Work-from-home reality
Last week, Mr T and I were told we have acute sinusitis by a well-meaning doctor. Sinusitis, I learnt, is the medical term for feeling like your eyeballs are about to pop out of your head every time you dare to bend down or cough or chuckle.
I had become very tired of subjecting my colleagues at work to the honking and braying that occurred like clockwork every half-hour, every time I had to blow my nose. So a work-from-home day was the only solution. I set up an impromptu work station on the couch and marvelled that I could accomplish so much in my pyjamas. Why do all of us go to the office, again?
Close to noon, I heard a key in the lock. Apparently, my husband's colleagues also did not appreciate the sniffing and sniffling, and advised him to go get some bed rest before he infected the building. He, too, settled in front of his laptop. And we both agreed that a doctor's appointment was inevitable.
At 2:15pm, we headed to our appointments. By 3:30, we were on our way to the pharmacy for the necessary antibiotics. Then, at approximately 4pm on a sunny afternoon, Mr T developed a coughing fit while driving, and promptly crashed into an Egyptian gentleman's car.
What ensued was a perfect example of plans gone awry with an extreme dose of irony. Instead of working from home and getting the much-needed rest we required to get back on track, we spent the next three hours waiting for traffic police, making amends with the disgruntled driver, listening to the car-crash experiences of all the bystanders who swarmed the scene, wrestling with Mr T's ripped tire and failing to get it changed, idling and waiting for a tow truck to make an appearance, and roasting in the afternoon sun.
That day, my husband surprised me with how adamant he was that a car-accident site was no place for a lady. He begged and pleaded, then demanded and ordered that I find a taxi and head to the confines of our air-conditioned home, but I would have none of that. What, and miss out on documenting our afternoon adventure?
"Well, wait in the car then, just sit inside and stop telling everyone I crashed because I'm sick," he offered as a compromise.
Eventually, I realised he was right. It was conspicuous that not a single female was to be found among the swarms of men who were gathered around the area, gesticulating with their arms and describing to those who had just arrived exactly how the accident happened. Are women not as curious, then? Not as willing to stand outside in the heat and while away part of the afternoon with an unexpected event?
I settled in the car for our wait and went back to work, thanks to the marvels of a BlackBerry. Work-from-home, work-from-the-car: what's the difference? If I learnt anything that day, it was that rest is overrated and being in the office is safe and predictable. So what if I need to blow my nose a lot more these days? My workmates can handle it.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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.
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
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The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund