When German chancellor Otto von Bismarck invented the modern-day pension in 1889, he may not have expected anyone to use much of it. After all, this new “retirement” age was aligned with life expectancy in Europe, which was significantly less then (mid forties) than what it is today (early eighties), more than 100 years on.
You worked because you needed money to live, and you worked until you no longer could. Work was for financial survival. And if you couldn’t survive, your only options were family, charity, or now in these more modern times, a pension.
We’ve come a long way since then. Retirement is now a full phase of life. The pension addresses the financial needs in retirement. But people can now also make the most of their retirement years because of longer lives and the energy and health to do something meaningful with that time.
This has created a paradox. Our image of pensioners – ailing, frail elders in their twilight years, perhaps – is juxtaposed with the reality of “young elders”, energetic and determined to enjoy life and take part in society.
But what should you actually do in retirement? If you search for ideas, it’s a gloomy mishmashed guidance on how to declutter your house, take up golf (for men) or floristry (for women). And then some even more depressing guidance on how not to fall into depression. It’s tailored around the idea that the end of your working life is the end of your usefulness and self-development.
All of this suggests we need a new template for living life. Too many people’s template is based on work and income – the defining features of the post-Industrial Revolution workplace – and that life is for money and survival. We need to put into practice the adage that you don’t live to work.
In this next phase, “work” – in its widest definition as the creation of value – is about satisfaction, creation, autonomy and contribution. It can be anything from child care, to being a company board member, to creating a tech start-up, a social enterprise or a social running group.
But what should one do when you hit this halcyon period of your life? It’s hard to find out. When we are young and starting work, there are endless opportunities to attend careers fairs or graduate fairs, where employers, charities, social enterprises, government bodies and so on will introduce people to ideas and opportunities.
An active older population that is financially and medically independent is important
If we can have career fairs, then why not retirement fairs? A place where organisations showcase how to craft a life that is not about assigning value or structure through work formats that govern traditional working lives.
Society needs the inputs and talent of older people. Experience, craft, wisdom, strategy, flexibility: a combination of excellence in hard skills as well as a lifetime of honed inter-personal skills. Many have learnt over time and have the experience to know what works and how markets and people behave.
It also helps society for people to be busy, which improves mental and physical health, allowing not just greater economic and societal contribution but also a lesser economic and medical burden.
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Many people do need to work for financial stability. And with birth rates dropping and fewer children for every elder to look after them, particularly in western nations, an active older population that is financially and medically independent is important.
This is therefore a benefit to governments seeking to harness valuable talent in changing labour markets.
Our ideas about growing “old” can prevent us from creating a change, and this is as much our collective idea of old age, as well as individuals’ own ideas about themselves. This issue can be exacerbated in certain cultures, where when you move up in age or social station, people see it as a time to be waited upon. Social norms are another amplifier; a sense that once you have outgrown your function (say, parenthood), there is no social function for you beyond that, so what does an older person do?
It’s uncomfortable watching people at a loose end when they approach retirement. But what’s even more baffling is the lack of imagination about a period of life that allows people to truly find self-fulfillment, as well as add exponential value to society, whether it is to their families, their communities, their societies or countries, or at the micro level of individual fulfillment.
Retirement comes from the French word “retirer”, which means to withdraw. But the only thing that needs to be withdrawn here are outdated ideas of retirement. Instead, we need to see this as a new phase of life, with new opportunities and the chance to shape a new way of living.
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
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Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Major honours
ARSENAL
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
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Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
