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The BurJuman Centre’s Floral Extravaganza was unveiled last Thursday. As part of the Dubai Summer Surprises 2008, the month-long competition has brought out Dubai’s most creative florists who have created complex arrangements made with exotic, and often unheard of flower species.
The top florists are competing in nine categories, which includes flower arrangements, flower baskets, flower statues, table settings, bridal bouquets and floral haute couture.
Florist Julius Villamante, manager of flower, plant maintenance and landscaping company Oleander, won first prize in the floral arrangements category. His team’s seven foot “hurricane" arrangement won them Dh10,000 cash prize.
“It took our team one day to build the structure glueing and nailing everything into place and an hour-and-a-half to add the greenery and flowers, the Filipino national said.
The structure was built with wrought iron and chicken wire. Leaves were used to cover it after which exotic flowers that included roses, calla lilies, oncidium orchids, anthuriums, foxtail lilies and cymbidium orchids.
The towering piece’s lower portion was orange and yellow on top.
“I got the inspiration for the piece after Typhoon Fengshen hit our country and tried to translate the idea into a floral arrangement," Villamante said.
The florist, who has participated in competitions across Asia, said he recently won third place at a Sharjah floral arrangement competition and was heading to Singapore next month for another competition.
BurJuman will host the Flower Extravaganza till July 1 after which it will move to Al Ghurair City, from July 3 to 8, and then on to other shopping malls until July 26.
Modhesh bash
A five-hour long Modhesh Party had children coming out in droves to take part in the colourful carnivals, cake cutting and other activities last Thursday at Ibn Battuta Mall.
The Modhesh-themed party also had hula-hoop contests, chopstick challenges, a theatrical performance from Princess and her Friends, and circus performers.
An arts and crafts area was also set up for face painting, handbag-making classes and paper sculpture demonstrations.
Dh4.5 million to be won
Dubai Outlet Mall began the DSS 2008 festivities with their first summer draw where 13 shoppers won prizes worth Dh620,000.
The Dubai Malls Group (DSMG) gave five shoppers Dh100,000 each in shopping vouchers and Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group gave seven winners Dh10,000 each, in addition to a weekly Dh50,000 draw.
The DSMG will give away a total of Dh4.5 million during the festival.
Also at the mall is an entertainment line-up that includes Kahuna drumming, musical costume shows, the Kristy Show, interactive drumming workshops, the Acapella Show, the European Dance Show, acrobats, flamenco and a carnival show.
Shoppers who make purchases of Dh100 or more from 10am-2pm between Sunday and Wednesday will get a voucher for a coffee.
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