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| Face projections as part of Sharjah Light Festival back in 2016 |
Its yet another quaint Saturday evening of the weekend. We're finally in the month of October, a signal that the year is almost about to come to an end. As I take a stroll down the roads of Al Majaz from my last Toastmasters meeting, I feel a deep sense of nostalgia. It is the kind of nostalgia that gives me a lot of flashbacks to the prominence of this area once upon time.
The first memory that comes to my mind is the prominent Al Batha Tower. I'm drawn back to the days when this tower was a meeting point for group picnics/events. We would use this as our meeting point for picnics in Abu Dhabi and elsewhere. The building even housed the once famous Caesar's restaurant! The restaurant was well-known for its exquisite 5 star dining experience. On several events, I remember quite distinctly having dined at the restaurant to celebrate different occasions. On one occasion, my sister and I celebrated our birthdays here in the presence of our cousins who were in town those days. On another occasion, when we performed well in school, we dined here to try out their famous sizzlers which this restaurant was well known for. To celebrate the occasion, we were given a lagoon-facing view which helped make our experience very memorable. And the last occasion I can remember, was when the Valentine's day was celebrated here more than 10 years ago. I won't forget the fresh red roses my parents were given to commemorate this occasion.
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| Infinity Tunnel installation as part of Sharjah Light Festival |
On strolling further I had some more flashbacks. The next one was related to Al Majaz Waterfront. Back in the day, this place was a bustling centre of activities with events ranging from Earth Hour, to Winter Wonderland, the Light Festival and so much more - apart from the regular fountains. I even remember on one occasion for the Light Festival, there were artists/performers engaged from Spain who were using 'fire' as an element to perform acrobatics activities which was well aligned with the theme of - fire and water. On another occasion, there was even a light tunnel or 'Infinity tunnel', which was illuminated with more than thousand lights, and once a 3D model on which our faces were projected - all done to celebrate the Sharjah Light Festival.
The last and final memory, that came to mind was First Avenue Cafe . This was a place which once served as a meetup for small parties and events, usually closer to the winter months. This even had an outdoor seating too which was suitable for the winter months to get the cold breeze and experience the light temperatures that characterize this season. Unfortunately, this cafe has since closed down over the last couple of years, however the memories of this place - still hold true in my mind to this date.
As I kept thinking about all these flashback - I came to realize one thing - there's so much that has changed over the course of time - as either residents have moved abroad, or they have shifted to Dubai or other cities that now have the same charm that this area used to have in the yesteryears. Al Majaz will always remain in my memory to this date as - the Nostalgic Cultural Centre of Sharjah!
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