I went paragliding off a cliff against the backdrop of a beautiful setting sun last night and then rode a horse through the mountains, chatted to the villagers and solved a few puzzles. All in all, time well spent.
And no, I wasn't breaking the movement restrictions in place across areas of the UAE during the coronavirus pandemic. This was the virtual world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Switch.
The handheld console has become one of the must-have items during the period of lockdown for many in nations around the world.
But getting hold of one hasn't been straightforward as demand has outstripped supply for the device, which can also connect to a television and provide hours of multiplayer fun when played with other family members within a household, or online with friends (and strangers).
The Switch even sold out in its home country Japan, leading to an apology from Nintendo.
Is the Switch available to buy in the UAE, then?
Yes, you currently can get hold of one, but will need to shop around to find the best deal and will find that many places are out of stock for particular bundles, or don't have any stock at all.
Nintendo provides two main options for gamers to choose from – the full-size Switch which connects to the TV and can also be used as a handheld device, and the Lite version, which is just handheld and is cheaper.
Here's a rundown of what you can buy at UAE retailers online:
Carrefour: Out of stock.
Lulu: Lite Pokemon Edition (Dh1,199), Lite standalone console (no games included) in turquoise (Dh1,099).
Jumbo: Lite standalone console in turquoise (Dh1,049).
Virgin Megastore: Switch + Neon Joy Con + The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild + Xenon Racer + Starter Kit (Dh1,899). Also various bundles of the Switch Lite (Dh1,199)
Sharaf DG: Lite in various colours + Fifa 20 (Dh1,198).
Toys R Us: Switch + Grey Joy Con + Smash Bros (Dh1,839). Various Lite bundles are available with a game (Dh1,198) and also without a game (Dh1,005).
Emax: Although the website showed a bundle at Dh,1,699, they were said to be out of stock on enquiry.
Geekay Games: Switch + Sonic Mania + Pokemon Mystery Dungeon or Super Mario Odyssey or Mario Kart 8 + carry case (Dh1,899). Standalone Switch also available with grey or neon joy cons (Dh1,699), and Lite (Dh999).
Amazon.ae: Switch standalone grey (Dh1,990), Switch Animal Crossing Edition (Dh2,584.93)
Noon: Switch standalone blue and red or grey (Dh1,729). Lite in pink colour (Dh1,199). Delivery in two days.
Online shoppers in the Emirates have had to become accustomed to lengthy delivery times due to the high volume of orders being placed.
While it can be a good idea to call the retailer to check on their stock ahead of ordering, many call centres are only taking calls related to certain or vital requests, and as such not all of the above prices and availability quoted could be verified.
However, Geekay Games confirmed it had plenty of stock and said the Switch has been "extremely popular".
It added that the delivery time was 3-5 days for Dubai and Sharjah and 5-6 days for Abu Dhabi.
What about the Animal Crossing phenomenon...
Indeed, this new game is considered to be part of the reason why the Switch has sold so well, and sold out, in recent weeks.
Amid the stress of the pandemic, people have been keen to find ways to relax and Animal Crossing: New Horizons is seen as the ideal solution.
Released on March 20, the fifth game in the Animal Crossing series is a real-time life simulation that allows players to live on a deserted island with all sorts of cute animals, and can join up to eight friends in the game online.
There's no masks, no economic meltdown, just a slice of the good life and the chance to get away from it all.
What else is worth adding to the shopping list?
There's no shortage of decent Switch games as the console has been around for a few years now.
Super Mario fans will want to head straight for Super Mario Odyssey, an open-world platform game full of typical moments of Nintendo magic. Then there's the latest version of the classic racer Mario Kart, and Super Mario Maker 2 for those who need to stretch their creative instincts.
Pokemon enthusiasts will likely find themselves enthralled by Let's Go Eevee and Let's Go Pikachu, while the critics regard The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as Nintendo's greatest achievement.
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12 video games to watch out for in 2020
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
