I d l e M u s i n g z

Caution for appraisal

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:47:00 +0000

If you do not know how to say NO …, if you do not know how to deal with the difficult people (more importantly, difficult boss) …, if you do not know how to communicate effectively with the senior management …, if you do not know how to work the smart way …, if you do not know how to boast of your contribution before your team members …, there is OFTEN a greater chance to get a thrashing in your year-end rating ~~even if you are a skilled worker~~.

Tolerance holds the key!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:26:00 +0000

A preacher, as part of his sermons, shared an interesting story:

There was a king who wanted his army to have the bravest and most skillful soldiers. He invited trainers from around the world and asked them to choose the best out of his existing soldiers and train them for six months. After six months, the trainer whose disciples fight the best would be appointed as the trainer in the King’s court and would also be rewarded handsomely.

The trainers chose the best soldiers out of the King’s army by employing different tests and tactics and trained the chosen ones for six months. When they came back, the King took the final test among the different groups of soldiers. The Minister in the King’s court was one of the most skillful and bravest soldiers. Though the newly trained soldiers showed much prowess, they failed to match the skills of the Minister. So the King was unhappy as his dream to prepare the best army did not materialize.

Few days latter, an old man, lean and thin, and in his nineties, presented himself before the King’s court and appealed to the King to allow him a chance to train the soldiers. Unsure of what the old man would do, the King was taken aback, but since his dream was dear to his heart, he took a chance and allowed the old man to go ahead. The old man took just one soldier with him and left for training. When he returned after six months, the Minister took his test and was astonished when the young soldier defeated him easily. The King was also pleased and had no option but to appoint the old man as the trainer in his court. When the King offered the old man the position, the old man said, “Your Majesty, I do not have any special skills as such. So I will share my success mantra with your Minister and then even he himself can train the soldiers to perfection.”

Then the old man while sharing his mantra to the Minister said, “When you train the young soldiers, hurt them as much as you can. For them, to tolerate pain and sustain is more important than to attack. However skillful a warrior may be, he must be scared of getting hurt. Once he learns to tolerate the pain of getting severely hurt and still continue to fight, his efficiency grows multifold. Half the battle is won there.”

After narrating the story, the preacher continued, “The moral of the story is what I intend to convey you. That is, the woes of life should in no circumstances bother you. Take the sufferings in life with such spirit and such tolerance that God fails to intimidate you by inflicting pain on you by any means.”

(Translated from an Odia anecdote published in the Sambad)

No ‘multitasking’ please!

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Not an original idea at all! A borrowed one! Certainly not a plagiarized one, as the acknowledgement follows! Well, by now, you should have been told what the idea is! Hmm … that says NO to multitasking even when you are quite capable of that.

You can slick in your cell phone between your left shoulder and your head and continue to talk while driving your bike in a busy traffic. You may be a master in that. But don’t do that. Don’t fall into that habit. Neither would you drive properly nor would you concentrate on what you talk on phone. Hence, the rule should be halt for a while on the road side, talk your heart on phone and then drive home safe. We must avoid such multitasking wherever we tend to get into without a serious thought. The simple reason is that the focus gets divided and none of the tasks are done as they should otherwise have been done.

Your manager might ask you to deliver three things simultaneously, greedy as he/she is. The onus lies on you as to how you approach the tasks. Plan properly and promptly. Take up the easiest of the tasks first and wind that up. You can attend the next easier task and finish that up before you proceed on to the least easy one. That way, your converged attention will help you do justice to all the tasks. Again, as you finish the tasks one by one, you unburden your mind as you feel relieved for your accomplishments. On the other hand, if you begin all the tasks simultaneously, there is chance you might fail to bring perfection in all. Hence, with me, now onwards, NO MULTITASKING! For a detailed article on this, read the Complete Wellbeing, January 2012 issue.

Debacle Down Under

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:35:00 +0000

A debacle for sure, but what a big one, though not completely unpredictable! It is obvious that BCCI has been inefficient in handling the talents and hence we took such a long gap to bring back the World Cup glory. But if one examines the way the experienced cricketers have performed in the last six innings of the three test matches against Australia, isn't it glaringly evident that they needed to have a better approach to the game? Approach, I repeat. Forget about your technique and skills. A healthy or positive approach would have helped them at least draw one test match. They have failed in all departments of the game and, more shockingly, as a unit too.

Resilience is something the team has left way behind. Ruing over the defeat instead of regrouping for a better fight has lead to subsequent defeats only. Talent alone won't suffice to win games, a fighting spirit is essential - the sooner the Indian team realizes this, the better.

A boat ride worth a life

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Beside Nilamadhaba Temple at Kantilo

This time it was different. Quite different. The deep blue water all around. Cool breeze numbing the open skins. And poor Sun, setting as it is, ineffective in spreading its warmth. All that you can listen is the rustling sound of the wooden boat as the boatman struggles to paddle it manually. Stretch of sands on both sides extending beyond your eye limits. Half a kilometer of water stretch. Village folks doing their household cores by the river side. Look beyond all this – you can see the setting Sun signing off amidst the distant hills; the flag on the temple top dancing to the tunes of the gusty wind; local visitors to the Nilamadhaba Temple at Kantilo rushing up the stairs from the Mahanadi river bank … scared of the approaching rain and thunder, and the evening too.

If you still don’t find it different, you never know what NATURE is, let alone the blessed state of all those who reside in its midst … little caring for its ‘sound and fury’!

Wandering thoughts ...

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:49:00 +0000

Rendezvous with the Tech-savvy Story-tellers

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 19:33:00 +0000

It’s way too long this time! I know, but wish I could do something! I was destined to get the impetus to write something only when I had my rendezvous with a bunch of master story-tellers. Unlike the grannies or grandpas of our olden days, they were quite young. In fact, too young to be considered as story-tellers … until they got to their task.

Salil at work : Audience in trance

Acoustic Traditional, as part of their Spring Session, had a storytelling session at our HSBC Hyderabad office premises. After a disgusting lunch with its routined menu at the office cafetaria, I was dying to take a power nap when my mailbox flashed. Checked the mail and got to know that the story-tellers’ session is about to begin in the recreation room. With not much expectation, I lazied my way to the recraation room. Few more guys of my ilk were there in the waiting.

The guys roaming around the dias were in a uniform … their tees read Spring Session on the front and Acoustic Traditional at the back! They took their own sweet time to begin the session. Once it is on, the young story-teller, Salil, took the centre-stage. He insisted us to sit closer as often the grannies used to urge the kids. And he began the narration. A bunch of software professionals were all ears to the story-teller. The sweet way of narration of the story-teller copuled with the meandering progress of the plot was so enticing that all seemed to be in a trance. Even when the session is done, I could see a few guys, again of my ilk, were reluctant to come out of that trance. Such was the experience.

[Story-telling is almost a dying art form, at least in India. Acoustic Traditional strives to preserve it. Let’s laud and support their efforts. If you get a chance, never miss their session!]

Pakhala, a typical Odia delicacy

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:29:00 +0000

People in Odisha irrespective of their social status opt to have Pakhala in their menu at least once in a summer day. Even, there are a few who have it daily no matter how the weather is. Especially, for the poor lot (such as farmers and daily wage labourers) who struggle for their living, pakhala comes as a blessing because of its low cost and simple process of cooking. Moreover, almost any kind of supplement is fine with pakhala.

And those of us who are away from Odisha die for it every day. Not that we can't prepare it here. But the taste varies in some way or the other. Ah, dahi pakhala sanga ku badhi chura, saga bhaja au alu bharta - a true Odia will find heaven in this combination!

The Malkangiri abduction issue: A collective failure

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 01:19:00 +0000

Almost a week in the captivity of the Maoists, the inhouse terrorists! What an experience would it have been for the Malkangiri district collector R Vineel Krishna and engineer Pabitra Mohan Majhi! Soon we are going to be bombarded with the detailed info regarding their harrowing (or pleasant? who knows?) by our able (in fact, more than just ale) journalists.

This might be a victory for the bureaucrats. But for a common man like me, this is a collective failure. We yet again succumbed to the demands of a few dreaded scoundrels who seem to defy the rules we have set for ourselves in a democratic set-up. All that in a situation when we have everything readily available to tackle them with iron hand! Ridiculous! Really Incredible India! Why the hell should we be ruled by the wrong-doers, a hand-count few when compared to our defence personnel? This might be the umpteenth abduction by the Maoists. But why the same approach, that is, do as directed or forget and forgive? It is difficult to justify all this when we know we pay to maintain the defence forces and special commandoes that are ever ready to ensure us security.

We won't hang Kasabs even when we have strong evidence of his callous act in gunning down more than sixty human lives mercilessly, rather spend a crore a day to save his life until our slugging judiciary finds time to consider the case some far-off day. We won't allow our defence forces to handle the situations at home and meekly surrender to these sectarian goons. Why is it so?

All said and done, even after this fiasco, if the government takes a tough stand and a resolve to end this Maoist menace, we might justify this action as a sensible dicision. But thanks to the media, as the focus shifts somewhere else, mostly a new scam yet again, the issue will be dormant until a major setback pops up again. This has been so common a case thorughout. I have lost hope that there will come a change in that approach.

Listen to the idiot!

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 01:48:00 +0000

'Life', when the Bard said, 'is a tale told by an idiot', I was laughing to the heart's content. But wrong I was. What he realized so soon in his life takes us years together to realize on our own. Go here and come there - earth moves around. Yet, same things look different as our mood swings ... as the pendulum of time swings ... as the situation changes ... as the gear shifts in the life's journey. Life that seems so pleasant now appears to be a burden desperately heavy to carry, the next moment. The same pair of eyes that traces colors in the colorless things around at a moment finds even the rainbow colorless at the next. It remains a mystery for those who seek answers to this 'Why so?'. The few who accept all that coming their way with equal eagerness to laugh and cry live a better life. Those who fail to do so live their lives no doubt, but do not know what they miss in their life on earth.

The best way to live our life to the fullest is to listen to what the idiot in us whispers in our ears!

The 'true' bread-earners

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:03:00 +0000

They feed us. And we feed on them!

Ode to ONION!

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 21:53:00 +0000

Onion ... O ... Onion ...
Bad days are gone!
The days when the human
Paid you no attention!

Now's your time of dominion!
Teach all those human
A fair new lesson!
Teach them to be happy
When they get rid of what they earn
With no fierce contention!

Teach them to worry not
Just for the material comfort!
Life is lived best
When it is swift and short!

Let them know
That they grow
Only when they get a blow!
Ask them,
Why is it so?

Oh, yes!
Teach them to live in unison,
Not die for petty division,
Neither for religion
Nor for a region!

Remind them,
Sooner or latter, they all will transcend
To a region where they will cease to be human
And will pay for wrong things they have done!
And for good things they have done,
God will send them to heaven -
A place where there will be
Neither the worry of region
Nor that of you, the onion!

Onion ... O ... Onion ...
Teach all those human
A fair new lesson!

Welcoming 2011 . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Heck! A week’s delay to welcome a New Year! Nothing new from me though, especially after looking at the small long break I have taken since my last blog post :-) Not that there were nothing around me that pinched the blogger in me. Not that I was too much involved in something very important and had no respite to seat and do what I love pretty much. Not that I got discouraged because I didn’t get read whenever, however infrequently, I blogged. If I look back and think, I find that was because for some reason or the other there seem to have developed a disconnectedness within. When I succeed in making up for that, I come up with a new post. Or else, there’s a trough. Well, that was a trend in 2010. Maybe 2011 will make me blog a different story!

Tokens of appreciation …

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:50:00 +0000

… however small they are, however momentary they stay, work wonders. Across all borders. In the team effort at office. In a classroom. On a reality show. Even in domestic life. No idon’t say that their absence wreak havoc. But their occurrence certainly energizes, accelerates, encourages, extracts the best out of anybody and anything.

Well, why is it so difficult to appreciate … for a few of us? Is the task really daunting? It isn’t, you know and me too. Then, where lies the problem? A major factor could be the slowing (or dying?) flow of magnanimity in human blood. A kind of indifference to the fellow beings. A sort of distance between the souls. Many a time, that backfires, but who cares to listen to the heart when mind guides the other way? It’s always a give and take relationship. You appreciate others and others’ll appreciate you. But aksar yeh hota hai ki, we expect something that we ourselves never do. We preach something and practice something else. In the process, either for the lack of our high-mindedness or for an overpowering ego, we prove misers even in words. The so-called ‘productivity’ hampers. And with that, the atmosphere gets toxic. Foul thoughts creep in the mind. Things detoriarate. Small things lead to big.

So next time when your heart or mind induces you to appreciate some one or some thing, go ahead and do that. And next to that, when your turn for appreciation comes, if it comes not in real, convince yourself that you need to work harder before your boss cunningly conveys you the straightforward message.

Gala time for Orissa

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:26:00 +0000

Truly good times for Orissa. Talents being praised in all platforms – national and international. Youth winning hearts along with rich accolades all over. Making India proud on many occasions. That’s good news for all Oriyas. And for all Indians of course! Here is a list from what I could recall instantly with respect to the happenings in the last couple of months. The list is not an exclusive one; I know there are many unnoticed ones. But CHEERS for all those who bring us glory!

Sudarshan Patnaik: Internationally renowned sand artist. Has won India several international awards. Showcased Mahatma Gandhi through sand animation at the opening of the Common Wealth Games, Delhi 2010. Recently won three medals at the North American Sand Sculpting Solo Championship at Virginia beach in the United States.

Pragyan Ojha: Left-arm spinner cementing his place in the Indian cricket team

Ravi Kumar Katulu: Weightlifting champion who won India the 11th Gold in the Common Wealth Games, Delhi 2010 in the 69kg class category

Srabani Nanda: Winner of Bronze medal in the Common Wealth Games, Delhi 2010 in the event of 4x100 relay race

Sniti Mishra: Continuing her journey in the Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar 2010. Was the first selection for top 18 contestants

Manas Kumar Sahoo and Group: Group of artists specializing in the sand animation art. Students of Sudarshan Patnaik. Finalists for the India’s Got Talent Khoj 2 on Colours TV

Harihar Dash: Dancer specializing in the popping and locking category. Finalist for the India’s Got Talent Khoj 2 on Colours TV

Alok Kumar: First contestant to win Rs 12,50,000 in Kaun Banega Crorepati 4

Hope such times never end for us. Keep them coming, all!

Take a bow, Sachin!

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:52:00 +0000

Yes, we just had our fingers crossed! Little did we know that Dhoni’s boys inspired by the Little Master’s power-packed performance would gift us such an excellent win! That’s a big relief. The Punter goes home losing the match and more importantly, the chance to win a test in India against India as a captain. As many say, if this happens to be his last tour to India as a captain, then India stays unconquered a bastion for him.

Well, what a match it was for all Sachin fans! I mean, to all cricket lovers! Said so, coz, would there be someone who loves cricket and not Sachin? Like old wine, he’s bettering his best with every passing day. Records crumble when he weilds his willow. Statisticians work day in and day out at the end of every match to update their database. But the long distance runner goes on and on.

Wish the dream run continues till he pleases. Look forward to the New Zealand series in November. Lo, behold! Humility has power in it! Learn from Sachin!

A win worth the effort!

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 20:39:00 +0000

And against the real opponents plus a Billy Bowden! So satisfying …! So what if it was a close match? So what if the top order batting collapsed in the 2nd inning? For all that, there was a steady batsman in Ishant Sharma. There was a tactical night watchman in Zaheer Khan, the man behind the success. There was Mr. Reliable Laxman but for whose swift run-making, a win would have been a dream! And of course, one more time Sachin played the sheet anchor’s role—a gritty 98 in the 1st inning and a well-fought 38 in the 2nd. Yes, there was a heart break for the fans when he missed the ton by a whisker. But that’s what the game is all about. In fact, others fail more frequently, and most often, much before they reach the 90s.

I, for one, am more pleased not because we proved that we are a better side than the Aussies, but because the Aussies are often way too far away from humility, both off and on the field and they need such humiliating experiences as often as possible. A nice quote for the Aussie friends:

Wash out your ego every once in a while, as cleanliness is next to godliness not just in body but in humility as well.

Sand Animators from Orissa

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 03:45:00 +0000

This time though the sand artists from Orissa failed to impress the viewers of India's Got Talent Khoj 2 on the Colors TV. Or maybe the viewers failed to appreciate the beauty that Manas Sahoo and Group carved on the glass surface with the sand. Look at the judges, who were there to spot the talents in the participants. They liked the animations, yet couldn't give them a perfect 10. Pondering still, why so?

Besides the arts created in fractions of seconds, the background message was always something that would push you to think the humane way -- be it the eternal love between Shah Jahan and Noor Jahan, or be it a timely piece of sand animation dedicated to the Secular India just two days after the Ayodhya verdict and on the day of the Mahatma's Birth Day!

But alas! Art does fail to sell, especially when pitted against pseudo modern mentality and regionalism. I wish I could quote the background message the sand animators have for the world.

Well, they did their job by conveying the message. It's upto the world as to how they respond.

Three cheers for you, Manas Sahoo and Group, for your contribution to this evolving art form! Remember, those who are blessed with rare talents don't necessarily outperform everyone else. You've won many a heart and what more do you long for?

Rainbow at Aurangabad

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:40:00 +0000

In my last trip to Shirdi, I stopped by the Mini Taj Mahal at Aurangabad … that is Biwi ka Maqwara. At dusk, my Kodak M341 failed to assist the photographer in me in the expected way. Was getting cranky thinking of the step-motherly treatment that the government authorities had for the excellent monument there… Wish Aurangzeb’s ghost would take them to task for not lightening the monument properly!

Well, the angst is gone when my eyes could see the rare gem of a beauty on the sky … There wasn’t any rain though… A treat to my eyes, nay all your, eyes!!!

Around SUCCESS

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 06:42:00 +0000

Time to WARN the Kasabs in making

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Fri, 07 May 2010 03:25:00 +0000

The nation is celebrating the success of its judiciary that took nearly a year and half to prove a terrorist guilty … in the name of law. The families of those whom Kasab killed ‘playfully’ (‘enjoyed while killing them mercilessly’) are yet to heave a sigh of relief as the pendulum can swing either way even now. They would love to see Kasab made to literally feel the brutal beast he had been…, to see how close he is to the Devil …, to realize what he had made to this human birth. Those defend his death statement come with ‘weird justifications’ as:

1) he is young and should get a chance for reform,
2) intrinsically, he may not be so inhuman as an individual,
3) he has been put into such a situation by a dreaded gang of people working against India and has hardly any option left.

Mark my words, I said these are ‘weird justifications’. It’s because if these are the facts that play in the mind of the people judging the magnitude of punishment one deserves for the crime committed, the verdict won’t be objective at all. Then again, eyewitnesses claim that Kasab relished killing innocent people. Even an innocent boy who brings you a glass of water when you thrash his family members was not spared, he lost his leg — can anyone human ever think of this? What compulsion was Kasab under then when he was the hero of the situation? Even if one believes the ‘weird justifications’ put forth, one shouldn’t miss the fact that he transformed himself into a beast in woefully little time.

Decide the way you wish to punish this criminal. But keep in mind that his scoundrel mentors are watching the proceedings. This is an opportunity to let them foresee what awaits them when they tread the path. Ensure the message sends chills down their spines.

Judging the right way

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:00:00 +0000

I love music. And the stuffs related to that. Hence follow the reality shows that are even distantly related to music. Well, there are quite a few based the theme of music. Those promising to get the best singing talents from inside the country. Those promising to get the best dancing talents that stay hidden for various reasons. And of course, those promising to bring out the best comic stars to the limelight. In all such shows, the focus is as much on the participants as on the jury. True, the SMS polls or campaigns are something that decides the fate of the true talents — something that irritates me the most! But that’s hardly reason enough to change the way the show producers think.

Invariably, each of those shows has got a few renowned people on the dais to judge the performance of the contestants. I have got something to say about the way these judges on behave. There are a few who behave quite maturely, especially, in the way they reject the contestants after watching their performance diligently, judging them thoroughly objectively. They understand what would be going on in their mind after losing a fair chance to get closer to their dreams. They pick soothing words that pacify the performer’s emotions for the failed attempts or lost opportunities. Through their body language and tone of their voice, they convey a subtle message that a better opportunity is awaiting them somewhere, or they need to wait a bit more till they take this step towards their dream. Many a time, they openly acknowledge that the performance could have been much better but that was perhaps not ‘their day’.

And there are a second lot. Those who boo the contestants from the moment they perceive that they are not the ones the show is looking for. They make fun of them. They embarrass them in many ways. Those contestants who are not sure whether they can get another chance or those who are inventing their shortcut to success start pleading for another chance, then and there. Chance, they do not get; rather, lose their self-dignity in front of the camera. The heartless men in chair laugh their way out till the poor contestants make their way to exit.

I wonder what the second lot of judges would lose if they behave the way first lot does! Perhaps, there won’t be a distinction between good and bad.

Fraility, thy name is 'politician'!

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 14:28:00 +0000

The nation now bleeds for a few (scoundrels?) who claim to reform the system by owning up violence and spreading hatred. Every other day, they kill people. Widow newly married brides. Orphan children even before they see the world. Create unrest among the people struggling to make both ends meet. Yet, the government, so callous it has grown into, so anesthetic it has become, waits to wake up next. Only to go to a slumber yet again. Whither are we heading? A hand-count few, dwelling amidst us, are terrorizing us every now and then. And we cease to take action... Then why think of succeeding against the infiltrators across the borders? All mayhem!

Frailty, thy name is 'politician'!

On 'Smruti'

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:33:00 +0000

I wish I could scribble a few lines as this! I know that’s beyond me, but my bunny does have the pleasure in doing that often. She writes in our own language i.e. Odia. She got this published at AmeOdia. I know it’s difficult to find the exact English equivalent to the Odia words she used, but I have tried my best to keep the thoughts expressed as close to the original as possible. Happy reading!

Sweet Remembrance

The friend of lonely times
The scorching heat of summer
The feel of the moonlit nights
The colorful butterflies in the Spring
The cuckoo’s melodious coo-coos
The secret love of a virgin girl
The flickering flames in a wintry evening
The charming smell of the soil after first Autumn rains
The first love letter of the beloved
The fading glory of the royal clan
The amazing pace of the wild stream
The bridal wear of a newly wed
The pearls out of the shells in the seashore
The pearl-like dew drops on the lotus leaves
The murals on the mud walls

Coconut peels to Safix

noreply@blogger.com (Arru) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:53:00 +0000

Come to my village. You’ll get to see coconut trees in good number. Almost every family has a couple of them. The simple reason is that these trees are so very beneficial from all angles, economically, and usefulness-wise too. Moreover, coconut as a fruit is considered sacred. Again, people get oil out of it. They use the coconut leaves for different purposes. In fact, there is hardly any part of these trees that goes waste or remains unused. If I can recall correctly what I read somewhere, two fruit-bearing coconut trees can provide sufficient fuel for a small family for over a month. Those unaware would wonder. Well, I have drifted so far away from narrating what I intended to that now it seems as though I am writing an essay on the usefulness of the coconut trees. But that’s not the intent at all. What is it then?

Well, on my last visit to the Spencer’s, I chanced upon a new brand of scrub pad (used to wash utensils). I often go for the popular brand Scotch Brite and have no plans to switch over to anything else so soon. But this new brand Safix is BIODEGRADABLE and COMPOSTABLE as the label over the cover says. And these two tags come with a price. Yet the price to me seemed pretty high, especially after I had a close look at the thing. When the one I go for costs me some 10 bucks, the Safix one is priced at 23 bucks. To my wonder, the prime product that is used to prepare the pad is the peels out of a dry coconut ... which people of my village use daily for washing their dishes. That to me showed another facet of hypocrisy that the city-dwellers so proudly own up for themselves.