Going to an Australian showcase at international events is often a disconcerting experience.
As a citizen of Down Under for a little under 30 years, this is something I've noticed goes against the grain of the Australian character.
We are not really big on self-celebration, patting ourselves on the back or standing out.
LIVE BLOG: Updates and live coverage from Expo 2020 Dubai
It is a belief that was crystallised by a friend, a notable Aussie cultural figure in the UAE, upon leaving the Australia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai this week.
“Well, is that it?” she said, with a grin.
This was more a colloquialism than a flippant mark.
We are a great host nation (from two Olympic Games to several Hollywood films including The Matrix) but never comfortable with taking centre stage.
My mate’s remark is so accurate.
A country under construction
The tech and eco-savvy pavilion, located at the Mobility District, does a fine job of capturing a country under construction.
It is one being built on the back of a startlingly multicultural population and based on the blue-print laid by the country’s diverse indigenous population thousands of years before European settlers arrived at the turn of the 19th century.
It is also a reminder that, despite its growing pains, Australia provided many of us with a generous platform to be the best we can be.
The fact it stands beside the Malaysian pavilion and an international constellation of others, from Croatia and France to Thailand, is sentimentally apt.
From Abu Dhabi to Australia
Four decades ago, I was born in Abu Dhabi, as part of the city's small Eritrean community. At that time, a lot of us took opportunities to resettle abroad for education and citizenship.
A few of my childhood friends left the UAE in their late teens for Kuala Lumpur to get university degrees. I went to Australia when I was much younger.
It's a cosmopolitan country, especially in Melbourne, where I first arrived as a nine-year-old. It gave me my first insight into European and Asian cultures, through world-leading arts and culture festivals often organised by migrants from those communities.
It is an aspect digitised in the first of three sections of the pavilion: a neon-lit corridor with visual installations of migrants, young and old, describing their arrival in Australia.
It's a moving exhibition, for it reminds me of the story of a spirited African woman arriving in Australia in 1990 as a single parent with three children. Her name is Zahra Baho, my mother, and she told her story at an exhibition at Melbourne’s Immigration Museum in 2017.
Under the guidance of stars
The pavilion's centrepiece is the Star Dreaming Gallery, essentially a planetarium illustrating how Australia's indigenous communities were among the world's first astronomers.
Through the observance of their surroundings, they made accurate measurements of stars, galaxies and the changing of the seasons.
As someone who has also lived in the UAE on and off for half of my life, this felt familiar.
After all, this is a region where outer space is looked upon for guidance.
Ramadan is announced through the spotting of the crescent moon, while in late August we receive the welcome news by the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences that winter is coming with the arrival of the Suhail star, long mentioned in Arab poetry and Bedouin parables, in UAE skies.
A nod to the future
More synergy is found in the pavilion’s final showcase, Annika's Journey, a multimedia exhibition following a young girl as she takes us through Australia's various efforts to build a sustainable future by looking after its environment.
Some of the featured conservation initiatives, from the Great Barrier Reef to the mountainous terrain of Katherine Gorge in the interior region of the Northern Territory, echo some of the work done by authorities in the UAE, from Al Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Centre in Sharjah to Abu Dhabi's Jubail Mangrove Park.
The mention of Australia's ongoing efforts to build the world’s largest radio telescope in the country's west also complements the UAE's recent success with the Mars Mission.
That Aussie feeling
While the heady subjects covered are inspiring, I discover that true feeling of “Oz” in the lovely outdoor courtyard area.
Built from Tasmanian cross-laminated timber, the sandy brown structure resembles a mini version of Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne.
Those vibes are further channelled by the city's key attractions: the excellent coffee served in the Melbourne Lane coffee truck, and hip food options such as the sausage bao (Vietnamese sausage buns) from the Local Cafe.
“No, this is it!” I tell my friend, as we toast our lattes.
From my bench, I see people of various cultures and religions chatting away while a musician on stage performs a bluesy guitar solo.
This feels like Australia as much as the UAE.
Both feel like home.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
if you go
More from UAE Human Development Report:
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
MAIN CARD
Bantamweight 56.4kg
Abrorbek Madiminbekov v Mehdi El Jamari
Super heavyweight 94 kg
Adnan Mohammad v Mohammed Ajaraam
Lightweight 60kg
Zakaria Eljamari v Faridoon Alik Zai
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Mahmood Amin v Taha Marrouni
Light welterweight 64.5kg
Siyovush Gulmamadov v Nouredine Samir
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Ilyass Habibali v Haroun Baka
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
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.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'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.”
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
Under-21 European Championship Final
Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')
Tour de France
When: July 7-29
UAE Team Emirates:
Dan Martin, Alexander Kristoff, Darwin Atapuma, Marco Marcato, Kristijan Durasek, Oliviero Troia, Roberto Ferrari and Rory Sutherland
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Series result
1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
