Sex education: The need of the hour

I think sex education should be made mandatory in schools (Is The ‘S' Word Taboo? cover story, June 4). Students tend to experiment at a young age, mainly because they want to fit into a peer group, or to feel older and mature, or because they get fooled by so-called “love'' which in reality is just lust.

Children of this generation don't like to be told what to do. If an adult tells a child “Don't do this'', the first thing that runs through his/her mind is “How and when can I do this?'' But all this could lead to unwanted consequences.

Therefore, sex education is important. A decent age to start would be 13 as students start thinking about sex at this age. But it shouldn't be forced on them but taught in a way where they want to listen.

Carlos, Dubai

It's health science

This is with regard to your story on sex education (Is The ‘S' Word Taboo? cover story, June 4). Sex education presented as health science in the school curriculum
has shown positive psycho-social results. The teaching involves the school, parents and the clergy.

Dr Raymond Hamden, Psychologist, Dubai

Mandatory lesson

I strongly believe sex education should be made mandatory in schools and colleges in the UAE.

Pradeep Rajan, Dubai

Cargo confusion

I can't believe that Malou [Perez Lopez] of Al Safwa Cargo has the temerity to say that she was forced to pay 100 per cent of the freight charges to forwarders in the Philippines (Lost In Transit, page 11, June 4).

She couldn't even send 60 per cent of the agreed releasing cost [for a certain consignment].

We shouldered 50 per cent for the Customs' releasing and delivery cost and now we are the ones receiving threats from the OFWs [Overseas Filipino Workers].

Now, where is all the money that was collected from the OFWs?

A Forwarder, Philippines

Missing: Our fruits of labour

My friend and I sent cargoes through Al Safwa Cargo to the Philippines in March but until now the boxes have not been delivered to our respective families.

My cousin went to Pioneer Cargo in the Philippines on June 3 – the cargo company there that was supposed to deliver our boxes – but a person in charge there said Pioneer Cargo had been closed down.

Al Safwa Cargo then gave the contact number of a certain individual but my family could not locate him. We want to know when our boxes be delivered – the fruit of our hard work here in Dubai?

Name withheld, Dubai

Be warned

I am also one of the victims of Al Safwa Cargo. How long are we going to wait while they try to resolve their financial problems? After eight months or one year, the cargo will be auctioned off as per the Customs laws in the Philippines. I just want to warn all the kabayans [compatriots]
out there.

Name withheld, Dubai

Costly proposal

This is with regard to the story on Space Age Farming (cover story, May 21). Although the structure looks cool and futuristic, it is not a sound proposal.

The amount of resources, energy and material required to support the incredibly cantilevered loads of earth and seawater, and to move the mass of water around and through those heights is exponentially higher than conventional ground-based methods.

Can you imagine the amount of reinforced steel and concrete and labour that will be required to construct those beautiful cantilevers?

The structural shape of the pods and transparent roofs will require complex connections and resources. The towers will require massive concrete foundations, elevators, salt-resistant construction techniques, wind and gravity-resisting frames, etc.

It would be far better to utilise some of these decent evaporation concepts for ground-based farming and thus save energy and resources.

Jeff Page, Dubai

Discovery woes

I have been living in Discovery Gardens for about a year now and would like to know when the remainder of the recreational facilities will be completed by the developer – Nakheel.

The pools that have been under construction for as long as I have been here have yet to see any water in them since February and March when it rained.

The summer is upon us now and the temperature has risen dramatically. My children have little to do on the weekends and will soon be out of school. I had hoped that there would be an outlet for them to expend their energy and enjoy themselves but have been disappointed with the efforts put in by the construction teams.

Also, the mosques close to my building have been under construction longer than the pools.

It seems like the developer is more interested in expanding its property range [of projects] than completing its existing developments.

Seeing the slow progress of development, I would like to say that they should put a little more effort into finishing current projects than expanding into new areas, which at this time are probably not capable of sale anyway.

James Preston, Dubai

Real estate: Get real

It is high time rents in all of Dubai were stabilised and regularised. Rents in Karama and Bur Dubai are as high as in Dubai Marina and Arabian Ranches!

In a way I am glad that the real estate market has eventually come down to “earthly'' prices compared to just a few months earlier.

Rincy Pushpakaran, Dubai

Spring of frustration

This is with regard to the road expansion project in Springs. After almost getting killed (again) by a woman driver in a four-wheel drive vehicle – with shades and mobile phone – I asked a worker when the project will be completed.

For an answer, I got the usual vacant stare. How can the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) allow this stagnation to happen?

Why should I pay a huge amount for this level of danger, noise, pollution, waste and inconvenience? These roads are not safe, day or night. For 11 months, I have had two incomplete trenches outside my back gate and unproductive excavators moving up and down all day for no reason.

At this pace, the work will get completed only in 2020.

Michael, Springs

Complaint resolved

[This is Emirates NBD's response to a complaint by a reader against the bank's iPay card service (Online Blues, page 16, June 4)].

As soon as Emirates NBD received the complaint on May 28, an investigation was initiated to understand the background of the complaint, which came back with the following feedback.

The card-holder had an available credit of Dh113 on the iPay account. On May 24, 25 and 26, the customer attempted to use the card for an amount of Dh137.81 which was more than the available balance on the card. Hence, the transactions were declined.

The card-holder needs to deposit a sufficient amount into his iPay account in order to use the same. On June 1, the Emirates NBD customer care department was in touch with Tekwani [XPRESS reader] to clarify that the online transactions he had referred to were not completed due to lack of funds.

A spokesman, Emirates NBD, Dubai

Editor's note: The customer has confirmed to XPRESS that the matter has been resolved.

Something to cheer about

Finally, something good has come up in Dubai that can help people (Helping Child Abuse Victims, page 8, June 4). For years people have been silent on this subject, avoiding it like the plague and I am happy to know that now there is a support group which aims to help victims give vent to their feelings and also provide them a platform to talk to each other about their horrible experiences.

Now people won't have to spend thousands of dirhams going to a psychiatrist who just prescribes some drugs to deal with the problem.

Suzie, Dubai