Anyway, off we moved to visit the Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi. We got a taxi. All taxis I drove in had either Afghan, Pakistani or Indian drivers. ( apart from Ethel from the Philippines.) Each driver was polite, friendly, relaxed and kind. No ripping you off. No taking you for a metaphorical ride. Each taxi had a generic ipad like display with Kilometres and time travelled. A photo and name of the driver, ( hence I knew Ethel's name.) a display that went red and beeped when the driver went too fast and a clear price. No tips were ever demanded. SHIT, I have had some serious taxi experiences in my life and only in the UAE have my memories been universally good.
Anyway the driver from Pakistan on the way to the mosque was lovely. Seda politely asked him if he prayed at this mosque and his answer was classic. 'not all Muslims pray. I pray about once a year...maybe' this made us laugh as we got out and started to happily take photos near to the entrance with the Aladdin/Disney/Taj Mahal inspired (really?) / huge white cake styled mosque behind us. The religious police pounced on us and told us to cover up. I had forgotten a head scarf so we had to get a lift downstairs to the headscarf department. Bloody hell, we were suddenly in a massive underground car park, with not a car in sight. We walked to the back and found a small room where we could get Abayas,the long black dresses. My arms had about 5 cm of flesh visible and Seda, although she looked like a respectable lawyer, was told that her ankles were on show and her top was too transparent. We had to leave ID and thank god Seda was around because I was told that my passport was not suitable. if I had been alone I don't know what I would have done. Luckily Seda had her ID card.
This was my first Abaya wearing experience. I have been to many mosques in my life all over the world and normally a headscarf suffices but not here. I hated it intensely. A deep rage built up within my body. This wasn't good because the black unnatural fibres were already creating a personal, foul, microclimate. Also from a jealous perspective Seda looked rather glam in her long elegant gown,where as I had a kind of black smock which made me look like an OAP, brain damaged, fat Ninja. The outside of the mosque was beautiful and serene but inside was tattastic and sterile to the extreme and felt totally unspiritual. only tourists were around there were no locals praying or hanging around like I normally have seen in mosques just official guyswatching us for bad behaviour. There was no feel of the beating heart of lives being lived at all. It was a very strange and soulless experience indeed.
A bit too much hair Jane.
Black is just so not my colour
A bit too much hair Jane.
Clouds and minarets.
Lovely symmetry through the glass.
Naff modern copy of some pillar design influenced from the Taj Mahal.
After we had disrobed in the car park we got acquainted with Ethel from the Phillipines. She had been a family driver for 8 years and now in her older years was going independent. She was sweet and when we asked what we could do in Abu Dhabi she said go the Mall or go to Ferrarri World.( she was not being sarcastic at all.) we told her we wanted to see the port...she said 'why?' But took us there anyway and she was right nothing was going on there apart from a dodgy looking fish market and more car parks.
In the end she said you both need to go to the Cultural Centre. She had finally got our number and dropped us off at this strange little place full of Chinese tourists and Egyptian craftsmen pretending to be local handicrafters.
Sheikh Zayad is the man who created the UAE in 1971 and the Cultural centre had a room dedicated to him. a huge picture of him in the room,a few Korans and a few Koreans, a few pots, lots of daggers and Sheikh Zayad's personal coin collection oh, and a camel outside and a sad chained up cow too.
A wonderful looking book all chopped up ready to mix and match like those strange, funny animal books I used to have as a kid. What is it?
This weaver guy had been bought in from Egypt. His stuff was so bright and cheery.
A big Sheikh Zayad saying hello at the end of the road and a rather small Seda.
Seda and I then walked to the Corniche coffee shop and managed to have a drink of juice looking over the beach.was lovely. I wanted to walk for 2 hours home but obviously Seda, being of sound mind, didn't ,so we managed to hail a taxi. Seda and I then packed for our 2 nights at the hotel, a gift thanks to the generosity of one of my UAE students at Lake School.
Before we left for the hotel all three of us went to Michael's favourite restaurant, a local authentic Ethiopian restaurant. It was my first ever Ethiopian food and I loved it. The bread was flat and spongy like half a crumpet and took up a plate as large as my living room floor and on top was a mixture of spicy delicious beef, chickpeas, lentils, green veg and spices. you then tore at the bread with your hands and stuffed it all in your mouth. it was yummy! For Michael and me it was an experience similar to soaking your white bread up in a super spicy roast dinner mix but unfortunately Seda was not so enamoured by the saucy, finger licking , juicy experience!
The menu made me laugh. I was sure that Derek Tibs could quite easily be the name of one of my Dad's friends.
An orgy of roast dinner spicy madness and Michael.
Coffee comes with popcorn in Ethiopia then. The things you learn when you travel!
After this meal Seda and I left for Yas Island and our hotel break. Yas Island is the home of The F1 track and Ferrarri world. We spent the night drinking wine and gin in the smoky bar full of ex pats and Phillipino and Chinese bar staff. Seda started to talk about her TV work as a cookery show presenter. It was really interesting hearing what it is like to present a cookery show in the varied houses of diplomats living in Ankara. that is an fascinating job! I now know that the wife of the British High Commisioner is blind and that she is not too keen to appear on a Turkish cooking show. Enough from me. I'm really enjoying writing this though. It's like my week long holiday has been extended a bit! Night.
No comments:
Post a Comment