Myra Munyal arrived in this world after 39 hours of labour – and 39 weeks of gestation, nearly half of which were spent living and growing under the shadow of the novel coronavirus. It was declared a pandemic in January, the same month in which the UAE registered its first case.
Lockdowns and curfews ensued, sterilisation programmes were put in place, makeshift hospitals and quarantine units were built, and masks and gloves became part of regular attire. Dubai’s lifeline – the ubiquitous mall – was cut off for a bit, while travel restrictions in Abu Dhabi are still in place.
Baby Myra may not have seen too many other humans or much of the outside world yet, but her parents are both thankful for this time and hopeful that this, too, shall pass
Amid all the heart-warming and breaking stories, the socialising component – arguably, the essence of what makes us human – was turned on its head. Movie nights and milestone celebrations alike were put on hold as people began to self-isolate for fear of catching the highly contagious bug that had affected so many.
Oblivious to the situation, baby Myra wailed her way into this world in the protected wing of a private hospital in Dubai. Neither her father nor I were allowed to leave the room assigned to us under any pretext. Upon being discharged, we were guided through a labyrinthine path of empty corridors and emergency exits through the back of the building, to ensure we did not come into contact with any Covid-19 patients also being treated in the same hospital.
Relieved at being under the open sky after nearly a week of being shuttered between four walls, I breathed in the last of the open fresh air I was going to get for a while – pacing the length of my tiny balcony notwithstanding.
Upon reaching home, my husband and I dutifully disposed of our masks and gloves, popped our clothes into the machine and ourselves into the shower. We got busy settling and swaddling our delicate newborn, even while reminding one another to reply to the dozens of demands for photographs made via WhatsApp from friends, families and colleagues. After all, it was the only way they would get to see the new entrant for who knew how may days, weeks or months.
The fear of the unknown is a debilitating one. Obviously, then, no parent would risk exposing their newborn to people who may have been in contact with others, who in turn may be unwitting carriers of the virus. These are strange times, under any circumstances. But with a baby, they are truly the best of times and the worst of times.
On the one hand, the situation has given us the headspace needed to settle into the feed-clean-sleep-repeat routine. It’s given me the leeway to get used to the triumphs and tribulations of breastfeeding without any well-meaning intrusion or advice. Plus, with the husband working at home, I am thankful for an extra pair of shoulders to burp the baby.
We have also skipped the fomo (fear of missing out) phase that many erstwhile party-animal parents go through. None of our friends are doing any of the fun weekend activities that were such a regular part of our pre-baby life. Zoom calls are the new normal and those are something we are still able to jump in and out of.
On the other hand, we have had no audience for our proudest production, including my stuck-and-hyperventilating-in-Mumbai mum. Nobody to sit down with and share philosophical musings about the fears and joys of raising a child. Almost seven weeks later, the number of people to have seen the human being I already can’t wait to show off is limited to single digits.
The lockdown has since eased and friends gingerly inquire when they might come by to visit, but that debilitating fear raises its ugly head each time and we apologetically make our excuses. Baby Myra may not have seen too many other humans or much of the outside world yet, but her parents are both thankful for this time and hopeful that this, too, shall pass.
Growing up, I remember haranguing my parents to repeatedly regale me with stories of my birth. Can you imagine the tales we will have to tell our Covid-19 babies about the circumstances surrounding theirs?
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
More coverage from the Future Forum
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
F1 2020 calendar
March 15 - Australia, Melbourne; March 22 - Bahrain, Sakhir; April 5 - Vietnam, Hanoi; April 19 - China, Shanghai; May 3 - Netherlands, Zandvoort; May 20 - Spain, Barcelona; May 24 - Monaco, Monaco; June 7 - Azerbaijan, Baku; June 14 - Canada, Montreal; June 28 - France, Le Castellet; July 5 - Austria, Spielberg; July 19 - Great Britain, Silverstone; August 2 - Hungary, Budapest; August 30 - Belgium, Spa; September 6 - Italy, Monza; September 20 - Singapore, Singapore; September 27 - Russia, Sochi; October 11 - Japan, Suzuka; October 25 - United States, Austin; November 1 - Mexico City, Mexico City; November 15 - Brazil, Sao Paulo; November 29 - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More coverage from the Future Forum
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The five pillars of Islam
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Read more about the coronavirus
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
