October 2009 by HalaBahrain

Your Local Bahraini Guide!

HalaBahrain Magazine Magazine October 2009 - Vol 2 - Issue 4

Eggs, Chai Haleeb & Balaleet! We take you into the heart of a traditional Bahraini Breakfast!

Places to Go Things to Do

Thee Art of Mehyawa

Events Tradition

We interview nutcase local band, Thee Project

And much more! HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Editorial

Cooling Down... Dear Readers, As the weather finally starts turning humane, the fun season in Bahrain begins! Just past Eid, we’ve had a whole lot of events and activities going on around the island; check some out in this issue. There’s a whole lot going on too, so be ready to get out and about this month! Our National Football Team have also been doing wonders, bringing us that much closer to the World Cup. We’ve got one more game left to play in New Zealand next month, and then it’s all the way to S. Africa! Fingers crossed! As special features this month, we’ve interviewed one of Bahrain’s craziest rock bands - Thee Project. These guys have been growing in popularity over the past year with their nutty humor; be sure to check them out. Since Ramadan is over and we’re able to eat breakfast again, we bring you a fun review of Breakfast at Haji’s in Manama! We’ve got a lot more; again, we would love to hear from you; send us your mail with thoughts about the magazine, and you could win a prize! Till next time,

HalaBahrain Magazine Lifestyle - Technology Entertainment - Events

The Team Editor-in-Chief Ammar Al-Aradi Creative Director Fardan Raffi Public Relations Mazen Madhloom

Copyright Information © All Rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Liability: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any consequence arising it. HalaBahrain is a fully registered online publication with the Bahrain Ministry of Information, under registration number EQHBH210 HalaBahrain is published monthly; to view the magazine, for a free subscription, or to download a copy, please visit www.halabahrain.com. For advertising and all enquiries, please contact admin@halabahrain.com

Ammar Al-Aradi Editor In-Chief admin@halabahrain.com

www.HalaBahrain.com admin@halabahrain.com

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Upcoming

News, Events & Happenings

9 October - 6 November (Fridays)

10-16 October

Al Riwaq Street Art Location: Al Riwaq Gallery, Adliya 6:00pm onwards Time: Contact: info@alriwaqgallery.org

Bahrain Int’l Music Festival Location: Cultural Hall Timing: 8:00pm every night

10 October

15 October

Bahrain VS New Zealnd Location: Isa Town Stadium Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Bougi III Location: L’Hotel, Seef Area Contact: +973 - 38888460 contactbougi@gmail.com 15-16 October

With Ramadan over, and the weather cooling down, Bahrain once again becomes a hotspot for events and entertainment of all types! For the art lovers, starting throughout the month, be sure to pass by Adliya for the Al Riwaq Gallery live street art. While the gallery is being renovated, a huge outdoor canvas has been set up, and every Friday a new artist will share their work by painting live for the crowds. Be sure to pass by and take a look. Elham 20 takes place at Al Bareh on the 27th, with live face sketching by Shabana Feroze, a display of paintings by Sara Aradi, and Arabic poetry recitals by Ahmed Al Shaikh. For those looking for more of an adrenaline rush, head to Amwaj Islands on the 15th of the month to witness the F2 Powerboat Championships, hosted in Bahrain for the first time ever. For those preferring something closer to land, pass by the BIC for the second round of the 2000CC and National Sprint races this season, or for the open track day if you feel like getting even closer to the action.

F2 Powerboat Championships Location: Amwaj Islands Contact: f2@sjbahrain.com 16 October Open Track Day & 4x4 Extreme Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit Contact: +973 - 17450000 Nikki Beach Location: Ritz Carlton Island Contact: info@theselectfew.com 21 October

Party-goers have their regular dosage of club nights all throughout the week, with another Nikki Beach and Bougi party making waves this month. There’s no shortage of live performances, as the Bahrain Music Festival brings us a full week of global music right to our little island, and for those who want a laugh, be sure to check out improv-comedy at Aqua Fuego on the 21st, or the live stand-up comedy auditions at the Regency Clipper Room on the 23rd and 30th of the month.

Funniest Person in Bahrain Location: Aqua Fuego Timing: 9:00pm - 11:00pm Contact: info@aquafuego.com 23 October / 30 October Live Stand Up Comedy Location: Clipper Room, Regency Time: 6:00pm-8:30pm Contact: info@imranalaradi.com 27 October Elham 20 Location: Al Bareh Gallery Timing: 7:30pm-9:30pm Contact: elhambahrain@yahoo.com 6 November 2000cc & National Sprint Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit Contact: crc.events@gmail.com

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Mail

HalaBahrain Mail Got something to say? Whatever it is, let us know, email us on: admin@halabahrain.com. Best letter of the month wins a brand new Apple iPod Nano!

Well, we put food on pause for Ramadan; were back with a tasty breakfast review this month, and some more specials in coming issues! ———— FROM: Trippin SUBJECT: October Love the magazine, can’t wait for the next issue! Well, here it is!

———— FROM: Gerald SUBJECT: Well done Bahrain! I just wanted to give a big congratulations to the whole island on winning against Saudi! Good luck in the next game and wish to see the team in South Africa next year! Loved the coverage! Thanks Gerald, fingers crossed, one more game to play in New Zealand! ———— FROM: Angie SUBJECT: City Center Guy You guys keep surprising us! Totally loved the interview, that man keeps us smiling whenever we see him! He’s always a joy to see. It’s great to know you’ve let him know

how many people appreciate what he does! Thank you from all of us! Yes, he’s been made aware of how famous he’s become, and that’s great! Just goes to show that a smile goes a long way, so keep smiling! ———— FROM: Woranon Walthong SUBJECT: Congratulations Congratulations! Your email has been chosen as winner of £1,296,000. Please send your information to Mr. Gore at paycenterlodon10@9.cn. Name, Age, Address, Phone Country. Really? We’re rich, we’re rich woooohoooow!!!

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

FROM: Abdulhameed SUBJECT: Prices Hello Hala Bahrain. You should do Hala Bahrain stickers, I would love to have one, I think they will be very nice. Also as well, I think you should give people Hala Bahrain T-Shirts, and other prices too. It would be very nice! Thank you! Judging from your grammar, Abdul, you’re either still in primary school, or you’ve had a solid Bahrain-PublicSchool education. What does count, however, is that it’s a great idea and we’ll get right on it! For your thoughts, we’ll send you an iPod, and t-shirts and stickers ‘prices’ when they’re ready!

Letter of the Month

———— FROM: Ahmed SUBJECT: Food Quests What happened to the food reviews? The top samboosa and shawarma reviews were crazy and totally fun, lets see some more of those please! Love the magazine, keep up the great work!

Win me!

Eid in Adliya

After a full renovation back in April, Adliya has been buzzing with life. During Eid, Al Riwaq started their street art, Elham showcased some local talents, and Bahrain TV filmed their Eid specials, with traditional bands playing music throughout! Some of the art events go on through the weekends, so if you have a bit of free time, pass by and check them out!

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

CRC Even ts

Events

The racing season is back! The 2000cc races started once again at the BIC, with a ton of modified vehicles competing for the title. Watch the coverage of this as we go around the season. The National Sprint event was also on with a number of nice rides (National Sprint is for those who want to race your regular car at the BIC), and for a small fee you can compete with similar cars on the same track thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s used for the F1 races! For more info contact crc.events@gmail.com

Photos By: Thamer Bloodline HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

As they always do, Al Dar Islands held another great Full Moon Party on the 1st of October; beach partying at itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best, with the crowds staying and dancing on till the early hours of the morning! If you missed this one, make sure to catch the next Lunar Event for new years! Should be nuts!

Full Moon Party

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Reflux We’ve tried to have rock and metal concerts in Bahrain before. We swear we have. But it seems we always either end up labeled as satanists, have the concerts shut down due to ‘inappropriate attire’, or otherwise. Reflux is a first, as Bahrain has finally managed to put together a successful rock and metal concert together! Bands from Bahrain and the region flew in to perform to a full 6 hour concert for hundreds of fans, including lots of guitars, screaming, and a few mosh pits too! A great time and definitely a great start, let’s hope to see this event repeated next year!

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

The performances put on were by Silverlake, Mushroom Massacre, Instruments of Insanity, Tragic Thought, Re-Alive, Adamant Eve, Rain in Hell, Moonshine, and Thee Project. Images courtesy of www.BahrainTalent.com

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

News

Bahrain News Bahrain Opening F1?

Yes, it’s true! For next year’s F1, it’s almost a definite that Bahrain will be hosting the opening race of the season! This means two things; first, Bahrain will have more focus on it for the race than usual from the eyes of the world, with it being the first race and all. Second, since we’re opening, the race date will probably be in March (provisional date at the moment is 14/3/2010), meaning we won’t have to risk heat strokes and sunburn like we did this year! Hurray!

Dive-In Theatre That’s not a typo; our favorite place to take a dip, Lost Paradise of Dilmun, has been showing outdoor movies you can watch while chilling in the pool! They’ve been going on since early September and have been quite a hit with the crowds. They’re only going on till the 16th of the month, so catch one before the initiative ends. Bet you can’t get wet at your local cinema without getting in trouble.

No More Download Limits? We’re bubbling over rumors that the freakishly annoying and frustrating internet limits might soon be a thing of the past! Currently, all telecoms in the country are offering limited bandwidth packages (besides Lightspeed, who we haven’t heard great things about yet). Yes, they’re only rumors right now, but apparently there are talks within the TRA to do something about this. Let’s keep fingers crossed and hope to see something happen soon! Feeling Funny? Think you’re funny but never get the chance to prove it? Well make sure you register for the new open-mic stand up comedy sessions at the Clipper Room in Regency Hotel! Hosted by Bahrain’s very own funnyman, Imran Al Aradi, these sessions are aimed at bringing out the undiscovered funny stuff from around the island. There are limited spots, so if you think you have what it takes, register now by sending an email to info@imranalaradi.com

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Screams The new album By Ala Ghawas

Exclusively on: www.urfilez.com HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

News

Gahwat Haji

We’ve done a quick write-up about Haji’s before, a little gahwa in the middle of Manama Souq serving yummy traditional breakfast. As Ramadan has finally passed, we decided to drop by for a tasty breakfast, and brought the cameras along!

Don’t already know where Haji’s is? It’s in a tiny alleyway right opposite ► Standard Chartered Bank near Bab Al Bahrain. We dropped by early on a Friday morning to catch some yummy breakfast, since we’ve missed that first meal of the day during Ramadan! Weather was a little sunny, but the shade was nice and cool.

◄ Quick service, just how we like it! The guy came and took our order pretty quickly, and gave a big thumbs up for the camera! Nice, now let’s wait for the tasty food to arrive...

It’s only been a few minutes, but we were starving! Where is that food? ► Uhhh, growling stomache.. Food food food...

◄ We tried to go look for our food but with no use, all we found was the guy who makes the bread. Hmm… Yumm… Warm freshly made bread… mmm... HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

News Yes!!!! Food is finally here! Let’s see what we have, eggs ► and tomatoes, balaleet (that’s sweet noodles topped with egg for those who don’t know), daal, nashef (meat), etc etc etc.. Ok I wont waste time to explain, just dig in!

◄ Yeah… This isn’t going to last long on the plate...

And what’s a good traditional ► Bahraini breakfast without a nice dose of Chai Haleeb (tea and milk?). Bring it on!

◄ True enough, that didn’t last long at all! Here’s a picture of the remains of the battle. But we were all nice and satisfied. Tasty! And our waiter, happy that we’re all satisfied, decides to go back to sleep! Apparently ► our order was pretty tiring. Great stuff, don’t miss out on this great breakfast! Timings for Haji are from 5:30am - about 11am. But get there early otherwise most of the good stuff runs out!

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Sports

Bahrain vs New Zealand Qualifiers After last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final minute surprise win against Saudi, Bahrain moved one step closer to reaching the World Cup! Our final step to reaching South Africa next year is against New Zealand, who we played in a home game on the 10th of the month. The Isa Town Stadium was FILLED with red, the streets were filled with Bahrain flags, and the whole country watched closely as the 90 minutes ran through. With a tie of 0-0, our last away game before qualifying will be in New Zealand on the 14th of November! Best of luck, Bahrain!

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Local

The Mehyawa* Takeover Not having enough credit in your phone to call that girl who just gave you her number. Going crazy trying to find a parking lot in Diplomatic Area every day. Cats. Annoying Ramadan TV show presenters. Enjoying a Thai massage (ahem). All seemingly random topics, but they are what makes Thee Projects’ songs stand out. Their music pokes at every thing we go through, from the regular to the wild, to the unspoken of. Started off as a basic idea and turning into a completely insane yet fun concept (black masks and mehyawa bottles), the following they’ve gotten has been HUGE. Having recently released their first album, Thee Art of Mehyawa, and played at different venues including the recent Reflux Festival, they’re definitely the next big thing, so keep an eye out for them! We speak to the band and try to get a sense of what makes them who they are.

* Mehyawa: Edible Fish Sauce, a dish loved by Persians everywhere

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Local

So, tell us, who are "Thee Project"? “THEE PROjECT” are a group of dedicated Bahraini musicians who are heavily influenced by Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music of different sub-genres. It is a "Nu-Metal / Experimental" Bahraini band, with a unique style, blending different genres of music and Bahraini cultural influences, with Heavy guitars and hardcore vocals. Interesting. So how did you come up with the band name? Well, as for the name, when we 1st started out, we used to refer to the nameless band as the "project", like "hey lets work on the project", but after a few recordings we realized that this is not just another project, this is THEE Project! Hence the name was born! And how did you guys start? The band started as a 2 piece, Ano and his cousin Necro, as an experiment to record some musical ideas created by Ano years ago. With Necro's musical background as a guitarist/bassist, and Ano filling in on Vocals and drums, the first song was recorded which was entitled "AbuDageega – Originally called Cats n Dogs", and was exactly 1 minute long. The song was spread amongst friends and was liked by many, thus demanding more material from us. we decided then to put together the foundation for the band, changing its name officially to "THEE PROjECT", and setting the rules, it being, there are no rules! Unlike other rock/metal bands, we do not limit ourselves HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Local

with a sub-genre like Metalcore or Black Metal. We can play any style of metal and at any point, mix Reggae, Arabic, Country, Jazz etc into the mix, giving us a unique sound and a challenging experience in creating music. The band recruited 2 additional members, Haji on drums and Buslooh on Bass, which on their own have added much value and better ideas to the new sound which was created for the full length album “Thee art of Mehyawa”.

Cool. So your track Chai Chai has been pretty popular, any ideas as to why? And how did you come up with the concept? After creating a few songs we wanted to record a cover, and we thought it would a great idea if we transformed something local, or a Bahraini song, into something Heavy, but being deeply influenced by the Holi culture (the Mehyawa for example). We then decided to do a Metal version of a Khodmony song, and Chai Chai topped our list, being a very popular song by the Bahraini/Khodmony band “Sultaneez”.

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Local

So tell us what to expect from your album? The unexpected! The album will take you on a rollercoaster ride; you will hear things that you will surely not expect from a Bahraini band, if you get a good laugh and sore neck by the time you’re done listening, then our mission is accomplished. Explain the logo? Ano: Necro came joking to me one day saying, hey lets wear ski masks and hold Mehyawa bottles for Pictures. What he did not expect from me is to actually take the idea seriously! I created a few concept designs which included a Mehyawa bottle, and we decided to go with the one we currently use. Influences? Each member is influenced by different genres of music and sub genres of Metal, from Black Metal, Death Metal, Nu-Metal, Progressive etc. Bands we commonly enjoy are: System of a down, Pantera, Super Joint Ritual, Sepultura, and many more. You guys rocked at the Reflux concert. How come we haven't seen more of your live shows around? It’s so difficult to arrange rock gigs in Bahrain; the venue is hard to get, but mostly, getting permits for such gigs is almost impossible. Even if we get things sorted we usually have “incidents” which result in shows being stopped. We don’t get much support or sponsors to have gigs frequently.

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Local

Last time there was a big rock concert, it got cancelled. Tell us what you think of the heavy metal and alternative scene in Bahrain in general. It is disliked by the majority, loved by a minority. It is still looked upon as people did when bands like Kiss and Iron Maiden appeared in the 70’s, being labeled “Satan worshippers” and such. It’s been decades people, time to wake up! Our music has nothing to do with Satan or the dark arts, and we try to make our music send a good message to the youth, from anti-drugs to abstinence.

How about the music scene in Bahrain in general? Sadly every genre in Bahrain is acceptable except Rock/Metal. Apparently no one seems to have any issues with drug filled alcohol infused half nude rave parties, while a bunch of talented musician with “alternative” taste get to be called infidels!

Where do you guys records/play? Ano and Buslooh have a small setup at home, self bought equipment. Guitars usually get recorded at Buslooh’s, with vocals, drums and mixing done at Ano’s. I’m sure many out there will be surprised by the recording quality even though it’s a small home studio. Buslooh is our main producer/mixer.

Got any advice for people who want to start their own bands in Bahrain? Try to be unique, and have fun! It’s not about looking cool or acting all tough and grim; image does not determine how “Metal” you are, as long as you have “Metal” in your heart.

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

Local

So what are the next steps for Thee Project? We got a whole lot of ideas on paper, and will start recording again soon. Hopefully the 2nd album will be ready by the same time next year, and we hope to get more gigs then! And finally, what’s Thee Projects’ favorite local food? Mehyawa? Tikka? Samboosa? We think anything made locally and deep fried should taste good! Nice! Okay guys, it was great talking to you. Before we go, just let our readers know where they can get your music?! Thanks, you too! Our album is available for download in high quality from urfilez.com, and the CD’s are being sold at Room 2 Rock, Hamala, Bahrain.

For more info on Thee Project, check out: www.BahrainTalent.com and www.myspace.com/theeproject666

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

HalaBahrain Magazine

HalaBahrain Magazine | October 2009

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