Bottoms Up!

I'm about to do something I may come to regret. I went to the store today and bought a drink that is a staple in the Emirates and the newest thing in U.A.E. exports: Camel Milk. I've had camel meat before in Libya, but I've never had the opportunity to try camel milk. In the U.A.E this stuff is everywhere. They have it in plain flavor, as well as in date, strawberry, and chocolate. I read in a magazine here that camel milk is apparently all the rage. Bedouins have been drinking it forever, and it is said to have many healthful properties. Camel milk is  richer in fat and protein than cow's milk and also low in lactose so people with lactose intolerance can indulge as well.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm really apprehensive to try this, but I think I owe this to my loyal readers. I'm going to bite the bullet and take a sip, just a second I'll tell you how it goes.

Okay, I'm back. That was tough. It tasted like skim milk + that smell when you go into a hot attic. I'll probably never try this again. Sorry camels of Arabia, stick to crossing deserts with no water. Maybe I'll have better luck with the gourmet camel milk chocolate.

Dubai Really is Progressive.

Today at the Mall I saw something that really showed how progressive Dubai really is. A sight that would never be seen in any other Arab country.

What you would expect to see:

What you see in Dubai:

I wonder how utilized this room really is though!

Which fork do I use?

Last night I had a really great and unique opportunity, I went to an Iftar hosted by the Consulate General of The U.S. to Dubai. Among the attendees were the Consulate General himself, Justin Siberell, with whom I sat at dinner, random members of Congress visiting the region, various media, and a selection of relatively important people (naturally I am included in this group) who work in Dubai government or institutions. The Iftar was held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai. The entrance to the ballroom had the prerequisite traditional Araby "magliss/ga3meeza" or sitting area that had coffee and dates in the middle. The ballroom itself was decorated in golds with tables having center pieces of red rose bouquets and Moroccan lamps and in front of each guest was a small gift from the Consulate; it was a post-it  note holder(you gotta love American pragmatism). Soft Arabic instrumental music played in the background as guests mingled and filled their plates of food from one of three buffets.

 I started dinner with a lentil soup, it was literally the best lentil soup I've ever had (Please don't tell my mom I said that)!! The first buffet had cold salads and dips. There were things there I've never seen. Of course there was the standard leafy green salad, hummus, and baba but there were sauteed onion dips, an anchovy dip, and garlic sauce. The second buffet was the hot buffet with two types of rice, grilled fish, buttered chicken (a DELICIOUS curried chicken in a creme sauce), egg rolls, kibba, samosa, filafil, and Kufta tajeen (ground beef patties grilled with potatoes and eggplant). It was all delicious. It is really such a shame to have so much food during Ramadan, you can't possibly try everything. The third buffet had 10 different desserts. I wish I could elaborate more for you but I didn't pay attention to it because I don't like Arabic sweets and I was stuffed.

After I plated my carefully selected items, I sat at our table with Mr. Siberell, other affluent Emiraties, and a guy who was described as being number #2 in charge of  Al Arabiya, a well known Arabic news channel that rivals Al-Jazeera. Being that he was in media and Mr. Siberell was an American government official, the conversation obviously went to discuss Park 51 in New York. I was pleasantly surprised to find Mr.Siberells rhetoric to be very logical and similar to my own. The massive disappointment came from the Al-Arabiya guy (I never figured out his name) who claimed that there was already 300 Mosques in New York and it be okay if "we let this one go." I'm not here to discuss the broader points of Park 51, but its obvious that he needs a lesson in freedom and rights; they aren't quantifiable.

Overall, the night was very enjoyable; Alhamdulilah. I'm glad I was able to attend something like this, an opportunity I would not have had stateside. I met and saw "important" people and maybe even made a few connections that may come in handy later. You know what they say, its all about who you know. In the next few days, I will be attending other Iftars that will also be interesting and beneficial. In the mean time, I need to learn how to use all that silverware properly.  Is the three prong fork for the lobster or the hors'doueuuuuvvvre?

I'm never going back.

I found an American grocery store today that had every American product conceivable. I now have zero reason to come back to America. They even had Morning Star my favorite vegertarian products! With Reeses puff cereal and Sarah Lee Pumpkin pie avaliable 8000 miles away, I'm never going back.

This is what I walked away with today, more damage to come.

lolz

I was driving behind this expensive car last night and they had a sticker in their back windshield that said "AlHamdulilah" in Arabic, underneath it had the English translation of "Thank's God." Apparently even in the land of 7 star hotels, a correct translation is hard to come by.

Sahour Tent

Tonight I went to the Jumeirah Sahour Tent. These tents are set up during Ramadan for super iftar buffets and then "sahour" which usually is 9pm-3am where you can order A la carte. Its really ironic because they advertise these tents as being  luxurious, enchanting, and boasting lavish foods, AKA the complete opposite of what Ramadan is all about. While in theory and morally I am opposed to Ramadan tents, I had to see what they were all about.

When I walked into the massive AC climate controlled tent, seating about 600, I was amazed. Inside was transformed into an Arabian palace. Moroccan lamps were EVERYWHERE. The room was glowing with purple and blue lights as well as candles. Three men, one on darbooka, one on violin, and one singing, were serenading patrons as they enjoyed their Argeela and/or their overpriced juice cocktails and Arabic fare.

While the "Jow" or atmosphere was really nice and chill, I couldn't help to think that for people to flock to these places to spend $200-$500 dollars a night instead of going to Taraweeh or using Ramadan for spiritual cleansing and growth is really disenchanting. I went there to see what was going down, but I WOULDN'T trade a Ramadan Iftar at Masjid Bilal for the best sahour tent Dubai has to offer.

If your interested to see the particular one I went to here is the link: http://www.jumeirah.com/en/Hotels-and-Resorts/Destinations/Dubai/Jumeirah-Beach-Hotel/Exclusive-Offers/Ramadan-at-Jumeirah-Beach-Hotel/Iftar-and-Suhour-at-Diwan-Al-Khayal/

You should have seen how big the cup was!

The food was "ok". We had to sneak this picture, they dont let you photograph inside!

In front of the Tent, it was lined with lamps.

The little things

You know what my favorite part about Dubai is? Forget the world's tallest building or only 7 star hotel. Forget that I can go skiing in the desert. Never mind going to a women only water park. I love LOVE that in Dubai milk tastes the same as in does in America. If you've ever spent time in Libya you know exactly why I value this. I had geared up for the same nasty boxed milk like in Libya that is ultra pasteurized. Instead they have fresh milk in vitamin D, low fat, and skimmed. As my nephew Zackariyah says "its delisheesh!" The only thing with milk here is that it spoils really fast. If you don't finish the bottle within 3-4 days, it become Laban, buttermilk. I inquired as to why, apparently they don't put as much preservative as the do in the States. I'm fine with that. As long as I can have a cold glass with their gross local dates (I'll fill you in on that later), I'm happy. In life, it isn't about the glitz and glamour. Its about the little things that count