There had been much talk in the recent times about inflation, and (surprisingly) a lot of confusion about what inflation is in this country. Especially by the people who are supposed to be experts in it…. today inflation had become the issue of the moment. Budget does not have money and the economy is broke.
Granted, our economy is not as stable as it should have been, the prices are sky rocketing with each passing day (one of my friends who recently visited Male’ decided that eating out is not an option any more as he commented on the price of a milk shake in male’. Surprisingly I had to admit, I had actually taken the price of that for granted). Simple thing u say, but when the price of a can of fish (let alone the other essential ingredients for survival –milk, vegetables or more basically speaking the prices of things like a roof over our head!!!), which incidentally is produced in Maldives, hits an all time record high of 15 – 20 MRF ($=12.75) that is something to be worried about. (Mind, this had been available for as cheap as 5MRF, once a happier time ago)
The negative consequences of this has been that many who work either in the Government or the private sector are not able to make ends meet as their salaries and remuneration have not been able to keep up with the rising prices. What is of graver concern is that the Government is not seen to be doing anything to control skyrocketing inflation. With our Finance Minister insisting that we do not suffer from inflationary effects, it’s a rather ominous omen for the teachers who will be going on strike on the first of July in protest of lower salaries that are not sufficent to grant them a decent living standard.
So what on earth is inflation? One of the interviewers in the national TV commented we have some 16% inflation in this small nation. In Our corner of the world this is indeed a high figure. But not one of the people on air at that time was able to explain what inflation was about.
Our people do know that it is about increasing prices, but so what? What is the issue? Why is it happening? What could be done to control it?
The main reason why price stability is so important is that if they are not, than it has a lot of adverse effects on the economy. Investment, consumption and standard of living will go into a slump in the near future. This is perhaps the way we are heading.
The country’s development has been centered upon the tourism industry and its complementary service sectors, transport, distribution, real estate, construction, and ofcos the government! But the Maldive economy, had always been and, still is characterized by a very narrow economic base, composed mainly of tourism and the fisheries industry. Since fish catch is declining through out the country for sometime, so we can just as easily scratch out the revenue that we can get from that sector being considerable. That leaves only tourism to bear the burden of the whole economy.
Meanwhile, the spending of the government had increased, salary increases that are rarely proportional and sometimes totally unreasonable (according to some, me included, well perhaps sour grapes!), the various public sector building projects (some not really needed, while some are desperately wanted) and the other various expenditures had been continuing to increase. Than comes the question, how on earth are they financing all of these with the revenue prospects so low? That’s where the crutch of the whole thing is... it is obtained by large through indirect taxes. Indirect taxes which lead to rising prices again. With half of the nation clamoring for pay increases to bear the burden of the high costs, the government is staggering in the race to increase the salaries of civil servants, and since it does not seem to be making much progress in increasing the national income, this had put a dampener on the whole entire issue.
Due to this the average standards of living of the Maldivian people are at an all time low . This not only forces people to take up multiple jobs to live a decent life, but in addition this is leading to many other social problems as well...........
“A persistent rise in general price level” …… not inflation?????
IF ONLY.......
If only you could see
what I see in you...
If only you knew how you still live in me,
when I’m wakeful,
and in my dreams.
If only you realised knew i long to walk right up
and talk to you a while,
and see if I can make you smile.
If only you know how i wish we could turn back time
and keep the promises we made,
that we swore we wouldn’t break.
If only we are healed when we insist we are,
all the memories just ebb away
and we can start afresh
If only …
If only….
What if we want more than just friendship?
I believe every one of us had gone through the stage where we had fallen in love with one of the friends that we have in our circle, or (horrors!) the closest friend that we have (from the opposite sex!). And we all know how AGONIZING it is when this actually happens.
While there are always things we can do to try to move this friendship to the next level (the most profound of all advices will be given by ur best mates) - the scariest thing for all of us is that there is a very high chance of us ending up with nothing more than a wounded ego as a reward for this effort. To make matters worse, we can also loose the friendship as well….
Perhaps this is the reason why many of us remain “friends” with the people we love, constantly afraid that we may do or say something which may jeopardize even this relationship that we have with the person.
Here, unfortunately, we are left with the painful choice, do we tell that person of our feelings and risk loosing that comfortable relationship that we are in, and keep getting hurt for the effort? Just hang in there and wait for this friend of ours to wake up one fine day and realize that he/she had been in love with us all along? (This when we think of it realistically may not happen… well, may not happen for such a number of cases. The lucky few who had been successful are an exception here. ). To chase them around and get more and more bogged down in our own head and emotions?
Or do we Cut our losses now, and end the friendship ourselves? Because the question here is, can we continue such a friendship? Can we bear to continue with a person who we no longer consider as a friend??? For who our perspective and feelings had totally changed? Can we continue lying???
A box of crayons
We could learn a lot from Crayons:
Some are sharp, some are pretty
some are dull, some have weird names,
all in different colours....
but they exist very nicely the same box
(taken from a card in 321greetings.com)
Changing our thinking... thats the secret!
Ever notice that some days where everything seems goes right for u? you are on a roll... virtual strangers seem to look more friendly as they nod and smile at you as they pass by. The clouds are non- existent, the sun just right… the time just perfect???
Where as on bad days, we seem to be meeting hostility and unhappiness where ever we go. Nothing ever seems to go right as the whole day seem to go down hill……
I had often wondered why this is so… I guess the old saying "look for the best in things and you will only see the best in them" saying is correct. On a good day we are so elated that we only have eyes for the good things in life, so we stumble aross kindness, romance, happiness and smiles were ever we look to. Where as on the bad days its the opposite..... We seem to act as magnets which attract the bad, the worse and the ugly.
So the question is what can we do to change. The answer seem to be knocking on our very noses. When we look for something it is inevitable that we will get that something. Always! Therefore it becomes crucial that we change our thinking so that we start to seeing the positive in every situation. Perhaps this is the secret of being truly happy. To learn to appreciate the best in everything before sinking ourself into the depths of helplessness.
One such problem that many of us suffer from is the lack of selfesteem, or the lower selfesteem. No matter how many compliments we recieve through out the day, the one criticism haunts us for the rest of the day. We forget the good, concentrate on the bad... so all that our eyes are willing to see is the bad. If we struggle with feeling attractive, for example, we might say, "I love my body. I am feeling fit, gorgeous, and glowing with life. I am beautiful." But a little voice inside our head may always protest, "But I am not fit; I'm fat. I'm not beautiful; I'm a frump." If we give in to the voice of "truth" comming from inside us, we will end up as negetive as the thoughts are. Instead a change of thought from the neg side of things to the positive things that we have... like a beautiful smile, soft glowing skin.. these so called home truths may become insignificant once we realise just how many people like us as we are...
So perhaps its time to change those thoughts.... because only a truly happy person can expect to find happiness.... and i belive that happiness is not something that comes without effort.
Mossville gang
Mossville and its gang at its best and worst!
There were once four very different girls. Each so different from the other that any one who came across them living together were often surprised at the harmony that existed between the four.
One was an ultra gentle creature whose wrath knew no bounds when she was hungry. The other was a go getter who believed that nothing should come in the way of her and development. The third friend was rather weird. Trapped into the living arrangement due to her roommate’s decision to live with fellow country lasses she followed her into the mess like any good friend would no doubt do. And the fourth was the most interesting character of all, quickest to temper, her anger was often like a tempest that rose and fell with the tides.
Yet surprisingly all four found ways to coexist together. If not for want and desire, than need alone had forced them to make the various adjustments necessary to enable them to live together, such great were the adjustments required that sometimes it did indeed strain quite a few strings, but the bonds were greater..... stronger... made of better stuff. Perhaps the need to stay together was greater!!!!! One will never know, and i hope we never find out either.. somethings are better left unsaid, unexplored and secret!
Over a simple coffee..... or two...
It’s nearly a year since I had been back and last night I was caught up in such a massive bout of what I call “friend sickness” or “Arun and Rad sickness” that I started looking through all the pictures on my special CD and could not help but feel a bit blue.
I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed and how full it has been these months. I kept thinking about all the lessons I had learnt and the memories I had made with my new friends there. About college, class and, more often than what would please our parents, the cutting of class for movies.
I kept laughing and crying alternately as I came across pictures from the great times of those three years toether and the pictures that struck me the most were of the ones that showed the smiling faces of us three seated in the Coffee Day.
It felt as if those laughing eyes were challenging me to remember which day and which topic it was that had brought those huge mischievous grins over our faces.(not that our faces ever were without the smiles when we were together). "The surprising gang of three."
The 
weird and gangly boy, the strange foreigner from some island nation and the snobby little bratty gal…. a friendship that surprised many in our class, a friendship that felt all the more right for this reason alone.
One of the things that I had learnt from these two who I here call “Daddy’s shirt” and “Rad’s” is the art of ensuring that a simple coffee in the lazy afternoons last long enough for it to become an evening dinner!…..
What a lot of fun that we shared on those simple lazy, hazy afternoons. Ofcoz one should always sympathize with the teachers who would miss us in class that day, but for us, for that moment, nothing else mattered but the times that we were able to spend together. (attendance to the classes were secondary, sometimes mind, when it came to the mouthwatering pastries and even more juicy gossip that was always at hand to share)
One would always wonder what plots were hatched in those meetings, and surprisingly there were plenty. Over one a wonderful coffee — the one that both my friends loved the most and the one that also tickled my taste buds — was a coffee called “Kape Nirvanna” by the Coffee Day.
Of course, not all the carbs we consumed were freshly made. Sometimes, they were mass-produced. One of my fondest memories is of picking up of Kentucky Fried Chicken burger and heading over to seat our selves in the window seats to enjoy the scarce sun of the winter. We all looked like cats at these times, but who cared. We were happy. The meal included all the fixin's: chips, cole slaw and, needless to say, coke. The best I had ever tasted, pure blisss…
The rummages in our bags in the hunt for that extra coin that will ensure another coffee, or a packet of chips… or the simple running up and down commercial street to meet up for movies. What ever we did we all did with a sense of abandon. Of innocent enjoyment. HAPPINESS!
It's now been more than 12 months since those happy events came to an end, yet, every so often, it hits me almost as hard as the day I had left. But rather than resort to tears, I remind myself of the good times I was fortunate to have, that not everyone is fortunate to have. Love you both so much!!!
The power of a "Touch"
"It is the magic of a touch, the power of a hug... that make life joyful."
Science tells us that a touch, a hug, triggers the release of brain endorphins: an endogenous analgesic more powerful than heroin or morphine and it is increasingly being studied, research findings hint that not only does touch lower stress levels, but that it can boost the immune system (amon
g its many other benefits).
But touch is more than just a union of brain chemicals and perhaps, there is more to hug and touch than just release of endorphins.
A touch provides comfort in a freezing night. The warmth it brings is better than the warmth that a well treasured blanket can provide. This touch can even tame a wild animal. So why not us?
It’s amazing that this simple touch can convey a magnitude of meanings. It can do wonders to cheer up a person. A hug can say, ‘I love you’ or, ‘I would like you to stay’ or “how are you?”. A hug is also a ‘welcome back again’ or ‘I have missed you’. It can be a silent means of communication where words are no longer needed.
When i recieve a hug at the end of a very hectic day, I can actually feel that all my aches and concerns of the day disappear instantly. Feelings of contentment and the realization of a day well spent are not far to follow. (Not to mention a sigh or two!)
Indeed, touch is the best remedy we need to own and claim forever and it's free. And the nicest thing about a hug is that you can’t usually give one without getting one back in return. (Lets face it; sometimes we need the boost too!) And sometimes it makes us realise just how important we are to other people. One should always be made to realise ones importance to others, (once in a while.......)
Violence and us.
Well known as a peace loving nation and peaceful nation for so long, things are certainly going a lot wrong in our small country. The bouts of violence in the country had been blamed on a verity of different things by different individual groups in the country.
The mothers say it’s because of lack of Islamic education in the youth. The politicians say that it’s because of the introduction of democracy in the country; the fathers say it’s because of lack of professionalism in the country’s police force. The government says it’s because of the mob mentality of the young. The grandparents say it’s the television………
Every one seems to be in a hurry to place the blame on the other and no one is ready to accept the part that they play in these developments. The violence, the open warfare in some cases, the stabbings and the murders seem to be telling us a tale of their own. What had gone wrong with our country??? What had gone so bad that it’s now a matter of life and death to walk on the streets at night? Streets that had been heavens for so long!
The issue of violence need to be brought out and discussed more openly than before as these attacks indicate the beginning of something even more sinister. We can now often observe that skipping school, hanging out in certain places where they are often not wanted, use of bad language, eve teasing, spray-painting, gang violence… had become common among our youth. Drugs and violence had become a way of life in some cases and to control this swift action is required.
Local citizens and organizations need to get involved and join forces with the government authorities in controlling these issues . Everyone has a share in this; to play the blame the other game or simply pretending to be ostriches is not an option that is open to us now.
The next to get hurt can be our son, brother, sister, father or some other important member of our family. Together we need to tackle the problem from its very root, to persevere our way of life. Together we can make our communities a drug free and safe (one should always hope for the best). We should all join our hands to establish, once more, a peaceful culture in the Maldives.
For a Five-Year-Old
A snail is climbing up the window-sill
into your room, after a night of rain.
You call me in to see, and I explain
that it would be unkind to leave it there:
it might crawl to the floor; we must take care
that no one squashes it. You understand,
and carry it outside, with careful hand,to eat a daffodil.
I see, then, that a kind of faith prevails:
your gentleness is moulded still by words
from me, who have trapped mice and shot wild birds,
from me, who drowned your kittens, who betrayed
your closest relatives, and who purveyed
the harshest kind of truth to many another.
But that is how things are: I am your mother,
And we are kind to snails.
Fleur Adcock, Poems 1960-2000
A Walk with Sara
But for now let’s just enjoy the walk.
Falling leaves become a delight, colors of joy. Rushing winds become bliss without malice. Rapid fire questions come regularly and they are often mixed with her odd and surprisingly diverse comments. Keeping up with her thought process is as easy as keeping up with a very fast rabbit. "Why are there so many trees in that house and none there? That's a baby tree! Why are the flowers red? Look that cloud looks like a flower? How come that person does not have any hair? Why is the moon still seen in the day time? Why does it follow us when we walk?......”
Sometimes I just nod, or say I don't know, or simply just laugh. My worries may still be there lurking somewhere to jump at me, yet my heart, at this very moment, is full towards bursting at this pleasant time together. It is a gift just for me! This precious time to look at the world through her eyes, not jaded, not guarded. To be able to feel her innocent delight, to feel her contentment just being with me, to look at the clouds and search for shapes there, to look at trees and wonder why the color changes when the lights hit the leave. As much as I enjoy solitary walks or simple walks with friends, having my little companion today is special.
Some people say once you've lost your innocence you can't get it back. I disagree. It's there, waiting for you to discover it. You just have to make an effort. If one would but try looking through new eyes Life may become a happier surprise.
Walking away!
How does one walk away from the one we loved and think of starting all over once over again?
How does it become so easy to walk away and introduce that person as a "friend"?
How will change the roads that we had traveled together for so long?
How will we be able to forget the love once shared, once so strong, for so long?
How will we replace the laughter, the tears, the tantrums, the times of joy and the memories shared?
How cruel it is to have to start over once again. To start from scratch.
Yet sometimes, there is no other option but to walk away. Sometimes its easier to travel the paths alone rather than together. Sometimes it's simply easier to walk away and let our selves be healed.
We may promise ourselves that we will never fall in love again, make another new friend, go to a specific place be it a simple café that you and the person had been to for the simple reason that we are often overwhelmed with the memories that linger there. But life does not allow us such indulgences. At least not to all.
Memories remain like foot prints, you may forget his/her smile, laugh, smell….. but there will come a gust of wind and all the memories come tumbling back to you.
Time does heal, but the scars remain. Even if for now, the pain is excruciating. The prayer in the heart is, may life be gentle with ther person i loved and hope that they realize it was simply better this way.
