I used to joke that if journalism didn't work out as a career, I would take up cooking.
As a kid struggling to take in physics and mathematics, I remember joking with my friends that if education didn't work out, I'd shine shoes. (As a side note, I dearly hope my mother is not reading this). I had barely made it out of high school and was already thinking of alternative careers that were surely more enjoyable than trying to figure out the rate of velocity or the mass of materials. Sitting in our dorm rooms, preparing for another rigorous day, it was obvious that while some of us were better at ironing our clothes, others at hair and light make-up, there were those, like me, who could make a cadet proud with some spit and cloth. Except for one of us, who opened a beauty salon with her mother, none of our "alternate" careers actually materialised.
Most people I know take up this alternative route as a hobby. There are photography, dancing, and even Toastmaster classes. Although shining shoes and ironing clothes probably don't make many lists.
Recently, with the demise of the demand for polished shoes, I have taken to dreaming of that parallel universe where I spend my time in a kitchen (not necessarily at home) creating variations of dishes that I have come to understand so well. I've spent what feels like a lifetime struggling with bad food and in pursuit of the better. The more I travel, the greater the understanding that all cuisines simply boil, fry and stew in a variety of combinations (with the North Americans having a particular affinity for baking).
There is a striking similarity between a number of world cuisines, including Mexican and Indian, a combination not linked by migration, tourism or colonisation. So what if I could stuff chicken vindaloo into a taco? Or season fries with chaat masala?
Unfortunately, a lot of it has already been done. The last time I was in New Delhi, at a haute cuisine restaurant called Indian Accent, the chef was already stuffing his shammi kebabs with foie gras and serving up bite-sized portions of quesadillas stuffed with stir-fried veggies cooked in Indian spices.
Fusion cuisine is not new. And it can be disastrously bad. To prove it, randomly watch any episode of amateur cooks on the BBC's MasterChef trying to blend say, Thai and British home cooking. But there are those who have stuck to it and persevered.
The past few weeks in the United States also brought home the point that the longer I think about it, the greater the chances that someone else is already busy acting on it. After all, you'd think Kimchi fries was a crazy idea. But wait till you try them.
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
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
SPECS
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Match info
Wolves 0
Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')
Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
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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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
Company%20Profile
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