Easter, true to its spirit, was one full of surprises,
pleasant memories and nostalgia. For some reason I thought I would be flying
out on a Wednesday till a chance reminder from hubby on Monday night made me
realize that I was actually flying out on Tuesday. Oh dear! Then it was a
last-minute mad rush to pack. I ran helter-skelter trying to get everything
packed into my bags while I ensured the luggage didn’t exceed the weight limit.
By Tuesday evening I had finally packed it all, though stuffed would be a
better word. Now I was excited to leave. My friend’s warning that they would
charge me if I went even a bit over the luggage weight limit, had me do a last
minute repacking.
Having checked in online (I was within the weight limit,
yay!) and being early, I was one of the first people to check-in. At the boarding
gate I finally deciphered what the lady was announcing. It wasn’t a new word sones
that I was hearing (like scones without the c) but ‘zones’. I was definitely ready
to leave. The entire journey was trouble-free unlike my usual flights. The only
issue was I didn’t get to sleep much thanks to pre-journey anxieties and the
old lady in the next seat having extreme bad breath in addition to leaning on
me.
Though I breezed through Dubai’s airport security and
immigration, it took forever to get my bags from the carousel. When I finally found
my bags, my cousin Sunil had been waiting a while for me at the airport. Soon
though we were at his beautifully decorated flat, where I met his wife and
younger son. Adi the elder son was by then off at school. After a good
breakfast, including some yummy avocado juice, we were ready to leave for Abu
Dhabi (my cousin had work there too that day).
I think I dozed off quite a bit on the ride being lulled by
the a/c. Poor cousin probably heard my snores! Hubby was waiting for me near
his flat when we arrived. After a quick goodbye we went up to the flat. After
feasting on takeout from FFC, hubby was back at work and I had a nap. I must
have slept like a log since I got up only when hubby banged on the door.
After tea we decided to venture out to church. Another
cousin of mine, and family, picked us up and we went together. After mass we went
to Khalidiya Mall. This was my first time in a mall in Abu Dhabi, since when I
left the U.A.E. there were no malls in this emirate. The lighting outside was
pretty. We roamed around a bit gawking at the stores. At the food court I saw
Hardees was still around thought the logo had changed. We had ice-creams from
McDonald’s that cost just 1 AED each and then dined from the various options
there. Judy, my cousin’s daughter, thoroughly enjoyed herself. By then I was
tired out and was again sleeping like a log back home.
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| Made me remember my childhood |
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| Judy is all smiles |
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| B&W |
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| Beautiful lights at the mall |
I woke up at 6 next morning. After coffee we dressed and had
breakfast at the Udupi Restaurant nearby. I had pooris after ages. After leaving me at the stop, hubby went off for
work while I waited for my first experience in a bus in Abu Dhabi. Finally my
bus came and I got on, waving my bus pass at the driver. The bus was quite
comfortable though slightly crowded being peak time. I got a seat after a few
stops and began to enjoy my view of the Abu Dhabi that was now new to me, as
well sights I had long forgotten. I got off at Marina Mall since that was where
I was planning to spend the morning.
Marina Mall was definitely huge and it took me all morning
just to see the stores. I saw almost all of the major designer brands as well
as some stores I had heard of abroad. By the time I had finished window
shopping, I was pooped and decided to sit down with some iced coffee and a
croissant at Starbucks. I enjoyed watching the musical fountain while I drank
my coffee. Feeling ready for another round, I went to the Carrefour in the
basement and proceeded to shop as well as take pictures on my phone of things I
had once grown accustomed to. I would later be posting these pictures to a Facebook
group I was part of (in case you’re wondering, people in this group were no
longer in Abu Dhabi and hence cherished anything that reminded them of their
old home).
Being Maundy Thursday, we decided to go for the English
service in the evening. By the time I was finally ready we thought we might be
late and grabbed a taxi. We arrived in the church just as the mass began and I
was stunned by the crowd. It was 4 times what I remembered. Despite being an
outdoor mass the place was packed. Phew! After the blessing we moved out and
contacted my cousin who was also within the premises. We managed to track him
and then rode in his car to celebrate Passover at his wife’s niece’s place.
After breaking bread with them we went to my cousin’s house. Breaking bread
there as well we finally went to a family friend’s home who by then had been
waiting for us for over an hour! There too we had another breaking of bread
followed by a light dinner. I was thankful it was Passover week because then I
didn’t have to tell people I’m a vegetarian (Catholics avoid meat and fish
during the week).
For those of you unaware of this tradition, Syrian
Christians from Kerala traditionally celebrate Maundy Thursday by making
unleavened bread (appam) and what can be termed as the accompanying sweet sauce
(paal). This is in commemoration of the first Passover mentioned in the Old
Testament. The head of the household cuts and serves the kurishappam (appam
containing a cross made from the blessed palm leaves of Palm Sunday) to all
present, in order of seniority. This is preceded by a short prayer.
I enjoyed my Maundy Thursday because I got to see my old
school once again and experience mass at the church. In addition I spend some
wonderful time talking to family friends, exchanging news and sharing memories.
Most surprising was when at the last place I visited, immediately after dinner,
the lady of the house began to serve all the food gifts I had brought for them.
Their eagerness to share all the simple stuff I had got them was truly
heart-touching. Around 12 a.m. we got home and promptly fell into bed.
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| Posing with old friends |
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| School stage revamped |
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| My old school is still the same |
Since it was Good Friday next day – a day Catholics usually
spend in contemplation and prayer – we spend the day at home, only venturing
out for the service at church. We arrived quite early this time only to find
the previous mass was still just halfway through. Since the masses were
outdoor, we decided to take respite from the heat in church. There I saw my
senior from school in the front row though I doubt she would know me. We
finally found seats outside for the service we had planned to attend. I saw
another senior as well but we were too far away to approach here. It made me
think how a lot of us ex-Abu Dhabians were returning to our old homes. Following
mass we dined at Figaro’s Pizza nearby and went home.
Hubby suggested going to the World Trade Centre Mall (The
Souk at Central Market). The architecture was refreshing to the eye with its
old world charm. The stained glass windows were really pretty. Lunch, we
decided, would be at Shakespeare and Co. That I had read about online. I
ordered a vegetable burger and hubby a vegetable sandwich thinking that it
would be just that and hence a light lunch. But when our orders came we
realized what a lot we had ordered as there were several accompaniments. By the
end of it I was stuffed. The restaurant food was delicious being handmade. The
decor was absolutely charming to this book lover. The place truly reflected a
Shakespearean charm and wished I could do the same to my home.
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| Inside the mall |
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| Shadow play |
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| Detail at Shakespeare & Co. |
I had seen a souvenir shop on my way to the restaurant and I
went back to pick up a few gifts. We then moved on to the Emirates Palace Hotel
where I had booked a free tour of the current exhibit at 3 p.m. At the entrance
I noticed a dress code sign. Thankfully I was within limits but I noticed quite
a few people walking happily around in violation of the dress code. Inside the
hotel I marvelled at the cost gone into the myriad decorations. The hotel’s colour
scheme seemed to gold and beige. We spend a few minutes learning about the gold
vending machine at the hotel from the staff in charge. Apparently you can buy
gold coins and pendants with the hotel’s seal just like in any other vending
machine. They also sell gold- plated pieces.
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| Checking out the gold vending machine |
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| A corridor at the hotel |
Since we had some time to spend before the tour we decided
to try out the restaurant. I ordered a nice tall iced coffee and hubby went for
Cappuccino. While the drinks were good, the price was definitely on the
expensive side. Realizing we were going to be late for the tour, we quickly
went to the place only to realize we might have been given the wrong directions
by the staff. We finally found the exhibition. Our tour guide Amanda was
sitting at the desk there and explained we were the only ones for the last tour
of the exhibit. She ushered us inside and a few minutes later we began the
quick tour.
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| Iced coffee |
Let me give a brief rundown. The exhibit was of some of the
works of Bill Fontana - an American composer and artist who developed an
international reputation for his pioneering experiments in sound. His work consists of a mix of sounds and
sights. In simple terms, he records
everyday sounds that one might never hear otherwise. For example, one of the
exhibits was the sounds from under the Sheikh Zayed Bridge; another was the
sounds and a video of the elevators in the Eiffel Tower. My favourite was his
recording of the sounds of the Australian jungle in the midst of an eclipse.
Amanda was rather friendly and only too eager to explain
everything. But we soon had to leave because we had midnight mass to attend. So
off we went back home and had a short nap before dinner. When we were ready we
went to my cousin’s home. Since he was going to be doing one of the readings
for the Easter vigil, we decided to go to church together.
Parking was a major problem, so my cousin dropped us near
the church and went to park the car. In the midst of the huge crowd I met my
classmate. Though we spoke for under a minute it was good to see her. Finally
we found some seats. After a while Mass begin. Though sleepy it was exciting to
be going for Mass at my old church again. I also got to listen to my cousin
read which went well. After mass, hubby and my cousin broke their abstinence
with shawarma. My cousin’s daughter
meanwhile was fast asleep in her mother’s lap. But she did manage to clutch the
chocolates I tried to pass on to her.
After snacking on a falafel sandwich it was bedtime. The
next day we woke up a bit late, it being Easter. Saiju was off and so we went
to Khalidiya Mall once again to watch Captain America. I tried the white hot
chocolate at Starbucks but was disappointed with the taste. I enjoyed the movie
especially since I was watching with hubby after such a long time.
My cousin had invited us for lunch and so we went there.
Judy was only too happy to receive the Beanie Baby I got her (she loves
animals). We feasted on soya cutlets, fried rice and mutter paneer/ beef curry,
and ice-cream. After lunch we went back home for a quick nap since I had
promised a friend to be there by 5 p.m.
Thus by 5 we found ourselves at an old family friend’s home.
Salim Uncle and my mum had worked in the same bank and were great friends. We
met him and his daughter after more than decade and also met his grand kids
(some of them). Kiran treated us to feast and it tasted just the way her mum
made. It felt nice catching up on old times and memories . I left with fond
memories and gifts.
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| With old friends |
Saiju then suggested we go to National cinema for another
movie in remembrance of our movie marathons. This time we saw the entertaining
Malayalam movie – Ringmaster. Being about a dog and his trainer, I certainly
enjoyed it all. After the movie, as per my request, we stopped at Green House,
the department store. I was thrilled to see that I could find stuff within my student
budget for gifting home. After a quick jaunt we left for home.
Hubby had to go to work next day and so I took a bus to
Wahda Mall which was just a short distance away. I finished window shopping in
a few hours and then started my actual purchasing. First stop was Daiso Japan
where I picked some inexpensive gifts. Then a stroll through Lulu Supermarket
and I was done for the day. Back home I had a snack and went back to bed.
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| Loved this display |
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| Blooming |
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| Al Wahda Mall |
When hubby got back we had tea. As per the plan I was
supposed to visit another cousin that evening, but for certain reasons the
visit had been cancelled and we decided to go to the Iranian markets. Hubby
first took me to the New Iranian Souq but there was little there for me. So we
watched the sea for a bit and then took the next bus to the Old Iranian Souq.
We walked into a store that I really liked but was overpriced for my tastes.
But they did have awesome tea sets which I would have definitely bought if I
had a house there. I did manage to find some of my favourite German knives and
bought a whole set.
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| View of the sea from the Iranian market |
The souq itself was rather dismal with only plastic
furniture and inexpensive crockery and vessels for sale on one side. The rest
consisted of various stores that sold different kinds of plants. When we were
done another family friend came and picked us up. They had bought gifts for my
parents and got me a nice watch as well. After treating us to pizza at
Dominoes, we said our farewells since I would leave next day.
The last day of my stay was spend in shopping for last
minute stuff. Hubby was off again, so we went to Green House again where I
shopped a lot more. Being the season of spring sales we were able to finally
get some clothes for hubby’s nephews and niece at very reasonable prices from
some of the shops in the lane. Alas! If only I had had more time I would have
gone shoe shopping as well since I saw some lovely ones.
Back home we had lunch, slept and I packed up. I was worried
about the weight since we didn’t have a weighing machine and there was no way
to do so till I reached Dubai airport. With fingers crossed we left for the
Emirates office where I was to get the bus to Dubai airport. Hubby’s classmate
from college met us there and we discovered we had both studied in the same
school. How funny!
When it was time to board the bus it was with great sadness
I left my hubby behind. We reached the airport after about 2 hours and once
inside I was struck by the vastness of the terminal. I could easily have got
lost in there. I was directed to the check-in counter and lo and behold! My
check-in luggage was 200 grams underweight! Wow!
After trekking through the airport duty free I sat down for
a hot chocolate. Finally, with some last minute purchases I reached the
boarding gate. I had a smooth flight and slept after dinner till it was nearly
time to land. I breezed through immigration where I came across Malayalam actor
Indrajith. But unfortunately I had to wait more than an hour for my bags to
come. It made me realize the reason a new international terminal was being built
in Kochi – with all the flights coming in, the baggage carousel area was
crowded and there were no seats. I can’t wait for the new terminal to open. I
was one of the last of them to leave but was sent back at the gate because of
some forms.
So after 4:30 a.m. I finally reached outside and found dad
waiting there. Just I was hurriedly trying to get into the car, I saw my old
teacher. Amazingly she remembered me and told me she had just retired. Funnily
we had been on the same flight! What a coincidence! She was one of the people I
had hoped to meet in Abu Dhabi but I was thankful that I got to meet her at
least here. All too soon I was on my way back home with lots and lots of
memories of a few short days in my birth city. I hope to go back again soon, so
wish me luck with that.
I thought people only lived here
