www.thepeninsulaqatar.com CAMPUS | 3 MARKETPLACE | 7 ENTERTAINMENT | 12

1,500 former QU MAX&Co Fashion students gather for Show at invited for dinner Alumni Reunion Lagoona Mall at White House

THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 Email: [email protected] thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which conjures up the fictional village and castle/wizarding school of author J K Rowling’s vivid imagination, officially opens today at Universal Studios .

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POTTER MAGIC IN HOLLYWOOD

THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 | 03 CAMPUS 1,500 former QU students gather for Alumni Reunion

ver 1,500 alumni and their and Partner Relations manager Rana friends and relatives gath- Al Falasi, and QU alumni Trade and In- ered at Qatar University Li- dustry Department director at the Co- Obrary courtyard for the 2016 operation Council for the Arab States Alumni Reunion recently. In its 8th in- of the Gulf Dr Hilal Almukhaini (class of stalment, the event aimed to recon- 1983) and Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait nect graduates with their alma mater, Strategic Alliance & Other Fess Income and to encourage mutual support and Department head Khaled Farooq Sabri interaction between the institution Al Khatib (class of 1983), as well as sev- and its graduates. eral QUAA members. Organised by QU Alumni Associa- The programme featured a short tion (QUAA), the annual gathering is an film screening on the Association, en- opportunity to bring together friends, tertainment activities by Embrace Do- faculty and QU leaders to re-energise ha, and live performances including the spirit of pride, friendship, and loy- poetry recitations by well-renowned alty and to remind alumni of their last- Qatari poet Hamad Al Daiya. Also on ing connection with their alma mater. the program was a kids’ zone organ- Thani (Class of 1987) for Distinguished gory. Mohamad Alhasel won 1st place Attendees included QU President Dr ised and supervised by QU Early Child- Alumni, College of Pharmacy Chap- in the Photography Competition, while Hassan Rashid Al Derham, members hood Center. ter for Distinguished Chapter, and CAS student Farah Dawwas and student of QU leadership and college deans, Awards were presented to Sheikh student Fatima Alsheeb for the Design Abdelaziz Issa won 2nd and 3rd place QUAA president Dr Saif Al Hajri, Alumni Hamad bin Thamer bin Mohammed Al Competition Alumnus & Alumna Cate- respectively.

HBKU students visit Rice University Baker Institute

tudents from Hamad bin Kha- Alya Bint Mohammed and Mohammed lifa University (HBKU), a mem- Al Buenain travelled to Houston, Texas, ber of Qatar Foundation for with Dr Mohammed Evren Tok, the co- SEducation, Science, and Com- ordinator of Public Policy in Islam pro- munity Development (QF), recently gram at Qatar Faculty of Islamic Stud- visited Rice University’s James A Bak- ies, a college of HBKU. The cohort dis- er III Institute for Public Policy (Baker cussed current issues in public policy Institute) as part of the Public Diplo- and Dr Tok shared information from his macy and Global Policy making Pro- forthcoming book with the program gram (PDGP). The program seeks to participants. A book, entitled Policy promote cross-cultural understanding Making in a Transformative State: The and facilitate dialogue on public policy Case of Qatar, is co-edited by Lolwah and diplomacy issues among students Al Khater and Leslie A. Pal and will be from the and Qatar, with available in May 2016. this year’s PDGP exchange supported As part of the week-long learning by Qatar Development Bank. trip, each student presented a policy Established in 2013, the PDGP ex- memo, written under the supervision change program offers students the of Dr Tok as a key component of the opportunity to experience Arab or PDGP program. Students offered their American culture in an effort to learn perspectives on a wide range of poli- US and Qatari Middle East foreign pol- Hamad Al Obaidly said: “The how cultural identity, political context, cy issues, such as preventative health icy. Various topics pertaining to devel- Baker Institute is one of the leading and geography affect policy. Eight Qa- care, science diplomacy, energy sus- opment were discussed, with the HB- policy institutes in the world. Our tari students: Hamad Al Obaidly, Lat- tainability, the development of knowl- KU students also commenting on Qa- group was proud to represent Qa- ifa Al Amri, Noof Alejji, Mona Al Saa- edge-based economies, interfaith di- tar National Vision 2030 and Qatar’s tar in this exchange and we learned di, Abdulla Al Shaiba, Ahmad Al Jassim, alogue, the role of social media, and growing entrepreneurship ecosystem. so much.” 04 | THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 COVER STORY

Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Hollywood

By Alex Pulaski decade interpreting Rowling’s vision. The Washington Post Alan Gilmore awaits us at the train sta- tion, where wisps of steam escape the stack of the Hogwarts Express, a loco- motive that transports the young witch- ollywood, having spent a centu- es and wizards who populate Rowling’s ry perfecting the art of escapism, books. (Note: If you are a Muggle, or per- is unveiling its latest bit of magic. son of non-magical ability, like me, you ar- H The Wizarding World of Har- rive here on foot.) ry Potter, which conjures up the fiction- Leaning against a wall, Gilmore ap- al village and castle/wizarding school of pears to all the world as just anoth- author J K Rowling’s vivid imagination, of- er park visitor behind mirrored sunglass- ficially opens today at Universal Studios es. But he is the supervising art direc- Hollywood. This marks Universal’s fourth tor, and this world is, well, his world, right foray under the ultra-popular Potter ban- down to the faux owl droppings on the ner. (Two such worlds are connected in Owlery’s floor and the gently worn edges neighbouring theme parks in Orlando, of a shop’s doorsteps - as if they’d been and a third opened in July 2014 in Osa- there for hundreds of years rather than ka, Japan.) dozens of weeks. Gilmore tackled the art If, like me, you’ve chased your chil- direction of three Potter films and was in- dren through the countless pages and strumental in breathing life into previous eight films that chronicle Harry’s adven- Potter theme-park worlds. Rowling hasn’t tures, this qualifies as another quantum walked these cobbled Hollywood streets, leap in the theme-park universe. And so, but Gilmore says on a daily basis he relays during Universal’s soft opening, I find my- questions and details — especially those self towed inexorably behind an eager involving words — to acclaimed film pro- 10-year-old (my daughter, Sophia) be- duction designer Stuart Craig, who in turn neath a welcoming arch and into view of vets them with Rowling. the snow-topped shops of Hogsmeade “The reason I’m here is to make sure Village, with forbidding Hogwarts Castle it looks like the movie sets,” Gilmore says. looming ahead. “The textures and colors are identical to Caught up in the moment, she issues what you see in the movies, but here you commands in rapid succession: can touch it. We designed this place with “Let’s get a wand.” durability in mind.” “Let’s go to Zonko’s.” Designers approached Hogsmeade as Are these the spells our children em- if it had its own script, Gilmore says. The ploy to ensnare us? Or Hollywood’s sly in- slate-gray buildings are similarly cloaked cantations at work? Either way, they suf- in snow, and the “older” edifices — the fice. We do it all, immersing ourselves in Owlery and Three Broomsticks tavern — Harry’s world, guided in part by an artistic are beginning to cant because of their magician who has spent much of the past age. THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 | 05 COVER STORY

Designers had a confined Sophia does happily select foamy, drink at Three Broom- space of six acres to work in, but an interactive oak wand whose sticks and grab another to go Gilmore says the layout’s inti- properties, according to a scroll from a cart. I spy extendable mate feel was intended to mim- that Gilmore told us had been ears in the window of Zonko’s ic an old-style European village. penned by Rowling, are de- Joke Shop — perfect for eaves- “People who travel a lot feel signed to fit the following per- dropping. they’re back in Europe. It trig- sonality: “Oak people are confi- The magic is inescapable: gers a memory,” says Gilmore, dent and optimistic, with great Visit a restroom, and the breath- who carts his own catalogue of inner strength, and a deep well less voice of Moaning Myrtle, a childhood memories from ex- of knowledge.” ghost straight from the books ploring Irish castles and villag- Thus armed, we proceed on and movies, will keep you com- es with his mother, an artist and successive days to find a series pany. Welcome or not. historian. of 11 magical windows sprinkled If Hogsmeade lures visitors This land is similar, but not throughout the village. With the into the Potter books’ pages identical, to the first Potter right wrist snap and incantation, through its warm and whimsi- world built in Orlando. For ex- cauldrons stop bubbling, sheet cal embrace, neighbouring Hog- ample, the Ollivanders (mak- music whizzes through the air, warts Castle propels us even ers of fine wands since 382 BC) and teacups stop spinning. deeper with a dose of adren- shop, which suffered from its It’s not just kids’ stuff. aline. Outside, the Weasleys’ vast popularity in Orlando, was Outside a facade of Madam crashed Ford Anglia rests at an redesigned here to add a lobby Puddifoot’s tearoom, I watch angle, alas, never to fly again, to thin crowds. During our vis- as Richard H. Freund, 73, and while on the opposite side visi- it to the Hollywood shop, there his wife, Lynaia K Freund, 65, of tors can take to the air via a roll- was often a half-hour wait just Redlands, , wave their er coaster called Flight of the to enter. wands and wait. Hippogriff. It zips through a se- Gilmore is a detail man. In- It’s their fourth visit since ries of dives and tight turns, but, side Honeydukes sweet shop, the land opened for rehearsals. like its Orlando counterpart, is he stops to rub the painstak- Lynaia Freund, a psychothera- woefully short in duration - un- ingly worn edges on a display pist, draws deep meaning from der a minute. cabinet; in Dervish and Bang- Rowling’s books, which she finds Inside the castle resides the es general store, he fingers the applicable to her work and be- land’s signature ride, Harry Pot- wool of a sweater sourced from yond. ter and the Forbidden Journey. the same Scottish mill as sweat- “Life is difficult, and it’s hard Lest I reveal too much of the ers seen in the films; at Three to be the hero of your own life,” magic therein, let’s dispense Broomsticks, he points out that she says. “It’s easy just to give with the analysis of high-tech the broomsticks lining the walls up and say, ‘I’m done.’ robotic arms and 3-D glasses. were made in London. “Harry started out as an Instead, let’s mount our broom- “All the stains, all the grime abused child, and he saved his sticks and pay strict attention to are deliberate,” he says. “It’s all world. He found support in un- the wise words we hear from about travelling to some magi- expected places. He persevered.” Professor Albus Dumbledore, cal place.” Richard Freund, an artist, ad- headmaster of Hogwarts, in the As any Potter fan knows, the mits to being here “for the fun.” event we should spot an es- magic springs from Ollivanders Which, I will testify, with caped dragon: wand shop, where, according to Sophia (youngest of my three “Please alert a member of lore, the wand chooses its own- Potter acolytes) as witness, is staff and run, not necessarily in er. Oddly, we have no such luck. here in buckets. We sip a sweet, that order.” 06 | THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 CAMPUS/COMMUNITY

Cultural Day at Stenden University colourful captivation of music, food A and pure talent – that was the theme of Stenden University’s cultural day. The an- nual event was organised by the Student Representative Council, better known as SRC. The students proudly showcased their countries’ culture, music, dance and food. The countries represented were Algeria, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and India. Each booth was given a unique theme. Each stall looked at its best with the eye- catching decorations and served the audi- ence with the tasty traditional food with their utmost hospitality. Students present- ed dances, songs, dabka, stand-up comedy show and many more. The performers who represented each country gave their best during the talent show.

opular Malayalam lyricist and poet Vayalar Vayalar to anchor Upaasana tomorrow PSarat Chandra Varma will anchor a music show “Upaasana” to be organised by Changa- nacherry NSS College Alumni Association (CHANSS Qatar) at Birla Public School tomorrow. Vayalar Sarat Chandra Varma said at press conference yesterday that he was happy to an- chor a programme to be held in the memory of his father, almost 40 years after he passed away. “This shows how much Malayalis love my father and his musical compositions”, he said the lyri- cist. This makes me feel that where ever Malaya- lis are there under the Sun, Vayalar Ramavarma will be remembered”. The show, based on the musical composi- tions of Vayalar Rama Varma, includes some of the songs penned by the visiting lyricist also. A playback singer from Kerala, Nishad Kumar will lead a team of six local singers at the concert, which is scheduled for 6pm. The meeting was also addressed by singer Nishad Kumar, CHANSS Qatar officials President Bindu Philip and Girid- haran Nair. The event is the second of a musical series organised by CHANSS Qatar.

Open Door Beach Volleyball Mannai Air Travel blood donation drive

Beach volleyball enthusiasts gathered at Sharq Village & Spa for Qatar Mannai Air Travel, member of Mannai Corporation, recently held a blood Open Door Beach Volleyball in its second season. Team Gold consisting of donation drive in cooperation with Hamad Medical Corporation-Blood Mamadou Dieme, Mouhamet Aziz and Alaa Aldin won the over-all title of Donation Unit. Farukh Sardar, Mannai Air Travel General Manager, said: Grand Champ plus a cash prize of QR1,500 and Gold medals. Other winners “Blood donation drives are an extension of Mannai’s corporate social got a cash prize of QR1,000 and QR500 for Silver and Bronze categories reasonability initiatives. I am very pleased to see employees participate from Megamart. The event was organised by Future 318 (Faisal Al Suwaidi in this great cause. Their personal commitments are integral part of the for Events) in collaboration with Sharq Village & Spa. success of our blood donation drives”. THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 | 07 MARKETPLACE

MAX&Co Fashion Show at Lagoona Mall

MAX&Co, the youngest and most dynamic brand in the Max Mara Fashion Group portfolio, presented its womenswear collection during Lagoona Mall’s Fashion Show last Saturday. The new collection offers the entire range of everyday luxury separates, occasion wear and accessories favoured by stylish women worldwide - like international style icon Olivia Palermo, who fronts the brand’s Spring/Summer 2016 campaign for the third season. The MAX&Co collection is designed to help busy women on the go to be stylish on every occasion. Classic silhouettes meet sportswear influences in a wardrobe interpreted with the brand’s Italian approach to colour, materials and tailoring. Orenda Project: Using cartoons to spread education in Pakistan

graduate of Georgetown Uni- of Orenda: to bring formal education to versity in Qatar (GU-Q) is set slum kids who were often left begging in to expand a small educational the streets, or doing odd jobs like wash- A startup from a pilot programme ing cars and homes, instead of getting that digitally streams a high quality cur- an education,” said Haroon. riculum to classrooms of four and five- The result of that brainstorming was year-olds, to a large scale programme the decision to move the classroom to that brings education to the millions of a place where natural disasters and out of school children in Pakistan. government policies would have less Haroon Yasin, who graduated disruptive impact: online. “We had to from Georgetown last year, first devel- develop a system that was bullet proof. oped the innovative school project ti- We realized that in areas where we tled “Orenda” with a team of classmates worked, three square meals a day were “We created a cartoon series us- situation. In such a scenario, a virtual (Ahwaz Akhtar, SFS ’16, Fatima Ramadan often a rarity, but there was a prolifera- ing easy-to-use digital illustration soft- solution offers much needed instruc- SFS ‘13) as a senior. Following graduation, tion of affordable internet service and ware, hired teachers, and developed tional continuity at home. Most impor- his project to build sustainable class- smart devices like cell phones.” a program that creates daily story- tantly, cartoons have an added bonus rooms in slums faced a major obstacle: Taking advantage of the opportuni- boards to teach required concepts to of keeping students engaged and in- the Pakistani government began to de- ties online access offered, Haroon, with a classroom of 4 and 5 year olds. We terested in their studies. molish the slums and relocate the very his small team of dedicated partners, can even send the daily teaching mod- The results have been astonishing. people he was trying to help, most of decided to transform the formal gov- ules directly to parents’ cell phones, in Through the cartoons set in the imagi- whom were refugees from Afghanistan. ernment school curriculum to a digit- cases where the child can’t come to nary city of “Taleemabad”, which is Ur- “When the government advised us of al format that was flexible, inexpensive, the classroom for various reasons,” he du for “Education City”, says Haroon, the planned demolitions, we realized we and that would catch the attention of said.Recently, schools in Pakistan have “children are learning faster, and bet- had to go back to the drawing board if children under the pressure of poverty been closing down for many days at a ter, retaining the information for long- we wanted to accomplish the same goal to begin working early. stretch due to the worsening security er periods of time. 08 | THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 FOOD This pasta salad is worth giving a try

By Dorie Greenspan drained and chopped (optional; use if The Washington Post your fresh tomatoes aren’t complete- ly ripe) 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, each cut into quarters ulia Child was easy to please 6 scallions, trimmed and thinly in the same way that Sir Win- sliced (may substitute 2 spring on- ston Churchill was. The British ions) Jstatesman famously said that 4 flat anchovies, rinsed, dried and all he wanted was perfection; Julia just coarsely chopped (optional) wanted food to be delicious. 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and With that sole criterion in play, she patted dry would eat just about anything — ex- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, sliced wafer- cept pasta salad. I never knew why she thin (optional; germ removed) had such an aversion to the wildly pop- Freshly ground black pepper ular dish, but her dislike was so deep 2 lemons that during the summer of 1995, when Pinch piment d’Espelette (may we filmed the PBS series “Baking With substitute ground cayenne pepper) Julia” at her house in Cambridge, she 3 tablespoons snipped dill (may gave the caterer of the day free rein substitute chopped chives or parsley) with only one caveat: Pasta salad was Olive oil, as needed a deal-breaker for our crew of 15 to 20. 2 handfuls arugula, mesclun or And she was good to her word. Two ca- soft lettuce, torn (optional) terers were fired the afternoons when the forbidden dish hit the table. Steps Not surprisingly, I can’t look at a Bring a large pot of generously salt- pasta salad without thinking of Ju- ed water to a boil over medium-high lia, and she was at the top of my mind heat. Drop in the fusilli, stir and cook when I put together the accompanying according to the package directions. recipe. I don’t think of it as a salad, but While the water is reaching a boil there’s no doubt that it was inspired by and the pasta is cooking, turn the tuna one. This is my take on one of my fa- into a large serving bowl and break it vorite cold dishes: salad Niçoise. up with a fork. Toss in the green beans; The celebrated French Riviera sal- olives; sun-dried (as needed) and fresh ad is known for its handful of iconic in- tomatoes; scallions; anchovies, if us- gredients: olives (Niçoise, if possible); ing; capers; and garlic (to taste), if us- anchovies (I thought I’d get these out ing. Mix everything together and sea- here early; I know they’re controversial, son lightly with salt and pepper. so I’ve made them optional); capers; Drain the pasta, turn it into the green beans; tomatoes; potatoes (the serving bowl and add all the reserved pasta can stand in for these or you can oil from the tuna; mix to coat the pasta. add them); eggs (optional); garlic; and, then cut into quarters. Toss the po- Ingredients Grate the zest of both lemons in- most important, tuna. tatoes with the pasta, but keep the Fine sea salt to the bowl; cut the fruit in half and eggs aside and use them to top the 1 pound dried fusilli pasta squeeze in the juice, then add the pi- Dorie Greenspan’s warm fusilli dish. 2 cans (5 to 6 ounces each) light ment d’Espelette and the dill. Toss to French Riviera style MAKE AHEAD: The beans can be tuna packed in olive oil, drained, oil mix thoroughly; taste for salt, black 6 servings. A true salad Niçoise cooked, cooled and refrigerated a day reserved and red pepper and oil. (If more oil is has boiled potatoes and hard-cooked in advance. Once the pasta salad is as- 8 ounces fresh or frozen/defrost- needed, use the olive oil). If you’d like, eggs, and there’s no reason not to add sembled, it can be held at room tem- ed green beans, trimmed, cut into either top with the torn greens or mix those to this pasta salad. perature for up to 4 hours, or covered bite-size lengths and cooked until them into the pasta. Choose the smallest potatoes you and refrigerated for up to 2 days (and crisp-tender Serve warm, or wait until the pas- can find — you want only 4 or 5 — and served cold; if you plan to do so, the 12 pitted black olives, preferably ta reaches room temperature. If you cook them, unpeeled, until tender. pasta salad may need more oil or salt Niçoise (if olives are large, coarsely serve the fusilli at room temperature, Once they’re cool, cut them into bite- and pepper, so taste for those). chop) it may need more oil, salt or pepper; size chunks. Cook 6 eggs, cool them, 10 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, taste for those. THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 | 09 FASHION Creativity at best with star power at LFW

By Nivedita IANS

hether it is Rahul Mishra’s love for tex- tile, ace designer Ro- Whit Bal’s fascination with lotus motifs, young designer Dhruv Vaish’s eclectic mix of fabrics or brand Amrich’s mixing of mod- ern with contemporary — the sum- mer-resort edition of Lakme Fash- ion Week (LFW) 2016 witnessed some eye-catching trends, and a heavy dose of Bollywood star pres- ence both on and off the runway. Returning after his triumphant show at Paris Fashion Week, In- ternational Woolmark Award Win- ner 2014, Mishra dazzled the audi- ence with his fresh summer 2016 collection called ‘Knots of Love’ at the fashion gala, which concluded on Sunday. The basis of Mishra’s collection designer. Another established de- our work as we work on classic In- “With the concept of moving dots has always been textiles and the de- signer, Arjun Saluja impressed fash- dian shapes and deconstruct them creating lines and moving lines cre- signer did not disappoint at LFW too. ionistas with art installations at the to give them a new shape and form,” ating surfaces, we have made use of “Inspired by the patterns and de- event, where multiple designers Saluja said. a lot of stripes and checks to create signs that are seen on beautiful por- promoted use of Indian textile and Rohit Bal, who has set many a overlapping textures,” Vijaya said. celain, I worked around them and handicrafts. fashion trends in the industry, stole “To get that kind of exposure for then sprinkled the garments with “We used different mediums and the limelight with his finale presen- any of us designers is definitely a ‘bandhani’. I also added to these fine perspective to tell the story, so the tation. From yards of mulmul to hues boost for our business in terms of crafts the centuries-old technique of approach was very different. We of sunset golds and pristine ivories, branding. Having established our la- draping and created a fine blend of worked on aging techniques to give there was a presentation of hand- bel’s presence in high end design- handmade knowledge and detailing the clothes a more distressed look. made cut-works and lattice, inter- er stores across the country in the for the exquisite creations,” said the There is lot of Indian influence in twined with organic fabrics and age- last five years, we would like to push old techniques of Indian heritage. the brand further by reaching out to Young designers proved their tal- international buyers with the help ent too. Dhruv Vaish, who present- and support of LFW. This season we ed collection titled ‘Cerulean’, said: have also launched Amrich Goods - “LFW has helped us reach out to the a range of leather bags to accentu- world, and at the same time has giv- ate our clothing line,” he added. en us exposure to what’s happening While creativity was on a high around the world. There are some at the just-concluded fashion ga- great buyers encouraging the de- la, Bollywood presence too gave at- signers.” tendees a reason to cheer. While AMRICH, a brand run by duo Am- several faces walked the runway as it Vijaya and Richard Pandav, drew a showstopper for many leading de- inspiration from the intersection of signers, there were some popular traditions, techniques, styles and names who supported their favour- habits for the collection at LFW. ite names from the front row. 10 | THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 HEALTH & FITNESS

go to school, surf the Internet, listen to music and bond with family and Devices let locked-in patients speak friends. The voice, Manner said, sounds de- liberate and somewhat like a robot, but you can slow it down, speed it up and change the sound. “There’s a female and male voice, a child’s or adult’s, and even accents,” she said. “And you can change options. For a while, I had a British accent.” These aids include an application where people can scroll through a PowerPoint presentation with a switch they control, perhaps with a toe and, for people who are able to move their head, a device that allows them to point to letters with a reflective mark- er worn on their forehead. When they dwell on a letter with their eyes or with the reflective marker, the com- puter recognizes and selects the letter. There is even a piece of experimental technology being developed for peo- ple who cannot move at all: Implanted electrodes read their brain signals as they imagine moving their fingers on a keyboard. This mental imaging allows them to compose messages virtually. While the devices now available aren’t quite as wondrous, they do al- low people once considered unreacha- By Arlene Karidis “I was getting weak, even needing ble to connect. For some, it means their The Washington Post help putting carry-on luggage over- thoughts in their last days can be heard. head,” said Manner, who is now 64. “The voice, Manner said, “It gives them a way to say good- But she does not vocalize these sounds deliberate and bye if they are having to do that,” said words. She can no longer speak. She Laura J. Ball, director of hearing and athy Manner once worked up can only nod and move her eyes. She somewhat like a robot, speech research at Children’s National to 18 hours a day caring for Ec- gazes at letters on a keyboard that is but you can slow it down, Medical Center. She recalls a message uador’s sickest children, run- connected to an assistive device. With speed it up and change left behind by a patient. Cning from cot to cot and haul- her eyes serving as her cursor, she uses “Her final words were ‘I’m at peace. ing bulky medical shipments into a the device to compose messages. the sound. There’s a I’m ready. I love you.’ Things she would mobile hospital. Before and after her Months after her first symptoms, female and male voice, not have been able to say but that her seven overseas missions, the paedi- Manner was diagnosed with ALS — a child’s or adult’s, and family had a chance to hear,” Ball said. atric nurse worked with very ill chil- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also The equipment’s cost, which insur- dren at several Baltimore hospitals, known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The even accents, she said.” ance usually covers, varies. The eye- then hopped in her car on weekends neuromuscular disease led to full-body gaze device that Manner uses costs to drive from her Anne Arundel Coun- paralysis that has left her locked in - “Many of the people I see (with $10,000 to about $17,000. ty home to the Eastern Shore of Mary- fully aware of everything around her degenerative conditions) are home- “But it’s getting to where some of land to babysit her grandchild. but unable to respond other than to bound, and often on ventilators. And the technology is available on iPads,” But her life changed abruptly ear- nod or use her eye-gaze machine. communicating has become a chal- said James McCarthy, executive direc- ly in 2012, beginning one day when Manner is one of about six million lenge for them,” said Erin Swann, man- tor of the Maryland Technology As- she was assessing a young patient in people in the United States with paral- ager of the assistive-technology pro- sistance Program, a state service that Baltimore.“I went to tell her mother my ysis, about 16 percent of whom are se- gram for the ALS Association’s chapter loans equipment to individuals. “You name and could hardly say it,” Manner verely affected, according to the Chris- that serves the Washington area. can buy a device at a retail electron- said. “I was slurring, and so badly my topher and Dana Reeve Foundation. But equipment such as Manner’s, ic store,” he said, “then purchase soft- words weren’t recognisable.” The leading causes are stroke, spinal which can convert typing to spoken ware with voicing abilities at an as- Still, she took off for another mis- cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral words, is giving people their voices sistive-technology store for a total of sion, despite another alarming change. palsy and ALS. back, enabling some to work full time, about $2,000 or $3,000.” THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 | 11 ENTERTAINMENT

By Peter Marks The Washington Post A young playwright batting 1 for 1

magine you’re a struggling play- wright, pecking away at scripts in writer’s colonies and downtown Icollectives, and a call comes from a top-of-the-line off-Broadway com- pany to say that it is interested in your play. Now imagine the company’s es- teemed artistic director, in tandem with the director of Broadway’s latest musi- cal mega-hit, decide to mount the play. Then test the limits of your powers of imagination even further, with the notion that the actors recruited for the play are 1) the star of a hit espionage series on Showtime 2) the star of an NBC sitcom that has passed into leg- end and 3) the star who for years has voiced a variety of characters on a cel- ebrated animated series on Fox. And finally, reflect on the fact that Sarah Burgess doesn’t have to imagine any of this. Her new play, Dry Powder, set in the offices of a Manhattan private eq- uity firm, is a marquee attraction this spring at the Public Theatre. Chosen by artistic director Oskar Eustis from the piles of unproduced scripts he reads each year, the play has been directed by none other than Thomas Kail, who shepherded to Broadway a little prop- erty by the title of Hamilton. And get this: the actors populating play is the insular world of private eq- how much to fret about the fate of her story of soulless deal-makers who uity, with its own mores and vocabulary, the American workers in the luggage ruminate over buying a company and Eustis naturally concluded Burgess had Her new play, Dry company they’re about to buy. (Azaria shipping its manufacturing operations first-hand knowledge of it. “My assump- Powder, set in the plays the firm’s lead partner, Rick.) overseas include Homeland’s Claire tion was she had worked on Wall Street,” offices of a Manhattan Although Burgess had been per- Danes, The Office’s John Krasinski and he says, “because she had an absolutely forming all the tasks that young play- The Simpsons Hank Azaria. extraordinary ear. She captures the lan- private equity firm, is wrights do -- organizing readings, par- Though she projects an air of plac- guage of that world perfectly.” a marquee attraction ticipating in playwriting groups -- on id nonchalance, no one in actuali- Worked on Wall Street? Wrong! Af- the arduous road to securing a first ty is more gobsmacked by the turn of ter finishing a degree in filmmaking at this spring at the production, she was shocked by the of- events than this daughter of naval of- New York University in the mid-2000s, Public Theatre. Chosen fer from Eustis. “I was in a daze,” she ficers who was born in Bethesda, Mar- Burgess stayed on in New York City, by artistic director says. “I think I borrowed a cigarette yland, and raised in part in Alexan- earning her keep as a tutor for those from someone and sat on a bench.” As dria, Virginia. For Dry Powder has pro- preparing to take their graduate school Oskar Eustis from the the high-powered creative team took pelled Burgess into the rarefied ranks admissions tests. (It was during a col- piles of unproduced shape, Eustis himself had some wor- of dramatists who break through in lege semester in London, and a course scripts he reads each ries, about whether the writer could some of the highest-profile circum- that required her to go to the theatre withstand the pressure of a rehearsal stances possible. And given the pro- there, that her interests began to seg- year, the play has room in which she was the least expe- files of those other participants, she al- ue from a passion for Martin Scorsese been directed by none rienced and known. so has on her hands a production run- and Spike Lee to one for writing plays.) other than Thomas “I actually spoke to her about it,” ning through May 1 that has been sold Several of her test-prep students Eustis says. “I told her, ‘We’ve got to out almost from the get-go. worked at investment firms like Gold- Kail, who shepherded be sure that just because you’re sur- “It’s my first production, period,” man Sachs. That, she says, was her first to Broadway a little rounded by lovely, famous people, you Burgess says, sitting recently in the exposure to the universe of traders still have to stick up for your play.’” It Public’s second-floor bar and restau- and hedge funds. “I was fascinated by property by the title of turned out not to be a problem. “She rant, the Library, which is otherwise the culture of the place,” she says, ex- Hamilton. just isn’t that intimidate-able,” the ar- empty at this hour of the morning. “So plaining that the idea of moral respon- tistic director asserts. I actually have nothing to compare it sibility and the human consequences Dry Powder opened to mixed but with! There are many things about this of the bankers’ complex, abstract busi- encouraging reviews, and Burgess, that are not typical for a first-time writ- ness transactions seemed vibrant ones you reconcile that with concern for who’s already ruminating about the er.” for a play. In the cause of furthering people who are going to be put in seri- next world she wants to infiltrate dra- To which Eustis might respond that her research, she says, she asked her ous trouble by these actions?” Burgess matically — that of Washington lobby- there is nothing typical about Burgess, father to make her a Christmas present observes. This issue coalesces in “Dry ists — seems to feel nothing but grati- either. “For me, it happens once a dec- of “Barbarians at the Gate,” the story of Powder” — a term referring to a firm’s tude for what’s transpired. “They really ade,” Eustis explains in a separate in- the 1988 leveraged buyout and subse- monetary reserves to cover future have been wonderful to work with,” she terview. “I read her play and immedi- quent collapse of RJR Nabisco. deal — around the clash between two says of her Public Theatre comrades. ately said, ‘We’re producing this.’ “ “If the question of the best man wins go-getting partners in the equity firm, “It’s fun to work with people who help Since the milieu of the 90-minute — if that’s such a central value, how do Danes’ Jenny and Krasinski’s Seth, over you get to something sharper.” 12 | THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 ENTERTAINMENT Ki & Ka: Refreshingly fun and endearing

the constant and pronounced remind- er of the premise. The dialogues are crisp, simple and ingeniously witty. They are intermit- tently spiked with rhetorical questions which often elicit a chuckle. Consider it as the perfect casting or good acting, Arjun Kapoor slips in- to the shoes of the considerate and poised Kabir Bansal, with ease. He nails his character to the tee, playing the exceptionally progressive husband with kind fervour, that is neither repul- sive nor comical. He is simply charming as the pragmatic trend setter. Kareena Kapoor Khan plays Kia, Kabir’s ambitious, corporate-escalat- ing wife and the bread-earner of the family with equal passion and convic- tion. But somewhere down the line, she does not rise from her own mould of being Kareena Kapoor Khan, the ac- tress. Of the supporting cast, Swarup Sampat shines as Kia’s equally broad- minded mother and Rajit Kapur is per- functory as Kabir’s obstinate, tradi- tion-abiding father, who shares an awkward relationship with his son. Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bach- chan, in guest appearances, are a By Troy Ribeiro a spiel on telephone as to why she pre- ters are perfectly chiselled with the pleasant surprise, essaying their real IANS fers to remain single, thereby shocking right amount of emotional overtures, lives, which beautifully integrates into everyone there. This and the following making them convincing and relata- the narrative. scene in an aircraft where Kia meets ble. The plot, set in a hassle-free so- The film has sleek production val- Kabir (Arjun Kapoor) seem calibrated, ciety, is taut, formulaic and evenly ues expected of an A-lister, but P.C. Film: Ki & Ka enforcing the premise of the film. paced with no overtly major dramatic Sreeram’s camera work with a few blur Director: R. Balki; Cast: Arjun Kapoor, It is amusing to watch Kabir explain twists. It does not navigate through a frames fluctuates, giving you visuals Kareena Kapoor Khan, Swarup Sampat “I want to be like my mom, who was an cliched path, which is what makes the befitting a television production. and Rajit Kapur artist” and his fixation to be a home- film questionable, yet refreshingly ac- The song “Foolishq” does not inte- Rating: ***1/2 bound husband. ceptable. grate well into the narration while the What follows is how the two of The screenplay is extremely meas- number “He is the most wanted mun- them defy norms and yet forge a ured while presenting both Kabir and da” is effectively used to show the par- ealing with gender bias and bond. Their brief romance, instant Kia leading their routine independent allel tracks of Kabir at home and Kiya at role reversal, Ki & Ka is a well- wedding sans any rituals and their lives yet interestingly entwining their her office — both excelling in their re- executed love story of an un- routine married life, forms the story. It lives. Also, the fountain is effectively spective areas. Dconventional couple. is the curiosity factor as how the tale used as a metaphor to show the ris- Overall, Ki & Ka will appeal to the The narration begins on a forced will unfold that keeps you hooked to ing emotional turmoil that plagues Ka- urban audience and is worth a watch note with Kia (Kareena Kapoor) in the the very end. bir, but its repetitive use kills the joy of for Arjun Kapoor’s honest perform- midst of a wedding celebration, giving Writer-director R Balki’s charac- subtlety. And that holds true too for ance.

Priyanka Chopra invited for dinner at White House

ndian actress Priyanka Chopra, who vited for the special dinner, which will bers include the reporters, produc- Iis a popular name in Bollywood and take place at the White House, said ers, camera operators and other jour- has found visibility internationally with a statement from Priyanka’s repre- nalists regularly covering the White American TV show , has been sentatives. House, traditionally hosts this annual invited to the annual White House Cor- However, Priyanka is still not sure if dinner to raise money for journalism respondents Dinner with US President she will be able to attend the get-to- scholarships. Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle gether or not given her tight shooting In Quantico” Priyanka plays FBI Obama. schedule for “Quantico” as well as for agent . The American The actress is among some of her Hollywood debut “Baywatch”, said thriller TV series also features Josh Hollywood’s biggest names like Bra- a source close to her. Hopkins, Jake McLaughlin, Aunjanue dley Cooper, Lucy Liu, Jane Fonda The non-profit White House Corre- Ellis and Yasmine Al Massri among and Gladys Knight to have been in- spondents’ Association, whose mem- others. THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 | 13 TECHNOLOGY Futuristic fabrics to behave like computer sensors

Military applications could include uniforms that are harder for enemies to see, or that help service members distinguish friend from foe while looking through certain eyewear. Eric Spackey, the institute’s interim chief operating officer, pointed to a graphene antenna his company is building into military backpacks as an early indication of what futuristic fabrics have to offer.

By Matt McFarland The Washington Post

new nonprofit will seek to speed the arrival of next- generation fabrics that can A store energy, control their own temperature, change colour and behave like computer sensors. MIT professor Yoel Fink, who is leading the effort, envisions the creation of an en- a reminder that futuristic fabrics still clothing that would be subsidized by tire new industry: Textiles for the 21st have a lot of room for development. companies willing to offer a discount century. Eventually Fink thinks such next- While the tech industry in exchange for receiving data the “It’s really giving — for the first time generation fabrics will be everywhere talks of “wearable” fabrics collect. since the beginning of history — fabrics fabrics are — from plane wings to tires devices such as The nonprofit institute, which will a new meaning,” Fink said. “This stuff and diapers. Such fabrics could trig- be based in Cambridge, Mass., will is hanging on you, but what value are ger a notification when a tire or diaper smartwatches, next- involve universities, start-up incuba- you deriving from it?” needs changing. generation fabrics would tors and companies around the coun- Fink envisions clothing made of While the tech industry talks of literally create wearable try. It’s called the Advanced Functional fabrics that track a person’s health and “wearable” devices such as smartwatch- Fibers of America Institute, and it has help medical professionals provide bet- es, next-generation fabrics would liter- computing devices that won a government competition for ter care. One day Fink said we’ll select ally create wearable computing devic- hang in our closets. What funding. Of the partnership’s $317m clothing not only for how it looks, but es that hang in our closets. What looks in funding — coming from companies, what it can do for us. Fabrics that store like a typical shirt might actually have looks like a typical shirt investors, universities and some US energy could provide climate control, some of the abilities of your smart- might actually have states — $75m will come from the De- helping a person endure extremely hot phone or smartwatch. some of the abilities fense Department. Ashton Carter, the or cold conditions. Sheets on a bed One of those involved in the initia- secretary of defense, announced the could provide the perfect temperature tive is Drexel professor Genevieve Dion, of your smartphone or news Friday morning at MIT. and monitor our sleep cycles. who brings a background in fashion smartwatch. Military applications could include This is the latest example of at- and industrial design. She thinks better uniforms that are harder for ene- tempts to bring technology to our at- fibers may allow someone with a med- mies to see, or that help service mem- tire. Nike has patented a sneaker with ical condition to carry on with their life bers distinguish friend from foe while an activity tracker built in so that in- more easily. For example, a stroke pa- looking through certain eyewear. Eric formation can be shared with a smart- tient could wear what looks like a typ- weird device, it allows me to carry on Spackey, the institute’s interim chief phone app. UnderArmour has shown a ical glove that would help them move and be a productive member of the operating officer, pointed to a graph- strong interest in next-generation fab- and grip things without trouble. society,” Dion said. ene antenna his company — Bluewa- rics that track fitness data. But so far “If I can wear it and be a part of the Fink acknowledged such clothing ter Defense — is building into military these efforts haven’t delivered a hit world and don’t need to draw atten- items would be more expensive than backpacks as an early indication of product with such technology, offering tion to myself because I’m wearing a traditional fibres. But he envisions what futuristic fabrics have to offer. 14 THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 CINEMA PLUS

VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER NOVO ROYAL PLAZA

Mr. Right (2D/Comedy) 10:00am, 11:00, 12:00noon, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, The Boss (2D/Comedy) 11:00am, 4:30 & 7:30pm 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 10:00, 11:00pm & 12:00midnight Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 11:00am, 2:00, Mr. Right (2D/Comedy) 1:00, 6:30 & 9:30pm 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm Kung Fu Panda 3 (2D/Animation) 2:45 & 4:15pm The Boss (2D/Comedy) 11:30am, 1:00, 1:30, 3:30, 5:00, 5:30, 7:30, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 9:00, 9:30 & 11:30pm 6:00, 8:30 & 10:45pm Ki & Ka (2D/Hindi) 5:15pm The Boy And The Beast (2D/Animation) 10:00am, 12:20, 2:40 & 5:00pm The Dead Room (2D/Horror) 11:15am, 2:45 & 11:30pm The Dead Room (2D/Horror) 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30pm Shaket Dabous (2D/Arabic) 1:15 & 10:00pm Zootropolis(2D/Animation)11:00am, 1:10, 3:20 & 5:30pm Before I Wake (2D/Thriller) Eddie The Eagle (2D/Comedy) 7:40, 9:45 & 11:50pm 8:15 & 11:15pm Kung Fu Panda 3 (2D/Animatin) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00 & 6:00pm The Boy & The Beast (2D/Animation) 11:00am, 12:45 & 3:00pm London Has Fallen (2D/Action) 8:00, 10:00pm & 12:00midnight 10 Cloverfield Lane (2D/Horror) 10:00am, 12:10, 2:20, 4:30, AL KHOR 6:40, 8:20 & 11:00pm Before I Wake (2D/Thriller) 11:45am, 1:45, 3:45, 5:45, 7:45, 9:45 & 11:45pm Kung Fu Panda 3 (Animation) 10:30, 11:30am, 1:30& 3:30pm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (3D IMAX/Action) The Boss(Comedy) 10:30am, 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30&11:45pm 12:00noon, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00pm & 12:00midnight Sardaar Gabbar Singh (Telugu) 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pm MALL Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 12:30, 6:00 & 11:30pm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 11:30am, Ki & Ka (2D/Hindi) 3:30 & 9:00pm 6:30 & 9:00pm The Boy & The Beast (2D/Animation) 11:00am, 2:45 & 6:30pm MR. RIGHT The Boss (2D/Comedy) 2:30 & 5:00pm Mr. Right (2D/Comedy) 4:30 & 8:45pm Kung Fu Panda 3 (2D/Animation) 1:15 & 5:00pm The Dead Room (2D/Horror) 11:30pm Darvinte Parinamam (2D/Malayalam) 11:30am, 2:15 & 10:45pm Ki & Ka (2D/Hindi) 7:00pm Shaket Dabous (2D/Arabic) 9:15pm Before I Wake (2D/Thriller) 11:00pm ASIAN TOWN

Darvinte Parinamam (Malayalam) 12:30, 2:30, 3:30, 5:30, 6:30, 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30pm, 12:30 & 01:15am Thozha (Tamil) 12:30pm Vettah (Malayalam) 12:30 & 8:15pm

Sardaar Gabbar Singh (Telugu) 12:30, 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30pm A girl falls for the “perfect” guy, who happens to have a very Maheshinte Prathikaram (Malayalam) 6:00pm fatal flaw: he’s a hitman on the run from the crime cartels who employ him. Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

BLONDIE

ZITS THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016 15 BRAIN TEASERS

EASY SUDOKU CROSSWORD

U. Unwitting (7) W. Victor (6) W. Sapience (6) Z. Elan (4) Z. African equine (5)

Yesterday’s answer

Easy Sudoku Puzzles: Place a digit from 1 to 9 in each empty cell so every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains all the digits 1 to 9.

The first letter of each answer is written next to its clue in alphabetical order. One letter has already been entered. Can you find the words then fit them correctly into the grid? A. Dull pain (4) A. Accumulate (5) MEDIUM SUDOKU A. Clumsy (7) C. Hoard (5) C. Composed (4) D. Lairs (4) D. Hates (7) E. Bird of prey (5) E. Tree (3) H. Pig (3) I. Block of metal (5) K. Retains (5) L. Terse (7) M. Spiritualist (6) M. Systems (7) N. Synthetic material (5) O. Conspicuous (7) O. Last letter of the Greek alphabet (5) P. Sacred songs (6) S. Changed around (8) Yesterday’s answer S. Balance (8) T. Bandits (7) T. Large drum (7)

ALL IN THE MIND TV LISTINGS

Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards. 13:05 Extreme 13:45 Gator Boys 08:00 News 13:10 Austin & Ally Collectors 14:40 Treehouse 08:30 Witness 14:00 Liv And 13:30 Storage Wars Masters 09:00 Digital Maddie Canada 15:35 Tanked Dissidents 14:25 Cars Toons 15:10 Wheeler Dealers 16:30 Lion Battlefield 10:00 News 15:20 Dog With A 16:00 Fast N’ Loud 17:25 River Monsters 10:30 Inside Story Blog 16:50 Chasing 18:20 Ten Deadliest 11:00 News 16:10 Violetta ALTITUDE, APEX, ASCENT, Classic Cars Snakes With 11:30 The Stream 17:25 Alex And Co BASE, CAMP, CLAMBER, 18:30 Redwood Kings Nigel Marven 12:00 News 17:50 Dog With A CLIFF, CLIMB, CRAG, 20:35 Garage Gold 19:15 Tanked 12:30 People & Blog CRAMPON, CRANNY, CREST, 21:00 Salvage 20:10 Animal Cops Power 18:15 Best Friends CREVASSE, CREVICE, Hunters South Africa 13:00 NEWSHOUR Whenever 22:40 22:00 DESCENT, ESCARPMENT, Ed Stafford: Ten Deadliest 14:00 News 18:40 Gravity Falls Snakes With 14:30 FACE, FLAG, FOOTHILLS, Into The Inside Story 19:05 Miraculous Unknown Nigel Marven 15:00 GUIDE, HEIGHT, LEDGE, Witness Tales Of 23:30 Wheeler Dealers 22:55 Gator Boys 16:00 NEWSHOUR MOUNTAINEER, Ladybug And 17:30 The Stream Cat Noir PEAK, PICK, PINNACLE, 18:00 NEWSHOUR 19:30 Violetta PITON, RIDGE, ROCK, ROPE, 19:00 News 20:45 Good Luck SHERPA, SIDE, SLOPE, 10:00 Father Of The 11:00 The Single 19:30 Viewfinder Charlie SPIKE, STEEP, SUMMIT. Bride Moms Club Latin America 21:35 H2O 14:15 Father Of The 13:00 About Alex 20:00 News 22:00 Binny And The Bride Part II 15:00 Transcendence 20:30 Inside Story Ghost 16:15 Man Of The 17:00 Draft Day 21:00 NEWSHOUR 22:50 Sabrina House 19:00 The Two Faces 22:00 News Secrets Of A 18:00 Sister Act Of January 22:30 The Stream Teenage Witch 20:00 I Love You 21:00 Insidious: 23:00 Marco Polo: A 23:10 Hank Zipzer Beth Cooper Chapter 3 Very Modern 23:35 Binny And The 22:00 Neighbors 23:00 The Gambler Journey Ghost