Battle of the Tallest Skyscraper

I mean the Burj Khalifa certainly didn't think it would be the tallest forever did it? Well not to worry it has another 5 years before it crumbles in depression. 

Jeddah Tower which will be 1,000 meters (will that even be high in 5 years?) will not only have the typical offices, apartments and condominiums, but will have a Four Seasons Hotel. At a slim cost of $1.2 billion, it will also be facing the Red Sea. Not sure which of those is supposed to be the unique selling proposition though.

Now I KNOW not everyone suffers small wiener syndrome with all the "my tower is taller than yours" business (oh wow), but why oh why do Arabs need to compete and prove everything to such Shakespearean proportions. 

We get it, you are swimming in  $$$$. However, if you're ever bored of it, there are some hungry people in Somalia who might like some, just a silly thought. 

But I understand, every country spends its money the way it pleases and has no obligations to fix the misfortune of other countries; if they do and I'm just ignorant that's my bad, I just know what the news tells me.

I Hope You Dance... Slightly Different Take

I stumbled upon this - it's pretty funny. In case you didn't know it's a spoof off of Lee Ann Womack's i hope you dance. 

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

I Hope You Dance

I hope you never lose your final set of undies,

You get your fill to eat but still you get the munchies,

May you never shake my hand while sweaty-handed

God forbid you miss the bus that leaves you stranded

I hope you never miss it when they play “Slow Motion”

And never dunk your head into hand lotion

Promise me that you will wear your skinny pants

And if they ask you to be prime minister of France

Go govern France…Go govern France.

I hope you never see mountian lions in the distance

Never forget to purchase me a Mac for Christmas

Dinner might mean takin’ chances but they’re worth takin’

It won’t be a mistake to add some bacon

Don’t let some hell-bent okra make you shiver

When the slime is gone the taste it will deliver

Give this two-buck wine a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to take a trip to Alamance

I hope you book in advance…book in advance.

[via Tesslynch]

Check it out: Beauty Workshop with Basma from B. beautiful!

I've never been a fan of putting make-up on. Really the only make-up I use is my blush and concealer, with an additional eyeliner and mascara when I've got a night out. I've never felt good with more make-up, but every once in a while I find a make-up artist who really makes me realize that putting on that extra eye shadow has such a beautiful touch. I never thought there would be a way for me to wear pinks or greens on my eyes without looking like a drag queen, but I'm always excited when I'm proved wrong. Basma from B. beautiful has proved just this and I love learning from her.  

I have had Basma make me up for a shoot ages ago and I absolutely loved it. This was when she was sort of starting off. Now I don't even need to recommend her to friends and agencies because she's one of the most sought out make-up artists in DXB. I recently went back to her for an experimental make-up session and just loved how easy and fun it is to work with her and how determined she is to get what you want right. We didn't realize three and a half hours passing by until I noticed I was late for my shoot. When you know you can sit still for that long with someone experimenting on your face and genuinely enjoy it, you know you'll be keeping them in your books.

As you can see from the above flyer, Basma will be holding a workshop at the Pavilion Downtown. The workshops will be the 12th and 13th of August from 8:30pm - 11pm. They will be small groups so it will be a personal learning experience where you can really feel like you're getting your money's worth. 

If you have the time and have always wanted to learn a bit more about make up give it a shot. Just call or email Basma and sign up. I'll be modeling for it, which I'm very excited to do. I hope I see some familiar faces there!

Check out some of Basma's work below:

 B pretty with Maxfactor Experience

B the one  

Good Morning DXB - A Beautiful Video for You

I fell in love with this video by Bruno Aveillan, French multimedia artist, when I saw it and was initially on edge at the actor's situation and the insurmountable difficulties he faced. At first I remembered the movie White Fang, I used to love it. I watched the making of this video, and the actor had to spend a week with the wolves to feel completely comfortable around them. Without that level of trust between the wolves and the actor the serenity and calmness of their interaction would not have been attained. I really appreciate a video less than 5 minutes that can stir up emotion in me through the subject and story,  as well as the cinematic technique and music. This video especially is a work of art. A big thanks to the superb photographer Jason Gareth for sharing it with me xx

Good Morning DXB - Choosing your next book became so much easier!

I'm constantly looking for new books to read. I usually make sure to have one lined up once I'm done with my current book and at times can't help but start two simultaneously. My previous roomie, Zaina, who always enlightens me with useful tips, just introduced me to which book.   

which book is your source for finding the book you want. With its panoply of specific genres everything is organized superbly, which is something I really appreciate (yeah I'm a perfectionist.... leave me alone I'm a scorpio). Anyway, you can create your own lists and share them with friends or stick to the W Lists which have different genres such as:

• Comfort zone
• Short and sweet
• Laugh your pants off
• Weird and wonderful

On the left you are given options and can rate the level you want in your book results. You can then specifically rate your preference for "character, plot and setting." Check out the image to get a better understanding. Such a great site - thanks Z xx

Creamy Rice Pudding

I posted this recipe about two years ago but am reviving it because it's one of my favorite desserts to have during Ramadan. This one is especially light, but tastes just as good. The garnishes are optional. Without them it's more of a generic rice pudding while adding them gives that Middle Eastern kick. 

Now you have a decision to make because there are a couple ways of eating this. Once you've reached a creamy consistency, you can bake the pudding and broil it so that its got a tougher consistency with a slightly burn layer on top. Or you can just broil the top layer. Or you can eat it nice and creamy right off the stove. Store it in the refrigerator and heat it up if you want it warm with a more liquid consistency. It's so yummy and oh so comforting :)

Music: Just Like Heaven - Katie Melua

Mood: you've got the time and are ready for non-stop stirring action

Ingredients:

¾ cup Egyptian rice (any short grain rice, Egyptian is just very starchy so it absorbs well)

2 cups water

5 cups low fat milk (works well with soy milk as well)

¼ cup Acacia Honey

¼  tsp salt

1 cinnamon stick

1 Tbs Orange Blossom Water

Optional garnishes:

crushed pistachios

extra sweet drizzle
ground cinnamon
ground cardamom

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F or 205°C if you intend to bake. Bring the rice and water to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. You want the rice al dente so that it absorbs the milk as well. Add the milk, honey, cinnamon stick and salt, then raise the heat to medium high. Stir constantly so that the milk does not burn. Bring the heat to medium low after around 40 minutes. Keep stirring until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. I usually stop at around 40 minutes if I plan on putting it in the oven or 1 hour if I'm eating it directly from the stove. Take the mixture off the heat and add the vanilla and orange blossom water. Pour the pudding directly into ramekins and bake/broil until the top becomes golden brown, around 10 minutes. Or just enjoy it au naturale. If you care for a sweeter taste, add the extra sweet drizzle (recipe below). Servings: 4 - 6. 

Extra Sweet Drizzle:

1 Tbs light condensed milk

¼ cup water

In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine the condensed milk and water for around 3 minutes.

This is after I broiled it for 15 minutes.

The inside is still creamy. If you like it creamier, just stir for less time. Baking it of course will cook it even more so a lot of the creamy moisture isn't there especially when it cools down. 

Check it out: 30 Mosques 30 States !!

30 Mosques / 30 days - Kickstarter from Aman & Bassam on Vimeo.

This video explains it all, it follows two very enthusiastic Muslims traveling by car around the USA during Ramadan. They did it for the first time last year and are going to continue this year. They were able to meet so many people and experience such an amazing adventure....

"Last year we came up with an impulsive and half-baked idea that changed our lives forever. During Ramadan 2010, Islam’s holy month of fasting and reflection, we hopped in a car and drove across America and broke our fast at a different mosque in a different state each night. We prayed in the infamous “Ground Zero Mosque,” got pulled over by a cop in Mississipi and stumbled upon one of the first mosques ever built in the United States when our car broke down. Our journey explored what it means to be Muslim in America today and served as a powerful counter-narrative to the media’s image of a monolithic Islam. This year marks 10-years since 9/11 and unfortunately Muslims are still being tokenized and marginalized for what role they play in this country. It’s reasons like this among a myriad of others as to why this project is one of the only true and authentic portrayals of Muslims in this country." Click to read more

Ramadan News & Recipe Guides

The thought of Ramadan brings me back to so many great childhood memories especially of my favorite dessert Umm Ali :) Ramadan to me is a month when my family and family friends would join nearly every day for Iftar and continue the night with loads of sweet mint tea onto suhoor in tents and fun gatherings. There's nothing I enjoy more with food than to share it with others, especially during Ramadan when you learn not to take food for granted. 

It was such a peaceful yet fun month; despite the painful stomaches during the day, we had such a wonderful time at night, with delicious food and great company. Always breaking our fast with a couple juicy dates and a small glass of qamardeen (dried apricot juice). The fattoush was always so fresh and my favorite soup to follow would be lentil. The meals always differed but were relatively similar and absolutely delicious. Then again, not much would taste bad after a days of fast so all of these offerings did spoil us! 

I have always loved to cook, mainly when I'm surrounded by people who eat a lot and who enjoy cooking as well. The one recipe book I would not be able to live without for the Middle Eastern dishes I love is The Arab Table by My Bsisu. You will find ALL the treasured recipes for foods, savory and sweet, you love and will not be able to put it down this month. There are 3 copies in my immediate family and we all refer to it religiously. If you don't have time to order the book but want any specific recipes just let me know and I'll forward them to you!

This year I found out that my favorite, Wholefoods Market, is going to be preparing Iftar this month, offering all the traditional types of food that are found during Ramadan. It will be the first chain in the USA to celebrate Ramadan. Check out the article "Wholefoods Celebrates, Monetizes Ramadan." Not only will they make a lot of people happy, but they'll be gaining big bucks. The most important point to note is all of their food will be halal. This just makes me love WFs even more as they are really making a difference. Eating there makes me extremely happy generally, and to be able to eat the meals I love during Ramadan there would make me feel like I'm home away from home. 

This article by Yvonne Maffei is a great way for anyone who is preparing Ramadan and getting ready to cook for their family and friends. I enjoyed looking at her blog, my halal kitchen, especially sinc she is collaborating with WholeFoods during this month. It's quite impressive for a Sicilian/Puerto Rican to be so knowledgable and able to cook all these meals I'm used to here in the Middle East. Check out my halal kitchen and her 5 simple steps for preparing Ramadan Meals. 

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Dear All, I hope that this time not only purifies you on all levels, but gives you perspective. I hope you enjoy and appreciate every single meal you eat and that you find the time to share your favorite dishes with the less fortunate. 

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Ramadan Kareem

Wishing you and your family the blessings of Ramadan xx

Good Morning DXB

I hope you had a great weekend! This one was a bit crazier for a lot of people here seeing as it was the last weekend to party before Ramadan. I know I know parting from booze is not an easy thought to many. Anyway, I was getting over a strange cold that kept playing a disappearing act on me only to pop up at the most inconvenient of times. That just meant a lot of movies for me. My favorite was happythankyoumoreplease. If you haven't seen it already it's a great feel good movie. I knew I'd like it once I saw Buster from Arrested Development in it - his story was my fave. Take a look at the trailer and get your hands on the movie soon xx