Salim A Sayyid

The new Polo Sedan

salimasayyid — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 08:48:25 -0400

The new Polo Sedan will be launched in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi on 9th October 2012 in the Volkswagen Showroom in Corniche - Abu Dhabi. Do join the celebrations.

We must accept life for what it actually is – a challenge to our...

salimasayyid — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 05:29:42 -0400

We must accept life for what it actually is – a challenge to our quality without which we should never know of what stuff we are made, or grow to our full stature. – Robert Louis Stevenson

I find this quote of Robert Louis Stevenson very thought provoking and this has inspired me to know of Toastmaster friends who have faced and overcome challenges and obstacles in their Toastmaster journey.

I would love to share the story of DTM Susan Ellsworth – who lives in Adelphi Maryland about facing three major challenges in 2007-2008, when she served as the District 36 Public Relations Officer. Here is the story in her own words:

“I gave my first Icebreaker on May 14, 1981 at the Washtenaw Toastmasters Club #3054 in Michigan (USA), moved from Ann Arbor to Maryland in 1984 and credited the Crown of Laurel Toastmasters club with my first DTM on December 23, 1987. I remained with the club through mid 1989, when I had to take a long leave of absence to care for my ailing parents. I returned to Toastmasters in 2005 and have served in various club offices. I am currently working on my second DTM.

In 2007-2008, I served as the District 36 Public Relations Officer. That year, I faced three difficult challenges.

The first was the death of a dear Toastmaster friend who had done so much for Toastmasters that he had received a special award from Toastmasters International. As the District 36 Public Relations Officer, I had to speak to our District Executive Committee about arrangements for his funeral, since it was scheduled for later that day and many of us would attend.

The second challenge of that year was the September 2007 resignation of our District 36 webmaster. Having accepted a role as an Area Governor, he discovered that he could not manage both jobs. Although I had some experience with some website technologies, I was completely unprepared to support the District 36 website and serve as Public Relations Officer. The website at the time had been supported with software so old that the software manufacturer had gone out of business. Also, the software used to support the website was only on one person’s local computer. I had to learn very quickly how to use a different software on my computer to support that website.

That experience led to the third challenge, which became a life lesson in patience. I knew that expecting untrained members to own and learn to use special software to support a District website was not unrealistic. So I assembled an action team to complete a High Performance Leadership Project to identify and recommend a Content Management System with all the easy-to-use Internet tools already on line. By May 2008, my team presented our recommendation to the outgoing District 36 Governor, the incoming District 36 Governor and an audience of about 50 other people.

My hope was that the recommendation would be implemented in the 2008-2009 year. When that did not happen, I felt terrible. I felt that our recommendation had been totally disregarded. However, by May 2009 a new incoming District Governor had realized the truth and value of our recommendation. Our recommendation was implemented in June 2009, and now the same website content management system is still being used in District 36.

I am grateful not only for the good times and good friends around the globe but also for the challenges I have faced through Toastmasters. Both have taught me about life in general.”

I am sure we all will learn from these challenges faced by DTM Susan Ellsworth. Thanks a lot for sharing your story. And… finally a beautiful quote to conclude my post from Martin Luther King Jr – The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

YOU KNOW IT’S NOT RIGHT! “Smoking is the worst thing a...

salimasayyid — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 05:43:57 -0400

YOU KNOW IT’S NOT RIGHT!

“Smoking is the worst thing a person can do to his body, especially at iftar in Ramadan,” said Dr Riaz Ahmad Minhas, an expert in internal medicine at the Emirates Clinic and Medical Centre in Al Ain.

At this time, he said, the body is in greater need of liquids, glucose, and oxygen and smoking could lead to the contraction of blood vessels, preventing the required flow of oxygen. Smoking at such a critical time can also cause the blood to thicken. This can lead to the blockage of arteries, increase blood pressure, spasms (congestion of arteries), disturb regular heartbeat, and increase cholesterol. “It could be lethal and smokers must be aware of that it,” said Dr Minhas.

Dr Ali Jaffar, a physician in Al Ain, said inhalation of tobacco at the ending of a fast is highly injurious to the human body. People do not know how hard it is for their bodies to withstand such a blow at such a time. “If they knew they wouldn’t be so cruel to their own bodies,” he added.

A majority of smokers reach for a cigarette immediately after ending the fast. They like to have a cigarette after eating a date or a glass of water. As soon as they eat something their body starts demanding nicotine. “People with weaker willpower must seek medical assistance to control the nicotine withdrawal, he said.

Dr Jaffar also advised smokers to at least refrain from smoking at iftar until their bodies return to normal. A smoker must take light but nutritious food and proper rest. He said Ramadan is a golden opportunity for smokers to quit the habit.

The doctors said nicotine and tar are the most damaging substances in a cigarette. “It’s extremely harsh for the human stomach to tolerate them after a day-long emptiness,” they said.

Research all over the world has proved without doubt that smoking is responsible for an endless list of health problems and ailments such as weakness of the body, shortness of breath and impotency. Smokers often suffer from pain in their legs while walking or cycling as smoking gradually narrows their blood vessels. “This is the time. If a person can refrain from smoking for a whole day during Ramadan, he can quit the habit for good,” said Dr Minhas. @Extract from a post by Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief Gulf News.

Photo courtesy:typographic posters.com

VOLKSWAGEN’S INCREDIBLE OFFER - EMIRATE OF ABU DHABI

salimasayyid — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:36:48 -0400

VOLKSWAGEN’S INCREDIBLE OFFER - EMIRATE OF ABU DHABI

Resiliency - Salim Sayyid's blog

salimasayyid — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:25:15 -0400

Resiliency - Salim Sayyid's blog

Saeed Ojaroudi - The Creative Genius - Salim Sayyid's blog

salimasayyid — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 09:50:47 -0400

Saeed Ojaroudi - The Creative Genius - Salim Sayyid's blog:

This post is about a very creative and innovative photographer based in Abu Dhabi. He is very passionate about photography and breathes life into his photographs. His photographs are simply stunning.

Love is for a Life-time

salimasayyid — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 05:23:53 -0400

“No man should bring children into the world who is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education.”-Plato

I came across this profound quote through Nightingale-Conant and was taken aback with the wisdom and the insight and the lesson it imparted. The meaning of life, the meaning of a family and the meaning of marriage and the meaning of love is all there in this brilliant quote. I read this quote several times and the more I read it the more it implored me to understand how crucial is the role of parents in this world, in this society and in thefamily.

We get married and we get beautiful children and we strive to give them the best possible education and existence. We try our utmost to instil in them family and spiritual values and we pray to the Almighty for their success and happiness. All the while, I felt that once the children’s education is over and once they settle down in life with their partners then our responsibilities as parents ceases. However, this should never be the case because they are a part and parcel of our life till we breathe our last. I realized this when my daughter got married and settled into a blissful family life and when my son completed his Engineering Degree and started working for a reputed Multinational Company as a Software Engineer. It dawned on me that the responsibility of a parent can never ever be over and we need to persevere till the end to ensure that they follow the path of goodness and eventually make a difference to their lives and the lives of others for the better.

Yes, at times, there will be differences or probably misunderstanding that could create a barrier between the parents and their children. However, it is primarily the responsibility of a parent to look beyond the hurt and disappointments and keep loving their children and in their own subtle and special way keep on educating them through kindness and understanding. This could be sometimes very difficult as anger and pride and stubbornness can drastically come in between and destroy smooth relationships but then there lies the experience and the skill of a parent to control their anger and hurt and take their love for the good of the children to a level that overcomes all these negative impulses.

‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’

salimasayyid — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 07:40:09 -0500

Do you remember this word? Do you remember from which lyrics? Do you remember the film? Do you remember the lyricist?

Well, probably you could recall the film which had this complex yet famous word – Mary Poppins. But recalling the name of the lyricist would not be easy. He is none other than Richard B. Sherman the one half of the prolific, award-winning pair of brothers who penned instantly memorable songs for “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” — as well as the most-played tune on Earth, “It’s a Small World (After All).” He is now no more in our midst and has left for his heavenly abode at the age of 86 years.

The two brothers Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman worked magic as a team. Most of their songs were written quickly but even after trying for two weeks, they were not able to nail down a snappy title for the song sung by Nanny Julie Andrew. The idea came from Robert Sherman’s eight year old son. When his dad asked him “How was school today.” Pat came his son’s reply, ’Great. We got the (polio) vaccine today.’ When asked, ’Oh, did it hurt?’ He said, ’No, they just stuck medicine on a lump of sugar.’ And that was it. Those words inspired Robert Sherman to pen the title for the world famous song – A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine to go down.”

What amazed me most about these loving brothers was that though they were estranged for a number of years later, they largely avoided sibling rivalry and still had great love and mutual respect for one another.

Well now I could easily recall the lyricist of ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ – It’s sad, so sad that we remember this word emerge from the lips of Julie Andrews but we never ever bother to remember the lyricists behind this immortal word.

So RIP Richard – You have touched the lives of millions through your lyrics and these profound words of Ralph Waldo Emerson are my tribute to you.

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier Because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

The more you age, the harder you need to work.

salimasayyid — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:59:48 -0500

The more you age, the more hard you need to work out

The actor, who has turned 46, says the more you age, the more hard you need to work out.

“When you are young, people forgive all your things saying he is a kid. That time we didn’t even have to work hard. Now as you grow older, you have to work harder. You have to look younger; you have to be fitter, run faster, kick higher. All these things gives you trouble later,” he added. - Gulf News Tabloid

I was very happy to read these words of wisdom from actor Salman Khan. I have always admired him for the discipline he has shown in building his body. I can imagine how hard he must have worked over his physique. It requires courage and character to have this discipline in a regular work out and am sure he has been doing this for years. Great words of wisdom, great discipline - worth emulating.
Photo courtesy Gulf News - Tabloid

The New Volkswagen Tiguan Campaign

salimasayyid — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 01:45:00 -0500

Ali & Sons Volkswagen - Emirate of Abu Dhabi are having a special campaign on the new Volkswagen Tiguan. This is an excellent opportunity to purchase the new Volkswagen Tiguan.
Do visit the Ali & Sons showrooms in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain for more details or call +9712 6817770 / +9713 7210066

Love is Life

salimasayyid — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 09:37:34 -0500

Years ago Yash Raj Films came out with a beautiful romantic film ‘Daag’ starring Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore and Rakhi. A film that touched the heart strings of many around the world. The story of Gulshan Nanda was simple and profound. The performances were brilliant and the songs were awesome.

Over the years the Yash Raj banner has come out with some great romantic films. Dil to Pagal Hain and Dilwale Dulhaniya… were incredible films. Besides blazing the box office collections, these films made us laugh, cry and at the same time gave us great insights into human relationships. Socially these films carried very strong messages apart from providing wholesome entertainment.

I was happy to see the cute photo of Sharukh Khan and Katrina Kaif released by Yash Raj banner. The film also has Anushka Sharma and for sure this would be a film worth seeing for it’s emotional journey which probably would have love and sacrifice as it’s main ingredients. But am sure the Wizard of Romantic films Yash Chopra will have something up his sleeve to be different and outstanding. The release date of this film is October 2012.

I was very impressed and touched by the theme of Daag which was Love is Life and this theme has found a permanent place in my heart. Love indeed is life and if there is no love there is no life - there is nothing. This reminds of the quote by George Eliot: “What greater thing is there for two human souls that to feel that they are joined… to strengthen each other… to be at one with each other in silent unspeakable memories.”

However Yash Raj films being socially responsible have never been lopsided in defining love as they encompass great family values while portraying stunning soft emotional love scenes.

I look eagerly look forward to this film and I wish the entire team of Yash Raj films the very best