Frequent Flyers in Africa:Where to earn the points!

Frequent Flyers in Africa:Where to earn the points!

The World Cup is coming to South Africa and all major airlines are fully booked. Air France will be operating the A380 on the Paris (CDG)-Johannesburg (JNB) route;Emirates, the official airline of the World Cup has already expanded its services in South Africa. For travellers who will be hopping from one African City to another, there are great ways to earn miles on regional airlines during this fiesta!

If you are a frequent flyer, always remember to join airline loyalty programs! It takes a few minutes to sign up these days; just do it on the airline website and get your frequent Flyer ID.Remember to enter this number whenever you are booking a flight; you could get a fare discount or earn the all important frequent Flyer Miles or points!

While there are complaints that these programs are tailored for the rich/affluent flyers or that they turn members into mindless drones willing to fly an airline or airline alliance at any cost just to accumulate miles and become ‘Elite’ Club members (Miles Millionaires); these programs can enrich your travel experience in many big ways!

Rewards are meant to makes the airlines, hotels and car rental companies rich and keep you flying the airline but they are also made to make you feel very special when you travel. To make you” feel like a Star” as the guys at Turkish Airlines would tell you! Air travel used to be a luxury but these days it’s a matter of taking you from point A to B! A little novelty at 35,000 feet or in lounges is definitely welcome!

Being in a frequent flyer program offers you some great goodies on your flights. For one, there is the hard earned and sometimes cumbersome class upgrade! You might book a business class and ‘find yourself flying first class on some airlines!

Emirates recently relaunched frequent Flyer program ‘Skywards’ even offers you more goodies including online shopping on Emirates Store and Emirates High Street or a vacation fit for a King in one of Emirates Holidays Hotels! All paid by your miles! You can also earn Skywards Miles by buying souvenirs and stuff on the Emirates stores! South African Airways is also a partner of Emirates’ Skywards program so you can earn miles even on SAA flights!

Ethiopian Airlines too has unveiled hot new services for its Sheba Miles Frequent Flyer Program members till June this year (I am member too).You can stay at the Panorama Hotel in Addis and earn the all important miles and you can also have your Sheba Miles account credited with 5000 miles if you refer a frequent Flyer to Sheba Miles and they attain the Blue Status! Ethiopian Airlines Sheba Miles program is also integrated with Lufthansa’s Miles and More Program! You also earn Sheba Miles when you fly Togolese Start-up ASKY that was launched early this year in which ET owns a 25% share.

Kenya Airways Flying Blue program which is in conjunction with KLM/Air France allows you to accumulate miles in 45 destinations serviced by the Kenyan carrier including 38 African destinations, some solid Pan African Miles!

If you’ll be in South Africa, don’t forget to explore the magic and humour of Kulula, the airline that “does not take itself too seriously”, for inter city travel and along the way, you can sign up for the Kulula Jetsetter frequent Flyer Program!

Uganda’s carrier, Air Uganda, owned by the Aga Khan Fund for International Development offers frequent Flyer program, Celestars along with Air Mali and Air Burkina(under the Meridiana Group).Air Uganda services East African routes only but if you want an air bridge to West Africa, it’s best to fly Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines and earn quality miles!

Always when not sure about an airline’s loyalty program, do a little research(or contact us) on the airline’s alliances and code share agreements  and see if the airline has a frequent flyer program or whether its program is integrated with that of a major international carrier! That way, you can ensure that you collect great miles across Africa as you enjoy the World Cup!

First Class Made in Switzerland for Africa

First Class Made in Switzerland for Africa

Good news for Business travelers from Zurich on Swiss International Airlines to Kenya,Tanzania and Cameroon!The airline will soon introduce brand new Airbus 330-300 to service the three routes!Here's an e-mail I just received from Swiss:

Dear SWISS customer,

Experience the brand new Airbus 330-300 coming soon on the Zurich – Cameroon / Kenya and Tanzania sector offering First Class service to all its customers. Comfort, SWISS MADE.

The new long-haul Airbus 330 - 300 sets new standards of in-flight comfort in all three cabins. In First Class experience a “suite above the clouds”, in Business Class enjoy the air-cushioned seat that can be turned into a two-meter lie-flat bed and in Economy Class relax with more legroom. These are the key features of the new cabins. 

A unique travel experience. 
With best regards,
Your SWISS team."
Happy travels on Swiss!

Kulula Airlines – the most “fun” airline brand in the world?

Kulula Airlines – the most “fun” airline brand in the world?

"Welcome to Zimbabwe'!That must be an announcement from a typical Kulula cockpit!It's Kulula all over again and this time from airline branding strategist Shashank Nigam.There is a link to some unfiltered customer reviews from Kulula clients on Airliners.net and as you might expect ,humour and Kulula are almost inseparable!

The highlight of any flight has to be the announcements from the crew; when landing in Port Elizabeth after a short hop from Cape Town, a booming voice came onto the PA system, saying “welcome to Zimbabwe!”, which had everyone in the cabin briefly looking a bit surprised before all bursting into laughter. Shashank Nigam, Kulula Airlines – the most “fun” airline brand in the world?, Mar 2010

Ethiopian Receives the First Q-400 Next Generation turboprop Aircraft

Ethiopian Receives the First Q-400 Next Generation turboprop Aircraft

The Ethiopian national airline has just taken delivery of the first of several ordered Q400 aircraft, manufactured by Canadian company Bombardier. The Q400 is a fuel-efficient and relatively fast turbo-prop aircraft, well suited to fly on domestic and shorter regional routes where the traffic volume and the condition of a destination’s airfield or aerodrome may not permit the use of a small jet aircraft like the B737.

Ethiopian Airlines will take delivery of as many as 8 such new airliners in the future. The configuration of these aircraft will be an all-economy cabin with 78 seats in total. It could not be ascertained if the airline is considering adding more Bombardiers to their fleet beyond this single order

The new 78 seater aircraft will support the ever increasing tourism market of the country and domestic business travel, which is growing fast along side the economy. Besides, the aircraft will serve Ethiopian regional routes.Currently, Ethiopian provides domestic flight service with Boeing 737 and Fokker aircraft to its 17 domestic destinations.

Up in the Sky:The Not So Glam Lives of Flight Attendants

Up in the Sky:The Not So Glam Lives of Flight Attendants

Flight Attendants are the face of an airline!If you are dreaming of becoming a Flight Attendant,you should watch this week's episode of CNN Business Traveller,Up in the Sky as Richard Quest delves into the lives of Flight Attendants and what it takes to be an FA!

The job is less glamorous nowadays but this does not prevent many an African young men and women from dreaming of one day living 35,000 feet,up in the sky,in beautiful FA uniforms and hopping from a city to another!I have many seen Kenyan girls who are willing to leave nice professional careers and join the 'glamorous' world of Flight Attendants!Enjoy Up in the Sky

 

Image Courtesy of CNN

Cabin Crew job still glamorous? Meridiana Fly Flight Attendant

Meridiana Fly Stewardess: Meridiana Fly flies towards Africa's best tourist hot spots including Mombasa, Zanzibar, Maldives, Seychelles with some of the most glam flight attendants

Gadgets: Seriously, how cute is this oven?

Gadgets: Seriously, how cute is this oven?

Kenmore PRO Red 36 in. Dual Fuel Freestanding Range

Fly540 Expansion:Kenya's Budget Carrier is Eyeing Africa

Fly540 Expansion:Kenya's Budget Carrier is Eyeing Africa

Africa's low cost carrier is going continental,a move that has long been coming.One of the companies joint CEOs,Mr Neil Steffen was recently spotted in Angola's Capital Luanda and talk is rife in Africa's aviation circles that the airline will be launching flights to Luanda!
The company is aiming at becoming the first African airline, with hubs in three quadrants in Africa.

Fly540: Image Courtesy of lonrho.com

A source within the Fly540 establishment has also confirmed that the airline,owned by Lonrho Africa,will soon launch an inaugural flight to the Portuguese speaking nation that recently hosted a successful African Cup of Nations and is quickly becoming an aviation hub in Southern Africa.

 Fly540 was the first airline in Eastern Africa to successfully promote the low cost, low fares concept, and is set to further widen their reach in 2010 and beyond, as they are also preparing to take off from Zimbabwe and other countries in Africa.

Meanwhile in Uganda, the airline is seeking to widen their market penetration - they presently offer two flights a day between Entebbe and Nairobi on their CRJ200 aircraft – and are said to be eyeing new destinations from Entebbe, too, a move much anticipated by the traveling public as it would undoubtedly widen choices and keep the fares down

Miles and Points:What is your Preferred Frequent Flyer Program in Africa?

Miles and Points:What is your Preferred Frequent Flyer Program in Africa?

OK,this all about the points and miles! Kenya Airways offers its frequent flyers points with its Flying Blue program in conjunction with KLM/AirFrance, Ethiopian Airlines offers its passengers Sheba miles and if you like spending a little more for a once in a lifetime luxury,you could find yourself on Ethiopian's Cloud Nine!

 If you are flying in Southern Africa and likes Kulula's good sense of humour,perhaps you could earn points(moolahs) with Kulula's Jetsetter Program!Or you love hopping into are out of Africa with Middle Eastern carriers maybe you have tried Emirates revamped Frequent Flyer Program Skywards!

Next week,we are writing a post about Frequent Flyer Programs in Africa covering both African and Foreign carriers and we would like to know about your Frequent Flyer experience in African  Skies!Kindly leave a comment here and tell us about your miles and points!You can also leave us comment on Twitter @FlightAfrica .Best Regards!

Hoisin Cashew Beef in Lettuce Wraps

Hoisin Cashew Beef in Lettuce Wraps

Fast, fresh and flavorful, these Asian beef and lettuce wraps should be a must-have on your dinner table. They have a combination of a sweet meaty mixture with crunchy bok choy and cashews served over rice and wrapped up in a crisp lettuce leaf. I'm so glad my brain dreamed these up.

Recipe by Meal Planning 101
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Serves 3-4

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped with whites and greens separated
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce (I recommend Asian Family)
1/2 cup water*
1/2 cups baby bok choy, chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews

Butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce, separated into leaf cups
Prepared rice

Prepare your rice according to package directions.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, brown the beef about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic, whites of onions, salt and pepper and saute until mushrooms are browned about 4-6 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and add the hoisin sauce, water and bok choy. Stir to combine and simmer until the sauce thickens and the bok choy gets tender about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

While the beef mixture is simmering, place the raw cashews in a small, dry frying pan over medium heat. Watch them carefully and toss them around until they turn a nice golden color on the outside. Remove from pan to a cutting board. Let cool for a few minutes then chop coarsely with a sharp knife.

Stir the cashews and green part of onion into the beef mixture. Serve with lettuce cups and rice. You could spoon both rice and cashew-beef mixture into the lettuce cups and eat, or just the beef mixture and eat the rice separately. It's up to you, but in my humble opinion, it's ALL delicious.

*Adjust the amount of water you use depending on the thickness of your hoisin sauce. Mine is REALLY thick.


Click here for printable version of Hoisin Cashew Beef in Lettuce Cups
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THE RESULTS?
I'm pretty sure my husband moaned when he ate this. We all (kids included) LOVED this dish and after eating it only once I think it just pushed its way to the top of our family favorites list. The bok choy and cashews provide nice crunch to the sweet, meaty mixture. The lettuce wraps are fresh and lovely, but I could just as easily eat this just over rice and be completely satisfied.

I'm sure I've mentioned before what a Hoisin Sauce snob I am. I find that most brands have a strong Chinese 5 spice flavor that I really don't dig. Cinnamon, cloves and anise (licorice) are not my thing when it comes to savory food. With that being said, I will drive across the city to find a bottle of Asian Kitchen Hoisin Sauce. It is rich, thick and sticky sweet with no 5-spice flavor. Safeway carries this brand, as does Walmart (sometimes). Use whatever brand of hoisin is your favorite, but adjust the amount of water you use based on how thick your sauce is. Mine is so thick it's like a paste.

Chinese Style Steamed Fish

Chinese Style Steamed Fish

Whenever you want to steam fish make sure it is fresh. Stale fish is no good for steaming. To ensure that fish is fresh, get live fish. You can also get fresh fish from the market. Make sure the flesh is firm to the touch, bright eyes and red gill. It should have a fishy smell and not stale.

Ingredients:

1 fresh fish

2 cm ginger (peeled and cut into thin strips)

1 tbsp chopped garlic

Some spring onions leaves (sliced thinly)

Some coriander leaves (sliced about 2 cm)
2 tbsps cooking oil

Steamed Fish Soy Sauce Mixture:
4 tbsps light soy sauce
2 tbsps shaoxing wine or rice wine (optional)
2 tbsps water
1/4 tsp sesame oil
3 dashes white pepper powder

Method:
1. Clean the fish properly and pat dry.
2. Blend the soy sauce mixture in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Place the fish on a plate and drizzle 1 tablespoon shaoxing (or rice) wine on top of the fish. Top the fish with the cut ginger strips.
4. Heat up a wok with enough water for steaming. Wait for the water to boil. As soon as it boils, place your fish inside the wok
5. Cover your wok tightly and steam the fish about 8 - 10 minutes. Do not overcook.
6. As soon as the fish is done steaming, transfer it out from the wok.
7. Heat up a wok and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Fry some garlic and ginger.
Pour the hot oil over the steamed fish.
8. Put the wok back onto the stove, add the soy sauce mixture and stir well. As soon as the sauce bubbles up and boils, pour the soy sauce over the fish. Topped with spring onions and celery leaves .
9. Serve the steamed fish immediately with white rice.

Nestum Prawns

Nestum Prawns

When buying prawns make sure it has a pleasant aroma. Prawns should smell fresh, like the ocean. They should never smell like sulphur (past their prime) or chlorine.

Remember you should not overcook your prawns or they will end up dry and tough. You want something that is juicy and yet just cooked.

Ingredients:

300 gm medium prawns

3 curry leaves (sliced thinly)

3 chilli padi (sliced thinly)

2 tbsp butter

a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar

3-4 tbsp nestum cereal

Method:

1. Clean the prawns .Trim off a bit of the head and tail. Season with with salt, pepper and sugar.

2. Heat butter in a wok.

3. Fry the prawns till cooked. Remove and drain the prawns.

4. In the same wok with some butter in it, add chilli padi and curry leaves. Stir fry till fragrant.

5. Add prawns and mix well. Add the nestum cereal. Serve hot with rice.

Simple Herbal Chicken

Simple Herbal Chicken

Herbal chicken is good for everyone. This is a simple home-cooked version of the Chinese herbal chicken. Buying the herbs individually is definitely more economical than buying the pre-packaged mixes.

Ingredients:

1 small kampong chicken

1 tbsp wolfberries (Kei chi)
4-5 pieces yok chok
Salt, soy sauce and pepper to taste
Aluminium Foil

Method:

1. Season the chicken with the salt, soy sauce and a dash of pepper.
2. Pull out a length of aluminium foil which is long enough for you to wrap the chicken.

3. Place the chicken on the foil together with kei chi and yok chok on top of the chicken and wrap it carefully.

4. Heat up a wok or steamer with water and place the wrapped chicken on the steamer

5. Steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour to ensure it cooks thoroughly and is tender.

Note:

Be careful when opening the aluminum foil as the liquid will ooze out and its hot! The chicken essence is sweet and very delicious because of the flavour of the herbs and chicken in it.
This steamed herbal chicken can be served with hot rice or just take it as a herbal soup to regain your energy.

Meal Plan 34 - Quick and Easy

Meal Plan 34 - Quick and Easy

We've had a break from our Canadian deep freeze for the last couple of weeks and it's been nothing but sun shine and snow melting. Spring feels so lovely and welcoming my girls and I can hardly resist getting outside, going for walks and playing at the park. All I want in the kitchen this week are quick and easy meals to throw together so we can get back to fresh air and enjoying the sunshine.


Day 1: Hoisin Cashew Beef on Lettuce Wraps with Rice
These are lovely and fresh and I'm so glad my brain dreamed them up.


Day 2: Chili Cheese Dogs with Fries and Fruit Smoothies
Our family loves these and with a fresh fruit smoothie, you don't have to feel so bad about indulging :)

Day 3: Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Cream Sauce with Salad
These are a wonderful change up from regular spaghetti and meatballs.


Day 4: Curried Tuna Melts with Creamy Dill Pasta Salad
My husband and I enjoy an artsy coffee shop in town that make the BEST pasta salad and sandwiches. It just so happens I dissected that salad and came up with my own that definitely stands up to the original. Prepare the salad the night before for an even quicker meal come dinner time the next day.

Day 5: Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Crusty Bread
So creamy and rich you won't believe there isn't a drop of cream to be found in this soup.


Day 6: Mexican Pizza
Our family loves to make homemade pizza on Friday nights and settle in for pizza and a movie. This one is sure to please everyone.




For more great meal plans, check out my complete list of meal plans or the Menu Plan Monday links at Orgjunkie.

Beef and Bean Chimichangas

Beef and Bean Chimichangas

Being a "Foodie" I love complex flavors and finding the balance between salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami in food. But you wanna know my ultimate flavor affinity?

crispy + melty cheese + cool creamy sour cream = Best. Ever.

Craving a snack? I most definitely ALWAYS make a plate of Nachos (minus the beef).

Want a wicked side dish or appy? Gots to be Potato Skins.

Going for the mom of the year award with your kids? Bake up some fabulous Shredded Chicken Flautas.

I'll take my "crispy" however you want to give it to me, as long as you pair it with melty, ooey, gooey cheese and top it with cool creamy sour cream. It pretty much goes without saying that this is the way I MUST eat my Mexican food. While I have had good enchiladas and burritos I much prefer the crunch of a crispy tortilla. So when I discovered that a chimichanga is the goodness of a burrito deep-fried so it has a crispy shell, I was ALL OVER THAT.

Except for the deep frying part. If you drizzle a bit of oil on these puppies and bake them in a hot oven, the tortilla becomes almost like a pastry with flaky crispiness.

Give these a whirl on your next taco night.

Recipe by Meal Planning 101
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Serves 4-6


3/4 lb lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 19oz can of navy beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp taco sauce
1/4 cup salsa
1 tbsp taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
1/4 cup water

10 inch flour tortillas
Canola oil
Shredded cheddar optional
Taco Sauce
Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a frying pan over medium high heat, brown the ground beef, garlic and onions about 6-8 minutes until the beef is cooked through and the onions are tender. Add the navy beans, salt, pepper, taco sauce, salsa, cumin, chili powder, oregano and water. Stir to combine. Turn heat down to medium low and let simmer a few minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.

In the middle of a flour tortilla, spoon about 1/2 cup of the beef and bean mixture in a line down the middle, leaving about 2 inches from either side. Add grated cheese if you want. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and tightly roll the bottom of the tortilla over the mixture until you have a burrito. Place seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. Continue until all the beef and beans have been rolled up (this will probably make about 6).

Drizzle the top of the burritos with a bit of canola oil and rub it all over so they are thinly coated. Place in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, flip and bake another 10-12 minutes until lightly browned and crispy. Serve with more taco sauce drizzled over the top and sour cream for dipping.

Click here for printable version of Beef and Bean Chimichangas
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THE RESULTS?
You know those taco kits where you get both flour tortillas and crispy corn tortillas? That's usually what our family has to get if we want a taco night since I NEED crispiness and my husband hates the mess of the crisp taco shells. Well NO MORE! This leaves us both satisfied and reaching for more. The filling is totally versatile and you could substitute with leftover shredded chicken, pork, beef or even rice. I made a version of these with Taco Rice with Corn and Black Beans, Refried Beans and a bit of ground beef and shredded cheddar and they were excellent. I'm loving these; they have the same addictiveness as my Shredded Chicken Flautas.

Meal Ideas:

• Beef and Bean Chimichangas + Side Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

• Beef and Bean Chimichangas + Southwestern Salad

• Beef and Bean Chimichangas + Cilantro Lime Rice

Dates and Chocochips Pan Cakes

Dates and Chocochips Pan Cakes

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

I had been making pan cakes for quite some time. One of the easiest and tasty breakfast. I had made it with cranberries, mangoes, blue berries earlier. Today I didn't have any of the fruits that would go in it. So I decided to make it with what I had plenty - Dates and Chocochips. The pan cakes came out really nice and we had hearty breakfast on such a lovely bright day.


Ingredients
1/2 Cup Dates
1/4 Cup Choco Chips
1/2 Cup Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Maida
3/4 Cup Curd
1 Egg
3/4 Spoon Sugar
1/2 Spoon Vanilla Essense
1/4 Spoon Baking Powder
1/4 Spoon Baking Soda
2.5 Spoon Melted Butter
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Deseed the Dates and chop them into small pieces. Keep aside.
• Sieve together wheat flour and maida
• Add Sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda and mix well
• Add egg, curd, melted butter and vanilla essence. Mix well.
• Add 1/2 cup warm water and mix well to flowing consistency.
• Heat a nonstick pan over medium flame.
• Pour the pan cake batter 1/2 cup at a time on the non stick pan and top it with some choco-chips and dates
• Over medium-low heat, cook the pan cakes till golden brown in color and bubbles up the top side. Flip and golden the other side too. Serve with honey and or maple syrup

Notes
The batter is so non sticky that I didnt have to grease the pan at all.
Ajoy felt that the sweetness from Dates was little too much, I guess using Dark choco chips might be good idea to balance the sweetness. I didnt have dark choco chips sot used semi sweet chips.

Did India reject M.F.Husain?

Did India reject M.F.Husain?

It is unfortunate that eminent painter M.F.Husain decided to relinquish his Indian citizenship in favor of a Qatari one. Indeed, it is not a rare instance in India as every year several hundred qualified Indians relinquish Indian citizenship in order to obtain one in the U.S , Canada or other countries where they believe they and their family can have a better quality of life, better education and material prospects. Some of them go on to win Nobel prizes and then we have no problem claiming them as our own sons and daughters and even trying to share some of their glory by piggy-backing on their achievements which we have a right to because of the achiever’s Indian roots/ genes or whatever. But what makes M.F.Husain’s case different is that an artist of great eminence, someone who took Indian art to the international galleries living in India, was compelled to leave the country because he did not feel safe in this country despite the government’s offer to provide his security.
It is tough for anyone to feel free when one feels the need to be constantly protected by security guards. While most V.I.P.’ s seem to get used to it a necessary evil, Husain must have found it very stifling given his history of roaming around barefoot and his preference for spending time with ordinary people rather than the rich and famous. And in today’s time where it seems tough for people in the limelight to open their mouths (or write or paint) without offending some group or other, he might never have been able to go back to his free lifestyle ever again. He has managed to offend certain people /groups through his work even by misinterpretation or misunderstanding but there is no going back – that shall shadow him forever. He may have apologized but still he remains a valuable whipping boy for these groups to settle their political/religious scores and gain public attention.

Did Husain realize this and is that is he chose to accept the Qatari citizenship when it was offered to him – to make his home in a place where he felt safe, honoured and accepted as well as send out a strong message to India about how unvalued he felt here after all his contributions?

But what might the government have done differently that might have prevented this apart from offering him and his museums high-level security?
Publicly defended the paintings that offended certain religious sensibilities in the name of artistic freedom and dismissed all cases against him summarily? That would still not have guaranteed 100% protection against vandalism or the ‘right’ of some section or other to feel offended by his works.
There are some sections that attribute his decision as an escape from the cases against him. But his citizenship still doesn’t offer him immunity from legal proceedings of pending cases. And given his stature and the ability to engage the best lawyers to argue his case, he certainly does not need to run away from the country fearing our legal system. He is neither a petty criminal nor a terrorist.
Artistic freedom is another reason that is cited by the elitist sections. But this does not seem to be the main reason going by the country whose citizenship he has accepted. In this article on the subject Vir Sanghvi asks:

Now that he has chosen to live in Qatar, the Hindutva-wallahs will ask the obvious questions: How much freedom will he have there? Of course the Arabs will let him paint naked Hindu goddesses. But will they let him paint anything that even remotely offends Muslims? Anything that offends the royal family? Nude portraits of previous rulers of Qatar? Or even, nude portraits of Arab women?
These are crude questions. But sadly, the answers are as crude. Husain will have no artistic freedom in Qatar. He will be no more than a court painter to a medieval monarch. So has he chosen to live in a society that values the artistic freedom that he says he is denied in India? Or has he just taken the soft, very profitable, option and forgotten all about artistic freedom?

Husain is certainly aware of the limitations to artistic freedom in his new country and yet chose to accept its citizenship so maybe it is not so much about artistic freedom at all.

Perhaps it is all about feeling wanted, valued and honoured in his own homeland Is it possible that he may have felt this if he had been honored with the Bharatratna? Is it too late for it even now? Does it matter that he is no longer an Indian citizen?

While all this may not matter to the painter himself anymore now that his decision is made. Let us hope that he is able to spend the rest of his life in peace giving full expression to his creativity and genius. But for us as a nation, this is probably a good time to introspect and see how we can make this into a nation that makes its people, ordinary or eminent, feel protected and wanted here and proudly hold the single identity of being Indian.