A New Wall....

Did you have a good mother?

2014-04-17T21:20:00.002+05:30

Women have always been and continue to be the true harbingers of change in society.
If you convince a queen of the right values that she should inculcate in her child, you might have a levelheaded king or queen ruling the country (Not Cersie and Joffery clearly)
If you convince a woman that she should educate herself, she will go to the extent of getting beaten up by her husband, but she will send her children to school. She will work day and night so that she can buy their uniforms and food while he sits and gambles and drinks.
If you convince little women to do the right things, they will always observe and listen intently without bringing their "I want to do it first" attitude into the picture. They will act with caution and care and some are even timid in the beginning. But once they know their true power and the amount of change they can actually bring about in society, they really do change things around them.
Men on the contrary are so full of themselves, they hardly ever see beyond that. Even when they are young, young and little men are never ready to listen and observe, they always want to "do" things without thinking it through and because they are the to be men of tomorrow. However, if they have good mothers, some of them do become insightful individuals.
Did you have a good mother?

Six Feet Under TV Show

2013-10-17T02:33:00.002+05:30

I started watching this show, Six Feet Under because I was really sad that Dexter ended. It was a desperate attempt to hold onto the idea of Dexter and while looking up other series Michael C. Hall has acted in, I stumbled upon this wonderful drama series.
In the beginning, for me, it was all about how Michael was acting and how successfully he had pulled off being gay. I even went back to the internet to read if he was actually gay!
As you progress from the first season on, you begin to get sucked into the Fishers' lives as if it were your own. Honestly, that happens to me a lot, every time I watch a show, I end up living with the characters during and even after the show has ended. It is an alternate reality that gives me great comfort and an immense sense of belonging. It is a lovely time, with every show, and I enjoy it a lot.

The first season finale left me wondering for a while why I was watching it, not in a bad way, but just that it did not have a climax or anything which made you go "Haww" and go on to the second season. At one point, my sister even said, "You are expecting too much from the show." But somewhere deep down I knew this was all leading to something awesome. As each episode progressed and as each season ended, I could not stop myself from switching on the next episode!
The very concept of being born and growing up around death and accepting it as a part of your own life is so unique and you know it is real and not made up. It is a fact that there are undertakers and funeral directors all over the world. I can only wonder if their life is anything like this!
I used to have a friend who was in this business. His father owns a family owned funeral home in Mumbai. I remembered a conversation which I found a little weird.

Me - So are there dead bodies always in your house?
Friend - Yes. Most of the time.
Me - Don't you get scared? Like what if one starts moving or something?
Friend - Over a period of time, you get used to it. You stop thinking of it as a body. It's just there. You don't have to bother about it. They are certified dead when they come to the office.

Watching the Fishers just gave me some perspective and insights into this particular friend's life. Things I am sure I did not understand in the past.

Six Feet Under Finale -

This is coming from a person who has seen around 50 - 100 shows and is very passionate about TV shows and analyses each one in detail.

This was the BEST FINALE and end to a TV show I have ever seen. None of the series finale will ever match this. It gave meaning to the whole show and to every character and to every small little thing in the show. It makes the show whole and perfect.
The fact that they chose to show the entire ending through Claire's eyes is so correct. She would be the last Fisher to die! The end makes us realise that death is what defines us. It gives us an age. It gives us an end, without which we would all be incomplete.
The show taught me a few things.
Death is not something to be scared of or sad about. It defines and gives you the time to live. It is most likely just a stop during a long journey. I have never believed in after life, but this show seems to have made me believe that there is either a journey ahead or that there is something which is there which might not be necessarily bad.
I was very happy to see Lisa pushing around Claire's aborted child in the church. This was such a nice scene. The show was saying that no matter how small the life is, or how old, it still had death. And this death was something which gave it meaning.

After all the science and technological advancement that we as humans boast of, we are not able to understand something which is inevitable and with everyone - Death.
It remains a mystery to everyone. It does not make any sense to anyone. We do not know what happens to the life which existed in the body. How can it be that it just gets switch off like that, without any explanation. It is amazing how we all grasp this reality and still live on. I think most of choose not to confront death unless we are slapped with it. Shouldn't we know more about how this concept unravels or what exactly it is?
I will definitely be spending some more time reading and researching about this.

The famed / defamed Twilight series

2013-09-09T09:01:00.000+05:30

After a lot of turning and twisting, I finally decided to run 3 movies of the Twilight series on the vlc player.
Honestly, I did get a head ache..but that was because I was watching it at a close proximity.

Let me tell you what I think of the Twilight series, the three movies which I saw atleast.

The movies looked good to me. Technically, it was pretty well made. It was not extra ordinary, but it was decent. It was slow in many parts where they were trying to focus on parts of the movie, but there is always Candy Crush to give you company at such times. So you do not really have to look at the screen. You know when the movie has progressed, just by listening to the dialogues.

The main character Bella and Edward seemed a little weird to me. I wonder how old Robert Pattinson is in real life, he looked really old in the movie. The girl Bella however was young and looked good throughout the movie. Some places the make up was used to make her look older and prettier than she really is. Good job Make up people!
The wolf guy, Jacob was also quite an attraction. Personally, I felt that Bella should have chosen him over the really really white and lanky guy. But well, wolves are not for everybody.
The wolf character that Jacob turned into was a very good looking wolf. It reminded me very much of my dog and hence I can confidently say that the particular werewolf was my favorite character.
Then came Dakota Fanning and her troops. All of them have done a very good job with their acting and costumes.
The graphics are also not that bad.

At one point, I felt they were really trying to copy LOTR, by seeking support from everyone and gathering an army to fight a war - All this was in the last movie.
It was pretty similar I'd say and the movie ended well with no real fight sequence, except one in the vision of Alice.

One thing I did like about the movie was the casting. The actors were chosen very well based on the characters. They fit their roles pretty well, except maybe the lead characters Bella & Edward. I guess they could have chosen better actors in their places.

Overall, the movie was just like any other Bollywood movie with a little bit of Tollywood in it (Rajnikant style).
I will say that you can watch the series, if you are bored and have nothing else to do. Helps to kill time.

Just don't expect too much from the movie. It might disappoint you then.

A King's responsibilities

2013-03-04T09:25:00.001+05:30

We get one call a day on an average about how people are not able to keep the animals they love so dearly in their lives due to some reason or the other. Here is what I have to say about this. Please read on.

a) Would you put your parents in an old age home while you are still alive and capable against their wishes just because it is too much work to take care of them?

b) Would you give up your child because it is cries too much and makes too much noise?

c) Would you give up your wife / husband and children if you got a better job and had to move to a new place?

If the answer to 'Would you give up your pet for XYZ reason?' is Yes, then at some point in life, you will be able to do all of the above.
I am not saying that you will do a, b or c because you give up your pet , but that you are capable of doing a, b and c.

A choice is rarely ever made because someone holds a gun to your head. A choice is made because you prioritize something over the other.
There is nothing in this world which you and I cannot do. It is a matter of thinking, planning and execution always.
Everybody always has a choice of 'Never saying Never'. It is about our ability to exercise that choice.

Think about it.

Just because you do not have the courage to take care of your pet in a situation which most likely you created yourself, why should that poor being which trusts you with its life suffer? Why should your pet bear the brunt of the situation?

If you know yourself to be such a non committal person, then do not get pets at all.
The animal or bird does not see you as a non committal jerk, but as its parent who will love them and care for them forever.
Remember that had we lived in an ideal world, it would have probably lived with its parents and then once it came of age, would fly away or make its own clan or move away. But since we (human beings) have interfered and messed with the cycle of life, we cannot really talk about the pets we have being with their own parents.

On a parting note, what you do to your animal speaks volumes about you as a person.
How you keep them, how you treat them, the decisions you make for them shows what you could do if you were king and the world was your kingdom.
You are the king of the animal and it respects you with all its life.

PAL 2013 Calendar Teaser Video

2012-12-30T14:46:00.001+05:30

The day I yelled out taboo words on stage!

2012-10-05T05:13:00.001+05:30

Today we had an awareness campaign in a management college in Belapur. It was a really good experience for PAL as well as for me personally.
For the first time in my life, I was honoured as the chief guest in a function for doing something I loved. We were asked to meet the director and they even let me use his washroom!

I entered the fancy seminar hall on the second floor and for a minute I had my heart in my mouth. The room was full of people!
I remember giving presentations and speeches to such a large audience in school and college. Times were different then, I had time to write and prepare a speech and by heart it and then speak on the d day. Normally, I always received a prize as well. My parents were happy.

However, I have grown up now. No more prizes. No more speech writers. No more nothing. I am pretty much on my own now.
I looked around and told myself - This is the one thing you can do and you do not need to be prepared for this. After all it is what you believe in.

I went on the stage. The first few slides, I was a little slow and kept wondering if people were actually listening or not and was doing the ummm..and hmmm...and yea and like language quite a bit.
As the slides moved on, my confidence increased and I was all over it..started expressing better.
I stopped fumbling for words and somehow the words came out by themselves.

I spoke about death, killing, adoption, pregnancy, how heinous society is in reality, our lack of understanding our own problems, abortion, getting fixed, mating, breeding, sex and last but not the least I shouted out prostitution as well. It was a truly liberating experience. There was applause, there were ahs and oohs from the crowd and silence and I could see they were all listening to each and every word. Coudn't have asked for more!

All in all, I can definitely say that it was an awesome experience.
Many people came up to me after the session, introduced themselves and wanted to know more.
Hope there are more such opportunities. I really enjoyed it :)

Alcohol and the Dog

2012-03-26T16:53:00.003+05:30

A beautiful black labrador full of life and energy. Wags its tail to greet you and makes you feel like there is noone else in this world who loves you more! So hugs, licks, wags and there you are on the ground and she has made you feel that life is worth living after all!! Someone loves me...
A black labrador, gasping for air. The last few minutes of its life and it opens its eyes feebly and there is a gush of liquid, water like substance along with some blood which flows out of the mouth and nose. It gives one look saying that, " I am sorry, I cannot take it any more. I waited for you to come back, exactly where you left me day before yesterday. I am giving up on life now."
The first one, many of us come across on a day to day basis. The second one is also not that rare these days. We chanced upon it at 11pm a few nights back. We arrived at the scene hoping to help the animal or give it some treatment, but it was already called. The fluid around it looked like a lot of water, but vomiting out water while dying is not a common thing now is it?
We looked around and saw that it was in front of a Wine shop.
The heat is unbearable as it is. Hungry and thirsty it probably went to someone who offered it something to drink. Little did it know that it's liver would not be able to take the alcohol that it so thankfully drank thinking it was water.
The site was very terrible and we did not wait around to test the liquid and see if it was alcohol. Some people around said so.
It is very disturbing to see such things and see the loss of life and the fact is that today they gave a dog alcohol, tomorrow they might try it on a child who might not be able to take it and pass out or even die.
This is not normal behaviour. It is deeply disturbed and destructive behaviour. We should see to it that such individuals should be told that what they are doing is wrong and we should change these people. We should nag them, beg them, coerce them, do whatever it takes to stop and make them see the consequences of their actions.

We did not try hard enough ~ RIP Lily

2012-03-20T16:23:00.000+05:30

We do things most of the time to suit our need and as per our convenience. Pushing ourselves beyond that is a humongous challenge, for any human being. I think all living things are built this way, to prioritise their needs over anything else. We feel that something does not deserve our attention right now, that it can be done later. I think the art of procrastination originated from here.

Today, I have learnt that all of this is a luxury that comes at a very heavy price. We lost someone today, a very dear little doggie, Lily.
She had gone through so much in her short life, it is hard not to feel bad when u hear her story, even if you think u are super strong. And if you see her, the little thing was so full of hope and love. The last time I saw her, even though she could barely move, when we called her, she wagged her tail.
I feel a very strong sense of guilt and I feel like hitting myself for not having given her fluid on Saturday and sunday. She ate chicken, so I assumed she did not require it. I should have pushed more and made the vets take a blood test and made them do the needful.

Life and death are not things that you normally have control over. They are things which noone really knows the truth about. I do not believe in god but I want to hold on to the logic of karma and hope that is applicable for after life as well. If it is, all the ones who have gone, especially this one, will have a good life ahead. Some suffer needlessly in this world and I do not think there is any way I can justify the suffering. I am afraid to look for the reason because of which they suffer, I rarely ever find one.
This one in particular had a growth on her left leg which got very bad and we were informed about it at a stage when the leg had gone beyond treatment. We tried our hand at treating her and then she was admitted to a hospital nearby because everybody believed her leg would have to be amputated.
The deed was done and she was sent back. She was compromised and found it very hard to fend for herself on three legs. The other dogs did not spare her and she started growing very thin and finally she reached a point where she could barely stand up. This is when we were informed and we started the treatment. It was late but there was still hope.
I feel that we should have checked on her when she was dropped back after the surgery. Maybe things would have been better. So many things could have been different had we put in a little more effort and been more aware of the consequences.
All, I can do now is feel bad, write a blog and hope she has all her legs back and is running around wherever she is.
RIP Lily!

A huge realisation pointing out very clearly that we need to step it up, need to go with much more force into whatever we are doing.
We need a place to call hospital, so we can do surgeries ourselves and do post op care ourselves.
Definitely a reason to go after some much needed infrastructure.

The great minds of the nation

2012-03-16T17:41:00.000+05:30

This might sound like a very opinionated entry and some might even say that I should wait before jumping to such conclusions. But I am not one who ever cared what society says or does, what I think is right and is the way to go.

So, I was walking around with a pack of biscuits hoping to feed some of the dogs in the campus, atleast the ones who looked hungry and emaciated. Btw, I am at my latest and new workplace, the Indian Institute of Technology where India takes shape or so they say. Getting back to the story, I was walking around and the heat is really bad today. So I am guessing all of them went in hiding.
As I was heading to the management school building where I had spotted one fellow panting heavily and lying down..he looked like he was a little ruffled, probably in a little bit of a fight or something, but not hurt, I spotted a little girl playing in the mud. There is a new building which is coming up right beside this one and there is a lot of cement, dust, gravel, etc lying all over the place. Once earlier, when I was on my way to some place for an exhibition, I noticed that the construction workers were very friendly with the dogs around. One of them was sitting on the side walk and the way he was playing with one of them and the love with which he was petting and patting the fellow really moved me.
So, I spotted the girl and she seemed to be having fun in the mud and sand on which she was. I stopped and I dont know why, I just asked her if she had eaten anything. She said that she hadn't eaten anything as nothing was made at home. Her parents who were working in the building would get money today for the work that they had done and they would all have dinner at night. Having seen these kind of kids and people many times before, I was not brought down to tears or anything, but I definitely felt that I should give her half of the packet of biscuits, which I did. I asked her about the dogs around and she said there weren't any around at that time.
I looked around a bit more and then came back to her and handed her the pack. Interestingly, while I was looking for the animals and talking to the girl there were many people who passed by and I am sure many of them even saw her when I wasn't around. I dont think anybody really cared. Noone stops, I overheard conversations about PhDs and how the world would fall apart if their research failed, but noone seemed to hear the hungry stomach of the little girl.

It saddens me that we are a race who don't care about anything else but ourselves. It hurts to be a part of this obnoxious species. I am pretty certain our definition scientifically should fall under that of a parasite and we should be cited as the best example that science has ever come across. I am sure if we tried hard enough, we could put leeches to shame.

Bottom line -
I am surrounded by the great minds who shape the young minds who come in. I am surrounded by those who shape the nation. I am surrounded by the great minds which actually might even shape other nations. All I can say is, I am glad I am not a great mind.

Also, this is a post to all those who say -
Oh so u work for animals, how about ur own kind. and for those who say, I wish I could do stuff, just can't cos I have so many other things to do!
Dumbfucks, take a step, do something..anything. Just don't sit around and pretend to want to do stuff, just dont wait for the right moment, JUST DO IT.
I hate those who say that they admire what I do and think I have courage. It is nothing extraordinary or not something unavailable - courage, it is a matter of prioritising and making a choice, that is all it is..really .
We just don't want to do it. So don't admire or praise someone just because you cannot get up and do what is required.
In the end remember that you probably have only one life and you really need to be happy at the end of it or whenever you die. And happiness does not come by just wishing that you could do something or saying that oh I wish I could do what u do....Do something, find out in what way you can do something and just do it...

PS - I hope someone reads this!

Cicilykutty

2012-03-13T13:43:00.003+05:30

This blog is not by me. It is by a very dear friend of mine, Daniel. The reason I am posting this is because I am deeply touched by this story and it gives me a lot of reason to keep going and keep doing what I am doing. This is the most I could ask out of anyone..

Cicilykutty

She already made her abode there by the time I got moved into that house. She was only a pup then, the only she in a litter of four. Mongrels, we look down on them. It was this attitude that kept their mother out of the gate, but her puppies were an exception. Though Lucy & Snoopy never hit it off, but if you think about what made Lucy to give Snoopy a hug at last, it’s because happiness is indeed a warm puppy. By the time I moved in, guess they were 3 weeks old already, with eyes wide open, cute and cuddly, who doesn’t fall for a puppy face? They were too small to sneak in under the gate, & they loved to run after us – Ashaan, Kochu, Knanaya Nobleman & Yours truly. When exhausted they would squeak for food, but we insolent boneheads never cared for them, nor their mother, but she, though all bones & no proper food, would somehow manage to suckle them at least once a day. Thus they grew, & before we knew it, they were all on their own. Their mother had enough abandoning them one fine day, am not blaming her, pitting your wit against nature is one thing, but that against humans, quite another. At first the litter stayed together, then one by one they all strayed away for their own territories, but she decided to stay with us. It was only then we felt giving her a name. Kochu, a self styled parishkaari, started calling her Doggie. I however found it pretty weird, it didn’t go well her image, so I started calling her Cicilykutty. For Ashaan & Knanaya Nobleman though, she was but a Patti. Three names for a dog, but she would always answer our calls, my guess is she never cared what she been called as long as she got a mouthful. We had boozing escapades every weekend then, she would make her presence out of nowhere, & would merrily munch down the leftovers. Weekdays however were a different story, we all had our food from outside, & we never cared to buy her anything. She would resort to scavenging to keep her alive.

Our place was pretty near to an unclaimed marsh. A walk for 10 minutes into that direction, a birders paradise. So many birds, both in variety and in number.

Pappy Field Pipits - you won't spot them until they fly away at a short distance from you,

Orioles – I never saw one sitting anywhere for more than 10 sec,

Bee Eaters – the marsh being a breeding ground for dragon flies, these colorful birds were always a plenty at morning & evening times,

Drongos – giving a competition to those Bee Eaters,

Rollers – they could be seen perched on the electric lines all the time,

Baya Weavers – there was an entire colony on a thorny tree right above a long abandoned well, I used to climb on top of a pumping station beside, from where you can watch these chirpy birds at an arm’s length,

Partridges – notoriously shy, if you are lucky you can spot a couple busy foraging out in the open, but only from a distance,

Quails – am not joking, quails, a bunch of them would scrounge immediate outside of thorny shrubs, any sign of danger, they would retreat back to that thorny safety,

Hoopoes – was a stray sighting, I spotted it only once,

Wagtails – they never gets bored of waging their tails, I always think why can’t they start waging their heads or something for a change,

Tailor Birds – we had a family once next to our house,

Magpie Robins – the black & white bird,

Laughing doves – they would always come to drink at a pond nearby our place,

Then there were bushchats, coppersmith barbets, bulbuls – there’s one bird with black upper body and wings, with a white under belly, got a small Mohican, a black tail longer than its own body, it sings and flies more like a bulbul, I googled a lot to make a positive id of this bird, but of little success till now, Asian Paradise flycatchers – such a lovely bird, you gotta see this guys long tail, a delight to watch,

A bit more walk, you end up at the banks of a big, but shallow lake.

Open Billed Storks, Sandpipers, Moorhens, Painted Storks, Egrets, Herons, Ibises, Grebes – We once had a newly hatched chick in a small pond nearby, just one chick, though I doubt if it’s a grebe. It was on it’s own, just a single one, all white, long beaks, small. It was fun watching it dive into the water and surface again at some other place. I might had spend hours watching it, but it disappeared after a week or so, probably would had fell prey for predators,

Kingfishers, Pied Kingfishers, Waterhens.

Birds of prey too: Shikras, Black Winged Kites. Come night, you can spot owls, sometimes two or three all together.

I once told this rich abundance of bird life to Sajith, & next weekend he came with Payyappilli, for shooting birds with their bazookas. Payyappilli fell flat on seeing our booze bottle collection, he got bowled over when he found Chivas, Walker, Glenfiddich, Teachers, Antiquity, Black Dog, Ceasar, Smirnoff bottles, to name a few, in our collection which we proudly displayed in our living room showcase. He forgot why he came there seeing all this, we did went out for some birding, but it was a bit late for us to start, & another weekend they promised never happened, neither the boozing I promised with them.

So I was telling weekends were fun, I would head out for some birding in morning, if not at evenings. And without me asking, she would tag along. She would walk at a close quarter, & whenever I took cover behind any bush spotting any bird, she too would stay still behind me without making any noise. At times I would spend some considerable time standing still, she had absolutely no problem, she would lie down & wait for me to continue. I didn’t do anything to teach her, she just picked it up. On these explorations, we would cross multiple dog territories, & she being an intruder, they would come to bully her. She would run back to me for cover with her tail behind her hind legs, I scared meself would retort to grabbing a stone or a stick, throwing at them. As those rogue dogs would retreat, she would pick up courage then, going after them barking as if daring them to come back. In between, her animal instincts would take the better of her, she would follow a frog or a grasshopper or a crab, or try to scare the wild pigs there, or would sniff around when she gets some curious scent, or would stand at the water side & would stare at infinity as if that all belonged to her. All I gotta do was just call her, come girl, & she would happily oblige. I never used a leash, though we brought one for her, & she hated that showing her dislike barking whenever we put it on her. When we reach the very end at the waterfront, she would stretch her legs running from one end to other. When I had enough, I would back to the comfort of our home, would drink some cold water, & grab something to eat if there’s any. But it never occurred to feed her anything. Such a brute I was.

She used to tag us along to office too. We had to walk some distance to get to the main road, and some more distance to get to the bus stop, and we had a level cross too in between. She would come with us till the main gate, she never cared for all the traffic & would continue to follow us. That always chickened us out. If she won’t oblige going back, we would throw stones at her, she would get the point, & would run back. A day or two like that, she got the idea that following us to the road wasn’t something we encouraged. She would wait then for us to return. She never learned waging her tail, she just couldn’t do it, instead she would wiggle her whole back whenever she feels like loving someone. It was fun watching her doing it, at times we would pat on her back, she was such a sucker for that, she would roll down on the floor the next moment on her back with all legs up. Thanks to Knanaya Nobleman, she knew one trick, how to shook hands. You extend your hands to her & say a halo, she would extend her, squeaking, wiggling her backside. She would stick around you with her ears pulled down, head tilted at a small angle, anticipating a bite or something. But our care stopped there, I don’t remember we feeding her even then.

Months went by; suddenly we started getting a lot of visitors, eligible bachelors looking to ask our Monroe out for a date. Some were in their Sunday best, some boasting their fine physique, some even wore a necktie, everyone’s well behaved, sophisticated. She was rather small speaking of her built, but when one day she came back with a litter of her own, we realised finally she came of age. Year after year, at around that time, bachelors would come back to woo her. Salim Kumar in Kalyanaraman is right, Kannimasam vanno ennariyan pattikku calendar
nokkenda aavashyam illa (Anglicised: A dog needn’t check a calendar to knew the time, you know). Still we never fed her or her puppies.

She began drifting shortly after, she would disappear for some days, & would turn up suddenly. Would stick around for a short while, again would drift away. She returned once with a bout of severe distemper. She lost all her health, her good skin, became all bones, and could hardly walk. She would collapse and gasp for breath all in a minutes time. But having us around would had been some relief to her, she would make serious efforts to come near us, but would collapse down after two three steps. We just ignored that mongrel, we were just brutes personified for her. Then Aditi happened. A good friend of mine, she dropped out her mba, & was touring all India visiting animal shelters & other animal welfare organizations. Cash strapped, she stayed with us when she was in Chennai. The week she been with us, she took good care of her, I found it silly when she would feed her eggs, bread, biscuits and what not. Cicilykutty came back out of that distemper pretty strong. I bet that mongrel would have find it an enigma, there are a bunch of brutes who cared zilch for her for all her loyalty, & now there’s another one who would feed her & cuddle her who she never even met before.

Kochu secured his transfer to Banglore then, Ashaan got relocated to Banglore for project requirements, & Knanaya Nobleman had already left for US of A. That left me alone in a big house. I thought it would be fun at first, you can watch tv without anyone disturbing you to switch channels, cook on your own, quality time, but into a week, I found it horribly boring. I was sorting the kitchen shelf one day, I found a pack of biscuits and a bunch of eggs that Aditi left, telling me to feed Cicilykutty once she’s gone. She did that much for that mongrel, I couldn’t even care to feed her those. I felt silly for a moment, who need a miracle to change something about you, for me this was good enough. Took all those, went outside, called out her name, feed her all of that. Whenever we had leftovers, I used to put those on the floor for her, but that day I fed her by my hand for the first time. I expected she to be bit hyper, that she would snatch the biscuit from my hand, but she proved me wrong. She took it from my hand rather gently, in no hurry whatsoever, biting the extended end of it. Chewed it down good, shaking her whole back, pulled back her ears, would squeak for another one. Where in the world could she had learned that, I was amazed. After all that she would sleep on the immediate step outside my door. I loved that routine so much, I started buying her biscuits every day. The Andipetty Idly shack where I went for my dinner, they sold biscuits, so I would buy her a packet or two without fail. It was fun feeding her, I felt good that I got a company at my otherwise lonely stay.

Days went by. I was asked to go on deputation to an alien land. Took around a month to get the paper work done. The last week at my stay there, she disappeared again never to come back until I left. She never replied my calls into the night, which was rather unusual. I had a friendly neighbor, whose was her second home, one day he broke that disheartening news to me, that a lorry ran over a mongrel a couple of days back in front of my place. I felt as if I had lost someone very close to me. I had a couple of packets of biscuit still, I fed those to the other mongrels around and left to that alien land.

After my short stint there, I returned back. Ashaan married his childhood sweetheart in between, they both moved into our old house, which meant I gotta find a new place. When he got back to our home, one day he dropped a mail saying Cicilykutty paid him a visit sometime back, which came as a surprise to us all. Ashaan got a new dog, a purebred lab, Ceasar; he and Cicilykutty never hit it off well. She drifted away again.

This last Saturday I decided to make it to Ashaans place to collect some of my old stuffs. The place is pretty near to SPKoil railway station, you can either take the main road, or the impoverished walkway through the thorny bushes, along which you can spot a lot of birds. It was already evening, why miss a perfect time to spot some birds, I thought taking the hard way. Crossed the tracks, dodged some thorny twigs, hardly some 100m through the walkway, a gentle squeak behind. I turned back to see her once again, Cicilykutty, alive and kicking, looking good as ever, the old Monroe. Ears pulled back, wiggling her back, she came close enough to me to pat, the moment I did pat between her ears, she rolled down on the floor with her belly up, such a sucker for pats! We had so much to catch up, I tickled her rubbing on her belly, she couldn’t contained her squeaking. Just like old times, we went ahead spotting birds, talk about our luck, the partridge couple look just the same, still shy they walked hurriedly for some cover. As we proceed ahead, another gentleman came across, and started calling her Munnu. We stopped for a chit chat, I asked if he meant calling her, he nodded his head in affirmative, this guy from Bihar now feeds her, thus her rightful master. When parted our ways, she paused for a moment in between, I turned back after a few steps to find her staring at me, then she lowered her head, & started walking back her new master. All I could do was just wonder at what just happened all there, until I knocked Ashaans door.

Been such a long time. Ashaan introduced me to his son, as he would say, Ceasar, an eight month old golden Labrador. We talked about what all we missed, we went out for a walk in between, I told him about Cicilykutty, I brought a couple of biscuit packs from a shop nearby. On our way back, we headed back where Cicilykutty found me, but she were no where to see, I called out her name many a times but to no avail. Just as I thought all that turning into a melodrama, I saw a movement in the bushes. Next moment, she was there squeaking, wiggling her back, it was a joy to watch her then. She had a new company, a handsome mongrel, who made it to the scene after her but kept his distance from us. We feed her those biscuits by hand. I had some initial doubts if she might had forgot those gentle ways of taking the biscuits, but she proved me after all am just human to have doubts. Her companion had doubts to come close when I offered him a biscuit. I had to throw him one first, then he too came pretty close. Both were merrily munching a quick bite side by side, then a biscuit I was extending to Cicilykutty slipped off my hand, but the other mongrel never tried stealing that from her. He just had a look at that biscuit, then Cicilykutty, and turned back to me. I find it rather remarkable, I don’t know if he had found biscuit suited to his taste, but he sure knew it’s food, the instinct should have urged him to get that, but he didn’t. Am glad that Cicilykutty finally met her perfect guy, someone who puts her first before him, someone who waits for her to finish her meal, it was just good enough for me. We spend some more time with them, & then we retreated back to our boring lives. She never followed us, she stood there, where she got company who takes care of her, unlike a brute who brought her biscuits when he felt lonely one night.

As we walked past her, I turned back ahead at a distance. She sat there on her hind legs, fixing her gaze at us. That was some moment to cherish. I would never forget the day I got humbled by a mongrel, am gonna keep those moments very close to my heart till my grave.

TAILPIECE: Can you believe it? What could be the odds? How in the world did she knew I was there? How did she knew am gonna accept her back? No, the question should be, why in world would she accept me back? I don’t have any answers, & I don’t need them.

Last week I sketched Snoopy on my white board, saying happiness is a warm puppy. But last weekend I got to knew what it really means. Coincidence? Providence? I don’t know. But I sure know one thing, happiness is not necessarily a warm puppy, happiness is a warm mutt.

Tags: koil, tail, tale

Current Mood: full

Current Music: Every Teardrop is a Waterfall - Coldplay

Link

My Metallica concert!

2011-10-31T04:42:00.000+05:30

This is for all of us who could not make it to the concert. I have collected pictures posted, videos and all sorts of links which I could find and wanted to sequence them so I could have a Metallica experience...trying to recreate the concert for myself.

Why I could not go?

Culprit #1

Culprit # 2

Long story short - I have 2 adorable dogs and noone to take care of them, one is a little sick too..so well, had to stay back!
We are starting off with pictures, moving on to videos and then to the news articles and the rest!

I really really hope Metallica comes back soon ~ waiting eagerly!!

The set list -

MAIN SET
1.	Creeping Death
2.	For Whom the Bell Tolls
3.	Fuel
4.	Ride the Lightning
5.	Fade to Black
6.	Cyanide
7.	The Memory Remains
8.	Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
9.	Sad But True
10.	All Nightmare Long
11.	One
12.	Master of Puppets
13.	Blackened
14.	Nothing Else Matters
15.	Enter Sandman
ENCORE
16.	Am I Evil?
17.	Battery
18.	Seek & Destroy

For more details click on Set List

The entry point I think!

Long long lines and all the pushing and pulling!

Anticipation - hoping it doesn't go the Gurgaon way!

We are being civilised, breaking no barricades!

Some of us had VIP passes and well we had to take this picture! :)

Some more of us - we are all very happy that we made it!

Some of us are still waiting outside I think, waiting to enter!

The Stage!

Waiting for the opening bands to start performing! Patience is a virtue...

Hoping for the sky to stay as clear!

And the rain started!

We are still waiting in the rain!

Pandu Stunt!

But it rained...

Guillotine

Delhi based band - Guillotine drummer

Fair to expect some Boos and FUs

Biffy Clyro opening

Waiting patiently

Well everybody doesnt have to stand for Biffy Clyro, they aren't Metallica you know!

And then it all began!!!!!

METALLICAAAAAA...Muahahahaha

Metallica!!!

And we cheered!!!

O yeah!!!

Lights and Sounds..

They are here and they are for real!

We are ecstatic!

Stage on Fire!!

Patriotism and worship, all together

Up Close and Personal! On screen!!

The Roaring lights and crowd!

Happiness :)

On top of the world!

I was here pic!

Exhausted and tired after the concert..

The price I paid for the concert! Not much... :)

Shame on us..after everything, this is what we leave behind!

Now for some Videos. In order of clarity and hopefully the order -

Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman!

Some links with videos and news over the internet -

Movook Video

Blabber Mouth

Rock Confidential

nerve.in News

Daily Bhaskar

Ticket Genie Facebook Pictures

Nothing else Matters Link

One Video

For whom the bell tolls

Link to a Picassa album

That is my tribute to Metallica and a way of making myself feel better about not having been at Bangalore.

Sources -
The twitter feed with the 'Metallica' keyword has been the main source of all the pictures, videos, news articles, etc.
Some of the users are -
@nichtEinheit (twitter)
darkchild82 (youtube)

Thank you Steve!

2011-10-06T12:57:00.000+05:30

A kind of pain knowing that a creative and intelligent, a visionary is no more.
Why am I sad?
He gave me some of the best moments of my life. He helped me redefine and discover new music, so very simply and so very beautifully. I had never experienced anything like the iPod ever before. The sound, the touch, the look, an experience in itself.
I remember the day I bought the iPod, it was a birthday gift to myself. I had been searching the whole of Mumbai and Pune to get the best price and this one shop in Pune finally had it! Then one night, I went to buy it with a friend of mine. I was short of money, so he pitched in and we got my first ever iPod, Jackie.
Jackie has been the reason many a times for that smile on my face, for lifting my spirits and many a times keeping me happy and busy the whole day.
The best time I spent at Infosys was when I was updating Jackie with lyrics and making the little spelling corrections to all the song names on iTunes.
All the long long bus rides across the country would have been really bad had it not been for Jackie. She was the only one who stayed with me throughout and made sure I got some sleep. She watched over me, kept me safe during all those times I traveled alone.
I would like to think that it was a part of Steve Jobs in Jackie that did all of that and made my music special and gave me an experience of a lifetime.
Thank you Steve!

Life, friends, relationships and in general!

2011-09-28T00:48:00.000+05:30

It is not everyday that you find a good friend or a person you can count on. People around you change everyday and react differently to different situations. But it is those few who actually stick around you, no matter what who qualify as your friends.
The thing about the relationships with these friends is that as the people change, their purpose in life change, the relationship by itself is prone to change. What can you do to prevent this?
I think the only solution to a situation like this would be to maintain transparency where you are open about why you feel a particular way. Sometimes there is an ego play which does not allow you to do this.
Indeed, there is a chance that you might mess with the relationship you have going.
Do you really want that?
I think the answer to a question like that is very person specific. But most people are actually happy when they do not really have to worry about anything.
Hence, happiness reduces in the world!

By the people, for the people and of the people through animals

2010-11-11T09:45:00.001+05:30

It has been some time now since I have been trying to help animals in the best possible way I can think of. Each path I decide to take up gives me a ton of hurdles and thanks to my habit of over analysing things and trying to identify all possible failure modes, I have for quite some time now been stalling. It might appear to those observing me that there is very little movement in and around me, even the air might feel static around me. But that is not the case. There is this huge inner conflict which tells you to do something on the one hand and shows you how it is going to not last long or even fail on the other hand. Such is the power of the mind.
So, after analysing the situation for a while, I have come to the conclusion that the solution is not an easy thing to implement.
All those animals being stoned and thrown out of houses, all those being abandoned, all those eating plastic out of cans..if anything has to be done for these poor things who love so unassumingly, it has to be the way the love is received which has to be changed.
My trip all over the South taught me that the dog and the cat are social animals, just like man. They live where man lives.They will never be found in a place where you do not see human beings.
The wild has been taken over by man as well. His reach into the jungles that I ve been to clearly showed me his arrogance. He had started believing that every creation is made for his own use. The forests were not viewed as a habitat, but as a place where a new company could stand or a new business could flourish. The village in Masinagudi with its little guesthouses all over was an example of this. There were people from outside who came to the village and wanted to buy land and build guesthouses and restaurants all over so that they could convert the land into a tourist destination.
But the good thing that I saw here was that, people realised that they were eating into the natural habitat of the animals and the villagers did not want that. They kept that in mind and protested against the ones who came in to destroy the forest ensuring that Masinagudi is still known as a wildlife sanctuary and not a tourist destination.
In Mumbai, the past few months, I ve met a lot of animal lovers. They pick up the young ones from the street, help the injured ones, try to give them homes, fight with the world because the rest of the world does not see the meaning or importance of what they are doing. I admire these people for the courage they show by doing exactly what the society tells them not to do. The courage to love when they are told to turn a blind eye. Pure is the only way I can describe many of the people I ve met.
Back to my battle. Most of these people I met hated human beings in general and the majority of them reacted in the exact way that they felt. Society did and does not understand what these people are doing. They think it is unnecessary and a burden in life. And then of course the standard argument, there are so many people who need help..why are you helping the animals. I have never heard a person who is actually helping human beings pose that question thankfully.
What I have been wanting to say from the beginning of this is that people need to change and human beings have to realise their responsibility towards other creations as well. I have always believed in the laws of thermodynamics which at some level state that energy can neither be created nor be destroyed. It can only be converted from one form to the other. The total amount of energy in the universe always remains constant.
This applies to this situation if you think of it as Good energy and bad energy...the goodness in the world and the bad things in the world.
There has to be a balance and there is. You cannot create good or bad. You can only convert the good into the bad or the bad into the good.
So I ve taken it upon myself to convert the bad..or what I perceive as bad to be converted into good.
For this..the only way I see is to set the minds of people straight. This is only possible if I work with them and not against them. Make people aware that they have a lot of good in them and give them a chance to show this to the world.
We can help the animals only when everybody decides to. Help people help themselves...find the good in them..bring people together..
Teach them to love, make a place for animals in their heart..make animals socially acceptable..
and once people accept animals into their lives, they have no choice but to love them. You have to love what you live with.
My first step in this direction is PAL ~ Pet Owners and Animal Lovers.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?m2w#!/home.php?sk=group_135998789782508¬if_t=group_activity

It is not a movement for animals, it is a movement for people..
To help people save themselves from what they ve become!

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First Blog from Blogger App

2010-11-09T03:23:00.001+05:30

The Android market place is one of my favourite places to shop..well..the good thing is..I actually require no money to shop here, cos most of the stuff is free!! :)
I am kinda happy I found this blogger app as well..though it has ads in my face..I think I ll stick with this version for now.
One thing I had a complaint about was that there are no proper chat apps for facebook..the facebook app was and is really really bad..even after the occasional updates they make!
But well, fear not..the problem has been solved by the ebuddy app! Works well and does the work for yahoo and msn as well..
So the yahoo messenger said goodbye to Wayne too..
The game Simple Simon is quite nice...a memory game which I found in the marketplace..a pretty good one!
Lots and lots of other things available there..and trust me gals, its a must visit store...as boring as I might sound..the store isn't..only once u experience it will you realize what I am talking about...
And well..let me not forget MocoSpace..it has chat rooms and various interests and well..its all good..u can do what u want..
I kind of feel sorry for the berry users..they think they have it all..but you should see the look they have when they look at the apps on this phone. :)

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Diary of a traveler - Day 2 at Ibtada, Alwar

2010-11-03T03:21:00.000+05:30

The second day started off with a long ride to a few Taleemshalas.

What is a Taleemshala?

- It is a place where young girls are schooled. Taleem means Education and Shala means School. Hence the word.

These girls are from the lower sections of the society who have had to leave studies due to some problem of the other. Most of them are busy with house hold duties as well as farming, helping their families in whatever way they can. The girl child is considered a burden by most Indians, not the modern ones(maybe). But yes, the girl is normally not a first option in most cases. Having a girl child brings a lot of responsibilities on the family. There is a burden of getting her married. That is the main burden that the family envisages. Now, why is getting a girl child married such a burden? It is because of the way the Indian society is structured and functions. Having a girl child means that you have take care of her, let nobody hurt her and at some point get her a good husband who will keep her well. The Indian mentality is such that they do not treat their daughters well, so let alone the daughters in law who come in at some point. The poor father of the bride hopes that his daughter will be happier in the new house if he gives the family she is going to something in cash or kind. Thus came about the dowry. It is practiced widely in India even today by even the highly educated people. I have seen this even in my own family. Today it is more of a prestige issue and people want to show how rich they are by giving away as much as they can during a wedding.

Rural India is no different from this. It is pretty similar to the urban India in the way they treat the girl child, except for the fact that having less money and wealth to squander, they give the girl child less privileges. She is made to do more work in the house, in the farm, given less to eat and denied education. 'Padh legi toh Memsaheb ban jayegi', is the attitude. Well, in their defense, I will have to say that most of them are illiterate and do not really know what they are talking about.
Imagine that in such a situation you have to go out and convince families to send the girl to a school. They see no point in the whole process. They don't see any gain. Inspite of all this Ibtada has managed to convince so many villages to have Thaleemshalas and teach the girl child.

My experience with the kids was amazing. The little girls read out to me, danced, sang and even played games with me. They followed me around with their shy smiles and wanted to be noticed. There was a little girl called 'Rihana' who was so good at dancing. She kept on at it and she was good at studies too. Her mother was a little educated and so made it a point to send Rihana to school everyday. The little Ishas and the little Gauris only amazed me more when they read out their poems so well and looked so pleased when the class clapped for them!

The Thaleemshala was a small room in an abandoned building. Girls from the ages of 5 to 12 were in there in one room trying to study and understand what their teacher was saying. Hats off to the teacher who so patiently taught the lil ones! Finding such committed individuals is definitely a hard thing to do. But you do find some here and there, the ones blessed with a good heart! I saw dedication.

The day moved on and I visited the first Cluster meeting. The women from a lot of Self Help Groups, the three heads representing their village were present. The meeting started off with a song and the Munshiji convened the meeting. The women here were much more vocal as compared to what I had seen the previous day. It was very clear that they were the heads of their respective Self Help Groups and wanted to bring in front of everybody the issues that their group faced and find solutions to the problems. I experienced Empowerment in the true sense.

The day ended with me looking at some beautiful peacocks perched on the tree just outside the balcony. The peacocks never cease to amaze me!

Happily ever after

2010-09-30T08:44:00.000+05:30

“Civilizations have arisen in other parts of the world. In ancient and modern times, wonderful ideas have been carried forward from one race to another. But mark you, my friends, it has been always with the blast of war trumpets and the march of embattled cohorts. Each idea had to be soaked in a deluge of blood. Each word of power had to be followed by the groans of millions, by the wails of orphans, by the tears of widows. This, many other nations have taught; but India for thousands of years peacefully existed. Here activity prevailed when even Greece did not exist. Even earlier, when history has no record, and tradition dares not peer into the gloom of that intense past, even from until now, ideas after ideas have marched out from her, but every word has been spoken with a blessing behind it and peace before it. We, of all nations of the world, have never been a conquering race, and that blessing is on our head, and therefore we live!”

- Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda rightly says that India is one of the most powerful nations of the time. Her tradition is so rich and full of beauty that all over the world she fascinates one and all with the amazing unity in diversity that she exhibits. Swami Vivekananda further goes on to say that we have the blessing of peace on our head and hence India in spite of her huge diversity is still one of the biggest countries in the world.

Today, India with the estimated population of 1.12 billion has 28 states and 7 union territories. There are 22 regional languages spoken in India , with more than 10 different religions preached. Here literacy is just 64%, 60% population living in rural areas and hundred’s of registered political parties. This shows how diverse India is, as it stands united. In diversified countries like India , it is almost impossible for anyone to maintain communal harmony. In real life, communities are not just groups of people sharing something in common, it is a far more complex concept. Each member – every Individual, group, organization – try to draw benefits for itself from the community in different ways.

The major causes for communal imbalance are insecurities in the mind of people, illiteracy and lack of knowledge about people in other communities. For example when the communal riots in Godhra, Gujarat took place in 2002, many Hindus and Muslims died. On the other hand there are places in India where communal riots have ceased to take place. An example of such a place would be Bhiwandi. The last communal riot took place in 1984. Bhiwandi is a small town located at the outskirts of Mumbai, known for its textile industry. The reason for Bhiwandi being a peaceful place today is because of the interaction between the communities and the various steps taken by the administration to ensure that there is a good communication and understanding between the various communities in the area. No common man wants to fight or wants to get involved in riots; everyone wants peace and wants to earn their livelihood easily.

So to maintain communal balance it is very important to make people from different communities interact with each other. In India , where more than 30% of the population is in the age group 15 to 30, if the youth is made to interact with each other and serve the community, the scenario of communal imbalance will change in years to come. But things like this shouldn’t be imposed on the youth. Youth in India is already worried about the situation in the country, they just need proper direction. With youth clubs coming to the picture, interactions between youngsters from various background increases. There are many international youth clubs, one of them being the Rotaract club. Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30. Through the Rotaract program, young adults not only augment their knowledge and skills, but they also address the physical and social needs of their communities while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service. It is a fast growing program of the Rotary service, with more than 8,000 Rotaract clubs in about 155 countries. Rotaract has become a worldwide phenomenon. A Rotaractor with a lapel pin of his Rotaract club, can go and visit any rotaract club in the world and stay with them irrespective of which community he is from. He will be welcomed anytime. His stay with the visiting club will be as good as or even better than visiting someone from his own community. This way we can try to create a single community in the world which tries to work for the well being of everyone and not any particular community as such. Rotaract is not just about fun, its about doing what the best they can do in there idle time for the community while enjoying themselves. For example, in 2007 a campaign was undertaken by the complete Rotaract District 3140 (Mumbai) to get eye donation for corneal blind people and to inform people about corneal blindness and about eye donations. This was done in association with Indian Express. In 2004 – 2005, Despite tense relations between India and Pakistan — and a one-year wait for visas — seven Indian Rotaractors and one Rotarian traveled to Lahore, Pakistan , for a five-day stay as guests of the Rotaract Club of Lahore Garrison. The participants gained a better understanding of each other’s culture and a desire to promote interactions between the citizens of India and Pakistan . This was a project by Rotaract Club of Borivli East named Pahel: Friendship Beyond Borders project.

It is evident from all that is mentioned above, how clubs like Rotaract can make a difference in the attitudes of people and bring about a feeling of unity between various different communities. Few other popular clubs working in the direction of creating an awareness and making a difference are the Lions club, the Toastmasters International, etc. these clubs involve the youth and give them a sense of responsibility and make them better citizens for a bright tomorrow.

The children of today are the tomorrow of our nation. This concept is very well understood by these clubs and they strive to bring about as good a communication as possible between people from all backgrounds and communities.

About 60% of the population even today is living in rural India . A major portion of the communal violence takes place in these areas of the country. This can be brought under control by educating these rural parts and making an effort to bring the different communities together. The targeting of the rural India is evident from the aftereffects of the Godhra massacre so many people had to abandon their villages in fear of being killed in the riots. One such village was Boru in Gujarat where the muslims had to leave their homes in fear. As the riots ceased some of the remaining alive people wanted to come back home and try to rebuild their shattered lives. This was an impossible task without some external help. An NGO, Area Networking and Development Initiatives (ANANDI) is noted for its work in the village of Boru and their great help in building the lives of the people who returned. Such NGOs and government organizations such as the National Foundation for Communal Harmony encourage people everywhere to help them out in their work by giving away prizes for all sorts of contribution to maintaining communal harmony anywhere in India . Such initiatives greatly help in making people aware of the effects of communal imbalance and hence make people feel the need for a sense of peace and goodwill in the country. One another way of propagating communal harmony are the various films and documentaries made in order to reach out to the people and make a mark of peace in their lives. Some of them are short films like ‘Naata’ which give a clear understanding of the need for communal harmony in societies everywhere and the difficulties in implementing it by altering the mindset of people.

India

has a literacy rate of about 64%. This implies that even today a huge population of the country does not know how to read or write. Educating people will help them understand the situation of the country better. Through education people can be taught to respect the beliefs of others while abiding by their own. A sense of compassion and tolerance can be inculcated in them. The future of the country can be made secure by ensuring that all the children everywhere are educated.

“India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition.”

This is what Mark Twain once said about our country. We cannot let a country as beautiful and rich in culture as ours break down into fragments within itself. Maintaining communal harmony is of utmost importance today. Today, India is on her way to becoming one of the major superpowers of the world and by maintaining a good sense of communal harmony we can ensure that she successfully completes this journey.

Diary of a traveler - Day 1 at Ibtada, Alwar

2010-09-23T19:26:00.000+05:30

Diary of a Traveller – My visit to Ibtada – Alwar

We live in a free country today. Our ancestors fought for a long time before we could breathe the free air that we breathe today. We fought for freedom against slavery and oppression. We wanted our rights to be able to think and choose. We wanted independence. Yes, India did get its freedom on the 15^th of August, 1947. But even today, there are millions in this country who have not got theirs. They are still slaves to poverty, illiteracy, oppression and slavery, in ways that you and I would never imagine. Coming from the commercial capital of India, I hardly ever felt bad about being a woman. My parents have 2 daughters and they never let us feel that we could not do something because we were girls. I have seen equality and at times I have even felt sorry for the one off man who stands up for the woman in the bus when he happens to be sitting on the ‘Ladies Seat’. The working women of Mumbai, who travel by the Air conditioned buses, yes, I am aware of the amount of work that you must have done in the whole day. You must be so tired! Having spent the whole day chatting over the phone, answering calls or even for that matter taking life changing business decisions, but well, I do know for a fact that all of this can be done by just sitting on the same chair that you sat on from 10 am.

I am not trying to belittle women and their roles in society today. Don’t get me wrong. I am proud of all the women out there making decisions side by side with their male counterparts. It is just the blazing difference in the word tired used by these women I’ve met recently and the ones I am normally used to meeting that is making me say all this. Men, well, men all over the world, this visit has only made me feel that you are officially the worst thing alive! I am not generalising here and I have met some really good men too, there and here, but there are just too many bad ones running amuck who ruin your name all over the world! When are you going to grow up and stop behaving like life is a 2^nd standard class room. Women are not your slaves, never were. Stop treating those who can’t raise their voice or stop you from hitting them as slaves. It has to be understood by you at least now that being a little physically stronger than the other sex is not going to prove that you are superior in any way.

This is where organizations like IBTADA come in. They ensure that women living even in those rural parts of India, which you and I have never been to, sleep a little less scared at night.

The rising of the sun sees these women running to their cattle to milk them. They then proceed to fill water for their families and cook for them. The day just keeps getting harder on them with the rearing of their cattle, cleaning and the farm duties. The farm work involves these ladies getting themselves in muck and doing every little activity from sowing, nurturing, reaping, husking and even selling their produce. And god help them, if they have a small child to look after, in spite of all these other chores they have to do. The men come back in the night from wherever they have been the whole day to demand, abuse and torment them.

This is the life of the women in rural

India

For the women of Alwar, an organisation like Ibtada brings a lot of hope and gives these hard working souls a sense of belonging. Ibtada gives these women a reason to smile and a reason to sleep well at night. Knowing that their daughter is being given a basic education and might not lead the life that she is leading now provides these women a sense of hope. Knowing that their hard work and all the money that she earns need not go to the man who beats her every night, gives her a sense of security. Above all, a hope, that she can learn, whatever age she is and maybe tomorrow change the way the world looks at her. This sums up the essence of Ibtada.

I am in Alwar as I write this, visiting various places all over, with some amazing people who are working to help these women and give them a better life. The places I visited were all in the Mewat region of Rajasthan (Rajasthan is divided into 5 blocks and one of them is Mewat).

On the first day, I was a part of two Self Help Group meetings in Pratapgarh(75 kms from Alwar City), one in Ramdas ka Guada and the other one in Govndpura.

Shiv Shakti - The first group was called Shivshakti group. This SHG has been functioning since three years.

Well, let me try and explain to you what I have understood from the term SHG. It is a group of women who come together on the basis of some common ground(geographical location being the reason here). They go on to save a little money together and try and help each other out as a community, a very localised bank of sorts which caters to their immediate needs. These women together over the years save a lot of money and this becomes a security deposit for them. These SHGs can be used by these women in any other way they wish. As a group, which is quite a power in itself in a small village owing to the number of people involved, they can bring about any change if they want to or stand for some decision which they want to support. As far as my understanding goes, the concept of an SHG plays a lot on the psychology that human beings are social animals and enjoy a sense of security when they are together. The 11 women of Shiv Shakti welcomed us with a song and with the traditional ‘Tikka’ on the forehead. This was followed by a round of introductions where the women stated the name of the group they belonged to as also the cluster and the federation. The women then proceeded to talk about the problems they were facing and gave explanations about what they had done with the amount of money they had taken from the group. There was an accountant present who tallied all the amounts which had come in and gone out and he maintained the savings of the group as well. He also acted as a convener of the meeting. This made me think a little bit. The women seemed to respect this man a lot, almost as if he was their employer. The fact of the matter was that, he was actually their employee. They paid for his service meeting wise. I decided to dismiss this as my reading into things a little too much. The meeting ended with all the women giving their respective savings to the accountant who safely put all the money aside.

Durga – The next meeting was in Govindpura with a group who called themselves Durga. This group was 2 years old. Once again we were welcomed with a folk song and the ‘Tikka’. This group was an SHG and also a ‘Goat Rearing’ group.

What is a ‘Goat Rearing’ group?

Ibtada, along with another organisation called Heifer works with these women by giving them 2 goats per family. They give the women good advice on how to take care of their goats and keep them in a hygienic manner as also help them with the medical facilities if possible. The only thing the women have to promise to do in return is to “Pass on the Gift”. When their goats grow up and produce a young one, the kid is to be passed on to another family. Thus, passing on the good by helping another family in turn.

The Durga group was a second generation Goat rearing community, i.e. they had received the gift from somebody, and the women present had a lot to talk about.

The problems they faced included some of their animals dying as also inadequate milk production. Good advice was given to them about how they should maintain good living conditions for the animal. Also, they were told how they could maximise the milk production by feeding the animal a special kind of mineral feed, one feeding a day. Advice on first aid was also given and appropriate treatment for surface and maggot wounds were discussed. Instructions to vaccinate the animals on time were also given. Women were encouraged to go for the Pashu Sakhi program. Pashu Sakhis are women who receive some extra training in care of animals. They are taught to take care, vaccinate and do minor procedures on the animals. The woman can then help other people in the community besides themselves thus doing good for the community at large. Also, the cost of the vet along with waiting time can be reduced.

The Heifer organisation has 12 cornerstones on the basis of which they practice the “Passing the Gift” program.

The 12 corner stones are listed below from the Heifer site –

	Passing on the Gift allows families who received Heifer gifts to become donors as they pass on these gifts to other families in need.		Genuine Need & Justice ensures that those most in need are given priority in receiving animals and training.

	Accountability means that we are mutually accountable to the communities we serve for how we achieve common goals.		Improving the Environmentthrough sustainable farming techniques, reforestation, and tree-saving biogas is at the core of our projects.

	Sharing & Caring embodies the belief that global problems can be solved if everyone commits to sharing resources and caring for others.		Full Participation is expected by all participants. Leaders at the grassroots level should involve all members in decision making.

	Sustainability & Self-reliance is the goal for families we work with so that they will continue to thrive after our support ends.		Training & Education are key to ensuring that animals are well cared for and that self-reliance is achieved by project participants.

	Improved Animal Management means that project participants learn how to keep their animals safe, healthy and productive.		Spirituality is expressed in common beliefs about the value and meaning of all life, a sense of connectedness to the earth and a shared vision of the future.

	Nutrition & Income are the rewards Heifer expects recipients to reap from their gift animal through the consumption and/or sale of products such as milk, eggs, cheese, honey and wool.		Gender & Family Focus encourages women and men to share in decision making as well as in the benefits the animals and training bring.

The women were asked if any of them had started practicing any of these in their lives. They were told about these in the initial training program when they were given the animals. Some of the women said that they had adopted Sharing and Caring as a part of their life. All of them agreed that they would pass on their gifts to other families.

Both the groups were extremely loving towards me and requested me to stay with them for a while. One of them even asked me if I would like to go and cut grass with them and they even agreed to keep me there forever with them. Now I know that I have a home somewhere J and all they wanted me to do in exchange for their care and affection was smile and reciprocate. One of the best offers I have ever received in my life.

The day ended with us once again travelling on the muddy roads of Rajasthan through the Sariska Tiger Reserve. The air was so pure, it would have been possible to get high on it I think, a rush of oxygen to the brain. I did not see any tigers in the reserve, but saw a lot of monkeys all around. A good day it was!

For Roxy, the little fighter

2010-09-15T02:01:00.000+05:30

The more days I spend with these animals, the more amazing things I see. I have almost begun to believe in a power which is beyond my reach now. Let me tell you a story.

It all began on a Wednesday morning when Penny and me went to feed the puppies who live by the road. As we were driving by, I noticed two kittens being eaten by crows. I felt very bad on seeing the sight. But I knew that the kittens were already dead as their organs were almost completely eaten up. We drove on to meet the puppies and the family. The puppies, the mother and the father figure came running as usual, full of happiness and expectations. They were hoping for a good breakfast. Bread, eggs and milk seemed to do the trick for them. Just then, I realized that there was a tiny kitten lying right in front of Daisey(the Land rover). I thought it was dead too. But when I picked it up, it was still breathing. It looked like it was going to die any moment. On finding this one, I figured that I should go and look near the dead ones as well. There might be a few more there. And that is when I found Roxy.

She was sitting there mewing. She was the next in line to get killed. I picked her up and we brought her home. Roxy was a fighter. I enjoyed every moment I spent with her. She knew when there were people around her. She knew when we were around to feed her. Coco was really nice to her and kept her warm to a great extent. Roxy lived with a sense of adventure in her. She was amazingly strong for a little kitten of her age.

She had me and Sarah worried sick for a whole day; the day she went missing. We looked everywhere, turned both the houses upside down and still couldn’t find her. It rained that night and by morning we were pretty sure that she was definitely dead. Just as we were discussing how sad the whole situation was, Sarah began to hear a faint mewing. I realized that I could hear it too. Initially, we both thought we were hallucinating. But then, if both of us could hear it, the sound had to be for real! We followed to sound to the garden wall. It was quite a huge wall. There was no way Roxy could have climbed that one! Nevertheless, I still thought that I should go to the other side of the house, the neighbour’s house and check which cat was mewing. It took me a while to convince the suspecting neighbor that my intentions were good and that all I wanted to do was look at the mewing cat and check if it was Roxy. The sound was coming from an area where there were a lot of roosters and hens in the neighbour’s backyard. The mewing originated from the roof of a bathroom. It was almost like she knew I was there, she stepped out timidly, mewing loudly. I got Roxy back!

I still do not know how she got there. My assumption is that a bird or a cat carried her over the wall. The only other explanation is that she somehow managed to get out of the gate and the neighbours found her and decided to keep her. But on realizing that she would just mew the whole time, they decided to let her out. I wish Roxy could speak. She would have a lot of stories to tell us. From how she was abandoned by her mother and thrown into the garbage on the road, watching her brothers die one by one in front of her by crows, being rescued by a hand which I am pretty sure she was not confident about at all, but she was just too weak to fight, then her new mother Coco and the abduction! She would also have a lot to speak about Teto, her big brother, I am sure because he kept a watchful eye on her most of the time as well.

She was a little fighter in the true sense. The lyrics of the song ‘Little Fighter’ by White Lion explain exactly the way she lived her little life. Having escaped death twice in her life of less than a month, one which included an abduction as well…she was indeed a fighter. I am proud of her for making it this far. She had a moma in Coco even though they were not of the same kind and an elder brother in Teto. We all love you and miss you Roxy. May your soul rest in peace!

"Little Fighter" - White Lion

Are you crying tonight?

Are you feeling all right?

I told the world that you were down on your luck.

You were one of a kind.

One who’d never give it up.

Even when they put a price on your head.

Has anyone heard the tales you tell?

Or seen the scars you wear?

Did anyone speak up when you fell?

Does anybody care?

Rise again little fighter,

And let the world know the reason why.

Shine again little fighter,

And dont let it impair the things you do.

And you were one with a cause,

And a reason to be

You were a fighter for peace on this earth.

And you were never afraid

You put your life on the line

And you were always so long out on the sea

Without a weapon in your hand

You came to fight a war

They took your life, but didn’t know

That you will never die

Rise again little fighter

And let the world know the reason why

Shout again little fighter

And don’t let it impair the things you do

Are you feelin all right?

‘Cos I care, care

Run along little fighter

Oh coz I was there beside you

Never stop believing, so rise

Rise Rise!

Rise again little fighter

And let the world know the reason why

Shout again little fighter

And don’t let it impair the things you do

Rise again little fighter (Don’t stop believin)

And let the world know the reason why

Shout again little fighter (And keep on movin)

And don’t let it impair the things you do

Yea, don’t let it ever end the things you do.

You can also find the post on the Mad Dogs Trust Wordpress Blog for whom it was originally written for - http://maddogstrust.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/for-roxy-the-little-fighter/

A link to the video by White Lion on you tube -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaT8is6b3QA&feature=related

Mrs. Winterbourne

2010-09-14T11:57:00.000+05:30

This is a movie you watch when you are not sleepy and just want to while away time. Don't write off the movie because of my statement though! It is well made and has a decent bollywood movie kind of story line and if you have been able to sit through even a single bollywood flick, I do not think it would be too much for you to watch this one.

The movie has drama and comedy in it. So let me try and tell you something more about it. There is a pregnant girl who gets kicked out by the guy who knocked her up. She somehow manages to meet some nice people on the train. There is an accident, the people die. She ends up pretending to be a dead woman in their house and the story goes on.

The girl in distress, the 18 year old girl is played by Ricki Lake, a Jewish actress. Her performance is not bad in the movie at all. She plays the scatter brained, in your face girl with very little control over what she says and does but has a conscience. The house she ends up going to belongs to Shirley MacLaine.

As always, this woman exudes a very powerful charm. She is strikingly beautiful and so very classy. She plays the weak hearted mother in law who helps Ricki (Connie in the movie) blend in with everything and everybody. Then there is Brendan Fraser. He plays a "Double Role" in the movie!! Yes, he plays Hugh Winterbourne who dies and then he plays, Bill Winterbourne as well, his identical twin brother. The movie is not that old, made in 1996. Though it gives the impression that it is made a long time back! Then there is Paco, the chauffeur cum butler cum everything.He reminded me very much of Cadbury from Richie Rich! A nice character who likes to tango and is gay.
All in all, it is a light veined, happy ending kind of movie which you could probably watch when you just want a no brianer and go with the flow. Sometimes, we really do not want to trouble our mind too much now...do we?

Image Source - All images are from Google.

My Girl

2010-09-14T00:02:00.000+05:30

'An afternoon full of nothingness', is what I thought this entire thing would turn out to be. Quite the contrary, it turned out to be a nice afternoon with a good movie which makes you 'feel' a lot more than you normally would. The movie I chose to keep me company this afternoon was "My Girl". I wouldn't say that I picked the movie after seeing the credentials of the movie or anything like that. It was pretty much a random pick from the umpteen number of movies that my dad has, if you are wondering..yes, they are all downloaded from the great lan.

Picture source - Google - Official Poster of the movie

The movie revolved around a girl, Vada Sultenfuss (Yes, I know, hard for a little girl with that kind of a name. But she keeps repeating in the movie that she likes her name!) The character is played by Anna Chlumsky, a very cute little girl with huge expressive grey - green eyes. Anyone would melt in front of those eyes, I'm sure.
Vada has an unusual childhood. She is brought up in a funeral home, her dad being an undertaker. Initially, she seems like a very lonely child with just one friend, Thomas J. The character is played by Macaulay Culkin. Both children are adorable and the movie being set in somewhere around 1972, brings out the typical thoughts and lifestyle of the people at that time. From the clothing to the crazy carnivals, everything defined the era which has gone by.
The happiness in bike riding, tree climbing and swinging from one branch to the other, I think must be something amazing which today we really don't experience any more
The movie shows the 11 year old girl's unusual life. A life in a funeral home with the one friend she has. It is kind of sad in many ways, but at the same time it took me back to my childhood.
What I have realised about those years in one's life (age 11 to 14) is that they define a lot of what you become as a person. What kind of environment you are brought up in during that stage in your life I think molds your character. At that age, I remember, I had trees and animals a lot for company as compared to people. Exploring new places and going to the occasional carnival was definitely the high point in my week.
The movie definitely took me back to those days when I enjoyed putting up an exhibition for my family with all the coconut shells that I had collected and reading the Archie comic books secretly(Not that I was not supposed to read Archie, but just that I was supposed to be in bed by 11,there was school to go to the next morning!). I remember reading my favourite book to date called "Tha Amphibian" by an author called Alexander Belayeav. I still haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of the book and a Google Search does not reveal much. But yes, what I do remember is that the book brought me to tears. If ever there was an age I would like to be again, I think it would have to be 11 to 14, not because the memories are great, but because it was the most productive age I had, read and watched a lot in those years!
Back to the movie, I was wondering if they would play the song and yes, they did! They ended the movie with the beautiful song by the Temptations.
I think it would only be fair to end this blog with the lyrics of the song too...So here goes!

I've got sunshine

On a cloudy day.

When it's cold outside,

I've got the month of May.

Well, I guess you'll say

What can make me feel this way?

My girl. (My girl, my girl)

Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)

I've got so much honey

The bees envy me.

I've got a sweeter songThan the birds in the trees.

Well, I guess you'll say

What can make me feel this way?

My girl. (My girl, my girl)

Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)

Ooooh, Hoooo.

Hey, hey, hey.

I don't need no money,

Fortune or fame.

I've got all the riches, baby,

One man can claim.

Well, I guess you'll say

What can make me feel this way?

My girl. (My girl, my girl)

Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)

Talkin' bout my girl.

I've got sushine on cloudy day

With my girl.

I've even got the month of MayWith my girl.

For those of you, who would like to listen to the song, here is a you tube link -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltRwmgYEUr8

GLEE

2010-09-03T02:46:00.000+05:30

Google ad sense was nice enough to approve my blog without thinking much. I think I should do justice to their confidence and write more often on the blog.
As always, I will write something about what I saw.
Today, I saw GLEE.
GLEE is this new show which has taken everybody by storm.
The sheer power of the show is the music in it. None of it is original, they are all covers. But they are improvised versions of the existing songs. I would not be surprised if people like the Glee version more than the original version of the song.
I have been pretty much following the show from the beginning. Well, there is nothing much in the story line. You will get all of it even if you watch the adverts. But the performances are what we need to watch out for.
I wonder why and how they came with the name GLEE. It is such a weird name for anything…let alone a sing and dance club. Yes, I do understand that it means extreme happiness and all that..and that is probably what these people are experiencing when they sing and dance…but still…it is a kind of weird thing to name a club Glee.
Well, then again, they have obviously thought about it well because the word, “Glee” is a four letter word and well I know for a fact that four letter words have the maximum recall when it comes to words. So yes, it is a smart move.
The characters in the show now –
Mr. Shue – I really wish I knew his full name. But they refer to him as Shuester and what not..I kind of lost his name somewhere. He is pretty much the reason the Glee Club exists.
His wife – Stupid Lady. She pretended to be prego when she was not, just to keep the guy with her. Anyway, they ve split. She is the same lady from Heroes who plays Claire’s biological mother.
Weird female teacher – She has a problem with a lot of things. She has problems with things like touching what other people have touched, the shine on shoes, etc. Well, a character similar to Monk’s character. She is a pretty lady though and yes u are thinking right…Shuester has a thing for her.
There was this one episode where they tried to sleep together and the Madonna song, “Like a Virgin” played and everybody sang and at the end of it…they dint sleep with each other…oh whatever!
The song was played with three couples running around..one was Raechel and Jamie ( I will explain in a bit), Finn and cheerleader girl(not the one he got pregnant) and Shuester and weird teacher lady…
It was a good song…cos when I heard the original the other day, I realised that they had put a lot of work into it..to make it look the way it did.
Anyway the Glee club members now!
Raechel – the girl who can sing but is really annoying…I mean you can actually get annoyed with her even though u can only see her on tv…
And she was named that, cos her dads love FRIENDS.
Finn – the high school jock who has a soft side and loves to sing…very high school musical kinda thing…
Kurt – Gay boy who is nice. I kind of think he is cute…but very Zach Effron kinda cute…but cute nevertheless…would love to see him playing a straight role.
Tina – Goth girl who is very shy and kind of stammers too.
Artie - Boy on wheelchair. Tina seems to be dating this guy. He is a nice guy I think. Do not know too much about him.
Getting tired of writing descriptions. So only names follow and whatever I feel is absolutely necessary u guys know about the show!
Cheer leader who fooled Finn by telling him that she was pregnant with his kid.
The guy who actually kpnocked her u
Some other cheerios..cheer leaders…that’s what is means
SUE – oh well..she definitely needs a few words from me. The lady who is an absolute bitch in the whole series. She hates the GLEE club and tries to destroy it in every way possible.
Mercedes – Not a car.. An african american girl..who has an amazing voice..
Possibly, there are people I am missing. But well, do watch the show. It is good.
Especially, if you like musicals and well maybe even just singing and dancing!!

Rita is back!

2010-09-03T02:43:00.000+05:30

So finally Rita, the laptop is running and I found some version of MSO to install… I am almost happy atm….
Feels good to see the same familiar settings and colours…
And feels good to know that I can type again.
The laptop has definitely been cleaned up…the keypad looks new…or its just that I have missed it…I do not know…either way…the whole feeling of being able to lie down on my bed…and keeping the laptop on my leg at the risk of obviously burning my thigh once again..
And yes..the cheap AI is back again…
Feels like I have an old friend back.. :)
After all, she is one of the few who traveled all the way with me all over...I love her :)

What comes and what goes...

2010-05-22T02:59:00.000+05:30

In life u come across so many things..I think I do have problems saying goodbye to people and things..thinking about them for days..I miss things more than I miss people many a times..but goodbyes are a part of life..
How else will you move on? How else will you grow? If you stay in one place long enough...u grow roots..that is what happens in nature normally...it is only normal for me to assume that it happens with people too..
I think movement is good and the ability to stand still within yourself during movement is what makes u evolve...
U always have to have the time to stand and stare...as the old poem goes...even in motion...cos unless u stare...u will never get lost in thought..and correlate and have new ideas..
That is how you grow..as a person...and that is how evolution happens...

Time teller

2010-04-07T09:14:00.000+05:30

arunaughty: I kept asking Nitya what the time was...

devilskidd: Why?

arunaughty: So that my watch would show the right time.

devilskidd: But I thought your watch stopped working.

arunaughty: Yes, it did. It only shows 10 mins to 1. So I asked Nitya to remind me when it was 12:50. So I could have the right time on my watch atleast then and then I could make a few people ask me the time and tell them the time too :D
She told me when it was 12:45 and I told everybody the time :D

devilskidd: That is something fun to do! What is the time now? :)