Author: Sushmita Bose (Sushmita Bose)

Dance, for Ancy, has been the road to normalising her life — as an expat in a country that has actually done away with the ‘tag’ of disability and replaced it with the rousing sobriquet of ‘People of Determination’

Other than its chicory piquancy, the great thing about drinking filter coffee (also called ‘kaapi’ in south India, where three states — Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu — produce coffee beans) is its unpretentiousness

“It is always a delight to meet His Highness. His vision for Dubai’s growth is clearly visible to the entire world," the Indian Prime Minister wrote on X

“I have brought the message from your 140 crore brothers and sisters; and the message is that India is proud of you, you are the pride of our country, Bharat is proud of you… the vibrancy of our diaspora never ceases to amaze me”
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to the Indian diaspora at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi

For Indians, who comprise close to 38 per cent of the total population of the UAE, this is affirmation of the highest order, a dream meticulously crafted into a sandstone reality by the ruling dispensation of the country, led by HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE

Unlike the US or the UK, Dubai is close to home, so quick and impromptu trips are eminently feasible. And the burgeoning — and upwardly mobile — real estate market is throwing up opportunities for sound returns on investment.

Cochin Harbour in Karama has established itself as the go-to destination for anyone looking for authentic food from Kerala. His Rasam is also making waves on the other side of the bustling metropolis