Peace! The ultimate bliss every individual on earth is seeking & starving for, the word that unites the world evolving into a happy & holy place to live in. However, where do we get peace? Today, we wander from place to place in the pursuit of peace. Do peace really exist or just a mere word in the lexicon. Why do we pledge for peace? Ripple of thoughts flow when you magnify the world through the eyes of hope.
Lust, greed, pride, anger, attachment are so synonymous with human being. The physical form is entrapped by the vices that have ruled our mind & soul. What about love? It exists in the hearts but has metamorphosed with time; the love that dwells is the materialistic one. We are more mechanical & technical in life yet fail to get peace. The primary reason is time. No time for our family & friends. Are we so occupied and only respite is on national holidays. Don’t you think we have spun a web of complexities out of nothing? The beautiful thought flashes in my mind “If you cannot change time, it is time to change”.
Man’s mind has become vagrant & wild and the heinous deeds of mankind are reaping hyper tension, hatred & death. The debatable issues like the nuclear deal, global warming, Tibet trauma, bomb blast, the racial race & child molestation has grave emotional stress to all. Deals done, treaties signed yet the memorandum of understanding doesn’t guarantee peace. After all, peace can’t be purchased. An analysis of the problem proves that it all stems from man’s mind. Mind- the deadliest weapon of world and mind you, unemployment that leads to student unrest has its own heavy toll. As the saying goes “Empty mind is the devils workshop”.
The root of all evils that causes sorrow & sufferings springs from human mind. One must realize that peace is rooted in the mind in the form of thoughts which are manifested into actions. Self realization and self purification is required not just chanting mantras. There is PEACE IN WORLD when there is PEACE IN I. I am not my name. I am not what my profession is. So Who am I? The simplest question that brings positive thoughts and righteous actions must be answered. “As I walked by myself, I talked by myself and myself replied to me and the questions myself, then put to myself with their answers I give to thee”.
Om Shanti.
Well folks, it’s not about some talk show or speed dating but observation in a cafeteria while sipping coffee and leisurely reading the daily paper. A regular to the coffee café, every morning I used to drop in and grab the daily dose of drink. As I enjoyed my Cappuccino, my eyes watched people near by and ears trapped the chit chat. It was tons of fun.
Good morning kiss and a hug was a common way to start a conversation among young. Aunties scored good grade over daily house chore talks whilst uncles discussed about the men in blue. Miss mobile’s, kept blabbering on cell and yes you do get to discover workaholics, who opens up their notebook and God knows what they keep tabbing. Right from love to lust, money to movies, you get to listen all.
As usual I entered, but this time my eyes got attracted to a bunch of boys who were very animated and well dressed too, so sat just next to them. As I did, could hear nothing. They were dumb and deaf yet so alive and kicking. Amazed at the art, it was like a dance form. The graceful moments of their hands and the expressive eyes were in tandem with their thoughts, clearly expressed. They joked, debated and enjoyed. They were talking about a guy from the group itself and his failed promises; in return he was supporting himself giving reasons which ended in a joke for all. It was a simple discussions but different.
The art of conversation they had was unique…. it was silent but meaningful. Their facial expression, hand gestures and body postures communicated messages effectively. Many times our words fail to express but a right gesture explains it all, For example smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness & warmth. The conversation elucidated the importance of non verbal communication. When both verbal and non verbal forms of communications are used properly, the conversation is more meaningful & clear.
In a cafeteria, coffee mug is in my hand and my eyes on you. I just love good coffee and great conversation.
Om shanti om!
Remember Chamatka, Suppandi, Tales of Birbal and Jataka Tales? Apparently, a startup, ACK Media, is acquiring a majority stake in Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd., the company which publishes the wonderful Amar Chitra Katha comics, besides Tinkle and Double Digest.
While I was growing up, this definitely a big hit – a lot more interesting than the history teacher’s droning, dates and maps, a peek into Indian culture and mythology and a definite pride in being Indian. Where else would you see 10 year old eager to read about Rabindranath Tagore’s life or Amarapali, the court dancer in the ancient kingdom of Vaishali and her conversion to Buddism? Also for a generation that was exposed to mainly British literature, this was a refreshing dose of reality and what with Little Anwar, Tantri the Mantri and of course, “It Happened to Me”, a section where readers could write in. I remember huge comic exchange programs every summer vacation when stacks of comics would be lent and borrowed and actually read! Yes, the content is clinical, too non-controversial and sometimes not factual. But I can definitely attest that they are a wonderful tool to make kids sit down and read, get interested in history and feel a sense of pride in being Indian. How many textbooks or any other book for that matter can claim that distinction?
So go for it ACK Media, rerelease those 200 issues that are not in circulation and reach out to a wider audience. I see many a parent appreciating those Kodak moments of quietness while watching their kids engrossed in reading about India!
Got a sweet tooth? Here is a list of my favourite places to satisfy those cravings.
Corner House – Of course! And have the Death By Chocolate and in summer the Strawberries with Cream and Ice-cream.
Café Fresco’s – The awesome B52 – a creamy concoction of chocolate mousse and kahlua.
The Edge Ice Creams – Try the Rum Tart – you will go back for more.
Kadambam – The sakkare (sweet) pongal – warm, gooey, with oodles of ghee and bits of cashews.
Casa Piccola – The delicious After 8 – a mixture of peppermint and vanilla ice cream with malty chocolate sauce and whipped cream. To cheer you up on those days when you think nothing goes right!
Sunny’s –The chocolate cake is to die for!
Daily Bread/Deluca’s – The Ferraro Rocher gelato is rich, chocolately and superb. And sort of guilt-free
Just Chocolate – For that chocolate fix, try their exotic range of chocolates. And the home-made butterscotch ice cream is truly wholesome and delicious.
Karavalli – For at taste of fabulous Goa and all the wonderful memories that come with it, try their very delicate bibinca!
I attended the play “And now for something completely different” by the Chennai group Evam, at the Chowdaiah Memorial Hall on Sunday, 23rd September. I had blocked my tickets for the afternoon show for two very good reasons _ one, the unpredictably predictable showers that rock Bangalore during the evenings, and two, to avoid crowds, which I, so wrongly, assumed would turn up only for the evening show!
I was wrong on both counts, no thunder showers rocked Bangalore that evening and the afternoon show was bustling with a motley crowd, Page3 things, journo looking things, regulars, students, aunties… I hardly expected to stand at the end of a long queue to collect my tickets after having smartly, or so I thought, blocked my tickets. It appeared that that is exactly what half the crowd had in mind too.
As we slowly moved up the queue, there was an appetizer kinda performance that happened at the entree. A song. But it did to stir up my curiosity even though I heard little of it. The play began a little while later, about 30 minutes after they were supposed to begin. The page 3-ish crowd trickled in slowly amidst giggles, heels, pushing hair behind the ears, swinging purses and skirts, they settled down and then it began.
I can tell you no names, for there was no introduction with each and every member of the cast as such! But the first chunk of comedy that came my way, the one with the Pope and Michaelangelo, was one of the most memorable comedy pieces. The actor who did the Michaelangelo part had a very striking stage presence and before long I was waiting for his parts to come up. I enjoyed all of his pieces except the one with the Singh joke. The joke was on media and how an advertisement can exaggerate just about the silliest of products, and I did go on to laugh, but that was mostly because I had been laughing and it was impossible to do anything else!
The girls who came to change the props in between the pieces, did their own little jingles while at it. The idea was innovative and perhaps even necessary between sets. But I put up with them with the same enthusiasm with which I put up with breaks during good movies on HBO!
Of particular note was the costumes worn by the characters set in Rome and England. They were set to period and they’d tickle anyone’s funny bone by their sheer fanciness! There was a king who came riding by on a horse. While the king’s costume was not noteworthy, the horse was! It was such an appropriate prop for a comedy. Perhaps, had the king’s costume been any catchy, it might’ve overshadowed the ridiculous looking horse. This horse was constructed of a horse’s 2-dimensional torso attached to a swimming pool life buoy, with the life buoy around the king, and the click-clock of a horse’s hoof on the tarred road was made to sound by knocking coconut shells. Remarkable! That was my favourite prop!
That and the dead parrot. The piece about the dead parrot was about a man who came to return a dead parrot to the pet shop he purchased it from a little while back. The dead parrot was so dead! I had to just look at it to roll in laughter.
On the whole it was a simple and thoroughly enjoyable play! Do I have any complaints? Well… I do, why is there such little awareness, why have I not heard of their plays in Bangalore earlier. They say they cannot advertise, but there are several zero or next to nothing costing media. What about those? What about newsletters?
Do you know the masses of people who’d rather go to a play than go to watch a movie at the multiplex. It is a lighter, more involved, better quality entertainment. But I’d rather not have the types like the bunch of girls who were discussing the story, live as it was playing, in the seats in front of me, coming to watch plays. Please go to your multiplex, I say!
Well, let me do my bit in the word of mouth way, they said they’d have two shows in Bangalore in the coming few months. And am looking forward to attending the ones they said they’d get here in November and December. See you there then…?
The past week was simply awesome for me. I finally reconnected with so many of my school & college friends, thanks to sites like Orkut and Facebook. But all this talk on how risky networking sites have become has made me a wee bit cautious. It can get really messy out there, if one gives out too much information than required.
Orkut has been in the news lately for the wrong reasons. Having signed in there just recently myself I did find it less than satisfactory in terms of privacy. For starters, just about ANYONE can access the profile page and see photos. Obviously, only if one permits a random person to communicate with him/her then it’s quite possible to run into a bit of trouble. What I really dislike in Orkut is that it’s just been a week since I registered and I’ve already had 6 requests from absolute strangers to add them as friends.
On the other hand, Facebook is big on privacy. One can tweak the security and privacy settings to his/her comfort level and be assured that there will be a minimal of the annoying, ‘Can you be my frend?’ requests! Also Facebook has been an even more fun site because of all its cool and whacky features. However, I still feel like one should exercise as much as caution as possible coz at the end of the day, you just never know!
Other social networking sites
LinkedIn, bigadda, Fropper, Jhoom!, Minglebox, the list goes on & on. Time for the bubble to burst??!!
Had a weird experience on networking sites? Write in…
I was watching the new Pepsi ad featuring Shahrukh & John. It seemed cool and fun, but there was a voice in my head screaming, “HOW CAN PEPSI INTRODUCE A NEW TYPE OF CAN WHEN THERE IS A CLIMATE CRISIS!”
Let us keep aside the fact that cola itself is total junk. We shovel %^&* down our throats because we don’t really have a healthier alternative. But cans are not bio-degradable and should be phased out instead of being thrust on gullible teenagers. Now, i’m not naive. I know cola companies don’t care %$^ about all this, but i think they will change their packaging if the consumers wake up and smell the crisis. Ok, so some of the cans are fished out of the junk and recycled, but what about the energy that goes into recycling? Is it worth it?
Pop-culture brands have started to treat Climate Crisis as another media event. Another excuse for everyone to get together and sell lots of air time. Take for instance VH1’s Live Earth concert - a 24 hr music extravaganza with concerts in various continents featuring around a 100 artists.
It may be a music buff’s dream, but can you imagine the amount of electricity that must have gone into lighting up all those venues and fueling those mind-numbing sound and light effects?
The irony was that it was all done in the name of saving a climate in crisis. It was just a big party with little pop-ups on TV that sold Philips bulbs and asked you to switch off at signals.
If pop culture brands bombard us with ways to fight global warming the way they do with their other promotions, only then would the youth be motivated to Act.
Do i sound like a bore? If yes, then you need help. If no, then write in to say how you think media and pop-culture brands could motivate their viewers / consumers.
Selective meat-eater? Or “pure” vegetarian? Prefer organic products?
I come from thair sadam (that’s curd rice for non-Tamilians) brigade and am married to a sorpotel -sannas (aka Mangalorean) clan. So what do we eat at home – rasam and surmai fry, vatha kuzhambu and jackfruit curry, pan pole and milagai podi and may other such combinations which might make purists shudder. The rasam and sambhar I make is not the Tamil original either – it is the Karnataka version with a dash of jaggery, a result of growing up in Bangalore and my hostel life in Mysore. All this in addition to the pastas, salads, grills and bakes that I experiment with – a legacy from my US past and acquiring a neat cookbook collection from there.
End result is my daughter is a very non-picky eater. The only thing I can think of that she dislikes is tomatoes! Her list of favourite foods includes curd rice (of course) and vadu manga (pickled tender mangoes), salads, tuna sandwiches, fish fry, chicken soup and noodles.
Sometimes we eat what we do out of choice, sometimes as a result of upbringing and environment. There is Kareena Kapoor who converted from a hard-core meat eater to a vegetarian for her beau. And there are others who end relationships over differential food preferences.
I completely believe in embracing food influences whole heartedly. What I eat has evolved over time and continues to do so – I like to think that it is a reflection of my life.
So do you think you are what you eat?
60 years of freedom! In such a short span of time India has moved ahead in leaps and bounds towards a better future. We yet have a lot to achieve, a long road ahead, miles to go… in spite of which we still see and feel pride and enthusiasm brimming in the youth. The optimism and feel good factor going around is contagious.
We have reflected upon many accomplishments through many struggles of India and now need to evaluate the upcoming challenges, which collectively we, as able citizens can work upon towards making India not only a strong economic force but also help it in moving it up the social ladder.
Globally, Indians are known to be extremely patriotic and united. Yet when it comes to extending courtesy and considerate behaviour to our own fellow citizens, we are way behind compared to citizens of other nations. We are completely indifferent to the person standing in queue for hours and break in between, don’t care to help someone injured on the road, readily bribe a cop for a traffic offence, abuse someone who recklessly overtakes while driving, and of course, recklessly overtake while driving and endangering others. Overall, our attitude sucks! Attitudes have got to change.
We need to recognize that even the smallest of effort within our individual power goes a long way in making a complete difference in outcome of our actions. Whether it is in extending basic courtesies like queuing up, helping an injured person, maintaining traffic discipline, or by doing something on a larger scale like empowering underprivileged women, educating disadvantaged children and orphans, providing basic necessities to the deprived, demanding justice from a corrupt system, getting out on the road to regulate traffic, fighting for a mutual cause for safety for all or preventing crime by just being alert. Such efforts from citizens will enable a better and safer society. If at an individual level a person can make a difference then it is obvious what a collaborative effort can garner.
We can complain endlessly about how the government isn’t doing enough, that there’s too much congestion on the roads, too much crime, pollution, poverty, population, etc. What are we doing to help?
Today I got mail with subject line ‘Proud to be an Indian’. The mail lists out names of Indian executives of popular Software companies. Out of curiosity, I started reading this mail and saw that my company name appears to be first one. My company has many high flying Indian executives and some of them are leading the most profitable businesses but the name that was listed was one I never heard of. Even the position he is supposed to be having does not appear anywhere in the company’s hierarchy! Someone over enthusiastic patriot seems to have composed the mails without even confirming the details. I wonder reliability of other names too! Anyways the point here is why should I be proud if those people are not working for my country?
Most of these mails are forwarded with lot of enthusiasm and they seem to be very common during the Independence Day/Republic day period when so called ‘patriotism’ is on high. With the over increasing media influence, people find various reasons to be ‘proud’ of our country. Like ‘Sunita Williams’ case. So she has some ‘desi’ genes but after all she is born and brought up in other country. She works for other country pays taxes there. Why should I be proud of her achievements? Why should I keep track of her activities every second? What am I going to gain if she likes samosa ? Is it going to increase sale of samosa’s in the country?
I am one of those people always found preaching others about the not leaving the country, how we should do things to preserve our culture etc. I hate it when people can’t stop talking about how good other country is and how bad this country is. You will find me picking verbal fights with those people. But will I pride for my country because someone with Indian roots does something good in some distant part of the globe? NEVER!!!
Why do we have to take pride for achievements of a person who is Indian just for namesake? What do we get out of it? It just shows our insecurity, intellectual inability. In fact it shows that your country cannot provide infrastructure to nurture those talents and those people have left it for the greener pastures. Why wouldn’t people raise voice against attack on lady writer who dares to speak her mind? I don’t see any forward that condemns daring of that man elected by we people who dares to give public statements agianst her and even manages to gather considerable support.
Tell me what is your take? Will forwarding mails or following coverage of an astronaut’s daily chores make me patriotic?
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