A wobbly memory

I'm faced with a rather uphill task of throwing out four years worth of accumulated newspapers and junk from my room here in Bahrain, before I pack my bags off to Mumbai next month. As I was sorting out my things, I came across an old air ticket dated May 10, 2007. It is perhaps the only reminder I have left of the mammoth journey my family and I made to attend my paternal grandfather's funeral. Flights to India normally take four hours, but as we had few options left, we travelled for half a day, boarding and de-boarding four aircraft en route. This Sunday will mark his third death anniversary and though I knew him little - I hadn't seen him for six years - I can't get my thoughts away from him. His love for oratory, play-writing skills and the family tradition of giving Latin middle names for girls and Sanskrit middle names for boys are some of things he'll be best remembered for. As much as we remember the dead for what they meant to us, we can't help wonder how they would have remembered us, if they did at all, in the end. As I left India for Bahrain when I was eight, I have little recollection of anything either him or my granny, who passed away four months before him, might have remembered me by. One little incident however stands fresh in my memory. My mum and I had gone away on a trip to Chennai. When we returned, we found our room tidied and all the magazines I owned, gone. In those days, my mum saved an issue of Femina magazine that had a picture of a little girl eating a huge blob of jelly. Mum always kept the 'jelly book', as I called it, in full view as I was very fussy about food and needed the picture as a companion for lunch! I went ballistic when I found that my granny had sold it while we were away. I decided to march out of the house at noon to get it back from the shop. However, I was not able to get out, as the metal gates were too big for me to slide open. Polite as ever, my grandfather slid them open for me, much to my granny's chagrin. The shopkeeper, just across the street, was taken aback to see an angry-looking seven-year-old marching up to his shop in the blazing afternoon. "I think my granny sold some magazines to you last week," I said to him. "You have my jelly book and I want it back, right now." I don't remember if I got it back. I should have, or I might have staged a walk-out. The story however has been retold many a time in the family because no person ever overruled my granny's decision and got away with it. I've always felt a twinge of regret because I did have an opportunity to meet them when I was on a short vacation in Mumbai in 2006. My dad advised me against going down to the state of Tamil Nadu, where they lived, as there was an epidemic raging there which affected and later weakened my grandparents. From what I recollect, there wasn't much I was known for when I was younger, except for being a spoilt little brat. I can't guess what they best remembered me for, but I hope they didn't forget the jelly book. ¥ Jennifer Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai. Her family still lives here. Copyright 2010 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group

'A wobbly memory', Gulf Daily News, May 7, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Unworthy causes and wars...

I've never been much of an expert on world history or politics. It was no surprise that when my university exam results came in last week, I fared much better in economics and marketing than the other two. My knowledge of history from school stops abruptly at 1947, which is two years after the end of the Second World War and the year of India's independence. I never looked back on that subject and chose to study commerce in high school, but I always came away feeling a little behind the times whenever I heard anything about the Vietnam War or the one in Korea. Partly to camouflage my lack of interest, I always feigned distaste for anything remotely political or historical. But wars cannot be forgotten and as much as we would like to distance ourselves from those dark periods of human history, we can't be wholly untouched by them. A BBC feature I happened to watch last week showed how people still lose their lives as a result of forgotten mines from the Second World War, which are still buried in fields. The war may have ended 65 years ago, but the destruction it wrought, the human misery and loss of lives still continue to this day. The large-scale displacement of people during the course of the war has today resulted in many people not knowing their roots, while others have discovered they were living with false identities all along. The UK and the Australian government a few months ago apologised to thousands of forgotten children shipped to Australia after the war in search of a "better life". Many of those had been falsely told their parents were dead and were used as cheap labour in farms, where they were often abused. The war's legacy still continues to haunt countries, international policymakers and individuals - so much Middle East conflict today can be traced back to the end of the Second World War. It is strange that when countries go to war, they expend their strength in justifying themselves only to later regret it with much pain. Battlefields bring out what is most bestial and primitive in us and even if men go to war to rout evil or overthrow dictators, the extremities to which they go to prove themselves right make them no better. There's a poem by Robert Southey called Battle of Blenheim, where an old man is quizzed by his grandchildren about why the war was fought. His grandson had found a skull in a field, which the old man said must belong to some fallen soldier. He recalls with great pride how villages were razed and people slaughtered. The children keep asking him why the armies fought and what good came of it, but the old man has no clue what it was about and answers all their queries with "it was a great victory". At the end of mindless carnage, it is no use making erudite excuses as an afterthought. If the cause isn't good enough to explain to our grandchildren, it's not worth fighting for. ¥ Jennifer Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai. Her family still lives here. Copyright 2010 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group

'Unworthy causes and wars...', Gulf Daily News, April 30, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Gulf Air resumes Europe services (News Report)

GULF Air will today resume flights to and from London, Paris, Frankfurt following the announcement of the gradual reopening of the airspace by European authorities. The airline will operate flight GF003 which leaves Bahrain for London at 2.45pm and flight GF006 which returns from London at 9.25pm, a Gulf Air statement said last night. Flight GF019 to Paris will leave Bahrain on schedule at 1.30am and flight GF017 to Frankfurt on schedule at 1.15am. "We hope to resume our full operations to and from these stations by tomorrow, subject to the full and permanent opening of the airspace." Meanwhile, Gulf Air has stepped in to help passengers delayed by the fallout of the erupting Icelandic volcano. A spokeswoman said more than 260 passengers were being accommodated in hotels in Bahrain at the airline's expense. "We are doing everything to ensure that Gulf Air passengers stranded in Bahrain are as comfortable as possible in terms of accommodation and meals," she said. "We have also set up an emergency taskforce team that is meeting those passengers and explaining the options. "In addition as a gesture of goodwill, for those passengers stranded in transit in Bahrain, Gulf Air has offered a credit value equal to their original full ticket to travel on Gulf Air services at a future date." Crowne Plaza Hotel and Golden Tulip confirmed an influx of passengers in the last few days. "We're collaborating with Gulf Air to accommodate stranded passengers," said Crowne Plaza sales and marketing director Kate Simmonds. "They're being provided with access to the Internet, the British Consulate website and means to contact their families. Golden Tulip was also appreciative of the way the passengers had reacted. "We explained the crisis individually to them and they've been quite considerate," said assistant general manager Abdul Rahim Al Sayed. "We told them that it's better to be on the ground than fly in unsure conditions. We witnessed worse situations during the Gulf War, this is no crisis." Copyright 2010 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group 'Gulf Air resumes Europe services', Gulf Daily News, April 20, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Volcano of emotion

Sky News viewers were in for a shock last week while watching coverage of the closure of Scottish airspace due to the ominous volcanic ash cloud. While the TV presenter interviewed a couple about their delayed flight, an inebriated passenger crashed in yelling: "I hate Iceland." The man, who has since become a YouTube and Twitter sensation, has now earned himself the title Volcano Man. But as the volcano dust settles and the airlines return to normal, I couldn't help wondering how someone could spew venom at an entire nation. When news first came in about the volcanic eruption, my thoughts went back to the time I first pressed my dad into getting a book for me. I remember coming back from the Family Book Shop, Manama, years ago armed with an illustrated, abridged version of Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne and then spending days reading, and years re-reading it. The audacity of Professor von Hardwigg and his nephew Harry to descend into an Icelandic crater in a valiant bid to reach the earth's centre fascinated me. A subterranean underworld peopled by gigantic humans and battles with prehistoric sea monsters - the science that Verne employed to prove their existence was all too believable. I grew with great respect for Verne and his science fiction, as well as a secret desire to visit Iceland, climb inside a crater and discover a strange new world. Science, however, proved Verne wrong - climb inside an active crater and you could end up being roasted. A routine volcanic eruption in a lone northern country effectively put paid to the travel plans of thousands of people, resulting in European air chaos that hasn't been seen since the Second World War and billions of dollars in losses for airlines. But it's not just the active volcanoes that make Iceland the uniquely offbeat country that it is. The Norse mythology associated with the country is reinforced through the language Icelandic, which is based on an archaic alphabet used in Middle English - but which has since passed out of usage. Through the last week I've kept an ear open for any news of the volcano - not because I genuinely cared about it, but because I wanted to know how on earth anyone could pronounce its name: Eyjafjallajškull. The BBC always make it a point to get names right and, even after having appointed the parents to look out for it, I still haven't got round to listening to the pronunciation. A simple search on the Internet, however, seems to do the trick. The word, heavily influenced by North Germanic syllables, is pronounced "ay-yah-FYAH'-plah-yer-kuh-duhl". Now that wasn't too difficult, was it? ¥ Jennifer Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai. Her family still lives here.

Copyright 2010 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group

'Volcano of emotion', Gulf Daily News, April 23, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Don't dismiss teenagers as 'superficial beings'

A few months ago I was at the American Centre, Mumbai, on one of my almost daily stopovers at the library before heading to the hostel. I was in the centre's lift when a couple of students asked me if I had come for the film festival. My answer was 'no' but as they seemed very eager and friendly, I changed my mind and decided to check it out. It was organised by a group of mass media students and was half finished by the time I reached and the competition round had begun. Of the three films I watched, the one that really got my attention, Feelings at Death, walked away with honours and cash prizes in all categories. Inspired by a newspaper report, it explored the theme of suicide through the eyes of a small boy who was curious to know what it would feel like to die. While announcing the results, one of the judges commented that he was astounded by the mind-blowing cinematography, editing and direction. Strangely, he also said he had come away feeling depressed. "Everything I watched was dark and without hope. All of you sitting here are teenagers, aren't you? "You're supposed to be positive and on a mission to save the world. What went wrong? How can you give up hope?" Exploring relatively dark themes through seemingly innocent settings is not a new trend that's followed by teenagers alone. When William Golding's Lord of the Flies was published in 1954, it raked up controversy because of its themes of innocence, its loss and the inherent evil in man. He wrote about a group of British school boys stranded on a paradisiacal island descending into savagery because he was apparently disillusioned with human nature. I once heard a speaker addressing a gathering I was in about the "hopeless" generation he had witnessed of late. In effect, he dismissed the entire human race who will be decision-makers a few years from now as people without minds of their own. There's a huge misconception that teenagers are superficial beings who live just for the moment and care about nothing else. Espousing social causes and some of the offbeat radical things we do honestly are not just teenage fads. I was asked by an older friend the other day if 18-year-olds ever really mean what they say. Yes we do! I don't think there has ever been a time such as this when teenagers actually talk, make decisions and show real changes in terms of action that even world leaders haven't achieved. We may not share illusions about the world being a nice place where all things can be sorted out or that the mission to save the world is workable. However, that doesn't make us apathetic creatures with shallow minds. The past 20 years have seen some major upheavals in world history that have hardened us into individuals that we are. Personally, I don't think dabbling in film noir, writing dark literature or going gothic in music or clothes is a reflection of giving up hope or being morbid. It doesn't mean we're perennial pessimists raging against society and calling for the world to descend into anarchy. It's just that the more aware you are of what needs to be mended and ought to be healed, the more willing you are to reach out and help. Isn't that what the world needs today, a helping hand? ¥ Jennifer Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai. Her family still lives here. Copyright 2010 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group

'Don't dismiss teenagers as 'superficial beings'', Gulf Daily News, April 16, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Bahrain left in the Dark (News Report)

BAHRAIN has been left in the dark as the largest global initiative to highlight climate change gets underway around the world tomorrow. Earth Hour 2010, spearheaded by World Wildlife Fund, will see major cities and landmarks across the globe plunged into darkness for an hour to save energy. Hundreds of millions of people along with companies, governments and communities have signed up for the event to show their support by switching off all non- essential power sources from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. However, a GDN survey of 17 schools, several major companies and top hotels found that most had no activities planned and a sizeable majority knew nothing about the event. One of the few set to mark the occasion will be the Gulf Hotel, which is hosting a poolside Earth Hour festival from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Bands TQ Trio and Gemini 7 will perform at the event, which will also feature presentations, skits, dance performances and a quiz on the environment. The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence and Spa will also switch off non-essential power in all areas of the hotel, including rooms, restaurants and public spaces, which will be lit by candlelight from 8.30pm. The event also features a BBQ buffet and entertainment from Radio Bahrain DJ Krazy Kevin. Children of all ages too are invited to take part in a poster competition to raise awareness about practical ways to deal with global warming. Entry is free for all and starts from 7pm. The Golden Tulip has also pitched in to support the cause. "The Golden Tulip's indoor and outdoor lights will be switched off for an hour," said assistant front office manager Victoria Naydenova. None of the major companies contacted had any events planned for Earth Hour. However, Batelco reiterated its support for protecting the environment and saving power. "Batelco introduced lighting timers throughout the company at the beginning of the year to control the amount of time lights remain on especially in areas that are infrequently used," said general manager of human resources Suhaila Al Nowakhda. "We are continually looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint and have also recently introduced paper recycling within our offices." More than 4,000 cities in 88 countries switched off during last year's Earth Hour. This year 126 countries have pledged their support, with Saudi Arabia joining for the first time alongside other Middle Eastern countries including Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. "Earth Hour is a symbolic campaign of taking action through small individual efforts that transforms into a collective global event," said World Wildlife Fund Middle East marketing director Ida Tillisch. "We can assume increasing support for such events is due to a rising consciousness about climate change." Copyright 2010 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group 'Bahrain left in the dark', Gulf Daily News, March 26, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Switch off – for our planet’s sake

People around the world will unplug on a massive scale tomorrow to mark Earth Hour, a global solidarity event which each year brings people together to vouchsafe our planet's future. Every year the event, which began in 2007 in Australia, witnesses important landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge plunged into darkness for a full 60 minutes. I caught up online with a friend of mine currently studying in Brisbane last week. After exchanging a year's worth of news, our conversation veered to the upcoming Earth Hour, something close to our hearts as we missed many a class to participate in our school's Eco Club activities. She was so excited about switching off, it sounded like Christmas had come early for her. From what she told me, the World Wildlife Fund, which spearheads the event, has done such an incredible job in educating Australian folk about Earth Hour, it is actually looked forward to as a big annual gathering. Moreover, the country has an enthusiastic environment ministry, with former Midnight Oil rocker Peter Garrett at the helm and even a Minister for Climate Change and Water! Closer to home however, I couldn't help feeling a little down last week after I phoned over a dozen schools in Bahrain to find out their activities for Earth Hour, only to discover that most of them didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Some of them had environment as part of their syllabus, but it was disheartening to know that they shirked from actually putting the lessons into practice. It has long been an argument that extra-curricular activity distracts students from classes and nothing fruitful comes of it. I remember the Green Week we had in school, when teachers turned up in green and the students in green ribbons. Some of my classmates planted saplings, while others helped empty the hand-painted recycle bin which had taken the collaborative effort of many months of hard work to be filled. It used to be almost routine for most of us to come to school with a bunch of newspapers and then slide them down the recycle bin chute. There was also a memorable clean-up day, when we volunteered to clean our school campus, picking up empty Coke cans, polythene bags and other rubbish. I can never forget a friend of mine who was always on the lookout for people with recently opened Coke cans, to collect the rings, which were then donated for making prosthetic limbs. We also had seminars on shopping bags, climate change documentaries and hands-on green activities throughout the week. You may wonder what good came of wearing green ribbons, but honestly, every time I go shopping I think twice before accepting plastic bags and I remember to use unused leaves of old notebooks when I'm studying. There's nothing better than people coming together for a particular cause that will help reinforce it as a habit. Also, there are no better institutions to promote them than those which educate us in our formative years. Though there are social groups and hotels in Bahrain who are switching off, only schools can effectively help dissolve the callousness that prevails with regard to the environment. You could have many interesting activities planned as a group or family for tomorrow, such as hosting unplugged events like an a cappella concert, a candlelit dinner, or a story-telling session. My five year-old brother Abhishek and I will probably spend time melting chocolate over candles, with me making shadow puppets on the walls to scare him. While lights go off around the world, there are groups of people who have taken the pledge to leave lights and appliances on in defiance, labelling the world-wide event a farce. Though the credibility of international climate watchdogs is in disrepute over some of their exaggerated claims, we can't disbelieve the threat of climate change to our species and our planet. It was reported just days ago that a tiny island in the Bay of Bengal, known in India and Bangladesh as the New Moore and South Talpatti Island, respectively, has disappeared thanks to rising sea levels. It's time Bahrain too joined hands with the world community in pledging support for our planet by switching off tomorrow from 8.30 to 9.30pm. For once, let's Vote Earth! ¥ Jennifer is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai. Copyright 2010 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group 'Switch off - for our planet's sake', Gulf Daily News, March 26, 2010, Jennifer Gnana