Out & About in Abu Dhabi: A home away from home
As the month of August draws to a close, the population of Abu Dhabi swells once again with the returnees and those who are about to make it their home for the first time.
Soon the weather will be cool enough for newcomers to explore the UAE capital
As the month of August draws to a close, the population of Abu Dhabi swells once again with the returnees and those who are about to make it their home for the first time. For those who step into the airport terminal for the first time, a mixture of curiosity and excitement probably mixes with jet lag.
Once home, after work and schools have been taken care of, it's time to take one's bearings and find out about the capital city of the UAE.
The first stop on any familiarisation tour should be the Petroleum Exhibition on the Corniche and the Old Fort, or Qasr Al Hosn, both of which have been covered on this page in recent weeks. These two display the old and the new influences which are all evident in the city.
To gain more insight into the lifestyle and conditions of the people in the area before the discovery of oil, spend a few hours looking around the Heritage Village on the breakwater.
Typical houses that were built for coastal and desert habitation can be explored. Wander through and imagine yourself living there, using the cushions and utensils displayed.
See the traditional irrigation system being operated, and perhaps you might be able to operate a piece of traditional transport the camel by taking a ride on one.
Watch as a craftsman prepares an artefact in one of the small workshops or go into the museum and discover the history of pearl fishing, one of the few means of earning a living before oil.
References to the past can be seen all around the city, whether it's in the names on the street signs, the architectural design of the buildings or the large white structures of the heritage park, including a huge cannon and a coffee pot, in the centre of town.
In the evening, take a walk along the Corniche to see the variety of fountains in keeping with the heritage of the area: pearls, dolphins, dhows. It is also a good way to see the diversity of people who make up this multi-cultural city, as fitness enthusiasts of almost every nationality walk, run, skate or simply chat their way along the sea front.
For those who have stepped off the plane into a city where temperatures are presently almost 40?C in the shade, the thought of doing any of this is enough to make one break into a sweat.
There is an alternative. Curl up in a comfortable chair with the air-contidioner on high and a good book. For those wanting to find out more about the history of Abu Dhabi, the book Qasr Al Hosn: The History of the Rulers of Abu Dhabi 1793-1966 by Dr Jayanti Maitra and Afra Al Hajji and produced by the Centre for Documentation and Research is very useful. Last week's article in Tabloid on Qasr Al Hosn featured information from this book.
The late Edward Henderson's books, especially This Strange Eventful History: Memoirs of Earlier Days in the UAE and Oman, are an enjoyable read, making one feel as if one was present around 50 years ago.
The harsh landscape and its hardy inhabitants provided material for many evocative images for photographers like Noor Ali Rashid and Ronald Codrai during the last few decades, many of which have been reproduced in book form.
New arrival? Relax. Soon the weather will be cool enough for exploring and capturing on film your own memories of your time in Abu Dhabi.
