Weekend closure bad
I am a voluntary blood donor at a hospital in Dubai, and have noticed that the donation office does not operate on Fridays and Saturdays — the days that the most of the donors would be free to visit. Blood donation centres should be open on weekends and the workers manning them could take compensatory days off another time. This will motivate more donors to visit the centres and donate. Blood donation itself is a motivation, so we should not expect donors to take leave from their jobs to give blood.
From Ms Judy Thomas
Dubai

Trust is the key
Sharing financial information is the hardest thing that anyone would think of doing but it is a must (‘Keeping a close eye on your personal finances’, Gulf News, May 7). Relationships involve trust and understanding, but when it comes to finances the former disappears into thin air. It is not common to see partners sharing their financial information with one another, unless they fall ill or fear something might happen. But then it could be too late to explain the earnings they made for many years and expect their partner to handle it properly. Sharing financial information with a spouse improves household management, and only through mistakes will a partner learn to improve on their expenses. This mistake is often the biggest fear of the spouse who is earning. Treating money a little leniently during the initial phase of management will lead to controlled mutual spending and slowly stabilise the financial environment of the house. A graph has to fall in order to reach its highest point.
From Ms Aisha Samrah Abrar
Sharjah

Innocent lives destroyed
I would like to thank Gulf News for opening our eyes to the plight of many brothers and sisters who are going through terrible times (‘Toll climbs in Syria swoop’, Gulf News, April 7). It is indeed heartbreaking to see such pictures. What have these precious people done to deserve this kind of death? Why are these precious lives being lost? Everyone has a right to a good life, quality education, have both parents alive and most importantly have a home. Why can’t it be provided? What is being gained by these killings? Nobody has the right to destroy innocent lives. I would like to ask people from all religions to come together and pray for the end of the brutality. I hope the people who have lost their loved ones get the strength and comfort to move on with their lives.
From Ms Salma Alikhan
UAE
Full name withheld by request

Tendulkar is here to stay
Chellappah Periyasamy claims in his letter that it is time for Sachin Tendulkar to stop playing first class cricket (‘Time to go’, Gulf News, May 8). Please enlighten us as to how Tendulkar is blocking the way of more aggressive young cricketers by being a part of the Indian team. Is he literally standing in the way and physically stopping these so-called young aggressive cricketers from joining the team?

After the last Indian Premier League matches, many young talented cricketers were given a chance to perform, but they all lacked consistency. It’s okay to be aggressive in a Twenty20 format, but a true match winner should have it all, which Tendulkar has in spades. Please do not belittle this man’s talent and hard work by playing up his age or by making spiteful references to his presence in the team.

Granted there is a lot of young cricketing talent in India, but one man’s presence should not deter them from making the final cut. Also, what the Indian team lacks is good bowlers and not batsmen. So, to all the young people out there, forget about replacing Tendulkar, as genius happens only once in a lifetime and we as Indians should be proud and grateful that it is happening during our time.
From Ms Meghana Kadam
Dubai