Monday 19 March 2012

A Horsey Weekend

I thought once the exams were out of the way I could write a post or two in peace…..me and my grand plans I tell you. Have been so very busy…….will put up a newsy post sometime next week. Just posting a few pictures of what we did this weekend. I had already posted about it[the same event] on my picture blog last year……and honestly same stuff, just different year. So skipping the detailed explanations, just adding a few more pictures......ofcourse I don’t need to stress do I that I’m no photographer, just showing you bits & pieces of what’s happening on this side of the world:-). 

Convention Gate, Trade Centre
The Horse Championship & Exhibition was held at the Trade Centre, same venue as last year. Looking at the outside one will never guess the huge amount of space inside the building. The area where this Championship[which was a huge auditorium] was held just occupies one corner of it.


The show had already started when we reached. Here's how it goes....the horses are paraded one by one and the marks are recorded on the blue screen above for all of us to see. They looked beautiful, the horses I mean....and not to forget, worth millions. Here's a funny fact...as each horse is guided into the arena by its jockey the crowd erupts in cheers and applause; many even banged on their tables, stamped their feet & made lot of unwanted din. For a very elegant and posh do, this was like OTT. When I expressed surprise the better-half enlightened me that they are not cheering but booing....trying to rattle the horses into making mistakes which inturn will help[supposedly] their own horses win more points;-D


Can you see the blue sashes on the neck of those 3 horses??? They were the winners....I would love to pretend I know more but seriously I was more concerned about where the kids disappeared to and so took off to check on them.

Fodder
There was also an exhibition happening side by side which advertised and catered to all horses and horse owners needs. For instance, exhibited above is the different kinds of fodder for their daily needs.
Different kinds of supplements for their diet
Branded Salt for Horses:-)
Most horse feeds are low in sodium and chloride, so salt is very important for horses, actually all animals....earlier horses just licked salt blocks now they come packed, the salt I mean. 

Sculptures
Paintings
I stood & watched this man paint for quite sometime.....and started eyeing him suspiciously after sometime. He concentrated on a tiny area at the bottom of that painting for the entire time I was watching him . How does he manage to complete them if he takes so long over every inch I ask.

I know....am a complete Neanderthal when it comes to art;-P. Now you'll say there is no need to act like you are proud of the fact....I'm not, I'm like very ashamed but facts are facts.....the artist wasn't really doing much. I went back after 2 hours and he was still at it, but this time on the right-hand corner. I just threw my hands up & gave up after that.


Riding surfaces[tilt head towards left to see clearly]
Something's wrong with my picture editing software. Portraits turn into landscapes and then refuse revert back. The above picture is an example of different riding surfaces......don't ask me more, I myself have doubts how the horses manage to ride over that black terribly uneven surface;-o

If one was bored with all the horse-related programs there was a section where UAE's heritage was depicted. I have seen it all before but half-way through my aimless wandering[I was trying to catch the kids remember] it occurred to me that you guys maybe interested, so then back-tracked and took pictures.
Tools used for pearl-diving
One of the main occupations of the people of UAE in the 19th century was pearl-diving. There was a very interesting write-up on it fixed above this cabinet. I read the entire thing but now can't remember much. Check out those huge shells...they've got multiple bump-like thingies on them which makes me think that one large shell can give upto 5-6 pearls[click image to zoom] instead of what I always believed, courtesy animated movies[one tiny closed shell gives one shiny pearl;-/]. Anyways don't believe everything I write here...I just told you what I thought;-P.

Below is one of my favourite pictures....an idyllic scene where an old man is working. The two beside him are chatting and drinking Kawa[Arabic coffee]. Another man is taking his young son to task for running around aimlessly. A woman in traditional hijab, walking past. Click to enlarge.
Basket-weaving
There was a stall which served hot dosa-like dish and dumplings in a caramelised sweet sauce. I remember trying them last year but this year I couldn't get anywhere near the stall as there was too much crowd. See, the entrance to this do is free...so quite a few people mainly locals & europeans wander in to check out what's happening. And free food is free food & if its tasty then there will be a long queue;-P.
Emarati woman making traditional delicacies 
We had VIP passes and so were treated like royalty......well almost like. Seriously, the only difference I noticed was that Royalty[they were seated across us, I heard Sheikh Hamdan[crown prince] was there but didn't spot him anywhere but then I didn't really look] got gilt-edged velvet couches...and we got elegant chairs. Service-wise everything was same....unless they got champagne but then they don't drink, so....;-P


Every 5-10 minutes bearers floated around with dainty hors d'oeuvres[no main dishes, only nibbles throughout] and how can I forget the delectable desserts.....everytime the waiter brought some, the kids magically appeared out of nowhere and gobbled them all up. Nikita openly claimed to our host that she was there only to eat the desserts embarrassing the life out of us. See that empty plate in the corner, I got our waitress to get me those dumplings I was talking about earlier;-D. No picture of desserts for obvious reasons.


There was plenty to keep the kids occupied…unlimited horse rides, henna painting, vibrating floors, falcon show and ofcourse the eats. They disappeared with their friends immediately after we reached and I stopped looking for them after sometime. Because they kept turning up at intervals with complaints, hunger pangs and to show off their tattoos & the freebies they accumulated:-)).

The kids:-))
A totally random picture taken after the event. While walking out of the auditorium they gathered all the fresh flowers they found and kept busy refreshing them in the water from the fountain, to keep them from dying[a 10 minute walk to the main entrance took 25 minutes;-/].

p.s: If the post didn't make any sense and you really want to understand what I'm talking about then please click on the link I gave in the first paragraph. 
p.p.s: If you feel too lazy to scroll up but still want to check the link out, then click here. The extremes I go to, to get people to read my posts...*Nancy rolling her eyes*.

44 comments:

  1. The line "Looking at the outside one will never guess the huge amount of space inside the building" had me say ' veliyil cheruthu aanenkilum akathu athi vishaalamaaya showroom aanu' :D so u had a gr8 time...i liked the kids snap best ! They are wearing similar shoes :) Is that your jeans leg behind the younger one ? You are very slim !

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    1. Seriously...so huge, like acres and acres of space inside;-P.
      Huh I give u pictures and pictures of various activities and u tell me that a totally random with kids is the best;-/
      And that jeans-clad leg belongs to a 10yr old....I'm taking the picture remember;-D

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    2. hahahaa nono Nancy I loved the pictures and kudos for the interesting narration with pictures. I know its no easy task...i did that with my cutlet post and realized that attaching relevant pics,is not a cakewalk:D

      And reg that foto I thot ur hubby must have taken the pic :)

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    3. Aaaah thanku, thanku;-D!!!!

      All pictures posted on the blog are usually taken by me. H rarely bothers and that too only when I threaten him;-P

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    4. hahahaha...

      How do u think my hubby took cutlet pics? Threatening of course !

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    5. LOL....all these hubbies I tell u;-D

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  2. Your Highness, Begum N al Maktoum,

    After all this, please tell me which horse you bought. (Name, lineage, etc etc would be helpful). I'll lay 10 Dhs on it at the Dubai World Cup next year.

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    1. Ur comment tells me that u haven't read the post at all....all thru I've been stressing that I have no clue how these things work let alone own a horse of that calibre, not to mention value;-P.
      And don't let HH hear u calling me fancy names like that. He'll ban u from ever entering Dubai again;-D

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    2. Err....when I wrote HH I meant His Highness the ruler...err...and not my Humble Husband;-D

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    3. Ha Ha - at the repartee on HH :)

      Milady - we never take your posts at face value. You have, no doubt, huge talent in matters equine !

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    4. U wound me Sir with your insinuations....I'm as straight as that cute lil kid in the utterly-butterly ads;-(

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  3. What pretty color, Nikita's (or is it Naina in fanta color?)

    //Nikita openly claimed to our host that she was there only to eat the desserts embarrassing the life out of us
    //

    Laughed loud!! Honesty is the best policy, haven't you taught her?.

    I want samosas, right now. Get me some, please.......

    PS: As you can see, I only look for interesting details from your posts. always.

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    1. Naina is wearing checks:-)).
      Ofcourse u will laugh because you were not there when she said it...we didnt know where to look;-/.
      Not only samosas there were bruschettas, kibbeh, salmon nibbles, spicy tarts....i can go on;-D

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  4. That's exactly how I pictured your girls Nancy :-) They look so freakishly cute!

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  5. That sounds so much fun! And with desserts that yummy - what more can you ask for :) And Nikita is just being honest :) I would have gone there just for the desserts too :)

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    1. Actually we almost decided not to go when Nikita found out about it...she instantly recalled the tarts & the pies & the horse rides[in tht order;-P] and badgered us till we agreed;-P. She is usually very uninterested in food, so when she expressed this much enthusiasm we just could not say no:-)).

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  6. Nancy !! I so love to drop by to read your hilarious posts...How are the girls doing ?? Still drawing away and you baking away ??? Loong time..will catch your other posts soon...This was really Horsey ;-)

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  7. An exhausting post.. (mops sweat from forehead) :)

    But pleasantly so..never knew about this horse thingy..good one.

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    1. That bad huh, that will teach me to stick to familiar stuff next time;-P

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  8. Ahem! I never knew such a show existed! Let me know the date next year. I want to go too. :)

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  9. Just check the sports section of GN around about 1st & 2nd week of March. There shd be an ad somewhere;-P

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  10. i was thinking that this post is flashy and informative and loaded with cool pics (i loved the basket weaving pic!), but where's the laugh out loud moment and then ur last p.p.s happened, lol! :)

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    1. Finally.....FINALLY I get a comment which is whole-heartedly appreciating my efforts. Thank You Snow*Nancy shakes hands with Snow for 5 minutes & would have continued if Snow hadn't gently extricated herself*

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  11. Having the same link twice (in the beginning and end) is not an effective way to make readers read two posts :P I have tried it, and decided its better to save energy :)

    This is some kind of horse fashion show or something? I must remember not to visit this event if I ever get a passport and ever come to Dubai :)

    Destination Infinity

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    1. Hahaaaa....u knw I made a mistake here, instead of writing 'the extremes I go to get people to read my posts'if I had just written 'the extremes I go to just for u guys' I'm sure all of u would have rushed to click the link;-D. Human psychology even when I studied it, was not my strong subject;-P

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    2. LOL it is a 'kind' or fashion show or something with lots of money involved;-D. But ofcourse I do not believe a word of what u wrote in the 2nd para.....esp when I know how interested u are about exploring new places and experiencing different cultures;-D

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  12. Interesting event, and those snacks look yum :)

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  13. Hi, Vow, I love horses ...err.. from a distance, especially the black ones.. but honestly I do not know a thing about them.. well..liked the pics.. and the kids.. and the food.
    take care

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    1. LOL I doubt I know anymore than u do but I still managed to have some fun;-P.
      And thanks;-D!!!!

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  14. Hey Nan, let me know next time when the event happens..Would like to go..
    Great u enjoyed it...When is Dubai World Cup Happening?

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    1. Ya sure will let u knw and the world cup is on March 31st;-D

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  15. Hi!

    That sounds like a very nice outing. I'll have to ask my Dad to plan something like this when I come to AD in the summer. Hors d'oeuvres look yum! As for art...I don't even pretend to try and understand it. I just enjoy what appeals to me. I live in a very 'artsy' (read fartsy) part of the US..where everyone is all culture-y, and I prefer chewing loudly making chk chk noises while talking loudly about America's Got Talent:)

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    1. LOL ur comment reminds me of times when I hear ppl quote poetry....am all overawed and think they are sooo arty/literate/poet u knw...; then I think 'u idiot u studied the stuff for 5 yrs, what's stopping u;-P

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  16. "Looking at the outside one will never guess the huge amount of space inside the building."

    As I was invloved in the construction of this facility I know what you are talking. Just for your information...there are retractable partitions mounted from the ceiling....so you can make the huuuuuuuuuge hall into smaller halls within minutes. The seats can be completely hidden inside ( I am not sure if you have seen the seating arranagment). Have you noticed a whirlpool sort of small structure just outside the entrance. thats called "Devil's eye".

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    1. At the risk of repeating myself I'll say it once again.....this is what makes blogging so much fun; we learn new things everyday:-). I didnt know any of wht u mentioned....next time I'll look out for the Devils Eye:-D.

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  17. You have a wonderful way of making the most mundane sound so so very interesting. Love your blog!

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    1. Awww....thank U for the lovely comment:-))!!!

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  18. That must have been quite an experience, watching the horse championship and getting to know a bit more about the Arab culture. particularly loved the basket-weaving pic :)

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  19. Yes it was Deeps.....I didn't mind going for it even though I had seen it all the year before:-D

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  20. i am not able 2 comment on your wordpress site..asking for email id and pw and when i signed it it said error. Dont have the patience to go through it again so commenting here.
    the april fools day trick was a good one. I sure fell for it :)

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    1. Hahahaaaa U fell for it hah....worth all the trouble I took I tell u;-D
      And heyyy thanks for taking the trouble to let me knw[abt the error & all:-)]

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