WHAT LIES AHEAD

It’s the end of the year, which typically means a star burst of sparkle and shimmer across the world, and no-one (well, not that many people) giving you funny looks for wearing a sequinned Christmas tree headband. My resolution is not to continue wearing said headband (because it’s actually a little tight), but to walk around as if I have it on my head nonetheless – trying to carry a little festive sparkle as far into 2018 as I can. Wearing a mental sequinned headband gives you license to see things through elf-coloured lenses, and I’m hoping, it will sprinkle stardust on the mundane parts of life, like someone at the supermarket that refuses to pack their own bags, or being forced to give your email address in order to buy popcorn at the movies (yes, it’s now a thing). Instead of saying ‘breathe’ or screaming ‘serenity now!’, it’s ‘activate imaginary festivewear’ – a mindfulness movement that will take off just like colouring books, I’m sure.

Someone who sprinkles stardust into her everyday with ease is Shelley von Strunckel (follow her on Twitter @vonStrunckel for lovely sunsets, sunrises and city views) – but then again, she is Friday’s resident astrologer. While many of us look somewhat into our year ahead, she’s spent this month looking deep into the next 12 months – for all of us. In an annual tradition, she reveals what lies in store for all star signs. See her predictions on page 41, and watch out for those eclipses!

Back to the here and now, and something Friday’s Anand Raj OK recommends we all try to promptly tick off our to-do list is a visit to the recently

Instead of saying ‘breathe’ or screaming ‘serenity now!’, it will be ‘activate imaginary festivewear’

opened Louvre Abu Dhabi. He spent more time there than most to select his must-see works of the more than 600 items on display. This is not a ‘best-of’ list with a click-bait headline; it’s a snapshot of an extremely varied collection of works that spans everything from an ancient Egyptian statue to a Da Vinci (soon to be two – the museum is yet to confirm when the recently aquired Salvator Mundi will be going on display) to an Ai Weiwei work. Take a mini-trip there with his story on page 30.

On behalf of the Friday team, I’d like to wish you a happy new year. We look forward to spending 2018 with you!