Ramadhaan Buffet at the Grand Mena Hotel Khaldia

So finally Mr. F spills the beans. He is leaving for vacation in a few days time to Hyderabad to spend the Eid vacations with his family. Of course his mom and siblings are really looking forward to having him home again.Naturally men are not that clued up into doing shopping for a woman or at least very few men have this capability. I know my dad definitely doesn't have a flair to do shopping for women at all. On one of his solo trips he returned with the most old fashioned hand bags for mom and I and bought mom a bracelet that just didn't have any character.I guess its the thought that counts though. Any way to cut a long story short Mr. F asked me to do some shopping for his mom. I always do this for him prior to his vacations and this time he wanted me to purchase an abaya. So we decided that we will do fatoor first and then head off to Deira Soukh where there are many abaya shops.I will tell you more about Deira soukh in another article that I will post soon on this blog.
Our favourite place is usually the Red Onion Restaurant situated opposite the computer market in Olaya. This time Mr. F surprised me though.We took a right turn coming out of the hospital and made our way towards Batha." Where are we going?" I asked him. So he mumbles away that we going to a Kerala restaurant to eat south Indian food. Now, no offence to any South Indians but my idea of a meal is not one that is served on banana leaves and is soaked in coconut milk and coconut oil. It is not cuisine that I have been exposed to or grew up with. I was brought up with typical North Indian Gujurati style food.

After passing the ministry of the Interior and heading straight towards the Deira off ramp we took a left turn at the intersection making our way down a road that I was quite familiar with as the street is lined with numerous material shops that have mannequins in the window draped with stunning fabrics ranging from silk, to satin and of course beaded fabrics that will satisfy the desire of any woman. So many colours and types of fabrics to choose from, it is enough to leave a woman's head spinning in confusion.What I find really fascinating  is the art, skill and effort that is placed in draping each mannequin to produce a beautiful dress design or ballroom outfit all kept together with pins around the mannequin.
 So finally after driving down the narrow crowded road with just 6 minutes to spare before the breaking of the fast, Mr. F applies breaks at  the turnoff to the Grand Mena Khaldia hotel situated on Khazan street, Riyadh. This hotel is situated close to Al Musmak Fortress, National Museum of Saudi Arabia, and King Abdul Aziz Library.

The foyer of the hotel was spacious, warm and luxurious. The staff at the entrance were welcoming and friendly. We made our way to the first floor up a flight of granite steps that I thought were scary as they were shining,smooth and possibly slippery.Take note that I had  on my trade mark high heeled shoes and was not in the mood to make a complete fool out of myself by taking a tumble down the stair case. Nonetheless it was a smooth ascent towards the restaurant where the buffet was being served.
The only small hiccup we had was that despite reservations being made telephonically two days in advance it was not registered on the guest list and hence after speaking to the manager and discussing the situation it was all sorted out in an amicable manner.The general manager of the hotel Mr. Mazen Mirie was quite a friendly bubbly personality who welcomed us and showed us the way  to our dinner table. The restaurant was elegantly decorated in shades of red, blue and brown with long carefully crafted glass crystals hanging from the ceiling. There was a very relaxed atmosphere in the hotel. There was no strict segregation of the sexes and everyone enjoyed the buffet and interacted in a harmonious manner.The buffet tables were laid out to perfection. Starters included cheese and vegetarian samboosas as well as freshly fried spring rolls. The main course undoubtedly satisfied the taste buds of all present. Some of the dishes prepared were Chinese fried rice, Kebaab, Penne Arabiatta, Mash potato casserole, baked fish topped with a tantalizing white sauce and the highlight for me was freshly baked pizza served from the oven on to the table.
Saudi's are generally noted for their delicious desserts which included cream kanafa, baklava, fruit salad and cream and of course my favourite was a pancake that was stuffed with fresh cream and pistachio.
The chefs were delighted when we complimented them on the lovely food and even accepted being photographed. The price for the ramadhaan buffet fatoor package is SR120 per person which I thought was well worth it for the quality and standard of the food served. The customer service was just fantastic and at the end of the day that is simply all that a consumer looks forward to and wants.

If you wish to try the Ramadhaan buffet at the GRAND MENA HOTEL KHALDIA contact Mr. Mazen Mirie at
01 268-2222
You can also visit the following two websites for more information.
www.mena-hotels.com
www.mena-grandkhaldia.com
Take note that reservation  is a must on most days especially during  the holy month of Ramadhaan.

So after indulging in a sumptuous meal which certainly made me put on the pounds, we headed off for the night prayers(taraweeh salaah) before making our way to the Soukh. Mr. F decides to drop me off at the Soukh and then make his way to meeting his friends for an evening of Sheesha. Like a typical male he just can not tolerate the whole shopping aspect of browsing from one shop to the other as most women do. For him the idea of shopping is going into the nearest shop you see, grab the item and then leave. So after I spent two hours at the Soukh doing some of my shopping as well I finally hopped onto the hospital shopping bus and made my way back home. What a fun filled eventful night it was. Need to do this more often!!!!

THE GREAT PURI DISASTER

During the month of Ramadhaan my colleagues Mishal and various others would take turns to bring sahoor or fatoor (break fast meal) for the skeleton staff on duty even though meals are usually provided from the Royal Kitchen. Mishal is a Saudi but he loves Indian food. Now for lesson number one don't ever ask the question "What do you wish to eat?"..You will be encountered with a long list of items to make...Any way one of the items  Mishal wanted to eat was Kebaab and Puri(fried Indian bread).Now I can do the kebaab bit but Puri absolutely no. I tried the Puri recipe a month ago and it turned out to be a complete disaster. I have made it many times before in South Africa under moms supervision and it came out perfectly. I think she cast her magic wand. But trying it on my own was a true calamity in the making.Any way I did not want to tell Mishal that I can not make it. He would tell me oh my God you Indian and you do not know how to make your own traditional dish. So I came home yesterday and after taking a morning nap I woke up feeling up beat and positive. I took out moms recipe book and I told myself I will try it again.
So happily I take out the ingredients. Mind you its just 5 ingredients but of course the trick is in the softness of the dough and simply getting the right texture.So I get down to business..I follow the instructions, mixed the ingredients and kneaded the dough. I rolled out the dough, cut it into fours whilst the oil was getting hot. So oil is hot and we ready to fry. On your marks, get set, go. I placed the dough in the oil and to my horror the dough didn't even rise.It sank to the bottom of the pot like the heavy mass of an anchor thrown from aboard a ship. I tried another piece. This time it rose beautifully but was soaked in oil like a dish cloth soaked with water.I didn't bother continuing any further. I felt rather guilty with famine and hunger occurring across the globe but I took the dough and dumped it in the garbage bag. Suddenly moms voice started ringing in my ears."Sumayya I told you how important it is for a woman to know how to cook.You should have learned everything by now.Learning how to cook is for your own benefit.".We can dispute this fact but mothers somehow are always right.Then another voice came into my head and said,"Don't give up, try again. Failure is a stepping stone to success".With that thought in my head I decided to start off again.And after one hour of concentration I made the perfect puris.

I come from a home of very good cooks. Mom, her sisters, my grandmother and great grand mother all have a flair for cooking and baking.Mom even has a small catering business that she runs from home. She can make any meal and it comes out perfectly.
Now call me a spoiled brat but I never really fancied the kitchen.I think the only time I enjoyed the kitchen was when I was a kid, maybe 5 or six years old and I would wear my apron and imitate mom in the kitchen. She would give me my own small rolling pin and board and I would merrily "LOLL AND LOLL the dough"..(baby language for roll and roll the dough)..I'm sure that mom must have been happy that her only daughter is following her footsteps and that too at a pretty young age. It was too good to be true.

As I got older hitting the teenage years,I always found kitchen work mundane or boring.Luckily mom dearest was always there to cook and in her absence our house maid Sarah was well trained to take care of the kitchen affairs.There was a few times when mom was away either for a vacation or a medical urgency and Sarah dearest handled all household chores brilliantly whilst we all continued with our busy lives at work or school. Dad use to try helping by making breakfast which use to turn out to be quite a shocking experience  in itself. The kitchen use to look as though a tornado hit the place. Dads eggs had the texture of rubber and almost 99 % of the time he food burn the toast.Dads idea of a breakfast use to be Burnt toast with rubber eggs. I should get a restaurant to incorporate this meal in their menu..It would only be a matter of days before the restaurant would close down.

During my teenage years mom would lecture me on the importance of knowing how to cook.It was like a long sermon that would be repeated endlessly.The famous line would be one day you would get married and have to run your own home. You would still have to cook for your family despite being a professional person. There were times when dad would step in and say that if I got married he would send me off with a cook. He always said this jokingly but this one statement would be enough to trigger mom.I would be let off the hook and dad would be the next target of moms sermon on how he loves spoiling the kids. Dad is a big built burly man with a long beard. He looks a lot like one of the members of the Saudi religious police.No offense dad. He looks cheeky, strict and temperamental but far from it.He always threatened to give us a "shot' or two for misbehaving as kids but it was merely am idle threat. Mom on the other hand was the strict disciplinarian.I guess one parent has to take on that role other wise you would have a bunch of hooligans in society. Unfortunately in today's times the kids are disciplining the parents.Parents have to jump to the tunes of their kids in many instances in order to keep the peace and sanctity of  the home.

Traditionally the mother is usually the cook of the home. As I went through the disastrous process yesterday I stopped to ponder at how most of us take our moms for granted. Cooking is definitely an art. Its a skill like any other profession be it a pharmacist or a physician or an engineer.I now know what mom means when she says that the work that goes into making a dish is extensive and you will never know how much of effort is placed in to it , but eating the food is one, two, three.
Thanks to skype and other technological advancements the world has undoubtedly become a really small place.Whenever I'm stuck whilst making a meal I simply skype call mom and she appears like a genie in the box. Yesterday though I was thinking that what if mom is not around.We all have to leave the world one day.I then told myself that during my next vacation God willing I will spend more time with mom in the kitchen perfecting the art of cooking.I have come a long way though. I'm not the queen of the kitchen but I'm certainly getting there. After all practice makes perfect.Three years ago when I came to the Kingdom I didn't know anything about cooking let alone all the complicated Indian spices. Mom sent me off with recipe books but I just didn't know where to start. So four months down the line on my arrival in the Middle east mom comes by to visit me in what I called OPERATION KITCHEN. We went out Indian grocery shopping and mom packed everything in my kitchen in a neat systematic order. It was then really easy to follow all her recipes and as I started making different dishes that came out successful I was actually enjoying the idea of cooking.I always had plan B if all recipes failed. Plan B was designed by dad. If in the event the meal does not come out as expected just simply order your meals from a nearby restaurant and get them to deliver or find a nice Indian woman who would cook your meals and drop it off at your home.I'm glad to say that I hardly ever used Plan B.

Anyway, time to go into the kitchen and prepare for sahoor(morning meal before the commencement of the fast).Omelette with mushrooms, onion, tomato,chilli and a dash of cheese.The next time you rush into the kitchen after smelling the tempting aromas making its way around the house from your moms kitchen, go up to your mom and give her a certificate on being the best cook in the whole world. I personally think that a housewife has much more responsibilities and chores throughout the whole day compared to a career woman...Everyday should be mothers day.Appreciate your moms cooking and let her know that you are grateful for her presence. Often we only appreciate people when they leave the world.That's when we have feelings of regret and hopelessness.There is no need to be feeling this way. Start today and appreciate the people around you from your mom, dad, the cleaner, the house maid, any one that has made a difference to your life.....

Oh and one last bit, the pictures are not from Flickr or Photobucket. It is pictures that I had taken of the successful batch which I sent to mom via Blackberry messenger..Yes, Yes I know.. I had a brief  moment of feeling like a child who had performed her task diligently and is now awaiting her reward...LOL!!!!
If you wish to make Puris (A fried Indian bread), please feel free to visit the Kitchen section of this blog.

Islamic Schools------NO WAY!!!!!

Why I do not agree with the concept of Islamic schools‏

Brother Shuaib and I were having an interesting discussion last night related to his kids education.Schooling here in the Middle East is horrendously expensive and many a times companies or employers are not willing to incur the kids education costs. Brother Shuaib's kids go to a multinational school that costs SR36000 per annum. Luckily for him due to his nationality and status in terms of qualification the hospital has given him an education allowance that covers the cost of two kids only.
It was interesting to know that he felt the exact same way with regards to the concept of Islamic schools which has become a norm amongst the greater Muslim community of South Africa. For a start,I do not think that there is anything Islamic about Islamic schools.The same issues and problems that many of the other schools face are also found within Islamic schools. The only difference is that these schools cover up everything and throw issues under the carpet.

Through my observation I have found that when kids attend an Islamic school, they find it difficult to cope with the outside world when they enter a tertiary institute or the work place for example where they now have to deal with different types of people hailing from different backgrounds and nationalities. As Muslims residing in a western society we can not be an isolated island. We need to integrate into the broader spectrum of society and through proper Islamic upbringing within our own homes attend secular schools where we interact with other nations and cultures.In so doing, we can allow our kids to become ambassadors of the Islamic religion. I know of numerous cases whereby students originating from homes where both parents were atheist or Christian became Muslims simply through interacting with Muslim kids at school, observing their lifestyle,visiting their homes, partaking in meals together and simply observing the true way of Islam as opposed to what is showcased by propaganda on television.

I have also witnessed incidents whereby kids who attend these Islamic school feel as though they hail from affluent and elitist Muslim homes. The mothers of these kids compete with each other in  the kind of vehicles they should pick their kids up with. There was an incident whereby a child was enrolled into an Islamic school in South Africa and because this child was from a poor background, this child was made fun off. There were other incidents reported of kids being bullied due to the colour of their skin.Now are these the kind of schools we wish to place our kids in.The only thing Islamic about Islamic schools is the segregation of the sexes in classes. But after school these same kids are involved in relationships between the sexes and of course whats the point of segregation in school when they are brought up in homes where there is no segregation between the sexes in the first place. Islamic schools are riddled with incidents of drug and alcohol abuse.I know of many incidents that have occurred but were simply wrapped under the carpets due to the status of the family from which the accused child hailed from.I have also noticed that kids attend school in Islamic attire but dress the complete opposite during the weekends. So you create a situation where the child leads a life that is filled with complete hypocrisy.

Islam is a way of life.. It is not something that is taught at a specific Islamic school. It is a religion based on practicality and is of course influenced by the type of home you hail from.Through my observations I have noticed that a child who attends the Islamic school knows less with regards to religious jurisprudence as opposed to a child who attends a normal secular school in the morning and then attends religious school (Madrassah) in the afternoon for two to three hours.
Kids who attend a model C school for example are exposed to numerous extra curricular activities such as sports, horse riding, chess, ballet, arts and crafts, needlework, cookery and various other activities that molds a child into a human being that has been exposed to many facets of life.It is this exposure that can enable the child to decide on a career path further down the line.Numerous Islamic schools would entice parents to place kids in their schools based on a common trend that is present in all Islamic schools which is a 100 % matric pass rate. Now you would be amazed at how this is achieved. Speaking to a teacher a few months ago he informed me that this is usually accomplished when teachers notice that some kids are weak or not performing up to standard, their parents are called in to meet the principle, a meeting ensues between both parties and the usual case is the child is asked to leave and seek admission elsewhere. So naturally if you left with kids who are the cream of the crop your school is bound to obtain a hundred percent pass rate year in and year out.

The latest issue to hit some of the Islamic schools in South Africa is of course lesbianism and homosexuality. Now I have written numerous articles on this and have received many emails criticizing my ethical and moral values. I have said this before and I will reiterate this again. The Muslim community needs to get with the times. The Imaams of our masjids who deliver the Jumua khutba (Friday sermon) need to start addressing these serious issues instead of the youth picking up the wrong information from their friends or observing strange behaviour from television. Issues related to Sex, HIV, Aids, homosexuality and lesbianism needs to be addressed within our schools and communities.Often we would find the Imaam talking about irrelevant issues or issues that the community knows about. We all know that backbiting, jealousy etc is not acceptable as a part of not only Islam but any other religion for that matter. Start talking about pertinent issues that are affecting the society at present.

I do not condone placing kids in an Islamic school.A child should be brought up with a firm Islamic background from birth but grow up to be exposed to the many facets of life. It is a dangerous ideology to bring up kids with one tracked minds. It is an even bigger mistake on the part of the parents to bring a child up with narrow tunnel vision. We should have a firm Islamic background but at the same time we need to  embrace other peoples cultures and religions. Learn about Christianity or Judaism or Hinduism so that when questions are thrown at you regarding your own religion, you are equipped and well informed not only about your own religion but at the same time you are well aware of the culture and religious background of your opponent. This is the way of Islam. This is how the pioneers of Islam approached their religion.Call me old fashion but I still prefer the concept of kids attending a normal secular school during the morning and then engaging in Islamic studies during the afternoon.Maintaining a balance in life is undoubtedly the key to success!!!

Dreams Do Come True

So best friend Mr. F decided to go to Ash- Sharqiyya, the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia for five days during the middle of the week without telling me.He grew up in the Eastern Province and all his friends are there and so naturally most weekends he would drive down to his home town of Dhahran accompanied by a friend or two who are also formally from the eastern part of Saudi Arabia but now work in Riyadh due to better job opportunities here. Mr. F's family no longer reside in Dhahran. His parents were both practicing physicians during his childhood.His dad hailed from an aristocratic Nawaab family originally from Hyderabad. However, after his dad passed away a few years ago, his family returned to India.As is often the case in most families when the head of the home passes away many a times it leaves the family in complete disarray with other family members stepping in and trying to get a hold of the deceased's inheritance. For Mr. F the journey has been tough.Overnight his life changed and he had to shoulder the responsibility of his family. But as the saying goes, God never burdens anyone with more than he can handle. Mr.F has always dreamt of owning his own car. For years he has commuted using public transport which is not a big deal in this part of the world as public transport is quite cheap and convenient. I guess for a man though its a feeling of pride and satisfaction of owning your own car.So  two days ago Mr. F returns from the Eastern province and calls me. He becomes quite insistent to go out for dinner. Well after completing a long twelve hour shift I was in no mood of going out for fatoor(break fast meal).So last night we went out for fatoor. However last nights dinner experience was quite different. Usually we would call each other and then decide on a time and place. We both would arrive separately with a cab usually hala limousine. Last night Mr. F surprised me. He came by to pick me up in his new pearl white Honda which he bought from a retired middle aged man who worked at Saudi Aramco and that's the reason for him suddenly disappearing for five days. The happiness and jubilation on his face will definitely be a memory that I will never forget. I seen a sense of pride and achievement.I felt inspired by his eagerness to succeed, work hard and move forward in life.

I then started to realize how complicated some peoples lives are. There are many people in the world who have to work hard to survive without any support from anyone. And then on the other hand you get people who are born with everything on their plate. People like this fail to appreciate the basic things in life. The hard work and struggles that their parents went through is something that they will never face or endure in their own lives.They are short of nothing yet they are ungrateful for what they have.I started thinking about my own life. We grew up in a humble home. Dad came from a huge family of six brothers and two sisters. When my parents got married they lived in a small council home. I remember mom always says that when they moved into  their little home she had just the bare necessities. We only had one family car at the time which was an  orange coloured station wagon Peugeot.Mom use to therefore walk to the shop to buy her daily groceries.Mom's first car was a brightly coloured powder blue Peugeot 504.I still remember the number plate GTG451T. It was a funny looking car that took my brother and I to school from the day we started school until we completed our high school years. Everyone in the community new mom because of her car and of course she could never hide as we could spot her car miles away..
Dad worked hard and slowly with time he progressed to become a successful businessman and so when we completed school mom got promoted to driving a beautiful white Mercedez elegance.It was a stark contrast compared  to the Blue Peugeot with a beautiful, sophisticated interior, leather seats, digital sound system,and various other accessories that made the car a pure luxury. The Mercedez was a silent car that simply cruised down the road compared to the Blue Peugeot that could be heard a block away making its way towards home.As a family we had some hilarious moments whilst riding in the Peugeot. There were times when the door locks would break and so we all had to jump to the front seat to make an exit from the front door. There were times when the wipers wouldn't work and mom would take a cloth and wipe the windscreen whilst we sat at the back giggling and there were other times when the hooter wouldn't work.There were many people who would mock at moms car. But for us it was a car that took us to school and back. We were grateful at the fact that at least we had a car whilst hundreds of others had to walk to school or use public transport. I have noticed that nowadays in South Africa as well as Saudi Arabia the youth feel embarrassed to be dropped of at school in a car that is old or doesn't fit into societies standards of class. Last week whilst dining at a colleagues home, his daughter brought up the subject of cars on the dining table. She said that she goes to an elite school and so she will not accept traveling to school in an old fashion Toyota. She was insistent that her doctor dad should buy a brand new four by four vehicle which according to her looks trendy, classy and fits in with the rich and elite society they live in. I couldn't help but wonder, what has become of society? We start judging people based on the cars they have, clothes they wear, homes they live in. What ever happened to admiring someone based on their intelligence, honesty, integrity and character.
I have heard of numerous stories here within the Kingdom of women who refused to marry a suitor simply because he drove an  old fashion car. What does the car have to do with his status or character or qualities as a human being?For me a car will always just be a car,an object devised to take me from point a to point b. With Gods grace we now have seven cars and yet I prefer driving the small Nissan 1400 van. I always get asked why am I driving such an inferior vehicle for being a professional person and my answer would always be the same. A car does not define me as a person, a car doesn't change my personality or my character.On the other hand I do admire and appreciate my dad for working hard and succeeding in life. It was his dream to own a Mercedez one day and to simply be able to buy any car he wishes for and so after years and years of hard work his dreams have come true. I think that when youth are brought up in a spoiled manner, we as a society stun that individuals desire to dream and achieve a goal.Most of the youth today are lost souls with no desire to persevere and achieve simply because they have found everything on their plates. Usually when an individual is in a desperate situation to survive, it is then that the best comes out of them and they really work hard to succeed. The biggest success stories are always from individuals who grew up poor with hardly anything and yet after years of hard work these same individuals rise up to the top as owners of huge international companies.I was really impressed and felt good knowing that people like Mr. F do still exist in society. Nothing in life comes easy without hard work and perseverance.And at the end of it all cars may come and cars may go but the Blue Peugeot 504 will always be a car that my family and I will never forget!!!!

Let me know about your first car experiences....
I'm sure many of you out there must have experienced the elation and jubilation of owning your own car.So share your experiences with us. What was your first car? How did you purchase it or was it given to you as a gift by your parents?