This is how a holiday with my husband typically begins: I wake up at whatever ungodly hour before my flight is due to take off; breathe a sigh of relief upon the sight of my neatly packed suitcases; visualise exactly where my passport and other documents are placed; debate how much time it’ll take me to get ready; remind myself to not forget the toiletries bag; and promptly hit the snooze button.
“Where are the passports?” comes a sleepy, albeit insistent, voice from the wrong side of the bed. Oh, good, the aviophobe is up.
"They're in the passport holder. You watched me put them there last night, remember?" I mumble back, adding for good measure: "And the currency is in there, too."
It takes my iPhone alarm nine minutes to sound its dulcet tones; it takes my husband – who has been snoozing for 54 minutes by this point – about 90 seconds. "And the tickets?" It's almost a plea.
I count to 10 and repeat the words I have been uttering for the past few years. "We don't need a copy of the tickets; they're on our phones, and we've already checked in and got our boarding passes. Remember?"
That last rejoinder comes out shriller than I'd like, but I know that soon I will be confronted with queries about hotel confirmation printouts and whether the currency and our passports are actually with us – that last one twice, once in the house and once in the cab.
The majority of the ride to the airport is normally spent in stony silence; it's the calm that follows the "when should we leave" storm.
In the end, nobody wins. We leave earlier than I – and my hair – would like, but much later than my husband hoped.
I'm talking more than three hours here: a full 30 minutes to get to the airport – lest we get caught in the 4am traffic jam – and 180 more to do what we could have in 90. Or less.
If you're planning a trip this summer with a travel companion who is nitpicky and/or neurotic, here are some tactics I've developed over the years that might help.
Get them to pack
Get a nervous traveller to stow away the things they are most stressed about themselves. That way, they'll know exactly where the passports and other documents are. Equally, put them in charge of the boarding passes at the airport.
Like Lisa See wrote in her novel Dreams of Joy: "Seeing something once is better than hearing about it a hundred times. Doing something once is better than seeing it a hundred times."
Play to your strengths
If you’re a quick dresser, a skilled packer, or don’t get frustrated with a sedate cab driver, take control of these situations to save your partner some bother.
Think of it this way: you’re more likely to patiently repeat your words or recheck the paperwork you’ve carefully arranged beforehand, if you’re not drying your hair at the last minute.
Defuse the situation
Panic and sarcasm are a volatile mix, and a nervous traveller is best handled with kid gloves.
If you're about to leave and have discovered that the toiletries bag has been left on the dresser after all, point out that it won't take one of you much longer to retrieve it than it will take the other to load the boot.
This is not strictly true, but it's a solution to a problem that's not all that pressing, given the number of idle airport hours awaiting you.
I find that having a laugh, playing music and waxing eloquent about the beach/spa/sites you're headed to also change the energy field for the positive.
Stage an intervention
Finally, if all else fails, talk to your travel companion well in advance about some of the habits that most annoy you, and how to avoid them on D-Day.
Also be receptive to any feedback they might dish out in return. For instance, for all of his travel tics, my husband is infuriatingly chill about packing and unpacking – a mindset I can’t credit myself with yet.
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Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
