The UFO community still believes - Gulf Times

CommunityQatar University organises

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COVERSTORY

The UFO community still believes — and science is starting to listen. P4-5

Wednesday, March 27, 2019Rajab 20, 1440 AH

Doha today: 230 - 290

GLITZ & GLAM SHOWBIZ

It’s lawn season.

Page 10

Responsiblity of a writer

is beyond gender: Kausar.

Page 11

Seen there, been there!

Wednesday, March 27, 20192 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITY ROUND & ABOUT

Community EditorKamran Rehmat

e-mail: [email protected]: 44466405

Fax: 44350474

Emergency 999Worldwide Emergency Number 112Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991Local Directory 180International Calls Enquires 150Hamad International Airport 40106666Labor Department 44508111, 44406537Mowasalat Taxi 44588888Qatar Airways 44496000Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222, 44393333Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555, 44845464Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444

Humanitarian Services Offi ce (Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies)Ministry of Interior 40253371, 40253372, 40253369Ministry of Health 40253370, 40253364Hamad Medical Corporation 40253368, 40253365Qatar Airways 40253374

USEFUL NUMBERS

Quote Unquote

PRAYER TIMEFajr 4.15amShorooq (sunrise) 5.31amZuhr (noon) 11.39amAsr (afternoon) 3.07pmMaghreb (sunset) 5.50pmIsha (night) 7.20pm

“No act of kindness, no matter

how small, is ever wasted.” — Aesop

MiraiDIRECTION: Mamoru HosodaCAST: Rebecca Hall, Daniel Dae Kim, John Cho SYNOPSIS: A young boy encounters a magical garden

which enables him to travel through time and meet his relatives from diff erent eras, with guidance by his younger sister from the future.

THEATRES: Royal Plaza

Mard Ko Dard Nahi HotaDIRECTION: Vasan Bala CAST: Abhimanyu Dasani, Gulshan Devaiah, Radhika

Madan SYNOPSIS: It is a story of a young boy Surya who has a

rare condition of Congenital Insensitivity to pain meaning he cannot feel pain, and he sets out to learn martial arts and hunt down muggers.

THEATRES: Landmark, The Mall

The Mall Cinema (1): Captain

Marvel (2D) 2:30pm; Captain

Marvel (2D) 5pm; Ulan (Tagalog)

7:15pm; Hotel Mumbai (2D)

9:15pm; Badla (Hindi) 11:30pm.

The Mall Cinema (2): Manou

The Swift (2D) 2pm; Wonder Park

(2D) 3:45pm; Manou The Swift

(2D) 5:15pm; Five Feet Apart (2D)

7pm; Us (2D) 9:15pm; Mard Ko

Dard Nahin Hota (Hindi) 11:30pm.

The Mall Cinema (3): Badla

(Hindi) 2:30pm; The Brand New

Adventures of Aladdin (2D) 5pm;

Captain Marvel (2D) 7pm; Captain

Marvel (2D) 9:15pm; Tolet (Tamil)

11:30pm.

Landmark Cinema (1): June (Malayalam) 3pm; June

(Malayalam) 5:45pm; June

(Malayalam) 8:30pm; June

(Malayalam) 11:15pm.

Landmark Cinema (2): Wonder

Park (2D) 3pm; Manou The Swift

(2D) 5pm; Captain Marvel (2D)

7pm; Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota

(Hindi) 9:15pm; Captain Marvel

(2D) 11:30pm.

Landmark Cinema (3): Badla

(Hindi) 2:30pm; Tolet (Tamil)

5pm; Hotel Mumbai (2D) 7pm;

Hotel Mumbai (2D) 9:15pm; Badla

(Hindi) 11:30pm.

Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (1): Manou The Swift (2D) 3pm;

Mirai (2D) 5pm; Captain Marvel

(2D) 7pm; Us (2D) 9:15pm; Captain

Marvel (2D) 11:30pm.

Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (2): Badla (Hindi) 2:30pm; Badla

(Hindi) 4:45pm; Hotel Mumbai

(2D) 7pm; Hotel Mumbai (2D)

9:15pm; Badla (Hindi) 11:30pm.

Royal Plaza Cinema Palace (3): Captain Marvel (2D) 2:30pm; June

(Malayalam) 4:45pm; Five Feet

Apart (2D) 7:15pm; Ulan (Tagalog)

9:30pm; Tolet (Tamil) 11:30pm.

EVENTS

Open EveningWHERE: Stenden Qatar, CafeteriaWHEN: TodayTIME: 3pm – 6pm

Qatar International Food FestivalWHERE: Oxygen Park Qatar FoundationWHEN: Ongoing till March 30TIME: 3pm – 12amThis edition marks 10 successful years of

paving the way for opportunities in Qatar’s F&B sector while welcoming visitors and residents to enjoy the diverse fl avours of the world at the forefront of Qatar’s picturesque venues.

MIA Park Bazaar 2019WHERE: Museum Of Islamic ArtWHEN: OngoingTIME: 12pm – 8pmMIA Bazaar will be having a vibrant

mix of 350 stalls. MIA Park Bazaar is a modern version of the old souq tradition. The stalls are going to off er a wide range of gastronomies from all over the world. You can also browse and grab handcrafted artefacts, accessories, canvases, fashion wears, designer ornaments.

Teddy Bear Mini HospitalWHERE: Doha Festival City WHEN: Until March 30TIME: 10am – 8pmThe Teddy Bear Mini Hospital at Festival

City is a fun and educational experience for children to help them overcome their fear of doctors and health checkups, by simulating the process of visiting a hospital or a medical centre.

Mehaseel FestivalWHERE: Katara Cultural VillageWHEN: Ongoing till March 31Mehaseel Souq will be open every

Thursday, Friday and Saturday until 31st of March. It is a perfect market to get amazing local fresh produce.

Artistic Gymnastic ClassesWHERE: Qatar Academy MsheirebWHEN: OngoingTIME: 3:15pm – 4:15pmThe olympic sport using horizontal bar,

rings and fl oor exercises on mats for the children from age 4 till 16.

Bangladesh Festival QatarWHERE: KataraWHEN: TodayTIME: 4pm onwardsA 6-day long festival showcasing

Bangladeshi movie, kids art competition, adult art workshop, food festival, paginating as well as photography exhibition at Katara Cultural Village. This impressive festival will provide a great opportunity for Bangladeshi people to get a taste and feel their country’s unique culture.

Syria Matters ExhibitionWHERE: Museum of Islamic ArtWHEN: Ongoing till April 30TIME: 9am – 7pmMuseum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha

presents a major exhibition, co-curated by MIA Director Dr Julia Gonnella and Rania Abdellatif, as part of the MIA ten-year anniversary celebrations.

Ballet LessonsWHERE: Music and Arts AtelierWHEN: OngoingTIME: 4pm – 8pmFor more info e-mail at registration@

atelierqatar.com or call on 33003839.

Cycling: Losail Circuit Sports ClubWHERE: Losail CircuitWHEN: OngoingTIME: 5pmLosail Circuit Sports Club, in association

with Qatar Sports For All Federation, invites all cyclists, runners and walkers to train under the fl oodlights of Losail International Circuit every Wednesdays.

Arabic Calligraphy WorkshopWHEN: Saturday – WednesdayTIME: 6pmArabic Calligraphy workshop is back.

Come and learn the artistic practice of Arabic handwriting and calligraphy at Music and Arts Atelier.

The lessons will take place every Saturday, Monday and Wednesday at 6pm. For more information, contact [email protected]

After School ActivitiesWHERE: AtelierWHEN: OngoingMusic and arts activities for students

taking place after they fi nish their day in school includes Group Music lessons, Hip-hop, Ballet, Drawing and Painting, Drama Theatre & Taekwondo. Ages between 5 and 10 years old after school hours.

Hobby ClassesWHERE: Mamangam Performing Art

CentreWHEN:Wednesday – MondayMamangam Performing Art Centre, is a

holistic performing arts institution and a one stop solution for adults as well as children looking to explore their talents in various art forms. We off er classes in contemporary, Bollywood, hip hop, indian classical dance, music (Hindustani and Carnatic), arts and craft, karate, yoga, percussion( Chenda, Thimila, Elathalam and Madhalam), violin, harmonium, public speaking.

Additional services include dance education, choreograph music videos and dance cover albums, choreograph dance musical projects, corporate workshops and events, choreograph events for schools, colleges, alumni meets and corporate and choreography events. For details, call 33897609.

Dance and Instrument ClassesWHERE: TCA Campus, Behind Gulf Times

BuildingWHEN: Wednesday – MondayLearn the movements of dance styles in

Bollywood, Hip Hop and also the musical instruments such as Piano, Guitar, Keyboard for adults as well kids and move in the world of music. For details, contact 66523871/ 31326749.

3Wednesday, March 27, 2019 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYROUND & ABOUT

Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change


COMMUNITY COVER STORY

UFOs: Beyond imagination

We still think of ourselves, as a species, as the centre of everything. Once you … at least start to discuss interstellar travel, you have to admit that, if there is intelligent life out there, then they have to be able to travel interstellar, too

— Robert Powell, Scientific Coalition for Ufology

‘’

In the past two years, scientists, politicians and professionals have increasingly

been willing to touch the taboo subject and perhaps lend a little credence

to those who still believe, writes Chabeli Herrera

He appeared as if a hologram at fi rst — then solid — suddenly there and clear as you or I, at the edge of the forest behind Trish Bishop’s home in

Kissimmee.It was a Thursday in March 2013, the

glow of the afternoon tucking in for the day behind the trees. He stood tall, at least 6-foot-3, perhaps 220 pounds and certainly muscular, wearing a formfi tting tan coloured uniform, boots and gloves. He lingered by the crape myrtle tree in the middle of the backyard.

When he turned around, it was his face, she remembers, that stopped her.

Bulging eyes jutting so far out of the sockets that Bishop wondered whether he could close them. Skin white as chalk. And a jaw so large, it dispelled any notions the government worker had of the visitor being human.

“If you compare a human jawbone to

his, we would be a Chihuahua to a pit bull,” Bishop said.

Paralysed with fear, she watched as what she believed to be an alien appeared to climb invisible steps, stopping often to snatch glances at her from where she sat on her back porch, fumbling with her phone to appear as though she couldn’t see him.

Her fi nger was pressed on the number “9” to dial for help.

When he was about 10 feet off the ground, he turned his back to her and pulled himself up — “into a UFO?” she thought — and was gone.

Bishop sat stunned. “I’ve got a freaking alien in my backyard,” she thought.

It would be four years before she told anyone her story, before she’d discover the Mutual Unidentifi ed Flying Objects Network, a nationwide organisation 50 years old, and fi le her report under case number 84886 with the local Florida chapter.

RECALL: Trish Bishop shows the spot in the backyard of her Kissimmee, Florida, home on February 1, 2019, where she claims to have witnessed an alien and UFO hovering 10-feet above the ground in March 2013.


COMMUNITYCOVER STORY

But she worried: Who would believe her?

These days, more people than you’d think.

Across restaurants and meeting rooms in the United States, MUFON groups still gather every month to discuss cases like Bishop’s with the enthusiasm that once gripped the nation during the Cold War, when UFO sightings still made a splash on the front page.

The Space Coast group, made up of some former Nasa employees and engineers, has 118 members, the largest in the state. Across the US they number 3,500, with additional offi ces in 42 countries.

For many years, they were alone entertaining UFO theories. No more.

In the past two years, scientists, politicians and professionals have increasingly been willing to touch the taboo subject and perhaps lend a little credence to those who still believe.

In December 2017, The New York Times uncovered that the US had gone so far as to fund a secret, $22 million, fi ve-year project to study UFO claims.

Since then, respected researchers, from the chairman of Harvard University’s astronomy department to at least one scientist at Nasa, have come out with theories, albeit controversial ones, that suggest closer study of the role extraterrestrials may play in certain phenomena.

What’s changed, said Robert Powell, an executive board member on the nonprofi t Scientifi c Coalition for Ufology, is our understanding of the universe. As scientists have discovered more Earth-like exoplanets and begun to delve into the options for interstellar travel — one idea includes using a laser-propelled, microchip-shaped probe — the conversation has been shifting.

“We still think of ourselves, as a species, as the centre of everything,” Powell said. “Once you … at least start to discuss interstellar travel, you have to admit that, if there is intelligent life out there, then they have to be able to travel interstellar, too.”

The challenge with UFO and alien sightings has always been the lack of evidence. Bishop said she was too scared to take a photo of her alien. Little to no consequential evidence exists in other cases.

Psychology can explain some of it. Common explanations include a person projecting their unconscious desires onto something, or a predisposition to believe in conspiracy theories informing what a person thinks they saw, said Alvin Wang, a psychology professor at the University of Central Florida.

People who believe they witnessed something may seek out others who reaffi rm that belief, like “being in an echo chamber,” Wang said.

“People tend to hold on to that particularly if it fi ts in with their worldview and their belief system that there are other beings that inhabit the universe,” Wang said. “And they get … confi rmation support, when they are members of UFO believers community.”

But Bishop stands by what she said she saw. She works a government security job with three area contractors and said she has no reason to lie.

And she’s on the hunt for ET now. After reporting her case in 2017, she bought three hunting trackers on eBay and set them up in her backyard. They’re motion activated, and sometimes they’ll go off in the night and capture 6,000 images — but there’s nothing in the frame. She once caught a Tic Tac-shaped blur in the sky she believes to be a UFO.

“I just think it’s a belief thing until you actually see them,” Bishop said. “You always gotta wonder.”

Some people, like Kathleen Marden, have been wondering all their lives.

It was September 1961 when the then 13-year-old got the call: Her aunt, Betty Hill, and her uncle, Barney Hill, said they’d seen a UFO on their drive through the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

Betty’s dress was torn and Barney’s shoes were scuff ed. There were two hours they couldn’t account for and Barney was sure he’d seen eight to 11 fi gures dressed in black shiny uniforms that were “somehow not human,” said Marden, who now lives outside Orlando.

It wasn’t until the Hills were put through a hypnosis session by Boston psychiatrist Dr Benjamin Simon that their stories of being taken into a UFO and physically examined were revealed.

“They were interested in the skin, in the skeletal structure, in the joints,” said Marden, MUFON’s director of experiencer research. “They examined their hands, they took their shoes off , they examined their feet, they did tests on them that appear to be testing their nervous systems, as well.”

The Hills’ alleged abduction was made public in 1965 — and the story gripped the nation. Did They Seize Couple? the Boston Traveler posited. I Was Quizzed in ‘Space Ship,’ read another headline.

Marden has dedicated her life to uncovering the truth behind she says was government tampering with the Hills’ case and has written four books about her aunt and uncle and fl ying saucers. She’s seen the change in perception about UFOs in the public and scientifi c community fi rst hand.

“I absolutely do think that there is a shift, that people are giving more credence to this they did in the past,” she said, pointing to the 2017 New York Times story on the Pentagon’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identifi cation Programme as the turning point.

The programme was run by military intelligence offi cial Luis Elizondo and put together at the request of then-Senate majority leader Harry Reid. It ran from 2007 to 2012 in partnership with businessman Robert Bigelow’s company Bigelow Aerospace, which studied cases of American military personnel observing unknown objects.

One case in particular garnered attention when it was declassifi ed because videos showed a craft with

no apparent propulsion moving at alarmingly fast speeds. It was fi lmed in 2004 by two Navy F/A-18F fi ghter jets off the coast of San Diego.

Navy pilot Commander David Fravor, who witnessed the Tic Tac-shaped craft, told The Washington Post in late 2017 that he maintained it was “something not from Earth.”

Then came Harvard’s astronomy department chair, Avi Loeb, a renown scientist who Time magazine named one of the 25 most infl uential people in space in 2012.

He, along with colleague Shmuel Bialy, wrote in a publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters that a thin interstellar object seen passing through our solar system called Oumuamua “is a lightsail, fl owing in interstellar space as a debris

from an advanced technological equipment.”

Loeb went a step further, theorising that, “alternatively, a more exotic scenario is that Oumuamua may be a fully operational probe sent intentionally to Earth vicinity by an alien civilisation.” The theory has provoked the ire of the scientifi c community, but Loeb has stood by it.

Is it aliens, for sure? Loeb can’t say. He just says he can’t fi nd another explanation.

At Nasa Ames Research Center in California, scientist Silvano Colombano has gone on record suggesting the space agency look at all explanations in its approach to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, known as SETI. Historically, Nasa has not weighed

in on the issue much, most recently opening a Center for Life Detection Science that is more about fi nding biosignatures than analysing alleged UFO sightings.

But Colombano argued in a March 2018 white paper that the scientifi c community should be more open about looking at the evidence that is already there, “consider the UFO phenomenon worthy of study” and engage in “speculative physics” grounded in solid scientifi c theories but with some “willingness to stretch possibilities as to the nature of space-time and energy.”

Essentially, he said, it was time Nasa had a more open mind. — The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida)/TNS

AN EYE ON UFOs: Mutual UFO Network Field Investigator, Bill Fisk, at his home in Palm Bay, Florida. Fisk was hooked on the subject of UFO phenomena after he saw a light in the sky make a sharp 90-degree turn when he was 9 years old.

HAUNTING: Kathleen Marden holds a picture of her aunt, Betty Hill, and her uncle, Barney Hill, at her home in Kissimmee, Florida, on February 4, 2019. The Hill’s account of their alleged alien abduction, that they said happened in the White Mountains in New Hampshire in 1961, gained national attention when it was made public in 1965.


COMMUNITYQU organises closing ceremony of 6th High School Wooden Bridge CompetitionQatar University recently organised a closing ceremony of 6th High School Wooden Bridge Competition, organised by the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Qatar University, College of Engineering (QU-CENG). The competition is one of several high school outreach activities conducted by CENG to motivate students to join the field of engineering in general and civil engineering in particular, where teams of students compete to construct model bridges. The competition was sponsored by Alsarh Holding Group.Abdullah bin Ali al-Mesnad, a student of Secondary School for Boys, bagged first position, which was followed by Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Mana, student of Secondary School for Boys, and Hasan bin Thabit, Secondary School for Boys, with second and third positions, respectively.The event was attended by notable personalities, including Abdelmagid Hammuda, Dean of CENG; Dr Mohammed Farouk, CENG Department Head of Civil and Architectural Engineering;

and Musa al-Omar, Alsarh Holding Group CEO Representative.Abdelmagid Hammuda said, “This competition is part of CENG collaboration with industry and its commitment to target community members and raise awareness on the various programmes and activities. Through this competition, CENG is reaching schools and students to motivate them to develop their skills in the field of engineering, which will contribute to preparing national engineers that can fulfil the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.”Dr Mohammed Farouk said, “The competition aims to promote civil engineering skills among Qatari secondary school students by providing them with the opportunity to test and design small bridges and make use of imagination to come up with innovative bridges that can bear loads. This competition is a way to showcase the principles of civil engineering to participants, to highlight its importance to life and industry, and to attract distinguished Qatari students to the civil engineering programme.”

University of Calgary in Qatar hosts IPE Event on Mental Health IssuesThe University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ), in collaboration with Qatar University, recently hosted an Inter-Professional Education (IPE) event to examine the topic of mental health. Forty-four students from UCQ welcomed 22 of their peers from Qatar University Pharmacy Department to participate in the event.“Working with mental health patients over the years, I cannot overstate the importance of a collaborative approach to treatment,” said Justin Burkett, one of the UCQ organisers. “Pharmacy and nursing each bring a wealth of knowledge to patient care and improving outcomes for individuals and families. The IPE at UCQ with QU pharmacy students was an excellent opportunity to begin fostering trust in each other’s profession that will remain throughout their careers.” “This year’s IPE event gave me a new experience of how nurses and pharmacies can work together to improve the patient’s status. The experience was diff erent because I understand how pharmacists work with patients who have mental health challenges,” said one of the participants.

Birla Gavel Club organises Annual Speech ContestBirla Gavel Club recently organised its Annual Speech Contest. The competition was divided into four categories, including international, evaluation, table topics and humorous. Sanvi Sudesh bagged first position in international category, which was followed by Arshia Arora and Rohan Philip with second and third positions, respectively. In the evaluation category, the winners, included Sanvi Sudesh, first position; Arshia Arora, second; and Krish Kaviraj, third.

In the table topics category, the winners, included Sanvi Sudesh, first position; Arshia Arora, third; and Ishita Somayaji, third. Arshiya Arora bagged first first in humorous category, which was followed by Jineshwar N and Clarina Pinto with second and third positions, respectively. The event was organised by Kamra Thakur, Contest Manager, under the guidance of Anil Nair, Counsellor, and supported by Alan and Sangeeta for logistics. The contest was conducted by Bhumika, Jestina, Shravya, Diya and Niveditha.


COMMUNITYQLA celebrates 8th Annual Pi DayQatar Leadership Academy (QLA), part of Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education (PUE), recently celebrated 8th Annual Pi Day.The event was organised by QLA’s Math Department. Around 100 students from various schools in Qatar, including PUE Schools Qatar Academy Al Khor, Qatar Academy Al Wakra, Nord Anglia International School Al Khor, Al Khor International School, English Modern School Doha, Arab International Academy and the Swiss International School of Qatar participated in the event.The day, which featured a series of engaging activities and games, including math and art competitions.Sunil Sharma, Teacher at QLA, said, “The activities for Pi Day were designed to create a motivating environment for students, and generate a curiosity about math as a whole. We hope to continue hosting this event in the future, and would like to encourage other students across Qatar to join our celebrations.”

Division A to conduct Annual ConferenceDivision A of Toastmasters International is all set to organise its Annual Conference on March 29 from 7am onwards at Crowne Plaza Hotel. Twenty-four winners from 3 area contests will be competing for the championship title in 4 speech categories. “Apart from the speech contests, there are 3 unique sessions planned to enthral the delegates,” said Girish Jain, Division A Director. “There will be a motivational keynote address by General Manager of Gulf Exchange, Jaff ar Ali al-Sarraf. An interesting workshop on humour will be conducted by veteran toastmaster and humour champion Vinodh Pisharom. Apart from this, three humorous skit performances will also be enacted by the winners of recently conducted Humorous Skit Contest”, he added.

City Centre Rotana Doha hosts kids from Shafallah and Best Buddies QatarCity Centre Rotana Doha recently hosted 80 kids from Shafallah Centre and Best Buddies Qatar to mark International Day of Down Syndrome. The aim of the visit was to allow the kids from both institutions to have memorable times and to increase public awareness about the noble objectives of both Shafallah Centre and Best Buddies Qatar and the honourable role they play in the society. The day kicked off with a distinct breakfast specially curated for this occasion, which was followed by a reading. The event also featured fun activities.Martin Kendall, General Manager of City Centre Rotana Doha, said, “We are pleased to join forces

with the Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs and Best Buddies Qatar to highlight this distinctive role they undertake within the local society and support them in the best way we know which is providing the kids with exclusive time full of joy, by engaging them in a range of activities and events that suit their abilities. We strongly believe that such events are beautiful occasions that rise to the innocence and purity of the hearts of these distinguished children. Our staff members are always enthusiastic towards hosting them by planning unique activities for them to make cherishing memories.”

CELEBRATION: All Pakistanis Overseas Organisation International (APOO World) recently celebrated Pakistan National Day. Zahid Sheikh, APOO World Chairman for Central Committee, cut the cake along with other committee members, including Haroon Rahid Qureshi, Nadeem Bashir Choudhury, Aqib Yahya, Usman Khan, Rauf Shahzad, Zahid Sheikh and Iftikharuddin Choudhary.


COMMUNITY GARDENING

The year of the salvia equates to the year of the hummingbirdSunlight and organic-rich soil will give you the green thumb when it comes to growing

salvias. Wet soggy winter soil is the nemesis to those of us that treasure these flowers

By Norman Winter

The National Garden Bureau has proclaimed 2019 as The Year of the Salvia. I would be the fi rst to proclaim a hearty

Yes! Then I started thinking that for The Garden Guy every year is the year of the salvia. Then I went into despair thinking what if I had a year without salvia? It would be like the old Hee Haw TV show song, Gloom Despair and Agony on Me, Deep Dark Depression Excessive Misery.

That’s it, in a nutshell, I simply could not live without perennial salvias. They create instant excitement in the garden because of their spiky texture adding a vertical element no other plant can match. The Garden Guy craves blue in all shades, so salvia like Indigo Spires, Mystic Spires Blue, and last year’s Mysty Blue salvia will all be in my garden. I am looking forward to this year’s hit Big Blue.

Though I have no bog you can expect to fi nd the bog sage salvia uliginosa in my garden reaching 4-feet tall, spreading and off ering sky blue fl owers that are among the rarest colors in the garden. Salvias

are the hummingbird magnets in the garden and while they frequently visit the salvias mentioned above nothing quite compares to the anise sage or salvia guaranitica varieties and hybrids.

Black and Blue, Black and Bloom, and Amistad salvia are where hummingbirds come to feast in ecstasy and seem to stay until cold weather moves them to the tropics. These are large salvias, 4- to 5-feet tall with a clump almost as wide. The fl ower’s black calyces partnered with cobalt blue blooms or royal purple as in the Amistad are mesmerising.

After almost 40 years of growing salvias, it is most rare to watch them for even a couple of minutes without seeing a variety of pollinators. Bees, butterfl ies, hummingbirds, and those rarities like the scarlet-bodied wasp moth can be found visiting. You’ll be surprised what you fi nd each and every day, but only if you grow salvias.

Those I’ve mentioned thus far are imports but the United States is home to some incredible salvias like the mealy cup sage or Salvia farinacea. To see a wild stand of these blue fl owered spikes will long be remembered. You’ll fi nd deep blue, gray and white selections at your garden center. Varieties like Victoria

Blue and Rhea have been award winners and Cathedral Deep Blue is as worthy as it is among the most dazzling.

The scarlet sage, Salvia coccinea, is native to the lower southern states and a couple up north as well. As the name suggests it is a glorious saturated red. You’ll fi nd these in multi-colors and bi-coloirs at the garden centre. Then the cherry sage or Autumn sage, Salvia greggii, is native to Texas and blooms non-stop from late spring until frost. It, too, is a deep red with other colours now available.

The National Garden Bureau chose to give special consideration to the meadow sage or Salvia nemerosa. May Night a hybrid was the Perennial Plant of the Year in 1997. It is indeed beautiful and hardy in zones 4-8. As a whole, this species seems to perform best in zones 7 and further north. Those I referenced above are perennial in zones 7, 8, and warmer and most worthy to be grown as annuals.

Sunlight and organic-rich well-drained soil will give you the green thumb when it comes to growing salvias. Wet soggy winter soil is the nemesis to those of us that treasure these fl owers. Thankfully they are not on the deer menu. Do like the

National Garden Bureau suggests and celebrate 2019 The Year of the Salvia by planting them in your landscape. You’ll fi nd that 2019 will also be The Year of the Hummingbird no matter where you live. – TNS

COLOURFUL: The butterflies are seen feeding on the bog sage, Salvia uliginosa.

BLOOMING: The cherry sage is native to Texas and New Mexico but is easy to grow, blooming all summer and feeding hummingbirds.

PERFECT: This bee finds the Mysty Blue salvia just perfect.


COMMUNITYHISTORY

Bringing crumbling Balticmanor houses back to life

There are hundreds of neglected manor houses available for sale in Latvia

and Estonia, the remnants of the ruling Baltic Germans who lost power

when both countries gained independence. Some brave entrepreneurs are

now restoring them as a way to attract tourists. By Alexander Welscher

Anyone who walks across the creaking parquet floor of the Kuksu Muiza manor in Latvia cannot fail

to be enchanted.Sparkling chandeliers hang

from the ceilings, which are decorated with exquisite stucco. Elaborately framed paintings adorn the walls, and the rooms are bursting with antique furniture.

“My guests should get a feeling for how the landed gentry lived at the time,” says Daniel Jahn during a tour of the estate, about 85 kilometres west of the capital, Riga.

The German hotelier acquired the manor house shortly before the turn of the millennium in a desolate state, and has since brought it back to life. In doing so, he appears to have started something of a trend in the Baltics, where more and more manor houses are being restored as museums, restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions.

“When I saw the house for the first time, it was a ruin,” Jahn says. There were holes in the roof, missing windows, crumbling

walls, and the garden was overrun with weeds.

But it was still love at first sight.He paid 18,000 US dollars for

the house, whose existence was first recorded in 1530, and where the mother of the German-Baltic writer Werner Bergengruen was born.

“The decision to buy it came entirely from my gut,” says Jahn, who has been living in Latvia since the start of the 1990s. Now, looking back at pictures from that time, he questions the wisdom of his decision.

But he was so struck by the beauty of the building, and how it reflected in the adjacent lake, that he couldn’t resist.

“It looked like an enchanted fairytale castle.”

Jahn studied economics and hotel management in Germany before initially working as a chef and waiter. When Latvia gained independence, he took over the management of the country’s first hotel to operate under Western standards – which soon became one of Latvia’s leading hotels.

In 2007, he started his own business with Kuksu Muiza – thus

launching a new type of guest house tourism in Latvia.

Jahn has invested several million euros in restoring the manor house to its former glory. For the renovation, which was as faithful as possible to the original, he called in conservationists and historians, collected period furniture with reference to an old inventory list and purchased paintings.

The result is a quiet and secluded country hotel with over a dozen guest rooms, each with its own charm.

The hotel attracts 1,200 guests every year, all of whom benefit from Jahn’s home-cooked food made from regional ingredients. The manor house has attracted some prestigious guests: From Latvian state presidents to foreign dignitaries, the entries in the guest book are impressive.

But the competition is growing. In Latvia, as in neighbouring Estonia, more and more ancient estates have been restored in recent years – often with ultra-modern interiors.

“Manor houses are becoming more and more popular because

the standard of living is rising. Many people want to feel like aristocrats,” says Janis Lazdans of the Latvian Association of Castles, Palaces and Manor Houses.

Riin Alatalu from the Estonian Association of Manor Houses says that country is also seeing an increased interest in such houses.

“They are popular with local and foreign visitors,” she says about the buildings, which often stand out from their rural surroundings with their bright colours and impressive architecture.

About 1,250 such buildings were still in use in Estonia a century ago, and a similar number in Latvia – most of them Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings.

For a long time, the manor houses were regarded as a symbol of oppression by the Baltic Germans, who as the ruling upper class shaped politics and cultural history in Latvia and Estonia up to the independence of the countries in 1918.

A few years ago, however, attitudes began to change: Today

the estates, whose heyday as manors began in the second half of the 18th century, are regarded as an important part of the cultural heritage.

But many are still looking for financial backers to wake them from their slumbers. Hundreds of such properties are up for sale.

Apart from those that were turned into village schools or homes, or used for other purposes during Soviet times, the majority of the buildings fell into disrepair. Most are in poor condition and have been derelict for years.

Prices for the estates, which often consist of several buildings, parks and gardens, range from 1 euro to several million. But buying one can be fraught with challenges: Apart from their poor condition, it is often a lack of economic viability that prevents them from being restored. There are also no subsidies for restoration, but many conditions that must be met.

“You have to love a house like this, because economically, it’s a shot in the dark,” says Jahn. “You have to be an enthusiast and a little crazy to get involved.” – DPA

INTERIOR: German hotelier Daniel Jahn wants his guests at the Kuksu Muiza manor to feel like the landed gentry who originally lived on the estate.

HOTELIER: German hotelier Daniel Jahn acquired the manor house in Latvia shortly before the turn of the millennium in a desolate state, and has since brought it back to life.

The wait is almost over! The teasers for fabric for Summer collections 2019 are out as are the billboards. And this

time it doesn’t just say lawn, it says silk and chiff on too. Also there’s nothing controversial about any of the campaigns taking over Pakistan this year, unlike previous few years where even a brand like Sana Safi naz was under scrutiny for Muzlin collection, featuring African people in the background. There are people starving and then there are people buying designer lawn. The prices have defi nitely gone higher but are they worth it?

There are six seasons in Pakistan, including Spring, Summer, Winter, Autumn, Shaadi and Lawn season. Here’s to the big guns of lawn, making sophisticated moves as they tap the vast market. Despite the umpteen designers who’ve signed up with umpteen textile mills with vast resources at their disposal, the event of the year remains the lawn of these three designers. With their campaign on the hook and their collection almost in the market, we can see that no one has really put in the kind of eff ort, they have into their fabric or campaigns. The loyalists keep coming back for the quality; and these designers ensure pure silk and pure chiff on, not synthetic material and the lawn itself wears well and lasts.

Brace yourself and head to their stores, you’ll need some water on hand, because there’s going to be traffi c jams and never before witnessed stampedes.

Bisou Bisou!

Zara ShahjahanThe very summery ‘Jahan’ from

Zara Shahjahan’s upcoming lawn line takes inspiration from the hues of Marrakesh. Its featuring timeless fl orals fashioned into a layered design and making a statement with its Moroccan colour palette. Zara’s trademark motifs can be seen meshed with local fl owers like Persian rose. Subtle hues, pastels, every fl owing chiff on dupattas and fl ared trousers – all too summery for a day-out!

ÉlanÉlan has taken its signature

aesthetic a step further and brought fashion back into lawn. Attention to detail in prints with western cuts featuring gowns rather than conventional shalwar kameez is a statement. Redefi ning the purveyor of subtleness ‘in-between’ going creative and experimenting with looks has won millennials over the period of time. Psychedelic taff eta prints in saturated colours, blending together the fi nest cuts and western craftmaship of Elan and the extravagant touch of animalier. The looks are perfect for formal evening shenanigans. Bold colours on the exaggerated print turn more fl amboyant with golden buttons on the front panels of the long shirt

dress. The most interesting detail belt with jewel toned fl oral motif.

Zainab ChottaniZainab’s luxe lawn range

encapsulates the cheerfulness of spring with a vibrant colour palette and bold prints along with a few subtle shades to keep up with the heat of Pakistani summer. The campaign for the collection has been shot at the breathtaking landscape of Cameron Highlands in Malaysia.

Be it giving the shades of resort collection or sequin drenched silhoettes, Zainab is all about details, and for her the saturated colours is a resounding yes!

Looking at the designs, Zainab Chottani has celebrated the wonders of nature by depicting blooming fl ora and fauna with earthy tones and warm hues. Produced on the fi nest of lawn fabrics and woven jacquards, the designer has played with her exquisite signature style to create a premium capsule collection of exquisite 20 designs. Mixing and matching and bursting with colours!


COMMUNITY SHOWBIZ

Glitz &

GlamBy Muhammad Asad Ullah

It’s lawn season

Elan

Zara Shahjahan

Zainab Chottani

Lyricist and screenwriter Kausar Munir, who has collaborated with fi lmmaker Kabir Khan to write the story of docu-drama Roar of the

Lion, says she believes in projecting every character in the right manner responsibly, not just women.

Asked if she feels an extra sense of responsibility to present women in a progressive manner because she is a female writer herself, Kausar said: “I think my responsibility as a writer goes beyond the gender that I represent.

“Whether I am a man or a woman, I suppose I try to present characters (in writing) in a progressive manner, in a just and fair manner.

I do not think the gender of the writer comes there.”

Kausar has earlier collaborated with Kabir for fi lms like Ek Tha Tiger, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Phantom.

Citing an example, she said: “When Kabir called me to be a part of the project for writing the story, he did not think about the fact that if I, being a woman, would be interested in cricket and if I watch it. It was more to do with whether as a writer, I know my job. Gender does not come there.

“Having said that, yes, we are living in a patriarchal society and every human being has the responsibility that goes beyond gender, cast, race... where things and matters should be represented rightly, and certainly not in an off ensive manner,” she added.

To that, Kabir said: “I think it is not just the responsibility of women, but more so of men. As a man, one has to be gender sensitive, and when I am showing a female character in my fi lm, my belief system will refl ect on that character... I believe women are strong and I cannot show them in a derogatory manner.

“No, not from an activist’s point of view to make a statement all the time, but it has to be humane. And that comes inherently from a sensitive mind. We have to be mindful on everything.”

The story of Roar of the Lion

revolves around the downfall of the cricket team Chennai Super Kings during the match-fi xing allegation followed by their victorious comeback in 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL).

It streams on OTT platform Hotstar. – IANS

Wednesday, March 27, 2019 11GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYSHOWBIZ

Responsibility of a writer is beyond gender: Kausar

Big budget fi lms set to clash in 2020

From Sooryavanshi and Inshallah to Shamshera and RRR among many others – Bollywood is gearing up for a clash of big-budget fi lms at the box offi ce in the coming year.

IANS lists them:

Taanaji - The Unsung Warrior and Chhapaak on January 10: One is about a real life warrior, and the other on an acid attack survivor.

Ajay Devgn’s period drama Taanaji - The Unsung Warrior is based on Tanaji Malusare, a 17th century Maharashtrian Marathi military leader in the Maratha Empire. Deepika

Padukone’s Chhapaak revolves around the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal.

Shamshera and RRR on July 30: Ranbir Kapoor starrer Shamshera and Alia Bhatt-Ajay Devgn starer RRR will be battling it out at the box offi ce.

While the makers of Shamshera announced the release date last year, fi lmmaker S S Rajamouli unveiled the release date of RRR – a fi ctional story on two real-life heroes and freedom fi ghters Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem – just earlier this month.

Sooryavanshi and Inshallah on Eid: Filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi starring Akshay Kumar was earlier slated to hit the screens in December this year but the makers announced May 22 – Eid 2020 – as its release date. According to reports, Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt-starrer Inshallah, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, too will arrive on the same date.

Ajay Devgn and Ranbir Kapoor’s yet untitled fi lm and Hrithik Roshan-starrer Krrish 4: The fourth instalment of Krrish will lock horns at the box offi ce on Christmas. – IANS

Jordan to star in Methuselah movie

Actor Michael B Jordan will produce and star in a Methuselah movie for Warner Bros, based on the Biblical story of a man who lived to be 969 years old.

Jordan will produce the fi lm along with David Heyman and Jeff rey Cliff ord, reports variety.com

Warner Bros has been developing the project for many years with Will Smith and Tom Cruise interested in the project. Zach Dean wrote an early script after coming on to the project in 2014. The most recent draft was written by Tony Gilroy.

Methuselah is referenced in the book as the son of Enoch, who lived to be 365 years old. The scripts have focused on Methuselah’s survival skills.

Jordan is working with New Regency as a producer on an untitled monster movie from Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts.

Jordan broke out as Oscar Grant in the drama Fruitvale Station and portrayed boxer Adonis Creed in the two Rocky sequels. He played the antagonist Erik Killmonger in last year’s hit Black Panther. – IANS

CANDID: Kausar Munir says: “I think my responsibility as a writer goes beyond the gender that I represent.”

WRESTLER: Nikki Bella says she wanted to explore some new arena in her life.

Nikki Bella announces retirement from WWE

Actress-wrestler Nikki Bella has announced her retirement from the WWE.

On the show Total Bellas, Bella announced her decision saying she wanted to explore some new arena in her life, reports foxnews.com

“The (European) tour was good but I feel like I’m too old for the travel, the travel was really rough. I was like, ‘Why am I doing this? I don’t feel good.’ The girls are doing amazing things over there. I really am ready to hang up the jersey, I can say it fully.”

The 35-year-old now happily wants to put her WWE jersey away to focus on other things. “It’s making me realise I am ready to fold the jersey and put it away. I’m ready to put the kicks aside and I’m ready to take Nikki Bella into a different direction.”

Bella made her WWE debut back in 2007, her SmackDown debut with her twin sister, Brie Bella was in 2008, and has won the Divas Championship twice. – IANS

PRODUCER: Michael B Jordan will produce and star in the movie based on the Biblical story of a man who lived to be 969 years old.

NEW PROJECT: Sooryavanshi starring Akshay Kumar is slated to hit the screens May 2020.


COMMUNITY

By Mudassir Raja

The 198th National Day of Greece was celebrated with nationalistic spirit and cultural enthusiasm at InterContinental

Doha where ministers of Qatar government, ambassadors, members of diplomatic corps, prominent members of Greek expatriate community and business community were present in large numbers.

The reception, hosted by the embassy of Greece in Qatar, was attended by HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, Minsiter of Culture and Sports; HE Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs; Ibrahim Fakhroo, Director of Protocol; Ali Ibrahim Ahmed, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador of Eritrea; and Panayotis Mihalos, Chairman of the Qatar-Greek Business Council, among others.

The proceedings of the evening were started with the national anthems of both Qatar and Greece. Following the anthems, Constantinos Orphanides, Ambassador of Greece to Qatar, addressed the gathering and highlighted the historic contributions his country has made for the modern day world. He also shed light on the bilateral ties with Qatar at length. The Qatari dignitaries and the Greek ambassador then cut a beautiful cake to mark the special day.

The cake-cutting ceremony was followed by a cultural performance by local artistes. Diff erent performance of Greek folk dances were presented by young men and women clad in traditional Greek clothes. The audience kept enjoying the folk dances while having traditional Greek cuisine for about an hour.

Prominent fi gures from diff erent expatriate communities, the Greeks and diplomats remained present at the programme for a long time to socialise with each other. The guests were served with a variety of food – especially authentic Greek cuisine.

Thanking the guests for attending the National Day reception, Ambassador Constantinos Orphanides said: “I welcome you all to our reception of the National Day of the Hellenic Republic. We celebrate the 198th anniversary of one of the most important events in the long history of the Greek nation – the proclamation of Independence

of Greece on March 25 1821, that has initiated the Greek Revolution leading to establishment of the modern Greek state.”

Speaking about the long history of his country, the ambassador said: “Greece throughout its long history of more than 3,000 years had a great contribution to the world’s civilization. The phenomenon of the countless Greek words used today in the terminology of science and technologies, of arts and literature, in philosophy and politics is the factual testimony of the great Greek contributions.”

After highlighting the rich heritage of Greece and the independence struggle, the ambassador said: “I am pleased to say that the time that has passed since we met here to celebrate our National Day last year has been full of achievements and fulfi lled

expectations for Qatar, for Greece and for our community. In the same time, the process of further enhancement of our bilateral relations with Qatar is continued.

“Greece in 2018 continued its speedy recovery from the economic crisis that the country passed through last year.”

He added: “We strongly believe that relations between countries should be based on compliance with the international law and mutual respect. We are always committed to peaceful coexistence and cooperation with all nations. For Qatar, 2018 was a year full of great achievements. Qatar managed to turn the challenge of the embargo to a great opportunity for successfully developing self-suffi ciency in the economy.

“We deeply appreciate the readiness of Qatar to use its

resources for those in need.”Further highlighting the Greece-

Qatar ties, the ambassador said: “During the last year, we witnessed the exchange of a lot of offi cial visits which have enhanced the bilateral ties. In September 2018, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani visited Greece, where he met with the president and prime minister of the country. Three months later the Greek Deputy

Minister of Foreign Aff airs Tarens Quik visited Qatar where he met diff erent dignitaries.

“I should also mention that a signifi cant number of Greek technical, construction and consultation companies are operating in Qatar. Major infrastructure projects have been entrusted to them. The Greek community here is very dear to us. It is a living bond between Greece and Qatar. There are more than 2, 600 Greeks living in Qatar.”

Embassy of Greece hosts reception on National Day

GROUP: Off icials and dignitaries during the cake cutting ceremony.

AUDIENCE: Ministers from the Qatar government, ambassadors, members of diplomatic corps, prominent members of Greek expatriate community and business community were present in large numbers at the occasion.

FOLK DANCE: Local artistes present a cultural dance performance.

DIPLOMAT: Constantinos Orphanides, Ambassador of Greece, speaking at the National Day of Greece.

“Greece throughout its long history of more than 3,000 years had a great contribution to the world’s civilization. The phenomenon of the countless Greek words used today in the terminology of science and technologies, of arts and literature, in philosophy and politics is the factual testimony of the great Greek contributions” — Constantinos Orphanides, Ambassador of Greece

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