WEDNESDAY 25
Jazz night
One of Dubai’s swankiest dining destinations, Marea in DIFC, has a live jazz night every Wednesday to add some rhythm to those mid-week blues. ‘Jazz After Dark’ allows you to indulge in the best Italian cuisine, as the delightful Claudia Patrice sweeps you away performing live, soulful hits.
I’ll be there for you... For 25 years they were there for us, cheering us on, lifting us up with their brand of humour, giving us #friendshipgoals and quotes to regale each other with. Beaming a slice of life of 90s New York into our living rooms half the way across the world, Rachel, Joey, Chandler, Ross, Phoebe and Monica were the ones we compared our friends to - who doesn’t have a ‘Monica’ in their lives, right??? - and their living arrangements were to die for. Imagine sharing an apartment with your closest friends, having a support group to fall back on when things don’t go too well in your own lives, or merely to enjoy a laugh with. It was the ultimate in independent living, a part of the grown up world we all desperately wanted to belong to.
Last week as I scoured local outlets to buy the special edition ‘Central Perk’ set brought out by Lego to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the iconic hit show for a close friend who was obsessed with both the sitcom and the bricks, it brought back special memories. As pop culture milestones go, this is a humongous one - a celebration of a show that brought so much laughter and positivity into our lives.
Friends has been termed racist, homophobic, and offensive by many who gaze at it through the lens of the modern times. But there’s no taking away the fact that the six friends from New York were the ones we turned to when we needed cheering up, the ones who taught us that humour was the way to tackle most of life’s problems; the ones who were there for us during our growing years, teaching us that Friends are all we need even when the rest of the world gives up on us.
Three cheers to Friends! May we all have friends to turn to when the going gets tough or just to laugh at all our lame jokes. Hopefully not one who sings Smelly Cat though.