Some of the more popular foods that Arabs of the Gulf eat more often than others include Machboos and Biryani. If you ever happen to dine at an Arabic restaurant, you do not want to miss out on machboos rice with Hamour (species of fish) or Biryani rice with prawns. The pictures below feature these two exquisite foods.
Although it seems like forever ago, I remember a time when having lunch at home was not just about eating food. About ten years and before that, when lunch time came, my family members and I would all gather to eat at the same time from the same huge plate. Back then, lunch time was a special time for all family members to meet and communicate. This union of all family members to have lunch together symbolized our Gulf society’s emphasis on collectivism and the significance we put on our social groups, at least at that time. Nowadays, the only time my family members and I have a chance to eat lunch altogether is on some Fridays. Even when we do eat together, we no longer eat from the same huge plate like we did years back then.
After some thought, I realized that this shift in our behavior is the result of our different day-to-day schedules. Half of my brothers and I no longer go to school. We are all so occupied with our private issues and personal interests, such as academic or career-oriented matters, that we no longer have a chance to meet as a group like we used to. This marks a shift in our behavior from collectivism to individualism. However, this does not imply that I or anyone else necessarily prefers to be isolated and alienated from his or her family members. I see it as an effect of capitalism. We are merely doing what our age requires from us, as today’s capitalist society values economic activity, specifically that which allows a person to earn a better living, thus achieving social mobility and moving up the social status ladder.
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