If you had happened to be at Wafi City mall this evening, you will have soon been tapping your feet. Popular Music Institute, one of the best know n music schools in Dubai was presenting its students at the annual winter recital. It was an evening to remember.
The young students of PMI put up a stellar performance establishing once again the quality of the musicians it produces. From Funk to Jazz, the students presented a complete repertoire of skills.
My favorite of the evening were of course, the Blues Jammers who ended the show on a high. The star of the day (or rockstar?) was clearly the little bass guitarist Fernando Alarcon. Standing a few inches taller than his bass guitar, the rockstar jammed up beautifully along with Christoph, Trevayne and Tony to belt out a unique v ersion of Lucille.
My other favourite of the evening was Ms Jessica Williamson, a rather inconspicuous little drummer who lets the snare do the talking.
Trevayne Fernandes did a wonderful job as the M.C. for the even ing.
The long Eid holidays provided a good opportunity to explore places I'd not been to before.
Mushrif Park is a huge facility spread across 5.25 square kilometres located on the eastern outskirts of the city. Go across the Emirates Road on the Khawaneej Road heading towards Mirdiff. Look for directions about 4 kilometres ahead and turn right to get into the park facility.
Mushrif Park was created in the late 70's and was later refurbished in 1989 into its present layout. This park is a bit different from other parks in Dubai as it combines neatly manicured lawns and flower beds with the natural desert feel and foliage.
The large size of the park gives you the feeling of space and quiet. Even though it attracts as many visitors as the other popu lar parks in Dubai, Mushrif Park always looks peaceful and without the clutter seen in other parks during holidays.
The other unique feature of this park is the vast areas left intact with their natural desert like feel.
Eid al-Adha is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide in commemoration of the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. The devil tempted Ibrahim to spare his son and go against the will of God. However, Ibrahim did as God wanted and as Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son, God intervened and instead provided a lamb as the sacrifice.
In commemoration on Eid Al Adha, Muslims sacrifice a lamb (or a goat) as a remembrance of this act by Ibrahim.
An overcast sky and light drizzles make an ideal time to dig your teeth into a Mushaltat. It was more by accident that design than we ended up stopping by at a pastry shop which infact makes 'customised' mushaltats to suit your craving for the day.
As the owner of the shop explained to me, mushaltat is originally an Egyptian snack but is very popular in Dubai. Its like a cross between the pizza and paratha, a flat bread made of refined wheat and stuffed with your choice of stuffing including cheese, sausage, chicken, za'atar or honey.
The refined wheat flour is first kneaded and rolled out into thin cakes. The skilled baker that wakes this flour cake in thin air to stretch it into a very thin sheet (see image above) which forms the base for the mushaltat. This act is performed like he is almost in a trance!.
It is then laid out across the table and is now ready for the fillings. We opted for the simple 'Kraft' cheese with a topping of honey. The paper thin sheet is that folded into a small square shape and ready to hit the oven. The owner swears by his decades old brick oven and stays clear of the new modern electronic ovens. The mushaltat is baked for about 5 minutes after which it got a fair helping of honey sprinkled over it.
So the next time you feel the urge for a quick snack, head out to the local bakery or pastry shop and try out the Mushaltat.
Here's wishing all citizens and residents of UAE on the occasion of 37th National Day.
In 1968, the United Kingdom decided to end the relationship with the seven Trucial Sheikhdoms which had been, together with Bahrain and Qatar, under British protection. Despite attempts by the nine territories to form a union of Arab Emirates, they were unable to agree on the terms of the union. Bahrain moved out of the proposed union in August 1971 followed by Qatar in September 1971.
On 2nd December 1971, the six emirates excluding Ras Al Khaima from among the seven agreed to enter into a union called United Arab Emirates. Ras Al Khaima later joined the union in early 1972.
Pictured above is Union House, a significant part of UAE history. The agreement to form the UAE, the Arab world's first federation of states, was signed by the President, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the late Ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister and Vice-President of the UAE, and Rulers of other emirates at a meeting in the Union House on December 2, 1971.
On 2nd December 2001, the now famous flagpole was installed at Union House to commemorate the National Day. The 120 metres tall flagpole holds a large flag measuring 40 mtrs x 20 mtres.
"Implementation of justice in the society, through precision and promptness in adjudicating lawsuits, execution of judgments, decisions, judicial orders, contract and document authentication, by relying on qualified national cadres and regulations, procedures, and new developed technology."
This is the mission statement of Dubai Courts.
The judicial system in Dubai into 3 stages i.e.
1 The Court of First Instance: It is the first stage of litigation.
2 The Court of Appeal: It is the second stage of litigation.
When I visited the Dubai Flea Market early October, one of the stalls certainly caught my special attention. Amidst all the colors and clutter of a typical flea market, this one stood out. So I had made a note of the seller's details with an intention to catch up and find out more.
Raina Chandra is probably not someone who would catch your attention at first sight. But behind that quiet and soft spoken personality is a remarkable home grown eco warrior. Raina's concept, aptly called Rainassance makes magic and absolutely stunning jewelery out of waste paper. Paper that most of use find useless is quietly transformed into beautiful colorful trinkets by Raina's creative imagination.
"It is about rethinking design to be able to replace traditional materials with alternate ones, hence reducing resource consumption" she wrote to me.
The products are entirely handcrafted by her which means that every bead is unique. And every time you buy a Rainassance product, you will be contributing to a conservation of our scares resources and a greener environment.
While this may appear to be a commercial venture to some, one needs to experience the sheer passion she exhibits in promoting this absolutely brilliant venture. May be a drop in the ocean of eco-ventures, but a very big one certainly.
Winter is just around the bend... if today's foggy conditions are anything to go by. These pictures were clicked at about 6.00 am this morning on Al Khail Road and the visibility was probably just about 5 - 6 mts. While such thick fog can pose a dangerous situation and one needs to focus of driving safely, I made the most of it. I rolled down my windows and let in the fog. It was a fantastic experience to feel the fog brush against the face. It was awesome till the visibility dropped to such low levels that I had to finally pull over and wait till the fog had cleared.
So bye bye summer..... winter is almost here!
I've been eagerly waiting to get a first hand experience of the new Dubai Flea Market and I finally made it today!!
It was a carnival of colors with the exhibitors displaying a whole wide range of products. And at great prices too. From clothes to shoes and DVDs to oil paintings. It was absolute fun to walk around the market and bargain for deals. I enjoyed every minute of it. One thing is for sure, I will be there again the next time Dubai Flea Market sets up shop.
Heard that the next one will be held on 1st November so see you there at gate no. 5!!
The Dubai World Trace Centre (DWTC) building is probably the most iconic building in the city, a blend of the charm of old Dubai and the vibrant and modern new Dubai.
Built in 1979, DWTC stands tall at the start of Sheikh Zayed Road (SZR) and is part of an entire complex including the Dubai International Convention Centre, Novatel and Ibis hotels and the recently constructed Dubai International Hotel Apartments.
But the Trade Centre building itself is what makes this a landmark. Many people use the building as a reference point to describe their location. It is also one of the highest security buildings in Dubai. The building houses the Dubai Financial Markets besides 7 other consulates/embassies. The more prominent of them being the consulate of USA.
I have fond memories of this building. Our office used to be located at this building till moving to a more spacious building 2 years back. But DWTC will still be a special experience of my work life in Dubai. The building carries a certain amount of charm and pride. I remember having my bag scanned every morning besides being searched every time we went to work. It was almost like getting into a high security area with so many Dubai Police walking all over the place.
I make it a point to drop by sometimes just to experience the feeling of being there.
I don't claim to have traveled all cities across the world but of the 8 - 10 cities that I've had the privilege to visit, none have stooped down to such depths as Dubai. I make this statement in context of the ways residents park their cars out here.
Look at the pic above as an example. This gentleman (???) has chosen to park right over the footpath with scant respect for the pedestrians or the laws. I am at times infuriated just looking at the carelessness of these drivers. And these kind of incidents are becoming more and more common every other day.
Have you also experienced such nonsense?
An important motivation for this post is a recent conversation with a colleague from office. She was eagerly awaiting the arrival of her family for a short holiday in Dubai. When I asked her how she planned to entertain them, her plans included visits to 4 malls around the place.
How much time do residents of Dubai spend in the malls? While I haven't seen any specific data, my guess is that on an average many people spend about 6 - 8 hours each week hopping across at least 2 malls.
Shopping malls in Dubai have been virtually converted into entertainment venues. In fact of late I've noticed that most malls have live entertainment every weekend. This includes various kind of performances by visiting artists like dancers, magicians, cultural artists etc.
Dubai has witnessed an unprecedented growth in the retail sector in recent years. This has prompted investors into putting up extravagant malls aimed at inspiring potential visitors. My friends abroad still cannot believe that, 'Mall of the Emirates' one of the recent developments, has in fact an artificial ski slope!!
The new malls to look forward to include Dubai Mall which has recently opened a part of the mall and Mall of Arabia, a new mall located at Dubailand.
Every time I pass through Dubai Airport, I get remembered of some of the horror experiences I have gone through at some of the other 'international' airports around the world (about 27 if remember right) and then sit back and relish the experience of Dubai!!
Even though the airport will soon be bursting at its seems, I still think the flow from end to end is still very good. The floor guides are also very good at their job.
This airport may soon be overtaken by the new airport being constructed at Jebel Ali on the outskirts of Dubai. The Al Maktoum International Airport will have 6 parallel runways and up to 4 aircraft will be able to land simultaneously.
Nothing highlights Dubai's inflations woes more than this simple parking rental ticket. Imagine my surprise at being charged AED 10/- just to park my car for a few minutes!! Look closer and you will note that the monthly rental is AED1200/-. Thats almost the same as the rent I paid for my small studio apartment only a few years ago!!
Official figures put the inflation figure at about 12% but the real figure could be as high as 18%. This of course depends on the cost components under the Consumer Price Index and the relative weightage to each component.
One thing is for sure. Cost of parking is certainly not part of the CPI.
Dubai Marina is probably one of the most luxurious residential areas of Dubai. This man made marina area is also considered the most desirable and sought after lifestyle area.
I love to walk along the beautiful waterfront areas dotted with coffee shops and shining white yatchs. Its a very relaxing experience after a busy day and a walk around the place is very soothing. A lot of the construction still continues in the area and the noise can sometimes by a bit of a problem.
With only one fair spirit for my minster.
And hating no one, love her only."
On the eve of the 2008 Olympics, its only apt that we discuss the hopes and aspirations of UAE at Beijing.
UAE is a relatively recent entrant into the Olympic arena having participated for the first time at the 1984 Summer Olympics at Los Angeles. But since than it's athletes have made their mark with the first gold medal claimed within 20 years at the Athens Olympics.
When Shaikh Ahmad Al Maktoum won the gold medal in the Men's Double Trap event, it was a turning point in the history of sports in the country.
This will probably the only post without photos!!
Legend has it that after God had created man from the earth, he took the remaining material and shaped it into a date palm and placed it in the Garden of Paradise.
The Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is a palm that is cultivated all over the gulf for its fruit. These trees are believed to have originated in the Persian Gulf and have been cultivated ever since ancient times, from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt.
The date palm tree is extremely popular for its fruit and is known to have several hundred other uses including lumber, mattresses, rope and baskets.
The date palm trees are popular across the city of Dubai and also seen extensively across the desert areas on the outskirts.
The local emaratis are very passionate about their date heritage. One local, Mohammad Atiq Al Hamili recently purchased 810 baskets of dates for $273,000 at the recently concluded Fourth Liwa Dates Festival.
Eden in the Arabian Desert?
You are like a garden oasis, blooming in the dry desert. Your heart is warmer than the center of the sun. Your soul glitters like moonlight!
I want to take you into my arms, rush to my white Arabian charger, and together we will ride into the dark blue indigo night!
We would gallop past golden minarets, through all of time, past all memories, untill we reach the peaceful, quiet serenity of Jannat.
There we would settle down, under the soothing, cool shade of jade colored olive trees. I would sing to thee my songs of love.
We would lay on a carpet that possessed magical qualities. Ripe fruit would be in abundance. We would be forever in paradise.
The Al Shindaga tunnel is a tunnel that goes under the Dubai creek and connects the two neighbourhoods of Deira and Bur Dubai. Built in 1975, the tunnel was probably an engineering marvel of its time. It is still the only under water tunnel in UAE.