Features

Nature loves us! It feeds us, clothes us and provides shelter. Sometimes I feel that Nature acts like my mother. And, like any mother, it takes care of all our needs and expects some love and respect in return.

Nature communicates with us at all levels. It speaks to us in sound and colour and the language of spring and summer, autumn and winter. It provides peace and tranquillity when we need it and high adventure when we seek it.

I remember sitting on the top of a hill one summer day, looking down at some sheep grazing in the distance, slowly moving about, their bleating and tinkling bells faintly carried on the wind. I was feeling lazy and warm, relaxed and far away from the hustle and bustle of everything and entirely at one with Nature. Eventually, I snapped back, unsure of how much time had passed while I was held so lovingly in the arms of Mother Nature. The memory has never left me and to this day, that communion with Nature helps me navigate the intricacies of modern life by keeping me grounded and secure.

Spring in Jordan is the ultimate feast for the eyes. Sometimes, impatient little weeds peak out of the ground as early as January, after a good downpour sates the rich brown Earth. Driving from one jabal to another, we marvel at the sudden beauty that adorns the bare winter landscape with the promise of spring.

And in Jordan, it is not at all surprising to encounter the odd shepherd with his flock of sheep, crossing a road, and on occasion, a highway, in search of grass. We delight at the sight of new life being paraded in the form of tiny, snow-white, bleating lambs, frolicking in and out of the legs of their laid-back mamas. The older sheep are quite content to follow the shepherd, languidly swishing their heavy tails.

One of my favourite childhood memories is picking red poppies and chamomile flowers, which sprouted with the first whiff of the crisp spring air. There used to be carpets of poppies overrunning every garden and every road-side field. Chamomile flowers thrived on side roads in neat lines, next to the black asphalt. Nowadays, we have to leave the city far behind to find the fields where poppies grow, untouched by pollution and ambitious construction.

But what do we give back to Nature? True, we tend gardens and plant trees. We have also become aware of our carbon footprint and are taking erratic steps to “do something about it”. Too little, too late? Only time will tell. For now, Nature is wounded, deeply. Remember the holes in the ozone layer?

The scarcity of water is a worrying epidemic in the world, especially in our beloved Jordan. Collectively, we have managed to destroy Nature’s delicate balance.

We have snatched what we desired without a backward glance or thought at the damage we are inflicting. Unless we do our part to rectify our mess, both Nature and us shall lose the fight. There will be no winners. So let us help our children build a better future by educating them to use Nature’s generous resources with care and respect.

Nature says to us, “I love you.” Let us respond by saying, “We love you too.”

And mean it.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

The Italian supercar maker’s inevitable return to the now highly lucrative SUV segment, the Lamborghini Urus may be a different sort of animal than its predecessor, but is not quite the break with tradition that SUV making is for other car makers grounded in the luxury and sports niches. Best known for virtually inventing the modern supercar back in the 1960s with the mid-engine Miura, and for defining the perception of what a supercar looks like in the form of the 1970s Countach, Lamborghini’s latest foray into the SUV market can arguably be viewed as a return to its roots.

Originally a tractor manufacturer that diversified to luxury coupes, sports and super cars due to grudge between founder Ferrucio Lamborghini and Enzo Ferrari, the Sant’Agata based manufacturer’s original SUV was the iconic and extreme Lamborghini LM002, circa 1986-93. Unofficially dubbed the Rambo Lambo for its enormous, chunky and aggressive design as much as for its Countach-sourced V12 engine and quasi-military origins, the brutal LM002 became a cult favourite among a certain strata of the ultra wealthy and powerful. Arriving in 2018, its Urus successor is, however, an altogether different beast, built for practicality, prestige and supercar-like speed and handling.

A different breed of beast

Built on a car-like unibody platform shared in basic form with wider Volkwagen group SUVs including the Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q8 and Volkswagen Touareg, the Urus’ design, however, owes little to its relations. Angular, jutting and sharply aggressive in its lines and demeanour, the Urus may share similar Countach-derived hexagonal wheel-arches with the LM002, but instead disguises its size, and is otherwise more congruent with Lamborghini’s current supercar design themes and details, from its high waistline, low coupe-like single line silhouette, accented diagonal hood lines and bonnet mound, and dramatically slim headlights and sharp supercar-like snout.

Fed through tall SUV-high slatted intakes aside its slim grille that visually indicate its size, the Urus engine is a twin-turbocharged 4-litre V8 positioned in front, unlike other Lamborghinis’ naturally-aspirated and mid-engine V10 and V12 propulsion. Significantly reworked and more powerful than in Audi and Bentley derivatives of the same basic unit, the Urus’ engine develops an enormous 641BHP at 6,000rpm and 627lb/ft torque throughout a broad and versatile 2,250-4,500rpm range. Driving all four wheels with vice-like traction, it powers the near 2.2-tonne Urus through 0-100km/h in just 3.6-seconds, through 0-200km/h in 12.8-seconds and onto a 305km/h top speed.

Buttoned down brute

Even more impressive than the Urus’ headline performance stats and its comparatively moderate 12.3l/100km combined fuel economy is it driving characteristics. Hugely powerful and willing to rev higher than most turbo engines — until 6,800rpm — the Urus’ responses are sharp and crisp, if not quite as razor-edge responsive as Lamborghini’s Huracana and Aventador supercars. Launching brutally with very little by way of turbo lag, the Urus pulls hard and swells with to an immense mid-range torque sweet spot. Effortlessly immediate when overtaking or charging up steep inclines, the Urus’ broad torque band is complemented by ferociously urgent power accumulation.

Relaxed, smooth and civil when driven in its default Strada mode, the Urus’ driving parameters and responses sharpen up in its more aggressive Sport and Corsa modes, with a stiffer ride, enhanced throttle control and quicker, more aggressive cog shifts through its slick and quick 8-speed automatic gearbox. Sending power to all four wheels with a 60 per cent rear bias under normal conditions, the Urus’ centre Torsen differential can divert up to 85 per cent to the rear or 70 per cent to the front, as necessary for flawlessly reassuring road-holding. Meanwhile, a torque vectoring rear differential distributes power from side to side for enhanced agility. 

Hill climb hero

A smooth, refined and reassuringly stable high speed cruiser with decent ride comfort despite its giant alloy wheels, the Urus is distinctly softer edged next to other Lamborghinis, but is a focused supercar compared to most SUVs. Designed for daily practicality and exceptional sporting ability, the Urus fulfils both roles, utilising adaptive air dampers, adjustable ride height and sublimely effective active electromechanical anti-roll bars to achieve its Jekyll and Hyde balancing act. With its active suspension firming up to keep it buttoned down with excellent lateral roll control through corners, and particularly focused in Corse mode, the Urus proved to be a phenomenal hill climb hero.

Taut, grippy and precise through corners, the Urus drives through winding climbs like it is following fixed rails. Direct, crisp and eager tucking into a corner with its quick 2.29-turn steering, flat throughout and tenaciously digging into the tarmac on the way out, it is, however, the Urus’ four-wheel-steering which was possibly its most impressive dynamic feature. With rear wheels turning in the same direction as the front wheels to effectively elongate its wheelbase by 600mm for added stability and footing, the Urus can meanwhile simulate a 600mm shorter wheelbase when the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction at lower speed for an unexpectedly high level of cornering agility.

Reconciling Jekyll 

and Hyde

Scything through successive corners, bends and hairpins with weight- and size-belying agility and control, the Urus meanwhile well-absorbs road imperfections, even if riding on the firmer side, and feels settled over dips and crests. Inside, its carbon-fibre and Alcantara-swathed cabin seats five and provides a hunkered down well-adjustable and supportive driving position with good front visibility. Layouts and controls are similar to Lamborghini’s supercars and include a starter button with a trigger-safety cover, while its combination of push button and steering-mounted paddle shift gear selectors aren’t immediately intuitive, but quickly become second nature.

Winner of the 2020 Middle East Car of the Year’s best Premium Performance SUV award, the Urus is extensively well-equipped with safety, driver-assistance, infotainment and convenience features, and includes a reversing camera and sensors to help make manoeuvring easy despite its high sides and low roofline, while an auto opening tailgate helps access its 616-litre boot. The most practical Lamborghini and very spacious as a supercar, the Urus’ rear seat space and access is good for most, but a sporty low roofline means it is not the most generous for tall passengers if compared to some more traditional SUVs.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 4-litre, twin turbocharged, in-line V8-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 84.5 x 89mm

Valve-train: 32-valve, DOHC, direct injection

Rev limit; 6,800rpm

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive

Drive-line: integrated front, Torsen centre and torque vectoring rear differentials

Power distribution, F/R: 40 per cent/60 per cent (default)

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 641 (650) [478] @6,000rpm

Specific power: 160.4BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 291.7BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 627 (850) @2,250-4,500rpm

Specific torque: 156.9Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 386.9Nm/tonne

0-100km/h: 3.6-seconds

0-200km/h: 12.8-seconds

Top speed: 305km/h

Fuel consumption, extra-urban/urban/combined: 9.7-/16.7-/12.3-litres/100km 

CO2 emissions, combined: 279g/km

Fuel capacity: 85-litres

Length: 5,112mm

Width: 2,016mm

Height: 1,638mm

Wheelbase: 3,003mm

Track, F/R: 1,695/1,710mm

Ground clearance: 158-248mm

Luggage volume, min/max: 616-/1,596-litres

Kerb weight: 2,197kg

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion, four-wheel-steering

Steering ratio: 13.3:1

Lock-to-lock: 2.29-turns

Turning Circle: 11.8-metres

Suspension: Multi-link, adaptive air dampers, active electromechanical anti-roll bars 

Brakes, F/R: Carbon ceramic ventilated discs, 440 x 40mm/370 x 30mm

Brake callipers, F/R: 10-/6-piston

Braking distance 100-0km/h: 33.7-metres

Tyres, F/R: 285/40R22/325/35R22 (as tested)

Sing, Unburied, Sing

Jesmyn Ward

London: Bloomsbury Circus, 2017

Pp. 289

The characters in “Sing, Unburied, Sing” lead lives that are both miserable and wondrous. Miserable, because of poverty and the racist society into which they were born in rural Mississippi. Nonetheless, for some of them, life is wondrous, due to their close connection to nature, their strong emotional ties to family, and their intuitive spirituality, which enables them to see beyond the surface. 

The story centres around six individuals who live in a three-generational family. Mam and Pop are the heads of the household, but Mam’s body is fast losing her battle with cancer. Leonie is their daughter whose long-term relationship with her White partner, Michael, has produced two children, Jo-Jo and Kayla, whom they seem scarcely equipped or inclined to parent. Since Michael’s father abhors his liaison with Leonie, the children’s upbringing falls to their Black grandparents who provide them with love, sustenance, and a sense of who they are in the world. 

There are also two characters who are dead, but psychologically unburied, because the how and why of their violent deaths remain unresolved. Leonie once had a brother, Given, who was shot dead for no good reason by one of Michael’s racist cousins, further complicating relations between the two families. The other spirit is Richie, a ten-year-old boy who, long ago, was incarcerated with Pop in Parchman, the prison where unpaid farm labour was provided by mainly Black inmates often scooped up at random, many of them for stealing food. Richie appears to Jo-Jo, begging him to find out from Pop how he died. He is looking for closure; he wants to go home: “Home ain’t always a place… Home is about the earth. Whether the earth open up to you. Whether it pull you so close the space between you and it melt and y’all one and it beats like your heart.” (pp. 182-3)

The fact that these spirits appear to the living signifies the novel’s unique concept of time: Past, present and future are simultaneous — everything happening at once, in line with local folk beliefs that only a thin veil separates the physical world from the afterlife.

As the story progresses, narrated in alternate chapters by Jo-Jo and Leonie, it seems that all the characters are seeking home and belonging in one way or another. Jo-Jo is thirteen and trying hard to understand the world and live up to the standards set by his beloved Pop, whether by helping take care of their livestock, comforting his grandmother or watching out for Kayla. Building on wisdom inherited from his great grandfather, who taught that “there’s a spirit in everything”, Pop imparts basic values and life skills through storytelling — how to build a life of dignity and independence in the face of a hostile world. (p. 73)

In the chapters narrated by Leonie, her self-absorption is on full display, as is her obsession with Michael and procuring drugs to the exclusion of all else, even her children. Yet, one senses that her selfishness is rooted in pain and an inferiority complex as when she describes herself as “the walking wound that I was”. (p. 54) 

An unanswered question throughout the novel is why Leonie is so selfish and careless, when she has been raised by such loving, responsible and wise parents. According to Leonie, her mother “thought that if she taught me as much herbal healing as she could, if she gave me a map to the world as she knew it, a world plotted orderly by divine order, spirit in everything, I could navigate it. But I resented her… for the lessons and the misplaced hope… and for still believing in good”. (p. 105) 

Perhaps Leonie never recovered from her brother’s death or perhaps her parents’ way of dealing with the world doesn’t work anymore, leaving Leonie defenceless against the drug culture and persistent racism of today’s America. As the novel moves towards its climax, she has one last chance to prove her worth by enacting a ritual for her dying mother, which combines Yoruba (African), voodoo and Catholic beliefs.

There is much imagery and symbolism in the novel, often involving snakes, birds, water and other elements of nature, but the strongest symbols are the persons of Pop and Mam, who stand for dignity; the unburied, who stand for all victims of injustice; and Parchman prison — a symbol of enduring racist repression despite shifting forms. 

By writing the dialogue in dialect and conveying the characters’ particular type of spirituality, Ward lends extra authenticity to her very compelling and original story, in addition to highlighting the values of this Black family who refuse to be only victims. While the novel examines the continuity of racism over centuries, it also shows the continuity of Afro-American culture, and explores what qualities have allowed oppressed people to survive and sometimes even defeat their oppression. Though the story reaches into fantasy at certain points, many scenes are starkly realistic, as when Jo-Jo is almost shot by a White policeman when he reaches into his pocket to touch the protective amulet his grandfather had given him. Sound familiar? “Sing, Unburied, Sing” is available at Readers.

PARIS — A miniature bird sculpted out of burnt bone in China around 13,500 years ago is the oldest known figurine from East Asia, according to researchers who discovered it in a refuse heap near an archaeological site.

The carefully crafted depiction of a songbird on a pedestal — smaller than an almond kernel — was found among burnt animal remains and fragments of ceramics at Lingjing in north central Henan province, an area thought to have been home to some of China’s earliest civilisations. 

The figurine is the “oldest known carving from East Asia”, said Francesco D’Errico of the University of Bordeaux, who co-authored the research published in the journal PLOS One on Wednesday. 

“It shows that in this region sculpture starts at least 13,500 years ago, and fills in a gap in our knowledge about the origin of art in this vast region,” he told AFP.

The tiny carving was discovered by lead author Zhanyang Li of Shandong University, who has been excavating parts of the Lingjing site since 2005. 

Digging in the area had already revealed 11 distinct layers, ranging in age from 120,000 years ago to the Bronze Age.

Most of the fifth layer had been removed during a well-digging operation in 1958, and disposed of at a refuse heap nearby.

That dumping area was still intact years later, and when the authors sifted through the soil they found several artefacts, including pottery shards, burned animal remains and the bird figurine. 

The carving is just 19.2 millimetres long, 5.1 mm wide and 12.5 mm high.

Researchers were unable to use radiocarbon dating on the bird itself because the process would have damaged it. But they dated similar bones found with it, including one gouged using the same technique. 

In this way they estimated the age of the bird figurine to be 13,500 years, which they said predates previously known figurines from this region by almost 8,500 years.

Artistic techniques

D’Errico said the bird was “exceptionally” well preserved, enabling researchers to trace the various carving methods used to create different parts of the figure, including gouging with a stone tool, scraping and polishing.

“Our observations show that the artist knew well which technique was the more adapted to carve the different parts of the animal,” he said.

“What is also remarkable is that the carving is not a fully realistic representation of a bird.” 

The figurine has oversized tail, allowing it to balance on its pedestal. 

“Without this trick the bird would fall on its head,” D’Errico said, adding that this shows the carving is not just a “casual experiment”.

The study authors said that the craftsmanship suggests the advanced stage of an artistic tradition, which began much earlier. 

In recent years, cave paintings in the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sulawesi have been dated as over 40,000 years old, suggesting ancient societies with advanced artistic cultures in the region.

While three-dimensional portable art has been documented in Europe dating back some 40,000 years, the researchers said the Lingjing bird was the oldest such example found in East Asia.

Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers in China are known to have manufactured bone tools such as spear points and needles, as well as personal ornaments made of shells, ostrich eggs and animal teeth, D’Errico said. 

“The carving of objects with no apparent functional purpose, requiring a dedicated apprenticeship to be made, opens a new window on these societies,” he added.

If you are shopping around for an external computer monitor to connect either to your desktop computer or to your laptop, so as to enjoy a larger display area, you are in for quite an undertaking.

This is true at least if you are the demanding kind of person, and want to be sure to buy the best monitor, at the best possible price, with the most up to date technology and all the fashionable bells and whistles one can think of. A screen that would be perfect for the very kind of work you do. Some find it as hard to find the ideal external monitor as to choose the computer to start with.

On the other hand, if you are not in the above category the choice can be quite simple. Just take the latest model by LG, Dell or Samsung, to name only the three main manufacturers, say you’ll go for a 24-inch, which is the typical average size to put on a desk these days, and tell the salesperson that your budget is between JD100 and JD200. You can be sure to take home a good, a more than reasonable “all-rounder” this way.

Back to the first category — the demanding one. Even if you can easily make up your mind as to the brand and the size, still the number of options, features and functions, in most kinds of monitors, has become overwhelming in the last five to seven years.

Connectivity to the computer can be HDMI or DP (DisplayPort), the two best and main types. For retro-compatibility you may also consider the older DVI, but probably not anymore the much older VGA. Good models will have at least HDMI and DP at the same time available in the same screen.

When 20-inch was the trend and the luxury model some 10 or 15 years ago, size has moved up to 22 and then to 24, the current good choice in most cases. In a way this is following the same trend seen in TV screens: larger is better and prices have significantly gone down. Of course, larger size computer monitors can also be found but they are less frequently found.

Some screens have built-in sound. Whereas this may save you the trouble of adding speakers, no monitor has been ever known to output real good music, be it in terms of volume or quality, especially in the bass range.

A more interesting option is the integration of several USB ports in the monitor. This does not only provide the additional USB ports that you wish your laptop had, but it also comes as a very practical way to connect quickly and easily all sorts of USB devices like additional web cameras, flash drives and others, without having to reach to the computer in the back.

If you intend to play interactive games or watch TV programmes or movies, be sure to choose a monitor with a fast refresh rate and response time, to enjoy smooth action. A decent all-purpose business screen may feature a refresh rate of 60Hz and a response time of 5ms. This, however, would translate into a poor gaming experience and mediocre video playback. 140 Hz and 1ms, respectively, would do a much better job in the last case.

The industry is perfect aware of this point and manufacturers usually make it a point to add the “Gaming Monitor” description to such high-end models. Asus for instance, a brand not seen in business and home environments as frequently as LG, Dell and Samsung, is known for making top-notch and popular gaming monitors.

Each brand is known for this or that strong selling point. Dell has several models that come equipped with a superb mounting rear bracket and a stand or column that lets you easily, instantly, effortlessly and smoothly move the monitor up and down, to tilt it forward or backward, or to swivel it to the left or to the right. It even lets you rotate the monitor a full 90 degrees, to change the display view from landscape to portrait. In many situations this extreme physical flexibility can make a real difference.

Recently online vendors, whether the big ones abroad or even those in Jordan, have implemented the product filtering function in their website and that lets you tick the box near the brand, the price range or the feature you want, before generating the best choice for you, based on these preferences. Whereas this does help a little, it cannot do the job completely, give then number of possible combinations. You have to have an idea of what you want to start with.

As for image resolution, you can never go wrong by asking for the highest available, including the now trendy but expensive 4K.

Needless to say that should you want to have it all, and even for just one given size of screen, say the typical 24-inch, currently the price can go from JD150 up to JD400.

MIAMI — hilean writer Isabel Allende says the coronavirus pandemic has exposed stark inequalities that will continue to fuel protests in the United States and around the globe.

The 77-year-old author believes it will be up to the younger generations to build a new normal, founded on gender and racial equality.

Allende, perhaps best known for her novel “The House of the Spirits”, has a nonfiction book on feminism coming out in November, entitled “What Women Want”.

She is a disciplined writer with a well-known tradition: every January 8th, she sits down to start a new work.

This year was no exception, but she admits that working efficiently during a global health emergency has been a challenge.

In an interview with AFP via video call from her home near San Francisco, Allende talks about her writing process, her vision for a post-pandemic world and what she thinks about recent US protests.

Q: How has the pandemic disrupted your routine?

A: The pandemic, lockdown, fear of the virus and all the protests that have taken place have left people stuck. It’s not easy. It happens to me too, but I am very disciplined. 

Half the battle is showing up at the computer at the same time every day. Look, it’s possible that what gets done on any given day will be useless. But it doesn’t matter. That’s how books get written — little by little, and with patience.

Q: Has the pandemic influenced your work?

A: The pandemic is going to result in a wave, an avalanche, of new interpretations of our reality — not only in the arts, but in philosophy, history, everything. [...] But in my case, I need time and a bit of distance to see things.

I could have written “The House of the Spirits” right after the military coup in Chile in 1973. It took me more than eight years to write it, because I needed that time to process what happened... And I think I’m going to do the same with what’s going on now.

Q: Have you learned anything during the lockdown?

A: The pandemic has taught me to let go of material things, to help me realise how little I really need. [...] I look around me and I ask myself why there is all this stuff, why I need more than two plates.

Then, I want to figure out who my real friends are, and who I really want to spend time with.

Q: What do you think the pandemic is teaching us all?

A: It’s teaching us to look at our priorities and it’s showing us our reality. Inequality is the reality — how some people spend lockdown on a yacht in the Caribbean, and others go hungry.

It’s also teaching us that we are all one big family. What happens to a human being in Wuhan happens to the entire planet, happens to all of us. [....] There are no walls, there are no walls that can separate people.

Creative people, artists, scientists, all the young people, many women — all are thinking about what the new normal looks like. They don’t want to go back to what was normal before. This is the most important question of our time: this dream of a different world. We have to get to it.

Q: How would that new world be different?

A: It would be the end of the patriarchy. These brutish men who rule the world would be run out. It would mean a world in which men and women share equally in running the planet. [...]

Let it not be violence and greed that rules the world, but solidarity, compassion and hope. This is the world that we want, a world in which there is respect for nature and for other species.

Young people are going to inherit a world that we’ve torn apart. They are the ones who must save the planet, if it can be saved. I hope they have a positive solution.

Q: What do you think of the recent protests in the United States?

A: The protests are about racial justice and that is directly linked to the issue of poverty. 

Who are the poorest people in this country? Who are the ones with worse healthcare, fewer jobs, who suffer more police brutality, who are jailed more often? African-Americans.

I think these outbursts of protest are going to start happening everything. There is a tremendous global economic crisis. And that is going to lead to more unemployment, more poverty and, therefore, more violence. 

There will be more protests — huge protests.

These problems cannot be resolved with bullets or tear gas. They’ll only be resolved by tackling the root causes. These are deep-seated problems, that date back to the era of slavery.

Winner of the grand prize at the 2020 Middle East Car of the Year awards, the MG HS’ victory may have come as somewhat as a surprise, but it was one well-earned. Though not the largest SUV or the most rewarding driver’s car offered by the British-born and now Chinese-owned and operated manufacturer, the HS is MG’s stand out product. A superbly accomplished all-rounder with world class driving characteristics and design, and generous equipment and performance levels, The MG HS’ also represents excellent value for money, crucial in the current financial climate.

Distinctive design

Debuting at the 2018 Beijing motor show and introduced as a 2020 for the Middle East, where MG’s entrance has been vigorously pursued, the HS sits at the larger end of the compact crossover SUV segment, and is built on a transverse engine, front-drive derived platform with optional four-wheel-drive, as featured. An attractive design with a Coke-bottle style waistline and muscular shoulders, the HS’s focal point is, however, its broad chrome-ringed, and spangled, diamond pattern mesh grille — with a large octagonal emblem — reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and recently launched Lincoln Aviator. 

The more attractive of two grille design identities employed by MG across their range of cars and SUVs, the HS’ sportier snout is flanked by slim, squinting browed headlights, a bulging bonnet on top, and full-length faux intake below, which incorporates thick chrome-ringed fog lights. Purposeful and flowing, the HS’s design features a slight upward kink to the rearmost window and accentuated side sills. To lend it the expected rugged aesthetic, the HS features a brushed aluminium effect faux skid plate under its chin, lower black wheel-arch cladding and big 235/55R18 tyre clad alloy wheels.

Brawny delivery

Driven in 30T Trophy guise, the MG HS is powered by a turbocharged direct injection 2-litre 4-cylinder engine driving all four wheels through a 6-speed automated dual clutch gearbox. Based on Opel’s SIDI Ecotec engine, it develops 228BHP at 5,300rpm and 266lb/ft throughout a usefully broad 2,500-4,000rpm band in service under the HS 30T’s bonnet. Capable of achieving a 210km top speed and returning moderate 8.6l/100km combined cycle fuel economy, the HS 30T is a brisk mover, and is estimated to be capable of completing the 0-100km/h acceleration benchmark in 7.6-seconds.

A comparatively low-revving engine that develops its full power potential earlier in the rev range than many similar engines, the HS 30T’s character is that of brawny bruiser with tremendous punch rather that a scrappy high strung fighter. Riding a thick, rich and abundantly forceful wave of mid-range grunt, it pulls away with effortless authority when overtaking or on inclines. At very low engine speeds, the 30T seems to need a brief moment for its turbo to spool up and boost, while its gearbox favours higher gears for economy when driven in default driving mode.

Quick and comfortable

If economically minded in primary driving modes accessible through a centre console button, the HS 30T becomes a considerably more eager machine when one engages its Super Sport mode. Accessed through an enticingly big red steering-mounted button — like an Italian exotic — Super Sport mode unleashes additional torque reserves and acts to sharpen throttle and gearbox responses, through either kickdown or regular shifts, when engaged. Tested in four-wheel-drive guise, the HS meanwhile seems to drive with some front-bias in normal circumstances but seamlessly allocates power rearwards for additional traction, grip and stability.

A comfortable riding SUV with stable and reassuring highway manners, the HS well absorbs road imperfections at speed and feels supple over all but the most sudden jagged low speed bumps. Set-up for comfort, the tall HS naturally leans slightly through tight quick corners, but nevertheless well controls its 1.6-tonne weight. Tidy and responsive into corners with good grip going in and coming out, the HS may not have the same delicately textured steering feel and tip of the finger communication as its smaller and sportier MG 6 saloon stable-mate, but its steering is nonetheless light, direct and accurate.

Sporting style

A more agile vehicle through corners with its comparatively compact dimensions and footprint, the MG HS is easily manoeuvrable and easy to place on the road as modern crossover SUVs go. That said, the HS’ equipment includes standard rear parking sensors and camera, and optional lane departure warning and blind spot detection system, in addition to other more advanced driver assistance systems, depending on model, specification and market availability. Meanwhile, other standard safety features include front, side and curtain airbags, three-point seatbelts and headrests all-round, child seat anchors, electronic brakeforce distribution and more.

Refined and quiet inside, with good front and rear passenger space and access, the HS provides a good driving position with tilt/reach steering adjustability and supportive full sports seats with integrated headrests in Trophy specification. Distinctly more up-market for its class, Trophy spec looks and feels luxuriously sporty, with plenty of soft textures, real leather upholstery, chunky steering wheel, brushed aluminium style panels, rich colours and clean, modern and sporty design. Well-equipped inside with user-friendly controls, the HS Trophy features a long list of standard comfort and convenience features including an air quality system, dual zone climate control, and Android Auto and Apple Carplay enabled infotainment among others.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2-litre, transverse, turbocharged 4-cylinders

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC

Gearbox: 6-speed dual clutch automated, four-wheel-drive

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 228 (231) [170] @5,300rpm

Specific power: 114.3BHP/litre

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 266 (360) @2,500-4,000rpm

Specific torque: 180.5Nm/litre

0-100km/h: 7.6-seconds (estimate)

Top speed: 210km/h

Fuel consumption, combined: 8.6-litres/100km

Fuel capacity: 55-litres

Length: 4,574mm

Width: 1,876mm

Height: 1,685mm

Wheelbase: 2,720mm

Ground clearance: 175mm

Luggage volume, min/max: 463-/1,287-litres

Kerb weight: 1,630kg (estimate)

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts/multi-link

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs/discs

Tyres: 235/50R18

Price, on-the-road, with insurance and registration: JD32,500

As I welcomed spring this April, I can almost feel my soul awakening to spring back into life after hibernating in the cold winter months.

Questions I ask myself every morning

• “Where am I going to see new life today?”

• “What are the life-giving changes I am going to implement for today?”

• “What specific vegetables am I going to eat to make my eating plan look a little greener this spring?”

• “How am I going to fit in all the nutrients into my daily diet?”

• “When will I go to the grocery store with enough time to make healthy choices instead of grabbing the processed, conveniently packaged selections?”

When I ask these “Where, What, When, and How” questions, they refocus my mind on my goals. However, none of these questions is as important as my “Why”.

Why am I doing 

this in the first place?

For each of us, our “Why” may look a little different but it’s essential to write it down and put it in a place where we can see it. There are days when I forget why I’m doing this; the tough days when I come home so exhausted that all I can do is take off my shoes and put my feet up. The days where the outside world piles one disappointment on top of another I forget my “Why” and just want to cry! These are the days when I am so depleted emotionally and physically that all the plans I had for a healthy lifestyle fly out the window.

When things are going according to plan, I have nothing to worry about. It’s those other days that turn my plans upside down, that get me into trouble. Keeping the “Why” in a place where I can see it, helps empower and remind my forgetful self. The strength of this “Why” varies depending on how weighty I make it.

If my ‘Why’ is…

If my ‘Why’ is to lose weight quickly because I have yet another event that I must look good for, then I caution myself that this short-term goal is going to sabotage me shortly after the event is over. The quicker I lose weight with fad diets, the more I will pile it back on, causing that yoyo effect, which is more detrimental to my health than just staying at my current weight.

If my “Why” is to look good for others, then I fail myself miserably as I starve my soul from the peace that comes from living for something even bigger than other people. 

If my “Why” is that I want to be healthier so I can have the energy to run after the kids and to live longer so I can see my grandchildren one day, that’s a “Why” worth living for. 

If my “Why” is that I want to cut my cancer risks or my risk for diabetes so that I have less chance of getting sick, then that’s a “Why” that is weighty enough to anchor my plans. The stronger the anchor, the better chance I’ll have to ground myself instead of drifting away in the sea of denial, doubt and failure. 

Sharing my ‘Why’

I may put up my list of “Whys” on the fridge and share them with my close friends and family so they can help encourage me and hold me accountable. My family is now less likely to bring junk food to the house. My friends have stopped offering me chocolate or cake when I visit them because now they know my “Why”. For those who insist on pushing these foods at me, I begin to wonder if they’re really my friends in the first place. Good friends don’t sabotage their buddies; they help empower them.

Seeds of health

This month of April, let us each take a deep breath as we drink up the new season and experience the renewal that our bodies desperately need. I am bringing fresh ideas and fresh foods and I am processing through my feelings and emotions, instead of grabbing processed food to shut those negatives emotions out.

These are the life-giving ways that we can plant in our gardens as seeds that will grow. What we focus on grows. By focusing on these positive goals, we will ensure and increase our chances to thrive as healthier individuals and be less desperate as dieters.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

MONTREAL — Its shows cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an already heavily indebted Cirque du Soleil’s fight for survival has invited an intense backstage battle to try to save the Canadian cultural icon.

High on a list of potential suitors is former fire-eater Guy Laliberte, who founded the acrobatic troupe in 1984 but later sold it.

“Its revival will have to be done at the right price. And not at all costs,” said the 60-year-old, determined not to see his creation sold to private interests.

The billionaire clown said after “careful consideration”, he decided “with a great team” to pursue a bid, but offered no details.

Under his leadership, the Cirque had set up big tops in more than 300 cities around the world, delighting audiences with enchanting contemporary circus acts set to music but without the usual trappings of lions, elephants and bears.

Then the pandemic hit, forcing the company in March to cancel 44 shows worldwide, from Las Vegas to Tel Aviv, Moscow to Melbourne, and lay off 4,679 acrobats and technicians, or 95 per cent of its workforce.

Hurtling toward bankruptcy, the global entertainment giant and pride of Canada commissioned a bank in early May to examine its options, including a possible sale.

Meanwhile, shareholders ponied up $50 million in bridge financing for its “short-term liquidity needs”.

Costly acquisitions

Laliberte, the first clown to rocket to the International Space Station in 2009, ceded control of the Cirque for $1 billion in 2015.

It has since fallen into the hands of American investment firm TPG Capital (55 per cent stake) and China’s Fosun (25 per cent), which also owns Club Med and Thomas Cook travel. The Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) retains the last 20 per cent.

The institutional investor, which manages public pension plans and insurance programmes in Quebec, bought Laliberte’s last remaining 10 per cent stake in the business in February, just before the pandemic.

Since 2015, the Cirque has embarked on costly acquisitions and renovations of permanent performance halls, while its creative spirit waned, according to critics in the Quebec press.

Meanwhile, it piled on more than $1 billion in debt.

Fearing that the Cirque would be “sold to foreign interests”, the Quebec government recently offered it a conditional loan of $200 million to help relaunch its shows as restrictions on large gatherings start to be eased worldwide.

But the agreement in principle is conditional on the Cirque headquarters remaining in Montreal and the province being allowed to buy US and Chinese stakes in the company at an unspecified time in the future, “at market value” and with “probably a local partner”, said Quebec Minister of the Economy Pierre Fitzgibbon.

‘Too important 

to Quebec’

“The state does not want to operate the circus, but the circus is too important to Quebec [to leave it to foreigners],” he said. 

In addition to Laliberte, other prospective buyers include Quebecor, the telecoms and media giant of tycoon Pierre Karl Peladeau, whose opening lowball bid was outright rejected.

“It is essentially the value and reputation of the brand that has piqued interest in the company,” says Michel Magnan, corporate governance chair at Concordia University in Montreal. 

But “as long as there are restrictions on gatherings of people, the future is not very rosy” for the Cirque, he said.

Several challenges await, according to Magnan.

“There were a lot of people working in all of these shows. Where are they now? What are they doing? How are they doing? In what shape are they, what state of mind?” he pondered aloud.

“The more time passes, the more this expertise risks evaporating and... these assets become intangible.”

Small consolation: the Cirque resumed its performances on Wednesday in Hangzhou, China, five months after an outbreak in the city some 700 kilometres east of Wuhan, where the virus first appeared at the end of 2019. 

Long before the COVID-19 crisis, working from home by smartly using a computer and the Internet was a system that had already been adopted by a non-negligible number around the world. The technique and the concept therefore are nothing new. The lockdown situation that we have all experienced since about mid-March has done nothing but to increase this number. Admitted, the increase was significant, massive, overwhelming – a real game-changer.

Perhaps the greatest and least expected change, compared to the past, is the “learning from home” method that countless students were pushed to. Willy-nilly, all generations found themselves staying at home, using the remote system and trying to learn it well, to make the best possible use of it, and to get familiar with the various tools that it implies, be it software applications or hardware accessories.

Whereas most knew Skype, few had ever heard of Zoom, for instance. Now even 10-year old children talk about Zoom as casually as if it were their schoolmate, their parents, their teacher or… their classroom.

So it is agreed, the sum of “working from home” and “learning from home” now involves an incredible number of people in the world. Many articles, analyses and reviews on the web tell you now that even once this crisis is over, they will be no turning back, and that a majority will keep working and/or learning from home, given the advantages they discovered. It is hard not to agree with this.

At this point, perhaps the best thing to do for this kind of future vision and way of living is already to draw some lessons from the past couple of months.

There are obvious points here and then some less obvious ones. The first obvious one is that a very fast Internet connection is the starting point of everything. The minimum acceptable is 200 Mbps and is the kind provided by fibre optic subscriptions to the network. Faster is better, of course. Slower becomes a matter of good or bad luck.

There are other technical considerations too. The best possible camera, microphone and speakers have also become a must. Most laptops still are fitted with average to good such hardware. Typically you would have to get additional, external cameras, microphone and speakers for a satisfying experience, one that will make working or learning remotely a pleasure, one that will make you look forward to it day after day, instead of fearing it. It is very likely that the makers of laptop models to come will take this into consideration.

Is one camera enough? Maybe in some cases, but in many others it is not. When you are teaching someone remotely, you want them to see you. You also want them to see some documents stored your computer and that you will display on your screen — at the same time! You may also need to show them the very paper you are writing on and that you placed on your desk, for a more personalised, a more accurate explanation of the lesson.

This is impossible to do with just one camera. Think of the remote lesson you are giving or attending as a kind of film production. Do pro moviemakers use only one camera? At present few if any software applications for remote meeting can handle multiple cameras smoothly and friendly.

The last and certainly not the least of the lessons to learn is the case of those who are not particularly technically minded and who find it hard to handle all these tools comfortably. This group is not negligible and it includes the very young, those say under the age of 12, and adults who just don’t feel confident with the technology.

For dealing regularly with people in this specific group, I know that meeting with them remotely comes with its daily load of problems, ranging from poor or no sound at all, off-centre image, display of the wrong screen and even random involuntary disconnection from the meeting or the lesson every now and then. Not to mention the cases when just they cannot start the scheduled meeting at all.

It is possible to alleviate the pain for this group by designing for them hardware and software tools that will be easier to use, and at the same time by giving them some training before telling them to take the plunge all of a sudden and to do everything remotely by themselves, like they were subjected to a couple of months ago.