LAST DAY OF KTAA 2011 ANNUAL TEXTILE ARTS EXHIBITION

The ongoing 2011 ANNUAL TEXTILE ARTS EXHIBITION had began on Wedneday 19th May, which is organized by Kuwait Textile Arts Assocation. The exhibition  showcases a variety of textile arts and sadu weaving. Today is the last day of the exhibition, so be sure to attend it to experience beautiful textile art designs. A BAZAR will held today where you can buy interesting things. The Exhibition is being held in the basement and the Bazar on the Ground Floor of the same venue (given below).

Date: Saturday 21st May (Last day today)
Exhibition timing: 10am to 9pm
Bazar timing: 10am to 6pm
Venue: Majeeb Al Dorsori Centre/Hall, Mishrif Block 4 (Abdul Aziz Library building, to the left of Mishrif Co-op)
For more information call : 99368147

BELLY DANCE CLASSES BY KUWAIT BACHATA CLUB

I met Deniz Cerinan Al Ghawas of the Kuwait Bachata Club, at BLS Spring Bazar and she was telling me about the Belly dance classes she conducts at the American Training Institute.  Belly dance classes are only for women. Kuwait Bachata Club also teaches 'Bachata', an interesting form of latin dance for both men and women.

To know more about the dance classes, charges and timings, you can visit www.cerinans.com or call 66991893.
Email kuwaitbachataclub@gmail.com.

Kuwait Bachata club offers:

Bachata dancing

Belly dancing

Dance accessories

WINDOW DECOR AT CONCORDE

I came across this abstract sort of window decoration at 'CONCORDE', Salem Al Mubarak Street, Salmiah. The salesman explained how he enjoys experimenting with different ideas on decorating their window. Right...something quite different!...If you observe, it's not only hangers that he has used in his decor, there are men's shirts, ties, and belts as well. Window decoration involves an artistic mindset and creativity, to get people to stop and look and get curious and interested to enter the shop and explore what they have.

AFFIRMATION FOR GOOD HEALTH

We give importance to so many things from the time we wake up till we go to sleep. How much of thought or importance is given to health each day? Does your health take a back seat? I came across this beautiful affirmation I would like to share with you. Say this to yourself everyday and you would be encouraged to care more for your health.

I deserve to be in perfect health

I want to glow with health and wholeness

I love nutritious, healthy and wholesome foods

I am motivated to exercise and I enjoy it

BISCUIT DECORATING EVENT FOR CHILDREN HELD AT CARLUCCIO'S

The much awaited Biscuit Decorating Event for children was held at Carluccio's (Avenues Mall) on Friday 20th May, at 10am. I must say it was a fun filled exciting event for the participating children who got a wonderful opportunity to explore their creative freedom and artistic skills by decorating biscuits with vivid colours and ideas. It was a beautiful experience for the parents as well, who watched their children enjoy themselves. Parents were provided a sumptuous breakfast, tea, coffee and juices.

Deli and Retail Manager Emma Llyod and Chef Davide  from Carluccio's Dubai who specially flew down for this event, was guiding and assisting the children along with two of the staff, on how to decorate the biscuits and made sure that every child was given attention, continuously providing them with everything they needed to help the little artists make their master pieces. Every child had an apron on, was given 7 biscuits to decorate (biscuits were quite big enough for decorating with various designs). Tables were arranged with personal space for children to work on. Every child was given cups and tubes of cookie decorating icing of different colours and flavours, tiny marshmellow, chocolate chips, coloured sprinkles, assorted candy and colourful M&M's. Little artists  were totally engrossed and busy spreading the frosting, icing and other embellishments on the biscuits in amazing designs and ideas for entire hour and a half.  Once the cookies were decorated, they were neatly placed and packed in individual boxes marked with the child's name to take home. Restaurant Manager, Mr. Sumesh Kunhiraman of Caluccio's Kuwait together with Deli and Restaurant  Emma Lloyd and Chef Davide of Carluccio's Dubai made it a beautiful and memorable experience both for the children and parents alike.  Looking forward to more of such creative events by Carluccio's!

Here are some pictures I took of this wonderful event.

THINGS WHICH MATTER MOST

MOVIE 'HEREAFTER'

If you aren't too busy this weekend, and in a mood for a nice thriller-suspense movie, rent the DVD of  movie  'HEREAFTER' a 2010 movie, directed by Clint Eastwood and executive produced by Steven Speilberg.  Hereafter tells the story of three people who are touched by death in different ways. In the movie, George (Matt Damon) a has a special ability to communicate with the dead, Marie (Cecile De France), a French journalist, survives  a near-death experience in the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, that shakes her reality and her perspective of life. And Marcus, a London schoolboy, loses his twin brother, who he is very close to, and desperately needs answers. Each on a path in search for answers, their lives will intersect, forever changed by their personal experiences related to death and hereafter. I watched this movie last night and liked it. It's a nice movie....

Cast:

Matt Damon
Cecile de France
Jay Mohr 
Bryce Dallas Howard
Frankie McLaren
George McLaren

Directed by : Clint Eastwood

LETTING GO OF CONTROL

It's natural human trait to desire for everything to want to go our way and in that expectation, knowingly or unknowingly, trying to control our lives and the lives of  others (especially the ones close to us) takes a huge toll on our heart, minds and life. 

We want people to respond to us the way we want. We have expectations about how things should be, how someone should  be with us.  We can get into thinking our views are always right, or that there is only one way  which is our way.  Yes we do have power over certain situations and circumstances, but we must realize and accept the fact that  we cannot control all external circumstances. Life has its way.  Death, sickness, difficult relationships, divorce, economic meltdowns, war, climate changes, unemployment, challenging personality traits of those around us are an inevitable part of life.  I don't mean to sound negative, but one has to strike a balance, find the reslience and move forward during trying times. A person once said, 'I realized that when I let go of control, I actually felt more in control'. Why? because she  let go of trying hard to control every circumstance and people around her, and began to enjoy peace and tranquility.

Trying to have control over everything external takes tremendous effort and energy. It can be emotionally exhausting, creating so much unhappiness when we are trying so hard to control everything.  Stress is  bad for our physical and emotional health. I'ts important to stay present and grounded. To change the things we can and to accept the things we cannot change and to know the difference will help us appreciate life and enjoy life....and we come to realize we don't  need to control everything and everyone!  The things we can have control are our own attitudes, our reactions to situations and the choices and decisions we choose to make.

It’s important to go with the flow of life, let go of control and enjoy peace.  You are not only happier, but you will be healthier as well.

THE SMELL OF FRESHLY BAKED BREAD

Just removed from oven

Cheese Fatayers ready to go into the oven

Fatayers

The two staff at the bakery wanted me to take their pictures. They say 'Hi'

At Carrefour last week, I was passing by their Bakery and stopped right there. I must say, nothing beats the delicious smell of freshly baked bread. I took a few pictures, besides enjoying the lovely smell wafting in the air,  something really pleasant on the senses. Carrefour's bakery makes wonderful slightly thick variety of khobuz (arabic pita bread), really soft and nice, especially when freshly baked. They have a variety of other breads. Weight watchers, go for the healthier variety like brown breads and brown rolls but please don't have too many.

MEET THE WOMAN WHO CANNOT USE ELECTRICITY

Janice Tunnicliffe

55-year-old  Janice Tunnicliffe from Nottinghamshire,  is so sensitive to electricity that she cannot watch television, listen to the radio or talk on a mobile phone. She claims to suffer from an extremely rare condition called "electrosensitivity". She was struck with the illness after she received chemotherapy for bowel cancer three years ago, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Tunnicliffe cannot use an electric kettle, and keeps her washing machine in a concrete outhouse. She cannot bear to be anywhere near an electromagnetic field, and hence has been left "completely isolated" from the modern world due to her medical condition. She suffers headaches, chest pain, nausea and tingling in her arms and legs whenever she is near electrical devices. "iPhones make me feel really sick within about 20 minutes of being near one. "Personally, I think there must be a link with the chemotherapy and the electrosensitivity, but no one is going to admit that," she said. Tunnicliffe even had to cover her windows with special material to "deflect" electromagnetic waves.

Graham Lamburn, technical manager at Powerwatch, an organisation that promotes a safer environment, said the medical profession has been "slow" to recognise electrosensitivity as an illness as its causes are as yet unknown.

To read more about Janice Tunnicliffe visit

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/8520405/Meet-the-woman-allergic-to-electricity.html

http://en.news.maktoob.com/20090000753636/A_British_woman_who_can_t_use_electricity/Article.htm

We live in a generation, where people are  constantly using mobile phones, television, computer, internet, ipads, gadgets, machines we can't do without. What if... all of us are in a small degree electrosensitive and we don't realize it? Ofcourse in Janice' case it became apparent after receiving chemo. I personally feel, 'electrosensitivity' is something we should try to know more about for our health and safety.

DELIGHFUL FRUITS AND NUTS AT SHAMIYA CO-OP

I like going to Shamiya Co-op. The ambience is quite good there. Yesterday my husband I dropped in at Shamiya co-op for some quick purchases. They had a big stock of really nice oranges. They also had gift trays of fruit arrangements (assorted and individual) like Strawberries, mixed fruits and oranges. Don't you think they would make a nice gift instead of the usual cakes and pastries.  As I quickly browsed through the fruit section, I saw these really  big Pomellos. I like the ones that are yellow in the inside when cut, I somehow don't fancy the ones that are near blood red when cut. It's funny how we have certain likes and dislikes and cannot really explain why for some of them. The strawberries from USA, at Shamiya, looked big, fresh and bright red, quite a visual treat. I love strawberries. There were these super long fat chillies in red, green and yellow. Okay some pics..

I enjoy flavoured nuts, but I purposely avoid them and have plain nuts like cashewnuts, almonds and peanuts (unsalted, unflavoured). Shamiya has a nice variety of flavoured nuts that looked fresh and nice. Wasabi flavaour cashews, soya crunchy, barbecue...they all taste great.. I didn't buy them. However, those who like nuts would enjoy these. Nuts are nutritious  and you should have them for their health benefits, but don't eat too many...they are high in calories. Here are the pics.



Wasabi(light green ones), barbecue, smoked, crunchy cashew nuts, besides many other flavours.



WHAT YOU GIVE IS WHAT YOU GET

What you give, you get back. So give out only goodness and in return may only goodness come to you in love, relationships and work.

'LA CONQUETE' (THE CONQUEST) MOVIE ON FRENCH PRESIDENT SARKOZY SHOWN AT CANNES

Carla Bruni Sarkozy and French President Nicholas Sarkozy

The movie, "La Conquete," or The Conquest depicts  French President Nicolas Sarkozy's rise to power and the simultaneous unraveling of personal life. Hyped as a behind-the-scenes glance at the private lives of the Sarkozys,  is arguably the most highly anticipated French movie at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened on Wednesday, 18th May 2011. A disclaimer at the beginning of the movie proclaims it is a work of fiction "based on the lives of real people."



Cast of movie 'The Conquest' at the Cannes festival



Actor Denis Podalydes clean shaven wearing a wig in the role of French Presiden Sarkozy

Actor Dennis Podalydes in real life (at Cannes - sporting a beard and minus the wig)

Played by French actor Denis Podalydes, Sarkozy's character is a carefully studied imitation that mirrors the president's manner down to his hairstyle (Podalydes is bald) lilting walk, halting diction and famous sweet tooth. The movie is a vivid re-imagining of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's rise to power and the simultaneous unraveling of personal life. “It’s not a political film, but it’s about politics,” director Xavier  Durringer said. “It’s not a film about Sarkozy himself, but about the conquest of power.”

Cast: Denis Podalydes, Florence Pernel
Directed by: Xavier Durringer
Written by: Patrick Rotman

For the detailed article visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/world/europe/12sarkozy.html?_r=1
http://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/article/Cannes-The-Conquest-shows-Sarkozy-s-rise-1384597.php