Member of Parliament for Hoarafushi constituency, Mr. Ahmed Saleem. | Photo: Majilis Website

Last month a social media uproar took against the Member of Parliament for Hoarafushi constituency Mr. Ahmed Saleem for calling citizens working in Civil Service sector of Maldives as “faceless and voiceless” people.

Below is the full transcript of the remarks made by the Member of Parliament for Hoarafushi constituency Mr. Ahmed Saleem about Maldivian Civil Servants at the Parliament regarding a bill to amend the Civil Service Act.

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The person working in Civil Service is someone who has to live by a certain limit, certain code of conduct and a certain discipline. Can’t write whatever they want. Can’t say whatever they want. The individual is a faceless person according to experts. The individual is a voiceless person. The person has to shut up from the moment the work contract is signed, util in the grave. Can’t write whatever they want on Facebook. Can’t talk whatever they want where ever they want. That’s a professional person. 

The moment they sign their Civil Service agreements, they are consenting that they have no issue with the freedom of speech they are granted by the constitution being taken away. The individual agrees to this. They are people who know extra information about the office. More than what the general public would know. The privilege is there. With that, there are standards to which they should abide by.

How many Civil Servants among us are able to uphold the value of their profession? Even this morning I received a post on Facebook by a Civil Servant, supporting a specific political candidate. They cannot! With such things happening again and again, it ends up diminishing the confidence regarding the services of the government.

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However, later on the presenter turned MP, Mr. Ahmed Saleem via a tweet apologized to those who had been offended by his remarks about Maldivian Civil Servants. Furthermore, MP Saleem said that if anyone had keenly listened to his speech in parliament, they will notice the part which he had also highlighted the critical role of civil servants in building the nation.

A view of the Statue of Unity. Photo by: Deccan herald website

India has unveiled the "Statue of Unity" as the world's tallest statue with the height of 182 meters or 597 feet in the Narmada district of Indian State of Gujarat. Inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, the tallest statue in the world is designed as a memorial to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who was a leader of Indian independence movement who later became India’s first home minister largely credited for uniting the multi ethic country after the British rule. 

The statue which is almost twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, was designed by Ram V. Sutar, an Indian Sculptor with monumental ambition who has already created more than 200 district statues across India. The statue which depicts Sardar Patel wearing a traditional dhoti and shawl towering over the Narmada River began it's construction on 19th December 2015 & took about 250 engineers & 3,400 laborers to construct it. World's tallest statue which costs Rs. 2,989 crore, has been built using over 70,000 tonnes of cement, 18,500 tonnes of reinforcement steel, 6,000 tonnes of structural steel and 1,700 metric tonnes of bronze, which was used for the outer cladding of the structure. The Statue of Unity and its surroundings which was constructed by construction and engineering company Larsen & Toubro Ltd occupies more than 2 hectares and are surrounded by a 12 kilometer. 

Speaking at the opening on 31 October 2018, Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi said the statue was a rebuttal to those who question the existence of India. Since it is double the height of New York’s world famous Statue of Liberty, the Statue of Unity is likely to draw a record number of foreign tourists from across the world to India.

The MG Road of Kochi City. Photo by: Adam Mohamed

Everyone has their very own reasons to travel.  Be it the pace of life,  the language or simply the change in weather, it is always a change when you travel to a different location other than where you live & this is one reason what makes travelling truly beautiful in my opinion.  From 10^th to 20th April I've traveled to Kochi City which is a major tourist destination & a port city of the south west coast of the country.

First of all whether you spell Kochi or cochin it is almost the same. Kochi today means the Greater city region while Cochin was the colonial name of Kochi as said by Europeans which was fixed since the colonization. Cochin or Kochi as it is now called, is one of the most fast-paced and modern cities in India which I have traveled so far.  Kochi which is economic capital of the state of Kerala has a  good transport infrastructure consisting of buses, auto richshaws & taxis throughout the day. Though there is no intra-city rail transport system in Kochi, there are two major railway stations known as the South and North railway stations. This city has also got the fastest completed metro project in India known as "The Kochi Metro", connecting rail, road and water transport facilities by using solar power to meet a quarter of its electricity requirement. The tourist places in Cochin which is fascinating to visit comes with history & tradition woven together with modernization. On the shores of modern Cochin lies a picture-perfect seaside neighborhood called Fort Kochi which is a must visit tourist destination of this city. Mattancherry Palace, located in Palace Road is considered to be one of the important places to visit in this old city of Cochin. The iconic Chinese Fishing Nets, undoubtedly is also among Kochi's most recognizable sights. Each Indian city has its own way of living, and when its comes to cleanliness I must say this is the most cleanest city of India which I have been so far. Yes, Cochin ranks as the 4th most cleanest city in India in recent Swacch Bharat rankings. However,  the M.G road is bit dirty because of the ongoing works of Kochi- Metro. When it comes to food,  seafood is found in abundance here and is a local specialty since it's a coastal city. Food in Kochi has banana as an integral part in dishes though people from Kochi take pride in their rich cuisine which is influenced by different cultures from across the world. The city which is known as the gateway of Kerala, is a popular shopping destination with malls and boutiques where you can buy trendy clothes, designer branded accessories and goods. The hard and salty yellow banana chips wrapped in clear plastic can be purchased all over the city, plus if you are buying more than one thing you need to haggle even harder for a lower price & it's quality. Kochi city unlike other large South Indian cities such as Bangalore or Chennai which I have been earlier, are not that friendly to night owls. As malls and prominent hang out places are closed by 10 pm, you can enjoy calmness of sea & wind of the beaches in a city which follows early to bed early to rise concept. 

Arabs, British, Dutch, Chinese, and Portuguese have all left their marks in this city in which the Kochiites are very welcoming to outsiders, something you cannot witness from most southern Indian cities. I must also say that the malls of the city will play an important role in keeping you entertained while there are a lot of places where you can spend time like the Marine Drive which will help your body & mind get some rest after you come out from a congested city like Male'. 

Last week marks one of the tragic loss to the Maldivian literary & poetry with the news of the death of the national award-winning poet & Former fist lady, Ms. Mariyam Saeed . 
Ms. Saeed who was the second wife of  late President Mr. Nasir was the daughter of the renowned writer, poet & scholar, Hussain Salahuddin. 

Ms. Saeed aged 85 at the time of her death, is one of the most celebrated poets of her generation. Coming from a family of literary geniuses, one of her most acclaimed works includes the poem named, "The evening has been lost now". Ms. Saeed who a prominent poet & a prolific writer of early Maldivian literature received the National Award of Honour in Dhivehi poetry in the year 1983. 

With the news of her death social media was flooded with tributes by Maldivians to the national award-winning poet Mariyam Saeed, who died in Sri Lanka after suffering a stroke over a month ago. Incumbent President Mr. Abdulla Yameen conveyed his condolences to her family, while former President Mr. Mohamed Nasheed prayed for her in one of his tweets. The former first lady Ms. Saeed's poetry is well known to be filled with a deep meaning with a strong sense of reality of the world. Ms. Saeed who spent the majority of her final years in the neighboring Srilanka, had 2 children together, Mohamed Nasir and Ali Nasir, both of whom had also passed away. She has been buried at Kuppiyawatte Muslim Burial Ground, Sri Lanka, next to her brother Ibrahim Shihab & father Hussain Salahuddeen, Even though her soul has departed from this world, several of her poems are still celebrated to this day. May Allah grant her the blessings of paradise. Aameen.

The capsized Enamaa Boat. Photo by: Flickr Website

13 years ago today on 17th March 2004,  21 people died with 2 missing when Enamaa boat capsized into the sea making it the biggest sea tragic incident in the history of the Maldives. The boat which was carrying 122 people, far more than its capacity was traveling at nine and a half nautical miles per hour to Thinadhoo Island after watching the home team play a football match in Vilingili Island in Gaafu Alifu atoll when a wave overturned it.

According to then National Security Service’s Coast Guard's official figures altogether there were 122 passengers aboard with 99 of them being rescued in the worst reported sea disaster in Maldives. With the support of Vessels of the Coast Guard, Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company, Thinadhoo island and other islands of Huvadhoo atoll, Enamaa boat was towed into Thinadhoo harbor on the night of Friday, 18th March by MIFCO’s Randhi-5 vessel.  According to the authorities Enamaa boat capsized 16 nautical miles off Thinadhoo & Villingili island was 11 nautical miles off the scene of the disaster, while Kooddoo was also 11 nautical miles from the scene. There were 13 nautical miles between the capsized Enamaa and Dhaandhoo island. The investigations found that, Miyaren boat of Gaaf Alif Dhaandhoo island refused to help Enamaa victims claiming that it had a 12-tonne fish catch in its storage at the time when it came near to the capsized Enamaa boat while they were on their way to Kooddoo Island. The investigation which took place after taking the full crew members of Miyaren boat under custody also further revealed that Miyaren boat came to Enamaa & survivors of Enamaa boat asked the crew of Miyaren boat to rescue them and take them to Thinadhoo. However, the crew of Miyaren boat said that they did not have enough fuel to travel to Thinadhoo but could take the survivors to Villingili island in Gaafu Alifu atoll. The 21 people from Thinadhoo island who were confirmed dead after Enamaa boat capsized en route to Thinadhoo island in Gaafu Dhaalu atoll from Villingili island in Gaafu Alifu atoll were:

1. Maryam Saeeda, Sweet Mead house, aged 17 years
2. Rashaqa Rashad, Hulhanguge house, aged 20 years
3. Dhonbeefaanu, Dhunburimaage house, aged 49 years
4. Maryam Khaleefa, Ujaalaage house, aged 23 years
5. Naseema Ali, Naseemeege house, aged 55 years
6. Shifqath Shakir, Naseemeege house, aged 2 and half years
7. Fathimath Dheena Fareed, Porridge House, aged 3 and half years
8. Mareena Qasim, Fehivilaage house, aged 55 years
9. Muneera Ismail, Heeraage house, aged 47 years
10. Aisaafaanu, Reehussabaahu house, aged 62 years
11. Khadeeja Hussain “Rekeefaanu”, Heeraage-Dhekunu-bai house, aged 43 years
12. Ameeza Ahmed, Dhunburimaage, aged 18 years
13. Mohamed Raaif Ibrahim, Hulhanguge house, aged 4 years
14. Hamzeel Ahmed, Silver house, aged 17 years
15. Adeel Mohamed, Friendly Beach house, 23 years
16. Ibrahim Rasheed, Night Queen house, aged 38 years
17. Maryam Rasheeda, Sea View house, aged 50 years
18. Moosa Mushaan Munavvar, Grans house, aged 2 years
19. Ahmed Zubair, Thirty Four house, aged 21 years
20. Maryam Mohamed, Vincent house, aged 49 years
21. Zoona Zuhair, Fonimaage, aged 35 years. 

The 2 individuals missing were:

1. Mohamed Aslam, Thirty Four house, 20 years
2. Maryam Shagaf Shakir, Naseemeege, 5 years 

The Enamaa boat incident which is known as the worst sea tragic incident which the nation still mourns after 13 years reminds us to follow the guidelines and rules strictly regarding maritime laws established in the country as a top priority area of focus during sea transport. It also gives us the lesson that our greed & unwholesome desires could blind us to the coming danger until it's too late.

President Abdulla Yameen and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo by: The Wire Website

China and Maldives have signed a Free Trade Agreement in a time when China seems to be getting ready to ramp up business ties across South Asia. China already has an Free Trade Agreement with Pakistan & is exploring FTA's with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. With the announcement of a free trade agreement between the two nations, India is known to be watching China’s increasing presence in the region very closely with concern & is yet to comment on the development. The controversial Maldives-China FTA was signed by Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed and Minister of Commerce of China Zhong Shan. President Abdullah Yameen’s government has described the China-Maldives FTA as a favorable development while the Opposition parties has voiced concern over its apparently quick negotiation. Below are some important facts about this deal that we know so far.

1. The China Maldives free trade agreement which commits both nations to reduce tariffs on most imported goods to zero – was passed with only 30 votes from ruling party lawmakers in the 85-member legislature. 

2. An emergency sitting was called to send the FTA to the national security committee & the oversight committee of parliament completed its review in a less than 10-minute closed-door meeting and the 1,000-plus page agreement was promptly approved in a less than one hour parliamentary process.

3. China Maldives free-trade agreement waive tariffs on more than 95 per cent of goods imported from both sides, along with a commitment to open service markets in finance, health care and tourism.

4. According to the Chinese ministry of commerce, the two countries would reduce tariffs of over 95 percent of goods to zero under the Free Trade Agreement

5. The decision to pursue a FTA between the two nations was made during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s historic state visit to the Maldives in September 2014.

6. The China Maldives Free Trade agreement would be the Maldives’ first bilateral free trade deal. 

7. Maldives is the second country in South Asia, after Pakistan, to enter into a FTA with China. A country which has got the largest manufacturing economy in the world, second largest importer of goods & world’s fastest growing consumer market.

8. Maldives’ opposition parties believes the FTA was signed in haste without sufficient parliamentary scrutiny and it would take the nation into a debt trap and bring instability in the Indian Ocean region. 

9. Government of Maldives believes the FTA with China is likely to further boost economic ties and bring tangible benefits to Maldivian importers and exporters. 

10. India is concerned about China’s emerging political and security nexus in the region with this FTA & according to the Indian media the biggest worry for India is that the FTA will draw the Maldives more closely into China’s security net.

Representational Image by: Salon Website

One of the famous quotes by renowned late US writer Mr. William S. Burroughs says: "My relationships with my cats has saved me from a deadly, pervasive ignorance". Today 8th August is marked as International Cat Day, created in the year 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, one of the largest animal welfare & charities in the world.  This day is about the recognition and veneration for cats. The day came into existence in the year 2002 by efforts by IFAW including support from some other animal legal rights groups such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a non profit NGO dedicated to prevent cruelty against animals. The festivities of the International Cat Day is all about to cheer & raise consciousness concerning cats around the globe. 

As we mark a day honoiring cats it is important that we know some "must know" facts regarding this animal. First of all, a male cat is called a tom, a female cat is called a molly or queen while young cats are called kittens. According to the statistics of animal rights groups, there are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with approximately 40 recognized breeds. Recent studies also reveals that both humans and cats have identical regions in their brains that are responsible for emotions. This animal which spends 2/3 of every day sleeping, aren't interested in sweet stuff because of a defect in the gene that codes for part of the mammalian sweet taste receptor.

As today is marked as International Cat Day, around the world countries are celebrating & honoring this animal by opening cat shops, parks for walking, sewing fashionable cloths and prepare delicious meals . For centuries cats have been valued by humans for companionship, so let us raise the awareness & show mercy towards this feline friend on this day. 

Words can change meaning over time -- especially when they are spoken by politicians. It left many of his 31 million followers on Twitter baffled as US President Mr.Donald Trump tweeted: “Despite the constant negative press covfefe”. The tweet had been active on Mr. Trump’s account without comment or clarification overnight and was not deleted until shortly before 6 AM the following morning. President Trump’s original “covfefe” post was re-tweeted 45,000 times in just 45 minutes while what’s less clear is why Mr.Trump only tweeted out what appears to be the first part of the tweet, leaving the sentence incomplete and with only a dependent clause to start it. Mr. Trump’s mysterious tweet has spawned memes and a lot of confusion as the Twitter community work out what he was trying to say. Later Trump replaced it with a tweet reading: “Who can figure out the true meaning of ‘covfefe’ ??? Enjoy!” But nobody really knows what it means. So, what is “covfefe”. Almost certainly, Mr. Donald Trump was trying to write the word "coverage" when he wrote "covfefe". Not only does it feature the same first three letters and fit neatly into the phrase "negative press coverage", it's one of Donald Trump's favorite words.  However White House Press Secretary Mr. Sean Spicer has given the answer to the question that set the Twitter on fire. When he was questioned on “covfefe” during a press conference, Mr Spicer told reporters: “The President and a small group of people know exactly what he meant”.? Mr.Trump’s use of “covfefe” has made world headlines, with Trump challenging his critics to figure out what on earth the word means after his tweet sparked an internet firestorm. However if Mr. Donald Trump doesn't mean what he says, maybe the best way to learn what he means by such words is to listen to his supporters.

Representational Image by: Square Space Website

You must have come upon a time in your life when you have stopped short in your tracks & asked yourself “Where am I now”. In fact each one of us must make it a point to stop one day whatever we are doing & ask ourselves this question. You would find it enlightening because though the question is simple it has a fact that you would wonder what the exact meaning of the question was or in what context it was asked.

Suddenly the question takes on new meanings, you start wondering which aspect of your life is tuned to that question. Is it about your personality? Is it about your job? Perhaps it’s about our future. Maybe it is even about relations & relationships. This is why you must have a direction to travel, not particularly on the highway but in your thoughts & on the road of your life.

Have you ever sat down & thought really hard about the direction of your life or have you until now lived one day at a time?

The world today is revolving & evolving so fast. So to live nowadays you have to plan in advance every aspect of your life & include everything that would touch you. Start with your happiness. What is it that makes you happy or sad or even disappointed? How can you change it for the better?

Some of us or should I say all of us hate change. But there comes a time in your life when you & I need to change. Humans are good at getting into relationships. We get comfortable with what we are, what we have, what we look like. Change is usually for the better though sometimes they may not look like that. But change is an important part of life to make a difference in our lives.

What do you want to become? Identify this first & work around it. What are your problems that you would be faced with? Should you approach it head on? Is there a more subtle way to get it? What makes you smile? If it is happiness that you are looking for, it makes sense to find the answers to these questions. If it is wealth that you want then you have to find ways to earn this wealth. However, the sad reality of life is that money doesn’t grow on trees.

Every story, even the story for change has a beginning, climax & an end. If it is your image you want to change, read about the people who have made a difference to their lives just by changing a hairstyle or just by changing an attitude. You can zoom in on ideas, principles & strategies to help you find solutions to some of the things that you need to apply the same change in your life. Life is precious & there is no point living life on unhappiness & negative outlooks. It’s a fact of life that we learn from other people’s experiences whether good or bad. We call this education. Education is not just found between the pages of our text books. Though I must say the pages hold very valuable information.

Learn to care about yourself, the people around you & the environment. Take some time to review your life. Does it need to be changed?

There are no accidental patterns in life. Everything in life has a meaning. It is for you to find out & spot the difference. No matter what happens in life, always keep a positive outlook. Maybe it may not bring much but would certainly be of help.

Learn to wake up your mind on what you want or in which direction you want your life to go on. Be clear about your vision for yourself. Otherwise you will be like a blind man. Seek out the one that you wish to travel upon. Don’t try to achieve everything in one go. It doesn’t happen that way. Always concentrate one goal at a time but make sure you write out all your goals in your heart in order of preference. Because everyone needs a sense of direction. 

Inside Tirumalai Nayak Palace of Madurai City. Photo by: Adam Mohamed 

Being a travel enthusiast I’ve always believed that travelling is a great way to meet different people from different backgrounds & to connect myself with their experiences. From 20^th to 27th April I've traveled to Madurai City which is the second largest city of Indian State Tamil Nadu in southeastern India.

Madurai City is one of the oldest cities in India which is an ancient city located on the banks of Vaigai River. I must say that Madurai City manages to hold its old world charm at this 21st Century through its rich history & culture. In terms of cleanliness & hygiene this city use to take elaborate measures to keep the city clean by daily sweeping while night sweeping is carried out in commercial areas and markets to keep them clean. All the credit goes to the Madurai Corporation which seeks cooperation from the people of the city, especially vendors, in keeping the city clean. Madurai has well-developed transport facilities with plans prepared to reduce the city traffic and traffic problems in suburbs by its traffic police while the floating population is much heavier in the city during the day time. Local Transport in Madurai is quite easily accessible. There are many different modes of transportation within Madurai like Car, Train, bus, Taxi & Auto-rickshaws. Madurai cuisine mainly comprises of vegetarian food while one of the main properties of Madurai cooking is that Masala’s are used in abundance & always ground fresh. Red chili, fresh coconut, garlic, tamarind, fenugreek & curry leaves are the most common condiments. Most of all rice is present at every meal in this city. Madurai is a good place to shop because in my experience it gives a good and memorable experience of street shopping for you. There isn’t many shopping Malls in this city, however Vishaal De Mal, Milan’em & Apple Shopping Mall will give you a shopping experience like no other with a perfect blend to fuel all your thirst for shopping. The large number of tourist attractions in Madurai City will keep you busy during your time here. Besides, there are a plenty other things that you can do to make this getaway worth it. The city has a number of historical monuments, with the Meenakshi Amman Temple and Tirumalai Nayak Palace being the most prominent. Though the people of the city are slowly adopting the modern lifestyle, it is largely seen that the people of Madurai take great pride in their rich cultural heritage & and high moral values. Most of all Madurai people believe in simplicity and are hardworking and cultured.

Madurai's unique link with the jasmine flower is something which I noticed in my 8 day stay at this city. When in Madurai, you cannot escape the heady fragrance of jasmine flowers throughout the city life.  In a time when young people are losing out on the history, culture & tradition & if you would still like to witness a traditional yet modern city I advise that Madurai City is the place to be.

Cubot Cheetah mobile phone. Photo by: GSM Arena Website

Yesterday I have bought a new mobile as my last mobile Sony Xperia C5 Ultra was facing some touch screen problems & is going to lose its display soon according to a technician. This time it’s a Chinese brand named Cubot Cheetah which is user friendly as it also runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Many may have not heard of this brand before but Cubot is a brand of Android smartphones manufactured in China & this company has released a few smartphones over the last 6 months. Cubot Cheetah is the latest smartphone from the esteemed Chinese tech company. Cheetah mobile is equipped with 5.5-Inch FULL HD IPS capacitive screen. There are two cameras; the front, and the back one. The primary camera has a 13-Megapixel Samsung-built sensor with bright f/2.0 aperture and Phase detection autofocus system. Bellow the camera there is very bright 1A LED flash for better low light photography. Cubot Cheetah comes with 32GB of storage capacity & can also insert micro SD card up to 64GB. This mobile can use dual SIM cards while the device has 3050mAh lithium-ion non-removable battery. The phone has also got a 1080p resolution with a fingerprint sensor at its back.

The 11^th mobile phone which I’ve bought surely may not be the best brand in the market, but I believe that the first fruit of the cooperation between the Cubot and Cheetah Mobile companies has a lot to offer in its good price range at the market currently. 

Me exercising at the Xtreme Fitness gym

I know that this sounds silly to some, but I was scared of going to a gym at first when I thought about it.  Basically, I wasn’t the sort of person to train at the gym but today for the first time at my life I've started attending a gym named Xtreme Fitness Maldives. I don’t believe the right motivation is the answer to all of life’s problems but I knew why I wanted to go to the gym long before I had the courage to do so.  After my first day at the gym I've realized that  actually I wasn't  afraid of the gym all these time but what I'm actually afraid of is the ambiguity of the gym. So what I want now is to immerse myself in gym culture and understand how to use the equipment by learning the details of gym etiquette. Today when I attended the gym at evening, I walked into the gym with butterflies in my stomach but I knew that the feeling wouldn’t be around for long. I’ll only be here for a couple of minutes and my fears started to fade.  I don’t believe it’s as easy to act confident as some people suggest but it’s always better to practice than remaining in the dark. So I've decided to continue the gym classes until I feel what i want within myself. 

Official logo for International Day of Yoga

"This year’s observance of the International Day of Yoga highlights the important role healthy living plays in the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted last year by all 193 United Nations Member States” says UN Secretary General Mr. Ban-Ki-Moon on the occasion of the 2^nd International Day of Yoga marked on 21^st June of each year by resolution 69/131 of United Nations. Yoga which means to join or unite is a 5,000-year-old ancient physical, mental & spiritual practice that originated in India, which is said to balance human being’s physical health & mental well-being. This year’s theme for International Yoga Day is; Yoga for harmony & peace.

Even though many have proposed to celebrate a Yoga Day, it was on 11^th December 2014, that the UN General Assembly declared 21^st June as the International Day of Yoga. The declaration came after the call for the adoption of 21^st June as International Day of Yoga by Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on 27^th September 2014. There are nine different forms of Yoga according to Indian sage Patanjali who is known as the father of the modern Yoga who assimilated and included all aspects of Yoga into a certain format and authored the Yoga sutras. The nine forms of Yoga includes; Hatha yoga, Kundalini yoga, Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, Jnana yoga, Raja yoga, Mantra yoga, Tantra yoga & Kriya yoga. As the world marks the second International Day of Yoga, thousands of people from all walks of life across the globe aimed at spreading the message of 'Yoga for peace and harmony' are performing Yoga exercises to support the yoga initiative with several events.  

International Yoga Day aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga. People across the globe have benefited by the practice of Yoga for decades and many believe that the official recognition by the UN would further spread the benefit of Yoga to the entire world. 

The Taj Hotel of Mumbai which offers a splendid view of Gateway of India. Photo by: Adam Mohamed 

Traveling is more than just the seeing stuff & going places because it’s a great way to meet other humans & connecting yourself with others. From 19^th to 21^st March I've traveled to Mumbai City which is best known as the financial capital of India.

Firstly, Mumbai which is famous as the heart of the Hindi-language film industry of India is a densely populated city located at Western side of the country. This city which is known as the financial capital of India is chaotic and crowded full of dreamers, hardworking individuals, starlets and gangsters. Even though I saw a lot of sign and boards requesting to keep Mumbai clean, India’s commercial capital is not a clean city upon my experience as I’ve seen many public places with trash with funky smells. Surely Mumbai is undoubtedly crowded and stuffed with traffic but there’s an excellent local transport system establishes at the city which includes trains, buses, taxis and auto rickshaws. However in my experience the most relaxing way to travel within Mumbai is the black and yellow taxis which is fairly cheap & can be spotted everywhere. The cuisines of Mumbai boast of rich taste and impressive flavors.  Rice, aromatic fish curries, Indian bread, vegetable curries, pulses and desserts, coconuts, cashew nuts, peanuts and peanut oil are some of the major ingredients used in most of Mumbai's dishes. Mumbai City is truly a great shopping destination with Malls, street markets & several shopping areas around the city. In general I could say that shopping in Mumbai depends on what kind of shopping experience you prefer according to your budget. Although life in Mumbai is certainly busy there are unique and interesting sights that you can visit and spend your day which also could be the most exhilarating sights and appealing destinations that you’ve ever came through. Mumbai has unique and interesting sites from the recognized monument Gateway of India to Heritage buildings, Parks, Beaches and lots of other interesting places which will never let you feel boredom. For a city that never sleeps, the late night hangouts at Mumbai could be more happening for you at the atmospheric streets.

Mumbai was a great stop in my tours so far in India with friendly people and chaotic times which never made me feel boring. During my 3 days at Mumbai I did a lot of walking at this city & I could say that walking through the streets is the best way to explore Mumbai City. 

he Sabarmati Riverfront of Ahmedabad City. Photo by: Adam Mohamed

Yet again I’m here to share you one of my travel experiences at India, the multi ethnic nation. From 10^th to 19^th March I've visited Ahmedabad  the biggest city of Gujarat, a state in Western India.

Ahmedabad is divided into two parts. Firstly the old city lies on the east side of the Sabarmati River while the new city is at the west side of the river with wider streets, several major universities, and many middle-class neighborhoods.  Emerged as an important economic and industrial hub in India, Ahmedabad is the 6^th largest city of India. Ahmedabad is a hot semi dry city where beginning the day hanging out at the Sabarmati riverfront is absolutely blissful. The cuisine of Ahmedabad is a blend of several flavors. Ahmedabad cuisine mainly consists of vegetarian dishes. However, non-vegetarian delicacies are also available in the restaurants. The meals of this city usually consist of rice, bread, rotli and vegetable curry where an extensive level of ghee is used to prepare the dishes. There are various means of transport in Ahmedabad, so getting around in the city is very easy. In Ahmedabad, you can hire the private taxis for your transportation needs within the city while for short distances, people prefer rickshaws. Auto is easily available and auto guy will not able to cheat you because meter is strictly enforced. When it comes to public transportation in Ahmedabad, buses are the most common mean of transport used by people. Due to so many cloth mills in this city, Ahmedabad is known as the most popular shopping destination of the state with a broad variety of Items with a plenty of shopping malls. There are number of interesting places to see in and around the city like splendid monuments, wonderful museums and gorgeous lakes. One of the most popular tourist spot of Ahmedabad is Sabarmati Ashram, a museum about life and work of former Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi. During my visit to Ahmedabad I also made a one day visit to Gandhinagar, the capital of the state of Gujarat. Gandhinagar which is regarded as the modernized twin city of Ahmedabad is situated about 25 kilo meters from Ahmedabad. Known for its colourful culture and delicious authentic Gujarati food, Akshardham Temple is the most popular tourist attraction in the city. 

According to my experience, the people of Ahmedabad are one of the sweetest & most friendly people you’ll come across in India. Ahmedabad is also known as one of the safest cities in India where you can roam around without fear even in the latest hours of midnight. In a country like India where people are so desperate to ruin their surroundings, I could agree that this city is one of the cleanest cities which I’ve visited so far in India. 

The design of the China-Maldives Friendship bridge

The construction of the China-Maldives Friendship which is known as the largest infrastructure projects in the country has received a lot of criticism over the years.  According to the Maldivian government, the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge is the most prioritized project of this government.

Former Vice President Mr. Ahmed Adeeb & Chinese Minister of Commerce Mr. Gao Yan unveiled the design of the “China-Maldives Friendship Bridge” in an animated video presentation at a ceremony held at the surf point area of Male City at 07^th September 2015. As per the request of Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping the name Male-Hulhule Bridge was changed to the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge & a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries, to officially name the Male-Hulhule Bridge as the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge. According to Ministry of Housing & Infrastructure of Maldives, half of the project would be financed by a grant provided by the Chinese government, and the other half by a soft loan obtained by the government. The government previously estimated that the project will cost US$300, which was to be financed through US$100 million in Chinese grant aid, a US$170 million loan from China, and US$30 million from the Maldivian state budget.  Housing Ministry of Maldives reported that the Chinese Government had shortlisted China Railway Major Bridge Engineering, CCCC Second Harbor Engineering and Shizuan Road and Bridge Construction. Out of these 3 parties, CCCC Second Harbor Engineering has succeeded the project, scoring the highest on the technical scale and the lowest on the pricing. As the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge is the most prioritized project of this government, Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping has also stated that China will fully support the China Maldives Friendship Bridge project.

The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge will span from Male City’s eastern edge to the western corner of the island of Hulhulé, where the airport is located. The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge is to be 1.39 km long and 20 meters wide & the total cost of the bridge project is $200 Million.The Bridge would have two lanes for four-wheel vehicles, two lanes for motorcycles, and a separate lane each for bicycles and pedestrians. The bridge also comes with solar panels to generate 4-6 megawatts، as well as، a system to generate energy from the waves، making it an environment-friendly bridge according to the Environment Ministry of Maldives. The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge which is to be built from the Tsunami Monument in Male to the southern end of the airport’s runway is estimated to be completed in the year 2018.