I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but in my 32 years, I have never had a hobby.
That’s not to say I don’t have interests, or things that I do regularly, I have plenty of those. I drag myself to the gym a couple times a week, or when the weather allows, take myself out for early morning runs. But I see those less as hobbies and more as necessary evils.
But recently, I think I may have discovered something that counts as an actual hobby. As in something that I do once, sometimes twice a week, and actually look forward to – padel tennis.
It feels as though the UAE has been taken over by padel tennis fever in the past few years, with more and more clubs popping up, and every other person I know posting pictures online from their Saturday morning games. Ever one to follow the crowd, I thought I’d give it a go.
It was a resolution I added to my list at the turn of the new year, and one I promptly forgot about, alongside keeping my inbox clear.
But then in March, about the same time my inbox had amassed an ungodly number of undealt-with emails, I was invited to play my first game of padel. And something miraculous happened, I actually went.
Now, I am by no means sporty. I have, at best, mediocre hand-eye co-ordination, which drops to well below average when I forget to put in my contact lenses. But during that first hit about, I was not as terrible as I thought I might be. And thanks to a patient and helpful padel partner, in just one hour, I even saw improvements.
As soon as we were done, I found myself asking when we could play again. A question that took me one step closer to turning this pastime into a hobby. Something I had not experienced after my half-hearted attempts at wake surfing, roller skating or netball.
Week in, week out, I have found myself not only returning to the court, but actually looking forward to it. I’ve tried enough courts around Dubai that I now have my favourites (Redline for outdoors, Oxygen for indoors and Matcha, if I’m feeling fancy) and have even managed to rope a number of friends into trying it too.
But the best part about it is seeing myself improving week on week. As I have already pointed out, I have always put myself firmly in the “not sporty” category, and that self-given label has, on reflection, perhaps held me back from giving certain activities a decent shot. Trying new things as an adult can be intimidating, especially when you feel as though you are coming at it as a complete beginner. But everyone has to start somewhere and as cheesy as it sounds, it really is never too late.
Seeing how quickly I have improved, and how great I feel at watching myself do so, has made me question that “not sporty” label I’ve been carrying all these years. Am I really not sporty, or had I just not found my sport? And while I highly doubt I will be playing competitively any time soon, after 32 years I think I can firmly say that I, Sophie Prideaux, have found a hobby.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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LEADERBOARD
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
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Investors: Safe City Group
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
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Range: 400km
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