By Dhanusha Gokulan
When my friend Aparna asked me to take care of her pet labrador, Whisky, for a couple of months earlier this year, I made what my mom later called “a reckless decision”. Aparna used to live in Sharjah, in an apartment on King Faisal Street till her landlord said Whisky had to leave or the lease wouldn’t be renewed.
Continue reading What to do with your dog when pets aren’t allowed in the building
By Kelly Clarke
February 22. That’s the last time I saw my parents and brother in person. April 12 — my dad’s birthday — was the last time I saw them over Skype.
Continue reading It’s lonely and expensive for us expats without video chat
By Kelly Clarke
I am sure you read the news this week. That nursery; that advert and those two unfortunate words. To recap, here’s a quick rundown. While on the hunt for new staff across its nursery branches in the UAE, an education group saw it fit to post an ad that was dotted with discriminatory references. It had no qualms about specifying the exact type of candidate it was looking for.
Continue reading Discrimination goes beyond that one nursery, let’s get real
By Nivriti Butalia
George Orwell said, “Whatever is funny is subversive, every joke is ultimately a custard pie.”
There’s a lot that’s clever-funny about an exhibition in Abu Dhabi, and it’s not highbrow or inaccessible, if that’s your worry. It’s even free.
Continue reading It’s not boring or highbrow. Go see this exhibition just for fun
By Anita Iyer
Five years ago, trying to escape the noise at a shopping mall, 16-year-old Calvin ran towards a stranger and grabbed her hand. The stranger, caught unawares, shouted at the boy. Seeing the commotion, Calvin’s mother, Meena Noronha, rushed to explain to the shopper that her son was autistic but it didn’t help. Meena was asked, “How could you leave your child alone in a mall? Why haven’t you left him at home?”
Continue reading Can’t UAE stores go silent for an hour to help those who need it?
By Anita Iyer
As I turned on the mobile network one morning last week, my cellphone beeped continuously. My first thought was, “Is everything fine at home?” Unlocking it, I was relieved to see a flood of messages from people I don’t usually hear from, wishing me happy friendship day. A few messages had genuine warmth, enquiring what’s new in my life, but most were forwards.
Continue reading Need special skills to make friends in Dubai. Have them?
By Anjana Sankar
For the last couple of years, I have routinely bought big tubs of chocolate from an ice cream parlour near my house in Khalidiya. I love chocolate, so I never deviate from flavour, but of late, I have tweaked my buying pattern.
Continue reading Why I’ve decided to say no to those ice cream spoons
