China's borders have been virtually closed off for the past two years. Now, in a way, it's opening on a massive scale for the Winter Olympics. To pull this off in the middle of a pandemic, China is holding the Games in a fortress.
The journey into that strict bubble was like stepping into another world. The first thing I saw when I walked off the airplane was a sea of hazmat suits. It felt as if I had entered a giant medical facility, rather than an Olympic host city. Workers in white, full body protective gear, goggles, and masks directed passengers through the airport.
Beijing Capital International Airport, once among the busiest in the world, looked largely deserted. Olympic posters and "Welcome to Beijing" signs lined empty hallways. We were then led straight to a makeshift testing site, consisting of dozens of cubicles. After getting tested for Covid-19 – with a painful nasal and throat swab – I passed through immigration and customs.
But underneath the goggles and masks, I could still see excitement in some of the workers' eyes. As I waited for my bags, a crowd of workers in hazmat suits asked if they could take a selfie with me. They, too, wanted to remember this unique Olympic moment.
Since the pandemic started, I've been through five quarantines in Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Each government has a different approach to tackling Covid-19. But the bottom line is, traveling during Covid-19, especially in Asia, is exhausting and nerve-wracking. Even compared to my previous trips, this one required, by far, the most meticulous planning and preparation.
Two weeks before the Games, I was required to start tracking my health in an Olympic app every day. I self-isolated during that time to avoid infection.
By the time I departed for Beijing, I was fully vaccinated, had tested negative for Covid-19 twice, and had stocked my suitcase with face masks and snacks to eat if I failed a test and was forced to isolate alone for the entire Winter Games.
I boarded a special plane to Beijing just to transport Olympic participants. As the plane descended and the sky gradually turned into the dusty brown smog of Beijing's pollution, I longed to be able to travel throughout the city. I had lived in Beijing before moving to Tokyo 18 months ago and hadn't been back since. But this time, I won't be able to see relatives and friends, or visit my favourite restaurants.
Underneath the goggles and masks, I could still see excitement in some of the workers' eyes
I took a special bus straight to a designated Olympic hotel surrounded by temporary walls. As I waited in my room for the results of the airport Covid-19 test, waves of anxiety hit me. What if my test came back positive? Or what if it came back negative, but I was somehow infected during travel and I'd get a positive result during the mandatory daily test in a few days?
After all the painstaking preparations, I just wanted to be able to do my job and not spend my assignment in isolation. Thankfully, after an anxious six hour wait, my results came back negative. I will, however, need to be tested every day.
But the scenarios I was mulling in my head pale in comparison to the angst Olympic athletes experienced in the lead up to this Games. Several athletes told me they were self-isolating for a month before the Games, paranoid that a positive test result could derail the moment they've worked their entire careers for.
During my entire stay, I'm strictly confined to what Olympic organisers are calling the "closed loop" – a system of multiple bubbles – including venues, conference centres, and hotels – connected by dedicated transport.
The local staff for the Games are also part of the closed loop. In fact, they will have to quarantine for as long as 21 days before they can leave the Olympic "bubbles" and return to their homes elsewhere in China. This is no small sacrifice, especially since they've already missed the chance to spend Lunar New Year, the most important holiday in China, with their families.
On Lunar New Year day, I spoke to a local staffer for the Olympics near the media centre. She was standing by the fence inside the closed loop. Her husband and two young sons were metres away, separated by another fence, outside the closed loop. It was the closest they could get to each other to usher in the Year of the Tiger. Her two sons waved from afar, telling their mother how much they loved and missed her.
The woman told me this was the longest she'd ever spent apart from her children. She had worked in the 2008 Summer Olympics as well. Back then, she said it was like a big party. This time, she says everything leading up to the Games has just been tough.
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Mohammed Al Attas
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
