WEDNESDAY 5 APRIL 2017 CAMPUS | 3 HEALTH | 10 BOLLYWOOD | 11 GulfGu English School Low vitamin D Farhan Akhtar celcelebrates Reading may worsen hopes to make Month frailty in men ‘Don 3’ Email: [email protected] HONG KONG’S LUXURY SUPERMARKETS AND OUTDOOR STALLS HAVE INCREASINGLY STARTED PLACING EXPENSIVE PREMIUM PRODUCE ON SHOW AS THE DESIRE FOR A HEALTHIER DIET IS GROWING AMONG PEOPLE. A SLICE OF LUXURY P | 4-5 03 WEDNESDAY 5 APRIL 2017 CAMPUS ISL to host ‘OpenApply Admissions Conference’ he International School of can admissions contribute at the London (ISL), Qatar will host leadership table?’ Attendees will Tthe first-ever ‘OpenApply have the opportunity to network Admissions Conference’ in the Mid- with admissions and recruitment dle East. Managing admissions & peers, share best practices, and enrolment becomes more vital each learn how the key function of year for school administrators as admissions can provide insight and the need for schools worldwide support to the success of the school. continues to grow and competition Registration closes on April 14 increases. and cost is $199 for the two day The two day conference is open conference. Interested admissions to all professionals aligned to the professionals may email events@ admissions and leadership of inter- openapply.com or ISL Qatar Head national schools. The experienced of Admissions, Nivin El Aawar naa- International Baccalaureate (IB) British Schools of the Middle East speakers will add a wealth of [email protected]. Discount possible curriculum. The school is author- and the New England Association knowledge to aspects of the theme for multiple attendees from a school. ised to offer the IB Primary Years, of Schools and Colleges. The grad- “Admissions at the Leadership Table” The International School of Middle Years and Diploma Pro- uating IB Diploma Programme and address key questions such as London, Qatar has an outstanding grammes (encompassing ages 3 to students have an impressive record ‘How can admissions help steer the reputation for high academic stand- 18 years) and is accredited by the of admissions to the world’s top direction of the school?’ and ‘What ards with the prestigious Council of International Schools, universities. Gulf English School celebrates Reading Month tudents and staff of Gulf English Mona El Helbawi, Hind Al Kayed, School (GES) celebrated ‘Read- Ina Gerrard and David Frame had Sing Month’ with a number of the very difficult task of choosing activities to promote reading, includ- the best dressed boy and girl from ing different reading themes and a each year. Later during the week, “mad hatter’s tea party”. Students who a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party was held read the most from each year group in the library so that parents could were rewarded with a book token come and read with their children. while the class who collectively read This event was a huge success, as the most were given a party. hundreds of parents came to share Events began on the February a book with some tea and cake with 19 when visiting authors Chris their children. White, Saleh Ghareeb and Mohana One of the highlights of the entertained and inspired the stu- month has been shared reading and dents. Parents were also invited to stories between the classes. Stu- come to school and join in the fun dents from Infants, Juniors and by reading with their children at Secondary visited each other to the Reading Coffee Mornings. read together or share a story. On March 2, students and staff GES also commenced the Drop dressed up as a book character and Everything And Read (DEAR) initi- staged a parade of their costumes. ative, and will continue with this The judges cimprising activity throughout the year. 04 COVER STORY WEDNESDAY 5 APRIL 2017 Hong Kong’s high-end fruit fad Hong Kong produce, even if it has travelled AFP thousands of miles. Fruit shoppers said they did not t might be a healthy food choice, consider produce from mainland but Hong Kong’s latest fruit fad China -- the source of much of Iis doing serious damage to shop- Hong Kong’s food -- as healthy. pers’ wallets. From luxury “I used to buy mainland fruit, but supermarkets to outdoor stalls, now I could never go back. It is not expensive premium produce is as safe and fresh,” said Peter Wong, increasingly on show and sought 48, an accountant who says he after by customers. spends around HK$2,000 on At Hong Kong’s vibrant Yau Ma imported fruit each month for him- Tei fruit market, a Malaysian durian self, his wife and their two goes for HK$600 ($77) and Tasma- children. nian cherries for HK$550. “The fruit is fresher if it comes On the shelves of high-end from overseas, like the USA or supermarket City Super, a single South Africa or Japan,” he said as growing desire for a healthier diet, prosperity. Japanese strawberry recently he browsed the Yau Ma Tei stalls. in a city where traditional dishes Daniel Chan, 42, a vendor at fetched a whopping HK$168. Each Reports of farmers using exces- can be heavy on salt and fat. Yau Ma Tei whose family has been strawberry nestled on a paper pil- sive pesticides, fertilizers and But it is also about status -- running the business for 70 years, low, encased in a glossy cardboard preservatives in China have dam- expensive fruit has become a said the gifting of expensive fruit box. aged the reputation of its produce, popular gift to impress loved ones was largely related to “face”, an The appetite for pricey fruit and food grown locally in Hong and colleagues, tapping in to an important element in Chinese cul- from far afield reflects a quest for Kong is very limited. established Chinese tradition of giv- ture to show wealth and what punters see as clean, fresh The trend partly reflects a ing fruit to bring good luck and generosity. 05 WEDNESDAY 5 APRIL 2017 COVER STORY The family used to sell only to new anti-graft law took effect last wholesalers, but has branched out year, putting a limit of around $50 into retail in the past two years on the value of business gifts, thanks to the demand for pre- sales of such items have declined. mium fruit from wealthy In Hong Kong, prices are customers. driven by demand, but are also “Professional, high-class peo- pushed up by new techniques that ple come here on Saturdays and enhance sweetness. Sundays, with their Maseratis and Japanese products are the Ferraris and Benzs parked out- most popular at Yau Ma Tei, side,” Chan said. according to vendor Chan, but Shoppers liked to see them- fruits from further afield, includ- selves as “professional” fruit ing figs from South Africa, also buyers, able to sniff out the best find favour with customers. produce, he added. The $77 Malaysian durian at The trend is not limited to Chan’s stall was carefully grown, Hong Kong. Japanese families and picked ripe, then frozen and businesses routinely offer expen- flown to Hong Kong, he said, sive fruits as presents to express making it more expensive than gratitude. fruit shipped by sea which ripens Specialised luxury fruit par- during the journey. As Hong Kong lours, often located inside battles to contain food waste, crit- high-end department stores, ics say high-end fruit is an boast a wide selection of spotless environmental hazard due to its cherries, mangoes and melons, overpackaging. set neatly inside cushion-lined But for some, that is part of wooden boxes. the appeal.Christopher Gallaga, Top of the line fruits can com- a former food and drink manager mand sky-high prices at the first at City Super, said heavily auction of the season, from “Ruby wrapped fruit was seen as a sign Roman” grapes attracting bids of “standard and class” and sold going up to $4,000 for a bunch, better than loose produce. to a pair of cantaloupe melons “The trend is just towards sold for more than $9,000. nothing local, everything In South Korea, fruit has long imported,” Gallaga said, adding been a popular gift option during that it reflected a “distrust” of the Lunar New Year holiday and mainland produce. Shopper Chuseok, a harvest festival often Wong said his fruit-buying habit described as a Korean equivalent is about a sense of the exotic -- of Thanksgiving. Elaborately and proof of his quality packaged imported fruits became know-how. He said: “I can now especially popular in some quar- buy the best fruits to share with ters in recent years, but after a my friends and family.” 06 MARKETPLACE / COMMUNITY WEDNESDAY 5 APRIL 2017 Season Restaurant wins Aspirants Division of PIBAQ eason Restaurant defeated Pampanga Dragons with a Sconvincing 114-82 victory to claim the championship in the Aspirants Division of PIBAQ’s Sea- son 22. Fresh from a hard-fought sem- ifinal win, Season entered the finals match locked and loaded against Pampanga who is missing the serv- ices of their leading scorer, Paul Castillo. With a balanced attack led by Mark Louie Pradas and Edwin Peremne, Season raised a 17 point lead by half time. The Pampanga Villa De Bacolor were determined not to go down without a fight as they opened the third quarter with two 3 pointers by William Quiñones and a short by Markley Parico with 25 points Defensor of Season Restaurant, Season Restaurant. PIBAQ’s Season jumper by Erminio Bigcas to cap a and 9 assists, while Pradas, Per- Paul Castillo and Wiliam Quiñones 22 was brought to you by Qatar Bas- 9-0 run bringing them within 8.