Speeeeeed

The Grand Prix weekend in Bahrain is one of the most exciting times in the island. There is so much going on that the malls and streets are always bustling with life and activity with special attractions and top-notch shows and a variety of dazzling displays. The billboards are plastered with festive banners and cheery posters, reminding eager race aficionados of the three day extravaganza.

This year, Bahrain being the host to the season’s opening race, the festivities were pumped up to celebrate the glory of Formula 1 with international superstars, stilt walkers, stunt bikers, boisterous buskers, cheeky artists, renowned DJs, singers and dancers coming out in full force.
The stages at the Bahrain International Circuit shone with the brilliance of the much anticipated performances of Timbaland, Flo Rida and Sean Kingston as they belted out the best of hip-hop.
The Sakhir grounds were alive with the delightful wafting of the exquisite aroma of cuisine and animated with the clamour for authentic merchandise and souvenirs.
Despite the heat, hundreds thronged to the Circuit and had a great time immersing themselves in the merriment of the moment. Stepping into its secure parameters, visitors were engulfed instantly, by the rousing, bustling carnival atmosphere.
What’s great about the Bahrain Grand Prix is its hospitality; its welcoming ambiance, the lively, engrossing atmosphere, constant flurry of activity, fusion of culture and music and the overall convivial feeling.
If you’ve ever been down at the Circuit, you would have experienced the immense diversity of people - people of all nationalities – coming together to celebrate a common passion; waving banners and shirts zealously, chanting team names and singing an energetic rousing chorus of their respective anthems in an off-key pitch.

The qualifying sessions and the final race that followed were seat-clenching, nail-biting, adrenaline-pumping experiences that unhinged spectators all from their seats. The flag clad, enthusiastic, cheering crowd was a sight to behold, with painted faces and racer outfits.
I, myself, was ecstatic after the final race as Fernando Alonso whizzed through a brilliant race, with fantastic skill and magnificent maneuvering, to finish first in a well-deserved victory, taking home the checkered flag and a bottle of Bahrain’s finest bubbly Waard.

Thus, the teeming crowd got what they came for – a fun-filled day out, mind-blowing entertainment, delightful memories, a cascade of hilarious photographs and an unforgettable experience.

This truly has been an exhilarating, amazing, wonderful weekend and I’m sure everyone is just waiting for next year, to do it all over again.

Free the Whales!

I remember, as a two year old, sitting in the huge stands in Sea World, gawking at the massive creatures leaping and diving into the sparkling water, their slick black bodies glittering in the sunlight. The call of the orca, as it reverberated through the stadium, was a breathtaking experience.
They were magnificent yet gentle – all the time cooperative and obedient, swimming along side their trainers, deftly catching fish thrown at them, splashing and whistling as they were told.
For years, the Orca Show, at the Shamu Stadium in Sea World, has attracted a large number of tourists. The captive killer whales in all their majestic glory are made to leap and flip in perfect synchronization; reducing these highly intelligent animals to nothing more than circus attractions.

Recently, the news of Dawn Brancheau’s death stunned the world as she was allegedly dragged into the water by one of her most loved whales, Tilikum, the largest Orca at Sea World, and subsequently drowned. This horrific incident was startling as she was one of the most experienced trainers at the Park and one of 12,000 pound Tilikum’s only human companions. She was a woman passionate about whales and marine life since she was a nine year old girl and loved them like her own children. May she rest in peace.

Though reports are unclear on what exactly happened, the incident has raised serious concerns and criticism.
PETA, for decades, has campaigned against the captivity of killer whales, claiming it to be like entrapping them in a bathtub, due to their sheer size.
Captive whales tend to lead shorter lives, are often agitated and unlike wild ones, they have been involved in killing humans.
Not only Sea World, Marine ‘Amusement’ Parks have been subject to scrutiny all over the world. Even in Bahrain, the sole Dolphin Park on the island has witnessed the death of their poor unfortunate animals and now only hosts two dolphins in squalid cramped conditions.
It is about time that people realize that animals thrive only in their natural habitats; Sea creatures were meant to exist in the vast expanses of seas and oceans.
And I strongly believe that man must not trifle with the natural existing balance of the fragile ecosystem – they are likely to tip the scales. One cannot expect a killer whale to be a friendly fish – every creature has its place. They are meant to be in their pack, with their own kind and live a free, independent life.

They were meant to experience the feel of real seawater, sunlight warming their backs, pebbles on the shallow sea floor, corals and sea weed and the gentle ebb and flow of the waves. Instead they are subject to raucous applause, slapstick humoured pranks, restricted space, bright lights and loud, blaring music and inescapable desperate isolation.

Whales will always belong to the Wild at heart; they do not belong in glass tanks just as much as humans are not meant to be confined in cages. They were meant to soar and leap and bound in wild waters, trashing their tails and flipping their fins, cascading water, blowing fountains into the air and playing and travelling with their pack. Man can learn just as well about their fellow water bound counterparts through watching and observation from afar, putting away their harpoons, strangulating, suffocating nets and dreaded trawlers.

Nature meant for animals to peacefully coexist with humans not for human beings to ‘tame’ them into jumping through hoops at every five o’clock showing.

-CENSORED-

Art encompasses life like no other medium can. Its strikingly beautiful nature allows the expression of a farrago of emotions and the representation of personality and opinion.
Art, to me, is the epitome of free expression and abstract thinking; seeing what is not literally present. Every stroke is different, every perspective is unique.
I have always believed that art is a dimension of its own, another mystical world you can get lost in, unconcerned with politics, slander, gossip and bloodshed.
Thus, I was taken aback and visibly indignant to come across a virtual barrier when I tried to access Redbubble, an innocent art and photography website, the other day. Yet there it was – with a bright blue banner and blazing red letters- a sign informing that the website had indeed been blocked.
I was bemused; why does a site concerned with macro-photography of bluebells and poems about the sea need to be blocked?
A little over a year ago, many must remember, a similar debate surfaced. When deviantArt was blocked, outrage was sparked by local art lovers as it is a forum that positively channels artistic flare and creativity and aids people in becoming better at their skill.

I fully respect cultural and traditional values like any other proud Bahraini and I realize that it is hard to retain the staunch beliefs of yesteryear in a time of rapid globalization and cultural influx. I understood and accepted the bans on pork and alcohol and the censorship of movies with not more than a word. Yet censoring art, I cannot understand.

My question is what are we being protected from? And how long can we be shielded from the reality of the big bad world?

As teenagers in our safe ‘Bahrain bubble’, we are ignorant and blissful, unaware how to discern between right and wrong, having always had it laid out to us. But once the bubble pops and we are thrust into the bustling, cruel world, what is to become of us?

I realize that the Bahrain Government keeps in mind good intentions but it can only shelter us under its wing for only so long.

Besides, is portraying a shuttered view of the world the only way to keep us safe?
They say the forbidden fruit tastes sweeter and if that dictum holds good, maybe banning isn’t the way.

But for what it’s worth, I think the Government should give us a chance to stand up on our own feet to make our choices and exercise our own discretion.
After all, at some point in life, we need to start flying solo.

Help Haiti!

Safe within the confines of a comfortably furnished house, we have been anesthetised to the pain and suffering of the world.
We underestimate the luxury of being cushioned by all our necessities.
The recent Haitian earthquake, which notched up an incredible 7.0 on the Richter scale, shook up the lives of hundreds, displacing them from their meagre shelters, dislocating their ways of life. Without the mere security of food, water and warmth, survivors of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere are struggling to keep alive the will to carry on.
Astounding stories of victims, trapped under debris and rubble for days together, have surfaced in newspapers, images of dehydrated, malnourished children have made the glossy front pages of expensive magazines and news reporters have swarmed the region, streaming coverage to their news-hungry stations.
Yet the exact magnitude of the wreckage and emotional turmoil has not been comprehended by the general public.

The massive amount of destruction and chaos has marred immediate action to save this little Caribbean country. More than 200, 000 people were killed in this catastrophe and the country has collapsed in shambles.
Thus, Haiti has to rebuild from scratch; start over, right from the very beginning.
They have to pick up the pieces, fit in the jagged shards, trying to work towards the intact bigger picture that seems a little more than a fabricated figment at this point in time.
Before the calamity, Haiti was impoverished, with a feeble economy and yet, even after losing everything, they are continuing to fight for their survival and little-known existence. Their struggle is heart-warming and is living proof that no matter however miniscule we seem in the grand scheme of things, we can always make our voice heard and our passions loud.

Bahrain responded to Haiti’s plea for aid, donating money for indispensable reconstruction, rehabilitation and reestablishment of the dismembered country. Yet the money flow didn’t seem enough to quell the pain and heal and stitch Haitian wounds. Bahrain seems to have fallen short of expectations, having not filled their donation pot with much needed money.
At the start of 2010, we vowed to catalyse the change essential to the world; putting service before self. Now, Haitians need our help and it is our moral obligation to lend a helping hand.
Your donation maybe small, not much grander than your lunch money or loose change.
But much like Haiti, it doesn’t matter how diminutive you are; every small supportive gesture, every crunchy dinar note, every last fil rattling in your pocket will help make a better difference – and will help save a life.

We are the World

Every year, our school hosts, what we call, a ‘National Costume Day’ for which we all come in, dripping with patriotism and national pride or quite plainly, dressed in our respective traditional attire.
Our school is well acknowledged for its immense diversity but not till the Day, did I realize the sheer spectrum of nationalities that reside in our humble Kingdom. There were green top hats with pinned clovers, kilts, turbans, thobes, saris, kimonos, dreadlocks, fez, Bubas, Baju Kurangs and a myriad of other dresses I hadn’t ever seen before.
It was a fantastic day that proved to be an insight into the cultures of different lands and was a testimony to international collaboration.
If we, as a student body comprising of nearly seventy different nationalities, can work and cooperate with each other in harmonious union, why can’t the nations of the world do the same?
It is indeed a tall order and a fantastic dream to envision such a magnificent place – no wars, no constant bickering, just living and working together and progressing.

I can already hear you scoffing at this euphoric, dare I say it, hallucination. But the truth of the matter is that it is that easy. There are wars solely because we desire what is not in our possession. As a collaboration what stops us from acquiring these resources in return for a favour? It would prove far more effective and less gruesome than endlessly prodding each other with guns and weapons of mass destruction.

It reminds me of one of my favourite Calvin and Hobbes comic strips in which they decide to spend their gloriously free afternoon playing ‘war’ out in the garden, armed with suction guns and khaki helmets. After careful maneuvering and intricate planning requiring stealth and agility, they both manage to creep through the bushes and leap out trying to ambush each other. They end up shooting each other with a suction cup on the head. It is an ideal epitome of war, illuminating its pointlessness.

There are people from seventy different countries in my school and it’s fascinating to learn about their cultures, their way of life, their food and clothes and their extravagant, rich ceremonies and festivals. Just by chatting with them, I can learn so much more about the world. How much more would the world benefit if that was practiced on a larger scale?

That’s the great thing about living in Bahrain. You meet different people from countries you have probably never noticed on the map and they teach you about their world and then in return, you tell them about your heritage in what morphs into a friendly intercultural jabber over a cup of steaming Arabic coffee in a neighbourhood café. Your half-Malaysian neighbour might invite you in for some nasi lemak or you may happen to be invited to a Spanish siesta and nibble on paella. You can hear exhausted gardeners ramble away in Bengali and you may even have the opportunity to catch a performance of an Irish dance or karaoke in Tagalog. It’s like a global conglomeration, this Kingdom and it makes you love living here even more.

The Gifted of the Gulf

His hands flew across the keys as his nimble fingers nearly effortlessly weaved the music into a gentle cascade of rippling water. The notes rose and fell beautifully; climbing up and down, enchanting, spellbinding the captivated audience. His prowess knew no bounds as he went from passion fuelled pieces to softer ones, almost as if he was stroking it to sleep.
And then, her bow wove majestically across strings; guided by her dexterity and precise agility. Her cello resonated with a majestic bass melody that filled the room and held the audience breathless. Her swift fingers were a mere blur as she progressed through a magnificent symphony flawlessly.

The Young Musicians of the Gulf 2010 was a breathtaking event to say the least. It showcased young aspiring musicians in a variety of instruments and categories, and their artistic expression and musical interpretations, bringing them much needed extolment.

On stage, they were spectacular, having mastered their pieces to the very last note. They make it look so natural and are so at ease that one marvels at the amount of perseverance and hard work they must have put in. These young musicians have trained for years, some even a decade, playing into the night, regardless of the world around them, just living in the music.
Every little detail had been looked after, every bit of synchronization had been perfected and every last note and stroke of hand had been honed to precision.
Their performances were nothing less than awe-inspiring.

The competition also roped in what maybe was just a peek of the vast spectrum of music. There were compositions played out by flutes, euphoniums, cellos, violins, pianos and even pieces of wood. Adding a regional touch to the event was the tabla and the oud; their distinctive melodies making Bahrainis proud.
Whatever instrument they had chosen, they were one with the music, lost to the audience, putting themselves in their pieces, giving them new meaning. It was amazing to watch their love for music manifest in notes, sung, composed or played; giving the audience merely a peek of their delightful world and the mysterious secrets only they understood.

In a world now filled with fluorescent screens and techno-jargon, an evening of blissfully classical music was a rare and beautiful treat. It was a reminder of the simple joys of life and that every great musician or any great person, for that matter, has risen to excellence through pure determination and talent, the will to succeed and an undying blazing passion for their art.

The Imaginarium of The Human Mind

Fearsome scaly dragons, breathing plumes of deadly fire, elusive romping unicorns, tossing manes of pure silver and dwarfed leprechauns dragging along cauldrons of gold – All of these extraordinary creatures reign in a parallel dimension and are figments of human imagination.

The human mind is a queer organ; it is capable of endless possibilities. It can think of ways to conjure up a cure for cancer or break down matter into its smallest particle.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the mind is its capacity to imagine, handle abstract ideas and conjure up unreal images.
It is one thing to manipulate information already laid before us. But to dream of better and brighter things is absolutely astounding.

The recent Disney animation flick, Up, took the world by storm with its ludicrous idea of an aged man, complete with walker, embarking on an adventure of a lifetime by ‘flying’ his house with a colossal amount of balloons attached to it. Aboard his airborne house, he wished to travel to a certain ‘Paradise Falls’ (as do we all!) and perch his house on the precipice of a waterfall.
If that wasn’t enough, the movie ropes in talking dogs, an exotic bird and a mad explorer.
The power of imagination is indeed infinite.

As kids, it seemed so easy to believe in fairies and pixie dust; to cease to care about scientific foundations.
As we grow older, we tend to forget how to be kids, we tend to forget to imagine.
From a world painted vividly with bizarre colours, filled with biologically impossible beings and secret made-up languages, it has faded into mere black and white, with facts and figures holding more important.

There was a time when we all believed that a certain fat red man filled our stockings with presents on Christmas Eve and that babies were delivered by incredibly strong storks. The possibilities were unlimited and so were the questions that we had to ask.
But now, we silently accept the world as it is. I can only conclude that as we grow older, we seem to think less.

It is a pity since with human intelligence and imagination, man could work miracles and wonders.
And no doubt invent the ‘hovercrafts of the future’ that were once promised to us!

However, Imagination is much more than just goblins and elves– It is about thinking out of the box, creating something where nothing existed before, building empires with just ingenuity and bubbling creativity.
Imagination is about passion, wanting to widen the horizons further, believing in things that only the heart can see.

Like George Bernard Shaw said, “You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'”

Sometimes believing is more than just seeing.