Steps I have taken so far to distance myself and my family away from plastics:
1. Replaced the of plastic containers used to store spices and condiments with glass
2. Stopped using all Melamine plastic kitchenware / tableware
3. Start looking at stainless steel and wood kitchenware with high respect
4. Stopped using fiber cutting board
5. Stopped buying pickles/sauces that come in plastic containers.
More to follow.
Besides this, our family took a collective decision not to buy the microwave oven.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Escape from BPA
The western world has discovered that most plastic containers are hazardous (some of them in use for decades now). The primary devil is BPA (bisphenol A) that is being associated with a wide variety of serious health problems like breast cancer, prostate cancer, Type 2 diabetes, early onset of puberty in girls, obesity, and neuro-behavioural problems such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders.
We in India are going crazy about plastic and its various avatars. There is just one positive thought I have - It is easier for us to switch to safer alternatives as the amount of plastic that we use today is lesser compared to the west.
greenlivingonline.com has a comprehensive article about BPA and ways to escape from it. If you are serious about your and your family's health, minimize all other windows and go read it straight away.
12 protective steps for the dangers of BPA poisoning
We in India are going crazy about plastic and its various avatars. There is just one positive thought I have - It is easier for us to switch to safer alternatives as the amount of plastic that we use today is lesser compared to the west.
greenlivingonline.com has a comprehensive article about BPA and ways to escape from it. If you are serious about your and your family's health, minimize all other windows and go read it straight away.
12 protective steps for the dangers of BPA poisoning
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
All Plastic is Evil
All plastic is chemical. This includes Tupperware. Which chemical is good and which is bad are very difficult questions to answer even for experts. Most 'experts' have commercial interests.
Tupperware is among the best tested (and marketed) food quality plastics 'today'. No one knows what lab tests and 'real tests on consumers' might reveal in a few decades. The intent of this blog post is to "prove all plastic is bad for use with food". Tupperware is discussed here because it is popularly thought as the 'safest'. I do not have anything against the company and appreciate the openness in the FAQs in Tupperware website, which acknowledges the use of "bisphenol A" in their products.
Thanks to Tupperware for this statement:
"As we have the highest regard and concern for the safety of our consumers, however, we will continue to closely monitor this scientific debate and conduct our own research into the best materials for use in Tupperware products."
This means we are guinea pigs. We are living in the cool lab of consumerism. All this is shocking to me is because, I went purely by the hype around Tupperware. I thought since it is expensive, it must be safe. How foolish I have been.
"bisphenol A" is a chemical in most plastics including some Tupperware as acknowledged by them in their website .Wikipedia says this chemical is an endocrine disruptor and can play with your hormones.
'Safety standards' are only 'evolving' guidelines and most probably have commercial bias. The 'safest plastic' may be proved to be hazardous after 10 years from now. That might be too late for you. The point I am trying to make is not just about bisphenol A in Tupperware, but about the whole idea of using chemicals with food.
Special thanks to Vignesh for asking that question in the comment in my earlier post, which urged me to find these facts out. btw, does anybody know the chemical effects of my hot Sambar's tartaric acid on bisphenol A ?
Tupperware is among the best tested (and marketed) food quality plastics 'today'. No one knows what lab tests and 'real tests on consumers' might reveal in a few decades. The intent of this blog post is to "prove all plastic is bad for use with food". Tupperware is discussed here because it is popularly thought as the 'safest'. I do not have anything against the company and appreciate the openness in the FAQs in Tupperware website, which acknowledges the use of "bisphenol A" in their products.
Thanks to Tupperware for this statement:
"As we have the highest regard and concern for the safety of our consumers, however, we will continue to closely monitor this scientific debate and conduct our own research into the best materials for use in Tupperware products."
This means we are guinea pigs. We are living in the cool lab of consumerism. All this is shocking to me is because, I went purely by the hype around Tupperware. I thought since it is expensive, it must be safe. How foolish I have been.
"bisphenol A" is a chemical in most plastics including some Tupperware as acknowledged by them in their website .Wikipedia says this chemical is an endocrine disruptor and can play with your hormones.
'Safety standards' are only 'evolving' guidelines and most probably have commercial bias. The 'safest plastic' may be proved to be hazardous after 10 years from now. That might be too late for you. The point I am trying to make is not just about bisphenol A in Tupperware, but about the whole idea of using chemicals with food.
Special thanks to Vignesh for asking that question in the comment in my earlier post, which urged me to find these facts out. btw, does anybody know the chemical effects of my hot Sambar's tartaric acid on bisphenol A ?
Monday, May 05, 2008
Killing Plastics
Kill plastics before they kill you.
Of late, I have been caught in a grip of fear about what the innumerable plastic containers and wrappers might do to me and my descendants. I am so afraid that I am starting to make a switch to non-plastics especially for use with food.
Some good articles which I am using as kick starts:
Alternatives to Plastic - PAUL GOETTLICH
It’s Your Choice
In my immediate plans are to junk my expensive Tupperware lunch set. I will use it for storing non-food items for the time being. The replacement would be good old stainless steel.
I will write a follow-up post after a couple of months or so about the changes that I will have made by then. I would be extremely grateful if you can participate in my journey to the land of Non Plastica. Post your ideas as comments in my blog. Email me with whatever information you have. We need to find ways to avoid plastics in the context of an Indian kitchen.
Of late, I have been caught in a grip of fear about what the innumerable plastic containers and wrappers might do to me and my descendants. I am so afraid that I am starting to make a switch to non-plastics especially for use with food.
Some good articles which I am using as kick starts:
Alternatives to Plastic - PAUL GOETTLICH
It’s Your Choice
In my immediate plans are to junk my expensive Tupperware lunch set. I will use it for storing non-food items for the time being. The replacement would be good old stainless steel.
I will write a follow-up post after a couple of months or so about the changes that I will have made by then. I would be extremely grateful if you can participate in my journey to the land of Non Plastica. Post your ideas as comments in my blog. Email me with whatever information you have. We need to find ways to avoid plastics in the context of an Indian kitchen.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Ur'bane' ?
Are we addicted to urban life ?
Are n't hours of daily commuting to office in hellish traffic reason enough to move back to small towns ?
Are n't cities killing the earth ? Is n't your city life killing your natural state of being ?
But town life is so slow moving... It lacks energy... The world looks so small there...
When the world 'outside' you becomes uncomplicated, the world 'inside' you gets a chance to bloom.
OK, let me go back to the world that I created a few minutes back... Listening to New Age music(from www.shoutcast.com) while reading about Ancient Religious Myths(links work in Internet Explorer).
Are n't hours of daily commuting to office in hellish traffic reason enough to move back to small towns ?
Are n't cities killing the earth ? Is n't your city life killing your natural state of being ?
But town life is so slow moving... It lacks energy... The world looks so small there...
When the world 'outside' you becomes uncomplicated, the world 'inside' you gets a chance to bloom.
OK, let me go back to the world that I created a few minutes back... Listening to New Age music(from www.shoutcast.com) while reading about Ancient Religious Myths(links work in Internet Explorer).
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Compare
My wife hated my red shoulder bag that I used to carry to office. I always agreed with her that it does not look so great, but sheer laziness prevented me from buying a new bag even after it tore partially, because of the heavy library books that I carried in it(which I usually don't manage to read).
Finally on a spending-spree-evening, we set out to buy a new bag. I found a decent one. My wife was happy mainly because it was not red.
The next morning to office was interesting in the sense that I discovered some new things about my own mind. My eyes started scanning the shoulder bags of my colleagues and other people in my office campus ! My mind started comparing the colors, looks, features. A faint whiff of discontent passed me.
I always believed comparison is bad. Especially for trivial things. How easy is it for the mind to take roads that the intellect does not like ! Talking about comparison, I think a major part of the stress that we swallow in modern times is because of comparisons that we unknowingly make with people and their possessions around us.
Comparison coupled with greed is evil.
Finally on a spending-spree-evening, we set out to buy a new bag. I found a decent one. My wife was happy mainly because it was not red.
The next morning to office was interesting in the sense that I discovered some new things about my own mind. My eyes started scanning the shoulder bags of my colleagues and other people in my office campus ! My mind started comparing the colors, looks, features. A faint whiff of discontent passed me.
I always believed comparison is bad. Especially for trivial things. How easy is it for the mind to take roads that the intellect does not like ! Talking about comparison, I think a major part of the stress that we swallow in modern times is because of comparisons that we unknowingly make with people and their possessions around us.
Comparison coupled with greed is evil.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Earth Easy
"Ideas for environmentally sustainable living"
"With every activity of our daily lives, we connect with the interdependent web of life on Earth. The health of our environment is a reflection of the choices we make."
What a beautiful thought. It comes from the creators of the website called eartheasy.com. I am very impressed with the ideas that I read in this website.
From the "About Us" page of the website:
Eartheasy strives to:
...~ help us reduce our impact on the earth's resources
...~ help reduce our contribution to global warming
...~ bring more simplicity to our lives
...~ bring us closer to nature
May mankind evolve beautifully.
"With every activity of our daily lives, we connect with the interdependent web of life on Earth. The health of our environment is a reflection of the choices we make."
What a beautiful thought. It comes from the creators of the website called eartheasy.com. I am very impressed with the ideas that I read in this website.
From the "About Us" page of the website:
Eartheasy strives to:
...~ help us reduce our impact on the earth's resources
...~ help reduce our contribution to global warming
...~ bring more simplicity to our lives
...~ bring us closer to nature
May mankind evolve beautifully.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
aparigraha
Can the ancient concept of 'aparigraha' help an overpopulated developing country like India ?
'aparigraha' (अपरिग्रह) means non-possessiveness. The term usually means to limit possessions to what is necessary or important. The Yogic and Jain traditions have this concept.
A country of 1 billion can never become prosperous by managing to provide a luxury car to every family. We need algorithms totally different from a country like USA to attain prosperity. Karthick ponders on similar lines.
Optimal use of resources is the need of the hour.
But, the first step is to stop imitating the west like a monkey.
Happiness is often wrongly tied to the possession of things.
'aparigraha' (अपरिग्रह) means non-possessiveness. The term usually means to limit possessions to what is necessary or important. The Yogic and Jain traditions have this concept.
A country of 1 billion can never become prosperous by managing to provide a luxury car to every family. We need algorithms totally different from a country like USA to attain prosperity. Karthick ponders on similar lines.
Optimal use of resources is the need of the hour.
But, the first step is to stop imitating the west like a monkey.
Happiness is often wrongly tied to the possession of things.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Time and Tide
Why do hours seem like minutes while I spend time with family and friends ?
Why do 10 minutes seem like eternity while I download software from the internet ?
What is time ? Does it matter ?
Do watches turn us into robots ?
What if nobody had watches ?
The pondering continues...
Why do 10 minutes seem like eternity while I download software from the internet ?
What is time ? Does it matter ?
Do watches turn us into robots ?
What if nobody had watches ?
The pondering continues...
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Burning Money
Burning money is a popular hobby.
Go to an average restaurant in Bangalore. There, money cannot buy happiness. Not even good food or a decent service. The only guarantee is that you can burn money at a pretty decent rate.
There are faster, more stylish ways of burning money. PVR Gold Class. Pizza Hut. Amoeba Game parlour. I found a slower, elegant way to burn money. Use match sticks.
Luxury cannot be avoided in a society. But of late, people who spend in such ways come from the large middle class segment of the society.
Just think about it. For a good dinner with friends, do you spend 2 days of your monthly salary ? How often do you go for such a dinner ? Are you burning money ?
Money has become the most preferred medium to express one's friendship, love, respect and all kinds of emotions to other human beings. Gifts and treats are all about money. Reason - No time to spend, only money.
Skewed evolution of human society.
If you have no better hobby, start one soon. And see the difference.
Go to an average restaurant in Bangalore. There, money cannot buy happiness. Not even good food or a decent service. The only guarantee is that you can burn money at a pretty decent rate.
There are faster, more stylish ways of burning money. PVR Gold Class. Pizza Hut. Amoeba Game parlour. I found a slower, elegant way to burn money. Use match sticks.
Luxury cannot be avoided in a society. But of late, people who spend in such ways come from the large middle class segment of the society.
Just think about it. For a good dinner with friends, do you spend 2 days of your monthly salary ? How often do you go for such a dinner ? Are you burning money ?
Money has become the most preferred medium to express one's friendship, love, respect and all kinds of emotions to other human beings. Gifts and treats are all about money. Reason - No time to spend, only money.
Skewed evolution of human society.
If you have no better hobby, start one soon. And see the difference.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Thanking Sanskrit
Sanskrit is one of the most important things that binds us as a nation. After millenia, Sanskrit continues to inspire us in many big and small ways.
For example, when you think of naming your child, you almost certainly look for Sanskrit names - beautiful ones. There is no other language in the world which has so many meaningful, yet beautiful names.
Another example - Most literary works in Indian languages are generously soaked with beautiful Sanskrit vocabulary. Even movie song lyrics are routinely enriched by words of Sanskrit origin.
Another example - A majority of Indian contribution to Science, Mathematics, Philosophy etc. has been in Sanskrit.
Another example - International impact. Words like yoga and karma are now in English dictionary. These are ideas that people all over the world are embracing in today's increasingly money-driven world. Unfortunately, we are unable to read and understand the original Sanskrit texts that explore these ideas.
One can think of more such examples... Sanskrit lives on. In the background of our lives. In subtle ways. It is not our Lingua Franca any more, but it is still very much alive in the fabric of our life and culture.
Unfortunately, many modern Indians identify Sanskrit with just religion This mindset needs to change. What can we do to keep alive such an important aspect of our culture that took millenia to evolve ?
1. Realize that our lives are still enriched by Sanskrit, whether we are conscious of it or not.
2. Sanskrit needs our support to survive. If we ignore our cultural aspects like Sanskrit, our descendants might curse us for having lost our identity for the sake of materialistic pursuits. Like the people of some unfortunate African nations - Western in names and outlook but still poor and backward - the sad price of losing one's identity.
4. We are all busy. As a small step, we can associate ourselves with Samskrita Bharati - an organization that has done wonderful things to spread awareness about Sanskrit. We can support them financially and with our time.5. We can also take up spoken/written Sanskrit courses from Samskrita Bharati and participate in the events they organize. It would be great if our youngster community can produce Sanskrit teachers.
If you wish to contribute something to Sanskrit for the good things that it has given us, please contact me at coolkrishnan at gmail dot com / 98800 46941. I live in Bangalore.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Plan or Flow ?
At many points in my life, I face the dilemma to choose between the two paths:
1. Go with the plan
2. Go with the flow
Choosing the first one makes me feel in control of my life. It boosts my ego and creates a certain pride inside me.
But sometimes, the second one feels just perfect. Then I listen to my heart instead of my brain. This fills my soul with a feeling of relaxation.
Whether I choose the plan or the flow, the words of Robert Frost never cease to inspire me:
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
1. Go with the plan
2. Go with the flow
Choosing the first one makes me feel in control of my life. It boosts my ego and creates a certain pride inside me.
But sometimes, the second one feels just perfect. Then I listen to my heart instead of my brain. This fills my soul with a feeling of relaxation.
Whether I choose the plan or the flow, the words of Robert Frost never cease to inspire me:
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
Friday, March 23, 2007
Dream Divine
I was strolling by the river Life.
Watching little waves arrive.
Full of wonder.
At its every meander.
Enjoying the breeze.
Savouring the peace.
All was soothing.
But, missing was something.
Ah! an angel rose.
She smiled like a rose.
Spoke like a gushing stream.
Swept me away in a dream.
Watching little waves arrive.
Full of wonder.
At its every meander.
Enjoying the breeze.
Savouring the peace.
All was soothing.
But, missing was something.
Ah! an angel rose.
She smiled like a rose.
Spoke like a gushing stream.
Swept me away in a dream.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Slow Down
Slow... slow...
Gobbling down breakfast.
Scurrying to the meeting.
Pressing Alt+Tab on your PC keyboard.
Squeezing through the insane crowd at the Shiva Temple on the day of Maha Shivaratri.
Murdering the accelerator of your car/two-wheeler when the traffic light goes from green to yellow.
Incessant channel surfing on your TV.
Chewing up all the news and olds from newspapers and magazines.
Ruthlessly 'planning' your career all the way up to death.
Your stressful thinking.
What are you doing with your life ?
Take a deeeep b r e a t h . . . .
R e l a x !
Gobbling down breakfast.
Scurrying to the meeting.
Pressing Alt+Tab on your PC keyboard.
Squeezing through the insane crowd at the Shiva Temple on the day of Maha Shivaratri.
Murdering the accelerator of your car/two-wheeler when the traffic light goes from green to yellow.
Incessant channel surfing on your TV.
Chewing up all the news and olds from newspapers and magazines.
Ruthlessly 'planning' your career all the way up to death.
Your stressful thinking.
What are you doing with your life ?
Take a deeeep b r e a t h . . . .
R e l a x !
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Idli Divine
5 Idlies
A dash of sesame oil
A shower of Sambar
Toppings of Keerai Koottu
Some fresh curd
Invention of this millennium
One of my crazy experiments....
Please don't take this as a prescription. Just a direction.
Please experiment on your own. Break the routine !
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Black Black Eyes
கறு கறு விழிகளால் ஒரு கண்மை என்னை கடத்துதே
ததும்பிட ததும்பிட சி று அமுதம் என்னை குடிக்குதே
இரவினில் உறங்கயில் என் தூக்கம் என்னை எழுப்புதே
எழுந்திட நினைக்கயில் ஒரு மின்னல் வந்து சாய்க்க
நீ ! ஒரு மல்லிச்சரமே
நீ ! இலை சிந்தும் மரமே
என் ! புது வெள்ளிக்குடமே
உன்னைத்தேடும் கண்கள் !
......
Poetry ! How it touches me sometimes ! A few lines from the song 'Karu Karu Vizhigal' from the new movie Pachaikili Muthucharam that really tossed me over is what you read just now if you were lucky to know to read Tamil and the text rendered correctly in your browser. For those who did not, sorry !
தாமரை இலை நீர் நீ தானா ?
கனியொரு அன்றில் நீ தானா ?
புயல் தரும் தென்றல் நீ தானா ?
புதயல் நீ தானா ?
......
The music too has decorated the lyrics beautifully.
I wish I could write Tamil poetry.
ததும்பிட ததும்பிட சி று அமுதம் என்னை குடிக்குதே
இரவினில் உறங்கயில் என் தூக்கம் என்னை எழுப்புதே
எழுந்திட நினைக்கயில் ஒரு மின்னல் வந்து சாய்க்க
நீ ! ஒரு மல்லிச்சரமே
நீ ! இலை சிந்தும் மரமே
என் ! புது வெள்ளிக்குடமே
உன்னைத்தேடும் கண்கள் !
......
Poetry ! How it touches me sometimes ! A few lines from the song 'Karu Karu Vizhigal' from the new movie Pachaikili Muthucharam that really tossed me over is what you read just now if you were lucky to know to read Tamil and the text rendered correctly in your browser. For those who did not, sorry !
தாமரை இலை நீர் நீ தானா ?
கனியொரு அன்றில் நீ தானா ?
புயல் தரும் தென்றல் நீ தானா ?
புதயல் நீ தானா ?
......
The music too has decorated the lyrics beautifully.
I wish I could write Tamil poetry.
Happy Fly
Happiness is a butterfly. If you chase it, it will keep flying away.
But if you sit quietly without thinking about it, you will be pleasantly surprised to find it sitting on your shoulder !
But if you sit quietly without thinking about it, you will be pleasantly surprised to find it sitting on your shoulder !
Friday, December 29, 2006
New Smile
शुभ नूतन सम्वत्सर: !
May this new year shower you with overwhelming joy !
புது வருடம் மகிழ்ச்சி வெள்ளத்தால் உங்களை மூழ்கடிக்கட்டும் !
नया साल में आप आनन्द में भीग जाएं !
May this new year shower you with overwhelming joy !
புது வருடம் மகிழ்ச்சி வெள்ளத்தால் உங்களை மூழ்கடிக்கட்டும் !
नया साल में आप आनन्द में भीग जाएं !
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Keep rocking, Tamil !
When Tamil Nadu Government announced tax exemption for Tamil movies with Tamil titles, I did not feel bad. This act was different from the usual Tamil-fanatic acts that the ruling party is known for.
I was never amused by titles like 'Jeans', 'New', 'Run' etc. in the past. An occasional English name that is relevant to the movie's theme was ok, but a sudden surge of English names for Tamil movies was a plain marketing gimmick. After the announcement, this trend has almost disappeared ! I like innovative Tamil names like 'vETTayADu viLayADu', 'Ayutha ezhuththu', 'kAkka kAkka' etc.
These small acts will go a long way in saving the language from getting wiped out by socio-political environment of the country. I might sound backward, but I really marvel at Chennai that has been in the forefront of development while laughing at 'Hindi-only' speakers of the country.
Go to Mumbai - you cannot hear Marathi. Go to Bangalooru - you can survive without knowing Kannada. Go to Chennai - In one year, you WILL learn Tamil ! I don't find this to be rude. I equate it to Japan where you cannot live without knowing Japanese.
I agree that patriotism takes priority over one's language, but neglecting a 2000+ year old language for the sake of a 50 year old nation is stupidity, mildly put. A language cannot live on its own. It needs great poets and poetry lovers. It needs great personalities who speak it proudly. It needs native speakers who are proud of it. It needs the socio-political conditions to be favorable too.
Christianity would never have survived more than a couple of centuries without the political support of Rome. English is all over the world not because of just Shakespeare, but mainly because of the gun power of Britain in the last few centuries and the power of the US today.
Tamil lives on, thanks to its passionate native speakers.
I was never amused by titles like 'Jeans', 'New', 'Run' etc. in the past. An occasional English name that is relevant to the movie's theme was ok, but a sudden surge of English names for Tamil movies was a plain marketing gimmick. After the announcement, this trend has almost disappeared ! I like innovative Tamil names like 'vETTayADu viLayADu', 'Ayutha ezhuththu', 'kAkka kAkka' etc.
These small acts will go a long way in saving the language from getting wiped out by socio-political environment of the country. I might sound backward, but I really marvel at Chennai that has been in the forefront of development while laughing at 'Hindi-only' speakers of the country.
Go to Mumbai - you cannot hear Marathi. Go to Bangalooru - you can survive without knowing Kannada. Go to Chennai - In one year, you WILL learn Tamil ! I don't find this to be rude. I equate it to Japan where you cannot live without knowing Japanese.
I agree that patriotism takes priority over one's language, but neglecting a 2000+ year old language for the sake of a 50 year old nation is stupidity, mildly put. A language cannot live on its own. It needs great poets and poetry lovers. It needs great personalities who speak it proudly. It needs native speakers who are proud of it. It needs the socio-political conditions to be favorable too.
Christianity would never have survived more than a couple of centuries without the political support of Rome. English is all over the world not because of just Shakespeare, but mainly because of the gun power of Britain in the last few centuries and the power of the US today.
Tamil lives on, thanks to its passionate native speakers.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Insane Evening
I and my friend Deva went out for Dinner 3 days back. What happened was strangely funny.
'Pizza Hut' in CMH Road. We were feeling clever to have chosen the un-crowded 7.45 pm time. Lots of empty tables gave us a very un-bangalorish feeling.
We started ordering: "Tomato n Basil Soup - One by Two."
The waiter said: "Sir, I will give you one soup and an empty bowl."
Deva jumped: "What ? Why can't you divide the soup in 2 bowls ?"
"Sir, our manager has instructed me to do so."
"We have had a proper one-by-two here before."
"Not anymore sir. Everybody is asking one-by-two. That is why..."
The waiter said: "Sir, I will give you one soup and an empty bowl."
Deva jumped: "What ? Why can't you divide the soup in 2 bowls ?"
"Sir, our manager has instructed me to do so."
"We have had a proper one-by-two here before."
"Not anymore sir. Everybody is asking one-by-two. That is why..."
Deva was exploding now. He started questioning the customer service of the place and stuff. The waiter did not agree. Deva decidedly said: "Dei, let us go somewhere else."
We left the place with half-anger half-grin and headed for MG-Brigade.
We left the place with half-anger half-grin and headed for MG-Brigade.
'Three-Quarter-Chinese'. The receptionist offered us a table at the entrance of the restaurant, which felt like a side-upper berth in a train.
"No, we want a better table"
"Sir, can you please wait for sometime ?"
"No, thanks"
"No, we want a better table"
"Sir, can you please wait for sometime ?"
"No, thanks"
'Dalia- Japanese Cuisine'. We were so eager to taste the food of the land of rising sun. Both of us being vegetarians, the menu teased us to death - Most of the items were marked as non-veg. Some were even marked as veg+non-veg ! Of course there was a tiny percentage of veg items, but by then we started wondering how the Japanese might define 'veg' ! We left the place grinning at the waitress who failed to promise us a dish without any citizens of the Animal kingdom in it.
'Tangerine'. We wondered why this restaurant was located in such a secretive place. No wonder there were n't too many people eating there. Buffet. Looked tasty. We agreed to eat, but not before enquiring about the wallet factor. 250 Rupees seemed too much for the number of dishes, but the thought of finding a fifth restaurant quickly fixed us in the trap. Never in my life had I eaten a buffet which had no hot dishes like this one. Cold they were all - Pulav, curries, spaghetti. The quiet ambience was the only consolation, that was obviously because of a stupid location and mediocre food.
Is there a restaurant that serves decent food and has good service and is not too crowded and that does not vaporize my credit card ? I can hear Bangalooru shouting : "Get out from me !"
Monday, December 11, 2006
Ordinary Life
Most of us try hard to remain ordinary throughout our lives.
Every facet of our lives is plagued by ordinariness. We often fear that we might become different during the course of life. We try everything to prevent it from happening.
We make sure that we wear the leading brand of Jeans (If we can afford it).
We listen to the top 20 songs in the music channel. And believe that they are the best songs and try hard to 'like' them.
We eat Rasam Rice with a spoon in the office cafeteria so that others do n't think that we are not modern enough. Others too eat it with spoon and they too are thinking the same !
We yearn to buy that cool car the moment we know we might be able to afford it. What if somebody asks us : "Hey, you are a software professional for so many years. No car yet ?" So we buy the car partly to kill that question.
We read business magazines to make sure we don't lag behind our colleagues and friends.
We go to Adyar Anand Bhavan because everybody else goes there. How can we miss something that everyone else thinks to be good ? Long waiting time at the counter, no place to sit. So what ?
We go to Shabari Mala because everybody else thinks it is a good way to earn Positive Karma in 41 days. We too think so because we are afraid to think differently.
A certain amount of uniformity in our thoughts is required to keep the society from collapsing, but sometimes we go overboard - like a set of computer game characters with programmed lives.
Every facet of our lives is plagued by ordinariness. We often fear that we might become different during the course of life. We try everything to prevent it from happening.
We make sure that we wear the leading brand of Jeans (If we can afford it).
We listen to the top 20 songs in the music channel. And believe that they are the best songs and try hard to 'like' them.
We eat Rasam Rice with a spoon in the office cafeteria so that others do n't think that we are not modern enough. Others too eat it with spoon and they too are thinking the same !
We yearn to buy that cool car the moment we know we might be able to afford it. What if somebody asks us : "Hey, you are a software professional for so many years. No car yet ?" So we buy the car partly to kill that question.
We read business magazines to make sure we don't lag behind our colleagues and friends.
We go to Adyar Anand Bhavan because everybody else goes there. How can we miss something that everyone else thinks to be good ? Long waiting time at the counter, no place to sit. So what ?
We go to Shabari Mala because everybody else thinks it is a good way to earn Positive Karma in 41 days. We too think so because we are afraid to think differently.
A certain amount of uniformity in our thoughts is required to keep the society from collapsing, but sometimes we go overboard - like a set of computer game characters with programmed lives.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Black Dot
A beautiful new white shirt - with a tiny black dot on it near the collar.
The first thing that one would say on seeing the shirt will be:
"That black dot has spoiled the shirt"
That is how most of us view life. One small imperfection is sufficient to make us eternally unhappy. We cling to a few imperfections and ignore all the beautiful things that we are blessed with.
We keep worrying about a few tiny black dots. Till we die.
Did nature design us to be worriers ?
Or is it nature's way to put a few imperfections in everyone's life so that the world is not full of 'ordinary' people ?
The first thing that one would say on seeing the shirt will be:
"That black dot has spoiled the shirt"
That is how most of us view life. One small imperfection is sufficient to make us eternally unhappy. We cling to a few imperfections and ignore all the beautiful things that we are blessed with.
We keep worrying about a few tiny black dots. Till we die.
Did nature design us to be worriers ?
Or is it nature's way to put a few imperfections in everyone's life so that the world is not full of 'ordinary' people ?
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Bhel Puri Wisdom
When I was a kid, I used to love spicy food. I did not like too much of sweet stuff then. It wonders me that these days I have developed a better liking for sweet food and am slowly moving away from spicy food.
I do not know the exact reason, but I like to believe that I have had too much of spicy food and hence nature is asking me to change my ways before I cause damage to my body. I like the idea of 'going with the flow of nature'. The trees sway in the direction of the wind. They never rationalize. And I guess they are pretty fine too.
Adyar Anand Bhavan Bhel Puri is usually a bit spicy for me. The first few spoonfuls are really exciting, but it soon turns out to be too spicy for the tongue to truly savor. I wondered if it is only me or the Bhel Puri is really spicy.
Recently, I went for a walk on a beautiful Sunday evening. Rain had just stopped. The air was pure. Bangalore was at its best. I visited the Deenabandhu Temple in CMH Road. The Vedic chanting and the serenity of the place relaxed me very much. I continued walking in CMH road with Norah Jones crooning through the earphones of my MP3 player.
I reached Adyar Anand Bhavan and decided to stop for a snack. I bought a plate of Bhel Puri. Norah's Voice was shielding me from the noisy restaurant environment. I took the first spoonful. What a shock it was ! It felt like a spoonful of needles. I tried to ignore the feeling, but stopped after taking a few more spoonfuls.
Realization dawned. A highly relaxed mood was in great contrast with the spicy Bhel Puri. I still like Bhel Puri, but realize that most people fail to notice that it is sometimes too spicy to relish - because they are in a rush. The mad rush of modern life.
Tongue-burning Spicy food. Deafening music. Aggressive corporate culture. Dil maange more ?
I do not know the exact reason, but I like to believe that I have had too much of spicy food and hence nature is asking me to change my ways before I cause damage to my body. I like the idea of 'going with the flow of nature'. The trees sway in the direction of the wind. They never rationalize. And I guess they are pretty fine too.
Adyar Anand Bhavan Bhel Puri is usually a bit spicy for me. The first few spoonfuls are really exciting, but it soon turns out to be too spicy for the tongue to truly savor. I wondered if it is only me or the Bhel Puri is really spicy.
Recently, I went for a walk on a beautiful Sunday evening. Rain had just stopped. The air was pure. Bangalore was at its best. I visited the Deenabandhu Temple in CMH Road. The Vedic chanting and the serenity of the place relaxed me very much. I continued walking in CMH road with Norah Jones crooning through the earphones of my MP3 player.
I reached Adyar Anand Bhavan and decided to stop for a snack. I bought a plate of Bhel Puri. Norah's Voice was shielding me from the noisy restaurant environment. I took the first spoonful. What a shock it was ! It felt like a spoonful of needles. I tried to ignore the feeling, but stopped after taking a few more spoonfuls.
Realization dawned. A highly relaxed mood was in great contrast with the spicy Bhel Puri. I still like Bhel Puri, but realize that most people fail to notice that it is sometimes too spicy to relish - because they are in a rush. The mad rush of modern life.
Tongue-burning Spicy food. Deafening music. Aggressive corporate culture. Dil maange more ?
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Sundaram Samskritam
"The Sanskrit language is of a wonderful structure, more perfect than Greek, more copious than the Latin, and more exquisitely refined than either"
- Sir William Jones, Third Address to the Asiatick Society of Bengal
It is very unfortunate that most Indians lack the knowledge of Sanskrit - That means we have a big chest of treasure, but do not have the key to open it :(
A huge amount of literature full of wisdom, exquisite poetry and science is inaccessible to us.
Though my knowledge of Sanskrit is just the tip of the iceberg, typing in Sanskrit, printing out verses of wisdom, etc have been my wishes for quite a long time.
Like Kuralsoft quenched my thirst of Tamil computing, Baraha was the end of my search for a good Sanskrit software, This was created by a gentleman called Sheshadrivasu Chandrasekharan. He started with Kannada - with an aim of sending emails to his mother who did not read English. It was then extended to other Indian languages too. Though some Sanskrit experts say that certain complex consonant combinations are not supported well by Baraha, it suits most of my Sanskrit typing needs.
Baraha integrates nicely with standard Windows Apps like MS Office. It has a transliteration scheme that allows you to type using the standard English keyboard.
Baraha can be downloaded for free here.
- Sir William Jones, Third Address to the Asiatick Society of Bengal
It is very unfortunate that most Indians lack the knowledge of Sanskrit - That means we have a big chest of treasure, but do not have the key to open it :(
A huge amount of literature full of wisdom, exquisite poetry and science is inaccessible to us.
Though my knowledge of Sanskrit is just the tip of the iceberg, typing in Sanskrit, printing out verses of wisdom, etc have been my wishes for quite a long time.
Like Kuralsoft quenched my thirst of Tamil computing, Baraha was the end of my search for a good Sanskrit software, This was created by a gentleman called Sheshadrivasu Chandrasekharan. He started with Kannada - with an aim of sending emails to his mother who did not read English. It was then extended to other Indian languages too. Though some Sanskrit experts say that certain complex consonant combinations are not supported well by Baraha, it suits most of my Sanskrit typing needs.
Baraha integrates nicely with standard Windows Apps like MS Office. It has a transliteration scheme that allows you to type using the standard English keyboard.
Baraha can be downloaded for free here.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Unusual Week
My energy has been unusually high this week. Some unusual things I did:
- Tried (and succeeded partly) to stay consciously relaxed throughout my day - be it at office or home.
- Walked from office to home on 4 days of the week (more than 3 kms distance). My legs did not ache a bit. On Friday, I became more walk-hungry and hence did a round each inside 2 nearby parks before going home. I was a bit baffled when I found myself enjoying the process !
- Got a caprice to try out an interesting idea that sprung in my head, at work in the morning. Finished implementing it on the same evening, which I had thought would take longer.
- Cracked a couple of data structure problems with unusual ease, thanks to the new fresher in our team.
- Got up in the morning and decided to do something serious that I had n't planned at all. Anxiety shot up.
- During the day, I was involved in something that kept me anxious.
- What I had always thought to be my strength - let me down totally.
- Used auto rickshaw and walked very little. Now, its time to go to bed, my legs are aching !
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Tonnes of thought
Patience. Patience.
My mind is alien to this concept.
Restlessness. Hyperactiveness
They are good buddies of my mind.
Well, don't mistake me to be a hyperactive guy. I am among the laziest.
Its my 'mind' that I am talking about.
The constant chattering of the mind. Its judjemental nature. Its sentimental nature. Largely drives my life.
I want more control over my life. I want my mind to simply shut up when I ask it to.
I read this somewhere recently - 'An ounce of action is better than tonnes of thought'. I have promptly added this thought to my thought library. No action yet.
My mind is alien to this concept.
Restlessness. Hyperactiveness
They are good buddies of my mind.
Well, don't mistake me to be a hyperactive guy. I am among the laziest.
Its my 'mind' that I am talking about.
The constant chattering of the mind. Its judjemental nature. Its sentimental nature. Largely drives my life.
I want more control over my life. I want my mind to simply shut up when I ask it to.
I read this somewhere recently - 'An ounce of action is better than tonnes of thought'. I have promptly added this thought to my thought library. No action yet.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Customer Service sans Service
I get very irritated when I get unsolicited calls from Credit Card / Insurance companies offering their products.
The bad part is that they will not let you speak, but keep telling you how wonderful their product is.
The worse part is that they will not be able to answer basic questions in a sensible manner, and will conveniently hide the fine-print stuff.
The worst part is, the moment you agree to try their product, you are trapped. Then on, YOU have to call them 'n' times for simple things such as mispelt name on the card, unexpected charges etc.
"La La La...Please continue to hold the line. Our customer executives are having coffee. They will be with you in an hour...La La La..."
"Sir, You say that you have placed this request last week, but my computer screen does not show anything like that. It shows 'Flying Objects' screensaver now. I will take a fresh request now and make it high priority. Please call us again after a week. We will tell you the same story again. Is there anything else I can assist you with ? ..."
In software teminology, every rainy day test case will fail multiple times. It will pass after weeks/months, but by then you will be fully drenched.
I am going to collect the phone numbers of these free-credit-card-people and call them one by one. I will tell them this:
" Hello Ma'am,
I am calling from the Bangalore Electricity Board. Based on your excellant electricity usage, you have been chosen for a special gift from us.
The gift is a premium cat-mark-candle. You can use it for urgent light requirements when our services are temparorily down.
Please come to our office in Shivajinagar on 1st Sep 2006 between 10.00 am and 10.15 am to collect the same. Carry your PAN card, Passport and Voter's ID for our verification purposes.
Thank you. Have a nice day ! "
My friend, Gopi Chinnasamy triggered this idea in my mind. In fact, his ideas are far more explosive ! He has posted some nice photographs in his Flickr page.
The bad part is that they will not let you speak, but keep telling you how wonderful their product is.
The worse part is that they will not be able to answer basic questions in a sensible manner, and will conveniently hide the fine-print stuff.
The worst part is, the moment you agree to try their product, you are trapped. Then on, YOU have to call them 'n' times for simple things such as mispelt name on the card, unexpected charges etc.
"La La La...Please continue to hold the line. Our customer executives are having coffee. They will be with you in an hour...La La La..."
"Sir, You say that you have placed this request last week, but my computer screen does not show anything like that. It shows 'Flying Objects' screensaver now. I will take a fresh request now and make it high priority. Please call us again after a week. We will tell you the same story again. Is there anything else I can assist you with ? ..."
In software teminology, every rainy day test case will fail multiple times. It will pass after weeks/months, but by then you will be fully drenched.
I am going to collect the phone numbers of these free-credit-card-people and call them one by one. I will tell them this:
" Hello Ma'am,
I am calling from the Bangalore Electricity Board. Based on your excellant electricity usage, you have been chosen for a special gift from us.
The gift is a premium cat-mark-candle. You can use it for urgent light requirements when our services are temparorily down.
Please come to our office in Shivajinagar on 1st Sep 2006 between 10.00 am and 10.15 am to collect the same. Carry your PAN card, Passport and Voter's ID for our verification purposes.
Thank you. Have a nice day ! "
My friend, Gopi Chinnasamy triggered this idea in my mind. In fact, his ideas are far more explosive ! He has posted some nice photographs in his Flickr page.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Loving your Job
SWill I ever truly love my job ? Should I ?
Five years in the IT industry have made me realize that work is just work.
The fire that burned in my belly when I was a fresher is no more.
There was a time when I admired mere source code. Now that illusion has dissolved.
I get thoughts about making my favorite hobby my profession - Composing music, which is the most satisfying thing I have done in my life.
Practical difficulties aside, will a hobby remain enjoyable when it becomes a job ? Will it not change to an exhauster from being a rejuvenater ? Will creativity survive when deadlines loom ? In such a case, I will have to ensure that my creations are liked by others too, which is not necessary when it is just a hobby.
Similar thoughts have been blogged by Anjana.
But then, there are people like A R Rahman, who are like creativity-factories - delivering with a punch every time. Touching the fan's heart every time.
Probably, I should make living a hobby.
Five years in the IT industry have made me realize that work is just work.
The fire that burned in my belly when I was a fresher is no more.
There was a time when I admired mere source code. Now that illusion has dissolved.
I get thoughts about making my favorite hobby my profession - Composing music, which is the most satisfying thing I have done in my life.
Practical difficulties aside, will a hobby remain enjoyable when it becomes a job ? Will it not change to an exhauster from being a rejuvenater ? Will creativity survive when deadlines loom ? In such a case, I will have to ensure that my creations are liked by others too, which is not necessary when it is just a hobby.
Similar thoughts have been blogged by Anjana.
But then, there are people like A R Rahman, who are like creativity-factories - delivering with a punch every time. Touching the fan's heart every time.
Probably, I should make living a hobby.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Friends are Angels
I am my friends.
That is only slight exaggeration.
My friends influence my life very much. My interests, my ideas, my choices in life - all have been touched by my friends'. To me, friends are angels who are there to make me smile, who don't expect much in return, who make life a lot lighter than it is.
Friends are gifts from the divine. We don't realize this most of the time.
That is only slight exaggeration.
My friends influence my life very much. My interests, my ideas, my choices in life - all have been touched by my friends'. To me, friends are angels who are there to make me smile, who don't expect much in return, who make life a lot lighter than it is.
Friends are gifts from the divine. We don't realize this most of the time.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
I strain
Things I need to do.
Things I want to do.
Those I hate to do, but need to do.
Things I did right.
Those I did wrong.
What I think I am.
What others think I am.
What others think I think I am.
What I am.
What I want to change.
What I want to retain.
These thoughts.
flood my mind.
Always.
May I relax ?
May I forget myself ?
Please...
Things I want to do.
Those I hate to do, but need to do.
Things I did right.
Those I did wrong.
What I think I am.
What others think I am.
What others think I think I am.
What I am.
What I want to change.
What I want to retain.
These thoughts.
flood my mind.
Always.
May I relax ?
May I forget myself ?
Please...
Friday, June 09, 2006
How to name it ?
SModern Indian society is going through an interesting phase in the area of child-naming.
Suddenly realizing his/her global identity, the young Indian parent is breaking traditional conventions while naming his/her kid. Trying to find that perfect balance between modernity and tradition, he/she hopes to build a great brand for the offspring in the society.
Some seem to exercise creativity at dangerous levels when synthesising new names. Some seem to be fascinated by uncommon Sanskrit names. Some want to make sure that the name sounds cool in school, college, corporate, parties, international airports and the other side of the globe. Should I mention the numerology craze that garnishes the confusion ?
While taking too many factors into consideration, the cultural/geographic identity of the kid is sometimes lost in the process of naming. For example, the craze for chic Bollywood style names among some South Indians robs the Southern identity totally.
Anirudhdh. Beautiful name. Krishna's grandson in Mahabharata. But, who would imagine that this is the name of a Tamil kid ? Well, it is.
It is debatable whether we need to preserve regional identities within a nation. I think India's richness is largely its diversity. Each region has undergone cultural evolution over millenia. Trying to crudely mix them all in a big culture pot to create uniformity is outrageous.
An easy way to retain the Tamil/Mallu identity while picking up fascinating Sanskrit names is to suffix it with 'an'. Anirudhdhan ! Well that looks definiely Tamil/Mallu ! Does it sound old fashioned ? I pity those who consider their ancestors an inferior lot. For girl names, we don't have such an easy suffix algorithm, but there are plenty of Sanskrit names used predominantly by South Indians. Pure Tamil names are on a decline these days. A former colleague of mine was very thoughtful and mature when he was particular in giving a pure Tamil name to his daughter.
I am talking more about South Indian names because I am a South Indian who knows more about South India. I believe these things can be easily applied to other regions to India too.
I can't help but wonder at the name of my close friend - 'Devanathan Varadarajan'.
What A Punch !
Suddenly realizing his/her global identity, the young Indian parent is breaking traditional conventions while naming his/her kid. Trying to find that perfect balance between modernity and tradition, he/she hopes to build a great brand for the offspring in the society.
Some seem to exercise creativity at dangerous levels when synthesising new names. Some seem to be fascinated by uncommon Sanskrit names. Some want to make sure that the name sounds cool in school, college, corporate, parties, international airports and the other side of the globe. Should I mention the numerology craze that garnishes the confusion ?
While taking too many factors into consideration, the cultural/geographic identity of the kid is sometimes lost in the process of naming. For example, the craze for chic Bollywood style names among some South Indians robs the Southern identity totally.
Anirudhdh. Beautiful name. Krishna's grandson in Mahabharata. But, who would imagine that this is the name of a Tamil kid ? Well, it is.
It is debatable whether we need to preserve regional identities within a nation. I think India's richness is largely its diversity. Each region has undergone cultural evolution over millenia. Trying to crudely mix them all in a big culture pot to create uniformity is outrageous.
An easy way to retain the Tamil/Mallu identity while picking up fascinating Sanskrit names is to suffix it with 'an'. Anirudhdhan ! Well that looks definiely Tamil/Mallu ! Does it sound old fashioned ? I pity those who consider their ancestors an inferior lot. For girl names, we don't have such an easy suffix algorithm, but there are plenty of Sanskrit names used predominantly by South Indians. Pure Tamil names are on a decline these days. A former colleague of mine was very thoughtful and mature when he was particular in giving a pure Tamil name to his daughter.
I am talking more about South Indian names because I am a South Indian who knows more about South India. I believe these things can be easily applied to other regions to India too.
I can't help but wonder at the name of my close friend - 'Devanathan Varadarajan'.
What A Punch !
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Creativitea
Most activities that I enjoy doing seem to have some scope for creativity.
Each time I lay my hands on my musical keyboard, I seem to play a different tune that I have not heard anywhere. I cannot say all of them are good ones. In fact most ones are not. My brother calls it plain randomness.
I am mad. Now I am switching between writing this blog and another one. I am unsure which one I will finish first. What should I call this state of mind ?
Each time I cook Sambar, I can't resist doing something crazy. Once I made it with carrot, radish and beans. Tricolor. It did not taste bad.
When I play carrom, I often miss easy shots. When I find the possibility of a new kind of shot, I can't help not attempting. Sometimes when I succeed,I fly. My friends call it fluke.
Sometimes, when the mind wants to be creative, it ends up being restless.
Sometimes, when the mind is calm without any desires, creativity flows out like Ganga.
Maybe, creativity is my cup of tea.
Each time I lay my hands on my musical keyboard, I seem to play a different tune that I have not heard anywhere. I cannot say all of them are good ones. In fact most ones are not. My brother calls it plain randomness.
I am mad. Now I am switching between writing this blog and another one. I am unsure which one I will finish first. What should I call this state of mind ?
Each time I cook Sambar, I can't resist doing something crazy. Once I made it with carrot, radish and beans. Tricolor. It did not taste bad.
When I play carrom, I often miss easy shots. When I find the possibility of a new kind of shot, I can't help not attempting. Sometimes when I succeed,I fly. My friends call it fluke.
Sometimes, when the mind wants to be creative, it ends up being restless.
Sometimes, when the mind is calm without any desires, creativity flows out like Ganga.
Maybe, creativity is my cup of tea.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Cooking - with love
I started cooking.
When I had to.
When I was sore of eating hotel food.
My friend used to say.
Food made for money will not contain love.
I think he is right.
I started cooking.
I discovered a new pleasure.
A great way to unwind.
After a day of monotony.
I can experiment.
With colors - of vegetables.
With aromas - of spices.
When crazy experiments succeed.
The joy is unexplainable.
One hour to cook.
Fifteen minutes to eat.
That does n't put me off.
I relish both.
Food made at home.
With lots of love.
Has no comparison.
I am glad I started cooking.
When I had to.
When I was sore of eating hotel food.
My friend used to say.
Food made for money will not contain love.
I think he is right.
I started cooking.
I discovered a new pleasure.
A great way to unwind.
After a day of monotony.
I can experiment.
With colors - of vegetables.
With aromas - of spices.
When crazy experiments succeed.
The joy is unexplainable.
One hour to cook.
Fifteen minutes to eat.
That does n't put me off.
I relish both.
Food made at home.
With lots of love.
Has no comparison.
I am glad I started cooking.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Joy of living
S'Sumeru Sandhya', an evening of spiritual music, philosophy and meditation in Chowdiah hall, Bangalore was much more than I imagined. Conducted by senior teachers of the 'Art of Living' foundation, the event was as modern as it was traditional. The Kurta-clad teachers connected effortlessly with the predominantly young urban audience by singing Bhajans with the electric guitar and answering spiritual questions in a light manner with plenty of humour.
It was amazing to hear the Bhajans with a rock music flavour without losing its true Bhajan-spirit. What was more amazing was the response from the audience that included college students, young BPO and software employees. Lot of them were dancing and singing along ! They asked questions that really mattered to them like friendship and love. And they got answers with a spiritual dimension. There was a guided meditation session too, which was similar to the one in the 'Art of Living' 3 day corporate course.
The philosophy and practices of 'Art of Living' derives largely from Vedic/Vedantic thought with some Zen/Buddhist ideas, though no particular religion is emphasised. The focus is on happiness and love.
More than anything else, the event made me realize that today's youth is willing to live a life that is happier and healthier than what the society and their jobs offer them. 'Art of Living' has the potential to become a great spiritual movement of this century teaching millions the beautiful art of joyful living.
It was amazing to hear the Bhajans with a rock music flavour without losing its true Bhajan-spirit. What was more amazing was the response from the audience that included college students, young BPO and software employees. Lot of them were dancing and singing along ! They asked questions that really mattered to them like friendship and love. And they got answers with a spiritual dimension. There was a guided meditation session too, which was similar to the one in the 'Art of Living' 3 day corporate course.
The philosophy and practices of 'Art of Living' derives largely from Vedic/Vedantic thought with some Zen/Buddhist ideas, though no particular religion is emphasised. The focus is on happiness and love.
More than anything else, the event made me realize that today's youth is willing to live a life that is happier and healthier than what the society and their jobs offer them. 'Art of Living' has the potential to become a great spiritual movement of this century teaching millions the beautiful art of joyful living.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Masala Chai
A new flavour is spreading across the continents. A poor third world country is slowly emerging out of the globe. An over populated, over polluted land in South Asia is starting to make an impact in the global society.
Many things Indian are entering the lives of the world citizen in a big way.
Yoga is changing the way a person thinks of health and wellness. Indian food is probabily the next big exotic cuisine. Indian music is a breath of fresh air in the world of grooves and loops. Indian spirituality is giving refuge to people injured by the tsunami of materialism.
My return trip to India after a month's stay in Chicago made me experience this new India phenomenon in subtle ways.
I was heading to the O'Hare International Airport, Chicago in a cab. The cab driver started a chat with me which went like this:
Cab Driver(CD) : Are you going to india ?
I : Yes, to Bangalore.
CD : Are you into computer business ?
I : Yeah.
CD : Your country has got the best school for that in the world !
(I was on the floor now)
CD : I saw that in a special TV program. I don't remember the name of the school.
I : Are you talking about IIT ? (I knew he was)
CD : Yes, now I remember !
I : Thats the Indian Institute of Technology (I was flying now)
CD : They said everyone who comes out of that school is really smart.
After reaching the Airport, I headed towards the Lufthansa counter, already thinking about blogging this incident...
Later, after a long sleepy flight to Frankfurt, I boarded the connecting flight to Bangalore. Around half the passengers if not more were Indian. Quasi-Indian food was served as expected. Then came the surprise - A flight attendent was serving 'Masala Chai', trying his best to pronounce it correctly ! I was delighted to the core.
A European airline was operating a flight to India and was offering an Indian beverage to please the Indian passengers. This thought made me fly in flight. This is no act of plain courtesy - it is business.
Every big company wants to do business in this 'poor' country. A natural consequence of this is the global recognition and acceptance of things Indian.
After centuries of slumber, India is waking up. And making an impact.
Many things Indian are entering the lives of the world citizen in a big way.
Yoga is changing the way a person thinks of health and wellness. Indian food is probabily the next big exotic cuisine. Indian music is a breath of fresh air in the world of grooves and loops. Indian spirituality is giving refuge to people injured by the tsunami of materialism.
My return trip to India after a month's stay in Chicago made me experience this new India phenomenon in subtle ways.
I was heading to the O'Hare International Airport, Chicago in a cab. The cab driver started a chat with me which went like this:
Cab Driver(CD) : Are you going to india ?
I : Yes, to Bangalore.
CD : Are you into computer business ?
I : Yeah.
CD : Your country has got the best school for that in the world !
(I was on the floor now)
CD : I saw that in a special TV program. I don't remember the name of the school.
I : Are you talking about IIT ? (I knew he was)
CD : Yes, now I remember !
I : Thats the Indian Institute of Technology (I was flying now)
CD : They said everyone who comes out of that school is really smart.
After reaching the Airport, I headed towards the Lufthansa counter, already thinking about blogging this incident...
Later, after a long sleepy flight to Frankfurt, I boarded the connecting flight to Bangalore. Around half the passengers if not more were Indian. Quasi-Indian food was served as expected. Then came the surprise - A flight attendent was serving 'Masala Chai', trying his best to pronounce it correctly ! I was delighted to the core.
A European airline was operating a flight to India and was offering an Indian beverage to please the Indian passengers. This thought made me fly in flight. This is no act of plain courtesy - it is business.
Every big company wants to do business in this 'poor' country. A natural consequence of this is the global recognition and acceptance of things Indian.
After centuries of slumber, India is waking up. And making an impact.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Puja Room
The idea of a Puja Room is a powerful one.
Spirituality is more about 'experience' than 'understanding'. Ancient Indians have invented many instruments to help us experience the divineness in us. One such instrument is the Puja Room.
The first whiff of a divine experience can brush us only when we go beyond the materialistic mundanity of daily life. A Puja Room can do wonders to reduce the incessant flow of mundane thoughts into our minds through the five gates called senses. It does not exactly shut out all senses from the mind but presents the mind with a relaxing ambience by engaging each sense with a not-so-mundane thing.
The eyes are the most abused of all sense organs. In a Puja Room, all the eyes see are pictures of Gods, and the offerings to the Gods in forms like flowers, lamps and incense smoke that calm down the mind by reducing the visual data it needs to chew on. A dark room or the eyelids may not be sufficient for this purpose because they offer great scope for visual imagination that demands processing, that is equally stressful as real signals.
Sounds that produce every perceivable emotion and more are routinely generated in our society that make it hard work for the ears. Silence can be good, but the omni directional ability of the ears to grab noise is quite a challenge. Chanting mantras is often the first things spiritual that a child is taught to do in Indian homes. It relaxes the mind by making the ears stick to what the tongue produces, not realizing that the producer and consumer are one. That the knowledge and the knower are one is a more serious subject though.
The nose is happy with the incense and the flowers. These are sufficient to block the aromas from the kitchen that it excessively relishes. The tongue is anyway busy with keeping the ears busy. Wonderful-tasting Prasadam in small quantities does help though. The skin often plays to the tunes of the other senses. The others being quite calm, all it needs to keep it relaxed is a set of loose comfortable clothes and a sitting mat.
A Puja Room does not give instant self-realization, but does create a wonderful ambiance for those who seek a spiritual journey without going to the forest.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Soft Tamil
A Tamilian, I did schooling in English medium in Kerala, learnt Hindi and Malayalam as additional languages. I read and write these three languages better than my mother tongue - Tamil.
But, I feel truly at home only when I speak Tamil !
I sometimes feel sad that I have not given my mother tongue its due importance in my life. That I have almost entirely ignored it while running the rat race of survival. That I cannot read a Tamil newspaper as comfortably as English ones. That I do not know even a dozen verses from the great Thirukural. That I have to send emails to my relatives in the language of the British.
This feeling has lingered inside me for quite sometime. That is when I came across Kural Software, which helps one to use Tamil seamlessly for common tasks with a PC. Using the Standard English keyboard and with very basic knowledge of the Tamil script, I send mails, chat and even type down song lyrics in Tamil, all this with the same ease and speed as with English, after Kural blessed me! The experience was like a wish getting magically fulfilled in our folk tales.
Emailing in is a pleasure when you can type down your thoughts without any translation !
Next on my wish list is getting such a good software for Sanskrit. There are a few that I came across, but I did not feel comfortable enough with any of them.
Monday, July 04, 2005
Mummy Tongue
Indians are the best non native speakers of English in the world.
This has had a role to play in Indians grabbing a large piece of the technology cake.
Every Indian parent dreams of his/her child speaking flamboyant English. This has resulted in people like me, who can read, write and in some scenarios speak better in English that my mother tongue ! Once an exception, this is slowly becoming the norm in the urban Indian middle class, atleast in the south.
Language is one of those aspects of culture that are highly resistant to change. With the right pressure, it may take only a couple of generations to significantly change the food habits or dressing style of a culture. But language will largely persist in more or less the same form.
300 years of political and economic dependence on the British has left the Indians obsessed with English. People from my grandpa's generation take pride in their English speaking capabilities even though they are the ones who witnessed the freedom struggle India went through.
Our language has changed.
Many of us have stopped writing in our mother tongues altogether. Many of us don't read much either after school. We try our best to speak in English where ever possible in the society. Personal communication like letters and email is almost totally in English.
All the above hold good for the urban middle class and above. Don't worry, the lower classes and the village folks are trying their best to imitate the so-called educated people.
We should be grateful to English for helping us earn our bread and butter, oops! sorry, rice and sambar. But should we not stop there ? Why are we crazy about English ? Why do we yearn that our children's first spoken word be 'Mummy' ?
This has had a role to play in Indians grabbing a large piece of the technology cake.
Every Indian parent dreams of his/her child speaking flamboyant English. This has resulted in people like me, who can read, write and in some scenarios speak better in English that my mother tongue ! Once an exception, this is slowly becoming the norm in the urban Indian middle class, atleast in the south.
Language is one of those aspects of culture that are highly resistant to change. With the right pressure, it may take only a couple of generations to significantly change the food habits or dressing style of a culture. But language will largely persist in more or less the same form.
300 years of political and economic dependence on the British has left the Indians obsessed with English. People from my grandpa's generation take pride in their English speaking capabilities even though they are the ones who witnessed the freedom struggle India went through.
Our language has changed.
Many of us have stopped writing in our mother tongues altogether. Many of us don't read much either after school. We try our best to speak in English where ever possible in the society. Personal communication like letters and email is almost totally in English.
All the above hold good for the urban middle class and above. Don't worry, the lower classes and the village folks are trying their best to imitate the so-called educated people.
We should be grateful to English for helping us earn our bread and butter, oops! sorry, rice and sambar. But should we not stop there ? Why are we crazy about English ? Why do we yearn that our children's first spoken word be 'Mummy' ?
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Subtle sounds
I picked up the cassette hesitantly from the shelf of the music store. The hesitation stemmed from the fact that I had not listened to any of the songs before and that it was not popular at all among my friends.
My motivation to pick it up was partly the multiple Grammies and the fact that Norah was the daughter of the Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, long estranged.
I asked my Walkman to sing the songs of the album with its best abilities. It did. Or did it? I was confused at best. I asked myself - What is this Grammy business all about?
It seemed that the voice was crooning to her self, giving no thought about the listener. The lyrics sounded like old English poetry. The piano and guitar played like they were asked to whisper. The drums were just loud enough for me to hear.
Yet I did not feel badly bored. There was a feel of dull freshness. I kept listening to the album occasionally, each time wondering if I was missing something.
After a few weeks, the songs started growing on me, very very slowly. That is when I started noticing the subtle sounds that I had completely missed before. I realized that the album was not composed with an intention to make it a big hit. That explained its lack of the so-called catchy tunes. It did not promise instant gratification. It had the least commercial flavor I had seen in today's music scene.
My insensitive ears were too dull to pick up the subtle melodies. They had grown numb after routinely listening to pop and hard rock.
I started listening to the newfound joy more often. When combined with the sights of greenery seen through the window of an un-crowded train, the effect it created on my mind was the most relaxing I had experienced in recent times. Listening to it lying in Savasana was another thing that I loved.
I am excited about unlearning to enjoy noise. I have discovered earthy sounds that are superior to it.
Come away with me. I went away with her.
I have bought Norah's next album - Feels like home. Yes, it does.
I have bought Norah's next album - Feels like home. Yes, it does.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Joy of walking
Walking is a joy.
Ever tried to enjoy walking in the roads of so called Silicon Valley of India - Bangalore ?
Walking on roads of this city is a nightmare for people like me who believe that walking a while everyday can offset health problems later in life.
Pedestrians are considered outcast here. They are not even allowed to walk on footpaths which are utilized generously by two wheelers. You know, they even sound horns ordering you to give way while you walk on footpaths !
Traffic signals ?
Well, the traffic signal near my office is pathetic. It is switched off very often during evenings.
And a traffic police with a big belly stands there and controls the traffic. Damn it. He never gives time for pedestrians to cross. Even the signals are set not to show green for pedestrians at times.
Does that encourage people to use signals to cross the road ?
No, jay walking is the joy of walking.
Techies of India ! Wake up. Are you really enjoying the technology that you are creating ?
Realize that life is to be lived with simplicity. Else chaos will consume this mad world.
Let there be peace again.
Let walking become a joy again.
Ever tried to enjoy walking in the roads of so called Silicon Valley of India - Bangalore ?
Walking on roads of this city is a nightmare for people like me who believe that walking a while everyday can offset health problems later in life.
Pedestrians are considered outcast here. They are not even allowed to walk on footpaths which are utilized generously by two wheelers. You know, they even sound horns ordering you to give way while you walk on footpaths !
Traffic signals ?
Well, the traffic signal near my office is pathetic. It is switched off very often during evenings.
And a traffic police with a big belly stands there and controls the traffic. Damn it. He never gives time for pedestrians to cross. Even the signals are set not to show green for pedestrians at times.
Does that encourage people to use signals to cross the road ?
No, jay walking is the joy of walking.
Techies of India ! Wake up. Are you really enjoying the technology that you are creating ?
Realize that life is to be lived with simplicity. Else chaos will consume this mad world.
Let there be peace again.
Let walking become a joy again.
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