Month: December 2007
If it’s Tuesday, it must be the night of poets
If it’s Tuesday, it must be the night of poets
By Silvia Radan (Our staff reporter/KHALEEJ TIMES)27 December 2007
ABU DHABI — After the success of the previous edition, the second session of the Million Poet Competition opened on Tuesday night in the capital, in the presence of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), is taking place at Al Raha Beach Theatre on a weekly basis, every Tuesday. The 48 competitors who have been chosen from an impressive list of 10,000 applicants were all present on stage on the first night, to open the 15-week long live show.
Just like in the previous session, the poets, both men and women, come from all over the Gulf region and beyond, but their poetry, either modern or traditional, is in Arabic language and style.
Each Tuesday night, eight competitors recite their verses and the judges pick two winners, while the public also chooses its two favourites, voting through SMS, which is announced the following week.
By the end of the 15 rounds, 24 poets will be left in the competition, but only one will be crowned the Million Poet, receiving not only the prestigious title, but also Dh1 million.
The previous session, which ended in March this year, was the highest rated show in the Gulf region and it became the latest hit on a TV series.
Visit visa only for immediate relatives
Visit visa only for immediate relatives
By Ahmed Abdul Aziz (Our staff reporter/KHALEEJ TIMES)27 December 2007
ABU DHABI — The Abu Dhabi Naturalisation and Residency Department (ADNRD) took new measures this month to stop issuing visit visas to bring friends and workers to the emirate, according to a senior official at the department.
Colonel Nassir Al Awadi Al Minhali, Director of ADNRD, told Khaleej Times yesterday in an exclusive interview, “The ADNRD allows issuing of visit visas only for immediate relatives, such as parents, brothers, sisters, wives and children.”
The ADNRD would not issue visit visas for the firms because they were allowed to obtain only employment visas after getting temporary mission permits from the Ministry of Labour (MoL).
The new protective measures were aimed at weeding out the phenomenon of illegals from the country.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has completed a study, after the 2007 amnesty period that ended on November 3, to find out the factors that contribute to the problem of illegals in the country.
The study showed that about 25 per cent of the illegals entered the UAE on visit visas.
“The ADNRD has taken the new measures also to curb begging by people entering the county on visit visas. Both the people found begging and their sponsors would face stiff penalties for violating the country’s law,” added Al Minhali.
The visitors found begging in the streets would face penalties such as deportation with life ban. “For the sponsors, the officials will transfer the case to the General Prosecution after imposing stiff penalties on them such as suspension of issuance of visit visas on the sponsor’s code number in the ADNRD’s system,” he said.
“Moreover, we are preparing a database to register all the absconding cases filed by sponsors and the number of visit visas they had applied for. Further, the MoI will launch intensive campaigns to find illegals,” added Al Minhali.
The companies could apply for visit visas only for delegations. This was a special case and the ADNRD would demand bank guarantees ranging between Dh2,000 and Dh5,000, depending on the applications.
“We will also not accept any applications to bring workers on businessmen visas unless the sponsor provides proof that they are really businessmen such as the contracts they have signed, copy of visa card and bank account sheets,” said Al Minhali.
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New development project for Mubazzara
New development project for Mubazzara
By Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief GULF NEWS Published: December 27, 2007, 00:13
Al Ain: Mubazzara, a prime tourist attraction in Al Ain, is to undergo a beautification drive through a multi-million dirham project launched by Al Ain Municipality.
Mubazzara, located in the south of the city, is a lush green valley in the foothills of Jebel Hafeet, the highest mountain in the UAE. It is a major recreational centre for people coming from across the country and neighbouring GCC countries.
New facilities
The project includes enhancement of the clusters of chalets in different parts of the valley, a children’s play area, ornamental plants and trees and development of new facilities.
A municipality source said ornamental plants would be planted in and around the chalet area.
As part of the project three water tanks will also be constructed to store around nine millions gallons of water for irrigation.
The project has been announced by the municipality’s Public Gardens Section, which says its intentions are to offer world-class facilities for tourists.
A large number of visitors come to Mubazzara during the weekends, national holidays and festive occasions. The area was packed during the recent Eid Al Adha holidays. The site was given special attention by the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It has been jointly developed by Al Ain Municipality and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Mubazzara has hot springs and a number of other attractions. The area has lately seen many rapid developments.
The authorities, said the source, have a plan to develop Mubazzara into a fully-fledged tourist resort with all modern facilities and services.
Conference centre
The plan includes a club house and golf course, a visitors’ centre, a planetarium and a conference centre.
The planned golf club will have an 18-hole course and a nine-hole short course along with a media centre.
Earlier this year, the municipality contracted a private firm for the maintenance and development of Mubazzara and its surrounding areas.
The Dh50 million contract will cover the maintenance and landscaping of Zakhir, Ain Al Faydah, Mubazzara and some surrounding areas for four years.
"Keralotsavam" at KSC Abu Dhabi
We kindly request your presence in our Stall at KSC “Keralotsavam” , which is going to be held on 27th, 28th and 29th December 2007 [Thursday, Friday, Saturday]
Everday 6:00 PM onwards
Venue: Kerala Social Centre, Madinat Zayed between Murroor Street and Najda Street Opp. Side of Khaleej Times Office & Al Manhall Clinic
France implements major projects in UAE
France implements major projects in UAE
United Arab Emirates, Economics,
Industrial sources in the UAE stated that France succeeded in receiving new agreements to implement major projects in the field of gas and petrochemicals in addition to signing an agreement to expand the Abu Dhabi International Airport.
The director of the Civil Aviation Department in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Khalifa, stated that the Airport De Paris Authorities won a deal worth 700 million dirhams ($190 million) to expand the Abu Dhabi International Airport.
The Airport of Paris Authorities had set up the Abu Dhabi International Airport 20 years ago in similitude of the Airport of Charle Digol in Paris.
Sources in the UAE said that the operations of expanding the Abu Dhabi International Airport which will be implemented by the Airport of Paris Authorities are worth 400 million dirhams out of the total 700 million dirhams. The sources clarified that some of the expansion works will be assigned to other companies on top of which is setting up a second tarmac at the airport.
Daily Exchange Rates – Wednesday, 26 December 2007
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You too can get enlightened!
You too can get enlightened!
PARAMAHAMSA SRI NITHYANANDA, TNN
We all live at three levels. At the first level, we live in our head. We live using our intellect and logic. The second level is our heart. When we live with our heart, we use our emotions. In the third level we live at the core of our very being. We live in our identity.
When our intellect is heightened, when it ripens, it shines forth as common sense or intelligence. Although called common sense, it is a rare treasure, an uncommon thing on this planet Earth. Emotions can ripen. Deep emotions ripen into faith. When our being ripens it leads to enlightenment.
What is enlightenment? People have several strange notions about this word and concept. Let me explain it in simple words. Enlightenment is simply the experience of our inner energy. Enlightenment is related to the understanding and experience of our inner energy. It is not based on our physical activities, as we presume.
This concept although simple is not easy for people to understand or follow. Many people misunderstand this concept. Be clear: enlightenment is our individual experience. It is our experience of the inner energy.
There is no one who is barred for any reason, an alcoholic, man or woman, this caste or that caste, a criminal, each one is equally eligible for enlightenment as any one else is. A man has no edge over a woman. In fact, a woman lives in a higher energy plane than a man.
A person who claims to have led a pure and chaste life may not get enlightened at all. He has no edge over another who may be considered a sinner by religion and society. They both have the same chance of achieving enlightenment. Anyone can attain this status.
If you ask me, I will say that neither our activities nor actions are related to enlightenment. Enlightenment is within the reach of one and all. Everyone is eligible for enlightenment. Many people may take this as a licence to do whatever they want to do. They can create even bigger problems in the world.
Masters realise the potential problems this assertion can cause to the uninitiated public. That is why they don’t speak about it, freely and generally in public. Let us all work towards our enlightenment. Everyone can reach it, everyone is eligible and everyone is entitled to it. Nothing we do can stop us from reaching that state.
Twenty Steps to Successful Time Management!!
Twenty Steps to Successful Time Management!!
from CiteHR by Manju
1. Clarify your objectives. Put them in writing. Then set your priorities. Make
sure you’re getting what you really want out of life.
2. Focus on objectives, not on activities. Your most important activities are those
that help you accomplish your objectives.
3. Set at least one major objective each day and achieve it.
4. Record a time log periodically to analyze how you use your time, and keep bad
time habits out of your life.
5. Analyze everything you do in terms of your objectives. Find out what you do,
when you do it, why you do it. Ask yourself what would happen if you didn’t do it.
If the answer is nothing, then stop doing it.
6. Eliminate at least one time-waster from your life each week.
7. Plan your time. Write out a plan for each week. Ask yourself what you hope to
accomplish by the end of the week and what you will need to do to achieve those
results.
8. Make a to-do list every day. Be sure it includes your daily objectives, priorities,
and time estimates, not just random activities.
9. Schedule your time every day to make sure you accomplish the most important
things first. Be sure to leave room for the unexpected and for interruptions. But
remember that things that are scheduled have a better chance of working out than
things that are unscheduled.
10. Make sure that the first hour of your workday is productive.
11. Set time limits for every task you undertake.
12. Take the time to do it right the first time. You won’t have to waste time doing
it over.
13. Eliminate recurring crises from your life. Find out why things keep going
wrong. Learn to proact instead of react.
14. Institute a quiet hour in your day – a block of uninterrupted time for your most
important tasks.
15. Develop the habit of finishing what you start. Don’t jump from one thing to
another, leaving a string of unfinished tasks behind you.
16. Conquer procrastination. Learn to do it now.
17. Make better time management a daily habit. Set your objectives, clarify your
priorities, plan and schedule your time. Do first things first. Resist your impulses
to do unscheduled tasks. Review your activities.
18. Never spend time on less important things when you could be spending it on
more important things.
19. Take time for yourself—time to dream, time to relax, time to live.
20. Develop a personal philosophy of time – what time means to you and how time relates to your life
Harness your full and true potential
Harness your full and true potential
K VIJAYARAGHAVAN, TNN
One of the invocations in the performance of Suryanamaskara (the 12 yoga postures of salutations to the sun) is Om Hiranyagarbhaya namah, implying, “salutation to one who awakens our inner capacities and potential”.
This concept is behind one of the Hindu trinities, Vishnu (Padmanabha) reclining peacefully on the serpent, Adisesha, whereupon creativity in the form of Brahma issues forth. Applied to man, resolving the undesirable traits and also transmuting particular base and apparently damaging instincts can help to bring out his true potential and creativity.
This principle also is behind the yogic concept of raising the kundalini sakti (serpent power) to transmute and thus tap the power of even the carnal instincts in man.
Even manic depression and ‘cyclothymia’ (swinging moods) have been shown, through modern studies, as fertile grounds for creativity in various forms — art, poetry and music. Also, anger, irritability, anxieties, and disturbances, in many cases are consequent on the existence of an abiding and powerful creative mechanism within. When analysed and channelled, these act as allies, instead of acting as damaging influences.
James McCartney, in his book, Yoga: The Key to Life sums up the practical working of this concept. He conceives of meditating on two separate triangles. The vertices of the first represent the virtues of light, wisdom and power, while of the second represent the oft-residing traits as restlessness, desire and doubt. When these two triangles unite through superimposition, this verily is yoga which literally means ‘unison’.
The traits, as in the second triangle, now are resolved and manifest in their transmuted forms as peace, health and understanding. This also is the key to J Krishnamurty’s concept of watching, as if like a witness (sakshi bhava), the origin and trends of even apparently damaging thoughts within. It is as if these too are like adversities, which to quote Shakespeare, wears, like an ugly toad, “a precious jewel in his head”!
C Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), in his hymn, conceives of how “the good in every man is like an atom too”, which has to be found, to “explode it into lasting peace”. This, verily, also is the process of harnessing the full and true potential through this process of empowering, cleansing or transmuting the traits within, depending on the nature and specifics of each particular case.
Creativity + : MASTERPIECE:
MASTERPIECE:Sand artist Sudarshan Pattanaik carved the image of Mother Mary with infant Jesus in front of a church on the ocassion of Christmas at Puri beach. (PTI)
ClicksandWrites 
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