By Isabel Ovalle
The third edition of the ‘Talents from the world’ fair began yesterday at Al Bayan Preparatory School for Girls, where 26 participants from several countries have gathered to showcase their respective cultures and learn about others’.
Organised by the Qatari Women Association (QWA), the event, which includes performances from Spain, Latin America and Indonesia, among other places, hopes to attract women and girls. It is open from 4pm to 6pm and will continue until tomorrow.
Sheikha Al Ansari, president of QWA, explained: “We aim to learn from each other by bringing all the ladies together. It’s a good chance to showcase our food, talents, and traditional customs.”
In the Qatari booth, visitors can see local dresses, learn Arabic writing or find out about Al Hijamah or cupping, a technique to promote healing by creating a partial vacuum in cups placed on the skin, either by heat or by suction. It is known to help in cases of headache, back pain and muscular pain, said a member of QWA.
Next to the local stand was that of young photographer Amna Rashid Al Mannai. This 17-year-old photographer is exhibiting a number of her photos taken in various places, including Qatar, Switzerland and the United States. “I have been taking photos since I was 10 years old, thanks to training from my uncle, who’s a professional photographer,” she said.
Other countries and territories taking part in the fair, that last year hosted 17 participants, include South Africa, South Korea, USA, Egypt, Turkey, Palestine, Kuwait, Kenya, Bahrain, France, Japan, Spain, Greece, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, Poland, North Cyprus, and Latin America (representing Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, Panama and Colombia, among others). Qatar Tourism Authority and Qatar Charity are also participating.
At the South Korean stall, the wife of the ambassador, Lee Hee Sun, said, “This is a useful chance to get to know different nationalities with their traditions. It’s also a nice chance to introduce our culture, which is now well-known, thanks to the media.”
Typical South Korean dishes, such as japchae and kimbab can be tried to get a taste of this Asian cuisine, and one can see handicrafts like fans and wallets. There are approximately 2,500 South Koreans in Qatar and young Qataris, Lee Hee Sun noted, are very interested in Korean culture.
