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ARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2014
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Museum traces detective from Victorian times to present
Exhibition probes the mystery of Sherlock Holmes
LONDON, Oct 18, (Agencies):
Sherlock Holmes is among the most
famous Londoners of all time. Many
tourists still see the bustling city
through his eyes, and seek out his
address, 221B Baker Street.
It seems a logical deduction that
the fictional detective’s creator,
Arthur Conan Doyle, must have
known the city intimately.
In fact, historian David Cannadine
said Thursday, “Conan Doyle himself
didn’t spend that much time in
London. When he wrote the early stories, he got the topography out of a
street atlas.”
That is just one of the surprises
provided by a myth-busting new
Museum of London exhibition that
explores a character who has been
endlessly adapted while retaining his
essence: He’s a cerebral sleuth, forensic scientist, drug-taking bohemian
and archetypal Englishman.
Through film clips, costumes, 19thcentury forensic equipment and more,
it follows Holmes from an idea in
Conan Doyle’s notebook — at one
point he was called Sherrinford
Holmes — to the smartphone-toting
modern detective played by Benedict
Cumberbatch in the BBC TV series
“Sherlock.”
The exhibition also looks at the
relationship between the detective
and London. Holmes is an icon of the
Victorian metropolis, a place of
horse-drawn hansom cabs, dark corners, gaslight — and fog.
Artworks
Fog gets a whole room of its own,
lined with atmospheric images by
American photographer Alvin
Langdon Coburn and other artworks,
including a painting of the River
Thames by French Impressionist
Claude Monet.
Cannadine, who has contributed to
a book that accompanies the exhibition, said Conan Doyle’s stories give
a sense of the city — “the gas lamps
and the clattering of horses and the
fogs in Baker Street” — that is vivid
but in some ways misleading.
“He doesn’t write about the traffic
jams, he doesn’t write about the smell
of horse-droppings, he doesn’t write
about the filth of the pavements,”
Cannadine said. “It’s a much cozier
image, in a way.”
For fans, the most exciting exhibit
may be a yellowing notebook showing the moment Holmes was created.
It bears notes for a detective story in
Conan Doyle’s handwriting. The
author has crossed out his original
title, “A Tangled Skein” and written
“A Study in Scarlet” — the name
under which Holmes’ first adventure
was published in 1887.
Conan Doyle, who died in 1930,
probably didn’t imagine that his creation would long outlive him. He
tried to kill Holmes in 1893, sending
him tumbling over the Reichenbach
Falls while grappling with archenemy
Moriarty.
Readers were outraged, and the
author resurrected the sleuth a decade
later.
The exhibition’s lead curator, Alex
Werner, said Holmes endures because
he was strikingly modern.
Visitors enter the show through
doors masquerading as bookshelves
in a physical embodiment of the
engaging blend of reality and fiction
that characterises British author
Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales of the
world-famous detective.
The displays include everything
from the specially designed Belstaff
coat worn by Benedict Cumberbatch
in the recent BBC series to original
manuscripts written in Conan Doyle’s
careful cursive.
The author, who aspired to be an
eye doctor before turning to literature, can be seen in a 1930 clip of
what is believed to be his only filmed
interview.
Creation
In contrast, his creation has hogged
the limelight for over a century. The
show’s curators say Holmes is the
most-filmed character of all time,
starring in over 200 adaptations. The
earliest film on display is a French
version from 1912.
“The only two characters I found
that came close were Dracula and
Frankenstein,” curator Alex Werner
said.
The museum traces the evolution
of Holmes, from the arrival of the
famous deerstalker hat in Sidney
Paget’s illustrations for the short stories that appeared in the Strand
Magazine, to the curved pipe in the
theatre performances of William
Gillette as Holmes.
Gillette was so intent on impersonating Holmes to the hilt that he even
injected himself with liquid cocaine
on stage as part of his 1900 portrayal
of the opium-loving detective.
The exhibition also devotes a sizeable chunk of space to Victorian
London - dubbed by Werner the
“third character” in the books after
Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson.
“This was a character who was
using scientific methods to unmask
the incredible complexity of the modern world,” Werner said. “He’s the
only one who can do it. We would all
like to be Sherlock Holmes.”
“Sherlock Holmes: The Man Who
Never Lived and Will Never Die” is
at the Museum of London from
Friday until April 12.
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Every Thursday @ 5pm (ladies only)
Islam 101 by Hassan Bwambale
If you are interested to know more
about Islam, join the TIES Center for
information, discussion, and a chance to
ask any question about Islam regarding
Muslims’ beliefs, acts of worship, Quranic
verses, and the Prophet Muhammad’s
(PBUH) life.
Every Thursday @ 7pm
The TIES Center is the social and educational hub for English Speaking
Muslims in Kuwait. For more information, please call 25231015 or e-mail
info@tiescenter.net or visit www.tiescenter.net.
Oct 21
AWARE events schedule: AWARE
Center will be holding following events in
October and November:
■ Through an expat’s eyes: a photographic journey through Kuwait on
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Moving to a new country can be intimidating: both scary and thrilling at the
same time. Linda Young uses photography
to explore her new home. Some photos
are fun, some are serious. All are Kuwait
through her eyes & lens.
Refreshments Provided
■ Guided tour: Hamad Al Fuzia
Museum for Antiques
Monday, Oct 27, 2014 @ 5:00 pm
Fee: KD 2 per person
Opened by a Kuwaiti gentleman in his
own home, this museum has an excellent
collection of Kuwaiti antiques with a section of the museum dedicated to his relatives who died during the invasion of
Kuwait. Join us as he recounts stories
about Kuwait and about the antiques
housed in the museum.
Advance reservations required at
joumana@aware.com.kw
■ Guided tour: Arab Organization
Headquarters
Saturday, Nov 1, 2014 @ 9:30 am
This tour is a marvel of innovative
architecture displaying modern technology combined with traditional artisan
craftsmanship from Tunisia, Syria,
Morocco, Egypt & contributions from
Kuwaiti designers.
This tour meets directly at the Arab
Organization Headquarters.
Cameras are welcome.
Limited Seats. Advance reservations
are required at joumana@aware.com.kw
Children below 14 years & Pets are not
allowed.
Oct 23
Indian Embassy closures: The
Indian Embassy will remain closed on the
following dates during the month of
October 2014.
Deepavali: Thursday, Oct 23, 2014.
Emergency and limited consular, labour
and attestation services will, however, be
available at the Embassy.
Oct 25
FOCUS Fest 2014: Focus KuwaitForum of CADD Users will be celebrating
its 8th Anniversary with “Focus Fest2014” on Oct 25, 2014 (Saturday) 2.30
pm at Indian Central School, Abbasiya
Kuwait. The programme is structured as
full day event with inaugural session,
meritorious award distribution, honouring
eminent personalities and a variety of arts
and cultural programmes. Famous artist
“Kalabhavan Navas show” will be highlighting the event.
Oct 31
Prathibha Kuwait awards:
Prathibha Kuwait, an association of
Malayalam writers in Kuwait has decided
to felicitate Babu Kuzhimatam, who is
completing his 40th year in short story
writing. In this occasion, Prathibha
Kuwait will distribute awards to ten
Malayalam writers in Kuwait. Short story
books are invited from the writers to consider for the awards. A distinguished panel
will select the ten books from the entries.
Last date of receipt of the books is Oct
31. Further details can be availed at phone
numbers 99653638, 97258308 or by email to prathibhakwt@gmail.com,
prathibhakwt@yahoo.com. The award
ceremony will be held on Dec 26 at
Fahaheel.
41st monthly meeting of Prathibha
Kuwait has released its little magazine by
Continued on Page 34
Photo by Claudia Farkas Al-Rashoud
Presenting a life-saving message: (Seated, from left to right), Sheikha Azza Ali Al Jabar Al-Sabah, Dr Shafika Al Awadi, and Irene Lau.(Standing, from left to right), Shebina Amlani, Karen Webster, and
Manal Al-Shadeed.
Centre to hold Breast Cancer Awareness Day on Oct 21
Be aware, show you care: Al Sidra Centre
By Claudia Farkas Al Rashoud
Special to the Arab Times
Decorated with balloons, ribbons,
and flowers in pretty shades of pink,
Al Sidra Centre is marking Breast
Cancer Awareness Month with a variety of special events and activities.
Among the highlights is Breast Cancer
Awareness Day, “Be Aware, Show
You Care!” to be held on Tuesday,
October 21st at the Radisson Blu
Hotel.
Clinic Coordinator Shebina Amlani
and Information Officer Karen
Webster offer a warm welcome, along
with a choice of pink tea or pink
lemonade, to those visiting the cancer
patient support centre. At the top of
their agenda today is a meeting with
Sheikha Azza Ali Al Jabar Al Sabah,
Medical Oncologist Dr Shafika Al
Awadi, and Community Liaison with
Breast Cancer Network Australia
(BCNA) Irene Lau to plan the final
details of this important program.
Sheikha Azza is the Chairperson of
the Society for Cancer Psychological
Support and Patron of Al Sidra Centre.
She plays an active role and is a steadfast source of help and guidance for
the centre. “Sheikha Azza pays us frequent visits. She is always checking to
see if we need anything and we greatly appreciate her regular involvement,” Dr Shafika says.
parent organisation, Al Sidra
Association, joins the group of professional ladies who are eager to make
the awareness day an unforgettable
event. During its first year of operation, Al Sidra Centre has earned the
respect and appreciation of the local
community for the many beneficial
services it provides to cancer patients
and their families in a warm, caring,
confidential environment. Located in
the Al Sabah Hospital compound, the
non-profit centre takes its name from
the native Kuwaiti tree that traditionally provided shade, shelter, and sustenance to local residents. Nowadays, Al
Sidra Centre serves as a comfortable
retreat where patients and relatives
can have a rest, a cup of tea, and a
friendly chat with other patients or
staff. Along with psychological support it offers the Look Good Feel
Good program, lectures, classes, and
other relevant activities. The upcoming breast cancer awareness day will
provide the centre with the opportuni-
ty to reach many women with their
life-saving message.
“Women need to know that if breast
cancer is caught early the disease can
be beat. Everyone is welcome to
attend the event but we especially
want to send the message out to young
women who may be frightened or
embarrassed to seek treatment.
Therefore we have sent out invitations
through many local high schools and
universities” says Dr Shafika.
All the ladies agree that education
and awareness are vital tools in combating cancer. So are communication
and support. “We are encouraging
women to speak to their families and
friends about breast cancer screening
and urge them to get checked. I have
two friends who are afraid to go alone
to have their mammograms done so I
promised to go with them this month.
If everyone does their part we can
really make a difference,” says
Shebina.
Irene Lau, who was diagnosed with
Risk
Dr Shafika is the centre’s founder as
well as head of the breast cancer unit
at Hussein Makki Jumma Centre for
Specialised Surgery. Irene Lau, a
breast cancer survivor and former
long-time resident of Kuwait, will be
the keynote speaker at the breast cancer awareness day. Dr Faisal Al
Terkait, Consultant Breast Oncologist,
will also address the audience on
breast cancer risk factors and treatment in Kuwait.
Manal Al Shadeed, Manager of the
Irene Lau (left), and Dr Shafika Al-Awadi preparing materials for cancer awareness events.
breast cancer in 2009, received training as a Community Liaison from
BCNA and now carries a message of
hope and encouragement to countless
other women. She underwent months
of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, medication, two lumpectomies, and a full
mastectomy. Happily, she is now feeling well and leading an active and fulfilling life.
“Being treated for cancer is a lifechanging journey. You never go back
to the same life you had before but
you do enjoy a good life afterwards,”
she says.
Community
Having lived and worked in Kuwait
from 1975 to 1986, Irene is particularly eager to raise cancer awareness
among women in the community she
once called home. She met with Dr
Shafika on a visit to Kuwait in 2011 to
offer her services in this respect. At
that time she started a program with
the Kuwait Textile Arts Association
Quilt Group to provide soft, cotton
filled bra inserts worn by breast cancer patients after surgery, a popular
program that is ongoing at Al Sidra
Centre with the help of Quilt Group
member Haifa Al Mughni.
“At that first meeting with Dr
Shafika three years ago I was explaining to her what we do for breast cancer patients and their loved ones in
Australia,” Irene recalls. “She then
told me about her dream of having a
place where cancer patients and their
families can get the social-psychological help they need. To walk through
the doors of Al Sidra today, to see her
dream as reality and to meet the lovely women who work here, has been a
heartwarming experience.”
When Irene was asked to be the
keynote speaker at Al Sidra’s educational event she felt quite emotional
about receiving such an honor. “I am
so pleased to be doing this on three
accounts: for women, for breast cancer
patients, and for Kuwait,” she says.
Dr Shafika and her team are very
interested to hear Irene describe some
of the recent events and activities
being held for breast cancer awareness
in Australia. “Here at Al Sidra we are
just starting out, so we welcome
ideas,” Dr Shafika remarks.
Progress
“We have made a lot of progress in
our first year, but there is still so much
more we can do,” Karen adds.
Sheikha Azza echoes this sentiment.
“Yesterday I was watching Egyptian
television and there was a program
about the children’s cancer hospital in
Cairo. They were saying they are collecting donations so they can have
more beds because now people from
all around the Arab world are coming
to their facility for treatment. This
made me think that hopefully one day
we will also reach this stage and be
able to be of service to large numbers
of cancer patients from different countries. Something may start small but
with a lot of effort it can become
something great.”
Al Sidra Centre staff would like to
thank their generous sponsors, the
Body Shop and Marks & Spencer,
who are contributing to the success of
their upcoming event. Appreciation
also goes to the Makulay Artists Guild
of Kuwait and Al Raisi Group. The
artists’ group will be exhibiting works
depicting the cancer journey in the
foyer of the Radisson Blu on the day
of the event. Al Raisi Group will be
providing professional lighting.
To reserve your seat for Breast
Cancer Awareness Day at the
Radisson Blu Hotel on October 21st
from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, call
51550689 or email
info.alsidra@gmail.com For more
information on Al Sidra Centre go to
www.al-sidra.net, Instagram account
@alsidra_kwt, or Twitter
@alsidra_kwt.