Category: Science, Literacy & Education

Bahrain to host the Second Expo Sciences Asia 2012

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Bahrain Science Centre collaborates with MILSET to promote science culture in Expo

 The Kingdom of Bahrain is hosting the Second Expo Sciences Asia until 12 April 2012 at Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre (BIECC). Organized by Bahrain’s Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development and MILSET Asia, the international event will have a variety of activities including cultural and scientific visits; leisure activities; exhibition of projects and workshops.

Held every two years, Expo Sciences Asia aims to promote scientific projects created by children and young people around the Asian region through an exhibition in a multi-cultural environment, also allowing the participation of institutions that want to assist young people in their projects. The First Expo Sciences Asia was held in Kuwait in April 2010.

Contributing to scientific culture, non-formal science education and awareness programmes in the region, Bahrain Science Centre which falls under the Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development plays a leading role in bringing this event to Bahrain. Assistant Undersecretary of Community Development Mr. Khalid Ishaq from Bahrain’s Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development is the member of MILSET Asia board.

Commenting on the event Mr. Ishaq said, “MILSET gives a platform for young people to exchange ideas and make most of their creations; discuss with researchers, youth leaders and industrialists. Bahrain Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development’s collaboration with MILSET is another initiative in the development of scientific and technical education in the Kingdom.”

Promoting awareness of the importance of science and technology, a group of young scientists headed by Mrs. Amal Albuflasa, from the new state-of-the-art Bahrain Science Centre (BSC) will showcase their project at the exhibition. Focusing on hands-on learning using interactive displays and people-centred programmes, such as science shows, Bahrain Science Centre strongly encourages creativity and innovation as well as cross-generational learning. The science centre also endeavours to create an awareness of Bahrain’s contributions to science and technology.

Commenting of their participation Mrs. Albuflasa said, “Children can learn science and should have the opportunity to become scientifically literate. In order for this learning to happen, the effort to introduce children to the essential experiences of science inquiry and explorations must begin at an early age.” “Our participation at Second Expo Sciences Asia 2012 gives this platform to children where they learn the process of finding out and a system for organizing and reporting discoveries and a way of thinking and trying to understand the world”, added Albuflasa.

Bahrain Science Centre is an interactive educational facility that targets children, youth and families of Bahrain. It is located in a three-storey building at 697 Riyadh Avenue, Isa Town, near the Manama/Salmabad intersection. The science centre has six interactive exhibition galleries, an auditorium, four laboratories and a café/shop. The role of the Bahrain Science Centre is to promote awareness of the importance of science and technology, complement the school curriculum, stimulate curiosity and innovation, and create a forum for public debate on science and technology issues.

Exciting new science centre to be launched in Bahrain

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Children interacting at the new state-of-the-art Bahrain Science Centre

Bahrain’s Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development has appointed MTE Studios to run operations of the Bahrain Science Centre which is slated to open soon to public. Experts in Science Centre and Museums operations and management, the company has been awarded a two year contract for Commissioning and Operating the new state-of-the-art Bahrain Science Center (BSC). According to the Minister of Human Rights and Social Development, Fatima Al Beloushi, the science centre will fall under the Directorate of Family and Childhood Development in her Ministry, and will contribute to formal and non-formal science education and awareness programmes in Bahrain. Khalid Ishaq, Assistant Undersecretary of Community Development of Bahrain’s Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development said, “Importance of science centres to the community and education is undebatable. Our aim is to strengthen the science and technology culture of Bahrain by engaging young people, and their families, in activities that excite their interest in science, technology and engineering.” The Ministry has awarded a two-year contract to MTE Studios to develop the science centre. MTE Studios is a consultancy company that specializes in the conceptualization, design, development and operation of science centres, museums, visitor centres and other edutainment destinations. One of their most recent projects was the development of the Museum of Science and Technology in Islam at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. Commenting on the appointment, Ishaq said, “We are excited to open the centre soon and collaborate with MTE Studios, whom we have identified as an experienced and valuable partner for our new Science Centre. We are confident that their extensive experience in operating Science Centre’s will help us achieve our goal in the accomplishment of social cohesion and attract the young generation towards science education and research. We look forward to the launch and success of the new centre.” “We are delighted to be awarded this contract as we believe that a science centre will contribute strongly to the Ministry’s social development programmes”, says the CEO of MTE Studios, Ludo Verheyen. “It has been shown worldwide that science centres are one of the most effective ways of bringing science and technology into the mainstream of society and strengthening a country’s science culture”, added Verheyen. Over 2 500 interactive science centres have been established in more than 90 countries worldwide, and they receive over 310 million visitors per year. Globally, science centres and interactive museums have taken the lead in hands-on, inquiry-based learning, and have achieved a high trust rate for the accuracy of the information that they convey. The Bahrain Science Centre will be an active participant in this worldwide community of science centres. “Science centres play many important roles in society”, says Professor Mike Bruton, Director of Imagineering at MTE Studios and the Consultant Director of the new Science Centre. “These roles include promoting awareness of science and technology among the youth, families and adults, supporting the school curriculum in science, mathematics and technology, and creating a forum for public debate on topical science and technology issues.” School Groups will be formally invited to the Bahrain Science Centre from middle of April onwards. The target audience of the Bahrain Science Centre will be children as well as families and adults, and one of its most important roles will be to promote cross-generational learning between children and their parents and grandparents. The science centre will also endeavour to promote social engagement across different cultures as well as an ethos of lifelong learning.

More on the PR World Congress 2012

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The last two days was a flurry of activity with heaps happening in Dubai as always to the point that I had to take annual leave to fit things in. But most important was the PR World Congress where Lord Tim Bell, Chairman of Chime Communications (Bell Pottinger) spoke to more than 450 delegates in his keynote address ahead of a panel discussion on ‘Public Relations in an Age of Dialogue: Challenges & Opportunities.

We enjoyed his key messages like “Practice good PR, no matter how difficult the circumstances, and you will be OK. After his keynote address, Lord Bell joined a high-profile panel discussion featuring Dr. Herbert Heitmann, Executive Vice President, External Communications, Royal Dutch Shell; Daniel Tisch, Chair, Global Alliance for Public Relations & Communication Management; Khalid Al Maeena, Editor-at-Large, Arab News; and Prema Sagar, Founder President, Public Relations Consultants Association of India.

A familiar face to me was Malaysia’s former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the opposition People’s Justice Party, Anwar Ibrahim. He was a key role player in my University in Malaysia (IIU) and my fondest memories included going to his house every Ramadan with International students for ‘buka puasa’ or ‘iftar’ (breaking fast). He is just as eloquent, friendly and a people’s person as I remember him. I wish I wasn’t such a rebel when I was in University but I’m glad I attended all his talks for the very reason that I did my second degree in Islamic Science after completing my PR Bachelors instead of doing my MA in Literary Studies first because he felt that the top students should be given the opportunity to get this qualification so they get the best of both worlds.

Naturally all the sessions at PRWC were insightful. And I had a great time at the workshop on Wednesday – it was worth every penny I paid for it. All I can say is its great that the organisers worked so hard to bring the world congress to our doorstep so we get an opportunity to get exposed to the leaders in the PR industry.

The congress was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and in partnership with the National Media Council of the UAE, the Public Relations World Congress is organised by the International Public Relations Association – Gulf Chapter (IPRA-GC). And key sponsors of the Congress were Saudi Aramco and Saudi Basic Industry Corporation (SABIC), which have signed up as headline Strategic Partners.

Emirates was the Official Airline of the Congress, while CNN and Al Arabiya TV are the International Broadcast Partners. Dubai Media City was the Industry Partner of the Congress, Bates PanGulf was the Design & Advertising Partner; ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, the Marketing & PR Partner and Media Watch is the Media Intelligence Partner. We have these guys to thank these guys to making this happen for the regional PR industry.

An evening with Her Highness Princess Ameerah Al Taweel

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With Her Highness Princess Ameerah Al Taweel

Flanked by Princess Ameerah & Rajah Galadari

One of the most amazing benefits of being a long term member of various professional women’s groups is that you get opportunities to meet with some very inspiring, beautiful and motivating women leaders. One such personality I met a few days ago was Her Highness Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel.

I was blown away by her down to earth personality, by the fact that she spent so much personal time with every woman in the room to get to know what they did and what their aspirations were. What was equally impressive was her knowledge in Mass Communication and the tips she gave us that night on communications, PR and Social media- it was on par with a professional communications expert.

I was thrilled to know that H.H Princess Ameerah had been to Fiji Islands….i don’t meet many people who have been to my country so we immediately felt at ease with other.

She taught me one good lesson that night…to never depend on anyone except myself. I will treasure this thought as I always trust people close to me way too much and I’ve realised that’s not a good thing as people can sometimes be deceiving and detrimental to your success because they drive you to do things that only benefit them….this is a lesson I will recall every time I am in situation where I’m told something but know in my heart its not the real scene.

Princess Ameerah is Vice Chairwoman and Board of Trustees and Head of the Executive Committee of the Al Waleed bin Talal Foundation in Saudi Arabia and the Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation Global. She supports a wide range of humanitarian interests in Saudi Arabia and around the world and has won numerous awards including the CEO Middle East 100 Most Powerful Arab Women 2012.

I went to the awards ceremony where Sheikha Lubna, another incredible Arab woman who has done this region proud spoke. Arab women are drop dead gorgeous, they have brains to match their beauty and given the opportunity, they shine among their peers….its great to see more and more Arab women making their mark in the global scenario as well.

It was awesome to come up, close and personal with Her Highness Princess Ameerah thanks to the hard work of Sahar Madani who is the founder of WE Group – this is different group from the International Business Women’s Group of which I have been a member of since 2003 thanks to the far sightedness of my ex boss Stuart Cameron who first encouraged me to network with women who were empowering. I owe this opportunity to him and till date, I always make time to meet and learn from women of calibre and high intellect.

One thing is clear…. The amazingly gorgeous Arab women of today are setting the stage to become inspiring leaders of tomorrow. Today I also heard a great talk by H. E Reem Al Hashimy who is a UAE Minister of State at the 20th World PR World Congress. Like her, Princess Ameerah is such an amazing example of an educated and incredibly eloquent, warm leader we all hope to see more of in the media and in forums around the world.

Saying goodbye at the end of the dinner…

Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2012

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Last night I went to the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2012 to listen to an author (David Nichols) whose book “One Day’ I’m reading after my NJD and Eric persuaded me that it was totally up my street – and they were right as I am currently enjoying this book as my bedtime reading. 

I bumped into people I know at the festival who enthused about the breathtaking display of readings, poetry, song and dance at the spectacular theatre that  is part of Cultural & Scientific Association at Al Mamzar.  This is where I saw the Japanese Drum show last week and it was wow.

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2012 is held in Dubai between 6-10 March 2012 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and is held in partnership with Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage.

I am going to some of the sessions later today. As my first project in the UAE in 2000 (DSF 2000) was for Saeed Al Nabouda, who is now the Acting Director General of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, I look forward to catching up with him hopefully at the festival – always good to stay in contact with ex clients.

I am all set for the literary sessions today as well which look awesome. I wish local author Dedra Stevenson was part of the line-up too as my daughter loves her work too. Can’t wait to hear Rashad Bukhash speak on the architectural Heritage of Dubai. I love his groups talks on design and traditional architecture so it would be delightful to hear both Rashad and Peter Jackson share their knowledge in one session.

PR World Congress comes to Dubai

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Diva just got an invite to the PR World Congress….normally I would not be so bothered about it as I have done enough courses and attended enough PR conferences to date but this particular one features speakers I know very well or admire, including the ex-Prime Minister of Malaysia (Anwar Ibrahim) whose house I used to go to to break fast as an International IIU student. I used to love dinners with him and listening to him talk to us young things, telling us we were the future leaders of the Muslim world and we could do great things if we followed our heart. He was very hands on as our patron and took great care of us during the month of Ramadan when we were away from family so dinners at his home was always a regular for expat students.

I must say while I love my life the way it is, I don’t think I’ve done justice in doing things the way he as our University patron would have wanted me to do. I was one of the first PR graduates to work in the UAE beginning of 2000 when the industry was just blossoming here and most of my colleagues were marketing people taking on PR as an added extra. Thankfully UAE has matured tremendously since and PR is an industry in its own right and may I add one of the most successful one at this point in time. Hence my regret that I don’t do enough for this discipline that I love and keep wasting my time in areas that get me nowhere.

So all the prep talks we received from Encik Anwar Ibrahim on being the best in the disciplines we were studying for did sink in but I wish I had taken action and focussed on my talent and dreams more instead of being distracted along the way. It is fine and well to live someone else’s dream or do things they feel you are good at but essentially at some stage you need to take a call and focus on the work that you are cut out to do and excel in.

Nonetheless, I am thrilled about the congress. As a publicity chick perhaps I am a little bias, but I’m always so pleased to read that top-level industry leaders are endorsing public relations as one of the most powerful marketing tools available. Its about time people noticed and respected our work.

PR is incredibly powerful because of the highly trusted third-party endorsements of media organisations of stories that make a difference – in my opinion, you just can’t beat it. For now, I hope I get to attend some of the congress. The last time I tried attending something of significance like this, I was slumbered at my desk doing stuff I should not have been doing in any event so the episode left diva not very impressed. There is a reason why we have support staff to do the mundane stuff. This time round the world can go to pot as my 2012 resolution is to do what I love and PR is my first love above everyone and everything else!

A taste of Wilbur Smith

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Most successful people talk about how they got where they are with a perfect balanced life and you feel like kicking their guts because the reality is that you often have to give up a lot, make a lot of compromises etc before tasting success. Which is why I like the South African novelist Wilbur Smith…..he is honest about what he gave up in his interviews and despite his success, is known to be very patient, gentle and down to earth. And what I most admire and I hope to god I become like him one day is his ability to move on. Trust me….I’ve tried but I get so attached to people, places, situations that often it is to my own detriment.

I read about Wilbur Smith sometime around 1997/98 and thought very differently then. Now, having had a taste of all kinds of people, their motives, often dishonesty over the course of the last year or so, I actually would love to be like him and be able to compartmentalise my life into components, have the ability not to forgive and move on to my next project and make it work without owing anything to anyone. At first I felt it was thoughtless that such a brilliant author could cut off links with his kids, forget the names of his ex wives but having delved more, I realise that perhaps his ability to not put up with any nonsense in his life has worked in his favour and he has been able to focus and come up with successful books by following his dream and passion for writing by cutting out everyone who didn’t have the same passion and vigour for creativity.

Most of all, I admire this third wife (Danielle). Men can naturally be not very nice creatures as we all know with their drinking, cheating and philandering and often need a decent woman to break their bad habits. They can also be gullible as I have discovered recently when they are drunk or irresponsible when their priorities and focus is less on productive work and more on dodgy sabbaticals with equally dodgy people or I’ve even come across vagrants who don’t have money to eat but will sell their soul for sex and alcohol. So it was certainly heart warming to read about Daniel, or Dee as she is known, who apart from being Wilbur’s muse, researcher, editor was also able to get him to give up smoking, change his looks, travel the world and become more open minded about the world than he already was. I wonder if there are women left these days who are able to shape men this way for the best or help them become better people.

Anyway,,, for now I am ashamed I still have not read A Sparrow Falls, When the Lion feeds, The Burning Shore and The Sound of Thunder. The next time I have withdrawal symptoms of reading something offbeat, I will turn to Wilbur’s work, his life as an author, where he gets his inspirations from and more on his favourite books. If you have any of his books in your library, let me know as he is the next author I am spending my time on for leisure reading. I would love to meet him in Cape Town to see what his next book is all about and how he gets his characters so perfect in the way he portrays them.

High-Level MENA Delegation Scheduled for First-of-its-Kind Visit to ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ exhibition in United States

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The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) and the Union of Arab ICT Associations (IJMA3-USA) are leading a high-level delegation of Arab government officials and business leaders to the “Ingenious Innovations: Islamic Science Rediscovered” exhibition at The Tech Museum in San Jose, California.

The January 16 visit will include more than 50 senior officials and private sector representatives from 13 Arab nations, marking the first visit of its kind to the world renowned traveling exhibition, which is also known as “Sultans of Science”. “Delegates from the Middle East will be enthralled to know the scientific breakthroughs of a remarkable era, which was one of the greatest in the world.

History text books refer to events when Europe slumbered in a period which is commonly known as the Dark Ages, but few people are aware of the tremendous contributions Muslim scholars made in science and technology during the Golden Age of the Islam (7th – 17th Centuries) which helped pave the way for the European Renaissance,” said, Ludo Verheyen, CEO, MTE Studios.

“We are delighted to provide our guests with an opportunity to participate in an exclusive viewing of this remarkable exhibition at The Tech Museum and to find out more about the scientific achievements of the Muslim Civilisation. We look forward to the tour, which has been popular in the USA and Canada since it was first exhibited in New Jersey,” said David Hamod, President and CEO of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce. Designed to unearth the scientific know-how of an Islamic Golden Age, the exhibition covers main fields of Muslim achievements, from mathematics to navigation, astronomy, medicine, instrument making, fine utilitarian technology, engineering, optics, architecture and flight. It will be displayed at The Tech Museum until the end of February.

“We look forward to the high profile delegates’ visit, and we appreciate NUSACC’s initiative to give this exposure and experience to their guests. The exhibition underscores the roots of Silicon Valley’s innovations, and we would be delighted to work jointly with NUSACC in the future again,” added Verheyen.

Press release issued on behalf of MTE Studios FZ LLC. For further information, please contact Shereen Shabnam on +971 507690087/504828177/shereen@mtestudios.com Or Shamim Kasmani on +971 503461538/ shamim@mtestudios.com

Media Information About ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ (‘Sultans of Science’):

‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ also known as ‘Sultans of Science’ is a global touring exhibition celebrating the contribution of Muslim Scholars in Science and Technology during the Golden Age of the Islamic World and the influence their inventions and contributions has towards modern society. Focused on increasing knowledge and understanding of these invaluable contributions, ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ has been created as a global traveling exhibition in order to enable its message to be far reaching through science centers and museums around the world. The exhibition, developed by MTE Studios features interactive displays with information on inventions, innovations and discoveries covering a broad spectrum of science topics such as astronomy, mathematics, medicine, optics amongst others, which were ahead of its time.

About NUSACC

The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), established over 40 years ago, is America’s longest serving organization dedicated to U.S.-Arab business. NUSACC is widely regarded as the voice of American business in the Arab world and the premier private sector portal to the United States for Arab commercial enterprises. The Chamber is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that is registered under U.S. law as a 501-c-6 chamber of commerce. NUSACC is an independent, membership-driven entity that receives no income from foreign governments. The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce is the only business entity in the United States that is officially recognized and sanctioned by the League of Arab States and the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture. As such, NUSACC is a “sister chamber” and partner to the national chambers of commerce throughout the Arab world. Visit http://www.nusacc.org/about/index.php for more information.

6th Science Centre World Congress attracted more than 400 delegates from 56 countries including the Middle East

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The 6th Science Centre World Congress recently held in Cape Town South Africa concluded successfully attracting more than 400 delegates from 56 different countries including UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The Congress chaired by MTE Studios, Director of Imagineering Professor Mike Bruton was hosted by the Cape Town Science Centre; the Southern African Association of Science and Technology Centres; and the North Africa and Middle East Science Centers Network.

With the theme ‘Science across Cultures’, the Congress comprised 5 plenary sessions, 55 concurrent sessions, as well as poster sessions, workshops, science cafés, demonstrations, talk shops, commercial and NGO displays, and visits to local cultural institutions. Ludo Verheyen, CEO, MTE Studios and Professor Bruton were part of the concurrent sessions addressing science centre and museum professionals from around the world at the Congress where the consultancy firm also had its presence at the exhibition running parallel to the event. MTE Studios was also a major corporate sponsor and contributed significantly to the success of the Congress.

“We are proud to be associated with such a high profile event which provided a comprehensive overview of strategic thinking in the science centre community,” said Ludo Verheyen, CEO, MTE Studios. “Our Imagineering Director, Professor Bruton chaired the Congress which was a perfect platform for delegates to meet from all corners of the globe to discuss issues facing science centres and the important role that science centres can play in increasing public engagement in science and technology. We are delighted to learn that Professor Bruton has been invited to serve on the international organizing committee for the 7th Science Centre World Congress to be held in 2014.”

The 6SCWC was widely acclaimed to be the best Science Centre World Congress held so far. Science Centre World Congresses are held every three years. The last event was convened in Ontario Canada (5SCWC); the 7SCWC will be in the form of a Summit and will be held in Belgium in 2014.  This year’s event continued the dialogue from previous world gatherings assessing the impact of science centres worldwide and formulating plans to ensure that they continue to play a constructive role in addressing global issues at the interface between science and society.

Highlighting the importance of events like the Congress, Professor Bruton said, “Globally, science centres and interactive museums have taken the lead in hands-on, inquiry-based learning, and have achieved a high trust rate for the accuracy of the information that they communicate. They focus on promoting dialogue and debate while learning, and on deriving explanations, rather than just providing answers, for important scientific discoveries and phenomena. They endeavour to promote social engagement across generations and cultures as well as an ethos of lifelong learning.”

“Each year, over 310 million people actively participate in the in-house and outreach science engagement programmes organized by over 2500 science centres in more than 90 countries and administrative regions. These science centres recognize that the three pillars of interactive science engagement are science knowledge, hands-on interaction, and dialogue and the co-creation of experiences with scientists and the public. Thus there is a need for improved dialogue between scientists and the public during the course of the scientific process that leads to societal change. I am honored and excited to be invited to be on the International Programme Committee for the upcoming 7SCWC,” concluded Bruton.

At the 6th Science Centre World Congress, leaders of science centres and museums worldwide resolved to:

•Encourage the establishment of science centres and museums in parts of the world where they are lacking.

•Support a policy of investment in science, technology and innovation in response to global economic and financial challenges.

•Partner with formal education, arts, business, policy makers and media where relevant.

•Strive to address cross-generational science- and technology-related problems that are relevant to local, regional and global communities, and to develop programmes that allow the general public to contribute actively to the resolution of these problems.

•Continue to develop programmes that promote awareness of the multi-cultural roots of science and the value of indigenous knowledge systems.

•Continue to develop partnerships to promote science awareness and engagement across cultural, political, economic and geographical boundaries.

•Conduct further research that measures the efficiency and effectiveness of their programmes, and to act on this information in order to improve their efficiency and impact.

•Further promote dialogue between scientists and the general public so that public opinions on science and technology can be heard and incorporated into decision-making processes.

•Further promote creativity, invention and innovation that leads to more sustainable life styles.

•Work together to ensure that they share their joint experience and knowledge of the most effective methods of engaging with science and technology with other local, regional, national and international bodies that promote science and technology awareness.

Plans to achieve these resolutions will be developed, as appropriate, at institutional, national and international levels. At the 2014 Science Centre World Summit, to be held at Technopolis in Mechelen, Belgium, in 2014, science centres and museums shall assess the extent to which they have, as individual institutions and collectively, achieved the goals set out here.

For further information, please contact Shereen Shabnam on +971 507690087

It never stops….learning that is

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A celebrity acquaintance asked me this evening at the OSN re-launch at the Atlantis where I get the energy to keep up with work, travel, dance, child, gym and still buy books to read (this was after she read my blog on the potential near death of the publishing world)….it was a tough question because somehow, when you go with the flow, you integrate activities like reading into your lifestyle with ease. There is no set formula I can share with women who are hip, trendy working mothers who want it all in life and want to make no apologies for their ‘me’ time. I guess, reading falls under ‘me time’ for many, including myself.

It all boils down to how much you love reading. For instance I keep my blackberry on all the time because I love my job and believe in the philosophy that if I can tackle something right away while enjoying the sunset on the beach after work, it certainly beats staring at the computer doing the same thing the next day….it only delays things. There are days I take my magazines to the beach near my office and read it in between swimming – I learnt this by seeing how some Emirati women come to the beach with the Quran, read it just before sunset and pray after that with the sound of the waves in the background….they always look so calm and serene when they do that so it has inspired me now to stop at the beach after work, read and swim before heading home.

When you love what you do….its easy to integrate that in your lifestyle. I dance on days I don’t feel like the treadmill and choose what takes my fancy at that moment….depending on if its salsa, bellydancing, zumba or hip hop, I then decide where I will work out and if I can do my groceries on the way. When I need extra time with my child, I choose a gym nearer to where she is to make it easy and it gives me extra time to read or watch TV because she goes to bed early. Its all about planning your life around things that you enjoy.

Reading, like travelling broadens your horizon, your thinking and your outlook of life. I travel for work but naturally prefer travelling for pleasure…my holiday travel stopped tremendously with my current job because I had taken on way too much than I could chew to my own detriment. But I’m slowly getting back to my normal self where I make time to get out and see places instead of slogging all the time.

A therapist friend told me a few months ago that no matter how much you work there is always somebody else’s business benefitting from it such as clients demanding and getting more and  more and the money doesn’t necessarily go back into the same business unless you work for yourself. I even had a amusing incident last year where I was harassed by a woman from a dodgy country for money for a job she didn’t do any work for. These are good lessons because you learn the hard way that making sacrifices on your reading or ‘me’ time because of working during your personal time does not help you grow – books teach you about the world and going to places you read about enhances the experience.

There is a Chinese proverb that says “Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back”.  Learning new things is not just for personal growth though – in the business that we are in, intellectual savvy is just as important to gain clients confidence as much as the know how of the technical and implementation work. I strongly believe that clients have more confidence in people who are well travelled and have a wider knowledge base because they have better insights and can give different perspectives to different situations.

The business world today with unpredictable economic shifts and changing media keeps us on our toes and makes us become adaptive and savvy to stay one step ahead of the game. So I guess, reading is no longer a luxury but a necessity. And to my friend from tonight….yes making time to read is tough but its got to be done.