Today is his 3rd B’day , don’t know which present to take.
Hubby suggested Toys
What will he do with the toys?
‘Story books’ , came another suggestion
‘Have you gone nuts?, he will chew them and shred into bits and pieces.'
‘Something to eat?’
May be, sometime you do talk sense.
‘But pedigree costs Rs 400/ , I gave a box of building blocks on Neesa’s son’s b’day last month and that cost me Rs 200/. For her child’s b’day a gift worth 200 and for her dog’s b’day worth 400.’ Even if one adores dogs and is an animal activist still this doesn’t sound logical.
‘What to do, quickly suggest something’, I prompted hubby
‘Take half the packet of pedigree which will be worth only 200’, his brilliant idea did not seep in
What will we do with the rest of the pedigree? We don’t even have a dog, who will eat that? You? , I was out of my nerves now
I dig in to the closet to look for any unused things which a dog might want to possess
‘But how will anyone know what a dog likes? Did her dog tell you?’ Hubby had a point
I found one ball which was not new but was almost new
Today, Carrot, the b’day dog was not tied outside in the veranda unlike the other days. After all today is his b’day and he can’t be tied in one corner on this day
The guests invited to the party were treated with cake, chips, sandwiches, coke. Carrot roamed around freely unleashed in all the rooms sniffing from one object to another and from one guest to another. After all every Dog has his day.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Alien on one’s own soil
Even after 15 years I get a shock ... I get a cultural shock after visiting north. Every time I come back from Punjab I get a cultural shock. I am not so shocked when I return from Europe but north to south is a cultural shock even after so many years. It is not about which is good or which is bad. It is also not about the aggression, flamboyancy or the lack of it. It is about the difference. More shocking is why one should feel like an alien in one’s own country. I am sure people don’t feel the same when they relocate or visit east to west coast in US.
Even if you know the language, eat the same food still India’s cultural diversity is unwelcoming. A north Indian feels as much alienated in South as a south Indian in Punjab. Even after fifty trips from north to south to and fro in past fifteen years I am unable to find out why? Why everything feels so strange? We all take pride in our language, culture but perhaps we also take pride in being closed cultures
Even if you know the language, eat the same food still India’s cultural diversity is unwelcoming. A north Indian feels as much alienated in South as a south Indian in Punjab. Even after fifty trips from north to south to and fro in past fifteen years I am unable to find out why? Why everything feels so strange? We all take pride in our language, culture but perhaps we also take pride in being closed cultures
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Wake Up Sid
Karan Johar must have run out of ideas on how to show extravagant display of emotional family drama, high end glamour, designer houses , exotic foreign locations, pretty faces, jazzy clothes , foot tapping music , climax , lot of noise halla gulla so he thought of making something entirely different something which audience especially young generation can effortlessly correlate.
While watching the movie, I must have at pinched my 15 yrs old son least six times ‘ see Sid is like you’ Filthy messy littered room , eating only junk, shouting at mom and later regretting it , not a worry about future, taking life as it comes. ‘We don’t know what will happen in future but let us enjoy our present to the core’.
After intermission he changed his seat.
The movie is very refreshing , fun to watch, ; for a change it is cool to watch low budget, non fiction, down to earth movie RK did an awesome job. For sure, he is a face to watch for in future. Konkana Sen too was very good and was just apt for the non glamorous image of the character. I wonder how Kareena Kapoor / Preity Jinta / Ash would have looked in this role!
While watching the movie, I must have at pinched my 15 yrs old son least six times ‘ see Sid is like you’ Filthy messy littered room , eating only junk, shouting at mom and later regretting it , not a worry about future, taking life as it comes. ‘We don’t know what will happen in future but let us enjoy our present to the core’.
After intermission he changed his seat.
The movie is very refreshing , fun to watch, ; for a change it is cool to watch low budget, non fiction, down to earth movie RK did an awesome job. For sure, he is a face to watch for in future. Konkana Sen too was very good and was just apt for the non glamorous image of the character. I wonder how Kareena Kapoor / Preity Jinta / Ash would have looked in this role!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
What Next?
I know all about him what he eats… what time does he sleep… which book is he reading these days… his weekend plans… grade his kid got in mid term exam and even gift he gifted his wife but I haven’t met him for the past six years may be seven. Guess who is he to me! Can’t guess. Ok one clue. He is my friend. Confused! Na he is not my friend, he is my facebook friend.
What is it in facebook that is not there in real flesh and blood people? He has 500 facebook friends with whom he loves to share all irrelevant updates of his life.
‘I make it a point to visit facebook at least once a day to keep in touch with all in one shot’ says he in one of his sweet tweets.
Besides seeing him only once in person seven years ago I have seen him only on facebook,. when I first met him on facebook he looked very different from the real self may be some people look different in pictures or may be he had changed. Thanks to his new digital camera gifted to him by his brother (he updates all his irrelevant details), I see him in different moods. serene, bustling, naughty. 100 % sure, firstly I will not recognize him if I see him in real life again because I am so used to seeing him on facebook. Secondly he is not as handsome as he looks on facebook.
He and one of his real life friends who lives in the same city….
‘Real life friend: ‘hey lets meet sometime’
Facebook friend: ‘too much of work, very busy, let’s catch up on facebook’
Facebook and twitter are the trendiest way to keep in touch with people. You are old fashioned if you are not on facebook , no matter how many good friends you have in real life, number of friends on your facebook account and followers on twitter are metaphor of your popularity and amicability. I just crossed 50 facebook friends last week since I opened my facebook account eight months ago.
Old adage: You are judged by the kind of friends your have
New adage: You are judged by the number of facebook friends you have.
First came emails , then e messages , e cards, e shopping and now e friends , what next?.
What is it in facebook that is not there in real flesh and blood people? He has 500 facebook friends with whom he loves to share all irrelevant updates of his life.
‘I make it a point to visit facebook at least once a day to keep in touch with all in one shot’ says he in one of his sweet tweets.
Besides seeing him only once in person seven years ago I have seen him only on facebook,. when I first met him on facebook he looked very different from the real self may be some people look different in pictures or may be he had changed. Thanks to his new digital camera gifted to him by his brother (he updates all his irrelevant details), I see him in different moods. serene, bustling, naughty. 100 % sure, firstly I will not recognize him if I see him in real life again because I am so used to seeing him on facebook. Secondly he is not as handsome as he looks on facebook.
He and one of his real life friends who lives in the same city….
‘Real life friend: ‘hey lets meet sometime’
Facebook friend: ‘too much of work, very busy, let’s catch up on facebook’
Facebook and twitter are the trendiest way to keep in touch with people. You are old fashioned if you are not on facebook , no matter how many good friends you have in real life, number of friends on your facebook account and followers on twitter are metaphor of your popularity and amicability. I just crossed 50 facebook friends last week since I opened my facebook account eight months ago.
Old adage: You are judged by the kind of friends your have
New adage: You are judged by the number of facebook friends you have.
First came emails , then e messages , e cards, e shopping and now e friends , what next?.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Khan Kaun
‘You do not know who SRK is, then you know nothing about India and Indian culture …what a waste!!’
The long term effects of this episode are only positive. The first direct benefit from this episode is it has given spice hungry media some juicy news, and public to think life beyond SWINE. The second benefit is MNIK is a must watch now even by those who are not SRK’s die hard fans. The 3rd - now SRK is famous in US too. Sure this news must have made small or big headlines in US too.
Why such a halla gulla about SRK being detained and questioned at airport in USA? Americans are capable of questioning even Obama if need be.
If there is one thing that India can learn (though we don’t believe in learning either by our own misfortunes or thro others’ experiences, we only believe in giving sermons!) from this episode: spare no one when it comes to the security of your motherland. That will be the perfect way to do tit for tat instead of detaining Angelina Jolie as suggested by madam minister.
‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ only bounces back on us when we open our doors, hearts to anyone stepping foot on Indian soil, water without checking their complete credentials.
The long term effects of this episode are only positive. The first direct benefit from this episode is it has given spice hungry media some juicy news, and public to think life beyond SWINE. The second benefit is MNIK is a must watch now even by those who are not SRK’s die hard fans. The 3rd - now SRK is famous in US too. Sure this news must have made small or big headlines in US too.
Why such a halla gulla about SRK being detained and questioned at airport in USA? Americans are capable of questioning even Obama if need be.
If there is one thing that India can learn (though we don’t believe in learning either by our own misfortunes or thro others’ experiences, we only believe in giving sermons!) from this episode: spare no one when it comes to the security of your motherland. That will be the perfect way to do tit for tat instead of detaining Angelina Jolie as suggested by madam minister.
‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ only bounces back on us when we open our doors, hearts to anyone stepping foot on Indian soil, water without checking their complete credentials.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Budget for whom?
by karthik kumar
The idea of India is very urban. The idea of progress is very urban. The idea of government is very urban. The idea of civil society is very urban. Most of the cities in our country fall in the penumbra of urban consciousness.
When we think of people who live in these cities, we see them through the eyes of a government that has the same empathy that the British rulers felt for the urban populace. They are them, they are not us. That is why tribal villages in India evoke thoughts about insurgency more than they do about development. That is why silently, the patches of ungovernable areas within the country are growing while we are making our cities gated communities.
For one, the annual budget exercise of a Central or a State Government meant nothing to people. It came and went; in the few educated homes the passing item of interest was the excise duty on consumable — from cigarettes to cement and, later on, it was the personal income tax slab. Decades after, the middle-class mental poverty has expanded just as government receipts, spends and deficits have.
India needs change at the level of her soul.
The people who are in charge of the budget, those who go spend the money and the rest of us who fill our stomachs with it until the next year, need to believe that the country outside the cities needs to be included. That they are us.
Before you think I am a cynic, I must tell you that my staple diet is HOPE. Because, outside the cities, even today, there is no sewage system. And drinking water does not come out of a tap.
Every policymaker in India, every bureaucrat, every businessman must read a book titled Paraja — this is a novel by Jnanpith winner Gopinath Mohanty. Fortunately, an English translation by Bikram Das is available today. It is the story of a tribal from Koraput, Orissa, whose life is in the clutches of petty government officials, moneylenders and the police. The story is set in the early days of post-independent India. Decades after, his lot has not changed. Only his innocence has been lost.
On that note, goodbye until the next budget.
The idea of India is very urban. The idea of progress is very urban. The idea of government is very urban. The idea of civil society is very urban. Most of the cities in our country fall in the penumbra of urban consciousness.
When we think of people who live in these cities, we see them through the eyes of a government that has the same empathy that the British rulers felt for the urban populace. They are them, they are not us. That is why tribal villages in India evoke thoughts about insurgency more than they do about development. That is why silently, the patches of ungovernable areas within the country are growing while we are making our cities gated communities.
For one, the annual budget exercise of a Central or a State Government meant nothing to people. It came and went; in the few educated homes the passing item of interest was the excise duty on consumable — from cigarettes to cement and, later on, it was the personal income tax slab. Decades after, the middle-class mental poverty has expanded just as government receipts, spends and deficits have.
India needs change at the level of her soul.
The people who are in charge of the budget, those who go spend the money and the rest of us who fill our stomachs with it until the next year, need to believe that the country outside the cities needs to be included. That they are us.
Before you think I am a cynic, I must tell you that my staple diet is HOPE. Because, outside the cities, even today, there is no sewage system. And drinking water does not come out of a tap.
Every policymaker in India, every bureaucrat, every businessman must read a book titled Paraja — this is a novel by Jnanpith winner Gopinath Mohanty. Fortunately, an English translation by Bikram Das is available today. It is the story of a tribal from Koraput, Orissa, whose life is in the clutches of petty government officials, moneylenders and the police. The story is set in the early days of post-independent India. Decades after, his lot has not changed. Only his innocence has been lost.
On that note, goodbye until the next budget.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Connection Dil Se
‘Most of the new age technology is superfluous and we can do without most of the gadgets.’ That’s what I had always thought. Were we not happy and stayed connected with our friends even when there were no mobile phones and even landline was a luxury? Life went on smoothly even without computers but now… I am forced to change my opinion.
Technology can do a lot more than connecting your boss to you on a lazy Sunday afternoon like it can connect old pals, old school and college friends.
I had never ever thought I will even know the whereabouts of my class mates from school, college or univ, and the thrill of getting connected to school and college friends after two decades is unexplainable. Thanks to Facebook , the memories of Economics dept are again fresh, It is as if nothing has changed, we go back 20 years in life and we still live in those times when we could discuss for days the most trivial issues. When Nikhil tells me that he is looking forward to becoming an adult and enjoy the freedom, I tell him “we too felt the same and now we look back to those days with nostalgia.”
Another fact which is nothing to do with technology, Basic human nature does not change, it only reaches it ultimate as we grow old. Those who were serious earlier , two decades later are little more serious now. And those who were non serious are perhaps gone worst and take nothing seriously now. Some liked to yap yap, they yap much more.
Technology can do a lot more than connecting your boss to you on a lazy Sunday afternoon like it can connect old pals, old school and college friends.
I had never ever thought I will even know the whereabouts of my class mates from school, college or univ, and the thrill of getting connected to school and college friends after two decades is unexplainable. Thanks to Facebook , the memories of Economics dept are again fresh, It is as if nothing has changed, we go back 20 years in life and we still live in those times when we could discuss for days the most trivial issues. When Nikhil tells me that he is looking forward to becoming an adult and enjoy the freedom, I tell him “we too felt the same and now we look back to those days with nostalgia.”
Another fact which is nothing to do with technology, Basic human nature does not change, it only reaches it ultimate as we grow old. Those who were serious earlier , two decades later are little more serious now. And those who were non serious are perhaps gone worst and take nothing seriously now. Some liked to yap yap, they yap much more.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
HOPE for underprivileged child
Most of us have the desire to do some philanthropic work but don't know for whom to do and how to go about it. On the other hand there are many children who are unable to pursue education due to financial constraints. There is a wide bridge between the people who want to help and the children who are in need of assistance. HOPE is a small effort in this direction. It provides a data base of children who need financial assistance.
As of now six children have been identified who need financial assistance for pursuing education. They may drop out for want of assistance. A little help from the donors will be instrumental in putting them on the right track in life.
How you can help:
• Sponsor the fees/books/school bags, shoes etc of a child
• Monitor the child's performance by meeting him/her at least once in six month
No cash transactions involved. The sponsors are advised to pay the school fees directly to the school or provide assistance in kind and not give cash to the recipient
Till now six children have been identified for this assistance. Five school girls and one boy for PUC 2nd year. Within 24 hours of launch of this initiative we have found sponsors for 5 children. The target is to provide assistance to 10 children during 2009-10 academic session.
As of now six children have been identified who need financial assistance for pursuing education. They may drop out for want of assistance. A little help from the donors will be instrumental in putting them on the right track in life.
How you can help:
• Sponsor the fees/books/school bags, shoes etc of a child
• Monitor the child's performance by meeting him/her at least once in six month
No cash transactions involved. The sponsors are advised to pay the school fees directly to the school or provide assistance in kind and not give cash to the recipient
Till now six children have been identified for this assistance. Five school girls and one boy for PUC 2nd year. Within 24 hours of launch of this initiative we have found sponsors for 5 children. The target is to provide assistance to 10 children during 2009-10 academic session.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Sudoku Mania
Since I first laid my hands on a Sudoku puzzle a week ago, all one can find around me are pencils, erasers and Sudoku puzzles. Arranging 9 numbers in 9 by 9 grid looked impossible but looks are very deceptive. What really looks high funda need not be when you take a pencil and eraser in your hand.
Today I could solve a medium level puzzle without any assistance. Yes I have done it!
Well it is not me alone. If I am breaking my head over something why leave rest of the family in peace. Now post dinner time in our living room is more appropriately called Sudoku time; kids hubby all take one puzzle each from easy to medium to hard to evil level.
I am reminded of the ‘Goldilocks and three bears' when daddy bear sips porridge from the biggest bowl, mama bear from medium sized bowl and baby bear from the cute smallest bowl but in Sudoku this order may be in reverse.
Today I could solve a medium level puzzle without any assistance. Yes I have done it!
Well it is not me alone. If I am breaking my head over something why leave rest of the family in peace. Now post dinner time in our living room is more appropriately called Sudoku time; kids hubby all take one puzzle each from easy to medium to hard to evil level.
I am reminded of the ‘Goldilocks and three bears' when daddy bear sips porridge from the biggest bowl, mama bear from medium sized bowl and baby bear from the cute smallest bowl but in Sudoku this order may be in reverse.
Monday, April 6, 2009
To Cheer or Not
I am not an ardent cricket fan but IPL (Indian Premier League) cricket season is too action packed to be overlooked. It keeps the nation busy by giving each one a subject to debate upon like should we have desi cheer girls instead of firnagi? Should they wear traditional Indian consume may be a sari or a ghagra choli ? If yes, what should be the length of the blouse incase they will have a blouse on et al.
The second edition of IPL Twenty 20 Cricket Tournament this year will not only deprive Indians of that irresistible star studded high glamour quotient live sports extravaganza but also gives them more time on hand to scrutinize the contesting candidates in the elections.
IPL vs Elections - the country had a choice between holding elections or IPL on Indian soil. The government chose to have elections in India and send IPL abroad. The alternate route of sending elections abroad would have been a more popular choice.
Holding the IPL matches during election time would have made sure that the matches will go on smoothly as all criminals and their associates will be on election duty. No wonder the crime rate in India invariably goes down during election time. The owners of the teams are obviously cheering as it means more money and less khit pit over dos and don’ts. The fans in Pakistan are cheering as they will be able to watch their heroes in action. The cricket fans in South Africa are shouting from their roof tops and are too ecstatic to welcome international cricket teams home.
Not sure, if IPL should still retain ‘Indian’ in IPL. Well ‘I’ also stands for ‘International’. Indian politicians are cheering as any militant attack during the election time would have sealed the fate of the political party in whose state the attack would have occurred. It gives them a saving grace and yet another chance to parrot ‘India is not Pakistan, it is safe’.
But for hardcore cricket aficionados, the real action has no comparison with reel action.
The second edition of IPL Twenty 20 Cricket Tournament this year will not only deprive Indians of that irresistible star studded high glamour quotient live sports extravaganza but also gives them more time on hand to scrutinize the contesting candidates in the elections.
IPL vs Elections - the country had a choice between holding elections or IPL on Indian soil. The government chose to have elections in India and send IPL abroad. The alternate route of sending elections abroad would have been a more popular choice.
Holding the IPL matches during election time would have made sure that the matches will go on smoothly as all criminals and their associates will be on election duty. No wonder the crime rate in India invariably goes down during election time. The owners of the teams are obviously cheering as it means more money and less khit pit over dos and don’ts. The fans in Pakistan are cheering as they will be able to watch their heroes in action. The cricket fans in South Africa are shouting from their roof tops and are too ecstatic to welcome international cricket teams home.
Not sure, if IPL should still retain ‘Indian’ in IPL. Well ‘I’ also stands for ‘International’. Indian politicians are cheering as any militant attack during the election time would have sealed the fate of the political party in whose state the attack would have occurred. It gives them a saving grace and yet another chance to parrot ‘India is not Pakistan, it is safe’.
But for hardcore cricket aficionados, the real action has no comparison with reel action.
Monday, March 30, 2009
The Bored Generation
“Mom, I am bored”
How many times in a day do you hear this complaint? At least five or may be countless times. This is more so during holidays.
Two months summer holidays is a stressful period for parents especially working mothers. The new generation is a bored generation. Even with 24x7 T.V channels, computers, play station, X- boxes and summer camps the children are bored to the core.
Our holidays many summers ago were very enjoyable and a true stress buster. We either visited our grand parents or a truck full of cousins and aunts visited us. The curtains drawn to escape from bright scorching sun, it was non stop chit chat, ludo, snakes and ladder and marbles in the back yard. The host was never hassled about how to entertain the guests and from where to order pizza for them (as there were no pizzas then and eating out was an exception and not routine). Lack of space never bothered the host. Post dinner time was even more fun, lolling over the mattresses on the floor; we treasure fond memories of childhood. Our working mother never felt that the guests over stayed, even two months stay was less.
Now cousins are too busy to come or even the host is busy ferrying children from one activity class to another. “If cousins come then who will look after them during the day? They will get bored” I wonder how did such formalities originate between first cousins?
However it originated but I must confess that in their hankering after grabbing too much from life our children are really missing out the real childhood.
How many times in a day do you hear this complaint? At least five or may be countless times. This is more so during holidays.
Two months summer holidays is a stressful period for parents especially working mothers. The new generation is a bored generation. Even with 24x7 T.V channels, computers, play station, X- boxes and summer camps the children are bored to the core.
Our holidays many summers ago were very enjoyable and a true stress buster. We either visited our grand parents or a truck full of cousins and aunts visited us. The curtains drawn to escape from bright scorching sun, it was non stop chit chat, ludo, snakes and ladder and marbles in the back yard. The host was never hassled about how to entertain the guests and from where to order pizza for them (as there were no pizzas then and eating out was an exception and not routine). Lack of space never bothered the host. Post dinner time was even more fun, lolling over the mattresses on the floor; we treasure fond memories of childhood. Our working mother never felt that the guests over stayed, even two months stay was less.
Now cousins are too busy to come or even the host is busy ferrying children from one activity class to another. “If cousins come then who will look after them during the day? They will get bored” I wonder how did such formalities originate between first cousins?
However it originated but I must confess that in their hankering after grabbing too much from life our children are really missing out the real childhood.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Will this ever happen in India?
March is the appraisal month. The Self Appraisal is the first step in the month long appraisal process in which every employee fills in his achievements, any accolades received from clients/managers during the year, areas of improvements, strengths , aspirations and goals for the future year.
The goals have to be strictly SMART (Specific Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time bound). Each goal has to be clearly mentioned with a fixed timeline. The appraisal next year will review how much of it one could achieve. Framing SMART goals gives clear direction to the aspirant and is the first step towards realizing your goals.
With election season round the corner, it is only natural to compare companies’ appraisal process with that of the country. Why there is no such appraisal system for the politicians who are responsible for the health of the country? Company appraisal directly impacts the career of its employees and which in turn is related to the health of the company. Ditto for the country.
Every party’s election manifesto talks of removing poverty, regular water supply, more jobs opportunities, better road conditions et al with no time lines , no specific goals. Individual appraisal impacts one professional and one single organization but the appraisal of the contesting candidate has an impact on the health and the future of the entire country.
What if a country is run like an organization! The credentials of a candidate are scrutinized fully before assigning him the responsibility of running the country. Clear policies framed with SMART goals, strengths listed, areas of improvements demarcated.
Sample this – Twenty roads will be repaired in the first quarter with monthly quality checks by the quality team, government schools will have to face the audit by external auditors to avail the aid for the next year…. Will that ever happen in India?
The goals have to be strictly SMART (Specific Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time bound). Each goal has to be clearly mentioned with a fixed timeline. The appraisal next year will review how much of it one could achieve. Framing SMART goals gives clear direction to the aspirant and is the first step towards realizing your goals.
With election season round the corner, it is only natural to compare companies’ appraisal process with that of the country. Why there is no such appraisal system for the politicians who are responsible for the health of the country? Company appraisal directly impacts the career of its employees and which in turn is related to the health of the company. Ditto for the country.
Every party’s election manifesto talks of removing poverty, regular water supply, more jobs opportunities, better road conditions et al with no time lines , no specific goals. Individual appraisal impacts one professional and one single organization but the appraisal of the contesting candidate has an impact on the health and the future of the entire country.
What if a country is run like an organization! The credentials of a candidate are scrutinized fully before assigning him the responsibility of running the country. Clear policies framed with SMART goals, strengths listed, areas of improvements demarcated.
Sample this – Twenty roads will be repaired in the first quarter with monthly quality checks by the quality team, government schools will have to face the audit by external auditors to avail the aid for the next year…. Will that ever happen in India?
Thursday, March 12, 2009
When my kids taught me how to do Sheershasana…
Eight months into it and I am addicted to it. I hate it when the alarm croons …’if you seen it and you mean it you have to go ...’ from teriyaki boyz - tokyo drift at 5.20 am. But once I am up… I am up. Even if you are one or two minutes late, you have to squeeze in your mat in between forty odd people of all sizes and shapes. Initially all asanas looked difficult as how much active you are in your daily life, yoga is totally different ball game. With time, I was able to touch my toes with lot of pull and push. I felt elated to do most of the asanas with ease leaving bak asana and bhuja peera asana. In Bhuja peera asana you put your body weight on your wrist and forearms. I am scared to even try this as I feel I may twist my wrist in the process. This asana is meant to make your wrists and forearms strong. Once I tried doing this and oops …my wrists were paining as if I have fractured my wrist, I wonder whether bhuja peera means giving pain or relieving pain.
When I thought I was really comfortable doing yoga then the instructor introduced us to Sheershasana. This looked very easy, I tried doing it but the more I tried the more I fell let right and centre. I really couldn’t do it but I was embarrassed as people half my age and double my size could stand upside down in a jiffy. The instructor would do this asana only once in a fortnight, he had a fixed routine for every asana. I knew 2nd and last Friday of the month will be for topsy turvy asana , I would try my best to escape this like staying late on Thursday so that I have an excuse not to go for yoga on Friday but this didn’t go on for long.
Now Rahul and Nikhil had a task to achieve - teaching their mother how to do Sheershasana. First they took a day to get the hang of it; once they got it they put me through the grueling routine. After a few falls I was able to stand on my head of course against the wall. “You have to throw all your body weight towards your upper portion of your body and while in position take your feet as close to your head as possible and then take it up and there you are standing upside down”.
When I thought I was really comfortable doing yoga then the instructor introduced us to Sheershasana. This looked very easy, I tried doing it but the more I tried the more I fell let right and centre. I really couldn’t do it but I was embarrassed as people half my age and double my size could stand upside down in a jiffy. The instructor would do this asana only once in a fortnight, he had a fixed routine for every asana. I knew 2nd and last Friday of the month will be for topsy turvy asana , I would try my best to escape this like staying late on Thursday so that I have an excuse not to go for yoga on Friday but this didn’t go on for long.
Now Rahul and Nikhil had a task to achieve - teaching their mother how to do Sheershasana. First they took a day to get the hang of it; once they got it they put me through the grueling routine. After a few falls I was able to stand on my head of course against the wall. “You have to throw all your body weight towards your upper portion of your body and while in position take your feet as close to your head as possible and then take it up and there you are standing upside down”.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Who is responsible for the mess?
“History is a boring subject and what am I going to gain by mugging up what happened two centuries ago and which king ruled over which country.” – Nikhil my son who is appearing for 9th std hates History and he tells that with pride. We always have a war of words when I ask him to study History.
I love reading about kings and their wealth but the way they depict and describe in school text books it does appear very boring. Moreover school text books are not updated regularly.
Yesterday I was teaching him Economics. In a chapter on Poverty, they have explained about poverty line, how it is determined and what was the poverty line in 1975 and how poverty is the result of British policies… blah blah. When I was studying Economics in college, these were the same things I had studied. Out text books haven’t changed at all. And most importantly for how long will we keep blaming Britishers for the mess we are in, how about the mess that our politicians have created since Independence and continue to create. Are they not more responsible for the state of our country and not letting our country grow?
I love reading about kings and their wealth but the way they depict and describe in school text books it does appear very boring. Moreover school text books are not updated regularly.
Yesterday I was teaching him Economics. In a chapter on Poverty, they have explained about poverty line, how it is determined and what was the poverty line in 1975 and how poverty is the result of British policies… blah blah. When I was studying Economics in college, these were the same things I had studied. Out text books haven’t changed at all. And most importantly for how long will we keep blaming Britishers for the mess we are in, how about the mess that our politicians have created since Independence and continue to create. Are they not more responsible for the state of our country and not letting our country grow?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Who is a millionaire: Slumdog or Christian Colson/Danny Boyle?
I am confused not because why Jamaal Malik could speak fluent English and that too in British accent, also not how he got his name ( Jamaal is a Muslim and Malik is a Hindu surname) but I am confused about what has really appealed to people about this 2 hours movie. For sure movie goers don’t go to see filthy slums and all that comes along with it. Have people found the slums, the open drains and children playing on the mound of garbage so beautiful? Sure not. SDM portrays out of the box thinking and it is very creatively done. Two truths – first truth this story can be about any slum dweller minus the millionaire part. The second truth - this movie is a hit at the box office and has won 11 nominations for Oscars (that’s old truth now). As they say the proof of the pudding is in eating. Since Slumdog is doing very well it means it has made lot of business sense for Christian Colson to produce and Danny Boyle to direct this movie. Would this movie still be a hit if it wouldn’t have got a single nomination for Oscar? No idea. Anil Kapoor dominantly portrays himself in all the photographs splashed in media about Oscar nominations as if he is the main character, the fact is though he has screen presence throughout the entire length but he has a very insignificant role. It would have been the same thing even if anyone else were there in the hot seat.
Now Slumdog has shown us Dharavi - India’s biggest slum and introduced us to real slum children.
“How pathetic!”, “Nice movie but sad, how people live in these conditions!”, “Inhuman, we should not take kids for this movie, why show them these truths about India!”, “What foreigners must be thinking about India?” That’s how most of us would have reacted after watching this movie. Britisher Danny Boyle has made loads of money by showcasing India’s poverty, dingy slums, maimed beggars and the world is going ga ga over Litika, Saleem and Jamaal- India’s slum kids. The truth is this movie is half real but for the three slum kids who were picked up from Dharavi slum to play three main characters. Their natural acting made a BIG contribution to its success. The least the producer can do is take charge of their life, send them to best schools and support them economically till they become adults and open the doors of opportunity for them to become real life millionaires or else they will remain as slumdogs.
Caution: Don’t take your small children for the movie. Some scenes in the movie leave inerasable impressions on the mind. And yes, adults must watch for the pleasure of watching an Oscar nominated movie
Now Slumdog has shown us Dharavi - India’s biggest slum and introduced us to real slum children.
“How pathetic!”, “Nice movie but sad, how people live in these conditions!”, “Inhuman, we should not take kids for this movie, why show them these truths about India!”, “What foreigners must be thinking about India?” That’s how most of us would have reacted after watching this movie. Britisher Danny Boyle has made loads of money by showcasing India’s poverty, dingy slums, maimed beggars and the world is going ga ga over Litika, Saleem and Jamaal- India’s slum kids. The truth is this movie is half real but for the three slum kids who were picked up from Dharavi slum to play three main characters. Their natural acting made a BIG contribution to its success. The least the producer can do is take charge of their life, send them to best schools and support them economically till they become adults and open the doors of opportunity for them to become real life millionaires or else they will remain as slumdogs.
Caution: Don’t take your small children for the movie. Some scenes in the movie leave inerasable impressions on the mind. And yes, adults must watch for the pleasure of watching an Oscar nominated movie
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Hong Kong
High rise buildings is the first thing that you notice as you drive from Hong Kong airport to your hotel. This airport is claimed to be world’s largest airport. I don’t know if it is the largest but it is really massive. HK is a concrete jungle; you will crave to see patches of greenery. In spite of hardly any trees or plants grown on the sides of roads there is no pollution. at least you don’t feel it in the air. It is all very clean. Hong Kong and Thailand offer different things to tourists and cannot be compared . HK is very well planned bu it was all very mechanical , it is like any western country which is now getting tinges of China.
Disney Land Resort was great but if you have been to US Disney World then it is a baby. Euro Disney in Paris is bigger and better than this one. If you are staying in any of the hotels inside the park Hollywood Hotel or Disney Land resort then you get one complementary visit to the park so you get two days to the park at the cost of one. If you rush up you can finish it in one day. There are no wet rides, only dry rides. Both these hotels are excellent but only Disney Land Resort hotel offers breakfast with cartoon characters, also it is quite much expensive as compared to Hollywood. If you are staying in any of these hotels then you must spend some time going around the hotel. It offers exotic locations for photo shoots, models of cars used by Hollywood actors in the hot movies are on display so you stand against them and get your pics clicked. You can spend hours together going and looking around the place. Christmas time is very colorful time and is good time to be at the park, the shows are superb you should not miss any of those, if you are in hurry miss the rides but don’t miss the shows they are awesome. The park is open from 10 to 8 pm. It was warm even in end of December but next day it snowed in China and HK became very cold so during winters you need to carry both kinds of clothes.
I love to make new friends when on a holiday. We met Praveen and Vibha and their 5 years old son Aryan, a cute happy go lucky family from Kolkata. . It happened to be Aryan’s b’day that day. Rahul and Aryan got along very well.
Ocean Park is another must on tourist list, in fact this one takes more than a day so if you are short of time, start early. Here too don’t miss the shows; if you are adventurous and love the thrill of rides then this is the place for you. There are lots of thrilling rides. Turbo drop tops the list. Do not even venture into this if you have a weak heart. It first uplifts you to a height of 100 meters and then suddenly drops you down in a free fall. Though you are fully tied and secure but it is a virtual free fall, it is worth trying once. Just the thought of it is enough to scare your wits away.
Besides Ocean Park, Peak Tram is another place which will keep you occupied for one evening, it also houses Madame Tussad museum, this one is not as big as the one in London but if you have never seen original even this one is very good. Nikhil had a great time getting photographs clicked with each and every wax statue. He wanted to post all those on orkut. In our 10 days trip we took 1500 pics altogether. I preferred the times of non digital cameras with rolls. The pics came out better coz you thought twice taking a pic but in digital you just go on and on without even anyone or anything in frame. Moreover nothing like the luxury of getting your rolls printed and watching the album whenever you want , though you can do even in digital camera but it is not a must and you end up not doing it. It is almost three weeks since we came back but still haven’t sat down to view all the pics. I hope I get the time to look at these pics before the next vacation. During our last trip to Europe we took with us seven rolls, I love to look at the colorful pics in the album. Well, advanced technology comes with ifs and buts
Coming back to HK, Ladies Market gives you a taste of India; it reminded me of lajpat Nagar, Delhi. Here you will find women selling all sorts of things from bags to clothes to souvenirs in make shift market. This market tests your bargaining skills. Living in India this is not a problem for us. They will quote $ 600 HK and give you for half of it. If you want to enjoy and soak into it, you need at least half a day or else you can pick a few things in an hour and done with it.
Night Market though it is called men’s Market but it is for all – you get lots of chunky jewellery, clothes, bags, toys. Here too negotiation is the rule of the game. If you want to savor typical Chinese food at reasonable price then this is the place. It is open till 12 midnight. I appreciated two things in HK - firstly lot of ladies are working women , anywhere you go you see ladies are manning the show. Secondly it is all very safe to be out even till 12 night. We were out till 11.30 with children roaming on the streets but can we think of staying out in NY, Paris, Delhi or even Bangalore ?
HK is a gourmet’s delight if you are a non vegetarian and is adventurous enough to try new varieties. HK is not very expensive but it is more expensive than Thailand.
If you are going all the way, you can cover a few near by places like Macau; there are day’s conducted tours from HK.
Like all other countries in South East Asia, HK too takes tourism really seriously and earns good revenue from it. There are lots of places of tourist attraction, it is best to dedicate five full days for HK.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Ghajini
Twice I went to watch Ghajini but the tickets were sold even before the window opened.
"Let's get the tickets in black?" coaxed hubby.
"No way! I will not even pay Rs 5 extra for a ticket bought in black, it is against my principles"
I didn't want to be third time unlucky so I booked the tickets well in advance.
The movie is going houseful. It is all in all an Aamir Khan movie. Only Aamir Khan could have carried this movie well on his shoulders alone. The script is great; there is not a single boring moment. The plot is gripping, till the end you don't know what the end would be. Aamir Khan looks awesome; you would drool over his looks. Music is also cool.
The first half has shades of a movie from 70's starring Asha Parekh and Shashi Kapoor, (can't remember the name). Asha Parekh teaches dance in a prestigious dance school. Like our Ghajani heroine, she pretends to be in love with a business tycoon but she mistakes the business tycoon to be the driver of the tycoon and falls in love with the driver. It is a jackpot for her when she comes to know the true identity of the driver. Well, that was love story, this one is not.
"But what is the theme of the movie?" asked Lata whom I was convincing to watch the movie just once.
Theme! Ghajani is about violence and revenge. It is the story of revenge. It is brutal violence, something that you won't like to even imagine. The scene where Kalpana is hiding in her room and goondas are looking for her everywhere to kill her, she doesn't know if she will survive, she knows they will trace her ultimately, praying hard for some miracle to happen, reminded me of real people trapped in their rooms in Taj and Oberoi hotels when they knew the gun trotting terrorists will break open their doors and come inside any moment to kill them. They must have prayed really hard for some miracle to happen.
Though I took my children along but it is advisable not to take them for this movie. Are we teaching the new generation that it is cool to be revengeful? Living in a world where hardly a day passes without any news of violence in one or the other part of the world - bomb blasts, terror attacks , murders , rapes, scams , people killing each other for gain, revenge … these are part of our daily doze. Should there be movies which propagate violence and revenge? Is it okay to be revenge the only motive of your life?
Don't know whether cinema imitates real life or vice versa.
More dreadful than the actual violence in the movie is the fact that Ghajini is a super hit movie. What have people find irresistible in the movie? Aamir Khan's charming looks, his powerful acting, direction, script, songs or are we becoming immune to violence?
"Let's get the tickets in black?" coaxed hubby.
"No way! I will not even pay Rs 5 extra for a ticket bought in black, it is against my principles"
I didn't want to be third time unlucky so I booked the tickets well in advance.
The movie is going houseful. It is all in all an Aamir Khan movie. Only Aamir Khan could have carried this movie well on his shoulders alone. The script is great; there is not a single boring moment. The plot is gripping, till the end you don't know what the end would be. Aamir Khan looks awesome; you would drool over his looks. Music is also cool.
The first half has shades of a movie from 70's starring Asha Parekh and Shashi Kapoor, (can't remember the name). Asha Parekh teaches dance in a prestigious dance school. Like our Ghajani heroine, she pretends to be in love with a business tycoon but she mistakes the business tycoon to be the driver of the tycoon and falls in love with the driver. It is a jackpot for her when she comes to know the true identity of the driver. Well, that was love story, this one is not.
"But what is the theme of the movie?" asked Lata whom I was convincing to watch the movie just once.
Theme! Ghajani is about violence and revenge. It is the story of revenge. It is brutal violence, something that you won't like to even imagine. The scene where Kalpana is hiding in her room and goondas are looking for her everywhere to kill her, she doesn't know if she will survive, she knows they will trace her ultimately, praying hard for some miracle to happen, reminded me of real people trapped in their rooms in Taj and Oberoi hotels when they knew the gun trotting terrorists will break open their doors and come inside any moment to kill them. They must have prayed really hard for some miracle to happen.
Though I took my children along but it is advisable not to take them for this movie. Are we teaching the new generation that it is cool to be revengeful? Living in a world where hardly a day passes without any news of violence in one or the other part of the world - bomb blasts, terror attacks , murders , rapes, scams , people killing each other for gain, revenge … these are part of our daily doze. Should there be movies which propagate violence and revenge? Is it okay to be revenge the only motive of your life?
Don't know whether cinema imitates real life or vice versa.
More dreadful than the actual violence in the movie is the fact that Ghajini is a super hit movie. What have people find irresistible in the movie? Aamir Khan's charming looks, his powerful acting, direction, script, songs or are we becoming immune to violence?
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