So, it's that time of year again, when somehow fairy dust is scattered and I am transformed into 10 extra people, including a rather less-than-jolly Father Christmas. It's the time when there are big family gatherings, whichever festival is being celebrated and the expectations for fun, frivolity and feasting are extremely high.
It is a magical time in the calendar, a time that people look forward to for an entire year. So why does my heart sink as it approaches?
Somehow, the excitement factor for me doesn't outweigh the impending exhaustion as it used to do. Does it mean that my energy supply is waning? Is it the fact that every spare second in my waking day needs to be stretched to beyond possible capacity to achieve all the tasks on my never-ending lists, and that this scenario has lost any appeal it might have had in the past?
It's holiday time. This implies relaxation, but somehow the festive atmosphere has to be created, the gifts bought and wrapped, the food planned and baked, the house decorated, and I know that my time sitting on the sofa, chatting merrily to the gathered guests will be minimal. I will be constantly aware of the next meal and how much preparation is necessary, the varied needs of the different age groups present and managing all the debris that ensues after each event.
But I am a free woman. I can dictate my own destiny. So why am I putting myself through it all over again? Maybe we should just take off to a remote resort and find that elusive relaxation. This is indeed an option that many take when faced with an extended period of holiday time and I am in part envious of those who just pack up and set off away from all the stresses of the home gathering. It has certainly been a discussion in our household in the past as I begin the early starts to the day to achieve all the preparations. "Let's just go away this year," I am tempted to say, but never do.
Because I am only partly jealous of the travellers. The fact is that I have a masochistic enjoyment of the mayhem in my household at this time of year, and to be denied it would be to cut out a major episode in the family calendar. My family is no longer as young and as demanding of my time as in the past. They are scattered and independent so to have them all back in the fold is a joy that outweighs all the hard work. They will return weary from their hectic lives and anticipate the shared merriment of family meals.
Recreating some of the traditions that are woven into our particular interpretation of the festival is a way of tapping into the memories of childhood. The memory of my upbringing and my own recollections of going home is now interlaced with all those years in my own home and the comfort of knowing that the pattern of events will be repeated and hopefully taken on into the homes of the children. As we have travelled around the world, the same traditions have travelled with us so that in whichever culture we find ourselves we can still recreate the atmosphere of those special times.
Inevitably, all of our lives move on, and as I anticipate with a sigh all the work, it will be different this year from last. Maybe I can cut back on the workload? I think I should definitely programme in a little more time on that sofa. In fact, maybe I should go and practise now and think ahead to the laughter and fun of the house full of family and friends and the rewards that will be reaped from the celebrations. After all, the washing up gets done and is soon forgotten, but the memories last forever.
Jane Goodhue is the wife of an expatriate businessman in Abu Dhabi
Results
5pm: Warsan Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Dhaw Al Reef, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Quadra Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mrouwah Al Gharbia, Sando Paiva, Abubakar Daud
6pm: Hatta Lake – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Yatroq, George Buckell, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adries de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Zakher Lake – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Alfareeq, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
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
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The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees
Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme
Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks
Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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