I’m exhausted.
Figuring out holidays is such hard work. I’ve just booked time away on what I hope will be pristine, freshly snowed-on pistes. My mission is to have an experience far removed from our last ski trip, and so far the process has been remarkably taxing.
What I do not want to replicate is mostly closed slopes because of lack of snowfall – the few that were open were so icy and crowded that having eyes at the back of my head would have turned me into an emotional wreck and taken me off the runs for the duration. It was a mish-mash of all levels and varied degrees of ski etiquette – or etiquette in general – vying for space, or just vying. At least that’s what it felt like.
There were also eastern European babushkas on sleighs with what looked like steering wheels, but were in fact just a place to rest their hands while they screamed blue murder as gravity and much-reduced friction took their course – often over people’s skis – leaving the upright among us teetering and trying not to take a dive into the mountain.
To put it mildly, last year’s experience in Bulgaria’s Bansko does not have me wanting to go back. Think major motorway in the UAE at rush hour – with the numerous nationalities, belief systems, driving standards and understanding of the motorway code. Let’s be honest, safe braking distance does not exist as a concept with some people, let alone an approach to driving. High speed, going for every gap and total disregard for what happens to flesh and bone upon high effect are the order of the day.
And so my quest to have a safer, more relaxed experience has left me in major deficit mode. This trip is not only setting me back financially – the equivalent of two weeks of my life spent earning – but it’s been a giant black hole in terms of time, effort and emails.
Yet another steep learning experience.
People who do not travel much – or do trips where it’s a jigsaw puzzle of multiple stops, logistics, places to sleep, eat, lessons to be booked, tickets to be secured – don’t understand that it’s not as simple as booking the room and sorting out connections later. The euphoria of finding room at the inn was soon drowned out by the insane cost of two one-way tickets (on easyJet, at that) from Geneva to London. I was kicking myself for not going with the Swiss Air returns I’d found the night before that came in at significantly less and got me to a preferred airport. They had tripled overnight – as had easyJet’s fares – and all because I wanted to double-check certain information with the UK-based company that had found me the room in the catered chalet. I could blame the money hole I was staring down on time differences – but the truth is that it was my dithering that did it.
Had I been decisive and booked the tickets, I would have saved myself a lot more than money. The energy that went into comparing, checking, double-checking and then waiting for people on different continents with other priorities to get back to me has cost me a lot more than the monetary outlay.
Add to this the mental energy that has been consumed, and the crazy number of emails back and forth.
Yes, I am working within the limiting parameters of school holiday dates – and my preference to sacrifice money in return for cutting down on commuting from one point to another – but more crippling is the stuff of being human: decision-fatigue, comparison paralysis and dithering disease.
The farce is that people often do the above because they are looking to save money or get more value – this being peak season (recession in Europe? Not from what I see), but for me it has cost me dearly.
The big lesson is to make a decision and let go. It’s a relief. Focus your time and energy on the next thing. Make a decision about that and let go. Ad infinitum.
With this in mind, I’m now turning my attention to sorting out my summer.
Nima Abu Wardeh is the founder of the personal finance website cashy.me. You can reach her at nima@cashy.me
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
PAST 10 BRITISH GRAND PRIX WINNERS
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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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
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
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
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