Mother and daughter-in-law are both infatuated with their all-American Corvettes
Some mothers find it difficult to relate to their daughters-in-law, but not Marrie Deeb. She's found a common ground that bonds her with her son Elie's wife, Adriana: a deep love of the Chevrolet Corvette.
"It's the car I've been driving for about 35 years now," says Marrie. "We, as a family, are and always have been the biggest, devoted Corvette fans in history."
Marrie, a 51 year-old Dubai-based accountant, has been happily cruising around the streets of Dubai in her 1979 Chevrolet Corvette, along with five other different models that she and her husband own.
"Before I got married, my brother owned a Corvette as well," says Marrie. "He had a 1975 model when we were younger and back when I was still at home in Lebanon.
"He used to take me out in his car for drives around our town, back before I even took my driver's licence, and I fell in love with the car."
Marrie and her husband's fascination with Vettes was also passed down to their son, Elie, who is founder and president of the Dubai-based Corvette Arabian club.
Elie's wife, Adriana, meanwhile, also shares the love for this classy sports car that holds such a warm place in this family's hearts. She is the marketing manager of the Corvette club and owns two Corvettes: a 1972 model and one made in 1999.
"It's very nice to grab everyone's attention around you with this car, because people don't usually expect to see a woman driving such a model," says the 28-year old.
"It's not the performance or the speed that impresses me though, it's the shape. I'm a fan of small, trendy, sleek-looking sports cars, and I love cruising around in a vehicle like that."
The Corvette first hit the scene in 1953. The all-American sports car has gone through drastic changes throughout six generations and 58 years of production right up to the very attractive 2011 model. However, for Marrie and Adriana, they will always prefer the old classics to the more recent models.
"My son Elie owns a 2003 model, which he constantly urges me to drive, but I would never even consider letting go of my old classic ones. Some things are just better old," says Marrie.
She has been a devoted fan of the Corvette ever since she started driving.
"I left my family's house infatuated by my brother's Corvette, to my husband's house where my infatuation was further strengthened, so I had no choice really," she laughs.
Marrie's husband tried to sell his Corvette when they got married, and after seeing his wife's disappointment, he promised her to compensate her for that, with five more Vettes.
"Indeed that's what actually happened," says Marrie. "It's the brand name of our family now. My daughter owns one, both my sons own several ones, and we're proud to have Elie as the founder and president of the Corvette Arabia club."
Adriana's journey with the Corvette culture, though shorter than Marrie's, has developed into something no less passionate.
"It's a very practical car, which is something you could hardly expect from a sports car, but it serves almost every purpose," she says.
Both ladies have owned and driven different kinds of cars before, including a Renault, a Mitsubishi, a Nissan, a BMW, a Toyota Land Cruiser, and several others. However, neither one considers changing her beloved Corvette.
"My husband is trying to pressure me to start driving an automatic gearbox because sometimes I get really tired, especially now that I have my baby with me in the car," says Adriana.
She disagrees with people's general perception of the practicality of a manual gearbox in Dubai's traffic. "I don't mind getting stuck in traffic, and it doesn't bother me to be on a manual gear when that happens," she says.
"I got my driving licence eight years ago back in Romania, and all I have driven since are manual-gearboxed cars; we had no automatic gearbox. So for me, more control is always better in any circumstance.
"I'm slowly warming up to the idea of going automatic, though against my will, but I guess it will be a new thing for me to try. But my weekend car will still be the Corvette," she adds.
* Keltoum Ahfid
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
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.
Company%20Profile
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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
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Seven%20Winters%20in%20Tehran
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%20%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Steffi%20Niederzoll%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Reyhaneh%20Jabbari%2C%20Shole%20Pakravan%2C%20Zar%20Amir%20Ebrahimi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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