Information – Positive Thinking
Respecting ramadan
Respecting ramadan
By Kelly Crane, Staff Reporter GULF NEWS Published: September 18, 2007, 23:50
When it comes to knowing what to do – and what not to do – during Ramadan, most of us know the basics: don’t eat and drink in public places, ladies cover up more so than usual and no entertainment across the UAE.
But how many of us actually know why and understand the culture in which we, as expatriates, are living?
Salamah Ghudayer, a cultural presenter from the Shaikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding, says people should even go as far as toning down their blaring mobile ring tones so as not to offend Muslims at work and in the streets.
She says: “Anyone living in the UAE is a visitor here and should respect the traditions of the country.
Cultural lesson
“Everyone is welcome here, but that invitation has been extended in the hope each individual will try to learn a little about the religion, heritage and traditions of the country in which they have arrived.”
Ramadan is the month during which fasting is obligatory for all Muslims.
It is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar (Hijri year).
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and during Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset. At Maghrib, the time of the fourth prayer, the fast is broken and iftar starts.
Piety
The month is a time of piety, charity and good deeds and Muslims refrain from smoking and talking ill of others.
They are expected to spend a large part of their time praying and reading the Quran and helping people worse off than themselves by giving money to the poor or donating food to charity.
Fasting develops a believer’s moral and spiritual values and keeps them away from greed, selfishness and material concerns.
Salamah added: “It is simple really. It’s about being considerate to those around you. Playing loud music in your car is another thing which many non-Muslims don’t think about.
“We all appreciate that not everyone knows exactly what Ramadan is about or how they should behave, but I would encourage people to learn – it is polite and shows an interest in the country you live in.”
Symbols of Ramadan
There are some special decorations that symbolise Ramadan. Among them the lantern and the cannon are the most popular. The lantern signifies light and the cannon sounds the time for iftar.
People usually eat dates and drink water to break their fast as Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) did, so dates are a must on an iftar table.
Salamah Ghudayer, from the Shaikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding, said: “I would encourage non-Muslims to go along to iftar at least once during Ramadan. It is a wonderful experience and will allow you to see, understand and even meet Muslims who are fasting.
“The most basic piece of advice is to have patience. That goes for people of all nationalities – including Muslims. Non-Muslims must be open to becoming educated about the ways of Ramadan and Muslims must respect that some people are still learning.
“If we all have patience, everything will be OK.”
What to do during Ramadan
* Try to cultivate piety.
* Refrain from bad actions.
* Pray and ask for forgiveness. Ramadan is the month of forgiveness.
* Read the Quran.
* Help the needy and give to the poor.
* Ideally, you must double whatever you give during Ramadan, if you can afford it.
* Do not throw away leftover food. Donate it to the needy.
* Join charity groups and do social work.
* Behaviour code
* Do not eat, drink, smoke or chew in public.
* Do not wear revealing clothes.
* Maintain decorum and propriety at all times.
Indians are argumentative: Edward de Bono
Indians are argumentative: Edward de Bono
18 Sep, 2007, 0037 hrs IST,Harsimran Singh, TNN
NEW DELHI: Ever thought of a restaurant which serves no food but still makes money? Or about a restaurant with no lights or a chef or even a menu? Or a restaurant which charges not for food but time spent? Hundreds of such creative business ideas flowed when lateral thinking Guru and inventor of Six Hats Theory, Dr Edward De Bono, arrived in the capital to provoke corporate honchos to ‘think out of the box’. ET caught up with the septagenuarian author of 74 books to understand whether Indians are creative enough?
“From the limited interactions I’ve had, I find Indians very argumentative,” says Dr Edward De Bono. “Argument is a very primitive way of discussion. In contrast, Americans are creative and have a ‘go getter’ attitude. The Chinese have not started thinking creatively but the Japanese are slowly shifting from logic based thinking to creative thinking. French think they are the most creative. But in fact, they are not!,” he told ET on the sidelines of an Indiatimes seminar.
The Malta born psychologist and pyshician has advised hundreds of top companies like Coca Cola, Siemens, Boeing, 3M, Goldman Sachs, Nokia, Rolex, BT, Nestle, Ericsson.(the list is endless) to think out of the box and improve profitability. Dr De Bono also advises many governments on policy isasues related to economy, unemployment, education and conflict resolution. The creative Guru has an instant answer for everything – from how to solve economic problems to how to get rich to how to propose to your girlfriend (or boyfriend)! But we’ll come to the last one in a while.
“How can India become a superpower?” we ask first. “If India can partner China, the two can become a superpower in a short time. Alternately, if India and China can form a coalition bringing other developing nations under its fold, it can beat all other superpowers,” he adds.
And how can we solve the SEZ’s land acquisition problem? “Rather than forcefully acquiring land, if the SEZ owners partner with landowners/farmers, giving them part ownership, they will be happy to give their land.”
Dr Bono has lots more up his sleeve and some creative advise for companies. “A company should appoint a CIO – Chief Ideas Officer. He should be responsible for ideation, collection and implementation of ideas. Ideation should be made more cumpolsory,” says the man who advises the who’s and who of the corporate world.
He gives the example of a bank in England which allows half an hour daily for employees to just think. Bank employees have to report at 9 am and think till 9.30 am.
What are three factors which prevent us from thinking creatively? We ask while he has a glass of water. “Lack of confidence, lack of knowledge of adequate creative thinking tools, fear of taking risks,” comes the stacatto reply.
For those wanting to become rich quickly here’s some Bonospeak: “If you are a professional, sell not an idea but its benefits to your boss. If you are an entrepreneur, identify unsaturated markets and try marketing your products in a way different from your competition.”
Now for those trying to find a match but never knew how to propose, the doctor helps: “Most women find either sensitive or dominant men attractive” Proceed like this, he says with a wink: “Since you are the most beautiful and sensitive girl, I have ever met. And I am one of the most understanding men you will ever meet. Will you like to to settle down?”
And if a woman wants to propose a man? Dr De Bono has an answer for that too. She should say: “Though there are much better looking men around. And I am sure, if I wait, I will surely get one. But since I am getting older, and so are you, why don’t we settle down?”
In case you were still thinking about the no food restarant, it just offers place to eat where people can warm their frozen food in dozens of microwave ovens. Just an idea.
People who dare to ‘do things differently’
People who dare to ‘do things differently’
18 Sep, 2007, 0100 hrs IST,Shubhashish, TNN
MUMBAI: While most flock with the crowd, there are a few individuals who dare to create a path of their own. With nothing but belief, courage and conviction by their side, meet three such people who dared to carve their own niche by exploring opportunities in untapped territories.
They are people who are not lured by ‘what life has to offer’ but instead have something to offer to it. These are people who don’t do things differently but do different things. Three such individuals who dared to invent a new niche and even achieved paramount success give the phrase, ‘doing things differently’ a whole new connotation.
Canine companions
Wasiff Khan, straight after his graduation started a novel dabbawala service for pets! While Raju Patel, the man whose unparallel love for telescopes made him a famous telescope manufacturer and Priya Kumar teaches executives to walk on fire! Sounds interesting? Board the bus.
Wasiff Khan comes from a middle-class Indian family but with dreams unmatched and addictive enthusiasm! Khan gave the age-old adage, ‘A dog is man’s best friend’ a new interpretation altogether. “I was just another college graduate with no specific direction in life and highly skeptical as to what life had in store for me.
That’s when the idea of starting a catering service flashed through my mind,” he says. “I met several people in order to explore the avenue and realised that there was no one offering food for pets!” he recollects. He invested time and research and as he explored further, he knew he had struck gold!
“I began my research by visiting veterinaries and friends who had pets and started gathering as much information as possible but keeping the idea firmly under wraps,” he says. As one phase lead to another, Khan, without any money and no one ready to offer loan for this ‘unique’ business preposition, gambled on.
He prepared a questionnaire about food preferences of different breeds of dogs and approached dog-owners under the disguise of a researcher working on a survey! The intention was to create a database of customers, identify the possible problems with the idea and study the reactions of people of the service.
The next part was the most challenging and there were several questions still lingering in his mind. He wanted to provide freshly cooked customised food to his customers. Khan says that he would collect information related to the personality traits of various breeds, allergies that a particular breed is prone to, lifestyle, habits, etc before customising the food for a particular breed.
“I started making food from my home kitchen and fed stray dogs to put it through test! They liked it and I took the next step of distributing free samples to the dog owners from the database I had created earlier,” he says. “In the first month itself, I got around 35 confirmed customers elevating my aspirations and there has been no looking back since then,” recollects Khan. A dog is indeed a man’s best friend and when it comes to business, it can also be a man’s best bet!
Playing with fire
Ancient India was full of mysterious people who walked on fire, broken glass pieces and climbed ropes. But how would you feel if someone, in today’s world boasts of teaching you to walk on fire and broken glass pieces? Perplexed? This is exactly what Priya Kumar specialises in.
She always wanted to do what others never dared to try! “I never saw a point in attempting something everyone could do,” says Kumar. She feels that there isn’t any point in being ‘just another ordinary person’. Kumar was in Malaysia when she first heard about a fire-walking workshop and ended up enrolling for one. She was moved with the art to such an extent that she attended numerous workshops after that. “I was scared to try it the first time but eventually gave in to the adventure.
There were times during the sessions when my feet got burnt and there were times when they didn’t. I couldn’t understand the reason behind and hence, to understand the mystery, I attended the subsequent workshops as well. The organiser of the workshop was so startled by my dedication that he offered me to be his helper in conducting the workshop,” Kumar adds.
The idea of adding a corporate touch to the fire-walk occurred to her when she was attending a few workshops in Amsterdam. “I thought of starting a ‘Corporate Fire-walking Movement’ and it’s been two years since its inception,” says Kumar. She teaches fire-walking to liberate the corporates from unfocussed approach and make them understand the importance of discipline in their professional careers.
“The targets which seemed outrageous when announced by their bosses felt doable post the walk!” she says. Kumar has been fire-walking for the past five years and says that situations around us are the same, only perspectives differ. And the fire-walk is a novel idea to teach the corporate that important lesson!
Space explorations
Raju Patel, 53, is an ace telescope manufacturer since 1978, which means, in his own words that “99 percent of the telescopes sold in India are mine”! Astronomy was a cherished hobby passed on to him by his father. Patel was all of 20 when he made his first telescope right in the comfort of his home.
He wasn’t an academic person and with an insufficient score to get admission in any college, he joined Sir JJ School of Arts. “I enrolled myself for a photography course and passed it with a first class,” says Patel. He was interested in sky photography but did not have the money to buy a telescope. That’s when he thought of manufacturing small telescopes and selling them.
He eventually bought himself an American telescope. “I developed an instant liking towards manufacturing telescopes and couldn’t stop myself after that,” he says. But the sailing hasn’t been smooth for him. He was taking care of the travel agency which his grand-father started and was manufacturing telescopes alongside. “I quit being a travel agent after 18 years for the sake of astronomy. Astronomy has always been my passion,” he adds.
Patel says that being a non-engineer has been a major disadvantage for him. “One has to be technologically sound to manufacture a telescope and that is exactly where I fell short. It took me a laborious one year to manufacture my first telescope. I did not get any help from anywhere and had only two American books as my reference on how to make telescopes,” he says. But manufacturing telescope was his calling and Patel continues to do the same with penchant and dedication.
‘Different’ was the only word in their dictionary and ‘impossible’ had no place. With a will to make a difference in their lives, they ventured into territories where no one dared. And today, for these three individuals, there is no looking back!
Corporate affair: Make yourself count
Corporate affair: Make yourself count
Most people at the workplace inhabit the far extremes of the spectrum: They either behave like sheep or treat others like them. While the former appear inordinately conditioned by their childhood morals to never come across as pushy, demanding, fussy or impatient, the latter seem to reckon that high decibels and absolutism are the only levers of advancement in a dog-eat-dog world.
The ever-elusive golden median, the trait of assertiveness that has for long been the staple of personal development experts, psychotherapists and self-help books alike, is being increasingly hailed as the make-or-break leadership quality. And yet, in a society split across plastic politeness and presumptive boldness, assertiveness continues to take a bad rap.
In a series of studies carried recently by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Daniel Ames of Columbia Business School and Francis Flynn of Stanford Graduate School of Business have reported a trend that assertiveness seldom qualified as leadership strength when colleagues evaluated one another. On the contrary, it often got bracketed as a weakness, either because the person came across as too aggressive or a pushover. And while the right balance may just be the stuff boardroom role models are made of, striking it is indeed difficult.
Sulajja Firodia Motwani, managing director, Kinetic Motor Company, draws attention to the fluid interpretations of assertiveness at the workplace. “If you are in a leadership role, it is your ability to manage your team effectively so that you can discharge your responsibility effectively. If you are a part of the team, it is your ability to express your thoughts and contribute to team discussions in a meaningful and equal manner. If you are representing your employer in outside meetings or negotiations, assertiveness means communicating your preferences and effectively guarding your interests,” she says.
“One is not being assertive if, in response to someone else’s aggressiveness, one finds oneself doing things that one does not want to do because they are unethical, outside authorised codes of conduct, or outside the job description,” opines Dr Hemant C. Sashittal, a professor of management at the Rochester, New York-based St. John Fisher College.
“Overt assertiveness is when one tries to make a point and change the behaviour of others by trying to argue and win one’s point of view without any public invitation to scrutinise their argument for logic and data, and without offering hard, confirmable evidence to support one’s argument.”
“Assertiveness inevitably conjures up negative images of aggression and combativeness,” avers Rajiv Narang, CMD, Erehwon Innovation Consulting. “This form of assertiveness creates defensiveness and negatively impacts relationships and results, and becomes the greatest block to innovation. Positive assertiveness is the courage needed to express a disconnect with a ‘different point of view’ or with another person’s style of engagement. It is the capacity to not say ‘yes’ when you mean ‘no’ or ‘maybe’; it is the willingness to put forth a radical, unconventional idea without the fear of ridicule; it is the ability to openly express disagreement with a superior without antagonising him or her.”
“Assertiveness is when we weigh others’ rights as well as ours equally,” explains Dr. Sanjay Chugh, senior consultant psychiatrist. “This means being truthful to ourselves and respectful towards others. Assertiveness at the workplace does not mean that we say no to some work because we don’t feel like doing it. It just means that we stand up for ourselves, do not let others trample upon us, and ask for whatever we think is our right. At the workplace, like elsewhere, compromising on things that are important to us will only suffocate us.”
Ames states that an individual’s personality has a strong bearing on his assertiveness. Extroverts, for instance, are likely to be assertive. Often, he observes, people tend to affiliate themselves with like personalities, who then reinforce their behaviour. Experts cannot emphasise enough the need for periodic reality checks on one’s assertiveness. Business psychologists suggest that seeking feedback from colleagues and bosses on how one is perceived or taking stock of whether one is getting the desired results are among the best ways to figure out if one is not being assertive enough or being too assertive in a self-serving manner.
According to Narang, most Indian organisations suffer from a ‘public agreement or public silence’ and ‘private disagreement’ culture. “This breeds mistrust and suspicion and completely dilutes innovative possibilities. Most Indian organisations, both the new players and the legacy organisations, have a hierarchical culture that kills the openness needed to nurture positive assertiveness,” he points out.
As Marie Reid and Richard Hammersley write in Communicating Successfully in Groups: A Practical Guide for the Workplace: “More assertive people tend to have good self-esteem, compared to passive or aggressive people, because self-esteem and assertion are inter-related.”
Ames points out that while overly assertive people tend to be too optimistic and assume too much on other people’s behalf, pushovers may be pessimistic and fear angry reactions to their questions. Changing these attributes, he believes, is more about changing one’s expectations. Ames explains that possessing the right amount of assertiveness is also a matter of reading a situation and fine-tuning one’s style accordingly.
So what degree of assertiveness is indeed right for the workplace? Sulajja Firodia Motwani says that there are three steps to this ladder: assertive, aggressive and abrasive. “The ‘assertive’ is important, I like the ‘aggressive’ too, but I draw a line at ‘abrasive’,” she says. “To me, ‘aggressive’ indicates a strong will and the wish to impose that will, and that isn’t necessarily bad. But it can be a fine line between aggressive and abrasive. Abrasive is when you begin to rub people the wrong way through your attitude and that’s not professional.”
Dr Sashittal thus describes the hallmark of proper assertiveness: “First, is trust being built after every exchange of information? Second, is value being created after every exchange of information? Third, have you maintained your integrity? Fourth, and most important, when people agree in a meeting, does that agreement reflect a deep-seated internal commitment? If people are browbeaten into submission, they sabotage the implementation,” he concludes.
Chak De: Fighting tooth and nail with a team spirit
Chak De: Fighting tooth and nail with a team spirit
15 Sep, 2007, 0316 hrs IST,Apurva Purohit,
Team games have long been seen as character building sports by the world. In Chak De, the allegorical reference to hockey has been used to talk about larger issues assailing our country and much has been written about that, from gender empowerment to the eternal battle between the attention paid to cricket versus all other sports.
For me the movie was, however, a reaffirmation of how sports can teach us some basic lessons in manage-ment, which help mould us as managers and corporate executives, for the better.
Among the many good things my alma mater, Stella Maris College in Chennai, believed in, a 360 degree effort to develop the mind, the soul and the body was key. As such, willingly or unwillingly all of us had to sign up for a sport the moment we entered the hallowed portals of the greatest women’s college in South India.
Serendipitously, I joined the hockey coaching sessions and much to everyone’s surprise, including mine, ended up getting selected as part of the college team. To everyone’s further surprise and shock my short sporting career graph rose sharply with me playing for the Madras University and the Tamil Nadu state team in the three years I spent at Stella.
What was even more surprising was that I ended up enjoying the sport very much! The early morning practices, the gut wrenching situps, the straps chafing into ankles, the navy blue bruises all over our legs, all paled into insignificance against the camaraderie of the team, the satisfying thwack of the ball into the opponent team’s goal post and the glory of various saves made with a courageous leap at the ball.
We were a motley group of girls from all parts of the state from sophisticated Chennai to not-so-sophisticated North Arcot and Selam. One of the first tournaments we played was at the All India National Women’s annual meet. Of course, we were no match for the strapping players from Punjab, the hardy Haryanvis, or the quicksilver teams of the North East . We lost the first two matches by a wide margin and it was rare for the ball to even cross into the opposite side of the field.
As the goalkeeper of the team, I decided that I was culpable for the losses and got into an extremely defeatist frame of mind. I was convinced I would be dropped from the next game and for the next match while the rest of the team went about the business of practicing and warming up, I stood around moping and made no attempts to get into the spirit whatsoever. The team was announced and I was indeed, dropped as the goal-keeper.
We, of course, lost that match too. My coach walked up to me later on and told me that she had decided to drop me, not because of the previous losses (according to her it was the team which had as a whole failed and no fault could be ascribed to any single individual) but I was dropped because she could not afford to have a goal keeper who had lost the desire to win and as such would not even attempt to play well It was not losing the game but my negativity and unwillingness to warm up and get going which had de-termined whether I would be part of the team or not.
Through my demeanor I had clearly indicated to her that in my mind I had already lost the game much be-fore stepping on the field .As coach her duty was to send on the field a team which was willing to at least try till the final whistle even though the odds were clearly stacked against us!
This happened nearly twenty years ago but I have never forgotten that lesson. The reality in life is that one has to keep trying ceaselessly and continuously in whatever one under takes. Wins and losses will be part of every endeavor but to give up at any stage, till the very end, cannot be an option. Especially as managers and executives, everyday there will be something that will not go our way but we have to keep pushing, striving, trying.
( The author is CEO of Radio City )
To retain talent, provide faster growth options
‘To retain talent, provide faster growth options’
15 Sep, 2007, 0034 hrs IST,Shreya Biswas,
An unknown entity just two years ago, Subhiksha Trading Services has now become a household name in Northern India. In existence for almost 10 years, the company set foot in NCR two years back and rapidly expanded its presence to 125 stores in nine months. Subhiksha Trading Services’ president (manpower) Shashi Kanth S S explains the company’s strategy and people issues.Excerpts:
Shashi Kanth S S
President(Manpower), Subhiksha Trading Services
Your focus on cost cutting extends to your selection of office place too. Please
elaborate.
We look at affordable locations as we try to save at least 40% of the cost. But we do provide good interiors and comfortable working environment. However, what is critical is that we make a clear distinction between necessity and waste. This principle always governs our actions at Subhiksha. In fact, we try to cut costs so that we can pass it on to the consumers.
In terms of job stability, are employees from small towns more stable than their metro counterparts?
Yes, they are more stable. And it’s due to a number of reasons. These guys leave their hometowns for employment; they come with various inhibitions and don’t want to switch jobs frequently. Consequently, they stay back with a company, build up their confidence, try to understand the business and the job market scenario. Besides, these people are not culturally-inclined to job-hopping. Moreover, most of the people in small towns are employed in government organisations and a job for them means stability.
With retail sector facing severe talent crunch, how do you think players would get the best talent?
Organisations with strong fundamentals always attract good talent. Good learning climate, aggressive growth (both business as well as rewards), good people practices, defined career progression plan and an objective reward system would help in attracting best talent. Specifically, if we talk about retail, it will be cutting down hierarchy. That way, it will allow junior employees or anyone in the organisation reach out to the top bosses directly, share their problems and ideas. Globally, too, if you see, retail companies had people rising through the ranks. Hence, in the Indian context, if you need talented people to stay back, you have to give them the fast growth option.
Companies are increasingly providing opportunities to their employees to pursue higher studies. Do you think such firms will eventually become universities for youngsters who otherwise couldn’t afford quality education or didn’t have the time?
Creating employability is the cornerstone of tapping and using the vast potential of human capital available in India. Most organisations would like to nurture talent and it’s true for retail organisations too, where people grow from within to occupy higher positions. We also run internal schools where we nurture talented people in order to make them employable in the retail industry. This has been one of the a key initiatives of Subhiksha. And most of the talent that the school has churned out so far, has been enough for us to meet our expansion plans
Why we cannot tolerate criticism
Why we cannot tolerate criticism
13 Sep, 2007, 0005 hrs IST,PARAMAHAMSA SRI NITHYANANDA, TNN
A lady came to me complaining that she is hurt by even small criticisms coming from others. She said she was very sensitive.
I asked her to stop using that word. I said, ‘You are not sensitive. A really sensitive person will be porous; she will allow the words to pass through her. Only arrogant people get hurt. If you are hurt, please understand that you are arrogant. You are strong like a stone, which is why words come and hit you.’
A sensitive person would have allowed the words pass through her; she will never suffer. Even if someone is deliberately rude, a sensitive person understands where such a person is coming from and is not defensive.
Suffering is always from arrogance, never from sensitivity. A person who is sensitive will never suffer. A sensitive person will suffer on account of another person in distress, not for oneself.
You suffer from words when you stop them, when you resist them, when you create your own meaning out of them. When we do not create our own meanings out of words, we do not suffer. We play with words. We always choose nice words to support our ego. We do not say, ‘I am hurt because I am arrogant.’ We always use polished words such as, ‘I am hurt because I am sensitive.’ Please don’t cheat yourself with words. Let your words be unfiltered by your ego.
Let me tell you a small story:
Once, a contractor wanted to donate a sports car to an official. The official refused, saying, “I am an honest person and I cannot think of accepting this gift.” The contractor asked him, “In that case how would it be if I sell you this car for Rs 10?’ The official replied immediately, ‘In that case, I will have two cars!’
When an untruth is wrapped in gift packing, you forget you have a problem. You accept it without a murmur. However, when truth is presented bare, you do protest. Presented bare, truth hurts; ego cannot tolerate truth easily.
We are so concerned about politically and socially correct statements, it seems no longer acceptable for anyone to speak the truth. But it seems to be perfectly acceptable to lie in a politically correct manner.
Ramakrishna says beautifully, ‘Let your words and mind be straightened.’ Whatever is, let it be offered straight without filtering. Learn to accept truth bare. At least you will know you have a problem that you can solve.
Staying efficient
Staying efficient
By Jyoti Kalsi, Gulf News Report GULF NEWS Published: September 15, 2007, 23:04
Fasting during Ramadan has many beneficial effects on our mind, body and spirit. But special care must be taken to ensure that the change in diet and daily routine does not affect our efficiency at work.
Those who have strenuous or outdoor jobs are particularly at risk and must take precautions against accidents due to weakness or dehydration.
Tabloid! spoke to Dr Zarqa Taimur, a specialist in Internal Medicine and Occupational Medicine. Dr Taimur is a member of the Royal Society of Occupational Medicine, the Royal College of Physicians of London, the International Organisation of Safety and Health (IOSH), the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) and the American College of Occupational Environmental Medicine. She provided these tips for employers and employees to ensure a safe Ramadan at the workplace.
Workers such as those operating machines or working on construction sites can be at great risk if they ignore signs of weakness or dehydration that could lead to a collapse. It is advisable to be alert to early symptoms and take a break or seek medical advice.
Symptoms to watch out for
– Dizziness
– Headaches
– Severe weakness
– Blackout or fainting
– Drowsiness on the job
– Inability to concentrate
– Exhaustion
– If you do not feel well, say so and get help. Remember if you have a health problem or are travelling, you are exempt from fasting.
Diet
This month our diet should not differ very much from our normal diet. It should be simple and nutritious to help us maintain our normal body weight or lose weight in case we are overweight.
Recommended diet
Iftar: Up to three dates, one cup orange juice, half cup boiled chick peas with salt and pepper and one cup fruit salad preferably without added sugar or spices.
Dinner: Two slices of whole wheat bread or one cup rice or pasta. Half cup cooked vegetables like okra, spinach or potatoes, chicken, fish or mutton curry, fresh salad, yoghurt, 10 roasted, unsalted nuts and tea or coffee.
Sohour: Whole wheat bread or one cup rice, porridge or cereal. Half cup cooked vegetables or vegetable salad, one orange or half cup grapes, tea or coffee.
How to work optimally
– Reduce working hours
– If possible, work after breaking the fast
– Pace your work and take frequent breaks
– Wear loose comfortable clothes to allow air circulation
– If possible, shower during the shift and change your uniform to stay fresh
– Be extra careful if you have recently returned from vacation or are new to the job
– Rinse or brush mouth frequently as fasting causes a bad odour
After the fast
– Drink plenty of water; those who work indoors with little physical activity should drink six to eight glasses, while those with more physically demanding jobs need to have at least four litres of water.
– Avoid too much tea or coffee as it dehydrates
– Include plenty of fruits in your diet
– Reduce meat and take more porridge and soup
– Avoid excessive fatty food
– Get adequate rest and sleep; avoid heavy social agendas
– Take a stool softener or bulk forming herbal supplement to reduce constipation
Have a medical problem?
– Diabetics: Those taking insulin injections should not fast; fasting can cause loss of consciousness and death. Those who use tablets to control the disease can fast; but they must adjust the medication timings and must continue normal diet restrictions. Some diabetics report better control of sugar levels during fasting.
– Hypertension or high blood pressure: You can fast, but must continue dietary restrictions. Change the medication time from morning to after beginning the fast. Blood pressure tends to fall during fasting.
– Asthmatics, ulcer patients and people with heart disease: Fast if disease is not severe and controlled by medication. Adjust the timing for drugs and maintain dietary restrictions.
– Fasting during pregnancy, lactation or after childbirth: is optional; it can be postponed to a later time.
– Injections or intravenous medication, which is solely medical and not nutritional, is permitted during fasting. Use of eye and eardrops as well as rinsing the mouth and nose are allowed.
Common symptoms during fasting
– Energy levels drop, especially in the first three days as the body adjusts to stored glucose
-Dehydration is experienced more acutely in the first few days because the body takes some time to adjust and start conserving fluids
– Drowsiness due to changes in sleeping and eating patterns
n Headaches, constipation and irritability are other factors commonly experienced during the first few days of fasting- However, most people acclimatise within one week of fasting and energy levels improve
– In the later days of fasting, people often experience exhaustion and feeling cold
The body’s metabolism
– Our diet includes foods containing carbohydrates, fats and proteins
-The body’s main source of energy is glucose derived from the breakdown of food
– Normally the body has enough reserves of glucose in the liver to last 24 hours
– After that is uses energy reserves stored in the muscles
– Its final and maximum reserves are stored in the form of fats
– During Ramadan, when one fasts for less than 24 hours, the body uses its stores of glucose from the liver; in those with high activity jobs other reserves are used too.
Points to remember
– Cut down on coffee and tobacco a week before Ramadan to avoid headaches
– Avoid fatty food, too much coffee or tea, food containing too much sugar such as carbonated drinks
– Eat unrefined and fibre rich foods such as brown bread, barley, oats, beans and lentils to avoid constipation
– Eat leafy veggies, fruits, dry fruits and milk products
– Take adequate fluids and salt to avoid lethargy
– Eat three to four hours before bed time
All for one, once and for all
All for one, once and for all
Khushwant Singh, Hindustan Times September 14, 2007
We are one nation: the consciousness of being one people has grown over the last 60 years and stood the test of unity whenever our borders have been encroached upon by our neighbours. But we have yet to become an integrated nation.
Community differences persist, and far too often manifests in ugly forms — sometimes by outbreaks of communal violence, other times in demonstrations by publicity-seekers pretending their religious susceptibilities are hurt by something someone has said or done. I give a few examples from recent times.
A few nights ago in Agra, a truck hit four men returning from Shab-e-barat. As it happens far too often: people in this vicinity vented their anger by setting fire to trucks, buses, cars and vandalising shops. When it was discovered that the four men injured by the errant truck were Muslims, the violence turned into a Muslim riot. The only explanation is that though outwardly we appear as one people, we have yet to become actually integrated.
Two Sikh members of Parliament, the cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu of the Lok Sabha and Tarlochan Singh of the Rajya Sabha, were shown participating in a havan, performing a Hindu ritual. Sidhu belongs to the Hindu BJP; Tarlochan Singh was elected by BJP’s support.
At Har-ki-Pauri in Hardwar, I’ve seen many perform pooja; they come to immerse the ashes of their relatives and have pandas; all of whom are Hindus, perform Hindu rituals before immersing the ashes. No one finds it unusual. But now both Sidhu and Tarlochan Singh are being castigated for indulging in un-Sikh practices. The inference is that though Sikhs are a part of the Hindu mainstream, there are vociferous elements that are trying to prevent their integration.
All of us — Hindus, Muslim, Christians and Sikhs — have become over-sensitive and touchy about what we construe as attacks on our cherished beliefs.
Some Sikhs are out on the streets protesting against immigration officials examining Sikh turbans before letting them in. But I have not heard anyone protesting against having to surrender their kirpans before they board planes bound for foreign countries. There is no logic behind the protests but they generate the much sought-after publicity.
There are quite a few people who are forever on the look out for what they can construe as attacks on their religion.
Leading a pack are Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi. More than once after they have proclaimed themselves as defenders of their faith, they found that, in fact, no one had actually said or done anything that could be remotely interpreted as offensive to anyone. It is pathetic.
What remains now to knit us all together into one nation, in the true sense of the word, is a more person-to-person relationship between members of different communities. We need more family-to-family mingling, and we must abolish the feeling of ‘us and they’, and actually manage to cultivate the spirit of We Indians.
Baba and his Hen
Human-animal bonding is often more emotive than relationships between humans themselves. Without doubt dogs come first on the list. They respond to human affection more than any other animal and give much more in return for what they get.
However, if a person has more than one as his or her pet, they get half of what they get if they had only one. Cats come next. They cuddle up, love sitting on peoples’ laps and purr in self-satisfaction. But they are selfish creatures and will do the same to anyone who gives them a bowl of milk.
Birds like parrots, mynahs and partridges also get attached to their masters. My friends Romesh and his German wife Ella have a grey African parrot in their large multi-storeyed apartment in Frankfurt. It spends most of its time in a cage, even though the cage is never shut. When Romesh returns from work, in the evenings, the parrot goes wild with joy. It flies around the room, squawks loudly before settling on its master’s turban. Then it perches on his shoulders, tweeks his beard as if its kissing him.
Another friend, Tristan-Jones, kept a donkey in his large unkempt garden of his house in Birchington by the sea.
Every evening, when he returns home, as soon as it hears the sound of its master’s car, the donkey goes berserk, starts galloping wildly, kicking its hind legs in the air and braying hee haw to the skies. It then follows its master into the house, is given a few carrots or sugar cubes before it starts to cool down. Then it put its head in Tristan’s lap and looks at his face adoringly with its large soulful eyes, occasionally snorting liquid out of its flayed nostrils.
Tristan pats its head, kisses its nose and talks lovingly to it before he greets his wife, Analie, and the children. The donkey then trots back into the garden.
But one picture I have will never go out of my mind is of Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, the founding father of the Indian Ghadar Party in America. He was then in his 80s, bent double with age and living alone in a mud hut outside his village, Bhakna, between Lahore and Amritsar.
When I went to visit him, he was lying on a charpoy talking to somebody I could not see. Just above his charpoy was an alcove in which sat a brown hen with its head sticking out. I sat down on a stool, the only piece of furniture in that room, and I started asking him about his past and his days in America (the Ghadar Party and his years in jail). I hadn’t finished this conversation when the hen started cackling. It became louder, and more persistent. Baba admonished her: “Sabar Kar — be patient.”
But it went on and on getting louder and louder. We could not carry on our dialogue, “Achha bhai, too jittee — okay, you win,” he said. And he slowly got up from the charpoy and hobbled to the alcove, put his hand in and brought a freshly laid egg to show to his hen. He patted her on her head and said, “Shabaash — well done! Ab bahaar ja kay khelo — now go and play outside.” The hen clucked in gratitude and went out of the room to let us finish our dialogue.
Touching the heart
Touching the heart
By Saleh Al-Shaibany (Desert Classics) / for Khaleej Times WEEKEND 14 September 2007
I ARRIVED late at a business management seminar. The room was bejewelled with the cream of top business people in the country. I felt small when I entered, but the cloak of journalism that I wore gave me confidence.
As the British lady spoke on the podium, I wondered what these top shots sitting at round tables in a posh hotel could learn from her.
Ten minutes later, I realised why they were all listening intently to her. I recognised half the faces there. They were men and women who were holding senior positions in companies which have fallen behind in their businesses. In other words, they were not making good profits to please their shareholders.
I was not there to pick at people’s faults or even to learn a few management tricks from the expert speakers. I was only there because I had nothing better to do, and so I had decided to please a PR officer managing the event by turning up.
I was about to leave when the lady at the podium said something that made me stop. She asked the delegates to look at the list of words printed on the slides — words like “professionalism,” “eye contact,” “firm hand shake” and “quick decision making” were important to clinch a business deal.
I saw many in that room feverishly making notes, hanging on every word she said. I scanned the list and wondered why she had not included “honesty” and “human element”.
I waited for another 20 minutes for her to start inviting questions. I was the first one to raise my hand. I am not sure what happened. I was sitting right at the back and I thought she was looking in my direction. But instead, she just waited, or I thought she did, until another man demanded attention. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and waited for the next turn.
She ignored me repeatedly until I gave up. The man next to me said maybe I should move to a table in the front. Instead, I moved out of the room and towards the parking space.
The theme of the seminar was right, but the delivery was wrong.
Last week, there was a tribute to Bollywood legend Shashi Kapoor in Muscat. He entered the hall with clasped hands in salutation to show deep respect to his fans. During his long film career, he told the audience, he showed nothing but respect to his elders. That was one of the main reasons that had propelled him to stardom.
In Oman, what “clinches the deal” is the way you hold the coffee cup, the way you decline more coffee by gently shaking the cup. And the way you gladly drink coffee from the same cup the next person has used even when it is not washed.
Europeans who live in the Gulf respect these cultural rituals, though they don’t necessarily accept the so-called “disgusting” ones. Understanding local cultures and heritage pave the way to business agreements in a big way when a local man is the decision maker and has to choose between two people.
I remember, when I started out as a reporter, a senior company executive flatly refused to give me information just because I did not pray in the mosque near my house — the one he worshipped in. For many, it was an absurdity, but it is the way it works here.
Good professionalism provides sound business background, but so does a dagger with a strong stem, but lacking sharpness. You can hold it as a decorative piece, but can’t carve out the choicest meat. A palm on the chest when you apologise might be just a gesture, but it may touch the heart of your potential business partner.
ClicksandWrites 
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