Eid with the dog living her best life

On waking up it was eerily quiet, as non-school days always are. I lay in bed and thought about what to do for Eid. DH was in Australia; the teenagers were still sleeping. It would probably be hours before they woke up.

The dog raised her sleepy head, stretched then scampered over. “Hello Bella,” I greeted her, stroking her silly ears. “Fancy the beach today?”

I gave the boys until 10.30am then roused them. My unenthusiastic teenagers lay in their beds like bags of potatoes, looking about as excited about my beach idea as a snail on a salt shaker. You could offer them free tickets to a concert with their favourite band, and they’d probably just shrug and mumble something about it being “fine”. It’s like they’ve already reached their peak enthusiasm in life and it was during the brief period of time they were obsessed with Minecraft or Fortnite.

Urging myself not to feel hurt or rejected, as I must admit I commonly do, I told the dog we were off! She jumped into the car with glee and rode shotgun.

Dubai beaches are not known for being dog-friendly so we drove to another emirate, to the Kite Beach Centre, where it’s all much more relaxed and your furry best friend can join in on the fun and live their best beach life.

Visualise a picturesque beach where the surf is incredible, swings made of tree trunks are a stone’s throw away from the water, canoes are lined up on the sand, and two-story thatched beach huts offer a cozy place to relax while sipping fresh coconut water.

But this beach is not in Bali; it’s located in Umm Al Quwain, a small emirate that’s famous for its family resort, Barracuda. Kite Beach Centre is an ideal weekend retreat for beach lovers, where natural and rustic-style features, typically associated with Indonesian beaches, can be found.

The centre, primarily a kitesurfing school, has been a hit among UAE residents for providing mismatched sun loungers made from sturdy wood planks, which sit beneath traditional thatched beach umbrellas. Visitors can also rent a beach hut for the day, relax on up-cycled doors placed in the sand, or hire kayaks starting from Dhs75 per hour.

A variety of watersports lessons are also available, with kitesurfing and hydrofoiling classes priced at Dhs350 and surf lessons at Dhs100 per person in a group, Dhs150 each for two people, or Dhs200 for a private one-to-one class.

Fitness enthusiasts can enjoy an outdoor ‘Tarzan Gym’ made of wooden machinery while exercising on the sand, with personal training packages available for purchase.

Where else can you find a gym that makes you feel like a monkey while working out on the sand? It’s like Planet of the Apes meets Baywatch, but with less David Hasselhoff and more coconuts.

Beach huts can be rented for eight hours, priced at Dhs250 on weekdays and Dhs350 on weekends. You can also arrange a kayak tour through the mangroves, starting at Dhs160.

Kite Beach Centre Umm Al Quwain, open daily from 6 am to 10 pm, offers access to the beach for Dhs45 for adults and Dhs35 for children on weekdays, and Dhs75 for adults and Dhs45 for children on weekends and holidays (kids under five are always free). Pets are welcome for a fee of Dhs75 per pet.

Visit Kite Beach Centre website here

Things you SHOULDN’T say to someone after Ramadan

Along with knowing the ways to wish someone a happy Eid, including the use of “Eid Mubarak”, “Khair Mubarak”, “Eid Saeed” and “Jazak Allah Khair”, it’s also worth knowing what not to say.

You look like you’ve lost weight!

During the holy month in the Islamic calendar, Muslims observe a period of fasting from sunrise to sunset. They abstain from food and drink during daylight hours for a period of 29-30 days, depending on the lunar calendar.

While the practice of fasting is often associated with weight loss, the true purpose of Ramadan is much deeper. It is rooted in the Islamic belief in social justice and equality between rich and poor. The act of fasting is seen as a way to empathise with those who are less fortunate and to increase one’s own spirituality.

Bet you’re starving now!

Each individual’s experience of hunger or thirst during Ramadan is unique and personal to them, and is an essential part of their religious practice and journey.

Ramadan is not about starvation. Muslims do eat during the month of Ramadan, but only during specific hours of the day.

Making jokes about someone’s appetite at the end of Ramadan isn’t particularly helpful, accurate or humorous.

Happy Eid al-Adha

Sometimes people wish Muslims a happy Eid by saying “Happy Eid al-Adha.” However, this phrase is not accurate, as Eid al-Adha is a separate Islamic festival that is distinct from Eid al-Fitr.

This year, Eid al-Adha will take place between Wednesday, June 28th, 2023 and Sunday, July 2nd, 2023. This festival commemorates the story of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail to God. According to the Quran, just as Prophet Ibrahim was about to carry out the sacrifice, God sent a ram to be sacrificed in place of his son.

Let’s go out for a drink to celebrate!

It should be pretty evident to most people that inviting someone celebrating Eid to go for a drink is not appropriate.

Practicing Muslims do not consume alcohol as it is considered harmful and is prohibited in Islam.

The Quran contains a verse that refers to intoxicants as ‘the work of Satan’, indicating the gravity of the matter in Islamic teachings.

There are plenty of other ways to celebrate with Muslims during Eid, such as sharing a meal or engaging in activities that do not involve booze, thereby showing respect and understanding for their traditions and beliefs, while still allowing for a joyous celebration.

Eid Mubarak – blessed festival

Happy Eid

Eid in Dubai is a time of joy and celebration for the Muslim community.

The holiday, which marks the end of the month-long fasting period of Ramadan, is a time for family gatherings, feasting and giving back to the community.

In Dubai, Eid is celebrated with great enthusiasm and spirit. The festivities start with the sighting of the moon, which signals the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid. The announcement of the Eid holiday is made by the moon-sighting committee and is eagerly awaited by everyone.

On the first day of Eid, Muslims gather in mosques and open spaces for special prayers, called Eid al-Fitr prayer. The prayers are usually followed by a sermon by the imam, which focuses on the importance of forgiveness, gratitude and compassion. After the prayers, people exchange greetings (what to say – and what not to saying coming up!).

The rest of the day is spent in feasting and celebration with family and friends. Traditional dishes like biryani, kebabs and samosas are prepared and shared, and sweet treats like baklava and sheer khurma are served. Children receive gifts and money, and families often dress up in new clothes and visit each other’s homes to exchange gifts and good wishes.

Dubai also hosts a number of special events and activities during Eid, including fireworks displays, cultural performances and shopping festivals. The city’s malls and shopping centres offer huge discounts and promotions during the holiday, making it a popular time for shopping and retail therapy.

To express your well wishes to someone during Eid, the most common phrase used is “Eid Mubarak,” which translates to “Blessed Festival” or “Blessed Feast” in English. This phrase is often used by Muslims to greet their family and friends during the holiday.

In response to “Eid Mubarak,” it is considered polite to say “Khair Mubarak,” which translates to “Good Will” or “Good Wishes.”

Another way of wishing someone a happy Eid is to say “Eid Saeed” which means “Happy Eid” in Arabic.

Some people also use the phrase “Jazak Allah Khair” to celebrate the end of Ramadan, which translates to “May Allah reward you with goodness.” This is another way to express gratitude and well wishes to others during the holiday.

Rough nights

I have to admit, I started the Eid half-term in a not-so-bright mood.

“When do I get a holiday?” I harrumphed to DH in a small self-entitled voice, before threatening to check into a hotel to have some ‘me time’ and a lie-in.

These outbursts are nearly always linked to tiredness, I’ve realised. And DH, who’s heard it all before, knows exactly what to do: he takes charge of the children and sits it out.

Then, the cooler Eid weather worked its magic. Suffice to say, Dubai’s blue skies are casting their spell over everyone again, tourists are flocking back in their droves and Eid turned out to be fabulous – almost like being on holiday in Dubai.

DH’s change of scenery – though I’m sure he wished he’d been able to see Noddy at the theatre with us!

But, parenting, it’s never smooth sailing, is it? Just when you think you might actually have cracked it, that it may even be getting a little easier, doesn’t something always happen to keep you on your toes?

Last night, as I settled in on the sofa, I heard the sound of little feet padding down the stairs. BB appeared, with glassy eyes and a vacant stare. Sleepwalking again! We’ve found him draped across various pieces of furniture in the middle of the night a couple of times now.

He’s pretty easy to settle when this happens, but what followed definitely fell into my ‘things I detest about parenting’ category: Projectile Vomit. EVERYWHERE. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, BB then slipped and fell facedown in it. Oh, the shrieks.

Oh, the MISERY.

LB, of course, woke too, and put on an Oscar-worthy performance pretending to be sick (never one to be outdone). And so there I was, wading in vom, trying to coax two boys back to sleep, when my phone pinged.

A text from DH: “Everything OK? I’m in Paris.”

Let’s just say that, after two really rough nights with zero bonhomie, the hotel stay is back on the agenda!

Silent Sunday: Eid

Tower with a twist

It’s the Eid holiday here in Dubai. The weather is finally perfect (87° and sunny), the children are off school, and by a stroke of luck my DH’s trip to London got cancelled.

Thank you, crew scheduling! (and thank you, DH, for not disappearing off to Tokyo instead.)

We’re just coming to the end of four days of family time, and thanks to the mercury dropping, we’ve been outside nearly the whole time – honestly, we tough it out through the long hot, sticky summers for glorious days like these.

Since water-based activities are still the order of the day, we kick-started Eid with a dhow cruise around Dubai Marina – and I just loved the twisted tower, pictured left, that we sailed past.

But the thing that made me laugh was that while we were on Captain Jack’s family wooden boat – sitting comfortably on enormous bean bags atop the deck of the beautifully varnished vessel – several super yachts sped by, one with a pair of bikini-clad blondes at the helm who turned the heads of the dads on our boat.

How children change everything, I smiled to myself!

The view from Captain Jack’s boat

The pleasure boat I bet half the dads wished they were on!