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POINTS Of VIEW

A space to share your feedback. Over to you.

Best Letter
As I rush through life, bound by the constraints of time and responsibilities, I am often reminded of those lines from WH Davies' poem: "What is this life if, full of care/ We have no time to stand and stare".
I salute Konstantina Sakellariou (Meet the Dubai 'monk who sold her Ferrari', Mar 25), who took the bold decision to step out on a journey of self-discovery, leaving behind the security and comforts of a corporate job. For sure, not many of us can do that!
We get so used to pushing ourselves out of bed, out of the house, into our workplaces, through deadlines - and the boss's ire - then rushing back home to repeat the cycle all over again, that we forget there's a whole world out there for us to explore and discover.
Each of us needs to take a sabbatical from the pressures of work and find the time 'to stand and stare', to explore worlds different from ours, and, in the process, find answers to the question of who we are. We get one go at the journey called life on this planet - how can we live it like caged birds? Let us whet our innate thirst for freedom and meaning. The measure of our success is directly proportionate to the measure of happiness in our lives. As Konstantina says, "If we are not happy with our definition of ourselves, that's when we have to change."
Congratulations on your winning entry, liji mathew! We will BE IN TOUCH with you shortly.
» Loving the 'Bedouin' life
Thank you for the global nomads article in last week's issue (Are You From Here, There Or
Everywhere?, Mar 25). I used to loathe mathe-matics, but I'll confess I still find it is easier to solve math than answer the question, "Where are you from?". My passport says I am Indian, but having lived in India, Tehran, Rome, and finally in the United Arab Emirates, my heart says I am from Abu Dhabi (I spent some time in England, but Abu Dhabi summoned me again!). Since it is pretty difficult to explain all of it clearly, I simply take pride in calling myself a global citizen - it's less complicated and makes for a great conversation starter! There is something new to learn every moment from a mixed bag of people. or people with a mixed bag! Plus, my geography is pretty darn good because of this. I'd say the Bedouin life is pretty cool!
Debjani Ganguli, Abu Dhabi
There is a certain exotic appeal to third culture kids (Are You From Here, There Or Everywhere?, Mar 25). Each is a unique blend of various cultures and experiences, making for very interesting conversation partners. Many of these TCKs grow into mature and empathetic adults, embodying the dying trait of kindness. Calling several countries home, they quickly develop a sense of tolerance and love towards their brethren from different races and religions. Travelling often, speaking several languages and being first-hand witness to their culturally-diverse parents living amicably under the same roof instills in young TCKs a sense of wisdom and worldly understanding, far beyond their age.
Angelo Rebello, by email
» Between the lines
The article Are You Label Literate? (Mar 25) has, without a doubt, enlightened many of your readers about how the food marketing industry exploits the blissful ignorance of its consumers. The very succinct guidelines outlined are sure to make us more wary of what we buy off supermarket shelves in future. It's amazing how misleading food products lab-elled as sugar- and fat-free can be. Through the article, the wknd. team has also emphasised how it is continually striving for public awareness. Thank you very much.
Gopal Nair, Dubai
» Fitting tribute
Khalid Mohamed's feature on Meena Kumari was a fitting tribute to one of the greatest act-resses of Hindi cinema (Remembering The Tragedy Queen, Mar 25). From Baiju Bawra in 1952 (her first film as a heroine) to Pakeezah (her last), she left an indelible mark on cinegoers. It is said that Meena Kumari did not enter the world of glamour by choice but had to, as she was the only breadwinner in her family. Her failed relationships took a heavy toll on her and she took to the bottle, embarking on the road to ruin. Her untimely death at the age of 39 in 1972 shocked the Bollywood fraternity and her innumerable fans. She is no more, but her diehard fans will cherish her memory for a long time to come.
Jayashree Kulkarni, Abu Dhabi