Learn what you need to know about business, media, startups & local entrepreneurs in UAE, personal relationships, & societal trends with discussions & advice.
On landing at Gatwick Airport last year, I was appalled at how there were a very few people to help me drag my luggage around; for heaven’s sake, Dubai had cushioned me in its tender embrace, teaching me not to lift a finger anywhere I went. A few humbling hours of dragging my suitcase to …
Suitcase full to the brim. Boxes packed, taped and shipped off. Closets empty and shelves bare. The room looked so empty and somehow seemed smaller; maybe because my luggage was lying in the centre and was covering the floor. The next person who comes to make this room their home for four years will…
We pay thousands to ensure that our children are enrolled in the ‘best’ educational institutions, receiving instructions from a faculty that is knowledgeable and skilled to teach children. We expect the school to nurture our children’s ability to communicate, help them understand and deal with compl…
You’ve bathed in the sun, frolicked on beaches, gone snorkelling and spent all your time without a to-do list or the urgency of a deadline. Blue skies, rainbows and butterflies. Waking up without the shrill sound of an alarm, rolling in your warm sheets as your eyes open in the morning, your f…
Scrolling through my Twitter timeline, I was on a quest to find something stimulating amidst a pool of rants and cries [the usual stuff that people post on twitter]. As I desperately tried to end my boredom, my eyes froze at a hashtag. “#WomenAgainstFeminism” beside a raging tweet about how women ar…
Why do you need to have a Masters/PhD? Your future husband will provide for you. No man would want a woman who has studied/is more successful than him! Studying too much won’t help you take care of a house. Don’t shout! It’s not ladylike. If you’re a woman, you’ve probably heard these phrases or a …
It is the place where great ideas are born. The hall of introspection, the abode of ‘eureka’; yep, I’m talking about the bathroom/washroom/loo. It is so much more than just a place to clean oneself up. I honestly believe it should be given a special place in the record books for the number of brilli…
Imagine a man shooting bullets in the dark. It’s pitch black – the man can’t see who might be around him. The room is clearly packed with people, judging by the noise. Yet, the man continues shooting. A scenario like that is unlikely but not uncommon – we hurt people in crowded rooms every other …
Imagine walking into a room full of college students and asking for a show of hands from those who don’t drink or smoke. Chances are you won’t see a lot of them in the air. Certain practices go hand in hand with university – and smoking and drinking seem to be in the top three. …
It’s finally summa summa summa time as your good friend and mine, DJ Jazzy Jeff, would say. You know what that means! No, I’m not talking about lemon water in mason jars, lazy days by the pool or mornings spent on the beach. I’m talking about the ridiculous amount of money we spend. Picture this …
Have you ever had a lover or friend that you could trust with your life? Someone you cherished, looked up to and loved? You couldn’t have imagined how chaotic your life would be without them. Then suddenly, they left. They walked away. They wronged you. Cheated on you. This may not have been recent,…
A fine Sunday morning, three students walked past three identical white lilies in a luscious garden. The Science student plucked the petals of the lily to understand it better… for research. The Commerce student plucked the lily to sell it at the local farmer’s market… for profit. The Arts student l…
Many new expats to the U.A.E presume that the moment they begin working here, they will have to learn to be fluent in Arabic and will struggle with communication in the office. An Emirati neighbour of mine got me thinking when he spoke to me in Hindi during an elevator ride. Living in the U.A.E, …
In a world that’s gone a bit too trigger-happy with the label maker in hand, we tend to stick big yellow tags on everything. I like to read and spend time alone. I also love performing in front of large audiences and talking until someone tells me to shut up. Where does that leave me? …
![Social alienation is a sharp tactic in the toolkit of domination [although, here it is the extension of female subordination]. Photo by Hans Van Den Berg/ flickr.com](https://b-change.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1sTnAkZgJEx1Yb6fctMyVuA-780x460.jpeg)
