Pupils at many private schools in the UAE started a three-week holiday this week as the institutions chose to merge the Eid Al Fitr and spring breaks.
At most schools, spring break began on March 25 and will end on April 5, while the Eid holidays are expected to start on April 8, giving pupils an extra week off before returning on April 15.
Some schools have chosen to use April 8 for teacher training, while at Indian schools such as Credence High School in Dubai, pupils will return on April 1 to start the new academic year, before another break for Eid Al Fitr from April 6 to April 15.
It's a good time to take some time off and rest or reflect
Sanam Varma
Many families will be using the long break to travel.
Trisha Daya, a South African resident in Dubai, will be taking a 10-day holiday to Thailand and Singapore with her husband and daughters aged six and nine.
“I think it's just to give them a bit of a break. The weather should be good as well,” Ms Daya told The National.
“I think when it's anything that involves six or seven hours of travel, you know that you're going to need a couple of days to recover from jet lag so it's good to be able to just take two weeks or 10 days to fully enjoy the holiday.
“We are definitely happy that we have a longer break.”
She said her daughters were enjoying going to parks with other children during the break.
“I think a lot of people are travelling and going back home just to enjoy the time off,” she said.
“And I think many people are also fasting. So it's a good time to take some time off and rest or reflect.”
Sanam Varma, an Indian working in Dubai, will be driving down to Salalah in Oman for a 10-day road-trip with nine family members, including her husband and her seven-year-old daughter.
“This is our first trip after moving to the UAE from Australia in November. We finally feel very settled and it's the first long break here as well,” said Ms Varma.
“While a lot of people are taking flights, we thought of taking a road trip. We're really looking forward to it.”
Ms Varma said the drive would take between 12 and 13 hours.
However, some families are choosing to stay in the UAE and enrol children at spring camps and sports camps.
Ana Nasser, an Indian resident in Dubai, said she was looking for spring camps for her five-year-old daughter to attend, as she manages her time over the school holidays.
“I hope to leave my daughter at a spring camp while I am in the office,” said Ms Nasser.
“But these camps do not provide transport so she would have to be there for long hours. If transport was provided, my daughter could have come home and the nanny would have taken care of her.
“I have also booked annual leave as there was no other way I could manage childcare.”
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Ramadan cannons – in pictures
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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