Ireland - The Emerald Isle

The connection between Ireland and Emerald is very obvious, If you have ever visited Ireland, you'll know why.
For those who weren't lucky enough to visit and see it for them selves, VISIT! We all need some Irish luck in our lives!
Ireland is exceptionally beautiful and green, as are the gemstones, that is why it's known as The Emerald Isle, however, It was thanks to a remarkable Irishman called William Drennan who referred to Ireland as The Emerald in one of his poems When Erin First Rose.

 Alas! for poor Erin that some are still seen,

Who would dye the grass red from their hatred to green;

Yet, oh! when you're up, and they're down, let them live,

Then yield them that mercy which they would not give.

Arm of Erin, be strong! but be gentle as brave;

And uplifted to strike, be still ready to save;

Let no feeling of vengeance presume to defile

The cause of, or men of, the Emerald Isle.

The Republic of Ireland occupies most of the island of Ireland, off the coast of England and Wales. Its eastern capital, Dublin is the birthplace of amazing writers like Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett and of course home of the Guinness Beer.

The culture and history will amaze you, the struggle Irish people had to go through is unreal!

For English speakers, you will find getting around much easier, however Ireland still has a native language called Irish Gaelic, you're unlikely to ever hear it in conversation unless you travel to a remote village on the western coast of the island. 

Before I came to Ireland to do my degree, I thought everyone was going to be talking in Irish, I was so excited about learning a new language. well, no.

The people of Ireland, are extremely and incredibly friendly, from the second I reached the airport for the first time I fell in love with the country. As a 18 year old, scared and confused I came,as soon as I met the Irish, It felt like I was home! 

I think the people of Ireland are the most stereotyped people of any country! Before coming here I expected drunken ginger leprechauns with pots of gold sliding down rainbows. I was disappointed.

Here is a link to the Top Ten Stereotypes about the Irish  

Here comes my favorite part of the post. FOOD and MUSIC!

The indigenous music of the island is referred to as  Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces. In spite of emigration and a well-developed connection to music influences from Britain and the United States, Irish music has kept many of its traditional aspects and has itself influenced many forms of music, such as country and roots music in the USA, which in turn have had some influence on modern rock music. It has occasionally been fused with rock and roll, punk and rock and other genres. Some of these fusion artists have attained mainstream success, at home and abroad.

Here is the amazing traditional dance called the Riverdance

       

And now "drumroll" .. FOOD *Sparkling eyes*

Irish cuisine evolved from centuries of social and political change and mixing between the different cultures on the island, predominantly English and Irish. The cuisine takes its influence from the crops grown and animals farmed in its temperate climate.

However, the development of Irish food was affected negativly by the English conquest in the early 17th century because this forced the impoverishment of the mass through land dispossession and the organisation of Ireland's food economy to provide supplies to England and its armed forces. Consequently, The "Potahto" became almost the only food of the poor (the vast majority of the population) and as a result is often now closely associated with Ireland. 

Unfortunately many elements of the Irish Cuisine were lost or abandoned during this time, but are now being revived. Represntive modern Irish dishes include Irish Stew, Bacon and Cabbage, Boxty and Colcannon.

Boxty

Irish beef stew

Yummy Yummy! 

Well, by now you should have already booked your ticket to the Emerald Isle. A beautiful country with beautiful people, music and food. What else do you want!

The Emirates - Bride Of The Gulf

I could sense the vibrations of excitement through my body as I type this! The United Arab Emirates, the only home I know, born and raised in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates. It has sheltered me, educated me and influenced who I am today.
Visiting the Emirates will be a wonderful idea if you're into modern architecture, clear watered beaches and miles of beautiful sand.

Al Khazna Desert 

 The United Arab Emirates, not long ago was a land of desert inhabited by Bedouin tribes, fishing villages and date farms.
Abu Dhabi was one of the poorest Emirates, while Sharjah was the most populated and powerful. The region remained a quite backwater of finishing villages, pearling, camel herding and farming in the oasis. However, all that changed with the discovery of Oil.
In July 1971, six of the Trucial States (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm Al-Qaiwain, Ajman and Fujirah) agreed on a Federal Constitution for achieving independence as the United Arab Emirates. The UAE became independent on 2 December 1971, making that memrobale date a day to celebrate every year. The remaining state, Ras Al Khaimeh joined the United Arab Emirates in February 1972.
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Au Dhabi took office as the first president of the Gulf's bride.

National day celebrations 

 Today, the UAE is a major international tourist and business center as well as one of the most modern, stable and safe countries in the world. 

It has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world at nearly $25,000 USD.  The UAE has approximately 10% of the world's total known oil reserves, 90% in Abu Dhabi and about 10% in Dubai. 

 While the Abu Dhabi reserves are expected to last another 100 years, at present rates of production Dubai's reserves will last only another ten years. 

Fortunately, the UAE is no longer solely reliant on oil and gas revenues.  Today, the oil sector contributes 30% of the country's GDP.  Thanks to the foresight of the UAE leaders, trade, tourism, real estate and construction are large contributors, most notably in Dubai.

Dubai

In 2013 the UAE's total population was 9.2 million, 1.4 mllion are Emirati citizens and 7.8 million are expatriates.
I was lucky enough to grow up with people from all around the world and I got to know traditions, languages, accents and habits from many countries!

Population Demographic

Here comes my favorite part of the post! MUSIC AND FOOD!

Contemporary world culture and music are well represented in the modern, cosmopolitan Abu Dhabi, thanks to theatres, cinemas and TV, but the UAE still preserves its rich folk traditions in the form of story-telling, songs, poetry and dance.

The interpretation of these folk arts varies between the coast, the oases and the desert, but the structure is broadly similar and the common themes are pride, religion, praise, masculinity, strength and chivalry.

And now .. THE FOOD!

Due to harsh desert conditions, the traditional food of the United Arab Emirates uses a lot of meat, grain, and dairy. Vegetables are easy to grow in some areas, and are strongly featured in the diet. Traditional dishes include Ma'louba, Margooga, Harees, Machbous, Frsee'ah, Fireed, Jisheid, and Mishwy. Meats traditionally used were chicken or smallfowl, such as Houbara bustards, and goats. 

The dishes are usually like stews, as everything is often cooked in a single pot. Saffron, cardamom, turmeric, and thyme are the core flavors used in Emirati cookery. The introduction of rice to the diet came when the traders moved to the region. Leaves from indigenous trees, such as the Ghaff, were also used to stuff small birds, releasing their flavor during the cooking process.

Breakfast in the UAE usually features breads like raqaq, khameer, and chebab, served with cheese, date syrup, or eggs. These were made over a curved hot plate, resembling a stone, which would have been used by the Bedouins. Balaleat is another dish, but its advent again with the traders, who introduced pasta.

Sweet options include luqeymat, a deep fried ball of pancake batter that is rolled in sesame seeds and then drizzled with date honey. Other desserts include khabeesa, which is flour bread crumbs blended with sugar, cardamom, and saffron or bethitha, a semolina blended with crushed dates, cardamom, and clarified butter.

At the close of the meal, it is usual to be served with a red tea infused with mint, which aids the digestion. Other traditions to the meal include a welcome with dates and gahwah(Arabic coffee), which are offered on arrival and are kept available through the guests visit.

Harees

Luqeymat

Chebab

I can't wait to go back home and eat all this good food, yummy in my tummy!

Do consider the UAE for a visit, just make sure you check the climate as it is ridiculously warm most times of the year but that shouldn't be a problem as you can literally go ice skating in August, which is the warmest month of the year! The Emirates is so cool to the point where they have outdoors activities indoors!

India - Land Of Mystery And Diversity

India is one of those destinations that you must visit if you ever get the chance. An Ancient land with absorbing history. Over thousands of years, geographical, historical and religious influences have weaved the colorful fabric of Indian culture, one of the oldest known to humanity. Tall, fair skinned and green eyed Aryans, small framed Asians and dark skinned Dravidians, have all left a complex demographic profile in the society. The diversity is reflected in the 17 major languages and 900 dialects.

India is a fascinating county, it is home to thousand year ornately sculptured temples, the world famous Taj Mahal and many more.

Taj Mahal

Holi or the festival of colors is one of the major festivals of India and the most vibrant of all. The joys of Holi knows no bound. The festival is celebrated across the four corners of India or rather across the globe.
This Festival is filled with so much fun that even mentioning Holi draws smile and enthusiasm amongst the people, it celebrates the arrival of Spring. A season of Joy and Hope.

Here comes my favorite part of the post and yours too I hope, the MUSIC and FOOD!


The music of India is very diverse as well, varieties of folk music, pop and Indian classical music. India's classical music tradition, including Hindustani music and Carnatic, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. Music in India began as an integral part of socio-religious life.

Indian musical instruments can be broadly classified into four categories Chordophones (string instruments), Membranophones (Drums), Aerophones (wind instruments) and Idiophones (non-drum percussion instruments).

Chikara Instrument

Sitar Instrument

Chordophones like the Sitar or the Tambura are plucked strings instruments, bowed strings instruments are used too like the Chikara and the Dhodro.

Kuzhal Instrument

Aerophones like the Pepa or the Kuzhal.

Membranophones like the Dhad are hand drums but the Kanjira is a hand frame drums they also have stick and hand drums like the Dhak,

Dhak Instrument

Idiophones like the Ghatam and the Sankarjang.

Ghatam Instrument

My favorite instrument when played is the Sitar, it is used mainly in Hindustani music and Indian Classical music.
Indian classic dancing is one of the best and most amazing traditonal dances I've ever seen.
Here is a video of the talented Anoushka Shankar playing the Sitar accompanied by a beautiful dance style called Bharata Natyam.

And now..the moment of truth .. THE FOOD! *Sparkling eyes*

Indian cuisine reflects a 5,000 year history of various groups and cultures interacting with the subcontinent, leading to diversity of flavors and yummy dishes.

The traditional food of India has been widely appreciated for its fabulous use of herbs and spices. The cooking style varies from region to region and is largely divided into South Indian & North Indian cuisine. The staple food in India includes wheat, rice and pulses with chana (Bengal Gram) being the most important one.

Indian dishes

I tried to fit as much as I could in this post about this absolutely amazing, diverse and cultural country but if I go on, I will not finish! Please do think of India as your next trip destination, you will not regret it!