Apart from doing science and maintenance work on the International Space Station, Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has also been busy conducting live video calls with UAE residents.
Dr Al Neyadi, 41, held his first live video call with the public on Tuesday at the Dubai Opera, an event that was attended by 1,900 students, police officers and residents.
Dressed in a blue astronaut jumpsuit, he took questions about how life has been so far since arriving at the orbiting laboratory about three weeks ago.
One of the pupils asked him what his biggest challenge has been.
“The space environment is very difficult but we are getting more familiar day after day,” Dr Al Neyadi said.
“I can be upside down, but I won't have that feeling.”
Microgravity conditions on the ISS causes astronauts to lose a sense of direction.
On Earth, for example, 'down' is the direction gravity pulls us to and 'up' is the opposite direction.
Keeping full in space
Dr Al Neyadi has also been trying different foods on the space station.
“Luckily, we have big variety of food. We have cargo vehicles that arrive to the station that bring our food,” Dr Al Neyadi said, while answering a pupil's question about what he has been eating.
“For example, this morning I had scrambled eggs which comes in a dehydrated packet, so all we need to do is to fill it with water hot water.”
He said he has also been eating sweets.
Dr Al Neyadi's full menu at the space station has not been revealed yet, but he does have Emirati cuisines with him.
Getting some shut-eye
Another pupil asked the astronaut how he sleeps if there is a lack of gravity.
Dr Al Neyadi said that he only needs some kind of restraining band that keeps him from floating away.
“We don't really need a pillow,” he said.
Astronauts restrain their body in a small sleeping compartment or sleeping bag to stay in one place.
Astronauts in the past have also complained about a lot of background white noise on the ISS, including the sound of air-conditioning fans and machinery, so many use ear plugs.
Exercising to keep bones healthy
Dr Al Neyadi said he exercises daily for two hours, which is mandatory for astronauts.
“We tend to lose body mass because we don't have gravity here,” he said.
“That's why we have to train two hours every day on a treadmill, a cycle or a weightlifting device.”
Astronauts cannot feel weight in space, so they have to create resistance when lifting weights, for example, using a vacuum cylinder that simulates weight.
On Tuesday, Dr Al Neyadi also sent his greetings to all mothers.
"On Mother's Day, I send greetings to all mothers. Greetings to those who stood beside us at every step, and supported us at every stage," he said on Twitter
"All my love to the mothers of the world wherever they are. From Space, Happy Mother's Day. Thank you for upholding the most important job on the planet."
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The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
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Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
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ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
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Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
Teams in the EHL
White Bears, Al Ain Theebs, Dubai Mighty Camels, Abu Dhabi Storms, Abu Dhabi Scorpions and Vipers
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)
Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
Nantes v Guingamp (10pm)
Rennes v Lille (10pm)
Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
Troyes v Lyon (7pm)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
