing careers in the arts will now be able to apply for a fully sponsored internship at one of the world’s most prestigious museums.

Thanks to a new partnership between Alserkal Avenue and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, one successful applicant will travel to Italy for a three-month summer internship every year for the next six years – with the first intern travelling next summer.

The goals of the internship are to provide students with real-world experiences that enhance their education and skills in an area of their interest; give talented young people the opportunity to learn; and provide a platform for new talent whose fresh and creative energy and ideas can contribute to the work of Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice.

The announcement was made today at a breakfast event at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection during the opening of the 57th Venice Biennale.

Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, Founder, Alserkal Avenue, said: “To build a cadre of arts professionals that can support and nurture cultural production in the UAE, a global perspective, and the ability to share the region’s rich arts and culture scene is essential. We are honoured to join hands with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection to provide young, UAE-based professionals with the opportunity to pursue their passion for the arts.”

Philip Rylands, Director of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Foundation Director for Italy, said: “An essential quality of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection’s celebrated internship program is its international diversity, and we are grateful to Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal and Alserkal Programming, which will extend our reach by opening a door for the participation of talented young professionals at the start of their careers from distant parts of the world.”​

Applications will be open in September through the Alserkal Avenue website.

www.alserkalavenue.ae

aseaman@thenational.ae

Private dining in the UAE is no longer the exclusive domain of the rich and famous.

Heeding requests from ­customers with a desire for closed-door rooms and secluded enclaves for entertaining, restaurants in the country are increasingly providing spaces where patrons can host private get-togethers.

While some packages can cost thousands of dirhams, if your tastes are gourmet or your group exceeds 30, there are deals to be had for as little as Dh150 a head.

“I get a lot of inquiries about private dining room [PDR] events,” says Christine Wakim, the owner of Events by ­Christina.

“I reserve many dining rooms for ladies who want gatherings in complete privacy. These rooms are quite different from hotel ‘meeting rooms’, because they are more ornate in decoration and the food matches that of the signature restaurant.

“I also did a Frozen-themed birthday party for a little girl, ­within the PDR of Turquoiz ­restaurant in The St Regis ­Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi. Absolutely everything was blue, from the chairs to the ­decorations to the glasses.”

For couples on the hunt for ­intimate venues for small-scale weddings, private dining rooms offer an affordable option.

“The UAE is promoted as being good for destination weddings,” says Wakim. “I’m doing more and more of them. For example, I had a bride from Tokyo and a groom from Syria wanting a venue for just 25 people, so we went for the private dining room at the Shangri-La in Abu Dhabi.

“The food and drink is ­normally a set package in most private dining rooms, but these are ­weddings – it’s up to the ­couple how much extra they want to spend on ­flowers, ­decoration, a photographer and music et cetera.”

Some private dining rooms require clients pay deposits of between 50 and 100 per cent for large-scale bookings, while others charge a supplement per head.

Emirati restaurant Mezlai, in Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace, however, offers customers its plush VIP dining facilities at no additional cost.

“Anyone can use our private room, there’s no extra charge,” says Emirati executive chef Ali Ebdowa. “The room can fit about 17 people and it’s a very special place. The interior design is ­inspired by Islamic and Arabic architecture and the room has it’s own gold-plated china dinner service.”

There is no minimum spend at Mezlai, where à la carte dishes ­include grilled local hammour with mixed nuts and rose water for Dh140, and camel or lamb ­machboos from Dh125.

“Our style of cooking and presentation is traditional Emirati with a modern twist,” says Ebdowa. “There are many very famous people who use the room but I’m unable to tell you who they are. All I can say is that we host a lot of ministers and ­business people who like to hold private meetings with clients.”

Well-known faces, from ­politicians and footballers to Saudi ­royals, are also frequently spotted in Argentinian restaurant Gaucho, in Dubai International Financial Centre. The venue has three PDRs, seating between eight and 44 people.

“I would say we’re in the ­medium price range for ­private dining,” says Natissa ­Bouhezila, Gaucho’s international ­operations director.

“We have very reasonable set-menu prices ranging from Dh375 to Dh480 a person. Obviously if you prefer chateaubriand [steak] it can push the cost higher.”

With the cost for private dining not differing greatly from prices the main restaurant, Bouhezila has seen an influx of clients reserving the spaces for birthday celebrations, leaving-dos and bachelor parties. Gaucho’s open-minded policy means that no colour scheme or theme is too unusual to accommodate.

“On the weekends, we’re ­doing a lot of divorce parties,” says Bouhezila. “We can even ­provide a cake with the iced hashtag #GameOver. In general, the ­parties are made up of ladies of all nationalities, ages 35 to 50.”

At the luxury end of the scale, five sophisticated private rooms are available at Armani Hotel in ­Dubai. Fine-dining options span the cuisines of authentic Indian, Japanese, European-­Mediterranean and signature Italian. The venue’s Armani/­Ristorante has two elegant rooms for high-rolling clients to choose from.

“The Circular private dining room seats up to eight guests and the Rectangular private ­dining room seats up to 12 guests,” says Mark Kirby, general manager of Armani Hotel Dubai. “Armani/Casa’s exclusive ­furniture reflects the restaurant’s understated gold, cream and sand colour palette. The cutlery is 24-carat gold plated, the linen is silk dupion and the glassware is sparkling German crystal. Prices of set menus range from Dh350 to Dh750 per person and ­customised menus are available upon request.”

The venues are popular with patrons looking to host intimate suppers, high-powered ­business meetings and celebratory ­family get-togethers.

The restaurant ­regularly ­welcomes actors, ­singers, ­designers and dignitaries, with anonymity guaranteed.

“Because of the discrete ­environment, the private dining rooms are frequented by several celebrities and well-known ­business tycoons,” says Kirby.

“Constant endeavours are made to provide guests with the ­ultimate in exclusivity and confidentiality through these areas.”

rduane@thenational.ae

Portugal won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time on Saturday with a gentle, romantic ballad that challenged the event’s decades-long reputation for cheesy, glittery excess.

Salvador Sobral – who has a serious heart condition and is awaiting a transplant – sang Amar Pelos Dois (Love For Both), written by his sister Luisa, in a high, clear tenor accompanied by quiet strings and a piano.

Unlike the other 25 contestants who performed on a wide stage backed by flashing lights, bursts of flames and other effects, Sobral sang from a small elevated circle in the middle of the crowd, an intimate contrast to the bombast.

“Music is not fireworks, music is feeling,” the 27-year-old said as he accepted the award.

“I don’t know about national hero,” he said later, adding: “I think the real hero is [Portuguese footballer Cristiano] Ronaldo.

“I just wanted to sing a beautiful song as it is – it’s in Portuguese. If I can help to bring some change to music, I will be really joyful.”

Runner-up Kristian Kostov, of Bulgaria, was not short on feeling, either. The 17-year-old’s power-ballad Beautiful Mess was awash in melodrama; the singer appearing almost wrung out by the romantic turmoil.

Moldova’s SunStroke Project finished a surprising third, with a bouncy, jazzy song called Hey Mamma! that featured a clever stage routine in which the female back-up singers hid their microphones in bridal bouquets.

Francesco Gabbani of Italy had been the bookmakers’ favourite but ended up sixth, even though his act seemed the epitome of Eurovision’s cheerfully tacky aesthetics – singing a driving number about spirituality, accompanied by someone in a gorilla suit.

Romania came seventh with an unlikely combination of yodelling and rap, while Azerbaijan’s act in 14th place featured a man wearing a horse’s head on a stepladder.

Britain, which is experiencing a post-Brexit vote chill in European politics, did not fare much better here, with Lucie Jones, finishing 15th.

There was some controversy during a mid-show performance by last year’s winner, Jamala of Ukraine, when a man draped in an Australian flag jumped on stage beside her and bared his bottom to the audience before a security guard dragged him off the stage.

The annual celebration of catchy Europop, ludicrous costumes and glittering divas was hosted by Ukraine for the second time and was watched by about 200 million TV viewers.

Eurovision, now in its 62nd year, is intended as apolitical international entertainment. But the sweet intentions were soured this year when Russia’s participation was scuppered by host Ukraine over the nations’ diplomatic and military conflict.

Russia – one of Eurovision’s heavy hitters – is tied with Sweden for the most top-five finishes this century. This year’s contestant however, Yuliya Samoylova, was banned from competing by Ukraine because she had toured in Crimea after Russia’s 2014 annexation of the peninsula.

In response, Russia’s state-owned Channel 1 television refused to broadcast the contest.

The Moscow-Kiev split was a headache for Eurovision’s producer, the European Broadcasting Union, which strives to keep pop and politics separate. Overtly political flags and banners are banned and lyrics are monitored for provocative content.

In 2009, the EBU banned the Georgian entry We Don’t Wanna Put In, a thinly-veiled dig at Russian president Vladimir Putin. The union, however, was criticised for not banning 1944 last year, allowing Russia-Ukraine tensions to fester.

The acrimony is ironic because Eurovision was founded in 1956 to bring European countries that had been at war a little over a decade earlier, together. It was launched a year before the founding of the European Economic Community, the forerunner of the European Union.

From its launch with seven countries, Eurovision has grown to include more than 40, including non-European nations such as Israel and, somewhat controversially, far-off Australia, where the event has a huge fan following.

The contest helped to launch the careers of Sweden’s ABBA (victors in 1974 with Waterloo), Canada’s Celine Dion (who won for Switzerland in 1988), and Irish dance show Riverdance, which provided the half-time entertainment in 1994.

* Associated Press, with additional reporting by AFP

Filipino fans of Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe were elated when a popular dessert in the Philippines made an appearance on the animated programme earlier this week.

On the show’s latest episode, the character Lars Barriga — the best friend of lead star Steven Universe — bakes an ube (purple yam) roll and takes it to a dinner party.

Hashtags for Steven Universe and ube roll trended on Twitter after the episode aired on Monday in the Philippines. Fans speculated whether the character of Lars Barriga is of Filipino heritage.

Coincidentally, several voice actors on the animated series are of Filipino descent, including Deedee Magno Hall (who voices the character of Pearl), Jennifer Paz (the character Lapis Lazuli) and Shelby Rabara (the character Peridot).

Steven Universe, which debuted back in 2013, is created by Rebecca Sugar, a former writer and storyboard artist on the animated show Adventure Time. According to Cartoon Network, Sugar is the first woman to independently create a series for the network.

Morissette Amon to co-host Michaels Bolton’s new reality singing competition

Filipino pop vocalist Morissette Amon revealed she has been selected as the co-host of a new reality singing competition programme presented by the popular American singer Michael Bolton.

The show, titled Bolt of Talent, is set to air on Fox Network Group’s Star World later this year. Over seven weeks, Bolton will mentor amateur singers from Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei and Bangkok. The winner will be awarded a record deal and an opportunity to perform with Bolton in his forthcoming world concert tour.

The programme begun production on Wednesday in Manila. According to Amon, she is elated to join Bolton “on his search for talents here in the Philippines and around Asia”.

Amon, 20, is a product of reality singing programmes. At age 14, she joined the talent show Star Factor, finishing as the runner-up. She rose to fame after appearing on the first season of The Voice of the Philippines in 2013, reaching the show’s semi-final round. She currently appears on the weekly variety television programme Asap.

Bolton has sold over 75 million records throughout a career that started in the 1970s. His 23rd album, Songs of Cinema, was released in February.

New York’s Museum of Modern Art spotlights Philippine cinema

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has organised a month-long exhibition of Filipino films.

Titled A New Golden Age: Contemporary Philippine Cinema, the retrospective will run from June 1 to 25, featuring 18 Filipino feature films produced from the 2000s onwards.

“The Philippines’s current wave of sustained creativity is unusual in its diversity of genre and style, audacious formal experimentation, and multiplicity of personal, social, and political perspectives,” read a statement from the museum.

“Defying simple description, this dizzying array of distinct cinematic statements makes it an exceptionally unique, vibrant movement.”

The exhibition opens on June 1 with Ramona Diaz’s Motherland, a documentary that follows three expectant mothers over the course of their stay in a busy Manila public hospital where as many as 100 babies are born each day.

Also featured in the exhibition are films by renowned Filipino directors Lav Diaz, Brillante Mendoza, Marlon Rivera and Kidlat Tahimik.

Filipinos win big at Asean film festival

Filipino films and actors swept the major trophies at this week’s Asean International Film Festival and Awards, held in Kuching, Malaysia.

Ai-Ai Delas Alas won the Best Actress prize for her performance in the drama Area. Louie Ignacio — who won the Best Director award for the film — accepted the trophy for Delas Alas, who was honoured with the same prize at the Queens World Film Festival in New York back in March.

The Best Supporting Actress prize went to Ana Capri for Laut, another feature film helmed by Ignacio. Ricky Davao won the Best Supporting Actor award for Bor Ocampo’s film Dayang Asu.

Lawrence Fajardo was honoured with the Best Editing prize for his work on his film Imbisibol, while Lav Diaz was given the Special Honour award for Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left), which won the top prize at last year’s Venice Film Festival.

artslife@thenational.ae

Obesity rates have doubled since 1980. More than 600 million people are classified as obese, and 41 million of them are children under the age of 5, according to the World Health Organization. In the UAE, almost 40 per cent of children are obese, prompting some experts to warn of an epidemic.

This rise in childhood obesity – and the related diseases it causes that can affect people throughout their lives, including diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular conditions – are the result of an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits, in particular too much sugar.

It is no secret that sugar is a threat to our health. A study published by Jama: Internal Medicine in 2014 established a link between food with added sugar and an increased risk of heart disease. Added sugar is defined as any form that does not occur naturally in a food, which is added during processing, including honey, raw sugar, malt sugar, agave nectar, corn sweetener, dextrose, corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, glucose and molasses.

How much, though, is too much sugar? Much less than you probably think. The American Heart Association says preschool children should not have more than four teaspoons of added sugar a day, which is about 16 grams. Children between the ages of 4 and 8 should not have more than three teaspoons of added sugar, while preteens and teenagers should not have more than five to eight teaspoons.

Bernadette Abraham, a nutritional therapy practitioner, wellness coach and mother of four, says it is easy to give children a sugar rush, even if you don’t mean to.

“In practical terms, one 330-millilitre juice box typically contains 24 grams of sugar, which is equivalent to six teaspoons,” she says. “One 180ml container of chocolate milk also contains six teaspoons of sugar. You can see how just one of these typically consumed beverages can exceed double a child’s daily sugar allowance.”

With sugar present in large quantities in so many of children’s favourite foods – some of which you would not suspect, including ketchup, bread, cereal, juices, dressings, crackers, peanut butter and flavoured yogurt – efforts by parents to cut back on children’s sugar intake and retrain their palates is far from easy.

“Raising your child’s level of awareness is key,” Abraham says. “I like to physically show children how much sugar is in their favourite food or beverage by having them measure out the number of teaspoons of sugar into a see-through cup.

“By looking for the grams of sugar on the product’s nutrition facts label and then dividing it by four, you can get the number of teaspoon of sugar needed to measure out. It’s very visual and has that shock factor that can help shift a child’s mindset to want to reduce the amount of sugar they consume.”

Mylene Pezzotti, a mother of two children, 10 and 13, helps her children steer clear of these empty calories by avoiding sweet and processed foods – instead, she offers them healthy choices, including salads, vegetables, pulses, nuts and fruits.

“I try to make things from scratch as much as possible,” she says. “I bake fruit-based desserts that contain natural sugars and don’t require additional sweetening. I don’t keep anything in the house they shouldn’t be eating, instead making sure there’s always healthier alternatives available.

“If I need to buy something already made, I always make sure to check the label for ingredients.”

Nutrition, like everything else in life, is about moderation and balance. Experts agree that establishing healthy habits that last a lifetime does not mean banning sugar altogether. That said, fresh and nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables (for their essential vitamins and minerals), lean red meat (for protein), fish and nuts (for healthy fats, a strong heart and bones) and plenty of water (for hydration) should make up the bulk of a child’s diet.

• This is the fourth in our five-part series on preventing and tackling childhood obesity. Next week: the long-term effects of poor nutrition during pregnancy.

healthyliving@thenational.ae

After graduating in 2011 with a degree in multimedia and mass communications, Aryk ­Paynkili did not want to return to a ­conventional life.

In fact, the whole concept of such a notion had been thrown into question for him, and so he left the United States, where he had studied, and went to India for a few months before returning to Dubai, where he was born and raised by Indian parents. In India, he began shooting photographic portraits of the working classes. It was the start of a project he would come to call Moxie Chase.

“I had a journalistic point of view and I was drawn to inspiring stories,” he says. “But I was also a young graduate and from a generation that questions what is a “normal life”. Should I look for a 9 to 5 job in the city or is there more to life than that?”

Back in Dubai, he conceived of a project that would celebrate working-class people across Asia. He made it his mission to spend time with individuals from many walks of life and portray them truthfully through a series of photographs and interviews.

“I am from a filmmaking background but I was a one-man army and I didn’t want to compromise on quality, so I decided that images were the way forward,” he says. “Getting the subject to be completely at ease with me and the camera was my main goal. Sometimes this could take ­several days.” And so he found himself living with tea planters in Sri Lanka, fishermen in Cambodia and ­tribal people in Myanmar. He also spent time among basket weavers in Indonesia, drum-­makers in Vietnam and farmers in China. Paynkili views this as a lifelong project.

“I see the role of an artist as ­being responsible for sharing stories and contributing towards a more inclusive society,” he says. “To some people, these jobs may seem mundane and boring, but it was the pride and the dignity of their characters that drew me to them and made me want to share their stories with the rest of the world.” Paynkili digitally manipulates some of the portraits to look like paintings, an effect that elevates them from their usual low-key setting, transforming the subjects into everyday heroes.

In fact, Paynkili is more artist than photojournalist and while he features real people, he is interested in using them as an artistic means to inspire.

“I was raised in a city, and in that environment many people are defined by the jobs they do and not really the reasons why they do them,” he says.

“By doing this project and discovering these people, I realised that everyone is looking for happiness and looking for that peace and satisfaction – and this does not have to come from money or material possessions.”

The pursuit of happiness is a philosophical conundrum that fascinates artists of all disciplines but one cannot help but consider the question within the context of one’s own social background and status, so I wonder if he can ever really put himself in the shoes of a poor fisherman and know his opinion of happiness. He accepts this is a personal pursuit of happiness for him as well.

“Ultimately, I need a purpose to roll out of bed in the morning, too,” he says. “I also need to feel that I am working on something important to me and hopefully to the society I live in.

“I know a lot of people don’t have the same opportunities but they do have the same questions about what happiness means, and that is the reason why a visual project works: it reveals a perspective that shows a different world and allows everyone just to be able to appreciate more what they have.”

Paynkili is now planning the next stage of his project, which ­involves finding funding, doing research and finding people to work with.

“If the project is to have a future, I need to ­collaborate with other creative people out there who also have similar goals,” he says.

aseaman@thenational.ae

Nadim Karam moved back to his native Beirut in the early 1990s, after years spent studying abroad during the lengthy ­Lebanese civil war.

The city had been ravaged by shelling and was haunted by derelict buildings. It was emotionally and symbolically divided along the Green Line that had split the city into East and West for 15 years.

Karam, who had studied both architecture and art, saw Lebanon was not only in need of renovation, rebuilding and improved infrastructure but something else a little less tangible – the city and its citizens needed to ­rediscover a sense of playfulness, unity and imagination.

This was the Beirut that ­inspired his first large-scale ­public-art installation, Archaic Procession, a collection of enormous metal sculptures of weird and wonderful creatures. The series was shown across the city, first outside the Sursock Museum in 1994, beside the destroyed National Museum of Beirut in 1995, and from 1997 to 2000 in various locations Downtown, the former heart of the city.

Through his playful, surreal sculptures, Karam tried to emphasise that the differences and diversity within society are a source of enrichment rather than a cause for conflict.

“I thought that instead of ­creating problems and dividing a society, they could be a source of fun, dreams and unity, because their presence would encourage the same ideas on both sides of the line,” he says.

“They’re innocent shapes. They’re shapes recognised by everyone, from 7 to 77. There’s nothing insulting in them, there is no confrontation in them. On the contrary, sometimes they provoke because they are absurd, because they are abstract. In that sense, they become an important source of thinking.”

The sculptures, which Karam calls “urban toys” or “dream ­catalysts”, were the first of dozens of public-art installations that have formed the backbone of his career as an artist and architect.

Urban Stories, a new solo show at the Fine Art Society in London until Friday, reveals for the first time the roots of the ideas that have shaped his discourse for 25 years.

Recent paintings and sculptures are given context and emotional weight by a series of 52 small watercolour studies of silhouetted black creatures, half-human, half-animal, that would later become sculptures. Executed in a sketch book in 1993 they never before have been shown to the public. Although dwarfed by his new paintings, some of which are more than two metres tall, these tiny sketches are the highlight of the show.

Born in Senegal and educated in Japan, Karam displays diverse ­influences in his work. These small paintings were created in Lebanon and designed to fulfil local needs but the rich, earthy colours evoke Africa. They are reminiscent of Japanese ­symbols, or perhaps ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Karam is unsure to what ­extent his time abroad has influenced him but he acknowledges “­usually when you live in a place it affects you, whatever your age”.

Preferring to work on ­patterned paper, he chose a book on terrain he found in New York as the basis of his 1993 sketch book.

Beneath his paintings are faint traces of complex diagrams, which lend depth and complexity to even the simplest sketches. Infused with more spontaneity and movement than his larger, more studied works, these watercolours encourage viewers to put aside intellectual readings in favour of delighting in the simple pleasure of bold colours and inventive compositions.

Some of Karam’s creatures are instantly recognisable as elephants, giraffes or antelope. Others are stranger, more ­magical beings, some with seven legs or human torsos.

He created the creatures without much conscious thought, he says, but there are symbolic aspects that please him.

“The elephant has this huge memory, which I enjoy,” he says. “I also enjoy the fact that they move in families. Issues of ­memories, stories, are very much concerns of mine.”

In addition to his sketches, Karam is showing several of his animal sculptures, eye-­catching works in polished stainless steel.

His large-scale paintings on canvas are mostly from his Stretching Thoughts series, a ­focal point of his work for the past several years, in which he captures figures with a ­complex tangle of lines and shapes ­expanding outward from their skulls – a visual ­representation of ideas and a call for open-­mindedness and flexibility.

The most dramatic work is a new sculpture called Trou de Memoire, comprises two large forms that are like upside-down teardrops, made of mirror-­polished stainless steel.

Another, titled Memory, has a complex cut-out pattern that ­appears abstract from a distance but close-up resolves into ­dozens of tiny animals and ­humans jumbled together. Void is completely blank.

“Memory is a full study of stories relating to my memory that are translucent, you can see through them, and they show the journey I have made,” says Karam. “Void is just simple, ­polished stainless steel that reflects endless possibilities.

“It can take you into the future but it also reflects Memory, so if you stand in between them, you see from the past 30 years – the journey – to possibilities of what the future can give. This ­sculpture was essential for this show because it represents a conclusion but also a new start.”

artslife@thenational.ae

UAE residents, many of whom face a long commute each day, turn to a tried and tested wake-up option to supplement their morning coffee.

It features a solid base of upbeat tunes, a dash of local news, a spoonful of friendly banter and a sprinkling of competitions – which together make up the potent concoction we call breakfast radio.

For many listeners, it is what makes the rush-hour traffic bearable.

Radio is experiencing something of a new golden age, this time propelled by a surge of digital listeners.

According to Statista, online-radio revenue grew at a steady rate of 28 per cent per year from 2006 to 2013. Audience figures have risen in the Middle East, India and the United States. In the United Kingdom, for example, 75 per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds listen to radio online, according to data compiled by Unesco.

A media-monitoring report by Northwestern University in Qatar last year suggested the UAE has one of the most sophisticated radio ­markets in the region.

The country has the most radio stations, ­covering a variety of languages, which reach about 80 per cent of the population.

About 62 per cent of those listeners tune into a morning show, many of them listening on car radios during their morning commute, according to the media-measurement company Ipsos Connect.

At Arabian Radio Network (ARN), the ­early-morning presenters arrive at the station before the sun comes up, some still in their nightwear, sleepy-eyed and groggy.

They gather in the studios for a content meeting at 5am, shortly before the show starts.

As soon as the “On Air” sign lights up in the soundproof booths, any lingering lethargy dissipates and the airwaves are filled with energetic voices.

“I don’t think it ever gets easy waking up at 4am,” says Kris Fade, host of The Kris Fade Show on Virgin Radio Dubai. “But once we are here and we start talking about the show, we are revved up.

“And once that light goes on, you have to forget your day, your issues and be energetic for the audience. They don’t want to hear someone depressed and grumpy on the radio.”

Fade, who presents the show with Priti ­Malik and producer Big Rossi, says the morning show helps to set the mood for a day. “The morning show is where the focus is,” he says. “If you have a strong morning show, the whole station grows off it. If you can capture the listeners’ attention in the morning, they will be tuned in the entire day.”

Fade’s show features the latest chart-topping English-language pop music, lots of discussion about events and concerts in the UAE, plus celebrity gossip and interviews.

“The basic outline of what we want on the show is planned a week in advance,” says Rossi. “But the daily conversations on the radio are totally unscripted.”

Fade says key elements to a successful morning show are honesty and authenticity.

“You’ve got to be real, so we talk about everything that is happening in our lives, because we know someone out there listening to us is going through the same thing,” says the host, who started presenting the show six years ago.

“So we’ve spoken about my divorce, and ­Priti’s husband proposed to her live on radio. We also have had callers reveal the most absurd things to us.”

The Business Breakfast crew in the Dubai Eye studio next door at ARN are prepping for a different kind of morning show. It keeps the corporate crowd abreast of happenings in the worlds of business and finance.

Malcolm Taylor, who hosts the show with Brandy Scott and Richard Dean, says they ­target listeners over the age of 25.

“We have a lot of people tell us that when they are driving their kids to school they listen to Virgin or Dubai 92, and the minute they drop them off, they tune in to our station,” he says.

Vasti Kahn, the show’s producer, steers the content of the three-hour show.

“It is a fairly set format, with local and ­international news, banking hour and up to four interviews,” she says.

Content is king on morning shows, but the chemistry of the presenters is what creates a loyal audience for the channels.

Dance FM, which launched in November, ­revived an old morning favourite, Danny Cee’s Rude Awakening. The show went off the air last summer after a change of management at ­Radio 1, where it had built up a following.

Daniel Creighton, who conceived and hosts the show, is now joined by Katie Overy to ­present dance hits and stories from Dubai and around the world.

“It is always difficult to find someone with chemistry on a breakfast show,” says ­Creighton.

“I knew Katie from before and we brought her in to test her voice and it worked. We were looking for someone who has a similar sense of humour, and someone who gets the idea of the station and where the show is going.”

Overy says the show resonates with listeners because they invite people on air to share their stories and experiences.

“That is important for us,” she says. “We have a lot of people travel long distances with us. And it is important that we include people from all emirates,” she says.

“We recently had a caller who lives in Abu Dhabi and travels to Al Ain every day, and we accompany him every single day.”

Creighton believes morning shows are popular because the presenters become companions to commuters.

“People in the UAE work really hard and long hours,” he says.

“And when in transit, in their cars or on the Metro, they are alone. Whether they are listening to the radio or on a digital platform, they want to know what is happening in the country and the world. That is what breakfast radio does well.”

Donna Al Busaidy, a 36-year-old trade marketing manager from Dubai, listens to Radio 2 each morning on her 30-minute drive to work.

“I mainly listen to Radio 1 because of the old-school tunes,” she says of the channel, which plays music from the 1980s and 1990s. “It definitely makes my drive more bearable, but I also tune in for the news and traffic updates.

“I like variety in the morning shows: music, games and chat. I also think I can relate to ­English presenters more because they know more about what is going on back in the UK and I understand their sense of humour.”

Mark Wigget, programming director of the morning show on Radio 1, says for a show to be a hot it should put listeners in a positive mood.

“We want to make Radio 1 a vibrant ­channel by playing the latest hits, and make the ­content relevant to people,” he says.

“At the same time, we want them to start their day right by making a fun show.”

Fans of Radio Mirchi tune in to hear R J ­Mohit’s Bollywood “gupshup” (small talk) and funny polls.

“He always has something funny up his sleeve and we can call and pitch in, too,” says Radhika Mehta, an Abu Dhabi resident who works in Dubai.

“I think his show has a good balance of music and talk about Bollywood, which I love.”

The host of the show, Mohit Dantre, says ­getting the balance right is tricky.

“People are just waking up, so you don’t want to be super-loud, but can’t be low either,” he says. “There has to be entertainment, but it also has to be informative.”

Dantre and his producers comb social media and the newspapers to find trends and local issues to discuss with listeners. He believes radio will always be a popular because of its accessibility.

“I love how it is a passive medium, so it is on all the time – in your car during your drive, on your phone or laptop in the office while you are working, or at home in the background while you complete chores,” he says.​

aahmed@thenational.ae

Alma Mahler was described by one Viennese contemporary, Siegfried Lipiner, as “spiteful, vain and overbearing”. The philosopher Theodor Adorno called her a “monster”. And Marietta Torberg, the wife of writer Friedrich Torberg, said she was “a grande dame and, at the same time, a cesspool”.

This is largely how history remembers Mahler, the beautiful, intelligent wife of composer Gustav Mahler.

Her life spanned two world wars, taking in marriages to architect ­Walter Gropius, head of the legendary Bauhaus school, and celebrated author Franz Werfel – so it is perhaps not surprising that historians (and gossips) love to dine out on her story.

But there is another side to her – one that rarely gets much attention: Alma the composer.

If you are not familiar with her work, that is hardly surprising, because only 17 of her compositions survive.

Rarely performed and largely forgotten, they nonetheless have their fans. One of them is rising opera star Kate Lindsey, who has selected two of ­Alma’s works for her debut album, Thousands of Miles, which was released on Friday.

“After their marriage ceremony, Gustav Mahler told Alma that there couldn’t be two composers in the family,” Lindsey says. “She followed orders, but I imagine there was a deep, even frustrated, creative voice within her that never truly died.

“Instead of being the ‘creator’ herself, she became the muse and support to some of the great creative minds in the decades to follow. Her voice had to emerge through the support she showed her husbands and lovers.”

Born in 1879 to a privileged family in Vienna, Alma displayed a natural flair for composition as a young woman and received lessons from Alexander von Zemlinsky, before she was forced to quit following her engagement to Gustav when she was 22.

“The role of composer, the worker’s role, falls to me,” he told her. “Yours is that of a loving companion and understanding partner … I’m asking a very great deal – and I can and may do so because I know what I have to give and will give in exchange.”

It is amazing to read such words today. In 19th-century Europe, feminism was as alien a concept as an iPhone, and female composers were pretty much non-existent.

What this denial did to Alma is hard to imagine. It is something that touched a nerve with leading UAE composer Mohammed Fairouz, who has written about the prejudice women still face in the world of classical-­music.

“I think Alma Mahler became the ‘other’ Mahler very quickly, just because of her gender,” Fairouz says. “She was an excellent composer. I think she was even more impressive given the fact that she attained an extraordinary level of excellence – despite not being given the opportunities her male counterparts were given.

“In many ways, she surpassed the level, the expectations, that her male counterparts attained.”

Lindsey reveals that her interest in Alma’s music and life story stretches back many years.

“Her music is thick and full of passion and yearning – both in her choice of text and her own composition,” she says. “I’m continuously struck by the immense skill and intelligence she possessed in her writing at such a young age.

“For a pianist, her music is actually quite challenging to play, which makes me imagine what she could have accomplished had she continued to compose throughout her lifetime.”

In 2011, Fairouz and Lindsey collaborated on the song cycle Jeder Mensch, for which the pair chose sections of Alma’s writings taken from her letters and diaries. Fairouz set them to music for Lindsey to perform.

Talking about the work, Fairouz says that describing Alma’s views on love and her views on spirituality was important to him, “as was, I think, describing her role as a woman in the world – not feeling free”.

While Alma’s history is heavily influenced by the way it was seen through the dominant male eyes of the day, she also played her own part in sabotaging it.

Following Gustav’s death, it is known that she destroyed some letters to protect her reputation. Both her 1957 autobiography and her diary also played rather loose with the facts, leading one biographer, Oliver Hilmes, to claim in his 2015 book, Malevolent Muse: The Life of Alma Mahler, that “Alma’s life achievement consisted of the composition of her own legend”.

But what if this promising composer had been allowed to take a different, creative path?

“I grieve that we didn’t get the chance to see the ways in which ­Alma’s voice could have stood at the front of a great body of work, all her own,” Lindsey says.

Certainly, there is a sense that had Alma been a man, her reputation might be very different today.

“She was an ambitious woman; a very smart woman, a very accomplished woman,” Fairouz says. ­”Unfortunately, that made her somebody who had to pay a likeability tax.”

Five more composers who did not need to write much music to be revered

Suor Leonora d’Este (1515-75)

The name might not ring any bells, but Suor Leonora d’Este has an impressive claim for fame. She was the only surviving daughter of Lucrezia Borgia, the scheming aristocrat whose exploits inspired The Borgias TV series. Suor spent almost 60 years in a convent and no paintings of her survive. But musicologist professor Laurie Stras believes she was the composer of a daring and beautiful 23-part motet Salve sponsa Dei (Bride of Christ), published anonymously in 1543.

Edgar Varèse (1883-1965)

Frenchman Edgar Varèse has a towering reputation as the godfather of electronic music. After settling in New York, the composer quickly adapted his music to speak of the modern machine age. Compositions such as Integrales, Ionisation and Déserts build up masses of sound and include effects such as wailing sirens and taped effects. With his influence stretching to the likes of Frank Zappa and Harrison Birtwistle, it is amazing to think his surviving works can almost fit onto two CDs.

Paul Dukas (1865-1935)

Would we still be talking about French composer Paul Dukas if his most famous work, L’apprenti Sorcier (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice), hadn’t ended up in Disney’s Fantasia? Almost certainly. The fun of seeing a flustered Mickey Mouse flood his basement thanks to a botched spell is hard to forget – but so is Ducas’s catchy melody and rip-roaring orchestration. If this piece encourages you to explore more of the composer’s music, however, you will be in for a shock. The notorious perfectionist destroyed most of his adult works – only 14 survive, including an opera, Ariane et Barbe-bleue (Ariane and Bluebeard), a symphony and a ballet, La Péri (Peri).

Anton Webern (1883-1945)

Three composers led a charge during which the 19th-century’s lush Romantic sounds were ripped apart by atonal modernism: Arnold Schoenberg and his pupils Anton Webern and Alban Berg. They shocked Vienna when they jettisoned “tunes” and tradition during the early 1900s. Arguably the most radical of the three, Webern adopted a singular style that created shock waves throughout the rest of the century (even Schoenberg’s arch enemy, Igor Stravinsky, eventually warmed). Notoriously concise, with some compositions only coming in at a few minutes long, only 31 of his works were published in his lifetime – together, they can be played in just a few hours.

Alban Berg (1885-1935)

The youngest of the three Viennese modernists (see above), Alban Berg was perhaps the most commercially successful. His career started rather late (he began formal musical training with Schoenberg in 1904), and ended all too early (he died at the age of 50 from blood poisoning caused by an insect sting), but although only 18 or so mature works exist, they all pack a punch. Unlike those written by his associates Schoenberg and Webern, Berg’s compositions aren’t just hugely influential, but they can also pull in the crowds – especially the operas Lulu and Wozzeck, and the elegiac Violin Concerto.

artslife@thenational.ae

From retro shades to bronzing powder, we take a look at the latest rose gold inspired products.

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Eyewear of the moment

Retro shades are all the rage for spring/summer. Get inspired by rosy pink shades: dramatic frames with cat-eye shapes or timeless aviators with tinted lenses. Shopbop has a range of styles, from the likes of Karen Walker, Quay and Elizabeth and James.

• Available at www.shopbop.com; from Dh810

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Festive glow

Beachgoers and yacht partiers can rejoice, because part of Guerlain’s Terracotta range for summer is the first waterproof version of the brand’s bronzing powder. Your glow will stay throughout the day, without any post-dip touch-ups.

• Available at major cosmetic and perfume outlets; Dh250

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Ramadan fashion

Pop-up bazaar SoPritti and Dubai-based boutique Ensemble present a Ramadan exhibition this weekend. Shop for glamorous pieces from Indian and Pakistani designers such as Deepak Perwani, Sania Maskatiya and Pallavi Puri.

• Tomorrow, 10am to 9pm, Godolphin Ballroom, Emirates Towers, Dubai

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Picnic-basket style

High-end brands such as Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo and Mark Cross have debuted handbags crafted from wicker and straw for summer. Zara has jumped on the bandwagon, giving you a chance to shop the trend at a far more attainable price point.

• Available at Zara stores across the UAE; from Dh199

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Footwear frenzy

This season, the espadrille gets a glamorous update with three-dimensional floral embellishments, beads and pearls. The best part is that you don’t need a big budget to score a pair. Head to your local Shoe Mart store at Centrepoint.

• Available at Shoe Mart stores across the UAE; from Dh155

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Summer skincare

The latest range from Laura Mercier, Balancing Act, comprises two cleanser products to hydrate and refresh. Crème Cleanser features coconut oil, while Gel Cleanser contains oat extract.

• Available at Laura Mercier, Galleria Mall, Dubai; from Dh135

Hlodi@thenational.ae

Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for May 13, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. Aarti Jhurani rounds up 10 things to do today in the UAE.

Want to see your event listed here? Email us with the details and contact information at listings@thenational.ae

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Abu Dhabi

Pop-up market

Head to the Al Seef Mall Pop-Up Market hosted by La Loupe. The first indoor event of the season, it features wares from more than 30 UAE-based vendors, dining options, henna and music.

Today, 11am to 7pm, Al Seef Mall, Off Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street, Abu Dhabi, www.facebook.com/laloupeauh

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Abu Dhabi

Book sale

Head to Alliance Française Abu Dhabi for their book sale. At Dh5 a book, take your pick from a wide variety, including novels, plays and French learning books.

Today, 9.30am to 5pm, free, Alliance Française Abu Dhabi, off 32nd Street, near Irish Embassy, www.afabudhabi.org

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Abu Dhabi

Sports package

Stay active with the summer offerings at Al Forsan International Sports Resort. The Sports and Dining package offers a 15-minute karting session, 150 paintball experience, 30-minute archery session, 30-minute laser shooting and 25 shots with a 22 calibre pistol, as well as a set menu at either Como Italian Café or Kishi Asian Fusion restaurant. There is also the Sports and Fun package that includes a 15-minute karting session, 150 paintball experience, 30-minute archery session and a choice of 30-minute laser shooting or 25 shots with a 22 calibre pistol.

Until August 31, 9am to 11pm, Dh150 for the Sports and Dining offer, Dh110 for the Sports and Fun package, Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, 800 25367726, www.alforsan.com

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Dubai

Kids’ fun

Visit The Mermaid Reef at the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, where children can transform themselves into the magical sea creatures with makeover sessions that include make-up, costume and hairstyling, plus they can take home a hair accessory and souvenir photo. Additionally, Mermaids of Arabia will highlight the importance of marine sustainability. Underwater-mermaid-performance artist Hannah Fraser and champion freediver Marina Kazankova will stage a show in the main aquarium tank on weekends and hold meet and greets.

Daily, 11am to 9pm daily for makeovers, Dh200; noon to 8pm for meet and greets, Dh140, both experiences include Researcher access, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, The Dubai Mall, Dubai, 04 448 5200, www.thedubaiaquarium.com

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Nationwide

New film

In The Rezort, after humanity wins a war against the zombies, a few of the undead are kept on a secure island, where they are hunted for sport. But when something goes wrong with the island’s security, the guests face the possibility of a new zombie outbreak. Horror, directed by Steve Barker, starring Dougray Scott, Jessica De Gouw and Martin McCann.

Screening at cinemas across the UAE. (PG15)

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Dubai

Comedy show

Catch the final two shows of the urban comedy series Laugh-a-Thon, which features top acts from India. At 7pm, popular stand-up comic Abish Mathew (pictured) presents his set featuring original songs and silent, one-man sketches. At 9pm, Zakir Khan brings his new-era slapstick comedy that takes on themes of adulthood, dating and family. Mathew performs in English and Khan performs in Hindi.

Tonight, 7pm for Abish Mathew; 9pm for Zakir Khan, from Dh150; Dh225 for both, Centrepoint Theatre, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, www.platinumlist.net

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Dubai

Shopping event

Shop from collections of more than 50 Indian and Pakistani designers at SoPritti and Ensemble Dubai’s Ramadan Souk. Exhibiting designers include duo Rimple and Harpreet Narula, who are designing costumes for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film Padmavati; actor-turned-fashion designer Deepak Parwani; jewellery designer Queenie Singh (pictured, left) who counts Kim Kardashian, Naomi Campbell and Priyanka Chopra among her clients; “The King of Colours” Nomi Ansari; and Sania Mastakiya, who is famous for her minimalistic silhouettes and feminine embellishments.

Today, 10am to 9pm, free, Godolphin Ballroom, Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, <URL destination=”http://www.facebook.com/sopritti “>www.facebook.com/sopritti</CHARACTER>

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Dubai

Workshop

Sign up for the workshop Living and Working in the UAE. Hosted by Eton Institute in partnership with ExpatConnect, the session aims to promote awareness about the UAE culture, Ramadan etiquette and basic knowledge of Arabic.

Wednesday, 6pm to 8pm, free with registration, Conference Room 3, Block 1, Dubai Knowledge Park, for more information and to register visit <URL destination=”http://etoninstitute.com/event/free-workshop-living-working-uae “>etoninstitute.com/event/free-workshop-living-working-uae

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Dubai

Fitness talk

Attend a talk by Essa Al Ansari as part of the Flow Talk Series. A popular fixture on the local wellness scene, with more than 45,000 followers on Instagram, Al Ansari will detail the story of his weight-loss – a journey that started four years ago when he weighed 130 kilograms. Now 70 kgs lighter, he is on a mission to inspire the UAE’s younger generation by championing the importance of healthy diet and physical activity. The Flow Talk Series features a bi-monthly schedule of talks hosted by the country’s influencers, entrepreneurs and tycoons.

Today, 3.30pm, free with registration, Flow, Jumeirah Emirates Tower, Trade Centre Area, Dubai, register at www.flow.com/talkseries

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Dubai

Support group

Attend the first meeting of an IVF and fertility support group. Founded by Cassie Destino in association with Bourn Hall Fertility Centre, the meet helps couples struggling with fertility challenges come together and share their experiences and concerns. Participants can also learn more about the latest advances in fertility treatments and UAE laws related to the subject. Free consultation and counselling will be provided to attendees.

Today, 4pm to 6pm, free, Bourn Hall Fertility Centre, 7th floor, Block C, Al Hudaiba Awards building, Jumeirah 2, Dubai, RSVP jannat.a@bournhall-clinic.com

listings@thenational.ae

It’s there in the window of practically every high-street store – the trendy kimono, often flaunting an incredibly appealing tropical print. Patterned with palm tree fronds, flamingos and botanical florals in bloom, you may be tempted by the fabulous print, but weary about actually wearing it outside the house. Though the pyjama trend may certainly be stylish, the last thing you want to do is look like you have mistakenly left home in your loungewear robe.

Often, we can overthink the stying of an outfit. Our brains work on overtime, envisioning the various other items in our wardrobe that the design will match, as we attempt to create mental images of potential outfits. But with kimonos, this is absolutely the wrong strategy to take. It’s quite simple really, requiring the most basic attire: a plain T-shirt and a pair of skinny jeans.

Add more layers than that, and you risk looking like your outfit is overly layered, over-thought and overall, the opposite of effortless. Kimonos, in my opinion, should look like they were thrown on haphazardly; an afterthought, if you will.

Kimonos come in various lengths, so choose the one that you’re most comfortable with. If you don’t want to look too theatrical, avoid ankle-length versions and choose calf-length designs instead.

Footwear-wise, your instinct may be to give yourself some height, and to give some breathing room between your kimono hem and the floor, but I find that simple white trainers, stylish slides and Gucci-style slippers look more natural.

If you want to tap into the kimono trend, this is the best time, because Ramadan is only a short time away. Whether you’re a Muslim looking for an alternative to the abaya to wear to the mosque or while praying, or an expat looking for ways to respect the culture with a more conservative ensemble, a kimono will undoubtedly come in handy.

hlodi@thenational.ae

Transitioning from college to the workplace can be daunting, but not so for Sara ­Alahbabi, who, with a major in visual arts, opened an art gallery in Abu ­Dhabi earlier this month.

Located in The Galleria on Al Maryah Island, Novus Art ­Gallery showcases unique pieces from the likes of French sculptor Richard Orlinski and Italian mixed-media painter Marco ­Angelini.

“The gallery houses around 30 pieces,” Alahbabi says. “Some of the artists have never been presented in the Middle East, but they are all very established and their works are collectibles.”

Alahbabi, who graduated from NYU Abu Dhabi last year, launched the gallery to help boost the capital’s art scene, which she believes lags behind that of neighbouring Dubai.

“I always felt like Abu Dhabi needed more,” she says. “The Louvre will open on ­Saadiyat ­Island soon and then the ­Guggenheim. The city will be an amazing artistic place in the next 10 years, but we need smaller ­local galleries to help achieve that.”

As well as overseeing the gallery launch with her father, Alahbabi works full time at the Abu ­Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority as a content developer. Determined to put her artistic talents to use post graduation, when she saw the job advertised, she applied straight away.

“I was very, very excited,” she says. “I really worked hard to get the job and couldn’t wait for them to get back to me.

“At NYU Abu Dhabi, I was part of the Louvre Abu Dhabi ­[Student] Ambassador Programme, and through that, I got to know people at TCA. I felt like I belonged there. It felt like it was my job.”

In February, Alahbabi, who was born and raised in the capital, learnt that her application had been successful.

“It’s not always easy to find a job in the art industry,” she says. “I’m so lucky to have secured something that lets me utilise my creative skills.”

In her role in the education department, Alahbabi writes and compiles activity guides and learning kits for teachers and students. She helps educate the community about Abu Dhabi’s history and culture, as well as its upcoming contemporary art.

“At the Guggenheim exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat, we’ve produced little booklets that are helpful to teachers visiting on field trips with students,” she says. “The literature takes them on a journey to better understand the exhibition.”

Alahbabi also runs workshops. At Galleries Week in Abu Dhabi last month, she led three interactive talks, each based on pieces that were on display at the week-long event.

“The workshops were inspired by certain art pieces like water colours, spray paintings or collages,” she says. “There was also a beginners’ class on calligraphy; a very simple workshop for kids to imitate the art works and be inspired by them.

“It’s very difficult to jump straight into being a full-time artist after college. It’s good to explore alternative ways of incorporating art into your career.

“To be able to teach, to maintain my culture and to nurture the arts within Abu Dhabi, is amazing. Every day I wake up happy because my job is so rewarding.”

While waiting for a response to her job application, ­Alahbabi interned at Abu Dhabi Arts ­Department, part of TCA. There she learnt she had been nominated for the prestigious ­Salama bint Hamdan Al ­Nahyan ­Emerging Artists ­Fellowship. The year-long course, in ­partnership with the Rhode Island School of Design, supports 15 promising artists from a visual arts discipline in the UAE.

“I received an email to say that I had been anonymously nominated,” she explains. “So I applied for the programme with examples of my work. I attended the interview last summer and then I was accepted. Every other month, professors from the ­Rhode Island School of Design visit us in Abu Dhabi for a teaching week. In the month they’re not there, we work on various assignments they have set.”

The programme enables ­Alahbabi to explore the mediums she likes most and the style of art she would like to pursue throughout her career. “I’m also interested in art theory,” she says.”The course is helping me to decide which avenue to take.”

With a promising career in front of her, Alahbabi has a few words of wisdom for this year’s art graduates: “Always be thirsty for opportunities. Any opportunity, no matter what it is, just grab it. If you don’t get it, that’s fine. It means that something better is on the way.

“I also stress failure,” she says. “If you don’t fail, you’re not going to make it. Failure shapes your personality; it shapes how you respond to rejection and it teaches you patience. There’s more positivity than negativity in failure.”

Who’s your favourite artist?

Gregory Crewdson is my favourite conceptual photographer. He constructs cinematic snapshots of American life in the 80s. I aspire to do something similar, but in the context of the UAE.

Which of your own paintings is your favourite?

The oil piece I created as part of my exaggerated stereotype photography series at NYUAD. It exaggerates the idea of Arabs having oil barrels in their backyard.

If you could take your family anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Two places: South Africa and Madagascar [pictured]. They’re just completely different experiences. They have new and rich cultures that I’d like to learn more about, and environments that I admire.

What’s your favourite food?

Burgers from food trucks. There’s a real trend for food trucks at the moment and lots of them are Emirati. I’m so proud. Meylas [pictured] is one of my favourites.

If you could sit and have coffee with anyone dead or alive, who would you choose?

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed [Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces]. I think he has an amazing vision and a humbleness to him that I have never seen or heard in anyone [else]. It would be a wonderful experience to meet him.

What’s you favourite place in the UAE?

All of Abu Dhabi because my family is scattered around the emirate. It’s very nostalgic for me.

Where do you most like to create art?

A lot of my art is photography-based, so I visit many different locations. I think of an idea, get out of my comfort zone and just do it.

What’s your favourite city to visit to see art?

New York has amazing galleries. MoMA is my favourite. Starry Night [pictured] by Van Gogh is my favourite painting in New York.

weekend@thenational.ae

Ever since Sheikh ­Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, stated that they wanted every Emirati, no matter their background, to complete their education and contribute to the advancement of the UAE’s society, education has played a pivotal role in fulfilling that dream.

The concepts of nationalisation and Emiratisation vary from entity to entity. However, I feel that its essence has been lost in translation. Both terms mean the development of the Emirati national and not just putting them in jobs that would cover a quota. The concept of training and guiding them to achieve career goals was at the forefront of what both rulers were talking about.

I created ALF Administration in 2011 based on that speech. The company is focused on the development and training of Emiratis so that they can find jobs that suit their needs and interests, and above all, allow them to create a career-development plan. Our goal is to redefine how ­organisations approach nationalisation and Emiratisation. One size doesn’t fit all.

One major problem is that many Emiratis, despite differences in interests or education levels, are often placed in one stereotypical job, and only a few of them move on to further positions.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid once said he was tired of seeing Emiratis as tellers in banks or meeter and greeters at airports, and wanted to see them in positions that were strategic and pivotal to the country’s advancement. Each time, he has asked them how long they had been in this position. Some had been there as long as 10 years. This not only is demotivating, but also adds no value for the organisation. When you think about it, the true experience is just one year, and the remaining nine years is doing the same job over and over.

Companies will benefit if they develop career plans for these Emiratis, organise training programmes or encourage them to complete their education so they can move up the career ladder.

We work in conjunction with organisations to make sure they develop the Emiratis who work for them. Most Emiratis just require a little push and the understanding of a person willing to watch them grow and develop, even if that means they might replace that person in the organisation when they’re fully developed.

The only way nationalisation and Emiratisation can truly be realised is if a company is willing to develop Emiratis. We will refuse jobs if we feel there’s no ­developmental outcome or career path for the person. How can we add value if value isn’t wanted or needed? We believe the importance of understanding what it means to “add value” to an organisation will allow Emiratis to perform above and beyond their capabilities, as long as they believe and feel that the company is looking out for them.

Another concern is when ­Emiratis are hired for jobs that don’t exist, which is a big failure in terms of national development. How can anyone be expected to perform when there is no clear role or job description? Most expats come to the country with a job – a role that they can add value to – and this gives them satisfaction and a sense of belonging and achievement. Unfortunately, some organisations won’t have the same approach when it comes to Emiratis, then are surprised when they don’t perform to expectation.

When asked whether my company will be around for years to come, the answer is always the same. We hope all companies implement what we teach so we don’t need to be around and can watch Emiratis develop for the advancement of our country.

* Omaira Al Olama

Omaira Al Olama is the managing director of ALF Administration, a training company that prepares Emiratis for the workplace.

If you have a good story to tell or an interesting issue to debate, contact Amanda Tomlinson on atomlinson@thenational.ae.

The UAE hotel group Rotana opened its second property in Erbil, Iraq, this week. The Erbil Arjaan by Rotana is an alcohol-free property situated on the northern edge of the city. The Erbil Rotana, which opened six years ago, is on the western side of the city, and both are a 10-minute drive from the airport. The new hotel has 168 hotel apartments, two restaurants, extensive office facilities and a Bodylines fitness and wellness club. Rooms cost from US$164 (Dh602) per night, including taxes. For more information, visit www.rotana.com

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Millennium Plaza Doha opens in Qatar

Millennium & Copthorne has opened its fourth hotel in Qatar, on the western side of the capital’s business district. The Millennium Plaza Doha has 232 rooms, a spa, conference centre and several restaurants. Rooms cost from Dh282 per night, including taxes. For more information, visit www.millenniumhotels.com

Check in to new onsen in Japan

Travellers to Japan can now check into a designer modern ryokan-style hotel in Hakone, two hours south of Tokyo. Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu is an onsen (Japanese hot spring) resort surrounded by forest, close to Mount Hakone. It has 150 rooms and a large outdoor hot-spring infinity pool. Rooms cost from 60,600 yen (Dh1,952) per night, including taxes, half-board. For more information, visit www.hakone-tenyu.com.

All aboard for latest luxury train

Also in Japan, a new luxury train is now travelling on one-, two- and three-day itineraries north-east from Tokyo, from $3,000 (Dh11,019) per person, per night. The Train Suite Shiki-Shima carries 34 passengers in 17 suites, and travels at the modest speed of 110kph. It has glass observatory carriages at either end, while the top suites feature Japanese cypress-wood baths, fresh flower arrangements and Swarovski binoculars. Trips are already sold out until 2018; booking applications can still be made at www.jreast.co.jp/shiki-shima

rbehan@thenational.ae