The pandemic made the last 18 months a grim time for most of the world, with many people forced to work from home due to social distancing rules.
However, not everyone could find remote work to pay the bills.
Dubai musician Janis Bukowski, like countless other performers across the world, was left with no source of income.
“It was a pretty bleak time. It’s a dream job to be a musician but you realise you’re pretty expendable,” said Ms Bukowski, 34, a bassist from California, who also works as a DJ at entertainment venues across the emirate.
It’s not like musicians can make money on computers at home like others can. We need to be able to perform in front of people
Janis Bukowski,
musician
“You’re the very first one that’s going to go when they are making cuts.
“A restaurant can’t do without waiters or chefs, but it can do without a DJ.”
She said working in the music industry was an amazing job but people did not always appreciate how fragile it could be in terms of security.
“I know a lot of people who just gave up and quit music and took up jobs in sectors such as real estate,” she said.
“It’s not like musicians can make money on computers at home like others can. We need to be able to perform in front of people.”
Keeping the faith and not throwing in the towel paid off though. Ms Bukowski is now part of a 50-strong all-female orchestra that has been thrilling audiences at Expo 2020 Dubai.
“I have been in Dubai since 2013 and people were always talking about Expo so much,” she said.
“Then of course it got delayed by a year, which obviously didn’t help. I almost forgot about the audition I did for the orchestra in February last year.
“When things started opening up again I got a call to see if I would be available to come in for another interview and I got selected.”
She said the feel-good factor the Expo has created since opening at the start of October is the perfect contrast to the dark days of Covid-19 lockdowns.
Performing on the stage during the open-night ceremony of Expo was the highlight of a career that already included playing with Andrea Bocelli at the Du Arena in Abu Dhabi, said Ms Bukowski.
“It was incredible to be part of it. What people don’t realise is how much work went into that night,” she said.
“It was like the opening ceremony of the Olympics and so much went into it behind the scenes in terms of preparation.
“I am not just talking about the orchestra – there were acrobats, rollerskaters and people holding flags, it was like nothing I had seen.”
As a member of the all-female Firdaus Orchestra, Ms Bukowski has performed for audiences since the beginning of the world's fair.
The orchestra has performed a range of contemporary and classical music at the event, as well as original pieces from acclaimed Indian composer A R Rahman.
The group also wowed audiences by playing the theme music from Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey to mark space week at the world’s fair.
Becoming a musician came naturally to Ms Bukowski, having grown up in a home where the use of instruments was encouraged.
“I feel people are drawn to the instrument that matches their personality,” she said.
“I could have played any number of instruments but once I saw the double bass I was immediately attracted to it.
‘It feel like this was my instrument that I was going to play. It’s never occurred to me to be anything other than a musician.”
In terms of musical influences, Ms Bukowski said she listens to a wide range of genres but has one distinct favourite.
“I listen to everything from hip-hop, funk, Motown to reggae but my favourite is classical music,” she said.
“The best for me though is Beethoven. I listen to his music when I am driving in the car.”
A R Rahman's Firdaus Orchestra performance at Dubai Expo - in pictures
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
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Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
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3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
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The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
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8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Uefa Champions League play-off
First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
