Bahrain This Month - August 2021

TECHNOLOGY - ENTERTAINMENT - DINING

Since 1997

August 2021 | Vol. 25

| Issue 6 | BD2 / SR20

YOUR GUIDE TO A GREAT WAY OF LIFE

EDUCATION SPECIAL

MOTORING

DINING

We review Mondo Taste of Italy!

Dick Potter’s thoughts on flying cars seem within reach!

Where to eat this month

Motoring News to get you up to speed

PEOPLE

WTM

Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, HE Aymen Almoayed on the latest progressions for Bahrain

An insightful chat with Rooba Al Omari about her participation in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics

Hitting a high note with pianist, Rajat Chowdhury

Beauty Essentials

Ahmed Meshaima, a veteran Bahraini para-athlete on representing Bahrain on a global scale

Fashion - Pretty in Pink

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Arts

Culture

Clubs

Sports

Interviews

Lifestyle

Dining

Nightlife

Digital Edition

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THE TEAM Publisher and Chairman George F. Middleton

Bahrain This Month August 2021

Editor Farah Baig Contributors Muhannad Mansour, Kristian Harrison, Dick Potter, Pria Masson Tanwar, Ouiam Charkani El Hassani Editorial Consultant Ahdeya Ahmed

W

elcome to the August issue – a very special ‘Back to School’ edition in which we explore the latest dynamic options in Bahrain’s education sector.

Print Production Manager Sabu Sebastian Art Director Hatem Monem

This month, we interview the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, HE Aymen Almoayed who highlighted the ambitious programmes and developments at the Ministry. Among these programmes is the comprehensive 208-week plan which has changed the future of sport in the Kingdom of Bahrain for the better.

Webmaster Nishad Eapen CRM & Database Coordinator Muna Yousef

We also spoke to veteran Bahraini para-athlete, Ahmed Meshaima, who tells us about his preparations ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. He also imparts some excellent advice for people of determination living in the Kingdom of Bahrain – truly inspirational! Another interviewee, is the ever-so-talented pianist, Rajat Chowdhury, who is one of the top gold medal winners and firstplace winner in his age group at the North American Virtuoso International Music Competition.

Staff Photographer Subeesh Kumar N S Administration and Finance Samson Vaz, Marlyn Ragasa Distribution Team CM Abdul Rahman, Gopal Arul Kumar Distributor Al Hilal Group (Hilal Direct Services)

As the number of active COVID-19 cases in Bahrain plummeted throughout July, dining venues across the island opened their doors for in-house dining. Our team put together an exciting list of some of the best F&B offerings at hotels and restaurants and also reviewed the spectacular Italian restaurant, Mondo – Taste of Italy. In the motoring section, Dick Potter’s thoughts on flying cars take flight with a new development. Meanwhile, Pria Masson Tanwar explores the exciting (though sometimes elusive) business of Happiness.

Media Sales Director Anuradha Manhas anuradha@redhousemarketing.com DIGITAL & CONTENT MARKETING TEAM Digital Strategy Director Lini Reghunath Digital Marketing & Social Media Director Farah Baig Social Media Managers Kristian Harrison, Simran Tiwari

Woman This Month in its usual fashion brings you the best of fashion, beauty essentials, dazzling accessories, recipes and more!

On the interview front, we spoke to the only female representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Rooba Al Omari, who tells us about her training ahead of the event and her illustrious sporting career. For our ‘In Her Shoes’ segment, we spoke to the wonderful Kristina Rowena Estero – Head of Business Development at the British School of Bahrain.

Shades of pink were plentiful at the Giorgio Armani Prive show, and our fashion editor was quick to give us an insight into what makes it so special. We also collated a list of six beauty essentials that will help you throughout the summer.

Printing Press Union Press, Bahrain Published monthly by

RED HOUSE MARKETING P.O. Box 20461, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Tel: (+973) 17 813-777, Fax: (+973) 17 813-700 Email: info@redhousemarketing.com www.bahrainthismonth.com © Copyright Reserved 2005-2020 The concept, content, style and design of this publication remain the exclusive property of Red House Marketing (Jersey) Ltd. and must not be reproduced in any form whatsoever without prior written permission. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, Red House Marketing cannot accept legal responsibility for any error or omission.

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Remember to stay safe, enjoy the freedom that lower active cases allows us (responsibly) and, as always, remember that Bahrain This Month will always be ‘Your Guide to a Great Way of Life’.

COVER Cover Picture:

Education

George F. Middleton Publisher and Chairman

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August 2021 5

AUGUST ISSUE 288

CONTENTS

INTERVIEWS

8 12 22

Achieving Greatness

The Minister of Youth and Sport Affairs, His Excellency Aymen Almoayed, highlights the latest developments in sports and more in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

8

Making a Strong Comeback

Renowned Bahraini para-athlete, Ahmed Meshaima, aims for gold at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Hitting a High Note!

Bahrain-based pianist, Rajat Chowdhury, strikes gold at a prestigious International Music Competition.

12

FEATURE – Education

14

Knowledge is Power

24

Unleash Your Potential

22

We explore some of the best educational organisations in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

We explore 3 of Bahrain’s most exciting venues for extra-curricular activities.

14

DINING

29 30

We savour the best of Italian cuisines at Mondo – Taste of Italy!

The best of dining offerings on the island this month.

MOTORING

35 36

24

My Life in Cars

Dick Potter’s thoughts on flying cars takes flight with a new development.

Motoring News

COMMERCE

38 40

29

36

38

Business Bites The Happiness Business

Business expert, Pria Masson Tanwar, explores the USD 1.5 trillion wellness market.

6 August 2021

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bhthismonth

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AUGUST ISSUE 220

CONTENTS

Pretty in Pink!

50 50

54

We explore some of Giorgio Armani’s Prive Shine collection and more.

The Epitome of Strength & Determination

54

Bahrain’s only female competitor, Rooba Al Omari, tells us about her goals for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games.

Beauty Essentials

56

56

6 Summer-friendly products you must get your hands on!

A Sparkling Summer

58

58 60

Our top jewellery picks that make a statement this summer.

“I Don’t Want to Go Out”

60

Ouiam El Hassani tells us how to help kids readjust to going outside again.

Cool Treats for the Summer!

62 62 www.womanthismonth.com womanthismonth www.bahrainthismonth.com

65

3 easy-peasy recipes for cool treats that you’ll enjoy this sweltering season.

In Her Shoes Kristina Rowena Estero

65

We take a peek into the life of The British School of Bahrain’s Head of Business Development.

rhmbahrain August 2021 7

interview

ACHIEVING GREATNESS The Ministry of Youth and Sport Affairs (MYS) has been at the helm of several sporting achievements and advancements regarding Bahrain’s youth since its establishment. Farah Baig speaks to Minister of Youth and Sport Affairs, His Excellency Aymen Almoayed, who highlights an ambitious 208-week plan which was successfully implemented, laying a strong foundation for the Kingdom to further grow in the field, aside from other exciting projects in the pipeline.

8 August 2021

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interview

Your Excellency, you have been the Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs since December 2018.

What has been the most notable achievement of the Ministry in that time?

Upon joining the team at the Ministry back in December 2018, we were honoured by a personal visit at the Ministry by His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, His Majesty’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs. During this visit, he met with all the senior team members and set for the Ministry an incredibly aspirational plan of action for the upcoming 208 weeks (the four-year mandate). The plan was referred to as Estijabah - the National Plan to Reform the Youth and Sports Sector.

What were the key pillars of the Estijabah programme?

There were five key pillars with regards to the Estijabah programme. Firstly, operationally separating the Youth and Sports sectors to build depth and develop expertise in each separately. This allowed us to professionalise sports and increase its penetration into our daily lives, simultaneously increasing our institutional interaction and efforts in empowering the youth.

Next, we upgraded our institutional operations and tracking processes to create an A Team with institutional knowledge and processes as opposed to individual achievers – while removing legacy hurdles which might disrupt the progress.

Further, we developed transparent systems to allow high performers to be recognised and promoted from within the sectors. In addition, we strived to create an open, competitive and just environment which promotes continuous lifelong innovation and learning.

Finally, as part of the programme, we actively collaborate and communicate with active members within our society.

How was the Estijabah programme implemented and what were its main achievements?

To do this, we literally had to work with the team in Government to restructure the whole Ministry through the issuance of the Royal Decree at the beginning of 2019. I am very pleased with just how far we’ve come in record www.bahrainthismonth.com

time; we really did hit the ground running.

The greatest honour for me personally and for my colleagues, was when His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa presented the team – the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs and the Olympic Committee - to His Majesty the King reporting ‘Mission Completed’ - the completion of Estijabah’s 208-week programme in record time with plenty to spare.

The landmark achievements for sports in Bahrain included: - The completion of the Framework to create the Sports Authority; - Settlement of past dues for athletes; - Launch of the Sports Summit; - Professionalisation of Sports; - Adoption of Sports Contracts; - Opening club membership to all; - Allowing sport clubs to commercialise their brands; - Reinforcing the independence of sports associations to create depth of expertise; - Rebranding and refocusing the Bahrain Olympic Committee under the Team Bahrain brand and - Finalising the plans for the new Sports City in Sakhir.

The institutional framework has borne fruit faster than we have expected. The sports achievements over the past two years are proof of the success of the programme which His Highness guided and designed – starting

from bringing home the Gulf Cup, to sending the largest historical athletic delegation to the Olympic Games, to having Bahraini athletes reach world recognition including playing in the Premier League.

That is quite the feat. What were the notable achievements for the Youth Sector as part of the Estijabah programme?

There were several notable achievements for the Youth Sector as part of the programme.

These included: - Refocusing Youth Centre roles to focus on discovering, mentoring, presenting and highlighting youth talents; - Licensing youth centers; - Launch of the Youth Summits; - Creating the new youth centres’ management and grant systems; - Reducing the age of establishment of companies to 18 years; - Working with the Bahrain Quality Authority to represent and voice youth interests in schools and schooling; - Launching the ‘Furas’ programme – which is an internship platform with the Ministry of Labour and Social Development and Tamkeen; - Creation of the ‘Hope Fund’ by order of His Majesty the King to invest in youth; - Supporting and coordinating with the SME Board through our new membership; - Launching new versions of the ‘King Hamad Award for Empowering Youth to Achieve the August 2021 9

interview Sustainable Development Goals’ and the ‘Nasser bin Hamad International Award for Youth Creativity’.

How did you complete Estijabah’s 208-week programme in record time, considering how comprehensive the plan was?

Of course, completing these milestones is not an individual achievement, this is a team effort and the team members performed phenomenally. I would suggest that the true magic comes in the reporting system that was developed based on His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad’s request and guidance. We created a full system to follow up and report on each milestone and ensure that everything is on track, allowing everyone to do their part in record time.

Estijabah’s 208-week programme was only the beginning; we were setting the foundation for what is to come.

Now that the plan is completed, what’s next for sports and Bahrain’s youth?

For the Sports Sector, we now have a focused, single regulating and facilitating body, the General Sports Authority, under the chairmanship of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Having one accountable operational body, allows the reporting to the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports to be precise and the creation programmes and the designing plans to be targeted.

The Sports Sector now has a clear ‘North Star’ and a clear institutional mandate reflected in the ‘Gold Only – National Sports Plan’. I have no doubt Bahrain will go from strength to strength through the execution of this plan.

For the Youth Sector, there is much to be done.

His Majesty the King reminds us at every interval that Bahrain’s true wealth is in our youth and they are “our hope”. We have a lot of work ahead of us and this is part of what is coming our way and we are branding all this work under ‘Hope’. The simple premise of ‘Hope’ is to understand our gems and support them so they may shine.

To do so, we’ve created a full set of goals which we refer to as (5+1) which represent our aspiration, for our youth to feel safe, feel seen, feel supported, feel trusted, feel wanted and most importantly feel hopeful. We’re excited to have a large number of targeted programmes coming up including entrepreneurial pitch programmes, Hackathon Career Guidance Programmes, the Futhool podcast, the Social Entrepreneurship programme, the Youth Market and Badir.

What can you tell us about the exciting MYS Infrastructure Projects?

There are many sets of projects which we’ve been working on with the team, but the most impactful two, in my opinion, are the Street Courts and the International Sports City which incorporates a full master plan to cater to the future of sports.

We think that Sports City and the infrastructure we’re developing around it, including the 10 August 2021

The Bahraini delegation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Bahrain International Sports City in Sakhir. cycling and sporting routes, will be a huge game changer and reinforce Bahrain as a sports destination.

What programmes did the Ministry offer the youth during the pandemic, and how did they adapt to the conditions it imposed?

During the pandemic, MYS launched a number of important programmes and initiatives. We’re very proud that the operations of MYS were not impacted as much seeing that by the beginning of 2019, we had already moved our operations to the cloud – which was an incredible milestone to achieve.

We then created the initiative for digital transformation of youth programmes, launching the ‘Leave It to Us’ initiative to encourage young people to participate in a set of activities and programmes – making sure that we don’t lose touch with our constituency.

We launched projects called ‘Digi kit’, ‘Be Strong and ‘11 Minutes’, which highlight prominent youth experiences in several fields.

MYS also amended the criteria of the King Hamad Award for Youth Empowerment to

Achieve Sustainable Development Goals and the Nasser bin Hamad International Award for Youth Creativity, to correspond with the conditions of the pandemic and to shed light on international youth efforts in dealing with the pandemic.

Overall, it’s business as usual and we push on – continuing to believe in youths’ abilities and potential.

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interview

Bahrain’s handball team in action.

National handball team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Regarding Bahrain’s participation at Tokyo 2020, how many Bahraini athletes are participating in the event and across which categories?

The Kingdom of Bahrain records an unprecedented participation in the 32nd Summer Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. We participated with 68 athletes and administrators representing five sports, namely Athletics, Handball, Swimming, Boxing and Shooting, making it the largest delegation in Bahrain’s history.

Moreover, the participation of the handball team is the first for Bahrain at the level of team games. Needless to say, we are very proud of our champions – to start, the mere participation is an achievement in itself. They are making their country

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and their brethren proud.

What would be your advice to aspiring athletes in the Kingdom of Bahrain?

His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa had lauded the Golden Era of sports in Bahrain and I would invite all athletes to make the most of these historical times.

My key advice would be to focus on their craft – and focus particularly on their strength – and to pick their proverbial battles carefully. There is nothing but opportunity ahead for anyone that persists and makes the right decisions. I have no doubt that Bahrain has a lot of gems that have yet to be discovered and I look forward to seeing them shine in the future.

Maryam Hassani-Bahrain’s sole shooter at the Olympics

August 2021 11

interview

MAKING G N O R T S A K C A B E M O C

para-athlete, i in ra h a B d e n Renow , aims for gold a im a sh e M d e Ahm 20 Paralympics 0 2 o y k To e th t a

T

he Kingdom of Bahrain has high hopes in its Tokyo 2020 Paralympics participation, relying on veteran Paralympic medallist Ahmed Abbas Meshaima, who is competing in the Javelin F38 category.

In an interview with Bahrain This Month, Ahmed confirmed that he is determined to make a strong comeback in the event, taking place from August 24 to September 5 this year,

12 August 2021

after personal reasons deprived him from partaking in the previous games held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, despite being qualified.

Ahmed has been representing the Kingdom in different para-athletic events for 23 years and mainly excels in shotput throw. The father of three won an Olympic medal for Bahrain in shotput during the 2004 Athens Paralympics, as well as several other titles such as the

Asian Championship, the GCC Championship, the Pan-Arab Championship and more.

However, Ahmed told us that he is competing this year in javelin as his prime game; shotput, his claim to fame, has been eliminated by the organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. “The number of games has been reduced at this year’s edition of the Paralympics and shotput was eliminated. It has been my strong point www.bahrainthismonth.com

interview throughout my career,” says Ahmed.

“However, I am keen on making a bold statement and representing my country well in the games. Therefore, I will be taking this new challenge to compete in javelin for the first time on such a global scale. My performance in this game is rapidly improving and I am hoping to succeed in achieving a spot for Bahrain on the podium,” Ahmed said.

The seasoned thrower also said that he had participated in several continental and international competitions during the past two decades, adding that the pressure of competing in the Olympics is different. “I have to perform as best as I can before the world and portray a good image about the Bahraini disabled sports movement,” he says.

Speaking more about the details of his preparations for the Tokyo journey, Ahmed states that he has been training five days a week throughout the last couple of months, which included several closure decisions of sports facilities as part of the efforts exerted to combat the spread of COVID-19.

However, Ahmed’s determination could not be stopped as his request to provide him with the necessary equipment at his house was fulfilled by the officials at Bahrain Paralympic Committee (BPC), which he thanked for its generous sponsorship and support to athletes with determination.

“I’d like for people with determination to realise that being involved in physical sports activity has many benefits. It has been proved that sports contribute to the improvement of some disabilities and prevent the possible deterioration of some conditions. It also has a positive impact on the psychological health and makes a valuable addition to individuals’ social lives, by meeting and engaging with people with similar conditions to theirs.”

Ahmed along with his teammate, Rooba Al Omari, are set travel to Tokyo on August 19, bearing the responsibility to honourably represent Bahrain in the Paralympics and show their best performance to the world.

“Some may believe that it is a tough task for people with determination to be able to defy obstacles and excel in sports. This might be true, but with abundant support and strong determination, it is possible. My main motivation has been my family since the very beginning. I am cheered on and supported by my seven-year-old daughter today with the same momentum I was motivated to give my best by my late father since 1998,” he concludes.

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August 2021 13

education feature

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

We examine some of the best educational organisations in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The most powerful tool an individual can have to take on the world is a sound education. Knowledge is power – there’s no doubt about that. However, with a wide range of schools, universities and educational facilities in the Kingdom, and a number of curriculums and degree programmes to choose from, picking the right one can be quite the task.

We examined some of the best education providers in the Kingdom including preschools, schools, universities and even a vocational training establishment to help your decision-making process easier.

ETONHOUSE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL An established education provider, with 125 schools worldwide, EtonHouse International School opened its doors as a preschool and established itself in Bahrain in 2017. It currently has two sites - the Kindergarten and Preschool based in Hamala and a new purpose-built site set to open its doors in 2022 to middle and high school age students.

The EtonHouse group of schools is based around a unique philosophy called: Inquire.

Think. Learn. This concept provides students with opportunities to discover through problem-based learning, collaboration and team work, and securing mastery through the curriculum which uses the British framework providing students with the knowledge and 14 August 2021

skills that are age related. Their curriculum is provided by Oxford International and sets a precedent for ensuring well-being is at its core.

Class sizes are small with 16 to 18 students led by a teacher and teaching assistant in every class. The children benefit from longer playtimes where they can be socially active in a playground designed to ignite imaginations from the mud kitchen to the swings to the arts and crafts and herb garden. EtonHouse is ideal for families who prefer a boutique learning style and want their children to be global and digital citizens.

For more information, call 17 310-777 or visit www. etonhouse.me. www.bahrainthismonth.com

STUDENT - CENTERED APPROACH

Diyar Al Muharraq

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN 2021/2022 Delivering global education in an engaging and safe environment while developing children’s wellbeing and embracing their confidence in their culture.

- Offering the British Columbia Canada curriculum integrated with Bahraini Social Studies, Islamic Studies, and Arabic Language.

- BC Certified teachers.

- Delivers the latest education concepts in well-equipped new state-of-the-art classrooms that create the right learning environment.

Call us 13691111 / 66721702 www.canadianschoolbh.com

education feature

CANADIAN SCHOOL BAHRAIN Located in Diyar al Muharraq, the Canadian School Bahrain (CSB) is a private school offering a 21st-century curriculum with high academic standards. The school offers a unique education programme from Nursery to Grade 7 teaching the British Columbia, Canada curriculum integrated with Bahraini Social Studies, Islamic Studies, and Arabic Language. Having opened its doors in 2019, CSB is certified by the British Columbia Ministry of Education and is the first certified BC offshore school in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

With the integrated curriculum, combining the best from both countries, CSB will provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary by British Columbia certified teachers to teach the BC curriculum

and Bahraini certified teachers for the Arabic curriculum that is designed for students to become well-educated citizens while celebrating their uniqueness with a personalised approach.

The BC Curriculum offers a balanced, concept, and inquirybased approach that is studentcentered and focuses on the whole child. Along with literacy and numeracy foundations, the curriculum emphasises on building a set of core competences i.e. sets of intellectual, personal, and social and emotional proficiencies that all students need to engage in deep, lifelong learning.

For more information, call 13 691-111 or 66 721-702, email info@canadianschoolbh.com or visit www.canadianschoolbh.com.

NADEEN SCHOOL Founded in 1977, Nadeen School is well-known for its holistic approach to education and for celebrating the unique, individual talents of children with diverse backgrounds and abilities. Currently located in Um Al Hassam, the school has 400 children from over 50 countries and 80 staff. The family-style school is further enhanced through green spaces, a school farm, cosy campus, and Open-Door Policy.

The school is one of the founding members of the British Schools of the Middle East (BSME) and an accredited member of the group.

Nadeen School is also one of only three British Schools Overseas (BSO) schools in Bahrain, registered and recognised by the British Government and Department for Education.

Combining the best of many

16 August 2021

different education systems, with high-tech education at one end of the spectrum and forest schools at the other, is the key to their success.

Nadeen School’s creative, individualised approach to the curriculum and each of its students ensures their success, both: personally, and academically.

During the wake of the pandemic, the school has ensured continued learning and strengthening of its community bond. Their teaching and support teams have gone above and beyond to ensure that the children have continued to progress in all aspects of their learning and development. Nadeen School is truly child-centered, inclusive and diverse.

For more information, call 17 728886 or visit www.nadeenschool.com.

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We offer a child-centered, holistic approach to education Since 1978, Nadeen School has been dedicated to providing a nurturing, safe, stimulating and encouraging environment in which children of all ages, nationalities, abilities and strengths can develop a lifelong love for exploration and learning.

We have 50 nationalities in Primary School, Pre Nursery up to Year 6.

Tel: 17 728886 Email: info@nadeenschool.com www.nadeenschool.com

Accredited member:

education feature

THE BRITISH SCHOOL OF BAHRAIN For over 25 years The British School of Bahrain has delivered an outstanding holistic education to bright students living in Bahrain.

The school follows the National Curriculum of the United Kingdom with adaptations to reflect Bahrain’s local, historical and physical features.

The British School of Bahrain is an all-through school for students aged three to 18, from early years (Nursery) through to GCSE and A-Level. With over 80 nationalities on the student roll, the school offers a vibrant and diverse international culture of endeavour that empowers every child.

With three rigorous inspections undertaken in the 2020/2021 academic year by industry professionals, the school was once again re-affirmed as one of the foremost “Outstanding Schools” by the Bahrain Quality Assurance inspectorate. At the same time, the British Schools Overseas inspectors concluded that the school “provides an excellent quality of education for its students” – the highest of accolades from this prestigious inspection regime.

At the British School of Bahrain, students develop their academic knowledge while enhancing their 21st Century Skills and understanding, to become confident, successful and independent members of a global society achieving top international examination results and accessing the best universities in the world.

The wellbeing of the students, parents, and staff always remains the first priority at the British School of Bahrain. The school is renowned for its welcoming and inclusive culture. During the current climate every precaution continues to be taken to ensure the health and safety of all. This is modern schooling at its best.

Call 17 610-944 or visit www.britishschoolofbahrain.com for more information.

THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF BAHRAIN (UCB) Founded in 2002 by Shaikh Dr. Khalid Bin Mohammed AlKhalifa, the University College of Bahrain (UCB) is a non-profit private institution of higher education, licensed by the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Degree Programmes were originally designed and developed around a USA and Canadian higher education model of curriculum content, assessment and delivery pattern, through a formal relationship with McMaster University in Canada. Hence, the University provides a rigorous and internationally informed curriculum based on a semester credit hour system in the USA/ Canadian liberal arts tradition.

UCB specialises in the subject areas of Business Administration, Information technology and Communications and Multimedia.

It educates students and generates new knowledge by uniting the rigor, relevance, creativity and intellectual dynamics of business and the liberal arts, dedicated to quality education benchmarked against international standards and attuned to the needs of the region it serves.

The University continuously upgrades its curriculum to include the most recent practices, ensuring that graduates will obtain professional knowledge and the needed skills to be the leaders in their profession.

Available programmes include the Bachelors of Art in Communication and Multimedia, Science in Business Administration, and Science in Information Technology. UCB also has MBA programmes in Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Banking and Finance, and Marketing and International Business Management.

Programmes are available in Arabic and English.

For more information, call 17 790-828 or visit www.ucb.edu.bh.

18 August 2021

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education feature

THE APPLIED SCIENCE UNIVERSITY (ASU) Established in 2004, The Applied Science University is one of the first private universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Since its establishment, the University has worked relentlessly to become a leading accredited higher education institution, promoting excellence in applied learning and research in the Kingdom and the region.

ASU offers a wide range of local and hosted academic programmes through its Colleges of Administrative Sciences, Law, Engineering, and Arts & Science, and it heavily invests in providing programmes with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

The university offers some programmes in Arabic while hosted programmes offered in partnership with London South Bank University (LSBU) are taught in English. ASU has achieved both the Institutional Accreditation of Bahrain’s Higher Education Council (HEC) and the Institutional Review by Bahrain’s Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA) which accorded ‘Full Confidence’ to all the academic programmes offered by the University.

ASU has also obtained Academic Recognition by the Ministry of Higher Education and

Scientific Research in Jordan, with several other countries in the process as well. ASU ranked first in all private universities locally, 37th in the Arab region, and 484th globally in the 2020 rankings.

It is the only university in Bahrain to achieve four stars in the QS Star Rating in 2019, in recognition of its excellence in teaching, research and community engagement. The University is also ranked 101-150 in the QS International Ranking for universities under 50 years, making it one of the top young

universities in the world.

In addition, ASU is the first private University in the Kingdom of Bahrain to be accredited by the British Higher Education Academy (Advance HE) as a training centre to train faculty members and qualify them for Fellowships from Advance HE. For more information, call 17 728-777 or visit www.lib.asu.edu.bh

CITY & GUILDS A renowned educational organisation based in the United Kingdom, City & Guilds has been helping people, organisations and economies to grow since 1878. The awarding body and vocational training organisation is committed to providing people who are disadvantaged with practical skills necessary for them to thrive with self-confidence in, what is now, a very competitive job market. People need skills today that the Victorian era couldn’t even dream of, and that’s why City & Guilds keeps changing and adapting, preparing people for the future of work so they may be leaders in their chosen career path.

City & Guilds has established Employability Skills (5546) to prepare students for their transitional pathway whether that is to continue with further education, employment, training or living independently. “It more important today to ensure that schools understand the skills of the future which are needed. Employers are looking for young people who have the relevant professional soft skills such as working with others, cognitive flexibility and digital literacy,” says City & Guilds MENA Area Manager, Dr. Tony Degazon.

20 August 2021

Preparing for the world of work, careers education, information, advice and guidance is an important part of any school curriculum.

To realise a young person’s potential, it is important to decide how their skills and experiences fit with opportunities in the job market. Good vocational skill development at a school is a deliberate strategy that is actively planned and supported with a strong career guidance component.

It is important to ensure that pupils are inspired and motivated for the world of work, ensuring high achievable aspirations are considered for a range of careers available; City & Guilds is an ideal starting point.

For more information, contact Muna Yousef of SOS Marketing on 38 821-490 or visit www. cityandguilds.com.

Dr. Tony Degazon with Mr. George Middleton

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+971 (0) 4 423 3899

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gulf@cityandguilds.com

cityandguilds.com/international/middle-east-and-north-africa

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Designed to enhance your workplace skills to get you the right job, wherever you want to go.

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Unleash Your Talent

interview

HITTING A HIGH NOTE! Bahrain-based pianist, Rajat Chowdhury, strikes gold at a prestigious International Music Competition. He tells Farah Baig about his journey through music and his aspirations.

He can still remember running down the school hallway with a triumphant smile. “No more karate! Piano it is!”. It’s a fun story – his escape from karate as one of the extracurricular subjects in primary school, then taking refuge in playing the piano at just six years of age.

As we delved deeper into the world of the impressive 22-year-old pianist, Rajat Chowdhury enthusiastically states that western classical music is nearest and dearest to his heart. “It makes up the core of my musical and artistic identity. Hopefully, my music communicates everything else about me that I’m finding difficult to put into words right now!”

22 August 2021

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interview

THE BEGINNING

His parents were skeptical as to how long his new interest would last; yet today, Rajat is one of the top gold medal winners and first-place winner in his age group at the North American Virtuoso International Music Competition. The prestigious competition has attracted talent from around the globe to compete in a variety of categories ranging from solo classical performance to ensemble performance using instruments of their choice, of which Rajat participated in the composition category.

Rajat journey in music started with him teaching himself. “I eventually started formal training here in Bahrain when I was 13. So, of the 16 years that I have been playing the piano, nine years have been under structured instruction,” he explains.

“I was placed into top music schools such as Bard Conservatory and The Berklee College of music with scholarships, but this period of self-teaching was vital to my creative and artistic freedom,” he says, adding that his mentorship and education lies in Canada but musical legacy and opportunity in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

THE LEARNING CURVE

His time in Bahrain was instrumental in his musical development. “It is here that I started taking lessons properly and it is here that I made my most important preliminary accomplishments like winning the St Christopher’s School Music festival,” he says.

“I wouldn’t be the pianist I am today without having trudged up the steps weekly to Ms. Glorina Victa’s lesson room at the Bahrain Music institute. Without her guidance and inspiration, I would be nowhere and I am sure that she is continuing her fantastic work to this day,” he says, adding that James Roriston, his piano teacher at the boarding school he attended in Bangalore, India was also a contributing factor to his growth as a musician.

Since his early days in music, Rajat has gone on to win the Con Brio National Piano competition in India at the age of 17, and was the youngest competitor. Since then, he has been performing at the prestigious NCPA (National Center for the Performing Arts) in Mumbai, India every year since 2015. He was also invited to Vienna to perform his awardwinning composition for solo piano at the Ehrbar hall.

Rajat currently studies composition and piano performance at the UBC School of music in Vancouver, Canada under Dr. Patricia Hoy and Dr. Stephen Chatman, who are internationally renowned musicians based in Canada. “I was initially in the school›s engineering program but switched into music in order to pursue my dream,” he says.

“I should be the first to say that my talent is hardly perfected. Like all crafts, it is evergrowing and improving. However, the fundamental facet of my development into the musician I am today is a foundational will to express,” he says.

AN UNDER-REPRESENTED ART FORM

With western classical competitions, the expectations are that performers will rehearse a pre-written piece and meticulously place every detail. However, Rajat contradicted this practice by entering the competition with a completely improvised piece of music: he allowed four notes to be chosen at random by a ‘note generator’ mobile app and proceeded to create an entire piano sonata on the spot using them as a theme. Piano sonatas are vast works that require a lot of planning and feature many interconnected musical themes that are almost exclusively prewritten. To craft one without preparation is a monumental task that harkens back to the improvisational abilities of old masters such as Rachmaninoff and Chopin (two composers that Rajat cites as his foremost influences). Rajat was able to create his sonata within a mere 45 minutes.

represented art form. To me, it represents new opportunities for music-making that can shed a new light on western classical music for both: audiences and performers”. His dream is to promote this unique avenue of musicmaking in order to break cultural stigmas surrounding the perceived rigidity and elitism surrounding classical music.

“Classical music is for everybody. The emotional profundity found within this kind of music can be as life-changing for others as it was for me” says Rajat.

THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC

Rajat believes that budding musicians should be able to read and interpret music in the same way they interpret text, listen and appreciate music in the same way spoken languages are approached. “One must become fluent in the language of music itself. It is a language similar to written or spoken languages and as humans we are drawn towards them out of a base desire to express what is on our minds,” he says.

“Music is the language through which we fulfil the base desire to express what is in our hearts and yet it is a desire that many of us don’t acknowledge and work towards, even amongst musicians. So, budding pianists must find the content of what they wish to say with music and approach it like a language,” he says.

THE NEXT STEP

With this win under his belt, Rajat is looking forward to expanding the scope of classical music in the Middle East. With western classical music not having as much of a foothold in this part of the world, he hopes to arrange concerts and performances for the enrichment of Middle Eastern audiences.

“My deepest aspiration is to leave behind a legacy of musical work throughout my career that can really move people for years to come, and hopefully bring classical music to a wider audience. If I know that what I have done has truly changed someone’s life, then I am more than happy,” says Rajat.

“For now, though, the immediate thing is to graduate from music school!” he rightfully says.

“Western classical improvisation is an underwww.bahrainthismonth.com

August 2021 23

education feature

r u o Y Unleash l a i t n e t Po

We explore 3 of Bahrain’s most exciting venues for extra-curricular activities.

Learning doesn’t stop once you leave the classroom. In fact, getting creative, learning a new skill or feeling the rhythm has a way of igniting a child’s full potential. Academics are important, but learning to dance, get creative at an art studio or learning to quite literally overcome obstacles is just as important.

We explored 3 excellent venues where your child can learn to be creative, strong and free!

ARTOLOGY – THE ART COMMUNE There’s nothing quite like art to ignite a child’s creativity. Artology – The Art Commune Events was established in Bahrain in 2010 and is a unique private studio space, located in Saar, which promotes arts culture and supports local, regional and international artists.

People of all ages, skill sets, nationalities and from every school are welcome to unleash their creativity at Artology. A hands-on teaching method is incorporated to allow students to develop their skills, express their emotions and have a space that they can call their own.

Taking in all ages from four years and above, their classes work on project bases integrating fun facts about the artists, the art movements and styles. Every project is based on a technique and medium – students are given basics and then given room to get inspired and create their own.

The aim is to create original artwork.

For more information, check out @artology.bh on Instagram.

24 August 2021

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education feature

BAHRAIN BALLET CENTRE Bahrain Ballet Centre is the island›s first performing arts studio established in 1982.

From dance and music to summer camp and drama, the activities on offer at the Bahrain Ballet Centre will keep your kids engaged physically and mentally. Currently, the studio runs its popular ‹Dance & Creative Camp› for the months of July and August, alongside its regular classes of Ballet, Modern, Tap, Mother & Toddler, Hiphop & Music in addition to

BIG UP SPORTS

Located in Janabiyah, Big Up Sports is an exciting fitness-related centre which gives you a chance to learn calisthenics, parkour and a form of karate called Sil Jeon Moo or even be part of a bootcamp. The unique centre is run by a vibrant team that is keen on making fitness fun and a rewarding process for kids and adults alike. Big Up Sports currently has 18 classes every day of the week (except for Fridays) for kids, teens and adults.

For those of you that do not know, calisthenics is a form of strength training

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specialised Dance & Drama workshops. In an effort to promote regional dance forms the studio, has introduced Khaleeji & Belly dance classes taught by local and internationallytrained instructors.

The studio conducts annual examinations based on the leading dance examination board, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). Classes are open to all ages from toddlers to adults and all experience levels,

that doesn’t rely on anything other than the individual’s bodyweight. It is one of the most natural forms of training, it is great for building natural strength and staying fit.

Parkour, also known as free-running, is the act of getting from point A to point B while using obstacles or your surroundings to do it in the most efficient manner. It consists of running, jumping, climbing and tricks such as back flips. It really helps to make people stronger both physically and mentally, building both their strength and confidence.

whether beginner or advanced.

The centre also hosts annual dance shows at the Cultural Hall. Past shows include adaptations of ‘Aladdin’s Magical Ride’, ‘Alice’ and ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’.

For more information, call 17 693-232 or 33 719-180 or visit www.bahrainballetcentre.com.

In the wake of the pandemic, the team has taken extra precautions to keep everyone safe. Equipment and touch points are sanitized between classes, face masks are worn when training and social distancing is encouraged as much as possible aside from other precautions. Big Up Sports, undoubtedly, gives kids a safe space to get fit, learn a new skill and have fun – a truly unique experience.

Get in touch with Big Up Sports through their Instagram account @bigup_sports.

August 2021 25

bystander

International Day of Yoga at the Indian Embassy

The Indian Embassy of Bahrain held a socially-distanced event on the occasion of The International Day of Yoga. The 2021 theme was ‘Yoga for Well-Being’.

The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on 21 June since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Yoga, which originated in India, is said to provide the practitioner with a wide range of health benefits and is known worldwide for its calming effect.

@BHThisMonth

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26 August 2021

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Enquiries: salesrghs.bh@rameehotels.com +973 36897344

bystander

The Launch of Ta Plage Privèe

The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain launched the 5-star property’s latest beachfront venue, the new Ta Plage Privèe, located on the resort’s private island. Ta Plage Privèe offers the utmost in seclusion with the island’s finest and most pristine white sandy beach and the comfort of a cool and cozy tent to beat the summer heat.

On the occasion, General Manager, Bernard de Villèle, said: “With an airconditioned private tent where you can relax, along with a dedicated massage room and your very own exclusive beach, guests will have much more space for themselves while enjoying quality time with family and friends. The new Ta Plage Privèe is a haven of tropical peace and tranquility, with palm trees swaying in the breeze and the rhythmic sounds of the waves complement a well-spent day by the sea.”

The launch was attended by invited guests including members of the media

Here's to

GREAT MORNINGS WEEKDAY - BD 20 WEEKEND - BD 25

ROOM ONLY (9AM TO 6PM) VALID UNTIL 31 AUGUST 2021 WHATSAPP NO. +973 66390881 TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY

28 August 2021

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dining

A TASTE OF ITALIAN INDULGENCE!

O

Farah Baig savours the best of Italian cuisine at Mondo - Taste of Italy.

ur quest for culinary excellence, this month, led us to revisit one of the Kingdom’s most loved hospitality venues, The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa. I’d heard through the grape vine that their Italian restaurant, Mondo, was getting an aesthetic revamp and exciting new menu with the renowned Chef Raffaele at the helm of the culinary team. The restaurant exudes comfort that is reminiscent of Italy – the perfect setting for a meal with family and friends.

Authentic Italian food has grown to be a favourite in the books of true gastronomers, and rightfully so. To start, we savoured the Crostini Funghi – a delicious starter of perfectly seasoned sourdough bread served with a side of roasted wild mushrooms. This was followed by a divine Carpaccio of Angus Beef that melts in your mouth. It’s beautifully balanced with sharp Parmigiano shavings, fresh rocket, capers and white truffle oil. As we scanned the table, we realised that Mondo has a variety of flavourful vegetarian dishes; so, guests who prefer to go meatless can give the usual fries and hummus a rest and eat to their heart’s content!

Mondo also has a fare of authentic Italian streetfood including one of our favourites, Arancini. The crunchy breaded saffron rice balls are filled with mozzarella and served with Parmigiano sauce. It’s worth noting that one of my favourite starters when it comes to Italian cuisine is Burrata. Few things compare to the cheesy treasure that was their Burrata Pugliese served with charred bell peppers. I was pleased to hear that Chef Raffaele is further perfecting the dish and is meticulously curating each and every item on the menu with the best ingredients (imported from Italy) he can get his hands on both: near and far – the work of a chef that is passionate about his craft!

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Next, we tucked into three pasta dishes: Truffle and Ricotta Ravioli, Penne Arrabbiata and Linguine Vongole. Generously embellished with shavings of fresh black truffle, the ravioli is the picture of perfection. It’s tossed in smooth sage butter sauce which gives it a balanced profile of flavours that coat all 10,000 tastebuds – easily our favourite item on the menu.

We were delighted to try the Island-style Seabass next which was cooked to baked to perfection – maintaining the moisture of the fish – a paramount skill when baking seafood. The fish is layered with thinly sliced potatoes, tomatoes and thyme – light flavours that help you appreciate the freshness of the fish. The Lamb Chops Scottadito were succulent and moist – a beautiful shade of pink all the way through and complemented by the fresh mint and apple salsa, and sweet potato fries. The perfect dish for meat-lovers.

To end the meal on a sweet note, we savoured a myriad of desserts, each boasting their own range of textures and flavours. The crunchy canolli with its thick sweetened ricotta filling was heightened by infused candied lemon and orange. This was further perfected with dark chocolate and pistachio. The Espressisimo is a delightful vanilla panna cotta cooked from scratch complete with Madagascar vanilla beans which you can taste all the way through. This is served with an espresso jelly and coffee granita made with coffee straight from Italy. To end our Italian feast the right way, we ended our meal with a classic - Tiramisu – a measure against which most Italian restaurants are rated.

Needless to say, Mondo excels in every way – quality food, ambiance and hospitality. We will be back.

August 2021 29

tablehopping The easing of Covid-19 precautions means a return to a semblance of normality for the Kingdom’s dining scene. As always, BTM is here to bring you the latest culinary tips and recommendations for your summer outings.

FLAMING THURSDAYS

G N I P P O ng i H n i E D L st u g TAB u A

Bite into your favourite dishes and get ready to welcome the weekend at the Movenpick Bahrain. Flaming Thursdays is a great place to meet with friends. Join the newly innovated theme night every Thursday night to enjoy a great range of grills, flame-grilled meat and sizzling skillets all in one place. The night of an international buffet, live cooking stations and a live band takes place every Thursday from 7pm onwards from BD34 net per person.

Call 17 4600 17 or e-mail hotel.bahrain.fb@ movenpick.com

FRIDAY BRUNCH It’s been a long hard working week. The weekend is here, so it’s time to relax. Get some quality time with your family and friends at the famous Movenpick Friday Brunch. The hearty buffet is served from 12.30pm-4pm and features a selection of international dishes and desserts to cater for every taste in a fun atmosphere. There is also a live kitchen experience with food cooked to perfection and live entertainment that brings your week to a fitting end. The price is BD36 net per person.

Call 17 4600 17 or e-mail hotel. bahrain.fb@movenpick.com

SEAFOOD NIGHT Dive in and taste the freshest catch of the day. A selection of popular and traditional seafood dishes makes this an ideal night out for seafood lovers. On the buffet is a vast range of aquatic delicacies, from sushi, sashimi, seafood dim sum dumplings and tempura, oysters, slipper lobster and tiger prawns to popular fish like hammour or red snapper. Let the talented team of chefs prepare your favourite catch, just the way you like it. Served every Monday at 7pm onwards at the newly-renovated Silk’s restaurant Call 17 4600 17 or e-mail hotel. bahrain.fb@movenpick.com 30 August 2021

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tablehopping

SPANISH FIESTA! Salero Bahrain at the Westin City Centre Bahrain is a place to enjoy Spanish dishes like paellas and tapas. On Wednesday, there is Lola’s Night for the ladies featuring beverage making from 7pm-11pm. Monday to Thursday is Hora Feliz (Happy Hour) from 4pm-7pm featuring tapas and beverages, whilst from August 25-27 there will be an extra special La Tomatina Festival.

Reservations required. Call 17 171-300 or visit www. salerobahrain.com

BAKING HOT Enjoy a selection of delicious cakes crafted by skilled culinary hands all day at the Westin City Centre Bahrain’s Furn Bakery. Enjoy the unique ambience of the Rotunda while sipping on your favourite cup of coffee.

Call 17 171-000 or visit www.salerobahrain.com

FUN AND GAMES The Grove Hotel & Conference Centre’s Murphy’s Lounge is an entertainment centre for the entire family that offers drinks and entertainment of the highest quality. Leather chesterfields, ambient lighting, Murphy’s is a traditional Irishthemed sports lounge. With 22 mega LED HDTV screens around, Murphy’s is sure to have your favourite game on TV! The lounge also houses a two-lane bowling alley, two pool tables, dart boards and billiards amongst other board games. It is open from noon to midnight daily.

Call 16 030-303 or visit www. thegrovehotelbahrain.com/murphys

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August 2021 31

tablehopping

BLACK TAP CRAFT BURGERS & SHAKES Black Tap is an homage to the great American luncheonette experience. The menu features burgers ranging from the classic All-American to The Vegan Burger, along with burger salad options, wings and sides. The wagyu beef Greg Norman Burger won “People’s Choice” at the New York City Wine & Food Festival’s Burger Bash competition three years in a row, from 2015-17.

Black Tap’s signature CrazyShake™ milkshakes have reached worldwide acclaim with their whimsical and over-the-top decorations and flavours such as The Cotton Candy Shake and The Brooklyn Blackout Shake.

Call 17 100-363.

THE GREAT INDIAN THALI

MADRAS WEEK

Immerse your senses at the Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain’s Nirvana where a culinary journey awaits and its authentic Indian cuisine transports your palate to new heavens on Tuesdays from noon to 3pm and 7pm-11.30pm. Price is BD18 per person inclusive of two beverages.

Call 17 586-499 or email rc.bahrz.restaurant. reservations@ritzcarlton.com

Savour the delicious smell of spices and let it transport you to India to celebrate Madras Week at Nirvana. Chef Mahipal Singh is preparing a special menu of traditional South Indian dishes to satiate your palate. Available from August 23-31, noon to 3pm and 7pm-11.30pm.

Call 17 586-499 or email rc.bahrz.restaurant.reservations@ritzcarlton.com

32 August 2021

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tablehopping

NOODLE EXTRAVAGANZA The Gulf Hotel Bahrain’ Royal Thai and China Garden is hosting a special noodles-focused menu from August 10-31 featuring a variety of homemade and handmade noodles tossed in a variety of Thai and Chinese styles.

Call 17 746-423 or visit www.gulfhotelbahrain.com

JAPANESE JOY The Gulf Hotel Bahrain’ Sato restaurant is hosting an all you can eat sushi day on August 22, featuring a special sushi and maki selection menu prepared by the restaurant’s chefs. Priced at BD15 net.

Reservations required, so call 17 746-425 or visit www.gulfhotelbahrain.com www.bahrainthismonth.com

AFTERNOON BEAU-TEA The Ritz-Carlton Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Gourmet Lounge and The Lobby Lounge indulges you in a traditional afternoon tea with freshly baked scones and exquisite pastries, paired perfectly with your favourite cup of tea or coffee. Price is BD25 per set and takes place daily from 3pm-7pm.

Call 17 586-499 or email rc.bahrz.restaurant. reservations@ritzcarlton.com August 2021 33

bystander

The Philippine Cultural Heritage Art Exhibition

The opening night of art exhibit, Iba’t-ibang Kulay at Hugis ng Kasaysayan”, (History in Myriad Colors and Forms), an all-Filipino art exhibit, was held at the Harbour Gate, Bahrain Financial Harbour, by Filipino Creatives Bahrain and under the auspices of the Philippine Embassy in Bahrain. It featured the art and literary works of Filipinos who made Bahrain their second home. A kaleidoscope of 150 artworks and 15 literary works were displayed during the event.

34 August 2021

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motoring news

IT’S TIME FOR TAKE-OFF!

Dick Potter’s thoughts on flying cars takes flight with a new development.

I loved reading comics as a young schoolboy - especially stories about flying cars.

Watching classic movies about such cars - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was a favourite - provided me another enjoyable childhood pastime. The notion of a flying car back then was, of course, utter science fiction and fantasy. However, these days, so much of the fictional technology depicted through publications and cinema has in fact become reality. Take for example GPS, a device portrayed, tongue in cheek, in James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 in the movie Goldfinger, is now an everyday gadget in our cars and on our mobile phones. Well, extraordinarily, flying cars are also set to become an everyday reality.

Reading the Daily Telegraph recently - I have progressed from comics you understand - an article caught my eye. Entitled “Sci-fi dreams come true as flying car lifts off”, the article concerned a 35-minute maiden flight which took place in Slovakia. Essentially, this “Aircar” was capable of completing a 600-mile distance, reaching a height of 2500 meters and could carry two occupants. The engine consisted of a BMW petrol driven unit which provides a cruising speed of 200km/hour. On the Slovakian test flight, once the inventor had landed, after a three-minute reconfiguration, the wings of the “aircraft” folded to the sides to become a “car” which the inventor then drove to the nearby city in. I haven’t yet decided if www.bahrainthismonth.com

this invention is cool or terrifying. One aviator described it as the love child of a Bugatti Veyron and a Cessna 172!

Hyundai’s President, Michael Cole, apparently expects flying cars to be widely used by the end of this decade, which opens up myriad points for discussion, not least being the actual pros and cons of the idea. If we all took to the skies on our daily journey to the office, school, or other applicable journey, it would certainly ease road congestion. Flying cars of course would subject us to the enormity of the dreaded safety concerns. Just think of the vast number of not-so-capable drivers out there- it’s ok, you don’t know who you are anyway! Now imagine such (lack of) talent getting behind the joystick and let loose in the skies, whilst above your head?

The Telegraph article also reported that investment gurus, Morgan Stanley, consider that advances in batteries and associated technology for flying cars could result in a $1.5 trillion, yes trillion, market by 2040. That scale is impressive. As a quick comparison, even the normal car market is forecast to be $9 trillion by 2030. Experts foresee the flying car as competing initially with the likes of the helicopter market then advancing to compete with the private aircraft market and then, inexorably marching onwards to encroach on public transport and car manufacturers. It’s pretty much the stuff of Buck Rogers and Marty McFly! Maybe, we shall see.

The renowned banking company also noted the dream of flying cars has been around for quite some time and quoted that great man, Henry Ford, “Mark my words - a combination aeroplane and motor car is coming.” Henry knew his stuff perhaps he even read it in similar comics to what I read - earlier editions, naturally! Meanwhile, you read it here first, keep a watchful eye in the sky, whilst driving safely of course!

Happy motoring all, dickpotter@redhousemarketing.com.

August 2021 35

motoring news

A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME COLLECTION

With just over 1,000 examples of the iconic Aston Martin DB5 built, to see one – let alone have the chance to buy one – is a moment to be cherished. But even among DB5s, connoisseurs look for those rarer still: the performanceenhanced Vantage versions, with less than 70 ever built.

Now, Aston Martin specialist Nicholas Mee & Co, is offering for sale a once-in-a-lifetime trio of these DB5 Vantage icons, uniquely in Coupé, Convertible and one-of-one Shooting Brake variations.

The Aston Martin DB5 itself is perhaps the most iconic British car of all time, best known as car of choice for James Bond himself, appearing first in the ‘60s but also making a reappearance in the very latest from the 007 franchise – its appeal is enduring.

Collected over a 12-year period, never before have these three most coveted examples been offered as a collection.

Every one of them has been fully restored to the very highest standards by leading Aston Martin restoration specialists, allowing them to be enjoyed in as-new condition.

AND THE VERDICT IS…

SIGN OF APPROVAL To follow the testing session on the Giulia GTA and GTAm last fall, Kimi Räikkönen, the Finnish world champion was back at the Balocco Proving Ground recently to personally evaluate the work done on the highest-performing sports sedan the Italian brand has ever produced.

Kimi Räikkönen analysed the changes made to the car, specifically in terms of the aerodynamics. He had already worked on this aspect in the first session, providing invaluable advice on the new appendages added both to the front – the new adjustable splitter built into the new front bumper – and to the rear – the addition of the new manually adjustable wing.

“It’s exceptional and I’m a big fan” – the words of former F1 world champion Jenson Button after more than 30 laps of the Hethel test track during the launch celebrations for the all-new Lotus Emira. A film of his exclusive world-first test drive was played to the on-site audience and tens of thousands of viewers from around the world watching the livestream on the Lotus website and social channels.

“We’re looking at a car that can be used on an everyday basis, but that can also be taken onto the track, one in which you can really enjoy yourself. Of course, it’s better at high speeds in terms of balance. It seems the front of the car is lower, making the steering faster. It’s fast, easy to drive, and responsive,” says the world-famous Formula One driver.

Finding the right position when behind the wheel for the first time is key for every driver, not just the professionals, and Jenson said once he’d done that the Emira “just felt right”. The everyday useability of the Emira didn’t pass him by either, thanks to the high levels of comfort, functionality, technology and practicality.

“The Lotus purists will love it, and the thing that people new to Lotus will love is the premium quality of the interior,” he says.

The loop is therefore completed in a process of development, where the drivers lent their skills to the Alfa Romeo engineering team.

Jenson is a long-time Lotus fan and customer of the all-electric Evija hypercar. “It’s being called a junior supercar but it would give a lot of supercars a run for their money… and it’s more comfortable than most of them!” he concluded.

36 August 2021

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motoring news

THE JOURNEY TO CARBON NEUTRALITY Nissan has unveiled the Nissan EV36Zero, a £1 billion flagship Electric Vehicle (EV) Hub creating a first-of-its-kind EV manufacturing ecosystem which will supercharge the company’s drive to carbon neutrality and establish a new 360-degree solution for zero-emission motoring.

The transformational project has been launched with an initial £1bn investment by Nissan and its partners Envision AESC, a global player in world-leading battery technology, and Sunderland City Council. Comprised of three interconnected initiatives, Nissan EV36Zero brings together electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production, setting a blueprint for the future of the automotive industry.

Further, as part of the investment, Nissan will invest up to £423 million to produce a new-generation all-electric vehicle in the UK. Building on Nissan’s expertise in crossovers and the worldwide success of the Nissan LEAF, it promises nextgeneration vehicle styling, efficiency and battery technology, making the switch to electric driving even more accessible.

Designed for global markets, UK production will be exported to the European markets traditionally served by Nissan’s Sunderland plant. The new crossover will be built on the Alliance CMF-EV platform, with a forecasted production capacity of up to 100,000 units to be installed.

THE LEGEND THAT CHANGED THE WORLD The Land Cruiser has become a household name in the region, evoking a sense of rugged reliability that is unique to Toyota.

This reputation is based on 70 years of production with various model lines and variations. The Land Cruiser is the longest-continuously running nameplate in Toyota’s history and has sold more than 10 million units around the world.

Beginning its journey in 1951, The Toyota Jeep BJ as it was initially known, was born out of the necessity to tackle different terrains across the globe. The vehicle was tested by tackling technological feats that had only previously been possible on horseback, replicating a samurai warrior’s legendary climb to the Shinto temple at the top of Mount Atago, and driving up the old pilgrim route to the sixth station on Mount Fuji.

Ebrahim K. Kanoo, the sole distributor of Toyota vehicles in Bahrain, first launched the Land Cruiser here in 1967. Since then, it has earned legendary status within the four-wheel drive sector, consistently setting the benchmark for durability, ruggedness, reliability and flexibility.

A NEW SPORTING HERO Porsche rounds off the Cayenne model range with a new sporting hero: consistently set up for maximum performance and handling, the new Cayenne Turbo GT combines outstanding driving dynamics with a high degree of everyday usability. Its 640 PS (471 kW) four-litre biturbo V8 provides the basis for superb driving characteristics. With 90 PS (67 kW) more than the Cayenne Turbo Coupé and maximum torque of 850 Nm (an increase of 80 Nm), the 0-100 km/h sprint is reduced to 3.3 seconds (0.6 s less) and top speed is now 300 km/h (an increase of 14 km/h).

With even sportier lines and available exclusively as a four-seater Coupé, the Cayenne Turbo GT comes with all available chassis systems fitted as standard and performance tyres developed specially for this model. The powertrain and chassis also have a unique set-up specifically tuned for the Cayenne Turbo GT. The result is a harmonious overall concept with superb racetrack capability.

www.bahrainthismonth.com

August 2021 37

business bites

RESHAPING THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE Mastercard has partnered with Bahraini fintech and payment service provider Eazy Financial Services to provide SMEs and micro merchants with digital payment tools and access to financial services that will accelerate inclusive economic growth in Bahrain. “Partnering with fintechs as a single technology provider is an important part of how we help to reshape and advance the digital payments landscape,” said Mastercard Country Manager, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Levant, J.K. Khalil.

The partnership will also support the expansion of Eazy’s services, as well as improve access, opportunities and connections within the country’s digital payments ecosystem. “Our aim is to add value, and Mastercard’s seamless payments technology solutions gives us the opportunity to do that,” said Eazy Financial Services Founder and CEO, Tawfeeq Al Alawi.

In March 2021, Eazy obtained its POS & Online Acquiring license from the Central Bank of Bahrain and launched its new Software point of sale Application (SoftPOS) solution called “EazyPay” which allows Local Merchants & SMEs in the market to accept Contactless Payments supporting to extend the acceptance of an untapped segment of merchants.

SPEARHEADING A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Rackspace Technology® (NASDAQ: RXT), an end-to-end multi-cloud technology solutions company, has announced that BFC Group Holdings (BFC), a money transfer and currency exchange provider in the Kingdom of Bahrain, is shifting its core application and supporting systems to Amazon Web Services (AWS). The migration creates a platform for BFC Group to focus on delivering seamless financial services to customers without the complexity of managing and maintaining a vast data centre.

“Digital transformation is a business imperative for the modern enterprise. By leveraging our global expertise and technology, BFC Group has maintained its position as the leading money transfer service in the region while improving the customer experience. The scalability of public cloud means BFC Group can easily expand across boundaries with a consistent level of service no matter the country,” said Rackspace Technology, Middle East and Africa General Manager, George Pawlyszyn.

The strategic migration has also eliminated the hassle and expense of managing in-house data centres, enabling BFC Group to invest more resources into innovation and service improvements.

UNITING DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL BANKING In line with its digitisation strategy, Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) officially unveiled its completely revamped design for the Bank’s Financial Mall located in Riffa, revealing a completely new innovative design.

Aptly named the Riffa Innovation Hub, the new space combines the best of both: traditional and digital experiences in a single space.

One floor is dedicated to traditional customer service representatives complete with customer service agents offering their usual services. The other full-fledged digital floor is equipped with self-service machines and digital services dedicated to its customers that prefer to complete their banking transactions independently. The Hub also includes the locally-owned coffee shop, Roast, which was selected as the hosted business through a competition held last year.

The digital floor allows customers to perform a multitude of transactions aside from open accounts, apply for financing, maintain or update their records and even speak to a bank representative through a video screen as an added option.

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business bites

TECHNOLOGY GIANTS GFH Financial Group (GFH) has announced the closing of its Global Tech Opportunities II offering, comprising of investments in a portfolio of pre-IPO stage, high-growth companies that specialise in next-gen technologies.

The companies operate in tech subsectors such as cloud and enterprise software, cybersecurity, fintech, mental health, e-commerce and mobile gaming.

GFH has invested in the portfolio alongside strategic partners, which include leading and emerging techfocused asset managers.

“This transaction marks GFH’s fourth major technology investment offering and second in the US in under a year. It is an area where we continue to focus and strategically expand our portfolio. This investment offers diversified exposure to high-growth, late-stage pre-IPO businesses with wide economic moats that make it a unique and compelling proposition.,” said GFH Chief Investment

Officer, Hammad Younas.

The portfolio provides diversified exposure to tech verticals that are at the forefront of the global digital revolution giving it minority stakes in Automation Anywhere, Tanium, StockX, Rapyd, Scopely, Robinhood, Kraken, Lyra Health and Klaviyo, among others. The investment is expected to generate attractive returns for GFH and its investors.

A LEADER IN BAHRAINISATION Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has appointed two Bahrainis in executive and management roles: Adnan Hashim as Chief Financial Officer and Jamal AlKuwaiti as Human Resources Director.

Mr. Hashim has over 25 years of experience in the banking and finance industry and was previously the Chief Financial Officer of Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA), and prior to that held the same role at NCB Capital, the region’s leading investment firm and Saudi Arabia’s largest asset manager. He sat on numerous boards, executive committees, audit committees and compensation and governance committees of various financial institutions and has served as the Chairman of ACCA Members’ Advisory Committee, Bahrain.

Mr. AlKuwaiti has over two decades of working experience, of which 15 years were concentrated in human resources management field. He brings to Gulf Air diverse professional human resources experience from government, semi government and private sector which includes Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA) and Azadea retail group.

Tracking Bahrain’s Sustainable Development Goals

Gulf Air is a leader in the Bahrainisation programme in the Kingdom, providing the opportunity for local and experienced talents to work in its various areas of the airline’s business.

The Kingdom of Bahrain launched its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 portal, the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) announced. The site, hosted at www.sdgs.gov.bh , documents and tracks the Kingdom’s progress in achieving the SDGs, which were launched by the United Nations (UN) in 2000. Bahrain adopted them, ensuring their compatibility with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and its development programs.

“The website will achieve a number of objectives, including sharing the Kingdom’s SDGs initiatives on one unified digital portal, tracking all related indices, and providing a reference for international personalities and organisations. It will also familiarise the private sector and other stakeholders with the SDGs, in turn encouraging them to contribute towards achieving them and showcasing their achievements,” said iGA Chief Executive, Mohammed Ali Al Qaed.

The Higher Committee for Information and Communication Technology, chaired by HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, approved the launch of this national portal, which will highlight the Kingdom’s efforts, enabling all government, private, and civil society organisations to showcase their achievements in line with the SDG’s.

www.bahrainthismonth.com

August 2021 39

commerce

THE HAPPINESS BUSINESS

Business expert, Pria Masson Tanwar, explores the USD 1.5 trillion wellness market.

L

ike millions around the world, the pandemic took me on a self-care journey and I found several wonderful resources that have helped me in many small ways. Recently, I read a statistic that completely amazed me: Every month, around 45 million people Google “how to be happy”.

That’s just for the exact phrase. There could be a similarly high number for variations of the same phrase. That, is the market for “happiness”.

The happiness business landscape is everything that goes into wellness – physical or emotional. It includes nutritional tools and trackers, meditation tools, journaling, yoga, fitness, self-help podcasts, habit changing tools, personal and skill development platforms, sleep training techniques etc - the list goes on. It even includes all the blogs and posts related to any of the above.

While happiness is an esoteric concept, every element of personal growth is intrinsically aimed at helping individuals experience happiness and learn to sustain the element that led them there. Tools that help you get there usually charge a fee for membership or, like all media, gain from your data. The money involved is at staggering levels. As per an

article published by McKinsey & Company, the wellness market is valued at 1.5 trillion dollars I. Wellness companies include things we all use every day like the Fitbit on your wrist or the WebMD portal that you use when you have a scratchy throat. In 2017, WebMD was sold for a whopping USD 2.8 billion. Fitbit is being bought over by Google at a valuation of approximately USD 2.1 billion. One of the renowned wellness education platforms Mindvalley has over half a million members, which at an average fee of approximately USD 60 per month depending on the membership plan translates to annual revenues of around USD 360 million. In 2020, Calm, the wellknown meditation app, raised money at an approximate valuation of USD two billion.

Happiness is a very serious business and businesses have been taking the concept very seriously. An increasing number of companies are hiring Chief Happiness Officers (CHO) whose job, as the name suggests, is to ensure the overall wellbeing of the employees. An internet search led me to a place called “Happiness Business School” that trains people to be chief happiness officers. About 69 percent of large organisations have people

analytics teamsII and a company called Atos has developed a digital version of this CHO which is an open data platform with machine learning capabilities with privacy at the core of the entire systemIII. The pandemic has brought about so many changes in the way we experience the world, and isolation allowed for a lot of people to focus inward again. Digitisation meant that we now have yoga platforms, fitness apps and mindfulness techniques literally at our fingertips. Research reveals how you can structure your day to be ideally suited to your circadian rhythm, or how to plan and prioritise yourself or specific productivity levels. You could choose to join Robin Sharma’s “5 am club” or follow James Clear (of the “Atomic Habits” fame) in his techniques for changing habits.

The business world clearly sees the missing link and the potential of this wellness space.

They are counting on the fact that, you and I, as individuals will catch up quickly to what they see as an inevitable change. Our wellness is interesting enough for others to invest in – is it interesting enough for us to start investing in ourselves?

I www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/feeling-good-the-future-of-the-1-5-trillion-wellness-market II www.linkedin.com/pulse/analytics-people-david-green/ III www.unify.com/en/blog/happiness-as-a-business-model-for-success Pria is a business consultant and advisor. You can follow Pria at her Instagram handle businessclues33 or read more of her articles at http://www.business-clues.com/ 40 August 2021

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bystander

Art Attack Krew Exhibition

The Art Attack Krew art community held an exhibition at ARTLY, Aali to mark their first anniversary. The colourful event featured stunning artworks from over 20 members of the crew which includes local and expatriate artists based in Bahrain.

The event was attended by invited guests and members of the community.

www.bahrainthismonth.com/gallery

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tv releases

Staying in? Here are Kristian Harrison’s top TV recommendations to keep you entertained.

Bosch

The Tomorrow War

Arguably Amazon’s best original drama series, Bosch has been quietly going about its business for the best part of a decade. A multi-threaded police procedural focussing on gruff and highly principled Hollywood homicide detective Harry Bosch, this show is buoyed along by its complex characters and feeling of authenticity. In this, its final season, Bosch finds himself investigating a deadly arson attack and the murder of a high-profile whitecollar criminal – a case that takes him right to the heart of Los Angeles’ corrupt establishment.

The world is stunned when a group of time travellers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: Thirty years in the future, mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians from the present to be transported to the future and join the fight. Among those recruited is high school teacher and family man Dan Forester (Chris Pratt).

Determined to save the world for his young daughter, Dan teams up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J.K. Simmons) in a desperate quest to rewrite the fate of the planet.

Fear Street Part 2: 1978

Netflix’s new horror trilogy continues with Fear Street Part 2, following on from Fear Street Part 1: 1994. This time we’re headed to the ‘70s for the next part of the story, which takes place at Camp Nightwing. With some serious Friday the 13th vibes, the teenagers at the camp have to survive the presence of a gruesome murderer. The next instalment in the trilogy, based on R.L. Stine’s book series of the same name, will jump back even further in time to 1666.

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Leave No Trace

Will (Ben Foster) and his teenage daughter, Tom (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie), have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are put into social services. After clashing with their new surroundings, Will and Tom set off on a harrowing journey back to their wild homeland. The film is directed by Debra Granik from a script adapted by Granik and Anne Rosellini.

Resident Evil: INFINITE DARKNESS I Think You Should Leave Leon and Claire return in the four-part series with Tim Robinson Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. The duo find themselves once again dealing with the undead.

This time, there are two outbreaks in different countries (that might somehow be linked), and a conspiracy involving a breach of secret information at the White House. The series is directed by Eiichiro Hasumi, with Nick Apostolides voicing Leon, and Stephanie Panisello voicing Claire – both actors voiced their respective characters in the Resident Evil 2 remake.

The second series of Tim Robinson’s I Think You Should Leave is here. A bizarre sketch show comedy, this season consists of six episodes, and promises an office argument, pranks at the mall, ear-piercing, mistaken identity and a hat in court. Season 2 features appearances from some famous faces, including Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk and Cruella’s Paul Walter Hauser. www.bahrainthismonth.com

tv releases

Monsters at Work Monsters, Inc. is back! With the return of Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski, John Goodman as Sully, and Jennifer Tilly as Celia, expect a hearty dose of nostalgia as well as plenty of fresh faces in the new series. Monsters at Work is set after the original movie, unlike the sequel/prequel Monsters University, and focuses on a rookie named Tylor (Ben Feldman) who dreams of working alongside Mike and Sully. The cast also includes Henry Winkler, Aisha Tyler and Mandy Kaling.

Black Widow Marvel Phase 4 continues with Black Widow, the first Marvel movie to release since 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. The film is Natasha Romanoff’s first – and most likely only – solo outing, and sees her reunite with her estranged family to take down the elusive, sinister Red Room. The film sees Scarlett Johansson reprise her role of Natasha, and introduces Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff and David Harbour as Red Guardian.

The Good, the Bart, and the Loki The Good, the Bart, and the Loki is a Simpsons short which sees the Asgardian trickster land in Springfield, where he’s forced into a showdown with the town’s equivalent of the Avengers. In this one-off special, Loki turns to the equallymischievous Bart for help in taking down the likes of Ralph Wiggum, Comic Book Guy and Barney Gumble – so expect hijinks aplenty. www.bahrainthismonth.com

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games

GAMES

RATCHET & CLANK RIFT APART

WHAT IS IT?

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, developed by Insomniac, follows the titular characters as they traverse across different worlds in multiple realities to stop their archenemy, Doctor Nefarious, from exploiting a sudden catastrophic dimensional collapse to finally achieve his dream of completely exterminating organic life in the universe. Ratchet becomes separated from Clank after arriving in an alternate dimension ruled by Nefarious’ more capable counterpart, Emperor Nefarious. They also encounter a female Lombax named Rivet, who leads a resistance group fighting against Emperor Nefarious. Together, Ratchet, Clank and Rivet have to work together to thwart Nefarious and the Emperor’s plans of conquering other realities.

GAMEPLAY

It retains elements of previous Ratchet & Clank games, such as strafing, gunplay, collection of bolts, automatic weapon and health upgrades, manual Raritanium weapon upgrading and gadgets. The game introduces to the series the concept of realtime near instantaneous travel between different areas, planets and other worlds within gameplay scenes via a system of interdimensional portals.

GRAPHICS

Insomniac has used its cartoony colour palette to create a dazzling array of interstellar locations, like the densely packed metropolis of Nefarious City or the lush greenery of Sargasso that benefit from impressive use of ray tracing reflections. Every world has its own visual identity that’s a treat to discover, offering different tones, geography and ensembles of memorable characters.

CHIVALRY II

Chivalry II is a multiplayer first person slasher inspired by epic medieval movie battles.

Players are thrust into the action of every iconic moment of the era – from the thunder of cavalry charges, to storms of flaming arrows, sprawling castle sieges and more.

Catapults tear the earth apart as players lay siege to castles, set fire to villages and slaughter filthy peasants in the return of grand Team Objective maps. Ride to war on horseback and claim glory by your blade.

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VERDICT:

A colourful, vibrant adventure.

RATING:

KNOCKOUT CITY

Team up and duke it out with rival Crews in Knockout City, where you settle the score with epic dodge ball battles. Brace yourself for outrageous fun and intense competition in this new take on teambased multiplayer games.

Customise your character and form a Crew with friends to start your Knockout City takeover. Knock out opponents with trick shots and coordinated teamwork while dodging and catching balls flying across the map.

SNIPER GHOST WARRIOR CONTRACTS 2

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 marks the most challenging entry to the acclaimed series yet, introducing extreme longrange sniping with targets over 1,000m away. Featuring a dramatic single-player campaign set in the modern day Middle East, experience high-pressure tactical combat, deep inside enemy territory. Take on the role of Raven, Contract Sniper Assassin, as he embarks on a new series of contracts in a lawless region of the Middle East, located along the Lebanese and Syrian borders. Tasked with a seemingly impossible task, your mission is to topple an insidious criminal syndicate and bring them to justice. www.bahrainthismonth.com

websites There’s a multitude of sites to choose from when exploring the internet, but here are the ones which we found to be the most useful. www.lessonface.com

Lessonface is a website that offers live online music lessons to students of all ages and levels. All the major instruments are represented, as are some unique choices such as the dulcimer and didgeridoo.

Setting up lessons is smooth and simple; the process of searching for a teacher also is intuitive.

Students can learn at their own pace as teachers provide live feedback as well as emailed summaries of lessons and practice assignments.

10minutemail.com

10 Minute Mail sets you up with a self-destructing email address that expires in 10 minutes. Your temporary inbox works just like regular email, allowing you to forward and respond to messages, but with utmost privacy and absolutely no spam to clog up your inbox. You can add extra time if 10 minutes isn’t quite long enough.

hemingwayapp.com

Hemingway Editor is a great tool for writers of all ages to explore their writer’s voice, while becoming a stronger writer. The site identifies common writing errors such as difficult-to-read sentences and word usage that could be simplified. Simply write on the website or copy and paste previously written pieces. Once turned into editing mode, it will identify general writing mistakes.

www.any.do

An extremely useful task manager for smartphones, and the website is especially useful when you need a big-picture view of your plans. With its grid-based, dragand-drop layout, you can easily see everything in Any. do’s four distinct categories: Today, Tomorrow, Upcoming and Someday.

Innovative Japanese Cuisine

For reservations call: 1823080 @makirest

@makirestaurant

www.olivermaki.com

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APPS REVIEW HERE ARE SOME APPS THAT ARE SURE TO BE A USEFUL ADDITION TO YOUR LIFE.

SleepBot Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re probably not getting the quality of sleep you deserve. This sleep cycle tracker and smart alarm by the team at SleepBot utilises motion and sound tracking software to provide an in-depth analysis of your sleep cycle – average sleep time, sleep debt, long term trends, etc. – and compiles detailed reports to help you get the rest you need.

Rando Rando is a fun app which will provide you with a fun an interesting way to connect with people from around the world. Basically, you take a random picture of whatever you want and send it off. In moments, you’ll receive a random picture from a stranger from a random location around the world.

You get to see new things from new people, all around the world!

RunPee The RunPee app exists to improve your movie-going experience. The database is updated weekly, whenever wide-release films open in cinemas, to tell you the best times to run and pee without missing the best scenes. The app provides a synopsis for what you’ve missed, so you will know exactly what you missed while you’re gone.

Alarmy If you have a habit of skipping your morning alarm, this is one of the must have apps for your device.Alarmy has a unique way to break your morning laziness by laying out puzzles and challenges before you can snooze that annoying music.You can set the difficulty level of the challenges as per your preference, just in case you need to engage the brain quicker.The useful app also features a photo mode where you can turn off the alarm by clicking a snapshot of a registered place.

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music

Twin Shadow

Twin Shadow While self-titled albums often imply that they contain the definitive take on an artist’s style, in Twin Shadow’s case, it feels more like a redefining. On his fifth album, George Lewis, Jr. reconnects with what made him love music in the first place. His formative love of soul and punk, as well as his Dominican roots, make for a nostalgia that’s different from the kind usually associated with his music.

The Flatlanders

Marisa Monte Portas Verdict:

A fun batch of covers

What’s the story?

Portas is Brazilian singer/songwriter Marisa Monte’s first studio album in a decade, and her Sony debut. She recorded it during the pandemic between October 2020 and March 2021 on an intercontinental digital bridge connecting – via Zoom – Rio de Janeiro, New York, Los Angeles, Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona. Monte and her band employed strict safety protocols, including outdoor songwriting sessions, temperature screenings, masking and social distancing. She wrote, co-wrote, produced, and co-produced all but one of these 16 songs. The credits are populated with long-time and new collaborators including Arto Lindsay, Chico Brown, Arnaldo Antunes and Pedro Baby.

Worth a listen?

Portas arrives as Brazil continues to be ravaged by COVID-19 and its worst drought in a century. Monte confronts it all head-on, asserting with compassion, empathy and optimistic affirmation that humanity will not only endure, but emerge better. She uses metaphors inspired by the natural world to support and enhance her view of our redemption, and frames it in an enchanting musical palette that cuts across MPB, rock, samba, jazz, bossa, pop, and R&B. Monte’s supreme skill as an artist renders Portas a passageway to the possible. While she accepts disease, disaster, and pain as undeniable, her poetic and passionate response is one of militant hope.

www.bahrainthismonth.com

Treasure of Love Nearly five decades have passed since The Flatlanders cut the album that would make them heroes of the budding Texas singer-songwriter community, even though only a tiny number of people ever heard it in its original release (on eight-track tape) in 1972. 2021’s Treasure of Love doesn’t go out of its way to tell us what the band still have on their creative bucket lists, but it doesn’t take long to get a line on why they made this album: they’re three friends who still love music and each other’s company, and there’s a warm, comfortable feel to these performances that’s the studio equivalent of a guitar pull around the bonfire on a Saturday night.

Kate Lindsey

Tiranno The Tiranno (or tyrant) of this release by mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey is the Roman emperor Nero, whose over-the-top reign of corruption and debauchery never failed to excite the imaginations of Baroque opera composers. Here, he is viewed through various lenses, focusing on himself, his wife, Poppea, and his mother, Agrippina, in a series of familiar and notso-well-known cantatas and opera arias. The main attraction here is Lindsey’s performance.

Overheated emotions are the order of the day, and Lindsey nails them all, displaying explosive vocal athletics, growled semi-speech, and overall, a truly impressive range of sounds.

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gadgets

GADGETS

BTM brings you the latest gadgets to push your technological buttons.

ALL DAY RECHARGEABLE FAN

Beat the Bahrain heat with this device. It has three fan speed settings (low, medium and high) and a handy stand allowing you to prop it up for optimum cooling power. It can also simultaneously charge up your phone via its USB slot.

Available at: www.menkind.co.uk

iClip Wallet

This extremely compact wallet is the size of a credit card, so it should fit in any pocket. Slim and lightweight, its rounded corners protect your clothing from wear and tear, and the big viewing window at the back allows you to access your cards with ease. Made from high-tech resin, the clip to hold your notes and cards is durable as well as flexible and will not damage the magnetic strips on your debit or credit cards.

Available at: www.thinkgeek.com

FIXR - 20 TOOLS IN 1

This nifty piece of kit contains 20 tools in one compact design. Crafted from stainless steel, it has a gold titanium treated rotating tool disc, a stainless steel nut and clip as well as a carbon steel blade to see you through any DIY dilemma.

Available at: www.amazon.com

6 IN 1 PEN TOOL

This useful tool is not only a normal writing pen, but packs some nifty hidden features. Inside its metal casing, it has a stylus tip for touch screen, a Philips screwdriver head, a flat screwdriver head, a spirit level and a ruler with inches and centimetre markings.

Available at: www.menkind.co.uk

FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR

Skip the process of picking out annoying seeds from your fruit and get straight into the good stuff with this extractor. Simple to use, just screw it in and you’re ready to go. vailable at: www.menkind.co.uk

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Bahrain Edition

BEAUTY | FASHION | HOME | WELLBEING | LOCAL ISSUES

August 2021 | Issue 220

BEAUTY 6 Summer-friendly products you must get your hands on!

FASHION Pretty in Pink!

A Sparkling Summer Our top jewellery picks this season.

INTERVIEW

PARENTING

The Epitome of Strength & Determination

Ouiam El Hassani tells us how to help kids readjust to going outside again.

We chat with para-athlete Rooba Al Omari about the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

LIFESTYLE

We step into Kristina Rowena Estero’s shoes

Cool Treats for the Summer! www.womanthismonth.com

Pretty in Pink!

FASHION

We explore some of Giorgio Armani’s Prive Shine collection in pretty shades of pink

Giorgio Armani once again brings his haute couture collection to the catwalk, transforming symbols, lines and colours into a new expressive path that cuts across the sense of time. In his most recent show, the designer included some garments from the latest haute couture collection in homage to Milan, creating a subtle common thread that underscores a deep sense of authenticity that transcends seasons.

The collection is luminous: the brilliance of fabrics that almost seem liquid, the sheen of satins and silks interwoven with ultra-fine metallic thread, which create an impression of joyful levity. Where long evening dresses seem to float, and delicate blouses suggest movement with crinoline ruffles featuring an unusual construction. The outfits – composed of long skirts and short bodices and jackets – are imbued with evocative elegance. Embroideries sparkle, and the dresses are like giant blossoms with a supported yet weightless structure, as if in an enchanted garden.

Surprising colours make a statement in the classic world of couture, but what truly caught our eye was the unexpected range of pinks from blush and powder to kasaya and pomegranate.

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FASHION

Embellishing Your Pink Look

We don’t just wear pink on Wednesdays around here. Pink is for every day, every week and every season in our opinion.

Regardless of when you’re dawning a fabulous shade of pink, you can either wear chic outfits in pink or embellish your look with these stunning accessories.

Coach Pillow Tabby

The Coach Pillow Tabby is crafted from soft Napa leather. The aptly named Tabby is designed to be your main squeeze and is available in a range of colours. We naturally love the Pillow Tabby in pink!

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FASHION

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FASHION

By Far Tiffany Pink Spray Print Leather Heels When your confidence is struggling boost it strutting a la Elle Woods in hot pink flip-flop heels or go full lambada in this quirky pink spray print heel from By Far.

Editor’s Pick

Meera Toukan’s Statement Plexiglass Clutches

Rene Coavilla Strong, cosmopolitan and confident women can make a true statement wearing these spectacular heels from the luxury Italian shoe designer, Rene Coavilla. We loved the fairytale feel of the bejewelled Cinderella pump and flowery Floriane Sandal.

www.womanthismonth.com

The world of art, architecture and accessories are beautifully combined in the form of Meera Toukan’s eye-catching plexiglass clutches. The Jordanian designer juxtaposes Middle Eastern and Western cultures to form designs that we believe would go well with every outfit – especially a couture summer look!

Handmade in Jordan, each Meera Toukan piece is a work of art, expressing Meera’s understanding and appreciation of traditional Arabic culture in a contemporary, universal milieu. Paying homage to the designer’s heritage, Meera blends the ancient art of calligraphy along with the traditional Keffiyeh to create a collection of coveted clutches.

We love her pieces that maintain pride in the Middle Eastern culture!

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PEOPLE | interview

THE EPITOME OF STRENGTH & DETERMINATION

Woman This Month Speaks with Bahrain’s Only Female Competitor at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games “I want to leave a mark behind me when I grow up; to be remembered as Bahrain’s Paralympic champion.”

With these words, Bahrain’s sole female competitor at the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games, Rooba Al Omari, expressed her pride in representing the Kingdom for the second time at the prestigious global sporting event - competing this year in the discus throw F55 category.

The 2020 Tokyo Paralympics is scheduled to be held between August 24 and September 5 this year. Similar to the Olympic games, it was rescheduled from last year due to the global outbreak of COVID-19. Besides Rooba, the Kingdom of Bahrain will be represented at the event by javelin thrower, Ahmed Mushaima.

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PEOPLE | interview

Despite having an outstanding record of medals in multiple local, regional, intercontinental and international paraathletic competitions up her sleeve, Rooba says preparing and qualifying amidst the pandemic for the most-awaited sporting event in the world has been a challenging task. “This is my first participation since the outbreak.

Training during such unprecedented circumstances has been incredibly challenging, especially with the frequent and unpredictable closure of sports facilities which led to training interruptions,” says Ms. Al Omari.

“Regardless of the challenges, I aspire to standout in the upcoming games and achieve advanced positions for my country,” she says with determination.

The 29-year-old, who is specialised in discus throw, shot put and javelin throw, has competed in several games throughout her career including the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Paralympics, the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 and the Jakarta 2018 Asian Para Games, to name a few.

She had notably won three medals at the 2017 World Para Athletics Grand Prix.

Speaking about her beginnings, Rooba says she found herself in individual sports, and with the necessary support and guidance, rapidly gained experience that bagged several medals at regional and international levels.

“At the start of my sporting career in 2013, I was in fact more interested in basketball when compared to other sports,” she says.

“However, there are no female basketball teams for people with determination in the GCC, so I decided to move on to individual sports that suit my skills and add to my professional career as a para-athlete,” she explains.

When asked about her source of motivation and support, Rooba mentioned that her www.womanthismonth.com

biggest supporters are her family members.

“They are the last to say goodbye when I leave the airport to represent the Kingdom in international sport arenas, and the first to welcome me back with flowers, regardless of the outcome of my performance,” she says fondly.

“Family support is key to any athlete’s success, but especially in the case of paraathletes. Without them, we would never be able to make it,” she adds.

step forward. Nothing comes easy, that is a fact. Consistent effort is necessary to advance.

It took me six years of hard work, training and competing in different events before I could reach the Paralympics in 2016,” “All I want to say to people with conditions that are similar to mine is that nothing is impossible as long as you continue believing in yourself and work hard to achieve your goal,’ she concludes.

Rooba went on to laud the endless support provided by the newly established Bahrain Paralympic Committee, headed by Shaikh Mohammed bin Duaij Al Khalifa, and the keen follow up of the General Secretary, Ali Al Majed, as well as the sincere efforts exerted by the coaches under the Committee’s umbrella.

As the countdown for the mega event begins, with a little more than two weeks for the take-off to Tokyo, Rooba and her teammate are now undergoing extensive training sessions, under the supervision of National Coach Hassan Muftah. She trains twice daily, five days a week, as she eyes winning her first podium spot in the Paralympics.

Sharing a message to people with determination who are contemplating taking part in paraathletics, Rooba says: “I encourage them to take a August 2021

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BEAUTY EARTH-CONSCIOUS HAIR CARE L’Occitane has introduced its new solid shampoo which is free from silicones and sulfates and comes in recycled packaging. The range consists of two shampoos targeting different hair types: Intensive Repair for brittle and damaged hair and Purifying Freshness for normal to oily hair. The Intensive Repair shampoo helps repair and improve the quality of the hair from root to tip, leaving the hair soft and supple. The Purifying Freshness Shampoo, on the other hand, helps reduce excess sebum and beautifies hair. Both shampoos also contain 100% natural essential oils and smell divine.

Available at all L’Occitane stores and on www.loccitane.com.

6 Summer-friendly products you must get your hands on!

We’re in the thick of summer and we all know what that means – we’re on the quest for all things heat, humidity and smudge-proof. With the sweltering heat in mind, we bring you a range of products which will keep you feeling fresh and looking your absolute best, both: night and day.

DEFINED AND SCULPTED EYES WITH D&G BEAUTY

For the Spring-Summer 2021 Ready to Wear season, Dolce&Gabbana presented a captivating collection entitled Patchwork di Sicilia. This elegant show was complemented by a timeless make up look: a healthy and polished complexion with signature feline flicks and vivid matte lips in a palette of nude, pink and red – all from Dolce&Gabbana Beauty.

The skin was prepped before creating an elegantly defined and sculpted eye makeup look using Felineyes Intense Eyeshadow Quad in shades Sweet Cocoa 2, Smoky Taupe 3 and Italian Baroque 4. This was then highlighted with the Intenseyes Creamy Eyeshadow Stick in Gold 6 which was used on the inner corners of the eyes, adding a shimmery accent that brightened the look. For the signature sweep of liner, The Glam Liner in Black Intense 1 was traced along the upper lashline and out towards the temples to create the iconic black flick.

The models’ brows were enhanced with The Brow Liner, using light feathery strokes to mimic the natural hairs and give soft fullness and definition. The feline eye look was finished with show-stopping lashes, using Passioneyes Intense Volume Mascara in Nero Sicilia 1.

Products available at all leading beauty stores and at www.dolcegabbanabeauty.com.

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AN OLFACTORY DREAM WITH L’ARTISAN PARFUMEUR

The sumptuous and captivating scents of a dreamlike nature are created by L’Artisan Perfumer as they open the doors of the Orient. The L›ARTISAN PARFUMEUR L›ORIENT collection of tales and legends, which offers the image of an East praised by dreams and fables, and celebrate a rich and opulent nature.

Being guided by his emotions, the perfumer Christophe Raynaud sowed in these stories some native ingredients of an Orient of wonders: Turkish rose, saffron, cedar and incense to create five unique fragrances.

View the collection on www.artisanparfumeur.com.

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BEAUTY DIVINE EYES START WITH CHANEL

Express and emphasise your style with a single swipe of Chanel’s STYLO YEUX WATERPROOF which has seen an addition of seven beautiful new shades. The cult favorite beauty product is now available in 14 shades so that women can wear whatever color they desire.

The glimmery liners are resistant to humidity, water, and sebum, and doesn’t run or smudge. Being versatile, it can be applied along the upper lash line for a natural look, as a kohl, or on the outer corners – the perfect product to experiment with.

The new shades include a satiny blue, green, grey, coppery pink and khaki aside from a surreal shade of gold.

Available at all leading beauty suppliers.

BE PROTECTED, PORELESS & FLAWLESS! Charlotte Tilbury’s new Invisible UV Flawless Poreless Primer SPF 50 PA++++, is a next-generation, weightless SPF 50 filter shield with a flawless poreless finish. It’s a beautifying, hydrating, protective filter that primes your complexion and is clinically proven to improve the look of skin while you wear!

It’s no secret that the sun is the most damaging external stressor for your skin, with too much exposure causing photo-ageing, moisture-loss, breakdown of elasticity, premature wrinkles and hyperpigmentation!

No matter your age, skin type or skin tone, if you aren’t wearing sun protection daily, your magical layers of serums, creams and hydration are going to waste! The UV Flawless Poreless Primer will give you daily UVA/ UVB defence with SPF 50 to shield the skin from the impacts of modern life and urban pollution, and delivers clinically proven results with an instant flawless, poreless looking finish.

Available on CharlotteTilbury.com and Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Wonderlands aside from Namshi.com.

Shiny Pouts with Flormar

Ditch those mattes and take on summer with a shiny pout. High-shine, glossy lips are all the rage this season. Opt for brighter shades for a little pop. Flormar’s Dewy Lip Glaze collection includes 20 shades of metallic, pearlescent and glass shine finishes and offers long-lasting shine and hydration, without the stickiness.

Flormar products are available at all Flormar Stores in the UAE and online on www.glambeaute.com and www.instashop.com.

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accessories

A SPARKLING SUMMER Jewellery that makes a hot fashion statement.

Spice up your summer look this year with these glamourous accessories. We love our fair share of jewellery and are positive that these spectacular pieces will turn some heads. Whether you’re in love with dainty jewellery or statements pieces, we’re sure you’ll find something you love.

A UNIQUE ACCESSORY FROM FULLORD

We’ve worn everything from earrings to necklaces, anklets to braclets but Fullord has set our eyes on something exquisitely beautiful which we just have to get our hands on. The brand creates intricate scarf rings which beautifully adorn their luxurious scarves.

More than a jewel and of a scarf holder, Fullord marries the preciousness of gold and diamonds to a practical use, giving a new life to how you can wear a scarf or adorn a Hijab.

They have a wide range to choose from, but if we had to choose, we would pick these stunning animalinspired scarf rings.

Find out more on www.fullord.com.

A Masterpiece of Passion by Sicis Jewels

Luxury fine jewellery designer, Sicis Jewels, have unveiled its breathtaking 14.33-carat diamonds, the Detino Incantato Necklace. The precious jewel features 18-carat white gold, 3.91 carat tanzanite and 4.23-carat rubellite.

A three-dimensional design, where curved lines intertwined inside-out and mark the trajectories of a movement, made up of dynamic shapes and vivid colours: a statement of the jewel's powerful and symbolic visual language. The result is an exquisite piece of jewellery featuring a kaleidoscope of colours.

Find out more about the exquisite piece on www.sicisjewels.com.

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accessories

AKILLIS’ BANG BANG COLLECTION WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

With Bang Bang, AKILLIS presents a jewellery explosion. This unisex collection, charged with forbidden munitions, blasts off with a rock’n’roll charm. Bracelets grace the wrist and chokers highlight the neck of the wearer with a weapon as alluring as it is dissuasive. The 9mm bullet - a callingcard for adrenaline addicts - is available in a range of options.

Originally a stylish and casual titanium mounted on a cord, Bang Bang bracelets are now available in flexible bracelets and chokers made of rose gold, or white gold, and are optionally set with black or white diamonds.

For more information check out www.akillis.com.

ELEGANTLY EDGY WITH TIFFANY & CO.

If urban was an attitude, this would be it.

The Tiffany & Co. Hardware collection are strong and stunning statement pieces that are edgy, yet elegant in appearance. We have our heart set on the stunning 18K yellow gold earrings including the Tiffany HardWear bead double drop earrings, Tiffany HardWear chain double drop earrings and Tiffany HardWear graduated chain link quadruple drop earring.

For more information, visit www.tiffany.com.

MKS Jewellery’s Celestial Beauties Stargazing jewellery lovers look no further, MKS Jewellery’s curated collection takes inspiration from the glowing night sky. Ranging from pieces filled with statement stars to the crescent moon, each wearer is able to elegantly express herself with understated, galactic designs. We loved the Star, Moon and Heart Deera series which features white diamond symbols surrounded by gold on a beautiful base of Emirati mother-of-pearl. The practical pieces remind the wearer to always follow her dreams and to pursue finding her inner magic.

Find out more on www.mksjewellery.com. www.womanthismonth.com

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LIFESTYLE | opinion

“

I DON’T WANT TO GO OUT

S

ince March 2020, parents have taken all recommended precautions to shield their children and themselves from the dangers of COVID-19. They followed instructions; they stayed home, avoided gatherings, and stayed away from family, friends, and group activities. Most kids remained in virtual schooling throughout the pandemic, which marks two academic years.

”

Ouiam El Hassani tells us how to help kids readjust to going outside again.

coronavirus, along with greater frustration, boredom, insomnia, and inattention.

Unfortunately, kids aren’t the only ones affected emotionally by the pandemic; parents are experiencing burnout from trying to juggle work from home, school from home; add to that the fear from the virus itself and

the anxiety that had crept into our lives and homes, leaving parents in a state of physical and mental exhaustion which makes parenting even harder, and makes parents unaware or even in denial of their children’s own emotional issues, which will undoubtedly make matters worse.

Almost a year and a half later, as things begin to open up a little bit, most parents seem to increasingly hear the signature phrase: “I don’t want to go out.” Not to gymnastics class, not to the grocery store, not to their favorite restaurant, and even not to see grandma! Most parents find themselves perplexed and have no clue how to manage this new trend.

Researchers who work directly with children and families suffering from anxiety, have declared this state of apprehension the kids have of leaving the safety of their home as understandable and, unfortunately, it will be the path to normal post-pandemic life. The pandemic led to abrupt and extended changes to families’ routines, including more isolation and removal from in-person schooling, that are associated with worsening mental health in young people, leading to a significant increase in reported youth anxiety, particularly concerning fears of the

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LIFESTYLE | opinion So, what can parents do to care for both: themselves and their children as we gradually transition back to interacting in public?

Having concerns about leaving isolation and integrating back to pre-corona life is entirely reasonable; parents should learn to listen to their children’s worries, validate them, and express understanding and acceptance. However, parents should pay attention to how intense these worries seem to be.

Is your child getting caught up in excessive hand-washing and cleaning? Adamant about avoiding even public spaces that you deem safe? Parents can discuss the differences between appropriate and excessive safety precautions objectively without pointing fingers or blaming the child.

Remind your child that while it’s important to be safe, it is also essential to adapt your safety strategies to new information and situations.

Drawing distinctions between what you and your children can and cannot control when it comes to getting sick, limiting excessive reassurance about safety, and having a plan to manage challenging situations as they occur can help your child feel ready to meet the world.

It is important to understand that different people will adjust to engaging with others at different

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speeds; expressing empathy simply and clearly will help the child feel safe sharing his feelings with his parents, making it easier to address them.

Some kids will need to be trained into taking smaller, more manageable steps towards regular interaction, such as a small playdate at the park with their favorite friend or a trip to get ice cream.

Parents can also set small achievable goals and share them with the kids so they can be an active part of the challenge; this could motivate them and help them transition easily and smoothly.

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s t a e r T ! r l e o Cfoor the Summ

LIFESTYLE | food

Here are our easy-peasy recipes for cool treats that you’ll enjoy this sweltering season.

Temperatures across the region are reaching a record high this summer. In the Kingdom of Bahrain alone we measured 48.7C at the start of August with similar temperatures felt by our neighbours. Staying cool is, without a doubt, the need of the hour, so here are some of our favourite recipes for popsicles, cool drinks and other healthy treats to help you cope.

MANGO LASSI

This delightful drink is a favourite at many Indian restaurants and it’s easy to see why. It combines fresh dairy and fresh fruit to bring you a truly refreshing beverage

Ingredients 1 cup mango (diced and frozen) 1 cup full-fat yogurt ½ cup water 1 ½ tsp sugar ¼ tsp cinnamon Preparation 1. Blend all the ingredients together. Add water as you see fit to bring the drink to your preferred consistency.

2. Pour into serving glasses and serve cold.

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LIFESTYLE | food

Ingredients 2 cups strawberries ¼ cup coconut cream 1 tsp vanilla essence 2 large oranges ½ cup honey

FRUITY POPSICLES (MAKES FOUR)

Here’s a fun one which you can make with the kids. We love using fresh fruit with this recipe as opposed to processed juices.

Preparation 1. Prep two separate bowls to pour your purees into and a popsicle mould.

2. Start by blending the strawberries with the coconut cream, vanilla essence and half the honey. Once thoroughly blended, pour the mixture into the moulds making sure that they fill more than half of each mould.

3. Place the mould in the freezer.

4. Next, juice the two oranges and add the remaining honey to the mixture. Top up the moulds with the orange juice. Freeze for atleast four to five hours.

5. Enjoy with a drizzle of honey!

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LIFESTYLE | food

OVERNIGHT OATS (MAKES 2)

This easy dish is a go to for many when it comes to breakfast. It’s healthy, filling and cool making it the perfect dish to start the day.

Ingredients 1 banana (sliced) 2 cups oats ½ cup yogurt (low fat, full fat, or coconut cream depending on your preference) 2 tbsps peanut butter 2 tbsps honey 1 tbsp chia seeds 1 tsp vanilla essence Preparation 1. Combine the oats and chia seeds in a large bowl.

2. Next, add the yogurt, honey and vanilla essence and mix well till there are no clumps.

3. Cover the mixture with cling film or a lid and leave in the fridge to cool overnight.

4. The next morning, remove the mixture from the fridge, spoon into two glass bowls or glasses and top with a dollop of peanut butter, sliced bananas and a drizzle of honey.

If you’re planning on indulging, you can top the mixture off with coconut or chocolate shavings.

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last word

In Her Shoes

Women are powerful, determined and go-getters – there’s no doubt about that.

This month, we took a peek into the life of The British School of Bahrain, Head of Business Development, Kristina Rowena Estero. Here’s what makes her tick.

What is your dream holiday destination?

Visiting the Finnish Lapland in March where I get to stay in a glass igloo in Kaklaustannen Arctic Resort, drink hot cocoa, chase the Northern Lights and bask in a wonderland of snow. I super love the cold.

What’s the best gift you have ever received?

Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Not one, but two cast iron skillets (Staub and Le Creuset) for Christmas. They had been on my wishlist for a long time but I didn’t get the chance to buy it. Two of my friends surprised me with it. I love to cook and eat steak and this cooking tool is definitely for the win!

Get rid of the negative energy. The aura it brings you not only makes you old but sickly. It is your outlook in life that drives the good things back to you.

Positive energy attracts positive things.

Kristina Rowena Estero

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I binge watch home renovation shows and cooking channels. I find both shows very relaxing and satisfying to watch. Home renovators and chefs are hands-down visionaries.

What song is guaranteed to make you dance?

I love old school R&B. Family Affair by Mary J. Blige can definitely make me get on my feet. www.womanthismonth.com

What’s the one dessert you absolutely cannot resist?

Apple pie.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I envision myself to be continuously climbing up the career ladder, helping to open new schools and breaking the glass ceiling that race and gender will never be a hindrance towards success.

If you had to pick one, would you go on a mountain or beach holiday? Why?

I would go to a beach holiday. Watching gorgeous sunsets, feeling the sand and water beneath your feet, eating fresh produce from the sea, and enjoying cocktails - what more can you ask for.

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