It wasn't an outstanding, warm-off-the-vine garden tomato that was responsible for converting me to a lover of this oft-loathed summertime staple. Rather, it was watching my mother reunite with her sisters around a bare table laid with nothing but a plate of tomatoes, a salt shaker and a serrated knife. I remembering thinking: this is love. Tomatoes are happiness. And once the women had scattered, I pulled up a chair.
What saved my childhood from the sturdy mandibles of inflexible eating was the myriad ways, beyond flavour and nourishment, in which eating affects the mind as an appetite stimulant. It started when food, which I have always loved reading about, began to move me through words and images. Paperback series in which icy cartons of milk were sipped through straws in noisy lunchrooms led to a judicious, apprehensive venture into milkland, armed with a glass, a box of UHT whole milk and a stimulating piece of literature. Though my heart pounded and I gagged throughout, the milk stayed down and, though it never became a favoured beverage, I never feared it again.
Much has been written on the topic of picky eating, and some children's books, including Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat, I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child, and the stalwart classic Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, made their ways into our family's rotating menu of night-time reading material. And The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten documents the writer's mostly successful self-appointed mission to overcome his many food dislikes.
Hugh Garvey, an editor at Bon Appétit magazine, documents his travails at www.gastrokid.com, a blog he created with a friend about his family adventures with feeding their kids. "At least they're eating gummy vitamins," wrote Garvey in 2006 when the blog was first launched, lamenting his son's sudden disdain for foods not brown, beige or cream-coloured.
Mayo Clinic staff provide an online list of suggestions to deal with picky eaters, and though formatted for parents, some of the sounder advice provided could be applied to any relationship where people find themselves breaking bread in the face of friction: a partnership with a picky eater; a loved one in recovery from an eating disorder; a challenging houseguest. I liked the suggestions to respect the eater's hunger "or lack thereof", the warning to not offer dessert as a reward, and the recommendation to "boycott the clean plate club? (which) may only ignite - or reinforce - a power struggle over food". But in an ironic twist, the advice to "set a good example" is positioned immediately before the suggestion to "be sneaky".
We were once a family of fussy eaters. Holiday meals were unadventurous, and I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been for my mother, a vegetarian with a preference for plain foods, to find something that would please all four children, including a condiment-phobe and a daughter who subsisted on little more than cheese. We were the product of a generation whose elders were still holding on to an insidious fear of fat, something we now know to be woefully complex and misunderstood. As a result, societal notions on the foundation of a healthful diet included such fallacies as: margarine beats butter, filet mignon is the only permissible cut of beef, and egg yolks are bad news.
Ellyn Satter, a child nutrition expert whose book Child of Mine: Feeding With Love and Good Sense is considered gospel to many parents of picky eaters, believes it's perfectly natural for a child to challenge new foods. Even when children are introduced to a plethora of choices, raising open-minded eaters is not guaranteed. It is difficult, friends tell me, to be an enthusiast of food and cooking, only to discover that your spawn have agendas all their own that have nothing at all do with exposure and everything to do with the fact that child-rearing isn't an exact science. Moreover, a recent University College London study has determined 78 per cent of neophobic (fear of the unfamiliar) tendencies to be genetic; something to be considered the next time you want to blame fate after your child kicks up a fuss over your first attempts at getting her to fall in love with gazpacho.
One of my best friends, a vegetarian since birth, was in her mid-thirties and working in Uganda when she travelled to a tiny village, where a goat was slaughtered in her honour. Far from a phone or an airport, she watched a platter of steaming rice and rare, still-bloody goat's meat be carried in her direction, and wondered what to do. She ended up eating as much as she could manage, then quickly finding a quiet place to purge. For years, I felt certain that my life and travel experiences had converted me from a picky eater into an open and easy one. What I didn't know at the time was that I had grown too discerning and judicious to ever be able to relinquish full control of what I eat. And this is especially true in a foreign place, as food can be among the fastest and most pleasurable access to an unfamiliar culture.
As with my friend in Uganda, I had been inspired by folk tales premised on the value that it's more virtuous to break a spiritual vow than to insult one's host. And then it happened that during the dead of winter, I was a guest in a remote part of Poland, and found myself having a difficult time finding something to eat. In Poland, my last-ditch resource was a two-kilo globe of Gouda in red wax, intended as a gift for my hosts. From that moment onwards, the cheese became known as "Le Grand Fromage" that saved my life. I broke into it with a Swiss army knife after a meagre dinner each night, and rationed it for the remainder of the week.
There is a widely held perception that US Midwesterners gravitate towards the conservative. Predominantly of German, Scandinavian, Polish and Dutch ancestry, their diets are no exception, and the Midwest is the heartland of meat and potatoes - with a side of corn, and maybe a salad of iceberg lettuce. Conversely, the Spanish, French Cajuns and Italian descendants of New Mexico, Louisiana, and New York are known for celebrating and maintaining a serious passion in and around the kitchen and have far more varied diets that incorporate everything from offal to heavy seasoning.
Where do Emiratis fall on the spectrum? Overall, we're much more similar to Mediterraneans than other Europeans when it comes to expectations, predictability and general squeamishness in the food department. And with the exception of the ubiquitous combination of green peppers and seasoned ground beef that seems to be the national pizza topping, Emiratis are fairly open to new tastes and concepts. What will hopefully follow is a raising of standards that shields against new outcrops of mediocrity in the form of bad takeout, lame and costly "fine dining", and overproduced chain restaurants from abroad.
Company%20Profile
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia
When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start
Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1
Tickets: Admission is free
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
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
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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
SPECS
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TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Company%20Profile
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20profile
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Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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.”