Feature - Person Profile

November 22, 2009
771 words

Spools of the Sartor

The Sher Khan Tailoring in Al Qusais 1 is flanked by laundry shops on either side. The store windows are a charming display of mannequins in sparkly clothing. Hailing from Pakistan, Mr Raza Akbar, a tailor by profession, captures the right cut with precision. Akbar works away on his Eid orders, his sharp eyes keeping a close watch on the overhead clock. Gesturing towards the pile of cloth material next to him, Akbar says he is loaded with work. “Festivals means people have to dress themselves in new clothes” he says in rudimentary English.

Raza Akbar at work

Photo Credits: Blassy Boben

Festivals and special occasions see tailoring shops bustling with people who wish to get their attire sewn. People spend more during festivals and therefore, often choose to deck themselves in new clothing. This spending reflects their joy and celebration of the festival at hand.
Situated in a predominantly expatriate residential location, Akbar’s shop reaps the benefits of a people whose festivals are spread out through the year. Be it Diwali, Christmas or even the Eid festivals, Akbar and his helpers are busy throughout the year. Having snuffed the flame out on the Diwali season, when Akbar’s shop was filled to bursting with heavily embroidered traditional Indian outfits; Akbar now prepares for the Eid-Al-Adha rush.

The Tailor's best friends

Photo Credits: Blassy Boben

He shows off a pile of cloth material that he prepares to work on. The most popular Eid outfit among expatriates, according to Akbar is the Salwar Kameez, a shirt and trouser combo, favoured by both men and women alike. He also receives plenty of orders for custom made Abayas, the traditional Arab dress, often embellished with rhinestones and lace.
Tailoring shops earn huge profits on these festivals, with the Sher Khan Tailors earning about 25% of their annual revenue at the Eid festivals. “Once the Eid rush dies down, then comes the Christmas and New Year orders” says Akbar cheerfully. Christmas season sees ladies queuing up to get their gowns made, often carrying photos of the dresses they desire. “They all want to look like movie stars”, says Akbar with a smile.

Finished garments adorn the store windows
Photo Credits: Blassy Boben

“We get about 20 to 50 customers daily, This number goes up when it is festival time.” says Akbar as he sorts out the various clothes and measures them. “Prices have gone up, and we have increased our service charges, but the people still continue to come here to stitch their clothes.” The economic downturn has done nothing to dampen the spirits of a people determined to celebrate these festivals.

Festival season ensures that Akbar has a lot of work to do, with customers hounding him to give priority to their orders above others. “Ladies often give me sweets and food items to try and get their dresses done first.” But Akbar swears by a strict first come first serve policy.

“People come to the shop with the cloth material they like, with a photo or a drawing of the design they wish to have made. Some customers explain the designs verbally.” Says Akbar, who plays an important role in decking up his customers for the festivals.

Loaded with work at festival time

Photo Credits: Blassy Boben

People today choose to splurge on ready made garments in order to avoid the extra effort of getting a custom made outfit. When asked about the competition from ready made clothes, he shrugs it off saying “People are always going to get clothes sewn, because tailored clothes suit their body and their taste. Ready made clothes do not have that magic. There will always be work for me”, he says with a grin. Custom made outfits are designed to fit one’s choice. They give the wearer total control over the outfit. Be it the selection of fabric, the design and the fitting, the choice rests in the hands of the customer. Custom-made outfits are made to last a very long time, thereby brushing away all fears of the looming threat from the ready made clothing industry.

“I would love to celebrate Eid with my family in Pakistan” says Akbar who hasn’t been home in four years. He shows a tattered photo of his family of four. His three kohl eyed children grinning with uncertainty at the camera. “I cant be with them because there is so much work to do here. But at least this way I can earn for them to have a happy Eid.”

The wind-chimes above the store door tinkle to mark the entry of another customer. We leave Akbar as he threads the needle to breathe life into yet another creation made of cloth.

Colored spools

Photo Credits: Blassy Boben

Feature - Recycling

September 30, 2009

432 words

Recycling : The Pyrrhic Victory

In his haste to jump off the cliff of material wealth, man has shamelessly exploited our natural resources. The earth is falling apart gradually. Recycling is hailed to be the way out because it is the only solution to environmental issues so far. There is no straightforward way of recycling metal, plastic and even defunct appliances. Since not all of it has exchange value. Most people believe that their disposed garbage is not their responsibility. Once out of their homes, the garbage becomes the governments problem, Large scale recycling is supposedly an efficient and profitable national system for saving the environment. Everybody is recycling but only out of government force, not a voluntary choice. There are a few however who bow to their conscience and make attempts at recycling.

The overall purpose of recycling is not to make our lives more convenient or save us time. It is intended to slow down our consumption of limited natural resources. These resources include landfill space.

Recycling trucks and operating and maintaining sorting machinery takes up a good amount of resources. Recycling is not economical. It costs more to recycle paper than to just make it. All energy has associated costs, and almost all resources are limited. Electrical goods can be dangerous if they end up in landfill sites. Recycling and reusing them is a suggested measure but even these have limited shelf lives.

Recycling seems to be everywhere these days. Supermarkets offer reusable bags and recycling bins in their doorways. Offices churn out a large amount of used paper on a daily basis. Mr. Hussain Qureshi, an office goer says, “It's a shame to see these quality paper reduced to waste. “Here at work we try to recycle as much as we can. We use the reduction feature on the photocopiers to fit more information on a page, We properly dispose of our used paper in the local recycling bins. In my old office we used to give off our old magazines and donate out-of-date stationery to local charitable groups or hospitals, clinics or nursing homes” But not everybody recycles. There is an almost negligible demand for recycled goods that are being resold. The reasons behind this could be many. People throw away recyclables all the time because they can't be bothered. This could also be attributed to a lack of information about proper garbage disposal. Some individuals or organizations engage in recycling to appease their consciences.

Recycling is a waste of time, money, and has zero positive environmental impact. Though expensive, Recycling will remain until another effective waste disposal alternative comes our way.

Feature - My Neighbourhood

November 11, 2009

744 words

Al Qusais – The Sleepy Suburb of Dubai

Al Qusais or Al Ghusais as its known, is a suburb located in North East Dubai. Al Qusais lies on the Dubai Sharjah border. Excavations and research have shown that Al Qusais was once an important settlement and cemetery. Today a popular residential area, Al Qusais is subdivided into: Al Qusais I, Al Qusais II and Al Qusais II. The significance of Al Qusais is attributed to its proximity to the Dubai International Airport. The two main hotels here are The Dubai Grand Hotel and the Al Bustan Residence Hotel. Al Bustan is the popular choice for most travelers.

The quiet locality.
Photo Credit: Blassy Boben

The Ministry of Public Affairs, and the Ministry Of Social Affairs offices are located in Al Quasis I. The Municipal office is a few minutes away, in Al Twar, a suburb close to Al Qusais. The Municipal office has branches of DEWA as well as Etisalat for one’s utility related queries.

Shaikh Rashid Colony Blocks 1, 2, 3
Photo Credit: Blassy Boben

A popular residential suburb, Al Qusais I has a large Asian population. Residential properties in Al Qusais are mainly apartments, with a smattering of villas. The Shaikh Rashid colony takes up a good part of Qusais I. The colony, along with the Al Futtaim Building, are the oldest residential buildings in the area. Rents and prices are relatively cheap, with newer buildings springing up by the month. The people of Al Qusais I are relatively friendly, thus the nickname ‘sleepy neighbourhood’. There is abundant parking available for the residents, while the newer buildings have built in car parks. Most of the new apartments come equipped with swimming pools and gymnasiums. There are also a number of individual beauty parlours, gyms, and salons

Well defined transport network.
Photo Credit: Blassy Boben

Transport within the suburb is made easy by the well connected bus routes and road networks. Buses C18, X23, 13A are a few among the numerous buses that ply to and fro the area. Al Qusais I is dotted with air conditioned bus stations at regular intervals. The Green Line of the Dubai Metro network will have its main depot in Al Qusais I. With an estimated completion date of mid-2010, the line will connect Al Qusais with the rest of Dubai.

The soon to be completed metro line
Photo Credit: Blassy Boben

Schools here include the Sheffield Private School, Apple International School, Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum Pakistan School and Millennium School Dubai among others. The prestigious Dubai Womens College marks the border of Al Qusais I.

The Emirates Driving Institute is situated in Al Qusais I; the roads surrounding which are dotted with learners cars. There are a number of hospitals and clinics in the area, ranging from the Zulekha Hospital and New Medical Clinic to the smaller clinics in residential buildings. There are a large number of pharmacies to serve the residents. The convenience stores include major chains like Spinneys, Carreffour, Lulu, Union Cooperative as well as the groceries within walking distance of every residential building.

Al Bustan Center and Hotel Residency
Photo Credit: Blassy Boben

The Al Bustan Center and Al Mulla Plaza are the only malls in Al Qusais I. While Al Bustan boasts of a food court and ‘Fantasy Kingdom’ - a children’s play area; Both malls are a hotspot for local fashion with stores offering everything from Arabic accessories to clothing. Al Mulla Plaza is of historical importance as it is one of the oldest buildings in the UAE. For other clothing options, outlets like Splash, Eternity and Mona Lisa outlets offer a wide range of designer wear and accessories.
The area boasts a number of eateries offering a variety of choices from fast food outlets to restraints offering different cuisines. The KFC and Baskin Robbins outlets to the local food joints.

Leisure options in Al Qusais I

Photo Credit: Blassy Boben

There are a relatively limited number of entertainment and leisure options in Al Qusais I. The few pool places and sheesha joints are full of youngsters looking to relax. The suburb boasts the Al Ahli Stadium as well as specially designed sports center for people with special needs. Al Qusais I has three public parks equipped with football and basketball grounds. Areas like Hor-Al-Anz and Al Nahda which mark the neighbouring areas of Al Qusais I offer more options to those who seek them.

One of Al Qusais's beautiful mosques
Photo Credit: Blassy Boben

As the sun sets over this quiet city, the call for prayer is heard from the four mosques spread out over Qusais I. Each of these mosques are uniquely beautiful, with one of them catering exclusively to the Bhori muslim community.

Photo Credit: Blassy Boben

Mr. Zulfiqar has been a resident of Al Qusais I for ten years now. Having moved to Al Qusais I in 1999 with his family, a content Mr Zulfiqar calls it a sleepy town. “Al Qusais I is a quiet neighbourhood, and its relatively safe. The people are friendly, the traffic is comparatively lesser. Everything is right here. And we don’t have to travel far to find more options in shops and restaurants. This place has it all.”