Mumbai blues, the other side of mumbai ,

From an ease paced life to the fast tracked one is a sea of change. This side of mumbai is not what I have been too well aversed with, though mumbai was no new for me - flocks of people travelling from one destination to the next, running through the race of life , purpose or no purpose the travel continues to make the ends meet...

This time around the preferred mode of commuting is the public transport unlike what I have been used to.. When one looks around - railway station, bus stop, roads at peak hours or no peak hours ( every hour is a waking hour , and every hour is a peak hour ) one comes face to face with the reality of life. One push and you are in the herd of people travelling by trains/bus, one push and you are out .. it looks like a mass movement..

No matter you are fresh when you start your day into the sweltering mass , you end up bathing with sweat and dirt , till you reach and breathe the air conditioned office air..

Phew!! No time to halt, no time for oneself..and yet this land of opportunity has thousands in number reaching to get engulfed in the existing mass for brighter futures unless they forget their dreams in the wilderness of this fast life..!! Life is...!!!

Some of Rumi Ur's sayings..

Here are few of Rumi Ur's sayings which I liked out of quite a few quotes on HT edition today..Go ahead .. enjoy..

1) You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life.
2) Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.
3) Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel the artistry moving through and be silent.
4) Everyone see the unseen in proportion to the clarity of his heart, and that depends upon how much he has polished it. Whoever has polished it more sees more - more unseen forms becomes manifest to him.
5) I died a mineral and became a plant. I died a plant and became an animal. I died an animal and I was man. Why should I fear ? When was I less by dying ?
( This dosent fall exactly in line with the Karma theory. But I liked the thought of not to fear of death. )
6) Silence is the language of God. All else is poor translation.
7)Who could be so lucky ? Who comes to the lake of water and sees the reflection of the moon.
8) If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?
9) Do you know what the music is saying ? "come follow me and you will find the way. Your mistakes can also lead you to the truth.

little wonders..

Small dreams,
Big dreams,
Expected moves,
Unexpected roves,
Strong voices of mind,
of what is expected (and)
what could be the unexpected,
Something to leave behind,
Something to take and move forward,
New moments to set the mind (on)
Memories lane would point backward,
but as I take this ride,
with a stride,
Challenges on the way,
All would be for the good ahead in the road that lay,
Rejoice everthing that comes on the way,is what this heart say(s).

Uncommon story of common men!!

What’s a common thread between Bengal, China and ex- super power USSR?? I like to put Communalism as the common thread... The present situation in Nandigram , located in the communist state of Bengal, the communist outlook of china and yet its economic progress and the aftermath of USSR breaking away into smaller countries in 1990’s under President ship of Mikhail Garbochev to shed off its communist skin as well as the image of Super power after a long struggle , led me to delve further into what is communism..

This is what I found in one of the websites “Modern day Communism is based on the writings of two German economists, Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels, who answered the question “What is Communism?” in their collaboration, “The Communist Manifesto” published in 1848. In it they declare that many problems in society are due to the unequal distribution of wealth. To bring about happiness and prosperity for all, the distinctions between the rich and poor of society must be eliminated. And since the rich will never give up their goods or status voluntarily, a rebellion of the poor -- the working class -- is necessary.

Thus, Communism is a distinct socio-political philosophy that is willing to use violent means to attain its goal of a classless society. If capitalism is defined as a social system based on individual rights (and individual wealth), then communism is its direct opposite. Communism believes in equality through force.”

More than helping the society curb the rich-poor divide and its inequality, it flares the pangs of injustice through atrocious means. See what’s happened to the failed efforts in Nandigram, and the USSR, an ex-superpower?? The economic growth story of China under the siege of being a communist state yet needs to be understood. But this can only be explained by the Chinese people who experience communalism day in and out, which would never otherwise come to light.
Force of any form leads to no good..and communism is a one of its forms.. Democracy should be the way of life.. !! Lest China and Bengal /Kerala can take cue from the USSR episode…!!

(This is a meager attempt..to quench my inquisitiveness. All explicit views and study on the same can be attained through Google devta..!! :) )

nature's retreat..

autumn effect: amla tree sheds off its leaves


Bin mausam Barsat: see the droplets on leave edges sprakling like crystals... thats a christmas tree..


After effect of bin mausam barsat: amla tree with it leaves back..




Few days back, city received unseasonal rain. Nature misunderstood this bin mausam barsat as retreat of rainy season such that it grew its leaves back...Now this was mesmerising.. !!! Enjoy!! :)

whats cooking ???

The turmoil in the state of Bengal on Nandigram issue is a sad story. I salute the Nandigram protestors who are strongly determined, undeterred to fight the government, which is unduly trying to snatch their cultivable land by offering fake promises. Snatching their livelihoods in lieu of money is no means to show progress of the state. Here was an effort made by my friend and his group to showcase the apathy of the fellow sufferers at Nandigram. Wish government takes a wise action.

On the other note, with state elections round the corner in Gujarat, political parties are set into action mode and are practicing their speeches. Gujarat has been one of the most affluent states in India. Though the Godhra massacre did leave a black mark forever in the face of Gujarat, its progress has been unhindered. Modi claims that he’s been the greatest contributor in progress of the state, though true to an extent (being an aggressive and an intelligent politician) but the history says that Gujarat has always been in the league of the most affluent states. What more is that life is pretty relaxing for women in Gujarat; one can roam around without much tension late night also. With lesser road junkies, there tends to be lesser incidents of harassment to women quite due to being it a dry state. (I wouldn’t mind its dry state image- at least I have the peace of mind that I would be home safely even if it has got late.)

What can an election do?? Rajkot was deprived of city bus services (it used to have long ago but was stopped due to the losses the bus service made – because of undue use of private vehicles), but with elections round the corner, the lack of city bus services was red marked and it got promptly started within a short span of time. At least we are assured out of chunk of our money (of what civilians pay as taxes) being stacked in the pockets of politicians, some money gets diverted for the public good.

Who wins, who loses is all the same – all competing candidates are brothers – only the intelligent politician whose fake promises touch the civilians wins.. Every election brings in flow of fake promises – with span of five year government and a short memory of citizens the promises are going to be short stints and long forgotten by the time next elections approaches. In the mean time what gets heavier is the pockets of the ruling politicians..

With a century in the blog space (with the size of write ups I write - some just one liners to few liners to few of them just photographs , this number is not a genuine one :) ) ..yet the number got so important that I got exhilarated on the same and so did my compatriots by sending their congratulation wishes :) .

At this point in time I remember a small write up from a book called "The Little Prince" by Antoine De Saint Exupery . Its a wonderful book with an equal appeal to children and adults. I would like to qoute the same here.

"Grown-ups love figures.When you talk to them about a new friend, they never ask questions about essential matters. They never say to you : 'What does his voice sound like? What games does he prefer? Does he collect butterflies?' They ask you : ' How old is he ? How many brothers does he have ? How much does he weigh ? How much money does his father earn ?' It is only then that they feel they know him. If you were to mention to grown-ups ' I've seen a beautiful house built with pink bricks with geraniums on the windowsills and doves on the roof...' they will not be able to imagine such a house. You would have to say them : 'I saw a house worth thousand pounds.' then they would exclaim " 'Oh! How lovely. ' "

Such is the 'maya' of number game...

Rangoli

Travelogues'..

and here goes my 100th blog :D ..

While walking down a street, I find the pavement is occupied by the banjaras ( living beggarly on the pavements). Barely anything to stack, unlike us, I find them into little chore of activities. Every possession of theirs is at display. Living under the hoods made from tarpauline sheets, the families of the same banjara community are living next to each other. While walking furhter , I find outside a similar small structure , a rangoli mentioning "WELCOME" in english . I was so pleased to see a rangoli outside a barely closed hut, with no doors ,no windows - a warm welcome note in the form of rangoli in bright White, Red and Blue mentioning a welcome to one and all travelling through the street!!

Thought to capture that in an image, but the immediate thought of impeding their privacy took me back.
Life is ..

Wish u all a very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year.!! Enjoy

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Another of my noting that happened today morning only,
while I was waiting at a shop making radium number plate for vehicles, I observed there were boxes of radium stickers on various subjects like various animal forms, birds, various designs etc. What hold my attention amidst tons of boxes was a small box marked " mixed bhagvan " meaning a box containing "mixed god"stickers...
Now conceptually this is so nice that it would solve major problems on this earth, majority of which starting in the name of religion..!! What say..!!

Nostalgia!!!

Touching and playing with the soap bubbles that cover the sky, rising, floating in the air,
how I wish, I care,

Swooshing through the swings,
dangling feet, barely touching the ground,
tapping feet and peppy sound,
such happiness in the heart rings,

Running through the woods,
Jumping from the car hoods,

mindfree whispers and care free giggles,
whacky jokes and tricky riddles,

Running behind to catch a butterfly,
cycling down the alley,

Playing games in the streets, screaming and hooting,
ligher heart that always whistle and sing,

So innocent, So carefree,
Let that child in the heart play, sing, dance, whistle ,giggle all care free..!!

Fast and Steady ..!!

Ideally, "Fast and Steady" that’s what’s required in the present world. Everything should happen considerably fast and yet steadily though.

Slow and unsteady – totally outdated, no acceptability anywhere

Slow and steady – was mantra of yesteryears – though secure it was but at a cost of time.

Fast and unsteady – creates waves like a sine wave – quite uncertain at times, though time saver on immediate basis but a costly affair in long run.

Fast and steady – is the best bid, all would want to be like that. Faster – means time saver and steadier means less uncertainties. Though we wish we can be faster and steadier, it is many a factor dependent as also to our strengths and weakness too.

But being fast may not necessarily give u all the pleasantries. Ideas can be worked out in instants, but not its execution. If everything falls in place to make the idea execution Fast and steady, it would certainly give satisfaction of reaching destination timely or before time but may not necessarily give joy to reach the destination.

What I remember here, of someone quoting is “Its not the destination but the journey to the destination that’s important.”

So irrespective of being fast or slow it’s the journey towards the destination that needs to be made pleasant…

on a weirder side :)

now this is a little weirder..see the effect of the numbered spectacles :) dont come to bang ur heads... :D had nothing else to quote apart from few incomplete blogs pipelined to be completed... till then enjoy this weirdness.. :)

life as is ...

Life as is....

idly thinking...

While sitting idly in the puja room of my house - into a thinking mode and not actually doing prayers :) my attention was drawn by a small insect coming towards me. With a soft bristled brush , I push that insect far from me in a different direction. That force of my hand shoved it off into a different direction , unknown to it, yet it started its journey back towards me.

There was some sense of purpose that it had to pursue that made it still carry on its mission towards where it was heading previously despite the fact that it was shoved off from that place. For the second time I did the same , this time in a different direction again than the last one , and yet that little creature with its persistence, perserverance and sense of purpose trotted its journey to its thought destination... this continued for other few couple of times with the same result. I was amused to see the perseverance of that insect.!

It made me think that whatever the force, unknown to that insect, that came to hamper its journey to its destination , it still made efforts to continue its mission undeterred. Point to take..!!

Though the last time I shoved it off, it tried different ways to reach the destination - trying to climb wall and then move horizontal to the destination, walking side by side to the base of the wall.. etc , but this time I could see it was really struggling to find its way back.. I didnt wait to see if it actually followed the lost path or not..I hope it did!!!


Such is our Life........!!!!

.....Life is Peaceful, and Peaceful is relative...........

.......(of me) only me and "it" knows it all........ ( at times not me also )

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.....at times when confusion lingers, leave everything on "it" .. and then what ever u receive is a surprise gift …..

little wonders

How long do you think this prop roots shall have to grow, to touch the bottom of the river....

...as many characters to me, as many people i meet....

Live life Kingsize..!!

The coming generation, son and daughter of some so called hi-fi business men and women , professionals etc , who live in the fast city life and fantasy of their own world, who go to do the shopping - from branded clothes to the day to day living items, like veggies and other groceries etc from the air conditioned shopping malls are going to miss the shopping from the local markets and street shops for sure.

One such experience is shopping veggies from the vegetable market. The hooting and cacophony of noises coming from all the sides to sell their stock, with all sorts of amusing sounds that they make to attract the customers to their stall..its really an enterprising edifice and an enthusing experience to watch those sellers shout at the top of their voices in an effort to attract their potential customers.

Yesterday was one such day, when I accompanied my mom to sabji maandi.. while my mom was shopping the veggies , I was busy observing, talking to a few of them and enjoying the vigour with which the sellers sold. Marketing personnel should be sent on such on- the floor training .. what say ? :) they will learn ample techniques..

What more is the way they live .. happy go lucky , always living by the day in the present, not too worried of their future, always trying to put their best into their selling, nice with their neighbor vendor even if the neighbor stole their customer . At the end of the day , even if they have to sell their stock at a loss , they are ready to part with their money, unlike most of us .. and at night go to sleep calmly with no tensions of this world like- how to be no.1, what to do next , where to invest, how to save money, how to catch hold of some free money.. To me though they would be living in small houses or on the streets yet they are living Life King size…!! Lesson to learn .. what say ?

random clicks

.......... Zero = infinity ........

home alone..

Ever left home alone to experience all weird experiences..

so was for me .. i opted not to join my family members to a jatra, thinking i have lots of pending things to complete and would want to complete those on priority, only later to realise that it was better had i continued with them ...

To begin with, had to go to railway station to get my tickets , and in a hurry forgot to get my house's key. With no key of home or my vehicle left at any place apart from all of us each having one , and mine left inside the house .. i was stranded.. cursed myself of not checking the belongings before closing the door of house .. and i was sitting outside , calling mom , if any key was left any other place.. not knowing what to do ,. i called my cousin to get a sardar ji along to, open the house or make a spare key .. nothing worked.. so quietly accepted to go to my cousin's place and do nothing apart from watching tv and chatting with them.. and later to take my cousin's vehicle to get my tickets after filling my stomach. With that done on priority, sat to watch movie called "my friend ganesha", found it intresting and sat more than a while only to realise later that ticket windows for railway reservation are open only till 2 pm on sundays. And i missed on that too.. and this series of misses continued till i was later joined by my family who returned from their jatra..phew...!!!! Got crazy by the end of the day .. but this experience would always remain in my memory, as normal things hardly get place till abnormal things like this happen ..Enjoy... :)

silhouettes

મિચ્છામિ દુક્કડમ

સંવત્સરી પ્રતિકમણ કર્યા બાદ સર્વે જીવોને ખમાવવાની સાથે આપ સૌને પણ ખમાવુ છુ. મારા જીવ્ થકિ જાણતા કે અજાણતા આપને દુભવિયા હોઇ, મન્ વાચન્ કાયા થકિ કોઇ પાપ્ દોષ્ લાગ્યો હોઇ તેનિ ક્ષમા માગું છું. મિચ્છામિ દુક્કડમ..

For those who dont understand gujarati , its about requesting to accept my sorry for all those misdoings of mine which i did knowingly or unknowingly throughtout the past year in the form of foul speech, wishing bad in thoughts or bad action through the way of using bodily force to hurt you or all those souls from one sense organism to 5 sense organisms. Kindly accept my sorry. Micchami Duddkadam..

Of mirrors and mirages….

That kaleidoscope showed arrays of broken colourful bangle pieces resting at the bottom support mirror.. with a straight gaze they were broken pieces but obliquely, with tilt in the gaze along with the side mirrors magic, it formed incredible images and astounding designs. Change in gaze employed the change in pattern or design so formed.
Such is life.. all of us have traits of colorful bangle pieces as traits of our nature. One view envisions only broken pieces , only different views of someone or self combined with the previous ones make it appear exhaustive.
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I don’t understand the part mirages play…but delusion keeps man running without an idea of when they will reach the destination..
To a thirsty deer a glazed road or desert path appears as water source at the far end of the road and so it relentlessly runs to find that source it sees..
Was it the umpteen thirst that led deer to fall prey to the mirage or was it the ignorance or no knowledge or lack of understanding of mirages that kept it running ..

for a change i would not like to talk/write/blog.... i would let the picture speak.... u are free to add ur comments / thoughts on the same :)

Krishna tales, mela and merry making….

With Janmastami around , Rajkot is fully lit, with loads of fun fairs and melas hosting hundreds of food , toy stalls etc. People seem to gain untamed energy when its Janmastami . Every nook and corner of the city boasts of beautiful depiction of an event in life of Krishna through the way of idols and posters etc. People spend days together to prepare floats carrying decorated Krishna images through the city roads on Janmastami.
For sure , this is a medium for people to enjoy, recreate, run away a bit from their daily life, but does that celebration carry an essence forward to what exactly Krishna had to educate the mass?

People are in full spirit to celebrate Krishna’s birth, which happened ages ago, that’s what mythology says. Don’t know if Krishna ever took birth in real life , as it could possibly be a marvelous creation of Ved Vyasa. (controversial , same could hold for other religion gods also ).

The question then is, should greater importance be given to pomp and show, as what is given in today’s context to religious events?
The pomp and show would cost Municipal Corporation crores of rupees, but again that will be recovered from the stalls put at the municipal ground. Religion has become a business. There shouldn’t be any time spent to look beyond what brings in business – that’s what is taught today. Who cares for all the litter made of the food stalls, who cares for the pollution caused by vehicles which move unnecessarily from here to there to make rounds of the mela or for that matter the floats carrying the images of gods throughout the city? Litter creators who have a habit of throwing litter almost everywhere apart from the dustbin, must have never given a thought to the cleaners appointed, who would spent ample energy to clean off the ground full of litter.

Krishna must have never told to celebrate his birthday like this, but who knows he might get impressed this way also.

Everything in moderation is good, extremism and fanaticism is always difficult to handle and lands one nowhere.

Excerpts from "We the living" by Ayn Rand

I will post few of the statements I liked in the book...

1. ) K : " If I asked people whether they believed in life, they'd never understand what I meant.It's a bad question. It can mean so much that it can really mean nothing. So I ask them if they believe in God. and if they say they do - then, I know they don't believe in life. "

A : "why ?"

K : " Because, you see, God - whatever anyone chooses to call God - is one's highest conception above his own possibility thinks very little of himself and his life. It's a rare gift, You know, to feel reverence for your own life and to want the best, the greatest, the highest possible, here, now, for your very own. To imagine a heaven and then not to dream of it, but to demand it. "

( This one is so controversial and yet both sides are equally true.. I do believe in God as a perfect entity and me as a life who would try to reach perfection .. so I do believe in God as much as in Life. )


2). A : " what better purpose can he live for ? "
K: " Don't you know that there are things, in the best of us, which no outside hand should dare to touch? Things sacred because, and only because, one can say : " This is mine" ? Don't you know that we live only for ourselves, the best of us do, those who are worthy of it ? Don't you know that there is something in us which must not be touched by any state, by any collective, by any number of millions? "

( Liked this one a lot )

3). Everything seems so much simpler when there's a limit set.

( so simple statement yet so true )

There are ample such statements , but I thought this was enough to quote over here..

My kite and my balloon..

The winds made it sway swiftly from one direction to the next. It had reached new heights where only eagles and seagulls soared.. the joy was aplenty, to reach new heights, by breaking its own records and trying to set another new ones.. Down, the town looked like a miniature portrait, with all the humans as ants crawling on the floor…Its only competitor -the kite, was also way below.. so whistling and swaying from side to side, it doles its way through the clouds… the helium inside had worked wonders. Balloon paid all its due respect to helium inside – it was with helium that the journey it took, reached new heights while making it so light that it could afloat like those rain bearing clouds, high above.. lighter hearts always remain afloat…

While kite below, in its own mood, took its own strides, aware of gap between balloon and it. It was aware that it was its own effort that made it reach where it is today, unlike balloon. Living this state with all the poise and sharpness , it was aware of balloons limitations as well, that if balloon tried to travel farther then its own capacity to bear the air pressure , it might give way to air pressure but that air pressure which might affect balloon may not affect it as it was free from any conflict between internal and external forces peering on its surface.. Being said and done it maintained its poise and cherished the scenery it bypassed.. Keeping in mind that it was the journey that mattered along with the heart to cherish and reach new heights made to self for the self..

barah ka show..

…and the sound of claps covered the hall and then faded to silence... while Rani and Jodha were brought back behind the curtain - standing like a barricade high above, like the several others.. and were rested at their respective places.. Audience moved like a snail towards the exit and almost apparently looked like they didn’t move but just stood; wanting to see some more of these acts...

While behind the curtain, Rani and Jodha were now almost steady from their last movement of being notched to their respective places. The lights from the stage were turned off. The able hands which had made Rani and Jodha play their characters, had moved off, and they lay still like the others, rested in silence..

Scared of silence and the enthusiasm to act still more made Rani blurt out to Jodha, almost weeping, hoping that the able hands may hear it and act accordingly - why did the able hands move off when I still wanted to act more, were the audience so bored of our characters that they moved off like this, why I don’t have energy like able hands to move myself when I want to, why do I’ ve to depend on the able hands..

Jodha stood like a caring mother to Rani , listening as patiently as she could and then when Rani stopped lamenting quoted “ Rani , we are puppets in the hands of the able hands and there is no way we can act without the extra energy of the able hands.. But what you are provided, which no able hand can snatch is the power to think of your own, convey your wishes of what you would like to act during the act of puppetering to the able hands and the able hands will make you move accordingly.. it is that power that u need to utilize and enjoy your acts that you wished to enact within the time period of puppetering… ” With that answer there lay the silence in the auditorium , no regrets , no laments ,only hope to see the new tomorrow ….

How could I judge you, when I am trying to discover my ownself...,
and yet we judge others more often than we judge our ownselves....

The Unsung Heroes, the Flawed Patriotism and the Change Agents…

15th August came and went , celebrations of the 60th year of independence observed harmoniously, chimes of Jan Gan Mana , Vande Mataram etc , being played almost everywhere , with people hoisting the small plastic flags sold at the traffic junction.. and wow we did show our streaks of patriotism..

Why have we found satisfaction in the superficial living, where we just make do with the showbiz only? I guess somewhere deep inside that superficiality might be pinching us also and may be probably for many it’s gone for a blind eye where one doesn’t even realize that difference..

If for an instance, someone asks you, how should your living be – most of us will come up with an answer, a happy and a peaceful living (inclusive of all the materialistic pleasures, if that’s what makes a life happy and peaceful). Yet we forget the glory of all the unsung heroes- the armed forces, which takes care of our nation from the evil enemy eyes- to save us and our nation or our freedom fighters also – whose only purpose of living was to make this country free from the long tyranny rule.

Why can’t we appreciate every single individual’s efforts, whose shoes we cannot put our feet in…

The people in the armed forces would be living a tough life, looking to the norms, rules and regulations that they have to stick to, in order to follow the discipline, law and order of the forces. In that case they are not at a liberty to do what pleases them unlike us democratic civilians. Then why do we have to be remembered of their deeds or sufferings. And if they could give the most precious thing they own – Their Own Life for us, why can’t we do or act even a bit to bring to order even a single thing that draws our concern, like the messy and dirty roads and surroundings, impure drinking water, uneducated mass etc etc..

We need to be the change agents and bring about change in whatever field that draws our concern and not just lay our hopes and blames on someone else and be content by just hoisting the flawed and superficial patriotism on just two important days in the history of Indian independence..

The Lead India campaign by the TOI is indeed a step forward in that direction ( wouldn’t matter even if its one step at a time as far as the road leads to positive progress ) and I wish that they prune out many dynamic leaders who can lead others while putting their heart and soul to change the face of the nation..

Chak de Indyeah….

Chak de India!! Now this is the flavour of the season, the song of the season, and the spirit of the season as India steps into the sixtieth year of independence..
Went to see the movie yesterday and I must say I was impressed by the movie and for the first time impressed by Shah Rukh’s acting..

What’s impressive about the movie is that it revolves around our National sport – Hockey and all the more about Women’s hockey.
I am sure this movie is going to act as a booster in the game’s popularity among the youth and all the more make it crave back its long lost stand against cricket.
The movie quotes many finer things subtly.. How our society discourages a girl child’s likings and motivations and yet the girls don’t succumb to the society norms and stick to their passion – to play hockey for the nation ( am sure this movie is going to add to more of girl power and encourage more girls through out the nation to have courage and take a leap to make their dreams come true) , about how girls unite to chuck some rowdy boys , about how if a team needs to win – team work, motivation and right guidance are so important, about how never to give up on hope, about how important it was to play for the nation , being identified as one from this nation and not one belonging to a particular state..
So this movie was neither too heavy nor too serious but an inspiring one and more so there was nothing like a heroine and a hero in the movie singing songs but a one that touches us somewhere down the heart and mind.. ( that is my take :) other critics can have their views )

This is where media and theatre play a very big and effective role in changing the mind sets of people and mass at large or rather make people start thinking of their own view points viz a viz as what the movie or media projects.. If this medium is used in the right fashion it can bring about a revolution and am glad more directors are coming up to provide with such subjects which can help make us into better citizens.. am sure with the present genre of people with the changing mindsets , such movies are going to gain acceptability..

Wishing all a very Happy Independence day in advance ...

The promise of a new day..

Let each new day begin with a humble prayer..that is what we are taught at school and at home.. to make us into a good human being.. and that we all have our own individual prayers to pray to God too ..
School taught me many prayers, slokas- some difficult, some too long, and its ages that I have prayed those prayers.. but there is this little prayer taught in my pre school, that we used to pray when the day ended at the school...Dont know why I remember this only after years of me passing the school ( because of a small and easy prayer or because it was the prayer, prayed when I was relieved from the scores of lectuers at school).. its a simple yet a meaningful one..
" O God , I am a little child, to you I always pray, forgive my sins and keep me yours throughout the night and day."

What could be the promise of a new day...
Let this day bring in me ample faith in me and my life ,
Let it help me to take the right path and the right stand,
Let it bring strength to face any new challenges that lay ahead in the path,
Let it harness my virtues and demise my vices...

(Though its published at the end of the day , it was meant to be published at the start of the day..)

One gaze and the notings ..

Random musings but concrete observations..

Walking past a construction site of over bridge being built in Ahmedabad , I note two larri walas , one selling chai and some bitings while another selling guthka , bidi etc, at one corner of the over bridge being built.
Nowhere would this site be seen, leaving apart aapnu Gujarat – the enterprising entity..
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Shopping and sale season, with sale tags being displayed at almost all the shops, what I wonder is why does one need to keep so high a price or such a high margin of profit for a piece of cloth or for any other bid on sale that the owners or the brands can actually go on and claim for a 70 % sale or 50 % sale etc. And yet people throng in to shop the discounted goods in all the bheed – bhad, to get the best buy. But we still love the sale season ( and I am a part of that we :) ) ..
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While we are looking for a company who’s alike, yet we are also in a look out for a company who’s not alike us but who supplements and complements us…

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While paying a visit to an extremely popular temple or place of worship ( it became popular because the wishes were granted apparently ) we find that everyone out their, bow their heads and with hands folded ,ask for their wishes to be fulfilled. Hardly anyone out there would have wished for person standing next to us that his/her wish be fulfilled leaving apart ours.
With such a huge number of followers, God would be wondering whose wish to grant, but had there been a rule or numbers given to each of us for our turn for our wish to be fulfilled, we would have always wished and prayed for the people ahead of us that their wish be fulfilled faster so that we get our turn fast…


6-8-2007

is the justice served ?

I have all my sympathies for Sanju Baba. Why was he brunt with a Rigorous imprisonment of 6 yrs for an act he did almost 14 years back of which he already served his imprisonment for 13 months and later on worked in a positive direction to change his image from the real Munna Bhai to a subtle and down to earth Sanju Baba.

Chief justice and several others alike think that this is a way to serve justice and teach the rowdy a thing or two. But where did this sense of teaching justice go during several other occasions where the terrorist were left free in a trade between leaving the passengers safe of IC 814, Kandhar hijack episode or several other such occasions. Why is there no check to teach the terrorists absconding free or left free on demand of several other bhai’s and why no act is taken when such relieved terrorists run into other such ruthless terrorist acts or rather have several such unaccounted acts on their books ? Where is the chief justice’s justice?
And what more can one, teach a person who has changed his course of action and learned from his past mistakes? Would working with other fellow jails mates make him any better?

Justice needs to be seen holistically, to make one realize his/her mistake and make him/her take a path of self improvement such that they lead several others like them and guide them from their own mistakes…

3-8-2007

ABCD's

About fifteen days back we were privileged to have a convention called “America days”, organized by Saurastra University and few other bodies in affiliation with the US consulate, Mumbai with media partner being BIG FM. This was a novel effort happening for the first time in Rajkot (being a grade C city). Various lecture series on various topics like Visit US, Higher education in US, Visa issues, US-India Business Opportunities, Cultural aspects in Communication, geography of US, Climate changes, etc. were arranged and various dignitaries from US, US consulate Mumbai and few dignitaries of various fields from India had come to deliver the lectures. I did take this opportunity and attended few selected programs of my interest and concern. The sad part was people here are in such slumber that they hardly took the advantage of such programs. Consulate had presumed that people will throng to attend and had booked a big auditorium but to add to their disgrace, the big auditorium was barely filled to a quarter. I wonder if they will ever undertake such series in future here at Rajkot.

During this program series, one evening a Carnatic music program was arranged. The performers were ABCD’s, who had received Fulbright scholarship to attain Masters in Music from maestros here in India and had traveled all the way from Banglore, where they are taking their coaching, to perform here, bearing in mind that there is no direct flight to Rajkot from Banglore so they took a flight to Mumbai and from Mumbai to Rajkot. The audience as like the other days was to the bare minimum. But to my delight both the performers, were exuberant, bubbly, confident, young, performed wonderfully and were least concerned whether the crowd was there or not or whether the crowd was active or passive , good or bad. They were into their performance leaving apart all the external factors. The Carnatic singer has educated in Neuroscience but was into the singing since the age of eight and was here to get mastery into Carnatic vocal while the violinist majored in western classical but was here to learn Carnatic music on violin. The promptness with which they sang and played from classical numbers to bhajans to Indian numbers and western on demand of the audience so swiftly was praise worthy.

While my sister and me did congratulate them for their performance and had a general chat with both the girls, what impressed me most was that they were in no way American born confused desi(ABCD) but American born confident desi’s. Kudos to both of them.
While we are loosing our culture and going western, it is such people in west retaining the culture of the east.
2-8-2007

Honking syndrome

Ever wondered why we need so much of honking to make way for our vehicle to speed ahead of chunk of vehicles travelling ahead or besides us or even honk when there is no vehicle or anyone around, walking or blocking the road. Is it a style to impress that an immensely great personality is passing by or poor punctuality, trying to catch up a few seconds of getting late by speeding up through road to make it 58 and not 60 minutes of getting late.

And if one has ever observed that honking is contagious in nature, it’s like a virus - spreads so quickly. When one vehicle driver thinks that honk is the only way to sever the traffic and honks, in reflex u hear another ten honks to retort. Have a little fun, check out for yourself, one honk of yours and another ten in response and more so funnier is the response of people, the way they look at you when you pass through. Yet another thing to notice, honking pattern goes according to the thought pattern in the mind. Louder the thoughts in mind, louder is the horn to chuck the person who comes in your way. One can’t stop the flow of one’s thoughts or one’s urgency but one can control how to respond to the situation, keeping in mind the external situation.

Funny this honk mania is.. but equally true is, why cant people wait for others to give way instead of honking incessantly or why cant we start our journey on time to reach the destination on time without creating stress for self and others. Why not be a little civilized and have a little more patience. In this aspect we do need to learn some from the developed nations who have diligent followers of traffic norms, where undue honkers are given a stare. Let’s observe some decency… what say?

26-7-2007

O7W vs N7W

how abt a recap of the most churned topic off late..

O7W
The Great Pyramid of Giza
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Lighthouse of Alexandria

N7W

The Great Wall, China
Petra, Jordan
Christ Redeemer, Brazil
Machu Picchu, Peru
Chichén Itzá, Mexico
The Roman Colosseum, Italy
The Taj Mahal, India

Wow the 7 wonders..

Recently the new 7 wonders of the world were voted for ..and the outcome of aggressive campaigning for Taj Mahal to be included was finally successful… huh!!…thank god, we did show our patriotism by voting to keep it in the bandwagon of top 7.
(Our people have found out easy means to show their patriotism also.. )

But at the end of the day, who were successful, bearing in mind that UNESCO was not involved in this poll at all, were the ones in the media doing all the publicity, the telecom operators, and the companies providing online voting facilities, everyone of them got their share from money spent on the millions of online votes and SMS’es. This new 7 wonder was a stint by …Mr Bernard Weber ( Swiss Businessman) & Mr Fedrico Mayor (a former UNESCO director –general )

And now again to earn that extra dime our very own TOI , has come up with its own polling for wonders in India and since last 4 days, they have come up with 20 wonderful sites like Ajanta Ellora caves, Khajurao temple, Brihdeshwara temple etc
Some more roll of money from consumers pocket to the pockets of media, telecom company etc etc.. Now they may come up with an argument that they are trying to educate the importance of the same to the public through media by such means. But then educating can be done by printing them like any other news items, is polling required in that case? And how could we compare the charm of one with another and bring out no. 1 and no. 2 and no. 3 etc ? Isn’t it mean?

To pay tribute to such stupendous places why not pay a visit ourselves and learn about them, their history, and how to preserve their charm and cherish them live rather than by mere means of voting. Let the tourism industry earn a little and in turn spread the wonders of these amazing wonders through word of mouth followed then by using media and mobile phones for the same …

If we see it - we will value it and if we will value it - we will preserve it by all means …

( Being a travel freak this is the first thing that comes into my mind, of exploring and cherishing the places by self , people can have different views and directives to support their views )

23-7-2007

I & I = more I ..... random musings on I

Was just pondering over why does it hurt us more when someone says bad of our mom , dad, bro, sis, our close relative, our favourite teacher etc etc… is it because ‘I’ is attached to all finally…
________ X ________
Why do we always want to prove that we are the best of all and inturn compete to prove to be the best using fair/unfair means..

________ X ________
Why does that “I” always want to show itself superior than the rest and cover its charisma across the whole world..
________ X ________
Would it not be a peaceful place to live – this earth, if all just live for themselves without the power of showing the superiority of “I”

And no I would not leave that “I” till that “I” leaves me…
________ X ________
Many a times when we stop listening to the inner “I”, do you think we would give a dime if we are to listen to other “I’s” …
________ X ________

Supposing, the inner voice was fitted to a loudspeaker somewhere in this world .. should we ever feel ignominious for our selves if we happen to hear that voice ring back while we were in a coterie of people …
________ X ________
And supposing all the creatures in this world start evolving to the caliber of the humans , how would the world be, thinking of the mess created by humans alone..
________ X ________

dose of laughter..

Seeing an auto rickshaw wala drive from far is really interesting .. too near is fatal of course. The bigger rickshaws being called “Chakda” are a power house, with the diesel engine making all the bhak bhaks of sound..

The way he severs the jam packed vehicle through the traffic with barely some space to breathe some fresh air, undauntingly is quite thrilling. Out of the whole lot of traffic traveling at a given particular instance, it is he who has all the hurry to get his passengers reach their destination before time.. overtaking other vehicles, with a full turn by just showing a leg as a sign of taking the turn along with the full confidence that it will not overturn is quite funny to see.. and dare you speak the way he side passed you and you would be into a soup of all the bad words for you and your poor driving skills that are to follow …being a girl u may still be spared with just the words , but if u are a guy who tries to teach that learned fellow, you will be shown all the muscle power..

Some people, seems, never tend to look behind or around with the chaos they would be creating, as they are too much into their own world of reaching from one destination to the next at the top gear.. and its probably this state of mind which gives them the required confidence to ride through relentlessly..

13-7-2007

my take..my story...

Pls link this with the previous post..

The sunshine on the face made him open his eyes and take a look at the surrounding.
The morning was bright and welcoming. He lay on this hospital bed since quarter of a month as if it had become his second home. Cool breeze from an open window blew past his face and caught a twinkle in his eyes while turning to see the curtains, making a fluttering sound did give some glow on his face. While looking past the window, out there was a government garden carrying a joggers track and a children recreational park stretching till the sea beyond. It was morning 8 but still the garden was buzzing with the elderly and few others walking past the walking tracks while some others cherishing the company- sitting and chatting, mothers getting their babies and making them play in sand, some children playing in their groups, some own their own in the swings and the ladders, hawkers trying to settle down their larri. In the gardens were beautiful flowering shrubs and shady trees, which gave so much serenity. With a look back from the window, faith was overflowing at the moment; he clubbed his hands and closed his eyes for a short prayer. Behind those closed eyes flowed the brisk memories of how he became a crippled boy interspersed with the happy scene of children playing in the park. “Sushanth” hit the soft words of his charming lady doctor, so was it. His favourite doctor and his only pal at this hospital had come to greet him and take his daily progress report. He was pleased to see her back, she was like a messiah to him. Gently did her lady doctor do her job of checking the movement of the hands. A whimper of pain caused by that hand movement made him go to the lapse of flashback. Immediately he landed into that scenario of how on his way to school he had met with an accident - walking, he got hit by a fast and reckless motor bike enthusiast, who didn’t even care to stop and look at what he had hit and whom he had left flying to hit the ground with most of the parts of his body broken like a glass shattered to tiny pieces if thrown with significant force. That pain was enormous. In the background was the murmur of his pal doctor who kept saying “ Sushanth is a brave boy, he is fit and fine and is going to run in a couple of days” “Sushanth is a courageous boy, who is going to fight this back and is going to catch hold of that rouge motor bikist to the police.” “Sushanth” . And immediately Sushanth snaps back to reality. With his gaze at the floor, he spots a single slipper. He pauses to look at the doctor lady with a lot of pain smoldering from his eyes , doctor lady catches that glaze, says a word or two of encouragement , rolls a gentle hand over his head and presses her cheek to Sushanth’s and kisses him goodbye and promises to return quickly after her rounds. He passes a silent smile. With the passing hour it’s the onset of the regular activity at the hospital. Sushanth’s mom is back with the juices and all the healthy home made food allowed to be given to the patient as per the doctor’s prescription with a daily dose of the medicines. Sushanth cuddles his mom slowly as his arms allow him. His mom kisses him back. She is an epitome of love to him. As the day progresses his mom reads him stories with the regular doses of food and medicine at the right time. On instruction he is to take a short walk around the hospital with the support of a walker every single day to improve and recover speedily. Diligently he follows the same with the support of the walker and his mom. While taking on those words, today he takes a different route to the corridor which led to the ICU. As they walk past the ICU slowly but steadily, Sushanth spots a frail child patient lying on the ICU bed, still, living on the fibrillator, oxygen mask and all the bottles providing various fluids to the veins and various others taking out fluids from this little child. Inquisitively Sushanth asks his mom, “ Maa , what happened to this child, even she got hit by a vehicle?, and what are all these bottles doing ? why is there a mask on her face? Will I have to put those masks as well? ” Mom spotting from his questions that he was on the verge of going back into his past, so before a flashback of his accident hits him and makes him mentally crippled, stops him half way “ Sushanth ” , “ She is a child of god, god’s favourite child- like you. She is brave, fine but is a bit naughty cos she doesn’t eat properly unlike you and hence has to be brought here so as to give her back all the energy she needs to work and play” “so my brave child, you need to follow all what your doctor aunty says, and we will be out of this place quickly- will you follow it – my child??”. With a waiver in her voice she turned her face away from Sushant, not knowing what else to explain him without knowing what was wrong with that poor child herself, hiding her tears back. Back to their room were a storm of relatives and guests who would flock on timely basis to fulfill their duty by showing their undue faces, each one adding a pinch of salt by quoting a few encouraging words engulfed in the ruthless and depressing words, making him unnecessarily realize that crippled life forward was going to be his reality. But now Sushant was lost in his own world, lost in the faith that he was a “child of god” “god’s favourite child” like that sweet, little, naughty girl in the ICU and calmness covered his face.
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pls note : this was a novel effort by me to yarn a story according to the words selected hurridly but cautiously , story took its own shape as i sat down to write... hope you enjoy as much as i did while writing..

Lets yarn a story….

I will come with words interspersed by spaces and the dots as I normally do so as a reader can fill the appropriate word on his/her own discretion. You can make a story of your own with those words as put here or can change the sequence of the words as one suits…..

I have my story ready but will post it in the next post … so till then all my readers can come up with some interesting stuff and put it across.. would be glad to receive the responses..

Here we go..

Morning…bed …window….. garden……faith …. crippled boy, Sushath….whimper…pain…flashback….accident…..reality…..a slipper….support…corridor….ICU…patient…..flashback…relatives…depressing words…reality…faith…calmness….

The road beyond..

We are at crossroads to the concretization, modernization, materiality, and progress which can rather be termed as unidimentional on one hand and on the other the need to evolve from our poverty in all ways and senses..

The roads 10 yrs back which were barren, today bear a new look, a make over done from what it was to what it is today.. the road which lead to the end of the city where the university was situated, today is full of building structures till the end..
The university itself bears a modern look .. the concrete road all along, the landscaping done so beautifully, marking of various departments all along shows the efforts of the management ..

When the work is done remarkably or fairly well or the effort has been good gives a sense of pride and happy feeling.. it shows the effort put has not gone in vain apart from being cost effective..
Such should be our country’s progress, where even the minutest effort put by the government or an individual also to improve the living conditions should create positive results only – i.e. providing higher standards of living by giving better roads ( which doesn’t need repairing every monsoon ) , better planned urban development ( not just acquiring reaping lands in terms of agriculture for selfish reasons), purified drinking water, water solutions to the drought prone areas and the flood hit areas, good education system, good sanitation system and higher employment rates by creating jobs etc etc..

The effort should be so as to maximize the resources be it natural or human and not in wasting them for self centric reasons and short term gain. It needs to be a Sustainable Development so that future generations can also cherish the world where we live as much as we did…

4-7-2007

on a serious note....

It’s a topic which people hate to talk of, a lot of drama involved around it, lot of pain with the very word … well its about abortion..

Wouldn’t have anything to quote myself till I saw a film on the same - courtesy my sister who happened to take this topic and enact a 5 minute mono-act on it in her professional people’s social gathering and an uncle of mine who helped with the CD...

Hadn’t imagined ever that abortion is such a horrible act of killing a child so ruthlessly..
Wouldn’t go into the nitty gritty of the killing I saw on the CD , but in short it was actually plucking the parts of the child out of the mothers womb one by one.. horrendous – terrible ….

Whatever the reason for abortion of the child either be it a girl child or family control – killing will remain a killing.. and enactors should be held equal to a killer in the court of justice.. and if not to the court of justice, they will remain culprits in their own eyes forever..

But on the other note – (mind it not to support this act but the flip side ) – suppose for whatever reason the child is saved from being aborted , would it live happily if the family was not in a position to support the living of this child for what so ever reason…and what would be the guarantee that the child’s life is not a living hell ??

1-7-2007

At the moment..

At the moment I am cherishing the Rajkot rains.. looking out of the balcony it’s more than a pleasant drizzle.. the pitter patter of the rain drops on the balcony wall, the view of the dark skies indicating of more such rains to come.. the rumble of clouds, the flight of birds, light sound of a song being played on the satellite radio, background noises of carpentry work in the near by area, sound of children playing in streets and beeps of cars and other vehicles … accompanied by the lovely smell of food being cooked at home .. hmmm.. absolutely pleasant and soothing…

Well as such this land is drought ridden mostly but since past three monsoons or so we are receiving good rains.. what I like of Rajkot rains is , it makes weather so pleasant with not so much and not so little rain but just the apt one to cherish it a lot not disrupting the daily living.. not so much like the Mumbai rains that it fills up the homes and makes the surrounding messy, and not so little that it just spoils the charm of monsoon…in short something which just brings to life the lifeless left plant from summer, the pleasant smell of the soil, the cool winds to cool of the heat.. and happiness to the child and the child-like…
I am loving it …
1-7-2007

Life is..

On a hot, scorching Saturday afternoon , while going to the civil hospital for an errand as a help to a friend, I find in the middle of civil hospital road connecting the new and the old building, lies a man unconscious, deadly still with body full of bruises. No pain was shown by the way of umphs and aaahhaa. It was like a dead body lying unattended. Umpteen people flocking from one building to another, take a glimpse of this sight, murmur a few words in retrospection, but none come to the rescue of this man. Silent in some other world of his own, his life is hanged on the verge like a man standing at the edge of a steep mountain cliff on a single foot. Police cross this venue on their motor bike without the need to take a pause and study this case. On asking people around this site, he was described as a helpless beggar. Felt giddy myself at this sight and like the other people of the mass I continue to do my job…I felt bad , I felt horrible as I couldn’t do much to aide this man. And out of nowhere I became a part of the mass…

In the Monday press, news appears of this as a man brutally hurt by some person and left in the roads of this hospital unattended, till a gentle and compassionate social worker goes and admits this man to be taken care of in the hands of doctors. Would his life be a boon or bane if he survives and would he trust people after all this??

25-6-2007

in the building lift....

In the newly built apartment, with almost nil occupancy, the flats no way own a forlorn look, with all the finishing processes- the furniture noises, the hustle bustle of the owners to see the progress of their flats, the other people with their work etc. Out there is a loyal liftman who without having to take a look up at the public’s faces who enter the lift , carries all from ground floor to their required destination floors. Without managing to see up at the floor keys in the lift, this man is cool, docile and manages to just press the right destination of the floor for the visitor with the touch of fingers. Surprised by this impressive style, "busy" people tend to move on to do their chores undeterred with the sense of amazement...but had they observed the red and white folded stick lying besides the chair on which the lift man sat..

this was an attempt to write a short story..this one is a 138 word story... couldnt make it any shorter :) am sure it can be worked up much better...

please note.. the end has been a bit modified now and it no longer holds to be 138 words..its way more...

Simple, the better - more simple , the more complicated.....

The Power of Love....

And today I suddenly realized the power of love- cos I hurt someone so dear to me ..
And I also realized its so difficult to say sorry….

Its often, that we hurt the ones who are dear to us and we always take them for granted because of our own misunderstandings or lack of ability to understand more or what’s required from us or by presumptions and judgments based on the past experiences, by always keeping in mind what we think is the only truth…

Had often heard the power of love, have read a lot on power of love but its today that I realize the power of love …

With our inflated egos we never like to budge from thinking - what we think is the only truth ….. but what others have to share may equally have a bit of truth in that .. –
Jainism spells this as the theory of Anekantvad - The many-fold aspects of truth as truth possesses infinite characteristics, which cannot be perceived or known at once by any one individual ....

Unending, incessant love - creates love and more love … never would hatred or moving away bring or create love….
The art to look beyond the follies, misdoings of others according to us and have compassion and to look for the bigger virtues of life …. such should be that art..

Its easier said than done… so is for me … Learning to love (pure one and not the need based one)….

and mind you this is not about the filmy love but the love in general towards our family members, friends etc etc or whoever is dear to us..

from the observation deck.. Part 3

I knew I was going to come up with this... had one point worth mentioning, left out ..

There were special entries in the buildings, airports, parking spaces, toilets etc for the physically handicapped, all around in both the countries, with special care given to such people..

Its about time we consider making such arrangements to make such people with whatsoever little convenience we can provide...

... The road from here..

mystery unfolds...

Day before yesterday , while flipping channels on the TV, came across a documentary showcasing resolving the mysteries of the Bermuda triangle on Nat geo or may be Discovery channel...the views of mytery resolved after years of experiments and experience of a few on why the ships and aircrafts disappeared while travelling through the Bermuda triangle was may be due to the electronic fog and clouds above which disrupted the navigation system which inturn misled the captains and the unrelented strong pacific waves that led to such incidents .. but the controversies still hold..

Also that Bermuda triangle was not the only unique travel to experience such mysterious powers of nature , there were several places around the globe somewhere around 11 or so such triangles..and one was near around Japan where such accidents have had happened priorly and have been noted..

strange forces of nature..where finding answers may take its own time...

life itself is mysterious .. which unfolds its mystery in form of short doses on daily basis... and finding answers to certain mysteries may definitely take ages or may be at times /sometimes lead to no answer at all.. Life is.........

From the Observation deck - Part II

cond. from part I..

6) the countries are so health and hygiene conscious that even the public toilets that appear on the highway were neat and clean . The people had the manners to leave it tidy as well after the use.

Also whatever the litter generated , say of plastic bottles, plastic bags, paper, etc are to be thrown in required and marked bins and the same is followed by people of all ages. We need to learn a lot in this aspect.

7) To curb the plastic use, there were places like malls and markets where they charge you extra for asking a plastic bag to fill the grocery or other buyings.
Here, who cares of the extensive use of plastic for buying grocery to veggies to throwing the litter or food waste anywhere in the plastics because they offer such a convenient way of use and throw and more so there’s no one to bother you where to throw and where not.. we have the freedom to throw the litter where ever we wish to.. and more so there’s no shame in asking for few extra bags as the shop keeper give them away for free..

Did we ever wonder that the food waste thrown in the plastic bags are so fatal that the stray cows and other animals who try to consume the waste food from the plastic bag may die a silent death (if the bag doesn’t give away and the food is consumed with the plastic bag they may harm the poor animals )
.. then we consider our cows as holy and sacred and we don’t allow them to be killed, to be consumed as food .. but where is that sense when we do such horrendous acts and let the stray animals die a silent death .. don’t you think its time we educate ourselves about the side effects of plastics and bring the same in our action..

8) though being health, hygiene and environment conscious, the usage of paper is enormous there , here we don’t have that extravagant use of paper but on the other hand we still lack the sense and the importance of issue like growing more trees or protecting the green cover which we already have.

9) the rain forest in NZ are protected from all sorts of logging and felling of trees and there is an awareness of the law and decency to follow the same religiously..

10) there are separate cycling and walking tracks provided in cities and people love to take that recourse and are not looked down upon if they carry cycle to places of work , unlike here..

11) the oldies, either living independently or with their children, had no shame in working for their living and keeping themselves employed. They were cheerful lots and did what was required to keep their house going, unlike here , where most often once the children grow the expectation to take care of their parents by the society and the parents themselves is huge.. though this is a controversial issue but what I want to share is just that the minimum the expectation level the greater the joy in sharing a relation which goes lifelong and with a lesser friction .. along with the charm of being self sufficient and independent till the last go.. or it appears to me so or rather I would like to think it that way..


….etc etc … list is long and no wonder if I come up with a part three to share my observations on the same ..

All this might look like Dadi ma’s musings but all in all it was a tiny winy effort of sharing my incite , observations and good hopes that I have for our country, to make it in the band wagon of the most cultured, most decent , most cordial , highly clean , neat and tidy etc etc….
Jai Hind..

From the observation deck….

Plethora of observations happen every minute and every second … the list goes endless but worthwhile noting is scanty, which really touch the brain and stay there for substantial processing… so also for me, and this is my take on the same..

This would be a long briefing of my short notings on my trip to AUS and NZ.. and mind u this is through my eyes and the processing of the same through a P3 inside( ; ) jokingly )…so views may differ…… controversies may be raised… but still go on to read the same ..


1) Being in the league of developed nations.. There was hardly any poverty to be seen .. the poor are given social security in case they couldn’t earn.

2) The villages had all the basic necessity for a standard living, paved roads, electricity, net connectivity, hospitals etc - in short a high standard of living..

3) more than the hospitals for the humans, there were veterinary hospitals even in the smallest town, with the cattle and dairy industry as a major industry, the care for the animals was of prime importance.

4) the skies every single day had a variety to show.. and I just cant guess as to why the skies looked prettier there as compared to those that appear here. Was it because of more open spaces there or buildings with similar construction and majority having similar colour scheme which contrasted the skies well or that the climate is so moderate and the effect of sun bare minimum to make the whole day look pleasant..

5) the nature has plenty to offer there but the conscious effort by the government to make tourism a major revenue generator has paved way to boost the economy.
Having traveled extensively in India, I feel that there’s so much diversity in our land unlike other places that if we concentrate on our tourism industry it can be the major revenue generator for our country apart from the IT/BPO/KPO industries.

what we need is to make it more neat and clean, spread the awareness of health and hygiene, showcase our variety of culture etc.


contd..

Travelling time zones is like getting to live a few seconds again in life- theoretically speaking if travelling west or missing a few seconds in life without having to live it, if moving east of where one lives..

And when one goes extreme east, like travelling to countries like Japan or other east countries, when the sun is rising or setting, it is rising or setting for the far west countries like west coast of US etc as well , but there lies a difference of a day….and if we happen to count the celebrations for new year collectively then it would surmount to 48 hrs of celebrations all together , starting from the celebrations in Japan till it ends in the US …

So if I move backward from where I live, I happen to live the same day again or if I move forward I happen to lose one..

A minuscule control of life (as compared to that by the bigger governing body of the universe ) just by moving backwards or forward in space…

31-5-07

And they thought that dolls were just made of plastic…….

And they thought that earth is a cool planet to live and have life .. but what would you say when the wild erupting volcanoes spit hot molten magma that fill the land and let it go barren ....

And they thought that eyes were the only reliable source for the expression of untold emotions for an introvert as well as an extrovert but how do you think an introvert blind would express..

And they thought that it was better to be born in a rich family but what would you say if a child born in such a family was handicapped or mentally retarded…

And they thought that you wouldn’t win a race because you were the only one….

Many a times in life our thoughts are shaped by others thoughts, for good or for bad.. and we thought that we were living in independent times.....

29-5-07

Returning back to the normal life after a break .. is like getting back to the original orbit with not so much a welcome after spending some time in the exhilarated orbit ...

Life is a time clock..keeping a count of seconds spent with this identity till it parts to pursue some higher deeds...

Not knowing of tomorrow..for me life is this second..this minute..and all such minutes which I spent with content...

Life is .....

Life is............................................................

gray matters...

Grey gray matter.. quite often its as one progresses towards acquiring grey hair that one accumulates on the gray matter.. but otherwise also, not always one has to wait for the turning to grey.. for some the exposure and the never die attitude itself is enough to keep the gray thing going before the actual greying..

27-4-2007


wanted to write something else..but this is what I round off with..

Bubble world

Every one at many points of time in the day, dive in and out of the bubble world state unconsciously..

A bubble of thought formed .. linked with some action or some situation , it grows , till something or someone snaps us back to reality.. and so it bursts .. and yet another bubble is already underway..

Living in and out of this bubble world...fantasizing things.. back to the past, future and the present all interspersed.

Neurons touching so fast to the past, present and the future, to the brain to the spinals in and out from one event to the next…as if touching or living various life’s in the same moment ..

One thing that defies the speed of light.. is the speed of thought…the speed of the living in an out of the bubble world….

14-4-2007

it happens so..

Quite a few times, when I happen to encounter my mom's friend over the phone or happen to meet her somewhere, she recalls of remembering me on and often..
Exaggerating the same as that I am rather as sweet as her doggy or that her doggy is as sweet as me .... and that she happens to call her "sweet doggy" " chinu or chinmai " and is happy to see a broad smile on her doggy's face with that name beaming up .

With no words to reciprocate, I just pass on a murk smile..at times thinking, hope this was not an insult :) and that is it out of love that she calls her sweet doggy by my name or is it otherwise.. :) but am pretty sure of the former or i like to believe it that way :).. funny tale to think of ..

Strange life at times , weird experiences to endorse..to beam up the faces and lighten the hearts ..keep walking .. keep experiencing..

on the fly...

Today in the news – some brave man challenges the Deccan queen, a train from Bbay to Pune, by cycling at the speed of the train and beat it to reach the target destination in some 2 and half hours.. a great , thrilling and enthused achievement ..and these were the excerpts that I saw , while flipping the channels on the TV ..

It reminded me my passion for cycling.. and long made promises to self to go on a ride daily was kept today after getting inspired by the news story… and out comes my cycle – “ the star bike” .. then lying in a sorry state to now made manageable to ride..

So while I drove down the under bridge which led the road to the race course .. it was indeed a joy ride..
When one picks up enough speed while biking down hill or down the slope .. then no matter the wind direction or how fast the gust of wind is blowing against u , u just fly.. and try to take the leg from the pedal the flying feeling continues.. For an instance when I put the leg on the pedal again and tried to pedal , I felt that the chain which connects the pedal and the wheels had gone out from its place.. cos the bike moved so freely as if the wheels were moving on their own.. simple pleasures from small small things ..

All in all a joy ride.. go check for yourself.. enjoy :)

Circumstantially,
Time, space and circumstance distances known from known,
Time, space and circumstance bring unknowns to become knowns…
While watching a Hindi masala movie yesterday, this is what was depicted ..
Totally a melodrama, the two couples find that they have lost the love in their partner which they used to before their marriage.. and it is this unforeseen circumstance which brings distances in their relationship.. and again the circumstance which brings one of the partner of both the couples together… funny, the story is .. but the essence beyond this cinema may hold equally true for any relationship in this world .. time, space and circumstance may make or break…

But life is..

sitting by the sea..

It’s an enthralling experience to watch the tide fill up the land and recede in its own period of cycle.

It’s this nostalgic experience which brings to me a weird analogy,
That of the cradling sea with its high tide-low tide effect to the crests and troughs in the life time of mankind…

Its when the tide is filling up the previously left wet land or when the tide is leaving the land wet, that we feel that there’s some activity going around, that the world is actually moving.. and we see some notable changes in the brim filled ocean.. for the rest of the duration, it just seems to be a reservoir of water with a tinge of boredom to it ..

So is to mankind.. its when he/she is in the path to progress or the path to digress can his/her true core be known… and hence by, the worth of the people surrounding him/her during those times…
Weird isn’t it !!

7-3-2007

Life is.......

While we were having a blast at the ceremonies preceding the wedding of one of my cousin..
There was I, cherishing, viewing the events pass by so swiftly..
In one such function, while dancing to the tunes being played, there we hear, one of my mom’s cousins , passed away. She was suffering from cancer..

Her fate was decided the day it was discovered that she was suffering from cancer and was in the stage 3..
God has his own cards to play..

On one end there we were party to celebrations while on the other, few others grieving the loss,

At the back of my mind, there was a sound of grief..
Not that I was very close to the aunt but that .. God really plays his own way ..
To some it was a moment of joy , to others it was a moment of grief..
Why was it that, god always tried to balance the quota of joy and grief..!!...
But that is how Life is .. I suppose ..

5-3-2007

platter full of mangoes

The platter full of chopped mangoes brought the smile on my face..
To me the view of chopped mangoes brought happiness.. cos I relished its taste..

But to the mango, there was a question in its mind..
Why me? Why was I plucked .. out of the whole lot ..
Plucked because it was easy to pluck where it was laden on the branch, plucked because it got nicely ripe, plucked because it served money??
All in all , plucked to be chopped and eaten..!!

Is there an answer to this why??
To the religion, it brings the circle of life and death and the karmas..
But for that mango , what karma brought it there, and what karma would bring it out from there..??Guess there are no answers to some whys...??..!!..

here's what i found in my friend's orkut account..i liked it and hence i wish to tag it here as well ...

"I am willing to let go, I release, I let go, I release all tension, I release all fear, I release all anger, I release all guilt, I release all sadness, I let go all old limitations, I let go & I am at peace, I am at peace with myself, I am at peace with the process of life, I am safe."

...... many a lifes upheaval , boils down to a string of emotional attatchment in whatever form ........and so goes the circle of life....

....let the hands go loose, the fingers go loose,
too tight fast a string ,
may not dare a puppet move.............

It wasn’t even left salty……

Almost quarterly , we happen to visit the civil hospital to do our little share of humane service..
Yesterday, although being special in a way, was one such day..
And if anyone has happened to visit a civil hospital can correlate to what I render..

Myriad of activities happening…
In the corridor, a sweeper doing her bit of cleanliness acts, mopping, in the stinky and dingy wards and lobbies….
Lobby full of utterly poor relatives of the poor patients sitting, loitering with a sense of hope and a patter of children, playing in dirt...

Though an appreciable work is done by the doctors and medico students who do their share by paying visits, doing regular checkups and keeping track records of the patients,
The patient ward nurses.. the untiring sweepers.. it seems that they really keep their cool..

Yet there is a lack somewhere.. cos although everyone is trying to provide the best of what they can .. one sees a lot of dirty beds, messy mattresses, flies, dirt and those poor patients with the dying looks …. Where we could barely stand for a few minutes , hats off to these patient people who are either treating or the ones who are being treated..

To some we did bring a smile, for them we might have left a ray of hope that there are people in this world who care .. and from some we did get our share of wishes and blessings..

It seems more than just sympathies, they require humble hearts to say “we also care” and generous givers who help to fulfill their needs in a way..

Reality bites - Unravel this other side of India poised….!!

8-2-2007

I like it kewl….how abt u ...!!

My music sir rightly quoted “cool mind pays off” and music is one of the medium to keep your cool ..
Its easier to skew the agitated atoms …
So being aware of the forces that leads to excited states and working on it to take care of the same ..
Cos in the long run, hot sizzles but it’s the cool mind that pays off……..what say..!!


3-2-2007

.....come, here, - i sell peace for Rs 10.......

The Balancing act.. II – Food for Thought

The urban reality..
Big towns getting bigger and villages going bare..
would there be an opportunity worked up to grow the villages , it seems rare…

What should be the balancing act..!!

The SEZ mania is right under way ..
Surely everything’s a profitable business..
Then where is the need to worry .. !!! what say.. !!

If many a Singur are vacated..
Where would be the land to cultivate the pastures..
With land and the harvest prices going high.. no wonder in the times to come .. humans will be back to square one.. War for food..
Thinking of it.., it seems so ill fated ..
Sensible approach by the government.. seems good..

Aping brings ease and faster execution but tailoring it to our needs and utility ..
such should be our ability..

What should be the balancing act.. !!

And what unfathomable reason draws many a farmer to suicide..
And without the farmers , who will harvest the land..
The green revolutionized land ..
having self sufficiency to cater the entire population may one day bow into the imports ..
And aren’t there any rules and relaxations which they could , without hesitation abide..

What should be the balancing act.. !!

A film city given way to come up near Nal sarovar..An abode for migratory birds..
A tourist center.. attracting tourists to watch migratory birds,
will now more than attracting the poor migratory birds attract the filmy nerds..
Why is there no Environmental impact assessment done .. prior to passing such projects..
Or is it that profitability gives way to such issues and projects..

What should be the balancing act..!!

With Consumerism setting its long strides..
Looking to the lucrative markets here..
Its becoming a dump yard of products mere..
Everything’s available at one go..
But its always good to take care of our needs.. without bowing to extravaganza and the ease of availability..

What should be our balancing act..!!

All this seems like broad or vague or extremist thinking … but on the other go .. an extended thinking and a food for thought..
’cos aren’t these points of concern..
A thinking mind keeps thinking .. what should be the balancing act..!!


18-1-2007

The Balancing act.. I

Could it be that sometime from now.. it would be India Vs India..
A population of a billion .. going strong.. as it takes strides to cover all possible sectors of employment ..
An Indian in an Indian firm working in India, An Indian working in a MNC in India or an Indian in an Indian firm abroad or an Indian in a MNC working abroad…
It’s the India Poised ….!!

If loyalty plays a part .. would India be loyal to the other India working for the rest of the world….!!

And what should be the balancing act…
Doing good for own self is prime and apparent .. but carrying its fruits for the greater mass – it should be such an act… !!

13-1-2007

Tommy's day out

What would it be to live life like a pet dog..
Freedom tied down to its belt..
no peer community rules to follow.. only tamed human emotions heartfelt
Trained at the acrobatics and the human barks..
Would it ever understand a dog’s bark..
8-1-2007