Manama Monologues: 2012

Wednesday 29 February 2012

Help save the birds

I remember the first letter I wrote to the GDN some years ago when I was just out of school.

I had picked up my brother from school and on our way home, we found a pigeon run over by a car at the signal near the Sacred Heart Church.

The sight of the dead bird near an area that is home to scores of them upset me so much, I marched home horrified and in rage.

The next couple of hours found me busy poring over the telephone directory to look up animal rights organisations and writing a very angry letter to the paper.

I never sent it in, as I thought the editor would have a good laugh reading my call for bird rights and special feeding grounds and because my parents were alarmed that I had turned so militant.

Much of my earlier enthusiasm for the birds - I used to steadfastly collect fallen pigeon feathers and attach them to cards and letters - disappeared when I moved to Mumbai.

For the first few months, my roommates and I battled crows that attacked our food, buried eggs laid by pigeons in our buckets and kept vigil guarding our room from all winged creatures.

Things took a turn for the worse when I returned to city last month and was woken up at 3am everyday by an eerie bloodcurdling noise.

The 'beast' it transpired was a flock of beautiful green parrots, making a racket while they relished mangoes that ripened outside my window.

It soon grew to a point that I was teetering on the verge of hating birds forever, when a news story about a lesser crested tern, which died on a Mumbai beach earlier this year, grabbed my attention.

The bird which carried the tag of the British Trust for Ornithology was reportedly ringed on the Fasht Al Jarrim Islands, north of mainland Bahrain.

The ring was later sent to the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and my curiosity led me to do some research on the society and this reawakened my interest in birds.

The society, among its numerous conservation efforts to protect the wildlife of India, runs 'Adopt a Rare Bird', a joint initiative of BirdLife International and the UK-based Royal Society for Protection of Birds.

From the catalogue of 12 rare birds, which include two critically endangered species, you may adopt a bird for just Rs300 (BD2.3).

Proceeds of the adoption go towards protection of the birds and you receive a framed photograph of the bird you've adopted, which makes a very nice gift.

Last week, I adopted a forest owlet (Athene blewitti), of which only 250 are estimated to be remaining in India.

BNHS central marketing head Divyesh Parikh told me that there is a growing interest among people to protect birdlife, as more than 5,000 adoptions took place last year, raising Rs150,000 (BD1,198.6).

'Adopt a Rare Bird' programme details can be found on the BNHS website www.bnhs.org and the World Wildlife Fund also runs similar initiatives.

I realised only recently that my earlier annoyance with birds was baseless as we have effectively usurped their habitats, leaving them no home and more vulnerable to extinction.

It is only right that we start giving something back.

¥ Ms Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai

'Help save the birds', Gulf Daily News, July 9, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Rainforest off limits

I thought I had finally struck gold when my search for a wildlife conservation sanctuary led me to the Agumbe Rainforest Complex, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

It sounded perfect - it receives around 11,0000mm of annual rainfall, nestles high up on the Western Ghats mountain range and is also a biodiversity hotspot home to several threatened species.

A major project is underway to save the world's longest venomous snake, the King Cobra, much revered by villagers but ruthlessly killed when it gets in their way.

The research station is open for volunteers and researchers who can spend time assisting in various jobs, educational programmes and the King Cobra telemetry project.

The cost of accommodation is cheap and the facilities offered are excellent.

However, as I read through their Frequently Asked Questions, I found a strange clause prohibiting volunteers from wearing camouflaged clothing while in the rainforest.

The reason provided was that the Naxalites, Maoists who have been waging a war against the state for some time and the Anti-Naxalite Squad don the same uniform.

To avoid coming under the scanner of either group and for the villagers to know the neutral position of the volunteers, coloured clothing was advised.

All the initial bravado my friend and I felt about exploring rainforests soon evaporated.

The Naxalite movement, which first began in a village in West Bengal called Naxalbari, fight for the cause of impoverished peasants against rich landlords, through violent and bloody terror campaigns.

Last week, 26 policemen from the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed and eight others injured in an ambush attack by the Naxalites, in the state of Chhatisgarh.

The attack came after 75 CRPF personnel were killed in April by the Naxalites in the same state and a month after 148 civilians perished when a train was blown up by the insurgents in West Bengal.

The Naxalites thrive in the heavily forested regions, which provide them ideal cover and with help from tribals who are sympathetic to their cause.

The tribals favour the Maoists, having long been denied their rights to the forests' produce under government restrictions while, on the other hand, big companies are freely allowed to profit from the mines in the same region.

This makes an entire region of the country, with heavy Naxalite presence, a dangerous area termed the 'Red Corridor'.

My friend wisely said that even if we abandoned the idea of visiting Agumbe, we wouldn't be far from danger should we choose to visit any another rainforest.

It is commonly acknowledged that both the insurgents as well as the armed forces have committed violent excesses.

Meanwhile, as the fighting goes on, the natural heritage of a country is being held hostage.

¥ Ms Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai

'Rainforest off limits', Gulf Daily News, July 2, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Taxi! Not a chance as strike bites...

The lives of urban commuters in Mumbai have been thrown into disarray, following a strike by taxi and auto rickshaw drivers. The strike was called by union leaders to force the government to increase the basic fares, following an increase in the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

Last Monday, I joined the long line of people waiting for buses as there were few taxis in sight and the few that I stopped, flatly refused to go anywhere.

It is the first time I have really paid attention to how much I have come to depend on the taxis for almost all routine activities.

I had to turn back after going half way down to the grocery shop as I realised that there would be no taxis to help me lug all my purchases to the hostel.

There has been much said against the taxi drivers - their lack of basic etiquette, the swearing, the way they flout traffic rules and their reckless driving on dangerous roads.

However, as I stood under the blazing sun, stuck almost in the middle of nowhere and wondering the best way to go home before the skies started pouring, I found that I actually missed them.

I've had both pleasant and unpleasant experiences in my dealings with taxi drivers.

One of them, on discovering I didn't know numbers in Hindi, tried to fleece me by quoting an exorbitant fare.

Another, after the routine questions of 'Which country are you from?', 'What are you doing in India?', 'Why can't you speak Hindi?' took it upon himself to ensure I learnt phrases in Hindi before I left his vehicle.

Once, after being dropped off at the Gateway of India, a taxi driver told me that though it was crucial I learnt the city's language, he admitted that it was time they changed and that he had tried to pick up some English from me.

My political science teacher would tell our class that taxi drivers were the best source if you wanted to gauge public opinion.

A Bahraini taxi driver once talked me through everything from why the flyover in Isa Town wasn't complete to why taxi fares in India are very cheap ("They use old cars and counterfeit parts, you pay more here because we use genuine ones.") and asked me to write a story on their lives.

Once on my way to the Mumbai international airport, I commented on the tall buildings and flyovers that had come up in North Mumbai.

The taxi driver informed me that if only I bothered turning to my left, I would still see the slums and the grand buildings existed only where politicians lived.

These are perhaps the most eco-friendly days the city has seen in a long time, with more than 80,000 taxis and 100,000 auto rickshaws off the road.

Life, however, has come to a standstill and with the monsoons in the city it is very cumbersome to travel on foot or use public transport.

Hopefully they'll be back on the roads next week, but it's surprising how this band of often overlooked men, trying to reassert their worth in society, has gripped the entire city.

¥ Ms Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai

'Taxi! Not a chance as strike bites... ', Gulf Daily News, June 25, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

A Travesty of Justice

While the world is still mopping up the spill caused by the explosion at the oil rig off the coast of Mexico and debating how best justice is meted out, a local court in a central Indian state has sentenced perpetrators of the world's worst industrial disaster - after more than 25 years.

In December 1984, inhabitants of Bhopal, in Madhya Pradesh, woke up to a lethal air poisoned with methyl isocyanate, which leaked from a nearby pesticide plant.

It claimed 4,000 lives, although estimates based on hospital and rehabilitation records show that about 20,000 people died and more than 600,000 suffered bodily damage.

Union Carbide chairman Warren Anderson was allowed to fly back to the US, never to return, after spending just three hours in detention.

The two-year sentence delivered last week excluded Anderson, but implicated seven Indian executives from Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), as the company is known at present.

They were immediately granted bail, while Anderson was declared to have absconded after the court issued warrants for his arrest and extradition.

While the paltry sentence and the delay is a travesty of justice, what is most disturbing is the contempt with which the victims were treated.

Poisoning the unsuspecting populace demands more stringent punishment, more in line with the decades in jail serious criminals may expect.

It has always galled me that when the prices of commodities have risen very sharply in India due to inflation, the fines for criminal offences on the other hand, have remained unaffected.

Recently, a former Director General of Police from the state of Haryana, charged with sexually molesting a teenager and abetting her suicide, was fined just Rs1,000 (BD8) and jailed for six months.

The Bhopal sentences, albeit after a quarter of a century, amounted to some show of justice, is an insult to those who perished and those who lost loved ones.

The truth is there has been no justice granted to those who survived maimed, blinded and paralysed for life.

No court of justice and no country that calls itself a democracy can consider big corporate houses as above the law and deny its own citizens the justice they are rightfully due.

The victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy have received an average of Rs12,410 (BD100) each as compensation.

Many of the victims continue to live wretched existences in slums adjoining the walls of the dilapidated factory grounds waiting for promised compensation payments.

Moreover, they should be given access to free healthcare for the various nervous and malignant diseases they have developed since the disaster.

Those responsible for industrial accidents should be tried with the same amount of media attention, immediacy and strict procedure of law as war criminals and dictators.

¥ Ms Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai

'A travesty of justice', Gulf Daily News, June 18, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

The World Cup of Joy

For a whole month starting from today, the world will be morphing into party mode to welcome the FIFA World Cup 2010. Regardless of which country you're from or the language you speak, the 'beautiful game' unites people across all barriers.

However, for citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, whose team faces Brazil in Johannesburg's Ellis Park on June 15, there will be little to look forward to, as live transmission of the match is banned thanks to the Communist state's autocratic media control.

Football history, however, proves that as long as you have enthusiasm for the sport, politics and boundaries matter but little.

Though I enjoy football, I watch with real fervour only when there's a major tournament on.

The last major one that really impressed me was the Asian Cup 2007, in which the Iraqi national football team emerged the winners, against all odds.

Having followed the tournament from the very beginning, I saw how the team savoured every victory, which is saying something for a team that underwent torture and death threats for a poor performance under Uday Hussein, who later met his death in a gun fight with US troops.

The players arrived in Southeast Asia for the tournament, which was held with the recent loss of family members in the conflict at home hanging over their heads.

Even before they faced Saudi Arabia in the finals, the celebration of their victory over South Korea in the semi-finals was marred by a suicide bombing in a Baghdad street, which killed 50 people.

After Iraq lifted the cup, I turned to Al Baghdadia TV to see reporters crying on air as they announced their country had won the tournament.

For a day, it didn't matter which sect the players were from as for the 90 minutes of the match, the guns were silent in Baghdad and people experienced something that felt like peace.

South Africa this year becomes the first African nation to host the World Cup.

Commentators agree that this year will be different, as companies seeking to slash expenses owing to the recession have left the places usually taken by corporate guests to be filled in by lots of true football supporters, which include many ordinary South Africans.

I haven't yet decided which team I'll be supporting.

It was France for the last World Cup, but without Zidane I don't think I'll find Les Bleus worth supporting.

As I support Real Madrid and their wonderful goalkeeper Iker Casillas, I think I might shift my loyalties this time to Spain.

I have always been a supporter of underdogs in most tournaments, ever since my favourites Greece lifted the Euro Cup in 2004.

I do hope that South Africa's Bafana Bafana (which means 'the boys' in the Nguni language) put up a good show, both as hosts and as the national team.

Regardless of the outcome, there will, at least for a month, be something more to look forward to in the papers than reports of national disasters or terror attacks.

I don't think even Kim Jong-il's iron-fisted reign will put a damper on the spirit of football lovers in North Korea, for football, more than anything, gives everybody a reason to celebrate!

¥ Ms Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai.

'The World Cup of Joy', Gulf Daily News, June 11, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

When teenage daredevil fades

I always measured my life in terms of which grade in school I was in or for the last one year which university semester.

Birthdays for me meant nothing for years and presents were quickly forgotten before the week was over.

Turning 19 last week, however, has made me re-think my usual indifference to the day I was born.

I researched a little on what I was entitled to do when I turned 19 and found there was nothing much as the year is sandwiched between two major milestones, turning 18 and 21.

Last year was something to look forward to as I got my right to vote and get a driving licence.

However, elections and holidays have gone past and with no permanent address in India, I couldn't vote and haven't yet learned to drive.

It bothered me a little but as I thought about it, I found there was no need to hurry at all.

This would be my last teenage year and as much as I would like to be an adult, I will soon be bidding farewell to a very special part of my life.

I've quit researching what new rights I will be entitled to and switched to checking out things I missed out as a teenager.

Re-reading my collection of the Harry Potter series that fascinated me when I was young and may not have the same effect a few years from now is a top priority.

Going through my massive collection of magazines and checking out the five years worth of newspaper clippings to see what interested me as a child will be yet another.

It will also be the year to sort out the huge poem collection that I have, those I collected from schoolmates when we started a poetry club in the final year of school.

It's been two years now and those who had written them would have left school and our grand plans to bring out a book are far from workable.

However, going through all the little things my friends and I tried to accomplish, the posters we put on the corridors during school events - some of which I still have - I realised what I will miss most about being a teenager is the feeling everything in world can be done if you put your heart to it.

I still share the same feeling and haven't lost much of the enthusiasm but the daredevil way I took to responsibility is slowly fading away.

I'm warming up to this new phase but if I could have my way, I would much rather join Peter Pan and his mates in Neverland where I can't be asked to grow up.

¥ Jennifer Gnana is a former Bahrain resident, now studying in Mumbai. Her family still lives here.

'When teenage daredevil fades', Gulf Daily News, June 4, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Learning to ride the waves

FOR someone whose only swimming experience so far is being pushed into a pool in Hawar, I balked when my editor suggested I attend the surf school at the Wahooo! water park.

It felt more like I had lead weights in my stomach than butterflies when I saw the roaring Flow Rider, which was incidentally running only on half its speed!

I decided that I was going to float down the Lazy River first and talk to some of the other students, but little did I know that I would be persuaded to change my mind.

Seeing so many others (including one of them a mum!) much older and brave enough to take the ultimate plunge convinced me to go for it.

I came across Naikita, my instructor, as someone you could really bank on to help you ride the waves.

Handling the surfboard, which I thought would be rocket science, was made simple as she explained how with every twitch you can have a different wave experience.

My first try was frightening because I thought I was drowning towards the end, but the feel of the current was good and I plucked up the courage to go for it a second time.

Although I lost the board both times I didn't really have to hold on to dear life as the water wasn't very deep and the force of the waves brings you ashore anyway.

Moreover, the place is manned by lifeguards trained by the UK Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) to help if things go wrong.

The water maintained at tropical temperatures throughout made the surfing experience all the more pleasurable.

After 15 minutes of being soaked, I got to dry myself in a body dryer, which looked like something out of a Star Trek movie.

Although I really have no love for water or water sports for that matter, my mini-adventure and the passion I saw exuberated by the students really inspired me to take up surfing sometime in the future.

Special thanks to Wahooo! operations manager Tom Scheffer, assistant operations manager Susan Clark, Naikita and other surfers for making the experience a little less scary.

'Learning to ride the waves', Gulf Daily News, March 21, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Taking the plunge! (News)

WOULD-BE surfers took the plunge at the Wahooo! water park in Bahrain yesterday as the Middle East's first indoor surf school opened for business.

Six people have already signed up for the first five-week course, which includes seven-and-a-half hours of training per week.

Among those who hopped aboard was first-time surfer Diane Shutte.

"The Middle East is the last place you would associate with surfing, but when I heard about the course I immediately signed up for it," said the 27-year-old.

"The instructors are very good and I would recommend it to anybody."

Bahraini mum Sana Boumlaough, 26, was also keen to make a splash.

"I'm really looking forward to completing the course to become an accomplished surfer," she told the GDN.

"I visit Wahooo! often with my husband and four-year-old daughter to try out new rides or just float down the Lazy River.

"I've also convinced my friend Eman Yadini to join me in the classes."

Moroccan Hisham Maare, the youngest of the students at 21 and the only one with any surfing experience, was keen to get back in the groove.

"I would surf in the Mediterranean back in my native Morocco and when I saw a billboard advertising the surf school, I joined in because I missed the waves," he said.

Indian Swaroop Raj, 29, was also part of the first batch of students, whose ages ranged from 21 to 32.

"It's the perfect work out and for me it's the best way to relax on an off day," he said.

"The instructors too are very nice and try their best not to make surfing look difficult for beginners."

In the first and second classes, the Flow Rider wave machine is kept running on two pumps and students are left to experience the challenge of the waves.

In the third, fourth and fifth weeks, more pumps are activated so that they can improve their skills and perform tricks such as the 360 degree spins.

All instructors were trained by the Flow Riding surf team, which was specially flown in from South Africa.

Thrill

Its members included 2009 International Flow Boarding Championships (IFC) winner Wesley Fischer, South African competitive body board champion and IFC team member Billy Tennant and wakeboarding specialist Matt Lammers.

"It's a little different surfing out in the open ocean to doing it in a wave simulator but the thrill of the big waves is the same," said instructor Naikita Van Huyssteen.

Wahooo! operations manager Tom Scheffer said as demand for the classes increased plans were in place to run classes on Fridays too.

The course, open for everyone above the height of 1.2 metres, culminates with a Big Barrel Bash where the students will show off their skills.

Experienced surfers can also be part of the April 25 event, taking place from 7-10pm after going through a rigorous assessment.

For more information or to enrol, call 17173000 or visit www.wahooo.com.bh.

'Taking the plunge!',Gulf Daily News, March 21, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/source/XXXIII/001/pdf/page18.pdf

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/source/XXXIII/001/pdf/page19.pdf

In search of happiness... (News)

THREE adventurers embarking on a round-the-world trip in search of the secret of happiness are set to visit Bahrain.

From sampling street life in Madrid to relaxing in the Finnish saunas of Helsinki, American Tony Martin, 30, Belgian Kelly Ferris, 23, and Mexican Antonio Santiago, 24, are nearly a third of the way through their 206 country journey.

They began the 275,000-mile trip-of-a-lifetime, sponsored by Coca-Cola, in Madrid in January and have already toured South America, Canada and much of Europe.

The team also witnessed the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and will visit the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa later this year.

Appointed by the company as "happiness ambassadors", they will begin their tour of the Middle East by travelling to the UAE and Qatar before arriving in Bahrain on April 9.

A single-day visit to Manama will involve the country's suqs and the Bahrain National Museum.

After that, they will move to Saudi Arabia and Yemen before travelling to south-east Asia, Africa, Australasia and America.

Mr Martin is a Munich-based kindergarten teacher, while Ms Ferris and Mr Santiago are students.

They have been tasked with visiting every country where Coca-Cola is sold to find out what makes people happy.

The team received 206 specially decorated Coca-Cola bottles from company chairman and chief executive officer Muhtar Kent before setting off to give some of their hosts as part of the expedition.

"We are delighted to bring forth a project that embraces the Coca-Cola's positive outlook and evolution of our "Open Happiness" campaign, launched last year in the UAE," he said.

At the end of the trip, due to conclude in the US in December, the bottles will be displayed in a special collection at the World of Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta, US.

More than five million people have been following the team's progress on Facebook, which is also charted on Twitter, YouTube and the blog website TypePad.

Real-time updates of the trip are available at www.expedition206.com where people can interact with the team and become "virtual travel agents" by suggesting new places for the team to visit.

'In search of happiness...', Gulf Daily News, March 27, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Slumdog Millionaire' designer on charity mission (News)

AN Oscar winner who worked on the hit film Slumdog Millionaire yesterday spoke of his desire to share his success with the poor people of India.

Sound designer Resul Pookutty is in Bahrain to preside over the induction of Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam's (BKS) new executive committee tonight.

However, while he is not working in Bollywood he finds time to oversee the Resul Pookutty Foundation, which he founded to provide green developments and healthcare to villages in India.

Out of the 3,000 surgeries performed, 300 were offered for free to the poor.

"Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan donated 1.1 million rupees (BD9,336) towards the charity.

"He has also been very supportive of our scholarship programme as well," Mr Pookutty told a Press conference at the BKS.

"The programme sponsors an underprivileged child to study at filmmaking institutes in India, which costs $5,000 (BD1,885) for three years.

"We also have plans in the pipeline to adopt a village in the western Indian state of Maharashtra," Mr Pookutty added.

He also revealed that while he was at college, a poster of British cult film classic Trainspotting adorned his wall and he never expected to one day work with its director Danny Boyle - the man behind Slumdog Millionaire.

"I had the poster of his film Trainspotting on my wall in my college days and I was very overwhelmed with the offer (to work on Slumdog Millionaire) and I signed up immediately." Mr Pookutty landed the Oscar for best sound mixing for his work on Slumdog Millionaire, which collected eight Academy Awards in 2008.

'Slumdog Millionaire' designer on charity mission', Gulf Daily News, April 16, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Happiness in the 'Land of Golden Smiles' (News)

A GLOBE-TROTTING expedition to discover the secret of happiness led three adventurers to some of Bahrain's major landmarks.

From spreading smiles in the Netherlands to island hopping in Saint Lucia and Martinique, American Tony Martin, 30, Belgian Kelly Ferris, 23, and Mexican Antonio Santiago, 24, sampled the sights and sounds of Manama during a two-day visit.

Bahrain was the 99th country on their 440,000km tour, which has already covered Canada, Europe and the Middle East and will take in Asia, Africa, Australasia and America.

The trio are travelling the world as part of the Coca Cola-sponsored Expedition 206 visiting all the countries where the beverage is sold.

The GDN caught up with the team at Bahrain Fort, after they had flown in from Qatar.

"I had never heard of Bahrain before and we wondered what to expect," said Ms Ferris, a university student.

"The first thing that struck me about the place is the architecture which is very different from all others.

"The way buildings have incorporated elements of the kingdom's past has rendered it rather unique, making it Arab yet modern."

The adventurers also took in the Bahrain City Centre mall where they chatted to shoppers and visited Pearl Roundabout and Ahmed Al Fateh Islamic Centre (Grand Mosque), before heading off to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Asked about what the trio had learned about what makes people happy, Mr Martin said the universal answer was family, friends and travelling.

"Bahrain is no different, here we heard that shopping malls make people happy," he said.

Although disappointed by the lack of public beaches in Bahrain, Ms Ferris spoke about what it had been like to be part of the once-in-a-lifetime expedition.

"The trip is all about exploring the global element of happiness and documenting our journey using social networking media," she said.

"Through user-generated content we're able to interact directly with the people of the countries we're visiting," Ms Ferris said.

"They act as virtual travel agents and suggest places to visit and share their personal happiness anecdotes."

Having travelled to 65 countries before reaching Bahrain and clocked up nearly 216,260km, the team enjoyed some quirky, fun and weird experiences.

"I think the happiest places we've been to so far has been the Caribbean," said Mr Martin.

"There's a lot of poverty there but happiness abounds everywhere.

"A Honduran told us: 'My house is by the beach, I have sunshine and water and everything that's beautiful. What more can make me happy?'"

Real-time updates of the trip are available at www.expedition206.com and the team's progress can also be followed on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the blog site TypePad.

'Happiness in the 'Land of Golden Smiles'', Gulf Daily News, April 16, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Challenge for Robotics Fans (News)

FOUR young robotics enthusiasts from Ibn Al Khuldoon National School will take part in a regional challenge today at the Carnegie Mellon University, in Qatar.

In its sixth year, the Regional Botball Robotics Challenge sees high school students competing against each other with their manually built robots in a non-destructive tournament.

The team of students, from grade six to eight, left for Qatar yesterday with their computer science teacher Mazen Nouiehed.

"The school signed up for the tournament to add to our existing curriculum," said Mr Nouiehad.

"There was a need to give students hands-on experience so that they can learn the fundamentals of computer languages better."

The Botball competition, organised by non-profit educational organisation KISS Institute for Practical Robotics (KIPR), operates on a four-season basis.

This includes the Winter season, when educator workshops are held for specialists and team leaders who are told about the latest developments in robotics technology and given the necessary kit to come up with a functional robot of their own.

"I attended the workshop last year. It was the first time Bahrain had participated in a workshop of this sort," said Mr Nouiehad.

"I think Bahrain is ready for robotics tournaments of this sort. We're considering implementing robotics as part of the curriculum.

"We're planning to have classes for two or three months ahead of future tournaments so that students are well prepared.

"There have been a lot of positive changes in the four students since they became part of this.

"They have developed critical thinking and are better able to understand computer science.

"I think the tournament is a wonderful way to combine team work and skills to rekindle interest in robotics."

The students said they were excited to be taking part in the competition.

"When we were told our school will be taking part, I signed up for it immediately," said 14-year-old Meshal Al Mannai.

"We filled up the forms and underwent a rigorous selection process to be chosen.

"Mr Nouiehad got back from the workshop with a huge bag, full of metal pieces that KIPR had sent us.

"Over a period of six weeks, we got together for two hours every Saturday to assemble and programme the robot.

"We had everything required to build it. We've designed it to look a little sporty."

The tournament involves a seeding round that is followed by a double elimination round and ends with an awards ceremony.

The four Bahrain students are set to compete against 30 high schools from Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Zimbabwe.

The seeding round involves a gruelling session, where the robot's skills are tested in a competitive game.

"The game is quite simple. The robot has to pick up rubber ducks and drop them in a box," said seventh graders Mahmood Ellithy.

"The trick is to programme it so well that it picks up many ducks in a short span of time.

"The robot even has sensors to detect the colour black so that it can selectively pick black ducks.

"Once all the ducks have been picked, the robot moves to capture the 'Botboy' - a small toy in the centre.

"Once that is accomplished, you are free to seize and carry away your opponents' ducks which add to your score points."

The students said they were determined to showcase their robotics skills and reach a good position.

'Challenge for robotics fans', Gulf Daily News, April 23, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

New method to boost businesses (News)

A PIONEERING method to boost the marketing of small businesses is being spearheaded by a Bahraini businesswoman.

Keynotes Consultants owner Eman Bu Rashid is the first authorised coach in the Middle East for the cutting-edge Duct Tape Marketing programme.

The specialised programme was conceptualised by marketing and digital technology coach John Jantsch.

He is the author of the award-winning book Duct Tape Marketing - The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide.

The programme offers a cost-effective and workable method for small businesses to market themselves.

"It is Harvard Business School's featured marketing site and was also listed as a Forbes favourite for small business and marketing," said Ms Bu Rashid.

She is one among the 60 authorised coaches worldwide from the US, Ireland, UK, South America, Hungary, Australia and Canada.

"I heard about John Jantsch's innovative programme and did my own research to know more about the course," she said.

Training

"I underwent training in Kansas City and was appointed coach after an intensive selection process."

Ms Bu Rashid has over 20 years of experience in the banking and training sector.

She said that the lack of system and strategy as the main problems plaguing the marketing scene in the small business sector.

"Marketing cannot be learnt ad hoc, it is a systematised step-by-step process."

Teaching businesses to employ an effective referral system also forms part of the Duct Tape Marketing programme.

"If the private sector is taught to brush up their marketing skills they can better contribute to the economy."

For more details about the course, visit www.keynotesbh.com or contact Ms Bu Rashid at eman@keynotesbh.com.

'New method to boost businesses', Gulf Daily News, May 10, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Hotmail users facing new e-mail woes (News)

E-MAIL caps are posing major problems for Hotmail users in Bahrain, it emerged yesterday.

However, Batelco said the source of the problem was Hotmail itself and claimed it had nothing to do with e-mail delays or excessive junk mail.

A spokesman said Hotmail was implementing new policies to control mail flow to its servers, saying the company now enforced limits on the number of e-mails sent to them.

He said once a certain limit was reached, Hotmail would not accept any new e-mail.

"This will cause lots of delays for customers sending to Hotmail," explained the Batelco spokesman.

"All their mail will stay in a queue and they will receive a 'mail delayed' warning."

He added that accounts sending large numbers of e-mails to Hotmail addresses meant the limit was reached faster.

"This problem of control mail policies is the same in MSN Mail domains like Hotmail, MSN and Live etcetera, as well as in Yahoo! Mail domains and AOL."

One user who asked to remain anonymous said he had been facing problems for six months.

"This problem is very common to all Hotmail users," said the 17-year-old student.

"My inbox is flooded with postmaster delivery notification error messages. I have resorted to using my Hotmail account only for messenger and using my Gmail account to send proper mails."

Bahrain University senior management student Fatima Al Shaikh said she had complained to Hotmail about the problem, but never got a response.

However, one user said he did not face the same problems with Hotmail that he experienced in Bahrain when abroad.

"I think this problem is more common in the Middle East as I don't face these problems when accessing my account in India," said Modern Mechanical and Electrical Company chief accountant and systems administrator Loyd D'Costa, 45.

"I do get a lot of delivery notification error messages. I've tried to ease the problem by downloading all my mails to my Outlook account.

"There is no problem when I communicate with fellow hotmail users, but when you try mailing someone with a Batelco account, it takes ages to be received.

"The problem is primarily due to the fact that there are controls in place here to check junk mail and it affects normal incoming or outgoing mails as well."

'Hotmail users facing new e-mail woes', Gulf Daily News, May 28, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Scout Group Faces Closure (News)

A BAHRAIN scout group could be forced to close only three years after it was formed if a new leader is not found soon.

The First Manama Beaver Scouts is facing the crisis after its head Jo Pawson decided to retire.

The group, which meets at the St Christopher's School Sports Hall every Sunday, has helped hundreds of children since it was launched in 2007.

It teaches boys, aged between six and eight, basic skills such as team-building and tracking in preparation for their graduation to the Cub Scouts.

Former scout leader and the group's Blue Beaver Andy Billington confirmed it could be forced to close unless a replacement leader was found.

"This is a most worthy cause and has seen hundreds of young boys aged between six and eight years pass through and come out wiser and better children," said the Reza Hygiene Systems technical manager.

"As an ex-Scout myself, I would assist in the running but I would be unable to take over as my work is based in Saudi Arabia.

"Every week Jo would engage the little boys in some activity, be it games or field visits to places such as Radio Bahrain.

"Our group is like the kindergarten for these boys who aspire to be scouts in the future.

"They are taught many skills but as it is a preparatory for cubs, they don't learn skills too heavy for them.

"For instance, we organised an overnight camp for them at the St Christopher's School grounds recently where the youngsters were taught the basics of camping.

Mr Billington said the primary qualification for any successor was lots of patience and dedication to work with children.

"You must have a clean record in order to work with children, besides a good imagination for games," he said.

"Those with previous experience in the Scouts will be given preference."

Mr Billington also paid tribute to Ms Pawson's work, saying she would be sadly missed.

"After 15 years of devoting her life to the benefit of young children, Jo has finally decided she needs a break and retire," he said.

"Approaching 60, she now wants to give her time to herself in pursuit of her ambitions."

Before coming to Bahrain, Ms Pawson spent more than nine years working with children in Abu Dhabi as well as spells in the UK, Belgium and the US.

Her last day as a leader will be on June 13 and a presentation ceremony will be held in her honour.

"It is time for a younger person to take over as I have spent 15-and-a-half years in service of the children and it is time for me to pursue something else," Ms Pawson told the GDN. Anyone interested in leading the group should contact Mr Billington on 39880495.

'Scout Group Faces Closure', Gulf Daily News, May 23, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Czech consulate to bolster trade (News)

RELATIONS between Bahrain and the Czech Republic are set for a major boost after the opening of the European country's first consulate.

Located in A'ali, it aims to improve business links and help stimulate tourism, with residents no longer having to deal with the Czech Embassy in Riyadh.

The consulate was officially opened by Prime Minister's Court Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa and visiting Czech Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Hynek Kmoníček.

Also present was Bahrain's Foreign Affairs under-secretary Abdulla Abdullatif Abdulla along with diplomats and other dignitaries.

The consulate will be headed by Georgios Antoniou, who is managing director of Bahrain-based Salman International Trading and Contracting Establish (SATCO).

"Czech nationals faced accessibility problems before as our embassy is located in Saudi Arabia," Mr Antoniou told the GDN.

"This new outpost will help ease some of that burden and will deal with issuing visas, documentation as well as offer assistance to business communities."

Mr Antoniou, who is of Cypriot nationality but married to a Czech national, was officially accredited by Bahrain's Foreign Affairs Ministry on February 3.

"The Czech Republic and Bahrain earlier signed the Agreement for Promotion and Protection of Investments in Prague in 2007 to strengthen our economic relations," he said.

"Discussions are also underway on a Double Taxation Agreement that will relieve Czech nationals abroad from paying taxes upon their return to their home country, which in turn will help improve the economies of the two countries."

Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Czech Republic Embassy in Riyadh Petr Hostalek said the new consulate would provide support to businessmen in Bahrain on a daily basis.

"Ours is a relatively small market here but we're both export-oriented economies and hence we can support each other," he said.

Bahrain is home to 42 Czechs, who mainly work in the hospitality sector.

"Czech nationals are employed with airlines as stewardesses, some are garden architects or nurses and they're also employed in the banking sector," said Mr Hostalek.

"They have distinguished themselves in diverse job fields such as coaching national sports teams.

"The last coach of the Bahrain national football team, Milan Máčala, was Czech."

The volume of trade between both countries was just over $15 million (BD5.6m) last year, with Bahrain importing a range of goods including Škoda cars, computer components, filtering and purifying products, electrical control panels and hospital beds.

Aluminium was the main export to the Czech Republic.

Mr Antoniou said the consulate would also help provide assistance to Bahrainis travelling to the Czech Republic for tourism and education.

"We have at present 87 Bahrainis who are mainly medical students," he said.

"We hope that with the opening of the new consulate, more students will be interested in choosing the Czech Republic as their destination for higher studies."

Mr Kmoníček, who travelled to Bahrain for two days of talks with Mr Abdullah, also had discussions with Shaikh Khalid at the Gudaibya Palace yesterday.

The consulate is housed in Villa 333 of Block 732 in Road 3207, opposite the National Driving School.

It will open on Sundays and Wednesdays from 10am to 12pm and can be contacted on 17764961.

'Czech consulate to bolster trade', Gulf Daily News, May 21, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Charity ball with Oceanic Flavour (News)

HUNDREDS of people are set to attend a charity ball with an oceanic flavour later this month.

The annual event, organised by the Australian Association of Bahrain (AAB), will bring together Australians, New Zealanders and other nationals for fun and philanthropy. "We're expecting around 700 people to attend the ball this year," AAB administrator Tina Hunt told the GDN.

"We also have around 250 people coming in from Saudi Arabia for this event." The association aims to raise funds for three charities they chose to help this year. "We're aiming to raise BD5,000 at this year's ball for The Palm Association, The Children's Academy and Alia Centre for Early Intervention," said Ms Hunt.

"Last year's ball at the Gulf Hotel attracted more than 670 people and we raised BD4,000 for various charities. "The ball is an annual feature of the association that portrays Australia as a multicultural society while raising funds for a good cause."
Down Under the Sea is the theme of the charity ball, which will be held at the Gulf Hotel's Gulf Convention Centre on May 20. "People refer to both Australia and New Zealand as Down Under most of the time," said Ms Hunt. "Our theme reflects that with an underwater twist as well. "The ballroom will be lit up with blue lights with star fish and sea horses as centre pieces."
The evening will also offer an exotic array of sumptuous Australasian fare, said Ms Hunt. "We have a four-course Australian menu which includes crocodile and kangaroo meat and the quintessentially Australian barramundi fish," she said. "We also have New Zealand lamb as well as beverages from both the countries."
Entertainment for the night will be provided by local band Frankie's Friends and DJ Ralph will play a selection of songs from Down Under.
Batelco is the main sponsor of the event and AAB's event sponsor for the year while Gulf Brands International, Bahrain Duty Free and DHL are other sponsors of the ball.
Tickets for the black tie event are priced at BD32 for members and BD40 for non-members and are still available. Founded in the 1970s, AAB has 250 members and more than 900 others on its distribution list.
The association recently held a commemorative service to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey during the First World War. The ANZAC Observance Day is one of the main events in the association's calendar. The AAB also hosts business and social events through its Australian Business Group and the Australasian Women's Group.
The charity ball will begin at 7pm. For more details contact the association at aab@australiabahrain.com or Ms Hunt at 38395803.

'Charity ball with Oceanic flavour', Gulf Daily News, May 14, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Robotics Challenge Blow for Six (News)

HOPES of winning a regional robotics tournament were dashed for six Bahrain enthusiasts due to a programming flaw in their robot. The delegation from Ibn Al Khuldoon National School was the first from Bahrain to take part in the sixth Regional Botball Robotics Challenge.

The students, from grade six to eight, attended the tournament at the Carnegie Mellon University, Qatar, with their computer science teacher Mazen Nouiehed.

"We couldn't participate in the seeding round because our robot was not fully programmed to do so," said Mr Nouiehed.

"The tournament, however, was an incredible experience altogether.

"We're planning on participating next year as well and we're planning on taking more high school students rather than ones from the middle school."

The Botball competition, organised by non-profit educational organisation KISS Institute for Practical Robotics (KIPR), operates on a four-season basis.

This includes the Winter season, when educator workshops are held for specialists and team leaders on the latest developments in robotics technology.

They are also given the necessary kit for students to come up with a functional robot of their own.

This year's tournament saw 30 high schools from Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Zimbabwe compete against each other with their manually-built robots in a non-destructive tournament.

The school participated in the Botball tournament to add to the existing curriculum.

"When we introduced programming language C++ in high school, there was a need to provide hands-on-experience to our students so that they get to learn programming better," said Mr Nouiehed.

"Next year, we'll allocate the building of the robot more effectively.

"High school students will handle the programming and we'll leave the designing to the middle school."

Time was also another factor that undermined the group's effort, he added.

"We didn't get sufficient time to build our robot. This is the first time we are competing in such an event," said Mr Nouiehed.

"We were up against veterans who have participated for the past six years.

"We plan to host workshops for our students two or three months ahead of future tournaments so that they are well prepared next year."

Students described the tournament as a great learning experience.

"We tried to compete in the tournament and attempted to repair the robot, but the Botball authorities who inspected it said we couldn't participate with a faulty design," said 14-year-old Meshal Al Mannai.

"This being our first year, we were warned before that such a thing could happen. We took the chance and though we couldn't win, we learned a lot from other participants.

"We were at the end of our academic year and we had to divide our attention between our studies and building the robot and that didn't go down too well.

"We spent two hours every Saturday for a month-and-a-half while the other participants worked on their robots for every day of the week for four months.

"We also saw that some of the teams had quite a lot of members, while we had just six."

Undeterred, the students and their teacher expressed their confidence in building a successful robot and winning the tournament next year.

"I'm confident that with adequate preparation and foresight we will finish first, second or third next year," said Mr Nouiehed.

Robotics Challenge Blow for Six, Gulf Daily News, May 7, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Marathon effort by Xenia... (News Report)

A FORMER Bahrain resident, who took part in the Virgin London Marathon, beat event sponsor Richard Branson to the finishing line by just a minute - raising almost BD2,000 in the process.

Xenia Oakley, 30, ran the 26 miles and 385 yards to raise funds for UK-based charity Beating Bowel Cancer.

The former St Christopher's School student was inspired to run having lost her mother to the illness five years ago.

The Briton is the daughter of former long-term Bahrain residents Philip and Heather Dew.

However, her mother died in England after a two-year battle against bowel cancer in April 2005.

Ms Oakley raised £3,096 (BD1,787) during the event, £1,000 (BD570) more than her £2,000 (BD1,141) target.

"My sister Laila also raised £1,300 (BD741) in support of the charity by holding a fundraising show jumping event in Dubai," she said.

Although she ruled out entering the marathon again, Ms Oakley described her run through London as "fantastic".

"My dad and husband David were among the cheering crowds of supporters," she said.

"I saw them at nine miles, 18 miles and 22 miles with my two little girls Lauren and Phoebe, who were there all the way to support me.

"They pushed their way through the crowds, jumping on and off trains to make sure they were there for me.

"I definitely think they had the harder job."

Ms Oakley had been training hard to be fit for the marathon, even waking up at 6.15am to exercise.

"I trained four times and swam once a week as part of the fitness regimen for the marathon," she said.

"I had pulled a tendon earlier so I also underwent physio throughout the training.

"The days before the marathon I slowed down my training a little and had to eat lots of healthy food ahead of the race."

Crossing the finish line in five hours, one minute and 27 seconds, Ms Oakley finished just a minute ahead of the butterfly-costumed Mr Branson, who ran surrounded by a horde of celebrities.

"David told me that throughout the race Richard Branson was ahead of me by five or 10 minutes, but in the end I managed to beat him," said Ms Oakley, who has never run a marathon before.

"It was hard work running the race, but I found it very enjoyable.

"I have never smiled so much while running and the support the crowd gives you is incredible.

"I managed to run the whole way, which I'm staggered with, as that has never happened in training.

"The first thing I looked forward to after the race was meeting my husband and children.

"I'll be participating in a half-marathon later this year for the same charity, so I'll be starting the training again."

People can still make donations to Ms Oakley for her marathon effort until May 25 at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/xeniaoakley.

'Marathon effort by Xenia…', Gulf Daily News, May 5, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Swan song to wake up

The Alaotra grebe has gone the way of the Dodo. The Madagascan bird was declared officially extinct this week by International Union for Conservation of Nature after 25 years of futile hope that it could be kept alive.

The water bird joins the list of 190 species that have gone extinct since modern records began.

While there has been a recent surge of interest in protecting ecosystems from pollution and deforestation, there is very little or no awareness about threats to earth's biodiversity.

Of the millions of species, plants and animals that have thrived and walked the earth, many have died out.

Even as we spend millions to unearth fossils of dinosaurs and mammoths, to view their remains in museums, there are many lesser known living species that could soon join their extinct ranks.

The growth of cities too has blinded us to many other life forms that exist around us.

An average man might see just a fraction of the vast biodiversity and never hear of the grebe or the Liverpool pigeon which became extinct in 2008.

The irony is we always wake up when it is too late to save anything.

The grebe died out being easy prey to carnivorous fish and poachers.

There were two decades since 1985 when it was last sighted and several years before, for us to have done something to save it when it was understood that the bird was critically endangered.

We could have, for instance, provided a better habitat and protected it from breeding with birds of a similar species.

But honestly, how many of us do care if a species of bird is alive or extinct?

Whatever the scientific claims of creating artificial life may be, we can't however much we try, resurrect a species that has been wiped out.

All we have left of the grebe is a sole photograph and an artist's impression of how it might have looked.

I think it is a shame on us to leave nothing but photographs of co-existing life forms for our children.

While ambitious plans to preserve our cultural heritage and the DNA of endangered species in a 'Noah's Ark' are being undertaken in various places, I think it is high time we saved the living while they are still alive.

Besides the fact that extinction creates a vacuum in the ecosystem, what bothers me most is the gross injustice of it all.

What gives humans the right to think that because we are advanced in some ways, we have been given divine right to stamp out other creatures?

We can't afford to be blasé about it and think animals can breed and look after themselves.

Highly important as it is to look after the starving populations on earth, we also have to contribute towards preserving wildlife.

We may have achieved a lot in terms of civilisation, but we haven't and never can repopulate the earth the way it was when it began.

If we continue to encroach upon the habitats of other species and distort the natural order of things, we may find ourselves the only species left alive.

And going by the way things are, there is no guarantee that we will not stamp each other out.

The death of the Alaotra grebe should be a wake-up call that every life form down to the smallest cricket has its rightful place on earth and deserves to be conserved.

¥ Jennifer Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai. Her family still lives here.

'Swan song to wake up' , Gulf Daily News, May 28, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Treating wildlife as a plaything!

One of the few things that genuinely got me excited about moving to a Mumbai hostel last year was the fact that it was five minutes away from a zoo!

For someone to whom zoos meant the distant Al Areen Wildlife Park and Reserve for most part of her life, actually having elephants and lions next door was something to celebrate.

My initial euphoria soon disappeared when I saw how unhappy and out of place the inhabitants of the erstwhile Victoria Gardens (since renamed) were far from their natural habitats.

My hostel mates who normally don't frequent the place have told me there are more people than animals in there.

I don't condone caging animals, but I have visited the gardens occasionally when my friends were away or when there was little to do during heavy monsoons.

There was nothing much I got to see except capture in video for my younger brother a hippopotamus jumping into a pond or parakeets and exotic birds chirping away in the aviary.

I feel rather bad about it now especially when gruesome reports of wildlife being encroached upon came to light in the last few months, I realised that caging animals for a child's merriment is no laughing matter.

It broke my heart to read in papers a week or two ago about hyenas and big cats from Africa and Asia being shipped into Al Areen later this year.

It is doubtless that the wildlife park has done a wonderful job in protecting native Arabian species such as the oryx but spending BD200,000 to house animals brought in from far away Africa seems needless expenditure to me.

If it was a huge game reserve, such as Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, seeing animals roam freely in their natural habitats might be a worthwhile sight.

However, the very thought of shipping in these hapless animals in specialised containers just sickens me.

Some of the animals being brought in are endangered in their native countries.

The hyenas are widely hunted for sport and medicine in Namibia and Kenya, while the leopard on the other hand is listed as a "near threatened" species by International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Carting off these threatened animals to reserves around the world might be some people's idea of conservation, but it's wrong.

Some months ago, when in a shocking revenge attack after tigers were found to be praying on livestock, villagers in the Indian state of Rajasthan poisoned several goats - leading to the death of two cubs that fed on them - a Mumbai trekking group decided to take matters into their own hands.

They decided to campaign to educate the villagers about the endangered tigers, of which only 1,411 remain in India.

If everything goes as per plan, my friend and I are planning to join the group next month to Ranthambore National Park, on the outskirts of which the incident took place.

Awareness tourism plays a crucial role in helping save species as it highlights the plight of the animals first-hand as well as bringing in the revenue needed to keep them alive.

Human influence of any kind may be unhealthy for the animals as ecological and anthropogenic factors have already depleted the earth's ecosystems and wildlife.

The recent oil spill from the off-shore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico is another unpleasant reminder of the extent to which we have gone about tampering with our environment.

By treating nature and its denizens as playthings, we are concocting a toxic potion for ourselves that we'll be forced to drink sooner or later.

I don't know how much difference the new additions to the Al Areen family will make in attracting visitors, but I think it will make the hyenas happier if we left them alone in the savannahs.

¥ Jennifer Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai. Her family still lives here.

'Treating wildlife as a plaything!', Gulf Daily News, May 14, 2010, Jennifer Gnana