A UAE local

Binding red and silver thread together, this bedu woman from Ras Al Khaimah was employed like many other locals to showcase her country's heritage at the Sharjah Heritage Village.

Time for a Tag

It has been a long time since I did a tag (and this is by no means a hint to tag me more!) So ClayFuture here it goes:

A - Available or Single
Available for dinner, ice cream, anything that is related to food.

B - Best friend
The greatest blessing in the world. And thankfully I have one.

C - Cake or Pie
CAKE CAKE CAKE

E - Essential Item
My glasses

F - Favourite Color
Green

G - Gummi bears or Worms
Gummi bears

H - Home Town
Stockholm & Peshawar

I - Indulgence
Travelling

J - January or February
February is the most depressing month in Sweden, January anyday! New beginnings.

K - Kids
Yeah, what about them?

L - Life
is a beach and then you dive!

M - Marriage
we'll see :)

N - Number of Siblings
2

O - Oranges or Apples
Apples

P - Phobias, Fears.
Fears: To loose a loved one.

Q - Favourite Quote
If it weren't for hope the hearts would shatter.

R - Reason to Smile
My best friend.

S - Season
Summer, please I just want some damn sunshine!

T - Tag Three People
Whoever
wants
to

U - Unknown Fact About Me
I'm a certified diver.

V*W - Worst Habit
Blogging

X*Y - Your Favourite Foods
Paratha, Dhai balla, anything Pasta, Tsabhe with Injeera (eritrean dish), grandmas pancakes, Fatayer, Zeit wo Zatar etc.

Z - Zodiac
Taurus

Must eat Mandy

As far as I have been told there is only one restaurant in Sharjah (The UAE) serving Mandy, atleast in the special way they do it at Beit Al-Mandy.

You can find the restaurant in Dubai as well but without the special seating arrangements. It's a popular restaurant among locals and families. One sits in small booths on soft carpeted floors with closed doors.

I ordered Mandy and got a delicious round plate served with rice, chicken, onions and tomato/mint chutney with yoghurt. I am not sure wether it is a local dish or not but I do know it is best eaten with ones hands!

The oldest Mosque...

...in the UAE can be found in Fujairah. Al-Bidyah Mosque is believed to be 580 years old. The construction reminds me a lot of the clay mosque in Mali. The simple lines, the feeling of being a building that sprung out from the earth beneath it.

The Imam of the mosque is a stout Bengali fellow. As I entered the mosque I stood in the doorway and was quickly welcomed in with a smile. "It's ok, pictures are allowed."

Men prayed on one side of the tiny praying space, and women on the other side. Equal space, side by side.

Inside Al-Bidyah Mosque

The Imam welcomes the visitors.

The stairs are his pulpit.

Muslims, the new Communists of America

"Deprived of my own freedom, and from my cell in a U.S. prison, I foresee the day when true fraternity and a bond of humanity will overcome the ugliness of exclusiveness, injustice, and occupation. When Palestinians and Israelis live side by side, celebrate their common traditions and heritage and rejoice with the peoples of the world in the spirit of universal peace and understanding."

-Sami Al Arian

He has spent 1533 days in prison and counting, even though the Jury acquitted him of the most serious charges of terrorism filed against him in America. Why?

Al-Marhoum Mosque

This beautiful mosque stands by a roadside in Dubai. I came there at prayer time and there was barely a soul using it besides the usual three or four men from the sub-continent. The work put down on making this mosque more than just a hastily erected monument is inspiring.

Going Solar

It's all about using what you have. One thing The UAE has is sunlight, lots of it all year round. I saw these parking metres both in Sharjah and Dubai all run on solar power. Parking metres use up a lot of energy seeing as they run 24 hours a day all year round. In Sweden there is talk of trying to develop some sort of a sleep mode on the parking metres, much like that of computers to try conserve energy but nothing beats using solar panels.

The UAE in patterns

The Sub-continent meets the Gulf in this pattern.

Al-Baal Café on The UAE

I've returned from my trip to the UAE with fond memories, lots of pictures and stories to go with them. I will be sharing those here on ABC. The pictures however will not only be restricted to the usual ones you see when people mention Dubai or the UAE. I will be showing you places which many people haven't seen, don't want to see or simply just haven't had the chance to see yet.

I have had an amazing time. It is a beautiful land which amazes me one way or the other everyday. A lot of good initiatives and projects can be found here. However it is also host to many contradictions and eye-brow raisers which force one to at times question humanity and oneself.