Karibu Tanzania Exhibit Opens March 2 at World Beat in Bahrain
28 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Eye Candy - Art, Island Tales - Expatriate Living Tags: Art, Bahrain, events, Exhibits, Lena W Dajani, Spring of Culture, Tanzania, travel, World Beat Fitness
A Taste of Africa In Bahrain
23 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Eye Candy - Art, Island Tales - Expatriate Living Tags: Art, art exhibits, Bahrain, Karibu Tanzania, Lena W Dajani, Middle East artists, Spring of Culture 2013, Tanzania, travel, World Beat Fitness Center
During the Spring of Culture, Lena W Dajani, an artist and my friend, is having her first solo exhibit at World Beat Fitness starting March 2, 2013.
Karibu Tanzania is Swahili for “Welcome to Tanzania”.
The beauty of Tanzania’s vibrant landscapes and people are the subject of Lena’s first solo exhibit. Between 2008 –2010, Lena and her family lived in Dar Es Salam. She immediately fell in love with the city, its idyllic setting on the Indian Ocean and tropical landscape. From Dar Es Salaam, the family explored the shores of Zanzibar, sailed the Indian Ocean, and took numerous safari trips to the country’s national parks. Traveling through the Ngorongoro Crater, Manyara, Serengeti, Amani, Saadani, Bongoyo, Mbudya and Ruaha reserves, she captured the family adventures. This exhibit was created from her thousands of photos.
Lena was a member of Artist Seana Mallen’s Awali Arts. Under Seana’s artistic guidance, her painting developed from a hobby to a commitment to create unique artwork drawing from her global experiences. A busy mother, she currently works with watercolor and acrylic painting that allows her to quickly and effectively re-create and capture her impressions.
Private collectors in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Tanzania have purchased Lena’s paintings. She created a line of greeting cards and has presented her art work in several local exhibitions.
- Bahrain International Garden Show (2007 & 2008) with the Awali Arts
- Desert Designs, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia (2007)
- Art House Open Studios, Bahrain (2008)
- BAPCO’s 2012 First Annual Art competition, Bahrain (2012)
Karibu Tanzania will continue through March at World Beat. However, if you can, on the opening day, stop by to meet and chat with Lena. Her conversations range from Islamic art, Edward Tingatinga’s paintings, African safaris, Bali artists, high-tea in London, camping trips in Oman, Middle East politics, recipes from Gourmet magazine or family tennis tournaments in the south of France. Her passport may say American, but she is a true Global Citizen and her art is inspired by global culture.
You can LIKE Lena on FACEBOOK.
SPRING OF CULTURE 2013
20 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Island Tales - Expatriate Living Tags: Bahrain, Bahrain National Theater, events, expatriate, Il Divo, Il Divo in Bahrain, Kennedy Center, Spring of Culture 2013, Yanni in Bahrain
March and April are fantastic months to be in Bahrain. The weather is comfortable and the Spring of Culture is taking place.
Of course, it is fun to see big names like Bocelli, but what I love about Spring of Culture is we get to see lesser known, but amazing, performers from around the world. There will be lecturers from Lebanon, Morocco, Yemen and Tunisia; dancers from Cuba and India; an international poets panel; and family events by creative teams from Scotland, Italy, Lebanon and Australia.
The government sponsors much of Revealing Bahrain’s month-long, extravaganza of art, music, dance, poetry, and children’s programs. Except for the ten ticketed shows, most events are FREE to the public.
A new addition to this year’s line-up is the newly opened Bahrain National Theater that reminds me of the Kennedy Center. Il Divo, the Mahler Orchestra and Yanni will be performing there. The Cuban dancers be performing at the beloved Arad Fort where every year we encounter a new parking experience.
Spring of Culture is more web-savvy this year. Their updated website is a huge improvement. And you can LIKE them on FACEBOOK and keep up on Tweeter.
A big congratulations to Sheikha Mai, who with strength and finesse, single-handedly deals with the opposing voices. Thanks to the Ministry of Culture team for once again highlighting all that is good about living in Bahrain.
18 Feb 2013 1 Comment
in Island Tales - Expatriate Living
This blog has amazing and artistic photos of everything. If only our desert was this beautiful.
Desert Air – a book of stunning aerial photographs of deserts from around the world, documented by George Steinmetz. /// From top to bottom:
Tschad / Teguidda-n-Tessoumt, Niger / Pacific Coast, South Peru / Dead Sea, Israel / Algerie-Oasis, Algeria / Sand dune, Peru
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One Billion Dance to Break the Chain – February 14 2013
13 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Island Tales - Expatriate Living, Where the Corn Grows - Iowa Tags: Ames, break the chain, Dance, des moines, events, freedom, Iowa, spirituality, Valentine's Day, violence and rape, women and children
Fill your Valentine’s Day with love for all people on the earth. There are at least, two opportunities tomorrow February 14th in Bahrain to teach your children the power of dance. Join one billion other people in the world move towards freedom from violence and rape. Dances are being held everywhere including Ames, Iowa and several in Des Moines. You can find a dance near you by checking out the map at One Billion Rising.
8:45-11 World Beat Fitness is holding a dance workshop featuring African djembes, Egyptian belly dancing and a dance by internally-recognized, multi-cultural choreographer, Valli Batchelor. The event is BD 10 for non-members and BD8 for members. The proceeds will go towards a local center for victims of abuse.
2 pm the Rugby Club has a dance instructor-led event for those that enjoy afternoon activities. The suggested donation is BD 5. The proceeds will also go to a local charity dealing with women affected by abuse.
It is half-term for the schools on the British curriculum. And a great opportunity for us mothers to show our daughters that even while having fun we can help BREAK THE CHAIN and change the world.
I Cannot Win When a Man Has the Mojo
28 Jan 2013 14 Comments
in Island Tales - Expatriate Living Tags: 5th annual kuwait little league tournament, Bahrain baseball, baseball middle east, family, Humor, yoga in doha
Mojo, Ace and Mark went to Kuwait for a baseball tournament.
Susan was invited, but she turned down their offer when she learned she would not be playing.
I invited her to go to Doha with me for a girls’ weekend of yoga, swimming and a little sightseeing.
“That will be fun,” she said. “I’ve never been to Qatar.”
She invited her friend, making the weekend even better as they shared a room complete with free wi-fi. During class, as they struggled through downward dog, they giggled together before falling over during half-moon. While I learned to breathe, they swam and ate ice lollies in the heated pool. One evening, we were invited to a dinner party, and Susan was delighted to find herself in the company of cat lovers who also enjoyed telling stories about their precious, furry companions.
Returning to Bahrain, as Susan and I cleared immigration, I got a message that Mojo and the boys had already arrived home. “You won” I texted back.
Susan wondered how the boys’ trip was. I started telling her what I knew, but she shouted, “Spoiler alert! I want to hear it from the boys.”
At home, after the initial run-down of games won and lost, they got to the good part: eleven, stinky boys under Mojo’s supervision, having an all-night, soda-palooza while watching “the epic” Back to the Future 1, 2, and 3. Plus, all the popcorn they could eat.
As she listened to them laughing about Pepsi coming out their nostrils, she whined, “I wish I had gone with Dad.”
Ooooh, that Mojo! He won again.
Bahrain Has A Technology First – 3G WIFI
17 Jan 2013 5 Comments
in Island Tales - Expatriate Living Tags: 3G to WIFI Offload, 3G WIFI, Bahrain, City Center Mall, good wifi connections in Bahrain, ICEspot, wifi networks, WIFI Offload Middle East, Zain Bahrain
I just met my friend at City Center Mall to say our final good-byes. She arrived before me to use their new 3G WiFi. She went to the Zain kiosk and, for a few dinars, was watching YouTUBE on her phone.
This is the type of Internet access you need when you are traveling. You don’t want to get caught with roaming charges when you check your emails on your phone. Roaming is unbelievably expensive. An acquaintance admitted she had hundreds of dinars in roaming charges when she did not turn off her phone’s data service while on vacation. This is also great if you want to shop and your husband does not.
3G to WIFI Offload was all the rage at the 2012 Mobile World Conference in Barcelona last year and Bahrain, believe it or not, is the first in the Gulf to get it.
I don’t know why they are keeping it so quiet. Maybe they are afraid City Center will be overrun with people. Four dinars will give you access for the whole day. Bring your iPad. You can download TED, the uncut-version, and video Skype in your friends to people watch with you while you eat your mango PinkBerry.
See – sometimes even old Bahrain gets something new.
Tales of Dragons, Rabbits and Roosters 