Shelina Janmohamed is an author and a culture columnist for The National
December 30, 2022
My 7-year-old daughter this week was building a time capsule for people in the future. "What should they know about 2022? Cost of living crisis, climate change, war in Ukraine..." she wrote despondently in her missive for human beings yet to come.
"Is there anything good I can include?" she asked in despair.
I felt stumped. It feels hard not to be sensitised to all the terrible things that happen around us. But this year is the first time in my life I’ve seen the phrase "rolling polycrisis". It seems to be everywhere and it has put a name to the sense of multiple calamities.
Ever more mass shootings in the US, inflation rising, wildfires and floods, protests and strikes, heatwaves, droughts, flooding, it’s a list of perpetual doom. And that’s just the new stuff which eclipses ongoing horrors to which we have become inured, from Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Myanmar, Ukraine – it’s a catalogue that could fill this entire column.
So in search of happier news, my optimistic daughter and I spread our net across social media. It’s curious how what has just happened can cast a positive glow on events. Plenty of people quoted Morocco reaching the semi-final of the World Cup, the first Arab country to do so. The Lionesses brought football home to the UK. And a lettuce outlasted a prime minister, which was funny fleetingly, if not really "good" news.
And there were leaps forward. We have the possibility of a vaccine for malaria. A new drug that has the potential to slow down Alzheimer’s disease. Climate reparations were put on the global agenda. Nuclear fusion gives us hope for a clean energy future. As my 7-year old is a huge space fan, the James Webb telescope was firmly on her list of positives.
Nasa broadcasts the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope, the world's most advanced space telescope on the Piccadilly Lights screen in London, on July 12. PA Wire
Many people added the emergence from the lockdowns and ongoing restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic as the biggest bright spot. And while the surrealness of 2020 and 2021 already seems hard to recollect, the long shadow of the pandemic can still be felt. Rates of Covid-19 infections in some parts of the world are rising again. And while many argue it’s good we are unshackling ourselves from the fear of those years, it is hard because many of our loved ones remain at high risk.
In fact, that one of the reasons that this has been a very tough year for me personally, perhaps the toughest year of my life, given the loss of my mother. It was not easy balancing primary care for my parents during lockdowns earlier in the year while caring for my children, not to mention holding an intense job. Several hours each day caring for the elderly is no walk in the park, accompanied by several serious hospitalisations and my mental health challenges.
It seems like when it comes to this feeling of heaviness, I am not alone. The New York Times had a report headlined “The Rising Tide of Global Sadness”, building on a book and research from Gallup called “Blind Spot: The Global Rise of Unhappiness and How Leaders Missed It.”
Anger, stress, sadness, physical pain and worry seemed to have reached a global high. Given the backdrop of the pandemic, this was no surprise. But the trajectory was rising for over a decade.
In the periods of graveness over the past year, there has been immense personal growth.
Studies have looked at whether generation z is the most depressed generation in human history. And who could blame them? It is a world of widening emotional inequality. As the top 20 per cent of the world experiences the highest levels of happiness since Gallup began measuring happiness and well-being, the bottom 20 per cent has been experiencing the worst.
And yet, while I have felt like a microcosm of the terrible 12 months of 2022, there have also been incredible personal highlights. The first of its kind book for girls was published tackling the challenges of body image at ages 8+. I launched a two year project identifying "consumer inequality" and how brands should engage with minority ethnic consumers. I won some awards. I wrote this column and from the feedback, I know it touched many. My kids said I did a great job as a mum, and they are very thankful.
In the periods of graveness over the past year, there has been immense personal growth. And this has emerged from extraordinary pain and challenges. In reality, maybe it could not have been any other way.
Perhaps the same can be said of 2022 and for the world more generally. We are living through a tough time but there are highlights sprinkled throughout. Let's hope that 2023 brings a period of growth from which we can emerge stronger and happier. At least that is what I am wishing for.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
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.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
World Cup League Two
Results
Oman beat Nepal by 18 runs
Oman beat United States by six wickets
Nepal beat United States by 35 runs
Oman beat Nepal by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Oman v United States
Wednesday, Nepal v United States
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: Duc De Faust, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m | Winner: Shareef KB, Fabrice Veron, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,500m | Winner: Bainoona, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
