Religion and Clothes

The UAE people are very religious.  They e called to prayer five times a day.  Their weekend is Friday-Saturday, as a compromise to Friday's holiness to Muslims.  Most men prefer to wear a white tunic (kandura) and most women wear a black garment covering most parts of the body (abaya). They do this by choice they can wear other colors if they want to. They are very conservative and even if they were other colors they cover most of their flesh.

Cuisine

Cuisine

Hummus

Shawarma is a bit closer to kebab and is
one of the most popular food in Dubai.

Saffron Flower

Arabian Sweets

The UAE people have adopted most of their foods from the countries around them. Like in most of the cultures around the word, rice is one of their main dishes and for centuries seafood has been the meinstay of their diet.  They also eat all kinds of meat execpt pork. They also eat a type of unleavened flatbread usually made from whole-wheat flour.  Another type is a thin flatbread that is fried and puffs up while cooked.

Burj Khalifa - The Tallest Tower in the World

http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/

THE BURJ AL ARAB HOTEL

Several decades ago, the United Arab Emirates was a very poor and undeveloped country with a small population of around 180,000 people. Now the UAE has one of the highest GDP per capita’s in the world. Since they discovered oil in 1960 this country has gone from having much of its population living in palm-tree houses and having nomadic lifestyles to working in skyscrapers and living on artificially crated palm-tree islands. From the 1970s to the present, the UAE has undergone a major socio-economic transformation. It is one of the most dynamic and prosperous developing countries in the world. Is the home of the tallest building, the largest shopping mall and the biggest theme park in the world. Out of nearly 200 countries the UAE ranks at No. 39 and within the “High Human Development” category. The UAE’s elite have shown significant generosity in sharing its great wealth and benefits with its native population encouraging major economic and social improvement. The population has done a great job improving and educating themselves to take over the highest skilled jobs in the country. They maintain their domestic integrity and traditions and they want the new generations to keep their own customs within the limits stipulated by Islamic Law.

Artificial Islands:  Deira, Jumeira and the Universe.

Palm Islands - The world biggest archipelago is under construction since 2001.  Millions of tons of sand and stones were use to imitate a palm which is the most honored and popular tree of the East. the mainland joins the island with the 300-meters bridge, also there is a connection with an underwater tunnel.  And there is a monorail on the bridge - the first one in the Middle East. There are some super luxurious hotels and most mansions and apartments have already been acquired by the richest people of the planet.

http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=UAE-Dubai-Islands-Virtual-Tour

Madadayo - Asian Movie

Madadayo - Asian Movie

1. What did you learn about the relationship of food and culture from watching the movie?  In this movie Japanese people eat most of the time in groups while sitting on the floor over cushions wile folding their knees.  They also serve their meals from serving dishes to the bowl.  Usually they eat rice or noodles out of a bowl that they bring it close to their mouth with one hand and they eat the meal with chopsticks with the other hand. There is a part of the movie when they celebrate the professor’s birthday and this takes place in a banquet hall where they eat in normal table sizes with silverware and chinaware.

2. Were you tempted to try any foods shown or were you turned off by the food habits of another culture?  Actually, I was tempted to eat what they were eating because I love Japanese food.  My daughter and I love to go to a Japanese restaurant that is close to our house and we enjoy taking off our shoes to enter the little dinning room as well as to eat sitting on the cushions on the floor. 

3. Is the film making political comments about the consumption or production of food?  Well the first time that the students gathered at the professor’s house, the professor said that the meat they were going to eat is from horse and he makes some comments and jokes about it, the students just laugh and eat.

4. Are there gender issues raised about who makes or eats the food?  No, there aren’t any issues at all.

5. Did you learn about cultural traditions?  One of the traditions is that nobody starts eating until the host asked them to do it.  They bow to show respect and to salute, they don’t shake hands or kiss like us.  Every time the professor bowed to other people his wife also bowed with him.  Also the professor’s wife serves him a drink from a container to a little cup that he keep on drinking and the wife continues serving after every swallow.  

6. What was your favorite scene in the movie?  My favorite scene was the last part when the professor is dreaming that he is a kid and he is playing hide and seek  with his friend and he is looking for a place where to hide and the other kids are asking if he is ready yet and he keeps on answering “MADADAYO” that means “Not Yet”.

7. Would you recommend that your classmates see the movie? I’d definitely recommend it. It is very touching, sentimental there is a lot of respect, consideration and kindness.  The professor is a wise and humorous man and very beloved by his wife and ex-students.

Hunger Project

Farms in the desert, Ajman/Sharjah

United Arab Emirates

1. What are the economic, social and political factors in this country?   It is one of the most dynamic and prosperous developing countries in the world.   Out of nearly 200 countries the UAE ranks at No. 39 and within the “High Human Development” category.

2.  What are the issues that affect food security and nutrition in your country?  There are no issues that effect food security and nutrition in the UAE.

3.  Is agriculture able to feed the population?  The UAE exports dates, strawberries, grapes, guavas, and flowers to Europe, and grows 43 percent of its own produce requirements.

4.  Is there sufficient water?  They lack of natural freshwater resources.  They use seawater for consumption and irrigation by using desalination plants.

5.  What are the Industries?  Petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, and pearling.

6. What are the natural resources?   The natural resources are petroleum and natural gas.

Dobransky, S. (2011). THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AND THE BLACK PEARL MODEL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.               International Journal On World Peace, 28(2), 45-83.

S.P. (1997, April 2). Oil put the UAE in the black, diversifying puts in the.. Christian Science Monitor. p. 11.

United Arab Emirates. (1997). CIA World Fact Book, 248.

Phillips, S. (2000). Arabian oasis. (cover story). Water & Environment International, 9(64), 14.

Self sustaining water treatment systems for Al Maha, Dubai. (2001). Water & Environment International, 18.

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (%)

United Arab Emirates. (2012, July 5). Retrieved from CIA Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html

Country	1999	2000	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
United Arab Emirates	4	4.5	2.8	3.2	3.2	10.5	10	14	20	1.6	2.2

Dilemmas in International Social Work

Education in the United Arab Emirates:

Islam, Localization and Social Need

Introduction

This is about social problems in the United Arab Emirates society being compare to other Muslim nations.

I.  The Context of Social Work in the UAE

            A. Social work is at a developmental stage.

            B. Poor pay, sexism, discrimination

II. Social Work Education in the UAE

            A. Is offered at the universities.

            B. The curriculum about the family is very relevant.

            C. Islamic Issues considered forbidden are avoided

III. Implications for Social Work Education in the UAE

            A. Accepting Diversity

                        1. Emirati students used to see immigrants as uneducated servants.

                        2. They realized they are only 20% of the population.

           B. Working with Challenging Client Groups

                        1. Students in social welfare highlight deficiencies of the curriculum.

                        2. Most were school social work positions follow by health based positions.

                        3. Internships students were completely unaware of their existence.

IV. Meeting the Needs of communities

            A. Elder Abuse

                        1. Rural villages have become isolated inhabited primarily by elders

                        2. Exploitation and abuse of female migrants employed as domestic workers.   

            B. Child Abuse

                        1. Sexual abuse is a taboo subject

                        2. They prefer to manage the issue privately within the family

            C. Disability, Stigma and Marital Rejection

                        1. Polygamy is a common practice

                        2. Mothers of disable children are abandoned

V. Lessons for Educators and Practitioners

            A. The Islamic Worldview

                        1. Students withdraw from classrooms for prayers

                        2. Muslims sex segregation is carefully observed

            B. Demonic Possession and Mental Distress

                        1. Cultural belief of diverse forms of distress require traditional healing methods

                        2. They typically present psychosocial and/or psychiatric problems

Conclusion        
Social Work in the UAE is still developing. They don’t see a problem however this may change due to increasing social need and demand for professional intervention to align with international expectations of educational protocols.

In Booming Gulf, Some Arab Women Find Freedom in the Skies

Introduction

Some Arab single women are flying away from home and becoming independent. Flight attendants have become the face of new freedoms for women.

            I.  Flight attendants have become the public face for the Arab families.

                        A.  A subject of social anxiety

                                    1. Some families won’t let their daughters go at all

                                    2. A decade ago unmarried Arab women working abroad were very rare

                                    3. Even though family think they are crazy now more women are doing so

                                    4. For more families their daughter virtue will be questioned and threaten 
                                        her marriage prospects.

                                    5. It can led to alienation from their home countries

                        B. A subject of social fascination

                                    1. They travel to other countries were layovers may last many days

                                    2. They stay in nice hotels and receive allowances to cover food and

                                         expenses.

            II. Flight Attendants who live in Abu Dhabi

                        A. Experience a Lonely Existence

                                    1. New lives for some women away from home become almost nun like.

                                    2. Other women may find themselves in the arms of unsuitable men

                        B. Treated like heroines

                                    1. They delight in their status as pioneers, role models for other women

                                    2. When they go home female families would ask about where they went 
                                         and how was it and they ask for pictures.

                                    3. Independence has changed their belief about themselves

                         C. A Feeling of Displacement
                                     1. They find that flying makes it difficult for Muslim women fulfil
                                         religious duties like praying five times a day and fasting during Ramadan.
                                     2. Some women tell stories of fellow flight attendants who have run away
                                         without giving notice to the airline.
                                     3. Young women often find to their surprise that work has made them
                                         unsuitable for life with their families.

           Conclusion
           Although, flight attendance encounter loneliness and displacement, it becomes very difficult
           for them to go back home.  They like their independence and freedom.

          Ashencaen Crabtree, S. (2008). Dilemmas in International Social Work Education in the
                 United Arab Emirates: Islam, Localization and Social Need. Social Work Education,
                  27(5), 536-548.

           Zoepf, Katherine. (2008, Dec 22).  In Booming Gulf, Some Arab Women Find Freedom
                 in the Skies. New York Times (New York, NY): A.1. SIRS Issues Resercher. Web.
                 03 Jul 2012.

Lowe Art Museum

My visit to the Lowe Art Museum was an amazing learning experience for me and my daughter.  My eyes were delighted to appreciate a great display of art objects from different cultures of the world since their origins as native societies from America, Asia, Africa and Europe.  We had the opportunity to see very closely art collections from different times like Contemporary, Renaissance and Baroque, Greco-Roman as well as 20^th Century Art.  Also we had a tour of the gallery created by the University of Miami students where they display their exhibition named Adapting and Adopting: Waves of Change as East Encounters West, Modern and contemporary Japanese Art.

This is one of the pictures that kept my attention as a visual learner.  I was trying to figure it out about the meaning of this peace of art. By the name of the gallery I could tell what it meant but for me it’s not enough, I wish I would talk to the creator about it.

We also were guided through the gallery named Introspection and Awakening:  Japanese Art of the Edo and Meiji Periods, 1615-1912.  This gallery features the Art of the Edo pictures representing the early Japanese lifestyle and spiritual beliefs and the arrival of the Meiji Period when they realized that they are vulnerable being threaten by and open to the outside world.

Fushu Daiko - Japanese Tailo Drumming

                                              Fushu Daiko -  Japanese Taiko Drumming

Yesterday, Wednesday, June 27, after our speech class we had the opportunity to see a performance of the Fushu Daiko Group. The group was composed of five young men and women who were from different countries. They honored the Japanese culture by performing a type of musical show, using mainly different sizes of drums and also a flute and harp. The Taiko Drumming was really fantastic. It was very impressive to see the way they hit the drums making unique and strongly loud sounds that filled the whole room which was full of spectators. They performed with a lot of enthusiasm along with some type of body movement and choreography. The grand finale was amazing and they received lots of applauses from the audience. After the performance we were invited to have lunch and we tasted delicious meals prepared by the Vietnamese culture. We had fried rice, chicken in a type of sauce and a kind of vegetable salad chopped in small pieces. The food tasted really good. It wasn’t sour or spicy It had a taste of its own. We enjoyed eating while talking to our friends and Professor Ileana Porges who was the host of the celebration.

Three Seasons Extra Credit Movie Questions

Three Seasons Movie

What are the values that are admired?  The values are respect, obedience, compassion, kindness, love, patience, forgiveness, courage, friendship, determination and reconciliation.

How to people interact with one another?  There are three stories of three different people:  In the first story there is obedience, respect and compassion from Kien to her employer a former poet that is isolated from the world because he is an invalid dying of leprosy and he doesn’t have fingers. The second story has kindness, love, patience and forgiveness from Huy (a cyclo driver) to Lan, a prostitute who finally marries him. The last story is about Woody an innocent street boy who sells small things out of a box which he loses and he is determined to find it. An also there is a story of an American guy James Hager who is searching for his daughter, and we see forgiveness and reconciliation..

How is the culture similar or different from mine?  This is a Vietnamese film that shows a city with many buildings, luxury hotels, and also shows some parts of highly poor suburbs and a lotus field. The weather is tropical hot and humid with lots of rain.

What did you learn about the culture from watching the movie?  There is lots of poor people struggling trying to survive.  They transport themselves on bicycles, tricycles and motorcycles.  There are many informal vendors on the streets.

Would you like to visit the country or meet people from the country?  Explain your answer Yes of course, I would love to visit their country, meet their people, eat their food and learn about their culture.  I also would love to pick up lotus blossoms paddling a canoe on the pond.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATE

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATE

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           Also called the Emirates or the UAE, is a country situated in Southwest Asia, bordering the Golf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. The UAE is a federation of seven emirates which are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. The capital is Abu Dhabi.  Each federation is governed by a hereditary emir, with a single national president.  The president is chosen by the seven emirs, one of them gets to be the president.  UAE is considered as the world’s sixth-largest oil reserves and has one of the most developed economies in West Asia.  Their official language is Arabic and their religion is Islam.  Human rights are legally protected by their constitution.  There is equality, liberty and freedom of speech and religion.  The UAE has a multicultural society.  There are same ethnic groups like the Iranians, Indians and Pakistanis.  Muslims are called to prayer five times a day. Their weekend is Friday-Saturday, as a compromise to Friday’s holiness to Muslims. Most men prefer to wear a white tunic (kandura) and most women wear a black garment covering most parts of the body (abaya).  The UAE people have adopted most of their foods from the countries around them.  Like in most of the cultures around the world, rice is one of their main side dishes and for centuries seafood has been the mainstay of their diet.  They also eat meat.  Lamb and mutton (is the meat of an adult sheep) are the more favored meats, then goat and beef.  They don’t eat pork but it’s offered at some hotels and also they may sell it at specific supermarkets.  Their popular beverages are coffee and tea which can be drunk with cardamom, saffron or mint for a different flavor.  Alcohol is only served in hotel restaurants and bars (but not in Sharjah).  Alcohol is also sold only on specific stores.  One of the UAE dishes include:  Machboos, is a popular dish mainly made from a mixture of spices, rice and meat (could be chicken, goat, lamb, camel, beef, fish and shrimp.  The spices for this dish are generally black pepper, cloves, cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, black lime, bay leaves and nutmeg.  They can also add almonds, pine nuts, onions and raisins. It can be garnished with home made tomato sauce.  There are many ways to cook the meat for this dish.  One of the ancient techniques is barbecued in a deep hole in the ground which is covered while the meat is being cooked.  Another way is to grill the meat on flat stones that are placed on top of burning embers and the other way is to cook the meat in a pressure cooker. Machboos is also kwon as kabsa in other Arabian countries.  Harees, is also a popular dish made out of wheat meat or chicken.  Al Jabab or Raqaq is a type of unleavened flatbread usually made from whole-wheat flour and baked on a hot iron griddle called a tava. Another type is a thin flatbread that is fried and puffs up while cooked.  Football is the most popular sport in the UAE. Other popular sports include Cricket and Camel Racing.

United Arab Emirates. (2012, june 25). Retrieved from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UnitedArabEmirates