Recycle when you can and avoid the bin
Always recycle when possible. I often cook leftover food, using the jam jars for spices and whatever I can think of, rather than throwing it in the bin (‘Community report: Reap the benefits from what you sew’, Gulf News, May 12). The same goes with the cloth my mother uses, to cut and stitch old clothes into pillowcases, blankets and curtains.
From Ms Sharon Siacon
Dubai
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Force for change
Wow, they are a perfect example of how an idea can be a force behind a change. Awesome. All the best and God bless them all.
From Ms Arti Idnani Mahita Bhatia
Dubai
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Good deeds
Great going! They are doing a good thing, and doing good, whether in thought or in deed, always deserves mention and applause.
From Ms Geethika Sivaramakrishnan
Chennai, India
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So much participation
It’s so good to hear about this! I’m very happy to see that the cause has been taken up by so many people! May their faith take them to many places.
From Ms Radhika Anand
Dubai
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Respect to volunteers
Such a great initiative. I have a lot of respect for them. I thank these women for doing something for the betterment of humanity.
From Ms Zarah Binth Rahman
UAE
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Dependence on medicine
Something I learned to live without, is inhalers (‘6 tips to manage asthma during summer in the UAE’, Gulf News, May 11). I last used an inhaler when I was 10 years old and my father told me that I didn’t need it anymore. My body was strong enough to fight any attack, he said, so I need not depend on inhalers. My natural immunity improved and, thank God, I outgrew the asthma attacks. If you let your body depend on something, I think you make it weaker.
From Ms Sandra Debby Idebu
UAE
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Taking precautions
If you’re someone who suffers from asthma, there are lots of things you can do to cope, depending on the severity of your condition. My son was allergic to everything. It either made his breathing bad, gave him hives or caused his eyes and lips to swell up.
I had to get very creative. No stuffed animals in his bedroom, all his bedding – including his mattress – are allergy-free. We didn’t place a carpet in his room, instead we use tiles and make sure he has a large table and chairs in his room to play with his toys, so that he doesn’t have to sit on the floor. His clothing is never kept inside his bedroom, because clothes hanging in a closet are like dust magnets. All of his toys are kept in tightly sealed bins, which are colour-coded so he can put things away where they belong. We have built-in drawers and shelves all over his room, sealed with glass, to knock down the dust accumulation.
We decided to have no lights in the cabinets as it seems to attract more dust. We leave no open space under his bed — it is a closed platform so dust cannot collect. The walls have high-gloss paint. Then, technology comes into play. His windows have blinds built between the glass, so there was no need for window treatment. His air ducts, and all those in the house, use ultraviolet (UV) sanitisers, so the air coming in is better. We use a flat mop on the floor three times a day. We also have a very large steamer with attachments, so we can clean with heat and not chemicals. We use this to clean the floors, furniture, walls and ceilings. In front of the door, leading to his room, we have a shoe rack, so there are no shoes in his room. I was very determined to make all these changes so that he wouldn’t have to take more medicine.
From Ms Su Adkinsfarr
UAE
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Sulphur allergy
Ms Su Adkinsfarr, I am chronically asthmatic, so I understand your concern. I just want to ask you something: did you get your son checked for a sulphur allergy? I have suffered for years without knowing exactly what I was allergic to. Finally, a doctor who listened to all my symptoms and sufferings told me up front that I am allergic to anything that has sulphur. Tests confirmed her statement. I hope this information helps!
From Ms Mily Chakrabarty
UAE
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Free to choose
Women should have the freedom to choose if they wish to wear the hijab (‘Iranian MP barred from parliament for ‘hijab violation’, Gulf News, May 13). It violates women’s rights for someone else to make it mandatory.
From Mr Sabtain Bodla
UAE
Facebook comment
Unfair to be barred
The hijab should be a personal choice, it should not be forcibly imposed on women. Islam gives women freedom and equal rights. To bar her from the Parliament on the basis of how she dressed while in a foreign country is unfair. The good thing is that she respects the law of her country and has not been violating it.
From Ms Fatima Suhail
Sharjah
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A year for batsmen
India’s cricket captain M. S. Dhoni has been the luckiest captain, with a Midas touch (‘Dhoni’s men look to derail Kolkata’s campaign’, Gulf News, May 14). He has won the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 and One Day International (ODI) World Cup, and has also taken India to the top in Test cricket. Of course, as the skipper of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he has been at the forefront, from the inception of the ICC International Premiere League (IPL) till its ban last year. However, as the skipper of Rising Pune Supergiants, he has taken a beating and has proved to be a failure. No doubt, the injury to his key players could be an excuse, but here, they have lost matches after heavy scoring by the batsmen. I feel there is no bite in their bowling, especially his ace bowler, R. Ashwin.
Is it possible that both of them are missing their home pitch, in Chepauk, India? Incidentally, the T20 and IPL are mostly dominated by batsmen. This season, it is the best bowling units that have won matches for their teams. Now, having lost a chance to qualify for the play-offs, we wish Dhoni the best during the IPL, and wish Chennai wins some of its matches.
From Mr N. Mahadevan
Mylapore, India
This makes Kohli special
The IPL is reaching its pinnacle of glories, by conquering new heights in terms of records (‘De Villiers, Kohli hammer Lions as RCB win by record 144 runs’, Gulf News, May 15). The match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Gujarat Lions was a rare treat for the eyes, in which RCB scored a mammoth score of 248 with three wickets. This is the biggest score for a team in IPL. Virat Kohli and A. B. de Villiers, like vicars of Bray, stood in the crease, waving bats like magicians waving their wands to thrill the spectators. Their partnership smashed 229 runs, which was not just blind hitting. There was a method to the madness.
When Kohli realised de Villiers was in the top gear, he slipped quickly into support mode. Till the 11th over, they hit only six fours and two sixes, but they did not waste deliveries, warming up with ones and twos. Once de Villiers was done with a score of 100, Kohli took up the reins. Even when he took 13 runs off four balls, he was not sure that he would reach 100. But, that is what makes Kohli special. He likes springing surprises. His zeal keeps becoming better and his best keeps him going.
From Mr Sunny Joseph
Mala, India
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