Born and raised in Dubai to parents from Mumbai, India, 28-year-old Abhay Potdar clearly has the desert in his blood, having worked as a professional dune basher to the delight of hundreds of shrieking tourists. Abhay's passion for driving began when he worked as an Arabian Adventures safari guide for two years. He jumped at the opportunity to try out for the position and enrolled in a week's training, where only some of the drivers had the skill to pass the test.
"I was quite nervous on the first day and completed the drive OK, but then I got lost on the way out of the desert," he recalls. "Thankfully we had a landmark - yes, a landmark in the desert. We followed the blinking light on the telephone tower and kept the fence to our right and, thankfully, got back onto the main road."
Claiming he has never had a bad experience while off-roading, Abhay does recollect a very near miss. "There was one incident when a car was stuck in front of me on a blind spot and, when I swerved to avoid it, we fell into a deep sand pocket and another car stopped only inches from my car," he says.
Like many non-Emiratis brought up in the UAE, the now exhibition sales manager has a heartfelt appreciation for the country, with his main interests being taking long drives, camping and off-roading. Of course, Abhay has also picked up another great UAE passion - for cars - and, in particular, the 1980 Camaro Z28 he bought last month.
"I've always had a thing for retro American muscle cars and I'd been looking around for one for several months when I stumbled across the Camaro - I was stunned at first sight. The previous owner asked me to come and meet him at a location near Sharjah Airport to see the car. I had been hanging around there for 20 minutes when the car drove into the parking lot and I couldn't believe that a car older than me was so well maintained," he explains enthusiastically.
Having found his dream car with a relatively low 200,000km on the clock, Abhay has been driving it sparingly, clocking only a few hundred kilometres since buying it as he uses his Mitsubishi Pajero as his daily driver. "The Camaro has really made an impression on my work colleagues, as every Thursday they look forward to getting a look at the car since this is the only day I drive it to work," he says proudly.
And Abhay enjoys the attention the classic Camaro receives from friends and strangers. "When my friends first saw it they wouldn't believe I had actually bought this car, with some hanging around the car for a good hour, admiring it inside and out. People are always taking pictures of the car on the street, which is funny as I remember in my younger days doing exactly the same thing," he says.
The first day Abhay showed his new car to friends in Karama, some Emiratis began asking him how much he would sell it for. "I was like - hang on guys, I just bought it," he laughs.
"Since buying the Camaro, I'm now looking forward to parades and meets to discuss more about cars from the generation. Last Friday was my first parade with Jebel Ali Cool Car Klub (JACCK) and it was a great experience to be among other car enthusiasts," he adds.
When not showing off his Camaro, Abhay still arranges regular trips to the desert to spend quality time with his friends and partake in outdoor activities.
"Having worked as a desert safari guide I really developed a close relationship with the desert and regularly take the initiative to arrange off-road trips with my friends," he says.
Abhay's first car was a Chevrolet Cavalier, followed by a manual 1995 Honda Accord, then a 2008 Altima, so the enthusiasm for the Camaro and desire to protect it is understandable. "I haven't taken it out of Dubai yet and try to avoid gravel roads and speed bumps as much as possible. The fastest I've driven it so far is 160kph - but I'm sure it can do much better," he says.
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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 Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
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