Zvezdana Rashkovich

Ocassionaly, I come across something or someplace worth sharing with the world. This time it's a gem called Zaroob.

I can't say enough good things about this Arabic restaurant on Sheikh Zayed Road. Completely and deliriously addicted to every item on their menu we have sampled their delicious offerings more times than I personally should have, due to my expanding waistline.

Eh, what's a pound or two or three when there is friend halloumi cheese to enjoy right?

The decor thrilled me the first time I saw it. Corrugated aluminum sheets reminiscent of local stalls across the Levant and North African countries line the walls. Across them, bold and colorful images of Sindbad, Captain Magid and Um Kalthoum...

For someone who grew up watching Captain Magid and listening to the iconic Egyptian songstress this was a treat. I like going to restaurants where images of Arnold and Bruce the action heros adorn the walls. But once in a while I like a surprising twist, the unexpected...and I have found it here in the form of an Arabic feisty football playing cartoon character, and the famously heroic explorer, Sindbad.

The restaurant offers Egyptian dishes as well, such as Koushari and Fateer Mushaltat. Kushari is an traditional Egyptian concoction of pasta, rice, onion, lentil, vinegar and chili. The staple of the poor man it is sold from vendors across the country as well as in specialized restaurants. The restaurant boasts an authentic Koshari cart among the other Arabic paranphelia lining the walls.

The Fateer Mushalatat is a must have. Golden flaky pastry, soaked with honey and filled with cream (you can order cheese of meat fateer as well) is served on a wooden tray. I have been dreaming about it at least once a week..it is that pleasing to the palate.

Please try their Karak shai - tea with milk flavored with cardamom...this warm beverage is popular among young and old across the Gulf. On my many trips to Qatar I have been taken out for the sole purpose of having a diminutive tea glass of Karak. It is a tradition and Zaroob serves one of the best I have had.

As if all this is not enough to have one drooling and admiring Zaroob continues to  impress with rows upon towering rows lined with jars of pickled produce straight from Lebanon. The manager told us they plan to diversify by selling these in the future. Right now they are for decor purposes.

The staff are friendly and once again uniquely attired in Kefiyeh patterned headbands. In fact the red and white checkered pattern continues on the placemats, the menus and bread baskets....

I took a photo with our friendly and by now very familiar waiter but I was embarassed to post it here as my mouth was filled with either falafel or foul-  can't remember which...

So there you have it, my conscience is clear...I wanted to keep Zaroob all to myself but have already taken numerous friends so I guess the secret is out anyway.

If you visit I would love to know what you thought of it.

I am having a hard time deciding what to be thankful for this week. There are so many people, events and small blessings to note.

• Old friends. Living in Dubai is wonderful because everyone visits or passes through at some point. Meeting these dear people again, is incrediblly uplifting and comforting. We reconnect, we laugh, we share memories and a plate of hummus. One of my favorite pastimes and I was thrilled that it happened twice last week with two sets of fantastic people from different continents. Thankful thankful that they are well, happy and still my friends after all these years.

• Thankful for the blessing of  Multiculture!..This week I had an Italian coffee with a Russian, writer's group with a group of Americans, Arabic lunch with a lovely Sudanese couple, visits and carrot cake with a Colombian/Jordanian duo, Middle Eastern dinner with Qatari/American friends...conversations with a Croatian, Egyptian, Pakistani and Palestinian...physiotherapy with a Persian and road rage with an Indian! Watched a show performed by a Brazilian, a Syrian and a Lebanese. Was served food by Philipino, Ukranian and Nepalese. I corresponded with people from Holland, Sudan, Serbia, Croatia, United States, Malaysia, Australia and Italy. From each encounter I returned enlightened in some way...humbled by the diversity. Appreciative of each person's unique culture, perspective. (even the road rage guy!)

• Good neighbours! In a city that is filled to the breaking point with women on their frantic way to the next event, school activity, yoga class, coffee morning or luncheon...fashion show, mani-pedi,shopping excursion or massage appointment it is lovely to find a select few who will give to others the precious gift of their TIME.

• People who call to ask how you are...just for the heck of it. More than thankful for offers of help, support or a chuckle over the lastest gossip...So lucky to have these gems in my life. You know who you are:))

• I am thankful for the gift of hearing. I can hear the laughter of children, that new song on my favorite station...my mother's voice, my children's 'love yous". I can hear as the sky bursts into song every dawn with the heartwrenchingly beautiful prayer from our mosque. I can hear the bird on my daughter's windowsill every morning, the ping on the phone of a message, a photo sent by someone dear to me...

• The gentle breeze that swayed the trees in our small garden this morning...I am thankful for its cool brush on my face as I enjoyed my coffee outside for the first time in months.

• Great Teachers. A phone call from the English teacher praising my son on his good work and dedication in class. It brought tears to my eyes as she had taken the time to call just to tell me how proud I should be of him, how much he is trying...absolutely priceless.

• Last but not least, am thankful for the new Starbucks just down the road from my house. Now I really have no excuse not to have my daily Tall Skinny Latte with Less Foam...To Go :))

It is Thursday again and time for appreciating the little or big things in our world.

It might seem easy but it is actually hard to pick my favorite this week.

I have a list and it goes like this:

• Watching my young daughter dance…is on top of my list and one of the joys in my life. Seeing the little body twirl, leap and bounce takes my breath away. Her bright face and sparkly eyes light up as she savors my obvious enchantment, trying harder each time to impress me with her ingenious moves. I am thankful to be the recipient of many personal dance extravaganzas, for mommy’s eyes only.

• Middle Eastern food. If you have not tasted it yet, please take time to discover their delicious plethora of dishes, to sample them at least once…I am thankful to have access to my hummus, tabbouleh and ‘zaatar manakish’ (oregano topped pastries) any day, every day if I choose to.

• Surprise visits. Love it when an exceptionally bleak day brightens up by unexpected ringing at the door…to reveal a dear face, unseen for so long, a friend missed but never forgotten.

• Unexpected kindnesses. They always fill my heart with tenderness. It might be a message of support from someone you least expect, an offer to help. It comes in form of a song from days gone past in your inbox, bringing tears to your eyes. Often it is in the form of a concerned phone call from someone you haven’t seen in decades. How humbling such an experience, how moving it is to know, they think of you and care.

• Everyone who knows me knows I talk about the weather a lot. Well, more like complain and moan about it really. I live in the desert but dream of tropic storms, dark gloomy skies, and prancing around gleefully in monsoon type rain, to the sound of Indian music. I do this on a regular basis. Therefore, it would be unthinkable of me not to mention the slight drop in temperature and my ecstasy at that whiff of winter/autumn this morning. Yes, I can *smell* it. So very thankful that cooler times are ahead with all its possibilities for us desert dwellers. Parks, here we come!

This is my list this week. What is yours? Would be delighted if you shared something you are Thankful for this Thursday.

Over the last few months, I have been thinking about how much we take our bodies for granted.

We postpone taking care of ourselves for a time more convenient, an occasion better fitting our busy schedules and lives. Seeing a loved one in the biggest battle of their life with a disease and disability jolts us into panic induced action, forcing us to come to terms with our own fears and maybe to make that long postponed visit to the doctor.

This year, a much-loved member of our family was diagnosed with cancer, leaving us all reeling from shock, angry, afraid...desperate for answers yet afraid of them. Nothing has been the same since. Family gatherings have been overshadowed by this presence, a dark cloud of uncertainty hovering over us all, even the little people who ask in whispers…

“Is aunty going to be ok?”

Our previously unbridled laughter…plans to go to the beach, dancing…all feel insignificant somehow…guilty pleasures. Bittersweet moments punctuate life as glances are cast surreptitiously to check whether she is all right, is she tired, in pain… Is she sad that she can no longer join us in our frantic yet halfhearted attempts at cheerfulness?

Therefore, this Thursday...I am thankful for and appreciate our health.

What are you thankful for?

Bloggers and social networkers have come up with such events as Wordless Wednesday, Follow Friday, Karmic Friday; Friday reads…maybe some others I am not aware of.

I have decided to start a blog post titled Thankful Thursday.

I checked with some of my Twitter people and they liked the idea. Have not heard of anyone doing this before but in any case I love the thought of devoting a few words and photos to things I am grateful for.

I can think of many but will start with the one most on my mind and progress to the ‘wacky’

 as we go on.

                     I am Thankful this Thursday for…My Children

• The sound of their voices as they gather in the kitchen at mealtime. Chattering, arguing, joking, and perhaps calling each other stupid at some point. Still, I am thankful.

• I am thankful by their clattering around, the often broken dishes, spilled juice on the freshly mopped floor, all in their attempt to set a table to mom's ridiculous standards, all in their hope to please me.

• I am grateful they are home with us, safe…healthy.

• I am thankful that they are kind to others, helpful and well-behaved (well, most of the time)

• I am thankful that they take out the trash, wash the dishes, and chauffeur the younger siblings to play dates and doctors’ appointments.

• I am thankful that they make me a cup of ginger tea when I am sick.

• I am thankful for their messages of support when I am feeling blue, their sweet poems,

and their spontaneous gifting of a ring I have admired in the store…

• I am thankful…for that delicious pumpkin cheesecake that they had baked for my birthday, goofy cards, cutout heart shapes, and music extravaganzas just for my eyes.

• I am thankful that they say their prayers, call their grandmother, and share with those less fortunate.

• I am thankful…for their time, trust, love and patience…

• Most of all I am thankful that I am their mom.

I have been away from the blog for a while.

Due to summer holidays, travel and family visiting us in Dubai it has been a busy time. I have also been redesigning the website and made some improvements and changes.

August has been busy again with the advent of Ramadan, a month of fasting and spiritual growth, family and friends gatherings,  delicous Iftars (a meal to break the fast) and Suhurs.(Evening meals)

In this post I will be sharing  just a few of the many scenes of Ramadan in our home.

We vary the menu during the monthly meals. Sometimes we have Sudanese Iftar, other times Croatian, or Egyptian or simple Arabic take out from our favorite Syrian Restaurant Al Hallab.

Often we just have soup, some fava beans, cheese samosas and scrambled eggs with dates paste. On this occassion we had Italian! My kids love pasta dishes so I take turns catering to everyone's palate and taste.

I like to set a nice table when time permits and more so during this Season. I add baubles and decorative pieces on impulse, it makes me happy to have the family sit down to a visually appealing table.

I also enjoy the sight of light which  lanterns  cast over a room at any time of the year but during Ramadan and Eid I go crazy using them in the evening before Iftar just to showcase how special this time of the day is. Fasting all day is hard,and a cozy home, a delicious meal and good family and friends make it a pleasant and looked forward to time of the year.

When Mohamed mentioned sharks, we sputtered and flailed, trying to make our way nonchalantly back to the safety of the Dhow. Images of him fighting a shark off his thigh

imbedded it in our minds. Already his notoriety had risen. He leaned against the wooden plank, narrowed his eyes, and told the story. Apparently, he had been fishing, and while releasing his catch unintentionally spilled some blood.

“Sharks like blood,” he said. As if, we didn't know that. Pfft, I thought.

It ended well for our captain, as he was obviously well and diving off high beams. In his usual plucky matter of fact attitude, he had wrestled the shark and emerged victorious with battle scars for “show and tell”.

What intrigued us even more were his further tales about his tribe, the Kumzari. An ancient Tribe that had settled by the coast of Oman, anglers by profession, the Kumzari spoke a mix of Arabic, Farsi, and Portuguese! Arabic speaking Omanis do not understand the unique language that sounded unlike anything I have heard before. Mohamed proceeded to count for us, and surely, I heard a “Duos” among others. Only much later, back in Dubai would we realize how lucky we were to have him as our guide into Omani culture.

A first hand recount of local way of life by a native and heroic Captain Hook!

Hours went by as we sailed some more, visited a serene secluded beach, and with a tinge of sorrow anticipated our inevitable return to port. Tired but refreshed beyond words, we said our goodbyes to the helpful and informative captain and our guide. The drive back to Dubai was a hushed contemplative one. Each one of us relived the day in his or her own way. Some still felt the cool crisp water, some, recalled the cheerful dolphin sighting…others nursed a wounded foot wowing to be more careful next time.

What I know for sure is that all of us will cherish the incredible day spent among the fjords waves, and tales of Oman.

Share your experiences from Musandam!

Musandam Peninsula/ Oman

Taking to the fjords and brilliant blue sea of Musandam in Oman appears to be on top of ‘things to do’ while in Dubai.

On that absolutely MUST DO list are also

• A desert safari, with the requisite henna application and a belly dance show

• A climb or rather a ride to the top of Burj Khalifa, and of course the view

• Sampling a delicious spicy Shawarma from Satwa, or other ‘ethnic’ part of town

• Kayaking (yes, such an activity exists in the desert) in the mangroves

• Haggling for price at least once with an Afghani carpet seller in a Souk

• Taking a cool dip in the pools of Hatta among many many others

We set out on our ill planned expedition to Oman, on a bright Friday morning with another similarly adventurous and multicultural family of five.

Our three hour drive took us through the desert (where else?) and onwards to the magnificently haunting mountains of Oman. Dipping and winding through the mountains we admired the scenery rolling past our windows; barren but imposing mountainscape, conflicting with the shockingly cerulean of the sea below us.

We arrived in the little fishing/tourist town of Khasab in time for lunch and Friday prayer. An eerily quiet, tranquil place on a Friday except for a few lethargic tourists, Omanis in white robes on their way to the mosque and a couple of tour agents hunting for clients.

Undaunted by no previous lunch arrangements we proceeded to the nearest little food haunt and emerged laden with bags of Biryani rice and the most delectable finger-licking chicken in Oman.

While the women triumphantly accomplished ‘Mission lunch’, the men too had been productive and after a few wrong turns landed the right vessel for our sea voyage.

A battered but jolly looking Dhow boat also called al Boom awaited us at the pier. At its helm, a brooding 'Captain Hookesque' looking Omani captain, Mohamed. A ripped Omani flag billowed lazily on its stem-post. The course was set, and we sailed out into the clear afternoon.

Unused to views of mountains we feasted our eyes on the majestic fjord formations and the playful school of dolphins performing a water dance next to our boat. We inhaled the scent of the ocean, mountains and open space, blissfully rocked by the old Dhow. After two hours of cruising, we arrived at Telegraph Island, an old British post that now served only as a resting point for inquisitive tourists.

The children gladly donned swimsuits, snorkeling masks, and fins.

We noticed with some amount of surprise our captain in his swimsuit as well. It is not common for them to join in. He confidently proceeded to dive into the sea from the roof of the boat as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Slightly jealous of his skill we climbed down the stairs into the sea clumsily, timidly at first. Some to explore marine life forms, others to inadvertently step on a sea urchin…to splash and giggle madly in the perfect, cool water.

“What is that?” I heard one of the kids ask.

He was pointing to Mohamed’s thigh in some kind of awe. An angry, painful looking scar stared at us. Smiling widely, Mohamed called us for a closer inspection.

“A shark did it.” He announced calmly, reveling in our horror it seemed and in our Ooohs and Ahhhs, in our crazed looks skimming the water for this vicious “Jaws of Musandam”....

More on “Captain Hook” and our Musandam experience coming soon



     I had the good fortune of being born to an adventurous, brave woman who was not afraid of…anything it seems.

     My mother is the oldest of six sisters, born among the lush forests and by the banks of the Korana River in former Yugoslavia. A descendant of peasants, child of partisans…raised in a bygone era.

Mother had big dreams. She wanted to dance, travel the world, and write stories. She dreamt of living the life of a Texas cowgirl, a Russian ballerina or an Arab princess, even of being tragically in love with a handsome dark skinned Maharaja.

    My mother had ingrained these dreams of travel in me. A woman who challenged conventional Balkans of the seventies by marrying an impoverished, African Moslem student, and then followed him to his far away mysterious country. Her zest for travel and thirst for learning about other cultures led her on a series of impulsive travels across Asia, Europe, and Africa with my equally free spirited stepfather…always me, and my sister in tow.

     Due to them, I lived in Tripoli, Libya, among other places, a country of magnificent Roman ruins, white beaches, and stunning Mediterranean waters. We spent months in Baghdad, enjoying kebabs and kofta by the murky Tigris. We drove across Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. In Greece, we boarded a ship to Africa, drove across Egypt, and arrived in Sudan after days on a train through the Sahara. My parent’s favorite means of transport were car, ship, and train. We only flew once, to Libya and I hated it.

     Since becoming an adult, wife, and mother, I inexplicably found myself following my parent’s footsteps.

     Thankfully, I am married to a man similarly undaunted by border, distance, or means of transport.

     The two of us have been known to plunk our four grumbling, astonished children into the back of a minivan and proceed on ill planned adventures across the Saudi Arabian desert, the hills of Cappadocia in Turkey, the Adriatic coast of Croatia, Halab (Aleppo) in Syria…across the Sinai etc. We thought nothing of hopping onto a ferry across the Red Sea to visit grandparents in Cairo over Eid break.

      In the fashion of my parent’s little thought out expeditions, we would arrive in a remote seaside town in Turkey in the middle of tourist season with no reservations or even idea where we would spend the night.

     On occasion, this led to hilarious but more so frightening developments.

     Nowadays, with two older children in colleges away from home, and third in line horrified at the prospect of spending any amount of time with us we have reigned in our wanderlust urge a bit.

     We only travel within the seven Emirates and to Qatar by car, with the youngest still obediently following us wherever we may go. It was time, however, to finally visit our neighbor, Oman, and particularly Musandam peninsula and see for ourselves what all the fuss was about.

     Coming soon: A Tale of Musandam and Captain Hook!

A  few weeks ago, the members of AWA (American Women’s Association) Philanthropy Committee visited the Al Ihsan Charity in Ajman (UAE).

Al Ihsan Charity is a nonprofit organization, dedicated to help poor and distressed women and children. The charity provides monthly and daily food rations, new and used clothes, furniture, appliances, and other items of need. It provides education to children whose fathers have abandoned them or were unable to provide due to illness or death.

The program assists women and girls in becoming self-reliant by providing sewing and design lessons. The hardworking ladies of the centre sell their beautiful embroidery, tablecloths, pillowcases, flower arrangements, key chains, necklaces and other hand crafts at Art souks across the Emirates.

Older, experienced seamstresses teach newcomers how to design, pattern and sew their own creations. A surprising gold and tulle wedding dress caught my eye among the garments on display. Children’s outfits, jackets, skirts…in vibrant colors and patterns, were displayed proudly on the walls. In one corner another stunning white and sequin wedding dress. The Egyptian seamstress said she had used recycled sequins. Her face glowed with pleasure at our sighs of admiration.

Other creations on display that particularly struck me were ingenious wall pieces made of crushed Pepsi glass bottles.

We crowded into the small laughter filled hallway, buying trinkets, snapping photos and trying on clothes. Some ladies ordered complete outfits from the startled students and teacher in the sewing class…starting their own Designer House perhaps?

An elderly Sudanese woman in the donated food and clothes section inspired me the most. In the sweltering heat, she tirelessly sorted packages of used clothes, shoes, and bags. Across the room, containers of donated bread from wealthy families or bakeries waited for her attention. Yet her energy and optimism were contagious. She smiled broadly, sincerely, gesticulating with her slim worn out hands. Her ever-present smile did not conceal the missing teeth or her wrinkled, sun burnt skin. She seemed happy, proud of the work she did.

Even though depending on the charity herself, aging and far from her home country she appeared happier than some of us who had arrived on that air-conditioned bus from Dubai, in our heels and freshly done hair.

Al Ihsan means kindness. I think we went expecting to give it, but discovered that we had received it in a way that cannot be measured in dirhams.

Oh my Goodness.

With the approach of summer in our lovely city it seems as if collective hysteria has gripped its residents. The subconscious fear of searing heat, unbearable humidity, air so hot it hurts to breath in...has created a mad roller coaster of events of hilarious proportions.

The Goal: To enjoy the remaining days of cooler breezes and soft sunshine before they disappear not to be seen again for another eight months.

This month alone, we, the proud residents of Dubai have these options of entertainment should we GASP! feel bored for a mere second!

(((This list is by no means limited to the events listed)))

(I am not even including the Emirates Festival of Literature and Abu Dhabi Book Fair here...)

1. Picnic in the Park

2. Opera in the Park

3. Dubai Street Festival at Marina Walk

4. Dragon boat racing

5. Charity Ball (s)

6. Spring School Fairs ( I am not going to count them all here, but trust me there are many)

7. International School Day Festivities

8. Theater Plays

9. Theater productions for children

10. Ummm can't remember how many concerts...but Usher and  Stevie Wonder will suffice here

11. Food Festivals

12. Dance Festivals

13. International Boat and Yacht show

14. St. Patrick's Day celebrations throughout town

15. Friday Market

17. Indian Festival of Holi Celebrations

18. Art Dubai

19. New Gallery exhibitions

20. Last but not least....*drumroll* Dubai World Cup!!! World's richest horse race!

On a more personal note we Busy Bee Dubai Moms have Birthday Parties with the kiddos, Barbeques with the hubbys,  Coffees with school moms, Lunches for networking, Dinners with the BBF's, Book Clubs with the book lovers, Writing group with the writers, Philantrophy with the philantropists, dancing with the dancers...etc etc...etc to attend.

I haven't even started on the grocery shopping, cooking, taking your hamster to the vet, the car to the wash, kids to the doc, yourself to the doc...getting the dry cleaning out of the car, up 45 stairs and into the closets, phoning your mother, sister, brother, daughter, son, aunt...friends..Writing that 157th email...Reading, Oh Yes! But not just any old novel! A Literary novel of Booker Prize calibre and then updating your reading list on Goodreads, Shelfari, Virtual bookshelf AND then reviewing above mentioned books....Phew!

Now If one more person tells me they can single handedly cope with the craziness of modern City life while flashing a perpetually blissful bleached smile on their tanned face, I am going to call them a big fat Liar!

Mlokhiya!

This dark green leafy vegetable was unheard of in my native Slavonia. When I moved to Sudan my love affair with the dish started. I cook it the Egyptian/Sudanese way where the leaves are finely chopped unlike some other Middle Eastern recipes that use whole leaf mlokhiya.

My Egyptian mother in law cooks her Mlokhiya with roasted pigeons which is how they like it in Egypt. I use beef or chicken. In Sudan, my stepfamily mostly use beef or lamb, and I remember a Sudanese friend who was horiffied to find me using chicken breast in my very own variation!

I use about a kg of beef chopped into cubes. (When I use chicken it is usually whole chicken or thighs, which my kids prefer.)Then, I saute finely diced red onion and garlic to taste.

Then the meat goes in and after sauteing for a few minutes I add water, cardamom,salt and beef stock. Basically, this Mlokhiya recipe is a soup! After the meat is tender I add the either freshly chopped mlokhiya or frozen and defrosted.( Mlokhiya is bought in bundles and I would use two big ones or two packets of the frozen.)

In another pan finely chopped garlic has been fried in a little oil. I pour that on top of the finished dish. I boil white rice with whole cardamom for flavor as a side.

The best salad to go with this in my opinion is Sudanese peanut dressing salad. It is composed of diced tomato, cucumber and onions. The sauce is creamy ground peanut which is freshly pounded in a mortar and pestle in Sudan  (Here we use peanut butter) salt, lemon and a little oil. Mix until smooth consistency. Fold into the vegetables. It tastes slightly gooey and delicious.

There is something about the mlokhiya, rice and peanut dressing that compliments each other. A fast and healthy dish that I am happy to feed my kids and husband.

What do you think about Middle Eastern or North African cooking? What is you favorite dish? If you have another variation to this Mlokhiya recipe I would love to hear about it!

Driving Driving one hundred and forty miles per hour down Sheikh Zayed Road, is not a recommended venture at any time. Dubai drivers are notoriously aggressive and not very keen on abiding traffic regulations. They behave arrogantly and tend to think of themselves as superior in driving technique than drivers from other emirates, such as Sharjah or Ajman for example; actually, they seem to think that about drivers from any part of the world. They are proud of the fact that they can cope with the crazy daily changing map of Dubai, the constant construction and shifting road structure. They imagine themselves a breed of ‘road warriors’ and behave accordingly.

If you are a newcomer to Dubai, driving will petrify you.

The long-term residents will snort at you haughtily, and make no effort whatsoever to help you. If you happen to make a mistake while getting off the freeway by taking a wrong exit and attempt to do a u-turn, God help you. They will subject you to the worst humiliation in traffic history. From the enraged responses you get, you would think you had murdered somebody!

Grinning sheepishly, trying in vain to charm one of the fed-up drivers into letting you through ahead of him or her is a hopeless act of lunacy in this city.

Hot, tired, hungry, and half-delusional from sitting in traffic for the past three hours the drivers will either ignore you and never let you in, or they will shake their hand glaring at you furiously and blasting their horns.

This might take some time, as you stand there stopping traffic behind you for a mile until some poor soft hearted sod, probably new to the city like you, finally lets you in. You will be so relieved to get out of everyone’s way without getting hurt that you will feel like crying with relief.:/

What kind of experiences have you had while driving in the City? How does driving in your city compare to this?

Sometimes

I want to give up on the residents of Dubai. They can be arrogant, rude and self absorbed.

It is not Dubai that is at fault. I have come across the kind everywhere, little pockets of self-indulged, short tempered, meanness across the globe.

However, we are in Dubai now. With the recession, the tide had turned for many. Those who once were carefree and secure, might be angry, frightened. The general spirit of celebration previously seen might have been dampened by the uncertainty of tomorrow for many of us.

Repeatedly, thankfully though, I am reminded of how awesome, gentle and kind these same people can be. An extra special smile from the waiter, his gentleness with your child while they order...

The helpful hospital receptionist who goes out of her way, when others do not. Another kindness towards your child, a pat on her head, a joke, while she arranges for a medical procedure.

There are those odd and rare sympathetic drivers on the roads. The ones who thank you with a wave of their hand when you let them ahead of you in a congested lane. The one who allows you in with a smile when you are half hour late to pick up your child from school. Its a welcome change from the usual sense of entitlement you see on the road.

Most often, it is a total surprise, that gentle, welcoming smile, and has the power to soothe the frazzled, overcome souls in the city. The busy friend, who still goes out of their way to help you. The carpenter who kindly, patiently fixes your door handle for the third time, to your embarrassment. The woman at the school coffee- stand who shows sympathy for your concerns and smiles warmly, even though you have just met. Many. These are just some examples throughout, which reaffirm my faith in the complex but awesome human being.

I might venture out today and battle the many scowling, unfriendly faces in the city today, but I am sure eventually I will get a reward in the form of random act of sensitivity, benevolence, and understanding. I just have to wait and believe.

Share your thoughts or feeback on this post. What sort of Kindness in the City, any city has touched you? What has angered or saddened, bewildered you?