Towering Feat

The grand launch of the famed Burj Dubai now known as Burj Khalifa bin Zayed, is by itself redefining the concept of "big." These adjectives aptly describe the event: spectacular, big, grand, vast, superb, fantastic, fabulous, awesome...scale of epic proportions.

First off, over 6,000 people were officially invited. My friend got an invite and he is the Sales & Marketing Manager of Atlas Copco, a company that supplied machineries and equipments during the tower's construction stages...but, he didn't go. It seems that they invited people who even played a small role in building Burj Khalifa. Anyways, there are also the people who personally went to see it live, especially for the fireworks. My office colleague left Sharjah at 5:30 pm to catch the opening which was scheduled at 8:00 pm. They reached the nearest place where they can park the car and watch just a little before the fireworks started. The fireworks was the grand finale of the program. Sheikh Zayed was officially closed to public traffic at 5:00 pm so they had to go around roads and routes just to find the most ideal place. In the beginning, they were able to park on the shoulder of the flyover that overlooks directly the Burj. Where they were, they had a perfect view of the fountain and the tower. Unfortunately, RTA (the traffic police) shooed all the cars lined up along the shoulders. Even the cars below the flyover and parked along the shoulders had to go. Even International City, the residential area along Emirates Road, became a ghost town because all tenants went to watch the first biggest event of the year!

Not only was the attendance "big," but also the program was a huge production number. There were Arabic dancers, little girls all dolled up to recite something for Sheikh Mo, two sky divers jumped from the tower...there was something happening wherever Sheikh Mo went. Of course, the highlight of them all were the water dance and the fireworks.

What surprised everyone was its new name: Burj Khalifa bin Zayed...the iconic tower of Dubai was suddenly named after Sheikh Mo's brother, the President of UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi. The official reason given to the public is it was a gesture to show the unity between Dubai and Abu Dhabi after all the rumors going around that Abu Dhabi refuses to bail out Dubai if they won't liquidate their assets in return. But as expected, the truth is hidden from the public and the speculations going around are: (1) Abu Dhabi paid for the finishing of Burj Dubai in exchange of the name change, and (2) Dubai is kissing Abu Dhabi's ass to get away with sweeter deals. No matter what the real reason is, it is a "big" shame that the iconic tower of Dubai suddenly loses the name to Abu Dhabi. This, in a way, sends a statement that Dubai has to bend its knees to Abu Dhabi.

But I guess, the biggest shame of all is that after someone did all the hard, dirty work, someone else will take all the credit in the end. Dubai is the one responsible for putting UAE and Middle East in the map and in every household. At the end of the day, it has to succumb to the economic realities it is facing and the politics of the federation. After all this, will Dubai go ahead with the plans of becoming independent from UAE and become "Sultanate of Dubai" or "Kingdom of Dubai?"

Christmas '09 @ Atlantis

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Harees

I had the greatest pleasure of discovering harees.

Harees is a local food in UAE and there is no restarant in UAE that serves the local food except for kitchens that cater to events. If you want to eat harees, you have to buy the whole pot.

Harees is made of wheat made very fine, chicken or lamb, and cream. It takes a professional to make a really yummy harees. Naturally, the best one is available at the Sheikh's palace.

I mentioned this to my colleague in the office and she told me that she already tried harees and she has a friend that usually gives her some during Eid. Well, Eid Al Adha came up and true to her word, she gave me a small portion in a small bowl so I can try it.

When I saw it, it looked like oatmeal. Harees is best eaten steaming hot so I heated it in a saucepan. The smell was like mocha-ish which I thought was a bit weird for something that looks so creamy. When I tasted it...ooooohhh sooooo yummmmmmy!!!! My knees buckled and there grew a smile on my face. It was so beautiful, the taste is like no other! Well, it reminded me of Gerber baby food because there was practically nothing to chew in it. That aside, the experience of tasting harees was simply exquisite!

I have a roommate and I debated whether to leave her some or not. Out of the goodness of my heart, I decided to leave her some because it's not like you can buy it anywhere, right? Would it be needless to say it became my dinner the next day? LOL! I offered her the rare opportunity but she didn't touch it up to lunch the next day. There is no way I will let something precious go to waste!

Pat, pat, pat...for my tummy!

When your car wouldn't start, who will you call?

After attending a social gathering one fine Friday afternoon, my friend Vanessa and I headed back to her car so she can drop me off at home. When we reached the car, Van noticed that the lights were left on. It didn't surprise her that the car wouldn't start.

A seemingly nice Arab guy whose car was parked in front of us noticed our distress. He offered to help. We told him the car wouldn't start and after checking, he said he needed cables because the battery got drained. We checked the trunk, no cables. He has no cables. So, Van and I started calling people we knew who lives around the area and might have cables. No luck. The guy couldn't help us anymore so he left.

Fortunately, Jane, our friend whom we visited, has the right cables. So, we got the cables and we were faced with the next problem...another car's battery. Van's car was parked facing the sidewalk and then it goes down to the street. We needed a 4x4 to get on to the pavement to get close to our car's nose. Jane's car was a Toyota Previa but the pavement was too high for her car. Van hailed a couple of taxis but they only drove away.

The blessing came in the form of a Honda CR-V. The Indian driver was willing to help us because it also meant he can take our parking space when we leave. Finally, problem solved and everybody was happy!

When I reached home, it dawned on me how few people I knew where I live. I live in Abu Shagara, Sharjah and I'm surrounded by a lot of residential buildings. I don't know my neighbors! The only two people I called were (1) a company driver, and (2) the GM of our F&B company. They were the only people that came to mind whom I know lives near and have a car. Yet, in the end, the person who helped us willingly was a total stranger! It's bittersweet to realize that we may have friends in great numbers but when they're too far, they cannot come to our aid during emergencies.

Therefore, it is always much better to have neighbors as our friends, too. After all, building good relationships help grow our world and that makes it a better place for us ;-)

Healthy Arabic Pizza

There's a very popular Arabic snack called manakish. It is a Levantine food that originated in Lebanon. It is similar to a pizza but the bread is paper-thin flat. Classic toppings are thyme (za'atar), cheese (jubna), and minced meat (lamb eat). These days, there are a variety of manakish toppings like potato, curry and spinach.

Well, I had the great honor of meeting Abu Ashraf who comes from the third generation of manakish makers in Syria. Learning from his father, he is now teaching his sons the art of making manakish.

First, he showed us the siopao-like doughs. It went into an automated roller so it came out small and flat. Then it went into it the second time so it got flatter and bigger. Abu Ashraf stretched it a bit and threw it to the next counter for toppings. He had this basin of akkawi cheese which he spread all over the dough. After a few seconds, he put it in the stone oven lined up with high fire on both sides. He made three more kinds which are tomato with a tinge of chili, za'atar, and minced meat. All these were done under ten minutes!

Manakish is best eaten while it's hot partnered with cool 7-Up or Pepsi for a smooth slide down the throat. Ooooh soooo yummylicious! I don't think anyone could resist a freshly baked bread served hot right in front of you and straight from the oven. It is like tasting a piece of heaven. Zaid! (Arabic for 'alright')

The Big Deal With First-Born Sons

Abu Ashraf means Father of Ashraf, his first-born son.
Umm Fahd (pronounced Fahad) means Mother of Fahd, her first-born son.

It's funny how Arab parents lose their names as soon as the first son is born. But, when you're a sheikh, you're still called a sheikh. Lucky fellow!

In every culture, there is a significant bearing to the father when his wife bears a son. This concept dates back in biblical times. The first-born son is believed to have the blood flowing purest and strongest in them. They belong to God. This is also why the first born in cattles are sacrificed as an offering to God. The very reason having a son is such a big deal is because of this belief and it is so ingrained in our subconscious that it is practically true in every country or culture.

Attached to being the first-born son are privileges based on this concept. They have the greatest share in paternal love. They are next to the father in every way. They hold a certain authority over the younger siblings. They get extra special blessings at their father's death. They automatically succeed their father as the next head of the family. They even get double portion of blessings among their younger brothers.

As a woman, thank God this is not always true anymore!

What happens when the first born is a girl? Well, nothing really. She will not have the same privileges as the first born son. At best, she'll be considered the first bundle of joy. Because, when she comes of age, she'll marry a man and she will be duty-bound to her husband. All the privileges will come to waste. It is very reasonable when you think about it. But, with some traditions dying over time, empowered women rose above the social issue of gender bias by fighting for women's rights. This paved the way of equality among men and women.

Still, it is amazing how this prehistoric concept has remnants of practice at this day and age. Great value is still attached to first-born sons. In countries that still have ruling families like England, Spain and even UAE, the first born son inherits the title of ruler or king. And specially with Arab people, parents get new names as soon as the first son becomes part of the family. Of course, they still write their real names in the forms but among Arabs, they are called differently. And I guess having a son is such a great honor to a family that they want to announce to everyone that hey, this Mum & Dad got a son!

The Cheating Hyena In Sheep's Skin

There's a dishonest Indian guy in True Fit Tailoring & Emb. tailoring shop near where I live in Abu Shagara, Sharjah. Whenever I need some trousers or shirt altered, I go to that shop. Today, I had two sleeveless blouses that needed alteration. The manager was there and I was quoted properly (at Dhs 5 a piece) and given a receipt.

The first time I went there was May this year. I asked how much they charge to alter clothes and this Indian guy said Dhs 5 per piece. I went back after probably a month and a half with four pairs of trousers. When I was about to pay, he said it was changed to Dhs 10 each. So, I tried to negotiate and we reached Dhs 7 each. I paid it in full and asked for a receipt. He said he can't give me one. I asked him how was I supposed to claim my trousers without a receipt? So, he gave me a business card and wrote that I fully paid for the four trousers and I could claim after 2 days. I insisted on getting a copy of the receipt but he said I'll get one when I claim the trousers. I came back after two days, got my trousers and asked for a receipt. This time, he said first-time customers don't get a receipt. What the fudge is that??

Well, the second time I needed trousers altered, my friend and I connived to outsmart this Indian guy. We both went to the shop but she came in alone and empty. I waited outside with the items. Sure enough, the Indian guy quoted alterations at Dhs 5 per piece. Then she got the trousers from me, came back in and paid in full. Oh, how sweet!

The next time I had trousers for alteration again, it was my friend who went there. When she goes there, she's not being overcharged...and she gets a receipt!

I suspect that, that Indian guy overcharges people when he is alone in the shop. The first time I had my trousers altered, he was alone. Just today, when I came in he was with the owner.

Tsk, tsk. To think that the Muslims' holy month of Ramadan just finished. Had he instantly forgotten to be good? Next time I come in there, I'll only give my items when there are other people around.