Short Take
Prize for dedication – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 07 February 2015
Prize for dedication
I have expressed this particular emotional feeling within me before. It keeps coming back. To be or not to be a socially committed person? To address or not my observations for improvements to the authorities or not?
I keep saying to myself. No, I will not act or react any further when I get to see negative or even threatening responses at times. I tell myself, do not see things as you see, close your eyes and walk away from the realities.
Can I do that? Honestly, No, is the answer.
I was in the middle of a meeting two days ago and my phone rang. It was an unknown number and the lady at the other end, an officer from the Abu Dhabi Police, verified me and said, you are selected for an award. “Please attend and receive it on Thursday at a function to be held at our premises.”
I asked her what was it and what did that made them select me for it. She answered to me saying, “You have contributed with several valuable suggestions and hence you are one of the recipients for it.”
I went to receive it on Thursday and found myself among a group of officers from the Abu Dhabi authorities privileged to receive the prestigious Ministry of Interior Excellence Award.
Interacting with them I found one common thing, we all carried the same zest for quality and social commitments to make sure safety is of utmost importance at all times.
There was also one thing I noticed, we all did our personal or professional contributions, which paved the way for this award, without aiming for any recognition.
However, it turned out to be a winner for each one of us at a time, when we all literally forgot them. For me specially, when a time, when I was thinking of weighing the pros and cons of such initiatives carried out by me.
It proved the old saying, what you sow is what you reap. Make it a practice to give your best efforts to do good things and a time will definitely come with its reward.
Ramesh Menon
Gulf Today, Short Take Dt 07 February 2015
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
Airport wisdom – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 31 January 2015
Airport wisdom
Travelling offers plenty of opportunities to observe, interact and learn many new things from people and places.
The other day, I was at the airport waiting to board the plane and suddenly a medical emergency came up and it was delayed. Tired and restless passengers joined as groups and started conversing with each other. I happened to be with passengers from the US, Belgium and Switzerland. Our talks led to an interesting question to each other, why we were travelling where we were travelling to!
The elderly person from the US was a citizen of Indian origin, but still keeping connections with his family and friends. It was too cold where he was living and since at his age he couldn’t withstand it, he was moving on to India for a few months.
The traveller from Belgium was travelling for the first time and he was full of expectations towards his holidays from the fascinating stories he heard from his friends who came before.
The third person, who was from Switzerland, was proceeding to India after a brief stopover in the United Arab Emirates. He told us that his daughter, when she was a small child had read about the UAE, its history and culture. From then, she was keen on visiting the UAE at least once.
What she did was to find an educational programme that suited her and was utilising one full semester period in the UAE.
“With this visit, I could see my girl in the UAE and then proceed to India, which is closer to UAE and fulfil my dream of visiting the historic and cultural abundance,” he said.
Keep trying and do it when you get the chance — however long it takes. I am sure, your goals and dreams will come true, if you keep an attitude of this sort.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
That’s the spirit – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 24 January 2015
That’s the spirit
I was at a sports meet organised for children during the weekend.
It was interesting to see boys and girls coming early in the morning and competing with each other to win in each event they participated.
The weather was excellent and so was the ambience.
There was one event where children in pairs had to run together with one leg each of the participant tied to the other. With limited coaching I found a pair of girls winning well ahead of their competitors.
In another race, a group of girls competed against each other. A few of them ran really fast. When the race finished I saw all of them together sharing their experiences.
Among them was a girl who despite losing, remained very positive and told others, “Hey, I lost.” What a spirit!
Those were the most beautiful words I listened to in the recent times.
We have a lot to learn observing our children.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in the original, please visit Gulf Today online
Inspirational turn – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 17 January 2015
Inspirational turn
This is an actual story about a boy who just graduated as one of the best students from a technical institution of significance.
When he joined, he was the most disobedient among the students, always trying to find one way or another to be in the limelight among the backbenchers.
Smoking, making loud sounds or even at times ignoring instructions from the professors, he was taking out his personal frustrations in the college on his fellow students and teachers.
One day, the professors took him and other students on a visit to a school for physically challenged. A boy trying to do a painting caught his attention. He was attracted to his effort to complete forgetting his physical disabilities. Both formed a rapport with each other and our student started helping him instantaneously.
May be it was the first time in life he got connected to an emotional human element. It never died down. Transformed at the realities of life, he was a changed student altogether when he returned to his college.
Then on, everyone saw a different personality in him. He was regular to his class and assignments and at the end of the course, he was the best student in his batch.
Academicians have a big role in transforming students. The students’ success to a certain extent lies in the capabilities of an effective Communication Action Programme whereby they are taught in simple ways how important is education and the significance of becoming a professional by own efforts and merits.
There is always a good human being in everyone and the success of a person or programme is dependent on finding out this and nurturing in the right way.
Students like him are to be congratulated and educationists who identify and develop such national potential at a young age are to be praised.
Ramesh Menon
Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 17 January 2014
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
Avoidable anger – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 27-12-2014
Avoidable anger
The year that is passing by swiftly and silently has been one with mixed emotions and experiences. There were plus and minus aspects as always. Travelling around gave several opportunities for thoughts and photography opportunities, which led to many useful insights that I shared with interest through the Short Take column.
Last week, I was at the airport check-in. The line was long and the airline system was working slow due to some connection problem. A pregnant lady was at the counter handling the passengers. The delay made everyone restless. But, one passenger was more expressive. He reached the counter and as the process took extremely long, he started raising his voice and showering strong words at the girl. The lady was helpless and kept her silence and emotions well.
Standing behind him and watching all the actions, I asked him whether there was any need to raise his voice in such a tense situation unnecessarily as it raised emotions of others as well.
He said to me that it is his way of doing things and he felt comfortable by shouting at her. I smiled at him as well as the lady who was listening to the conversation, as she felt relieved to get some support.
We moved on to the security check point and a person ahead had some items inside his bag which was creating an alarm with the security system.
The screening process had to be repeated several times and it took time.
The man who created ruckus a few minutes before was behind and was standing without any option to show his emotions at the security staff.
We all who watched him shouting looked at him to see how he expressed his anger this time. He knew what we intended and gave us a helpless smile. It was sure he was sorry about what happened before.
A smile has several positive values at all situations. Let the year ahead be a positive one and let us all spread happiness and positive spirit with a sweet smile to those we meet.
Ramesh Menon
Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 27-12-2014
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
Life without a phone – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 20-12-2014
Life without a phone
Weekends are always special. But the last weekend was extra special. I got myself ready with my cameras early morning and set out to capture the sight of the race boats participating in the Volvo Ocean Race reaching Abu Dhabi. It was interesting as the non-favourable wind and weather delayed the arrival. What was supposed to be a two-hour boat trip got extended to more than five hours.
The experience was really good enough to understand the difficulties of the sailors out in the sea. It was all the more tough with limited facilities for those in the race boats participating in this extreme sport.
Closely covering and photographing the journey of the first three boats, I became friendly with the crew and wanted to have some personal shots and thought of taking it using my mobile phone instead of the professional camera. I was happy to pose with them and have some personal memorabilia shots taken.
Someone else had other ideas. As I moved along the crowd and got out to my car, I could not find my phone. I thought it would have fallen down. Reaching home, I searched all over and rang my number. It was ringing. In a few minutes it was giving a switched off mode and gone!
It took a few days for me to get a replacement SIM and phone and reorganise myself. At the beginning, I was feeling sad for the lost phone and the precious photos with the super heroes of Volvo Ocean Race. After a while, I did surrender to the reality and changed it to a blissful situation of absolute silence.
Life without a phone and calls. Unbelievable and absolute peace. Should I thank whoever took my phone and made it possible!
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today Short Take – Dt -20-12-2014
To bee, or not to bee – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 13 December 2014
To bee, or not to bee
Our life is full of predictable and unpredictable actions and activities. That is one thing that makes it interesting. For me, for you and everyone for that matter.
I have been fascinated by a beehive in my balcony that has developed into a beautiful one in size and population.
As the number of bees started growing, we took more caution to leave them alone. What will happen if by chance, the hive was disturbed!
My interest in nature held me from taking any action to remove the hive. I kept on observing them, their lifestyle and routine. With still and video photography, I kept on recording their activities from morning till night.
At one point, it was sure that the hive had to be removed. I was feeling sad till the last minute, as we had to remove it completely from our area.
The action known to us was unknown to the creatures. It gave me an opportunity to think about various natural calamities that happen suddenly without any notice to mankind.
At times, however equipped we are, we are helpless in front of nature and its fury or even any other destructive force that is on us. There is a lot to think about this and am leaving it to your imagination.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online
Busy bee – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt 06-12-2014
Busy bee
I like to travel and of course without fail my camera is always there with me. Visiting different places and meeting people known and unknown give me opportunities to explore new horizons.
Thanks to a long holiday in the UAE, I am currently exploring various cities.
This time my subject is not human beings but a colony of honey bees at a particular spot. Last time, when I visited, the hive was in a substantial size and shape. This time, they have become bigger and better. Without disturbing their habitat, I am exploring their life through different zoom lenses.
It is interesting and keeps me busy. Every story has to have an end and this one too. Very soon, the hive will be removed and harvested for honey and wax.
That makes me wonder if man is the greediest of living beings!
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online
Public speaking – Short Take – Gulf Today – Dt. 29 November 2014
Public speaking
Public Speaking is an art. Some people are very talented at it. So much so, that we love to hear them speak for any number of hours.
It may be natural for some but for others it may be developed over a period of years. Both require indepth knowledge on the subject they speak and also huge amount of preparation before.
It is also the same case when it comes to answering questions spontaneously after the speech on the subject they talked as well as various others.
I was lucky to listen to two such speakers recently. One was a US scientist, who elaborated his mastery and presented it in the simplest manner that even a layman could understand.
The other one was one of my own seniors. With experience in the industry for about 40 years, it is a treat to watch and listen to him on any day. It comes so natural that the audience will never realise how much time and topic is covered until he leaves the podium.
It doesn’t end there as he has a natural way to answer post-speech questions. I haven’t seen him carrying a manuscript for his speech.
However, it was new experience for me and all others gathered who listened to him the other day at a huge gathering.
As he came in front of the podium, he took out a set of papers. Before reading out the key messages from it, he said to all. “Today, I am a virgin! It is the first time I am reading out from a pre-written note!”
It was really an icebreaker to capture the huge audience. Though he ventured out from the note at times, it blended perfectly.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online
Cancer battle – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt. 22 November 2014
Cancer battle
On a visit to India last week, I was at the lounge of Abu Dhabi airport waiting to board a plane. The renovation work happening there meant that the space was crowded.
Among the passengers I found a well dressed lady walking back and forth restlessly answering to phone calls and making her own calls.
At some point of time, she came close to where I was standing and I found that she was calling doctors at a Cochin hospital and enquiring about the health condition of someone in the ICU. Feeling for her stressful situation, I started a conversation with her just to make her relax a bit.
Talking to her I found out that she is a medical professional from Washington DC on an emergency visit to Kerala as her father has been admitted at a prominent hospital in Cochin.
She told me that her father was normal a few months ago and had visited her in the US.
Recently, he was found diagnosed with cancer and added heart and other conditions made things worse and his kidney had stopped functioning now.
It happened that there was lack of medical support and things have now turned out to be really worse.
To aid speedy recovery and assist with right medical guidance she decided to take emergency leave and fly down.
We talked about the recent increase in cancer of various types, especially in the region. Our topics also covered lack of proper medical guidance to the patients and their support system.
At the Cochin airport, I assured her all support if ever she required and left for home.
Next day, I was visiting Cochin for a personal reason and was driving in front of the hospital where her dad was being treated.
To my surprise, I found her coming out of the gate and I told my driver to stop.
She too was surprised to see me again. Her face was totally down and she told me that her dad’s condition had worsened and they did not have any hope. They would try and keep him in a ventilator till her husband and children arrived from the US in the next two days.
I felt too sad and consoled her. Having undergone similar situations in my life twice in the recent years, I know how distressing it is. I said goodbye to her, offering prayers for the speedy recovery of her dad.
Although, it was an unhappy situation we met, I never expected her to meet again when I left her at Cochin airport but we met again and hope we will meet again as her love and willingness for her dad left everlasting impressions in me.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.
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