Asma Darwish spends hours poring over sketches and "mood boards" with clients before redecorating and refurbishing their apartments and villas in the UAE. The interior design consultant for Indigo Living discusses a day in her life.
6.30am
I usually wake up by this time. However, as I am currently preparing for a triathlon I sometimes have to be up by 5.30am for my swim training. My morning routine is very important: I shower, prepare my breakfast and head to a coffee shop for a nice and peaceful cup of coffee and to read the papers before my busy day starts.
Between 8.30 and 9am
I arrive to work, check my emails, create a list of what needs to be done, follow up with phone calls and site visits and plan my day.
10am
On Sunday mornings we have our sales meeting to discuss our current clients, new inquiries, challenges, ideas and how can we serve our customers better.
Between 1 and 2pm
Lunch. Home is very close, so sometimes I head home or grab a healthy bite from the closest place. There are days that I plan to go to the gym during my lunch hour. I usually don't arrange lunch meetings as I prefer to always keep the formalities with my clients.
Afternoon
I love designing in the afternoons and early evenings, as I feel most creative during that time. The materials, fabrics and the overall look always depend on the concept and ideas that I communicate with clients through meetings, pictures, mood boards, sketches, etc. And, of course, it always depends on the client's requirements, budget and time. I always try to educate clients to bring in a bit of culture from where they live into their living environments and make sure their homes represent who they are and their personalities. I cannot say that I like or specialise in one style; the real art is mixing and matching different styles and being very creative with it.
Late afternoon
In the afternoons, I also do daily research online and in magazines and books to ensure that I know what is happening in design all around the world. I make sure to respond to all my emails before leaving the office, read through my list of tasks, mark what has been done and plan my next day. [I also] have a quick chat with my colleagues.
Between 6.30 and 7pm
I usually leave work. I can be home in a few minutes so on the way I usually stop by the grocery store or meet my friends to unwind, watch a movie and catch up.
Evening
At home I spend time with my family, have a light dinner, watch TV and then have my "me" time.
By 10pm
I am a curious person and I always have unanswered questions, so just before bed is the perfect time to research them and find the answers. I also read a lot before sleeping.
Between 10.30 and 11.30pm
The usual time for me to end my day.
* Neil Parmar
ATP WORLD No 1
2004 Roger Federer
2005 Roger Federer
2006 Roger Federer
2007 Roger Federer
2008 Rafael Nadal
2009 Roger Federer
2010 Rafael Nadal
2011 Novak Djokovic
2012 Novak Djokovic
2013 Rafael Nadal
2014 Novak Djokovic
2015 Novak Djokovic
2016 Andy Murray
2017 Rafael Nadal
2018 Novak Djokovic
2019 Rafael Nadal
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Ferrari
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Mann%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adam%20Driver%2C%20Penelope%20Cruz%2C%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Patrick%20Dempsey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
The Specs:
The Specs:
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 444bhp
Torque: 600Nm
Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT
On sale: now.
