Month: September 2009

My Letters – Khaleej Times – All set to handle the crowd

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My Letters – Khaleej Times – All set to handle the crowd

I always write about the positive aspects of photography and it’s influence on our self to elevate our mind. I believe that interest in photography give a cutting edge to a person to be alert for opportunities and value each and every second that is available. This photo is an example of such a precious moment. At the Terminal 3 of Dubai airport, just after the Iftar on an evening, with not many flights landed and being the first few to reach for the immigration counters, I suddenly noticed a golden scene in front of me. For those who travel through Dubai airport, they will realise the importance of it as they will always find a long queue of passengers lined up for immigration check.

Playing in the mind is another important point which I wish to convey through this photo. One doesn’t need a high tech camera to come out with excellent pictures. It’s all in the mind and the knowledge of the equipment at your disposal. Like a quick run out on a cricket field or a quick shift of gears on our bike or even sudden change of beats on the Tabala according to varying and demanding situations we come across. One needs to listen and observe carefully every opportunity available and play it in the mind several times and then practise without inhibition and then when that precious moment comes, you will never miss it.

God bless, Keep clicking and have a great day ahead.

Ramesh Menon
17092009

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

ഉപചാരപൂര്‍വ്വം ഒരു ദൈവീക വിടവാങ്ങല്‍

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ഉപചാരപൂര്‍വ്വം ഒരു ദൈവീക വിടവാങ്ങല്‍

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

ഉപചാരപൂര്‍വ്വം ഒരു ദൈവീക വിടവാങ്ങല്‍

തൃശൂര്‍ ജില്ലയിലെ ആറാട്ടുപുഴ പൂരവും അതിനോട് അനുബന്ധിച്ചുള്ള മറ്റു ക്ഷേത്രങ്ങളിലെയും ഉത്സവങ്ങളോട് അനുബന്ധിച്ച് കാണുന്ന ഒരു ചടങ്ങാണ് ഉപചാരം. ഉത്സവം എല്ലാം കഴിഞ്ഞതിനു ശേഷം ദേവി ദേവന്മാര്‍ തമ്മില്‍ തമ്മില്‍ ഇനി അടുത്ത കൊല്ലം കാണാം എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു പിരിയുന്ന ഒരു ചടങ്ങ്. കോലം അഥവാ തിടമ്പ് എത്തിയ ആനകള്‍ നേര്‍ക്ക്‌ നേര്‍ നിന്ന് തുമ്പിക്കൈ പൊക്കി മൂന്നു തവണ അഭിവാദ്യം ചെയ്യുന്നതോട് കൂടി ഈ ചടങ്ങ് അവസാനിക്കുന്നു.

ഈ വീഡിയോ ഇന്നലെ സൂര്യ ടീവിയില്‍ കാണിച്ച ക്ഷേത്രായനം എന്ന പരിപാടിയില്‍ തൈക്കാട്ടുശ്ശേരി ഭഗവതി അമബളത്തിലെ ഉത്സവ ചടങ്ങുകളില്‍ ഒന്നായി ഓടിച്ചു കാണിച്ചിരുന്നു. സൂര്യ ടീവിയോടു കടപ്പാട് ഇത് കാണിച്ചതിന്.

Calling it a day – Mail from a fellow community journalist based in UAE

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Calling it a day – Mail from a fellow community journalist based in UAE

All Clients,Friends and well wishers,

I am sincerely thanking you all for the support given to me in my Profession and motivation for my writing.Eventhough I am Departing from this Goldenopportunity country in the Middle of October to my Home town Chennai,My memory will bealways with you ,because i have spent 16, Glorious years,till the Metro is on the wheels. I am giving below my Mail id as well my blogs which I want your continuous motivation,to present better in the days to come.

write2ragavan@yahoo.com
write2ragavan.wordpress.com
http://www.ragavan-creativity.blogspot.com

with warm regards.

K.Ragavan.

Dear Ragavan Sir,

We travel by bus or train on a regular basis and interact with a fellow passenger on the way inside or during our walk to the station and then it becomes an everlasting friendship or bondage. Ours have been a similar one. We met through the columns of Khaleej Times, Gulf News, Gulf Today and The National and although I got to know you and interact with you at this later part of your stay in the UAE, it has been a short and sweet one. Our objectives have been more or less the same, i.e. to react pro-actively for the welfare of the society around us. This is a continuous process, and I am sure, wherever you go, you will not be able to stay away from it. Loss of UAE, is going to be a blessing for Chennai and India.

Good luck Sir for your retirement life and God bless you to have many more peaceful, prosperous and socially active years ahead.

Ramesh Menon
Abu Dhabi

Kadugodi Fly Over – A need for Bridging a commuting gap

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Kadugodi Fly Over – A need for Bridging a commuting gap

Being a resident of Kadugodi village, whitefield area, I always have to depend on the Whitefield railway gate to go across to the main town. The fly over to ease the smooth flow of traffic at the Kadugodi area / Whitefield station, which is situated just in front of the Sai Baba ashram has been remaining incomplete for a considerable period of time. Every train passing through the station, a lot of man hours is being wasted, waiting for the railway gate to be opened for another couple of minutes of traffic flow, before a train arrives. This is to be considered as this road connects the village to Whitefield and has an easy access towards the airport road and many prominent institutions situated in and around. Precious time lost by all every time they use this road, without any sign of this incomplete work being carried out in the near future enabling smooth passage too and fro. Photo of the incomplete bridge is attached herewith.

Through a series of email and news postings, I sincerely request authorities to consider completion of this essential fly over for general public without any further delay.

Thanking you in advance and sincere regards to all your excellent administrative and public convenience measures.

Ramesh Menon
Team 1 Blogs

My Letters – GULF NEWS – Reader Pictures of the day

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My Letters – GULF NEWS – Reader Pictures of the day

It is interesting to participate in competitions as it gives an idea to where we stand, even if we ends up as a loser. With this always in mind, I regularly participate in various opportunities in the field of photography, writing, drawing or playing percussion instruments or even sports to make a self assessment. I was surprised to receive an sms as earl as 6:30 am yesterday from my friends and emails also after seeing the above photos coming in print in the Gulf News Daily. There was no mention, other than Ramesh Menon and Abu Dhabi and of course their title “extremely active community journalist”. As one of them said to me quoting the old saying from Mahabharatha – if it is Kheechaka then, it is Bhima who killed him, we were sure it is you only, whether it is a photo or an article for the need of public facilities.

True, I do care about the society around, whether it is here in the UAE, or back home in Kerala or at Bangalore. Thank you all for your continued support.

Team 1 blogs and the thoughts and messages through it is slowly evolving as an inspiring group of members, who not only react to the anomalies happening around but also come out with progressive measures for the benefit of the society. More than that it the assurance that we are there for those who need, when they are in need. We can and Together we try.

God bless and have a great day ahead.

Ramesh Menon
14092009

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

Passionate Photography Thoughts – Photos that speaks

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Passionate Photography Thoughts – Photos that speaks

Dear Friends,

First of all let me welcome our new members who joined the Passionate Photographers group since my last communication with you. As the name denotes this is a group intended to ignite your passion for photography. How this group and your presence as a member can fuel the growth of your photography knowledge and photographic output depends on your active involvement within. Please therefore read the limited number of discussion threads present here to get a basic idea of interactions happening here.

Our interest in photography make us curious onlookers of any photo posts either in print or web media. Many times some of the best creations are produced by experts with the latest equipment available to them. It may be wide variety of lenses, lighting equipments or even models or subjects who are professionals to modulate the subjective topic into a magical visual experience. However , many of us do not have these advantage factors and the same should never hold us from continuing our passion to go in without inhibition and capture that magical and price moment which comes in front of you.

How can you do it? This is where an open attitude towards this hobby and creative activity comes in. Many of us are fond of cricket. Now imagine getting a chance to play at the beautiful Sheikh Zayed cricket stadium for a T20 match. A golden opportunity from out of the blue. You get to bowl only 24 genuine balls against your opposition. It is here your mind plays the key role. If you have been a player who plays cricket, you always play the game in your mind several times. The situations, the pros and cons, the weather conditions, the batsman whom you may play against. All those things are practiced and perfected in mind. Also your own positives and negatives, the effectiveness of your equipment like bat and other gears. All the factors compares to a photographic opportunity which comes to you suddenly.

Imagine you have a digital camera which is not a very high end model. First thing for you is to study it’s numerous features and their effectiveness on different light situations and surroundings. For this you have to keep on clicking, changing each and every option and testing it out. Like the bowler, who bowls numerous overs in the nets and perfect that unplayable Yorker, doosra or theesra or whatever, you too have to test the various options several times. This will make you comfortable and quick fingered to change the settings to the required mode to capture your object within the minutest of seconds available. In photography, seconds or milliseconds are precious. It teaches you the importance of time within time. This is why I say and propagate, those who are interested in photography, normally succeed in all other fields of life.

Constant practice make you comfortable and experienced with your equipment. Like the same way you change gears on a fast track, you will be able to switch over to various modes within the applicable precious seconds available at your disposal. This is how you get to see extremely interesting photographic moments captured by photo journalists. Regular members of photography related groups can visualize the amount of devoted effort by professional photographers to give us a golden moment. Examples like a boy jumping into a running bus, an mad elephant attacking a man, a sprinter finishing the race etc are some of them.

Lighting is another important factor that aides to a perfect picture. What do we do, if we are not equipped with specialized lighting equipments. What more you need than the natural and greatest light providers – i.e the Sun and the moon. Through constant observation, a photography enthusiast will be able to learn about different light options available during different times of the day and night. Your photography life becomes easy once you start understanding these natural settings better. Positioning yourself in the right spot to gain the advantage of these lights will then do wonderful effect your otherwise normal equipment and settings. By constant practice and observations you will learn the best settings for any particular scene to look priceless.

Observe closely each and every photo you get to see, especially of experts and professionals. Play the settings in your mind like a bowler and you will never know when that priceless moments comes clicking in front of you. Try it and your Photo will definitely speak the next time.

Our growth has been slow, but steady. A look at the photo section of the Passionate Photographers prove how we all grow each day. We can see several examples from passionate photographers.

I sincerely look forward to your comments and guidance notes from experts who are members here. Mere onlookers will never do good for the growth and knowledge share of this community. I repeat what I wrote in my previous communication about the accidental death of my brother in law holds good here also. Timely interactions and active involvement is extremely important for keeping the pulse of a community clicking along. If you are a professional with experience, please do not remain an unworthy onlooker. This is my sincere request.

God bless and have Passionate Photographic days ahead.

Ramesh Menon
10092009

Public Safety concerns – Measures required to control the speeding of cars carrying Ministers and other government officials

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Public Safety concerns – Measures required to control the speeding of cars carrying Ministers and other government officials

My Letters – GULF NEWS – Make dreams come true

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My Letters – GULF NEWS – Make dreams come true


To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

മാപ്രാണം പള്ളിയില്‍ തിരുനാളിന്‌ കൊടിയേറി

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മാപ്രാണം പള്ളിയില്‍ തിരുനാളിന്‌ കൊടിയേറി
http://www.irinjalakuda.com
മാപ്രാണം ഹോളിക്രോസ്‌ തീര്‍ത്ഥകേന്ദ്രത്തില്‍ കുരിശുമുത്തപ്പന്റെ തിരുനാളിന്‌ കൊടിയേറി. മാര്‍.ജോസഫ്‌ പാസ്റ്റര്‍ നീലങ്കാവില്‍ പതാക ഉയര്‍ത്തി. സെപ്‌തംബര്‍ 12 വരെ കുരിശിന്റെ കപ്പേളയില്‍ വൈകീട്ട്‌ 5.30ന്‌ നൊവേന, വചനസന്ദേശം ,13ന്‌ വൈകീട്ട്‌ 5ന്‌ വഴിപാട്‌ തിരിതെളിയിക്കല്‍ എന്നിവ നടക്കും. 14ന്‌ രാവിലെ 6.30,7.30, ഉച്ചതിരിഞ്ഞ്‌ 3നും ദിവ്യബലി. പള്ളിയുടെ പേരും ചിത്രവും മുദ്രണം ചെയ്‌ത തപാല്‍സ്റ്റാമ്പ്‌ 14ന്‌ പുറത്തിറക്കും. കേന്ദ്രസഹമന്ത്രി പ്രൊഫ.കെ.വി.തോമസ്‌, പി.സി.ചാക്കോ എം.പി. തുടങ്ങിയവര്‍ പങ്കെടുക്കും, രാവിലെ 10ന്‌ ആഘോഷമായ തിരുനാള്‍ പാട്ടുകുര്‍ബ്ബാനക്ക്‌ ഫാ.ആന്റോ പാണാടന്‍ മുഖ്യകാര്‍മ്മികനാകും. വൈകീട്ട്‌ 3.30ന്‌ തിരുനാള്‍ പ്രദക്ഷിണം 7ന്‌ വിശുദ്ധ കുരിശിന്റെ തിരുശേഷിപ്പ്‌ ചുംബിക്കല്‍ എന്നിവ നടക്കും.

Ramadan lightings – Abu Dhabi Corniche Street

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Ramadan Lightings at Abu Dhabi Corniche Street. In order to welcome the holy month of Ramadan, Corniche Street, one of Abu Dhabi’s major drive way, is decorated with beautiful lightings. Traffic is light during the post Iftar time and here is a video taken by my wife Rajashree during a pleasant evening drive, with our favorite music on.
http://www.youtube.com/get_player