The Global Village is a huge international roaming exhibition – it comes to Delhi too every year, I’m told. We Chennaiites haven’t yet had the privilege of hosting it yet.
It is a gigantic mela where the Ferris Wheel, roundabouts and rides jostle with cotton candy, balloons, kebabs, corn cobs and sweet corn and bright plastic illuminated articles that squeak and make the weirdest noises on one side; and on the other, pavilions put up by different countries showcase products – both modern and traditional – and culture. Stalls selling objet d’arts, textiles, spice bazaars, perfumeries, besides food stalls and a stage showcasing dances and music are the many faced offerings from each country.
In Dubai, Global Village is open for six months a year [from November through March] though apparently it is at its most vibrant during the Dubai Shopping Festival season in January-February. A point-to-point bus service from Al Ghubaiba makes it very convenient to visit.
The Global Village we saw now in November could be more aptly called the Asian Village. We saw almost every Asian country from Palestine and Lebanon to Vietnam and Thailand exhibiting their products and their culture. But the rest of the world is pretty poorly represented – at least right now. Europe has a pavilion which is pretty unimpressive. Spain has a separate pavilion, outside of Europe. Australia and the Americas could well have been on Jupiter – they weren't here, at any rate.
Africa has a pulsating pavilion – easily one of the most riveting. But I actually felt very sad there, because my mind went back to all those millions of malnourished, starving children in sub-Saharan Africa, and I saw that we were straddling two starkly different worlds - worlds unrelated to each other...
Here's a dance by a Syrian troupe. Again look closely at their dresses, and gait - our Hindi movies and Amar Chitra Kathas were not bad in their pictorial depiction, right?
A couple of shots of the Global Village by night:
We loved the Global Village so much we went twice. Just wandered around, soaking in the culture of different countries, and marvelling at the subtle changes in colour, contours, tastes and smells from country to neighbouring country. It is not just a feast for the senses, but a great lesson in geography – in fact, a greater lesson in history and geography cannot be taught. There is also a central court where troupes from different countries put up cultural shows and run workshops behind the scene for those interested in learning their arts. A wonderful experience and a must-do project for students in UAE. A great learning opportunity besides beings a truly fun place with something for everyone – culture, shopping, food, lessons, business networking, or just a stroll with the family or a gentle boat ride across mildly rippling waters, or just straight forward rollicking fun...you name it and Global Village has it. Also a good opportunity for peoples to come together, explore and understand each other, identify likenesses, appreciate differences and build respect and kinship.
The Global Village we saw now in November could be more aptly called the Asian Village. We saw almost every Asian country from Palestine and Lebanon to Vietnam and Thailand exhibiting their products and their culture. But the rest of the world is pretty poorly represented – at least right now. Europe has a pavilion which is pretty unimpressive. Spain has a separate pavilion, outside of Europe. Australia and the Americas could well have been on Jupiter – they weren't here, at any rate.
Africa has a pulsating pavilion – easily one of the most riveting. But I actually felt very sad there, because my mind went back to all those millions of malnourished, starving children in sub-Saharan Africa, and I saw that we were straddling two starkly different worlds - worlds unrelated to each other...
These two boys sell Tamarihind juice - the second chap is from Syria and the first from Tunisia or some such place - I'm not sure. On our first visit, we bought a glass of tamarihind juice. It cost us all of 10 dirhams - for a glass of sweetened imli paani! Tamarihind is nothing but tamarind [the name itself is a unique indicator - tamar-i-hind means the 'dates-of-India'] Apparently fresh raw tamarind juice is a cheap and common enough drink in Syria, a passing Syrian gentleman informed us, only it was ridiculously priced at the fair.
Note the contraption that the boys are wearing. There is a jug strapped to the belt hanging at the back, and it is a great big jug that runs across his body and ends in a decorated spout at the top that peeps over his shoulder. In front the belt has holders for cups and when you ask the boy for a cuppa, he pulls out a cup from his waist, and bends double for the spout to reach the cup and the juice to pour out. And give him the money and he will remove his colourful cap and place the money on his head, and cover it again!
The Syrian boy in the second picture is actually a great showman and drew quite a crowd by his antics and friendly body language. In this picture he is sulking because I meanly told him - "no juice, only photo." We had already tried his juice on our last visit but he of course didn't remember it.
A couple of shots of the Global Village by night:
We loved the Global Village so much we went twice. Just wandered around, soaking in the culture of different countries, and marvelling at the subtle changes in colour, contours, tastes and smells from country to neighbouring country. It is not just a feast for the senses, but a great lesson in geography – in fact, a greater lesson in history and geography cannot be taught. There is also a central court where troupes from different countries put up cultural shows and run workshops behind the scene for those interested in learning their arts. A wonderful experience and a must-do project for students in UAE. A great learning opportunity besides beings a truly fun place with something for everyone – culture, shopping, food, lessons, business networking, or just a stroll with the family or a gentle boat ride across mildly rippling waters, or just straight forward rollicking fun...you name it and Global Village has it. Also a good opportunity for peoples to come together, explore and understand each other, identify likenesses, appreciate differences and build respect and kinship.
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