LocalSightings – justbluedutch

Iranian Bread & Zubaidi Fish

April 15, 2016EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE, FOOD, KUWAIT, LOCAL SIGHTINGS, MY EXPAT LIFE8 Comments

If there’s anything that is a MUST in every Kuwaiti household for a weekly groceries,that is a bunch of Iranian Bread and Zubaidi fish (or Silver Pomfret).

While in Western culture ,the bread ( loaf or any other type ) is the queen of every table and for Asians, it is rice, then here in Kuwait, this is every family’s staple. For Kuwaitis, Iranian bread is as almost as important as oil. They have eaten Iranian bread since they were born and start solids. Their grandfathers also did the same. Every morning after prayers, people dash to the Iranian bakeries and queue to get their stock. Since Kuwait became richer, maids and drivers now queue up instead, but still there are a lot of people waiting. They eat it with almost anything. With grilled fish, kebabs, chicken, hummus, tahini or just as it is. Its simply delicious.

*An Expat’s favorite meal : Kebabs, shish tawook, Hummus, fries & Iranian Bread*

The Kuwaiti nation eats also rice, and other things but you cannot compensate them with something else. I love Arabic bread (smaller pita bread or Kubz) that you can usually find in packs at the co-op). It’s very nice, but it cannot replace warm Iranian bread. Sometimes when I go to buy the bread, I eat one on the way back because it’s so warm and fresh and tasty, especially if you pay a bit extra like 5 fils and get sesame seeds on them. As an Expat, I have grown fond of eating this especially when its fresh and I used it to make home made shawerma. My Dutch husband taught me an very awesome trick to preserve breads, and that is putting it in the fridge and just take it out to defrost when I would like to eat it. It tastes as fresh as it was & surely, we don’t have stale & wasted bread anymore! This is how I preserve Iranian bread & Kubz.

2012-06-09 12.33.33 — *Local sightings : Local bakers using old-fashioned oven in making Iranian bread.*

When I visit the Mubarakiya, I still see locals who make Iranian bread in a very old fashioned stone ovens. Normally you can find these small bakeries tucked in any governorate but mostly in nearby Co-op. One place I visited before was the one in Shamiya where I really love the taste of it. The smell and the sight of it is very interesting and every Expat should try this. Whenever you eat out in a restaurant ( or locally called as Matam ) they normally served hot & freshly baked Iranian bread along with any meal, while in any other fancy restaurant they also served different types of bread like the one we have tried in Leila’s ( a Lebanese restaurant ) which is more of hot buns. I could finish the bread while waiting for our orders!

FullSizeRender (5) — *Leila’s hot delicious hot buns*

339485_104592972982702_709209215_o — *A sumptous Zubaidi meal with rice*

Although Kuwait is abundant in all types of food, having a home cooked meal of Zubaidi & rice is always special. This very tasty fish with rice is often served in homes in the Arabian Gulf. Zubaidi (Silver Pomfret) fish is Kuwait’s national fish that is local but can be found in the frozen section of many Middle Eastern or Asian shops. (You may have to degut them yourself). While some prefer to eat them with rice alone, others make Kuwaiti Tomato Sauce (Dukkous Al-Tamat) to serve as an accompaniment.

Have you tried any Arabic dish with Zubaidi or the Iranian Bread? How was your experience?

Read more on my Expat guides & tips in my Life as an Expat in Kuwait section and learn to embrace the Arabic culture to beat your culture shock.

Off the beaten path : Clamdigger

March 15, 2016March 16, 2016LOCAL SIGHTINGS, MY EXPAT LIFE19 Comments

Have you ever tried digging clams?

I did. Of all the off-the-beaten-path adventures I had in Kuwait, this is by far the one I enjoyed the most.

Why?

Because its something that I have never done before & never expected that I would be doing here.Yes, in Kuwait. Right in the shores of Doha .

One of my friend asked me if I would like to come with her to dig clams. I said yes, but actually, I didn’t know how exactly it is being done or why in the world are we going to do it. She picked me up at around 2am in the morning as the travel time going to Doha is quite far from where I lived. It was the perfect time, its low tide and the weather is great. It took us about 1.5 hours and finally we reached the place. We met other people there which I haven’t known but my friend told me that we are all going in a group. It was fine with me.

I didn’t bring anything but I noticed that our group brought buckets, spade, a spatula (wooden & stainless) and a big colander! I was just smiling while watching because I am totally curious what’s going to happen.

*Clamdigging and chasing the sun in Doha*

I went to Doha to dig for clams out of recreation and for the sake of experience. I wanted to watch the sunrise there. I’ve always been fascinated by how different the sun rises on different locations that I’ve been to. While we walk barefoot along the shores in Doha, I let my feet feel the soft, cold mud-like shore. This is a new experience to me. It’s still so dark at around 3am and walking in the beach like this is totally exhilarating. I can feel the wind in my face, but my eyes is fixed on the lighted part from our flashlights because I don’t like to tumble-down in the sand.The only thing that ‘s running in my mind this time is “I wanna dig some clams !”

The journey to reach the area where we finally can start to dig is enjoyable. With great anticipation I sat on my knees and I let my hands explore the wet shores, my hands slowly digging, feeling, and searching. I watched how the others are doing it and then I decided to use the spade & spatulas. My excitement goes on higher. I wanted to find the clams!

I heard the others already shrieking & shouting.They have found it. They have dug and found the clams! This made me become more determined.I said to myself that I will not go home until I found one. Finally my spatula touches a hard shell so I kept on digging until I got my first clam. It started as one piece, then follows another, until I filled almost half of the bucket. I was so happy when I dig those clams. It’s like searching for pearls.You’ll never know where they exactly are, all you know is that they are just right there, waiting to be discovered.

*Clamdigging-For recreation or wanting something new?*

Finally the sun starts to peek out from the dark. I watched with delight as the sun rises slowly. We are surrounded by its golden glow. It’s magical to be able to see silhouettes of people while watching the sun rises.The sunrise in Doha is beautiful. I even beachcombed and found beautiful shells. So as the experience of digging clams.

P1060379-L — *A handful of precious clams. Our sumptuous lunch.*

“No, you can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometime you find
You get what you need “

{ You can’t always get what you want by the Rolling Stones }

I’m a big fan of Rolling Stones & this song has one of the best lyrics. In life we need to have focus & goal because this will help us to move forward. As we go through our days, we might get short-sighted and give up at the sight of struggles & hardships. We can’t always get what we want on the first try, but if don’t give up & continue to move forward, we might find, we will get what we need.

This is the lesson I have learned from Clamdigging, Never Give Up.

A few minutes of beachcombing produced these common shells: a ki — *A Shell for your thoughts*

Thank you for reading & I’ll leave these questions for you to ponder ;

Do you have any dreams that you have finally given up?

What have you done lately that is out of your comfort zone?

Are you still amazed by simple pleasures like watching the sun rises and feeling the beach in your feet?

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Abaya : Fashion or Function

March 6, 2016March 6, 2016CULTURE SHOCK, KUWAIT, LOCAL SIGHTINGS, MY EXPAT LIFE6 Comments

What’s your perception when you see women dressed in Black Abaya?

In Kuwait, traditionally & culturally, the clothing for women is the Black Abaya, while men wore the Dishdasha or Kandoura. For men, the color of Dishdasha ranges from beige, gray, off- white, white and during winter, they wear the Black ones. Now,there is a simple explanation while Black is the choice for color or this type of clothing for Muslim women here. It’s not because Black is a fashionable color,although I personally agree on this, but rather simply that it is most concealing. The sun is the most brightest here in middle east. It shines so bright and the heat is real and struggle.You cannot wear thick clothes in the summer and so many layers is also a no-no, rather you need something to cover your skin from burning at the same time for your skin to breathe.The Abaya or also known as cloak covers your whole body from your arms up to your legs and thus giving you ultimate protection from harmful rays of the sun.

The color black relates to the hidden, the secretive and the unknown, and as a result it creates an air of mystery. It keeps things bottled up inside, hidden from the world.In color psychology this color gives protection from external emotional stress.Wearing this black cloak relieves you from unwanted attention from lustful eyes and gives you a sense of protection.This is the whole concept of Muslim modesty. Women wear the black Abaya that totally disclose everything underneath.

297155 — **Abaya : Fashion or Function**

If you knew the controversial photo of the late Princess Diana before about the see-through skirt that evokes too much attention then this is the absolute reason why white is not appropriate color chosen for Abayas here in the Middle East.

Now on the daily life of Muslim women here in Kuwait, wearing Black Abaya is more of a functional way, It is more than a culture behind the cloth. It is easy to put on, you don’t even know what they wear underneath. Some even wear their pyjamas or casual clothes. If you are a busy mom, then Abaya comes handy like rushing to get the kids to school, going into the grocery shop or even just a quick run down to the Bakala across the street. This saves so much time in putting on decent clothes. I have tried wearing the Abaya on certain occasion when we entered the Mosque and it was a great privilege at the same time experience. I have great respect for this culture.

The origin of Abaya can be traced immemorial. Since the ancient times, people who are nomads in the Desert are wearing cloak type garments that protects them from the arid climate, strong winds & freezing cold desert winter.Through times, the style & evolution of Abaya in Fashion becomes a worldwide statement for the Arabic nation. Nowadays, Abayas are available with stylish embroidery, some even with Swarovski crystals, and tailor-made for the owner. In Kuwait alone, there are hundreds of shops particularly only for fashionable Abayas and its accessories. With this country’s ever – changing lifestyle, wearing the Abaya has become a Fashion statement for women together with their Arabic Oud perfumes, stilletos and luxury handbags.

July-2011-MADAME-FIGARO-ARABIA-Marriam-Mossalli — **Cultureshock : For the love of Covering-Up.**

How about you? What particular cultural aspects in Islam do you appreciate? Or have you ever tried trying out foreign and local customs from your country?

How was your experience?

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The mills of Kinderdijk (A Dutch icon)

March 4, 2016EXPAT TRAVELS, NETHERLANDS13 Comments

Do you know the old tale about the windmills in the famous Kinderdijk in Holland?

The name Kinderdijk is Dutch for “Children dike”. In 1421, during the Saint Elizabeth flood of 1421, the Grote Hollandse Waard flooded, but the Alblasserwaard polder stayed unflooded. It is said that when the terrible storm had subsided, someone went on to the dike between these two areas, to see what could be saved. In the distance, he saw a wooden cradle floating on the waters. As it came nearer, some movement was detected. A cat was seen in the cradle trying to keep it in balance by jumping back and forth so that no water could get into it. As the cradle eventually came close enough to the dike for a bystander to pick up the cradle, he saw that a baby was quietly sleeping inside it, nice and dry. The cat had kept the cradle balanced and afloat. This folktale and legend has been published as “The Cat and the Cradle” in English

[ Excerpt derived courtesy of Wikipedia ]

This is one of the fascinating things I have learned about mills & Kinderdijk when I explore Netherlands. Seeing these original, iconic & wonderful windmills for real and up close is really a great experience with my daughter & our family. This is absolutely a top family destination, definitely a place for young & old to enjoy cycling, biking, hiking or just have a lazy stroll while learning about the mills’s history. It has complete amenities such as tourist vessels, water buses, group tour arrangements, restaurants, museums, restrooms & souvenir shops. I am sure your kids will thank you for exposing them to world-class sights such as these.

If you come during winter, they have a special threat to warm you up. In the souvenir shop “De Molenhoek” of Kinderdijk you always can eat or drink something you like plus
they will serve delicious warm pea soup. This is the time to experience another Dutch gastronomical delight, the typical Dutch pea soup.

13840bb0867b2b6efd8e0ec6c36d2403 — *Dutch Pea soup (Photo courtesy of Kinderdijk)*

ad56d4823abdc1a085cba2557804f004 — *UNESCO World Heritage Site , Kinderdijk in Holland (photo courtesy of Kinderdijk)*

When it comes to beauty, the 19 polder draining windmills of the Kinderdijk are top one. Kinderdijk is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a masterpiece of water management in a typical Dutch landscape. In 1997, the windmill complex of Kinderdijk was added to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage list because of its unique character. UNESCO considers the polder area with its dykes, boezems, mills and pumping stations to be proof of human inventiveness in reclaiming and protecting the land.This is worldwide recognition of the fact that this unique area must be preserved for the future.

IMG_1411-- — *A journey through time with the mills.*

The nineteen (19) mills in Kinderdijk were constructed around 1740 as part of a larger water management system which prevented floods. Now they’re a symbol of Dutch water management.

c1590de36a0d416de572d62ade441927 — *Old photograph of the mills in Kinderdijk (photo credit : Kinderdijk)*

We got inside the Museum Windmill Nederwaard and we are so grateful that we did because we learned a lot how a real Miller works, let alone seeing a REAL one! There is a short film about the history of it and inside it was a full-blooded miller and we are able to explore the mill, which has been preserved in its original state, from the inside and from the outside. If there is sufficient wind, the mill might even be set in motion! Fortunately my daughter was just busy tumbling down the chairs and doesn’t mind the loud noise from the movie. It was dim inside because of the film so we were not able to took some photos. There is a distinct motor sound that would really identify a working mill. I could still hear it in my ears. When we got inside the real windmill in the Museum Mill, we are able to see what’s in an authentic Windmill which can be traced from 1950’s. There is a steep ladder going to the top, and I was able to climb only up to the 2nd floor because I wear my baby in a sling & I find it difficult to enter the small passageway with other people trying to get in. The original bedspace areas, or called “Bedstede” (alcove bed ) was still preserved. We were even lucky to see the local Miller, and he’s wearing Dutch clogs of course!

11af978d5057448bfea0a0f6b0f55cb2 — *Old, yet still standing through time: Kinderdijk Mills (photo credit :Kinderdijk)*

I have dreamt of seeing a windmill someday. When I was young, I used to daydream that I would be able to visit Holland and see a real one. My dream came true. Finally, seeing it for real is even more meaningful because I have learned an important culture of the Dutch people. Before I only see it as a landmark, I have no clue that it has an important function, Re: preventing floods. When I knew about this, my mind was opened and appreciate its beauty even more. I have great respect for the pioneer who engineered these masterpiece.

There is so much more to say and write about Kinderdijk and mills, but its all up to you to see it for yourself and create your own story.A visit to the Netherlands won’t be complete without seeing this. If you wanna know more about Kinderdijk and how to explore this place, they have a wonderful website with all the information such as the tickets, opening times, location etc that you need to know. You can check it Here.

Do you want to experience the life of a Miller?

If you are adventurous enough , then in Kinderdijk you can have the chance to get an exclusive look into the construction and maintenance of windmills. You will also get to know more about the profession of a miller such as how to build a windmill,maintain it or what is it a day in a life of a Miller? You can really be in a real threat because It’s an unforgettable experience in a typical Dutch environment.

What’s in your Bucket List?

What was the last Unesco World Heritage Site you’ve visited?

Hope you have a wonderful time making your dreams a reality just like I did. Thank you for reading & Safe travels!

A Dutch Farmhouse {Boerderij}

March 2, 2016ARCHITECTURE &BEYOND, NETHERLANDS5 Comments

*A Dutch Humble Farmhouse : Red Doors, Black Roof & Brick walls (2015) in Full color.*

Local Sightings – A Striking Dutch Farmhouse

F A R M O F T H E H E A D -B O D Y T Y P E

On exploring the countryside of Holland, I found this beautiful farm which turns out to be one of the pride of this place.This farm house belong to the estate of Almelo. The farm is designed &commissioned by the Count of Rechteren Limpurg in around 1939 by Architect Jan Jans, an architect with his designs made much use of traditional Twente elements. The farm is north of the Gravenallee outside the moat (canal ) around the castle but in the sight of it, with the back towards the castle. On the back is the entrance to the yard, a wooden fence between pillars Bentheim sandstone. This head-body type is constructed of red brick under saddle roofs with black glazed Dutch tiles. The gables are shot, the right windows closed lower stretch are covered with shutters . The façade of the house is articulated by two Negenruits ( Nine small windows ) sliding windows on the ground floor and two zesruits ( 2 six small windows ) windows in the gable. Between them is a sandstone made with the coat of arms of Almelo.