God toiled away for six long days and six long nights, chipping away on his mould till he got his perfect masterpiece just the way he had intended it to be. He had dreamt of his universe to be a pretty place with beautiful things - flowers, trees, oceans, seas, mountains, snow, rain, rainbow, sunshine.... He had dreamt of his world to be intelligent, to be full of life and love and caring...........He had dreamt of his creation to be righteous, to be mindful of the good and the great, to be aware of and responsible for one's actions, be it beast or man.........
God had intended his dream project to be a model for centuries, nay, aeons of time to come.......So He worked hard and He worked relentlessly, with passion and persistence. And then, He took His day of rest on Sunday.
And that's when the Devil came into play. With God off to his place of R&R, the Devil had a field day, a free hand to carry out his will as his whim and fancy urged him to. He brought in the dark clouds, the droughts, the typhoons....... He, with a villainous flourish brought in a deluge of the Seven Deadly Sins - Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride......... - sins that we are beseeched with even today. Sins that we commit with gay abandon, with no care for past, present or future life. The sins that have become our nemesis. That, in the eternal battle of good vs evil, continue to singe our souls and punish our bodies on this planet and in this life itself.
And so when God took His day of rest, the Devil raised his ugly head and created a race that would be diabolical and double faced. A race that would worship both God and the devil. Does this explain why the human race has been a perpetrator of so much crime, corruption and gore from time immemorial and continues to be even today? Is it why a father kills his daughter in cold blood and with clinical precision? Is it why a husband burns his new wife even before the ambers from the holy pyre of their matrimony settle down? Is it why a son, fed on the mother's milk straight from her bosom, grows into a monster and beats her black and blue before deserting her on the street? Is it why parents, who have brought up and doted on their daughter, later kill her in a rage garbed with honour, across the world? Is it why a young, opinionated girl aid and abet the killing of her second boyfriend at the hands of her first paramour? Is it why greedy hands snatch jewellery off the corpses left to decay under an earthquake hit rubble?
Can God show me the reason and give me proof of His BEING and His UNDOING!!!!!!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Programming without passion, purity & piousness of intent and poise!
We have recently lost Vijay Tendulkar - one of India's best known playwrights and dramatists as he passed onto another world after an eventful and meaningful life on this one.
The Times of India's obit on him mentioned, in passing, the other illustrious member of his family - his fiery, actress daughter - Priya Tendulkar, who the art and entertainment world (as much as the viewers) lost to death a few years back. Priya became best known for her apocryphal portrayal of Rajni in the eponymous TV show that ran to high ratings and very high viewership, I guess sometime in the eighties. What stood Rajni apart, besides Priya's inimitable histrionics, was the content of the show. It seemed to have a compassionate soul, a caring heart and a mind that thought out solutions for a common man's everyday woes. The programme was a true change agent and brought in a wave of reform, as the man on the street took up cudgels against the system and the perpetrator, bringing about a conducive environment denying scope to crime and corruption.
But that was then. When TV was an intelligent medium, the choices were few and sensible and the commercial hunger for space and money had not eaten into sense and commonsense. With more choices of channels and programming fighting for the same pie of viewers, the bastardisation of culture in programming, I guess, was inevitable. A lot of television critics bemoan the loss of news sense in the sacrosanct news as well, that has been whoppingly dumbed down.
While America, a major TV viewing country, where even the Presidential battles are won and lost on the small screen; may still have a TV evangelist in the likes of Oprah (never mind the happy coexistence of Jerry Springer and his ilk), we in India, unfortunately are going down the other way.
Quickly count on your fingertips any programme of real import across the channels. At the risk of admitting that I am no couch potato and do no more than 1-2 hours of TV per day, I can just muster a few names - perhaps "We the People" on NDTV and the other programme hosted by Gitanjali Kirloskar that ran for sometime on another channel. I can't seem to come up with any more names. Perhaps you could do better, if you have a better memory than mine and are exposed to better and more programming than me.
The point I am coming down to is that when we all agree that things are getting from bad to worse (more crime, more corruption, more chaos, more anarchy......), why isn't a powerful medium such as television rising up to the challenge and bringing out something really meaningful and productive instead of the plethora of all that song and dance it makes about well, song and dance in various hues and avatars. Even the news centers on sensationalisation of news with true bollywood touch given to the representation of the facts and the faces that have suffered.
The media is the mirror of its society. When do we stop seeing distorted, exaggerated and unreal images of ourselves as if we were all taking a jolly ride in a fair detached from reality and life.
When does the media retrieve its soul, do some realtime soul-searching and make a trailblazing impact on the mindscape instead of gunning after eyeballs that have become stupefied with the senselessness and unreasonableness of it all.
The Times of India's obit on him mentioned, in passing, the other illustrious member of his family - his fiery, actress daughter - Priya Tendulkar, who the art and entertainment world (as much as the viewers) lost to death a few years back. Priya became best known for her apocryphal portrayal of Rajni in the eponymous TV show that ran to high ratings and very high viewership, I guess sometime in the eighties. What stood Rajni apart, besides Priya's inimitable histrionics, was the content of the show. It seemed to have a compassionate soul, a caring heart and a mind that thought out solutions for a common man's everyday woes. The programme was a true change agent and brought in a wave of reform, as the man on the street took up cudgels against the system and the perpetrator, bringing about a conducive environment denying scope to crime and corruption.
But that was then. When TV was an intelligent medium, the choices were few and sensible and the commercial hunger for space and money had not eaten into sense and commonsense. With more choices of channels and programming fighting for the same pie of viewers, the bastardisation of culture in programming, I guess, was inevitable. A lot of television critics bemoan the loss of news sense in the sacrosanct news as well, that has been whoppingly dumbed down.
While America, a major TV viewing country, where even the Presidential battles are won and lost on the small screen; may still have a TV evangelist in the likes of Oprah (never mind the happy coexistence of Jerry Springer and his ilk), we in India, unfortunately are going down the other way.
Quickly count on your fingertips any programme of real import across the channels. At the risk of admitting that I am no couch potato and do no more than 1-2 hours of TV per day, I can just muster a few names - perhaps "We the People" on NDTV and the other programme hosted by Gitanjali Kirloskar that ran for sometime on another channel. I can't seem to come up with any more names. Perhaps you could do better, if you have a better memory than mine and are exposed to better and more programming than me.
The point I am coming down to is that when we all agree that things are getting from bad to worse (more crime, more corruption, more chaos, more anarchy......), why isn't a powerful medium such as television rising up to the challenge and bringing out something really meaningful and productive instead of the plethora of all that song and dance it makes about well, song and dance in various hues and avatars. Even the news centers on sensationalisation of news with true bollywood touch given to the representation of the facts and the faces that have suffered.
The media is the mirror of its society. When do we stop seeing distorted, exaggerated and unreal images of ourselves as if we were all taking a jolly ride in a fair detached from reality and life.
When does the media retrieve its soul, do some realtime soul-searching and make a trailblazing impact on the mindscape instead of gunning after eyeballs that have become stupefied with the senselessness and unreasonableness of it all.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Nothing to Cheer About :-(
Several column cms of space, decibel levels, words and sleepless nights are being lost over India's latest import - the svelte, sprightly, sexy, energetic and cheerful babes who earn their livelihood as cheerleaders.
When the issues of IPL, cricket teams being sold, their owners from the Indian film industry, Indian cricketers getting more aggressive and abusive like their counterparts from Down Under etc. etc. have done the rounds to death; there crops a new issue - that of the cheer leaders and their attire.
The heckles are being raised against the innocently focussed and unsuspecting girls for the following reasons -
1. It is not an Indian phenomenon. Lets replace it with Bhangra. Or maybe Kathakali, Bharatnatyam or Kuchipudi.........
Do you think Malls, eating out in glitzy restaurants, spending unabashedly on credit, showing off bosom and butt cleavages in Malls and cineplexes, public exhibition of personal emotions in parks and gardens and monuments.........to name but a few, ARE Indian in ethos.
2. The dress is vulgar.
What about the top and bottom cleavages being shown boldly by the young metro girls. What about TV actresses wearing extremely revealing dresses in some of the reality dance shows, what about lewd gestures and vulgar jokes on the comedy shows and what about abhorring gyrating movements and pelvic thrusts done by young and old alike - who may not be at all healthy and appealing and hence an eyesore while making these grotesque gestures - on some other dance shows that rope in the entire families.
Because the TRPs are good, because this entertainment is dished straight to homes and because the channels must have greased enough palms, all this is OK for an Indian's consumption.
But not the innocuous victory dances in the international spirit of things because -
1. They provide an issue to beat around when the other issues have been milked.
2. The voyeuristic politician has to hide his depravity under the shield of Indian culture.
3. The politician would not be a politician if he did not raise his voice against empty issues and did something about the real issues instead. Because then he would be a citizen officer and an honourable gentleman. But he is far from that.
Who am I to complain? Just a law-abiding, patriotic, God-fearing, conscientious citizen.
So lets just go ahead and cover up these beautiful bodies and tone down their enthusiasm.
But please let us also just go ahead and rape, grope and molest our women, play with our crotches openly, piss, crap and spit everywhere and on everything, make out in public places, bastardize our culture on television and beat and throw our old in institutions or on streets. For, that is a sign of globalisation, coming into our own and emergence of a new power.
Viva la New India!
When the issues of IPL, cricket teams being sold, their owners from the Indian film industry, Indian cricketers getting more aggressive and abusive like their counterparts from Down Under etc. etc. have done the rounds to death; there crops a new issue - that of the cheer leaders and their attire.
The heckles are being raised against the innocently focussed and unsuspecting girls for the following reasons -
1. It is not an Indian phenomenon. Lets replace it with Bhangra. Or maybe Kathakali, Bharatnatyam or Kuchipudi.........
Do you think Malls, eating out in glitzy restaurants, spending unabashedly on credit, showing off bosom and butt cleavages in Malls and cineplexes, public exhibition of personal emotions in parks and gardens and monuments.........to name but a few, ARE Indian in ethos.
2. The dress is vulgar.
What about the top and bottom cleavages being shown boldly by the young metro girls. What about TV actresses wearing extremely revealing dresses in some of the reality dance shows, what about lewd gestures and vulgar jokes on the comedy shows and what about abhorring gyrating movements and pelvic thrusts done by young and old alike - who may not be at all healthy and appealing and hence an eyesore while making these grotesque gestures - on some other dance shows that rope in the entire families.
Because the TRPs are good, because this entertainment is dished straight to homes and because the channels must have greased enough palms, all this is OK for an Indian's consumption.
But not the innocuous victory dances in the international spirit of things because -
1. They provide an issue to beat around when the other issues have been milked.
2. The voyeuristic politician has to hide his depravity under the shield of Indian culture.
3. The politician would not be a politician if he did not raise his voice against empty issues and did something about the real issues instead. Because then he would be a citizen officer and an honourable gentleman. But he is far from that.
Who am I to complain? Just a law-abiding, patriotic, God-fearing, conscientious citizen.
So lets just go ahead and cover up these beautiful bodies and tone down their enthusiasm.
But please let us also just go ahead and rape, grope and molest our women, play with our crotches openly, piss, crap and spit everywhere and on everything, make out in public places, bastardize our culture on television and beat and throw our old in institutions or on streets. For, that is a sign of globalisation, coming into our own and emergence of a new power.
Viva la New India!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
SUCCESS MANTRAS
My piece on Success Mantras, given below, has appeared on Prabhjot Singh Bedi's career-related website - www.myeclatcoach.com
Prabhjot is a Hospitality professional, trainer and life coach.
GUEST POST| 3 Attributes of Success
Aruna is an experienced Corporate Communications, Marketing Communications and Public Relations professional with 15 years of experience in the Diplomatic and Hospitality industry.
I asked her to do an article on 3 Attributes of Success.
As a keen observer of people from different walks of life and their behaviour, I have come to the conclusion that success is not only the life-force of an Identity, but that it is also subjective.
While to the world, in its most generic manifestation, the rich entrepreneurs and businessmen, the heads of organizations, famous people in sports, media and entertainment are all supremely successful, I have a skewed view on that. To my mind the cobbler-by-the-street corner who has been practicing his craft over all these years and has become the colony favourite is a successful man. The deft nurse who gets asked for by most of the patients, who does her work with utmost sincerity to the Hippocratic Oath and ably assists the doctor in saving may lives yet many a times remains nameless, is a successful health provider. The teacher who has earned a reputation of churning out students who go on to become stars in their chosen profession yet she stays on at the same school year after year content with practicing her job to the best of her knowledge and with a rare sense of commitment, is a highly successful Guru.
Many years back we had a lady who used to work for us at home, tending to our domestic needs. Like other members of her profession, she worked in several other houses besides ours. But what stood her apart was that she was never short of work. People asked for her to come and join their households, she was bestowed with a lot of gifts both on occasions and otherwise. We took turns in giving her money if she ran out of cash or needed the extra buck for getting herself or her husband treated. When she decided to leave this line and join a school as an administrative support, we all gave her glowing references – all true, mind you. Even now she visits us and is welcome anytime. And I think she is one of the most successful people I know. She is not rich, mighty or famous, but she IS successful.
If Sunita Williams is a successful astronaut, so are the set of skilled workers who work hard to ensure that every cog in the wheel of her spaceship works smoothly. If the flamboyant striker in a football league team is successful then so is the goalie who does not drop even a single ball.
If we must take names of the very famous, then Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar - India’s celluloid superheroes - are all successful. Yet each has had a different approach or strategy. Shahrukh is populist, has a lot of fire in his belly, is hungry for recognition and for being the best in whatever he does and plays unabashedly to the gallery. He has a deep need to be the number one in whatever he chooses to dabble in – movies, endorsements, cricket, television, even awards and the recognized lists of the rich and famous. Aamir is more niche, likes to do only what he really likes to do; makes wonderfully intelligent and sensitive films yet refuses to fill nominations for the popular awards, turns down million bucks offered by corporates for making run-of-the-mill films. Aamir has a maverick approach to his art and follows his heart and breaks several moulds in the process. Akshay cashed in on his strengths – action, martial arts, dancing – to gain a foothold; worked on his weaknesses – voice modulation, dialogue delivery; and added to his skill base – drama, comedy, romance. Three people, three strategies and three success stories.
Having established that success permeates through caste, creed, colour and social standing, I would like to state that there are several common threads that run through the successful people in their respective ilk and genres.
The first thread or quality definitely is hard work or smart work. If you need to get somewhere you will have to burn the midnight oil to get there. There are no short cuts or quick fixes. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow uttered the following famous words, definitely my favourite quote –
Lives of great men reached and kept
Were not obtained by sudden flight;
They while their companions slept
Were toiling upwards in the night.
That was then, but even now look at the success stories of the geek-entrepreneurs dotting the Silicon Valley skyline and you will discover that many of these young guns end up sleeping for only a few hours putting in 18 working hours to realize their dreams.
If you want to be promoted, if you want to move up the corporate ladder then you need to be a fast, smart worker who packs in quite a punch in terms of his deliverables and quantum of work.
The second quality would be persistence, perseverance and a consistent internal push. We would not have had light bulbs or telephones or planes or the revolutionizing concepts of relativity and Archimedes principle, to site a few, had it not been for the never-say-die spirit of these zealous, determined folk. How many times have we been told by our seniors – If you try and fail once then try again. Would any of us have learnt any of the stuff we did while growing up, be it academics, sport, dramatics, elocution or hobbies had we just tried them once and not gone back, again and again? Ask the innovators, developers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs and they will reel off some mind boggling numbers for the times they tried, failed, tried again, failed once again, re-attempted ………………till they finally succeeded.
With persistence I would link in grit and tenacity that keeps you in the groove of your chosen activity.
So go for it and keep going till you get there.
The third most important quality is, undoubtedly, passion. That definitely is the main driver in your path to success. If you don’t let that little light within you extinguish or quell the inner voice that eggs you on or keep the fire in your belly alive and stoked then it is passion that does it for you. It is passion that keeps you motivated in the face of flak, failure or fear.
Fervour, ardour, enthusiasm, zeal, craze ………………..call it by any name but it is passion that is your undying spirit which keeps your dreams alive and brings you a step closer to your coveted calling.
Vincent van Gogh, Christopher Columbus, Johann Sebastian Bach, King “Tut” Tutankhamun, John Keats …….. some of the world’s super famous and successful who either died poor or unknown and gained fame only posthumously. But it was their unstinting passion that kept them at it as they went about churning masterpieces after masterpieces.
If I could get to vote a fourth quality then it would be serendipity. The streak that sees the need, that truly believes that necessity is the mother of invention, that takes risks and craves for finding the extraordinary among the ordinary. It is the curious, insatiated spirit and the un-accepting diehard mind that lets you chart a new course, YOUR course in a direction uncharted before.
To sum up, lets coin the ‘W’ factor – Winning attitude with a high winsome quotient; Want as in desire or ambition; Way as in methodology, strategy, action plan; Wisdom as in assimilation of knowledge with practicality; Why – the curiosity, the thirst to know more and do more; Where to – the vision, the far sightedness; Will as in determination and fanaticism and finally Worship – by that I mean faith, veneration of the one above (whatever shape and form he or she takes for you) and a belief in yourself as an integral part of HIS universe.
So, success is an attitude and a way of life. And yes, nothing succeeds like success.
For comments & further talk…write to arunadhir@hotmail.com
Prabhjot is a Hospitality professional, trainer and life coach.
GUEST POST| 3 Attributes of Success
Aruna is an experienced Corporate Communications, Marketing Communications and Public Relations professional with 15 years of experience in the Diplomatic and Hospitality industry.
I asked her to do an article on 3 Attributes of Success.
As a keen observer of people from different walks of life and their behaviour, I have come to the conclusion that success is not only the life-force of an Identity, but that it is also subjective.
While to the world, in its most generic manifestation, the rich entrepreneurs and businessmen, the heads of organizations, famous people in sports, media and entertainment are all supremely successful, I have a skewed view on that. To my mind the cobbler-by-the-street corner who has been practicing his craft over all these years and has become the colony favourite is a successful man. The deft nurse who gets asked for by most of the patients, who does her work with utmost sincerity to the Hippocratic Oath and ably assists the doctor in saving may lives yet many a times remains nameless, is a successful health provider. The teacher who has earned a reputation of churning out students who go on to become stars in their chosen profession yet she stays on at the same school year after year content with practicing her job to the best of her knowledge and with a rare sense of commitment, is a highly successful Guru.
Many years back we had a lady who used to work for us at home, tending to our domestic needs. Like other members of her profession, she worked in several other houses besides ours. But what stood her apart was that she was never short of work. People asked for her to come and join their households, she was bestowed with a lot of gifts both on occasions and otherwise. We took turns in giving her money if she ran out of cash or needed the extra buck for getting herself or her husband treated. When she decided to leave this line and join a school as an administrative support, we all gave her glowing references – all true, mind you. Even now she visits us and is welcome anytime. And I think she is one of the most successful people I know. She is not rich, mighty or famous, but she IS successful.
If Sunita Williams is a successful astronaut, so are the set of skilled workers who work hard to ensure that every cog in the wheel of her spaceship works smoothly. If the flamboyant striker in a football league team is successful then so is the goalie who does not drop even a single ball.
If we must take names of the very famous, then Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar - India’s celluloid superheroes - are all successful. Yet each has had a different approach or strategy. Shahrukh is populist, has a lot of fire in his belly, is hungry for recognition and for being the best in whatever he does and plays unabashedly to the gallery. He has a deep need to be the number one in whatever he chooses to dabble in – movies, endorsements, cricket, television, even awards and the recognized lists of the rich and famous. Aamir is more niche, likes to do only what he really likes to do; makes wonderfully intelligent and sensitive films yet refuses to fill nominations for the popular awards, turns down million bucks offered by corporates for making run-of-the-mill films. Aamir has a maverick approach to his art and follows his heart and breaks several moulds in the process. Akshay cashed in on his strengths – action, martial arts, dancing – to gain a foothold; worked on his weaknesses – voice modulation, dialogue delivery; and added to his skill base – drama, comedy, romance. Three people, three strategies and three success stories.
Having established that success permeates through caste, creed, colour and social standing, I would like to state that there are several common threads that run through the successful people in their respective ilk and genres.
The first thread or quality definitely is hard work or smart work. If you need to get somewhere you will have to burn the midnight oil to get there. There are no short cuts or quick fixes. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow uttered the following famous words, definitely my favourite quote –
Lives of great men reached and kept
Were not obtained by sudden flight;
They while their companions slept
Were toiling upwards in the night.
That was then, but even now look at the success stories of the geek-entrepreneurs dotting the Silicon Valley skyline and you will discover that many of these young guns end up sleeping for only a few hours putting in 18 working hours to realize their dreams.
If you want to be promoted, if you want to move up the corporate ladder then you need to be a fast, smart worker who packs in quite a punch in terms of his deliverables and quantum of work.
The second quality would be persistence, perseverance and a consistent internal push. We would not have had light bulbs or telephones or planes or the revolutionizing concepts of relativity and Archimedes principle, to site a few, had it not been for the never-say-die spirit of these zealous, determined folk. How many times have we been told by our seniors – If you try and fail once then try again. Would any of us have learnt any of the stuff we did while growing up, be it academics, sport, dramatics, elocution or hobbies had we just tried them once and not gone back, again and again? Ask the innovators, developers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs and they will reel off some mind boggling numbers for the times they tried, failed, tried again, failed once again, re-attempted ………………till they finally succeeded.
With persistence I would link in grit and tenacity that keeps you in the groove of your chosen activity.
So go for it and keep going till you get there.
The third most important quality is, undoubtedly, passion. That definitely is the main driver in your path to success. If you don’t let that little light within you extinguish or quell the inner voice that eggs you on or keep the fire in your belly alive and stoked then it is passion that does it for you. It is passion that keeps you motivated in the face of flak, failure or fear.
Fervour, ardour, enthusiasm, zeal, craze ………………..call it by any name but it is passion that is your undying spirit which keeps your dreams alive and brings you a step closer to your coveted calling.
Vincent van Gogh, Christopher Columbus, Johann Sebastian Bach, King “Tut” Tutankhamun, John Keats …….. some of the world’s super famous and successful who either died poor or unknown and gained fame only posthumously. But it was their unstinting passion that kept them at it as they went about churning masterpieces after masterpieces.
If I could get to vote a fourth quality then it would be serendipity. The streak that sees the need, that truly believes that necessity is the mother of invention, that takes risks and craves for finding the extraordinary among the ordinary. It is the curious, insatiated spirit and the un-accepting diehard mind that lets you chart a new course, YOUR course in a direction uncharted before.
To sum up, lets coin the ‘W’ factor – Winning attitude with a high winsome quotient; Want as in desire or ambition; Way as in methodology, strategy, action plan; Wisdom as in assimilation of knowledge with practicality; Why – the curiosity, the thirst to know more and do more; Where to – the vision, the far sightedness; Will as in determination and fanaticism and finally Worship – by that I mean faith, veneration of the one above (whatever shape and form he or she takes for you) and a belief in yourself as an integral part of HIS universe.
So, success is an attitude and a way of life. And yes, nothing succeeds like success.
For comments & further talk…write to arunadhir@hotmail.com
Monday, April 07, 2008
The power, the influence and the ethics of advertising!
Going through the full page advertisement of Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre Ltd. in the latest issue of City Limits today, I was taken back in time to Circa 1999. I was at The Oberoi and had just got initiated (courtesy my company) into the benefits of an Executive Health Check-up offered by biggies such as Apollo and Max. Once my regimen was completed, I was tempted enough to get one done for my Mother. That is when we found out that while my Mother had a heart as strong as that of a young man, she had several almost fatal blockages in her aorta and other main arteries. We began taking her around to Delhi's best Heart Institutes. For the Angioplasty and stenting routine (which was going to save her life), we spent sleepless nights tossing over the options of Apollo VS Escorts. We sought opinion of family and friends and received equally divided votes between the two medical health providers. For us personally, the swankiness, the cleanliness, the international appeal and the strong buzz for Apollo veered us towards them and that's the way we went for my Mother's treatment. Again, personally for us (and I am sure not for everyone), this turned out to be a hazardous step. The consulting cardiologist had a private practise on the side and that's where he liked to consult my mother often. We spent money like water but I eventually lost her within eight months of her Angioplasty. Lot of friends, sharing our unimaginable grief, lamented that we should have gone to Escorts which minus the Apollo lustre at that point of time, boasted of some of the finest cardiac experts. We had been sadly taken in by the hype that the other Hospital had created and the superficial sheen it presented. The permanent damage had been done.
This is not the first case for me or for you, as we turn out to be suckers for fancy advertising, giving in to their agressive, above-the-line and constant persuasion. We are constantly urged to drink fizzy drinks, eat trans-fat rich, preserved and packaged foods, buy over their prime as well as, sometimes, their expiry date international products that have been dumped into the third world super / hyper markets, exercising the optimal pull and push factor on the crazy mall novices from these places. We get done in by the promotional offers, on-site advertising and discounts that play on our minds heavily while shopping in these glitzy places. Pushpa Girimaji, a consumer behaviour expert, warns us against such shopping pattern with dire consequences both on our health and pocket.
Every waking moment, we are attracted to a product by our favourite celebrity endorsing the product unabashedly with two hoots given to its overall brand value. Aerated drinks eat the biggest share of the pie. So, while Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and their ilk, put the might of their immensely appealing persona to persuade us to buy stuff that they would think twice about using so rampantly themselves or allowing their kids to do so, there is little thought, if any, given to the hazardous effect of some of these products on the people of a country which is fast becoming the Diabetes capital of the world, for one.
While earlier we would pay heed to what our mothers told us OR our Nani-ke-Nuskhe (grandmother's tried and tested tips) OR some of the relevant old wives tales and passed the rich knowledge down to our progeny, today it is blatant and pretty often unethical advertising without a conscience that rules our mind.
The moral order crumbles down ever so often in the face of the commercial greed. Sadly, in a country where millions are spent on advertising and celebrity endorsements on stuff that has very less realtime value for its masses, there is pittance reserved for health care and educational initiatives.
Do a quick stat analysis or reality check and see how many Indians are denied the basic right to proper health care, hospitalisation, education............. even three square meals a day. Then look at the reach of advertising even in the back-of-beyond hinterland where real and spurious drinks or foods do brisk business. And then somewhere in your heart and mind, the little voice will grow into raging anger against the immorality and unethicalness of it all.
This is not the first case for me or for you, as we turn out to be suckers for fancy advertising, giving in to their agressive, above-the-line and constant persuasion. We are constantly urged to drink fizzy drinks, eat trans-fat rich, preserved and packaged foods, buy over their prime as well as, sometimes, their expiry date international products that have been dumped into the third world super / hyper markets, exercising the optimal pull and push factor on the crazy mall novices from these places. We get done in by the promotional offers, on-site advertising and discounts that play on our minds heavily while shopping in these glitzy places. Pushpa Girimaji, a consumer behaviour expert, warns us against such shopping pattern with dire consequences both on our health and pocket.
Every waking moment, we are attracted to a product by our favourite celebrity endorsing the product unabashedly with two hoots given to its overall brand value. Aerated drinks eat the biggest share of the pie. So, while Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and their ilk, put the might of their immensely appealing persona to persuade us to buy stuff that they would think twice about using so rampantly themselves or allowing their kids to do so, there is little thought, if any, given to the hazardous effect of some of these products on the people of a country which is fast becoming the Diabetes capital of the world, for one.
While earlier we would pay heed to what our mothers told us OR our Nani-ke-Nuskhe (grandmother's tried and tested tips) OR some of the relevant old wives tales and passed the rich knowledge down to our progeny, today it is blatant and pretty often unethical advertising without a conscience that rules our mind.
The moral order crumbles down ever so often in the face of the commercial greed. Sadly, in a country where millions are spent on advertising and celebrity endorsements on stuff that has very less realtime value for its masses, there is pittance reserved for health care and educational initiatives.
Do a quick stat analysis or reality check and see how many Indians are denied the basic right to proper health care, hospitalisation, education............. even three square meals a day. Then look at the reach of advertising even in the back-of-beyond hinterland where real and spurious drinks or foods do brisk business. And then somewhere in your heart and mind, the little voice will grow into raging anger against the immorality and unethicalness of it all.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
WHEN DID I LAST TAKE THE BULL BY ITS HORNS!?!?!?
Several things, people, issues, situations take on the persona of a bull in one's life. And depending on your personal mindframe at that given point of time, you either take it by its horns or duck away. And there in lies your wisdom.
I took on a major bull (French, not Spanish) in my last job and decided to go my way. No regrets, so far!
Then again, life serves you challenging aces again and again, that you need to be able to take by the horns, face them and solve them to your advantage. Isn't this what life is all about!
Like I said, sometimes life is the bull and sometimes you are the bull in somebody else's life.
Or you could also be the bull in a China shop if you donot integrate your personal wherewithal.
So the mantra is, no bull'ing around just finding the best of solutions at the right time.
I took on a major bull (French, not Spanish) in my last job and decided to go my way. No regrets, so far!
Then again, life serves you challenging aces again and again, that you need to be able to take by the horns, face them and solve them to your advantage. Isn't this what life is all about!
Like I said, sometimes life is the bull and sometimes you are the bull in somebody else's life.
Or you could also be the bull in a China shop if you donot integrate your personal wherewithal.
So the mantra is, no bull'ing around just finding the best of solutions at the right time.
WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY!!!!!!!!
The ability to make a difference, the will to do so and the energy to actually do it.
Share my life, time and resources with the less privileged.
To be able to dream and at some point turn it into reality.
To be able to share my life with the best soulmate ever - my husband.
To spend lots of time with my two four-legged children.
To have the perspicacity for being hopeful, positive and optimistic for myself and for the world around.
To be able to pen down my thoughts and try and shape it into a book.
To enjoy the satisfaction of my protege(s) achieving success.
To strive to be a good human being and live by the rules my parents taught me.
Share my life, time and resources with the less privileged.
To be able to dream and at some point turn it into reality.
To be able to share my life with the best soulmate ever - my husband.
To spend lots of time with my two four-legged children.
To have the perspicacity for being hopeful, positive and optimistic for myself and for the world around.
To be able to pen down my thoughts and try and shape it into a book.
To enjoy the satisfaction of my protege(s) achieving success.
To strive to be a good human being and live by the rules my parents taught me.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
MY PR MANTRAS
I was once (in 2002) voted as the best PR person in the hospitality industry by the Hospitality editor of Indian Express Newspaper in India. A highly satisfying and motivating recognition that, today, gives me the confidence to share some of MY tricks of the trade -
1. I try to be a good strategist and look at new avenues (even unprecedented) to get my company's story or message out.
2. I have tried to develop a reputation of reliability and responsiveness in good turnaround time, even if sometimes the response is in the negative. I always try to respond and close the communication loop.
3. Employ lateral thinking and use varied, multi-level opportunities, some of which are freshly created, either in isolation or in sync with a co-worker.
4. Understand the media's perspective instead of being a push-over and forcing someone to give you column cm space.
5. Be a good ideating, fact-crunching support that the Boss can fall back on at interviews. Be his mouth piece without taking the credit and the shine away from him.
6. Be an excellent writer and an eclectic one, so that one could be good at doing the press releases, articles, speeches, manuals, business letters, web text and so on.
7. Be a good public speaker.
8. Build long-term relationships with the media and the other significant publics. Respect even the cub reporter (regardless of one's own seniority) and watch the relationship blossom once the cub grows into a lion of an editor.
9. Be abreast with current, business and industry news. Not only does that make you intelligent but also a lot of ideas come from there.
10. Be adaptable and flexible and thin yourself out in terms of gaining experience and meeting new job requests. At my last job, I got to train even the telephone operators on communication skills, write manuals, prepare lot of archival documentation, write most of the business letters regardless of the department, write the web text myself without outsourcing it and enjoy the privilege of designing, writing and creating a lot of marketing communications collateral.
11. Be eager to learn and raise my personal benchmark at every instance.
12. Be a good mentor and trainer to my subordinates.
13. Be able to integrate the PR function into the larger business plan of the company and cease to see it as a soft, fluffy side-function.
14. Play an integral role in Company's profit protection by honing a lot of in-house skills.
1. I try to be a good strategist and look at new avenues (even unprecedented) to get my company's story or message out.
2. I have tried to develop a reputation of reliability and responsiveness in good turnaround time, even if sometimes the response is in the negative. I always try to respond and close the communication loop.
3. Employ lateral thinking and use varied, multi-level opportunities, some of which are freshly created, either in isolation or in sync with a co-worker.
4. Understand the media's perspective instead of being a push-over and forcing someone to give you column cm space.
5. Be a good ideating, fact-crunching support that the Boss can fall back on at interviews. Be his mouth piece without taking the credit and the shine away from him.
6. Be an excellent writer and an eclectic one, so that one could be good at doing the press releases, articles, speeches, manuals, business letters, web text and so on.
7. Be a good public speaker.
8. Build long-term relationships with the media and the other significant publics. Respect even the cub reporter (regardless of one's own seniority) and watch the relationship blossom once the cub grows into a lion of an editor.
9. Be abreast with current, business and industry news. Not only does that make you intelligent but also a lot of ideas come from there.
10. Be adaptable and flexible and thin yourself out in terms of gaining experience and meeting new job requests. At my last job, I got to train even the telephone operators on communication skills, write manuals, prepare lot of archival documentation, write most of the business letters regardless of the department, write the web text myself without outsourcing it and enjoy the privilege of designing, writing and creating a lot of marketing communications collateral.
11. Be eager to learn and raise my personal benchmark at every instance.
12. Be a good mentor and trainer to my subordinates.
13. Be able to integrate the PR function into the larger business plan of the company and cease to see it as a soft, fluffy side-function.
14. Play an integral role in Company's profit protection by honing a lot of in-house skills.
Do I Believe in DESTINY!
I am a liberal Hindu with a missionary-led convent education so you will get a mix of both beliefs with my own thrown in for good measure.
I think Destiny (what is pre-ordained) and your Deeds are two important wheels of your cart. They both get you going ahead and if one or both the wheels are not working well then you are bound to slow down or stop.
While Destiny gives you the canvas, your deeds are the tools with which you paint that magnificent art piece on your lifescape.
On the dismal note, there have been cases of people who gave their best but didn't get back their due or there were those who got famous only posthumously. There are some among us who may not be as intelligent or diligent or industrious yet they seem to be making a killing and then there are some others who have all the qualities but may remain unsung and unrewarded.
On the sunny side, one needs to persevere and continue endeavouring to see what lies in store. If you donot get up and open the door, opportunity would knock and walk away. With incessant effort there is the satisfaction that YOU did your best AND that's more than half the battle won; for you are the master of what you can control, the rest is beyond you.
While Destiny is a formidable ally or adversary depending on YOUR roll of the dice, but it is best to be a KARMAYOGI (continue doing your deeds without worrying about the fruit - as the great scripture GITA propounds).
Be ready, sharp and shining when HE throws a SIX at you.
I think Destiny (what is pre-ordained) and your Deeds are two important wheels of your cart. They both get you going ahead and if one or both the wheels are not working well then you are bound to slow down or stop.
While Destiny gives you the canvas, your deeds are the tools with which you paint that magnificent art piece on your lifescape.
On the dismal note, there have been cases of people who gave their best but didn't get back their due or there were those who got famous only posthumously. There are some among us who may not be as intelligent or diligent or industrious yet they seem to be making a killing and then there are some others who have all the qualities but may remain unsung and unrewarded.
On the sunny side, one needs to persevere and continue endeavouring to see what lies in store. If you donot get up and open the door, opportunity would knock and walk away. With incessant effort there is the satisfaction that YOU did your best AND that's more than half the battle won; for you are the master of what you can control, the rest is beyond you.
While Destiny is a formidable ally or adversary depending on YOUR roll of the dice, but it is best to be a KARMAYOGI (continue doing your deeds without worrying about the fruit - as the great scripture GITA propounds).
Be ready, sharp and shining when HE throws a SIX at you.
Why do People GOSSIP!
Gossip, almost always, has a negative connotation.
Wikipedia gives the following formal definition of gossip, "Gossip consists of casual or idle talk between friends. While ostensibly value neutral, the term often specifically refers to talk of scandal, slander, or schadenfreude relating to known associates of the participants, and discussed in an underhand or clandestine manner."
Having established that, I would attribute the following reasons for people to engage in gossip -
1. Misplaced priorities and misuse of time - otherwise those people would busy themselves in more useful and productive work.
2. Insecurity - it provides one an affected sense of importance and power as you seem to be the holder of some information, however false it may be. As someone else above said, it gives you a false sense of a skewed social standing.
3. An inherent sense of curiosity - I have this story to share (and most often IT IS a rumoured story). So what's yours.
4. Predisposing factors - I saw my family members engage in it and that may have conditioned me in developing a mindset that there is nothing wrong for me to engage in it.
5. Entertainment value - The gossip mongers, even most of us, see a high level of entertainment value in it. A lot of us find it more amusing than a good film or a good read or a good piece of music.
6. Habit - We all know that old habits die hard. If gossiping becomes a habit for whatever reason, it is difficult to unlearn it.
7. Peer pressure - We see people in our subset of contacts at work and socially, enjoy a good piece of gossip and keep the ball rolling and we feel compelled to belong.
8. Negative trait / devillish streak - Perhaps there is that, perhaps so far loosely defined, gene of negativity in all of us that urges us to hurt, harm and be hellish even when we have no concrete reason or motive to be so.
Wikipedia gives the following formal definition of gossip, "Gossip consists of casual or idle talk between friends. While ostensibly value neutral, the term often specifically refers to talk of scandal, slander, or schadenfreude relating to known associates of the participants, and discussed in an underhand or clandestine manner."
Having established that, I would attribute the following reasons for people to engage in gossip -
1. Misplaced priorities and misuse of time - otherwise those people would busy themselves in more useful and productive work.
2. Insecurity - it provides one an affected sense of importance and power as you seem to be the holder of some information, however false it may be. As someone else above said, it gives you a false sense of a skewed social standing.
3. An inherent sense of curiosity - I have this story to share (and most often IT IS a rumoured story). So what's yours.
4. Predisposing factors - I saw my family members engage in it and that may have conditioned me in developing a mindset that there is nothing wrong for me to engage in it.
5. Entertainment value - The gossip mongers, even most of us, see a high level of entertainment value in it. A lot of us find it more amusing than a good film or a good read or a good piece of music.
6. Habit - We all know that old habits die hard. If gossiping becomes a habit for whatever reason, it is difficult to unlearn it.
7. Peer pressure - We see people in our subset of contacts at work and socially, enjoy a good piece of gossip and keep the ball rolling and we feel compelled to belong.
8. Negative trait / devillish streak - Perhaps there is that, perhaps so far loosely defined, gene of negativity in all of us that urges us to hurt, harm and be hellish even when we have no concrete reason or motive to be so.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
My MOTTOES in Life!
My very personal favourite is -
"Heights by great men reached and kept, were not obtained by sudden flight;
They, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night! - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Some others that keep coming back to mind and that one tries to adhere to are -
"Live such a life that when you die even the undertaker would be sorry," - Mark Twain
"If you don't stand for something, then you will fall for anything," - Malcolm X
"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."
"Do unto others what you'd like them to do to you," - I wish I could follow this one religiously.
And since I am a self-proclaimed Dog Whisperer, here is an absolute must -
"Dear God, please make me the kind of person my Dog thinks I am."
"Heights by great men reached and kept, were not obtained by sudden flight;
They, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night! - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Some others that keep coming back to mind and that one tries to adhere to are -
"Live such a life that when you die even the undertaker would be sorry," - Mark Twain
"If you don't stand for something, then you will fall for anything," - Malcolm X
"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."
"Do unto others what you'd like them to do to you," - I wish I could follow this one religiously.
And since I am a self-proclaimed Dog Whisperer, here is an absolute must -
"Dear God, please make me the kind of person my Dog thinks I am."
RECOVERING MOTIVATION AFTER FAILURE!
Each of us faces small or big failures in the course of our lives. But the idea is to get up, shake up a bit and get going. Staying motivated is the key.
Some other tricks -
Self Esteem and positve visualisation -
Positive strokes entailing thinking of all the wins in the past, the triumphant moments and the glorious feedback on outstanding work, glowing references - once you have been an excellent and above-the-target worker you tend to collect hordes of such gems in your kitty.
Get on to Plan B - all good workers will always have a Plan A and a Plan B and implement that effectively.
Circle of family and friends who tell it like it is, yet know your actual potential and stoke that in the right direction.
Promising self talk and introspective moments guiding you to learn from the failure and turn it into a good learning exercise that eggs you onto the next level.
Also, always facing the issue full on - with tears or other emotional display - and getting it all out so that one can start afresh with no extra baggage.
Some other tricks -
Self Esteem and positve visualisation -
Positive strokes entailing thinking of all the wins in the past, the triumphant moments and the glorious feedback on outstanding work, glowing references - once you have been an excellent and above-the-target worker you tend to collect hordes of such gems in your kitty.
Get on to Plan B - all good workers will always have a Plan A and a Plan B and implement that effectively.
Circle of family and friends who tell it like it is, yet know your actual potential and stoke that in the right direction.
Promising self talk and introspective moments guiding you to learn from the failure and turn it into a good learning exercise that eggs you onto the next level.
Also, always facing the issue full on - with tears or other emotional display - and getting it all out so that one can start afresh with no extra baggage.
PASSING ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION AND BEYOND!
Hmmm!!!! Let's see. What would I like to pass on to the next generation and beyond.....
VALUES!!!
RESPECT - for one's ownself, parents, environment, animals, others...., their religion .....
UNDERSTANDING - unity in diversity
SENSE OF PEACE
Ability to look at the simple things and enjoy them without being too materialistic about wants and desires.
Creativity and an inherent inquisitiveness that leads to remarkable innovations and makes one ask just the right questions at the right time.
Above all, deep faith in the one above, no matter what caste, colour, creed, tenets we thrust on him.
What about you?
VALUES!!!
RESPECT - for one's ownself, parents, environment, animals, others...., their religion .....
UNDERSTANDING - unity in diversity
SENSE OF PEACE
Ability to look at the simple things and enjoy them without being too materialistic about wants and desires.
Creativity and an inherent inquisitiveness that leads to remarkable innovations and makes one ask just the right questions at the right time.
Above all, deep faith in the one above, no matter what caste, colour, creed, tenets we thrust on him.
What about you?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
POPULATION COPULATION!
Please stop!
Is it too difficult for us to see that the gravest malaise afflicting us is the swelling up of our population.
Common people, village yokels, urban intellectuals, politicians or vote-bank seekers, policy makers,Godmen, God forsaken men..............I mean all you guys out there who are numbed out to the bomb we are building - not so slowly but ever so steadily.
Please wake up OR better still get some sound sleep in the time that you would otherwise use to contribute to this societal affliction, considering the conservative viewpoint that it is the night time that is the right time for you.
More mouths to feed, more eyes to show, more hands to train, more beings to take care of and finally more bodies to bury. Where is the good economic, social, business, political, religious sense in this.
You get the population in control and YOU get to enjoy better healthcare, civic condition, transportation, education, sanitation, more food and water and fresh air, less global warming and carbon footprints, less conflicts, less stress, less depletion of natural resources.............
Why should mankind, particularly that centered in the subcontinent be so self-destructive???
Is it too difficult for us to see that the gravest malaise afflicting us is the swelling up of our population.
Common people, village yokels, urban intellectuals, politicians or vote-bank seekers, policy makers,Godmen, God forsaken men..............I mean all you guys out there who are numbed out to the bomb we are building - not so slowly but ever so steadily.
Please wake up OR better still get some sound sleep in the time that you would otherwise use to contribute to this societal affliction, considering the conservative viewpoint that it is the night time that is the right time for you.
More mouths to feed, more eyes to show, more hands to train, more beings to take care of and finally more bodies to bury. Where is the good economic, social, business, political, religious sense in this.
You get the population in control and YOU get to enjoy better healthcare, civic condition, transportation, education, sanitation, more food and water and fresh air, less global warming and carbon footprints, less conflicts, less stress, less depletion of natural resources.............
Why should mankind, particularly that centered in the subcontinent be so self-destructive???
Thursday, November 30, 2006
TWO SIDES TO A COIN!
TWO SIDES TO A COIN!
By L. Aruna Dhir
Penned on 30th November 2006
Picture courtesy - Werol
Words hurt
Words heal
Thoughts act
Thoughts aggravate
Soul soothes
Soul sears
Heart beats
Heart stops
Eyes see through
Eyes get blinded
Ears listen to even what is not said
Ears turn deaf
Forehead relaxes
Forehead creases
Lips smile
Lips purse up
Mouth creates
Mouth consumes
Hands do
Hands don’t
Shoulders shoulder responsibility
Shoulders wilt down with weight
Feet traverse
Toes face up
Emotions preach
Emotions pierce
Mind guides
Mind plays games
Conscience shows the path
Conscience loses the way
Must there be two sides to every coin
Two shades of black and white
Of what is and what will never be there!
***********
Thursday, November 23, 2006
FATE FATALE!
Youngest of the children. Pampered. Shielded and protected from the outside world. Married off early so that her new home could now take care of her. Innocent, harmless, docile with a soft heart and a kind wish and thought for everone. Never did she ever harm even a fly.
A twist in the tale. A turn of events. her new home becomes a living hell for her. The husband is cruel and uncaring. The children even more so. After years of inhuman behaviour, callous acts, beating and abuse she is thrown out of her 'own' house onto the street, even the blade of grass clung to for survival snatched away from her. Thrown into the big bad world to beg for alms or to perish with the overwhelming and unbearable onslaught.
Is life fair? What did she do or not do to deserve this. If one good turn deserves another and vice versa, what might explain her plight and what led to it. Is it how you sow, shall you reap OR the Karma or the past life. What has she paid for?
Many questions but no definitive answer. Only HE knows.
And then there is this old man who lived a more than honest life. Accused of a crime he did not commit. His image tarnished beyond repair. No explanations are enough as they are but explanations. All his money has gone into fighting court cases - a losing battle. He still has some hope as he constantly slides into a state of penury. The end is totally predictable and gloomy.
Fate strikes again.
There are many stories. Many questions. But no answer. Life goes on............
A twist in the tale. A turn of events. her new home becomes a living hell for her. The husband is cruel and uncaring. The children even more so. After years of inhuman behaviour, callous acts, beating and abuse she is thrown out of her 'own' house onto the street, even the blade of grass clung to for survival snatched away from her. Thrown into the big bad world to beg for alms or to perish with the overwhelming and unbearable onslaught.
Is life fair? What did she do or not do to deserve this. If one good turn deserves another and vice versa, what might explain her plight and what led to it. Is it how you sow, shall you reap OR the Karma or the past life. What has she paid for?
Many questions but no definitive answer. Only HE knows.
And then there is this old man who lived a more than honest life. Accused of a crime he did not commit. His image tarnished beyond repair. No explanations are enough as they are but explanations. All his money has gone into fighting court cases - a losing battle. He still has some hope as he constantly slides into a state of penury. The end is totally predictable and gloomy.
Fate strikes again.
There are many stories. Many questions. But no answer. Life goes on............
COBWEBS IN THE HEAD!
On the cupboard top. Over the refrigerator. Inside the sofa lining. In between the art deco lines of the well designed bed. Under the ornate table. Stuck in the cornice, crevice or mesh. Stuck in the handles and hinges. Caught in the intricacies of patterns. On the shelf. On the leaves and petals..................... I go about my business of looking for and cleaning away the dust and the cobwebs, from the most probable to the most unlikeliest of places.
Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I get beaten.
Wish it was as easy discovering, deciding on and cleaning the cobwebs in the head!!!
Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I get beaten.
Wish it was as easy discovering, deciding on and cleaning the cobwebs in the head!!!
Friday, October 27, 2006
A SPARKLE IN THEIR EYES!
For the last two or three years, we have a written ground rule at home. On every important personal occasion, be it birthdays, anniversaries, parents' day of eternal departure, diwali, holi, christmas, new year and sometimes created occasions like new job, new car etc. etc. we all plan a little party for an identified set of people and visit them with our goodie bags - more often than not eats - butter & bun, cakes, biscuits, toffees, fruit, frooti........whatever our moment of inspiration guides and goades us on.
This Diwali was no diiferent but a little more special. As this year, our magic number reached an auspicious figure with a resolution to multiply it further on the next available opportunity. I, with my team of lieutenants, set about planning and executing the task of making this Festival of Lights slightly more bright for three sets of people.
Diwali morning started with getting together on the Dining table and assembling the packs diligently. Armed with our parcels, we first went to our favourite place - a respected institution that caters to mentally unstable and polio afflicted children. Our reward was the animated greetings and smiles on the faces of these children of the lesser god.
The next halt was a Jhuggi cluster of contractual labour laid off by the contractor on account of the work having been temporarily stalled. We weren't quite prepared for what followed next. Clamouring arms reaching out for our faces, pulling at our ears, hair whatever; imploring eyes; pitiable cries and a riotous behaviour to get the better of the other child............. something that we had perhaps seen on TV but had never experienced ourselves. For the next such trip, we are already planning on getting ourselves better organised in order to organise our dole better.
The third set was quite an unlikely one but I certainly felt deserving. It was a bunch of rickshaw pullers. And charity, I believe, also depends on the eye of the giver. Lean frames toiling away through the day, facing rash driving and rude drivers and those driven by them, only to earn a paltry sum at the end of the day and to return to a family that reminds them of their BOPL state every waking moment........I thought they were deserving. And as I saw them opening the packs to munch on tuck, perhaps, better than what they normally eat, I was convinced to feel that my choice was not misplaced.
The last one on the line was a true eye opener. As he stood with his auto rickshaw amidst the lowly rickshaw pullers, definitely a lot beneath his social standing, he first looked away as he saw us hesitating. After a bit of deliberation, as we reversed back to where he was, he with great difficulty managed to establish an eye contact and murmur something of a yes in answer to our question about whether he would be OK with taking the pack. Our reward once again... a glint in his grateful eye and a polished thank you out of his lips................
This Diwali was no diiferent but a little more special. As this year, our magic number reached an auspicious figure with a resolution to multiply it further on the next available opportunity. I, with my team of lieutenants, set about planning and executing the task of making this Festival of Lights slightly more bright for three sets of people.
Diwali morning started with getting together on the Dining table and assembling the packs diligently. Armed with our parcels, we first went to our favourite place - a respected institution that caters to mentally unstable and polio afflicted children. Our reward was the animated greetings and smiles on the faces of these children of the lesser god.
The next halt was a Jhuggi cluster of contractual labour laid off by the contractor on account of the work having been temporarily stalled. We weren't quite prepared for what followed next. Clamouring arms reaching out for our faces, pulling at our ears, hair whatever; imploring eyes; pitiable cries and a riotous behaviour to get the better of the other child............. something that we had perhaps seen on TV but had never experienced ourselves. For the next such trip, we are already planning on getting ourselves better organised in order to organise our dole better.
The third set was quite an unlikely one but I certainly felt deserving. It was a bunch of rickshaw pullers. And charity, I believe, also depends on the eye of the giver. Lean frames toiling away through the day, facing rash driving and rude drivers and those driven by them, only to earn a paltry sum at the end of the day and to return to a family that reminds them of their BOPL state every waking moment........I thought they were deserving. And as I saw them opening the packs to munch on tuck, perhaps, better than what they normally eat, I was convinced to feel that my choice was not misplaced.
The last one on the line was a true eye opener. As he stood with his auto rickshaw amidst the lowly rickshaw pullers, definitely a lot beneath his social standing, he first looked away as he saw us hesitating. After a bit of deliberation, as we reversed back to where he was, he with great difficulty managed to establish an eye contact and murmur something of a yes in answer to our question about whether he would be OK with taking the pack. Our reward once again... a glint in his grateful eye and a polished thank you out of his lips................
Monday, October 02, 2006
THE RAIN IN SPAIN IS MAINLY IN THE PLAINS!
Grate! Grate! Grate!! Screech! Screech! Screech! On my ears and in my head that is. Cold blooded! Murder! Killing not so softly! Of the Queen, er..... Her Majesty's language that is.
Open any channel - Hindi or English on Indian Television or switch on any wavelength on the radio, right now. And you will be nodding your head in unison with me.
My mom-in-law, a conservative yet widely travelled lady from the Uttar Pradesh lives with us. And the only conflict I have with her is that of her joyous murder of any language - English or Hindi, with an overriding sense of ignorant bliss. Her eyes twinkle and you can almost visualise her rubbing her hands in innocuous glee as she muddles up the sounds of 'z' and 'j'; 'sh' and 's'; 'va' and 'ba'.......... And watch me take offence as if it were a cold, calculated slight to my person. After all, I was born to a mother who even excelled in a foreign language, viz. Urdu - foreign to her native place of origin and learnt to beautifully intonate the varying sounds including the difficult 'kha'.
Pan to the present and watch and hear our current crop of radio and TV presenters mercilessly mutilate any language they wish to speak in. The phonetics, syntax, delicate details of the usage of English language, grammar, pronunciation.....nothing is cared for. To hell with it all, as long as they look prettily made up (both sexes) and are seen on popular channels with high TRPs to their shows.
As for our mother tongue, I am sick and tired of listening to a really nice language pronounced really badly..... 'Hamesa,' 'Aajaad,' 'Aajaadi,' 'Jabardast,' 'Jaroorat,' 'Sukriya,' 'Sayad,' 'Sam ke char baje,' 'Jindadil,' 'Suruat,' ......you get the drift, right!
My sharp reaction is quite justified as I once again spent an elated three hours watching with utmost pleasure the exchanges between Professor Higgins and his pupil Eliza Doolittle this past weekend.
Get the ear plugs, please someone!!!
Open any channel - Hindi or English on Indian Television or switch on any wavelength on the radio, right now. And you will be nodding your head in unison with me.
My mom-in-law, a conservative yet widely travelled lady from the Uttar Pradesh lives with us. And the only conflict I have with her is that of her joyous murder of any language - English or Hindi, with an overriding sense of ignorant bliss. Her eyes twinkle and you can almost visualise her rubbing her hands in innocuous glee as she muddles up the sounds of 'z' and 'j'; 'sh' and 's'; 'va' and 'ba'.......... And watch me take offence as if it were a cold, calculated slight to my person. After all, I was born to a mother who even excelled in a foreign language, viz. Urdu - foreign to her native place of origin and learnt to beautifully intonate the varying sounds including the difficult 'kha'.
Pan to the present and watch and hear our current crop of radio and TV presenters mercilessly mutilate any language they wish to speak in. The phonetics, syntax, delicate details of the usage of English language, grammar, pronunciation.....nothing is cared for. To hell with it all, as long as they look prettily made up (both sexes) and are seen on popular channels with high TRPs to their shows.
As for our mother tongue, I am sick and tired of listening to a really nice language pronounced really badly..... 'Hamesa,' 'Aajaad,' 'Aajaadi,' 'Jabardast,' 'Jaroorat,' 'Sukriya,' 'Sayad,' 'Sam ke char baje,' 'Jindadil,' 'Suruat,' ......you get the drift, right!
My sharp reaction is quite justified as I once again spent an elated three hours watching with utmost pleasure the exchanges between Professor Higgins and his pupil Eliza Doolittle this past weekend.
Get the ear plugs, please someone!!!
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