Over the Rainbow

bABEL

What: Language Exchange at Union Bar, 204 Park Avenue South, b/t 17th and 18th Street, one drink minimum, call 212.674.2105 for details.

Why: Because once a week, volunteers and members will help you brush up on languages as diverse as Spanish and Chinese, while you swill on superior Cosmos and $4 beer, and network with the fun crowd.

When: You want to pardon your French. Every Sunday from 4 pm to 8 pm.

pOOL

What: Save Fashion Pop-Up Store, 641 Eighth Avenue at 41st Street, visit http://www.savefashion.com for details.

Why: Docking into Port Authority for the month of May, this traveling store features hard-to-find designer ware at big discounts, sans the sample sale madness of jumbled clothes and communal fitting rooms. This week promises to be particularly fruitful, boasting labels such as Rag and Bone, Rogan and Helmut Lang.

When: Through May 27, from 10 am to 9 pm. Men’s week starts May 15.

* **

What: Beginner Pool Leagues, Amsterdam Billiards, 110 East 11th street, call 212.995.0333 to register.

Why: Because despite your inexperience, this is your chance to play in the major league - with over 1,500 participants, the club boasts one of the biggest co-ed billiards associations in the country. You’ll get a ton of practice, win prizes, and meet potential pool (and other) partners.

When: You want to learn how to shoot straight. Registration begins Monday, May 9.

bOUNCE

What: Wes Hutchison at Rockwood Music Hall, 184 Allen Street, between Houston and Stanton.

Why: Because you’ve heard his music on shows such as Laguna Beach, Boston Public, NBC’s Windfall, and The Young and The Restless, as well as a host of commercials; now it’s time to catch this award-winning singer/songwriter live. Check out his MySpace page here.

When: You want to think outside the (idiot) box. He’s playing Rockwood on May 15, at 11 pm.

* **

What: Everybody Dance Now: 20 Years of Dancing in Print, AIGI Design Center, 164 Fifth Avenue b/t 21st and 22nd Streets, admission free.

Why: It may not be as flamboyant as the C+C Music Factory hit, but this imaginative, concise exhibit of photography and art, with its evocative images of dancers in motion and repose, is just as exhilarating. Pay special attention to the black-and-white prints.

When: You’re looking for a new kind of motion picture. The exhibit runs through 22nd May.

Picture Perfect!

bASK

What: New Haarlem Unisex Perfume, Bond No. 9, 9 Bond Street, b/t Broadway and Lafayette, starts at $45.

Why: Bond No. 9 creates scents representing different neighborhoods of New York, and this one, which invokes cool jazz on hot nights, is their best one yet.

When: You want to smell like both, sex and the city.

pERFORM

What: Romeo + Juliet, New York City Ballet, 20 Lincoln Center, click here to buy tickets, $ 45 onwards.

Why: Because you and I may be past our dancing days, but we can still look, right? / This lush rendition of star-crossed lovers promises many, many, a violent delight.

Ok, we can’t do justice to the classic play’s illustrious bard, but this production, set to the 1934 score by Sergei Prokofiev and choreographed by Peter Martins, certainly does.

When: It premieres tonight, and is open to the public for only five performances, May 15^th – 21^st.

* * *

What: Greg Laswell and Rosi Golan at Canal Room, 285 West Broadway and Canal Street, $10.

Why: Because singer/songwriter Laswell is one step away from making it big, and when you listen to his music (check it out at www.myspace.com/greglaswell) you’ll know why. Israeli born Rosi Golan, with her international sound and lustrous voice, is his perfect foil.

When: May 8^th, 7:30 pm. Remember, you read it here first!

bISOUS

What: Indian Street Food Workshop, The Institute of Culinary Education, click here to register, 50 West 23^rd Street, $100.

Why: Believe it or not, five hours of learning how to whip up samosas, bhel puri, chaat, and lassi together, can make for a pretty fun date. Go on, put your honey where your mouth is!

When: Saturday, May 6^th from 6 – 11 pm.

* * *

What: Spain Restaurant and Bar, 113 West 13^th Street, call (212) 929-9580, $6 for Sangria.

Why: The decayed elegance, coupled with aging bartenders in red suit coats, delicious sangria, and free appetizers, makes this anachronistic little spot a perfect place for a first (or fifth) date.

When: You want to begin a whole new kind of Spanish Inquisition.

Art Apple

bASS

What: Zakir Hussain at the Carnegie Hall, 57^th Street and Seventh Avenue, visit www.carnegiehall.org, $40-50 per ticket, student discount available.

Why: Because this tabla legend is known to blow the doors off any venue he plays at. Even if you don’t score tickets to the Zakir Hussain and Pandit Shivkumar Sharma duet that kicks off the concert series, be sure to check out one (or more) of the others.

When: April 26 – 29, for a beat worth putting on repeat.

***

What: Casey Shea and Wakey! Wakey! at Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, visit www.mercuryloungenyc.com to buy tickets, $10.

Why: Add back-to-back performances by two of the city’s best musical acts to a great location, and you get a tuneful trifecta that’s guaranteed to have temperatures rising. For a preview, check out their Myspace pages at www.myspace.com/wakeywakeymusic, and www.myspace.com/caseyshea

When: April 30, 9:30 pm.

***

What: Participate in the annual Make Music New York event, click here to register, all five boroughs, New York City.

Why: Because you can be a hero (or even better, a rock star) just for one day. Pick the park, plaza, or pier you want to play at with your band, solo, or part of a “Mass Appeal” event, and the organizers will file all the required paperwork for you. No auditions. No charge. No fooling.

When: Right now. The event isn’t until June 21, 11 am to 10 pm, but registration ends today, April 24.

pAINT

What: “Picasso: Mosqueteros” Art Exhibit, the Gagosian Gallery, 522 West 21^st Street, visit www.gagosian.com

Why: Pulling from various private collections and public museums, and for the first time in over two decades, this exhibit focuses exclusively on the oeuvre of an aging Picasso.

When: You want to think inside the cube. Runs through June 6, 2009.

bOOT

What: Chuck Taylor All Star Pink Floyd Converse Sneaker, Zacky’s, 686 Broadway, Near Mercer Street, $50.

Why: Because this just-released Dark Side of the Moon shoe is the coolest Converse to boot. Stamped with the iconic prism and a heartbeat, this sneaker will ensure you don’t blend in like just another brick in the wall.

When: You Wish for New Gear.

This week in Mumbai: Matheran Getaway, Trikaya Restaurant, Base Camp Travel Store, IPL Cupcakes, and Sabyasachi borders.