DJWE’s lustre shines brighter

DOHA TODAYPAGE | 03 PAGE | 06

Best Buddies Qatar organises different

sports activities

Two start-ups of QF tech hub’s XLR8 program to launch ventures

THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020 Email: dohatoday@pen.com.qa

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Excitement is palpable at the 17th Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition as it marks its biggest

edition with over a hundred exhibitors, glutting connoisseurs and aficionados with a spectacular

showcase of a broad range of luxury jewellery and exclusive timepieces.

03DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

Members of Best Buddies Qatar took part in bowling tournament, organised by Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities in part-

nership with Qatar Bowling Federation, recently.As many as 28 participants with intellectual and

developmental disabilities were from Shafallah Center, Best Buddies Qatar, Doha Independent Secondary School for Boys, Al Ahnaf Bin Qays Independent School for Boys and Abu Baker Al-Saddiq School for Boys.

Laalei Abu Alfain, the Executive Director of Sha-fallah Center/Best Buddies Qatar warmly welcomed the participants and opened Bowling Tournament.

All schools and organisations were granted trophies and certificates for their valuable asset into engagement of persons with intellectual and develop-mental disabilities into sports activity. And every player was granted a medal for the effort and participation in bowling tournament.

Best Buddies Qatar, in cooperation with Sharq

Village & Spa, organised sports event for its 60 members with and without intellectual and develop-mental disabilities from Kamal Naji Model School for Boys, Al Qadisiyah Model School for Boys, Al-Taawon Independent School for Girls, Al-Shifaa Bint Abdul-rahman School for Girls with the participation of Best Buddies Qatar promoters from Michael E. Debakey High School.

The members played different sports games, attended yoga class and took part in team competi-tions, such as: Peer-wooden steps, Caterpillar, Karissa Ball.

Asela Jayaweera, Director Heart of House, Sharq Village & Spa, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha, said: “Sharq Village & Spa, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha has placed a huge emphasis on reaching out to causes that are focused on rehabilitating, reviving and renewing certain areas of life that may have undergone disabil-ities or setbacks. This initiative is always the genuine

effort taken by the enthusiastic Leadership Team of the hotel, who feel passionately about giving back to society and making a difference.

The Hotel has been cooperating with Best Buddies Qatar during years in order to socialize the members with and without intellectual and developmental disa-bilities through their engagement in sports activities. Best Buddies Qatar does a very important cause towards the community service and we feel the need to support the organisation in every way.”

Majida Timimi, Upper School Assistant Principal of Michael E. DeBakey High School, highlighted: “We are privileged to participate in Best Buddies Qatar Pro-moters Program and to help enhance life of persons with disabilities through organising and hosting various activities throughout the year. The opportunity to inte-grate and make friendships with them brings gladness to our students. —The Peninsula

Best Buddies Qatar organises

different sports activities

COMMUNITY

COVER STORY04 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition dazzles on its 17th yearRAYNALD C RIVERA

THE PENINSULA

It was not hard to understand the palpable excitement at the launch of the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE) on Monday. After all, it’s

the biggest edition of Qatar’s premier luxury event being presented for the 17th year by Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC).

Since the opening, jewellery and watches connois-seurs and enthusiasts have continued flocking to Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) to see some of the spectacular pieces on display and get in the loop on the latest in the jewellery and watches industry, with several brands marking their much anticipated reveals, some of which are uniquely crafted exclusive pieces inspired by Qatar.

To get a sense of the scale of this year’s DJWE, a 67 percent increase in the number of exhibitors is no small feat. From the 77 exhibitors from 10 countries last year, participation at this year’s edition has jumped to 129 exhibitors from 14 countries showcasing more than 500 well-known brands spread across a 33,000sqm exhibition space. This undoubtedly demonstrates the increasing interest among international exhibitors

towards the event which has already cemented a repu-tation as one of the most important luxury, jewellery and watches exhibitions in the world.

Since its launch in 2003, the expo has witnessed renowned watch and jewellery brands exhibit their most stunning pieces to a growing international audience. Last year, 27,000 visitors attended the event attracting many tourists to Doha and putting the

country’s capital on the map of must-attend interna-tional luxury events.

With QNTC’s more aggressive promotional approach with a campaign aired in 16 regional and international markets projected to reach more than 450 million people, this year’s six-day expo is expected to generate more visits from tourists, furthering Qatar’s position as a world-class destination. The campaign features Bollywood actress, style icon and influencer Sonam Kapoor, who also graced the event’s opening ceremony.

In a bid to further attract more tourists to the event, Qatar Airways is offering special promotions on fares in Economy and Business Class until the end of March. The Asian premiere of Messi10, the latest ground-breaking show by Cirque du Soleil which opens today at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, is also an added attraction expected to draw more visitors to the country.

All seven of the country’s leading jewellery houses including Alfardan Jewellery, Al Majed Jewellery, Ali Bin Ali Luxury, Amiri Gems, Fifty One East, Al Muftah Jewellery and Blue Salon have lent their constant support through their participation in the show. Their vast pavilions exhibit a wide array of award-winning

05DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

high-end timepieces and exceptional iconic jewellery brands to glut aficionados.

From the homegrown jewellery companies to inter-national participants, DJWE 2020 is complete with all the elements that make a stellar luxury show, and this year has seen two international pavilions take part. In its second year, the Indian pavilion has more than doubled its participation with 28 brands that present a diverse collection of Indian jewellery, responding to various tastes and needs. There is also the Turkish pavilion which showcases 11 Turkish brands.

A number of international brands are marking their DJWE debut such as Dolce & Gabbana and Nous, which can be found in the Ali Bin Ali Luxury pavilion; De Beers, which will soon open its first store in Qatar at Al Hazm Mall; and Italian brand Lenore, which presents a col-lection of bracelets, necklaces and earrings at the Jawaher Pavilion.

A new 18-carat white gold egg joins other famous Fabergé pieces at the Alfardan Jewellery Pavilion, while Rolex and Tudor displays iconic designs, and Chanel has a dedicated booth within Fifty One East’s pavilion. Jawahir Oman Jewellers, one of Oman’s oldest luxury brands, presents a selection of its most famous collec-tions, including Dinar.

The Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer has launched its first ever Qatar limited edition timepiece. The special limited edition GMT Aquaracer is inspired by the colours of the Qatari flag, and features a vibrant dual-colorued combination of burgundy and silver-white on the bezel, that is further underscored by the use of Arabic numbers.

Since its launch four years back, the Young Qatari Designers (YQD) initiative has continuously supported emerging local jewellery designers to expand their reach in the industry by providing a dedicated pavilion where they can showcase their designs alongside international brands. The pavilion is located right in the center of the exhibition, giving the Qatari designers big exposure to an international audience.

This year marks the largest YQD participation with 18 designers showcasing 16 brands including returning par-ticipants Trifoglio Jewellery, Ghada Albuainain Jewellery, Ghand Jewellery, Leila Issam Fine Jewellery, Hairaat Fine Jewellery, Nouf Jewellery, Sarah’s & Co., Al Ghala Jew-ellery, Midad Jewellery, Thameen Jewellery and Hessa Jewels and five new Qatari brands H Jewellery, Kaltham’s Pavilion, Camelot Jewellery, Claire De Lune Jewellery

and Letters Passion Arts.Interestingly, a number of these young designers

have drawn inspiration from their own culture such as Noora and Mariam Al Meadadi’s Thameen Jewellery whose designs highlight Islamic and Qatari culture while preserving the originality of local design.

A descendant of the famous Al-Majid family of jew-ellers, Kaltham Al Majid’s Kaltham’s Pavilion draws design inspiration from nature as well as Qatar’s culture and architecture. Most pieces are comprised of unique colored sapphires, diamonds and other precious gem-stones set in 18kt Gold.

Hamad Almohammad’s H Jewellery, on the other hand, is known for its unique designs, which are inspired by Qatari culture and contemporary architecture. The collections include precious stones, pearls, gold, gold coins and diamonds, and can be custom engraved.

Abdulla Yussif Fakhroo’s passion for Arabic callig-raphy is captured in jewelry pieces worn by celebrities. His fondness for Arabic calligraphy led him to establish his brand, Midad Jewelry, which means ink reflective of his collection, with stones that are either blue as tur-quoise, or red as agate.

DJWE 2020 also features highly engaging activities including demonstrations by Qatar Watch Club and Objectif Horlogerie, as well as workshop by diamond expert Rachel Sahar presented by the De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds in collaboration with UNI.

The show also features free valuation by expert gemologists for visitors who buy jewellery at the exhi-bition, and a special zone with interactive activities including mini diamond grading laboratory and a series of seminars on jewelry and gems.

The exhibition is open to visitors from 12pm to 10pm today and on Saturday, and from 4pm to 10pm on Friday.

PICS: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

CAMPUS06

Two start-ups of QF tech hub’s XLR8 program to launch ventures

Two start-ups – ClassTap and PARTIX – that excelled in the eight cycle of the XLR8 program are set to commercially launch their ventures in the local

market in March. ClassTap has developed a digital platform offering

fitness fans easy access to classes and day passes to gyms around Qatar through one smartphone application and under a single membership. While PARTIX will launch an online platform that aims to digitize the automotive spare-parts business.

At the outset, ClassTap’s mission was to develop a digital product that motivates people in Qatar to lead healthier lifestyles by inspiring, connecting, and intro-ducing them to new experiences. The team recognized the difficulty people have with committing to one specific routine which becomes demotivating. ClassTap’s solution to the problem is to introduce the community to all the workouts and fitness classes available across Qatar via one app and membership, thereby giving them much-needed flexibility. The fact that 30 gyms have already signed up to ClassTap is a measure of the app’s future commercial potential.

Heading up ClassTap are co-founders Bashar Hudhud, CEO, a seasoned entrepreneur, and Chief Cre-ative Officer Rana Majeed, an entrepreneur with two Master’s degrees from IE Business School in Spain. The pair recall how, when XLR8, a program at Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation Research, Development and Innovation, began in Sep-tember 2019, ClassTap was just an idea. They credit the “hands-on” program with helping develop it into a market-viable product. They praise their dedicated mentors and advisors, citing their high-quality, regular feedback as vital to all aspects of their start-up devel-opment and future strategy.

“Throughout the program, we learned to define our value proposition, segment our market, conduct inter-views, and validate the market,” they said, adding: “By the end of the program, we had a full business model, product prototype, and market validation data to support it. The experience has been tremendously positive.”

Bashar and Rana described the excitement of “demo day”, and the announcement that the team had been awarded the Best Investment Opportunity award. The win, they say, has helped build their product’s “visibility and viability” in the market. As a sign of its potential com-mercial impact, following their win, ClassTap were immediately approached by Qatar Sportstech, a Start-up Bootcamp branch, to join their program � an offer including financial investment.

Since winning, the team has been busy preparing for the March launch of their product, building the program and working to increase market traction.

ClassTap advise future XLR8 partici-pants to always look to the market:

“Whether this is market demand or supply, com-petitors, or the trends and customer habits that are constantly changing.”

As for XLR8’s impact, they said: “The network we currently have, thanks to QSTP, has been amazing in helping us achieve our goals and making ClassTap a winning XLR8 project.” Throughout the program, team members could confer with other entre-preneurs within QSTP’s ecosystem, which helped them meet the many challenges they faced: “It was extremely beneficial for us to hear how they overcame the many challenges they had.”

Shortlisted as a finalist in the 8th cycle, team PARTIX described how the XLR8 program helped them develop their idea of an online platform that aims to digitize the automotive spare parts business. Via a single app, users will be able to immediately access a comprehensive list of relevant suppliers in the area, along with their prices, allowing motorists to obtain the spare parts they need at a price that suits them, rather than having to hunt for suppliers and manage price variations in the traditional way, saving both time and money.

The four-strong team comprises Ali Abbas Mohamed, Mohamed Khodadady, and Mohamed Hamid Elfadl, all mobile application developers, and Fahad Al Naimi, a chemical engineering graduate of Qatar University and a

project manager at Qatar Shell. Team PARTIX also spoke of having to learn to

respond quickly to the challenges they faced during product development, but expert help was always available: “Cycle 8 was amazing. There were a large number of mentors to support the teams, and during the program we had to pivot the idea more than once.”

The XLR8 program has three main modules: Product-Market Fit, Customer Traction, and Attracting and Pitching to Investors. PARTIX cited the “customer vali-dation” workshop as the most interesting and important, saying: “It asked us to live and experience our customers’ lives, speak their language, and witness their challenges.”

The team related how, following the workshop, they discussed the challenges with their chief mentor, which led to a day spent in their marketplace, the “Industrial Area”.

“We learned so much from talking to our partners, customers, and consumers. The information and guide-lines from mentors helped us at every workshop, and we could meet and discuss things with our mentors, even by text messaging, if we had any doubts. At times, you feel that you are the only team they are taking care of.”

Like ClassTap, PARTIX continues to get good advice from its mentors as it prepares to launch its product, boosting their confidence in its potential for future success and growth.

PARTIX will reach a milestone soon after XLR8 with its official product launch this March: “After graduating from the program, we put in place a plan to test the market and customer reaction to help make our appli-cation more reliable.”

Launched almost a decade ago, the XLR8 program has scored major successes and propelled the growth of several aspiring tech entrepreneurs around the world. A total of 23 start-ups have emerged from XLR8 so far, including five companies currently enjoying commercial success, both in Qatar and foreign markets.

—The Peninsula

Hayfa Al

Abdulla

(left), QSTP

Innovation

Director,

presenting

first prize to

team ClassTap

co-founders

Rana Majeed

and Bashar

Hudhud, at the

Demo Day of

XLR8 cycle 8.

FROM LEFT: Team PARTIX; Ali Abbas Mohamed, Mohamed

Khodadady, both mobile application developers, and

Fahad Al Naimi, chemical engineer.

DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

07

Qatar University’s (QU) Al Bairaq, a program that develops the scientific skills of students in Qatar and encourages them to innovate and join scien-

tific research, started its sixth cycle of the “I am Discov-ering Material” tracks for elementary and preparatory schools in the Al Shamal District.

This track is one of four distinct tracks offered by Al Bairaq, which aims to support Qatar National Vision 2030 by developing the scientific research skills and cre-ative thinking of future generations on the road to a knowledge-based economy.

Moza Al Kubaisi, Principal of Al Shamal Primary School for Boys, one of the participating schools of the sixth cycle said: “The Al Bairaq program has contributed to developing the scientific and applied skills among stu-dents and contributed to evolving the talents of distin-guished students scientifically. It has also created an educational environment for them to be creative and innovate.”

Ibrahim Al Muhannadi, Principal of the Kaabaan Primary School for Boys, said: “The Al Bairaq Program activates the community partnership between local community institutions, as it contributes to increasing students’ awareness and achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030. In this regard, we can only extend thanks and gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this program including lecturers and sup-porters of the program.”

Maryam Sultan Al Hamidi, Principal of Al Daayen Primary Preparatory School for Girls, said: “In fulfillment of the vision of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and based on societal partnership, the Al Daayen School has been keen to participate in the Al-Bairaq competition. This competition will develop

student’s creative skills to solve problems in scientific and thoughtful ways, to create a conscious generation capable of facing future challenges.”

Thirteen schools from the Al Shamal District will par-ticipate in this cycle, which reflects Al Bairaq’s determi-nation to cover the largest number of schools from inside and outside of Doha. The sixth cycle of the “I am Discov-ering Materials” track will include various workshops specialising in materials science such as solar cells with organic dyes, food packaging, compound materials, and concrete. Through this cycle, students will conduct sci-entific experiments to gain knowledge, and then use the acquired knowledge to find innovative solutions to con-temporary problems.

Al Bairaq follows innovative educational methods and techniques such as adopting the STEAM curriculum, which combines science, technology, engineering, math-ematics and art, to ignite students’ curiosity and develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The cycle will conclude with the Annual Con-ference for Research and Innovation, which takes place at QU. This conference represents a platform through which students present their innovative ideas to a committee of specialists from different sectors in Qatar. The conference ends by honoring the student’s and their efforts, encouraging them to refine their research capabilities.

President of Al Bairaq and Head of Communication and Outreach at QU, Dr Noora Jabor Al Thani said, “Sci-entific research is important for improving student knowledge, which is why it is necessary to involve stu-dents from an early age to ignite their curiosity and stim-ulate their creativity and innovation.”

—The Peninsula

QU’s Al Bairaq program continues covering schools in Al Shamal District

TRAVEL08 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

Diving into the d

JOHN BRILEY

THE WASHINGTON POST

This rain — relentless, chilling, downright vengeful — wasn’t in the brochure. I am sitting on the gunwale of a dive boat off the French Polynesian atoll of Fakarava about to back-roll

into a tropical sea famous for its abundance of sharks. I’m with two other divers and a guide in Tumakohua Pass, one of the two major breaks in this necklace of coral where the ocean feeds a 37-by-14-mile lagoon.

Swells pitch the boat as the rain turns horizontal. We are only a few hundred yards from shore, but the dock from where we departed is barely visible through the gale. At our guide’s signal, we drop from the maelstrom into the blue calm.

Fakarava is one of five atolls in French Polynesia, a collectivity of 118 islands cast across the South Pacific Ocean like unconfirmed rumours. The best known of these, and the territory’s commercial and cultural centre, is Tahiti. I came to these islands to dive and in hopes of finding remnants of the ancient Polynesian culture, a playful, kind, egalitarian ethos exquisitely cap-tured in David Howarth’s book “Tahiti: A Paradise Lost.”

First things first. As we drop past 50 feet, I see them, dozens of gray reef sharks gliding along a wall of coral, at once sleek, powerful, beautiful and (sure) a little unnerving. They come to feed on the buffet of species in the pass and have only grown in number since 2006, when the territorial government established a shark sanctuary here. Experts estimate the local shark popu-lation in the hundreds.

They feed at night, so we’re seeing them in a rela-tively passive state, although whenever I approach one for a photo, it bolts into the dreamy blue background. Our guide, Gils — lanky, dark-featured, serene — drifts medita-tively, perking up only at the appearance of a school of small skipjack tuna. My focus swivels from them to the sharks to the organic brilliance of the coral to a massive green-and-blue humphead wrasse, a fish that can reach 400 pounds, silhouetted in the stormy light above.

We barely have to kick at all because the current is escorting us back towards the boat dock in the village of Tetamanu (population: 40), where I’d arrived the day before after a 90-minute boat ride from the airport in the slightly larger town of Rotoava. There is no other way to get here, and no cars in Tetamanu, either; all travel is by boat, foot or fin, across, into or adjacent the infinite acreage of radiant water.

In fact, take away the Yamaha outboards and a few other modern trappings, and the place probably looks a lot like it did when the Polynesians first settled here in A D 500 after paddling or sailing canoes across immense expanses of ocean. They navigated by wayfinding, dividing the horizon into 16 sections and reading wind, waves, currents, and the movements of birds, fish and stars, an even more remarkable achievement when one sees how tiny and tentative this atoll appears on a map, engulfed by the Pacific Ocean.

Tetamanu, perhaps especially in the driving rain, feels like the end of the Earth, and that’s a big part of the allure, says Vaiete Maltby, who manages the Motu Aito guesthouse, a collection of eight wood-and-thatch bun-galows where I’m staying. (“Motu” is the Tahitian word for islet, and Fakarava, like most atolls, is made up of dozens to hundreds of them.)

“People say they come here to disconnect, and most of them do,” aided occasionally by power and WiFi outages in this isolated spot, she says. “But you’ll also connect: with nature, yourself, whoever you’re with.” We’re exploring the village with the Motu Aito’s only other guests, Teva Nierding, a Tahitian weather fore-caster, and his cousin Cindy Cridland, an insurance agency secretary. I’m connecting with Teva — a gentle soul with a buoyant love of the natural world — but I still blame him for the rain. We pass the town dock, with the dive center and restaurant, where a cook is tossing scraps to a frenzying shiver of sharks, and walk a grassy lane, past a cluster of bungalows and the ruins of a colonial-era city hall and prison. (Tahitians had no formal legal code, and no known inclination to lock people up, before Europeans arrived.)

The next day, I head back north for a tour of Rotoava with Enoha Pater, a guide who greets me at the boat dock wearing a turquoise pareo (wrap) around his waist and little else. He’s a tanned, paunchy 51, with a curly grayish-blond ponytail and the air of a man who lives worry-free in paradise. A former airport manager and fire chief for Rotoava, Enoha makes his living guiding and selling art - ink-on-canvas drawings, driftwood carvings and shell-based pieces that adorn the open-air, lagoon-front house he shares with his wife, Cecile, and nine dogs.

“This island has two rental cars, three scooters, two nurses and no doctor; everything serious, we give to the shark,” he says with a smile as we hit 80 mph on a dirt road in his 2012 Saab SUV. He speaks English with an Asian cadence, having learned English and Japanese simultaneously while working at a Club Med in Moorea.

We stop in on a family-run coconut oil operation - one of the main industries here, along with farming the oysters that produce black pearls - then wend through stands of kahaia, tohonu and aito trees while Enoha tells me about plucking lobsters off the reef at low tide (but only during the first-quarter moon) and surfing the leg-endary wave at Teahupoo, Tahiti, where he was drubbed on the reef and broke his arm. We stop to snorkel at a secluded arc of sugar-white sand framed by swaying palms and the pearlescent lagoon. A sailboat anchored offshore is the only other sign of human life.

The back road ends at a sprawling cape of beached coral that marks the west side of Garuae Pass, at a mile wide the largest pass in French Polynesia. Again, that end-of-the-Earth aura, broken only by a dive boat heaving on lapis swells outside the reef, and my urge to get back underwater to commune with the rainforest of life.

I hop a short flight to another wispy atoll, Rangiroa, and alight at the Kia Ora Resort & Spa, a dreamy property planted on the sandy shores of French Poly-nesia’s biggest lagoon. The sun comes out, casting its magic on a preposterously appealing scene - thatch bungalows built over the lustrous water, an outrigger

09DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

deep tranquillity of Tahiti

paddler gliding across the horizon line, a waiter car-rying beverages to bronzed tourists in an infinity pool.

The Kia Ora is also a five-minute boat ride from the main attraction here: the diving in Tiputa Pass, famous for its vibrant reef and a family of dolphins known to approach divers.

“Oh, sometimes they come right up to you,” Magali Bazzano tells me on the porch of the on-site dive centre. “Rub their bellies; they like it. Just don’t do that with the hammerhead sharks.”

Stationed in Ivory Coast with the French army, Magali watched five friends die when a militant bomb struck the base.

“I came here on travel, met my lover and said I would return,” she tells me. “Six years later, I did. I am here. I am happy.”

I am, too, especially when I see the hypnotic cer-ulean glow of the sea and the dive boat docked at the end of an overwater walkway. I join a couple and a crew of scuba journalists — all from Japan — for the short ride through Tiputa Pass, and we splash into the mesmerizing water. To be honest, I don’t want to belly-rub a dolphin, even a wild one; there’s some-thing theme-parky about it, and maybe a sign that these revered animals are sinking to our level.

Good thing, then, that we see none on two dives, nor any hammerheads. Just a South Pacific coral reef pulsing with a carnival of colour, including a rare sighting of a free-swimming moray eel, a hawksbill sea turtle, and immense schools of snapper, convict tangs and jacks.

Back at the Kia Ora, I paddle one of the resort’s outrigger canoes towards the town dock — which, with the adjacent dive shop and two restaurants, is the center of action around here — and beach on a stretch of sand. I’m walking through a grove when I come upon three teen boys whiling away their time. Howarth wrote of 18th-century Tahitians: “They did not need to be told to love their neighbours; eve-ryone did, and when they met strangers they expected them to be very much like themselves,

and instantly lovable.”Three centuries have brought a lot of change, but I

take a chance and nod hello. Between their halting English and my embarrassing French, aided by cell-phone photos on both sides, we swap stories of our lives.

One can be tempted in remote yet populated places like this to assume there’s action just around the next corner. And one afternoon on a rented scooter, I go looking for it, riding west to swales of beached coral at Avatoru Pass, site of occasional pro surfing competitions. All quiet there, as it is around the few lagoon-front resorts I pop into. I see flashes of activity off the main road — local kids riding bikes, a fisherman selling two beautiful, glistening tuna and a boatload of snorkelers unloading at a dock - but that’s the extent of it. This isn’t Miami Beach, and that’s a wonderful thing.

Besides, action is in the heart of the beholder. After dinner, I walk away from the soft glow of the Kia Ora, across the unlit road and into the pitch-black night of the oceanside beach. To a soundtrack of breaking waves and clinking shells and coral, I look up into the spangled dome of stars, so many and so bright, and gaze until my neck aches.

The next morning on a solo snorkel trip through the pass, I roll from boat into ocean and see the pod - a mom and a calf not 10 feet in front of me and, below them, five other dolphins. They seem suspended, as if frozen in amber, but within seconds, they’re rocketing into the dark blue (no bellies offered). I kick to try to line up a photo, but it’s pointless.

I spend my final two days on the island of Moorea, a 30-minute ferry ride from Papeete, the main city on Tahiti and the bustling capital of French Polynesia. Beyond Papeete’s congestion, colourful market, shops and busy industrial port, much of Tahiti — and all of Moorea — look very much like the brochure, with reef-fringed coastline and forested hills that sweep up to pinnacles of jungle green.

From the ferry dock in Moorea, I follow the

island’s coastal road past fruit stands, modest homes, black pearl shops and cafes tracing the bays where Captain Cook and other emissaries of Britain, Spain, France and Russia dropped anchor. The French claimed these islands while their colonial rivals were distracted or uninterested (long story; read Howarth), and today Tahiti and Moorea in particular flaunt a France-meets-old-Hawaii vibe.

I taste it in the poisson cru (raw sushi-grade tuna with coconut milk) at Le Lézard Jaune Café, an open-air roadside restaurant in Moorea where the flam-boyant owner, Dominique, flits among the tables in a blazing floral top and pants. I see, hear and smell it in the Papeete market, stalls of fresh fish adjacent island-style carvings and weavings and, outside, gaily coloured fabrics alongside a table of pastries overseen by a Gallic baker in a towering white chef’s hat. And it’s on full display on the beach in front of Les Tipaniers hotel and restaurant in Moorea, where French families — Speedos, body oil, cigarettes and delightfully unattended children — sear in the sun.

My closest brushes with old Tahitian culture come at the Papeete ferry dock, where an old woman, perhaps confused by my attempts to engage her in conversation, smiles warmly while offering me her lei flower necklace, and in supermarkets and shops, where staff and customers alike seem content, peaceful and unhurried.

In the waning hours of my trip, before a ferry ride back to Papeete and a taxi to the airport, I join a guide for a surf session. He picks me up from a beach in his boat, motors us over the luminescence and ties off to a mooring buoy. The waves, which appeared small from afar, rumble over the reef, sections of which jut above the water line. I swallow dryly as we paddle towards the lineup. But soon I remember where I am and imagine how I’d feel if I squandered this fantasy. I turn, paddle hard and drop into a glassy, head-high wave, riding a sliver of the South Pacific towards the setting sun as the colourful blur of sea life races by beneath the board.

BOOKS10 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

RON CHARLES

THE WASHINGTON POST

Anne Enright writes so well that she just might ruin you for anyone else. The deceptively casual flow of her stories belies their craft, a profound intelligence sealed invisibly behind

life’s mirror. Over the course of seven novels, this first laureate of Irish fiction has won the Booker Prize - for “The Gathering” in 2007 — and won readers around the world.

Her new novel, “Actress,” explores a mother-daughter relationship burdened by fame. The narrator is a novelist named Norah recalling the tumultuous life of her mother: Katherine O’Dell, the late, great star of stage and screen. Enright weaves this fictional celebrity deep into the history of 20th-century entertainment. O’Dell once brought audiences jumping to their feet in London, New York and Dublin. As “the globe-trotting

muse of writers as various as Samuel Beckett and Arthur Kopit,” she captured the hearts of a generation. Reviewing her performance as Sister Mary Felicitas, Pauline Kael praised “the twinkle in the wimple.” Her flaming red hair was iconic. A line from her dairy com-mercial - “Sure, ‘tis only butter” - became a national catchphrase.

But Norah knows the story of this grande dame from the inside. “My mother was a great fake,” she says. “She was never happy.” That’s not entirely true - or it’s not the only truth as this narrative winds through grief and remorse, amazement and delight.

Norah’s retrospection is sparked by the inquiries of a pompous graduate student working on a doctoral thesis about O’Dell. “She would portray my mother in all her radical subjectivity,” Norah says, “by which she meant that she wanted to de-iconise her and show her as an agent in the world.” Exasperated with such post-

modern gobbledygook, Norah considers writing her own biography about her mother.

“Actress” isn’t that book; instead, it’s a thoughtful, sometimes wrenching consideration of what preparing to write such a book about her mother would entail. Enright has created the illusion of free-flowing associ-ation as Norah tries to extract her mother’s life from well-worn anecdotes, legends and deceptions. That detective work eventually involves a search for the identity of Norah’s father among the many men who cavorted with O’Dell. She could be a woman of disci-plined graciousness and extreme passions. She frater-nised with members of the IRA. She once shot a pro-ducer in the foot, an act of madness that wrenched the forgotten actress back into the news, got her committed to an asylum and marked her eventual demise.

For Norah, who was just trying to grow up and make a way in the world, her mother’s drama onstage and off was frequently embarrassing, sometimes

exasperating. Only now, looking back as a mother herself, is she mature enough to consider the full spectrum of her mother’s character. She was an object of fantasy for millions but also a single woman con-tending with the demands of public adoration while facing the inevitable curse of age. “I began to see how she was, in the world,” Norah says, which is the last thing most of us can ever see about our mothers.

The chronology would appear no more ordered than the flow of anecdotes around a dinner table, but there’s always a design to Enright’s novels, a gradual coalescing of insight. Early on, “Actress” glides from one hilarious, calamitous theatre story to the next. “There were so many anecdotes of cheap disaster,” Norah recalls, “an actor went on with no sword and he used a shoe instead. An actor forgot his lines. Or his pants. An actor fell down a hole.... An actor dies on stage, he really dies, he rolls his eyes up into the back of his head and he says, ‘I am dying,’ in a helpful tone of voice, and the actors keep going until belief drains out of them.” We’re drawn back to a time when travelling actors performed in towns that had no idea how the classics would end. In one village, a woman in the audience yells up to Romeo in the tomb: “Oh, give her a good shake!”

But the world outside the limelight could be very dark. Enright re-creates an exploitative industry that young O’Dell moved through, from the backstages of little Irish theaters to the glitzy studios of Hollywood, which “owned her ‘image,’ if such a thing could be legally owned.” Everywhere lurked actors, directors and producers willing to use O’Dell, sometimes with shocking cruelty. If, at the time, her mother usually felt too powerless to strike back, Norah gets her revenge here with precise and killing descriptions of these insecure, manipulative creeps.

But beneath this theatrical story runs a more somber tale of Norah’s own disappointments, con-veyed in asides and sighs. Determined to learn from her mother’s experience with men, Norah ends up making many of the same mistakes - and some new ones, too. Craving the domestic stability that O’Dell never had or wanted, Norah constructs the most ordinary life possible. It’s the epitome of Enright’s subtlety: the way she can suggest the anaerobic pain of a strained marriage with just a few lines.

As Norah moves through the public and private lives of Katherine O’Dell, she not only re-creates a great actress in all her fascinating complications, she plumbs the depth of her own affection for a woman she was often too quick to judge. Stripped raw of any sentimentality, the result is a critique, a confession, a love letter — and another brilliant novel from Anne Enright.

Anne Enright is the real star of her brilliant new novel

TECHNOLOGY 11DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

Huawei Technologies reaffirmed its bet that expensive folding smartphones will excite consumers into upgrades, and that Apple’s iPad Pro is a design worth imitating for a new

line of tablet computers.The Chinese company announced a second-gener-

ation version of its Mate X folding phone, which up to now has been sold mostly in its home country. This time Huawei is bringing it to Europe, and said the prod-uct’s more durable than the first version and has a faster processor and 3D graphics.

When folded, the Mate Xs has a 6.6-inch display, which is just slightly larger than Apple Inc.’s iPhone 11 Pro Max. But when opened out, Huawei’s device becomes an 8-inch tablet computer. It has three rear-facing Leica Camera-branded lenses, which double as selfie cameras when flipping the phone around in its folded form.

It’ll cost ¤2,499 ($2,704) when it goes on sale worldwide in March.

The market for smartphones is slowing, and manu-facturers are trying to find new ways to convince con-sumers they should upgrade their devices. Bendable products are an increasingly popular strategy being tried out by some of the world’s biggest device makers.

Samsung has been selling a foldable smartphone for as many months as Huawei, and at the Consumer Elec-tronics Show in Las Vegas in January, Lenovo Group showed off an updated prototype of a folding ThinkPad computer. The Motorola Razr brand is also due to make a comeback later this year, and it too will bend.

Huawei also showed off a new line of tablet com-puters for Europe — the MatePad Pro 5G — aimed at the same buyers of products like Apple’s iPad Pro. It’s not without its physical similarities, either.

The MatePad Pro has a 10.8-inch display compared

to the iPad’s 11 inches; it includes a stylus that, like the Apple Pencil, connects magnetically to the outer edge of the tablet for recharging, and is dubbed the Huawei M-Pencil. The bezel around the screen is slimmer than that of Apple’s, but uses the same rounded screen corners that differentiate the iPad Pro from its cheaper brethren.

At a briefing with reporters ahead of the launch, Huawei championed the MatePad Pro’s use of split-screen multitasking to run apps side-by-side and its optional magnetic keyboard case.

It does have innovations of its own, however. The tablet can mirror the display of certain Huawei smart-phones if they’re nearby, letting you control the phone virtually — a bit like using a remote desktop app to use a PC from another computer. The tablet also has fifth-generation 5G wireless — something no iPhone or iPad offers yet — and it can be used to wirelessly charge other products, such as phones, headphones or com-puter mice.

Prices will start at ¤549 for a Wi-Fi-only version from April.

However, due to the US government blacklisting Huawei — which it accuses of aiding Beijing in espi-onage — last year, the company’s new Mate Xs and MatePad run on versions of Android that’s free and open-source, meaning they don’t have apps such as Google Maps, YouTube or the Google Play Store. Sam-sung’s Android-powered tablets do not suffer such restrictions.

Huawei’s been battling global scrutiny over its telecom equipment, but often overlooked is the com-pany’s rapid growth as a smartphone manufacturer. In 2018, it surpassed Apple to become the world’s second-largest maker of smartphones, according to data from market research firm IDC. —Bloomberg

Netflix to rank popularity of shows in move towards transparency

Netflix, which has been tight-lipped about the popularity of its shows and movies, is taking another step toward transparency.

A new feature on the streaming service will show its top 10 most popular programmes and movies, updated daily. Netflix has been testing the approach for about six months in Mexico and the UK, the company said.

“Members in both countries have found them useful, so we are now rolling them out to even more,” Cameron Johnson, who oversees product innovation at Netflix, said in a blog post.

The lists should make it easier for viewers to pick what to watch. While Netflix’s algorithm is supposed to make it easy for customers to find shows, the dizzying array of choices is too much for some viewers. Customers often spend long stretches of time just deciding which movie or show to try.

Netflix, the world’s largest streaming sub-scription service, has frustrated the TV and film industry by not revealing its viewership. Unlike traditional TV, Netflix doesn’t make audience data available, and fans are often left wondering why a favourite show was cancelled.

The Los Gatos, California-based company has begun to reveal more information — but only selectively. In December, it disclosed its top 10 programmes in 33 countries, offering the most expansive report to date of what is being watched on the service.

But no outside party verified the lists, which Netflix based on viewership in the first 28 days after a show was released. And the numbers counted people who watched at least two minutes of a program — rather than all the way through.

—Bloomberg

Huawei’s new MatePad looks

a lot like Apple’s iPad Pro

12 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

HEALTH

AMY THOMSON, SUZI RING

BLOOMBERG

Disease outbreaks like the coronavirus often unfold too quickly for scientists to find a cure. But in the future, artificial intelligence could help researchers do a better job.

While it’s probably too late for the fledgling tech-nology to play a major role in the current epidemic, there’s hope for the next outbreaks. AI is good at combing through mounds of data to find connections that make it easier to determine what kinds of treat-ments could work or which experiments to pursue next.

The question is what Big Data will come up with when it only gets meager scraps of information on a newly emerged illness like COVID-19, which first emerged late last year in China and has sickened more than 75,000 people in about two months.

The fact that researchers managed to produce the gene sequencing of the new virus within weeks of the first reported cases is promising, since it shows there’s far more immediate data available now when out-breaks happen.

Andrew Hopkins, chief executive officer of Oxford, England-based startup Exscientia Ltd is among those working to help train artificial intelligence for drug dis-covery. He figures new treatments could go from

conception to clinical testing in as little as 18 to 24 months within the next decade, thanks to AI.

Exscientia designed a new compound for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder that’s ready to be tested in the lab after less than a year in the initial research phase. That’s about five times faster than average, according to the company.

Cambridge-based Healx has a similar approach, but it uses machine learning to find new uses for existing drugs. Both companies feed their algorithms with information — gleaned from sources such as journals, biomedical databases and clinical trials — to help suggest new treatments for diseases.

The two companies each use a team of human researchers to work alongside the AI to help guide the process. In Exscientia’s approach, dubbed the Centaur Chemist, drug designers help teach the algorithms strategies for searching for compounds. Healx puts the AI’s predictions to researchers who analyse the results and decide what to pursue.

Neil Thompson, Healx’s chief science officer, said the technique could be deployed against an outbreak like the coronavirus as long as it had enough data on the new disease. Healx isn’t working on tackling the coronavirus or tweaking its technology for outbreaks, but it wouldn’t be a stretch.

“We’re quite close,” Thompson said in an interview. “We wouldn’t need to change much about the AI

algorithms we use. We look at matching drug prop-erties to disease features.”

Artificial intelligence algorithms are already starting to churn out drugs for the diseases we know about. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said that they’d used the method to identify a powerful new antibiotic compound that could kill an array of troublesome bacteria, even some that are cur-rently resistant to other treatments.

One catch for all these technologies is clinical testing. Even drugs already safe for use to cure one ailment should be tested again before they’re pre-scribed for another. The process of showing they are safe and effective on a large number of people can take years before going to regulators for review.

To be effective, AI-based drug developers would have to plan ahead of time, picking out a virus genome likely to cause problems in the future and targeting it when there are few incentives to do so.

Another obstacle is finding qualified staff.“It’s hard to find people who can operate at the

intersection of AI and biology, and it’s difficult for big companies to make quick decisions on technology like this,” said Irina Haivas, a partner at venture capital firm Atomico and former surgeon who sits on the board of Healx. “It’s not enough to be an AI engineer, you have to understand and get into the applications of biology.”

Artificial intelligence could fight a future coronavirus

13DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

FOOD

Is it OK to eat eggs? A new analysis based on three large studies involving nearly

178,000 people found that eating one egg a day did not increase risk for cardiovascular disease or death, even among those with a history of heart disease or diabetes.

The researchers from McMaster University in Canada also reported no significant associ-ation between egg consumption and cholesterol levels. For decades, fear of cholesterol problems led many people to cut back on eggs since they are a source of dietary cholesterol. Nutrition experts say the average large egg yolk contains nearly 200 milligrams of cholesterol— about two-thirds of what was considered the daily maximum for dietary cholesterol consumption until 2015, when federal nutritional guidelines stopped recommending a dietary cholesterol limit.

Most cholesterol in the body is produced in the liver. Health experts now say that eating foods high in saturated fat can cause the liver to produce too much choles-terol. Despite their cholesterol component, eggs are low in satu-rated fats and are generally con-sidered nutritious. An egg — which has about 78 calories — is con-sidered a good source of protein (needed to make and repair cells, make enzymes and hormones, and promote growth and devel-opment), vitamin D (which ben-efits bones and the immune system) and choline (which helps the brain and nervous system).

The cholesterol-rich yolk also contains substances that help the eyes: lutein and zeaxanthin, which stave off cataracts and macular degeneration. The American Heart Association now recommends one egg a day (or two egg whites) as part of a healthy diet.

-The Washington Post

JOE YONAN

THE WASHINGTON POST

You’ve probably seen plenty of “Buddha bowls” on Instagram, especially if you follow healthy-eating accounts: As far as I can tell, the term most frequently refers to a grain bowl topped

with vegetables. There’s plenty of debate about where the name originated.

I’ve come across hundreds of grain bowl recipes in plant-based cookbooks over the past few years, some called Buddha bowls and some not.

One theory about the origin of the dish comes from Zen priest Dan Zigmond, co-author of Buddha’s Diet, who told Epicurious that the original Buddha bowl was something Buddha carried on his travels, filled by locals with food donations that he would eat at day’s end. “It was probably pretty healthy, since Buddha lived before the age of cheap processed food,” he said, “but it was also probably pretty simple.”

The one in Jean-Philippe Cyr’s book, The Buddhist Chef (Appetite by Random House, 2019), qualifies on both counts. It’s plant-based, which is true of most Buddha bowls, and all it requires is for you to roast sweet potatoes, microwave edamame, warm cooked grains, whisk together a tahini-based dressing and assemble. With pumpkin seeds and dried figs, it also dis-plays — in flavour and texture — another tenet of Bud-dhism: Balance.

Grain bowls with sweet potatoes and edamame

Active: 20 minutes | Total: 35 minutes4 to 6 servingsThis so-called Buddha bowl - offering a balance of

nutrition, flavour and texture - was designed by a classi-cally trained chef who is also a practicing Buddhist. Grain bowls are the ultimate in flexibility; this one com-bines sweet potatoes, dried figs, tahini and pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more as needed1 cup frozen shelled edamame1/2 cup well-stirred tahini1/4 cup fresh lemon juice1/4 cup maple syrup3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger4 garlic cloves, minced6 cups cooked quinoa or other grain of your choice,

warmed8 dried figs, sliced1/2 cup roasted unsalted pumpkin seeds, for garnish1/4 cup assorted microgreens or sprouts, for garnish

StepsPosition a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat

to 350 degrees.In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 table-

spoon of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Transfer to a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake 20 to 30 minutes, until tender.

While the sweet potatoes are baking, cook the edamame: In a small bowl, microwave it on HIGH for 2 to 3 minutes until hot. (Alternatively, you can cook it in salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes.)

in a small bowl whisk together the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, soy sauce or tamari, ginger, garlic and the remaining 1/2 tea-spoon of salt.

Divide the quinoa among serving bowls and top with the sweet potatoes, figs and edamame. Drizzle with the dressing. (You may need only about half of the dressing; refrigerate the rest in an airtight container for up to 5 days.) Garnish with the pumpkin seeds and micro-greens, and serve.

Nutrition (based on 6 servings, using half the dressing) | Calories: 480; Total Fat: 17g; Saturated Fat: 2.5g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 340mg; Carbohydrates: 71g; Dietary Fiber: 11g; Sugars: 14g; Protein: 15g.

Bring colour and balance to your dinner with these hearty, healthful grain bowls

One egg a daywon’t increase cardiovasculardisease risks:Researchers

THINGS TO DO14 DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

14

Things to do this weekend in Qatar (Feb 27-29, 2020)

Messi10 by Cirque du Soleil is a live acro-batic show that

bridges world of football and circus together with a team of 46 artists. It por-trays the journey, obstacles and ambition of the greatest number 10 football player Messi. The tickets for the two hour show are priced between QR 295 to QR 1495 and can be bought online.

When: February 27- 29 and March 5-7

Where: Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena

Messi10 by Cirque du Soleil

Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition

Bollywood fame Sonam Kapoor was in Doha to inaugurate the 17th edition of the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition

(DJWE) that is showcasing 127 exhibitors from 14 countries including the new Qatari designers. Also the Qatar–France year is being highlighted through luxurious French brands in this event. DJWE is also showcasing a number of exclusive pieces designed by famous brands.

When: Monday, February 24 – 29 | 12pm – 10pm

Where: Doha Exhibition & Convention Center (DECC),

National Museum of Qatar is organising an exhibition with some fascinating insights and stories about butterflies and other insects.

When: February 27 – 29 | 4pm-6pm

Where: NMoQ Garden

Tawar Mall promises to recreate an enchanting valley of magic fairies every weekend.When: Every Thursday and Friday, February 6 – 28 | 6:30pm-9:30pm

Where: Tawar Mall

Katara will host folkloric shows and traditional arts as part of the 4th Cul-tural Diversity Festival every

weekend. The festival features an array of cultural performances from different nations around the world and aims to act as bridge between cultures and provide a multicultural harmonious environment.

The festival is free for everyone.

When: Thursday | 7pm-8pmWhere: Katara

The Road Exhibition

Cultural Diversity Festival

World of Butterfly

Katara presents The Road Exhibition by the Spanish artist, Gabriel Díaz Romero.

The exhibition includes paintings and other conceptual artworks which depict road signs to suggest various stories related to the devel-opment of Qatar.

When: On going until Friday, Feb-ruary 28 | 10am-10pmWhere: Building 18, Katara

Fairy Land

Moto2 / Moto3 Winter Test 2020

COMPILED BY: SUROOR KHORASANI / THE PENINSULA

Moto2 and Moto3 riders will have the final test

run before the 2020 MotoGP season starts on the March 6.Free entrance at the grand-stand and limited passes available for paddock

When: February 28 – March 1, 2020

Where: Losail Circuit Sports Club

15DOHA TODAYTHURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

Basant Mela (Spring Festival)

Pakistani pop singer Komal Rizvi will perform at the two day colourful Basant festival

along with other local artists. The event also includes area for kids’ activities, live barbeque, ethnic food court, Pakistani designer’s dresses & accessories and much more. The tickets will be available at the venue for QR10 and free for children under the age 10.

When: February 27 and 28 | 4pm-11pm

Where: Al-Wakra Stadium

Vintage Cars Exhibition

A unique vintage car exhibition which allows visitors to pass through the 12 vehicles that could be seen plying on Qatar’s roads in the

70s, 80s and 90s, are spread around NMoQ’s Baraha Square. The exhibition is divided into three sections, public transport vehicles, private cars, government vehicles used in the past.

When: Until February 29 | Saturday – Thursday 9am-7pm; Friday 1:30-7pm

Where: National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ)

A weekend market which is a modern take on Qatar’s old souq tradition will have around 50 stalls offering a wide variety of products. The

bazaar at Museum of Islamic Art park will have stalls selling ready-to-wear clothes, caps, footwear, shayla, sunglasses, bags, jewellery, watches, cos-metics, fragrances, and other accessories. The stalls representing home-based businesses also sell home display items and sumptuous home-cooked cuisines to the visitors.When: Every Friday from 2pm to 8pm and every Saturday from 12 noon to 8pmWhere: MIA Park

Mahaseel Festival

The biggest edition of Mahaseel Festival is going on at Katara with more than 40 stalls to buy vege-tables, flowers, honey, dairy and meat products

offered by local companies at discounted prices. There is also a large area where children can enjoy inflatables in addition to a giant tent where they can play various computer games such as VR games making the festival a one-stop-shop for families.When: Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday until March 31| 9am to 9pmWhere: Building 22, Katara

The week flew by and here we are again with a list of activities and events happening in and around Doha.

MIA Park Bazaar

Cinema under the Stars – The Aristocats

Aristocats is a Disney classic from 1970 animated musical

journey of a Duchess cat and her three kittens who get kidnapped, and how they find their way back home with help of street wise cat and other characters. Limited seats first come, first serve. No tickets required!

When: February 27–29 | 7pm

Where: MIA Park

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