Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Ramadan 26, 1441 AH

Doha today 280 - 370

Cover
Story

ENDURANCE: Maria Branyas survived the 1918 flu pandemic and two world wars.

Beating the odds

A 113-year-old coronavirus survivor, who endured the 1918 flu pandemic and
two world wars, bemoans the elderly are the forgotten ones of society. P4-5

Bollywood Back Page

Varun finds it tough to choose Viola player enjoys calm, mystical
best talent for Entertainer No. 1. atmosphere during Ramadan.
Page 14 Page 16
2 GULF TIMES Tuesday, May 19, 2020

COMMUNITY ROUND & ABOUT

SERIES TO BINGE WATCH ON AMAZON PRIME

PRAYER TIME
Fajr 3.20am
Shorooq (sunrise) 4.48am
Zuhr (noon) 11.32am
Asr (afternoon) 2.58pm
Maghreb (sunset) 6.15pm
Isha (night) 7.45pm

USEFUL NUMBERS

Emergency 999
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uote Unquote
Q
“We know what we are, but
know not what we may be.”
— Williams Shakespeare

The Boys aggressively marketed and monetised. Homelander. As a conflict ensues

DIRECTION: Eric Kripke, Evan
Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Community Editor CAST: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid,
Antony Starr
Kamran Rehmat SYNOPSIS: The Boys is set in
e-mail: community@gulf-times.com a universe where super-powered
Telephone: 44466405 people are recognised as heroes by the
Fax: 44350474 general public and owned by powerful
corporation Vought International,
which ensures that they are
Outside of their heroic personas, most
are arrogant and corrupt. The series
primarily focuses on two groups: the
titular Boys, vigilantes looking to keep
the corrupted heroes under control,
and the Seven, Vought International’s
premier superhero team. The Boys are
led by Billy Butcher, who despises all
super-powered people, and the Seven
are led by the egotistical and unstable
between the two groups, the series
also follows the new members of each
team: Hugh ‘Hughie’ Campbell of the
Boys, who joins the vigilantes after
his girl friend is killed in a high speed
collision by the Seven’s A-Train, and
Annie January/Starlight of the Seven,
a young and hopeful heroine forced
to face the truth about the heroes she
admires.

BODY & MIND
Donating blood to get back
to work during Covid-19
Everyone’s immune system is a little bit different, so the time it takes for
each person to develop the antibodies and how long they last can vary
Q
uestion: I saw an
article recently about
how donating blood
could help treat
people who have
been diagnosed with
Covid-19 and maybe let people go
back to work. My neighbour said
she was going to have a test and
then donate blood, but she was not
diagnosed with Covid-19, as far as I
know. I think I may have had it based
on my symptoms, but I never went
to the hospital. Can I donate blood to
help someone else? Or better yet, will
it show that it’s OK for me to go back
to work?
Answer: Certainly there is a lot of
information about the various tests
that are available for Covid-19 and
blood donations. It is important to
understand that there are two main
types of tests: molecular tests and
serologic tests.
Molecular tests, frequently done
with nose swabs, detect the genetic
material of the virus and indicate
whether the patient currently
has and is infected with the virus.
Serology tests, which are likely what
your neighbour is referring to, are
tests performed on blood samples
and detect our immune response to
the virus by looking for antibodies.
Antibodies, which are essentially
proteins produced by our immune
system, are a major component
of how we fight off any infectious
disease. They will attach to and
essentially kill or inactivate the virus.
Importantly, everyone’s immune
system is a little bit different, so
the time it takes for each person to
develop these antibodies and how
long they last can vary. So even if
you or your neighbour had Covid-19
and didn’t know it, it would take
anywhere from a few days to a
couple of weeks for this antibody
response to develop. And because
of this, antibody tests are not used
to diagnose infection, but rather are
used to determine if a patient has
been infected at some point in the
past.
Blood donation has been in the
news lately for several reasons. First,
blood donations are always needed,
and it is important to continue to
donate blood as we weather the
Covid-19 pandemic so that we
can ensure we have enough supply
to take care of people who might
need a transfusion for any reason.
Secondly, blood, or more specifically
plasma obtained from individuals
with antibodies to Covid-19, is being
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 GULF TIMES 3
COMMUNITY
used to treat some patients that are
currently infected and hospitalised
with Covid-19.
To meet criteria to be a
convalescent plasma donor, you
would require a prior positive result
by a Covid-19 molecular test, be
recovered without symptoms and
test positive for antibodies to the
virus. Preliminary reports indicate
that these convalescent plasma
transfusions are providing relief to
some of the sickest patients, and it
is such a generous gift that some of
us can provide to those fighting the
virus, providing hope to someone
else.
I know that a lot of people are
eager to get tested to know if they
have been infected with Covid-19
and have since recovered — in part
because there’s really been a lot
of interest at the local, state and
national levels to use serologic testing
for return-to-work initiatives.
Unfortunately, given what we know,
I would be cautious against relying
solely on a serologic test result to
guide return-to-work decisions and
recommendations.
We need to exercise caution with
how we use the results from these
tests. Individuals who test positive
for antibodies to Covid-19 may be at
NEED OF THE HOUR: Blood donations are always needed, and it is important to continue to donate blood as we lower risk for reinfection compared
weather the Covid-19 pandemic so that we can ensure we have enough supply to take care of people who might need to an antibody-negative individual,
a transfusion for any reason. but we still really don’t understand
or know the level or the duration
of protective immunity against
reinfection that these antibodies
provide us.
One of the biggest questions that
we are trying to answer is whether
an individual will develop complete
or partial immunity to Covid-19
after diagnosis and recovery, and,
if so, how long does that last? To be
honest, because we’ve really only
been dealing with this virus for four
or five months, we don’t have a good
sense of the level or duration of such
protective immunity. From prior
studies during the Sars outbreak
in the early-2000s, we know that
at least some protective immunity
against that virus, which is closely
related to Sars-CoV-2, seemed to
be detectable for about two to three
years after infection. But there are
some other preliminary animal
studies suggesting only short-term
immunity.
We really need more studies
in this area before we can make
any conclusive comments on the
duration of antibody protection from
PLASMA THERAPY: Blood, or more specifically plasma obtained from individuals with antibodies to Covid-19, is being reinfection. – Mayo Clinic News
used to treat some patients that are currently infected and hospitalised with Covid-19. Network/TNS
4 GULF TIMES Tuesday, May 19, 2020

COMMUNITY COVER STORY

World’s ‘oldest survivor’

seeks a new world order
‘It will have to be done all over again and differently. Given
my age, I likely won’t be there. But believe me a new order
is needed,’ 113-year-old Maria Branyas tells Ashifa Kassam

‘
This pandemic shows
older people are the
forgotten ones of our
society — they don’t
deserve to leave the
world this way

’
— Maria Branyas,
centurion coronavirus
survivor

REFLECTIVE: Maria Branyas at her care home in Spain.

 Tuesday, May 19, 2020 GULF TIMES 5

COVER STORY COMMUNITY

W
eeks after ringing
in her 113th
birthday, she found
herself confined
to a room in her
care home in north-eastern Spain,
suffering from the effects of the
coronavirus. Now Maria Branyas
— fully recovered and believed to
be the world’s oldest Covid-19
survivor — is calling for nothing
less than a new world order.
“It will have to be done all over
again and differently,” said Branyas,
describing such a transformation
as a debt owed to those who died
in the pandemic. “Given my age, I
likely won’t be there. But believe
me a new order is needed.”
News that Branyas, Spain’s oldest
living person, had survived the
virus made headlines around the
world last week, offering a moment
of cheer from one of the world’s
hardest-hit countries. Across
Spain, the virus has claimed more
than 27,500 lives.
Covid-19 began making its
way through the yellow-painted
hallways of Branyas’s care home
in the city of Olot, some 70 miles
north of Barcelona, in late March.
Brushing aside their own fears
and anxieties over the contagion,
staff at the home continued to care
for the residents. Still, the virus URGENCY: Half of Europe’s Covid-19 deaths are in care homes. Maria Branyas is calling for a revolution in treatment of the elderly.
charted a deadly course, killing
at least 17 of the 133 people living
there. “The army found seniors who had to send care homes the appropriate after she was recognised by the Her mother rarely speaks of
Covid-19 left Branyas — who been completely abandoned, some medications. Gerontology Research Group as the past, she added. “She says it’s
has lived through the 1918 flu, two dead, in their beds,” the defence Speaking from the care home Spain’s oldest known living person better not to think about these
world wars and Spain’s civil war — minister, Margarita Robles, told where she has lived for nearly two and believed to be among the 30 things, you have to keep looking
sick for just a handful of days. But broadcaster Telecinco. decades, Branyas offered solutions. oldest people in the world. Records forward. I think that’s why she’s
she reeled from the deeper mark Prosecutors in Spain said this “It’s as though those of us who kept by Club 110, a forum run by lived so long.”
left by the pandemic, as it laid bare month that they had opened 140 choose to live in a care home have one of the group’s directors, suggest Branyas was instead happier to
a society that, as she sees it, had investigations into care homes, disappeared from society,” she that Branyas is the world’s oldest outline the changes she hoped her
pushed its elderly to the margins. prompted by complaints from said. “Governments need to pay Covid-19 survivor. 13 great-grandchildren would see in
“This pandemic has revealed family members and relatives. attention and provide funding and Born in 1907 in the United States, their lives. “A change in values, one
that older people are the forgotten The Federación Empresarial de qualified staff in care homes. And, where her Spanish father was that prioritises education, health
ones of our society,” she said in la Dependencia, an industry above all, they need to provide working as a journalist, Branyas and research,” she said. “And fewer
an interview with the Observer, association that represents care much more healthcare in homes.” moved to Spain in 1915. As the 1918 weapons and far less spending on so
carried out with the help of one of homes in Spain, told Spanish With the help of an account set flu swept across the world, she was many politicians.”
her daughters. “They fought their broadcaster esRadio that homes up and run by her daughter, Branyas living on the outskirts of a small She laughed off a question over
whole lives, sacrificed time and had been left to care for residents last year made her social media village in Catalonia, seemingly what comes next after fighting off
their dreams for today’s quality of after overwhelmed hospitals debut — her Twitter bio reads: “I’m unaffected by the pandemic, said the coronavirus. “Well, I’ll live,”
life. They didn’t deserve to leave the refused to take in more patients or old, very old, but not an idiot” — daughter Rosa Moret. she said. “Until God wants.” —
world in this way.” Guardian/Observer News Service
The virus has charged through
Spain’s more than 5,000 care
homes, killing an estimated 17,500
residents. A similar story has played
out across Europe with as many as
half of all Covid-19 deaths believed
“(On the changes she
to have taken place in care homes in would like to see in
Italy, France, Ireland and Belgium.
In Spain, where the reverence the lives of her 13
shown towards the elderly is a point
of pride, the pandemic has forced great-grandchildren)
a reckoning with an industry that
has long fended off complaints of
a change in values,
funding and staff shortages.
Before the pandemic, seniors had
one that prioritises
shared stories of waiting hours to go education, health and
to the bathroom or receive a drink
of water. Others had grappled with research. And fewer
ant infestations or cockroaches,
while staff at one home complained weapons and far less
of being forced to ration essential
items such as nappies and soap.
spending on so many
“This is the situation in our care
homes — not during the pandemic
politicians”
but in the last decade,” Más Madrid
politician Pablo Gómez Perpinyà
told the regional assembly last — Maria Branyas
month. “This is how our elderly
have had to face the virus.”
The horrific situation came to
light in March after the military was
deployed to disinfect care homes.
6 GULF TIMES Tuesday, May 19, 2020
COMMUNITY
Relationship lessons learned
during the Covid-19 pandemic
We value family, our homes, good health, good food and dreams of a
bright future. By Judi Light Hopson, Emma H Hopson and Ted Hagen
COLLECTIVE HEALTH: The physical and emotional well-being of each individual has no substitute. If we’re neglecting our health, it’s going to impact our
families and our communities.
D
uring the past few
weeks, we’ve all had to
face the truth. We really
are linked to everyone
on the planet. What
affects one person will eventually
impact all of us.
But, if we examine this further,
we can find a lot of positive facts
and revelations. We can determine
where real power lies. For example,
loving one’s neighbour is basic to
preserving our planet and our way
of life.
We all need to look out for each
other; we all need to come up with
ideas to enhance the economy of our
communities; and we all need to be
volunteering in our communities on
a regular basis.
While politics or various types
of leadership might separate us, all
humans are basically alike. We value
family, our homes, good health, good
food and dreams of a bright future.
“I’ve never cried so much,
watching patients in my hospital
fighting for their lives,” says a nurse
we’ll call Vicky. “But now, I’m
determined to do more for others
– especially since watching people
drive through endless food bank
lines on the evening news.”
The truth about our relationship
with ourselves and connection to
other people includes facts such as
these:
ECONOMIC WELL-BEING: In the future, we all need to do everything we can to promote good education, training,
jobs, healthy budgets at home and work, and earning power that helps families build savings.
Our health really is our
wealth:
We’ve all heard this statement
before, but it’s glaringly true
now. The physical and emotional
well-being of each individual has
no substitute. If we’re neglecting
our health, it’s going to impact our
families and our communities.
ADVICE
We need to work hard to
secure the middle class:
In the future, we all need to
do everything we can to promote
good education, training, jobs,
healthy budgets at home and
work, and earning power that
helps families build savings.
Living paycheck to paycheck is
not financial security.
Good leadership calls for
accountability:
Every neighbourhood and every
economic class needs leaders who
can do detailed planning for the
future. Leaders should set clear
and reachable goals, using dogged
determination to create jobs and
neighbourhoods that are solid and
something to be proud of.
“When I look around my
neighbourhood, it makes me
angry,” says a woman in rural
Tennessee we’ll call Rita. “Our
town leaders have neglected our
roads, failed to enforce rules for
landlords to keep up property,
and they’ve allowed way too
many bars and breweries close
to my neighbourhood. When the
pandemic is over, I plan to run for
office and insist we make healthy
changes.”
Holding others accountable
is important for putting a solid
foundation under your life:
When a crisis hits, such as our
national pandemic, it forces us all
to wake up. When all need to ask:
Who has been helping support
my goals and dreams? Who has
been draining me financially
and emotionally? What have I
been tolerating from community
leaders that I should have
challenged?
“It’s never good to feel overly
sorry for other people,” says a
minister we’ll call Jackson. “After
all, that can drag every one of us
down the drain. Our mission to
help other people should require
that they do their part. Good
relationships are based on mutual
respect.
This means each person should
have a daily agenda to contribute
time, money, ideas, and real effort
in one’s household and one’s
community.”
Jackson is right. We need
to raise our standards for
encouraging other people, require
them to pitch in and help, and
work to get our world back on
track. – TNS
 Tuesday, May 19, 2020 GULF TIMES 7

GARDENING COMMUNITY
Ways to keep mint
in tiptop condition
Mint is a vigorous grower so it needs plenty of space
– and don’t worry if you kill it, all good gardeners
have at some point, writes James Wong

STAR PERFORMER: Copper butterflies feeding on a pineapple lily flower.

Lilies that won’t well it was doing despite total

let you down
Every aspect of the pineapple
lily Eucomis sp is just so
unbelievably exotic. They hail
from sunny southern Africa,
throw up dazzling, jungly blooms
that look like something straight
out of a kid’s story book and some
can produce massive rosettes of
leaves that tower over you. Yet if
you have a sunny spot with well-
drained soil, they are some of the
easiest and most affordable garden
plants to grow, even on our chilly
North Atlantic islands.
Like something from the
understorey of a Rousseau
painting that has come to life,
Eucomis bicolor creates big, fat
flower spikes about 30cm high,
consisting of dozens of cream and
lime green star-shaped blooms,
neglect, I decided to leave it to
see how long this could continue.
(Terrible plant parent, I know.) To
my surprise, it only gave up the
ghost when the level of compost
in the pot eventually degraded to
the point at which it exposed the
bulb. I can’t think of any plant
that looks as good that could
survive such abuse.
If you want something bigger
and even bolder, yet with similar
cold tolerance, try Eucomis
comosa, which sends up slender
leaves and flower spikes almost
a metre tall. The straight species
has white blooms, but ‘Sparkling
burgundy’ is so shockingly purple
both in flower and in leaf it looks
almost lit from within. Like
all eucomis, these will do best
and be most winter-tolerant on GROUND COVER: Mint spreads quickly so always try to plant it in a large pot or let it run free to fill in awkward spaces.
free-draining sites that prevent

each petal of which is delicately
painted bright burgundy. Wide,
strappy leaves are matched with
a top-knot of leafy growth above
the flower spike, making the
whole plant look like a florist’s
recreation of a pineapple.
This species is generally said
to withstand temperatures as
low as -10C, making it one of
the hardiest of all eucomis, but
when well mulched I have seen
it take lows of -15C during really
cold winters. All you have to do
is spread a layer of leaf mould or
bark about 10cm thick over the
soil surface in autumn, which
creates an insulating blanket to
keep the worst of the frost from
getting at the dormant bulb
beneath.
To give you an indication of
how resilient this plant is, I had
some in a wide, shallow patio
pot at the bottom of my garden
that kept coming back in full
flower for six years without any
care whatsoever. No watering,
no fertiliser, nothing. I was so
surprised when I noticed how
their bulbs from sitting in soggy,
wet soil. This makes them
perfect for pot culture, in raised
beds or on sunnier, drier sites.
However, even in heavy clay soils
in dappled shade, I have grown
them successfully if the bulbs are
planted at least 15cm deep with a
generous layer of gravel mixed into
the soil in the planting hole.
Want them even bigger?
Eucomis pole-evansii looks like
a giant form of the pure white E
comosa, which can reach 2m tall
by the end of the summer if given
ideal conditions, which admittedly
means lavish fertiliser and water
applications. On the other end of
the scale, E ‘Freckles’ is a really
compact dwarf form just 25cm
high, with deep, chocolatey-red
flowers and dark green leaves
speckled with the same “red
velvet cake” colouration. There
is such incredible diversity here
from plants that are so versatile
and so forgiving, it’s hard to
see why they aren’t far more
common.
– The Guardian
“
I have even killed mint!”
is a line I see at least once
a week from gardening
newbies. It’s a feat that
is often thought of as
the hallmark of a truly terrible
horticulturist. Yet, as someone
who has been obsessively
gardening all my life, I don’t
understand where this idea comes
from. Far from being invincible
in the hands of anyone but the
most awful gardeners, mint is
something I have killed over and
over again, in a variety of different
ways. Just enough times, in fact,
to finally learn how to grow it
well. Here is my advice, not only
on how to successfully grow mint
but, more importantly, how to
give yourself a break.
Mint probably gets its
reputation for being hard to kill
because it has a high metabolism,
which means it is a very vigorous
grower. Quickly spreading to
colonise large areas of ground
through its subterranean runners,
it will often swamp neighbouring
plants as it expands outward.
However, like many superhero
powers, this lightning-fast
metabolism is as much a curse as
it is a gift. If confined to a pot,
as is often the case when in the
hands of first-timers starting out
with gardening, mint will soon
exhaust the space, filling the pot
with trapped runners that spiral
round the container, strangling
its own growth and depleting
the available nutrients. This is
particularly the case in containers
made of porous materials, such as
terracotta, which can contribute
to severe drought stress. Mint is
particularly susceptible to this.
Without new territory to conquer,
plants quickly run out of steam. This
makes them susceptible to rust, a
common and untreatable fungal
disease that can decimate this genus.
To avoid this, always plant mint
in the largest container you have
(we are talking tubs and troughs
of 60 litres or more in volume),
or preferably in the ground. Yes,
it will swallow up the space, as is
its nature, but it is an excellent
choice if you have an empty
border to fill with ground cover.
If you don’t have the luxury of
space, a simple alternative is to
regularly lift plants and divide
them during the growing season.
Potting up only half of the original
plant back in the container with a
good feed and some fresh compost
will mean it doesn’t get congested
and can keep its relentless hunger
for constant growth satisfied.
You can do this two or more times
in the same growing season,
depending on how fast-growing
your cultivar is and how ideal your
growing conditions are. This gives
you lots of free plants to hand out
to your mates, while keeping your
existing ones in good health.
If you have failed with mint,
don’t feel bad about it. And do not
let it make you give up gardening.
The only way anyone learns how
to garden is by continual trial and
error. The one and only secret
to green fingers is persistence,
and that starts with being OK
with killing mint – though you
now know the secret to helping it
thrive. – The Guardian
8 GULF TIMES Tuesday, May 19, 2020

COMMUNITY BOOK R

The best books and audi

H
ilary Mantel’s trilogy
was finished at last,
Blake Gopnik exposed
Warhol’s private life
and Richard E Grant
brought new life to Iris Murdoch.
Here are our highlights of the year
to date.
Fiction
The Mirror and the Light by
Hilary Mantel
Fans waited eight years for the
final instalment in her Thomas
Cromwell trilogy and Mantel
delivered, leading King Henry
VIII’s chief minister from the heart
of power in Tudor England to the
executioner’s block in a propulsive,
and at times dizzying, end.
What we said: Not since
Bleak House has the present tense
performed such magic … this is a
masterpiece that will keep yielding
its riches, changing as its readers
change, going forward with us into
the future.
Little Eyes by Samanta
Schweblin, translated by
Megan McDowell
In this ingenious novel, the
Argentinian author conducts an
unnerving thought experiment:
if an individual could be virtually
inserted into the life of a random
stranger, anywhere in the world,
what effects would it have on them
both? And what hidden truths
would be revealed?
What we said: Little Eyes has
much to say about connection and
empathy in a globalised world. On
a personal level, its investigation
into solitude and online experience
becomes only more poignant in a
global lockdown.
the psychological burden of the
climate crisis and political anxiety
takes its toll.
What we said: Reading Weather
made me grind my teeth at night,
just like its narrator – but it is
certainly a brilliant exemplar for
the auto fictional method. Offill
pulls us in close in order to make
us worry about things outside us;
mirrors the self to show us what we
are selfishly ignoring.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho
Nam-joo, translated by Jamie
Chang
Named for the Korean equivalent
of Jane Doe, this novel about a woman
who plays by patriarchal rules but can
never win, was a huge bestseller in
South Korea, where it has become a
touchstone for conversation around
feminism and gender and a lightning
rod for anti-feminists who view the
book as inciting misandry.
What we said: The character of
Kim Jiyoung can be seen as a sort of
sacrifice: a protagonist who is broken
in order to open up a channel for
collective rage.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Named after Shakespeare’s son,
who died at the age of 11 in 1596,
the beating heart of this novel is
the boy’s mother, whom O’Farrell
renames Agnes. Underneath the
historical detail of everyday life
in the household of a very famous
man, this is a book about grief and
the means by which people find
their way through it.
What we said: Hamnet is
evidence that there are always new
stories to tell, even about the most
well-known historical figures.
Exciting Times by Naoise
Dolan
This deadpan debut following
an Irish twentysomething in Hong
Kong is about so much more than
millennial dating – it is a pithy, caustic
take on how external forces such as
class and economic insecurity can
damage individual lives.
What we said: Exciting Times is
a fun, snappy read – ordinarily, I’d
say its short chapters could be torn
through on your commute, but it’ll
brighten lockdown too.
A Thousand Moons by
Sebastian Barry
Following Barry’s Costa-
winning Days Without End, this
surprise sequel follows Winona
– the adopted Native American
daughter of soldiers Thomas
McNulty and John Cole – as she
seeks revenge for harassment and
abuse donning men’s clothing to
move undetected in their world
and surroundings.
What we said: The idea of a
middle-class white male writing in
the voice of a vengeful and angry
teenage Native American might
feel out of step with its times,
but prose this good is a kind of
enchantment, transcending the
constructs that are supposed to
define us to speak in a voice that is
truly universal.
The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld
A tiny uninhabited Scottish
island, the Bass Rock looms in
the lives of three women who are
affected by male violence in very
different ways: Viviane, who is
sorting through the family home
before it is sold; Ruth, who moves
into the house with her widowed
husband and his children after the
second world war; and Sarah, a
teenager fleeing for her life in the
1700s after she is accused of being
a witch.
What we said: Wyld is a
genius of contrasting voices and
revealed connections, while her
foreshadowings are so subtle that
the book demands – and eminently
repays – a second read.
Two Blankets, Three Sheets by
Rodaan Al Galidi, translated by
Jonathan Reeder
A funny, maddening, sometimes
absurd reckoning with the
pettiness of the Dutch immigration
system as seen by Samir, an Iraqi
refugee who is stuck in an asylum
centre for nine years. A bestseller
in the Netherlands, the novel is
openly autobiographical while
the Dutch stand in for all entitled
westerners and bureaucrats.
What we said: This vital, eye-
opening work is essential to our
collective education, as a history,

Weather by Jenny Offill

In this darkly funny and often
terrifying fragmentary novella,
a woman begins working as an
assistant to an environmental
podcaster, and starts to unravel as

REVIEWS
iobooks of 2020 so far – I
as a call to action, bringing one
person’s suffering vividly to life in
the imagination of strangers.
Nonfiction
Warhol: A Life As Art by Blake
Gopnik
This splendid biography of
Andy Warhol claims him as
the most influential artist of
the 20th century and isn’t shy
of exposing his private life –
balancing fantastic anecdotes
with meticulous research based on
Warhol’s huge archive of diaries,
love notes and tax returns.
What we said: Gopnik
persuasively assembles his case
that Warhol has … “overtaken
Picasso as the most important
and influential artist of the 20th
century” … over the course of this
mesmerising book, which is as
much art history and philosophy as
it is biography.
Putin’s People by Catherine
Belton
A fearless, fascinating account of
the emergence of Vladimir Putin’s
regime from the ashes of the Soviet
Union. Journalist Belton lays
out how a coterie of former KGB
officers used state institutions
to carve up the country and
interviews Kremlin insiders,
intelligence officers, mobsters and
oligarchs for an end result that
sometimes reads like a John le
Carré novel.
What we said: A
groundbreaking and meticulously
researched anatomy of the Putin
regime, Belton’s book shines a light
on the pernicious threats Russian
money and influence now pose to
the west.
Difficult Women by Helen
Lewis
A history of the victories
secured by 19th and 20th-century
feminists that many of us take
for granted, including the right
to divorce, vote, study, work,
and compete in team sports. The
women who made these things
happen often used unorthodox,
underhand, illegal and sometimes
violent tactics. Few were thanked
or rewarded for their efforts; many
were punished.
What we said: Lewis isn’t
trying to repackage her subjects
as heroines or rebels or badass
babes. Her point is that pioneering
or high-achieving women are
multidimensional and are apt to be
a pain at times.
One Two Three Four by Craig
Brown
Marking 50 years since the
Beatles announced their split,
this is not so much a biography as
a group portrait in 150 vignettes.
Satirist Brown documents the rise
and fall of the band, and measures
their legacy while exploring the
fan industry that has agglomerated
around them.
What we said: Even if some of
the best stretches of the book fall
short of being revelatory, they are
often so well told that they acquire
a new freshness.
Notes from an Apocalypse:
A Personal Journey to the End
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
COMMUNITY
of the World and Back by Mark
O’Connell
In this engaging and well-timed
book, O’Connell considers how the
world might end, spending time
with “preppers” purchasing bunkers
in South Dakota and disciples of
Elon Musk who believe that our
best hope of survival is to colonise
Mars, all the while documenting his
growing hope for humanity.
What we said: O’Connell has
a gift for channelling the “sense of
looming crisis” that characterises
our times, but is able to step outside
it, to bring it into focus.
Capital and Ideology by Thomas
Piketty, translated by Arthur
Goldhammer
The celebrated – and feared –
French economist is back with an
ambitious and optimistic work of
social science, which argues that as
societies distribute income, wealth
and education more widely, they
become more prosperous – laying out
how regressive ideologies, class, race,
gender inequalities and huge wealth
disparity are stopping our economic
progress.
GULF TIMES 9
What we said: Capital and
Ideology is an astonishing experiment
that defies easy comparison … it is
occasionally naive (it will bug the hell
out of historians and anthropologists)
but in a provocative fashion, as if to
say: if inequality isn’t justified, why
not change it?
House of Glass by Hadley
Freeman
An engaging and highly relevant
family memoir by the Guardian
journalist, uncovering the true story
of her grandmother Sala Glahs and
her three older brothers, and the
very different lives they led in the
aftermath of the Holocaust.
What we said: Freeman’s
captivating family memoir inscribes
itself in the pantheon of family stories
that connect the grandchild to the
generation of the grandparents.
A History of Solitude by David
Vincent
This new study of why we all
sometimes seek to be alone and
the differences between beneficial
“self-communion” and loneliness,
ranges from the poetry of John Clare
to the modern phenomenon of “self-
partnering”.
What we said: A History of
Solitude calls for a “quiet history of
British society”, or “a history of doing
nothing at all”… a remarkably versatile
study.
Dear Life by Rachel Clarke
A doctor specialising in palliative
medicine, Clarke spends her days
working in a hospice where people
come when all hope of a cure has gone.
In her heart-wrenchingly tender and
candid account of being alongside
people at their ends, she shines a light
on the world of the dying and what it
teaches us about being alive.
What we said: Clarke is unerringly
good at telling stories and Dear Life is
full of them, opening with her father’s
diagnosis of cancer and closing with
his beautifully managed ending, at
home with his family around him.
– The Guardian
10 GULF TIMES Tuesday, May 19, 2020

COMMUNITY PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE

 Tuesday, May 19, 2020 GULF TIMES 11

LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE
Coin toss the best way to make life
decisions and stay happy: Study
P
eople who use a coin toss to decide
on an important change in life are
more likely to follow through with
that decision, are more satisfied
with that decision, and report
higher overall happiness after a six-month
period, a fascinating study has revealed.
Society teaches us that “quitters never win
and winners never quit”.
“But in reality, the data from my
experiment suggests we would all be better
off if we did more quitting,” said study author
Steven Levitt from the University of Chicago
in the US.
“A good rule of thumb in decision making
is, whenever you cannot decide what you
should do, choose the action that represents
a change, rather than continuing the status
quo,” Levitt added.
For the findings, published in the journal
The Review of Economic Studies, the
researchers asked people to make significant
decisions, such as whether or not to move
house, quitting your job or propose, and
assign either an affirmative or a negative
choice to heads or tails.
Levitt created a website (Freakonomics
COMMUNITY
Experiments) where participants answered a
series of questions.
Some examples were: Should I quit my job?
Should I move? Should I propose? Should
I adopt? Users were also invited to create
their own questions, including Should I get a
tattoo? Should I try online dating? Should I
rent or buy?
One choice, either the affirmative or the
negative, was then assigned to heads and the
other assigned to tails. Prior to the coin flip,
the participants were encouraged to identify
the third party to verify their outcomes.
Both the initial coin-flipper and the third
parties received a follow-up survey after two-
months and six-months.
The two-month survey found that
participants favoured the status quo, making
a change less frequently than they predicted
they would before the coin toss.
At the six-month survey, this bias toward
the status quo was gone.
Furthermore, those who were instructed by the same decision if they were to choose inconsistent with the conventional theory of
the coin toss to switch their current position again. choice. In such a theory, people who are on
were more likely to actually make the change, This was true for virtually every question the margins should, on average, report equal
reported that they were substantially happier, at both the two- and six-month surveys. happiness regardless of which decision they
and said that they were more likely to make The researchers noted that these results are made. — IANS

Aries
March 21 — April 19
Taurus
April 20 — May 20
Gemini
May 21 — June 20

Do you think your body reflects who you are, Aries? If you’re feeling
that it doesn’t, it’s probably because something is a little off about
your self-image. Take a close look at yourself in order to readjust that
image. You’ll recognise that your body is the exact mirror of who you
are at the moment. The alignment of the planets will help you see
this more clearly now.
Has it been difficult these past few days to communicate with those
close to you? Are you a little sceptical about your charm? In fact,
have you been feeling somewhat unsure of yourself in general? The
day ahead is excellent for a fresh start. You’re full of confidence. You
have a natural gift for diplomacy, and your sense of refinement will
once again be noticed and appreciated.
It has been fairly easy for you to detect the truth behind most situations
lately. Today, however, your analytical abilities won’t be so reliable. The
ups and downs of your relationships are puzzling, and no amount of
analysis seems to yield a solution. Lack of commitment from others
may stir doubt, and you’ll wonder if you’re truly appreciated and
understood. Be gentle with yourself. These are hard times for everyone.

Cancer
June 21 — July 22
Leo
July 23 — August 22
Virgo
August 23 — September 22

How intense the past few days have been! You could spend months
just reflecting on these recent experiences. But the mood isn’t
conducive to introspection right now. A change of temper today
encourages you to share your life more generously. But with whom
will you share it? And how, given the limitations of social distancing?
These may well be the questions of the day.
The day ahead may help you break away from the gloom and doom
that so many people are experiencing right now. A more playful
influence is trying to make its way into your relationships, especially
your emotional commitments. It could refresh your interest in your
family life. If you haven’t been spending enough quality time with your
partner, you’d better make up for it now. Your mate will be overjoyed.
Sometimes you feel like you’re navigating through a thick fog, but
the obscurity will finally lift today. The skies ahead are sunny and
clear! You can expect an invitation to step outside of yourself (while
still sheltering in place, of course) or an offer to join a special group.
Don’t pass up any opportunities to have fun, Virgo. You can benefit
from a diversion right now!

Libra
September 23 — October 22
Scorpio
October 23 — November 21
Sagittarius
November 22 — December 21

Was someone close to you rude without any provocation? Were you
the target of unpleasant criticism? You take these slights to heart.
Beginning today, and throughout the days to come, you can expect
to withdraw and lick your wounds. That’s easy enough when all you
have to do is ignore phone calls and emails. You need more harmony
and gentleness in your life. Be patient!
Having a personal opinion on any question isn’t hard at all, Scorpio.
More difficult is maintaining some respectful objectivity about the
opinions of others. The current celestial energy is marking a change
toward a more scientifically oriented mindset. This is no longer the
moment to affirm yourself but rather to learn from others. Opinions
can change based on reliable information.
Enough of thinking about yourself, Sagittarius! The hour has now
arrived to draw some conclusions. You’re at the end of the lengthy
volume you were writing on your inner life. You’ll have to integrate
what you’ve learned with the different emotions and situations that you
currently inhabit. “Normalization” will be the key word in the days to
come. Look at this as a dry run for when we all emerge from lockdown.

Capricorn
December 22 — January 19
Aquarius
January 20 — February 18
Pisces
February 19 — March 20

Persuasion through words is your real power, Capricorn. You have a
great talent for anything involving words. So you’re going to be able to
attract even more virtual admirers today? The physical part will have
to wait. With the current planetary energy at work, you’ll surely get first
prize in any contest of words. If you’ve been thinking about writing a
love letter or a profile for a dating website, by all means, do so now!
With today’s celestial energy, you’ll feel like you’re on vacation,
Aquarius. This planetary configuration often gives people the feeling
of a fresh mind and calm disposition. Problems that once seemed so
complicated now appear simple and surmountable. You could also
have some fun writing. Try it. You may be surprised by the results.
Do you say yes every time someone asks for a favour, Pisces? Is it
sometimes hard to find time for yourself because you’re so busy
coming to the rescue of a friend or family member? Today’s celestial
energy asks you to think about you. Say no to the expectations of
people who have other resources. Do absolutely nothing if that’s
what you wish. Take care of yourself before taking care of everyone
else!
12 GULF TIMES Tuesday, May 19, 2020

COMMUNITY CARTOONS/PUZZLES
Wordsearch Adam

Pooch Cafe

AIRCRAFT TRACK SHUTTLE

HANGAR EXPRESS WHEELS
TERMINAL ROUTE FREEWAY
BRIDGE TRAIN SUBWAY
HIGHWAY FARE GARAGE
TOLL SCHEDULE TAXI
CYCLE TRANSFER
LOCAL FERRY

Codeword
Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once.
Squares with the same number in have the same letter
in. Work out which number represents which letter.
Puzzles courtesy: Puzzlechoice.com

Garfield

Sudoku

Bound And Gagged

Sudoku is a puzzle based

on a 9x9 grid. The grid is
also divided into nine (3x3)
boxes. You are given a
selection of values and to
complete the puzzle, you
must fill the grid so that
every column, every anone
is repeated.
 Tuesday, May 19, 2020 GULF TIMES 13

PUZZLES COMMUNITY
Super Cryptic Clues Colouring

Across
1 Most important couple may get
spliced (9)
8 Turn back in vehicle that’s not
what it seems (5)
9 Group taking long time
dressing (7)
10 Sign seen in Rome nowadays
(4)
11 Find out about exceptional
radiation (5-3)
13 Take weapons from leader of
militia after fresh raids (6)
14 Ravine enclosing English king
(6)
17 Agitated, having operated
aloft (6,2)
19 Leader in Guardian
newspaper backing animals (4)
21 Again order right sort of ale
and gin (7)
22 Prepared to make money (5)
23 They may carry sleeping
bags, we hear (9)
Down
2 Is lager drunk - or port? (7)
3 Egg container in someone’s
trolley (4)
4 Hood put on girl’s head when
dressing? (6)
5 Caesar in trouble with birds (8)
6 Just fluorine and a mixture of
gases (4)
7 Pointers like a fox - for no good
reason (10)
8 Norfolk term for old weapon?
(10)
12 Marianne’s new nationality (8)
15 Gunmen, note, get rid of loot
(7)
16 Arrive with cycle at college
(4,2)
18 Foster’s back (4)
20 Callas misses first part of
opera? (4)

Solution Answers

Wordsearch Codeword
14 GULF TIMES Tuesday, May 19, 2020

COMMUNITY BOLLYWOOD
Sonakshi explores her love for drawing I’m a big cuddler: Ileana
faces as she auctions paintings
Actress Ileana D’Cruz
Sonakshi Sinha has revealed that she loves to draw shared a photograph
faces. The actress on Monday shared a video where of herself hugging her
she can be seen making a painting of Buddha’s face. mother Samira D’Cruz
Her painting titled The Enlightened One has been and said that she’s a big
put up on auction to raise funds for the daily wage cuddler.
earners. Ileana took to
Sharing the video on Instagram on Monday Instagram, where she
morning, Sonakshi wrote: “I love drawing faces, shared an adorable
so decided to draw the most peaceful one – The photograph of the
Enlightened One is up for auction to raise funds for mother-daughter duo.
the daily wage earners. if you’d like to make it your In the image, Ileana and
own, do bid for it on https://bit.ly/FankindAuction her mother are seen
(link in BIO as well) @fankindofficial looking at the camera
#artbyaslisona.” while hugging.
Sonakshi has decided to auction her artworks to The Rustom actress is
raise a fund which will help her provide ration kits seen pouting.
to daily wage workers. The artworks include digital “Because just one day
prints, sketches and large canvas paintings made by isn’t enough to celebrate
the actress over the years. my gorgeous amazing
The actress recently shared a video on social ARTIST: Sonakshi Sinha says creating art brings a mama... Also...I’m a big
media where she can be seen sitting inside a room sense of calm and relief to her. cuddler. I apparently
full of her creations, sipping a cup of coffee and make weird faces when I
staring at them. video. “So select an artwork you would like to bring cuddle,” she said.
“Creating art brings a sense of calm and relief to home and bid generously, because what good are we Recently, Ileana DEVOTED DAUGHTER: Ileana D’Cruz
me. And relief is what I want to bring to those for if we can’t do good for others! Please take good care showcased her perfect recently shared a photograph of herself
whom this lockdown has been a nightmare. People of my art. I have made it with nothing but love. And washboard abs. hugging her mother Samira D’Cruz.
who have no income and therefore no food to feed I hope it makes you feel proud for helping people, Ileana took to
themselves or their families, the daily wage earners. makes your house a little bit more beautiful and Instagram Stories, where she posted a boomerang video of herself
With the help of Fankind, I have decided to auction makes you feel a little bit closer to me,” she further showcasing her abs in a sports bra and yoga pants.
a mix of canvases and hand sketches that I have said. On the image, she wrote: “Post workout sweaty jiggle.”
created with all my heart. The proceeds from the For this initiative, Sonakshi Sinha has On the work front, Ileana will next be seen alongside Abhishek
auction will be donated to GiveIndia, to help provide collaborated with actor Arjun Kapoor’s sister Bachchan in Ajay Devgn’s production The Big Bull, a film reportedly
meals to the daily wagers, the homeless and the less Anshula Kapoor’s online fundraising platform based on India’s biggest securities scam of 1992. The Big Bull is slated
privileged...” Sonakshi can be heard saying in the Fankind. – IANS to hit theatres on October 23. – IANS

Varun finds it tough to choose

best talent for Entertainer No. 1
B
ollywood superstar
Varun Dhawan who is
mentoring and judging
an online talent hunt
show says that the
mind-blowing performance of
thousands of youngsters across the
nation giving him a tough time to
choose the best out of the best.
Being the mentor of the show,
Varun said: “The performances
we’ve seen in the past couple of
weeks on Entertainer No. 1 have
truly been ‘awake’ and absolutely
mind blowing! I have had the
toughest time picking my favourites
and end up spending hours on
the app browsing through the
unique and entertaining content. I
can’t wait to see what the coming
weeks have in store, I’m sure some
blockbuster performances are
coming our way!” persuasion
The stay-home reality show
is launched on Flipkart video in
collaboration with Varun.
From dancers to acrobats,
magicians to actors and everything
else in between, the showcase of
talent so far has been astounding.
As the actor is highly impressed
by the variety of talents from the
participants, mentioning few
talents Varun said: “Yuvraj Singh
who put up an act of air walk,
takes me back to memories of
my favourite – the King of Pop,
Michael Jackson. His debut on
Entertainer No. 1, is groovy, smooth
and unlike anyone else.”
Talking about Sarvam Patel, one
of the sand artist who participated
in the show, the ABCD famed actor
said, “Sarvam’s entry tugs on the
strings of my heart. Keeping in
mind the tough times we’re in,
Sarvam’s beautiful sand art depicts
a story of victory and motivates us
to fight the pandemic together as
a nation. I am looking forward to
more stories that he’s going to tell
us through his art.”
Being one of the Bollywood stars
who is known for flaunting his bare
body and encourage fitness, Varun
said that he is quite impressed by
the act of ‘Hydroman’ Jaydeep
Gohil.
Varun said: “It is extremely
difficult to maintain balance
and move the way he is moving
underwater. What amazes me is
how effortless he makes the whole
thing seem while holding his breath
for so long. That is definitely a rare
combination of talent which needs
recognition. I’d love to learn how to
do this.” MENTOR: Varun Dhawan is mentoring and judging the online talent hunt show.
Meanwhile, Varun has donated
money to help five lakh daily wage Kapoor, Jahnvi Kapoor and others helped daily wage workers under and Maharashtra Chief Minister
workers in the film industry. Several have come forward to help the daily the Federation of Western India relief fund. He has also pledged to
celebrities including Salman Khan, wage workers amid the nationwide Cine Employees (FWICE). provide free meals to the frontline
Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, lockdown. Varun, who celebrated The actor had earlier donated workers, doctors and medical staff.
Rohit Shetty, Arjun Kapoor, Boney his 33rd birthday on Friday, has Rs55 lakh to PM-Cares Fund – IANS
 Tuesday, May19, 2020 GULF TIMES 15
SHOWBIZ COMMUNITY

Schwarzenegger recalls
emergency heart operation
H
ollywood star Arnold
Schwarzenegger has
shared a scary but
inspiring story about
having open heart
surgery, saying life is all about
overcoming obstacles.
He recalled his emergency heart
operation while delivering speech
to students graduating in 2020. The
Terminator star later posted the
speech on his Instagram, reports
metro.co.uk
In the clip, he recounted his
health scare, which occurred
just before he started shooting
Terminator 6: Dark Fate two years
ago.
“Congratulations to the class
of 2020. I’m not going to stand
here and tell you about this being a
fantastic time to graduate,” began
the 72-year-old.
“I can promise you this
coronavirus won’t be the last
obstacle that you face. But it can
help you prepare for the next
one. That’s what life is all about,
overcoming obstacles,” he said.
After discussing the coronavirus
pandemic, the movie icon shared
his own story.
He said: “I got a physical. I went
to the doctor and he checked me up,
that’s what you always do before
you start a movie. The doctor said
‘You’re in great health, but I’d
recommend that you go and replace
your heart valve. It’s leaking blood’.”
The actor continued: “So I said,
‘I’m not going to have open heart
surgery now, four months before
shooting. Are you crazy?’ I was just
in the middle of working out with
heavy weights, getting ready, doing
my stunt training and everything.
He says, No, no, the technology has
changed. This is not open-heart
surgery anymore. This is a non-
invasive surgery that goes through
your artery in the bottom up to your
heart, replace the valve, and the
next day you go home. A week later,
you can continue with your regular
training’.”
“Then I remembered that a
friend of mine, a 90-year-old
producer, had the procedure done
just recently. Two days after, he
was at a meeting at a studio in
Hollywood and he looked fantastic.
So I said, ‘Okay, I’ll do it’. So after
I woke up from the surgery, A I
woke up 16 hours later instead of
four hours (later). And there was a
tube sticking out of my mouth. The
doctor moved forward, took the
tube and ripped it out of my throat.
And I was coughing violently, and INSPIRING: Arnold Schwarzenegger says that life is all about overcoming obstacles.
he says, “Just keep coughing. And
then let us tell you what happened.” through the heart wall and there ‘You’re not out of the woods yet. The actor then explained that he
The actor said that the doctors was internal bleeding and I could There’s another danger. There had to do the breathing exercises
told him that “they had to do have died if they didn’t open up are still patients in our heart unit while practising walking with a
emergency surgery”. my sternum and do open-heart here, who after heart surgery, pass walker.
“That something went surgery. ‘Imagine, the day before I away, not because of the surgery He called the experience
wrong during this non-invasive was training really hard, and now but because of the lung. They get “unbelievable”, saying: “ but added:
procedure. And then it became all of a sudden he’s telling me they pneumonia. So we’re really worried “My usual principles worked.”
very invasive. They said they broke were saving my life. Then he says about you getting pneumonia’.” — IANS

Noah on growing
up the in shadow
of Miley Cyrus
Singer Noah Cyrus says it was
really tough growing up in the
shadow of her sister and pop star
Miley Cyrus.
Noah released the song Young &
Sad off her EP The End of Everything
last week, and has now opened up
about its connection to her sister
during an Instagram Live session,
reports people.com
The new track, which Noah
released recently, includes the lyrics,
My sister’s like sunshine, bringing
good light wherever she’ll go/ and I
was born to rain clouds, blessed in her
shadows.
The 20-year-old star opened
up about the song during the live
session, and at one point broke down
while reflecting on the criticism she
faced when she was younger.
“I think just the message in the
second verse, being born in the
family I was in, everyone gave me
such a hard time for having a hard
time being Miley’s little sister. But
you know, I always felt like I was that
person that no one cared about due
to what people said to me online,”
she said.
“It was absolutely unbearable.
And that’s why I write, My sister’s
like sunshine, bringing good light
wherever she’ll go/and I was born to
rain clouds, blessed in her shadows.
Because, that’s why everybody
always says to me, that no matter
what, I was going to be in that
shadow,” Noah added.
Noah admitted that she “always
believed” she would only stay in
sister Miley’s shadow.
“That was something I heard
my whole life, every single day, my
whole life. It was either that or that I
wasn’t enough in some way, whether
it was the way I look or the way I am.
Like I said the other day, sometimes
I feel like I don’t even breathe right
sometimes,” she said, adding:
“Basically, that is what the song is
about, and I just wanted to open up
about that once and for all, because
that’s been a big part of my life,
and I probably won’t talk about it
anymore. I just wanted to put it out.
“Everybody always says you’re
giving the people power by seeing it,
but I can’t control seeing it,” Noah
tearfully continued, and further
Scarface actor Silva no more
Actor Geno Silva,
best known for his
role in the 1983 crime
drama Scarface, has
died. He was 72.
Silva passed away
on May 9 at his home
here of complications
from frontotemporal
degeneration, a
form of dementia.
His family shared
the news of his
demise, reports
hollywoodreporter. REMEMBERED: Geno Silva is still
com remembered for playing the silent
During his four- assassin – The Skull – who murders Al
decade career, Silva Pacino’s Tony Montana in Scarface.
also featured in Luis
Valdez’s Zoot Suit (1981), Robert Towne’s Tequila Sunrise (1988),
Steven Spielberg’s Amistad and The Lost World: Jurassic Park
(both released in 1997), David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (2001)
CANDID: Noah Cyrus says it was and F. Gary Gray’s A Man Apart (2003).
tough growing up in the shadow of On television, he appeared in episodes of Hill Street Blues,
her sister and pop star Miley Cyrus. Miami Vice, Walker, Texas Ranger, Star Trek: Enterprise and
Alias.
shared: “You guys are young, you Silva is still most remembered for playing the silent assassin
know the internet. It’s been really The Skull, who murders Al Pacino’s Tony Montana in Scarface.
tough on me, so that song is just He is survived by his wife, Pamela, their daughter, Lucia, as
pretty tough to get through.” – IANS well as two grandchildren and his sister. – IANS
16 GULF TIMES Tuesday, May 19, 2020

COMMUNITY
Viola player enjoys calm, mystical
atmosphere during Ramadan
By Mudassir Raja “I have experienced
the holy month of

R
amadan is a holy month for Muslims as they
carry out their religious duties, but it also Ramadan many
provides an opportunity for non-Muslims to
observe the social and behavioural changes in times. I have always
the people around them during this month.
Being a multicultural country, expatriates in Qatar enjoyed how the
come from different cultural and religious backgrounds
and while staying here, they experience the changes in usually lively, buzzing,
Ramadan mostly in a positive way and take away the
best they can. sometimes stressful
Expatriates work in different areas from public sector
to private sector. As Qatar has been putting a lot of city becomes calm and
effort to promote arts and sports, there are professional
expatriates working in these fields in large numbers quiet throughout the
as well. Usually creative people related with any genre
of art are deemed to be more sensitive than an average day, with an almost
individual in the society.
Andrea Mereutza is a German-Romanian viola player. mystical atmosphere.
She has been a member of the musician team with Qatar
Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) since September 2008 I loved gathering
and based in Doha since then.
Besides enjoying the creative and artistic atmosphere with my Muslim and
in Qatar, the string player has been witnessing the holy
month for a long time now. She seems to have been non-Muslim friends
touched by the calm and quiet atmosphere that takes
over Qatar during Ramadan. “I have experienced the for Iftar, discussing
holy month of Ramadan many times. I have always
enjoyed how the usually lively, buzzing, sometimes spirituality, religion,
stressful city becomes calm and quiet throughout
the day, with an almost mystical atmosphere. I loved music, how all of that
gathering with my Muslim and non-Muslim friends for
Iftar, discussing spirituality, religion, music, how all can unite people and
of that can unite people and how lucky we are to live in
such a diverse, open-minded and colourful community how lucky we are to
such as in Qatar.”
Like other people, Andrea misses the usual gatherings live in such a diverse,
of Ramadan. “Unfortunately this year all has changed
due to the novel coronavirus pandemic that affects each open-minded and
and every one of us. It is however for our health safety
that we have to stay at home.” colourful community
When it comes to stay-home orders, the musician
thinks that she is affected more than others as she such as in Qatar”
misses the opportunity to play at orchestras attended
by people in large numbers. “Social distancing is —Andrea Mereutza
hard for anyone but as an orchestra musician it is
particularly difficult for me. We are used to interact
with one another, play together, listen, react and be
part of one big whole. Being isolated takes away from
me the possibility to do what I love most, making music
together with my colleagues.”
The German viola player, like her colleagues, has been
enjoying the experience of playing music from her house
balcony. “During the past weeks, like all of my QPO
friends, I have played by myself during balcony concerts
and recorded video performances which were a big
success on social media channels, but it made me miss
playing in the orchestra even more. Nothing can replace
the feeling of performing at a concert in front of a live
audience.”
Over and above, the musician has learnt many new
and positive things while observing social distancing
and spending time with her family. “But staying at
home also brought some positive aspects. Like all other
parents I started homeschooling my 6-year-old son and
despite all challenges, I am enjoying doing something
else for a change and getting out of my comfort zone.
I am also teaching him the piano! My family is more
connected than ever and we realise how lucky we are to
have one another. Over the last weeks I have learned to
embrace life as it is and to accept the situations I cannot
change. Supposedly small things can make you very
happy and it doesn’t need much to be a kind, balanced
and positive human being.” UNIQUE: This Ramadan has been a unique experience for many people as they had to maintain social distancing.