Wednesday 23 October 2013

@GlobalVillageAE Italy: The Culture, Cuisine, and Craftsmanship


The greatness of Global Village comes from the experience of a culture that can be completely foreign to you. Along with the fairground fun and games; the interactive street entertainment, and the full blown live musical performance, there is an additional experience that is rarely brought to you within the Middle East at all. It’s the brilliance of being able to wander into a new country at a mere whim. Leave behind the passport, the excessive packing for a different climate, and sample the culture of a new country.
One pavilion that epitomizes the love of introducing visitors to the rich culture of its name sake is the Italian pavilion. With this being the first time Italy has ever been represented at Global Village, the country that looks like a boot is ready to make an imprint on Dubai, with its unique and culturally relevant shops.
With more World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world and a collection of art, buildings, and literature from a range of periods, there is no doubt that there is an interest here for people enticed by the ancient culture of Italy. Especially if it comes from a love for the aesthetics of a country that built so much of its reputation on being the birth place of such great visual artists as Michelangelo and da Vinci.
Global Village’s Italy pavilion may not offer you up the chance to purchase an original Botticelli, but it gives you the chance to get your hands on beautifully handcrafted Venetian masks produced by Due Bi. These masks, lovingly created in Venice, have been brought over to the U.A.E specifically for Global Village and its celebrations. Upon putting on the mask you can feel yourself being whisked away to the Carnevale di Venezia, or the Carnival of Venice for the non-Italian speakers, to stride along the canals and bridges between the islands that make up this wondrous city. Made and crafted by hand out of paper mache, ceramic, or resin, visitors are able to seek out a wide variety of looks that fits their own style. Adorned with bright colours, from the paint and feathers, join the carnival atmosphere of Global Village with these beautifully unique masks.
Just opposite the Due Bi mask shop is another wonder of Italy. While most people, when they think of baking and Italy, will normally grab their knives and forks, this shop is more about the baking of clay. Despite not being as tasty as a cheesy pizza, these clay pots somewhat make up for it with wonderful designs and durability. This is the first time such craftsmanship has ever been in Dubai. The company, Vicenza, holds many of the same ideals as Global Village. Being a family orientated business, they offer a unique experience with each and every piece, as each is molded individually, and then painted by hand. Be sure to watch the making-of video, which is on display at the stand, to see just how much work goes into these wonderful pieces. Vicenza can supply you with all the cups, plates, plant pots, and decorative thermometers that you could ever want as an item at home, and as a gift to family members or friends.




Khalid Al Aini, the Italy pavilion organizer, thinks that the uniqueness and authenticity of the Italy pavilion in Global Village will lead to it being one of the biggest draws in the park. “Italy is a large place and it has so much history and culture. While people may go to Italy and experience the history and culture, they can’t always bring a whole lot of it back with them so that they can experience Italy in their own homes. The shopping experience and culinary experience we provide at Global Village really allows people, whether they’ve traveled to Italy before or not, to delve into the rich fashion, food, and arts of the country.”
Carrying on with the handmade uniqueness that the Italian pavilion is providing at Global Village for all its visitors, Carra Nonna, the renowned pasta makers are selling their products exclusively at Global Village this year. From their special basil infused, Puglia - which is created by pressing the thumb into the pasta to make a bowl in the soft pasta; all the way to their Tagliolini al Salmone, which is a salmon infused tagliolini, there is plenty of interesting pastas here to keep foodies interested for hours. Parents will find it easy to find some star shaped pasta for any fussy eating children. With its wonderful colours and unique shapes, it will be a wonder if they will ever be able to get their children to eat anything else. There is even dollar shaped pasta for any prospective businessmen out there who feel like they need a bit more fortune. Head to the Italian pavilion today and they have a special on buying a pasta sample box which will allow you to purchase three types of pasta and receive a free gift.
Of course it wouldn’t be Italy if the fashionistas didn’t have something to get their blood racing. In fact, the pavilion for Italy has even more unique products for all the trendy folk to show off to their friends.
One of the more unique products on the fashion side of Italy at Global Village has been brought over by Bacolte shoes. These ladies heels are awe inspiring as they provide the wearer to interchange the heels. It’s a personalization of shoes. Women can now choose what size of heel they want on their shoe, and interchange heels for different mixing and matching possibilities. With this being the first time that this product has ever been present in the UAE, Global Village is the place to be to stay ahead of the trends.

If the possibility of being able to customize your shoes isn’t enough to get you interested, then maybe a personal, on the spot customization of your own handbag is more interesting. The Italian bag company Obag has brought over their unique silicon handbags to the UAE, to allow the female visitors of Global Village the possibility of creating their own personal handbag in the shop. By allowing the customer to choose a bag colour of their choice, and specific to their taste; a detachable handle in their design choice; and their own choice of lining for the bag, Obag is providing visitors to Global Village a truly exclusive experience.
Of course, so as to provide people with a familiar face, the Italian pavilion has brought in an originally Italian ice cream company that has opened up a branch locally in the UAE. The company does not use any chemicals in the production of their ice cream, and they have always been intent on the use of raw ingredients from Italy so as to give the ice cream that truly authentic taste.

Be sure to visit the pavilion for Italy when you’re next at Global Village to sample the finer cultural points of a truly rich in culture country. Join the Carnevale; pick up some scrumptious handmade mushroom pasta; add your own personal touch to a handbag; experience a country that has added so much to the flavor and aesthetic of the world, only at Global Village.

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