Food prices are relative and we must think about value
There's no exercise more exhausting than vigorous negotiation. Before my annual visit to the old souq in Sharjah to visit my favoured dealer, I have to mentally lull myself into a meditative state.
My mother's brilliant, uncompromising, take-no-prisoners approach to haggling is second to none. I used to be a spineless worm next to her, too focused on shoehorning a happy ending into a less-than-pleasant shopping experience. Many would argue that you can have one or the other, but not both. I'm less complacent now than I used to be and if I cannot procure what I want justly, fairly, and ethically, then I don't want it at all.
What's the real cost of something? The answer, in sales, is: whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Abu Dhabi veterans will remember the old fish souq, where I first observed my mother's silver tongue and steely resolve at their most elemental, and it instilled the fear of fish in me - and perhaps a fear of souqs. Most of all, it taught me the value of fighting for something I want and the value of learning how to walk away from it.
Value is subjective, determined by how much something is worth to the person who wants it. We move through our daily patterns of consumption with some idea of what our standards of living are, and our personal values, and our limitations. Each of us has an idea of what we should be paying, for shelter, for food, for health care, for an education - and then a whole separate menu of what we could pay, or would pay, or can't pay, or won't.
A current trend in hotels with an inclusive meals policy is to offer guests the illusion of luxury by using flexibility to manipulate, stupefy, and hoodwink. With a couple of exceptions for pricier supplements that can include caviar and foie gras, everything is game.
At more reasonably priced hotels, have-it-your-way has a predictably approachable feel. Meals are served buffet-style or cafeteria-style in grand dining halls - and are almost guaranteed to brim with mediocrity, whether in the hotel's diluted version of some local speciality, or at the omelette station, or throughout the salad bar. Ironically, it is situations such as this, where one is meant to feel overwhelmed by abundance, that are the most depressing to me and leave me feeling most melancholy about the fate of our species.
Non-profit organisations are famous for using hooks in their slogans such as: "For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can afford to feed lunch to this starving child... and her entire kindergarten classroom." But there's a reason why these tactics are not particularly effective, and it starts with the fact that most people don't want to be made to feel bad about how they spend money. American public schools are allotted around US$2.50 (Dh9.18) a day to spend on each pupil's lunch. It's a price that seems disturbingly low until I remember that with Dh10, kids in the UAE can eat reasonably well, if a little recklessly.
I loved my school diet, but my health-conscious parents practised damage control with a lot of veggies and salads at home. At Choueifat 15 years ago, Dh10 bought a huge warm za'atar, meat or cheese sandwich trucked in from the Lebanese Flower Bakery, a box of juice, a bottle of water, a bar of chocolate, a couple of small savoury pastries, and an ice cream at the end of the day, with change to spare. Food was cheap here. It still is. Prices have remained, more or less, relatively low for prepared foods.
Which is why a dollar a day - or any amount, really - is relative. Yesterday, after reading a particularly depressing article about the environment, I found myself being ferried around on an assignment with a driver who, upon discovering that we are the same age, began razzing me for not having children.
I ended up explaining, when pressed, that I don't want any. It's a population growth thing, I tell him. Maybe I'll adopt someday. He laughs at me, shows me a photo in his wallet. "I have six! And I want 10 more!" I wanted to ask him just what sort of world he thinks his children will someday be living in if everyone felt they had the right to have six of them. Instead, I put on my headphones and made a mental note to start eating less meat.
In a world where there are a whole lot of people going hungry, cheap food may not seem like such a bad thing. But it helps to keep in mind that there are few true bargains in this world, and even fewer that can be bought. Hidden prices are embedded in everything. Meat and grains, cheaper to produce than fruit and vegetables, are far more taxing on our environment, our health, and the future of our planet. It kind of puts into perspective the notion that ordering a salad on a free meal plan is wasteful when you could be ordering a steak with a side of polenta for the same price.
Most people cannot conceive of philosophising about food the way we - the way I - do. That's part of the reason I believe that I don't have the luxury to do things any differently. We have an obligation to think deeply about our choices - even more so if you have children and want them to grow old on a planet that doesn't completely stink in multiple ways.
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
RESULTS
Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
Scoreline
Syria 1-1 Australia
Syria Al Somah 85'
Australia Kruse 40'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
All the Money in the World
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer
Four stars
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Oppenheimer
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
The%20specs
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Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
UK%20-%20UAE%20Trade
%3Cp%3ETotal%20trade%20in%20goods%20and%20services%20(exports%20plus%20imports)%20between%20the%20UK%20and%20the%20UAE%20in%202022%20was%20%C2%A321.6%20billion%20(Dh98%20billion).%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThis%20is%20an%20increase%20of%2063.0%20per%20cent%20or%20%C2%A38.3%20billion%20in%20current%20prices%20from%20the%20four%20quarters%20to%20the%20end%20of%202021.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20was%20the%20UK%E2%80%99s%2019th%20largest%20trading%20partner%20in%20the%20four%20quarters%20to%20the%20end%20of%20Q4%202022%20accounting%20for%201.3%20per%20cent%20of%20total%20UK%20trade.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
Manchester United v Club America
When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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