Reflections of an idle Mind

A ray of hope?

2011-04-08T17:57:00.002+05:30

That was a long hiatus. But anyways, I'm back now. The reason for my absence? Blame it on the laziness,yet again!

Just when we concluded that there is no hope for this country, nothing is going to change, there appeared a silver lining in the form of Anna Hazare. His fast unto death for Jan Lokpal Bill has united the country like never before and turned into an overnight revolution. People from all walks of life, from the length and breadth of the country declared support to his movement and participated in candle light marches held across the country. To an extent, media can be appreciated for drawing the attention of common man to the right cause, at a time when the nation is so caught up in a wild Cricket fever. While it is heartening to see many of the celebrities endorsing the cause, there is a gaping absence of the recent cricket warriors! One wonders why?

I digress.
So what is the reason for this overnight revolution? ...Anna never appealed for mass support!....

It can only mean one thing - everyone is extremely frustrated with the wide spread corruption. Then again, why wait for somebody to take the plunge to declare your frustration and anger? What stopped us from taking the imitative, I wonder. Is it apathy?

I can talk for myself. In my case, it is lack of hope and faith in the administration system. I never believed that the Government can respect a valid cause and fight for it.
If it were to succeed, the Jan Lokpal Bill & Anna would forever change this thinking in many people like me.Anna has successfully ignited a spark in every Indian - a spark of hope! It is now time for us to take it forward and display our solidarity.

- Awake,arise and stop not until the goal is reached.

Go for it!

2011-02-07T22:28:00.003+05:30

I'm elated! I'm on cloud 9!

Well, of late, I have been pursuing something that is really close to my heart. And, thats what kept me away from the next best thing, this blog. Whats so special about today? Well lets just say, my effort has been acknowledged and I feel on top of the world. All thanks to the support and encouragement from the loved ones.

When was the last time you did exactly what you wanted to do, when you wanted to do, despite the usual stresses at office and home? Go pursue your dreams,folks!..chase them now while there is still time.
Go for it!

Mumbai local

2010-12-25T00:06:00.007+05:30

A gratifying shopping trip & lip-smacking snacks later, we decided it was time to head back to the resort.Inspite of constant nagging from hubby dear, we managed to lose time in shopping and loafing around. By the time wisdom dawned upon us and we decided to head back, it was already too late. The city is Mumbai, the hour, 6:30 PM on a Friday and our mode of commute? The local (train)! ....

Boarding the train at the originating station helped us grab a few seats. As the train started to move, we slowly drifted away into a tired drowse - only to be awoken to shouts from somewhere behind us “Aage Badho, aur aage badho bhai” . Shockingly, the entire compartment was crammed within no time!
I noticed an elderly gentleman navigating through the crowd towards us. He wanted to place his bag on the storage area over our seat. On placing the bag, we expected him to move away and find a place to stand in somewhere in the crowd. But no! He never budged! He stood riveted there - between the row seats facing each other,right in front of us! Very soon, there was a request from an elderly aunty to make place for her, since she was unable to stand. She was supposedly ill. That made four of us on a seat meant for 2 adults.Half-an-hour into the journey and another to go, some of us struck a conversation with the elderly gentleman trapped infront of us. Casual inquiries revealed that this was his daily routine. Apparently, he commutes to work the same way - one hour of standing between people! ...I thanked my stars for not having to go through this ordeal.

From the announcements and billboards in the station,earlier,it was clear that most of the trains were either nine or twelve boogied.I furiously noted that the one we were in, had only nine compartments.As is obvious,my first thoughts were - why couldn't they add more compartments,atleast during the peak hours? What kind of life is it, if you had to stand for an hour to commute to your workplace, in an extremely crowded train,day in & day out? And then, return the same way? Later that day, I learnt that though Mumbai is supposed to be the financial capital of the country, it gets very little attention - in terms of improvisation of infrastructure, unfortunately. Sad, really! I digress,though.

Coming back to the local. Those who have commuted by a Mumbai local during peak hours would have known how hard it is to get into or get out of the train. For this reason, we decided it was impossible for us to get down at our destined stop. Hence, feebly resigned to our fate and made up our mind to alight at the last stop.At that point,the gentleman trapped infront of us, who was listening to our discussion intently, pitched in to help. Luckily, he was to alight at the same station.He suggested we should start planning our exit one stop prior to the destination. That was the trick!

As planned, the elderly gentleman started wriggling his way through the crowd, one stop prior.One by one, all of us followed him, forming a line in which the ladies were sandwiched between the men folk. It seemed as if we were preparing ourselves for a bungy jump!As we inched forward, we could sense some sort of excitment building up in the people around us - who by now, know every minute detail of our "mission disembarkment". I noticed a few keen eyes watching our every move,with bated breath!Soon we heard the train slowing down and then screeching to a halt at our destination.We were somewhere close to the exit, but still not out. That is all I remember. Before we knew it, we were all on the platform and were continuing to move with the human current towards the exit of the station. A sense of achievement engulfed us. We made it! Hurray! We survived the Mumbai local!

We thanked the gentleman who helped us and that is when I asked him his name. Prakash, is his name. The whole experience is going to stay with me in the years to come. Prakash is a living example of the Mumbaikar spirit. Inspite of his daily ordeal,he managed to have pleasant disposition towards total strangers on the train and even helped them! Three cheers to that human spirit! On that note, I bid adieu for now. Merry Christmas!

Our friend - the sparrow

2010-10-25T22:23:00.004+05:30

Every morning, at around 8, we have this tiny visitor who drops by to say hello. The little guy is almost punctual every day. He would fly onto the window sill and spend sometime trying to converse with us ... fearless and extroverted, unlike his fellows! Over the time, we started leaving crumbs of biscuits and a little bit of water for this little fella and he made visiting our house, his routine. Our friendship continues...

A while ago,I came across an article that listed the common house sparrow as a soon-to-be endangered species and requested its readers to do their bit in preventing it.Discovering that the sparrow would very soon join the list of endangered species was horrifying. Where are we headed? Rapid deforestation - ruthless felling of trees to expand roads, to create new infrastructure, to build extra luxurious apartments,office,commercial spaces meant very minimal greenery around. The result? Well, drive the most common bird, close to extinction!!
Is man becoming so selfish that he thinks he can very well do away with the other species? Isn't there beauty in balance? Thats what Nature teaches us,doesn't it? Then why are we so overwhelmingly selfish? Why are we bent upon protecting and nurturing just our own species, at the cost of everything else?.....
How would it feel if our kids would have to visit a zoo to get a glance of say a sparrow, cow, goat or a crow! - all them which we could so easily spot around us while growing up?! Think about it...
Habitat loss is a major reason that is driving many species towards extinction. We can do our bit in protecting and nurturing our environment by planting more trees and protecting the existing ones.

Nine nights

2010-10-11T22:36:00.006+05:30

Brightly decked up shops screaming out 'SALE' , streets filled with incense fragrance, exotically decorated pandals at every community park and a slight nip in the air - this is the charm October brings in. Come October, one of the Hindu's biggest festive season sets in - Navratri followed by Diwali. Navratri (Nine nights, literally) has a special place in my heart. The kind of cheer and happiness this festival spreads - one has to experience it, to truly adore it.

While in school, Navratri meant 10 days of break from waking up at 6 a.m. every morning. It also meant shopping, new clothes, visiting friends , eating delicious food everyday in the name of God. The meaning more or less remained the same to me over the years, except that the 10 day breaks are replaced by a long weekend.

An article I stumbled upon recently, threw open a different perspective on Navratri.While reading the article, I told myself to blog about it without fail. So here goes!
A few excerpts from the article:
Navratri is observed to celebrate the victory of spirit over inertia,pride,shame,craving and aversion. The first 3 days of Navratri are attributed to 'tamo guna',signifying depression,fear and emotional instability; the second three to 'rajo guna' characterised by anxiety and feverishness and the last three days to 'sattva guna' that pertains to calm, peace and dynamism.
Though Navratri is celebrated as the victory of good over evil, the actual fight is not between good and evil.It is the victory of spirit over inertia and negative tendencies... Navratri is the time to reflect on and renew the innder depth of our lives.

I shall leave you with that. May the true meaning of Navratri sink in and may we all rediscover a humbler and more peaceful side in us. Dussera Subhakanshalu!

It happens only in India!

2010-09-23T19:39:00.002+05:30

If foot-over bridges in a completely uncrowded area are completed before flyovers at crucial choke-points, where else would it be?

If slight rain washes away roads and leaves behind huge swimming pools,where else could it be?

If commuting to work feels like an adventure ride, maneuvering around pot-holes, rain-made lakes and heedless,selfish riders ...
If following traffic rules is frowned upon....

If private construction is rampant & fast while public infrastructure creation, sluggish...

If a country with 70% of the population under the age of 30 is ruled by a meagre 10% who are aged above 70?...

Where else can there be corruption at every single rank of administration? ...

Where else would the governing body keep mum even on being aware of the malice of the neighboring countries? ...

Where else can be it?

Sigh!

Mera Bharat Mahaan!

Top Chef !

2010-08-04T14:50:00.001+05:30

I'm no Tarla Dalal or Sanjeev Kapoor. Mine is all practical and quick cooking. However, sometime back I purchased a vegetarian recipe book authored by Neeta Mehta. It was an impulsive decision which I never repented. I remember going through the pages of the book soon after getting home and wondering if I would ever even try atleast one of them. That was then. Now, I proudly reveal that I have tried 7-8 recipes from this book and none of them have let me down.

The other day, I came home ravenous. Paneer danced around in my thoughts. I decided to make something out of paneer. Why search for exciting recipes when Neeta Mehta is at your disposal? After a quick reference, Kadai Paneer was chosen. To my dismay, the recipe appeared to be quite elaborate. Neither did I possess the patience nor the energy to prepare this dish. But that dint deter me. 'It will be my adaptation of the recipe' was the thought that refueled me. With new found energy, I started chopping the ingredients. Where the recipe said 6 cloves of garlic and 1/2 inch of ginger, I used the ready-made ginger-garlic paste. The step which required red-chillies and dhaniya to be roasted and then ground, was replaced by a ready made masala. This way, including some, excluding some steps from the original recipe, my own adaptation was born.

And to our delight, it turned out to be quite nice. I totally relished it. Unfortunate that I could not click any pictures. Alas! if only all our energy wasn't focused solely on devouring it!

The Racquet

2010-08-03T20:27:00.003+05:30

On our drive back home, while waiting for the signal to turn green at one of the traffic signal posts, we spotted this guy making rounds with a racquet in hand. It is a common sight at traffic signals. So common, that if you are a newbie in the city,you wonder if Hyderabad is such a sports fanatic place. Well...in a way, it is. Hyderabadis with this racquet, do play a game or two every evening - no ball/shuttlecock required! The opponent/ball/victim is the mosquito! Yes, to the uninformed, this is no ordinary tennis racquet - its a deadly weapon that electrocutes the evil mosquitoes! Now isn't that quite an innovation?

Alright, coming back to where I left - So, curiosity got the better of me and we purchased one of those bats. I could hardly wait to get home and put this masterpiece to test.
Once home, there was no time wasted - the bat was immediately unpacked and employed as a mortal combat weapon on the tiniest winged being spotted.A few hours later, as the initial fancy wore out, I realized it was time to bed. The next morning, when the maid noticed the number of flies,mosquitoes and fruit flies on the floor, she gave me a puzzled look. I returned an innocent glance and said nothing, inwardly amused at the achievement!

Raavan

2010-07-02T23:46:00.008+05:30

We watched 'Raavan' last weekend. I was looking forward to watching this movie from the time I first heard about it. Mani Ratnam, AR Rahman, Abhishek Bachchan - yes a trio very tough to resist! There is something else which made Raavan even more irresistible for me (pun intended ;)) - and that is, the modern day adaptation of Ramayan.
Ramayan holds a dear place in my heart. Don't ask me why - because I do not know the answer. Be it the influence of grandma's mythological fables
or the very popular TV show (Ramayana) ,that was telecasted those days ...I cannot put my finger on it.

As a young girl, I remember being enamored by the subject. When in a mood for mythology, I'd pester my father with questions like - whether Ramayan really took place? Why is Ram considered God? The possible dates of Ramayan, the possible setting, the place where it took place, did Raavan really have ten heads and many such questions.
He would patiently try to answer them all. Though he acknowledged that the account of Ramayan is exaggerated, like many other epics, he believed it did take place. "May be Ram was the leader of a tribal clan , may be it was not monkeys but monkey like tribals that helped him find Sita, may be Raavan wasn't as bad a person", he would speculate. May be? Such conversations often left me in an enthused and stimulated state of mind...

Excited I am even now, after watching Raavan. Not because it is such a masterpiece. Nor did the performances of the cast sweep me off my feet..no! But, may be because I found this adaptation of Ramayan closest to what I have imagined it to be. It connected to my thought process. Believing that the legend most Hindus consider sacred is not an exaggerated , overrated piece of fiction but a true life story (with may be a little bit of exaggeration) has a lot of joy associated with it. There is some kind of peace, hope and contentment which I'm not able put into words. I believe ... maybe, its the romantic in me!

Its been a year!

2010-06-17T20:12:00.005+05:30

Yes, its exactly a year ago that I made the beginning...took the first step towards writing. When it began, I never imagined it would last this long. I supposed it to be one of those numerous fancies I never pursued more than a month!

But, lo & behold! here I am, creating yet another post....surprising myself yet again! I wonder what could be the reason? The only thing that comes to my mind is the selfish motive to observe how my thought process evolved over-time, may be? Anyways, that is for me to go figure.

Here's what I owe you, my readers : All of you who read, follow,comment , criticize my posts, a BIG thank you for hanging around and encouraging me.

The Orange Hibiscus

2010-06-08T23:26:00.015+05:30

Last year, on the World Environment Day, we brought home an orange hibiscus plant. This plant was actually on display at the 'mini' plant exhibition held at the office,celebrating the day.It was on full bloom and naturally, caught my attention and that's how it landed in our home. We started petting it from the moment we brought it home - watered it dutifully,fed it manure once a month & even patted it now and then!

Over time, slowly, my petting came down and eventually, I forgot even that this plant existed! After a period of such 'hibernation', I was jolted back to reality when one day I discovered the plant in a very pitiful state, with just a few leaves left on it. I knew I had to do something - anything to save my plant. First thing that came to the mind was insecticide! I knew I had 'some' insecticide which I bought 'some'time back, which was meant to kill 'some' kind of insects. At that moment, these 'some's din't matter. All I wanted was an (any) insecticide. So I brought the bottle out and quickly sprayed a generous amount. That, I thought, would rid the bug that was feeding on my plant.

I went back to my religious routine of petting/watering. But, to my disappointment, the plant showed no improvement. Over the next couple of weeks, it withered further and lost a few more leaves. I knew the insecticide dint work. I heard loud sirens ringing in my head. I had to act and act fast. That's when I took out my laptop and started reading extensively about this plant and the possible pests that can attack it. After a few hours of research, I could finally nail down the nasty culprit. I learnt it was a mealy bug attack & from the condition my plant was in, quite a severe one! I read all I could about the damn mealy bug, homemade remedies to get rid of it and lastly the proper pesticides that can be used. My mission was to save the plant at any cost. I started acting on the bug with a vengeance - left no stone unturned. After a few weeks of battle, the bug finally gave in. I could get rid of it completely!

A couple of days later, my plant started leafing again..voila! Though the recovery process is slow, the plant is definitely coming back to life. This World Environment Day, as a token of its spirit to survive, the plant bore two tiny buds.

The experience totally revived my long lost love for plants. I am now more aware and sensitive to plant needs - they are living beings too! Thanks to my orange hibiscus, I now have learnt how to pot and take care of young plants.
One would definitely find more plants at our home now, than ever before.

I also started looking at Environment day as a thanks-giving day to the nature & try to do whatever little I can to protect & nurture it.

For people in Hyderabad who love plants, this is for you : http://hobbyhub.co.in/
Check it out!

Miracles can happen.....if you believe

2010-05-18T11:15:00.009+05:30

Yes, I believe. And I have been through situations, which I reckon, are the miracles I could live through. A 'spiritual leader' making ash appear in his closed fists, is not something I consider a miracle.
Learning that a selfless,whole hearted wish for a loved one came true - is a miracle! Somebody once said, life is but a struggle mostly. However, it is peppered with numerous tiny moments of joy that make the struggle completely worth while! I agree one hundred percent.
For example, did you ever pot a plant and experience the joy of seeing it bloom? Didn't it feel like a miracle when you first noticed your plant bloom? Now, didn't that make the trouble you took in potting it,completely worth while? Or, weren't you thrilled when the song you have been humming all day is played on your favorite radio station?

Over the years, I began to acknowledge that as we appreciate smaller joys in life, we begin to see more of them. One has to experience the calm & peace such a realization can bring into one's life, to truly appreciate it. Give it a shot!

I'd like to leave you guys with this video :

Enjoy!

PS: If you were wondering what kept me away for such a long time, think no harder - yes, I witnessed a couple of miracles :)

My precious

2010-03-12T23:30:00.005+05:30

I saw him that day on a busy market street, in Bangalore. It was instant. His sparkling eyes stole my heart. I couldn't help staring at him. His smile mesmerized me.
I saw myself falling head over heals but just couldn't help it. I had to get my dad meet him, immediately! That day marked the beginning of our association. And now, he has become an integral part of my life.
My life, my family wouldn't be the same without him. He has been with me through thick and thin. One hug, and he makes my fears & tears vanish! What would I do without him?

What would I do without you, my stuffed monkey! :)

Hooked to Horror flicks?

2010-03-05T17:29:00.005+05:30

My husband complains when I suggest watching a horror movie. His reason? Well, why do you want to pay money to get scared? What's the point? He argues.

Why do adventure enthusiasts jump off a cliff or do a bungee jump? How did racing come into existence? Isn't the thrill involved, a BIG factor? Astronauts?
Are spaceships fool-proof?

All-right! I understand I'm going slightly overboard with my comparisions. The fact is, we all like thrills. Human mind seeks something to pump up the adrenalin..To get away from the mundaneness of daily existence. But not all of us go to any extent for it.Some thrills do kill.
Hence, my dear friends, I conclude that for all of us who do not indulge in the 'greater' risks, horror flicks are the best bets!

Go for them! Even if it means you watch the movie with your TV muted or hiding under the couch! Go watch! Feel the fear, the next time you are all alone at home.
Prove it to yourself that you outlived your fears. Go watch! ;)

Whats wrong if...

2010-03-01T10:57:00.001+05:30

a woman ....

...Challenges the notion that 'lady of the house' needs to take care of domestic needs ?
...Wears clothes that she chooses to wear?
...Refuses to be stereotyped to a 'traditional Indian wife/mother' - ever accommodating,ever pleasing and self sacrificial?
...Is disturbed on learning about the ill-treatment met unto other women?
...Condemns religious restrictions imposed only on women?
...Condemns treatment of women as a inferior race?
...Questions the interpretations of religious texts that dictate women to be 'submissive' & 'ever pleasing' ?

Is she being uber feminist? Are these the characteristics of a FCP (female chauvinistic pig) ? Does she needs to be rebuked for acting immature or trying to ape the so called *New Age Woman* ? Are her thoughts very shallow and selfish?

Who is a feminist?
.
.
.
.
.
Per dictionary:
feminist fe-mu-nist:
Of or relating to or advocating equal rights for women

Hello folks! I'm back after a long pause. Pause - not because I was out of topics to blog about, but because I was trying to put together some of my thoughts , bits and pieces from the conversations I had with some of my friends on this topic. ....So, here I go!

Yes, so all you ladies out there reading my blog, do you think you are an extreme feminist?
All you men, what do you think? Do you encourage your daughter,wife,sister,colleague when you catch her reacting this way or chide her for being a FCP?

If you ask me, I don't think any of the points I listed above make one a FCP or a super extreme feminist. I believe, in these changing times, men & women should learn to adapt and cope with the changes around. These are not the same times , when educating a girl child or sending her to an expensive college are considered a waste of money! Times have changed a lot! Many of the modern parents treat their kids equally - boy or girl, doesn't matter.

Given this background, its not surprising to find a woman who is as educated & earning equally (or more) than her husband, more now than back in our parent's time. With her education and the financial independence, the woman of today has come to believe that she is equal, in all respects, to the male. And,what's wrong with that? For example, what is wrong if she expects her husband to share all of the domestic chores with her? Isn't she slogging the same way he does?

Indian men are notorious for their ego levels. I will not say every man has a bloated ego, but yes, some of them do have a superiority feeling and think they are superior to the female population. Leave alone helping with domestic work, this kind of man gets threatened because his wife is "better" than him. Women married to this breed of men, I'm not sure how they survive! (Thankfully, mine doesn't belong to this breed.Amen.)

Being sensitive to each other, showing abundant understanding, being adaptive and some amount of tolerance towards each other, is the key for any new age marriage to survive.

Having said that, I'd now like to throw open this blog for discussions/dissections :) . I'm open to both. I urge my readers to please share your views/opinions on this topic.

Just another attack!

2010-02-24T16:55:00.003+05:30

Came across this nice article in the paper today, which discusses democracy vs dictatorship, Indian vs Chinese governments. Creating a new post, only to save the article on my blog.

Terrifying question

Jug Suraiya, 23 February 2010, 08:59 PM IST

Would a Pune-style bomb blast have happened in a Chinese city? Or a 26/11? Or any of the scores of terror attacks that India has been subjected to over the years?

Forget the fact that the Chinese economy has grown faster than India's. Forget the fact that in terms of infrastructural development - be it power plants and highways or hospitals and schools China is way ahead. Perhaps the most fundamental difference between China the world's largest dictatorship - and India - the world's most populous democracy - is the vulnerability of each to terror.

China has its share of internal problems, its discontented minorities, like the Uighurs and the Falun Gong sect. But dissent, even non-violent dissent, has been ruthlessly nipped in the bud before it can erupt into extremist action. The scars of Tiananmen Square are a deterrent testimony to the consequences of dissidence in any form.

China's relative immunity to terror is due to the fact that it is a 'hard' state, perhaps the hardest in the world. When terrorists attack hard states as happened when Chechen extremists held a schoolful of children hostage in Beslan in 2004 the response of the state is often so swift and brutal that it out-terrorises the terrorists. In the Russian case, the final death toll included some 200 children who were sacrificed by the iron-fisted authorities as unavoidable 'collateral damage'.

The game plan of terror or what is sometimes called 'propaganda by deed' is to ensure media coverage in order to highlight the supposed cause the terrorists are fighting for. In hard states like China and to a lesser extent Russia the media can be, and are, kept on a tight rein. In China certainly, a terror strike would be totally blanked out by the state-controlled media, thus negating the publicity value of such an attack. If a tree falls in a forest where there is none to hear it fall, does it make a sound?

In a hard state like China which with impunity recently violated the privacy rights of its Google users real or imagined anti-state elements are denied freedom of movement and information before they can get themselves organised. India's anarchic democracy in which each and every one of us does exactly what we please is the diametric opposite of China's police state, where the freedom of the individual is stringently monitored and curtailed every step of the way.

Yes, India is a free society, and China is a muzzled and shackled polity. None of us or at least not many of us would willingly trade places with China on that count. But the in-built Achilles' heel of any democracy particularly one as determinedly indisciplined as India's is its susceptibility to subversion.

Is exposure to terror the price that we have to pay for the freedom of which we are so justly proud? The freedom to travel the length and breadth of the country as David Coleman Headley did without hindrance. The freedom to congregate in public, as the victims of the Pune bomb blast were doing. The freedom of our media openly to report news, even when such reportage jeopardises rescue operations as happened during the live TV coverage of the Taj Hotel siege during 26/11.

When the intrusive Homeland Security Act was introduced in the US after 9/11, many asked if in the name of deterring terrorism America was undermining the freedom by which it defined itself. If indeed it has done that, then the terrorists have already won. Similar questions might be raised in India. Will the recent tightening of visa and entry rules for foreign visitors be a genuine safeguard against terrorism, or will they merely deter tourists and business travellers, to India's detriment? Will re-introduction of oppressive laws like TADA curb terror or promote more human rights violations?

Is democracy doomed to be the unwitting bedfellow of terror? That's the truly terrifying question.

Stone Soup

2010-01-05T15:21:00.003+05:30

This one belongs to my 'Nostalgia' series.
Its a short story named "The Stone Soup". I studied this story as part of the school curriculum. Back then,the idea of making soup out of stone, fascinated me no end. In fact,inspired by the lesson, I had even pestered mum to make some for me!

Cookery shows that promise scrumptious meal using umpteen spices,dry fruits and other savories, propel my memories (& mum's) back to the *stone soup*!
We tell each other : " A dish prepared from so many delicious ingredients has to taste good despite the recipe! ;)"

So here you go - enjoy this simple,cute story :)
The Stone Soup

Laws (loss?) of the Land

2009-12-18T13:06:00.009+05:30

How or why do people get away with so much destruction of public property, murder, rape, communal/terrorist attacks and other such crimes? And...importantly, why doesn't it matter any more, unless a *celebrity* is involved? Is our law administration system flawed? Most of the crimes seemed to fall into a particular category and a pattern is soon visible - that of belonging to one of the several cases where, if I dare say, Indian law seems to be failing! These thoughts plagued my mind whenever I came across a disturbing article in the newspaper. I never intended to pen-down these thoughts, but had to give a way to the constant mounting disappointment in me.

Read this article : After 36 years of misery, a fresh hope of death
The first thought that crossed my mind is why the hell did the culprit get only 7 years of sentence? Isn't the crime he committed as serious as a murder? In reality, I believe,its worse. He caused the poor lady to not have any life of her own, banished to a mere ward bed for about thirty six years. What kind of justice system is this? Directly or indirectly, isn't it in the criminal's favour?

Kasab's case is one more saga of never-ending twists.Only God knows when the victims' families would get some respite and when his *trial* comes to an end!

A brief search on the net tells me that the average age of a criminal case(i.e. from the time of committing a crime to the culprit getting punished) is somewhere between 5 years to 40 years or more!! Unbelievable, isn't it? Well, with such a law administration system as the backbone for providing justice to its people, I'm sure countries like India can promise only so much.

Quicker resolution of cases and stricter punishment to those who violate the Law may hopefully,bring in some good changes to the system.
While our great politicians strive hard to break this country into tinier bits and pieces, let us only pray that some common sense dawns on them sooner or later. Then probably,we might have bills passed in the Parliament for amendment of the Law Administration in the country.

Fingers crossed!

Do you post?

2009-11-09T17:56:00.005+05:30

Yes, do you post? Not scraps or blogs silly! Do you post letters (not mails / mail chains) ?
When was the last time you actually posted a letter?
With due credit to this *Internet age*, I must say, people have almost forgotten how to write letters.
There was this interesting conversation at the lunch table today - My friend mentioned that she'd dress up her kid as a post-box for the fancy dress event at his school! Reason? Well, so that the kids are aware of a thing called 'post box' existed once upon a time :)
We talked about our school days, when we kept in touch with friends/cousins in another city, through letters.
I remember waiting for the postman to deliver that day's letters. He would make his rounds on the cycle of his, going house to house, every afternoon at around 3 pm. Nothing stopped him. Not the rains. Not even the sultry heat of the coastal city.
I dint receive any letters on most of the days. But on the day I got one, it'd fill me with an unusual sense of joy - something you feel when you get a surprise gift. My cousin and I wrote letters to each other. Every letter had the same opening & closing lines - "Hi, How are you? I'm fine" / "Bye, ta ta " followed by some stupid hand drawn cartoons saying "bye". We both treasure those letters as precious tokens from our childhood.
Going through those letters now makes me fall out of my chair, laughing! They seem absolutely hilarious now.
Do e-mails/facebook/orkut have the same feel? Can one treasure one's childhood/adolescence years through these community sites or emails? Can the 10 year back scraps bring me the same joy as a 10 year old handwritten letter?

Pre-Wedding Blues

2009-10-14T17:44:00.010+05:30

One of my cousins is getting married next week. Though we've been planning on spending some time together, it dint really work out. Finally we could coincidentally meet at my parents' place the other day.
After casually yapping about the shopping details, the discussion moved towards 'pre-nuptial anxiety'.
Anxious and excited, my cousin was really in a confused frame of mind. She isn't even married yet, but is already worrying about losing her freedom! She worried about how she'd mingle-mix with her soon-to-be-husband's family. All in all she was a very stressed. I could connect to her very well..actually could understand her thoughts because I've been through it not long ago!

I remember feeling anxious, restless and stressed out as my wedding date drew closer. I wondered if I'm going to lose my freedom forever. Silly thoughts like being addressed as 'aunty' possessed me :) The whole idea of setting up your own home, scared me no end. I thought I'd be doomed to the kitchen and all such mundane chores that come with an independent setup! Shopping for long hours , running around for petty things & going to bed dead tired, dint help either. Actually, I started worrying about all the finer details of the wedding arrangements, inspite of being aware that my dad is already taking good care of them. I fussed about not getting enough time to relax. Complained about having to work till about 3 days before my wedding ( yeah, leave planning is not my cup of tea!).All in all, I'm ashamed to admit that I made life miserable for myself and others around me.
I recollect how I nagged poor hubby dear with all my growing fears/anxieties. I'm really grateful to him for lending a patient ear to my rants. He'd calm me and reassure me that he is going to be by my side through thick and thin. To this day, he stuck by his word and never shies away when it comes to helping me out with the dishes, cooking or any of the other household chores. I should admit,I'm very proud of him.

I digress though. Yes, pre-wedding blues are common. Every person has his/her own way of reacting to losing that 'single' status. There are people like my husband, who really look forward to it, enjoy and treasure every moment - since marriage is 'once in a lifetime' thing. And then, there are others like me, who get hyper-stressed and worry about every little thing.

If you are interested in reading more about 'pre-wedding-blues', you can find a good article here

Take me to your heart

2009-09-17T14:07:00.012+05:30

It was a nice,cool November evening. I got into the bus after a tough day at work, plugged in my phone radio and tuned into a local station, for some respite. Back in 2005,Hyderabad dint offer the variety of radio stations it does now. We had only a handful to choose from!

As the bus began to move, chilly winter breeze greeted me with gentle tingles.Soon it grew darker and the sky wore a lovely blue hue, only to be lit by a bright full moon. Then it happened. The local station started playing this lovely song after a ton of irritating commercials. But yes, the wait was worth it.Till date, this song scores high on my list of favorites.I fell for the lyrics, almost instantly. The ambience seemed magical, transporting me to a romantic world. All these memories froze in time for me and playback whenever I listen to this song, filling me with pure ecstasy.

The song is : "Take me to your heart" by ML TR.
Listen to the song, here
Lyrics
Hiding from the rain and snow
Trying to forget but I won't let go
Looking at a crowded street
Listening to my own heart beat

So many people all around the world
Tell me where do I find someone like you girl

(Chorus)
Take me to your heart take me to your soul
Give me your hand before I'm old
Show me what love is - haven't got a clue
Show me that wonders can be true

They say nothing lasts forever
We're only here today
Love is now or never
Bring me far away

Take me to your heart take me to your soul
Give me your hand and hold me
Show me what love is - be my guiding star
It's easy take me to your heart

Standing on a mountain high
Looking at the moon through a clear blue sky
I should go and see some friends
But they don't really comprehend

Don't need too much talking without saying anything
All I need is someone who makes me wanna sing
(Chorus)

Silent? not anymore!

2009-09-08T13:18:00.023+05:30

Tired and bored after a hectic day at work, my husband and I crashed in front of the TV for some respite.While flipping through the channels, a cute little elephant on Nat-Geo caught our attention.
This little fellow is an orphan rescued by one of the organizations. He lost his parents, thanks to the endless greed of our 'great' human race.

As the show went on, I made a chilling discovery. After being a silent witness to heavy poaching for over two decades, this creature is up for a revenge on the humans! In Uganda,elephant numbers have never been lower or food more plentiful, yet it is observed that these creatures blocked roads, trampled through villages & destroyed crop, apparently without cause or motivation.
To me, elephant is a benevolent giant. Except in a few rare cases (I thought), where an elephant is crazy, he wouldn't attack the humans or for that matter, any species. This show added a whole new dimension to my thinking!

In India, elephants are worshiped and considered sacred.Ganesha Chaturthi is one of the biggest festivals this country celebrates. However, unfortunately, this country also witnessed a lot of elephant poaching, which is evident from their diminishing numbers.

Greed for more has always pushed man to commit some of the deadliest crimes against nature. It is established that the once thriving species like tiger,elephants are very fast becoming endangered. Given all this, I wonder whats happening to man's compassion towards animals? What is the common man doing about this? Is he ignorant? Empathetic? It upsets me when I come across articles like this in the newspaper: Memorial amidst tiger reserve.
Are we protesting against this? What can we do about it? How can we make our voices heard? My search is still on...

Dynamic Priorities?

2009-08-26T20:43:00.014+05:30

If you are looking for techie stuff, this is not the correct link. Sorry!

So what exactly am I talking about?
I'm talking about the choices we need to make / the priorities that need to be revised/revisited in our day-to-day lives (dynamically).
Life is full of choices - why? isn't what you get to do in the next hour, your choice? or may be atleast somebody else's choice imposed on you? ;)

Its ultimately your choice to have a healthy lifestyle (or not to?), to excersie , to spend the day the way you want to, or to be happy or not to? My observation is, typically, people are very clear (I'd say at a very high level), about their general priorities revolving around family/career/health. I'd call it a hypothetical situation.Why? Because lost in our daily humdrum, we (yes, that includes me) never actually pay much attention to what is more important or dear to us!

X wants to spend more time with the kids but couldn't due to demands of his ambitious business venture.
Y wants to take aerobic classes, but just could not, due to work related stresses.
Z wants to wake up early everyday..only that 'day' is yet to come!

So what does one gather from these different scenarios? That sometimes (or is it most of the times?) we just plainly stop seeing our actual priorities due to demands from other spheres of our lives.....only to wake up one day and start cribbing?
What could be the reason?
Heres a definition from Physics

Inertia : The innate force of matter is a power of resisting, by which every body, endeavors to preserve in its present state, whether it be of rest, or of moving uniformly forward in a straight line.

Yes! the culprit is inertia to change,to revisit our priorities dynamically...or so I believe :)
I'd encourage readers of this blog to kick off a discussion (in the form of comments),so as to get different perspectives.

Adios!

No time to stand and stare!

2009-08-20T12:01:00.002+05:30

I had this tea-table conversation with friends at office, the other day. There was a mention about my blog & a casual inquiry "Mind not idle?" . Pat came my reply "no time to reflect!".Its been a while since I last wrote. There were many things that kept me busy. I prefer not to digress now. I may write them out in a separate blog.

I'm sick and stayed away from work yesterday and today. This gave me a lot of free time. I preferred to stay in bed yesterday, owing to my weakness. I'm a lot better today and was thinking,re-thinking about my reply "no time to reflect??" Yes! its so true. I haven't had time for myself (solitude). Though its nice to have something to do, keep you busy all the time, I believe its also equally necessary to have these moments of solitude, where you are just lost in your own thoughts and have a chance to connect to / rediscover yourself.

Coming back to what I wanted to share through this blog... "no time to reflect", quickly brought back verses from a poem I studied at school - " no time to stand and stare" . I still remember how pissed I used to be for having to study these poems, which at that age, never made any sense and seemed a total waste of time. Ironically, now, I keep recollecting verses from different poems I studied, every now and then! They make absolute sense now and I'm really glad that I got a chance to read the work of some great poets.

So here you go, this is the poem that came back to me today. Its called "Leisure" by William Henry Davies, a Welsh poet.

Leisure by William Henry Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Its raining men!

2009-07-13T15:16:00.011+05:30

At last it started raining here! After playing a month's hide-n-seek,the splendid monsoon has finally arrived. Whoa!what a scotching summer it had been!

Contrary to the popular notion that rains are gloomy and depressing, I believe rains bring a lot of cheer and vitality, especially to tropical countries like India. This is the time to connect to the nature - tune into the cute melodies from a varied species of birds & observe the tiny little saplings sprouting from the moist soil. This is also the time to go on a 'dragon-fly-chase' mission. I can go on and on..there are so many little joys that the rains bring with them. Its as if the whole place has suddenly come alive!

Somethings I love to do when its pouring like cats and dogs.

a) Cozy up with a good book, taking breaks to watch the rain.

b) Listen to some nice, loud and lively music

c) Have hot mirchi bajji + ginger tea...yum.. & a delightful conversation with a loved one.

d) Go for a stroll with my husband, soon after its stops raining.

Oh lovely! Its raining out there, even as I type this blog! Let me rush out!

Catch you later folks..

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

2009-07-02T12:45:00.007+05:30

No! This is not a blog dedicated to the super famous TV show.

Last Sunday we watched the movie "New York". Though the film predominantly belongs to the 'serious movies' genre, the first one hour revolves around the lives of 3 friends & their happy college days....

The movie brought back many memories of the free spirit of college life & the fun/laughter filled days at moto.

I remember how sad we were when leaving the college and hostel. How I imagined all my good/care free days to have come to an end. How much all of us (my friends gang) wished to get back to that life - those yapping sessions till late in the night, those walks in the campus , those birthday celebrations & bumps! :) , those 'combined study' sessions just before the exam! Wow, those were great days and will be cherished for the rest of my life.

I should say I have been fortunate to have a similar phase in my life, again! The last few years in Motorola were college life - part 2 for me :) At moto, what started as a group of 3/4 people hanging out for lunch/snacks soon became a big gang of 10-12 people! There were funny bday celebrations ( I still rmr how we've put up Suman's photo with Chiranjeevi in the cafty, on his bday), great bakra-banao sessions, TT/Cricket/Caroms wars, Outings, 'Get-to's at homes, Movies,Temples & finally interview preps! "Hang out together and have great fun" was the motto.......Time moved on, and so did folks in the gang.

Friends come and go, but the mark they leave on you is indelible. That's how life is.

This post is a celebration of the wonderful friendships I had and is dedicated to all my friends! Thank you guys! :)

Driving lessons..

2009-06-26T16:12:00.006+05:30

Driving has always been a nightmare for me! :( I look at people driving/riding in Hyderabad and always wonder how the hell are these people still alive??

Autos/bikers overtake you from left/right with absolutely no heed to traffic rules/police. Driving in hyderabad is like playing road rash, except that this is REAL and is your LIFE!

Sitting in the front seat (next to my husband,who drives the car), I often wish I'm equipped with those rods/sticks/whatever they use in road rash - to bang their competetors - in my case, bang all those who change their lanes in the laaast minute/rashly overtake from left.

Now,talking about my driving skills. I've learnt car driving earlier but am soo used to being driven around, that I never really cared much about my driving. Mistake! BIG mistake! As if this is not bad enough, I always get confused between left & right! Picture this - me guiding somebody on a busy street , with people behind honking the life out of us. In this chaos, when the person asks me "which turn?", I say left, with my hands pointing towards right!!

Given all this background, I'm now planning on re-taking the driving lessons ;) and am actually planning to drive in Hyderabad! Wish me luck!

The pursuit of happiness...

2009-06-23T17:26:00.011+05:30

I heard this phrase for the first time, on TV, while watching a trailer of the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness". It puzzled me , made me wonder "what an interesting phrase!" The pursuit i.e. chase/quest for happiness? Isn't this the core of Hindu philosophy? The quest for the ultimate truth, the quest for constant happiness devoid of worldly miseries? (it also happens to be one of the phrases in the United States declaration of Independence,which goes - Life, Liberty , and the Pursuit of happiness). It got me thinking...

All of us, in our day-to-day hurried lives keep telling ourselves - ' let me get that,I'll be happy', 'let me achieve this, that'll put me on top of the world!' and so on and so forth. Have we really been happy on getting *that* ? Yes, may be for a few hours/days. After that? Well, we have something new to *achieve*, something new to *buy/get* aaand are unhappy/at unrest until that is achieved!

How weird, isn't? The underlying goal (if I may say so) of every human being is to be happy - which we think, can be attained - may be buying a house, getting an admit into the most coveted University, high paying job , beautiful/handsome spouse ...and the pursuit continues...

I'm not different! I keep falling into this trap every now and then. However, of late, I started realizing that one can never truely be happy by pursuing 'happiness' . Happiness can only be found within.

My favorite quote goes "Being happy does not mean everything is perfect, it means that you've decided to look beyond imperfections..." Perfect!! isn't it? :)

But as they say, 'its easier said than done' ! Will post on this topic again, once I succeed ;)

Nostalgic memories!

2009-06-18T18:55:00.003+05:30

While searching for something, I stumbled upon some of my old mails today. One of them is from my cousin and the other from a friend. Both of them wrote to me while I was at WIPRO,Bangalore, undergoing fresher's training.

The content of their mails is pretty much similar - inquire about my well being and convey that they missed me. I remember how these two mails ( sent on the same day, coincidentally) made me feel so nostalgic, five years back! They brought back the same memories today, when I read them once again! :)

My first blog!

2009-06-18T17:06:00.000+05:30

This is my first blog and am super excited about it! :)

Blogging is one thing that had been at the back of my mind for quite some time now. I've been putting it away, thanks to my ..err..laziness!

So what do I write about? Well, about anything under the sun - anything that catches my attention, anything that I've been musing about - absolutely anything!