Ride the New Metro in Dubai with Sheikh Mohammed

Opening of Metro
The long awaited Metro in Dubai opens on the 9th of the 9th of ’09, which might be a touch of Emirati numerology.

Interestingly VIPs get to ride it on the 9th (will they ever ride it again) and the general public can begin to ride on the Metro from the 10th.

Sheikh Mohammed on the Metro
If you are feeling impatient, perhaps the best option is to watch this video of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum riding the Metro and giving it his stamp of approval.

His Highness posted this 1 minute video on his public Facebook page at this link:

‘My Ride on the Metro last year as part of their Test Run.’

At the time of writing, more than 2,000 of the fans of His Highness gave this video and the Metro the thumbs up and 718 comments have been posted.

You Want More?
For train fanatics here is a 7 minute version of the trip with His Highness:

Mohammed Launches Dubai Metro Trial Run, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Web Site.

View Dubai Metro on Google Maps


View Dubai Metro in a larger map

Related Links
Metro Systems Around the World, Gulf News.

Dubai Metro and Related Articles, Gulf News.

Metro Hours, Gulf News.

All About the Dubai Metro—Interactive, including fares, stations, park and ride, facilities and facts, latest news, The National.

On Related Sites
Befriending Fujairah’s Floating Population, Fujairah in Focus, 6 September 2009.

Coming Second or Losing in the America’s Cup, America’s Cup in the UAE, 4 September 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Ask him for details about advertizing and links on his sites.

Image: Dubai Metro.

Photo Blogging Abu Dhabi UAE

Views of Abu Dhabi
If you wonder what the richest city in the world looks like and think all the homes look like the Emirates Palace, let me recommend that you check out and subscribe to the Abu Dhabi/UAE Daily Photo blog subtitled, ‘Photos from Abu Dhabi and around the UAE’.

Blogging Abu Dhabi
This blog has been functioning since June 2008 and has been noted for its high standard.

I love it for the views one gets of the ordinary, everyday things that are happening, in contrast to the sensational things that are usually noted by the media. That being said, there is a zany touch in this blog.

Yes, the pictures are of Abu Dhabi but they’re also of Dubai and most other places in the UAE.

Photo Blogger
This blog is the work of Susan, whose daily life revolves around education at Abu Dhabi.

I asked Susan some questions about her blogging.

Tools of the Trade?
“I use a Canon Rebel XT. The lens is not the one that comes with the body, but a slightly wider angle lens and occasionally a telephoto (but not very often). Canon deserves some sort of award for making photography idiot-proof (or almost idiot-proof).”

Method in Your Madness?
“When do I snap pics for the blog? I go in spurts. I take my camera to events that I think will be particularly interesting to my readers.”

Why Photo Blog?
“One of the reasons I created the blog was to give family and friends back home a window into daily life here. The fact that others enjoy it is creme on the top.”

“Sometimes I just put the camera in the passenger seat of my car and keep my eyes peeled as I run daily errands. It's funny what you and I might take for granted living here in the UAE, but a lot of people struggle to visualise what the UAE looks like. I guess my posts attempt to do just that while telling a story related to the photo. So I'm not a great photographer, but it's more about visually documenting daily life here with a bit of a personal touch.”

Image
The photo that I have posted is the first photo on the Abu Dhabi/UAE Daily Photo. The post is headed, ‘Construction and Faith’ and the photo has this caption: ‘This photo is a metaphor for life all over the UAE.’ This photo is of a mosque in Dubai’s emerging suburb of Mirdif.

Link
Abu Dhabi/UAE Daily Photo

Related
Photo Blogging RAK, United Arab Emirates

Photo Blogging the Emirates, a short term blog.

On Related Sites
Befriending Fujairah’s Floating Population, Fujairah in Focus, 6 September 2009.

Coming Second or Losing in the America’s Cup, America’s Cup in the UAE, 4 September 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Ask him for details about advertizing and links on his sites.

Stop off for the Finest Dates in All of Arabia on Your Way to Fujairah

Taste and See
It gives me a real buzz to call in at an apiary to see how honey is processed and get a taste of honey that is dripping out of the comb.

Similarly, I love calling in at the cellar door to see how grapes are selected, squashed and bottled. Tasting the variety and knowing that you have some fruit of the vine directly from the vineyard is hard to beat.

This is why in the Emirates I love calling in at the Al Hashmia Date Factory for an ample supply of dates. At harvest time (June to September) it is a total experience tasting and buying fresh dates directly from the farm.

Supervisor
Calling in at a date farm is so much fun because you usually come in contact with some fascinating people.

Syed Asad Abbas is the supervisor of the Al Hashmia Date Farms and Factory. He hails from Islamabad and has been managing Al Hasmia for the last five years. He oversees the 15 workers that do different jobs on the two farms and in the date factory.

Syed is one of the most enthusiastic people I have met. He is not only knowledgeable about date production but he is absolutely passionate about the date culture.

Make a Date
When you are driving from Dubai or Sharjah to Fujairah (or the other way) you will probably be passing right by Al Hashmia, on the Fujairah side of Dhaid in the emirate of Sharjah.

Call in (before Syed goes off duty at 2.00pm) to see how dates are washed, cleaned and dried on great drying racks in the drying room (some were also being dried outside on my last visit).

You will see the different varieties, classes and colors of dates. If you thought grapes and wine were complex, wait until you see the different types of dates and the names that have been given to them for centuries.

You may see how the core is removed (by hand) and how the dates are bagged, weighed, sealed and affixed with the famous Al Hashmia sticker.

Ask if you can go into the cool room. From 44 degrees outside to minus 26 inside it is a significant temperature transition that will leave your glasses fogged up upon exiting. Inside the cool room are the raw, undried dates that Emiratis love to eat prior to Ramadan.

The Best Dates
I love the ‘khlas’ dates (from the Arabic ‘khalasah’ meaning quintessence). These dates are soft, sweet and sensual. But you need to try for yourself and come up with your own favorite. Then, you’ll want different dates for different occasions—with coffee, with milk, with special food, as a pick me up or to break the Ramadan fast like the Prophet Mohammed.

What’s your favorite date?

Is Al Hashmia the source of the best dates in the Emirates? That’s my judgment but John Paul Jones in his book, ‘If Olaya Street Could Talk’, taught me an important lesson. Visiting a date palm grove in Qassim, Saudi Arabia he learned this tip about date protocol: “Always praise the quality of the dates from the inhabitant’s town and always say they are the finest in all of Arabia.” (p75)

Location
Check my Directions from Dubai to Fujairah (at the 69 kms mark) to pinpoint the exact location of Al Hashmia.

If you need to contact the office to say you are coming, the phone number is: (06) 5748888. Syed’s mobile phone number is: 050 8843993. Tell him you read about him and his date farm from ‘Experiencing the Emirates’.

Further
Date Palm, Wikipedia.
The Arabian Date Palm by Frances LaBonte, RBM, 30 May 2008.
Imbibing the Emirates, ETE, 1 April 2007.

On Related Sites
Boat Building Industry Sinking in Fujairah, Fujairah in Focus, 4 September 2009.

Coming Second or Losing in the America’s Cup, America’s Cup in the UAE, 4 September 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Ask him for details about advertizing and links on his sites.

Image: Syed Asad Abbas and some scenes from Al Hashmia.

Freej: The Bright Star in the UAE Film Firmament

Last week, Brian Stelter of the New York Times, was discussing the obstacles facing the UAE film industry but this week (3 September) he is highlighting a positive sign in indigenous film making in the Emirates.

During the communal and time-rich month of Ramadan UAE television channels display their best programs and the one that is capturing the imagination of the Emirates is ‘Freej’, the first 3-D animated series.

‘Freej’, is created by Mohammed Saeed Harib and is an Emirati version of ‘The Simpsons’ or ‘South Park’ but with a desire to gain the appreciation of a large worldwide audience.

Stelter gives the background on how Harib imagined the concept and discusses his progress and pitfalls as he walks the tightrope of Arab humor.

Link
Read the article and watch some programs of ‘Freej’:

Brian Stelter, Dubai Superheroes: Little Old Grannies Who Wear Veils, New York Times, 2 September 2009.

On Related Sites
Fujairah Corniche Coming Alive during Ramadan, Fujairah in Focus, 1 September 2009.

Coming Second or Losing in the America’s Cup, America’s Cup in the UAE, 4 September 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Ask him for details about advertizing and links on his sites.

Image: ‘Freej’ characters and creator (photos courtesy of the New York Times at the above link).

UAE Pondering Peace on 21 September to Make Peace Every Day

Global Peace Day
The UAE has a range of activities leading up to the 21st September, the date which has been designated by the United Nations as ‘Peace Day’ around the world.

Peace Initiatives in the Emirates
Check out the UAE blog, the work of Peace Day UAE Co-Founder and Spokesperson, Nayla Al Khaja and the story of how she introduced Peace Day in the UAE to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

The blog outlines the UAE’s support, contains a film gallery and offers some practical ways that individuals and organizations might work for peace.

Living Salaam
In the UAE we say the word ‘peace’ (As-Salāmu `Alaykum السلام عليكم) several times a day when we greet people but there is great value in committing a day to ponder the implications of living out the true meaning of peace in all its many dimensions.

Imagining People Living Life in Peace
Travelling in New York some years ago, my wife and I spent some hours in Central Park. On our walk we came across three acres dedicated to the memory of John Lennon. They are called ‘Strawberry Fields’ and they contain plants and trees from more than 100 countries of the world. This was the place the former Beatle loved to frequent and it’s just over the road from his apartment on seventy-second street where Lennon was shot and killed on 8 December 1980.

On a path in the fields is a circle with lines radiating outwards. In the middle of the circle is the one word, ‘IMAGINE.’ Several people were sitting there in silence on park benches. Floral tributes were strewn across this memorial.

I love the tune of that song. I love the encouragement to imagine ‘all the people living life in peace’. I love the invitation to imagine together in the words:

‘You . . . you may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one.
I hope some day you’ll join us.’

Call to Imagine Together
Peace Day on 21 September is like the call to ‘Imagine’ in New York's Central Park. Peace is worthy of our reflection, to dream about what salaam might look like, beginning in our own corner—in Al Ain, Sharjah, Dibba, Fujairah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Peace Day gives an opportunity for us to so some dreaming together in creative ways—to think of how salaam might become not just a greeting but a way of life.

Link
UAE Peace Day, Blog (with links to the international web site)

On Related Sites
Fujairah Corniche Coming Alive in Ramadan, Fujairah in Focus, 1 September 2009.

America’s Cup Further Tarnished by New Legal Wrangle, America’s Cup in the UAE, 3 September 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Ask him for details about advertizing and links on his sites.

Image: Peace Day UAE Co-Founder and Spokesperson, Nayla Al Khaja and the reception for intellectuals and artists on 1 September hosted by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum in which he heard about the Peace Day initiatives in the Emirates.

1.6 Million Iftar Meals Served During Ramadan in UAE

800,000 Ramadan iftar meals have been offered so far by the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Charitable Foundation.

The total number of beneficiaries of the major charity's benevolent project this year is set to hit 1.6 million during Ramadan, an increase of 400000 over last year.

Iftar, one of the observances of Ramadan, refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast upon the sunset.

The Foundation, in a press release, said its iftar project this Ramadan season is now the biggest in the UAE.

600,000 people are being served at iftar banquets every day during Ramadan at the 97 locations which were set in densely-populated areas by the Foundation around the UAE for its 2009 Iftar Project, it explained.

1.6 million iftar meals will be given out throughout the Holy Month.

Link
1.6 Million Beneficiaries of Khalifa Foundations’s Iftar Banquets, WAM, 2 September 2009.

On Related Sites
Fujairah Corniche Coming Alive in Ramadan, Fujairah in Focus, 1 September 2009.

Take a Look at the America’s Cup Venue at RAK, America’s Cup in the UAE, 31 August 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Ask him for details about advertizing and links on his sites.

Image: “A Pakistani Muslim arranges food stuff for Iftar, a time to break the fast, on the first day of Ramadan, as a child looks on at a mosque in Karachi, Pakistan on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan-courtesy of The Big Picture).

Climbing the Emirates

I’m not writing about stair climbing such towers as the Burj Dubai but climbing the mountains of the Emirates.

Hisham Youssef is an architect who splits his time between Dubai and New York.

He blogs about his travels, especially to remote locations around the world.

Hisham has written an article about some trips to the UAE desert and one occasion when he took up the suggestion of an Austrian friend to climb the ‘stairway to heaven’.

Read his account of climbing this famous mountain in the Emirates. It is only 1,250 metres (4,100 feet) but it is a challenge.

Heed Hisham’s advice: “NEVER, NEVER attempt this climb without someone who has done it before a few times.”

Link
Hisham Youssef, Stairway to Heaven, Travel. Live, 23 August 2009.

On Related Sites
Fujairah Corniche Coming Alive in Ramadan, Fujairah in Focus, 1 September 2009.

Take a Look at the America’s Cup Venue at RAK, America’s Cup in the UAE, 31 August 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Ask him for details about advertizing and links on his sites.

Image: Some glimpses of Hisham and a group climbing the ‘stairway to heaven’.

Ramadan Around the World in 2009

I’m a great fan of Boston’s The Big Picture and the recent series of 39 photos entitled ‘Ramadan 2009’, provides a colorful and insightful gallery.

There are photographs from Malaysia, Lebanon, Indonesia, Kenya, Palestine, Egypt, China… so many countries, but unfortunately not the United Arab Emirates.

The description for the gallery says:

“In Muslim nations and regions around the globe, this is the first week of the holy month of Ramadan, a time for followers to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity during the day, breaking their fast each sunset, with traditional meals and sweets. During this time, Muslims are also encouraged to read the entire Quran, to give freely to those in need, and strengthen their ties to God through prayer. The goal of the fast is to teach humility, patience and sacrifice, and to ask forgiveness, practice self-restraint, and pray for guidance in the future. This year, Ramadan will continue until Saturday, September 19th.”

On Related Sites
Fujairah Corniche Coming Alive in Ramadan, Fujairah in Focus, 1 September 2009.

Take a Look at the America’s Cup Venue at RAK, America’s Cup in the UAE, 31 August 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Ask him for details about advertizing and links on his sites.

Image: This photo (#34) has the caption: “Muslim children praying at a mosque during the month of Ramadan in Manila, in the Philippines on August 23, 2009.”

Al Ain: World Capital for Roundabout Art

Country of Roundabouts
Sankha Guha, writing about Fujairah in The Independent delivers this backhander:

“This is a country where roundabouts constitute major attractions—they are featured prominently in tourism pamphlets and guidelines….In Paris they have the Arc de Triomphe, in London Nelson’s Column and in Fujairah they have outsize kitchen utensils.”

Fujairah Roundabouts
If the aesthetics are lacking in Fujairah roundabouts, from a pragmatic point, these roundabouts are used everyday to give instructions and travel directions.

Furthermore, the different symbols (see some on the main picture at Fujairah in Focus) capture the essence of the emirate and remind residents and tourists of the everyday things for which the place is known.

Roundabout Art
Al Ain must be the prime centre for roundabouts in the UAE and perhaps could claim the distinction of being the world capital for roundabout art.

BSS and BRN, who lived in Al Ain for three years, posted a popular series of articles and pictures on the ‘Roundabouts of Al Ain’.

There are twenty roundabouts featured—some spectacular and others disappointing and in need of repair.

The series comes with delightful comments and details about their location.

Link
Roundabouts of Al Ain, BSS & BRN (formerly) of Al Ain.

On Related Sites
Fujairah Corniche Coming Alive in Ramadan, Fujairah in Focus, 1 September 2009.

Take a Look at the America’s Cup Venue at RAK, America’s Cup in the UAE, 31 August 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Ask him for details about advertizing and links on his sites.

Image: The Sheikh Mubarak roundabout (#12) with an incense burner as the centerpiece (photo courtesy of BSS & BRN at the above link).

UAE Offers 10,000 Dirhams to Quit Smoking during Ramadan

Giving Up for Cash
The Gulf News reports that the Sharjah Islamic Affairs Department has launched an anti-smoking campaign for Ramadan that will reward those who quit the habit with Dh10,000 ($US2723).

Contestants can participate by calling the toll free number 8001441, where they will then be asked to take a medical test, be closely watched during the month (how will this happen?) and at the end of the month they will be subject to another medical test to prove that their Ramadan was smoke-free.

Those who pass the test will be entered into the draw with the first prize winner receiving Dh10,000, while the second and third winners will be rewarded with Dh5,000. Others up to the tenth winner will carry home prizes like mobile phones and other electronics.

Judging by the comments, many smokers have stopped drawing on their cigs in order to go into the Dh10,000 draw. They think that with Allah’s help in this month of fasting they will stub out this habit.

Why Only a Month?
Perhaps it would be better to reward quitters after they have butted out for six months but possibly this is a case of smokers needing short term goals?

One calls to mind the Australian cricketer, Shane Warne, who was paid $200,000 to give up cigarettes during a four month sponsorship with a nicotine substitute manufacturer and yet was seen puffing away before the smoke-free period was finished.

Does the Sharjah competition allow the controversial nicotine patch during Ramadan?

Questionable Motivations
There is a sense in which the motivation does not matter if people quit smoking and stop doing harm to their bodies and others in their puffing zone.

Yet, does the rewarding with money cloud the real reasons for giving up the smoking habit?

Recently there was talk of introducing Gucci designer safety belts to make Emiratis buckle up and now this Dh10,000 carrot to stop smoking cigs.

Why not draw the veil over the real reason for wearing safety belts and tell people that they are killing themselves and the lives of their passengers?

Why not take the burqa off the smoking habit and tell people that they are killing themselves and polluting the air of their loved ones?

In this fundamentalist Islamic society it is surprising that so little is made of religious motivation and following the will of Allah in such everyday things as health, smoking, driving and safety. Instead the most effective answer is deemed to be throwing money at people or making them feel cool and fashionable.

Links
Mariam M Al Serkal, Sharjah Offers Dh10,000 Reward to Quit Smoking, Gulf News, 26 August 2009.

Armani, Gucci or Versace for your UAE Seat Belts? ETE, 26 August 2009.

Related
Smoking and Dietary Patches Ease Pain of Ramadan Fast, ETE, 10 September 2008.

First the Swine Flu Sermon, Now a Sermon on Responsible Driving in the Emirates, ETE, 18 June 2009.

On Related Sites
I Know I’m Back in Fujairah UAE at Ramadan When…, Fujairah in Focus, 30 August 2009.

Take a Look at the America’s Cup Venue at RAK, UAE, America’s Cup in the UAE, 31 August 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Ask him for details about advertizing and links on his sites.

Image: “The most effective answer is deemed to be throwing money at people.”