Prologue -
Someone has rightly said that the best time to go on a vacation is when you come back from one. I am sure it must have been an avid Indian traveller who coined that one. Given the fact that we Indians over indulge in sightseeing to the extent that we exhaust ourselves to an extreme state of tiredness ...its really not hard to believe. However, this time I would like to refute this statement. Our South Africa & Botswana sojourn though an action packed and eventful road trip, my mind and body were as much fully energised and charged on my return as much as they were before going on the holiday. And one more thing was sure that this totally fascinating holiday experience was going to remain etched in my memory forever.
Background
It had been exactly 2 years in the month of July 2011, since Ashish and me had both gone on a long holiday. You can say we were truly holiday starved. Every time an opportunity for a holiday came walking to our doorstep, circumstances would slam the door on its face.
Most times it was quarter closing at work, few times it was an important event in pipeline, couple of times it was year end pressures, one time it was a new job and so 'no leave' situation or otherwise it was just something else which seemed always more important than going on a holiday. These undesirable situations always reared their ugly head and foiled our holiday plans right at its infancy stage.
One day we both decided enough is enough. We had reached a point of 'We have to go on a holiday, come what may!' situation.
Carpe Diem! Wanting to not let go of this precious moment, I immediately rushed to the corner of the room to pull out the 2011 calendar from top of the cupboard. Charged with excitement and with great gusto, I rolled out the unused calendar in front of us ...to a cloud of light dust.
Lo and behold! As if in a magical mist what emerged before us was a travel company's promotional calendar sprinkled with scenic pics of some really exotic destinations all over it.
Was it serendipity at work? We don't know. Looking at the those desirable images we got even more lascivious and our holiday hunger skyrocketed. Lustily, I grabbed a pen and paper readying for the task at hand, put the landline of the hook, put the cell phones on silent mode and we immediately got down to the task at hand.....'Project Holiday 2011'.
Just the thought of looking forward to a holiday was getting us excited and happy. As we were working on the dates, I realised that our fingers swiftly moved from the month of August to the next leaf September then forward to October and then November, knocking off all limited possibilities we had of a long break during those months. Dreadfully we reached the last month of 2011. We stared wistfully at December for a very long time as if praying to the calendar to take mercy on us poor souls and grant us our long deserved break soon. Both of us, after much mulling on our work obligations and expected commitments figured out that December it was going to be. Yippeee!..Here we come December. Now we just needed to take official approvals from our respective offices.
However the joy was shortlived, just as suddenly it hit us that December is the most expensive month for a long break when the hotel tariffs go through the roof, all holiday spots get crowded and flights seats difficult to book. But what the hell, we were still in July and we had many months to go to do our planning, bookings, visas etc. We should be able to get some good deals with advanced planning and reservations.....Or so we thought!
South Africa & Botswana was always our unanimous choice! My aunt (maushi)and uncle who have settled there for the last 28 years had been inviting us for a very very long time and more so my mom and dad because they had not been there before unlike me.
My aunt was thrilled to hear about our plans and immediately asked us to start the visa processing and ticket bookings. We were also maha excited that finally our plans were shaping up.
So all set then..2 weeks to be spent in South Africa and Botswana during Christmas and New Year holidays. Awesome! Just the thought of going on a family holiday finally, had me excited like a little child waiting for her schools to close and vacation to begin . As they say, the excitement of holidays begins as soon as one plans to go on one.
But guess what July..August..September...came and went by. The calendar page leaves just flew by... just like they show in good ol' Hindi movies. Both of us got so busy neck deep in work commitments that we didnt even attempt to look into our holiday schedule. Then one fine weekend in October as I lay on my couch watching my favourite anchor Samantha Brown excitedly talking about her African safari, it suddenly pounced on me! What else, but my exalted holiday anxiety. There were only 2 months to go and we had not worked on our Visas, the flight bookings nor the itinerary.
What happened after that passed by like a big blur. Things moved so fast then onwards that when I finally caught myself breathing was when we had put the final nail in the coffin. What I mean of course that all bags were packed, locked and ready for the Chattrapati Shivaji International, Mumbai airport.
It was time for us to say Goodbye India...and Hello South Africa!
Monday, January 09, 2012
Thursday, December 15, 2011
To the Yang of my life!
Two sides of the same coin, so different yet so alike.
As different as chalk and cheese, what you prefer... I don't like.
You say 'white', I say 'grey', to my 'yes', you say 'nay'
Life is but a theater they say, if you are serious... i prefer to play.
Yet in spite of what may appear, one truth remains like night and day,
I am what I am today, thanks to the 'Yang' of my life, I say.
To my storm, you are the calm,
To my fluid, you are the form,
To my headaches, you are the balm,
To my actions, you are the psalm.
Yet in spite of what may appear, one truth remains like night and day,
I am what I am today, thanks to the 'Yang' of my life, I say.
In the last 6 years of my life on earth a lot has been experienced,
Knowing and being with a man such as you has made me richer by light years.
I am but an optimistic fool, you are the devil's advocate
To my flights of fantasy, you are the anchor and bait.
When I run out of patience soon, you stand there like a solid rock.
And to many many spoken words, you always walk the talk.
Yet in spite of what may appear, one truth remains like night and day,
I am what I am today, thanks to the 'Yang' of my life, I say.
To my some times endless chatter and questions, you lend your patient ear,
When you are around me, there is no room for fear.
Life is what happens when you are not around,
But life is what becomes when your sweet smell lingers around.
You are the method to my madness,
You are the 5 senses to my ESP,
The strong logic in my many arguments
But even when we don't say a word, it seems like a meaningful spiel.
Yet inspite of what may appear, one truth remains like night and day,
I am what I am today, thanks to the 'Yang' of my life, I say.
Thank You Ashish for being there :)
As different as chalk and cheese, what you prefer... I don't like.
You say 'white', I say 'grey', to my 'yes', you say 'nay'
Life is but a theater they say, if you are serious... i prefer to play.
Yet in spite of what may appear, one truth remains like night and day,
I am what I am today, thanks to the 'Yang' of my life, I say.
To my storm, you are the calm,
To my fluid, you are the form,
To my headaches, you are the balm,
To my actions, you are the psalm.
Yet in spite of what may appear, one truth remains like night and day,
I am what I am today, thanks to the 'Yang' of my life, I say.
In the last 6 years of my life on earth a lot has been experienced,
Knowing and being with a man such as you has made me richer by light years.
I am but an optimistic fool, you are the devil's advocate
To my flights of fantasy, you are the anchor and bait.
When I run out of patience soon, you stand there like a solid rock.
And to many many spoken words, you always walk the talk.
Yet in spite of what may appear, one truth remains like night and day,
I am what I am today, thanks to the 'Yang' of my life, I say.
To my some times endless chatter and questions, you lend your patient ear,
When you are around me, there is no room for fear.
Life is what happens when you are not around,
But life is what becomes when your sweet smell lingers around.
You are the method to my madness,
You are the 5 senses to my ESP,
The strong logic in my many arguments
But even when we don't say a word, it seems like a meaningful spiel.
Yet inspite of what may appear, one truth remains like night and day,
I am what I am today, thanks to the 'Yang' of my life, I say.
Thank You Ashish for being there :)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
These are a few of my favourite pics...
This is where the fairy tale starts.....
Childhood..the best days of our lives!
Sisterhood...pure, unconditional and sweet :)
Yin and Yang! :)
A child gives birth to a mother!
Innocence personified
Let there be light...always.
A different perspective
Best way to remain healthy..go green!
Sands of time.
Bridge across forever...(inspired from one of my fave books)
Stand the test of time...my many beautiful relationships!
Sun, sand and sea...my favorite combination
Let there be Passion and Creativity in our life...always ~
Lets celebrate the landmarks in our lives..
The only true religion in the world...humanity!
Nature's beauty!
The awakened one...in a reclined pose.
Gateway to heaven..at the doors of Mangeshi temple.
~Tree of life~
Sunday, November 13, 2011
'Maid' of Honour
Aaah...'Maid' in India, this is one subject which has a timeless appeal to a smorgasbord of Indian women out there and always remain on their lips. Women of all sizes, shapes, colours, whether working, home makers, retired or young students, rich and middle class, will sure vote 'Maids' as the unequivocally the most dear topic to all of us.
The one word which can bring out a gamut of emotions from within us and will always remain an integral part of our inane complaints, feminine woes and heart to heart discussions.
I look around my ilk and sometimes feel that this breed (Maids) has become so indispensable that we women may just be able to live without our family/spouses for few days but we just cant live without THEM for even a day.
If it does happen i.e a day without our maid, it truly takes a toll on our mind, body and 'soul'. Yes, soul too!
No one can really make the 'soul curry' like my maid whips up, its incredibly mouthwatering and addictive too!
Ok..ok, let me not exaggerate here but the truth is surely not far from it.
I have always been wanting to write about this noble but unsung profession amidst us and dedicate a post to the 'maid' of honour in my life but never got around to do it.
But finally the trigger for this post was nothing else but a silly SMS joke I received from a dear friend and it went something like this.
'Guess which is the latest virus to have seized the women in Indian cities off late...... If you don't have this virus, you are truly doomed! Its the 'MAIDS' virus!
It is indeed true! If we don't have them in our lives our life has the ability to spin into a state of disarray and complete confusion.
If my maid reports on time every day, my days run smoothly a la freshly whipped banana smoothie on a pound of fresh out-of-oven walnut cake!
When she does report to work but late, to her it appears that I am forever looking over her shoulder and at times breathing down her neck.
All that notwithstanding, they are truly god's boon to us womenkind and can really ease our lives and iron out all our silly worries. They are the best anti wrinkle solution available, better than all the Olays and Ponds of the world.
But alas, just like all good things come with strings attached, they do too.
This ilk needs to be treated with kids gloves and sometimes put on a pedestal too, but at the same time we must understand that they dont need to be worshipped.
They have to be treated as part of the extended family but at the same time not let them enter our personal space.
They have to be trusted and respected and at the same time ensure that the rope is not let too loose.
They have to be given holidays, increments and bonuses like we get but at the same time not allow them job jumps.
We know they are truly indespensible in our lives but cant really show them so.
They are the most hardworking and undervalued breed who get pittance for the work they do. For urban women especially those who go to work they are the biggest stress busters. I can relate to the maids just like any important organ in our body viz. hands or legs. Till the time its working we dont value them but when we get hurt or break a bone we suddenly become acutely aware of our handicap. Its the same with our Maids. When they are around, we really take them for granted but when they are not there our life comes to a grinding halt and take some time to get back on track.
Nothing can give me more stress than when I hear her announce her plans to go on her annual leave. Its more tumultouous than the most stressful situations at my work place. Also, the times when she occassionally falls sick which unfortunately happens to be the same day when we are hosting a party for a bevy of close friends, it sends the shivers down my spine. Its every urban woman's worst horror story.
All said and done, inspite of all her shortcomings and capacity to provide me a few rude shocks, I am happy with my situation because I at least have a maid. When I look around and my friends struggle to find one suitable maid, I think my self fortunate and thank god for blessing me with one. Touch wood!
All in all, MAIDS according to me are the ultimate 'Must-have Aids In our Daily Survival' kit and truly the Maids of Honour!
The one word which can bring out a gamut of emotions from within us and will always remain an integral part of our inane complaints, feminine woes and heart to heart discussions.
I look around my ilk and sometimes feel that this breed (Maids) has become so indispensable that we women may just be able to live without our family/spouses for few days but we just cant live without THEM for even a day.
If it does happen i.e a day without our maid, it truly takes a toll on our mind, body and 'soul'. Yes, soul too!
No one can really make the 'soul curry' like my maid whips up, its incredibly mouthwatering and addictive too!
Ok..ok, let me not exaggerate here but the truth is surely not far from it.
I have always been wanting to write about this noble but unsung profession amidst us and dedicate a post to the 'maid' of honour in my life but never got around to do it.
But finally the trigger for this post was nothing else but a silly SMS joke I received from a dear friend and it went something like this.
'Guess which is the latest virus to have seized the women in Indian cities off late...... If you don't have this virus, you are truly doomed! Its the 'MAIDS' virus!
It is indeed true! If we don't have them in our lives our life has the ability to spin into a state of disarray and complete confusion.
If my maid reports on time every day, my days run smoothly a la freshly whipped banana smoothie on a pound of fresh out-of-oven walnut cake!
When she does report to work but late, to her it appears that I am forever looking over her shoulder and at times breathing down her neck.
All that notwithstanding, they are truly god's boon to us womenkind and can really ease our lives and iron out all our silly worries. They are the best anti wrinkle solution available, better than all the Olays and Ponds of the world.
But alas, just like all good things come with strings attached, they do too.
This ilk needs to be treated with kids gloves and sometimes put on a pedestal too, but at the same time we must understand that they dont need to be worshipped.
They have to be treated as part of the extended family but at the same time not let them enter our personal space.
They have to be trusted and respected and at the same time ensure that the rope is not let too loose.
They have to be given holidays, increments and bonuses like we get but at the same time not allow them job jumps.
We know they are truly indespensible in our lives but cant really show them so.
They are the most hardworking and undervalued breed who get pittance for the work they do. For urban women especially those who go to work they are the biggest stress busters. I can relate to the maids just like any important organ in our body viz. hands or legs. Till the time its working we dont value them but when we get hurt or break a bone we suddenly become acutely aware of our handicap. Its the same with our Maids. When they are around, we really take them for granted but when they are not there our life comes to a grinding halt and take some time to get back on track.
Nothing can give me more stress than when I hear her announce her plans to go on her annual leave. Its more tumultouous than the most stressful situations at my work place. Also, the times when she occassionally falls sick which unfortunately happens to be the same day when we are hosting a party for a bevy of close friends, it sends the shivers down my spine. Its every urban woman's worst horror story.
All said and done, inspite of all her shortcomings and capacity to provide me a few rude shocks, I am happy with my situation because I at least have a maid. When I look around and my friends struggle to find one suitable maid, I think my self fortunate and thank god for blessing me with one. Touch wood!
All in all, MAIDS according to me are the ultimate 'Must-have Aids In our Daily Survival' kit and truly the Maids of Honour!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Feel good...
Cut to 1 week back.
Its a normal Friday morning at office. I am sitting in my swivel chair with a pen pressed between my lips and wondering deeply about what lies in front of me. Seemingly, I am evaluating the marketing plan for the next 2 months. But covertly, I am staring blankly at the flickering laptop screen, throwing up deluge of numbers and multiple worksheets which are unfathomable.
As I am scratching my head, trying to fathom the excel sheet a strange thing happens. Just like a genie would appear and create magic...poof! in a matter of few seconds my marketing budget numbers suddenly unscramble and transform into, would you believe?..'Dates on the calendar'. Not just ordinary dates but they happen to be the very very appealing dates of our forthcoming Diwali holidays in the coming week - 26th to 30th October 2011. Oh what a coincidence, I say! Or was I just seeing things which I wanted to rather see.
In just a few minutes my feeling of helplessness with the complicating budget figures (Its obvious, I am mathematically challenged!) gave away to a euphoric feeling of joie de vivre.
Absolutely nothing had changed in those last few minutes. I was still sitting in the same chair, same office, breathing the same air (sprayed with lemon freshener)but my mind had done a complete volte face. Here I was, from a typical harried working woman who was antsy and at tethers end was now eagerly looking forward to the Diwali holidays like a kid would in school waiting for his long Diwali chhutti.
After all it was indeed going to be a really long weekend. After Monday & Tuesday it was going to be 5 holidays of "WTF weekend!".
A happy warm feeling overcame my whole being!
And the festivals in India are just that, aren't they?
A source of feel good factor.
Festivals to celebrate goodness, to celebrate the return of our heroes (from mythology), their triumph over evil, worshiping our gods and expressing our gratitude.
But the real feel good factor of festivals for me is because its such a wonderful package of old memories from childhood, happy experiences from the past, gifting and receiving gifts, meeting family and friends, shopping, cleaning home and decorating, making delicacies, devouring them and last but not the least the feeling of hope and positivity all around us.
Cut to now
Its a late Sunday evening and the Diwali holidays have almost come to an end. The feel good factor has suddenly disappeared into thin air and instead, a growing ennui of the fast approaching Monday has seized me completely. After a long weekend of R & R (rest and relaxation)which I wished would never end has now given way to the new R & R (rant and rush).
And then it hit (the stupid)me hard like Arnie's powerful bazooka... Bam!
Just like a week back nothing had changed around me to make me feel suddenly happy in my office chair, so also now, there was no change in reality but just change of my thinking which had brought back the feeling of normal, dreary, boring or whatever you could call of your daily grind.
The feel good that I felt before Diwali and I have been raving about ...was may be real or may be not. It was just Maya ...an illusion!
Just as much is the growing ennui in my head right now due to the soon to dawn Monday.
Thoughts which had changed my perspective of things around.
As they say...We are what we think! So I say, might as well have happy and positive thoughts always (at least try to) as they provide us hope for future and make 'feel good factor' a permanent resident in our heads.
Its a normal Friday morning at office. I am sitting in my swivel chair with a pen pressed between my lips and wondering deeply about what lies in front of me. Seemingly, I am evaluating the marketing plan for the next 2 months. But covertly, I am staring blankly at the flickering laptop screen, throwing up deluge of numbers and multiple worksheets which are unfathomable.
As I am scratching my head, trying to fathom the excel sheet a strange thing happens. Just like a genie would appear and create magic...poof! in a matter of few seconds my marketing budget numbers suddenly unscramble and transform into, would you believe?..'Dates on the calendar'. Not just ordinary dates but they happen to be the very very appealing dates of our forthcoming Diwali holidays in the coming week - 26th to 30th October 2011. Oh what a coincidence, I say! Or was I just seeing things which I wanted to rather see.
In just a few minutes my feeling of helplessness with the complicating budget figures (Its obvious, I am mathematically challenged!) gave away to a euphoric feeling of joie de vivre.
Absolutely nothing had changed in those last few minutes. I was still sitting in the same chair, same office, breathing the same air (sprayed with lemon freshener)but my mind had done a complete volte face. Here I was, from a typical harried working woman who was antsy and at tethers end was now eagerly looking forward to the Diwali holidays like a kid would in school waiting for his long Diwali chhutti.
After all it was indeed going to be a really long weekend. After Monday & Tuesday it was going to be 5 holidays of "WTF weekend!".
A happy warm feeling overcame my whole being!
And the festivals in India are just that, aren't they?
A source of feel good factor.
Festivals to celebrate goodness, to celebrate the return of our heroes (from mythology), their triumph over evil, worshiping our gods and expressing our gratitude.
But the real feel good factor of festivals for me is because its such a wonderful package of old memories from childhood, happy experiences from the past, gifting and receiving gifts, meeting family and friends, shopping, cleaning home and decorating, making delicacies, devouring them and last but not the least the feeling of hope and positivity all around us.
Cut to now
Its a late Sunday evening and the Diwali holidays have almost come to an end. The feel good factor has suddenly disappeared into thin air and instead, a growing ennui of the fast approaching Monday has seized me completely. After a long weekend of R & R (rest and relaxation)which I wished would never end has now given way to the new R & R (rant and rush).
And then it hit (the stupid)me hard like Arnie's powerful bazooka... Bam!
Just like a week back nothing had changed around me to make me feel suddenly happy in my office chair, so also now, there was no change in reality but just change of my thinking which had brought back the feeling of normal, dreary, boring or whatever you could call of your daily grind.
The feel good that I felt before Diwali and I have been raving about ...was may be real or may be not. It was just Maya ...an illusion!
Just as much is the growing ennui in my head right now due to the soon to dawn Monday.
Thoughts which had changed my perspective of things around.
As they say...We are what we think! So I say, might as well have happy and positive thoughts always (at least try to) as they provide us hope for future and make 'feel good factor' a permanent resident in our heads.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Who am I ?
Away from the urban landscape and in the lap of nature's beauty, 'Who am I ?' is a question I find asking myself suddenly.
Not many times have I put myself in this uneasy place nor have I had time to be there.
A road less travelled indeed!
As the morning sun shows up in the distant horizon, I am walking on a not so beaten path running into the woods and beyond, is what I can see.
A path which leaves behind the soft green grass beneath my feet and the melodious crowing of a rooster receding faintly into the greens.
A path which urges me to listen to my own inner voice and helps me answer a simple question 'Who am I?'...
A road less travelled indeed!
As I attempt to delve deep inside my thoughts for an answer, I realise that this seemingly innocuous question is not as simple as it seems.
But what I find beneath the loud thoughts in my head is that there is so much to discover and waiting to breathe.
In the daily grind of living a life, I somehow forget and fail to read.
A road less travelled indeed!
Within the boundaries created by self and leading a life or so I see, it somehow now occurs to me that there's so much more to achieve and also openly share with thee.
As I come closer to the answer of 'Who am I ?', I realise that I am someone who wants to live life to the fullest, give her best in all her deeds, make a difference to the ones she cares and bravely face life's dares and last but not the least, get over my fears and explore what's unforeseen.
A road less travelled is what I want to take indeed!
Not many times have I put myself in this uneasy place nor have I had time to be there.
A road less travelled indeed!
As the morning sun shows up in the distant horizon, I am walking on a not so beaten path running into the woods and beyond, is what I can see.
A path which leaves behind the soft green grass beneath my feet and the melodious crowing of a rooster receding faintly into the greens.
A path which urges me to listen to my own inner voice and helps me answer a simple question 'Who am I?'...
A road less travelled indeed!
As I attempt to delve deep inside my thoughts for an answer, I realise that this seemingly innocuous question is not as simple as it seems.
But what I find beneath the loud thoughts in my head is that there is so much to discover and waiting to breathe.
In the daily grind of living a life, I somehow forget and fail to read.
A road less travelled indeed!
Within the boundaries created by self and leading a life or so I see, it somehow now occurs to me that there's so much more to achieve and also openly share with thee.
As I come closer to the answer of 'Who am I ?', I realise that I am someone who wants to live life to the fullest, give her best in all her deeds, make a difference to the ones she cares and bravely face life's dares and last but not the least, get over my fears and explore what's unforeseen.
A road less travelled is what I want to take indeed!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Grey Anatomy of an Indian - Part II
Welcome to Part II of 'Grey Anatomy of an Indian'.
To begin where we left off in Part I, let me now introduce you to the other 5 reasons why we Indians are innately grey.
6. Indian Food
When we are talking about the anatomy, can food be left far behind? No, never and more so if its Indian food, we just cant. We are what we eat, they say... so blame it on the food for our grey anatomy, dearies!
You can go all around the world but nothing compares to Indian food. I say this not because I am an Indian but because you can seriously never have enough of it. So much of variety, flavors, aroma, taste, nutrition, creativity and not to forget so deeply steeped in rich tradition.
But what tickles my taste buds literally and figuratively are the cross variations Indian food has on its platter these days to offer to any kind of foodie.
So let me share with you 10 examples of Indian gastronomic delights which will not only leave you hungry and smacking your lips but also confirm the 'grey anatomy' logic.
1. Chinese Bhel puri (I can bet the last puri on my plate that our Chinese brethren wont be able to copy this one for sure)
2. Jain Pav Bhaaji (can you imagine, a Pav bhaaji without the quintessential kaanda/pyaaz...never!)
3. Chinese Dosa ( uh oh..I am imagining a chinese in a half lungi,now)
4. Mc Aloo Tikki (Looks like an American Born Confused Desi)
5. Jain Pizza - (Hmmm... its Mr.Jain posing against Leaning Tower of Pizza..oops Pisa)
6. Jain Chicken (Holy Cow!, you say. I say..Don't rub your eyes...yes it does exist and I have got this one confirmed from few Jain friends themselves. Its a preparation without onions and garlic but with chicken)
7. Chinese Jain cutlets (..looks like Jains and Chinese have some past life connection..how I wonder?)
8. Gobhi Manchurian (Chinese da puttar)
9. Spring Dosa (hmmm! no springing surprise)
10. Idli Manchurian (Aah..we Indian veggies can be so creative, nah!)
I am sure there are many more such hybrid and ingenious culinary delights which exist across India which will qualify the grey taste (or test).
Hope the above 10 menu items either got your tummy rumbling or at least you can now digest the logic of the grey anatomy of an Indian. If this is not enough food for thought then may be you should marinate...oops ruminate over it.
7.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness....but only at home -
I always wonder, how we are so adept as a nation in keeping our homes spic and span but fall so short on keeping our surroundings clean? And mind you, this trait is across all cultures and vultures. Once we step out of our home it ceases to be our responsibility towards being clean in our area and city.
I am sure you have seen many times, occupants of the most plush car throwing out of the windows the greasiest of wrappers, clinky cans and empty plastic bottles with such complete nonchalance. Or have you seen the red spitoons whizz past you with elan. These missiles fly around with so much ease and frequency that sometimes I feel if it ever becomes a competitive sport (like archery) we surely will have enough talent to choose from. They do also land on your kurta, shirt or trousers depending on the colours. Lighter the colour of your clothes, better chance they will have. Its like these red missiles are brand ambassadors of 'Daag acche hain' campaign.
Sartorial inclinations apart, these missiles sure do know what they are up to. They have their 'designs' exclusively for specific wall posters. Have you noticed how the remnants of these drippy missiles always provide a great topping for posters with messages 'Yeha thunkna mana hain' or 'Keep your city clean and green'. Or have you seen how these spittoons will be all over the place except where they are meant to be...in the dust bin that is. (Hmmm..looks like we wont have a chance in this 'competitive sport' as well, after all.)
But now look at the flip side...just look at us when we go abroad on our holidays or business visits. The same breed which throws, spits, litters and does many other disgusting acts in public domain thinks twice before doing the same when out of India. This behavior indeed is a great subject for study material and another example to prove the grey anatomy of an Indian.
8.
Cricket - The only true religion of us Indians
India maybe a country of
- 28 States
- 7 Union Territories
- 18 official languages
- 1000's of dialects
- 1.2 billion people
But its only with Cricket that India comes together...to discuss, debate, dissect, appreciate, criticize, venerate and celebrate with gusto, passion and enthusiasm India's place in the world of cricket.
When it comes to this religion it doesnt matter whether you belong to the haves or have nots, classes or masses, literate or illiterate, urban or rural, city or village, rich or poor...there is an unexplainable phenomena at play which unites the Indians in 1 big happy (when we win ofcourse!) family.
We are a country which looks upto these cricket players, turns them into heroes and sometimes zeroes. We look upto them for inspiration, cheer, team spirit and also as a means of escapism from the daily rigmarole of life.
It may not come as a surprise that we just might know by heart, statistics of India's past matches more accurately than our religious chants/prayers.
Also, I wont be surprised if Indians pray to GOD more religiously when cricket season is on than when it is not.
Prayer No. 1 - Oh God! let Sachin complete his century
Prayer No. 2 - God! Please let bhajji make his hattrick.
Prayer No. 3 - Please GOD, let Dravid stay on and win match for India!
so on and so forth...
When Indians come together to play, discuss or watch cricket you can be rest assured that atmosphere is going to be nothing less than electrifying, deafening and exuberant at the same time.
Little wonder then for all reasons mentioned above, to us Indians, Cricket is not just a game but a religion! And yes, we have 1 common GOD too! (and he goes by the name of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar).
9. 'Sab chalta hain bhai' attitude, yeh hai India!
I am sure you have heard this phrase a zillion times over and tossed it aside just like any other casual topic which we cant do much about. But think it over, friends. 'Chalta hain' is being reasonable with yourself and being reasonable with others and their actions. If we as an individual and as a nation has to move forward we need to ask questions, be unreasonable, demand, push the envelope and then only we can expect to get the best and be best. The current Anti corruption movement is a case in example. How many times have we in our own life been subject to corruption or also been responsible for corruption. No one I know has been free from a corrupt act whether its giving a bribe to traffic police, buying a film ticket in black, getting a driving license, getting ration card, downloading pirated films or making some home renovations without necessary permissions. Its easy to point finger at politicians (and yes rightfully so) but we need to remember there are 4 fingers pointing back at us as well.
I agree, here we have to pay for everything which is essentially free...right from a birth certificate to death certificate which pretty much sums up how deeply steeped is corruption in our country. With a proper anti corruption system in place it will surely help to stop the rot at the top level where it actually starts and then flows down the ladder. For which I am very glad this movement led by Anna Hazare has happened and opened the eyes of the lakhs of 'Chalta Hai' Indians. Its truly a historic moment and I am sure across the world people will be looking at India very hopefully. No where else have movements with such magnitude of people and apolitical in nature have passed so peacefully which is the really victory of India and Indians.
And I hope this momentum gained in the past many days (12 days)does not go waste and energises Indians to be unreasonable henceforth about anything which is corrupt and also at the same time we spread the positivity around through our own individual actions. Its time we shed this thick skin called 'Chalta Hain' and don a new avatar which 'Makes good things happen".
10. Past perfect but Future Tense...I hope not!
India and its 20 Amazing Historical facts which you may already know but its worth putting down again.
1. India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization.
2. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.
3. India is the world's largest democracy.
4. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
5. The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
6. Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
7. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
8. India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.
9. The art of Navigation was bornin the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
10. Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
11. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians.
12. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century.
13. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.
14. Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
15. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery.
16. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization).
17. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
18. India is one of the few countries in the World, which gained independence without violence.
19. India is the largest English speaking nation in the world.
20. India is the only country other than US and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously.
Inspite of such brilliant achievements to our credit in the past its sad to see in today's times, Indians rank 87 out of 178 in the Transparency International's index of corruption in the world.
We have a great history and even greater achivements to our credit in Science, Engineering, IT, Literature, Space in recent times as well.
I hope that we as a nation realise the immense potential that lies within us and it becomes the super power to reckon with in the near future and not flounder on this great opportunity that lies ahead of us.
On this positive note, I end the Part II of 'Grey Anatomy of an Indian'. Hope it has helped to throw light on the grey areas and also helped you to see we Indians in a gre(y)at light.
To begin where we left off in Part I, let me now introduce you to the other 5 reasons why we Indians are innately grey.
6. Indian Food
When we are talking about the anatomy, can food be left far behind? No, never and more so if its Indian food, we just cant. We are what we eat, they say... so blame it on the food for our grey anatomy, dearies!
You can go all around the world but nothing compares to Indian food. I say this not because I am an Indian but because you can seriously never have enough of it. So much of variety, flavors, aroma, taste, nutrition, creativity and not to forget so deeply steeped in rich tradition.
But what tickles my taste buds literally and figuratively are the cross variations Indian food has on its platter these days to offer to any kind of foodie.
So let me share with you 10 examples of Indian gastronomic delights which will not only leave you hungry and smacking your lips but also confirm the 'grey anatomy' logic.
1. Chinese Bhel puri (I can bet the last puri on my plate that our Chinese brethren wont be able to copy this one for sure)
2. Jain Pav Bhaaji (can you imagine, a Pav bhaaji without the quintessential kaanda/pyaaz...never!)
3. Chinese Dosa ( uh oh..I am imagining a chinese in a half lungi,now)
4. Mc Aloo Tikki (Looks like an American Born Confused Desi)
5. Jain Pizza - (Hmmm... its Mr.Jain posing against Leaning Tower of Pizza..oops Pisa)
6. Jain Chicken (Holy Cow!, you say. I say..Don't rub your eyes...yes it does exist and I have got this one confirmed from few Jain friends themselves. Its a preparation without onions and garlic but with chicken)
7. Chinese Jain cutlets (..looks like Jains and Chinese have some past life connection..how I wonder?)
8. Gobhi Manchurian (Chinese da puttar)
9. Spring Dosa (hmmm! no springing surprise)
10. Idli Manchurian (Aah..we Indian veggies can be so creative, nah!)
I am sure there are many more such hybrid and ingenious culinary delights which exist across India which will qualify the grey taste (or test).
Hope the above 10 menu items either got your tummy rumbling or at least you can now digest the logic of the grey anatomy of an Indian. If this is not enough food for thought then may be you should marinate...oops ruminate over it.
7.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness....but only at home -
I always wonder, how we are so adept as a nation in keeping our homes spic and span but fall so short on keeping our surroundings clean? And mind you, this trait is across all cultures and vultures. Once we step out of our home it ceases to be our responsibility towards being clean in our area and city.
I am sure you have seen many times, occupants of the most plush car throwing out of the windows the greasiest of wrappers, clinky cans and empty plastic bottles with such complete nonchalance. Or have you seen the red spitoons whizz past you with elan. These missiles fly around with so much ease and frequency that sometimes I feel if it ever becomes a competitive sport (like archery) we surely will have enough talent to choose from. They do also land on your kurta, shirt or trousers depending on the colours. Lighter the colour of your clothes, better chance they will have. Its like these red missiles are brand ambassadors of 'Daag acche hain' campaign.
Sartorial inclinations apart, these missiles sure do know what they are up to. They have their 'designs' exclusively for specific wall posters. Have you noticed how the remnants of these drippy missiles always provide a great topping for posters with messages 'Yeha thunkna mana hain' or 'Keep your city clean and green'. Or have you seen how these spittoons will be all over the place except where they are meant to be...in the dust bin that is. (Hmmm..looks like we wont have a chance in this 'competitive sport' as well, after all.)
But now look at the flip side...just look at us when we go abroad on our holidays or business visits. The same breed which throws, spits, litters and does many other disgusting acts in public domain thinks twice before doing the same when out of India. This behavior indeed is a great subject for study material and another example to prove the grey anatomy of an Indian.
8.
Cricket - The only true religion of us Indians
India maybe a country of
- 28 States
- 7 Union Territories
- 18 official languages
- 1000's of dialects
- 1.2 billion people
But its only with Cricket that India comes together...to discuss, debate, dissect, appreciate, criticize, venerate and celebrate with gusto, passion and enthusiasm India's place in the world of cricket.
When it comes to this religion it doesnt matter whether you belong to the haves or have nots, classes or masses, literate or illiterate, urban or rural, city or village, rich or poor...there is an unexplainable phenomena at play which unites the Indians in 1 big happy (when we win ofcourse!) family.
We are a country which looks upto these cricket players, turns them into heroes and sometimes zeroes. We look upto them for inspiration, cheer, team spirit and also as a means of escapism from the daily rigmarole of life.
It may not come as a surprise that we just might know by heart, statistics of India's past matches more accurately than our religious chants/prayers.
Also, I wont be surprised if Indians pray to GOD more religiously when cricket season is on than when it is not.
Prayer No. 1 - Oh God! let Sachin complete his century
Prayer No. 2 - God! Please let bhajji make his hattrick.
Prayer No. 3 - Please GOD, let Dravid stay on and win match for India!
so on and so forth...
When Indians come together to play, discuss or watch cricket you can be rest assured that atmosphere is going to be nothing less than electrifying, deafening and exuberant at the same time.
Little wonder then for all reasons mentioned above, to us Indians, Cricket is not just a game but a religion! And yes, we have 1 common GOD too! (and he goes by the name of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar).
9. 'Sab chalta hain bhai' attitude, yeh hai India!
I am sure you have heard this phrase a zillion times over and tossed it aside just like any other casual topic which we cant do much about. But think it over, friends. 'Chalta hain' is being reasonable with yourself and being reasonable with others and their actions. If we as an individual and as a nation has to move forward we need to ask questions, be unreasonable, demand, push the envelope and then only we can expect to get the best and be best. The current Anti corruption movement is a case in example. How many times have we in our own life been subject to corruption or also been responsible for corruption. No one I know has been free from a corrupt act whether its giving a bribe to traffic police, buying a film ticket in black, getting a driving license, getting ration card, downloading pirated films or making some home renovations without necessary permissions. Its easy to point finger at politicians (and yes rightfully so) but we need to remember there are 4 fingers pointing back at us as well.
I agree, here we have to pay for everything which is essentially free...right from a birth certificate to death certificate which pretty much sums up how deeply steeped is corruption in our country. With a proper anti corruption system in place it will surely help to stop the rot at the top level where it actually starts and then flows down the ladder. For which I am very glad this movement led by Anna Hazare has happened and opened the eyes of the lakhs of 'Chalta Hai' Indians. Its truly a historic moment and I am sure across the world people will be looking at India very hopefully. No where else have movements with such magnitude of people and apolitical in nature have passed so peacefully which is the really victory of India and Indians.
And I hope this momentum gained in the past many days (12 days)does not go waste and energises Indians to be unreasonable henceforth about anything which is corrupt and also at the same time we spread the positivity around through our own individual actions. Its time we shed this thick skin called 'Chalta Hain' and don a new avatar which 'Makes good things happen".
10. Past perfect but Future Tense...I hope not!
India and its 20 Amazing Historical facts which you may already know but its worth putting down again.
1. India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization.
2. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.
3. India is the world's largest democracy.
4. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
5. The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
6. Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
7. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
8. India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.
9. The art of Navigation was bornin the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
10. Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
11. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians.
12. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century.
13. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.
14. Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
15. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery.
16. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization).
17. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
18. India is one of the few countries in the World, which gained independence without violence.
19. India is the largest English speaking nation in the world.
20. India is the only country other than US and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously.
Inspite of such brilliant achievements to our credit in the past its sad to see in today's times, Indians rank 87 out of 178 in the Transparency International's index of corruption in the world.
We have a great history and even greater achivements to our credit in Science, Engineering, IT, Literature, Space in recent times as well.
I hope that we as a nation realise the immense potential that lies within us and it becomes the super power to reckon with in the near future and not flounder on this great opportunity that lies ahead of us.
On this positive note, I end the Part II of 'Grey Anatomy of an Indian'. Hope it has helped to throw light on the grey areas and also helped you to see we Indians in a gre(y)at light.
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