Kids in tow or young, free and single, few Indians living away from home take the opportunity to explore new places. In my experience, given a few days off, most of us head home, travel locally or go to destinations we already know. So when I decided on a whim to go to Syria, my 10-year-old twins looked up at me in awe and wonder.
"Syria" simply did not sound real to them, in spite of all my efforts to paint a picture of the country: a place full of history, dotted with ruined castles set in beautiful landscapes. I tried my best to make them look forward to the trip.
Of course, this created its own problems: when we arrived in Damascus, a tatty and neglected city in parts, it turned out reality didn't match my fantastic descriptions. On our way from the airport to the Old City, as we went past dilapidated buildings, narrow, crowded streets and rather unimpressive neighbourhoods, my children gradually fell silent in frustration. As we checked into a hotel, my daughter suddenly asked, "How long will we be staying here?" Her question made me conscious of my own sense of disappointment. Damascus wasn't living up to any of our expectations.
But the unpromising start faded in Palmyra, an archaeologists' playground some 215km north-east of Damascus. The ruins saved the holiday - completely lifting the twins' mood - as they began to explore in their own, 10-year-old way. By the end of our four-hour stroll through the ruined city, I had almost forgotten that they were there. They seemed to take the history lesson in their stride, in an almost silent appreciation.
Not once did they ask for water - a favourite tactic when they are bored - or attempt to persuade me to take them to a restaurant, hungry or not. In an amazing show of concentration, they seemed unperturbed by the hawkers, tour guides and Bedouins who patrol the enormous site, trying to tempt visitors to buy souvenirs and take camel rides.
Instead, the twins asked intelligent questions prompted by what little information they had coupled with their limitless imaginations. And this continued, as we explored archaeological sites such as Anjar, Bosra, Ebla and Maloula - Palmyra had ignited a spark in their minds for the rest of our 10-day trip.
There's no dearth of suggestions on the internet about how best to prepare young children for what amounts to a history lesson. Some of the tips include scouring maps, giving lectures on your destination's past and present, and sitting down to enjoy films set in the places you'll see. Not to mention carrying essential items such as food, water and even medicines.
While such preparations are never a bad idea, the experience taught me the value of leaving the children alone to figure out what they were interested in for themselves. They ended up exploring Syria's ruins and scrambling up precarious places for better views. I'll need a few more trips to understand whether "leave them be" works better than an information overload in helping children to become more self-confident as they discover their interests and inner strengths. But this time I am sure it did.
smukherjee@thenational.ae
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
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
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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.
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5