In Eyes Wide Open – An Afghan Journey, the Italian photographer Pia Torelli exhibits images of Kabul she took on a trip in October under the sponsorship of the Fatima bint Mohammed Initiative. From 8.30am to 6pm, Saturdays to Thursdays (closed Fridays), Alliance Française, Oud Metha, Street 18, Dubai, 04 335 8712, www.afdubai.org
CATCH a performance of Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil and enjoy dance, music and theatrics. This show takes place in a fantastical realm that celebrates Jackson’s inspirations with electrifying energy and through fairy tales, magic and the fragile beauty of nature. From today to January 14, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, www.ticketmaster.ae
LEARN more about your characteristics, personality traits, health and fate from the ancient art and science of face reading. For a limited time, as part of the Visiting Masters series, the face-reading expert Eric Standop will be available for individual consultations starting this week. Dh750 for an 80-minute consultation, Talise Spa, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 04 366 6818, www.jumeirah.com/mjtalisewellness
ATTEND the Ikea Ladies Coffee Morning, where women can get together for some warm beverages and inspiring ideas from Ikea experts in a relaxed ambience. This month learn about dressing the bed. 10am, Ikea, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, 02 493 5888
BOOK now to celebrate New Year’s Eve at the Mexican-themed The Party Tonite. DJ Aakrisht from Mumbai will play Indi Pop, Bangra Pop, hip-hop, Bollywood and disco all night long. The dress code is black jacket formal and a separate kids’ area will include free baby sitting. December 31, from 9.30pm, from Dh550 per person inclusive of a lavish buffet with live stations, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, 04 337 3724, www.timeouttickets.com
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Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
START-UPS IN BATCH 4 OF SANABIL 500'S ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME
Saudi Arabia
Joy: Delivers car services with affordable prices
Karaz: Helps diabetics with gamification, IoT and real-time data
Medicarri: Medical marketplace that connects clinics with suppliers
Mod5r: Makes automated and recurring investments to grow wealth
Stuck: Live, on-demand language support to boost writing
Walzay: Helps in recruitment while reducing hiring time
UAE
Eighty6: Marketplace for restaurant and supplier procurements
FarmUnboxed: Helps digitise international food supply chain
NutriCal: Helps F&B businesses and governments with nutritional analysis
Wellxai: Provides insurance that enables and rewards user habits
Egypt
Amwal: A Shariah-compliant crowd-lending platform
Deben: Helps CFOs manage cash efficiently
Egab: Connects media outlets to journalists in hard-to-reach areas for exclusives
Neqabty: Digitises financial and medical services of labour unions
Oman
Monak: Provides financial inclusion and life services to migrants
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.5L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh129,999 (VX Luxury); from Dh149,999 (VX Black Gold)
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
