Eid Mubarak!

Al Ain: An Oasis in the Desert

Literally translated as the spring, Al Ain is a fertile oasis in the vast deserts of the U.A.E.  It is the country’s fourth largest city and is dubbed as the Garden City of the U.A.E.

Masood and  I went to Al Ain for the first time a year ago, in October, when the weather was still warm.  We hadn’t stayed until sunset then and missed out on the opportunity to immerse in the beauty of the magnificent Jebel Hafeet.  I’d taken a few pictures that day, had a quick lunch, and returned to Dubai.

This Eid, alongwith 16 friends, Masood and I drove up to Al Ain again.  We left Dubai before noon and had lunch at Pizza Hut in Al Ain.  I had wanted to eat something traditional, like mandi, which is the local version of our desi biryani, but majority voted on pizza.  Afterwards, we headed off to Jebel Hafeet, the highest tourist spot in the U.A.E.

On our way up to Jebel Hafeet.

That’s the Mercure Grand Hotel in the left picture.

“We placed firmly embedded mountains on the earth, so it would not move under them…” (Quran, 21:31)

“Oft did I wonder why the setting sun should look upon us with a blushing face: Is’t not for shame of what he hath seen done, whilst in our hemisphere he ran his race?” (Lyman Heath)

“Lo! We subdued the hill to hymn the praises (of their Lord) with him (David) at nightfall and sunrise.” (Quran, 38/18)

“Which then, of the favours of your Lord wills O Jinn and men you twain will deny?” (Quran, 55:13)

Happy Meal

We had a scrumptious BBQ meal with friends on Eid.  We gathered at around 2:30 pm, which is a very normal time to have lunch here.  The adults had warm lintel soup, Pizza Hut style salad, followed by luscious, mouth-watering BBQ:  chicken, mutton, and seekh kabab.  These were served with either rice or puri.

The kids, however, demanded happy meal.

Our host went to the fast food,  just next door to where we were having lunch, followed by all the excited kids.  She walked up to the counter and ordered 4 happy meals.

“Would you like to have chicken burger, beef burger, or plain cheese burger?”  asked the crew, ever so politely.

“Don’t bother about the hamburgers.  Just tell me what toys you have,”  replied our host, with a smile.

Fifteen minutes and four made-in-China toy trucks later, one of the kids, aged 6, realized that he didn’t get a happy meal.  So he bugged his mother for one.  The mother tried turning a deaf ear to him, but the boy was persistent with his demand – after all, he has the right to a happy meal.

Giving in, the mother finally reached out to her handbag and pulled out a wallet.  The father was now standing nearby our table.

“Go, give this to your father and buy a happy meal,” she instructed the boy and looked up at her husband.

“Lekin Ma, ismain paisey nahi hai! (But Ma, there’s no money in it!)” cried the boy, making sure we all hear him.

“No, beta.  There is money in my wallet!,” exclaimed the embarrassed father.

The boy took the bag from his mother and pulled out another wallet, apparently his mother’s, and took out a 50 fils coin.  Then he marched off to buy his happy meal.

It turned out that the boy thought that only the coins are real money!

Clean House

With Eid just a few days away, my cousin-brothers in Karachi, aged 19 and 22, decided to help out their mom by cleaning the house.  My aunt is very particular when it comes to cleaning, and despite having a full time job, she still musters up enough strength to keep the house neat and orderly.  A lady comes in daily for a few hours to do the cleaning and laundry, but my aunt is never satisfied and would end up doing the task herself.

My aunt’s only daughter is now married and settled abroad.  My aunt has been recently diagnosed with hypertension and is on medication.  And since it is mandatory to clean every nook and corner of the house a few days before Eid, my brothers, for the first time in their lives, took it upon themselves to do this crucial task.

They mutually agree to start off with the living room.  Karachi is a very dusty place.  You wipe your furniture clean in the morning, and by noon, dust will settle ever so gracefully on them.

“Ammi, just relax yourself.  We’ve got this covered!” yells the younger brother from the living room.

And so, armed with a vacuum cleaner, the brothers step in to face the challenge.

First, they vacuum the entire carpet.  Then, they push the sofa aside, revealing a generous layer of dust on the floor.  The younger brother spends a frustrating five minutes trying to suck the dust with the machine.  The dust remained subbornly scattered on the floor.  It didn’t occur to both of them that the bag in the machine is already full and the filter needed cleaning.

The older brother assesses the situation and announces that he has a plan.  He decides to take over;  he pulls the floor brush off the machine’s hose and turns on the blower.   This brilliant technique of his worked;  he is able to successfully lift the dust off from behind the sofa.

Only problem is that the dust is now all over the room – brown powdery dust, lightly floating about everywhere.

Alarmed, the older brother orders the younger one, with great urgency in his voice, “Get two old tshirts, wet – stat!”

The younger brother rushes back into the living room a couple of minutes later, with two of their old tshirts, soaked in water.

“Quick, now wave that in the air,” instructs the older brother, holding one the tshirts and swirling it in the air in an attempt to catch the dust.

At that exact moment, my aunt decides to come out of her relaxing state and get a peek into what her noble sons are doing.  Luckily, my uncle is nearby; he probably had caught her before she fainted.

PS:  My own house is still a mess.  While the public sector enjoy 12 days off straight, we get three days.  I have tomorrow to clean the house and prepare our clothes.  Eid is on Monday, InshaAllah.

Eid Mubarak!

Friends, this is my first Eid with you all!

In the past three months that I’ve been blogging, I’ve came across so many wonderful people. We’ve spent an entire Ramadan together: pondered over religious views, shared anecdotes, and even laughed together on the lighter topics of our everyday life.

I’ve never thought I’d be blessed with a circle of such caring and friendly bloggers.

Since starting off in June, this blog has become a place where I would visit upon returning home from work, meet you all, keep updates, and share a part of my life with. Blogging with people like you has been so therapeutic as well. It’s a place where I could unwind and de-stress.

Thank you for being such wonderful friends!

May Allah accept your prayers, and bless you all with health, happiness, and success. Ameen

Have a joyous and blessed Eid, everyone!