Grab some street food at this week’s Eid Caravan festival. Held in Al Quoz, the seven-day festival features three food trucks along with a pop-up coffee concept, market stalls with handmade items, live music, a kids’ area and more.
The food truck Casa Latina has organised the event, which kicked off today, to mark their official grand opening. The Venezuelan chefs behind the truck will be on site all week dishing up Latino food. They’ll also host free cookery classes throughout the festival. Among the truck’s signature dishes is the arepa — a gluten-free corn cake that can be filled with cheese, shredded beef, cheese and beef or chicken and avocado (the chicken and avocado is my favourite). On the side, try the addictive tequenos — crispy Venezuelan cheese sticks.
The festival also features two other food trucks — Toasted and Yumtingz. Toasted serves up gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches with inspired fillings. Try The Mexican, a spicy and flavour-packed toastie with beef pepperoni, jalapeños, onion, tomato, cheddar and mozzarella cheese. We also tried a tasty peri peri chicken wrap from Yumtingz, a truck known for its signature burgers (including a camel burger).
Held inside a two-level warehouse (with air conditioning), the festival boasts plenty of seating. There’s also a pop-up coffee concept from Spill the Beanz. Upstairs, there’s a handful of market stalls selling homemade Latin American-inspired gifts, jewellery and clothing. There’s even some imported Latin American packaged snacks and sweets for sale.
The festival runs today through September 17 from 11am to 11pm. Entry to the festival is free. It's in Warehouse 4 in Al Quoz, Dubai, next to LED World warehouse. For more, visit www.facebook.com/CasaLatinaFoodtruck
sjohnson@thenational.ae
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.
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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.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
