Growing up in tune with the times



Car journeys with Astrid used to be dreadful. The first glimpse of her car seat sparked bouts of wailing and flailing, which peaked and troughed and finally crescendoed just before we arrived at our destination. She is much better now. In fact, she likes sitting in her car seat. The cause of this dramatic change is simple: Astrid was given a CD of nursery rhymes and songs for Christmas.   The 24 tracks run the gamut of Casio keyboard preset rhythms. Bossa nova, mambo, samba, reggae: the accompaniment is varied, but the bad singing remains the same. Some of the lyrics are appalling. A ballad called Koala is particularly bad. "Koala, koala, you cute little bear/What do you think/When you're awake in your dreams?" You get the idea.

At least Astrid is happy. Like a city commuter with an iPod, she has found that music helps to create a self-contained and more agreeable world. The warbling from car speakers helps her to mark out her territory. It demarcates a space she is happy in. In particularly flustered moments while driving, I turn the music off to help me to concentrate, but I find myself turning it back on pretty quickly. As bad as it is, the music is preferable to Astrid's caterwauling. At least the CD player has a volume control.

Fortunately, amid the Latin rock, shuffle rock and rock waltz, there is room for the cradle to rock. From Rock-a-bye Baby to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, many of the nursery rhymes we are singing along to date back centuries. They have been passed down orally from generation to generation and will probably continue to be sung for many years to come. Knowing that successive generations of parents have put up with these songs makes them somehow more bearable, even in the strangled, synth-laden versions we are listening to.

As well as the CD in the car, Astrid has just started going to Kindermusik. These music classes involve singing and dancing with children of the same age. Undoubtably they are good fun, even if they are run with military precision. The company's website extols the "power of Kindermusik", detailing the ways in which experiences with music are good for a child's development. It goes through how "early, positive, age-appropriate experiences with music" can help with literacy, maths and social and emotional development.

Certainly, the classes are good for coordination. Being awoken by Astrid banging on the lid of the laundry basket as if it were a drum a few days after her first class is proof enough of that. But all this talk of other benefits seems to miss the point somehow. Music needs no such excuses. It does not need to justify itself with merits outside of itself. Music exists for music's sake. It is joyous, spontaneous and uninhibited. It does not need to be defended as a short cut to understanding algebra.

From my experience with Astrid, we are, it seems, born with an understanding of the power of music. We seem innately able to grasp what the writer Ralph Ellison described as music's magic with mood and memory. We understand music as a whole, with playing and listening not yet riven apart by formal training. While music classes are no doubt good for children in all sorts of ways, this kind of raw appreciation of music is something worth standing up for.

Astrid has developed an attachment to a purse. She carries it with her everywhere. In her push chair and in the car, she clings to it like a life raft. She puts it on the front of her walker and totters around the flat with it. I'm certain she would take it to bed with her if we allowed her to. Of all the objects for her to fasten herself to, a purse somehow strikes me as strange. I'm not sure what item would be less odd: a fluffy toy or a blanket, perhaps, something with a soft and comforting texture. The purse is shiny and smooth and pleasingly weighty, but it is not downy soft or velvety. It does not have any of the expected characteristics of an object that a baby would grow attached to.

Astrid has, I would venture, picked up on the purse's aura of importance. She has glimsped its role in day-to-day transactions, which as yet she does not understand. She has noticed the key part it plays in so many encounters. Money has grabbed her attention before she knows what it is.

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm

Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: L/100km

Price: Dh306,495

On sale: now

Anxiety and work stress major factors

Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.

A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.

Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.

One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.

It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."

Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.

“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi. 

“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."

Daniel Bardsley

Company profile

Date started: December 24, 2018

Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer

Based: Dubai Media City

Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)

Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech

Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year

Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020

Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: Macan Turbo

Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October

The biog

Born: High Wycombe, England

Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels

Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.

Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.

Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.

Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021

Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.

Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.

Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.

Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.

Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.

Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.

Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”

Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI. 

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.