Moving on to a new stage of my life
This month, I ended my secondary school life with a tricky mathematics paper. As I cleared up my room, packed my books to give to others, and stored away some mementos from school days, I looked back at those lovely days as a schoolgirl. I would wake up in the morning, gobble down a bowl of cornflakes and run to catch the school bus (many a time, my dad would have to drop me). Then I would stay at school from 7.10am to 1.10pm, learning and having fun, following which, there was the ride back home, the afternoon hour-long siesta, evening play time with the children next door, homework and then, I would head to bed.
But now, it’s all going to be different. No more well-ironed uniforms, no more well-polished shoes, no more whistles to walk along yellow lines (safe tracks around the school), no more sleepy morning assemblies and singing anthems and school songs, no more breaking into lines at the canteen for samosas, no more uniforms and bag checks.
While on the one hand, I just wanted to get out of school, on the other hand, I just wanted to go back. But, life moves on, and we can always enjoy moments thinking about those happy times. It does feel great. Now, I’m eagerly looking forward to attending university, which is nearly five months away. I’m wondering what’s in store for me!
From Ms Maria Vincent
Dubai
A tough task to undertake
It’s a good step towards making the best environment for residents (‘Genuine happiness for all is aim of UAE Ministry of Happiness’, Gulf News, March 21). However, it will be a very hard task to undertake, as the environment for work and life is tough to get right!
From Mr Naeem Shah Shirazi
Dubai
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Happiness is priceless
Happiness is a state of one’s mind. It’s not a place. Superficial happiness doesn’t make a place any happier, but if you do get the formula right, bottle it up, because happiness is priceless.
From Ms Rosella M. Larcom
Perrysburg, US
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Happy Happiness Day!
Happiness is perhaps the main reason why most people in the world wake up to go to work every day, and everybody deserves to be happy (‘International Day of Happiness’, Gulf News, March 21). In line with the article, I call upon the entire world to look forward to stopping wars and terrorist acts that deprive people of their happiness. Happy Happiness Day to everyone on this planet!
From Mr Tebajjukira Erisa
UAE
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Thankful every day
I am so happy with my current life because of my lovely wife and my cute son. I thank God every day.
From Mr Atif Nadeem
UAE
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Who to trust?
There are several mysteries surrounding the demise of Indian actor Kalabhavan Mani (‘Pesticide found at Mani’s farmhouse’, Gulf News, March 21). The Indian police abruptly concluded the investigation, as if it was a case of natural death, even though there were suspicions about the cause of death. The police did not take it seriously. There was enough time for the culprits to destroy evidence in the meantime. The so-called friends of Mani have been giving contradictory statements since the beginning.
The deteriorating health of the actor was not known to his family members and they were unaware of the actor’s liver ailment. His “close friends” enjoyed drinks with Mani, though they were well aware of his poor health conditions. The Amrutha hospital in Kochi, India, is where he was admitted for advanced medical treatment at a critical stage.
Maybe somebody added toxic substances into the alcohol that was being drunk by the actor without his knowledge, and the person later left the venue. If the police had acted on time, they could have examined the bottle for finger prints. It is true that we don’t need many friends to lead a happy life, instead we could spend our time with members of our own family. Definitely, they would save us from danger.
From Mr Girish R. Edathitta
Dubai
Kohli turning into one of the greats
Right from 1969, when I started watching cricket Test matches, especially between Australia and India at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, India, I became an ardent fan of this game and loved to watch the game of Gundappa Viswanath (‘Sangakkara column: Windies, Kiwis look the best sides in first week’, Gulf News, March 22). Then it was Kapil Dev, followed by Krishnamachari Srikkanth and of course, Sachin Tendulkar. All of them were stroke makers and never bothered about their average or went after records.
Then, after the exposure of betting scandals and match fixing, I lost interest. Even now, I am not fully convinced that match fixing has been totally eradicated. With regard to Virat Kohli, initially, after his U-19 World Cup win, I was not his fan, mainly due to his tantrums on and off the field. However, after his coronation as Test Captain, he has totally changed his attitude and is playing like a champion. His records are proof of that. It seems he has matured during the past year and is turning out to be another gem, like Viswanath, Dev and Tendulkar. Nowadays, I love to watch his heroics with the bat and on the field. I wish him many more laurels in the future.
From Mr N. Mahadevan
Mylapore, India
Losing gracefully
Cricket is a popular game, and like other sports, winning and losing is part of it (‘Emotional fans break TVs as Pakistan lose to India’, Gulf News, March 21). Breaking your television set just because a cricket team defeated you in a World Cup match is not right. That is a nonsensical act and should be avoided.
From Mr Prafulla Kumar
UAE
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An emotional match
I agree with Mr Prafulla Kumar that it is just a game, but I remember when India lost the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup and they burned the statues of players. The people of India and Pakistan are very emotional and sentimental. They react a lot, especially when they have such great expectations in a crucial match.
From Mr Muneeb Walid
UAE
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Stop breaking things
I am waiting for the day when both Pakistanis and Indians stop breaking things, when either of their teams loses a game.
From Mr Yousuf Fareed
Abu Dhabi
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Well-played match
First of all, cricket lovers should take the outcome of the games proudly. Pakistan, too, was playing well, but someone has to lose. I find it so foolish that people break televisions or fight over this. I’m happy that my team won, but I appreciate the game and the Pakistani cricket captain, too.
From Mr Aryan Ahmad
UAE
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Life goes on
People should know that this is just a game. They cannot always win. Don’t be so emotional, when your team does not win. It doesn’t mean that life will stop. People who overreact need to think: if they do something wrong, they will face the consequences alone. No player of the team will ever come and comfort them.
From Mr Zahra Mohammad
UAE
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Get ready for summer
As summer approaches, I usually keep my car windows a little open to avoid unbearable heating while it is parked under the hot sun (‘Facebook video: Car catches fire at a shopping mall in Jumeirah’, Gulf News, March 21). I would say, don’t put lighters or aerosol cans in the car, as it will overheat. We should all check the car’s electrical wiring and air conditioning as well.
From Mr Malek Masoum Ali
UAE
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Cars heating up
Maybe it’s because of the weather. It seems cars are heating up drastically and this could be the reason for fire.
From Ms Aira Camille Hermosura
UAE
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Always alert
Great job done in containing the fire, as it was very close to a tree, which would have caught fire. The Dubai Civil Defence team is always alert.
From Mr Raza Rizvi
UAE
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Hard work
I agree, Mr Raza Rizvi. That’s Dubai and that’s called prioritising people’s lives and property. Excellent work.
From Mr Omar Farooq
Dubai
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