It is really sad to see them go so early. After Rajan P. Dev, it is now Murali.
Murali will remain one of my favourite actors and sadly these great actors have not acted enough in the Malayalam cinema. He acted raw and should be called the real superstar. I guess he was not confined within any Superstar status and was free to just act. He never needed any “props” unlike the current superstars, to remain on the screen and at times as a pain to the viewers. We have superstars whom the fans want to remain eternally young, virile and what not but we loved watching Murali for his personality and acting alone. Even the media was stingy in using the Bharat before his name and I wish Murali could have seen the real support that he had from the viewers. He was an avid reader and a writer too, although I wonder if his political leaning did reduce his chance to act in more movies.
And talking about the recent deaths in the Malayalam film industry, is this industry getting to be injurious to the health of those involved in it? Are they being over taxed? Are some of our actors getting too involved with the character and hence getting affected psychologically? It is understood that unlike Bollywood actors, the Malayalam actors are required to act in a controlled manner and hence act real.
Watched “Billu (Barber)” during the weekend and yet again wondered how SRK continues to rule. Was it not very obvious that Irfan Khan did a much splendid job effortlessly?
Let me continue to wonder how some superstars are made and sustained.
Random Thoughts, Ramblings.....
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Mysore
Enchanting Mysore beckoned us with it’s beautiful palaces, temples and gardens.
We had been talking about Mysore since some years and the children were looking forward to see their school textbooks come alive and the much talked about Mysore Zoo. We had meant to halt at Mysore for a day and then proceed to Bangalore. It was more than 15 years since my last visit to Mysore and for Hubby even more.
Mysore has changed. We could see construction going on everywhere and even the stately roads have not been spared. For Hubby who was driving, it was utter confusion as to where to turn so as to reach the hotel which we had booked online. There was instruction on the website but with the heavy traffic and impatient drivers there was no way we could find it. And it is for such tourists that the guides keep a look out for. We were relieved to find this guy on a motorbike who guided us to our hotel. We had decided on Ginger, Tata’s chain of smart hotels as they are called.
“The Ginger hotels are built around a unique concept that provides facilities to meet the key needs of today's traveller, at surprisingly affordable rates”
Yes, the hotel is good, though the rooms are small and it is located at a very convenient place too. Initially there was a confusion since out of the 2 rooms that we had booked, one was not free. It was sorted out after a while.
We did not want to lose much time in the hotel and hence we freshened up and joined the guide who was waiting for us. We took him in our car and proceeded to Brindavan gardens. It was a long drive and we reached quite late. The parking lot was a new sight for me and it was getting filled in time for the musical fountain. With disappointment I realized that the royal garden had lost some of its charm.
Many heroes and heroines have danced in this garden and every State has at least one movie showing the beautiful Brindavan garden. I did see some renovations going on since some of the paths were closed to the visitors. I hope these renovations will restore the beauty of this garden. I remembered the last time that I had been there with my parents and siblings and how we had enjoyed sitting on the turf. It is not the lack of funds since the parking lot was almost full and so was the garden. It is the same neglect that we found the next day when we visited the famous fort of Tipu Sultan. Why are our historical sites maintained in such a shoddy manner? We were told by the guide that people have encroached upon these sites and that the government is not doing much. And it was while waiting for the Musical fountain to start that we heard a commotion and saw an almost nude person making his entry. While the tourists were clamoring for seats and even sitting on the ground, this fellow was royally escorted and allowed to be seated on a chair very near the fountain. There was much snickering from the crowd. The fellow looked young and did not spot the usual long hair and beard of a religious person. Maybe he made a vow to come thus in front of an unsuspecting crowd?
We returned to the hotel and stopped by St. Philomena’s church which was not far from Ginger. We opted to try Ginger’s buffet that night and it was good.
The next day with much enthusiasm we looked forward to see the zoo and only then did our guide tell us that it was closed on Tuesdays. He took us instead to Srirangapattana. I guess we did not do our homework well and did not know that on Tuesday’s some of the sights are closed. Not seeing the zoo was too much of a disappointment for us. We did see, Ranganathaswamy temple,
Tipu’s fort and his summer palace - Daria Daulat.
Since the summer palace housed much paintings, writings and articles depicting Tipu’s life it did get the interest of all of us. We also visited Tipu’s mausoleum.
We had to curtail our trip and forgo Bangalore since FIL and MIL who chose not accompany us but stay at their elder son’s place at Calicut was getting fidgety and wanted to return to Tiruvella. Moreover our trips are always a concern for the seniors and they are happy only when we have reached home safely! Bangalore would have needed more than a day and yet again we postponed the trip even when it was only a few hours’ drive.
On our way back we stopped once more at Café Day at Gundalpet and had a bite.
I am told that in Bangalore these Café’s serve only coffee and pastries while in Gundalpet they had a choice of sandwiches, Biriyani and even Paratta and chicken chilly. They also had a good choice of ground coffee.
We had been talking about Mysore since some years and the children were looking forward to see their school textbooks come alive and the much talked about Mysore Zoo. We had meant to halt at Mysore for a day and then proceed to Bangalore. It was more than 15 years since my last visit to Mysore and for Hubby even more.
Mysore has changed. We could see construction going on everywhere and even the stately roads have not been spared. For Hubby who was driving, it was utter confusion as to where to turn so as to reach the hotel which we had booked online. There was instruction on the website but with the heavy traffic and impatient drivers there was no way we could find it. And it is for such tourists that the guides keep a look out for. We were relieved to find this guy on a motorbike who guided us to our hotel. We had decided on Ginger, Tata’s chain of smart hotels as they are called.
“The Ginger hotels are built around a unique concept that provides facilities to meet the key needs of today's traveller, at surprisingly affordable rates”
Yes, the hotel is good, though the rooms are small and it is located at a very convenient place too. Initially there was a confusion since out of the 2 rooms that we had booked, one was not free. It was sorted out after a while.
We did not want to lose much time in the hotel and hence we freshened up and joined the guide who was waiting for us. We took him in our car and proceeded to Brindavan gardens. It was a long drive and we reached quite late. The parking lot was a new sight for me and it was getting filled in time for the musical fountain. With disappointment I realized that the royal garden had lost some of its charm.
Many heroes and heroines have danced in this garden and every State has at least one movie showing the beautiful Brindavan garden. I did see some renovations going on since some of the paths were closed to the visitors. I hope these renovations will restore the beauty of this garden. I remembered the last time that I had been there with my parents and siblings and how we had enjoyed sitting on the turf. It is not the lack of funds since the parking lot was almost full and so was the garden. It is the same neglect that we found the next day when we visited the famous fort of Tipu Sultan. Why are our historical sites maintained in such a shoddy manner? We were told by the guide that people have encroached upon these sites and that the government is not doing much. And it was while waiting for the Musical fountain to start that we heard a commotion and saw an almost nude person making his entry. While the tourists were clamoring for seats and even sitting on the ground, this fellow was royally escorted and allowed to be seated on a chair very near the fountain. There was much snickering from the crowd. The fellow looked young and did not spot the usual long hair and beard of a religious person. Maybe he made a vow to come thus in front of an unsuspecting crowd?
We returned to the hotel and stopped by St. Philomena’s church which was not far from Ginger. We opted to try Ginger’s buffet that night and it was good.
The next day with much enthusiasm we looked forward to see the zoo and only then did our guide tell us that it was closed on Tuesdays. He took us instead to Srirangapattana. I guess we did not do our homework well and did not know that on Tuesday’s some of the sights are closed. Not seeing the zoo was too much of a disappointment for us. We did see, Ranganathaswamy temple,
Tipu’s fort and his summer palace - Daria Daulat.
Since the summer palace housed much paintings, writings and articles depicting Tipu’s life it did get the interest of all of us. We also visited Tipu’s mausoleum.
We had to curtail our trip and forgo Bangalore since FIL and MIL who chose not accompany us but stay at their elder son’s place at Calicut was getting fidgety and wanted to return to Tiruvella. Moreover our trips are always a concern for the seniors and they are happy only when we have reached home safely! Bangalore would have needed more than a day and yet again we postponed the trip even when it was only a few hours’ drive.
On our way back we stopped once more at Café Day at Gundalpet and had a bite.
I am told that in Bangalore these Café’s serve only coffee and pastries while in Gundalpet they had a choice of sandwiches, Biriyani and even Paratta and chicken chilly. They also had a good choice of ground coffee.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
An Interview
The following landed in my inbox and I am sure many have read it already… it is a good one and my blogger friend suggested that I blog it..
An Interview With God
The author dreamed that he had an INTERVIEW WITH GOD.
"So, you would like to interview me?" GOD asked.
"If you have time," I said.
GOD smile. "My time is eternity... what questions do you have in mind for me?"
"What surprises you the most about humankind?"
GOD answered...
"That they get bored with childhood, that they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again."
"That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health."
"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future."
"That they live as if they would never die, and die as though they had never lived."
GOD's hand took mine... and we were silent for a while.
And then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"
GOD replied, "To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved."
"To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others."
"To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. "
"To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them."
"To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least."
"To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply do not yet know how to express or show their feelings."
"To learn that two people can look at the same thing, and see it differently. "
"To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves."
"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.
"Is there anything else you would like your children to know?"
GOD smiled, and said... "Just know that I am here." "Always."
An Interview With God
The author dreamed that he had an INTERVIEW WITH GOD.
"So, you would like to interview me?" GOD asked.
"If you have time," I said.
GOD smile. "My time is eternity... what questions do you have in mind for me?"
"What surprises you the most about humankind?"
GOD answered...
"That they get bored with childhood, that they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again."
"That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health."
"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future."
"That they live as if they would never die, and die as though they had never lived."
GOD's hand took mine... and we were silent for a while.
And then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"
GOD replied, "To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved."
"To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others."
"To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. "
"To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them."
"To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least."
"To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply do not yet know how to express or show their feelings."
"To learn that two people can look at the same thing, and see it differently. "
"To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves."
"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.
"Is there anything else you would like your children to know?"
GOD smiled, and said... "Just know that I am here." "Always."
Monday, July 27, 2009
Soojipara Omelettes
I think one of the best memory that I have of Soojipara waterfalls near Wayanad are the Omelette’s that we had from a makeshift shack (thattukada) run by a Father and her daughter. After the almost 4 km trek ( to and fro) and the bath that we had in the falls we were hungry enough to eat anything on sight and we had already forgotten the heavy Kerala style lunch that we had at Wayanad a few hours earlier. The men stopped to have a hot cup of black coffee (kattankappee) and that is when the youngsters discovered that even omelettes were available. There was no stopping afterwards. The omelettes kept disappearing as soon as it appeared and all eyes were on the next one as it got cooked on the thava! We literally finished their stock of eggs and even made the girl cook us magi noodles.
She had the onions and green chillies cut the usual way and whisked 2 eggs per omelette. After spreading this on the “thava” she placed 2 slices of bread on them. This was later flipped so that the bread was toasted on one side. She finished it with a liberal shower of pepper powder which enhanced the taste and thus was born the Soojipara Omelettes. I am sure these omelettes are available in other such places but let me call them Soojipara Omelettes since that is where I first had them. They did pack up and leave after we finished and we did finish all that they had stocked! I hope their day’s business was profitable.
The omelette was indeed tasty and I could not replicate the same taste this morning. I guess the ambience was missing! Talking of ambience, the scene from the place is breath taking! One can see miles and miles of mountains and tea gardens too.
This place is yet to be developed by the Tourism Board and hence even the ticket is collected from a crude shack. (They can build nice hedges and quaint ways to sit around and enjoy nature.)
But we were told that a big plot has already been bought nearby by some private players to construct a hotel and if this continues then gone will be the aura of this place.
When we started the trip it was raining but none of us wanted to turn back and that is when we discovered that a family run small shop had a stock of everything needed for such moments.
We ended up buying plastic wraps, slippers, a few towels and the lady even wrapped some salt for us to ward of the leeches. Talking of the leeches. .it is a long time since I had a visit from them. This tiny but smart pest is common in the high ranges and one may never know one is lodging it until the fellow finishes sucking blood, bloats up and falls off, fully fed. This is when it starts itching and you find that you are bleeding. For the first timers a leech can be a horrific experience but not for me who will not let a tiny leech spoil a walk much dreamt of. Besides leeches are made to suck blood for some treatments.
We donned on the plastic wraps, looking good enough to join the tea pluckers and off we went on the long trek.
With the rain beating on us, we still managed the steep walk down to the falls. It was one step at a time since the path was slippery. Because of the rain we did not take our cameras and thus we missed capturing the lovely moments. We did see a black monkey which I think was the Lion Tailed Macaque. (simhavalan korange) It was not very happy to see us but did pose enough for us to see it.
The water fall is beautiful and the government has posted a few guards to caution the adventurous ones. A few guards are also posted at the start of the descent. The place was open only until 5 PM and the guards leave the place after this time. We were also lucky to have the whole place to ourselves except for the guards who were stationed up on the rocks. We did wonder where the couple who were behind us when we started the walk disappear. Guess the walk in the rain was too much for them. The rain did reduce halfway through. We had a wonderful time in the water and in the rain( the plastic wraps were discarded much earlier to enjoy the rain). It was with much reluctance that we climbed out of the water, with the kids pleading for more time.
We saw Wayand on our way to Mysore and later when we made the trip to Soojipara waterfalls. The place is beautiful and still untouched but time was not sufficient to explore Wayanad fully. Watched on TV how the recent rains washed away a part of the ghat road or the Wayand Churam.
On our way back from Mysore we took a different route through Gudalur and saw even more lovely places. Gudalur – Vazhikadavu-Edakkara-Palunda-Chungathara-Nilambur –Vadapunna -Edavanna-Pannipara-Vadaseri-Vakalur-Pathanapuram-Karusseri-Mukkam-Manasseri-Pazhour are the places that we drove through to reach Calicut. The roads are well kept and Hubby had a lovely time driving through them. This ghat road is called the “nadukani churum” (an important road connecting Kerala and Tamilnadu states) and even this road suffered from mud slides during the recent rains.
Nilambur is yet another beautiful place enroute to Calicut. There are many places to see around Nilambut too. The teak museum being one of them. But we were already late and wanted to get back to Calicut before nightfall.
We also passed Bandipur and Mudumalai wild life sanctuaries on our way back from Mysore and had half a mind to visit Ooty too. A part of the road is terrible while the rest is too good. We couldn’t see any elephants this time and was told that there were enough on the roads earlier in the morning.
I recalled another trip that I had many years back with my parents when we were lucky enough to see many elephants. And it was during this trip that my Father stopped the jeep to take a shot of a herd of elephants who were feeding just off the road. Mother, myself and my elder sister’s daughter who was barely 2 years old were scared and were urging Father to continue driving. Suddenly this male tusker charged onto us and for a minute even my Father was dumbstruck. It needed a not- a-very-gentle tap from my screaming mother to get my Father back into action. Luckily the elephant had to stop by the side of the jeep since there was an embankment separating the road. And by then Father had already started moving the jeep too. But we did have the fright of our lives. When there is a baby elephant among the herd, it is usual for the tusker to be over protective. I guess we were silly to have stopped! I do relate this story to my children and they continue to disbelieve me!
This time we almost travelled the length and breadth of Kerala - i.e Trivandrum to Calicut and Hubby has recorded 4,000 Kilometers of driving. He likes to drive while I like to sit next to him and enjoy the roads and the various scenes that unfold on the way.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
V.S. Achudanandan Zindabad
Don’t ask me why and when I started to respect this man but the events that unfolded the recent week has made me sad. He seems to have been ditched by all and only the welcome slogans at the Airport when VS returned from Delhi gave a bit of solace.
If one looks at Kerala’s political scene, out of those politicians who have emerged as leaders, there are only two living politicians whom one can confidently say are honest and clean. One is A. K. Anthony and the other V.S. Achudanandan. Forget the rest of their character flaws that the press and most of us love to joke about but let us admit that being honest in politics and for that matter in any field has become a rarity these days. And yes one will say that politics is not the place to be honest. But then honesty and integrity has become outdated and the last place one expects to find it is in the political arena.
V.S. fought life the hard way. He lost his parents at a young age and had to discontinue his studies to earn his bread. He climbed the party rungs with his hard work and dedication. He was also tortured by the police and almost left to die. He was punished even earlier by his party since he thought beyond the party and for the common man. Yet he doggedly stood for his beliefs and continues to be a wonder at his age – 87 years! But this party seems to have lost it all. V.S. was voted to power by those who trusted him and the party that he stood for, but alas the party’s agenda had already taken a different route.
In a democratic set up does one really care for a political party if it cannot meet the expectation of those who voted it to power? If the party feels that V.S. is the cause for the party’s downfall then what fear makes them keep him in the CM’s chair? Does the party think that the Lavlin and the PDP ghosts will stop haunting the party? I am sure the camps of other political parties in Kerala are heaving a sigh of relief since their job has now become easier.
But then I am also made to believe that communism has done its job and Kerala no longer requires it. The party’s fight for the poor and against the caste system did help a section of the society while inviting irk from others. But now Kerala no longer seems to have those sections and this may be called progress if one can also forget the lost opportunities. Earlier, it was easy to find help around the house and for whatever land is now left for cultivation. But such helping hands have become a rarity in many places these days, even if one is ready to pay the exorbitant wages. Yes, the labour class is having it good. Not that one can attribute this entirely to the Communists since the exodus to the Gulf and other countries is also another reason. Communism also made us take a harder look at our religious idiosyncrasies when at times our religious fervor went beyond normalcy.
Yes, Communism in Kerala could have stood for what its leaders envisaged but alas the party doesn’t care to have lost it.
If one looks at Kerala’s political scene, out of those politicians who have emerged as leaders, there are only two living politicians whom one can confidently say are honest and clean. One is A. K. Anthony and the other V.S. Achudanandan. Forget the rest of their character flaws that the press and most of us love to joke about but let us admit that being honest in politics and for that matter in any field has become a rarity these days. And yes one will say that politics is not the place to be honest. But then honesty and integrity has become outdated and the last place one expects to find it is in the political arena.
V.S. fought life the hard way. He lost his parents at a young age and had to discontinue his studies to earn his bread. He climbed the party rungs with his hard work and dedication. He was also tortured by the police and almost left to die. He was punished even earlier by his party since he thought beyond the party and for the common man. Yet he doggedly stood for his beliefs and continues to be a wonder at his age – 87 years! But this party seems to have lost it all. V.S. was voted to power by those who trusted him and the party that he stood for, but alas the party’s agenda had already taken a different route.
In a democratic set up does one really care for a political party if it cannot meet the expectation of those who voted it to power? If the party feels that V.S. is the cause for the party’s downfall then what fear makes them keep him in the CM’s chair? Does the party think that the Lavlin and the PDP ghosts will stop haunting the party? I am sure the camps of other political parties in Kerala are heaving a sigh of relief since their job has now become easier.
But then I am also made to believe that communism has done its job and Kerala no longer requires it. The party’s fight for the poor and against the caste system did help a section of the society while inviting irk from others. But now Kerala no longer seems to have those sections and this may be called progress if one can also forget the lost opportunities. Earlier, it was easy to find help around the house and for whatever land is now left for cultivation. But such helping hands have become a rarity in many places these days, even if one is ready to pay the exorbitant wages. Yes, the labour class is having it good. Not that one can attribute this entirely to the Communists since the exodus to the Gulf and other countries is also another reason. Communism also made us take a harder look at our religious idiosyncrasies when at times our religious fervor went beyond normalcy.
Yes, Communism in Kerala could have stood for what its leaders envisaged but alas the party doesn’t care to have lost it.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Value and money
(Taken from
Stories for Parents, Children and Grandchildren by Paulo Coelho)
Ciccone German tells the story of a man who, thanks to his enormous wealth and infinite ambition, decided to buy everything he possibly could. Once he had filled his many houses with clothes, furniture, cars and jewels, the man decided to buy still more things.
He bought ethics and morality, and thus was born corruption.
He bought solidarity and generosity, and indifference came into being.
He bought justice and its laws, bringing impunity into the world.
He bought love and feelings, and the result was pain and remorse.
The most powerful man in the world bought all the material goods he wanted to possess and all the values he wanted to master. Then one day, drunk on so much power, he decided to buy himself.
Despite all his money, he could not do it.
At that precise moment, there was born in the consciousness of the Earth the only thing on which no one can put a price - self-worth.
Stories for Parents, Children and Grandchildren by Paulo Coelho)
Ciccone German tells the story of a man who, thanks to his enormous wealth and infinite ambition, decided to buy everything he possibly could. Once he had filled his many houses with clothes, furniture, cars and jewels, the man decided to buy still more things.
He bought ethics and morality, and thus was born corruption.
He bought solidarity and generosity, and indifference came into being.
He bought justice and its laws, bringing impunity into the world.
He bought love and feelings, and the result was pain and remorse.
The most powerful man in the world bought all the material goods he wanted to possess and all the values he wanted to master. Then one day, drunk on so much power, he decided to buy himself.
Despite all his money, he could not do it.
At that precise moment, there was born in the consciousness of the Earth the only thing on which no one can put a price - self-worth.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Days fly too fast..
It has been blissful days without the urge to check on the emails or blogs... The days are flying too fast and we have been on the road mostly. The rains also seems to have gathered strength finally.
The one thing I miss are the online newspapers. Only when you are at the mercy of one or two printed editions do you realize how much one is addicted to the online news.
Spent 2 days in Cochin and had good fun at Veega land. Yes.. Cochin is a shopper's paradise if you can forget the cramped roads.
Went uptill Mysore too and the place has changed a lot. Could not decide if the city is moving uphill or downhill. Hopefully uphill but Brindavan garden has lost all its charm though it is still filled with tourists.
Had a wonderful time at Wayanad and the place is heaven. Hopefully we will leave it thus!
Will be on the road again before we board the plane.
The one thing I miss are the online newspapers. Only when you are at the mercy of one or two printed editions do you realize how much one is addicted to the online news.
Spent 2 days in Cochin and had good fun at Veega land. Yes.. Cochin is a shopper's paradise if you can forget the cramped roads.
Went uptill Mysore too and the place has changed a lot. Could not decide if the city is moving uphill or downhill. Hopefully uphill but Brindavan garden has lost all its charm though it is still filled with tourists.
Had a wonderful time at Wayanad and the place is heaven. Hopefully we will leave it thus!
Will be on the road again before we board the plane.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Another Monsoon
Another monsoon awaits us and I hear that the final “venal mazha” or the Summer rains are now pouring down. This time they have predicted the monsoon to arrive earlier. The monsoon seems to have turned out to be a like a choosy lady these days! Anyway, as long as she continues her much awaited visits, it is fine.
Finished shopping and we only need to cram the bags as usual.
The other day we visited “Platform”, a shop for hardware. Somehow I liked the concept, else who would want to spend shopping time in a hardware shop!
I am not sure if they have this kind of a showroom in India. (The Platform concept was launched by Saint Gobain (SG), Europe’s leading manufacturer and distributor of building materials, in 1998. It has since then become the fastest growing business within SG’s €20 Billion-Distribution Division with a network of more than 70 stores in 10 European and South American markets.)
At “Platform” those who are building a house will get to see every item that will go into it. There are also all kinds of tools; to buy and also for hire. The foldable ladder looked very handy. We went there since the almost 20 year old Union door lock back home is showing signs of ageing and Hubby wanted to shift it from the front door (demoted I guess!). The penchant for Union Lock is still there but we found that the price has moved up too high. We settled for another lock and found that there are many good locks from India too. Since we may find no time to go lock searching in India, we settled for UK locks. No point in buying an Indian product for India from Kuwait.
We also ended up buying a few knick knacks for the bathrooms and also some handy tools. The bathroom fittings are good and those who want to spend more money can wander into a separate show room of “Aquamondo” where they have displayed a few beautifully fitted bathrooms. I clicked a few photographs outside the shop.
We wound up that day’s shopping with a sumptuous Arabic meal from a local restaurant.
Finished shopping and we only need to cram the bags as usual.
The other day we visited “Platform”, a shop for hardware. Somehow I liked the concept, else who would want to spend shopping time in a hardware shop!
I am not sure if they have this kind of a showroom in India. (The Platform concept was launched by Saint Gobain (SG), Europe’s leading manufacturer and distributor of building materials, in 1998. It has since then become the fastest growing business within SG’s €20 Billion-Distribution Division with a network of more than 70 stores in 10 European and South American markets.)
At “Platform” those who are building a house will get to see every item that will go into it. There are also all kinds of tools; to buy and also for hire. The foldable ladder looked very handy. We went there since the almost 20 year old Union door lock back home is showing signs of ageing and Hubby wanted to shift it from the front door (demoted I guess!). The penchant for Union Lock is still there but we found that the price has moved up too high. We settled for another lock and found that there are many good locks from India too. Since we may find no time to go lock searching in India, we settled for UK locks. No point in buying an Indian product for India from Kuwait.
We also ended up buying a few knick knacks for the bathrooms and also some handy tools. The bathroom fittings are good and those who want to spend more money can wander into a separate show room of “Aquamondo” where they have displayed a few beautifully fitted bathrooms. I clicked a few photographs outside the shop.
We wound up that day’s shopping with a sumptuous Arabic meal from a local restaurant.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
For another 5 years...
This election did in the end turn out to be exciting! At least it beat every analyst’s prediction and the voters have yet again proved that they have a mind of their own. Woo them, bribe them, threaten them and even shame them but in the end they will patiently wait to let the ink be stamped upon their fingers.
I am happy how it turned out in my own state Kerala. The arrogant leaders may now please listen to their CM or else the voters will never ever give you victory. Sure the money is there but without power how sweet can it be?
Yes, the voters have selected the “lesser evil”. This election has yet again proved that Indians have their heart in the right place and that hope is not all lost. I only pray that arrogance will not set in but the Congress will take this as an opportunity to amend their ways. Let this result give MM Singh the confidence to lead the country.
But it is sad to note that Rahul is taking all the credit. He gets to have the cake and eat it too!
I am happy how it turned out in my own state Kerala. The arrogant leaders may now please listen to their CM or else the voters will never ever give you victory. Sure the money is there but without power how sweet can it be?
Yes, the voters have selected the “lesser evil”. This election has yet again proved that Indians have their heart in the right place and that hope is not all lost. I only pray that arrogance will not set in but the Congress will take this as an opportunity to amend their ways. Let this result give MM Singh the confidence to lead the country.
But it is sad to note that Rahul is taking all the credit. He gets to have the cake and eat it too!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tomorrow it is voting day here in Kuwait, while it is the vote counting day in India. Hubby is all set to wake up early, while I am hoping his excitement wont catch up with me. I still remember those days as children when my Father's excitement would catch up with the entire house hold. In those TV less days, the radio was the only source. My parents and in-laws have voted this year too and have been voting faithfully every election day. The other day while speaking to a girl on the phone, she suddenly asked me from which state I came from. When I told her my state, she said she is from West Bengal and it is their voting day. This is the first time she has missed her voting rights since she just came to Kuwait. I could sense her disappointment.
Yes, we are all waiting and whoever comes to power, do they really have anything diferent to offer for the coming years? Is there going to be any CHANGE?
Yes, we are all waiting and whoever comes to power, do they really have anything diferent to offer for the coming years? Is there going to be any CHANGE?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Biodegradable dish ware..
...sounds sophisticated?
....trendy?
..... a new entrant?
It is nothing else but the palm leaves (sheaths) that have been used since ages for various purposes in parts of India and I believe in most Asian countries. It is from the Areca Palm or the Betel tree as it is widely known in India whose nuts are used by betel/pan chewers. In Malayalam the sheath is known as “pala”. The same material is also used to make those umbrella like hats used by farmers that are now almost extinct. As children we used to sit on the palm leaves and be dragged along and even toppled! It was pure fun.
But it is this photo feature on Time that caught my attention and I was amused by the trendy name being given to it. Most of us have used the plantain leaves for our “sadhyas” and for those yummy “pothi choru” during train journeys. I have seen even these sheaths being used for such purposes but it now delights me to know that mass production of it is taking place (I read that it has been there since year 2006) in India and picnic goers in US will now use these instead of plastic plates.
Wonder why we in India discarded these for the plastic plates.
....trendy?
..... a new entrant?
It is nothing else but the palm leaves (sheaths) that have been used since ages for various purposes in parts of India and I believe in most Asian countries. It is from the Areca Palm or the Betel tree as it is widely known in India whose nuts are used by betel/pan chewers. In Malayalam the sheath is known as “pala”. The same material is also used to make those umbrella like hats used by farmers that are now almost extinct. As children we used to sit on the palm leaves and be dragged along and even toppled! It was pure fun.
But it is this photo feature on Time that caught my attention and I was amused by the trendy name being given to it. Most of us have used the plantain leaves for our “sadhyas” and for those yummy “pothi choru” during train journeys. I have seen even these sheaths being used for such purposes but it now delights me to know that mass production of it is taking place (I read that it has been there since year 2006) in India and picnic goers in US will now use these instead of plastic plates.
Wonder why we in India discarded these for the plastic plates.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Motherhood... a never ending journey...
Have been tagged by Smitha and IHM; both versatile bloggers and great Moms, to write about motherhood. Let me try and do some justice.
Motherhood…. the word that has the most warmth and hopefulness.
Nothing else in this world can change a person and the world overnight! At first it is the excitement of waiting eagerly to see what one has produced [of course jointly :)]. And can one be blamed if one sees it as the perfect creation? My sonogram taken only since the doctor requested, predicted 90% boy child and hence we were totally surprised and delighted to find our first born to be a girl.
When one embarks upon the journey of motherhood, you want everything to go perfectly. This child should feel nothing wanting; not if one can help it. You strive to be a better mother than your own... and can we ever be? Ah..from there starts the incredible journey of discovering your own mother/father in bits and pieces.
My mother was at home for me but that luxury was something I had to forgo. But then I never wanted to be a stay at home mother until I became a mother! Strange?
The endless burping that kept the little one awake after I fed her.. was it all those oranges that I sneaked in since only a glass of water was allowed? (to tighten one’s stomach they say and with no internet nor my own mother, I was under the mercy of the midwife!)
The first day of work and you have to leave your precious with the maid. I dreaded it and would have done anything to change it.
The endless phone calls with the exasperated maid (and countless thereafter that we had to experiment with) . Can’t I just trust them?
The days flew too fast until we discovered by accident that the next one was due soon! (And was it not for “accidents” we would have never gone for the second and hence would have missed the next bundle of joy!)
The sneaked in kisses to the little one who came in a little too early, so as not to offend our first born. Was it jealousy that I saw on her face? How it hurt me to see that look on her face. How could I ever make her understand that she was equally precious to me? And this task continues; the mystery of sibling rivalry shall never be solved they say. Sometimes they purposely use it to test us.
Then you discover that you daughter just like yourself thinks her father is the perfect one. I pray that she, just like her own mother will do her very best for her dear father. As for son; he knows how to make a fool of both the parents. And after a while you surrender your “know all” attitude and offer “pranam”. Yea we have to grow up and change in time with the kids.
So before I go on and on endlessly let me list the few things that I can remember and love about motherhood, if I have not already stated them!
• It is the most life changing event. Nothing prepares one for it but once you get the little one in your hands then motherhood comes to you naturally. All those tiny doubts vanish and you are left with entirely new ones which you never fathomed!
• If one needs to understand the Almighty then motherhood / fatherhood is the best school. Your kids teach you the true meaning of unconditional love. While we as parents also give unconditional love, showing it is not equally spontaneous ( reminds me yet again to demonstrate the love that I have for them). As for one’s faith.. if one has not developed it along with the ups and downs of motherhood then I think nothing else can do it so well.
• Do you cry in front of strangers? Yes.. motherhood makes you to do that. Motherhood exposes one’s vulnerability and there is nothing that you can do about it. You are capable of emotions (even anger) in an entirely new way. You take interest in every event/article that maybe remotely connected with your children.
• Dreams….you stop dreaming for yourself, and pick up your children’s dreams. (not a good practice?) The dreams can vary as years go by. Son wanted to be a police Inspector until the recent Bombay massacre. Then it was the army or a fighter pilot. As for daughter, we have no idea from where she picked up the idea of Indian Civil Service.. but we keep hearing lofty dreams. “Can I keep those roads perfect if I become a “Collector”?” “I shall ban all the cigarette companies if I become a “Collector”” ah.. If only she knew! Our textbooks, schools and our country have not failed to inspire our children, if only we could keep those flames alive. I dream for my children a country devoid of corruption and where our youngsters will not turn cynical and where their dreams are not quashed.
• Politics was Greek to me and a subject I abhorred until motherhood forced me to look into it. I realized that my children’s future is entwined with the politics and economics of my country and I started paying attention to dear Hubby. Now, the news channel is what gets my most attention!
• Motherhood/parenthood makes one finally understand your parents. Your parents become more precious to you.
Over the years we always wish we could have done it differently! The quest for perfect mothering never ends…...
Motherhood…. the word that has the most warmth and hopefulness.
Nothing else in this world can change a person and the world overnight! At first it is the excitement of waiting eagerly to see what one has produced [of course jointly :)]. And can one be blamed if one sees it as the perfect creation? My sonogram taken only since the doctor requested, predicted 90% boy child and hence we were totally surprised and delighted to find our first born to be a girl.
When one embarks upon the journey of motherhood, you want everything to go perfectly. This child should feel nothing wanting; not if one can help it. You strive to be a better mother than your own... and can we ever be? Ah..from there starts the incredible journey of discovering your own mother/father in bits and pieces.
My mother was at home for me but that luxury was something I had to forgo. But then I never wanted to be a stay at home mother until I became a mother! Strange?
The endless burping that kept the little one awake after I fed her.. was it all those oranges that I sneaked in since only a glass of water was allowed? (to tighten one’s stomach they say and with no internet nor my own mother, I was under the mercy of the midwife!)
The first day of work and you have to leave your precious with the maid. I dreaded it and would have done anything to change it.
The endless phone calls with the exasperated maid (and countless thereafter that we had to experiment with) . Can’t I just trust them?
The days flew too fast until we discovered by accident that the next one was due soon! (And was it not for “accidents” we would have never gone for the second and hence would have missed the next bundle of joy!)
The sneaked in kisses to the little one who came in a little too early, so as not to offend our first born. Was it jealousy that I saw on her face? How it hurt me to see that look on her face. How could I ever make her understand that she was equally precious to me? And this task continues; the mystery of sibling rivalry shall never be solved they say. Sometimes they purposely use it to test us.
Then you discover that you daughter just like yourself thinks her father is the perfect one. I pray that she, just like her own mother will do her very best for her dear father. As for son; he knows how to make a fool of both the parents. And after a while you surrender your “know all” attitude and offer “pranam”. Yea we have to grow up and change in time with the kids.
So before I go on and on endlessly let me list the few things that I can remember and love about motherhood, if I have not already stated them!
• It is the most life changing event. Nothing prepares one for it but once you get the little one in your hands then motherhood comes to you naturally. All those tiny doubts vanish and you are left with entirely new ones which you never fathomed!
• If one needs to understand the Almighty then motherhood / fatherhood is the best school. Your kids teach you the true meaning of unconditional love. While we as parents also give unconditional love, showing it is not equally spontaneous ( reminds me yet again to demonstrate the love that I have for them). As for one’s faith.. if one has not developed it along with the ups and downs of motherhood then I think nothing else can do it so well.
• Do you cry in front of strangers? Yes.. motherhood makes you to do that. Motherhood exposes one’s vulnerability and there is nothing that you can do about it. You are capable of emotions (even anger) in an entirely new way. You take interest in every event/article that maybe remotely connected with your children.
• Dreams….you stop dreaming for yourself, and pick up your children’s dreams. (not a good practice?) The dreams can vary as years go by. Son wanted to be a police Inspector until the recent Bombay massacre. Then it was the army or a fighter pilot. As for daughter, we have no idea from where she picked up the idea of Indian Civil Service.. but we keep hearing lofty dreams. “Can I keep those roads perfect if I become a “Collector”?” “I shall ban all the cigarette companies if I become a “Collector”” ah.. If only she knew! Our textbooks, schools and our country have not failed to inspire our children, if only we could keep those flames alive. I dream for my children a country devoid of corruption and where our youngsters will not turn cynical and where their dreams are not quashed.
• Politics was Greek to me and a subject I abhorred until motherhood forced me to look into it. I realized that my children’s future is entwined with the politics and economics of my country and I started paying attention to dear Hubby. Now, the news channel is what gets my most attention!
• Motherhood/parenthood makes one finally understand your parents. Your parents become more precious to you.
Over the years we always wish we could have done it differently! The quest for perfect mothering never ends…...
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Be ragged or else be damned?
When did we start seeing “ragging” as a part of college curriculum?
Is ragging necessary to mould a student?
I have heard students and teachers justify “ragging”. They say it helps a person to face the real world. Is it so? Will the scars of ragging ever fade? And sometimes the scars can be physical too as in this recent case in a reputed college in Coimbatore.
The meaning of Ragging:
- to scold somebody persistently or vehemently
- to subject somebody to persistent teasing or taunting
Yes, it is taunting as a start and those who resist the taunting are then subjected to torture.
I remember my hostel days in Trivandrum where one student in our batch was caught ragging her juniors. The punishment that was meted out was for the whole batch and I still remember standing in the open area in the middle of the hostel and writing imposition. We did try to have a little fun out of it, but none of us ever wanted to rag. And none of my friends ever found ragging fun and I don’t remember being ragged. But the scene has changed over the recent years and now students are scared to join some colleges in fear of ragging. I have heard it myself from parents and students. Some parents were forced to seek admission in “safer” colleges for their wards after having paid the fees and when the wards refused to continue. Some students eventually lose a year for this sake. Do we call these students “chicken hearted”? I do not think so. Even if a student end up being a total “nerd” for not having interacted normally with the students, I guess it would be fine than scarring him/her permanently. And our world does need such students too.
I was relieved to find this on the web:
http://www.noragging.com/
http://noragging.blogspot.com/
Is ragging necessary to mould a student?
I have heard students and teachers justify “ragging”. They say it helps a person to face the real world. Is it so? Will the scars of ragging ever fade? And sometimes the scars can be physical too as in this recent case in a reputed college in Coimbatore.
Another ragging incident jolts India
Sunday, 12.04.2009, 08:29am (GMT)
Kochi/Coimbatore : Ragging extends to be a threat in colleges despite severe stricture passed by the Supreme Court to ban it.
Another shocking incident has come to light this time in Tamil Nadu. The incident dates back to March 8, a day after the medical student buckled under to injuries inflicted by his seniors at a private-run institute in Himachal Pradesh.
A 19-year old fresher at the PSG College of Arts and Science in Coimbatore was ragged savagely, nearly losing his eye.
Akil Dev is now recouping at his home in Kochi, and has underwent two operations in the eyes so far.
New Delhi, Friday 13 March 2009:
In another shocking incident of a student being ragged in college, a girl student of an agriculture engineering college in Andhra’s Baptla town has attempted suicide. The 20-year-old student of the Government Agriculture Engineering College attempted suicide after allegedly being ragged and physically abused by her seniors.
Reports say that, the alleged victim was forced to strip and dance as part of ragging. Embarrassed by the entire episode, she consumed a hairdye solution and collapsed. Some reports also state that it may have been pesticides that she consumed.
The meaning of Ragging:
- to scold somebody persistently or vehemently
- to subject somebody to persistent teasing or taunting
Yes, it is taunting as a start and those who resist the taunting are then subjected to torture.
I remember my hostel days in Trivandrum where one student in our batch was caught ragging her juniors. The punishment that was meted out was for the whole batch and I still remember standing in the open area in the middle of the hostel and writing imposition. We did try to have a little fun out of it, but none of us ever wanted to rag. And none of my friends ever found ragging fun and I don’t remember being ragged. But the scene has changed over the recent years and now students are scared to join some colleges in fear of ragging. I have heard it myself from parents and students. Some parents were forced to seek admission in “safer” colleges for their wards after having paid the fees and when the wards refused to continue. Some students eventually lose a year for this sake. Do we call these students “chicken hearted”? I do not think so. Even if a student end up being a total “nerd” for not having interacted normally with the students, I guess it would be fine than scarring him/her permanently. And our world does need such students too.
I was relieved to find this on the web:
http://www.noragging.com/
http://noragging.blogspot.com/
Monday, April 13, 2009
Happy Vishu!
Happy Vishu to all!
Soon after Vishu celebrations will come the Lok Sabha elections and let us hope that the best candidates are selected.
Meanwhile, it is time to think about our vacation since we already purchased our tickets!
This time we are going a little early since there is a marriage in the family.
Hubby is busy checking the roads that he would like to cover this time and I as usual cannot resist reminding him that we make plans every time while only some of them materializes. He has found new roads to reach Calicut through places that we both have never seen. I also keep reminding him that it is a shame that we have never seen Fort Cochin! It is also some years since we visited Ooty and I would like to take the trip to Mudumalai once again and visit Wayanad too.
Last year we could drive down Munnar,
through Chinnar wildlife sanctuary, Marayur Sandal Wood forest, Malakkapara, Sholayar forest ranges to reach Athirampally and Vazhachal.
The drive through the Sholayar forest was a treat!
Although the roads were bad, the thrill of going through deserted roads through the middle of thick forest was a treat. We did see a few wild animals but since we were advised to get out of the road before 6 PM we did not stop much on the way.
Besides we saw fresh elephant dung on the roads and our imaginations ran wild. Hubby who was behind the steering wheels was having a time of his life. The scenes were picturesque and we saw only 2 vehicles during our almost 4 hours drive.
We had a glimpse of the Peringalkuthu & Sholayar Dams and was actually relieved to reach Athirapally; only to find that the waterfall was closed to visitors after 5 PM.
We watched the beautiful falls from afar before driving to Calicut.
Sure nothing is definite these days ( remembering Lehman brothers is enough to drive this point home!)
If all our plans do not materialize the way we dream, the visit to Kumarakom (which is the nearest tourist destination for us) to have another glimpse and taste of the following scene (for which there are takers from the above 70 year category too) cannot be missed at any cost!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Vote for BJP!
Why am I saying that?
Did it suddenly dawn on me that BJP is better than Congress? (2 main National parties).
Frankly speaking it hasn’t. Sitting far away from the election heat and die hard voters who may influence my opinion, it was easy to watch both parties impartially. And none of them scored better until I picked up just this from Adwani.
"If NDA returns to power then we’ll force Indian citizens to bring back their wealth to India and use the money here.”
Earlier I did read email forwards on this “Swiss money” but kept wondering if it could be really true. But then the cynic in me told that every political party and their benefactors would have their share. If money can be so easily stashed away by ruling parties then BJP just did not have enough time to siphon it!
But now they have a chance to prove that they are different. If this is not just an election rhetoric and if Advani really has the nation’s interest at heart then he needs to keep no other promise. This money is more than enough to take India on the onward road to glory that it truly deserves.
And today I read this article from S Gurumurthy. His articles have always been thought provoking and at times provocative too. But then truth sometimes hurts.
Secret wealth abroad
02 Apr 2009 08:11:30 AM IST
Switzerland has been accused of giving shelter to black money and there has been a lot of inflow of such wealth from India and other countries of the world.” This is not L K Advani, on election mode, speaking last Sunday, but the Swiss ambassador to India briefing the media in Delhi last year.
The occasion was the 60th anniversary of Indo-Swiss Friendship Treaty. Admitting that Indian black money gets hoarded in his country, he added that the new law in Switzerland would, not stop it, but control it “up to a certain limit”.
Did it suddenly dawn on me that BJP is better than Congress? (2 main National parties).
Frankly speaking it hasn’t. Sitting far away from the election heat and die hard voters who may influence my opinion, it was easy to watch both parties impartially. And none of them scored better until I picked up just this from Adwani.
"If NDA returns to power then we’ll force Indian citizens to bring back their wealth to India and use the money here.”
Earlier I did read email forwards on this “Swiss money” but kept wondering if it could be really true. But then the cynic in me told that every political party and their benefactors would have their share. If money can be so easily stashed away by ruling parties then BJP just did not have enough time to siphon it!
But now they have a chance to prove that they are different. If this is not just an election rhetoric and if Advani really has the nation’s interest at heart then he needs to keep no other promise. This money is more than enough to take India on the onward road to glory that it truly deserves.
And today I read this article from S Gurumurthy. His articles have always been thought provoking and at times provocative too. But then truth sometimes hurts.
Secret wealth abroad
02 Apr 2009 08:11:30 AM IST
Switzerland has been accused of giving shelter to black money and there has been a lot of inflow of such wealth from India and other countries of the world.” This is not L K Advani, on election mode, speaking last Sunday, but the Swiss ambassador to India briefing the media in Delhi last year.
The occasion was the 60th anniversary of Indo-Swiss Friendship Treaty. Admitting that Indian black money gets hoarded in his country, he added that the new law in Switzerland would, not stop it, but control it “up to a certain limit”.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Are you voting?
We are!
I did not mean the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in India; for which we NRI’s continue to remain foreigners.. but I am talking about EARTH HOUR 2009.
1,858 cities, towns and municipalities in 81 countries have already committed to VOTE EARTH for Earth Hour 2009, as part of the worlds first global election between Earth and global warming.
Kuwait Tower has already committed to join and they hope that more organizations and individuals will join them.
For those in Kuwait, you can join Earth Hour 2009, by turning off your lights at 8.30pm Saturday 28 March and sign-up here at earthhour.org.
As usual there are skeptics for this one too… some says it maybe just to bring glory to certain organizations and individuals eying the “Global” awards. If one remembers, when the oil price shot up, there used to be an email going around asking individuals to stop filling Oil on a particular day to bring down the demand and hence the price. This was ridiculed too, but then we saw the price going down and one cause is definitely owing to lower consumption due to the economic slowdown. Even after output cuts and temporary closure of refineries for imaginary reasons, the price still refuses to move up and ease the pain of all those who were dreaming of a 200 USD per barrel price.
So if possible, choose to stay in dark for at least 1 hour in those places where we do not have power cuts:), burglaries and maybe even electricity!
I did not mean the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in India; for which we NRI’s continue to remain foreigners.. but I am talking about EARTH HOUR 2009.
1,858 cities, towns and municipalities in 81 countries have already committed to VOTE EARTH for Earth Hour 2009, as part of the worlds first global election between Earth and global warming.
Kuwait Tower has already committed to join and they hope that more organizations and individuals will join them.
For those in Kuwait, you can join Earth Hour 2009, by turning off your lights at 8.30pm Saturday 28 March and sign-up here at earthhour.org.
As usual there are skeptics for this one too… some says it maybe just to bring glory to certain organizations and individuals eying the “Global” awards. If one remembers, when the oil price shot up, there used to be an email going around asking individuals to stop filling Oil on a particular day to bring down the demand and hence the price. This was ridiculed too, but then we saw the price going down and one cause is definitely owing to lower consumption due to the economic slowdown. Even after output cuts and temporary closure of refineries for imaginary reasons, the price still refuses to move up and ease the pain of all those who were dreaming of a 200 USD per barrel price.
So if possible, choose to stay in dark for at least 1 hour in those places where we do not have power cuts:), burglaries and maybe even electricity!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Jai Ho
It was the National and Liberation days holidays here in Kuwait and that combined with the weekend gave us 4 days of holidays and I still feel lazy. Thankfully the next weekend has already arrived.
As usual we avoided the roads on the N & L days since there would be an effusion of foamy patriotism. I am sure there are people who enjoy it, but it is just not our cup of tea. This year we read that one person was actually killed! I hope now some laws will be put in place so that at least next year the “weak in hearts” (if we are all still here!) can join the celebrations and maybe even support this economy.
Anyway, we finally got around to seeing the film “Slumdog Millionaire”. Whatever other feelings it may evoke, it will not bore you. It may appear like any other Hindi movies sans the songs which these days assaults one’s senses (the songs in itself are good if one is only listening)
Yes, the editing is wonderful and so is the sound. As for Rahman’s music, it cannot beat the one from “Roja” or many of his other creations but it is good. The film also had the element of romance which I am sure would appeal to all. The undying love that Jamal has for Latika is very touching.
Yes it has the slums , the dirt, the kiilings and the child beggars. And all those who felt insulted must realize that there was no exaggeration. And yes, the slums and these souls are just next to the world’s costliest private residence and its inmates.
I am sure one cannot make every Indian rich but every Indian does deserve clean drinking water, sanitation and a decent place to “answer the calls of nature”. Those who seek their votes must realize that it is their right to have them and those who will soon give their votes should claim these rights. Entire generations of Indians (including myself) have grown up taking these basic amenities for granted and some continue to pretend that it is otherwise.
There may be trillion excuses for these amenities not being present for a multitude of Indians but it is ironical that India can produce millionaires and billionaires across all religions with or without (?) the help of the same government machineries.
Salman Rushdie rubbished this film on the basis that the story line in the book and the movie are unbelievable. I do not know what is unbelievable in the movie. (Yea, he continues to look for his "true love".)
Maybe the director made the mistake of depicting the boys as Muslims while in the novel he had a name which combined all the major religions and we Indians know the fact that the slum encloses human beings from every religion. But the director did capture one essential factor and that is what continues to appeal many. One doesn’t have to be rich to have noble feelings and also to excel in any field. Don’t know how many of you have watched these clippings that shows a boy who seems to have mastered many languages. He is only happy to earn his daily bread and to do the job that was taught by his grandmother.
click here
and here..
But with due respect to the director (he seems to be a genuine stuff) and to the producer who trusted him, the cynic in me does wonder if this movie was indeed good enough to have replaced the others which normally enthrall the Oscar lovers. With the world in a financial turmoil and with a possible reduction in the number of potential viewers from the usual corners of the world won’t India’s 1,147,995,904 (2008 est) population with a good percentage of movie lovers compensate the global business houses? Financial turmoil or not, most Indians will continue to keep movies in their priority list. Haven’t we all been nurtured on fantasies and demi-Gods that let us escape from the ground realities?
As for an Indian(Bollywood) director or a producer, I do not think he will ever get away with such a movie. umph! not even one seductive, reveal all dancing scene and not even one "foreign country"!
As usual we avoided the roads on the N & L days since there would be an effusion of foamy patriotism. I am sure there are people who enjoy it, but it is just not our cup of tea. This year we read that one person was actually killed! I hope now some laws will be put in place so that at least next year the “weak in hearts” (if we are all still here!) can join the celebrations and maybe even support this economy.
Anyway, we finally got around to seeing the film “Slumdog Millionaire”. Whatever other feelings it may evoke, it will not bore you. It may appear like any other Hindi movies sans the songs which these days assaults one’s senses (the songs in itself are good if one is only listening)
Yes, the editing is wonderful and so is the sound. As for Rahman’s music, it cannot beat the one from “Roja” or many of his other creations but it is good. The film also had the element of romance which I am sure would appeal to all. The undying love that Jamal has for Latika is very touching.
Yes it has the slums , the dirt, the kiilings and the child beggars. And all those who felt insulted must realize that there was no exaggeration. And yes, the slums and these souls are just next to the world’s costliest private residence and its inmates.
I am sure one cannot make every Indian rich but every Indian does deserve clean drinking water, sanitation and a decent place to “answer the calls of nature”. Those who seek their votes must realize that it is their right to have them and those who will soon give their votes should claim these rights. Entire generations of Indians (including myself) have grown up taking these basic amenities for granted and some continue to pretend that it is otherwise.
There may be trillion excuses for these amenities not being present for a multitude of Indians but it is ironical that India can produce millionaires and billionaires across all religions with or without (?) the help of the same government machineries.
Salman Rushdie rubbished this film on the basis that the story line in the book and the movie are unbelievable. I do not know what is unbelievable in the movie. (Yea, he continues to look for his "true love".)
Maybe the director made the mistake of depicting the boys as Muslims while in the novel he had a name which combined all the major religions and we Indians know the fact that the slum encloses human beings from every religion. But the director did capture one essential factor and that is what continues to appeal many. One doesn’t have to be rich to have noble feelings and also to excel in any field. Don’t know how many of you have watched these clippings that shows a boy who seems to have mastered many languages. He is only happy to earn his daily bread and to do the job that was taught by his grandmother.
click here
and here..
But with due respect to the director (he seems to be a genuine stuff) and to the producer who trusted him, the cynic in me does wonder if this movie was indeed good enough to have replaced the others which normally enthrall the Oscar lovers. With the world in a financial turmoil and with a possible reduction in the number of potential viewers from the usual corners of the world won’t India’s 1,147,995,904 (2008 est) population with a good percentage of movie lovers compensate the global business houses? Financial turmoil or not, most Indians will continue to keep movies in their priority list. Haven’t we all been nurtured on fantasies and demi-Gods that let us escape from the ground realities?
As for an Indian(Bollywood) director or a producer, I do not think he will ever get away with such a movie. umph! not even one seductive, reveal all dancing scene and not even one "foreign country"!
Monday, February 23, 2009
A. P. Abdulla Kutty and Sister Jesme
One may wonder what these two individuals have in common! Those from Malluland may have inkling though….
Ever since I watched an interview on TV on Abdulla Kutty and after reading about Sister Jesmi, I realized that they do have something in common. Both of them showed the courage to speak out. And many including the institutions /media dodge both of them. They just don’t know what to say!
As for Abdulla Kutty, he spoke from a political party that is supposed to be the strictest and spares none, while Sister Jesmi did the unthinkable.
After listening to A. P. Abdulla Kutty, I continue to wish we had more of his kind in the Kerala politics. You can read more about him here. He gave full marks to Narendra Modi and faced suspension from the Communist party. All he wanted to do was to invite discussion on development and like everyone else even he ended up seeing Modi’s Gujarat!
Dr. Sister Jesmi, soon after she retired as the Principal from a reputed college in Trichur, decided to publish her autobiography named “Amen”. Maybe it is the sexual exploits that caught the attention, but she has also written about the corruption and the politicisation of religion prevalent in the Church (While she writes about the Catholic Church, I would like to say that every Church now faces the issue of politicization) She was not springing a surprise. She had spoken out earlier and was “punished” for doing so. I listened as she said with all sincerity “ I have just opened a window, only one window, and through that window if they see dust or dirt inside the convent, at least in a corner, and if one sister cleans the corner of the convent, then my book has been rewarded.” She has written the book partly for herself. She needed the healing first. As for the question as to why she did not denounce the Church earlier, I guess for some woman, courage comes only with age. The society is such that it is not easy to come out of its shackles when one is younger.
It is now up to the Church to label her as a “heretic” or admit that this lady is to be listened to. But the majority in Kerala, have taken her seriously.
Ever since I watched an interview on TV on Abdulla Kutty and after reading about Sister Jesmi, I realized that they do have something in common. Both of them showed the courage to speak out. And many including the institutions /media dodge both of them. They just don’t know what to say!
As for Abdulla Kutty, he spoke from a political party that is supposed to be the strictest and spares none, while Sister Jesmi did the unthinkable.
After listening to A. P. Abdulla Kutty, I continue to wish we had more of his kind in the Kerala politics. You can read more about him here. He gave full marks to Narendra Modi and faced suspension from the Communist party. All he wanted to do was to invite discussion on development and like everyone else even he ended up seeing Modi’s Gujarat!
Dr. Sister Jesmi, soon after she retired as the Principal from a reputed college in Trichur, decided to publish her autobiography named “Amen”. Maybe it is the sexual exploits that caught the attention, but she has also written about the corruption and the politicisation of religion prevalent in the Church (While she writes about the Catholic Church, I would like to say that every Church now faces the issue of politicization) She was not springing a surprise. She had spoken out earlier and was “punished” for doing so. I listened as she said with all sincerity “ I have just opened a window, only one window, and through that window if they see dust or dirt inside the convent, at least in a corner, and if one sister cleans the corner of the convent, then my book has been rewarded.” She has written the book partly for herself. She needed the healing first. As for the question as to why she did not denounce the Church earlier, I guess for some woman, courage comes only with age. The society is such that it is not easy to come out of its shackles when one is younger.
It is now up to the Church to label her as a “heretic” or admit that this lady is to be listened to. But the majority in Kerala, have taken her seriously.
And the award goes to…………………India..
8 awards! That is no small feat is it? It sure is not an Indian movie but everything in it is Indian, so naturally the award goes to India.
"The essence of the film is about optimism and hope. The power of hope in our lives. All my life I had the choice between hate and love. I choose love and here I am," said the musician....
A R Rahman is not new to awards and he was humble as ever while he accepted his Oscars. God bless him.
But being a mallu, I just cannot but be euphoric about Resul Pookutty who is now recognized with an OSCAR! He was unknown to me and to the majority in Kerala, including the Malayalam film industry, until the Oscar fever. It was great to hear him say the following on stage:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1017076/
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4174708.cms
I am sure there are many more unrecognized talents hidden away in our vast country. I guess these awards will be one more reason for them to forge ahead and continue to dream of unlimited possibilities. It was also great to see the shining faces of the children from the slum. And looking at their hopeful, dreamy faces, let me also believe that India is indeed going to shine.
"The essence of the film is about optimism and hope. The power of hope in our lives. All my life I had the choice between hate and love. I choose love and here I am," said the musician....
A R Rahman is not new to awards and he was humble as ever while he accepted his Oscars. God bless him.
But being a mallu, I just cannot but be euphoric about Resul Pookutty who is now recognized with an OSCAR! He was unknown to me and to the majority in Kerala, including the Malayalam film industry, until the Oscar fever. It was great to hear him say the following on stage:
I dedicate this award to my country. This is not just a sound award but a piece of history that has been handed over to me," a beaming and emotional Pookutty said while dedicating the trophy to a billion Indians.
"I come from a country and civilisation that gave the world the word that precedes silence and is followed by more silence. That word is Om. So I dedicate this award to my country," said Kerala-born sound technician.
Pookutty shared the honours with colleagues Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke.
"This is unbelievable. I share the stage with two magicians, who captured the noise and cacophony of Mumbai to create the soul stirring artful sound of Slumdog Millionaire," he said.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1017076/
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4174708.cms
I am sure there are many more unrecognized talents hidden away in our vast country. I guess these awards will be one more reason for them to forge ahead and continue to dream of unlimited possibilities. It was also great to see the shining faces of the children from the slum. And looking at their hopeful, dreamy faces, let me also believe that India is indeed going to shine.
Monday, February 9, 2009
A love letter
Thanks to the internet, I have now started receiving love letters.
The below one is classic and I can see that he is already honing his skills for the future. Wonder how many he will sent once he starts admiring girls.....
Amma I love you so much . U r my angel......
The below one is classic and I can see that he is already honing his skills for the future. Wonder how many he will sent once he starts admiring girls.....
Amma I love you so much . U r my angel......
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Apurva
Where is Apurva? In whose clutches is she?
This news in the Times of India dated 24th December 2008 may have been read by many.
I came to know about Apurva only when I received a forward that was sent by my friend. I was able to check the authenticity ( I found the News Paper article only later) of the email since one of the person mentioned in the email was gracious enough to respond. I hope we bloggers can create more awareness by posting the following story on our blog. I pray to the Almighty that Apurva and Aravind are kept safe and will soon be reunited with their grieving parents.
This news in the Times of India dated 24th December 2008 may have been read by many.
I came to know about Apurva only when I received a forward that was sent by my friend. I was able to check the authenticity ( I found the News Paper article only later) of the email since one of the person mentioned in the email was gracious enough to respond. I hope we bloggers can create more awareness by posting the following story on our blog. I pray to the Almighty that Apurva and Aravind are kept safe and will soon be reunited with their grieving parents.
My Army friend met a guy named Mr. Ravi Shankar on the train when he was returning from Chennai on 26th of December, 2008. I was having a regular chat with him regarding the Army and its rules and regulations and how the forces are admired in our country.
He then told me about a shocking tragedy that his family went through and hence I write this mail to you seeking your help.
He told me that he was posted in CAR-NICOBAR in the year 2004 as a sergeant in the INDIAN AIR-FORCE.
On 26th of December that year his family fell victim to the Unfortunate Tsunami that struck out eastern coast. He along with his wife and two children (photo below) were washed in the deadly waters. Reaching out, his wife managed to cling onto a tree but his small son (picture insight on the left) had swallowed too much water and passed away in her arms.
Ravi also in desperation to swim lost grip of his daughter's (APURVA's) hand. She was washed away and was never to be found again, until one day they came to know of her being sighted at a relief camp. On contacting the authorities they came to know that this little girl was abducted from the relief camp and was missing again.
Since then Mr. Ravi Shankar has been traveling to Chennai every year with a hope to see his daughter. He has been publishing MISSING columns in major dailies in Chennai, and he showed me how heavily these newspapers had charged him for those ads.
One of the major newspapers charged him a whopping amount of 12000 rupees for a 4 X 4 cm ad (that too on the fourth page).
Please do not consider this mail a regular chain mail and do care to forward this to your near and dear ones. He requested me to do something to reach out to people who use e-media (internet etc.). I myself have posted her picture on my blog and I request people who own their personal blog pages to post this girl's picture there as it could be of significant help.
In case any news of any nature is found regarding her (APURVA) please drop in a mail at the below mentioned mail id's or the following address.
1. James mathew( 123.mathew@gmail. com ) 2. Amit kumar ( amitkumarmajor@ hotmail.com ) 3. khem chandra pan ( khemchandrapan@ yahoo.com )
Or contact:
Mr. RAVI SHANKAR
SMQ - 17/2
AF VAYUSENABAD
TUGLAKABAD
NEW DELHI-110062
Phone no - 09868763263
The picture is that of APURVA's picture taken in year 2004 with her younger brother.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Daughters
Came across this chilling video as I went blog trotting and passed by Vinod’s blog post. It left me depressed and helpless since I couldn’t help seeing my daughter in her. I can do nothing but I can at least vent my feelings on my blog. I do not know where it has happened but can very well guess. But for sure it continues to happen. I will never understand how murder can be a lesser sin. I will also never understand how a girl/woman who was until then a daughter or a sister or a mother becomes an object to be crushed out, be it for any reason.
But when I look at my daughter who will soon turn 13, I am worried. How will this world be when she is ready to face it? Will she be too strong or too weak to face this world? If she is strong, will her strength make her suffer? I do not know.
But all I know now is that there are many helpless girls out in our world crying for help that is never coming.
I think I was lucky to be born in a place and time that was less complicated. So maybe I can only pray that my daughter’s world will also be thus. But then I also pray that these men who have never “sinned” will soon be born as woman in the same place.
But when I look at my daughter who will soon turn 13, I am worried. How will this world be when she is ready to face it? Will she be too strong or too weak to face this world? If she is strong, will her strength make her suffer? I do not know.
But all I know now is that there are many helpless girls out in our world crying for help that is never coming.
I think I was lucky to be born in a place and time that was less complicated. So maybe I can only pray that my daughter’s world will also be thus. But then I also pray that these men who have never “sinned” will soon be born as woman in the same place.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
PATHETIC
Let me also write my 2 bit about the Mangalore incident.
Watching it on TV was horrible. So many marauding boys pouncing upon helpless girls and there was none to shield them. They call it mob terror. A word I am tired of hearing. We heard it for the Sikh riots and also during the Gujarat riots. We also continue to hear it during many other incidents. It makes us Indians sound so pathetic. Forget the so called reason that we have a law enforcement agency that is “afraid” of the “mob” but more than that is the fact that some of us don’t have a mind of our own. Some minds can be turned on or off by any Tom, Dick or Harry and for any pathetic reason. They suddenly forget that they are human while imagining that they are the only ones worthy to live. But unfortunately it is not easy to mobilize them for the good reasons; and there are plenty of them in our country and one especially that the whole world is now forced to watch since it has an award tag on it along with a “dog” tag. This mob was also not useful during the “Mumbai” carnage. How ironic.
I also read that this said Sena has not apologized for its behavior and has vowed to continue its act. I am sure India is listening especially since we can see the aftermaths for ignoring it happening very close to us in Pakistan and Afganisthan (let us not go farther). Even they started slowly but steadily and are now almost in total control. We in India continue to use the same word- pathetic to describe it.
An excerpt from an interview with Bajrang Dal on rediff.com.
Wow! Yet again the whole onus of cultural preservation lies singularly upon the mighty shoulders of the “fairer” sex. Now that they have been warned, I am sure they will be marauded/molested the next time. After all these girls are spoiling the weak boys who for some reasons cannot stand on their own. It is just like how I recently read one fine Gentleman write that only Eve is to be blamed for all the sins that Adam committed and continues to be commit. They all do have a common line and we do not have to break our heads analysing them.
But there is one factor which is encouraging. Majority of the Indians, and the political parties has rejected it. BJP too has rejected it. I hope now BJP understands why some of us still hold reservations on “Hinduvata”, how much ever good it is made to sound. But then I do hope it not just for the upcoming elections.
I did listen to discussions on TV where a woman went completely off track and said that drinking is to be blamed and girls and boys should have never been in that pub drinking. While one cannot ignore those women whose lives and homes have been destroyed by “liquor”, this incident is not about drinking or about morality. If it is a licensed pub frequented by men and women and then they have their rights to do so. Maybe it is time these Sena activists stopped drinking themselves into oblivion. Even if anyone has any problems it should only be their immediate family members and not any Tom, Dick or Harry. My son did point it out when he stood watching it with a very shocked expression on his face while we tried to explain the reason. He said none other than their parents have the right to touch them. It is pathetic that these senseless idiots do not have even the reasoning power of a child.
Watching it on TV was horrible. So many marauding boys pouncing upon helpless girls and there was none to shield them. They call it mob terror. A word I am tired of hearing. We heard it for the Sikh riots and also during the Gujarat riots. We also continue to hear it during many other incidents. It makes us Indians sound so pathetic. Forget the so called reason that we have a law enforcement agency that is “afraid” of the “mob” but more than that is the fact that some of us don’t have a mind of our own. Some minds can be turned on or off by any Tom, Dick or Harry and for any pathetic reason. They suddenly forget that they are human while imagining that they are the only ones worthy to live. But unfortunately it is not easy to mobilize them for the good reasons; and there are plenty of them in our country and one especially that the whole world is now forced to watch since it has an award tag on it along with a “dog” tag. This mob was also not useful during the “Mumbai” carnage. How ironic.
I also read that this said Sena has not apologized for its behavior and has vowed to continue its act. I am sure India is listening especially since we can see the aftermaths for ignoring it happening very close to us in Pakistan and Afganisthan (let us not go farther). Even they started slowly but steadily and are now almost in total control. We in India continue to use the same word- pathetic to describe it.
An excerpt from an interview with Bajrang Dal on rediff.com.
You too have been vocal about the manner in which girls conduct themselves. Do you have similar plans like the Sena?
No. We will never resort to violence. We are conducting awareness camps in colleges and telling girls about the importance of preserving our culture. Some girls who were found to be misbehaving have been warned. That is the extent we will go up to. Violence against women is a complete no for us.
Wow! Yet again the whole onus of cultural preservation lies singularly upon the mighty shoulders of the “fairer” sex. Now that they have been warned, I am sure they will be marauded/molested the next time. After all these girls are spoiling the weak boys who for some reasons cannot stand on their own. It is just like how I recently read one fine Gentleman write that only Eve is to be blamed for all the sins that Adam committed and continues to be commit. They all do have a common line and we do not have to break our heads analysing them.
But there is one factor which is encouraging. Majority of the Indians, and the political parties has rejected it. BJP too has rejected it. I hope now BJP understands why some of us still hold reservations on “Hinduvata”, how much ever good it is made to sound. But then I do hope it not just for the upcoming elections.
I did listen to discussions on TV where a woman went completely off track and said that drinking is to be blamed and girls and boys should have never been in that pub drinking. While one cannot ignore those women whose lives and homes have been destroyed by “liquor”, this incident is not about drinking or about morality. If it is a licensed pub frequented by men and women and then they have their rights to do so. Maybe it is time these Sena activists stopped drinking themselves into oblivion. Even if anyone has any problems it should only be their immediate family members and not any Tom, Dick or Harry. My son did point it out when he stood watching it with a very shocked expression on his face while we tried to explain the reason. He said none other than their parents have the right to touch them. It is pathetic that these senseless idiots do not have even the reasoning power of a child.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
An award
The Proximity Award
These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.
While I thank Smitha who has bestowed upon me this reward, with a note to give it to 8 others, I would like to take the route that another great blogger RM has taken. Have to admit that I am not as eloquent as Smitha and it is only when the “muse” visits me occasionally that I am able to pen something. Besides, Smitha herself has given the award to many of those bloggers who deserve this award more than me and since there are many more that I love to read, let me give this award to every reader of this blog who patiently hears me out, including Smitha.
P.S. Smitha I am sure you are enjoying your vacation and is too busy to track the awards but needless to say that I truly appreciate your gesture.
These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.
While I thank Smitha who has bestowed upon me this reward, with a note to give it to 8 others, I would like to take the route that another great blogger RM has taken. Have to admit that I am not as eloquent as Smitha and it is only when the “muse” visits me occasionally that I am able to pen something. Besides, Smitha herself has given the award to many of those bloggers who deserve this award more than me and since there are many more that I love to read, let me give this award to every reader of this blog who patiently hears me out, including Smitha.
P.S. Smitha I am sure you are enjoying your vacation and is too busy to track the awards but needless to say that I truly appreciate your gesture.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Gender Equality and Marriage
I have always favored gender equality when there are many closely associated with me who believes that men are superior to women. It must be my upbringing or maybe the Indian/Hindu culture. I have realized over the years that men and women are equally vulnerable and each deserves no special treatment. A woman can be strong on her own without feigning weakness. When one talks about the empowerment of women, it should never be by making a man weak. Every society needs strong men and women. When men/women are made to be strong they are naturally inclined to help the weaker in the society. So I believe empowerment of women is not the only change we want in our society, we want the men and the women to be equally empowered so that they support each other.
The other day I stumbled upon a blog and Uma Challa who has taken this fight seriously. In addition to fighting for women she fights for the numerous men who are now abused under the various laws brought in the name of women. There are many causes that this organization is fighting to uphold the sanctity of marriage. It may not have been noticed by many regarding NCW’s (NATIONAL COMMISSION of WOMEN) recent proposal to amend Section 125 of Code of Criminal procedure (CrPC) to include women involved in live in relationships to be eligible for alimony. Now I do not have anything against men or women who do not want a marriage certificate but prefer to live-in, but I do believe that this right should not encroach upon those who have taken the marriage vows seriously.
Now coming to the religious text that I should be following as a Christian, and that I am sure many like quoting to make the woman shut her mouth, let me quote the following that I prefer to see.
Gal. 3:28: "There is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
But for the present, let me be an opportunist and hold onto the Indian/ Hindu culture that I so love rather than my religion to emphasize gender equality.
This has been done beautifully by Uma Challa in her blog:
Now I do not care if there are some Indian texts that say otherwise. But how absurd it is when everyone knows that there are certain things the man cannot do and vice verse. So I just cannot understand why it is difficult to accept that they are created in such a way that they are complementary to each other.
Now let me look at the meaning of complementing:
1- Completing part (something that completes or perfects something else)
2- One of two (either of two things that form a unit
Is it not beautiful and right? Something that completes or perfects something else and none is higher or lesser. Both entities are equally important to complete the relationship. And this is what I believe the institution of marriage, which ought to be the pillar of every society is all about.
Let me end this with a poem from Khalil Ghibran on marriage: Khalil has compared the man and woman to the oak and cypress trees or to the pillars of a temple. Now can anyone say which tree or pillar is superior?
The other day I stumbled upon a blog and Uma Challa who has taken this fight seriously. In addition to fighting for women she fights for the numerous men who are now abused under the various laws brought in the name of women. There are many causes that this organization is fighting to uphold the sanctity of marriage. It may not have been noticed by many regarding NCW’s (NATIONAL COMMISSION of WOMEN) recent proposal to amend Section 125 of Code of Criminal procedure (CrPC) to include women involved in live in relationships to be eligible for alimony. Now I do not have anything against men or women who do not want a marriage certificate but prefer to live-in, but I do believe that this right should not encroach upon those who have taken the marriage vows seriously.
Now coming to the religious text that I should be following as a Christian, and that I am sure many like quoting to make the woman shut her mouth, let me quote the following that I prefer to see.
Gal. 3:28: "There is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
But for the present, let me be an opportunist and hold onto the Indian/ Hindu culture that I so love rather than my religion to emphasize gender equality.
This has been done beautifully by Uma Challa in her blog:
The inseparability of the male and female entities in the Universe was recognized by Indians as early as the Vedic times. This beautiful sentiment is manifested through the representation of Goddess Parvathi (Uma) and Lord Siva (Maheswara), known as “the parents of the Universe”, as UmaMaheswara or Ardhanareeswara (half-man, half-woman). This representation indicates that while both the female and male forms have their own individual identities and strengths, they are still interdependent. They complement each other and, it is only by combining their individual strengths that they are able to create and nurture life in the Universe. This divine couple is considered by Indians as an example to be emulated by all human beings.
Now I do not care if there are some Indian texts that say otherwise. But how absurd it is when everyone knows that there are certain things the man cannot do and vice verse. So I just cannot understand why it is difficult to accept that they are created in such a way that they are complementary to each other.
Now let me look at the meaning of complementing:
1- Completing part (something that completes or perfects something else)
2- One of two (either of two things that form a unit
Is it not beautiful and right? Something that completes or perfects something else and none is higher or lesser. Both entities are equally important to complete the relationship. And this is what I believe the institution of marriage, which ought to be the pillar of every society is all about.
Let me end this with a poem from Khalil Ghibran on marriage: Khalil has compared the man and woman to the oak and cypress trees or to the pillars of a temple. Now can anyone say which tree or pillar is superior?
You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Yanni
Sadly a few things came late into my life; like Yanni and his wonderful team of musicians.
I have heard bits and pieces of him and vaguely remember reading about his live concert at the Taj Mahal, but it was during those years that I was too busy even for music. I have also heard him at the Shopping malls in the electronic section where Hubby normally ends after rushing us through the rest of the aisles. But I clearly remember the last time that I was at the electronic section, when I left hubby and son totally immersed in some item that I had the least interest. That is when I found that all the TV screens had the Yanni Live! The Concert Event.
I stood mesmerized and for the first time wished that Hubby would stay longer in the e-section. Daughter also joined me and we stood there quietly enjoying the blissful moments. Then it was time to forget and so I did until we went to a friend’s place. He is an electronic freak and more so because he works for Sony. His house is filled with the latest gadgets and he would have had more, if only his wife wasn’t there to squash his temptations. (We wives need to be thanked for at least this nature in us!)
Anyway, Hubby wanted to test the Bose speakers (I am sure you know it is invented by an Indian)and our friend said he has the best music to test the speakers. And then came Yanni and his team! It was heavenly music played by a team of musicians from all over the world. From every person one could sense the passion and the love for music. Each one of them seemed perfect in their chosen field and all one can do is thank God for giving us ears to enjoy them. I think Yanni’s music appealed to me even more because of the oriental touch that has gone into some of the creations.
Thanks to our friend, we brought "Yanni" home and the music continues to fill our senses.
Yanni (born Yiannis Hrysomallis (Greek: Γιάννης Χρυσομάλλης, classical transcription Giannis Chrysomallis), on November 14, 1954 in Kalamata, Greece) is a self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer.
Band
• Charlie Adams – drums
• Victor Espinola – harp, vocals
• Pedro Eustache – flute, saxophone, world reeds
• Ramon Flores – trumpet
• Ming Freeman – keyboards
• David Hudson – didgeridoo
• Hussain Jiffry – bass guitar
• Sayaka Katsuki – violin
• Dan Landrum – hammered dulcimer
• Armen Movsessian – violin
• Walter Rodriguez – percussion
• Samvel Yervinyan – violin
Vocalists:
* Alfreda Gerald
* Michelle Amato
Orchestra
* Kristen Autry – violin
* April Cap – oboe
* Zachary Carrettin – violin
* Ilona Geller – viola
* Kerry Hughes – trumpet
* Jim Mattos – French horn
* Eugene Mechtovich – viola
* Kristin Morrison – French horn
* Sarah O'Brien – cello
* Dana Teboe – trombone
* Erika Walczak – violin
* Alexander Zhiroff – cello
Courtesy Wikipedia as usual!
and finally after searching for a long time, I found one article which gives a good idea about the team and it is from rediff...
I have heard bits and pieces of him and vaguely remember reading about his live concert at the Taj Mahal, but it was during those years that I was too busy even for music. I have also heard him at the Shopping malls in the electronic section where Hubby normally ends after rushing us through the rest of the aisles. But I clearly remember the last time that I was at the electronic section, when I left hubby and son totally immersed in some item that I had the least interest. That is when I found that all the TV screens had the Yanni Live! The Concert Event.
I stood mesmerized and for the first time wished that Hubby would stay longer in the e-section. Daughter also joined me and we stood there quietly enjoying the blissful moments. Then it was time to forget and so I did until we went to a friend’s place. He is an electronic freak and more so because he works for Sony. His house is filled with the latest gadgets and he would have had more, if only his wife wasn’t there to squash his temptations. (We wives need to be thanked for at least this nature in us!)
Anyway, Hubby wanted to test the Bose speakers (I am sure you know it is invented by an Indian)and our friend said he has the best music to test the speakers. And then came Yanni and his team! It was heavenly music played by a team of musicians from all over the world. From every person one could sense the passion and the love for music. Each one of them seemed perfect in their chosen field and all one can do is thank God for giving us ears to enjoy them. I think Yanni’s music appealed to me even more because of the oriental touch that has gone into some of the creations.
Thanks to our friend, we brought "Yanni" home and the music continues to fill our senses.
Yanni (born Yiannis Hrysomallis (Greek: Γιάννης Χρυσομάλλης, classical transcription Giannis Chrysomallis), on November 14, 1954 in Kalamata, Greece) is a self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer.
Band
• Charlie Adams – drums
• Victor Espinola – harp, vocals
• Pedro Eustache – flute, saxophone, world reeds
• Ramon Flores – trumpet
• Ming Freeman – keyboards
• David Hudson – didgeridoo
• Hussain Jiffry – bass guitar
• Sayaka Katsuki – violin
• Dan Landrum – hammered dulcimer
• Armen Movsessian – violin
• Walter Rodriguez – percussion
• Samvel Yervinyan – violin
Vocalists:
* Alfreda Gerald
* Michelle Amato
Orchestra
* Kristen Autry – violin
* April Cap – oboe
* Zachary Carrettin – violin
* Ilona Geller – viola
* Kerry Hughes – trumpet
* Jim Mattos – French horn
* Eugene Mechtovich – viola
* Kristin Morrison – French horn
* Sarah O'Brien – cello
* Dana Teboe – trombone
* Erika Walczak – violin
* Alexander Zhiroff – cello
Courtesy Wikipedia as usual!
and finally after searching for a long time, I found one article which gives a good idea about the team and it is from rediff...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
For heaven's sake...
Prince Harry has apologised for using offensive language to describe a Pakistani member of his army platoon.
The News of the World has published a video diary in which the prince calls one of his then Sandhurst colleagues a "Paki" in his commentary.
We have for conversation sake shortened many countries; ‘Paki’, ‘Brit’, “US” etc. Even otherwise, what is wrong in someone acknowledging your nationality? If someone calls me an Indian why should I take offense? I guess it all depends how comfortable one is with one’s nationality.
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Mistakes, I’ve Made a Few, Bush Says at Final News Conference
The one regret Bush has is that he couldn’t find the WMD’s in Iraq! I wish him all luck in finding them since he has now all the time in his hands. He can start digging Texas first.
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Man accused of selling daughter for cash, beer
GREENFIELD, Calif. - Police have arrested a Greenfield man they say arranging to sell his 14-year-old daughter into marriage in exchange for $16,000, 100 cases of beer and several cases of meat.
Putting this in the Indian context, don’t’ we have a word for this act? And many still think it is perfectly normal and right for our culture. The only difference being, you are selling your son.
The News of the World has published a video diary in which the prince calls one of his then Sandhurst colleagues a "Paki" in his commentary.
We have for conversation sake shortened many countries; ‘Paki’, ‘Brit’, “US” etc. Even otherwise, what is wrong in someone acknowledging your nationality? If someone calls me an Indian why should I take offense? I guess it all depends how comfortable one is with one’s nationality.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mistakes, I’ve Made a Few, Bush Says at Final News Conference
The one regret Bush has is that he couldn’t find the WMD’s in Iraq! I wish him all luck in finding them since he has now all the time in his hands. He can start digging Texas first.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Man accused of selling daughter for cash, beer
GREENFIELD, Calif. - Police have arrested a Greenfield man they say arranging to sell his 14-year-old daughter into marriage in exchange for $16,000, 100 cases of beer and several cases of meat.
Putting this in the Indian context, don’t’ we have a word for this act? And many still think it is perfectly normal and right for our culture. The only difference being, you are selling your son.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Which is the best example to follow
Came across the book, “Stories for Parents: by the Author Paulo Coelho. Couldn’t’ resist posting a story:
Which is the best example to follow:
Dov Beer of Mezeritch was asked:
“Which is the best example to follow? That of the pious man who dedicates his life to God without ever asking why, or that of the erudite man, who tries to understand the will of the Almighty?
“The best example to follow is that of the child” replied Dov Beer.
“ But a child knows nothing. It does not even understand what reality is!’ was the general response.
“There you are much mistaken, because the child has four qualities that we should never forget. A child is always happy for no reason. A child is always busy. When a child wants something, he or she shows great persistence and determination in demanding that thing. Lastly, a child is always very quick to stop crying.
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I guess I have come across such people in my life and they are happy as a child is!
Which is the best example to follow:
Dov Beer of Mezeritch was asked:
“Which is the best example to follow? That of the pious man who dedicates his life to God without ever asking why, or that of the erudite man, who tries to understand the will of the Almighty?
“The best example to follow is that of the child” replied Dov Beer.
“ But a child knows nothing. It does not even understand what reality is!’ was the general response.
“There you are much mistaken, because the child has four qualities that we should never forget. A child is always happy for no reason. A child is always busy. When a child wants something, he or she shows great persistence and determination in demanding that thing. Lastly, a child is always very quick to stop crying.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I guess I have come across such people in my life and they are happy as a child is!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Gaza still burns..
As an Indian who recently suffered pain and anguish due to the cowardly and heinous act done by a few Islamic militants in my own country, it is would be easy for me to turn a blind eye to Ghaza where the same kind of militants are playing their roles. We in India are still seeking justice while the International Community continues with their own agendas. But the same Indian in me refuses to ignore the cries of the innocent civilians in Ghaza who are being given and were given a very unfair deal by the world. This madness needs to end. Only God can help them since there are many in this world of ours who are acting as God himself or as the special appointees of God. So I pray to the mighty one who I believe created every human being equal.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Sr. Abhaya
Even if justice has not been meted out to Sr. Abhaya after 16 long years of investigation, we in Kerala should be satisfied to note that this case has proved yet again that that two (for the time being) Government agencies are in dire need of termination. We should ask the “lying” media to keep aside their clamor for Sr. Abhaya and instead ask the court to start the relevant procedures to scrap these agencies, that seems to have nothing to show in their achievements over the years they have been in service.
The first one being CBI.
I checked to see how they have gone one about with their recruitment so as to have selected such “incompetent” candidates. This is what I have copied from their official site.
This also brings another fact to light; the Indian Police Services also needs to be scrapped since they are the ones who have given birth to these candidates.
The next in line should be the Directorate of Forensic Science under which comes the STATE FORENSIC SCIENCE LABORATORIES.
And after all these has been done, the innocent believers can rest in peace; in assurance that the Church (any) cannot be anything else but pure and holy as Jesus Christ himself.
The first one being CBI.
I checked to see how they have gone one about with their recruitment so as to have selected such “incompetent” candidates. This is what I have copied from their official site.
2.1 Executive Ranks :
(i) The Director, Special Directors and Addl. Director are recruited exclusively by
deputation of the officers of Indian Police Services, who have been approved for
appointment as Director General of Police/and Additional Director General of Police
under the Government of India respectively. Recommendations for appointments are
made by a CBI Selection Board headed by Central Vigilance Commissioner and Home
Secretary, Secretary (Co-ordn & PG), Cabinet Secretariat as Members. The views of the
incumbent Director are considered by the Board for making the best choice. Final
selection to these posts of CBI is made by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet
from the panel recommended by the aforesaid CBI Selection Board. The Director, CBI
shall have a minimum tenure of 2 years regardless of the date of his superannuation.
This also brings another fact to light; the Indian Police Services also needs to be scrapped since they are the ones who have given birth to these candidates.
The next in line should be the Directorate of Forensic Science under which comes the STATE FORENSIC SCIENCE LABORATORIES.
And after all these has been done, the innocent believers can rest in peace; in assurance that the Church (any) cannot be anything else but pure and holy as Jesus Christ himself.
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