Sand

Sand, sand and more sand!

If there is one thing that the United Arab Emirates has a lot of it is SAND!!  The country is situated on part of the Arabian Desert, the largest expanse of sand in the world, covering 1 million square miles.  So, we used sand as our art project inspiration! 

There are many ways that sand can be used in the arts.  Sand can come in a myriad of colors and textures and these can be glued to canvas, sculpted into elaborate designs, filled into clear bottles, or used as a medium for light-box drawings!  That last use is very interesting to watch!  Click on this YouTube video to see an very amazing example.

We chose to make the "sand in a bottle" type of project.  This is a super simple project for an amateur, but the amazing artists that sell these sand bottles are going beyond the simple.  Check out the details that they were able to get from simple sand.  We kept it a little more on the simple side for ours :)

The art of Sand
For the project you will need:

• few different colors of sand (Michaels had this nice little sampler for $4)
• clear plastic or glass jars or bottles
• funnel
• spoon

1.  Put the funnel in the mouth of the bottle and spoon in different colors of sand- one at a time.  You could also pour directly from the bag.

2.  Tilt the bottle a little to one side or the other to make waves or a more intricate design.

3.  Fill all the way to the top so that the sand has no room to shift around.

4.  DO NOT SHAKE THE BOTTLE!!







These turned out really pretty and the little baggies of sand held just enough to fill both the bottles.  The kids had a great time and really that's what it's all about!!   

Have a wonderful weekend!!  

If you build it...

...they will come!

Why is Dubai the fastest growing city in the world?  Because it has some cool stuff!! Where a few decades ago there were Bedouin camps and villages, there are now luxury hotels, water parks, malls with every store imaginable, and skyscrapers that are literally scraping the sky!  The limits of architecture are being stretched and pulled in some very creative ways.  

The Burj Khalifa-  the tallest of the more than 520 buildings that make up the Dubai skyline.  At 163 stories, and slightly more than 2,716 ft, it is by far the tallest skyscraper.  Construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2010 at a cost of about $1.5 billion.  The building has broken more than just the record for tallest skyscraper, it also boasts-

• fastest elevator- up to 26 mph
• highest nightclub- 144th floor
• highest restaurant- 122nd floor

But, with temps in the 100° regularly, waterfront property is a premium that the rich are willing to pay for.  So why not make more coastline? Right?? 

 

The Palm Islands- an artificial archipelago (group of islands) that were constructed in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Dubai.  They were constructed out of local rock and sand and now house luxury waterfront mansions, water parks, luxury hotels, marinas, and well, anything else that money can buy.  Amazing.  But check these next ones out...

The World Islands- now you can own your own country!  Well, maybe not the real country but one of the many man-made islands that recreate a world map in the sea.  Such an awesome idea but, unfortunately, the global financial crisis has caused demand to plummet, so, if you've got some cash saved up now might be a great time to buy your own chunk of the world- call your real estate agent!!


The Skyscraper Contest

We were so impressed with the architecture of Dubai that we decided to see how tall we could build a building.  So we dug out our old jenga game and......

Dreams of grandeur!  His was going to
go to Mars!!











Started impressive but couldn't handle the wind!

Another ambitious design with tragic results!  Darn wind!!

Our winner!!  Not the fanciest but the strongest

(and built by the youngest)

On the Menu: Arabic treats

Arabic/Indian Fusion

Traditional Emirati food is pretty much traditional Arabic/Middle Eastern food, but I did notice that a few of the dishes were very similar to Indian dishes that I have had before.  Maybe that is due to the fact that over 50% of the population is from the Indian subcontinent, maybe it's a coincidence? Doesn't really matter, good food is good food.  So, I picked a recipe that sounded like a fun way to sneak some veggies into dinner in a delicious way.  And it was yummy.

Pakora
recipe adapted from Emeratican Kitchen
For the recipe you will need:

The batter-

• 3/4 cup chickpea flour (I found this at both an Indian market and a Mexican food market)
• 1/4 cup Corn Meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 clove garlic- crushed or 1 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water
• Oil for frying

Combine all the above ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.  Then find some veggies in the fridge.  The link has some tasty ideas.  I used:

• 1/2 onion- shredded
• 5 sprigs of lemon thyme (stems removed)
• 1 small carrot- shredded (forgot it in the pic)
• 1 small potato- shredded
• 2 small zucchini- shredded

1.  Add the shredded vegetables to the batter.  It should be pretty thick.  Add more flour/corn meal if necessary.

2. Heat up about an inch and a half of oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

3.  Drop spoonfuls of batter in oil and fry until golden brown- about 2-3 minutes each side.  Drain and sprinkle with a little salt.

These were pretty tasty.  I don't make deep-fried food very often because it's not supposed to be very healthy, but these didn't actually absorb much grease at all.  After I was done frying I had almost the same amount of grease left in the pan.  The batter was very good- no one noticed that they were made with chickpea flour.  Now, I'd have to imagine that regular flour would work just fine, but I love finding unique ingredients.  These would be a great way to get rid of excess or leftover veggies, maybe even with some meat in the batter too.  The combinations are endless- Go crazy! 

Week 47: United Arab Emirates

Peace is possible.

Another late start this week, sorry, I've got short-term syndrome.  The end is in sight and I'm getting distracted easily!  But anyway, I've got a rather interesting country this week- the United Arab Emirates.  Never heard of it?  You'll probably recognize the names of 2 of it's main cities- Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  Those cities are also the names of 2 of the 7 "emirates", or principalities, that make up the country as a whole. 

In the 60s, as oil started to be found in the Arab nations, a group of Arab sheikhs, or emirs, joined together to support one another.  They decided it worked well and, by 1971, there were 7 emirates that were united.  They also invited neighboring Qatar and Bahrain to join but those countries wanted to be independent countries.  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a nice system going for it. 

 The 7 emirs each rule their own area for life- it is a hereditary throne- but the people elect members to a 40 person national council for the law- making and day to day running of the country.  Since the beginning, the UAE has put much of its oil revenues into healthcare, education and national infrastructure.  The country is growing quickly, Dubai especially.  

Dubai is the fastest growing city in the world.  Their economy has branched out and now gets a large portion of its money from tourism, trade, and real estate.  Impressive real estate too!  The tallest skyscraper in the world, the Burj Khalifa, is one of the now 400 or so that make up the Dubai skyline.  The world's only 7-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab, sits on it's own man-made island and looks like a giant white sail against the sky.  Beautiful.  The malls and restaurants are gorgeous and there is virtually no crime in UAE, mostly due to very strict laws.  

Despite many "western" influences this is still a very Muslim country.  5 times a day the Islamic people stop what they are doing for prayers.  But, unlike some other more extreme Islamic countries, other religions are free to practice in UAE.  There are Christian churches, Hindu temples and Jewish synagogues.  They are asked not to try to preach in public but otherwise given no problems. 

The Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai houses the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding.  It promotes learning and understanding of Islamic traditions.  Islamic is an often misunderstood religion and they seem to be trying to change that.  They show that it's not always one way or another, they show that it is possible to live in peace instead of war.  

Because of the growth of the country, the native Emirati now only make up about 17% of the population.  Indian and other Asian immigrants make up about 50% of the rest.  The UAE is a pretty diverse nation.  Even in their cuisine.  Sure there is the regular Middle Eastern food, but you can find any type of cuisine you are looking for in UAE.

Traditionally, men in the UAE wear a kandura.  This is an ankle length white tunic.  The women would wear an abaya, a black over-garment that covers almost all the body.  These days they can wear more modern clothes in they wish, but they still dress very modestly and tourists are also encouraged to dress modestly.  Which is hard when you consider that between June and September the average temperature is 106° F, and up to 120°, especially in the desert.  Even in the "winter" it never gets below 50°.  Rainfall is sporadic and sparse but dust storms are pretty common!

Outside the cities are many historical sites that are interesting to visit, such as Hatta, once a resting place for merchants on the road to Oman.  These days it is a heritage village selling souvenirs and showcasing dozens of 18th century houses.  

The United Arab Emirates is an interesting country, a mix of old and new.  Skyscraper and sand.