LET OUR VALUES EMERGE - UAE Exchange · 2016. 12. 14. · Xpressions - Year End Special 2016 3 Year...

Volume 16 | Issue 08 | Year End Special 2016LET OUR VALUES EMERGE

Xpressions - Year End Special 2016 3

Year End Special 2016 Volume 16

Issue 08

INSIDE

08 Economic News 09 Xpress Money

10 News Excerpts

13 HR Faccia

15 HR Awards

18 Awards & Rewards

19 Competition & Contest

16

IN EVERY ISSUE

04 Editorial

05 MD’s Message

06 Chief’s Message

07 News From Abudhabi

INSIGHT

26 HEALTH CORNER

21 Hilarious Moments

22 V G Nair

23 Life Style

24 Feature

27 Women’s Corner

28 Responsium

29 Flavours of India

30 Year End Thoughts

31 Special Days

32 Cook’s Arena

34 Photoshoot

35 Matrimonio Bells Fun Side

Cover photo - by Serene Abraham AO Creative communication

MizoraMLand of the hiLL peopLe

How to Stay IN SHapEwhile working in an office

harvest complete, farming dormant, our earthly cycle of seed-to-life lays at rest in the

winter months. Death of earthly life - whether animal or vegetable or human - merely represents greater spiritual cycles. The symbols of true power lie not in the longest lifespan or fertile soils, but in the flexible spirit within each of us to recognize and experience an awakening of greater good amidst our darkest days.

After the harvests each year, the cycle of sustenance begins anew. A waiting period for the planting season provides the opportunity for us to reflect on the harvest and plant the seeds of food we prefer and need to sustain us. We tend the garden with nourishing water and fertilize the soil to provide the opportunity for an abundant harvest. Then, we wait for our effort to sprout and grow.

In our Spiritual gardens, we must also take great care to plant only the seeds of thought and desire that will result in our greatest crop of abundance in the future we choose to create. We must consciously align the rows of beliefs and goal, and allow opportunity for what we truly want in life to blossom and grow to the fullest potential.

Like the agrarian society of centuries

Editor’s Deskebby abrahameditor-in-Chief

CorrespondentDurai Raj R

Year End Special 2016 Volume 16

Issue 08

4 Xpressions - Year End Special 2016

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Editorial Office2nd Floor, Krishna Hospital Building, MG Road, Kochi - 682 011 Tel. No: 0484 3047092Email: [email protected]

Visit uswww.uaeexchangeindia.com

Resiliencepast, our Spiritual farmers use the Christmas season to regroup and give thanks. We face the New Year soon after the solstice, and with it comes the uncertainty of survival of new ideas and experiences.

Under the shining star of wisdom, we give birth to new possibilities and ways of thinking and soon after, we leave our past behind and dare to use the resources of our soul we put away for the cold days of our life’s work. We celebrate the end of one way of life in the present year, and move forward, sometimes reluctantly, into new beginnings knowing no matter how intensely we dig our heels into the old calendar and our old ways, time progresses and we must move with it.

From Christmas to Easter, to summer and autumn, we recognize and enjoy the life cycles of time and earth’s gifts. Similarly, we must remember to appreciate the cyclic nature of our awareness as it shifts naturally with maturity and responses to life experience. At every turn, gratefulness boosts our lives and enriches the soil of our contented hearts.

At Christmas, we reflect upon what we grew this past year through the garden of relationships, for the crop of consciousness serving as building blocks

for the coming year. When we reserve enough good in the storehouse of your soul, life finds a way to continue us through difficulties and challenges. Death of old dusty attitudes and ideas offers us the opportunity to sweep away what no longer serves us and clears the path for new information and enlightenment. In the centre of the clearing, lies the opportunity for a rebirth of Spirit, moving us ever forward toward an abundant future.

“In our Spiritual gardens, we must also take great care to plant only the seeds of thought and desire that will result in our greatest crop of abundance in the future we choose to create.”

5Xpressions - Year End Special 2016

MD’s MessageV George antonyManaging director

During the course of our life, we pass through a lot of signals which come and go in front of

us asking us to adopt those changes, but unfortunately we don’t see or accept many of them. Certain changes are opportunities that just go wasted because of our other priorities or simple terms laziness or negativity. Our eyes and ears are not interested to receive such changes or don’t have time. By observing things around or by listening to people, we get ideas and our horizon widens and we make decisions to change our self and our future course of actions.

We need to practice and tune our mind to look for change ideas and make it work for us all throughout our life. It equips us to begin making decisions for ourselves, to test ourselves, and to understand ourselves and make us unique. We must develop the ability to act by ourselves and for ourselves.

Successful leaders are created by self-initiative, self-creativity, self-decision and

self-working. We cannot be led to success but we have to lead our self to success.

Be the change agent you desire to see for yourself or else perish with many reasons and excuses.

A New Digital World- Are we prepared!

We live in a world where we have a treasure of knowledge in the internet and social networking sites offering ample information to its readers. YouTube plays a vital role in educating innovative things without the hassle of reading.

The enormous opportunity to learn and understand the new trends and get upgraded is the power of the day. Education system would be going through a sea of change in the days to come.

Online/Internet access makes traveling easy, shorter, hassle-free and risk-free for the people. Digital currency will bring drastic changes in the payment and settlements procedures. Every individual will be identified/tracked by digital

authentication, one of the intelligent movement for the prevention of frauds.

The world is becoming smarter and every individual should have an email, website, mobile, and accounts in social networking sites, like Facebook, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn, Twitter etc. It needs to be upgraded from time to time with correct details so that we can project ourselves in a better way. The same goes with business establishments also.

Are we prepared our self for this change? Are business houses prepared for this change? Are shops and establishments prepared for this change? We will be forced to change or else perish with reasons and excuses.

Invisible Changes which drive us!

“Successful leaders are created by self-initiative, self-creativity, self-decision and self-working”


9th November 2016 will be long remembered in India for the bold step taken by Government

to demonetize 500 and 1000 rupees notes. Currently 85% of Rupee notes in circulation belong to 500 and 1000 denomination, Which is staggering 16.5 billion pieces of INR 500 notes and 6.7 billion pieces of INR 1000 rupee, which is getting recalled through banking and postal channels, the operational pressure on the banking industry will understandably be tremendous till financial system stabilises which can take over the next few weeks.

Various analysis estimate that over 50% of Indian economy is driven by black money which is the main driving force for the industry like real estate, jewelry business, private educational instructions, hospitals, entertainment industry, sale of second end premium vehicles, donations to trust, NGO etc. On another front most of the illegal activities like human trafficking, bribery, sale of psychotropic substances, terror funding, counterfeit notes, high level of corruption is an add on menace of cash centric economy like ours.

Chief’s Message

Ratnakumar R, Chief compliance officer, india

Such strong measure by government needs elaborate planning and financial infrastructure building, if we analyse what has happened over the last couple of years to provide the foundation to support such a disruptive move and to ensure that the common man is not adversely affected or inconvenienced. The launch of the simplified bank account opening schemes, the advent of mobile wallets for small payments and licensing of payment banks and finally the introduction of UPI has helped build a legitimate system that can be effectively and easily used in the absence or limited circulation of cash.

With the introduction of the black money voluntary disclosure scheme, which arguably evoked a limited response, black money holders were given a fair chance to come clean and not lose it all. The decision to do away with INR 500 and INR 1000 rupees notes as legal tender as of today will cause heartburn to most of those who decided not to opt for the voluntary disclosure scheme while the opportunity existed.

It will be critical for us to quickly consider new scenarios and evaluate enhancements and/or modifications in our

transaction monitoring systems to better identify transactions, especially those involving forex purchase and sale, MTSS remittances, Gold loans, NPA monitoring, XPay Cash Wallet and all our cash-intensive businesses.

As systems would take a few days to kick in the desired alerts, we need to be well advised to communicate the impact of this situation to our front end staff and customer facing staff in the interim to enable the raising of manual alerts to AML team and report any suspicious transactions or attempted transactions. There will be a possibility that some of the black money to slip back into the legitimate financial system and we should ensure that our system is not allowed to any such conduits.

While we wait and watch the impact as the situation unfolds, kudos to the government for a well thought-out strategy that will provide a significant boost to the fight against money laundering.

effects of DeMonetisation

NEwS - ABU DHABI

UaE ExcHaNgE cElEbratES Customer serviCe Week

Customer Service Week commemorates customer service excellence. UAE Exchange

recently celebrated Customer Service Week throughout its operations in 31 countries across 5 continents. It was organised from 9th to 13th October in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); and from 10th to 14th October in Africa, America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and other Middle Eastern countries.

“The Customer is the nucleus of every activity of ours. A key driver for superior customer experience is perfect customer service. We understand that empowered and dedicated professionals only can ensure that. Hence, we reinforce our culture of customer-centricity by making sure that our customer-facing employees are well trained and empowered to bring maximum delight to customers. Customer Service Week is our way of celebrating the culture of service in customer care and how our every step is towards enhancing customer experience further,” said Promoth Manghat, Chief Executive Officer, UAE Exchange Group.

Customer Service Week is the opportunity to celebrate service to customers. It also reminds the organisation to enhance its employees’ service capabilities, infrastructure and skills to ensure customer experience is at its best always. Towards which the organisation might have to train, boost and encourage a customer-first mindset through the line of operations. It raises awareness about creating exceptional customer experiences and on cross-functional collaboration that are recipes for sustainability and success.

At UAE Exchange, the focus is on customer convenience and service excellence, which is why every product, service, process and latest technology is engineered in that direction. The brand invests in training, appreciating and motivating its employees regularly to ensure continuous excellence in customer service. UAE Exchange also uses this opportunity to recognise those executives, who have attempted to achieve excellence in customer care and set new standards.


UaE ExcHaNgE to aCquire remit2india

UAE Exchange has reached a deal to acquire online remittance business Remit2India from

Indian digital payment firm TimesofMoney. Remit2India had more than 500,000 mainly Indian expat customers across the US, Canada, Australia and other countries. The transaction forms part of UAE Exchange’s plans to boost its online presence and the company said it would improve its customer proposition across key western markets.

Dr. B. R. Shetty, Chairman of the UAE Exchange Group and Vice Chairman of the Travelex Group, said, “This is a significant step for us and is fully aligned with our strategy to expand and excel in the digital space. Remit2India is a pioneer in online remittances and we look forward to combining our expertise and knowledge as the world’s leading remittance business with Remit2India technology, to complement and accelerate our growth.”

Speaking on the deal, Mr. Promoth Manghat, CEO of UAE Exchange Group said, “Digital is going to be a key driver of this industry with consumer adoption gaining tailwinds and we expect a significant surge in this digital opportunity. We are excited about working with the management team of Remit2India, who were instrumental in successfully building this global online remittance business. We believe, our global infrastructure and expected synergies with Remit2India, will add significant value to customers and provide a tailor-made solution to the banks and other institutional partners using TimesofMoney’s remittance platform.”

The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of next year subject to approvals. UAE Exchange handled $27.56bn transactions last year and has 800 branches across 31 countries. Courtesy: Gulf News

UaE ExcHaNgE partNErS With sony Playstation for ‘goCash’

UAE Exchange, the leading global remittance, foreign exchange and payment solutions provider,

has partnered with Sony PlayStation for co-branding its popular multicurrency prepaid card, ‘gocash’.

Commenting on the tie-up, Rajesh G K, Chief Product Officer, UAE Exchange, said: “Sony PlayStation is a great brand to engage Millennials. Through this association, the Sony PlayStation customers will experience the security, convenience and flexibility that ‘gocash’ multicurrency prepaid card has to offer. With ‘gocash’, we want to enhance their experience as they explore the world.”

Robert Fisser, Vice President and General Manager-Middle East, Africa, Turkey and India of Sony PlayStation said, “We are excited about our association with UAE Exchange. Our objective is to take Sony PlayStation experience to the broadest audience and this partnership is a clear step in this direction.”

‘gocash’, a multicurrency prepaid card offered by UAE Exchange, presents its customers with a one-stop payment method and can carry six currencies (out of sixteen available options) at a time including US dollars.

Courtesy: The Gulf Today


ECONOMIC NEwS

The blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that records transactions on thousands of

computers globally, and the transactions cannot be altered retrospectively. A blockchain consists of blocks that hold batches of valid transactions. By storing data across its network, the blockchain eliminates the risks that come with data being held centrally. Its network lacks centralized points of vulnerability that computer hackers can exploit. Today’s Internet has security problems that are familiar to everyone. We all rely on the “username/password” system to protect our identity and assets online. Blockchain security methods use cryptographic technology.

Blockchain technology underlying the ‘Bitcoin’ crypto currency has created lot of buzz in the technology landscape compared to any other technology in the past. Perhaps, blockchain is considered to be the biggest disruption post ‘internet’.

The wide applicability and comprehensiveness of the technology coupled with trust, transparency and security makes it a suitable candidate for larger adoption. World over, experiments are taking place to find out the best usage and use case for blockchain across the industry verticals.

In the last year alone, we have seen more than $1 billion being spent by global financial institutions in activities related to blockchain and crypto currencies; we expect the spend to increase going forward across industry. A recent report by World Economic Forum (WEF) says that 80% of banks are predicted to start blockchain projects by 2017 and $1.4

billion has been invested into the technology over the past three years. 90 central banks are looking at the technology. In the Indian context even RBI is optimistic about advantages of using blockchain to prevent cheque frauds. Further, WEF recognizes the value drivers which attract global banks to adopt blockchain. Distributed ledger, or blockchain, brings operational simplification, counterparty risk reduction, clearing & settlement time reduction, liquidity & capital improvement, and fraud minimization.

fundamentally, the adoption of blockchain across banks requires following building blocks;1. Clearly articulated strategy around what and how to use blockchain2. Clearly articulated use cases across the bank3. Clear understanding of the blockchain technology landscape, scope and potential4. Clearly defined working and operating model of node and network across the participating banks within the network5. Clearly defined governance model6. Online real time capable core banking solution in the back end

Indian banks are in an envious position compared to any other banks globally when it comes to core banking transformation. More than 90% of Indian banks are on real-time online, centralized core banking solution. Regulators in India are way ahead when it comes to their futuristic and forward looking approach to technology adoption. This includes online real time payment systems, connectivity, adoption of ISO 20022 standards and introduction of UPI, usage of Aadhar, mobility to drive JanDhan, and

financial inclusion.Well established and scalable interbank

connectivity coupled with online near real time payment infrastructure makes banks in India a perfect candidate to carry out blockchain adoption. With a leading bank like ICICI carrying out the successful PoC with ENBD in UAE, a corridor has been established that can be leveraged by other banks also by mutual consent & agreement. Indian banks can leverage blockchain to introduce automation across trade-finance, remittances, funds transfer, open account transactions, and identity services around KYC, smart contracts, and secure documents space.

There is huge potential for Indian banks to garner the remittances from across the globe through blockchain network. India is recipient of more than $70 billion in remittances annually, the largest globally. Indian banks are perfectly positioned to extend the blockchain usage across all their correspondent banking arrangements worldwide. Indian IT infrastructure is also a big enabler for Indian banks to quickly adopt blockchain technology, whether it is reliable network connectivity across the nation, or more than 900 million mobile subscribers, availability of SMS, USSD and mobile app based financial transaction services landscape.

The Indian banking sector is well and truly poised to become the leader in blockchain adoption, and a role model for all other banks to follow the world over.

Courtesy: Business World

are indian Banks ready for blockcHaIN aDoptIoN?


infloWs of remittanCe to see a 5 Per Cent deCline: World Bank

More than US$600 billion in remittances flowed across the world last year, sent home

by expats and migrants according to the World Bank. These remittances promote global equality, help developing markets with liquidity boosts, and spur investment in infrastructure, health care and business.

World Bank data reveals that 3.4 per cent of the world’s population – or some 250 million people – are living outside their country of origin. Most of them are looking for better economic prospects and better quality of life. And many of them remit money back home regularly, the data reveals. The UAE is the world’s third-largest outward remitter, coming in just behind Saudi Arabia at number two – making it a given then that remittances are an essential part of a UAE expat’s life. But is there an ideal time to remit money?

XPRESS MoNEy

faCtors that affeCt remittanCes Xpress Money research indicates that up

to 75 per cent of all transactions happen during the last five days of a month and the first 10 days of the new month. Money transfer outlets are busier during this period. But how busy exchange houses are, has no effect on the exchange rate. In fact, exchange rates are determined by global market movements first, based on which exchange houses arrive at their rates.

With accessibility to money exchange options much better today (major local exchange houses have branches across the country), the customer has a choice to remit any time through the week to avoid queues during peak remittance days. Again, the time and day has no bearing on the exchange rates available.

The blue- collar remitters are those supporting families back home, who don’t have the luxury of waiting for ideal rates.

These customers base their remittance schedules on their financial commitments and the needs of their family back home without worrying about decimal points.

White-collar expats, on the other hand, are in high-powered jobs and often have the freedom to time their remittances to coincide with favourable exchange rates. They pool their resources, and wait for the ideal time to transfer money back home because they’re not bound by a monthly schedule of overseas commitments.

You could argue that remittance fees and overheads matter more than minute currency fluctuations in determining value for the customer. This is only true for smaller sums of money. For power remitters sending home very large sums of money, the fluctuating decimal could fetch the customer huge gains in the receiving currency.

Xpress Money, one of the world’s most dependable money transfer brands – saw a 20% growth in its Qatar business in 2015 as compared to 2014. The brand has

been witnessing a steady growth in Qatar, in excess of 20% for the last few years. Though the World Bank has stated that weak economic growth and low oil prices have dampened the growth of remittances from the GCC, Xpress Money’s business has seen Qatar defy this trend. This observation was made by Xpress Money COO Sudhesh Giriyan during a media meet in the city on Thursday, November 3, 2016.

Qatar is the best performing GCC country for Xpress Money. The company has invested in developing a strong network of over 100 locations across Qatar to cater to the increasing demand for its services. This brand affinity comes from the fact that Xpress Money services are fast and secure with extremely competitive exchange rates and transfer fees.

qatar is the Best Performing gCC Country for XPress money

While India will still remain the top recipient of remittances in the world, the World Bank estimates that the total remittance flows to India

in 2016 would come down to $65.5 billion from $69 billion in 2015. Remittances from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries continued to decline due to lower oil prices and labour market ‘nationalisation’ policies in Saudi Arabia.

While weak economic growth and low oil prices have reduced remittances from Russia and Gulf Cooperation Council, the World Bank noted that structural factors such as the labour market ‘nationalization’ policies in some GCC countries and exchange controls in many countries faced with adverse balance of payments and falling international reserves have also impacted flows.

NEWS ExcErptS


36th Anniversary celebration of UAE Exchange

UAE Exchange celebrated 36th anniversary on 24th October 2016 at Abad plaza, Kochi in the presence of MD, Mr V George Antony, employees and media

persons. The celebration started with the prayer song followed by introduction speech by Mr V George Antony about UAE Exchange and versatile set of products. He also spoke about bringing foreign exchange and other products to next level of digitalization. Some of the employees shared their memories with UAE Exchange.

UAE Exchange best known for the transparent and easy foreign exchange services has been in the industry for 36 years globally and 17 years nationally. Company with its widespread branch network and highly customized services are moving ahead at a fast pace in the journey towards digitalization.

MD Mr V George Antony at IAMAI- Digital Money 2016

Internet & Mobile Association of India organized Digital Money 2016 on 6th and 7th October 2016 at Mumbai. Mr. V George Antony was one of the speakers of the program. He spoke about

the topic ‘Uses & Business case for faster Corporate Payments’ in the session.

UAE Exchange India conducts Press Meet in support of Digital economy

In connection with the sudden replacement of Rs 500 and Rs1000 notes from Indian financial market. UAE Exchange India conducted Press Meet in support of Digital economy

through the digital app, XPay Cash Wallet. In support to the drastic change, MD, UAE Exchange, India

Mr.V George Antony expressed his full support through his words, “Foreseeing this, years back, UAE Exchange India had applied and got license from RBI for XPay Digital Wallet as early as 2009. Now we stand as a pioneer in digital payment with a fully functional XPay Cash Wallet. ”

XPay cash wallet will support every Indian in this financial emergency and in the future also.

Customer meet at Cherpulasery branch

A meeting of the customers was conducted at Cherpulassery branch on 15/10/2016.The chief guests of the meeting Dr Krishnadas and Dr Marry Krishnadas inaugurated the function. Regional head Mr

Satheesh presided over the meeting .More than 35 customers participated in the meeting. RH presented a session regarding our company and products to the customers with slide show presentation. Branch head Mr Dileep Puthiyedath explained the advantages of Xpay cash wallet with the help of power point presentation. There was active participation from the customers through their feedback and suggestions about the services of the company. A Quiz competition and other entertainment games were conducted followed by vote of thanks by staff Mr Ansarali.

NEWS ExcErptS


Customer meet - Khammam

Khammam Branch of UAE Exchange India conducted customer meet in Presence of Zonal Head Mr N Gopi

and Regional Head Mr Ramesh.Zonal Head welcomed the gathering and

explained about our company profile and products. RH briefed about the benefits of Xpay cash wallet and Insurance product. The customers gave feedback by sharing their experience with the company and services.

Classical dance performed by two children of customers’ entertained the crowd.

Bhimavaram 5th Anniversary and customer meet

A meeting of the customers along with 5th anniversary of the branch was conducted at Bhimavaram

branch. Around 32 customers including 10 HNI customers attended the function. RH Mr Ramesh Sriramoji spoke about the company and benefits of Xpay cash wallet. Feedback was also collected from the customers.

As a part of PR activity free pollution check up camp for the vehicles was conducted in front of the branch. Details were collected from the participants along with the insurance details of the vehicles.

UAE Exchange India inaugurates new branch in Kundapur

For providing excellent customer service at a greater pace, UAE Exchange India inaugurated new

branch in Kundapur, Karnataka on 10 October 2016.

Mr. V George Antony, Managing Director, UAE Exchange, India inaugurated the new branch in the presence of Kundapur Rotary President, Mr.Abu Shaikh, Zonal Head, Mr Gopinath, Regional Head, Mr Sharath Shetty, Branch Head and around 30 customers.

UAE Exchange supports Swantons

Swantons Cricket Club in association with SG Cricket School, Club FM 94.3, Hypertech Holograms Dubai

and UAE Exchange & Financial Services has conducted a tournament on 12th November 2016.

Mr. V George Antony, MD, UAE Exchange India formally inaugurated the tournament at Palace Oval Ground, Tripunithura and expressed his comprehensive support for the participants and the association.

Diwali is the joy of giving and celebrating with poor families and street kids

Diwali is a very significant Hindu festival celebrated every year as a festival of lights. Everyone

becomes very happy on the event of this festival and celebrates with lots of preparations.

People start cleaning their houses few days before Diwali such as white washing, dusting, painting, etc. Houses get decorated with flowers; lights and many kinds of decorative materials. Everywhere it looks very dazzling with small lighted earthen lamps and electric bulbs. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi makes a visit to each house on the night of Diwali and houses are lit up to welcome the Goddess. In return, Goddess gives her blessings to her devotees for a healthy and prosperous life. On this day, everyone performs pooja for Goddess Lakshmi and God Ganesha and then distributes gifts and sweets to their friends, neighbours and relatives. Blessings from the old family members are sought by touching their feet. Prayers, flowers, sweets and incense are offered to the Goddess to receive

blessings for a prosperous and happy life. All the family members, friends and relatives gather at one place to add more joy to this festival.

We celebrated Diwali in the joy of giving to poor families and street kids who are unable to celebrate the festival for lack of funds. On this Holy occasion we could bring smiles on their faces giving us the satisfaction of a double celebration taking our happiness to another level and fulfilment of living-up to the true spirit of Diwali festival rendering spiritual joy.

Aditya Kumar | Regional Audit Head-Punjab I & Punjab II Regions


NEWS ExcErptS

Cox & Kings introduces money transfer solutions in partnership with UAE Exchange India

Making a foray into the money transfer business in India, Cox & Kings Ltd, the leading holidays and education travel group has partnered with UAE Exchange India, a leading financial institution, to provide Inward remittance and domestic money transfer services in India. This strategic venture will enable Indians living abroad to conveniently remit funds to their families in India, with

easy and flexible transfer options.Ravi Menon, Head-Foreign Exchange, Cox & Kings Ltd. said, “The strategic partnership will help us enter the money transfer business in

India which is the largest recipient of remittance in the world. V George Antony, Managing Director, UAE Exchange said, “The new association with the renowned group will facilitate money transfer

services for individuals residing abroad for Inward remittance without any hassle. It will also help residents and foreign tourists to receive money Instantly in India or does domestic money transfer to any account in India through IMPS. The strategic partnership with Cox & Kings will cater the rising demands of inward and domestic remittance through the swift and secure money transfer services”.

According to a World Bank report, India leads the world In receiving over USD 69 Billion in 2015 by way of remittances. With its growing global network, Cox & Kings through this partnership with UAE Exchange India aims to capitalise on the growing remittance market.

Courtesy: India Infoline

Clean chit to UAE Exchange branches in India

Enforcement Directorate officials visited some of the UAE Exchange branches in India to check if they were accepting demonetized 500s and 1000s rupee notes

in their branches for Forex or Gold loan or Ticketing or Money transfer. They gave a clean chit to its branches for complying with the government policy to completely stop accepting old notes and for promoting account/digital payments for doing transactions in Forex, Money Transfer, Gold Loan etc.

The Enforcement Directorate officials expressed their satisfaction and were impressed by the compliance standards, systems and procedures adopted by the Company for conducting business.

UAE Exchange, India is also educating ten million loyal registered customers to move towards electronic/digital wallet so as to build cash less economy.

UAE Exchange India offers XPay Cash Wallet to all public which can be downloaded by all merchants and customers in lieu of physical cash and pay or receive money using mobile. It is simple and easy to operate to make payment anywhere and everywhere.

RO Mumbai celebrated Diwali

Diwali is an auspicious festival that is celebrated traditionally by each Indian irrespective of their culture or religion. It is a festival where people lit up houses, use fire crackers, light

Diyas, distribute sweets and gifts, meet with friends and families offering pooja’s.

To commemorate the occasion staff of RO Mumbai celebrated this grand event by decorating the office and drawing a multi-coloured Rangoli Art.

A new branch of UAE Exchange was inaugurated on November 16th at MVP ( Vizag ). The chief guest Mr Jami Boja Raju (HNI and MVP Builders MD and landlord of branch premises) did the blessing ceremony by

cutting the ribbon and lighting the lamp. Zonal Head Mr N Gopi, AP 2 RH Mr Ramesh Sriramoji, branch heads of Vizag and Gajuwaka, HNI customers and others attended the function.

New branch at MVP (Vizag 2nd branch)


HR faccIa

Johnee Praveen RChief People Officer

183. Explore the healing powers of Chinese herbal medicine and similar Eastern strategies for maintaining a state of perfect health (consult an expert at all times and take a formal course on the subject to gain powerful insights into this most useful area of healing).

184. Be certain to organize your time around the true priorities of your life. As Stephen Covey has noted: “it is easy to say no when there is a deeper yes burning within.”

185. Slow down your pace of life. In this complex age, we are running our lives at a frantic pace. Focus on what is truly important and start undertaking activities that will slow you down and rekindle the natural, calm within us. Sit in the grass and watch the blue sky for half an hour - at first, it is not as easy as one would think and the urge is to get up after only a few minutes of such useful relaxation. Once you are used to a healthier pace of living, with regular periods dedicated to the simple pleasures of life,

every other activity will become more efficient and enjoyable.

186. Try eating only fruit and milk for a full day. Fasting is a powerful success strategy of the East that millions use regularly to maintain peak health and mental clarity. By trying this simple practice every few weeks you will notice a surge in your energy level and lightness in your walk. Big meals require a significant amount of energy that could be better directed toward more productive pursuits.

The Top 200 Secrets of Success and the Pillars of Self Masteryby Robin Sharma

Employees are definitely the foundation of our organization. They sustain our organization by

performing day to day operations and maintaining Customer relationships. It is nearly impossible for us as an organization to be successful without hardworking and dedicated employees. It comes as no surprise that we are focusing a considerable amount of time on recruiting the best employees.

We put great effort into creating these employees with hopes of a high return on investment. But what happens once an employee leaves? To provide a view on the importance of employee retention, we have compiled a list of five reasons why we should retain employees:

Cost- High employee turnover rate typically contributes to higher costs. Between advertising, training, and other organizational operations, the cost of replacing an employee can heavily impact the operational budget. The cost of replacing lost talent is 30 to 50 percent of that employee’s annual salary. By retaining employees, we will be

able to keep overall costs to a minimum.Productivity- Once a new employee is

hired, it takes significant time and energy from HR and at all levels of management to help the new hire learn and adapt to the organization. Time spent on training and orientation is time taken away from focusing on customers and the overall goal of the organization.

Competitors- Once an employee leaves an organization, they go back into the vast job market. In many cases, employees may begin to work with our competitor and apply knowledge from their previous employment (from our organization in our case) to their new one which is detrimental to us.

Positive work culture– Employees that work with each other for a long time eventually adopt behaviours from each other. Whether it’s their strengths or weaknesses, continuous collaboration will eventually lead to learn qualities from one another. Long-time employees can become so in sync with each other, that they can develop team playing skills for accomplishing tasks in an efficient manner.

Customer satisfaction- Our success as

an organization is largely determined by our customer’s satisfaction, loyalty, and opinion. If we have a high employee turnover rate, we run the risk of customers having a bad opinion on us. On the other hand, if a loyal customer develops a strong relationship with an employee that leaves, the customer may leave with that employee to their new place of employment which is our competitor. Thus resulting in a loss of revenue for our organization.

Overall, by retaining employees, we can cuts costs, create a great work culture, and increase efficiency. Usually employees who stay with us for a lengthy time are treated well and rewarded well. If our organization is built with loyal employees, we will be looked fondly upon by outsiders as a top workplace. Keep your subordinates happy by getting to know each one as an individual. It’s not just about investing time and money in your subordinates, but a bit of a personal relation as well. By making them to feel comfortable in the workplace, retention rate will go up and so will the overall success of your Branch, Region, Zone, Division and Departments and the Organization as a whole.

Why we should Retain Employees?


hr Puzzle 44

Latest Corporate MantrasStay Interviews: unlike exit interviews, stay interviews are conducted during employment to help employers understand why good employees stay and what might make them leave.Virtual HR: The use of various types of technology to provide employees with self-serve options. Voice response systems, employee kiosks are common methods.Wage drift: The difference between basic pay and total earnings, due to a variety of possible factors such as overtime, bonuses, gender, age and performance.

How many of the following

ditloids can you answer?

12 S O T Z

26 L I T A

52 C I A D

24 H A D

64 S O A C B

Please send in your answers to [email protected] with HRPZL 43 as subject line mentioning your employee code. From the first 50 answers one lucky employee will get a surprise gift from HR.

hURRY Up!winner of hrPzl 43

Ms. DeePa PraMoD

eMPloyee coDe : 5328

Branch : ao Purchase

HR faccIa187. Value your spouse’s laugh and keep your partner’s picture close by your work desk for inspiration and pleasant thoughts throughout the day.

188. If you are married, have your partner’s initials and your own engraved on the inside of your wedding bands along with the date of your marriage. This is useful not only in case the rings are lost but to provide you both with personalized keepsakes that may be

passed down to successive generations.

189. The mind is like a garden - as you sow, so shall you reap. When you cultivate it and nurture it, it will blossom beyond your wildest expectation. But if you let the weeds take over, you will never reach your potential. What you put in is what you get out. So avoid violent movies, trashy novels and all other negative influences. Peak performers are meticulous about the

thoughts they allow into the gardens of their minds. You truly cannot afford the luxury of a single negative thought.

190. Do a hundred sit ups a day and do not break this habit. Strong abdominal muscles are very helpful to ensuring that you enjoy peak health and injury free days. They also maintain your appearance and confidence level.

Answers for HRPZL 421. Design2. Job Enlargement3. Job Analysis

Regional Star of Kannur August 2016Branch Regional StarKannur Puthiyatheru Mr.Prajith P P,

HR awarDS

Region Branch Stars of the Region Total StarsBANGALORE BANGALORE - RAJAJI NAGAR RAJESH T N 11

BIHAR I CHAPRA KHUSHBU KUMARI SINGH 12

CALICUT NADAPURAM SHEEJA M.P 14

CHENNAI CHENNAI - MOUNT ROAD VIGNESH G M 8

COIMBATORE POLLACHI R KARUNAMBIGAI 7

ERNAKULAM ANGAMALY AJAY KUMAR P S 11

GOA KOLHAPUR SUSHANT PRABHAKAR HUCCHE 13

GUJARAT ANAND JAIMIN PATEL 14

HYDERABAD KURNOOL PHANI KUMAR C 14

KANNUR KASARAGOD P REEPA RASHMI SHETTY 9

KOLKATA KRISHNANAGAR SUDIPTA BAIRAGYA 10

KOLLAM KOTTARAKKARA SREEMOL O S 10

LUCKNOW LUCKNOW KAMAL SRIVASTAVA 15

MADURAI MADURAI - ANNA NAGAR M SUGANYA 10

MANGALORE SURATKAL NITHIN SHETTY 13

MUMBAI MUMBAI - FORT MOHAMMAD AKRAM SIDDIQUE 16

NAGERCOIL NAGERCOIL DIMALA ANDREW 14

NIZAMABAD NIRMAL - BHUDWARPET RAJU NAMPALLY 14

PALAKKAD CHITTUR PREENA N 11

PUNJAB I PHAGWARA HARPREET SINGH 7

PUNJAB II MOGA RAHUL DUBAY 15

RAJASTHAN SIKAR NISHA PARMUWAL 12

TANJORE KUMBAKONAM GOWTHAM M 13

THRISSUR GURUVAYUR ANAND M V 12

TIRUVALLA PALA VARUN K S 10

TRICHY PERAMBALUR V VINODHINI 13

TRIVANDRUM VARKALA NAJEEM S 10

UDUPPI BELGAUM FAYAZKHAN K PATHAN 9

VIJAYAWADA MACHILIPATNAM HARI BABU KOTHA 14

National Topper Star Employees for the month of September 2016


National Topper star employee for the month of September 2016Branch National Star Total StarsSB - HYDERABAD -MADHAPUR N PRAVALLIKA 17

Xpressions - Year End Special 201616

INSIGHT

with a significant horticulture and bamboo products industry.

The state has about 871 kilometres of national highways, with NH-54 and NH-150 connecting it to Assam and Manipur respectively. It is also a growing transit point for trade with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

HISTORYThe origin of the Mizos, like those of many other tribes in the north-eastern India, is masked in mystery. The people living in the Mizo Hills were generally referred to as the kukis by their neighbouring ethnic groups which was also a term adopted by the British writers. The claim that ‘The Kukis are the earliest known residents of the Mizo hills area,’ must be read in this light. The majority of the tribes classified as “Mizo” today most likely migrated to their present territories from the neighbouring countries in several waves, starting around 1500 CE.

The Mizo Hills formally became part of British India in 1895, and practices such as head-hunting were banned in Mizoram as well as neighbouring regions.

In 1971, the government agreed to convert the Mizo Hills into a Union Territory, which came into being as Mizoram in 1972. Following the Mizoram Peace Accord (1986) between the Government and the MNF, Mizoram was declared a full-fledged state of India in 1987.

Mizoram is a land of rolling hills, valleys, rivers and lakes. As many as 21 major hill ranges or peaks of different heights run through the length and breadth of the state, with plains scattered here and there. Phawngpui Tlang also known as the Blue Mountain, situated in the south-eastern part of the state, is the highest peak in Mizoram.

The biggest river in Mizoram is Chhimtuipui, also known as Kaladan.The Palak lake is the biggest in Mizoram and covers 74 acres. It is believed that the lake was created as a result of an earthquake or a flood. The local people believe that a submerged village remains intact deep under the waters. The Tam Dil lake is a natural lake situated 85 kilometres from Aizawl. Legend has it that a huge mustard plant once stood in this place. When the plant was cut down, jets of water sprayed from the plant and created a pool of water, thus the lake was named Ţam Dil which means of ‘lake of mustard plant’. Today the lake is an important tourist attraction and a holiday resort.

CLIMATEMizoram has a mild climate, being relatively cool in summer with winter temperatures ranging from 7 to 22 °C. The region is influenced by monsoons, raining heavily from May to September with little rain in the dry season. The state is in a region where cyclones and landslides can

Mizoram is one of the states of Northeast India, with Aizawl as its capital

city. The name is derived from Mi (people), Zo (lofty place, such as a hill) and Ram (land), and thus Mizoram implies “land of the hill people” .In the northeast, it is the southernmost landlocked state sharing borders with Tripura, Assam, Manipur. The state also shares a border with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Mizoram is the 2nd least populous state in the country covering an area of approximately 21,087 square kilometres from which about 91% of the state is forested.

About 95% of current Mizoram population is of diverse tribal origins. This is the highest concentration of tribal people among all states of India, and they are currently protected under Indian constitution as a Scheduled Tribe. The tribes converted from Animist religions to Christianity over the first half of 20th century. Mizoram is one of three states of India with a Christian majority (87%). Its people belong to various denominations, mostly Presbyterian in the north and Baptists in south.

Mizoram is a highly literate agrarian economy, but suffers from slash-and-burn jhum or shifting cultivation, and poor crop yields. In recent years, the jhum farming practices are steadily being replaced

MizoraMLand of the hiLL peopLe


cause weather-related emergencies.

VEGETATION Tropical Semi Evergreen, Tropical Moist Deciduous, Subtropical Broadleaved Hill and Subtropical Pine Forests are the common vegetation types found in Mizoram. Bamboo is common in the state,

Jhum cultivation, or slash-and-burn practice, were a historic tradition in Mizoram and a threat to its forest cover. This practice has reduced in recent decades from a government supported initiative to support horticultural crops such as pineapple and banana plantations.

Mizoram is host to numerous species of birds, wildlife and flora. The state is also host to a variety of fauna, just like its sister north-eastern Indian states. The state is also home to many reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates.

The state has two national parks and six wildlife sanctuaries - Blue Mountain National Park, Dampa Tiger Reserve (largest), Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary, Murlen National Park, Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary, Tawi Wildlife Sanctuary, Khawnglung Wildlife Sanctuary, and Thorangtlang Wildlife Sanctuary.

Mizo is the official language and the most widely used language for verbal interactions, but English, being important for education, administration, formalities and governance, is widely used. The Duhlian dialect, also known as the Lusei, was the first language of Mizoram and has come to be known as the Mizo language.

DANCEMizoram has many traditional dances, such as: Cheraw , Khuallam ,Chheihlam and Chai

MUSICMizo traditional tunes are very soft and gentle, with locals claiming that they can be sung the whole night without the slightest fatigue. The guitar is a popular instrument and Mizos enjoy country style music. Within the church services are drums, commonly used and known locally as “khuang. The “khuang” is made from wood and animal hide and are often beaten enough to instigate a trance-like state with worshipers as they dance in a circular fashion.

Mizos enjoy singing and, even without musical instruments, they enthusiastically sing together,

clapping hands or by using other rhythmic methods.

TOURISMThe state requires Inner Line Pass. This is available from the Liaison Officer, Government of Mizoram in Kolkata, Silchar, Shillong, Guwahati and New Delhi. Those arriving by air can obtain a 15-day visit pass at Lengpui airport, Aizawl by submitting photographs and paying the fee of ₹120.

Almost all foreign nationals can also get visitor pass on arrival, and face the same requirements as domestic tourists. However, they additionally have to register themselves with state police within 24 hours of arrival, a formality that most resorts can provide. Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals having their origin in these countries are required to get the pass through the Indian consulate or from the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi, before they arrive in Mizoram.

“Mizoram is a highly literate agrarian economy, but suffers from slash-and-burn jhum or shifting cultivation, and poor crop yields. In recent years, the jhum farming practices are steadily being replaced with a significant horticulture and bamboo products industry”

Xpressions - Year End Special 201618Pencil drawing by Sujeesh KV Branch head, Kasaragod

winner of aBci awarD for tHrEE coN-SEcUtIvE yEarS

ABCI, India’s largest non-profit organization for Business communications professionals announced the winners of 56th Annual ABCI Awards. UAE Exchange India

won 2 ABCI awards for the categories ‘Exhibition Collateral’ and ‘Web Communication – Online Campaign’(Customer Loyalty Month 2015).

Regional Head- Mumbai, Mr Darayus M Bhoja received the award in a function held at Hotel Vivanta By Taj, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai on 28th October, 2016. UAE Exchange India is the proud winner of ABCI Award for three consecutive years. The company has won 54th and 55th ABCI Award for Annual Report and ‘Xpressions’ respectively.

AWARDS & rEwarDS

UaE ExcHaNgE INDIa won first Place in tower run 2016

Confederation of Indian Industry organized Tower Run 2016, the first ever vertical climb in Kerala on 23rd October 2016 at Hotel Crowne Plaza, Kochi.

UAE Exchange India won first place in the corporate team category of CII Tower Run 2016. Mr Krishnan, CFO, Mr Harikrishnan, Accounts department, Mr Manoj V Mathew, Head- Accounts, Mr Ajish, Head - Digital Marketing, Mr Emthiyas T D, MD’S office, Mr Denny Paul, HR department were the participants of the programme.

uae exchange inDia woN DrIvErS of DIgItal awarDS 2016

UAE Exchange India won ‘Drivers of Digital Awards 2016’ for the commendable work in the digital

space. The company has received a special mention for XPay Cash Wallet under Digital Financial awards 2016. Regional Head, Mr Rohit Kumar received the award in a grand function held at The Park Hotel, Connaught Place, New Delhi on 28th September 2016.


Khadeeja HarisDaughter of Sheeja Haris, AO Agency business & T H Haris

Manasvi M BhatDaughter of Ranitha V, AO IT & Manoj M

ZainabDaughter of Roxana S J, AO Reconciliation & Shansudhin Khan Sahib

Reepa

Diya PrinceDaughter of Prince P, Wadkkanchery branch & Deepa

Reepa (drawing)

Sripathi VaishanviDaughter of S Raju, Waarangal branch & Vijetha

Artist –K V Sujeesh

COMPETITION & coNtESt

worlD sMile Day coMPetition – octoBer 7th

Harvey Ball created one of the most iconic symbols the world had ever seen. He created World Smile Day, a day devoted to the spreading of simple joy and love to everyone, regardless of race,

gender, or geographic location. World Smile Day is your opportunity to help brighten the world and make the world a better place through the simple power of the smile.

To commemorate this day HR department conducted photo contest of smiling faces of the tiny tots in the age group of 0-5 years of our staff. The following are the names and photographs of 5 winners selected from the contestants.

actIvIty coNtESt IN kannur region

In connection with the CSW activities conducted from October 10th to 15th, Kannur region had conducted ‘Activity Contest’ among the branches in the region. Mr Sujeesh K V, Manager of Kasaragod branch participated in the ‘Sketch your colleague’ contest. The original photograph of Ms Reepa Reshmi Shetty, Forex head and the drawing by

Sujeesh are given below.


The demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupee banknotes is a step taken by the Government

of India in November 2016 to fight corruption and black money issues in the country. Starting from midnight of 8 November 2016, all 500 and 1000 rupee notes ceased to be accepted as a form of legal tender in India. The announcement was made by the Prime Minister of India in a live televised address to the nation at 8:15 pm IST the same day. In the announcement, PM declared circulation of all 500 and 1000 rupee banknotes (approximately $7.50 and $15 USD respectively) of the Mahatma Gandhi series as invalid and announced the issuance of 500 and 2000 rupee banknotes (approximately $7.50 and $30 USD respectively) in the new Mahatma Gandhi series in exchange for the old banknotes.

The demonetisation was done in an effort to stop the counterfeiting of the current banknotes alleged to be used for funding terrorism and for cracking down on black money in the country.

RBI issues new series of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 currency notes November 9, 2016. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued new series of notes for 500 rupees and 2,000 rupees denomination with improved features and newer

sizes. These new series of notes were issued following Prime Minister’s announcement that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes now in use will no longer be legal tender.

SECURITY FEATURES OF NEW 500 RUPEE NOTE1. The RBI will issue ₹ 500 denomination banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series with inset letter ‘E’ in both the number panels. 2. The note will have the signature of Governor Dr Urjit R Patel and will bear the year of printing ‘2016’ 3. Swachh Bharat Logo printed on the reverse of the bank note. 4. The new size of the note is 66mm x150mm and the new colour of the note is stone grey. 5. On the back side of the note, an image of the Red Fort with Indian flag has been placed. 6. Identification mark to enable the visually impaired person to identify the denomination. 7. Other features include intaglio printing of Mahatma Gandhi portrait, Ashoka Pillar emblem, bleed lines, and circle with ₹ 500 in the right. Security Features of New 2000 rupee note

FRONT SIDE FEATURES 1. See-through numeral 2000 2. Denominational numeral २२२२ in Devnagari 3. Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre 4. Micro letters ‘RBI’ and ‘2000’ on the left side of the banknote 5. Windowed security thread with inscriptions ‘२२२२’, RBI and 2000 on banknotes with colour shift. Colour of the thread changes from green to blue when the note is tilted6. Ashoka Pillar emblem on the right and Mahatma Gandhi portrait and electrotype watermarks 7. For visually impaired: Intaglio or raised printing of Mahatma Gandhi portrait, Ashoka Pillar emblem, bleed lines and identity mark 8. Horizontal rectangle with ₹2000 in raised print on the right 9. Seven angular bleed lines on left and right side in raised print

BACK SIDE FEATURES 1. Swachh Bharat logo with slogan 2. Motif of Mangalayan 3. Denominational numeral २२२२ in Devnagari

CURRENT affaIrS

DEMoNEtISatIoN of cUrrENcIES & ISSUaNcE of NEw baNk NotES

HILARIOUS MoMENtS


American VS Japanese Management.

The Americans and the Japanese decided to engage in a competitive boat race. Both teams practiced hard and long to reach their peak performance. On the big day they felt ready. The Japanese won by a mile. Afterward, the American team was discouraged by the loss. Morale sagged. Corporate management decided that the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found, so a consulting firm was hired to investigate the problem and recommended corrective action. The consultant’s finding: The Japanese team had eight people rowing and one person steering; the American team had one person rowing and eight people steering.

After a year of study and millions spent analyzing the problem, the consultant firm concluded that too many people were steering and not enough were rowing on the American team. So as race day neared again the following year, the American team’s management structure was completely reorganized. The new structure: four steering managers, three area steering managers and a new performance review system for the person rowing the boat to provide work incentive.

The next year, the Japanese won by two miles. Humiliated, the American corporation laid off the rower for poor performance and gave the managers a bonus for discovering the problem....

Good sleep & worry free pillsTom had this problem of getting up late in the morning and was always late for work. His boss was mad at him and threatened to fire him if he didn’t do something about it. So Tom went to his doctor who gave him a pill and told him to take it before he went to bed. Tom slept well and in fact beat the alarm in the morning. He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.

“Boss”, he said, “The pill actually worked!”

“That’s all fine” said the boss, “But where were you yesterday?”

The following short quiz consists of 4 questions and will tell you whether you are qualified to be a professional manager. Scroll down for each answer. The questions are NOT difficult. But don’t scroll down UNTIL you have answered the question!

1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door.

This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator?

Wrong Answer.Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant

and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend... except one. Which animal does not attend?

Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory. Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.

Mistakes

If a barber makes a mistake, It’s a New StyleIf a driver makes a mistake, It is a New pathIf an engineer makes a mistake, It is a New VentureIf parents makes a mistake, It is a New GenerationIf a politician makes a mistake, It is a New LawIf a scientist makes a mistake, It is a New InventionIf a tailor makes a mistake, It is a New FashionIf a teacher makes a mistake, It is a New TheoryIf our boss makes a mistake, It is a New ideaIf an employee makes a mistake, It is a Mistake Only

Top job interview questions and answers for manager


Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.” Isaac Newton

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labour and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major rift.

One morning there was a knock on the older brother’s door, a carpenter who was searching for work. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?” the carpenter asked.

“Yes,” said the older brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm owned by my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between us but now he has made a deep trench between our lands. Well, he has done this to offend me, but I’ll retaliate in double measure. I want you to build me a fence - an 8-foot fence - so I won’t need to see his place anymore”.

The carpenter said Yes and requested him to supply the materials for building the fence. So he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. Instead of a fence a bridge stretching from one side of the ditch to the other! A fine piece of work with handrails and all. To his surprise the older brother saw his younger brother coming across, his hand outstretched. He embraced his older brother

VG NAIR’S factS

and begged for pardon. They thanked the carpenter and requested him to stay with them. But the carpenter said, “I have many more bridges to build”.

Ego, Self image, Reputation, Character etc are the walls we build for ourselves, projecting them as our identity never realizing they are prison walls trapping us inside. If we are not ready to build bridges to let ourselves out and more importantly let others in, they would always remain to be trenches and fences forever.

What builds our bridges is the love we share with those around us, the love we receive. Every time we love someone, we love and strengthen the bridge from our walls to theirs. The more we build our bridge and send out our love unconditionally, the more those bridges will strengthen; and the more the love will come back. So start today by taking the time to send out some love, even if it is just a word, nice thought, friendly gesture or a phone call or in person. Because in love as in life, everything counts, and is never a waste of time.

BuilD BriDgesrather than walls


LIFE StylE

Importance of liver to our body is corresponding to the importance of sun in the universe. The

function of the liver in our body is the same as the role of the trees in our nature. Even when major portion of the liver is damaged, the remaining part can do the functions perfectly. The largest internal organ, liver is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, just beneath the right side of the diaphragm and under the right lower rib cage.

Main functions1. Biggest factory of purification in our body2. Produces enzymes to help digest the food we eat3. Controls metabolic functions in the body4. Clearing the blood of drugs and other harmful substances5. Regulating blood clotting6. Resisting infections by producing immune factors and removing bacteria from the bloodstream7. Clearance of bilirubin from red blood cells 8. Production of cholesterol and special proteins to help carry fats through the body 9. Conversion of harmful ammonia to urea

10. Converts and store excess glucose in blood into fat and protein important for blood clotting and other functions.11. Store and release glucose when the body requires12. Revitalize the body13. Supplies energy to eyes, nerves, muscles, heart, small intestine and pericardium

Hence, it is our prime duty to protect this vital organ that does more than 500 crucial tasks in our body.

Gallbladder is located just below liver. Gall bladder produces yellow coloured bile and releases to intestines as and when required for digestion. These two organs are considered as husband and wife in acupuncture treatment science.

But the following unseemly actions will certainly harm these organs1. Consuming alcohol2. Extensive use of hot, sour and Salty foods, overuse of tea & coffee and reuse of oil, fatty foods 3. Toxins incurred through food habits and medications4. Exposure to excess heat and sunlight 5. Increase in the body temperature6. Retaining the poisonous materials within the body instead of getting eliminated

Rajesh M CHead, Risk Monitoring (Mr Rajesh MC is the holder of Diploma in Acupuncture Science (DASc))

(Continued from September edition)

liver – oNE of tHE MoSt faNtaStIc orgaNS of oUr boDy

7. Increased and continuous physical and mental stress8. Intake of food without desire for food 9. Swallowing food with water and without properly chewing10. Regular habit of eating food after sunset11. Habit of staying awake and eating food at late nights12. Intake of medicines with chemical combinations for muscular, neurological, ophthalmological, liver and, gallbladder disorder or medication and also for Diabetes, blood pressure, Cholesterol and so on.

Medication taken for the above diseases can adversely affect vital organs such as liver and gall bladder.

(to be continued)


FEATURE

symbolizing baby Jesus who comes and decorates the trees and brings presents on Christmas Eve for children. Some children also believed they get presents from St Nicolas on December 6th.

The Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve with fried carp as the main course as the Christmas day is seen as a fasting day for some and no meat is eaten. However roast goose and turkey is also becoming more popular followed by a Dessert with chocolate and apricot cake and Austrian Christmas cookies.

CHINAWith only just one percent Christians in China, very few people know about Christmas and celebrate it. Often only major cities celebrate with trees, lights and decorations on streets and department stores. Santa Claus is called ‘Shen Dan Lao Ren’ and has Santa’s grottos in shops. In Chinese

hristmas is a season to share peace and brotherhood. Every year December 25th is celebrated with pomp and show in different parts of the world. It is interesting to take a glance at how it is in different parts of the planet.

AUSTRIAChristmas in Austria really starts around 4 pm on Christmas Eve when the tree is lit for the first time and people come to sing carols around the tree. The most famous carol is Silent Night (‘Stille Nacht’) which was written in Austria in 1818.

Traditionally the tree was brought in and decorated on Christmas Eve. Decorations include candles and sparklers. For children important decorations are sweets like chocolates, jelly rings and small liqueur-filled chocolate bottles.

Children believed that ‘Christkind’ was a golden haired baby with wings

traDItIoNS aroUND tHE worlD

christmas is a season to share peace and brotherhood. Every year December 25th is celebrated with pomp and show in different parts of the world”


‘Happy/Merry Christmas’ is ‘Sheng Dan Kuai Le’ in Mandarin and ‘Seng Dan Fai Lok’ in Cantonese. Christmas trees and decorations are all made of plastic and paper. The strange fact is that most of the world’s plastic and paper decorations are made in China, but they might not even know what they are for.

GHANAIn Ghana, Christmas is celebrated from the 20th of December to the first week of January. People travel visiting friends and relatives. Speaking 66 languages, every group have their own traditions and customs.

Celebrations of Christmas start on Christmas Eve with Church services, drumming and dancing. Children put on a Nativity play or Drama. Choirs come out to sing and people dance in front of the priest.

On Christmas day churches are filled with people dressed in colourful traditional clothes. After service they go back to start exchanging gifts.

GREENLANDFamilies visit each other and have parties during this season, exchanging of brightly wrapped parcels drinking coffee and eating cakes. Traditional presents are model sledges, a pair of polished walrus tusks or sealskin mitts. Everyone gets a gift; children move from house to house singing songs.

Church services are held on Christmas Eve and most people attend them in national costume. White anoraks are also worn which is a dress for special occasions.

Christmas trees are often imported from Denmark as no trees grow here. Trees are decorated with candles, bright ornaments and small versions of seal skin breeches known as kamiks. Trees are decorated on 23rd December with an imported tree or a traditional drift wood tree decorated with heather.

An illuminated star is a traditional and common decoration at the window of houses and all public places. Located in the Arctic Circle with no sunlight during the season, the bright stars help to bring some light. Villages

also put up a Christmas tree on a nearby hill for people to see, readily decorated for the start of advent.

Greenland also claims that Santa has his summer house here in the north of the country in spragulbugten near the town of Uummannaq.

JAPANChristmas in Japan is more of a time to spread happiness rather than a religious festival where the Christmas Eve is celebrated more than the Christmas day. The Christmas Eve is a romantic day for couples to exchange gifts and meet each other. In many ways it resembles the Valentine’s Day celebrations of UK and the USA. Youngsters have romantic meals and outings. Table bookings at restaurants are difficult on Christmas Eve.

Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan, so schools and businesses are open on December 25th. In Japanese Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘Meri Kurisumasu’. The Japanese Christmas cake is a sponge cake decorated with trees, flowers and a figure of Santa Claus. Parties are often held for children with games and dancing.

In Japan Santa is known as Santa-san (Mr. Santa)

PAKISTANWith a population over 162 million people, there are more than 5 million Christians but they still make a small part of the population, most of who are quite poor. During Christian festivals, like Christmas and Easter, a big procession takes place, in Lahore, from St Anthony’s church to the Cathedral with enthusiasm. Before and during advent, spiritual seminars take place which help people to prepare for Christmas or ‘Bara Din’ meaning ‘Big Day’.

In Christian areas every house is decorated with a star. Christmas tree and crib is also important. On Christmas Eve, Churches are packed for the mid-night mass services, after which there are fireworks, dance and exchange of gifts. In some areas even the streets are decorated.

On Christmas day people go to the

church again with their best clothes. Choirs sing special songs. Once the service is over, people stay in the church courtyard enjoying the food stalls and merry-making. The evening is usually celebrated with the family and friends with special dinners. Adults often visit their parents. In Pakistan, Santa Claus/ Father Christmas is known as ‘Christmas Baba’.

VIETNAMIn Vietnam Christmas Eve is more important than Christmas day. The Catholic Cathedral in the city centre, of the largest city called the ‘Ho Chi Minh city’ is packed with people and even cars are not allowed for the night.

Not many people of Vietnam are Christians but some of them do go to the midnight mass service. People celebrate by throwing confetti, taking pictures and enjoying the Christmas decorations and lights of big hotels and department stores. Large number of cafes and restaurants are opened to enjoy a snack.

Since Vietnam used to be part of the French Empire, there are still French influences in the Christmas traditions.

Many of the Catholic Churches have a nativity crib scene with life size statues of Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Shepherds and Animals. In some of the Catholic areas cribs are decorated at the entrance of their house with decoration in the streets also. It is a well-accepted pattern and many people visit these cribs.

The special Christmas meal in France is called ‘Reveillon’ with chocolate cake as dessert. The special chocolate cake is exchanged as gift of Christmas. Christmas presents are not very common but they send Christmas cards. It is very hot for a Santa in Vietnam and it is not very easy to wear all the hot velvets in a hot climate.


HEALTH tIpS

Are you feeling too tired to exercise after a long day at work? Do you have craving for

sweets and junk food after a stressful day? Are you frustrated by feeling as though you simply can’t stay healthy and fit because you sit at a desk too much? You’re not alone. Just because you’re at work all day doesn’t mean you can’t stay slim and fit. You just need to implement some simple lifestyle and work habit changes.

Never skip breakfastThis is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. A wholesome breakfast can provide you with the energy you need to get through the first half of the day, and it will help prevent you from consuming junk food.

Abstain from sugary snacks and candiesThey’re everywhere in offices. They can be tasty, but they don’t satisfy your true hunger and are digested quickly, leading to a roller coaster of sugar highs and lows. Instead of visiting the vending machine, bring snacks from home, such as carrots, cucumber slices, whole or sliced fresh fruit, small amounts of dried fruit, or crackers. If you really can’t survive a sleepy afternoon in the office, a piece of dark chocolate is fine.

Bring your own lunch

Restaurant meals often include large portions and high-calorie choices. You can eat healthier and spend much less money if you prepare your own lunch.

Give up sodas and sugary drinksThey can help you stay awake while working and you may like their taste. But they really don’t do anything for you and are full of empty calories in the form of sugar. If you need the caffeine, consider coffee or green tea.

Take lots of waterIt’s good for you, and it will keep your mind off soda or coffee. It may help you fight off other cravings, too. Sleepiness is often caused by dehydration, so keep yourself well hydrated. If you want some flavour, put lime, lemon or cucumber slices into your water bottle.

Walk as much as you canWalk around the office and stretch every now and then. Take breaks every hour or so and move your body. Use every possible opportunity to burn calories. If you need to discuss something with your colleague, go to his or her desk instead of making a phone call or sending an email. If you need to go to another floor in the building, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Consider teaming up with a friend at work to take regular breaks

How to Stay IN SHapEwhile working in an office

for exercise and to motivate each other.

Stand as much as you canThis is healthier than sitting. It’s better for your back, and burns more calories.

Be as active as possible outside of work

Join the gym, go for a walk. Try to spend some time in nature if possible to unload the stress of the workday and give your eyes and lungs a break. If you’re stressed, try breathing exercises or meditation. Do something nice for yourself: spend some time with your family, read a book, call or visit your friend, listen to some music, cook something nice. Skip watching TV to give your eyes a break and limit exposure to unnecessary radiation. Besides, TV is another reason to sit instead of being active.

Get enough SleepWaking up refreshed and strong in the morning will help prevent binging and caffeine cravings later in the day.

Put some inspirational quotes or photos in your workspace

Make your own bulletin board to remind yourself to concentrate on your health and wellness goals.

Source: mindbodygreen


WOMEN’S corNEr

Last day while I was curiously watching a horror cinema, someone stood near me and

snatched the remote from my hand. It was my father and he asked me to switch off the television and go out to nutmeg plantations for collecting the seeds. At first, I was reluctant to take a walk as per my father’s instruction. Later without much interest, I just walked out with a bag for collecting the same. Ever in my life I have experienced freshness as an escape from the high temperature and I loved to have a walk through our fields.

The sweet imagination beyond reality invoking fantasy and ecstasy at the most, filled mind with confusion. Deep love for nature and serenity fascinated me to that vanity. I felt the presence of its deep insight in all my thoughts. Hunger to absorb and realize the aroma, knowing well it’s not an easy task, yet the urge is intolerant. Just like a goddess, she stood before me

catching my eyes, some supernatural power made my eyes mere like a statue looking at her magical spell. Here begins the journey in search for beauty.

Born in” God’s own country” is the greatest providence in my life. Gods own country, truly it’s the heavenly land I have ever experienced. Let me start from my native: a small village near the Pineapple city of the world filed with the aroma of nutmeg, gazelles of the river. The first heaven I have experienced that has nurtured the quest for nature. Have you ever felt the ecstasy of the feeling ‘beauty’? Every one might have experienced it but quite differently. I felt the same in the words of my parents, feeling the echo of the love and care ie, matchless and worthy.

While having my walk through the fields, I just thought about the Christmas times where a gang of small chaps preparing several plans to create some unique and attractive

search for the unleasheD serenity

crib. Our church used to give cash prize for the best crib makers and to snatch the cash prize was our greatest dream. My brother was the designer who develops great idea for the crib. We were instructed to collect materials required to make crib. The plans of the great architect usually exceed and look so majestic. It was good olden days and really wished to travel through that beautiful experience. My generation were lucky to have the best memories and experience especially in festive season. Family gathering, playing and naughtiness with cousin all were such an exotic moments.

Offspring of digital century, the ecstatic experience the old generation restlessly speaks will not be obtained in any technical world. Spare your little time to search the unleashed serenity that really will be a different experience for you.

Feba JacobAO Business Communication


RESPONSIUMapprEcIatIoN for kothamangalam BranChDear Sir, Everything was perfect, and I would like to say it was the vacation of a life time.

It was a very good, well organised and executed tour. I will surely refer my friends and relatives to promote your company and your services.

Thank you so much for having arranged the magnificent trip we took. The communications were excellent, and we were very impressed that the arrangements, lodgings and restaurants exceeded all expectations. I was personally shocked and

Note: The transcripts of these letters are slightly edited

very pleasantly surprised to see the high quality and performance of the vehicles provided.Cheers,Gautham Bhat

apprEcIatIoN for P saritha, armur BranChDear Saritha MamidiThis letter is to show our appreciation for the excellent service extended to me and my colleagues.

We really appreciate all the help and assistance given by you who made all arrangements to ensure every comfort and smooth service for us.

It is no wonder that today UAE Exchange Travel in India has become the most preferred global UAE Exchange which has set benchmarks as regards the high standards of world class quality service; the dedicated and sincere staff like you who greatly enhance the reputation and the enormous confidence placed in UAE Exchange by its customers and clients has made this possible.

I wish you all the very best and pray to Almighty God that he shower his blessings on you, also wish success in all your endeavours to maintain the highest standards of quality international service.

With warm regards,Yours sincerelyBhaskar D

tHaNkS to frIENDS of uae eXChange family

UAE Exchange Cherpulassery branch paved a new way in our dreams on tourist destinations. Many of us depend on UAE Exchange for one or other purposes. Arranging tours had been one among your different services. It was Ms.Priyadarshini who linked me with your esteemed concern. Her responsible behaviour, customer friendly relations and committed service made us a part of your service consumers.

Our latest experience with UAE Exchange Cherpulassery branch was a five day pleasure trip to Hyderabad. It was really a wonderful experience. From the booking of the train ticket to the end of the programme everything was managed by UAE Exchange. So we were not at all worried about anything.

Our group consisted of 15 members of different age and physical conditions. The service of the guide Mr Naresh was nice and remarkable. His behaviour proclaims the culture of the Telugu people. He was on time with us for anything and everything, motivating, creating excitement on the places to visit and doing narrations about the places in simple English. Role model for a real travel guide. The food was nice and introduced different dishes for different meals knowing our tastes. Accommodation was also made complaint less. In all cases we were worry free as many were around, vigilant to keep us happy and trouble free. Moreover, frequent enquiry by Mr Glen and Ms Priyadarshini about the progress of our journey impressed

us very much. The package was comparatively cheap but it kept the standard.UAE Exchange could arrange the package knowing the needs and standard of the customers. I assure this as I made a comparative study in this matter to an extent. We have a suggestion that wherever we go it may be more helpful if a guide knowing Malayalam may be there to assist us. Hats off to your pleasure oriented services. May it be a lasting friendship with this company.

Ever loving, Satheesh Kumar & family


HUES of INDIa

LeGends of KaRthiGai deepaM

Karthikai Deepam or Karthikai vilakkidu is a Hindu and Tamil, Festival of Lights. The

festival is observed in most Hindu homes and temples, and falls in the month of Kārttikai (mid-November to mid-December) as per Tamil calendar. This occurs on the day when the moon is in conjunction with the constellation Karthigai and pournami. This constellation appears as a group of six stars in the firmament in the shape of a pendant from the ear. Tamil Nadu celebrates Karthigai Deepam as the traditional festival. It is a very old festival and is also celebrated in the neighbouring states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This festival is very important among the Tamils and every Tamil celebrate it wherever they are in this huge world.

The earliest Hindu scripture states that the two great deities of Hindu culture Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma started fighting each other regarding superiority. To stop this huge fight, Lord Shiva appeared before them and tried to show his supremacy. He took the shape of a huge fire and challenged the two fighting Gods to find the end of the fire from the top and bottom. Lord Vishnu took the form of a boar and tried to reach the end of the fire beneath the earth but

failed miserably. Lord Brahma on the other hand, took the shape of a swan and flew to find the beginning of the fire on the topside. But his search was also in vain. Thus, Lord Shiva proved that he is the God of earth and there is no use fighting among other Gods regarding their supremacy. He then appeared in the shape of a hill on Thiruvannamalai region. In fact, the names Tiruvannamalai’ and `Arunachala’ denote “holy fire hill”. Later on the kings and famous personnel built a temple on the hill in commemoration of Lord Shiva. This festival is celebrated with great awe in this particular place.

Another legend links karthigai

Deepam to Lord Muruga. Lord Muruga adopted the form of six babies in Saravana poigai, a lake and was looked after by six krittika stars. On this day, Goddess Parvathy united all the six forms of Skantda. Thus, Lord Karthikeya has six faces and popularly known as Aarumugan in Tamil culture.

HISTORY OF KARTHIGAI DEEPAMThe actual history may not be clearly stated in the scriptures but some citations have been found in the

ancient writings known as Ahananuru, a collection of poems from the books of Sangam literature that talks about the happenings between 200 BC and 300 AD. Avaiyyar, renowned woman of Sangam age also mentions about karthigai Deepam in her poems.

Rows of Clay lamps are lit in every house. The lighted lamp is believed to ward off evil forces and usher in prosperity and joy. This festival is also celebrated to commemorate the bonding between brothers and sisters in south India. Sisters pray for the prosperity and success of their brothers and light lamps to mark the occasion.

Hindus respect with complete faith in Lord Shiva. Sri Annamalaiar Hill is considered as Lord Shiva’s great presence in Thiruvannamalai. On Karthigai day, a huge fire lamp is lit up on the hill, visible for several kilometres around. The fire is called Mahadeepam. People believe that the huge light will make people close to Lord Shiva.

This festival of lights involves lighting lights almost anywhere to put an end to darkness. They practice showing lights to the Gods who will be impressed with their worship and continue to look after the followers for ages to come.


A very touching incident hardly ever heard in connection to Christmas

with an emotional message through the book ‘We Can Change the World’ by David G Stratman. The Inspirational Christmas story ‘The Christmas Truce’ stands apart from the traditional stories we had been hearing over the years.

It was December 25, 1914, only 5 months into World War I. German, British, and French soldiers, already sick and tired of the senseless killing, disobeyed their superiors and fraternized with “the enemy” along two-thirds of the Western Front (a crime punishable by death in times of war). German troops held Christmas trees up out of the trenches with signs, “Merry Christmas.”

“You no shoot, we no shoot.” Thousands of troops streamed across a no-man’s land strewn with rotting corpses. They sang Christmas carols, exchanged photographs of loved ones back home, shared rations, played football, and even roasted some pigs. Soldiers embraced men they had been trying to kill a few short hours before. They agreed to warn each other if the top officials forced them to fire their weapons, and to aim high.

A shudder ran through the high command on either side. Here was disaster in the making: soldiers declaring their brotherhood with each other and refusing to fight. Generals on both sides declared this spontaneous peacemaking to be treasonous and subject to court martial. By March 1915 the fraternization movement had been eradicated and the killing machine put back in full operation. By the time of the armistice in 1918, fifteen million would be slaughtered.

Not many people have heard the story of the Christmas Truce. The Christmas Truce story goes against most of what we have been taught about people. It gives us a glimpse of the world as we wish it could be and says, “This really happened once.” It reminds us of those thoughts we keep hidden away, out of range of the TV and newspaper stories that tell us how trivial and mean human life is. It is like hearing that our deepest wishes really are true: the world really could be different.

‘WAR IS A RACKET’ says General Smedley Butler and it always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one in which

the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. In the World War 1 a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War. That many admitted huge gains in their income tax returns. How many other war millionaires falsified their tax returns no one knows?

Well, it’s a racket, all right. A few profit – and the many pay. But there is a way to stop it. You can’t end it by disarmament conferences. You can’t eliminate it by peace parleys at Geneva. Well-meaning but impractical groups can’t wipe it out by resolutions. Steps must be taken to smash the war racket. We must take the profit out of war. And we must limit our military forces to home defence purposes.

Truths are hard core but yet we shall start thinking in our own little ways. Coming to the end of a year with a festive season of Christmas celebrations, a little reflection goes right ‘How could we get to make this world a better place to live in.’

YEAR END tHoUgHtS

ChRistMas tRUCe of

1914


SPECIAL DAYS

Tea is one of the most popular beverages around the world. And it looks so natural to have a special day to celebrate it.

International Tea Day, falls on December 15 every year.

The idea of establishment of International Tea Day existed for many years, but the first actions were made only after World Social Forum held in Mumbai, India and Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2004-2005. The first festive events took place in Delhi in 2005 and the next year they were organized in Sri Lanka.

International Tea Day was not created as a reason to enjoy an extra cup of tea. Its celebration draws public attention to the problems of tea production and the impact of the global tea trade on workers of the tea plantations, small growers and consumers. Various exhibitions dedicated to tea are organized in many countries, where ITD is celebrated. This holiday does not have an official status anywhere, but the celebration became very popular in tea producing states, including Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malawi, Kenya, India, Uganda, Malaysia and Tanzania.

While you hold your warm cup of tea today, do note that small tea growers have also contributed to your tea. Small Tea Growers’ engagement in tea cultivation has helped mitigate poverty. The business of Small Tea Growers started in the 1970s and gained momentum in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Earlier, tea was cultivated in estates, which were an enclave economy. Small tea growing has helped in increasing the income level of the people getting into it. So, we have a cause to support Small Tea Growers as they are creating employment for a very deprived community.

International Civil Aviation Day was established in 1994 as part of ICAO’s 50th anniversary activities. In 1996, pursuant to an ICAO

initiative and with the assistance of the Canadian Government, the United Nations General Assembly officially recognized 7th December as International Civil Aviation Day in the UN system.

The purpose of International Civil Aviation Day is to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of states, and of the unique role of ICAO in helping states to cooperate and realize a truly global rapid transit network at the service of all mankind.

As the UN and world nations have now adopted Agenda 2030, and embarked on a new era in global sustainable development, the importance of aviation as an engine of global connectivity has never been more relevant to the Chicago Convention’s objectives to look to international flight as a fundamental enabler of global peace and prosperity.

Every five years, coinciding with ICAO anniversaries, the ICAO Council establishes a special anniversary theme for International Civil Aviation Day. Between these anniversary years, Council representatives select a single theme for the full four-year intervening period.

For 2015-2018 inclusive the Council has selected

the following theme: “Working Together to Ensure No Country is Left

Behind”

inteRnationaL tea daY inteRnationaL CiViL aViation daY

Orange & White chocolate sponge

Ingredients

Chicken : 1 (cut into approx. 12 pcs)Onion : 7 to 8 medium size sliced thinTomato : 6 medium size choppedGinger paste : from 3 inch piece Garlic paste : from 8 to 9 clovesGreen chilli paste : from 10 to 15 piecesLime : 4Yoghurt : 3 tbspCoriander leaves : one bunchGaram masala powder : 1 tspCinnamon stick : 2 inch pieceSalt : to tasteOil : 6 tbsp (sunflower/corn/canola)

Ingredients Butter : 175 grams, softened, plus extra for greasingCastor Sugar : 175 gmsFinely grated zest : 4 orange (freshly grated orange peel)Juice of : one orangeEggs : 4 yolk and white separatedSelf raising flour or maida : 100 gmsBaking powder : 1 tsp (plus one pinch baking soda if using maida)Ground almond : 100 gmsFor the icingWhite chocolate : 200 gmsFresh Crème : 200 mlWhite chocolate to decorate : 100 gms

Rice: Basmati/ jeerakashala : 1 kg measure the rice using a cup, wash and drain wellCinnamon stick : 2 (one inch each)Cloves : 6-7 Cardamom : 3-4Bay leaf : 1Oil : half a cupSalt : to tasteHot water : 1:2 ratio with the rice (for every one cup rice, 2 cups of water)Heat oil in another pot and put cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & bay leaf, add the rice and sauté

THE COOK’S arENa


MethodWash chicken pieces and drain in a strainer

Pour oil into a flat bottom pot, add cinnamon into hot oil, when it bursts add chopped onions and sauté. Add a little salt and cook the onions on low flame till onions are translucent and nice. Add ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add the chilli paste and mix well. Add the chopped tomatoes and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add salt, chicken pieces and a little water (Half a cup). Close the pot and cook till the chicken is almost done. Open the pot and check the chicken. Check salt, add yoghurt and mix well, squeeze a lime into the cooked chicken, add garam masala and mix well. Allow the masala to boil and the gravy should become thick. Check the taste and smell and switch off the flame.

well in the oil. Add water, mix well and close lid to cook. Once it starts boiling, turn off the flame after 5 minutes.To Dum the BiriyaniSqueeze the rest of the lime into a bowl, chop coriander leaves and mix it with some garam masala powder .Mix a pinch of turmeric in 2 tbsp of milk and keep separate.

Remove 1/3 of the chicken curry from the bowl, spread 1/3 of the rice on the remaining curry, and sprinkle some lime-coriander-garam masala mix and turmeric milk mix on top of the rice. Add 1/3 of the chicken curry kept aside and spread the rice over it. Spread the remaining lime-coriander-garam masala mix and turmeric milk mix on top of the rice. Insert a spatula in two or three places through the set chicken and rice to

allow air passage. Put it on low fire for few minutes. When you get the smell of Biriyani turn off the flame.Fry some cashews and few onions (3 or 4) cut fine to golden brown in ghee and use it as garnishing while serving.

Serve with chutney, raitha and pappad (Chutney: grated coconut, coriander leaves, green chilli, 1squeezed lime and salt to be mixed in small jar of mixer till fine.)

Mrs K E Fazilath (wife of Mr Abdul Kader, former regional head, UAE Exchange India)

Thalassery Biriyani

Preparation1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C. Butter two 20cm round cake tins and line the bases with butter paper. Pour the sugar into a mixing bowl and add the softened butter and orange zest. Beat for 1 minute until pale and fluffy, and then beat in the egg yolks. Sift the flour and baking powder over the cake mixture and fold in lightly. Finally, fold in the almonds and orange juice. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. Fold one-third of the egg white into the cake mix, using the whisk. Repeat with another third, then the final third. Take care not to over-mix or you will lose the lightness of the egg whites.2. Divide the cake mix between the prepared tins and bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes; peel off the lining paper and leave to cool.3. To make the icing, melt the chocolate

in the microwave for 1½ minutes, stirring every 30 secs, then leave to cool. Whip the fresh crème until thick, and then fold in the white chocolate. Set one cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Spoon half the icing onto the cake and top with the other cake. Spread with the rest of the icing, and then allow to set in the fridge for at least 1 hr.4. If you want to make the decorative curls, melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water or in a microwave and spread thinly over a baking tray. Leave the tray in the fridge for the chocolate to harden a bit, and then use angled knife blade to scrape chocolate curls. Pile the curls in the middle of the cake and serve cut into slices.

Suzanne Abraham(Daughter of Ebby Abraham, Editor in chief)



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Boss: Why is it that I always catch you sleeping.

Employee: Oh! It’s because you walk so quietly.

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