798 Beijing

Although the flight to Beijing was easy, on this occasion the thought of contending with the Chinese girls at the Silk Market and their bargining dramatics was too much to bare. I opted instead to spend my 31 hours doing some research for next year's 'Grand Plan' and thought I'd find out what Beijing had in the way of artistic spaces.

798 District quickly presented itself in most searches, and with websites comparing the area to Soho and Greenwich Village, it sounded promising.

According to the concierge, 798 was just ten minutes from the hotel by taxi, so I grabbed my camera and decided to take my research on the road. 

I was so glad I did! The area is comprised of old military factories and power plants now converted into innumerable art galleries, restaurants, cafes and quirky shops.

The little streets, in the shadows of these warehouses, were a hum of activity. Artists were busy sketching profiles for tourists and teams of photographers were shooting made-up models in costumes.
The random sculptures that were dotted everywhere had a steady entourage of tourists posing for photos, and the outdoor cafes were buzzing with lively chatter and coffee. So my type of place!

I strolled between many of the exhibitions and admired much of the avant-garde art and architecture - I would never have thought that Beijing would be so inspiring.

I 'm glad it was though, as I have another Beijing trip in two days and now have the 798 District to happily revisit.

(Aug, 2011)

Ramadan Kareem

In the corner of the majlis at the Bastikya sits a man in a dishdash singing. (A dishdash is the traditional dress for local men and a majlis is a meeting room of a traditional house). Around him lie an assortment of traditional Arabic articles and instruments. With Dubai's 40 degree heat, the woven fan is soon seen in action. 

The man has a stool next to him and obliges me with a photo.

We later learn that the egal he is wearing, the black rope that secures the headpiece in place, has many uses and in the nomadic days was used to tie the camel's feet together so they didn't disappear into the desert. The headscarf also was used as a shield from the sun and sand, and the white colour of the dishdash is appropriate as it reflects rather then absorbs the sun's rays.

In hushed tones we take in the ambience and architecture of the Bastikya, which is Dubai's best example of local and traditional construction. Pillared archways divide up the space and the encircling steps lead up to numerous small adjoining rooms. Stooping through these doorways reveals intimate nooks cushioned in red. 

Once most of the quests are assembled in the majlis we make our way over to the larger room where the iftar will soon commence. Sunset is approaching. (Iftar is the name of the meal at sunset when muslims break their fast).

As the call to prayer sounds from the minaret nearby, our local hosts arrange themselves. They stand shoulder to shoulder, face the same direction - the direction of Mecca, and pray. Eager to share their culture and religion with us, they pray in our view and even insist we can photograph and film their prayers.

Water and dates are then distributed to break the fast. Our local hosts have been fasting, as well as many of the muslim guests in attendance. While non-muslims do not have to fast, everyone in Dubai must observe Ramadan by not eating or drinking in public. Blinds are drawn on cafes and restaurants; many are closed during the day, or are only open for home delivery and take away. A small number of outlets are open but are curtained off and sheilded from public view.  One such place is the designated non-fasters food area at the Mall of the Emirates which, behind huge black curtains and manned by security, is almost the only place in town one can eat in 'public', and the prices certainly reflect their monopoly.

Local cuisine follows the dates. Our hosts explain the dishes, how they are prepared and note that local food is strongly influenced by India. Spices like cardamon and saffron are commonly used.

I particularly enjoy the dessert; one being a type of flan covered in mango sauce, and the other - 'the local version of Dunkin Donuts' - a sweet, fried, doughy ball. I don't catch the names of the desserts - I'm too busy enjoying them!

Despite specifically setting aside my shawl to take with me, I forget to take it and am nearly not let into the mosque. Fortunatley there are abayas on loan and one of the hosts - just as the doors to the mosque are closing - produces a headscarf for me. Phew! Once inside, I must of counted at least three girls with uncovered heads, so I don't feel so bad.

Again in the mosque the hosts are very open and welcomed photos. What I feel would be typically off limits, on this occasion is open for us. Having only been in a mosque once before, I can't resist taking a few snaps.  

As we sit in the mosque, one of the hosts talks us through the fundmentals of the Islamic religion, the features of the mosque and the significance of Ramadan. It is an enlightening session. Just as muslims stand side by side to pray, our speaker tells us we are all ultimatley the same - we all have the same hardware, its just the software that differenciates us. He says that so many times people think the grass is always greener someplace else, but suggests we be thankful for what we have - the grass is green now he says. That's a good phrase - I make a mental note to remember to use it. 

Musing over newly formed theological notions, I follow the group for the Bastikya tour. Its dark now, but still the humidity prevails. We're all sticky and sweaty and my notebook 'fan', moving the hot air around, doesn't help. Intermittently our guide stops to explain some features of traditional local architecture. The windtowers are the air-conditioning systems of the past and the more windtowers on a house the weathlier the family. He also tells us that walls were built high and close together to provide more shade. 

From the dress, to the architecture, to the food, every traditional feature seems to have a sensible reason behind it, except for the small windows which one of the hosts jokingly says are small 'so that the women have more privacy'...So I'm not sure about the small windows, I'm guessing though they are small to keep out the sun...    

Back crosslegged on our cushions, we close the evening with tea and a question-and-answer session. Myths about local dress and weddings are dispelled, and some of the guests even get themselves invited to the host's house - to meet his mother. Emiratis are such hospitable people!

It was a truly an enlighting evening and I'm thankful I got to learn a bit more about the city I live in and the Emirati culture. I'm hoping to get to a few more iftars before Ramadan ends  - the next one is tommorow night so I won't have to wait long. Ramadan Kareem :)

(August 2011)

Revisiting Hong Kong

When we showed the concierge the list of places in Hong Kong we wanted to see, he said we were 'greedy'- lol!
He was right. Thankfully though, for all us 'greedy' tourists, those hop-on-hop-off bus tours were everywhere and for the two days we were in Hong Kong we got through most of our list.

Repulse Bay seems to be the Mission Bay or Camps Bay of Hong Kong, and is perhaps the place we should've got off the Big Bus Tour for drink. Instead though, we hopped off at Stanely Street, a few bays along. Yellowish boulders lined the beach and, with the historical Murray House presiding over the bay, the area looked rather scenic. The restaurant we 'dined at' in Stanely Beach (which used paper plates and plastic chairs) was overpriced and didn't have Smirnoff Ice :( My fellow travellers though seemed pleased enough with their Hoegardens - if I was a beer drinker, I'd be pretty happy with a Hoegarden too, they are huge!

Riding on the sampan (traditional Chinese wooden boat) at Aberdeen gave us an up-close look at the livelihoods of the fishermen who live on the many houseboats docked in the habour. On the muggy Friday morning some of the boat dwellers we saw were burning rubbish, others were washing their boats and clothes, and some of the boat dwellers were dogs! I did ponder a bit on what the life of a sea dog must be like...

The night view of Hong Kong was the highlight of my day and it doesn't surprise me at all that the city's skyline ranks among the world's best. The Star Ferry took us from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon where we watched the daily 8pm light show. The show was not anything special (not after the fountain show in Dubai), but the view of Hong Kong at night was amazing. I wish my camera had done the glittering panorama more justice!

A cute red cable car took us up Victoria Peak, where we proceeded to get lost in the mall at the peak's summit. The top of a mountain did strike me as an odd place for a mall, but given the scores of people that were visiting Victoria Peak along with us, I can see the logic. Luckily we went early in the afternoon, because as we descended and saw the queues, I think we easily could have been deterred.

Riding the outdoor escalator that cuts through Soho and Hollywood Rd was an experience. The one way outdoor escalator system (don't quote me - is the longest one in the world - ) and changes direction part way through the day. Not at the precise time we needed it to though... We rode numerous escalators in the wrong direction and then had to make the dizzying walk back down  - not so fun.

The mid-escalaor area was packed with quirky little shops and cafes which morphed into trendy nightclubs and bars further along in Lan Kwai Fong. This appeared to be the expat hangout and if I return to Hong Kong anytime soon, I'll certainly be heading back there for a sundowner.

I really liked what I saw of Hong Kong. Some aspects of the city are ultra modern, the high end shopping and the skyscrapers, but interspersed are innumerable traditional Chinese street markets which give the city so much character. The commentary on the bus noted one area where local elderly women can still be found sitting on the streetside reading palms and placing curses on people - oooh! (Lifting curses apparently involves beating a piece of paper with a shoe - that would've been a sight)

It was great to head out of the central city area to see how mountainous and green Hong Kong is. The only attraction we didn't get to was the famous Buddha, so here's hoping for another DXB-HKG sometime soon.

(Trip from July '11)

The Time Paradox : Beijing

The book 'The Time Paradox' by Philip Zimbardo has imparted to me many new and interesting ways to look at time. One insight that struck me was Zimbardo's views of the relativity of time and specifically how our perceptions of time affect the way we spend it. He says that any given task will swell in to the time frame it is given and this affects our perception of the task and our usage of time for the task. For example a student given a three week due date for a essay will percieve that (due to the time frame) the assignment must be fairly complex and timely, and will most likely use the full three weeks for this task. (Even as lots of students do, if they leave the task to the last minute, they will still percieve that the three week essay should, at least appear, to contain three weeks worth of work). The three week timeframe will swell the task's percieved importance. Students given the same task but just a one day timeframe would have very different perceptions about the task.

When I'm flying, sleeping at the wrong times and spending time down route, I'm either gaining or losing time and either maximising or wasting time. My flying job is so time focussed that it offers most appropriate senarios to reflect upon what Zimbardo calls our most precious commodity - Time.

On more layovers than I'd like to admit, I do nothing. Quite literally Not A Thing. Fortunately, there are also the layovers where I do so much in the same (usually short) amount of time that I am sure time must of stretched somehow to allow for it.

Recently I had one such "wasted" layover recently in Beijing.

The flight departed at 4am. I arrived at the hotel in Beijing at 5pm that day, after a 6.5 hour flight. I lost 4 hours (as Beijing is 4 hours ahead). Due to the ungodly departure time from Dubai, when I reached Beijing I crashed out until 12 midnight. Being a vegetarian I find Chinese restaurants and supermarkets frightening at the best of times and wasn't about to venture out at midnight for food. Despite the dairy and gluten, I ordered a pizza. The mini bar's red wine, pringles and chocolate, and HBO's string of midnight romantic comedies kept me happy untill 5am when I fell back to sleep. At 9am I awoke - groggy -, looked at the clock and decided not to meet the girls at 9:30am for shopping. I slept on and off until 5pm. Each time I awoke, the dilema of whether to get up or not presented itself. But each time, a quick decision in favour of sleep won out  - (the reasoning being: it would be better to sleep as long as possible now as I may not be able to sleep before the flight anyway).
At 5pm though I did arise. I showered, ordered an iron, extra water and began my layover with all of 3 hours left! I spent those 3 hours at Starbucks, then packing and getting ready for the flight. The flight back was 7.5 hours, I gained 4 hours on the way back, arrived home at 5:30am and woke up at 12pm ready to face the world. Phew! I'm not sure on all the numbers, but I know there was not a lot of "useful" hours there and those hours watching TV and eating are hardly useful anyway.

So Little...

(View from my hotel window - the most exciting place I visited was the Starbucks across the the road)


Luckily I have another Beijing trip for comparison. Similarly on this trip we also arrived at the hotel at 5pm. I slept till 7:30pm, met some of the crew at 8pm and went for dinner in the city (the traditional Chinese restaurant needs a blog of its own). We then went clubbing at Mix and got back to the hotel at 4am. The alarm rang at 7:30am and at 8am I met some other crew in the lobby and we drove nearly two hours to the Great Wall. There we took the cable car up and down and spent about 1 hour taking photos and walking between the forts of the wall. On the way back we toured Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City. We arrived back at the hotel just before 5pm. I slept untill 8:30pm and then headed back to Dubai.
I did so much in the exact number of hours that I later was to do so little.

What I find interesting is that if I entertain the perception that 'there's not much time on the layover', I quite successfully can fill an entire 36 hours doing nothing. If however I percieve that there is lots of time, I am equally as succesful in maximising those hours with sightseeing, dinner, clubbing, shopping whatever...

Sometimes I think that our short time frames on layovers are a blessing. The lack of time forces me to maximise it; I'm up and out asap - no time for recovering from jet lag or settling in as I would do if I was on holiday, its go, go, go.
At the end of the layover, it really is just about perception. As I have proved to myself so much can be done in a day, or so little and its just a matter of deciding which it is going to be. And though I'd always like more time on layovers, more time could also just make for more time to waste!

Or So Much...

Tianamen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China!



J'adore La Sacre Coeur!

The Sacre Coeur Basilica in Paris may just be my favourite place in the world. The Roman Catholic church sits on top of Montmartre hill and prizes an expansive and magnificent view of Paris.

On a blissfully sunny afternoon last summer, a fellow crew member - a good looking Polish guy with lingering blue eyes and fantastical ideals - first introduced me to the grand white church "with the best view of Paris". It has been my favourite place ever since.

When he met me in the lobby, he surprised some people with his rather eccentric outfit; soft shoes, tight black pants, a tucked in blue shirt, large sunglasses and a cigar! Different yes, but I quite liked it. We were in whimiscal Paris after all.

Debating art, parallel dimensions and the sometimes stifling life in Dubai, made for animated converstations as we got lost in central Paris. We stopped for wine, sushi, coffee and browsed a few shops that caught our eye along the way. Eventually we did find the Pompidou, only to discover it was closed. Quelle surprise! It was a weekday!
We headed back down to the underground and traversed town, seeking Salavdor Dali. The Dali musem also proved to be difficult to find. (Whether this was due to our jetlag, wine or unfocused wandering -I'm not sure).
I rather enjoyed being lost in Paris: the musings of M, the little streets and Parisian buildings kept me well intrigued. He showed me the boutique hotel where he had stayed in Paris, and not far from there was the Dali musuem. Ahhh:)  I loved it!
As someone who likes to dabble with the paintbrush (though not very well), I am so inspired by great art and in absolute awe of the great masters. Although Dali's art is very different to the sweeping vistas and entrancing portrait paintings at the Louvre, I admired his art just much - especially his ballerina sculpture.

At the restaurant at the bottom of Montmartre hill, we had wine outside and M smoked his cigar. (The cigar was quite fitting now - and looked rather chic central in Paris)
We ascended the hill as the sun settled and watched pink and orange hues light up the sprawling buildings of Paris. M thought we should grab a bottle of wine and drink in the rocks and trees like the French teenagers. I didn't think so. We circled the basillica instead and slowly descended the magical mount. The sky had by now turned that lovely electric twilight blue, and little yellow spheres from the streetlights lit the way down the winding streets. We had dinner on the way down and sat at a sidewalk table to watch the parisians and their dogs and mopeds go by.

Paris is such a romantic city and its easy to get swept up in dreamy ideas and romantic nostaglia. I thought at first I must love the Sacre Coeur because of the magical afternoon I spent there with M, (but sorry M its not).
I've been back twice since (most recently last week) - to the same restaurant, been served by the same waiter, drank the same wine and both times, the same sense of awe and almost magnetic serenity rushes over me. I think what I love about the basilica is that it really is so close to the gods. Sitting on the hill -at the highest point in Paris, not only does the church have an unobstructed view of the city below, the city has an unobstructed view of it. From the steps below, looking up at the church, you can see nothing above or beyond it. There is the church, the sky, the clouds and the sun. The basilica is like an offering or opening to the heavens.

I think I can accuratley say I LOVE the Sacre Coeur and, judging by the hundreds of people I always see there, I think lots of other people do too:)

(Summer trips in 2010, 2011)

Cosmos Tour Europe - 10 Days, 7 Countries

Day 1: London  & shopping

Arriving in London a day before the tour started I decided to tick off a few more of London’s attractions. First on my list was Camden Town. Although I didn’t quite blend in the mass of teenagers wearing black leggings and black eyeliner, I was just as keen on the quirky stalls and left with some Banksy print art boards. 

Day 2: London, The Globe & Mouse Trap

Tube maintenance meant for a long walk from Waterloo station  to the Globe Theatre and, despite my flushed face, I don’t think the Starbucks barista believed I could've walked that far. The Globe theatre tour was very informative! I didn't realise that the Globe was built entirely by hand, using authentic materials, and was built to the exact dimensions of the original Globe theatre.

My uncle Peter took me to see the Mouse Trap that evening which, as the longest running show in London, did not disappoint. It was superb! The 'whodunnit' murder mystery story had me completely a loss and I would never have guessed X was the murderer. (At the closing of the show we were sworn to secrecy, and now over a year on, I've conveniently forgotten who X was anyway!)

Day 3: Art & More Art

A tad over eager the next morning I headed down to Covent Garden and Soho at about 8am. If it hadn't been a Sunday, this wouldn't of been so bad, but not a thing was open. Window shopping was fine though - I needed to save my money for my impending Europe Tour....

The Chris Olifif exhibition at the Tate Britain sported large works ordained with oh so artistic - elephant dung! In Colombo I remember I bought a photo album made from elephant dung paper. Hmm, the curious the uses of elephant waste.

After marvelling at the works of Gainsborough at the Tate, later in afternoon I crossed town (crossing the Thames by boat!) and saw some of the works of Leonardo Da Vinci and Vincent Van Gogh at the National Gallery, ahh.

Day 4: LONDON- BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, the start of the Tour

This was the official start day of the tour and the lobby of the Thistle Hotel was chaotic to say the least. Being a bit spoilt with the five star hotels I get to stay at with the airline, I was not sorry to leave the "Thistle Euston", by the train station and the creepy park.

We were not the only tour departing that day and as, I surveyed the other members waiting to fill up the buses, my reservations about the next ten days started to mount. Despite the travel agent assuring me that there would be other single travellers, there was only one - luckily a lovely woman, Jenny. Our group was mostly senior couples, three or four families and some young children...oh dear. Later in the week, over some beers on the Rhine, the members jokingly admonished me for not being on an 'under 35s' tour group. Maybe I should have, but I quite liked not having a hangover every day and a nice comfortable room to myself.  

We left England with a poignant view of the Dover White Cliffs behind us, and ahead, the choppy English Channel. That evening we were to be in Brussels – how exciting!

After docking in Calais, we boarded a new bus with a new driver and drove to Brussels. That evening we visited the parliamentary palace surrounded by horizontal trees. ( These horizontal tree shades historically would protect the ladies of the palace from the sun). We had dinner in the square at an oddly Italian restaurant and stayed at the Holiday Inn.

Brussels apparently has French and Flemish influences, and the cobbled stone roads, narrow buildings, canals and little windows were so picturesque. The town happily revealed to us some delectable delights and we sampled Begium chocolate, waffles and the country's beer. We also just had to see the infamous ‘Water Peeing Boy'.

Day 5: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – RHINE CRUISE, GERMANY

From breakfasting in Brussels to an afternoon beer on the Rhine in Germany, this was another day of lots of driving! It was nice then to kick up our feet on the boat and play 'eye-spy a castle'. Castles dotted the steep mountainous terrain which lined the Rhine, and so too did curious vertical vineyards. At one point, when we passed marker 555, our guide told us of the ill-fated story of Lorelei  - the young maiden who dramatically jumped off the now 'Lorelei' rock after her lover was found to be unfaithful.


Day 6: Rothenburg & the ROMATIC ROAD – INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA
On this day we drove through Bavaria and arrived at Rothenburg early in the morning. Rothenburg was absolutely one of the highlights of my trip. This is one of the seats of the old Roman empire and the town, with its castle and traditional buildings intact seems to cling to its byone era.

Travelling to Austria that day necessitated, again, a lot driving. Thankfully though our route was along the Romantic Road.
A vote on board fortunately allowed for a detour in Innsbruck to the Swarovski shop where I bought my mother a necklace. She loves the necklace and I love the photos I took of the gorgeous town! And later that night we were in Frankfurt.

The bus rules included a daily 'seat rotation' of moving up two seats. This was to ensure everyone had a chance to seat at the front of the bus. We had one group member though, Papa Smurf’ (dubbed this name because of his red cap and 'larger' physique) who would snore for hours on end, talk loudly on his phone and eat crisps and apples (breaking the no eating rule). I was quick to break the seat rotation, and rotate myself as far away as possible from him, much to annoyance of Canadian family with their neat maps who were always punctual and seemed to strictly follow all rules. 

Day 7: INNSBRUCK - VENICE, ITALY 


The route today took us through Italy over the “Europa Bridge” and the Brenner Pass.

Once in Venice we visited a typical Venetician glass blowing workshop, and a lovely example of their work now sits on my cabinet:)

We were treated to a gondola ride in Venice and had a group of accordion players to accompany us. They did a good job of strumming up my sentimental chords, and with the semi sunken buildings of Venice all around, it was pure bliss! 

St Marks Square was packed with tourists and pigeons, and not being a fan of large groups of either, I sat with our guide and ate pricy gelato in a quieter spot. Jenny and I later had a glass of wine and discovered that the same glass of wine sells for 3.4 euro standing inside and 7 euro sitting outside. We decided to be cheap and stand.

Day 8: VENICE – VERONA, ITALY – LAKE LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND

At Juilet's balcony and courtyard I read some of the love notes posted on the wall and touched Juliet’s statue for 'good luck' - (I'm guessing its for luck in love, though this is yet to be seen!) I feel very fortunate to have seen this famous wall (which features in the movie 'Letters to Juliet'), although the authenticity of the location is questionable. 

Also in Verona we got the chance to sample local food and watch the buskers at the market of L'arena.

Day 9: LAKE LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND

We arose early as usual and set out on a small boat for a cruise on Lake Lucerne. It was so early, and on a very misty morning, that Lake Lucerne seemed more like Lake Eerie to me! 
Later that morning a cable car took us up the peak of Mount Stanserhorn. As we chugged up the steep rise, we passed by little 'Hansel & Gretal' houses and cute little (near vertical) farms. We lunched at the revolving restaurant on top on Mount Stanserhorn and enjoyed the snow (and the view) at the top. 

For dinner we were entertained by some local Swiss performances and a band whose instuments included spoons.

Day 10: SWITZERLAND –DIJON, FRANCE

Beautiful countryside pathed our way to France. This was the day I learned of the ash cloud grounding all flights in Europe and I became rather apprehensive about how I was going to get home.

Day 11: DIJON – PARIS, FRANCE & our final farewell dinner:)

We arrived in Paris in the afternoon and embarked on a whorlwind sightseeing tour of the city. We went to the Eiffel Tower (I passed on going up it - the queues!), we saw the Lourve, parliment buildings, Sacre Coeur (my favourite place in Paris) and ended the evening in Montparnasse for dinner. Here we were to experience traditional french cuisine - snails and froglegs. Fortunatley the four vegetarians of the group were seated together (and I in the middle), so I could easily overt my eyes from the legs and slimy snails featuring in most of the dinner plates.
Being the last night, and having wine flowing, everyone really let their hair down! Some of the senior couples started dancing, the canadian family made a speech and even Papa Smurf was having a good time (he wasn't dozing off!) 

The bus tour was great and everyone was lovely. Next time though, I'd do it with a friend - or better yet I'd hire a car and do the whole myself!

(The ash cloud did ground me for a extra couple of nights in Paris, but who can really complain about that:)

(Trip from April 2010)

New York New York

Accosted by Elvis

New York is a city that always surprises, and quite literally in my case.  In the dewy hours of a Saturday morning, while walking down to Time Square for a coffee, I encountered Elvis Presley jumping out at me on 7^th Avenue! Appearing from nowhere, with fingers outstretched and a face contorted, he shouted ‘Ahh,’ and gave me such a fright I recoiled and shrieked. Although the chuckles of two young men watching from some steps nearby quickly brought me back to my composure, I turned to ‘Elvis’ and shouted after him.  I told him it was much too early to be scaring people on the street. In actual fact though it was rather nice to see an Elvis impersonator out on the street, and his black woosh-wig, leather pants and silver circle sunglasses did a good job of startling me.  

A Salvdador Dali Surprise

WholeFoods in New York is food heaven for me! And every New York trip I get I always rush to check out the gluten-free, wheat-free, vegan, raw and vegetarian food they stock. While nothing usually would get in the way of me and the WholeFood’s salad bar, on this occasion a large elephant did. Dali’s elephant statue! There was also the ballerina and the grand piano! The actual sculptures were right there, in New York, displayed on the ground level of Colombus Centre. As it had only been a few months earlier that I had been in Paris touring the actual Dali museum, I was so excited and carefully photographed each one. Seeing Salvador Dali’s art, while on the way to the supermarket, just doesn’t happen in most cities. Oh I love New York and its surprises.

Central Park through the Seasons

I have been so lucky to have had New York trips in every season. Here are some of the photos of my favourite place, Central Park; in the sunshine and the snow. AhhJ 

Modern City, Ancient Art

Discovering Dubai through its Arabic Calligraphy

By Gillian Gilbride

If a white board is the perfect canvas for a painting, then the desert may just be the perfect canvas for building a city.

Dubai, with it’s tallest tower, indoor ski-field and Palm island has certainly met that creative challenge.

Although outwardly modern in appearance, Dubai has strong traditional roots and a revered traditional art form – Arabic calligraphy. What place does this ancient craft have in Dubai’s modern city today?

Gillian Gilbride trails the calligrapher’s pen around Dubai to find out. 

Mohammed sits cross-legged. Poised in one hand is his reed pen dripping black ink. Pressed under his other hand is a camel-skin leather parchment. He wipes his brow, cautious that the sweat on his forehead does not stain the page before his pen does. His hand is steady though, sturdy with the knowledge of his masters. Years of practice culminates as the black ink pools at the tip of his pen. The proportion and line of the stroke must be exact, or else the parchment is ruined.

Who is this Mohammed? Is he real? And does he exist in Dubai?

Dubai is a city renowned for its skyscrapers and seven-star opulence. I’m curious to find out if, with all the glitz and glamour, there are still Emiratis delicately penning calligraphic scrolls in Dubai’s desert dunes.   

I begin my journey during the holy month of Ramadan, on a Friday, when a 40 degree heat is already fierce in the lunchtime sky. Google promises me traditional handicrafts, camels, Bedouin tents and art at Dubai’s Heritage Village. I head off to the Shindaga area and visit the open-air expanse where traditional Barasti style souqs (small shops) line a central courtyard arena of sand, hot sand.

I scour the arena simultaneously for signs of Islamic art and an air-conditioned powered Barasti hut. As I pass empty Bedouin tents, it dawns on me that Ramadan, the holy month of prayers and fasting - when much of the city is at rest during the day - is probably not the best month for my foray into Arabic calligraphy. 

Any culturally-inclined tourist, in addition to the Heritage Village, will undoubtedly seek out the Dubai Museum. The Dubai Museum sits along the Dubai Creek, the stretch of water separating ‘old’ and ‘new’ Dubai.  Much of the new development of Dubai has taken place on the Bur Dubai side of the creek, while Diera, the old trading hub, is still dense with older buildings and merchant souqs.

(The abra station on the Dubai Creek)

These creek waterways were an important thoroughfare for the trading dhows from India and, for a dirham, locals and tourists can ride the abra (a traditional wooden boat) across. Also bobbing by the creek side are the rickety dhows (the larger traditional wooden boats) flaunting garlands of drying clothes, and still trading today in the shadows of the city skyline. 

                                                                       (Traditional dhows on the creekside)

The old Al Fahidi Fort which houses the museum is small, but offers a good overview of traditional Bedouin life, the significance of camels, dates and pearls. Unfortunately though, there is little about calligraphy.

I’m beginning to wonder whether Mohammed and his scrolls are a mere mirage.

However, adjacent to the Museum, is an area known as the Bastikya and it is here I see some calligraphy script. In the alcoves and bedrooms of the traditional houses now sit curious courtyard cafes and quaint galleries. Early Persian influences helped shape Emirati architecture, and the Bastikya residential area, which inherits its name from the Bastak region in Iran, is an example of this. This area is an important historical quarter and during cooler months its tranquil tenor livens to a vibrant pitch with the hum of stalls, live music and outdoor painting sessions.

Meandering through the maze-like buildings, under wind towers and stooping through small doorways I pass the XVA and Majlis galleries which showcase both Arabic and Western pieces.

Arabic calligraphy spans from Turkey, to Muslim India, China and the Middle East, and its beginnings can be traced back as far as 4BC.  Kufic is the style that became widely popular and influenced arabesque design - decorating even the Alhambra Palace in Spain. Kufic script penned the first copies of the Quran and as many as 25 versions of the style are still used today.

The journey from the Bastikiya to the industrial area of Al Quoz is sprinkled with mosques. The nearly 200 minarets of the city stand tall and proud - sounding the call to prayer five times a day. Mosques are the obvious canvases of the Islamic calligraphic verse and examples can be seen at the Jumeriah Mosque - which is open to the non-Muslim public for guided tours.  

Part of the appeal of traditional Arabic calligraphy lies in its abstract aesthetics. The balance of composition and harmony of line can create an energy of triumph or tranquility.  

(Bastikiya Café & Restaurant)
 Surrounded by dusty warehouses and acting as an apparent meeting ground for buses and trucks, Al Quoz is an unlikely spot for the city’s art. But many of Dubai’s established and up-and-coming galleries are located here.

At the Third Line Gallery in Al Quoz, Golnaz Fathi unveils large canvases where bold strokes of black sweep across splashes of red, blue and yellow. The calligraphy swirls are defiantly illegible but distinctly Arabic. In this abstract abyss, even non-Arabs, can appreciate the balance, harmony and flow of this art form.

Across town, between the Burj Khalifa - the tallest tower in the world, and the iconic Emirates Towers, stands the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).  The huge arch-like structure is a hub for Dubai’s financial elite and a hotspot for some of the city’s best art. Galleries here include the Opera Gallery, Artspace and the Farjam Collection at the DIFC.

The Farjam Collection claims to be one of the most impressive privately owned collections of Islamic art in the world today. Here, intricate Islamic miniatures are displayed along with large expressive works of Arabic script on mixed media. I’m thrilled to finally find such an extensive collection. Modern artists from the region like Moshiri and Ehsai feature in the collection, as do international masters like Picasso.

On Sunday and Monday mornings calligraphy enthusiasts can be found creating their own Islamic masterpieces at the Mall of the Emirates, and it is here at last that I find my modern calligrapher. My imaginary calligrapher Mohammed, hunched over ink-stained parchments turns out to be a charismatic young woman.  

(Modern Arabic calligraphy piece by Fatima Nadia Rehman)

Fatima Nadia Rehman is an artist, curator and teacher. Her 10 year study of calligraphy includes an apprenticeship to Ustad Ghauhar Qalam, who has work displayed at the British Museum, and the study of miniatures and Arabic calligraphy at the University of Philadelphia. She now teaches Arabic Calligraphy classes at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre.  

When Fatima first arrived in Dubai in 2007 there were no classes for Arabic calligraphy and she still sources her reed pens and books overseas. She even makes her own paper.

Traditionally Islamic art, with its aversion to human and animal representation, has been founded in the written word. But what of modern Arabic calligraphy? Are images permitted?

Fatima has used the human face in a calligraphy piece and although the response was good, she is careful not to push the boundaries too far. Her students typically stick to letters, poems, verses from the Quran, and occasionally incorporate some botany.

Fatima tells me that “it’s the thickness and the thinness of the line that give it the look.” Patience is a necessary virtue in this craft but Fatima says she can spot the ones with natural talent.

It seems fitting that just as Dubai is a multi-cultural microcosm of old and new, Fatima is a female calligrapher of Pakistani heritage and American education practicing centuries old methods, using traditional materials and passing down her knowledge to a mixed palette of Emirati, Japanese, and American students.

                                                                                                              

(Traditional Arabic calligraphy piece by Fatima Nadia Rehman)

Discovering Dubai’s Arabic calligraphy scene hasn’t been easy but, as they say, ‘the journey is half the fun’. 

While I don’t find the elusive Mohammed hunched over leather parchments with ink-stained finger tips, I discover something much better. I’ve visited places I wouldn’t have ventured to otherwise, I’ve gained an appreciation of an art form I knew nothing about and I’ve met a modern calligrapher helping the city embrace its ancient art.

Fact File

Where to stay

Try a night at the Orient Guest House in the historic Bastikya area.

It is pricey but worthwhile for those who want a traditional experience.

www.orientguesthouse.com

What to do

The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding offers guided tours of the Bastikya and mosque, and cultural talks over traditional Emirati food.

http://www.cultures.ae/

What to see

Take a guided bus tour around the city’s galleries. There are two routes – the Al Quoz route and the Bastikya route (Check the website for dates)

www.artinthecity.com