Some of those who have responded to your story, Online shopping in the UAE: Groceries at the click of a button (December 26), say it encourages people to be lazy.
It’s not laziness – it’s convenience. I have three children, I work and I run a charity. My husband is usually away so buying my groceries online saves me time.
I don’t think it encourages laziness but rather helps people save time.
Rashelle Leahy, Dubai
In the case of groceries, there are limitations to what can be done online.
I think that it involves more than price, because customers also look for the hygiene, quality and freshness of the food they’re buying. Can anyone know the expiry date of a bottle of jam they buy online?
Lijo Punnolil, Abu Dhabi
Ideally they should show an image of the front and back labels of each item so we can check the content, nutritional value, origin, expiry date etc.
I purchased a cosmetic item only to discover one of its ingredient aggravated my allergies.
Name withheld by request
Online shopping is good for the elderly but the rest of us should shop in person. It’s better for the community and for our health.
Name withheld by request
Is there a Blue Monday here?
Justin Thomas' column, With moderation, we can beat the gloom of Blue Monday (December 28), identifies January 19 as 2015's most depressing day, because of a combination of weather and post-Christmas financial strain.
Given how weather and holidays work in the UAE, Blue Monday for the rest of the world is probably the happiest day for us here.
Sohan Dsouza, Dubai
I think that people who live from one high to another, who are always looking forward to the weekend and disliking their work, who constantly shop for new clothes, going to parties and having the newest computer gadgets are artificially keeping themselves in an adrenalin-induced state of excitement.
And then when the party is over and the things they bought don’t look so good as they had in the shop window, people get jittery and their minds go into a negative spin – and the only way to get out of that is to once again buy something.
How we can stop that cycle? We can do it by changing our minds towards learning and art, by realising that only genuine things can make us happy, not attachments and possessions.
Christmas is a lovely time but has become a huge commercial nightmare for parents and families, who try to keep up with their children’s advertising-driven demands.
To learn how to live again and value the things that matter, we must stop wanting more.
Happiness is a state of mind, not the latest phone, Barbie doll or car.
Brigitte von Bulow, Abu Dhabi
It’s nothing to do with Christmas. In fact it’s the rest that’s the problem.
Get rid of scourges like war and hunger, and happiness will return.
Jen Bishop, Abu Dhabi
Fog is worsened by bad driving
I distinctly remember the Fog Tuesday incident recounted in your story, Motorists urged to stay safe amid potential fog and rain (December 25).
It was very foggy and because not all cars here have fog lights, people were driving with hazard lights on.
This, along with some drivers’ lack of sense about driving, contributed to this incident where cars just piled in on top of one another.
Carmen Neary, Dubai
Last week there was one driver weaving and occupying two lanes as she was busy with her mobile. And this was on the E11 going towards Abu Dhabi, with most cars going at 140kph.
What happened to the cameras and the police who are supposed to stop this kind of dangerous driving?
Mj Uy, Dubai
Liwa: ‘More rubbish than sand’
It was good to hear about the 98 tonnes of rubbish collected by volunteers as part of the Clean Up UAE campaign.
I recently spent two days in Liwa and enjoyed it very much but it was very sad to see waste everywhere: bottles, cans and plastic.
Even next to the Liwa Hotel, where it’s possible to have a fun with quad bikes rented from the hotel, there almost seemed to be more rubbish than sand.
The management of hotels and tourism companies should become more involved and find ways to clean the environment.
Olgun Deveci, Abu Dhabi
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
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Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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UAE SQUAD
Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
Company%20Profile
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Pakistan - Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Rumman Raees.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score)
Porto (0) v Liverpool (2), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
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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.