Do you find that you keep jumping up in the middle of the night, wide awake with excitement at the prospect of the new Smurf movie – imaginatively titled The Smurfs – hitting our screens this summer? No, we thought not. But our little friends from Smurfland are still as popular with kids as ever, and this year’s Summer in Abu Dhabi programme has put the tiny blue critters on centre stage by erecting the world’s first ‘Smurf Village’ at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Yes, that’s right, before finding themselves in New York later on in the month (you really haven’t watched the movie trailer, have you?), the citizens of Smurf Village are descending on Abu Dhabi to make their home at Adnec in between entertaining the city’s kids during the dog days of summer. The village is divided into 12 separate districts, each with special activity areas for children including Papa Smurf’s Story Corner, Smurfette’s Land of Beauty, a Smurf fun park and even the famous ‘mushroom houses’ where kids will be able to meet and play with the Smurfs themselves. For the Mike TVs among Abu Dhabi’s little ones, one of the main houses, ‘The Reel Mushroom’, will be screening back-to-back episodes of the ever-popular TV show which is guaranteed to keep them entertained when they’ve spent all their energy hanging out with Papa Smurf.
Now, no one wants to be out-smarted by their kids, and so, in anticipation of the Smurf Village’s summer inauguration, we thought we’d help you brush up on your Smurf knowledge with a handy guide to the little people. Cut it out and stick it on your fridge. Get somebody to read it out to you while you’re sleeping. Whatever you do, make sure you know your Homnibus from your Gargamel and you might just be able to fool the kids…
The Smurf Village will be at Adnec until July 30. Entry costs Dhs20 for children aged up to 12 years old, and Dhs40 for adults. Toddlers up to two years old can visit the village for free. For more information, call
02 444 0444 or visit the website www.summerinabudhabi.ae.
Know your Smurfs
Papa Smurf: Leader of the Smurfs and easily spotted by his red clobber and bushy white beard. As his name suggests, Papa Smurf is the father figure in Smurfland, and its citizens have no qualms about turning straight to him when things start to look grim. Pretty skilled at making spells and potions, he’s often to be found in his laboratory. Probably just hoping for some peace and quiet.
Smurfette: At one time the only Smurf to belong to the fairer sex, Smurfette was created by Gargamel in a bid to destroy the Smurfs. She actually started life as a brunette, but quickly acquired her trademark flaxen locks when Papa Smurf worked through the night to make her into a real Smurf. He obviously has a weakness for blondes.
Gargamel: The Smurfs’ sworn enemy, Gargamel is the arch nemesis of Smurfland. His utter contempt for our little blue chums verges on obsession, and he spends all day trying to eat them or capture them to use in potions. Like any baddy worth his weight in gold, he has a sour-faced sidekick, Azrael. This mangy moggy shares Gargamel’s classically villainous laugh, and in a parallel universe we see Azrael and loveable rogue Muttley getting on like a toadstool on fire.
Brainy Smurf: As Papa Smurf’s apprentice and assistant, he often sees himself as being his second in command. He considers himself to be the Einstein of the Smurf world. However, in reality his attempts to help usually lead to more problems, and his intelligence is questionable. So questionable, in fact, that the other Smurfs usually end up throwing him out of the village. He does, however, sport enormous glasses, which (in the cartoon world at least) usually equates to a reasonable number of brain cells.
Wooly Smurf: The sheep-shearing Smurf who wears a wooly hat, he is usually heard speaking with a Texan accent. Apparently.
