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SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2013 • [email protected] • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741 inside Wadjda director CAMPUS Al Mansour leads • IIS students mark International from behind camera Ozone Day P | 4 P | 8-9 COMMUNITY • Hundreds attend Care & Aware medical camp P | 5 MYSTERIES OF HEALTH • Promote sunscreen use in fight against MYANMAR skin cancer: Study P | 7 After closing its doors to the world for half a century, Myanmar has reopened, inviting all to come ROBOTS and discover its treasures, ancient palaces of kings • Tiny recon robots herald new long gone, legends and mysteries told in stone. generation of drones P | 11 TECHNOLOGY • iPhone 5c: Cheerful if not cheap, built for the future P | 12 Learn Arabic • Learn commonly used Arabic words and their meanings P | 13 2 PLUS | SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2013 COVER STORY Luxury river cruise opens up Myanmar By Att Sikkema fter closing its doors to the West for half a century, Myanmar has reopened, inviting all to come and discover its treasures, ancient Apalaces of kings long gone, legends and mys- teries told in stone. And the world is expected to come. These are the early days, perhaps the best, and with ill-equipped roads and railways, there is no better way to explore than by river. Public ferries crisscross through glistening green paddies; old teak fishing boats can be rented by the day. And now, there is the luxury riverboat cruise. In late July, the Orcaella made its maiden voyage on a 1,600km (994 mile) journey deep into Myanmar’s inte- rior, almost to the border of India. It is operated by the Orient Express, the group that runs luxury hotels, trains and boats globally. It’s not a handsome ship from the outside. As the cruise’s first 30 travellers board in Mandalay, it seems squat and square and a bit worn out. But once we step over the gangplank and enter the roomy lounge, our impression changes completely. Totally remodelled from the hull up and gracefully furnished, it is a space where all of us immediately felt relaxed. PLUS | SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2013 3 Over the next 12 days we will tour The first village of a decent size we think she’ll forget me, wondering, The bejewelled beast appears with sights rarely seen by foreign tourists: come across is Monywa, where the most probably, why a woman of 86 its leader and begins a dainty dance villages left back in time, gilded pago- people appear as fascinated by us as years would travel so far to see her. that soon becomes more boisterous. das filled with Buddhist statues, thou- we are by them. As we walk down Her rugged village is full of welcom- We are amazed when it stands up sands of them long neglected. their dusty roads, we must look like ing smiles, along with disdainful looks on his front legs, then on his back. It My cabin is spacious, with hard- clumsy giants. Their own bodies look from yellow dogs and water buffalo crosses a plank stretched between two wood floors, fresh flowers and a walk- so delicate, women walking gracefully when we expected them to move. barrels and takes a bow under enthu- in closet. Best of all are the glass even when carrying baskets of bricks Here we turn around. It took eight siastic applause, encouraged by the sliding doors facing the wide river, on their heads. days to get here, but we will return in free flowing champagne. We politely where one can lie in bed and watch The small, beautiful children stare less than half the time, heading with overlook the two pairs of nicely pol- the world glide by. in wonder. A teenage traveler snaps the current toward our home harbour ished shoes that poke out from under We travel first for six hours along pictures of a little girl from the village and the temples of Bagan, the first the beast’s feet. the mighty Irrawaddy River, more and her 4-year-old older brother, then kingdom of Myanmar, also known as As the show wraps up, I stand than 400 meters (yards) wide. The gives the boy a turn at the camera. Burma. up to get a better look at the lovely shores are almost level with the land, Every day, we stop to visit one or On our final night on the ship, ele- young singer among the musicians. the brush low with a few large trees. more of the many pagodas, old and phant dancers — men in a full-sized Her mother, seeing my delight, smiles Every hut or fishing boat we pass new. We have seen golden Buddhas pachyderm costume — are brought in and beckons me to sit with her. generates loud greetings. Groups of towering over us, and a traditional from a nearby village. Orient Express: http://www.orient- children wave and call. Water taxis ceremony for young, freshly shaven express.com/web/rtm/orcaella.jsp carry passengers from one river- monks. Myanmar Tourism Board: http://www. side village to the next, and huge, After a few days, we reach Sittaung, myanmar-tourism.com/ AP heavy boats laden with teak head a few kilometres (miles) from the downstream. Indian border. When we reach the confluence It has 35 very solid, large teak with the Chindwin River, we meet our houses, all without doors and elevated first obstacle. The captain slows our on stilts. Green rice paddies are on 25-cabin ship to a near-standstill and either side. The river is only a few It has 35 very solid, large struggles to navigate around a small meters away and floods a frequent whirlpool. The shifting sandbanks occurrence. teak houses, all without make it difficult to read the riverbed. An old, frail woman stood by the doors and elevated on stilts. Eventually we pass, continuing gate, leaning with both hands on her north on the Chindwin along the cane, her eyes fixed upon us. She was Green rice paddies are on melted waters of the Himalayas. We prepared for our arrival, dressed in either side. The river is only a slice through sandstone cliffs and her finest blouse and longyi, a tradi- patches of forest, but this is rare. For tional wrap-around sarong tied firmly few metres away and floods long stretches, sometimes days at a in a knot at the waist. a frequent occurrence. time, the view is more monotonous I will not forget her, and our con- than I would have imagined. versation in friendly gestures. I don’t 4 PLUS | SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2013 CAMPUS IIS students mark International Ozone Day deal Indian School observed International Ozone Day recently. IVarious activities were organised by Ideal Eco Club to create awareness among the students about the deple- tion of the ozone layer. Students in the Girls’ and Boys’ sections marched in an Ozone Protection Rally in the school premises to mark the day. The proces- sion was flagged off by the principal, Syed Shoukath Ali. Students raised slogans and carried placards depicting the threat posed to the ozone layer by chemicals. Speaking on the occasion, Shoukath Ali urged the students to be more responsible on environmental issues which affect humanity. A poster designing contest on the topic “Save Ozone” was conducted on the occasion. Among the boys, a team comprising Fawas Suhail, Abdul Moiz and Fahed Rehman bagged the first prize, and a team comprising Zabia, Rifash, Aila, Amina, Amtul Riza, Khairya and Nikita stood first among progress only through sustainable Saima, Aqasa, Sana and Sanchia stood The programme was coordinated girls. development?” and “Is human need first and a team comprising Juma, by Riyaz, head of the school’s Science The senior students participated in a cause for extinction of wildlife?”. A Akash, Surya, Bilal, Umair and Lindsay Department. a debate on the topics “Can we achieve team comprising Sara Khan, Nilfath, was declared the runner-up. The Peninsula INDIAN SCHOOLS CELEBRATE ONAM Shantiniketan Indian School (SIS), Doha Modern Indian School (DMIS) and MES Indian School marked Onam, the harvest festival of the southern Indian state of Kerala, with traditional dances and other cultural programmes. SIS organised a traditional ‘onasadya’ (feast) that included more than 15 dishes and was served on banana leaves. At DMIS, students of grades III, IV and V had a special assembly to mark the occasion. COMMUNITY / MARKETPLACE PLUS | SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2013 5 Hundreds attend Care & Aware medical camp ewellery retailer Malabar Gold & Diamonds organised a free medi- Jcal camp — Care & Aware — in association with Aster Medical Centre, Wellcare Group and Qatar KMCC on Friday, from 6.30am to 11am, at National Nursery School, Al Khor. This is the second edition of the Care & Aware free medical camp. Over 1,000 people, mainly from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal benefitted from free consulta- tion provided by expert doctors, includ- ing general physicians, dermatologists, dentists, orthopaedists and ophthal- mologists. Medicines were distributed free of cost to the needy at the camp. Free transport, breakfast and refresh- ments were provided to the patients. Khalaf Omar Al Humaidi, Head of Tariff and Origin, General Directorate Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Aster Medical of Customs, inaugurated the seminar Centre, Wellcare Group and Qatar KMCC session. officials with guests at the medical camp. The Peninsula The Michelin Primacy 3 launch and a dealer meeting was held at Holiday Villa on Thursday. Yann Lassade, operations head, NBK group, Deepak PS, division man- ager, Masoodu Khan, senior sales supervisor, and Amit Arjundas, fleet sales manager, were present on the occasion. Enertech Qatar was recently licensed by the Engineering New PR and marketing Construction Industry Training manager at NAS Group Board (ECITB) to deliver the ECITB amah Akl International Health and Safety has joined Passport scheme (Foundation, SNasir Bin Advanced and Supervisor courses) Abdullah & in Qatar.

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