Is your Gulf job for real?

• Q: I come from a large family of seven. Being the eldest, I have to look after everyone. I am a graduate. I have heard from my friends that working in the Gulf region will fetch me a good salary. Is it a safe place to work in? I’m worried as I will be staying far away from my family

• Shibu Lumka

• A: The Gulf countries are facing a severe shortage of skilled workers as the Gulf rush has slowed down with the rise in Indian incomes. Indian companies are now paying more money to skilled staff than those in the Gulf for the same kind of work.

Indians go to work in Gulf countries dreaming of huge salaries that will resolve their financial woes, but a majority of them stay poor, according to a survey conducted by a welfare trust which works for the welfare of low and middle income Indians working in the Gulf.

Many Indians arrive in the Gulf region after paying huge sums of money to recruitment agents. However, unscrupulous agents give false promises to these people by giving them high hopes of an excellent salary, an attractive work environment and free accommodation.

This, in turn, creates complex psychological and socio-economic problems leading to frustration and suicidal tendencies among expatriate Indians (mainly from Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu). The suicide rate among Indian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has increased over the years due to depression related to financial crises. In 2004, there were 70 cases of suicide. In 2005, the number increased to 84 and in 2006, it touched 100.

So even if you want to go to the Gulf to look for a high paying job, be very careful about checking the authenticity of the company you will be working for as many agents could cheat you by giving false promises.

The inscrutable Americans

• Q: I am thinking of taking up a teaching job in a school in the US. What kind of challenges should I anticipate?

• Garima Dua

•A: Being a wealthy nation, the US spends a huge amount on making learning interesting for children. Accordingly, you are likely to find many more teaching aids than you do in India. So that will be a rich and rewarding experience.

But having said that, teaching in the US is often a challenge.

Teachers complain that barely two or three children in a class behave properly. Teenage pregnancies are not uncommon. Neither are drugs and violence.

Teachers are often called by their first names. Indian names are difficult to pronounce for US students. So, many teachers are assigned American aliases.

But if you are prepared for all that, let me assure you that you will come back much richer in experience. And dollars.

Add a splash of colour for a happy life

• Q: What is chromotherapy? Do Indian institutes offer courses in chromotherapy?

•Monica Saha

• A: Derived from “chromo”, the Greek word for colour, chromotherapy is an alternative system of medicine that uses the seven colours of the spectrum (violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red, abbreviated as VIBGYOR) to treat diseases. According to this system, the cause of any disease or disorder can be traced to the lack or excess of a colour in the human system. Each colour of the spectrum is associated with specific human qualities.

Chromotherapy is best used to supplement other natural therapies such as a nutritious diet, adequate rest and relaxation, exercise, yoga, naturopathy, hydrotherapy and
aromatherapy.

Chromotherapy is part of all five-and-a-half year bachelor of naturopathy and yogic sciences (BNYS) courses. You can even opt for a diploma course.
Although career options in this field are similar to those in any branch

f alternative medicine — private practice, working in hospitals and teaching — they are relatively few, because this ancient form of therapy is neither well-known nor accepted by the common public.

The Open International University for Alternative Medicine (under the Charter of the Indian Board of Alternative Medicines), which is located at 80 Chowringhee Road, Calcutta-700020, offers courses in chromotherapy.

Visit the website www.altmed university.net for more information. The institute offers a two-year undergraduate course in gem-tele-chromotherapy. Those who have passed Plus Two can apply for admission to the course.

You may also consult books on chromotherapy to find out more about the subject before you enrol in a course of your choice. Some books that you could consider consulting are Charles Klotsche’s Colour Medicine: The Secrets of Colour, Mary Anderson’s Colour Healing: Chromotherapy and How It Works, R. Douglas Howat’s Elements of Chromotherapy and Joy Gardner-Gordon’s Vibrational Healing through the Chakras: With Light, Colour, Sound, Crystals and Aromatherapy.