In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews delve into the significance of Ramadan for Muslims worldwide, exploring its spiritual and communal aspects.
Enas shares her personal experience of fasting this year, and talks about Ramadan and the TV season in the Arab region, with a focus on popular soap operas and how people gather around it. Farah discusses the transformation of the UAE during the holy month, from adjusted working hours and cannon firing to late-night activities and suhoors.
The hosts talk about the Oscars earlier this week, and how some celebrities have shown their support for a ceasefire in Gaza by wearing Artists4Ceasefire pins. Farah chats about major highlights from the ceremony, from the winners to fashion statements.
Enas and Farah also talk about the fallout from Kate, Princess of Wales's Mother's Day photo with her children, which was published this week, and why international agencies took it down.
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.