An acquaintance recently started dribbling uncontrollably while telling me about a new coffee chain that was coming to town. The name escapes me (I wasn't really listening), but from what I can remember, it was Canadian (where the best coffee beans are grown, clearly), was absolutely amazing, and its upcoming arrival was getting its many fans - which included this person - very excited, indeed.
Now, I like coffee. I like it quite a lot. I like it nearly as much as I like tea, which is probably up there with oxygen and water as essential elements for my survival. But I just don't get the obsessiveness over different coffee shops. Does it really matter? Really? If I were to draw up a list of what the UAE needed, a new chain of coffee shops probably wouldn't break into the top 50. I rarely see queues snaking out of the front of the 50 billion (approximately) we've already got, or people forced to spread out a medium-sized latte over a day because of short supply.
In fact, the whole coffee "thing" that has enveloped the globe over the past decade or so is something I still find quite bizarre. Tea is a far superior drink on so many levels, but you'll rarely find people popping out with friends "for a Darjeeling".
It seems that lobbying groups and advertising execs have decided that tea is to be drunk inside the home, with your family, and coffee outside, as part of your active social scene. It's got to the stage where my ladyfriend explains regularly that she'd really like a coffee, which would be fine except that she can't stand the taste. What she really wants is the coffee "lifestyle experience", the sitting around a table, nattering with friends about inconsequential nonsense and pretending that we all live in an episode of Sex and the City.
She's not the worst. I've had former colleagues explain that they're unable to communicate politely before they've had their "morning [insert well-known Seattle-based coffee shop here]". Why, exactly? Is it really the branded coffee that magically turns you from complete idiot to minor idiot, or is it just a shoddy excuse for your underdeveloped personality?
There are also those sensitive souls who declare they can't drink coffee after a set time in the afternoon because they'll be "up all night". Ridiculous. Well, as someone who can neck three mugs of the stuff and fall asleep quite happily, I think it's ridiculous.
And, as a final nail in the coffin, I bring you coffee breath, among the worst odours ever to have been emitted from a human not suffering from severe health complaints. You don't hear about tea breath do you? Nope. And while we're on the subject, I'll have an Earl Grey please. Quite milky. Put the milk in after the tea if you could. And no sugar. Thanks.
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
