P6

Offbeat A tribe of monkeys that has lived in Germany for generations regularly hangs out with academics eager to find out more about them.

P16

Community A large number of people attended the Sohni Dharti Mango Festival in Al Khor recently.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016 Shawwal 21, 1437 AH

DOHA

34°C—40°C TODAY

LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 11

PUZZLES 12 & 13

A QUESTION OF ETHICS: People have been using all sorts of locations, including cemeteries, to indulge the game, inviting a backlash.

COVER STORY

Question marks The runaway success of the augmented reality game Pokemon Go begs the question: How augmented should reality be? P4-5

2

GULF TIMES Tuesday, July 26, 2016

COMMUNITY

ROUND & ABOUT

PRAYER TIME Fajr Shorooq (sunrise) Zuhr (noon) Asr (afternoon) Maghreb (sunset) Isha (night)

3.32am 4.58am 11.40am 3.07pm 6.25pm 7.55pm

USEFUL NUMBERS

Emergency 999 Worldwide Emergency Number 112 Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991 Local Directory 180 International Calls Enquires 150 Hamad International Airport 40106666 Labor Department 44508111, 44406537 Mowasalat Taxi 44588888 Qatar Airways 44496000 Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222, 44393333 Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555, 44845464 Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050 Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333 Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444 Humanitarian Services Office (Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies) Ministry of Interior 40253371, 40253372, 40253369 Ministry of Health 40253370, 40253364 Hamad Medical Corporation 40253368, 40253365 Qatar Airways 40253374

ote Unquote u Q Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth. — Chanakya

Community Editor Kamran Rehmat e-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 44466405 Fax: 44350474

Star Trek Beyond GENRE: Action, Adventure CAST: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban DIRECTION: Justin Lin SYNOPSIS: Star Trek Beyond, the highly anticipated next instalment in the globally popular Star Trek franchise, created by Gene Roddenberry and reintroduced by JJ Abrams in 2009, returns with director Justin Lin (The Fast and the Furious

Alice Through the Looking Glass GENRE: Adventure, Family CAST: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter DIRECTION: James Bobin SYNOPSIS: Alice returns to the whimsical world of Wonderland and travels back in time to help the Mad

Mall Cinema (1): Alice Through The Looking Glass (2D) 11am; Kabali (Tamil) 1pm; Monkey King: Hero Is Back (2D) 3.30pm; Alice Through The Looking Glass (2D) 5pm; The Conjuring 2 (2D) 7pm; Central Intelligence (2D) 9.30pm; Kabali (Tamil) 11.15pm. Mall Cinema (2): Kabali (Tamil) 11.30am; Kabali (Tamil) 2.30pm; Finding Dory (2D) 5.15pm; Alice Through The Looking Glass (2D) 7pm; Star Trek Beyond (2D) 9pm; Madaari (Hindi) 11.15pm. Mall Cinema (3): Madaari (Hindi) 11.30am; Kabali (Tamil) 2pm; Silah El Talamiz (Arabic)

franchise) at the helm of this epic voyage of the USS Enterprise and her intrepid crew. The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test. A surprise attack in outer space forces the Enterprise to crash-land on a mysterious world. The assault came from Krall (Idris Elba), a lizard-like

Hatter. After slipping through a mirror, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) finds herself back in Underland with the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Her friends tell her that the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) is in a funk over the loss of his family.

dictator who derives his energy by sucking the life out of his victims. Krall needs an ancient and valuable artefact that’s aboard the badly damaged starship. Left stranded in a rugged wilderness, Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the crew must now battle a deadly alien race while trying to find a way off their hostile planet. THEATRES: The Mall, Royal Plaza Hoping to save his loved ones, Alice steals the Chronosphere from Time (Sacha Baron Cohen) to travel into the past. While there, she encounters the younger Hatter and the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Alice learns of an event in Iracebeth’s and Mirana’s past that caused friction between the two and travels back in time again, hoping it will change Iracebeth’s ways and stop the Jabberwocky from killing the Hatter’s family. She learns that the hat that the Mad Hatter thought his father threw away was actually treasured by his father. Meanwhile, she meets the White Queen and the Red Queen as sisters. Mirana steals a tart from her mother and eats it. When confronted by their mother, Mirana lies about eating the tart, and Iracebeth is accused, causing her to run out of the castle. Alice sees that Iracebeth is about to run into a clock, the event that deforms her head and personality. Alice prevents that collision but fails to change the past, as Iracebeth trips and slams her head into a stone wall instead. THEATRES: The Mall, Royal Plaza

1pm; Finding Dory (2D) 3pm; Monkey King: Hero Is Back (2D) 5pm; Star Trek Beyond (2D) 7pm; Alice Through The Looking 5pm; Star Trek Beyond (2D) 7pm; Madaari (Hindi) 9pm; The Glass (2D) 9.15pm; Madaari (Hindi) 11.30pm. Conjuring 2 (2D) 11.30pm. Royal Plaza Cinema Palace Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): Ghosbusters (2D) 12.30pm; (1): Monkey King: Hero Is Back Silah El Talamiz (Arabic) 2.30pm; (2D) 11.30pm; Madaari (Hindi) Central Intelligence (2D) 1.30pm; Alice Through The 4.30pm; Abo Shanab (Arabic) Looking Glass (2D) 4pm; Alice Through The Looking Glass (2D) 6.30pm; The Conjuring 2 (2D) 6pm; Kabali (Tamil) 8pm; Kabali 9pm; The Conjuring 2 (2D) 11.30pm. (Tamil) 11pm. Asian Town Cinema: Kabali Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): Star Trek Beyond (2D) 11am; (Tamil) 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11pm & Monkey King: Hero Is Back (2D) 12am; Madaari (Hindi) 6.45pm.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Blood Donation Camp DATE: Aug 5 TIME: 8am-4pm VENUE: Aster Medical Centre, Industrial area Care & Aware, a joint charitable venture of Aster Medical Centre, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Wellcare Group and KMCC Kozhikode District Committee, is organising a Blood Donation Drive to raise awareness on the importance of blood donation among the public with the support of Hamad Medical Corporation on August 5, 2016 from 8am to 4pm. The blood donation drive will be held at Aster Medical Centre, Industrial area. Peru Exhibition at Katara DATE: Ongoing TIME: 7pm VENUE: Katara Katara is collaborating with the Peruvian embassy for Qhapaq Nan, a photographic exhibition. The exhibition marks the addition of Peru to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (Unesco) world heritage list two years ago. The exhibition will start at 7pm at Building 19 Gallery 2 of Katara.

3

COMMUNITY

ROUND & ABOUT EVENTS

GULF TIMES

Garage Gallery DATE: Until November 1 TIME: 8pm VENUE: Spaces at the Fire Station The Artists in Residence exhibition is a culmination of an intensive nine-month programme, featuring works by eighteen local contemporary artists who have been working in the artist’s studios and spaces at the Fire Station since September 2015. The exhibition showcases new work and projects created by the artists during their residency period, shedding light on the development of their innovative ideas and diverse studio practices. Photographic, sculptural, and installation based artworks fill the Garage Gallery and showcase these talented artists. Heena Art DATE: Ongoing VENUE: Umm Ghuwalina Henna Art Crash course for kids ages 1221 in Doha, Qatar. Reservations are QR250. Whatsapp on 3317-4774 for more details. What you can expect to learn in these henna classes? 1) How to apply henna designs, 2) Henna tests everyday in the 2nd week. 3) A proof of your best henna designs will be awarded to you, 4) A batch of 3- 4 students in order to ensure full attention is given. Vacation Competition DATE: Until September 21 VENUE: FCC Office Women’s forum of Friends Cultural Centre has announced competitions for Qatarbased Malayalee Students of grades IV–XII. There are two competitions: Avadhikkalath, articles on vacation experiences, and Avadhikkalakazhchakal, a photography competition. The articles on vacation experiences should be prepared in Malayalam or in English with a minimum of 500 words. Photographs for the competition should be printed on A4 size art paper or photo paper. Pictures should not have been published before and should not be downloaded from the Internet. Entries for competitions need to be submitted to FCC Office on or before September 21. More details can be obtained by contacting telephone number 4466-1213.

Eidiah Tourist Festival DATE: Until July 30 TIME: 9pm VENUE: Qatar National Convention Centre A whole family entertainment and shopping experience under one roof! Opens from 9pm to 1am @eidiehqatar. Themed Summer Courses DATE: Until August 18 TIME: 9am-1pm VENUE: VCUQatar Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCUQatar) has announced the details of its art and design summer programme for children and high school students. It provides opportunities for young people to learn art and design skills who may not have access to them at their own schools, as well as other young people who want to further their artistic abilities during the summer holidays.

A Summer Workshop – Inspirational 66 DATE: Until August 4 TIME: 7.45-8.45pm VENUE: TCA Qatar, Doha Inspirational 66 focuses on life-skills for your child. Inspirational 66 promises to be a fun-filled and creative way for your child to approach life in a positive way. This workshop is designed to have the following goals: developing a sense of self, build confidence, improve communication skills and explore creative skills. TCA Science Summer Camp DATE: Until August 4 TIME: 8.30am-3.15pm VENUE: TCA, C Ring Road This camp aims to introduce young children to the mysteries of science, through hands on make and take projects with interactive experiments. For inquiries call 6652-3871.

Combination of Sun, Sand and Surfing DATE: Ongoing VENUE: Aqua Park For the first time ever in Qatar, it will be possible to ride up curved sidewalls at 90 degrees to the direction of the water flow. Giving visitors and especially surfing fanatics an amazing experience available at only one place in Qatar – Aqua Park. You can also take advantage of the extra free ticket you get anytime you buy two Stingray Tickets.

of specialist kid’s coaches and classes and activities are safe, planned, progressive, active, creative, inclusive and designed to maximize participation of all children by offering a variety of activities. Cake Decoration Classes DATE: Morning and evening VENUE: Tavola Royal Plaza, Al Saad Street Tavola offers a range of cake decorating and kitchen skills classes. Tavola is the only authorised Wilton method provider in the Middle East. Tavola conducts sugar crafting programmes and also offers programmes in baking and chocolate making. Bootcamp in Abu Hamour DATE: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday TIME: 6pm VENUE: Doha British School Located just minutes from Villaggio and a walk away from Ain Khalid Gate, the Doha British School campus is the new location for Bootcamp sessions. The training takes place on the main grass playing field surrounded by an athletics track. There are showers available and changing rooms.

Pottery workshop for kids DATE: Every Monday TIME: 5pm-6pm Kids will learn a new hand building technique for creating and finishing artworks in clay. For more call 44865201. Sketching with pencil and charcoal DATE: Sunday and Wednesday TIME: 5pm-6.30pm If you can hold a pencil, you can draw. Discover techniques to make your drawing more realistic. Every Saturday and Wednesday. Fitness Training DATE: Sunday, Tue, Thu TIME: 6pm-7pm VENUE: MIA Park There are fitness classes in the park on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights at 6 and 7pm. Open to all levels of fitness. Bootcamp is an intensive and fun way to train and also meet new people in the open and friendly group atmosphere. More information can be had by e-mailing info@ bootcampqatar.com

FOODIE CHOICE

Yamativo Salsa Classes DATE: Every Monday TIME: 7pm VENUE: Radisson Blu It’s always fun and always challenging. Let’s meet and learn some moves every Monday night. You don’t need to do anything, just join us. Level 1 (intermediate level) 7pm and for beginner level 8pm. Be there are Radisson Blu Hotel Cabana Club.

QSports Summer Camp DATE: Until Sept 1 TIME: 8am-1pm VENUE: Al Jazeera Academy Registration for QSports Summer Camp 2016 is now open. QSports summer camps are committed to providing a safe, fun and skill-based experience for kids between the ages of 4 and 14. We have a dedicated team

RESTAURANT: Agora Restaurant LOCATION: Grand Heritage Hotel Agora Restaurant offers a contemporary Turkish family dining experience with a difference. The cuisine at Agora is inspired by a blend of light spice from the Ottoman Imperial Court era, cuisine from the Black Sea region influenced by Balkan cookery, as well as some Mediterranean touches. Agora is a place where people can come together in lavish surroundings, to absorb a rich array of flavours and scents from Turkey, complemented by impeccable service.

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

4

GULF TIMES Tuesday, July 26, 2016

COMMUNITY

COVER STORY

Poking Pokemon Since the app’s launch, random locations have essentially become arcades for the mobile gaming set, attracting crowds of phone-toting players at all hours — but with lots of social questions, writes Alex Schiffer

WILL IT BE A PASSING FAD? Pokemon craze is evident across the globe three weeks since its launch.

T

he magic of Pokemon Go is in the way it overlays the Pokemon world atop the real world. Step outside and you’ll spot cartoonish creatures to capture. Head to a place where people congregate — say a park or a bus stop — and you’ll battle other players or encounter the rarest beasts. In nearly three weeks since the app’s launch, random locations have essentially become arcades for the mobile gaming set — attracting crowds of phone-toting players at all hours. That’s a problem for the University of California at Irvine Medical Center, which is the unenthusiastic host of five Pokemon hubs — dubbed gyms and Pokestops — across its campus.

“It’s just the beginning,” Darren Cahr, an intellectual property attorney in Chicago, says. “Five years from now, 10 years from now, people are going to look back at this as quaint and will be amazed at how far these things have really gone” “What we’re trying to do is discourage people who don’t have a legitimate reason to be at the hospital (from coming) here looking for Pokemon,” hospital spokesman John Murray said. The hospital wants out of the app — and it’s not alone. Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, DC, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City and the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland have asked visitors to stop playing out

of respect. Funeral homes sought an exclusion from the game as the blog Pokemon at Funerals shared images of people playing at services. Such conflicts have raised pressing questions about games and other products that blend the real world and the digital world using a technology called augmented reality. Exactly how much of reality should be augmented? “When people are being directed by the gameplay to

enter inappropriate or dangerous places, there are a whole host of different questions that need to be addressed whether or not the gameplay is to blame,” said Darren Cahr, an intellectual property attorney in Chicago. “No-one really knows how far people are going to push this.” Many in the gaming industry doubt it was the intention of Niantic Labs, which developed the game, to create uncomfortable situations at memorials or distractions for staff at hospitals.

The app usually designates geographic landmarks big and small as Pokestops and gyms. It knows the location of those sites based on data from Niantic’s first augmented reality game, Ingress. Ingress isn’t known for causing real-world problems or for its big audience. Analysts say the 3-year-old game has 1 million monthly users — a fraction of the 15 million Pokemon has racked up in just days. With such a difference in scale, there’s no way Niantic could have seen this coming, said Sunny Dhillon, a partner at Signia Venture Partners, a fund that invests in games involving augmented reality. “I’m willing to give the game developer the benefit of the doubt,” said Dhillon, who predicts engineers will tinker

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

5

COMMUNITY

COVER STORY with the game to help reduce these real-world faux pas. “A lot of the privacy issues were unanticipated.” Niantic launched the app without giving locations the ability to opt out. That hasn’t stopped many establishments, including UC Irvine Medical Center, from contacting the company asking to be left out. (UC Irvine Medical Center says it has not heard back from Niantic, and Niantic declined to comment for this story). Some tech experts predict Niantic will create a feature that allows establishments to opt out (though that could raise its own questions: Which requests coming from affected establishments are valid?) But because of the game’s huge success, some question whether those changes will come soon. Now that Pokemon Go is, by some estimates, the biggest-ever mobile game in the US, the San Francisco company has lots on its plate. Since its launch, there have been complaints about bugs and faulty servers that will probably take priority. Then there’s building the business side of the game with in-app purchases and advertising. Julia Ask, a media analyst at Forrester Inc., says it’s not Niantic’s place to tell people how to behave. She compared the situation with kids eating dinner with their phones out. Some parents would

GULF TIMES

SIGN OF THE TIMES: A sign at the Westland cemetery in Michigan says it all. ask them to put them away during the meal; others wouldn’t care. “It’s an old-fashioned value,” she said. “It’s more of a point of view of how people should experience their space. It’s a public space, and they can’t enforce that.” Both Ask and Cahr said

businesses that don’t wish to participate in the game should put up signs asking users not to play. Murray, of UC Irvine Medical Center, said the hospital is “developing some messages” to discourage gamers from entering the facility. But, he said, turning

away gamers shouldn’t be the hospital’s responsibility. Boosters of augmented reality predict more apps to use the technology in the coming years. The success of Pokemon Go suggests they’ll have a captive audience — and the potential for

real-world friction. “It’s just the beginning,” Cahr said. “Five years from now, 10 years from now, people are going to look back at this as quaint and will be amazed at how far these things have really gone.” —Los Angeles Times/TNS

After Pokemon, where does Nintendo go? By Troy Wolverton

I

f you’re like millions of other Americans, you’ve spent much of your last week or so playing Pokemon Go. But will it lead you to buy other Nintendo games or its next game console that will hit store shelves next year? That’s the multibillion-dollar question facing the venerable video game vendor after the runaway success of the augmented reality game that it helped conceive and which was developed by a company it partly owns. Down in the dumps for years, Nintendo desperately needed a success like Pokemon Go. But it’s anyone’s guess whether and to what degree the Japanese gamemaker will be able to capitalise on it. “It’s great to have a nice hit that gets all this attention around you, but it needs to be part of a long-term strategy,” said David Cole, president of DFC Intelligence, a game industry consulting firm. The company is getting different advice on what that long-term strategy should be. Seeing how well Pokemon Go has done, it could make a bigger effort to produce other mobile games. Or Nintendo could try to use the game as a marketing opportunity to reintroduce itself to

consumers and lure them into buying its own proprietary game machines. Either way, the company faces both challenges and opportunities. Meanwhile, there’s the risk that Pokemon Go will prove to be a passing fad that fades away as quickly as it emerged. “This is going to be a huge learning experience for them,” said Billy Pidgeon, an independent market researcher who covers the video game industry. Released early this month, Pokemon Go quickly became a multinational phenomenon. Built around the idea of capturing the popular Pokemon characters in real-world places, it quickly jumped to the top of the charts in terms of downloads and sales. The rapid success of Pokemon Go sent Nintendo’s stock soaring by some $7.5 billion. But it’s unclear just how much Nintendo is actually benefiting from the game. The game is free to download, but users can purchase game coins which they can use to buy items like extra balls, which are needed to catch characters. Nintendo has an exclusive licence to make Pokemon games. Meanwhile, it owns an unknown portion of Niantic, a Google spinoff that designed the game, and 33 percent of the Pokemon company, which owns the Pokemon characters. If the game took in $500 million

in total sales, Nintendo might see $100 million of that, after apportioning shares to Pokemon, Niantic and Google and Apple’s app stores, estimated Michael Pachter, a financial analyst who covers the game industry for Wedbush Securities. And Pachter doesn’t expect the game to rake in that much money. Still, Nintendo could use all the help it could get. Toward the end of the last decade, the company looked like an unstoppable force. With its DS handheld system and then the Wii game console, it correctly bet on a shift to easier-to-play, more accessible games that could appeal to a wider audience than traditional gamers. Thanks to the huge success

of those two devices, the company’s sales more than tripled from 2006 to 2009. But the company has misfired badly since then. As casual games shifted to smartphones and tablets and online multiplayer features became a must-have on console games, the company resisted and largely missed out on both trends. Its sales have fallen for seven straight years and last year were less than what the composted in 2006, before the big run-up to the Wii. That’s why Pokemon Go is so important to the company. It’s not only one of the company’s few bright spots in recent years. It also shows that the company’s properties still have value, and Nintendo still knows how to create hits.

But where does the company go from here? The seemingly obvious answer, given its struggles to sell game devices and the huge number of smartphones in use, would be that the company should churn out more mobile games using iconic characters like Mario and Zelda. The problem is that mobiles games are a tough business. Few consumers want to pay upfront for games, and few games can convince a sizable portion of customers to pay for add-ons. And the video game industry is littered with companies that crashed to earth after abandoning their own hardware businesses to focus on software. That’s why some analysts think Nintendo should use mobile games as a means to an end, luring in customers to buy its game machines, most notably the new NX console, due out next spring. However, that strategy is fraught as well. It’s unclear whether Nintendo will ever lure back the kids who might have played games on a DS or adults who played Wii Sports to buy another Nintendo game machine now that many of them have moved on to smartphones and tablets. Given the company’s diminished fortunes, it may be hard for it to weather another big bust like the Wii U, the successor to the Wii. —The Mercury News/TNS

6

GULF TIMES Tuesday, July 26, 2016

COMMUNITY

OFFBEAT

Tribe of German monkeys hobnobs with academics By Anette Le Riche

A

tribe of over 200 monkeys that has lived in Germany for generations regularly hangs out with academics eager to find out more about how the animals socialise and raise their young in the style of a hippie commune. The macaques, kept in a 20-hectare forest enclosure as a visitor attraction, have been an important resource for researchers since the park’s creation 40 years ago. “Scientists have the opportunity here to answer questions that would not have been possible to pose in the wild,” says researcher and park manager Roland Hilgartner. The species at the Affenberg Salem monkey park is the Macaca sylvanus, commonly known as Barbary apes although they are biologically macaques, not apes. They live almost as freely in their German home as their ancestors did in their native range, the Atlas mountains of Algeria and Morocco. Barbary macaques mate constantly and since paternity is uncertain, all adults of both sexes help raise the young together. The 20-hectare park attracts around 350,000 tourists per year, mostly families with children who are eager to feed the monkey and laugh at their antics. The monkeys live outdoors throughout the year, despite winter snow, but mainly rely on

SYMBIOTIC: Roland Hilgartner, biologist and park chief, watches a Barbary macaque at the Affenberg Salem. provisioned food. Management and human interference are kept to a minimum, allowing scientists to assess their behaviour and hierarchies at close quarters. “We have access to a large number of animals that live in intact groups but which are also fully acclimatised to humans,” explains primatologist Julia Fischer. The layout and large area of the park allows the monkeys to organise themselves into a number

of social groups and only around one third of the park is open to visitors, whereas the monkeys can move freely in the whole area. This ability to observe the Barbary macaques at such close quarters has drawn researchers and students from across Germany. “They can experience the birth season in June and see how the young monkeys develop under different maternal styles,” explains behavioural ecologist Julia Ostner. Apart from the apes of Gibraltar,

Roland Hilgartner, biologist and park chief, feeds peanuts to a Barbary macaque on a park seat at the Affenberg Salem.

there are only four such groups of the species living semi-wild on the European continent. The park was founded by Baron Gilbert de Turckheim, who opened two enclosures in France in 1969 and 1974 (La Montagne des Singes and La Foret des Singes) before creating Affenberg Salem in 1976, 40 years ago. A further park opened its doors in Trentham, England in 2005, with his son Guillaume in charge of all four parks. However, the largest animal

activist organisation in the world, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is critical of the monkey parks, especially because visitors are allowed to come so close to the animals and feed them popcorn. “We are concerned that children especially are being taught a completely wrong way to deal with wild animals,” says PETA spokesperson Vanessa Reithinger. The Affenberg, located near the small town of Salem on the north shore of Lake Constance, sees itself on the other hand as a type of Noah’s Ark for a threatened species of monkey. “Affenberg and its partner parks are home to the most important reserve stock of Barbary macaques that can be re-introduced into the wild in the world,” says Hilgartner. “This is more important than ever, considering how endangered this species is in its native habitats in Algeria and Morocco.” According to Hilgartner, over 600 animals were re-introduced to the wild in Morocco from the four parks during the 1980s, but this is no longer possible. “There is no suitable habitat available and the animals run the risk of being victims of the trade in baby monkeys.” Reithinger replies that projects such as Affenberg Salem should be developed in Morocco and Algeria, rather than Germany and France. “Animal protection should be carried out in the respective species’ native countries so that conditions can be developed whereby the species can survive there,” she argues. —DPA

A female Barbary macaque up a tree at the Affenberg Salem holds an offspring.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Twin German boys in folk dress. Developing separate personalities is one of the aims many parents have for their twins.

Twin think: Should siblings attend the same school class?

F

or the parents of twins, sending them to school isn’t just the double challenge of providing two satchels, two sets of books and twice the homework supervision. There’s also a more fundamental question to answer — should their children be in the same class? Karolin Ziegler, the mother of 8-year-old twins Ben and Eli, made the decision to send them to school together. “We don’t regret it, because they need each other,” says Ziegler. The twins don’t get in each other’s way or otherwise influence each other negatively, she says. “On the contrary: after nursery school they wanted to stay together and they like it as it is,” says Ziegler, who is herself the headmistress of a primary school in Baden-Wurttemberg state, Germany. But she adds, “It’s not possible for my fellow principals and me to give a general answer.” Every set of twins and every family has their own story to

7

COMMUNITY

UPBRINGING

By Teresa Tropf

GULF TIMES

consider, she says, recommending that the opinions of nursery school teachers and children’s doctors should also be considered. To help parents make their decision, Ziegler has posted a checklist of issues for parents to consider on a blog she runs.

It includes questions like, “Is it possible for the twins to each develop their own interests?” Ziegler says despite the close relationship that her twin sons enjoy, they have also made their own friends and have their own hobbies. That made the decision

easier for her. Psychologist Bodo Reuser doesn’t have a set answer for parents either. But he does think it’s important that parents “don’t let themselves be misled by the ‘specialness’ of twins.”

Karolin Ziegler, a German mother of twins, who blogs about the special issues of raising them.

When parents begin to accord their twins special status, that’s already a problem, he says. “My experience as a child and youth psychologist is that we create their special status by accepting it,” he says. It’s not particularly helpful for the personality development of one twin if the other twin is always brought into every issue, he says. “That’s how ‘twin-think’ starts,” says Reuser. Instead twins have to be treated just as other siblings would be: who needs what? School psychologist Klaus Siegfried of the Association of German Psychologists agrees, but still thinks that “separate classes” are the general solution. “There’s a basic rule that you should give twins the chance to develop their own identity,” he says. “It’s best to start with separate groups in nursery school,” he advises. Not only does that help them become self-reliant, it also means that one twin doesn’t end up in a school class full of unfamiliar faces. Siblings — whether twins or not — will often compete with one another, says Siegfried. “That’s why it’s even more important that each child has its own sphere.” Reuser also thinks parents need to note how others react to twins. “Are the teachers confident in dealing with twins or do they develop classic ‘twin think’ with all its consequences?” he says. If a teacher themself suggests they find having a class with twins difficult — maybe even mixing them up — that’s also an argument for separate classes, he says. But there are other practical things to consider. Two separate classes means two parents’ evenings, two sets of class trips, two sets of exam schedules, two sets of homework. “If parents get stressed out about that, it’s a reason to consider putting them in the same class — though it shouldn’t be decisive,” says Reuser. Even parents have limits to their capacities. “If someone says ‘the more I can concentrate my energy the more I have for my children’ that’s OK,” he says. Each child’s own point of view has to be taken into account too. “If a child asks for something, there’s a reason behind it,” says Reuser, pointing out that such motives loom large in people’s memories of their childhoods. If twins have had bad experiences of nursery school together, separate classes might be a good idea, he says, making it of less weight what suits parents and teachers. “Children often aren’t asked about fundamental issues like this, whereas they do get asked to choose about trivial matters,” adds Reuser. He warns that not listening to the twins themselves from the outset means a decision may have to be corrected at the next school. —DPA

8

GULF TIMES Tuesday, July 26, 2016

COMMUNITY

OFFB

Away from the bullets an Afghans find respite in bi

IRRESISTIBLE Canary merchant Farhad Nuri in his shop at the bird market in the old town of Kabul. Nuri was a refugee in Dresden, Germany for a time. He missed his canaries so much that he willingly returned.

By Christine-Felice Roehrs

T

AT HOME, AMONGST THE BIRDS: Parrot and canary merchant Rahim sits in his shop at the bird market.

he best canaries sing like frogs — very softly, in short bursts of warbling, croaking chirps. You can tell by their tongues — they’re curved differently to a squawker’s. Do you see? Here — like that ... A bird like this can easily cost 250 euros. Talking the talk with bird merchants and bird lovers in Kabul can go on for hours: No, it doesn’t matter at all that the canary looks ruffled. And when it sings, it makes a little house in your mind that can never be destroyed — so you will never go crazy.

That’s what you say as you survey the canaries at the bird market in Kabul’s old town. Nowhere in Afghanistan are there more birds, more bird experts or more bird lore to hear and ponder over. The small street with its 150 stalls snakes through one of the busiest parts of the city. In the bazaars around Jada e Maiwand, where the upper storeys are still war-ravaged and empty, thousands throng past the shabby stalls and cook shops. Bearded old men, grimacing with exertion, pull carts piled 3 metres high. Reeking mud lies in the open sewers.

This — and not the small, orderly, new town — is the real Kabul. But along Bird Street, the noise recedes and the light softens between the close-standing, narrow houses, their clay bricks worn smooth or crooked by the wind and rain of countless seasons. The place is crammed with stacked and hanging cages. The air is filled with the stench of bird droppings and a symphony of birdsong, clamouring, and cooing. Next to the best sellers — partridges, pigeons, canaries — there are birds of prey, owls, chickens, sparrows, finches, and parakeets of every kind. It is a peaceful place in a fraught city, in which bloodshed and death are a weekly, if not a daily

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

GULF TIMES

9

COMMUNITY

BEAT

nd bombs, irdsong Bird traders talk in the bird market in Kabul’s old town.

A vendor sells a partridge in his shop at the bird market. occurrence. It is also a place full of humour. “Even though there are knife sharpeners here too, there is never fighting,” says Rahim. “Bird people are good people.” Rahim sits with a parrot on his hand in a cool corner that resembles a feathery underwater world — all blue and green and turquoise. In front of another shop, an old man holds up a huge but completely silent boombox. No cassette? The old man gestures towards the cages and mimes an ecstatic expression. What need have we for music when we have birds, he seems to ask. It is also a place where business is rarely disrupted. Birds offer comfort and entertainment in a land with a lot of hardship and little money for distractions. The inexpensive little quails are placed in small silk sacks and kept in a breast pocket, so they scramble pleasurably against the heart. Or they are taken out to be stroked. Partridges, with their sharp, red beaks, are kept as fighters. Very early on Fridays, they are let loose on each other in parks. Pigeon racing is especially big in Afghanistan. Swarms are sent up on round trips, headed by an alluring

female, which is supposed to entice over the dumb male pigeons from other flocks along the way. The more expensive the male pigeon that falls into this trap, the higher the ransom its owners will have to pay. There are pigeons at the bird market worth 500 euros. Anyone who has a shop here belongs to the ornithological elite. One of these is Farhad Nuri. Until recently, he was in Germany. Surveying the situation around him in the market, he had thought that life must be better over there. So he set off on the refugee trail, leaving his shop in the care of relatives. Nuri ended up in a big anonymous city, Dresden, where it became apparent that the best life for him was at Kabul’s bird market after all. “Dresden is a beautiful city,” says Nuri. “Friendly people.” Just not enough birds. Every day Nuri went to the bird section of a hypermarket to listen to the canaries — until he could stand it no longer. “I just missed my birds too much,” he says. He returned three months ago, and now he sits here on his plastic stool, among them and the other bird sellers of Kabul. —DPA

A woman in front of a shop in the bird market.

NO NEED FOR MUSIC: A bird merchant holds a boom box without a cassette. At the bird market, birdsong is better than any recorded music.

10 GULF TIMES Tuesday, July 26, 2016

COMMUNITY

INFOGRAPHIC

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

GULF TIMES

11

COMMUNITY

LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE

Five sweet and simple summer traditions to start with your kids

I

n the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the summer months are the perfect time to take a step back and create lasting memories with your family. Fortunately, some of the best memories come from simple activities — no lavish vacation or pricey summer camp necessary. These five sweet and surprisingly simple traditions are guaranteed to have everyone in your crew grinning from ear to ear. Start this year and look forward to new memories every time summer arrives. Family competitions Create medals out of tin foil or yogurt lids, and let the games begin! Decide on some fun backyard games and enjoy a bit of friendly competition. Will Dad win the water balloon toss? Will the kids dominate the three-legged race? Will Mom rule the water gun fight? Then award medals to everyone and take a fun family photo to commemorate the games. Outdoor movie night Everyone loves movie night, but when summer hits, add a special touch by moving the event outdoors. Some blog offers a

unique twist on this idea: movie night on a trampoline. Simply hang a white sheet over the trampoline net and project the movie onto the sheet while everyone gets cozy inside. She recommends making a special treat. Volunteer days Give back to your community and instil a sense of giving and empathy in kids by planning a fun day volunteering at a local nonprofit. Discuss with your family where they might like to volunteer and select a location based on those interests, such as animals, education or the environment. Whether you plan one day or volunteer weekly during the summer, it’s a fantastic tradition for families to share. Summer interview At the end of vacation, have every family member fill out a summer interview form with intriguing, age-appropriate questions. For little kids, ask about favourite colours, best friends and what they want to be when they grow up. For bigger kids, ask about favourite music, best outfit and something

ARIES March 21 — April 19

Don’t get in your own way today Aries and ruin what could potentially be something wonderful by being too bossy and or controlling. With the Sun and Venus firing on all cosmic cylinders in Leo, you have to be aware that this is a possibility.

CANCER June 21 — July 22

Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today Cancers. You have a list of things that need to be done and as excited as you are to do the fun stuff first, you should focus on the most important things today.

LIBRA

September 23 — October 22 Don’t allow someone to redirect your attention away from something you’re working on and enjoying in order for you to help them out today. Finish up whatever it is you want to do and then see what you can do for them.

CAPRICORN December 22 — January 19

If you can step outside a situation today goats and look at it from a distance — you will definitely see a solution that you might not have seen before. Getting a clear view of your issues and problems by stepping away from them for a minute is always advisable.

to make? A waffle cone garden is as beautiful as the flower gardens outside, but with a sweet ending. You’ll get to spend special time together and then enjoy a summer treat that won’t soon be forgotten.

that inspires them. For everyone, ask what was the best thing they did during the summer months. Save each year and look back to see how answers evolve. Create a waffle cone garden Want a hands-on project that kids will love

TAURUS April 20 — May 20

Unless you plan on sticking to one plan and seeing it through to what could possibly be a bitter end, now’s the time to bail and work out what other avenues you have to pursue and explore.

LEO

July 23 — August 22 If you are casually dating someone right now Leos, things could fire up and become a lot more intense very quickly over the next few weeks, with the Sun and Venus literally lighting a fire under your first house of personality and ego.

SCORPIO October 23 — November 21

Venus the charmer and the Sun the ruler of the zodiac spend the next few weeks in your 10th house of career and ambition and make this the perfect time for you to really push your professional agenda forward Scorpios.

AQUARIUS January 20 — February 18

Stop and think before answering what could in fact be a trick question today Aquarius. If you get it wrong and come off as feeling silly or easily fooled, you will be annoyed with yourself and all around with everyone else!

©Brandpoint

GEMINI May 21 — June 20

If you aren’t as excited about something or someone as you feel you should be, examine why today twins. Is it you, is it them or is it just that you aren’t as sure as you could or should be about what should be an exciting time?

VIRGO

August 23 — September 22 Mercury, your ruler and the planet of clear and concise thinking moves into your sign this week, making it one of the best times of the year for you — with Jupiter in your sign through early September and Mercury along for the ride too.

SAGITTARIUS November 22 — December 21

For those of you who aren’t sure about what direction to take next in life — or at least a general direction — asking for advice, support and help is always a good idea. Sometimes other people can nail it right on the head Sags!

PISCES

February 19 — March 20 Being a water sign, it’s often difficult for you to let go of things that really bother you. Scorpios, your fellow water signs are known for ’forgiving but never forgetting’. You don’t want to be that person, right?

12 GULF TIMES Tuesday, July 26, 2016

COMMUNITY Wordsearch

Adam

Pooch Cafe

Elephants AFRICAN ASIAN CHAINS CIRCUS DUMBO EARS GRASSLANDS HAY

HOWDAH HUGE IVORY JUMBO MAMMAL MASTODON PACHYDERM PEANUTS

RIDE SQUIRT TRUNK TUSKS WRINKLES ZOO

Codeword

Puzzles courtesy: Puzzlechoice.com

Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once. Squares with the same number in have the same letter in. Work out which number represents which letter.

Garfield

Sudoku

Bound And Gagged

Sudoku is a puzzle based on a 9x9 grid. The grid is also divided into nine (3x3) boxes. You are given a selection of values and to complete the puzzle, you must fill the grid so that every column, every anone is repeated.

PUZZLES/CARTOONS

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

COMMUNITY

PUZZLES Quick Clues

ACROSS 7. Fine white clay (6) 8. Car fuel (6) 10. Fight (5-2) 11. Might (5) 12. Consumes (4) 13. Near (5) 17. Wall-painting (5) 18. Prohibition (4) 22. Indian language (5) 23. Academy (7) 24. One of a kind (6) 25. Corsair (6)

GULF TIMES

Colouring

DOWN 1. Captain (7) 2. Large wasps (7) 3. Supple (5) 4. Violent storm (7) 5. Group of people (5) 6. Distress-signal (5) 9. Device (9) 14. Inquisitive (7) 15. A few (7) 16. Eternally (7) 19. Woody plant (5) 20. Mollusc (5) 21. Unadorned (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES

ANSWERS WORDSEARCH

ACROSS 7. Maiden giving out medals (6) 8. Annoy the two meeting the Queen (6) 10. High-up post? (7) 11. They may indicate the water rates (5) 12. The ship’s company boasted superiority (4) 13. One tricks with religious pictures (5) 17. Goes for senior teachers (5) 18 . Welcome sort of shower? (4) 22. Correct on the one hand (5) 23. Taking another course in sewing? (7) 24. Threaten males with one (6) 25. Pay the bill for a seat (6)

DOWN 1. Go on a sub (7) 2. Intelligent senior journalist suffered a sharp pain (7) 3 . Exclude from the breaking of bread (5) 4 . Cutting short the end of a sea trip? (7) 5. Possibly worth a go (5) 6. Drink to infatuation? (5) 9. Edit a clue, perhaps, to clarify (9) 14. Leaves to dress for dinner? (7) 15. Lassos whirled as trial (7) 16. Became tired when covered with stones (7) 19. Smell of a foreign capital as the natives know it (5) 20. A man could be representative (5) 21. Performed like a man at the bottom of the bill (5)

CODEWORD

Yesterday’s Solutions QUICK Across: 1 Impel; 4 Develop; 8 Serious; 9 Chain; 10 Aver; 11 Hostelry; 13 Crew; 14 Fort; 16 Nautical; 17 Stet; 20 Often; 21 Samurai; 22 Surgeon; 23 Thong. Down: 1 Instantaneous; 2 Purse; 3 Look; 4 Despot; 5 Vocation; 6 Leaflet; 7 Penny-farthing; 12 Reliance; 13 Cluster; 15 Parson; 18 Torso; 19 Omit.

CRYPTIC Across: 1 Spain; 4 Scruple; 8 Calypso; 9 Let up; 10 Note; 11 Response; 13 Deed; 14 Vera; 16 Last post; 17 Apse; 20 Inane; 21 Accuser; 22 General; 23 Erect. Down: 1 Second helping; 2 Allot; 3 Nips; 4 Stones; 5 Relapses; 6 Petunia; 7 Express regret; 12 Reappear; 13 Disdain; 15 Assail; 18 Paste; 19 Acre.

13

14 GULF TIMES Tuesday, July 26, 2016

COMMUNITY

POP SPOT

in brief Taylor Swift / Kanye West

BACKGROUND: London-born Dua spent the first 13 years of her life in England. Her unusual name stems from having Albanian parents. Dua means ‘love’ in Albanian.

Dua Lipa gets UK success with Hotter Than Hell By Geoffery Rowlands

M

any music fans may wonder if Dua Lipa is a band. But it is actually the real name of an English singer, songwriter and musician who is currently enjoying a big UK hit with her fourth single, Hotter Than Hell. “I’m so pleased to have such a successful single in Britain,” smiled 20-year-old Dua. “My second single, Be The One, did really well across much of the world. It even topped the chart in Belgium. I got platinum discs from Belgium, Italy and Australia. But I’ve always wanted a big hit in my home country.” London-born Dua spent the first 13 years of her life in England. Her unusual name stems from having Albanian parents. Dua means ‘love’ in Albanian. “I’ve always liked my name. I definitely didn’t want to change it for my music career. I always felt it expressed how my parents felt about having me right from the moment I was born.” Her parents had moved to England in the early 1990s. “They lived in the Kosovan capital of Pristina. The problems which eventually led to the Kosovan war had begun in the late 1980s. People of Albanian ethnicity were particularly targeted so my parents felt their best option was to leave.” Dua enjoyed a comfortable and happy childhood. She inherited her musician / singer father’s talent and took up her first

instrument in primary school. It was an unusual choice. “I wanted to play the cello. I was only a little kid and there I was trying to carry this massive cello. I used to put it on my back and it would either whack me on my head or my legs. It all got too much so I gave it up.” She loved singing but was refused a place in the school choir. “I’ve always had a low singing voice and was told I couldn’t be in the choir because I couldn’t reach the high notes. This only changed after my parents took me to the Sylvia Young Theatre School.” Dua’s weekend tuition at the Sylvia Young ended when her family returned to Pristina. “The war was over. My parents wanted to go home and my dad’s work took them back. But London was my home. I stuck it out for two years before persuading my parents to let me move back to London when I was 15. I knew my parents were worried but I was staying with friends and I was responsible enough to go to school and complete my basic education.” Higher education was not for Dua. At 16, she began earning her living as a model. She also worked in a restaurant and as a nightclub hostess. “I’d started putting my cover versions of various songs on YouTube when I was 14 and began uploading my own original songs to SoundCloud in 2012. Everything I did, the modelling and hostessing, was aimed at making contacts who could help me fulfil my musical ambitions. As it turned out, my management signed me after hearing my songs on SoundCloud.” Her time as a nightclub hostess did prove

useful in terms of writing song lyrics. “For every film star I walked to a table, there were dozens of people from the darker side of London nightlife. I have used some of the things I saw and heard as the basis for a number of songs.” Her management showed enormous faith in Dua’s ability. She spent two years writing and recording with hot shot songwriters and producers in America, Canada, Germany, Sweden and back home in England. “I wrote about 130 songs but was only really excited by 25. Of these, I’ve put 12 on my album which will be out later this year.” Be The One is the only track Dua did not write. “I wanted to write everything myself but I couldn’t turn down that song. It was written by Lucy Taylor, who music fans will know better as Pawws, and I just thought it was fabulous.” The industry response to her first two singles saw Dua nominated for the BBC Sound of 2016 poll. “I didn’t make the final five but being nominated was a real confidence boost. The right people knew about me and obviously believed my music was worth their time and attention.” Her UK chart success now with Hotter Than Hell has justified all the faith shown in Dua. Like so many hit songs, it was written about a failed relationship. “Things really went off the rails. I felt like it wasn’t worthwhile yet I was heartbroken. I know people like Adele and Taylor Swift have had huge success with songs which came out of broken relationships so I hope the same thing can happen for me.”

There is yet more conflict between Taylor Swift and Kanye West over lyrics in the latter’s song, Famous. Not content with being criticised by most observers, including President Obama, Kanye revisited his interruption of Taylor’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. The song lyrics say it was Kanye’s actions at the ceremony which made Taylor famous. He claims she gave her approval of the lyrics during a phone conversation. Kanye’s wife, Kim Kardashian, has now released a recording of this phone call in which Taylor not only gives her approval but expresses her appreciation as she would never have expected Kanye to tell her about a line in his song. The problem is that Kanye said nothing about the lyrics referring to Taylor as “that bitch.” She would certainly not have been approving or appreciative of this. “You don’t get to control someone’s emotional response to being called ‘that bitch’ in front of the entire world,” Taylor stated. “I wanted to like the song. I wanted to believe Kanye when he told me I would love the song. I wanted us to have a friendly relationship. He promised to play the song for me, but he never did. “While I wanted to be supportive of Kanye on the phone call, you cannot ‘approve’ a song you haven’t heard. Being falsely presented as a liar when I was never given the full story or played any part of the song is character assassination. I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative, one that I have never asked to be part of, since 2009.”

Katy Perry Katy Perry has released a new song, Rise, which will be used as the accompanying anthem for NBC Television’s coverage of the Rio Olympics. The track is Katy’s first new material since her 2013 album, Prism. “This is a song which has been brewing inside me for years,” Katy stated. “I was inspired to finish it now, rather than save it for my next album, because now more than ever, there is a need for our world to unite. “I know that together we can rise above the fear, in America and around the world. I can’t think of a better example than the Olympic athletes to remind us how we can all come together with the resolve to be the best we can be. I hope this song can inspire us to heal, unite and rise together.” There is no official music video for Rise but the song can be heard in full on NBC’s Olympics promo which is posted at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=lFIIMEe2Ht0

Ardyn Twin siblings Katy and Rob Pearson originally named themselves Kitten and Bear. When their music career didn’t seem to be working out too well, they took the new name of Ardyn. From the Latin word for enthusiastic, the name certainly matches Katy and Rob’s boundless enthusiasm for their recordings and live performances. They debuted last year with the four-song EP, Universe. This can be heard in full at (no www.) soundcloud.com/ardynband Four more songs are also posted here. These include their latest single, The Valley. The accompanying video is available to view at www. youtube.com/watch?v=LEQrTe1tbV0 Three more Ardyn song videos can be found at www.youtube.com/channel/ UC3Vt0z1jYLOIEjAOdd9VSOA Two of these, The Garden and Help Me On My Way, are from the Universe EP. The other, Over The River, is a newer song posted two months ago.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

GULF TIMES

15

COMMUNITY

SHOWBIZ

Kim Kardashian unimpressed by selfie drama Reality TV personality Kim Kardashian, who caused a stir by posting a naked selfie on social media in March, says she didn’t expect that it would cause as much “drama” as it did. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star sent the internet into a frenzy when she posted a raunchy photograph, with just two black bars protecting her modesty. Kim admits she was stunned by the outcry as she had only shared it for “fun” because she was proud of losing weight after the birth of her son Saint in December last year, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Kim — who also has daughter

North, 3, with her rapper husband Kanye West — said: “You know what? I wasn’t even thinking about it when I posted it.” “I just knew I was dyeing my hair back dark because I had blonde hair in that shot so it was an innocent thing,” she said. “And I covered up. I covered it up with my censor bars and it looks like a bikini to me so I thought it was all in fun and it was giving me motivation and some people they get so.” She said the reactions were “crazy”, as she didn’t want to prompt others to do the same. “It was crazy. I’m not promoting, ‘Hey, be like me and do this’. Just do whatever makes you happy. So if you don’t like it... I don’t get why so much drama surrounded it,” Kim added. —IANS

EXCITED: Melissa McCarthy is taken in by Bollywood’s ‘out of this world’ experience.

Would love to work in Bollywood: Melissa By Sugandha Rawal

S

he finds Indian cinema “truly incredible” for its ability to make viewers switch out of reality and then get back to it. And it is for this reason that American actress Melissa McCarthy says she would love to work in Bollywood. McCarthy shared her eagerness to bring her talent to India by working in a Bollywood project during a press meet for her film Ghostbusters, directed by Paul Feig. “Oh my God, I would love to work in Bollywood. I love the whole

vibe. I love the story and I love the spontaneous moment of breaking out. It is like a world within a world,” McCarthy said on being asked if she fancies doing an Indian project. Indian films are essentially looked at by the western world as offering music hoopla and dance revelry interspersed with the entertainment quotient. McCarthy loves it all. “I love when the change happens. You can switch off from the reality and then come back to it,” she said with her eyes sparkling in excitement. The Los Angeles-based actress has earlier shared screen space with

Indian actress Nargis Fakhri in Spy. She says she has watched a number of Bollywood films, but admitted that she had trouble recalling the titles. She says: “I have seen (the films) with Paul’s wife. She is my gateway to them as she loves watching Bollywood films.” In the film, she is seen with Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon and Chris Hemsworth. Feig’s version of the famous 1984 eponymous American supernatural horror comedy comes with a twist. He picked an all-female cast as ghostbusters to narrate his vision of classic film. It will release in India on July 29. —IANS

Twinkle slams Shah for calling dad ‘poor actor’

MIFFED: Twinkle Khanna.

Actress-turned-writer Twinkle Khanna has slammed veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah for calling her late father and Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna a “poor actor”. In an interview to a newspaper, Naseeruddin was quoted as saying: “It was the 1970s when mediocrity came in Hindi films. That’s when the actor called Rajesh Khanna joined the industry. For all his success, I think Mr. Khanna was a very limited actor. In fact, he was a poor actor. Intellectually, he wasn’t the most alert person I have ever met. His taste ruled the industry.” Not happy with the 65-year-old star’s opinion about her late father, Twinkle took to Twitter to express her disapproval. “Sir, if you can’t respect the living, respect the dead — mediocrity is attacking a man who can’t respond Naseerudin Shah,” Twinkle wrote. Rajesh Khanna, who made his debut in 1966 with Aakhri Khat, gave several hits like Anand, Haathi Mere Saathi, Kati Patang, Bawarchi and Aradhana. He was officially bestowed with the title The First Superstar of Indian cinema at Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards in 2005. —IANS

UNRUFFLED: Kim Kardashian.

It’s raining love-triangles in Bollywood Be it Katrina Kaif, Sidharth Malhotra, Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the actors will be seen caught in love triangles on the big screen in the coming months. Here are a few love triangle-based films that will hit the screens this year: Baar Baar Dekho: Releasing in September, the romantic drama will feature Sidharth, Katrina and Sayani Gupta. Directed by Nitya Mehra, the film has been co-produced by Dharma Productions and Excel Entertainment. Happy Bhag Jaayegi: Co-produced by Anand L. Rai and Krishika Lulla, the film is set for an August release. The Mudassar

Aziz directorial stars Ali Fazal, Abhay Deol and Diana Penty. Noor: The film revolves around actress Sonakshi Sinha’s character — a journalist. Comedian Kanan Gill and actor Purab Kohli will be playing her love interests. The film, directed by Sunhil Sippy, is an adaptation of the novel Karachi, You’re Killing Me!. Manmarziyan: Written by Anand L. Rai, the love triangle is between actors Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar and Vicky Kaushal in the film. Releasing this September, the movie is based in Punjab. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil: Featuring Ranbir, Anushka, Aishwarya, Saif Ali Khan and Fawad Khan, the film has been directed and produced by Karan Johar. It will release in October. —IANS

16 GULF TIMES Tuesday, July 26, 2016

COMMUNITY

Anwar Ratauls, Chaunsas stars of Pakistani mango festival By Umer Nangiana

M

ango lovers had a feast as they literally devoured ‘Anwar Ratauls’ and ‘Chaunsas’, two popular varieties of Pakistani mangoes, descending upon them from all corners of the town. Sohni Dharti, a non-profit socio-cultural organisation of the Pakistani community in Al Khor Qatar, witnessed a huge number of people at its mega cultural event last week at BS Sports Hall in Al Khor. The Sohni Dharti Mango Festival provided a unique opportunity to members of Pakistani community and others to taste fresh mangoes from the country. Sohni Dharti Chairman Rana Anwar Ali opened the festival with Pakistani embassy officials such as Commercial Attache Arbab Qaisar, Community Welfare Attache Hafiz Junaid Amir Sial, and Defence Attache Commodore Muhammad Irfan Taj in attendance. Sohni Dharti executive committee members also attended. “This is seventh annual mango festival that we have organised. The festival is to promote Pakistani culture, fruits, vegetables and taste,” said Rana. He added people from more than 30 countries visited the event. There were all kind of mangoes from Pakistan available for the visitors. “Pakistani mangoes have

INAUGURATION: Commercial Attache Pakistan Embassy Arbab Qaisar with Anwar Ali Rana, Sohni Dharti chairman, left, at the opening of the festival. unique taste, sweetness and smell. The most popular kinds [at the festival] were Chaunsa and Anwar Rataul,” said Rana. Popular Pakistani food items were also part of the festival. The unique thing in this year’s festival was that it included food stalls set up by Pakistani families living in Doha. Summaya Qasim, Maryam Qasim and Muhammad Asim were on the “Aloo Naan” stall. Rimsha

Stalls of Pakistani mangoes attracted the most crowd.

Liaqat put up a stall of Haleem, while Khaled Khan attracted the visitors with his “Chapli Kabaab” stall. Shahid Nadeem and his wife served the visitors “Gol Gappay”, a traditional Pakistani street food. There were also a Lahori Dahi Ballay (street food) stall, put up by Akif. Mrs Hanif served Haleem and Samosay. The most decorated stall was Ice Pops, set up by Muhammad Johar and Ali Zaid.

Famous Pakistani restaurants in Doha, Zaoq and Shezan has also set up their stalls at the event. The stall of frozen Pakistani products by Takreem also attracted visitors. United Bank Limited Qatar also participated in the festival and introduced its products to the visitors. Pakistan Business Forum president Ahmad Hussain, Ch. Ajmal from Pakistan Welfare

Forum, Qaisar Anwar from Pakistan Professionals Forum Qatar, Muhammad Furqan Paracha and Dr Tariq Masood were some of the special guests who attended the festival. Besides mangoes, the festival also had plums, melons and vegetables from the Swat district in Malakand division and other northern areas of Pakistan. All fruits and vegetables from Pakistan were available to visitors at discounted prices. Besides food, the festival also featured Pakistani dress, mehndi/henna, and traditional jewellery stalls. Earlier this year, Sohni Dharti organised a grand bazaar featuring mandarin festival and fresh Pakistani fruits and vegetables. That festival too was attended by a large number of Pakistani expatriates and featured some of the best mandarin varieties (kinnow) from Pakistan. Kinnow, widely grown in the Punjab province, is exported to many countries of the world. The main objectives of Sohni Dharti are to promote cultural, social and sports activities for Pakistanis residents of Al Khor Community; develop the talents of Pakistani children in education, culture and sports; contribute to welfare and development of the community; and work to integrate Pakistanis in the larger Al Khor community. Membership of Sohni Dharti is open to the people of Pakistani origin residing in Al Khor community, and to Qatargas and Rasgas employees living in Doha.

People from more than 30 nationalities attended the festival.