WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017

MARKETPLACEM | 6 FOOD | 8 HOLLYWOODD | 12 AspetarAAs offers medical Baking whole fish in Syrian star turned services at Qatar foil easier and tastier pizza boy dreaming ExxonMobil Open than steaming it of Hollywood ending Email: [email protected]

Ordinary citizens in Japan can now observe repairs and excavations at historical sites that were until recently closed to the public. P | 4-5

RESTORATION TOURISM IN JAPAN

WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017 MARKETPLACE 03

Baba Chapatea opens 7th branch in Al Wajba

aba Chapatea, Qatar’s moves where we are trying to fill patrons,” added Yoonus. second outlet in Wakra too. This home grown café is the increasing demand of our cafés “I like to associate myself with year, 2016, it opened 4 more out- opening its 7th branch at in different parts of Qatar.” success and opening of Al Wajba lets in Matar Qadeem, Muaither, Al Wajba located next to “We keep in mind the accessi- branch. It only means that we are Abu Hamour and Al Aziziya. Woqod Petrol station. bility of our patrons and would a force to be reckoned with and we Baba Chapatea plans to open BFamous for serving signature Par- continue to open more branches in will continue to grow and expand. more cafés in coming months in athas and ‘the original Karak’, Baba coming months as we grow,” said I want everyone in Doha to try the Qatar and in GCC as franchised Chapatea’s latest branch has been Salim Vappattu. original Karak because it is the best outlets. targeted to the pit stoppers from the “As we are spreading I’m in the country! TRUST ME!” added The new Al Wajba branch, nearby area in Al Wajba. delighted to say that our recent the brand ambassador of Baba located at Woqood petrol station At the opening, the Managing addition to the menu, traditional Chapatea, Hamad Al Amari. would be in take-away style oper- Director and Co-Founder Yoonus Qatari breakfast, QR1 Sada Karak Baba Chapatea had started in ating from 5am to 12 midnight, with Salim Vappattu said, “opening in Al and Masala chai will be quite the year 2013 with its first outlet in all the items available from the Wajba was one of the strategic appealing to all Baba Chapatea Al Wakra. Last year it added menu. 04 COVER STORY WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017

Restoration work attracts tourists in Japan

Yomiuri Hiromasa Takeda as important cultural assets, were built in the & Hisashi Kiyooka mid- to late Edo period (1603-1867), and have Japan News been badly damaged. “Usually, the temple is quiet,” said Koji Omaki, rdinary citizens in Japan can now senior director of the public corporation tasked observe repairs and excavations at with the preservation and utilisation of Shokoji. historical sites that were until Omaki, who guides tours at the temple, said recently closed to the public. A 4,000 people visited the temple last year to see number of municipal governments the repair work, clearly demonstrating the effect Oand other entities have opened these sites with of opening the project to the public. The open- the aim of promoting tourism. ing of the Hokuriku Shinkansen also helped At Shokoji temple in Takaoka, Japan, about increase the number of visitors, especially from 20 visitors gasped in surprise. “This must be the Kanto region. The temple has recently been really tough work,” one of them said after observ- included on the itinerary of package tours. ing roofing repairs at the temple. “The place is magnificent, and I felt the deep Designated as an important cultural prop- faith that our ancestors had,” a former local erty by the government, Shokoji has been teacher said. “I can understand the significance undergoing preservation and repair work since of the preservation.” 1998 in a 23-year project. Repair of a priests’ Omaki said, “If you observe the restoration lodging house, which has a kitchen, entrance work, you can understand what it means.” and library among other features, began in 2005. In some cases, visitors can observe repairs For the past three years, the temple has been being carried out on cultural properties that were accepting public tours. damaged in natural disasters. Visitors are allowed inside the construction The two-kilometre-long stone wall at Kom- shelter that covers the lodging house so they can ine Castle in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, get a close look at the kitchen and other parts of city of Nanto in Toyama Prefecture. The temple collapsed in 10 places in the 2011 Great East Japan the house. was once the base of major uprisings by Bud- Earthquake. Shokoji dates back to 1471, when priest Ren- dhism adherents in the Sengoku warring states In addition to the collapsed sections, repairs nyo — known as the originator of the restoration period (1493-1573). The temple was relocated to were needed at six other places on the wall. Res- of the Honganji school of Buddhism — estab- its current site in 1584. toration of those sections continues with the aim lished Doyama Gobo temple in what is now the Twelve of the temple’s structures, designated of completing the work in fiscal 2018. WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017 COVER STORY 05

from tourism to help finance the excavation. On November 26, a 67-metre-long stone wall that stands 5.6 metres at its highest point could be seen running from north to south. “This wall dates back 400 years,” a volunteer said. Researchers and other people working on the excavation wear uniform bibs bearing the Tokugawa “Mitsuba Aoi” crest (three leaves of the hollyhock). At the visitors’ centre at a cor- ner of the excavation site, people can view a video outlining the exca- vation as well as unearthed artifacts. “We have to come up with ideas to attract people from around the country,” said Hideatsu Hasegawa, a researcher for the excavation project. As of the end of November, 22,900 visitors had observed the The Shirakawa municipal gov- visitors how small stones were used he handed over power to his son excavation. Normally, excavation ernment allowed restoration work to stabilise large ones. Hidetada. work is shown to the public only at to be observed once in 2011 and “It is a valuable experience to see The castle was destroyed in a certain times with on-site guidance. again in 2012. But since 2014, res- how the large rocks are stacked,” 1635 fire and has never been rebuilt. Access to the sites, which are sim- toration work has been opened to said Yoshikazu Endo, a civil engi- The elevated ground used as the ilar to civil engineering sites, is the public once a month. neer from Motomiya, Fukushima foundation for the castle, now part limited because of safety concerns. Visitors to the castle subse- Prefecture. “I stopped by during a of the Sumpu Castle Park, was bur- At the Sumpu Castle ruins, the exca- quently increased to about 70,000 trip,” said Takashi Sugiyama, a ied in the Meiji era (1868-1912). vation work revealed rock walls in fiscal 2015 compared to slightly company worker from Asaka, To uncover the history of the and created 10-metre-wide more than 50,000 in fiscal 2010. Saitama Prefecture. “By providing castle, the Shizuoka municipal gov- trenches. The trenches are used to “The castle is the symbol of our more of these types of opportuni- ernment on August 9 began separate visitors from where the city,” said Isao Suzuki, a municipal ties, interest in culture assets will excavations, which are carried out excavation is being carried out to government official. “Showing the grow.” Only ruins can now be found on weekdays and every fourth Sat- ensure safety. “Whenever an inter- progress of restoration work will where the huge five- or six-tier urday and Sunday of the month, and esting item is unearthed, the give city residents hope and make Sumpu Castle used to stand in what are open to the public. By having workers at the excavation site want people realise the importance of is now the city of Shizuoka. The cas- visitors observe the excavation as many people as possible to see cultural assets.” tle is known as a residence of work, the city government hopes it,” Hasegawa said. The excavation In October, soil was removed Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun to increase public interest in the work will continue until March from around large rocks to show of the Tokugawa shogunate, after castle and use revenue 2020. 06 MARKETPLACE/COMMUNITY WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017

Aspetar offers medical services Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Mohamed Ghaith Al Kuwari, Acting Director General of Aspe- tar, said: “We are proud to at Qatar ExxonMobil Open continue our work with the Qatar Tennis Federation. Since 2011, Aspetar has been the official and exclusive Medical Partnerfor the Qatar ExxonMobil Open as part of our long-term partnership agree- ment. This is an extension of our on-going efforts to provide inte- grated sports medical care in support of all local and interna- tional tournaments held in Qatar, while ensuring fast, on-the-spot reaction to any injury obtained during play.” As part of its efforts to prevent injuries and ensure players are fit to compete at their highest per- formance level, Aspetar is also offering customised physiotherapy solutions. Players can receive treat- ment at Aspetar’s state-of-the-art rehabilitation facilities, designed to treat injured athletes from all over the world. Held consistently since 1993, the ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open has become a pacesetter on the ATP World Tour’s 250 series and repre- s part of its on-going Running from January 2 to 7, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. sents the highest prize-money event partnership with the the tournament features some of Working alongside Qatar Red of the Tour. Qatar Tennis Federa- the world’s greatest tennis play- Crescent staff, Aspetar’s team of In addition to its support for the tion (QTF), Aspetar ers, including world number one experts includes sports medicine ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2017, continues to provide Andy Murray, defending champion physicians, physiotherapists, mas- Aspetar will provide medical sup- Acomprehensive world-class med- and world number two Novak sage therapists, podiatrists, port to the WTA Qatar Total Open ical services at the ATP Qatar Djokovic, and ATP Qatar Exxon- emergency medical staff, and 2017, which is scheduled to take ExxonMobil Open. Mobil Open 2012 champion paramedics. place in February. Q-Malayalam organises event for kids

-Malayalam, a socio-literary organisation of Keralites in Qatar, organised ‘Minnaminnikkoottam’, a unique cul- Qtural and literary event for children, at the FCC recently. Around 35 children participated in the event, who presented a variety of programmes like reviews of fiction, songs in English and Malayalam, cinematic dance, story stelling, poetry recita- tion in English and Malayalam, instrumental music and elocution, etc. Reviews of famous novels like God of Small Things, Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Secret Garden were pre- sented, and also of several famous Malayalam works. The programme, which lasted several hours, was different in that it was completely managed by children, who acted as the comperes too. Certificates were distributed to all the par- ticipants. The programme was sponsored by the Quality Hypermarket. WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017 MARKETPLACE 07 Qatar Airways & Qatar Duty Free celebrate ExxonMobil Open Men’s Tennis Tournament atar Airways and Qatar Duty Free (QDF), the official airline and retail Qsponsors of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open Men’s Tennis 2017, are welcoming fans to the first tournament of the 25th annual ATP World Tour 250 Series in Doha. Held at Khalifa Interna- tional Tennis and Squash Stadium from January 2 to 7, the exciting tournament is the first in the prestigious ATP World Tour 250 Series that takes place across the globe. The Qatar ExxonMobil Open Men’s Tennis 2017 will show- case the world’s best professional tennis talent, including defending cham- pion Novak Djokovic, world Qatar Airways invites tennis Millionaire. With its easy to play home — Doha. This important number-one Andy Murray, enthusiasts to play their own game, successful game winners extension to the ATP World Tour David Goffin, Dustin Brown, virtual Qatar ExxonMobil ten- at QDF’s tent go into the draw 250 Series celebrates the very Fernando Verdasco, Ivo Kar- nis tournament, with an exciting to win a QDF Millionaire Ticket finest in men’s tennis, provid- lovic, Jeremy Chardy, and interactive stand hosted by and a chance to take home $1m. ing international and local Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomas its award winning cabin crew. Qatar Airways Group Chief audiences a thrilling six-day fes- Berdych among others. QDF welcomes visitors to Executive Akbar Al Baker, said: tival of elite sport. Important Both Qatar Airways and capture the moment with their “I am thrilled to partner with the sporting events such as the QDF are helping celebrate the nearest and dearest inside its Qatar Tennis Federation to once Qatar ExxonMobil Open Men’s tournament with dedicated tennis inspired photo booth, as again bring the prestigious Qatar Tennis 2017 tournament help interactive booths located in the well as giving visitors the oppor- ExxonMobil Open Men’s Tennis establish Qatar as a world class Public Village Area. tunity of becoming a QDF tournament to our sporting and entertainment des- tination and I wish all competitors the best of luck in what I am sure will be an exhil- arating competition.” Senior Vice-President Qatar Duty Free Luis Gasset said: “Qatar Duty Free is excited to participate in this global event and I welcome everyone to visit our stand to celebrate this special occasion. Qatar Duty Free has prepared a wonderful experience that will offer visitors to the QDF tennis booth the chance to become a QDF millionaire.” The tournament will host a total of 32 players in the Main Draw and 16 teams for the Doubles with the world-class event set to attract thousands to Doha for the duration of the competition. 08 FOOD WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017

Sara Moulton AP Baking whole fish in foil easier hen buying fish, many of us tend to opt for the ease of fil- lets. The prospect of buying, and tastier than steaming it prepping and deboning a whole fish might seem not just Wnovel, but also daunting. Ditto for the prospect of steaming a whole fish, a precarious project for even experienced cooks. So here I propose baking your whole fish rather than steaming it, and wrapping it in foil to keep it moist. It’s much easier to cook it this way. It also has the added benefit of creating an instant sauce. But let’s start at the beginning. You’re at the store checking out the fish on display. How can you tell if a whole fish is fresh? Its eyes should be clear, not cloudy, and its gills should be brightly colored, red or pink. Once you’ve picked your winner, ask the fish- monger to clean it for you. He’ll clip off the gills, scrape off the scales and remove the guts. If you with a knife and discard it. Then, using a spoon 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and don’t plan to head home right away, ask for a and starting at the backbone edge, lift the flesh stems bag of ice to place next to the fish, which will off in chunks and transfer it to plates. After you keep it cold. have removed the top fillet, you can lift off the Method You begin prepping your fish by scoring it, bone easily in one piece to expose the bottom Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a shallow bak- slicing deeply into the flesh. This will allow the fillet. Once cooked, the fillets will come off the ing dish large enough to hold both fish with marinade to penetrate to the core and for the bone without a struggle. foil. Lay both fish on the counter. Working in fish to cook evenly. I’ve called for traditional After you have filleted the fish, ladle some 1- to 2-inch intervals, use a sharp knife to slash Chinese flavorings here, but you’re welcome to of the cooking liquid over each portion and dig both sides of each fish perpendicular to the adjust them to your tastes. If, for example, you’re in. It’s a treat any day of the year. backbone (a 20-degree angle down the rib not a fan of chilies, leave them out. If you hate cage). Transfer the fish to the prepared bak- cilantro, swap in another fresh herb. The soy ing dish. sauce is key because it contributes salt as well Baked whole fish In a small bowl, combine the garlic, gin- as flavor, which helps to season the blandish fish. ger, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chilies, Then after just 20 minutes in the marinade, the Ingredients scallions and cilantro. Stuff some of the mix- fish is ready for the oven. Two 1- to 1 1/2-pound whole striped bass, ture into each slash on both fish, as well as into How will you know when it is done? Pull the branzino or trout, gutted, scaled and gills the cavity (most of the seasoning should go in pan out of the oven, open up the foil carefully (it removed the slashes). Cover the pan with foil and let will be steamy inside) and poke the fish with a 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced the fish sit at room temperature for 20 min- small, sharp knife. If the knife slides in easily all 2-inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled and cut utes. After 20 minutes, bake the fish on the the way to the bone, the fish is done. If there’s into matchsticks oven’s middle shelf for 20 to 24 minutes, or some resistance, cook it a little longer. When the 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce until the fish is just cooked through (you can fish has indeed finished cooking, you’ll be 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar pierce it easily with a knife). rewarded not only with beautifully fragrant flesh, 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil To serve, use a small knife to gently scrape but also with a store of savory liquid on the bot- 2 to 4 tablespoons serrano or jalapeno chilies, off the skin, then use a spoon to lift off the fil- tom of the pan. with seeds and ribs lets (they will come up in chunks), and transfer Carving the fish isn’t a big deal. Begin by gen- 4 scallions, white and green parts, cut into one to each of 4 serving plates. Pour some of tly scraping off the skin from the top of the fish thin strips the juices from the pan over each portion. WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017 LIFESTYLE 09

#PeninsulaQatar Instagram Photography Contest Every week we will pick one winner and publish the winning photo on our social media platforms and in our print edition.

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4 little-known Google services

1) Google Input Tools: With Google Input Tools you can type on the Web in any language of your choice. You can even add words to a cus- tom dictionary for future use. The service works offline and has a Chrome Qatar National Museum extension, Android app, and a Windows program that you can install. 2) Google Keep is a killer notes app that works on desktop and mobile. Its bright, beautiful design will keep you feeling good about your to-do lists — even when nothing gets crossed out — and you can even set reminders that will integrate with your Gcal. 3) You can set a timer on Google — and get an alarm to sound when time is up — by Googling any amount of time followed by “timer.” 4) Google Ngrams is a fun tool that lets you search for words in 5.2 million books published between 1500 and 2008 so you can see how they’ve been used and changed over time. 10 HEALTH WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017

Little extra zinc in diet may reduce DNA damage

IANS deficiencies worldwide,” King noted. modest increase in dietary Zinc is ubiquitous in our body zinc - about four milli- and facilitates many functions that grams - can help reduce are essential for preserving life. A everyday wear and tear It plays a vital role in maintain- on our DNA, says a study. ing optimal childhood growth, and While most DNA damage is in ensuring a healthy immune harmless, some can have serious system. ramifications and a decrease in the Zinc also helps limit inflamma- body’s ability to fix this wear and tion and oxidative stress in our body, tear may be an important compo- which are associated with the onset nent of ageing. of chronic cardiovascular diseases “We were pleasantly surprised and cancers. to see that just a small increase in Around much of the world, dietary zinc can have such a signif- many households eat polished icant impact on how metabolism is white rice or highly refined wheat carried out throughout the body,” or maize flours, which provide said lead researcher Janet King, energy but do not provide enough Senior Scientist at Children’s Hos- essential micronutrients such as pital Oakland Research Institute in zinc. California. In the absence of sufficient zinc, on human metabolism by counting The findings -- published in the “These results present a new our ability to repair everyday wear DNA strand breaks. American Journal of Clinical Nutri- strategy for measuring the impact and tear on our DNA is They used the parameter of tion -- showed that a modest of zinc on health and reinforce the compromised. DNA damage to examine the influ- increase in dietary zinc reduces evidence that food-based interven- In the six-week study, the sci- ence of a moderate amount of zinc oxidative stress and damage to tions can improve micronutrient entists measured the impact of zinc on healthy living. DNA.

Omega-3 supplements for mothers cut asthma risk in kids

of asthma by 31 percent. and one week after delivery. Long-chain Omega-3 fatty They then monitored the health acids, which include eicosapentae- status of each participating child noic acid (EPA) and for five years, which is the age docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are asthma symptoms can be clinically found in cold water fish, and key to established. regulating human immune The study used rapid analytical response. techniques developed and per- “We’ve long suspected there was formed at the University of a link between the anti-inflamma- Waterloo in Canada to measure lev- tory properties of long-chain els of EPA and DHA in pregnant omega-3 fats, the low intakes of women’s blood. Omega-3 in Western diets and the The testing also revealed that rising rates of childhood asthma,” women with low blood levels of said one of the researchers Hans EPA and DHA at the beginning of Bisgaard from Copenhagen Univer- the study benefited the most from sity Hospital, Denmark. the supplements. IANS third, says a study. “This study proves that they are For these women, it reduced The study found that women definitively and significantly their children’s relative risk of aking certain Omega-3 fatty who were prescribed 2.4 grams of related,” Bisgaard said. developing asthma by 54 per cent, acid supplements during long-chain Omega-3 supplements For the study, the researchers showed the findings published in Tpregnancy can reduce the risk during the third trimester of preg- analysed blood samples of 695 Dan- the New England Journal of of childhood asthma by almost one nancy reduced their children’s risk ish women at 24 weeks’ gestation Medicine. WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017 BOLLYWOOD 11

Looking at the positive aspect of Digital media is bringing out the digital boom, he said: “Digital media is bringing out hidden talent which was unapproachable for the industry people.” hidden talent: Nawazuddin Nawazuddin’s first release for the new year is debut director Shlok Sharma’s “Haraamkhor”, which hits added the critically-acclaimed tal- screens on January 13. After that, he ent. He credits his acting skills to his will be seen with Bollywood super- training at the National School of star Shah Rukh Khan in the Drama. “You gain a lot through much-awaited “Raees”. training,” said the 42-year-old, who “I have huge expectations from is endorsing social commerce plat- ‘Raees’. It’s an entertaining film, and form addsbook.com. I enjoyed shooting for it,” Nawazud- The National Award-winning din said. actor said he is happy with the dig- How was it working with Shah ital world, but he does not like it Rukh? when people use social media plat- “Shah Rukh Khan is the best co- forms to troll each other. actor. The response that he gives to “It’s bad that people waste most you while performing scenes is ter- of their time on various social media rific. (Otherwise) I have seen most platforms looking through and com- of the times that while shooting, menting on others’ posts. That’s what actors don’t listen to your dialogues we call the wrong use of digitalisa- or see your expressions, and are tion,” said the actor, best known for mainly concerned about their lines,” his roles in films like “Dekh Indian he said. Sandeep Sharma in an age of digitisation. “I have Circus”, “Gangs of Wasseypur “, Nawazuddin also said: “What- IANS never thought about creating an “Talaash”, “The Lunchbox” and ever appreciation I get for my role image for myself in Bollywood. I “Manjhi - The Mountain Man”. in ‘Raees’ will be just because of rom a waiter and pick- am an actor and just want to exper- “One negative impact of digital Shah Rukh Khan. He has respected pocket to a goon, gangster iment with roles. I am ready to do media is that people have the liberty his character a lot. Also, the chem- and a reporter -- in a all type of roles,” Nawazuddin told to say what they want to. There istry between us is good”. Fcareer spanning over 15 IANS in an interview. aren’t any restrictions. Nawazuddin has also been years, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has “I don’t want to build any image “I understand that people have roped in to star in the film adapta- showcased his versatility. Now for myself. I don’t want people to say, freedom of speech, but people tion of Sujit Saraf’s novel “The soon to be seen as a school teacher ‘He does only a certain type of role’. should have some sense while say- Confession of Sultana Daku”. in “Haraamkhor”, he says he has I don’t want only to be the hero of ing anything. People nowadays give “I have signed on to play Sultana never focused on building a set the story. An actor’s weakness is the reviews of films on social media. But Daku in the film adaptation. The image for himself in Bollywood. different roles that he can’t do. But are they capable enough to do that; film’s story is beyond dacoity,” said And that’s what gives him a chance I am keen to grab only those roles do they have those kind of skills,” the actor, who also has “Munna to experiment with every project as I am here to challenge myself,” Nawazuddin questioned. Michael” in the pipeline. Salman Khan & Sonakshi Sinha good painters: Gulshan Grover IANS seen in the web series “Bad Man”, which was directed by Soumik Sen. eteran actor Gulshan Grover says super- “It is the first mockumentary feature film in star Salman Khan and actress Sonakshi India for the digital web audience. I am very VSinha are good painters. happy to work in this venture. ‘Bad Man’ trav- “As an artist, I can admire and praise the craft elled many film festivals like San Francisco film but I am not a painter. However, so many Bol- festival where I was awarded as Best actor. It lywood actors are good in this craft. Salman is was also the opening film at Vancouver Film a good painter and I have heard that Sonakshi Festival,” Gulshan said. is also good at painting,” Gulshan said, who was Gulshan will next be seen in the film “Behen here to inaugurate an art exhibition. Hogi Teri”, which will also feature actors Raj- On the professional front, Gulshan was last kummar Rao and Shruti Hassan. 12 HOLLYWOOD WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017

AFP t’s an all-too-familiar Hollywood story: the Syrian star turned out-of-work actor eking out an existence in cheap housing, earning minimum wage delivering pizzas, desperate for his big break. pizza boy dreaming IBut for Jay Abdo -- one of the Arab world’s biggest stars before the conflict in Syria made him just another anonymous refugee on the of Hollywood ending mean streets of Los Angeles -- it has been par- ticularly tough. Just a few years ago, the 54-year-old actor could not walk the streets in any Middle Eastern country without being mobbed by fans or dine out without being offered free meals. A household name and a veteran of 43 mov- ies and more than 1,000 TV episodes, Abdo was admired not just for his acting skills but his will- ingness to speak his mind in public. “I had a pretty beautiful life,” he told AFP. “People loved me, on screen and on talk shows when I spoke to people and expressed my cul- ture and points of view.” Known in Syria by his real first name, Jihad, Abdo is best known for his role in “Bab al-Hara” (“The Neighborhood Gate”), one of the biggest soap operas in history, with up to 50 million viewers per episode. His path to Hollywood started in 2011 as ten- sions in Syria were escalating in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. His wife, painter and human rights lawyer Fadia Afashe, was a senior official in Syria’s department of culture, and found herself hav- ing to flee Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime after being caught meeting opposition activists dur- ing a trip to France. that my name was Jihad,” he says, explaining when they visited a souk in Marrakesh during Torture why he became Jay. filming in Morocco. She went to study public policy at the Uni- “They didn’t know it was Christian and I was “Everyone wanted a photo with him. The mer- versity of Minnesota in Minneapolis, intending named after a Christian lawyer in Damascus -- chants in the souk gave us everything for half to return to Syria after graduating. a very good friend to my family.” price,” the filmmaker told The Wall Street But Abdo himself was beginning to become Even with a more palatable name, more than Journal. a major annoyance to Assad’s crumbling regime 100 failed auditions followed as the couple lived In a sign that Tinseltown really does like its after turning down numerous invitations to back a desperate existence on just $3 a day. happy endings, the actor’s career is finally back the president at rallies and TV talk shows. It took more than a year to find work with a on track. Matters came to a head when he gave an florist and delivering pizzas for Domino’s, earn- He has a part in the Amazon television series interview to the Los Angeles Times during a trip ing up to $300 a week. “The Patriot” and “Bon Voyage,” a short film he to Beirut in which he accused Syria’s secret serv- made with Swiss director Marc Raymond Wilkins, ice of torture and corruption. ‘Destiny brought me’ has just been shortlisted for an Oscar. Strangers threatened him on his return to Abdo’s break finally came when he landed Last year, he appeared alongside Tom Hanks Syria, his car windows were smashed and he a part alongside Nicole Kidman and James in “A Hologram for the King,” a comedy about a faced repeated demands to apologise to Assad Franco in “Queen of the Desert,” Werner Her- failed corporate salesman trying to do business on television. zog’s biopic of the British archeologist Gertrude in Saudi Arabia. Having seen friends arrested or disappear -- Bell, due for release in spring. Devastated by the worsening plight of the some are still missing -- he uprooted in October “All my scenes were with Nicole,” Abdo says. Syrian people in the five years since he escaped 2011, leaving behind almost all his wealth and “I can’t praise her enough. She’s very sweet, the Assad regime, Abdo is unsure whether he’ll property, to join his wife in Minneapolis. extremely professional, a very good hearted ever return. But he believes he couldn’t be in a The couple applied for asylum and drove for woman -- very smart and sharp. Above all, she better place. three days to Los Angeles with everything they supported me from the first minute.” “From the beginning, Hollywood wasn’t my owned so Abdo could find work. Herzog has since described in interviews objective,” he said. “I didn’t plan to come here. “I met so many people who were shocked finally grasping how famous his Syrian hire was It’s destiny that brought me.” WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017 TECHNOLOGY 13

Brian Fung The Washington Post Amazon’s latest idea mazon is exploring the use of giant airships to serve as mobile, flying is a flying warehouse warehouses that could help the online retail Agiant deliver more of its goods by drone. within minutes. From its so-called can’t move around, airborne fulfill- drones from airships; the drones You might already be familiar “airborne fulfillment centres” hov- ment centers could respond to could float or glide most of the way with Amazon’s drone delivery serv- ering near the stadium, Amazon surges in demand even before they down to earth by way of gravity, ice, which recently received a demo would dispatch a drone with your occur, according to the patent rather than using their own power. in the United Kingdom for the first purchase. filing. The airships would have to be time. But the idea for a fleet of large The drone would float or glide Large gatherings of people for resupplied periodically, of course. airships, disclosed in filings to the most of the way, then turn on its a specific event, such as a concert Amazon envisions still more air- US Patent and Trademark Office, propellers and navigate itself to you or a sports game, are one example ships - smaller ones - that could expand on those ambitions directly. Amazon highlights as a clear-use shuttle more drones, products and dramatically. While Amazon’s existing goal case. But Amazon also appears to other things needed to keep the air- Imagine you’re at a baseball with drone delivery is to get you believe that using airships could ships functioning up to the larger game and wanted to buy a meal or your stuff within 30 minutes, air- reduce the costs of drone delivery carrier. a jersey without ever leaving your ships could potentially reduce that in general. A diagram (second illustration seat. The system Amazon describes time even further. In looking to airships, Amazon below) from Amazon’s patent fil- would allow you to place an order Unlike Amazon’s land-based draws upon a long technological ing that shows how the whole and receive the item warehouses, which by definition tradition dating back to the 19th system could work. century, when some of the world’s There’s no word on when such first self-propelled dirigibles were a system might debut; an Amazon created. spokesperson didn’t immediately Sending drones out from a respond to a request for comment. ground-based facility requires sub- Some patents never even lead to stantial energy, the filing says, actual products. But companies because the drone must have its such as Facebook and Google have propellers spinning constantly to floated the use of airships and stay aloft. What’s more, having to drones to beam Internet connec- make a return trip to the warehouse tivity down to earth, so it was likely with no payload onboard could be only a matter of time before Ama- a wasteful expense. zon began thinking about how to By contrast, Amazon believes it apply the same technology to its could be more efficient to deploy business. 14 CINEMA PLUS WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017

NOVO ROYAL PLAZA VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER La La Land (2D/Romantic) 10:30am, 1:10, 1:15, 3:50, 6:30, 9:10, 11:30 & 11:55pm Oru Muthasi Gadha (2D/Malayalam) 2:00pm Moana (2D/Animation) 2:30pm Assassin’s Creed (Action) 3D 10:30am, 3:00 & 7:30pm 2D 11:00am, 12:45, 4:15, 5:15, 9:15, Sing (Animation) 3:00pm Snow Queen 3: Fire & Ice (2D/Animation) 4:30 & 6:15pm 9:45pm & 12:00midnight February (2D/Thriller) 4:30pm Passengers (2D/Adventure) 5:00pm Sing (2D/Animation) 11:00am, 1:00, 3:00 & 5:00pm Dangal (2D/Hindi) 8:00 & 11:00pm La La Land(2D/Comedy) 7:00pm Passengers (2D/Drama) 7:00, 9:15 & 11:30pm Vice & Kath & James (2D/Tagalog) 8:00pm Snow Queen 3: Fire And Ice (2D/Action) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00 & 6:00pm Within (2D/Horror) 6:15 & 10:00pm Within (2D/Horror) 8:00, 10:00pm & 12:00midnight Assassin’s Creed (2D/Action) 9:15 & 11:30pm The Monster (2D/Horror) 11:30pm Moana (2D/Animation) 10:00am, 12:15, 2:30 & 4:45pm February (2D/Thriller) 7:00, 9:00 & 11:00pm ASIAN TOWN Dangal (2D/Hindi) 11:30am, 5:15 & 11:00pm Allied (2D/Action) 2:45 & 8:30pm Collateral Beauty (2D/Drama) 11:30am, 3:30, 7:30 & 11:30pm Dangal (Hindi) 7:00 & 10:15pm Katapana (Malayalam) 8:30pm The Monster (2D/Horror) 1:30, 5:30 & 9:30pm Oru Muthasi Gadha (Malayalam) 6:30 & 9:30pm 10 Kalapanakal (Malayalam) 5:30, 8:00 & 10:30pm The Last King (2D/Action) 11:00am, 3:10, 7:20 & 11:40pm Oru Mukham (Malayalam) 6:00pm Office Christmas Party (2D/Comedy) 1:00, 5:10 & 9:30pm Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (3D IMAX/Adventure) 10:15am, 1:00, 3:45, 6:30, 9:15pm & 12:00midnight ROXY MALL Snow Queen 3: Fire & Ice (2D/Animation) 2:15, 4:15 & 6:15pm 10 Kalppanakal (Malayalam) 2:00 & 10:45pm La La Land (Romantic) 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm Oru Muthasi Gadha (2D/Malayalam) 2:00pm Dangal (Hindi) 8:15 & 11:45pm Oru Muthasi Gadha (Malayalam) 4:45 & 7:45pm Dangal (2D/Hindi) 2:30, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm Snow Queen 3: Fire & Ice (2D/Animation) 2:30 & 6:15pm LA LA LAND The Monster (2D/Horror) 3:00pm Moana (2D/Animation) 4:15pm La La Land (2D/Comedy) 5:15pm Assassin’g Creed (2D/Action) 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30pm Vice & Kath & James (2D/Tagalog) 8:00pm Within (2D/Horror) 10:00pm February (2D/Thriller) 11:30pm LANDMARK Oru Muthasi Gadha (2D/Malayalam) 2:00pm Sing (Animation) 3:00pm Moana (2D/Animation) 2:30pm February (2D/Thriller) 4:30pm Snow Queen 3: Fire & Ice (2D/Animation) 4:30 & 6:15pm Assassin’g Creed (2D/Action) 5:15 & 9:30pm Vice & Kath & James (2D/Tagalog) 6:15pm La La Land (2D/Comedy) 7:15pm Within (2D/Horror) 8:15 & 11:30pm Dangal (2D/Hindi) 8:00 & 11:00pm The Monster (2D/Horror) 10:00pm The story of Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a dedicated jazz musician, struggling to make ends meet while pursuing their dreams in a Passengers (2D/Adventure) 11:30pm city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts. With modern day Los Angeles as the backdrop, this musical about everyday life explores Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice. what is more important: a once-in-a-lifetime love or the spotlight.

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017 BRAIN TEASERS 15

CROSSWORD CONCEPTIS SUDOKU

Conceptis Sudoku: Conceptis Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9×9 grid. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3×3 box contains the same number only once.

Yesterday’s answer

ALL IN THE MIND

BLAZER, BLOUSE, BOLERO, BOOTS, BOW TIE, BRACES, CARDIGAN, COAT, CRAVAT, DRESS, DRESSING GOWN, FOOTWEAR, FROCK, GLOVES, HAT, HEADWEAR, JACKET, JERKIN, JUMPER, KILT, KNITWEAR, NIGHTWEAR, OVERCOAT, RAINCOAT, ROBE, SANDALS, SCARF, SHIRT, SHOES, SKIRT, SOCKS, STOCKINGS, SUIT, SWEATER, TIE, TRACKSUIT, TRAINERS, TROUSERS, UNDERWEAR, VEST, WAISTCOAT.

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