.: The Red Brick – Dubai College's Student Newspaper :.

A group of children celebrating Diwali in Dubai last year

It’s been a busy, exciting week for us teenagers. Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, has come and gone amid a flurry of presents, noise and eating. There was that raucous Halloween party, and, in an overwhelming display of support for the breast cancer research and treatment, the BurJuman Safe and Sound Pink Walkathon in Dubai. In short, we’ve had the excuse to have a laugh and make supreme fools of ourselves, as is the case in every celebratory occasion, and we won’t be seeking any more excitement for a while.

It is a sign of Dubai’s vibrant multicultural society that some of the first people to wish me a happy Diwali were from countries as varied as the UK, Hungary, the Philippines and New Zealand. Diwali is usually characterised by a continuous thunderstorm of crackers going off and displays as spectacular as if someone had fed millions of fire-dwelling salamanders generous helpings of Dr Filibuster’s fireworks (that’s a Harry Potter reference, for readers who haven’t yet discovered the sole reason to be alive in this sad, sad world). While UAE laws put firecrackers firmly out of the picture, that doesn’t mean we can’t have just as great a time.

We have family friends visiting us from the United States, and between the three of us greedy teenagers, we had downed four boxes of sweets and assorted chocolates in the couple of days leading up to Diwali, as the gifts started pouring in. Someone sent us a massive carton of traditional fried sweets, and I’ve been smearing on the acne cream in copious amounts ever since, with little success.

Bollywood buffs received a different sort of present this year: the premiere of the newest Shah Rukh Khan movie, RA. One, in Dubai on Diwali eve. “Shah Rukh Khan was there at the premiere and he touched me!” Asha gasped to me as she handed me a festive box of choco dates, scarcely believing it herself. “So I had my hand out and then he brushed my pinkie when he walked past and I nearly fainted!” She has now solemnly vowed never to wash her pinkie finger again.

By stark contrast with the twinkling diya oil lamps of Diwali, Halloween was a darker affair – think plenty of tasteful fake blood – and as a result is always a teenage favourite. As the delightful Severus Snape, I was pretty sure my sweeping cloak, wand (a paintbrush), fake hooked nose and greasy curtains of parted hair did the trick. A corked flask “borrowed” from the science department at school, labelled with a professional-looking “Eye of Newt Potione” (I was a potions professor, see?) added that extra element of je ne sais quoi, I think. Everyone else evidently didn’t agree, falling under the absurd impression that I was a mere witch with a bad-hair day. The “Potione” didn’t have the effect I had been hoping for, either, as I had to keep explaining that the “typo” kindly and repeatedly drawn to my attention was nothing of the sort; it was meant to give the word an ancient, faraway makeover.

A considerable number of people turned up as witches, cats and devils in a no doubt genius stroke of imagination and creativity, although to be fair, there were construction workers, Smurfs and a Jimi Hendrix, too. The party itself was like any other, except I couldn’t recognise anyone because they were all dressed up and the only lights were strobes. Embarrassingly enough, I was forced to keep yelling things like “Are you Callie or Tom or Lara, can’t see your face …” and “What? What? Speak up!” because you couldn’t hear anything above the throbbing music. Didn’t exactly end up as the life and soul of the party.

I would have loved to say I got up the next morning, raring to go as I set off for the Pink Walkathon, eager to make a difference. I didn’t. Having left the party at midnight, getting to a mall at half past five in the morning as part of the Volunteers in Dubai group took a Herculean effort, although a quick espresso fixed that.

I was manning one of the T-shirt stalls and it felt glorious to rally around against cancer in a wonderful atmosphere of camaraderie as we handed out pink shirts and hats.

Lola Lopez, the founder of Volunteers in Dubai, and Adele, our team leader, ensured things ran as smoothly as clockwork. The 10,000-strong crowd of people – and their beribboned dogs – were soon resplendent in pink, moving in a massive slow body through the roads of Dubai, blocking traffic, smelling strongly of sun cream and standing united against a killer disease.

And while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I’m just going to hang up my freebie pink hat now and get some much-needed shut-eye.

This article appeared in The National on November 1st – Congratulations Lavanya!

Yas Marina Circuit Abu Dhabi

As many of you know, one of the biggest events to hit the Middle East is happening in Abu Dhabi in just over two weeks; the Formula 1 Grand Prix. This will be the 19th Race of the 2011 Formula 1 World Championship, a global phenomenon that has occurred in places such as Malaysia, Australia, Monaco, Italy and Japan. Abu Dhabi is the latest in the line of exotic venue’s to join F1 in recent years, and it’s the innovative architectural design at the Yas Marina Circuit, which consist of a hotel which spans the race track, multi coloured twinkling lights, and a pit exit that tunnels under the first corner, that has truly got fans excited.
If, like me, you don’t know much about Formula 1, here are some facts heighten your understanding of the sport:
-Formula one cars run on a similar fuel to that of normal cars and petrol (surprisingly!).
-Tires are made to last at least 200 km and are constructed to be as light and strong as possible. The Nylon and Polyester structure consists of a complicated weave pattern, which is made to withstand the demands of an ordinary car.
-Formula one tires are also filled with a special nitrogen-rich air mixture, which is designed to minimize variations in tire pressure with temperature. This mixture also retains pressure much longer than a normal car would.
-Suspension of the tires is what harnesses the power of the engine- the downward force created by the wings and aerodynamic pact and the grip of the tires allows everything to run smoothly.
-Aerodynamics is the key aspect to the sport; its two main concerns being the creation of down force to help push the cars tires onto the track and improve cornering forces and minimizing the drag that gets caused by turbulence and slows the car down.
-The teams competing are; Red Bull Racing, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault, Force India, Sauber, Torro Rosso, Williams, Team Lotus, HRT and Virgin.
The tickets to this spectacular event range from 2000 DHS to 18 000 DHS per person depending on what stand you are in. As ridiculous as these prices may sound, you do have the added bonus of seeing artists such as Britney Spears, Incubus, The Cult and Paul McCartney perform. For most of these acts this will be their first time performing in the Middle East, so the concerts are bound to be an unforgettable experience. Britney is bringing her Femme Fatale tour to the Yas Arena on the first Night (November 11), followed by Incubus and The Cult on the 12th and Paul McCartney on the 13th. Music seems to go hand in hand with the event; last year Sean Paul, Kanye West and Prince were just some of the global superstars to perform in the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. Lady Gaga is even rumored to be performing at the Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India in the upcoming months!
For those of you that have a passion for speed and sophistication, the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the perfect opportunity to enjoy what will undoubtly be an incredible event!

Pumpkins, ‘spooky’ fake cobwebs, last-minute masks bought from Choithrams before it shuts, and a decent location.  All you need for a guaranteed Dubai Halloween.

In the past few years, it’s been suggested that the best place for a ‘solid’ bin-bag of sweets is to make your way downtown (or down Sheikh Zayed Road) and through to the Lakes, for that’s where the real heart and soul of Halloween lives.  All 150 villas in each Deema put their full effort into making Halloween a memorable event.  What’s their secret?  You’ve got to acknowledge the five senses all humans have – and how to cater to all of them.

Let’s start with the easiest of them.  Sight is one of the most important factors.  Colour scheme is obvious: black and orange, and a lot of it too!  No on

e likes a boring house with a feeble ghost made out of the old bed sheet (although that is not a bad idea).  Spice up your back yard with anything and everything!  Light is important, make sure there a lots of candles!  Scary masks hung up on the wall, fake bats, hanging witches from strings, you know the deal.  Also, it’s always fun when the actual sweets are next to a carved pumpkin or in a cauldron. Finally, you need to make sure you are ALL dressed up too ; no point having a house that doesn’t reflect the owner!

The next sense we move onto is a quintessential one: taste.  Are your sweets quality or quantity?  It’s vital to get the right mix of both.  Although they are probably cheapest, no one likes a handful of Tiffany sweets (old school!) so why not mix it up with the mixed chocolate packs of Smarties, Twix, Mars, etc.  Also a big bag of mini Softy’s are always a hit!  It’s key to get a VARIETY of sweets so marshmallows are also a good option, along with gummy bears, or any Haribo products.

Next we have touch which is quite a difficult one.  To cater to this particular need, perhaps you could set up a little activity.  A popular one used by many Lakes-ers, is that of putting small items (for example rings) into a large platter of spaghetti, and making the young Trick or Treaters find these items with their hands or feet.

For sound it can be fun to play some eerie background sounds of ghost ‘woos’ or werewolf howls.  And to accompany this and finally set straight the final sense smell then light a flavoured candle, of perhaps pumpkin if that’s in store!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Joanne Adib

Within D.C, there is an abundance of talent. Round every corner is a boy or girl who could very well grow up to be a world leader, a talented musician, an artist or a sportsman. Without exception, one extremely talented student within our school is Rob Miller: a fantastic singer, guitarist and songwriter with a unique style who deserves to be heard. Rob is extremely humble about his talent which makes him all the more special and he was kind enough to talk to the newspaper about his original songs and his feelings towards music in general.

How old were you when music began having an impact in your life?

I must have been about 13 and a half because, for Christmas, my parents and I went half and half on a new guitar. I started off with having some lessons but didn’t really take to them so I decided to teach myself. I focused on looking at learning the basic chords and things like that and then for the harder pieces, I watched the artists playing on YouTube videos so that I could pick up the music that way.

Was there something in particular that influenced you to start?

Can’t say that I am sure what influenced me in the first place but I had always had it in my mind that I wanted to play an instrument and the guitar appealed to me. My neighbor had a broken, 3 string guitar and you could say that I just really enjoyed the instrument even when it was broken like that.

You have already made so many positive steps towards getting yourself heard. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Touring and performing for live audiences?

Well obviously I would love to tour and get the chance to perform my songs in front of people but I think my music will stay as more of a hobby and an interest- performing at open mics and such. It’s up to people to decide how good I am but I’m not counting on anything like that and I’ve never been sure if I’m quite good enough. I doubt I’ll ever stop playing because it’s my way of unwinding and having fun but my music hasn’t influenced my decisions about Universities or anything. I have my own recording equipment so music facilities didn’t play any major part in my choice.

Those who know you are aware of your love of Newton Faulkner- any favourite songs by him?

A pretty impossible question but I would have to say at the moment, the final track on his new album called ‘I’m not giving up yet’. I think it’s special because normally he uses loads of different instruments on his album like strings and bass and such but this song is just on acoustic guitar which makes it work so well. It’s just such a meaningful song and has a great vocal spectrum which actually makes it quite hard for me to sing.

You have a big fan base within Dubai. How many are there exactly?

On YouTube, I have just over 250 following my music and then on Facebook, over 500. It’s not as much as other YouTube artists but I am very pleased with the support I get from people both in and out of the school community.

What is your new C.D made up of?

It’s made up of my own original material, so, songs where I have written the original music and the words. I am planning on releasing a cover album but that would be for free. It would be a good way for people who don’t know me to hear what I can do for free and then decide whether or not they would want to spend the money on my original work. It’s also because I wouldn’t feel right making money from songs that other people have written.

What is your favourite song that you have covered?

I recorded the duet ‘Falling Slowly’ with Tara Mehranzabad which was really good fun and we put in lots of different things like piano and strings, so I would have to say that was my favourite.

And what about your songs; do you have a favourite?

Out of my songs, if any it would have to be ‘Love Song for No One’. It’s probably because I just had a lot of fun doing it. It was played with me on Guitar and Dylan Price on Drums and it started off as a bit of improvisation and just ended up sounding really good.

Rob’s C.D has been released. It’s called ‘Good Enough’ and can be purchased on Amazon and there is no doubt that he has what it takes to affect people with his music and this is not the last we have heard of Rob Miller.

Lily Schuck

Theatre review – A Halloween night out

Plot

Eil Marsh House stands tall, gaunt and isolated, surveying the endless flat marshes beyond the Nine Lives Causeway, somewhere on England’s bleak East Coast. Here Mrs Alice Drablow lived – and died – alone.

Young Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is ordered by his firm to travel up from London to attend her funeral and arrange her papers. At first Kipps is quite unaware of the tragic secrets which lie behind the house’s shuttered windows. He only has a terrible sense of unease. And then, he glimpses a young woman with a wasted face, dressed all in black. Who is she? Why is she there? He asks questions, but the locals refuse to talk about the woman in black, or even to acknowledge her existence at all. So, Arthur Kipps has to wait until he sees her again, and she slowly reveals her identity to him – and her terrible purpose.

Years later, when Kipps chooses to tell his story, he approaches a theatre producer who creates a performance of this story within the play itself. Therefore ‘The Woman in Black’ is almost a play within a play where scenes constantly swap between rehearsals and the performance.

Review

While dressed up children crowded doorsteps and the less zealous Halloween enthusiasts rocked the night away at the Kings of Leon Concert, I was queuing up at the Madinat Theatre ticket booth, spending all my money on watching a show that frankly I had never really heard of. The one thing I knew about ‘The Woman in Black’ was that it was ‘scary’ or meant to be at least. But to be honest with you, I was sceptical about how a play starring two men working with a minimalistic set could possibly impact an audience so much as to leave them ‘shaking with fear’ as claim the quotes on the programme. Even some films fail to truly terrify viewers and they have the advantage of cinematography, gory special effects and tantalising real life settings. I deemed it impossible for two men on a stage to possibly create their desired effect on an audience.

I don’t think I could have been more wrong.

When first stepping into the theatre I was already encapsulated by a false sense of security, the lighting was warm and luxurious, caressing the hustle and bustle of laughing people dodging others in the aisles, excited for the horror filled spectacular still to come. It was not long before the whole theatre was dark and the audience were caught dead in their seats.

As soon as the actors spoke, their talent emulated from within them and they engaged every member of the audience through every line they spoke or action they took. Even throughout the long silences I was gripped, suspended with curiosity and tension as their ghost story was slowly unravelled before my very eyes.

The tone at first was humourous, where the light hearted relationship between Mr Kipps and the theatre producer instigated modest giggles among the audience, driving them into a sense of reassurance that was soon to be shattered by the latter stages of the play. Their chemistry and presence stole my focus, especially when actually role-playing Mr Kipp’s story. I was so concentrated in their actions that I almost failed to notice the third member of the cast hovering right behind me. Black, everything hidden but a white, ruined face and decrepit eyes. The Woman in Black.  Her subtle presence was eerie and hardly acknowledged in Act 1 which made her that much more mysterious and frightening. She could be anywhere and you could be completely unaware of it.

Act 2 brought horrific surprises, and although I sat still and shaking in my seat, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the action in front of me or block my ears when terrible screams and sound effects pulsed throughout my body. The actors were so convincing in their parts, maintaining this despite the fact they had to multirole that I felt so connected to the story, and found it hard to imagine that the Woman in Black was just a regular person with costume and make up.  The set was cleverly manoeuvred and designed as there was no point where the audience saw stage crew come on stage and change the set. To the viewer’s perspective it seemed to just appear as if from nowhere. This is true of the child’s room which the Woman in black haunted, where a rocking chair seemed to rock repeatedly by itself without any visible form of human interaction.

Not only did the direction and actor’s performances in the play completely stagger the audience, but the twists and turns in the story left us frozen in our seats and strongly impacted by the terrifying atmosphere surrounding us. In my case this fear even managed to follow me home that night, despite my scepticism from before, and my dreams were haunted by screaming children and a woman with a white wasted face.

Lucie Turner

“Lost.” This is probably the way many shoppers saw themselves the first time they visited The Dubai Mall, one of the Emirate’s latest attempts to be the first, the biggest and, in general, the best. After opening just over a year ago on the 4^th of November 2008, I’m pleased to say that every one of its 750,000 visitors a week has eventually made their way home again.

At over 12 million square feet, the size of 50 football fields, there are any number of places where you can lose yourself in this maze. The first time I went, I seriously considered taking Hansel and Gretel’s advice and leaving a trail of breadcrumbs to the car but I curbed this desire and instead set off into the big, bad mall completely unsure of where I was going and where I’d just been.

Finally, I emerged from that labyrinth completely exhausted after traipsing around the mall for what seemed like hours (which is unusual for me as I love to shop and I never ‘traipse’ when doing so) however, I was also completely and utterly amazed. Despite being so large that it would take several days and a fully planned expedition to cover the entire shopping centre, what I have seen of it the many times I’ve been there is simply astonishing. Although I’m not an expert, I can pretty confidently say there aren’t any other malls in the world where after shopping you can dive with sharks, ice skate, ride indoor rollercoasters, watch otters ‘frolicking’ and eat your own body weight in sweets all in the same day.

Therefore, even though The Dubai Mall has been the cause of many a blister and that even after the many, many times that I’ve been there I still occasionally find myself- well, that’s the problem, I don’t really know where, I think it’s fair to say that it’s incredible. Yes, it is a maze but it’s most definitely an amazing one.

Georgina O’Mahoney