Tempo May 2015

@tempoplanet
@tempoplanet
Abu Dhabi Tempo
May2015
Now circulating 45,000 copies!
CREATIVITY • SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS • INSPIRED THINKING
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KINGS P20
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MEDIA LICENCE NO. 1/105866/24295
MANAGING EDITOR
Sana Bagersh
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Neil Bie
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Vinod Mohite
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Praveen Prabhakaran
web developer
Rasha Yousif
DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR
Melaku Muluneh
TEMPO GROUP: CONTRIBUTORS:
Aleece Smith
Angeli Castillo
Blakniss
Christopher Joshua Benton
Donna Howarth
Dorian “Paul D” Rogers
Heather Long Vandevoorde
Kimberley Moultrie
Lana Nasser
Maha Al Hosan
Matthew Brace
Miriam Hanafy
Mirriam Akbar
Nancy Bercaw
Nilofer Safdar
Noora Al Shaikh
Paul A. Freeman
WHAT’S INSIDE
Nisma Hamid
Sana Ashraf
Shahid Saeed
Vanessa Middleton
Vera Rosales
social
media
entertainment
voices &
opinions
04 Ed’s Note
05 Life Hacks/ Notes &
Cyberchatter
games & tech
16 Game Hedz
17 Tech Talk
feature
story
22 Photographer Ravi Mansukhlal
26 Filmmaker Vasilis Blioumis
27 Make a Smovie
36 Artist Karine Roche
37 Young Artists Rahul
and Rohan Raju
42 Pooch Parlour
literature
32 Librarian’s Lounge/
Talking Books
33 Flash Fiction
innovation
34 Entrepreneur Focus
35 Tamakkan: Harness the
Power of Franchising
fashion
18 MyStyle Blueprint: Alaa Wais
19 Generation Z
cover story
20 Watch the Throne:
Kings Ambition
photography
& travel
28 Phototripping
29 Shutterbug ADP
30 Travel
food &
wellness
25 Lean & Clean +
The Epicurean
08 Quest for the Quirky/ Tweets
for Thought
09 Trending On Youtube/
Instafame
10 Top 10 Songs in the UAE
11 Wasmuth Quartet
12 In the Cinemas
14 What’s Hot
15 What’s Cool/ People Calendar
38 i [Heart]/ Vox Pop
39 Articulate Cafe
40 Youth Talk/Parental Guide
41 Time Capsule: Adnan Mayassi
community
events
ontents
Start by doing what's necessary; then do
what's possible; and suddenly you are doing
the impossible.
- Francis of Assisi

www.tempoplanet.com4
Peace and Kindness,
Sana Bagersh
Managing Editor
@sanabagersh
bagersh@tempoplanet.com
I don’t rave too much about food, unless it is something that catches me by surprise. One such dish is “Tunisian Eggs”
which is served at Leopolds of London in Nation Towers Abu Dhabi. It is a fabulous concoction of garbanzo sauce,
prepared in the classical cumin infused Arabic ‘fool’, topped with scrambled eggs, Greek yogurt and pistachio nuts. Divine!
We love to think that people around us are chivalrous, and many times they are. But then some days you come across those
who, through their boorish behavior, epitomize the worst of humanity. After circling a parking lot for close to 20 mins I
decided to stop the car and wait patiently for the next car to come out. I waited another eight minutes or so, and eventually a
car pulled out. As I got ready to drive in, a guy driving a Porsche Cayenne zipped in from the opposite direction and took the
spot. I know this is a common occurrence but it never ceases to surprise me. What do you do with scum like that? I decided
to drive away.
If you are a woman who is feeling run-down and looking for something to energize you spiritually and mentally, then you
should check out The Women’s Peak Performance event on May 23rd at the Eastern Mangroves Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Two
amazing ladies, Julie Lewis and Anna Heystek, are running the event. Get details in the What’s Cool section of Tempo. Yet
another cool event that delivers transformational self discovery is the “What Women Want” event organized by the ever
inspirational Randa El Zein. The event follows the success of the first workshop and takes place at the Khalidya Palace Rayhan
Hotel on May 29. You can get your tickets through www.beyouinternational.com.
or Register at
tempoplanet.com/register.html
to receive Tempo by Email
As we get ready to holiday, we should perhaps take a minute to think about those around us who are less fortunate. Living in
the UAE means that we all have so much to be thankful for. And as we are a multicultural community, it also means that much
of what happens overseas sadly touches the lives of some of the people living here. As we all know, the earthquake in Nepal
has devastated entire areas and the country struggles to come back to life. Please do take a minute to consider the many
Nepalese around us – many of them taxi drivers – who might have lost family and friends. Show sympathy and respect.
Another hard-hit country is Yemen, my country of origin, which flounders under extreme duress amidst the hardship of war and
deprivation. Tempo has always made it a point to support charitable endeavors and the Red Crescent in its fundraising. So if
you are interested to help please reach out to us and we may be able to amplify your cause.
This issue of Tempo is chockfull of creativity, art and inspiration. If you haven’t yet produced your short movie – Smovie – then
do it soon, and make sure you get valuable tips from filmmaker Vasilis who will give two free filmmaking workshops in May
(See page 26). Interested in meeting creative, innovative and like-minded people? Join the Creative Collaborative on May 13 at
MoxieZone (See page 15). Or you want to learn how to become a successful entrepreneur? Then catch Tamakkan on May 19, in
a session on the entrepreneur mindset and the importance of setting up shop the right way (See page 35)
Tempo has it all, from entrepreneurs who are breaking the mould and doing new things, to artists, film makers and
photographers who enrich all our lives every day. We also love those insatiable social entrepreneurs who believe, like we do,
that doing business should always involve giving back.
Have a cool story? An inspiration? An idea to make our world better? Share it with us.
The mood is starting to shift in the UAE towards the summer mindset.
ed’s note
Rant
Rave
Rave

POST YOUR VIEWS AND COMMENTS ON OUR FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM like us on facebook/abudhabitempo follow@tempoplanettweet@tempoplanet
Nilofer Safdar is a Life Coach.
nilofer_light@yahoo.com
notes & cyberchatterlife hacks
Keeping it Real
and Stressfree
Stress is something that’s all too common
nowadays, and the emotional strain
compromises your quality of life. Stress can
be linked to the possibility that you are not
living the life you want. Here’s how you can
tackle stress and embrace a truer you…
1. Ask yourself: What is important
to you? The place to start is to
actually find out what you are looking
for. As you remain in this state of
enquiry, you will realize what is
important to you is often different
from what others expect from you
and what you think you should have.
2. Are you in alignment with
yourself? Are you in alignment with
what is important to you? If you are
not, you will suffer increased stress
and tension. As an example: I know
someone for whom work life balance
is very important. He has aligned this
with his actions by keeping adequate
family time.
3. Do what works for you – If you are
feeling stressed in any situation;
something there is creating angst
for you. Ask yourself: “Is this
working for me? What here is not
working for me?” Everyone will
answer this question differently.
What may work for one person will
not work for another.
4. Beyond perfectionism – The bug
of perfectionism afflicts most people.
This is limiting and puts one under
unnecessary strain.
Tempo Poll of
the Month
5. What if there is nothing wrong?
What if you slip into a spiral of
negative thoughts, where you
ask yourself: “Why is this always
happening to me?” This occurs when
we believe that only good things must
happen, and not accept that there
is an ebb and flow in life. There is no
right or wrong here, it is what it is.
6. Do you incessantly criticize
yourself? – Blame can keep you stuck
in self-criticism mode not allowing
you to entertain other thoughts. Allow
yourself to see your own value and
develop self-esteem and self-worth.
7. Consider what else is possible.
“What else is possible that I haven’t
considered?” When you live your
life from this angle of enquiry, you
will start to see totally different
choices, which were not ‘available’
to you earlier.
8. Embrace your capacity to create.
We all have an infinite capacity to
create, however we get lost in the
humdrum of day-to-day ‘getting by’
that we neglect this capacity. What
can you create today beyond the
capacities that you think you have?
Tap into your creativity and don’t be
afraid to add fun to life.
ON BE THE “LOOSE
CHANGE” YOU WANT TO
SEE IN THE WORLD
Yes, you are right. There are some
drivers who are kind and respectful.
I have been in Abu Dhabi for quite
a while and I’ve never found a rude
driver so far.
- Dee Lacson
ON NARA YI: ASPIRING
ANIMATION ARTIST
Loved the rotoscope
animation you did Nara!
Hope you continue to make
amazing art works like these!
- Erika Lavinoz
ON MINING THE GAP:
BETWEEN ART AND
FASHION
It’s absolutely amazing how a
simple space could turn into
something very malleable and
flexible for fashion and the arts!
- Juri Al Nasri
ON GAME ON
APRIL 2015
GAMER PICKS
No need to think twice here… I’m
getting in the driving mood and
going for Project CARS!
- Khalifa Al Meamari
To be a champion, you have to learn
to handle stress and pressure. But
if you’ve prepared mentally and
physically, you don’t have to worry.
- Harvey Mackay
How do you keep cool in May?
I run as fast as possible to the
nearest air-conditioned room
to another.
It’s not that bad, I just remember
to always bring water with me
wherever I go.
I love summer here! The heat
doesn’t bother me.
Doesn’t matter, I’ll be overseas for
the summer to avoid this heat!
45%
25%
20%
10%

tweets for thought
This golden spice gives colour to
any dish. But did you know that you
could also use it in your toothpaste?
Combine turmeric with baking soda
and coconut oil to give your teeth a
pearly shine!
If you’re like me and enjoy foods
that bring on the heat, then
you’ll love cayenne pepper. But
cayenne can also be used as an
ant repellent as well as an anti-
inflammatory remedy!
Mint is found in many dishes and
if used in tea it is an excellent
digestion enhancer. But did you
know you can also use it for pest
control? If you have an ant problem
place fresh mint in your cupboards
and drawers to repel them!
Anise: Also called aniseed,
this licorice-flavoured spice is
commonly used in breads, cakes,
curries and seafood dishes. But did
you know that is also an excellent
breath freshener?
If you live in the UAE, chances are you’ve been exposed to spices. It’s
everywhere: in rice, meat, even in your tea! But spices shouldn’t be limited
to foods. Check out these interesting ways to use them!
Turmeric
Mint
Cayenne
Pepper
Anise
The Spice
of Life
By Kimberly Moultrie | @Friedwanderer
quest for quirky
@tempoplanetDo you have an insightful tweet? Tweet to us:
HH Sheikh Hamdan
@HamdanMohammed
His Highness
Sheikh Hamdan bin
Mohammed
Al Maktoum,
Crown Prince of Dubai
“Our commitment is to
always find the most
innovative solutions
to make residents
and visitors happy,
and to easy their
day-to-day needs”
Yousef Saleh Erakat
@fouseyTUBE
Palestinian-American
entertainer and
motivational speaker
Maitha MR Al Maktoum
@Maitha_MRM
Sheikha Maitha bint
Mohammed bin
Rashed Al Maktoum,
martial arts athlete
Yahia Lababidi
@YahiaLababidi
Egyptian-American
poet and thinker
Zap Tharwat
@ZAPtharwatAXEER
Egyptian rapper and
song writer
Hrithik Roshan
@iHrithik
Indian actor
Matt Morris
@MattMorris
Singer since ‘79.
Perpetual explorer.
Kaka
@KAKA
Brazillian
professional athlete
“Kindness
is never a
weakness.”
“Do for
yourself what
you’ve spent
your whole
life doing for
others.”
“Some
beautiful
paths can’t
be discovered
without
getting lost.”
“All parents of
small children
share a similar
expression of
exhaustion,
bewilderment and
joy. All at once.”
“To exist is
to change,
to change is
to mature, to
mature is to
go on creating
oneself
endlessly.”
“Every problem
is fixable.
Nothing is ever
fully broken.
But the trick is
to know which
problems to fix!”
“The
greater your
effort, the
greater your
earning.”
social media
social media

@elseed
Arabic Calligrafitti @elseed on twitter Le Cid de Teboulbou
What does this picture tell you? #lostwalls
#youshouldvisitTunisia #mygrandparentshouse #darjeddia
@tammamazzam
Tammam Azzam
Storeys Acrylic on Canvas, 185 X 235 cm, 2015
#Syria #art #painting #tammamazzam
@freehandsketch
Amer (Emirati, Dubai), I just doodle with my cheap pen
and draw whatever I feel of like. Using my sketchs.. at least
give me the credit.
Another try with a beard. .
Tell me what do you think. !
The Tempo team routinely trawls Instagram in search of creative talent. Should we
discover you? Connect with us on Instagram @tempoplanet.
trending in
instafame
What if your interactions with
your co-workers sounded the
same as your emails to them?
Find out in this hilarious video.
Three best friends challenge
themselves to find their real life
twins and get to meet one of
their doppelgängers in person!
An interesting video that shows
how much women’s makeup has
changed from ancient Egyptian
times to today.
Email in real life Niamh - Meeting my
doppelgänger
Do you have a favorite video? Share it through Facebook
or Twitter! (See our contact details below)
Women’s makeup
throughout history
Viral videos sent in by Tempo readers.
May
viral videos
social media
social media
Tempo UAE (Group) TempoBeat (Group) Abu Dhabi Tempo (Page) @tempoplanet @tempoplanet

3 5 7 10
2 4 6 9
Ghosttown
> Madonna
One Last Time
> Ariana Grande
Want to Want Me
> Jason Derulo
Post to Be
> Omarion Feat. Chris Brown
and Jhene Aiko
I Really Like You
> Carla Rae Jepsen
Shut Up and Dance
> Walk the Moon
Trap Queen
> Fetty Wap
Famous
> Charli XCX
Lyrics: You’re all that I can trust, facing
the darkest days, everyone ran away, but
we’re gonna stay here...”
Lyrics: “Feel like a failure ‘cause I know
that I failed you, I should’ve done you
better, ‘cause you don’t want a liar...”
Lyrics: “It’s so hard to sleep, I got
the sheets on the floor, listen to me.
And I can’t take it no more, so hard
I can’t breath...”
Lyrics: “Pull up to the club and it go
up, make your girl fall in love when I
show up...”
Lyrics: “It’s like everything you say is a
sweet revelation, all I wanna do is get
into your head...”
Lyrics: “We were victims of the night, the
chemical, physical, kryptonite. Helpless to
the bass and the fading light, oh, we were
bound to get together...”
Lyrics: “Everybody hating, we just call
them fans though, in love with the money,
I ain’t ever letting go...”
Lyrics: “One night and we’re gonna
come and crash the party, weren’t
invited but we’re feelin’ so outrageous,
just like we’re famous...”
1 8
See You Again
> Wiz Khalifa Feat. Charlie Puth
All Hands On Deck
> Tinashe Feat. Iggy Azalea
Lyrics: “How could we not talk about
family when family’s all that we got?
Everything I went through you were
standing there by my side, and now you
gonna be with me for the last ride...”
Lyrics: “When you left me, you left me
with no choice, I’m looking for a boy to fill
this empty void...”
entertainmenttempo music Abu Dhabi | Ajman | Dubai | Fujairah
Ras Al Khaimah | Sharjah | Umm Al Quwain
songs in
the uae

entertainment
Bringing the
Classics Alive!
As the stage lights
up, four people
donning formal wear
stride onto the stage.
They take their places
next to their respective
instruments, and then
the music plays; enticing,
entertaining. This is the
Wasmuth Quartet, which
comprises Jonathan Ong
and Dorothy Ro on violins,
Abigail Rojansky on viola
and Warren Hagerty on
cello, and here they share
their musical journey...
“Playing classical string quartet is our
primary work and the thing about playing
in a professional string quartet is that
you take your love of playing quartet
everywhere you go. Even when we leave
the stage or rehearsal room, we are always
thinking about our work because it is also
our great passion.
“We are currently in the process of
rebranding our quartet but the original
name Wasmuth came from an experience
we shared very early in our career
together. During a residency we took at
the Villa Wasmuth in cooperation with the
Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Germany shortly
after our inception in 2013, we learned of
the German patron of the arts, Johannes
Wasmuth, who was responsible for bringing
recognition to many great artists and
works of art especially during WWII. We
are honoured to carry out the vision of this
tremendous figure in history.
“Each of us has had a slightly different
beginning to our musical life but all of
us began music studies relatively early
having been introduced to it by our
parents, several of whom were musicians
themselves but some of whom were just
supporters and lovers of music. After our
eighteen to twenty four years of study, the
intensity of work that a high level of music
making requires becomes a way of life both
professionally and as a hobby.
“Our ‘creative process’ is by no means a
static thing; when we grow as individuals,
the group adapts and when the group
changes, our way of thinking as a group
changes so the process is constantly
developing. There is, of course, always
a period of exploration - from there we
usually try to understand a piece from at
least two crucial perspectives: one is of
course technical and the other artistic or
expressive. Everything we do, or try to do,
boils down to one primary goal which is to
do our best to really understand what the
composer was trying to say when he or she
wrote the work and then to convey that
through our medium to the audience.
“Our focus is the classical string quartet, so
that means music from what is referred to
as the Western classical canon of repertoire
(ca. 1750 to the present day). There is so
much extraordinary music from this period
either already written or currently being
composed for the string quartet; we are
always grateful to be able to study this
repertoire so closely.
“As musicians, we feed off the energy the
audience provides and having a wonderful,
excited and interested audience like here
in the UAE makes performing the joy it is
meant to be.
“We are very fortunate to have some truly
inspirational artists as our mentors. Our
primary mentors are the Pacifica Quartet,
who are an incredible ensemble both
musically and personally, are a constant
source of inspiration as well as information.
“An average day for us would probably
sound a little boring to most people
because we really spend most of the day
in a studio rehearsing! But we are lucky
enough to be able to travel quite a lot as
a quartet and it means a lot to us to get
to know different cities, countries and
cultures; it’s really an honour for us to then
be able to share our art form with people
from all around the world.
“We hope to be able to continue making
music together and sharing it with the
world for as many years as possible! The
greatest fuel to fire great success is love
of what you do. Allow your passion for
music and your curiosity about your own
potential to transform you into the best
musician you can be!
“We can be found online via our new name,
the Verona Quartet, on Facebook, Twitter
and on our website veronaquartet.com.”
Wasmuth Quartet
1
3
1
2
3
Candid photo
from our shoot
in March, 2015
Photographer:
Joseph Ong
Photo from our shoot in July, 2014
Photographer: Yupeng Gu
2
In front of
Wigmore
Hall after our
final round
performance
at the Wigmor
Hall (formerly
the London)
International
String Quartet
Competition,
March, 2015.

now showing this month
Tempo’s movie buffs came together and discovered this month’s latest flicks in the Gulf.
For contests, ticket giveaways and freebies, Like & Follow Tempo on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
The Homesman Catch it on Blu-Ray!
Chicken with Plums
POWERED BY
Reviews on the latest films to be featured this month on
UAE movie screens and at your home on Blu-Ray!
Follow #TempoReviews on Twitter for more.
By Aleece Smith
Pitch Perfect 2
Genre: Comedy, Music
Tempo Prediction:
A collegiate a cappella group called the Barden
Bellas enter into an international competition that no
American team has ever won before.
Fun Fact: The Super Bowl spot for the film reportedly
cost the distribution company a total $4.5 million. Given
that the budget of the film is $20 million, the short ad
used 20% of their entire production cost on 30 seconds
of ad time.
Directed By: Elizabeth Banks
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld
Tomorrowland
Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Tempo Prediction:
Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with
scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor
embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a
place somewhere in time and space that exists in their
collective memory.
Fun Fact: Bird was sought out as the first choice for
the director’s job of Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force
Awakens (2015). Bird respectfully declined the offer in
order to do Tomorrowland (2015).
Directed By: Brad Bird
Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie
Hot Pursuit
Genre: Action, Comedy
Tempo Prediction:
An inept police officer must protect the
widow of a drug dealer from criminals and
dirty policemen.
Fun Fact: Prior to naming the film “Hot Pursuit”,
the original name was “Don’t Mess with Texas”.
Directed By: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Sofía Vergara, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Mosley
Mad Max: Fury Road
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Tempo Prediction:
In a post-apocalyptic world in which people fight
to the death, Max teams up with a mysterious
woman, Furiousa, to try and survive.
Fun Fact: Instead of the reboot being a remake
of the original “Mad Max”, revealing how Max
Rockantasky became The Road Warrior, George
Miller decided that the reboot will take place in
the post-apocalyptic Australia, years after the
new Max (Tom Hardy) lost his family.
Directed By: George Miller
Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
in the cinemas
tempo reviews
How does the place you live shape you? Set
on the American Great Plains in the 1850s,
The Homesman presents an uncommon view
the adverse conditions of frontier life have
on the people trying to scratch a living from
it. Images of a stark, unforgiving landscape
are the backdrop to circumstances that force
enterprising pioneer woman Mary Bee Cuddy
(Hilary Swank) to recruit the help of the drifter
George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones). Their trek
across the plains reveals the many faces of
human desperation and its consequences.
The Homesman gives a representation of the fears
and dangers faced by settlers of the American
West that fails to reach the audience on an
emotional level. It was difficult to care about the
hardships faced by the characters until about 75
minutes in, when Writer/Director Jones finally
decided to focus in on what those hardships drive
people to do.
The individual performances by Swank, Jones, John Lithgow, James Spader
and Meryl Streep showed glimpses of each actor’s considerable talent, but the
ensemble effect was nothing special. And this wasn’t a particularly pretty movie to
watch either. That isn’t to say that this film doesn’t bring anything of value to the
cinemascape. It is an excellent story about people who are not usually part of the
pioneer family narrative and leads us to ask, “what are we to do with these misfits?”
Marjane Satrapi’s 2011 movie Chicken with
Plums (Poulet aux Prunes, adapted from
her 2004 graphic novel) showcases the
director’s appealing way of telling stories.
A story told in French, Chicken with
Plums looks back on the life of Nasser-
Ali Khan (Mathieu Amalric), a renowned
musician haunted by the memory of an
ill-fated love. Although the story touches
on emotionally weighty milestones in
Khan’s life, the signature humour found in
Satrapi’s graphic novels shines through,
keeping the mood of the movie up.
Satrapi and co-director Vincent
Paronnaud construct an adaptation that
is a wonderfully light take on love and
loss. The cinematography is reminiscent
of comic book frames; even though this is a live action film, you get the
sensation that action is happening without actually seeing it. Well-placed
animation and a nonlinear plot add to the feeling of being in a familiar place –
the whimsy of one’s memories.
Bottom line, there are a few good reasons to give this movie a try: 1) stunning
visuals: whether taking in the beauty of Irâne (played by Golshifteh Farahani)
or the scenery in frame, 2) you like a good family-centered drama, and 3) you
like a good family-centered comedy.
entertainment

TheSpaceAD
TO ADVERTISE YOUR EVENT AND BE INCLUDED IN OUR ISSUE, CONTACT US AT: +971 2 491 8624 | or e-mail editorial@tempoplanet.com
eventswhat’s hot your guide to this month’s sizzling events
SPRING CAMP
APR 29 - MAY 9
KHALIDIYA PALACE RAYHAAN ROTANA, ABU DHABI
If you are wondering what to do with your children
during this spring break, give them a creative outlet
by letting them hop over to the Spring Camp at the
Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana. Kids aged 5-12
can enjoy colourful themed activities including water
egg-spedition, steal the egg, egg and spoon relay,
confetti egg design, bunny faces and bonnet making
Info: http://abudhabievents.ae
PRINCESS ANASTASIA ON ICE AND
ALICE IN WONDERLAND ON ICE
MAY 7 – MAY 9
EMIRATES PALACE, ABU DHABI
Saint-Petersburg State Ice Theater of Russia makes
its Abu Dhabi debut with “Princess Anastasia on Ice”
and “Alice in Wonderland on Ice”. The shows combine
Russian theatrical heritage, music, and world-known
Olympic rising stars. For the first time, the Emirates
Palace Auditorium will be transformed into an Ice
Rink. With bright, powerful and large-scale show, this
performance will attract kids as well as adults.
Info: https://www.facebook.com/alsiwarevents
Scan Here
INTERNATIONAL JEWELRY
AND WATCH SHOW
MAY 5 - MAY 9
ABU DHABI NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE
Dedicated to all who are passionate about exquisite
fashion jewellery, the event showcases some of the
best brands in the business, along with some of the
latest jewellery and watch trends. Featuring exclusive
jewellery sets as well as the everyday pieces with a
touch of glamour, the JWS promises its exhibitors
and visitors an experience that goes beyond their
expectations. Entrance to JWS 2015 is open to public.
Info: http://www.jws.ae/
Scan Here Scan Here
OMID DJALILI
MAY 9
JUMEIRAH ZABEEL SARAY HOTEL, DUBAI
Following a sell out four week residency in London’s
West End, and impressively, a sold out season at the
Edinburgh festival, the TV comic and personality,
Omid Djalili, is back in Dubai for another night of rib-
tickling. During his long career, he’s won the Time Out
comedy award, been nominated for the prestigious
South Bank Award while he’s also had acting roles in
big Hollywood numbers like Gladiator, Notting Hill and
Pirates of the Caribbean.
Info: http://dubaicalendar.ae
Scan Here
MALEK JANDALI
MAY 15
ABU DHABI THEATRE
The world-renowned composer and pianist, Malek
Jandali, recognized as a leading figure in today’s
piano world will be presenting for the first time
in the UAE “ The Malek Jandali Trio Concert” with
Laura Metcalf on cello and Abdulrahim Alsaid on
oud. Malek’s compositions integrate Middle Eastern
modes into Western classical forms of harmony. His
outstanding recordings and extensive concert tours
receive abundantly glowing praise.
Info: http://ticketmaster.ae
May 2 - May 7
“Through the Looking Glass” will display the works
of contemporary Middle Eastern artists, in an eclectic
collection that aims to give a glimpse of the regions
that portrays rich artistic talents.
#EndSmallTalk
May 6 | 6pm
Tired of the mundane, repetitive questions about
work, school, or the weather? Seeking deeper and
more meaningful conversations about more important
things in life? Join the #ENDSMALLTALK
Check facebook.com/thespaceAD for more info.
Radiate Good
May 18, 19 & 21
Radiate Good is a campaign that aims to promote
compassion in our society to help bring people
closer together, and to encourage them to do acts
of kindness in their daily life. Visitors will be given
small designed booklets which suggest simple acts of
kindness to be done every day, either by their family,
friends, colleagues or for themselves.
Email: info@radiategood.info
Scan Here
Through the Looking
Glass: a Sneak Peak
into Contemporary
Middle Eastern Art

Angeli Castillo
people
calendar
what’s cool the talk of the town
Beauty Secrets
Exhibition @ Abu
Dhabi National
Exhibition Centre
Wings for Life Run
@ Dubai Autodrome,
Motor City
Tamakkan @ Al Mamoura
Auditorium, Abu Dhabi
DUBAI TANGO FESTIVAL
MAY 17 - MAY 31 |MEYDAN GRANDSTAND
AND RACE COURSE, DUBAI
This is the seventh year for the ever-successful
Dubai Tango Festival; a time for all things tango.
Organizers invite individuals and couples, to learn
the beautiful and traditional art of Tango dancing.
The festival will host masters in the field, and offer
tango dance workshops and milongas, a tango
dance night and a gala dinner.
Jomard Jamil
Nationality: Syrian
Profession: Multimedia Designer
Life Motto - Leftover lasagna is
always a good choice.
30Apr-3May3May19May
WOMEN’S PEAK
PERFORMANCE
MAY 23 | EASTERN MANGROVES HOTEL & SPA,
ABU DHABI, UAE
This one-day experience has been created for all
women by women to provide valuable insights
and empower participants with the confidence
and courage to develop and succeed both
personally and professionally. Women of the 21st
century are breaking and pushing boundaries,
and succeeding in all fields. This summit is
about embracing and enhancing the strength
and spirit of women and providing a framework
and guidance on how to use these strengths
to explore and unlock her highest potential.
Dynamic experienced presenters will lead a
series of seven interactive master classes and
each session will provide valuable life skills and
clear action plans to take away.
ZAYED UNIVERSITY MIDDLE EAST
FILM FESTIVAL
MAY 17 - MAY 18 | ZAYED UNIVERSITY, ABU DHABI
The Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF) is a Middle
East wide film festival - for students, by students. Now in its sixth year, it
showcases that best films from universities across the region. ZUMEFF is
organized as a class, in which students do the marketing, film evaluations,
event organization, artwork and printing, outreach, advertising and
public relations.
Info: www.zumeff.com
Info: http://tangodubai.org
Info: http://www.womenspeakperformance.com/
events
Creative
Collaborative
MAY 13 | 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
MOXIE ZONE, #307 twofour54
PARK ROTANA COMPLEX, ABU DHABI
A monthly meetup for artists, creatives,
innovators and inspired weirdos.
Info: 02-491-8624

games& techgame hedz By Blakniss/ @audioanimator | Original game head from Atari to XBox!
This year the ever-popular Middle East Film and Comic Convention
grew bigger by 50% over last year! Impressive, but not surprising
given the calibre and the diversity of celebrity guests and industry
professionals coming to geek out. With very impressive cosplay all round
(check out the pics on the Game Hedz Facebook page), the fun activities,
entertainment and cool swag on sale was awesome, but by far the stand
out feature of this year’s Comic Con was the amount of home grown and
local talent on show.
Honestly there is more to MEFCC 2015 than could possibly be said here, including the appearance of William ‘Captain
Kirk’ Shatner, among others. But the winners of this year’s conference were the people - the ordinary geeks with a dream
to put themselves and this region on the pop culture map, and open the door for generations of geeks to follow.
The most ambitious project I came across was
a mecha-based toy project called Deciders.
Fronted writer Mike Fillion, designer Paul
Bruwer and art director Kris Balerite, Deciders
is a multi-tiered project that is meant to
begin as a toy franchise - but with a universe
attached that opens it up to comics, and even
movies. The basic gist is that a colonised Mars
of the future develops a justice system where
disputes are solved by Mecha battles. Sci-Fi
gold. The project is in development
and looking for funding. Learn more at
facebook.com/decidersdxb
Deciders
Comic Con
2015
Lewis had a simple but very sticky idea: turn
your favourite Star Wars characters into Arabs
and Sheikhs - and put them on t-shirts. Boss.
That’s not Lewis in the photo - but don’t you
just love his local interpretation of a classic
franchise? Check him out at artlifeflip.net
Lewis de
Mesa
There was a large number of artists exhibiting
their work, from original comic books to
portraits and just sketches of their favourite
characters. If this is anything to go by, the
Middle East is going to have an explosion of
content and skilled people to create it in the
years to come - and the MEFCC could be a
major catalyst. Here are some of the talented
geeks I caught up with:
Geeks
Rule
I met Imran Azhar at MEFCC a couple years ago
when he just started his foray into comics - he’s
still going strong with new titles and talent.
Being Pakistani, his content is often related to
his home but the other titles are original as well
and often inspired by mythology of the region,
like Sevara - a story of an immortal who after
generations of sleep, has awoken to a world in
need of saving. Definitely a company to watch.
Visit azcorpentertainment.com for details.
AZ Entertainment

games& techtech talk By Shahid Saeed / @shahidsaeed | Talker for the Non-Techies
BEST
TECH OF
2015
Oculus Rift DK2
offers better
positional
tracking
and display
technology
The latest development
kit for Oculus Rift, one
of the most popular and
breakthrough virtual reality
kits, adds better positional
tracking and display
technology. The new DK2
prototype includes a 1080p
high-resolution display, and
keeps the price under $350
(Dh 1,277).
LG introduces webOS-powered televisions
If you thought webOS was dead, think again. The Korean electronics giant bought the rights
from HP, and now includes the former smartphone software in its next-generation televisions.
It has a simpler user interface, and now supports 4K streaming for the next-generation in high-
resolution content. webOS comes to devices as part of the company’s 2015 line-up, and not
existing devices.
Intel’s RealSense makes
drones spatially aware
Imagine drones that know how to move
around obstacles. The crashes would go
down, and confidence would go up. Intel’s
new RealSense technology makes that
happen, as well as other tech, like jackets
that help the visually-impaired, and gesture
and facial recognition and controls. The
voice and gesture control system can be
embedded almost everywhere: laptops, cars,
smartphones, and Internet of Things devices.
Intel’s new Curie chip
changes the game on
wearables
Curie, Intel’s latest creation, is a computer
about the size of a suit button. It’s part
of the chipmaker’s wider wearable
device strategy. It’s just made it out of
the company’s labs and will land later
this year. The analytics and big data
opportunities are said to be huge and
have near-limitless potential.
Do you have a story to tell? A special cause? A new idea? Are you trying to help the community?
We want to hear from you. editorial@tempoplanet.com or at Facebook: Abu Dhabi Tempo
3D printing made easier with Fuel3D three-
dimensional scanner
3D printing just got a boost with Scanify’s 3D-scanner, dubbed the Scanify. The
company claims it can take a 3D scan in one-tenth of a second, by combining
precalibrated stereo cameras with photometric imaging. Once the file is
processed, it can be exported into one of three common file types (.STL, .OBJ,
and .PLY), which are commonly used for 3D printing software.

Are you a style maven? Join ‘‘Tempo UAE’’ Facebook Group. Send us your
photo and contact details and we can arrange a photoshoot.
PHOTOGRAPHER:
Angeli Castillo
Alaa Wais
Age: 22
Profession: Selling Honey to a Bee
Nationality: Syrian
Fashion Statement: “Always be the one that stands
out in the room”
My personal style: Comfy/casual yet always classy
Fav buy of the past month: New black
Caterpillar boots.
Fav stores in the UAE: for smart/casual attire,
Massimo Dutti; for shirts/jeans, American Eagle; for
suits: Sacoor Brothers.
Does the UAE have style? The UAE’s definitely got
style, but it could use some tweaking, after all style
never stops changing and improving.
Do you have any fashion pet hates? Taking literally,
people who ‘wear’ pets; I believe pets shouldn’t be
dressed up. Most pets look amazing the way they
were created. (Hahahaha)
blue print fashion

Shattering the Stereotype:
Fashion Designer Neelam Alnoor
generation Z By mirriam Akbar /@InMirzWords
What inspired you to get into fashion?
I fell in love with Madam Vionette design
techniques, she introduced “draping”
on the body. A natural flow to creating
designs. Today you really can’t “pin” a
fabric on a human so we use mannequins.
Pattern drafting or making never really
worked for me. Draping is what got my
fashion skills to kick out.
What were some obstacles you faced along
the way?
I always knew fashion was never “easy”
or its just “colouring, cutting and gluing
things together”. I would get that a lot, and
trust me it irritated me so much, because
nothing in life comes easy and YES that
includes fashion.
I came across, at one point in my
sophomore year, a professor who, let’s
just say was not “helpful”. She sat me
down one day, telling me “Neelam, you
are wasting your time, your life, and your
parents’ money. Change your major: you
will NEVER become a designer, you will
NEVER pass, you will NEVER succeed.”
Fast forward four years later, I got a GREAT
review from designer Tadashi Shoji in
during our Portfolio in Motion fashion show
compared to my fellow classmates. That
even before I sat down to meet him, he told
me “you were the one with the beautiful
fabrics and colors correct?” I froze. I said,
“yes…” He continued, “you will go very far
in life, you have a strong sense of fashion
in you, not typical. Wish you all the success
in your life to come as a designer”. For a
student to hear that, in front of your whole
class and the entire fashion department of
Marymount University, I did not know how
to take it in. I just had a huge smile on my
face, and I looked directly at that professor
sitting across from me that “Look, look
where I am today”. That professor said
absolutely nothing, why? Because I proved
her wrong and I am SO thankful that I did.
What have you been working on
since graduation?
Honestly speaking, I have had some ups
and downs but hey that’s life and fashion! I
had taken part in a fashion week, I traveled
overseas to create my collection came
back and guess what? I drove about five
hours to the destination and it was all a
fraud. So many other designers/bloggers
were stranded there as well. It was one
huge lesson that I will never forget. Events,
pop up shops, fashion shows, fashion
weeks can be done easily but you need to
do your research before jumping into it.
I started doing small designs for a couple
of customers, even started making
accessories. From there I thought, I need
to start somewhere right? So in November
after much struggle, designing, planning,
etc I opened a Etsy shop. A designer is not
just born, you have to climb and swim to
get to where you need to be.
How has the online platform helped?
Social media, has made so many designers/
bloggers a huge success and I am so
happy for them. Social media has it all
from blogging to vlogging to Instragram,
Facebook, Twitter you name it. It has given
L’Noor a good outreach but not as big as
I am aiming for it to be. It’s a small start,
and Inshallah I will get to where my dreams
want me to be.
What do you say to others
pursuing fashion?
DO.NOT.GIVE.UP. Just have a motivation,
a boost that keeps you going. And do
not ever forget God, if He puts you in
it He will get you through it. At the end
it’s YOU, YOUR happiness, YOUR life and
YOUR success.
I’ve seen a few of my
friends make the bold
decision of pursuing a
career they love rather
a career that would pay
well but they wouldn’t
appreciate/enjoy as much.
One of those people
would have to be Neelam
Alnoor, someone I’ve
grown to respect as an
older sister and as a go-
getter fashion designer.
She shares her story
with Tempo...
Links:
Instagram and Twitter: @_Lnoor_
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Lnoor
Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/Lnoor
fashion

By Christopher Joshua Benton / Instagram: @maxfirepower
fashionably late
KINGS
AMBITION
The line is called Kings Ambition, a name
that represents “aspiration for successful
living,” according to Mackay. Off the
heels of launching its first-ever collection,
TEMPO caught up with Mackay to talk
about the difficulties of manufacturer
sourcing, and his plans to transform street
culture in the Emirates.
Fashion newcomer Kings Ambition
borrows the uniform of classic streetwear
staples—think snapback caps and
t-shirts—and flips it with Emirati imagery.
Our favourite is the “Falcon Wing Neck
tee,” an all-black beauty with a geometric
version of UAE’s national bird around
the collar—all rendered in luxurious, long
staple cotton.
“Young people here are all buying and
wearing streetwear but it’s not designed
in Dubai and it’s not made in Dubai,”
Mackay said. Sensing a gap in the market,
Mackay looked online for a collaborator
to make a logo for the brand he had in
his head. He ended up finding Farouq
Samnani, a designer/ photographer from
Canada. Together, they rendered plans
for a brand that drew inspiration equally
from graffiti art, street photography, youth
culture, and hip-hop music.
Kings Ambition flaunts a tight-knit,
mostly monochromatic range of crisp
tees, bomber jackets, hoodies, and sweat
gear in black, white, and gray. It’s simple,
direct, and most importantly, effortlessly
stylish.
In a country known for its outsized
malls and imported luxury brands, Kings
Ambition is refreshingly independent,
homegrown, and accessible: “I want to
give as many people as possible the
opportunity to wear and access my
brand,” Mackay said.
As for the future, there’s a fall capsule
collection in August and a women’s
collection that’s soon-to-come. Above
all, Mackay hopes to develop his brand
steadily, without the crash-and-burn
hype that past sportswear brands have
endured. “The typical streetwear brand
has a five year lifecycle. I want to build
something sustainable.”
You can find Kings Ambition online at
kingsambition.com or in-stores at Fashion
Vault in Dubai.
Three years ago Ross Mackay booked a one-way flight from his home of Scotland
to Dubai. Today, the 23-year-old is the founder/ creative director of one of
Dubai’s most interesting new brands.
WATCH THE THRONE:
1
2
33
Ross Mackay, 23, is the founder of freshman
sportswear brand Kings Ambition
1
The brand’s
debut line offers
sporty basics
with a local twist
2
The
monochromatic
line is simple,
athletic, and
minimalist
3
The Kings
Ambition
“Falcon Tee”
4
The classic
Kings Ambition
‘Kingpin’
box logo
cover story

Making
Magic with
Moments:Photographer Ravi Mansukhlal
By Neil Bie

TEMPO: Who is Ravi Mansukhlal?
I am a marketer by profession and a
photographer at heart. I was born in India
and brought up in the UAE. Photography
is my ‘fitoor’ i.e. passion, madness.
Portraits, weddings, babies and children
photography are my forte.
TEMPO: How did you learn of your passion
for photography?
I think I fell in love with the photography
at the age of seven when my father gave
me the first lesson on how to frame a
picture. The passion and the hunger to
learn more came only in late 2012. So
literally it’s been less than three years
since I’ve been doing it professionally.
TEMPO: Describe your creative process.
I like to divide the creative process into
three phases:
Phase 1: Visualizing / Pre-Planning - I
like to visualize days before the actual
shoot because it helps me set the intent –
sometimes it could be too specific or too
general. These are the times when a story
board comes in handy.
Phase 2: Shoot – During this process I
intend to keep things simple. Since most
of my shoots are portraits, I try to make
it a fun activity for my subjects as this
brings out the best in them.
Phase 3: Edit – The objective of editing
is to simply enhance or remove / edit
unwanted elements from the pic. I don’t
like to drastically alter pictures.
TEMPO: Is there a specific kind of subject
that you love to cover?
Yes, and it’s portraits. I just love
photographing people. And if I could be
even more specific, it would be children.
Children are the most challenging subjects
but at the same time they are the most
honest and innocent beings. And I like to
capture those emotions and expressions
which are all unique.
TEMPO: Describe a normal day in the life
of Ravi Mansukhlal.
Since I have a full time job, my weekdays
don’t involve much of the photoshoots.
Most of my shoots are limited to Fridays
and Saturdays. I love to shoot with natural
light and hence I start early mornings to
capitalise the morning light or just before
the sunset during the golden hour.
TEMPO: How did the people around you
react when they first saw your work?
Initially, I kept getting some nice
comments here and there and few likes
every time I posted a pic on social media
platforms. But when I covered a friend’s
wedding, I was completely overwhelmed
with the response that I got for something
I did for the very first time.
TEMPO: Which photographers
inspire you?
It may sound strange but I was never
inspired by any photographer. But if I had
to pick one photographer then it will have
to be Steve McCurry’s because I love
his style.
TEMPO: Your future plans?
While I am still ‘learning’ photography, as
I believe it never stops, this year I would
like to take it a step forward and also try
my hands at cinematography. Apart from
that I am also working on my passion
project “Project 365’ whereby I aim to
photograph 365 portraits of different
people by the end of this year. If anyone
would like to be part of my
#Project365 they can email me at
ravimansukhlal@gmail.com
TEMPO: Your message for
aspiring photographers?
Don’t go out there and shoot with the
sole aim of getting maximum ‘likes’. Go
beyond that. Shoot what you ‘LOVE’ and
makes you happy. Never stop shooting
and never stop learning. And I’d also
like to say something to all those people
who think that they are not ‘photogenic,’
remember this, “If you have a face,
you are photogenic”.
Website: www.ravisfitoor.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/ravisfitoor | Instagram @ravisfitoor
Each moment that
we share with
loved ones is special,
from grand events like
weddings, birthdays
and anniversaries to
simple introspective
moments like a walk on
the beach. Capturing
the right place at the
right time immortalizes
those precious moments
and here’s where
photographer Ravi
Mansukhlal comes into
the picture…
feature story
Ravi Mansukhlal

Coconut Flour:
Cooking Facts
Grassfed Wagyu stew with roasted carrots and new potatoes, served with
a slice of Yorkshire pudding
the epicurean
By Lana Nasser | Instagram: @l4n4n
lean and clean
By Donna Howarth | @cleaneatuae
Sprinkle some Wilderness
to your Dish
We’re nine! How
are we all
going to fit in your
mother’s snug SUV?”
I asked my husband
as we packed the
kids’ Salomon
fleeces and a few
water bottles in our
backpacks.
Coconut flour is
made from the
meat of the tropical nut.
“You’ll see, Palestinian style,” he
replied with a sneaky half-smile on
his face.
We squeezed in the back with
some kids on our laps and the rest
in the slightly spacious boot of
the car; everyone was brimming
with excitement because we were
planning to stop for lunch and cook a
traditional easy-to-make Palestinian
dish called “Kalayet Bandora”. The
direct translation into English is
sautéed tomatoes. It doesn’t really
sound like a dish to be ecstatic about
but coupled with the fresh air, crisp
weather, perfectly painted blue skies,
sunshine, green hills, man-made fire
and the squeals of the kids, it turned
into one of the most unique foodie
adventures I’ve been on.
After hiking for almost two hours, we
found the perfect clearing to start
our cooking activity. It was fairly
windy so we chose a spot closest
to the side of a huge boulder to
The meat is dried at very low
temperatures for a long period of
time and, then, finely ground. The
flour resembles wheat flour, is lower in
carbs (when compared to grain based
flours) and it’s also high in fibre and
protein. Therefore, it makes a more
nutrient dense flour.
The flour is naturally gluten-free
(hypoallergenic) and recommended
for those who are allergic to nuts,
wheat, soy, milk etc. This really is a
fantastic flour and can be enjoyed by
celiacs, diabetics and those of use
that eat Clean, Paleo or Low-GI etc.
If you are looking to eat healthier, this
flour deserves a well-earned place in
your kitchen.
Coconut flour is relatively new to
the “healthy food” scene and I can
understand that the majority of
people will not buy it, as they have no
idea what to do with it. Even though
it is a flour, it has to be treated quite
differently. The first (major) point -
it’s highly absorbent and you really
need to be careful to ensure you
use the correct amount of flour with
the correct measure of liquid (i.e.
eggs). Erica from comfybelly.com
recommends this general ratio:
½ cup of coconut flour
4 eggs
½ cup of liquid sweetener (i.e. honey,
maple syrup, agave etc.)
The flour can also clump quite easily
and you will need to sift prior to
adding in your mixture. Also, make
an extra effort to mix the ingredients
together (by hand or mixer).
I personally, love the taste of
coconut flour and find it makes my
recipes tastier, sweeter and more
wholesome when compared to other
flours. Recently, I used it to make
a Yorkshire pudding and found
it preferable to the conventional
pudding made with wheat flour.
(I have listed the recipe below).
I strongly advise you to research the
uses of coconut flour and try some of
the recipes on the following websites:
comfybelly.com, elanaspantry.com and
take a peek at www.mynaturalfamiy.
com/recipes/grain-free/coconut-flour-
bread-recipes/ I have also bought a
book entitled Cooking with Coconut
Flour by Bruce Fife, N.D. I purchased
this from The Organic Store at Nation
Towers and it has proved very helpful
when trying to understand the
properties of Coconut Flour.
Blend together all the ingredients
using a hand held whisk or blender.
Ensure there are no lumps and
the batter is slightly bubbly. Pour
the batter into a greased 11x7x2-
inch baking pan. Bake at 225c for
approximately 25 minutes. Remove
from the oven and cut into 6 pieces
and serve immediately. This can been
eaten with any roast or stew, be it
chicken or beef.
Enjoy!
Yorkshire Pudding
(recipe from Cooking with
Coconut Flour)
4 eggs
½ cup coconut milk
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sifted coconut flour
3 tablespoons corn flour
shield the flames once we got them
started. The secret to a perfect fire
is to have a generous base of dried
tree branches, which you then slowly
grow branch by branch.
A few tricks I discovered on this
expedition is that you can actually
chop up tomatoes, very roughly that
is, using a spoon and even a fork
and then use a steel bowl and the
bottom of a tree branch to replace
your mortar and pestle to crush the
garlic cloves.
Everyone took turns to stir the
concoction and the smell of burnt
wood mixed with caramelized
tomatoes invaded the air. We cooked
the first batch of Kalayet Bandora
without chili peppers for the kids and
the second batch was spiced up for
the adults; once the tomatoes turned
into a dark sunset orange color, we
poured the stew into two separate
stainless steel bowls.
We then carried our bowls to the
largest boulder we could find, sat
cross-legged, drizzled Palestinian
liquid gold and tore into our lunch
with little shovels of taboon bread.
The roasting of the tomatoes on a
wood fire lent a deeper layer of flavor
that I had never experienced before
with cooking the dish on a gas stove.
It tasted almost entirely different and I
fell in love instantly.
While we nourished our stomachs and
aching bodies from the hike, the fire
was still going strong, so we brewed
some freshly picked chamomile leaves
for dessert. It was the sweetest ending
to our day.

A screen grab of
Vasilis Blioumis’
“Lost and Found
in Dubai”. His film
recently won Third
Prize in the 2015
International Mobil
Film Festival.
TEMPO: Why filmmaking, Vasilis?
Since a kid it was obvious that I loved
the idea of filmmaking. But it was an
uncertain job. When I start to work in
different fields and realize that I hated
what I was doing. So I had an honest
discussion with myself. You live only
once and the question was how do you
want to spend the rest of your life?
Doing something you hate and on the
side making hobby films? Or you want
to be happy doing what you really
love to do? I decided the second, so
the next day I resigned from my work
and went to study cinema. I hold a
Bachelor degree in Film Directing and
2 master degrees, one In Producing
and a second MBA in Marketing
Communications. All related to film in
prestigious universities such as Faculty
of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade.
TEMPO: How do you make your films?
There is no specific formula. Every
period of my life is different and can
influence me to come up with new
creative ideas. Mostly characters driven
stories is what I like but everything
can trigger the creative process. An
incident, music, poetry, a picture, paint,
art even the news. The difficult part is to
get the right story. Do not like to make
films just to make one. I want to have
something worthy to say.
TEMPO: You shot an entire film using
your phone?
It was a challenge by a mobile phone
company. They choose 15 filmmakers
and they challenged us to make a film
with the phone so they could
screen them in Dubai Film
festival. The verdict is that
phones today have really
amazing quality and easy to
shoot with them. Small and
light if u compare it with a
video camera or a DSLR.
There are still some features
like the autofocus, lenses and
dark sensitivity that need to
be improved but I believe in
the future the phones would
be very popular in the world
of filmmaking. We shot our
film in 4K! I mean this is
already a crazy resolution
for a phone.
TEMPO: How did you do it?
Well, we used all the professional
equipment what we normally use in
film productions (tripods, steadicams,
drones) so the film does not look
like the usual shaky phone footage. I
had also two amazing actors like Dr.
Ghassan Al Katheri and Fe Ging Ging
Hyde and a great script written by Roy
Eisenstein. Mix that in combination
with the phone quality - so yes, many
people could not believe that it was
shot with a phone.
TEMPO: Which filmmakers have
inspired you?
Charlie Chaplin, David Cronenberg,
Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez,
Kim Ki Duk. From the local industry I
liked “City of life” and “Sea Shadow”
TEMPO: What’s a typical day for you?
That’s a difficult question. We do
not really have a routine typical day.
Different projects different days. The
only sure thing is that I try EVERY day
to watch a movie!
TEMPO: How would you motivate
others to get into filmmaking?
I’d tell them to what you love in life!
Life is short! Sometimes is worthy
to take some risks. Also if someone
has an idea or a story that thinks is
good, they can always contact me.
Looking constantly for good content
and stories.
As you’re reading this
article, there’s a 99%
chance that you have
your phone near you – a
smartphone to be exact!
This smartphone that
you have in your hand is
capable of taking photos
and videos – but have you
wondered if you could
shoot an entire film in it?
The passionate and super
dedicated Filmmaker
Vasilis Blioumis shares with
Tempo how to do just that!
Making Movies
using your
Mobile Phone
Workshops by Filmmaker Vasilis Blioumis
Watch it
here

want to make
a smovie?
vasilis teaches
you how!
The Smovies will hold filmmaking workshops where
Vasilis will show you how to plan, ideate, and use
your phone. He’ll share secrets on how to upgrade
the quality of the film and enhance our shots. These
two workshops will free, and only for a maximum of
15 students.
Slots will be reserved on a first come basis.
Call Neil at 02-491-8624
or email him at editorial@tempoplanet.com.
Subsequent workshops will be charged.
make a smovie!
get your film shown
on vox cinemas!
You are invited to make a ‘Smovie’
– a short movie: ‘s’ for ‘short’ +
‘movie’. The cool thing is The
Smovies – www.thesmovies.com
invites anyone to shoot a short
film using anything available. This
could a camera, a phone camera,
Ipad…anything.
There are three seasons of
competitions. Competition 1 is
The Vox Cinemas category which
kicks off on April 1. See the details
for the competition below. And
winners will receive cash prizes and
the opportunity to have their films
showcased on Vox Cinemas across
the country.
Are you a budding
filmmaker? Have you
always wanted to make
your own short film?
If you have questions,
send them to info@thesmovies.com
THE SMOVIES VOX CINEMA
#PlsDontStealMyShow
The competition has started
and the winning ads will play
on all screens across all VOX
Cinemas in the UAE for at least
three months.
OBJECTIVE
To create awareness about
cinema etiquette (talking loudly,
speaking on the phone and
making noise).
MOOD/ TREATMENT
• Use humour to communicate
this message
• The message should be
communicated from the other
cinema goer’s POV (whose
movie experience is ruined)
• The ad should create
empathy among those who
either consciously or sub-
consciously ruin someone’s
movie experience
• The ad should NOT be an
instruction guide on how to
behave in the cinema
AD DURATION
30 secs minimum.
45 secs maximum.
SPECS
• 1920 x 1080 Pixels
• High Definition
• 16:9 Aspect Ratio
PRIZES
• The winning team will receive
AED 10,000 cash prize,
courtesy of VOX Cinemas
• 2nd Runner Up will receive
20 VOX GOLD Gift Vouchers
(worth AED 2,400)
• 3rd Runner Up will receive
10 4DX Vouchers
(worth AED 1,250)
• The winning team needs to
create a commercial for the
same campaign. This will play
across all VOX Cinemas.
• Credits for the winning
team will be allowed in the
commercial for not more than
2 seconds
• Last frame of the commercial
should have the closing frame,
which can be downloaded
from www.thesmovies.com,
under the menu “Competition”
and then “Closing frame”.
• VOX Cinema venues are
available for shoot during off
trading hours: 2 AM – 9 AM.
Contact details for cinema
venues booking:
Please Don’t Steal My Show
COMPETITION
See Vasilis’ work on
https://www.facebook.com/blioumis and https://vimeo.com/billyblioumis
May 7 and May 14
7:00pm to 9:00pm
Moxie Zone, #307 twofour54,
Park Rotana Complex, Abu Dhabi
Mary Rose
VOX Cinemas
Telephone: +971 (4) 6010500
Direct: +971 (4) 6010519
Email address:
mary.rose@voxcinemas.com

By Shahid Saeed
phototripping photography
Street
Photography
Street photography features the human condition as captured within public places. However, it does not
necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. The subject of the photograph might
even be absent of people, and can be an object or environment where the image projects a decidedly
human character in facsimile, aesthetic or alternate form. Framing and timing are key aspects with the aim
being to create an image at a conclusive or emotive moment.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Paola Nardini | LOCATION: INDIA
SETTING: Manual Mode
CAMERA MODEL: NIKON D610
F-STOP/APERTURE: f5.6
ISO: 400
SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500sec
ISO: 400
ISO: 200
ISO: 2000
ISO: 250

abu dhabi photographersshutterbug
THE CHALLENGE
NOTE: ADP organized the workshop photography 102 (Manual
Mode) for beginners; the workshop took place on Saturday 11 April,
2015. Approximately 11 photographers participated. It was a great
experience for everyone to understand camera manual mode, use
of camera light meter, ISO, Aperture & Shutter speed.
ABOUT: Abu Dhabi Photographers is a group of photography
enthusiasts who meet regularly to capture beautiful shots and to
share knowledge and experiences. The group is managed
by BrandMoxie.
Photography 102 (Manual Mode)
THE GROUP: ABU DHABI PHOTOGRAPHERS
Sasikumar S
Suad Miriam Habib
James (Jim) Gardner
photography

FUN, FOOD AND FOOTBALL IN
PLAYFUL BARCELONA
It’s a stunning view and a good
place for first-time visitors to
this ancient city to get their
bearings. Parc Güell is also a good
introduction to Barcelona’s array
of surreal architecture – almost
certainly the best in Europe. The
park’s designer, the modernist
architect Antoni Gaudí, created
looping walls and benches covered
with multicoloured tiled mosaics,
vaulted stone walkways reminiscent
of an elaborate fantasy grotto, and
a fountain in the shape of a giant
ceramic lizard.
He is also responsible for a host of
eccentric buildings in other parts
of the city (especially El Eixample),
parts of which appear to be melting,
with elements of their facades
and balconies looking more like
mud and molten metal than hard
stone and iron. This unconventional
architecture perfectly sets the scene
for Barcelona, which is, above all, a
playful city, a place that has pushed
the boundaries of life and art, and
created a unique identity. It is one
province of the Catalonia region,
which, although part of Spain, is also
fiercely independent and has its own
parliament, language (Catalan) and
culture, much of which dates back
hundreds of years.
On foot
A perfect day can be spent
wandering through the labyrinth
of walkways in the Barri Gòtic and
El Born districts. Numerous local
designers have small shops in these
areas and some work there too,
so they can explain their styles
to you as you try on the cutting-
edge fashions. There are also
jewellery designer outlets and lots
of handbag shops, maintaining the
Spanish tradition of expertise in
leather goods.
As you walk along the alleyways, the
comforting smell of freshly baked
bread and the glorious aromas of
tapas dishes waft on the air. There’s
no shortage of small food outlets
and the local custom is not to
linger over a large meal but instead
to order a small plate or two of
something tasty and then move
on to the next place. Barcelona is
famous for its seafood, so don’t
forget to try some, especially the
prawns (gambas) and octopus
(pulpo or pulpitto).
Later in the afternoon, catch the
cable car up to the summit of
Montjuïc hill, where you will find
the city’s Botanical Gardens, the
National Art Museum of Catalonia
and a museum dedicated to the
artist Joan Miró.
The Hotel Arts is my pick for the
most romantic hotel in Barcelona,
and is undoubtedly one of the most
stylish in Europe. It’s expensive but
worth it, especially if the trip is for
a special occasion.
It’s within walking distance of the
Barri Gòtic and El Born districts but
also next to the beach, which means
you can choose between rooms with
views over the Mediterranean or the
city. If you want the best of both
worlds, go for a city view and then
spend time each day in the hotel’s
spa sauna, which faces the ocean.
If you really want to splash out, get
a Club Floor room, which will give
you access to the hotel’s excellent
Club Lounge, where you can relax
any time of the day with drinks,
snacks and that amazing view.
In the evening, as the city lights
up, it makes for a quiet and very
romantic spot to sip a mocktail
with your partner.
The details
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies
direct from Dubai, Qatar Airways
(www.qatarairways.com) direct
from Doha. Etihad (www.etihad.
com) flies direct to Madrid, from
where you’ll need to take to a
domestic flight to Barcelona.
Where to stay
The Hotel Arts is the best
(www.hotelartsbarcelona.com) –
with the Mandarin Oriental (http://
www.mandarinoriental.com/
barcelona/) a close second but if
you have a lower budget, try http://
www.casacamper.com/barcelona/
default-en.html and check out
TripAdvisor for more suggestions
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotels-
g187497-Barcelona_Catalonia-
Hotels.html
Barcelona’s most
romantic hotel
From Parc Güell,
you can gaze
across the ochre
rooftops and spires
of Barcelona,
all the way to
the glistening
Mediterranean Sea.
By Matthew Brace | mattbrace@yahoo.com.au | Travel Writer, Corporate Writertravel travel

BAS Mall More Reasons Tempo Magazine.pdf 1 9/14/14 1:17 PM

172 Hours on the Moon
by Johan Harstad
(Translated into English
by Tara F. Chace)
This originally Norwegian novel belongs to the
sci-fi horror genre, and tells the story of three
teenagers who win a trip to the moon. There,
they’re faced with difficulties of unexpected
incidents and horrific experiences that are bound
to induce chills up your spine.
Book Recommendation:
talking books librarians’ lounge
By Sana Ashraf | @sanalikespie By Vanessa Middleton
Delirium
by Lauren Oliver
BOOK YOUR
CALENDAR FOR
THE BOOK FAIR!
Lauren Oliver wittingly crafts a world that
obliges eighteen year olds to undergo a
‘procedure’ which ‘cures’ love. The concept
is mind-blowing; the society is realistic –
and the argument is presented plausibly.
This could be our future – one that isn’t as
far-fetched as most dystopian novels tend
to be. That’s what’s unsettlingly alarming
about it. Love is frowned upon in this story;
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is taught
in their schools as a lesson of warning, as
though, by showing them what ‘love’ is
capable of, they’d simply find it distasteful
– unappealing, frightening and“chaotic.”
The story centres on Lena, an average
girl. One would argue that she hasn’t a
personality. She abides by the norms of
her society, but her character evolves.
One would also argue that the greatest
novels are ones that contain changeable
characters; the reader grows with Lena and
slowly finds that the form of attachment
that grows with non-virtual friends – that
bonding, that belonging, that love – soon
forms between the reader and Lena
herself, which is rather ironic.
Some say that the most improbable in
optimal conditions is the most probable,
which stands for what happens to Lena. A
simple girl who does the most improbable.
“Love, the deadliest of all deadly things: It
kills you both when you have it and when
you don’t.”
The writing is rather simplistic. Perhaps
the beauty of this is that when the climax
begins it also starts to read like poetry.
In a way, Oliver symbolises love through
her writing; she begins in waves as
though the fluttering of a butterfly in an
admirer’s stomach, and then all at once
bursts into metaphorical poetic verse
as through a lover’s narrative. Every
chapter begins with prose; quotes from
‘books’ in the eerie, yet relatable, world.
The beauty of it too is that this novel
doesn’t only centre on romantic love,
but also friendships and families
banished from love. It explores a
world where love is alienated; where
bringing up children is viewed upon
as an obligation, rather than an act
of love; and where relationships of
all sorts are not bound by love. It is a
community established for order – a
world wherein love is “the most deadly
of deadly things.”
Overall, the engaging storyline sets it
apart. Be wary, the ending may bring
you to tears.
“It’s so strange how life works: You
want something and you wait and wait
and feel like it’s taking forever to come.
Then it happens and it’s over and all
you want to do is curl back up in that
moment before things changed.”
Mark your calendars for May 7 to May
13. It’s the Abu Dhabi International
Book Fair, and here are my top five
things you dare not miss!
1) Take the opportunity to hear new
authors! I enjoy discovering new
authors that I know very little about.
To discover fresh local authors, check
the schedule. The ADIBF seeks to
promote Emirati and local expat writers.
Well known international authors are
usually well represented as well, such as
Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim and
American writer, Cynthia Bond. It is also
a great place to purchase a signed copy
of their book. The book talks and author
interviews are very informative and
provide insightful information about the
writing, character development and the
author’s creative process.
2) The Multaqa Literary Salon is an
unforgettable experience. Asma
Siddiq al Mutawaa is the organizer
and founder of the one of the longest
running Ladies Literary Salons of UAE.
The group has been meeting for over
20 years in the UAE and is recognized
by UNESCO as intangible heritage.
Asma seeks to promote Arabic fiction
by encouraging her group to read
two books bi-weekly; particularly the
shortlisted titles for The International
Prize for Arabic Fiction. This is a
literary prize managed in association
with the Booker Prize Foundation in
London, and supported by the Emirates
Foundation in Abu Dhabi. The Multaqa
Literary Salon allows the participants
to experience a sophisticated, intimate
and exciting dialogue with the many
authors featured during the fair. The
décor and the ambiance which she
creates for her exhibition salon provides
a memorable ADIBF experience.
3) Illustrator’s Corner is an area of the
festival is always fun and exciting. You
will have an opportunity to meet the
illustrators of the books available at
the festival. This area usually features
illustrators doing what they do best,
creating masterful works of art to bring
stories alive. A wide range of talented
illustrators are on hand to demonstrate
their craft. Indeed some of the artists
offer workshops or share drawing
techniques with the audience!
4) School days. If you are an educator
and have the opportunity to plan a
field trip for your students, a school
visit to ADIBF would be perfect. Please
make the necessary arrangements
so your students can experience the
exciting buzz around literature. ADIBF
usually feature special days and timings
for school visits, check their website
(http://www.adbookfair.com/) for more
details about registering your school for
a visit. As a university librarian, we are
always surprised at the many university
students interested in participating in
the ADIBF. Festival organizers usually
provide coupons to schools as an
incentive to encourage students to
purchase their own selections.
5) The 25th anniversary of the
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
This is the 25th edition of the Abu
Dhabi International Book Fair and the
event will honour the late Sheikh Zayed.
There will be lectures, poetry readings
and special exhibits held in his honour,
and the Sheikh Zayed Book Prizes will
also be awarded during the festivities.
The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
Aplace where
‘love’ is viewed
upon as a disease –
this sums up Delirium
in a nutshell.
For more information visit
www.adbookfair.com

ZAYED UNIVERSITY’S AL KHARAREEF STORYTELLING CLUB
was created to enrich the legacy of the Emirati storytelling
tradition and contribute to the revival of this important cultural
heritage within the United Arab Emirates.
Last year, the Club in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Music &
Arts Foundation launched an Emirati cultural literacy project
titled the Story Mile, a collection of 48 original fables and
folktales, written by students from the Academic Bridge Program, illustrated
by the College of Arts and Creative Enterprise majors and translated by
ZOWD volunteers into the language of its characters, Emirati dialect.
The Story Mile tales, which are the first of a three volume series, were
recently published as a book in English and titled “Tales from the Emirates” in
Arabic. The stories not only share the storytelling tradition of the Emirates,
but have also introduced other key aspects of Emirati culture and are
creating new footprints in the sands of the cultural landscape of the UAE.
A Debt Repaid
In celebration of Star Wars Day
on May the Fourth
By Paul A. Freeman
Job-Job Winks was
the most loathed
character in sci-fi
cinematic history.
Critics maintained that his makeup
was substandard, his acting ability
unconvincing, his voice too shrill and that
he came across as unremittingly annoying.
However, ‘J.J. Winks’ - as the actor was
known to both the IRS and the Actors’
Union - finally endeared himself to millions
of Cosmic Conflicts fans by saving the
lives of both the franchise director and its
lead actress.
This is what happened.
J.J. emerged from his trailer, dressed in
full alien garb. “My lines suck, Georgia,” he
complained. “Come over here. I need to
talk to you about it. Now!”
Georgia Lewis pulled herself out of her
‘lucky’ director’s couch. “Bloody prima
donnas,” she said for a cameraman and
scriptwriter’s benefit, before adding,
more loudly: “Okay, J.J., let’s go inside
your trailer and I’ll explain to you where I
envision the script’s going.”
Seconds later, the cast and crew of Cosmic
Conflicts, Episode III, gasped in horror
as lead actress Carol Fletcher tripped
on a cable and plummeted from an
overhead catwalk. Her hysterical screams
reverberated through the film studio,
ending with a soft thump.
Some believe Carol survived because
a divine force slowed her earthbound
descent. Others claim the director’s couch
was just in the right position to break
her fall. Either way, the incident entered
Cosmic Conflicts folklore, generating
much irrational hypothesising at press
conferences and sci-fi conventions.
“Was Carol saved by the Cosmic Conflicts’
mystical ‘Power’?” fans inevitably enquired
of the director.
“Did you always place your sofa in that
exact same spot,” other fans asked, “or was
the Power with you on that day?”
Other annoyingly recurrent queries
concerned Carol Fletcher suing Georgia
Lewis Film Studios for physical trauma,
mental trauma and negligence. In addition,
there were suggestions that the reclusive
actor playing Job-Job Winks had the gift
of second sight and had in effect saved
Carol’s life through precognition.
Years later, in Georgia Lewis’s New
Mexico ranch house, the anaemic and
pencil-thin J.J. Winks sat at the ailing
director’s bedside.
“I will soon have repaid my debt to
you,” said J.J., removing his humanoid
prosthetics and makeup. “Your time of
natural termination is near.”
Georgia Lewis smiled up at the blue-
skinned Falosian alien. “I really should have
sent you on a sensitivity training course,”
she said, recalling in her mind the night
J.J.’s spacecraft crash-landed on her ranch.
The incident inspired the then-struggling
director into making her first science
fiction film.
“You rescued me,” said J.J. “I promised to
serve you till your death. You’re now dying.
Do you have any regrets, friend?”
“Only the day Carol fell from the catwalk. I
let you talk me into repositioning my sofa
and then you used that anti-gravity gizmo
of yours to slow her fall. Saving that cow’s
life cost me millions.”
J.J. sniggered, a response to humour he
had learned during his years on planet
earth. “Any last requests, friend?”
“Yes, there’s. A lifelong ambition. But only
if you’ve finally managed to get that ship
of yours space-worthy again.”
The mysterious disappearance of film
director Georgia Lewis and actor J.J.
Winks, along with numerous UFO sightings
around the director’s New Mexico ranch,
generated much irrational hypothesising at
press conferences and sci-fi conventions.
Questions on the subject were all the more
annoying to lead actress Carol Fletcher,
who much preferred talking about herself.
“Of course they weren’t abducted by
aliens,” she would tersely inform Cosmic
Conflicts fans. “That’s just plain ridiculous.”
Al Medfah
the Haunted
Canon
Once upon a time, long before the
union, citizens of the various Emirates
resisted colonization. These people
(who are now known as Emiratis)
used all sorts of weapons, including
the canon. It was not native to the
region, but had been left behind by
the Portuguese who had invaded
years earlier.
The cannon caused more damage
than any other weapon. It was blamed
for every injury, every soul, and every
child left without a father. Out of all
the canons, there was one special
canon, Al Medfah, that was haunted
with the spirits of sad souls who were
the victims of the fighting.
When people tried to fire Al Medfah,
it would backfire and kill the person
controlling it. As years past, Al
Medfah’s thirst for revenge grew.
When the war ended, Al Medfah
continued to shoot, wreaking havoc
and destruction across the land.
Finally, a big ball of metal was used to
close Al Medfah up and stop it from
harming anyone else.
An old man remembered the tale of a
haunted canon that no one was able
to control. Everyone knew that the
ghost needed to be freed in order
for Al Medfah to stop attacking the
people of the UAE. So they decided
to offer the ghost an abandoned
house to live in instead.
A group of people went to a man who
was able to talk to the supernatural.
He told Al Medfah that the pain had
to stop. The ghost responded by
shooting him dead. The people put
the metal ball back and left it alone.
Years later, the country needed
construction materials as it was
growing quickly, so all the canons
were melted down. For his crimes, Al
Medfah was left homeless, forced to
wander the land forever.
flash fiction literature
FLASH FICTION IS A STYLE OF LITERATURE CHARACTERIZED BY BREVITY;
WITH THE STANDARD BEING A STORY OF UNDER 1000 WORDS. SEND US YOUR STORIES TO:
editorial@tempoplanet.com
“Al Medfah
continued to shoot,
wreaking havoc and
destruction across
the land.”
By Maha Ali Hasan Ahmed Al Hosan
Illustration By Noora Abdulrahman Abdulla Abdulrahman Al Shaikh

An Entrepreneur’s Journey:
Making Abu Dhabi Smile
Tamakkan Shares the
Secrets of Franchising
entrepreneur focus tamakkan
Nothing brightens
a face like a
smile - a sentiment
entrepreneur Maissa
Fattal tapped into
when she set up
Ibtisama, a teeth
brightening lounge,
in Abu Dhabi.
Here, in her words,
is her story…
“I am a Swiss lawyer from Geneva.
My mother is Syrian. I was born and
grew up in my country where I used
to be a lawyer pleading for criminal/
civil cases on an everyday base. My
cases were as diversified as having
to defend one day a presumed
murderer or rapist, and another day
a divorced father seeking custody
rights on his children. I was one
hundred percent passionate about
my profession and also started to be
independent at the age of 25 years
old. I came to UAE at the age of 28
years old, three years ago.
“Ibtisama, which means Smile in
Arabic, is the first walk-in ‘Smile
Lounge’ in the region where you
can get express teeth brightening
in the middle of a mall, in-between
two shopping sessions, seated in the
comfort of our bubble chairs. While
others offer hair, skin or make-up
products/services, Ibitsama cares
about the smile in all its aspects, from
shiny teeth to pouty smooth lips.
“I have always been on a hunt for
natural effective products to care
about my face and figure. Everything
is available in the local market. But
I couldn’t see a place where I could
find complete range of products
to brighten my smile. That’s where
Ibtisama was born.
“Some people in the region have a
common preconception that we need
to go for a Hollywood Smile or a
painful process to have a shiny smile.
Ibtisama is willing to let everyone
shine in their everyday life with
confidence by using natural effective
products. The first step starts in our
lounge but will eventually become
part of their everyday lifestyle. A
bright smile has no secret. One needs
to maintain it on an everyday base,
Tamakkan’s session on “The
Power of Franchising” at Al
Mamoura Auditorium was aimed
at those wanting to be either be
franchisees or franchisors and
shared the fundamental dynamics
required before taking the
franchising plunge.
The seminar focused on a broad
range of aspects; experts shared
technical information about the
legal and regulatory frameworks
and offered advice on the
entrepreneurial skill sets required.
They also provided insights on
ways to mitigate insecurity and
conclude a quality contract. The
session also featured presentations
by entrepreneurs who shared their
personal experiences.
Tamakkan is a knowledge-
sharing platform established by
BrandMoxie, a leading advertising
agency in the UAE. The initiative
operates under the patronage
of Fatima bint Hazza Cultural
Foundation (FHCB) and this event
was supported by Aldar.
“One of the most common
questions we receive at Tamakkan
relates to franchising. We try to
help people who want to start
their business to create something
that is a successful model, that
is workable, that is sustainable,
that is repeatable. And we
think that franchising, when it
is done right, offers that kind of
entrepreneurship dynamic,” said
Founder of Tamakkan and CEO of
BrandMoxie Sana Bagersh.
Willem Steenkamp, Al Tamimi
and Company Senior Associate,
spoke about the advantages
and disadvantages of being a
franchisee and franchisor as well
as its legal implications. “In
franchising, there are some
nuances that you need to
consider. It’s not just a case of
getting a turnkey solution and
then you’re off to the races.”
said Steenkamp.
Yendy Khayat, Founder and
Managing Director of The
Franchizery, detailed the most
important things that one should
consider before buying a franchise.
She advised entrepreneurs to
really know yourself before diving
into franchising: “70% of people
have thought about getting their
own business. But you should not
start your search for franchise by
searching for a franchise. You really
need to start with self-discovery.”
Entrepreneur Bader Al
Mohammadi, who bought the
Esquires Coffee Houses Franchise
for UAE, Qatar and Oman shared
the journey of how he acquired
Esquires Coffee Houses. “We went
for Esquires. We liked it because it
had organic coffee and they were
very flexible with the menu. You
can have your own food but you
need approval from the mother
company for presentation, costs
etc. so we thought this was a good
advantage.” said Al Mohammadi.
The story of Mandilicious, a home
grown franchise, was shared by the
founder Fayez Al Nusari, Founder
and CEO of Mandilicious. He shared
the roadblocks that he encountered
and how he was able to overcome
them. “I always wanted to be in the
food business but never had any
experience but I had the drive and
the passion and I knew I can do it. I
chose to surround myself, and this
is very important, with people who
believed in me,” he said.
and that’s why we offer our branded
brightening products. We created an
Ibtisama Smile Guide to be kept on
everyone’s bedside!
“People around me are always asking
how I came up with this business
idea and how I built it to be how it
is now. They found it very new and
convenient. I have to say that my
mother has always been my biggest
inspiration. But if I have to go for a
figure, I would say Elizabeth Arden.
This woman created a worldwide
empire in the cosmetics world starting
from scratch, during the world war.
“I keep busy from early morning to
late evening, wondering when I will
have time to go for my first holidays
since the birth of Ibtisama. From
May, Ibtisama will start home service
to offer an express bright smile
experience. We will open second
branch in Abu Dhabi Mall or Yas Mall
in September.
“My message to other entrepreneurs
is to think well: don’t give up, be
persistent, have confidence in
yourself. Take action, be fair with
others and give back to community.
Info:
www.ibtisama.ae
Instagram: @ibtisama_uae
Facebook: /ibtisamaUAE.
(From L-R) Fayez Al Nusari, Founder & CEO of Mandilicious;
Sana Bagersh, Founder of Tamakkan; Bader Al Mohammadi, Owner, Esquires
Coffee Houses Franchise for UAE, Qatar and Oman; Yendy Nasr Khayat,
Founder & Managing Director at The Franchizery; Willem Steenkamp, Senior
Associate, Commercial Advisory

Harness the Power
of Franchising
innovation
Willem Steenkamp
Senior Associate,
Commercial Advisory
“My top business tip for
franchisees is always make
sure that your legal contracts
are checked by lawyers. I may
be a little bit biased but in my
experience, this will be the most
critical aspect of the business
that you’re undertaking. You
need to know that the contract is
well drafted and there’s balance
between the two parties because
usually if there’s a problem down
the line, the contract is the only
document that will govern the
relationship. So invest in lawyer’s
fees in the beginning and you’ll
avoid a lot of heartaches and
troubles later on.”
Yendy Nasr Khayat
Founder & Managing Director at
The Franchizery
“My tip for entrepreneurs who
are starting their own business,
specifically acquiring a franchise,
I would like to tell them not to
look into “trendy” franchises or
“hot” franchises because some of
them might be dangerous – they
are only trendy for a short time
and they might not fit you as an
entrepreneur. Don’t be swept
away with brands that are so
much in the media or they get
rankings, high rankings or they
have a lot of awards. You really
have to look if this is the right fit
for you before investing in
a franchise.”
Bader Al Mohammadi
Owner, Esquires Coffee Houses
Franchise for UAE,
Qatar and Oman
“The franchising tip I would
give is to carefully select your
franchise and study if it’s
going to work in this market.
What works outside might not
necessarily work in this country.
Be ready for the long term
commitment and be sure that
you have the right locations for
your franchise.”
Fayez Al Nusari
Founder & CEO of Mandilicious
“My tip to young entrepreneurs
and to new franchisees is
one, have a unique concept
and believe in it. Two: study it
properly – study all the odds and
all the possibilities. And three:
surround yourself with people
who believe in it and will work
closely with you on achieving it.”
Top franchising tips:
Watch his
talk here
Watch her
talk here
Watch his
talk here
Watch his
talk here
WHAT IS TAMAKKAN?
It is a knowledge-sharing platform established in 2009 by BrandMoxie, a leading marketing agency, to nurture
entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership. Tamakkan organizes monthly seminars by presenters on business,
innovation and social enterprises. The event is held at Al Mamoura Auditorium. Tamakkan is held under the
patronage of Fatima bint Hazza Cultural Foundation (FBHCF), and is supporter by Aldar.
Under the patronage of:
Be sure to attend the next Tamakkan seminar entitled: “Mapping your Entrepreneurship Mindset”
to be held at the Al Mamoura Auditorium.
Save the date: May 19. REGISTER NOW at info@tamakkan.info and join our Facebook Group “Tamakkan”.
Go to www.tamakkan.com for updates.

People who grew up
in the city are all too
used to high rise buildings
and an environment built
around skyscrapers. Karine
Roche takes that vision and
fuses it with her personal
experiences of living in
more than five countries
and transforms these
impressions into art. She
shares her love story with
art in Tempo…
Tempo: Who is Karine Roche?
I am a French artist and I have been
living in Abu Dhabi with my family since
2010. We had heard about the growing
interest in art in the region and we
thought it could be a good idea to come
and establish something here. I am also
teaching painting at the National Theatre.
Tempo: How did you get into art?
As far as I can remember I have always
been painting. I studied art in France
and I have a diploma of Architectural
Environment and I held my first exhibition
at my school when I lived in Indonesia.
I was recognized by the Foundation
Colas in 2005 and received the painting
award “Novembre a Vitry” in 2003. I
have exhibited in France, UAE, Lebanon,
Moscow and China. Last year I held an
exhibition vtat the Sharjah Art Museum
during the summer art festival and this
January participated in the “Woman
and Art” exhibition, which was under
the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha
Jawaher Bint Mohamed Al Qasimi.
I see painting is a job because it needs a
lot of investment, time and concentration.
After a day of painting you can feel very
exhausted! There is the time to paint but
more and more the time to promote.
Artists need a dynamic art market
because it is the only way to help culture
and creation.
Tempo: Describe your creative process.
I always work on many paintings at the
same time, around 10 or more and this is
for a couple of reasons: firstly technical:
I work with oil painting so it takes time
for the painting to dry and I have to wait
before I can start painting on it again.
Secondly, when I feel stuck on a specific
painting I change and work on another
one! Usually there are links between all
of them.
Tempo: You focus a lot on the
environment – why is that?
I grew up all over the world, Brazil,
Nigeria, Libya, Kenya, Madagascar,
Indonesia… I was travelling to different
countries every year. Through painting I
get to keep a souvenir of the feeling of
each place, specifically the architecture
and vegetation which are unique to
a region. There are no humans in my
painting but as they are the builders
of this world, they exist behind the
constructions. Skyscrapers represent the
globalization of architecture.
Tempo: How do people react to
your work?
They ask me how long it took me to do
one painting! Only the persons who like
my work come to talk to me. I helps me
a lot because it is not an easy to stay
alone all the day in my studio - sometime
I have a lot of doubt and think I should do
other things. I work as a hermit but when
I see that it makes people interested and
happy, it makes me feel good.
Tempo: What kind of art inspires you?
It can be abstract painting and how the
painter has used colour or new materials.
I love artists such as Pollock, Poliakoff,
Rothko, Sam Francis. I like the diffraction
of light by the Impressionists Bonnard
and Monet. I am impressed by Gerhard
Richter, Anselm Kiefer, Peter Doig, Francis
Bacon, and many other painters.
Tempo: How can our readers reach you?
I just joined a new art platform called
www.artscoops.com and my website is
karineroche.com.
Cityscape
Creations
Artist Karine Roche
Arabesque
Sizes: 80x 120 cm
Medium: oil painting,
papers on canvas
By NEIL BIE

Young
Talent in
Tints and
Tones:
Rahul and Rohan Raju are just 12 and 10
years old respectively, who go to school
at the Ryan Private School. The pair are
mentored at the Abu Dhabi Art Hub by
artist Jack Lee, also known as RR, and
to date they have already participated in
eight exhibitions.
“We started painting from the age of five.
We used to see our mother, who is self-
taught, painting and we started playing
with colours and brushes,” said Rohan.
“We both love nature very much,
especially animals, desert sand and
flowers,” said Rahul. “We like to do
something new and keep experimenting
with new styles and techniques”.
The two caught the eye of the Minister
of Culture, Youth and Community
Development, HH Shaikh Nahyan Bin
Mubarak Al Nahyan who bought their art.
“Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan
came as the chief guest for one of our
exhibitions organized by Art Hub and
Sofitel Hotel to support the Make a Wish
Foundation. Ten International artists and
ten Emirati artists participated in the
exhibition. Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak
Al Nahyan selected three art pieces, and
one of them was ours,” said Rahul. He
asked us curiously about the way we do
the paintings. We felt very happy and
honoured to know that he bought one of
our artworks for his personal collection. It
was like a dream come true”.
The two say they are influenced by the art
of Raja Ravi Varma, Leonardo da Vinci,
Jack Lee, Bassam Al Selewi. They seem to
be comfortable with balancing their time
between school and art. After returning
home they complete homework, spend a
bit of time playing, and then accompany
their parents to art exhibitions and events
around the city.
“We are getting ready to give another
exhibition at Abu Dhabi Art Hub in
May 2015, and we’ve been selected
to show our paintings at an art
exhibition in Camden, London in July
2015,” said Rohan.
The painters can be reached by email:
kvjraju555@gmail.com.
Rahul and Rohan Raju
Most artists start out
young – but Rahul and
Rohan Raju got a very early
head start, complete with
receiving recognition from a
member of the royal family.
1
Petals of Unity
by Rohan
2
Cheetah
by Rahul
3
Arabian Horse
Painting
by Rahul
4
Rahul and
Rohan with
His Excellency
Sheikh Nahyan
Mubarak
Al Nahyan
and Art Hub
founder Ahmed
Al Yafei
1 2
3
4

By Nancy Bercaw | @nancybercaw
i [heart]
vox pop
The Al Jazira
Ladies’ Swim Club
Where would you spend the
day outdoors during May?
A swimming pool!
Tonight, I had the great joy of coaching
a dozen female students from Khalifa
University — although I had not
anticipated joy being part of the equation.
Actually, I was kind of nervous about the
prospects beforehand. I haven’t coached
anyone for a while, and I’ve most certainly
never worked on stroke technique with
Arabic-speaking female Muslims. What if
I say the wrong thing? Will my skills work
for their needs?
Truth is, I had absolutely no idea how
to proceed or what to expect. Khalifa
University holds a women’s swimming
class every Wednesday evening, during
women’s swim time at the Al Jazira Club.
A handful of ex-swimmer expats from KU
help out with the lessons. One of them
invited me to join in the chaos of coaching
nearly 60 young ladies whose skill levels
are all over the place.
I showed up at Al Jazira hoping my
instincts would kick in. I met one of the
other coaches, for the first time, on the
pool deck. She was tall like me. Broad
shouldered like me. A little younger
than me. Turns out she swam for the
National Teams of Yugoslavia/Bosnia in
the 50-meter freestyle. I am American
national champion in the same event!
She suggested that I take the best
swimmers to the deep end and work with
them while she helped the beginners in
the shallow end.
As my group gathered —me in a Speedo,
the rest in very demure swimming
costumes — I decided the best thing to do
was give them the best of Nancy Bercaw.
We spent 30 minutes on simple stroke
techniques. Elbows, reach, push and body
position. I tried to make a lot of physics
references for these engineering students.
THEY GOT IT. They learned so fast,
and were so eager. We had a relay race
afterward to test the tips in a real swim
situation. THEY LOVED IT. For the grand
finale, we played Sharks and Minnows –
essentially a game of underwater tag.
THEY ROARED WITH LAUGHTER AND
WERE VERY COMPETITIVE. Turns out
that their English is excellent and my
elementary Arabic did the trick.
In one-hour, I came to see these women
as very different from the veiled students
I pass on campus. We connected in
the water — transcending our outward
appearances and internal histories — to
become the most unlikely of
soggy companions.
Occasionally I would extend my hand to
a tired swimmer to pull her closer to the
wall– and every time the reach
was reciprocated.
When class was over, I sat on the pool
deck and watched my “team” play for a
few minutes. As they left for the locker
room, I thanked them for working so
hard and having fun. Here’s some of the
feedback I received in return:
You are so good at this…I’ve never learned
so much in one lesson…I had the best time
ever. Will you come every Wednesday?
You have a great personality…I don’t want
to get out of the water…Thanks, Coach!
I got a bit choked up, which has resulted
in my staying up until 11 p.m. to consider
the whole experience.
Here’s my conclusion: In the Al Jazira pool
tonight, I wasn’t an American Christian
and my swimmers weren’t Arab Muslims.
We were Bedouin mermaids. The best
of both worlds, bringing out the best in
ourselves and each other.
It’s 10:10 pm and I’m wide awake. What could possibly keep
me up passed my regularly scheduled bedtime of 8:30 pm?
Only one thing...
Name: Mutaz Al Qahtanhi
Age: 24
Nationality: Saudi
Profession: Management
Trainee
Saadiyat beach because
it’s a very clean
environment and I enjoy
the waves.
Name: Miriam Cawchado
Age: 32
Nationality: Spanish
Profession: Arts manager
I do not like sunny days,
I love cloudy days and
that is why I prefer to stay
indoors at home.
Name: Rachel McCobb
Age: 43
Nationality: British
Profession: Teacher
Yas beach because of
the good vibes and it’s a
lovely tranquil beach.
Name: H. Hazam Mohd
Age: 26
Nationality: Jordan
Profession: Accountant
Yas Water World because
the weather is becoming
very hot!
Name: Mohamed Bayanni
Age: 21
Nationality: Egyptian
Profession: Student
Corniche because I love
the sea and city views!
Just amazing!

Tempo May 2015

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Tempo May 2015