Letters from the past

Men with big feet

Some of the finest men's shoes of Italian and French manufacture are available in the good shops. But it would seem that the shoes imported are for men who have feet as large as dinner plates.

With 70 per cent of the expatriate population of Asian and Eastern origin, I wonder why stockists have never thought that the average customer is a man with small feet.

The sizes available are so outsized that one has to really hunt around to track down a pair of shoes that would fit. And sometimes, the only alternative is to turn to the souqs for the cheaper shoes, which may be functional but will not be as stylish.
From Mr Ralph Mortier
Sharjah

More local content

We are regular readers of Gulf News and would like to say that while the newspaper provides extremely good foreign news coverage and analyses, there is a lack of local features. We would like to see many more local features on people and places in the UAE. May we suggest subjects such as education, healthcare, scouting and particularly spotlights on local lifestyles? The old story that people like to read about themselves still holds true and not just the important people but the ordinary folk, too, who also buy the paper.
From Ms Devika Ibmawecra and Ms Irutsancc Suva
Dubai

Measuring satisfaction

The secret to surviving a budget is to live as cheaply the first few days after payday, as you did the few days before. I have always envied the lucky few who have got the key to this secret. As for me, I am satisfied with very little. It doesn't have to be payday or first few days after it for me to enjoy the many things in the market. If it's not shopping, it could be window-shopping.

Oh, but I am digressing. On one of my rounds when I have plenty of hopes in my eyes and no money in the pocket, I strolled into one of the bigger supermarkets. After all, they are the best places to kill time. And that day, I discovered something.

Most of the American products in the market bear the stamp: "Satisfaction guaranteed. Money refunded if not satisfied". That set me thinking. Is satisfaction something that could be measured, leave alone guaranteed.

Perhaps America has advanced to such an extent that they are now able to manufacture the product called "satisfaction" and sell it to people at a premium? Or perhaps they have stumbled across the magic formula, which can guarantee satisfaction! Can man really tell what satisfies him? The craving for more and more is what makes human beings unique. In the final analysis, isn't this craving for more and more (knowledge) that has made all this progress possible in the first place? Under the circumstances, could you really "guarantee satisfaction and refund money if not satisfied"?
From Mr L.M. Hattangadi
UAE

Reviews, please

What about some film and book reviews in Gulf News for entertainment hungry readers who appreciate such reports? Also please consider the hobbyists. A weekly feature on stamps or photography would be much appreciated.
From Mr Martin S.
Jumeirah, Dubai

I am disappointed!

I am only a little boy of 10 and what I say will not make much of a difference to Gulf News. But I must tell you the truth. I am very disappointed with the newspaper.

I saw the paper on May 1, 1980, and was very happy. The number of pages had increased from 12 to 16. So much more for the mummies and daddies to read! I waited for the

first Monday after May 1 because that's the day when my favourite Junior News club magazine comes out. I was sure that Gulf News would give us juniors more pages to read, too. The JNC magazine is so interesting that I finish it non-stop. I don't even care for my studies once I start reading it.

Mummy keeps shouting at me to stop reading and start studying. But she gets 16 pages to read every day, and I get my turn only once a week. Gulf News must give us more pages because I am angry at the paper.
From Mr Kamran A. Kamadia
Dubai