The novelty of falling snow wore off every time I contemplated the barren trees in a nearby park. I couldn’t wait for verdant green to take hold again. Reuters
The novelty of falling snow wore off every time I contemplated the barren trees in a nearby park. I couldn’t wait for verdant green to take hold again. Reuters
The novelty of falling snow wore off every time I contemplated the barren trees in a nearby park. I couldn’t wait for verdant green to take hold again. Reuters
I had already quit my pack-a-day habit about five or six times by that point, and I even once managed to relapse after three months without a cigarette. Then the first snowstorm happened, and the next, and getting out on the balcony for a smoke became an immense ordeal – the bulky parka, the wind chill, the frostbite, the coldness of a breath that burns your lungs.
It was entirely too much trouble, too undignified to bring the cigarette up to my mouth with a shaking hand just to get the little nicotine infusion out in the cold.
We are now in the midst of our second winter in Canada. My wife and I arrived here in the autumn of 2018 but this year we have a nine-month-old little Arab-Canadian who was born in the interim and who has made the winters a little bit warmer.
If you arrive in Canada outside the five-month window from November to March, you will hear plenty of stories about winter, often in hushed tones accentuated by worried frowns from fellow immigrants. Their advice often boils down to finding ways to not be in town during the peak cold of January and February. Canadians are often apologetic about the whole thing.
A soldier from the 4th Artillery Regiment based at CFB Gagetown clears snow at a residence in St John's, Newfoundland. AP Photo
Everyone I knew seemed to have a story about their first injury from slipping on the ice, or the pain after rushing home and trying to warm their freezing hands by running hot water all over them (never do that), or waiting for half an hour in piercing cold for a bus that never arrives.
It was quite depressing, that first cold snap. Autumn quickly turned into winter as though wanting to just hurry up and get it over with. We had not yet made friends or explored the city, and getting used to being indoors felt suffocating after years in the Middle East. Our last stop had been Istanbul, where we were a 10-minute walk from a commuter ferry that sails over the glittering waters of the Bosphorus, while taking in the magnificent view of the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace.
Winter here felt like a prison by contrast. You could go out if you dressed up in enough layers but it was not particularly appetising to wade through the slush and penguin-walk over the ice on your way to an indoor space. The novelty of falling snow wore off every time I had to lug out heavy winter boots or my phone’s battery died in the chill, or when I contemplated the barren trees in a nearby park. I could not wait for the snow to melt, for the verdant green to take hold again.
We are now in the midst of our second winter in Canada, my wife and I having arrived here in the autumn of 2018. AP Photo
But what I realised this year was this – what I had really missed was the warmth of family and friendship. As a new immigrant, everything is just a little colder, a little more bittersweet. Often when I was walking in downtown Montreal, or catching a ride on a crowded subway and saw two star-crossed lovers or a multi-generational family exchanging soft-spoken words I wondered to myself – did they have to give up another life to be here? Was it all worth it in the end, to raise a child so far from all that we know?
This year, our little one is nine months old, and everything is softer, bathed in inner warmth. The falling snow blanketing the streets twinkles a bright white instead of a sludgy gray. The breeze is refreshing, rather than frigid, the cold seeping through a chance for a tighter hug.
The cynicism and pessimism melt away when we are both pressed up against the window, watching the fresh snowfall, the lights flickering on and off in the windows across the street. It still takes a long time to get everybody ready to go out for a walk. Us, him, the stroller lining, the poncho that keeps him warm, the cover that shields him from the freezing rain. But it is all worth the look of wonder in his eyes as he takes it all in.
I wonder how different his childhood will be from mine. Will he like ice hockey and skating or play football like I did? Will he want to throw snowballs around or settle in my lap with a blanket as I read him a story?
For now, it does not matter. It does not feel like it is below zero when I step outside.
Kareem Shaheen is a former Middle East correspondent based in Canada
Manchester United 1 (Van de Beek 80') Crystal Palace 3 (Townsend 7', Zaha pen 74' & 85')
Man of the match Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood. Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues. Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity. Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
