It's difficult to recommend somewhere people will have trouble finding, but then such is the nature of so much in Kiev.
Often, the most interesting places lie behind unmarked doors in snow-covered alleys, or, such as in the monastery complex of Pechersk Lavra, are underground catacombs that aren't signposted in English. And so one of the most surprising spots I discovered in the city was in a quiet, mostly residential neighbourhood near the Lybidska metro station off of Boulevard Druzbhy Narodiv. If you're taking a taxi, ask to go to the shady-looking Hotel Druzbhy. Fifty metres to the east, there is a club called Mambo's. But you should be looking beyond to the dreary building complex just east of that. Go around back and climb the first set of stairs to a grey metal door.
You'd never know it from the outside, but this is the entrance to Tea Club (00 380 451 42 83). It's a sort of all-purpose gathering spot for Ukrainian intellectuals run by, among others, a former journalist who left newspapers to study mediation and martial arts near the Shao Lin Temple in China. There are more than 200 different types of rare loose tea leaves in little glass jars lining the walls and a series of low-lit rooms are decorated with Eastern decor. Take off your shoes upon entering and change into wicker slippers and one of the hosts will arrange for you to have tea in a traditional Chinese ceremony that is increasingly being lost to the ages in China.
Beneath a stairway, I sat for about an hour-and-a-half on the floor with Taras, the former journalist, in front of a small, hollow cast-iron tray with a drainage well while he prepared tiny cup after tiny cup of a wild-growing, aged black tea, each time pouring a bit of the hot water on a thimble-sized statue of Buddha for his blessings. The experience was wonderful, the atmosphere - where in another room people were listening to world music and using Wi-Fi, and elsewhere couples were reclining beside one another in little enclosures made from folding screens - was totally out of character with the decidedly untrendy area, and the level of expertise about tea and Chinese culture was hard to believe. And at $12 (Dh44) such a special and personalised thing hardly seemed overpriced. But that's Kiev for you, where you never know what's hiding around the corner.
After a couple days in the capital, however, I was sick of shivering while walking through gusts of snowflakes on the ice-laden streets and hoped that if I headed south I might thaw out. That night I taxied to the central railway station to catch the 10:59pm train to Odessa. I had asked a Ukrainian speaker to buy my tickets online on the government-operated railways' website (www.uz.gov.ua) because the site is entirely written in Cyrillic characters and it would be impossible to navigate if you didn't have a working understanding of Ukrainian or Russian. Another, perhaps easier, but more expensive option is to use such online brokers as Real Russia (www.realrussia.co.uk), which allow English-speaking users to find out time and fare information and to buy tickets for train travel throughout the former Soviet Union. But the prices in that case do go up. My one-way ticket in a second-class - also known as kupe - sleeper compartment cost only $14 (Dh53). If I had ordered my ticket with Real Russia I would have paid $61 (Dh226). By doing so, however, I could have picked it up in advance at the company's office in Moscow for free or in its London office for $15 (Dh55) extra. To have the ticket delivered to Abu Dhabi by mail in three business days it would cost $16 (Dh60). This may seem a somewhat roundabout process just to buy a train ticket, but the protocol at the stations in Ukraine are notoriously difficult for foreigners - so much so that brokers like Real Russia exist. The gruff ticket agents almost never speak English and train schedules and other information are written in Cyrillic. I found that having a friend buy the ticket online for me and then accompany me to the station to make certain that I got on the right train was not only incredibly helpful but far cheaper and more sensible than the brokerage option.
Once aboard, the ride was entertaining and cost-efficient as well because the little compartment with four fold-out bunks was also my hotel for the night during the 10-hour journey. My three companions - an elderly mother and her 20-something daughter and a burly man with one eye - didn't speak any English either. But they were most amused by my presence and helped guide me with hand gestures through the rituals of train travel in Ukraine.
The train was a time-worn Soviet model with fake wood panelling and Oriental carpets on the floor. Each train car has an attendant who collects tickets, provides pillows, pillowcases, bedspreads and thick wool blankets, and organises tea service in the morning. It is uncommon for passengers to sleep in their regular clothes and everyone but me had brought some form of nightwear and asked the other passengers to leave the room while they changed. At pretty much any hour of day or night the enclosed connection areas between cars will be full of smokers sucking down a nicotine fix.
Although heated, the trains get very cold at night during the winter. The bathroom had no water and was locked during departure and 15 minutes before arrival. In all, however, the experience was more comfortable than other inexpensive train rides I've taken in places like India and I actually slept pretty well.
Once at the station in Odessa, I prepared myself for another experience that is common for travellers in many parts of the former USSR but that I had never done before - book an apartment from a local upon arrival. On the train station's steps there were a half-dozen frumpy, bundled-up old women with paper signs pinned to their chests. These ladies are informally known as the babushka mafia and they provide out-of-towners with on-the-spot arrangements for accommodation that are often much cheaper and even nicer than the budget hotels.
When I approached one of the women, she began speaking to me in Ukrainian for paragraphs at a time as I tried to convey that I had no idea of what she was saying. Finally, I held my outstretched pinkie and thumb to my ear and said "Englishki". Luckily, she understood that she would need to phone someone who I could communicate with.
With the English speaker on the other end of the line I negotiated for a one-bedroom flat with heat and hot water that was near the train station for $20 (Dh73) per night. I also made it clear that I wanted to see it first. I followed the woman up three flights of stairs as she clutched the rail and wheezed louder as we rose. The flat was simple but clean and had the basic amenities promised. It even offered a few extra touches such as a teapot and a box of tea bags. When I looked at mid-range hotels in the same area they cost more than $50 (Dh184) per night. And it was quite a bit more interesting for a few days to feel like I was really sojourning in Ukraine with my own apartment, a funny little landlady and even a hot cup of tea.
lkummer@thenational.ae
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Biography
Her family: She has four sons, aged 29, 27, 25 and 24 and is a grandmother-of-nine
Favourite book: Flashes of Thought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Favourite drink: Water
Her hobbies: Reading and volunteer work
Favourite music: Classical music
Her motto: I don't wait, I initiate
Results
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mezmar, Adam McLean (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: AF Ajwad, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Gold Silver, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
4pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m; Winner: Atrash, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez.
4.30pm: Gulf Cup Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Momtaz, Saif Al Balushi, Musabah Al Muhairi.
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Al Mushtashar, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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
Traces%20of%20Enayat
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Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Fixture and table
UAE finals day: Friday, April 13 at Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
- 3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
- 6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership – final standings
- Dubai Exiles
- Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Jebel Ali Dragons
- Dubai Hurricanes
- Dubai Sports City Eagles
- Abu Dhabi Saracens
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
·
Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
·
What is a portfolio stress test?
·
What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
·
How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies
·
Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
Read more about the coronavirus
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)
Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
