I moved out of my apartment last week, having lived in the same building in Abu Dhabi for almost 7 years. This week I've been staying with a friend who has very kindly offered me her spare room which, co-incidentally, also has room for all the toiletries I wasn't able to put in storage.
It takes at least week after you've moved out to tie up any loose ends in the UAE - maintenance clearances, utilities letters and suchlike (though in my case, I've been impressed with the speed and professionalism of Abu Dhabi Distribution Company, which has issued letters and refunds digitally and without delay). I'm glad I didn't leave vacating until the day before my flight, which would have been unbearably stressful. And while moving is stressful at any time, it's also a valuable process which, if managed and now that I've done it, has left me feeling somehow renewed.
Staying too long in the same place leads to mental stagnation and stress, and I'm convinced that the natural state for humans is to be on the move. I've seen numerous successful-but-unhappy people who have been transformed by the process of travel and think of countless others whose inflexible thinking, un-creativity and out-of-kilter opinions, borne of limited perspectives, would benefit from a good shaking-up.
Despite the uncertainty of moving from a one bedroom apartment in one of Abu Dhabi's "best" residential towers into a friend's spare room, I've really enjoyed this week, and it's illustrated so many of the benefits that the process of travel brings. I've now got a beautiful new view every morning across the old part of Mina Port, and I go to bed watching the twinkling lights of the dhow harbour. I've been parking my car in one of the last vestiges of old Abu Dhabi, at the animal feed stores near the Indian Social & Cultural Centre. As I walk home I get the sweet smell of hay combined with the earthiness of horse feed, and enjoy looking at the piles of firewood (where does it come from, I wonder?)
The ISCC has a brilliant and cheap restaurant and there's also an excellent Turkish deli nearby. Even the branch of Costa Coffee here is better than the one I had before. There's no internet or TV at my friend's house, so we spend the time talking and reading. So you see, there's no reason to stress about life on the move because it's our natural state. Keep moving and things work out; more than that, life in the "in-between" zone is fantastic.
I've just started reading Connectography: Mapping the Global Network Revolution by Parag Khanna, who last week gave a talk at The National's Future Forum. In the book Khanna talks about the increasing global connections that are being forged across borders through supply chain networks, pipelines, roads, railways, airports, the Internet and global trade, and the implications this has for people's identities and allegiances.
The massive potential of the UAE with its geographical location is clear, and the "connectography" he talks about will hopefully stop a Third World War. Yet I can't help thinking that today's modern global infrastructure is simply making tangible something much older. And that's the ancient human instinct to move forward, making connections as you go and drawing energy and momentum from the process. As I've travelled, often far from anywhere and without any Internet connection, I've experienced a sense of oceanic connectedness with the world. This is our natural state, and it is arguably something much more powerful.
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Read more:
On the move: planning a trip to Alaska
On the move: reverse culture shock in London
On the move: if you want peace, travel
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Company%20profile
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Company%20profile
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Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
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
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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%20Profile
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FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
