The art of Gifting

An honest confession, I have this habit of gifting people around. I don’t know why? Actually this runs n the family and I have this weird habit of buying gifts for people I like which could be friends, family or even an acquaintance! I fail to understand is this a good habit or a bad one.

Would you call it a Nightmare? (1st edition)

I and my mariner husband have decided to watch a late night movie every day. Now that he is on his sail for the past 2 months, it has become my sole responsibility to keep up with the habit. There is another side to it. I stay alone and I have observed that the days pass by easily as I keep myself preoccupied with my work and household alternatively. However the nights seem to be a big challenge because this is time when you feel lonely the most. There is no one to talk to if you are not feeling sleepy and you cannot control your thoughts!

Meet my unleashed neighbor

It is really very disheartening to disclose this very fact that I have been unable to follow one of the most important commandments of Christianity. This would be that of “Love thy neighbor” because of many reasons. I promise you this is not baseless and I am sure you all will agree with me, if you hear me out, the cause for not able to nurture a virtue like that. At times I feel is it me who has developed this problem of hating my neighbor or is it the person who has pushed me to that corner for such reciprocation. I wonder but if you are interested to know more here is the reason for all this.

Make a style statement with the new Palazzo Pants

Yes ladies Palazzo Pants are back in racks! Now for those who do not know what a Palazzo Pant is, they can browse the net to catch a glimpse of how they look. These created a phenomenal success in the 60’s and 70’s with actresses

The two most important people of my life whom I admire

The two most important people in my life who have made a difference in my life are my mother and my husband. That is correct one parent and the other one is my life more than a partner. These two have always been there whenever I have needed them the most. They have influenced my life in an optimistic way as their presence makes me feel comfortable and the positive vibes help me keep focused.

PIRACY IN SOMALIA

What is piracy and armed robbery in ocean waters? The answer to this question is rather not simple and yet not very complicated . Piracy is a term used to describe acts of armed robbery and other malicious acts against ships in international waters.They are carried out with the intent of stealing valuables on borad the ship/and or extorting money from shipowners or other third party interests by holding the ship or the crew for ransom . The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) defines piracy as the act of boarding a vessel with an intent to commit theft or any other crime, and with an intent or capacity to use forces in furtherence of the act. Since this defination reflects the popular understanding of the word piracy and furthermore piracy in Somalia and Gulf of Aden, so we will see some statistics down below to have a fair knowledge about this subject .

Armed attacks on merchant vessels transiting from Gulf of Aden, and other waters near Horn of Africa have increased considerably in the past few years. Such acts have usually been conducted with the use of threat of violence. This can be particularly traumatic for those directly involved in this actual scenario as well as the family members of these seafarers sitting miles away and praying for their loved ones.

A study has been  released  by a political and economic intelligence consultancy firm for the delegates ahead  of an International Piracy Conference that began in Dubai in mid of 2011 is one of the first efforts to chart the economics behind piracy. The figures revealed focus on the extent of the problems with the piracy attacks and hint at record level attacks and huge monetary compensations set to swell the rank of pirates by 2015. The efforts by vigilante Somali fishermen in the mid 1990s to protect the coastal waters around Somalia mainly by fishing have rapidly advanced to piracy and now outspreads to some 2.5 million square nautical miles off Somalia’s coastline. Somali piracy is valued at $238 million until 2010 and is now set to rise to $400 million by 2015. The cost of piracy prevention could essentially double in the same period from $8.3 billion in 2010 to about $15 billion in 2015. The sustained growth of piracy powered by organized and armed gangs using “motherships” to enable them to attack further afield, could see the number of pirates rising considerably around this region. The study predicts  that these piracy incidents will expand substantially beyond Somali waters  since they are a part of a complicated piracy value chain ranging from financial backers to accountants and arms dealers. A UN source concurred that research of this nature is vital and a comprehensive study is required so as to have a united approach to eradicate this issue  by the joint  patrolling authorities based on shared intelligence .

Special Note: Specially contributed by Mr. Souvik Chatterjee. The author is a Naval Officer in Merchant Navy who is serving this line of trade for the last 15 years.