Diva ventures a distance for World-Class Polo

Leave a comment

It is difficult to get me out of the house on a Friday under normal circumstances so to entice me to drive to the Polo & Equestrian Club near Motor City all the way from Mirdif has to be for something special.

With Little diva at the Polo Club

But then, my host for the day was Mahmoud Nodjoumi who is one of the most humble and sweetest people I know and he sponsored the Polo Tournament in question – naturally that was reason enough to get my sexy butt out of bed and convince NJD that she could inherit my Sacoor polo shirt and be treated to a fun evening afterwards at DUCTAC if she would be my escort for the afternoon.

Naturally this kid…who already lays claim to anything nice I own for her inheritance jumped at the opportunity to try out the said shirt in her chic way combining it with white tights to match the collar (Clearly has more fashion sense than I do). It was a beautiful afternoon and over 200 UAE polo aficionados enjoyed a world-class display of horsemanship and sporting prowess at the final of the third annual Nexus Valentine’s Cup.

Sponsored by Nexus Insurance Brokers (Nadjoumi is the founder and CEO of Nexus), one of the region’s largest independent brokers, the event saw a crowd of glitterati, socialites with a cast of international and local polo stars at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, with Dr. A Polo beating The Vikings 7-5 to emerge as champions. Nadjoumi mentioned the two days of fantastic polo had players showing world-class skills in a tightly-contested match.

The winning team also received prizes from Glam Rock Watches, a celebrity favourite recently launched in Dubai and available at Damas Exclusives – Glam Rock Watches is a client of Image Nation (Dipesh Depala and Ayman’s PR agency). It was so wonderful to hang out with Dipesh and Ayman who are a delight to meet each time – Dipesh dished out some good advise to NJD about her school and planning her future education supporting me in coaxing her to move schools to Dubai.

My plan was to get NJD to DUCTAC in time for Rock and Rolla but Nadjoumi insisted we join the invited guests and the polo players for dinner so he could brief me on his current CSR work. We obliged because I already saw that the event generated awareness for Al Noor Training Centre, a non-profit organisation supported by Nexus Insurance Brokers that provides individuals with special needs, regardless of background, with professional training and care in order to realize their potential and better integrate into the wider community.

Nexus Insurance Brokers provided a space to display handcrafted items created by the students as part of their training programme…its because of Nexus CSR work and because of Nadjoumi’s good heart, I always make an effort to go to activities related to Nexus.

We did make it to Rock and Rolla with Dave Crane as the MC for the night.  Dave is one of my oldest acquaintances in Dubai from his radio DJ days and we share a passion for Rugby 7s . We compared notes on our kids etc briefly before witnessing some of the most talented kids on stage….more on this coming later.

BIG BOYS TOYS – BETTER THAN BEFORE

Leave a comment

With His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum - chatting about cars, travels etc

I have to say that apart from meeting and catching up with His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum (Admire him for his great work with the Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre), my biggest fascination at the Big Boys Toys exhibition has to be the multi-million dirham luxury mobile home. Big Boys Toys is the region’s premier lifestyle event and features exclusive products and services for the man who ‘wants it all’. From limited edition super cars to personal aircrafts and luxury products never before seen, the show had essentially all desired items in one ideal location at Atlantis.

Going back to the multi-million dirham ultra-luxurious mobile home, the ‘eleMMent’ Palazzo. The eleMMent Palazzo, by Marchi Mobile, is a mobile palace for the elite. The expandable pop-up flybridge lounge is fitted with multiple bars overlooking two floors that contain a master bedroom with an integrated bathroom and a couch that can be converted into bar furniture at the push of a button.

A programmed central control provides all important information at a glance, with set-up and dismantling being executed by a touch screen panel. An added security feature allows for remote video access, via an additional control unit, of the exterior and interior, and also permits to pre-set the lighting and temperature.

Naturally diva cant go to a show like this and not talk about cars. Middle East’s own exclusive Nissan GT-R VVIP, with a 0-100kmph in 3.6 seconds dazzled with 24-carat gold-plated aspect panels, grill, and the exclusive VVIP badges, while exuding awesome power in look and aspect.

Another debut, the ‘Hulme CanAm Spyder’ named in honour of Denny Hulme, New Zealand’s only Formula One World Champion and double CanAm Champion, is not for the faint hearted. It is a unique car for those with a desire for performance, F1-type exhilaration and style. It is a true driver’s car powered by a hand-built, supercharged, 7000cc, Chevy V8 engine, providing amazing torque and tractability.

A definite favourite among the extreme sports enthusiasts and recreational riders is the Dual Tracked Vehicle (DTV) Shredder manufactured by BPG Werks. The DTV Shredder is the first true crossover vehicle for action and power sports. A combination of tank, skateboard and motocross bike, it is the first year round, all-terrain vehicle and it fits in the trunk of a car. With the DTV Shredder, the outdoors becomes the personal playground.

Last year I met with an interesting inventor during a visit to the Palace of Sheikh Hamad in Abu Dhabi who had the most amazing helicopter for personal use. I must write about this guy at some stage as I remember him giving me a CD with his company information. This year I reckon the guys at Artaaj did an awesome job as always. Well done Raha and heaps of thanks to Tareq and His Highness for making the visit even more interesting.

 

COPD and how careful we need to be

3 Comments

Atlantis...venue for the COPD symposium

Earlier this week after dinner I got coaxed into meeting with a couple of specialist doctors on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) initiated by Virtue guys who felt that since I didn’t have time to volunteer at the Down’s Syndrome centre these days, I should become an ambassador on health and write about medical issues that affect people in the UAE.

OK. Enough with the smirks now. I know I generally write about flimsy light stuff but once in a while I can get serious enough if I feel like doing a bit of CSR bit in terms of creating awareness about a problem that anyone can be a victim of. Anyway, Rajah (Bless her gentle soul) decided that she would drive me to Atlantis (We Fijians are always ready to help people for good causes) so we could dine afterwards at one of the funky Atlantis food places.

Basically I got a quick update on proceedings of a medical symposium co-organised by the Emirates Allergy and Respiratory Society, in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceuticals FZCO. Their objective is to warn people that while most chronic diseases in the UAE are being controlled, the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is rapidly increasing, with 4 per cent of the Abu Dhabi population affected by it, according to recent study done by Dr. Ashraf H. Alzaabi, Head of Respiratory Division, Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Dr. Mirza Ali Al Sayegh, President, Emirates Allergy and Respiratory Society said a new study on COPD is being conducted by the Society to cover the whole GCC region and its details would be announced soon.

Dr. Bassam Mahboub, Consultant Pulmonary Medicine, Asst. Prof. University of Sharjah, Head of Allergy and Respiratory Department, Dubai Hospital and Vice Chair Emirates Allergy and Respiratory Society Dubai, UAE said: “COPS is currently the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. The prevalence of smoking in the UAE is around 23 percent. The 4 percent figure of the COPD prevalence will rise as the smokers’ group in the UAE grows older.”

I briefly met with Professor Leonardo Fabbri, an expert from the University of Modena in Italy, Reggio Emilia who said “The WHO estimates 80 million people have moderate to severe COPD worldwide. Three million people died from COPD, which corresponded to five percent of all deaths globally. Every hour COPD is estimated to kill more than 250 people worldwide, which means that COPD kills someone every 15 seconds.’

Dr. Al Sayegh alerted participants that COPD is an under-diagnosed, life-threatening lung disease. COPD is used to describe chronic lung diseases in which breathing is severely restricted because of lung damage and inflammation. He emphasized that the disease is preventable and can be managed but it is progressive.

Dr. Osama Al-Nawasany, Medical Affairs Director, Takeda Pharmaceuticals FZCO, Dubai mentioned that one of the most promising new treatments for COPD is Roflumilast, a first-in-class phosphodiesterase (PDE4) inhibitor that is the only licensed oral therapy that targets COPD-specific inflammation.

The symposium highlighted that many people with COPD continue to suffer from frequent exacerbations and an increased risk of a more rapid disease progression. Smoking cigarettes is the major cause of COPD in 80 per cent of cases. Other causes include: pollution generated by a number of domestic heaters and air pollution. Besides smoking cessation, there are several treatments, which should be closely monitored by qualified physicians. Self-medication is not an option for this disease.

We really should follow our body clocks

Leave a comment

Someone came to me earlier this week with 3 flight options for me to travel and said “you can go on Saturday morning at 7.15am flight and have a more decent weekend”. I don’t think this chick realises that a 7.15am flight means you need to be at the airport at 5.15am if not earlier. How can that be even remotely decent? And since when did I worry about losing weekend time? I would rather take a really late night flight the night before than try and save weekend time and fly at an ungodly time the next day and make everyone’s life around me miserable….after all these years she clearly has not figured me out. I know I’m mysterious but my morning mishaps I thought was legendary.

If looks could kill, I think she would have been dead meat by now cos diva is happy to take flights late nights, midnight or even at 3am but to sleep and wake up at 5am….everyone knows I don’t do that for love or for money. Some people may argue that its better to sleep through the night, wake up early….for my body clock, it means if my alarm goes off before 6am, you can write off any intelligent contribution for the day plus be subjected to my moodiness which trust me is not something anyone, including Psychopaths, Argentinean call girls or even annoying and pestering finance advisors should be subjected to….i get lethal and its not pleasant!

I recall times when my ex-boss Stuart Cameron (who I reckon is one of the most far sighted and intelligent people I have met in a long time) telling us to follow our body clocks and make the most of our productive time. I remember achieving wonders during that period of my life because I followed my body clock. Which means that I did all my creative thinking, strategising, planning and writing near 10pm. The next day, although I walked into the office late, I was a ball of energy and did more work than 5 people put together with a plan in place that I had brilliantly came up with and brainstormed with him the night before. Thankfully, he was one of these amazing people who ran his own business so was always available on the phone to discuss anything brilliant that his team came up with whether it was over a drink, while he was on the beach or on the road. He respected and recognised that people were more productive and sharp at certain times of the day and made himself available to his team….mornings naturally didn’t feature high when it came to moi but our chief designer woke up at 5am and hit the ground running at 140kmph. We were intellectually stimulated all day feeding off each others energies at different times of the day and hence I became a great believer in quality time and apposed to quantity… Somehow I lost this philosophy along the way!

Looking at the other side of the coin, my mentor Elena, who runs a successful PR company in California sent a bit of info on how sleeping allows us to refuel and restore our bodies and how we should not deprive ourselves of needed sleep time. She talks about how Time management expert Kathryn McKinnon provides us with a strategy to make sleep work for us during the workday in her best-selling book entitled Triple Your Time Today: 10 Proven Time Management Strategies to Help you Create and Save More Time!

Kathryn introduced Elena to the possibilities that lie within this concept in an answer to a question that Elena posed to her on LinkedIn. She said the following:
“We have, on average, 20,000 thoughts each day. Unfortunately, about 80% of those thoughts are negative. That means you spend a lot of time thinking unproductively. It’s your negative thinking that gets in the way of accomplishing what you want to do because these thoughts create doubt and fear, which then create hesitation and inaction. That means it takes you longer to accomplish your goals–in short, it takes more time.”

“If you . . . let your mind go to work for you, your mind will spend that time, while you’re sleeping, finding a way to deliver a solution to your problem. Triple Your Time Today gives step by step instructions on how to utilize this powerful strategy. A combination of focusing on the positive things that have happened during the day just before “lights out,” suspending judgment on the ideas that surface upon waking, and journaling are the keys to success – they tap into the well of creativity that each of us possesses.”

Elena began to implement this with positive results, and noticed that she is sleeping better at night. I am so going to try this as long as I don’t find myself waking up anytime before 6am. Now that would be tragic and very undiva like!

Lesson: Follow your body clock, believe in respecting your productive time and don’t kill yourself trying to make things work during your down time just to please other people or to fulfill the need to be at your desk for the sake of it.

Pearls: Forever Fashionable

Leave a comment

People close to me know that as an Islander, I adore pearls and am being constantly bugged by friends about this awesome book I recently added to my library on this oh so cool gem. So imagine my delight when Kristin Mahan of GIA sent me this awesome piece on Pearls prepared by experts from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). I can finally take care of all my pearl collections the right way. Naturally, i couldn’t wait to share this with you and all credit for this goes to GIA including the awesome image of the Tahitian Pearl earings….I hope GIA sends me a cool story next on Fijian pearls……enjoy:

Pearls: Forever Fashionable

A jewelry store’s pearl counter is a fascinating place. These enchanting gems have represented beauty and perfection ever since man discovered them in ancient times. They have been the subject of countless tales of history, beauty, myth and elegance.

The Arabian Gulf was the world’s first source of natural pearls and remained so for centuries. Natural pearls from the Gulf are notable for their transparent and high-lustre nacre. Together with pearls from the Red Sea and the Strait of Manaar, they have been referred to as “oriental pearls” and are highly valued.

Part of a pearl’s appeal is its organic origins: It comes from a living animal, a mollusk. And because pearls are slightly porous, they warm up against the skin as they are worn. The wearer and the gems become one.

The exciting array of pearl choices available today can be overwhelming. When you combine the variety of colors, sizes and shapes with metals and other gemstones in rings, necklaces and earrings, the possible combinations are practically endless.

So before you set off to buy pearl jewelry, you should understand the basics. Are you looking for natural or cultured pearls? Do you know what to look for in terms of size, luster and color? What price range are you interested in? How are some pearls treated to enhance their appearance? These are all good questions to consider before you begin to shop.

A retailer who knows the types of natural and cultured pearls that are available and the factors that determine their value will be an invaluable resource to you as you explore pearls.

In the meantime, here are some basics to get you started.

Pearls are natural or cultured and grow in mollusks that can live in either salt water or fresh water. They are made up of layers of calcium carbonate most popularly in the form of nacre, a natural substance produced by pearl oysters that coats the inside of the animal’s shell. This beautiful, lustrous nacre is the very essence of a pearl.

Natural Saltwater Pearls
Natural pearls are extremely rare. The Arabian Gulf is the most important source for natural pearls – 70-80 percent of all pearls came from there until the 1950s. The island of Bahrain was a centre for trade with northwest India and what is now the modern Middle East. A 4,000-year-old pearl was uncovered in 1989, and excavations at the ancient Bahrain’s Dilmun settlement have confirmed that pearl fishing has been going on for at least 3,000 years.

Natural, saltwater pearls from the Arabian Gulf come from the Pinctada radiata and Pinctada margaritifera. Persian Gulf pearls range in color from white to dark cream and tend to be more yellow than those from the Red Sea and Strait of Manaar, whose characteristic colors are very light yellow, cream and very light pink. The Red Sea also produces some pearls in darker hues that range from intense pink to light to dark violet.

Natural saltwater natural pearls are also found occasionally in Baja California, Venezuela, Myanmar, China, Japan, India, French Polynesia, Australia and Africa – the same regions that have cultured pearl industries.

Salt Water Cultured Pearls
If you ask someone to describe an Akoya pearl, they will most likely describe a white, round, lustrous gem cultured in Japan and China in Pinctada fucata (martensii). Most akoya cultured pearls are white or cream and some have hints of rosé (pink) or green. The akoya oyster is relatively small, so it doesn’t usually produce a cultured pearl larger than 9 mm. Natural pearls from Pinctada fucata (matensii) are extremely rare.

Tahitian cultured pearls have only been on the market since the 1970s and come in colors including eggplant purple, peacock green, metallic gray and grayish blue. The mollusk that produces them (Pinctada margaritifera) is native to French Polynesia and is farmed there and in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.

South Sea cultured pearls come from one of the world’s largest pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima), which produces cultured pearls that can measure 15 mm or larger. They are farmed in Australia, Burma, the Philippines and Indonesia. While South Sea cultured pearls occur in other colors, silver, white and yellow (sometimes referred to as “golden”) are the most common.

Freshwater Cultured Pearls
Cultured pearl farmers in China produce the overwhelming majority of cultured freshwater pearls. These cultured pearls vary widely in color and are generally more affordable than salt water cultured pearls. Sizes are comparable to akoya cultured pearls, with a range between 2 mm and 13 mm, although larger sizes are now available. Fascinating new cultured pearls from fire balls to soufflés have been emerging from China in a dramatic array of colors.

The chief cultured pearl-producing mussel in the U.S. is the “washboard” M. nervosa. Only a small fraction of the total number of freshwater cultured pearls produced come from the U.S.

What to look for when picking out pearls
GIA, the world’s foremost authority on diamonds and gems, created a pearl description system, in order to evaluate the quality of pearls. GIA’s 7 Value Factors include Size, Shape, Color, Luster, Surface, and Nacre. Be sure to ask your sales associate to go through these with you.

Size: As with other gems, a larger pearl (measured in millimeters) is typically more valuable. The larger the pearl, the more rare and costly it tends to be. But fine quality pearls can be small, and low quality pearls can be large, so a pearl’s ultimate worth depends on how it combines the complete mix of value factors.

Shape: While round is the most familiar shape, pearls come in a parade of forms (round, near round, oval, button, drop, semi-baroque, baroque). No matter what its shape, if a pearl is or symmetrical, it will be more valuable than one that’s irregular.

Color: A pearl’s color is a combination of its dominant bodycolor, overtone, the subtle colours that seem to come from within the pearl, and orient, the “play of color” you see when the pearl moves.. Cultured pearls display a broad palette of subtle hues, ranging from warm (yellow, orange and pink) to cool (blue, green and violet).

Luster: The intensity of light reflected from or just below the surface of the pearl, its luster, contributes the most to the beauty of a pearl. The effect is an inner glow from the heart of the gem. A pearl with excellent luster will look bright and shiny, while one with poor luster is dull and far less valuable. Fine akoyas tend to display a bright, mirror-like gloss. Other pearls tend to feature a softer, satiny luster.

Surface: A completely clean pearl is a rare treasure. Since rarity influences value, the prices of such pearls run extremely high. The number, nature, and location of surface characteristics (abrasions, bumps, chips, cracks, etc.) can affect the value of any pearl. Numerous or severe surface irregularities – such as chips or gaps – can threaten the durability of the pearl and cause it to break or peel and considerably lower its quality and value. If a surface characteristic is minor and located near a pearl’s drill hole, where it’s less noticeable, it will detract less from the pearl’s appearance and ultimate value.

Other value factors can minimize the effect of surface characteristics on a pearl’s worth. If the pearl is large and highly lustrous, for example, these pluses can outweigh a slight surface characteristic or two. In fact, excellent luster makes some surface characteristics less noticeable.

Nacre: Nacre is the very essence of the pearl itself and nacre thickness does affect the value. Quality cultured pearls have ample thickness to allow the pearl to display its beauty.

Matching: The uniformity of the appearance of pearls in strands and multi-pearl pieces is called matching.

How to Care for Pearls
Now that you’ve gotten your pearls, you should know a few things about taking care of them.

To retain their beauty, they need a certain amount of moisture, which is why you should avoid storing pearls in an airtight or overly dry environment, such as a bank safety deposit box. The human body conveniently provides just the right amount of moisture. Worn often and properly cared for, pearls can look as good in 50 years as they did the day they left the store.

Pearls are not the most durable of gems. Most everyday items at home and in the office are tougher than pearls, so careless contact can cause damage them over time. Chemicals are the primary threat. Perfume, makeup and hairspray contain ingredients that can eat away the nacre, permanently dulling it. Many cleaning products contain chemicals such as ammonia and chlorine, which can pit gold alloys and quickly damage pearls. Chlorinated swimming pool water is also hazardous. Avoid wearing pearl jewellery when cleaning the house or doing yard work.

The best way to clean your pearls is with a soft damp cloth, ideally after each time you wear them.

Are you ready to learn more?
Consider taking a course to gain a deeper understanding of this fascinating gem. GIA offers an online pearl course in its gemmology eLearning curriculum that you can take from the comfort of your home. It’s a fascinating look at the world of pearls, including their origin, how they get to market, and the GIA 7 Value Factors used to describe their quality. Or, you can choose to take a one-day instructor-led GIA Pearl Grading class where you’ll learn to evaluate the quality of freshwater, South Sea and Tahitian pearls.

To find out more about pearls and GIA’s pearl courses, visit http://www.gia.edu. See image courtesy of GIA.

A taste of Wilbur Smith

1 Comment

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

Leave a comment

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

Leave a comment

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

Leave a comment

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

Leave a comment

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)