1. The Big Apple Brunch at Marriott Marquis

2. Red Bull Car Park Drift

I will be looking forward to check out Red Bull Car Park Drift this Friday at Doha Corniche. Red Bull is usually associated with the coolest events in town and they are back again this year with the popular drift event.

3. Cicchetti Doha - Italian restaurant

4. BATCH ’81 (1982)

“Martial Law was good for the Philippines - True or False?”

Arguably the greatest work in Philippine cinema, master filmmaker Mike de Leon’s Batch ’81 follows a group of young men as they are initiated into the violent subculture of college fraternities in the Philippines. Each character has a different reason for joining - longing for a sense of belonging, achieving connections and influence, filial piety - but each one understands (or is made to understand) that they have to endure physical and psychological abuse in order to become a full-fledged member of their chosen “brotherhood”. Of course, becoming a full-fledged member also entails that they are free (or perhaps more accurately, they are obligated) to subject new recruits to the same systematic and ritualized abuse that they themselves have undergone. The film uses the fraternity setting as a tragic synecdoche for the Filipino people’s propensity to become willing and enthusiastic participants in cycles of brutality. Thirty-five years after its release in theaters and Batch ’81 remains as relevant as ever.

Watch it if you want to see a Filipino take on A Clockwork Orange (1971) or liked the satirical aspects of Starship Troopers (1997).

5. New Yorker

I don’t consider myself a shopaholic, especially when trendy fashion apparel is usually not available in sizes for bigger or taller people. I’m 6’5 and the length of shirts and pants in popular stores tend to be an inch or two too short, making it look like they shrank in the dryer.

It’s suffice to say, I never thought I’d be one to dish out fashion advice. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the New Yorker—expecting to be disappointed yet again by limited sizes—and found fashion pieces that actually fit me perfectly! I walked out with a whole new wardrobe that day, and I thought this has to be my pick for the week.

With branches in Qatar Mall, Festival City, and Gulf Mall, the New Yorker is now my go-to place for the latest designs in casual wear, with fantastic fit and prices that will not break the bank.

6. For online gamers: Overwatch

Overwatch is a high action, team based multiplayer online game which is highly addictive for those into action strategy games. I personally have spent a lot of hours if not days playing this games. There are various maps and characters, that you can learn to play, specialising in whichever type of character you prefer, melee, sniper, healers, and many more. They have interesting back stories (comics, and videos on YouTube ) with a diverse set of characters. You can play ranked and excel in skill levels, or you can just have fun on quick play. You also have the option to create your own game, customising your settings to what you prefer, as well as arcade games that are short and sweet if you’re lacking in time.

7. New on Netflix: Alias Grace

Though I'm not a fan of The Handmaid's Tale, I certainly do appreciate Margaret Atwood's books. I read Alias Grace a few years ago and was left with a very distinct impression (it's a thriller). I wound up binge-watching the latest TV series adaption, which is now available on Netflix in the Middle East. With great casting, directing and beautiful production design, the show is on par with the novel. 

The story centers around Grace Marks, a poor Irish immigrant and domestic servant in Canada in the 1800s, who is accused and convicted for the murder of her employer and his housekeeper.

Sounds heavy, but the plot flows smoothly. You won't be scarred! Much.

Let us know in the comments below if you liked our picks for this week. Have a great week ahead and do try some of our recommendations.