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FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2016

Things to do this weekend

PAGES 2-3

WEEKEND EDITION

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A BIRD’S-EYE A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THEVIEW OF THE PAST PAST

EVENTSTHINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

02 FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2016

Video Games Live is an immersive concert event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time. Created, produced and hosted by well-known game industry veteran and superstar Tommy

Tallarico, top orchestras and choirs around the world perform along with exclusive synchronised video footage and music arrangements, synchro-nised lighting, well known Internet solo performers, electronic percussion, live action and unique interactive segments to create an explosive one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.

Where: Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) TheatreDate: March 4Time: 8pm Ticket: QR150-1,000 (http://qatarphilharmonicorchestra.org/concerts/purchase_tickets)

Video Games Live

Katara Art Studio will host documentary photographs representing 11 Latin American countries in five catego-ries namely the country capital, national animal, national

plant or flower, national dish and the historical monument.

Where: Katara Art Studio B19 When: Until March 15Time: 10am to 10pmTickets: Free entry

Symbols of Latin America

and the Caribbean

Every Thursday Aspire Park is organising outdoor sport fun ac-

tivities, including football, volleyball, tournaments and games

for boys and girls. Head to the park along with your family and

friends for an activity-filled day.

Where: Aspire Park When: Every Thursday until April 24Time: 4pm to 9pm

Aspire Winter Weekends

Qajar Women: Images Of

Women In 19th Century Iran

This exhibition features the

centrality of the female form

to the artwork of the Qajar

period in Iran (1785-1925).

Through a variety of historical

objects from MIA’s collection, in jux-

taposition with photographs and

contemporary artworks inspired by

the Qajar period, they explore the

meaning of the image of women at

the onset of modernity.

Where: The Museum of Islamic ArtWhen: Until June 11Ticket: Free admissionCheck http://www.mia.org.qa for details

03

EVENTS

FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2016

Performance by Turkish ice cream seller

Scan the QR code to watch videos from The Peninsula newspaper

Discover America at Qatar Racing Club

Scan Watch&

Musuem of Islamic Art Auditorium will screen the modern masters and new voices in Cinema. The Qumra Screenings include the Modern Masters series – a showcase of films presented by the Qumra Masters, including

Palme d’Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Caméra d’Or winner Naomi Kawase, Academy Award nominees Joshua Oppenheimer and James Schamus, and Golden Lion winner Aleksandr Sokurov. In addition, the New Voices in Cinema series highlights critically acclaimed films funded by the Doha Film Institute.

Where: Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium When: March 4-9Ticket: QR 35 and QR 25 for studentsMore info and schedule available at: www.dohafilminstitute.com/qumra/films

Qumra Screenings: Modern Masters and New Voices in Cinema

Some events mentioned here are for next week. We are giv-

ing you headstart so that you book your tickets in advance.

My Coffee My Identity -

International Coffee Expo

Exhibitors will showcase and sell

their products to the thousands

of coffee lovers who will be vis-

iting over the course of the five-day

expo. This expo features a one-of-a-

kind, world-class digital walk-through

exhibit to help showcase and cele-

brate everything about coffee.

The event will include coffee

tasting, international coffee com-

petitions, live entertainment, artistic

displays of the coffee-making proc-

ess to demonstrate the customs and traditions of coffee from

around the world, and much more

Where: Katara Art CentreWhen: Until March 7Ticket: Free admission

Based on the DreamWorks blockbuster which has enchanted millions of audi-ences of all ages form across the world,

Shrek The Musical is now set to entertain fami-lies in Qatar with its lavish costumes and great music.

Where: Qatar National Convention CentreWhen: March 9-19Ticket: Tickets are on sale on www.ticketmaster.qa/etkinlik-grup/592040/ALL/enTickets are also available in Ticketmaster booths in Carrefour stores in City Center, Villagio and Landmark malls.

Shrek The Musical

TRAVELA deeply religious and powerful king named Anawrahta united the ancient Kingdom of Bagan in the mid-11th century and launched the temple-building period.


Molly Sinclair McCartney The Washington Post

As I rise from the ground in the basket of a

hot-air balloon, dawn is breaking and the first

of hundreds of ancient temples comes into

view. Through the early morning fog, I make

out a red-brick temple nestled in a grove of

palm trees. Soon I am passing over a traditional Buddhist

structure with fine details and elaborate entrances. Over

there is a five-sided monument topped by a white dome

and surrounded by a wall.

This is the Bagan Archaeological Zone in central Myan-

mar. Here, in an area of about 16 square miles, more than

4,450 temples, mostly Buddhist, were constructed during

a religious frenzy that lasted from the 11th to the 13th

centuries. About 2,200 have survived, although many

have been damaged by earthquakes, floods and invasion.

And the best way to see them is by hot-air balloon. As

our pilot maneuvers us through the air, my 15 fellow pas-

sengers and I are treated to an impressive but bewildering

display on the ground below. Some temples are no larger

than toolsheds while others rise several stories tall with

spires that remind me of church steeples back home. I

am struck by the absence of any pattern in the layout

of the temples, which are scattered here and there like

toys flung across a living room floor. Some are clustered

together. Some stand alone. Most are red, the colour of

their earthen bricks, but I see some gold temples and

some white ones. What is obvious is the effort made by

powerful rulers and wealthy families to erect as many

temples, pagodas and other religious structures as pos-

sible during Bagan’s best years.

The pilot is too busy to explain much to us. He’s caus-

ing the balloon to ascend and descend by turning on

propane gas burners to heat the air in it or opening a

valve at the top to let hot air out. In this way, he takes

advantage of different air currents at different altitudes

to maneuver us over the site.

But I know from tour guides and literature that build-

ing a temple or other structure in honour of Buddha was

a way to earn merit. A deeply religious and powerful

king named Anawrahta united the ancient Kingdom of

Bagan in the mid-11th century and launched the temple-

building period that continued until a Mongol invasion

200 years later.

There are several types of temples in Bagan: the solid

ones known as stupas or pagodas, which are like monu-

ments; buildings with interior spaces for meditation; and

some large enough to serve as monasteries.

Some scholars say the Bagan temples in Myanmar,

which is also known as Burma, are as important as the

Angkor Wat complex in nearby Cambodia. The temple

region has been nominated for World Heritage Site sta-

tus, although there is opposition on the grounds that

renovation of the structures has been shoddy and failed

to follow historic designs.

From the balloon basket, I have a window into the

distant past and a chance to imagine a flourishing royal

city that employed artisans, master builders and religious

leaders intent on creating the very best monuments. I

take a photograph of what I identify as the gold-covered,

bell-shaped dome of the famous Shwezigon Pagoda,

which is believed to contain a bone and a tooth of the

Buddha.

High above Myanmar’s temples

05FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2016

Traditional puppet shows, which date to the 15th century, feature the king and his court, a white horse, a mythical snake and even a magician.

Meanwhile, amid the temples, I’m seeing people go-

ing about their day in modern rural Myanmar. Here is a

man leading a large herd of black-and-white goats. Over

there is a tourist van. A cart passes, drawn by two white

oxen. There are monks in saffron robes and tourists in

casual dress.

As the sun rises higher, the early morning fog lifts.

The towers and the spires of the temples emerge more

clearly. From high above the flat plains, I have a pano-

ramic view.

Emerging from isolation

Myanmar endured 50 years of military-imposed isola-

tion before opening to the outside world in 2011. Since

then, tourists — and their foreign currency — have been

more than welcome. In fact, there was no need to change

money because US dollars were accepted everywhere

I went. This welcome is likely to expand now that the

opposition political party headed by Aung San Suu Kyi

won control of Myanmar in the 2015 national election.

We started our eight-day Myanmar journey in the

traffic-choked southern city of Yangon, where cars drive

American-style on the right side of the road, even though

many of them were designed for British-style driving on

the left. This oddity is the result of a decision by the rul-

ing generals who wanted to eliminate colonial symbols

by banning British-style driving. British-style vehicles,

however, are still legal. In our tour bus, which had a

steering wheel on the right, a helper stood on the left

side to warn the driver of things he couldn’t see and to

help with hand signals.

That was one of many surprises. Throughout Myan-

mar, we saw a lot of women and children — and even

babies — wearing milky-white or yellow makeup, some-

times in a pattern on their cheeks, sometimes covering

their entire face. Women say it makes them feel pretty,

serves as a sunblock and smells good. The makeup is

sold in stores and by street vendors, and we watched

one demonstrate how she makes her own at home by

grinding bark from a thanaka tree and mixing with water.

We visited a Buddhist nunnery, where dozens of

young nuns were living; we were told this is one way

for a girl from a poor family to get an education. The

nuns, too shy to say much through our interpreter, had

shaved heads and wore pink robes — and some carried

cellphones.

And we saw string puppets on sale everywhere — at

temple sites, in markets and on the street. Traditional

puppet shows, which date to the 15th century, feature

the king and his court, a white horse, a mythical snake

and even a magician. According to our tour guide, in

past centuries such puppets were used to communicate

official information, ideas and even gossip that the ruling

powers didn’t necessarily want people to know.

But it was the balloon ride that I will always remem-

ber. And it was worth the $350 fee I paid in advance — in

addition to signing a form requesting my height and

weight and declaring that a traveler in excess of 280

pounds would have to pay a surcharge of up to 100

percent. (I did not have to pay extra.)

Into the basket

The adventure began before dawn, when a balloon-

company van picked me up at my hotel. We drove for

nearly an hour collecting fellow passengers from other

hotels. Eventually we reached a field where about a

dozen balloons were lying flat on the ground, waiting

to be inflated.

It was pretty scary when the workers switched on the

gas burners and aimed them into the balloons, one by

one. Imagine standing near a flamethrower big enough

to heat the air inside a balloon big enough to lift a basket

laden with 17 people. The basket had four compartments,

with four people in each, and the pilot — a tall, husky

Australian named Peter — stood in the middle.

Getting into the basket was a challenge. I had taken

a balloon ride once before, on a 2005 trip to Egypt. On

that occasion, a crew of strong Egyptian men simply

picked me up and set me down inside the basket in a

very smooth maneuver. This time, I had to climb into the

basket using footholds in the side to get up and over

and into position. I managed to get into the corner end

of the compartment, where I thought I would have the

best view.

Peter assured us that he had plenty of experience.

Now and then he would turn on the gas heaters to

maneuver the balloon through the air, and most of us

cringed at the noise. But this was primarily a silent magi-

cal ride through the sky.

As we descended for landing on a soft sandbank by

the Ayeyarwady River, we got a closer look at the exotic

religious structures that dominate the land. But the day

was young, and it was time for a ground tour.

For this, I was seated on the flat bed of a horse-drawn

wooden cart decorated with artificial yellow roses. We

traveled slowly over a dusty red-dirt path among the

temples and passed other carts, some drawn by white

oxen, each big enough for a driver and two passen-

gers. The temples range in size from a few feet high to

hundreds of feet high. Each one is said to have a name

and a story.

I was taken to visit the Shwesandaw Pagoda, which

features a statue of a reclining Buddha about 60 feet

long. At another temple stop, I climbed to the first ledge

of a brick structure, grabbing the railing as I made my

way carefully and slowly up the very narrow, very steep

steps. From there I got a wonderful view of other tem-

ples in the area, including some small ones that had

collapsed into a small heap of bricks.

This particular temple is popular with young vendors,

who wait near the stairs for customers and offer post-

cards, shawls and other souvenirs. When I got back to

the ground, I couldn’t resist - I loaded up on memora-

bilia that would help me remember this amazing land

of temples.

TRAVEL

Balloons Over Baganeasternsafaris.com/home

Rides are $320-330 per person in a 16-pas-

senger red balloon and $380-390 in an

eight-passenger balloon. They are generally avail-

able from late October through mid-March, when

winds and weather are better for ballooning. The

sunrise take-off site changes with the wind and is

determined by the pilot in command on the day of

the flight; a company bus provides transportation

to and from balloon take-off and landing sites.

IF YOU GO

Many Myanmar women and children wear a milky-white makeup made from the bark of thanaka trees. (Photo: Molly Sinclair McCartney / The Washington Post)

For a new time-travel series, called Flashback Four, author Dan Gutman plops four kids in the midst of important historical events.


YOUNG EDITORS

By Mary Quattlebaum The Washington Post

History can be hilarious, at least in the hands of author Dan Gutman. He has written more than 125 fast-paced, funny books, including the

popular My Weird School and Baseball Card Adventure series.

For a new time-travel series, called Flashback Four, Gutman plops four kids in the midst of important historical events. David, Isabel, Julia and Luke are 12-year-olds who have been recruited by a rich inventor named Miss Z. She is such a fan of historic photos that she wants the kids to take pictures of events that were never photographed. To do that, she has invented a texting device that can whisk them back in time. But the device still has a lot of kinks in it, which can create some zany problems. Sometimes it even sends the kids to the wrong date!

In The Lincoln Project, the first novel in the Flashback Four series, the kids journey to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1863, during the Civil War. Their mis-sion: to photograph President Abraham Lincoln dedicating a new cemetery for Union soldiers.

“The Gettysburg Address is probably the best-known speech in the United States,” said Gutman by phone from his home in New York City. “It’s also one of the shortest.”

That brevity was a problem for 19th-century photographers. Today you can take a photo with a cellphone in less than a second, but back then, people needed much more time to prepare their cameras. In 1863, Lincoln finished the

speech in about two minutes, before anyone could record the moment on film, Gutman said.

“Writing gives me a way of staying involved with things I love,” Gutman said. Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, he loved taking photos. He was the photog-rapher for his high school newspaper.

To research The Lincoln Project, Gut-man visited Gettysburg and took photos, some of which appear in the book. He imagined the goofy ways that four modern kids might try to adapt to an old-fashioned setting. The characters try not to giggle when they use the slang of the time, but words such as “lickety-split” (quickly), “duds” (clothes) and “bellyach-ing” (complaining) sound so funny. And the president’s son, Tad, who was very mischievous in real life, keeps playing tricks on them.

As a kid, Gutman also loved base-ball and sports history. Later, he drew on those interests to write the 12 books in the Baseball Card Adventure series. Each one features a magical baseball card and a visit back in time to a famous player, including Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays.

Gutman has managed to write so many books by sticking to a schedule. He writes in the morning, with a goal of completing a chapter a day. In the after-noons, he answers email, does research or explores the museums and parks in New York. Once a week, he likes to do a school visit.

“I love talking with kids,” Gutman said. He said he enjoys finding out what they are reading and writing. He often gets ideas for new books from those vis-its. In fact, many of his 50 books about the very weird Ella Mentry School were inspired by schools that he visited.

History isn’t always serious for author Dan Gutman

How Leap Year Works?

Scan to watch video

A screenshot of the video by Vox

There are N number of kids born of February

29 world over. These leap year babies have

a tough time celebrating their birthday.

Most are teased about their age being quarter

of their actual years.

We all know that every four years we have a

leap year with an extra day added to the month

of February. Ever wondered about the existence

of a leap year?

Here’s an interesting video on How Leap Year

Works. Scan the QR code and find out for yourself

the history behind February 29.

07

YOUNG EDITORS

FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2016

Did you know that hello as a telephone greeting has been credited to Thomas Edison?

By Christina Barron The Washington Post

Imagine wandering through a huge convention

hall with row after row of toys and games you’ve

never seen. It probably sounds like a dream, but

it’s part of the job for toy buyers and toy store

owners. Every year, they head to the International

Toy Fair, held in February in New York City.

Steven Aarons owns Barstons Child’s Play, which

has four locations in the Washington area. He has been

going to the toy fair for more than 30 years. This year,

he said, he visited more than 500 booths to look for

products to stock his shelves through the holidays.

“Big themes are ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Star Wars,’” Aar-

ons said. “University Games has a great ‘Harry Potter’

Clue game. On part of the board, the rooms rotate.”

The newly announced “Harry Potter” book, due

this summer, may cause toymakers to push even more

related products in coming months, he said.

There were also lots of science and tech toys, such

as drones, coding games, a 3-D printer and robots,

including one inspired by a reptile. “Geckobot could

actually walk up walls,” Aarons said of a new robot by

Thames & Kosmos.

For outdoor fun, kids can tap into their inner ninja

with Slackers’ Ninjaline. The set, which includes a line

and hanging obstacles, was inspired by the “American

Ninja Warrior” television show.

“That was one of the coolest things I saw,” Aarons

said.

Builders will see more magnetic sets and an online

tie-in for always-popular Legos. A series called Nexo

Knights puts medieval knights in a futuristic world.

The sets include an app that moves the play into

virtual games.

For art lovers, there are felt animal kits called

Fuzzeez and several 3-D pens, including one by Red-

wood Ventures that doesn’t involve hours of effort to

produce art. A handheld light dries sections of the ink

in only 30 seconds.

“This one doesn’t require quite as much (pa-

tience),” Aarons said.

International Toy Fair: A crystal ball for

what will be hot this holiday season

COLOUR MEAhoy or Hello

Did you know that hello as

a telephone greeting has

been credited to Thomas

Edison? Alexander Graham

Bell has initially used Ahoy

(a way of greeting among

sailors on the seas) as tel-

ephone greeting. However

Edison preferred hello as

telephone greeting since it

could be easily understood

over long distance trans-

missions. It is believed that

in Germany people simply

answer the phone by stat-

ing last name instead of a

‘hello’.

Do try answering your

phone with ‘Ahoy’!

Last week’s answer: Bagan Pagoda

Alexander Graham Bell at the opening

of the long-distance line from New York

to Chicago in 1892.

Bottom line: The 2016 Scion

iM is a good little car, all new for

2016, probably to be continued

in 2017 under the Toyota brand.

Ride, acceleration and han-

dling: It gets decent marks in all

three - quite acceptable for most

of us.

Head-turning quotient:

Cute.

Body style/layout: The iM is

a front-engine, front-wheel-drive

compact hatchback largely

based on the Toyota Corolla.

There, sensibly, is one available

trim level.

Engine/transmissions:

The iM comes with a 1.8-liter,

16-valve, inline four-cylinder

gasoline engine with variable

valve operation (137 horsepower,

126 pound-feet of torque). The

standard transmission is a six-

speed manual. A seven-speed

automatic continuously variable

transmission is available.

Capacities: Seating is for five

people. Cargo capacity with all

seats in place is 20.8 cubic feet.

The fuel tank holds 14 gallons

of petrol. Regular grade is fine.

Actual mileage with six-

speed manual: With snow and

traffic jams everywhere, I got

24 miles per gallon in the city

and 34 miles per gallon on the

highway.

Safety: Standard equip-

ment includes four-wheel disc

brakes (ventilated front, solid

rear); four-wheel antilock brake

protection; emergency braking

assistance; stability and traction

control; daytime running lights;

side and head air bags.

Recommended: Rear back-

up camera and rear cross-traffic

alert.

Pricing: The 2016 Scion iM

starts at $18,460 in US market.

&&

WHEELSThe 2016 Scion iM is a good, safe, reliable, comfortable, affordable, fuel-efficient car.


By Warren Brown The Washington Post

Toyota will discontinue its Scion division in Au-

gust. It was bound to happen. It has nothing

to do with bad product, lousy marketing or any

other classic form of failure. It has everything

to do with reality.

To wit: Toyota never needed a Scion division, a

special unit to appeal to youth. I always thought that

a silly idea.

Toyota needed to do only what it has almost always

done — make excellent cars and small trucks, models

such as this week’s subject vehicle, the 2016 Scion iM

hatchback, which will be rolled into the Toyota lineup

in one form or another in 2017. That is a good thing

because the Scion iM, all new for 2016, is a good little

car. But, first, let’s put some clothes on “good.”

It is reliable, starting every time without fail or fuss. It

is safe, equipped with all of the standard safety features

and many of the advanced electronic safety items avail-

able in more expensive cars. It is reasonably fuel efficient

at 27 miles per gallon in the city and 36 mpg highway

using a standard six-speed manual transmission and

28 mpg city and 37 mpg highway using a seven-speed

automatic continuously variable transmission.

Why is the manual marginally less efficient than

the automatic? Get over it. The automatic is smarter

(thanks to software) and saves more fuel.

Okay, now for the complaints, which I find nutty,

considering that you are paying for a sub-$20,000

economy car that is safe, comfortable and appealing

inside and out and that runs on regular gasoline.

Complaint one: It looks sporty, hot. But it’s slow,

barely moves from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 10 sec-

onds. Question: Why must you get to 60 miles per

hour so fast, assuming you are driving in a regulated

city or suburban community?

Complain two: It is a hatchback but does not have

as much carrying space as a small station wagon or

sport-utility vehicle. Really? Did you not know you were

buying a small, city-efficient hatchback? It saves fuel,

parks easily almost anywhere in the city and easily can

carry a week’s worth of groceries for a family of four.

Did you really need or want a truck or a van?

Complaint three: The 1.8-litre, inline four-cylinder

gasoline engine (137 horsepower, 126 pound-feet of

torque) is anemic. Really? You want to enter a race with

a 137-horsepower, four-cylinder engine? Again, did you

not know what you were buying? Or, did you fall for the

same silliness that led the people at Toyota to establish

the now-fading Scion division in the first place?

Youth is exciting, rip-roaring, although most youths

drive on the same roads under the same rules as the

rest of us. We all, somehow, have a pressing need to

move from 0 to 60 miles per hour in five seconds or

less. Really? In what community? I’ve been driving

since 1964 an average 40,000 miles annually all over

the world. Except for occasional stints on a racetrack,

or for insanely exhilarating runs on Germany’s pre-

strictly regulated Autobahn, I’ve never been able to

drive that fast.

It comes down to this: Most of us just need a good,

safe, reliable, comfortable, fuel-efficient car. The 2016

Scion iM is a good, safe, reliable, comfortable, afford-

able, fuel-efficient car. I am happy that Toyota plans

to keep it after it discontinues the Scion brand. It is a

good little car for buyers of any age.

Nuts Nuts

BoltsBolts

Scion a chip off the

old Toyota block

09FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2016

Check out what the world’s best-dressed ladies carried in their hands to up the glamour quotient at the red carpetWOMEN

Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett has al-

ways been a stunner on the red carpet.

And this year was no different as she

was spotted in an Armani feathered gown with

Tiffany & Co. jewelry. But the best part of her en-

semble was the Roger Vivier clutch in the same

mint colour as her gown.

Matching clutches up

the ante at Oscars

The Pastel Prada dress that Emily Blunt

wore at the red carpet showed off her

cute baby bump. She paired her perfect

look with a Judith Leiber dazzling box clutch.

Pregnant Chrissy Teigen arrived at the

Oscars in a bump skimming naked

Marchesa beaded dress that hugged

her curves to perfection. She paired her glo-

rious dress with a matching red Swarovski

clutch that we absolutely loved.

Naomi Watts chose a Giorgio Arm-

ani Privé sapphire blue and purple

strapless gown embroidered with

swarovski crystals. The jaw-droppingly

beautiful celebrity paired her glitzy dress

with a Bulgari crystal-embellised box clutch.

By Anisha Bijukumar

Hollywood A-listers headed over to the 88th Academy Awards last Sunday (February 28) in their most dramatic dresses and gorgeous gowns. But it is the little extras or rather the accessories that brought the look together. We checked out what the world’s best-dressed ladies carried in their hands to up the glamour quotient at the red carpet. Most of them opted for a perfectly detailed minaudiere (clutch) from the best brands in the world. Read on.

Olivia Wilde wore a sexy ivory Valentino Haute

Couture gown, with her hair in a soft braided

updo. It got even better as we take a look at

her sparkling Roger Vivier clutch that were encrusted

with crystals and pearls.

In a plunging gold Tom Ford gown with a

snakeskin embossed texture Margot Robbie

looked like an Oscar statue herself. And some-

thing that draws your eyes from that dress was

the black tasseled clutch by The Row.

Quantico star Priyanka Chopra could easily be

ranked as one of the best dressed woman at

the Oscars Red Carpet. Dressed in a white Zuhair

Murad dress, PC slayed everyone at the red carpet. And

she upped her oomph quotient wearing minimal jewel-

lery and carrying a silver Rauwolf clutch in her hand.

DESIGN


Through exacting design, the formerly boring basement became a cool family hub with a play zone for kids, a spa shower, and rows and rows of shelves for all those books.

By Jura Koncius The Washington Post

Like many families who live in older, urban

homes, Andrew Selee and Alejandra Vallejo

dreamed of renovating their dark, dingy base-

ment. But it wasn’t until a flood two years ago

ruined a stack of favourite books that they

jumped into action.

The couple and their 8-year-old daughter, Lucia,

had already been feeling short of space. They had

started going to open houses near their 1916 Washing-

ton rowhouse, as they didn’t want to move far from the

neighbourhood they loved. At one property they saw

a beautifully finished basement that was integrated

with the rest of the house. They realized that a clever,

kid-friendly redesign of their own lower level could

give their house a new lease on life.

“We were looking for more space in our old house

that didn’t have lots of options for expansion,” Selee

says. “We needed a space to live in and enjoy, part

playroom, part office, part gym and part family room

so we could all be together. It seemed a tall order for

a very small space. It actually didn’t seem realistic, but

we were hopeful.”

About the same time, their basement toilet over-

flowed, spilling water throughout the space. As they

removed soaked carpet, the conversation turned to

not what kind of floor covering would replace it, but

how they could finally fix the basement. A friend

recommended Johana Lukauskis, an architectural

designer at Remodella Healthy in Gaithersburg, Mary-

land, who specializes not only in renovations but also

in helping homeowners rid homes of mold, asbestos

and other toxins. Through her exacting design, the

formerly boring basement became a cool family hub

with a play zone for kids, a spa shower, and rows

and rows of shelves for all those books. The heated

tile floor is comfortable in all seasons, and the new

laundry room is orderly and fresh. Modern touches

include a hanging bubble chair and ethanol fireplace.

Vallejo, who is from Mexico, brought back magenta

and tangerine pillows from a trip there, and they in-

spired the accent colours in the entertainment room.

“I feel like the space in our house doubled,” Vallejo

says. “I just love it down there.”

The plan was hatched in June 2014, when Lu-

kauskis, 40, met with Selee, executive vice president at

the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars,

and Vallejo, a writer, both 48, to discuss plans for a

better organized basement.

The space was not unlike that of many homes built

in the first half of the 20th century: a chopped-up,

semi-finished dark place. There was a concrete floor

with old carpeting, a cramped bathroom, and a washer

and dryer plopped next to a furnace in an area with

exposed pipes. It included a makeshift home office,

an exercise machine, a futon, a play area filled with

toys, stacks of boxes and luggage, and sagging shelves

stuffed with plastic storage bins.

When the group gathered at the dining room table,

Vallejo produced a wish list she and her husband had

come up with for their dream basement: spa shower,

double home office, dog washing sink, toy storage,

fireplace, guest room capability, fitness area and space

for hundreds of books.

One of Vallejo’s friends who came to the meeting

was dubious when she heard the litany of requests.

She quipped that Lukauskis was a designer, “not a

magician.” They all had a good laugh, but Lukauskis

wasn’t deterred. “I realized we would have to maxi-

mize [the space], inch by inch,” Lukauskis says. “I told

them: ‘I love challenges, and I won’t say no. I will try

and resolve every issue.’ “

An 8-year-old friend of Lucia’s came up with an-

other room for the list: a tiny playhouse under the stairs

where kids could hang out “and hide from their moms.”

Taking a basement to a whole new level

11

DESIGN

FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2016

Lukauskis kept to a tight budget for furnishing the space, shopping mostly at Ikea. She used indoor/outdoor fabrics and washable slipcovers to keep it kid- and dog-friendly.

Lukauskis needed more space. She was able to

add about 150 square feet to the existing 600 by

incorporating and insulating a storage area under

the exterior front stairs and carving out the playhouse

under the interior stairs. The work also entailed re-

placing the HVAC system and upgrading electricity

and plumbing.

But the first thing Lukauskis did was to arrange for

a professional inspection for mold and asbestos. An

inspector took samples all over the basement, found a

bit of both and removed it. Vallejo says it’s made a big

difference in sinus and respiratory issues for the family.

Lukauskis created a series of small rooms and

added more light. She used white paint punched up

with bright accent colours and installed recessed lights.

The home office has desks with lots of shelves plus a

small gym; the entertainment lounge has deep library

built-ins plus a fridge, microwave and a cafe table with

stools; Lucia’s playroom (decorated with a cherry blos-

som tree wall decal) has a futon that can serve as a

guest bed; the hallway has built-in storage closets; the

bathroom offers a steam shower and a custom-made

vanity with a quartz top and stone vessel sink; and the

laundry room has a high-efficiency washer and dryer,

utility sink (Freckles the dachshund comfortably gets

a bath in it), and a drying rack.

Lukauskis kept to a tight budget for furnishing

the space, shopping mostly at Ikea. She used indoor/

outdoor fabrics and washable slipcovers to keep it

kid- and dog-friendly.

The family uses the space in many ways: tossing

Super Bowl parties, enjoying the fireplace while read-

ing, hosting out-of-town guests on the futon. “It’s so

versatile,” Vallejo says. Selee is usually there working

in the morning and brewing a cappuccino before he

leaves for the office. In the afternoon, Lucia and her

friends descend on the playhouse, and in the evening,

Vallejo might use the exercise equipment and take a

relaxing steam shower.

The flood now seems like a bad dream.

“We all have our own space down there, and yet

we are also there together,” Selee says.

“Our basement went from being an afterthought

to the central living space of our home.”

Tips from a pro on renovating your basement

Here are five suggestions from designer Johana Lukauskis if you are considering a renovation of your

basement.

1. Do a health inspection. Hire a professional to inspect and remediate your space, especially if you have

an old house. Basements are particularly prone to dampness and mold. Discuss any family health issues you

may have. This is the time to take care of long-term problems.

2. Choose materials wisely. Build with materials that prevent mold growth. Avoid carpet and wood floors

in basements. These can encourage mold down the road, which may trigger allergies.

3. Maximize storage with built-ins. Lukauskis installed bookshelves in the project that were extra deep

so two rows of books could fit on each shelf. Other storage cabinets were built in throughout the basement

wherever there was a bit of space.

4. Use doors to define spaces. Choose your doors carefully, and if possible, use them to let light through.

In this project, Lukauskis chose frosted sliding doors, pocket doors and French doors with small windows.

5. Install a heated floor. This saves energy and makes a basement feel cozy. Each room can have its own

thermostat. She used the Ditra-Heat electric floor-warming system with 12-by-24-inch porcelain tiles.

The entertainment room has double-wide bookshelves as well as a comfortable sectional from Ikea. (Washington Post photo by John McDonnell.)

FILMS


ROYAL PLAZA

ASIAN TOWN

NOVO

MALL

LANDMARK

RACE

BABY BLUES

ZITS

Jesse Owens’ quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler’s vision of Aryan supremacy.

VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

List of movies running in Qatar cinemas. Get your friends or families together, grab a bucket of popcorn and enjoy a weekend flick.

Zootropolis (Animation) 2D 12:10, 4:40 & 7:00pm 3D 10:00am & 2:20pmRace (2D/Drama) 9:20 & 11:50pm London Has Fallen (2D/Action) 10:00, 10:30, 11:00am, 12:00noon, 12:40, 1:00, 2:00, 2:50, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 7:10, 8:00, 9:00, 9:20, 10:00, 11:00, 11:30 & 11:55pm Zoolander 2(2D/Comedy)11:00am, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00,9:00&11:00pmHow To Be Single (2D/Comedy) 10:30am, 2:40, 6:50 & 11:00pmThe Faith of Anna Waters (2D/Horror) 12:40, 4:40 & 8:50pm13 Hours: The Secret Soldier of Benghazi (2D/Action) 10:40am, 1:20, 4:00, 6:40, 9:20 & 11:55pmKings of Egypt (2D/Action) 4:30, 7:00, 9:30 & 11:50pmAlvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2D/Animation) 10:40am, 12:30 & 2:30pmDeadpool (2D/Adventure) 10:10am, 12:20, 2:30, 4:40, 7:00, 9:20 & 11:40pmKings of Egypt (3D IMAX/Action) 10:30am, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 & 11:00pm

Kalyana Vaibhogame (2D/Telugu) 2:00pm Action Hero Biju (2D/Malayalam) 4:15pmZootropolis: Zootopia (2D/Animation) 2:30, 5:00 & 6:45pmJai Gangajal (2D/Hindi) 2:15 & 8:45pmLondon Has Fallen (2D/Action) 9:00 & 11:30pmKings of Egypt (2D/Action) 7:00pm Race (2D/Drama) 9:00pmAlways Be My Maybe (2D/Romantic) 7:00pm13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2D/Action) 4:30 & 11:15pmPokkiri Raja (2D/Tamil) 11:00pm

Pokkiri Raja (2D/Tamil) 2:30 & 11:15pmLondon Has Fallen (2D/Action) 5:00, 9:30 & 11:00pmAction Hero Biju (2D/Malayalam) 6:45pmRace (2D/Drama) 5:00pm Pokkiri Raja (2D/Tamil) 11:00pmZootropolis: Zootopia (2D/Animation) 2:30, 4:30 & 6:30pm13 Hours:The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi(2D/Action)8:30&11:15pmKalyana Vaibhogame (2D/Telugu) 2:30pm Always Be My Maybe (2D/Romantic) 7:30pm

Zootropolis: Zootopia (2D/Animation) 2:00, 4:00& 6:00pmJai Gangajal (2D/Hindi) 8:00 & 11:00pmRace (2D/Drama) 2:30 & 11:30pmLondon Has Fallen (2D/Action) 5:00 & 11:00pmBachaana (2D/Urdu) 4:30 & 7:00pm

Always Be My Maybe (2D/Romantic) 9:00pm13 Hours:The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi(2D Action) 2:00 &9:00pmThe Revenant (2D/Adventure) 6:30pm

Action Hero Biju (Malayalam) 1:30, 2:45, 4:15, 5:30, 7:00, 8:15, 9:45, 11:00pm & 12:30amJai Gangajal (Hindi) 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30pm Pokkiri Raja (Tamil) 12:45, 3:15, 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30pm Kalyana Vaibhogame (Telugu) 12:45 & 3:15pm

Note: Program is subject to change without prior notice.

13

PUZZLES

FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2016

EASY SUDOKU

Yesterday’s answerEasy Sudoku Puzzles: Place a digit from 1

to 9 in each empty cell so every row, every

column and every 3x3 box contains all the

digits 1 to 9.

Yesterday’s answer

How to play Hyper Sudoku:A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like a normal Sudoku.

HYPER SUDOKU

Yesterday’s answerHow to play Kakuro:The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers.

However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In

KAKURO

ACROSS

1 Dream acquisitions for huge fans

10 Central Honshu volcano

15 Words from the weary

16 Student with

the motto “Fiat Lux,” informally

17 Tongue with six phonetic tones

18 3-Down minus one

19 Wine and dine, say

20 Roger of NBC News

21 Reef swimmers with no gills

22 Midway attention-getter

23 Laugh, in Lyon

24 Ball go-with?

25 Lightweight boxing option

29 Spread from the center

31 Breaking specialists

32 Jon ___, 2006-14 Red Sox pitcher

33 Like dromedaries

and carob trees

35 Like some geese and turkeys

36 “The Last Tycoon” was the last film he

directed

37 Baby step?

39 It has some bad strains

40 Like silent partners

46 ___-arms

47 Power nap wear

48 Hormuz habitant

49 Those who have given legacies

50 Jack of “Twin Peaks”

51 Like some questions

52 Longtime maker of model rockets

53 Stimulating shots

DOWN

1 Subjects of many New Year’s

resolutions

2 Like folderol

3 18-Across plus one

4 ___ Tavern, Manhattan pub that’s

over 150 years old

5 Opposite of uglify

6 Home of the West Coast’s Empire

College

7 Beat the security system, say

8 Like addition vis-à-vis division

9 Private eye in dozens of novels

10 They’re often escorted by police

11 Movie plotter

12 Stand-in

13 Like satay and sauerbraten

14 One doing a dissection

25 Vulture lookalikes of the falcon family

26 It raids and enslaves other colony

members

27 Fix some ledger errors in

28 Some holy alliances?

30 Smooth and white

31 Offer of self-sacrifice

34 Lepore of women’s fashion

35 Studies hard

38 Flirty types

41 Vex

42 Byes at Wimbledon

43 What a heathen might collect

44 It’s left in a manuscript

45 Business end?

S C A R F A C E D A R M O RC A B O T C O V E G O A P EU S A N D T H E M A S K E DB A T S I O N O S P H E R EA B E K I R S T I E N A Y

A D A R T O E S S I T EM O H S S T U C C O S

S T E N O E T H E RS P I N E T S G R I MA R T S M A D E L O W ER E A D I N N E R S A T PD A N C E C R A Z E M I C AI D I O M E L E C T I V E SN E U R O M A R T I N E T SE M M Y S O B S O L E S C E

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16

17 18

19 20

21 22

23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

31 32

33 34 35

36 37 38

39 40 41 42 43 44 45

46 47

48 49

50 51

52 53

CROSSWORD

a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number.Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once.

Hoy en la HistoriaMarch 4, 1877

1801:�� 1966: John Lennon caused outrage by claiming The Beatles were more popular than Jesus1991:�� first member of the ruling family to return after the liberation from Iraq

�� about a princess turned into a ��!�� was first performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow

�� !�� "��#$�%&'�!(��

Feeling lazy to go out? Stay inside with a hot karak, some healthy chips and start solving these puzzles. We have some number crunching ones and also the traditional crossword.


PARENTINGCertain social emotional skills are particularly useful as kids navigate middle school and beyond. Parents can help without getting in the way.

Phyllis L Fagell The Washington Post

In elementary school, I was too shy to address my

teachers by name. I would hover nearby, hoping

they would realize I had a question. I also was

the new girl, and the existing cliques seemed im-

penetrable. To make matters worse, I was a late

reader and had difficulty articulating half the alphabet.

Family members would euphemistically say I was just

“slow out of the gate.” I had my work cut out for me.

By middle school, I was ready to throw myself into

the mix. It wasn’t always pretty. I got tossed out of

classes for giggling uncontrollably. I navigated earning

my first “D” and getting demoted in math. I had a knack

for choosing overly dramatic and bossy friends, and I

accidentally dyed my hair brassy orange. I got busted

for passing notes in class and for finishing overdue

homework in the girls’ bathroom.

On the plus side, I figured out how to connect with

teachers, and I learned I could solve math problems

when I made an effort. I discovered that books kin-

dled my imagination and provided a mental escape.

Sports played a useful role too, allowing me to burn

off excess energy and improve my focus. I shifted so-

cial groups more than a few times. Overall, it was the

typical junior high experience, one I relive frequently

as a middle school counselor and as the parent of

kids in seventh and eighth grade. Long before social

emotional learning became a buzzword in education

circles, I was stumbling along, acquiring self-awareness

and problem-solving skills.

There is no manual to develop “soft” skills like per-

severance and resilience. Just as I did, most kids learn

through trial and error. As parents, our quest to protect

our children can be at odds with their personal growth.

It can feel counter-intuitive, but we mainly need to take

a step back. I have come to believe that certain social

emotional skills are particularly useful as kids navigate

middle school and beyond. Here are my top 10 skills,

and ways parents can help without getting in the way.

Top 10 Social Emotional Skills

For Middle School Students

1. Make good friend choices. This typically comes

on the heels of making some questionable choices.

Kids figure out quickly which friends instill a sense of

belonging and which ones make them feel uncom-

fortable. It can be helpful to ask your children these

questions: Do you have fun and laugh with this person?

Can you be yourself? Is there trust and empathy? Com-

mon interests are a bonus.

2. Work in teams and negotiate conflict. I don’t

think many students get through middle school without

feeling like they had to carry the load on at least one

group project. Maybe they didn’t delegate and divide

the work effectively at the onset. Perhaps they chose

to take ownership to avoid a poor grade. Help them

understand what happened and consider what they

might have done differently.

3. Manage a student-teacher mismatch. Unless

there is abuse or discrimination, don’t bail them out

by asking for a teacher change. Tell them they still can

learn from a teacher they don’t like. Let them know

it’s a chance to practice working with someone they

find difficult. Remind them that if they can manage

the situation, they won’t feel powerless or helpless

the next time. Focus on concrete barriers to success in

the class, not the interpersonal conflict. Is it miscom-

munication? Study skills?

4. Create organization and homework systems. Make sure they are the architects of this process. En-

courage them to come up with solution-oriented plans

and tweak them as needed. Do they need to use their

planner? Create a checklist? Their motivation will come

from ownership. If they say they don’t care, remind

them that they don’t have to be invested in a particular

outcome in order to change their behaviour. People

who hate exercise can still choose to lift weights.

5. Monitor and take responsibility for grades. If you care more than they do about their grades,

why should they worry? Let them monitor their own

grades, and if they don’t do well, don’t step in to ad-

vocate for assignment extensions or grade changes.

Let them carry the burden and experience the con-

nection between preparation, organization and grades.

Conversely, if they are perfectionists, they will learn

they can survive and manage the disappointment of

a low grade.

6. Learn to self-advocate. By middle school, they

should be learning how to ask teachers for help or

clarification. This may be in person or through email.

When students bond with teachers, they connect more

intimately with the material, too. Unless there is no

other option, try not to reach out on their behalf.

7. Self-regulate emotions. Children often need

assistance labeling strong emotions before they can

regulate them. Help your kids identify any physical

symptoms that accompany their stressors. This may

help them know when to take a breath or hit the

“pause” button before reacting. In real time, point out

when they handle an emotional situation well. Dis-

cuss the strategy they implemented-maybe they took

a break or listened to music. Also, help them make

connections between their thoughts, feelings and be-

haviours. Are they stuck in all-or-nothing thinking? Are

they consistently self-critical?

8. Cultivate passions and recognize limitations. When your children are fired up about something, run

with it and encourage exploration. Seize the opportu-

nity to help them go deep. Get books, go to museums

and be supportive even if the subject does not excite

you. In the process, you will help them figure out what

drives them. On the other hand, it is okay if they strug-

gle in a specific area. That ,too, is useful information.

No one needs to be good at everything.

9. Make responsible, safe and ethical choices. Teach them to respect their bodies, and to make safe

and healthy decisions. It is equally important to talk

about how to avoid putting others at risk. Have open

conversations and discuss plans for different scenarios

they may encounter. Try not to be overly reactive if they

ask shocking or distressing questions. Keep the lines

of communication open.

10. Create and innovate. Our changing world

needs imaginative creators and divergent thinkers. It

also can build confidence to think independently and

outside the box. As your kids do their homework, read

required texts and take standardized tests, remind

them that these benchmarks are not the only ways

to measure success. Encourage them to make con-

nections across material from different classes, and

to build, write, invent and experiment.

Phyllis L. Fagell is a licensed clinical profes-sional counselor and school counselor in Bethesda, Maryland.

skills school students need

and how parents can help10

15

POTPOURRI

FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2016

If you would like to see a photograph clicked by you published here, mail it to us at [email protected]. Don’t forget to mention your name and where the photo was taken.

Photo of the week Photographer: MYK

A view from Al Khor Air field during the Fly-in festival.

Fish with Green Tahini

By Bonnie S Benwick

Here, a cilantro-and-pars-

ley-tinted sauce keeps

the fillets moist as they

roast in the oven. The sauce’s

flavour is unexpectedly bright,

thanks to a touch of ground

cayenne and lots of lemon

juice. In truth, the end result

tastes better than it looks.

With a sturdy blender,

your sauce might look greener than ours;

we used a mini food processor and got a

green-speckled effect. Tastes just as good,

either way. Keeping the skin on the fish

helps the fillets hold together; it will slip

right off when you plate them.

Serve with couscous or glazed carrots.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Canola oil, for the baking dish

Four 6-ounce red snapper (skin-on)

or skinless cod fillets

1 medium clove garlic

1/2 cup tahini (stir well be-

fore using, as needed)

1/4 teaspoon ground

cayenne pepper, or more as

needed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt,

or more as needed

1/2 cup packed cilantro

leaves

1/2 cup packed flat-leaf

parsley leaves

2 lemons

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup walnut halves or 1/3 cup pine

nuts, for garnish

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use

a little oil to grease a baking dish that’s just

large enough to hold the fish in a single

layer, then arrange the fillets in it; if you’re

using red snapper fillets, place them skin

side down.

Peel, then coarsely chop the garlic and

place it in a blender or mini food processor

along with the tahini, ground cayenne pep-

per, salt, cilantro and parsley leaves. Cut

one of the lemons in half; squeeze its juice

into the mix, then add 1/4 cup of the water.

Puree; if the mixture is too thick, add some

or all of the remaining water to form a fairly

smooth sauce that’s easy to spread. Taste,

and add more cayenne or salt, to your liking.

Cover the fish completely with all of

the sauce. Roast for 6 to 10 minutes, de-

pending on the fillets’ thickness. The fish

should be opaque and flake easily under

a fork. The sauce will darken slightly.

While the fish is in the oven, cut the

remaining lemon into wedges. Toast the

walnuts or pine nuts in a small, dry skillet

over medium-low heat for several min-

utes, until fragrant and lightly browned.

Let them cool, then coarsely chop the

walnuts.

If you’re using red snapper fillets, dis-

card the skin as you divide the fish among

individual plates. Sprinkle the chopped,

toasted walnuts or toasted pine nuts over

each portion. Serve warm, with the lemon

wedges.

25

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