.: The Red Brick – Dubai College's Student Newspaper :.

“Good evening, and welcome! To a night at the Opera.” I declared, scrunching up my face in concentration. Veronika, sitting in front of me outside the canteen at lunchtime, watched me dispassionately. “Or should I put the emphasis on the Night? Good evening, and welcome to a NIGHT at the opera!” She spooned some pasta in her mouth, which for some strange unknown reason she was apparently finding more interesting than my conversation. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes. “Good evening, and welcome to a night.” I opened my eyes dramatically, the effect of which was lost because Veronika wasn’t looking. “At the Operaaaaaaa!” I flung my arms out and knocked half of her pasta off the table. Further talk of a night at the opera or wishing anyone a good evening was a strictly taboo topic for the rest of lunchtime.

The oratory rehearsals were intended for playing a host in, as you may have cleverly surmised, A Night at the Opera. It was to be held in the Music Centre, featuring the finest of Dubai College vocal as well as instrumental talent, meticulously prepared by Mr Zambonini, Mr Crawford and the teachers of the music department. The stage was set, the scene was an elegant flurry of bow tie suits and pretty evening dresses, and parents waited with baited breath and anxious video cameras for their sons and daughters to captivate and enchant in the language of romance, betrayal and passion: opera.

Backstage, it was an altogether different scenario. Violins, trumpets, trombones and cellos all tuning up to different notes at the same time yield nothing but a load of frustrated musicians telling their fellow purveyors of melodic excellence to shut it so they can hear themselves. Throw in some nervous singers all belting out Doh-Mi-Soh-Doh-Soh-Mi-Doh on varying syllables and varying keys to warm up and you’ve got yourself something worthy of Cacofonix the bard (as in Asterix? No? OK). No amount of panic backstage, or anything even life threatening for that matter, however, would deter a dedicated Dubai College musician to deliver less than an outstanding performance, which is what the Chamber Orchestra did in their wonderfully slick Suite, from Carmen by Bizet. Ryan Evans captured hearts with a sweet, pure voice and Sophia Cafoor-Camps, Florence Prosser and Sophie Middleton, accompanied by Mr Hardman, each served up stunning solos that soared effortlessly and lingered glittering in the listeners’ minds long after their last notes.

In stark contrast to the sometimes austere refinement of the older performers, Ethan Ebdon and Isabel Snaas had every member of the audience overcome by a strong urge to sigh “Awww”. Their portrayal of tired, hungry and utterly adorable Hansel and Gretel was a clear success as the singers curled up to sleep after their Evening Prayer, prompting a mass reaching for the tissues on the other side of the stage. Meanwhile, Abby, Prianka and Niamh’s O Mio Baabino Caro, from Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, held everyone spellbound as they conjured up images of a young girl pleading with her father to let her marry the man she loves. Violinist Charles Barsaga and the orchestra quickly followed with the haunting Meditation from Massenet’s Thais, a controversial opera with themes of religion, lust and denial that have ensured its lasting popularity.

The virtuosic streak was maintained as a rousing rendition of Triumphal Chorus from Aida by Verdi was superbly executed by a new ensemble at the school, the Chamber Choir, with solos by Dorottya Nagy (trumpet) and Kinara Rodrigues (flute). After two hours of being treated to some of the most beautiful compositions ever written, the concert was brought to a spectacular end with Sophie and Rory Blincow leading the Senior Choir in Verdi’s effervescent, glorious Brindisi.

As we returned home that night, having had rather more of the excellent complementary canapés and éclairs than necessary, the splendid performances of the young musicians were no doubt ringing in the ears of every listener, each better than the last, but we knew what took the cake. That night, music and the timeless magic of opera was the winner.

The last man standing for a record-breaking sixth time!

Barring the upcoming Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina the 2011 tennis season has come to an end and what a season it has been. From the very first match in January to the finale at the O2 arena where Roger Federer successfully defended his title and won the World Tour Finals for an unprecedented sixth time, we have been so fortunate to witness one of the best tennis seasons in recent memory! Today, I’ll be taking apart the 2011 World Tour finals and over the next couple of days, I’ll be reviewing the 2011 season in detail and then casting an eye to the upcoming 2012 season!

For now, I’m going to completely focus on London and the climax to the season. The week started with the draw splitting the top eight into even and intriguing groups. In Group A, we had the world’s number 1, 3, 5, 7 and their corresponding counterparts 2, 4, 6, 8 in Group B. At the beginning of the week I said that we were in store for some cracking matches, as we always are at the WTF but we really were treated to a lot of unexpected storylines. My predictions were pretty solid and the two biggest ones I made were that Nadal would not advance from his group with Tsonga taking his place and Federer retaining his title for a record sixth time. Both predictions panned out pretty well with my other semi-finalists being Murray and Djokovic. Djokovic disappointed me with his showing in London and was visibly fatigued and Murray just had the misfortune of suffering an injury and having to pull out after his opening-round loss to Ferrer.

Here is a day-by-day recap and then round off the biggest stories we have learned this week.

Federer d Tsonga 6-2, 2-6, 6-4

Nadal d Fish 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (3)

The tournament got off to the best possible start with both crowd favourites being pushed all the way before prevailing in three sets, respectively. We started off with Federer against Tsonga which turned out to be a good, if slightly odd, affair. The match flew by with rallies at a premium. Federer looked on course for a routine triumph when he dominated the first set, breaking twice and dropping only three points on serve but Tsonga responded brilliantly in the second set and took the fight to Federer in the decider. But Federer showed all his class and experience to strike late in the final set and get the vital opening win in the presence of a capacity crowd that loved the match and created a great atmosphere. Another interesting thing I took from this match was how the court looked pretty slow and how some bounces around the service line were particularly low. This would be something that would help Federer as the week wore on and so it told.

In the evening match, a visibly unfit and lacking match-practice Nadal battled past Mardy Fish to win his opening match. Nadal eventually triumphed in a cracker of a match in two hours and 53 minutes of enthralling competition. Fast indoor courts have never been Nadal’s most favoured surface and so it showed once again this year. Nadal didn’t look right, had to rush off to the toilet looking pale and ‘feeling bad from the stomach.’ Fortunately for the Spaniard, he was facing a tournament debutant who looked incredibly nervous in his new surroundings and played a poor first set. Fish however, battled valiantly and came back t pocket the second set 6-3 with some brilliant aggressive groundstrokes and volleying. He kept with Nadal in the decisive set but he could not get close enough to get the win over Rafa who was incredibly relieved to start the tour finals in the best possible manner. So it was all set for the 26^th edition of Federer vs Nadal and what a match that turned out to be …

Ferrer d Murray 6-4, 7-5

Djokovic d Berdych 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3)

Murray suffered the worst possible start to his campaign with a straight sets defeat by David Ferrer. It was a bitterly disappointing performance from the Brit and we later understood why. He was suffering a groin injury. Murray came into this match as the firm favourite, with a 17-1 win-loss record since the US Open and victory in each of his last five meetings with Ferrer on hard courts. It was a turgid, poor-quality affair in which the Scot accounted for 44 of the pair’s combined 79 unforced errors. Ferrer, who is vastly underrated, enjoyed a good match where he stuck with Murray and managed to recover from being broken in both sets to secure an excellent victory.

In the other match, Djokovic put his recent injury troubles behind him to grind a three-set victory over Berdych. Abdominal, back and shoulder problems have limited Djokovic to only seven matches since winning the US Open. Overall, it wasn’t Djokovic’s stinging backhand or his superb forehand, his ability to switch from defence to offense or his serve that secured the victory. It was his aura. Of course, his case was helped that he was playing an opponent who could stick with and outplay the best players in the world but when it matters most, he’ll do the greatest damage to himself by simply ‘choking.’ It was another case of so close, yet so far away for Berdych as he held match point and then threw it away carelessly.

Tsonga d Fish 7-6 (4), 6-1

Federer d Nadal 6-3, 6-0

Alright, hands up – which of you predicted that result between Federer and Nadal? Yeah, thought so – not even the most die-hard Federer fans would have seen that coming. Yes, Federer was playing well and on a 13 match unbeaten streak and was the favourite but was he really going to demolish Nadal in what is arguably the best match he has ever played against him? Well the answer is a resounding yes. As Neil Harman of the Times so eloquently put it: “Federer could have walked from the O2 arena straight into a modelling shoot for one of his Credit Suisse ads last night and not even had to pause to flick a hair back into place. Such was the beauty with which Federer played that cut Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest figures of any era, to shreds.” Not since they met in the semi-finals of this tournament in Shanghai four years ago had the Swiss maestro been quite as destructive. Federer couldn’t have walked to the other side of the court, placed the balls down where he wanted to hit them and hit them over and over again and more perfectly than he did. In this mood, on his most favoured surface, surrounded by an adoring crowd, Federer remains the most majestic and enjoyable player to watch. A total of 28 winners (!) to only 4 from Nadal summed up the one-sided, cruel nature of the match. This was the third time that Federer had ‘bagelled’ Nadal, adding to his one on grass in the 2006 Wimbledon final and in the 2007 Hamburg final on Nadal’s beloved clay. As Harman also mentioned: “the thud, thud, thud of winners was incessant. In the last couple of games, Nadal gave up any pretence of pursuing the ball, something which you do not see from him very often.” After his breathtaking victory, Federer ranked this victory as one of his all-time favourites: “It’s definitely one of the nice ones, that’s clear. I had some good ones in my lifetime but this one ranks high because it’s against my biggest rival. At least I’ve got one surface that goes my way.” Federer qualified for the semis with a match to spare and on an almighty high.

Earlier on in the day, Tsonga wowed the O2 Arena with a display of stunning power to see off Mardy Fish and keep alive his hopes of reaching the knockout stages. Both men went at each other with an impressive display of full-out attacking tennis that thrilled the crowd. Tsonga’s serves was on fire and was hitting his forehand brilliantly. In the end, once he got away from Fish and pocketed the opening set, he managed to run away with the second and seal the American’s fate. Tsonga and Nadal would play a winner-takes-all match next.

Berdych d Tipsarevic 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6)

Ferrer d Djokovic 6-3, 6-1

Tomas secured his first win of the tournament with a hard-fought win over Janko Tipsarevic, who had replaced the injured Andy Murray. Janko won the first set at a canter but Berdych stuck back at the Serb in the second set and broke in the eighth game of the 2^nd set to force his way back into the match, with the third set producing some terrific, tight, bold tennis from both men. Tipsarevic then held match point but, it was a case of Berdych this time being on the fortune side of some opportune choking. Janko double-faulted on match point and subsequently lost the match.

If Federer crushing Nadal was a surprise, this result was one of the shocks of the year. Like I’ve said, Ferrer is a player who is vastly under-rated and people often forget that he reached the finals of the 2007 tour finals (then called the Masters Cup) and was hammered by Federer. But tonight, he really played some superb tennis albeit against a man who looked terribly flat – almost uninterested and deservedly suffering his fifth defeat in 75 matches.  Djokovic later described it as “the worst match [he’d] played all season with so many unforced errors.” Djokovic would have known that he needed to play well and be at his best to beat the ever-battling Ferrer, but he probably didn’t expect Ferrer to be quite this good! In the end, Ferrer’s performance was good enough to be called Federer-esque. Ferrer had now qualified to the semis with a match to spare.

Federer d Fish 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

Tsonga d Nadal 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3

Federer continued his serene progress at the tour finals beating Fish in three sets to finish the group stage with a 100% record for a second consecutive year. He recovered from a mid-match wobble to remain on course for his sixth season-ending title.

Tsonga had previously only beaten Nadal twice in eight attempts and this was a winner takes all clash. Tonight, Tsonga lit up the O2 arena with a stunning display of late-night aggression to send Nadal crashing out of the tournament for the second time in three years. The eccentric Frenchman offered notice of the threat he can post to the big four in 2012 through the sheer brutality of his groundstroke’s and the touch and finesse of his volleying. Tsonga beat Nadal in two hours and 42 minutes finishing with an incredible 48 winners! It is not the end of Nadal’s year as he has the Davis Cup in Seville on the outdoor clay to look forward to but it has been an unsuccessful sojourn in London. Once again, Tsonga showed how an all-out aggressive outset, contrasting to Nadal’s defensive and high, looping balls, to be the most effective tactic at the O2.

Tipsarevic d Djokovic 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Berdych d Ferrer 3-6, 7-5, 6-1

On the final day of round-robin play, Djokovic crashed out of the tour finals at the group stages for the second time in three years after suffering a shock defeat by Tipsarevic. His loss coupled with Berdych’s three-set win over Ferrer sealed his fate. Tipsarevic had no chance of reaching the last four but came from behind to secure arguably the biggest win of his career. Although Djokovic dominated his close friend in the opening set, he looked visibly jaded as Janko stormed back to win and inflict Djokovic his sixth fourth loss since the US Open (compared to the solitary two he had pre-US Open). Tipsarevic had hit a purple patch of late, winning in Kuala Lumpur to lift his first ATP title, collecting another in Moscow and reaching the final in St Petersburg. His best-ever year allowed him to showcase some of his sublime shot-making at the O2 and the crowd certainly enjoyed it!

In the other match, Berdych staged a dramatic comeback to fight off David Ferrer and finish top of Group A thus forcing Ferrer to have the un-enviable task of facing Federer, a man he was 0-11 against. Ferrer won the first set and was twice up a break in the second only to suffer a startling collapse in front of a captivated crowd in London. Berdych took advantage in ruthless fashion to book a semi-final against Tsonga.

Federer d Ferrer 7-5, 6-3

Tsonga d Berdych 6-3, 7-5

Federer moved to within one win of a record sixth year-end crown after beating Ferrer in straight sets to reach his second consecutive final at the O2. The Swiss Maestro was not at his vintage best but still had too much for Ferrer winning in one hour and 25 minutes. He would contest his 100^th career final and leapfrog Murray to finish the season as world number three – his ninth straight top-three year-end ranking. “I’m very happy to have played so well again,” said Federer. “That’s what it takes to beat David. He’s had an amazing season and tournament so far.” Federer had now won all 12 of his meetings against the Spaniard and was only the third player to reach the year-end championship final seven or more times. Federer sent yet more records tumbling, as it was his 806^th match win, tying him with his childhood hero, Stefan Edberg for sixth all-time in the Open era. The thing that stood out most for me was the adulation that Federer received in his post-match interview. Once the crowd realised that Sunday would be his 100^th career final, Federer received a standing ovation that lasted 40 seconds! He then replied with “I don’t think I’d reach 100 finals, to be quite honest, in my career. But one thing I’ll tell you is that I won’t retire after my 100^th final! Look, I knew I could reach my 100th final, possibly win my 70th title. It’s an amazing career I’ve had. I’m so fortunate, so lucky and it shows I’m still standing, still running. I don’t know how I do it. 100 finals and I’m still walking normally! I feel healthy, fit and really motivated and it’s been wonderful playing for so many years at the highest of levels” With a support like that, why would Federer ever want to retire from the game he so very adores?

In the other semi, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga combined some ballistic serving with yet more brilliant shot-making to sweep past Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5 and reach the ATP World Tour Finals final for the first time in his career. Tsonga dazzled the crowd with his exquisite forehands and volleys and sets up the third straight Sunday where Federer will face the Frenchman with the Swiss prevailing in the Paris Masters final two weeks ago before beating Tsonga 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the opening round-robin match.

Federer d Tsonga 6-3, (6) 6-7, 6-3

It was a fitting finale between the two best players of the World Tour finals and, arguably, the fall. It was a thrilling match which dropped the curtain on a stunning season of tennis. Roger Federer became the most successful player in season-end championship history with his third consecutive victory over Tsonga. Federer marked the 100^th final of his career with his 70^th career title and an unprecedented sixth at this event winning in two hours and 18 minutes of awe-inspiring, splendid tennis. A set and a break up, Federer almost had both hands on the trophy only for Tsonga to roar back in breath-taking fashion to take the second set in the breaker, saving championship point in the process. But the 16 time Grand Slam champion showed all his class and experience after dropping the second set, for the third time this week, to retain the title in front of a capacity crowd at the O2 arena. The 30-year old also became the oldest player to lift the trophy and joined Ivan Lendl on an unmatched 39 match wins at this tournament, replacing Andy Murray as the world number three in the process. “I couldn’t be happier, I couldn’t be more exhausted,” Federer said. “Jo sapped every last bit of energy out of me. There couldn’t be a better way for me to finish the season.”

As Steve Tignor of Tennis.com stated: “From Federer’s side of the net, there was two competing narratives at work in the third set of the London final on Sunday. On the positive side, there was the story of his late-season form. For the second straight year, Federer was trying to outlast his rivals and finish the year at his best. On the downside, though, as the third set progressed, Federer still appeared to be haunted by the other, less-happy story of his 2010 and 2011: the curse of the match point. His last two seasons have been largely defined by his inability to close out seemingly certain wins. The most famous instance came in his semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at the Open, and now it looked like it could happen again. This time, though, the curse was broken, and Federer made his late-season excellence the tale of the day by winning 6-3 in the final set.’

More importantly for the future and for Federer, he remains the king of the long haul. While the likes of Murray, Djokovic and Nadal are knackered after a long, gruelling season, the 30-year old Federer was swiping jaw-dropping forehands and backhands match upon match in the fall and was savouring and enjoying each and every moment, culminating with his record-breaking sixth title in London. He finishes 2011 not as the best player in the world or a multiple grand-slam champion but as the last man standing, the last man smiling, the last man crying, the last man winning. And you get the feeling that he’s nowhere near done yet, not with the Olympics around the corner in 2012, not to mention the fact that he’s now on a 17-match unbeaten streak. You can bet your bottom dollar that Federer will be one of the perennial favourites for the upcoming Australian Open and you’d be foolish to suggest that Federer won’t be hungry to snap his Grand Slam barren run. He’s hungry and he’s ready to pounce on his next victim. Tennis world, beware.

The kiss of death; a title to savour for Federer

Within the next couple of days, I shall review the 2011 tennis season in depth, while casting an eye on what is to follow in 2012. I will also be discussing the needs for a ‘shorter season and the change in tennis rankings.’ I shall also preview the Mubadala tennis championships, which will feature Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Tsonga, Ferrer and Mofils, in Abu Dhabi that will set 2012 off with a bang! So, enjoy the one month break from competitive tennis – we’ve all needed it!

The human race is on the verge of complete and utter destruction. We are on the edge of a precipice and at the entrance to a black hole that we cannot escape from. If the euro collapses, it will lead to the collapse of the global financial system and the world economy as we know it. Money markets will dry up and there will be chaos as civil wars grip the nations of the world, which in turn might threaten the supply of oil, leading to rocketing oil prices. People might not afford to heat up their homes or fuel up their cars. There will be permanent blackouts in most parts of the world. Humans will lose their sense of morality as their basic survival instincts take over. As they scramble for food and other basic necessities, the world might plunge into WWIII…..

Indeed, the world stands at such a juncture. This period in history can be summed up by my favourite poem- ‘The Second Coming’ by Yeats:
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
(And it ends so beautifully ominous)
What rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

How can we pull ourselves back from the brink of apocalypse? By listening to me!

Aman’s Four Point Plan
1.) STIMULUS-The word is scorned upon by right-wing politicians and economists. With debt spirals plaguing most of Europe, ‘stimulus’ is a word that you simply do not utter. However, the Americans need another round of stimulus. The government needs to keep up spending in the short-term with an emphasis on infrastructure investment and extending the payroll tax cuts. As long as the Government lays out a medium to long-term plan to reduce the debt, stimulus in the short term will boost the economy and improve the stuttering expansion we are witnessing.
The American government cannot default and its debt, while expanding rapidly, is not an immediate cause for alarm (If you disagree with this view or do not understand why this is the case then you can e-mail me with you queries at amannavani1@hotmail.com). Thus, a well-designed stimulus is still a viable option.

2.) QE- Quantitative easing, which is essentially increasing the amount of money in circulation in the economy, has been meet with widespread criticism. It is certainly not a magical solution to all our problems but it will help to buy us some time and will go a long way in reducing the likelihood of another recession. The fact is QE increases investor confidence and causes an equity and stock market rally which in turn should increase consumer confidence. Quantitative easing is like alcohol; it will only provide a brief high but it is a high that is desperately needed to prevent complete disaster. The Federal Reserve needs to continue its QE programmes.

3.) BAILOUT- Across the Atlantic, the ECB needs to step in without further delay. They must abandon their thoughts of keeping inflation in check. Europe is not going to be transformed into Germany in the 1920’s anytime soon. Instead, the ECB must convince investors that they will provide support on the scale needed to keep Italy afloat. They must continue to buy Spanish and Italian bonds and do more to help banks obtain long term financing. An ECB bailout does raise the issue of moral hazard, however, the euro must not be allowed to collapse under any circumstance.

4.) STRUCTURAL REFORM-The underlying fundamental lacuna in the financial system of the USA, which led to the deepest recession since 1929, remains largely unaddressed. For large investment banks, it is business as usual as they remain free of government oversight. There needs to be greater regulation.

European governments must reduce welfare provisions and the power of the trade unions. Unemployment benefits and pensions must decrease while trade unions cannot be able to negotiate higher wages without matched increases in productivity. These measures should be complemented by long-term supply side reform aimed at increasing innovation and efficiency as well as promoting a greater entrepreneurial spirit.
It remains to be seen if politicians around the world can finally muster up the will to do what is right. The window for manoeuvere, however, is swiftly closing. We seem to be at the behest of a mysterious force that is currently pulling us towards a second Depression.

Since its beginnings, the peculiar theatrical branch of pantomime has been victim of much incredulous reception.  Indeed, as far back as 1897 the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw denounced it as “a glittery, noisy void”.  Even before this, in 1883, The Times expostulated about “the corruption of Boxing Day morals through the influence of music halls”, referring to pantomime as the pollutant force on the holy Christmas season.  Great, sensitive minds have evidently remonstrated against the absurd art form from its embryonic stages, hence surely there must be some similar aversion to it nowadays?  Probably.  However, the fact that pantomime still plays a major part in innumerable families’ Christmas traditions clearly indicates that the industry remains as strong and shameless as ever.  Yes it’s ridiculous.  Many people may go as far to call it stupid.  But what is it that is so captivating about this ludicrousness and folly that it can even be considered an art form, let alone one magnetises audiences in their thousands each winter?

Pantomime is quite possibly the most nostalgic element of modern British theatre.  Even us “original” expats, who have barely reached the “real-life” stage of early adulthood, remember the good old days of the annual Country Club panto, with starring appearances such as Chris Fisher, on a stage assembled by splintered wooden blocks.  Wouldn’t it be nice to revisit those times?  Imagine this reminiscence, being twenty years or so further on in life, with an actual opportunity to see one of these farcical performance you used to adore!  Although some people may wince at the idea of reliving this retrospectively cringe-worthy experience, many parents nowadays jump at this opportunity, and bring along their children to share in the fun and continue this sequential tradition.

Although many people enjoy watching pantomimes simply for its nostalgic quality, the industry does not rely solely on this for its success by any means.  When Christmas rolls around each year, millions of pounds are splurged on fantastic sets, breathtaking lighting designs and dazzling costumes to equate the technical aspect of pantomime with its larger-than-life content.  Moreover, the infamously high unemployment rate of actors significantly decreases – theatres all over the country, from central London’s west-end to rural community, seek talent for their annual adaptations of buffoonery.  Whether we consider Sir Ian McKellen or an aspiring actor fresh out of performing arts college, most actors willing to give up time at Christmas will have slightly heavier wallets for the season of consumerism.

Be personal opinions about the consequentiality of pantomime as they may, it is quite certain that the industry attracts a consistently sufficient attendance rate to uphold the institution for decades, perhaps centuries to come.  However, the reasons behind this attraction are a little more obscured.  In short, it is probably an amalgamation of nostalgia for the adult members of the audience, economic convenience for those involved in the productions, and, arguably most importantly, enjoyment for the kids who are the future participants in these opuses of madness.

With the weather slowly creeping into Dubai ‘winter’ (aka it’s time to wear the biggest hoodies we own when it’s only 20 degrees), the craze for outside seating in restaurants and cafés is back.  At the Dubai Mall there is a large pool of different dine-ins-outside to dip into.  A good start would be the renowned mOre café.

The service from the waiters was nothing less than efficient and polite.  With some of them looking almost as yummy as the food to be served.  I was sat at the outdoor seating with the breath-taking view of the Burj Khalifa itself, and the dancing fountain.

Almost immediately after being shown to our table, the waiter offered us complimentary water with a fusion of a calming mint leaf and boisterous lemon slice.  Perhaps the wait for the meal itself was touching on lengthy.  However this could mirror the care and dedication the chefs denote to each single dish, and the wait itself can be easily overcome with some light conversation.

The plates sustained a hefty amount of edible goodness to them and undoubtedly the presentation of the food was artistically striking.  I had ordered a ‘traditional’ Anna Mari Se Kiep: Chicken Breast Filled with Ricotta & Tarragon, served with Roasted Baby Potatoes & Bell Peppers.  It was a mission and a half to actually devour the entire plate, what with each bite yearning for another – despite my stomach barely having the capacity to take any more than a drop of sauce.

When the bill had arrived it hadn’t even bothered my parents about the price – each dish costing an average of 60dhs each.  This proves the gratitude they behold for this restaurant – which is strange for me considering our usual Friday lunches consist of us only going to a restaurant if we have the voucher provided, where here we had already used all three by the time January was up.

Overall this place is a sure winner, and be sure to make a stop there before our winter is over!

Grab life by the tongue!

Nationalism. Perhaps what is so controversial about this statement is the fact that it is impossible to define; each nationalist group has different aims and different methods which makes the whole concept of ‘nationalism’ subjective. There is no consensus amongst historians as to how to view nationalism: should it be an ‘imagined community’ of shared culture and heritage? Or rather defined by the terroritorial boundaries of nation states as they have been drawn out today? Is it a reactionary ideal calling for a return to the past or a revolutionary one calling for the establishment of a new nation state? Whatever the definition, this movement is once again gaining momentum around the world thus it is vital that we consider the role it is plays…

At its simplest, nationalism is the study of identity. Despite the changing dynamics of world order, the desire to belong to a specific community is never erased and always relevant. In the 1920s, the French sociologist Maurice Halbwachs coined the term “collective memory” for things we think we know for certain about the past of our own societies. Typically, he wrote, “a collective memory… is understood to express some eternal or essential truth about the group –usually tragic”. So the Poles remember the partition of their country just as the Serbs remember the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 as their defeat on earth but their moral victory in an unending struggle against Muslims. ‘Collective memory’ is fundamental to the study of nationalism and reveals more about the present than the past as it is integral to how a group sees itself.

Furthermore, nationalism is increasingly important as it is the source of many conflicts around the world; in order to understand these conflicts we have to understand the root of them. For example, Israelis use nationalism as a justification for preventing Palestinians with basic human rights.

Due to the EU crisis at the moment nationalism is remerging since countries are becoming hostile to the idea of bailing out weaker nations. In Finland, France, and Spain, there are signs that nationalism is on the rise in politics, notably to growth of the Front National in France under Marine Le Pen. Further, in Germany, anti-euro sentiment is growing, as taxpayers become more concerned about the costs of stabilizing the system. Many Germans don’t see why their taxes should be used to help people as far away as Greece when there are problems within their own country which need addressing; similarly, Greece does not want to be humiliated and patronised by Germans just because they have helped them out. Nationalist sentiment against immigrants could transfer to opposition to the euro due to the concept of “in-group bias,” a phenomenon that leads people to prefer their own rather than others. Thus nationalism is rising and its next victim could be the euro…

In my opinion, the next few years will see the study of nationalism focus less on the creation of states and more on the devolution of them. Questions will arise such as what is the best solution for the UK; prompted by Scottish calls for independence, the UK government will need to work out whether to continue with an uneven distribution of powers or to establish a federal system or even dissolve the UK entirely? It is imperative that countries learn how to handle multiple, complex national identities existing side-by-side in a single nation state. It is once again interesting to look at the EU in relation to this as to whether the EU is competing against each individual states or whether these single entities can be embedded into a larger one. Within this, the effect that different languages have on a nation state is interesting as it begs the question as to whether a multi-lingual state can maintain their stability or if they are doomed to fail by their nature.

Living in Dubai as we do it would be impossible to not look at the role of nationalism in the Middle East. With the rise of Islamic movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt it seems that religion and nationalism are becoming intertwined; France is struggling to maintain itself as a secular state which will have a direct impact on how people conceptualise ‘Frenchness’ thus whether the same will happen in this part of the world is debatable. Furthermore, given the recent developments in the Arab Spring, it will be interesting to see whether countries in the Middle East develop a more nationalist state structure or whether they go back to the view that was dominant in the early 20^th Century of Pan-Arabism.

Increasingly pervasive in the society that we live in, the question should not be whether nationalism is considered a force for “good” or as inherently “evil”  but rather what effect these changes will have on our lives.