Driving for hours, make the moments count

Every week day, Omar Adas took a detour into the realm of Persian poetry. And all he had to do was hit play.

With a car as his classroom and a cassette player as his teacher, the Emirati national fulfilled an old desire to learn Farsi while travelling down the 16-kilometre stretch of open road between Sharjah and Fujairah.

Adas said: "It was 1986 and although there was no traffic, I was still obliged to spend several hours on the road every day – so I thought I should use this time productively."

Driving to his teaching job in Al Bithnah School, in Fujairah, Adas would regularly listen to the literary works of legendary Persian poets, such as Omar Al Khayyam and Rumi.

But he found that even though poetry was beautiful when translated, it was best appreciated in its original language.

"I had a number of reference books, through which I learned Farsi.

"But I wanted to gain the accent of the language and understand the nuances of its spoken form, so that I could fully appreciate it."

Adas's friends helped in his pursuit.

He said: "I asked some of my friends to record lessons in Farsi for me, and also listened to poems and books on audio cassettes."

The diversity of people in the UAE helped him become fluent in the language.

He said: "In any other country, I may not have had a chance to learn Farsi. But here, I could meet and interact with people who spoke the same language. This made it easier for me to learn."

Within two years, Adas mastered the language.

This was just the beginning. What began as an efficient way to spend time on the road turned into a valuable skill that could be used for a greater calling – he became a translator of Persian literature.

Unravelling the intricacies of Persian novels and short stories for those who were unfamiliar with the language, Adas translated several major Persian works of literature into Arabic.

His translations include major literary works of 20th century Iran, such as Sadegh Hedayat's The Blind Owl and children's stories, such as Samad Behrangi's The Little Black Fish.

Adas now works at Al Khaleej, an Arabic daily newspaper, but said he is grateful for the hours and kilometres that allowed him to fulfill his dream 23 years ago.

"Today, it has become so much easier to buy or download audiobooks and listen to them. I am always telling my friends to invest the time they spend in traffic in more productive activities."

Converting empty hours into moments that can enrich one's life is much easier than it seems, he added.

Stuck in Traffic?: Tools and Tips

- Have breakfast. Use time spent in traffic to eat an apple or a sandwich.

- Return calls and catch up with friends and family – but remember to always use a hands-free set.

- Learn a new language through audio cassettes or CDs. Or memorise 10 key phrases from various foreign languages.

- Carpool with someone and spend time discussing current issues or playing road games.

- Participate in radio contests and debates.

- Plan ahead for the day. If you are a student, study for upcoming lessons with the help of flash cards.

- Organise your office. Draw up a list of tasks that will help you rearrange and plan your office space!

- Use your navigation system, if you have one. Look for new routes and try them out!

- If you take the bus, use the opportunity to widen your social circle. Make friends!

- Use the time to relax. Do some neck and breathing exercises and listen to your favourite music.

- Practice your singing skills ... sing along to tracks.

- Listen to spiritual discourses.

- Plan that novel you always wanted to write - discuss aloud the storyline.

- Listen to audio novels.