Birds - back home after a day's work - Khaleej Times Readers Picture Dt. 28.05.2011

Birds - back home after a day's work - Khaleej Times Readers Picture Dt. 28.05.2011

I am a Passionate Photographer and observe always for any precious moments I could capture in my camera. This is one such precious click, captured and thought I should definitely share with a wider audience and here it is in Khaleej Times readers picture section.

If you have a photo to share, do send it openspace@khaleejtimes.com

Wired thoughts - Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 28.05.2011

Wired thoughts - Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 28.05.2011

I use Face Book for communicating with my friends and also to share photographs and articles. This online facility has given me many friends, some of whom have become very close.

However, at times I get scared by the pace at which these things grow in the modern world and man become e-slaves of them. Interesting is it to see updates now and then from friends with the comment, updated from my Iphone, from my BlackBerry, IPad etc. I smile seeing them, here goes one more wicket down to the magic of e-life. I also smile when I see people suggesting to create a FB account for their pets.

We are indeed in a fast paced world. This was proved in a different way the other day.

One of my colleagues had a baby boy. He and his wife are employed and within a week’s time of delivery, his wife had to go for an important project meeting abroad.

With no other alternative, he had to feed the baby using bottles.

My friend tells me now that his wife is back from work, but his baby refuses to be breast-fed.

I am closely following this child now and curious to know when he gets his hands on to the electronic world.

Ramesh Menon

To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.

Girls outshine the boys in CBSE Grade 12 exam results

As the Indian education board, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), announced the results of grade 12 exams Monday, the wait is on to find out who is this year’s topper



Dubai: As the Indian education board, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), announced the results of grade 12 exams on Monday morning, the wait is on to find out who this year’s topper is.




The results of exams held in March were declared across the country Monday except for Patna region.



According to a statement issued by CBSE, the total pass percentage among students is 81.71 per cent.



In all, 770,043 students appeared for the exam in India and abroad. The percentage marks an increase of 1.84 per cent from last year, officials said.



As it has always been for this exam, girls outshined the boys this year, too, with 86.93 per cent pass rate as compared to boys at 77.83 per cent.



The results are available online at www.results.nic.in ; www.cbseresults.nic.in ; www.cbse.nic.in.



With tension mounting among students, since these marks are deciding factors for their university admissions, the board has introduced a toll-free helpline 1800 11 7002 for students in India.



Meanwhile, the CBSE grade 10 results are expected to be announced later this week.



UAE results received by Gulf News so far are as follows:



1. Delhi Private School, Dubai

A total of 63 students appeared for the exam, all of who passed with first class. In the Science stream the topper is Vrinda Bhandula with 92.2 per cent and the second position in Science stream was secured by Varun Chandrashekar, Gurjyot S. Nanda and Ayushi D. Joshipura with 91.8 per cent. In the Commerce stream the topper is Karan Shenoy with 91.6per cent and the second position in Commerce stream was secured by Divya Shanmugam with 88.2 per cent.



2. Our Own English High School, Fujairah

A total of 45 students appeared for the exam. 75.5 per cent of the pupils scored an aggregate of more than 75 per cent. Ivana Rakshit topped the Science stream with an overall score of 93.8 per cent. Liyah Mariam Suresh came second with the score of 93.4 per cent and Annapureddy Sanjana Reddy came third with 92.8 per cent. In the Commerce Stream Zaira Sohail Saif came first with an overall score of 88.8 per cent and Sumitha Panikaveetil Shaji came second with 85.8 per cent. Jaicy Varghese Mathew came third with 85.6 per cent.



3. Our Own High School, Al Warqa

In all, 212 boys appeared for the exam, 85 in the Science stream and 127 in the Commerce stream. A total of 16.5 per cent of the students secured aggregate marks of 90% and above. A total of 86.3 per cent of the students secured aggregate marks of 60 per cent and above. The topper in the Science stream is Kevin C. Sebastian with 96.4 per cent. The topper in the Commerce stream is Tushar Benyani with 95.2 per cent.



4. Our Own English High School, Al Ain

Out of 25 students who had appeared for the examination all 25 the students passed in first division (60 per cent and above). The school topper in Science stream is Ammu Joshy with an aggregate of 95 per cent and secured A1 grade in all subjects followed by Fatma Talib Kapadia with 90.2 per cent. The Commerce topper is Toyeba Tabasum with 82.6 per cent.



5. Our Own English High School, Dubai

A total of 267 students appeared for the exam. In the Science stream, Athulya Santhosh Kumar came first securing 97.6 per cent. In Commerce stream, Pooja Surana secured the top slot with 94 per cent aggregate. In Humanities stream, Diksha Narendra Laungani secured highest with 95.4 per cent.



6. Indian Public High School, RAK

Out of 23 students from Science Stream, 13 bagged Distinction and 9 secured First Class. In Science, Bhatia Priyanka Ajay topped the list with 93 per cent and in Commerce stream, Andrea Michelle Roche topped with 89.8 per cent.



7. Our Own Indian School, Dubai

In Science stream, Hari Krishnan topped with 93.6 per cent in commerce stream, the first position was bagged by Lakshmi Sreekumar with 95.2 per cent.



8. Indian School, Al Ain

In the Science stream, 46 students appeared out of which 18 students have scored above 80 per cent and 27 of them have got above 75 per cent. Eshani Dutta came first with 95.6 per cent and Dulceyana John with 94.2 per cent is second. Shayher Banu with 92.6 per cent is third. In the Commerce stream, 45 students appeared out of which 13 of them have scored above 80per cent while 19 of them have got above 75 per cent. Binuja Mariam John came first with 90.0 per cent Nisha Sasidharan and Rumana Hafiz Abdullah are second with 89.6 per cent while Raina Rebeiro is third with 87 per cent.



9. Millenium School

The science stream was topped by Jacob Tandupurecal with a percentage of 94.4per cent. Ranjith Tamil Selvan was placed second with 94per cent and Aswathy Ajith was third with 93.4per cent.The commerce stream was topped by Karan Jain with an overall percentage of 93.8per cent. Raeshma Miriam Mathew, was Second with 93per cent and Raveena Srikant Gullapalli was third with 89.4per cent. Out of the 62 students who appeared, 11per cent have scored above 90 per cent and 77per cent students scored over 70per cent. The pass percentage is a 100per cent.



10. Our Own English High School, Sharjah (Boys branch)

In the Science Stream, the average aggregate percentage is 79.4per cent and in the Commerce Stream it is 73.8 per cent. The school average is 76.98 per cent. The topper in the Science Stream is Mohammad Sharoon with 94.6 per cent followed by Sidharth Mudgal Sunil Kumar with 93.4 per cent and in the third place is Abraham K Jacob with 92.8 per cent. The topper in the Commerce Stream is Ashley Chris D’Souza with an aggregate of 89.2 per cent followed by Mohammad Tabish with 85.8 per cent and in the third place is Shaun George Philip with 85.6 per cent. Out of 100 students who took the Board Exam, 7 per cent secured an average of above 90per cent. Some 12 per cent have scored between 85 per cent and 90 per cent. Some 99 per cent have scored more than 60 per cent.



11. Indian School, Ras Al Khaimah

A total of 87 students had appeared for the exam, 46 were in Science Stream and 41 in Commerce Stream. Some 49 students secured Distinction, 28 students got First Class. Sai Deepika with 95.6 per cent topped the science stream and Pooja Prasad topped the commerce stream with 92.2 per cent.



12. Delhi Private School, Sharjah

The top positions were secured by the girls of the school. Gaurangi Saxena topped the school as well as the Science stream with 96.2 per cent followed by Shailee Kothari with 95.6 per cent. Sherika Antao topped the Commerce stream with 92.4 per cent followed by Faisal Pakkali with 90.8 per cent.



13. Abu Dhabi Indian School

Akhilesh Mohan topped the Science stream with 98 per cent, Sarthak Basak came second with 97.6 per cent and Arthi Prabhu came third with 96.4 per cent. In the commerce stream, Laveen Nankhani came first with 96.4 per cent, Priyanka Pradeep came second with 96 per cent and Vishruth Namdev Phadte came third with 94 per cent. 117 boys and 115 girls appeared for the exam, out of which 88 boys and 94 girls scored distinction.



14. Gulf Model School

The school topper in the science stream is Ziyad Abdul Hameed with 86 per cent. Remith Raveendran came second with 83 per cent and Deepthi Ganesh Babu third with 82.26 per cent. Tany Mariya John, 82.4 per cent, Abhijith Rajeevan Pillai, 81.2 per cent, and Asha Latha, 77.8 per cent, secured the top three positions in commerce stream. 61 students appeared for the exam.



15. Our Own Indian School, Dubai

The top position in the Science Stream was clinched by Hari Krishnan with 93.6 per cent. Rachel Ferrao came second with 93.4 per cent and Divya Joy came third with 93 per cent. In the commerce stream, Lakshmi Sreekumar came first with 95.2 per cent. Aswathy Mohanakrishnan came second with 93.4 per cent and Hanna Michael third with 93 per cent.



16. St Josephs School, Abu Dhabi

A total of 66 students sat for the exam – 31 from science stream and 35 from commerce.81 per cent of the science students and 66 per cent of the commerce students secured distinction while the rest secured first division. Syeda Sheema Hussaini came first in science stream with 94.8 per cent, Sincy Ann Saji second with 94.6 per cent and Ann Candice Fernandez third with 94.2 per cent. In the commerce stream, Rhea Mary Mathew came first with 95.2 per cent, Priya Serah Cherian second with 95 per cent and Shona Meria Jacob third with 92 per cent.



17. Asian International Private school, Ruwais

Zoheb Backer topped in the science stream with 94.8 per cent. Second place Fathima Arshad with 94.6 per cent, and third Roshin Mathew Cyriac with 94.4 per cent.



18. Indian High School, Dubai

A total of 451 students sat for the exam, out of which 102 students secured above 90 per cent and 174 above 80 per cent. In the Science stream, Den Senora D’Mello and Shweta Sharma topped with 97.6 per cent. Reshma Ramachandran came second with 96 per cent and Matild Reema and Abhishek Gupta came third with 95.8 per cent.



In the commerce stream, Prabhu Srikala Irivail and Mamta Mehra topped with 96.2 per cent. Nupur Changrani came second with 95.8 per cent and Aastha Kumar third with 95.6 per cent. In the humanities stream, Kalyani Vijayan topped with 95.6 per cent, while Neha Moopen came second scoring 86.6 per cent and Ruqiya Mohammed Riaz third with 84 per cent.



19. New Indian Model School, Sharjah

A total of 54 students appeared for the exam. The top rank in Science Stream was achieved by Shaik Bushra who secured 90 per cent marks while Arun Chris Sebastian came second with 88.6 per cent. Merina Abraham came third with 87.6 per cent. In the Commerce Stream, Rumaila Abdulla secured first with 89.4 per cent.



20. Sharjah Indian School

One hundred and eighty-three girls and 154 boys appeared for the exam. The topper in the science stream is Nigel Varghese Sailesh with 95.2 per cent. Greeshma Somanath came second with 94.6 per cent and Anju Rachel Thomas third with 94.4 per cent. In the commerce stream, Nimmy Mayam Joseph came first with 88.4 per cent. Saleem Haseena Khan came second with 86.4 per cent and Reetu Yadav second with 86 per cent.



21. Sunrise English Private School, Abu Dhabi

In the science stream, Silpa Baburajan came first with 96.2 per cent. Swathi Netaji and Nikhil Selvaraj came second and third with 95.8 per cent and 95.6 per cent. In the commerce stream, Rohit Suresh came first wit h94.2 per cent, Rashida Abdu Rahman second with 92.2 per cent and Sheryl Mary Sabu third with 90.8 per cent.



22. New Indian Model School, Dubai

One hundred and fifteen students appeared for the exam- 55 in Science and 60 in Commerce. Suraj Sunil Kumar stood first in the school in Science with 95 per cent marks. Second position went to Agzin Abdul Assiz (92.5 per cent) and third position went to Mufeeda Abdul Rahman with 92 per cent. In the Commerce Stream, Shahana Humayoon Thoosikannan came first with 93.6 per cent. Sana Sadiya Sadiq came second with 92 per cent and Ameena Noordheen came third with 91.6 per cent.



23. Emirates English Speaking School

Thirty-one students appeared for the exam – 13 studetns scored distinction and 10 scored first division. P. Vimal Raj topped the science stream with 91 per cent while Sadaf Suleman secured second. In the commerce stream, Jyoti Pradeep Kumar secured 85.8 per cent and Ajay Bhatia came second with 84.2 per cent.



24. Gulf Indian High School, Dubai

In the science stream, Mishkatul Noor topped with 91 per cent and Manjit Singh topped in the commerce stream also with 91 per cent.



25. Our Own English High School, Sharjah (girls branch)

In the science stream, Venessa Roshni Tauro came first with 96 per cent. Maria Yusuf Lakkadwala came second with 95.4 per cent, and Lindsa Elizabeth Chacko third with 95 per cent. In the commerce stream, Jovita Castelino came first with 93 per cent. Varsha Varghese came second with 92.6 per cent and Rochelle Cristle Pereira and Shanthi Subramanian came third with 92 per cent. All the students got first class and 78.7 per cent obtained distinction.



26. Indian Islahi Islamic School, Abu Dhabi

In all, 111 students appeared for the exam – 54 in science stream and 57 in commerce. In the science stream, Aysha Shana topped with 92.8 per cent. Shameena Abdul Saleem came second with 92.4 per cent and Rashid Ahmed Khan came third with 92.2 per cent. In the commerce stream, Mohamed Iflal Maryam topped with 91.6 per cent. Raseena Ahmed came second with 88 per cent and Shafiq Ummer came third with 87.2 per cent.



27. Central School, Dubai

In the science stream, the topper is Tariq Abdul Hamid Mulla with 89.4 per cent and the second is Aatika with 88 per cent. In the commerce stream, the topper is Saniya Naz with 89.2 per cent.



28. Darul Huda Islamic School, Al Ain

Twenty-eight students each appeared for the exam from the science and commerce streams. In the science stream, Rukiya Hanan topped the science stream with 89.8 per cent. Jameela Pazhaya Pattilath and Asma Vadayil came second with 88.6 per cent while Sulaiman came third with 87.2 per cent. In the commerce stream, Fathima Kamruddin topped with 86 per cent. Kadeeja and Fathima Abdulla came second and third scoring 84.2 per cent and 81.8 per cent.



29. Gulf Asian English School, Sharjah

Out of 82 students, who appeared for the examination, 66 percent were placed in the first division out of which 32 percent secured distinction. In the science stream, Umme Shaila topped with 92 per cent. Rabab Abbas came second scoring 89.5 per cent and Ahmed Suhail came third scoring 86 per cent. In the commerce stream, Shaheen Sultana topped scoring 90 per cent, Jassim Ahmed came second with 86 per cent and Sameeha came third with 85 per cent.



30. Indian School, Ajman

In the science stream, of the 17 students who appeared for the exam, 14 secured distinction and 3 secured first division. Ramya Mohandas topped the school securing 93 per cent followed by Rajdeep Kaur who secured 92.2 per cent while Thushara K. Valsan (91.2 per cent) came third. Satish Kumar Parshotam topped the Commerce Stream with 85.4 per cent followed by Gineesh Babu Govindan who secured 79.4 per cent. Nithin Manoharan V. V. stood third scoring 76.2 per cent.



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I wish to be anonymous. Do not publish my name with my comment. I have read and agreed to the gulfnews.com terms and conditions of use. Post Comment Added 18:12 May 23, 2011

thankyou for the updated post. Congratulations to all the students who passed.

Anonymous, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 16:07 May 23, 2011

Thank you for the updated post

Joseph Mathew, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 14:25 May 23, 2011

Thank you for the updated post and very comprehensive indeed. Please continue to update this link with results from the schools in Abu Dhabi and other Emirates. Congratulations to all the students who passed.


Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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

Trolley Trouble - Short Take - Dt. 21.05.2011

Trolley Trouble - Short Take - Dt. 21.05.2011



Trolley trouble


A friend of mine returned from holiday recently and during his short stay in Mumbai, he happened to visit a new shopping mall.

Walking inside with the mall, his son of 2 years got restless. Seeing this, he was offered a trolley by one of the junior shop attendants to place the boy on the trolley.

My friend was very happy and continued his walk inside the mall. As he was on a casual visit, his trolley was empty. A few yards further he was stopped by a supervisor, who questioned him and asked him why he was using the trolley to carry his child.

In an angry tone, he asked him to take the baby out from the trolley and carry him on his own and told him that the trolley was not meant for this purpose.

Surprised by this remark, my friend pointed out at the junior attendant and told the supervisor that he was offered this kind gesture by one of his junior staff when his son started crying.

He continued to him, “Seeing your actions I feel the duty role should have been reversed.”

He returned the trolley and moved out of the mall instantly. Another instance of who is walking tall and short? A simple act of kindness by one junior staff became an unpardonable crime for his senior.

Ramesh Menon

To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.

Property plans lack credibility - The National Dt. 20.05.2011

Property plans lack credibility

Some property exhibitions held in the UAE by foreign developers lack credibility. They typically promise completion within four years and buyers will be asked to start paying for their property.

However, some buyers from the UAE have been cheated with no delivery on time or of the promised quality. In some cases, the property does not even belong to the builder. For that reason, UAE authorities should come up with measures to monitor property exhibitions.

Developers or their representatives who participate should be required to submit necessary documents and a letter of reassurance, which should be approved by authorities. These guarantees should be provided to prospective buyers at the location of the exhibition.

I hope such regulations will help avoid fraud in the property sector which has affected many customers from the UAE.

RM, Abu Dhabi

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

The art of letter writing - Friday Magazine Dt. 20.05.2011

Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services felicitates Sponsors and Volunteers from The Fourth Used Book Festival

Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services Organized a Ceremony for Sponsors and Volunteers from The Fourth Used Book Festival

His Excellency Humaid Mohammad Al Qutami, Minister of Education, praised Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the United Arab Emirates Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah Emirate, endless efforts to sustain the cultural movement in Sharjah and encouraging the habit of reading.

He also praised the principles and values of the Fourth Used Book Festival, which was organized by Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), a non-profit organization located in the United Arab Emirates that aims at providing inclusion, advocacy, and empowerment for people with disabilities under the General Directorship of Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, in march.

The festival was a good opportunity to spread knowledge among people by exchanging used books. It also emphasized the importance of voluntarily work for youth.

H.E. Humaid Mohammad Al Qutami claimed after the honoring of sponsors and volunteers in a ceremony on Wednesday, May 18th “We are blessed with the great care and attention of Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the United Arab Emirates Supreme Council and Ruler of the Sharjah Emirate, who has been supporting cultural movements in Sharjah for years. Words cannot describe our feelings when we witness His Excellency Sheikh Sultan take care of each and every little detail that concerns our lives. Nevertheless, This orientation of spreading information and endorsing books has become our responsibility as well. Certainly, this event which was entitled “Treasure of Knowledge” represents so many concepts and values for students and public citizens. Notably, the number of exhibited books and participants has increased enormously in comparison with previous years”. To conclude the speech, Mr. Humaid highly appreciated the nonprofit efforts of SCHS, who is a pioneer in providing inclusion, advocacy, and empowerment for people with disabilities. He also thanked participants and volunteers for dedicating their time and effort to support SCHS’s work.

The Minister of Education was the guest of honor in this ceremony which took place in the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry auditorium in Al Mamzar area. Khalfan Al Shair, a Student in Al Wafaa School for Developmental Training, presented a bouquet of roses for H.E. Humaid Moh’d Al Qutami on arrival. The ceremony then began with the national anthem of United Arab Emirates followed by a blessed recitation from the Holy Quran by Noojod Abdel Rahman, also a student from Al Wafaa School for Developmental Training. Mrs. Mona Abdel Kareem, a member of the committee to attract public and private schools to participate in the Fourth Used Book Festival, gave a speech on behalf of SCHS in which she emphasized the importance of the cooperation which led to a successful event.

Organizers, participants, and volunteers were honored to share responsibility for carrying out the cultural event with a great amount of dedication and hard work. The event had many cultural and humanitarian dimensions that allows to gathering of people from different disciplines and goals to come together for an important humanitarian event. Emphasizing the value of books, encouraging the habit of reading, endorsing the concept of voluntarily, and creating an efficient way to raise funds to support SCHS’s nonprofit services, were among the festival’s prime objectives. Volunteers have the greatest role in reaching these goals; they managed to increase the number of exhibited books and participating organizations. Revenues were beyond expectations. A special thanks to those who contributed to the organization of this honoring ceremony, especially the Minister of Education Mr. Humaid Moh’d Al Qutami and to SCHS’s partners who were Sharjah Educational Zone, Youth Centers, and Sharjah Municipality.

To conclude her speech, Mrs. Mona Abdel Kareem stated that “We thank the Minister of Education who has been always there for us. With his great heart and good intentions, he has become another advocate for culture and knowledge. His efforts correspond to Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi’s, Member of the United Arab Emirates Supreme Council and Ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah, vision of a modern civilized community.

Participants and volunteers are motivated to do more for society’s advancement by such initiatives. They will work hard in order to make coming events as successful as the previous ones.

Mr. Said Salim El Kabi, Head of Sharjah Educational Zone, then gave a speech on behalf of SCHS’s partners in which he said “I am proud to represent the Fourth Used Book Festival’s sponsors in this ceremony. Certainly, we all heard about such cultural events in foreign and Arab countries, but today we see it as a reality in our country. The credit goes to SCHS who has proven to be a giving humanitarian organization. SCHS has never ceased to amaze us with distinguished projects such as this one. It is a serious attempt to enrich the knowledge of United Arab Emirates citizens and plant the concept of voluntarily work in the mind of youngsters. I thank Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Vice President of the Sharjah Family Supreme Council and Director General of SCHS, who has a great dedication and loyalty to humanitarian services. We promise to stand next to you in the long path of community development“. To conclude the speech, he thanked his colleagues at Sharjah Educational Zone who are always seeking the best for the community. A short Film about the festival then was put on display. The videotape was filmed by Youth Centers. Finally, the Minister of Education honored sponsors, volunteers, and participating organizations such as public and private schools. A number of schools were rewarded for distinguished contributions such as Khaled bin Mohammed School, Ajman Special School, and others. The student Khalfan Soliman presented a gift to the Minister of Education in a touching gesture of appreciation. The gift was made by SCHS’s Vocational Rehabilitation & Training Department students. The Minister of Education also received a present from the University of Sharjah, which presented another gifts to Mr. Jihad Abdel Qader, Head of SCHS’s Financial Department. Mr. Nasair Draweesh, who was in charge of the Pricing and Classification Committee, presented the ceremony’s program.

Team 1 Daily LAWS - What do voters get from the new government?

Tall and short - Short Take - Gulf Today Dt. 14.05.2011

Short Take - Tall and short - Gulf Today Dt. 14.05.2011

We come across several people on the road and business and pass through several interactions. Many of them pass away from our mind quickly. But, a few of them remain within us. It is one such chance listening to an interesting conversation that lead to the creation of this news item.

It was Ramadan time with short working hours and as usual all the bank counters were busy with customers.

I was standing in the line at one such counter and in front of me was a tall person. He was about 6ft 4” or more. And at the other side of the counter was a Philippino Teller, comparatively short with a height of approximately 5 ft.

Due to some reason, he was slow and added to it the computer system was responding slow too. May be, in order to ease the restlessness of the customer in front due to all the delay, the Teller opened up a casual conversation with the tall customer telling him that he envied his height and always wanted to be a tall person.

Answering him with a smile, the tall man replied: “It is the other way for me. I wanted to be shorter than what I am and really helpless about it each time.”

His answer once again created a spark of thoughts for me to work on a new subject. Walking tall and short in life!

What do we really assume by saying a person is tall or short? How many times we stand tall and short in our life?

Ramesh Menon

Save Electricity for our Future

Save Electricity for our Future

Save Water For Our Future

Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services - a brief of recent activities

Koodalmanikyam Manikyan - My Creatives - Malayala Manorama Dt. 26.04.2010

My Creatives - Koodalmanikyam Manikyan - Malayala Manorama Dt. 26.04.2010

Indian Juice

Indian Juice

An innovating marketing by a Fresh Fruit Juice stall in Hamdan Street.

Save Water For Our Future

Turn it off

Turn it off

If everyone in the UAE turned off just one light for one hour a day, we'd stop 700 tonnes of CO2 from going into the atmosphere every year. That's the same as taking 400 cars off the road.

A public awareness campaign conducted by Environment Agency Abu Dhabi - display at Abu Dhabi Mall.

Moments of life - Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 07.05.2011

Moments of life - Short Take - Gulf Today - Dt. 07.05.2011

It is very interesting to interact with different people as we get to observe and learn many new things from them.

The journey towards my office consists of a long time in a lift and it is a good opportunity to say “hello” and exchange short words between regular faces from different floors.

The other day, I was in a lift with a colleague of mine, who had returned from  holiday.

A good athlete, he took a short course in Para Jumping. The coaching and trial went well and the day came for real time performance to jump from an aircraft towards a picturesque valley.

The instructor explained to him all the basics to be followed and also rechecked the equipment and he was signaled to jump. He was telling me the moment after was one of the most memorable ones ever in his life so far.

The beauty of the valley was unimaginable as he looked and enjoyed while he lowered. However, suddenly he realised, his equipment was not opening up and then the joy turned out to be a panic situation. For moments, he said, he recapped his whole life, all the while trying to correct the equipment, and felt absolute helplessness towards the wind, the nature and the situation he was in. He thought, it was going to be the end.

Somehow, at the right time, before any danger could happen, the equipment opened and he managed to do a heavy landing, with minor bruises.

All the while he was narrating this, there was another passenger in the lift, who was blaring a music through his ipod and completely out of this world. People around were looking at him as the noise level was unbearable in that small and packed area. All kept quiet and left him on his own as he destroyed his own ear drum with that blistering volume.

Yes, life is full of controllable and uncontrollable situations and it is all how we act and react to it.

Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.

Suggestion for Abu Dhabi buses - My Letters - THE NATIONAL Dt 06.05.2011

Suggestion for Abu Dhabi buses - THE NATIONAL Dt 06.05.2011

The Abu Dhabi bus system is becoming more popular among commuters each day and each route that is added. This can be seen and experienced by the heavy rush for buses during morning and evening hours. Commuters find the buses extremely useful and economical.


However, in the city buses, when there is a large crowd, the front to middle half is full of lady passengers. Thus, it makes entry for male passengers inconvenient as they have to get inside through the main door, drop the coin in the box next to the driver and then get down and get inside through the door at the middle.

Could the Abu Dhabi bus authorities come out with a convenient system for passengers to drop their coins at a suitable place near the middle door?

It would make the Abu Dhabi buses more passenger friendly.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

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

Save Water For Our Future

Save Water For Our Future

A could be implemented idea by all residents.

Charity event in Abu Dhabi - some queries - My Letters - GULF NEWS - Dt. 05.05.2011

Charity event in Abu Dhabi - some queries - My Letters - GULF NEWS - Dt. 05.05.2011

In reference to "Charity event in Abu Dhabi for tsunami victims". While I congratulate the team effort and humanitarian gesture involved, I feel, it is extremely alarming to see Yoga being commercialised, even if it is for the purpose of fund raising for a natural calamity. Yoga, as it says itself is never done for beating records or numbers. Doing 108 times of Surya Namaskars at one stretch will be a dangerous physical act. As experts say generally, 12 Surya Namaskaras are performed at one practice. If starting that practice for the first time, it is generally started with fewer (3 to 6) Namaskaras per day, and then gradually increased to 12 Namaskaras in a week's time. So, is it a whole day event starting from 6:00 am with breaks after the Shavasana and then another set is repeated till they reach 108 times. An importanct concern thus about the participants yoga expertise and years of practise attained to display a 108 time of Surya Namaskar. Kindly address this concern before the events kick off for the safety of the participant.


Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

To read the original community report and my comment online, please visit GULF NEWS online.

Urumi – an epic unfolded with creativity and aesthetic beauty

Urumi – an epic unfolded with creativity and aesthetic beauty

Expectations were really high when we entered the Eldorado Theatre in Abu Dhabi to watch the movie Urumi. A move directed by Santhosh Shivan having Prithviraj, Prabhu Deva, Jagathy and Genelia in main roles definitely bound to be. The initial oration by KPAC Lalitha did bring in the early interest to the almost 3 hours of picturesque and innovative picturisation of an ancient folklore about Vasco da Gama. Tell you, it did mark a strong “Santhosh Shivan” presence in each and every frame of the movie. An advantage for major part of the movie in terms of visual treat for the audience and a slight disadvantage at times in terms of flaws in directorial nuances.

The whole movie has been presented with beautiful permutations and combinations of every major artists in it. Prithviraj as Kelu Nayanar outshined his contemporary form Krishna Das by miles. Prabhu Deva excelled in both his different roles throughout the movie and presented once again for the movie world that, he is never going to get aged on his trademark movements, comedy and presentation style. Jagathi Sreekumar as Chenichery Kurup proved once again to us that he is one actor for whom characters are a cakewalk. Genelia as Ayesha with her excellent performance outshined at times even the male actors. Nithya Menen added an innocent and attractive variety to the movie and story line and perfectly justified her role throughout. This performance will definitely give her opportunities to fill in many open slots up for grab in South Indian movies.

Tabu in her cameo was beautiful as ever. However, Vidya Balan disappointed. Probably due to lack of frames she has in this story telling, at times, she was left seen with no expressions and emotions, which was inexcusable from an actor of her calibre in a classique of this nature.

Amol Gupte as Chirakkal Maharaja, Ankur Sharma as Chirakkal Crown Prince Bhanu Vikraman, Alexx ONell as Estêvão da Gama, Robin Pratt as Vasco Da Gama, Bharath J as Beeran Kutty, Arya as Chirakkal Kothuwal and Thandachan played individuals roles to perfections.

The camera throughout the movie presented a lush watery green that reminded a nostalgic memory for all those who love the gods own country.

The fight scenes were done excellently well and the narration at the beginning of the movie that “no animals were harmed in the movie” augmented a sense of responsibility by the producers and crew towards animal rights.

Costumes and make up, especially of all the female artists were simple and outstanding. Prithviraj and Prabhudeva's make were natural.

Shankar Ramakrishnan’s script well conveyed the story throughout in a beautiful manner and took the viewers guessing till the end. However, at times I felt, he and Santhosh Shivan could have concentrated on dialects in the dialogue presentation, which seemed to be out of place.

Music by Deepak Dev scored brilliantly on background and one song "Chimmi Chimmi" done as a tribute to M. G. Radhakrishnan, will remain on the lips, caller tunes and memories of movie lovers for a long time for its beautiful presentation by the singers and actors in it. The folk, lullaby, ballad part of the music were interestingly audible and well presented.

A valiant and successful attempt by Prithviraj, Santosh Sivan, Shaji Natesan for producing a good movie to watch with family, especially children to give them a different version of struggle undertaken during the yesteryears by our unsung heroes.

An overall brilliant effort by Santhosh Sivan and Prithviraj and looks like the year ahead belongs to both of them.

Rating: 4/5

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

04.05.2011

Taste It - Sweet and Soft Coconut Vada

Taste It - Sweet and Soft Coconut Vada

My first content publish in Yahoo as a content contributor.

Enjoy reading it at Yahoo online and pleaes post your comments.

Eco Friendly Transport - Exploring Abu Dhabi Through Clicks and Writes

Eco Friendly Transport - Exploring Abu Dhabi Through Clicks and Writes

Eco Friendly Transport - a utility cycle displayed at the Friday Market at Masdar City. This seems to be very convenient for village use for children and adults. Its pack weight is approximately 18 kgs and costs about AED 600/+ in Abu Dhbai.

A tempting display.

Ramesh Menon

03.05.2011

A dangerous game of cricket - My Letters - THE NATIONAL Dt. 03.05.2011

A dangerous game of cricket - My Letters - THE NATIONAL Dt. 03.05.2011

A dangerous game of cricket

I happened to witness a dangerous act inside the pedestrian underpass opposite the Emax store on Hamdan Street. A group of teenage boys were playing cricket.

This was extremely threatening to the safety of pedestrians in the underpass as well as public property including the tiles, fire safety equipment and electrical fixtures.

Cricket is a game attracting immense attention from youth these days with an abundance of money and fame around for those who excel at the sport. It is no wonder that parents will encourage any child who shows an interest in it. But this game, I learnt, was not a one-off but is played regularly at the underpass and several times near misses have happened with the cricket ball.

When authorities strive to control jaywalking, I am sure that this is one particular area where people will refrain from using the underpass for fear of being hit by a cricket ball.

We all know it is nearly impossible to bring sufficient playground facilities to all localities. However, other empty playing places presenting no harm to persons or property could be easily found by the young players.

They shouldn't be allowed to play cricket in an underpass meant only for commuting.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

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