It is one month since my mother, my wife and I visited Dubai. This time, we had a purpose: it was my niece's first Bharatnatyam dance recital (called "arangetram"). Along with that, we did roam around Dubai. Apart from us, my sister-in-law's sister, her daughter, my maternal uncle and my mother's sister also joined us. My brother's house in Dubai was full !
The blog is delayed since I caught a fever that tired me out for a couple of weeks. I still have dry cough, but I am almost normal now.
Note: Like the previous paragraph indicates, I avoid names and photos with people in my blog.
I shall first talk about my niece's arangetram and then about Dubai.
I had not imagined that the preparations for the arangetram were that complicated. My brother and sister-in-law arranged for gifts for the artists who supported my niece ; organized the backdrop of flowers on the stage ; arranged for the curtains that made up the backdrop on the stage and set up the logistics, including planning to take all of us visitors to the school auditorium where the recital was conducted ! Apart from the family, close friends of the family also supported them in a big way. One lady took on the responsibility of the master of ceremonies ; another family picked us up in batches.
My sister-in-law, her sister, my wife and I helped to pack laddoos into covers. This was about the only useful contribution that I made, apart from moving articles from the car to the auditorium where the arangetram was conducted. All of us arranged 300 chairs in the school auditorium, stacking alternate rows of chairs between the chairs of the row in front so that everybody had a clear sight of the stage. It took us nearly an hour to get the chairs set up.
It wasn't all smooth sailing, of course. Personally, I forgot to convert Indian currency to U.A.E dirhams in time. I find that an incredibly foolish mistake now. On the night of the arangetram, my sister-in-law noticed that my niece's costume was incomplete. She got the dress from home well in time, eventually. Finally, when the curtains had to be drawn for the recital to begin, they simply wouldn't part. It took one of the helpers to deftly get the curtain ring to move and the curtains to part so that the dance could begin.
My brother requested my mother to light the ceremonial lamp at the beginning of the recital. My mother was unwell a few days before we traveled. So, after watching my niece's dance, she was not just satisfied but felt admiration and pride at what her grand daughter had achieved. Another lady who was justifiably proud was my niece's teacher who supervised her rehearsals and preparation and ensured that my niece was ready for the arangetram.
Once the recital began, it was captivating. I am virtually an illiterate when it comes to dance and Bharatanatyam, but her performance was enjoyable. I did not realize how the 2.5 hours passed. Bharatanatyam stands for "Bhaava", "Raaga" and "Taala", i.e. emotion, music (translated loosely) and beat (again, translated loosely) respectively. The websites http://ccrtindia.gov.in/bharatanatyam.php and http://www.nrityagram.org/expression/bnatyam/bnatyam.htm provide information about the dance form.
The usual emotions associated with the recital are dedication and an earnest seriousness. Considering the hours of practice that went into the recital, my niece certainly showed her dedication and commitment. Combined with that was also a sense of playfulness and fun that she brought to the recital. I suppose I am biased, but just watching her move around the stage and the energy that she exhibited made me feel that I was watching a practiced dancer and not a debutante !
She also had the strength and energy to introduce a few of the pieces herself. I was amazed at how fresh she was even after her performance. It is her swimming and active lifestyle that enabled her to finish a memorable debut dance performance. To me even standing for 2 hours would have been like a test of my stamina. To my niece, performing the dance for 2.5 hours was probably akin to a sports event. The only sign of the toll that the dance performance took on her was that her breathing was heavier than usual ! In all, her poise and confidence were admirable. The exuberance that she conveyed in the recital is something that will stay in my memories.
Now I come to Dubai. This was my third visit to Dubai. My initial impressions of the city are available at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/2003_06_22_archive.html. In 2007, my wife and I visited Dubai. My views of Dubai then are available in http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/2007_12_30_archive.html. A lot of those impressions continue to be valid. I feel that my blog in 2003 in particular conveys what I have admired in the city. The 2007 blog describes Hatta and the dune bashing experience.
There is always some hype going on in Dubai. In 2007, it was the Burj-al-arab. This time, it was Expo 2020. Our e-tickets had a logo of Expo 2020. I wondered what Expo 2020. When we landed in Dubai, it got worse. It felt like almost every other building (and certainly all government buildings !) had a poster or hoarding about Expo 2020.
"Just what is Expo 2020?" was the question in my mind. My brother explained as we drove to his from Terminal 3 of the Dubai airport: The World Expo (or Exposition) is a grand exhibition that goes on for 6 months. Shanghai hosted the Expo in 2010 and Milan shall be hosting it in 2015. The web page http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/expos/introduction-to-expos/world-expos has more information.
The week we were in Dubai, the winner was to be announced. There were 4 cities, including Dubai, Sao Paulo in Brazil, the Russian city of Ekaterinburg and the Turkish city of Izmir that were contesting for the Expo.
As it turned out, Dubai won the election and immediately there were celebrations. A holiday was declared along with the U.A.E. National Day. The atmosphere became festive. It is expected that Expo 2020 will draw 25 million visitors ! All the newspapers had several one page ads with companies and sponsors congratulating Dubai and the UAE government.
There is a downside to Expo 2020 : prices are expected to increase, including rents of houses. The positive side is that a lot of construction is expected and there will be a lot of opportunities.
My maternal uncle, my maternal aunt, my wife and I saw Burj Khalifa from outside. In the morning, we went for an abra cruise, which is a traditional boat that ferries people on Dubai creek. We roamed around the gold souk and then came back to show my aunt the Dubai museum. We enjoyed a cup of excellent masala chai just outside the museum.
After a sumptuous lunch at Puran Mal, we went in a Dubai metro. A curious fact is that I have traveled in the Dubai metro now and also the Delhi metro, but I have not traveled in the Bengaluru metro yet ! The metro service in Dubai is a convenient way to travel. There are no drivers and in the afternoon, it was rather crowded with people standing, returning from work.
We walked from the metro station to the Dubai using the moving walkway (travelator). I took a photo of the Burj Khalifa on the way, available here.
It is located beside the Dubai Mall. The Dubai Mall is a sprawling mall. http://www.thedubaimall.com/en/Index.aspx has more information. There is a huge aquarium inside the mall. We watched it from outside since we wanted to see the famous musical fountains outside the mall. There is a waterfall inside the mall seen below, with an installation art (I think !) of few divers appearing to dive.
We stepped to the fountain, somewhat tired. What strikes one is the sheer size of the Burj Khalifa that forms a background to the fountains, which are located on a man made pond (or lake). I tried to get all of Burj Khalifa in at first shot, but that was an exercise in futility. I stepped back and back and must have walked a couple of hundred meters before I could fit most of Burj Khalifa in my Sony Cybershot !
At around 6 p.m. sharp, the musical fountains began. The music was Arabic and the swaying fountains were nicely synchronized with the music. The lighting in Dubai Mall and also the adjoining hotel called The Address is captivating as seen in the photos below. As the music reached a crescendo, the water fountains soared high, almost up to the third level of the Burj Khalifa. It was a spectacular sight. The musical fountain lasted around 15 minutes which seemed short after it ended, but it was a joy to watch while in progress.
My wife's cousin is also based in Dubai. His wife and daughter hosted us for a night. They stay in an apartment complex that is next to a man made lake. When my wife, her maternal aunt and I went for a walk around the lake in the morning, it was a pleasant surprise to see white cranes and other birds around the lake ! The greenery surrounding the lake made it difficult to believe that this had been a desert a few years ago.
This transformation is at the heart of Dubai. In 2007, when I had last visited, the hype was about Burj-al-Arab, the iconic sail shaped hotel. There was talk that the world's tallest building would be coming up, which is the Burj-Khalifa. This time, the hype was about Expo 2020. I expect that another transformation has begun, culminating in Expo 2020. I think Dubai's equivalent of Disneyland, called Dubailand will be ready by 2020.
My wife's cousin took us to a mall. In it, he pointed out a humongous vehicle. Normally, the wheels of cars and SUVs come up to my knee, since I am around 185 cm (6' 2") tall. The wheel of this vehicle came alomst to my waist ! It was a Nissan Patrol. If I have to describe it in one word, that word would be : "HUGE" ! When we went to the school auditorium for my niece's dance, my brother's friend drove us there in his Nissan Patrol. The car is described at http://www.nissan-dubai.com/en/web/models/PATROL/Performance/121265.htm. I remembered my wife's cousin as we went along in the car !
My mother also visited my wife's cousin. He took us to Jumeirah and showed us the Atlantis Hotel. This is another landmark. For a stretch, we were under water. The Atlantis is located on The Palm, the iconic resort which is built on a reclaimed island.
My wife's cousin's wife and my wife shopped for gold in the gold souk. We also purchased dry fruit and chocolate. She had warned us to bargain hard. Between my wife and her and their Hindi knowledge, they drove a hard bargain. Our luggage was rather bloated after this shopping spree !
My wife's maternal aunt (her cousin's mother) had booked a ticket back to Bengaluru a day after I had booked our return. My wife had decided to accompany her aunt. She spent the extra day with her aunt and cousin's family, thoroughly enjoying the drive and shopping.
Finally, it was time to head back. Apart from the Dubai skyline with the iconic Burj Khalifa and my niece's dance recital, what will linger in my memories are the greenery around my brother's house ; the sound of birds chirping in the mornings, an unexpected pleasure that is missing in the noise of Bengaluru (alas !) ; the sound of the clear peals of the wind chime in the entrance of my brother's house ; the unexpected and pleasing greenery ; the colourful flowers blooming in winter (I remembered my father and the way he enjoyed the flowers) and the way the birds flitted among the flowers, as we walked to the supermarket near my brother's house. A few photos are embedded here to recall those memories !
Again, it is curious how my wife and I drew parallels to the supermarket near our house in Bengaluru ! I guess our mind searches for parallels and analogies. Even when we roamed in the gold souk, we remarked that this was a bit like the Bengaluru equivalent of Chikpete !
I feel that what is remarkable is the transformation of the city. It is fascinating to see how a determined ruler can re-invigorate a city.
In the airport, I purchased baklava, a Turkish delicacy. At home, it is the baklava and the dry fruits that bring back memories of our Dubai trip - and of my niece's first dance recital.
The blog is delayed since I caught a fever that tired me out for a couple of weeks. I still have dry cough, but I am almost normal now.
Note: Like the previous paragraph indicates, I avoid names and photos with people in my blog.
I shall first talk about my niece's arangetram and then about Dubai.
I had not imagined that the preparations for the arangetram were that complicated. My brother and sister-in-law arranged for gifts for the artists who supported my niece ; organized the backdrop of flowers on the stage ; arranged for the curtains that made up the backdrop on the stage and set up the logistics, including planning to take all of us visitors to the school auditorium where the recital was conducted ! Apart from the family, close friends of the family also supported them in a big way. One lady took on the responsibility of the master of ceremonies ; another family picked us up in batches.
My sister-in-law, her sister, my wife and I helped to pack laddoos into covers. This was about the only useful contribution that I made, apart from moving articles from the car to the auditorium where the arangetram was conducted. All of us arranged 300 chairs in the school auditorium, stacking alternate rows of chairs between the chairs of the row in front so that everybody had a clear sight of the stage. It took us nearly an hour to get the chairs set up.
It wasn't all smooth sailing, of course. Personally, I forgot to convert Indian currency to U.A.E dirhams in time. I find that an incredibly foolish mistake now. On the night of the arangetram, my sister-in-law noticed that my niece's costume was incomplete. She got the dress from home well in time, eventually. Finally, when the curtains had to be drawn for the recital to begin, they simply wouldn't part. It took one of the helpers to deftly get the curtain ring to move and the curtains to part so that the dance could begin.
My brother requested my mother to light the ceremonial lamp at the beginning of the recital. My mother was unwell a few days before we traveled. So, after watching my niece's dance, she was not just satisfied but felt admiration and pride at what her grand daughter had achieved. Another lady who was justifiably proud was my niece's teacher who supervised her rehearsals and preparation and ensured that my niece was ready for the arangetram.
Once the recital began, it was captivating. I am virtually an illiterate when it comes to dance and Bharatanatyam, but her performance was enjoyable. I did not realize how the 2.5 hours passed. Bharatanatyam stands for "Bhaava", "Raaga" and "Taala", i.e. emotion, music (translated loosely) and beat (again, translated loosely) respectively. The websites http://ccrtindia.gov.in/bharatanatyam.php and http://www.nrityagram.org/expression/bnatyam/bnatyam.htm provide information about the dance form.
The usual emotions associated with the recital are dedication and an earnest seriousness. Considering the hours of practice that went into the recital, my niece certainly showed her dedication and commitment. Combined with that was also a sense of playfulness and fun that she brought to the recital. I suppose I am biased, but just watching her move around the stage and the energy that she exhibited made me feel that I was watching a practiced dancer and not a debutante !
She also had the strength and energy to introduce a few of the pieces herself. I was amazed at how fresh she was even after her performance. It is her swimming and active lifestyle that enabled her to finish a memorable debut dance performance. To me even standing for 2 hours would have been like a test of my stamina. To my niece, performing the dance for 2.5 hours was probably akin to a sports event. The only sign of the toll that the dance performance took on her was that her breathing was heavier than usual ! In all, her poise and confidence were admirable. The exuberance that she conveyed in the recital is something that will stay in my memories.
Now I come to Dubai. This was my third visit to Dubai. My initial impressions of the city are available at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/2003_06_22_archive.html. In 2007, my wife and I visited Dubai. My views of Dubai then are available in http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/2007_12_30_archive.html. A lot of those impressions continue to be valid. I feel that my blog in 2003 in particular conveys what I have admired in the city. The 2007 blog describes Hatta and the dune bashing experience.
There is always some hype going on in Dubai. In 2007, it was the Burj-al-arab. This time, it was Expo 2020. Our e-tickets had a logo of Expo 2020. I wondered what Expo 2020. When we landed in Dubai, it got worse. It felt like almost every other building (and certainly all government buildings !) had a poster or hoarding about Expo 2020.
"Just what is Expo 2020?" was the question in my mind. My brother explained as we drove to his from Terminal 3 of the Dubai airport: The World Expo (or Exposition) is a grand exhibition that goes on for 6 months. Shanghai hosted the Expo in 2010 and Milan shall be hosting it in 2015. The web page http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/expos/introduction-to-expos/world-expos has more information.
The week we were in Dubai, the winner was to be announced. There were 4 cities, including Dubai, Sao Paulo in Brazil, the Russian city of Ekaterinburg and the Turkish city of Izmir that were contesting for the Expo.
As it turned out, Dubai won the election and immediately there were celebrations. A holiday was declared along with the U.A.E. National Day. The atmosphere became festive. It is expected that Expo 2020 will draw 25 million visitors ! All the newspapers had several one page ads with companies and sponsors congratulating Dubai and the UAE government.
There is a downside to Expo 2020 : prices are expected to increase, including rents of houses. The positive side is that a lot of construction is expected and there will be a lot of opportunities.
My maternal uncle, my maternal aunt, my wife and I saw Burj Khalifa from outside. In the morning, we went for an abra cruise, which is a traditional boat that ferries people on Dubai creek. We roamed around the gold souk and then came back to show my aunt the Dubai museum. We enjoyed a cup of excellent masala chai just outside the museum.
After a sumptuous lunch at Puran Mal, we went in a Dubai metro. A curious fact is that I have traveled in the Dubai metro now and also the Delhi metro, but I have not traveled in the Bengaluru metro yet ! The metro service in Dubai is a convenient way to travel. There are no drivers and in the afternoon, it was rather crowded with people standing, returning from work.
We walked from the metro station to the Dubai using the moving walkway (travelator). I took a photo of the Burj Khalifa on the way, available here.
It is located beside the Dubai Mall. The Dubai Mall is a sprawling mall. http://www.thedubaimall.com/en/Index.aspx has more information. There is a huge aquarium inside the mall. We watched it from outside since we wanted to see the famous musical fountains outside the mall. There is a waterfall inside the mall seen below, with an installation art (I think !) of few divers appearing to dive.
We stepped to the fountain, somewhat tired. What strikes one is the sheer size of the Burj Khalifa that forms a background to the fountains, which are located on a man made pond (or lake). I tried to get all of Burj Khalifa in at first shot, but that was an exercise in futility. I stepped back and back and must have walked a couple of hundred meters before I could fit most of Burj Khalifa in my Sony Cybershot !
At around 6 p.m. sharp, the musical fountains began. The music was Arabic and the swaying fountains were nicely synchronized with the music. The lighting in Dubai Mall and also the adjoining hotel called The Address is captivating as seen in the photos below. As the music reached a crescendo, the water fountains soared high, almost up to the third level of the Burj Khalifa. It was a spectacular sight. The musical fountain lasted around 15 minutes which seemed short after it ended, but it was a joy to watch while in progress.
My wife's cousin is also based in Dubai. His wife and daughter hosted us for a night. They stay in an apartment complex that is next to a man made lake. When my wife, her maternal aunt and I went for a walk around the lake in the morning, it was a pleasant surprise to see white cranes and other birds around the lake ! The greenery surrounding the lake made it difficult to believe that this had been a desert a few years ago.
This transformation is at the heart of Dubai. In 2007, when I had last visited, the hype was about Burj-al-Arab, the iconic sail shaped hotel. There was talk that the world's tallest building would be coming up, which is the Burj-Khalifa. This time, the hype was about Expo 2020. I expect that another transformation has begun, culminating in Expo 2020. I think Dubai's equivalent of Disneyland, called Dubailand will be ready by 2020.
My wife's cousin took us to a mall. In it, he pointed out a humongous vehicle. Normally, the wheels of cars and SUVs come up to my knee, since I am around 185 cm (6' 2") tall. The wheel of this vehicle came alomst to my waist ! It was a Nissan Patrol. If I have to describe it in one word, that word would be : "HUGE" ! When we went to the school auditorium for my niece's dance, my brother's friend drove us there in his Nissan Patrol. The car is described at http://www.nissan-dubai.com/en/web/models/PATROL/Performance/121265.htm. I remembered my wife's cousin as we went along in the car !
My mother also visited my wife's cousin. He took us to Jumeirah and showed us the Atlantis Hotel. This is another landmark. For a stretch, we were under water. The Atlantis is located on The Palm, the iconic resort which is built on a reclaimed island.
My wife's cousin's wife and my wife shopped for gold in the gold souk. We also purchased dry fruit and chocolate. She had warned us to bargain hard. Between my wife and her and their Hindi knowledge, they drove a hard bargain. Our luggage was rather bloated after this shopping spree !
My wife's maternal aunt (her cousin's mother) had booked a ticket back to Bengaluru a day after I had booked our return. My wife had decided to accompany her aunt. She spent the extra day with her aunt and cousin's family, thoroughly enjoying the drive and shopping.
Finally, it was time to head back. Apart from the Dubai skyline with the iconic Burj Khalifa and my niece's dance recital, what will linger in my memories are the greenery around my brother's house ; the sound of birds chirping in the mornings, an unexpected pleasure that is missing in the noise of Bengaluru (alas !) ; the sound of the clear peals of the wind chime in the entrance of my brother's house ; the unexpected and pleasing greenery ; the colourful flowers blooming in winter (I remembered my father and the way he enjoyed the flowers) and the way the birds flitted among the flowers, as we walked to the supermarket near my brother's house. A few photos are embedded here to recall those memories !
Again, it is curious how my wife and I drew parallels to the supermarket near our house in Bengaluru ! I guess our mind searches for parallels and analogies. Even when we roamed in the gold souk, we remarked that this was a bit like the Bengaluru equivalent of Chikpete !
I feel that what is remarkable is the transformation of the city. It is fascinating to see how a determined ruler can re-invigorate a city.
In the airport, I purchased baklava, a Turkish delicacy. At home, it is the baklava and the dry fruits that bring back memories of our Dubai trip - and of my niece's first dance recital.
Very Nice Post, I Love Dubai
ReplyDeleteKeep sharing
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