Whats the hue and cry about??

 

Slumdog Millionaire is in news and has bagged the nominations for 10 most popular and prestigious awards.

 

There are different reactions and emotions

 

"Its not an Indian film . Then why are we excited ?"

"They ( the producers/director) have no right to potray the poverty of our precious country"

" The title should not have had slumdog....very derogatory"

 

After 26/11 the image of India in the international eyes has fallen. The lapse in security and our vulnerability has been starkly exposed.

Then the booker prize for Aravind Adiga's "White Tiger" showing our country thru a poor " servant's "eyes was definitely not very flattering to our image- the class and caste conscious ( But a great must read book though. I would say. )

Then came the Satyam fiasco and our corporate governance took a beating.

And then the rcognition for a movie that shows the vulnerable section of the society- the street children ....... our shame knew no bounds.

 

We have always wanted validation from " firangis" ( especially the westeners) and wanted them to see how progressive, modern and rich ( heritage of course) we are.

 

What a shame that the truth is finally out!!

 

Its time we learnt to except the fact that we do have all these problems that have surfaced through all these different  cases and no amount of 'tch-tch ing 'will make it go away.

 

Lets open our eyes and think about what we can as an individual or in a group do to be part of the change we want to see around us.

 

All of us are in some way or the other responsible for the mess we are in.

 

Let's get up , pat the dust off our clothes  and think about changing our perspective to our society a little and that will add up to a lot of positive change .

 

Lets ask ourselves these point blank questions-

" Why do we pay the traffic police a bribe to escape a penalty of a couple of hundreds?"

" Why do we bribe the government offiicials all the time ?"

 " Why do we refrain from voting when as a citizen it is your duty to do so?"

" Why are we silent spectators to the dirty games our politicians play and feel helpless?"

 

If you are thinking, " What can I do to change?"

Let me give a few simpl suggestion

Lets take an oath not to brake any civic discipline.

Lets take an oath not to take or give bribes

Lets all be vigilant and  actively participate in bringing about a healthy political system .

.

 

Few of us here in Bangalore asked ourselves the same questions and decided to come together and think of ways to bring about small changes in our society around us. . Do we have all the answers?

No, not now atleast.

But with more and more like minded people joining together we can find solutions to these problems.

 

If Gandhi could  lead the whole county to  freedom with just non- violence as his tool and no media , poor transport about 60 yrs back with all these support we as a group should be able to do more.

 

 

 

 

 www.india-awakening.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching the three R’s

 

 

It’s back to school time .Children are getting into the study mode again.

 

Soon the excitement of new uniforms, and crisp new books will wear off and they will be facing the rigmarole of assignments, and tests. If they are in  the ‘board exams’ category added pressure of tuitions will also weigh them down.

Pressures from parents, teachers and peers will soon start piling up on those young shoulders.

My heart goes out to all those back-to-school children and the children who are facing the ordeal of CET, IITJEE COMED, ACE, BASE ,Reservation   and what not.

 

We definitely had it easy,while  growing up.Why aren’t we able to give that to our children.?

 

Let me dedicate an article, that I wrote about 4  years back, which shows the flip side of ‘Studying’ to all these children.

 

………

Let me take you on a flash back trip to years back when I was still unmarried, and my parents were  on the look out for an eligible groom  ( bhakra?) for me.

 

In conservative homes arranged marriage was and still is the norm. News is spread far and near that the hunt has began. People , even strangers come up with suitable horoscopes of boys from ‘decent families’

 

My parents didn’t want to leave any stone unturned.

At times like these even the most honest and simple minded  people learn to lie through their teeth when it comes to marketing their product  in the marriage market.

My qualifications listed by my parents were- tall, Post graduate,  good looking(?), soft spoken(?), …I refrain from putting up the whole list   for want of space.

 

Some parents  add singing and dancing too. Wonder of what use that is going to be of, in a marriage. Aren’t we supposed to make him dance to our tunes?

 

The qualification that landed  me a highly educated ‘boy’ with a cushy job in the software industry , i:e: my Msc in Mathematics, proved to be a bane in disguise in practical life as you will soon see……

 

When children grew up and started going to schools, I got stuck with the responsibility of honing their 3 R’s ‘cause either their father wasn’t around at home all the time, or just didn’t have the patience to sit with their homework.

 

Let’s start with basic English-

 

Why couldn’t English be a straightforwardly designed language like many Indian languages?

Explaining the words were a letter or two are silent ( eg: pneumatic), or explaining the absence   of an  letter in the spelling but that figures in the pronunciation (leiutanant-which has a ‘ef’ sound after ‘le’) when said in the British -English way.

Try explaining the logic of pronouncing ‘cut’ and ‘put’ to a small boy who eagerly is waiting to learn a new language and trying to ask smart questions.

 

I gave up on English saying if you do not understand my way of teaching you are welcome to  go to your father. My son took that as an ultimatum, because he did not want to have ‘dangerous liaisons’ with his father as a teacher.

 

Next comes Maths.That can’t be difficult because its my subject, afterall.

 

My son once came to be asking”How to find the Antilog of .1254”

 

I frantically tried to go through the whole chapter, understood it myself and tried to do that problem .I cursed myself for not  concentrating properly  when I was a student. Finding a solution to Antilog was making me frustrated, angry and slowly turning me into an antisocial.After about 10-15 minutes I excitedly screamed,”Eureka” and ran to him with the answer proudly only to get a luke warm reply,”O! that ? I already got it ,Amma. Don’t worry”

 

As though it were not enough that you tackle the studies  of your children you have friends sending there kids to you to “clear doubts from aunty”.

 

My neighbour’s daughter once wanted me to explain “co-ordinate geometry”.

One look at that chapter is enough to break the co-ordination between your brain and  your senses.

 

Hindi……Try asking a south Indian to explain why a table is a masculine gender , while few others are femine or even neutral genders ?

 

Chemistry…Tried  teaching ‘balancing equations’ in a scientific way….and finally ended up saying “ Yeah, well just mug it up.”

 

What do you do  when you are asked “Why is gravity different in different planets.I tried saying it was created by God like that  and my son didn’t think it was a scientific reply. Where is Newton when we need him.

 

Finally all that matters is my son passed with flying colours ( school topper in 10^th ) inspite  of my teaching.

 

My second son is now in  class 10 but I don’t have to worry because I have learnt to tackle the situation well from the “Guru” himself ( my husband)  I have now learnt to say,” Go and ask your brother , he was a topper not me.”

 

What my elder  son goes through is de ja vu for me. My sympathies are with him.

 

As for me –all I tackle are the dosas and potato curry off the so called-nonstick kadais!!...!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   I was seeing a half an hour program about Bhubaneswar's Budhia- the little marathon runner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   What's in a name?

 

 

 

 

 

And finally.............It will no longer be Bangalore......but Bangalooru from  1 stNov '07.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Paanagam

 

 This is a typical southIndian drink

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

l

  

 

 

It was April time like this ,  hot .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUst chill...just chill II.......

 

Water melon juice.....

 

Choose the biggest water melon  your eye can spot......

 

Tip : It should at  least be 1/2 your weight.

 

HYpe up the preperation so much that all the family members or friends would want to  be part of the preperation.

 

That takes care of Team-Bakras.

 

.Bakras needed  to lug the water melon from the fruit stall to your home    .-2!

 

Ask two  of them to peel it, deseed it and keep them ready.

 

Put all the pieces into your blender ( If you have a hand blender run it thru these pieces.)

 

Run the  juice thru a strainer.

 

 Add a little sugar...blend it again.

 

Add lemon juice and a dash of pepper too.

 

Pour  it into a tall glass. You may add little scoops of the fruit too into the juice.

 

Your water melon juice is ready..

 

.....When the family is busy cleaning up the mess they  created while preparing it .....you could relax with your juice on your sofa.....watching your fav. comedy.....in my case that would be F.R.I.E.N.D.S

 

So  yet another way to chill out...enjoy.

 

 

 

 

        A refreshing way to chill this summer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measure the volume (  in any regular cup ) and take double the volume sugar and equal (to the juice volume) volume water  in a vessel and boil it till you get a string's consistency ( for all those who donot know what a string consistency is ........ask some  kitchen-savvy person to demonstrate it to you).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was watching a black-n-white  '50 's movie sometime back and a line caught my attention-the father says," The younger generation has absolutely no resposibility and do not care for the values...blah...blah....."

 

The irony -the so called younger generation of the '5o 's is saying the same line again. And its always like that.

The older generation always thinks that they are the resposible ones and the younger gen-x in turn thinks they are the mis-understood ones.

 

My generation ( the cats-on- the wall middle- aged  generation, the  -40+ something generation) are the ones who have to look at this objectively.

 

The older generation is a stubborn lot-they do not want to accept the fact that the times are changing and with it a few practices. What was appropriate or right  in their times  may not make sense now.Many of the tradition or values they are talking about are nothing but a few rules put down by their parents to discipline them. The parents of today may have a different way of looking and controling their children.

 

The gen-X should also understand that the  older gen is talking from experience and respect that.

 

I do not agree that the gen-x is irresponsible.

In my visits to various NGO's I   have always been amazed at the fact that all the volunteers are young. It is very very rarely that I have come across people over 45yrs.

 

These young boys or girls come there after finishing school, or college or work and find the enthusiasm to volunteer also.

 

We have to appreciate the fact that education , work and every activity around them has become highly competitive and they go through a lot of pressure .Inspite of that if they are able to set time aside for social service, ....I would say I am proud of them.

 

Look at the reaction to Jessica Lal case. See how the young of India are creating a furore now.

 

It's time the older gen. comes out of their narrow frame of mind and sees  all these.

 

The older generation should  inspire by setting an example.........come out and see what is happening and motivate the young instead of pointing a finger at  them.

 

I am just speaking in general terms ................hope I did not hurt anyone's sentiments.

 

...........................vasuda..............................................................................................

 

 

 

 

 

 Just read an article about a 60 yr old lady delivering a baby after going through all the expensive medical proceedures.

 

I was shocked and angry on reading this.

 

It is natural to want to have your own child.But there is a limit as to the extent one would go to have it. It would have been perfectly fine and right if she had been below 40yrs maybe.

 

A person having a baby at 60 plus should consider other pros and cons and a very important factoe-THE BABY

 

Did the couple for once think what would happen say after 10 -15 yrs when they are no more?

 

Even if we do not let ourselves to think morbid thoughts like this one -will they be fit enough physically and prepared emotionally to deal with the adolescent problems when the child grows up.

 

........I pity the child.

 

There is one perfect solution for all these-adoption.

 

My sister has adopted  a beautiful girl-(the cutie pie has now been in our family for 4 yrs.)and I know that  it is a right option.

 

This brings happiness in the lives of all of those  involved.

 

Nowadays,doctors are not allowed to reveal the sex of the baby before birth.That is absolutely right.

Doctors should also have some ethics against helping women above certain age to conceive with medical help.

I may sound harsh  but I am thinking of the baby'a future here.Doctors may hve achieved a medical marvel but the marvel in this case is a life and they are playing with its life.

 

Encourage adoption and discourage pregnancy after 50.

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

 

My Valentine

         It was that time of the year again. It was yet another Valentine’s day and there are candles, beautiful red roses, chocolates, orchids, and love notes galore every where. This is also the time I think about my Valentine of 20 years, my hubby, and reminisce about our romantic rendezvous.

     

  In an arranged marriage there is not much scope for ‘dating’ and ‘courting’. Our first meeting in the “girl’s place” was anything but romantic, because we had company that day- my parents, his parents, my inquisitive sisters, his sister and her wailing one-and –a- half- year old son, my loud mouthed grandmother, my smiling grandfather, my uncle and my aunt. Amidst this crowd it is a miracle that we even ‘saw’ each other.

  

   My father graciously allowed us to go to the other room and have a heart to heart talk for 5 minutes. My uncle took his position at the door, blatantly eves dropping and exactly on the dot, the 5^th minute my grandmother barged  into the room and popped the inevitable question to the ‘boy’-“Did you like the girl?” The look on his face had to be seen to be believed. My grandmother had not taken any course in discretion and sophistication and that showed.

 

     To this day the joke my husband likes to keep repeating is that he was conned into saying yes by my grandmother and he is still paying the price for the delicious ‘kajar ka halwa’ my mother served that day. And I had all the while been thinking that it was my stunning good looks that had floored him.

 

      That was just a preamble to what Valentine’s day in the oncoming years would be. It was one such day. I had left subtle and discreet hints for him in the morning, so that he could surprise me with a bouquet of red roses in the evening! He comes home as usual and does not seem to have taken the hint at all. I wonder if he is really so dumb or he is feigning it just to escape the task of taking me out for dinner?

  

    Years have rolled by and this time my hubby remembered the Valentine’s day. He called in the evening and asked me to be ready to go out for dinner. He breezes in at 8pm  . I am ready, dressed for the occasion. We reach Taj Residency in style (he  would not have anything less for his Valentine, you know) and wait to be shown to our table. The usher politely asks if we have made prior reservations. I lovingly looked up at my husband’s face only to see an embarrassed and sheepish look. Then we began restaurant-hopping but no one would have us. We finally found a deserted  place and had our Valentine’s dinner there.

 

   When we returned to pick our children from my friend’s place she took one look at my face that was seething with fury and fell off her seat laughing!

 

    I have finally accepted that Valentine’s days are not for us. Valentine’s day comes and goes  year after year but I have learnt to accept my Valentine for what he is and not what he  is expected to be.

 

 

 

 

 

“

 

 

In my opinion.........

 

 

Religion ,according to me, is a manual written down my man to live a disciplined and cultured life.It depends on how each and every one of us interpret and understand the manual.It is written in different languages with different stories and examples to suit the geography, history and the living conditions of that time. Hence we have hinduism, christianity, islam, etc..and  dilfferent gods  headquartered in different countries.

 

We should be matured enough  to take practises or adapt the part of the religion that is applicable to us now and ignore the out-dated or obselete portions.Change is part of evolution and this is true of our religious practises too.

 

Look at religion sceintifically and not emotionally. Most of the problems that arise giving religion as an excuse will be elimimated.

 

Let's start with our home and our family.Let's not take religion to the streets. Practise it in private.Let's not use religion as our identity. There's more to us than our religion.Isn't there?

 

I say this because I respect religion.

 

       There should be only one central religion headquartered in our hearts......other worldly religions are a means to achieve that , that's  all -nothing more nothing less.

 

.....Then religion will remain what it is meant to be- a sacred manual and not a butt of ridicule and hatred.