For some reason, the vigour of the Filipino music scene tends to go unrecognised beyond its national borders. Not even the remorseless efficiency of those hundreds of Pinoy hotel bands, fanning out in a diaspora across the Menasa region, manages to inspire much curiosity among the uninitiated. A pity: for a tiny country with some, to put the case mildly, horrifying political problems, it supports a diversity of musical scenes and subcultures that puts most of the eastern hemisphere to shame. Happily for Dubaians, the Rakrakan festival of Pinoy rock, now in its fourth year, provides a taster menu.
From the thrashy hard rock of Wolfgang to the mutant, disco-inflected reggae of Brownman Revival, the four-band bill covers a lot of ground. The young and handsome Callalily will distract those susceptible to big windswept choruses and feathery haircuts, but the most appealing outfit goes by the unprepossessing moniker Itchyworms. With a name like this, they ought to make the sort of sniggering, studiedly puerile lo-fi that Ween go in for. The fact that they number a Jazz Nicolas and a Jugs Jugueta among their ranks only heightens the suspicion that they're a put-on. But not so: they actually do the kind of polished, autumnal pop-rock that Crowded House used to excel at, full of whispering drums and elegant harmonic developments. For that reason alone, there's grounds to think that Filipino music has other facets beside the four on display here - see last year's Rakrakan bill for further proof. Still, if you want an idea of what you're missing, this certainly beats the hotel bar.
Carbon 12 is one of Dubai's most consistently interesting galleries. Despite a recent setback - it recently had to relocate to Al Quoz from a lonely exile in Marina View Towers - it's back with another spiky and engaging show, Pilot Plant Indicated, this time from the Norwegian painter Tor-Magnus Lundeby. He had a piece in Carbon 12's opening exhibition last year, which gives a fair introduction to his MO. Think insectile and mechanical forms picked out in fuzzy-felt colours against a wash of radioactive sludge. It sounds ghastly but in practice often achieves a tone of naivety and calm that can be rather inviting. Lundeby's canvases might be alien circuit diagrams, or space stations, or deep-sea creatures. Stare at one for a minute or two and you'll probably find yourself daydreaming happily about the coming of our robot overlords. Well, you might as well make peace with the idea somehow.
For the past few nights, the Swiss OpenAir Cinema at Dubai Media City has been offering outdoor screenings of Hollywood blockbusters. You've missed your chance to see New Moon on what is billed as the world's largest cinema screen. Still, zombies beat vampires any day of the week, and it so happens that on this particular day you can catch the horror comedy Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson and a certain comic elder statesman whose identity and role in the film will be a pleasant surprise for those without internet connections. Later in the week there's King Conqueror, a Spanish historical drama about the 13th-century scourge of the Balearics, James I of Aragon. It stars Tim Roth as King Pedro II of Aragon, which sounds like something out of Napoleon Dynamite but is presumably a serious role. And if you want something a little mellower, there's Everything's Fine, a remake of a celebrated 1990 Italian family drama. This new version stars Robert De Niro as a widower seeking to reconnect with his family, which happens to include Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale. De Niro is reportedly better than he's been in years, which is modestly encouraging.
Finally, this Wednesday is the 38th anniversary of the founding of the nation. If I know National Day, then you should be able to find a fabulous fireworks display somewhere, but however you choose to celebrate it, have a good one.
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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)
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills