Every parent has had that sinking feeling. The class WhatsApp chat lights up, with mums and dads discussing what they’re going to dress their little ones up as, and you suddenly realise you’ve missed an all-important email from the school.
In celebration of World Book Day on Thursday, schools across the UAE will encourage children to bring in their favourite books, participate in book swaps and dress up as their favourite characters.
Whether you were busy with work or didn’t get round to reading the email, fear not — here are seven quick and easy costumes to prepare.
Tintin
Costume basics: Brown trousers, white shirt and blue jumper
Who is Tintin? Tintin is the creation of Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who used the pen name Herge. He is a young news reporter who investigates stories and solves crimes along with his trusty sidekick, his dog Snowy.
The star of 14 books, Tintin is a celebrated literary character and Herge’s stories are an ideal way to transition children from picture books to older fiction thanks to their comic strip style.
Elevate the look: Add Tintin's brown shoes and white socks, into which he tucks his trousers. He also carries a brown satchel and is rarely found without his camera, which can be made from a small box and plastic cup. A stuffed white dog teddy will work as Snowy. Oh, and don't forget the hairspray for his famous quiff.
Wednesday Addams
Costume basics: Black dress, black tights, black shoes and hair in plaits
Who is Wednesday Addams? With the success of the recent Netflix show Wednesday, you’d be forgiven for thinking she’s a TV and film character. However, there are plenty of Wednesday Addams books, too.
The youngest daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams, Wednesday is smart, observant and excellent at problem-solving, making her a great inspiration for young readers.
Elevate the look: Wednesday’s dress traditionally has a pointed white collar, which you can make from material or even paper.
Billionaire Boy
Costume basics: Jeans, white T-shirt, sunglasses, baseball cap and jewellery
Who is Billionaire Boy? Billionaire Boy, aka Joe Spud, is the creation of British comic actor and author, David Walliams.
The 12-year-old lives in a large country house with his rich father and has everything he could ever want in life, except a friend.
When he leaves his posh school to join a local comprehensive, he makes friends with Bob and the pair learn a lesson in friendship and loyalty.
Elevate the look: The cover of Walliams’s book depicts a boy throwing money in the air. Print out some fake bank notes, use Monopoly money or even draw your own and pin them to the T-shirt and jeans.
Paddington Bear
Costume basics: Blue coat, red hat, red boots and a suitcase
Who is Paddington Bear? Named after the London train station where the Brown family find him, Paddington is the creation of British author Michael Bond.
Paddington first appeared in 1958 and has remained an enduring and wholesome family favourite character since, with more than 20 books published and a handful of films released.
Elevate the look: Paddington has a tag attached to his coat which reads: “Please look after this bear, thank you." Make your own oversized tag and swap “this bear” for your little one’s name. Add a marmalade sandwich for lunch.
Where’s Wally?
Costume basics: Red and white striped jumper and matching hat, blue trousers
Who is Wally? Created by the British illustrator Martin Handford, Where’s Wally? (Where’s Waldo? In the United States and Canada) has sold more than 73 million copies and been translated into 26 languages since the first book was published in 1987.
Children, and parents, can hone their observation skills by finding the character in an array of different crowds.
Elevate the look: Wally wears round glasses. If you don’t have any costume ones, draw them onto your child’s face with an eyeliner pencil.
Rapunzel
Costume basics: Princess-style dress, lots of hair
Who is Rapunzel? While the tale of the princess locked up in the tower is almost as old as storytelling itself, the fairytale was first put down on paper in Friedrich Schultz's Kleine Romane in 1790.
It was the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, whose Children's and Household Tales, published in 1812 made the tale world famous. Characterised by her very long hair, Rapunzel was locked in a tower by an evil sorceress.
Elevate the look: Many parents have a princess outfit in the dress-up box, which can be adapted to portray Cinderella, Tiana, Belle and more. For Rapunzel, buy some balls of yarn and create a super-long ponytail out of wool.
Thing 1 and Thing 2
Costume basics: Red long-sleeve top and trousers, blue hair
Who are Thing 1 and Thing 2? The naughty, chaos-loving twins sprang from the imagination of American children’s author and cartoonist Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr Seuss.
First appearing in The Cat in the Hat, where they ran riot in Conrad and Sally’s house, they are characterised by the names on their tummies — Thing 1 and Thing 2 — making it an ideal costume idea for twins or siblings.
Elevate the look: The tummy logos are easy to add by pining white paper onto a T-shirt. If you can’t get a light blue wig, spray a white one.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Honeymoonish
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $49,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner RB Frynchh Dude, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.05pm Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner El Patriota, Vagner Leal, Antonio Cintra
7.40pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,000m
Winner Ya Hayati, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Althiqa, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Soft Whisper, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Bedouin’s Story, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Teams
India (playing XI): Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
South Africa (squad): Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rudi Second
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
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.
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
Tell Me Who I Am
Director: Ed Perkins
Stars: Alex and Marcus Lewis
Four stars
The years Ramadan fell in May
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
