Framing a resolution around a collection of warm memories

One of my New Year's resolutions is to finally get around to putting up a gallery wall at home – a wall covered in clusters of photographs and art hung in an assortment of different frames. I have a pile of family photographs, honeymoon memories, posters and drawings that have only managed to collect dust over the past year or so, thanks to my laziness.

But, I've decided there's no more procrastinating – I've promised myself that come January, the wall behind my grey sofa will finally get some colour. I already have pieces that will be featured, but my pile of wall-ready decor lacks the actual frames needed, and although Dubai has plenty of options for custom home furnishings, I've always tended to go for the quickest and easiest options – basically, whatever I can find in Ikea.

Numerous trips back and forth to Satwa for curtains, cushion covers and other upholstery materials have never sounded tempting. But, frames are another matter. Though there are quite a few basic picture frames at the Swedish home furnishings store, they're mainly plain and bland. A good gallery wall, in my opinion, needs a mixture of thicknesses and colours.

So, upon taking the advice of my mother, I find myself at The Antique Museum in Al Quoz. As I enter, I’m met with life-sized statues, traditional ornaments and shelves of UAE souvenirs – mugs and keychains mainly. The warehouse-style building is actually more like a massive gift shop aimed at tourists, but to my surprise, the back of the store boasts a somewhat hidden framing facility.

While instantly attracted to one of the souvenirs – a neon pink alarm clock in the shape of a domed mosque – I remind myself I am here on a specific mission, so it’s straight to the room with the frames.

Two walls are covered with different styles, each shown as a corner cutting, stuck on the wall using Velcro. There are thin, minimalist options in plain whites, blacks, pinks and blues, and there are ostentatious offerings in the form of gold, baroque-style frames with ornate carvings, fit for a palace. And, there’s everything in between.

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Speedy and straightforward is how I imagined this household errand to be. Half an hour tops. But as I set foot inside, I instantly become like a child in a candy shop. Overcome with adrenaline and enthusiasm, I start picking out my favourites.

A mint-green frame with rose-gold brush strokes catches my eye along with a silver one bordered by a row of gold dots makes it to my shortlist too. I then start emptying my canvas tote – I've brought along the art so I can match each one. My first batch includes a photograph of my husband and I feeding lemurs in Zanzibar; the boarding pass from our honeymoon to the Maldives; a pink print that says "Marhaba" in gold foiled letters; and the cover of my favourite issue of Luxury magazine.

I have 11 pieces to frame in total, and realise if I want my gallery wall to be perfect I’ll have to spend some time here making sure every detail is just right. As I move around, I overhear a customer negotiating the price for a frame that will display an antique silver necklace she bought from Oman. And, 45 minutes later, as I’m still deciding between frames, another woman walks in carrying figurines from Ghana. She asks for a special acrylic box to be custom-made to protect and exhibit the treasures.

My mind jumps to other things I have besides what I have in hand that may be worthy of being framed. I begin to think why should I stick to two-dimensional, paper goods?

I recall a scene from a distant aunt’s home in San Francisco, where her own traditional wedding outfit had been framed and put up on a wall of her living room.

Too often memories are boxed and stored away and we've all become so digitally-driven, that we've replaced physical photo albums for "favourites" folders on our phones.

Taking our camera film to Kodak to print out photos seems like an ancient pastime, and consequently, framing photos seems to have also lost its significance. It's a practice I intend to revive, along with a new, more appreciative frame of mind.

Batti Gul Meter Chalu

Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5

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RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES

September 30
South Africa v Australia
Argentina v New Zealand

October 7
South Africa v New Zealand
Argentina v Australia

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions

Background: Chemical Weapons

Chemical weapons watchdog report criticises leaks

Chemical weapons watchdog defends Syria report

UN Security Council reaffirms ban on chemical weapons

Killing of Qassem Suleimani

National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate

Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead

Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile

Profile box

Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)

KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI

National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate

Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead

Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble

Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile

Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia

Richard Olson: Why Afghanistan will be very wary

THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick

Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk

Racecard

6.35pm: The Madjani Stakes – Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m

7.10pm: Evidenza – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m

7.45pm: The Longines Conquest – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,000m

8.20: The Longines Elegant – Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (D)

8.35pm: The Dubai Creek Mile – Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m

9.30pm: Mirdif Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,400m

10.05pm: The Longines Record – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,900m

Selected fixtures

All times UAE

Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm

Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm

Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm

Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm

Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm

Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm

Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.