Rescued by the lady in pink

Rescued by the lady in pink

Finding a taxi at 4pm in Al Mankhool area of Dubai is a challenge. Every taxi driver who drives past is in shift-change mode. I set off early, giving half an hour’s leeway, expecting the delay. Waiting at the bus stop, I waved desperately at every taxi passing by. My anxiety grew into desperation. The taxi drivers with vacant cabs didn’t really care. I spotted a pink taxi that took a U-turn, and expected her to stop. I waved desperately and was disappointed to find she didn’t care, either. Then came a pleasant surprise. Another pink taxi came close to the bus stop and the driver waved at me to get in quickly. As I stepped into the vehicle, I realised it was the same woman who had ignored me the first time. I thanked her profusely and began my ride to Zayed University in Media City. “Seeing you waiting and waving, I returned just for your sake. I know it’s difficult to get a taxi at this time of the day,” said Sissy, my taxi driver, who is a business management graduate from Myanmar, and who took up this profession to support her two nephews. They are pursuing medicine and engineering. Her pace and poise proved her to be an ace driver. The small talk we made in the car was enlightening and it was testament to the fact that every woman has her own challenges to face. Here was a woman who, with a simple act of kindness, made my day. What is a city if not for its people, after all?

From Ms Shivashankari Pasupathy

UAE

Decoding the K-Pop craze

I have never been a Korean Pop (K-Pop) fan but after being forced to attend the much-anticipated concert last weekend because of my friends, I have changed my tune (“K-Pop fans got more than what they paid for”, Gulf News, April 8). I don’t think I have ever seen such energy in a concert before. All the bands performed exceedingly well and had choreographed dances, too. I agree with the article and I think that they were very involved with the crowd. The bands talked about Dubai and the culture here, which I think was very sweet. It was a power-packed night and there were so many performances — one after the other. I finally understand the craze surrounding such music. The beats were good and it was a great experience. I hope bands like Exo and SHINee come back again. By then, I might just know the lyrics to their songs!

From Ms Ragini Lal

Dubai

Cricket league that made a change

The Indian Premiere League (IPL) has been a real entertainer, but it is also one of the events that has been fraught with controversies right since its inception (“IPL 2018 starts with clash of titans”, Gulf News, April 8). It is a money spinner and the commercial aspect has made sure that IPL retains its importance, irrespective of whether there is corruption at play or not. The success story of the IPL has made India proud. With teams such as Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings staging a comeback in the 11th year of the event, this tournament will be as interesting as ever. IPL has certainly improved the quality of cricket in India. About a decade ago, before the emergence of this tournament, a majority of players were from metropolitan cities and surprisingly, Mumbai had a lion’s share of the players. This certainly was not natural and slowly, we have seen players from other states emerging to secure their place at the top. Former captain of team India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, is the best example. IPL further opened up doors for smaller cities and villages, thereby creating a revolution. We can rejoice in the growth of cricket by watching IPL matches, but at the same time, not lose focus on other major issues that require attention in India.

From Mr Murugesh S.S. Sivam

Dubai

Should be ashamed

I think the recent stories of hospitals neglecting their patients in India is appalling (“The victims of unending pains of empathy”, Gulf News, April 3). Whether it is denying someone a stretcher or using someone’s amputated leg as a pillow, how can people be so careless and mean? All these people aren’t fit to be doctors and nurses. Reading such stories in the news only make me wonder at the current state of the world. All these doctors need to be ashamed of themselves.

From Ms Alia Mathur

Dubai

A good deed

Hats off to Good Samaritans like the dashing opener, Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag, who has magnanimously donated a sum of Rs1.5 lakhs (Dh8,500) to the mother of Madhu, who was beaten to death in Kerala, India, for stealing food because he was hungry. To be frank, only people like Sehwag should be nominated to the Rajya Sabha, so that they could fruitfully utilise their role in the government and work for the welfare of the common man.

From Ms Janaki Mahadevan

India

Editor’s note: Is there a news report that you feel strongly about? Something that has to be addressed in the community and requires resolution? Email us on readers@gulfnews.com. You can also post a comment on our Facebook page or tweet to us @GNReaders