And so with much enthusiasm in their hearts to do their bid for their country, the malls started a major campaign of promoting the reusable jute/cloth bags. Management used every advertising media available to them for the purpose. They even conducted a small survey asking them about their preferences and whether they also wanted to protect their environment. They also set a deadline after which these malls will start charging every plastic bag they gave to the customers.

However, suddenly the idea was shelved. Why? Because the high handed customers were not ready to pay for what they have been getting free. They were ready for low quality plastic bags for which they didn’t have to pay but they were not at all ready for jute/cloth reusable bags which are environmental friendly. And that’s why the malls had to shelve the idea for better or worse. Their argument they didn’t want to lose their customers.

But it was customers like me who were baffled by the response of our fellow citizens and their refusal to change their habits all because they had to part with some of their money.

I was actually surprised to hear the comments of one such person (lets call him Mr A) who said instead of government asking us not to use plastic bags why don’t they plan a recycling unit (I will write about this in a separate piece) and tell us to use as many plastic bags as we can. This was from an educated and senior person and in a senior position too in one of the leading dailies of the country. I wondered if this was the thought process of this educated person what could I expect from people who are business minded and are only concern about their needs however selfish they may be.

There was one customer who suggested the malls to have biodegradable big brown bags with the mall logo on them. Unfortunately this sensible customer forgot that in order to make these ‘biodegradable brown paper bags’ trees need to be cut and in a desert country where there are hardly any trees what is this person suggesting.

So there went the idea of going green and using the reusable bags. Till the time the malls come up with some intelligent idea to beat the high handed customers I think there will be no successful green drive in this country.

With the three-day International HIV/AIDS Conference starting from August 3, in Mexico City, it seems a quite appropriate to talk about the issue that is most pressing and most shameful for a civilised society like ours – violence against women and girls.

Violence against women is a global health crisis of epidemic proportions and often a cause and consequence of HIV read the report by the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS. Violence or even a mere threat of violence dramatically increase the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV by making it difficult or in some cases even impossible to abstain from sex, to get their partners to be faithful or to use a condom.

It is also the main reason why women are afraid to come out and discuss their fears of contracting HIV openly. It acts as a barrier for women in accessing HIV prevention, care and treatment services, added the report.

The report was a sort of an eye opener for me in many ways. For one although I knew that violence against women is demoralising (it’s a mild word for what those women go through everyday) for the victims what I didn’t realise was that it was a major player in the increased rate of HIV/AIDS amongst women all over the world. Violence against women is not a new concept in fact it has been existent even before you and me existed – however, over the years it has taken a shape of monster which rules our society.

Fear of violence or abuse is what makes the women to hide their plight and pretend that everything is normal.

Recently I read an article about domestic violence in the most progressive country in the world –US and then there was a report from the country’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention saying that there are 56,300 new HIV infections in the country which according to the report is a dramatic increase from the 40,000 annual estimate used for the dozen last year.

Was it coincident or was it that what the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS had found was true after all? Even if it was true and going by the statistics there is no doubt left in my mind (at least) that the relation between violence against women and the increased rate of HIV cases is directly proportionate to each other.

And we as a society need to come together to fight for the rights of these women who are suffering this violence silently. We need to assure them better life and living standards. We need to sensitise the world at an individual level in our society, amongst friends and other groups and society. Remember we can fight this as a society only.

Eleven Minutes and eternity or eleven minutes or more….

I read this book Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho few days back and I was so touched by the subject that I was compelled to pen down my feelings and emotions I experienced while reading the book. Maybe because of my pregnancy or maybe the book has something in it that makes you stop and take a good look at your life … Yes, you read it right. Take a good look at our lives – where are we heading, are we happy in our jobs?

People who have read the book might be wondering what I am talking about… because the novel talks or rather narrates the story of an ambitious girl who became a prostitute by her own choice – why because that’s was the only profession with loads of money or should I say easy money as some people think. She had a choice to go for some other profession – after all she is educated – but she chose what she chose so that she can earn enough money to buy a farm for her parents and live happily ever after.

But then fate intervenes and a naughty cupid strikes his bow and viola the prostitute falls in love with a painter – one of the special clients at the bar where she works. But falling in love is not in her plans – well not exactly. She had fallen in love twice before – once she was just a young school going kid and then again when she was in high school. However, both the times she gained nothing except pain so our little protagonist realises that she is not cut out for love and so what she do when she realised that she has again repeated the folly of falling in love. She denies the feeling, fights it with all her mind and she succeeds until the fate decides that enough was really enough gives a fairy tale ending to her story.

Beautifully written, well researched subject and a moving story – Eleven Minutes is a novel which everyone should read.

Rising food prices and cost of other basic items increasing everyday living has become an everyday problem. Especially for the expatriates who are finding it hard to cope up with the rising costs and virtually stagnant salaries. Although the government is doing everything they can for the Bahrainis they are neglecting expatriates – who are also toiling for this same country.

Anyways, I am not looking for sympathy from anyone out there because I feel that it’s not the sympathy or even empathy that any one of us needs right now. Instead what we need is to think and think with a clear logical mind about the rising cost of loving all over the world. We need to realise that all the climatic changes we are experiencing these days is not by chance – it is the nature’s answer to all the abuse we have been hurling at her over all these years. ‘Global Warming’ is her answer to all the concrete jungle and industrialisation that the mankind has been carrying on since decades now without any concern about the effect it will have on our environment.

People wonder how to combat this inflation – how to control the rising food prices how to provide enough food to the poor – I guess there is only one thing we can do right now and that is seriously consider our options. Make our bit to slow down the global warming process. It’s a daunting task but it is not impossible if we all put our heads together in it.

Inflation is not by chance and neither is the rising cost of living. It is the direct result of changing climatic conditions – severe drought in one country to severe floods in another, destructive earthquakes and tsunamis are not by chance, – and this is how nature is retaliating to all the abuse she has faced all these years.

We all can do something to save our environment. These are few of my suggestions. If anyone has something else to add to this please feel free to add on this and pass it on to all your friends and colleagues. Let’s make a pledge to save our environment.

1. Recycle: I am sure we all have been reading about recycling so let’s start doing it. Recycle anything and everything that we can. Paper, food waste, plastic bottles, soft drink cans. I mean anything.
2. Say no to plastic bags: Please refuse to take them even if shops offer them for free. They are the worst enemy of our environment.

Rising food prices and cost of other basic items increasing everyday living has become an everyday problem. Especially for the expatriates who are finding it hard to cope up with the rising costs and virtually stagnant salaries. Although the government is doing everything they can for the Bahrainis they are neglecting expatriates – who are also toiling for this same country.

Anyways, I am not looking for sympathy from anyone out there because I feel that it’s not the sympathy or even empathy that any one of us needs right now. Instead what we need is to think and think with a clear logical mind about the rising cost of loving all over the world. We need to realise that all the climatic changes we are experiencing these days is not by chance – it is the nature’s answer to all the abuse we have been hurling at her over all these years. ‘Global Warming’ is her answer to all the concrete jungle and industrialisation that the mankind has been carrying on since decades now without any concern about the effect it will have on our environment.

People wonder how to combat this inflation – how to control the rising food prices how to provide enough food to the poor – I guess there is only one thing we can do right now and that is seriously consider our options. Make our bit to slow down the global warming process. It’s a daunting task but it is not impossible if we all put our heads together in it.

Inflation is not by chance and neither is the rising cost of living. It is the direct result of changing climatic conditions – severe drought in one country to severe floods in another, destructive earthquakes and tsunamis are not by chance, – and this is how nature is retaliating to all the abuse she has faced all these years.

We all can do something to save our environment. These are few of my suggestions. If anyone has something else to add to this please feel free to add on this and pass it on to all your friends and colleagues. Let’s make a pledge to save our environment.

1. Recycle: I am sure we all have been reading about recycling so let’s start doing it. Recycle anything and everything that we can. Paper, food waste, plastic bottles, soft drink cans. I mean anything.
2. Say no to plastic bags: Please refuse to take them even if shops offer them for free. They are the worst enemy of our environment.

Hi friends
how are you all? Well I have been away from the Iland for so long for so many reasons. Anyways just wanted to say Hi to all my friends on the Iland and welcome all the newcomers. It' s a wonderful place to be.

It"s really disheartening to learn about the serial blasts rocking India. First it was Bangalore and now Ahemdabad. As of now there is no news about who is behind the blasts but I have a faint idea that all this might be related to the Nuclear Deal thing. Whatever the reason it is always innocents who are hurt or killed in such violence. According to few witnesses, the bombers targeted hospitals. Whoever planted those minds must be sick in mind to target helpless people.
All I can say is IT"S A SHAME to our nation.

I am sure everyone has heard, read about the horror dad Joseph Fritzl  -- who abused his own flesh and blood and fathered seven children from her.

Sometimes I feel what is this world coming to? This guy is sick in the mind his lawyer said and that is what they are going to base their case on INSANITY. My question to this lawyer and all the judiciary all over the world  is SHOULD THIS GUY BE PARDONED BECAUSE HIS LAWYER WILL PROVE THAT HE IS INSANE.

Just a day after the whole incident came out in the light Fritzl's sister in law came forward and said that Fritzl has already been convicted of rape in 1981 again the victim was just 17 years old.  She also said that Fritzl was an autocratic father and husband. Maybe he was autocratic maybe he was a strict husband and father but then again how can a mother be just content with her daughter's disappearance saying that she is left home to join religious sect and then leave three of her children at their doorstep/

Didnt the wife ever suspected that how come only Fritzl was finding those children and not any other family members.

The detail report that I read on BBC website said that Fritzl guy was plotting this kidnapping since his daughter was 12years old.

I really dont know what else to say to this. If anyone of you have any views, opinions, comments please do write in

thanks and regards

Hi Islanders,

How have you all been?  Well as you all know that I was waiting for my visa in my last post and that was five months ago. And now five months later I am with my hubby and going on a family way. Anyways I will be posting something pretty soon.Till then take care and have a blast....

It seems that its time Gen Mush has realised that until and unless he
declares emergency or Marshall law in the country his position is in
danger. However I would I like to ask the fellow bloggers what do they
think about this emergency? Is there some hidden motive behind the
emergency? Does the Prez has some other Ace in his sleeves? Please do
write in your comments.