MONDAY 5 DECEMBER 2016

No one is original: Anu Malik

MARKETPLACE | 6 LIFESTYLE | 7InterContinental Doha

The City team bags awards

This motorcycle of the future will also power your home

Hard-sided luggage is in - does its resurgence reflect our unwillingness to compromise?

P | 2-3

Email: dohatoday@pen.com.qa

HARD LUGGAGE

NEW STYLE

MIn

BOLLYWOOD | 10

COVER STORY MONDAY 5 DECEMBER 201602

Christopher Elliott The Washington Post

If you’re looking for new lug-gage, I have good news and bad news. The latest travel bags, available just in time for the holidays, are the most

exciting ones I’ve seen in years. Thanks to tracking technology, they’re harder to lose. They weigh themselves with integrated digital scales. And they’re loaded with innovations that help you save space and time.

The bad news? Most of the lat-est and greatest bags are hard-sided, which suggests a change in the air

— and on the ground.Hard-sided luggage accounted

for almost 8 percent of the US lug-gage market by volume in 2010, according to the Travel Goods Asso-ciation, a trade group. By 2015, that figure had doubled to slightly more than 16 percent. No one knows exactly why hard-sided luggage is gaining in popularity. But some see it as a symptom of a decline in civil-ity. “The trend towards hard-sided luggage — and away from more compromising, soft-sided luggage

— isn’t just about protecting what’s inside,” says etiquette expert April Masini. “It’s a way for passengers to mark their space and get as much of it as possible when it comes to coveted overhead bin storage.”

The number of violent in-flight confrontations is on the rise, according to the International Air Transport Association, a trade organisation. It reported a total of 10,854 air-rage incidents last year, up 14 percent from 2014. Crew members tell me one of the biggest flash points is carry-on luggage,

particularly arguments about over-head bin space.

“Hard-sided luggage comes across as unyielding, more power-ful,” says Diane Gottsman, founder of the Protocol School of Texas.

Whatever the cost to civility, today’s hard-sided luggage is more artful and creative than ever before. Case in point: The new Bluesmart Black Edition (bluesmart.com, $599). Bluesmart is the gold stand-ard in the emerging smart luggage field. The Black Edition is a thought-fully designed carry-on that allows

you to access your laptop without opening the entire bag. But it does much more, including weighing your checked luggage, tracking it and remotely locking it via a smart-phone app. The Black Edition has rubber wheels and a double layer polyurethane coating for extra scratch and water resistance as well as a polycarbonate exterior hard shell. The only drawback: It’s a lit-tle pricey. Raden’s A22 (raden.com, $295) will speak to your inner min-imalist. It offers many of the same features as the Bluesmart, includ-ing tracking, a built-in digital scale and charger, but with a sleek design. Everything about the Raden is understated, including the wheels, which are small but glide effort-lessly on almost any surface. The interior design is something to love, with separate compartments that eliminate the need for luggage cubes. I also really liked the over-size laundry bag. Downside: The black exterior scuffs easily.

True to its Swiss Army heritage, the Victorinox Spectra Expandable Compact Global Carry-On (swis-sarmy.com, $379) hard-case design looks both functional and menacing.

Hard luggage: Uncivil or stylish accoutrement?

COVER STORYMONDAY 5 DECEMBER 2016 03If you want to claim more space,

no problem; just unzip it and it expands from a depth of 7.9 inches to 9.1 inches. Take that, bin hogs. But the Spectra’s insides, with its prac-tically designed, interchangeable electronics pouch, make it a work of art. My only criticism: The zippers can be a little sticky.

The Away Carry-On (awaytravel.com, $225) offers many of the fea-tures you would expect from the next generation of hard-sided carry-ons, without the steep price. It comes with a built-in combination lock, a removable battery and two USB ports. The premium German poly-carbonate shell takes a great picture and doesn’t pick up dirt and debris the way some of the more expen-sive models do. The inside is spare, but if you use luggage cubes to scrunch your clothes into a small space, it’s perfect. Away based its internal luggage design on frequent-traveller surveys that asked how people pack and what could make their travel experience “more seamless.”

The wheels offered a little resist-ance when I used the bag, but I expect they’ll loosen up with some use. If you need even more room,

you might try the Samsonite Stryde Glider Long Journey (samsonite.com, $289). With its futuristic, almost par-amilitary exterior design, this luggage looks like it could withstand a drop from 36,000 feet. Samsonite widened its handle system and low-ered the bag’s center of gravity for extra maneuverability. At 22.25 by 24.25 by 13 inches, the Long Journey must be checked, but your baggage handlers will give this hard-sided bad boy the respect it deserves. The interior features several useful pock-ets and double cross straps, so your clothes don’t come tumbling out when you open it. Still, I’d recom-mend using a cube system to keep everything organized.

Don’t want to go with hard-sided luggage? There’s one soft-sided bag that you should con-sider. The Barracuda Carry-on (barracuda.co, $349) is a collapsible bag made of polycarbonate ballis-tic nylon and aircraft-grade aluminum. The flexible round “halo” handle makes it look like no other luggage you’ve seen, and the bag comes with many smart-luggage features, such as a recharger and location tracking. And get this: The handle extends into a combination

laptop table and cup holder. Awe-some. Downside: If you’re looking for maneuverability, note that this bag only has two wheels. But it’s a smooth ride.

If you’re planning to fly any-where in 2017, you’re already an

unwitting participant in the space wars. Multifunctional luggage will offer a small but important advan-tage. These carry-ons can do everything except find an empty overhead bin. But I’m sure they’re working on that, too.

MARKETPLACE MONDAY 5 DECEMBER 201604

Sasol & IFP announce Accessible Qatar partnership with Project Qatar 2017

On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabil-ities, Sasol, the international inte-

grated chemicals and energy company, announced its support, as Accessibility Partner, for the 2017 edition of Project Qatar, the 14th International Construction Tech-nology and Building Materials Exhibition.

Through this partnership Sasol, with its initiative “Accessible Qatar”, aims to raise awareness on the important issue of accessibility in Qatar and to influence project developers towards making their existing and future venues acces-sible to the disabled community. Project Qatar is the leading con-struction exhibition in the country organised by IFP Qatar, a member of IFP Group (International Fairs & Promotions).

During the exhibition, Sasol and Project Qatar will introduce a two days “Accessible Qatar Conference” on May 8 and 9, 2017. Moreover, the “Accessible Qatar Awards” for best accessible venue in Qatar will take place on May 9. This awards ceremony will recognize the ven-ues that are the most accessible to the disabled community. There will be a panel of judges made up of disabled individuals and Accessi-

ble Qatar initiative partners. Accessible Qatar is a smart-

phone application and website, the first of its kind in the region, pro-viding the disabled community instant and reliable information about the accessibility of public and touristic locations in Qatar. Com-bining expertly-audited data with user-submitted reviews and rat-ings, Accessible Qatar gives the disabled community and tourists the confidence to visit different accessible destinations.

Moreover, having accessibility information publicly available on Accessible Qatar will encourage venues to make necessary modifi-cations in support of accessibility for all patrons.

Commenting on the partnership,

Jack Saba, General Manager of Pub-lic Affairs at Sasol in Qatar said,

“Through our partnership with Project Qatar, we are confident that we will able to influence various project developers into incorporat-ing accessibility in their upcoming infrastructure plans, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. Sasol will strive to contribute in promot-ing an inclusive society and The State of Qatar as an international accessible destination.”

George Ayache, General Man-ager of IFP Qatar said, “Project Qatar is honoured to join forces with Sasol to promote accessibil-ity. This initiative will certainly contribute and provide opportuni-ties for people living with disabilities.”

RasGas Field

Development gets

21m man-hours

without LTI

RasGas Company Limit-ed’s (RasGas)’s Field Development has com-

pleted 21 million man-hours without a lost-time incident (LTI). This achievement is the latest milestone for the com-pany, which has a long-standing, industry-lead-ing safety culture. RasGas’ Chief Development Officer Nafez Bseiso said, “This suc-cess is the direct result of RasGas’ long-term commit-ment to our safety vision of

‘Nobody Gets Hurt’. I congrat-ulate the Development team for their success in a highly complex and challenging environment.”

RasGas has consistently maintained the highest safety standards, with a focus on accident prevention and improving operating practices through a systematic approach to process and personal safety. Deeply embedded processes and systems further support the company as it strives towards a goal of zero inci-dents to people, the plant and the environment.

Oryx Rotana to host Spanish WeekOryx Rotana, the five star luxury business hotel

in Doha, is once again hosting the international chef Angel Zapata-Martin during the Spanish

Week till December 10 at “Choices” and “The Cellar”.Sponsored by Qatar Airways, The Spanish Week

will introduce the spirit of Spanish cuisine, which includes the most delicious Mediterranean dishes with a unique Spanish touch. During the Spanish Week, “The Cellar” will feature a 3-course lunch with a Spanish touch every day. Tapas Galore on Tuesday and Satur-day night and Pintxos Night on Wednesday. In addition to these promotions, there will be a daily ‘dish of the day’ and a Cooking Class with Chef Angel on Saturday.

The all-day dining restaurant “Choices” will offer the must-try TapBrunch on Friday.

Further, guests can participate in the Spanish Week Instagram Competition ‘’Guess and Win’’. All partici-pants can win a return Qatar Airways ticket to any destination they prefer by guessing the three missing ingredients of the Paella recipe. Chef Angel Zapata-Martin is well known for his experiences in Spain and the Middle East. He has worked in different kinds of restaurants, from Michelin star, international, to tra-ditional ones as well as in various hotels. Chef Angel has demonstrated his culinary skills in Barcelona, Lon-don, Paris, St. Tropez, Ibiza, Dubai and Qatar.

MARKETPLACEMONDAY 5 DECEMBER 2016 05

GIS Day Qatar 2016 celebratedO

n the occasion of the World GIS Day, Center for Geographic Infor-mation Systems (CGIS), Qatar under Ministry of

Municipality &Environmentin col-laboration with Mannai Trading Co and ESRI hosted “GIS Day Qatar 2016” at Hilton, Doha. More than 100 GIS, IT & Engineering professionals participated from the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Ashghal, QRail, Qatar Petro-leum, Ministry of Interior, Primary Health Care Center, Ministry of Development planning & Statistics, Ministry of Transport and commu-nication, ISF.

As a pioneer of GIS implemen-tation in the region, Dr Mohamed Hamouda, CGIS, presented the changing trends in the technology and how the user base is becoming much wider with the increasing availability of GIS tools and services to government agencies and the gen-eral public. CGIS Director Manaf Al

Sada thanked the attendees and said: “I consider GIS Day as an excellent occasion for the GIS community in Qatar to meet and share experiences in an informal and useful setting.”

The Center for Information Con-vergence and Strategy (CICS) Co-Director, Akshay Pottathil, high-lighted the “importance of actually comprehending the domain knowl-edge and building on geospatial intelligence with sensors and tech-nology rather than using them solely as an information technology tool.”

Venu Sarakki, CEO, Saraki Asso-ciates Inc (SAI), presented the evolution of the next big thing in the timeline starting from the PC era in the 80’s to the present Internet of Things, and how, combined with GIS and Big Data, has the potential to dis-rupt businesses as we know it. He also presented the potential market for IoT by 2022 ($15 trillion by some estimates), and what kind of talent and skill set is needed to take on tomorrow’s IoT/GIS/Big Data world.

“Doha and this region has such a

unique opportunity to start with a blank sheet of paper and build the ideal transportation platform from the ground up,” said Bob Youakim, CEO at Passport.

Mansour Raad, ESRI’s Big Data Advocate, discussed the various stra-tegic advantages of leveraging GIS platforms in real life from farming to urban planning.

With the evolving technologies in GIS, Mannai works strategically with an extensive network of business partners, to provide state-of-the-art geospatial solutions, thus enabling organisations to effectively analyse and manage the geographic information and make better decisions. “Once again Mannai has helped to gather subject matter experts in Qatar on the occasion of the World GIS Day to address global trends and local opportunities; we will continue to assist this region leverage such opportunities and contribute to the growth of Qatar”, said the VicePresident of Mannai InfoTech, Binu M R.

Lexus Short Film winner Donohoe’s film premiered at Napa Valley

Lexus and The Weinstein Com-pany premiered an exciting new film, Game, created and

directed by the award-winning filmmaker Jeannie Donohoe (pic-tured), at the Napa Valley Film Festival. An alumna of Columbia University’s graduate film pro-gramme, Donohoe has written and directed several short films, includ-ing Lambing Season and Public. Donohoe is currently developing her first feature-length film, Flock.

The plot of Game involves a high school sophomore who relo-cates to a new high school and decides to try out for the reigning state champion boys’ basketball team. On the court, the player dem-onstrates extraordinary skill, worthy of making the roster. How-ever, when the team discovers this student’s shocking secret, the sto-ryline is taken to a whole new level.

Game also features a performance by Canadian actor and three-time NBA champion Rick Fox.

Game is one of four films being produced by Joey Horvitz of The Weinstein Company as part of this third season of Lexus Short Films, a partnership between Lexus Inter-national and The Weinstein Company to support up-and-com-ing filmmakers. The three other

films, Friday Night, MESSiAH and A Nation Holds Its Breath also screened at the Festival. The Wein-stein Company Co-chairman Harvey Weinstein, said, “We were very excited to be at the Napa Val-ley Film Festival to premiere Game for the first time. Donohoe’s talent was demonstrated throughout the film and truly showcased the theme of Lexus Short Films Sea-son3 – Anticipation.”

David Nordstrom, global branding department General Manager of Lexus International, said, “The attendees not only had the opportunity to experience Jean-nie’s creativity and imagination with Game, but they also viewed the other projects created as part of Lexus Short Films Season3 – all filled with creativity and imagina-tion for a global audience.”

“The Weinstein Company and

Lexus International are thrilled with the success of this partner-ship to date and can only hope to inspire and encourage even more filmmakers around the globe through these films and the pro-gram’s initiative overall,” said The Weinstein Company COO and Pres-ident David Glasser.

Takayuki Yoshitsugu, Chief Representative, Middle East and North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, said:

“The Lexus Short Films Series gives a unique opportunity for emerg-ing filmmakers to bring their cinematic vision to life and show-case their work on an international stage. We are extremely grateful to our customers who have enthu-siastically backed our efforts to nurture a new generation of crea-tive talents through the Lexus Short Films Series.”

MARKETPLACE MONDAY 5 DECEMBER 201606InterContinental Doha The City team bags awards

InterContinental Doha The City is proud to share the recent achievements of Chef Amanat as well as Sharath Charoth (pictured left), both from the

Food & Beverage department of the hotel, during the Hospitality Qatar 2016 exhibition held in DECC.

During the exhibition,assistant pastry chef Amanat Hossain was chosen as the winner of the second Nestlé Docello Masterclass compe-tition. Chef Amanat has been working his magic on pastry for eight years and has been at the hotel for the past three years. In an intriguing 90 minutes competition, 30 of Qatar’s pastry chefs battled to win the coveted award. With the given ingredients from Nestlépro-fessional’s Docello range of dessert mixes, Chef Amanat was able to create a marvellous Crème brûlée with lemon, fig and saffron coupled with caramelised panna cotta and honey chilli chocolate mousse. The perfect medley of colours and taste of this innovative sweet treat gave Chef Amanat a wonderful oppor-tunity to witness the Bocuse Dór contest during the World Hospital-ity and food service show in Lyon,

France, in January 2017. The com-petition was judged by award winning chef Jodi-Ann Pearton and Chef Georges Chihane. “To be able to showcase my talent in such a big platform is really a dream come true and the winning moment will be etched in my memory forever. I am now gearing up for my trip to France in January,” said Chef Amanat.

SharathCharoth, bartender of Strata Lounge and Restaurant on the 55th and 56th floor of the hotel, took part in the Mocktail competi-tion by Tonino Lamborghini during Hospitality Qatar 2016. Sharath, who is very passionate about the mixology of beverages,came

second in the competition among the 16 other participants. Within minutes he put together a wonder-ful mocktail with Tonino energy drink as the base, infused with red chilli, topped with a dash of maple syrup as well as mango juice to strike up the balance. The presen-tation skill of Sharath was also impressive as he used edible flower

and dry ice. “This is definitely one of the best things that happened with me recently and I am delighted to have been given an opportunity to be a part of this prestigious com-petition. This has been a whole new learning experience for me,” said Sarath, who hails from India. Shar-athhas been working at the hotel since 2013.

Liquides Imaginaires launches latest perfume at Blue Salon

Blue Salon hosted the launch ceremony of Liq-uides Imaginaires’ latest fragrance, Ile Pourpre. The fragrance is the first opus of a new perfume

trilogy: Les Eaux Imaginaires. The perfume is inspired by an unknown fruit that was discovered by Phoeni-cians and Aegeans on an island outlined in purple. The fruit’s juice was so abundant that it coloured the rocks and provided sustenance to the shells. Ile pourpre’s fiery and sensual scent conceals a fiery temperament within its mysterious heart. A rare perfume, an encoun-ter between the freshness of Shiso and the disconcerting sensuality of black figs.

Liquides Imaginaires is the result of an olfactory proposal by designer Phillipe Di Méo during an artistic exhibition. With the idea of coming back to the very essence of perfume, it highlights its sacred, mystical and erotic qualities and their effects on the collective psy-che. The perfumes are designed freely and independently. The same goes for the candles, amphora bottles and other precious objects related to each trilogy.

Officials at the launch of Liquides Imaginaires at the Blue Salon. Picture by: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula

LIFESTYLEMONDAY 5 DECEMBER 2016 07

Pete NormanBloomberg

There is no thrum of a Ducati or famil-iar rumble that made Harley Davidson famous. Only a whine from the elec-tric motor that increases linearly as you rush for the horizon. This is the Joham-

mer J1 , a cruiser like no other. Designed and built in a small Austrian factory near the Czech border, the distinctive shape has been likened to a giant peanut, a prewar Junkers airplane or even a medi-eval jousting steed. The outrageous design seems more at home in the living room than the garage.

“This is a natural return to the concept of the horse, before there was noise and pollution from engines,” says Johann Hammerschmid, founder of Johammer e-mobility GmbH. First released in late 2014, some 60 Johammers are storming across Europe. While it’s the first electric motor-cycle to cover more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) on a single charge, what comes next might make it even more revolutionary. The next gen-eration, now under development, while parked might also double as battery storage behind home solar-power panels. A prototype - think of a Tesla Powerwall on wheels - is already in use in Switzerland.

A crowdfunding campaign has just started to help fund expansion.

“The change of pace will be quicker than we

currently imagine,” says Hammerschmid.Fifty-six-year-old Hammerschmid first

thought of an electric vehicle in 2007, and it took shape over the years as essentially a weekend project. His other company, Nordfels, solves com-plex engineering problems. With a team of fewer than 40 it makes factory lines for the food, drug and farm industries. Their latest machine, for example, toasts 5,000 sandwiches per hour.

Local design consultant Yellow.at gave the Johammer a conceptual vision with the name “Bii-ista” - a play on the German word for beast. It’s hard to decide what’s more striking: the polypro-pylene body cladding or the unconventional center

- hub steering, a system created a century ago but never widely embraced.

The bike’s top speed is limited to around 75 miles an hour to avoid energy-sapping wind resistance. Acceleration is fun, not fast, but you forgive its limits to sheer performance. It’s like ditching a motorboat for sailboat-both are pleas-urable in their own ways.

There’s some clever engineering. The J1 has no dashboard, instead data are displayed on the rear-view mirrors. A reverse twist of the throttle turns the drive motor into a generator that acts as a brake and quickly scrubs speed. It’s so effi-cient the disk brakes are relegated to helping with slow-speed stopping. And it’s got a reverse gear for parking. Safety-certified items - wheels, tires and brake disks - were sought commercially, and most of the rest was built in house. Two versions

of the J1 are available. The top spec J1.200 costs 25,000 euros ($26,750), capable of traveling 125 miles on tough terrain, and 186 miles urban-more ground than a standard Harley-Davidson Sport-ster can cover. A full recharge takes 3.5 hours, but it can be blast-charged in 80 minutes.

“We’re at the stage cars were at 100 years ago. The infrastructure was limited but it grew quickly,” says Hammerschmid. “The same will happen with e-vehicles, and it won’t just be gas stations used for recharging.” Homes, workplaces, shopping malls, parking garages-all will become places to recharge. The battery is assembled at the Johammer factory from more than 1,200 individual cells capable of holding 12 kilowatt hours, close to the Powerwall’s 14 kWh. There are plans for a sidecar model, which would allow a bigger battery and increased range.

Ultimately, the Johammer’s selling point is about pushing technology and design. Its uniqueness is what draws people willing to pay a premium for their passions, despite its price topping models offered by more mainstream rivals such as Victory and Zero. With crowdfunding under way, Johammer says it’s riding the early wave of multi-function green transport. “This trend is irreversible, we are seeing it in all sectors and especially those connected with mobility,” says Hammerschmid. “A motorcycle like this is weather-dependent so no vehicle is better suited for a secondary role as storage.”

This motorcycle of the future will also power your home

MONDAY 5 DECEMBER 201608Ellie KriegerThe Washington Post

These biscotti have all the appeal of the traditional twice-baked treat: a satis-fying crunch that holds up to an enthusiastic dip into cappuccino (or whatever your brew is) and just

enough sweet taste and richness that they def-initely qualify as a cookie, but not so much that they would seem entirely out of place on a break-fast table.

Subtly seasoned with the warm, fragrant spices of gingerbread and loaded with chunks of dark chocolate, they also have a distinctly new flavor twist that makes them ideal for the holidays.

Bake them, enjoy them and give them as gifts, because they are simply delicious and express the essence of the season. It’s also nice to know that they are a better-for-you choice, made with olive oil, whole-grain flour and less sugar than most cookies. In all, they’re the perfect cookie to represent my wish to you for a happy, healthy holiday season.

Gingerbread Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

For some of the ingredients used here, you will find different weight equivalents for cups and grams in various online sources; we used the amounts in grams as listed (per the King Arthur chart).

MAKE AHEAD: The biscotti can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

Ingredients (16 to 20 servings)1 1/4 cups (120 grams) whole-wheat pastry

flour or regular whole-wheat flour1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar1/4 cup (53 grams) packed dark brown sugar2 large eggs1/2 cup (85 grams) chopped dark chocolate

(60 to 70 percent cacao solids)

MethodPreheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a bak-

ing sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

Whisk together the flours, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Combine the oil, the sugars and the eggs in a mixing bowl, whisking until well combined. Add the dry ingredients in three or four incre-ments, stirring until well incorporated. Add the chocolate, stirring to distribute evenly.

Divide the dough in half; place both portions

on the baking sheet and shape each into a log that is 6 inches long and 3 inches wide, making sure the logs are spaced 3 inches apart. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown and firm, then transfer to a wire rack (on the baking sheet) and let cool for 15 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. If you used parchment to line the baking sheet, replace it with a new piece.

Transfer the logs to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut each log crosswise into 8 or 10 slices (depending on how thick you like your biscotti). Lay the slices on the baking sheet on one of their cut sides; bake for 15 minutes, until toasted and lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition: Per cookie (based on 20): 160 cal-ories, 2 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 9 g sugar

A cookie with less sugar? Sweet

FOOD FOOD

HEALTHMONDAY 5 DECEMBER 2016 09The Japan News

Physical disorders can negatively affect a person’s mental condition, so experts recommend ingesting suffi-cient nutrients to stimulate the brain and other parts of the body to main-

tain mental health.Vitamins tend to be a doctor’s first recourse

as nutrients that are good for improving mental condition. A number of studies have established that vitamin D and folic acid help deal with depression.

Vitamin D is produced when provitamin D, a substance contained in the skin, is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. In winter, when expo-sure to sunlight is shorter, it’s easy to suffer from insufficient vitamin D.

Hiroshi Kunugi, director of the Department of Mental Disorder Research of the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, has writ-ten books about the issue, including “Kokoro ni Kiku Seishin Eiyogaku” (Nutrition effective for mental health).

“The theory that a shortage of vitamin D is related to [depression] is widely supported,” Kunugi said. “It is also believed that vitamin D improves the functions of neural transmitter sub-stances inside the brain, and works to protect it.”

Mushrooms and seafood are rich in vitamin D. Folic acid - a kind of vitamin which is found in large quantities in spinach - has received attention for its benefits for prevention and treat-ment of depression.

Insufficient folic acid is known to cause such ailments as anemia, and is believed to increase the risk of depression. It is also related to the syntheses of neural transmitter substances, including dopamine and serotonin.

According to researchers, the level of folic acid in the blood of people with depression tends to be lower than that in healthy people.

Natto and liver are also rich in folic acid. An appropriate intake of folic acid is also possible through proper use of commercially available supplements.

In addition to vitamins, the nutrient iron, a major mineral, is also essential for maintaining mental health.

Iron is vital to producing hemoglobin, which transfers oxygen in the blood. If there is insuffi-cient iron, this function of hemoglobin weakens, and less oxygen is carried around the body. This causes iron-deficiency anemia.

Brain function is also affected. Iron deficiency can cause a syndrome in which sufferers feel pain, itching and other senses of discomfort in their legs whenever they lie down. Some peo-ple experience sleep disorders due to the symptoms.

There are also cases in which sufferers develop symptoms similar to depression, such

as frustration, lack of concentration and loss of interest or attention.

Liver, red meat and fish contain a lot of iron. Among women in their 30s to 40s, more than 20 percent are estimated to have low levels of hemoglobin. It is believed that some cases of postpartum depression, in which women develop such symptoms as depression just after child-birth, are related to a shortage of iron.

“Postpartum depression is caused by changes in hormone balance, and environmental and various other factors,” Kunugi said. “An iron defi-ciency is assumed to be one of them. There aren’t many cases in which an increase of iron totally cures postpartum depression, but it’s worthwhile taking a blood test to check it out.”

Internal organs build up iron reserves. If an iron deficiency lasts too long, reserves begin to decrease. Iron reserves can be measured by examining serum ferritin levels in the blood.

However, excessive iron will adversely affect the internal organs and the health will suffer. A blood test is useful to determine the proper iron intake level.

A serum ferritin test is not included in ordi-nary health checkups, so you need to consult a doctor if you want to have your blood tested.

There is a theory that the brain and intes-tines affect each other, so if the intestines are healthy so is the brain.

Recent research points to the possibility that enterobacteriaceae, or the intestinal bacterial group, affects the brain via the intestines, and vice versa.

Irritable bowel syndrome clearly shows that

mental stress affects the intestines. Sufferers develop such symptoms as abdominal pains when boarding an overcrowded train.

Although there is no problem with the intes-tinal tract, sufferers feel abdominal pains or have loose bowels when they become tense. They also may suffer from constipation or a distended abdomen over a long period. It is said that 10 percent to 15 percent of adults suffer from irri-table bowel syndrome.

It has become widely known that sufferers have an intestinal bacterial imbalance in many cases.

“There’s a report saying that inside the intes-tines of patients with irritable bowel syndrome, beneficial bacteria such as bifidus have decreased, or detrimental bacteria such as clostridium have increased,” Kunugi said. “If the intestinal bacterial imbalance worsens, abdom-inal pains and other symptoms will occur more often. With increasing stress, the intestinal bac-terial balance will deteriorate further. Patients could fall into a vicious cycle.”

The condition of intestinal bacteria could be related to depression symptoms.

One report said people who had ingested lactic acid bacteria and bifidus for a month showed a clear reduction of depression or anx-iety, compared to those who had not done so.

To maintain a healthy, stress-free condition, it is important to consume fermented food con-taining lactic acid bacteria.

“I hope that people consume nutritious food that contains beneficial bacteria, such as dietary fiber and oligosaccharides,” Kunugi said.

Use nutrition to ward off winter blues

BOLLYWOOD MONDAY 5 DECEMBER 201610Natalia NingthoujamIANS

National Award-winning composer Anu Malik, often accused of plagiarism, says that no one in this world is orig-inal and that there are just seven notes

that composers can play around with to create their own songs.

In his over three-decade career, he has given hit songs in films like “Baazigar”, “Main Hoon Na”, “Border” and “Ishq”. Despite giving foot-tapping songs and heart-warming ones like the National Award-winning song “Moh moh ke dhaage”, he tends to get targeted for getting inspired by other musicians.

When asked about it, he gave an example of his superstar Salman Khan featuring number

“Ek garam chai ki pyali ho”, which is said to be inspired by the legendary British rock band Queen’s cult song “We will rock you”.

Anu told IANS in an interview: “That is one of my most iconic original songs. If we go back in time, even R.D. Burman was influenced by many songs or even today’s composers are. There are seven notes - Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni...no one is original in the world. We have to play around the notes and make our own stuff. People won’t give me a National award just like that.”

He says he is close to all his songs.“People believe in my originality more than

anything else. It’s a great feeling. But my best is yet to come,” he added.

What also gave him high was working with directors like Rajkumar Hirani for “Munnabhai MBBS” and Ken Ghosh for “Ishq Vishk”.

“Some of the top directors have launched their career with me. That’s the high,” he said.

He is now on the hunt for talented singers via Sony Entertainment Television’s show “Indian Idol”, which he has been judging since its incep-tion in 2004. Going by the long association, didn’t he ever wish to co-produce it?

“I never felt that. I am so involved in my films and my music. I’ve been signed on to do ‘Indu Sarkar’ with (filmmaker) Madhur Bhandarkar. Then there is Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt’s ‘Begum Jaan’ (upcoming film). My hands are full with my music and shows. So, co-producing at this point of time...I don’t want to take such a huge head-ache,” he said.

The show has given a platform to many, including the National Award-winning singer Monali Thakur, who didn’t win the “Indian Idol” title when she participated in the singing real-ity show in 2005.

But the show winners are yet to make it big in the industry. Why?

“There were just five singers and five com-posers at one point of time. Now, there are 50 lakh (five million) singers and composers. So, everyone is fighting for a place in the industry. I am struggling even today. The competition is

fierce.“There are many singers who in spite of not

making big in the industry are doing numerous shows and earning a lot of money,” he said.

He is now working hard on his daughter Anmol.

“She has sung in ‘Indu Sarkar’. I am proud of her as she is struggling to come up in life despite being Anu Malik’s daughter,” said the father of two.

How is he in the studio while working with his daughter?

“I am tough on the sets. I want the best out of them (children). I just can’t do without my kids. They are more than anything else in the world,” said the proud father.

His nephews Armaan and Amaal are among the new crop of musicians who are churning out hits one after the other. Would he like to team up with the young duo?

“My music is my passion. I would love to work with everybody who would give me what I need. As a composer, the voice comes in front of me when I make a song.”

No one is

original:

Anu Malik

HOLLYWOODMONDAY 5 DECEMBER 2016 11Michael O’SullivanThe Washington Post

The story of Saroo Brierley, told in his 2013 memoir “A Long Way Home” and in the new film “Lion,” is hard to believe. In 1986, finding himself sep-arated from his older brother - after

they had traveled from their small Indian town to a train station several miles away to scrounge for change - the 5-year-old panicked, jumping into an empty train car to look for his teenage sibling.

When that train started moving - and didn’t stop for 32 hours - the child was carried, in a locked locomotive, nearly 1,000 miles away, to Calcutta (now known as Kolkata), where he man-aged to survive on the streets for three weeks before being picked up by authorities.

He didn’t know his mother’s given name or even his own last name. He spoke Hindi and was unable to communicate with the parade of Ben-gali-speaking officials who tried to help him. And the name of the place where he kept telling them he lived - Ganesh Talai, a neighbourhood in the town of Khandwa - was unrecognisable. Even-tually, the boy was put up for adoption and taken in by an Australian couple, Sue and John Brier-ley of Tasmania, where he was raised.

That’s not even the incredible part.In his mid-20s, after learning of the virtual

3-D mapping program Google Earth, Brierley began searching online for images that might correspond with his fragmentary memories of the town where he last saw his brother: a water tower near a highway overpass, visible from the station platform; a nearby ravine; and a place name that began with the letter “B.” Guessing that he could have been on the train for as long as 24 hours, and multiplying that number by the speed of Indian passenger trains in the 1980s, Brierley was able to narrow his search to a spe-cific radius around Kolkata, eliminating the extreme north of the country - because he had never seen snow as a child - and the extreme south, where Hindi is not widely spoken. After several years of painstaking searching, rain line by rail line, Brierley found what looked to be an exact match: Bhuranpur, and the town of Khandwa, a short distance away. In 2012, Bri-erley traveled there, ultimately tracking down his mother, who had never given up hope.

Neither had he.Actor Dev Patel, who plays the adult Saroo

in “Lion” in a passionate, grounded perform-ance that has generated awards buzz, spoke by phone recently about capturing what he called Brierley’s “unflinching drive,” as well as the extraordinary feat of memory that it entailed.

“I think Saroo should be studied scientifically,” Patel says, noting that, for many who have suf-fered that kind of childhood trauma, memories

become harder to recall, not easier.In a phone interview, the real Saroo Brier-

ley, who had flown in for an appearance at October’s Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia, where “Lion” was the opening-night film, sounded surprisingly blasé about his extraordi-nary ability for recollection, admitting only, in a bit of supreme understatement, that “it took a bit of thinking to resurface the memories.”

To hear the 35-year-old Brierley tell the story, it wasn’t all that difficult to dredge up images of where he came from - his earliest memories, he says, date to when he was 3 years old - because those images had never left him.

“I had been saying to myself, since childhood, ‘I will never forget the place where I was born,’ “ he says. “That’s my identity. If I lose that, I lose everything.”

Sure, he acknowledges, over time some

details had gotten lost in the mist of memory. But what he calls “the crux of the place” - vivid details of architecture and landscape - stayed with him.

To the degree that Brierley comes across as preternaturally mellow, centered and self-con-fident, given all that he has been through, Patel was, by his own admission, a strange casting choice. The actor, who is known for what he calls

“screwball comedies” such as “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and its sequel, describes him-self as “fidgety and hyperactive” by nature.

“I’m a big, loud Labrador-esque type of crea-ture,” he says. Although he has played characters who spend a lot of time in front of computer screens - notably in the sci-fi thriller “Chappie”

- portraying someone with the “intense reserve” of Brierley did not come naturally.

Patel also put on about 20 pounds, grew his

hair out from the close-cropped style he wore in “The Man Who Knew Infinity” and learned an Australian accent. “When I got the script,” Patel recalls, “I called my manager and said, ‘Don’t send me anything for eight months. I don’t want to read anything. I want to do justice to this opportunity and completely commit my soul to it.’ “

Although the 26-year-old actor says the part was “one of the biggest transformations I’ve ever had to make on screen,” he also says the role of Saroo - and his journey to reconnect with his heritage - was “one of the most similar charac-ters to me I ever played.” As the child of Indian parents growing up in London, Patel says he “did everything I could to fit in, which sometimes meant shunning your heritage. When I went to India to do ‘Slumdog [Millionaire],’ for the first time as a conscious adult, I fell in love with it. I

felt more whole, as a human being.”Brierley says he can relate to that character-

isation. One scene in the movie features Saroo having a flashback, triggered by a plate of jalebi, a fried-dough treat from his childhood that Bri-erley says his family could rarely afford. Although that Proustian moment really happened, Brier-ley says there were frequently other such flashbacks - not shown in the film - triggered by seeing something as simple as a mother and child on the streets of Tasmania. He speaks of recon-necting with his mother as a form of “healing his dreams” but shrugs off the suggestion that a more traditional, or at least less obsessive, form of ther-apy might have helped him.

“I never thought that I needed that kind of stuff,” he says. “Everyone goes through things. It just happens that I went through something that no child should ever have to go through.”

In ‘Lion,’ Dev Patel brings truth to a story that defies belief

TECHNOLOGY MONDAY 5 DECEMBER 201612Mark Gurman, Alan LevinBloomberg

Apple plans to use drones and new indoor navigation features to improve its Maps service and catch longtime leader Google, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Cupertino, California-based company is assembling a team of robotics and data-col-lection experts that will use drones to capture and update map information faster than its exist-ing fleet of camera-and-sensor ladened minivans, one of the people said.

Apple wants to fly drones around to do things like examine street signs, track changes to roads and monitor if areas are under construction, the person said. The data collected would be sent to Apple teams that rapidly update the Maps app to provide fresh information to users, the per-son added.

Apple is also developing new features for Maps, including views inside buildings and improvements to car navigation, another per-son familiar with the efforts said. The people asked not to be identified talking about private projects. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

Five years after Google Maps launched on the iPhone, Apple’s mapping app was introduced in 2012 with glaring errors like a grocery store marked as a hospital and an incorrect airport address. Apple lacked the technology needed to quickly suck in data from many different sources to evaluate and change the digital maps.

“There’s a huge data-quality issue there, and I don’t think we initially appreciated all the kinds of technology we would need to do that on an ongoing basis,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, told Fast Company earlier this year.

Digital maps are crucial tools for Apple and Google to attract developers that build popular travel, ride-sharing, and retail apps and serv-ices that integrate with the companies’ mobile operating systems. Collecting accurate data is the most important part of digital map building and Apple’s latest moves could help it match the prodigious capabilities of Google in this field.

Since Apple Maps launched, the company has improved the app by more quickly updat-ing data, adding a mode for navigating public transit systems, improving search results, and opening the platform to outside services such as Uber ride-hailing and OpenTable restaurant res-ervations. The drone initiative is a continuation of this effort and is unlikely to be related to a commercial Apple drone product.

Apple filed for an exemption on Sept. 21, 2015, from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly drones for commercial purposes, according to documents obtained by Bloomberg News. At that

time, exemptions were required to commercially operate drones. In a response dated March 22, 2016, the FAA granted Apple approval to “oper-ate an unmanned aircraft system to conduct data collection, photography, and videography,” according to one of the documents.

Apple’s application told the FAA that it would use a range of drones sold by companies such as SZ DJI Technology Co. and Aibotix to collect the data. Official guidelines for commercial drone operation were instated in August, restricting flying to mostly daytime hours and requiring licensed pilots to operate the equipment while keeping the drones in their line of sight. Apple committed to these guidelines, according to the FAA documents.

The current rules restrict commercial drones from flying over people and buildings, poten-tially limiting Apple’s initiative for the time being. Apple could meanwhile fly the drones in the U.S. within FAA guidelines and fly without restric-tion in countries without commercial drone regulations.

Apple has hired at least one person from Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Air division to help

run the drone team, one of the people said. Prime Air is Amazon’s initiative to quickly deliver pack-ages via drones. The Apple team is being assembled in Seattle, the same city as Amazon’s headquarters, the person said.

Beyond better data collection, Apple is devel-oping an indoor mapping view that would allow users to navigate airports, and other high-traf-fic buildings like museums using iPhones, according to another person.

Apple acquired startup Indoor.io last year to help bring its indoor mapping project to market, according to another person familiar with the matter. Apple confirmed the purchase, but declined to say why it did the deal. The company also bought WiFiSlam in 2013, another startup with indoor navigation expertise.

Indoor location tracking is achieved via a combination of technologies inside the latest iPhones, including pressure sensors, GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Apple is also working on a fea-ture that provides better guidance for changing lanes while driving, one of the people said. Both features are planned for release next year but could be held back, the person said.

Apple said to fly drones to improve maps data

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

In 1942, an intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Director: Robert Zemeckis; Writer: Steven Knight

Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

ALLIED

NOVO ROYAL PLAZA

AL KHOR

ASIAN TOWN

MALL

LANDMARK

ROXY

Underworld 5: Blood War (2D/Action) 11:00am, 1:00, 1:30, 3:00, 3:30, 5:00, 5:30, 7:00, 7:30, 9:00, 9:30, 11:00 & 11:30pm 3D 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00pm & 12:00midnight Trolls (2D/Animation) 10:00, 11:50am, 1:40, 3:30 & 5:20pmArrival (2D/Drama) 7:15, 9:35 & 11:50pm Bad Santa 2 (2D/Comedy) 10:45am, 2:25, 6:05 & 9:45pm Heavenhurst (2D/Horror) 12:35am, 4:15, 7:55 & 11:35pmDear Zindagi (2D/Hindi) 10:00am, 3:30 & 9:00pmUnmarried Wife (2D/Tagalog)) 1:00, 6:30pm & 12:00midnight The Edge of Seventeen (2D/Comedy) 12:15, 4:15 & 8:10pm Al Bab Yewfet Amel (2D/Arabic) 10:30am, 2:30, 6:25, 10:15pm & 12:00midnightMan Down (2D/Thriller) 10:20am, 2:30, 7:00 & 11:30pmLion (2D/Drama) 12:10, 4:30 & 9:00pmAllied (2D/Action) 10:45am, 1:15, 3:45, 6:15, 8:45 & 11:15pmFantastic Beast And Where To Find Them (3D IMAX/Adventure) 10:15am, 1:00, 3:45, 6:30, 9:15pm & 12:00midnight

Katapana (2D/Malayalam) 2:00 & 4:30pmTrolls (2D/Animation) 2:15pm Manyan Puli (2D/Telugu) 2:30pm Al Bab Yewfet Amel (2D/Arabic) 4:00pm The Edge of Seventeen (2D/Comedy) 5:30pmLion (2D/Drama) 5:45 & 9:15pm Man Down (2D/Action) 7:30pm The Unmarried Wife (2D/Drama) 7:00 & 9:15pmUnderworld: Blood Wars (2D/Action) 8:00, 9:45 & 11:30pm Saithan (2D/Tamil) 11:30pm Kahaani 2 (2D/Hindi) 11:30pm

Manyan Puli (2D/Telugu) 2:15pm The Unmarried Wife (2D/Drama) 2:30 & 7:30pmTrolls (2D/Animation) 3:00pm Al Bab Yewfet Amel (2D/Arabic) 5:00pm Kahaani 2 (2D/Hindi) 5:15pm Lion (2D/Drama) 6:45 & 11:30pm Katapana (2D/Malayalam) 9:00pmUnderworld: Blood Wars (2D/Action) 5:00, 9:00 & 11:00pm The Edge of Seventeen (2D/Comedy) 7:00pmThe Unmarried Wife (2D/Drama) 7:30pmMan Down (2D/Action) 9:45pm Saithan (2D/Tamil) 11:30pm

Trolls (2D/Animation) 2:15pm Katapana (2D/Malayalam) 2:30 & 11:15pmKahaani 2 (2D/Hindi) 2:30 & 9:15pm Underworld: Blood Wars (2D/Action) 4:00, 7:45, 9:30 & 11:30pm Man Down (2D/Action) 5:15pm Al Bab Yewfet Amel (2D/Arabic) 7:15pm The Unmarried Wife (2D/Drama) 5:00 & 7:00pmLion (2D/Drama) 9:00pm Saithan (2D/Tamil) 11:15pm

Katapana (Malayalam) 12:00noon, 2:45, 5:30, 8:15 & 11:00pm

Underworld 5 (2D/Action) 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7:00, 9:15 & 11:30pm

Kahaani 2 (Hindi) 10:45am, 1:15, 3:45, 6:15, 8:45 & 11:15pm

Arrival (2D/Drama) 2:00, 5:30 & 8:00pm; Dear Zindagi (Hindi) 10:15pmKahaani 2 (Hindi) 2:00, 4:30, 7:00 & 9:30pmSaithan (2D/Tamil) 3:00, 5:30 & 8:00pmThe Unmarried Wife (2D/Drama) 3:00, 5:45, 7:30 & 10:15pm

Manyam Puli (Telugu) 2:45pm Saithan (2D/Tamil) 12:30, 8:45, 11:15pmKatapana (Malayalam) 12:30, 3:15, 6:00, 8:45, 11:30pm, 01:30Thoppil Joppan (Malayalam) 12:30, 5:45Dear Zindagi (Hindi) 3:00pm Kahaani 2 (Hindi) 12:45 & 6:00pmPuli Murugan (Malayalam) 5:45pm

MONDAY 5 DECEMBER 2016

VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

CINEMA PLUS 13

CROSSWORD CONCEPTIS SUDOKU

ALL IN THE MIND

8:00 News8:30 101 East 9:00 Indian Hospital10:00 News10:30 Inside Story11:00 News11:30 UpFront12:00 News12:30 Witness13:00 NEWSHOUR14:00 News14:30 Inside Story15:00 Al Jazeera

Correspondent 16:00 NEWSHOUR17:00 News17:30 Talk to Al

Jazeera18:00 newsgrid19:00 News19:30 Counting the

Cost20:00 News20:30 Inside Story21:00 NEWSHOUR

09:45 Leepu And Pitbull

10:35 Shipping Wars

11:00 Shipping Wars

15:10 Pawn Stars Australia

18:30 Hoard Hunters

19:20 American Pickers

20:10 Pawn Stars

20:35 Pawn Stars

21:50 Aussie Pickers

22:40 Billion Dollar Wreck

23:30 Ozzy

08:00 Swamp Brothers

08:25 Too Cute! Pint-Sized

13:50 Big Fish Man

14:45 Gator Boys15:40 Mutant

Planet16:35 Tanked17:30 Into The

Pride18:25 River

Monsters (Best Of Series 1-5)

19:20 Dr. Dee: Alaska Vet

20:15 Tanked21:10 China’s Last

Elephants22:05 Mutant

Planet23:00 Dr. Dee:

Alaska Vet

09:20 The Liquidator

11:25 Sacred Steel Bikes

12:15 Street Outlaws

15:10 Gold Divers16:00 Deadliest

Catch17:40 Wheeler

Dealers18:55 How Do

They Do It?19:20 Gold Divers20:10 Storage

Hunters UK21:00 Gold Rush21:50 Deadliest

Catch22:40 Catching

Monsters23:30 Fast N’

Loud: Demolition Theatre

King Features Syndicate, Inc.

BRAIN TEASERS MONDAY 5 DECEMBER 201614

Yesterday’s answer

Conceptis Sudoku: Conceptis Sudoku is

a number-placing puzzle based on a

9×9 grid. The object is to place the

numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so

that each row, each column and each

3×3 box contains the same number only

once.

BALL, BIRDIE, BOGEY, BUNKER,

CADDIE, CLUB, CLUBHOUSE,

COURSE, DRIVER, EAGLE,

FAIRWAY, FLAG, FORE, GOLF

CART, GREEN, HANDICAP,

HAZARD, HOLE, HOLE-IN-ONE,

IRON, LINKS, PAR, PIN, PITCH,

PUTTER, ROUGH, ROUND, SAND

TRAP, SCORE, STROKE, SWING,

TEE, WEDGE, WOOD.