The Ministry of Education has revealed it may lift the ban on mobile phones in schools in the UAE. They say that mobile phones may be used as "educational tools". How they plan on doing that, I don't know. But I do back their idea. If they do lift the ban, there'll be celebrations in my school and classrooms will be filled with beeps of phones and students swarming around a phone to watch a video or game. As far as "educational tools" go, how do mobile phones qualify as promoters of education? Do they expect the teacher to communicate to us through SMS or something? Mobile phones will definitely help us in our exams though. No more whispering and passing notes, bluetooth and SMS will help us. If anyone knows how education can be imparted by mobile phones, please enlighten me.
Also in Emirates Today, parents were criticising Etisalat for introducing entertainment services for 6 year olds with mobile phones. One of them said:
"As it is, he spends most of his time watching cartoons, playing video games and the PlayStation. I would prefer my son to spend more time with nature rather than staying indoors. Now the new service is only going to keep him indoors more"
Well, if you really wanted your son to spend more time outdoors, why did you:
- Buy the PlayStation
- Allow him to watch cartoons, and
- Give him a mobile phone?????????
Why don't you try chucking the PlayStation, TV and mobile out of the window. Your son will become Tarzan in twenty days.
There is a nice article on Page 22 of Emirates Today which supports my view: Etisalat is not to blame, its the parents. Etisalat doesn't buy the mobiles, does it? Leave poor Etisalat out of it for once. All they were doing was carrying out their "Get rich or monopolise tryin'" agenda.
Hopefully the parents will see light. Until then, best of luck to those Ministry guys trying to improve our school life!
Well Football Fever has descended on Dubai. I've been reading reports of hotels for "Football Widows", divorces over football and tips in Emirates Today on how to survive the World Cup. I myself am not that crazy over all this football thing. I mean, I play football but I don't obsess over it. All my classmates and friends have been talking only about the World Cup. And now my dad. I was so shocked when he refused to change the radio channel (he had put on the channel which was giving football commentary). Even more shocking was that he had downloaded the matches schedule and was keeping a list with the scores.
The worst bit was when he made us watch Japan vs. Brazil in the Lamcy Plaza food court 'till 1 am! And it was unbelievable when he gave me Dh. 20 for buying fries during the match (he usually just tells me fries are ridiculously expensive and fattening). Though it was interesting seeing Lamcy Plaza all closed down and dark at 1 am.
Most people would be wondering what kind of person I am, not liking football. The truth is I would be probably very excited if I could see the matches on TV, but since the subcription is unfairly expensive, I can't. So now I've decided not too obsess over the World Cup too much. It'll be a waste of time making scorecards and why bother when it really doesn't affect me. I would like to see the final match, but for now I find it quite pointless to stand outside cafés trying to catch a minute or two of a match.
For now I'm trying to avoid Lamcy Plaza and cafés which show the world cup, because I don't want to end up amidst roaring crowds till 1 am. I've also downloaded this excel file with all the match schedules. The file updates itself with all the current scores when I connect to the internet, so I don't need to keep making scorecards and reading through newspapers for my father.
Thank God the world cup happens only once in four years (or was it two? - I don't remember).
I'm back to blogging after a very long break. My school started and I could hardly find time for anything. Grade nine is proving to be very tough. They simply give too much homework, leaving hardly any time for breathing and sleeping. My First Term exams just ended and I feel like someone trying to choke me with a steal chain has dissapeared. Now I'm bored and stuck in this boiling pot (otherwise known as the "City of Gold", hopefully the gold won't melt).
I've been asking my parents to send me back to India for my holidays, but no luck. We'll be going only in August. Of course, there are many excuses they have given me: power cuts, Delhi is almost as hot as Dubai, you'll trouble your grandparents, cousins have school etc; etc; But in Delhi, atleast they'll have the FIFA World Cup (cable TV is much cheaper there), and there'll rains to cool down the weather. Better than sitting in Dubai, staring at the biggest Summer Suprise of 'em all- the weather report.
Well, now I'm going to be posting regularly again. For an interesting insight into teen life in Dubai, keep reading.
