Month: July 2011

Fiji – the way the world should be

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Natasha performing a 'meke' at her school's cultural day

Its been eons since I last blogged about the magical and mystical Fiji on my facebook notes and this my first bit on Fiji on wordpress. While I’m packing for Fiji and Sydney, a few of the Emirati families I know are returning from Fiji after 18 days in paradise. When I hear them talk about the exoticness and uniqueness of the Coral Coast where I was born, the Blue Lagoon Cruises and the fact they keep going back, I realise that I’ve only been to a fraction of the 332 islands that make up our nation.

As a child, I was fascinated and enchanted by the beauty of Rotumans. I wanted to go there as a teenager to get myself a Rotuman husband because to date, I find they have the best looking men on earth. I wanted to taste the red prawns of Vatulele which I did and dive the Astrollabe Reef instead of spanning the Sigatoka river for ‘kai’. Na kai is possibly the tastiest shellfish I’ve ever tasted in my life and I guess Fijian cuisine has its own taste because everything is fresh, organic and people go to the markets for fresh produce everyday as apposed to depending on processed food to save time.

Then there is the artesian Fiji water which has scientifically been proven to keep one’s skin young and healthy with its high levels of natural silica. Thanks to Hollywood celebrities giving up botox injections and turning to Fiji Water for eternal youth, our small nation is now one of the most famous brands associated with folks who will settle for nothing but the best.

Someone once described Fiji as a place where you experience the “exhilaration of a dolphin arching high into the air, the gliding swoop of an orange dove through the rainforest and children performing in unison to the beat of a hollow log drum. Its where one can sizzle with the evening’s entertainment, murmur with the quiet calm of pristine nature, swim with huge harmless manta rays or have an adrenaline rush at ‘Cloud Breaker’, the incredible wave offshore Tavarua that draws surfers from around the world. Fiji is where you can float in the calm turquoise lagoon privately, walk through lush rainforests, where flowers are tucked in the hair not to impress tourists but because it makes us feel at one with nature, where the sun shines everyday and when it does rain, people rush out to the brief downpour for a warm tropical rainbath shower which ends as quickly as it began.”

Its still fascinating when I go home to see people gather around in my living room in the evenings having a bowl of kava with my dad – I never seem to have the luxury of time the way people in Fiji do or enjoy life to the max in true Fijian style all the time. I miss waking up at home to the view of the sea in shape of a boat, looking out to the sandhills of Nadroga from my bedroom window, picking mangoes, oranges and passion fruit in the forest 2 minutes walk from my house or gazing at the Sigatoka town from my kitchen looking for excuses to go for a milkshake on the promenade.

In between decorating my new holiday home, thanks to my very generous sibling who gave it to me as a gift, this time I look forward to day trips on deserted islands with no form of digital technology, to a Blue Lagoon  or Starlight Dinner cruise and walk through the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. I hope to snorkel at Treasure Island or Vomo, vegetate on a hammock with a cocktail in my hand and I am insisting on the little umbrella.

To the wild world seeped in negativity, deception, recession, heartbreak and sadness, I strongly suggest taking a walk in our paradise. It helps and you will emerge a brand new better person at the end of it!

Concrete connections and why UAE is the best place to be

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This July we tried a new style of speed networking amongst the women from the International Business Women’s Group – the female power behind the most amazing city that the world known as Dubai. It was more than interesting and helped me realise the value of connections, relationships and networking that is crucial to get things done and achieved in the Middle East.

In a region with a strong majlis culture (I love the stimulation and insights one gets in these gatherings), maintaining relationships and synergies in social set ups can do wonders that can only parallel in terms of awareness with PR initiatives that companies take.

When I look at my current WIP, I realise that 90% of the potential clients have come to us because of press releases they have read online or on my linked in, via media coverage as a result of press interviews and stories, my amazing alumni mates in 75 countries around the globe, my business groups and contacts in our line of industry on linked in. Even our allies/ partners/scholars have come to us via linked in forums or alumni connections reiterating the power of PR and connections. The other 10% who come to us also establish faith in us partly because we do quality amazing and unique work but their faith grows three fold in us because the media resonates the great work we do and because we have partners who add a load of credibility to the intellectual side of our business.

Which brings me to the point that a lot of people talk about such strategy but do they really understand the meaning of the word and how it applies to a business set up. I get the feeling some people just like the sound of it and find it a glamorous word to throw around without really doing anything about it. One can have numerous strategies in place but without people outside the company talking positively about your work and your affiliations, half the battle is lost because it begins to sound like you blowing your own trumpet when the clients, staff, media & partners should be the one vouching your work and company ethics. Effort therefore should be to continue to cultivate these relationships a lot more than most management teams spend their time on.

In the current difficult times, people become complacent, nasty and cut throat which ultimately projects negative vibes about an organisation that filters through all spheres of life. Some even consult unqualified and uneducated friends, lovers and relatives for advise and next steps to save money which becomes further detrimental to organisations creating even more negativity at the workplace. I believe the energy should be focussed on the positive and making great things happen through the relationships established over the years.

Connections I feel in these difficult times is the key to survival. The world should take a cue from this region on the culture of majlis meetings where great ideas are initiated over a cup of ‘Kahwa’. And for those who scoff at the great ideas that have materialised in UAE, may I point out that UAE is still one of the best countries to work in compared to Europe, USA or anywhere else where people are running away from taxes, horrible weather and would stoop at any level to get a bit of the sunshine in the UAE. Trust me, I had a woman who gave her friends money to call me from public phones in the UK last winter because her main objective was to move in with someone in the UAE to escape the cold dreary weather after she was cut off her regular monthly allowance from her usual sources. At one point she called herself which was a good thing cos I recognised her voice thereafter in a call in another country and the mystery pieces fit together. That’s how desperate people are to be here and we should appreciate this about the UAE instead of moaning and complaining all the time.

So the lesson I learnt recently is to keep up the networking and appreciate being in the UAE which gives us an opportunity to meet people from all spheres of life + keep building relationships. Who knew for instance that staying in touch with my alumni would have linked me to partners in the region who currently have opened doors to us for potentially some of the most lucrative upcoming projects in our field of business. Amazing how these link ups work – make the best of it!

Its all about Al Ain

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Its been years since I’ve actually spent a night in Al Ain despite the Emirate having possibly the most Fijians – I’m told Fiji has the most competent and caring nurses in the world and Al Ain now looks to Fiji to get more fascinating Fijians into the Emirate. Which is a good thing since we are an endangered species in some ways with so few of us being around so having more Fijians in the UAE can only be awesome.

Anyway, Al Ain has always held a fascination for me and every year I tell myself to go to the Al Ain Aerobatic Show (everyone who knows me can vouch for the love affair I have with fast machines). Hey….not the dodgy kind. Only the kind you use on air, water and roads!!!!

But what really is attractive about Al Ain is the greenery because of the oasis as well as the beautiful forts. Talking about the Al Ain oasis, I never knew that it has such a wide variety of of fruits like oranges, figs and mangoes plus over 145,000 date palms. I kind of associated oranges and mangoes to different climates. The Jimi oasis I’m told by my local friends has native plants used for medicinal properties including a number of properties restored from 18th century onwards. It has a 14m tower which looks incredible.

Al Muatared oasis is most fascinating to me as I read a long time ago about a local from Al Ain using the concept of falaj (underground water channel) for plant cultivation. This particular oasis has thousands of palm trees irrigated by the Muatared falaj. The Qattara oasis is on the other hand is known for beautifully coordinated date palms, orchards and pathways together with historic buildings that include three forts and the remains of a souq.

Then there is the Hili oasis which I heard about from a scholar in archeology based in sharjah who I consulted with a while ago on traditional buildings such as the forts, mustansariyas etc he talked about in his book (The book was in Arabic and I had to spend hours understanding his work). The Hili region apparently has been used for living and farming for thousands of years and has its own falaj system. Speaking of Hili, it has 2 watch towers that forms a gateway to the village.

Another interesting structure is the Al Murayjib Fort that has 3 free standing buildings in a gorgeous garden. The Murabba Fort was built in 1948 in the centre of Al Ain with a courtyard. The venue is great for celebrations, events etc and looks very traditional. The Eastern or Sultan Fort near to the Al Ain National Museum (Note to self – visit this ASAP) was built in 1910. The Mezyad Fort stands out in its design with its openings on the floor, walls and the machicolations while the Jahili Fort is known to be the largest in the country and looks like an imposing castle. I saw a picture of this and it does look like something I would love to do a photoshoot of.

Its near midnight and I’m done with forts and hoping to venture into castles next. The last castle I stayed in was 5 years ago in Scotland (Blackcraig castle) and would love to repeat that experience soon where I have maids waiting to serve moi day and night. The diva side of Fijianchick is always a given 🙂

The Forts of Liwa

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My recent clear out meant finding a gem of lost information in my library of thousands of books, tapes, articles etc. One such bit included information on Liwa’s historic buildings which has of recent attracted a lot of interest amongst architecture specialists. Now I’m a great fan of the Architecture Heritage society and in particular of Rashad Bukhash & Peter Jackson and their work with traditional buildings in the UAE.

However it pains me that I often end up missing out on the society’s talks and excursions due to work and personal commitments. This does not stop me from doing my own research about intriguing buildings in between my zumba and yoga classes.

I learnt that most of these forts were built in the early 19th centrury by the Bani Yas tribes prompting communities to grow around the forts. Some of the structures to visit in Liwa include the Al Khnour Fort, The Muqib Tower, Hyeela Tower, Dhafeer Fort, Muzeira’a Fort, Arrada Fort, Jabbana Fort. I’ve also heard of Umm Hosn and Al Meel but have not read much about them. If anyone has any information about them it would be delightful.

Forts in this part of the world have cylindrical towers and built with a local mixture of clay, gypsum and sand, locally known as sarouj. Most have towers, wall openings and are usually built near water. Images of Liwa will be with you soon as soon as I secure my next luxury car for a weekend outstation. Do I hear Jebel Hafeet whispering my name seductively???

Next up – The Forts, oasis and towers in Al Ain. Watch this space!

Pioneering innovations of the Golden Age of the Islamic World to open at The Tech Museum

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‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ also known as ‘Sultans of Science’, the global traveling exhibition created by Dubai and Cape Town based, MTE Studios returns revamped to United States due to popular demand. Originally started at the Ibn Batuta mall in Dubai – UAE, the exhibition has gone global and has been to various venues in the last few years. The highly interactive exhibits will be showcased at the world renowned The Tech Museum from 3rd September 2011 until end of February 2012 after its successful national premiere at Liberty Science Centre in New Jersey. The exhibition was also hosted by Ontario Science Centre and The TELUS World of Science in Canada.

Long overlooked, the remarkable contributions of Muslim scholars in science and technology have quietly floundered as no more than common footnotes of world history. Abbas ibn Farnas and his flying glider, Al-Jazari’s engineering marvels and Al-Khwarizmi with his pioneering method of study and calculations for the movements of the sun, the moon and the five planets known at the time, all but lost.

“This dynamic exhibition challenges the way we examine history and encourages the need to embrace multi-cultural knowledge in a global society,” said Mike Hackworth, Lead Director, The Tech Museum. “Many of our visitors will be surprised to learn that from these ancient desert cities came the theory of vision, techniques of quantitative chemistry and trigonometry and the numeral systems that we use today.”

Now the visitors can discover the innovation, science and technology mastery of one of today’s most misunderstood cultures at the ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’, opening at The Tech Museum. The global blockbuster exhibition celebrates the contributions of Muslim scholars during the Golden Age of the Muslim World (700 – 1700 CE), in the arts and astronomy to engineering and exploration – discovery that, in some cases, came centuries before Western innovation.

MTE Studios CEO, Ludo Verheyen said, “Each dedicated cluster will educate and entertain visitors of all ages and expects to attract even bigger audiences at Tech Museum. MTE Studios is honored to be working with such an accomplished and esteemed venue and looks forward to the opening at The Tech Museum which is perfectly located to maximize visitor numbers to the exhibition.”

MTE Studios was commissioned to design a large themed Mall named the Ibn Battuta Mall, in Dubai. During the research stages whereby MTE Studios studied the 14th century architecture of Muslim Spain, North Africa, Egypt, India, Persia and China and came across a most interesting image of an old manuscript, depicting a life-size Indian elephant, with an Arabic castle on top and various sculpted figurines and animals such as Chinese serpents. This was visualized to become a unique sculptural element for one of the courts within the Mall. To our delight we discovered that this beautiful sculpture was, in fact, a clock, an ingenious device named, as per the manuscript, the Elephant Water clock and designed by the 14th Century Muslim engineer Al Jazari.

Studying the mechanics of Al Jazari’s inventions prompted MTE Studios to research more about the inventions, innovations and discoveries of that era in the Muslim world, which finally led to the birth of the iconic exhibition ‘1000 years of knowledge rediscovered’, which is still on permanent display at the Mall. Dignitaries, historians and CEO’s from leading science centers around the world at the launch of the exhibition at the Ibn Batuta Mall in Dubai proposed the idea of taking the exhibition and the knowledge global, encouraging MTE Studios to develop the global travelling exhibition, ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’.

“The exhibition drew record crowds at previous venues allowing visitors to discover and understand how a great civilization created prosperity across large areas from Spain to China. We are delighted to take it a step further by taking it to various parts of the world. We have had tremendous interest from museums and science centres across the globe and we envision the exhibition travelling all around the world.” added Verheyen.

Interesting inventions and mechanisms from ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ were recently showcased at the 7th charity dinner of Qatar Foundation’s Social Development Centre (SDC), an event for a charitable cause held at the Sheraton in Doha. Attending and supporting the event were HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and HH Sheikha Moza Nasser al-Misnad, together with a number of supporters and sponsors. The charity dinner featured the rich past of one of the oldest civilizations in the world. It captured the ‘Golden Age of Islam’ in a theatrical manner. The foyer, leading to the main venue, featured a series of exhibits, flown in from MTE Studios ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’, the global travelling exhibition also known as ‘Sultan of Science’. Exhibits such as the robotic man, armillary sphere, the astrolabe, the ‘House of Wisdom,’ an interactive library and the elephant clock were displayed. Perhaps the most unique was Al Jazari’s invention, a towering elephant clock nearly 4m high which was unveiled by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani before the start of the event.

Influenced from the iconic exhibition, one of the signature projects in MTE Studios’ portfolio is the Museum of Science and Technology in Islam (MOSTI) at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. MTE Studios designed, built and delivered turnkey this iconic museum which is a celebration of various contributions of Muslim scholars in the field of science and technology during the Golden Age of Islam. MTE Studios has also played a major role in the design, manufacture and installation of numerous interactive exhibits at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. In addition to the design of galleries and the development, design, prototyping and manufacture of exhibitions, MTE Studios also offers operational planning and training for science centres and museums.

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Media Information

About ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ (‘Sultans of Science’):

‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ also known as ‘Sultans of Science’ is a global touring exhibition celebrating the contribution of Muslim Scholars in Science and Technology during the Golden Age of the Islamic World and the influence their inventions and contributions has towards modern society.

Focused on increasing knowledge and understanding of these invaluable contributions, ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ has been created as a global traveling exhibition in order to enable its message to be far reaching through science centers and museums around the world.

The content features interactive displays with information on inventions, innovations and discoveries covering a broad spectrum of science topics such as astronomy, mathematics, medicine, optics amongst others, which were ahead of its time. Visit http://www.sultans-of-science.com for more information.

About MTE Studios:

MTE Studios is a specialized consultancy firm focused on themed architecture and interactive learning experiences. The firm designs, prototypes and manufactures inspiring interactive exhibits for science centers, museums, shopping malls and corporate environments.

MTE Studios translates unique residential, commercial, educational and leisure projects into stimulating lifescapes. Its scope of services ranges from creating a storyline, concept and detail design, documentation, project management and art direction during construction. MTE’s portfolio of completed projects includes museums, shopping malls, theme parks, FEC’s and residential developments.

With offices in Dubai, UAE and Cape Town, South Africa, MTE Studios has an interdisciplinary team of over 50 specialists, including architects, art directors, artists, engineers and interactive designers from over 12 countries. Visit http://www.mtestudios.com for more information

About Tech Museum:

The Tech Museum is a hands-on science and technology institution designed to engage people of all ages and backgrounds in experiences that educate, inform, provoke thought, and inspire action. Ensconced in the heart of Silicon Valley, the museum captures the spirit of the region through innovative content and programs such The Tech Challenge, our annual team design competition for youth, and the internationally renowned The Tech Awards, which recognizes technology to benefit humanity. Daily, The Tech Museum celebrates the present and encourages the development of pioneering ideas for a more promising future.

For more information, please contact Shereen Shabnam on +971 507690087/504828177/shereen@mtestudios.com