NATION A10

gulfnews.com | Monday, March 17, 2014 | Gulf News

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Japanese traditions
commemorate quake
EXPATS MARKTHIRDANNIVERSARYOF MARCH 11, 2011 DISASTER
ABU DHABI
J
apanese community
members in the capital
made scores of orizuru
a paper crane as part of a
traditional practice to
commemorate the third anni-
versary of the massive March
11, 2011 earthquake that trig-
gered a tsunami in northeast-
ern Japan.
We pray for the people for
whom we make Orizuru and
we are sure our prayers must
have reached the survivors of
the earthquake, Tama Tanaka,
a Japanese homemaker in Abu
Dhabi, told Gulf News yesterday.
She and her friends were
teaching the non-Japanese how
to make orizuru and serving
maccha, a traditional Japanese
green tea, to customers at a Jap-
anese restaurant in the capital
over the past fewdays.
In Japan, we make orizuru,
making wishes for the people
we care to be in peace or to get
well. We made the birds with
prayers and shared with people
who love Japan in Abu Dhabi,
Tanaka said.
Almost all Japanese know
howto make orizuru.
We learn it in school. When
a dear one is sick we even make
a thousand orizuru, Tanaka
said.
She said the earthquake sur-
vivors need support because
many of them are still living in
temporary accommodations.
About 98,000 people still live in
temporary shelters three years
after the earthquake, leaving
about 19,000 people dead or
missing and hundreds of thou-
sands homeless as it wiped
out entire towns, according to
a Bloomberg report. Only 3.4
per cent of the planned public
housing has been built because
of a shortage of labourers and
building materials, according
to the government.
Charity
The restaurant will donate
the proceeds from the sales of
Japanese tea to the earthquake
survivors. The amount may
be small but we want to send
a message to the survivors that
Abu Dhabi still remembers
them, Tanaka said.
Farag Barakat, 57, the Egyp-
tian owner of Samurai Japanese
restaurant, said he was very
impressed by the Japanese ca-
maraderie.
While working in Japan for
six years in the 1980s, he had
made many friends and one of
them was about to visit him in
March 2011 to enjoy his vaca-
tion.
But when the earthquake
happened, the Japanese friend
cancelled his vacation in the
UAE and said he would contrib-
ute that money to the earth-
quake victims. It was so touch-
ing, Barakat said.
By BsnL AsocL KnoR
Sta Reporter
Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
Fine touch
Tama Tanaka demonstrates the art of making Orizuru whille
serving maccha, a green tea, to the customers at Samurai
Japanese Restaurant in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Ahmed Kutty/ Gulf News
Bridges of friendship
Phil Hogan, Irelands Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government
(second from right), Patrick Hennessy, Irish Ambassador to the UAE (lef) ) at the opening
of the Irish Corner at Al Hosn University Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Irish eyes are smiling in the UAE
DUBAI
T
heres more to celebrat-
ing all things Irish than
simply raising a glass on
St Patricks Day. With a grow-
ing expatriate presence in the
UAE, there are historic ties be-
tween Dublin and Dubai.
Ofcially, there are some
6,000 Irish citizens regis-
tered with the embassy in Abu
Dhabi, but the gure is signi-
cantly greater when the un-
registered are accounted for.
In 2012-13 alone, some
89,000 Irish migrated over-
seas, with the UAE being a
destination of choice for many.
According to Tourism Ire-
land, a push for development
and innovation of Irish busi-
nesses in the UAE also brings
expatriates to the region.
Etihad, the Abu Dhabi-
based carrier, holds a 2.9 per
cent stake in Aer Lingus, Ire-
lands national carrier.
Patrick Hennessy, Irelands
ambassador to the UAE, be-
lieves that theres even more
opportunity for growth.We
are seeing more interest in the
educational and training op-
portunities in Ireland, while
tourism from the UAE, helped
by excellent ight connections
with Emirates and Etihad, is
growing rapidly, he said
Sean Staunton, chairman
of the Dubai Irish Society,
has been living in Dubai for
14 years. The society will be
hosting its 40th St Patricks
Day ball on Friday at Dubais
Conrad Hotel. Staunton is also
president of the Dubai Celts, a
club that promotes and organ-
ises Irish games such as Gaelic
football and hurling.
Paddy Darcy, a former
chairman of the Dubai Celts,
has been living in Dubai for
nine years. Every St Patricks
Day gives people a chance to
be Irish, or celebrate like the
Irish. Dubai Celts welcomes
anyone interested in playing
these great sports in Dubai,
he said.
Social occasion
On March 28, the club will
host the Gulf Gaelic Games,
with hurling and football
teams from around the Mid-
dle East, Ireland and the rest
of the world taking part. And
its also a perfect social occa-
sion as well.
Colette Shannon, commu-
nications manager at Spin-
neys, has been living in Dubai
for over seven years. She will
celebrate her eighth St Pat-
ricks Day in the UAE.
Te writer is an intern
at Gulf News.
On St Patricks Day
today, historic bonds
between the two
nations are reafrmed
By MnRnn WRcn1
Special to Gulf News