Is your nationality your identity?
|
|||||
Q & A with Gulf News' Community Solutions Journalist Heather Madore
Q: In the past, people would stick to groups of people who shared their nationality. Is this a practice you still a lot of today?
A: It's a basic instinct I must say. A person would rather approach a group in which he sees himself fitting. It's a more comfortable feeling than sneek into a foreign group and be alienated trying to relate himself with the majority.
Q: Have more people begun to mix nationalities?
A: Yes I think so. People would love to mix with other nationalities for the simple reason of "discovering." Oftentimes, introductions in the conversation between different nationalities is about where they came from, and what's good (or not) about the place. And that actual geographical learning per say is amazing. Our nationality is only a general classification. At the end of the day, we create an identity based on what we do or what we like - and those things lead to mingling with people (regardless of nationality) who also like the same.
Q: Has social media like facebook, twitter and MSN helped people come together?
A: Definitely. Here in Dubai, there were already numerous events organized by people connected via Twitter, Facebook or Meetup. With majority of the population being expats, we are always craving for something to do. We are excited to build our network.
Q: What other reasons have contributed to people mingling?
A: People connected via social networks are excited and curious to see who the actual person behind a username is. In the first place, people got connected online through a common interest. Events themed with that commont interest - be it an informal mini-conference-over-a-coffee, an art exhibit, or a demo of a project, or a concert - makes them want to mingle. Mingling creates an OPPORTUNITY to meet and discover random cool and exciting people. It could open doors to create a personal or professional relationships with people.
Q: Does the fact that the UAE has so many different nationalities help break down barriers or create them?
A: Dubai is one good example of a borderless community. It's not the nationality that creates groups for people - it's their interests. If I love football, I will mingle with football fans alike. The fact that companies employ people from different nationalities and merge into one team already kill the barriers.
Q: What makes a persons identity? How do you judge a persons identity?
A: Each person has his own brand (or identity). He creates it (and is judged) by the way he speaks, he acts, and sometimes by his interests; or physically by his posture. In social media, a person's identity is determined by the information he shares. We call it reputation management.
One, of many, aspects I can judge a person's identity is the consistency of the way he carries the reputation he builds for himself. There are people who consistently talks only about one thing. There are also people who talks about random things.
Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for a Stronger Nation
|
|||||
PEBA has witnessed the real life suffering and loneliness of the OFWs and their families and believes that strengthening the OFW families, strengthens the homes and the nation! Thus, this season’s theme of
does not just momentarily fit the issue of hour but is a timeless subject that cannot be bound by shackles so long as there are OFWs out there.
Scores of blogs and articles have been written about the subject in the past but it seems that the government authorities remain clueless of solutions and action plans to abate the increasing number of broken families.
My Simple Life Winning Formula
|
|||||
It's not about what we have done. It's about what we can do.
I thought it was great but all I got was hate; thought it was awesome but I forgot to consider some...I did a website with poor navigation; an ugly website with improper ratio between images and texts. I produced websites that violated CSS and XHTML and design rules. I delivered a website that took centuries to load, was not compatible with other browsers; sites with low search engine visibility; and worst, websites that were only visited once, and totally rejected. I've been through a lot of mess, committed a number of critical mistakes, been moaned and scolded. I failed.
That WAS me.
Behind those failures, I am still playing the same game, just rubbed it off, got up and continue to be ALIVE. Those experiences gave me an opportunity to assess the kind of risks I need to take, and helped me realize that I can really give more only by means of a right formula. Being A.L.I.V.E paves the way for me:
A - Attitude. When I set the alarm to 4am, by 5am I should be up already - that's right attitude for me. Right attitude equals right mindset, organized and open-minded. Discipline along the way is my biggest challenger (That's why I implement a No-Facebook No Twitter time in a day). When I have to do it, I have to. If I don't have to do it, I won't. I learned a lot from the 4 quadrants (alone) in the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey.
L - Love of the game. I love what I'm doing. Web designing just started as a hobby until I realize that I could make a living out from it. It was not even included in my college course so I studied everything by myself. I'm lucky to have got cool mentors, coach and tutors along the way that helped hone my skills further. What better career can you have than the one that you really love? This is pass-ion.
I - Inspiration. I'm greedy about inspiration. This keeps me happy about what I do. I always sing and crank up rockin' - that's my way of saying I'm inspired. I have a beautiful wife to die for, a loving and supportive parents and sisters, great friends. My dreams inpire me too. Being dramatically inspired squeezes my creative juices more.
V - VITAMIN VISION. Having a vision prevented me from giving up with all those failures and prevented me too from pursuing a career in showbiz. haha. Reminding myself of my vision, adds fuel to my engine. The more I failed before, the faster I got full tank. The motivation to live my dream life with my family is just undying. See my Visionboard.
E - Earnings. Web design and internet marketing field puts me in a very lucrative opportunity. Seeing how far I can go, how big I can be, how huge it could reach out (see Ion as a Youth Advocate) and how quick I can transform my vision into reality never shuts me down. In short, realizing what my earnings could do not only for myself motivates me much.
This is my formula. It can be yours too. Be ALIVE. I refused to die and chose to be ALIVE. And to be ALIVE I don't abuse myself, well not too much. There are still more days I get to sleep 6-8 hours, I can go out with the family on the weekends and relax. I can chill in this desert.
So now, I can create not just stunning websites, but efficient, user-friendly, usable, and cost-effective as a result as well. (See Portfolio)
Coming off the bench, I know my role. It's a continuous learning process while I watch the coach design the play and the superstars execute. I know now what to do with the ball when it gets on my hand. I'm not yet where I want to be, but I believe and feel my other hand already holds a part of the MVP trophy. - Ion Gonzaga
