Describe your financial journey so far.
When I look back I think there have been a few roller coaster moments but I have been lucky there’s been nothing drastic. I come from a poor family and learnt very early on to look for joys that did not involve money.
Are you a spender or saver?
I’m slightly more of a saver than I am a spender. I save when I can and spend when I can, but try not to get too stressed about it. I am a mother of five so there are things that I have to spend on whether I like it or not, and things I have to save for whether I like it or not.
What is your philosophy towards money?
Spending less keeps me a little grounded to what I think really matters most. I love expensive shoes and being able to travel, but I don’t need 50 pairs of shoes. I also think living more frugally as a parent teaches children there are joys in life even without much money. This generation and certainly in this part of the world, there’s a lot more affluence and that’s a challenge as a parent – how to keep those values. Money solves a lot of short-term problems but doesn’t deal with the big stuff. I had a serious health diagnosis a few years ago, and the last thing I thought about was my bank balance. The only thing that was on my mind was the people I loved. We spend so much time worrying about how much stuff we have or don’t have and so much energy chasing that stuff, yet when all is said and done, and you are faced with your own mortality – money is the last thing you think about.
Have you made any financial mistakes along the way?
When you start your career you spend too much, you don’t value the amount of work it took to earn that living. Money appears to buy choice and freedom. The lesson I learnt, however, as in what really makes me happy, was worth the price I had to pay for it. Those lessons remain with me today. The bigger villa, the newer car, the outfit I just had to have – didn’t change me or necessarily make me any happier. That happiness came from within.
If you won Dh1 million, what would you do with it?
I want to say I’d buy an island, boat or never work a day in my life. But I like people around me, so the island idea is out of the question. I can’t imagine not getting up every day and not liking what I love. Getting Dh1m would cause more stress for me than the happiness I’d be perceived to be getting from it.
What has been your biggest financial lesson?
When life throws you a curveball or something out of the blue that you are not prepared for, no amount of money for example can deal with cancer, or world hunger. That was my biggest lesson as I was growing up – how to live without striving to get that money because it won’t fix anything. I learnt that lesson quite young, in my 20s. You can plan for today and save for tomorrow, but even the best laid plans can go out the window in a heartbeat.
What do you enjoy spending money on?
I like spending money on things I can’t hold in my hand, but certainly hold in my heart. My real joy is spending money on experiences, travelling to new places, eating wonderful food, and seeing my children happy. If you saw where I live, I don’t have a seven-bedroom villa. We have nice things, we are comfortable, but not that type of big affluence.
halsayegh@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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RESULTS
Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)
Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke
Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)
Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke
Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)
Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO
Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision
Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke
Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke
Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO
Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision
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Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5