Tag Archives: entertainment
Longest day of the year brings heat
Longest day of the year brings heat Staff Reporter / 21 June 2013 As the longest day of the year hit, the mercury is set to keep rising. Friday marked the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, which is the longest day of the year, bringing with it high temperatures, humidity and a spot of rain in the UAE also. A National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology spokesman said Friday’s highest temperature was 45.2 degree Celsius in the Hamim area, in the south of the country — more than twice the temperature atop the country’s highest mountain Jebel Jais, which racked up just 20.3 degree Celsius. “The difference between the interior and coastal areas is a big (one). The interior areas are mostly above 40 but in the coastal areas and islands, it’s about 33, 34, 35, something like this.” Abu Dhabi recorded 37.9 degree Celsius at the airport, near the interior, but along the Capital’s corniche temperatures only reached 32.9 degree Celsius. “It was a hot day in general, 44 or 45. The humidity is high so the feeling is a lot hotter, it makes it feel for or five degrees hotter,” he said. The high humidity that formed convective clouds also accounted for moderate to heavy rain in the east of Al Shiwed. “There’s a chance tomorrow for some cloud formation in the east of the UAE after noon.” The north of the country, in Zafar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s Al Minhad were all plagued with fog on Friday morning too. Residents should brace themselves for rising temperatures. In the next two months, the mercury would hit up to 50 degree Celsius, he said. “The heat is coming.” In other, cooler parts of the world, the solstice was celebrated, with more than 20,000 celebrants gathering at the famed Stonehenge monument on a cloudy English day. In New York, free mass yoga lessons took place in Manhattan’s Times Square for the 11th year running. The annual event had grown from just three people in the first year, to more than 15,000. amanda@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
A fish restaurant’s recipe for success
A fish restaurant’s recipe for success Lily B. Libo-on (ABOUT SHARJAH) / 21 June 2013 Against the backdrop of Sharjah’s state-of-the-art hotels and eateries, a 40-year-old fish restaurant situated in Al Nabba is still making it big. Frying 400 kilograms of fish a day to meet the demands of 200 visitors on week days — who swell to more than 500 on weekends — this antique-styled but cozy fish restaurant continues to attract its old clients and hundreds more new ones. The huge sign reading ‘Samra Restaurant’ is visible from a distance, yet this decades-old eating rendezvous is popularly known to its regular customers as Mama Mache Restaurant. Mama, an Indian national known for his prowess and secret recipe for deep-frying fish, started this restaurant as a small eatery at the back of Rotana Hotel and had continued like that until ten years ago when he went back to India for good. Now owned by an Emirati, Ahmad Khayal, Mama Mache has continued to draw hundreds of satisfied guests, including Japanese and Westerners who make the restaurant a must on their visits to Sharjah, especially during winter. Hassan Abdul Khader, Indian manager of Mama Mache, says that he has worked with the original owner for ten years and, after mastering the craft and the specially prepared herb seasoning, has steered the restaurant to more successes, including a fast-growing clientele of tourists and residents from all emirates and abroad. He says that tourists also ask them to pack fried hamour, sherry, king fish and pomfret and send the packages to their countries for their friends. “Sixty per cent of our daily fried-fish orders are taken out to their homes, as these customers cannot eat in the restaurant for lack of tables and chairs. These ‘take away orders” also include the ones hand-carried to (people) back home,” he adds. A numbering system has been used to ensure the queue is smooth, and customers have to wait 45 minutes after receiving the number on weekdays and even longer on weekends. Mama Mache opens at 3pm for its all seven Indian workers to clean and prepare the fish, putting their specially prepared powder of herbs and spices to marinate the fish. Frying will start only at 6pm when customers start coming. But, the number grows bigger and bigger from 8pm until 12 midnight when the Mama Mache Restaurant closes. Mohammed, a chef at the restaurant, says that customers choose from the different kinds of fish available in the season and the chef will start deep frying them in Hayat cooking oil. “When it is finished, we put our special secret spices and herbs on the fried fish and fry them again for a few minutes. Then, we deliver the fried fish to the customer. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to cook the fish.” Emirati Ali Hassan, one of the regular customers at the restaurant, says that he comes from Dubai to take a Dh30 dinner comprising a big fried pomfret, roti with a dhal (pulse) curry or a green sauce specialty made of fresh coriander leaves. “I have been a regular customer for the past ten years. Like many Emiratis, I come to this restaurant twice or thrice weekly. While I am taking dinner, I also order packed meals for my family.” Jordanian national Issam says the restaurant is an extension of his home. “I come here daily for my dinner as I like its deep fried fish very much. Since I came to UAE seven years ago, I have been driving from Ajman to the outlet at night.” Mama Mache caters to various nationalities working and residing in the UAE, from the lowest paid labourers to the prominent Emiratis and expatriates. Regular expatriates who visit the restaurant are Sudanese, Indians, Bangladeshis, Jordanians and other Arabs. But, the biggest chunk of customers are Pakistanis. The Mama Mache Restaurant is a by-word in Sharjah, particularly to labourers, who cannot afford to go to expensive restaurants. Its fried fish is sold between Dh5 and Dh30 depending on the size of the fish. Khairullah, a Pakistani school bus driver who has been here for 26 years, says that he cannot afford to eat in big modern restaurants. He spends Dh20 for fried fish and roti meal with dhal curry. “I like the fried fish here. They deep fry it to cook the inside, and re-fry it from the outside to make it crispy. It is so delicious.” Samra Restaurant has a second floor for families, who come to sit for a dinner together. It is putting into its coffers between Dh5,000 and Dh7,000 per day during winter when Sharjah tourists like to dine outside. In summer, it makes Dh4,000 to Dh6,000 of which Dh4,000 worth of deep fried fish are parceled for families, who want to stay indoors and enjoy their dinner at home. lily@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
200 cars join parade for Syrian refugees
200 cars join parade for Syrian refugees Lily B. Libo-on / 21 June 2013 More than 200 vintage and old fancy cars took part in a parade along the Buheira Corniche to drum up awareness about the plight of the 1.65 million Syrian refugees — 805,000 of whom are children needing food, health, security, education and shelter. Organised by the Union Club in support of the “Big Heart Campaign” launched by Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi on Friday, the parade was expected to raise awareness and needed funds for the Syrian refugees. The parade started from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Sharjah Expo Centre area, and after going along Buheira Corniche, it went back to where it started. Vintage and fancy vehicles take part in the awareness parade in Sharjah. — KT photo by M. Sajjad To raise funds, scarves and flags commemorating the campaign were distributed to the Car Parade drivers. By wearing the scarf, sold for Dh150, from June 20 to 27, people will be showing their support for the cause and to Syrian refugee children who need shelter, security, health and education. The flags, being sold for Dh50, are desktop and hand held. Noura Ahmed Al Noman, director-general of the Her Highness Executive Office (HHEO), said the campaign aimed to assist the child refugees, most of whom arrived in Lebanon and other neighboring countries without parents. They constitute 51 percent of the total Syrian refugees. Through this Big Heart Campaign, Al Noman said, the HHEO will be able to raise funds for the 7,000 daily refugees taken care of by the UNHCR. “Every 14 seconds, a refugee is leaving Syria, and Her Highness Big Heart Campaign is the first initiative to raise awareness in the Arab world…itself, instead of relying on aid from the international community.” Al Noman said that Her Highness, now the Eminent Advocate for Refugees, needs to do this campaign because of the enormity of the Syrian refugee problem and to keep channels open to know where they are. lily@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
