Leisure Guide

The French Week 2011 begins today with a range of activities across Bahrain. For details log on to www.frenchweek.net

Today: A French painting exhibition featuring four artists from the Corianne Gallery in Paris will be held at the Bahrain Art Centre in Manama. It will feature the works of Martine Martine, Franck Duminil, Arthur Djoroukhian and Clavo.

The Brassens Exhibition dedicated to the poet and musician Georges Brassens will feature his unpublished documents, manuscripts and notebooks, as well as film and radio archives, photographs and personal items and instruments at the Bahrain City Centre.

French artist Marion Cougnon, founder of Toiles de style will be presenting her decorative works that combine her artistic talents and are based on the traditional Vietnamese lacquer technique at the Jamsheer House in Muharraq. For details, call 17683295.

Tomorrow:  A French dinner featuring three different menus – a ‘Degustation Menu’, a French Cheese menu and a Prix Fixe menu of four courses of ‘unapologetically’ French specialties at Camelot in Adliya. For reservations, contact 39977540.

La Bourrée Arverne – The La Bourrée dance group will fill the aisles, corridors, halls and restaurants of Bahrain showcasing folkloric dances and costumes of rural France starting at Bahrain City Centre from 6pm to 7pm.

The Swing Deluxe will piece together music from different times at Bahrain City Centre from noon to 1pm.

A French movie Les Visiteurs will be screened for free at Bahrain City Centre from 8pm to 10pm.

Top French DJ David Vendetta will perform at the Bushido Lounge in Seef. He will be accompanied by his official violinist Micah. The show starts at 10pm. For details contact 17583555.

Friday: A Petanque tournament will be held at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Manama from 10am onwards. For details contact 17535000. A French dinner of a selection of live cooking stations featuring cuisine from different regions throughout France will be available at the Capital Club from 8pm. Entertainment will be provided by Jazz band Swing de luxe. Rates are BD25++. For reservations, contact 17717745.

La Bourrée Arverne – The La Bourrée dance group will fill the aisles, corridors, halls and restaurants of Bahrain showcasing folkloric dances and costumes of rural France at the Bahrain City Centre from 1pm to 2pm.

French movie La prophetie des Grenouilles will be screened at Bahrain City Centre from 8pm to 10pm.

Saturday: A Petanque tournament will be staged again at the Golden Tulip from 10am onwards. Contact 17535000.

A Gourmet Golf event will be held at the Royal Golf Club from noon to 4pm. Enjoy ‘9 holes, 9 ways to discover a French region by oenology and cuisine’ on the Wee Monty course with a musical performance by Florent Sepchat. Rate is BD15. For reservations, call 17750777.

French movie Les Soeurs fâchées will be screened at Bahrain City Centre from 8pm to 10pm.

Sunday: A French-style buffet dinner will be hosted at the Golden Tulip Hotel. Entertainment will be provided by Ann Beaujouan & Florent Sepchat. Entry is BD20. For details contact 17535000.

Magician Benoit Rosemont will perform at Alliance Francaise from 10am to noon. For reservations, call 17683295.

French movie Les mauvais joueurs will be screened at Bahrain City Centre from 8pm to 10pm.

Monday: Belleville trio and Yann Beaujouan will perform at Upstairs Downstairs Restaurant at 8pm. For reservations, call 17713093.

A photography exhibition by Didier Audebert and Gianni Soglia will be held today and tomorrow at Bahrain Art Centre.

Benoit Rosemont will perform at the Alliance Francaise from 4pm to 5pm. For reservations, call 17683295.

French movie Vipère au poing will be screened at Bahrain City Centre from 8pm to 10pm.

Tuesday: The French Week closing ceremony featuring a six-course gala dinner featuring the Bel Canto Opera will be held at the Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalasssa Sea & Spa from 7pm. Rate is BD25. For reservations, contact 17636363.

The Manama Theatre Club is presenting a production of British sitcom Fawlty Towers at the British Club in Adliya until Friday. Today the curtains come up at 8pm with theatre-style seating. Tickets will be BD5 for members and BD7 for non-members. Performances are dinner-theatre nights tomorrow and the day after with a buffet opening at 7.30pm and curtains go up at 8.30pm. Tickets are BD10 for members and BD12 for non-members. A matinee performance will be held on Friday for children at 5pm.

Bahraini artist Jabbar Al Ghadban’s latest work entitled The Studio is being held at the Al Riwaq Art Space in Adliya until November 30.

The World Beat Café in Janabiya will hold a coffee morning with guest speaker Dr Amy Bowzaylo on the topic ‘Getting to the root of the problem with Chiropractic Medicine’ from 9.45-11.30am. Her areas of expertise are women’s health and sports medicine. She is also a certified fitness trainer. Entry is BD2 for members and BD3 for non-members. For details contact 17612576 or visit www.worldbeatfitness.com

The Bahrain Road Runners, under the umbrella of the Bahrain Athletics Association, is organising a three-race Riffa Views Grand Prix Series. Its second event will be held today featuring a 10km race at 7.30am and a 15km race on November 25 at 7am – starting from Riffa Views International School. Participants can register online at www.bahrainroadrunners.com. For details contact Hisham Shehabi on 36876876 or email info@bahrainroadrunners.com

Bud Live Music’s Battle of the Bands will hold its qualifying rounds tonight and on November 25 at JJ’s Irish Restaurant in Adliya. The grand finale will be held at Amwaj Islands with support from American rock outfit Skid Row on December 9. Entry will be BD8. The winning band will receive BD1,000, with BD500 for the runners-up and a BD250 prize for third place. For details visit www.budlivebahrain.com

Ethnic diversity will be celebrated by students at the British School of Bahrain’s second international family fair, organised by a group of parent volunteers called Friends of The British School, which will be held from 10am to 4pm. Young visitors can pay BD1 and receive a passport which will be stamped every time they visit a stall from a different country.
 
Two stages will be set up for live entertainment performed by some of the students. There will be a Santa’s Grotto and a Tea House with a selection of teas from around the world, as well as games, rides and a raffle with prizes to be won.
 
A wide selection of jewellery, artwork, handmade crafts as well as other shopping items will be sold in the marketplace. For details contact fair co-chairwoman Natasha Haque on 39543443 or Clauss Niazi on 39950699.

A practical labour and birth rehearsal workshop for mothers-to-be and their partners will be held at the Laylah Gardens in Saar from 9am-1pm. It will be run by Jasmine Smith, Lavina Faleiro and Vicky Honar. It costs BD60 per couple. For details contact 39434273.

An art exhibition titled ‘Inspired By Nature’ featuring a new collection of paintings by artist Andrea Sibilia will open at the World Beat Café in Janabiya at 4pm. The exhibition will run this month and December during the café hours – from 8am to 1pm and from 4pm to 8pm. For more details visit www.worldbeatfitness.com

The ‘Snowflake’ Annual Fall Arts & Craft Fair will be held at the Bapco Club in Awali from noon to 5pm. Entry is 500 fils. Proceeds will be donated to local charities. For details email awacraftfair2011@gmail.com

The 63rd Indian Club Open Tennis Championships will be held at the Indian Club tennis courts from today to December 9. More than 150 players from Bahrain are expected to participate in the six categories – men’s singles and doubles, ladies singles, veteran men’s singles and doubles and boys under-18 singles. For details, contact Uday Shanbag on 39276481 or Jagannivas Nair on 39408667.

Vicky Honar, an IBLCE-certified lactation consultant, will introduce herself and her practice to answer any questions about breastfeeding from 11am to 1pm at the World Beat Café in Janabiya. For details contact 17612576 or log to fan page on facebook www.worldbeatfitness.com

A one-day course will be held on ‘Mind Mapping and Creativity’ by international memory maestro Tony Buzan on November 23 at the Bahrain Institute of Hospitality and Retail in Budaiya. He will explain and demonstrate how two of the human brain’s most powerful attributes – memory and creativity – can be enhanced. For details contact BIHR on 17698720 or 36048699.

The Festive Fayre organised by The Friends of St Christopher’s will be held on November 25. Visitors can take part in a variety of different game stalls, try their luck with the tombola and raffles or enjoy a cup of tea. Entertainment will be provided by a choir and musical group. New this year is the PlayStation gaming zone, an obstacle course set up by Tribal Fitness, a chance to pit your wits against others in a fun quiz as well as an opportunity to play a game of football organised by the St Chris Football Academy. There will also be food stalls. The highlight will be a visit from Santa. Doors open at 11am and entry is BD1. The fayre closes at 3pm.

As part of the Bahrain Irish Festival, a series of activities have been planned from Thursday to Saturday.
On Thursday Irish rockers Aslan play JJ Murphy’s from 9pm. Entry is BD10 for non-members and BD7 for members.
On Friday the Middle Gaelic Games will be held at the Bahrain Rugby Club from 10am. The Kentnz Feile Cheoil (Music Festival) starts at 2pm. Victoria Dance students will also perform and DJ Ollie takes over at 5pm. Aslan will take to the stage at 7pm. The Paddyman brings it home at 9pm until 11pm. Entry is BD3 or BD5 for families. Proceeds will go to local good causes.

On Saturday the closing sports events ceremony will be held with a late breakfast at noon. The Paddyman take to the stage at 2pm and DJ Dwayne at 6pm.