In one of Vidhyaa Chandramohan’s photographs, a toy T-Rex looms from the bottom-right corner of the frame. Slightly out of focus, its jaws are open menacingly wide, its shadow cast on the wall by the doorframe.
A prank seems to be under way.
The bedroom is visible through the door. The bed is unmade, the swivel chair is away from its desk. A girl stands by the window, looking intently at the world outside. She is the focus of both the photograph and the prank, unsuspecting of the dinosaur her brother is aiming to spook her with.
“Indoor games are very common for the children during this stay-at-home phase,” Chandramohan says. The Indian editorial and documentary photographer, who lives in Abu Dhabi with her family, is working on a photo series documenting life during the pandemic.
“I bought dinosaurs for my son when he was 5 years old,” Chandramohan – whose photographs have been published across the region – says, adding that since the coronavirus outbreak, her children have started playing with them again.
“Since these characters have become part of daily life now, I thought of including them in the story. I have been documenting my children in the home environment and this series highlights time spent at home in quarantine during the coronavirus lockdown.”
While Chandramohan says she often shoots in colour for her work, she decided to take monochromatic pictures for Home Quarantine, to accentuate "contrast and add value to the story."
“Sunlight is the only outsider visiting our home every day,” she says. “Through black and white pictures, we can play with shadows and highlight the deep tones.”
Chandramohan began working on the series after her ongoing photography projects – such as one documenting women falconers in the UAE – came to a standstill due to the pandemic. The photographer found herself restless, adding that her sleep cycle had been disrupted. Her children, too, were going through their own bouts of anxiousness and were eager to return to school and play outside with their friends.
Their discomfort was expressed through tantrums and nightmares, Chandramohan says. They were unable to concentrate on their studies and began feeling melancholic.
“I suddenly found myself witnessing all this happening at home. So I was moved to document their moments during lockdown,” Chandramohan says. “The Covid-19 pandemic wrapped our lives in layers of uncertainty and anxiety. It’s not just my children who are going through this. Many are experiencing the same situation around the world. They understand the severity of Covid and adapting to the situation.”
However, the pandemic also presented an opportunity for Chandramohan and her children. While their mother was working on Home Quarantine, Aishwarya began learning videography, while Aaditya has taken up drawing, signing up to online courses to learn the craft, as well as playing football at home.
Chandramohan says she hopes when her children see the photo series years later, it “will bring back great memories and show them how they have [lived through] this period and appreciate that I’ve recorded this important moment of them.”
Chandramohan says hopes to show the photographs in local exhibitions in the future. And for her next project, she’d like to shed light on the dangers and safety hazards of littering gloves and masks in the streets. “It’s annoying and dangerous,” she says. “As bad as spreading the virus.”
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
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
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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
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
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
