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I love UAE

This National Day, let food take a backseat; lets talk about what makes this country so great

In celebration of National Day, I have compiled a list of things I love about this country. Something great must be said of the country that has opened up its borders to us here and has allowed us wonderful life-enhancing experiences we would not have found elsewhere. I strongly believe that there is lots to appreciate, if we take the time to acknowledge that we are here because it is good to be here.

Emirati culture is grounded in humility, hospitality, and strong family values

This is one of the first things I noticed when I arrived here a few years ago. The country is built on the best elements of humanity and friendliness goes a long way. Families are everywhere and children are celebrated with as much attention as adults.

Many events, restaurants and malls cater for the entire family, which is a critical part in building strong family bonds. This is definitely a big plus for those who have children, and for those of us who do not, we are not short of little ones to smile and play with when we go out!

An invitation to an Emirati home

It is a beautiful gift to be invited to break bread with any family. However, it is very special to get a glance of the culture of a country you have moved to. I was fortunate enough to be invited to an Emirati home in Ras Al Khaimah shortly after I came.

Respectfully covered, I set off from Dubai and took the scenic trip through the desert into RAK. As a fine art photographer, I was stunned that something so barren could be so beautiful. The yellow tones of the sand complemented the bright blues of the sky and the dots of green bushes in the desert. By the time I arrived at the home of my friend, I was already in a very spiritual place. His family greeted us with such love and warmth. While his mother’s face was initially covered with the traditional Arab covering, I saw everything through the smile in her eyes. It was as if I was looking at my very own mother. I felt at home. I sat and dined in the traditional way and eagerly learnt to eat in the customary manner. My friends were cultured in their way of eating, while I felt I had a way to go to master their beautiful dining art. His sisters were warm and friendly and had an innocence that was fresh and endearing. I was treated to divine smelling oud and perfumes by his sisters before I left and went home feeling like an Arabian Princess.

Emirati weddings

Two of those lovely sisters eventually got married and my husband and I were lucky to make it to one of the weddings. While we struggled with the very little Arabic we knew, we made friends easily.

Sometimes, language is not the only way to find common ground. I was certain of this when I saw my husband dancing with the Emirati men in the traditional dances with the stick in rhythm as though he was himself a born Emirati.

National pride and 
patriotism

It is nice to live in a country of patriots. Emiratis have welcomed the world, but still pledge allegiance to their home. I relish the pride that both young and old have in their iconic past and their bright future. This is a positive place, where bad news is not the only news you will hear and good deeds are celebrated everyday.

The world lives here

I have friends from all over the world because the entire world lives in the UAE. This has served to reinforce that even though we may have lots of differences, we are inherently all the same. We are all connected.

The wide range of world cuisines available here

This is the food lover’s dream — we have the entire world at our table and we can pick a new cuisine every night and never be bored for choices. Many of us will never make it to these exotic places in person but we can certainly get a taste of those cultures through their food.

The winter desert 
culture

Camping is a long-standing tradition in the UAE. During winter, friends and families gather around bonfires to keep warm and cook and eat comfort foods. Foods cooked by wood fire have a distinctive taste to them.

In fact, I believe that everything tastes better when cooked by wood fire. It is back to the basics, stripping away the luxuries of modernity and embracing the simplicity of camping and genuine unadulterated companionship. Now that is what life is really about!

Now you see why I 
love this country. Write in and tell us why you love it too!

wknd@khaleejtimes.com

· Kari is a Dubai-based journalist and photographer of the food blog chefandsteward.com. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/ChefandSteward and contact her at:

· kari@chefandsteward.com