Abu Dhabi Police step up patrols in bid to stop drink driving during New Year celebrations - Letters to the editor

Abu Dhabi Police step up patrols in bid to stop drink driving during New Year celebrations


I am really happy that Abu Dhabi Police has been issuing notifications ahead of the New Year’s Eve, reminding drivers of the dangers of drink driving. Such road-safety campaigns should be sustained throughout the year. The National, along with the traffic police, has played an important role in the past to bring about an awareness on road safety through a series of campaigns. I urge The National to take road safety as one of its campaign themes for 2014. Together with traffic and community police departments in all emirates, a renewed traffic campaign should begin and that should continue with sustained interest throughout the year. Volunteers should also be encouraged to promote road and community safety among people. Thus, an alert group can be formed that can assist the police. Hotel employees, particularly security personnel, should be instructed not to allow a guest to drive away from their premises if they find he or she is under the influence of alcohol. Let “safety first” remain our motto in 2014. Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi To read the original article online, please visit The National online. To read this letter online, please visit The National online

Dubai to introduce new app to report food violations - Letters to the editor Khaleej Times

Dubai to introduce new app to report food violations - Letters to the editor Khaleej Times

This will be a very good move as consumers can easily report violations with photo evidence directly. Supermarket chains have to be extra cautious from now on. Many instance I have noticed the ready to use fresh vegetable items in mixed pack have old items concealed at the bottom with fresh products at the top. This will not work as also many other negligence or even over sights. Wish and hope that the new application is used well and prove to be beneficial for consumers to get quality products.

To read the original article, please visit Khaleej Times online

Reading and writing: Hundred, not out

(Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi) / 29 December 2013

This is in response to the article, “One hundred not out” (KT, December 27).

It made an interesting reading and suddenly it brought out several motivational insights within me recapitulating the year 2013 that was.

Cricket is an interesting game with lot of statistics and game loving statisticians keeping track of players and the game happening all over.

In fact when we look at it, numbers fascinate us in many ways. We are all proudly looking forward to Expo 2020. We closely watched the digital clock when it passed to the next second on 11:12:13 at 14:15:16.

Just like any sports, a reader and writer has to have nice platforms to write regularly and read on. We all cry aloud and alert when children don’t get sufficient sports facilities around. The authorities in the UAE are very generous and listen to us appropriately and the results of it are wonderful cityscape with young generation given adequate play opportunities around.

The art of reading and writing also has to be approached in a similar manner. I congratulate the writer for scoring a century with Khaleej Times. That has inspired me to write more.

To read it in original, please visit Khaleej Times online

Renovation work hurts commuters - Letters to the editor - The National Dt 19 December 2013

Renovation work hurts commuters

Letters to the Editor - The National 19 December 2013
Read more:http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/feedback/renovation-work-hurts-commuters#ixzz2nsonKboH
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook

A series of road and pavement repair work being carried out in sector 73 in Khalidiya is causing major inconvenience to the public.

The entire area is marked for repair by the contracting company responsible for the project. They have also dug up the pavement and removed the bricks that have been stacked up randomly. It’s a posh residential area with a high concentration of high-rises, restaurants, banks and other commercial establishments. In normal times, before the repair work began, availability of parking spaces was limited. So one can imagine the inconvenience it has caused to residents and visitors. The pieces of bricks and concrete also pose a grave danger to children.

Apart from that, the lorries that keep plying in the area cause traffic chaos as there is limited space for vehicle movement.

I humbly request the civic authorities to facilitate convenient passage for residents and vehicles. That could have been done easily by marking smaller segments for renovation, instead of marking an entire sector. It can still be done.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

Read more:http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/feedback/renovation-work-hurts-commuters#ixzz2nsohbda3
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook

Humanitarian efforts by UAE should inspire all - The National Dt. 18 December 2013

Humanitarian efforts by UAE should inspire all
The National online 17 December 2013 / in print 18 December 2013

The inspirational moment I witnessed at the screening on Monday of Inside: Mission Kosovo will remain in my memory for a long time.


Although it was taken on video in the presence of several people, the hug received by Lt Col Dr Aysha Sultan Al Dhaheri from a 12-year-old girl whom she delivered in Kosovo while on the UAE’s historical White Hands humanitarian mission, drew a wave of emotions. Similarly, school masters were happy to receive Lt Col Sultan Mohamed Al Katebi and his team after 12 years.

Within these years, the little girl, Fatema, grew taller than the doctor who delivered her, and the makeshift schools in Kosovo had been transformed into full-fledged institutions with all facilities. Apart from that, the UAE also built hospitals and invested in infrastructure in that country.

The emotions projected in the documentary show a job well done. Any nation involved in such magnanimous missions can easily pledge monetary support. However, it is the unsung heroes like Lt Col Al Dhaheri and Lt Col Al Katebi that make it possible for those affected by conflict and turmoil to get their lives back.

The UAE indeed succeeded in giving a new lease of life to so many people in Kosovo by investing its time, money and effort to rebuild educational and health care infrastructure.

Congratulations to the heroes of the UAE Armed Forces who participated in this effort. I also congratulate The National for presenting a wonderful documentary.

I suggest a free copy of this documentary be distributed to all educational institutions and organisations, so as to create a larger awareness of the UAE’s silent efforts to alleviate human suffering.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi



Read more:http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/feedback/humanitarian-efforts-by-uae-should-inspire-all#ixzz2njogavXT
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook

Abu Dhabi’s Volcano Fountain: a fire that never went out

Abu Dhabi’s Volcano Fountain: a fire that never went out

Mo Gannon

December 1, 2013 Updated: December 1, 2013 13:21:00

Read more:http://www.thenational.ae/uae/heritage/abu-dhabis-volcano-fountain-a-fire-that-never-went-out#ixzz2n8LrrFRA
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook


It could be a test of long-term residency. Ask anyone who has lived in Abu Dhabi for more than a decade whether they remember the Volcano Fountain and you’re likely to ignite an outpouring of memories. Built in the 1980s, elevated on a circular pier on the Corniche near the foot of Muroor, the fountain looked like something from The Flintstones, “a page right out of history”.

Or, as the Doha-based author Sophia Al Maria puts it on her blog: “Back in 1988, the Abu Dhabi Volcano Fountain rose out of the Corniche like Triton’s head. It burst out of the boardwalk like a long-submerged alien ship rising from the sea. Its scented water cascaded down through the prongs of a turret-like crown. That cement halo still floats sovereign over all my childhood memories of Abu Dhabi.”

Also known as Al Shallal (waterfall in Arabic), the stone-paved fountain, surrounded by tiered gardens with flights of stairs leading up to its base, was lit up at night to give the cascading water the appearance of lava. Vendors sold fried peanuts, fresh chips, ice cream, newspapers and balloons, and photographers snapped pictures of people posing in front of it, much as they now do at the Burj Khalifa.

The fountain was called a must-see in guidebooks and featured on Abu Dhabi postcards. More significantly, it was a gathering place for the growing city’s many nationalities, at a time when there were fewer social options and no mobile phones to arrange a spontaneous meeting place.

Meeting at the Volcano Fountain was almost a given. “It was the primary focal point for any visitor to Abu Dhabi during that time,” says Ramesh Menon, who came from Kerala to work in Abu Dhabi in 1987. He remembers it as a place where couples met for the first time, where proud parents brought their newborns from the nearby Corniche Hospital, where fellow Indians returning from home would open parcels and distribute letters. “It holds a special significance,” Menon says. “It created a lot of feelings within people.”

Jasmine Godfrey, who was born in Abu Dhabi 41 years ago, remembers many “joyous” times with her family and young friends at the landmark. “We used to spend most of our time there,” she says. “Wherever you are, you come over there to meet us.”

The fountain was also the site of National Day celebrations, the area surrounding it decorated with thousands of flags and lights. As Christine Nowell and Nick Crawley wrote in their 2001 book Now & Then: Abu Dhabi: “National Day is celebrated throughout the Emirates […] on the Corniche, young ladies in their finest dress dance in the traditional way to the dulcet tunes of the flute and drum. The events take place at the so-called ‘Volcano’ roundabout on the afternoon of the 2nd day of December and continue into the evening.”

Abu Dhabi’s Volcano Fountain wasn’t alone in the world: one was built at Honolulu International Airport in the 1960s and a more grandiose version entertains crowds at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas. But Abu Dhabi’s still takes a place of honour in online lists of the world’s most beautiful fountains, along with the Trevi Fountain in Rome and the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas.

After it was demolished in 2004 as part of a redevelopment of the Corniche, Menon was taking a walk in the area and had a flash. “Why not identify a place and bring it back?” He got in touch with the Abu Dhabi Government about his idea and he believes it’s not a closed case. “They all know the value of it.”

mgannon@thenational.ae

Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/uae/heritage/abu-dhabis-volcano-fountain-a-fire-that-never-went-out#ixzz2n8LjsTxX  Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook

Remembering Abu Dhabi's Volcano Fountain

Please visit and view the video

http://www.thenational.ae/video-remembering-abu-dhabis-volcano-fountain

Feed birds in the park, not street - Letters to the editor - The National Dt. 20 November 2013

Feed birds in the park, not street

Walking along the Istiqlal street in Abu Dhabi recently, I was shocked to see pieces of bread had been thrown on to the pavement near an advertising sign.

I realised that this was done by someone with the intention of feeding the birds, mostly pigeons, in the area.

Although feeding birds may be considered a humane act or devotional gesture, it contributes to the bird droppings all around the area, including on parked cars and the windows and balconies of nearby buildings.

The municipality is spending a huge amount of money to keep our city clean. Encouraging these birds to live in the inner-city area detracts from the environmental, ecological and aesthetic qualities of the locality.

For this reason, I think that feeding birds in the city should be discouraged. Instead, feeding areas for birds and other animals could be set up in public parks and gardens.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/feedback/rain-is-welcome-but-potentially-dangerous#ixzz2lMH6yEm6
Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook

Kadugodi/Whitefield Railway Pedestrian Over Bridge now a reality - Thank You All

Dear Friends and well wishers,

I am extremely happy to inform you all that the Kadugodi Railway Over Bridge is now a reality. My sincere thanks goes to all those who put in an effort to make a CRY for this important path way. Sincere thanks also goes to the Indian Railway authorities, local administrative staff, politicians and all media and journalists who understood the importance of this pedestrian over bridge at Whitefield Railway Station. We have lost many life and let no death happen again as a result of crossing the railway track. 

http://www.clicksandwrites.blogspot.ae/search/label/Kadugodi%20Whitefield%20Pedestrian%20Overbridge

Thank you all those who supported. To all Passionate Photographers group members. This is just one example, what you can do if you have a Passion for Photography and commitment to the safety of the society you live.

God bless,

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
15th November 2013

p.s: Photo Courtesy: Deepika Jayanth Bhat.
And she comments:

Finally the pedestrian fly over construction is completed and before inauguration we have started using it. But my concern is, what is the use of so many approaches made by number of people to get this fly over constructed! Where as a large group of people still prefer to cross the railway tracks by redrisking their lives without any hesitation!!! I pity!!! It hardly tales 4minutes to use the fly over but people find 4minutes walk not necessary! My opinion is to Close all the gates which provides easy for people to cross the tracks directly and make it compulsory to use the fly over!

Devoted Volunteers

Thank God It is Friday. As usual a day to remember the needy. Today, there is something extra special. I dedicate today to women who lost their life to Cancer. First - my grandmother, late Devaki Amma, Second my mother in law Vijayalekshmy Menon, and third late Helen Letitia Simon, mother of Jasmin Godfrey and mother in law of Godfrey.

Remembering them all and their affection, love and service to their family and friends and to the society, and with lots of prayers and pranams to all other departed souls and affected cancer people, I have created a voluntary movement named “Devoted Volunteers”

The basic aims are to:

-              create more awareness on breast cancer in particular and all other types of cancers

-              necessary guidance and assistance to those who are affected by cancer

-              Communicate with necessary authorities to emphasise the importance of giving free or subsidized treatment for cancer

Anyone who is interested to join me in this voluntary movement can contact me at team1talentshare@gmail.com

More details of this voluntary movement will be listed in my blog www.clicksandwrites.blogspot.com in the coming days.

Sincere regards,

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

Friday, 25th October 2013

Volcano Fountain Abu Dhabi - a humble request to revive a great history that was

Any expat or Emirati family who was here before it was demolished in 2004 remembers the 80 foot fountain right by the Gulf. It was common to see families relaxing while the kids ran around the fountain or friends met to catch up. For many years, the Volcano Fountain which got the name from its cone – like shape and the electric lights that looked like lava at night was the place for National Day festivities and other traditional events, a part of the heritage and culture and a prime spot for visitors to the UAE. However, it was removed during the expansion of the Corniche and so far has not found a place in the new scheme of developments in the capital.

The fountain was built in mid 1980s as part of the city's beautification plan. Like the GCC Roundabout, it was also built just before one of the GCC summits in UAE. (July 2004)

Many in Abu Dhabi especially those who grew up seeing the fountain miss it. But one man has decided to take the initiative to bring this beautiful fountain back. Ramesh Menon, an Indian who works in the capital, has sent a petition to the authorities in Abu Dhabi asking them to find the right place to restore this grand monument to the city. “This will make a difference  in Abu Dhabi; it will keep a lot of memories alive and attract various people. There are many who have taken interest and joined in this petition. As lovers of this country, tradition, and historical growth, we all want the Volcano Fountain to be restored, rebuilt anywhere in the new Corniche or any other befitting place in Abu Dhabi, says Menon. “How can we forget that Abu Dhabi was synonymous with this fountain until 2004, and now it’s gone,” Menon reminds us who has been in the city for decades.

A committee is currently looking into the situation, and Menon is working to spread the message and gain more support to ensure that his mission succeeds.

Collected photos of Volcano Fountain (from various sources in the web - thanks to all the sites and phtoographers in advance)

Volcano Fountain - a humble call to bring it back

Any expat or Emirati family who was here before it was demolished in 2004 remembers the 80 foot fountain right by the Gulf. It was common to see families relaxing while the kids ran around the fountain or friends met to catch up. For many years, the Volcano Fountain which got the name from its cone – like shape and the electric lights that looked like lava at night was the place for National Day festivities and other traditional events, a part of the heritage and culture and a prime spot for visitors to the UAE. However, it was removed during the expansion of the Corniche and so far has not found a place in the new scheme of developments in the capital.

Many in Abu Dhabi especially those who grew up seeing the fountain miss it. But one man has decided to take the initiative to bring this beautiful fountain back. Ramesh Menon, an Indian who works in the capital, has sent a petition to the authorities in Abu Dhabi asking them to find the right place to restore this grand monument to the city. “This will make a differenced in Abu Dhabi; it will keep a lot of memories alive and attract various people. There are many who have taken interest and joined in this petition. As lovers of this country, tradition, and historical growth, we all want the Volcano Fountain to be restored, rebuilt anywhere in the new Corniche or any other befitting place in Abu Dhabi, says Menon. “How can we forget that Abu Dhabi was synonymous with this fountain until 2004, and now it’s gone,” Menon reminds us who has been in the city for decades.

A committee is currently looking into the situation, and Menon is working to spread the message and gain more support to ensure that his mission succeeds.

http://tempoplanet.com/making-a-difference-4/

Bring back the Volcano Fountain - Letters - The National - campaign and cause to keep history of a great nation alive

Photography Opportunity - "Our Story of the Date Palms"

Invitation to Participate 
----------------------------
Time Frame to participate : 1st October 2013 - 31 December 2013

To all Passionate Photographers members.

Have you ever watched the Palm trees flowering process. If not, watch them from now on. The trees are getting read to flower.

It will be a good observation cum photography experience if you track it.

Inviting you to click them from wherever you are post them here with details. Opt to choose the growth sequence in one or two selected trees.

A display of this wonderful event and the result of your efforts submitted to Passionate Photographers group is planned with selected photos from members in the beginning of 2014 - when this seasonal cycle gets completed with the dates ripe, mature and fall down announcing the arrival of christmas and another year end.

You are welcome to post a maximum of 16 photos, i.e. 1 photo per week for the next 4 months on the subject. 16 photos selected by each member / each month , ie September, October, November December clicks will be exhibited.

Photos taken using Mobile Phones can also be submitted.

Time Frame for clicking : 1st October 2013 - 31 December 2013

Please post your clicks marked for this event on to Passionate Photographers group and also email the soft copy of it to team1dubai@gmail.com
with the subject line: Photo Competition - "Our Story of the Date Palms"

Please note to observe the time and date you click along with the GPS location of your object, for jury to identify it before the exhibition.

Original high resolution files will be required to be submitted at a later stage with full information of the photo and photographer. Files should not be modified or altered with.

For those parents with children interested or not interested in Photography, this will be a very good exercise to have them observe the nature, the seasonal changes and to observe and realise how nature announces the arrival of the seasons in its own way. Since it is spread out during a period of four months, it will be also a test to find out how patient you are towards your short term and long term objectives.

Thus, to create interactive interest among parents/children/teachers, photos of participating children below age 16 will be separately displayed and appreciated.

Those children who are participating in this event are also welcome to write a short story - not less than 300 words - on their experience of capturing the season that passed by while photographing for this event.

Please share it with your friends and family who may be interested.

Please do not hesitate to contact me in case you have any further clarifications.

Welcome to participate and Best wishes in advance,

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

Gulf News reader for 24 years says, ‘I absolutely love the newspaper’

Ramesh Menon talks about his journey with Gulf News and what has made him a devoted reader

• By Donia Jenabzadeh, Special to Gulf News
• Published: 21:00 September 28, 2013

Dubai: It is quite striking as to what extent a reader’s devotion can reach. Speaking to Ramesh Menon, 46, we get to know that there is no limit. He has followed Gulf News since his first day of arriving in the UAE 24 years ago.

When asked about his journey with the paper, the Indian national said: “At the time when I first arrived in the UAE in 1989, there were limited sources for quality news, and that is when I developed my keen interest in Gulf News, as it was the only paper at the time that would deliver quality and reliable news.”

Upon his arrival, Menon first stayed in Abu Dhabi, then moved to Dubai and later Sharjah, before moving back to Abu Dhabi in 2000, and that is where he has been based for the past 13 years.

Over all these changes, one of the factors that have been consistent in his life isGulf News. And he charted the changes in the paper keenly.

He said: “The breakthrough came when each section [of the newspaper] got separated, which added consistency to the paper as it made it easier for readers to pull out that particular section, which he or she is interested in. Although I always read the whole paper, I find this very convenient as I can choose the news I want to read first.”

He is a determined reader with great enthusiasm for news, and he does not settle for anything less than perfection, which is evident in his constant interactivity with the newspaper’s Readers Desk. He said: “Most of the staff know me by now, as I am constantly interacting with their work by giving them my suggestions.”

Menon got married in 1991 and became a father in 1992. His second child was born in 1995. His two sons are now pursuing undergraduate studies in engineering and management. While he is based in Abu Dhabi, where he works as a technical officer for an oil company, his wife and elder son are currently living in India, while his younger son is studying in the UK.

Marking the 35th anniversary of Gulf News, Menon said that the key reason for the newspaper’s success is that “it is a reader interactive newspaper. This is evident in the community reports, which is the voice of the reader on certain issues that need to be highlighted. Facebook and Twitter are constantly being updated and this is a great opportunity for the reader to follow up and get instant news as well as to interact with the paper.”

His daily routine includes reading the printed edition of paper in the morning and then moving on to online updates on gulfnews.com during the day. He finds the online version very helpful, especially when travelling but also for being prepared as to what will be in the news the coming day.

The very reason he started reading the newspaper in the first place, as a 22-year-old, when he initially came to the UAE in 1989. He said: “Gulf News is a beautiful paper, I absolutely love the newspaper, and it will always be my number one source of news.”

To read it in original, please visit Gulf News online

Gulf News Reader pictures of the week - :07 September 22, 2013

Gulf News reader Ramesh Menon took this picture at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition. Falcons are an integral part of desert life in the UAE for centuries. Originally, falcons were used for hunting, to supplement the Bedouin diet with some meat, such as hare and houbara.

To view it in original, please visit Gulf News online.