Letters to the editor
Product Standards Unit needed – My Letters – THE NATIONAL Dt. 14.01.2011
Product standards unit needed
I refer to the front page news article Food reserve to combat rising prices (January 12). The recent surge in consumer prices, in line with related increases in the world market, especially in Asia, calls for the implementation of a consumer standards unit.
This is essential when we look at the shelf price of various products and discounts offered. Over a period of time, prices of items like tea bags, rice and wheat have increased silently. Some companies’ market items like tea bags with discounts compared to similar products distributed by other companies. These products are of inferior quality and thus the need for the grading of consumer products comes in.
A general assumption is that these products repacked here are not higher quality when outsourced from the world market for short-term profit making. Thus these marketing techniques may lead to identifying UAE products as cheaper quality when compared to others imported and marketed directly. A solution would be a UAE standards unit for consumer products sold within the country
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 08.01.2010 – Unpredictable life – a tribute to Levin Madhavan
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 08.01.2010 – Unpredictable life – a tribute to Levin Madhavan
DURING the later part of the ‘90s, I used to have a good friend here. He was a sound engineer and a good RJ working for a radio station that time. Due to his passion for music and arts, we became good friends.
It happened that due to some wrong relationships and moves in life and due to job loss, he had a disastrous end of residency in UAE and left to India for good.
I lost touch with him. It was after almost seven years, I got a call from him and he talked a lot about his life now and then and in between. He was still in love with Dubai and the life and friends and connections he had and was finding it difficult to overcome his huge losses and betrayals. We continued to keep in touch once in a while since then.
It was in April 2010 first week, he called me last and I promised him, next time when I visit India, I will make it a point to travel via his city and meet him.
Although I visited several times after, due to conflicting and hectic schedule, it never happened. However, I kept on writing him mails and was hoping that he was busy but reading my clicks and writes, as he used to tell me and appreciate them whenever he calls.
He was not a regular on email and his schedules were also not easy to reply and hence I thought he must be extremely busy. Last week suddenly, I received an email from a common friend based in Saudi Arabia, asking me about my friend’s or his family contact details back home. In his letter, he wrote about his demise in the first week of April itself.
It was a shock for me when I checked my diary. I found it was exactly after a day he talked to me. All throughout our friendship, he never asked me anything, but that time, he had asked me to enquire about a recording instrument, which may be obsolete now, but may still be available in Dubai second-hand market.
He told me that time itself it may be difficult to find, and even then I searched for it and never found one such unit and had written to him in one of the emails. My emails continued till I received this shocking news.
We meet people strangely in our life’s journey and some remain with us, some move away. Some even though they move, still remain in many ways in our memories, thoughts and deeds. Levin Madhavan was one such person, who will remain in my thoughts and prayers throughout my life.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.
Indian president arrives on first state visit to UAE – My Comments – THE NATIONAL – Dt 22 Nov 2010
My Comments – THE NATIONAL – Dt 22 Nov 2010 – Indian president arrives on first state visit to UAE
Dear Sirs,
To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 01.01.2010 – Magic Words
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 01.01.2010 – Magic Words
Magic words
A New Year comes with lots of expectations and renewed vigour for all. It is a time to think for a change. Many of us come out with new resolutions and make promises to keep those new options permanent to benefit for the days ahead. As we progress, we tend to stray away from them and fit into our old scheme of things. Life goes on as usual. Make sure, all good things planned remain in your focus and action scheme for the next 365 days to come.
I have a friend who told me this incident. He is struggling these days due to various problems happening in life. His job is good and work environment is good too. At office he has a senior manager, who asks him daily with a beautiful smile, “how are you doing today?”
He says, this is one question that keeps him optimistic and forget all his worries and look forward to a productive day ahead. It is like a vitamin to instill enthusiasm, optimism and energy. We may not find many managers like the one my friend luckily has with him. It is an example worth emulating by those in senior positions to motivate their sub-ordinates. A smile, a kind word or a casual query to cheer up and motivate. If not already practised, why not we try to follow it and make it a practice to stimulate the capabilities of those surrounding us.
Let it be an addition to our list of new year resolutions.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online.
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 25.12.2010 – Pleasant Journey
Short Take – GULF TODAY – Dt. 25.12.2010 – Pleasant Journey
Short Take: Pleasant journey
December 25, 2010
WE have reached almost the end of 2010. It was an eventful year considering the economic situation and progress made with limited resources. Those who held on to their hopes and dreams and progressed even an inch have to really congratulate themselves. It requires lot of determination and self-motivation. I salute all those who did it.
I was at a HSE campaign recently. We were segregating waste materials and each one had his own task to do. I was observing a little boy and his father. The boy was very particular in not mixing plastic with paper. He was saying, “Dad, if we mix it, it is not good for the environment. It has to be properly recycled. That’s what my teacher has told us in our class.” I was happy to hear him promoting HSE in his own small way.
Christmas and New Year have brought lot of visitors to the UAE this year. It is a promising sign to see the tourism industry and the business in this region flourishing. It brings hope to all that the economy will revive in 2011 and all those who suffered in some way or other due to the impact of recession will have reasons to smile in the new year and days ahead.
It has been an enjoyable journey for me with Short Take. Each week I had a set objective to look forward to, identify a small happening around and describe it in a friendly way for the benefit of those who love to read.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.
My Letters – GULF NEWS Dt. 24.12.2010 – Baggage allowance
My Letters – GULF NEWS Dt. 24.12.2010 – Baggage allowance
Baggage allowance
Congratulations to Etihad Airways for being named the world’s leading airline for the second consecutive year at a travel industry event.
Etihad Airways now flies to many destinations from Abu Dhabi. Several new destinations, including those in South India, are being added in the near future.
A unified and standard 40 kilogram baggage allowance to all Indian destinations is a common wish-list among the passengers from Abu Dhabi. To travel by [Etihad] will then be a privilege for all to fly from Abu Dhabi, by the capital’s own airlines, from its state-of-the-art airport facilities.
I request Etihad Airways to kindly consider more baggage options on their flights to all Indian destinations alike.
It will also be a good idea for the airlines to partner with major electronic companies and shopping malls and provide special baggage vouchers on transportation of electronic appliances such as television.
This scheme will give a much required boost to revive the consumer sector.
From Mr Ramesh Menon
Abu Dhabi
Mr Hareb Al Muhairi, VP Sales UAE, Etihad Airways, responds:
Many thanks for your congratulations on Etihad winning the “World’s Leading Airline” award for the second year in a row.
Etihad continually looks to add new and innovative features to enhance the travel experience for our customers.
These features currently include online check-in and self check-in at Abu Dhabi airport.
We also recently launched our “India Connect” scheme for members of our Etihad Guest programme travelling to and from India.
India Connect has a range of partners in India and around the world, who provide special offers for members of the scheme.
These partners include restaurants, hotels, retail chains, telecommunications services and financial service providers.
In terms of baggage allowances, this is a key commercial aspect of the airline industry and needs to be managed carefully. That said, the levels Etihad offers customers in all our cabins are among the highest in the industry.
Mr Menon responds:
I thank the management of Etihad for their response. I look forward to their extended effort to give more baggage allowance, than the existing 23 kilograms, to passengers [flying] to Indian destinations so that more families can opt for flying out from Abu Dhabi.
It is the major detrimental factor when travelling during holidays as a family or for that matter as a group with luggage for a long stay.
Gulf News’ intervention has highlighted this issue and I hope that the management of Etihad will consider this important factor in their scope for improvement for passenger comfort and convenience to attract more business to Etihad as well as Abu Dhabi airport.
To read it in original, please visit GULF NEWS online.
Readers Picture of the Day – GULF NEWS – Dt. 22.12.2010 – Time to Work
Readers Picture of the Day – GULF NEWS – Dt. 22.12.2010 – Time to Work
This is a picture I took and submitted to Gulf News recently. It was taken when I was driving from Kerala to Bangalore via Mangalore. This coastal area, Murudeswar, is a beautiful place and were fisherman and at that time I saw the fisherman preparing to go to sea.
Photography gives me great relief to unwind, relax and then prepare myself for the routine/or unplanned task ahead in my daytoday life.
It is a way of looking things in the most beautiful way it can ever get projected.
ClicksandWrites 
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