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• Al Sadd Sports Club launches ReadingHeroes for kids

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TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012 • plus@pen.com.qa • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741

Seasoned silk painter RashmiAgarwal views the centuries-oldart as a means of recreating natureon silk and reaching out towould-be artists of all ages.

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PIC:QASSIM RAHMATULLAH

Spielberg’s masterfulportrait of Lincoln

2 COVER STORYPLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012

by Raynald C Rivera

She gently dips a tiny brush

into a small receptacle and as

the diminutive toe intimates

with the silk, blue slowly

spreads on the white fabric

creating a minute portion of the ocean

for her latest work titled Route de la soie

(Silk Road).

Rashmi Agarwal was at her studio

creating her latest silk painting, an art

she looks at as something spiritual than

aesthetic, a passion than a profession.

“When colour spreads on the soft silk

beautifully, something is coming out of

your soul,” she explains.

Though she finished degrees in Law

and Commerce, she decided to dedicate

her time being a full-time artist, creat-

ing beautiful art pieces with her skill-

ful hands and imaginative mind, and

teaching others who have the heart for

this art.

Art was her first love. Since child-

hood, she had been highly engaged in

visual arts so it’s no wonder why she

is adept in other art types such as oil

and glass painting but silk painting, she

says, has given her a different kind of

fulfillment. For this reason, she has been

into this creative venture for 12 years

now, eight years of which has been spent

in Qatar.

“I love to paint everything about

nature – flowers, mountains and land-

scapes. Here in Qatar I love to paint

mosques. They look magnificent com-

pared to those found in other countries,

and what’s more people put on a lot of

effort preparing it is a place for wor-

ship,” she explains.

Rashmi’s foray in teaching the art

of silk painting in Qatar started eight

years ago and so far she has passed on

her knowledge to hundreds of art enthu-

siasts, from little children to adults

interested to learn the art.

VIBRANT VIBRANT STROKES STROKES ON SILKON SILK

PICS: QASSIM RAHMATULLAH

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012 3

“It just surprises my students because

at first they don’t’ have any idea what

silk painting is and are fascinated once

they are able to finish a beautiful piece,”

she said of her experience teaching at

the Virginia Commonwealth University

in Qatar and Mathnasium among others.

Silk painting, she says, is so simple that

she can finish one piece in a day or two

and therefore could be done at any age.

“I have taught many people here in

Qatar. Last year I conducted workshop

for 155 Arab children,” she said proudly

showing some artworks done by very

young children.

Once limited to the affluent, silk paint-

ing is finding a place in Qatar’s flourish-

ing art scene in recent times.

“Silk painting started around the 2nd

century in India and became very popu-

lar among Mughal emperors from 17th

to 19th centuries. After 1970s it became

very famous in the US,” explains Rashmi.

What is fascinating with silk painting

is the fact it could be used for various

purposes allowing one to shift from fine

art to fashion art.

From curtains and cushion covers to

abayyas and shellas to gents’ ties, silk

painting has evolved from being mere

ornamental to objects of fashion; from

wall hangings displayed in homes and

offices to accessories that can be worn

by both men and women.

Rashmi’s studio is a riot of colours with

wall hangings and an impressive display

of her many other works.

She has a stunning collection of abay-

yas and shellas painted by her expert

hands. These she said are very much in

demand in the country since the designs

are unique and could not be found any-

where in the market. Prices of her art-

works range from QR1,500 to QR10,000

depending on design and material.

Because of the demand she is now

planning to diversify her craft, opening

a boutique in the near future to make her

creations available for more people.

Silk painting involves different tech-

niques such as gutta and serti using vari-

ous materials like wax, sugar, salt and

soft drinks to achieve desired effects on

the dyes on silk.

Asked why dye is preferred over paint,

she said dye is easily absorbed by the fab-

ric and “becomes an internal part of the

silk” which results to a ‘printed’ effect on

the silk whose texture is so smooth that

no one notices it has been done by hand.

The dyes are sourced from the US,

France, Germany and Hungary and the

silk from India, China and Thailand.

In addition, paint brushes in different

sizes are also an important tool for silk

painting.

“The silk that I use is produced by silk-

worms which make a durable and long-

lasting cloth which can last a hundred

years as long as it is not folded.”

It is amazing to see how the various

colours and materials from different

countries come together in one beautiful

piece of work which many will appreciate.

The Peninsula

Silk painting started around the 2nd century in India and became very popular among Mughal emperors from 17th to 19th centuries. After 1970s it became very famous in the US.

Communal violence can be averted only by strengthening the secular forces, said R B Sreekumar, former ADGP of Gujarat, a state in India. He was talking at the Kerala

Seminar-2012 conducted by the socio cultural youth organisation focusQATAR at Abu backer Siddiq Independent School on Friday. The programme was conducted to mark the ‘Formation Day of Kerala’.

“Violence is a result of ignorance and misunder-standing. It’s the responsibility of the religious lead-ers to provide their people lessons on brotherhood and peaceful living,” he added.

“Political and religious leaders do not motivate the youth to excel in education. Hence, most of the youth who acquired best education from India migrates to different parts of the world searching for better opportunities and quality of life. Wed need to start a new phase of social reformation process to recap-ture the rich culture and communal harmony of our country,” he said.

Asif Ali Kannur presented the topic “Contemporary Kerala society, problems and hopes.” In his speech, he pointed out that society in Kerala is getting trans-formed very rapidly. He expressed his concerns in the disappearance of the values such as unity, frater-nity and religious harmony in the society. Dr Husain Madavoor, Kerala Waqaf Board Member and General Secretary of Indian Islahi Movement, delivered the key note address. “There will be no religion, culture, trade and economy in a country where there is no peace,” Dr Madavoor said. Adv Ismail Nanmanda also spoke on the occasion.

P S Sasikumar, First Secretary, Indian Embassy, inaugurated the seminar. Shameer Valiyaveettil pre-sided over the function. Naushad Payyoli welcomed the gathering. Dr Nishan Puryil expressed vote of thanks. Abu Obaida Aljabarawi from Fanar gave

away the prize for the photography contest con-ducted as part of the ‘Ecofocus’ programme.

An exhibition showing the rich past, and tradi-tion of Kerala was also conducted as part of the programme. The Peninsula

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012 COMMUNITY4

Seminar calls for communal harmony and peace

Al Sadd Sports Club launched its new social responsibility programme “Reading Heroes” sponsored by Jarir Bookstore during a press conference held at the club.

Jassim Al Rumaihi, the General Secretary at Al Sadd sports club, attended the function along with the educational ambassador Aziz Al Ansari, Al Sadd and Jarir Bookstore officials and local media.

“Continuing our successes in social responsibility in the last and current season, I’m pleased to announce our new educational programme, “Reading Heroes” sponsored by our strategic partner Jarir Bookstore. This programme will have a significant role in promoting and supporting reading habits among the new generation. Al Sadd’s young star Abdulaziz Al Ansari will participate in this programme as Al Sadd’s educational ambassador. We renew our commitment to implement diverse social responsibility programs to achieve the positive impact in the community through the power of sports,” Al Rumaihi said.

“Reading Heroes” comes as an extension of the partnership between Al Sadd Sports Club and Jarir Bookstore. Joint CSR programmes between the two had seen huge success with “Brains’ Zone” the educational workshop last season in Landmark and Villaggio Malls. Beside this season’s booth “Smart Game” that has been placed in Al Sadd spectators’ area displaying the latest computer and electronic devices available at Jarir Bookstore.

Al Sadd CSR team has designed “Reading Heroes” for elementary school students, encourages direct interaction through reading and discussing books based on a variety of topics. Also, educational and entertainment activities will support in delivering a smooth and concise message to the kids. The programme will run on a five-month period. Next week begins the first visit discussing reading subjects and its importance in building the future.

Commenting on the programme, Abdulaziz Al Ansari, Al Sadd player and the ambassador of education said: “My participation in “Brains’ Zone” last season sparked my enthusiasm to take the responsibility towards educational programmes.

“Reading Heroes” program gives the new generation the chance to be heroes and a positive model in our community. I’m happy to launch my first programme and excited to visit schools and interact with students.” The Peninsula

Al Sadd Sports Club launches Reading Heroes for kids

FROM LEFT: Abdul Aziz Al Ansari, player, Al Sadd Sports Club (Al Sadd), Jassim Al Rumaihi, General Secretary, Al Sadd, and Ibraheim Al Khuzaim, Showroom Manager, Jarir Bookstore, at press conference to announce a new programme ‘Reading Heroes’. Sa

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Abu Obaida Aljabarawi from FANAR shaking hands with R B Sreekumar, former Additional Director General of Police, Gujarat State, India, during the ‘Kerala Seminar’ organised to mark the formation of Kerala State by Focus Qatar. Dr Hussain Madavoor (centre), General Secretary of All India Islahi Movement, and Shameer Valiyaveettil (right), CEO, Focus Qatar, are also seen.

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012 5CAMPUS

A leading Islamic scholar and retired Professor of Qatar University has urged stu-dents to spread the light of

Quran by studying the Holy Quran. Prof Musaed Musallem Al Jaffer, advi-sor of Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic affairs, retired professor in Quranic Studies and Interpretation from Algerian University, Iraq University and Qatar University, was speaking in the closing ceremony of 17th Inter School Competition, organised by Youth Forum Qatar at the Ideal Indian School on Friday.

He noted that the holy book, which invites mankind to right path, should be taught to the young generation as

it is the book of guidance. It is the only book that influences their com-plete life and deals with social, physi-cal, and mental problems. “The Light of Quran which is gained from Qatar should spread out of the whole world wherever you are,” he added.

Youth Forum has been organis-ing the Inter School Competition for School students in Qatar for the past 17 years. MES Indian School won the overall championship with 123 points, followed by Ideal Indian School as runners-up with 58 points, while Shanthinikethan Indian School bagged the third place with 44 points.

A total of 600 participants of differ-ent nationalities representing various

schools in Qatar, aged between 8 and 17 years, took part in the competition. Apart from Quran recitation, contests were also held for Quran memorisa-tion, Quran interpretation, Elocution, Quiz, Painting, Documentary and Essay writing. The concluding ceremony was

chaired by Sajid Rahman, President of Youth Forum Qatar, and Abdul Hakim Perumpilav, Public Relation and Media In charge, welcomed the guests and Sameer Kalikav proposed vote of thanks.

The Peninsula

Scholar urges students to spread the light of Quran

Musaed Musallem giving the trophy to MES Indian Shool students.

AIS raises funds for displaced OFWs

The Asian Integrated School (AIS) recently celebrated United Nations Day with a

fund-raising event to help distressed and displaced Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Qatar.

Aside from the usual colorful national costumes parade as well as the magnificent presentations from the students, the fund rais-ing activity was held in partnership with Philippine Overseas and Labor Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA) in Doha.

The programme was able to raise QR17,000 allotted for plane tickets for distressed OFWs.

Cary Yasir M Aragat, the School Principal, handed over eight Doha-Manila tickets to Labour Attache Leopoldo de Jesus yesterday. The OFWs who would avail of the air tickets were chosen from among those who urgently needed them to go home, some of whom were already in the deportation area.

De Jesus expressed deep gratitude

to AIS for initiating such program to help the Filipino workers in Qatar. He was also grateful with the goods that were delivered last month from AIS Grade School students headed by Programme Activity Coordinator Rogelio B Alado Jr with the support from the teachers, students and parents.

According to Aragat, more fund raising activities will be held to help his compatriots. It’s one way also to thank the Filipino community for the trust they have given to Asian Integrated School which is now on its second year of operation.

The Peninsula

Cary Yasir M Aragat (right), AIS Principal, handing over Doha-Manila tickets to Labour Attache Leopoldo de Jesus.

College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Q) presented its 9th Annual Rewarding

Excellence Awards Ceremony to a full audience on November 6, recognising 85 students for exceptional perform-ance during the 2011-2012 Academic Year.

Dr Ken MacLeod, President, CNA-Q, was joined by Dr Latifa Al Houty, Vice-Chair of CNA-Q’s Executive Committee, Ahmed Ali Al Mowlawi, Director of Administration, Qatar Petroleum, representatives of industry, faculty and family members.

“Since 2002, CNA-Q has been edu-cating the leaders of tomorrow,” said Dr MacLeod. “To date, over 2,000 stu-dents have graduated from our pro-grams. Many of them have sat where you are tonight, being recognized for hard work.”

Presented by Dr Latifa Al Houty, Vice Chair, Executive Committee, the CNA-Q Scholarship for Highest

Achiever was awarded to Dana Al Hajri, student of the Business Administration – Accounting programme.

The Decade of Excellence Scholarship was awarded to the top 10 Qatari academic achievers.

Speaking on behalf of the honoured students, Cindy Fernandes, winner of an ExxonMobil Scholarship and sole recipient of the CNA-Q Leadership Award, spoke about the importance of CNA-Q students and to the State of Qatar.

“As an institution, CNA-Q excels at teaching skills, at instilling attitudes, and at modeling behaviors that each of us needs to develop our true poten-tial. So in addition to congratulation and recognizing our excellent students, our ceremony tonight saluted the work that CNA-Q does of transforming us into tomorrow’s leaders who will shape Qatar’s society and enrich the lives of those around us.”

The Peninsula

CNA-Q celebrates studentachievement at awards night

Cindy Fernandes, student leadership winner.

Dr Latifa Al Houty with 10-year scholar-ship winner.

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012 MARKETPLACE6

Qatar National Broadband Network (Qnbn) and Vodafone Qatar teamed up at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to boost their partnership at the recent Formula 1 championship races at Yas Marina Circuit, where

Vodafone was official sponsor for the McLaren team. Richard Dally, Vodafone Qatar CEO, said: “This collabo-

ration reflects the strong relationship between Qnbn and Vodafone. Qnbn seeks in every way to engage with us as an operator and this is testament to how closely we work together to achieve the best outcome for Qatar’s fiber optic broadband. It was exhilarating to be part of the sensational atmosphere that surrounds Formula 1 events and at the same time dem-onstrate our close ties with Qnbn by placing their logo on our McLaren car. Qnbn aims to empower all who live and work in Qatar through its high speed fiber optic network that will be available through operators like Vodafone, to create more potential for all and fuel innovation for the future.”

Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Qnbn CTO added: “Just as high speed Formula One racing transforms the delivery of world class racing cars and engines, so too will fiber optic broadband transform the entire nation - from businesses to residents, education to healthcare and more importantly, e-government services. Having our logo on Vodafone’s Formula 1 McLaren car accurately reflects the goals and ambitions our two organi-sations have in common – to bring the latest high speed com-munications to Qatar to set the country alight.”

Qnbn’s rollout of its new fiber optic network has now begun and will accelerate broadband fiber penetration in Qatar, enabling telecom operators, like Vodafone to offer the next generation broadband services to businesses and individuals.

The Peninsula

Qnbn and Vodafone officials with Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton.

At a TILOS event held at the Ritz Carlton on November 5 for project professionals , Col laboration Management Control Solutions

Qatar (CMCS Qatar) and Future Network Development (FND) announced immediate availability of the latest release of TILOS v8, enabling owners of v7 to upgrade to the latest release and use the concepts of linear schedul-ing more effectively on their linear projects i.e. highway, road, railway, pipeline, tunnel, under-ground and other civil engineering projects.

New features include the new TILOS Google Module, Mass Haulage Planning, and redesigned architecture whilst preserving the look and feel of version 7 to enable users to easily scale up to the new version.

“Simply the best tool for planning and man-aging linear projects” said Tekin Guvercin,

CEO of FND. He also added: “TILOS is not only planning tool but also complete plan-ning, controlling and engineering know-how system. Top10 worldwide biggest construction, Oil&Gas companies are already customers of TILOS which is worldwide standard for lin-ear projects. For example if we speak about metro projects, 30 of currently ongoing metro projects in the World are planned by TILOS and it’s the same for Pipeline, Road, Railway and Transmition projects. I am extremely impressed by investments of Qatar which is already much more developed than many EU countries. Infrastructure is very important point for country development. TILOS has been already used in major infrastructure project in Qatar and I believe that Qatar will become one of TILOS biggest market in EMEA soon.”

The Peninsula

Demand forQtel BusinessCentres grows

Qtel’s Business Centres are helping companies to grow across Qatar, and the company is continu-ing to enhance the range of services available for business customers.

Qtel launched a new “Let’s Talk” campaign in July 2012 to encourage organisations to use Business Centres as resources to help them upgrade and implement new solutions.

Since the campaign started, the number of new busi-nesses visiting Qtel Business Centres has increased by almost 120 percent, reflecting Qatar’s ongoing economic dynamism. Qtel provides each business customer with a dedicated Account Manager, who gives free consultations on technical issues, start-up challenges and registration and licensing issues.

One of the organisations benefiting from their Account Manager is the Supreme Education Council (SEC), which has embarked on a series of e-learning and enhanced com-munication projects, deploying VoIP and ADSL technol-ogy. Ahmad Darwish, an SEC representative, said: “Qtel’s Account Managers helped us by receiving requests and responding to them, and providing us with solutions.”

Recently, Qtel restructured the sales team to include a sales manager and a service manager to increase cus-tomer satisfaction. Businesses customers have praised the Business Centre service and helpful Account Managers. One of these customers is Al Emadi Enterprises, a leading real estate developer that uses Qtel’s Internet and phone services.

These include a toll-free hotline, Shahry phones for its employees travelling throughout the country, and mobile broadband USB devices for its engineers at the 55,000sqm Al Markhiya mixed use luxury complex under construction. KMPG, a leading international company which provides audit, tax and advisory services, uses Qtel’s Internet and landline phone services. The Peninsula

CMCS Qatar, FND launch TILOS 8 in QatarCMCS Qatar and FND officials at the TILOS 8 launch.

Qnbn, Vodafone in fast lane at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012HEALTH 7

Health Tipsfrom DOCTOR

Let’s face it, accidents happen -- and if you’ve had an injury to the teeth, mouth or jaw, you need to see a dentist right away. Putting off dental treat-ment for a dental emergency now only increases

the risk of permanent damage later, which could translate into more extensive and expensive treatment down the road

Pain is your body’s signal that something is wrong. It also means it’s time to seek treatment for something you might have been putting off for a while.

Here’s what constitutes a dental emergency, and Tips for Dealing with Dental Emergencies.

Bitten Lip or Tongue -- Clean the area and apply an ice pack to reduce swelling. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, see your dentist right away or go to a hospital emergency room.

Broken Tooth -- Save any pieces of the broken tooth and rinse your mouth out with warm water. Apply a cold compress to the area to decrease swelling and pain until you can be seen by an emergency dentist.

Knocked Out Tooth -- Gently rinse off the knocked out tooth without removing any attached tissue. If possible, hold the tooth in place in the socket. Otherwise, put the tooth in a glass of milk and get to a dentist right away.

Object Stuck in Teeth -- Carefully try to remove the object with dental floss. (Don’t try using a sharp instrument instead!) If you’re unable to dislodge the object with dental floss, contact your dentist.

Toothache -- Rinse your mouth out with warm water. Then use dental floss to make sure there isn’t any food or other debris causing the pain. If the pain persists, call your dentist.

Lost Dental Filling or Dental Crown -- For dental fillings, seal the area with a piece of sugarless gum .If the crown falls off, make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible and bring the crown with you. Do not use super glue to slip the crown back over the tooth.

Dental Abscess -- If you notice a painful, pimple-like swelling on your gums, rinse with salt water and imme-diately contact an emergency dentist. Dental abscesses can lead to more serious infections if not treated promptly.

Prevention is better than cureMaintaining good oral hygiene is the best way to help

prevent a dental emergency. Along with regular brushing and flossing, avoid chewing on ice, hard candy or popcorn kernels, which could potentially crack teeth without you even knowing. And don’t force your teeth to tear open a package -- use the scissors instead. If you play sports, wear a mouthguard to cushion your teeth from excessive force or trauma.

Regular dental visits allow your dentist to diagnose and treat dental problems before they become more severe or painful.

Dr. Amit K Walvekar Specialist – Dentistry –

Periodontics Healthspring World Clinic

Tips for dealing with dental emergencies

Young but complaining of body ache? It could be Vitamin D deficiency

by Azera Parveen Rahman

Does your teenage daughter often com-plain of backache and joint pain? Is your

college-going cousin always lethargic? Vitamin D deficiency among youngsters, which causes such problems, is becoming com-mon these days and is a growing health concern, doctors say.

Vikas Ahluwalia, senior con-sultant of Internal Medicine at Max Super Speciality hos-pital, said that vitamin D defi-ciency among young people has increased over the last couple of years, especially in metros like Delhi.

“We have observed a rising number of cases of young peo-ple coming with complaints like backache, leg pain, joint pain and lethargy, which relate to vitamin D and vitamin D3 deficiency. It’s a cause of concern,” Ahluwalia said.

The trend is mostly seen in metros, like Delhi, he added.

“What is even more worrying is that children as young as 16, who are in the growing stage of their life, are coming with such problems,” Ahluwalia said.

Paediatrician Anju Virmani of the Indraprastha Apollo hospital agreed.

“Vitamin D deficiency is

becoming very common these days, and it’s affecting different sets of population. Among kids too it is becoming common,” Virmani said.

“Scientific studies show that vitamin D deficiency is increas-ing in each decade. So the defi-ciency in the population between 2000 and 2010 was more than the previous decade. And the urban population is more affected than its rural counterpart,” she added.

The root cause of the problem is lifestyle-related, doctors say.

“It starts right at the begin-ning - when a woman is preg-nant. If she is low on vitamin D, so will the child be. If there is not enough breastfeeding, the child will have this and all sorts of other problems when he or she grows older,” Virmani said.

Young office goers, in their twenties and early thirties, who mostly have desk jobs and work in air-conditioned offices, also come with similar complaints.

“I remember one patient who came to us with a fracture. She was married for just six months and we were concerned if it had to do with domestic abuse. But after two days, her other leg too had a fracture, removing our doubts, because it meant that her bones were very brittle because of vitamin D deficiency,” she added.

Exposure to sunlight is the biggest source of vitamin D - something that we consciously avoid under various pretexts.

“Children these days hardly play outside. They are running from school to tuitions and then when they play, it’s mostly video games in their rooms. So there is not enough exposure to sunlight,” Ahluwalia said.

“Also, the common trend in all the kids with vitamin D defi-ciency is that they don’t take milk or milk products. So where do you get your calcium? Fast food has added to the problem. The normal range of vitamin D is 30 (nanogrammes per millili-tre of blood) and at times we get children with 3-4; so that’s how severe the problem can get,” he added.

Virmani advises parents not to encourage their children, espe-cially their young daughters who are more conscious about their weight, to have low fat milk. “It hardly does any good and doesn’t slim you down,” Virmani said.

“The good thing is that tests for vitamin D are easily available and more reliable nowadays, so you can keep a check on it by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and ensure that your children do too. Ultimately your health is in your hands,” Agarwal said.

IANS

We have observed a rising number of cases of young people coming with complaints like backache, leg pain, joint pain and lethargy, which relate to vitamin D and vitamin D3 deficiency.

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in t

he h

ead O

ct

9. S

he is

currentl

y u

ndergoin

g

treatm

ent

in B

rit

ain

.M

ala

la c

am

e t

o p

rom

inence i

n 2

009 a

t th

e a

ge o

f 11

, w

hen s

he s

tarte

d

writ

ing a

dia

ry f

or B

BC

Urdu a

bout

life

under t

he T

aliban.

The T

aliban s

aid

they h

ad t

argete

d h

er f

or “

prom

oti

ng s

ecula

ris

m”.

Earlier H

ollyw

ood a

ctr

ess

An

gelin

a J

olie a

nd s

inger S

ele

na G

om

ez

show

ed t

heir

support

to t

he b

rave g

irl.

I am

mar

ried

in m

y he

art,

min

d: C

yrus

Heid

i Klu

m s

uppo

rts M

alal

a

BY

AN

N H

OR

NA

DA

Y

A pecu

liar,

pow

erfu

l alc

hem

y

takes h

old

in

Lin

coln

, S

teven

Spie

lberg’s m

ast

erfu

l portr

ait

of

the 1

6th

US

presi

dent.

Through

that

strange m

ix o

f realism

, arti

fice, in

ti-

macy an

d scope th

at

cin

em

a un

iquely

poss

ess

es,

vie

wers

find t

hem

selv

es

trans-

porte

d

to

19th

-cen

tury

Wash

ingto

n,

where A

braham

Lin

coln

— p

ortr

ayed i

n

a s

urpass

ingly

sym

path

eti

c p

erfo

rm

ance

by D

anie

l D

ay-L

ew

is —

has

just

been r

ee-

lecte

d t

o a

second t

erm

.B

ut

inst

ead o

f a g

rand t

able

au v

ivant

that

lays

out

the g

reat

man a

nd h

is g

reat

deeds li

ke so m

any to

o-p

erfe

ct

pie

ces

of

waxed

fruit

, S

pie

lberg

brin

gs

the

leader a

nd v

iew

ers

dow

n t

o g

round level.

Rele

ased fr

om

th

e plin

th of

the usual

monum

enta

lity

and w

orsh

ipfu

l adorati

on

in w

hic

h h

e’s

so o

ften

trapped,

Lin

coln

has

been l

iberate

d —

the b

ett

er t

o j

oke,

grie

ve,

spin

yarn

s, b

rood a

nd w

ork h

is

consi

derable

wit

s and w

iles

in t

he s

ervic

e

of

politi

cal sa

usa

ge-m

akin

g a

t it

s sp

icie

st

and m

ost

unti

dy.

Thus

Lin

coln

grati

fyin

gly

dodges

the

kin

d o

f safe

, sta

rchy h

agio

graphy t

hat

som

e S

pie

lberg s

kepti

cs

feared.

Rath

er,

th

e fi

lmm

aker,

who h

as

brought

Ausc

hw

itz

an

d t

he b

esi

eged b

eaches

at

Norm

an

dy

to l

ife w

ith s

uch r

igor a

nd d

eta

il, proves

yet

again

that

he i

s th

e b

est

film

maker

currentl

y e

ngagin

g in t

he form

of ass

idu-

ous

rese

arch a

nd c

reati

ve i

nte

rpreta

tion

know

n a

s his

toric

al dram

a.

Work

ing from

a d

ense

, lively

screenpla

y

by p

layw

rig

ht

Tony K

ush

ner (

who l

ast

collaborate

d w

ith S

pie

lberg o

n M

un

ich),

S

pie

lberg in

fuses L

inco

ln w

ith

en

ergy,

acum

en, su

rpris

ing h

um

or a

nd t

he u

na-

bash

ed a

ffecti

on for h

is s

ubje

ct

that

most

A

meric

an

s w

ill

wholly u

nderst

an

d a

nd

probably

share.

Com

ing o

n t

he h

eels

of th

is w

eek’s

ele

c-

tion, he a

lso h

as

giv

en u

s a b

racin

g d

ose

of

well-t

imed p

oliti

cal esc

apis

m: F

or a

couple

of

hours,

at

least

, R

’s a

nd D

’s a

like c

an

get

the s

hrew

d, se

nsi

tive, fe

arl

ess

, m

orally

self

-aw

are p

resi

dent

they’v

e b

een c

ravin

g.

Th

at

Lin

coln

em

erges

wit

h

such

endearin

g f

resh

ness

and v

igor h

as

a l

ot

to d

o w

ith D

ay-L

ew

is’

perfo

rm

an

ce,

in

whic

h h

is c

haracte

r’s

lan

ky w

orld

-wea-

rin

ess

com

es

through w

ith e

ach e

xpres-

sive g

lance.

Much h

as

been m

ade o

f th

e

hig

h,

reedy r

asp

wit

h w

hic

h h

e d

elivers

Lin

coln

’s en

dle

ss supply

of

an

ecdote

s,

quota

tion

s,

jokes

an

d

exte

mporan

ea.

Alt

hough m

ost

his

toric

al

desc

rip

tions

of

Lin

coln

’s v

oic

e —

inclu

din

g D

oris

Kearns

Goodw

in’s

in

T

ea

m o

f R

iva

ls,

on

w

hic

h

Lin

coln

is

parti

ally b

ase

d —

use

the w

ords

“hig

h”

an

d “

cle

ar,”

Day-L

ew

is s

eem

s to

have f

ocuse

d m

ore o

n t

he f

orm

er t

han

the latt

er.

But

Day-L

ew

is’

voic

e soon

becom

es

fold

ed in

w

ith

th

e m

yria

d w

ays h

e so

fully i

nhabit

s L

incoln

as

the m

an i

n f

ull:

a w

arti

me p

resi

dent

haunte

d b

y h

undreds

of

thousa

nds

of

casu

alt

ies,

desp

erate

to

brin

g a

n e

nd t

o t

he c

arnage; th

e g

rie

vin

g

fath

er o

f a s

on w

ho d

ied t

wo y

ears

ear-

lier; th

e c

onfo

unded h

usb

and o

f a w

om

an

prone t

o e

rrati

c m

ood s

win

gs.

Sally F

ield

pla

ys

Lin

coln

’s w

ife, M

ary T

odd; alt

hough

she’s a

decade D

ay-L

ew

is’ se

nio

r, t

hey p

lay

younger a

nd o

lder t

han t

heir

years

so s

uc-

cess

fully t

hat

they w

ind u

p m

eeti

ng i

n

the m

iddle

as

a c

ouple

who v

isib

ly w

ear

the t

oll t

he p

ast

four y

ears

have t

aken o

n

their

and t

he n

ati

on’s

liv

es.

Most

ly, th

ough, D

ay-L

ew

is i

ntr

oduces

audie

nces to

L

incoln

th

e poli

ticia

n —

th

e can

ny,

even

ruth

less operato

r. A

s L

inco

ln o

pens,

he i

s decid

ing w

heth

er t

o

intr

oduce t

he 1

3th

Am

en

dm

en

t to

the

Con

sti

tuti

on

—

perm

an

en

tly aboli

sh

-in

g s

lavery —

in J

anuary 1

865 o

r t

o w

ait

unti

l a far frie

ndlier R

epublican-m

ajo

rit

y

House is

in

sta

lled.

It’s

th

e fa

scin

ati

ng

world

of

horse-t

radin

g,

truth

-sh

avin

g,

“sh

ady w

ork

” an

d back

ch

an

nels

th

at

Lin

coln

brin

gs

to lif

e m

ost

exhilarati

ngly

, as

the p

resi

dent

bargain

s and s

om

eti

mes

bare-k

nuckle

s his

way t

o g

ett

ing w

hat

he w

ants

. V

iew

ers

expecti

ng S

pie

lberg t

o

giv

e t

hem

back t

heir

most

revered s

ecu-

lar s

ain

t m

ay b

e s

urpris

ed —

delighte

dly

so

— t

o d

iscover t

hat

he h

asn

’t m

ade t

he

Am

eric

an v

ers

ion o

f G

an

dh

i but

the 1

9th

-centu

ry v

ersi

on o

f A

dvi

se a

nd

Con

sen

t.A

udie

nces

know

the u

ltim

ate

outc

om

e

of

Lin

coln

(both

the d

isposi

tion o

f th

e 1

3th

A

men

dm

en

t an

d L

incoln

’s tr

agic

en

d,

whic

h is

gratu

itousl

y s

pelled o

ut

in o

ne o

f th

e fi

lm’s few

over-s

enti

menta

l m

om

ents

),

but

the m

ovie

sti

ll e

xerts

a r

iveti

ng g

rip

on a

ttenti

on a

nd im

agin

ati

on.

Kush

ner a

nd S

pie

lberg w

ork

in n

ear-

perfe

ct

harness

to k

eep w

hat

is e

ssenti

ally

a s

erie

s of

set

pie

ces

of

men t

alk

ing g

al-

lopin

g a

t a b

ris

k,

alw

ays

abso

rbin

g c

lip.

What

makes

“Lin

coln

” even m

ore e

njo

y-

able

is

the c

ast

of

colo

rfu

l fo

ils

for t

he

titl

e c

haracte

r’s

noble

quest

: a g

allery o

f rogues,

roues

and r

apsc

allio

ns

who b

rin

g

Lin

coln

’s fi

ner q

ualiti

es

into

sharp r

elief

while h

um

aniz

ing h

im a

s one o

f th

eir

ow

n

(alb

eit

at

their

idealize

d b

est

).S

o, audie

nces

don’t

just

get

the p

leasu

re

of

havin

g s

pent

a c

ouple

of

hours

in t

he

near-p

alp

able

prese

nce o

f L

incoln

as

he

warm

ly c

hats

up c

onst

ituents

and C

abin

et

mem

bers

(so

me o

f w

hom

can b

e s

een r

oll-

ing t

heir

eyes

when t

hey s

ense

anoth

er

story c

om

ing o

n).

Th

ey als

o get

to m

eet

the radic

al

Repu

bli

can

con

gressm

an

T

haddeu

s S

teven

s,

pla

yed by T

om

my L

ee Jon

es

wit

h f

ulm

inati

ng h

igh s

pir

its

an

d s

cen

-ery-c

hom

pin

g zest;

S

ecreta

ry of

Sta

te

William

Sew

ard (

David

Str

ath

air

n),

one

of

Goodw

in’s

riv

als

who e

nded u

p b

ein

g

a c

rucia

l part

of

Lin

coln

’s b

rain

trust;

U

lyss

es

S G

ran

t, i

mpeccably

pla

yed b

y

Jared H

arris

in b

rie

f but

poig

nant

scenes

of

mutu

al

regard an

d regret;

an

d th

e

scene-s

teale

rs

of th

e p

iece, B

ilbo, L

ath

am

and S

chell (

Jam

es

Spader,

John H

aw

kes

and T

im B

lake N

els

on),

who a

s vaguely

dis

reputa

ble

operati

ves

en

list

ed t

o p

ro-

cure “y

es”

vote

s h

ilario

usly

skulk

an

d

smarm

their

way t

hrough “

Lin

coln

” like a

tr

io o

f S

hakesp

earean fools

(R

ose

ncrantz

, G

uil

derste

rn

an

d A

bram

off

, anyon

e?).

“I

t’s n

ot

ille

gal

to b

rib

e c

on

gressm

en

,”

Lath

am

note

s. “

They’ll st

arve o

therw

ise.”

Spie

lberg’s

Lin

coln

is s

pik

ed w

ith s

o

many u

ncanny p

rese

nt-

day e

choes

— from

parti

san g

rid

lock a

nd c

asu

al

corrupti

on

to n

on-d

enia

l denia

ls a

nd t

he u

nsp

oken

(an

d u

nspeakable

) prospect

of

a b

lack

man o

ccupyin

g t

he W

hit

e H

ouse

— t

hat

even

vie

wers

who d

on

’t c

on

sider t

hem

-se

lves

his

tory b

uff

s w

ill

fin

d i

t rousi

ng,

provocati

ve a

nd u

tterly

rele

vant.

As

viv

idly

as

Spie

lberg b

rin

gs

Lin

coln

and h

is m

ate

ria

l cult

ure t

o lif

e, he’s just

as

valu

ably

made a

cele

brati

on o

f th

e p

oliti

-cal

process

at

the p

recis

e m

om

ent

when

we m

ay n

eed i

t m

ost

. L

incoln

the m

an

and “

Lin

coln

” th

e m

ovie

serve t

o r

em

ind

us

that

dem

ocracy a

nd t

he l

eadersh

ip i

t dem

ands

aren’t

alw

ays

prett

y.

But

they

can b

e b

eauti

ful.

WP

-BL

OO

MB

ER

G

Acto

r M

ichael

Sheen, w

ho i

s w

ell-k

now

n f

or h

is p

ortr

ayals

of

real-

life

people

in m

ovie

s, s

ays

he c

an o

nly

ever p

lay “

him

self

” on t

he

big

screen.

The 4

3-y

ear-o

ld a

cto

r i

s know

n f

or h

is p

ortr

ayals

of

real-

life

people

-

inclu

din

g f

orm

er B

rit

ish p

rim

e m

inis

ter T

ony B

lair

in t

hree fi

lms,

Ca

rry

On a

cto

r K

enneth

William

s, legendary s

occer m

anager B

ria

n C

lough a

nd

accla

imed r

eporte

r D

avid

Frost

- in h

is fi

lms

but

says

the c

haracte

rs

are

just

him

em

phasi

sing d

iffe

rent

asp

ects

of

his

perso

nality

.”“Y

ou’r

e o

nly

ever p

layin

g y

ourse

lf. T

hat’s

all I

can p

lay. I

thin

k o

f it

lik

e

a m

ixin

g d

esk

in a

sound s

tudio

, w

ith a

ll t

hose

faders

that

you p

ut

at

dif

-fe

rent

level,”

conta

ctm

usi

c.c

om

quote

d S

heen a

s sa

yin

g.

While S

heen h

as

portr

ayed m

any r

eal-

life

sta

rs, he t

hin

ks

his

13-y

ear-o

ld

daughte

r L

ily,

whose

moth

er is

Kate

Beckin

sale

, w

ould

be a

great

candid

ate

to

pla

y h

im in a

bio

pic

because

she is

such a

good m

imic

.”“M

y d

aughte

r d

oes

a p

rett

y g

ood im

perso

nati

on o

f m

e. S

he’s

bruta

l. B

ut

you n

eed s

om

eone t

o p

lay y

ou, w

arts

and a

”l,” h

e s

aid

. Mic

hael

She

en p

lays

him

self

in fi

lms

JTHJ

or

SOS

- to

ugh

choi

ce

for

mov

iego

ers

this

Diw

ali!

It’s

not

a F

rid

ay b

ut

two

mega fi

lms

are c

om

ing o

ut

on N

ovem

ber 1

3 b

ecause

it

is D

iwali, a m

uch-a

wait

ed

date

on t

he B

ollyw

ood c

ale

ndar.

Y

ash

Chopra’s

last

dir

ecto

ria

l Ja

b T

ak

Ha

i Ja

an (

JT

HJ)

and

Aja

y

Devgn

-sta

rrer

Son

O

f S

ard

aa

r (S

OS

) are r

ele

asin

g

togeth

er t

oday,

leavin

g a

udi-

ences

a t

ough c

hoic

e t

o m

ake.

On

th

e on

e han

d,

there is

A

jay,

whose

last

film

s S

ingh

am

and B

ol

Ba

chch

an r

aked in t

he

cash

at

the b

ox o

ffice,

and o

n

the o

ther i

s th

e d

eadly

com

bi-

nati

on o

f C

hopra,

Shah R

ukh

Khan,

Katr

ina K

aif

, A

nush

ka

Sh

arm

a,

A R

R

ah

man

an

d

Gulz

ar.

Th

e

film

s

are

dif

feren

t in

gen

re -

if S

OS

is

a com

-edy,

JT

HJ p

rom

ises

oodle

s of

rom

ance a

nd e

moti

ons.

Trade

pundit

s have p

redic

ted t

hat

the

two fi

lms

will

join

Bollyw

ood’s

grow

ing c

lub o

f `1

bn g

ross

ers.

The m

ovie

s have b

een in t

he

new

s fo

r a

while.

Alo

ng w

ith t

heir

exte

nsi

ve

prom

oti

ons

across

the c

ountr

y,

they h

ave grabbed h

eadli

nes

for a

legal

issu

e r

egardin

g t

he

screen s

pace a

llott

ed t

o t

hem

. A

jay D

evgn F

film

s (A

DF

) file

d

a legal com

pla

int

again

st Y

ash

R

aj F

ilm

s (Y

RF

) allegin

g m

al-

practi

ce in c

onnecti

on w

ith t

he

cla

sh o

f both

the r

ele

ase

s. A

DF

cla

imed Y

RF

use

d its

dom

inant

posi

tion in t

he indust

ry t

o a

sk

exh

ibit

ors to

dedic

ate

m

ore

screens

to J

TH

J inst

ead o

f S

OS

.It

would

be inte

rest

ing t

o s

ee

how

the fi

lms

fare a

t th

e b

ox

offi

ce.

YR

F h

as

cla

imed t

o b

ook less

th

an 1

,500 s

ingle

screens

out

of

the 1

0,5

00-p

lus

sin

gle

screen

s available

on a

n a

ll-I

ndia

basi

s fo

r J

TH

J,

and i

t w

ill

reporte

dly

rele

ase

the m

ovie

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PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012 CULTURE10

Incense burners made of borosili-cate (Pyrex), a special glass that is clear and heat-resistant, and fashioned after the traditional

Arab incense burner ‘mabkhara’ are showcased at an exhibition recently opened at Katara.

Titled ‘Constantin Boym: Learning from Mabkhara’, the expo features glass works designed by Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCUQatar) Professor Constantin Boym and handmade in Italy by glass master Massimo Lunardon.

The pieces were unique and exhibit exquisite shapes and designs of Mabkhara, typically used in daily domestic activities in the Arab world and represent sensorial culture of the East, much celebrated in the world of literature and arts in the last two centuries.

The exhibition presents the new objects alongside their traditional pro-totypes from the region, to illustrate the process of ‘learning’ and to better highlight the dialectic between conti-nuity and innovation.

The traditional formal language is extended into the realm of new materi-als and technologies, reflecting chang-ing conditions of material culture in the Gulf.

The project has been supported by Faculty Research Grants from VCUQatar.

The exhibition runs until December 1 at Katara Gallery 2, Building 13.

The Peninsula

Katara presents exhibition of glass works

What: Constantin Boym:Learning from Mabkhara

Featuring unique and exquisite shapes and designs made from glassWhen: Till December 1, 2012

10am - 10pmWhere: Gallery 2, Building 13

Ticket: Entry free

Visitors looking at some of the exhibits pre-sented at the exhibition.

Katara brings the best of modern ballet as part of the Ballet Gala to be staged tonight and on Thursday, 8pm at the Opera House, Building 16.

Presented in equal parts, the Ballet Gala has been crafted to present some of the most important styles of dance arranged in dynamic fashion – ranging from classical to neoclassical to modern styles. The night will feature iconic fragments from those immortal Russian clas-sics of the XIX century - Swan Lake, Giselle, and Le Corsair.

Dr Khalid Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara said, “The performance will fascinate the experienced ballet lover and captivate those who are new to this noble art form. We are pleased to present an exquisite evening that captures art at its best. The event is a testi-monial to Katara’s mission to promote cultural awareness and introduce international cultures to Qatar.”

The Ballet Gala pays tribute to the mas-terpieces of XX century choreography which includes works by William Forsyth, Roland Petit, George Balanchine and Ben Stevenson. The evening also features dancers from the world’s most established ballet theatres including the Mariinsky Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera and Staatsballett Berlin.

Tickets for the show are available at Virgin Megastores at Landmark and Villaggio as well as online at www.katara.net. The Peninsula

What: Ballet GalaWhen: 13 November & 15 November

08:00:pm - 11:00:pmWhere: Opera House, Building 16, KataraTicket: Available at Virgin Megastores at

Landmark and Villaggio as well as online at www.katara.net.

Price: Ranging from QR150 to QR495

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012FOOD 11

Taco Soup Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef2 cups diced onions2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn,

drained1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed

tomatoes1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and

sliced, optional1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing

mixCorn chips, for servingSour cream, for garnishGrated cheese, for garnishChopped green onions, for garnishPickled jalapenos, for garnish

Method: Brown the ground beef and onions in a large

skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot.

Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove.

To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.

Khalid Mohammed

Broccoli and Cheese Soup with Croutons Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 table-spoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup yellow onions or sliced leeks (white

Pumpkin Soup Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter1 onion, diced2 carrots, peeled and diced1 apple, peeled and diced2 cups fresh pumpkin, roasted and diced, see note below1 tablespoon sage leaves3 cups chicken stock1 cup creamSalt and freshly ground pepper

Method: In a stockpot over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion, carrot,

apple, roasted pumpkin, and sage until all are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Puree the mixture in a food mill; if you do not have a food mill, then puree in a food processor or blender.

Return the puree to the stockpot, add the chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the cream and simmer for 5 more minutes, lowering the heat if necessary so it does not boil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Divide soup among 4 soup bowls and serve immediately.Note: To roast pumpkin, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut whole

pumpkin in half and then cut each half into several pieces. Discard seeds or reserve for another use. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender but not falling apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool, peel away skin, and dice

Joy Abraham

WINNER

The theme for this week is

SPINACH.

(Send in your recipe with

ingredients in metric

measurements). Winner will

receive a dinner voucher.

To claim your prize

call 44557837.

RECIPE CONTESTDaily at SeasonsRestaurant

Introducing an enticing diningexperience each night of the week:Monday - Italian night.Tuesday - Swiss night.Wednesday - Asian night.Thursday - Seafood night.Friday - Steak night.Saturday and Sunday – International. Opening hoursDinner 06.30pm – 11.00pm Location: Mövenpick Hotel Doha, Corniche Road. For more information call 4429 1111.

Peninsula PlusPO BOX 3488, Doha,

plus@pen.com.qa,

editor@pen.com.qa

parts only, well rinsed)1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepperPinch nutmeg1/2 teaspoon minced garlic1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves3 tablespoons all-purpose flour3 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium

chicken broth1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed

and separated1/2 cup heavy cream1 1/4 cups shredded medium CheddarCroutons, for garnish,

Method: In a medium pot, melt the 3 tablespoons butter

over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pep-per, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stir-ring, until tender, for 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender. (Alternatively, in batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.)

Add the cream and bring to bare simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat,

stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 table-spoons cold butter, stirring to blend.

Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle croutons over the top of the soup and serve immediately.

Croutons:1 cup 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubed French bread2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1/4 teaspoon Essence or Creole seasoningPreheat the oven to 400 degrees FPlace the bread in a medium bowl and toss

with oil and Essence. Spread evenly on a small baking sheet and bake, stirring twice, until light golden brown on top, about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

Girish Nair

Food festival at Taj Rasoi to celebrate Diwali

The culinary team of Doha Marriott’s Indian restaurant, Taj Rasoi kicked off the cel-ebration of Diwali, the festival

of lights, between November 13 and 17.Festival of Lights at Doha Marriott

brings a sample of true Indian hospi-tality and its rich cultural heritage to Doha. The festival was inaugurated by Sanjiv Arora, Ambassador of India to Qatar, on Sunday.

Executive Sous Chef of Taj Rasoi Chef Marsel John D’Cruze urged all food lovers to experience a tasteful journey and to indulge in mouthwa-tering specialties from the Maharaja’s country. “It is a great privilege to prepare all these specialties with our

culinary team to surprise our guests every now and then with new delights, to make them fall in love with our cui-sine again and again,” Chef Marsel said.

The Diwali Festival at Taj Rasoi starts today and is open till November 17, every day from 6:30pm.

The Peninsula

Indian envoy with hotel officials at the opening ceremony. Right: Chef Marsel

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012 TECHNOLOGY12

by Michael Rosenwald

Not far from Valley Forge, around the cor-ner from Bravo Pizza, up the road from Paoli Auto Body, there is an odd-looking office building that resembles a stone

castle. An eye doctor is on the first floor. On the second floor is a search engine.

The proprietor of the search engine is Gabriel Weinberg, who is 33. A few years ago, when Weinberg told his wife about his new business idea — pitting him against more established outfits such as Google and Bing — he admits that she briefly thought he was nuts.

“She was like, ‘What are you doing?’ “ Weinberg said. “She thought the idea was crazy.”

Her theory was hard to dispute. A start-up tak-ing on Google in search is much like a raft taking on a cruise ship as a vacation option. But Weinberg is not delusional. With money lining his pockets from selling a start-up for $10 million, Weinberg bet there was a place in the market for a product capitalizing on users’ emerging annoyances with Google — its search results gamed by marketers; its pages cluttered with ads; every query tracked, logged and personalized to the point of creepiness.

He called his little search engine project DuckDuckGo, after the children’s game Duck, Duck, Goose. (Instead of “Just Google it,” think “Just Duck it.”)

“My thesis for the company was, what can we do that other search engines, because they’re big, can’t do easily?” Weinberg said. “Because what’s good for Google business is bad for Google users.”

So: DuckDuckGo does not track users. It doesn’t generate search results based on a user’s previous interests, potentially filtering out relevant infor-mation. It is not cluttered with ads. In many ways, DuckDuckGo is an homage the original Google — a pure search engine — and its use is soaring, with searches up from 10 million a month in October 2011 to 45 million this past October. The growth has attracted attention and cash from Union Square Ventures, the venture capital firm behind Twitter. Not long ago, a headline in the search industry bible SearchEngineLand. com asked, “Could DuckDuckGo Be The Biggest Long-Term Threat To Google?”

Google processes billions of searches a day. DuckDuckGo processes millions.

“The reality in the United States is that we still really only have two search engines — Google and Bing,” said Danny Sullivan, editor of SearchEngineLand.com. “I think it’s entirely unlikely that DuckDuckGo is gonna put Google on its back and crush it.”

But what if that’s not really Weinberg’s goal?Weinberg was born in Washington and grew up

near Atlanta in a tight-knit family. His father is a physician and infectious-disease specialist. His mother makes clothes and art, and Weinberg’s first job as a hacker — a child hacker — was building his mom a programme to process orders online. He was not a complete dork. In middle and high school, he

played soccer and tennis. He was, like most teens, a bit aloof. He spent a lot of time messing around with com-puters, and he excelled in his science classes, particu-larly physics. He studied physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but didn’t want to pursue it in graduate school.

He started his first company at MIT: a portal for teachers to put lesson plans online. He was too early. He failed. While living in Boston, he started another company after graduating: a database where users could submit their email addresses and other people could pay to get in touch with them. It was called NamesDatabase. NamesDatabase did not fail. In 2006, he sold it to Classmates.com for $10m.

Weinberg was a millionaire in his 20s. He had recently married. This gave him and his bride options. They did not want to live in a big city. They wanted to have children and send them to a diverse school sys-tem. They wanted to be sort of near the country. They settled near Paoli, about 30 miles from Philadelphia. They have two kids, ages 3 1 / 2 and 18 months.

He has been in Silicon Valley just one day in the past 12 years. He never appears at big tech conferences.

“The problem I have with that kind of lifestyle is that it’s not very family-oriented,” he said. “It’s never been my goal to be Mark Zuckerberg. My goal has always been to do something interesting and unique.”

Weinberg started DuckDuckGo while his wife worked and he captained the house. The company was based at home until last year, when he raised money from Union Square. He is joined at his new office — in the office that looks like a castle — by several coders, one of whom brings his dog, Hex.

DuckDuckGo’s office differs from flashier start-up offices in that there is no fancy Fiji bottled water. Weinberg serves Costco water. “I’ve always been pretty cheap,” he said. “We’re pretty practical around here.”

Practicality. That’s what Weinberg was after when he started DuckDuckGo. He wanted to build a search engine that people could use quickly and purely. He wanted to focus especially on the first two or three results that users saw, but he didn’t have a lot of man-power to build a search engine from scratch. Weinberg decided to use publicly available search results from Yahoo — which is now fueled by Bing — for the bulk of his searches and use his programming talents to curate the top few links. He wanted those links to provide answers.

Going to Google and typing “calories in a banana” will produce a page of links about bananas. Going to DuckDuckGo and typing “calories in a banana” will produce an answer: 105. The answer comes from WolframAlphra, a compu-tational database that Weinberg linked to DuckDuckGo.

He has linked hundreds of millions of popular searches to other outside data sources, such as Wikipedia and Yelp. Searching for “irritable bowel syn-drome” on Google produces three ads as the top three links. The same search on DuckDuckGo produces three links about the disease from Wikipedia.

“If you can control the top three links, you’re actually controlling 80 to 90 per-cent of searches,” he said.

While Weinberg’s answer system was intentional, his focus on privacy was not. It simply didn’t occur to him that he

The anti-Googlesearch engine

Gabriel Weinberg

would ever need to track users. Why? Because his business model would eventually call for serv-ing up just one or two easy-to-miss ads based on the search query, which would generate enough revenue, he thought, to build a nice little busi-ness that one day might grab 1 percent of the search market — about five times what he’s got now.

“It’s never been my interest to maximise rev-enue,” he said. “I like the Craigslist model. Stay lean. Focus on doing what you do well.”

Meanwhile, privacy has bubbled up as an issue online. A recent Pew Research survey found that 65 percent of Internet users see tracking as a “bad thing,” and 73 percent thought it was an invasion of privacy.

Weinberg quickly incorporated his site’s trackless virtues into the minimal amount of marketing he does. He paid $7,000 to put up a billboard in San Francisco that features his company’s smiling duck logo and says, “Google tracks you. We don’t.”\

Weinberg’s non-ambitious goals make him a particularly odd and dangerous competitor online. He can do almost everything that Google or Bing can’t because it could damage their busi-ness models, and if users figure out that they like the DuckDuckGo way better, Weinberg could damage the big boys without even really trying.

But Sullivan, of SearchEngineLand.com, isn’t exactly buying that theory. He agrees that Google is vulnerable, particularly with intense government scrutiny, but so far its market share has not taken a hit. He also points out that if DuckDuckGo were to become too successful, the data sources Weinberg relies on could see him as a competitor and cut him off. Also, any smart innovations that Weinberg comes up could be easily copied by Google.

The search giant has already come up with an answer system somewhat similar to what Weinberg is doing. Typing “Mozart” into Google brings up a pretty box with Mozart’s picture and key facts about his life, including a lovely portrait.

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012 COMICS

Baby Blues Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman

13

ALL IN THE MIND Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal,vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.

ABYSSINIAN, ANGORA, BALINESE, BENGAL, BIRMAN, BOBTAIL, BOMBAY, BURMESE, CHARTREUX, CHAUSIE, CHERUBIM, CYMRIC, HIMALAYAN, JAVANESE, KORAT, LONGHAIR, MALAYAN, MANX, MUNCHKIN, NEBELUNG, OCICAT, PERSIAN, RAGDOLL, SIAMESE, SIBERIAN, SINGAPURA, SOMALI, SPHYNX, TIFFANIE, TIFFANY, TONKINESE.

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Hagar The Horrible Chris Browne

Blondie Dennis Young and Denis Lebrun

Slylock Fox Bob Weber

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012

HYPER SUDOKU

CROSS WORD

CROSSWORDS

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

How to play Hyper Sudoku:A Hyper Sudoku

Puzzle is solved

by filling the

numbers from 1

to 9 into the blank

cells. A Hyper

Sudoku has

unlike Sudoku

13 regions

(four regions

overlap with the

nine standard

regions). In all

regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear

only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is

solved like a normal Sudoku.

ACROSS 1 Kind of 54-Down

that’s flavored with flowers

8 Compilation book

15 Tiberius or Charlemagne

16 Flowering shrub common in the South

17 Hamlet’s reply to “What do you read, my lord?”

19 “The ___ the limit!”

20 Musical piece for two

21 “Cheers” actor Roger

22 Laughed contemptuously

25 Desertlike

26 California peak

30 Tear

32 “You’re too hard to please!”

39 Jai ___

40 Bearded beast of Africa

41 “Damn Yankees” seductress

42 1976 Abba hit

47 Louis XIV, par exemple

48 Cosmetician Lauder and others

49 It’s all the rage

52 Not oral

56 Bushy do

58 On a cruise

59 Fencing sword

63 How the trolley went in a 1944 song

67 Perceptible by touch

68 Prodding into action

69 Moe, Larry and Curly

70 Big name in multivitamins

DOWN 1 A majority of Israelis

2 Frenzied

3 Nimble for one’s age

4 Docs prescribe them

5 Tax org.

6 This very minute

7 Wear away, as soil

8 Like a big brother

9 Expertise

10 Opposite of SSE

11 “Believe ___ Not!”

12 Exposed

13 Beneath

14 Impertinent

18 Parisian street

22 Pig’s digs

23 40 winks

24 Quick swim

26 E-mail that’s sent out by the millions

27 Largest city on the island of Hawaii

28 Open ___ of worms

29 T-bar rider

31 Aviator

33 “Can ___ now?”

34 Channel for Anderson Cooper

35 Letter before ar

36 Ice cream treat

37 Swiss artist Paul

38 Cheers for successes

43 “Ouch!”

44 Backup singer for Smokey Robinson

45 “___-haw!”

46 AOL alternative

49 Statistics, e.g.

50 Black key

above G

51 Northern constellation

53 Capri and Wight

54 Pekoe, e.g.

55 “It takes two” to do this

57 Knowledgeable about

59 “Born Free” lioness

60 No longer owed

61 Sicilian city

62 Like a soufflé

64 Band’s engagement

65 Suffix with penta-, hexa-, hepta-, etc.

66 Iowa college

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16

17 18

19 20 21

22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

32 33 34 35 36 37 38

39 40 41

42 43 44 45 46

47 48

49 50 51 52 53 54 55

56 57 58 59 60 61 62

63 64 65 66

67 68

69 70

C R E W M A T E S D C U P SP I X I E D U S T R A N U PL A P S E I N T O E M O R YU T A H S T A R S A E D E SS A T I E C A S T D O U B T

B A Y E R R E L OB O L T O N L I P I T O R

C O N O I D C O N R O YI D I O T I C W E D G E DG E O S N O M A SA G N E S G R E Y M A S T SR A S T A N A C H O C H I PA B O I L I N O U R T I M ES A U L T S T O N E O V E NH Y P E S H O L D S F A S T

How to play Kakuro:The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers.However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number.Within each collection of cells - called a run

- any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once.

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

14

EASY SUDOKUEasy Sudoku PuzzlesPlace a digit from 1 to 9 in each empty cell so everyrow, every column and every 3x3 box contains allthe digits 1 to 9.

Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012 CINEMA / TV LISTINGS

SHOWING AT CITY CENTER09:30 Omni Sport

10:00 French League

Montpellier V

Psg

12:00 Serie A Show

12:30 The Football

League Show

13:00 Global Game

14:00 English Sports

News

14:15 Rugby England

V Fiji

16:00 Basketball Nba

Minnesota @

Dallas

18:30 Npower League

Blackburn V

Birmingham

20:15 Spanish League

Levante V Real

Madrid

22:00 Liga World

22:30 Football Friendly

England U-21 V

Northern Ireland

U-21

08:00 News

09:00 Al Jazeera

World

10:00 News

10:30 Inside Story

11:00 News

11:30 The Stream

12:00 News

12:30 Activate

13:00 NEWSHOUR

14:00 News

14:30 Inside Story

15:00 Empire

16:00 NEWSHOUR

17:00 News

17:30 The Stream

18:00 NEWSHOUR

19:00 News

19:30 Fault Lines

20:00 News

20:30 Inside Story

21:00 NEWSHOUR

22:00 News

22:30 The Stream

23:00 The Fight for

Amazonia

13:15 River Monsters

14:10 Border Security

14:35 Scrappers

16:25 Street Customs

18:15 Mythbusters

19:10 How Do They

Do It?

19:40 How It’s Made

20:05 Border Security

21:00 Auction Kings

21:30 You Have Been

Warned

22:25 Body Invaders

23:20 Ultimate

Survival

13:00 Wild India

14:00 World’s

Wildest

Encounters

15:00 Cliffhangers

16:00 Shark Men

18:00 Rescue Ink

19:00 Nordic Wild

21:00 Cliffhangers

22:00 Shark Men

23:00 Python

Hunters

13:15 The Marvelous

Misadventures...

16:35 Powerpuff Girls

20:05 Green Lantern:

The Animated

Series

20:55 Generator Rex

21:20 Level Up

21:45 Grim

Adventures Of...

22:10 Courage The

Cowardly Dog

14:00 Melinda And

Melinda

16:00 Bad News Bears

18:00 The Banger

Sisters

20:00 The Dilemma

22:00 The Legend

Of Awesomest

Maximus

15

13:50 Wildlife SOS

15:40 Wildest India

16:35 Orangutan

Island

18:25 Natural Born

Hunters

19:20 Dogs/Cats/

Pets 101

20:15 Monkey Life

22:05 Wildest India

23:00 Gator Boys

23:55 New Breed

Vets With

Steve Irwin

09:50 Hunter: Back In

Force

13:00 Frankie And

Johnny

14:25 Tom Jones

16:30 The Golden

Seal

18:05 Bound For

Glory

20:30 Gate II

22:00 Lisa

23:35 Hardware

11:45 The Rack

13:30 Son Of Lassie

15:10 The Time

Machine

16:55 Tea And

Sympathy

19:00 Till The Clouds

Roll By

21:15 High Society

23:00 Lolita

14:45 Return To

Halloweentown

16:15 Scooby-Doo

18:00 Arthur And The

Revenge Of

Maltazard

20:00 Horrid Henry

21:45 The Proud

Family Movie

GULF CINEMA

1

Student Of The Year (2D/Hindi) – 2.00, 5.00 & 11.15pm

Maatran (2D/Tamil) – 8.00pm

2Jawan Of Vellimala (2D/Malayalam)

– 2.30, 5.30, 8.30 & 11.15pm

MALL CINEMA

1Jawan Of Vellimala (2D/Malayalam)

– 2.30, 5.00, 8.00 & 11.00pm

2

Alex Cross (2D/Action) – 2.30pm

Wreck - It Ralph (3D/Animation) – 4.30 & 6.30pm

Flight (2D/Drama) – 8.30 & 11.00pm

3

Cash Flow (2D/Arabic) – 2.30pm

Sinister (2D/Horror) – 4.15pm

Hotel Transylvania (3D/Animation) – 6.15pm

Skyfall (2D/Action) – 8.15 & 11.00pm

ROYAL PLAZA

1

Cash Flow (2D/Arabic) – 2.30pm

Sinister (2D/Horror) – 4.30pm

Flight (2D/Drama) – 6.15 & 11.15pm

Skyfall (2D/Action) – 8.45pm

2

Brave (Animation) – 3.00pm

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift (Animation) – 5.00 & 7.00pm

Paranorman – 8.30 & 10.30pm

3

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – 2.30 & 4.30pm

The Amazing Spiderman (3D) – 6.30pm

The Guard – 9.00pm

The Bourne Legacy (Action) – 11.30pm

LANDMARK

1

Cash Flow (2D/Arabic) – 2.30pm

Here Comes The Boom (2D/Comedy) – 4.30 & 6.30pm

Skyfall (2D/Action) – 8.45 & 11.15pm

2

Hotel Transylvania (3D/Animation) – 2.30 & 4.15pm

Flight (2D/Drama) – 6.00, 8.45 & 11.15pm

3

Wreck - It Ralph (3D/Animation) – 3.00 & 5.00pm

Sinister (2D/Horror) – 7.00 & 9.15pm

Seven Psychopaths (2D/Comedy) – 11.30pm

PLUS | TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012 POTPOURRI16

Today in Qatar

Kimiko Yoshida WHEN: 10am - 10pmWHERE: Katara Gallery 1, Building 19 WHAT: Japanese photographer Kimiko Yoshida studied photography in Japan as well as in France, where she lives and works since 1995. For the Katara Galleries exhibition the curator has selected works where the artist features her interpretation of Middle Eastern, Arab and North African traditional dress and accessories.Free entry

“Elizabeth Taylor in Iran, 1976” Firooz Zahedi WHEN: 10am - 10pmWHERE: Katara Gallery 1, Building 19 WHAT: Firooz Zahedi was a personal friend and confidant of Elizabeth Taylor, as a friend and a photographer he accompanied the movie start in her visit to Iran in 1976. This exhibition will bring to Doha the photographs taken during that visit.Free entry

Ballet GalaWhen: 13 November & 15 November 08:00:pm - 11:00:pmWhere: Opera House, Building 16, KataraTicket: Available at Virgin Megastores at Landmark and Villaggio as well as online at www.katara.net.Price: Ranging from QR150 to QR495

MEDIA SCAN

IN FOCUS

• There have been many complaints about staff at medical centres and how they treat patients.

• Many appreciate the Municipality’s deci-sion not to give permission for new build-ings that do not provide parking facilities.

• Complaints about lack of cooperation between various departments in a minis-try, though these departments are related to each other.

• Some are suggesting that AI Jaber Shopping Complex be made female only shopping centre and staffed with only females.

• Discussion is going on about how a local

daily reported that 60 percent of Qataris say their salaries are not enough to meet living expenses.

• Complaints are circulating about

Municipality’s garbage trucks and why they collect garbage only once a day in some areas.

• People are questioning the activities of

Research and Development Institute and their huge budget and what it gives back to the country in return.

• Discussion about how some private schools fees, especially for KG grades, are higher than that of international universities.

• Local social networking sites conducted a survey to rate the quality of services pro-vided by ministries -- from poor to best. The results showed that the Ministry of Interior was the best, whereas the Ministry of Health was the poorest.

• There’s discussion about Hamad Hospital and why they are getting rid of their Qatari medical staff.

A summary ofissues of the daydiscussed by the Qatari communityin the media.

A girl poses for a picture on top of a park sculpture during a warm autumn day in Kiev, Ukraine.

by Sergei Supinsky

BY DAVID BEASLEY

ATLANTA: A Georgia congress-man who attacked the theory of evolution found himself with an unlikely opponent in US election, when 4,000 voters in one county cast write-in ballots for the 19th century father of evolution, British naturalist Charles Darwin.

In a September 27 speech, Paul Broun, a physician and member of the US House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committee, called evolution and the Big Bang Theory, “lies straight from the pit of hell.”

Since Broun, a Republican, had no opposition in the general election, a University of Georgia plant biology professor, Jim Leebens-Mack, and others started a write-in campaign for Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution.

“We don’t feel our interests are being best served by an anti-science fundamentalist representing us on the Science, Space and Technology Committee,” Leebens-Mack said.

The write-in votes in

Athens-Clarke County will not count officially since Darwin was never certified as a write-in candidate, but Leebens-Mack hopes the campaign will encourage a strong candidate, Democrat or Republican, to chal-lenge Broun in 2014.

“I think there could be Democratic opposition, but even more likely is having a rational Republican who understands issues like global warm-ing, scientific reasoning more gener-ally,” said Leebens-Mack.

Broun received 16,980 votes in Athens-Clarke County, home of the University of Georgia, Broun’s undergraduate alma mater.

Broun’s office issued a statement that did not directly address Darwin, saying that the congressman “looks forward to representing the ... con-stitutional conservative principles” of his constituents.

The statement also noted that Broun “received a higher level of support from his constituents in Athens-Clarke County this election cycle than in any of his previous campaigns.”

Reuters

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Charles Darwin gets 4,000 votes in Georgia

Editor-In-Chief Khalid Al Sayed Acting Managing Editor Hussain Ahmad Editorial Office The Peninsula Tel: 4455 7741, E-mail: plus@pen.com.qa / editor@pen.com.qa