Down the road were the Etihad Museum and Guest House. The architecture of the museum was magnificent inside and out. The museum tells the inspiring story of the founding of the UAE. There were quite a few tributes to many of the Sheikhs. Two movies also helped to tell the story.
The Guest House is across the courtyard. It is used as a guest house for important visitors. I learned about the custom of majlis. It is a word meaning council and is used to describe various types of special gatherings, as well as a private place where guests, usually male, are received. A guide explained that they have majlis at her house. It is often the front room or parlor where guests are received. The women decorate it and prepare coffee/food. Hospitality is taken very seriously, so it is very important to make guests feel comfortable.
There are two dining rooms in the Guest House that can each seat 300. One of them - with tables and chairs - is more for Westerners. The other is a large open space for those who are more comfortable sitting on the floor.
(By the way, I’m sure you have noticed that the photos are often very much out of order. I appear to have no control over the order in which they appear on the blog. I could, I supposed, post them individually but that would take at least twice as much time. I am using an older iPad that is very s...l...o...w.)
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| The dining room with seats for 300. |
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| Outside of Etihad Museum |
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| Dining room for those who prefer to sit. |
Just a quick thought....
ReplyDeleteAre people more limber because they sit on the floor as opposed to us Westerners, who are more accustomed to sitting in chairs? I would think that sitting on the floor would be good for you. Let me know! I may change my ways;)