Fujairah Celebrations Continue

Posted by Kanga.

The Al Saif sword competition and accompanying celebrations continue through December 17th. So, last Friday we headed down to the Fort to see what was happening. We were too late to see the bull butting contest or the camel race, but some of the camels were still out basking in the attention of their admirers.

This little fellow was lucky enough to get a ride.

We had a tasty snack of lamb and chicken skewers.

A wide range of traditional items were on display – pottery, tools, platters, coffee pots, etc.

More camels – these are taking a rest. In the background, a horse and a miniature pony who have been giving rides to children.

Two majlis tents were available for those wishing to sit, rest and enjoy each other’s company. (Majlis has a variety of meanings, but generally refers to any area where people sit comfortably and discuss.)

The activities at the Fort have been very enjoyable, much like a county fair. These are genuine foods, activities, sports, and arts of the local area.

Right Place at the Right Time

Posted by Kanga.

You have to be in the right place at the right time. We were driving down the corniche (beach road) when we happened upon a parade.

The road was blocked for the parade, so it took us a while to drive around and get back to the park so we could find out what was happening at this event.

There were pictures of traditional activities – games, fishing, pearl sorting, camels, races, etc.

Some boys were playing a game in which they hop on one foot and use their free hand to try to unbalance their opponent. Also, there were young men performing traditional dance.

There were dioramas of traditional homes, children at school and play, and caravans. In another display area, a fisherman was mending nets.

There were several historical pictures from the early years of the Emirates.

Camels probably don’t need a lot of explanation.

Several horsemen circled the exhibit area.

The weather took a turn for the dark and thunder cloudy.

“Emirates Heritage Club” and “Heritage Caravans”

There was little rain on the corniche, just “sprinkles,” but when we got back over to the side of town where we live, we found large puddles, so clearly there had been a short squall.

We would have enjoyed the rain, but, all in all, we were glad to be in the right place at the right time to catch this cultural event.

Johnny Rodgers Band on Cultural Exchange Tour

Posted by Kanga.

Last night we attended a free concert held at Fujairah Women’s College (Higher Colleges of Technology) and brought to us as a cultural exchange by the U.S. of A. Consulate General and His Highness Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamed Al Sharqi (ruler of Fujairah). Ambassadors for American jazz, the Johnny Rodgers band from New York kept the place rockin’ from beginning to end.

They performed selected examples of songs by great jazz legends – Louie Armstrong, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Jerry Lee Lewis. Even managed to squeeze Elvis in with Jail House Rock. However, Johnny was at his very best when singing his own composition, Mary Jean. Songs about old girlfriends are usually the most heartfelt.

I’m not sure how one is supposed to imitate Elvis with such a tiny guitar. He gave up and sang a song he wrote after visiting Graceland.

They sang to a full house and received a standing ovation. The band is very talented and it was an enjoyable evening, although it really is cruel to make music like that when people cannot get up and dance.

Supporting Artisans

Posted by Kanga.

Meet our new kitchen table.

The table itself is not important. It’s just an Ikea table with drop leaf sides and a few drawers. The cats were disappointed to find the drawers too small for them to get into. No, the important thing here and the reason for this post is the table runner.

This was made by an Emirati woman as part of the Sougha program of the Khalifa Fund. Emirati women who are skilled in the traditional weaving craft used in creating bedouin tents have been encouraged to develop smaller products and keep the weaving tradition alive and well.

My first purchase was a carry bag just the right size for my iPad. We’ve made our purchases at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair the last two years. They sell at other events and festivals, so keep your eyes peeled for Sougha products.

Info on other blogs & articles:

Cultural Arts Travelogue
The Office of the Brand of Abu Dhabi
Gulf News
The National

Dear Waitstaff,

Posted by Kanga.

Dear Waitstaff,

Please never utter the word “momsir.” It is two words, ma’am and sir. Also, please use sparingly, not before and after every sentence.

If a plate is completely emptied of food, you do not need to ask if you can remove it from the table. We don’t want to have to give permission for the removal of each and every dish.

If the customer asks for something special, like real lemon or more syrup, you don’t have to overcompensate by bringing more than they could possibly use.

If there is still liquid in a glass, do not remove it, especially if it is an expensive drink. We’d like to finish it, thank you.

If your customer is paying by card, do not hover while they are signing the transaction slip. It will decrease your tip every time.

Please do not have loud conversations with other staff or customers. Especially if you are discussing your private life not so privately.

And, most importantly, do not sing along with the “mood music.” You are not on [insert country here] Has Talent.

We understand that your job is difficult with long hours and small pay. If our stay in your establishment is pleasant, we will try to return the favor.

Let Me Introduce You

Posted by Kanga.

Linda has asked for more information on Fujairah. We’ve only been here a little over two weeks, so my knowledge will be only skin deep. I might have had something to write before now, but much of our first week was spent driving back to Dubai for one paperwork errand or another. Only two paperwork issues remain in-process (that I know of) and only one will require another drive to Dubai, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Soon, we should be able to begin to deepen our appreciation of Fujairah.

The most recent population figure I’ve found is 180,000, but it is likely that this number is for the whole emirate, not just the city. It is significantly smaller than Dubai’s 1.5 million, but not really a “small town” either. There is a large amount of new construction, both newly finished and in process. Several new hotels, apartments, office buildings, and mosques. The city is a mix of these shiny new structures alongside older, thriving businesses.

The oil industry is centered around refining and shipping. Since Fujairah is located on the east coast shipping to and from here eliminates the need to actually enter the Persian/Arabian Gulf. There is an underground pipeline delivering Abu Dhabi oil to Fujairah for shipping.

The fishing industry has a long tradition here. It has been hit by weather conditions this year. The monsoon season in India is causing higher tides here and rougher seas.

Agriculture is also significant here due to the geography and climate. The Hajer Mountains and Oman Gulf create a cooler, moister climate. (Remember this is all relative. I’m not saying that it is cool and moist here, just less harsh than the western region of the country.)

The expats here are primarily involved in the oil industry or educational institutions. Last year when I was investigating the possibility of moving here, I was warned by an expat that “there is no culture here” which I knew was not true. We had already been out to see the bull butting several times. That counts as culture. I am sure she meant that there is little or no Western culture here. That is fine with us. We don’t need the opera, orchestra, ballet, although we could use a little theatre.

Just this week an expat asked me if I had found “our one and only supermarket – Lulu Hypermarket.” Actually, we have found several excellent grocery stores. I even found rice milk (which is rare) for the same price as soy milk in one of those overlooked stores. I was greatly excited. The one time I found it in a Dubai store, it was twice the price of soy.

The most obvious cultural difference that we have had to adjust to, so far, is the afternoon shutdown. At 1 or 2 pm, businesses close and reopen around 5 pm, with the exception of government offices and banks which just close at 2 pm period. (Imagine our fun having to run around doing paperwork making sure we got it done by 2 pm. If you think American bankers hours of 8 am – 5 pm are difficult to work around, be glad it isn’t 8 am – 2 pm.) The government and bank closures are the same in Dubai, but most other businesses go right on without closing.

Once the heat of the day/siesta is over and businesses reopen, then things get to hoppin’. Shopping is done late in the evening 8-11 pm. The town is lit up and busy. At least two new shopping malls are being built and we are concerned about the impact on smaller businesses. There really isn’t a need for malls here.

Cultural Expressions

Posted by Kanga.

Who would have thought that the “caution: children” signs on school buses would be a place for cultural expression?

I posted this picture before. My best guess it that this is an older sister and younger brother in Emirati dress. Since then, I’ve been watching for these signs on school buses and noticed that the silhouettes reflect the nationality or ethnicity of the school.

Again, I’m guessing, but these seem to be Pakistani children, a brother and younger sister.

This is a slight variation on the previous.

The high school bus has generic figures, but they are clearly older.

This one doubled up, just to be safe. The silhouettes seem to be generic Westerners.

Neither a Conqueror Be

Posted by Kanga.

At work this week we had an all staff meeting that was actually very enjoyable and enlightening. Here’s how it went. Everyone sat at small tables, four people per table. Each group was given a pack of cards, a sheet of instructions, a blank sheet for score keeping and a pencil. The instructions described a simplified form of Hearts or Spades. We were to pair up across the table and were given a few minutes to practice and make sure we understood the rules of the game. We were not allowed to speak or write to each other during the game. We could make gestures, but no other form of communication. The instruction sheets were then collected from us (big hint here). Then, we played for real until the horn was sounded. The partners who had the winning score then got up and moved to the next table. We played again. As you might have guessed from the big hint earlier, the instructions varied from table to table. We played a total of three sets each time with the winners moving on to another table.

My partner and I didn’t win the first round (actually we tied, so we had to do a quick tie breaker) so we stayed at our table and welcomed new players. We launched right into the game and our newcomers were confused by who was winning each round. My partner and I enforced our set of rules and simply communicated by pointing to the winning card, whether is was a high card or trump. Our new players picked it up quickly, but we still beat them (home court advantage). This, however, meant that we had to move on the next table, where we met our original competitors. I was deeply into the symbolism of this, so I considered the new table to be a new country and my old competitors to be “expats” who had learned the rules of this new country and I expected them to teach it to me. Not so! We reverted to the original set of rules, never mind that we were at a different table.

After the final set, we discussed the experience. There were quite a few tables where the newcomers had acted like conquerors and insisted on their rules. There were some “host” players who were very confused and just surrendered to the newcomers. Others negotiated the rules and came up with a new way altogether.

I thought it was interesting that our reunion with our original competitors involved no assimilation to the new culture at all. We were like expats hanging out with other expats on a compound or base sticking with our home country rules.

I am pleased that I didn’t turn out to be a conqueror and that while in my home country I stuck to the rules and encouraged the newcomers to assimilate. I preserved my cultural heritage, so to speak.

Ramadan, Iftar and Cultural Understanding

Posted by Kanga

Thursday evening we joined 9 of our Twitter friends and others at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding for a dinner and cultural exchange. The purpose of the centre is to help visitors (both tourists and residents) better understand Emirati culture.

First a little explanation for those who might not be aware – Ramadan is a month long fasting experience that occurs once a year. During daylight hours, muslims refrain from eating and drinking. At sunset, the call to prayer sounds and the fast is broken with a meal called iftar. The fast is usually broken with water and a date (the fruit – either dried or fresh), then prayers are said and a full meal is eaten.

Here are some of our friends, Mita, Lin, Dru, Maddy, Mohammed, and Khalid.

Here is the food. Biryani, Fareed (aka Thaleed), Harees, Vegetable Magooga, and salad. It smelled delicious! Tasted delicious, too.

After dinner, we ladies covered in abayas and sheylas. Men were offered the option of wearing kanduras, but I don’t think any took the opportunity. Then we were off to the mosque.

Once inside the mosque, Nasif, a volunteer at the centre, explained what goes on inside and the basic tenets of Islam in a very pleasant and humorous way.

The whole point of this is one of cross cultural communication, to dispel myths and misunderstandings.

Along with dessert, we got a little fashion information. This is a type of veil called a niqab. (This is what all the fuss is about in France and a few other countries that assume if a woman is veiled she is oppressed. Wearing a veil is not required by Islam and is discouraged by the UAE government, as in, if a woman wants a government job, she cannot wear a veil. In the UAE, women wear them for their own individual reasons.)

And this is what is called a burqa (burka) in the UAE. It is a leather face guard designed to shade the eyes and face from the desert sun. It is usually worn by the older generation.

The volunteer staff were very open and answered any question frankly. It was a very pleasant evening. If anyone ever comes to visit us (hint) we will make a point of taking them to the centre.

Then we all had camel shaped chocolates (yum) and went home.