Abu Dhabi

June 12, 2009

NOT ALL ARAB COUNTRIES HAVE CAMEL CROSSINGS

Not all Arab countries are created equal—most of them have oil as a big part of their identity, but for some it’s the oil that runs cars and for others it’s the stuff the comes from olives. A couple of them, like Algeria, have both. Sometimes the contrast between Arab countries is minimal, such as Continue reading

Abu Dhabi, Arabs, Author, Books, Dubai, Jordan, Middle East
June 4, 2009

Making Movies in Abu Dhabi

This spring my students have won several awards for their films—-national awards, not international, but we haven’t tried that yet. It’s my first year teaching them, and it’s the first year they make short narrative films and documentaries that are not tour guides to the UAE. The results, good and bad, have been a surprise Continue reading

Abu Dhabi, Arabs, Arts and Culture, Film, Middle East
May 23, 2009

Who Says We Ain’t Got No Culture Here?

When I decided to move to Abu Dhabi, one of the frequent comments I got was how could I move to such a cultural wasteland. This from my friends and acquaintances in L.A., which may seem ironic to some of you who have the same perception of L.A. However, just as L.A. is a lot Continue reading

Abu Dhabi, Arabs, Arts and Culture, Middle East
May 19, 2009

Cartier Comes To Campus

Today I could have put my name in for the raffle on campus, but I felt that I’d be taking away something from a student if I were to win (not that I’ve ever won a raffle). And I’m not sure I needed the prizes: four Cartier handbags, not the $20,000 plus alligator skin one Continue reading

Abu Dhabi, Author, Middle East

Abu Dhabi, Jewelry
May 6, 2009

The Differences Between Abu Dhabi and LA, or the lack thereof

Ever since I left Los Angeles nine months ago, I’ve been saying to myself, “That’s something I should blog about.” Now that the opportunity has reason, I can’t think of any of those somethings. In fact, there has never been a time when this writer has been left so wordless. I even left this Continue reading

Abu Dhabi, Arabs, Author, Books, Food, Los Angeles, Middle East

Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles

About Alia

Alia Yunis is a writer, journalist and filmmaker. She is currently producing and directing “The Golden Harvest,” a feature length documentary about how olive oil has shaped the Mediterranean culture, cuisine and history for 6,000 years, through war and peace. Her debut novel, The Night Counter (Random House) has been critically acclaimed by the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and several other publications. It was also chosen as a top summer read by the Chicago Tribune and Boston Phoenix. The Boston Globe has called it “wonderfully imaginative…poignant, hilarious.” Alia was born in Chicago and grew up in the U.S., Greece, and the Middle East. She has worked as a filmmaker and journalist in several cities, especially Los Angeles. Her fiction has appeared in several anthologies, including The Robert Olen Butler Best Short Stories collection, and her non-fiction work includes articles for The Los Angeles Times, Saveur, SportsTravel Magazine, and Aramco World. She currently teaches film at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi

NOT ALL ARAB COUNTRIES HAVE CAMEL CROSSINGS

Making Movies in Abu Dhabi

Who Says We Ain’t Got No Culture Here?

Cartier Comes To Campus

The Differences Between Abu Dhabi and LA, or the lack thereof