Heartwarming
The story was heartwarming and I wish I could have met Alfred Silvester while I was in the UAE (‘Shaikh Zayed’s priceless gift to expat worker,’ Gulf News, July 19). I love the UAE. Thank God for the opportunities he has given people to visit, work and live in the country.
From Ms Beverley
Sri Lanka
Website comment
Informative
This is very touching, informative and enriching. I love reading articles like this. I now feel very informed of the history and the olden times of the UAE.
From Ms Mags
Sharjah
Website comment
Bless him
Hope Sylvester will write a beautiful book, which will be a treasure for present and future generations to come - for both nationals and expatriates.
From Mr Syed Hafeezulla
Abu Dhabi
Website comment
Good health and happiness
As a person from where Sylvester was born and raised, I’m very proud to read this article. This interview was taken at the time when he came to Abu Dhabi for a gathering of the Sakthikulangara community. We have celebrated the 50th year of expatriates living in the UAE.
It’s named as the “Voyage to Prosperity - Glorious 50 Years of Expatriate Life in UAE”. The Ambassador of India to the UAE honoured him by arranging a gathering with his family. As mentioned by one of the readers, we also wish to see the autobiography of Sylvester. On behalf of all Sakthikulangarites, I wish him good health and happiness always.
From Mr Saji Henry
Abu Dhabi
Website comment
Inspiring story
It’s a great and inspiring story. A man who had dreams to go to the US for studying, but instead he came here and spent his whole life in the Emirates. It’s amazing.
From Mr Mahul
Dubai
Sets an example
Amazing story! It feels so overwhelming to read these experiences from people such as Sylvester, who spent decades serving this country being an expatriate. This sets an example that all of us are on the same platform and should respect each other’s identity without looking down on anyone.
From Mr Mosa
Sharjah
Website comment
Anti-Palestinian stance of France
France has become the first country to ban pro-Palestine rallies (‘France first country to ban pro-Palestine demos,’ Gulf News July 21). It only shows the neo-colonist inclinations of the country, which once upon a time, was a notorious colonial country. What’s worse, even those who publish details of protests on social media are facing prison time. Instead of raising its voice against global terrorism and unprovoked assaults against innocent civilians, France has acted as a patron of man’s inhumanity to man. The situation is simply ridiculous as all the other peace loving nations have strongly condemned the aggressive posture of Israel.
From Thomas Matthew Parackel
Kerala, India
High risk fly zone
It was disheartening to hear about the shooting down of the Malaysian Airline by a missile. When it first occurred, the decision by all major carriers was to stop flying through Ukraine’s airspace.
This was highly responsible of these airlines to have made this decision after the catastrophe. Malaysian Airlines had a duty to act responsibly for their passengers’ protection and safety. In my opinion, some obvious indicators were disregarded. The US Federal Aviation Administration made the region out of bound to US carriers in April. Secondly, earlier in July, there was a military transport jet flying at 21,000 feet over Lugansk that was shot down by a missile, killing all on board. The Malaysian airliner was at 31,000 feet and possibly about 95km from Lugansk. That is very much in a high risk region where days before, a shooting had taken place. The Malaysian airline management showed complete disregard towards its passengers and crew for not taking these major events into account.
For the airlines, I ask you to please not focus on your yields, financial performance, and asset utilisation, but focus on passengers first.
From Mr Taimur Khan
Washington DC, USA
A mother’s love
It is so unfair to stereotype an Indian mother-in-law and use the public media to spread the wrong message to everyone (‘India’s demonised mothers-in-law get bad rap in new book,’ Gulf News, July 21). Has the author of the book, Veena Venugopal, gone to the other side of case studies where a lot of mother-in-laws are being harassed regularly by their daughter-in-laws? Actually in present day scenarios, the chances for the latter are greater.
Being an educated person she should realise that every relation depends on personal integrity, upbringing and ability to adjust with each other. It has nothing to do with age and specific designation in the family.
I am not sure whether Venugopal has a son and there is a chance of her being a mother-in-law in the future.
I am the daughter-in-law of a mother-in-law with one son and four daughters. I declare that she has loved me more than any of her own child right since the beginning of my marriage, 30 years ago.
The author should write something that will really help our society instead of poisoning minds of many daughter-in-laws without having a real cause to worry.
Ms Sunipa Guha Neogi
UAE
Always watched
I am not a big fan of reading the newspaper, I often just read the headlines and fold it aside. But today when I read this particular article, I thought I would share my views.
My mother-in-law keeps telling everyone on the phone that I have given her all the responsibilities, but in actuality, I haven’t gotten the chance to cook for my husband. I love trying out new recipes for him, but if I say I need to cook something, she will simply say, “No Omar (my husband) doesn’t like it.”
For some reason or another, she has mood swings and when I tell this to my husband, he says he will talk to her but eventually, he just ignores it. I have been married for a year and half and I feel I am literally trapped somewhere. I need my freedom and my space. I don’t like being watched twenty four hours.
From Ms Lubaina
UAE
Full name withheld by request
Give and take
Being a mother-in-law always comes with a negative stereotype image, whereas my mother-in-law is more than a mother to me. She is loving, caring and affectionate to me. I am sure it is not because I am in Dubai. She also treats my sisters, who are based in her own home town, in the same manner.
I personally feel that good treatment and love come with a give and take policy. When you give so much love without any expectation, simultaneously you will get it back. Whether it is a mother-in-law or sister-in-law, it is all your reflection that you see.
From Ms Jazeela Banu
Dubai
So much love
I have married a guy from a different state - Malayali but from day one, I have managed to get on very well with my mother-in-law, even though we could not converse with each other due to language problems. First we communicated with a sign language until I learnt to speak Malayalam.
With time she taught me to write Malayalam by holding my hand. She didn’t even teach me to cook non-vegetarian food but helped me to taste it too. My mother-in-law used to even remove thorns from the fish since I didn’t know how to. She would oil my hair daily because I didn’t have long hair like the Keralites.
She used to pamper me so much that she wouldn’t allow me to enter the kitchen even to make cup of tea. And when she got sick, I looked after her like my own mother. I wish and pray to be a similar mother-in-law one day too. I have been married for 35 years now and we never had any arguments or misunderstandings. I miss her a lot. She was very loving and caring.
God please help her soul to rest in peace.
From Ms Nayana N.
UAE
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