Points of view

A space to share your feedback. Over to you.

TWO GREAT ISSUES! (Best Letter)
We switched our weekly paper recently and were pleasantly surprised to browse through the wknd. magazine over the last two weeks. I personally loved the write-up on Carolyn Robb (Secrets From The British Royal Kitchen, Feb 26) and how she brought both flavour to the royal table as well as love to her own kitchen: all the time doing what ?she loved - a very important lesson to be learnt in today's age of relentless competition.
Last week, Yazemeenah Rossi (How To Be 60, Fit and Fabulous, Mar 4) had another important message: realise your individuality. These days, almost every one of us aspires to be a copy of those we ?idolise or look up to - and, in this obsession, we forget our own identity. The realisation that we are unique brings with it a whole new world of opportunity and discovery that we should aspire to embrace. Knowing we are different will bring a renewed focus towards our life goals and help us see the world not as a competition - but as a place to achieve our dreams. That is true success.
Hats off to Rossi for discovering her worth - and thank you for sharing that discovery with us! 
Congratulations on your winning entry, Naveed Siddiqui! We will BE IN TOUCH with you shortly. 
» GOING FOR THE WIN
Awards are a way of honouring outstanding excellence or performance in a certain field (Everyone loves a trophy award!, Mar 4). They are meant to provide a sense of contentment, pride and achievement and to remind the receiver of their outstanding performance so they continue to grow and enhance themselves. Unfortunately, over the years, they have somehow evolved to become mere giveaways to make everyone happy - much like a toy given to a child to keep him from a show of tantrum or anger.
The number of award shows that have sprung up in recent times have simply made these a self-congratulatory exercise, with the usual set of people in tow at most shows. It just makes it less impressive when someone does win an award, as it becomes more about the number of trophies on his/her wall than about the quality of the award.
Awards such as the Oscars, BAFTAs and similar spectacles still hold value because being seen on that red carpet is a big deal and there still is some respect for the awards in question. Bollywood awards, on the other hand, have become famous for being rigged and celebrities attending awards shows only if they're promised they'll go home with a prize. Some will even have their managers haggle about which award is being given to them.
So why are we still watching these shows? I suppose we have nothing to lose by watching decked up celebs execute some brilliant acting of how thrilled and surprised they are that they were awarded. Let's just grab a cup of tea and hit the sofa for some good old 'time-pass'. Sameen Ahmed, by email
» QUICK BITES
Just wanted to drop a quick note to say: thanks very much for the recipe feature for busy professionals (that's me!) last week (Fuss-free, 30-minute meals, Mar 4). Saw it on the cover and skipped straight to the page. The spinach crepes were my favourite - definitely looking forward to trying it out this week! Hope to see many more such useful features from your team. Shireen Khan, by email
» FOR THE LOVE OF ANIMALS
What a lovely feature to wake up to on a Friday morning! I'm referring to the one on living with pets, of course (Home is where your furry friends are, Mar 4). As a diehard animal lover, I'm always thrilled to read anything that promotes compassion and better treatment of these incredible creatures.
Like Laura Park in the story, I too have never been without a dog, since I was a child. Max, my gorgeous, adorable Labrador, has been with me for seven years now and is my absolute best friend. He makes me laugh with his antics, sits close by me if I cry, and follows me everywhere when I'm at home. I can't imagine a life without him - and it was really nice to see so many others in Dubai who treasure their pets too. - Nayla, Dubai
Many kudos to Ms Nisansala Perera Monterro for the service she and her family are providing to this community (Home is where your furry friends are, Mar 4). Actions speak louder than words and, while I often see a lot of sympathetic comments from people on social media on posts requesting adoption or fostering, most of them go no further.
Ms Monterro is a great source of inspiration because of how she and her family look after more than two dozen cats, helping them get better, rehoming them, and providing them with better lives than they would have had on the streets. Even the children are learning kindness through their parents - that, my friends, is parenting done right! - George Peter, Dubai