Armani Junior - Fashion Fun Fair

It is not often that I get invited for any event. So when I received an invitation to attend the Armani Junior Fashion Fun Fair with the kids, I was quick to reschedule other plans and head down to Burj Khalifa. 

The guys at Armani Junior had organised a fun fair for their young customers which included models walking down the ramp. The event was well organised with the organizers having taken care of everything for the kids. There were several counters handing out pop corn, ice cream and candy floss. There were clowns keeping the kids entertained while a magician kept them spellbound for part of the evening. Kids could get creative by painting mugs while some of them made necklaces and bracelets from beads. 

The highlight of the evening was of course the fashion show where the new collection of clothes from Armani Junior was on show.  

Neighbourhoods - Al Barsha

Neighbourhoods - Victory Heights

Located within the Dubai Sports City area, Victory Heights is a unique villa community set in and around the Ernie Els golf course. It is located off Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed road (old Emirates road) Road adjacent to Dubai's cricket stadium. 

Covering 25 million sq.ft of land, this premium community comprises of 961 villas and townhouses. The community is made up of 8 areas or villages; Estella, Carmen, Esmeralda, Novelia, Oliva, Calida, Morella and Fortuna

An open letter to Benihana

Dear Benihana,

I am writing to you to lodge my strong protest against the recent lawsuit that you have brought against Mark, a Kuwait based blogger. I understand that you are now suing Mark for his blog post about his recent visit to your restaurant in Kuwait. In case you are not sure which specific post I am referring to, I have provided the link HERE

I have tried to contact you earlier via the contact link at your website http://www.benihanagroup.com/. However, after waiting for several days, I realise that you have chosen to not respond to me. Hence I am posting an open letter to you hoping that you will read it and reply to me when you feel it is time to.

Please note that I have no opinion about the food you serve and at this point I really don't care. However, I find the recent legal action that you have taken is an attack on ordinary customers (current and potential) like me. I am shocked to note that you have chosen to sue a customer over what appeared to be a fair and balanced review. 

I am absolutely disappointed to note the legal action that you have taken and will be advising my friends across the world to refrain from patronising your restaurant. I am even more disappointed that you have chosen not to respond to my message sent to you via your website. 

My initial reaction was of shock. I was made to believe that the legal action was probably just a local action by the franchisee. However, your silence on the subject over the last few days suggest that you may be in fact a partner in the decision to sue the blogger. 

Please let me know your stand on the subject. I look forward to your response. Nothing short of dropping the legal action, sacking the GM and apologizing to Mark will satisfy your fans across the world.

In case you have not seen the comments from other bloggers in the Middle East, I have  provided links to only a few of them for your review.

Mita UAE

Fake Plastic Souks

Life in Dubai

My custard pie

Partha Srinivasan

Middle Eastern Poles

The Blog

GCC and UAE Finance and Investment News

Lhjunkie is a Dorkus maximus

Movies, Pizza, Middle East and Entrepreneurship
Half Eaten Man2ouche


amazingwomenrock.com

Update 15th Feb, 2011


I have received the following response from Benihana of Tokyo:

Benihana of Tokyo, Inc. is aware that a law suit has been filed by its franchisee in Kuwait, the Las Palmas Restaurant Company, against a popular local blogger. 

Since we have not read nor received a copy of the law suit, it would be inappropriate for us to make a comment at this time.  Until we can review all the facts, there is no way for us to know if the reported legal action has merit.

Nevertheless, the Benihana organization takes pride in the quality of its food and the showmanship of its renowned chefs.   We have been in business since 1964 and have become the largest Japanese themed restaurant chain in the world.  All feedback – both positive and negative are taken very seriously.

The Benihana in Kuwait is the newest restaurant in the chain.  It has been opened a little over a month.  

Mosque in Satwa

I happened to go down to Satwa this morning for some silly errand when I spotted this simply majestic mosque. The building is a recent one having been constructed a few years ago. But the sheer size of the mosque gives it a majestic feel as compared to some of the other buildings around.

Satwa is an enchanting neighbourhood of Dubai. Every time I drive to Satwa, I feel joy. The place reminds me of what most of Dubai used to be many years ago. It's many cramped up shops offer great value for money. A popular spot in Satwa is Al Dhiyafa Road which is home to a whole range of affordable restaurants in Dubai.

If you liked this post, you may also like this one.

Visit other mosques in Dubai by clicking here

O Benihana... why?

During our recent trip to Tokyo, our first session included a 2 hour introduction to the Japanese way of life.  Unlike other cities in the world, knowledge of the local way of life and value system is extremely important. Besides being taught a few common terms and sentences in Japanese, the most important part was the introduction to the Japanese concept of Wa. The concept of Harmony.

While the name Benihana of Tokyo has a Japanese connection and the restaurant serves Japanese food, the guys at Benihana have probably never heard of this Japanese concept.

So it was a shock to me to read that the local franchisee of Benihana of Tokyo has filed suit against Mark, a Kuwait based blogger. Mark has written a pretty much ordinary post about his experience at the newly opened Benihana restaurant in Kuwait City. What seemed to me a fair assessment of the restaurant by the blogger appears to have upset the restaurant owners to the extent of filing a claim for compensation. Sued for saying he didn't like the place? Sued for giving such important feedback? In this modern day world of the internet, what a PR fiasco it is turning out to be!!!

Personally, I will be asking my friends in Kuwait to boycott the restaurant until the local restaurant comes out with a clear public apology for this attack on the general public. This legal suit is not just an attack on the blogger but on the entire community.

Click here to reach Mark's blog.

O Benihana. Why? Why did you do it?

If you'd like to contact Benihana of Tokyo, please click here

Festival Marina

We had a lovely lunch at one of the restaurants at the Festival City marina. Part of Dubai Festival City, the marina offers a range of restaurants, cafes and bistros along the banks of the creek, all overlooking the basin. Set in a typical mediterranean style, it is a beautiful experience to set yourself up at one of the restaurants and watch the gulls glide over the luxurious yachts.


Tweet

Another view - Same building

This is probably one of the most photographed building this year. I have covered the Burj Khalifa earlier at this blog.


It is a surreal experience when one stands at the foot of the building and looks up at the top. It's a special feeling as you feel the sheer size of the structure as it tapers into the sky. Every other building in the vicinity dwarfs in comparison to this amazing structure.


Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world! :-)


The Burj Khalifa stands tall at 828 m (2717 ft) and is part of the flagship development called 'Downtown Dubai'. Construction of the the tower began in Sept 2004 and the building was officially inaugurated on 4th Jan, 2010.

Safa Park

The Eid Al Adha holidays are just about to end today as we headed out to Safa park for some fun. The entire family spent the day at Safa Park. We had packed a nice lunch for all of us (had an overdose of BBQ over the last few days) along with beach toys for the kids.

Safa Park was build in 1975 and lies along the Sheikh Zayed Road south of Burj Khalifa. The area was apparently used by illegal immigrant labor who lived in makeshift homes until the area was converted into a park. This park has something unique, a ladies only exclusive section where ladies can relax in privacy.  

Directions to the Hindu temple in Dubai

There is an old post somewhere in this blog that talks about the Hindu temple in Dubai. Since then I have been getting e-mail requests for directions to the temple! So why not a new post with directions to the temple.


Head down to Burjuman. This is one of the big popular malls in the country. You could either take a taxi or use the metro to get off at Khalid Bin Waleed Station. From there head down Khalid Bin Waleed street (popularly known as computer street). As you walk past the computer stores, turn right at Apsara supermarket. Continue to walk towards the creek as you head in the direction of Dubai Museum. Right next to the museum is the Hindu Temple. 


Hopefully I will post an easy to use direction map as part of this post.

Karama Market

A comment by Abu Dhabi Daily Photograph got me to go back to Karama to visit the Karama market. It's apparently a very infamous market, known for it's fake branded goods. You can get it all. From Omega watches to Cross pens and from Man U shirts to Gucci shoes. All for a fraction of the cost. 

Some of the things I bargained for (but didn't buy) are a Breitling watch for AED 250/- and a Cross pen for AED 49/-. Remember to look out for the shady salesman who will approach you to show you the éxclusive' stuff.

Karama

Nestled in the heart of Dubai is Karama, a bustling and popular residential area of the city. Karama is characterised by old and low rise buildings cluttered with satellite TV dishes and a web of wires and cables criss crossing from one building to another. 

Karama is full of Indian eateries with almost every well known restaurant chain in India having set up shop. The dominance of the Indian community is evident if you make a trip one of these days in the evenings. The evening brings out colored light steamers and lanterns across the balconies of the residents as the community celebrates Diwali, the festival of lights. 

Foggy in Dubai

Difficult driving conditions this morning with heavy fog everywhere!!!!! The bright side of course is that the weather is changing and its time to bring out the camping gear. :-)

Souq Al Bahar

Located at the foot of the famous Burj Khalifa, Souq Al Bahar is a charming blend of traditional souq architecture and modern facilities that one associates with shopping malls. Its wide dimly lit corridors and high arches coupled with its cultural theme make Souq Al Bahar a unique experience. 

Surprisingly and after all these years in Dubai, I have not had the opportunity to visit the souq. It was only the other day when we went out to watch the Dubai Fountain, that I had a chance to walk around its colorful shops. Souq Al Bahar is also home to a very interesting collection of casual and fine dining restaurants placed alongside the waterfront promenade. 

Al Ain Zoo

Located at the foot of the Jebel Hafeet mountains, Al Ain Zoo is only a couple of hours away from Dubai. It is probably the better laid out of the several zoos in UAE. 

We spent the entire day over the weekend at the Zoo. The star attraction at the zoo is the almost extinct White Lion. Apparently there are only about 200 white lions left across the world. Given the time of the year, you should take advantage of the mini train that takes you around the entire zoo. Else it can get very hot and tiring as you try to cover the vast area that makes up for Al Ain zoo. 

Little India

Often referred to as Little India, Bur Dubai is a colorful mix of residences and retail outlets. As a friend once put it, except for the signs in Arabic, one could well mistake Bur Dubai for a suburb of Mumbai. As one walks around Bur Dubai, one cannot help but notice the dominance of the Indian community. Most of the shops are run by traders from the Indian sub continent and this is an important shopping destination for the Indian community. Narrow lanes lined with Indian clothes and jewelery shops coupled with  jostling Indian customers haggling for a bargain make Bur Dubai a beautiful mosaic of colors.

The only Hindu temple in Dubai is located in the Bur Dubai area. Read about the Hindu Temple in Dubai by clicking here

Souq Madinat Jumeirah

Designed on the lines of a traditional arabian souk, Souk Madinat Jumeirah is a unique shopping experience. The high wooden arches,  stone floor and meandering lanes  provide a true souq like experience. The souq is located adjacent to the Madinat Jumeirah hotel.

Read about Bur Dubai souq here

Mirdiff City Centre Mall

Dubai's newest mall Mirdif City Centre opened 2 weeks ago. Here are a few pictures of yet another glitzy addition to a list of malls that has made Dubai famous.

A different Dubai

If you had to ask people to draw a picture of Dubai, most of them will probably visualise one of these two. Most would think of Dubai as a city full of tall skyscrapers, glitzy malls and expensive cars. A few may think of Dubai as a desert full of sand dunes, camels and bedouins smoking sheesha.

The picture above is one that most would not associate with Dubai. I hadn't seen so much of natural greenery in Dubai before so was pleasantly surprised. This was shot in Margham where most of the desert safari companies do the dune bashing. Right across the desert where the 4x4s take on the dunes, is this beautiful patch of greenery. There are several farmhouses here and you can have a fantastic peek into the daily routine of the local farming population.  

Where is Sammy?

The Atlantis said Thursday that it has released Sammy, the 13 ft whale shark back into the Gulf waters. It says that the whale shark is tagged but did not say when it was released. Read the AP story here

For a hotel that is known to be as media savvy as the Atlantis is, it is kind of strange that there is no evidence of Sammy's release. Not a single burst of fireworks, not a single star in sight, not even local journalists were invited to witness the release. Not even a marine scientist to facilitate the release and witness the event.

Top News has quoted Dr Robert Hueter, Director of the Centre for Shark Research Mote Marine Laboratory as saying that " the shark was in good condition upon release and there was no impact over its growth rate in aquarium"

Sammy had attracted a lot of attention from the local population. Hence to note that the whale was released in such a quiet manner seems very odd. Very fishy. 

May be we are getting a little too nervous without reason. May be The Atlantis will provide more details soon?

Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum 2

The post is a continuation of the last one on Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum in Al Ain. Pictured below is a replica of the Land Rover that the former President used to travel across the emirate to meet with his people. Another interesting picture is the one of the kitchen utensil. The utensils that were used were so huge that a step was included so that the cook could climb up and stir the food!