Tag Archives: entertainment
Authentic Spanish products on offer at the Global Village
Authentic Spanish products on offer at the Global Village Lily B. Libo-on / 4 February 2014 The Spain Pavilion, now in its third year at the Global Village, features charging bulls, camels, falcons, horses and lions in taxidermy for curious visitors and shoppers. An intriguing sight of ‘toros’ (bulls) charging to gorge out its ‘matador’ (bullfighter) beckons visitors to the Spain Pavilion at the Global Village, the Ultimate Family Entertainment Destination. Bullfighting, known globally as ‘corrida de toros’, has always been a popular source of entertainment in Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Hispanic American countries, but never in the Arab world. Spanish hats in the Spain Pavilion at the Global Village. — KT photo by M. Sajjad The Spain Pavilion, now in its third year at the Global Village, features charging bulls, camels, falcons, horses and lions in taxidermy for curious visitors and shoppers — real animals stuffed by taxidermists to be used as home and garden decors. Veronica, one of the exhibitors at the pavilion, says her company, Toro Toro Coe, has been in the taxidermy business for three years. “We have stuffed exotic and wild animals like puma, jaguar, hyenas, zebras, bears, black Bengali tigers, lions and camels. We sell them for as low as Dh15,000 and as high as Dh135,000, depending on the pose of the animals. Charging bulls, which are based on photos of the actual corrida de toros, are more expensive and command prices over Dh100,000.” She says her company has received orders from Emiratis and Arab families for flying falcons and running camels. “Feline animals like wild cats in taxidermy are more expensive.” ‘Abarcas’, Spain’s traditional shoes from Menorca, is a crowd-puller at the pavilion. Saffron from Lamancha, popularly known as Spain’s red gold and hand-made ‘Damascene’ decorative designs, is another popular product. A Swiss couple, Nico and Alina Brust, say they are glad that they can find the products they bought in Spain on a holiday there. “It is amazing. Right here at the Global Village, we can buy the textile and the decors we need. I love the ‘Mojitos’ and again, this refreshing drink is here at the Global Village,” Alina says. Leila Jandali, an exhibitor at the pavilion, says her company, D & D Toledo, has been practicing the Damascene process of designing decors, which originated in Damascus centuries ago, for 200 years. “An expert worker treats nickel with artificial oxidation in 48 hours, then covers the decor with pure gold, inscribe Arabic writings and make them ready for the market.” Elias Vizcaino, from Relaciones Comerciales, who is the organiser of the Spain Pavilion, says that everything Spain has on offer has been brought to the Global Village. “Most of these products are from Madrid, Andalucia, Cataluna, Costa La Mancha, Toledo, Menorca, Granada and Extremadura. From the amazing animal taxidermy and the country’s best olive oil to preserved foods and saffron to the Damascene decors, hand-made wood products, aluminium and silver souvenir items, textiles, scarves, jewellery, football articles…The list is endless,” he says. Football souvenirs from Barcelona are aplenty — scarves, bags, T-shirts, footballs, key chains and mugs. “People like them. They have come over and again to buy our products every edition since 2011-2012, when we first joined the Global Village. Now, they know Spanish products. They shop for our paprika and Spanish cheese. We have good products at affordable prices. We are also glad that we have made a difference to the lives of the residents and tourists in Dubai through our product offerings,” Vizcaino adds. “Tourists from the Middle East are increasingly coming on holidays to the shores of Spain, as one of the biggest mosques in Europe is in the capital city of Madrid. They come and shop. Yet, here in Global Village, they can buy the same genuine, good quality products without flying to Spain. Everything is here in this pavilion,” he says. Spain, which is the second most visited country in the world with more than 50 million tourists annually, has also opened holiday homes for sale to tourists. At the Global Village, real estate developers are offering beach and high-end properties in Cordova, Granada, Andalucia and other cities of Spain as holiday homes. A dream holiday home is just a visit away! lily@khaleejtimes.com Free entry for children on Mondays The Global Village will allow children under the age of 12 to enter for free every Monday during February. The promotion also includes an offer for visitors to redeem Dh10 vouchers for every Dh60 they spend at a selection of popular Global Village’s restaurants. The funfair discount vouchers have been replaced to allow visitors to enjoy the diverse cuisine that is on offer at the Global Village. Participating restaurants will be mentioned on all vouchers. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Solutions to combat hunger being discussed at forum
Solutions to combat hunger being discussed at forum Silvia Radan / 4 February 2014 Expert says sustainability and efficiency are two of the main reasons why the world needs artificially made meat. The proverbial food pill may well become a reality in the near future given the advanced technology and innovation in food production. The latest solutions to combat world hunger are being discussed during the three-day Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA), taking place in Abu Dhabi until February 5. There isn’t yet a food pill, but there is a ‘lab-burger’. One of the keynote speakers on the opening day on Monday, Dr Mark Post, Professor of Physiology at Maastrict University, presented his project, the world’s first beef burger created in a laboratory. The project became reality last summer, when the first burger was tasted by a London journalist. “She said it had good texture, but the taste could be improved,” revealed Dr. Post. The burger was made from cow cells (no animal had to be sacrificed) from the animal’s skeleton muscles. Altogether, the first ever cultured meat burger required three billion cow cells and Euro 25,000, if commercially produced, the price for the lab-burger would reach $65 per kilogram. The price is still high, but according to Dr. Post that would only be in the initial stage. Sustainability and efficiency are two of the main reasons why the world needs artificially made meat. “Meat production threatens our species! Eighteen per cent of green house gas emissions come from meat farming. If we shift from meat to vegetables, we cut pollution, gain more land and feed a lot more people. One way of doing it is for us all to become vegetarians, but we are a species who loves meat,” explained Dr Post. According to him, lab made meat would reduce the usage of land by 90 per cent, save 70 per cent energy and 90 per cent water. With the world population expected to reach nine billion by 2050, climate change is a serious threat to agriculture, food is becoming a major security issue. Particularly in dry areas, where water scarcity makes food production unreasonable, countries like Saudi Arabia or Qatar have little choice but expensive food imports. “There are a few solutions to food imports,” said Dr Frank Rijsberman, CEO of CGIAR Consortium, a global agricultural research partnership. “First, you can buy farm land somewhere else, but it will take years to get the crops growing. You can store large quantities of food, but that is very expensive. You can buy ready established agri-food lands like I’ve seen in the newspapers countries here do now; or you can invest in agricultural innovation and this is what I recommend for you! UAE should massively invest in food innovation research,” said Dr Rijsberman. Throughout the three-day forum, 160 agricultural innovations are being presented, while the exhibition running alongside has some global 150 stands showing their latest solutions to growing food. silvia@khaleejtimes.com Clean-up drive abu dhabi — Tadweer (Centre of Waste Management – Abu Dhabi) has launched a comprehensive clean-up drive targeting stockyards and farms in Al Wafia, Dharat Al Tayeb and Razeen areas located nearly 45 kilometres east of Abu Dhabi City. The campaign is in line with Tadweer’s strategy of implementing the highest hygienic standards and raising awareness about the need to preserve the environment. The campaign involves the cleaning up of collection sites of animal waste and fallen stock as well as the removal of compost leftovers. More than 50 labours and 20 vehicles were deployed for the clean-up campaign. Mubarak Al Ameri, Waste Collection Projects Department Manager at Tadweer said: “The campaign was launched a week ago and is part of Tadweer’s ongoing efforts to raise hygienic standards in Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Region and contribute to the preservation of desert environment and its development into a vibrant ecosystem.” “The clean-up drive at stockyards and farms comes as part of Tadweer’s effective action plans and ongoing campaigns to provide a clean and healthy environment within the Emirate within the strategic vision of the Abu Dhabi government, and our shared national responsibility to achieve sustainable development.” Al Wafiya, Dharat Al Tayeb and Razeen areas comprise nearly 1,150 stockyards, and throughout the year Tadweer runs various awareness initiatives and clean-up campaigns in the Eastern Region as part of its keenness to protect the health and safety of the public and support the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 which aims to create a clean and sustainable environment in the emirate. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
A day to debunk the myths about cancer
A day to debunk the myths about cancer Kelly Clarke and Olivia Olarte-Ulherr / 4 February 2014 On the eve of World Cancer Day, Kelly Clarke discusses the importance of keeping the cancer conversation alive, as one Dubai-based cancer survivor shares her story. December 17, 2013 is a date which will resonate with June Sarpling for years to come. “I don’t think it settled in right away, but I remember letting out the biggest sigh of relief,” she tells Khaleej Times. That was the Tuesday June was given the all clear from her doctor. After a lengthy battle with cancer, she had finally beaten it. Nafisa Taha with Judith Fox-Alder, Terry’s sister and International Director of the Terry Fox Foundation, at last year’s Abu Dhabi Run. — Supplied photo “In all my 53 Christmases so far, 2013 has to be up there with one of the best. I can’t tell you the weight that was lifted off my shoulders when I was told I had gone into remission.” On World Cancer Day today, it’s cancer survivors like June who can share their story and give hope to others. Diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2012, the 53-year-old mother-of-three says she often thinks back on the day she got the news from her doctor. Describing herself as a “bit of a pitbull”, her strong-headedness went straight out the window when she was given the diagnosis. Research projects on the rise Olivia Olarte-Ulherr Cancer research projects being funded by the Terry Fox Foundation in the UAE have increased considerably in the past 19 years, highlighting the importance placed on studies about the disease. “In 1995, when we started, we received very few research submissions but now it’s in the range of over 30 per round, which is every three years. Terry Fox Foundation has funded 42 cancer research projects across the UAE. This is because of the importance given to research and scientific findings (on cancer),” said Nafisa Taha, founding member and chairperson of the Terry Fox Foundation. The Terry Fox Runs, held at various locations across the country through the years, have collectively raised around Dh15 million, primarily through donations, as well as food and t-shirt sales. “We donate and support a project over a period of three years (and) until this year, we have supported the 42 cancer research projects fully, at 100 per cent,” Taha told Khaleej Times . According to Professor Frank Branicki, UAE coordinator for Terry Fox Foundation Research Grants, he has already received 37 submissions for the next round. The final installment of the last round will be awarded on February 21 to four research projects during the Abu Dhabi Run. The four Abu Dhabi projects, with a total value of Dh1,189,000, will receive the final Dh285,000 to be shared between the investigators. The research projects include studies on overcoming resistance to cancer treatment drugs; the use of genetically mixed retroviruses for gene-based cancer therapy; the role of anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin) in preventing cancer cell growth as well as the effects of various genetic factors on cancer progression; and a new strategy to aid the body’s immune defences to tumours by inhibiting a type of white blood cell that protects the tumours. He noted that the last round saw seven studies receiving grants, three of which are being carried out at institutions and hospitals in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Last year, the Abu Dhabi Run raised Dh750,000. Taha hopes to raise a similar, if not more, amount this year. The Terry Fox Run is an annual event and people can walk, run, roller-blade or skateboard, and the course is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. Registration begins at 7am and the Run will start at 10am on February 21. T-shirts will be available for purchase, and cash and cheque donations will be accepted on the event day. olivia@khaleejtimes.com “With three boys and a husband, I’m the only female in a house of five, so my skin is just about as thick as it can get. But when I got that news, I fell to bits,” she says, admitting that she thought the worst. “My first thought was of the boys. In my mind I didn’t have long left, and all I thought about was making sure they would be okay when I was gone.” But to think back to then, and to look at where she’s at now, June says it’s all a little strange to comprehend. “All I dreamt about was being told I was okay, but how often do dreams come true? Well mine did, so I might start dreaming a little more,” she laughs. Still reeling from the good news, June is keen on joining a support group to help other cancer sufferers, but wants to concentrate on getting her life back on track first. The Australia-born housewife is currently undergoing three-monthly check-ups with her consultant to make sure the cancer hasn’t returned, and says being able to keep a positive attitude and share her story with others has been a blessing. Cancer talk goes global The colour purple has been leading the way for change over the past few days, with Twitter and Facebook pictures being turned a shade of the red/blue mix in a bid to open up the often-sceptical discussion on cancer. The popular campaign hashtag, #WorldCancerDay, has been doing the rounds, with tweeters from around the globe doing their bit to open up the discussion on cancer. From Switzerland to the US, and the UK to the UAE, this year’s theme, ‘Debunk the Myths’, focuses on changing people’s attitudes towards the disease. Adamant to spread the message that ignorance is not bliss, the campaign, spearheaded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), aims to dispel four of the biggest misconceptions linked to cancer. The four myths under the spotlight are: We don’t need to talk about cancer; there are no signs or symptoms; there is nothing I can do about cancer; I don’t have the right to cancer care. An estimated 14.1 million cases were identified worldwide in 2012, and currently noted as one of the top three causes of death in the UAE today, many speculate that the Middle East region needs to catch up with the Western world in regards to cancer awareness. But Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP) Secretary General Dr Sawsan Al Medhi, said this is yet another misconception. “I think the World Cancer Day theme proves that cancer is still taboo in many parts of the world, not just in the Middle East. We’ve always been open about it here, but in the last few years we have been doing a lot more in terms of education and awareness.” While participating in a TV interview several years back, Dr Al Medhi remembers being told to avoid using the word breast when referring to breast cancer. “That was then but this is now. We have come on leaps and bounds since then and the introduction of initiatives like Pink October for breast cancer and Movember in November, highlighting prostate cancer, proves this.” Dr Al Medhi said the only way to change people’s mind-set when it comes to cancer is by changing the way they think, adding that it is important to keep the message simple but relevant. “The way people absorb information is vital, so campaigns need to grab attention and they need to be constant. This is what FoCP tries to concentrate on.” Of the 14.1 million cancer diagnoses in 2012, 7.4 million were in men and 6.7 million in women, and according to World Cancer Statistics, this number is expected to increase to 24 million by 2035. Dr Al Medhi said with more than 150 types of cancer worldwide, it is important to educate people on the different types, including early detectable cancers. “Even if a person is diagnosed late, the disease can be maintained. A lot of cancers are now treated as a chronic disease and can be kept at bay with medication, but very few people know this.” With awareness noted as the cornerstone to tackling this common disease, why not do your bit towards dispelling the myths associated with it. Whether through a tweet, a purple picture, or everyday chit chat, let’s keep the cancer conversation alive. kelly@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
