Are you man enough to Be in touch with ‘ femininity’? quote unquote

COOKING AT HOME Is NOT just FOR WOMEN; IT CAN ALSO be A MANLY pursuit. BEING A ‘ stay- AT- HOME’ PARENT Is NOT just A WOMAN’S PREROGATIVE; NEITHER Is BEING WELL- GROOMED AND SNATCHING A few TRIPS TO THE SALON TO be PAMPERED. WATCHING A ROM- COM OR READING

eminism has received a lot of attention of late. But while thousands lined the streets of Washington DC on January 21 to talk about women’s rights, there were those who were only too happy to play devil’s advocate: “What about men?” they asked, and it is a topic that essentially comes to the forefront of every discussion. Well, feminism argues against stereotyping of any sort — putting women or men in boxes puts them at a disadvantage. Because, just like women were often discouraged from ‘ manly hobbies’ — playing sports or being too ‘ bossy’ — men are often told they should ‘ just act like men’. Be tough and unemotional, not care too much about the way they look and be the breadwinners of the family. Men aren’t discouraged from taking up hobbies like knitting or cooking — but you can’t deny the look of surprise that comes from friends and family when they hear about these pursuits.

Well, it’s the 21st century and things are slowly changing. So, are modern men daring to be different and embracing their feminine side? We speak to some strapping men around town to find out.

We know what you’re thinking — some of the best chefs in the world are men. But while a lot of men are happy to take it up professionally, are the rest willing to spend hours slaving in their home kitchens to whip up an elaborate meal? According to a poll conducted by Khaleej Times online, the answer is yes: 52 per cent of the men who took the poll stated that they enjoy cooking, as opposed to 38 per cent that only cooked to survive and 10 per cent that did not know how to cook at all.

“The days when women ruled the kitchen are long gone,” says Paul Alexander Estorffe, a Dubai resident who works in public relations. “I know women who can’t boil an egg but don’t lose any sleep over it. And for the men who think women should stay in the kitchen, well, they best crawl back into whichever cave they came from.”

For Paul, cooking is much more than a means of survival. The Brit never took any professional classes, and a career in the culinary arts was never on his radar. But today, he spends hours every week hunting down the perfect ingredients and whipping up complex creations painstakingly for close friends. The process starts with him imagining what kind of textures and flavours he wants in his food and then experimenting with meat, spices and herbs. The entire creative process is extremely therapeutic for him and he gets inspired by classic flavour combinations — and the end result is well worth the wait.

“I’ve been interested in all things culinary since I was a kid, watching others or experimenting myself — and almost burning down the house in the process,” he jokes. “When I started living alone, I realised no one else was going to do it for me.”

A similar opinion is voiced out by Michael Sawyer, who works as a stage technician in a theatre company. Having grown up on a farm in England, he’s well- versed with odd jobs around the house and seems rather baffled that there are men who don’t want to cook. “It’s another skill set. If you want to eat well, you have to learn to cook well first,” he says. “Why would anyone not learn how to do it? It’s all part of life.”

Does the duo think more men should be rolling up their

Are men today more concerned than ever about the way they look? Studies point in that direction. High- end menswear retailer, Mrporter. com, for example, reported a 300 per cent growth only in men’s beauty and grooming products in 2015. The men’s grooming industry is booming — but UAE- resident Shawn Stephens believes that men have always cared about the way they look. It’s only coming out in the open now.

“I think especially in Asia or South East Asia, it’s considered a bit of a taboo for men to look after themselves,” he says. “I think there has always been this interest, but it was not discussed in public because people had this idea that ‘ real men’ shouldn’t get manicures or pedicures or that they should go to a normal barber and not a hairstylist. But I think that the world is getting smaller now because everything is online and men can see what’s out there and know it’s perfectly normal.”

According to the Khaleej Times poll, 52 per cent of mentoday are open to the idea of pedicures and manicures. The sale of beard oils and beard balms is on the rise. And men’s salons are cropping up all over town, offering services from facials to eyebrow shaping. Why? The answer is obvious: there is demand for it.

“I think it is important to make time to look good, especially when you are working with people,” says Michael. “And it’s becoming less of a stigma. Gone are those days when men would think twice before moisturising or putting on cream. You have one body, and you should look after it.”

UAE resident and stay- at- home dad Usman Sajid had never really thought of getting manicures or pedicures — until he came to Dubai. “There are so many salons over here, and it makes you feel good. Sometimes, it really is about pampering yourself.”

Are men also equally open to trying new trends and wearing bright colours? Shawn believes that it all boils down to upbringing. His own parents were advocates of being dressed to the nines, and so being well- dressed came naturally to him. He thinks there’s nothing amiss about wearing pink or florals (“I have a Gucci suit in florals”) and believes men should just dress the way they want — drawing the line at cross dressing.

“I think when someone is well put together and looks great — man or woman — they attract attention. And that’s not going to change. But people love to talk and judge. You can’t stop that but you can control your reaction. Life is too short, so wear whatever you want.”

According to our poll, 47 per cent of men have no problem wearing pink. However, the way the colour is worn is also a factor.

“I have pink shirts,” says Paul. “But trousers? No. Just no.”

Usman Sajid’s son may only be four months old, but he already has his daily routine down pat. After his wife, Shaheena, leaves for work, he tends to the baby, changing nappies, making sure he is appropriately fed and burped, has time to play with his toys and just ‘ be happy’. When the baby starts getting tired or whiny, it’s nap time — and once he wakes up after half an hour or so, the whole process repeats.

“I’ve always loved kids,” says the new

People always judge others and I think it’s the fear of things they don’t know, or maybe it has something to do with insecurity”