Features

I belong to Punjab, a state in India where everyone loves to wear sunglasses. It is not that the sun shines too brightly there, though Punjabis do suffer from an extremely sunny disposition. We are so chatty and cheerful that we start becoming an annoyance to others, especially when we name our kids “Happy”. All of us have at least one sibling, cousin or friend who is named that.

Other than film stars and Arabs, I have hardly come across anyone who wears goggles as religiously as the Punjabis. Celebrities from the movie industry need to wear them to hide their identity, we all know that, just like the Arabs wear them to enhance theirs. But why Punjabis wear them continuously, remains a complete mystery.

Also, if you study this habit of ours, you will notice that we never push the sunglasses on top of our heads, to sort-of double up as hairband, like a lot of other folks do. However, irrespective of age or gender, our dark glasses are always perched perfectly on our noses, making sure that we view life through a rosy lens.

We are thoroughly smitten with this accessory, which is affectionately referred to as “kala chashma” in our local dialect that literally translates into “black glasses”. Bollywood has recently produced a new song that extols the virtues of the wearer with lyrics like “dark glasses suit fair faces”. Our lyricists are fast losing credibility, but sometimes they have to provide songs to suit the plot in a film — is the only probable explanation I can offer in their defence.

Despite the nonsensical words, this number has become such a hit with the masses that no dance party is complete, without it being played several times, during the course of an evening. While other people have to look for the sunglasses in their purses or jacket pockets, we Punjabis have to go through no such mad scramble when the song comes on. And that is because we are the only ones who are actually wearing “kala chashma” even while dancing.

In any airport in India, without searching for the boarding gate, one should confidently stride towards the area, where a maximum number of people sporting trendy sunglasses are found chatting in a group. With 100 per cent certainty, one will discover that all of them would be on the same flight, heading to some town or the other, in Punjab.

Even though I grew-up around such enthusiastically spectacled people, I took a long time to get acquainted with it, personally. For quite a while, to the amazement of my friends and family, I did not possess a single pair of sunglasses. If the sunshine was too blinding, I preferred to use a parasol, which shielded my head as well as my eyes and completely eradicated the need for extra protection.

But then I contracted conjunctivitis. Also called “pink eye” — a highly contagious infection where there is an inflammation of the outermost layer of the white part of the eye. With watery, red eyes I rushed to the hospital. 

“Impossible, impossible,” the doctor muttered, reading my patient form.

“What?” I squeaked in panic. 

“Your name sounds Punjabi,” he retorted. 

“Yes I am from Punjab,” I confided. 

“How did you get conjunctivitis?” he asked. 

“Sorry?” I was confused. 

“Punjabis wear sunglasses all the time,” he noted. 

I nodded in response

“Follow your tribe. Kala chashma is the cure,” he prescribed.

SEOUL — Tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. said late on Monday that it plans to sell refurbished versions of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, the model pulled from markets last year due to fire-prone batteries. 

Samsung’s Note 7s were permanently scrapped in October following a global recall, roughly two months from the launch of the near-$900 devices, after some phones self-combusted. A subsequent probe found manufacturing problems in batteries supplied by two different companies — Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. and Amperex Technology Ltd.

Analysis from Samsung and independent researchers found no other problems in the Note 7 devices except the batteries, raising speculation that Samsung will recoup some of its losses by selling refurbished Note 7s.

A person familiar with the matter told Reuters in January that it was considering the possibility of selling refurbished versions of the device or reusing some parts.

Samsung’s announcement that revamped Note 7s will go back on sale, however, surprised some with the timing — just days before it launches its new S8 smartphone on Wednesday in the United States, its first new premium phone since the debacle last year.

Samsung, under huge pressure to turn its image around after the burning battery scandal, had previously not commented on its plans for recovered phones.

“Regarding the Galaxy Note 7 devices as refurbished phones or rental phones, applicability is dependent upon consultations with regulatory authorities and carriers as well as due consideration of local demand,” Samsung said in a statement.

South Korea’s Electronic Times newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said on Tuesday Samsung will start selling refurbished Note 7s in its home country in July or August, and will aim to sell between 400,000 and 500,000 of the Note 7s using safe batteries. 

Samsung said in a statement to Reuters the company has not set specifics on refurbished Note 7 sales plans, including what markets and when they would go on sale, though noting the phones will not be sold in India as some media reported earlier this year. 

The firm said refurbished Note 7s will be equipped with new batteries that have gone through Samsung’s new battery safety measures. 

“The objective of introducing refurbished devices is solely to reduce and minimise any environmental impact,” it said. 

The company estimated it took a $5.5 billion profit hit over three quarters from the Note 7’s troubles. It had sold more than 3 million Note 7s before taking the phones off the market.

The company also plans to recover and use or sell reusable components such as chips and camera modules and extract rare metals such as copper, gold, nickel and silver from Note 7 devices it opts not to sell as refurbished products. 

The firm had been under pressure from environment rights group Greenpeace and others to come up with environmentally friendly ways to deal with the recovered Note 7s. Greenpeace said in a separate statement on Monday that it welcomed Samsung’s decision and the firm should carry out its plans in a verifiable manner.

Launched globally in 2016 and arriving in the Middle East earlier this year, the second generation Volkswagen Tiguan’s physical growth may be marginal, but in terms of content it is a leap forward. Based on a variant of Volkswagen’s new MQB architecture — shared with the Golf — the new Tiguan is a classier and more refined affair, with improved driving characteristics, space and technology. Formerly and firmly in the mainstream compact CUV segment, the Tiguan now also has a foot distinctly in the premium end of the segment.

Clean and crisp

Positioned to compete both against cars like the Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai and to a certain extent against the likes of the BMW X1 and its own Audi Q3 cousin as possible competitors, the new MQB-based Tiguan is slightly shorter, wider and longer, with regular and more spacious long wheelbase options. A classier and more contiguous design with an emphasis of straight lines and a perception of with, the new Tiguan features a broader, moodier and more browed grille and headlight combo, along with bigger lower intakes for a more settled and road-hugging appearance.

Clean, crisp and fresh in design, the Tiguan features a distinctive ridged character line running along its flank towards its more dramatic almost boomerang-style rear lights. Meanwile a relatively level waistline and un-exaggerated rear pillar width lends it a handsomely mature appearance, good driving visibility and an airy ambiance. With optional 235/55R18 tyres and with a jutting tailgate spoiler, the Tiguan also has a distinctly sporting flavour about it. Though bigger in proportions, the new MQB platform’s increased use of lightweight aluminium components allows the Tiguan to shed 50kg, to help improve efficiency.

Effective and efficient

Offered with a broad range of turbocharged petrol and diesel engine globally, the Tiguan is, however, offered in 1.4-litre guise for front-wheel-drive version with 6-speed automated dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) and powered by a 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 7-speed DSG gearbox with 4-Motion four-wheel-drive. 

Offered in two states of tune, including 177BHP at 3940-6000rpm and 236lb/ft throughout 1500-3940rpm for entry-level SE and mid-range SEL 2-litre variants, as driven, the Tiguan’s familiar four-pot turbo engine allows for confidently brisk 5.2-second 0-80km/h and 7.7-second 0-100km/h. Capable of 208km/h, the Tiguan returns modest 7.4l/100km combined cycle fuel consumption.

With little turbo lag before its turbocharger spools up, the Tiguan launches off the mark confidently and benefits from a broad and flexible mid-range allowing for easy overtaking and pulling power. Underwritten by generous mid-range torque the Tiguan’s power builds to a wide and accessible top-end plateau. Refined and quiet in operation the Tiguan’s 2-litre is well-matched with its gearbox’s wide range of ratios for performance and efficiency. Swift, slick and best operating in a sequence, it features two clutches for odd and even gears, and lines up the next anticipated ratio for quick, almost seamless shifts.

Confident and comfortable

Built on Volkswagen’s modular MQB platform with MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear independent suspension, the Tiguan is very much a smooth and comfortable crossover designed for on-road use. 

However, it does feature Hill Descent Control and Active Control driving modes, which leverage the stability and traction control systems, as well as alter throttle and gearbox responses to help maintain traction over loose surfaces. Additionally, the Tiguan’s four-wheel-drive system normally sends power to the front wheels, but distributes power rearwards to maintain on- or off-road traction when required.

Capable and confident, if not particularly exciting, the Tiguan’s driving characteristics are reassuring and composed, with terrific stability and refinement at speed and settled vertical responses on dips and crests. 

Smooth, if slightly firm over sudden bumps, the driven Tiguan’s slightly taller tyre sidewalls allowed it to better absorb imperfections than versions with bigger glitzier alloy wheels. Tidy and manoeuvrable, the Tiguan tackles corners with confidence and agility, if not quite the same nimbleness of its smaller, sportier and lower Golf sister, and being taller and heavier, leans slightly more through corners.

Spacious accommodations

Classy yet unfussed, and with a refined yet logical and utilitarian layout inside, the Tiguan’s cabin uses good quality materials and assembly and features clear instrumentation. Refined from vibrations, noise and harshness, it also comes with light yet precise steering and reassuring brakes. Seating position is well-adjustable, supportive and comfortable. Set upright and high, along with an airy cabin, this allows for good road visibility for manoeuvring and parking. Spacious inside with good cabin access, the Tiguan’s adjustable rear seats can even comfortably accommodate large and tall passengers sat in a row. 

Meanwhile cargo capacity is generous at 615-litres, and can increase to 1655-litres with the rear seats folded down, while standard and optional equipment levels are high. 

Standard to SEL versions are ISOFIX child seat latches, front seat height adjustment aluminium look front scuff plates, remote central locking, rain sensor, ambient lighting, panoramic sunroof, cruise control, rear folding tables and speed-sensitive steering. 

Optional equipment includes heads-up display, digital instrument cluster, parking assistance with rear or around view cameras, and knee and side airbags, among many other features.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

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

Bore x stroke: 82.5 x 92.8mm

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC, direct injection

Gearbox: 7-speed dual clutch automated, four-wheel-drive

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 177 (180) [132] @3940-6000rpm

Specific power: 89.2BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 107.6BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 236 (320) @1500-3940rpm

Specific torque: 161.3Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 194.5Nm/tonne

0-80km/h: 5.2-seconds

0-100km/h: 7.7-seconds

Top speed: 208km/h

Fuel consumption, urban/extra-urban/combined:

9.1-/6.4-/7.4-litres/100km 

CO2 emissions, combined: 170g/km

Fuel capacity: 60-litres

Length: 4486mm

Width: 1839mm

Height: 1673mm

Wheelbase: 2677mm

Track, F/R: 1576/1566mm

Headroom, F/R (w/sunroof): 1004/967mm

Minimum ground clearance: 201mm

Cabin width, F/R: 1503/1491mm

Luggage volume, min/max: 615/1655-litres

Unladen weight, minimum: 1645kg 

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Turning Circle: 11.5-metres

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

Tyres: 235/55R18

Kahlil Gibran: Beyond Borders
Jean Gibran & Kahlil G. Gibran
Massachusetts: Interlink Books, 2017
Pp. 524

This biography of the famous poet and artist is the result of decades of research by a husband-wife team: Gibran’s relative and namesake, Kahlil G. Gibran, and his wife, Jean. Not content with previously published sources or hearsay, they sought out his letters and the diaries of close friends. The result is a comprehensive picture of Gibran’s thinking, social being and work, of his family and Boston’s Syrian community, and of his cultural contemporaries in Boston and New York. In the authors’ words: “Probably the greatest problem in dealing with Gibran’s life was his duality. Constantly, the theme of divided loyalties to two languages, two careers, two often conflicting sets of associates, dominated his development, with the result that biographers and historians have been biased, aware of one perspective and neglectful of the other… We have attempted in our work to show Gibran’s several worlds, and the way he lived in them all”. (p. xv)

If (like this reviewer) one mainly knows Gibran as the author of “The Prophet”, one will not be surprised to read how ahead of his times he was. Think that a book published in 1923 was adopted as a spiritual guide by the 60s generation which ostensibly rejected all that went before! Truly, he was a forerunner of today’s cross-cultural bridging. On the other hand, one will be greatly enlightened by reading how versatile Gibran was in both his talents and social relations, how he developed in the visual arts and what influenced him from both sides of the Atlantic. 

Emigrating from Lebanon at the age of eleven, and living with his family in south Boston’s squalid Syrian quarter, made Gibran an outsider, but his creative spark soon paved his way into bohemian cultural circles. While some of his first mentors were attracted by his “exotic” origins, later he was accepted by virtue of his artistic ability and vitality. He developed solid friendships and working relations with many American artists, writers, publishers and cultural personages, particular Mary Haskell, an educational reformer, for many years his patron and collaborator in writing. The authors’ extensive quotes from her copious diaries contribute greatly to understanding Gibran’s deeply humanist philosophy of life, and also the personal and artistic dilemmas he faced.

Though, potentially, he could have, Gibran never tried to “escape” his immigrant origins. “Instead of abandoning his origins, as so many first-generation immigrant children did, he began to understand that his background could further his artistic growth”. (p. 47)

Gibran was very close to his family, suffering greatly from the premature death of his mother, brother and sister, while remaining loyal to his remaining sister all his life, even after he moved to New York, and into quite cosmopolitan circles. He retained his emotional attachment to Lebanon and his home village, Bsharri, agonising over the famine caused by World War I, and passionately advocating Syrian independence. He was also deeply involved in Syrian-American social, political and literary affairs, contributing to the Arab immigrant press, and serving as president of the Pen League, the first Arabic literary organisation in the US, which pursued the same goals as the Nahda movement centred in Syria and Egypt.  

Straddling different worlds and commitments was challenging and sometimes led to exhaustion and personal crises, but in the end it seems clear that it was Gibran’s ability to embrace and synthesise seeming opposites that made him a creative genius with a universal message. In his words, “For the earth in its all is my land… And all mankind my countrymen”. (p. 129) 

Born into Christianity, Gibran synthesised its message of love with the positive values of Islam, especially Sufism, and other religions, arriving at a human-centred spirituality whereby people are in perpetual motion to discover their “greater self”, as he called it. This mixing of different religions, added to his critique of institutionalised religion, and the nudity in his drawings, scandalised many in his homeland and some in the US, but is actually the key to his great and lasting influence, as is most obvious in the enduring popularity of “The Prophet”. Ever self-critical, Gibran was something of a paradox. In one sense, he was an iconoclast, throwing out stagnant literary, social and religious conventions, but addressing the most basic and ancient of human questions about life. 

“While honouring and asserting the beauty and richness of Arabic language and culture, Kahlil’s forward-looking perspective as an increasingly globalised citizen-artist rejected conditions of belonging defined or restricted by race or ethnicity, religious creed, gender, privilege, or circumstances of birth. Instead, individuals should be encouraged to unfold and exercise their talents as a community of citizens”. (p. 283)

His writings got to the heart of people’s relations to each other and to the universe, covering friendship and solitude, the meaning of parenthood, life and death, and other existential questions.

Working together with Alfred A. Knopf, who published his most seminal works, Gibran was ever concerned about the crafting of books, the illustrations and covers. The authors have honoured his concern, garnishing the text with an elegant cover and a large number of illustrations of his drawings, paintings and designs, as well as photos of his family and friends, making this a beautiful volume worthy of its subject.

Sally Bland

TOKYO — If gender bending fashion is suddenly all the rage in the West, think Pharrell Williams promoting Chanel’s new unisex handbag, then nowhere has the look excelled more than in Tokyo.

Japan, for decades a pioneer of the androgynous look in the style of Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yamamoto and Kenzo, is spawning young designers blurring the lines expertly between masculine and feminine.

Genderless-looking boys are gaining traction in fashion circles and on the streets of Tokyo — gay, but mostly straight men who dye their hair and wear make-up — not in an effort to pass themselves off as women but to create a new standard of beauty.

“Our big theme has always been ‘unisex’,” says Takeshi Kitazawa, one half of the design duo behind trendy label DRESSEDUNDRESSED, sold by dozens of stockists in Japan and abroad.

“’Genderless’ is now really common,” he explains after his show at Tokyo Fashion Week, a parade of eight male and four female models each wearing interchangeable clothes.

Staying true to its brand name, it was a half-dressed, half-undressed look of coats and trousers slashed at the side with deep splits and men — rather than women — parading down the catwalk in bare legs.

The only snatches of femininity were small red handbags dangled from the hand or strapped across the chest, on men as well as women, or delicate lace hems and high-heeled court shoes for women.

‘Scary before’

“Isolation” and “control” were written upside down on caps, oversized 1970s-style glasses partially obscured the faces. It was not always possible to tell if it was a man or a woman — and that was the point.

“Japanese men especially are really flexible. They wear women’s brands and Japanese women are the same as well. Perhaps Japanese culture really is ‘genderless’,” said Kitazawa.

With most Japanese designers ambitious to move into markets overseas, there is no trendier time for androgynous fashion than now.

Twenty per cent of US millennials identify as something other than strictly cisgender and straight, compared to just seven per cent of baby boomers, a survey by LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD shows.

Transgender issues are back in the political spotlight thanks to Donald Trump’s widely criticised decision to rescind US federal protections for school students to use the bathroom of their choice.

Former gold medal-winning male Olympian turned woman reality star, Caitlyn Jenner, is a household name. American actress Kristen Stewart and British model Cara Delevingne are poster children for bisexuality.

“Now it’s acceptable to discuss it. It’s acceptable to come out now. It was so scary before,” pop star Miley Cyrus told Time magazine for a cover story last week on young people redefining the meaning of gender.

No boundaries

Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons fame, a pioneer of fashion androgyny, will be this spring’s subject of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s first monographic show on a living designer since Yves Saint Laurent, the legend who put women in trousers and tuxedo jackets, in 1983. 

Currently on show at the Japan Society in New York is the exhibition “A Third Gender: Beautiful Youths in Japanese Prints”, seeking to shed light on the complex rules that governed gender in early modern Japan.

It focuses on wakashu — male adolescents who were objects of sexual desire for both men and women and who appear to have constituted a distinct third gender in the Edo period.

Skirts in the form of shirt dresses, such as a tartan dressing-gown inspired number, each worn over trousers are clearly an autumn/winter 2017 Japanese trend for men as seen on the runway at Name.’s show.

ACUOD by CHANU is the brainchild of a Korean designer repelled by suits as appropriate dress for the 21st century man. He also sent down the catwalk shirt dresses, even quilted versions, worn over tight trousers.

“I want to get rid of any boundary among gender,” explains designer Chanwoo Lee. 

“The mask is [part of that] as well,” he added of black leather surgical masks covered in grinning zip metallic zips in which he dressed all his models, obscuring much of their faces.

Microsoft is not the only company that likes to put a gun against your head to make you move from one operating system (OS) to a new one. Google is following – and rather gladly it seems – in the footsteps of the maker of Windows.

Living, or coping should I say, with the frequent updates of the OS that runs your device is part of the pain, of the price you have to pay for using computers, tablets and other similar digital equipment. Microsoft Windows probably is the most famous of all the OS that make you suffer these changes.

There are the periodic updates of one given OS, and then there are the big changes that introduce a completely new one, what IT people call upgrades. Downloading and installing updates say to Windows 8 is one thing and upgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 10 is another. For some the latter may turn out to be a traumatic experience.

Now Google has announced the upcoming Android O, the new version of the OS that fuels 90 per cent of the world’s portable devices. This week has seen countless web-based tech sites channelling the news.

From the working name (“O” is but a temporary one), to the list of features that it will bring, there are more uncertainties than certainties, except for a couple of sound facts. The first is that the upcoming release is a sure thing, not just an Internet rumour, and the second is that one of the main improvements will be a significantly longer battery life — not a minor point, by any measure. I’d gladly make the change if only for that!

As for the actual release date and a detailed description of features we have to wait and see.

Some sites like Android Central go bravely for it and tell you “Everything you want to know [about Android O]…”. Pro audio sound, a feature that has been lacking so far in smartphones and tablets, and significantly enhanced Bluetooth connectivity, are two of the promised goodies that Android 8 is supposed to treat us to as well. If this proves to be correct, it would constitute a major boost to mobility.

To give credit where it is due, Google Android OS updates and new versions have never been as hard to implement or to follow as Windows’. However, one must also keep in mind that the size, the weight and the complexity of Windows are in another league, therefore more or less justifying the difficulty.

Despite the work and the hassle associated with going through OS updates and upgrades, one should look at the bright side. Be it Windows or Android, so much has been improved over the years that one has to admit that overall, upgrades are worth the trouble in the end. Just take Windows 10 and compare it to Windows XP; it surely calls for a LOL!

I look forward to Android O, asking myself whether there is any chance to see it running Samsung’s anxiously awaited Galaxy S8 smartphone. This summer maybe?

Adults who never watch TV during family meals and eat mostly home-cooked food are much less likely than others to be obese, according to a recent US study.

Past research has suggested that more frequent family meals are linked to lower obesity, but in the current study of more than 12,000 Ohio residents, eating at home, rather than out, and without the television on, was tied to lower obesity risk regardless of how often family was present.

It may be difficult for some families to eat a meal together every day, but they may be able to have healthier habits for the meals they do share, researchers conclude in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Families’ mealtime practices vary, and may be associated with adults’ obesity,” said lead author Rachel Tumin, of the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Centre in Columbus.

“Adults might eat more food when they are watching TV, and meals that are not home-cooked may be less healthy than meals that are home-cooked,” Tumin said by e-mail.

To determine how family meal practices affect obesity risk, the study team analysed data from the 2012 Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey on for 12,842 adults who had eaten at least one family meal in the past week.

The participants answered questions about how often they ate meals at home with their family, how often they watched TV while eating and how many of their meals were home-cooked.

The researchers used self-reported height and weight data to calculate each participant’s body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight to height. People with a BMI over 30 were considered obese, and one third of participants fell into this category.

Overall, 52 per cent of respondents ate family meals six or seven days per week, 35 per cent ate family meals about every other day and 13 per cent ate meals with family one or two days a week. 

About a third of adults watched TV during most or all family meals, while another 36 per cent did not watch any TV or videos during meals. For 62 per cent of adults, all of the family meals they ate were cooked at home.

Researchers found that the number of meals people ate with their family was not linked to their likelihood of being obese.

Adults who cooked all of their family meals at home, however, were 26 per cent less likely to be obese, compared with those who ate some or no home-cooked meals. 

People who never watched TV during meals had 37 per cent lower odds of being obese than those who always watched TV or videos during family meals. 

While eating more family meals may be beneficial for health, the quality of meals is important as well, said Jerica Berge, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis who studies family meal practices.

“It’s not just eating more of them that matters, it is important to consider other factors such as the healthfulness of the food eaten at the meal, the emotional atmosphere at the meal, or whether there are distractions at the meal [e.g., TV],” Berge, who was not involved in the study, said by e-mail.

“Turn off the TV when having family meals and use it as a time to check in about the day, current events, and fun future plans,” Berge said.

Tumin also advised leaving the TV off during meals, adding, “People who may not have time to cook their own meals could still consider buying healthy foods for family meals.”

Where social gatherings are concerned, it is not that I don’t like attending them but if I am excluded from one, it does not bother me unnecessarily. Given a choice, I prefer reading a book and having a quiet dinner, to the loud partying, any day. I have nothing against the partygoers; if they have the stamina or inclination for hectic socialising, I am happy for them. But personally, I like meeting smaller groups of people and having meaningful conversations with a couple of them, over a meal. 

We are all a product of our upbringing and the tiny coal town where I grew up was in a remote area that had no restaurants. The closest café, that served South Indian pancake like dosas, was over one hour away. It was in the near vicinity of a barbershop where my father took us for our monthly haircut. I don’t think it was unisex but my brothers and I were unceremoniously shepherded into the same salon. A fat elderly barber who wore thick glasses, would cut our hair. He would first put a plump round cushion on the chair to make us sit on top of it, so that we reached his eye level, because it was too much of an effort for him to look down otherwise. 

A large white apron like bib was wrapped under our chin, and even before the click-click of the scissors started, I could see tears rolling down my eyes, reflected in the mirror in front of me. I tried my best to control the sobs and would look sideways at my two siblings, who sat there stoically, on either side of me. The movement had to be subtle because the hairdresser jokingly threatened to cut my ears off if I shifted. Needless to say, I hated those visits but a trip to the café downstairs, after the hair trimming, was what motivated us.

Now there were not many culinary choices in this place, the menu barely had six to eight dishes in total, but the paper-dosa they made was to die for. This rice pancake was fried golden crisp, more than a foot long and was served with an unlimited supply of lentils and chutneys. Our father gave us a free reign once we reached the cafe and we could order whatever we wanted. Our heads felt lighter after being shorn of the extra hair and we grabbed the chance of sipping lemonade and chomping on the crispy fare. 

My mother and grandmother joined us for lunch and sometimes the neighbourhood families tagged along. The occasion would turn into an unplanned social gathering because everyone knew everybody. This was the only partying I did as a youngster, other than accompanying my parents while visiting their friends, who served us impromptu home-cooked meals whenever we called on them. 

So, not being invited to certain events, concerts or festivities did not make me lose sleep. Similarly, if I did not wish to invite someone to my party, celebration or gathering, I simply didn’t. 

“What you doing on Sunday?” an aggressive posh voice said, the minute I picked up my telephone. 

“I’m having a small get together,” I answered. 

“Wonderful! I love the food you serve,” the socialite gushed. 

“Thank you,” I replied. 

“What time is it? I have not seen the invite,” she went on.

There was silence as I refrained from answering.

“This weekend I’m busy. Can’t make it,” she hurriedly disconnected. 

BEIJING — A years-long crime spree by Chinese toilet paper thieves may have reached the end of its roll after park officials in southern Beijing installed facial recognition technology to flush out bathroom bandits. 

Park managers at the Temple of Heaven, an expanse of imperial landmarks in the capital, spent three years testing ways to foil the toilet looters, including fingerprinting and laser sensors, before they settled on the new technology, which was introduced over the weekend.

Elderly square dancers taking their bathroom breaks on Tuesday were greeted by a robotic voice: “Welcome! Please stand in the recognition zone”.

One by one, they obediently positioned themselves on a yellow square marking and watched their faces pop up on a blinking blue screen mounted to the wall. Then the machine dispensed their individual allotment of 60cm of toilet paper.

If the same individual attempts to collect more bathroom tissue within nine minutes, he or she will be met with a polite rejection: “Please try again later.”

Toilet paper crooks have been known to take home entire rolls, smuggling them out in bulging bags that go undetected at the security gates.

The high-tech solution was welcomed by some of the park’s regulars.

“It’s pretty good, as long as we have enough to use,” said Pu Meilang, 68, who takes frequent strolls around Temple of Heaven.

“It thwarts the rule-breakers.”

Desperate measures

The park has sought to put a stop to toilet paper bandits for years, according to Lei Zhenshan, a marketing manager for Shoulian Zhineng, the Tianjin-based company behind the device.

In 2014, they started experimenting with different ways of tracking toilet paper usage and finally settled on facial recognition — but not without some internal dispute.

“It seemed a little awkward at first,” Lei said, “but we saw that the degree of waste was quite severe, and decided to take this technical approach to correcting people’s behaviour.”

He said they decided against fingerprinting because people might use all ten of their fingers in turn to maximise rations.

According to Lei, the technology has already reduced waste by 70 per cent since it was brought to Temple of Heaven.

The machines, which cost more than 6000 yuan ($869) each, were first introduced in June around the Bird’s Nest Stadium in the city’s Olympic Green.

Though most Temple of Heaven park-goers by the east gate were able to quickly get their bathroom tissues on Tuesday morning, the system was not without small inconveniences.

One woman had a toddler who was too short to reach the camera range. 

Another, a 55-year-old who was partaking in a sailor-style group dance, came clad in a full black navy uniform. She had to remove her cap and sunglasses to receive her portion.

Li Zengxiu, 58, came out of her bathroom stall to discover that she would not be granted additional toilet paper to wipe her hands.

But she was happy to make the sacrifice, Li said as she air-dried them instead.

“We’re saving paper for the good of the country.”

Users on the social network Weibo were more sceptical.

One commenter wrote: “In two days, the facial recognition machine will be taken too.”

Tougher, more refined, capable, efficient and better equipped than ever, the latest generation Nissan Navara 2.5-litre turbodiesel double cab 4x4 pick-up’s appeal as rugged workhorse, utilitarian daily transport and adventure wagon is truly compelling. 

Among the best in a popular and growing mid-size pick-up segment, the diesel-powered Navara and the best among its competitors in fact make a compelling argument as an alternative to more expensive and less capable, if ever-popular SUVs. If perhaps less refined than a similarly sized SUV, the Navara’s fuel-sipping diesel engine and rugged ability and durability, however, instil one with a particular peace of mind and confidence.

Improved appeal

Known as the NP300 Navara and first launched in 2014 alongside the now outgoing previous generation model, the new Navara has been gradually rolled out to global markets. Arriving in Middle East markets in recent weeks and months, the NP300 Navara is based on a strengthened evolution of its predecessor’s thoroughly well proven and tough boxed ladder frame chassis. Its 48mm shorter wheelbase, and improved ground clearance provide improved on- and off-road agility. Offered with five-link rear suspension for certain markets for improved ride quality and more daily drive appeal, the driven wide-body LE model however featured more traditional and rugged live axle and leaf spring rear suspension.

Designed to convey a greater sense of presence than its predecessor’s restrained and elegantly boxy lines, the NP300 Navara seems larger and more bulging. Integrating Nissan’s contemporary V-motion grille design and flowing along the bonnet, the new Navara is however characterised by a seemingly more high-rise style. Featuring a higher bonnet, the NP300’s pronounced wings help one position it on road through open roads, but reduces visibility in tighter confines, compared with its predecessor. The NP300 also features a higher waistline, with an upward kink at the end of the rear doors. Riding with improved ground clearance and higher waistline, the NP300’s roofline is, however, lower.

Efficient and involving

Powered by Nissan’s proven 16-valve DOHC 2.5-litre in-line 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine to the tune of 161BHP developed at 3600rpm and a mighty 297lb/ft torque produced at 2000rpm, the Navara’s acceleration is improved, with 0-100km/h arriving in an estimated 11-seconds or so. More important than outright — and officially unavailable — headline figures is the Navara’s welling and generous mid-range torque, which allows for confident muscular, hauling, off-roading and overtaking on the open road. A low-revving engine as all diesel engines, the Navara’s 2.5, however, pulls cleanly and eagerly through its mid-range might and towards its low rev limit, while diesel clatter is less evident than with many rivals.

Driven through a somewhat long-throw 6-speed manual gearbox with precise and intuitive clutch biting point, the Navara instils a greater sense of driver involvement, autonomy and adventure. Working the Navara’s shifter to keep the engine in its sweet spot is a pleasure. At low-end, it is more effective to more gradually lift off the clutch and feed in power and build momentum, to avoid turbo lag from idle, which is typical of any turbodiesel engine given their inherently narrower performance band. Driving the rear wheels during normal conditions for better efficiency, performance and agility, the Navara is quoted as achieving a low 6.6l/100km on the combined cycle.

Confident and capable

Confident and composed on highway, the Navara digs deep and pulls hard on acceleration, while riding with greater refinement and stability than most of the competition. Comparatively settled and buttoned down for a live axle and leaf spring set-up, the Navara’s drives through imperfect and rutted roads — of paved and unpaved varieties — with ease and comfort. Riding on a rugged suspension design and with tall sidewall 255/70R16 tyres, the Navara well-absorbs rough textures and — and unlike most SUVs — gives one peace of mind in its ability to effortlessly take all the punishment that a neglected countryside backroad can mete out to the tires and suspension. 

With balanced weight distribution, nuanced front double wish bone suspension and rear-wheel-drive engaged, the Navara is eager going into corners and agile for a rugged workhorse. Steering is refined and accurate, if tall-geared, while body roll is well contained for its segment. Exiting corners at a brisk pace is however a more delicate matter owing to its commercial vehicle rear underpinnings, with slight axle hop as expected, and bounce if power is too aggressively fed in. However, the Navara is well-equipped and features a vigilant electronic stability control system, and electronic brakeforce distribution keeping it level and complementing effective ventilated disc front and rear drum anti-lock brakes.

Off-road ability

A thoroughly capable off-road vehicle capable negotiating various treacherous terrain with confident ease, the Navara is sized well for even narrow and easily accessible trails. Its off-road hardware suite includes full-time four-wheel drive in regular direct ratio or low 2.717:1 ratio when more power needs to be deployed at a crawling pace. For low-traction surfaces the Navara features a locking rear differential to keep both wheels turning in unison and limited-slip centre differential to send power where needed. With high 229mm ground clearance, the Navara and generous approach, break-over and departure angles, and electronic hill descent control and hill start assistance, for good measure.

In addition to its generous cargo, loading and towing capacities, the new Navara boast a spacious double cabin accommodating five occupants, with easy access. It is spacious in all directions despite the shorter roofline and wheelbase, and with good front and side visibility, despite a higher waistline. Meanwhile rear parking sensors (and optional rearview monitor) help with manoeuvrability. Finished in durable good quality fabric, soft textures, piano black and metallic trim, the Navara’s cabin is pleasant and refined. Well-equipped with convenience features, the Navara LE HR specification driven came with remote central locking, climate control and CD sound system with USB and Bluetooth connectivity.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2.5-litre, in-line, common-rail turbo-diesel, 4-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 89 x 100mm

Compression ratio: 15.1:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC

Gearbox: 6-speed manual, four-wheel-drive

Driveline: low gear transfer, locking rear & optional limited-slip centre differentials

Gear ratios: 1st 4.685:1; 2nd 2.478:1; 3rd 1.623:1; 4th 1.207:1; 5th 1.0:1; 6th 0.808:1

Reverse/final drive: 4.709:1/3.538:1

High/low range: 1:1/2.717:1

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 161 (163) [120] @3600rpm

Specific power: 64.7BHP/litre

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 297 (403) @2000rpm

Specific torque: 162Nm/litre

0-100km/h: approximately 11-seconds

Fuel consumption, combined: 6.62-litres/100km

Fuel capacity: 80-litres

Length: 5336mm

Width: 1850mm

Height: 1808mm

Wheelbase: 3150mm

Overhang, F/R: 878/1308mm

Aerodynamic drag co-efficiency: 0.37

Minimum ground clearance: 229mm

Approach angle: 32.2°

Break-over angle: 23.7°

Departure angle: 26.5°

Kerb weight: 1925kg (est.)

Towing capacity: 3500kg

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbones, coilovers/leaf springs, live axle

Steering: Power-assisted rack & pinion

Turning circle: 12.4-metres

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs/drums

Tyres: 255/70R16

Price, 2WD starting from/4WD, as driven: JD22,000/JD28,000