Incense and Tolerance
While working in a Northern Emirate, I sometimes have to work late (and early) and stay in a small room until I have enough of a break that I can get back to Dubai.
The sewage system is that the sewage drops into a trap under the room until a truck comes by to empty the trap. So I feel the need to burn some incense when I have to sleep in that room.
Being basically indolent, I prefer stick incense, since it's easier than the kind that requires lighting charcoal and dropping in the incense bit by bit (while swinging the censer and chanting, which takes far too much energy).
To avoid a mess, I purchased, in addition to the stick incense, a stick incense burner.
Arabian tradition is big on incense, but generally uses chunks of incense (or fragrant wood) which are dropped into a bowl filled with burning charcoal.
Stick incense is (mostly) from regions east of Arabia. And religions east of Arabia.
I was burning the incense strictly for utilitarian purposes, but I admit that the package of incense and the incense burner had inscriptions indicating that the incense was suitable for use in infidel religious ceremonies.
I returned to my room late last night to find my incense burner smashed.
So, since I refuse to remain in that room without incense, and since I haven't found any other place to sleep, I shall have to replace the incense burner. Preferably with an unbreakable one.
The sewage system is that the sewage drops into a trap under the room until a truck comes by to empty the trap. So I feel the need to burn some incense when I have to sleep in that room.
Being basically indolent, I prefer stick incense, since it's easier than the kind that requires lighting charcoal and dropping in the incense bit by bit (while swinging the censer and chanting, which takes far too much energy).
To avoid a mess, I purchased, in addition to the stick incense, a stick incense burner.
Arabian tradition is big on incense, but generally uses chunks of incense (or fragrant wood) which are dropped into a bowl filled with burning charcoal.
Stick incense is (mostly) from regions east of Arabia. And religions east of Arabia.
I was burning the incense strictly for utilitarian purposes, but I admit that the package of incense and the incense burner had inscriptions indicating that the incense was suitable for use in infidel religious ceremonies.
I returned to my room late last night to find my incense burner smashed.
So, since I refuse to remain in that room without incense, and since I haven't found any other place to sleep, I shall have to replace the incense burner. Preferably with an unbreakable one.
posted by Dubai@Random at 4:09 pm
4 Comments:
wow. who dunnit?
another alternative could be incense oils which could be used with an oil burner. They smell good and you can avoid the smoke.
You can avail them at gift stores like Carlton. I'm not sure if you get them at other gift stores (try lamcy, city center). Also found at places like Lifestyle (centerpoint)
how about a peg on your nose?
What an unpleasant and bizarre act of vandalism.
Harsha's suggestion is great. I also suggest:
- Dh10 electric incense burner from spice souq, to smoulder lumps of frankincense on
- scented candles: they are less smoky, though generally softer in scent. Also the flame helps purify the air
- expensive joss-sticks/incense sticks from L'Occitane. Ludicrously expensive but they don't have that rather cloying traditional joss-stick smell that gets annoying after a while
And you can also get away with dropping essential or incense oils onto some lampshades (fabric will stain, but metal lamps are ideal) where it will be heated up by the heat of the bulb and evaporate nicely around the room). Essential oils are also supposedly good for health, some ward off germs and soothe stress. Spinneys have some quite cheap ones.
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