Halloween stresses me out. Not because of all the little ghosts and goblins on the streets, but because every year I have to reveal one of my biggest secrets: I am not good at making things.
When I was younger, living in the cultural melting pot that is Bahrain, I had some seriously creative friends, who put their all into making the perfect costume – and they’d do this over the course of a few weeks. They've looked incredible over the years, as a lizard, candyfloss, a Gesserit from Dune, a handmaid, Chucky inside his box, even a Babybel.
Then there’d be me – either with two holes cut out of a white sheet (no joke) or dressed in normal attire, looking like the Halloween equivalent of Scrooge, who doesn’t want to play along.
But I did want to play along! I just wasn’t organised enough to start thinking of something so far in advance, and I certainly wasn’t crafty enough to make whatever I might have been thinking of, anyway.
As with most of my personal failings, I blame my mother (sorry, mum), who wasn’t very artsy, either. She’d be the one cutting the holes in the sheet for me.
Now that I have two children, living in another cultural melting pot, Dubai, Halloween is thrice as stressful. Especially because my eldest absolutely loves it. One of her favourite activities throughout the year is dressing up, so throw in a witch’s hat and a bag full of sweets (something else I’m not keen on) and you have one overly excited three-year-old.
Thankfully, I have my mother-in-law around, who is far more adept at crafts than I am, having raised three goblins of her own.
I know what you’re thinking – why don’t you just go to the shop and buy an outfit? Well, now that my child is old enough to know what’s going on – kind of – I’ll probably have to. I’m not happy about it, though, since they’re truly extortionate and these kids are only realistically going to wear it once.
And let’s not forget, it’s not just the costumes, is it? It’s the decorations, too. For some reason, imagining a house-front that features spider webs and carved pumpkins just doesn’t come naturally to me.
I’m not as bad at Christmas decorations, perhaps because I do the same thing I’ve always done my entire life. Growing up with British parents, Halloween wasn’t much of a thing. My mother-in-law is American, though, and we’ve all seen how much the US loves All Hallows' Eve, so I admittedly rely heavily on her for the decorating too (you would not consider me a Halloween-hater if you came to my front door right now).
All of this stress doesn’t actually put me off Halloween. I might seem like a Scrooge in my regular clothes, but I do enjoy a jump-scare here and there. I’m a big horror-film fan, so scary-movie marathons are right up my (darkened) alley at this time of year.
And seeing all the little kids in their costumes around the neighbourhood is very cute. Getting up from my comfy couch a hundred times throughout the evening to answer the doorbell and hand out chocolate to them? Not so much.
Alright, maybe I am a Scrooge.
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Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
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Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances