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Balls, batons and bananas I can understand, but juice? You can't juggle with juice. Or can you? No, you're right, I can't, but Eisa Fayiz from Syria definitely can. For a small fee he pours the tamarind juice from his traditional urn and then the fun begins.
Up in the air the sweetly-scented water goes, back down into the cup and all without losing a drop. Upside down, back up and neatly into the cup again.
Mesmerised
Eisa had the crowd mesmerised at the Global Village and they lined up to watch the show and taste the juice. "Welcome!" he shouted as the crowd increased and gathered round in anticipation of what was about to happen. And then, anxious that we might not have got the message, he opened his arms wide and yelled "Ahlayn!" twice: welcome - a traditional Syrian greeting.
Rose water
Eisa Fayiz Elias Samaan entertained the people for more than four hours.
The tamarind juice spiced with rose water was going down a treat as people of all ages and nationalities were transported to Syria for a brief moment.
English is better
"I am enjoying my time at the Global Village and have met some great people," he said.
"They are all impressed with my juggling and many have come back for more. It's good to make a living doing something which is fun and is a local tradition too."
Eisa added: "My English is getting better, which was also one of my reasons for coming to the Dubai Shopping Festival. It is good to learn, and I am certainly doing that."
Love of tea
Eisa also spoke about his love of tea. "Tea is much more popular in the Middle East than coffee. There are several flavours and ways to prepare tea, and there are many possibilities," said Eisa.
"Chai is the Arabic word for tea, and it describes making a regular tea, unlike the chai you may find at your local coffeehouse.
"One of my favourite teas to brew is cinnamon tea. It's perfect for autumn and winter, and who doesn't like cinnamon? Cinnamon tea is easy to brew and great with any dessert."
Country facts
Syria borders Lebanon to the west, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east and Turkey to the north. It has a population of 19 million, of whom the majority are Arabic-speaking Sunni Muslims. Damascus, the capital, is among the world's oldest living cities.
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