United we stand

Living in the UAE has taught me - and most of us, I am guessing - the true meaning of unity in diversity. So many different nationalities, communities, lifestyles, all spread out across the seven emirates that comprise this country. Tomorrow is National Day; 46 years ago, in 1971, the union of six emirates (followed soon by the seventh) resulted in the creation of a power house. The United Arab Emirates. You must have been following the coverage of the build-up to 2 December all over the media, so we, at WKND, decided to look into the cultural evolution through the voices of a handful of Emiratis. Plus, there's also Kitchen Classics to give you platefuls of treats that use khameer, the local Arabic bread that's such a foodie staple in the UAE. Maybe you can whip up a few recipes tomorrow!
I - a huge fan of the television series The Mentalist - met a real-life mentalist. It wasn't till I watched the series that I got to know what "mentalism" meant; nothing to do with being mental, everything to do with being a mind reader. If you have astute powers of observation, and have delved into human psychology, you could be intuitive to the point of second guessing. And freak everyone out with your alleged "psychic" abilities. It's a hoot being a mentalist, I tell you, so when Nicolai Friedrich, one of the best-known mentalists in the world, showed up in Dubai, I caught up with him to get some real-life complements to my reel-life insights. Find out what goes on inside the mind of a mentalist!
Being fit is all the rage and we are always on the lookout for tips and tricks to be on track to wellbeing. Imagine nuggets of wisdom being dished out by dishy Bollywood stars. Hooked already? Our Bollywood column is a "fit" one, I can assure you, check it out. Is going the way of the raw diet all that it's trumped up to be? Fit & Fab gives you the palatable truth. Are you on a bus journey to predictability - or have to hopped off the 'tried and tested' route to explore 'alternate' realities? Confused. Last Word clears the air. Travel takes you to Portugal - to the accompaniment of soulful fado music.
All this and much more.
Enjoy reading WKND and have a great weekend.