Team 1 UAE

Ramesh Menon's Clicks and Writes

2010-08-14T14:53:00.001+04:00

Dear Readers,

Due to time constraints, I have streamlined all my blogs to one common point.

Kindly therefore bookmark and visit,

http://www.clicksandwrites.blogspot.com/

Regards,

Ramesh Menon

My Letters - GULF NEWS Dt. 15.07.2010 - Green Diet

2010-07-15T08:42:00.001+04:00

My Letters - GULF NEWS Dt. 15.07.2010 - Green Diet

Short Take - GULF TODAY Dt. 10.07.2010 - Role reversal

2010-07-10T11:27:00.001+04:00

Short Take - GULF TODAY Dt. 10.07.2010 - Role reversal

Community Report - GULF NEWS Dt. 09.07.2010 - Spilt fuel can have dire consequences

2010-07-09T15:29:00.003+04:00

Community Report - GULF NEWS Dt. 09.07.2010 - Spilt fuel can have dire consequences

Unsafe practices at busy filling stations alarm reader

En route to Dubai from Abu Dhabi, when using the Saadiyat Island road, motorists have limited options to fill up their vehicles' petrol tanks once they leave the city.

Either they have to drive to Shahama — which is 40 kilometres away — or get to the major petrol station near Samha, which is 56 kilometres away from the city.

The rush of motorists in the afternoon is on the higher side, as there are many daily commuters who reside in Dubai and work in Abu Dhabi. This makes refuelling an issue, as there is a long queue at both these petrol stations during the afternoon and later on in the day.

On my frequent trips to Dubai, during different times, I have observed some significant safety-related issues and other matters that pose an inconvenience to the public. I wish to highlight them here.

Firstly, there is no petrol station on this stretch of road for about 40 kilometres — and any motorists leaving the city without enough fuel are bound to get stuck. Incidentally, there is no petrol station in the Mina area, too, which has significant heavy vehicle traffic and thus a petrol station at the exit of Mina or somewhere in the Mina area next to vegetable market or the animal market would be welcomed by all motorists who use this road.

Heavy rush

Secondly, I have noticed several times that due to the heavy rush, motorists often go to the wrong side of the petrol-filling units. The attending staff then have to stretch the hose to fill the tank.

The drivers mostly sit inside their vehicles while the petrol station attendants connect the hose and then rush to the next vehicle. The weather is extremely hot and due to the pressure, fuel is often spilled all over the place until someone points it out and asks the attendant to stop and reconnect the hose.

This is an extremely dangerous situation as the engines of vehicles are usually running and a mere spark from any possible source could definitely lead to a major disaster.

Witnessing one such occasion, I made an effort to talk to the station supervisor of a major petrol station near Samha on the way to Dubai and was told that the arrangements of filling on the wrong side, using extended hoses, has been initiated to reduce the rush.

Also, I did not find an effort to neutralise the fuel spilt using sand or any other precautionary safety measures. Only half a bucket of water was poured and the attendants were of the opinion that in the heat, it would evaporate quickly.

Using Gulf News' community report platform, I request the authorities to set up a petrol station in Mina area for the benefit of motorists and to also provide their staff with the necessary safety training. Safety equipment must be installed and made available at these units, too.

People should be given instructions not to leave their cars unattended if they are being filled at the wrong side of the petrol pump. Drivers also have a major role in ensuring safety as they have to keep an eye on the process and if there is any problem, should alert the staff immediately.

Safety is the responsibility of every individual. Let us not act after an incident has occurred — let us try and prevent it.

— The reader is a technical officer, based in Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit GULF NEWS Online.

My Letters - THE NATIONAL Dt. 07.07.2010 - Speeding saves a minute, costs a life

2010-07-07T12:20:00.002+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL Dt. 07.07.2010 - Speeding saves a minute, costs a life

To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.

My Letters - THE NATIONAL Dt. 05.07.2010 - Renewed vigilance on road safety

2010-07-05T07:10:00.001+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL Dt. 05.07.2010 - Renewed vigilance on road safety

Short Take - GULF TODAY Dt. 03.07.2010 - Age Of The Web

2010-07-03T10:22:00.003+04:00

Short Take - GULF TODAY Dt. 03.07.2010 - Age Of The Web

My Letters - THE NATIONAL Dt. 02.07.2010 - Lack of pumps on Saadiyat Island

2010-07-02T11:38:00.002+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL Dt. 02.07.2010 - Lack of pumps on Saadiyat Island

Using the new Saadiyat Island road, motorists are left with the limited option to fill their cars with petrol once they leave the city.

The rush of motorists in the afternoon is on the high side as there are many daily commuters who reside in Dubai and work in Abu Dhabi. This makes refuelling an issue as there is a long queue at petrol stations in both emirates.

This is a major inconvenience as there is no petrol filling station on this stretch for about 40km and any motorists leaving the city with short of fuel has no options to refill. In addition, two of the major petrol pumps in the city are under renovation, making it all the more difficult.

Thus, a petrol station at the exit of Mina towards Dubai or somewhere on the new road after the exit from Abu Dhabi city will be welcome by all the motorists.

I humbly request the authorities to initiate necessary measures to ease the refuelling difficulties of motorists.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt. 01.07.2010 - Dangerous Vehicles in Dubai

2010-07-01T09:17:00.001+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt. 01.07.2010 - Dangerous Vehicles in Dubai

About Me

2010-07-01T09:08:00.015+04:00

About Me

Trying my best to create a family of Positive and Quality minded people. Bringing Creativity in to life and Never give up are the two wheels of my life cycle (it has been revolving and evolving a lot and it will continue too). You may visit my related blogs to watch my small steps towards the above cause.

I believe that all great achievements and success in life, and all changes for the better, have one powerful characteristic in common: The First Step. Take the first step, and the journey has a way of taking care of itself.” This is the motto behind my Team 1 blogs and associated groups intended to promote TQM and Positive Thinking values.

Achievements:

I am an active participant in various HAVE YOUR SAY Programmes happening within UAE and around. This has resulted in winning a few prestigious achievements over the last few years like:

• Distinguished Contributor for Dubai Municipalities Have Your Say Programmes in 2006

• 2nd amongst the Top 10 Contributors for Dubai Municipalities Have Your Say Programmes in 2007.

• Winner – Malayala Manorama Jeevajalam Photography Competition 2009

• Hit 96.7 FM Hit Hero of the Month of June 2009

Please find below a random listing of my creative suggestions which have been accepted/ implemented partially or fully or under discussion by the UAE authorities:

With Dubai RTA/Dubai Municipality

- Introduce speed breakers on public transport vehicles

- Introduce road safety kit in new vehicles

- Introduce Speed Awareness Campaign- by way of training, leaflets etc , on going.

- Initiation of safety training for 15 seater drivers

- Display of contact numbers on 15 seater vans and heavy vehicles

- Digital ID card for school children to monitor arrival and return to school from home using various transport options.

With Abu Dhabi Authorities:

- Abu Dhabi Mall pedestrian signals - Adjust the Pedestrian crossing signal timing in front of Abu Dhabi Mall as it is dangerous for public

- Hygiene hazards - Public trash bins in Hamdan street - create health hazards.

- Close the broken barriers on the prominent street before you fine - accepted by Abu Dhabi Police and the authorities have instructed Municipality to close these broken barriers before they fine the public.

- Introduce a system of giving compulsory training for those who do minor traffic offenses and those who accumulate black points - suggestion partially carried out in Dubai, under study in Abu Dhabi.

- Banning of Heavy vehicles, especially trucks from Salam Street during day time and use alternate road of Sadiyat Island to get in and out of Abu Dhabi town.

- Introduction of Bus Route No. 6 to benefit ISCC Abu Dhabi members and Mina Bird Market users.

- Automatic and moveable LCD Road signs on Abu Dhabi – Dubai high way to give warnings during bad weather conditions and other emergencies.

- Increase the frequency of buses to Ruwais and Al Ain during public holidays and rush hours.

- Introduce Free Wifi spots in all major clubs including ISCC Abu Dhabi

Ongoing:

- Bring back the Volcano Fountain - - most historic monument of Abu Dhabi - got demolished during the recent developments and did not find a place. Suggestion to bring it back and persistent follow up to bring it back in a prominent location on the corniche of Abu Dhabi or its new development has resulted in the formation of a committee to finalise their decision.

- Introduce QUEUE system in bus and taxi stops - ongoing vigorously with all major authorities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

- Ban Smoking Corners from front of shoping malls and public places

- Introduce a U-Turn and Signal at Mina Bird Market area to resolve traffic safety issues.

- Bus stop on Electra street requires complete renovation - city image - refer his report in Gulf news.

- Introduction of a special stop for Bus Routes No. 11 and 12 in front of ISCC Abu Dhabi to benefit members and Mina Bird Market users.

- Introduce warning notice at pubs about dangers of drunken driving

- Suggestions to the Ministry of Labour in conjunction with Ministry of Information and Police to utilise the extended summer break to create a Safety and Health Awareness Campaign benefiting the numerous work force who avail this free time.

- Lady drivers for school buses transporting girl students

- Formation of a mandatory committee at schools comprising of Management, Teachers, and parents to monitor and control bullying by students and teachers and also to initiate regular steps for academic improvement.

- Consider special concession to schools, for daily operating items, such as, Telephone, Electricity, Water, followed by discounts on school bus registration fees, staff immigration and naturalisation costs etc.

- Banning of three wheeled electronic cycles from the streets of Abu Dhabi as it creates danger to the rider as well as fellow road users.

- Request for a petrol station at the exit of Mina towards Dubai or somewhere on the new road after the exit from Abu Dhabi city to ease the refuelling difficulties of motorists.

- Call for added participation of organisations, various regional associations and Embassies through public awareness campaigns.

- Call for voluntary participation by Television and Radio media to reach safety related announcements and warnings to reach more public.

- Request to Education Ministry and School authorities should make it a point to create Health, Safety and Environment as a regular topic in the curriculum of children.

- Request to the Department of Transportation and Police authorities to install speed restriction signs and measures on the road towards Mafraq Hospital and also insist Mafraq Hospital authorities to have a circular to their staff educating them not to speed while coming for work, even if they are late.

- Request for modification to the high-tech waste disposal system newly installed in Abu Dhabi city to accommodate easy disposal keeping hygeine issues.

Interests:

Writing, Driving, Computer graphics, Photography, Painting, Playing Tabala and other percussion instruments, Swimming, Playing & Coaching Cricket and Football, Cooking, Promoting Arts, Culture & Tradition, Positive Thinking and Total Quality Management.

Favorite Movies

A movie which I dream to create.... Working on it. One day very soon.

Favorite Music
I love music and I like diversity. So from hard rock to classical Indian carnatic and classical western I find it interesting. As a self learner I listen to music and learn the beats of the instruments while I find solace in it.

Favorite Books

I love to read and reads whatever comes on my way. However, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carneige is precious. I also read Lalita Sahasra Namam book (with meanings) and Sai Sat Charita daily.

Writing Interest:

My interest in Community Journalism urge me to pick up various subjects with interest and my photography and drawing interest complements it with the right photos to give those reports life, meaning resulting it to reach the public with added value. This has also resulted in achieving a more than 60 % of my suggestions to the various Have Your Say programmes to be listened and acted upon in favour by the authorities concerned.

With the above interest, I regularly write and present photographs of interest in letters section and other columns of relevance in the major newspapers like The National, The Gulf News, Khaleej Times, Gulf Today, Malayala Manorama etc and even have an exclusive page dedicated for NRIs at www.irinjalakudalive.com a website of my home town.

I promote:

Team 1 Talent Share Fan page and Passionate Photographers group.

Team 1 Talent Share blog and fan page is dedicated to promote non-performing and performing art forms amongst children and adults. A Talent or Knowledge within you is to be shared is the motto of it.

Passionate Photographers group on Face book is created and dedicated to promote those who are passionate in photography to click and exhibit more. Every photo clicked is a history. You will never be able to re-create that precious moment. I consider photography as the best tool to promote positive thinking values because you never click an object with a negative output in mind. You are free to upload photos as you passionately take them in your daily life.

My blogs and groups are mentioned at the end of this profile.

My contacts:

E-mail: team1dubai@gmail.com
Phone: 00 971 50 443 83 06

Updated: 07.07.2010

My Letters - GULF NEWS Dt. 27.06.2010 - Congratulations

2010-06-27T08:05:00.003+04:00

My Letters - GULF NEWS Dt. 27.06.2010 - Congratulations

Short Take - GULF TODAY - 26.06.2010 - Safe Approach

2010-06-26T10:37:00.001+04:00

Short Take - GULF TODAY - 26.06.2010 - Safe Approach

My Letters - The National - Dt. 25.06.2010 - The need for Safety Equipment

2010-06-26T10:35:00.001+04:00

My Letters - The National - Dt. 25.06.2010 - The need for Safety Equipment

My Letters - The National - Dt. 22.06.2010 - Let schools teach responsibility

2010-06-22T13:50:00.001+04:00

My Letters - The National - Dt. 22.06.2010 - Let schools teach responsibility

My Letteres - Khaleej Times Dt. 18.06.2010 - Excellent sports coverage

2010-06-19T12:47:00.001+04:00

My Letteres - Khaleej Times Dt. 18.06.2010 - Excellent sports coverage

Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 19.06.2010 - A lesson for schools

2010-06-19T10:19:00.004+04:00

Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 19.06.2010 - A lesson for schools

To read my weekly write up for Gulf Today, please click on Short Take

To read it in original, please visit Short Take section of Gulf Today.

My Letters - THE National - Dt. 15.06.2010 - More efforts to prevent fires

2010-06-15T08:13:00.003+04:00

My Letters - THE National - Dt. 15.06.2010 - More efforts to prevent fires

Photo Speaks - GULF NEWS - Dt. 13.06.2010 - Fire breaks out in Abu Dhabi building

2010-06-15T08:10:00.002+04:00

Photo Speaks - GULF NEWS - Dt. 13.06.2010 - Fire breaks out in Abu Dhabi building

13 June 2010 - 3rd year of Team 1 blogs

2010-06-12T14:03:00.014+04:00

13 June 2010 - 3rd year of Team 1 blogs

Dear Friends,

It is with immense pleasure and gratitude, I am writing this note.

Tomorrow, 13th June 2010, will mark three years of my blogging. What started as a small email group named Team1Dubai to interact with and motivate a group of students of IGNOU Dubai, is now branched into different vistas of communications.

On 13th June 2007, as per a suggestion by a friend, Mr. Mohan Iyer from Australia, I started my first blog www.team1dubai.blogspot.com. The interest it generated and the reach encouraged me to branch out my interests and activities into the following blogs and interactive medias:

13-Jun-07 Team 1 Dubai http://www.team1dubai.blogspot.com/
25-Nov-08 Indian Bloggers Nest http://www.indianbloggersnest.blogspot.com/

14-Aug-08 Athaani http://athaani.blogspot.com/
06-Oct-08 Talent Share http://talentshare.blogspot.com/
03-Dec-08 Team 1 UAE http://www.team1uae.blogspot.com/
01-Apr-09 CBSE Plus http://www.cbseplus.blogspot.com/
30-Sep-09 Team 1 Passionate Photographers http://team1passionatephotographers.blogspot.com/

And then Team 1 Talent Share Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/Team1Talentshare
Passionate Photographers group : http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=108518287970

Each one has it’s own significance and purpose and I have always tried to mark its relevance whenever there is an opportunity or need.

The encouragement and support received from all of you are highly significant and I do not want to miss out on THANKING any one who took their time out to visit and read what I posted.

This has also resulted in focussing seriously on Community reporting benefiting on several progressive measures for the welfare of the community.

With a combined readers count approximately numbering till date to 251,000 hits and with Face Book hits, it is continuing to grow slowly and steadily.

Photography, music, education, communication, HSE, Social Service. Interest and involvements are multitude in nature and each of them are kept active periodically as time and opportunity permits . However, in the recent times, I have kept my focus mainly on http://www.team1uae.blogspot.com/ and http://www.talentshare.blogspot.com/ and you are invited to continue your visits there and keep showing your interest as well as invite your friends who you feel will benefit a point or two from my postings.

God bless you all to have a great journey ahead.

Ramesh Menon
12.06.2010

Short Take - Gulf Today - 12.06.2010 - Careless actions

2010-06-12T13:39:00.004+04:00

Short Take - Gulf Today - 12.06.2010 - Careless actions

To read my weekly write up for Gulf Today, please click on Short Take

Become a Fan of Team 1 Talent Share and show it on your profile

2010-06-10T12:23:00.005+04:00

Become a Fan of Team 1 Talent Share and show it on your profile

Team1Talentshare

Promote your Page too

My Letters - Gulf News Dt. 10062010 - Unauthorised food outlets

2010-06-10T07:47:00.005+04:00

My Letters - Gulf News Dt. 10062010 - Unauthorised food outlets

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

A note:

Incidentally, this is my 201st published material in print media, after I started seriously keeping a track of them and blogging them each time they get published. As you may notice, each of them is a dedicated effort to highlight a good deed done by an individual or group, or a problem that may affect the society in general. A parallel effort to highlight them directly with the authorities is also being made and these letters give substantial support to those efforts.

Every time I blog it or publish it, questions are raised, how do you get time. It is by practise of observing things more closely, keeping a small note and pen with me and then allotting few minutes here and there dedicated to each one of those tasks. It’s an effort done with passion and hence the result.

Sincere regards and enjoy reading.

Ramesh Menon
10.06.2010

Little World - a nice programme by Amrita TV on Sundays

2010-06-09T15:19:00.011+04:00

Little World - a nice programme by Amrita TV on Sundays

Little World - a nice programme by Amrita TV on Sundays

I was really touched by the episode that was shown on Sunday, 6th June 2010. Sincere thanks for presenting a beautiful message of compassion and love for those children of Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) Trivandrum. I am sure, many who watched this programme will have the same feeling.

To say "Help Them" is very easy. But to be with them and help assist them to ease the pain, agony and emotions of them as well as their families is very important. So, if any of you get an opportunity to be with them and bring a happy smile on their face, please do utilise it.

Sincere pranams,

Ramesh Menon

My Letters - Gulf News Dt. 24 May 2010 - Write it right, education body alerts Filipinos

2010-06-09T10:35:00.003+04:00

My Letters - Gulf News Dt. 24 May 2010 - Write it right, education body alerts Filipinos

Write it right, education body alerts Filipinos

Filipino students told to use proper English even when sending text messages or using social networking sites

By Gilbert P. Felongco, Correspondent Published: 00:00 May 24, 2010

Manila: In a bid to compel young Filipinos to toe the line on correct language and communicate effectively, the education department has ordered teachers to force students to use proper grammar when writing or keying in their messages.

Education Secretary Mona Valisno said the use of mobile phone text messages in daily communication, to a certain extent had been detrimental to Filipinos because text message users were forced to sacrifice message clarity for the sake of keeping up with pop culture.

Owing to the limited lines of text mobiles are capable of handling, some Filipino text message users tend to shorten their messages.

While limiting the amount of text is understandable for short messaging services, such a practice was being used more widely in non-formal avenues such as on social networking sites as Facebook, Multiply and Friendster, among others.

"I understand that shortcut texting helps save on cost of SMS," Valisno said.

"Short messaging service is intended for delivering concise messages and not full conversation.

"This means you can properly compose a 160- character message in full spelling to get your message across."

Another major issue that the education department was trying to address is the increasing number of young Filipinos who tended to veer away from conventional English and Filipino grammar and use typefaces that ordinary people found difficult to read, let alone understand.

But Valisno said Filipinos should stop the practice if they want to remain competitive.

My comments as follows:

This is an excellent move by the education department of Philippines. In reality, it should be followed by all. The Short Message Syndrome (SMS) is cancerous in tempting children to deviate from communicating in full and confine to a world of limited expressions. It is not easy to move away now from the world of Twitters and Facebooks, and however, authorities try to restrict, children and even will find it attractive some way or other suiting their intellectual or other worldly tastes. It is therefore, good to initiate measures to start conversing in full even within the limitation of word count restrictions. Train them young and well for future. Otherwise, it will be another catastrophe that we all will have to look up on in the future - a global tapering of language.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

To read it in original, please visit GULF NEWS ONLINE.

My Letters - Khaleejt Times - Thank You

2010-06-08T07:30:00.002+04:00

My Letters - Khaleejt Times - Thank You

Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 05.06.2010 Special Compassion

2010-06-05T09:59:00.003+04:00

Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 05.06.2010 Special Compassion

To read Short Take exclusively written for Gulf Today, please click here.

My Letters - Khaleej Times - 02.06.2010 - Banking woes

2010-06-02T10:48:00.002+04:00

My Letters - Khaleej Times - 02.06.2010 - Banking woes

My comments : The National - Dt. 02.06.2010 - Breakdown causes traffic gridlock

2010-06-02T10:45:00.001+04:00

My comments : The National - Dt. 02.06.2010 - Breakdown causes traffic gridlock

An opportunity to participate and showcase your photography skills.

2010-06-01T18:57:00.005+04:00

Dear Friends,

An opportunity to participate and showcase your photography skills.

A group of photographers under the umbrella of Abu Dhabi Photographers club group on Face Book is conducting an activity workshop on the morning of Friday, 4th June 2010. The first week’s theme is to capture the Sunrise at Zayed Al Adeel, a scenic spot at Abu Dhabi Corniche.

In order to motivate them and exhibit their clicks, and also utilize this theme as an option to regroup ourselves, I invite you to click the Sunrise, you see on the same day, wherever you are and present them at Passionate Photographers.

Date: 04 June 2010
Time to click: Between 05:00 am and 07:00 am
Theme: Sunrise

Sincerely looking forward to your photo presentations, with location details and time you clicked at Passionate Photographers group before 08 June 2010:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108518287970

I request my friends from other Photography groups to circulate this email to members of various group for participation with interest.

Best photos from those submitted will be presented at various media and publications with prominence and credits highlighting your skills.

Ramesh Menon
01 June 2010

Short Take - GULF TODAY - Dt. 29.05.2010 - Life's challenges

2010-05-29T10:42:00.002+04:00

Short Take - GULF TODAY - Dt. 29.05.2010 - Life's challenges

My Letters - GULF NEWS - Dt. 28.0.50.2010 - Pray for the departed

2010-05-29T10:31:00.003+04:00

My Letters - GULF NEWS - Dt. 28.0.50.2010 - Pray for the departed

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt. 26.05.2010 - Fine reporting on tragic event

2010-05-26T11:10:00.001+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt. 26.05.2010 - Fine reporting on tragic event

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt 23.05.2010 - Air India confirms 158 dead in crash

2010-05-23T15:01:00.001+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt 23.05.2010 - Air India confirms 158 dead in crash

Air India confirms 158 dead in crash
Praveen Menon and Leah Oatway

Last Updated: May 22. 2010 11:30PM UAE / May 22. 2010 7:30PM GMT
Civilians look on as Indian firefighters and rescue personnel gather around the site of an Air India plane that crashed in Mangalore, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, Saturday, May 22, 2010. AP Photo
An Air India Express passenger plane from Dubai crashed outside the Mangalore airport in southern India today, killing 158 people when it burst into flames after overshooting a table-top runway and plunging into forest below.

There were only eight survivors after the Boeing 737-800 appeared to have skidded off the runway in rain in Karnataka state, Air India director Anup Srivastava said.

It is believed 146 bodies had been recovered.

“We had no hope to survive, but we survived,” Pradeep, a survivor who is an Indian technician working in Dubai, told local television.

“The plane broke into two and we jumped off the plane. As soon as the plane landed, within seconds this happened.”

Investigators in India say the preliminary findings show the aircraft touched down about 2,000 feet (610 metres) too late on the 8,000-foot runway. But experts said that type of aircraft still had plenty of room to stop safely.

The national carrier of India had 163 passengers, seven crew members and four infants. As many as 19 of the passengers were children.

The flight took off from Dubai Airport Terminal 2 at around 1am this morning and was expected to land at the newly constructed Mangalore Airport.

The entire Kenjar village has turned into a crash site as rescue operators search through the wreckage for possible survivors.

The black box has been recovered from the flight.

“The black box of the aircraft has been recovered and the mandatory court of inquiry ordered by the Director General of Civil Aviation,” WAM news agency reported from India.

The Indian consulate in Dubai confirmed that they have been flooded with calls since morning as many Indians living in the UAE were on the flight.

According to Mr Pathak, the airline has been contacted by many passengers' relatives in Dubai and is considering chartering a flight to Mangalore for relatives.

A hotline number has been set up at Terminal 2 airport and another city control room will soon be functional at the Air India office in Dubai.

Delhi: 011-25656196, 25603101
Mangalore: 0824-2220422, 2010167
Dubai: 00971-4-2165828, 00971-4-2165829

Air India Express operates flights out of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Sharjah International Airports.

Flight IX 812 operates seven days a week from Dubai International Airport Terminal II to Mangalore Airport at 115 am with a flight duration of 3 hours, 45 minutes. The fare for a flight next Friday May 28 on the Boeing 737-800 is dh750.

The company also operates five flights per week from Abu Dhabi to Mangalore

My comments as follows:

I join amongst many expatriate passengers who has no other alternate option other than to use limited operational facilities of Air India Express to travel to various smaller airports in India. The fear associated always with flying in it, especially during the landing is always talked up on. God forbidden, there were no tragedy involved, but it was not the case this morning. I was one amongst the many with profound grief and sadness, who gathered for a condolence meeting held at the ISCC Abu Dhabi to pray for the departed souls. Many stories were told touching our emotions about lost friends and family, known and unknown. May be it is due a technical error or human error, or some other unknown reason. Finally, it is a national loss and a major personal loss to those who got affected in it. Let us all, pray to god, calamities of this sort never repeats due to man made errors, as fate and destiny never give choices to us to escape from the natural disasters of unknown kind.

Ramesh Menon
Abu Dhabi.

To read it in original, please visit, THE NATIONAL online

Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 22.05.2010 - Power of Team Work

2010-05-22T10:29:00.002+04:00

Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 22.05.2010 - Power of Team Work

Akkare Ninnu - Vol. 7 Dt. 18.05.2010 - an exclusive NRI page written for www irinjalakudalive dot com

2010-05-18T16:29:00.008+04:00

Akkare Ninnu - Vol. 7 Dt. 18.05.2010 - an exclusive NRI page written for www irinjalakudalive dot com

Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 15.05.2010 - Highway Mechanic

2010-05-15T09:55:00.004+04:00

Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 15.05.2010 - Highway Mechanic

To read Short Take exclusively written for Gulf Today, please click here.

Speak your mind - GULF NEWS - Be Heard - Dt. 14.05.2010 - Fixing the problems in schools

2010-05-14T18:07:00.002+04:00

Speak your mind - GULF NEWS - Be Heard - Dt. 14.05.2010 - Fixing the problems in schools

country's future lies with the youth and their development

By Ramesh Menon, Gulf News reader Published: 19:38 May 13, 2010
The talk of the town is school transportation. Should school buses have tinted windows or curtains? Also, once children reach school, what should we do to prevent abuse — from other students and teachers? A tough task indeed.

Let’s think of some viable options that are safe and harmonious.

There should be women drivers for school buses that transport girls. They will be more cautious drivers and students will be transported to and from school without being leered at. I am not generalising that all drivers are bad, but this is an option that could be taken into consideration.

It seems that putting cameras in classrooms will have to wait. At present, schools are hard-pressed to make ends meet and this isn’t a feasible option under the present economic scenario.

Therefore, to prevent children being bullied by other students or teachers, I would suggest:

• A committee should be formed for each school, comprising school management, teachers and parents. On a monthly basis, they should meet to assess the situation. Sealed complaints and suggestion boxes should be kept in schools, to be opened only by committee members.

• A higher committee comprising members from this team and from the school governing body, the Ministry of Education and police (a counselling or special team) should be formed. The school-level lower committee should submit a monthly report of any incidents.

• A daily or weekly duty officer should be appointed from among the lower committee with a contact number. Urgent matters should be handled immediately by the duty officer, after properly logging it and informing the committee. They should then try to resolve it amicably.

• If there are any serious cases, they should immediately call for an emergency meeting with the members of the higher-level committee and then analyse it thoroughly. At this time, they should take strict disciplinary action against both the student and his or her parents, who are equally responsible.

• Additionally, I suggest that the authorities consider special concessions to schools, for daily operating items. This will naturally bring down the operating costs for the schools and allow them to enhance their existing facilities or reduce school fees.
A country’s future lies with the youth and their development and these efforts will definitely bear fruit in the long run.

I submit this suggestion to the Ministry of Education through Gulf News’ column. Are there any like-minded readers out there?

— The writer is an Abu Dhabi-based technical officer and Gulf News reader
To read it in original, please visit GULF NEWS online.

Akkare Ninnu - Vol. 6 Dt. 10.05.2010 - An exclusive NRI page written in Malayalam for www irinjalakudalive dot com

2010-05-13T17:41:00.007+04:00

Akkare Ninnu - Vol. 6 Dt. 10.05.2010 - An exclusive NRI page written in Malayalam for www irinjalakudalive dot com

My Opinion - Khaleej Times - Dt. 13.05.2010

2010-05-13T08:13:00.003+04:00

My Opinion - Khaleej Times - Dt. 13.05.2010

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Opinion - THE NATIONAL - Dt 10.05.2010 - THE NATIONAL - Illegal U turn tempts many motorists

2010-05-10T09:00:00.004+04:00

My Opinion - THE NATIONAL - Dt 10.05.2010 - THE NATIONAL - Illegal U turn tempts many motorists

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt 10.05.2010 - Bring universities to India

2010-05-10T08:37:00.002+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt 10.05.2010 - Bring universities to India

To read the original news, please visit THE NATIONAL ONLINE or read here below:

Indian academics attack plan to allow foreign universities into India
Shaikh Azizur Rahman, Foreign Correspondent

Last Updated: April 28. 2010 12:12AM UAE / April 27. 2010 8:12PM GMT
A student group protests against the plan to allow foreign universities to operate in India. Amit Dave / Reuters
NEW DELHI // A proposed law that would allow foreign universities to set up campuses in India has been condemned as a threat to India’s education system by teaching experts and academics, in a country where tens of thousands of students travel overseas to study every year.

The cabinet approved the controversial bill on March 15 and it is likely to be introduced in parliament within the next few weeks.

The government of the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, and others argue that foreign campuses will bring a much-needed boost to the standards of higher education.

But “the privileges proposed to be given to foreign education providers in the bill will kill our own educational system,” said Pushpa M Bhargava, a scientist and former vice chairman of the National Knowledge Commission.

“Knowing the lure of a foreign label for most Indians – especially the rich and the powerful – our own universities will become like today’s government schools, where only the children of the poor and the deprived go to receive no education.”

Mr Bhargava said foreign universities will come to India “not for any altruistic reasons” but for business.

The vice chancellor at the University of Madras, G Thiruvasagam, said the arrival of foreign universities would be “very dangerous for the nation” and that “social justice would become a casualty” in the country’s higher education sector.

“Those foreign universities will not … admit students from economically backward backgrounds – which is quite contrary to the purpose of inviting the foreign universities to India,” Mr Thiruvasagam said. “Should we give our land and resources to foreign institutions to take care of the interests of the rich alone?”

For decades, the brightest and most privileged Indian students have sought higher education in different developed countries. This has accelerated in recent years as increasing numbers of Indians seek jobs with international companies both in India and abroad.

According to the National Knowledge Commission, which advises the prime minister, about 160,000 students leave India every year to study in foreign universities, spending US$4 billion (Dh15bn).

In a report, the global investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs recently counted the lack of quality education as one of the 10 factors that could hold India back from reaching its economic potential.

International employers have long complained that in the absence of quality higher education, India is suffering from a massive shortage of skilled professionals and, according to various industry estimates, up to 75 per cent of all Indian university graduates are not employable.

Some in the information technology industry say that only one in 10 graduates are worth hiring, according to press reports.

Kapil Sibal, a minister at the human resource development ministry, which is behind the bill, described it as a “milestone which will enhance choices, increase competition and benchmark quality”.

The government hopes to push the number of students going on to higher education to 30 per cent by the year 2020 from the current level of 12.4 per cent. To meet the target, foreign university campuses in India would extend crucial help by providing infrastructure, Mr Sibal said.

“Nearly one among three Indians is under 14. Over the next 10 years we are going to have more than 40 million children going to college [for bachelor’s degrees] and to meet this demand, we would need up to 40,000 colleges and 1,000 new universities during this period.

“India has about 480 universities and around 22,000 colleges … but we are still 40 per cent less than the required numbers, which I think is critical.”

Mr Sibal said the government alone could not build the planned infrastructure of universities and colleges, so it decided to open up the sector to overseas institutions.

“No foreign investor can repatriate money abroad but has to put it back into the educational sector in India. We have already discussed the issue with foreign investors and they have agreed to it,” Mr Sibal said.

Many foreign universities already have links with Indian business schools or engineering colleges. Analysts estimate that recruiters will hire at least 13.8 million Indian graduates over the next five years to meet the demand of the employers.

Karan Khemka, an education consultant with Parthenon Group in Mumbai said foreign universities could also help raise the standard of Indian universities.

“Just as deregulation of health care or telecom has given Indian consumers choice and quality, the same applies to education. Today the Indian student must struggle to get into what by western standards are shoddy and sub-par colleges because they have no choice. Competition will clean up the industry,” he said.

But D Revathi, a student at the University of Madras said the bill had no provision for quotas for the poor or disadvantaged students. “Quality higher education will become the exclusive privilege of the rich in the new scenario,” he said. “What purpose will the new universities serve if they aren’t socially inclusive?”

Abhishek Gupta, a student in Kolkata’s South Point School, said he would consider himself lucky if he got a chance to study in a good foreign university campus in India.

“I always thought that my father would never be able to pay as much as $70,000 to $100,000 to send me to the US, UK, Canada or Australia for higher studies and I would have to settle for a degree in an Indian university. But now paying as [little] as $20,000 I can get to study in a foreign university and it is within my reach,” he said.

“Previously children only from upper-class family could flaunt a foreign degree. Now students from many middle class families will also be able to hold a foreign degree.”

My Opinion - THE NATIONAL - Dt. 07.05.2010 - Mumbai gunman to hang

2010-05-09T09:03:00.003+04:00

My Opinion - THE NATIONAL - Dt. 07.05.2010 - Mumbai gunman to hang

Mumbai gunman to hang
Anuj Chopra, Foreign Correspondent

Last Updated: May 07. 2010 4:22PM UAE / May 7. 2010 12:22PM GMT MUMBAI // After a year-long trial, Ajmal Kasab, the sole survivor out of the 10 gunmen who carried out the 2008 terrorist assault on India’s commercial capital, was sentenced to death.

“Kasab is a lingering danger to society,” Judge ML Tahaliyani said, as he announced the sentence. “He is to be hanged by the neck till death.”

Rejecting the plea for life imprisonment by Kasab’s defence lawyer, KP Pawar, who argued that his client was young and “blinded by religion”, Judge Tahaliyani said: “Words cannot express the brutality of his crime … There is no chance for reform or rehabilitation for this man. He has no right to live.”

Kasab, the Pakistani who was convicted on Monday of 82 charges, including that of waging war against India, sobbed on hearing the judgment, but was wordless. After it was over, he was hauled back to his prison cell, looking ashen.

But it is not clear when the death penalty will be implemented. Yesterday’s judgment will now lead to a long process of appeals before higher courts. If rejected, Kasab can file a petition for clemency before the president of India. It is not clear when Mr Pawar will avail these legal options on behalf of Kasab, if at all.

However, the judgment marked the end of a lengthy trial, in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks on Indian soil which claimed 166 lives, including that of 23 foreigners.

“The verdict sends a message to all terrorists: you land in India and you will meet the same fate,” said V Moily, India’s justice minister.

Kasab, dubbed “the baby-faced killer”, emerged as the poster boy for terror after he was photographed marching through Mumbai in November 2008 with his gun bared.

The attack was carried out on two luxury hotels, a cafe, a train station, and a Jewish community centre. Kasab, along with Abu Ismail, another gunman who was later killed, was involved in spraying a hail of bullets on the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji train station, killing 70, the deadliest part of the siege.

Kasab represented a unique catch for Indian authorities. He is the first Lashkar-i-Taiba (LiT) operative to be caught alive during a terrorist operation.

His co-operation helped lead investigators to the militants who planned the attack, investigators have said.

During his trial, Kasab named two Pakistani militants, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and “Saeed Bhai” – or brother Saeed, believed to be Hafiz Muhammed Saeed, the founder of LiT – as the mastermind of the attack. Both men were also convicted in absentia by Judge Tahaliyani on Monday, part of 20 “fugitives” guilty of planning the attack.

“[Ajmal Kasab] was captured alive and lived to tell the tale,” wrote K Subrahmanyam, the director of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, wrote in a recent column in the Indian Express newspaper. “This left Pakistani officials no room to dodge and they had to accept that the terrorist conspiracy was hatched on Pakistani soil by their nationals belonging to the Lashkar-i-Taiba.”

When his trial began last May, Kasab was unco-operative with the prosecution, unruly and overly talkative on some occasions, and cold and indifferent on many others. When some witnesses testified against him, he burst into giggles. But as weeks passed, he became quieter.

Then suddenly, in July, he stood up in court and confessed.

“I do not want punishment from God,” he said in a near-theatrical confession. “Whatever I have done in this world I should get punished for it by this world itself.”

Just days later, he recanted his confession, claiming that he had arrived in Mumbai to be a Bollywood actor, and was picked up by the police from a beach in Mumbai to be framed in a larger conspiracy.

Ujjwal Nikam, the chief prosecutor, said Kasab was a well-trained terrorist who underwent crash courses in dealing with interrogation by investigators. “Kasab is worse than an animal,” he said.

“He was anxious to attack India,” Judge Tahaliyani said, revealing that Kasab was “restless” when he and his nine accomplices were delayed in Karachi before heading to Mumbai in 2008.

Some observers say Kasab’s execution will not bring closure as he is but a cog in the wheel, not the brain behind the attack.

“Kasab was only the delivery boy of terror,” said YP Singh, the former joint commissioner of the Mumbai police. “All those who planned the terror plot are still beyond reach.”

SM Krishna, India’s external affairs minister, said yesterday that his focus now is on finding the men who masterminded the attack in Pakistan.

“A number of others who acted as co-conspirators will also have to be extradited and they should be brought to justice,” he said.

Residents of Kasab’s hometown, Farid Kot, in Punjab province, condemned his sentence yesterday.

“He is Pakistani, that’s why he is going to be hanged,” said Mohammad Ramazan, a retired schoolteacher, told Reuters.

“It’s a conspiracy.”

My Comments as follows:

The verdict, although highlighted as victory for fight against terrorism, does not really make any practical impact on terror plotters. Every one knows that, a series of legal procedure awaits, if every he will get a chance to walk to the gallows. But, even that seems a distant reality as there are 51 others ahead of him waiting for it. Even if all this happens within a improbably short time, on the other side of the fence, there are people who are charged with almost similar cases and a bargain could always happen. Let this case be an eye opener to all the ordinary citizen, irrespective of whether he is in India or abroad. Prevention, is better than cure. Let the ordinary citizen be alert. If any un warranted movement or suspected activity is noticed, alert the authorities well before a man made calamity happens again. Safety and Security first, let that be the mantra for all.

Ramesh Menon
Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.

Short Take - GULF TODAY - 08.05.2010 - Yacht Lesson

2010-05-08T10:18:00.003+04:00

Short Take - GULF TODAY - 08.05.2010 - Yacht Lesson

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My Letters - GULF NEWS - Increase in prices

2010-05-07T11:30:00.004+04:00

My Letters - GULF NEWS - Increase in prices

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My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Praise for May Day worker festivities

2010-05-06T11:43:00.007+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Praise for May Day worker festivities

Labourers in dash for cash on Yas Island
Suryatapa Bhattacharya

Last Updated: May 02. 2010 1:12AM UAE / May 1. 2010 9:12PM GMT
Workers at the start of the 4 kilometre run in celebration of Labor Day and organised by the Ministry of Labor at the Yas Marina track in Abu Dhabi. Paulo Vecina / The National
ABU DHABI // The track at the Yas Marina Circuit came alive yesterday, not with the screeching tyres of racing cars but with the cheers of thousands of workers.

As an estimated 1,500 men, most of them from construction firms, prepared to run a four-kilometre race, their supporters cheered from the stands, shouting the names of the companies that the workers were representing.

The winners

Ifran Ahmed, 23, Pakistan, steel fixer with ACC.

Omar Mohammed Saad, 25, Egypt, mason with Nurol.

Issam Adnan Hamad, 27, Lebanese-Canadian, procurement department of Algeco.
To commemorate International Workers Day, the Ministry of Labour organised a “marathon” for workers from more than 30 companies.

This is the second year of the event. Last year, the workers ran along the Corniche.

Humaid bin Deemas, acting director-general of the Ministry of Labour, arrived to watch the race and stood by the track to see the runners complete the circuit.

“There is a message today for the community, firms and society,” he said.

“It is to respect the workers, protect them, protect their rights that will enhance the relationship between the workers and the owners of the companies.”

Before the start of the 5.30pm race, workers lined up, and while some chatted and looked for familiar faces, others did stretching exercises.

Dressed in blue caps and white T-shirts that said, “International Labour Day: Our workers are our partners in development”, a number of the runners helped themselves to water bottles stacked at the starting line on the hot but cloudy and windy afternoon.

Asim Ghafoor, 23, a driver from Pakistan with the Al Jaber company, heard about the race from his friend, Kulchander Singh, who works as a clerk.

Mr Singh said that workers from their company believed Mr Ghafoor was the favourite to win the race.

“After two hours of eating dinner he would run for two hours,” Mr Singh said of Mr Ghafoor, who was an athletics standout at his school in Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, workers from Al Habtoor Group said they had conducted eliminations over the past month to ensure that only the fittest runners were sent to the competition.

Larry Caracas, 42, a shift manager from the Philippines, said 100 runners came from the company’s engineering division alone.

“We did endurance and strength training for two months,” he said. “I am confident. The training was enough.”

The prize money for the winners was increased this year. The winner was awarded Dh7,000 (US$1,360) followed by Dh6,000 for second place, Dh5,000 for third, Dh4,000 for fourth, Dh3,000 for fifth and Dh1,000 each for sixth through 10th place.

Omar Mohammed Saad, a 25-year-old Egyptian, finished second and said he would spend his prize money on jewellery for his fiancé in Egypt ahead of their wedding.

Farooq Ali, 23, a Bangladeshi who works for the Arabian Construction Company (ACC), was last year’s winner. Soon after, he was promoted to the position of security guard.

Yesterday, he placed seventh and said he was disappointed with his performance. “I was just thinking about it too much,” he said.

But the largest group of cheerleaders in the stands – from ACC – were not disappointed. They whistled and shouted as the top runner of the day was one of their co-workers, Ifran Ahmed, 23, from Pakistan.

He won by about five metres, and fell to the track after crossing the finish line. He was both tired and exhilarated.

Mr Ahmed, who works as a steel fixer for ACC, finished sixth last year. To improve his endurance, he trained for a month by running 16km back and forth between the labour camp and his worksite near the Mena port area in the capital.

He said he would send home his winnings. “One does not run for money,” he said. “One runs to earn respect.”

To read this news in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.

Akkare Ninnu - Vol 5 - exclusive NRI page for Irinjalakuda live dot com

2010-05-04T17:20:00.011+04:00

Akkare Ninnu - Vol 5 - exclusive NRI page for Irinjalakuda live dot com

My OPinion - The National - Dt. 03.05.2010 - Tourists with ‘low’ jobs turned away at border

2010-05-03T14:48:00.002+04:00

Tourists with ‘low’ jobs turned away at border
Essam al Ghalib

Last Updated: May 02. 2010 1:21PM UAE / May 2. 2010 9:21AM GMT
Kathryn Holbrook, a teacher, was told she could cross into Oman without applying for a visa but Colin Davids, a barman in a hotel nightclub, was refused access. Pawan Singh / The National
AL AIN // Residents are being turned away from border crossings between the UAE and Oman because of the type of job they have.

Officials at crossings are enforcing a long-standing agreement between the countries that only expatriates who have what are considered professional occupations can pass into Oman from the UAE without having to apply for a visa.

According to one Omani immigration officer, teachers, doctors, lawyers anyone who has a professional occupation are free to travel into Oman. However, those who do other jobs, such as in the service industry, construction or sales, would not be allowed

The rule, which is to be implemented at all checkpoints, was previously in effect, but border officials only began enforcing it this year, said Captain Ahmad al Shamsi, an Emirati official at the Hilli checkpoint, which links Al Ain with Buraimi and is for non-GCC citizens.

One resident, Colin Davids, was turned away from the checkpoint when he attempted to cross into Buraimi for a camping trip with friends. An immigration agent refused to let him out of the UAE and into Oman.

“He wouldn’t tell me why, but referred me to the visa officer in charge, instead,” said Mr Davids, 27, who had made the crossing numerous times before. “I went inside to ask why and was shocked when he told me I had what he called a ‘low job’.”

Mr Davids works at the Al Ain Rotana hotel as a barman at Moodz nightclub. The job description on his visa says he is a waiter.

“The immigration officer told me that there was a list of occupations that were not free to travel and that mine was too low down to allow me across the border into Oman,” Mr Davids said.

An official in the consular section of the UAE Embassy in Muscat confirmed the agreement between Oman and the Emirates.

“People with certain occupations cannot leave the UAE and people with certain occupations cannot enter Oman,” she said. “There is an agreement between the two countries that is being adhered to.”

People with affected occupations who want to visit Oman need to apply for a visa at the Omani Embassy in Abu Dhabi, she said.

Khaled Hardan, an official at the Omani embassy in Abu Dhabi, confirmed that a prospective visitor’s occupation is a factor considered when issuing a visa, adding that regulations had become more stringent throughout the GCC recently, and not just in Oman.

As for Mr Davids and others like him, Mr Hardan said: “If he would like a visitor’s visa, he can come to the Omani embassy in Abu Dhabi and apply for one.”

An Omani immigration officer, who asked not to be named, said in the past many people would leave the UAE and enter Oman from Hilli. They would then stay and work illegally in Buraimi.

“In the case of the Hilli border crossing into Buraimi, there isn’t an official Omani checkpoint for 40km down the road to Muscat,” he said. “For people with professional jobs, it would be harder for them to find work illegally in Buraimi, whereas a carpenter can find odd jobs to do here and there.”

Kathryn Holbrook, a 29-year-old geography teacher at Al Ain English School, who was with Mr Davids when he tried to cross, was stunned to learn that he could not.

“My occupation is listed as a teacher so I was told I could cross into Oman, but not Colin,” she said. “I complained to people at the border who told me there was a new list that came out this year.”

Days after Mr Davids’s experience, Arianne Galez, 31, from the Philippines, stood in front of a visa officer in disbelief. After making regular trips to visit her family, who were expecting her, she was suddenly being denied.

The officer explained to Ms Galez that certain occupations, including hers – a receptionist at a dental clinic – were not considered professional.

“My cousin and sister work in Sohar,” Ms Galez said. “I don’t know when I am going to see them again.”

My Comments as follows:

Interesting news. This rule was there for some time now. But, may be they started applying it strictly from now on. The experience of the involved parties highlighted brings out an equally interesting question. Are they married couples? If not, is it an example of restrictive measures by authorities towards illegal cohabiting and fun trips across the boarder both ways during week-end. Point to ponder.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read this in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Road made unsafe by lack of a U-turn

2010-05-02T08:39:00.003+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Road made unsafe by lack of a U-turn
To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 01 May 2010 - View from the bus

2010-05-01T10:22:00.003+04:00

Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 01 May 2010 - View from the bus

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My Opinion : Gulf News - Dt 25.04.2010 - Recycling should replace scavenging

2010-04-25T08:17:00.002+04:00

My Opinion : Gulf News - Dt 25.04.2010 - Recycling should replace scavenging

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Opinion : At last, the great escape

2010-04-24T17:23:00.002+04:00

My Opinion : At last, the great escape

The National staff

Last Updated: April 22. 2010 12:48PM UAE / April 22. 2010 8:48AM GMT
Jaqueline Wood, left, and Tara Roe Gammon embrace after returning to Heathrow from Costa Rica via Madrid yesterday. Paul Hackett / Reuters
As European skies once again filled with planes, the UAE’s carriers flew thousands of people home yesterday from their extended, unexpected stays in the country.

Both Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline put on extra flights to clear the backlog of some 12,000 stranded passengers.

Etihad said that by evening it had flown 31 flights to and from Europe, and was on schedule to clear its backlog of 2,500 passengers stranded in the UAE by today.

Richard Hill, Etihad’s chief operating officer, said it was on course to resume its normal operations by the end of today.

Emirates, meanwhile, said it had flown 9,000 passengers back to Europe, leaving just 350 to clear. Both airlines said they were not accepting new bookings to Europe.

Other carriers were also beginning to clear their backlog of passengers. “We are investigating all possibilities to accommodate as many passengers as possible,” said Lauren Cooper, a representative for British Airways.

Meanwhile, the airline industry was counting the cost of the six-day, near-total stoppage of air traffic in Europe, the result of a massive cloud of ash spewed out by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland.

“Lost revenues now total more than $1.7 billion for airlines alone,” said Giovanni Bisignani, the director general and chief executive of the International Air Transport Association.

“At the worst, the crisis impacted 29 per cent of global aviation and affected 1.2 million passengers a day. The scale of the crisis eclipsed 9/11, when US airspace was closed for three days.”

For Etihad alone, Mr Hill said the expense of accommodating and feeding stranded passengers, as well as all the lost revenue, had cost the airline in excess of US$5 million (Dh18m) a day.

After initial scenes of chaos in Dubai and airports across Europe, the mood turned to jubilation as stranded passengers were reunited with their friends and families.

My comments as follows:

The title of this article reflects as if UAE is the most unfriendly country ever to be with and the respective hosts of the guests who had to experience such an unexpected ordeal belong to the same breed. I am sure, every effort would have been made by the airlines, authorities and the respective contact parties to make sure this unexpected stay was made comfortable to the maximum possible by all parties involved.

Ramesh Menon
Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online

My Opinion : Safety experts fear city's new digital billboards may cause car crashes

2010-04-24T17:19:00.003+04:00

My Opinion : Safety experts fear city's new digital billboards may cause car crashes

Safety experts fear city's new digital billboards may cause car crashes
Matt Kwong

Last Updated: April 21. 2010 10:00PM UAE / April 21. 2010 6:00PM GMT
An electric sign overlooks the busy intersection at Airport Road and Al Falah Street. Galen Clarke / The National
ABU DHABI // Hi-tech distraction or sign of the times? The city’s digital billboards are eye-catching indeed, but maybe too eye-catching, say local safety experts.

Their flashing colours and rapidly changing images are a fast-growing segment of the outdoor advertising market, but safety experts say they pull motorists’ eyes away from signals and pedestrians and could lead to more accidents.

Norm Labbe, a defensive driving instructor in the capital, said: “Our senses are being bombarded by navigation equipment, bright lights, music, cell phones, and now these billboards, where it’s almost like a strobe-light effect."

More than a dozen US cities have banned the popular electronic advertising billboards, pointing out that unlike mobile phones, drivers cannot switch them off. Several cities in Canada are also considering moratoriums on the technology. Here, however, their numbers are increasing.

Abu Dhabi’s digital signage is perched atop buildings overlooking major junctions such as Muroor Road at Electra Street and Airport Road at Al Falah Street. The newest mammoth LED screen, measuring 20 metres by eight metres, is being erected on the corner of Muroor Road at Hamdan Street.

Future Vision, the ad firm that owns those displays, rotates six images every 10 seconds, allowing as many clients to promote themselves using the same billboard.

The computer-operated billboards have been a boon for advertisers, said Rajiv Khurana, the Middle East vice-president of the advertising firm Dentsu Marcom. He predicts the number of displays will more than double in the Emirates within five years.

The problem, Mr Labbe said, is that such billboards are designed to be distracting in order to be effective. Changing colours or designs encourages drivers to keep looking for the next digital image to appear.

“It takes approximately one and a half to two seconds for you to react properly and apply your brakes and come to a stop,” he said. “A lot can happen in two seconds.”

Just as there is a growing body of research on the dangers of texting while driving, he called for local researchers to study how much of a distraction the signs pose to people at the wheel.

Results from US studies on the issue have been mixed. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which is financed by the billboard industry, found that the displays posed no hazard in 2007. However, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials reported last year that they “attract drivers’ eyes away from the road for extended, demonstrably unsafe periods of time”.

“That’s my concern, that this is one more added element to the mix,” Mr Labbe said.

Abu Dhabi’s preprogrammed displays draw more attention at night, and are even more hazardous at what Dr Peter Barss, an injury prevention specialist who works with UAE University, described as “complex driving environments” such as major intersections.

Dr Barss said the onus should be on companies profiting from the billboards to prove that they do not imperil drivers.

“The traffic environment here is extremely high speed at a lot of places, so it seems to me the potential [for accidents] would be high,” he said.

“When you’re trying to discern whether you go right or left, and suddenly there’s a huge flashing sign out there pulling your eyes away, well how many seconds can you afford to take your eyes off the road and not hit somebody?”

Although Future Vision’s three signs have video capabilities, Robert Awad, the company’s media executive, said Abu Dhabi Municipality was wary of allowing moving pictures to play above evening traffic. “They gave us the approval to do this latest technology on one condition, to make the billboards static, not dynamic,” Mr Awad said. “This is to avoid accidents.”

Even so, it is hard to miss Synaxis Media’s dynamic 224-square-metre Opulence, the largest outdoor LED sign in the Middle East, broadcasting “TV-quality ads” just above the Marks & Spencer on Airport Road.

The Opulence can broadcast video because it is not positioned at a major intersection, said Fahad al Absi, the founder of Synaxis.

“You can deliver six messages for the same campaign using the same space. You save six times the money,” he said of the display, which was switched on two years ago.

Adverts cost Dh300,000 (US$81,673) a month and can be viewed 600 times a day. It costs Future Vision Dh90,000 a month to operate its screens.

However, Mr al Absi supported strict regulation of electronic advertising placement.

“Having it face intersections where they think the ad might be more effective is not such a good idea,” he said. “Other LEDs might seem located in a prime location, but excuse me, it’s right behind a traffic light. That can be confusing.”

Samira Ahmed, an Emirati housewife, drives by the Opulence nearly every day and has had a few close calls in traffic while watching the screen.

“The place is wrong because this is like a highway,” said Mrs Ahmed, 46. “I almost had an accident one time because it was in the evening.”

Abu Dhabi Municipality did not respond to requests for comment, but officials with the advertising section said this month that three digital billboards have had their illumination levels decreased by 10 per cent after complaints.

My comments as follows:

I agree with the dangers of high intensity level getting beamed across the road from these sign boards. While, I also agree with the fact that such sign boards are displayed in other cities world-wide, but feel they are of low intensity and long duration. The higher the intensity and the shorter the duration, they tend to distract the reflexes of the drivers and may tend to create dangerous situation for accidents to happen. One prominent example is the sign board displayed at the Mark and Spencer building in front of the Cultural Foundations. It is too bright and many times dangerously create lighting effect which even block the colors of the changing signals a short distance from it.

In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight another danger that is happening these days. There are several ads being played by FM radios, which has sound effects of cars honking horns and ambulance or police sirens, to create some advertising attraction. These ads disturbs and create driving attention and focus and authorities should curb airing of ads which carries such sounds.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL Online

Short Take - GULF TODAY - Dt. 24.04.2010 - Knowing the pulse

2010-04-24T08:33:00.001+04:00

Short Take - GULF TODAY - Dt. 24.04.2010 - Knowing the pulse

My Opinion : Entire police force to watch roads for unsafe drivers

2010-04-22T17:01:00.002+04:00

Dubai: Drivers beware. The next time you weave through lanes, be aware that chances are now greater for a police officer to flag you down for violating Dubai's traffic rules.

A new rule implemented beginning this week gives the approximately 20,000 members of the Dubai Police force the authority to issue traffic fines and impound vehicles whose registration has expired.

Earlier, only traffic police officers totalling about 800 could issue such fines.

The new regulation is aimed at curbing the number of road violations and ensure motorists are more conscious of their driving, said Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of the General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police.

All access

"Any officer stopping a motorist for any road violation will have access to his/her traffic violation record and will be able to issue a fine or take action in coordination with the traffic department," said Al Zafein.

Senior traffic officers will monitor the roads day and night. "I will personally take to the roads to monitor the driving of motorists and issue fines. This is being done to change the general perception about senior officers and that it is the duty of every officer to monitor driving habits. And I believe when motorists see that officers are present to ensure they follow the rules they will be more conscious," Al Zafein said.

In the first quarter of 2009, the total number of traffic fines issued totalled 727,054. This year, the figures dropped to 608,776.

This drop in fines is attributed to many reasons but one of them is due to the increase in patrols monitoring the streets.

"Patrol units from police stations backed-up traffic officers to curb violations," he said.

According to Al Zafein, the number of on-the-spot fines issued to motorists in the first quarter this year reached 278,964, compared to 251,336 in the same period last year.

Truck drivers committed 6,416 offences in the first quarter of 2010 compared to 1,852 during the same period in 2009. There were 3,884 motorists who were caught jumping red lights in the first quarter of 2010 compared to 2,612 in 2009.

"The number of accidents and injuries has decreased, and that is because a lot of people are taking more precautions now, such as fastening their seatbelts," said Al Zafein.

800: traffic police officers in Dubai
20,000: approximate number of personnel in police force
608,776: traffic fines issued in first quarter
278,964: on-the-spot traffic fines issued
First quarter traffic violators

The three most dangerous roads with the highest number of fatalities are Emirates road, Dubai Bypass road and Dubai-Al Ain road.

In the first quarter of 2010, 62 people were killed whereas it was 69 in the first period of 2009

"The most dangerous road in the emirate so far is the Emirates road which holds the highest number of fatalities. This is for several reasons such as the existence of both trucks and cars on one road, and the reckless driving that occurs there," according to Maj Gen Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of the General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police.

The indicator of traffic fatalities that the department aims to reach is 11.8 person for every 100,000 of the population a decline to last year's indicator which reached 12.9.

"From the statistics of the first quarter of 2010 it is idealistic to meet this indicator thus we have a range from 11.8 to 12.5," said Maj Gen Al Zafein.

My Comments as follows:

I am happy to see this move, may be a side effect of constant effort to highlight such cases of rash driving happening around through community reports, letters and suggestion options at the Dubai Police site. Many times I have felt, life was at the mercy of some reckless driver who ignore his life as well as of the others on the road. Congratulations to sustained efforts by authorities to ensure a safe road for us.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

To read this in original, please visit GULF NEWS ONLINE

My Creatives - Malayala Manorama Online Dt. 21.04.2010 - Manalaaranyangalil ninnuyarunna sargatma sakthi

2010-04-21T14:45:00.004+04:00

My Creatives - Malayala Manorama Online Dt. 21.04.2010 - Manalaaranyangalil ninnuyarunna sargatma sakthi

Akkare Niinnu - Vol 3. - exclusive NRI page for Irinjalakuda live dot com

2010-04-20T08:50:00.008+04:00

Akkare Niinnu - Vol 3. - exclusive NRI page for Irinjalakuda live dot com

My Opinon - Malayala Manorama - Dt. 19.04.2010 - Modiyum Tharoorum pinne Njaanum

2010-04-19T14:17:00.003+04:00

My Opinon - Malayala Manorama - Dt. 19.04.2010 - Modiyum Tharoorum pinne Njaanum

My Letters - Khaleej Times - Dt. 18.04.2010 - Congratulations Khaleej Times

2010-04-18T09:08:00.002+04:00

My Letters - Khaleej Times - Dt. 18.04.2010 - Congratulations Khaleej Times

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Letters - Gulf Today - dT. 17.04.2010 - Dhoni Effect

2010-04-17T10:31:00.004+04:00

My Letters - Gulf Today - Dt. 17.04.2010 - Dhoni Effect

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Opinion - Gulf News - Dt. 16.04.2010 - Focus : Civic Sense

2010-04-17T10:29:00.003+04:00

My Opinion - Gulf News - Dt. 16.04.2010 - Focus : Civic Sense

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Creatives - Malayala Manorama Online Dt. 14.04.2010 - Modi Chetta Keralathodu Kalikkalle

2010-04-15T15:46:00.002+04:00

My Creatives - Malayala Manorama Online Dt. 14.04.2010 - Modi Chetta Keralathodu Kalikkalle

My Opinion - Irinjalakuda Live dot com - Dt. 11.04.2010 - Akkare Ninnu - vol.2

2010-04-15T15:39:00.006+04:00

My Opinion - Irinjalakuda Live dot com - Dt. 11.04.2010 - Akkare Ninnu - vol.2

My Opinion - Irinjalakuda Live dot com - Dt. 06.04.2010 - Akkare Ninnu - vol.1

2010-04-15T15:31:00.007+04:00

My Opinion - Irinjalakuda Live dot com - Dt. 06.04.2010 - Akkare Ninnu - vol.1

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt. 13.04.2010 - Efficient service at Empost centre

2010-04-13T08:13:00.002+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt. 13.04.2010 - Efficient service at Empost centre

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Letters - Gulf News Dt. 12.04.2010 - Take away the temptation

2010-04-12T07:56:00.002+04:00

My Letters - Gulf News Dt. 12.04.2010 - Take away the temptation

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Creatives Malayala Manorama - Dt. 08.04.2010 - Modi Chetta Marakkalle (in Malayalam)

2010-04-10T11:17:00.006+04:00

My Creatives Malayala Manorama - Dt. 08.04.2010 - Modi Chetta Marakkalle (in Malayalam)

To read this in original, please visit Malayala Manorama online

My Letters & Photo Speaks - Gulf News - Dt. 10.04.2010 - Unsung heroes

2010-04-10T10:05:00.002+04:00

My Letters & Photo Speaks - Gulf News - Dt. 10.04.2010 - Unsung heroes

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Letters - Gulf Today - 10.04.2010 - Ego game

2010-04-10T10:04:00.002+04:00

My Letters - Gulf Today - 10.04.2010 - Ego game

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My Letters - Gulf News - Dt. 09.04.2010 - Designated areas needed

2010-04-10T09:58:00.003+04:00

My Letters - Gulf News - Dt. 09.04.2010 - Designated areas needed

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Lettes - GULF NEWS - Dt. 08.04.2010 - Seeking authorities' attention

2010-04-08T07:20:00.003+04:00

My Lettes - GULF NEWS - Dt. 08.04.2010 - Seeking authorities' attention

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Letters - Khaleej Times - Dt. 08.04.2010 - Soft Pedal

2010-04-08T07:13:00.002+04:00

My Letters - Khaleej Times - Dt. 08.04.2010 - Soft Pedal

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Letters - Gulf News - Dt. 07.04.2010 - Move smokers away from UAE mall entrances

2010-04-07T12:55:00.003+04:00

My Letters - Gulf News - Dt. 07.04.2010 - Move smokers away from UAE mall entrances

Shoppers are being forced to inhale second-hand smoke at malls and near designated smoking areas causing health fears

By Bashir Mohammad Hijas, Gulf News Reader

I have been noticing a problem which I think should be highlighted in a community report.

My issue is with the "designated smoking area" in shopping malls. The entrance from the parking lots to the malls is often dotted with smokers, who fill up the air with exhaled smoke and endanger passers-by.

The designated area is in a place where [it affects everyone], including women and children. Often, this location is either not adequately ventilated or not ventilated at all, and the low roofs of the parking areas prevent the exhaled smoke from rising up in the air.

Passive smoking

Thus, the exhaled smoke and its smell lingers in the area for a long period of time.

Most importantly, this smoke endangers the health of passers-by due to the passive smoking effect.

There are several suggested remedial actions:

• Relocate the designated smoking area to a secluded place, away from the exit and entrance gates, so that it does not affect non-smokers.

• Build a glass wall around the smoking area to contain the smoke.

• Install heavy-duty smoke suckers, to trap the exhaled smoke. This would prevent others from inhaling exhaled smoke.

— The reader is a business analyst, in Dubai.

Be a citizen reporter. Tell us what is happening in your community. Write to us at readers@gulfnews.com

My Comments as follows:

I thank Mr. Bashi Mohammed Hijas for highlighting this issue of smokers crowding the entrance of the malls. It is a common scene, not only for malls, but other office buildings, whether you are in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. I had highlighted a similar situation happening in Abu Dhabi through one of Community report dated 06 April 2009 (strange!!). I followed it up vigorously with the authorities including mall managements and replies received were not promising as they had to find solution for a separate smoking area, rooms etc, which are costly. Rather than the amount of smoke inhaled while one pass by, I was concerned about the temptation, the younger generation gets by watching grown up men and women smoking away fumes waiting in front of the malls. It is a dangerous precedence and it will create an instinctive attraction to try for a cigarette in young minds. Authorities have to find solutions to these exhibitionism outside the premises as and when they introduce control measures to stop smoking inside malls and building.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

To read this letter in original, please visit GULF NEWS online

My Letters - Khaleej Times - Dt 05.04.2010 - No Pedestrian Crossing, yet

2010-04-05T08:00:00.003+04:00

My Letters - Khaleej Times - Dt 05.04.2010 - No Pedestrian Crossing, yet

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Opinion - Irinjalakuda Live dot com - Akkare Ninnu - a week-end review of what's happenig in the Gulf and around

2010-04-05T07:40:00.002+04:00

My Opinion - Irinjalakuda Live dot com - Akkare Ninnu - a week-end review of what's happenig in the Gulf and around

Photo Speaks - Malayala Manorama 04.04.2010 - Camels grazing on Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway

2010-04-04T17:15:00.002+04:00

Photo Speaks - Malayala Manorama 04.04.2010 - Camels grazing on Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway

My Letters - Gulf News - Dt. 04.04.2010 - Lazy pet owners must be more considerate

2010-04-04T14:39:00.002+04:00

My Letters - Gulf News - Dt. 04.04.2010 - Lazy pet owners must be more considerate

Lazy pet owners must be more considerate

we donated some of our valuable time to certain aspects of our surroundings, the rewards we reap would be plentiful.

Obviously, these aspects are not about humans and the reward is not money.

I refer to animals and Nature as a whole and the prize is happiness.

However, such creatures demand a great deal of patience and perseverance.

That is why everyone from experienced environmentalists to nature-loving individuals, veterinarians and pet owners deserves applause!

Especially when the topics of major discussions [in political arenas] are to do with climate change and species extinction, conserving certain breeds of pets without depriving them of their natural habitat is the best service rendered to nature.

In distress

But when such services are done, it surely does not mean that other people living in the same community are put into distress.

Many lazy pet owners in Dubai have found a convenient place for their pets to relieve themselves usually in nearby gravel areas. This results in unclean and unhealthy surroundings. Surprisingly, these pet owners do not even realise that the same areas are constantly being used by many [other people].

Unless such areas are privately owned, this immoral attitude is [inconsiderate] and quite disturbing to others. There is nothing wrong in allowing pets to relieve themselves in open areas, provided that they are sandy and the area is suitably cleaned before leaving.

Finally, while performing a good deed, it is not appreciable to cause an inconvenience to the wider community

My Comments as follows:

Its really interesting to read the Community report on a simple but highly unhygienic issue. Well done to Meghna Tony. The children are suffering from shortage of play grounds and areas nearer to their home, and whatever available, should be kept aside for them with special care and should not be allowed to be encroached by their four legged friends and owners. Why not devote some time and give them proper training? Or why not authorities let a designated relieving area for pets? Well, it is too difficult to find solution to install and implement the automated public toilet facilities in place for moving public and so, let our four legged friends and owners enjoy for the time being.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

To read this letter in original, please visit GULF NEWS Online.

My Creatives - Malayala Manorama online - Dt 02.04.2010

2010-04-03T17:22:00.001+04:00

My Letters - Gulf Today - Dt. 03.04.2010 - Mom, Where's the Cake?

2010-04-03T10:28:00.003+04:00

My Letters - Gulf Today - Dt. 03.04.2010 - Mom, Where's the Cake?
To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My creatives - Malayala Manorama online

2010-04-03T10:24:00.002+04:00

My creatives - Malayala Manorama online
To read it in original, please visit Malayala Manorama Online

My Creatives - Malayala Manorama Online Dt. 01.04.2010 - Short Story series in Malayalam - Lahariyilekkulla Yatra

2010-04-01T12:06:00.002+04:00

My Creatives - Malayala Manorama Online Dt. 01.04.2010 - Short Story series in Malayalam - Lahariyilekkulla Yatra

To read it in orginal, please visit Malayala Manorama Online.

My Creatives at Malayala Manorama online

2010-03-29T17:04:00.004+04:00

My Creatives at Malayala Manorama online

Visit and read my thoughts converted as short stories in Malayalam. It happens during my daily routine as I watch a normal thing which you may also have seen or witnessed many times but not thought of exploring further on the how, why and when aspects.

“My Creatives” section at http://www.gulfmanorma.com is exclusively for young writers to showcase their writing talents. You may write in English or Malayalam and submit it at the specified section to get it published. Give a try. If I can do it, definitely, you too.

Visit and read:

http://gulf.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/gulfProgramView.do?programId=6722890&tabId=15&BV_ID=@@@

Ramesh Menon
29.03.2010

My Letters - GULF TODAY Dt. 27.03.2010 - Pedstrian Peril

2010-03-27T10:47:00.004+04:00

My Letters - GULF TODAY Dt. 27.03.2010 - Pedstrian Peril
To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

Malayala Manorama Jeevajalam 2010 Photography competition

2010-03-25T08:14:00.004+04:00

Malayala Manorama Jeevajalam 2010 Photography competition

Malayala Manorama Jeevajalam 2010 Photography competition

The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. To create more awareness on the importance of saving water for future use, several initiatives are happening world-wide. One such event happening currently is the Malayala Manorama “Jeevajalam 2010” photography competition.

The rules are very simple.
• Log on to the link provided below and you may submit 3 photos which portrays the essence of water and it’s importance in life.
• Out of the selected photos from online viewers, 25 best photos judged by a panel will be posted at Malayala Manorama online from 22nd April 2010.
• Online users can vote for their favourite photo for a period of one month (one vote per day).
• Those 5 photos and photographers who get maximum will be declared as winners.
• The competition cut off date for submission is 20th April 2010.

Link to participate in Malayala Manorama online Jeevajalam Photography competition:

http://www.manoramaonline.com/advt/Environment/jeevajalam10/index.htm

I was one amongst the 5 winners in 2009. The winning photo is attached in this notification. I wish to see one amongst you in the winners list this time.

All the best in advance and participate with interest. Submit your best photos that depicts the essence of water and it’s importance in life.

Ramesh Menon
Abu Dhabi
25.03.2010

My Creatives - Malayala Manorama Online - Dt 24.03.2010 - Kunju Manassile Valiya Lokam

2010-03-24T17:16:00.005+04:00

My Creatives - Malayala Manorama Online - Dt 24.03.2010 - Kunju Manassile Valiya Lokam

To read it in original, please visit Malayala Manorama Online

My Letters - GULF TODAY - 20 March 2010 - Modern Challenges

2010-03-20T11:17:00.002+04:00

My Letters - GULF TODAY - 20 March 2010 - Modern Challenges

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My thoughts - Malayala Manorama online - 19 March 2010 - Bhashayum Samskaravum

2010-03-20T11:04:00.004+04:00

My thoughts - Malayala Manorama online - 19 March 2010 - Bhashayum Samskaravum

To read this post in original, please visit Malayala Manorama online.

Taste It - Black Forest Cake by Suraj Menon

2010-03-17T20:33:00.003+04:00

Taste It - Black Forest Cake by Suraj Menon

It's a short break after the 11th exam time and my son Suraj is enjoying it in the best possible way he likes. I am not talking about Play station, cricket, friends, movies etc. They are all are there. This is just another passion for him. I always believe cooking is an art and to a certain extent it is an inborn talent. He has it in him. These days, we are in surprise when we reach back from office. His time of operation is the time when his grandmother goes to sleep in the afternoon. And he completes it before she finishes her short nap. I am presenting to you one such item he prepared for us the other day. It is simple and easy to do, and you may try it for the week-end.

Black Forest Cake

Ingredients required:

Sweetened condensed milk - 1 can
Maida – 225 gms
Butter – 125 gms
Cocoa – 3-4 heaped tablespoon full
Aerated Coca cola drink – 3/4th of a can
Baking powder – 1 tablespoon full
Soda Bicarbonate – 1 tablespoon full
Cream – 1 cup
Tinned cherries – 1 small tin
Chocolate – 40 gms

Preparation:

• Lightly grease and floor the baking tin.
• Pre-heat the oven to 1500 c.
• Melt the butter in a pan.
• Cool and add the sweet condensed milk
• Sift together the maida, baking powder, Cocoa and soda bicarbonate
• Mix the maida with the sweetened condensed milk and butter mixture alternating with cola till the maida and cola are completely poured and over.
• Immediately pour this mixture in to the prepared tin (container) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 1500 c.
• Cool and slice horizontally into two.
• Whip cream till light and fluffy.
• Apply on one layer of cake along with decorated cherries
• Place the second layer of cake to form a sandwich.
• Top with whipped cream and cherries.
• Sprinkle the grated chocolate generously as you wish.
• Chill in the refrigerator for some time and serve.

Try this simple and easy preparation out, Taste-it during this week-end. Who said, making and baking a cake is difficult thing?

Surf with Team 1 - How private are you online?

2010-03-17T14:58:00.006+04:00

Surf with Team 1 - How private are you online?

Welcome to read the 2nd edition of Surf with Team 1

A slow start but, it will be a steady and sustained journey. I promise you that.

My idea is to keep these short editions as simple as possible. Today, I would like to discuss with you an important topic related to online privacy.

How private are you Online?

These days when every other person has a google or Face Book account, the option to remain private is becoming lesser and lesser. Even if, you do not reveal your personal contact details or email addresses to a person of unknown identity, through various means he could collect those details about you from your name.

Your regular interactions on the web, the small bits and pieces of data left over on website, groups and other online social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr are oceans of personal information, which ultimately lead from one to another to pin point to reach a person’s identity. Professional from the Information Technology field says that such seemingly harmless bits of self-revelation can easily be collected and compiled by computers to help create a picture of a person’s identity.

Although social networking sites allow users to increase their defence against search and identification by opting tight privacy controls of personal profile, an individual’s actions, rarely protect them and their privacy in the interconnected world of the Internet.

In many cases, even if you do not disclose your personal information, your online friends and colleagues may do it unknowingly for you, referring to your school, college, employer, gender, location and interests. These patterns and style of communications many times reveal a persons interest and identity very easily. Therefore these days, Personal privacy is no longer an individual item. As experts say, in today’s online world, what your mother told you is true, “people really can judge you by your friends.”. A study of a person and his leniency combined together, will give you a pool of information about an individual with a distinctive “social signature".

No wonder, in the recent times we read often about missing persons being found out and family and friends lost many years ago being reconnected. It is also not a new thing that day by day more controversies are spurning out, just like wild fire as and when a small issue or talk or a tweet happens by a celebrity and we see it being twisted and totally reconfigured by interested parties to tarnish the image of the persons who initiated it.

Therefore, when you’re online, it’s better to behave as if you’re doing it in public — because definitely, it is..

Ramesh Menon
17.03.2010

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt 15 March 2010 - Indians face stark choice for education

2010-03-15T13:47:00.005+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt 15 March 2010 - Indians face stark choice for education

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - DT 12 March 2010 - Free land on offer to build new Indian schools in capital

2010-03-14T08:31:00.003+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - DT 12 March 2010 - Free land on offer to build new Indian schools in capital

Free land on offer to build new Indian schools in capital
Kathryn Lewis and Hala Khalaf

Last Updated: March 12. 2010 2:46PM UAE / March 12. 2010 10:46AM GMT
Pupils at the Abu Dhabi Indian School, where there is fierce competition for places. Andrew Henderson / The National
ABU DHABI // Anyone with the money and vision to invest in building a new Indian school will be encouraged by the offer of free land from the education authority.

For parents, however, the news does not bring any relief from the immediate problem of finding a school place for their child.

They are battling with too many families for too few places, with the new academic year for Indian schools in this country due to begin next month.

Along with the free land offer, Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) announced yesterday that it would allow one school to increase capacity, but it did not name the school nor say by how much.

It is considering other requests to increase enrolment from schools that meet “acceptable quality standards”.

But there may not be many such schools; only five Indian schools in Abu Dhabi occupy purpose-built school facilities, while the 12 Indian schools housed in converted villas are already slated for closure by Adec in 2012.

The council says that it is in “advanced discussions” with one Indian businessman to open a new school which would create 11,000 new places. It did not disclose his name.

It is also in discussion with others to operate schools under a not-for-profit model.

Other measures intended to grow the number of school places in the long term include opening a new Indian school in an unused government-school building in Al Gharbia with room for 800 pupils.

“Adec is extremely concerned about the current lack of capacity of Indian-curriculum schools and would like to assure the community that it is actively looking into both long- and short-term solutions for this issue,” the council said.

“We need to work in partnership with the community to make this a reality.”

But parents without a place to send their children say long-term solutions will not provide school places next month. They called for the education council to take more drastic action before the school year starts.

More than 3,500 children are on the waiting list at one school alone, Our Own English High School, Abu Dhabi.

Dr Vibha Misri-Ganjoo has been searching for a place for her five-year old daughter, Vanskika, for the past five months, after learning that Vanskika did not have a place at the Abu Dhabi Indian School as expected.

“The long-term solutions proposed by the council are important, because numbers of students are always increasing, so more schools and spots are needed. But where are the immediate, short-term solutions?” said Dr Misri-Ganjoo.

“The problem is time. The new semester starts in a few weeks so the solutions by the education council of building new schools and such are not feasible.

“We need a practical solution. It is a universal problem everybody is facing right now and no immediate solution is available.”

Dr Misri-Ganjoo, who lives in Manasir, said her daughter was on the waiting list at three schools but all were full.

“We don’t know what to do,” said Dr Misri-Ganjoo. “We think we should start looking for admission in schools in Mussafah, but that is really too far to send a little girl and would be a big problem and last resort for us.

“If there are no other options, parents will be forced to look outside the Indian community and consider other schools, as we cannot just keep our children at home. Something is better than nothing and we do not want this situation to drive us away from the UAE, which has become our home. Our children were born here.”

Adec said it had recently met the Indian ambassador to discuss the issue after officials at the Indian Embassy called on the Government to intervene.

It said it had “extended the offer to provide free land for investors who present business plans to build schools that provide low-cost education” that comply with its standards and guidelines.

Adec said it was “engaging” with companies experienced in operating not-for-profit education models in other countries to establish schools in the emirate.

Indian school owners and administrators have protested that the council’s new building standards make it difficult for investors to open more schools.

However, Dr Misri-Ganjoo said that it was important to demand higher standards at Indian curriculum institutions.

“The key is to have both good schools and good solutions,” she said.

“It is important for children to have good schools so, of course, villa schools have to be done with. But solutions also have to be found for the students in these schools. Kids have to go to school.

“The problem is how to tackle this problem right now. Younger students have time to wait for good schools to be built for them, but older students need to be in school immediately.”

Nirmalan Damodaran, a long-time Abu Dhabi resident who works in construction, said the council must act quickly. “Next week is the closing of the schools,” he said. “They have to increase the number of seats.”

Mr Damodaran agreed that there was a need for more quality schools. “They have to create more facilities, like swimming and more outside activities,” he said.

“I think they need to do much more,” said Noble Jose, an Abu Dhabi-based businessman. Mr Jose is moving his family to Dubai because he could not find a school place for his son, Aarnav, who is going into the first grade this year.

“One announcement is not enough, still there is going to be a serious shortage,” said Mr Jose. “It’s a first step – much more could be done.”

Mr Jose said he would stay in Abu Dhabi if he could find a school place for Aarnav. “If I get something immediately I will take it,” he said. “It’s going to be very difficult for me to move,” he said, explaining that his business was in the capital.

“It will be difficult but still we can manage. It’s more important to send your children to a good school. Of course, it would be better if we were still here but we are forced to move because of the circumstances.”

Mr Jose said Abu Dhabi needed more quality Indian schools. “Some parents have admitted their kids to schools, but they are not happy with the quality,” he said.

“Parents have been forced to send their children to these schools because they don’t have any other option.”

My comments as follows:

The news about Free land on offer to build new Indian schools in capital does not bring about any immediate solutions to the problems faced by ordinary and middle class Indian families looking for school admission for their children. Every year-end news and information of this sort arrive bringing hope to the community to find an end to this problem, but these die down a natural death as the school re-opens and season progress. Most of the school operators are interested in opening high end institutions which obviously brings out more operating economy for them. Thus the demand for middle income Indians to seek a standard educational institution within their means remains an oasis yet to be discovered. The news about the villa schools operating within the city and improved facilities are all a repetition of requests and requirements and an immediate solution to this will continue to remain as a dream.

Ramesh Menon
Abu Dhabi

To read this in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.

My thoughts - MALAYALA MANORAMA online - 12 March 2010 - Chinthakal (thoughts) - a short story in Malayalam

2010-03-13T14:04:00.007+04:00

My thoughts - MALAYALA MANORAMA online - 12 March 2010 - Chinthakal (thoughts) - a short story in Malayalam

To read it in original, please visit, Manorama Online

Fr Fancis Kurissery's visit to UAE - March 2010

2010-03-13T13:31:00.008+04:00

Fr Fancis Kurissery's visit to UAE - March 2010

Rev. Fr. Fancis Kurissery's visit to UAE - March 2010

Rev. Fr. Francis Kurissery CMI - a Catholic Priest who believed, preached and practiced, Students are not problems, but Students have problems….

* Completed his M.Phil from Oxford University, London
* Lectured, English for 15 years in CHRIST
* Was the Principal of CHRIST in the year 2003-2004.
* Was the Chairman of the Board of Studies (English) for the University of Calicut.
*Is the Provincial Councilor of CMI Congregation, Thrissur Province.
* Presently, is the Joint Director of Amala Medical College, Thrissur
* Presenting to you some photos taken during his visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

It was purely a personal visit organised by his students from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. W thank him for accepting it and taking time out to come and recreate our good old college days, where even if we cut classes of our main subjects, we made sure to not miss your lectures.

Regards,

Ramesh Menon
13 March 2010

My Letters - Malayala Manorama - 10 March 2010 - Welcome Summer - the story of date palm trees flowering to welcome the summer and the season ahead

2010-03-11T10:20:00.003+04:00

My Letters - Malayala Manorama - 10 March 2010 - Welcome Summer - the story of date palm trees flowering to welcome the summer and the season ahead

Photos Speaks - Malayala Manorama - 10th March 2010 - Abu Dhabi on a foggy morning

2010-03-11T10:17:00.002+04:00

Photos Speaks - Malayala Manorama - 10th March 2010 - Abu Dhabi on a foggy morning

Photo Speaks - Malayala Manorama - 10 March 2010 - Date Palm trees flowering

2010-03-11T10:11:00.003+04:00

Photo Speaks - Malayala Manorama - 10 March 2010 - Date Palm trees flowering

My Letters - GULF NEWS - Dt 09 March 2010 - Energy efficiency for a better tomorrow

2010-03-09T08:17:00.003+04:00

My Letters - GULF NEWS - Dt 09 March 2010 - Energy efficiency for a better tomorrow

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor

My opinion: IPL puts off choosing 2 new teams, restarts process

2010-03-08T15:25:00.002+04:00

My opinion: IPL puts off choosing 2 new teams, restarts process

Amol Karhadkar , Hindustan Times
Email Author

All those anxiously waiting to know who the two new owners of Indian Premier League (IPL) teams will be will have to wait another two weeks.

Instead of opening the tenders submitted by three bidders in Mumbai on Sunday as they were scheduled to, the IPL Governing Council decided to re-issue the tender on Tuesday, removing some stringent clauses from the earlier tender.

“We received letters from many companies who expressed interest but said that the $1 billion (Rs 4,500 crore) net worth criteria, which owners of existing franchises had not been asked for, was a problem. They asked why they were being asked for the new criteria, which eliminates them from bidding. Hence the clause has been amended,” IPL Chairman Lalit Modi said after the meeting.

This effectively means the new tender will be available on Tuesday and bids can be submitted till 10am on March 21. The bids will be opened one hour later in Chennai.

Though the IPL also reduced the advance bank guarantee from $100 million (Rs 450 core) to $10 milllion (Rs 45 crore) they stuck to the base price of $225 million (Rs 1012 crore) for each franchise.

“We discussed the possibility of raising this a bit, but eventually stuck with the same base price,” Modi said.

Earlier on Sunday, representatives of the three bidders had to wait for almost an hour before being told about the re-tender. They were the Ahmedabad-based Adani Group, the Delhi-based Jaypee Group, and a consortium including Videocon chief Venugopal Dhoot, real estate giant Atul Chordia and Bollywood biggies Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor (who had submitted a bid for Pune).

To read it in original, please visit Hindustan Times online.

My comments and post comments of it on Face Book as follows:

Mr. Lalit Modi's greed for money will very soon dump Indian Cricket. The day is not very far that the so called promoted players of IPL will become a national burden with their conduct, as was seen many times during the past year by the highly paid, new generation players in many venues. Wish, the same support is obtained by and for other sports including hockey.

Taking on the recent hockey matches, one of our player was banned for three matches, even though, there was no formal complaint lodged against him by the opposing Pakistani player. It totally disrupted a winning combination and momentum gained from the first match. I believe this would not have happened if the corporate force was there in full strength behind our hockey team. What our cricket team gets is an enviable support and it is almost similar to the “rich getting richer” theory and they continue to enjoy the greater privileges. We need cricket but with lesser money involved.

Photo Speaks - Navarasas of a different kind - Khaleej Times - Dt 05 March 2010

2010-03-05T08:27:00.003+04:00

Photo Speaks - Navarasas of a different kind - Khaleej Times - Dt 05 March 2010

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt 03 March 2010 - Is Tendulkar the greatest batsman of all time?

2010-03-03T14:42:00.001+04:00

My Letters - THE NATIONAL - Dt 03 March 2010 - Is Tendulkar the greatest batsman of all time?

When Wisden, the most traditional medium to record the sport of cricket, compiled a list of top 100 knocks in Test cricket, Sachin Tendulkar did not figure in any of them.

Wisden then explained the criteria that none of his knocks were either match-winning ones or those which were did not have enough authority in terms of the match situation to deserve a mention. Now hundred is quite a number but still the man with the highest total of runs in Test as well as one-day formats individually did not figure on that chart.

In ODIs, Tendulkar has scored two hundreds against the top team in Australia in 1998, one to ensure that India made the final and then the second to take the title away from Steve Waugh's men.

A decade later, Tendulkar has had another marvellous season with a brilliant 175 against the all-dominating Australians and has followed it up with an unbeaten 200 against the second-ranked South Africans.

The first to break the 200-run barrier and that too in style, a chanceless innings despite his growing years, Tendulkar's knock is another factor for those who cannot decide in the debate of The Greatest between him and Sir Donald Bradman just because they belonged to two different eras.

Has the Gwalior knock in the second one-day international on February 24, 2010 helped make up your mind on this?

To read this article in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online

My comments as follows:

The way he played this match in which he got to his 200 runs says it all. No doubt, he is the greatest batsman of all time. It will take some time for the contemporary batsman to reach his level of execution. There were legends before, including Sir Don Bradman. However, they played in an era, when cricket was played at a leisurely pace and not many matches were scheduled like these days. Demands, the pace, expectations were all entirely different in those days. To withstand all those and to deliver something unexpected each time to the cricketing fans, shows his creative talent on the cricketing field. The way he picked up those 200 runs at will proves it once and for all, Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman of all time.

My Letters - GULF NEWS - Dt 03 March 2010 - Prepare for Emergencies

2010-03-03T08:55:00.003+04:00

My Letters - GULF NEWS - Dt 03 March 2010 - Prepare for Emergencies

To read my letters to the news, please bookmark and visit Letters to the Editor