The past few years have felt like a blur.
A lot of this is because of the pandemic beginning in 2020. Then in 2021 we had to adjust to life with it. And now in 2022, it feels as though we are finally starting to move on from it.
It seems natural to wonder what we should expect in the new year, although it’s obviously hard to predict. That is the thing about new years and the new beginnings they help to usher in — we can never be sure of what to expect.
I found 2022 to be a difficult year despite so much optimism for it at the start.
I began and ended the year in similar places: a friend’s January wedding in Dubai and another friend’s wedding in New York in late November. Both occasions were filled with moments of love, happiness and friendship. Just a simple reminder of how beautiful life can be.
But in spite of that, I also experienced some personal disappointments and heartache, feeling quite lost and even sad at times.
Not every day was bad, but some days just felt worse, to the point I started worrying about my declining mental health. One particularly tear-filled day led to friends surprising me with flowers and a special handwritten note. The message was that it was “time to start seeing how you can live for yourself”.
This felt like a much-needed wake-up call. After admitting to myself that I didn’t feel OK, the next step was finally doing something about it. It took a bit of soul searching to realise that if I wanted to feel better about things, I was the only one who could do it for myself.
I’ve been spending the past few weeks trying to better get to know who I am — learning about what I like, discovering new hobbies and even getting back into old ones.
I've been going to the gym more, which is something I discovered I loved when I first moved to Abu Dhabi in 2014 but had been doing much less of. I've also got back into helping with animal rescue, something that fills up my heart.
On the other hand, I still can't eat out by myself at a restaurant because of the awkwardness I feel (but maybe one day). I'm also hoping to be OK to go to the cinema alone if there's something I really want to see.
Sometimes it has been lonely and uncomfortable but other times it feels liberating to do what I want, when I want. It hasn’t been an easy journey, but things that are worthwhile never seem to be.
I've also been trying to make more plans with friends and to be more sociable as well because it feels easy to forget some days how much love there is in friendship. Even if you feel lonely, it doesn't mean that you are alone.
People tend to follow the “new year, new me” mindset, but I don't think we should have to wait for another year to find growth and change, especially if we’re unhappy or feeling lost or even stuck.
As we’ve learnt from the past few years, nothing is guaranteed and we can never know what the coming year will bring us. While I’ll always have hope for the new year, I don’t cling to the idea that we need it to make our lives better when we can do that at any point when we’re ready.
Whether it's the first day of 2023 or a Sunday afternoon in October, it's never too early or late to show up for yourself.
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club race card
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
6pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed; Dh180,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh100,000; 2,400m
SCORES IN BRIEF
Lahore Qalandars 186 for 4 in 19.4 overs
(Sohail 100,Phil Salt 37 not out, Bilal Irshad 30, Josh Poysden 2-26)
bt Yorkshire Vikings 184 for 5 in 20 overs
(Jonathan Tattersall 36, Harry Brook 37, Gary Ballance 33, Adam Lyth 32, Shaheen Afridi 2-36).
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
How Beautiful this world is!
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Match info
Manchester United 1
Fred (18')
Wolves 1
Moutinho (53')
