Little masterchef
Nurture your child’s passion for the culinary arts with a set of cooking sessions headed by the Dubai-based chefs Hadrien Villedieu and Alexandre Szkaradkiewicz at the Top Chef Cooking Studio in Dubai.
The studio runs Mini Chef classes for children (7-12) where they are taught to bake and create simple desserts. The chefs may challenge the more advanced students to make some savoury dishes as well. A single session until September costs Dh180 for a one-and-a-half-hour class. Discounts are available for five or 10 classes booked together. Gifts vouchers can be purchased on www.topchefdubai.com. Classes are held on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 3.30pm to 5pm. Call 04 385 5781.
Read and learn
Broaden your kids’ understanding of Islam with the storybook 365 Days with the Prophet Muhammad (Goodword Kids New Delhi). The book has a colourful chronological account of the daily adventures and teachings of the Prophet Mohammed, supported with illustrated maps for context; Dh120. Available at bookshops across the UAE but hurry – stocks are fast depleting.
Snap this up
Selfies on Instagram and “I’m on a holiday” photographs – kids are already at it on their smartphones. What about channelling their photographic skills with a point-and-shoot? The Nikon Coolpix L29 has a 16.1 megapixel CCD sensor and a 5x optical zoom lens. Features include a smart portrait system, motion-blur reduction and HD video recording facility. The camera is priced at Dh249 and is available in black and silver at Grand Stores.
Game on
Fifa 14 for PS4, PS3 and Xbox consoles is what every kid has been eyeing for a while. Virgin Megastore lists it as the hottest game of the moment. The current version has an added Pure Shot feature, a ball-physics system that enhances the already highly realistic experience. Dh299 for PS4; Dh269 for PS3.
Musician in the making
The English rock 'n' roll legend Joe Brown once said the ukulele is a very forgiving instrument – anybody can learn to play a couple of tunes in a few hours. We take his word for it and suggest getting your kid started on this Hawaiian-inspired stringed instrument. A beginners' instrument created by the Belgian company Stagg can be purchased from the Brooklyn Melodies Music Centre in Dubai for Dh175; call 04 288 8951. The Rhythm Music Centre in Abu Dhabi offers 30 to 60-minute lessons from Dh80. Visit www.rhythmmusiccentre.ae or call 02 622 6206.
For the DIY kind
Berlin Boom Box, a mobile speaker for iPods and smartphones, is shaped like a 1980s boombox and has to be built from scratch. The DIY kit, created by the Berlin-based designer Axel Pfaender, comes with a sturdy cardboard case, knobs, amplifiers and speakers, making it a fun project to put together. Bonus: it is eco-friendly, too. Dh349 Visit www.wamli.com/shop/berlin-boombox-brown and www.berlinboombox.com.
Camelicious treats
Don't go the predictable route for treats. Shake it up a bit with some camel-milk chocolates this Eid. Camel milk is known to be abundant in vitamin C, iron and B vitamins, so you'll be looking out for their health at the same time. The chocolatier Al Nassma in The Dubai Mall sells chocolate bars, squares and camel shaped pieces. The whole-milk, moulded chocolate camels will prove a bigger hit with younger kids. Dh59 for 130gms; Dh169 for 730 gms. Call 04 223 9289 or visit www.al-nasma.com.
The write way
Set about improving their handwriting and calligraphy skills. Culture and Co, the French bookstore and arts-and-crafts shop in Dubai, has a calligraphy set for kids above the age of 8. A pen with five nibs and a bottle of ink are packed in a classic, natural-pine box. Dh85; call 04 357 3603 or order online from www.culturecodubai.net.
Their first tablet
This nifty little InnoTab 3s Wi-Fi Learning Tablet is a good way to introduce kids to technology. The mini computer can send and receive texts to and from smartphones, provide access to games, e-books, videos and music, offers kid-safe browsing and has a 180-degree rotating camera. Dh499 at Toys "R" Us UAE stores, or visit www.toysrusuae.com.
aahmed@thenational.ae
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
More on animal trafficking
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Eco Way
Started: December 2023
Founder: Ivan Kroshnyi
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Electric vehicles
Investors: Bootstrapped with undisclosed funding. Looking to raise funds from outside
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 2.5/5
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
