Yom-e-Istiqlal

The pride in his eyes could have moved mountains. I met Bak Munir Khan, an expatriate worker from Pakistan as he was celebrating Pakistan's independence day. Yom-e-Istiqlal (Pakistan Independence day) is celebrated on 14th August, the day on which Pakistan gained independence from British rule in 1947.

Bak Munir is employed with Sharjah Baladiya (municipality) where he attends to Sharjah's public gardens as a gardener. He was ecstatic when I complimented him on his beautifully decorated motorbike. He has placed several flags of Pakistan on the bike besides many green and white ribbons. I was surprised to find out that he had really no place to go but was only riding around Dubai on his motorbike to 'celebrate the important day'. As we spoke about his country, one could see the pride in his voice. Despite so many recent upheavals, he was hopeful of retiring and going back to a bright and prosperous Pakistan.

Here's wishing all Pakistani residents of Dubai, Happy Independence Day.

Vimto is here

Ramadan is just around the corner.

As Dubai gets ready to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, there are so many changes that announce it's imminent arrival. HR departments begin announcing shorter working hours, the retailers start screaming out Ramadan offers, food prices begin to take several columns space in newspapers, iftar tents start taking shape and good old Vimto takes centre stage!!

Vimto, a cordial of fruit juices is considered an important energy boosting accompaniment to the Iftar, the evening meal that breaks the Ramadan fast. It isn't surprising to find most supermarkets placing huge displays of Vimto at the store fronts as muslims in Dubai begin stocking up their favourite drink. Despite the high energy campaigns by the manufacturers in the past, I had not got myself to buy a bottle of the maroon drink. As I did my grocery shopping last evening, I finally got myself 2 bottles of the fine drink.

Read about the history of Vimto here

Jumeirah Mosque

Its kind of strange that after all these years in Dubai, I had never been to the famous Jumeirah Mosque. Jumeirah Mosque is extremely well known and is usually part of the normal tourist trail. I remember our relatives visitng us a few years back and being excited about seeing the Jumeirah Mosque. That we never got around to seeing it is another story.

Located along the beach road, it is one of the largest in Dubai. Jumeirah Mosque was built along medieval Fatimid lines and is today probably the most photographed mosque in Dubai. It is also the only mosque opening to non muslims. Visitors who wish to visit the mosque need to join one of the Jumeirah Mosque tours coordinated by the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding.