1. HAPPY NEW YEAR
JANUARY 2012
RESOLUTION KEEPER 2012
know more on page 12
TEMPO’S SOCIAL EXPERIMENT | ONE YEAR CHALLENGE
CAN YOU KEEP YOUR PLEDGE ?
+ PLUS
POETRY EVENING AT SORBONNE
FIRST FEMALE EMIRATI CHEF
THE MAKING OF ‘THE JOURNEY’
GRANNY, TAKE ME HOME

3. 2012 | january issue www.tempoplanet.com
welcome
editor’s letter
Although time is an infinite continuum, the
start of a “new year” carries such excitement
because it implies the start of new things, and
contents:
04 > letters to the editor
an opportunity for new chances. 05 > uspace
In this issue we’re running a social experiment (see pages 12 and 13). We’ve asked a 06 > what’s hot
number of you about your resolutions for next year, with the idea that we’ll try to catch 07 > the bottom bottom line
up with each person to see if you’ve kept your promises. If you want to be part of this 08 > tech talk / game hedz
09 > tempo’s top 10 songs / on my ipod
experiment which we call “Resolution Keeper 2012” then send your pledges to us and
10 > beat with dj natalie brogan
we’ll contact you at the end of next year (assuming you have the same contact details) to
12 > resolution keeper 2012
see if you’ve kept your promises to yourself. We suspect that just the pressure of follow up
14 > city bites
will make you all strive to keep your word. We’ll see what happens....
15 > poetry evening at the sorbonne
Tempo looks forward to making its own resolutions as well. We’ve tweaked our design and 16 > people calendar
layout for 2012 and strive to keep improving and evolving. We love getting your feedback... 18 > youth talk
tell us what you like, what you don’t, and what you’d like to see more of in 2012. We look 19 > photo tripping
forward to incredible year of more community engagement and greater representation of 20 > cooking passion
the mosaic of communities we have in the UAE. And I take this opportunity to thank our 21 > the making of ‘the journey’
writers, columnists and contributors for their dedication and for making Tempo the grass 22 > granny, take me home!
roots, community focused publication that it is. 23 > doc in the house / live well
24 > mum unlimited / campus view
Happy New Year Everyone! 25 > just handcrafted / articulate
26 > media
28 > mini minx / just a thought
Sana Bagersh
Managing Editor
bagersh@tempoplanet.com
ADDRESS
To reach editorial at Abu Dhabi Tempo email:
MICROSOFT TAG SCANNING GUIDELINES editorial@tempoplanet.com. If you need to find out where
you can pick up your copy call: 02 491 8624/25 or check
download www.gettag.mobi out the list of Tempo distribution points on our website.
to your smart phone NOTE TO ADVERTISERS
run application Advertisers can request brand tagging with all
advertisements. To reach advertising call: Cover story: New Years’ comes but once a year. We make resolutions
click on tag beside each article to have fun 02 491 8624/25, fax: 02 491 8626 and vow to keep them and fulfill them before the next New Year’s Eve
with online content, videos & cool tags! email: advertising@tempoplanet.com comes knocking on our door. But do we actually keep them? This year,
Tempo is taking its readers to task.
DISCLAIMER
Tempo is a publication of BrandMoxie. Although Tempo
Magazine does its best to ensure the authenticity and MANAGING EDITOR
QR SCANNING GUIDELINES accuracy of its contents, the publisher cannot accept any Sana Bagersh
responsibility for errors, mistakes and inaccuracies. The
Scan the QR CODE using your smart phone
publisher reserves the rights of this product and no part of FEATURES EDITOR EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any Alma Kadragic Angeli Castillo
for Blackberry this is done through BBM means without the permission of the publisher. Dave Solomon
for iPhone download BeeTag or Neo Reader MEDIA LICENCE NO. 1/105866/24295
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Layla Ezzedeen
Sharon Carvalho Neena Rai
Janice D’Sa
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Sara Taher
Manjul Abhishek
Ian Mason
Laskar Laipubam
Blakniss
PUBLISHED BY: MAGAZINE DESIGN Manar Al Hinai
Mark De Castro Sarah Widdup
Ahmed Samir
DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Justin Thomas
Melaku Muluneh Rohith Bhat

4. www.tempoplanet.com
letters to the editor
TEMPO IN 2012:
Dear Ed,
I want to thank Tempo for covering art, and for encouraging What would you like to see more
artists. I loved the three pages you dedicated (in Tempo’s of in Tempo? Write to us at
sharon@tempoplanet.com
last issue) to artists in the community. Who knows, with
encouragement like this, maybe we may have a Picasso in
our midst.
- Maria S
Tempo asked its readers what the
Dear Ed, best thing about December in Abu
It was nice to see Tempo on Abu Dhabi TV. The videos of Tempo’s “I Love Dhabi, and this is what they said…
UAE” dedication to a nation looked great. Some were a bit blurry, but they
still looked fantastic. I just wished the station ran more of them. Jason Roque D’souza:
- Stuart M. Christmas! And the great weather :)
Dear Ed,
Bk Smug:
I’m a big fan of Time Capsule and Blue Print. Please have more pages National Day and Cold Weather :)
on things like that.
- Amy (‘fashionista extraordinaire’) Sanaa Hamati:
It’s the most beautiful time of the year :)
Excitement! My first column in Tempo December issue! “Mum Unlimited”.
You should check it out :) Sean Brent:
- Sarah Widdup I get to use all sorts of excuse to shop, like
Christmas and endless parties!
u vote RESULTS OF LAST MONTH’S VOTE:
What was your favourite film series of 2011?
70% 10% 10% 10% 0%
QUESTION:
If you were allowed to use only one of the Harry Potter is Fast and X-Men is my Transformers Twilight Saga
following, which would it be? my favourite Furious is my favourite film is my favourite is my favourite
film series favourite film series film series film series
1. Phone
series
2. Computer
3. Television go to tempoplanet to vote

5. www.tempoplanet.com
a melodious life u space
A Poem by Noura Al Noaimi
Wear a serene smile on your woven sleeves
Leave your heart within the boundaries of your chest
have yourself a tempo
Enclose your problems in a strained jar
Pace your steps prior to running by yourself
Ease your own throbbing pain at night
little new year ( sung to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” )
By Bearose Karmel Velarde
Fight till your heart feels extraordinarily right
And when push comes to shove
Hold on to your strongest ties tight Have yourself a Tempo little New Year
Let your heart be light
Not all years can tumble by From now on your articles will be in my sight, yeah
Not all tears will trickle down
Not all moments are meant to last Have yourself a Tempo little New Year
Not all shots will hit you fast May the posts be read!
Some say you’ll grow, disregard those who will not believe
From now on your words will reach miles away, oh
Trust me when I say eventually, your heart will beat at ease Here we are as your loyal fans
I may not be the first to say this my friend Happy golden days of sand, ah
And I doubt that I’ll be the last Faithful friends who are dear to you
But it’s your job as a human, to commit to your life’s given tasks
They gather near the stands once more, ooh
I am inclined to grasp your hand; I comply to lead you through
In the end it’s your chosen path, whether virtual or true
Through the years we all will be together
And if the fates allow
Love will either lead you to peace, or trespass you through a war Hang a shining star upon Tempo’s logo, oh yeah, oh
With every well-taken risk, assure yourself the higher you will soar And have yourself a Tempo little New Year now, oh, oh
So live your life thoroughly, endure the bitter Empty stands won’t be so nice
Love the empty ones, dispose your intoxicated litter
Fill them up for us once more, oh, oh
Run through these obstacles, break all the difficult limits
Create your life’s remarkable goals with strong ambition Through the year we have been reading Tempo~
You might lead the way but first follow to be led If the fates allow, oh yeah
Not all shooting bullets will aim at your head But ‘til then we’ll have to muddle through somehow, oh yeah, oh, oh
Please the pleasant and succeed in the face of the disturbed And have yourself a Tempo little New Year now, ooh yeah, oh, ooh
Shout out the words of your heart until you are heard *bow*
Fall into the unknown and gaze into the void
Because before you wake up in the morning, your story will be heard
Ho! Ho! Ho! Have a terrific 2012 with lots of Tempo! :)
talking books > By Azza El Masri
What makes a good dystopian a printed beside each other, and breathe, because there are no supernatural species in
‘you-must-read-this-now-or-I’ll- this book whatsoever. In fact, everybody’s human, and everybody stays human.
kill-you’ novel? Suspense, romance,
Divergent is set in a futuristic Chicago where society is divided in five factions, each
and the ability to be transported in dedicated to a particular value. Upon turning 16 teenagers must choose the faction
an unpredictable future and that, is they will have to commit to for the rest of their lives. When it’s Beatrice Prior’s turn,
exactly what Veronica Roth created. she is torn between staying with her family and being who she really is. The following
events will unfold a startling romance and a deadly secret that might result in the
Much like The Hunger Games, Divergent collapse of the community Beatrice has always known.
unleashed a buzz in the young adult fiction
world. This novel will leave you hanging by a thread until you concede to the idea of a sequel
to this mind-blowing dystopian. Roth’s innovative debut touches on everything from
Now, don’t start flipping the page because propaganda-disguised regimens to teenage confusion. Readers of all ages will enjoy
you saw the words ”young” and “adult” this because it’s simple underlying message is what interests you.
{ DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth, 2011 }

6. www.tempoplanet.com
what’s hot > TEMPO: What do you think are the steps forward to develop the film industry in the UAE?
MICHELLE: First, financial incentives. Second I think the business end of films needs to
picture perfect: nurturing women in film be taught as well as the technical side. Everyone here aspires to be a director, it’s great,
but watch when the credits roll on a film. There are a lot more technical people involved
in filming than directors and they work constantly. Here, no one wants to be a really
amazing camera, sound or lighting person. In the US, there are unions for these, so the
Michelle Nickelson runs the UAE chapter of Women level of talent is a lot higher and these positions are considered as viable professions.
in Film (WIF) which is based in Los Angeles. Through
WIFT Michelle is able to encourage and support Also, indie producers here need to know how to package their projects. There are a lot
female film makers in their creative efforts in the of talented people here, but the level of how their projects are presented is pretty low.
entertainment industry. If something like what gets shown here landed on a producer›s desk in Los Angeles, it
would go straight in the bin. The level of professionalism needs to keep being developed
TEMPO: Tell us about yourself and your background to compete on an international level. Those who are committed will get to that level.
in film.
MICHELLE: My background is mainly from the TEMPO: There are a lot of aspiring actors and film makers. Can you give them a realistic picture:
business end of the film industry. I was involved is there money to be made in the film industry?
in business development for a company my MICHELLE: The film industry is one of the few that is truly international. As more countries
father was a shareholder in called Manex become developed, more cinemas come online, so yes, it is a lucrative business and
Entertainment. The company was a visual effects growing, but only on an international level. The regional and local level at this point,
house and won two Academy Awards for What Dreams May Come and The Matrix. My does not sustain itself financially, but eventually that could change.
interest is writing and I am now producing several projects, some that I have written.
I would consider myself a writer and producer. Think about it, if you go to the cinema and there is a local movie with people you have
never heard of, or a film with Tom Cruise and you have to decide where to spend your Dh
TEMPO: What is the objective of WIFT UAE? 30, around 98 percent will pick the one with Cruise. The two percent, who might spend
MICHELLE: We are placing an emphasis on writing to incorporate the oral traditions of their money on the local film, does not make for a financial model that can sustain the
storytelling from the region and adapt this to film, TV and new media. One does not industry and make a profit. The reality of the film industry is that unless people are
have to have professional experience to benefit from WIFT UAE, as we are interested paying to buy a ticket and see the film or buy merchandise from the film, it does not
in working with students as well. matter how well it did in a festival. Bottom line is, did this film make money? Remember
your film is competing for the audience’s money against all the big studio films.
TEMPO: What has WIFT achieved and what are your future plans?
MICHELLE: We have been operating as WIFT UAE since September 2011, and have so far We have launched a film investment fund, MENA CineFinance from DIFC through
hosted two lectures. The first lecture covered screenwriting with Lamar Sanders from UIB investment bank. The fund is the first professionally managed film and media
NYU Abu Dhabi and the second lecture covered IP Law in the UAE with Fiona Robertson investment fund in the MENA Region. We know that there is money to be made in the
from The Rights Lawyers in Dubai. For the future, we have several people from the industry; it just has to be managed correctly like any other class of investment. The
US film industry we are planning to bring here as visiting filmmakers. There will be response has been very positive as the industry is starting to take off in the MENA
seminars and master classes for the local community with these filmmakers and we’ll region. We have some very solid people and talent involved with the company, if there
give the local community an opportunity to interact with film professionals. was no money in the industry, it is doubtful they would waste their time. An interesting
point, if you look at the investment portfolios of many of the top guys in the GCC, is that
We are also looking into online seminars with industry professionals in the US for they almost all own stock in public media companies.
members to view from the website, as we can do these on a continual basis. We are
very thankful for our sponsors who have been supporting our efforts. TEMPO: What would you say to young film makers out there?
MICHELLE: My favorite word, “TRY.” If you don’t try, you will never know. It’s easy to quit,
TEMPO: Do you think the film industry can be lucrative in the UAE? or worse, worry about “what if ?” Just do it, and try, the worst thing that can happen
MICHELLE: It is possible. The most important thing from a business standpoint is that is you realize that whatever it is you thought you wanted to do, either turns out to be
there needs to be a system of incentives for international filmmakers to film here, and perfect for you, or does not work at all.
this would need to be setup through the government. I have been asked to consult
to another country regarding the same issue and there are several ways the UAE can Most people are afraid of failure; personally I don’t see it as failure, it’s experience. I
also do this, even though there are no taxes here. It’s all about the bottom line; the worked for a short while in the investment industry at a brokerage house in Beverly
UAE is a great place to come and film, it›s safe, the people are great, and there is a Hills. I learned pretty quickly that this was not for me, but I did learn a lot about
growing pool of talent. the investment business. I have been able to use that experience as well to my
advantage.
However, if it’s cheaper, because of financial incentives, to film in another location, then
that is where a producer will go. I think with the success of filming Mission Impossible To have been able to get the attention of an investment bank and now to be represented
4 in Dubai, people are starting to realize how important filming in a certain location can by a major US talent agency, this was not luck, this was hard work. It was also “working
be to bring attention about the host location to an international audience. This type smart,” I took what I knew from both business development and investments and my
of “location product placement” is a lot more effective than buying a 30 second spot experience working with people in the film industry and put together a business plan
on a news channel. There is also a trickle down effect; big productions come to the that works. If you are a young filmmaker and you have a problem with working hard,
UAE and the local standard for talent benefits from learning from more experienced then this is NOT the industry for you! Also I would say, don›t be afraid to ask, as the
people. It also has an effect on tourism; people like to visit locations where a favorite saying goes, “You don’t ask, you don’t get.” It’s amazing what you put into motion when
film of theirs was shot. you ask - it’s the first step.

7. www.tempoplanet.com
christmas:
in a labour camp >
• I never thought I would ever say this, but yes, there are instances of
By Bahareh Amidi “too much service,” and yes, too much is almost as bad as too little.
A lovely new restaurant near Nahyan Camp is a great example of
this: I went there recently and I was asked how good my food was
I attended a Christmas party on December 9 at one of the many labour by no less than four people, and everytime I wiped my mouth with
camps here in Abu Dhabi. What’s special about it? It is a women’s a tissue, a doting waitress appeared from nowhere to dispose of of
labour camp housing over 100 women in accommodation that could be the tissues and to refill my drink. Guys, don’t sweat it, your food’s
considered adequate, at best. Two common bathrooms, and bunk beds great... just don’t scare away your customers with service overkill.
• If you’re an event organising company and you claim to be a class act,
for all… it is a wonder that these women come out pretty and clean all then act classy and do the right thing; don’t hire young students
the time! for your events and then pay them a month after the event is over.
That’s shoddy at best with nothing classy about it at all.
I was honoured to be one of the thirty expat women who decided to • Anna from Bateen sent in a message to the concierge lamenting
share a little bit of Christmas joy with these women who have left how she was terminated from work. “It’s strange: I’m not upset
their families to make a living. With fabulous food provided by the because I was fired,” she says,” but how summarily that happened.
Fairmont and gifts for all, it was truly a fabulous day. My only hope is I would have like to know a few months before so I would have time
to plan my transition to my next job.” Too true, Anna. Good luck
that next Christmas, all these wonderful ladies will be home with their
with your job search.
families, hosting their own Christmas party. Here’s a poem about my • Have I told you about a jewel of a restaurant nestled in backroads
experience: of Khalidiya, near La Brioche. This one’s called Shish Shawerma (sic)
and they serve shawarma like its never been served before. Fresh
out of the oven pita bread, a delicious menu of meats, cheeses and
salads, and a cool happening energy.
• Cinema alert! If you’re the management of a movie theatre and
thinking of renovating the interiors, please upholster the seats
with something wipeable and cleanable, and entirely practical, such
as vinyl or plastic. Get over the cloth fixation as fabric can harbor
bed bugs, and we all know that cinemas are the most conducive
environment for spreading these nasty pests.
• Daniel, a resident of Al Barsha, once told me, if ever you have a
bed bug problem, stay away from “actellic,” the stuff is as toxic to
humans as it is to bed bugs, and you don’t want to exterminate half
of your family as you try to rid yourself from a few bugs. Daniel says
he tried it and says it was a close call for his family .
Poem By Bahareh Amidi • Kudos to the “Ecoventure Al Fala Desert Camp” that is specifically
designed for school groups. Not only does it offer a safe educational
There are a group of women here today… environment to young children but also an unadulterated desert
experience. This is a great example of how you can use a new
Here Today…
vision, and a whole lot of inventiveness, to satisfy a niche in the
A place called labor camp. market.
About 100 ladies will stay here to sleep the other warm bodies will go • The Westin at the Abu Dhabi Golf Course? Swaaanky. In an
home to sleep next to their husbands after tucking in their kids. understated, hip kind of way. I’m thinking Tiger Woods and the
We are sitting in the not garden but cement courtyard of the other pros will probably stay in it in Jan. Definitely giving this one
labor camp. a “like”.
Those who live here are the guests tonight. • Advice for a better planet: if you enjoy picking up freebie magazines
How odd to be a guest in your own home. and newspapers, such as Tempo, Abu Dhabi Week and 7Days, think
of recycling the publication, by either sharing it with others or
Those who are hosting the party are nice but have no sense of what
returning it to the newstand. Reuse, recycle, and spread empathy
goes on in the guests’ hearts and minds. and consideration.
When singing jingle bells, we might think of Santa’s sleigh while
they think of the x-mas tree empty under in their home back home.
That’s all for today. Send me your rants, raves, gripes and grumbles.
If we remember x-mas is about the birth of a savior then we will
Write to me: concierge@tempoplanet.com
all rejoice.
The Concierge

8. www.tempoplanet.com
game hedz > tech talk >
Blakniss | Original game head from Atari to XBox! Shahid Saeed | Talker for the Non-Techies
S’long 2011! Wuz up 2012! What’s new?
2011 Highlights MSI CX640 LAPTOP
Okay it’ll be different for everyone but here are my highlights: MSI CX640, inspired by top-of-the-line luxury
sedans and design concept integrating external
• Dead Space 2 - in particular, the Severed DLC quality and internal performance, features the
• Gears of War 3 Multiplayer Beta latest second generation Intel Core i5 processor.
• Portal 2 - funniest game of the year. The laptop offers components that make it a well
• The Playstation Network Blackout (not that it was a good thing, just that it rounded machine, capable of good multi-tasking.
was a big deal)
• RAAM’s Shadow Gears 3 DLC A dedicated NVIDIA Geforce GT520M graphic card delivers good photo and video
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim usage and editing. Spec include 8GB RAM , 320/500/640GB Hard Disk Drive with
• GAME OF THE YEAR - Portal 2 - I love my Gears Brothers, but this was too good rock solid hard drive protection, 15.6” HD display, super-multi / Blue-Ray Drive, 2
in too many ways. high end recessed speakers, hidden hotkeys, shimmering touchpad, 1.3 megapixel
camera, card reader, gigabit LAN, Wireless B/G/N Adapter, Bluetooth 3.0 (Optional),
VGA/HDMI out, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, 6 cells / 8 cells battery with faster battery
charge.
BLACKBERRY CURVE 9360
The new BlackBerry Curve 9360 is sleek and
lightweight, a must have for socially active people
Predictions of 2012 who enjoy easy portabiity. It has 800 MHz processor,
512 Mb RAM, 512 Mb eMMC expandable up to 32GB
• Mass Effect 3 will be the most anticipated game (March, PC/PS3/Xbox 360) with hot swappable microSD. It has a “Spectacular
• Metal Gear Solid Rising will rock (TBA, PS3/Xbox 360) Display” 480X360 pixel HVGA+, Integrated GPS,
• Grand Theft Auto V (TBA) 5MP Camera with flash and face detection, VGA
• Bioshock: Infinite (TBA, PC/PS3/Xbox 360 video recording (640 X 480), 35 key backlit narrow
• Halo 4 (Q4, Xbox 360) QWERTY keyboard, 802.11 B/G/N Wi-Fi, NFC Enabled
• Diablo III (TBA, PC) and next generation Blackberry 7 OS.
• GAME OF THE YEAR - Mass Effect 3 - the series has been consistent, and it
simply kicks butt. NEWS AND GOSSIP
Now if you agree, disagree or have other suggestions, bounce by the Game
Hedz blog and let us know. We have polls you can take or feel free to just make Google Translate
comments! Half of the people who use Google Translate are people who will not admit they are
We should mention that iOS games also shone in 2011. Infinity Blade II outdid its using it. The other half is transcribing perfectly good sentences in one language into
predecessor, but has a ways to go before its mind blowing. Shadowgun also did pure gibberish of another language. Yet there is no denying that Google Translate is
great for the platform, and suggests that it›s only getting better. Let’s keep our one of the web’s most useful everyday tools.
eyes peeled for what comes in 2012.
It supports more than 30 languages and delivering impressively accurate results
Otherwise, all the best for 2012 and game on! well, most of the time. Now the Google Translate app is one of the most remarkable
programs you can load onto your iPhone. While most people probably won’t need
it that often, it can be immensely useful while you’re travelling and find yourself in
my fav app > Rihana Shibu unexpected circumstances.
COOL APP
The Converter Plus all-in one calculation app could
become an obsession for number lovers. It delivers
My Favourite app is Zynga CityVille for iPhone and also for iPad. I like numbers on nearly everything, from currency
this app because I can use it from my pc and iPhone using my Facebook
conversions to loan interest figures. It converts
account. I’ve used this app to build and run my own city, manage my
neighborhood and develop franchises with friends. I’ve also assigned metric to imperial measurements for temperature,
jobs to people, set up trading arrangements and done so much other cooking volumes, lengths and more.
stuff. It’s very easy to use and lots of fun.” Follow me on @shahidaasi

9. www.tempoplanet.com
View the #1 SONG IN THE UAE
Dr. DMS- I listen to a mix of (mostly) older stuff. Hard and heavy, maybe
a little dark, but music, “to rock out, with your ... ”, You should know
the rest. I loathe anything on the radio or playing in shops here- the
DJs, the music (I detest Lady GaGa, LMFAO, etc.), the lack of variety,
blah, blah, blah.
1. Black Sabbath - Sweet Leaf 6. Grandmaster Flash - White Lines
Someone like you - Adele 2. Death From Above 1979 - Pull Out 7. Steel Panther - Turn out the lights
3. Bad Brains - Banned in DC 8. Joy Division - She’s Lost Control
The one that got away - Katy Perry 4. Slayer - South of Heaven 9. The Strokes - Heart In A Cage
5. Kyuss - Gardenia 10. NWA - 100 Miles And Running
Rolling in the Deep - Adele
Sexy and I know it - LMFAO
International Love - PitBull ft. Chris Brown
It’s the most wonderful time of the year - Andy Williams
O Holy Night - Kenny Rogers
Silver Bells - Bing Crosby
Good Old Days - Ziggy Marley
What makes you beautiful - One Direction
1. We found love - Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris 1. Cannonball - Little Mix
2. Sexy and I know it - LMFAO 2. Paradise - Coldplay
3. It will rain - Bruno Mars 3. Dance with me tonight - Olly Murs
4. The one that got away - Katy Perry 4. Dedication to my Ex - Lloyd ft. Andre 3000 and Lil Wayne
5. Good Feeling - Flo Rida 5. We found love - Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris
6. Ni**as in Paris - Jay Z and Kanye West 6. Good Feeling - Flo Rida
7. Someone Like you - Adele 7. Levels - Avicci
8. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera 8. Hurt - Leona Lewis
9. Without you - David Guetta ft. Usher 9. Lego House - Ed Sheeran
10. 5 O’ Clock - Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen 10. 5 O’ Clock - Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen

10. www.tempoplanet.com
the beat>
dj natalie brogan
By Angeli Castillo
Breaking into the highly competitive world of DJing is hard enough, A QUICK EIGHT WITH NATALIE:
but DJ Natalie Brogan, based in Abu Dhabi is one of a handful of ONE: What did it feel like performing alongside Tiesto, Deadmau5 and David
Guetta?
female DJs who has not only managed to survive, but to thrive in a NATALIE: The best feeling in the world.
male dominated industry. Tempo chatted with the DJ queen...
TWO: Any favorite moments?
TEMPO: You’ve only been DJing for a few years and yet you’ve gained quite a NATALIE: I think being on the main stage is a big enough reason!
reputation. Tell us about your beginnings…
NATALIE: I’m 26 and I’m from Manchester in the UK. I worked as beauty THREE: Do you have a special “ceremony” of sorts before a big night?
therapist for Chanel. But I wanted to learn to DJ so enrolled in a DJ course at NATALIE: Make sure I’ve been to the toilet…haha
Manchester Midi School in 2006 and started to play parties at the weekends.
FOUR: How does the crowd in the UAE compare to other places you have been
In 2009 I decided to give up my day job and try a summer in Ibiza where I
to?
was lucky to play weekly boat parties, bars and nightclubs. From there I was NATALIE: They like to party every night of the week which is good for me
offered a four month residency at the Fairmont in Abu Dhabi and after two
years I’m still here and have gone on to play in Dubai, Jordan, Qatar and India. FIVE: What New Year resolution advice do you offer your fans?
I’ve played huge events such as Creamfields and hosted my own nights. NATALIE: Live everyday like it’s your last.
TEMPO: How have you become quite successful and what is the most SIX: What advice do you offer aspiring young artists?
challenging thing about being a female DJ artist in the UAE and the region? NATALIE: Play the music for the girls and the boys will follow.
NATALIE: Being female in such a male dominated industry is always going to be
SEVEN: Where do you know want to be in five years?
hard. Being female and being a DJ is tough as there are so many who become
NATALIE: The year 2012 will be the year I finish my production course so
DJs for the wrong reasons. For me it’s always been about my love for good fingers crossed in five years I will have some productions and would have
music which makes it different. For a start, the UAE doesn’t have many DJs played in more countries.
who are female and on top of that I don’t play commercial music so I suppose
I’m different from most, which is where I have gained the respect from fellow EIGHT: What do you think off when you hear the word TEMPO?
DJs and promoters. This has got me where I want to be. NATALIE: A fun free informative magazine

12. www.tempoplanet.com
cover story > resolution keeper 2012 James Franklin
1. Play a concert
Do you want Tempo to hold you accountable and track 2. Do well in University
3. Get a fantastic job doing something awesome in the
you down at the end of 2012 to see if you kept your media industry
resolutions? Then send us your resolutions to
editorial@tempoplanet.com or register it on
Jason D’souza
www.tempoplanet.com and we will check to
1. I will put in more effort to be sponsored
see if you have kept your promises. this year for skateboarding
Be sure to make your resolutions 2. I will make my parents proud
specific and actionable. 3. Try and reduce my chocolate consumption
Mariam Abassi
1. Study very hard to achieve good grades for IGCSE’s to make my parents proud
2. Learn how to cycle
3. Try to stop being a facebook addict
4. Make 2012 fun filled, adventurous, mysterious and a year to be remembered!
Natasha Motwani
1. Work hard to achieve my goals
2. Shop less, save more!
3. Be a better person, friend and daughter
4. Be more patient, and complain less
New Years’ comes but once a year. We
party the night away, make resolutions
Nicole Raj the next morning and vow to keep
1. I will work towards achieving Good grades in my IGCSE exams this year them and fulfill them before the next
2. I plan to excersise daily
3. I plan to involve myself in charity this year as i love helping people!! New Year’s Eve comes knocking
on our door. But do we actually
keep them? This year,
Tempo is taking its
Ian Mason
readers to task.
1. Improve the service culture in Abu Dhabi (through Tamakkan corporate workshops, of course!)
2. Do more exercise
3. Don’t make resolutions for 2013
Ousha Ahmed Al-Romaithi
1. To live all alone in a place that isn’t the UAE
2. I want to be able to go on the streets and draw something that people will appreciate
3. I want to learn how to play the piano and the oud
jan feb mar apr may jun

13. www.tempoplanet.com
Simone Carvalho
1. To not get too distracted while studying
2. Figure out how to eat less chocolates as I get more cavities due to it
3. To try and become a much better photographer
4. To think and be a much better person
Jose Tuano
1. Enjoy Abu Dhabi as much as I can, before it’s summer again
2. Improve as a photographer
3. Improve as a person
4. Become less lazy
Tamsyn D’souza
1. To shed 15 kilos
2. To travel to either Spain or Italy
3. To own a house of my own
4. To go for a Hollywood style romantic dinner for the first time in my life
Yassin Daoud
1. Learn a new language. French, Italian or Spanish
2. Study Psychology in University
3. Travel a heck of a lot
4. Hit the gym!
We asked you to send us your resolutions
and are posting them publicly for all to Abu Dhabi Community String Orchestra
1. A series of concerts for school children around the capital taking music to
see. At the end of the year, we will get children who might not have seen an orchestra up close before and especially
back in touch with you (hound you because it will be by young people themselves
if we have to) to see if you have 2. A concert to accompany a puppet theatre production - also for children and
young people
fulfilled your resolutions. Have 3. A collaboration with Arabic musicians in a work for strings, percussion and oud
you got it in you to stick
it out? Let’s wait until Noura Al Noaimi
next year to see… 1. Apply my interior design skills into freelancing
2. Take a leap of faith by starting my career at an early age
3. Begin building my company “iDesignIt”
4. Live a double-track life of marriage and studying
5. Prepare for an art exhibition
6. Participate in photography competitions and internships
Manar Al Hinai
1. Become a columnist for the New York Times
2. Go to Hajj
3. Expand my clothing business
4. Learn Spanish
jul aug sep oct nov dec

14. www.tempoplanet.com
city bites
Brioche at La Brioche pleasantries is becoming all too common. I, for one, long for more
sincere, spontaneous, creative and heartfelt human communication in
Let them eat cake > By Justin Thomas all spheres of life - even restaurants.
Consider, for example, I recently received a text message wishing me:
It’s winter time again and it’s the season of alfresco dining; “choicest blessings on the auspicious occasion of Eid al Adha”. The
sender, a long forgotten colleague, had obviously sent this “one size
a time when both smokers and non-smokers compete for fits all” message to a large group of the contacts from his phone’s
outdoor tables. My breakfast destination for the morning address book. Rather than respond directly to the sender’s greeting,
was La Brioche in Khalifa A, or the Big Alif, as I like to call many of the recipients, probably just group-texted their own generic
it. Thankfully, I managed to get an outdoor table, and the Eid messages. I have to question the value of such greetings. Are we
weather was just the right side of perfect. really wishing each other well? How much heart and soul can there be
in these effortless bulk-communications? It is easy to imagine a future
A bright smiling face arrived at my table wishing me, “good morning,” and where we pre-program our phones with the following instruction: If Date
then, as if to add sugar to honey, she wished me “bonjour” too. I paused = Dec 25th; send text “wishing you the sincerest season’s greetings” to
and smiled. “Bonjour,” I replied in my best French accent - which made contact group = “friends and family”. For the recipients and the senders
me feel, and sound, slightly creepy. I placed my order, a little high on the of such thoughtless pre-programmed messages, what exactly would be
special attention that had been paid to me. A few seconds later I heard the benefit? Both, generic template-texts and my waitress’s scripted
the same waitress: “good morning - bonjour”, she said, smiling at the greetings are classic example of what we used to call “cant”.
next customer, and the next, and the next. My feelings of specialness
evaporated like the head on a bad latte. Historian Ben Wilson describes can’t as a four-letter word that has all but
faded from the English language. Cant, like brioche, originates from the
The waitress’s “bonjour” was no-doubt her modest contribution towards Norman French. Cant meant chanting, in a derogatory sense; it meant a
pushing the brand’s friendly French-ness. La Brioche after all is the type of formulaic speech used to mask the absence of genuine devotion.
French term for an enriched form of pastry (Queen Marie Antoinette is Cant is decorum and sobriety, without sincerity; cant is jargon and cliché
apocryphally reported to have said “: Qu’ils mangent de la brioche” - let masquerading as substance; cant is well choreographed verbiage bereft
them eat cake, with reference to France’s famished peasants). But the of any authenticity. Lord Byron, English poet and self-imposed exile,
idea of people greeting each other with formulaic and often very insincere declared the 19th Century as the age of cant. The word may not have
survived but the practice is thriving.
Table-staff cant aside, La Brioche is a pleasant enough place to
breakfast. The outdoor seating is comfortable and well placed; the high
hedge obscures the unappetising site of car parks and construction
sites. Furthermore, the floral decorations add a pretty touch of pink
and white. The menu is in English and French, and there’s also a French/
Arabic version. The menu runs to 12 pages, and none of the dishes are
overly described. Looking to my fellow diners the full breakfast option
(scrambled eggs with turkey bacon and chicken sausages) seems to
be a very popular choice. However, in keeping with the French idea of
“le petit dejeuner,” I opted for the croissants package (two croissants
a coffee and, what I can only describe as, a shot of orange juice: glass,
small, very). The croissants were amongst the best I have tasted
anywhere, while my coffee was relatively unremarkable. The shot of juice
the smallest ever, but good fresh fare.
La Brioche, as the name suggests, is a specialist baker. And while dining,
I noticed a steady stream of customers arriving to buy boxes of cakes,
French loaves and croissants to go. Before leaving, I asked the waitress
for a brioche to go, she gave me a sympathetic look and said, in an
infectiously upbeat Philippines accent, “we don’t have sir, sorry finished”.
C’est la vie, I retorted, performing my most nonchalant Gallic shrug.

15. www.tempoplanet.com
poetry evening
at the sorbonne
Tempo was invited to a special poetry evening organized by Paris- Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. The cultural initiative,
called a Soiree Poetique (Poetic Evening) is aimed at encouraging the creativity among students and bridging the gap
between civilizations. Here are some of the poems shared by students…
IMMORTALITY THE LEDGE ACROSS ALL WINDS
By Farah Chamma By Christian Collins By Farah Chamma
Hold me, surround me, I climbed out onto the ledge and looked down Beneath tapestries of sky and clouds of ivory
be the air that is around me I’ll never fly I thought to myself with a frown In a waltz we dance on bridges and on alleys
Forever be I had always wanted to,
perpetual, always thought I could Across mosques’ minarets, we hear the prayers
embrace my soul… But something inside me said I never would Then descend to hear the mirth of avid card
Interpret words, Day after day I walked the ledge in hopes players
encrypt them into of flight
sympathizing silence… Dreaming of the day where if I tried hard Upon extending roads, we both speed along
Take me to a world of enough I just might Shining with the city lighte, singing its songs
peace and no violence One special day not long ago I met a man
An angel perhaps, believed in me, With the freedom of vagabonds, with dusk
As my soul immersed the air said yes you can and day
with tranquility, I was scared, so very scared because I thought On the vast waterfront, we accelerate, we say
I tenderly closed my eyes, he was wrong
my eyelashes soothingly slide down… O had never flown before and as such I just Whether it was inner solace, or a touch of rage
didn’t belong On your seat I always, share and assuage
Harmonious melodies hummed, He filled me with confidence and took away
as immortality grasped me to sleep my fears We face fierce gusts, we feel the distant sky
I was feeling things, myself that I had not felt Across all winds, my bike and I…
in years
He took me to the ledge and said that
something had begun anew
I closed my eyes and from behind he pushed
me and… I flew

16. 1 2 3
Arjun Suria
January
Bersabeh Melaku
It’s my 1st
Birthday! Happy New Year
Tempo readers! It’s ‘Humiliation
Ankit Lodha
Day’ today!
8 9 10 Laveezah Khan
Lama Youness
Ismael Gabriel Saballa
nter,
Geopolitics of Roots: @ Expo Ce
No Man’s Land- Art Exhibition Steel Fab ah 9-12
@ Carbon12 Dubai Sharj
National Blood
Donor Month
15 16 17
Mehreen Malik
Intersec World Future Environment
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Middle East
Marlon Alcaraz
World Future Exhibition 16-19
Marlene Vaz
@ DICEC 15-17 Energy Summit
16-19
22 23 24
Simone Carvalho
Osama El Kamel
Arab Hea
lth
Hap @ DICEC 2 2012
Weddin py 25th 3-26 b Duba
i
g An Medla 23-26
Mum an niversary @ DICE
C
Rami Ik
d Dad!
29 30 31
Zainab Khan
Zeeshan Razzaqi
Veronica
Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf International Dental Recruitment Show
Championship 26-29 Conference @ DICEC 31/1-2/2 Tawdheef

17. 4 5 6 7
Chris Xaviour
pping
Dubai Sho al
Hansel Punnam
Duba
Festiv
iI
Carn nternati Stay in bed and
b on
5 Jan- 5 Fe
ival 5
Jan- al Racin
10 M g cuddle up today Tekno Tube Arabia
arch
@ DICEC 7-10
Bernadette Velasco Davina Lewis
11 12 13 Leila Fedama
14
Mariam Abassi
Come visit BrandMoxie’s new office
to learn about what we can do to help Backstage pr
‘Hats’ and ‘D esents
achieve your business goals in 2012 agger
@ DUCTAC 13 Shorts’
-14
Dunlop 24H Car Race
@ Dubai Autodrome 13-14
18 19 20 21
Nana Christie
Rhythm of your heart
@ Dubai Media City
C54 BLDG., M01 & M02
AL NAHYAN CAMP, BEHIND TRANS AD BUILDING Health and
INTERSECTION OF MUROOR + DELMA Fitness Funday
Merwin Mathias
@ ADNEC 21-2
3
FOR MORE INFO CALL 02 491 8624/25
www.brandmoxie.com
25 26 27 28
Saif Al Madani
Sharan Dominic D’Souza
Tara Al Marzooqi
Shombe
National Thank You
Month!
Expo Center, ic Day
DecoBuild @ -26
Shar jah 23 y Republ
Happ dia!!!
Standard Chartered
Dubai Marathon
Say thank you to
someone today!
In
MY JANUARY TO DO LIST MY JANUARY ECO PLEDGE

18. www.tempoplanet.com
youth talk
The teenager code > By Ahmed Samir
A teenager is part of an entirely different and unique social group. It is a group
that is complete with rules of conduct, and even its own entirely new form of
communication! It all began with a need… But before I go on you need to hear
the “back story.”
About two decades ago electronics companies made a seemingly magical
device called a cellular phone widely available. The device dwarfed other
Because we can > By Shamma Al Suwaidi
technologies and went on to become one of the biggest inventions of recent
No one can stop you from transcending the limit: because YOU CAN.
time. Using it you could make calls, send text messages, and do a whole lot of
Nelson Mandela was the first Black South African president; he fought
other, equally amazing things, wirelessly.
against poverty and inequality, and he was a savior for his country.
Mahatma Gandhi led India to independence, inspiring his people to fight
As is the case with every generation, the young are the ones who embrace
for their rights and freedom.
new technology and acclimatize themselves to it. As the lead adopters of the
technology, they have shaped how it will then be used. The cellular phone Another person who never gave up is Ludwig Van Beethoven who didn’t
quickly became the teenager’s tool of communication of choice. Then, needing let the fact that he was deaf stop him from making music, and now he
to communicate with fellow teenagers, and having to deal with expensive SMS is a legend. Helen Keller was the first blind and deaf person to earn a
and phone bills, the teenager was met with a problem: How can I utilize this Bachelor of Arts degree. Newton, Einstein, Bill Gates and many more go
new technology to socialize while not drilling a hole in my parents’ wallets? down in history for the things and changes they have brought into this
In this case, as with many others, the saying “necessity is the mother of world, for believing in their efforts and for not giving up.
invention,” proved thoroughly true.
All of these people made a difference in the world. You can too. The thing
most of us do is set goals and plans for the future but we don’t really
Faced with such a dilemma, the teenager created a new language. Or at least,
accomplish them. We keep talking about the changes we want to make
a cell phone-friendly way of using it. Shorter messages meant smaller phone
yet never set out to make them. We postpone our dreams and wishes
bills, and less reason for parents to kill their children. And this is why and
for ‘later’. Why? Because we let our laziness and insecurity get the
how “The Teenager Code” was born. The code involved the use of acronyms,
best of us. Think of Mandela: even though he was jailed for 27 years
and other wordings for words and phrases. This also served the teenager’s
he still had the strength to bring the change. What was thought to be
characteristic need for privacy. The code could only be deciphered and read
impossible suddenly was done because of faith, because of strength,
by teenagers! That is, a code, that only the initiated (teenagers, that is) are
but most of all: because he believed he could.
privy to. The result was a new form communicating, consisting of over 6,000
acronyms, with a few listed below: What seems impossible to us is somehow marked as a “no entry” zone;
we start running in the opposite direction because the words “you can’t”
LOL = Laughing Out Loud are set in stone somewhere in our thoughts. Do we challenge them? No.
TTYL = Talk to You Later We think, why bother when it can’t be done? But how do we know that
BRB = Be Right Back it can’t be done when we never tried to do it? It’s just the easy way out.
OMG = Oh My Goodness The fear of failure outshines our motivation.
B2W = Back to Work No one ever succeeded by doing nothing and expecting everything to
L8R = Later work out. In order for us to reach success we’d have to go through a
PIR = Parents In Room (for when the folks barge in unexpectedly!) couple of failures. Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I have just
OTB = Off to Bed found 10,000 ways that it won’t work.”
^5 = High Five
CU = See You If we want to succeed, we have to want it bad enough that we
will do whatever is necessary to achieve it. No words will shake
It is generally held that overusing the code isn’t our belief in our ability to accomplish whatever it is we set our
good for eloquence and language skill, so, as with minds to do.
many things, moderation is key.
Follow me on Twitter or Why? Simply, BECAUSE WE CAN!
email AhmedSamirSalama@yahoo.com

19. A forum for photographers to showcase their work. To participate email at editorial@tempoplanet.com | NEXT TOPIC: PORTRAITS www.tempoplanet.com
photo tripping
Name: Asa Pollendine
Purpose of the shot: Open prawn sandwich is very
Swedish and being Swedish myself I can be critical
about this lovely treat, but this one did
not disappoint.
Camera: Canon EOS 450d
Setting: f/6.3
ISO: 100
My tip: As a confident beginner I try to follow tips
like; fill the frame, look for that perfect light and
keep clicking.
Name: Christine Eunice Gandia
Purpose of the shot: A photo full of brightness and color of the strawberry.
Camera: Canon 550D
Setting: f/5.6
ISO: 1250
My tip: It always takes practice to achieve something.
Name: Ma. Cheryl Esteban Name: Maria Shahzad
Purpose of the shot: I took a bite of this Purpose of the shot: I want
pie and it was yummy! I wanted to to capture the taste of
convey that in this picture. home-cooked food.
Camera: Sony Alpha 330 Camera: Nokia D3000
Setting: f/5 Setting: f/3.5
ISO: 200 ISO: 400
My tip: Never hesitate to take pictures My tip: Getting up close to your
of even the most mundane things. There food will bring out texture,
is beauty and story even in the littlest making it more interesting.
things.

20. www.tempoplanet.com
cooking passion:
chef khulood of the uae
By Manar Al Hinai
Chef Khulood scores two
first for the UAE: The first
professional Emirati chef and
the first female Emirati chef.
Cooking may cuisine and
come naturally dishes at a time
to some, but very when it was about
few of us have the passion to be extinct is a great
and drive to perfect what we know and achievement. Right now, my goal now
turn it into a career. Khulood Atiq Saeed is a trailblazer is to present these dishes internationally.
on two counts: she is the first professional Emirati chef and the first female
Emirati chef. Tempo talked to her and presents her story, in her own words, as “It is not enough for me that I am Emirati even if I am the first or
translated from the Arabic. the last professional chef. The goal is to present Emirati cuisine to
the world because I believe that a country’s kitchen is a mirror of
“My family at home discovered my talent. I went through a tough time in the
its culture through the times. I want to continue learning about
beginning because I didn’t know how to cook, and that fact encouraged me to
enter the kitchen and try to cook something… and I was barely eight. My older Emirati cuisine, followed by Indian, Italian, and Arabic.
brother Saeed was one of the first to encourage me to cook, and now it is my
husband Esam who shares my success in this field. “I look to my first cook book being launched soon. I will continue working in
the media sector by conducting cooking shows, preparing courses to teach
“I did not go to a cooking school. It was a talent that I helped develop by Emirati and Arabic cuisine followed by other international dishes.
working in big hotel groups. Now I work as a consultant for Arabic and Emirati
food in TDIC. There is a greater turnout of non-Emiratis to Emirati and GCC or Khaleeji dish
demonstrtions and I think this is because it is the first time that people get
to see Emirati cuisine presented by an Emirati.
“I like to make everything especially my father’s favorite, God rest
his soul. Everything I made for him involved a conversation that I wish for every Emirati girl or boy who loves to cook to never hesitate from
brought us closer together, and every time I cook one of his favorite entering this field. Cooking if a fine art form especially when it is presented
dishes I recall our conversations and our times together. passionately by the chef.
“I see my biggest achievement as the love people have for me, especially And I believe the most important life’s lesson is to be humble, ambitious, and
children and the elderly. I also think that being able to bring back Emirati persistent in developing oneself.