Sacoor Brothers Womenswear

August 18, 2013Leave a comment

Have you have the chance to visit any of the Sacoor Brothers stores yet? If not, you better hurry and get yourself a classy and super sophisticated fashion fix. Sacoor Brothers is little diva’s fashion fix. I love the stuff but my voluptuousness somehow is not suitable for most of their cuts so i just make do with their awesome accessories. If you have a figure like Mademoiselle NJD, head out there. Whether it’s for the office or a relaxed Friday with friends and family, Sacoor Brothers offers you the right outfit for any occasion!… Wish I could fit into them as easily as NJD. See some of my favourite pieces below.

New exciting workshops at the Bahrain Science Centre

August 18, 2013Leave a comment

Two exciting two-hour workshops, on ‘Robotics’ and ‘Stop-Go Animation’, will take place at the Bahrain Science Centre, part of the Ministry of Social Development on 19^th and 20^th August, and the first students to enroll will be included in the workshops.

The workshops will be run by the Program Management Division of the US Embassy in Bahrain and will be run by two experienced science educators, Christopher Coleman and Laleh Mehran, both Associate Professors at the University of Denver in the USA.

The ‘Robotics’ workshops will take place in the Auditorium from 4 to 6 pm and are targeted at students aged 11 to 14 years. Only 12 people can be accepted for this workshop. This workshop will examine the basic ideas of robots and how they think. Participants will experiment with different small robots and watch them in action. They will also solder parts together to make their own robots, which they can take home.

The ‘Stop-Go Animation’ workshops will be held in the Classroom from 4 to 6 pm on Monday, 19^th August and Tuesday, 20^th August and are targeted at students aged 8 years and older. Only 12 people can be accepted for this workshop. This workshop is for kids who want to learn how to make ‘stop-go’ animations that are inspired by their surroundings and their own imaginations. Participants will learn how to manipulate objects and to create their own stories.

Organised activity schedules can be downloaded from the Bahrain Science Centre website and Facebook pages. The Bahrain Science Centre is located in Building 334, Road 109, Block 801, Riyadh Avenue, Isa Town, Kingdom of Bahrain and can be contacted on 17686466.

About Bahrain Science Centre (BSC):

The Bahrain Science Centre (BSC) is an interactive educational facility that targets children, youth and families of Bahrain. It is located in building 334, Road 109, Block 801, Riyadh Avenue, Isa Town, Kingdom of Bahrain. The science centre has six interactive exhibition galleries, an auditorium, four laboratories and a café/shop.

The role of the BSC is to promote awareness of the importance of science and technology, complement the school curriculum, stimulate curiosity and innovation, and create a forum for public debate on science and technology issues. The topics covered by current exhibitions include junior engineering, human health, the five senses, earth sciences and biodiversity.

Focusing on hands-on learning using interactive displays and people-centred programmes, such as science shows, Bahrain Science Centre also strongly promotes creativity and innovation as well as cross-generational learning. The science centre will also endeavour to promote an awareness of Bahrain’s contributions to science and technology and a strong Bahraini identity. It is an ideal family edutainment destination

Explore Clumber Park

August 10, 2013Leave a comment

This summer, little diva got introduced to some serious nature by her paternal aunt and Uncle….at Clumber Park which is set on the old country estate of the Dukes of Newcastle and is home to beautiful avenues, plants, wildlife and an amazing picturesque trail for walking.

We walked through gardens, woodlands, light forests and NJD even had a Winnie the Pooh moment throwing twigs in the river and watching them come on the other end of a bridge over a waterfall.

We took photos of the chapel, a masterpiece of gothic revival, standing tall in grandeur of the past.

NJD enjoyed feeding ducks and swans while skipping along stopping only for ice cream after 3 hours of blissful nature around a magnificent lake. I got a nettle attack only to be cured by a leaf growing nearby in minutes.

We even came across a bridge that looked much like the troll bridge in the series ‘Once Upon a Time’. The day ended with scones and tea from the Café…delightfully English!

Tash climbs her first tree

Moon Jars

August 7, 2013Leave a comment

Because one of the best routes to get to Fiji these days is via Korea, Tash and I have had the opportunity to see moon jars of Korea a number of times…the first time was when we had a couple of nights in Seoul where we experience the first snow Seoul had in years and our first sighting of a moon jar. More recently, we saw a really good moon jar exhibition in London at the Korean Cultural Centre. (Actually it will be there until the 17^th of August 2013).

The moon jar is a vessel shaped albeit like the moon where the height of the body is almost equal to its diameter.

We learnt at the exhibition that the technique used to make the jar is by joining two separate parts that make the diameter of the base smaller than that of the mouth, so the shape appears unstable.

The beauty is that these slight imperfections, in harmony with the cream body actually highlight the sheer size of the voluptuous curves, lending to a greater dignity in the piece….that almost sounds like a description of me – voluptuous with some imperfections but overall in harmony with myself.

Anyway….moon jars were created by royal kilns primarily between the late 17^th and 18^th century and used for utilitarian purposes – for storing food, displaying flowers etc.

The exhibition was a nice detour as we introduced Tash to various parts of London. It is important I feel that mixed kids need to know both sides of their parents’ heritage and feel connected to our childhood, our upbringing and get exposure to the life we lived.

Tash is very lucky to have travelled the world – Over 20 countries before the age of 12 and having a connection to Fiji, UK, Spain, Malaysia and UAE will help her understand the strong influences of these countries she sees at home.

PS: *The artists in London whose work I saw included Adam Buick, Jack Doherty, Akiko Hirai, Gareth Mason and Yee Sookyung. There is also a beautiful video still of the artists at work called Aspheric Light by James Kelly.

Peacock Collection from Mouawad

July 14, 2013Leave a comment

Shereen Shabnam Mouawad Peacock

Mouawad’s skilled awesome artisans have come up a stunning nature inspired jewellery collection that evokes the hues and beauty of peacock plumes…the last time I saw a Mouawad piece was months ago so it was superb to see some new pieces from them this week.

The new range of precious jewellery combines diamonds and multi-coloured precious gemstones and boasts a sophisticated chromatic effect. The new Peacock collection is perfect to complement and adds a touch of colour to any wardrobe during special Ramadan occasions.

Released in limited numbers, the items of the new collection are all realized in 18K white gold and set with diamonds, citrines, sapphires, tourmalines and peridots. Matched in different combinations, the colourful stones create a graceful medley of bright white, deep blue, dark green, warm red, pink-violet and golden yellow, recalling the tones of the peacock’s plumage.

The Peacock collection captures the colourful splendour of nature’s most romantic bird in a striking and delicate range of bangles, earrings, necklaces, pendants and rings. Worn individually or combined to create a coordinated set, the pieces of the collection will grace a woman for every occasion and captivate during upcoming Ramadan social gatherings.

With prices starting from to USD$ 6,950 to USD$ 47,200 the Peacock collection is available in all Mouawad boutiques across the GCC.

Brain and Memory is the June theme at Bahrain Science Centre

June 11, 2013Leave a comment

During June 2013, Bahrain Science Centre, a part of the Ministry of Social Development will host various activities under the theme ‘Brain & Memory’. A series of displays, talks and competitions will be held to celebrate this theme with highlights including ‘Brain Gym’ and ‘Brain Olympics’

The activities of this month will allow visitors to get the deep knowledge of how brain functions from the process of storing information, its weight, how many neurons are there, and how much energy dose the brain use?

Memory is headquartered in the brain and unlike other body organs, such as the heart (which is a pump), liver (chemical factory) or the lungs (bellows), your brain is ‘you’ and cannot be transplanted. Learn more by visiting the Science centre during the month of June.

The Bahrain Science Centre is located in Building 334, Road 109, Block 801, Riyadh Avenue, Isa Town, Kingdom of Bahrain and can be contacted on 17686466.

Press release issued on behalf Bahrain Science Centre. For further information, please contact Shereen Shabnam on +971 507690087/ 504828177/ shereen@mtestudios.com. For information on the weekly programmes at the Bahrain Science Centre, please contact Amna Aldoseri at amna@mtestudios.com.

About Bahrain Science Centre (BSC):

My tryst with Porsche Panamera GTS

May 26, 2013Leave a comment

How beautiful is this car

Last month, my muse was the sportiest Porsche Panamera to ever to hit the road. In true diva like style, the Panamera GTS that I experienced first hand shows that Porsche really has introduced the head-turning variant of the hugely successful Panamera – this was evident in the comments people made when I arrived at work with the cool red Panamera GTS.

The Panamera GTS delivers racetrack performance, with a striking engine sound that turns heads, yet also offers the space and comfort of a four-seater Gran Turismo….I didn’t transfer my 65 pairs of shoes into the boot from my car but could clearly see that if I ever got the car for a few days, my portable shoe rack would fit into it with no problem.

With more power and upgraded brakes and a body lowered by ten millimetres plus a tuned chassis with air suspension and Porsche Active Stability Management (PASM), this model truly is capable of cutting it on the racing circuit. It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in under 4.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 288 km/h.

I will be honest that I didn’t go that fast simply because I used the swanky red Panamera to get to work on public roads and did not want to risk a face-off between a Fijian diva and RTA or Dubai Police. I decided to stay safe but I did take an earlier version of the Panamera on the YAS Marina racing circuit two years ago with an official gorgeous Belgian Porsche driver trainer as my co-driver. I almost got kicked out of the training after taking the 5^th model of a Porsche on the race track but charmed my way in to stay…the 7^th model of the Porsche we trained on was a Panamera and collectively everyone agreed that the Panamera is indeed a shark on the tracks. It was a delight to test the engines and the new Panamera GTS was an equal delight for me on the road.

The Panamera GTS reveals its independence with distinctive design features in the front-end, side and rear area, as well as black highlights. The interior is carefully tailored to underline the sporty personality with sports seats, a SportDesign steering wheel with shift paddles, an exclusive GTS leather interior, and Alcantara surfaces.

Featuring a modified 4.8-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine, which delivers a blistering 430 hp at 6,700 rpm, the Panamera GTS trumps the engine in its Panamera S/4S sister models by some 30 hp. Maximum torque is also increased by comparison, from 500 Nm to 520 Nm.

The basic retail price for the new Porsche Panamera GTS in the UAE is AED 512,000. The one I drove was with some additional cool options that made me feel like a queen of the Dubai roads and with all the extra options, it was roughly AED560,000…not bad if you want to make an already cool car into something that car enthusiasts will drool over.

*PS – if you want to see a closer picture of the screen map (GPS), check https://twitter.com/Fijianchick/media/grid. I took a picture of this on the road when I really needed to get to an area in Dubai I didn’t know very well.

*Al Nabooda Automobiles is the official dealer for Porsche in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

Nissan Middle East projects a positive FY2013

May 26, 2013Leave a comment

One of the nicest people in the Middle East automotive industry has to be Samir Cherfan, Managing Director Nissan Middle East…a positive down to earth and yet dynamic individual, he is confident and a visionary which is why it was a delight to listen to him last week over lunch talking about Nissan Middle East the 26.2% rise in sales for the 2012 financial year (FY2012) ending 31 March 2013 and what the brand hopes to achieve in the future.

The brand outperformed the overall market trend by 1.1%, following a year of award-winning brand building activities during which five new exciting and innovative models were launched. Nissan Middle East achieved 14.4%* market share, up 0.1% on FY2011.

The performance has led Nissan to predict positive growth 2013 in the Middle East during which it is forecasting a minimum 11.1% rise in sales against expected market growth of 5%*. By the close of FY2013, Nissan Middle East expects a market share across the region to be 15.2%.

Nissan’s strategy in the Middle East is based on the global strategy, ‘Nissan Power 88’, a wide-ranging six-year business plan announced in FY2011 that will accelerate the company’s growth according to Samir. “Based on Power 88, Nissan is aggressively renewing its product line-up in the region and heavily investing in powerful – sometimes record-breaking – brand initiatives. In financial year 2012, Nissan launched a new model almost every two months in the Middle East, all of which were enthusiastically welcomed by car buyers.”

Nissan will enjoy full years sale of the new models introduced in FY2012, which are expected to play a major part in increasing market share. Its leadership in the B/C segment was reinforced with the introduction of an all-new name to arguably the most competitive of segments, the Nissan Sentra small-sedan. In the first 50 days of its availability, nearly 1,500 Sentras were sold, reinforcing Nissan’s position as segment leader.

If you travel as much as I do, you will note that to support Power 88, Nissan launched its first global brand campaign in FY2012, supported in the Middle East with a multi-million dollar campaign in Dubai International Airport. With artwork strategically placed at over 70 chosen locations across the airport, the Nissan brand message will be delivered to all of the 64 million travellers passing through each year. . Fittingly for the Middle East’s most visible brand campaign, it also achieved a Guinness World Record with the accompanying production of the world’s largest indoor illuminated advertising sign – over 174 square meters…check it out the next time you are at Dubai airport.

With a proud racing heritage, Nissan Middle East also escalated its motorsport activity in FY2012. In October 2012 Nissan introduced the unique and highly successful GT Academy to the region, prompting thousands of entrants to compete to fulfil their dreams of turning ‘virtual to reality’ and transforming computer console gaming skills into a career as a professional racing driver. Its support of the region’s most iconic race, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, also reached new heights with the sponsorship of Yahya and Mansoor Belhelei.

Samir also mentioned to me that for the high-end cars, they also customise cars according to individual tastes … most discerning buyers I know value this so I hope 2013 is also a great year for Nissan with more premium clients knocking on their doors.

Get stylish at home with Bentley

May 23, 2013Leave a comment

Awesome!

I’m in the process of looking for a swanky villa in Dubai to move into and can’t help but spend hours at home furnishing shops in the hope of making my new home fun and stylish. Now I must hold on to my gallivanting around town as Bentley have announced a partnership with Club House Italia for the development of its new Bentley Home Collection.

This exclusive collection of furniture and home-ware will combine the finest quality craftsmanship with exquisite modern design and the luxury finishes which underlie Bentley’s renowned global brand…. I can only imagine how cool and classic the collection will be.

The state-of-the-art collection will combine traditional elements in contemporary contexts to enhance today’s residential, commercial and executive office interiors….if you have been in a Bentley, you would know that they have the finest world-class interiors – now you can have this luxury feel in your home and office.

Club House Italia – which furnishes the finest homes, boardrooms, apartments, hotels, yachts and private jets – will reflect Bentley’s elegant, prestigious and recognisable style in the creation of a range of furniture that combines the highest attention to detail with the finest aesthetic sensibility.

The essence of Club House Italia is expressing the style of desire, giving a shape to luxury through a contemporary art made up of talent, sensitivity and expertise. Combined with Bentley’s legendary style and exquisite craftsmanship, the partnership will offer rare examples of elegance and fine finishes, using the world’s most beautiful materials to bring out unique elements of character and craftsmanship…..can’t wait to see it!

Bahrain Science Centre to host a unique Sound of Music show

May 16, 2013Leave a comment

Our colleague Mohammed does the Sound of music show at Bahrain Science Centre

Bahrain Science Centre, part of the Ministry of Social Development in Bahrain will actively focus on exploring science shows on music this month sparked by the famous South African science show presenter, Derek Fish who visited the science centre last year.

Derek gave some terrific performances of his ‘Sounds of Music’ show to capacity audiences, encouraging facilitators to teach science using music in Bahrain. Two of the centre’s Facilitators, Mohammed Alkooheji and Hafsa Rahman, have taken the lead in this exciting initiative.

Sound travels in waves, but what do these waves look like? The centre has bought some software that shows, on the screen, what high and low-pitched sound waves look like. There are already downloaded sounds made by different musical instruments and visitors can watch the waves that they make.

Further research reveals that the shortest strings on string instruments, such as the guitar or violin, produce the highest pitch sounds and the longest strings produce the lowest pitch sounds. Likewise, wind instruments with large or long sound chambers (tuba, baritone saxophone, French horn, trombone) produce deeper sounds than instruments with small or narrow sound chambers (piccolo, flute or clarinet). To learn more, visit the Bahrain Science Centre.