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Book by young South Korean girl covers travels of Italy and UAE
Bored? What do you do to find a way out of it? You could go on a travel, draw something or make yourself a quick snack. Or you could write a book and publish it with elements around all of the forementioned, as 11-year-old Grace Joo-eun Choi has done.
Grace has published her first book The Way Out Of Boredom, and she made an appearance as a mini-celebrity in her own right at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival at the emirate’s Expo Centre. The 14th edition of the SCRF concluded on Sunday after more than 1,700 events with 68 prominent authors, writers and literary figures as guests, a Cookery Corner with 12 chefs from nine countries, plenty of entertainment, engaging skills workshops, fun and games.
Not only has Grace written the book, she has even drawn the comic characters and illustrations that serve the graphic elements on the 40-page square size book. She started writing the book during the pandemic days when her father’s work took them to Italy as a South Korean diplomat.
“It is about our travels to the country’s various iconic places which we visited, seen through the character The Fluff ball,” says Grace on the sidelines of the SCRF at the stand of her book publisher, Austin Macauley. Written in poetry fashion with rhyming lines wherever possible character, Grace traces her travels through Fluff across 10 cities in 10 days in the book.
Grace Choi’s book about her UAE experiences is to be published towards the end of the year. Supplied
“I never thought much about my travels. In fact, I used to get bored at times. But when Covid-19 happened, you realised the importance of going out. So now I want others to experience the realisation I had through this book.”
The next natural question and answer to it is prompt – the focus of Part 2 of The Way Out Of Boredom is the UAE, because her father Choi Young-joon has been posted as the Deputy Consul General in Dubai. And her best place in the country is? “This is not an answer on the expected lines, but I like the malls here the most, especially the Dubai Mall. I love skating and it amazes me to see a skating rink that big at the Dubai Mall,” she said.
The skating may be off the beaten track, but the writing, drawing and a passion for cooking is genetics. Grace’s mother is an author herself, who has written two books around art and cooking in the Korean language.
Grace displays remarkable poise as an experienced writer would, though her female lead in the book is named The Fluff. The naming process was also a bit random, the Harry Potter fan recalls. “For both my books, I have taken inspiration by characters from my digital drawing gallery. Still, me and my brother took help from a random generator to short-list three characters. I went with The Fluff.”
Grace’s favourite hero is Spiderman. The Marvel follower acknowledges she gets help as a writer from the friendly neighbourhood, but starting with her home. “There is no method when I write. Whenever I get an idea, I pen it down. Then usually my first draft is ready within six months. My mother helps me with the design process and the final revisions before my work is commissioned to a publisher.”
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Travellers arriving at Dubai International Airport are being greeted with a unique souvenir, a special stamp on their passports celebrating the Dubai World Cup 2026.
The initiative, launched by the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), marks the 30th edition (Pearl Jubilee) of one of the world’s most prestigious horse racing events.
A grand sporting celebration
The iconic Dubai World Cup will take place on Saturday, March 28 at Meydan Racecourse, drawing global attention from racing fans and elite stables.
This year’s event promises high-stakes action:
- 100 horses from top international stables
- Nine races across the evening
- Total prize pool of $30.5 million
Spotlight on the main race
The highlight of the night is the $12 million Dubai World Cup race, sponsored by Emirates Airline.
Run over 2,000 metres on dirt, the Group 1 race will feature some of the world’s top thoroughbreds, including:
- “Hit Show” – last year’s winner
- “Forever Young” – UAE Derby and Saudi Cup champion
- “Imperial Emperor”
- “Meidan” – Super Saturday winner
A memorable arrival experience
The commemorative passport stamp adds a celebratory touch for visitors landing in Dubai, tying their arrival to one of the city’s biggest sporting spectacles.
With excitement building ahead of race day, Dubai is once again showcasing its ability to blend world-class sport with unique visitor experiences.
Pakistan Board postpones SSC exams in UAE, among other Gulf countries
Dubai airport welcomes travellers with special Dubai World Cup passport stamp
