Urban Dictionary defines nesting as the "ritual performed by pregnant women in ridding the house, the 'nest', from anything potentially harmful to the soon to be born child".
Judging by my behaviour in the past few weeks, things that are "potentially harmful to the soon to be born child" include: messy wardrobes, disorganised drawers, dust bunnies, mismatched hangers, clothes that are not colour-coordinated, bookshelves weighed down by books that are not arranged in alphabetical order and a spice cabinet that does not boast pretty labels in interesting fonts.
I can't seem to stop in my mission to rid the house of chaos, despite warning signals that range from an aching lower back to an onslaught of unexpected and early contractions. (Which, incidentally, means such severe pain in the abdominal area that standing upright becomes near to impossible. I always wondered how I'd be able to tell whether or not I was having contractions and now that I've felt them, I don't know what I was ever worried about.)
Mr T, watching in horror as I flit from cupboard to shelf to drawer in my efforts to purge and leave in my wake a sensible system of organisation, has been begging me to stop. He says he is confused as to why I have now, after more than two and a half years of marriage, decided that I must organise our wedding photos into gargantuan wedding albums, complete with labels and photo captions. "Is this really the time for this? Shouldn't you be resting like the doctor said?"
Psssht. What does Mr T or a doctor - a male one, at that - know of this pressing need I have to get as much of my life in order before it descends into chaos? Soon, I will lose all semblance of control to a pint-size dictator who will decide when we wake, sleep, eat and possibly breathe. I will not have the luxury to readdress a drawer's purpose or refold linens just so or dump all my toiletries on the bathroom floor and then take my time rearranging them in pretty baskets. Those days, I have been told confidently by new parents, will soon be long gone.
So far, it has been futile to try to instil this sense of urgency in my husband, regardless of his impending status as "father". Nesting, as I understand it, only strikes the pregnant woman, so Mr T is allowed to remain clueless.
Until I caught him walking around the house muttering to himself under his breath.
"What are you doing?"
He lifted a finger up to me, indicating that I should stay quiet, and continued muttering a little while longer before jotting something on to a piece of paper that looked like it might be home to a list. Then, he announced, "I didn't want to lose count; I was counting how many electricity sockets we had in the wall, to know how many of those baby proofing things we need to buy. Now I have to count sharp corners." And the muttering resumed.
I hadn't even thought that far.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
The%20specs
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2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
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1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):
1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop
2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia - £25m: Flop
3). Erik Lamela - Roma - £25m: Jury still out
4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen - £25m: Success
5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic - £21m: Flop
6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar - £18m: Flop
7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers - £18m: Flop
8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb - £17m: Success
9). Paulinho - Corinthians - £16m: Flop
10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham - £16m: Success
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