Jasmine Pereira is a health, safety and environment consultant who works in Dubai and lives in Sharjah with her family. After completing a degree in environmental health management, the 23-year-old Indian national – who blogs about food in her spare time – chose to pursue this as a career to help to increase environmental awareness.
6.45am
I rise and shine early to beat the Sharjah rush hour traffic and to reach my office in Tecom on time for work. The drive takes an hour and half with the exception of when the schools are off during the summer and winter breaks – during those times there is a massive drop in traffic and I get to spend an extra hour in bed. I have my music on in my trusty car to keep me company until I reach the office and try to find a parking space.
8.30am
The workday begins with a cup of green tea and a read of my emails. If time permits, I also have a cheeky read of the morning newspaper to keep up to date with news in the UAE – my home away from home for 23 years – as well as the international headlines before work activities kick in.
9pm
As a health, safety and environment consultant my job entails visiting various project sites that are under construction and preparing environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports and/or risk assessment (reports). These assessments are then submitted to the governing authority of the relevant emirate. For example, in Dubai submission would be to either Dubai Municipality or EHS-Trakhees for approval.
The projects vary each time and can be both local and international, which means I have the opportunity to travel quite often. Each month I also get to visit neighbouring Emirates. Part of my job involves conducting measurements at the project site, such as air and noise monitoring, which are then included in the reports.
12.30pm
For lunch I usually have something homemade and healthy in the office pantry, or I order something from one of the neighbouring restaurants. Whatever it is, I make sure it’s wholesome to keep me cracking until the end of the day. Lunch at the office is usually half an hour or extended to an hour if I’m out and about. I use this as a time to relax; I enjoy the silence and keep active on social media.
1.30pm
Site visits continue. When I visit a project, I have to dress up in personal protective equipment such as safety boots, eye goggles, a safety vest and a hard hat, depending on the site.
I recently had the opportunity to visit Kurdistan as part of my job and I experienced the generosity shown by the Kurds while there. This is a trip I would have never considered making on my own accord but I was able to due to work, and I arrived back in Dubai with many pleasant memories.
6pm
Usually when I clock out for the day an eventful night awaits, as my passion for food blogging (www.peartreediaries.com) sees me working after hours at restaurants and café openings, as well as interviewing Michelin star and celebrity chefs, and taking cooking classes. This means I'm out after work nearly every week, depending on the amount of invites I have. Attending these events also means that the rush hour traffic decreases dramatically by the time I'm finished, so I can enjoy a smooth drive home once I'm finished. On nights that lack events, I brace myself for the rush-hour traffic back to Sharjah; the journey home usually takes about two hours.
8pm
Once home, I relax for a bit and catch up with my family. I then ensure I’m keeping active and healthy with a home workout schedule. Dinner is more often than not ready. When it’s not, however, I prepare something myself, dine with the family and catch up on TV shows.
10pm
When I have a foodie event, my evenings end at around 10pm and I have a late night drive back to Sharjah, which takes less than an hour depending on where the event venue was. I reach home, unwind, relax and prepare necessities for the next day such as lunch. I always hit the hay by 11pm and hope that there’s less traffic on the roads the next morning.
business@thenational.ae
