We were trudging through what appeared to be the middle of the desert, squinting through the dust haze, with dogs trotting by our sides. The blurred vicinity resembled little more than a wasteland with lumps of plastic bags skimming the scarred ground, buffeted by the wind.
An eight year old boy walking with us in silence dutifully squatted down every few minutes or so and picked up a scrap of recyclable material that lay abandoned in the middle of nowhere.
By the end of the walk however, the boy was laden with a box full of things that could be easily sorted and recycled for future use.
I was rather startled looking into the carton; bottles, cardboard, paper and an array of other things had been procured from what I had imagined was a scarcely inhabited area.
Sure, the boy would have gone home and dropped his collection into one of Bahrain’s set of brilliantly coloured recycling bins. But if he could fill a box with litter from a relatively empty lot of land, what could we fill with the litter that lines the pavements of Bahrain and mars its natural beauty?
Recently, the World celebrated the ‘Earth Hour’ with participants plunging themselves into darkness for an hour. It was a worldwide message raising awareness about the amount of electricity we waste and how much more we can conserve. We experimented with Earth Hour at our house and to our surprise we realized the large number of hardly necessary lights that were switched on regularly.
It cannot be denied that Bahrain itself uses a colossal amount of electricity to keep the Kingdom alive and whizzing with life. If you’ve ever just sat out on your porch at night and leaned back and gazed into the heavens above, you would have realized that hardly any stars twinkle back at you. Instead, you stare into a cloudless, murky purple sky, with the glow of city lights and football floodlights dotting the horizon.
The World may not crumble into oblivion in 2012 or be conquered by zealous aliens with webbed fingers and green antennae but the Earth is undoubtedly dying, unable to cope with our profligate ways. We can’t boycott electricity or eradicate Styrofoam, but we can help, maybe by recycling all the papers we accumulated in the past academic year or walking to the shop at the corner - Small gestures to improve the grand scheme of things. So take shorter showers and save the world!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
2400 is the magic number
I haven't posted in quite a while.
I'm ridden with the guilt of neglect.
What with the endless tests, World Literature essays, lab reports, assignments, worksheets, presentations and community service, time seems scarce.
But as of now, I'm on Spring Break.
Well, not SPRING Break.
The other one.
The one when you don't party till four a.m. and then suffer from a mind crushing hangover.
It's the one you get when Easter comes along. A time to both relax and do some light revision.
Ha.ha.
Then they invented College Board who decided that it would be excruciatingly fun to administer a standardized test to all teenagers to ruin their prospects of ever attending a university that has its own hoodie.
So now I'm confined to a writing desk with a prescribed 2B pencil and a 800-something-page book.
If this carries on any longer, I'm going to be walking around with answer bubbles polka-dotting my view.
Now, I must go and practice.
Where's that pencil, I need to randomly jab options with, gone?
...And where has my lucky blindfold disappeared to?
I'm ridden with the guilt of neglect.
What with the endless tests, World Literature essays, lab reports, assignments, worksheets, presentations and community service, time seems scarce.
But as of now, I'm on Spring Break.
Well, not SPRING Break.
The other one.
The one when you don't party till four a.m. and then suffer from a mind crushing hangover.
It's the one you get when Easter comes along. A time to both relax and do some light revision.
Ha.ha.
Then they invented College Board who decided that it would be excruciatingly fun to administer a standardized test to all teenagers to ruin their prospects of ever attending a university that has its own hoodie.
So now I'm confined to a writing desk with a prescribed 2B pencil and a 800-something-page book.
If this carries on any longer, I'm going to be walking around with answer bubbles polka-dotting my view.
Now, I must go and practice.
Where's that pencil, I need to randomly jab options with, gone?
...And where has my lucky blindfold disappeared to?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Weird Bugs make you ponder
I looked inquisitively at the brick walkway and blinked. Scampering across my path was a small rather vividly coloured bug. A careful observation revealed that it had a red head and a black thorax with a distinctively odd mark etched on its back – almost like a finely scribbled eight. By the time I had figured out what exactly it was, the bug was gone.
Humans have been around only so long as to discover a mere fraction of the numerous species that exists; nature’s mysteries are still unsolved.
The bug, after its brief cameo, had disappeared between the blades of grass in the garden. If you’ve ever lived near a garden, you’d know the thrill of exploring its depths. Every garden is like a separate dimension; one can tumble in and get lost in its vast expanses for hours on end. The teeming diversity and complex spectrum of nature never ceases to amaze me. There are all kinds of creatures and creepers lurking behind every shrub and fern. It’s all very exciting; like having your very own scavenger hunt in your backyard.
Sometimes, it’s just nice to get lost in your garden – away from the fluorescent screens and wireless gadgets.
That’s the problem today – We’ve been so caught up with our whirring, clunky gizmos and multitasking contraptions that we’ve been alienated from our natural surroundings. It is indeed ironic that man, having started out completely dependent on the environment to suffice his needs, now hardly interacts with nature.
Cooped up behind impressive looking work desks with stacks of multi-coloured paper, we quite simply don’t remember what it’s like to walk barefoot on grass, to watch sunflowers turn their heads and to mold mud with our own hands.
Technological development is all well and good but sometimes, it’s just nice to go out and stand in the rain and feel the rush of emotion experienced when the saline drops of water hit your face.
By all means tinker away with your iPads and other fancy ‘i’-prefixed devices. But it’d be nice if once in a while, you wheedle yourself away from your majestic swiveling chair and personalized stationery to go back to the basics; look up to the azure blue sky strewn with wispy clouds and just breathe in the crisp fresh morning air.
Humans have been around only so long as to discover a mere fraction of the numerous species that exists; nature’s mysteries are still unsolved.
The bug, after its brief cameo, had disappeared between the blades of grass in the garden. If you’ve ever lived near a garden, you’d know the thrill of exploring its depths. Every garden is like a separate dimension; one can tumble in and get lost in its vast expanses for hours on end. The teeming diversity and complex spectrum of nature never ceases to amaze me. There are all kinds of creatures and creepers lurking behind every shrub and fern. It’s all very exciting; like having your very own scavenger hunt in your backyard.
Sometimes, it’s just nice to get lost in your garden – away from the fluorescent screens and wireless gadgets.
That’s the problem today – We’ve been so caught up with our whirring, clunky gizmos and multitasking contraptions that we’ve been alienated from our natural surroundings. It is indeed ironic that man, having started out completely dependent on the environment to suffice his needs, now hardly interacts with nature.
Cooped up behind impressive looking work desks with stacks of multi-coloured paper, we quite simply don’t remember what it’s like to walk barefoot on grass, to watch sunflowers turn their heads and to mold mud with our own hands.
Technological development is all well and good but sometimes, it’s just nice to go out and stand in the rain and feel the rush of emotion experienced when the saline drops of water hit your face.
By all means tinker away with your iPads and other fancy ‘i’-prefixed devices. But it’d be nice if once in a while, you wheedle yourself away from your majestic swiveling chair and personalized stationery to go back to the basics; look up to the azure blue sky strewn with wispy clouds and just breathe in the crisp fresh morning air.
Monday, March 22, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, March 5, 2010
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.
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.
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.
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