KT for good: This Emirati brother is perfect help at sister's food truck

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emirati, brother, sister, food truck

The siblings are natives of Fujairah but they are now settled in Abu Dhabi where they run the food truck business.

by

Ashwani Kumar

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Published: Fri 13 Mar 2020, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Sun 15 Mar 2020, 7:45 AM

Abdullah Hamed Al Sharqi, a 22-year-old cadet pilot for Etihad Airways, is one of the many examples of how Emirati men support women folks at work. Abdullah cooks, takes orders and serves customers at The Gang - a food truck he runs with his 24-year-old sister Nouf Al Sharqi, a political science graduate.
The siblings are natives of Fujairah but they are now settled in Abu Dhabi where they run the food truck business.
"Nouf always wanted to start her own business and came up with the idea of food truck. We felt this was safe business. We believed we can do it and created this brand The Gang. We didn't depend on anyone for financial assistance. The entire investment is our own savings. It's been three months that we are open here at Marsa Mina. I am still studying. My pilot training session is in Al Ain. So I shuttle between Al Ain and Abu Dhabi to be here with my sister and help her run this business. But mostly she manages it on her own."
The duo designed everything from logo to recipes. "It's quite interesting to work together. We stay together in one home and that's where all the planning for the project happened. We sometimes have our differences of opinion but it is fun to work with him," Nouf noted.
Interestingly, both of them didn't know cooking but learnt the art. "We went for cooking classes and also watched YouTube videos. We tried our best. We serve hotdogs, burgers, sweets, appetisers etc. We cook food here in the truck, even sauces are home-made. We hope to expand with new recipes and ideas," Abdullah said.
This couple creates a bond of partnership
Jonas Caros Mondelo and his wife Marietta Idusma Mondelo have different work hours in their jobs. And the couple engages in perfect clockwork precision to run the household works. Jonas and Marietta work for the same company but in different sites.
"I have double shifts of 6am to 2pm and then 7pm to 9pm. Marietta works in a single shift of 8am to 6pm. My weekly off day is Tuesday and Marietta's off falls on Friday. We both share house chores. We have one-hour gap between each other's work schedules, so need to chip in as a team," Jonas said.
"We both wake up by 5am. Mostly, it will be Marietta who prepares breakfast and I will prepare coffee. It all depends on who wakes up first. If I am early, I will prepare breakfast. Also, I will iron the dresses for the day. I do laundry on a daily basis," Jonas said.
The couple has three children. While their two daughters are studying back in the Philippines, their three-and-a-half-year-old son Karl Matthew Mondelo is in the UAE with them. "We prefer both the girls to be in the Philippines because they are in the school already. They are aged 7 and 15 years. It was a tough decision to make but the cost of education is so high here. Meanwhile, I take care of my son here," Jonas added.
Once back from his morning shift, Jonas takes care of lunch and dinner. And when he can't, Marietta steps in. "He shares all kind of household chores. Once I am back from work, he will leave for his night shift. We keep each other updated on any duties to be followed. This is a daily routine we follow."
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com 

Jonas Caros Mondelo with his family.
Jonas Caros Mondelo with his family.

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