Sabaya Magazine January 2015 by Sabaya Magazine

Fashion, lifestyle and beyond

Issue 78 - JANUARY 2015

Creative prodigy Bil Arabi’s Nadine Kanso

Stand out from the rest!

Irish and American eatery

Jaguar XF

Bennigan’s Juffair

King of the kitchen Crowne Plaza’s Chef Saravanan

WELCOME 2015! Devise your resolutions and keep them

JANUARY 2015

CONTENTS JANUARY 2015

10 CELEBRITY TIDBITS All the latest gossip straight from Hollywood.

16 A CLASS APART Bil Arabi’s creator Nadine Kanso

18 ART-SPECT Art therapist Dalal Alsindi

20 SUCCESS STORY

Metaholic

22 GLITZ AND GLAM

Star Factor: ASK breaks down who wears what, fashion police style

26 FASHION STATEMENT Carolina Herrera, Celine, and more.

48 CHEF SPECIAL

Interview with Crowne Plaza Bahrain’s Executive Chef Sara.

50 OUT AND ABOUT

Check out all the events which took place last month

66 IN THE DARK

Check out all the events which took place last month

70 PRESS RELEASES Press releases from around the region.

76 LAST NOTE

How to keep New Year’s resolutions

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REVIEWS 34 GLOBE-TROTTER Nawalescape’s trip to Malaysia

38 TECHNO REVIEW

Techno Logic – Latest gadgets and what you will love about them

40 AUTO REVIEW Jaguar XF

42 HOTEL REVIEW Movenpick Bahrain

46 RESTAURANT REVIEW Bennigan’s, Juffair

20 31 JANUARY 2015

CEO Letter

Let us anticipate 2015 would like to wish all our dear readers a very happy new year with limitless

joy, health and wealth.

We are really anticipating a bright year with better content for our readers.

Chef Sara of Crowne Plaza hells us about his journey in the industry and gives

us a great recipe to try at home.

We also have various other reviews and interesting articles to keep you entertained.

As usual, we keep you up to date with runway trends, celebrity gossip and much more.

Cheers! Warmest regards,

Mamdouh Shehata

CEO - Sabaya Magazine

mamdouh.shehata@sabayamag.com

JANUARY 2015

at from January 15th to 21st 2015

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JANUARY 2015

From The Editor’s Desk

Welcome,

2015!

Business Development Director Rami Khalil

time of the year again when we think

Art Director Syed Muhammed Raihan

over a new leaf, so just to help a little

Photographer Santhosh

ow, what a great year 2014 was! It’s that

over resolutions and promise to turn

bit, we bring you some tips to stick to

your resolutions. I would also like to wish our readers a joyous and prosperous 2015.

In this issue, we have interviews with talented jewellery

Deputy CEO Samia Al Mahmood PR & Editorial Manager Omaima Ebrahim Editor Puja Tiwari

Proof Reader Fayez Abubacker Legal Consultant Younis Zakaria Younis

designer Nadine Kanso, who tells us about her calligraphy-

Printed by Arabian Press

therapist, Dalal Al Sindi. Reviews include the Movenpick

Distribution Al Ayam

inspired line ‘Bil Arabi,’ and Bahrain’s only certified art Bahrain, Bennigan’s Juffair and Jaguar XF.

Spot yourself in our event pages and enjoy the best fashion

picks of the season.

Please feel free to drop by any comments or suggestions by

email or visit our Facebook/Instagram page @sabayamag

PUJA TIWARI Editor puja@sabayamag.com

CEO Mamdouh Shehata

JANUARY 2015

Published by Sabaya Company for printing & Publishing ISSN 1985 – 8353 Chairman Abdul Samad Al Nashaba

Sabaya is a monthly publication Tel: +973 77100022 Fax: +973 77100021 www.sabayamag.com Email: info@sabayamag.com Facebook: SabayaMagazine Twitter: SabayaMag

JANUARY 2015

TIDBITS

Celebrity TIDBITS

CELEBRITY

Leonardo DiCaprio call it quits with model gal-pal Toni Garrn Leonardo DiCaprio and Toni Garrn have officially split after dating for more than a year, it has been revealed. The breakup comes after several reports that ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ actor left a Miami nightclub recently with 20 women and the duo partied separately, US magazine revealed. The couple has been privately dating since May 2013, never walking a red carpet together. The Oscar nominee star has been known for dating models, having previously been linked to Kristen Zang, Emma Miller, Gisele Bundchen, Bar Refaeli, and Erin Heatherton. He also dated now-pregnant Blake Lively in the summer of 2011.

Keira Knightley pregnant with first baby Julia Roberts paid far less than others for new Givenchy campaign Julia Roberts, who has been roped in for Givenchy’s Spring 2015 campaign, bagged in far less money as compared to her counterparts. According to a source, the 47-year-old actress did not sign on for the monetary gain, E! Online reported. According to a source, the Academy Award winning actress was not paid a lot for the endorsement deal adding that the amount was in the six figures and close to the 1 million dollars range. The source explained that Roberts did it for the high-end luxury association and because it was beautiful imagery shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, who were the biggest and best photographers.

JANUARY 2015

Sources have confirmed that the 29-year-old British star, married to the co-vocalist and keyboardist for London-based band Klaxons in 2013 and has been nominated for Screen Actors Guild best supporting actress, is more than 3 months pregnant, the New York Post reported. Rumours regarding had fueled when Knightley appeared to stay away from alcohol at the Moet British Independent Spirit Award, and wore an embroidered and billowy, ivory fur-trimmed Rocha dress which was different from her usual skin fit style. Knightley had previously said that though she hopes to have kids in future, she would not be a stay-home mom.

Celebrity TIDBITS

Actor Christopher Lee unveils heavy metal Christmas single at age 92

Lord of the Rings’ star Christopher Lee has launched a Christmas single at the age of 92. Lee’s brand new heavy metal tune ‘Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing,’ is being as a playful version of the holiday classic ‘Hark! The Heralds Angels Sing,’ and the actor said that the sing is “light-hearted, joyful and fun,” E! Online reported. “It’s a band singing on how metal should be played, the effect it has on the band and its listeners,” added Lee, who has now become the oldest heavy metal artist ever. He said that he tries to keep active by doing the things that he “truly enjoys,” and since he didn’t know how long he was going to be around, he treats every day as a celebration. This isn›t the first time Lee has recorded a musical number, as last Christmas the ‘Star Wars’ star recorded ‘Jingle Hell’, which made to No. 18 on the Billboard charts.

Brad Pitt doesn’t want kids to get inked, says Jolie

Angelina Jolie has revealed that Brad Pitt is horrified that their kids would like to follow in her footsteps and get inked. The ‘Maleficent’ star said that they’re already starting to display signs of a rebellious streak, the Daily Express reported. She told Radio Times magazine that revealed she has already told Maddox he could not have a tattoo, but when nine-year-old daughter Zahara also talked about getting them it caused her actor husband much anxiety. Jolie added that it›s especially hard for dads and girls, because for some reason men get a little more sensitive when the daughter gets a tattoo and Pitt thinks the girls can do no wrong.

Shailene Woodley wants a superhero movie role

‘The Fault in Our Stars’ actress Shailene Woodley says she would appear in a superhero film if it was made by Marvel Studios. The 23-year-old ‘Divergen’ actress revealed her preference when it comes to the makers of comic book movies, reported MTV online. “I would love to be in a superhero movie if it was Marvel.” Their movies are so much fun to watch. They take you on a ride. I love how they’re all interconnected. “I respond to independent films when I watch movies, because I love to feel affected on a very human, stripped level, but there’s something about going to those big blockbuster films where you watch people fly across the sky and have long stretchy arms or supernatural powers,” Woodley said. JANUARY 2015

Celebrity TIDBITS

Gabrielle Union suffers hairloss during filming

Actress and former model Gabrielle Union suffered major hair loss while filming new comedy ‘Top Five’ with Chris Rock. The 42-year-old actress, who plays a blonde reality star in the movie, says her hair started coming out in clumps, reported New York Post. “I have dark hair, and the process to get it blonde (for the film) made my hair fall out. Some people gain weight for a role, I practically went bald for a role. I lost so much hair,” she said. “My husband Dwyane Wade loved the blonde and thought I looked sexy. But once I went bald, he was like, ‘I’m ready for you to go back!’,” said the ‘Bring It On’ star.

Russell Brand risks Twitter ban

Comedian Russell Brand may face a Twitter suspension after publishing phone number of a journalist to his 8.7 million followers on the micro-blogging site. Breaching Twitter’s rules, the 39-year-old posted a photograph of a Daily Mail journalist’s business card on his Twitter page. In doing so, he risked breaching Twitter’s guidelines, which state members cannot post personal information about others without permission. However, it is not yet clear whether Brand’s post will be considered such a breach, with the post being removed after he developed cold feet. 12

JANUARY 2015

George Clooney’s wife not pregnant, says representative

Actor George Clooney and his wife Amal Alamuddin are not becoming parents any time soon, says the couple’s spokesperson. The couple, who got married in September this year, sparked speculation after Alamuddin stepped out wearing a loose-fitting jacket and a large velvet clutch bag close to her body for a recent outing in West Hollywood. The appearance prompted questions whether she was trying to conceal a baby bump. Stan Rosenfield, spokesperson for the couple, said that she is not expecting their child, reports dailymail.co.uk.

JANUARY SEPTEMBER 20152014

13 13

Celebrity TIDBITS

Witherspoon used to cry on kitchen floor

Actress Reese Witherspoon says she used to cry a lot on her kitchen floor. However, the 38-year-old believes that it’s only she who can turn things around whenever she’s feeling lost or weak. “I lay on my kitchen floor and cried a lot and I think, at a certain point you just wake up and you›re like ‘OK, I don’t want to feel like this anymore.’ “And you figure your own s**t out. But no one›s going to figure it out for you,” Nylon magazine quoted Witherspoon as saying. “You can’t apologize for being a human being. We all feel weak sometimes, sad and distraught, lost.” Witherspoon will appear in her next film, “Wild,” completely naked, and though her daughter thinks it’s “weird” to see that onscreen, she’s very proud of her mother.

Marilyn Monroe’s love letter from ex-hubby fetches $78K at auction Joe DiMaggio›s love letter to Marilyn Monroe has been sold for 78,000 dollars at a recent auction, it has been revealed. Julien›s Auctions announced that one letter from her ex-husband DiMaggio, the Yankee great, sold for more than 78,000 dollars, the Independent reported. Another letter from other husband Arthur Miller fetched nearly 44,000 dollars at the same auction that was held as a part of its Icons and Idols series. Julien’s said that the collection was held by her mentor and acting coach Lee Strasberg, who passed along the collection to a friend. Other items also included black velvet opera coat that was sold for 93,760 dollars, and one of her pendant necklaces drew that fetched 34,375 dollars.

Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t approve of Miley Cyrus?

‘Terminator’ star Arnold Schwarzenegger is reportedly not happy with his son Patrick’s relationship with Miley Cyrus. The 67-year-old star doesn’t approve of Miley’s wild ways. “Miley is really smitten with Patrick but his family are less impressed with the new romance. They don’t approve of Miley’s wild ways. Maria has warned Patrick that Miley might become a bad influence and she doesn’t want her to lead her son astray,” a source said. However, Miley’s friends are said to be more concerned about the relationship. They feel Patrick is just using Miley to boost his fame. “Her inner circle know how hurt she was after her split from Liam Hemsworth and don’t want her to go through heartache again,” another source said. 14

JANUARY 2015

Nadine Kanso

The brain behind jewellery brand Bil Arabi A Class Apart

JANUARY 2015

A Class Apart

ailing from Beirut, Nadine Kanso has etched quite an impression on the creative scene in the Middle East. Based in Dubai, she has collaborated on photography projects with Gucci and Louis Vuitton in the past and exhibited her work around the world. Nadine created a special jewellery line for Bahrain titled ‘Watani’ under the umbrella of fer jewellery collection ‘Bil Arabi.’ Sabaya catches up with her for a candid chat about her evolution in the industry. How did you come up with the jewellery design? My background in communicative arts. I came up with Bil Arabi because I had a photography exhibition in 2006 at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London titled ‘Arabize me’ and the body of work I did was ‘Meen Ana,’ which translates to ‘Who I am.’ It was regarding our identity and who we are as Arabs, as well as the connotation we received after 9/11. I was looking for ways to showcase my culture, language and heritage out there. Besides the t-shirts and cushions I’ve created, I decided to have one big letter ‘N’ incorporated into a ring. A good friend and supporter of the brand encouraged me to create a full line and use different alphabets into the mix and it really took off. I then had to come up with a name for the line and keeping it simple, I stuck to ‘Bil Arabi’ which literally translates to ‘In Arabic.’ What inspires you? Calligraphy is the base of the brand. In general, political and cultural issues inspire my work. But now that the brand has been in the market for 8 years, the challenge is emphasized on design and come up with something new every time.

creative boundaries. Bahrain’s market began showcasing my works recently and I thought the Bahrain National Day will be a good way to showcase the country’s heritage through jewellery and also get introduced to the market properly. Future plans? I am currently working on launching my men’s line which uses silver with Milan based designer who is also my cousin. It uses calligraphy elements and is simple and slick. Nadine during Watanis showcase at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bahrain.

What metals and stones are used to create the line? Different variation of 18kt gold along with precious and semi-precious stones as well as diamonds. How did you conceptualize the ‘Watani’ line for Bahrain? Every time I happen to collaborate with someone, we come up with a special concept that inspires me to push my JANUARY 2015

Art-Spect Dalal with artwork of her clients in the background

Healing Brush strokes Art therapist Dalal Al Sindi

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Art-Spect

there is a lot of stress in our daily life and some are able to deal with them but others cannot. Art bridges the gap between stress and harmony, serving as a medium to channel away anxiety and stress. Complementary alternative therapies go hand-in-hand with modern medicine and give patients great relief emotionally and mentally.

t is often said that art has the power to heal the deepest wounds of humanity. Bahraini art therapist Dalal Al Sindi is the only qualified practitioner of this expressive therapy in the kingdom and is gaining eminence with her Art Therapy Centre in Riyadat Mall. Art therapists use visual art media to help people who are struggling to communicate verbally or to express their feelings. An artist herself, Dalal uses it to treat those with communicative difficulties and traumas. She elucidates further on the process of the therapy and its benefits. What is your background and how did you take up on art therapy? After graduating with my masters in Art Therapy from the University of Hertfordshire, I started working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as an art therapist in the King Fahad Medical City’s Rehabilitation Hospital with patients with various mental, psychological and physical problems. I then opened The Art Therapy Center in Riyadat Mall, A’ali in 2013. Please explain how art therapy works. Art therapy is a form of expressive psychotherapy that uses visual art media to aid those with communicational difficulties to better express themselves. The communicative difficulties can be emotional, cognitive or psychological.

The client is able to express their thought patterns through art. Expression of art picks up on the creator’s unconscious feelings lodged in the subconscious mind and patterns which may have been affecting the client. In an art therapy session, I will ask the client to draw something pertaining to the topic in focus. After the drawing is done, I identify imagery, symbolism or techniques from the drawing and then I counsel the client. Issues are identified from visual analysis of the client’s artwork, they are automatically brought up to the conscious level as they are no longer “buried” unconsciously. The therapy starts when these symbols are accepted and discussed between the client and the art therapist. What is the next step after the initial recognition of the problem? I devise an art therapy treatment plan, where I designate certain goals that the sessions will focus on. There are three stages, the beginning, the middle which is when the healing begins to take place and the final step is when the procedure is almost complete. This is the time the paintings also change to a more positive sketch. What do you think is the importance of alternate therapy in conjunction with modern medicine? I believe it is very important because

How has the response been after you set up the Art Therapy Centre in Bahrain? It has been excellent; my clientele is growing at a quick rate, which shows that there is an interest in expressive therapies. More people are starting to understand the benefits of healing through this medium. What do you think of the new entrepreneurial ventures, such as your own, in Bahrain? I believe that is great and giving people more hope and motivation, encouraging people to take up on new ventures and eliminating the doubt of new concepts not working. Art therapy is a fairly new concept in the Middle East but it is becoming eminent soon, and newer therapies are emerging. Which difficulties benefit the most while working with art therapy and how? Communicational difficulties, especially those with stunted communication. Art gives you leeway to be able to communicate your cognitive processes on paper and art therapists will be there to grasp those factors. Anxiety and depression can also be helped, giving the mind powerful stimulus to communicate. What’s your ultimate goal in this field? The core of my inspiration and goal is to enhance the awareness and importance of art therapy in our society. As more art therapists join the field, I think we will be able to expand collectively and work with patients from all ages for the betterment of their life. JANUARY 2015

Success Story

Bahrainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heavy metal music pioneers Metaholic

JANUARY 2015

Success Story

ocking up Bahrain’s music scene, Metaholic is making waves by breaking the stereotype surrounding the genre by taking nostalgic metal to a new level. They created one of the first metal videos in Bahrain as part of the film Silver Raven’s OST and was featured in cinemas. Metaholic is comprised of four gloriously-maned men, namely: Naji on bass, Mohammed ‘Vampire’ is the lead guitarist, Mohammed ‘Wolf’ on the vocals and Yousef on drums. Focusing purely on old-school metal, the band has met musical legends like Guns N’ Roses guitarist Bumblefoot and The Scorpions and are aspiring to create an album soon. Unfortunately ladies, no hair care tips from them, as they swear their tresses are au naturel, no salon gimmicks in the making. Sabaya sits down with its members for a candid chat about the band’s formation and achievements. How was Metaholic formed? In the beginning, we were supposed to be a random band who was supposed to play on romantic ballads on Valentine’s Day, which is completely a contrast with our identity right now. The gig was supposed to be at a mall but it got cancelled. We took

some time off and went through an identity revamp. We determined that our band members had a zeal for heavy metal and that is what we took on. We then came up with the name ‘Metaholic’ which conveys our essence as a band. What do you think of the metal scene in Bahrain? Bahrain is brimming with some amazing talent but because of lack of exposure and support, it’s more of an underground scene here. Metal is still not widely accepted as a genre in this region so the scene is still in its juvenile stages. I also think that metal bands are shy and perhaps not ready for big exposure. Recount a funny experience at a gig? Okay picture this, everyone is headbanging, an intense guitar solo takes to the stage and the stage is on fire…literally! We were playing some Rammstein and I used flammable spray and lighter to add to the drama. The other band members didn’t know I was going to pull such a stunt and it was funny watching their reaction.. When did the band get a big break? It was when we played in Bab Al Bahrain under the umbrella of the Ministry of

Culture. That performance gave us the opportunity to break the stereotypical look at the metal genre. It doesn’t matter how much support you get from all over the world, getting the support from your hometown is the most valuable aspect for us because these are our roots. We have also played at the National Day festival at BIC in 2013. Which musicians inspire you? Old school musicians like Richie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix and other guys from the 70s and 80s era. As you mentioned, there are lots of bands that play underground and want to make it big. What advice can you give them? Follow your dreams and make original music. A lot of bands focus on cover songs and eventually become a cover band. They need to focus on creating something new. Also focus on publicity because any sort of exposure is good to bring out your name as a band. All the members have gloriously long manes. Tell me more about this. It’s a coincidence that we have long hair, I think we got inspired by each other to grow our hair. We think the look helps us as a rock band and adds to the band’s persona.

JANUARY 2015

Glitz & Glam

Star Factor Photo credits: Waleed Alshayji and Mohammed Hejres Location: Galleria Sophia

Our celeb fashion police, Ashwathy Shyam Kumar is a true blue fashionista. Multi talented, she is a fashion designer, buyer for a leading apparel brand in the Kingdom, stylist and diva. her fashion blog, www.thestylecounciltaash.blogspot.com is becoming one of the most popular fashion blogs in the region. ASK picks the best and the worst of what our fashion celebs have been wearing.

Taylor Swift

Following her sweet Oscar de la Renta dress, Taylor turned things up several notches on this occasion, displaying a lot more skin. This sassy one-shoulder burgundy number comes courtesy of Reem Acra’s Spring 2015 collection. I love how this look merges a classic silhouette with a sexy edge, showcasing yet another side to Taylor’s ever-evolving style. Matching Jimmy Choo sandals and a light pink lip shade round out this sexy look.

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Eva Longoria

Eva opted to wear a dress from Kuwaiti couture designer Ali Younes. While there is an essence of glamour and femininity oozing from this sensual lace design, I can’t say I’m bowled over by the gown itself. This may have been more intriguing to me without the lace overlay, with the scoop-neck bodysuit making up the top half of the gown, but I fully understand why that wouldn’t have been the case.

Glitz & Glam

Jenna Elfman

She attended The Music Center’s 50th Anniversary Spectacular at The Music Center in Los Angeles, California. Adding plenty of sparkle to the red carpet, the actress wore a Pamella Roland Fall 2014 dégradé long-sleeve gown styled with an Edie Parker ‘Minnie’ nude pearl clutch with gold confetti sides. The clutch doesn’t quite work for me. Had it been fully decked out in gold perhaps I would’ve given her a pass. Hair- and makeup-wise she looks flawless.

Krysten Ritter

The actress wore a J. Mendel black and gold pleated dress cut to gently skim the body in the most flattering way, with an illusion neckline, which is successfully doing its job. I love how she kept the black and gold theme going for this elegant afterdark look with Brian Atwood ‘Chance’ ankle-strap pumps and a J. Mendel ‘Cavallino Minuit’ minaudiere. Head-totoe perfection.

JANUARY 2015

Glitz & Glam

Rita Ora

Following the Jingle Ball look, Rita went in yet another direction, this time serving up a decidedly ladylike Ralph & Russo Fall 2014 Couture offering à la Dita Von Teese, equipped with the leather opera gloves, retro waves and ruby-red lips we would expect to see on the burlesque star. Rita’s off-the-shoulder black-and-white-lined frock is divine. Ralph & Russo continue to out do themselves with red carpet hit after red carpet hit. Classic in style yet contemporary in design, I love the addition of the red Paul Andrew peep-toes, which rounded out this look, complementing that ever present red lip.

Olga Kurylenko

The actress wore an Alessandra Rich Spring 2015 pretty cream lace dress with a trompe l’oeil design accented with an ivory belt. While the belt adds a bit of 80s charm to the look, I would’ve preferred this look without it.

JANUARY 2015

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Fashion

Tory Burch Resort 2015 Look

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Fashion

Ingie Resort Spring Summer 2015 Collection

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Fashion

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Fashion

Carolina Herrera Spring / Summer 2015 Collection

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Fashion

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Fashion

CELINE Summer 2015 Collection

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Fashion

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Travel

Cameron Highlands Nawalescapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Latest Photography Adventure in Malaysia.

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Travel

A Tropical Heaven in The Far East.

When I reached to The Cameron, I was surprised to get a winter shiver in a country such as Malaysia, where it’s well known for a warm tropical weather, 14-26 degrees, year-round. In The Cameron I drank the true taste of red tea at the well known BOH tea Factory, freshly cut green leaves just for me, ate red juicy strawberries picked by myself, climbed the famous Lata Iskandar Waterfall, and came back in one piece.

Boh Tea Plantations

No trip to Cameron Highlands is complete without a trip to the tea plantations. I visited the factories to learn about the tea making process and sat down to enjoy an original cup of tea at their cafe. The view overlooking the plantations is stunning. Visit The BOH Plantations, it’s the leading tea grower in Malaysia with four tea gardens – Boh, Sungei Palas and Fairlie situated in Cameron Highlands, with a production capacity of 70% of all tea produced in Malaysia. The Sungei Palas Tea Centre, opened by BOH Plantations at the Sungei Palas tea garden, offers well packed tea products and an amazing coffee shop with a stunning terras, I had a slice of home made taste of English apple pie, lemon cake and a cheese cake, absolute yummy.

Lavender Garden

Visit the amazing floral themed park, multiple kind of flowers are grown in two stories space, offering a dazzling colors for visitors to admire and photograph. The lavender is planted in a large plot at the centre of the park. In the second floor, you can enjoy a self pick flower garden, flowers grown are gerberas, camellias, roses, peonies and yellow daisies. You can also find a small gift shop offering all types of aromatic lavender products, I pampered myself with the lavender scrub, and lavender oil. you must also try the amazing fresh lavender ice cream, I must warn you one cone is not enough, the yummy taste will bring you back! for more!

Self Picking Strawberry Farms

The climate in Cameron Highlands is excellent for year-round strawberry production and this has encouraged many farmers to cultivate this fruit. Hotels are named after strawberries, clothes come in strawberry prints, there are strawberry toys, strawberry souvenirs, even pillows, strawberry farm visits, strawberry jam, strawberry ice cream. Most strawberry farms are concentrated at Tanah Rata, Brinchang and Kea View. I visited the largest, Big Red Strawberry Farm, it also grows other herbs and JANUARY 2015

Travel

veggies, you can enjoy a fresh salad with a delicious strawberry dressing and fried samosa, spring rolls, hot mash potatoe as a side dish, a fresh strawberry milk shake for the kids and a fresh strawberry iced tea for tea lovers, best supper I ever had.

Lata Iskandar

Lata Iskandar is a waterfall along the trunk road from Tapah to Cameron Highlands, located about 25km before Ringlet. The waterfall is a 25 meters high flowing into a small pool below, before resuming its journey as a narrow stream. On weekends, the waterfall is full of tourists, local visitors, photographers from around the world, enjoying the cold breeze of the waterfall, and shooting a memorable images. I was lucky to climb to the top of the water fall and couldn’t resist a sip of fresh mineral. Opposite the waterfall are shops and stalls set along the main road, providing shopping opportunities for ethnic souvenirs, tribal handicrafts, exotic herbs, tropical fruits, and pure honey from deep 36

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inside the jungle, extracted by the people of the jungle themselves.

Cameron’s Travel Tips:

 When to visit Cameron Highlands? The best time to visit is during the off peak season or during the weekdays. It can get really crowded during the school holidays, weekends and festive holidays, traffic can get really bad.  What to Wear? A shorts and t-shirt during the day, is durable, but the temperature can drop to 18 degrees in the late evenings or during the rainy season, so a light jacket and jeans could get handy.  Pick a hotel on the highest point of the Cameron, where you can enjoy a nice green scenery.

Cameron Highland’s Agro Technology Park (MARDI)

The centre grows and displays a variety of exotic sub-tropical flowering plants, herbs, Cameron’s fruits and vegetables including strawberries, and potted plants for sale. MARDI was established by the Malayan British administrators in 1925.

The park houses some of the oldest tea bushes in the country which was grown during the experimental stages when the plant was introduced in the country in 1925. View the video of this story on our Instagram @Sabayamag

General Travel Tips:

 Plan your trip a head of time, to save time and money, depending on hotels and travel tours will be expensive.  A smart phone app can help you get a taxi in ten minutes time at almost any point of time in the large main cities of Malaysia.  Get a mosquito spray or cream to protect your skin from painful bites.  Online check in is a great time saving technology, but you still need to be at the airport two hours a head, and make sure your baggage does not exceed the weight limit, or be ready to face a delay. Malaysians comes from three main ethnic groups, the Malay, Indians, and Chinese.

Travel

This is a traditional malay dress, still worn in bridal ceremonies. This dress worth around $800, the necklace and belt accessories are made of the local Malaysian silver coins, it is given to the bride as a dowry. International Model: Monique Make up Artist: Azhar Zainul! Photography: Nawalescape Photography Workshops & Adventures. www.nawalescape.com Instagram: @nawalescape

Traditional Malay bridal dress

JANUARY 2015

Techno Talk Nintendo 3DS XL (2014)

Nintendo’s already excellent handheld receives some long-awaited upgrades

Nintendo delivered a surprise back in August: that it planned to release a new iteration of the market leading Nintendo 3DS handheld by the end of the year. The first is surprising because no one expected it. A 3DS with a more powerful CPU and better 3D support isn’t something the masses have been baying for. The New Nintendo 3DS line up seems to commit the same messaging error as the Wii U: casual customers may be confused by the subtle rebrand, or not realise it’s a new product at all. While previous 3DS iterations have served only to expand Nintendo›s audience, this one threatens to divide and confuse it. Additionally, the New Nintendo 3DS range exhibits no substantial leap over its predecessors – none that can be discerned with the naked eye, at least. Cosmetically the New Nintendo 3DS XL does not alter the series’ core design. The laptopaping dual screen setup is intact, though the screens are marginally larger than those on the vanilla 3DS XL.

The biggest change is the addition of a second analog stick on the right hand side of the console: a small nub absent on earlier devices unless you owned the CirclePad Pro peripheral.

Final verdict

If you don’t already own a 3DS this new version is a no brainer. It’s sleeker, the 3D is improved and it will operate forthcoming software its predecessors cannot. The 3DS really is the best handheld console on the market, and its software line-up features some of the best first-party Nintendo titles ever. At this price point the 3DS remains as strong a product as ever, after an initially shaky start. If you do own a 3DS then there’s no reason to update immediately. Anything can happen between now and when Nintendo finally releases software which requires the new CPU power - for instance, a price drop. Overall, it›s a curious decision for Nintendo to release such a minorly iterative console, but all things considered, it›s cheaper than what many people pay to update their smartphone every two years. If you’re a Nintendo diehard you’ll

want one even if your current unit is in mint condition.

Techno Logic Latest Gadgets and what you will love about them!

Flashing lights, different colours, are all these gimmicks hiding a decent camera?

Pentax K-S1 The Despite the fact that Pentax does indeed make some very good DSLRs, it always plays second fiddle to the big names of Canon and Nikon. It’s possibly for this reason that in recent years, the company has tended towards gimmicks to try and shift units. Here with the K-S1, it›s available in an array of bewildering colours, including a new “sweets” collection. There’s also a panel of lights on the front of the camera, which are supposedly designed to “guide” operations. Ignoring the aesthetics, at its heart, the K-S1 actually has some very decent specifications and interesting technologies – especially for an amateur level camera. At its heart is a 20 million pixel CMOS sensor with a sensor-based shake reduction system. In principle, this will provide an image stabilising effect with any lens, and it does actually work very well.

Verdict

Overall, this camera is a decent purchase for people who are looking for their first DSLR. Some will be put off by the design choices on offer here from Pentax, while others will welcome them – if you buy from a camera shop you can handle the camera first to see what you think. Factor in some budget for replacing the kit lens and you’ll no doubt be pretty happy with the camera, but if you can’t do that, then you’re probably better looking at the alternatives from Canon or Nikon, which come with much better kit lenses. 38

JANUARY 2015

Intel Core i7-5960X

More threads than a David Lynch mini-series and just as powerful Intel’s Core i7-5960X is its first ever eight-core processor for the general public. You could have bought a vastly more expensive octocore Xeon to drop into an old PC, but this is the full Core monty.

the CPU frequency bounces around like a freebasing kangaroo, though turning off Speed Step in the BIOS results in performance at the same level as an Ivy Bridge-E.

And it’s a bit special. There sure is a lot of silicon given over to the graphical components of most of today’s other processors though. Intel’s standard Haswell architecture throws millions of transistors at its HD graphics component, and AMD’s latest Kaveri chips are only a couple of percentage points from being a complete half-and-half split between processor and graphics. For a productivity machine, then, chewing through raw image and video files or doing any other form of brutal number-crunching, the Core i7-5960X is the pinnacle of desktop processors. It may be super-expensive, but the time it could save you rendering scenes and such might just prove worthwhile. Running with only one core,

Verdict

The Intel Core i7-5960X is an astoundingly quick, relatively low-powered processor. It’s beyond the financial reach of most of us, but we sure are glad this technology exists. It’s surely only a matter of time before it trickles down.

Samsung UE48H6500

One of the most affordable 48-inchers around OK, so Samsung has been the market leader and chief price-cutter for a good decade, but the UE48H6500’s pricing remains jaw-dropping. You like glossy black plastic? That’s what you get if you want a 48-incher for this small a spend, though it would be hugely unfair to call the UE48H6500 cheaply-made or ugly. It›s really not. While it’s about 63.5mm deep – so hardly super-slim – the all-important bezel around the screen measures 4mm on the top and sides (though it does have another 5mm of black screen before the image begins), and 20mm on the bottom. The silver, glinting spider-style desktop stand helps the UE48H6500 have a pretty minimal footprint. It’s sturdy enough on an AV stand, and that spiderstand allows for the TV to be re-positioned slightly, which is increasingly rare on flatscreen TVs. As usual with Samsung TVs, the picture presets are a jumble of stark-looking settings, with one exception; movie mode. While the dynamic, standard and natural modes all miss the mark, movie mode is a great base to start calibrating, using the UE48H6500’s easy to understand menus. Although colours can be calibrated to a professional standard using exacting white balance and gamma controls in the UE48H6500’s advanced settings panel, it’s actually almost spot-on out of the box. Colours are well saturated and delivered in refinedlooking hues that mostly look natural.

Verdict

A great all-rounder for a living room or a home cinema, this quad core processor-powered, giantsized 48-incher boasts smart TV apps galore. It’s

not the slimmest TV around and it does have a primarily plastic build, but exacting detail, clean pictures from myriad sources and an excellent new ‘second screen’ app make the UE48H6500 an absolute steal. JANUARY 2015

Auto Review

JAGUAR XF

STAND OUT FROM THE HERD

By Fayez Abubacker

INTRODUCTION

The 2014 Jaguar XF seems like it would have no trouble winning a popularity contest. Good looks? You bet. Athletic? Between its 4-engine lineup and a sport-tuned suspension that endows the car with sharp reflexes, this midsized Jaguar could be called catlike for more reasons than just the company name. Good manners? Of course - Jaguars are still British cars first and foremost. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available with numerous middle-ground options. We suspect the XF would be a popular choice indeed. 40

JANUARY 2015

Auto Review

5. SAFETY

The Jaguar XF comes with all the protection basics such as the standard stability control, 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and six airbags (front, front side and full-length side curtain). Also included are the active front headrests, rear parking sensors, Brake Assist, Integrated Turn Signal Mirrors, Traction Control, Blind Spot Monitor and Auto-Leveling Headlights.

6. EQUIPMENTS

OUR 6 POINT REVIEW 1. EXTERIOR

Even into its seventh model year, with its look smoothed over, the 2014 Jaguar XF still looks sleek, modern, and spirited. With relatively few cutlines and a catlike stance, it plays off the brand name beautifully. Considering the slung-back silhouette, it looks like its brand name incarnate, with a catlike stance and an intense pair of eyes set off by the mesh of its grille. The facelift tightened up the looks, with smart LED daytime running lights up front and a tweak to the rear end. Rear lights have been given LEDs and redesigned so that they extend further into the boot beneath the chrome strip. This seems to balance the styling a little, even if the changes are fairly subtle.

2. INTERIOR

Bringing the XF to life is a bit of an event unto itself. Pressing the pulsating starter button also triggers the gear selector dial to rise from its flush position on the center console, and what were once flat dash-panel elements rotate to reveal the air vents. No matter where you›re sitting, the seats are supple and well-contoured, and you›re surrounded by rich leather and other glitzy materials, from walnut to aluminum. Leather trim is double-stitched, and LED lighting mixes with choice wood and metallic trim to turn the cabin into a most atmospheric space. The 17.7-cubicfoot trunk is one of the biggest in the class.

3. PERFORMANCE

The XF makes use of a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine rated at 340

hp. Rear-wheel-drive will reach 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The EPA estimates fuel economy at 21 mpg combined. The XF feels understated and graceful behind the wheel, with well-weighted steering, capable brakes, and smooth, muted 8 speed shifts. Electronic systems like Active Differential Control and Adaptive Dynamics systems shuffle power between the rear wheels and adjust suspension and steering firmness, making this 4,200-pound sedan feel remarkably nimble. The suspension is tuned to be somewhat soft in standard XF models especially, but there›s no floatiness or bounciness and the body always feels under control.

4. RIDE & HANDLING

The cockpit is extraordinarily quiet, seating is excellent and there›s a lovely airiness. Despite an almost supercar-like thrust on tap with the V-8s, the XF is deceptively smooth. They›re grippy and stealthy in the way it gathers speed, even with new well weighted electric-assisted steering. It›s just firm enough in corners, and has good weight. Couple that light, direct steering to capable brakes and it all adds up to a joyful driving experience. The blown V6 is punchy and scoots the XF down the road just fine. The paddle shifts are outstanding and make the most out of the ample power the coarse six throws out.

Available equipments include 20 inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, 10-speaker 380 Watt Meridian audio system, HD satellite radio, a rearview camera, blind spot monitoring and navigation. Other standard features include sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth, a USB port and an infotainment system with a 7-inch touch screen. XF’s infotainment system has a small touch screen that reacts slowly to user inputs and requires you to delve through multiple menus to change simple audio, climate and navigation settings.

VERDICT

The Jaguar XF is a mainstream pick for a midsize luxury or performance sedan, it has a more exclusive personality than many front runners in this class, along with an engine lineup diverse enough to suit every taste. It is the obvious choice. The XF doesn’t sacrifice luxury in the name of performance. Ride comfort and interior materials quality are on par with the competition. Whichever way you go, you’ll end up with a satisfying sports sedan with all-weather peace of mind and a surefire way to stand out from the typical luxury herd.

JANUARY 2015

Hotel Review

Hotel exterior

Swiss luxury local flavour

Sabayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mini getaway at one of the finest hotels on the island - Movenpick Hotel Bahrain. 42

JANUARY 2015

Hotel Review

Meeting setup at Al Murjan Ballroom

erfectly situated for those looking to explore the town or visit for corporate purposes, Swiss hospitality brand Movenpick in Muharraq is a majestic edifice with much to offer. Located a stone’s throw away from the Bahrain International Airport, Movenpick offers 106-rooms ranging from deluxe

Twin deluxe room rooms to ambassador suites. Modern architecture and interiors highlight the hotel’s atrium lobby. Check-in is done quickly and then I meet the lovely Mariam Sallam, the hotel’s communications manager to embark on a tour of the hotel and lunch. Five restaurants, bars and lounges offer a varied selection of culinary offerings and

live entertainment throughout the week. Various cultural food celebrations, theme nights and brunches regularly make for the jovial gatherings. Silk’s Restaurant is the hotel’s all day dining restaurant, which also hosts the famous Thursday Night Out. Thursday Night Out is the perfect go-to affair for a night of good food, alluring JANUARY 2015

Hotel Review Turkish hammam at Rimal Spa

beverages and entertainment. Delights from popular cuisines such as American, Thai, Continental and more are served on different buffet stations. Delectable desserts and homemade ice cream end the culinary journey on a sweet note. Other facilities include a health club with separate gyms for men and women, tennis courts, a 460 square meter ballroom, a salon and spa. Shuttle service is also available from the hotel to Seef and the Manama Souq for those wanting to explore Bahrain. We settled for lunch by the poolside, where the view looks like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s straight out of the Caribbean, with lush greenery, an infinity poolside looking over the sparkling blue lagoon and open skies. The poolside ever so often is graced by exotic visitors such as gulls and flamingoes, adding to the feel of the place. Rooms are spacious, with wooden furnishings and accents of beige and yellow enveloping the dĂŠcor. I changed into comfortable attire and head to the spa for a relaxing retreat. My treatment was booked for the early afternoon at newly launched Europeanstyle Rimal Spa. Rimal spa offers 12 separate treatment rooms for men, women and couples each with their own private showers. 44

JANUARY 2015

The poolside

Hotel Review Silk’s restaurant Holistic and non-invasive treatments are offered from Voya, London’s Harley Street Skin Care products and CACI nonsurgical face and body lift machines. I was scheduled for a CACI nonsurgical facial and I must admit that the ‘Quantum’ machine looked daunting. Daniella, the spa manager, quickly dispelled my qualms and went on to explain the revolutionary technology encompassed by the Quantum. The facial is the number 1 anti-ageing treatment and the results are so effective that it eminently came to be known as a non-surgical facelift. It lifts and tightens the skin using Microcurrent therapy transmitted using soft cotton tips, which regenerates muscle tone, encourages cell repair and collagen production. Ideally, a course of six sessions promises long lasting results but effects are visible right after the first session. The treatment is painless, non-abrasive and left my skin soft, supple and fresh. Each session costs BD 50 but a package of six sessions can be bought at around BD 270. Similar treatments are available for the body. An emphasis is paid to sustainable management and Mövenpick Bahrain is the only Green Globe certified hotel in Bahrain. Eco-friendly products, energy-saving devices, recycling, waste management,

The gym charitable food donations and fundraising are just some of the hotel’s initiatives. I headed to Silk’s to join Mariam for the famed Thursday Night Out, which offers a plethora of delectable fare, with live cooking stations, live music and great cocktails. It was a delightful experience. Movenpick Bahrain is s great choice to stay whether for work or play and is sure give you a trip to remember. For more information and bookings call 17460000

The Gallery and lobby atrium

JANUARY 2015

Restaurant Review

American flavours and Irish hospitality Benniganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Juffair

Big Irish Burger 46

JANUARY 2015

Restaurant Review Onion rings

Ultimate Buffalo Chicken Salad

ennigan’s is a buzzing pub eatery offering classic and original American fare with dash of Irish flavor and hospitality. The wooden seating and jazzy vintage walls emanate a fun, casual dining experience, almost giving you the feel of walking into a time warp with yesteryear board game and sports memorabilia adorning the walls. The menu offers everything from burgers to steaks, promising to whisk diners away on an edgy, fresh journey through the world of appetizers and main dishes. For appetizers, we were served with a tower of giant onion rings stacked on top of one another. These mammoth onion rings are crispy and batter fried to perfection. I started to realize that Bennigan’s are more than generous with their quantities as the attendant brought the Ultimate Buffalo Chicken Salad, a giant crispy tortilla bowl filled with greens, pico de gallo, blue cheese crumble, carrots, celery, topped with crispy buffalo chicken breast and drizzled with ranch dressing. This Wild West kind of dish tastes absolutely scrumptious and is big enough for two people. For main course, we were served The Big Irish burger and the Steak Challenge. Big Irish consists of two juicy patties, four slices of cheese and is an enormous edifice

of deliciousness. The patties are made inhouse so the meat is delightfully tender. The One Kilo Steak Challenge is not for the faint of stomach! A whole kilo of steak meat is brought to the table cooked as per the customer’s preference and the winner takes a handsome reward back home. The challenge is priced at BD 25. Upon completing the challenge, you receive a steak knife, a Bennigans t-shirt, 25% discount on your next visit and you are put on the wall of fame, where the great winners get their pictures taken and pasted on a wall entirely dedicated for steak challenge winners. I almost refused to try the dessert, but my colleague convinced me to not give up just yet. The Brownie Bottom Pie is a chewy chocolate fudge brownie served as the foundation for a scoop of vanilla ice cream covered with hot fudge and topped with a wisp of whipped cream with a cherry. The fudge and brownie is straight out of dessert heaven, a must try for anyone with a sweet tooth. There is also a promotion for beveragelovers, with a 6-pint pitcher for BD 15 with your selection of cider. The eatery offers great service and food, making it a must-visit. At Bennigan’s you can eat like an American and drink like the Irish.

Ultimate Steak Challenge

Brownie Bottom Pie

Mocktails

JANUARY 2015

Culinary Master

Crowne Plaza Bahrainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Chef Saravanan Gurusamy

Chef Interview

JANUARY 2015

hef Sara is the most sought after man with a pan in Bahrain. Hailing from Malaysia, he has a wealth of experience in culinary arts from different leading restaurants and hotels in the world. He tells Sabaya about his journey in the hospitality industry and whips up a delicious recipe for our readers. Please tell me more about your experience in the hospitality industry? I love expanding my horizons and constantly being on the move to for better prospects. I ventured into hospitality when I joined Four Seasons hotel in Kuala Lumpur, where I spent five years. After that, I joined a famous cruise liner named Cunard, where I spent seven years and had the opportunity to work with a lot of eminent chefs in the

industry. I then landed back in Malaysia and opened a successful fusion Spanish restaurant with a friend. I moved to Crowne Plaza Bratislava, Slovakia and stayed there for five years and then moved to Crowne Plaza Bahrain four years ago. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite an impressive background. What are your thoughts on the hospitality industry in Bahrain? I think Bahrain is one of the best places to live in and in terms of hospitality, it is still a developing sector in terms of the offering quality culinary products, and the hospitality sector is growing at an immense rate, attracting the attention of 5-star chains from all over the world. 2015 will be a turning point for modern cuisine. People love to go out and eat good food.

Chef Interview  2 liters of prawn stock (make sure to

remove the heads and flambé them for full flavors to come out before cooking your prawns and bring the stock to a boil. Freeze to store.)  700 gms bean sprouts (blanched in hot water for 1-2 mins, remove immediately.)  1kg rice noodles (laksa noodles)  2 oz. Daun kesom laksa leaves, so fragrant you can smell them at the market! Julienne for garnish  750ml of coconut milk It is impressive to see restaurants in the Kingdom, from the design right down to the menu, every aspect is impeccable and are comparable to some of the best international eateries around the world. What’s in store for 2015? It will be a challenging year because I’m planning to explore the modern culinary market and take things to the next level in Crowne Plaza. Please mention some of the achievements the hotel has witnessed after you joined. I’ve seen many milestones after joining the hotel and I’m really proud to have been a part of them. We were able to reopen our restaurants with bigger and better concepts and we won an award from the prestigious Chaine de Rotisseurs for the best dinner in town. I also consider the very successful Friday brunch as my baby, which has taken off really well. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? Ultimately, I would like to go to Europe and start my own business What message do you have for young aspiring chefs? They need to be very motivated and spend time training to be the best. Follow the leaders if they want to achieve the target in the future. What sets Crowne Plaza Bahrain apart from other hotels? Crowne Plaza Bahrain’s mission is to build our brand perception and appeal with our target guests - ambitious people who see travel as an important ingredient in their careers. We’re doing that by consistently delivering our existing Hallmarks (such as Sleep Advantage programme and Crowne Plaza Meetings Director) and launching our exciting new Hallmarks successfully. Our new hallmarks are designed to help enhance the guest experience and differentiate us from the competition. They include:Completely Connected, Energy Essentials, Fast and Fresh.

How to make Laksa

Method: Cooking Rempah – the spice paste

 Grind all the ingredients first, if possible use the one with the rough texture, unlike the Thai or Indonesian one with a smooth inner surface.  Heat up wok with some oil and fry the paste on low heat as the aromas fill the kitchen.  Remove and cool after 15 mins, keep tossing it so it won’t burn.  Using the same wok – no need to wash, add in the ground dried shrimps, adding 1/2 cup of water  When it starts to stick at high heat, let it simmer. Add the paste in and slowly add the prawn stock and coconut milk. Prepare the noodles and garnish in a bowl and then ladle the gravy on to it, garnish with laksa leaves.

Serves 5

Ingredients

 1 thumb size pieces of fresh turmeric peeled

 4-5 slices of galangal  10-15 pieces dried red chilies, soaked in water to soften

 6 candlenuts  1 tablespoon of dried shrimps  500 gm shallots  2 stalks of lemongrass just the white part chopped

 2 teaspoon of ground coriander  150g of cooking oil  Salt to taste

Other Ingredients

 100 gm of dried shrimps, soaked in

water then ground finely (use for this preferred and set them aside for frying on its own later  500g fresh prawns from the wet market  4 whole pieces of fishcake (sliced)  20 quail eggs (4 per person) JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Crowne Plaza Christmas tree lighting

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Elite Seef Residence Christmas tree lighting

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Gulf Hotel Christmas tree lighting

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

The K Hotel Christmas tree lighting

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa Christmas tree lighting

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Ritz Carlton Bahrain Christmas tree lighting

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Sheraton Bahrain Chrsitmas tree lighting

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Sofitel Bahrain Chrsitmass tree lighting

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

City Centre Winter Wonderland campaign City Centre Bahrain launched the

eminent â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nutcrackerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; themed Winter

Wonderland campaign in the presence of

invited guests, members of the media and top management of City Centre Bahrain.

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Home Box opens in Marina Mall and Oasis Mall

Al Rashid Group inaugurated home furnishing store Homebox in Oasis Mall and Marina Mall last month. It was done in the presence of invited guests, members of the media and the management of Al Rashid Group.

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Master Chef semi finals at Cucina Italiana

Cucina Italiana hosted season two of Master Chef at its premises in Juffair. Season two saw the best of kitchen kings battle it out to take the crown of Master Chef.

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Closing ceremony of 12th Kingdom Match Race Regatta sponsored by Omega

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Dodge Challenger 2015 unveiled

The new 2015 Dodge Challenger was unveiled at Ahmed Al Zayani and Sons in Khamis. Featuring three engine sizes up to a 6.4-litre V8 producing 485 horsepower, the new model Challenger comes with a starting price of BD13,500 and is available now from Ahmed Al Zayani and Sons.

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Masquerade party at Elite Grande Hotel, Seef District

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Christmas Brunch at Elite Resort and Spa

JANUARY 2015

Out & About

Harley Davidson Owners Group event at the Harley Davidson showroom in Budaiya

JANUARY 2015

In The Dark

Guns Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roses guitarist Bumblefoot live in Ibrida

JANUARY 2015

In The Dark

Internations hosts community event at Lanterns, Adliya

JANUARY 2015

In The Dark

K Hotel hosts corporate cocktail party at its premises in Juffair

JANUARY 2015

In The Dark

Massari live in Ibrida, Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa

JANUARY 2015

In The Press

Behbehani Brothers sponsors Dr Amy from InTouch Chiropractic Spine Centre with Dodge Ram

Dr Amy Bowzaylo from the InTouch Chiropractic Spine Centre was sponsored with a Dodge Ram under the slogan of ‘For Those Leading an Active Life.’

Motorcity reveals the 2015 Subaru Legacy with an exceptionally attractive launch offer

Motorcity, the sole distributor of Subaru in the Kingdom of Bahrain, revealed the all-new 2015 Subaru Legacy Sedan in an exclusivemedia preview on Monday 22nd of December 2014 at Subaru Showroom in Sitra. The new Legacy now features the largest interior passenger volume in the midsize sedan segment. During the event Dr. Bijan Majidi, General Manager of Motorcity said: ‘The Subaru Legacy has been completely re-designed for 2015 to deliver a more compelling blend of standout design, interior refinementand safetyfeatures. The 2015 model is the best-equipped Legacy ever, with all trim lines adding new standard amenities, and has thehighest level of luxury ever in this model.’ He added: ‘This model is now available at an attractive launch price of BD 7995. We invite the customers to visit the showroom and avail this exceptional value offer.’ 70

JANUARY 2015

First Motors Employee Participates in “Managerial Diplomacy in Public Relations” Course

First Motors, the exclusive dealer of Hyundai vehicles in the kingdom of Bahrain, has announced the participation of its Marketing Assistant,Miss Marwa Al Haji, in the “Managerial Diplomacy in Public Relations” course held by Al Wasat Training & Development Institute recently. The course, which was held over 3days, was preparedby Mr. Khalid Al Qoud, who is an executive coach, speaker, entrepreneur, a leadership expert and business consultant. The interactive course focused on equipping its participants with a knowledgebase that covers the role of public relations as well as assisting participants in gaininginformation on etiquette, event management, protocoland many other industry skills. The “Managerial Diplomacy in Public Relations” course included several presentations and interactive activities. The course also covered a wide array of topics including goals of public relations, public relations and human behavior, and planning public relations programs.

In The Press

Ahmed Zayani & Sons Report Strong Sales, Appoint New General Manager

InterContinental Regency Bahrain Celebrates Bahrain National Day

Ahmed Zayani & Sons, one of two official distributors of Chrysler Jeep®, Dodge, Ram and Mopar® in Bahrain, has achieved strong sales throughout 2014 and to further strengthen their market position, have appointed Zaid I. Hamed as their new General Manager. Zaid, who has a marketing and communications background, brings with him over 14 years of automotive Experience, gained in a number of different styles of management, having worked with American, Japanese and European manufacturers during his career. “I started my career working with the Chrysler brands before moving on to Nissan, GM and Toyota,” said Hamed. “I’m delighted to be back with Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram, especially at such an exciting time in the development of the brands.”

InterContinental Regency Bahrain, one of the leading 5 star hotels in the Kingdom, held an in-house celebration on Monday, the 15th of December 2014 on the occasion of Bahrain National Day. On this auspicious occasion, Mr. Mohammed Sanad, Hotel Manager at InterContinental Regency Bahrain said: “National Day is a time of celebration and it gives us immense joy celebrating the 43rd National Day of our great Kingdom with the InterContinental Regency Bahrain team. Patriotism runs abundantly rich here at the InterContinental Regency Bahrain and our love and support for the Kingdom of Bahrain is second to none. On this auspicious day, we would like to extend our best wishes to the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, members of the Royal Family, the government and the people of the Kingdom of Bahrain.”

Double Win for Jaguar at Scottish Car of the Year Awards 2014

Bahrain’s first and legendary 5 star hotel rejoiced Bahrain’s National Day with the hotel team

Clearly affirming its leading position in the automotive industry, Jaguar was named as winner in two prestigious categories in this year’s Scottish Car of the Year Awards 2014, held in St. Andrews recently. Fending off tough competition in the Coupé category, the Jaguar F-TYPE won the top spot, while the new Jaguar XE won the first-ever Best Design and Innovation Award in the newly introduced SCOTY category. In light of the Jaguar F-TYPE accomplishment, Mr. Simon Ellis, Euro Motors Jaguar Land Rover General Manager said: “The Jaguar F-TYPE is a masterpiece that embodies the philosophy and vision of the Jaguar brand. Aesthetically, its lightweight aluminum body construction combines the sleekness of modernity and classical charm; whereas, performance-wise, it’s advanced driving technologies provide an unforgettable driving experience. It is truly a car fit to lead an industry.”

The Ceremonial Cake and buffet was inaugurated by General Manager Rahim Abu Omar along with management and team members, while Al Dana ball room and team members were themed and dressed in red and white marking the celebration. Every year, “The Gulf Hotel Bahrain is proud to celebrate the Kingdoms National Day , said Rahim Abu Omar General Manager. Today, it gives us great pleasure to honor Bahrain and our Bahraini Colleagues for their dedication and commitment to The Gulf Hotel and its guests. The Gulf Hotel Bahrain has been the heart of The Kingdoms Hospitality being the first 5 star hotel and serving the sector for 45 years. it also brings me great pride as The Gulf Hotel is leading with the number of Bahraini employees. In which we hope that through our Bahraini Colleagues, we may influence future Bahraini pioneers in the hospitality industry. JANUARY 2015

In The Press

338 Garden Restaurant launches new menu

338 Garden Restaurant has recently launched a new menu. The venue, located in Adliya, is popular for its outdoor garden and cozy lounge paired with great food and live entertainment. The menu includes new additions such as Wagyu beef cheek in red wine reduction, goat cheese tortellini and the already best selling roasted quail with quinoa leaves. Added to old favorites such as Mozambique Chicken, fish & chips and their signature boneless beef short ribs, 338’s new menu has all the ingredients to be a success. Chef Mohammed Jabrawi, head chef of 338 Garden Restaurant, said: “We are known for our casual dining and the relaxing atmosphere. The new items incorporated to the menu translate a more fine dining style, without

Al Rashid Group celebrates Bahrain National Day Al Rashid Group celebrated the national day of the Kingdom of Bahrain with some of its 1,400 employees. In this occasion, a large gathering had been organized at Al Rashid Group’s warehouse located in Hidd following a formal flag-raising and national anthem ceremony. Al Rashid Group aspired to offer its people a joyful event to congratulate the Bahraini community on this precious National Day. At the same time, and for the first time since the company’s inception in 1973, Al Rashid Group decided to offer a global 25% discount across all its Bahrain 59 stores on December 16th, including flagship brands like Home Centre, Centerpoint, Max, Koton, Steve Madden, E-max and the recently launched Sports One and Home Box. Vikas Attri, Chief Operating Officer of Al Rashid Group said “With this exclusive offer, our aim was to thank the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people for their support over the past 41 years.” 72

JANUARY 2015

Al Haddad Motors sends out Bahrain’s first Mercedes-Benz Driving Force to Support Fleet Owners

In support of Al Haddad Motors’ commercial vehicles fleet customers, the Commercial Vehicles Division have sent out a ‘Mercedes-Benz Driving Force’ team to travel to clients’ fleet workshops around Bahrain. Under the tagline of ‘your satisfaction is our driving force. Al Haddad Motors ensured that the highest level of service and quality was delivered during the fleet checks. The initiative, which marks the first of its kind in the Kingdom gives fleet owners an opportunity to have their facility and vehicles inspected by factory experts from Mercedes-Benz Germany. They took great care to explain the importance of regular maintenance to customer fleet representatives, workshop surpervisors, drivers and technicians alike. The road show kicked off at the Al Haddad Motors service facility in Salmabad, and continued at customers’ facilities including Armcon, Al Hassanain ,Delmon Ready-Mix , Haji Hassan, Mr Machine and REDX Ready-Mix.

Al Rashid Group Campaigns for Men’s Health Movember is a global event involving the growing of moustaches and beards during the month of November to raise awareness of men›s health issues, such as prostate cancer and other male cancers, and associated charities. This year, the Senior Management Team of Al Rashid Group decided to collectively participate in Movember, encouraging and inspiring many other employees in the company to follow suit. The team has been very passionate about Movember, often campaigning about the cause on various social media platforms. Even the group’s official Facebook page, Oasis Bahrain, has made numerous efforts throughout the month to raise awareness and increase the popularity of Movember. As November came to an end, the time had finally come for all participants that sported the scruff for 30 days to come clean. Al Rashid Group partnered with TONI&GUY to mark the official end of Movember. All members of the Senior Management Team gathered at the salon for a complimentary shave, followed by a donation of $1000 to Movember.com.

In The Press

Marriott Executive Apartments Bahrain’s employee won runner-up rank from Inter-hotels Volleyball tournament 2014

From November 16th to December 6th 2014, 13 teams from Bahrain’s four star hotels were in fierce competition during the inter-hotels Volleyball tournament. The Marriott Executive Apartments team fought to the very last point to reach the top position, just missing out to the Al-Safir hotel and finishing in 2nd place overall. Jassim Mahdi Isa won the “Best player of the match” in the final match and also received the title in 2 previous games as well as 2 other players of the team, who accumulated in total 6 times “Best player of the Match”. With their visually distinctive gold and black uniforms, a mixed team of 7 players were supported by their general manager, Michel Sursock, and all associates from both properties: Marriott Executive Apartments and Residence Inn by Marriott.

Durrat marina Yacht Club (DMYC) hosted media meet and greet session

The DMYC is Bahrain’s latest premium destination, and gave Bahrain’s media a first glimpse into the prestigious project during the meet and greet session with Nawaf Al Marzouq, CEO of Portmarine Yachts. Located in the prestigious Durrat Marina project, DMYC, operated by Port Marine Company, offers its members a new standard of services which are the first in Bahrain as well as offering our visitors new joyful memories. PortMarine operates two locations in the southern shores of the kingdom; the first is the DMYC, a top of the range marina with all the latest facilities and services for the discerning seaman located within Durrat Marina project, and secondly, an international standard ‘Boat Clinic’ to serve the needs of our customers as well as having the first shaded dry boat park in Durrat Al Bahrain with a totally new concept. DMYC also hosts the biggest range of fun and exciting marine activities ranging from scuba diving to X-jet packs to fishing excursions and the latest SEADOO Jet-skis. DMYC will start a weekend market every Friday & Saturday called, Marina Market, as well as having a musical concert once a month.

Majestic Arjaan By Rotana Organizes A Beach Clean Up Day

Majestic Arjaan by Rotana held a beach clean-up campaign earlier this week at the Busaiteen costal area. The colleagues participated enthusiastically to clean the beach and removed the debris along the shoreline. The event was organized with the help of the Muharraq Municipality who supported by providing manpower and cleaning equipments. The natural beauty of this region is the foundation of our community. It brings visitors to our coast and inspires our culture and environmental awareness. Locals, visitors, and businesses all need to pitch in to protect our beaches. Rotana takes its corporate social responsibility very seriously and we realize that raising awareness of the need to protect the environment that’s supporting us all is an absolute priority.” said Mr. Raiz Saban, General Manager of Majestic Arjaan by Rotana.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Spearheads Corporate Volunteering In Gcc As Company Becomes First Founding Partner Of Impact 2030 The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has become the first Founding Partner of IMPACT 2030: The Global Initiative for the Advancement of Corporate Volunteering. IMPACT 2030 was introduced at the United Nations on Friday, December 5, 2014 on “International Volunteer Day” where The Ritz-Carlton and the fellow Founding Partner companies will showcase the meaningful difference their employees are making locally, nationally and internationally through corporate volunteering. To celebrate the landmark partnership The Ritz-Carlton properties around the GCC organised an array of activities – from programs training local students in the craft of hospitality to helping local charities spruce up their surroundings. IMPACT 2030 is a global private sector led collaboration created to mobilize corporate volunteers to contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Initiative’s partner companies recognize that a commitment to corporate volunteering — when used in concert with the United Nations, peer companies, and philanthropic and nonprofit organizations — is a powerful tool to address critical social and environmental issues and inspire the private sector to positive action. JANUARY 2015

In The Press

Salad Boutique Hosts a Make-up Extravaganza Event

Tamkeen Celebrates Bahraini Women’s Day

Salad Boutique, one of Bahrain’s best eateries located in the heart of Adilya’s block 338, played host to a fabulous make-up extravaganza event entitled “Behind the Brush,” Salad Boutique’s unique vision behind hosting this event is to provide support to the Bahraini entrepreneurial community, highlight their experiences, and appreciate their success. The mission was to spread positive energy in the hopes of e encouraging and motivating Bahraini women to be more active and participate in the Bahraini economy, which is fueled by small businesses. This was done in coordination with the government of Bahrain, which has made a good start by establishing the business climate and the facilities to support entrepreneurs through institutions like the Bahrain Development Bank Bahrain and Tamkeen. The event featured a dynamic panel discussion with three of Bahrain’s top beauty entrepreneurs; Mai Al Moayyed of The Make Up Manual fame, celebrity make-up artist Azhar Hubail as well as eyelash guru and founder of Mad Cosmetics, Marwa Al Jaber. To top off the star-studded event, TV presenter and MC Mariam Anwar moderated the discussion.

With Bahrain celebrating Bahraini Women’s Day, Tamkeen, as part of its wider role to support Bahrainis and private sector enterprises, is celebrating the role of women, having worked diligently to create opportunities for Bahraini women to succeed and contribute to economic development. These efforts were recognised recently when Tamkeen received Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Award for Bahraini Women Empowerment for 2014, placing third in the category of government institutions. This is the second time it has been honoured by Her Royal Highness, having previously won the award in 2009. Winning the award and substantial increase in the number of women served by Tamkeen’s support programmes reflects the nation’s leadership’s directives to empower Bahraini women and provide equal opportunities for all strata of society to actively participate in national development through various initiatives. Of the 100,000 Bahrainis and enterprises Tamkeen has served to date, nearly half of them have been women.

Abdullah Buhindi and Mohamed Matar to represent Bahrain at the Red Bull Kart Fight World Finals Race domination of Batelco Racing during the Bahrain Final

Bahraini Karting veterans Abdullah Buhindi and Mohamed Matar won respectively P1 and P2 at the 2014 Red Bull Kart Fight title in Bahrain held at the Bahrain International Karting Track in Sakhir. The championship held in collaboration with Ford Middle East, Batelco, Arabia Motors and the BIKC drew a large motorsports crowd and Karting aficionados to watch the best 40 drivers on the island compete for the top 2 positions. Buhindi and Matar, both Batelco racing drivers and familiar with the challenging track design were able to keep the lead during the exciting fierce final which put the talent of drivers on display during 13 laps. Both of them will represent the Kingdom at the Red Bull Kart Fight Final which will be held in Austria’s Red Bull ring next spring. 74

JANUARY 2015

Bahrain to invest over USD2bn in international airport expansion and logistics infrastructure upgrades

Bahrain International Airport (BIA) is set for a major overhaul during the next five years as it moves to upgrade its facilities and expand passenger capacity through an airport modernisation program. The work will involve a ‘comprehensive’ redevelopment of Bahrain’s International Airport to boost passenger and cargo capacity. The cost of the upgrade has been estimated at around $2 billion and once completed, will boost capacity to 13.5m passengers a year and increase in cargo traffic.

In The Press

Ibdar Bank Celebrates Bahraini Woman’s Day

City Centre Bahrain celebrates the spirit of National Day

Ibdar Bank, the Bahrain-based Islamic Investment bank, hosted a ceremony for its female employees to mark Bahraini Woman’s Day in tribute to Her Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the wife of His Majesty the King, and in recognition of the vital role of Bahraini woman in societal progress. On the occasion, Chief Executive Officer of Ibdar Bank, Mr. Basel Al-Hag-Issa, expressed his appreciation for the key role played by Bahraini women in the development of the Bank and in Bahrain society in general. He affirmed his support of the role of Bahraini woman in the banking sector and their ongoing growth and contributions. He further highlighted that the contributions of female employees within the Bank and the banking sector in general is equally critical to the success and growth of the industry.

On the occasion of the 43rd National Day in the Kingdom, City Centre Bahrain spread the spirit of patriotism by adorning itself in Bahrain’s national colours and handing out flags to all visitors at mall entrances. A host of traditional dance performances paid tribute to the festivities on December 16th and 17th.In the Central Galleria, which has turned into the magical fairy tale world of The Nutcracker, visitors could also embrace the holiday season with charming displays and interactive performances, while waving the National Flag to commemorate the festivities. “On behalf of Majid Al Futtaim and City Centre Bahrain, I would like to extend our gratitude and congratulations to His Majesty KingHamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, High Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain andHigh Royal HighnessPrince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain fortheir continued leadership and vision,” said Duaij Khalifa Al Rumaihi, Senior Mall Manager for City Centre Bahrain.

Diyar Al Muharraq Announces Successful Completion of Land Reclamation Works

Scratch and Win promotion at Wojooh in Seef Mall

Diyar Al Muharraq, one of the leading urban developers in Bahrain, announced the completion of land reclamation works for the whole of the project. With the land reclamation work of Diyar Al Muharraq concluded, the shore protection rock armour work is near completion and is expected to be finished by the 1st quarter of 2015. Diyar Al Muharraq assigned the joint venture company “Great Lakes Nass” for the reclamation and shore protection services for the project. The work started in November 2006 and the reclamation for the project was achieved well on target. Following the completion of land reclamation works, “Great Lakes Nass” hired the world’s largest submersible barge (300 metres long x 90 metres wide) to ship their dredgers and other equipment to Suez Canal in Egypt.

Winners of the Scratch and Win promotion were announced in a ceremony at Wojooh in Seef Mall, which was attended by members of the local press and Wojooh’s top management. JANUARY 2015

Last Note

Tips to stick to your New Year’s resolution

any of us finish the year with indulgences and celebration, and then start the New Year with the best of intentions and sincere resolutions to do things better. Unfortunately these good intentions often end up in frustration and disappointment. Sometimes we find ourselves moving further away from our goals in the New Year rather than accomplishing our resolutions. So how do we take those good intentions and create a plan that will move our vision to reality? How do we avoid the discouragement of failed expectations that lead to avoidance and, even worse, the self-loathing that comes with the failure to achieve the lifestyle changes we want? The first thing we need to do is manage our expectations. If we reach too high, and try to grasp too much it is likely we will fall down quickly. Most New Year›s resolutions do not even make it to the end of January. Within days these

JANUARY 2015

grand wishes crash into reality and old habits. When a habit is embedded in our lifestyle it is difficult to change. We need to be realistic, and aim for growth and change in a way that is sustainable and manageable. Part of the problem with New Year’s resolutions is that they are too grand, too vast and based on wishes rather than reality. Once we have put some thought into our vision for the future, and set goals that are based on health rather than perfectionism, then the following simple steps can help you develop and maintain the resolve to achieve your goals.  Be realistic.  Aim for self-improvement and learning.  Line your goals up with your priorities.  Set a realistic time frame for change.  Focus on self-care and nurturance through the change.  Develop your patience.  Be honest with yourself - change requires commitment.

 Look for ways to reduce stress, as it will undermine your discipline and your health.  Be prepared to try something new.  Be prepared to learn from your mistakes.  Celebrate the small steps.  Be curious and open to the learning.  Look for balance in life.  Stay focused.  Use self-care and self-reflection to help you accomplish your goals.  Look for others who share your goals, and support each other.  Have ‘safe’ people who will encourage you during your highs and lows.  Take actions to commit to good decision making.  Be non-defensive and open to examining poor decision making.  Have some fun along the way - joy can fuel positive change. In the end, be kind to yourself as you grow, fail and succeed. Credits: www.huffingtonpost.ca

JANUARY 2015

SUPERFAST A MINDSET SUPERFAST CHRONO A unique Chopard manufacture openworked movement

JANUARY 2015