The Arabian Excursion!!

A recent pleasure trip to the UAE accompanied by Faiz and my parents has relaxed my senses and rejuvenated my spirits to the core. The Arabian experience has left a mesmerizing effect on my mind and I am sharing here some wonderful moments spent there.

We landed at the brightly lit up Sharjah Airport at 9:30 pm on 8th Nov 2008. The moment we entered the airport premises a gush of exotic fragrances welcomed us to this mysterious land of deserts. Had heard about the perfumes of Arabia but wud be exposed to its effect so soon was unexpected. I knew that pleasant surprises were in store for rest of the ten days I was to spend in the UAE. The first surprise came in the form of an Arab officer speaking to me in crystal clear hindi, he took me through some sort of eye scan security check. Arabian women, wearing abaya and head scarves, efficiently handling the helpdesks at the custom counter broke my myth about them being "conservative n suppressed".....

Both my elder brothers and bhabhi’s alongwith the kids had come to receive us. My excitement levels were brimming with the realization of the fun we were gonna have in the next few days over this family reunion....an amazing feeling Alhumdulillah!!

We stopped to have some refreshments on the way to Al Ain from the Sharjah Airport. In the UAE, one can find ADNOC petrol pumps at regular intervals on the highways. They are unique in the sense that each such station will have a restaurant, washroom, shopping outlet and a masjid. All the roads are radar controlled and u better mind ur speed here coz it can cost u heavily if u get clicked!!!
On day one, we visited the Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain. “Jebel” is an Arabic word for “mountain”. The road leading to Jebel Hafeet was artistically lit and winding upwards like a creeper clinging to the night sky. Felt like the path led straight upto the heavens!




The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road extends for 11.7 km up the mountain, rising 4000 ft. With 21 corners and three lanes (two climbing and one descending), the immaculate road is called one of the greatest driving road in the world. The road scales the mountain and ends at a parking lot with only a hotel and a palace belonging to the country's rulers. The "Mercure Grand" hotel atop Jebel Hafeet is a hotspot for famous movie stars from Hollywood n Bollywood, who come there to relax and unwind. We drove the roads where the climax car chase of the recent movie “Race” was filmed. The view of Al Ain city from top of Jebel Hafeet was breathtaking!!

At the foothill is a place called the Green Mubazzarah. Hotsprings along with green meadows spread like a carpet are truly amazing and a major tourist attraction. We had a nice picnic there and enjoyed yummy homemade food, especially my favorite koftas.


While in the UAE, I also tried a few Lebanese and Arab delicacies like shawarmas, khaboos, and hamoos. Umm yum yum yum….muh mein paani aa raha hai na?!!!!




Our next destination was the Sheikh Zayed Masjid in Abu Dhabi. This shrine is a brilliant illustration of Islamic architecture and artistic excellence. The carpets in the prayer halls are woven with superb finesse and lovely patterns. The galleries with mirror polished marble floors have a synchronous arrangement of pillars which are adorned with gold plated leaves giving them the typical palm look! The colored stones inlaid in the marble remind u of the craftsmanship in the mughal architecture of the Tajmahal. Truly this place is worth visiting as it not only is an architectural marvel but also exudes a sense of tranquility and peace!!





Some trivia regarding the masjid (source: wikipedia)
Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the third largest mosque in the world, located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan the founder and the first President of the United Arab Emirates, who rests in peace in the mausoleum in the same campus. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority announced that tours of the mosques will be given to both Muslims and non-Muslims in order to promote cultural and religious understanding.

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque made some world records:
• The carpet laid out on the vast expanse is the "World's Largest Carpet" made by Iran's Carpet Company and designed by Iranian artist Ali Khaliqi. This carpet measures 5,627 square meters, and was made by around 1,200 weavers, 20 technicians, and 30 workers. The weight of this carpet is 47 tons — 35 tons of wool, and 12 tons of cotton. There are 2,268,000 knots within the carpet.



• This mosque also holds the largest chandelier. There are seven imported chandeliers from Germany and are copper and gold-plated. The largest chandelier has a 10 meter diameter and a 15 meter height.

Phew!!!!!! :-)

Destination next was Hatta, near Oman border where we experienced the magic of the Desert with an adventurous motor bike ride on the magnificent red sand dunes. While heading towards the desert, we were caught in a sandstorm which reduced visibility dramatically. We had to pull up in a corner until the visibility returned to normal. Luckily, the weather turned quite pleasant by the time we reached Hatta. There was this amazing safari ride available but we decided to go biking instead.It was so much fun to ride the 4-wheeler desert motor bike….I bought a small alladin style lamp as a souvenir of this land of sand dunes n mystic folklores. The ambience was perfect....straight out of an Arabian Nights Fairytale---- desert, camels and falcons, sandstorm brewing at a distance…all things together added up to my imagination n I rubbed the lamp hoping a genie wud appear and grant me a few wishes!! Alas! It was an ordinary lamp after all.

In Dubai, we visited several interesting places like the Jumeirah Beach, Burj-al-Arab Hotel, Atlantis Hotel at Palm island, Ibn Battuta Mall and the Gold Souk. I would like to make a special mention of the Ibn Battuta Mall, which is one of its kind and the world’s largest themed shopping mall. It is an absolute “must visit” spot when u r in Dubai. The mall depicts the life instances of the great arab traveler Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta also known as Shams ad - Din, born at Tangier, Morocco, on the 24th February 1304 C.E. (703 A.H.).

Each region Ibn Battuta explored – Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China – is reflected in the architecture and theme of the mall’s six courts. These courts strongly project the historical and cultural richness of this Arabian icon’s life, serving as inspiration to all those who visit.










Ibn Battuta Trivia:
Ibn Battuta started on his travels when he was 20 years old in 1325. His main reason to travel was to go on a Hajj, or a Pilgrimage to Mecca, as all good Muslims want to do. But his traveling went on for about 29 years and he covered about 75,000 miles visiting the equivalent of 44 modern countries which were then mostly under the governments of Muslim leaders of the World of Islam, or "Dar al-Islam". The accounts of his travels and excursions can be found in the famous book “Rihla”.

Click on the link below to follow Ibn Battuta on his travels from Morocco to Mecca, Turkey, India, China, and beyond. Includes many maps and modern day photos of ancient landmarks.
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/ibn_battuta/Ibn_Battuta_Rihla.html

Well, well, this trip has certainly become one my most precious memories and I shall be relishing the wonderful experiences and tales of the UAE for a long long time…..there is much more to share but may be in some other post. For now, I sign off on a note that traveling does make a person wiser and opens the windows of the mind to a world of knowledge. And I pray to Allah that I get more such opportunities to travel around the world and realize and appreciate the unbound beauty and marvels of this planet. Aameen!!

UAE Calling!!!

Writing this post while onboard Air Arabia………..my first international travel….we (mom, dad, me n faiz) are heading for a mini vacation to the UAE……our first destination will be Sharjah…..both my elder brothers, bhabhis,my darling li'l niece n nephew will be coming there to receive us…..it will be a family reunion after a long while…..ever since mom-dad left baroda and shifted to raebareli…the family has not spent much time together…. n I am totally looking fwd to this trip for reconstructing the magic of the quality family time we used to have back at our baroda home………….

By now, Faiz has become a "Pro" in international travels…….whereas, though this is my first time…i m not so flustered as he thinks I m …...but Faiz being Faiz he will not stop making me feel like the "gaav ki gori" who has walked out of jhumri talayya for the first time ever………when I went for the immigration check…..Faiz accompanied me to the counter and the officer across the desk asked us to come one at a time….. Faiz out of his immense concern for this gaav ki gori….informed the officer that he is my husband….the officer gave us a smile n teased Faiz “pakki baat hai na??....u sure?!!”……..well I m enjoying this sudden attention and protection from Faiz though it is reiterating my “jhumri talayya status” ……..

Coming back to the flight experience….the first magazine I pulled out of the front seat cover was the “inflight magazine of Air Arabia”…..n guess wat????!!!! It is called “AL NAWRAS”…..well, m feeling at home already… :-)

The flight took off one hour late due to some technical difficulties at the IGI airport, Delhi. I had not eaten a proper lunch coz of the last minute butterflies in my stomach when we started from home…..but after settling down in my comfortable window seat in the aircraft…..I suddenly realized the pang of hunger which was so far overpowered by the excitement of this trip…..well, Air Arabia does not serve complimentary dinner, so we had to buy eatables in the flight……I looked at the menu n frowned at the exorbitant prices listed there…..but Faiz "the Pro" sprung into action once again and made me understand that now during this entire trip I have to think in 'dirhams' and not rupees……n then everything started looking reasonable…..we ordered Tex Mex Chicken…which was a combo of cheese fries, BBQ wings and chicken quesadilla……it was yummy!!!!!!!!

After the sumptuous dinner……m feeling very sleepy now……..the movie playing on this flight is “Tashan”…which is boring me to death…….it wud be better to doze off rather than subject myself to the torture of this movie…….…so signing off for now…..rest about the trip in the coming posts…….keep watching this space for the UAE masala!!!

Work - Life SeeSaw!!

Working spell, working spell,
Keeps going all weekday,
Weekend slips away so fast,
Wish it cud stay one more day!!!

Forgive me for this sordid piece of poetry………but that’s how i feel about the weekends!

After a long tiring week at work, I so look fwd to relax n have fun on weekends..........I and Faiz love socializing…….n Masha Allah have a long list of friends n a longer list of relatives…….our weekends r spent socializing over dinners and luncheons. and just when I start giving time to myself…I realize that another week has started n its Monday again……a lazy Sunday spent reading a book or watching a movie or the best of it all -- spent being pampered by a nice soothing pedicure n a long refreshing bath r almost a luxury in today's lifestyle…..these indulgences seem to be on an oasis where I m never able to reach……the need to be in touch with the society n to make up for all the social touch missed during the weekdays due to workplace commitments have now made our weekends invariably occupied and full of various pending chores to b completed.

I love being a good host n feel a sense of satisfaction when I m able to attend to all my guests with a charming smile n a nicely laid table with some delicious food….infact, I love cooking and I make sure no one leaves without praising my culinary skills :-)….Faiz, says, “tum to halaq mein ungli daal kar tareef nikalwa leti ho!!!” but so be it….I love being praised!!!! Love being at the helm of the affairs in events, n love playing the most perfect host! I guess being the typical Leo that I m………my social circle is gonna keep growing n guests will keep flowing in…..dinners n luncheons are gonna b on my schedule all the time n I m never gonna leave the opportunities to be at the receiving end of all the lovely compliments for my hosting skills…….

Well, the point that i m trying to make is that most of my time goes interacting with other people, as in colleagues, relatives, friends, sabjiwala, maid, cook, etc.....but in all this where is the time for self???? the time for introspection...a few hours dedicated completely concentrating on myself.........well, that's wat i m unable to achieve....the long working hours get me so exhausted that i can hardly think of pursuing any hobby in the evenings.......early mornings......well, 7:15 is as early as i can get up n after that its one mad rush that i go thru until i retire to bed at 12-12.30 at night....probably the 24 hours in a day just flash by n there r still so many things left to do...........will I ever be able to balance this work-life seesaw??

Life travelogue…Childhood Nostalgia!!

The journey from being papa’s darling li’l angel to a multitasking career woman has been quite interesting and eventful!!…………..Many an autumn n spring have gone by until I reached the place where I am today………I guess a single post cannot do justice to this topic; hence, wud write about it in series….this one talks about “Bachpan ke suhane din”…:-)

No matter how much I achieve or establish….no matter what heights I reach……..I would still prefer being my papa’s little doll….nothing can be traded for those wonderful, carefree, joyous times spent with my parents n brothers….the pampering, the naughty pranks, the yummy toffees n candies, mid noon games, doll weddings, balloons, lots of colors n above all lots n lots of time!!!!!!!! Yeah, time is what we used to have in abundance while we were kids…playing away to glory…unaware and least bothered about the events unfolding all around the world….back then, life’s net was full of happy butterflies….. painting the wonder years of our lives with colorful hues …….

When I was in kindergarten, Papa used to take us (me n my big Bs) to the Sunday matinee movies---“Laurel-Hardy” & “Charlie Chaplin”….He was placed at Bombay High at that time….his work schedule was 15 days on shore and 15 days off shore….we used to look forward to the times when Papa wud come home……..he was my Santa Claus carrying a bag full of goodies whenever back from his trip…new toys n cute frocks with frills….dolls of my size…n many more lovely surprises…He wud tell us bed time stories which wud continue in parts for four to five nights….specially the “Sheikh Chilli Series” n the “sci-fi stories” were my favorite…Papa is a voracious reader n a wonderful narrator…..he inculcated reading habits in us right from our childhood….we had this subscription to the monthly children’s magazine called "Hilal" (which was in urdu) and Misha (which was a russian magazine for kids)…..While “Hilal” kept us rooted to our cultural background…..”Misha” introduced us to the world of astronauts n Russian folk tales……..We were regular visitors to book fairs, where Papa wud make sure that we bought enough stock until the next fair….I had Arabian Nights, Ukranian Folk Tales, Adventures of Dennis, Panchtantra Folk tales n many more….I still treasure them………In fact, all the Russian influence had instilled in me the love for spacecrafts n universe….and I wud dream of becoming an astronaut one day!!………

My love for dolls n teddy bears was not far behind……..I had many of them n had given funny names to all my soft toys….Fifi, tou-tou, tuk-tuk to name a few……..I also arranged a grand wedding for one of my "girl" dolls with my friend Naseem’s "boy" doll…..Mom had made special delicacies that day…..my elder brother obliged to be the Qazi for the "Nikah" ceremony….Mom had sown v cute li’l garara (the traditional bridal wear) for my doll….I gifted her a small cardboard house which I had prepared in my crafts class in school….I was very excited about the wedding n had invited all my friends for it……the sad part was that the doll never returned after marriage…..(Naseem u owe me this one ;-)…)

Well, I guess this post has grown out of proportion, so, more about my bachpan in the next one……..

Until Tajmahal do us part!!!

One fine December morning of 2007, when the weather was just perfect, we decided to go on a one day trip to the Taj Mahal in Agra. It’s hardly a four hour drive from Gurgaon, where we used to live then. It had been my dream ever since marriage to watch the Taj in its entire splendor in the company of my very own prince charming!! So prince charming (read Faiz) took me for this memorable long drive on his modern day chariot (read car) on a perfect morning with the most beautiful skies and the most lovely weather…..to add icing to the cake, we were accompanied by a few very close friends……Kashan with his new bride Saima, Tazim bhai with his wife Shadab and Danish (yet in search for a match). We were thoroughly enjoying our journey and teasing Danish for having the courage to visit the Taj without a partner. The excitement to reach the destination seemed to be rising as we were nearing Agra…….Once there, we could hardly wait to set our eyes on this epitome of romance!!

I had visited the Taj earlier with my parents when I was a kid….but it was the first visit for the rest of us. So, everyone waited with bated breath at the gate to enter the complex. Meanwhile, Faiz n Kashan went to get the entry tickets for all of us. The area outside was fully packed with an eager crowd. It seemed like an extra ordinary day with such a huge turn up. Soon, Faiz n Kashan returned with a long face informing us that the ticket windows had been closed for the time being and wud be opened only at 4 pm. It was hardly noon then. Apparently, some foreign VIP was on a visit to the Taj that doomed day n hence the premises had been sealed for the common man for security reasons. :-( …..Mr. VIP wud leave only after 4 pm and then the lesser mortals wud get the tickets…….for the first time in my life I cudn’t access my own cultural heritage for the sake of a firangi!!!! It was absolutely disgusting…..coming all the way from gurgaon only to have a glimpse of our dream monument and being held at its gate for hours just waiting for the entry….standing in the long queue, hoping that Mr. VIP wud leave soon.

After four long hours at the gate, getting pushed and shoved several times by the other anxious visitors in queue, the crowd had turned into a mob anxious to break into the gates of the Taj…..My fervor had died down by now and I was getting nervous with the thought of getting caught in a stampede once the gate opened. By now, we were in the middle of a huge mob, and returning back was almost impossible, the only thing we cud do was get pushed towards the entrance by the wave of hundreds of visitors. Most of them were like us, coming from far off places for a one day trip, hoping to see the Taj and return by evening. So no one was ready to leave without catching a glimpse. Me, Saima and Shadab were holding hands while following the queue for ladies (it hardly mattered which queue it was, coz all the gentlemen had become ungentle by now and all the ladies were fuming). The guys were standing some distance away from us….caught amidst the crowd. I was wishing this nightmare wud end soon and I wanted to disappear from the scene. Finally, the gate opened at 5 pm, and the crowd (it wud be unfair to call it a queue anymore…coz it was no more one) started moving. And then, the awful moment arrived, when we entered the complex…I was waiting for Faiz to come in, so that we cud set our eyes together on this dream wonder……but to my shock just when Faiz was about to enter, the Guards closed the doors announcing "house full"!!!!!!!!! It was a very very filmi situation, me on one side of the gate, Faiz on the other and I cud see the gigantic gate being closed between the two of us..... desperately looking at each other not knowing wat to do….i went numb for a moment…..it was like living the scene from the climax of the film “Devdas”….A huge gate closes between Paro and Devdas symbolizing their separation forever……I cud not believe it!!!!!!!!! I turned pale, then suddenly Saima held my hand assuring that they were all there by my side n it was only for a while that Faiz was not with us n that we wud meet him soon on the other side of the exit gate…. This one dreadful moment made me understand wat Faiz meant to me…and God forbid...........wat wud happen if we were to be separated ever in our lives??? My heart sank and tears welled up in my eyes…………….I started cursing the Tajmahal and Shahjahan for this moment…after all, wat kind of symbol of love was this that brought such a terrible moment in my life and separated me from my husband?!!! I must have been the most disgusted and heart broken visitor that day…n watching Taj without Faiz was a very painful experience. I cud understand now why Princess Diana wept when she saw this monument without Charles and how she must have felt. By now it had become a torture to stay inside; the presence of Taj and absence of Faiz was almost killing!!

All of us took a hasty walk around the monument, I had never ever looked at any historical place in such disgust as I was today…I felt as if each shining stone studded in Taj was making fun of my situation…..I cudn’t bear it any more….and was dying to leave the place at the earliest. The others obliged to my will to proceed towards the exit after spending the longest 30 minutes of my life. The moment I saw Faiz standing at the gate my face lit up a li’l bit but the signs of the painful event stayed. We returned back with a heavy heart and this trip which had started as one of the most beautiful journeys of my life had ended in a bad shape…Alas! We had this dramatic story to tell our grand children ……"Until Taj did us part"!!!!

Before the memory fades away..

Just started the blog yesterday and already feeling so good about it. Infact it's giving me a strange satisfaction....finally i m doing something apart from the monotony of work n home...it's like a breath of fresh air....so relaxing!!!

The other day while i was getting nostalgic about the past over a cup of hot tea after a tiring day at work....i realised that remembering the good old happy moments actually cheered me up and the tiredness vanished...this provoked me to write down my happy moments somewhere before my memory betrays me n i forget all those cherised times n grow old without ever realising that i have so many precious things to savor in the kitty of my life!!! So i have decided to capture all those smiles, blessings n sunshine in my posts here!

Happy reading folks! :)

Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the love of Changezi!!

No no this post is not about Changez khan............n i have no intensions of writing a eulogy / hymn about this ferocious warrior nor m i gonna talk about the skills of war and acts of bravery..............in fact this post is about the stark opposite...yeah u got it right...this post is about the CHICKEN!!! :-)

This post is a result of our recent trip to Daryaganj in the good ol' Dilli! Faiz, my husband, has a special affinity towards this place for his love of history, books and above all "FOOD"! So, when Gujjars were out there asserting their rights to reservation last Thursday, Faiz had some other agenda on his mind.....by the grace of his employer who had declared an official holiday that day in view of the Gujjar agitation, Faiz had all the time in the world since morning to think about things close to his heart (no, no not about me......coz that’s a far probability after 2.5 years of marriage ;-)) ...he read books on his favorite topic “HISTORY” through the day.........n got so charged till evening about dilli n its history that he couldn't resist his urge to satisfy the craving for some yum Mughlai food which had developed in the course of the day while reading about the Mughal rulers.....so despite my repeated efforts of making him aware of the danger lurching large on the roads of the capital due to the agitation earlier in the day....Faiz cud see no reason strong enuf to hold him back from reaching out to his fav food joint...."Al Jawahar" near Jama Masjid in Daryaganj. So off we headed to Old Delhi from our peaceful Noida apartment at 8.30 in the night…I kept on reciting dua to keep us safe from the uncalled for trouble that might be waiting for us in view of the events thru the day…. But as we progressed on the NH 24, the scene was quite normal on the roads with regular traffic n no signs of any burnt buses or tyres as hyped by the media….pro’lly the gujjars had decided to adopt “Gandhigiri” this time n had gone for a peaceful mode of protest…..Faiz cudn’t help but giggle all the while he was driving…..making fun of my fears and my out of proportion worries regarding our safety….he went ahead to tell me that the after a long day of protest the Gujjars might even hit the streets of old delhi to give us company in enjoying some of its delicious mouthwatering food!!! …..Well, we reached there “unhurt n safe” :-) after a cool long drive! But had to wait another fifteen minutes for a vacant table at the crowded "Al Jawahar"….ppl throng this joint… be it weekday or weekend........u always have to wait for a table here….but all the pain is worth once the heavenly food drenches ur taste buds!!! We finally got a table n then we ordered some yum chicken changezi, chicken afghani and mutton biryani……. we had the sumptuous chicken to our hearts’ content.....i was not much of a non vegetarian before marriage but after spending so much time with this "crazy fan of chicken changezi" - that my hubby is….I developed a taste for the exotic mughlai cuisine…..specially the CHICKEN CHANGEZI!!

New comer!!!!!!!!!!

It took me days to get started with my blog.......but finally here i am entering the realms of blogging....tempted to explore this amazing world of expressions!!!! where i can let my thoughts float into the cyber space and give wings to my feelings through words!!!!!!!!!!!!!