Etihad – Echoes of My Neighbourhood

Roughly translated, Etihad means ‘together, join into one,’ and that’s what the UAE is all about. The United Arab Emirates is made up of 7 Emirates that came to become one Federation, yet each Emirate is autonomous.

The enormous, extraordinary development this region has experienced can only be better appreciated when you see the stark, arid, unforgiving surroundings that it was carved out of.

My foray last week took me to Etihad museum. The museum is located on the same historical site of the Union House, which is where the constitution of the UAE was signed in 1971 to establish its independence.

Etihad is equipped with a library, an education centre, exhibition halls, restaurant/cafe. It offers a series of interactive pavilions, photos, films and more, where visitors can explore the UAE’s history with particular emphasis on the significant period between 1968 and 1974 – through photos, films and more.

It’s always my wish to develop better understanding and appreciation of where ever I am, which is why I haunt museums. Doing so gives one a glimpse into the history and heritage of their surrounding and allows you to see the place through different eyes.

Beautiful photos of fresh snow from Lady Lee’s neighbourhood.

On another hand, after much deliberation, Echoes of my neighbourhood will be evolving a bit. It has run consistently every week for well over a year and I am honestly surprised that I kept up with it. Sometimes, we don’t know how far we can go unless we start.

Going forward, it will evolve into a monthly feature on this blog and no longer weekly. The last Thursday of each month will offer a collage of photographs and post for Echoes. I am in the process of aligning my projects and other interests to create better balance.

You are most welcome to join Echoes of my neighbourhood – last Thursday’s of the month.