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

Coco Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Manolo Blahnik.

Many people like to believe that fashion defines life. The glitz and glamour of this magical world leaves millions in a state of awe, love and aspiration. Legendary figures have supposedly emerged from seemingly simple concepts: Mary Quant the acclaimed inventor of the mini-skirt, John Galliano who revolutionized couture, Balenciaga the brains behind handbags. Undoubtedly, fashion is the epitome of success. Or is that just the magazines talking? Having the privilege to have grown up in a superficial, fashion-indoctrinated, egocentric world, has led us to believe that “fashion is who we are”, that “fashion is our only solution to happiness.” Well, I have a question: when the world undergoes substantial political changes, meteorological abominations, and economic crises – does the solution really lie in… polka dots?

Why is it that designers are regarded as moguls and geniuses? Why is it that girls pay thousands of dollars to be decked out in designer clothes from head to toe to end up looking like Karama regulars? The last time I checked, a visit to Forever 21 with leftover pocket money could end up with me looking like a mirrored image of Natalie Portman at the Golden Globes: totally ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Valentino had some intention for that dress – in the October collection for Halloween! If the brainwashed airheads we continue to surround ourselves with rest their minds of their endless clothing-oriented desires for even a moment, maybe then they would realize the importance of fashion is just about the same as the importance of Lindsay Lohan’s trips to the Betty Ford clinic. Non-existent.

Do we even need fashion? Are clothes really that important? Victoria's Secret sure doesn’t seem to think so! Why does this undying need for clothes within us refuse to wither away, when most modern day runway shows consist of half-naked models running up and down a dressed up and overrated platform? How does society never fail to feed its unswerving strive of keeping up with the latest trends? Underneath all of the labels and our brand named façades, lie what is really important. Of course, mankind will continue to be blinded and led astray by the wrath of fashion, couture, and clothes (or lack of).

Ask the average female teenager what her idea of a good time is and the answer is simple: all expense-paid shopping sprees! What more could a girl ask for, right? Visiting mall after mall, entering shop after shop and devouring all clothes in sight – it all seems so carefree and fun; they’re right. What’s more fun than dragging your blistered feet in skyscraper stilettos around a three-story building, running into every room that gives you another opportunity to cause serious damage to your parents’ bank account? What’s more fun than carrying a buckled Chloe Paddington that weighs more than the entire contents of the bag itself, with agonizing shoulder pains and sweaty palms struggling to hold the plastic handles on the carrier bags?

After personally experiencing such a shopping trip as described, when my sister forced me to accompany her, I realized that I have underestimated the capability of these mall-going girls. Not only can they multitask by holding their overstuffed shopping bags in one hand and their too-small-to-be-dogs-let’s-call-them-accessories in the other, they have actually managed to mindlessly emulate models’ outfits from designer catalogues to perfection.

It is unfortunate, yet safe to say evolution seemed to have reached its peak a very long time ago as we, evidently, are continuing to devolve at a rapid rate with our senses of individuality being the first factors to deteriorate. People no longer desire to possess self-inspired confidence, wearing clothes that reflect their individual personalities. Instead they choose to lie dormant in outfit choosing (the only aspect of fashion that involves brain activity) and prefer to look like walking and talking versions of Donna Karan manikins.

Some say to really appreciate the couture behind fashion, one must fully understand the ingenious behind the designer. I say it doesn’t take a lot of brain to add red soles to seriously overpriced and occasionally tacky shoes, Mr. Louboutin. Frankly speaking, who looks at the bottom of shoes anyway? I know for a fact the only thing interested in the soles of my Shoemart pumps is the chewed up gum on the pavement, finding itself a brand new home. And maybe if I’m lucky, it will be strawberry flavored.

“Good evening, and welcome! To a night at the Opera.” I declared, scrunching up my face in concentration. Veronika, sitting in front of me outside the canteen at lunchtime, watched me dispassionately. “Or should I put the emphasis on the Night? Good evening, and welcome to a NIGHT at the opera!” She spooned some pasta in her mouth, which for some strange unknown reason she was apparently finding more interesting than my conversation. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes. “Good evening, and welcome to a night.” I opened my eyes dramatically, the effect of which was lost because Veronika wasn’t looking. “At the Operaaaaaaa!” I flung my arms out and knocked half of her pasta off the table. Further talk of a night at the opera or wishing anyone a good evening was a strictly taboo topic for the rest of lunchtime.

The oratory rehearsals were intended for playing a host in, as you may have cleverly surmised, A Night at the Opera. It was to be held in the Music Centre, featuring the finest of Dubai College vocal as well as instrumental talent, meticulously prepared by Mr Zambonini, Mr Crawford and the teachers of the music department. The stage was set, the scene was an elegant flurry of bow tie suits and pretty evening dresses, and parents waited with baited breath and anxious video cameras for their sons and daughters to captivate and enchant in the language of romance, betrayal and passion: opera.

Backstage, it was an altogether different scenario. Violins, trumpets, trombones and cellos all tuning up to different notes at the same time yield nothing but a load of frustrated musicians telling their fellow purveyors of melodic excellence to shut it so they can hear themselves. Throw in some nervous singers all belting out Doh-Mi-Soh-Doh-Soh-Mi-Doh on varying syllables and varying keys to warm up and you’ve got yourself something worthy of Cacofonix the bard (as in Asterix? No? OK). No amount of panic backstage, or anything even life threatening for that matter, however, would deter a dedicated Dubai College musician to deliver less than an outstanding performance, which is what the Chamber Orchestra did in their wonderfully slick Suite, from Carmen by Bizet. Ryan Evans captured hearts with a sweet, pure voice and Sophia Cafoor-Camps, Florence Prosser and Sophie Middleton, accompanied by Mr Hardman, each served up stunning solos that soared effortlessly and lingered glittering in the listeners’ minds long after their last notes.

In stark contrast to the sometimes austere refinement of the older performers, Ethan Ebdon and Isabel Snaas had every member of the audience overcome by a strong urge to sigh “Awww”. Their portrayal of tired, hungry and utterly adorable Hansel and Gretel was a clear success as the singers curled up to sleep after their Evening Prayer, prompting a mass reaching for the tissues on the other side of the stage. Meanwhile, Abby, Prianka and Niamh’s O Mio Baabino Caro, from Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, held everyone spellbound as they conjured up images of a young girl pleading with her father to let her marry the man she loves. Violinist Charles Barsaga and the orchestra quickly followed with the haunting Meditation from Massenet’s Thais, a controversial opera with themes of religion, lust and denial that have ensured its lasting popularity.

The virtuosic streak was maintained as a rousing rendition of Triumphal Chorus from Aida by Verdi was superbly executed by a new ensemble at the school, the Chamber Choir, with solos by Dorottya Nagy (trumpet) and Kinara Rodrigues (flute). After two hours of being treated to some of the most beautiful compositions ever written, the concert was brought to a spectacular end with Sophie and Rory Blincow leading the Senior Choir in Verdi’s effervescent, glorious Brindisi.

As we returned home that night, having had rather more of the excellent complementary canapés and éclairs than necessary, the splendid performances of the young musicians were no doubt ringing in the ears of every listener, each better than the last, but we knew what took the cake. That night, music and the timeless magic of opera was the winner.

I think it’s safe to say that for many of us the most dreaded element of school life is heaving ourselves out of bed in the morning and peeling our drowsy, half-conscious minds away from our ever so comfortable array of alluring pillows and duvets and our fanciful dreams. And while for the lucky few this sluggish state quickly scatters, many of us waste potential and head into the new day feeling the dismal effects of sleep deprivation.
While sleeping, brain activity and body functions vital to our wellbeing take place. Without these functions, you may feel side effects such as hopelessness about your future, feeling unnecessarily worried and irritable and performing poorly in everything from school work to sports and social surroundings. You may begin to feel unexplainably sad and lose interest in your friends.
Studies show that within our weekly routines, a mere 15% of teenagers get the recommended nine and a quarter hours of sleep per night. Our typical teenage routine of staying up as late as possible and sleeping in as long as we like on the weekends affects our quality of sleep more than you may think. And while it is a biological nature for teenagers to stay up later than other age groups, sleep deprivation leads to a number of emotional, physical and intellectual downfalls.
Amongst the most evident and immediate effects of getting to bed too late is the restricted ability to fully engage in day to day life. This includes difficulties in paying attention in class, listening to those around you, absorbing information and impaired social capabilities with family and friends. Your brain is presented with an inability to absorb information and remember important facts such as names, deadlines, homework, numbers and other important information which may help you in the future. While these drawbacks highlight the worst of your mental abilities, they are not the only consequences which will aid you in your journey to being out a favor within society.
Outbursts of anger and heightened irritability as a result of tiredness cause you to be impatient with your family, friends and teachers, making yourself a nuisance to be around. Not only is your personality and interaction with others altered, but you will personally begin to feel down, depressed, worthless and self-conscious over unnecessary anxieties and stresses you may not normally be prone to.
Stresses triggered by more physical effects of sleep deficiency will also affect you and your wellbeing. When you are tired your body tries to get energy from other sources i.e. food. This causes your body to crave a surplus of unhealthy, calorie-filled foods which will lead to a cycle of unnecessary weight gain. Your confidence will not only be damaged by this gain in weight but also by your new found susceptibility to skin problems including increased acne and pimples. Sleepiness will also increase your dependence on caffeine and possibly nicotine too. Your immune system is weakened, making you more likely to miss out on the fun as you will probably be one of the ones sitting at home with fresh meat flu.

However, despite frequently waking up wishing we had gone to bead earlier the night before, for whatever reason we tend to find ourselves in this situation more than we hope for. In order to combat this undesirable state, there are a number of steps that need to be followed:
1. Make sleep a priority. In order to break the vicious cycle of sleep deprivation affecting your mood, and depressed mood leading to sleep deprivation, set a bed time which is nine and a half hours before you have to wake up and stick to it. Try to stick to this bedtime as close as possible on weekends too.
2. Go for relaxing activities such as reading or taking a warm shower or bath an hour before bed instead of turning on the TV or computer. Doing these on a daily routine will help to signal your body when it is time sleep,
3. Avoid coffee, chocolate, soda, and foods high in sugar before bed
4. Take naps before anticipated late nights
5. If you are stressing about things you have to do, make a mental or physical to do list and plan when you’ll get around to doing these tasks to put your mind at ease
6. Make your room serene and relaxing – eye shades, darkness, mood lights, sound tracks, whatever does it for you!
So, next time you’re struggling to peel yourself away from the appealing clasp of your covers, re-examine your sleep schedule and try these tips out for a more active and alert attitude!

First we experienced a tide of poppies patriotically pinned to every shirt, raising funds for the British Legion. Then it was time for the onslaught of the pink breast cancer ribbons. Movember was greeted by teachers proudly sporting striking handlebars and students, well, parading bits of fluff that made unimpressive substitutes for the luxuriant whiskers that would show their solidarity with those with prostate cancer. By the time you realize they’ve been growing moustaches, December would have rolled by and it’ll be time to shave again. And while the novelty of wearing various symbols to demonstrate your support for causes may be wearing a little thin, it has never been so essential than now to raise awareness about World AIDS Day, the 1st of December, which is likely to be heralded with red ribbons.

And why is it so vital to raise awareness about it? Because by being one of the biggest killers in the world today, AIDS, or Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome, has taken more than 25 million lives worldwide since 1981, the start of the global pandemic. The results of surveys published in www.usaid.gov show that in 2008, there were approximately 33.4 million people around the world living with HIV/AIDS, including 2.1 million children under age 15. AIDS, caused by the Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is a wily enemy: it does not strike by direct attack. It chips away at your body’s defences instead, destroying your T-helper cells, a type of white blood cell, gradually weakening the immune system until the body is left fragile and vulnerable. It then lets other pathogens do the dirty work: without the T-helper cells that fight disease, even something as trivial as a cold or the flu can be fatal. (Adapted from www.homehealth-uk.com).

Www.aids-children.org shared a touching account of an AIDS sufferer, John, who now has a flourishing business due to timely intervention by a family strengthening programme in Rwanda.

“I had an active life: a job, a salary and many friends. One day, all this disappeared because I found out that I was HIV-positive. It was not easy at all. When I was told that I was HIV-positive, I thought it was a joke, I didn’t believe it. I spent several weeks feeling sorry for myself, asking myself what happened to me. I cried a lot, I didn’t want to accept that I was infected. I could not imagine that I would stay alive for more than a week. When the news of my illness reached my office, I was dismissed outright. My boss thought I would either die very soon or contaminate the other colleagues.

I found myself alone without friends or a job, and I realized that there was a problem. I began to accept the hard reality that it was necessary to fight to survive. I had no money, no savings and could not imagine that I would overcome this situation. My girlfriend left me, and I found myself alone with a six-month-old baby. “

What is most ironic is that AIDS is a preventable disease, being transferred by the sharing of bodily fluids. The only time when it is not avertable is when HIV is passed on genetically. Something as simple as making sure you are using a sterile needle before you receive an injection and practising safe sex habits can save you from a lifetime of suffering. Buying the crimson ribbon and donating some money to a worthy cause has the potential to raise awareness and contribute towards discovering a cure for the illness, and subsequently change someone’s life for the better. Every penny makes a difference, so the power to put a smile on a sufferer’s face may lie in your hands- pin on the red ribbon!

* All sites were accessed on 26th November 2011.

Winter is finally near! And although for many people this means wrapping up in whatever’s warmest, for us lucky Dubai dwellers, it means it’s time to finally feel the fresh air! But the question remains: How do we make the most of our amazing winter weather?

While a lot of us Dubai College students are in the fortunate position to be able to splurge on fantastic activities such as the December Dubai Rugby Sevens, the latest concerts and maybe even an overseas school trip, it is also good to think about those less fortunate than ourselves. With the charitable season of Eid heading our way, there couldn’t be a better time to pay respects by donating a part of our wealth to charity. We can do this by taking full advantage of Dubai’s good weather without spending a dime! And here’s how:
Hit the Beach! Dubai is a coastal city, meaning that you will never be far from the white sandy beaches there are to offer.The extremely popular Jumeirah Beach is always a favourite, but there are also the public beaches at Al Mamzar and the Kite Beach running along Umm Suqeim. If you’re looking for a slightly more posh day out, JBR has many lively cafés and restaurants on The Walk filled with chatter and a lively atmosphere.
Go camping! Although this depends greatly on parental coordination, lighting a bonfire in the desert night sky creates a memory that will never be forgotten. Jokes can be shared and it is guaranteed that a good story or two will always come out of your bonding experience.
Host a gathering! Rather than waiting around for something to happen, take the initiative and invite a few close friends over! This is very rewarding once you see the fun that you can all have by simply enjoying your nearest pool together, having a barbeque or even hanging around in the compound like the good old days.
Dubai is not all about being glamourous, and once you learn to appreciate its natural charm, you’ll never look back! And what’s more, you can use your spare cash to help the world – one dirham at a time! You may have a favourite charity you like to support, or if not, head over to your nearest charity box at the mall.

   ‘It’s the quality of one’s convictions that determines success, not the number of followers’… Whilst this may be so, Professor Lupin, JK Rowling’s Harry Potter has found success on both fronts and will surely be missed… The seven films to date have earned almost a billion dollars each; therefore it is obvious that their followers are legion. However, dark times lie ahead… yet not for Harry Potter but rather for the millions of fans across the world that have grown up alongside The Boy Who Lived. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 stands as a spectacular closing chapter to the wizard saga, packed with breath-taking action sequences and moving performances from Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. An emotional farewell for the devoted fans of JK Rowling’s fantasy world, the film surpasses all expectations. Simply magical! Following the release of the film, here are ten weird and wonderful facts that you perhaps did not know…  

1. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone, Harry sees his parents in a mirror which Dumbledore refers to as the ‘Mirror of Erised’ – does this ring any bells? Interestingly, ‘Erised’ is an anagram of DESIRE
2. Not only is Voldemort a keen follower of the Dark Arts, it appears that he also has a knack for languages as his name – as well as being an anagram of Tom Marvelo Riddle – means “fly from death” in French and Voldemort’s sole goal is to achieve immortality. Similarly, ‘Morsmorde’  (the command that makes the Dark Mark appear) means “take a bite out of death” in French, making it an appropriate call for Death Eaters.
3. In the second book, there is a picture of Gandalf the Grey from Lord of the Rings in Dumbledore’s study
4. As every Harry Potter fanatic knows, Dementors are deadly, wraith-like creatures. JK Rowling revealed that they represent depression and were based on her own experiences with the disease; interestingly, the remedy to lighten the effect of a Dementor is chocolate!
5. The driver and conductor of the Knight Bus from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ernie and Stanley, are named after Rowling’s grandfathers
6. Numbers are symbolic in the series, especially 2, 3, 4, and 7. For example, the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione suggest the power of three and the spiritual trinity. Harry fatally wounds the basilisk on its third strike, and Hagrid knocks on the front door of Hogwarts three times. Students attend Hogwarts for seven years and there are seven players on each Quidditch. Sirius is also imprisoned on the seventh floor of Hogwarts.
7. Natalie McDonald, who appears as a first year student in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, was a real person. She was a nine-year-old girl from Toronto, Canada, who was dying of leukemia. She wrote to Rowling asking what was going to happen in the next Harry Potter book as she would not live long enough to read it. Rowling emailed back, but Natalie had died a day earlier. In tribute, she became a first-year student at Hogwarts sorted into Gryffindor House by the Sorting Hat.
8. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Arthur Weasley takes Harry and his pals to the Ministry of Magic they must first dial a secret code into a telephone keypad. He enters the number 62442. The letters underneath those numbers on a standard mobile phone spell out the word “magic”.
9. Twin jokers, Fred and George, the owners of the joke shop Weasley’s Wizard Wheezers celebrate their birthdays on the stupidest day of the year – April Fool’s Day
10. JK Rowling, Harry Potter and actor Daniel Radcliffe all share the same birthday, July 31. Coincidental – I think not!