"Never ask what your country has done for you, say what you have done for your country". This is a very appropriate quote with respect to the fact that my host country, the UAE just celebrated its 43^rd National Day on 2^nd December 2014 i.e. yesterday.

A moment of pride was gulped by all of us- citizens and residents as the UAE completed another year of success, innovation and initiative since it's foundation in 1971.

I celebrated the UAE national day in a very eco-friendly and sustainable way to reiterate the importance of not only a sustainable nation, but even a sustainable world.

My first green initiative on this day was painting the white Jasmine flowers in the national flag colors-Red, Green and Black (The flowers were already white, which is the fourth color). Following that, I took a pledge to maintain a sustainable UAE in front of a ?C? canvas that was painted on the National Day in one of our malls, Sharjah City Center.  

Not only this, I also made an Eco-Friendly garden which included plastic bottle flower planters painted in the UAE?s National Colors. I was dressed up in the UAE's National Dress(Kandura) :-).  This is called combining creativity, sustainability and national integrity....On the 43rd National Day of the UAE, I, Rohan Kapur, through the innovation of My Eco friendly plastic bottle flower planters donned in the national colors, took a pledge never to let any reusable materials go to waste, to reduce the cumulative waste that goes to the landfill, and to make our beloved nation the most sustainable one, through individual and community initiatives such as my patriotic Eco-friendly garden.

I also had a Green Celebration of the Union in a very Eco-Friendly Spirit! I gave an Eco-Friendly Speech at the Sharjah Maritime Museum Complex about how to maintain sustainability during the pompous celebration of 43 years of eventful, well-deserved and sustainable success, recalling of our founding father's great words in Arabic, translating them in English, encouragement to support Environmentally Conscious organizations such as Bee'ah and a pledge to keep our nation clean and green! For this, I was felicitated with a token of appreciation for my Eco-Talk to all the patriots present at Sharjah Maritime Museum by their management.

Topping it all, I celebrated 43rd National Day in other miscellaneous ways in the Sharjah Maritime Museum with full zeal and zest by melting into the culture and heritage of the UAE. In a nutshell, this year?s National Day proved to be one that was celebrated by me in an Eco-Friendly way which added to the essence of my patriotism-literally and figuratively.

You can watch my speech at the Maritime Museum here: http://youtu.be/XtvT0kS1FIY