To visit: Murcia, Spain

Recently I was fortunate to visit Murcia in Spain as part of a work trip – what a lucky duck I am! Even better, we had a little time to explore and I discovered that Murcia is not only blooming gorgeous, but the food is super delicious (and plentiful). In fact it was all so gorgeous and delicious that I thought it’d make a great blog post.

So, here’s what I’ve learnt about Murcia:

Found in south-east Spain, it is the seventh largest city in the country

It’s pronounced More-thia with lots of lisping, not Mer-sia as my ignorant British mouth kept saying

It’s the capital city of a region by the same name (well, that’s a bit unimaginative…)

It has a really, flipping big and impressive cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary or the Iglesia Catedral de Santa Maria, (is it just me or does everything sound better in Spanish?), really is quite a formidable building and apparently boasts three different architectural styles – renaissance, gothic, and baroque, I think.

Its patroness is, rather unsurprisingly considering its name, the Virgin Mary. What is surprising, however, is that there is a specific statue of the patroness which is said to have been randomly found up in the hills or in a forest, and now once or twice a year they bring her down to the city and thousands gather for her procession into the cathedral. On the other hand the patron, Saint Patrick, is quite forgotten – poor chap! – but he does get a pretty big party elsewhere in the world so I’m sure he’s alright.

It used to be part of a Muslim empire
The locals called them the Moors, but sadly my historical knowledge of Spain and Muslim empires is a little hazy (read: non-existent). But I do know, (because a tour guide told me), that they travelled from North Africa many moons ago and, in fact, the current Cathedral was built on the site of the old mosque.

Ah! An ever-reliable source, (Wikipedia…), tells me that the Moors were medieval Muslim inhabitants from North Africa and Europe, whose empire spread as far as Gibraltar, Spain, Portugal, and parts of France. You learn something new every day, hey?

I find it really interesting that Spain has this big Islamic history, because whenever I think of countries like Spain or Italy, for example, they just seem so very inherently Catholic that it’s strange to think of them as anything else, whether that’s Islamic or pagan.

A main street in the old town is called Traperia, which was named after all the tailors that used to reside there

There’s also another street, Calle Jabóneria, named after the soap makers that were based there

It has a grand old Casino that has nothing to do with gambling
I still don’t quite understand why it was ever called the Casino when it was, and still is, an old nineteenth-century gentlemen’s club. But regardless, it’s a beautifully-strange building.

Each room was decorated to imitate the styles of different countries. I’ll be honest, being the sad patriot that I am, the English Library was my favourite. My least favourite room by far, however, was what used to be the women’s bathroom.

Whoever decorated that room was obviously less bothered about design and more interested in scaring the hell out of everyone with the worrying and petrifying fairy mural on the ceiling! You get the feeling that perhaps the men weren’t overjoyed when the club finally admitted women…

The food was good. So very good
Any fellow vegetarians who have dared to visit Spain will know it is one of the world’s least veggie-friendly destinations. Despite this disadvantage, I still managed to tuck into many a delicious dish and left Spain merrily nursing one heck of food baby.

Every meal was like an education, with an array of intriguing national and local dishes, which the locals seemed so passionate about. I wish I’d taken notes! I remember a lot of bread, which was served with either garlic-y butter, tomato salsa, or a sprinkling of paprika, and always with a healthy pouring of oil. There were plates of patatas bravas (a vegetarian tapas classic), chargrilled local vegetables, Spanish omelette, and mountains of cheese, just to name a few.

One dessert that really stood out was a regional dish, Paparjote. It is, I think, deep-fried lemon tree leaves that are then coated in sugar and cinnamon. We were quickly told not to eat the leaf itself, but rather pick and nibble off the crispy, donut-like coating, which had absorbed a lovely lemon-y flavour. Not the most lady-like task, but pretty darn tasty.

All in all, I’d say a successful trip. I’d definitely recommend it a visit!

To do: The Scene Club

One thing Dubai definitely does well is cinemas. Without sounding too much like the west country bumpkin that I am, the cinemas here are pretty gosh darn swanky. Not only is the seating of the reclining lazy-boy-inspired sort and the popcorn served in massive boxes with mixed flavours (“Sweet AND salty? You rebel!”), but if you pay a little extra the staff will even bring you a pillow and blanket, thereby essentially tucking you in, which isn’t odd at all, right?

I thoroughly enjoy watching the biggest and shiniest movies while sitting in a big comfy chair and throwing popcorn aimlessly at my mouth. There are, however, only so many times I can watch things blow up/ people fall in love/ a villain get their comeuppance before I crave something a bit different from a film experience, something that will make me think a bit, something less – dare I say – ‘mainstream’, (excuse me while I throw up a little at the fact I actually used that phrase).

That’s exactly why I was so excited to learn about The Scene Club. While the name immediately brings to my mind angst-filled teenagers wearing mountains of eyeliner and staring vacantly at each other, I was happy to discover that The Scene Club is actually the UAE’s first, and possibly only, independent cinema. It puts on monthly showings of what it calls ‘the best of international independent cinema’ and often the film is followed by a Q&A with its producer, director, or actors, which is jolly fun.

And the best bit? It’s all free (hooray for free things)! There’s even complimentary popcorn for attendees, although strangely it can’t be eaten inside the theatre so you see many people gratefully inhaling the snack in the entrance hall. Tickets work on a first-come first-serve basis and apparently the showings are pretty much always crammed, so it’s best to register online and then turn up nice and early to claim your ticket and seat.

I’m just annoyed that it has taken me this long to find out about it, especially when I look at all the films I’ve missed. But once I had learnt of its existence, I signed up and eagerly trotted down to the venue in Knowledge Village, which turned out to closely resemble one of my old university lecture theatres – apart from the giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling, of course.

We were there to watch Like Father Like Son, a Japanese film by Hirokazu Koreeda about two couples who discover that their six-year-old sons were switched at birth in the hospital. The movie follows the two families as they decide whether to swap the sons back to be with their ‘blood’ parents. It’s a sweet movie that looks at what it means to be a family and what really bonds a parent and child.

Ultimately, the story comes down to one father, Ryota Nonomiya, and his relationship with his son (played by possibly the cutest child ever). The scene towards the end where the little boy is walking intently through town as his father follows patiently a few strides behind is really evocative. The Guardian did a jolly good job of reviewing the film.

By the credits, I was left with a great urge to give my parents a massive bear hug. But, then again, Disney’s Frozen had a very similar effect on me so what kind of judge of films am I really?

Check out The Scene Club website for information on what’s coming up.

Bouncing in Dubai

If I were to describe Dubai to any potential visitor the first thing I’d say is that nothing in this city is regular sized. Whether that’s its cars, its malls, or its popcorn portions, everything here is blooming mahoosive and never done by halves (seriously, the popcorn is amazing!).

And now Dubai has something else to add to its list of massive attributes: trampolining! Based in Al Quoz, Bounce is basically a huge warehouse jam-packed with wall-to-wall trampolines, including pillow-y jumping pits, basket ball hoops, platforms to practice Parkour-esque moves, and a dodgeball court!

The official Bounce website quite wonderfully describes it as, “A spring-loaded urban playground, a fantasyland for free jumping and all that’s made possible when hard surfaces are replaced with circus-grade sponge and spring.”

I hardly need to explain how ridiculously fun this place is but, luckily for you, I’m going to anyway. For a short hour or two it becomes socially acceptable for you to revert back to your childhood days and bounce around like a loon. Trampolines are just good, honest family fun!

Your body, however, is definitely quick to remind you of your age and by the end of the session most of our group were nursing some ache or pain.

My personal highlight has to be finally managing to grab hold of the basketball hoop in what I imagined would look like a super cool and professional slam-dunk, but instead resulted in me swinging gently like a lanky git from the hoop, sporting a look of fear on my face as I gathered the courage to actually drop back down again… watch out NBA, I’m coming for you!

I’m slowly learning that summer in Dubai is much like winter in Europe – you spend much of your time indoors, hiding from the thoroughly unsocial weather wreaking havoc outside with very little to do in the way of fun – although here it’s scorching 45 degree heat you’re avoiding, not freezing winds and rain. So having something like Bounce to brighten up what have been, let’s be honest, some pretty slow weekends was a very welcome change.

Myself and my pal Claire showing them how it’s done (and in matching outfits apparently)

Now to conclude this post I’m going to quote everyone’s favourite fictional bouncing tiger toy, Tigger, because well, I can:

“The wonderful thing about Tiggers is Tiggers are wonderful things. Their tops are made out of rubber, their bottoms are made out of springs. They’re bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy fun fun fun fun fun! But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is I’m the only one.”

Disclaimer: For the sake of a balanced argument I should mention that immediately after writing this post I went to my exercise class and joyfully discovered that I have in fact brought back an old, (relatively tame) back injury following my Bounce antics – buggerations! I feel about 110 years old. It’s jolly good fun, but be careful folks.

Cool, sassy, lady books for cool, sassy ladies

Surprise surprise – Dubai is not the most feminist place in the world. Who knew, hey?

One thing I’ve really missed since moving to the UAE is all the cool, sassy, independent feminist-minded people living in Britain. While living in London I felt almost part of this new wave of feminism – or at the very least near it – surrounded by events, marches, campaigns, and living in the same city as a bunch of crazy cool feminist-inclined journalists and writers. Whereas in Dubai it occasionally feels like you’re living in a 1950s detergent advert, where the word ‘feminism’ is still a dirty word and, when uttered aloud, raises many an eyebrow and, frankly, some rather unpleasant comments.

I do admit that Dubai is home to many independent, career-driven women and, as a friend pointed out, perhaps I wouldn’t long for British feminism so much if I focused my energy on what’s being done to combat sexism in the Middle East. But instead I’m going to pass over that valid and helpful point and list the five books written either by, for, or about cool, strong, intelligent lady types that I am dying to have on my book shelf.

How to Build a Girl, Caitlin Moran

Caitlin Moran seems to pop up everywhere nowadays and usually exposure like this would annoy me, but honestly, I can’t get enough of her. She manages to put into writing what many people, (including myself), fail to express in words, and she does it in a hilarious and clever way.

It’s safe to say that I’m really flipping excited about her newest book How to Build a Girl. While the story’s fictional, it’s pretty darn obvious that it overlaps a lot with her own upbringing. It follows a teenage girl growing up in the 90s, who reinvents herself into a ‘fast-talking, hard-drinking Gothic hero and full-time Lady Sex Adventurer’ and it sounds smashing!

A bit of what the official description says: Imagine The Bell Jar written by Rizzo from Grease, with a soundtrack by My Bloody Valentine and Happy Mondays. As beautiful as it is funny, How To Build a Girl is a brilliant coming-of-age novel in DMs and ripped tights, that captures perfectly the terror and joy of trying to discover exactly who it is you are going to be.

Everyday Sexism, Laura Bates
The Everyday Sexism project, launched by Laura Bates in 2012, publicly reveals examples of sexist experiences that its thousands of contributors have dealt with every day. The tweets alone make for a shocking read, not just because of the horrible way some people have been treated, but often because you find yourself relating to the victim.

She’s now released a book all about the project and I can’t wait to finally read it. (She also recently wrote a great article for the Guardian about feminism and weddings, check it out.)

A bit of what the official description says: From being harassed and wolf-whistled at on the street, to discrimination in the workplace and serious sexual assault, it was clear that sexism had become normalised. Bates decided it was time for women to lead a real change. Bold, jaunty but always intelligent, everyday sexism is a protest against inequality that provides a unique window into the vibrant movement sparked by this juggernaut of stories – often shocking, sometimes amusing and always poignant.

The Vagenda: A Zero Tolerance Guide to the Media, Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett and Holly Baxter

The Vagenda is a jolly fantastic website, looking at sexism and the presentation of women in the media. What I particularly like about this site is that it’s really rather funny, which makes it such a great read. Also, as it relies heavily on contributor pieces, it always posts a variety of opinions – some that you’ll agree with, some that you definitely won’t.

A bit of what the official description says: As students, Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett and Holly Baxter spent a lot of time laughing at magazine pieces entitled things like ’50 Sex Tips to Please Your Man’ (particularly the ones that encouraged bringing baked goods into the bedroom). They laughed at the ridiculous ‘circles of shame’ detailing minor weight fluctuations of female celebs, or the shocking presence of armpit hair. And at the articles telling you how to remove cellulite from your arse using coffee granules.

Hard Choices, Hillary Rodham Clinton

Disclaimer: I don’t know anything about American politics. I have a hard enough time keeping up with British goings-on, so I won’t start spouting nonsense about policies and the like. While Hillary Clinton isn’t exactly a feminist idol, she has had to deal with a lot of rubbish – very public rubbish – and despite this she’s managed to stay on top and stay strong, even as she serves as Secretary of State for the very chap who beat her to the post. And now rumours tell me she’s in the running to become America’s first female president. All-in-all she sounds like a cool chick.

A bit of the official description bit: “All of us face hard choices in our lives,” Hillary Rodham Clinton writes at the start of this personal chronicle of years at the centre of world events. “Life is about making such choices. Our choices and how we handle them shape the people we become.”

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s Learned, Lena Dunham

I love Girls (the HBO serious, not just all women in general). Not only is Lena Dunham a very talented producer/ director, but she has a very strange, unique way of looking at life and all its oddities. It’s very brave how she shines a light on aspects of young people’s lives that are often rather personal and unspoken. Plus she roams around totally starkers a lot on TV so she’s definitely a confident lass.

Apparently this book is a series of essays and if her writing is anywhere near as intriguing and honest as her show, then that can only be a good thing.

A bit of what the official description says: “If I can take what I’ve learned in this life and make one treacherous relationship or degrading job easier for you, perhaps even prevent you from becoming temporarily vegan, then every misstep of mine will have been worthwhile.”

Now, this is just a wish list, meaning that I haven’t actually read any of these yet so, basically, don’t blame me if they’re rubbish. In fact, if you have a short review of any of these books please drop it in the comments box below, I’d love to read them! Likewise if anyone has any recommendations for books like these…or any books in general, really.