Trekkies in Dubai queue up to be part of the next Hollywood blockbuster.

When casting agency Miranda Davidson Studios announced that they were holding a three day, open casting call for the BIGGEST Hollywood movie to be shot in Dubai in the last five years - people turned up in droves.

Never officially announced, but the timings, research and whisperings seemed to suggest that this was for the latest installment of the Star Trek franchise: Star Trek Beyond.

JJ Abrams sadly isn't directing this one, as he's too busy with a certain other franchise set in a 'Galaxy far far away'. But at the helm is seasoned director Justin Lin, who directed many of the Fast and the Furious movies. Also worth noting is that brilliant British actor, writer, producer Simon Pegg, who also plays Chief Engineer 'Scotty' has co-written this latest trekfest.

Anyway, I digress.....

When myself and a few work mates saw this - yup the 'nerds and geeks' of the office, we thought, why the heck not? And trotted off for the casting sessions. These were held in the sound stages (where movie companies build giant indoor sets to shoot their films on), of Dubai's Studio City.

We got there early!

After filling out all our details, showing some ID's, we then had our photos taken. These are the standard head shot, full body shot from the front and side. The we had all our measurements taken, which was all very thorough. After this we were on our merry way again and all you do is sit and wait to see if you get a call.

The cool thing about being an extra is, whether it's for TV, film, commercials or corporate, agencies need people of all shapes, sizes, nationalities and backgrounds - it just depends what they're looking for for each individual project. With this in mind, there's no reason why anyone can't go and register themselves.

Working as an extra is a whole lot of fun! I used to do a lot of it for various TV shows in the UK. 

It's brilliant to see so many big budget Hollywood movies being shot in the UAE now and giving people in the locality the chance to get involved and be part of this incredible industry.

Good luck to everyone who went. If you get picked, I'm sure you'll be fabulous.

Hunting - A totally unnecessary bloodsport.

I have no words to describe people who go hunting. Actually that's not true at all, I have lots of words to describe them, but none that do justice to their abhorrent attitude towards the beautiful creatures that we have on this earth.

Why a seemingly intelligent person would feel the need to track and kill a creature for fun is beyond me. Hunting for a purpose - for food, clothing, I get that. But hunting for sport? Totally unnecessary and serves no purpose than to fuel some peoples needs for blood lust.

The killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe has made people raise their voices against this practice, and rightly so. I've seen people ask, 'Why such an outcry over ONE lion?' - clearly these people don't seem to understand, that in the whole of Africa there are less than 30,000 lions left. Plus it's not just ONE lion, when you kill the Alpha male, the other males vying to be the next Alpha, inherently kill all the cubs belonging to the fallen King - therefore an entire group can be wiped out.

 When does the killing stop? When there are none left in the world, but those poor creatures languishing in zoos and safari parks, guarded day and night by armed soldiers?

Sadly man's 'need' to shoot things has created greedy people and given rise to canned hunting - a vile practice where animals are raised in captivity, then let loose in a restricted area for hunters to shoot them. I don't call that fair, do you?

I've also seen people making thin arguments for shooting lions and other animals, citing attacks on people - well sorry but this happens when man decides to encroach on the territories of other beings. What gives some humans the right to think they are the only ones allowed to live on this planet, with everything else at their disposal, to be used how they see fit. You have NO right. We 'share' this earth with other creatures, who have just as much right to an existence as we do, but the way we are going, we will have wiped out the majority of species in no time and in just a few decades lions, tigers, elephants and rhinos will only be found in history books, documentaries on Animal Planet and stuffed in museums. Is this really what we want?

We are supposed to be caretakers, but instead humans are the most violent, destructive, infective species that there is. When are we going to wake up? Cecil the lions death has highlighted this problem and the people that are the problem. I applaud the authorities in Zimbabwe for taking action, for banning hunting of large game and wanting those responsible to be brought to justice, and rightly so. However, governments and organisations in African countries and indeed others around the world are also to blame for allowing these things to happen in the first place. For putting a price on the heads of animals that they are famous for.

These animals should be viewed in awe and amazement and revered for how incredibly beautiful they are. If you want a souvenir - Take a picture, NOT a trophy.

Review - MedColl Collagen Supplement.

A while a go I was asked if I would like to try a new anti-aging supplement, and of course I jumped at the chance.

MedColl's new collagen supplements are a nutraceutical - basically a product made from natural ingredients, that have medicinal purposes. Great! As natural is definitely the way to go. So the product claims to boost collagen production, keep the skin hydrated and fight off free radicals using anti-oxidants.

This isn't a quick fix, as the supplements are working from the inside and take time to come into full effect and can start to be seen in future skin cycles, with the turnover of new skin cells being approximately every 30 days.

I was given a 45 day supply and had to take 2 of the supplement tablets everyday. Obviously this was going to take a little while for any visible results and I wasn't sure if I'd notice anything at all after just 45 days. However, my skin definitely feels more hydrated and plumper than it did before, this in turn had a reducing effect on finer lines. I have combination skin, with the typical oily T-zone, which seems to have evened out as well. My skin feels smoother and softer overall, which I'm very happy about and I'm sure that over time and continued use of the supplement, there would only be more positive and visible results.

MedColl is available at leading UAE pharmacies and retails for approx: 299Dhs for a months supply - which is cost effective if you want to go a natural route and avoid things like Botox and Fillers.

Getting the point - dry needling for muscle issues

After struggling with shoulder issues for months on end, constantly being in pain and having a limited range of movement - enough was enough. My physios were doing lots of different treatments, electrotherapy, infrared laser, physio massage, ultrasound, all of which was helping, albeit slowly.

Then in one session, it was suggested that we try Trigger Point Dry Needling on the muscles causing the issues. I had no idea what this entailed and just thought it was like acupuncture - how wrong I was.

TDN, to give it its short name, involves using a very fine needle (the same as an acupuncture needle) which is inserted at the point in the muscle causing the problem. I never felt the needle go in at all and was asked to tell the therapist when I felt the needle hitting the trigger point, basically when I felt some pain. At that point the therapist stimulates the trigger point with the needle, then removes it. This is done on each area of muscle causing the issues.

I then had kinetic tape put over the area and went on my merry way.

What I didn't expect, was the next day to feel so much better!!! The pain was greatly reduced and I had a better range of motion in my shoulder and arm - this after just one session.

So I went back for more and the following day it improved again. Basically after just two sessions, I would say my shoulder and arm are 85% back to being normal again.

I'm astounded at how effective this treatment is and really don't know why it's not recommended more, as clearly it works.....and fast!

So, for anyone else suffering from similar issues, it might well be worth asking to try this treatment as it's definitely worked for me.

Pet abadonment - why are mixed breeds shunned?

This time of year in the UAE depresses me! It's the time of year when 'pets' across the country get dumped, mostly by expats leaving for good or going away on summer vacation and suddenly realizing that they haven't made provision for their furry friend and all the kennels are fully booked, or they haven't put money aside to cover relocation costs, which, depending which country you're relocating to can include flights, vet checks and quarantine.

Rescue groups and shelters are bursting at the seams, with waiting lists for dogs and cats in desperate need of homes. BUT, there's one big sad reality, any time a small, pure bred dog comes up for rehoming or adoption, people line up to take it, while the mixed breed dogs can wait days, weeks, months and in some tragic cases years to find their forever home.

This is a reality that I have never understood at all. The majority of mixed breed dogs, get no bigger than knee high and it is a FACT that mixed breed dogs are generally healthier and require less maintenance than pure breds. Everyone I know with a pure bred dog, has spent a small fortune on vet bills, because they're so in-bred, that they suffer from genetic health issues, especially snub-nosed breeds and dogs with lots of skin folds.

Your 'designer' dog or a Cockapoo, or Labradoodle that you spent thousands on is STILL a mongrel anyway you want to put it.

I have two mixed breed desert dogs and they are just awesome, kind, affectionate, rounded personalities, never had any health issues (despite one of them being disabled) and I would never have anything else.

 

In short, if you're thinking about adding a furry friend to your family, please give the mixed breeds a chance, go in with an open mind and heart, because most of the time, dogs choose YOU, not the other way around and you might be pleasantly surprised. Consider the needs of any animal before adding one to your family - vet bills, relocation costs, quarantine - all the things that it'll cost you if and when you leave the UAE. An animal might only be around for part of your life, but you should be there for the entirety of its life. Dogs have feelings and being abandoned causes upset, confusion and sadness for them. They simply are not things you throw away like rubbish and if you're not prepared to be a responsible owner, then please, PLEASE do not get a pet to start with.

I applaud all the rescue groups and shelters who take on these poor souls, because all they want is a little love and a place to call their forever home.

Fillerina by Labo - a review

Produced by Swiss company Labo, Fillerina is a product I absolutely had to try. It's the first, at home dermo-cosmetic filler for at home use and claims to reduce wrinkles and plump out cheeks and lips.

Having had both botox and fillers in the past - for the deep frown lines in my forehead and laughter lines around my mouth, I was very keen to see the results a non-surgical product could give.

Fillerina consists of two different products, the first is the gel filler, which you apply along wrinkles, frown/laughter lines, crows feet, neck lines, using the precision applicator. You then leave the gel to be absorbed for ten minutes. After this time, any residual product can be patted into the skin (not rubbed in). Following the gel, you then apply the nourishing film and massage all over your face and neck. It's recommended to use up to 2ml of product a day, but to be honest this was a bit much for my skin and I ended up applying both evening at night to be able to use that much. But it's up to you whether you use one or two applications a day.

Fillerina comes in three grades, 1, 2 and 3 and you use the grading charts in pharmacies to decide which grade is suitable for you, depending how evident your wrinkles are.

You use Fillerina for 14 days - there's meant to be enough product for one, 2ml application a day for the 14 days, but I found I had some left over. You then maintain using the other Labo products, then reuse Fillerina in three months time.

So, what's the verdict? Well I have to say I'm pretty impressed with the results! The finer lines on my forehead were reduced to virtually nothing and virtually invisible after the 14 days and the deeper ones softened significantly. The crows feet around my eyes (note. not to be used on the delicate area underneath your eyes) softened and reduced a great deal and the laughter lines around my mouth filled out, much to my great surprise. 

Overall I was very impressed with this product. It does take quite a bit of commitment to remember to apply every morning or evening, or both, depending how your skin takes to it and to keep up the effects, you need to reapply every three months and are meant to use the maintenance products in between.

For a non-surgical option, it's a really great product for freshening up your skin and reducing those pesky wrinkles and plumping up certain areas of the face.

Fillerina is available in most good pharmacies across the UAE. Cost ranges between 550-600Dhs depending on which grade you use.

Spartan Race UAE.......We did it!!

So on a dusty Friday morning, around 5,000 people turned up to test themselves both physically and mentally at the first ever Spartan Race in the UAE. 5kms of sandy course, with 15 obstacles to navigate stood between the start and finish lines.

 I think just running over desert terrain, up and down sand dunes, tested many of the participants before they even got to any of the obstacles, but whether it was rope climbs, tyre flips, scaling walls, commando crawling under barbed wire or wading through mud, everyone gave it their all.

Some of the obstacles definitely required team work and it was wonderful to see people gratefully taking that 'outstretched hand' to help them along the way.

Events like this are amazing and it was wonderful to see so many people of all different fitness levels and abilities giving it a go for their own personal goals. We just wanted to finish! And finish we did.......looking very worse for wear, after wading through all the mud, which was probably one of my favourite things.

The first race seemed to be an unquestionable success and I hope they will bring the event back to the UAE next year, including the longer, tougher, Super and Beast courses which will add extra challenges for people taking part.

If you've never thought of signing up for something like this, why not give it a go? You never know what you can achieve if you don't set goals and try. I'm now looking forward to similar races to test myself further and having a whole lot of fun whilst doing it.