Historically, on the first day of term after the summer holidays, I would meet up with parents (mostly mums) at the school gate who I hadn’t seen for months.
Naturally, talk would turn to what everyone did over the summer and nine times out of 10, the answer was: “Oh, we went back to [insert home country] with the kids. It was amazing.”
Amazing.
That word has stuck with me over the years of feeling like the only mother who stays in the UAE for the summer.
But this year would be different, I vowed. This summer I would go back to the UK for a whole month over July and August and experience some of that amazingness for myself.
So, what did I, a plucky first-time-summer-away-mum learn on my travails, sorry, travels?
1. Luggage slowly deteriorates into a ragtag collection of carrier bags
For someone who prides herself on her packing, managing to fit all three of my children’s stuff in one suitcase, I was forced to watch my meticulously organised bags turn into an unwieldy game of car boot Tetris.
Carrier bags containing laundry, food, raincoats, wellies and random things the children accumulated – shells, pine cones, an ear of corn that my youngest named “Maxie the Cornie”, plastic toys from those magazines that cost the same as a small house – until I was forced to accept there was no avoiding a car that looked like a hoarder was camped out in it.
Which leads me on to …
2. At which point do you unpack?
Our longest stretch was 10 days at my parents’ house. After that it was a series of single-digit-length stays which included seven days in Scotland, three in the Lake District, four in the New Forest and two in Windsor.
I unpacked for the 10 and seven-day stays, but the others? Not so much.
The idea of unloading everything (and the carrier bags!) just to repack a few days later meant that those stays were strictly out of the suitcase.
This lead me to wonder if there’s a hard and fast rule or scientific equation for the number of days you can justifiably not unpack, before that justification slides into laziness.
3. People give you things to 'take back'
I don't want to sound ungrateful, but why? Can’t they see the hire car is bursting at the seams? There is no more space and apparently strapping a child to the roof rack to free up some room is frowned upon.
Some things we were given to “take back” included bags of children’s clothes from family members who had “had a clear out”.
There was also the question of the three-foot-long wooden toy truck for my youngest, which took care of about 60 per cent of my allocated luggage weight allowance.
Not to mention birthday presents for the rest of the year. Very kind, but an Amazon voucher takes up a lot less space.
4. You don’t see friends as much as you think you will
We might be on a month-long holiday but that doesn’t mean everyone else is.
Friends and family are at work, cousins are at day camps and people have their own schedules, lives, appointments, meetings and holidays, making meeting up a challenge.
I managed to see two of my university friends for dinner, then another four for a child-friendly day in London and that was it for that group for the whole month – and even those required herding cats-level of organisation, negotiation and flexibility.
5. I realised I’m not missing out on anything
If like me, photos of get-togethers on the group chat make you wonder if you’re missing out by being here while they’re all there (wherever there is), I’m here to tell you that you’re not.
The idea that all my friends were meeting up every weekend and having tonnes of fun without me was quickly quashed when they told me they probably manage to see each other as a group about five or six times a year, mostly to celebrate birthdays.
6. We did too much
For this trip we visited five different parts of the UK. Five places in four weeks is perfectly doable, I hear you say. Well, yes and no.
When I planned the visit, I wanted to see as many people as possible, including extended family and friends who had left Dubai.
For our New Forest trip, we saw three different sets of friends on each day, all of which was lovely, but exhausting, driving up and down the country, checking in and out of hotels, preparing snacks, doing laundry, packing and unpacking the car, refereeing the children … the list was endless, leading me to lament that this holiday was not much of a holiday.
To conclude, it was a wonderful trip. My children had the best time enjoying experiences they don’t get here and I got to catch up with lots of people.
I also learnt plenty of lessons and if I ever do it again I'll be sure to stay in one place and invite people to come to me. No more driving the length and breadth of Britain.
As to the big question: was it “amazing”? Hmm, I'll get back to you on that after I've had a holiday to recover from this holiday.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Biography
Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related
Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.
Family: Wife and three children.
Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
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
Jebel Ali card
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
The National selections
1.45pm: Cosmic Glow
2.15pm: Karaginsky
2.45pm: Welcome Surprise
3.15pm: Taamol
3.45pm: Rayig
4.15pm: Chiefdom
4.45pm: California Jumbo
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
