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SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER 2017 CAMPUS | 3 SCIENCE | 12 SIS conducts 18th Scientists discover Annual Sports most distant Day, awards super massive winners black hole P | 4-5 THE CALM AFTER THE STORM Attractions, beaches and restaurants rebound on the US Virgin Islands but lodging is needed after being hit by multiple hurricanes. SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER 2017 CAMPUS 03 DMIS celebrates ‘COSMICA’ 2017 erriment, fun and with the fusion of all these laughter marked the instruments. After the second M13th Annual Day Cel- set of prize distribution cere- ebrations ‘COSMICA’ of Doha mony, students of grades 6-11 Modern Indian School (DMIS). startled the audience with their The festivities began with outstanding skit as they the prayer followed by the wel- expressed themselves through come song and welcome dance exceptional theatrical skills. which gave the ambiance fes- Lullaby dance mesmerized the tivity vibes. Introductory audience with the aura of welcome speech by the prin- motherhood. cipal wherein the annual report A mash-up of Hindi dance was also presented made the which was entitled ‘school parents of DMIS students dance’ conveyed conviviality, proud. followed by love dance that had First set of prize distribu- the audience in cheer and whis- tion ceremony was followed by tles. Mime and old age song by an inspiring speech by the choir created an atmosphere of Chief Guest Dr R Seetharaman serenity and tranquillity thus with the message to value the paved the way for the final values, respect teachers and event of the program. ‘Glory to parents and strive for the best. Qatar’ - the final event was an The performance of grade amalgamation and blending of 3-5 students had left the audi- Arabic, Punjabi and Bollywood ence in awe with their adorable songs through formation instrumental choreography on dances. drums, flute, violin, koto, piano, The program concluded for trumpet and sitar and finally the day one with the National sweeping through the climax Anthems of Qatar and India. SIS conducts 18th Annual Sports Day 8th Annual Sports Day of Shantiniketan Indian School observed its their benign presence. Individual champions in their respective cate- 18th Annual Sports Day at Al Arabi Sports Club. Students in large gories are: Fiza Fathima (Kiddies girls), Saud Muhammed K (Kiddies 1numbers contested in various track and field events in which Red boys), Noor Mohamed (Mini Junior girls), Mirshab Ummer Kutty (Mini House emerged as Champions. Junior boys), Sania Aziz Khan (Sub Junior girls), Hamad Riaz (Sub Jun- The chief guest for the event was Dr Saif Ali Al-Hajari, Chairman of ior boys), Iqra Fowzia (Junior girls), Sohrab Patel (Junior boys), Ganga Friends of the Environment Center, Vice–President of Education Com- (Junior girls), Bishal Chanda (Junior boys), Sadiya Anwar (Intermediate mittee, Chamber of Commerce and SIS Advisory Council Member. K C girls), Akil Ahmed (Intermediate boys), Sharon Elizabeth(Pre-Senior Abdul Latheef, President of the School Management Committee eand girls), Criton George (Pre-Senior boys), Rahana Mohamed (Senior girls) Dr Subhash B Nair, Principal of SIS motivated the young athletes with & Farsan Riaz (Senior Boys). 04 COVER STORY SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER 2017 US Virgin Islands clean up for holidays The Washington Post quarter of its 1,723 rooms at 22 properties have manager Randy Furciniti, “so we have spaghetti reopened since the hurricanes. Even now, most and meatballs.” eering out of the airplane window, I guests are relief workers and business travellers. A diet vacation, this isn’t. Most of the restau- wondered: Did the pilot take a wrong Two of the largest and most elegant hotels - the rants and bars in the main commercial areas are turn at the last cumulus cloud? Below, Ritz-Carlton and Frenchman’s Reef & Morning serving. I had breakfast at Gladys’ Cafe, lunch at St. Thomas was jungly green. Red- Star Marriott Beach Resort - will miss at least one Barefoot Buddha and dinner at the Smoking roofed homes speckled the hills. Strips peak season. The projected return date for both Rooster. (Chalkboard truism: “We don’t run from Pof white sand gleamed like peroxide smiles. is 2019. For now, Airbnb and VRBO could plug hurricanes. We drink them!”) On a Friday night, On the ground, I made small adjustments to the hole in accommodations. An Airbnb search a jazz ensemble at Tavern on the Waterfront trans- my first impressions. Only a few working stop- for the week before Christmas produced more ported guests to a disaster-free zone. Diners wore lights. Sandbags piled against the front door of than 75 properties. Options included “Breezy Blue sparkly dresses and linen pants while dining on my hotel. Signs taped to storefronts declaring that View Hurricane Updated” and “Casa De La Bri- salmon and filet mignon with a round of until they regain WiFi, they only accept cash. A No Damage-Normal Power-Running Water.” (For Bushwackers, the cocktail invented on St. FEMA disaster-relief center steps from the high- a hotel update, visit the website of the US Virgin Thomas. end jewellery stores in Charlotte Amalie, the Islands Tourism Department.) Also open: the stores both fancy and souve- capital. The 22-room Mafolie Hotel escaped serious nir-y in Charlotte Amalie, at the Shops at Yacht But there was little evidence of the four feet injury, thanks to its solid 1940s construction. How- Haven Grande and at Havensight Mall. You will of water that had submerged the downtown. And ever, the hotel did sustain cosmetic wounds, such be happy to learn that you can still find conch the 175 mph winds that had scorched the trees as peeling paint and lost the canopy over its res- shell night lights at Jolly Roots and Culture and like a match. And the detritus that had littered taurant. The property, which is housing members Gucci bags at, yes, Gucci. At Vendor’s Plaza, the such famed beaches as Magens Bay. of the US Army Corps of Engineers, plans to reo- outdoor market, a Senegalese man was manning “Mother Nature has definitely showed us that pen by summer or fall but is welcoming visitors a booth advertising, “Hurricane T-Shirts Sold she can bounce back,” said Gina Feddersen, a St. for breakfast and dinner. The menu features local Here.” He carried tank tops inscribed with “Sur- Thomas artist who collaborated on a hurricane- specialties, such as lobster, seafood linguine and vivor Irma Maria” and a more verbose model relief bikini featuring her water colour map callaloo soup, a traditional dish made with leafy listing several hurricane-borne challenges: “long designs. “But we need those hotels to open.” greens, as well as a new selection of ingredients lines, business gone, car gone, curfew, stressed Lodging is a worry. The US Virgin Islands Hotel arriving in post-hurricane shipments. out, no phone service.” He said that cruise-ship & Tourism Association said that less than a “We now get meatballs,” said general passengers were snapping them up. SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER 2017 COVER STORY 05 longer. You can try Hotel Cruz Bay, Sea Shore Allure, Coconut Coast Vil- las, Estate Lindholm and Gallows Point Resort, which are accepting reservations, or consider Plan B: a day trip from Red Hook, St. Thomas. I caught the 20-minute ferry on a Thursday afternoon with Jenny Hawkes, executive director of My Brother’s Workshop. Jenny had vis- ited St. John only once since the storm, to deliver care packages. We sat among relief workers who wore their organisations on their shirt pockets: Agriculture Department (USDA), Army, National Park Serv- ice. As we neared the shoreline, we saw several sailboats tossed up like beached whales. In Cruz Bay, the main town, we ventured over to Mongoose Junc- tion, a jungle gym of shops and restaurants. We browsed the At the World Famous Mountain its roof panels. As a temporary fix, visitors can only access Honeymoon unscathed shop windows before Top, perched on the island’s high- Patsy had resuscitated a relic: a by foot. Watersports rentals are settling onto bar stools at the Tap est point, I was the only shopper in FEMA tarp from Marilyn ‘95. available at Honeymoon and Trunk Room. A server ran down the bev- the hangar-size gift store. Strips of “Now, it’s waterproof again,” she Bay. Park Service workers have also erages on tap including lemonade plastic wrap sealed off entire sec- said optimistically. cleared 85 percent of the island’s and an energy drink. On the way tions of merchandise labelled as Of the three main islands, St. hiking trails. But Murray Shoe- out, we scanned the community hurricane-damaged. A banner at John received the biggest wallop. maker, a department spokesman, bulletin board. A water-quality the entrance crowed about selling But the little isle that could is show- warns, “They are not up to park update from Surfrider Foundation more than 7 million banana daiq- ing its can-do spirit. standards. You can walk a short displayed the E. coli levels for 17 uiris, but the number would The National Park Service has way and then go, ‘Nope.’ “ beachy areas. More than half probably remain flat today. partially reopened the Virgin The dearth of lodging could earned a low-risk rating. On my way back from the Islands National Park, which cov- challenge plans to spend the night. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Mountain Top, I met Patsy Breun- ers two-thirds of the island. The Caneel Bay Resort, Concordia Eco- Shoemaker said of recovery efforts. lin and her assistant, Cassie, a agency recently greenlighted Trunk Resort and the Westin St. John “Six months from now, we will be in German shepherd, at Phantasea Bay, Honeymoon, Hawksnest and Resort Villas probably will remain a lot better shape.

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