Category: Lifestyle features

A taste of Wilbur Smith

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Most successful people talk about how they got where they are with a perfect balanced life and you feel like kicking their guts because the reality is that you often have to give up a lot, make a lot of compromises etc before tasting success. Which is why I like the South African novelist Wilbur Smith…..he is honest about what he gave up in his interviews and despite his success, is known to be very patient, gentle and down to earth. And what I most admire and I hope to god I become like him one day is his ability to move on. Trust me….I’ve tried but I get so attached to people, places, situations that often it is to my own detriment.

I read about Wilbur Smith sometime around 1997/98 and thought very differently then. Now, having had a taste of all kinds of people, their motives, often dishonesty over the course of the last year or so, I actually would love to be like him and be able to compartmentalise my life into components, have the ability not to forgive and move on to my next project and make it work without owing anything to anyone. At first I felt it was thoughtless that such a brilliant author could cut off links with his kids, forget the names of his ex wives but having delved more, I realise that perhaps his ability to not put up with any nonsense in his life has worked in his favour and he has been able to focus and come up with successful books by following his dream and passion for writing by cutting out everyone who didn’t have the same passion and vigour for creativity.

Most of all, I admire this third wife (Danielle). Men can naturally be not very nice creatures as we all know with their drinking, cheating and philandering and often need a decent woman to break their bad habits. They can also be gullible as I have discovered recently when they are drunk or irresponsible when their priorities and focus is less on productive work and more on dodgy sabbaticals with equally dodgy people or I’ve even come across vagrants who don’t have money to eat but will sell their soul for sex and alcohol. So it was certainly heart warming to read about Daniel, or Dee as she is known, who apart from being Wilbur’s muse, researcher, editor was also able to get him to give up smoking, change his looks, travel the world and become more open minded about the world than he already was. I wonder if there are women left these days who are able to shape men this way for the best or help them become better people.

Anyway,,, for now I am ashamed I still have not read A Sparrow Falls, When the Lion feeds, The Burning Shore and The Sound of Thunder. The next time I have withdrawal symptoms of reading something offbeat, I will turn to Wilbur’s work, his life as an author, where he gets his inspirations from and more on his favourite books. If you have any of his books in your library, let me know as he is the next author I am spending my time on for leisure reading. I would love to meet him in Cape Town to see what his next book is all about and how he gets his characters so perfect in the way he portrays them.

Gong Xi Fa Cai & Splashes of Red

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ImageIts that wonderful time of the year when one treasures all things Chinese. Normally I would just be talking about food but for once, its about the celebrations all around for Chinese New Year. Its a bit special for me as it is the year of the dragon which has been lucky for me in the past and in 2000, which was the Year of the Double Dragon, my daughter Tash was born. (If you think I have a dynamite personality, you gotta meet this kid who on top of being a Double Dragon was born under the sign of Scorpio). All I can say is OUCH! But I love her and wouldn’t have it any other way as she keeps life exciting and I learn heaps of stuff from her almost every day.

In Malaysia and Singapore, it was so much fun to be around town during this period where for once, the city people actually take time to breath. As a student, I certainly received a lot of ‘Ang Paos’ from my older Chinese friends and absolutely loved the prosperity lunches and dinners. I still have not decided what to give my daughter tonight in her red ang pao packet when I explain the whole concept, cultural significance to her about CNY. I loved the red lanterns and dragon dances in particular during this period  in the KL, PJ and Subang Jaya areas of Malaysia. And Orchard Road in Singapore during this time is magic.

I am glad for once that close friends define me as the diva with splashes of red….during this time, red is meant to be a lucky colour so to add to my red carpets, candles, lamps & cushions and feathers, I am making extra effort to add more red elements into my house for the  next 15 days to celebrate. I wish the dragon on my desk was red and not green but that would totally destroy my feng shui side of things – oh well!

Because I lean more towards Mandarin when addressing all things Chinese, I say Gong Xi Fa Cai as greeting but a few friends of mine are from the Cantonese orientation and they greet friends saying Kung Hei Fat Choi (Philip, note I did remember the phrase this time). I wish my Chinese friends a prosperous new year and I could certainly do with a better year this time around for sure.

Talking about prosperity meals, today I prepared a special prosperity toss (yee sang) which is a combination of fish and vegetables of different colours. I hope this brings me good luck, prosperity, longevity, health and wealth. On Thursday, I will be having a special prosperity meal prepared by my favourite Chinese Chef at Shangri-la Dubai. Cant wait!

Speaking of cultural fusion, NJD and I just returned from the Dubai Berlin fashion show held from 8.30-9pm at the Pavilion. It was cool to see how 8 designers hailing from Germany and UAE used the abaya as their focal point to create designs fusing fabrics, cuts, styles from the 2 countries. Very nice indeed. We certainly love cultural influences on all fronts.

Hope the Water dragon brings happiness and harmony to all. 

High-Level MENA Delegation Scheduled for First-of-its-Kind Visit to ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ exhibition in United States

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The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) and the Union of Arab ICT Associations (IJMA3-USA) are leading a high-level delegation of Arab government officials and business leaders to the “Ingenious Innovations: Islamic Science Rediscovered” exhibition at The Tech Museum in San Jose, California.

The January 16 visit will include more than 50 senior officials and private sector representatives from 13 Arab nations, marking the first visit of its kind to the world renowned traveling exhibition, which is also known as “Sultans of Science”. “Delegates from the Middle East will be enthralled to know the scientific breakthroughs of a remarkable era, which was one of the greatest in the world.

History text books refer to events when Europe slumbered in a period which is commonly known as the Dark Ages, but few people are aware of the tremendous contributions Muslim scholars made in science and technology during the Golden Age of the Islam (7th – 17th Centuries) which helped pave the way for the European Renaissance,” said, Ludo Verheyen, CEO, MTE Studios.

“We are delighted to provide our guests with an opportunity to participate in an exclusive viewing of this remarkable exhibition at The Tech Museum and to find out more about the scientific achievements of the Muslim Civilisation. We look forward to the tour, which has been popular in the USA and Canada since it was first exhibited in New Jersey,” said David Hamod, President and CEO of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce. Designed to unearth the scientific know-how of an Islamic Golden Age, the exhibition covers main fields of Muslim achievements, from mathematics to navigation, astronomy, medicine, instrument making, fine utilitarian technology, engineering, optics, architecture and flight. It will be displayed at The Tech Museum until the end of February.

“We look forward to the high profile delegates’ visit, and we appreciate NUSACC’s initiative to give this exposure and experience to their guests. The exhibition underscores the roots of Silicon Valley’s innovations, and we would be delighted to work jointly with NUSACC in the future again,” added Verheyen.

Press release issued on behalf of MTE Studios FZ LLC. For further information, please contact Shereen Shabnam on +971 507690087/504828177/shereen@mtestudios.com Or Shamim Kasmani on +971 503461538/ shamim@mtestudios.com

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 exhibition, developed by MTE Studios 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.

About NUSACC

The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), established over 40 years ago, is America’s longest serving organization dedicated to U.S.-Arab business. NUSACC is widely regarded as the voice of American business in the Arab world and the premier private sector portal to the United States for Arab commercial enterprises. The Chamber is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that is registered under U.S. law as a 501-c-6 chamber of commerce. NUSACC is an independent, membership-driven entity that receives no income from foreign governments. The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce is the only business entity in the United States that is officially recognized and sanctioned by the League of Arab States and the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture. As such, NUSACC is a “sister chamber” and partner to the national chambers of commerce throughout the Arab world. Visit http://www.nusacc.org/about/index.php for more information.

Nepal memories

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Taking a plane from Pokhara to Kathmandu

One of my advertising contacts is venturing to Nepal and asked me for some tips earlier today. I have conflicting memories about Nepal – I loved it for the shopping both in Kathmandu & Pokhara + the food but my diva side was not so thrilled at having to get up at 4am in the morning to go cycling and climbing base mountains in Pokhara so that I could catch the kaleidoscope of colours at sunrise on the snow capped Annapurna mountain range.
Ok…I have to admit it was worth it because the views were beautiful and I saw a lot of Sherpa families etc but by the end of the day, I was exhausted & kept dreaming of aromatherapy massages which I could only get the next day.
But breakfasts near the Pokhara Lake listening to ‘sur sudha’, the soothing Nepali music was fabulous and the people of Nepal are just WOW! If you like traditional buildings with a courtyard, try Dwarika’s Hotel in Kathmandu and The Fulbari resort in Pokhara (stunning views). *Oh yes, I took a bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara to make the most of the scenery and to meet locals – while the experience was great, my butt hurt cos of the seats and i had goats travelling with moi. So I took the plane back to Kathmandu. (Not exactly a 5 star experience but better than the bus).
My second trip to Nepal was as a VIP so it was more light & easy – Leila and I went on an inaugural Air Arabia flight with our Red team and we were completely amazed at the reception at the airport – the Airport officials had musicians welcoming us, beautiful garlands, silk scarves etc. Truly memorable and a must visit for globe trotters!

International Festival of Falconry

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A friend, not long ago ventured into my domain clutching a Motivate Publishing book called ‘Falconry – celebrating a living heritage’ because she said I was the only chick she knew who got all excited about heritage of people more than the latest lipstick from Lancome. (At that time I took that as a compliment and added the so called coffee table awesome book into my ever expanding library that seems to grow faster than anything else in my stunted life). Yesterday she called screaming to let me know about the upcoming festival of Falconry in Al Ain.

She was so keen on letting me know about the festival that figures kept pouring out of her mouth about the fact that a few hundred (700 when I later checked) falconers and experts in falconry from 75 countries were attending the festival. Normally I wouldn’t give this a second thought as I know nothing much about Falconry but would like to understand more about it one fine day so I decided to see what was flying behind the scenes.

The gist is that this is the Second International Festival of Falconry that will be held in Al Ain from15th to 17th December. It is organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) in collaboration with Emirates Falconers’ Club and the British Falconers’ Club. Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, there will be officials from the UNESCO and international heritage and environmental institutions attending.

What it means is that Diva’s brains are now tickled to see what makes Falconry so interesting hence my coffee table book is now out and strategically placed in my sight lines to delve in when I have 2 minutes to myself. If you see me wandering around the sand dunes of the UAE dressed as a bedouin, don’t be too surprised. (I have been told I look pretty hot in rugged clothes when last seen checking out some tents in Jordan so this may actually be a great next leisure activity to take up yet)

My mum – A woman of substance

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While going through different phases in life, as a woman one naturally tends to look up to an older female relative for inspiration, pearls of wisdom, guidance and what have you. Unfortunately I lost my mum a while ago but its amazing how I still aspire to be like her in every sphere of my life. As I was telling someone close to me a few weeks ago, I may never be able to be as creative as her in my writing (she was an awesome poet and some of her lyrics have been sung by a well know ghazal artist in Fiji), I may not be as charismatic or as beautiful as her and I may not work as hard as her (this is hard to achieve when the other side of your persona emulates a diva like life), but I try hard every day to live my life according to her ethos and values.

Her intoxicating mix of toughness and feminity, her cheeky sense of humour, raw emotion, powerful personality that commands respect wherever she went, her devotion to us and her skills as a domestic diva and yet delve into fashion, shayri and be religious at the same time – who can do that these days? My mum came across as a woman who could bulldoze through any task she set for herself and with panache and skill that kept everyone wondering how she managed to balance everything and still laugh and have fun with friends and family while doing it.

I saw my mum as an incredibly sensual person especially in the way she spoke and in her cheekiness. Although she dressed modestly, her confidence was such that she knew that she owned the audience in every room she walked into. I remember how when we sometimes walked home after school or shopping, we stopped to chat to so many people and so many homes on the way that we timed ourselves to fit everyone in as people literally got disappointed if they found out my mum was nearby and she didn’t stop over to say hello.

A classmate described my mum as a uniquely original personality who had no desire to tone down her thoughts, beliefs, the way she dressed, the way she worked and lived her life on her own terms – not to make anyone more comfortable or to please others. She was bold, brave, strong and with her charm, friendliness, work ethic and devotion to people around her, she made an impact on everyone she met.

I cry very easily normally and get hurt and emotional at the smallest of things (My friends can vouch for this) but there were very few incidences in my life that I really cried (maybe only 2-3 times in my life). And one of the times was when I went back home to Fiji after my mum died and I had missed the funeral due to flight issues in Kuala Lumpur that made me miss my connecting flights in Singapore and Sydney. A native Fijian family came up to me and started telling how much they missed my mum’s smiling face and how for the first time in the Coral Coast they had seen a police patrol controlling the number of cars in the entourage going to a funeral and that they never realised that my mum had made such an impact on so many people. It hit me then that people from an entire town either witnessed or attended my mum’s funeral and I was not there in her last moments. It was the one day that I feel I really cried.

These days when I go to Fiji, I feel how much alive my mum really is through the people I meet who cant stop talking about her, her last days, her funeral and the number of people who came from far and near, her famous cooking, the fact that she personally designed our dresses as soon as a new style hit bollywood…. I remember the hours we spent at the tailors as my mum sat sketching what she wanted to achieve while tirelessly explaining the movie or magazine she saw the dress in and how she would want to do it. I guess that’s where I get the love of fashion and why I get so excited when people like Rami Al Ali or Elie Saab come up with a new collection.

Today for personal reasons I wish I could call her and talk things through. Since I cant, I felt I should write a bit about her to inspire me to think things the way she did and do what I feel she would have wanted me to do.

Spirit of Ecstasy

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My friends in Dubai know Rolls Royce is one of my favourite brands not only because I love the car but also because the people behind it are so amazing, awesome and a delight to be with. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of being a VIP guest of Rolls Royce CEO, Torsten Muller in Abu Dhabi with the Who’s Who of the UAE. It was naturally an incredible experience catching up with various members of the Millionaire Group who I don’t fraternise with enough due to my personal and professional commitments. Although Rolls Royce is not a brand people will normally associate me with as a petrol head chick who hangs out with cars you normally find on the race tracks, recently though I’ve become fond of their cars because the people who work at Rolls Royce or AGMC have become my extended family and are always there to cheer me up with their smiling friendly faces whenever I pop into their showroom or events.

Everyone who has met Torsten will tell you how amazing he is as a person and as a leader and you get inspired by his passion for the Rolls Royce brand. He explained in detail the story behind the Spirit of Ecstasy, the enigmatic symbol of Rolls-Royce when I first met him and I thought about this mysterious woman many times since, often drawing comparisons or being intrigued about her every time I sat in a Rolls Royce since.

Catching up with Torsten briefly again this week reminded me that perhaps I should write something about Spirit of Ecstasy especially as this year she celebrates her centenary. To commemorate the occasion, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars had commissioned world-renowned British photographer Rankin to create a series of one hundred contemporary images, each one inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy. The pieces were wonderful and I still have pictures of this amongst my favourite photographs so far this year. This week though, also in celebration of the centenary of the Spirit of Ecstasy, the distinctive hood ornament adorning all Rolls-Royce models, a diamond-enrobed commemorative model valued at $250,000 has been created by Mouawad Jewellers. Its stunning to say the least – I put a picture of this online but my BB camera didn’t do any justice to it.

Both Mouawad guys and the gorgeous Alaa of Rolls Royce later sent me their cool versions of the pictures and yes….it looks awesome. My laughing partner who always seems to bring the cheeky side of me to the forefront, Margaret is behind the publicity of Mouawad and she also talked about the Mouawad Centennial version of the Rolls Royce Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament. The low down on the jewelled ‘Flying Lady’ is that apparently three of Mouawad’s master craftsmen spent 350 hours meticulously arranging and placing 2,300 brilliant cut diamonds onto the symbol (value – a whopping US$250,000/-).

Originally called the “Spirit of Speed”, the “Spirit of Ecstasy” first appeared on the top of a Rolls-Royce in 1911. The inspiration for the Spirit of Ecstasy was commissioned by the 2nd Baron John Scott Montagu of Beaulieu. He asked his friend Charles Sykes to design the mascot, which is thought to be modelled on Eleanor Velasco Thornton who was the secretary and lover of the Baron Montagu. Eleanor had bewitching beauty, intellect and spirit but didn’t have the social status to marry the man with whom she had fallen in love. (sniff). The small statue Sykes created depicted a young woman in fluttering robes with one forefinger placed on her lips.

Eleanor’s relationship with John remained a secret for ages, mainly because both lovers acted with utmost discretion. John was a pioneer of the automobile in England. From 1902 he was editor of the “The Car” and Eleanor was his secretary. Friends of the pair knew of their close relationship but they chose to overlook it. I remember being so sad to find out that Eleanor was not able to enjoy the success of the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy as she lost her life while accompanying Lord Montagu to India. He survived but grieved losing the love of his life. It is such a romantic but sad story…..every time I see the symbol, I feel the strength of the love of this couple and visualise Eleanor as an iconic beauty, with power, grace, mystique and intrigue.

I am sure that while Rolls Royce cars are uber cool, the story of the Spirit of Ecstasy is equally fascinating, mysterious and heart warming.

Going back to Muay Thai

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Apart from getting married in Thailand + loving Thai food and spa sessions, 5 years ago I developed a fascination for Muay Thai thanks to my ex-boss who introduced me to the National Muay Thai Team of the UAE who were about to leave for a International Championship in Thailand. (Who can forget the gorgeous Scorpion). After learning more about the sport from the Thai General Consul, I ventured to a few classes armed with gloves and guard to the nearby gym.

Like many things, I delved into it briefly as I normally do because I have a zest for life and believe in trying out anything that remotely fascinates me…I see it more as a learning experience than as a been there done that sort of thing. Anyway, I changed jobs, became a workaholic and my physical exercise sessions, travel for culture, dance etc became a thing of the past.

More recently I realised that I was becoming a boring person…last year I actually felt someone close to me behind the scenes preferred fun times with other people as all I was about was work and on assessment I realised it was true. I was too busy to take care of myself physically, emotionally, mentally etc and promised to throw myself into interesting things after work to get my energy levels up again and become balanced. Now that I’ve completed my bellydancing, Muay Thai is back in my books as my next big thing.

Last night after a particularly difficult day, I met with Dennis at Safa Park for my training – he put me through the paces with a quick run and sprint (I was breathless after) before we started on the jabs, crosses & hooks. It brought back memories of how I used to be so grounded and balanced on my feet before as yesterday I was out of my depth. It took an hour before I could go back to the levels I was 5 years ago and I was tired. Where I got the energy to pick my daughter up and go see friends at Bussola afterwards, I have no idea. But my daughter was adamant about seeing my friend Leila despite it being near 10.30pm so I gave in.

I was yawning on the way home and learnt that if a sport keeps you grounded, disciplined and keeps you healthy, don’t give it up. Another mistake I hope to correct this week amongst many others I made over the last few years!

Warrior for a few days

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I promised a friend (an ex breast cancer patient) I was going to touch on the story of the pink printed scarf I wore over my little black dress recently. I have plenty of these scarves but as I am not a morning person, I tend to assess my mood and throw whatever comes my way in the wardrobe that does not need ironing. I have never planned what I will wear a day ahead hence there are days I can be corporate, bohemian, casual, naughty and totally offbeat but hey….I tell myself that if people around me have issues with my style then they can take a hike and they certainly don’t deserve to be around me at all….its a diva code!

Going back to the pink scarf…..this was another initiative of the good people at Ford who happened to be at the ‘Bras for a cause’ fashion show where they had a henna stand with amazing symbols we could have on our body. The funky printed pink scarf to wear around our neck or hair is part of Ford’s sponsorship for ‘Race for the Cure’…an initiative to raise awareness of the fight for breast cancer.

Hence I became a pink warrior for a day…dressed in a slinky killer black dress + an eyecatching scarf from `Ford which I wore a number of times as as I breezed through Dubai in a top of the range All New Ford Explorer. (I am still getting used to the fact that this car changes the station, temperature ++++ at my every command. Now if only I could get a guy who would jump to my every command as soon as they hear my sexy voice)

When I mentioned to a friend about being a woman warrior, she immediately thought I was referring to Leonardo Vecchiarelli’s Grande Transizione, which is a cycle put together like an armed battalion. There are pictures of women warriors, dressed with the keen eye of a samurai preparing for battle but inspired by oriental empresses. Hidden amongst these females is a single male figure – the artist himself. Isn’t that every man’s dream??? This was the artist who I later discovered is behind some shoots of world class magazines. I digress and will leave you to find more about the mystique behind his work yourself!

So…as encouraged by my friend, I am now supporting the Race for Cure by buying my t-shirts, scarves what have you from Warriors in Pink online instead of shops. It feels good!

Mawaheb

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Next week, like many weeks recently, Dubai will see a surge in art exhibitions by artists of all ages, different backgrounds and mediums. A few have impressed me and I felt like writing a bit about them despite the hectic schedule of the Dubai Fashion Week that has kept us running all over the city in the evenings. I particularly liked the off beat ones organised to support noble causes.

For those who are not familiar with Art Sawa, their next bit is presented by Mawaheb from beautiful people called ‘Walk into our world’. Mawaheb is the Arabic word for ‘talented’. They are a non-profit art studio for young adults with special needs, the first of its kind in the UAE and located in Dubai’s cultural and historical district, Al Bastakiya.

Most artists, aim to create their own identity by forming a style that is unique. However, the artists from Mawaheb are gifted with an untainted and unique view of the world around them, vividly
reflected in the beautiful art that they create in their studio.

Most people say that about the paintings done by innocent children as well. A lawyer friend of mine last month showed me some amazing paintings done by his two daughters during their playtime. I was so impressed by the vivid use of colours and wished I had spent time with Tash doing these kind of creative activities while she was younger. I hope its not too late for her to invest more than an hour she gets in art class at school after hours.

Mawaheb guys endeavour as an art studio to be self sustainable and all money raised will be invested back into the future development of the studio, which will in turn benefit their artists. If you do have time to drop into Art Sawa next week, I am sure you will be inspired. I have made up my mind to give up gym for one evening and drop by on the way home after work to see what these young generation of artists have come up with.