Category: Lifestyle features

DIMENTION – Artworks by Ndue Pepa opens in Abu Dhabi

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Shereen Shabnam Pepa Ndue

Couple of days ago I was able to meet and chat with well-known Albanian artist, Ndue Pepa during his 3 days visit to UAE. Pepa is represented in the UAE by Artissima Gallery and is showcasing his art collection ‘Dimension’ at the Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi until the 20th of February, 2014.

Born in Albania, Ndue Pepa’s art techniques are based on Albanian traditions that he has modernized with his unique artistic style. After exhibiting in Albania and Italy, art enthusiasts in the UAE will get a chance to view his work in Abu Dhabi.

Artissima _Pepa_ Shereen Shabnam

Ndue Pepa practices the philosophy of stylistic deformity through his eye retina photographs, which resembles the circle rotation spiral in a new stage and in a round cycle more advanced in time.

The paintings of artist Ndue Pepa is appreciated in many countries and have become part of art collections by followers of his style of work. The strength of Ndue Pepa lies in the use of rich vibrant colours that are expressive and composed fluidly in dynamic geometric movements that are energetic and celebrates both the creativity of the past and present.

Science for a better life

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Bayer exhibition Shereen Shabnam

Couple of days ago I was super lucky to see the award-winning exhibition ‘Bayer: Science For A Better Life’  in Dubai, as part of a world tour celebrating Bayer, the world-class innovation company’s 150th anniversary, offering a hands-on interactive exhibition.

Held at The Dubai Mall’s Star Atrium, ‘Bayer: Science For A Better Life’ provides visitors with a chance to discover, interact, and engage with the latest innovations in healthcare, agriculture, and high-performance materials that help improve the quality of life of people, animals, and plants worldwide.

The exhibition is educative and entertaining, and features microscopes, thermal imaging cameras, digital games, and more, all specifically designed to be touched and tried out encouraging visitors to learn and have fun. 

The exhibition had 22 approximately two-meter high boxes with capital letters, each of which refers to a Bayer topic, from A for Aspirin to E for Energy-efficient Mobility and R for Rice. Each box contains images and informational text on the scientific background and social aspects of the topic. Numerous interactive elements are available for visitors to test. Together, the boxes spell out Bayer’s mission: ‘Science For A Better Life’.

 

Oros sure does smell nice

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Oros.Pour.Femme Shereen Shabnam

Little diva and I are currently trying out a new fragrance from Oros, the high-end French fragrance brand. Oros, which means ‘Gold’ in Spanish, have used natural oils for a long-lasting scent and hand-decorated bottles with Swarovski elements – I have tried it for 2 weeks now and am loving it.

Oros pour femme for women is encased in handcrafted bottles with a dozen crystals that connote persona and sophistication for each month throughout the year, while the Swarovski stud on the cap imparts opulence as it’s the crowning glory.

Oros Pour Femme, is presented in a sleek graceful clear glass bottle. The scent is described as elegant, provocative and free-spirited, full of passion and emotion.

The scent combines floral elements with the glamorous sensuality of an Oros woman. It opens to sparkling notes of bergamot, pear and lily and reveals a sensuous floral combination of ylang-ylang, absolute tuberose and absolute jasmine. The dry-down of the scent combines white musk, patchouli and amber….it’s real nice!

MET Opera – Verdi’s Falstaff

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I guess the whole world knows by now that I live with a little diva who is absolutely crazy about MET Opera and gets fully immersed in the story line and emotions that the brilliant actors of MET Opera portray.

The exciting news is that Meydan IMAX Theatre is presenting the MET Opera’s 4th installment: Verdi’s brilliant final masterpiece Falstaff has its first new Met production in nearly 50 years, conducted by James Levine and directed by Robert Carsen.

Ambrogio Maestri sings the iconic basso buffo role of Sir John Falstaff, the boorish, blustery character originally seen in Shakespeare’s Henry IV and Merry Wives of Windsor.Angela Meade is Alice Ford, one of many objects of Falstaff’s affection, and Stephanie Blythe is the sharp-tongued Mistress Quickly in a cast that also includes Lisette Oropesa as Nannetta, Jennifer Johnson Cano as Meg Page, Paolo Fanale in his Met debut as Fenton, and Franco Vassallo as Ford.

The International Herald Tribune praised Carsen’s staging, first seen at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, as a “production of eye-catching ingenuity.”

Hope to see you there – even though it’s a school night, Little diva is already jumping up and down in preparation of yet another immersive Opera evening at Meydan IMAX.

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Sound of Music workshops in Bahrain

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Sound of Music Shereen Shabnam

Bahrain Science Centre continues to amaze the visitors with its Sound of Music workshops which introduces the audience to the basic concepts and science behind sounds and music. The goal is to illustrate, using enjoyable games and experiments, terms such as sound wave, wave length, frequency, and pitch to the audience in a both interactive and comprehensible manner.

By the end of this workshop, participants should be able to differentiate between different forms of sound (i.e. Noise, music) and types of waves. They will also understand how the human ear functions in addition to identifying how different musical instruments produce different sorts of sound waves.

Interested visitors can download the weekly programme on the website www.bahrainsciencecentre.com for more information. The Bahrain Science Centre is located in Building 334, Road 109, Block 801, Riyadh Avenue, Isa Town, Kingdom of Bahrain.

Mystic Dreams from THE ONE

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THE One Shereen Shabnam

Decidedly dramatic and darkly romantic, THE One’s Mystic Mélange boudoir look is the stuff that dreams are made of. Combining raven black, gorgeous gold and mystical purple hues with rich velvets, mixed patterns and Oriental touches, it oozes gothic glamour….a bit like what I would like my room to be.

To recreate this magically moody bedroom scene, set the stage for drama and romance with deep purple paisley wallpaper, before introducing the star of the show: a stunning gold velvet upholstered bed, dressed to the nines in charcoal, plum and beige. Accessorize with  luxurious satiny bedspreads in old gold and black and a pair of dog cushion covers, for a playful touch. Next up are the supporting acts in the form of strikingly graphic monochrome statement pieces like a handcrafted bone inlay side table and chest of drawers in addition to an upholstered box stool at the foot of the bed.

Finish dressing the set with an eclectic assortment of props ranging from a French Baroque-inspired table chandelier and weathered sunburst mirror, to a jet-black Chinese ginger jar, bejewelled perfume bottles and a gothic candlestick. Throw in an ornate crystal ball and you’re all set to drift off in style. Who knows where your dreams may take you?

The awesome team at THE ONE have put together a list of items you need to recreate the perfect boudoir:

Get the Look:

JAGGER gold velvet bed 180x200cm

DABKA bedspread 230x250cm

THIERRY Poncelet10 cushion cover 45×45

BOX stool 170x40cm

KANOR side table d50cm

KANOR 5-drawer chest

MILANO table lamp h74cm

SCENIC black ginger jar h64cm

FILIGREE picture frame 20X25CM

ROYAL candlestick h49cm

CRYSTAL ball deco h24cm

BURST mirror

Shereen Shabnam KANOR chest

AstroLab Activities at Bahrain Science Centre

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Astronomy Shereen Shabnam

Visitors to Bahrain Science Centre can enjoy weekly AstroLab workshops at the centre at no cost.The Centre has developed a strong astronomy programme in collaboration with the University of Bahrain and created an AstroLab that has telescopes, computers and an online weather station.

There is also an Astronomy Club for aspiring young star gazers who are keen to learn more about the universal laboratory in the sky….enjoy stargazing!

Al-Jazari ‘s Elephant Water Clock exhibit comes to Bahrain

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Elephent_Clock Shereen Shabnam

Bahrain Science Centre, a part of Ministry of Social Development is currently showcasing a scale model replica of one of the most famous inventions from the Golden Age of Islamic Science, the Al-Jazari’s ‘Elephant Water Clock’, manufactured by MTE Studios in the foyer area of the centre. The exhibit has proven to be of great interest to the general public who gather around it, read the labels while students learn more about it using educational activity sheets.

Al-Jazari invented the ‘Elephant Water Clock’ for several reasons. It was mainly to tell the time and to showcase the advanced state of Islamic engineering but also to celebrate the universality of Islam in the 12th century.  The Clock includes an elephant from India, an Egyptian phoenix, Persian carpets, Indian water technology, Arabian architecture and Chinese serpents.

Visitors will learn how the clock was used to tell the time to the half hour using an elaborate ball run system that is powered by a perforated bowl technique first devised by the Greeks and then perfected later in India.

Al-Jazari’s clock is one of the most amazing automated machines invented during the middle Ages. Don’t miss this opportunity to see it as the exhibit will only remain there until the last week of January.

Film Screening: 5 Broken Cameras

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 5 Broken Cameras

Check out a new screening from Sharjah Art Foundation. 5 Broken Cameras by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi looks at Palestinian farmer Emad, who since 2005 has been documenting his village’s resistance to advancing Israeli settlements, using the five cameras of the title.

Each camera tells part of the story, beginning with Emad recording Israeli bulldozers ripping olive trees from the ground and building up towards fiercer conflicts. The film features some hard-hitting footage, as Emad remains determined to continue documenting, despite pleas from his wife and an ever-increasing risk of violence.

Showing is at Mirage City Cinema, SAF Art Spaces, Behind Al Zahra Mosque, Sharjah on Saturday at 7.30pm.

Colour, 94 mins, 2011 arabic with english subtitles

Shaheen Races

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shereen falcon

The Fazza Championships for Falconry, organized by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center, have started the Gyr Shaheen speed races category for the general public. The categories of the falcon racing: Gyr Shaheen (younger) and Gyr Shaheen (older) are for enthusiasts who love falconry.

Below you will find a bit of wisdom of a Falconer piece sent to me by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center and see some images from the sport:

The Wisdom of a Falconer

Since Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Centre is a credible source for preserving and promoting national heritage in the UAE, and provides heritage based references and books, the sixth chapter of the book of Falconry: celebrating a living heritage, sheds the light on a long stretched heritage in a modern world. The author sums up a final message to falconers reminding them of the moment they raise their hands to free their falcon for hunting the prey at the break of dawn.  He states that Falconers may think it is their first hunting trip but it may well be their last. Amid the uncontrolled excitement and anticipation, falconers should think of the truth that they are one ring in a long chain stretching centuries back to prehistoric times, to the fate that lies ahead of them.   (Book by Dr. Javier Ceballos)   

Falcon Fijianchick

Falcon shereen