UAE National Day - 2012

DECEMBER 1, SATURDAY

Abu Dhabi

Corniche Beachfront and Madinat Zayed Cultural Centre, Al Gharbia: Fireworks displays to mark the UAE’s 41st National Day, on December 1 and 2, synchronised 10-minute shows to National Day music from 8.30pm.
 

DECEMBER 2, SUNDAY

Abu Dhabi

Breakwater: Traditional market at Heritage Village organised by Emirates Heritage Club with food and handicrafts, falconry and camel riding and a traditional boat race, 5-9pm.

Abu Dhabi Heritage Village: Cultural festival and a two-day Sailing regatta.
Yas Island: Union Day Parade, creatively-dressed cars and 4x4s will vie for a share of a Dh100,000 ‘Best Decorated’ vehicle competition. From 5pm, winners will be announced by 9pm.

Ferrari World: Free admission for a child under 1.5m for every adult ticket purchased; for resident families only, until December 3. ferrariworldabudhabi.com.

Did you know !!!

Did you know that each of the 7 emirates of the UAE has a different color of sand?

According to specialists, the colour that sand acquires depends largely on what it is formed from. Most sands are derived from rock with a high proportion of silica. Sand can also be made from the erosion of coral or limestone. As a product of erosion of something else, it takes on the chemical properties of the original thing. For instance, if the base rock is originally rich in black mica, the sand we get from it will take on a dark colour. If the base rock has iron oxide, the sand will be reddish.

"In Abu Dhabi, we find sand derived from limestone, which is rich in carbonates; the darker sands may be derived from bedrock composed of granite, which in turn is constituted from a mixture of feldspar, quartz and mica. Some sands that are clear and transparent are made of quartz, gypsum or anhydrite.
"Transparent sand grains often get braided or coated with other deposits and turn cloudy in appearance. However, if you were to polish that grain, it would turn transparent again and so on and so forth." So basically sands have different colors, depending on their composition.

Abu Dhabi: Light Red - A lighter concentration of iron oxide.

Dubai: Red - A stronger concentration of iron oxide.

Sharjah: Brown - Contains some organic material, iron and lead sulphide sediments in the limestone.

Ras Al Khaimah: White - Made from sandstone, which has plenty of quartz.

Umm al-Qiwan: Blue - The grayish-blue colour comes from iron in its reduced condition. When iron stands in water it does not get oxidized and lends a grayish-blue hue.

Ajman: Cream - This colour could possibly come from a lesser quantity of quartz present in silica, or it is possible that the sands have greater sediment of white coral deposits.

Fujairah: Black - The colour black possibly stands for the sand that is obtained from corrosion of gabro rock found in the mountain range in the emirate.
And of course just like any theory, there are some other specialists that believe and claim that no particular colour is unique to one emirate and there may be pockets in the region where the specific colour may be found.

The fact remains that each sand colour is simply beautiful!

100 most powerful Indians in the Gulf - 2012

Profile

Mr. Yusuffali M.A., Managing Director of Emke Group ranks today among the top NRI Business personalities. The Group has diversified into many significant areas under his dynamic stewardship, retail being the most prominent of them.

His astute business vision and strategic mind have evolved ambitious growth plans for the Group and ensured their materialization through a team of people who share his drive and dynamism. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of United Arab Emirates the Group is best known in the Gulf through a chain of popular Shopping Malls, Hypermarkets, Supermarkets and Department stores which serve the widest segments of multi-ethnic residents in the region. Foremost among them is the Lulu Chain of outlets, followed by Al Falah Plaza and Emirates General Market. The Group’s formidable position in retailing is ably supported by an integrated network of import, distribution and whole-sale marketing operations, apart from a cross-continent network of outsourcing operations.

Emke Group, with its 27,600 strong workforce from 29 different nations and operational bases extending over the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Benin and Tanzania is one of the most successful corporates of the times with a steadily ascending growth curve over the years. With an annual turnover of US $ 3.75 billion globally, the Group employs more than 22,000 Indians.

Apart from his busy business involvement, Yusuffali is equally active on the social front and is associated with various organizations.

In recognition of his remarkable achievements in Business & Industry and his distinguished services in the field of Social Work, he was conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award by H.E. Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Hon’ble President of India on 05th May, 2008. He was the first Non-resident Indian from the Gulf and the Middle East countries to be honored with this coveted award by the Government of India.

Taking into consideration his valuable contribution in promoting the honour and prestige of India, his efforts in fostering the interests of overseas Indians, and his outstanding achievements in the field of business, he has been conferred with the prestigious “Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award” the highest Indian Government Award given to Non-Resident Indians by H.E. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the former Hon’ble President of India at Mumbai in January, 2005.The crowning glory in his career came when he was overwhelmingly elected by the business community in Abu Dhabi as the Director Board member of the Abu DhabiChamber of Commerce & Industries (ADCCI) in the year 2005. This was the first time that elections were held for the ADCCI and expatriate was elected to the Director Board of one of the world’s most prosperous and wealthy business regulatory authorities. In addition to this, he was also unanimously elected by the Board members as the Vice-chairman of the prestigious Trade Committee of the ADCCI. After four years, in the year 2009, the U.A.E business community re-elected him to the Director Board of ADCCI with a thumping majority.

• Yusuffali is very closely involved in many social, charitable and humanitarian activities both in India as well as in Gulf countries and plays a vital role in fostering the interests of Non-resident Indians and keeping intact the communal harmony among the NRIs in the Gulf.

• His earnest and dedicated efforts have helped in securing cremation grounds for Hindu brethren in the Gulf.

• Through his close association with the authorities in the Gulf he has been able to arrange free land for the Christian community to construct churches.

• His proximity with the Rulers and local Govt. authorities in the Gulf countries has gone a long way in strengthening the bilateral ties between India and the Gulf countries.

• As a true son of India, Yusuffali has always strived to bring in foreign investments and expertise to India especially to Kerala for various infrastructural development projects, prime among them being the first and only International Airport with private participation, in Cochin of which he is a Director.

• Of late, he has won big rounds of applauses for playing the mediator in the Kochi Smart City venture, which is the dream project the whole State is seeking after. It was at a crucial juncture when the project would have almost been dropped by the TECOM Company from Dubai that Yusuffali was requested to be a mediator by the Kerala Government. His diplomacy won once again and the Smart City Project is now being made into a reality.

• The philanthropist in him has always come to the forefront in organizing huge and timely relief measures from the Gulf during many natural calamities in India viz. Lathur Earthquake, Gujarat earthquake, Tsunami tragedy, etc. He was the first to contribute for the rehabilitation of the Calicut market fire victims when thousands lost their livelihood and during the amnesty period in the U.A.E. he was in the forefront by providing free air tickets including other facilities to hundreds of hapless Indians who could not even afford a ticket back to their motherland. - Source : www.emkegroup.com

வாய் நாற்றத்தை இயற்கையாலேயே தடுக்கலாமே!!

நல்ல சுவையான உணவுகளை உண்ட பின், வாயிலிருந்து வரும் நாற்றத்தை தாங்கவே முடியாது. ஏனெனில் அதில் பூண்டு, வெங்காயம் போன்றவற்றை அதிகம் சேர்ப்பதால் நாற்றம் ஏற்படுகிறது.

ஆகவே நிறைய பேர் சாப்பிட்ட பின், வாய் நாற்றத்தைப் போக்க கடைகளில் விற்கும் நறுமணமிக்க பாக்குகளை, ஏதேனும் சுயிங் கம்களை வாங்கி மென்று கொண்டு இருப்பார்கள். ஆகவே அவ்வாறெல்லாம் கஷ்டப்பட்டு கடைகளில் விற்கும் வாய் நாற்றத்தைப் போக்கும் பொருட்களை வாங்குவதை விட, வீட்டில் இருக்கும் உடலுக்கு ஆரோக்கியத்தையும் தரும் ஒரு சில பொருட்களை மெல்லலாமே!!!

*ஏலக்காய்: உணவு உண்ட பின், பாக்குகளை போடாமல் அப்போது சமையலறையில் இருக்கும் ஏலக்காயை வாயில் போட்டு 20 நிமிடம் மென்றால்,துர்நாற்றம் இல்லாமல் இருக்கும்.

* கொத்தமல்லி: கொத்தமல்லியை சாப்பிட்டால் வாய் நாற்றம் போகும் என்பது நம்ப முடியாது தான். ஆனால் உண்மையில் கொத்தமல்லியை உணவுக்கு பின் சாப்பிட்டால் வாய் துர்நாற்றத்தை தடுக்கலாம்.

* கிராம்பு/லவங்கம்: உணவில் காரம் மற்றும் மணத்திற்கு பயன்படும் பொருளான கிராம்பு மற்றும் லவங்கம், வாய் துர்நாற்றத்தையும் தடுக்கும். மேலும் ஆயுர்வேத மருத்துவத்தில் கிராம்பை சாப்பிட்டால், சளி மற்றும் இருமல் சரியாகிவிடும் என்று சொல்லப்படுகிறது. அத்தகைய சிறப்பான கிராம்பு துர்நாற்றத்தை மட்டும் நீக்காமல்,தொண்டை கரகரப்பையும் சரிசெய்யும்.

* புதினா: நிறைய உணவில் மேலே அலங்கரிக்க புதினாவை எதற்கு பயன்படுத்துகிறோம் என்று தெரியுமா? ஏனெனில் அதனால் உணவு நன்கு கலராக இருப்பதோடு, வாய் துர்நாற்றத்தையும் தடுக்கும் என்பதால் தான்.

* கொய்யாப்பழம்: பழங்களில் ஒன்றான கொய்யா, வாய் துர்நாற்றதை நீக்கப் பயன்படுகிறது. ஆகவே வாய் நாற்றம் அடிக்கும் போது, ஆரோக்கியமற்ற பொருட்களை உண்பதை தவிர்த்து, இந்த கொய்யாப்பழத்தை சாப்பிட்டால், உடல் ஆரோக்கியமாக இருப்பதோடு,வாய் துர்நாற்றமும் நீங்கும்.

* மாதுளை: அனைவருக்கும் மாதுளையின் நன்மைகள் தெரியும். இத்தகைய மாதுளை ஆரோக்கியமான இதயம் மற்றும் பளபளப்பான சருமத்தை தருவதோடு, இதன் விதையை சாப்பிட்டால், வாயில் நாற்றம் ஏற்படாமல் தடுக்கலாம். ஆகவே இனிமேல் கடைக்கு செல்லும் போது, இந்த பழத்தை வாங்கும் பழக்கத்தை வைத்துக் கொண்டால், வாய் துர்நாற்றத்தை தடுக்கலாம்.

ஆகவே மேற்கூறிய பொருட்களை சாப்பிட்டால், எந்த ஒரு பக்கவிளைவும் ஏற்படாமல் இருப்பதோடு, உடல் ஆரோக்கியமாகவும்,வாய் துர்நாற்றம் இல்லாமலும் இருக்கும்.