dubai, you’d be surprised, is quite rich in green parks. the parks in dubai cover extensive area, with good facilities and recreation, beautiful landscape, and most importantly, clean.
last weekend, we went to a park in khawaneej area, mirdiff – ‘mushrif park’ to join a group of friends for a bbq picnic as well as celebrating little nabil’s birthday. this was our first time at mushrif park, so we were very surprised to see how different the park is compared to the other ‘green’ parks in dubai.
in fact, mushrif park is referred to as a desert park! hmm, why?
for other parks, you park your car outside, pay entrance fee, and walk in. at mushrif park, the entrance fee is aed10 per car. yes, that’s how extensive mushrif park is – cars can enter the park!
so there we were, enjoying the sights of mushrif park in the comfort of our car. where are all the green fields? colorful flowers? bushy trees? it’s more like a desert area, with balding trees! no wonder it’s called desert park!
well, desert park or not, mushrif park is surprisingly beautiful in its apparent barrenness.
eerie, or romantic?
did you know that mushrif park is also a large protected park with indigenous ‘GHAF’ trees?
the ghaf tree has long been embedded in UAE culture and tradition, and now feared to be endangered. efforts have been taken to preserve the trees – especially in mushrif park. sheikh zayed, the founder of UAE even passed a law forbidding the cutting of ghaf trees.
the ghaf tree; also known as the ‘umbrella tree’, or ‘the tree of the dunes’, is said to be one of the sources of nutrition and medication in the desert.
it REALLY is ‘a desert park’ – instead of man-made field with pre-planted colorful flowers and greeneries, the park stayed true to the identity of a middle east country. being in the park, you’re surrounded by plants, trees and desert shrubs indigenous to the UAE, including the ghaf tree.
the rest is sand.
may look barren compared to other more ‘green’ parks of dubai, but therein lies the beauty and attraction.
however, my one complaint is the uninvited guest during our bbq picnic – the THORNS!
we had our bbq picnic far inside mushrif park, where it’s less green, and more ‘wild’. we discovered that the surrounding area is filled with itty bitty thorns! as you can see from the picture above, there were these round little things stuck under my boys’ slippers.
when they played ball, as the ball rolled around the area, the thorns got stuck on the ball too!
each of the little round things has a lot of little thorns on them, giving it a mighty cengkaman (grip). and if you stepped on it bare-footed, the tiny little thorns will get stuck to your feet instead, looking like a bee-sting. VERY tiny, and if you’re not careful, the tiny thorn might go even deeper into your skin, making it impossible to remove.
so when walking all over the park, make sure you use the walkway provided, or else – say hello to your little ‘thorny friend’ who won’t let go!
I seriously regretted not having kahfi and kazim wore their sports shoes or boots. they wore slippers, and kahfi wore really flimsy slippers – (memang slipar jepun yang murah beli kat pasar malam je tu sebab selalu sangat hilang selipar!) kahfi actually got ‘stung’ by the thorn many, many times during our time at mushrif park – kesian tengok tapak kaki dia!
no fret – once home, we tempek minyak gamat, alhamdulillah ok!
so guys, THIS area of mushrif park is NOT a place for kids to run around, tumbling down and bergolek-golek! bahaya!
* * *
when we arrived, we can already see a yummy spread on the table. alhamdulillah, thanks to all the kakak-kakak who have prepared the delicious dishes – mee kari, roti jala, spaghetti, and best of all – the tantalizing aroma coming from the bbq pit!
kami bawak muffin blueberry je! hihi
roti jala kari ayam yum yum!
there are many picnic areas equipped with wooden shades, seats, and bbq grills – spacious and fit for a party of 30 even! the only problem is – well, the THORNS that I mentioned previously! haha. other than that, a great place to have a bbq!
incidentally, this picnic at mushrif park has gathered 5 old boys of malay college in dubai – bro nizalman v90 (in blue), bro musyil v91 (in red) abg zaim v82 (in printed shirt) and abg shon v84 (belum sampai lagi!). and of course my mr khairul in green, kay v96. that’s abg aslam in black T.
tu dia, abg shon v84 baru mai in blue collared T.
* * *
kudos to birthday boy’s parents kak nani and husband abg mushil for organizing fun games for the kids. the kids were very cooperative and attentive listening to uncle mushil’s instructions, and so enthusiastic during play.
uncle mushil giving instructions
haha my khaleef won the first game, tied with the boy in white. who can last the longest standing on just one feet! keputusan seri sebab budak-budak lain dah malas nak tunggu sape menang!
like musical chair, but we don’t have chairs – so uncle mushil used the picnic mat instead! the mat is folded into smaller size as game went on. who has the fastest butt to quickly sit down is the winner! haha.
there was even a pinata for the kids to have fun with! they enjoyed this bit tremendously! I would say this is the most anticipated moment – to hit the pinata like crazy, and then go nuts over the candies and chocolates that fell down.
enjoy the chaotic fun!
* * *
me with the ladies! yes, the picnic continues after dark! I think I miss the dress code le. kakak-kakak semua pakai abaya seh!
thanks so much to kak nani for organizing the games, as well as preparing presents for the kids – all of them, win or lose. khaleef got a board game, kahfi got spiderman stickers and kazim brought home a bubble gun. they enjoyed it very much! thanks again from the boys, aunty nani!
* * *
we went back before they cut nabil’s cake, because kahfi was already cranky and in pain with all that thorns on his left foot (kesian sayang mak!) but we appreciate the invite, so happy that you included us in your bbq picnic and birthday celebration. until next time!
by mushrif park and all the thorns! mushrif park is open from 8am to 11pm. wednesdays are set for women and children only.
wanna read about our fun times at other parks in dubai :
- we joined the lantern festival potluck at al-barsha park
- the boys play football at zabeel park
- play football at safa park
- cable car at creek park
- picnic + bday party at dubai creek park
- mirdiff park
No comments:
Post a Comment