Why i think i should go home ...
Rangashankara
Driving
SMS
Sreeraj lassi bar
Amma pannina murungakkai rasam
Dyuman's "bear" hugs :)
Daddy-daughter time
Besi
"Moda" pani puri
Traffic on the streets, honking, buses and autos
Waking up to voices in the kitchen, hot beverages that are ready before you are, breakfast, lunch, dinner taking care of themselves.
Kilometers, Liters, Rupees
Home, room, bed - all of which i can rightfully call mine ...
There can never be enough reasons why I need to go home. The most important is that is .. HOME.
mamma, I'm coming homeee !!
21.6.09
29.3.09
heard.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say India ?
1. Indian food.
2. Curry
3.Convenience stores.
4. The bindi.
5. Water buffaloes
6. Cows !
7. Elephants
8. Are you a part of Asia ??
9. Castes.
10. I'm sure they have arranged marriages there still. Is it allowed for you to marry outside your "race" ?
Does not really relate to the real title here, but i still found it funny that someone asked me : "have you already been "promised" to somebody ?"
1. Indian food.
2. Curry
3.Convenience stores.
4. The bindi.
5. Water buffaloes
6. Cows !
7. Elephants
8. Are you a part of Asia ??
9. Castes.
10. I'm sure they have arranged marriages there still. Is it allowed for you to marry outside your "race" ?
Does not really relate to the real title here, but i still found it funny that someone asked me : "have you already been "promised" to somebody ?"
5.3.09
the web.
The complexity of human relationships amazes me. It is almost like geometry.. starts with lines, and before you know it, there is an intense web that is almost-unfathomable.
The lines in a relationship are a screen. They are also the base. The people are the building blocks. Emotion is the geometry that brings them together. It can be straight. It can be twisted. It can be simple. It can be complex. It can be apparent. It can be enigmatic. It can be aesthetic. It can be ugly. At the end, it is a simple ordering principle that life is based on.
We are born inside a pre-designed web. A system that will hold us when we try to stick out hands out. After a while, we learn the ropes. We start experimenting, first with the nose, then with the hands and then the legs. Before we know it, we have mastered the art and are ready to break out of the web. The break-out leaves a gaping hole. Sometimes, we try to fix by trying to repair the hole so that it does not look like the outline of our body. Most times, we just learn to live with it. Leave the hole open so that we can go back whenever we want to. Hope that with time, the hole will heal itself, and look more ordered, restoring the original geometry so that it does not look so mangled anymore. Hope that with time, the hole will become a doorway, a legitimate entrance / exitway.
Sometimes, the web fails. Thats what tests our strength. Some of us are strong enough to hold the web together and help re-weave it, some of us are strong enough to get out of the web unscathed, some a little bruised, some just cave in.
It does not affect us so much if the web that we created caves in , because we know that we are capable of weaving it again, with, maybe a slight shift in axis or a change in the ordering geometry; but it does affect us when the pre-designed web collapses. We get so comfortable with the web that we are unable to comprehend the changes. We are not sure if we can repair the web, we might not like the changes made to it.
In the end, we learn to live. The lines might have been truncated, twisted, some completely erased. We learn to live with the changed geometry. We become active participants in the creation of the geometry and learn to love it. That is what we all live for.
The lines in a relationship are a screen. They are also the base. The people are the building blocks. Emotion is the geometry that brings them together. It can be straight. It can be twisted. It can be simple. It can be complex. It can be apparent. It can be enigmatic. It can be aesthetic. It can be ugly. At the end, it is a simple ordering principle that life is based on.
We are born inside a pre-designed web. A system that will hold us when we try to stick out hands out. After a while, we learn the ropes. We start experimenting, first with the nose, then with the hands and then the legs. Before we know it, we have mastered the art and are ready to break out of the web. The break-out leaves a gaping hole. Sometimes, we try to fix by trying to repair the hole so that it does not look like the outline of our body. Most times, we just learn to live with it. Leave the hole open so that we can go back whenever we want to. Hope that with time, the hole will heal itself, and look more ordered, restoring the original geometry so that it does not look so mangled anymore. Hope that with time, the hole will become a doorway, a legitimate entrance / exitway.
Sometimes, the web fails. Thats what tests our strength. Some of us are strong enough to hold the web together and help re-weave it, some of us are strong enough to get out of the web unscathed, some a little bruised, some just cave in.
It does not affect us so much if the web that we created caves in , because we know that we are capable of weaving it again, with, maybe a slight shift in axis or a change in the ordering geometry; but it does affect us when the pre-designed web collapses. We get so comfortable with the web that we are unable to comprehend the changes. We are not sure if we can repair the web, we might not like the changes made to it.
In the end, we learn to live. The lines might have been truncated, twisted, some completely erased. We learn to live with the changed geometry. We become active participants in the creation of the geometry and learn to love it. That is what we all live for.
6.11.08
autumn (because i find it funny to noun-ize a verb)
The leaves are finally falling in Arlington. It is awesome, the brown carpet of dead leaves on the grass, the multi-colo(u)red trees, the dynamism that comes with changing colours every day.
Morbid as it might sound, there is so much beauty in death. if something that signifies the end can be so beautiful, i am eagerly waiting for something that signifies the beginning.
I was in NY for a few days a couple of weeks back. Didn't have a lot of time to go to the right places to see the fall colours, but i loved whatever little i saw.
Central Park, NY
some arbit park, NJ.
pics from uta coming soon :D
Morbid as it might sound, there is so much beauty in death. if something that signifies the end can be so beautiful, i am eagerly waiting for something that signifies the beginning.
I was in NY for a few days a couple of weeks back. Didn't have a lot of time to go to the right places to see the fall colours, but i loved whatever little i saw.
Central Park, NY
some arbit park, NJ.pics from uta coming soon :D
14.9.08
Transplanting 101
Its been a while since i blogged .
and in the while that its been, i have moved to Arlington, Texas, to pursue my Masters in Architecture.
Transplanting 101 is the lesson that they "taught" us at the orientation. It was about the old soil and the new soil have to interact and reach a balance before it can take root. It made a lot of sense to us then. and still does.
My "experiences in America" so far have been interesting, to say it simply.
The first week ( half-week, rather - i got here on a Wednesday) passed in a daze - time spent with family and overcoming jet-lag.
The next two weeks - was spent in trying to fix a place to stay and getting used to the university.
Its been 3 weeks since school started.
The first thing i noticed about the US was - "there's mosaic at the Houston airport!"
The second (this was when i went to walmart, and bought household supplies) - everything's HUGE!
The third (this was on a sunny afternoon, under the shade of a tree in front of the library) - the squirrels are LARGE. and they don't have stripes !! ( they are very cute - they look like the classic chip-n-dale cartoons, when they are biting on something.)
The fourth - Man, the onions are like tennis balls, and the potatoes are like missiles!
I find it strange that one has to ask for water as a "drink" in a restaurant. I also find it strange that everyone is so friendly. ( I am not complaining - it just took me almost 2 weeks to get used to everyone smiling and nodding to me). I also find it funny that vegetarian food in fast food joints is so hard to find (Indian subs and McD's - yayy!)
What i do love about the country, is the thoroughness. They pay attention to the minutest detial( to the point that the vegetables in most stores are 'waxed' to make them look good). There is not a single "inaccessible" space that I have come across. They value time. Theirs and others. The level of automation is also mind-boggling. There are machines for everything. Systems for everything. Methods for everything. and, a sense of humo(u)r accompanies it all. Americans can laugh at themselves.
We have a lot to learn from this country. and I hope that we will.
If we are able to implement systems in the next 20 years in India, i will consider it a big victory.
Signing off, ttyl. :P
and in the while that its been, i have moved to Arlington, Texas, to pursue my Masters in Architecture.
Transplanting 101 is the lesson that they "taught" us at the orientation. It was about the old soil and the new soil have to interact and reach a balance before it can take root. It made a lot of sense to us then. and still does.
My "experiences in America" so far have been interesting, to say it simply.
The first week ( half-week, rather - i got here on a Wednesday) passed in a daze - time spent with family and overcoming jet-lag.
The next two weeks - was spent in trying to fix a place to stay and getting used to the university.
Its been 3 weeks since school started.
The first thing i noticed about the US was - "there's mosaic at the Houston airport!"
The second (this was when i went to walmart, and bought household supplies) - everything's HUGE!
The third (this was on a sunny afternoon, under the shade of a tree in front of the library) - the squirrels are LARGE. and they don't have stripes !! ( they are very cute - they look like the classic chip-n-dale cartoons, when they are biting on something.)
The fourth - Man, the onions are like tennis balls, and the potatoes are like missiles!
I find it strange that one has to ask for water as a "drink" in a restaurant. I also find it strange that everyone is so friendly. ( I am not complaining - it just took me almost 2 weeks to get used to everyone smiling and nodding to me). I also find it funny that vegetarian food in fast food joints is so hard to find (Indian subs and McD's - yayy!)
What i do love about the country, is the thoroughness. They pay attention to the minutest detial( to the point that the vegetables in most stores are 'waxed' to make them look good). There is not a single "inaccessible" space that I have come across. They value time. Theirs and others. The level of automation is also mind-boggling. There are machines for everything. Systems for everything. Methods for everything. and, a sense of humo(u)r accompanies it all. Americans can laugh at themselves.
We have a lot to learn from this country. and I hope that we will.
If we are able to implement systems in the next 20 years in India, i will consider it a big victory.
Signing off, ttyl. :P
8.7.08
do aane mein chaaar !
Disclaimer: I love all the people that are/have helped me ... this is just to see the other side!
Now you'll know why I am cranky, when I am!
Its been a while.
In the "while" that its been, I've managed to get myself admitted into The University of Texas at Arlington, for a Masters in Architecture.
As a result of that, I have had to do a LOT of running around ; deal with Govt. offices ; talk/meet/act in ways that I normally wouldn't.
At the end of every "step" ; when it seemed that things had a dead end, something happened that cleared the clouds. Call it providence, call it fate, call it a divine intervention. I'm just happy that it all did - and thankful to all the people who made it happen :)
Now that I have less than a month to leave, apart from the usual (Will you come back ? ; will you remember us? ; When will i see you next? ; Will you come back with an accent? ; I'll kill you if you talk to me with a twang! ; Happy 4th of July ; Will you start wearing short skirts and tank tops? ; If you go away now, WHEN do you intend to get married?) ; I am also getting a LOT of gyaan.
Free, unsolicited gyaan.
What I thought only held good for cricket (ref my post titled ICF ..) is now good for Foreign travel also. especially if you are travelling as a student. alone.
One person tells you to learn to cook; another says its no big deal .. you'll learn anyway. One person tells you its no use learning; whose going to eat the junk that you prepare? Another tells you that you are doomed if egg is not among your preferred list of foods.
One tells you to carry as many clothes from here as possible. Another says that what you get here is not in vogue there; and you'll end up feeling like ugly duckling!
One tells you that you;ll learn to adjust to other people/ habits / cultures ; another says that it'll be near-impossible : given how finicky I am.
One tells you not to live away from campus another says that far aways is all the place you will get to live, initially.
One tells you that it is going to be all fun ; another says it'll be all work and no play.
My response to all this:
THANK YOU.
I understand that you mean well, but no thanks.
If you have anything to say that you have experienced (i can see that smile on your face, appa!) then share your wisdom... but please don't "expect" me to listen. Just as you think you are entitled to your opinion, I am too; to mine!
Now you'll know why I am cranky, when I am!
Its been a while.
In the "while" that its been, I've managed to get myself admitted into The University of Texas at Arlington, for a Masters in Architecture.
As a result of that, I have had to do a LOT of running around ; deal with Govt. offices ; talk/meet/act in ways that I normally wouldn't.
At the end of every "step" ; when it seemed that things had a dead end, something happened that cleared the clouds. Call it providence, call it fate, call it a divine intervention. I'm just happy that it all did - and thankful to all the people who made it happen :)
Now that I have less than a month to leave, apart from the usual (Will you come back ? ; will you remember us? ; When will i see you next? ; Will you come back with an accent? ; I'll kill you if you talk to me with a twang! ; Happy 4th of July ; Will you start wearing short skirts and tank tops? ; If you go away now, WHEN do you intend to get married?) ; I am also getting a LOT of gyaan.
Free, unsolicited gyaan.
What I thought only held good for cricket (ref my post titled ICF ..) is now good for Foreign travel also. especially if you are travelling as a student. alone.
One person tells you to learn to cook; another says its no big deal .. you'll learn anyway. One person tells you its no use learning; whose going to eat the junk that you prepare? Another tells you that you are doomed if egg is not among your preferred list of foods.
One tells you to carry as many clothes from here as possible. Another says that what you get here is not in vogue there; and you'll end up feeling like ugly duckling!
One tells you that you;ll learn to adjust to other people/ habits / cultures ; another says that it'll be near-impossible : given how finicky I am.
One tells you not to live away from campus another says that far aways is all the place you will get to live, initially.
One tells you that it is going to be all fun ; another says it'll be all work and no play.
My response to all this:
THANK YOU.
I understand that you mean well, but no thanks.
If you have anything to say that you have experienced (i can see that smile on your face, appa!) then share your wisdom... but please don't "expect" me to listen. Just as you think you are entitled to your opinion, I am too; to mine!
1.2.08
Quarter-life crisis ...
For the want of enthusiasm / inspiration to write something original, here's something i read, and love :)
Being a twenty-something...........
It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing thatthere are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.
You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly thegreatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize isthat they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.
You look at wat ur studyin or ur job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.
Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute,you are insecure and then the next, secure.
You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but staywhere you are or move forward.
You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you lovesomeone! but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you'redoing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. Getting wastedand acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through thesame emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friendsabout the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.
You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the
race would be great, right now you are scared justto be a contender!
What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it.We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Send this to your twenty-something friends... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone intheir state of confusion...
Its called "Quarter-life Crisis." nothing is constant......except change. wats life without a few risks? keep playing the game ! Just take care and be good .. & be Honest to yourself
Being a twenty-something...........
It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing thatthere are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.
You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly thegreatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize isthat they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.
You look at wat ur studyin or ur job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.
Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute,you are insecure and then the next, secure.
You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but staywhere you are or move forward.
You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you lovesomeone! but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you'redoing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. Getting wastedand acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through thesame emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friendsabout the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.
You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the
race would be great, right now you are scared justto be a contender!
What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it.We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Send this to your twenty-something friends... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone intheir state of confusion...
Its called "Quarter-life Crisis." nothing is constant......except change. wats life without a few risks? keep playing the game ! Just take care and be good .. & be Honest to yourself
10.12.07
continuous discontinuity
"We are all just prisoners here .. of our own device".
This line from the famous song by the Eagles, "Hotel California" recently triggered off a series of thoughts.....
Amazing, to note that the feeling of being trapped, made worse by the knowledge that it is all one's own doing has been present for ages. There is no "chance" in the world. Every action is a conscious / subconscious decision by an individual, and every incident is a reaction to a decision / action taken.
The song also triggers different emotions everytime i listen to it. It feels like a tribute to the human spirit while being cynical about the hypocrits in all of us.
The next time you feel like complaining, listen to the song. It will do wonders. At least, it does, to me ! :)
This line from the famous song by the Eagles, "Hotel California" recently triggered off a series of thoughts.....
Amazing, to note that the feeling of being trapped, made worse by the knowledge that it is all one's own doing has been present for ages. There is no "chance" in the world. Every action is a conscious / subconscious decision by an individual, and every incident is a reaction to a decision / action taken.
The song also triggers different emotions everytime i listen to it. It feels like a tribute to the human spirit while being cynical about the hypocrits in all of us.
The next time you feel like complaining, listen to the song. It will do wonders. At least, it does, to me ! :)
13.11.07
The elusive perfect ....
What makes us do? Why are we us? Who controls the mind? Who controls the thought? What controls the action?
Is it the invisible pink unicorn?
Why do we strive? What do we fear? How do we reason? Where do we understand? What do we inherit? Who do we trust? Why do we love? Why do we dream? Why do we hope?
Who are we fighting? What are we revolting against? What is the world ?
The answer to it all ... THE ELUSIVE PERFECT = THE INVISIBLE PINK UNICORN.
Is it the invisible pink unicorn?
Why do we strive? What do we fear? How do we reason? Where do we understand? What do we inherit? Who do we trust? Why do we love? Why do we dream? Why do we hope?
Who are we fighting? What are we revolting against? What is the world ?
The answer to it all ... THE ELUSIVE PERFECT = THE INVISIBLE PINK UNICORN.
1.11.07
2.10.07
peer pressure ..
oof ! too much blog-competition these days.
since i have already been blacklisted, i have decided to sit back and watch from the sidelines.
so, competitors; take it away !! lets see who has the last laugh. :)
since i have already been blacklisted, i have decided to sit back and watch from the sidelines.
so, competitors; take it away !! lets see who has the last laugh. :)
10.9.07
Waiting for Murugesh ...
The importance of the coffee-person in any office can never be underestimated. He is, easily, the most venerated person; helping to soothe irate nerves and keep the peace.
His arrival is the most anticipated moment during the day. All work comes to a grinding halt when he's around, space cleared on cluttered tables, every eye on him, with thankful sighs resonating all around.
11 AM : OMG ! half hour more ! Why can't he come a little earlier?
11.10 AM : 20 minutes more! This is torture !!
11.20 AM : I give up. No more work can be done until i get some hot liquid down my throat. I wonder how i can pretend to be working until Murugesh arrives ....
11.30 AM : A smiling Murugesh walks in, with his usual "madam - tea or coffee?"
The whole atmosphere in the office changes. Frowns and scowls turn into smiles,everyone crowds around the "coffee-table" and the entire office echoes with happy chatter.
11.35 AM : the chatter dies down, everyone's back to their respective places, eagerly counting down to 4.30 PM ...
11.35 AM(IF murugesh hasn't turned up yet) : JF: "hello .. Murugesh, elli iddira? ( or, Murugesh, Goobe, bega barakkagalva!!)"
Murugesh: "Coming...coming.."
expectant faces looking wistfully at the clock and doorway; until the sound of Murugesh's footsteps on the kota brings a smile to their faces ..
His arrival is the most anticipated moment during the day. All work comes to a grinding halt when he's around, space cleared on cluttered tables, every eye on him, with thankful sighs resonating all around.
11 AM : OMG ! half hour more ! Why can't he come a little earlier?
11.10 AM : 20 minutes more! This is torture !!
11.20 AM : I give up. No more work can be done until i get some hot liquid down my throat. I wonder how i can pretend to be working until Murugesh arrives ....
11.30 AM : A smiling Murugesh walks in, with his usual "madam - tea or coffee?"
The whole atmosphere in the office changes. Frowns and scowls turn into smiles,everyone crowds around the "coffee-table" and the entire office echoes with happy chatter.
11.35 AM : the chatter dies down, everyone's back to their respective places, eagerly counting down to 4.30 PM ...
11.35 AM(IF murugesh hasn't turned up yet) : JF: "hello .. Murugesh, elli iddira? ( or, Murugesh, Goobe, bega barakkagalva!!)"
Murugesh: "Coming...coming.."
expectant faces looking wistfully at the clock and doorway; until the sound of Murugesh's footsteps on the kota brings a smile to their faces ..
29.8.07
.......
Two of my best friends moved half-way across the world recently. I will be honest and say that i am not very thrilled about the situation.I'm happy for them and all that, but i'm sure that mini forest will miss us.
To quote mastercard, "there are some things in the world money can't buy". Best friends are definitely one of them. There are a few people i call "best friend". As i recently realised, the definition differs with every person.
I love each one of them equally, no doubt about that; i just love them "equally-differently".
There are some people who will patiently listen to all the nonsense that i tell them; and not judge me for whatever i say; there are some others who will not hesitate to put their foot down and say "Shut-up, Jyotsna ; you're making no sense" :P
There are some people who will give in to your crazy whim; some others who will warn you of the consequences before you attempt to do something irrational; and still NOT say "i told you so", once yu come out with your ego bruised.
If this post is not making any sense, it is because i am not able to see too much sense right now. But, i truly believe that ....
"As our lives change, come whatever, we will still be, friends forever" .
To quote mastercard, "there are some things in the world money can't buy". Best friends are definitely one of them. There are a few people i call "best friend". As i recently realised, the definition differs with every person.
I love each one of them equally, no doubt about that; i just love them "equally-differently".
There are some people who will patiently listen to all the nonsense that i tell them; and not judge me for whatever i say; there are some others who will not hesitate to put their foot down and say "Shut-up, Jyotsna ; you're making no sense" :P
There are some people who will give in to your crazy whim; some others who will warn you of the consequences before you attempt to do something irrational; and still NOT say "i told you so", once yu come out with your ego bruised.
If this post is not making any sense, it is because i am not able to see too much sense right now. But, i truly believe that ....
"As our lives change, come whatever, we will still be, friends forever" .
15.8.07
Independence day...
60 years of independence. Yayy ! We have been a "free" nation for the past 60 years. We have made major advances in all fields - science, technology, sports, art, agriculture, rural healthcare and sanitation, infrastructure, clean drinking water, free and compulsory education ...the list goes on .. or so the government and the news channels claim.
Is this really so? Are we really a "free" nation?
At the risk of sounding boorish, i beg to differ.
Even after 60 years, we are not a free country. We still follow the much-criticized 'divide-and-rule' policies of the British raj - under the guise of 'reservation' and 'equal distribution of rights'. What about the caste politics that our leaders unashamedly practice? Aren't we slaves of a corrupt mindset?
Does 'upliftment of the downtrodden' mean 'trodding upon the rights of the "uplifted" '? Isn't that policy again a consequence of the greed for power? Aren't we now slaves to power, which, in turn guarentees money and fame in the 7th most corrupt country in the world ?
Are our girls and women really 'free' ? We hear of female foeticides, kidnapping and gang-rape of little girls, trafficking of women and flesh trade, dowry deaths, abusive households, eve-teasing , kidnap and murder of working women. The solution offered is this - stay away, stay safe. Is a country that can't guarentee safety to 48 % of its citizens really free ?
Are our children free ? Sucked into the system right from the tender age of 3; they bear the burden of expectations, try to excel in a system that does not recognise ingenuity, basically live the lives of 10 people who want to make the child what they could never be.
Aren't we now slaves of the system?
To quote former President Dr.Abdul Kalam, who, in his farewell speech said :
My dear citizens, let us resolve to continue to work for realizing the missions of developed India 2020 with the following distinctive profile.
1. A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line.
2. A Nation where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water.
3. A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony.
4. A Nation where education with value system is not denied to any meritorious candidates because of societal or economic discrimination.
5. A Nation which is the best destination for the most talented scholars, scientists, and investors.
6. A Nation where the best of health care is available to all.
7. A Nation where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free.
8. A Nation where poverty has been totally eradicated, illiteracy removed and crimes against women and children are absent and none in the society feels alienated.
9. A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, peaceful and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path.
10. A Nation that is one of the best places to live in and is proud of its leadership.
His vision can only be achieved if we become a free nation. A nation that is free from its own vices. A nation where the people do not make money by starving poor people. A nation that is proud of itself, its heritage, its culture.A nation where merit is rewarded and mediocrity punished. A nation that is proud of its every citizen. A nation where every citizen is proud of it.
JAI HIND. I firmly and truly believe: MERA BHARATH MAHAN. Happy Independence Day.
Is this really so? Are we really a "free" nation?
At the risk of sounding boorish, i beg to differ.
Even after 60 years, we are not a free country. We still follow the much-criticized 'divide-and-rule' policies of the British raj - under the guise of 'reservation' and 'equal distribution of rights'. What about the caste politics that our leaders unashamedly practice? Aren't we slaves of a corrupt mindset?
Does 'upliftment of the downtrodden' mean 'trodding upon the rights of the "uplifted" '? Isn't that policy again a consequence of the greed for power? Aren't we now slaves to power, which, in turn guarentees money and fame in the 7th most corrupt country in the world ?
Are our girls and women really 'free' ? We hear of female foeticides, kidnapping and gang-rape of little girls, trafficking of women and flesh trade, dowry deaths, abusive households, eve-teasing , kidnap and murder of working women. The solution offered is this - stay away, stay safe. Is a country that can't guarentee safety to 48 % of its citizens really free ?
Are our children free ? Sucked into the system right from the tender age of 3; they bear the burden of expectations, try to excel in a system that does not recognise ingenuity, basically live the lives of 10 people who want to make the child what they could never be.
Aren't we now slaves of the system?
To quote former President Dr.Abdul Kalam, who, in his farewell speech said :
My dear citizens, let us resolve to continue to work for realizing the missions of developed India 2020 with the following distinctive profile.
1. A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line.
2. A Nation where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water.
3. A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony.
4. A Nation where education with value system is not denied to any meritorious candidates because of societal or economic discrimination.
5. A Nation which is the best destination for the most talented scholars, scientists, and investors.
6. A Nation where the best of health care is available to all.
7. A Nation where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free.
8. A Nation where poverty has been totally eradicated, illiteracy removed and crimes against women and children are absent and none in the society feels alienated.
9. A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, peaceful and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path.
10. A Nation that is one of the best places to live in and is proud of its leadership.
His vision can only be achieved if we become a free nation. A nation that is free from its own vices. A nation where the people do not make money by starving poor people. A nation that is proud of itself, its heritage, its culture.A nation where merit is rewarded and mediocrity punished. A nation that is proud of its every citizen. A nation where every citizen is proud of it.
JAI HIND. I firmly and truly believe: MERA BHARATH MAHAN. Happy Independence Day.
18.7.07
lessons from a bowl of pasta ...
1. My pasta taught me an important lesson in glocalization.
No matter how much you try to standardize and use "good-quality , imported" material, its those fresh little leaves from your garden that make it taste so good.
2. It also taught me a lesson on standardization.
No matter how similar things are, they require that little attention to detail that makes all the difference in the end.
No matter how much you try to standardize and use "good-quality , imported" material, its those fresh little leaves from your garden that make it taste so good.
2. It also taught me a lesson on standardization.
No matter how similar things are, they require that little attention to detail that makes all the difference in the end.
15.5.07
I took a book quiz ....
.. and tada.. here's what i found out !!
You're Watership Down!
by Richard Adams
Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Mothers day .....
Another mother's day passed.. i still haven't found the right way to commemorate the occasion.
I can safely say that i understand now how difficult it is to be a mother...and wish i had understood that atleast 10 years ago !!
To those that say that there's no need for a special day to make your mother feel special. well, how many of us do it everyday ??
What i am today is dedicated to the woman because of who i am...
Mothers day greetings....to all the moms and aunts and grandmoms and everyone who has any "mum"ta in them !! :)
I can safely say that i understand now how difficult it is to be a mother...and wish i had understood that atleast 10 years ago !!
To those that say that there's no need for a special day to make your mother feel special. well, how many of us do it everyday ??
What i am today is dedicated to the woman because of who i am...
Mothers day greetings....to all the moms and aunts and grandmoms and everyone who has any "mum"ta in them !! :)
9.5.07
Heroes.
When i first met her, Divya was a confused 15-year old who loved school and hated maths. The third girl child in the family, her father turned an alcoholic after her birth, leaving her mother with the responsibility of being the sole bread-winner for the family, which, i should say, she managed quite commendably.
A class 9 student then , Divya wanted some help with her maths, which i readily agreed to do. She was a keen and enthusiastic student. Though I was not very conversant with "teaching" in tamil, and she was from tamil-medium school, i should say that she managed very well, and produced good results in the class 10 board exams.
Then came the question of "what-next". She decided to take up commerce, as it involved less of the hardcore maths that science students study. She also decided to shift to an english-medium school, to help her cope better at college.
Now, Divya is on the threshold of college education - she wants to do BBA, work a while and then go on to do an MBA.
What is commendable is no just her intention, but the way she goes about it. Never once have I heard regret or despair in her voice. Her birth was not welcome by the family. Her mother was undergoing treatment for depression during most important exams of her life. Her father was an alcoholic, who used to create ugly scenes at home everyday. She has 2 sisters who were married off when they were 17-18 and studied only upto class 8.
It is, indeed ironic that she'll go on to become the most-educated person in the family. She will go on to work, earn and do justice to all the money and effort her parents spent on her eduction. She will become an "educated" member of society.
She still does have some issues with "peter-scene" colleges, where all the wannnabes behave like, well, wannabe's ! But still. There's her whole life in front of her. There's hope. There's enhtusiasm. There's determination. Where there is a will there's a way.
This is the age of new role-models..ones that inspire without preaching. Ones that do, not tell. My new-age heroes.
P.S. Incidentally, while i was writing this, i came across a news article about Saraswathi - the daughter of an auto-driver who hs scored 95% in her class 10 boards and aspies to enter the civil services.
I can't help but :)
A class 9 student then , Divya wanted some help with her maths, which i readily agreed to do. She was a keen and enthusiastic student. Though I was not very conversant with "teaching" in tamil, and she was from tamil-medium school, i should say that she managed very well, and produced good results in the class 10 board exams.
Then came the question of "what-next". She decided to take up commerce, as it involved less of the hardcore maths that science students study. She also decided to shift to an english-medium school, to help her cope better at college.
Now, Divya is on the threshold of college education - she wants to do BBA, work a while and then go on to do an MBA.
What is commendable is no just her intention, but the way she goes about it. Never once have I heard regret or despair in her voice. Her birth was not welcome by the family. Her mother was undergoing treatment for depression during most important exams of her life. Her father was an alcoholic, who used to create ugly scenes at home everyday. She has 2 sisters who were married off when they were 17-18 and studied only upto class 8.
It is, indeed ironic that she'll go on to become the most-educated person in the family. She will go on to work, earn and do justice to all the money and effort her parents spent on her eduction. She will become an "educated" member of society.
She still does have some issues with "peter-scene" colleges, where all the wannnabes behave like, well, wannabe's ! But still. There's her whole life in front of her. There's hope. There's enhtusiasm. There's determination. Where there is a will there's a way.
This is the age of new role-models..ones that inspire without preaching. Ones that do, not tell. My new-age heroes.
P.S. Incidentally, while i was writing this, i came across a news article about Saraswathi - the daughter of an auto-driver who hs scored 95% in her class 10 boards and aspies to enter the civil services.
I can't help but :)
29.4.07
The truth about non-conformists....
My favourite lines from the 'little golden' book "poky little puppy" , which was my first lesson on conformism.
5 little puppies dig a hole under the fence and go for a walk in the wide, wide world. The poky little puppy sniffs at a different patch of grass and finds out what's for dessert every night. His siblings go home and get reprimanded for disobedience and are put to bed without dessert, while the poky little puppy comes home after everyone's asleep,eats up all the rice pudding and goes to bed "happy as a lark".
"And down they went to see, roly-poly, pell-mell, tumble-bumble, 'till they came to the edge of the green grass, and there they stopped short."
"What in the world are you doing?" they asked."I smell something!" said the poky little puppy.
Then the four little puppies began to sniff, and they smelled it, too.
"Strawberry shortcake!" they said. "
And home they went to see, through the meadow, down the road, over the bridge, across the green grass and up the hill, two and two.
And when they got to the top of the hill, they counted themselves, one, two, three, four. One little puppy wasn't there."
Now, where in the world was the poky little puppy? "
5 little puppies dig a hole under the fence and go for a walk in the wide, wide world. The poky little puppy sniffs at a different patch of grass and finds out what's for dessert every night. His siblings go home and get reprimanded for disobedience and are put to bed without dessert, while the poky little puppy comes home after everyone's asleep,eats up all the rice pudding and goes to bed "happy as a lark".
"And down they went to see, roly-poly, pell-mell, tumble-bumble, 'till they came to the edge of the green grass, and there they stopped short."
"What in the world are you doing?" they asked."I smell something!" said the poky little puppy.
Then the four little puppies began to sniff, and they smelled it, too.
"Strawberry shortcake!" they said. "
And home they went to see, through the meadow, down the road, over the bridge, across the green grass and up the hill, two and two.
And when they got to the top of the hill, they counted themselves, one, two, three, four. One little puppy wasn't there."
Now, where in the world was the poky little puppy? "
Moral of the story: "Non-conformists might get to eat rice pudding every night, but miss out on strawberry shortcake".
24.4.07
Adulthood ....
After my rather impulsive outburst on being an adult on my 21st b'day...
One year into it, here's why adulthood is not as bad as i thought it would be :
I can proudly say I am grown-up and no one can veto it.
I get heard, and your opinions suddenly seem to matter more than they did as a teenager.
All the kids around don't know whether to call me akka or aunty!! [ :D ]
There are friends' weddings to attend , friends' spouses to 'catch up over lunch with'.
I can boss over younger siblings and get away with it.
I can call school-kids .. kids!!
My work is entirely my choice - not imposed by some board or syllabus or system.
There are nephews and nieces and friends' kids - to whom I can still be the young,hip aunt!!
Of course, I would still love to be the little kid who loves earnie and bert, loves reading tinkle and gokulam and cries that bambi's mother died and the monkey lost his heart....but..well... I can re-live my childhood thru intellectual discussions with sathu on why crows don't have hands or why oscar loves garbage!
One year into it, here's why adulthood is not as bad as i thought it would be :
I can proudly say I am grown-up and no one can veto it.
I get heard, and your opinions suddenly seem to matter more than they did as a teenager.
All the kids around don't know whether to call me akka or aunty!! [ :D ]
There are friends' weddings to attend , friends' spouses to 'catch up over lunch with'.
I can boss over younger siblings and get away with it.
I can call school-kids .. kids!!
My work is entirely my choice - not imposed by some board or syllabus or system.
There are nephews and nieces and friends' kids - to whom I can still be the young,hip aunt!!
Of course, I would still love to be the little kid who loves earnie and bert, loves reading tinkle and gokulam and cries that bambi's mother died and the monkey lost his heart....but..well... I can re-live my childhood thru intellectual discussions with sathu on why crows don't have hands or why oscar loves garbage!
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