Showing off with jargons

Keep it Simple!

Revealing the secrets of becoming a good writer, Ernest Hemingway once said, “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”

Yet, in today’s world many writers use jargon which are special words and expressions, but difficult to understand. 

Often, writers use jargon just to show off. However, these types of writings and sentences confuse the readers so much that they do not even pay attention to it. They just ignore these words and continue reading.

One of my cousins, who wants to become a popular writer, often says that he will invent new words and try to form them by mixing two different words in absurd manners. I just wonder how many people will be able to understand this language.

I have also noticed that often, people other than writers also use jargons. They try to change a normal sentence into a sentence which means the same but sounds like beating around the bush.

On one occasion, a company sacked a few of its employees, but claimed that it does not sack its staff. Later, the HR department of the company tried to justify their action by saying, “Our company is downsizing people and trying to give our employees an opportunity for career change.”

Similarly, politicians too use jargons. Recently, while discussing recession on a TV talk show one of the panellists refused to accept that his country is going through recession. Instead, he said that it is a period of economic adjustment.

I have also noticed that many writers often try to form abbreviations of terms which are not known to the common people. 

At least, they should mention its full form once so that it is easily understood by the readers.

I believe that a writer should have clarity in his sentence, be precise in the choice of words, and the most important of all, let jargons and abbreviations “RIP.”

(Published in The Gulf Today on January 16, 2016)

Proper Protection

It is common to notice youngsters having fun with smart balance wheels, also called hoverboards. It has become a craze among children across the UAE.

Unfortunately, most of them do not realise that these fun gadgets could be dangerous, too. It is hard to balance on these vehicles. Most children frequently lose control over the movement of the hoverboards. Consequently, they slip off it and get injured. There have been many cases in which children have fractured their limbs or sprained their ankles.

To top it all off, children ride them on the roadside, without realising the fatal consequences. Recently a six-year old child was run over by a car in Abu Dhabi while he was using a hoverboard. The injuries caused by this dangerous vehicle have increased significantly during the recent months.

Most of these children are too young to understand the dangers. They enjoy using the hoverboard. Parents are the ones who need to take special precautions. They should make sure that the child wears helmets as well as elbow and knee pads while riding.

These cases have increased so much that the authorities have decided to intervene. They have already banned hoverboard in the malls as well as footpaths and roads, in Dubai. I am pleased that the government is taking such precautions for the well-being of young children.

(Published in Gulf News on January 11, 2016)

Shakespeare still on stage

China will be organising a month-long festival of musical plays based on the stories penned by William Shakespeare to mark the 400th death anniversary of the Bard of Avon.

The news came as a surprise to me because China is a place where English is less spoken. 

However, Shakespeare’s writings and plays are so good and timeless that they have been reaching every corner of the world even after four centuries of his death. It is not only China. People in many other countries are also under the magical spell of his plays as generation after generation read them in original or their adapted versions in their native languages.

One thing I have noticed is that his plays are very realistic. People feel connected to the characters while reading those stories and start imagining as if those incidents are taking place in their surroundings. 

Be it the famous love story Romeo Juliet in which two lovers are separated due to the enmity between their families, or  Twelfth Night that portrays the confusion that occurs when dealing with twins, his stories always had a connection to the common people. Maybe this is the reason why his stories are popular even after 400 years of conception. 

During these four centuries, his writings came to us in different forms, like plays, books or movies. For example, his famous play Macbeth inspired the Indian filmmaker, Vishal Bhardwaj, who later made popular film Maqbool based on it. Similarly his other movies, Haider and Omkara, were based on Hamlet and Othello respectively.

There have been many famous poets and writers before as well as now, but no other playwright, poet or author has matched the popularity of William Shakespeare. He had a different standard. 

Thinking about his timeless popularity, I have realised that it is important for a writer to set the plot of his story in a manner that appeals to the masses if he wants to make it evergreen and universal. No one can be compared to him.

(Published in The Gulf Today on January 9, 2016)

Knowledge for All

A recent editorial in Gulf News highlighted various initiatives by the UAE government promote reading, and I was glad to hear of it. Reading is an excellent habit. It should be encouraged not only among the children of the Middle East but also across the world.

The detachment between books and children is a common sight in today’s world. Most children are more interested in video games and movies rather than books.

Youngsters have forgotten that reading brings knowledge and knowledge is empowerment. I have also noticed that children sometimes hide their phones under theirbooks so as to pretend that they are reading, while all the time they are on their smartphones.

As a book-lover myself, I feel happy that UAE is taking the initiative to remind these youngsters about the benefits of reading.

These programs would  be very useful in inculcating a passion for books among many young readers. I am proud to be a part this country, which takes bold steps to instil the love of reading among the youths.

(Published in The Gulf Today on January 3, 2016)

Battle of Bulge

The editorial on child obesity was an eye opener (“Parents are the first line of defence in child obesity fight”, Gulf News, December 21). The newspaper has truly pointed out that obesity among children has become a serious cause for concern in the UAE. Most of the children are either overweight or obese. The reasons are aplenty including lack of exercise, excessive eating and frequent intake of junk food.

Since obesity can lead to a number of diseases, we should take care about this. However, the fight against obesity is not possible until and unless parents take part in it too. Parents are often seen to pamper children by over-feeding them and allowing them to have junk food frequently. Many parents are so busy that they forget what their children are eating and the consequences of this.

However, the responsibility also lies with the school authorities. They must realise that the well-being of children depends on their food intake. Groceries, supermarkets and school canteens are filled with oily snacks, sweets and other food items that may affect health of the children. The authorities should carry out awareness campaigns more frequently and ask school managements to make sports activities mandatory for all students. After all, this battle of bulge can be won only by collective efforts.

(Published in Gulf News on December 28, 2015)

And miles to go before I sleep...

The excitement of New Year celebrations are still in the air. While people celebrated the arrival of New Year in their own unique ways, one common thing to be found in almost every house on this occasion could be a long list of resolutions that people prepare to follow the rest of the year.

I will gain weight, I will lose weight, I will quit smoking and eating junk food, I will earn more money, I will excel in academics, I will give more time to my family, I will share happiness with others, I will reconnect with long-lost friends and relatives... the list goes on.

But it is quite common to see people breaking promises they made to themselves. I often wonder why people make resolutions if they are not serious about it. It is unfortunate that New Year resolutions have become those solemn promises which are often left incomplete.

Resolutions play an important part in bringing positive changes in one’s life. Despite this realisation people fail to complete them. It makes me wonder, because the reasons for making them are always very strong.

Die-hard habits and peer pressure could be some of those obstacles. It is difficult to change one’s old habits, especially when a friend or a relative forces to return to those old habits. But the main cause could be the lack of willpower. If there was firm determination, then these obstacles could not falter our firm decisions.

I also fail to understand why people make resolutions only on the first day of New Year. Instead of waiting for a new year to start a good practice or leave a bad habit, we should try to change ourselves from the moment of realisation.

I hope that people would realise this and make sincere efforts to complete their resolutions of this New Year.

I would like to conclude my thoughts by mentioning a stanza penned by Robert Frost: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep / But I have promises to keep  / And miles to go before I sleep  / And miles to go before I sleep.”

(Published in The Gulf Today on January 2, 2016)

Tube dilemma

A recent study has stated that most of the children under the age of 13 in India are hooked to YouTube, one of the most trending video-sharing sites on the Internet. I was surprised when I read this.

The statistics are sad and worrying because YouTube requires account holders to be 18, but even a five-year-old can easily sign up with parents’ permission. 

The study also reveals that despite these clearly stated and published age restrictions, a large and growing numbers of children between the age of 7 to 13 are using social media networks and access YouTube. 

But the most worrying aspect is that they connect to YouTube without their parents’ knowledge and consent.

Often my friends and I discuss whether YouTube or other social media sites are good or bad. But we could never find a satisfying result. We always concluded our discussion with the thought that just like a coin has two faces, these sites also have many advantages as well as disadvantages that a child might not be aware of.

YouTube is a site where videos related to various topics can be watched either for self-entertainment or educational purposes.

On one hand, a child’s studies could be disturbed badly if he concentrated more on this while on the other hand, his studies could become stronger after watching a few educational videos. Fearing their child’s studies, health and other aspects, many parents prohibit children from visiting such sites. 

But will a parent stop a child even though the child is using this site as a source of education?

Many young kids have been noticed learning rhymes through YouTube. The bigger ones also enrich their knowledge by watching videos based on various academic topics. Sometimes one can understand a particular concept by watching videos, if he failed to get a grasp of the topic in the school.

Once again I feel unable to come to a conclusion that could satisfy me. 

Yet I have realised that it is the duty of parents to check what their child is doing online.

(Published in The Gulf Today on December 26, 2015)