Kitchen sink strainers

Long ago, while we were living in Chennai, I got a kitchen sink strainer for my mom at Rs. 10 a piece. It was plastic and easy to clean and the perfect size for her sink. In the five years since then, it served her well but she was desperately looking to replace it as it had changed colour and was worn out. I tried getting some from Chennai departmental stores on later trips there and also got her a few from the UAE but all were too small and not suitable. 

That's when I found the perfect size and model in Amazon. Owing to COVID induced delays it took a week to reach my village but it has made mom very happy. It is sold by Karvion through Amazon and costs under Rs 200 for 2. There are many other models you can choose from.

https://www.amazon.in/MHS-Kitchen-Strainer-Plastic-Drainer/dp/B0975LJFPR/ref=sr_1_55?keywords=sink%2Bstrainer%2Bkarvion&qid=1674816235&sr=8-55&th=1

If any of you are looking for an effective stopper for kitchen waste going down the sink, check out Amazon's numerous options for kitchen sink strainers. 

My parents are really enjoying the possibilities of online shopping.

 

The Covid jab

Today I got my first dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine or Covishield that has arrived in the UAE under the Indian govt's vaccine diplomacy. It is another matter that India needs to dispose its vaccine stockpile before their six-month expiry date.

Coming under one of the priority groups (right now, owing to a shortage, the vaccine is administered to citizens, residents with chronic diseases, people of determination and frontline workers), we were able to register ourselves over a week ago and luckily got an early date. We had dilly dallied until now about receiving one of the four vaccines on offer in the country - with all emirates offering the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm and Dubai also offering Pfizer and Oxford for its residents - but when a friend prompted us to apply just as they did, we decided it was time to take the plunge. The constant tension of worrying if we had Covid or not was too much.

So was the dilemma if we were doing the right thing and if we should opt for an alternative vaccine or if one of us should wait and watch especially with two wards to take care. We worried if it would give us fever and severe body pain. The tension building up on the D-day probably explained the higher BP in both of us in the nurse's room. 

Our appointment was at One Central, an upmarket business cum residential area in Downtown Dubai flanked by the WTC and the upcoming Museum of the Future. There is free parking and helpful signboards guiding you to Offices 5 where the centre is. Right until the vaccine room, there are helpful attendants guiding you to your destination. 

In the ground floor, we were led to one of the many tables where the registration process is done - the Emirates ID and the information already fed while booking the appointment on the DHA app is enough to identify and collect one's digital signature. The lift took us seven floors above to a waiting room with socially distanced chairs. Attendants called out our allotted numbers, which also appeared on the screen in front. While the husband was guided elsewhere, I went to a curtained cabin where I was greeted by a compatriot nurse. We chatted in Malayalam, and she told me there was nothing to worry and the side effects only mean the vaccine is working and the antibodies were getting active. One look at the long needle and I tensed up. She asked me to relax and I hardly felt any pain as she injected the medicine.  

We waited a good 10 minutes in the Observation Room outside before departing. 

The centre handles 3k to 4k people a day. Hats off to an administration that treats each patient like a VIP or a hotel guest. Bottles of mineral water are kept for free distribution. Washrooms and toilet seats are sanitised after each user. 

It is indeed a privilege and blessing to be able to receive the Covid jab in the UAE, which ensures top-class facilities for both citizens and residents alike. Contrast it with jostling for space in a crowded government hospital in my home country, putting up with grumpy nurses and smart fellow citizens trying to jump the queue.

So far, I have not experienced any of the anticipated side effects. Touchwood! 

#CovidVaccine #Covishield

Sharjah's new drive-in cinema & organic market

Fridays in the UAE have a new purpose - to visit the Manbat Friday Market at Al Jada, Sharjah, where real estate developer Arada has come up with a residential township. The weekly market selling organic produce cultivated locally by Emiratis come alive at 3 pm on Fridays and goes on till 8 pm.  Then comes two (English) movie screenings at 8 pm and 11 pm. In Covid times, a drive-in cinema becomes convenient; the weather is also perfect for outdoor activities. The market too will go on till May, when summer begins to get intense.

Thanks to a Facebook alert - or was it a newspaper clip - I was aware of  the market's launch on January 19. However, I had to give the first two Fridays a miss - last Friday being the closing days of the Dubai Shopping Festival.

After visiting a small farm in Ajman's Al Helio - CeeTees, where we were able to buy eggs and milk and see hens, cows, deer and peacock - we headed to Al Jada, not very far away. The area is an upcoming locality with sleek villas and apartments.

If we thought we were early birds at  the market, we were pleasantly surprised. A steady stream of cars made their way to the parking lot. We were lucky we could find a spot since it was still a little early in the evening. 

The entrance has an iconic and unique design, just as every major landmark in the UAE. The temporary stalls selling vegetables maybe about a dozen and have the freshest looking produce. I dont remember seeing a cauliflower that looks as white and fresh as the ones here. The prices are almost on a par or less than the regular shops. In addition to cauli, we got broccoli, tomato, corn, kale, mint, potato etc. The Sharjah Co-op stall gave us a big box of red capsicum for patronising the stalls.

We promised ourselves to return another Friday for lettuce, brinjal, chillies and rosemary. Stalls selling honey are also present. Having bought a few bottles of honey on a recent trip to Hatta, we didnt need them immediately. 

I wish some locally produced bananas also appear at the stalls soon.

There are numerous food trucks selling steaks, sushi, ice cream and other fast food, well-patronised by Arabs. We bought karak tea from "Project chaiwala" and made our way to our car just as cine-goers and merry makers were trooping in and making a beeline at the drive-through food stations.

#Manbat Friday Market

My favourite Malayalam movies

This is a list I made for a North Indian friend who has started enjoying Malayalam movies. Mostly movies made post-2000.

1. Oru Indian Pranayakatha (An Indian Love story) - Fahd Fazil plays a grassroots party worker, who helps a Canadian citizen find her biological parents in India, and how the heroine played by Amala Paul helps him "grow up" personally and professionally.
2. Njan Prakashan (Me Prakashan) - Another Sathyan Anthikad movie with Fahd and two heroines. A nursing graduate after initial attempts to follow his girlfriend to Germany, finds his true calling in India itself.
3. Pranayam (love) - Mohanlal, Anupam Kher and Jayaprada. A woman meets her first husband in old age, and the friendship that develops between her first and second husbands.
4. Luca - Tovino Thomas and Ahana Krishna as a star-crossed couple, whose death is being investigated by a police officer. Poignant love story set in the backdrop of the Kochi biennale and the life of an artist named Luca.
5. Pranchiyettan & the Saint - An upstart middle-aged businessman, played by Mammooty, meets Priyamani as Padmashri following his efforts to win a Padmashree award from the Indian govt. His conversations with St Francis and the dead are interesting. Good entertainer.
6. Jomonte Suvisheshangal (Jomon’s gospels) - A young rake by name Jomon becomes a responsible son taking care of his businessman father who has fallen on bad times when his siblings desert them. Two heroines in the two halves of Dulquer Salman’s screen life.
7. Joseph - The personal tragedies in the life of an astute yet tipsy police officer Joseph, played by Joju, who unearths an organ trade racket in a hospital. In part it feels like a documentary but very haunting.
8. Android Kunjappan Ver. 5.25 - A grumpy old man’s relationship with a robot home nurse is very endearing despite the movie not having any actor with great star value. Suraj and Saubin excel in this father-son tale.
9. Manjadikuru (a red seed) - The first of director Anjali Menon’s movies, it explores a family saga from the perspective of a young NRI boy. Prithviraj and Padmapriya appear as the adult versions of two of the kids in the story.
Her later movies, Ustad Hotel, Koode and Bangalore Days are a great watch too.
10. There are many more that can fit this bill but not exactly favourites - Salt Mangotree (Biju Menon, on school admissions), Vellimoonga (Biju Menon, political cum love satire), Madhura naranga (Kunchako & Biju, Indian-Sri Lankan love set in the UAE), June (Rajisha enacts the coming of age of a Kerala teenager), Drishyam (Lal), Premam (Nivin Pauly), Black (Mmty), Pulimurugan (Mohanlal), How old are you (Manju Warrier), Kazhcha (Mmty & Padma priya), ABCD & CIA (both DQ), Kadha parayumbol (Srinivasan, Meena); Love 24x7, My Boss, 2 countries, Meesha Madhavan (all Dileep entertainers), Kettyol aanente malakha (my wife is my angel, starring Asif Ali), Trivandrum Lodge (Honey Rose as the pretty woman who comes to live in a dilapidated men's lodge).
North 24 kaatham - An IT guy with OCD on a road trip on a hartal day in Kerala. Fahd won the state best actor award.
Diamond Necklace: Fahd again, as a spendthrift and cunning young dr and his life in Dubai. His other best ones are 22 Female Kottayam, Annayum Rasoolum, Immanuel, Iyobinte Pustakam, Trance, Thondimuthalum driksakshiyum, Kumbalangi Nights. (The last two are not the usual entertainers for laymen.)
Many of them may not available with English subtitles.

Beirut, the Phoenix city

"The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar in Lebanon ". The Bible is replete with numerous references to the cedars of Lebanon and even my occasional reading of the Bible couldn’t miss such verses.

But my more journalistic interest in Lebanon stemmed from the stories and pictures Frontline carried on the civil war in the country at the end of the 20th century. Lebanon in our minds has a "Visit at your own risk" tag, so it was natural for V to ask me whether it was safe to do so when I got this offer to visit Beirut as part of a week's assignment in July.
Signs of the strife was visible on the older buildings in Beirut, ridden with bullets, as we were transported from the Rafik Hariri airport to Antelias where we stayed at the Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate (the headquarters as well as where the patriarch of the Church resides). But looking at the swank new buildings dotting the city, one gets the impression that Beirut is a city that is trying hard to wipe out memories of the war.
Lebanon has an interesting landscape - the sea on one side and mountains on the other. And the mountains are dotted with buildings, their numbers having gone up with the refugee influx. No wonder the staff at the visa processing center at the Lebanese consulate in Dubai and the immigration counters at the Beirut airport are equally suspicious of your intentions on arriving with a business visa. The situation is not much different for those in our group who took the tourist visa - Lebanon just can’t afford to have people overstaying. My entry is sanctioned for 15 days only though the visa can be procured for 3 months according to rules. And until you cross the immigration counter, you are fervently hoping and praying that they won’t forbid your entry. My visa application had in the first place been facilitated by Vinod’s stable income in the UAE, and secondly by my written assurance that I will return to where I came from.
Beirut airport sits on the coast and our aircraft taxied on a runway not far from the sea waters. In the distance, the mountains with the famed cedars beckoned to us.
Our accommodation was 5 km away, at the Armenian Catholicosate in Antelias. Originally the site of an orphanage for children who had escaped the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the Catholicosate has a spacious campus that is neat and serene, as opposed to the narrow roads and traffic congestion outside. Apart from the residence of the Catholicos, HH Aram I, there is a monastery for celibate monks, a guest house, a museum cum conference hall and the genocide memorial. The genocide memorial is relatively new, erected in 2015 to commemorate 100 years of the genocide - the extermination of 1.5 million Armenian Christians by the Ottoman empire quite like the Nazi -authored genocide of Jews during World War II. I learn that much of today's Turkey belong to Armenia and if ever Turkey were to acknowledge its atrocities it would have to return Armenian land and be left with just 10% of its present day territory.
History is replete with incidents of man's atrocities against each other for money, power and land. Religion often plays a role in the targeting of communities.

The genocide memorial at Antelias has a powerful symbol - of skulls encased in a glass case which were recovered from the Syrian desert. These belong to Armenians who were led like lambs to the slaughter; many died of starvation while many others were shot dead by the Turkish soldiers. A recorded audio message plays while we bow our heads in sorrow inside the memorial.

Beirut to Byblos
The horrors of the Armenian Holocaust became very evident to us in the ensuing days - unlike the Jewish Holocaust this had attracted less international coverage and attention. And when I looked at the Armenians around me, it gave me a deep sense of pain at what their forefathers went through - a collective sense of their suffering seems to be infused in their bodies.
It was carefully portrayed at the Birds Nest orphanage in the coastal old town of Byblos, 40 km away, and which preserves all the photographs of the genocide events - of Armenians living in prosperity before the holocaust, the shaping of the persecution and the massacre over a four-year period. Birds' Nest was run by a Dutch lady who called it so because the children gathered around her like birds at feed time.
Byblos, like the Bible, means book in Greek, and refers to the main item of trade - papyrus - from its port during the Phoenician/Canaanite civilisation. It apparently is one of the oldest inhabited cities of the world and has seen continuous human settlements for 7000 years. The original alphabet also came from there. Byblos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has ruins from the Pheonician, Egyptian, Greek and Roman periods. Unfortunately I had no time to visit them.
In the evening before my departure, I roped in a couple of my team members for a short sight-seeing tour of Beirut city, once the Paris of the Middle East. Roman ruins like the Bath are preserved in the middle of downtown Beirut - they blend seamlessly with the sleek office spaces, restaurants and outdoor lounges. Huge TV screens were kept everywhere for the football fans; it was the World Cup season and Lebanon seemed to be in a football frenzy going by the flags on cars and buildings and those for sale on the wayside. Downtown Beirut has the Parliament, a modest slim structure in yellow that has very little of the grandeur and inaccessibility of the Indian Parliament. One reminder of the 15-year civil war is the presence of gun-toting soldiers in central Beirut, standing unobtrusively under any available shade in the summer heat.
Just as the sharing of power in Parliament between Lebanon's Christian and Muslim population (the Prime Minister is elected from the Muslim community and the President from the Christian), there is a sharing of space between churches and mosques in downtown Beirut. After visiting the Greek cathedral, we hesitated in front of the Blue Mosque next door. A mosque official ushered us in, once we had enrobed ourselves in the abaya rented out to female visitors. For the first time I bowed my head in prayer in a mosque - my previous trips to mosques like the Big Mosque in Abu Dhabi or the Jama Masjid in Delhi had been touristy and photo-op.

Our last stop was the corniche along the sea, from where we could see the Pigeon’s Rock – a natural rock formation in the sea that resembled the Gateway of India. We made the arduous walk down to the sea through an unkempt path, rocky and bushy in parts, along with our portly Armenian driver Aram. Aram seemed a very common name among Armenians; the first Aram I knew of was a character in my Grade 9 textbook – a young humorous boy in William Saroyan’s My name is Aram. Aram our chauffeur enlightens us that every Armenian surname ends with a -ian or –yan.

After buying some customary Lebanese sweets (I conveniently forget that Lebanese bakeries dot every corner of the UAE landscape), we head home. By night, we bid goodbye to the Catholicosate and its beautiful church. It had been soothing for me to wake to the sound of church bells ringing every morning for a week. And the bed in the modest guesthouse rooms had been the most comfortable and heavenly I had slept on – maybe I am overreacting, and it is just the nostalgia of a relaxing week cocooned in the Catholicosate.  J

Food culture in the UAE

Asian and North African communities are renowned for community living and dining. Meals are often taken in large groups sitting around a table or on the floor, sometimes shared from one large plate or two. It speaks a lot about the people and their large-heartedness and kinship.

Since the formation of the UAE in 1971 and the exploration of oil, its visionary and ambitious leaders have ensured that its people had an infrastructure and lifestyle that is world-class. The Bedouin lifestyle of Emirati forefathers has today seamlessly blended with the continental appetite for good life and good food. The modern diet of the Emirati people is cosmopolitan, with the emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in particular having a cosmopolitan crowd and culture.

For Arabs, gathering around the dining table is an occasion for celebration and fellowship. Food is a means for strengthening family bonds. In winter in the UAE, especially in Dubai and Sharjah, Arab women and children can be seen picnicking in parks and corniche lawns, sharing tea or bread while men chat over a cup of coffee at signature cafes. The coffee club culture is there in all seasons with malls hosting numerous internationally acclaimed coffee shops. Barbecues are also common among those who love an outdoorsy life.

Traditional cuisine: Emirati cuisine is a delectable mix of Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine; being much milder than south Asian cuisine, it is easy on the palate and the tummy. The Arabic cuisine consists heavily of dry breads like kuboos and pita, and fish and meat like mutton and beef, often grilled. Fish like hammour is the local popular for grilling but imported ones like the Norwegian salmon is also a hot favorite. Frying does not seem a preferred option except while preparing snacks like falafel (which reminds one of the Indian parippuvada) and luqaimat (which looks like the desi gulab jamun though the texture and ingredients are different).

When one thinks of Arabic food, the first images are of the strong Arabic coffee and dates. The Arabica beans is lightly roasted and ground with cardamom and saffron to brew that perfect small cup of coffee in an ibrik/ coffee pot. Dates offer an immense variety -- Saudi Arabian, Palestinian, Iranian etc. since date palms are a familiar sight in the entire Arabian peninsula and North African (MENA) region. Its prime importance in Arabic life can be gauged from the fact that it is your breaking-the-fast prescription along with water during the Ramadan season.

Harees is a one-pot dish made from wheat and meat and popular during special occasions like Ramadan and Eid.

Shawarma is synonymous with Arab food but is actually not a traditional Emirati offering. Its popularity stems from the fact that it is a quick and tasty option, and is your food on the go. This could easily pass off as the UAE's favourite food. Here again, the taste and filling can vary depending on where you are -- a Lebanese, Iraqi, Syrian or Kerala restaurant. Combine it with a plate of falafel fritters for as low as AED 1 a plate, and your supper is truly filling.

The tabbouleh is a nutritional salad made of chopped parsley, tomatoes, and bulgur wheat. Vegetarian visitors to the UAE, keen on trying local dishes, can bank on this one dish to keep themselves afloat. Then there is hummus, a delectable dip, and fattoush, a bread salad made using fried pita bread.

The mandi biriyani may not be everyone's favourite but it is value for money. It probably needs an acquired taste, but going by the number of mandi restaurants in the emirates it must be very popular.

An exotic dish that is reserved for special occasions is the stuffed camel, which has a world record as the largest dish in the world.

But then, there is option for everyone. Vegetarian, vegan, non-vegetarian. The UAE especially Dubai keeps everyone happy with a surfeit of choices. Indian restaurants, in particular Kerala ones, are dime a dozen. Of course, a customer may not visit a restaurant a second time unless the food and service is good. One can be assured of quality and hygiene because the laws are strict.

Fast Food: The well-heeled and worldly wise Emirati doesn't shy away from trying the cuisine of other nations. One can see them in an Indian Nawabi restaurant like Gazebo or a Japanese joint like Manga Sushi. The mall food courts attract people from all walks of life with somewhat longer queues in front of McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC. The junk food bug has bitten the Emirati and the expat alike, and no amount of awareness spreading through newspapers and school classrooms is cutting the modern man's fascination for a cheesy burger or pizza or a bucket of chicken popcorn/drumstick.

Malls also provide the casual dining experience. A PF Chang or a Bosporus may be packed on weekends but is a break from the monotony of the fast food culture.

Friday Brunch: Nothing celebrates the hard-earned holiday on Friday as the Friday brunch on offer at the big/luxury hotels. Wake up late on Friday (or Saturday for those lucky to have a two-day weekend) and head to your favourite restaurant for a royal meal. Brunches come for as low as AED 50 and as high as AED 600 or thereabouts.

Food Fests: The country is in a festival mood throughout the year, be it shopping, sports or food. The Liwa Dates festival in the western region of Abu Dhabi is a celebration of the desert fruit in July every year. There is a competition for the best variety of dates to enthuse farmers. Then there is the Abu Dhabi Food Festival in December and the Dubai Food Festival in February-March offering mouth-watering possibilities for food buffs.

All in all, the UAE is a foodie paradise. Life never ceases to be exciting here.

* the unedited version of a post I wrote for http://blog.mysearchuae.com/

New Year's Eve fireworks

Watch New Year's Eve fireworks from Dubai's Festival Bay this year!

Dubai Festival City Mall and Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah will treat you to spectacular firework displays on December 31 night to ring in the New Year. So decide on your venue now and be there well in advance!

For those of you who will miss the annual fireworks at the iconic Burj Khalifa - the world's tallest tower is going to have a brilliant light show instead - cheer up and head towards Dubai Festival City Mall. Be ready to be wowed by four free fireworks shows at 9 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. and a grand finale at midnight to welcome the New Year!
The mall has announced a spectacular schedule that will include live musical performances and exciting shows from IMAGINE apart from the fireworks. The entertainment will kick off at 7 p.m.
Visitors can dine and view in style from any of the popular waterfront restaurants - Eataly, Serendipity 3, Nando's, Cheesecake Factory, Turkish Village, Joe's Crab Shack, Sugar Factory, Al Fanar, Peppermill, Texas Roadhouse, Motomachi, California Pizza Kitchen, Bucca di Beppo and the brand new Lebanese joint Semsom. Book your preferred restaurant well in advance to get the best view.

If you'd rather not spend on dining, settle down on the steps or around the Bay to watch the event absolutely free of charge. Ample parking is available, and enjoy some great shopping deals too.

Al Marjan Island RAK to host a glittering fireworks show
Nearby Ras al Khaimah beckons revellers with a spectacular show at Al Marjan Island, which has powered the emirate's tourism, hospitality and property sectors.
A team of 30 engineers, pyrotechnicians, fabricators and others are working on the project led by Phil Grucci, Creative Director of Fireworks by Grucci. Environmental-friendly, organic material such as wood, sulphur, charcoal from trees, and metals from the ground will be used for the actual shells of the fireworks.
Be there, and have a memorable start to 2018!

Test assignment for a portal.