Gulf Today
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 20.11.2010 – Helping Hand
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 20.11.2010 – Helping Hand
Helping hand
Last week was significant for sports lovers, especially in the UAE. The first-ever test cricket match played in UAE ended in a draw. More significantly, the 2nd edition of the F1 championship produced the youngest winner in a thrilling final.
These sports events were keenly watched by many and what made me as an interesting spectator of the thrilling finish at Yas Marina was the gesture by Sebastian Vettel, after halting his car.
Accepting the applause from the spectators he came out and kissed his car, laying his head on the tyres and the machine. It showed in one way or another man’s acceptance to the kindness of blessings from a super natural being to succeed in life, and keep all options and equipment accurate and running perfectly till any race we run is completed.
This also brings out another interesting event happened in my life last week. An organisation was changing their computer system and were left with 27 CPUs in good condition.
As the units were new and in good condition, they wanted to sell it for a nominal cost and suddenly one of their staff knew about me and my social connections and called me. I was happy to accept their request and spread the word around whether any takers for the same for socially benefiting cause.
Manzil – an organisation based in Sharjah, which gives care and learning environment to those with special needs and encourages them to explore their potential to the fullest, came forward to accept them.
With whole-hearted support from the organisation GHD, Abu Dhabi and their senior management and those two staff members, we were able to send the PCs to Manzil before the Eid holidays.
I could not control my tears of joy when I received a thank you note and special Eid greetings from those children and staff from Manzil as they accepted this unexpected gift on Thursday.
Job only half done as I look around for more volunteers to help them with the basics of computing.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.
To know more about Manzil, please visit http://www.manzil.ae/
If interested to become a volunteer, please write to them directly at volunteer@manzil.ae
Short Take – Dt. 13.11.2010 – Point to ponder
Short Take – Dt. 13.11.2010 – Point to ponder
Point to ponder
Although, it is becoming cool outside, for somewhere, someone, the heat is on. Is it turning out to be real that there is an effect of financial crunch happening around?
The banking sector is also in greater caution and this is another major area for many of us who has an attitude to be there when in need. It is therefore important to be in touch with your regular friends/loved ones/contacts.
Make sure you get to create a communication and feel their pulse. I am sure you will definitely be able to get the feelings across, even if it is a silence or pause in the communication. But to be there at the time in need is the most important gift you can give to a friend or a well wisher of yours.
The reason for writing this here is an interview of Malayalam movie actor Dileep shown on TV sometime ago about one of his movie where he did a stunt scene by jumping into the sea.
In it he explained what was his feeling before jumping and once in motion down. No control, and life and death was seconds away. Luckily for him there were people to rescue, who were on standby. But a repeat shot had to be taken and he continued, there were no one around and it was really touch and go. Two years ago I had to go through the motions of the death of two friends who committed suicide. If someone was there to hold them/restrain them back from that crucial decision, life would have been an altogether different thing for their children.
We all boast of so many friends and well wishers on several media and social forums. How many of them will be there to care for you when in real need? A point to ponder?
So, let the party continue, enjoy life as it happens, but keep an eye and ear open for that precious silence somewhere around. You never know, when a chance hello or a short email from you will make you realise the reason for that precious silence and may give you an opportunity to be the most important person for someone whom you care.
Short Take – Gulf Today – Dt. 06.11.2010 – Changed Attitude
Changed attitudes
Every morning when I walk to my car, I get to see a school bus coming to pick up a group of students to an Arabic school. A teacher is also among them to get in from this stop. As I observe each of them inside and outside the bus, there is little interaction. The bus arrives, the children gets in followed by the master. Absolutely no reaction from them and from him, no greetings or whatsoever to each other. They all fully engrossed in listening to their ipods to some music or playing on their mobiles.
The scene revives memories of my own school days and relationship and respect existed those days between students and teachers. Has it withered away as the time passed? May be it is a one-off case, and let me console thinking that way.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 30.10.2010 – At the hospital
At the hospital
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 23.10.2010 – Strange Situations
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 23.10.2010 – Strange Situations
Strange situations
Life is strange and special when we look at our momentary wants. I was with a visiting musician the other day who had come to the UAE for a concert. He was sharing his thoughts with me about life and money and timely assistance by unknown sources at turbulent times.
Once on a journey through a desert, he got stranded for days and all the water and food he had carried got over. He had money in his hand, but it was of no use as there were no shops or inhabitation around. Luckily for him, from somewhere, a bedouin family came and they offered him water and transportation to a distant village from where he could move on. It was a case where money could do nothing.
Back home, I had a chance to watch the pre-match discussion of the first one day cricket match between Australia and India supposed to be held in at Cochin. The commentators and phone in audience talked in length of pros and cons and probable team and strategies that could be adopted for a win. Unfortunately, next day morning I heard, the match was abandoned due to rain.
Many times, we come across strange situations in life, where all our predictions and planning go wrong in entirety. Our life is much similar to what we saw in both the above instances.
However advanced we are in terms of technology or facility, there are certain things that we have no control.
To a certain extent birth and then death. Let each one of us live our life peacefully and for the well being of our family and society without hurting anyone. The rest, leave it to destiny.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, GULF TODAY Online
Short Take – GULF TODAY – 16.10.2010 – Lost in E-World
Short Take – GULF TODAY – 16.10.2010 – Lost in E-World
Lost in e-world
When I looked around, I saw her mother immersed in a telephone conversation on her mobile. A few distances away, I saw her nanny, with a pet dog with its lace in one hand and she was too fully lost in her mobile world talking with someone.
From the looks of both of them, I realised, they were waiting for another child’s return from her school. I suddenly thought about the plight of the dog as well as of the little child. Both caretakers were totally away from the existence of these two wonderful living beings.
Are we all now lost in a mobile and e-world? Pure affection, once used to be there, seemed to be drifting away from our real life.
The signal turned green and I had to take time out from my thoughts and get back to the life ahead on road.
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 02.10.2010 – Don’t play with lives
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 02.10.2010 – Don’t play with lives
Don’t play with lives
Life is strange when we look at each day passing by like a flash. At times, when I am sitting at the right side of my car, I look at the passing vehicles and buildings as they pass behind quickly.
It reminds me of my school days, when I sit on the side of the bus and look at the trees and riverside scenes that we pass by on our way to home. At times, some incidents remain in our life forever. We then get to take those actions which lead to it in a serious manner and try and see it never gets repeated to us and to others we know.
Traffic accidents are one such thing, which I take seriously.
It is due to the loss of an entire family of my mathematics teacher from school on way back from Abu Dhabi. They were driving back to Dubai a few years ago and her daughter-in-law was at the wheels of their brand new jeep. The car was full of passengers – she, her son, her daughter, and daughter in law and a close relative.
It had its two petrol tanks full too. The road work for the modern Abu Dhabi was beginning and the roads at Umm Al Nar were zig zag. Someone tried to rush through the traffic in between their cars and hit them from behind very fast. Their jeep hit the road dividers and caught fire.
The doors got jammed. All of them were stuck inside, and within minutes it was a huge ball of fire around. The tragedy was huge and everlasting.
It was followed by another incident in which my close relative was killed when his vehicle was hit by a speeding truck.
These impacts created an unknown urge in me to start campaigning for road safety. I have done my best effort to create awareness at every possible opportunity. But I feel it is not enough. A drive down through Sheikh Zayed Road of Dubai and Abu Dhabi Street in the recent days, I found many drivers using mobiles and texting on their phones.
This is a serious danger for the driver and for those on the road at the same with him. Companies and organisations should alert their staff not to use mobile while driving.
Police and traffic authorities are helpless if we do not abide the rules of the road. Let us not create accidents due to our negligence.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.
Short Take – GULF TODAY – dt. 25.09.2010 – Exploration Future
A caricature was done as a best wishes card for all of us to write our future wishes to him and presented to him during the farewell lunch.
‘Exploration Future’ GULF TODAY Dt. 25.09.2010
It is hectic these days as the start of winter season after the summer holidays bring in many new staff. This is the time when some of the old hands say good bye after their assignment period in the UAE gets completed. It follows with a farewell lunch and welcome parties and one such event happened this weekend.
It was a farewell lunch for one of our managers, who, unlike others remained in this region for two terms, i.e. almost six years, which is not common among our expats. It is a professional environment at office. Seldom do we get to speak personal matters between colleagues as we all immerse ourselves in our own area and scope.
Considering the long interactions with him and the bond and team spirit, I thought I should know a bit more about him than I know as a colleague. I took time out before our normal start and spent a few minutes with him.
Talking to him gave interesting insights and remembrance of my mother’s retirement from work. Into his late fifties, he refused to say the word “retirement.”
He preferred to use “professionally provided long term leave.” With more than 38 years experience, he has worked in France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Brazil, Indonesia and now the UAE, his last professional stop.
Being a sport, he has travelled extensively in all these countries and their neighbouring countries on road and sea. In addition, he has also visited, Yemen, Oman, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain several times and all the roads and important places are easy for him as the lines on his palm.
With his children now settled, he and his wife, have already bought a boat and plan to explore the un-explored and explored locations for another 10 years. To keep himself fit, he plans to continue canoeing, kite surfing, mountaineering, skiing etc as he is an expert in all those.
I know well, but even then I asked him, do you keep any photos or write blogs about your expeditions so far? Or plan to do any such thing in the future? He answered, “No. I do them and forget them to look forward to the future one. May be a few photographs here and there, which my wife takes. But not on a regular basis. That encourages me to always look forward to the future and keep myself young.”
Well, I listened to him silently and wished him good luck in the new assignment of his life, which I termed, “Exploration Future.”
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 18.09.2010 – Choose the right path
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 18.09.2010 – Choose the right path
Choose the right path
Summer holidays are over and schools in the region have started a new academic session. Most of the expatriates have returned from their holidays. Back to work and back to the old problems. Traffic, traffic, traffic everywhere.
Speeding, wrong parking and bullying by big cars.
Maybe it is due to the fact that some of the driving habits they witnessed in the country they visited, or maybe the roads have new expats who just arrived and do not know the regulations here.
It looks like, traffic wardens have to restart the campaigns they successfully conducted last year once again to remind one and all about safety aspects on the road.
Add to it, the weather is also changing to foggy mornings.
Hope good sense prevails on the road and this winter we do not get to witness major accidents.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.
Short Take – Gulf Today Dt 11.09.2010 – Mail shock
Short Take – Gulf Today Dt 11.09.2010 – Mail shock
A few weeks ago, I was talking on the mobile with a friend based in Dubai. After 10 minutes, I received an email from him saying that he was stuck in Switzerland and lost his wallet, all credit cards and money.
The email continued requesting my help to rescue him out by sending a specified amount of money in US dollars which the author said will be given to me upon replying to the email. I knew then and there itself that his email account has been hacked.
I called him and he was shocked to hear this news. Within minutes he was receiving several calls from his friends who did not talk to him for some time and they all suspected the same or even thought whether it was real as he travels extensively. The damage had been done by then, and he was unable to recover the email address or thousands of contacts and records in it. Just the other day, the same thing happened to another friend based in Abu Dhabi. His friends too got a similar email and he too lost all details.
There is a new email hacking or threat happening now, which you may or may not be aware of. Please do not therefore use your email account from unknown computers or locations. Even if you have to use it, clear the cache, and history on the computer immediately.
Also, please do use a different password whenever you register yourself at new sites or promotional websites and keep it entirely different from your email password. Thirdly, please keep changing the password periodically. Hope, you do not get to become a victim the next time.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit, GULF TODAY online.
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