A Colorful Evening at the Global Village, Dubai

With the new year just at the threshold, I was recollecting about all the good things that happened to me this year and one of the best things amongst them was relocating back to Dubai. You can't be unhappy when you are in Dubai. Rightly said...I love this city for everything it has to offer. Ask me to name one thing and I will not be able to do so since I love this city for its infrastructure, its skyline, for its architectural marvels, sandy beaches, the cultural diversity and so much more. There are 100s of destinations waiting to be explored and while I am here I hope to make the most of it. 

With the winter holidays ushering, I was looking forward to outings with my family. We had  a couple of destinations on our list which were a must visit this season and one of them was the Global Village. Located at around 20.0 km from the Mall of Emirates in Dubai, this theme park is the most sought after family destination and this year it completes 20 years of its existence.

It was a cloudy afternoon and also the Christmas day, so we decided to start early knowing that it will be a crowded affair. But, as usual, we had umpteen 'last minute things' to do and we started at 4:30 pm. Fortunately, the roads were clear and it took us barely 30.0 minutes to reach the destination. We parked our car and started walking towards the entrance. There were cycle rickshaws (just like the ones we have in India) in the car parking area and they were charging a fair of 10.0 Dirhams per person for the ride up to the entrance gate that was farther away. It was a 6.0-minute long walk from the car park to the cultural entrance gate and we decided to walk down the way. There was another Gate - 'The Gate of the World', which was farther away and not at a walkable distance from the parking lot.

Left Inset: The cycle rickshaw, Middle Inset: A wooden statue, Right Inset: The Global Village as we approach it walking

The cultural gate to the Global Village

As we reached the Cultural Gate, we purchased our tickets (price per person is 15.0 AED) and proceeded straight away to explore the theme park. It was a crowded day with thousands of people already swarming in from all directions. We took a map from the help counter and decided to follow it. Clearly, the theme park was divided into exhibition pavilions with retail stalls and a fantasy island with rides and games interspersed with food stalls and kiosks. This year there were about 32 pavilions with around 75 countries being represented. Looking at the layout of the theme park, we realized it wouldn't be possible to cover the entire area but we decided to visit as many pavilions as we could.

We started with a leisurely walk for we were in no hurry to tire ourselves, and were greeted by the camels and the falcon in the heritage area where the local life of the Arabs was being portrayed. Thereafter, the first pavilion on our way was the Africa pavilion with stalls that were loaded with colorful bags, musical instruments, wooden masks and toys, jewelry and trinkets and a hoard of other items. We enjoyed seeing the colorful exhibits and items on sale. Then it was time to enjoy some hot cup of tea and roasted corn cobs. There were small food kiosks at regular intervals and you just won't feel a dearth of food once you are in there. 

The Africa Pavilion

The colorful display of wooden items in Africa Pavilion 

One by one, we explored the pavilions, browsing the stalls and the items on display. We took a short break on the green lawns and gulped in the view around us. On the other side, the Giant Ferris Wheel named as the 'Wheel of the World' was visible from far across and its dazzling lights attracted many visitors; at least, it did so in the case of my daughter. She ran out of patience soon and wanted to visit the fantasy land that had several rides and games. Once there, my daughter was confused as to which ride or games she should select and so were we. We decided to go for the family ride and purchased tickets for the 'Wheel of the World'. Though it was a pricey affair, it was a memorable ride indeed for we enjoyed the view of the entire Global village and the sandy surroundings from the top. The rides looked like small toys from the top and the entire park looked like a tiny city with the whole world encompassed in it.

The 'Wheel of the World' - The dazzling lights of the Ferris Wheel 

The view of the Global Village from the Ferris Wheel

Having taken the ride, it was enough for my daughter and now she wanted a balloon. Recollecting that earlier in the year at the time of Muscat Festival, we had refused to buy a balloon for her due to the ridiculously high price quoted by the balloon man, we didn't want to let her down this time. Also, there was no way we could bargain with the balloon man since everybody was ready to pay the asked price. Finally, satisfied with the balloon in hand, my daughter was ready to go around the entire park. The entire village comes alive with a lot of fun packed activities for families as well as youngsters, from live concerts, stunt shows, face painting, caricatures, tattoos, and more. 

The park was so crowded that after a while all we could see were countless heads and the head count was getting larger as time passed. We thought we should quit and head back home but then we spotted the India pavilion located across the bridge. The entrance was marked with beautiful peacocks and grand elephants. Inside, there were many stalls well stocked with Indian antiques, pashmina shawls, carpets, jewelry items, handbags, clothes and more from different states of India. The temperature was going down as we wandered around, watched a Bollywood dance performance by some dance group and then relaxed a bit with hot tea and popcorns. I'm sure most of you would agree that nothing is better on winter nights than a hot cup of 'kadak chai'. Perhaps, the only one doing good business that night, apart from the balloon seller, was the chai-wala!

The India Pavilion as seen from across the bridge

The antiques, jewelry, wall clocks and more at display in the Indian Pavilion

It was time for the firework display and people had already taken the best positions possible to view the fireworks. We didn't have much time though and settled on the bridge which offered a good view of the pavilions on both the sides. Finally at 9:00 pm sharp, the fireworks began and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Thereafter, we took a round of some other pavilions and finally headed back home.

The Fireworks as seen from the bridge

It was an evening to remember. We couldn't cover all the 32 pavilions but all those that we explored successfully, we found something unique and memorable. Those of you who are in Dubai and haven't yet visited it, do go out and explore the village. It would be like cruising around the entire world in a few hours, without a passport or a visa!

Trip down the memory lane with Christmas in Dubai

I know this post is a little too late...but then as they say 'it's better to be late than never'. The new year is approaching and here I am talking about Christmas. What Christmas means to an Indian and a Hindu and a Brahmin like me? Nothing at all. But I believe there is nothing wrong in adopting good beliefs or ideas from any religion. Whenever I think of Christmas I go down the memory lane and remember my childhood days.

We did have a Church in our town and I vividly remember the nativity procession that was carried out on every Christmas eve by the small Christian community present in our town. On Christmas day, we friends cycled our way across the town to wish our Christian teachers and friends and relished the delicious cakes and goodies made by them with immense love and effort. (Mind you there was no bakery in our town then and all the goodies were made at home). And yes, we enjoyed singing the Christmas Carols too in our school. 

Religion was never an issue in our small township. We celebrated Eid, Baisakhi, Holi, Diwali and Dassera, Christmas and Pateti, and more - all with an equal fervor with our friends and family. During Eid, we would visit our Muslim friends and relished the Biryanis and Seviyan while during Holi the entire town gathered at the Club premises and played with colors and pichkaris. Religion, beliefs and faith never came in the way of our enjoyment and games when we were children. Festivals during my school days weren't just holidays, but it meant celebration and fun with our friends and family. It meant getting up early, wearing new clothes and getting ready for the day ahead filled with lots of activities and social gatherings. All these festivals and events make me take a stroll down the memory lane...and I will keep doing it as I have done many times before because times have changed now. Coming back to the present, now we are responsible adults, with busy jobs and busy schedules and holiday means getting up late, having a late brunch and then going to shopping malls or restaurants. Gone are the days when festivals meant social gatherings and fun with friends and family...Anyways, life goes on and the past is the past...

Talking about Christmas in Dubai. It is a grand affair indeed. As per a data, there are approx 1.2 million Christians in UAE which is highlighted by the fact that all the malls, hotels and major restaurants are adorned with Christmas trees, bells and baubles and Santas entertaining the children. Here are pictures of some Christmas decorations across Dubai during the festive season this year.

For Sale at a Hypermarket 

Nativity set up at Al Barsha Hypermarket

Xmas trees and decorations for sale at the Hypermarket

Christmas decor in front of a watch store

Santa's Winterland: A snow filled fun area for kids

Christmas tree at Time Square

The European pavilion in Global Village

UAE's 44th National Day - A glimpse through graphics and imageries

As I wake up in the morning today, one of my first morning rituals comprises of a quick glimpse of the Facebook News Feed and sometimes I do that even before brushing my teeth! 

What was different today in the newsfeed was a beautiful greeting from Facebook which reminds me that today is UAE's 44th National day. 2nd Dec marks the unification of seven emirates of the UAE and founding of the country in 1971. There are scores of events organised across UAE, all of which I would be unable to attend of course. But as the day passed on, I was just having a look at the news online and I came across some interesting graphical images representing UAE's national day. I searched on for more websites and ferreted out some interesting graphics which I wanted to share here in my blog. The landing pages of most of the websites are adorned with the four colors of the UAE's National flag: red, black, green and white. Here's a compilation of the few which I loved at first glance.

Facebook greetings, Source:Facebook.com

Google doodle's features the birthplace of Sheikh Khalifa,
with the colors of the UAE flag: red, black, green and white.

Source: Du.ae

Source: Gulfnews.com

Source: SharafDG

Source: Fashionworld  

Source: Ikea.ae

Source: Jumbo

Source: Noor Bank

Wishing all the emiratis and expats from around the world in UAE: a very happy National day. May you all enjoy the holidays in unison with great fervour and cheers.


Note: By posting the selected images and graphics, I don't endorse any of the brands above. The selection is just made on a random basis.

The Tale of a Mechobhoot and a Petni

On being a Probashi Bengali and love for fish...

If you are a Bengali you know for sure that our culture, custom and rituals, life and stories revolve around fish. You would also know that in Bengali 'Mechobhoot' means a ghost who likes to eat fish. 'Mecho' comes from the word 'Machh' (fish in Bengali) and 'Bhoot' means a ghost. While 'Petni' means a female ghost. During my childhood, I remember our granny telling stories from 'Thakumar jhuli' - Bengali folk stories. And one of them I am not sure if it was from the same book or her own collection (grannies are known to have a myriad collection of stories) but it was to do with a Mecho bhoot. I remember her narrating that "then came the mechobhoot and stole away all the fishes from the fisherman's boat..." 

Typically, all Bengalis love fish. Growing up in a Bengali household, sorry a Probashi Bengali household, I was a studious and diligent Bengali girl, who was taught Rabindra sangeet at home and appreciation of other art forms came in naturally. But I had a couple of flaws: one not liking fish....iiish... and another one being my disinterest in cooking.

My mom tried her best to make me eat fish by cooking up all kinds of delicacies with fish; shallow-fried, batter-fried, steamed, baked, minced, curried, and so on, but I somehow hated the smell that came with a fish. And if I ever saw the cleaning and cutting process of the same I would just feel sick to the stomach. On Sunday mornings, my dad would end up with a basketful of fishes: Rui, Katla, Bhetki, Prawns, Pomfret or whatever other sea fishes he could lay his hands on. However, being in Gujarat, not much fish varieties were available. When I would go to my maternal relatives' home, there would be this another trial for me in the form of 'Ilish mach' or Hilsa fish. Now for Bengalis, all other fishes pale in comparison when it comes to Hilsa. And the debate still remains as to which one is superior; Hilsa from the Ganges or the ones from Padma river. Leaving that debate on one side, eating that delicacy cooked in mustard paste, was an ordeal in itself, for it involved separating the flesh intertwined with thin bones and while my cousins happily devoured it, I struggled with the bones. 

Later on as I grew up, my taste buds gradually developed a liking towards fish but only for a few selected varieties. At an age, when all my friends used to help their mom, with household errands especially cooking, I stayed away from it much to the chagrin of my mother and my granny. I believed then that cooking was a waste of time for it involved spending your precious time in the kitchen when you could've done something better.

Being Probashi Bengalis settled in Gujarat, we faced another set of problems when it came to food. You have friends and neighbors who do not appreciate or understand your fish eating habits. A friend of mine who was not from a fish-eating community had some Bengali neighbors. Probably troubled by the smell of fish or whatever, she asked me one day, why is it that Bengalis eat fish. I had to explain to her in detail that it is not just we, but most of the settlements near the sea or rivers have a fish-eating culture. I joked to her saying that fish-eating humans are more intelligent than others and she probably believed it then. 

In fact, fish is a food of excellent nutritional value, providing high-quality protein and lots of vitamins and minerals. The omega-3 fatty acid in the fish is good for the heart. Also, it's easy to digest. Fish of different varieties is a staple diet of not just the state of West Bengal, but other states in India too such as Andhra, Kerala, Odisha, Goa, Assam and other North Eastern states.

Saying that, you cannot enjoy eating fish behind the closed doors of your own home, for the fishy niff transcends all boundaries and travels beyond the closed doors through vents and windows, lands up on your nifty neighbour's tickly nose, and often becomes the cause of rift and rifles! I am sure most of the Probashis would agree with me on this point.  

My granny's words 'mechobhooter shonge biye hobe' (meaning I will be married to a mechobhoot) still rings in my head. If my granny were alive today, she would have been happy to see that the Petni did get married to the Mechobhoot, for my husband is truly a fish lover and so is our daughter. My husband used to bring all sort of fish varieties from the market and I used to be outraged at having to cook them. I was simply annoyed that so many varieties of fish existed. There were times when I didn't cook fish and both these fish lovers (my husband and our daughter) were not satiated enough. So eating fish, along with other side accompaniments, is an everyday affair now. Over the years, I learned that true happiness lies in not just eating what you like, but it is when your family and friends enjoy and appreciate what you cook that makes you most happy. Today I cook and eat even those varieties that I hadn't laid my eyes on ever; pabda, tengra, kechki, koi, magur and more. The fish that was a villain in the love triangle for the love of fish is now an indispensable member of the family.

Staying in the gulf region getting fresh seafood is not a problem but getting fresh river fishes is difficult. They are imported here from Bangladesh and are available in a frozen form and that's what we have to manage with. But there is ample variety of sea fish available in the markets here. And one of the locations is the Karama Fish Market in Dubai. So again for the love of fish we made a trip to the Fish Market. For those who haven't read my post on Fish, Frankincense and a Friday in Muscat must read it before we proceed any further with the tale.

Last Friday, we were out for our routine grocery shopping. Fish was an indispensable item that had to be bought and stocked in advance for the week. We decided to give a try to the sea fishes this time. We headed to Karama fish market in Karama near the Karama Bus Station. It is a typical traditional indoor market with shops aligned in two rows facing the central corridors.

Karama Fish Market, Dubai

On one side are vegetable selling stores and on the opposite side are fish selling stores. We were happy to see the stock of fresh vegetables. Being away from home, it makes you happier when you see the native vegetables staring at you from the baskets. It was like getting a bonus.

Fresh Vegetables at the Market

The fish variety at the Karama Fish Market

Going to the fish side, we were amazed to see the fish variety available. Every shop vendor was welcoming us to their shop. It reminded me of the hawkers in India. If you are good at bargaining, you might end up with a good deal. We were rather shy to bargain but since we were aware of the market prices, we got a fair deal it seems. Also, the fish stock was much fresher than those found in the hypermarkets.

We bought some fresh vegetables along with Salmon, Jumbo prawns, and Tilapia. Back home with the purchase, I was not sure what to do with the Salmon. But then you can't go wrong with Salmon, it's a fish almost everyone loves! So there I was, with a quick search on the internet, had it marinated and shallow fried and served with some salad. And it tasted just great with plain rice and dal fry.

Another was jumbo prawns, personally my favorite, and in fact, all three of us liked prawns. So couldn't screw up the dish. Now, back home my mother and grandmother cooked prawns in various combinations; with bottlegourd (chingri lau) or with cabbage (bandacopi lau) or sometimes even steamed and cooked with mustard paste in banana leaf wraps. Our all time favorite was the Prawns Malai curry which is cooked with coconut milk or coconut paste. The origin of this dish is a matter of debate. Whether to call it 'Malai' or 'Malay' is another thought but then who cares so far as it is pleasing to the palate. So it was decided then - Malai curry it will be. I marinated the prawns overnight and the next day cooked up a delicious meal. Just talking about it will not be enough. So here are a couple of pictures right from my frying pan.  

Left Inset: Shallow fried Salmon with salad
Right Inset: Jumbo prawns Malai Curry

The curry not only made my Mechobhoot happy, but he complimented me that it was the best curry I ever made. I can imagine the unbelievable expression on my granny's face!

Before I conclude, here's a Bengali folk song for fervent fish lovers. Tangra tabu katan jai....by not so famous but a local artist in India.

A Short Family Trip to Al Ain

Welcome back.

After a long hiatus, here I am back with my travelogues again.

I often wonder why do people travel, what makes them travel to different places. Some like traveling with their families, some with their friends while some simply like to take off on their own. Is it the same reason for all, is it the same thing that drives the younger generation and the older ones alike? Surely not I believe. 

Every individual has a different reason for traveling: for relaxation, for a change, for adventure, learn about a new culture or taste new food. Whatever the reason maybe traveling for sure is a great change. At least for me. I am happy even if I go for a small outing. Now, I say that to console myself, for deep in my heart I have this urge to travel more and see the world, to learn and discover, explore and just have fun.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

It was September and Eid Al Adha holidays had arrived and traveling was on the cards for sure. It was going to be a four days holiday period including the weekend. My husband was awaiting these holidays to relax at home. While, I was waiting to explore some new place. However, he had no plans whatsoever to take up an international trip. Knowing this, my daughter and I insisted we take a short road trip at least. Finally, we got a little reluctant nod. So while our friends and neighbors had planned and booked their trip in advance, here we were planning on the eve of Eid Holidays for places to visit near Dubai. 

Before I proceed, a little introduction to UAE is required here.
UAE is made up of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Qaiwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Each of these emirates has lots to offer in terms of sightseeing, shopping, leisure, adventures and more. We zeroed down to Al Ain.

The city of Al Ain  located in Abu Dhabi emirates, shares its borders with Oman, and is spread over an area of about 13,100 sq km. Al Ain is also known as the garden city due to its greenery and this was one reason we chose Al Ain over the other destinations. It is around 150 kms from Dubai by road and one of the closest too as compared to other locations. So if we could make an early start in the morning, we could return back home in Dubai by late evening atleast. 

Dubai to Al Ain route
Source: Google Maps

We marked the tourist destinations of our interest on the map and chalked out the route. Also we decided not to hop on and off like the tourists in the tourist bus from one destination to another, have a small glimpse and then hurry off to the next destination. That somehow leaves me very unsatisfied as we don't get to see and explore the place fully. We will move at our own pace, relax and then move ahead. Also, we weren't sure if all the locations would be open for public since we had planned our trip on the first day of the Eid holidays. But then we decided to take a chance. So that was our plan roughly.

Next morning, we gathered our traveling paraphernalia and started with our road trip. It was a bright sunny morning. My daughter was very happy and excited for the first 30 minutes of the trip, and then I had to engage her with stories, then some food and then stories again.... In short, I was kept occupied by my daughter on the entire road. The route from Dubai to Al Ain is not very complicated. We followed the Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed road and continued to E66 (Dubai-Al Ain road) till we reached Al Ain.

There is not much difference in the landscape as we proceed from Dubai to Al Ain. The only noticeable difference is the white sand dunes of Dubai which change gradually to a reddish hue in Al Ain.  On reaching the Hili district of Al Ain, we were nearing our first stop. Our first stop was the Hili Archaeological Park which lies on the highway itself. We passed two roundabouts and then reached our park.

Two roundabouts we crossed before the Hili Archaeological Park

The park is internationally renowned for its archaeological excavations which were conducted in the 1960s. It has a relaxed garden environment with benches, slides and swings for children. I liked the concept of the park that combines historical studies with a relaxed environment. So, while your kids are occupied with the swings and slides you can stroll around and explore the history of Al Ain. And for those who are not interested in the history, they can just relax in the green environs. 

Left Inset: Hili Archaeological Park entrance
Right top and Right bottom insets: Closeup of the entrance structure

Inset 1: The water fountain 
Inset 2: The Mosque inside the park
Inset 3: Sitting area covered with wooden trellis

Top Left: Hili Settlement
Top Right: Hili Grand Tomb
Bottom: Tombs - E and N

While my daughter enjoyed the slides and the swings in the park, I walked around to see the archaeological excavations. Hili is the largest Bronze age site in the UAE and dates from the 3rd millennium B.C. Here's in brief about the exhibits in the park:

• Hili Settlement was inhabited by a community which believed in life after death. This is indicated by the no. of stone monuments they built for their dead and buried along with personal possessions like pottery, stone vessels and copper implements. 
• The inhabitants in that era lived in buildings constructed of sun-dried mud bricks.
• The tombs are circular in shape made from carefully cut stones. The tomb shown in the top right inset has been rebuilt and is the largest in UAE in terms of the stones used. Observing minutely we also found some rock carvings on the tomb exteriors.

The park was deserted except for a few tourists here and there. We moved ahead after exploring all the exhibits there. Also, the weather was still hot and a leisurely walk in this heat was not a good idea. After all, it was September only and the heat was still on.

As we proceeded towards our next destination, we reached the town centre of Al Ain. The next tourist spots that we had marked on our map were all nearby within 5 to 10 kms distance of each other. Unlike Dubai, which has its skyline dotted with skyscrapers, we found low-rise commercial and residential establishments in Al Ain. 

Next on our list was Al Ain Oasis but it was already 12:00 in the noon, and we weren't ready for another walk in the sun. We decided to explore the Museums. Unfortunately, it was the first day of Eid and all the Museums and forts were closed. So we were not left with many options. The guard at the gate of the Al Ain Oasis advised us to visit the oasis around 4:00 in the afternoon since it would pleasant by then with the sun lowering down.

Al Jahili Fort - viewed from the main road as we proceeded towards the Palace Museum

Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum, Al Ain

It was not lunch time yet and we had stuffed ourselves with snacks on our way, so we decided to explore the Al Ain Mall. Al Ain Mall like the other Malls in the emirates is a premier shopping and leisure destination. The food court on the 2nd level has it all: Fast food, tea, roastery and so on. After a walk in the sun at the Hili Archaeological Park, the Mall was a cool reprieve. We headed to the Royal Mughal restaurant which was the only Indian restaurant we discovered. I was impressed by the menu card. It was a pretty booklet with details of the menu interspersed with highlights on the Mughal food and culture. We had a sumptuous meal comprising of dum pukt Biryanis, followed by refreshing cucumber raita.

The Royal Mughal Restaurant at Al Ain Mall

Thereafter, we explored the mall a bit more. My daughter was happy to discover an Ice-rink and her buddy Olaf (from the movie Frozen), and hidden behind the skating rink were life like mannequins of Snowhite with her seven dwarfs. The mall interiors were quite impressive; perhaps will post pictures of it in my later posts.

We waited for the sun to go down a bit for our next destination was Al Ain Oasis. The gateway to the Al Ain Oasis is visible from the main road itself. Spread over 3000 acres, the farm has internal roads shaded with rows and rows of palm plantations. The palm trees were laden with ripe dates ready to be plucked. We also spotted some lime trees and banana plantations. The farm area is divided into many grids and irrigation is done using the traditional 'Al Falaj' irrigation system. Tourists from all over the country as well as from abroad seemed to have flocked here by this time. The Oasis provided a shady respite in contrast to the Hili Archaeological park. Also, since we had waited for the sun to recede, it was cooler here in the Oasis. 

Al Ain Oasis

After exploring the Oasis for an hour or so, we decided to head back to Dubai. There were lots of other places to be explored but then maybe during some other holidays. For now, we had enough of walk in the sun. Such trips, where long walks are mandatory, must be planned sometime in the months of winter. The heat somehow saps and drains your energy. 

Am getting a little lyrical here and quoting from the lyrics of 'Walk in the Sun' written and sung by Danny Jones:
Such a long, long way to go
And where I'm going I don't know
I'm just following the road
For a walk in the sun
For a walk in the sun....

To listen to the original song you can click on the link here. I loved the song..hope you guys out there enjoy it too.

At the end of the day, we were glad to have made it home safe and on time, to just jump on to our bed. Nothing could be more cozy or comforting than your pillow and bed at this time. This made me realize that one of the reason why people travel is perhaps to discern and acknowledge the importance of home!

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old familiar pillow" Lin Yutang

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

For the last few weeks, I have been on a 'recycling and reusing wastes' spree. Our small store room was cluttered with cartons and other items we had stored during our move from Muscat to Dubai. I was thinking of ways to dispose them off, but then I thought, it is better to reuse and recycle them rather than accumulating heaps of waste that would harm the environment. I had a hoard of plastic bottles and containers, cartons, papers and cardboards. I didn't know what to do with them. I began to search the web for ideas to make them useful. I used the cartons to make toy storage boxes for my child. I separated the papers into categories such as magazines, newspapers, office papers and cardboards. Accordingly I would use them for different purposes. I planned to use newspapers for paper mache, magazines for different decoupage and collages, cardboards for craft etc. I would reuse the plastic bottles as organisers or for storage containers and I sorted them out based on their size and types. 

As we talk about recycling the waste from my house, the 3 'R's of the environment needs to be introduced or perhaps reintroduced to many of us:

• Reduce means reduce the amount of waste produced. For example buy products with less packaging. Read news online instead of buying newspapers since most of the news is available online.
• Reuse products as many times as possible. Reuse shoe boxes, milk containers, cans etc. for craft or storage.
• Recycle means creating new products out of materials from the old ones. Things like paper, aluminum can,  plastic grocery bags, etc. can be recycled so drop them off into designated bins by the municipality so that they can be recycled.

As per a report, UAE ranked third in the world with the biggest ecological footprint per capita in the world. Each member of the population generates about 2.5kg of rubbish each day. Most of the waste ends up in the landfill. 

I searched on the net for initiatives taken by the UAE for recycling waste and discovered that although recycling waste seems to be a new concept in the UAE, it already has a recycling program in place. For more details, you can visit their site. I have often spotted bins outside many villas, wherein two wheeled-bins  have been placed. Green bins for recyclables example: paper, plastics and cans, and black bins for non-recyclables like food wastes. This is part of the initiative undertaken by the Dubai Municipality so as to recycle three-quarters of Dubai's refuse by 2018.

A good initiative for separating and sorting the waste can be witnessed at the fuel stations in Dubai. There are four bins installed and labelled as general waste, cans, plastic and paper waste, which helps in segregating the waste at this point itself so that they can be processed further without any hassle. 

Separate bins for general waste, cans, plastic and paper waste

Finally, I ended up looking at the repository of pictures in my laptop and found these pictures wherein some waste-to-best efforts were taken by the Municipality of Muscat in 2014 at the festival venue in Amerat Park. They made an excellent effort to make the best use of the waste generated, making used of used plastic bottles, CDs, used tyres, wire scrap and more.

Recycling ideas from Muscat Festival 2014 - an initiative by the Muscat Municipality

Plastic bottles turned into flower-pots

Plastic bottles assembled into flower pots

Screen made from plastic bottles

An animal replica made from iron scrap

A hanging holder for flower pots made from old tyres

Recycling used CDs into a flower decoration

An old tyre converted into a pot holder

A tree ensemble created from plastic bottle twirls

Do share what initiative does your city take to recycle the waste generated. Do leave your comments and ideas below my post. Awareness regarding recycling of waste is a must for every citizen. Every individual plays a small but an important role in reducing the carbon footprints on this earth and to make this earth a better place to live for the coming generations.

Wadi Darbat from my Salalah Diaries

Darbat and Drishyam complement each other! Whenever, I remember this place called Wadi Darbat, I always have beautiful visual memories or 'Drishyam' of this place. No I am not talking about the latest Bollywood thriller 'Drishyam' here but about a beautiful location in Salalah that is a visual delight to anyone who visits Salalah. Wadi Darbat is a beautiful natural park located in the Dhofar region in the outskirts of Salalah in Oman.

By the way, 'Drishyam' in Sanskrit means a visual or a sight. And yes, I will be mentioning Drishyam many a times in this post since I watched this enthralling movie just a couple of days back. 

Now talking about Darbat, we didn't know that such a beautiful place did exist in Oman, until we visited this site. It was sometime dated back in September 2011 when my parents had come over all the way from India to visit us in Salalah. They missed the active social life in India and their friend circle since Salalah was not the kind of place where you would find many people around in your neighborhood. Luckily, though we were fortunate to have the company of very good neighbours - an aged but jolly good couple from our native place. My parents enjoyed their company during their short stay in Salalah. 

Out of the many trips we had, this trip was planned by our friendly neighbours who also escorted us and we truly had an enjoyable experience: A beautiful 'drishyam' to be treasured!

The greens as we approach Wadi Darbat

I don't remember how long it exactly took us to reach this destination for all the while we were occupied with laughter and chats with our friendly neighbours. This wadi was around 40-45 km distance from our residence in Salalah. We passed through mountains covered in lush greens, and when we reached the destination we were simply astounded by the view that greeted us - a wadi with a water body. Imagine seeing an oasis in the midst of a desert. But then as I mentioned in my earlier posts, Salalah is one place which turns green during the Khareef season; the brown mountains get covered with greens and its wadis are filled with water.

As we reached there, we spotted a few tea stalls along the roadside and the parking lot. It was around 5:00 pm in the evening, the weather was awesome, with the temperature, not exceeding 28 degree C.  We had carried our tea thermos and before we proceeded further ahead with our exploration, we gulped down some hot tea with a few titbits. The bank of the wadi was strewn with a few tents here and there; with some people relaxing and enjoying with their families and friends while some were paddling their boats around in the wadi waters. We too rented a boat and paddled ahead into the waters absorbing the greens around us. It was a memorable experience as we absorbed the vast greens around us and paddled our way ahead into the waters exploring the wadi. My feet ached after paddling for some 30 minutes continuously but then as they say 'no pains, no gains'. After the trip, we ended up with a wonderful dinner cooked with lots of love and effort from our good old neighbours. 

The food stalls by the roadside

The view from our water boat 

The river bordered by trees and greens

As we approach the tents along the bank

The view of mountains from our water boat

The hidden view behind the trees

Wadi Darbat is a beautiful and peaceful retreat in Salalah. It simply leads you away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, providing a very soothing and relaxing environment. It would be nice once in a while to escape to such tranquil environs; to escape from the daily grind, from weekend obligations, household chores and errands, to unwind and relax with your family members in a calm setting like this wadi. 

Just an afterthought, they should have shot this movie Drishyam here in Darbat, Salalah. Maybe some movie will be shot some day in this very location. Someday, Someway!