Learning English Blog - Navneet

Forget, forgot, forgotten

Navneet Navneet — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:13:37 +0000

Ahh!! It happens with me all the time. I keep something at a safe place and then forget where that 'safe' place is. All the tiny instruments that control my life have gone through this diaspora. Just to mention a few are car keys, laptop charger, phone charger, nail cutter, small scissors, coins, house keys etc. Sometimes I think that these things acquire microscopic shapes and go into hiding whenever I am out there looking for them.

]]>Likewise many useful- useless items rest in peace in the lost world of Atlantis in my cupboards only to come out when I am on cleaning spree.

But the last weekend I did something exceptional. The weekend was going perfect, lovely lunch followed by icy mocha in afternoon sun, then shopping at the mall and local organic store. On our way back home Mr. Husband enquired about my phone. And alas!! The damage was done. I didn't have my phone with me. Neither could I remember the last time when I used it or saw it. And then began the ferry back to all the places where we had been during that 3 hrs. I spent the next one hour in anticipation on how to get the phone back. I worried on whether my phone has landed in the wrong hands. Cursed myself for not setting opening password for the phone, for not transferring the pictures stored in the phone and wearing high heels on the day when I had to run up and down in the world's largest mall (Dubai mall).

Finally Mr. husband suggested that better we go back home and then decide on which new phone to buy to replace my 'old' phone (in these technology freak days one and half year old gadget is categorized as old). And guess what .... I opened my apartment door only to hear my phone ringing...I had in first place not picked the phone before leaving and it was resting in my gym bag (I wouldn't say resting peacefully because I had made 80 calls to my cell phone in the meantime).

Hope I keep finding all my lost things ringing.... Like my cell phone.....

Bonding through language.....

Navneet Navneet — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:42:09 +0000

Mother tongue is the language which a person speaks from the birth. The language in which you uttered your first words. The language which you first heard when you were in the warmth of your mother's womb. The language in which you first started thinking and the language which holds the essence of your homeland and your ethnicity.

]]>I believe, a language plays a better bonding role than religion. For example, in case of two people, when their religion is same but if their languages are different, they will be different in every other way. And if their language is same but religions are different, they will still have so much to cherish among themselves. This can be understood in context of people speaking punjabi in Pakistan and India. Though divided by borders, four wars and a bitter history of partition, still in New York suburbs you will find them gelling together as if they were always one (here religion, nationalities are different but language is same).

Last night, I went out with friends to a Syrian restaurant called Damascus. And i stupidly asked " Which cuisine do you serve?", it just slipped out of my mind that Damascus is the capital of Syria and is so much in news these days due to civil unrest. "Damascus, madam, capital Syria. Syria very beautiful but now lot of war", replied the Syrian waiter in broken english. We could see the pain in his eyes. I wanted to ask more but could not as they mainly spoke Arabic.

And then it struck me that I was wasting the golden opportunity to learn another beautiful language, Arabic. What is the point of living in Dubai and not trying to learn their language (although english is widely spoken, but Dubai being the multicultural society, you have here people from all parts of Middle East). Middle East was the cradle of various ancient civilisations, birth place of three major religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. And they say that people in Middle East were writing arabic poetry and literature when english had not even originated. May be learning a new language will help breaking the barriers that our minds have built over ages.

This world is such a beautiful place, so many cultures, so many languages, so many books to read, so many places to visit, so many things to learn, and most importantly so many people to love. All of this and such a short life!!!

So keep loving, keep learning and keep growing......

This is my last blog for BBC learning english blog. It was a beautiful experience writing my all four blogs. You challenge yourself and each time try to write better than the last time to keep readers interested in your blogs. And the best part of the whole process is the comments from the readers from all over the world and it feels so great that you have touched the heart of someone siting far away from you.

Dubai Creek

Navneet Navneet — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:50:45 +0000

When you visit Dubai or read about architectural marvels of this "Pearl of Persian Gulf", one place which you cannot afford to miss is "Dubai Creek". It is from here that Dubai embarked on the journey of becoming a global city.

Dhow cruises ferrying on today's Dubai Creek

]]>The word "Creek" means an inlet of the sea. Dubai Creek's natural length is approximately 14 km (and its further extension work is in full swing) which divides Dubai into two important parts "Deira" and "Bur Dubai". Though Dubai has always awed the world with its giant new age constructions like Palm Jumeira (palm shaped artificial archipelago) or Burj Khalifa (world's tallest building over 800 meters high) or Dubai World (cluster of 300 artificial islands in the shape of world), but Dubai Creek still holds its old world charm where time has stood still. Amongst the sky scrapers built along the creek, narrow lanes will take you through the densely populated areas to the ancient times where you will find rulers fort and wind towers (used as residences in pre-electricity era). So no one can deny the economic, social and cultural significance of the creek in Dubai's history.

Picture showing the wind towers and boats of old Dubai

Before the advent of crude oil, Dubai was a pearl fishery village with its population mainly concentrated on both sides of the Creek. The pearl industry suffered huge losses in later 1930's when Japanese invented an artificial way of cultivating pearls. As a result Dubai had to develop itself as one of the main ports and a free trade zone to save its economy from sinking.

This brought many foreign merchants to this land. The markets (also known as souk) began to flourish along the creek side. Today, there are around 200 nationalities in Dubai. And the gold souks, textile souks and spice souks in Deira are mainly dominated by the people of Indian and Iranian origin.

The mornings at creek are chaotic and full of hustle-bustle with loading and unloading of the cargos but as the siesta approaches, things begin to slow down. Sunset on the other hand unleashes the splendid beauty of this place. Dhow cruises, aroma of the sizzling barbecues, cool sea breeze, dazzling waves in the moonlight hold the calmness and serenity in the atmosphere even though one is surrounded by hundreds of people, with street dances and night markets in full swing. A true delight indeed!!!

Dance performance at the creek in a 2 week long celebrations of Eid in Dubai

Isn't it a beautiful place to spend some time with your loved ones....?

Navneet

Born to dance

Navneet Navneet — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 16:03:23 +0000

In India dance forms an integral part of our culture. The best example would be our cinema, also famously known as 'Bollywood'. Our movies are just so inseparable from songs and dance that for a movie to be a hit, its music has to rock the charts.

To be even more specific I am from North Western part of India - Punjab (the land of five rivers). Though Punjabi's are martial race and also die hard foodies but our lives would be incomplete without dance, our expression for happiness.

]]>Our folk dance is called 'Bhangra'. Colorful dresses, beautifully tied turbans, bright faces, broad smiles, impulsive beats of the drums, energetic and fierce moves of the dancers
(both men and women alike) are just a few words to describe our dance. It originated as the celebration to mark the end of harvest season. The vigor and zeal in the dance states the pride of belonging to the land and abundance of the crop.

The bhangra gained popularity with the migration of the Punjabi diaspora to the West. The bhangra music has topped the UK charts several times. It has amassed its international appeal mostly from the fusion with hip-hop and pop music. Even America has seen many bhangra performers impressing the judges of the popular show 'America's Got Talent'.

Punjabi weddings like any other Indian weddings start 3-4 days in advance but the most awaited function is the dance night or as they say the cocktail party where there are 3D's: drinks, DJ and dance. The whole family and friends dance on the beats of bhangra music and celebrations continue till the wee hours of the morning.

Once a colleague from Southern state of India who happened to attend a Punjabi wedding asked "Though I enjoyed 'balle balle' (common expression of joy used in Punjabi songs) but isn't it amusing that people from groom side danced for half an hour outside the main entrance before entering the banquet hall." I just laughed and answered, "That's the way we are - born to dance. And it's really easy, when you are delighted or in a festive mood just put your hands up in the air and move them up 'n' down. Ha Ha!!!! That's the easiest move in bhangra".

Thanks
Navneet

A special person

Navneet Navneet — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:22:38 +0000

It is a call from one person that makes my day, if I am not doing well her reassurance cheers me up,when she says "Don't worry, its o.k. dear",all the worries just disappear and yes she is my MOM.

]]>During childhood we had very beautiful fables and stories down there in India. And one was of a king who had his life stuck in his parrot. The story revolved around how the king guarded that parrot and how if anything happened to the parrot, pain was eventually felt by the king. The same thing I feel God has done in case of every mother on this earth, eventually it is the mother's heart that aches if the child is in any trouble.

My mother has been a typical Indian homemaker. From typical I don't mean orthodox or conservative rather a devoted mom and wife who sacrificed her career to be available to her family 24*7. But the problem arises when children are all grown up and ready to move to different parts of the country or rather world for better careers and lives. It is then the empty nest syndrome creeps in. But being a strong lady that she always is, she never held us back rather gave us the wings to fly.

She stood rock solid behind me when I decided to marry into another faith (Inter- religion marriages still raise eyebrows and are not fully accepted by the society mostly in small towns in India) or when my brother dropped out of the premier institute to start his own venture (because in both the cases we had annoyed our dad).

But wheresoever we are mom,your life long teachings are with us; to value relationships; to have faith and to never stop learning and surprising the family!!

Yes, she really surprised the whole family when in her early fifties she took to classical singing. As much as i remember i have only heard her singing when we played antakshari ( it is an asian subcontinent version for popular pastime games like 'word chain' or 'last and first' but here players use songs rather than words). And she became an example of courage and determination for us when she performed in front of a fully packed auditorium. God knows when will I be able to stand up and face so many audiences!!

At last i would say my love to all mom's and may no child be deprived of this unconditional love.