WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2014 • [email protected] • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741 inside A sequel CAMPUS with a sweetet • Qatar Academy Msheireb opens story to telll doors to students P | 4 P | 8-9 FASHION • Shiny, comfy and bright: Key fashion trends from London Buses across jungle borders, boats through P | 6 Caribbean waters and private flights from small airfields have become a new norm for departing FOOD Venezuela as a multi-billion dollar pay dispute turns • Where taste meets health, you won’t the country into something of a ‘no-fly’ zone. miss a thing P | 7 HEALTH • Parents’ whooping cough vaccines may protect babies P | 11 TECHNOLOGY • Minecraft sold: Microsoft buys Mojang for $2.5bn P | 12 NEW WAYS LEARN ARABIC • Learn commonly used Arabic words TO TRAVEL and their meanings P | 13 2 PLUS | WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2014 COVER STORY By Girish Gupta uses across jungle borders, boats through Caribbean waters and private flights from small airfields have become Ba new norm for departing Venezuela as a multi-billion dollar pay dispute turns the country into something of a ‘no-fly’ zone. Major international airlines have slashed seat availability by half since last year, pulling many routes entirely in a spat with Venezuela’s social- ist government about the repatriation of $3.6bn in ticket revenue. The dwindling supply has sent prices spiral- ling for available seats, and led to a surge of more inventive travel itineraries via circuitous routes and other means. “I’ve never flown private but I had to because you just can’t get a normal flight,” said Orinda Pamfil, 23, at the small, exclusive Charallave airport in hills outside Caracas. Passengers walk at the Unable to find a commercial ticket to the airstrip as they arrive United States, she was lucky to be travelling to at Charallave airport Houston in a spare seat on a small plane owned outside Caracas by a friend of a friend. “It’s impossible for nor- mal Venezuelans to travel,” she said, clutching designer luggage. or find a rare seat on a commercial flight are economy, derives from a government require- Hiring a seven-seat private plane, such as a taking more laborious trips across land and sea. ment that domestic ticket sales be in local Learjet 55, costs upwards of $2,500 per hour, On a recent morning at Caracas’ tiny Rutas currency. Some 24 airlines have built up the said private pilot Carlos da Silva. Used to flying de America bus terminal, 39-year-old Yane equivalent of $3.6bn in bolivars but are unable to super-wealthy clients, he is now receiving calls Gonzalez was about to take a four-day trip convert that money into hard currency, according from groups of middle-class Venezuelans looking across the Andes via Colombia to the Peruvian to the International Air Transport Association to share costs. capital Lima thousands of kilometers away. (IATA). This is due to delays in authorizations “There’s been a surge in demand because peo- “Of course I’d rather fly!” said Gonzalez, who from the government which, for over a decade, ple are desperate,” added another pilot Nicolas was giving up her work selling snacks at a kiosk has operated strict foreign exchange controls. Veloz who estimated demand was up at least 20 in Caracas to begin a new life in Peru. “But we “The country unfortunately is disconnecting percent in recent months. go to the airline and they have no seats.” from the world economy and runs the risk of “They have business, school, health issues deeper isolation,” said Jason Sinclair, an IATA abroad. Sometimes people just have to get out Currency Complications spokesman. “It simply is not sustainable for the in an emergency.” The airline problem, the latest manifesta- airlines to fly to a country where they cannot Venezuelans unable to afford private planes tion of multiple strains across the Venezuelan be paid.” Venezuela airline crisis makes travellers ever more inventive A private plane is towed by a worker before takeoff. PLUS | WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2014 3 Negotiations are underway and around month is listed at $2,000. A comparable a third of the airlines have reached agree- flight from Miami to Bogota, in neighbour- ments in principle but the terms are incom- ing Colombia, is around $750. plete and “lack any form of guarantees”, Though his ministers are in discussions Sinclair said. with the airlines, President Nicolas Maduro International airlines have cut seat avail- has cast the problem as part of an “eco- ability in and out of Venezuela by 49 per cent nomic war” against him by capitalist foes on last year, IATA said. and has threatened airlines that pull out Major airlines including Air Canada with permanent expulsion. and Alitalia earlier this year suspended all “Whoever leaves Venezuela in the midst of flights, citing safety concerns and difficulty this economic war doesn’t return ... because in repatriating revenue. Venezuela must be respected,” said Maduro. Alitalia began flying again earlier this He has kept the socialist policies and month, though with a limited service. currency controls of his predecessor Hugo A plethora of others, including American Chavez, who died of cancer last year, but he Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines, faces a plethora of problems from shortages slashed most but not all flights earlier this of goods to high inflation and an economy year. European airlines including Lufthansa that analysts say is in recession. and Iberia have also cut routes. Venezuela’s domestic carriers are also struggling because they find it hard to Capitalist ‘War’ obtain dollars to import parts for mainte- One travel agent struggling to find a cus- Caracas was American Airlines’ first nance. This has led to a severe shortage of tomer flights to the nearby tourist islands destination in South America more than flights, adding to angst for travellers. of Los Roques suggested hiring a private a quarter-century ago but the carrier cut “There are aircraft just sitting on the tar- catamaran instead. almost 80 percent of its weekly flights to mac (at public airports) because they don’t Many travel agents are struggling to Venezuela in June. have parts,” pilot Veloz added. make a living. They protested earlier this The airline said it is owed $791m. It still Some travellers are finding friends or year outside the tourism ministry and some runs 10 weekly flights to Venezuela from companies with boats to take them to the have given up their work. Miami, though these can now only be paid nearby Caribbean islands such as Aruba, Others are up for the challenge. for abroad in hard currency. Curacao and Trinidad where onward flight “If you’re young, rich and agile, you’ll find A Miami to Caracas return on American availability to popular destinations like New a way to get out,” said travel agent Doris Airlines — a six-hour flight — for next York or Miami is much easier. Gaal. “But it’s not going to be easy.” Reuters 4 PLUS | WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2014 CAMPUS Bhavan’s Public school celebrated Hindi Diwas at both its premises recently. The day’s assembly was organised and conducted by the Hindi department. After the prayer, the news, thought for the day, and speech on Hindi Diwas were prepared and delivered in Hindi by the students. Students rendered a song on Hindi alphabets, composed by Bidul, music teacher, and the lyrics were written by Ranjith, a Hindi teacher. At Matar Qadeem, the Principal V L Balasubramanian addressed the students on the importance of the day and Asha Shiju, Academic Coordinator, also spoke on Hindi Diwas. At Wakra, Philip, the Head Master spoke in Hindi on the importance of the day as well as of the language. To mark the day, the Hindi department at both premises put up all the signboards of classrooms, office and library in Hindi. DMIS marks Hindi Diwas tudents from grade 6 to 12 of Doha SModern Indian School conducted a special assembly on September 14 to com- memorate ‘Hindi Diwas’ to mark the impor- tance Hindi. A poetry recital by Nandini Sharma of grade 7 and a speech delivered by Shivani of grade 10 on the ‘Importance of Hindi’ were some of the highlights of the day. News read out by Justin Mathew and Divij Seth of Grade 10 in Hindi made a dif- ference to the normal routine. Amol Pillai and Shivani Jaiswal of grade 10 anchored the programme. Rakesh Singh Tomar, Principal, addressed the assembly and enlightened the students on how language can help in unify- ing the country. The Peninsula IIS students rally on International Ozone Day deal Indian School observed IInternational Ozone Day with some special events. Various activ- ities were organised by Ideal Eco Club to create awareness among the students about the depletion of Ozone layer and its harmful effects on environment. Students of Girls’ and Boys’ Sections took out an Ozone Protection Rally in the school’s premises to mark the day. Students raised slogans and sported placards depicting the the students to be more insightful and Quiz contest on the topic “Save Ozone” Masood Ali Khan, House Coordinator, threat to ozone layer with the excessive responsible towards Environmental were conducted on the occasion. Boys’ Section and Shamna Firoz Khan, of chemicals. Speaking on the occa- Issues which affect the humanity. The programme was coordinated House Coordinator, Girls’ Section sion Principal Syed Shoukath Ali urged An inter-house poster designing and by Riyaz, coordinator, Ideal Eco Club, The Peninsula CAMPUS / MARKETPLACE PLUS | WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2014 5 Qatar Academy Msheireb opens doors to students atar Academy Msheireb (QA Msheireb), opened its doors to students this month, making it the latest addition to Qatar QFoundation’s increasing number of schools.