Gulf Today
Avoidable turmoil – Gulf Today – Short Take – Dt 14-09-2014
Avoidable turmoil
These days, when one opens the newspapers, it is filled with stories of atrocities happening around the world. The sufferings of people are beyond explanation. In particular, women and children. There is absolutely no safety for them and they end up as the first, fast and easy prey for the tormentors.
Reading about the killings, I wonder why humanity has gone back to the bygone era, when the world is highly advanced in terms of technology and expertise.
Where there are no man-made calamities happening, we hear of natural disasters. The recent floods in India, Pakistan, Philippines and other countries are of high magnitude. It will take several years to rebuild what has been destroyed. Let us at least try and strive to reduce the emotional difficulties of those affected.
Ramesh Menon
Gulf Today, Short Take Dt. 13 September 2014
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
Woman of substance – Short Take – Gulf Today – 06 Sepetmber 2014
Woman of substance
A few days ago, I had an opportunity to interview a young UAE local girl student. She was just back after winning a scholarship to attend a prestigious international seminar in Paris. Initially, she was reluctant to speak.
After I convinced her of the importance, she gave me 10 minutes for the discussion.
Slowly opening out, she started talking about her school and college education and then her first work placement as an intern with a reputed government organisation. After gaining adequate skill on the job training, she moved on to her first real job at a national oil company.
True to her nature, she has become one of the key Corporate Social Responsibility representatives of it.
Intelligent and willing to learn more, she is simultaneously learning International Law and Diplomacy at a prestigious university. The intensive programme makes her attend the classes five days a week in the evening. For any ordinary person, this is already more than what one can take.
It was the above two qualities that helped her get selected to attend this prestigious scholarship in France. She was one among the 120 students who made it from different countries. It was a great experience for her as she learned technically and culturally a lot from it.
In turn, she represented herself as ambassador of the country clarifying the queries of her fellow students about life in the UAE.
Here is the difference I made out within that future achiever. Keen to contribute more to the society, she is already working on her family business to establish a series of business enterprises in the emirates.
Once opened, it will be a set of state-of-the-art medical facilities of quality and class within the satellite towns of Abu Dhabi. She has identified the need for the requirement of quality healthcare in that area and almost through with the establishment procedures.
If I am correct, when this facility is inaugurated, she will be the youngest UAE local woman entrepreneur in the medical and health industry.
Girls like her are an asset to this country and inspiration for the future generation. Leaving her office after about an hour, I sincerely wished her the best in her future endeavours.
Ramesh Menon
Gulf Today Dt. 06 September 2014
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today Online
Unknown path – Gulf Today, Short Take Dt. 30 August 2014
Unknown path
At times I am confused about my urge to write my feelings and thoughts on a regular basis. To write or not to write is always a dilemma that I undergo, when I sit to pen my thoughts. However, I end up writing my feelings at the end of the day.
Today too, is not different.
First is about the marriage of one of my nieces. I remember the night she was getting ready to come out from her mother’s womb. It took approximately 12 hours for her to finally land into this real world making all of us happy to see a cute little girl arrive.
Priyanka grew up as a darling of all. She is getting married now and I really wanted to witness the historical moment. Sadly, couldn’t make it due to work reasons. I believe always that a girl child is an asset to the family. I am sure she is and will be in her new role ahead.
The second is about a friend, Joe, who was leaving the UAE for good after a nine-year stint. He was kind enough to part with me a huge collection of books to use for charitable cause.
What has made his departure more special? That may be your thought next.
True, it is special, as he is travelling a distance of around 8000 km by road to his home country Switzerland from Dubai covering several countries on the way. It will be a dream come true journey for any motorsport enthusiast.
It is true that the journey ahead for all is always adventurous. There will be always an unknown path ahead. It is how we walk our steps that make us different each time. I am confident that both will be successful.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
Mother’s affection – Gulf Today – Short Take – 23 August 2014
Mother’s affection
In a flash this year’s holy month of Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr passed by. An extended holiday at the end of it was utilised to be with my aged mother in an orthopaedic hospital back home in India. She was undergoing a series of surgeries.
Being with her during the entire period was very satisfying and I felt like giving back little affection to the ocean of love and care she showered on me till this age.
At the hospital, I was really impressed by one lady staff’s commitment to her duty. Bharathi, a lady security manning the post-operative ward of that busy hospital, turned out to be an excellent example.
Starting her duty early in the morning, she kept an excellent watch on those who really had to visit and controlled all those who should not. With due instructions prior to entering, she made sure everyone followed all the necessary health, safety and environment regulations to protect the welfare of the patients. Of course, she was at a very junior level of the hospital, but she did show a great example of how important each person’s job was and how to attend to it when its intended result is achieved. It was proved every day as soon as she left for home and her replacement took charge and people did utilise their influence to get in at will, disrupting the peaceful function of the post-operative ward.
While returning to the UAE on the plane, a little boy came and sat next to me. Due to the huge passenger rush for Abu Dhabi, his mother and sister were seated on different rows while the father was seated way behind.
Well dressed and impressive at his age, I started a conversation with him. He was found to be very intelligent and was aware of all the modern gadgets and their uses.
He was closely watching me what I was doing as he was changing the channels on the monitor in front. As the airline staff started serving, he read out the menu and ordered his choice of meals, which was a plate of kebabs and rice. I ordered a different item. When the staff served the food, he was curious as to what I was getting and as he tasted his and wasn’t impressed with it.
He asked me whether he could re-order his food. I said to him, I will try. Calling the airhostess and explaining to her the little one’s wish, I persuaded her to bring her a set of meals with fish, which was the next choice by this little one. It took some time for her to bring the food and by then I finished my dinner.
When he tasted the fish, he didn’t like that too. Slowly, he turned towards me and said, “Uncle, can I ask her to bring what you had?!” I explained to him, normally, they will carry only a limited number of packets and they will not have extra, which was the case exactly as explained to me by the airhostess.
In order to console him, I asked him to order ice cream and when they brought it, it was rock solid. He tried to cut and eat the ice cream but in vain.
The airhostess told him that it would melt soon. Waiting for it to melt, we started talking to each other and in no time, he was asleep and me too! I woke up hearing the announcement for the plane to land at Abu Dhabi and looked for the boy. He was still asleep. The ice cream bowl was cleared by the staff by then!
Ramesh Menon
Gulf Today – Short Take – 23 August 2014
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
Tragedy of life – Gulf Today – Short Take – Dt. 09 August 2014
Tragedy of life
Life passes by very quickly. At times many of us undergo a series of unexpected tragedies all at the same time. For a favourite colleague of mine Paulita and her husband Adrian, it was one such time during last year.
A cancer fighter, her condition aggravated and she had to undergo a series of major treatment.
She was recovering and it was at that time the natural tragedy happened and her entire village was destoyed. Along with it 18 of their immediate relatives!
Massive efforts were coordinated by her forgetting her own health condition to rehabilitate those who survived.
Time passed by quickly and it is time for her to go back on leave.
It is at this time she is feeling the magnitude of what happened. With houses yet to complete and essential facilities still not reconstructed, life is not going to be easy for some time.
In a way when we look at things happening in our life, it is true that all good things can be destroyed in a flash but to reconstruct the goodwill it is never easy and requires lot of hard work, determination, dedication and sustained effort.
I take this opportunity to salute all good human beings like Paulita who do selfless efforts forgetting their own personal hardship.
Ramesh Menon
Short Take, Gulf Today 9 August 2014
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online.
Listen to ideas – Short Take – Gulf Today – 2 August 2014
Listen to ideas
On a short visit to India, I am touring around various cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore and my home town, Irinjalakuda.
While I travel by air and road, I also drive at most places as it gives me an opportunity to cover life in the villages through my lenses.
The situation changes when I am in my hometown and under the umbrella of my aged parents. They do not allow me to drive and the onus is on our family driver Jose to take me around the city.
He is a man of wisdom. Driving around, he has clear ideas on what needs to be done and what went wrong on highway development activities.
The one-way system in Trichur and Ernakulam, the highway medians that occupy a lot of space and reduce traffic flow are some points that require immediate corrective action.
Having worked in Iraq and Saudi for a long time, he is thorough with modernisation. I wish there was a better mechanism where the authorities listened to the voice of common people in India. Just like the “Have Your Say” programmes in many government departments in the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE authorities have been highly progressive and receptive to the voice of its residents. This has encouraged people like me to contribute regularly with ideas and suggestions.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online.
Natural hurry
Natural hurry
There is a saying in Hindi which translates into, “Whatever happens, happens for the good.”
Nature has proved this once again.
For some years, I have been keenly following the flowering process of date palm trees and the period after it, till it is harvested. Normally, this process happens during July to October.
However, last year, due to the change in weather pattern or due to the unnoticed climate differentiation, it didn’t happen during that period.
This year, the process started in March and by now, the dates in the palm trees are ready to harvest. It is as if the nature has hurried itself to be part of the festivities associated with the Holy Month of Ramadan.
It is an amazing feeling to watch the date palm trees full of ripened dates wherever one gets to go around in the UAE. Indeed, the nation is blessed with this hidden wealth, which silently forms a major export item of the country.
If you have missed following the process, keep an eye from now on. You will have many stories to tell based on it.
Ramesh Menon
Short Take – Gulf Today 26 July 2014
Noble deeds – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt. 19 July 2014
Noble deeds
Many a time, I have felt that we have no control over happenings in our day-to-day life. But, when I rethink, I strangely find that we do have a major role in all of them. It is just that we don’t realise the possible intervention angle.
A close friend fighting cancer since a long time passed away last week. He left us as if a job half done and half spoken about. During the final days of his life, he was not in a conscious state. Attending the funeral, I heard his brother mentioning to someone that my friend never ever expected it to happen so fast.
He might have left this world, family and friends with untold miseries. When I look at it, his noble deeds to the community weigh more in terms of hidden wealth to the society and generation that looked upon him.
He was a community person and always believed in highlighting the issues affecting the society either directly or through the press. Several times, we exchanged topics and discussed them. Published and unpublished efforts of his silent societal involvement are many. That is what will leave him immortal in the days ahead in the eyes of all.
My late friend PC Ummer was a man with a mission. At any available opportunity, he was there at the India Social and Cultural Centre Abu Dhabi and other social organisations to share his knowledge and expertise, participating in summer camps and other activities.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
Changing life – Gulf Today – Short Take – 12 July 2014
Changing life
Today, I am in an uneasy frame of mind. While parting is difficult, departing is more difficult.
The first is about my home in Abu Dhabi. It was my home away from home and I had been living in that flat for about 14 years now. My house and the neighbourhood were dear to me.
The building was old with limited facilities and age took its toll. It was declared uninhabitable by the municipality. All the tenants had to look for accommodation elsewhere.
They say, a change is an opportunity. I parted with many old items that I had earlier thought I couldn’t live without. It was a difficult choice to select and pack what I wanted and what I didn’t.
Finally, I moved in to a new place. I am confident I will soon blend in here.
The second one is about a college mate. During our college days we were actively involved in literary and cultural activities, as well as student welfare issues. After graduation, we didn’t know whether our paths would meet again.
I regularly contributed to community issues through reports in local dailies. As I followed the news with keen interest, I noticed a familiar name appearing in the same columns.
Recognising the identity of the person, I gathered his address and contacted him.
It was none other than my college mate whom I thought I would never meet again.
We travelled almost the same path with regards to community issues. Many of our suggestions helped the administrative authorities rectify issues identified without delays.
A few years ago he confided in me about being diagnosed with cancer.
A man of strong will, he did not discuss much about it. He kept himself cheerful and participated in activities of the India Social and Cultural Center and other associations.
Last week, I came to know that he was in the ICU struggling for his life. It was difficult to meet him at the ward in his partially conscious state.
It has been almost a week now and he remains in the same critical condition. We keep hoping that he will recover and return to his normal self.
Treatment for cancer is very expensive and it is high time authorities in all countries came out with subsidised treatment for cancer patients.
Ramesh Menon
Gulf Today, Short Take – 12 July 2014
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online.
ClicksandWrites 
You must be logged in to post a comment.