The British Museum has an Egyptian pair made from papyrus and dating back to 1500BC. Ancient Greeks wore the Y-shaped sandals between the first and second toes, the Romans between the second and third toes, and in Mesopotamia, the third and fourth toes were used to hold on the shoes. In India, the carved wooden padukas used a round knob between the first and second toes. The Maasai tribesmen traditionally wore similar styles fashioned from rawhide, while both China and Japan have enjoyed a long history of raised wooden sandals held on with straps.
While the American moniker was earned from the distinctive flapping sound made when walking, flip-flops sport different names all over the world: Australians call them thongs, South Africans refert to them as slops, Filipinos call them tsinelas, while in Somalia they are dacas. Ghanaians call them charlie wotes and in Brazil they are chinelos.
The Japanese version, known as zori, were brought back by returning American soldiers after the Second World War, resulting in a US craze for the new footwear. By the 1950s, they were redesigned using bright colours, and in 1962 the Brazilian company Alpargatas began to manufacture them under the brand name Havaianas. By 2006, sales of flip-flops had outstripped trainers and by 2009, the industry was thought to be worth Dh73.5 billion worldwide. Today, flip-flops are becoming environmentally aware, with many companies choosing to use recycled materials instead of the non-biodegradable polyurethane.
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Read more:
Deconstructing...Eyebrows
Deconstructing the four-in-hand knot
Deconstructing hair jewellery
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
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TALE OF THE TAPE
Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
Height: 166cm
Reach: 170cm
Jeff Horn
Record: 16-0-1 (11 KOs)
Age: 29
Weight: 146.2lbs
Height: 175cm
Reach: 173cm
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
