Organist Christian Schmitt recital at ALMIidan cultural center; a night to be remembered

FARAH ALHASHIM

Yesterday at 7m in ALMidan cultural center the organist Christian Schmitt played a magnificent hour full of creativity and strong melodies that were stuck in our heads.
As part of the cultural season, ALMidan center sponsored this event, in collaboration with the German embassy. The organist Christian Schmitt played many pieces.
He started by playing Felix Mendelssohn, organ sonata number 2 in A minor OP 65 allegro maestoso by andante tranquillo.
The music was Cleary inspirational and Schmitt did a great job getting us in the mood and making every body travel in time with such a beautiful creative musical pieces.
Then he continued by playing for Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach; the sonata in A minor which was beautifully presented in front of the audience.
Christian then smoothly moved from sonata in a minor by Carl Philippe Emanuel Bach to prelude and fugue in E Falt major bwv 552 by Johann Sebastian Bach where its called Saint Anne.
He also added to the pregame demoltokata op 22 piece by Juranna Pachelbel, named, cincona in f minor and finally organ Symphony Number 7 by Charles Marie wider.
From one musical piece to another and despite the difference between melodies and rhythms, Schmitt was able to play these musical pieces in a smooth and innovative way on solitary instrument and although it was difficult to transform a classical piece like sonata in a minor by Bach, Schmitt successfully transformed a very highly developed and complicated piece and perform it on live witout any editing or highly advanced instruments, the organ was his only mechanism used to bring us back to the 18th century.
Organist Schmitt plays continuo organ and harpsichord with the Stuttgart radio symphony orchestra, conducted by sir roger Norrington , with whom he recorded the early Mozart symphonies, the orchestral suites of J.S Bach, and several other records.
He also teachers at the Saar college of music and conducts master classes at the music colleges in Europe, the us and the far east.
The award winning organist, who has been recognized for his performance of both classical and new music has played with many of Europe’s leading symphony orchestras and conductors ,including Marin Alsop, Andrey Boreyko and many more.
In 2010 he will begin recording the complete solo organ symphonies of widor at the Gistroic Cabaille-Coll organ in Rouen ,France.
.

Valerie Bloom : Seek for the sky and not the trees

By Farah ALHashim

With her curly black hair, her African features, and wide smile, Valerie Bloom the children’s writer, and poet came to Kuwait yesterday in a quick visit to the Kuwait English school.
The Jamaican writer wanted to share her stories with Kuwait children, and yet explore a different culture like Kuwait, by organizing lectures in different schools discussing her arrival, and the books she has written.
Valerie bloom was born in Jamaica and came to England in 1979, she also studied English, African and Caribbean studies at the university of Kent at Canterbury.
Bloom writes poetry as well in English, and Jamaican, so she spent all her time writing books, and poetry.

ALwatanDaily, had this exciting and vibrant interview with her.

1-Why the sudden visit to Kuwait?
Bloom: I’m visiting Kuwait English school to read poetry and some of my children’s book to the students.
2-How was the Response from the children? Was it worth it?
Bloom: it was a Wonderful experience to me, the response was motivating, they were so eager to know and be part of the creative process.
3-Any plans to visit other gulf and Arab countries?
Bloom:I love to visit Beirut, and Damascus; I hear they are amazing cities where they appreciate literature and poetry. I have been to Qatar and Dubai and this is my first visit to Kuwait so my journey is still at the beginning
4-What are your morning’s rituals? What is that you do that motivates you to write?
Bloom:Well, I live in Kent in England and the atmosphere there is very quite and nature is surrounding you from every corner, so it gives me pleasure to wake up in the morning. I always start my day with rich, delicious breakfast, and then later I go to my study room and sit there for hours.
Recently I have been busy with visiting schools, so waking up early is important. I’m a night person and I like to write at night when everybody is asleep. I’m facing a lot of difficulties waking up in the morning here, but despite of the frustration I manage to drag my self up to school.

5-How do you get your inspiration?
Bloom:Inspiration comes in all forms, shapes and sizes it might come in the day or at night, but sometimes you have to work hard on plotting out ideas and blocking out any kind of noise, but sometimes I get requests to write poems about certain subjects and that what makes my job harder and any writer’s job. We have to scratch or heads and work hard on it. Sometimes you might be just watching some tv and boom! An idea pops out of your head without any preparation, so I always carry a notebook with me.
6-What are your favorite books?
Bloom: I like historical novels, fantasy and biographies but to be honest I’m a book warm and I read everything. (Laughs)

7-What is your philosophy in life?
Always have faith in what you do

8-You basically try to capture the essence of culture and grasp all the problems related to childhood but have you tried tackling bigger issues like politics and global warming?
As writer I sort of write about any thing it’s a like a mirror to what is happening and its not necessary about minor or major problems, but its about bringing the problem out to the open so people can see them and maybe think about a solution.

9-Have you ever thought writing about Palestine or Afghanistan and the wars happening in the Arab world ?
What I have done is , that I wrote about all these issues and never specified the race or the nationality because, we as human beings suffer from same wars, oppression and slavery issues and because we come from different backgrounds, I intended to unite everyone in my books
The world we are living in is so small and despite our difference, language, religion and many more, we are still one nation and one race.
We have similar slavery, oppression issues and believe me when I say
Suffer has no identity.

10-Have you got any Kids?
Yes, three, two daughter and one boy, my eldest daughter is 24, graduated, majoring Spanish, the other one who is 17 wants to be a writer and my son 22 is an artist, who is working with me on my new book, he is going to illustrate the book cover.
So to answer your question yes, I influence my children, and I’m so glad that I was able to help them achieving their goals in life.
11-What does you new book talk about?
Its talks about , the Caribbean and the oppression that people went through back then and I write about these slavery issue and conflict because I can see the similarities with every country who goes under these problems.

12-Do you the think we have culture gab between countries?
Its true that all countries are different and special, each one of these countries represent a certain background and a certain history, but I think that what people need is awareness toward the diversity of these ethnic and cultures background.
We should know everything about everyone, it will help us communicate well and maybe solve at least a quarter of our problems.

13-Any rewards ?
1997 Américas Honor Award (USA) Fruits
1997 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Bronze Award) (0-5 years category) Fruits
2003 CLPE Poetry Award (shortlist) Hot Like Fire
2004 CLPE Poetry Award (shortlist) Whoop an’ Shout!
2004 CLPE Poetry Award (shortlist) One River, Many Creeks: poems from all
14-What do u want readers to know about you ?
If you set your heart on something and you have a goal, you can reach it, and we used to have a motto in school while growing up ;
Who Reach for the sky will get much further than the one who reach for the trees and Who ever you are, just aim to reach your full potential.

The rebound : love at 40 is possible

Farah alhashim
Imagine you are 40 and just got divorced; you have nowhere else to go but sit in your square room and be patient.
You have two kids, there are wrinkles on your face, and you have not sat on a desk since graduate school.
The Writer and director Bart Freunklich comes again with his latest movies the rebound, where the story happens in new York about, a divorced woman in her 40’s who meets her man of dreams under many difficult circumstances.
He was younger than her, and despite the people’s rejections, she was able to move on, but sooner or later she find herself leaving him.
Freunklich did a great job in presenting the story, the movies was captivating from the beginning until the end and despite the slow paste of the film; the slow transitions, I was able to direct my attention to the story and get into it.

Katrina Zeta Jones, a great actress who did a magnificent job in putting us in the mood, and making us believe that she is really divorced, and really lost in the city.
Despite of the fact that Jones is aging, she was really beautiful and attracted us with her ever-lasting beauty.
On the other hand Justain bartha surprised me by taking a leading role, he is known for many movies but never the less, he managed to captivate our attention from the beginning of the film until the end.

Rebound’s main idea, is about two people, who are totally different, and fall in love despite the laws of society that forbid such actions. For example a 40 year old lady who is dating a 25 year old man is considered wrong and “inappropriate” where it is ok for the man to love a woman who is younger than him.
This movie tackle many issues; the fresh graduate who is sadly unemployed and unable to find a job quickly, or the bossy parents that control there children’s lives, the single mom who recreate a new life on her own after she caught her husband cheating, and many more social stories that affect our life on a daily basis.
Its known that each society is different from one another, but human emotions, ambitions, and future plans are ideas that are berried in every single human being who believes one day he or she will have the perfect future.

The director was simply trying to say that when the time is right, any person could get whatever he or she wants or needs.
When the time is right for you and for your significant other you will able to accomplish your dreams without hesitation, and your life will be perfect.

If you get out of the movie, you will find yourself drowned in tears, or holding your partner’s hands, or maybe your Pepsi tank, but despite of every one ‘s own interpretation of the film, you will get out of this film, wondering; what would happen if I go in another direction in life?

Chef Ramzi : hommos and tabboleh are 100% Lebanese

Farah alhashim

“Lebanon will be back, and the sun will rise again” with these words sang by Josef Atyeh, a Lebanese singer, Beirut yesterday and on Saturday broke three records and entered guineas book by making the biggest ceramic plate who is made by Josef Kalaban and the biggest Hommos and tabooleh plate that each one of them weigh 2065 for hommos and 3567 for tabboleh.
The event was made for every one, and more than 10000 people came to Saifi village, downtown on Saturday and Sunday with an aspiration to win and an appetite to be fulfilled.
The event “ el hommos lebneneh wil tabbole” was brought and funded by the association of the Lebanese industrialists with partnership with Lebanese food industries like el wade, kortas and many more, never forget IFP group who did a great group organizing and marketing for huge event that lasted for 2 days from 2pm till midnight.
Lets start with the first day, its 2pm, its noon and every body is hungry waiting for the hommos to be made, the stage is divided into three sections where the plate is set in the middle between 300 chef who were chopping and putting the ingredients quickly, they did not remove their eyes from the table and kept working for three hours non stop. Every half an hour the manager of alkafa at school chef Ramzi who was responsible of the chefs kept counting the minutes and commenting” Hommos is ours, keep working guys”.
The plate was designed as mentioned before by Josef kabala who created a lighting and moving system. The plate was slowly rotating, the lighting underneath it was sparkling and shining, chef Ramzi was filling the plate with Hommos every 15 minutes and sooner or later, the presenter Michel Azzi who was working not only as a presenter but as motivator whom his words and motives captivated every one and turned the stage up side down with cheers and applauds from the people, announced the breaking number that reached to 2065 kilos of homos which directly was nominated to Guinness book.
Saturday 24 was a wedding; a celebration of traditions and culture and it gave the journalists from all around the world who came to cover this events an idea about Lebanon, that no matter what happens to its people it will always prosper for the best.
“Ma hada yhot edo bi jaybti”( no one puts his hands in his pockets) a sentences was repeated regularly by Michel Azzi and some of the organizers that promised every one to take a bite of the homoos and the tabboleh.

Alwatan had the chance to interview chef Ramzi, and Myrian Hoballah the manager of MENA regional.
Myriam hoballah GWR MENA regional product manager commented on this event by saying “ this is truly a phenomenal event with two records for Lebanon so far and we are proud to announce that the largest plate, the largest serving plate of Hommos broke the records way beyond expectations. This effort is due to the real work and the great dedication from all parties concerned to make this event a success. our aim as a Guinness world records is to encourage people from all walks of life to make great achievements and have their work registered in the most famous book in the world epically from the region because wither individually or as a team people have remarkable hidden potentials”.
Chef ramiz noted to Kuwait as a great country who appreciates culture and especially traditional food, where Kuwait is known for its “makbos” and many other famous plates, he said “
Lebanon is preparing an amazing feast and surprising others who wanted to take our traditional plate and put it as theirs, we are here to tell them that hommos and tabloeh are Lebanese 100% and how much of hommos or tabboleh will be reveled after the event is done.”
Also alwatan had the chance to interview the designer of the plate Josef kabalan”
He said “ the plate is shaped just like hommos and tabbolh traditional plate that is found on every Lebanese table. The plate is build with its latest technology(plc) and enjoy a tailor made software that controls it. Allowing it to rotate with variable speeds, it hold up to 3 tons of food and weighs it through a sensor which displays the number on a digital screen” he also added that plate attracted a lot of people due to its impressive size more over the weighing process was broadcasted live on screen and that build some kind of momentum and anticipation, in run the atmosphere was enthusiastic and every one was expecting adrenaline ruses, iam sure one of them.”
Also alwatan had the chance to interview one of the chefs who were working there
Ahmad Gazi a 18 year old chef who joined kafaat school to become a famous chef , said that he is very happy to be there surrounded with his friends and family and presenting a patriotic duty toward his country. “ some people hold guns and fights against enemies but I hold the knife and the fork and I steer ingredients that steer emotions and at the end present traditional lovely plates such as hommos and tabboelh.”
George Rassi a Lebanese singer told alwatan that he came to the event excited and that he volunteered to participate in the show he said” I love Lebanon and I’m proud of my country and its traditional food, and in a response to all these people who are trying to steal our tradition I’m here to sing out loud my love to this amazing city and that with time is proving every enemy wrong.”

The joy and excitement were constantly expressed for two days which made the second day even better while making the tabboleh. It was another wedding and a reason to party.
With people racing their cameras to take pictures, and journalists on chairs and stairs trying to get an exclusive pictures , Chef Razmi and with him 3000 chef were chopping onions, tomatoes and all the ingredients `of the tabboleh.
The stage smelled like onions which made every one tear up, but despite the onion tears, people were clapping accordingly with the chopping sound which eventually created a rhythm for people to dance on.
Little children were dancing, people were singing along with dj that was playing patriotic songs.

The event has ended but even though people got home that day full and satisfied from eating hommos and tabboleh for the past two days, s Lebanon will keep making hommos until the end, as Mr Fady Jresissat VP of IFP group noted” we believe in the patriotic nature of this mega event and this was the main catalyst behind our workforce as organizers. We have been importing our culture to the world. Its is due time to bring it back here. “
EL wadi alkhdar and Pepsi both diamond sponsors expressed their happiness during the event and said “ we are really excited to have participated` in an event like this we really feel proud to be Lebanese” .

Lakom hamra ai wali hamra ai : a new vision of Hamra street in Beirut

Farah alhashim

“ lakom hamra kom wali hamraai” (You have your hamra and I have mine). A inspirational headline attracts any viewer who walks in Beirut streets.
The project li hamra ai is a street photography competition that aims to bring together photographers of all levels in a challenge to document and eternalize Hamra street with all its authenticity, variety and contradictions.
According to spread minds the organizer of this event, photographers will capture Hamra street with their lenses and present it the way they see it ; this can be empty streets at night, crowed streets at noon, coffee shops’ life in afternoon , a street faces we are used to see and observe.
The organizer say that at the end of the contest a jury (art specialists, marketing specialist, Hamra street representative, main sponsors , public figures) will evaluate the decide top 5 places in an event covered by major media.
The competition will start on 22 of Oct. and the due date for receiving photographs will be on 22 of nov.
The winners will get the chance to travel to Italy. Also the photographs will be used by the ministry of culture, to be published in postcards, calendars, and other visual materials.
According to the website lihamra2i.com the photographs will be exhibited in many coffee shops in Hamra such as simply red, de Prague, graffiti, StarBuks, Ta Marbouta, Café younes and La galleria Di Franco.
creative minds company sponsored this event which is a new kind of company, that offers a customized combination of series’ to stand out as a creative agency a marketing consultancy, a design house , a professional photography studio,`and as a business development advisory.

Know your dosha, Know your body type

Have you ever thought of finding a way to release all the negative vibes from your body and soul? According to Lisa Marie Coffey, an expert on the body and soul, the secret may lie in Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a 5,000 year old “science of life” from India which claims to make an individual live in harmony with nature. Ayurveda helps discover the secrets behind our body and soul and that can be done by knowing your dosha. Dosha helps understand a person”s mind and body type and prescribes treatments for the body and soul.
According to whatsyourdosha.com, the first step to knowing your dosha is to take a simple quiz that will determine which dosha you are. There are three doshas ـ the Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
Vata people tend to be thin and have difficulty in gaining weight. The Vata person suffers from anxiety attacks, and nerve impulses which could affect his or her stomach, therefore may lead to digestive problems, constipation, cramps and even premenstrual pain which are related to Vata imbalance.
Pitta people on the other hand are wellـproportioned. Fire is their main characteristic and they tend to be smart, witty, sharp and have a stable use of energy. Despite their strength, pitta people tend to be sensitive toward the sun and their eyes could easily get affected. They are ambitious but they can also be demanding and rough. Pitta people need to avoid “toxic emotions” such as jealousy, intolerance and hatred in order to stay balanced.
Kapha people tend to have study heavy frames, they are slower eaters and calm, but when they lose their balance, they tend to become lazy, and stubborn.
Each one of these doshas requires a specific lifestyle, specific eating habits, sleep patterns, and attitudes. For example Vata controls all the movements in the body like breathing and digestion and nerve impulses from the brain so the most important thing to know about Vata is that they need different and special kind of food. Milk and clarified butter are good for increasing “ojas” which is a Sanskrit word for life energy.
Vata people suffer from lack of asleep because they have an imaginative and active brain. That”s why it is good for them to create a schedule for their sleep.
Pitta disagrees with vata in terms of food, sleep and lifestyle; Pita people should avoid hot food and concentrate on oranges and sweet and bitter flavors.
Pitta prefers cold seasons and for sleep they should always use ways to relax themselves like taking a cool bath or getting a message.
Kapha”s digestion is slower, heavier and they prefer warm, light food which should be as dry as possible. Kapha are deep sleepers but they don”t need to sleep all the time, they just take time to adjust their sleeping habits. They love to sleep and often have a hard time waking up in the morning.
When people take the quiz, some of them may come as Pitta, Vata, Kapha or even as triـdoshas which means they have all three doshas.
The triـdoshas people are balanced because they have something from every dosha.

Some celebrities and their doshas:
* Cameron Diaz (Vata)
* Jennifer Aniston (Pitta)
* Beyonce (Kapha)
* Nicole Kidman (Vata)
* Sharon Stone (Pitta)
* Britney Spears (Pitta)
* George Clooney (Kapha)
* Quentin Tarantino (Vata)ـ

Are dating websites becoming the new medium of finding love?

You are sitting in a cafe, reading the newspaper and as you read something unpleasant, your eyes begin shifting across the room. As your eyes scan the cafأ), you notice a man sitting across the room, smiling at you.
You smile back, then turn your eyes back on the paper but this time you are distracted. You put the newspaper down and go to him.
You ask him, “Hi, do you mind lending me the sugar cup?”
“Sure” he replies.
You smile back. He smiles flirtatiously and asks, “Would you like to continue this lovely afternoon with me we can read the newspaper and criticize the content?”
You look at him and agree to share your afternoon with a complete stranger who may, in few hours become a friend or even more.
Men and women are the same across the world. They love to forge new friendships and are always on the lookout of a relationship when they are single. People in Kuwait like adventure and seek excitement in any way possible.
Few people still abide by the traditional style of dating ـ they meet face to face, but many have embraced online dating sites that claim to provide you with a perfect soul mate.
Many sites like Arablounge.com, Qiran.com, and KuwaitـBar.com are providing their users with many facilities and offers in order for them to get what they are looking for. For example any user whither it”s a girl or boy has to provide a picture and write a short summary on their religion, ethnicity, physical appearance, in addition to their educational qualifications and their career background.
But despite the expectation to present an honest and accurate picture, experts on dating sites have noticed that many people are lying about their age, looks, and even educational background.
Some members post revealing profile pictures ـ some of the girls are wearing short skirts and mini tops and some of the men are topless. What is befuddling is how these men and women expect the opposite sex to respect them and understand their needs and take seriously their claims of “looking for a loyal wife to share my life with” or “I”m a good man who wants a nice girl” or “I want a serious relationship, no drama.”
Other typical things they see in profile are the variety of pictures girls, or even guys, use; and how overweight girls take shots in order to cover their actual body. One can see girls in head shots or from high angles and corners to give the impression of being skinny. When a girl does that, she assumes that all that men are looking for is a sexy girl. Not only is she trying to hide her real self, but she is also trying to support this shallow expectation by becoming part of it.
How could someone with all these tricks and Photoshop editing meet a true soul mate to share a lifetime with? Could this soul mate be as shallow? If hiding your true figure, lying about your age, or even background can get you get a soul mate, then the idea soul mate being sold is a big scam.
Mr. Ahmad M. Mustafa, one of employees at qiran.com, says that this procedure is not entirely perfect, because some people might take it as a joke. The only way this method could work is by being honest in writing about yourself, and taking this method seriously.
“As a man or a woman any one should be honest regarding the information in the profile, and that they should respect the terms, and polices on the site and never attack other users,” he said. “The point of the site is so pure and simple, we invite everyone despite his or her background and religion to share with us his or her information and he or she might find someone or a soul mate to share his or her life with,” he added.
Sandra, one of the employees of Arabmatch.com said that these sites are meant for marriage and not anything else. “People must have good intentions before joining these sites, because we cannot control their intentions, but we can control their profiles,” she said.
One of these sites aimed at Kuwaitis is Kuwaitـfriendshipbar.com. The website states that they have 138 Kuwaiti members while others like Arabmatchmaking.com have 3000 members from Kuwait.
So have any Kuwaitis found true love through these websites?
Shimaa and Omar from Kuwait met on qiran.com and decided to get married after one year. They got married in June 2008 and now they are happy and excited about their life together.
Other user named totlabule wrote his success story on the site and said “I met someone very special through this site and thank you for completing my dream.” Several other users have written about their success stories. For many, online dating has worked despite all odds.

A great way to educate kids about life and morals

The Railway Children, a children”s play written by Eleni Price, and directed by Alison Shan Price of the British Academy of International Arts (BAIA), was performed at the Shakespeare theater at British School of Kuwait (BSK) from Oct 15ـ18.
The BAIA and BSK Theater put together a miraculous production that really captured the essence of life in the earlier part of the 20th century in England and made it seem alive, right here at the heart of Kuwait.
The play is set in the 1901 in Britain where three children Bobby, Peter, Phyllis and their mother get separated from their father when he is arrested and they are compelled move to the dull countryside. Little do they know that an exciting life was awaiting them.
Despite their initial misery and the loneliness, they still managed to make new friends and become heroes of the town. But the questions looms, where is the father and is he ever coming back?
This lovely story was written in 1905 by Edith Nesbit, an English author and playwright, who moved often in her childhood before settling at Halsted in north Kent, the place that inspired the book.
The play was staged by a 20 year old BAIA alumnus Eleni Price, well know in Kuwait for her theater roles of Desdemona (Othello), Miss Hanigan (Annie), and Nancy (Oiliver).
The director, Alison Price, succeeded in transforming BSK theater into a small country town. The lighting, props and set were a great addition to the play and despite the small space, the actors move smoothly and in a comfortable way. The lights varied from red, blue and purple and shifted depending on the mood of the characters.
The most striking scene was when Bobby meets her father at the end of the. The reflection of lights on the characters” faces and the fog machine enhanced the movements of the characters and managed to create a sense of place.
I will never forget how the father and his daughter Bobby walked in a semi circle around the stage looking at each other and then at the horizon. The reflection of the light and the beautiful music that gave the scene a whole another dimension and magic will forever remain in my memory.
The clothes were perfectly designed, and thanks to the designer Sheriff Tawfic, we were able to travel in time with the characters and live their lives and understand what they were going through.
I loved the music of the play, and each scene was followed by a lovely musical track that really identified the character”s personality and got us in the mood.
Every scene of the play reminded me of my childhood, the good and the bad about being a child, the disappointment, and the hopes we built up for a better future. Despite all the odds and the problems this family suffered from, they still managed to create a different life of their own and meeting new friends and people that soon changed their stay from dull to exciting.
These kinds of plays easily affect the child into adapting any lesson presented in the play. The audience was mostly children and the way their eyes were attached to every single movement of characters really gave me the pleasure to say, that art and specially theater not only is a tool for fun but its great way to educate kids about life and morals.ـ

MJ WHERE ARE YOU?

Two days ago while I was facbooking and checking my hotmail and it got into my attention an email from an anonymous sender, I opened it and found these information.
“Before his death Michel Jackson was preparing for an international tour that was going to bring him back to his artistic life. He was working on a song with a musician called Yanji and was planning to present this song as an opening for his international tour.
He totally refused to expose any information regarding the song, but he announced that the song is going to be played only with drums.
That what happened , he recorded the song with an American Muslim drum pest called Omar Yangi, who promised to keep this song a secret until the tour starts.
Mean while the CD of this song was stolen 6 days before Michel Jason’s death
Imagine if Michel Jackson with his one million base fan, sang thing song, what would happen?

That’s the song “
Miles away, oceans apart
Never been my sight always in my heart
The love is always there it will never die
Only growing stronger tears down my eye
Iam thinking all the time
When the day will come
Standing this hajj of mine
Drinking blessing from your well
The challenges that I have suffered
Standing there before you
Accept this hajj of mine
Standing in ihram making my tawaf
Drinking blessing from my well
Rekindles my iman
O allah I am waiting for the call
O praying for the day when I can be near the kabah wall
I can feel Islam running in my veins
To see my Muslim brothers, their purpose all the same
Greeting one another exalting one true name
I truly hope one day that everyone ;s a Muslim
Some people say that this song is sung by a guy named Zain Bhikha, he is singer who preaches about Islam and allah but this is just a rumor because f you compare his voice to Jackson it definitely look different .

The moment I read this email I directly googled the song, and tried to get extra information regarding the email, the sender, and the reason why this letter is all over the internet.
I have read many articles discussing Jackson’s conversion to Islam, and that his brother announced his religion on TV and some conferences but the strange part was, that many articles which were published in Beirut, and other Arab countries were stating that Janet Jackson went to Israel.
Is there a special occasion in Israel that allows jennet to be part of, or it’s a political cover for the Jackson’s family .
Its known that Jackson used to spend his quality time in Bahrain with the elite authority , and that he has great relations with them.
Many questioned to be asked and many fingers will be pointed toward Michel Jackson death.
A lot say that he died because of a combination of different medication he was using, and other state that his private doctor killed him to stop him from pursing what he wants in the tour.
Other people and experts say that Israel got to do with Michel Jackson’s death, because imagine this king of pop, if he releases a song like that what will happen to all his lovers, and fans around the world

How did Michel Jackson die? A question will remain without an answer until one day the truth will be reveled by it self. Michel Jackson will always be remembered, as the man who turned the pop music up aide down and created a style that will always last for future generations.

Rasha Kouri : Kuwaiti lady is a magnificent Fashionitsa

Rasha Kouri, an interesting person I knew by accident, she is here with us today ALWATAN DAILY to open up and discuss with us her little stories and news about fashion, style and how to become the best Fashionista.
She is the founder and CEO of DIA DIWAN, an online fashion website that is booming day after the other. her work as an investment banker never stopped her from doing what she loves, so when you tab on this website, you will be entering Kouri’s world, that is full of beautiful products that each piece has a story of its own.

BY FARAH ALHASHIM
1-What is so special about DiaDiwan?
DiaDiwan, is the first High-End Luxury Site for the Arab Region, which mostly focuses on regional trends. Our aim is to promote Arab peers. Our site is the only site to showcase, and sell young design talent from all over the Middle East on a global plat form. We also have partnered with experts in various fields in nutrition, technology, culture and many blogs that discuss our hot topics and trends on a weekly basis. Of course having, our job is not complete without the regional address book that lists all the hip, trendy and famous underground places in Arab cities. Therefore all these elements bring positive vibes, and awareness of what is going on, not to mention the ability to shop online in our “Global Souk” for the latest collections by Middle Eastern designers.
2- Is there any specific identity or nationality that DiaDiwan relates to, or it’s a mix of nationalities and different backgrounds?
Our goal is to be non-national; the region is steeped in creativity, and we wanted to highlight and create a space, where the discussion about the Middle East does not revolve around politics or oil prices, but on top of that all the great things that are coming out of the region must be socially involved.
3-what does DiaDiwan stand for, and who are the people behind this work?
DiaDiwan is originally an Arabic word of two parts meaning Dia–(light/illumination) and Diwan (meaning living room), where people congregate to talk and share. DiaDiwan is the brainchild of Rasha Khouri, an investment banker turned entrepreneur
4- How do you know what is best for the Middle East lady?
The DiaDiwan costumer has a strong sense of style, and knows how to choose the best for her taste. She reads international fashion magazines and travels all around the world, so we have to be hip and up to date, in order for us to provide the best services needed. After all customers come to us for guidance about what is new and exciting.
5- How do you keep up with all the new hip and cool trends?
We travel to meet designers, attend fashion shows throughout the year. We also use online research, blogs, and magazines as a great source for information. The best source are the emails from viewers, and friends with tips, and comments that help us a lot to provide the best service for everyone.
7- Its known that major brand names like Channel for instance has specific style and statement; do you design your own style? Do you haveyour own clothing line or you just gather collections that are oriental and speak for the Middle Eastern lady?
DiaDiwan is a showcase for creativity coming out of the Middle East, and we are a stylish souk of fashion, accessories, gifts, design, and beauty products. We do not promote a particular style; we are providing a platform for other designers whom we believe in.
9- What is the different between the Lebanese ladies and Kuwaiti or Saudi Ladies?
There are differences between all women around the world; DiaDiwan is not so much about focusing on differences than on tapping into commonalities. Middle Eastern women are interested in fashion, and we offer a great selection of the newest (and a lot of limited and exclusive) pieces by designers all around the Arab region.
11- You visited Kuwait in the past few days, and I’m sure your familiar with its style, do you think that Kuwaiti ladies are up to date with everything that is new and trendy (just like Lebanese, Italian or Parisian women)?
I was in Kuwait last week for an event promoting a fashion show, and showcasing the young talent there. Kuwaiti women are very up to date and curious to know everything about the fashion world and their curiosity is magnificent, which makes me believe that Kuwaiti woman is a fashionista “connoisseur” and willing to express her own style when ever possible.
12- You have an online shop, where do you get the merchandise from?
We have a very exciting selection of designers from the region – from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait, New York, or even Turkey . We stock designers such as Tahir Sultan, Sarah’s bag, and Otrera. Most of the selection is sold online exclusively through DiaDiwan and a lot of the pieces are limited editions.
14- What does fashionista means, and what are the things a lady should do or have, in order to become one?
A fashionista is someone who follows the fashion trends, and wears all the current up-to-date styles. There are always several dominant trends in fashion at any given time, so a fashionista doesn’t have to embrace all trends, but she can pick and choose the things she likes. She also has her own sense of style, so she can mix and match, new season with vintage, high street fashion with ready to wear, but never forget that we must not confuse a fashionista with a fashion-victim, who just wears anything trendy without any personal elegance or style. Any lady will look foolish if she does not pay attention to these differences.
16- What should the fashionita wear this season?
This season a fashionista might be causal with 80’s look; boulder shoulders, metal studded accessories, and a pair of patterned leggings, but not all together of course.

15- What kind of events do you usually organize?
We like cooperating with retailers, designers or social causes we believe in. we also participate in several events a year, and want to start doing even more.
17- Any recent events or campaigns?
During October, DiaDiwan will be joining forces with the U.S.-Middle East partnership for
breast cancer awareness and research this partnership is a public-private initiative that unites breast cancer advocates and experts from the United States, the Middle East, and North Africa in the first against breast cancer. DiaDiwan is launching a fund raising campaign for the Partnership, with the specific objective to raise the necessary funds to support the development of materials as part of an awareness campaign targeting younger women throughout the Middle East. Designer Georges Chakra has teamed up with us to offer the readers the opportunity to win a gift certificate to shop for his collection Limited Edition Fall/Winter 2009

For more information http://www.diadiwan.com