How blogging became the darling of the Middle East's expressive intelligensia
Welcome to the world of the new media where anyone can publish their own thoughts for free, to be read by anyone around the globe with access to the internet. ‘Blog’ is yet another wonderful pan-linguistic term to slip into common usage from web-speak, short for weblog and is essentially a journal (or newsletter) that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption.
Blogs usually represent the personality of the author and take the form of online diaries, forums or discussion panels; topics covered are multifarious and range from the amusing, to the inane trivialities (www.stuffonmycat.com) to breaking news and opinion. Anyone with an idea, political agenda, experiences or images to share now has a handy electronic vehicle for their voice. If you have the internet-acumen to navigate your way to a search engine, setting up your own blog is a breeze; with your own online virtual diary in place anyone is free to vent into the virtual-void of the net on his or her topic of choice and sit back and wait for praise, comment or abuse. Admittedly a large proportion of the material you’ll encounter on your travels through cyberspace is just noisy invective from ranting individuals unleashing their ire, but persevere and you’ll chance across writings not only bizarre and newsworthy but thoughtful, touching and unremittingly human.
For the bulk of the millions of bloggers across the globe, monetary gain is not yet a consideration. Whilst traditional forms of media have agendas which may be informed by corporate interests and the like, bloggers, for the most part, are not in it for the money which makes the diverse range of news and opinion you’ll come across on the web edgier and more up-to-date than almost anything you’ll see in the conventional press. Blogging in Abu Dhabi may still be in its infancy with the relatively small number of blogs registered to the city taking the form of online journals rather than forums for debate, but there are a number of blogs which provide a unique insight not only into the life of the author but into the life of the city.
Further afield, the controversial Dubai based expat-authored blog Secret Dubai Diary (http://secretdubai.blogspot.com/) has ruffled feathers in the past years, and rose to further notoriety after surviving a short-lived block imposed upon the site by Etisalat who deemed its contents unsuitable for public consumption. Its author’s sharp and at times sardonic commentary on life in the city through the eyes of an expat covers everything from news stories to the demise of tea culture at the roadside subcontinental cafes around the city.
The cream of Abu Dhabi-based blogspots you’ll encounter when you search through www.globeofblogs.com or any of the multitude of blog specific search engines on the net are personal diaries rather than satirical commentaries. Don’t expect contentious political baiting of the government or UAE society but blogging delights such as the plaintive listing of ailments and wry comments on It’s Not Always Pink (www.fizzamehdi.com) or the musings and literary efforts of Waldo (http://waldoblogo.blogspot.com/) writer, student and self-confessed Friends fanatic.
While weblogs or online diaries have been around for over a decade, their status as an active method for disseminating information as well as opinion has come into its own throughout the world in the past two years. Blogging is slowly having a powerful effect on mainstream media throughout the world with politicians, corporates and other public figures regularly posting rebuttals to accusations made at them through online posts. Blogs are also being read, and in some cases, written, by journalists; some blogs are considered as informative, if not more so, as news published by legitimate media outlets due to the breath and contemporaneity of their content.
It looks as if blogging is here to stay and it is gaining recognition as a literary medium in its own right. Last month Baghdad Burning, the acclaimed Iraqi blog which has provided a frank and eloquent voice describing conditions in the country after the war, was short listed for the Samuel Johnson prize, the prestigious British non-fiction award. It is one of the first blogs ever to be nominated for a major book prize and indicates the commercial recognition that the best blogs can expect to receive in the future. Although the press in the UAE has yet to attribute as much importance to the medium as its counterparts in Britain or the States, online communities like Orb UAE have already seen fit to reward inspirational bloggers in the country with their own awards. Emerging from the excellent UAE community blog (http://uaecommunity.blogspot.com) other blog based initiatives like the writers forum (http://writersblockuae.blogspot.com/), dedicated to creative literary output for writers in the UAE are paving the way for virtual communities to form and thrive.
By Michelle Madsen, May 2006 (Time Out)
Monday, July 7, 2008
Black gold- caviar hustling on the gulf
Looking into Abu Dhabi's illegal caviar-smuggling industry
‘We are unable to approve the export quotas for this year’ was the reason given by CITES spokesperson Juan Carlos Vaquez, for imposing a worldwide ban on the export of wild caviar. Although CITES (the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) has been known to flex its muscle on the matter of illegal caviar trading in past years, up until now only brief trade embargoes have been imposed. Last time a crackdown was enforced on the trade in the UAE was in November 2001 when, after months of investigation, CITES found that much of the Dhs90 million of caviar which left the UAE was from unlawful origin. This time the suspension of the export of unfertilised sturgeon eggs looks set to last significantly longer. The only authentic imported Caspian caviar which will be legally available to roe-obsessive and social climbers worldwide will be tiny quantities produced by sturgeon farms.
The endangered sturgeon is a real-life aquatic dinosaur, which has been splashing about in reasonably abundant numbers in the cold waters of the Caspian sea for millions of years. Persistent over-fishing by generations of fishermen eager to sell on their catch to the caviar greedy epicures of the Western world has crippled the sturgeon population in the Caspian sea and left stocks of the prehistoric fish at an all time low.
Although the world of the caviar import/export business may appear to have a prestigious gloss, it is hard to find a single dealer or author or caviar expert who has not been linked with a scandal or scam. Tensions between former member states of the USSR and the world’s biggest single importer of the roe, the USA, have long given the caviar trade a mysterious and dangerous edge. A number of the most eminent caviar tzars in the USA have been prosecuted for using stooges to bring in millions of dirhams worth of the highly-prized roe in suitcases; this is an industry which has been rife with black market dealings for a number of decades. Europe also has a thriving illegal caviar business, with almost 12,000 kg (12 tons) of illegal caviar seized by European authorities during 2005, most originating in Iran and Russia.
The main exporting nations have repeatedly been urged (by wealthier nations) to take steps to protect the species, and although CITES have previously imposed export bans this one will not be lifted until the ‘countries wishing to export sturgeon products from shared stocks have amply demonstrated that their export quotas are sustainable’. And that includes making allowance for the amount of fish caught illegally.
There are a number of towns on the coat of the Caspian sea which have become notorious hubs of the illegal caviar trade. At Siyezen, halfway between the Azerbaijani Capital Baku, and the border with Daghestan the caviar is sold at almost half the official price with a kilo of unsalted caviar exchanging hands for about Dhs1,285. It’s not the fisherman who are making money out of this illegal enterprise however, it is the authorities. Both boat owners and dealers have to bribe the police. For many of the fishermen whose families livelihoods have been dependent on the caviar trade for generations, poaching is a way to make up for the restrictive quotas. The number of state-employed caviar fishermen who operate along Iran’s Caspian coastline has fallen by 50 per cent over the past ten years as a result of a government job-cutting scheme designed to tackle dwindling fish stocks and quiet the concerned voices of the international community who recognize the potential fate of the sturgeon as an environmental crisis.
Given Iran’s proximity to UAE and the thin channel of the Persian gulf which separates the two countries, it’ll come as no surprise that the ports of Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali and Dubai have garnered a reputation as prime spots on the caviar laundering circuit. The UAE has long been home to a flourishing trade in protected animals and animal products, although the industry has come under close scrutiny since the 2001 ban. Since the lifting on the embargo in 2002 CITES units in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been making a concerted effort to halt caviar laundering in the area.
The luxury market in the UAE, although not as established as those in Europe and the US, nonetheless demands large quantities of the roe to supply many of Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s five-star hotels where the indisputable status of caviar holds particular kudos with aspirational guests. A raid in June of last year yielded a whopping Dhs35,000 worth of the black stuff which was being sold illegally in the capital’s supermarkets without CITES documentation. The free-trade ports of the country have long made both Abu Dhabi and Dubai hot-beds of activity for caviar launderers in the area. Occupying a crucial political and geographic position as one of the most stable countries between the Caspian sea and the Western world, it’s not surprising that so much of the illegal caviar which gets sold on to Europe and the States, makes a pit stop en route to its destination in the UAE. Demand for caviar has increased throughout the past century as rising living standards encourage changing lifestyle expectations. A sterling example of this egalitarian approach to caviar consumption is the opening of the Emperor’s Roe Gourmet Emporium in Harlem, one of New York’s most economically depressed neighbourhoods in an attempt to make luxury affordable. Bringing black gold to the masses, Mills’ shop proudly stocks tins of banned wild beluga roe, although the website does urge shoppers to get stocks while they can, acknowledging the effect that the ban is likely to have on availability of this commodity. America is the world’s biggest consumer of caviar and CITES officials believe that over 90 per cent of the caviar which is smuggled illegally through Abu Dhabi and Dubai is destined for the US.
Abu Rab, a scientist with the CITES outfit in Abu Dhabi explained that the problem faced by the UAE did not simply begin and end with caviar. ‘We are trying to educate the people in the country that certain goods cannot be traded freely. We are in the process of training customs officials to distinguish between different varieties of caviar by the texture and smell of the grains, but it cannot be done overnight’.
Although customs officials in the UAE are now being trained to identify the different grades of caviar by touch and scent, there have been no plans made as yet to train any animals in an effort to sniff out the smugglers. However, the fate of Russia’s first and only sniffer cat may deter customs officials from relying on the whiskers and feline nasal expertise; Rusik, an orphaned kitten was trained by his keepers, Stavropol policemen to sniff out the tell-tale stench of fish eggs. Ruski’s untimely end in a hit and run incident, has been blamed on disgruntled smugglers whose contraband goods were sniffed out and confiscated. Amusing anecdotes aside, the matter of preventing caviar smuggling through the UAE remains an issue. The effect in prices that the temporary trade ban will have is as yet unclear. As the illegal trade encompasses lone traders selling individual jars, to intricately organized smuggling outfits whose couriers bring in hundreds of suitcases pre-packed with black market roe – judging the amount of caviar passing through UAE ports is extremely difficult. And as long as a demand remains for caviar, the sturgeon will remain endangered.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Caviar laid bare
Of the 24 species of sturgeon existing worldwide today, only three types supply caviar: the beluga, the oscetra, and the sevruga.
The beluga is the largest of the sturgeon family and averages four meters in length and weighs over 1,000kg. It is very rare, and only 120 or fewer fish are caught annually. The roe in a beluga sturgeon can equal 15 percent of its body weight, and varies in color from light grey to dark grey. The largest of the three types, beluga roe has fine, delicate skin, considerable texture, and a visible 'eye' in the middle of each egg or 'berry.'
The oscetra caviar is more common than beluga and comes from a medium sized sturgeon measuring two meters long and weighing up to 200kg. Oscetra roe ranges in colour from dark brown to gray. The roe have a unique taste of hazel nuts and a fine layer on the surface.
The sevruga is the smallest of the sturgeon family. Sevruga caviar have a fine surface and ranges in colour from ranges from light to dark grey. The roes are small and they are popular for their characteristic taste and smell. As the least rare of the three types of sturgeon and the least expensive of the three major types of caviar, the sevruga is also the most popular variety.
The sterlet is the rarest of the caviar sturgeon and was once extremely popular with the caviar-guzzling Russian tzars. Its small-grained golden roe was considered the very finest available. However, this variety of fish is now very close to extinction, and the sterlet sturgeon and sterlet caviar are almost never seen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
History of caviar
The consumption of fish eggs is not a modern phenomenon. Roe have been salted and pickled and used as a handy source of sustenance during times of famine and war for several millennia.
The first written record of caviar was allegedly authored by Batu Khan (grandson of Ghengis Khan) in the 1240s.
Caviar did not become an internationally recognized delicacy until the latter part of the 1800s when the French started importing it from Russia.
Previous to the break up of the Soviet Union, the government of Russia held strict control on sturge on harvest limits and caviar production. The loss of spawning grounds prompted the development of sturgeon hatcheries on the Caspian to support the populations. Mature male and female sturgeon were caught in the wild and spawned in the hatchery to produce fingerlings for release. (All Beluga caviar and most of the Osetra and Sevruga caviar now comes from fish that were released from the hatcheries) Due to high pollution levels, most of the eggs in mature female sturgeon from the Caspian are non-fertile due to genetic malformation.
With the decimation of the Soviet Union the strict controls on sturgeon harvest and caviar production has been diminished. The new free states found that caviar was a rapid way to generate cash. With a distinct lack of heavy-handed law enforcement in the region, poaching is going uncontrolled and the caviar mafia has taken over much of the processing and distribution of the roe.
Iran has been able to maintain close control of the caviar industry on the southern end of the Caspian, but the recent ban on all wild caviar does not take this into consideration.
Commercial caviar production normally involves stunning the fish (usually with a club to the head) and extracting the ovaries, although a number of farmers are experimenting with surgical removal of the roe from live sturgeon, allowing the females to produce more eggs during their lifespans.
In a gesture which boslters the truth of Dwight Eisenhower's statement 'Some people want champagne and caviar when they should have beer and hot dog', decadent epicure Elton John is rumoured to have served up wild beluga caviar with chips at his birthday party last year.
By Michelle Madsen, April 2006 (Time Out)
‘We are unable to approve the export quotas for this year’ was the reason given by CITES spokesperson Juan Carlos Vaquez, for imposing a worldwide ban on the export of wild caviar. Although CITES (the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) has been known to flex its muscle on the matter of illegal caviar trading in past years, up until now only brief trade embargoes have been imposed. Last time a crackdown was enforced on the trade in the UAE was in November 2001 when, after months of investigation, CITES found that much of the Dhs90 million of caviar which left the UAE was from unlawful origin. This time the suspension of the export of unfertilised sturgeon eggs looks set to last significantly longer. The only authentic imported Caspian caviar which will be legally available to roe-obsessive and social climbers worldwide will be tiny quantities produced by sturgeon farms.
The endangered sturgeon is a real-life aquatic dinosaur, which has been splashing about in reasonably abundant numbers in the cold waters of the Caspian sea for millions of years. Persistent over-fishing by generations of fishermen eager to sell on their catch to the caviar greedy epicures of the Western world has crippled the sturgeon population in the Caspian sea and left stocks of the prehistoric fish at an all time low.
Although the world of the caviar import/export business may appear to have a prestigious gloss, it is hard to find a single dealer or author or caviar expert who has not been linked with a scandal or scam. Tensions between former member states of the USSR and the world’s biggest single importer of the roe, the USA, have long given the caviar trade a mysterious and dangerous edge. A number of the most eminent caviar tzars in the USA have been prosecuted for using stooges to bring in millions of dirhams worth of the highly-prized roe in suitcases; this is an industry which has been rife with black market dealings for a number of decades. Europe also has a thriving illegal caviar business, with almost 12,000 kg (12 tons) of illegal caviar seized by European authorities during 2005, most originating in Iran and Russia.
The main exporting nations have repeatedly been urged (by wealthier nations) to take steps to protect the species, and although CITES have previously imposed export bans this one will not be lifted until the ‘countries wishing to export sturgeon products from shared stocks have amply demonstrated that their export quotas are sustainable’. And that includes making allowance for the amount of fish caught illegally.
There are a number of towns on the coat of the Caspian sea which have become notorious hubs of the illegal caviar trade. At Siyezen, halfway between the Azerbaijani Capital Baku, and the border with Daghestan the caviar is sold at almost half the official price with a kilo of unsalted caviar exchanging hands for about Dhs1,285. It’s not the fisherman who are making money out of this illegal enterprise however, it is the authorities. Both boat owners and dealers have to bribe the police. For many of the fishermen whose families livelihoods have been dependent on the caviar trade for generations, poaching is a way to make up for the restrictive quotas. The number of state-employed caviar fishermen who operate along Iran’s Caspian coastline has fallen by 50 per cent over the past ten years as a result of a government job-cutting scheme designed to tackle dwindling fish stocks and quiet the concerned voices of the international community who recognize the potential fate of the sturgeon as an environmental crisis.
Given Iran’s proximity to UAE and the thin channel of the Persian gulf which separates the two countries, it’ll come as no surprise that the ports of Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali and Dubai have garnered a reputation as prime spots on the caviar laundering circuit. The UAE has long been home to a flourishing trade in protected animals and animal products, although the industry has come under close scrutiny since the 2001 ban. Since the lifting on the embargo in 2002 CITES units in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been making a concerted effort to halt caviar laundering in the area.
The luxury market in the UAE, although not as established as those in Europe and the US, nonetheless demands large quantities of the roe to supply many of Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s five-star hotels where the indisputable status of caviar holds particular kudos with aspirational guests. A raid in June of last year yielded a whopping Dhs35,000 worth of the black stuff which was being sold illegally in the capital’s supermarkets without CITES documentation. The free-trade ports of the country have long made both Abu Dhabi and Dubai hot-beds of activity for caviar launderers in the area. Occupying a crucial political and geographic position as one of the most stable countries between the Caspian sea and the Western world, it’s not surprising that so much of the illegal caviar which gets sold on to Europe and the States, makes a pit stop en route to its destination in the UAE. Demand for caviar has increased throughout the past century as rising living standards encourage changing lifestyle expectations. A sterling example of this egalitarian approach to caviar consumption is the opening of the Emperor’s Roe Gourmet Emporium in Harlem, one of New York’s most economically depressed neighbourhoods in an attempt to make luxury affordable. Bringing black gold to the masses, Mills’ shop proudly stocks tins of banned wild beluga roe, although the website does urge shoppers to get stocks while they can, acknowledging the effect that the ban is likely to have on availability of this commodity. America is the world’s biggest consumer of caviar and CITES officials believe that over 90 per cent of the caviar which is smuggled illegally through Abu Dhabi and Dubai is destined for the US.
Abu Rab, a scientist with the CITES outfit in Abu Dhabi explained that the problem faced by the UAE did not simply begin and end with caviar. ‘We are trying to educate the people in the country that certain goods cannot be traded freely. We are in the process of training customs officials to distinguish between different varieties of caviar by the texture and smell of the grains, but it cannot be done overnight’.
Although customs officials in the UAE are now being trained to identify the different grades of caviar by touch and scent, there have been no plans made as yet to train any animals in an effort to sniff out the smugglers. However, the fate of Russia’s first and only sniffer cat may deter customs officials from relying on the whiskers and feline nasal expertise; Rusik, an orphaned kitten was trained by his keepers, Stavropol policemen to sniff out the tell-tale stench of fish eggs. Ruski’s untimely end in a hit and run incident, has been blamed on disgruntled smugglers whose contraband goods were sniffed out and confiscated. Amusing anecdotes aside, the matter of preventing caviar smuggling through the UAE remains an issue. The effect in prices that the temporary trade ban will have is as yet unclear. As the illegal trade encompasses lone traders selling individual jars, to intricately organized smuggling outfits whose couriers bring in hundreds of suitcases pre-packed with black market roe – judging the amount of caviar passing through UAE ports is extremely difficult. And as long as a demand remains for caviar, the sturgeon will remain endangered.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Caviar laid bare
Of the 24 species of sturgeon existing worldwide today, only three types supply caviar: the beluga, the oscetra, and the sevruga.
The beluga is the largest of the sturgeon family and averages four meters in length and weighs over 1,000kg. It is very rare, and only 120 or fewer fish are caught annually. The roe in a beluga sturgeon can equal 15 percent of its body weight, and varies in color from light grey to dark grey. The largest of the three types, beluga roe has fine, delicate skin, considerable texture, and a visible 'eye' in the middle of each egg or 'berry.'
The oscetra caviar is more common than beluga and comes from a medium sized sturgeon measuring two meters long and weighing up to 200kg. Oscetra roe ranges in colour from dark brown to gray. The roe have a unique taste of hazel nuts and a fine layer on the surface.
The sevruga is the smallest of the sturgeon family. Sevruga caviar have a fine surface and ranges in colour from ranges from light to dark grey. The roes are small and they are popular for their characteristic taste and smell. As the least rare of the three types of sturgeon and the least expensive of the three major types of caviar, the sevruga is also the most popular variety.
The sterlet is the rarest of the caviar sturgeon and was once extremely popular with the caviar-guzzling Russian tzars. Its small-grained golden roe was considered the very finest available. However, this variety of fish is now very close to extinction, and the sterlet sturgeon and sterlet caviar are almost never seen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
History of caviar
The consumption of fish eggs is not a modern phenomenon. Roe have been salted and pickled and used as a handy source of sustenance during times of famine and war for several millennia.
The first written record of caviar was allegedly authored by Batu Khan (grandson of Ghengis Khan) in the 1240s.
Caviar did not become an internationally recognized delicacy until the latter part of the 1800s when the French started importing it from Russia.
Previous to the break up of the Soviet Union, the government of Russia held strict control on sturge on harvest limits and caviar production. The loss of spawning grounds prompted the development of sturgeon hatcheries on the Caspian to support the populations. Mature male and female sturgeon were caught in the wild and spawned in the hatchery to produce fingerlings for release. (All Beluga caviar and most of the Osetra and Sevruga caviar now comes from fish that were released from the hatcheries) Due to high pollution levels, most of the eggs in mature female sturgeon from the Caspian are non-fertile due to genetic malformation.
With the decimation of the Soviet Union the strict controls on sturgeon harvest and caviar production has been diminished. The new free states found that caviar was a rapid way to generate cash. With a distinct lack of heavy-handed law enforcement in the region, poaching is going uncontrolled and the caviar mafia has taken over much of the processing and distribution of the roe.
Iran has been able to maintain close control of the caviar industry on the southern end of the Caspian, but the recent ban on all wild caviar does not take this into consideration.
Commercial caviar production normally involves stunning the fish (usually with a club to the head) and extracting the ovaries, although a number of farmers are experimenting with surgical removal of the roe from live sturgeon, allowing the females to produce more eggs during their lifespans.
In a gesture which boslters the truth of Dwight Eisenhower's statement 'Some people want champagne and caviar when they should have beer and hot dog', decadent epicure Elton John is rumoured to have served up wild beluga caviar with chips at his birthday party last year.
By Michelle Madsen, April 2006 (Time Out)
Tips for tipping the eco-hell balance
How to be green and save the world in the Middle East's least ecologically sound city
Recycle
It’s perhaps only George W. Bush and UAE residents that still think the earth can hack the onslaught of human expansion. According to a recent WWF study, the UAE leaves the world’s largest ecological footprint. The consistency of our rubbish makes for uneasy reading as well – over 50 per cent of the UAE’s household waste is made up of organic matter, including food and garden wastes, 22 per cent is paper waste and the rest consists of glass, metal and plastic - the majority of which is easily recyclable. Remember, polystyrene garbage only dissolves after 500 years while glass takes a massive 5,000 years to degrade. There’s some hope, however. Plastic bags, bottles, cardboard, books, magazines and aluminium cans can all be recycled at a point outside the Khalidiya branch of Spinneys (02 681 2897). A full list of public and private recycling depots can be found at www.eeguae.com. But if you fancy getting stuck in at home, visit www.paalgroup.com and purchase your own recycling equipment.
Save water
With Abu Dhabi located smack bang in the middle of one of the most arid zones on earth, it should come as no surprise that water, and not oil, is the city’s most precious commodity. We still over-use and abuse it, with the average person glugging up 60 litres of water a day. So re-use waste water on your plants, don’t take a bath if you don’t need one – showers use much less water – use your dishwasher or washing machine on the lowest setting and don’t leave the tap running when brushing your teeth. You might also want to put a brick in your cistern, thus cutting the amount of water you use for each flush of the toilet. By using less water you’re putting less strain on the energy-sapping desalination plants that provide Abu Dhabi with its tap water. And if that doesn’t sway you, your ADEWA bill will be lower to boot.
Have a transport rethink
It’s the one thing that unifies urbanites in the UAE in complaint – traffic. Fortunately, our fate is in our own hands, and legs. Instead of taking your impossibly huge, gas guzzling SUV into work on your own, offer a workmate a lift. You never know, a beautiful friendship could grow. At the very least it’s one less car polluting the atmosphere and being raged against in jams. If you live near enough to work, why not cycle in? The weather for eight months a year is perfect, there are no pesky hills and you’ll get an entirely different perspective on Abu Dhabi. Sun and Sand sports (02 3674 6299) on Hamdan St offers a large range of bikes from Dhs595.
Clean the eco-system
We might live in a desert, but did you know that there are over 42,000 hectares of reclaimed forest land in the UAE and that, since 1956, some 51 natural reserves have been set up, helping to encourage the nation’s surprisingly diverse wildlife? One way to help preserve this habitat is to join the Emirates Environmental Group. They recently held their fourth annual ‘Clean up the UAE’ day and regularly hold volunteer events. Visit www.eeguae.com or phone 04 331 8100 for more information. The Dubai branch of the WWF is also always looking for new volunteers to help out with their long-term projects. They’re currently helping to sustain Abu Dhabi’s coral reefs and are looking to extend their brief in 2006. Their website is www.panda.org/uae or you can contact Lisa Perry on 04 353 7761.
Donate money
The most obvious way to help a charity of your choice is to donate some of your wages on a regular basis. Muslims are instructed to give Zakaat, or alms, as it’s one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakaat is obligatory and is paid monthly, with special consideration given during Ramadan. There are a complicated set of rules governing what part of an individual’s wealth is eligible to have Zakaat paid against it. To ensure that the poor are not unfairly burdened, there is a threshold, nisaab, below which you don’t have to pay. Typically, 2.5per cent is levied upon an individual’s wealth above the nisaab, which currently stands at $1,300, the same as three ounces of gold. For non-Muslims, or Muslims who want to give extra charitable donations – known as sadaqah - there are a whole host of local and international charities you can donate to. You can make donations to the Red Crescent via its website (www.ifrc.org) or by bank transfer (UBS SA, Case postale 2600, 1211 Geneva Switzerland, Account number 240- c0128346.4 IBAN CH47 0024 0240 C012 8346 4). Oxfam are making a big push to raise funds for the survivors of the South East Asian earthquake and can also take donations on their website, www.oxfam.org. The charity has also come up with a novel way of getting people to donate instead of buying expensive gifts for their friends. At www.oxfamunwrapped.com you can buy individual birthday, celebration and wedding gifts that give practical help to the Third World, like a camel for Somali villagers (Dhs615), training for a Salvadorian farmer (Dhs415) or a year’s worth of irrigation for a plot of land in Ethiopia (Dhs650). You can donate to dozens of local charities, ranging from animal welfare to cancer research organisations, listings for which can be found in Time Out’s Charity section. Alternatively, Mobile Aid (04 390 3950 - www.mobile-aid.org) lends its technology to local charities so that they can accept micro donations via text message. To donate Dhs10 to their chosen charities send a blank text to 4321.
Adopt a pet
As equations go, this one’s pretty simple. You contact either Feline Friends (050 451 0058) or K9 Friends (04 347 4611). They give you a healthy but abandoned kitten or puppy in return for a small donation. You save the life of a destitute, unprotected and unloved animal. And you get unlimited joy every time you stroke/feed/walk said animal. What’s more, both charities help cover the cost of vaccinations. Invest in animal passports and you can also take your new pet with you wherever you go. Simple.
Get active
So you’ve sold your car and bought a bike, donated a healthy chunk of your cash to good causes and given up your Saturday mornings to clean up after a litter of orphaned kittens. But, like watching a Rosemary Conley workout video, you don’t really experience the benefit until you feel the burn. Which is where Gulf For Good (04 368 0222 / www.gulf4good.org) comes in. They organise frequent activity adventures to far-flung lands, like trekking in Peru or hiking in Oman, where you physically push yourself to the limit whilst raising cash for local charities. They run a system whereby each participant goes for free but fulfils their obligations by raising a minimum amount of sponsorship from friends and family instead. This year they’ll be running hiking trips to the Great Wall of China, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mongolia. Start getting into shape now.
Adopt a wild animal
If you want to make an investment in the preservation of the world’s wildlife, make for www.animalsponsor.co.uk, a programme run by the WWF. It enables you to adopt one of six animals living in WWF project areas outside of zoos. Starting from Dhs16 per month you can help to support a giant panda, a Bengal tiger (one of only 123 left in Nepal), a Malaysian orangutan, bottlenose dolphin, Asian elephant or black rhino. Your cash will go into projects which are safeguarding the animals’ futures and protecting them from harm. When you sign up, you’ll get a pack of introductory material including a print of your adopted animal, facts about the species and regular updates about the progress of your animal. You can, of course, go and visit ‘your’ animal and brag to friends that you have your very own tiger. If you’re looking for imaginative gift ideas for a friend or relation, the animal adoption packs make great and deeply worthwhile presents.
Sponsor children abroad
Log on to www.worldvision.org and you can make a huge difference to a disadvantaged child in one of the globe’s poorest nations. From Dhs100 a month, you can sponsor a child, providing clean water, food, health care and educational opportunities. You will be sent a photo and contact details of your child so you can get in touch with them. World Vision are particularly active in communities being torn apart by the HIV/AIDS pandemic; if you choose to sponsor a ‘Hope Child’ in one of these areas your money will go towards keeping them safe from HIV/AIDS and providing care for sick or dying parents and counselling for the child. With an estimated 6,000 children left orphaned by the disease every day, the need for international support has never been greater.
Donate blood
Every time you give blood you save someone’s life. It really is that simple. And in Abu Dhabi the need for donors is acute. Aside from the routine requirements for surgery and accidents which requires regular transfusions there is also a prevelance of thessalamia in the population which means there are drastic shortages of blood in the city. Becoming a donor is a simple and safe procedure. The law requires that you should be between the ages of 18 and 60, possess a resident’s visa, and be free of any chronic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension and not suffering from any infections or flu symptons. If you qualify there are several places to go. The Abu Dhabi Blood Bank (02 644 9333) is currently running a campaign to encourage donors to come and give blood. The department encourages the public to donate blood under a strict supervisory system which subjects all blood units to testing to ensure their clearance of infectious diseases such as HIV/ AIDS, viral hepatitis B & C, syphilis and malaria. Go along with some ID and they will take a pint of your finest claret. If you become a regular giver (the minimum wait between donations is two and a half months) they will pay you Dhs200 after the third trip for donation.
By Michelle Madsen, March 2006 (Time Out)
Recycle
It’s perhaps only George W. Bush and UAE residents that still think the earth can hack the onslaught of human expansion. According to a recent WWF study, the UAE leaves the world’s largest ecological footprint. The consistency of our rubbish makes for uneasy reading as well – over 50 per cent of the UAE’s household waste is made up of organic matter, including food and garden wastes, 22 per cent is paper waste and the rest consists of glass, metal and plastic - the majority of which is easily recyclable. Remember, polystyrene garbage only dissolves after 500 years while glass takes a massive 5,000 years to degrade. There’s some hope, however. Plastic bags, bottles, cardboard, books, magazines and aluminium cans can all be recycled at a point outside the Khalidiya branch of Spinneys (02 681 2897). A full list of public and private recycling depots can be found at www.eeguae.com. But if you fancy getting stuck in at home, visit www.paalgroup.com and purchase your own recycling equipment.
Save water
With Abu Dhabi located smack bang in the middle of one of the most arid zones on earth, it should come as no surprise that water, and not oil, is the city’s most precious commodity. We still over-use and abuse it, with the average person glugging up 60 litres of water a day. So re-use waste water on your plants, don’t take a bath if you don’t need one – showers use much less water – use your dishwasher or washing machine on the lowest setting and don’t leave the tap running when brushing your teeth. You might also want to put a brick in your cistern, thus cutting the amount of water you use for each flush of the toilet. By using less water you’re putting less strain on the energy-sapping desalination plants that provide Abu Dhabi with its tap water. And if that doesn’t sway you, your ADEWA bill will be lower to boot.
Have a transport rethink
It’s the one thing that unifies urbanites in the UAE in complaint – traffic. Fortunately, our fate is in our own hands, and legs. Instead of taking your impossibly huge, gas guzzling SUV into work on your own, offer a workmate a lift. You never know, a beautiful friendship could grow. At the very least it’s one less car polluting the atmosphere and being raged against in jams. If you live near enough to work, why not cycle in? The weather for eight months a year is perfect, there are no pesky hills and you’ll get an entirely different perspective on Abu Dhabi. Sun and Sand sports (02 3674 6299) on Hamdan St offers a large range of bikes from Dhs595.
Clean the eco-system
We might live in a desert, but did you know that there are over 42,000 hectares of reclaimed forest land in the UAE and that, since 1956, some 51 natural reserves have been set up, helping to encourage the nation’s surprisingly diverse wildlife? One way to help preserve this habitat is to join the Emirates Environmental Group. They recently held their fourth annual ‘Clean up the UAE’ day and regularly hold volunteer events. Visit www.eeguae.com or phone 04 331 8100 for more information. The Dubai branch of the WWF is also always looking for new volunteers to help out with their long-term projects. They’re currently helping to sustain Abu Dhabi’s coral reefs and are looking to extend their brief in 2006. Their website is www.panda.org/uae or you can contact Lisa Perry on 04 353 7761.
Donate money
The most obvious way to help a charity of your choice is to donate some of your wages on a regular basis. Muslims are instructed to give Zakaat, or alms, as it’s one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakaat is obligatory and is paid monthly, with special consideration given during Ramadan. There are a complicated set of rules governing what part of an individual’s wealth is eligible to have Zakaat paid against it. To ensure that the poor are not unfairly burdened, there is a threshold, nisaab, below which you don’t have to pay. Typically, 2.5per cent is levied upon an individual’s wealth above the nisaab, which currently stands at $1,300, the same as three ounces of gold. For non-Muslims, or Muslims who want to give extra charitable donations – known as sadaqah - there are a whole host of local and international charities you can donate to. You can make donations to the Red Crescent via its website (www.ifrc.org) or by bank transfer (UBS SA, Case postale 2600, 1211 Geneva Switzerland, Account number 240- c0128346.4 IBAN CH47 0024 0240 C012 8346 4). Oxfam are making a big push to raise funds for the survivors of the South East Asian earthquake and can also take donations on their website, www.oxfam.org. The charity has also come up with a novel way of getting people to donate instead of buying expensive gifts for their friends. At www.oxfamunwrapped.com you can buy individual birthday, celebration and wedding gifts that give practical help to the Third World, like a camel for Somali villagers (Dhs615), training for a Salvadorian farmer (Dhs415) or a year’s worth of irrigation for a plot of land in Ethiopia (Dhs650). You can donate to dozens of local charities, ranging from animal welfare to cancer research organisations, listings for which can be found in Time Out’s Charity section. Alternatively, Mobile Aid (04 390 3950 - www.mobile-aid.org) lends its technology to local charities so that they can accept micro donations via text message. To donate Dhs10 to their chosen charities send a blank text to 4321.
Adopt a pet
As equations go, this one’s pretty simple. You contact either Feline Friends (050 451 0058) or K9 Friends (04 347 4611). They give you a healthy but abandoned kitten or puppy in return for a small donation. You save the life of a destitute, unprotected and unloved animal. And you get unlimited joy every time you stroke/feed/walk said animal. What’s more, both charities help cover the cost of vaccinations. Invest in animal passports and you can also take your new pet with you wherever you go. Simple.
Get active
So you’ve sold your car and bought a bike, donated a healthy chunk of your cash to good causes and given up your Saturday mornings to clean up after a litter of orphaned kittens. But, like watching a Rosemary Conley workout video, you don’t really experience the benefit until you feel the burn. Which is where Gulf For Good (04 368 0222 / www.gulf4good.org) comes in. They organise frequent activity adventures to far-flung lands, like trekking in Peru or hiking in Oman, where you physically push yourself to the limit whilst raising cash for local charities. They run a system whereby each participant goes for free but fulfils their obligations by raising a minimum amount of sponsorship from friends and family instead. This year they’ll be running hiking trips to the Great Wall of China, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mongolia. Start getting into shape now.
Adopt a wild animal
If you want to make an investment in the preservation of the world’s wildlife, make for www.animalsponsor.co.uk, a programme run by the WWF. It enables you to adopt one of six animals living in WWF project areas outside of zoos. Starting from Dhs16 per month you can help to support a giant panda, a Bengal tiger (one of only 123 left in Nepal), a Malaysian orangutan, bottlenose dolphin, Asian elephant or black rhino. Your cash will go into projects which are safeguarding the animals’ futures and protecting them from harm. When you sign up, you’ll get a pack of introductory material including a print of your adopted animal, facts about the species and regular updates about the progress of your animal. You can, of course, go and visit ‘your’ animal and brag to friends that you have your very own tiger. If you’re looking for imaginative gift ideas for a friend or relation, the animal adoption packs make great and deeply worthwhile presents.
Sponsor children abroad
Log on to www.worldvision.org and you can make a huge difference to a disadvantaged child in one of the globe’s poorest nations. From Dhs100 a month, you can sponsor a child, providing clean water, food, health care and educational opportunities. You will be sent a photo and contact details of your child so you can get in touch with them. World Vision are particularly active in communities being torn apart by the HIV/AIDS pandemic; if you choose to sponsor a ‘Hope Child’ in one of these areas your money will go towards keeping them safe from HIV/AIDS and providing care for sick or dying parents and counselling for the child. With an estimated 6,000 children left orphaned by the disease every day, the need for international support has never been greater.
Donate blood
Every time you give blood you save someone’s life. It really is that simple. And in Abu Dhabi the need for donors is acute. Aside from the routine requirements for surgery and accidents which requires regular transfusions there is also a prevelance of thessalamia in the population which means there are drastic shortages of blood in the city. Becoming a donor is a simple and safe procedure. The law requires that you should be between the ages of 18 and 60, possess a resident’s visa, and be free of any chronic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension and not suffering from any infections or flu symptons. If you qualify there are several places to go. The Abu Dhabi Blood Bank (02 644 9333) is currently running a campaign to encourage donors to come and give blood. The department encourages the public to donate blood under a strict supervisory system which subjects all blood units to testing to ensure their clearance of infectious diseases such as HIV/ AIDS, viral hepatitis B & C, syphilis and malaria. Go along with some ID and they will take a pint of your finest claret. If you become a regular giver (the minimum wait between donations is two and a half months) they will pay you Dhs200 after the third trip for donation.
By Michelle Madsen, March 2006 (Time Out)
Cross-cultural adventures on the printed page
Getting to grips with Arabic literature in Abu Dhabi
Literature
If you’re no stranger to the city’s bookshops you’ll have noticed that getting your hands on any decent Arabic fiction in translation is as easy as grabbing a copy of the new Harry Potter book on its release date. Nigh on impossible. So how do you get to grips with Arabic literature if you don’t know the language? Since PROTA (The Project for the Translation of Arabic) came into being in the 70s many truly great Arabic reads have been translated into English in a thoroughly readable manner. There’s no doubt that over the last 20 years, since the Nobel prize for literature was awarded to Naguib Mahfouz in 1988, Arabic literature has made a significant impact upon the international literary scene.
The poet and critic Salma Khadra al- Jayyusi led the project to translate a number of seminal modern Arabic works into English and put together a large anthology of the best stories –if you fancy dipping into Arabic fiction make this your first port of call. To give you a taster here’s a short excerpt from Stars over Jericho by Liana Badr describing the lost land of ‘fragrant gum Arabic in rice pudding, sweet golden puffs of zalabia dough, the warm thirsty smell of roasted watermelon seeds, soft lupin seeds in brine, dripping pickles [and] custards scented with orange-blossom water’. Delicious. This is a critical selection of works, so bear in mind that not every important author from every Arab speaking country is necessarily represented – nonetheless you’ll find a rich and diverse range of top-notch scribblings from more than 140 prominent Arab writers of fiction in The Anthology of Modern Arabic Literature; a great way to introduce yourself to some of the language’s best recent fictional works.
Women
Nawal el Sadaawi’s book The Hidden Face of Eve rocked boats across the world when it was published in 1980. It’s a non-fiction discussion of the lives of women in Arab cultures and is one of over 30 works by the Egyptian doctor and author. The intimate revelations of the lives of women taken from El Sadaawi’s first hand experiences as a professional and confidante disclose secrets usually hidden beneath shrouds of family honour and shame.
Another non-fiction is the Princess series of books by American author Jean Sasson. Daughters of Arabia is the second book in the series and highlights the effect that the changing economic standards of life and subsequent cultural developments have had on different generations of Saudi women. US born Jean Sasson lived in Saudi Arabia for ten years and became a confidante of Sultana (pseudonym), princess of the royal house of Sa’ud – eventually writing her story and unveiling mysterious life of a high-born Muslim women for the world to see. This book focuses on her daughters-second generation members of the royal family who have reaped the rich rewards of Saudi’s oil wealth. Sultana’s daughters live in a gilt-edged world – a far cry from the basic life of pre-oil Arabia, which their parents experienced as children. Surrounded by untold opulence and luxury but stifled by the strict restrictive lifestyle imposed upon them as Muslim women in Saudi Arabia, they react in diverse but equally desperate ways. Their dramatic stories are set against a rich backcloth of Saudi Arabian culture and social mores which Sultana depicts through Sassoon with humour, compassion and integrity. Throughout, however, she never tires of her quest to expose the injustices which her society levels against women whilst maintaining her faith and allegiance to Islam. Not only an engaging read, but a bold statement about modern Saudi life from a female perspective. Her cause is given an extra sense of urgency against the backdrop of increased dissent against the Al Sa’uds and the looming spectre of Islamic fundamentalism.
Language
Nicholas Awde and Putros Samano’s book Arabic Alphabet is an indispensable resource for anyone determined to decipher this elegant script. This chirpy little book proceeds step by step through all the letters of the Arabic alphabet in a friendly, chatty and undaunting style. If you’re a determined reader you’ll be glad to know that progress is rapid; we were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get to grips with the initial stage of recognising the letters and starting to string words together. The Arabic Alphabet belongs on the desk of every student of Arabic, and in the suitcase or rucksack of every visitor to the Middle East.
Photography
Wilfred Thesiger, adventurer, gentleman and one of the greatest explorers of the 20th century recorded his eccentric peregrinations around the near-east with hundreds of glorious monochrome photographs, a careful selection of these have been put together in this book. Visions of Nomad is more than your usual coffee table tome, it's a pictorial journey through the forbidding barren landscape of the Empty Quarter and the other remarkable lands and people the author encountered during his life as a nomad. Thesiger to all intents and purposes rejected his oh-so-English private school upbringing and found a home with the Bedu people of Arabia, although the tone of the accompanying prose is such that the reader will not be surprised to learn that this eccentric and enigmatic figure lived out the last of his days in an English cottage bedecked in harris tweed.
Poetry
Few people in the world display such great admiration for literary expression and are so moved by the word, spoken or written, as the Arabs. Given the West’s relative apathy towards poetry it might come as a surprise to learn that even modern audiences across the Gulf can be stirred to passion by the recital of poems. It doesn’t seem to matter if the verse is only vaguely comprehended, and by the delivery of orations in the classical tongue, though it be only partially understood. The rhythm, the rhyme, the music, produce an effect termed as ‘lawful magic’. If you are looking for a good introduction to modern Arabic verse we recommend Victims of a Map, This is a seminal collection of works in translation by three of the Arab world’s leading poets Adonis, Mahmud Darwish and Samih al-Qasim. It includes 13 poems by Darwish never before published in book form even in Arabic, and a long piece by Adonis written during the 1982 siege of Beirut. Budding linguists will be able to pick their way through the poems in the original Arabic as the verses are printed simultaneously – a fantastic way to see if those long hours spent poring over the alphabet were well spent.
Politics
To many, the workings, motivations and goals of the world’s most infamous terrorist group remain a mystery. In The Secret History of Al Qa’ida Abdel Bari Atwan goes some way to answer the questions of those curious about how this mysterious group (prior to 9/11/01 not a household name) have managed to hold the world in its thrall. Palestinian Atwan has had unparalleled access to key associates of the world’s most wanted man. Atwan is the only Western-based journalist to have spent time with Osama bin Laden in his Tora Bora hideout in 1996, just one of the fascinating encounters he recounts in this book. Since then, his London based newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi has been the vehicle of choice for many al- Qa’ida communiqués. Atwan provides a unique insight into the workings of this most notorious of terrorist organisations. The book includes new information on al-Qa’ida’s presence in countries such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia; it is essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand how the terrorist network operates around the world.
By Michelle Madsen, March 2006 (Time Out)
Literature
If you’re no stranger to the city’s bookshops you’ll have noticed that getting your hands on any decent Arabic fiction in translation is as easy as grabbing a copy of the new Harry Potter book on its release date. Nigh on impossible. So how do you get to grips with Arabic literature if you don’t know the language? Since PROTA (The Project for the Translation of Arabic) came into being in the 70s many truly great Arabic reads have been translated into English in a thoroughly readable manner. There’s no doubt that over the last 20 years, since the Nobel prize for literature was awarded to Naguib Mahfouz in 1988, Arabic literature has made a significant impact upon the international literary scene.
The poet and critic Salma Khadra al- Jayyusi led the project to translate a number of seminal modern Arabic works into English and put together a large anthology of the best stories –if you fancy dipping into Arabic fiction make this your first port of call. To give you a taster here’s a short excerpt from Stars over Jericho by Liana Badr describing the lost land of ‘fragrant gum Arabic in rice pudding, sweet golden puffs of zalabia dough, the warm thirsty smell of roasted watermelon seeds, soft lupin seeds in brine, dripping pickles [and] custards scented with orange-blossom water’. Delicious. This is a critical selection of works, so bear in mind that not every important author from every Arab speaking country is necessarily represented – nonetheless you’ll find a rich and diverse range of top-notch scribblings from more than 140 prominent Arab writers of fiction in The Anthology of Modern Arabic Literature; a great way to introduce yourself to some of the language’s best recent fictional works.
Women
Nawal el Sadaawi’s book The Hidden Face of Eve rocked boats across the world when it was published in 1980. It’s a non-fiction discussion of the lives of women in Arab cultures and is one of over 30 works by the Egyptian doctor and author. The intimate revelations of the lives of women taken from El Sadaawi’s first hand experiences as a professional and confidante disclose secrets usually hidden beneath shrouds of family honour and shame.
Another non-fiction is the Princess series of books by American author Jean Sasson. Daughters of Arabia is the second book in the series and highlights the effect that the changing economic standards of life and subsequent cultural developments have had on different generations of Saudi women. US born Jean Sasson lived in Saudi Arabia for ten years and became a confidante of Sultana (pseudonym), princess of the royal house of Sa’ud – eventually writing her story and unveiling mysterious life of a high-born Muslim women for the world to see. This book focuses on her daughters-second generation members of the royal family who have reaped the rich rewards of Saudi’s oil wealth. Sultana’s daughters live in a gilt-edged world – a far cry from the basic life of pre-oil Arabia, which their parents experienced as children. Surrounded by untold opulence and luxury but stifled by the strict restrictive lifestyle imposed upon them as Muslim women in Saudi Arabia, they react in diverse but equally desperate ways. Their dramatic stories are set against a rich backcloth of Saudi Arabian culture and social mores which Sultana depicts through Sassoon with humour, compassion and integrity. Throughout, however, she never tires of her quest to expose the injustices which her society levels against women whilst maintaining her faith and allegiance to Islam. Not only an engaging read, but a bold statement about modern Saudi life from a female perspective. Her cause is given an extra sense of urgency against the backdrop of increased dissent against the Al Sa’uds and the looming spectre of Islamic fundamentalism.
Language
Nicholas Awde and Putros Samano’s book Arabic Alphabet is an indispensable resource for anyone determined to decipher this elegant script. This chirpy little book proceeds step by step through all the letters of the Arabic alphabet in a friendly, chatty and undaunting style. If you’re a determined reader you’ll be glad to know that progress is rapid; we were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get to grips with the initial stage of recognising the letters and starting to string words together. The Arabic Alphabet belongs on the desk of every student of Arabic, and in the suitcase or rucksack of every visitor to the Middle East.
Photography
Wilfred Thesiger, adventurer, gentleman and one of the greatest explorers of the 20th century recorded his eccentric peregrinations around the near-east with hundreds of glorious monochrome photographs, a careful selection of these have been put together in this book. Visions of Nomad is more than your usual coffee table tome, it's a pictorial journey through the forbidding barren landscape of the Empty Quarter and the other remarkable lands and people the author encountered during his life as a nomad. Thesiger to all intents and purposes rejected his oh-so-English private school upbringing and found a home with the Bedu people of Arabia, although the tone of the accompanying prose is such that the reader will not be surprised to learn that this eccentric and enigmatic figure lived out the last of his days in an English cottage bedecked in harris tweed.
Poetry
Few people in the world display such great admiration for literary expression and are so moved by the word, spoken or written, as the Arabs. Given the West’s relative apathy towards poetry it might come as a surprise to learn that even modern audiences across the Gulf can be stirred to passion by the recital of poems. It doesn’t seem to matter if the verse is only vaguely comprehended, and by the delivery of orations in the classical tongue, though it be only partially understood. The rhythm, the rhyme, the music, produce an effect termed as ‘lawful magic’. If you are looking for a good introduction to modern Arabic verse we recommend Victims of a Map, This is a seminal collection of works in translation by three of the Arab world’s leading poets Adonis, Mahmud Darwish and Samih al-Qasim. It includes 13 poems by Darwish never before published in book form even in Arabic, and a long piece by Adonis written during the 1982 siege of Beirut. Budding linguists will be able to pick their way through the poems in the original Arabic as the verses are printed simultaneously – a fantastic way to see if those long hours spent poring over the alphabet were well spent.
Politics
To many, the workings, motivations and goals of the world’s most infamous terrorist group remain a mystery. In The Secret History of Al Qa’ida Abdel Bari Atwan goes some way to answer the questions of those curious about how this mysterious group (prior to 9/11/01 not a household name) have managed to hold the world in its thrall. Palestinian Atwan has had unparalleled access to key associates of the world’s most wanted man. Atwan is the only Western-based journalist to have spent time with Osama bin Laden in his Tora Bora hideout in 1996, just one of the fascinating encounters he recounts in this book. Since then, his London based newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi has been the vehicle of choice for many al- Qa’ida communiqués. Atwan provides a unique insight into the workings of this most notorious of terrorist organisations. The book includes new information on al-Qa’ida’s presence in countries such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia; it is essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand how the terrorist network operates around the world.
By Michelle Madsen, March 2006 (Time Out)
Dubai's open armed welcome to Geldof's anti-poverty campaign
On 16 December, Consortium Dubai, the city’s newest networking group held a benefit dinner titled ‘In Honour of Africa’. Riding on the crest of the wave made by the international film festival, the event brought together a panel of speakers from the worlds of art, film and music to encourage the leading lights of the city’s business scene to become active in the campaign to eradicate poverty - not only in Africa but across the world. Aging Irish rocker and activist Bob Geldof was a natural choice of speaker for Consortium in their inaugural charity event, given his position as self appointed spokesperson for the beleaguered continent. What probably came as a surprise to his hosts, was the direction of the singer’s famous ire towards the moneyed citizens of the UAE.
When a couple of eminent Emirati businessmen made a polite comment about the UAE’s generosity in giving to Africa, Geldof’s immediate response was to wave a furious finger at the room and loudly retort that any number of the people present could reach into their pockets and write a cheque for the total amount of aid given to the Africa by the country in the past year, without feeling a dent in their finances.
Bob is still angry, and maybe he always will be. But he has a point, how much is the UAE doing to help? And how many of the promises made by world leaders to rid the world of poverty are being kept?
The international effort (or lack of it)
Last year saw a massive step towards global recognition of poverty and planted the seeds of a grassroots movement among the general public in countries across the world to hold leaders accountable for the non-deliverance of the MGOs (Millennium Development Goals). Through the intense celebrity-endorsed campaign that was Make Poverty History, something was awakened in the public conscience. Shaking off some of the pervasive apathy that has come to characterize the attitude of the rich countries towards the poorest nations of the globe, 2005’s emotive campaigns jerked tears and tugged pockets. Gleneagles delivered in Kofi Annan’s words ‘the greatest summit on Africa ever’ – with agreements being reached to 50 of the 90 proposals outlined by the Commission for Africa, set up by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to recommend how Britain should take a lead on the issue. But is this enough?
As the UAE’s economy grows at an exponential pace it will become more and more difficult for its citizens to sit back and allow other countries in the region to tackle the issue of poverty, be it in the shape of aid to Africa or charity closer to home. In Bob’s words; ‘We cannot leave Africa suspended outside the economic net of the planet. To die of want in a world of surplus …[is] not only intellectually absurd but morally repulsive’.
Geldof’s furious invective is born of frustration. His long-term campaigning for the leaders of the western world to adhere to their promises of consistent debt relief made in 2000 has been vocal and unremitting. Time Out has the impression that although much of his vehemence is directed towards those politicians who, true to form, have attempted to renege on promises made, a significant proportion of his wrathful rhetoric is directed towards those who have yet to stand up and be counted as active participants in the campaign to put an end to poverty. As he said in his speech on December 16, ‘The politics of emotion can only take you so far. All the tears in the world have never kept a human alive. Practical action does that. Cash and politics, oil and water.’
Although cash and oil are two things the UAE has in abundance, the Emirates policies on poverty, international aid and sustainability are opaque, with statistics stating donated amounts not published or made accessible to the public as a matter of course. It’s difficult to see exactly what the UAE government’s policy on international development is. Each separate emirate has its own agenda and the situation is, all in all, somewhat cloudy. Geldof’s accusation that ‘the entire region of the Middle East, which has one of the greatest financial dynamics in the world, does very little to help,’ may be based on the fact that few figures are available and that private doners very rarely declare the amounts they give as aid or otherwise. Muslims are instructed to give a proportion (2.5 per cent upon an individual’s wealth above the nisab or minimum income) their unspent income as alms or Zakaat, as directed by the five pillars of Islam. Although revealing the amount you give to charity is frowned upon, the Koran suggests that this is an acceptable practice if it encourages people to make greater donations.
Anish Katturkaran, an 18-year-old student juggling his A-levels and running around the country in an attempt to rouse interest in the campaign is the face of the Make Poverty History in the UAE. He explains: ‘Most of the richest member states of the United Nations have done nothing as yet to adhere to the MDG proposals. The Make Poverty History campaign in the UAE was launched late in September last year and as yet, has only received the go-ahead for one event; the White Band day walk in Media City. In the past five years it has become increasingly difficult for charities without direct patronage to organize fundraising events – hence what we are trying to do is raise awareness, which will hopefully result in more flexibility and support with regards to fundraising in the future.’
The cultural issues at the heart of the African poverty problem are governance and politics – the lack of an infrastructure by which aid can be efficiently distributed being one of Geldof’s main bugbears. Barbara Castek, the CEO of Dubai Aid and Humanitarian City explains: ‘There are four levels of aid. At the very top is the political level, with decisions being made by one administration or another which will have a long-term impact upon the country in question. The second level is economic, and as such is dependent upon politics. Beyond this is development and then charity. Charity is the very bottom immediate level at which people react and feed money into disasters – development is where we need volunteers.’
The message is somewhat confusing – it seems that simply giving money is not enough; skills and awareness and the turning around of government structures must come with it. Much of the frustration felt by those such as Geldof who have extensive experience in dealing with the governments of both countries which need aid and those supposedly providing it, is aimed at the inefficient means by which it is distributed. If countries like Kenya can slide into famine whilst massive grain surpluses sit in silos destined for the overseas market, something is going terribly wrong.
What is not being done?
Recently allegations of inadequate financial support have been levied against the oil rich nations of the gulf by the western press. ‘If Dubai has set itself the goal of being a new model city state economy, multicultural, for the planet […] then it needs to take its responsibilities very seriously,’ said Geldof. ‘The Emirates need to up their game with regard to their responsibilities to the world’s poor.’
Barbara Castek has high hopes for the UAE’s future role as a hub for development; ‘Although we live in a world where 92 per cent of the world’s population go home hungry and only eight per cent is content, things are changing. The Islamic culture of donating anonymously makes it difficult for a dynamic giving culture to emerge. However, the UAE is a major contributor to Arab aid relief efforts in Africa. To date, the continent has received Arab aid amounting to almost US$38 billion, close to half of the total aid channeled through Arab development organisations. We hope that Dubai Humanitarian and Aid city will become the dynamic focal point for NGOs in the region. The more organizations who base their Middle Eastern operations in the UAE, the more a culture of development will emerge within the country.’
People power
So who can help? The power of one person to make a difference is often grossly underestimated. Bob Geldof’s gruff calls for the individual to take action is echoed in the campaign manifestos of charities throughout the world. However, without easy access to information, the individual can feel impotent and incapable of making a significant impact. Nonetheless humanitarianism, as Barbara Castek is eager to point out, is a state of mind. ‘Start at home or in your workplace – communicate with those around you especially the guy who makes the coffee or mans the door. And aid is not just a question of money. If you are not a millionaire, be a skillionare and contribute what you can do or know. If you are unskilled, well, then be a thrillionare and spread the word.’
Take action
1) Sign the GCAP. Global Call to Action Against Poverty campaigners have helped to get Trade Justice, More and Better aid and Drop the Debt onto the political and media agenda like never before. Another name will make all the difference.
2) Get involved. The Make Poverty History organisation in the UAE are currently planning events for 2006 – look out for updates on their website www.makepovertyhostory.ae and sign up and participate.
3) Volunteer. Dubai Humanitarian and Aid City are currently campaigning to get people involved – if you are interested in volunteering put your name forward and join the database. Contact the organisation on 04 368 0202 for more information.
4) Spread the word. Being a ‘thrillionaire’ may sound cheesy, but enthusiasm for a cause will spread a positive vibe as well as encouraging others (who may be better positioned to help) to contribute skills and services. Poverty is not exclusive to Africa, there are huge numbers of people living in the Middle East whose lives do not in any way reflect the comparative wealth of the area. By raising awareness at a local level you will be doing your bit to make a difference.
By Michelle Madsen, February 2006 (Time Out)
When a couple of eminent Emirati businessmen made a polite comment about the UAE’s generosity in giving to Africa, Geldof’s immediate response was to wave a furious finger at the room and loudly retort that any number of the people present could reach into their pockets and write a cheque for the total amount of aid given to the Africa by the country in the past year, without feeling a dent in their finances.
Bob is still angry, and maybe he always will be. But he has a point, how much is the UAE doing to help? And how many of the promises made by world leaders to rid the world of poverty are being kept?
The international effort (or lack of it)
Last year saw a massive step towards global recognition of poverty and planted the seeds of a grassroots movement among the general public in countries across the world to hold leaders accountable for the non-deliverance of the MGOs (Millennium Development Goals). Through the intense celebrity-endorsed campaign that was Make Poverty History, something was awakened in the public conscience. Shaking off some of the pervasive apathy that has come to characterize the attitude of the rich countries towards the poorest nations of the globe, 2005’s emotive campaigns jerked tears and tugged pockets. Gleneagles delivered in Kofi Annan’s words ‘the greatest summit on Africa ever’ – with agreements being reached to 50 of the 90 proposals outlined by the Commission for Africa, set up by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to recommend how Britain should take a lead on the issue. But is this enough?
As the UAE’s economy grows at an exponential pace it will become more and more difficult for its citizens to sit back and allow other countries in the region to tackle the issue of poverty, be it in the shape of aid to Africa or charity closer to home. In Bob’s words; ‘We cannot leave Africa suspended outside the economic net of the planet. To die of want in a world of surplus …[is] not only intellectually absurd but morally repulsive’.
Geldof’s furious invective is born of frustration. His long-term campaigning for the leaders of the western world to adhere to their promises of consistent debt relief made in 2000 has been vocal and unremitting. Time Out has the impression that although much of his vehemence is directed towards those politicians who, true to form, have attempted to renege on promises made, a significant proportion of his wrathful rhetoric is directed towards those who have yet to stand up and be counted as active participants in the campaign to put an end to poverty. As he said in his speech on December 16, ‘The politics of emotion can only take you so far. All the tears in the world have never kept a human alive. Practical action does that. Cash and politics, oil and water.’
Although cash and oil are two things the UAE has in abundance, the Emirates policies on poverty, international aid and sustainability are opaque, with statistics stating donated amounts not published or made accessible to the public as a matter of course. It’s difficult to see exactly what the UAE government’s policy on international development is. Each separate emirate has its own agenda and the situation is, all in all, somewhat cloudy. Geldof’s accusation that ‘the entire region of the Middle East, which has one of the greatest financial dynamics in the world, does very little to help,’ may be based on the fact that few figures are available and that private doners very rarely declare the amounts they give as aid or otherwise. Muslims are instructed to give a proportion (2.5 per cent upon an individual’s wealth above the nisab or minimum income) their unspent income as alms or Zakaat, as directed by the five pillars of Islam. Although revealing the amount you give to charity is frowned upon, the Koran suggests that this is an acceptable practice if it encourages people to make greater donations.
Anish Katturkaran, an 18-year-old student juggling his A-levels and running around the country in an attempt to rouse interest in the campaign is the face of the Make Poverty History in the UAE. He explains: ‘Most of the richest member states of the United Nations have done nothing as yet to adhere to the MDG proposals. The Make Poverty History campaign in the UAE was launched late in September last year and as yet, has only received the go-ahead for one event; the White Band day walk in Media City. In the past five years it has become increasingly difficult for charities without direct patronage to organize fundraising events – hence what we are trying to do is raise awareness, which will hopefully result in more flexibility and support with regards to fundraising in the future.’
The cultural issues at the heart of the African poverty problem are governance and politics – the lack of an infrastructure by which aid can be efficiently distributed being one of Geldof’s main bugbears. Barbara Castek, the CEO of Dubai Aid and Humanitarian City explains: ‘There are four levels of aid. At the very top is the political level, with decisions being made by one administration or another which will have a long-term impact upon the country in question. The second level is economic, and as such is dependent upon politics. Beyond this is development and then charity. Charity is the very bottom immediate level at which people react and feed money into disasters – development is where we need volunteers.’
The message is somewhat confusing – it seems that simply giving money is not enough; skills and awareness and the turning around of government structures must come with it. Much of the frustration felt by those such as Geldof who have extensive experience in dealing with the governments of both countries which need aid and those supposedly providing it, is aimed at the inefficient means by which it is distributed. If countries like Kenya can slide into famine whilst massive grain surpluses sit in silos destined for the overseas market, something is going terribly wrong.
What is not being done?
Recently allegations of inadequate financial support have been levied against the oil rich nations of the gulf by the western press. ‘If Dubai has set itself the goal of being a new model city state economy, multicultural, for the planet […] then it needs to take its responsibilities very seriously,’ said Geldof. ‘The Emirates need to up their game with regard to their responsibilities to the world’s poor.’
Barbara Castek has high hopes for the UAE’s future role as a hub for development; ‘Although we live in a world where 92 per cent of the world’s population go home hungry and only eight per cent is content, things are changing. The Islamic culture of donating anonymously makes it difficult for a dynamic giving culture to emerge. However, the UAE is a major contributor to Arab aid relief efforts in Africa. To date, the continent has received Arab aid amounting to almost US$38 billion, close to half of the total aid channeled through Arab development organisations. We hope that Dubai Humanitarian and Aid city will become the dynamic focal point for NGOs in the region. The more organizations who base their Middle Eastern operations in the UAE, the more a culture of development will emerge within the country.’
People power
So who can help? The power of one person to make a difference is often grossly underestimated. Bob Geldof’s gruff calls for the individual to take action is echoed in the campaign manifestos of charities throughout the world. However, without easy access to information, the individual can feel impotent and incapable of making a significant impact. Nonetheless humanitarianism, as Barbara Castek is eager to point out, is a state of mind. ‘Start at home or in your workplace – communicate with those around you especially the guy who makes the coffee or mans the door. And aid is not just a question of money. If you are not a millionaire, be a skillionare and contribute what you can do or know. If you are unskilled, well, then be a thrillionare and spread the word.’
Take action
1) Sign the GCAP. Global Call to Action Against Poverty campaigners have helped to get Trade Justice, More and Better aid and Drop the Debt onto the political and media agenda like never before. Another name will make all the difference.
2) Get involved. The Make Poverty History organisation in the UAE are currently planning events for 2006 – look out for updates on their website www.makepovertyhostory.ae and sign up and participate.
3) Volunteer. Dubai Humanitarian and Aid City are currently campaigning to get people involved – if you are interested in volunteering put your name forward and join the database. Contact the organisation on 04 368 0202 for more information.
4) Spread the word. Being a ‘thrillionaire’ may sound cheesy, but enthusiasm for a cause will spread a positive vibe as well as encouraging others (who may be better positioned to help) to contribute skills and services. Poverty is not exclusive to Africa, there are huge numbers of people living in the Middle East whose lives do not in any way reflect the comparative wealth of the area. By raising awareness at a local level you will be doing your bit to make a difference.
By Michelle Madsen, February 2006 (Time Out)
Food beyond thought
A rundown of aphrodisiac foodstuffs:
Oysters
Myth: Ever since the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite emerged from the shimmering waves of the sea on an oyster shell, these pearly molluscs have been thought to have potent aphrodisiac properties.
Fact: Recent studies have at last thrown some scientific weight behind the claim that oysters, clams and mussels do have aphrodisiac potential. Researchers at Barry University in Florida have found that these mollusks contain certain compounds (D-aspartic acid and N-methyl D-aspartate) that have proved effective in releasing sexual hormones such as testosterone and oestrogen. However, food myth expert Dr Robert Shmerling, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School is sceptical. He argues that although these findings are interesting, the levels of these compounds are negligible and that eating the succulent mollusc probably only has a placebo effect on the libido. We think that feeding your significant other theses knobbly beasties is a sure way to say ‘I love you’. If the oyster’s fresh brackish flavour and mucoid texture of doesn’t win them over, you’re bank breaking generosity will do.
Vanilla
Myth: The scent and flavour of vanilla is widely believed to increase lust in many different cultures. According to Mexican myth Xanat, the young daughter of the Mexican fertility goddess, loved a Totonac youth. Unable to marry him due to her divine nature, she transformed herself into a plant that would provide pleasure and happiness; vanilla. If you refuse to believe this Aztec drivel then read up on most European foodlore and you’ll find that vanilla has a solid reputation as one of natures most appealing aphrodisiacs.
Fact: As with most foodstuffs with supposed aphrodisiac properties, there is no solid scientific evidence which can confirm vanilla’s effect upon one’s amorous feelings. However, some studies report that it can combat sexual asthenia by acting upon the central nervous system and, through its odour, indirectly acts upon sexual stimulation. We think it smells nice, which automatically raises it above many of the other supposedly prowess enhancing munchies on this list.
Chocolate
Myth: Chocolate has always been considered something a little bit special. Moctezuma, the Aztec emperor introduced the Spanish conqueror, Hernan Cortes, to his favorite drink, ‘chocolatl’ – served in a golden goblet. Moctezuma is said to have consumed several goblets of ‘chocolatl’ before entering his harem, leading to the mythical belief that chocolate had aphrodisiac properties. Through such auspicious patronage this sacred substance was raised to its prominence today as the food of romance, celebration, and indulgence. While chocolate was once considered the ultimate aphrodisiac, this reputation got a bit stale as the sweet stuff became commonly available.
Fact: There are some scientific reasons behind the addictive allure of chocolate. Chocolate contains approximately 50 per cent fat and close to 50 per cent carbohydrate; these nutrients combine to produce a powerful effect on brain chemicals (specifically serotonin, dopamine, and opiate peptides) positioning them at optimal levels for positive mood and euphoric feelings. On top of that biogenic amines, including phenylethylamine, (otherwise known as the ‘love drug’ because it induces physiological and psychological effects similar to those caused by being in love) will make their presence felt as you munch down on a bar of the good stuff. Delve into the dark side and try the 70 per cent cocoa solid variety – potent, delicious and best eaten in small amounts, so a little will go a long way.
Asparagus
Myth: People of ancient cultures from sandy Arabia to the decadence streets of Rome believed asparagus had aphrodisiac properties. Such was its reputation as an aid digestif that the Roman writer Pliny the Elder named asparagus ‘prodigas verntras’. With its phallic appearance, this vegetable has a visual association with enhancing potency. In fact, in 19th century France, bridegrooms were traditionally required to eat several courses of asparagus on their wedding night because of its reputation as a stimulant.
Fact: Recent scientific studies in the U.S. support evidence that asparagus may help prevent certain types of cancer, although there’s no word as yet as to the green veg’s love-inducing properties. Doctors now emphasize the need for diets rich in fiber, and asparagus is an ideal source that helps regulate intestinal function. These tasty green spears are also packed with vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, and minerals such as calcium and phosphorous. But no scientific evidence corroborates the suggestion that the asparagus has aphrodisiac properties aside from the fact that contains high levels of vitamin E, which is considered by some to act as a stimulant to sex hormones. Time Out recommends that you lightly boil them and eat whole with lashings of butter, salt and freshly milled black pepper. Delicious, if not yet proven to be diverting.
Celery
Myth: Not the most obviously erotic of foods, celery nonetheless has a longstanding history as a supposed aphrodisiac. Recently researchers looking for a real turn-on tonic have focused on the potent male hormone androsterone, which is found in celery. They believe androsterone is released through perspiration after eating. Its stimulating effects are well known in Sweden where the famous Swedish author Hagdahl described celery as ‘straight forward arousing’. Crushed celery seeds have a reputation for being particularly potent and can be used to spice up salad dressing. According to Grimod de la Reyniere, the French writer credited with inventing food journalism, celery was considered by the French as a potent loin-stirring force. He wrote the Almanach des Gourmands in the early 1800’s and had this to say about the dieter’s favourite. ‘Our conscience obliges us to warn shy people of this [sic] aphrodisiac property of celery, that they might disdain from eating it. It is enough to stress that it is not in anyway a food for bachelors.’ One for the ladies then.
Fact: Some scientists believe that the celery influences the suprarenal glands, which means the production of the corticosteroid hormones, like adrenalin and noradrenalin. What we can be certain of is that a celery heavy diet will make you thinner, hungrier and has the handy bonus of being exceedingly low in calories while freshening your breath.
Honey
Myth: Many medicines in Egyptian times were based on honey including cures for sterility and impotence. Medieval seducers plied their partners with mead, a fermented drink made from sticky sweet goo. Lovers on their honeymoon drank mead as it was thought to ‘sweeten’ the marriage. The use of honey as an aphrodisiac is mentioned in the Kama Sutra and The Perfumed Garden. In the latter it is said that honey spiced with nutmeg heightens pleasure.
Fact: Honey is a complex sugary food and does provide sustained high energy. Nutritionists suggest a couple of tablespoons of honey and two 400 I.U.s of Vitamin E to provide about four hours of increased vigour. Vitamin E present in honey increases oxygen in your system and is considered by many to be an aphrodisiac. Honey is an easily metabolized sugar, rich in B-vitamins, enzymes and amino acids. After taking honey and vitamin E, do a little exercise – this helps to pump the energizers through your system. Some nutritionists warn not to take honey and vitamin E if you’ve been drinking within the last twenty-four hours, because it can work in reverse as a downer rather than an upper.
So, do aphrodisiacs work?
Sadly, they do not. According to the US Food and Drug Administration the reputed sexual effects of so-called aphrodisiacs are solidly based in folklore, not fact. In 1989, the agency declared that there is no scientific proof that any over-the-counter aphrodisiacs have any proven effect whatsoever on the libido. All those foods which have so called aphrodisiac properties cannot be counted on to make you more desirable, desiring, amorous or potent. However, there is no discounting the placebo effect; suggestion can be a powerful thing. Using aphrodisiac foods or drinks as part of your seduction technique will certainly add to your culinary prowess and might serve to spice up your sex life in a number of different ways. And they taste good, which is definitely the best reason for trying them.
By Michelle Madsen, February 2006 (Time Out)
Oysters
Myth: Ever since the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite emerged from the shimmering waves of the sea on an oyster shell, these pearly molluscs have been thought to have potent aphrodisiac properties.
Fact: Recent studies have at last thrown some scientific weight behind the claim that oysters, clams and mussels do have aphrodisiac potential. Researchers at Barry University in Florida have found that these mollusks contain certain compounds (D-aspartic acid and N-methyl D-aspartate) that have proved effective in releasing sexual hormones such as testosterone and oestrogen. However, food myth expert Dr Robert Shmerling, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School is sceptical. He argues that although these findings are interesting, the levels of these compounds are negligible and that eating the succulent mollusc probably only has a placebo effect on the libido. We think that feeding your significant other theses knobbly beasties is a sure way to say ‘I love you’. If the oyster’s fresh brackish flavour and mucoid texture of doesn’t win them over, you’re bank breaking generosity will do.
Vanilla
Myth: The scent and flavour of vanilla is widely believed to increase lust in many different cultures. According to Mexican myth Xanat, the young daughter of the Mexican fertility goddess, loved a Totonac youth. Unable to marry him due to her divine nature, she transformed herself into a plant that would provide pleasure and happiness; vanilla. If you refuse to believe this Aztec drivel then read up on most European foodlore and you’ll find that vanilla has a solid reputation as one of natures most appealing aphrodisiacs.
Fact: As with most foodstuffs with supposed aphrodisiac properties, there is no solid scientific evidence which can confirm vanilla’s effect upon one’s amorous feelings. However, some studies report that it can combat sexual asthenia by acting upon the central nervous system and, through its odour, indirectly acts upon sexual stimulation. We think it smells nice, which automatically raises it above many of the other supposedly prowess enhancing munchies on this list.
Chocolate
Myth: Chocolate has always been considered something a little bit special. Moctezuma, the Aztec emperor introduced the Spanish conqueror, Hernan Cortes, to his favorite drink, ‘chocolatl’ – served in a golden goblet. Moctezuma is said to have consumed several goblets of ‘chocolatl’ before entering his harem, leading to the mythical belief that chocolate had aphrodisiac properties. Through such auspicious patronage this sacred substance was raised to its prominence today as the food of romance, celebration, and indulgence. While chocolate was once considered the ultimate aphrodisiac, this reputation got a bit stale as the sweet stuff became commonly available.
Fact: There are some scientific reasons behind the addictive allure of chocolate. Chocolate contains approximately 50 per cent fat and close to 50 per cent carbohydrate; these nutrients combine to produce a powerful effect on brain chemicals (specifically serotonin, dopamine, and opiate peptides) positioning them at optimal levels for positive mood and euphoric feelings. On top of that biogenic amines, including phenylethylamine, (otherwise known as the ‘love drug’ because it induces physiological and psychological effects similar to those caused by being in love) will make their presence felt as you munch down on a bar of the good stuff. Delve into the dark side and try the 70 per cent cocoa solid variety – potent, delicious and best eaten in small amounts, so a little will go a long way.
Asparagus
Myth: People of ancient cultures from sandy Arabia to the decadence streets of Rome believed asparagus had aphrodisiac properties. Such was its reputation as an aid digestif that the Roman writer Pliny the Elder named asparagus ‘prodigas verntras’. With its phallic appearance, this vegetable has a visual association with enhancing potency. In fact, in 19th century France, bridegrooms were traditionally required to eat several courses of asparagus on their wedding night because of its reputation as a stimulant.
Fact: Recent scientific studies in the U.S. support evidence that asparagus may help prevent certain types of cancer, although there’s no word as yet as to the green veg’s love-inducing properties. Doctors now emphasize the need for diets rich in fiber, and asparagus is an ideal source that helps regulate intestinal function. These tasty green spears are also packed with vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, and minerals such as calcium and phosphorous. But no scientific evidence corroborates the suggestion that the asparagus has aphrodisiac properties aside from the fact that contains high levels of vitamin E, which is considered by some to act as a stimulant to sex hormones. Time Out recommends that you lightly boil them and eat whole with lashings of butter, salt and freshly milled black pepper. Delicious, if not yet proven to be diverting.
Celery
Myth: Not the most obviously erotic of foods, celery nonetheless has a longstanding history as a supposed aphrodisiac. Recently researchers looking for a real turn-on tonic have focused on the potent male hormone androsterone, which is found in celery. They believe androsterone is released through perspiration after eating. Its stimulating effects are well known in Sweden where the famous Swedish author Hagdahl described celery as ‘straight forward arousing’. Crushed celery seeds have a reputation for being particularly potent and can be used to spice up salad dressing. According to Grimod de la Reyniere, the French writer credited with inventing food journalism, celery was considered by the French as a potent loin-stirring force. He wrote the Almanach des Gourmands in the early 1800’s and had this to say about the dieter’s favourite. ‘Our conscience obliges us to warn shy people of this [sic] aphrodisiac property of celery, that they might disdain from eating it. It is enough to stress that it is not in anyway a food for bachelors.’ One for the ladies then.
Fact: Some scientists believe that the celery influences the suprarenal glands, which means the production of the corticosteroid hormones, like adrenalin and noradrenalin. What we can be certain of is that a celery heavy diet will make you thinner, hungrier and has the handy bonus of being exceedingly low in calories while freshening your breath.
Honey
Myth: Many medicines in Egyptian times were based on honey including cures for sterility and impotence. Medieval seducers plied their partners with mead, a fermented drink made from sticky sweet goo. Lovers on their honeymoon drank mead as it was thought to ‘sweeten’ the marriage. The use of honey as an aphrodisiac is mentioned in the Kama Sutra and The Perfumed Garden. In the latter it is said that honey spiced with nutmeg heightens pleasure.
Fact: Honey is a complex sugary food and does provide sustained high energy. Nutritionists suggest a couple of tablespoons of honey and two 400 I.U.s of Vitamin E to provide about four hours of increased vigour. Vitamin E present in honey increases oxygen in your system and is considered by many to be an aphrodisiac. Honey is an easily metabolized sugar, rich in B-vitamins, enzymes and amino acids. After taking honey and vitamin E, do a little exercise – this helps to pump the energizers through your system. Some nutritionists warn not to take honey and vitamin E if you’ve been drinking within the last twenty-four hours, because it can work in reverse as a downer rather than an upper.
So, do aphrodisiacs work?
Sadly, they do not. According to the US Food and Drug Administration the reputed sexual effects of so-called aphrodisiacs are solidly based in folklore, not fact. In 1989, the agency declared that there is no scientific proof that any over-the-counter aphrodisiacs have any proven effect whatsoever on the libido. All those foods which have so called aphrodisiac properties cannot be counted on to make you more desirable, desiring, amorous or potent. However, there is no discounting the placebo effect; suggestion can be a powerful thing. Using aphrodisiac foods or drinks as part of your seduction technique will certainly add to your culinary prowess and might serve to spice up your sex life in a number of different ways. And they taste good, which is definitely the best reason for trying them.
By Michelle Madsen, February 2006 (Time Out)
The politics of polo, middle eastern style
Aptly named the sport of kings, it is not surprising that polo has found a natural home in the UAE where many of the nation’s elite have adopted the game as their own. In a country where ready funds for prestigious pastimes are not in short supply, the sport has flourished. The past ten years have seen the game come along in leaps and bounds and with the opening of a polo academy at the new club at Arabian Ranches in Dubai, polo looks set to cement its status as a high-profile fixture in the UAE’s burgeoning elite sport portfolio.Abu DhabiPolo in the capital is still something of a closed shop to the uninitiated tourist. The club; based at Ghantoot halfway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, is currently open only to guests of the chairman of the club, His Highness Sheikh Falah bin Zayed al Nayhan, although there are plans to open up membership to a wider clientele in the future. Built in 1995 to nurture the sport in the UAE, the club stables a whopping 200 horses, houses on average six professional players each season to teach members, and has one of the most technically advanced floodlit polo fields in the world. With such facilities on hand, it’s no wonder that the UAE team’s international ranking is creeping up year on year.Khalid Tantom, a pilot with the UAE airforce, plays for Ghantoot and showed me around the club: ‘Ghantoot is not a commercial venture’ he explains, ‘It is a privilege to play here and players are invited to use the facilities by the Sheikh himself’. The fact that membership to the club is restricted to those invited by the Sheikh to join, does nothing to dispel the sport’s reputation for exclusivity. However, there is an explanation for the imposition of limitations on the public access to the club. Ghantoot is not only a haven for polo heads, it is an open air extension of the capital’s governmental infrastructure with many visiting dignitaries and VIPs brought to the club to watch a game or discuss business in the sumptuous clubhouse and its surrounds. In its short life the club has played host to such A-list polo celebrities as the Heguey brothers, Prince Charles (who met his second wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles at a polo match and has just announced his retirement from the sport) and the polo loving Sultan of Brunei. Next to the unabashedly Arabian opulence of Ghantoot, the Guards Club in Windsor (home to international polo’s most bling event, the Cartier sponsored Gold Cup) looks like a marshy, overgrown playing field; ‘English ground’s have nothing on Ghantoot’ says Khalid appreciatively, ‘you can’t beat this place. It’s like playing on a snooker table’.It’s certainly an impressive set up. But for those of us who are not fortunate to be invited along to Ghantoot for an exhibition match or a corporate event, where to go to feed our budding polo obsession?DubaiIf you haven’t made it on to Sheikh Khalifa’s list but you’ve got the inclination and cash to grab a mallet and hop on a pony, up sticks and head North. The Dubai Polo and Equestrian club has just opened the UAE’s first public polo academy, making the sport accessible to all those interested in getting into the game who have a large amount of disposable income at their fingertips.Although polo has the not undeserved reputation of being inaccessible and intimidating, a one and a half hour lesson, with Steve Thompson, the club’s dashing pro will dispel this myth. ‘The lessons are designed to give any putative polo addict the opportunity to actually participate in that ‘once in a lifetime experience’ explains Steve, ‘From that moment on, they’ll have an interest and connect with the game when they see it on tv or in the papers.’The academy at the Arabian Ranches club breaks new ground for the UAE. The two other major clubs in the country. Desert Palm and Ghantoot, were developed as private playing grounds for the benefit of their wealthy patrons. Whether you play the game in the States, Argentina, the UK or the UAE, there is no financial reward for a winning team and polo is funded by private individuals. Private clubs have had little incentive to allow their facilities to be used for training purposes, although this looks set to change in the light of new initiatives put in place by the team at Dubai Polo Club.As momentum gathers throughout this season, the team at the Club are being inundated with enquiries and bookings from UK and the States from existing and aspiring players who are coming to Dubai for a polo holiday.In England, polo players faced with rain and sleet are now giving up the winter concept and coming to Dubai instead. Unlike other polo holiday destinations such as Argentina and South Africa, Dubai has more all-round family appeal; instead of being stuck in the pampas on a remote estancia five hours from Buenos Aires, a player can bring his family to a city which strives to cater to all tastes.Although the opening up of public clubs like Arabian Ranches has made polo more accessible, be warned, it’s an addictive and pricey hobby; you’re not going to be able to take it up seriously unless you have a hefty wad of cash to wave about. With ponies fetching over Dhs140000 each; the cumulative costs of equipment, club membership fees, vets bills and livery will leave all but the über-rich percentile of budding enthusiasts pale and shivering at the thought of the cost. Nonetheless, this arcane game of four-man teams, six chukkas and the ritual of treading in the divots at half time has a certain edgy sort of social cachet which you don’t have to be rich to enjoy.
By Michelle Madsen, January 2006
By Michelle Madsen, January 2006
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