It is the best way to approach another culture. The problem we're facing at the moment with globalisation is that English has become such a universal language, people believe that's all they need to communicate all over the world. If you speak their original language, people will see that you are interested and that you share something. Linked to an understanding of culture is literature, and if you want to know the literature of a country you have to learn the language.
One of the good things about working in a university is that even as you get older, the people around you stay the same age. We all lose a little bit of idealism as we age and we tend to let reality become a little too strong. One of the great parts of the job is that I am still surrounded by people who believe in certain ideals, be it humanity or freedom; people who are ready to go on humanitarian missions and for whom the word freedom really has a meaning.
Cherish your identity. I am a German who grew up in France, so on the one hand I really consider myself a European, but on the other I have German nationality and am very happy to have it. We have had a difficult past and a lot of people in Germany have problems with their national identity. But for me, wherever I went, the German identity was a part of me.
Music has something to do with the language of a higher world. When you go to the opera, it talks to your heart and soul and deals with essential, existential subjects. In my pre-concert talks, I am always trying to highlight that it is your own life that is up there on the stage.
As told to Helena Frith Powell
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.
Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
Two-and-a-half out of five stars
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.