Dubai's Angels

In a city that is known more for its glitz and glamour, nothing beats the experience of seeing the more humane side of the city. It is Dubai's blessing to have an angel in the form of Roshni Raimalwala and her band of happy volunteers who go out each Friday doing small deeds full of goodness for the city's under privileged. 

Roshni is part of a beautiful concept build around social service. Roshni and her group of volunteers visit various parts of Dubai and distribute food and groceries to the not so lucky. They spend a lot of time during the week collecting material for donors. This includes donations in kind like sugar, rice, tea bags, soap, toothpaste etc. These are then put together in packets by the volunteers and distributed each week.

At times it is easy to get blinded by the success of Dubai. Dubai is home to the rich and famous. And yet behind all the glitz, Dubai is also home to many poor residents who work hard to keep the city in shape. These mostly include workers from Asian countries like India, Pakistan and Philippines. Roshni and her volunteers visit these workers from time to time and support them with free food and groceries. Even though the labourers are taken care of by their employers and earn a salary, a hot pipping biryani and supply of essential groceries goes a long way in making life easier.

The picture below shows one such activity that was conducted recently. I know that many of the volunteers and Roshni herself may not be happy with publicity and are happy to stay away from the limelight. But such beautiful acts of kindness deserve every bit of support. 

If you'd like to support this concept, you can get in touch with Roshni at +971 50 8585903.  I did and I hope to support this project as much as possible. 

How genuine are Dubai's online deals?

Its the next big thing in town. Everyone is talking about the big discount websites where everything appears to be flying off the virtual shelves. 

I have subscribed to a few of these sites Souq, Gonabit, Groupon, Cobone etc but I must confess I am yet to make a purchase till date. Nonetheless what freaks me out are a few recent offers that I received which appear to be absolute cons. At least that is the way they appear given that these are supposed to be 'offers' and not regular purchases form any online shop. So what exactly is the value proposition that these sites bring to the table. 

Here are screen shots of a few that I received in my mailbox. 

To any other person, these may appear like fantastic deals. But not to me!!! The new Blackberry 9860 at AED 1,999/-??????????? The model has been selling at AED 1,999/- at most well known retailers since the day this product was launched. Souq.com in fact shows the old price at AED 2,700/- and the deal price at AED 2,049/-. So made a few calls to some of my friends at Axiom Telecom only to confirm that the product was available at Axiom Telecom on the same day at AED 1,999/-!

So are our online deal sites in fact misleading the public? Are these really deals or an attempt to cheat the gullible customer?  So what exactly is the reference point to benchmark the 'old' price? Is this the price at some odd retail outlet in some corner of Deira or is this the lowest/highest price at an established retailer? Or should this be the recommended retail price set by the manufacturer?

I am not sure if the onus lies with the respective online site? Or should this be the responsibility of the respective seller who uses the services of sites like Souq, Cobone or Groupon? Ultimately and irrespective of the legal interpretation, should the online sites be accountable for the offers being made by a third party? In the case of the offer shown above, it appears that the offer on Souq.com itself is made by a seller named Daily Deals and may not be a promise from Souq.  

I am yet to take advantage of any of the online deals so far and based on this case, I may be one of the many who will remain suspicious of the deals that pop into the mailbox.

A Kawha experience

Arabic coffeee or Kawha is a very important part of local hospitality. One of the many things you will experience during a visit to the local family is Kawha. In fact it is considered an insult to the host if you refuse the first round of coffee. Remember that you continue to get refills of Kawha until you signal that you have had enough. And the only way to do this is a slight shake of the cup. I remember my uncle once telling us about his experience in the 70's when he ended up have several cups of coffee as he had not yet understood the system!

Hierarchy is an important part of life here and this can be seen in the way coffee is served. The first person to be served is usually the most important person in the room. Age takes precedence over rank and hence the older people in the room are usually served first.

Cleaning Burj Khalifa

It is the tallest building in the world. And most people I have met are excited to go up to the top floors for a majestic view of Dubai.


So would the guys who clean the building share the same excitement? 


I happened to visit the Burj Khalifa a few days back and noticed the cleaning crew at their job. Imagine being suspended several hundred feet about ground? I am sure it must be one hell of a scary job. But for these men, its just another day on the job.

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.


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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