EID MUBURAK!
Well Eid is upon us again. There are two main Eid festivals, one at the end of Ramadan and the other takes place now. This one is the Festival of Sacrifice where everyone is expected to sacrifice an animal, either a goat or a sheep. Of course finding enough animals is a problem as is the price. Like all the rest of the world when supply is high the price goes up.
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/eid-hunt-for-sacrificial-animals-begins-1.1241726
For many muslims Eid means making the journey to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The following article from our National newspaper gives you a bit more insight into the journey.
Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/uae/heritage/the-greatest-journey-on-earth-arrives-at-mina#ixzz2hgaEV41u
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook
For most expats Eid means another holiday. We are lucky this year and have ended up with 9 days off work for Government employees. Non-government workers only get a three day break so we are exceptionally lucky. Most expats jump on a plane and head overseas somewhere. As I've said previously, airlines here are geared up to the expat population and many options of short breaks abound. The negative is that the holidays are only confirmed last minute so you never know how many days you'll have. Sunday off was a bonus that gave us a longer break.
For those of us who chose to stay at home the choices are endless. Dubai is gearing up for the highest number of tourists it gets and there are nightly firework displays. Here in Abu Dhabi it is quieter but there is still plenty to do.
For me it's a time to catch up on my writing (mainly my blog) and reading some books, still my all time favourite relaxation activity. I must buy a Kindle!
I decided to set myself a wee goal over Eid which is to get down to the Corniche and swim at the beach. We have the most amazing facilities here but they are underutilised by most of us. As I have two pools in my backyard I don't see the point of heading down to the beach. It's usually too hot for me anyway and there's no shade. But with the cooler weather and the fact I now have a car I decided to give it a whirl.
I did intend to catch the bus down as it's only 2 dirhams but this morning decided to drive. Now anyone who has visited will know the joy of driving in Abu Dhabi. Nothing is simple and you always need a pre-visit so you know where to go. Sounds crazy but parking is always an issue as is finding the place you want to get to.
So at 7am I set off. Once I hit the Corniche I did a u-turn, found a reasonbly empty car park and parked up. I got out, put money in the meter and got my ticket. Shouldering my backpack I headed off to cross the road to the Corniche thinking I'd walk down the walkway then swim at the free public beach. As I was leaving I read the sign and saw I was in a tow-away area before 8am. Hesitating for a few minutes I hopped back in the car and drove off, executing another u-turn to get back on the right side of the road. I'd seen a car park right at the end of the Corniche so headed for that.
Luckily it was nearly empty so I parked and walked a short distance back to the beach. I had it nearly to myself with more lifeguards and security men than swimmers. So I enjoyed the soak in the water although I must be getting acclimatised as it felt cool when I entered the water. After an hour or so I hopped out and lay down to dry off. The sun was pleasantly warm on my skin, not like NZ where I'd be burning up.
I strolled back to the car and found a uniformed doorman minding the vehicles. It seems I'd parked in the Hilton Beach Club carpark but here bluff is everything so I just jumped in and drove off. I did wonder why a man was wheeling large containers of beach towels around when I parked.
All along the Corniche are various beaches. The free public beach is the one I used but you can pay and get sunbeds, umbrellas and a less public beach. I'm not even sure where the ladies beach is but I'm sure there is one. The public beach has no chairs or umbrellas but does have soccer nets & volleyball courts for use so is popular with many here who don't have the money to hang out at private beaches.
Many hotels have a little beach as well. All the beaches are roped off with floatation devices so there is little chance of you getting into any trouble. I would have liked to take a photo but photos are prohibited on the beach due to the many men perving at the women. It's often difficult to remember that many of these men have never seen a woman in a state of undress so to them it's something to look at. Even in my shorts and singlet I felt half naked walking past the worksite so will probably cover up with a t-shirt tomorrow. Another reason why I walk around our podium and swim in our pool here.
The idea was to have a decent walk then a swim but it seems difficult to do both at one time so I just swam today. Tomorrow I'll try a different car park and walk down to the beach.
The following news item caught our attention earlier this week. As a medical after arrival is part of the package here we are all wondering what the test will be for this...
GCC likely to ban entry of homosexuals
Staff Report / 9 October 2013
The medical fitness test conducted for expatriates seeking jobs in the GCC countries may include a test of homosexuality, a senior official has said.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data%2Fmiddleeast%2F2013%2FOctober%2Fmiddleeast_October83.xml§ion=middleeast
All jokes aside it is easy at times to forget that we are in a country where public displays of affection can lead to serious consequences, even though the men walk around holding hands most of the time. It's difficult to fathom at times.
Well Eid is upon us again. There are two main Eid festivals, one at the end of Ramadan and the other takes place now. This one is the Festival of Sacrifice where everyone is expected to sacrifice an animal, either a goat or a sheep. Of course finding enough animals is a problem as is the price. Like all the rest of the world when supply is high the price goes up.
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/eid-hunt-for-sacrificial-animals-begins-1.1241726
For many muslims Eid means making the journey to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The following article from our National newspaper gives you a bit more insight into the journey.
The greatest journey on earth arrives at Mina
On the eighth day of Dhull-Hijja, known as the Day of Tarwiyah, pilgrims follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Mohammed and travel to Mina. Millions of pilgrims create a sea of white as they make their way by bus, car, or even foot, from Mecca to Mina, which is in the east of the city.
Some of the pilgrims travel the 10-kilometre distance through the 58 underground tunnels which are buried in the Mecca mountains. A further 400,000 travel by a newly-built electric railway.
For the journey, every man is required to wear the Ihram, the seamless two-piece white garment around the waist and torso, while the women cover everything apart from their faces and hands.
The emphasis of the Tarwiyah day, which is the first official day of Haj, is on prayer as the men and women gather in 45,000 large fire-resistant tents and spend the day and night in a state of spiritual contemplation as they prepare for the tough days ahead.
The Saudi Minister of Interior, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, said yesterday there were about 1.4 million pilgrims from outside the country who had traveled to undertake the Haj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Today the pilgrims will set off to Mount Arafat before dawn to mark the next stage of the holy journey.
Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/uae/heritage/the-greatest-journey-on-earth-arrives-at-mina#ixzz2hgaEV41u
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook
For most expats Eid means another holiday. We are lucky this year and have ended up with 9 days off work for Government employees. Non-government workers only get a three day break so we are exceptionally lucky. Most expats jump on a plane and head overseas somewhere. As I've said previously, airlines here are geared up to the expat population and many options of short breaks abound. The negative is that the holidays are only confirmed last minute so you never know how many days you'll have. Sunday off was a bonus that gave us a longer break.
For those of us who chose to stay at home the choices are endless. Dubai is gearing up for the highest number of tourists it gets and there are nightly firework displays. Here in Abu Dhabi it is quieter but there is still plenty to do.
For me it's a time to catch up on my writing (mainly my blog) and reading some books, still my all time favourite relaxation activity. I must buy a Kindle!
I decided to set myself a wee goal over Eid which is to get down to the Corniche and swim at the beach. We have the most amazing facilities here but they are underutilised by most of us. As I have two pools in my backyard I don't see the point of heading down to the beach. It's usually too hot for me anyway and there's no shade. But with the cooler weather and the fact I now have a car I decided to give it a whirl.
I did intend to catch the bus down as it's only 2 dirhams but this morning decided to drive. Now anyone who has visited will know the joy of driving in Abu Dhabi. Nothing is simple and you always need a pre-visit so you know where to go. Sounds crazy but parking is always an issue as is finding the place you want to get to.
So at 7am I set off. Once I hit the Corniche I did a u-turn, found a reasonbly empty car park and parked up. I got out, put money in the meter and got my ticket. Shouldering my backpack I headed off to cross the road to the Corniche thinking I'd walk down the walkway then swim at the free public beach. As I was leaving I read the sign and saw I was in a tow-away area before 8am. Hesitating for a few minutes I hopped back in the car and drove off, executing another u-turn to get back on the right side of the road. I'd seen a car park right at the end of the Corniche so headed for that.
Luckily it was nearly empty so I parked and walked a short distance back to the beach. I had it nearly to myself with more lifeguards and security men than swimmers. So I enjoyed the soak in the water although I must be getting acclimatised as it felt cool when I entered the water. After an hour or so I hopped out and lay down to dry off. The sun was pleasantly warm on my skin, not like NZ where I'd be burning up.
I strolled back to the car and found a uniformed doorman minding the vehicles. It seems I'd parked in the Hilton Beach Club carpark but here bluff is everything so I just jumped in and drove off. I did wonder why a man was wheeling large containers of beach towels around when I parked.
All along the Corniche are various beaches. The free public beach is the one I used but you can pay and get sunbeds, umbrellas and a less public beach. I'm not even sure where the ladies beach is but I'm sure there is one. The public beach has no chairs or umbrellas but does have soccer nets & volleyball courts for use so is popular with many here who don't have the money to hang out at private beaches.
Many hotels have a little beach as well. All the beaches are roped off with floatation devices so there is little chance of you getting into any trouble. I would have liked to take a photo but photos are prohibited on the beach due to the many men perving at the women. It's often difficult to remember that many of these men have never seen a woman in a state of undress so to them it's something to look at. Even in my shorts and singlet I felt half naked walking past the worksite so will probably cover up with a t-shirt tomorrow. Another reason why I walk around our podium and swim in our pool here.
The idea was to have a decent walk then a swim but it seems difficult to do both at one time so I just swam today. Tomorrow I'll try a different car park and walk down to the beach.
The following news item caught our attention earlier this week. As a medical after arrival is part of the package here we are all wondering what the test will be for this...
GCC likely to ban entry of homosexuals
Staff Report / 9 October 2013
The medical fitness test conducted for expatriates seeking jobs in the GCC countries may include a test of homosexuality, a senior official has said.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data%2Fmiddleeast%2F2013%2FOctober%2Fmiddleeast_October83.xml§ion=middleeast
All jokes aside it is easy at times to forget that we are in a country where public displays of affection can lead to serious consequences, even though the men walk around holding hands most of the time. It's difficult to fathom at times.
No comments:
Post a Comment