Bryce's Corner

  It's an early Friday morning of the hot summer month of June. With the sun almost rising from the horizon - the birds can be seen flying from afar as they emerge from their nests to make haste for a brand new special day - Eid ul Adha! As the sun's rays penetrate from the depths of the horizon - the sound of the call for prayer can be heard very distinctly from the mosques of the neighbourhood. Calling out to the Almighty, the preacher gives thanks to God for this special day in poetic chants heard that enliven the entire Levantine neighbourhood. The congregation are filled with smiles as they greet each other, celebrating a spirit of communion, spirit of hope and a spirit of steadfastness in their faith that has blessed them all to be in the best and one of the safest countries in the entire Middle East - the UAE!

This week, the Goans in Sharjah decided that the world simply wasn’t appreciating the mighty cashew enough — so they organized a mini-potluck at Al Majaz Park. The mission? Spread the good word about the cashew fruit — the VIP of Goan summers — and, of course, find another excuse to eat. Everyone arrived dressed in the vibrant colors of the cashew: red, yellow, orange, and green. Honestly, if you'd passed by without context, you might have thought a fruit salad had exploded all over the park. The festivities began with a high-energy ice-breaker led by Ms. Cathy Almeida, who challenged everyone to guess famous Goan facts — while simultaneously keeping a balloon in the air . Imagine the chaos: balloons flying, answers flying, people flying... it was basically a Zumba class disguised as a quiz. Next up was the catwalk, where participants paraded their finest cashew-inspired fashion, complete with props crafted by the ever-talented Victoria Alphonso. Posing like supermodels, the co...

On the afternoon of Saturday, 15th March 2025, the sun hung low in the sky over Sharjah, casting a warm golden hue across the sprawling Qasmiyyah School Organic Farm. The fragrant scent of earth, mingled with the sweet aroma of blooming flowers, drew a crowd of eager residents ready for a unique experience, one that promised to intertwine the age-old traditions of community and harvest with the joyous spirit of Ramadan. The Sharjah Architectural Triennial had organized an event that would turn ordinary moments into memories—a harvesting experience that invited families to dig their hands into the soil, to nurture and to learn. As the participants gathered, they were welcomed by the warm smiles of local farmers who guided them with enthusiasm, sharing their expertise on organic farming techniques. “Today, we become one with the earth,” one farmer proclaimed, holding a sprayer filled with organic neem leaf liquid. The children, their eyes wide with excitement, rushed forward, eager to he...

  This February, the St. Michael’s Sharjah Goan Community organized an annual picnic at the Sharjah National Park. The event brought together more than 400 Goans from all across the Emirates, with the main purpose of – connecting the diaspora and celebrating a shared reality.   A series of games were put together for people of all age groups that helped create a community spirit as people gathered in their respective teams working their way out on reaching the finish line. The most innovative of them all was the – ‘Newspaper Dress Up Competition’. In this game, all the teams had to work out innovative ways of designing a dress out of old newspaper within a limited time. Imagination took a flight of fancy as team members went frenzy to complete the task within just ten minutes, generating lots of fun and laughter in the fresh environs of the park.  The event  finally culminated with the game of housie and a short song session by Mr. Anthony Dsouza who s...

  What does it mean to be a cricketer from the most picturesque state of Goa? Sounds quite fascinating isn’t it. Today, I’m here to throw a spotlight on one of the most talented and youngest cricketers -  Aayan Afzal Khan, aged 19, hailing from Margao, who currently plays for the UAE national cricket team. As one of the top players to record a four-wicket haul in just 16 runs for the UAE squad in the T20 World Cup, Aayan has become a symbol of nation’s bright future in cricket. Aayan’s love for cricket had very humble origins. In his early childhood days, he developed an interest watching his father play on the cricket grounds of their neighborhood. Recognizing his interest in the sport, his father gifted him with a plastic bat and ball. Coincidentally, Afzal – Aayan’s father too was a state-level cricket player in Goa but had to give up when he came to UAE to seek greener pastures. Little wonder that Aayan would have taken up after his father as love for cricket must be i...

What is the one word that comes to your mind when I mention the city - Sharjah? For some of you grown up here, I am pretty sure the mere mention of the word draws you back to your early childhood or school days in a multi-cultured bustling neighbourhood. For the rest of the others, it could come across as just another city in one or more of the Gulf states - a common misperception given the less visibility in the news worldwide. But what if I told you that this very city - now crowned since the last few years as the cultural capital of the Arab world is now the powerhouse of some exquisite jazz ensembles from across the world. Surprising isn't it?  Yes - that's right, the city just recently hosted it's first Jazz Festival at the Al Noor Island and today I'm here to throw a spotlight on the first ever jazz lineup at the cultural capital. It was a quaint evening of 7th Dec 2024. As we crossed the bridge that led us to the entrance of the island - we saw a huge group of tr...