A Michelle Karam is a travel and lifestyle blogger based in Dubai, where she has lived for almost 30 years. With a background in events and travel, Ms Karam launched her blog, traveljunkiediary.com, nine months ago and now works closely with hotels and tourism boards across the world as well as reporting on her adventures. As a travel blogger, Karam doesn’t have set office hours, but when she’s back on home soil in Dubai, this is how her typical day flows.
6am
I always believed that 6am was the best time to dream – now that I’m a mother it’s my wake-up call. I start my day getting my 23-month- old daughter Chloe, ready and dressed for nursery. In the meantime, I also make my green juice; I recently started a 30-day workout programme with Real Pilates studio and my private instructor Delinda has given me a juice recipe to have every morning. I finish the juice while I make sure my daughter has her clothes on the right way. I then pack lunch for my husband, Chloe and myself, and at 7:30am we all say goodbye.
8am
Once I drop Chloe to the nursery, I skip and hop with excitement to my Pilates session where Delinda makes sure she squeezes every muscle in my body. Sixty minutes of intense workout leave me full of energy for the rest of my day, and sometimes sore too, but that is always a good sign.
9am
I frequently meet PR executives, as well as representatives from hotels, restaurants, tourism boards, charities and new businesses. When one meeting ends, another hotel site check is usually scheduled. Once my meetings are done and social media accounts are updated, I sit and design travel itineraries for clients – I act like a personal stylist but for travel in and out of the UAE.
1pm
I pick up my daughter from nursery, drop her home and put her to bed for a nap. I then rush back out to meet people whom I have contacted to interview for the blog. This is where my afternoon gets even better. I love meeting strangers and letting them share their most inspiring travel stories with me. One climbed mountains to raise money for cancer patients, another went to Nepal on a self-discovery journey, and one found true love while climbing a summit. I created my blog to inspire my readers. In a world where people find themselves yearning for an escape, it soon became a platform for all these people to meet; a place where everyday inspiration is embedded and life-changing experiences are shared. My blog is all about hidden gems, travellers’ adventures, enlightening getaways, exquisite cuisines and everything in between.
3:30pm
I am back home by the time my daughter wakes up from her nap. I then take her out to spend some quality time together. We usually meet up with other parents and enjoy the afternoon together. We run errands, go to the park, or sometimes take a walk in Century Village, which is my favourite hangout. At the same time I am keeping up to date with emails and messages, and while I try to sneak replies in as much as possible, I try not to let it interfere with our time out. Chloe likes to run after the ducks by the lake and at sunset we sit on the grass and I feed her dinner.
7pm
Everyone knows at this time I cannot be reached, no matter what emergencies there are. Chloe’s shower and bedtime are super-crucial to my husband and I, and we always make sure we free everything up for this final hour of the day with her. My husband helps me put her to bed every night without fail.
8pm
On many nights I attend events – openings, launches, dinners. These help me socialise and connect with people as part of my job. When I don’t have an event, I’ll make dinner at home, we’ll eat, and I’ll start working on my blog. This involves researching, working on social media, answering clients or just writing a post. I usually finish by 11pm. No two days are the same in my life, though, and I make it a point not to live by a routine.
Results
2.30pm: Park Avenue – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Rb Seqondtonone, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
3.05pm: Al Furjan – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bosphorus, Dane O’Neill, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm: Mina – Rated Condition (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Royal Mews, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Aliyah – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,900m; Winner: Ursa Minor, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
4.50pm: Riviera Beach – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Woodditton, Saif Al Balushi, Ahmad bin Harmash
5.25pm: Riviera – Handicap (TB) Dh2,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Al Madhar, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Creek Views – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Al Salt, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy
RESULTS
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.
Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.
Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The%20Roundup
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Avatar%20(2009)
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The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
