Letters

Twenty-five scholarships will be granted to students who are interested in enrolling at the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, which will open in Bahrain next month.

By providing these scholarships, in collaboration with Tamkeen and the private sector, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) aims to offer academic and professional opportunities to the national workforce.

We aim to provide a wide array of exciting career opportunities for students to utilise their expertise and knowledge in the kingdom’s hospitality and tourism sector, further contributing to boosting the national economy in line with the kingdom’s 2030 Economic Vision.

The first Vatel School opened in Paris, France, with a unique and fundamental educational method … having theoretical courses followed by a professional experience using what had been learned in class.

Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, CEO of BTEA.

Editor’s note: Students who wish to enroll in BTEA’s Student Scholarship Programme should contact Vatel School’s management via the website www.vatel.bh or call 17616061.

With my family living in the Middle East for 11 years I haven’t actually learned what the remembrance days of Ashura meant or fully understood the cultural activities surrounding the occasion. So this year I decided to go to the Manama souq with a friend, Angela, to witness first-hand the Shi’ah Islamic traditions and would like to thank Abbas Ebrahim for being our tour guide.

It was amazing to see how loving and welcoming everyone was and how strong and passionate the people felt about this annual occasion.

We also got to admire the fantastic artwork on display on the ninth day of Ashura and meet the Bahraini artists painting them, as well as watch the gorgeous horses on show.

‘Hats off’ to all those women wearing an abaya – it was boiling and both of us were literally melting but also learning about how they felt empowered as women wearing them. This was inspiring and completely different to how many Western people ‘think’ they should feel. The main comments I heard about this traditional dress was that it made them feel ‘free’.

We were fed and hydrated well and everyone was more than happy to explain everything to us about what was going on. It was an amazing experience, despite the horrendous humidity. Thank you, Bahrain.

Imogen Helen.

Thank you all for featuring my story about the publication of my book ‘Proven technique to achieve goals in any field’ on the cover of last week’s GulfWeekly with the perfect choice of words and pictures.

From daybreak on Wednesday I was flooded with calls and messages.

I am happy that my life can be of inspiration to others and grateful for this opportunity.

Warm regards,

Eashwar.