Sanctum Sanctorum

2012-01-10T04:31:00.000-08:00

Mirror, Mirror..

2011-06-03T00:29:00.000-07:00

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all”? For the time being, I would like the wicked Queen to take temporary voluntary retirement and leave the stage for me.

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the real beauty amongst all?”

Mirror: “My interim owner, your change in search word has caused enough trouble and hardwork for me. It was easier with the Queen and less strenuous to find the fairest person. You see the term beauty cannot be encompassed within a specific definition. It does not denote any particular entity. The term beauty is very much exquisiteness incarnate. Anything lovely, soothing, wonderful, delicate, refined that touches your heart or perhaps your soul can be endowed with the terminology “beauty”.

In human world, good looks are valued a lot. But you see, physical beauty is just an adornment like wearing good clothes. It is bound to fade away with the regular wear and tear regime of time. So what remains is your soul.

So I tried to find what makes a soul beautiful. The answer is Devotion. Devotion to Almighty, devotion to work, devotion to responsibilty, devotion to family, devotion to a noble cause, devotion to a vow, – makes a person beautiful. It is just a single word but its significance is widespread. Each is holding a unique flavour of core human value. Dedication, loyalty, commitment, compassion all these encompass this eight letter word. Living with values in line with principles, integrity makes a person truly beautiful.

Please do not be annoyed. In my search process I bumped into your databank and found certain moments captured by you, to be beautiful. Nature is also beauty incarnate.

Simple beauty with elegance is seen in this rosy snap.

This pink beauty was captured just after a drizzle in the hilly areas of Darjeeling.

I’m sure these crabs never made a deliberate effort to make their home look so beautiful. Their incessant laborious effort has given birth to this fine piece of artistic beauty. So you see, absence of an effort to look good but presence of an effort to make it constructive has bestowed it with outstanding beauty.

Crab's designer home captured at the Mondarmoni beach, West Bengal

Solitary moment has beauty of its own. Solitary provides the scope to realise happiness by drawing one’s attention within. At that time you are just you. Experiencing such moments enhance inner beauty through the guiding light of spirituality.

A dog enjoying a solitary moment at Mondarmoni beach, West Bengal

Music has unparalleled beauty. It appeals directly to one’s heart. I found the snap of these two boys playing a different looking violin. Can you share the event with me?

Young boys performing at the Chowk market in Darjeeling

Oh yes, they were playing a marvelous melodious tune sitting at a corner in the busiest chowk market in Darjeeling. I can not explain in words the fascinating and soothing rhythm that swayed in that place for that particular moment. Every shopper stopped to listen to their tune.

Mirror: Ah! So do you agree that music suddenly changed the humdrum market place into a place of bliss. Bliss is also synonymous with beauty. Do you agree with me?

I do agree to what you are saying.

And all your search results remind me of a quote by Robert Browning, “If you get simple beauty and nought else, you get about the best thing God invents”.

In the form of narration I thought of expressing my views on real beauty for yahoo Dove Real Beauty contest

It's Summer time!

2011-04-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

Water is definitely the second abode for ducks. But in this Summer, these two simply refused to come out of the pond. Even a hearty meal provided by their owner failed to allure them.

The Little Prince : An adorable book of all times

2011-04-28T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Little Prince written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is one of my all time favourite. I read this book quite a long ago. A few days back my eyes fell on this book while browsing through my bookshelf. So thought of sharing my thoughts on this best selling book which was first published in 1943.

Apparently, the whole story seems juvenile but at the same time it seeks to insinuate the finer aspects of human emotions that have got trapped in the vicious circle of mundane life. I felt as if the little prince represents the innate self of human being which always hankers to enjoy the puerile smell of childhood days long lost in the drudgery of life. The more we try to kill the child within us, the more we will be susceptible to a dilapidated condition.

The story is allegorical. Simple imagery but highly thought provoking. As adults we always learn to value things in respect of its utility. Since grown ups do not value imagination they try to curb it from the child. For e.g. the diagrams of boa constrictors support the view. Because of the materialistic nature of adults the dream of the writer to become an artist was nipped in the bud. Another illustration of the Turkish astronomer pinpoints the fact that we judge people by looks and not by deeds. Our methodical nature is obstructing us from enjoying the elixir of life. Nature is beauty incarnate but enjoying its serenity seems to be frivolous entertainment. But for the little prince nothing can be more soothing and enjoyable than watching as many as sunsets. Our constant negligence of relieving our tension will soon turn into “baobabs” and lead to an intolerable heaviness.

The conversation of the prince with his flower is so enchanting. It was like a newly blossomed love where the prince could decipher no clue to what his flower was demanding. The rose behaved like a pretty damsel trying to teach the naïve prince certain aspects of her life. Later it is seen how the prince felt his affection for her. The anguish of her absence became a constant presence for him.

The journey of the prince in the galaxies and his confrontation with different people actually illuminates various faces of human character. The dogmatic king, conceited admirer, drunkard, businessman, lamplighter, geographer, everyone had a message to give. But I liked the paragraph where the king was asking the prince to judge himself. Indeed judging oneself is the most difficult job. Then the drunkard who is drinking because he is ashamed of drinking. It all seems to be in line with human tragedy.

An illustration of Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I have never before read such a fairy-tale like description of planet Earth. I wish if I could be the lamplighter of north or South Pole….I would have so much of leisure for loitering around. In the desert the flower’s view on caravans is indicative. If we dnt remain grounded or rooted, a gust of wind is sufficient to shake our existence. The imagery of echo and signalman portrays the picture of the restless people who have no time to listen to their own heart. They are rushing to and fro like ships without any rudder. When the writer was thirsty, their long travel to find a well establish the saying, “believe what you set your heart upon for it surely shall be yours”..

The discussion of the fox is another eye opener. “ what is essential is invisible to the eye”.. is a quotable quote.. its so true..we view things through coloured glass and hence we fail to see the real elegance or importance of circumstances. End result being, our woes are amplified day by day.

“for what u’ve tamed, you become responsible for ever”...

It seems the little prince came to revive the jovial nature of the writer. He inculcated in him certain thoughts that will help in elevating the spirit and adorn his life as never before. He came, did his job and then he left. At this point the words of the snake during their first meeting is so vital..”whomever I touch I send back to the earth from which they came.” As the story moves, the reader’s love for the prince is sure to magnify in leaps and bounds. I felt a choking feeling when he died. During the last part of the story, I felt as if the little prince was the mouth-piece of god. Due to over practicality, people become insentient and often avaricious. The prince as if came to revive the human soul and that’s why he said the shell is not important. The sudden revelations in the story came like a boon. I remembered a saying “ he that sent me here is with me—the Father hath not left me alone”..I still think there is so much to derive from this book which may be obtained by reading it recurrently.

A fisherboy sauntering along the beach…

2011-04-21T03:45:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken during a trip to Mondarmoni, a seabeach resort in West Bengal.

Panchlingeshwar - An embodiment of serenity

2011-03-31T01:28:00.000-07:00

Cascading stream

In 2009, our office took us to a religious spot, Panchlingeshwar for our Annual Conference.

Panchlingeshwar is situated in the Balasore District of Orissa. The name itself connotes that the significance of the place is bestowed on the esoteric beauty of the five lingams of Lord Shiva. Nature here has unfolded itself in the most bounteous way. The bucolic beauty has gracefully fused with the numinous splendour of the place.

The stream flowing over five lingams

The five lingams are enshrined in the Nilgiri hills. It is an amazing sight to see the stream continuously flowing over the lingams. We were unable to see the original and ancient lingams because of the cascading water. One local guide told that during the month of Shravan, devotees from various places assemble here to pay homage to Lord Shiva. They pour holy water in the stream which flows over, bathing the lingams. People need to lie over the rocks to touch the lingams.

The bael tree with five leaves in one stem

The guide showed us one more interesting and distinctive breed of Bael tree. Bael tree is considered to be one of the sacred trees of India. It is said that worship of Lord Shiva can not be completed without bael leaves.We generally get to see three leaves together in one stem of the tree. But here this sacred tree bears five leaves together in a stem. Five leaves, five lingams…the divine correlation enthralled me.

Since the place is quite a few kms away from Baleswar City, it might take some time to arrange for something on an emergency basis. So it is better to be well-equiped with medicines and other necessary items.

A moment before it started to rain heavily

We met these humble company on our way to the temple

A trip to Outram Ghat

2011-03-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

I wait the whole week for my dearie Sunday. I never allow Monday blues to overpower me. Instead I say myself…”Sunday is on the way. So make plans to splurge into good times.”

One Sunday me and my friends went for an outing to Outram Ghat. Outram Ghat is situated in Babughat area. It is one of Kolkata’s popular riverside spot. Ghats are always fascinating because it allows ample scope to see people performing various activities of their belief or taste. At one side one might see someone doing any religious ritual. On the other side one might witness a photographer waiting patiently for the sun to go down. And as the right time approaches his camera becomes tremendous busy in taking snaps.

We took a ride in boat across River Hooghly. From balancing on an oscillating boat, sitting on the wooden seats, feeling the ripple of small waves with palms…all were so soothing and amazing. We got to see the breathtaking view of the Vidyasagar Setu (Second Hooghly Bridge) named after Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, famous Philanthropist and Reformer of Bengali Education.

We, who stay in metropolis, seldom gets any scope to enjoy the surroundings of a rural area. However the appealing beauty of the place and the meticulous movement of the oar by the old ferryman gave us a transitory feeling of being amidst a milieu pertaining to a village.

We played the song “majhi re” sung by Shaan from the movie Bong Connection. It was like icing on the cake. It blended aptly with our moment of bliss.

Sharing some snaps taken on my mobile.

Striding with my utilitarian umbrella..

2011-03-25T02:05:00.000-07:00

Ever felt privileged for owning an umbrella? Ever flaunted an umbrella? I never did. However, yesterday changed my outlook. Just as I stepped out from office, it started to rain. Most pedestrians were caught unarmed at the sudden shower. Even though I was clutching my umbrella, the blowing wind was shaking my confidence. I was wondering whether the wind will blow away my umbrella or will the wind impart a disfigured look to it. To my relief, the wind became milder but the rain started pouring heavily. For many people including me, the route to bus stand is quite a long one. It has one of the busiest footpaths. People keep jostling to walk on it. No one will ever see this walkway devoid of crowd.

But rainfall paved the way for me to see the distinct beauty of this path. To be more precise, rain god granted me the opportunity to walk in an empty path where I could move without restraint. For the first time I did not struggle to bypass anyone. Despite the downpour, I felt happy at the unexpected discovery. Then I realised, very few people could take this maiden trip of treading the deserted way. Those less fortunate had taken shelter here and there. Every face reflected an irritated look. They might be humming, “rain rain go away/ come again another day”..I knew the disgust on their face is not only for rain. There is another problem which is more annoying. Water clogging happens here in no time.

So I marched along proudly with envious eyes staring at me. (Ok, this might be an exaggerated imagination of mine!)

Still I can not deny the fact that my printed umbrella offered me a room to enjoy my way back home in an unusual manner. Atlast my ma’s constant encouragement to carry an umbrella unfolded in surprise of unique taste!

May peace be granted to our beloved Nose..

2011-03-18T00:32:00.000-07:00

Nose pricking is undoutedly one of the most annoying activity often practiced by various people whom we meet in our daily life. I was sitting in my desk when I noticed a senior personnel busily pricking his nose. I looked away. But sometimes I swap my saintly mind with the devilish one. So I thought of witnessing the whole episode. He was digging ang digging, bringing out debris from pre-historic times. Then he made a ball out of it and stared at it for few seconds. After that he placed it on his table and started kneading it with the backside side of a pencil. Next he threw the painstakingly kneaded ball into the floor. End of saga.

People generally become oblivion of surroundings when they start pricking their nose. Then time and place cease to hold importance of primary nature. I understand there must be some uneasiness inside their nose which drives them to do the sinful act. But there are some people for whom it is a mere habit. Whatever the reason may be, it definitely mars the personality of a person. However intelligent, good-looking a person may be, this very act creates negative impression in a moment. Not only this, random pricking might harm the inner walls of our nose which can lead to bleeding too.Sometimes I wonder whether this continuous habit can lead to permanent change in shape and size. :D

In this blog, I would like to share a link from the well-known website of Dr. Ben Kim. The link is on how to sleep better. It relates proper cleaning of nose with good sleep. I feel even if someone doesnot have sleep disorder can also go through this link to know the proper procedure of cleaning the nose. It might save them from getting caught unguarded.

The link is as follows: How to Sleep Better

Jingling Riches!

2011-03-08T04:56:00.000-08:00

This post has no connection with critical money matters. No discussion on share markets or insurance. In short no elderly dialogues.

Times have come and gone but money has always remained the cynosure of all eyes. The key purpose for obtaining money might be different but the urge to possess it has been strong since time immemorial.

If I raise a question..who had a coin bank as a kid? All hands will go up! Yes..shapes and sizes must have been different. The leisurely act of dropping coins in the piggy bank was far more pleasurable than the act of saving money in a poker-faced bank.

As a kid I was the proud owner of three coin banks but my favourite was one earthen coin bank. It had a traditional look with copper glaze. It was a tedious job to retrieve coins from it without causing permanent demolition. Still I loved it because it provided me the scope for using my colors and artistictic excellence. The whole body used to get a colourful look with drawings which now have a name…”abstract art”.

I remember how I used to bother my parents by asking for coins everyday. I used to feel impatient unless and until the bank was full to the brim. When this target was achieved the next goal was to spend the money. An oscillation of yes and no used to happen. It was saddening to spend the money but the thought of buying something with hard saved money was gratifying. I used to spend mostly on icecream sticks, candy floss and stickers. It was like my cave of riches!

With age, my consumption has reduced also. Though often I feel the urge to grab a candy floss, smell it and feel it melting in my mouth. But logic nips the wish. I do not buy stickers anymore. Can not stick them on official reports.

Everyday childhood days are going far and far away. It is bidding me good bye. I try to hold it but all in vain. My dreams of grown – up years have overshadowed the little wishes of childhood. But I know the days can not dissappear for ever. Life is a drawing without an eraser. So traces of early day’s memories will flicker by often to prove its presence…to say that it will be there whenever I will need to stop, stare and enjoy the fleeting glimpses.

A Catty Tale

2011-02-28T03:33:00.000-08:00

What does most people think when they see a cat? Oh! So sweet ball of fur! How cute! And so on.

I also have similar sentiments. But I nurture another one too. Despite being beautiful creatures, I feel cats have some hidden agenda. Their meowing and purring say something and their eyes reflect something else. They are somehow not innocent like dogs. I’m specifically saying this about the grown – up ones. The kittens are above suspicion. My sincere apologies to cat lovers. You see I’m just being honest about my opinion.

Our locality is crowded with stray cats. So every household keeps vigilance over the movement of cats. Otherwise one is bound to lose pieces of fish, bowl of milk and the worst …the nooks of cupboards or sofa may be drenched due to their nature’s call.

I maintain a ‘you do not bother me and I would not bother you type’ relation with cats’. Few weeks back, I noticed a new cat strolling in our garden. What struck me was the color of the cat. It was mostly black in combination with little white and had strikingly sharp green eyes. I’m not much superstitious but it was somewhat eerie. Then I noticed his attitude. He will fully dominate the other younger cats, sometimes by fighting with them or worst by clenching them around the neck.

This incident happened few days back. It was 7 a.m. I was in a good mood enjoying my cup of tea. Then I heard two cats fighting. What fuming voices! I found them fighting standing on our boundary wall. Among the two, one was the black one. Both of them were finding difficulty in maintaining balance but they still kept on combating. It was a do or die situation. I lost patience. Their irate voices were curbing the tranquility of the morning. I came back with half a glass of water and threw on their direction. They stopped momentarily only to start again with full verve. I again repeated the process. This time I was successful. One ran away. But the black one stayed. His ego was badly hurt. I could make out from his stare. He did not run away. Instead he remained seated over there. It was weird that he stayed back.

I came back in my room. After few mins I heard a movement of utensils in the kitchen. I thought it was our maid. Then there was a swift dragging noise. Without thinking much I rushed to the kitchen. To my shock, I found my lunch box missing. I knew a cat must have done this. It had got leftovers from the previous day so it fetched attraction from cats. But it was like simple mathematics for me. It never happened before. It was revenge by Mr. Angry Cat! Though I did not see him doing this but no other cat will ever do this kind of daring act! I gave up my hope of getting my lunch box back. Later it was discovered by my father lying near a water passage in our garden. Mr. Angry Cat’s claws were not made to open tiffin box. So it lied there unharmed.

Whether it was Mr. Black cat or some other cat, I must say this was one of the sweetest settlement of scores did by someone. May be it was just a feline behavior. But the sequence of events has definitely added twist to the whole episode of my interaction with my clawed neighbour. It was an incident which I will fondly remember..

Snaps from my visit to a Sponge Iron Plant in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh

2011-02-22T04:12:00.000-08:00

Chhattisgarh

Took these snaps from my brand new Kodak Camera..

Letter to an old buddy

2011-02-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Tiffin Box,

Please do not be angry for ignoring you for many years. Few days back I saw you lying in the kitchen rack, still sparkling as before. Past memories flashed by. Our association started when I shifted to new school in KG class. I disliked you because you had a steel body devoid of any colors. You were spacious. So the chance of accomodating more food was high! As a kid I never liked having tiffin. Tiffin time was terror time. Our aunty used to check individual tiffin boxes everyday. And I was always asked to stand outside the classroom to finish my tiffin. You know, how I resorted to tricks. Like hiding grapes beneath banana peals, or hurling them slowly into the nearby dustbin or throwing food out of the window like an imp. I know this can not be a justification to hate you. But let me tell you, I used to like the figure of the swan that is embedded on your cover. I still love it. I used to trace the shape on a paper. It was fascinating to see the image gradually appearing on the sheet. But soon I got bored. I wished for a new one. Now for a vibrant double container one. After few days, it became cumbersome for me to carry it. You resumed your place in my school bag. I do not remember when I abandoned you again by opting for a new one. This time for a long span.

So many years have passed. I never considered of carrying you in the rest of my school days, college or university days. Now I have plunged into professional life. Things become different with age and maturity. One understands the actual value of things which we often take for granted. I do not create ruckus about eating tiffin now. Infact I diligently carry my lunch box. I love eating grapes too!

The moment I gazed at you, I realised that you are one of the few possessions associated with my childhood days. You too have an important place in my life. You bear the puerile essence of those by-gone days. Yesterday, I took you with me in my office. I hope you liked my desk,though it is more business like. It's different from the desk provided in school. It was wonderful sharing food with an old buddy. You must have noticed the childish glee in my eyes when I was poking you with my spoon.

I have decided not to abandon you again. You still accommodate enough food for my appetite. J

With love..

Yours pal.

If Parents’ call happen in Organizations…

2011-01-20T00:56:00.000-08:00

Weird it may sound, but human imagination can be stirred then and now. Once in a while, momentary visit to Utopia may be tolerated.

“Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food and tyrannize their teachers.” What about BIG children? They contradict themselves, gobble their own words and tyrannize their employers. Well, not everyone.

To a parent, a child is a child forever… they try utmost to act like their parents but the change in designation is irreversible until reincarnation. That too is subject to approval by the omnipresent ‘Managing Director’. So we can derive a fact that parents will remain the supreme authority. Now the food for thought is...why not use this existing, free of remuneration resource to benefit organizations. Parents give lot of attention towards schooling, report cards, tuitions, homework etc. So if parents continue with their vigilance even in adulthood, is there any harm? Weekly parents’ meeting can be held to discuss agenda and course of action.

According to Experts, children may classified into 3 types: flexible, fearful and feisty. Parent of BIG flexible children can live their life in peace until and unless their manipulation level surges from subtle to obvious and the office becomes their ground for politics.

Fearful children are quiet and shy with adaptation problem. They are misinterpreted in an organization. Gossips will flow about them. Why? Because people fail to understand their nature. Some will think that they are dumb, spineless, or at the extreme, as crooked. Appraisal scores get affected. So it is better off not to be in this category. Company can entrust his or her parent the onus to change their kid. What can the parents do? Instead of sending maid to market, they can send their child to buy onions at a bargained price. Stop them from using any other means of transport other than boarding metro rail during the rush hours. After few days, the child will belong to either flexible group or the feisty one. Atleast they will have a rock solid identity.

And now the feisty group. BIG children with traits of high level of aggression, nagging, whining, negative persistence etc. In this case, “Parents must get across the idea that I love you always, but sometimes I do not love your behaviour”. Parents and organizations dwell in the same boat. They are empathetic to each other. They can together take a vow to end their tyranny. I feel parents of feisty BIG children can think of resorting to sainthood. That will save them from all the trouble.

It is difficult to identify each BIG kid this way. Their may be combinations which may be humane or hazardous. Whatever the personality may be, for some people certain basic habits do not seem to depart. For e.g. late coming. System can be made for putting late mark in the diary which will be regularly seen by parent and they can make their child stand at doorstep for the time equivalent to the time delayed for reaching office. No urgency should be considered.

More e.g.s like toilet training. It is a very dissappointing and irritating job to put up notices. It can be forwarded as an ardent request. Organizations can say, “Parents, please make them do somersault if you want. Put a lock in the toilet. Do as you please. But please train them.”

Usage of office phones in such a way as if there is no concept of phone bill. Nothing can stop the regular delinquent. Parents can teach them a lesson by making all long distant calls from their kid’s phone and not contributing a single penny in the payment of bill.

Many more are there like keeping workplace clean, to eat during lunch breaks as health is wealth etc. Appraisal sheet should be signed by parents so that no employee can ever accuse of manipulation of scores.

This way management can shrug off few responsibilities…but what about the flip side? Parents will form “Parents Forum”. Management generally struggles with trade unions. Can they juggle Parents Union also? Parental love is the strongest of all. Will management be able to meet all the dues of employees on time or afford to face the wrath of parents? I apologise for consuming time of readers. But do not blame me. I wrote in the beginning…weird it may sound. Isn’t?

One ounce of Practice

2010-12-11T00:51:00.000-08:00

Few days back, I boarded a bus for my way back home from office. Since, the bus was moderately crowded, I could avoid the jostling but was unable to manage a seat for myself. Suddenly a lady in her 60’s started to murmur something in a tensed voice. On concentrating, I heard that she has boarded a wrong bus. At that point of time, my human empathy went to hibernation and I simply did not think even for a moment the kind of predicament that lady was facing then. My self-interested mind was roving round the thought of occupying the seat which she will immediately vacate. But fate has its own way. I could not manage to occupy her evacuated place. Saw the lady conversing with the bus conductor and found that both of us have the same destination and that she is not aware of this particular route. The crowd became thin and both of us got to sit beside each other. In spite of the assurance given by the conductor, she was still very much nervous, anxiously gaping out of the rickety window unable to identify anything. Looking at her, I remembered my own terrible sense of road direction. I tried to reassure her and further added that I will accompany her till the last stop and will help her in boarding another bus or auto from that bus stand. She was so glad…relief..yes..that is what I saw in her eyes. She was going to visit her daughter. Throughout our journey, she kept telling me about her daughter, and so many things. In our next bus, I offered her my seat (see the quirk of fate!). Again she was so thankful. She ended up buying my fare and bidding me goodbye with full of blessings.

It looks like any regular incident in our life but we do sometimes fail to notice the significance of these apparently insignificant things. When we are good to others, we are best to ourselves. Whenever any work is done without any hope of personal gain, however tiny act it may be, it is bound to fill our heart with inner joy. This feel good factor is highly important as it ultimately leads to happiness and upliftment of a person in Karma-Kshestra (Field of Action). In yogic parlance, the deepest fulfillment through selfless act is called Karma Yoga.

In HR parlance, this too has a profound impact. In everyday life any kind gesture creates a deep impact. It creates wealth in our Emotional Bank Account (EMA). One of the major deposits in EMA is attending to little things. It is the step in building trust on a relationship. But this should be practiced with full honesty and not just to do it for the sake of any obligation. Initially it is not important to focus on the result. Focal point should rest on our acts which should be done without any fakeness. Gradually long term result will unfold itself in beautiful colors. Whenever any problem crops up, we should not feel agitated or tensed. We should look at these problems as golden opportunities to build up EMA. In maintaining Employee Relation, EMA plays a vital role. The emotional resources that we gather help us to save the Employee-Employer relationship and this prepares the groundwork for a healthy Organization. To summarize I would refer to my title. As it goes..one ounce of practice..is better than tons of theory.

Embracing the delight of cartoon shows

2010-05-31T03:30:00.000-07:00

I’m still a die hard fan of cartoons, the list includes Tom & Jerry, Shinchan, Doraemon, Kitretsu, Perman and so on…This is a kind of hobby I like to ride with enormous joy. On Sunday morning repeat telecast of Shinchan and Doraemon are aired. So my weekly off day is spent watching the shows for more than 1 hour. Even my childhood days were spent joyously watching a bunch of cartoons. It included Meena, Mickey Mouse and Friends, Duck Tales, Jungle book, Dennis the Menace, Pingu, Alice in Wonderland, Bible ki kahaniyan, He-Man.... there must be more names I’m unable to recall. I cherished them all but Meena, conceived and produced by UNICEF, had a special place. Even now I often switch to Doordarshan in anticipation to see if they are telecasting the show.

Now-a-days, quite a no of channels are there who telecast cartoons 24 hrs. Previously the situation was not so. One had to wait patiently till the hands of clock perched on the perfect time and then it was rush hour. Destination - the beloved TV.

When I was a kid my father used to bring me video cassettes of cartoons mostly Looney Tunes. It was a motivation tool shown to me the same way as ‘carrots’ are dangled in front of employees. My parents tried so hard to motivate me to eat relatively faster because I used to take 1 hour to chew my food. But there is one difference. Employees get ‘carrot’ after good performance. I used to get my ‘carrot’ while performing the art of never-ending eating. :)

Sometimes I ponder over my liking for cartoons. Why do I like them so much? Is it the caricatures, vibrant colors that amuse me or I like that all beings are immortal here in this world or there is always a happy ending or feel spellbound to see weird gadgets solving all seemingly mundane yet complicated problems in Nobita’s life? My analysis failed to suggest any answer. Once I read in an article, children who watch cartoons regularly are unable to relate to reality. May be as an adult I want to cast my eyes off the real world for a while and take pleasure in the ephemeral delight of another world. As long as I’m rooted to reality, I guess a little dose of indulgence is acceptable. :)

Meena Video Clip

Bascule Bridge at Khidderpore dock: the other side of the story

2010-05-18T04:58:00.000-07:00

Engineers definitely have better theory to explain the functioning of a Bascule bridge so I will just try to explain what it is like in few words. A Bascule bridge over a canal or river has a dual role – it acts as a bridge and as a road. Most of the time it allows the road traffic to cross and when water vessels need to pass, this bridge moves vertically allowing smooth passage for the giant or mini vessels.

The bascule bridge across an inlet of River Hooghly at Khidderpore port is a notable landmark. Despite the semi-rustic look of that area no one can deny the enthralling beauty of this particular place. A zephyr will always sweep across the face while crossing the bridge.
It is a wonder for people who come to areas near Garden Reach once in a while. But it is a dreaded wonder for those who need to cross this bridge everyday to reach their school, college, workplace etc. It does not have any consideration for the puny human beings. It can rise at any time mostly at the rush hours forcing the traffic to come at halt. Sometimes it behaves like an imp who can read the human mind & accordingly play its cards. Often I’ve seen, when I’m in utmost hurry, the bridge goes up! It rises like Triton among the minnows and obviously to take the reins for the next half an hour or more. But there is another underlying horror. History has records when this bridge did not resume its horizontal position due to mechanical disturbance. And then it’s another story.

If there was a device to measure mass fluctuation in emotions, one could have seen the ups and downs of frustration quotient, slang quotient, human bonding quotient – all surfacing when this giant wakes from sleep. Buses, trucks, jumbo containers, lorries, cars, autos, bikes, cycles all stand on both the sides of the bridge following a zigzag pattern. If a photograph is taken from helicopter, they will definitely look like randomly disposed off garbage cans of various sizes. The moment the red light blinks (indicating the rising time of the bridge), all the transports try to speed up to reach the nearest spot at the juncture of the bridge so that they can avoid the elbowing of other vehicles as soon as the light turns green. Series of slangs are bestowed upon the bridge, the vessels and the port mostly by drivers and commuters. Most of the passengers will allow their head to peek out of the rickety windows of the buses to catch a quick glance of the episode. Street hawkers gather around with their treat mostly consisting of diced coconut & lozenges.
Strangers start communicating in such way as if they have known each other for long. When one says,” hai bhagoban”, the person sitting or standing beside will definitely add,” issko abhi uthna tha..” A mother will utter in loud voice to her son sitting at a distant seat,” Beta! Dekho bridge uth raha hai..” And the son who has already seen it will again peep out of the window to please his ma.
Once a passenger excitedly shouted,” bridge doob raha hai!”..(Meaning the bridge is resuming its horizontal position). Everyone in the bus started laughing and another humorously added, “aare bhai, bridge doob gaya toh edhar ka passenger edhar aur udhar ka passenger udhar hi rahe jayenge..”

The incessant babbling starts fading as soon as the vehicles roar in high spirits. People sigh in relief that it is end for today. What about tomorrow? As a school going kid, due to my sympathetic Aunties, I could avoid punishment for reaching late to school…but the finger punching machines put up in offices are not considerate enough. Everyday when I head towards the port area, I try to sense the impending terror….It is a routine now.

The two photos were taken on my mobile.

Missed call

2010-05-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone possessing a mobile phone, at some point in their lifetime, must have received or are still receiving “missed call” messages flashing on their mobile screen. In response to these guest calls, I decide my course of action. Sometimes I revert back after weighing my balance or when I’m in an extravagant mood or after sensing urgency or to show courtesy and at other times I simply prefer to wait for another call from these missed calls.
I got my first cell in 2003. At that time giving missed call was a craze as call rates and sms-es were not so cheap. It was a way of showing friends that at this particular point of time (whether at 2 in the morning or during 2 minutes break while preparing for exam), I’m remembering you. If one did not answer back with another missed call, it used to annoy the call expectant a lot. Silly ego problems, foolish quarrels encompassing these missed calls were not uncommon.
The custom has not become extinct but its meaning has metamorphosed from a finer aspect to a rather practical and straight forward one. Now when I get a missed call (when I’m holding my cell and witnessing an ephemeral incident of call coming and vanishing with my own eyes. I will write later why I’m explaining this), it conveys a sweet message “I do not have balance, call me!”
The meaning of the phrase “missed call” is quite misleading. I guess it was programmed to specify calls which are not received by the recipient. But in regular usage, the meaning has changed to indicate those calls which are basically one or two rings and are not supposedly actual calls.
One real life e.g. will illustrate this confusion. I was unable to receive one call from a job applicant. His number with name flashed on my cell. Knowing the urgency I called him back. I started the conversation, “Yes Mr X…..I saw one missed call from your no..”
Mr X, “Madam, I did not give missed call. I called you.”
I said, “Yes, I understand you called me. My cell showed one missed call from your no.”
Mr X, “But I called you” (in desperation).
I said, “Yes, you called but I (putting more emphasis) missed to receive it.”
Now he understood. Many times I have faced this with my friends. If we pause to think it is funny actually. Any mobile phone programmer reading this? Can you please change the phrase “missed call”? Because we people love the misrepresented version and surely will continue using it..