Memoirs of a fool's youthYou know what is the difference between some bad incidents and bad memories? The incidents you may had forgotten but the latter one will be still haunting you. Shown more or less aptly in the psychological drama - Flashbacks of a Fool, Daniel Criag plays a fading star Joe Scott who burns his hollow life with coke, sex and drinks only to come back and face himself one day when he gets the news of death of his childhood best friend, Boots' death. This takes the protagonist, and the movie, into an extended flashback to a sea-side town in 1970's Britain.
In his teenage Joe is seen enjoying his childhood with Boots. As a teenage boy he gets in a tentative relationship with a school-girl called Ruth. Although he loves Ruth from heart he takes the life on a casual note and ends up with a guilt from an unintended accident which leads to the death of a small girl. Unable to confront himself, he runs from away from England on the day of funeral and lands up in US.
Movie shifts to present and Joe decides to confront his fear and returns to England for a difficult meeting with Ruth, who had gone on to marry Boots and has been a left a poor widow now.
The characters have been played very distinctively and director makes sure each one justifies his/her presence. The initial dialogues of each character defines his/her individuality markedly. In the outset only the following dialogue vividly explains the character of Joe. Ophelia (helper/secretary): Don't you have any philosophies in life other than self indulgence? Joe: I really do not like looking at myself from your eyes. Your happiness doesn't interest me, mine does.
Also you cant help but appreciate how the backdrop has been chosen for all the shots. The fact that the director Baillie Walsh has earlier worked in music video direction does have a positive impact on the movie, as its visually and symphonically more appealing than average. And the song that has been his favourite in his teenage years have been using not only as the backdrop but also as the theme for the movie. "That song was a key to the writing of the script because the lyrics are so pertinent to the script.", he adds. This song, "If there is something" of Roxy Music is first played when young Ruth brings Joe to her home and both dance on this song. Lyrics of the ending part of the song goes like:
Shake your hair girl with your ponytail,
Takes me right back when you were young.
Throw your precious gifts into the air,
Watch them fall down when you were young.
Lift up your feet and put them on the ground,
You used to walk upon when you were young.
 Young Ruth dancing to "If there is something"
The expressions and dance movements have been done so elegantly that the viewer catches the song even deeper. You may not like the song in first minute, in case you download and hear, but the gripping saxophone and guitar mix comes from 1:30mins past start and then the late 70's British glam era grabs you with force. I personally felt the song did justify to be the theme or the storyline did justify the song. Later on when Joe has to meet Ruth, which he never does, he leaves her few pounds and a letter with the lines, "Shake your hair girl with your ponytail, Takes me right back when you were young.", reading which she breaks out in tears marking end of the movie.
It is not a kind of movie that will appeal to everybody and thus has a limited viewership, but if you can connect with the plot, its surely worth the money for one time.
Down but not deadI have seen it all,
from freshness of spring to autumn's fall,
I have seen the blood diamonds shine,
an amputee telling his family that he is all fine.
Cities being raged by bombs and fires,
the elders being charred by burning tires;
kids being shot and operated without anesthesia,
while their mothers prayed in silence for the panacea.
From the religious hatred to blood drenched rains,
from laughter filled school wagon to blood pouring trains.
An innocuous girl fearing men of her own religion,
a granny crying over her kindergarten grandson's loss of vision.
In one house I have seen a brother kill brother,
the next one had no one's son being cared by someone's mother;
for what we see is that just after a violent strife,
you will see in eyes of people, coming back, the spirit of life.
Cities have bled and nations have been strangled,
Respect has been forgone and humanity wrangled;
Everybody thought they could bear no more and for grim reaper they should send,
but each time, I repeat, each time its the spirit of life that has triumphed in end
We have seen it in Delhi and seen in Mumbai all the time,
every such horror brings humanity to its prime.
people come together and forget small clashes,
the spirit of life makes the beaten to rise from ashes.
 An elderly man being helped by a policeman at CST terminal in Mumbai after a terrorist had opened fire in the crowd.
See the irony, people have been killed after saving killer's life with water,
killer could have paid by leaving that feeder's life, but he didn't have faith in that barter.
When a youngster's mind is trained nothing astute but brainwashed for terror,
they don't understand humanity but dismiss acts of kindness as a silly error.
So lets hold our hands and stand together against terror,
Gloom has come, but doom shall never...
 This photograph was taken in Mumbai after the 7/11 train blasts.Bond between existence and non-existenceAs a kid I used to spend a lot of time on my rooftop. With both parents working, they would wish us goodnight and goto sleep by 10PM and I would sneak to my rooftop. The vastness of the sky would baffle me impregnating my mind with hundreds of unanswered questions. Morning was okay, sky would be blue as in any painting we would make in arts class, but the night would pour it with so many stars and ever changing moon. But it wasnt the beauty of the sky or stars that would catch my attention (though it did lead me to make my own Galilean telescope ), it was the question of existence, of those starts, of the things I could see near me and my own self.
When I would question myself about my self, it would strangely come to nought. I could see my hands and realise if I want I can move it, so thats not me. The one who is thinking is something else, something which is there but maybe doesnt have an existence. Science can answer you how it started and how it formed, but it still cant, and cant even try to answer what was there before the START. There is nothing that is justifiable to answer it.
Its my personal belief that religion doest tell you how to live, but it tries to answer these very questions and assumes an assumption, God. Now we all believe in it, but for all scientific reasons I will quote it as an assumption here. (Apologies to fundamentalists!) It further tells us the right way to live that shall leave us in peace and help lifekind in all.
Rig Veda is an ancient religious text of India, comprising of a collection of Sanskrit Hymns. It is dated as far back as 1500–1000 BCE. One of the most popular hymn, commonly known as the hymn of creation, translates to following text:
In the beginning there was neither existence nor non-existance.
There was no atmosphere, no sky and no realm beyond the sky
What power was there? Where was that power?
Who was that power? Was it finite or infinite?
There was neither death nor immortality.
There was nothing to distinguish night from day.
There was no wind or breath, god alone breathed by his own energy.
In the beginning darkness was swathed in darkness, god was clothed in emptiness
Then fire arose within god; and in the fire arose love.
This was the seed of the soul.
Sages have found this seed within their hearts;
They have discovered that it is the bond between existence and non-existence.
Who really knows what happened? Who can describe it?
How were things produced? Where was creation born?
When the universe was created, the one became many.
Who knows how this occurred?
Did creation happen at God’s command, or did it happen without his command.
He looks down upon the creation from the highest heaven.
Only he knows the answer – or perhaps he does not know.
That is it! As you read the verse you can still experience the wonder they must have felt. It doesnt teach you what went in outset of world. If there is a god or heaven or hell. I have pulled these from Archna's blog , and she rightly is fascinated about the humility expressed in the verse. She writes, "Unlike most later religious texts which claim to know all the answers, here is a poem which is humble enough to acknowledge its ignorance. Vedic age is considered by many one of the golden ages of science in India. I feel, maybe it is this ability to acknowledge the fact that we do not have all the answers and search for them led to such great scientific progress. Isn’t it the true spirit of science?"
I couldnt agree any more! There are things which we will never know, and can only contemplate...'A Wednesday' - Comeback of common manTwo (non-profane) words that an average Indian adult would have heard the most about would be 'Comman man'. The elected ministers talk how they are helping the common man, while the opposition holds rallies and press conference to tell how the common man is getting neglected. The economists roll out the schemes for this very 'common man', while critics oppose very same schemes saying they are against a common man. Yesterday I ran off from my hectic professional life to see the last show of the newly released movie - 'Wednesday' and yes, the theme revolved around 'The common man'.
 Bollywood has been rolling out the movies on a common man since big bang, where the image and issues faced by a common man has changed as portrayed in 60s by Balraj Sahni, 70's by Raj Kapoor, 80's by Amitabh Bachhan, 90's by contemporary cinema and theaters, 2000's by likes of Pankaj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Anupam Kher - essentially the artists who have come from theaters. (I may have not counted some prominent names, but essentially this kind of gives a picture to grasp what am referring to). But till date when a character associates him/herself with a common man, the public still clap, they still find that connect emotionally overwhelming. 'Wednesday' is no different.
The much so common day to day life setup of the movie without gloss, glamor, villains flying and rolling in air on hitting one jab has resulted in better connect. Leaving a few sound effects, the direction has been commendable, but what steals the show is the dialogue delivery and acting by the two protagonists - Anupam and Naseeruddin. Terrorism is one big topic these days thanks to the bomb blasts series that has started in India. And the aggression that is egressing in an average Indian against 'cockroaches' (as movie calls them) results in a gripping experience. One may wonder how an average 'common man' who looks like a clerk you may find in any public office, or a guy wiping his face on an average day in Mumbai's local trains may decide one day to go against the very crowd he has been walking around with since childhood. A terrorist is no different than any other person, and so is a person who may be following any different religion- where people change is in belief.
We humans have a gift unlike other animals, we can think and when we think we have beliefs and point of views. Some people accept the fact that others can have different point of view while some cant. Then some of the latter want rest to go by what they themselves believe, which when not done makes them turn toxic to the very society they have been part of. We may be social animals, but the animal and social nature are contradictory. They need to be in balance as Yin and Yang of Chinese FengShui, whenever this balance internal to a human changes, we become either too social (whom many will find irritating personalities) or too animal.
You would have been through the people who ask for charity, for money towards social cause or even for some flood relief etc. Its your wish to give, you may not give as you may not feel like giving or you may question if the money will go in right hands. But then there are people who will stop you and pester you to pay. Reason is not that its for social cause, reason is the organizers firmly believe that they are doing a social cause; in plain English I would call it imposition. Similar is the case with religion, its like a kind of a philosophy kept there in open, who so ever wants it will subscribe to it.
But then that's us, humans. We aren't limited to ourselves, we long for what the web of social linkages gives us; so the drama shall go on; and so shall the lives even if that is of a common man whose life goes on to achieve the balance between the Yin (dark/negative) and Yang (bright/positive).
Where did August go?!Am back! Its Sep the 14th and last post was on 1st of June! Boy that is a long long time by any yardstick when it comes to blogging. Lets see what all has gone through all this while.
I had to go on a business trip to US for six weeks and that has been quite a hectic tour. It was interesting to see the other facet of ITES industry. Coming from a product company ( I used to work for Adobe prior to graduating in management from FMS) it has been a complicated trip with mixed feelings. One gets to work on implementation side a lot, gets to know the best in class if one is attentive enough and also knows how high end bargaining of resources and their billing hours work. But what one misses is a crucial though process of innovation and building. In product companies, nobody tells you the exact scope of the project as that is where you define the scope. I remember how the features we were building upon used to change often as customer updates and technical possibilities would have us define and redefine the scope. With services it comes to define and redefine what can be dealt out in given funding! But as they say, every face has its own beauty.
 When you are in a foreign land, you get introduced to some really fresh traditions and festivals. During my visit to US I got a chance to be part of a 'Baby Shower'; something which I always thought was a all ladies event. For the incognizants, by convention, a baby shower is intended to help parents get items that they need for their baby, such as baby clothes. It is common for the host to provide baby-themed games during the shower. So as a native was telling me in party that how it was celebrated only for first child earlier but now is a more general event, one of our senior System Analyst came with the games. Everyone was to guess the exact size of the expectant mother's waist using a string. Then there was another where we had to guess the exact date of birth of child and the weight. Now hold on, this wasnt going any better for me. Had I flirted in my college life (any of the two!), I could have made a worthy guess, but I couldnt be any closer to cutting the string right as of her waist! So I took it that she was married for two years, must have been on cheese diet (as any other Arizonian), and was due for delivery in another two months so she should be one 'big' lady! Well the female readers would have guessed it by now - my string was way more than her waist. No doubt she did not appreciate it that how fat I thought she was, given the fact that I work as Sr. Business Analyst. (So accurate an analysis!)And not to forget the baby's size, weight and all. I really felt like calling my mom to ask how heavy I was when I was born but then left the idea. I was always told that I was heaviest of the lot that was in hospital in those days and my childhood pics only confirm to my chubbiness in that time. And heck I dont know when will my bread come out of the toaster, how can I tell when a baby will come out! Strange ways life tells you that you still dont know anything!And the early Sep was spent well in marrige of my best friend who has been more of a brother than a friend. I have never felt so responsible in my life, I had to make sure that all his friends did not feel left out at the function, were catered to well, danced, laughed and aptly farewelled. Marrige, as has been my experience, is the time when your relatives gaguge how valued they are in your life. If you miss them out, you mess yourself in. Anyhow the wedding was good thought I had to miss out on food part due to time constraints, and could come back to Hyderabad with just a box of sweets.Me myself and lemom treeI'm sitting here in a boring room
It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon
I'm wasting my time
I got nothing to do
I'm hanging around
I'm waiting for you
But nothing ever happens – and I wonder
I wonder how
I wonder why
Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
And all that I can see is just a yellow lemon-tree
I'm turning my head up and down
I'm turning turning turning turning turning around
And all that I can see is just a yellow lemon-tree
Isolation – is not good for me
Isolation – I don't want to sit on a lemon-tree
Thats me myself and the lemon tree, I see it and unfortunately it only and I don't wanna sit on it! It's one of those days when am left with just me, ya there may be some people around me, some coming , others going; but that is not the point, point is that am still alone and wasting my time. And such a time calls for me to see my one of the most favorite movie - Lakshya. Its ridiculous to say that some movie is my best movie and there is no other movie that can take its place. Such choices, unlike our choices of humans and especially life partners, change optionally with time, mood and any given stimuli.
So I start watching the movie munching the Burritos as lunch, and duly go through the emotional ups and downs and changing heart rates as suggested by the movie's rhythm. This movie has always inspired me from inside no matter howsoever I repeat the view.
 Basic idea of movie has been morphed with Kargil angle diluting the base, but still its worth it; my favorite is the first half when Karan (Hrithik) is waiting for the transformation and his individuality is begging for a Lakshya (aim) in life. It conveys how if you can get your random though process to align in one direction of your aim, you have the power of a magnatised iron bar whose randomly aligned molecules are made to align magnetically in one direction giving it its invisible and intangible power.
It also depicts a very deep relation between the leading duo, how the chemistry deepens upon sepration and how well they handle it maturely even though Karan himself is lost in life. She sends Karan back saying she wont talk to him when he leaves army and that is the point which changes his life forever for good. Her words give him a Lakshya (aim) and all he knows is that he HAS to achieve it. When he becomes a Lieutenant he calls to tell her about it. And when she asks him about his Delhi arrival so that they can talk about their relationship, Karan says, "Saare faisle tum nahi kar sakti Romi. Humein nahi milna hai, ye faisla tumne kiya tha. Ab humein dubara milna chahiye ya kabhi nahi ye faisla main karoonga." Bulls eye! I love their chemistry, a great deal of emotional maturity is there.
This also moves me to a next level, a level where I question my existence, where my pyaas (thirst) for ether starts scorching my throat and where I start moving to bigger picture. Surely not many people like it, and we don't get many people to talk to on it, most of us are still like frogs in a well whose thinking is limited by limits set in minds, some are ones who feel like they are not made for what is their present but still don't know where to go - the falling in the rabbit hole types. The people who wont like your rebel 'attitude' will try to teach you good way or bad, telling you to come to their side to relax, but then if you are in peace with yourself, you just inspire other rebels or ignite their mind to think! The picture below captures aptly what I want to say.
To wrap up, some quotes which have hit me from movies and which I completely agree with (and which I remember right now!) -
- "Zindagi jeene ka mera tareeka bhi simple hai. Main aise jeeta hoon ki aaine ko dekhkar mujhe sharm na aaye"
- Siddharth Marathe, Ghulam
- “Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I really need it.”
- Swedish Proverb, have forgotten where was it used
- "Abhi abhi hua yakin... ki aag hai... mujh mein kahin."
- Rang De Basanti
- "I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze. But I, I think maybe it's both, maybe both happening at the same time."
- Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump
- "Saare faisle tum nahi kar sakti Romi.Humein nahi milna hai ye faisla tumne kiya tha.Ab humein dubara milna chahiye ya kabhi nahi ye faisla main karoonga"
- Karan, Lakshya
- "The best moment in a man’s life is his weakest."
- Anonymous
- "I have loved to the point of madness;
that which is called madness,
that which to me,
Is the only sensible way to love."
- F. Sagan (Okay! I admit, its not from movies; but then its great, no? :)
Photo Credit: Torei's DeviantartCountry Roads... Take me home...Once you start staying outside the cultural cocoon you have been brought up in, a trip back home is always a toy train ride then. You start with enjoying the trip itself and getting excited about it, the smell, the sight and the looks on the people around you matter to you as you start observing them. Just because you are enjoying the moment, you give that extra smile to the flight attendant, you strike a conversation with some stranger sitting next to your seat and in case some kids wave at you, you are almost definite to reply back. ‘The bubbly journey towards the home’.
The trip may mature to the ride through the memory lanes; remembering the days which used to go slow at the kiddish pace wherein almost all problems had only one solution – let parents handle it. Our job was limited to just informing them. Then even if you had accidentally broken a glass, spilled the milk while boiling or even spilled ink on dad’s office files (it happened to me!); it was now your perplexed parent’s job to find a solution or cope with it. At the same time it was great to rush to your parents and have the trouble taken away from you. After all they could handle everything!
But life is different now, my problems are mine. Though my mother is as inclined as ever to solve my problems, the nature of problems have changed and the decision has to be made by me only. I look in her eyes and all I can muster is a big “My mummy special” hug. I have realized with time that its not only my mother who is emotional, my father, who may not be effusive, equally longs for those express of emotions that tell him, “Thanks dad, you made right choices for family. I am proud of you!” And in case you are a girl, then he needs more emotions from you.
 Yesterday while searching for some papers my hands caught an old file, it was my dad’s certificates. Now he is a man I was always encouraged by all my relatives to fall in shoes of. He was eldest in his family and my grandfather was a sepoy. Grandpa had lost his agricultural land to a flood and life had been hard ever since for his family. Dad’s fee was paid by another family and dad worked in their fields. Everybody has been telling me since childhood that I need to be as hard working as my dad and rise as higher, but then dad has been raising the bar every now or then. I knew he was topper all the while and had been a fast riser in his office too. But when I looked at that brown file it told the detailed story. My dad had got appreciation certificates saying that his name was engraved on the college wall for record performance. There were cuttings from newspaper lauding the small kid from village who topped the state in engineering college. Then there were letters from a public company who recruited him from campus (where he is still working). Looking at your father’s achievements gives you a very different feeling of pride and complacency. Even though my quoted pay is higher than his today, still I stand hundred of miles behind him. And this is not because of the state government ambassador that he been given, but the persona, the integrity and the character of the person he is.
Dad's shoes are always quite bigger to fill in!!To MFC/MBA passouts Finally!
The exams are over, dissertation blues are already forgotten, the party shoes are still shining and the dad's chest just got filled with more pride! You are from last evening the most sought after performer - an MBA grad from one of the top B-schools of India!
You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own.
And you know what you know. YOU are the person who'll decide where to go.
If you can, do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail...
Congratulations once again! and welcome the Stage II of your career. I believe you can do wonders, what do you believe? Saluting real heroesTell me one thing, how well do you agree to the saying 'Barking dogs seldom bite'? In case you really agree then let me give you an analogy, the barking news is seldom worthy. This is especially true in case of Indian media which has seen a humongous commercialization in last few years and has been reduced to only profit as a sole motive of news on private channels. In case you don’t believe me, I can show you snapshots of breaking news where the only thespian is a young feline stuck on top of a multi storeyed building with headline reading “Chajje par atki billo rani” (English: Miss Cattie stuck on rooftop). And that’s from none other than India’s consistent Hindi No 1 news channel – Aaj Tak.
In midst of all this when the one comes across an award show wherein the achievers on grass root level are awarded, it surely strikes a chord. Am talking about the 'Saluting Real Heroes' award show on IBN news channel (of TV18). To commemorate 60 years of Indian independence, CNN-IBN and IBN-7 launched this initiative called Real Heroes. The initiative is an effort to recognise, acknowledge and celebrate ordinary Indians who made a difference to people’s lives. The 24 shortlisted candidates represent India's unsung heroes who showed great courage and perseverance in silently and selflessly contributing to the betterment of society. They are ordinary people with extraordinary endeavours who dared to stand up and swam against the tide, simply because they believed in the power of will, hard work and faith. Just hearing what all these people achieved makes you realize how much effort needs to be put in grassroots to get the society appreciate the 7+ GDP growth India has been boasting of internationally. Unless we make sure the trickle down effect is fully working, the wealth of India will be enjoyed by only a select section of society.
During the show, Javed Akhtar made a statement that one thing is common between all these people and that is that they did not have the resources and power, still they managed to pull it off. These were just normal people and hence they had to struggle hard and that’s what Javed summarized aptly in this statement of his. Below I try to capture what these people achieved and what the award was for.
Sunita Krishnan
Women's welfare, Hyderabad (South) Taking on trafficking mafia Heads an anti-trafficking group, rescuing women from brothels. Institutionalized an anti-trafficking cell within police stations. Also runs a school for 5000 children of sex workers. |
Swapan Mukherjee
Social Work, West Bengal (East) WB activist turns destitute kids into filmmakers Swapan Mukhopadhay runs a home for destitute children. The home has about 40 kids. Apart from taking care of their basic needs, he even teaches them filmmaking. |
Nishtha Desai
Social Work, Goa. (West) Woman takes on fight against paedophiles in Goa CRG, an NGO in Goa, works to save children from becoming victims of paedophilia. The NGO works with shack and shop owners in Goa, sensitising both kids and their employers |
Dharanidhar Boro
Wildlife conservation, Kaziranga, Assam Forest Ranger doubles Kaziranga rhino numbers Boro and the forest guard in Kaziranga go beyond the call of duty to save the one-horned rhino. Surviving on a meagre pay, the duo have been fighting poachers to save the wild habitat. |
K P Thomas
Sports, Kottayam (South) The 'Master' behind Anju Bobby George's jump start Master, 61, has been the mentor to many of Kerala's star athletes like Anju Bobby George and Shiny Wilson. He also pays for the boarding and lodging of underprivileged souls. 
MC Marykom
Sports, Manipur (East) Boxing champ dreams big A champion boxer of international acclaim, Marykom remains largely unknown in India. But that has not stopped her from starting a training school for aspiring boxers in Manipur on her own. |
Rajpal Singh
Sports, Haryana (North) International shooter helps villagers aim for Olympics He has been mentoring international shooters from Johadi - a small village in UP - for over a decade now. He has produced more than 20 international award-winning shooters. 
Bhagwan Nagargoje
Sports, Sangroli, Maharashtra (West) Coach who put orphans on the right track An ex-Army man, he trains village kids to become national-level marathon runners. The training facilities are spartan, but his regimen and the drive of the children are producing winners. |
N Krishnan
Social Work, Madurai (South) Food for thought: Quitting 5-star job to feed homeless This ex-chef now provides 3 free meals daily to 200 destitutes and homeless people in Madurai. He survives on donations, and makes sure they get the same food that he and his family eat. |
Sharad Sharma
Communication, New Delhi (North) Comic Relief: Animated about change With World Comics India, Sharad has pioneered an easy medium for the poor to communicate on issues neglected by the media. His initiative has given voice to hundreds of people in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. |
Haneef Lakdawala
Communal Harmony, Ahmedabad (West) Haneef hits communal divide for a six in Naroda Patia From cricket to healthcare, this social worker makes people of different communities come together. In a post riot-torn Ahmedabad, this is difficult work, but Haneefbhai has persevered. |
Reny George
Education, Bangalore (South) Ex-convict now runs home for prisoners' kids Having gone though the stigma of incarceration, he wanted to make sure children of other prisoners did not suffer. |
Abhayanand & Anand Kumar
Education, Patna (East) 2 Patna men make poor IIT students' dream a reality Super 30, a coaching centre set up by Abhay Anand and Anand Kumar, trains poor kids for the IIT-JEE. This year, 28 of them made it to the JEE! |
Armene Modi
Education, Shirur, Maharashtra. (West) Gift of a bike ups literacy levels in Maharashtra village Armene Modi set up a foundation that provides bicycles to girls in a village where the school is a distance away. This has resulted in more than 450 girls getting an education. |
Sonam Wangchuk
Education, Ladakh (North) Meet Ladakh's man of hope By introducing educational reforms in government-run schools, Sonam Wangchuk is encouraging communities to reinforce the cultural identity of minority ethnic groups that live along the northern border of India. |
D Ashish
Public Service, Kolkata (East) Kolkata man has a pill for City of Joy's ailments Ashish set up a medicine bank for the city's poor. Dedicated volunteers collect spare medicines from homes and dispense them to the poor and needy who cannot afford them. |
Dr Subroto Das
Public Safety, Ahmedabad. (West) 'SOS angel' for road accident victims After surviving a car crash, Dr. Subroto Das set up an NGO that works with existing resources to optimise medical response to road accident victims on highways. His model is already being adopted in other parts of India. |
Ahmed Khan
Environment/ Technology, Bangalore (South) Bangalore activist on the road to plastic success story Ahmed Khan figured out a way to use waste plastic in road construction, thereby reducing the ecological impact of plastic and making better roads. |
Jai Prakash Dabral
Environment, Uttaranchal (North) Man fights timber mafia, saves 90,000 trees He is now working with various organisations to help the govt formulate guidelines for laying down transmission lines in the Himalayan sub-region. He told openly that the timber mafia are people of high contacts and that they manage to buy law, and appealed ministers to open eyes. |
Chewang Norphel
Water Harvesting, Ladakh (North) 'Glacier man' gets water to Ladakh dry lands This retired civil engineer figured out a way to build artificial glaciers in Ladakh. Through this ingenious technique, the water woes of many villages in Ladakh have been eased. |
Dr Prabhakar
Environment/ Technology, Bangalore (South) Prof returns from US to shape future of poor Keralites He quit the US to start micro-credit in Mohd. Yunus' Grameen Bank model. Loans are given without collateral to women, with 100% pay back rate. |
Dr. Anil Joshi
Rural Development, Uttaranchal (North) Prof 'invents' wheel to generate hydro-electricity Set up water mills in the hills of Dehradun to generate renewable energy. He has electrified more than 1000 villages in the Himalayan region with simple technology innovation. |
Deep Joshi
Rural Development, Jharkhand (East) They left the good life to make others' better Deep Joshi's NGO, Pradaan, recruits graduates from India's premiere institutes and gets them to work in rural areas for the under privileged. |
Sushma Iyengar
Rural Development, Kutch, Gujarat (West) Woman empowers Kutch artists She started the Kutch Mahila Vikas Sanghtan to improve the lot of women in Kutch. From reproductive rights to elevating women from wage earners to skilled entrepreneurs, she has made a difference to many lives. |
April 13th - The day of festivalsIts April the 13th and chances are quite high that you shall be feeling the spirit of festival inside you or in your elders' heart back home, just in case you are abroad :)
It is quite strange how so many civilizations, so diverse in language and rituals are coming together to celebrate this day of spirit and rejoice.
Baisakhi
 For the large farming community of Punjab and Haryana, Baisakhi marks a New Year’s time as it is time to harvest rabi crop. On Baisakhi, farmers thank god for the bountiful crop and pray for good times ahead. People buy new clothes and make merry by singing, dancing and enjoying the best of festive food. In several villages of Punjab, Baisakhi Fairs are organized where besides other recreational activities, kabbadi and wrestling bouts are also held.
Rongali Bihu
 Beautiful agricultural state of Assam celebrates major agricultural events as the festival of Bihu. Notably there are three Bihu festivals in year namely - Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu, Bhugali (Magh Bihu) and Kangali (Kati Bihu) marking the distinctive phase in the farming calendar. Of the three Bihu festivals, Rongali Bihu is celebrated with greatest excitement as it marks the arrival of spring - the agricultural season.People of all faiths and creed celebrate Bohag Bihu by singing traditional Bihugeets and performing group folk dances. Marking the occasion young boys and girls in village don traditional dhoti, gamosa and saadar mekhela and sing Bihugeets or folk Bihu songs in traditional bihutolis or Mukoli Bihus. The accompanied orchestra of dhol, pépa (buffalo hornpipe) and gagana add joys to the celebrations. At several places Bihu fairs are also organized where people participate in the games and other fun-filled activities.
Naba Barsha/Poila Baisakh
 Naba Barsha is the celebration of Bengali New Year !! Naba Barsha in Bengal marks the first day of Baisakh - the first month of Bengali Calendar (too). A very important tradition of Naba Varsha is the making of elaborate rangolis or alpanas in front of the house by womenfolk. Rangolis are prepared with flour and its center is adorned with earthenware pot decorated with auspicious swastika. This pot is filled with holy water and mango leaves to symbolize a prosperous year for the family.
On Naba Barsha, people of West Bengal propitiate Goddess Lakshmi - the Hindu Goddess of Wealth to pray for prosperity and well being. Many devotees also take a dip in a nearby river to mark the occasion. For Bengalis, Naba Barsha is the beginning of all business activities. Businessmen and traders purchase new accounting books and start new account known as Haalkhata. People also worship Lord Ganesha by chanting mantras.
Puthandu
 Puthandu marks the Tamil New Year’s Day and is celebrated in the beginning of Chithirai - the first month in the Tamil Calendar year. The auspicious occasion of Puthandu is also popularly known as Varusha Pirappu or the birth of New Year and falls on 13th or 14th April according to the Gregorian Calendar. Many people in Tamil Nadu also celebrate Puthandu as the day when Lord Brahma - Hindu God of Creation started creation. People of Tamil Nadu celebrate Varusha Pirappu in a big way by merrymaking and feasting.
A popular custom of Puthandu is 'kanni' which means the auspicious sight. Following the ritual, people start the Puthandu day by watching auspicious things like gold and silver jewelery, betel leaves, nuts, fruits and vegetables, flowers, raw rice and coconuts. A bath and a visit to the temple usually follow Kanni.
Vishu
 Vishu Festival heralds the beginning of Malayalese New Year and is celebrated in a big way in the state of Kerala and the adjoining areas of Tamil Nadu. Vishu falls on the first day in the Malayalam month of Medam. Kerala also celebrates the custom of Vishu is Vishukani or Kani Kanal (first sight) same as Kanni of tamil. In villages of Kerala, young men and women dress up as the 'chozhi' by wearing a skirt of dried banana leaves and masks on their faces. These entertainers would then move from house to house and collect reward for their performances.
Vaishakha
 People of Bihar celebrated Vaishakha twice a year, first in the Hindu month of Vaishakha (April) and then in the month of Kartika (November). Vaishakha Festival is dedicated to Surya Devta or Sun God in Bihar. Vaishakha celebrations in Bihar are marked in a village called Surajpur-Baragaon. Following the ancient practice, devotees pay obeisance to the Sun God by taking bath in the temple tank and offering flowers and water from the sacred rivers of Ganga.
In pic you can see devotees from Bihar offering bananas and coconuts in front of Sun on the occasion of Chhath Puja.
Songkran Water Festival
 Songkran marks the start of the Buddhist New Year and officially lasts from April 13-15. Most business pretty much grinds to a halt during the festival period with schools, government offices and many shops shutting down. Airports, bus stations and train stations are jammed with travelers headed back to their home provinces.But then where do all these people go? Well, you can see the families crammed into the back of pickup trucks, chugging along in bumper-to-bumper traffic and squirting water at other vehicles and pedestrians. The water warriors use squirt guns, super soakers, hoses, buckets, garbage cans and anything else they can get their hands on in order to disperse their liquid ammunition.
 The origins of Songkran date back nearly a thousand years to when the Tai people (ancestors of modern day Thais) in China's Yunnan Province celebrated the start of a new farming cycle during the fifth full moon of the lunar calendar. Water is used in Songkran as both a symbol of cleansing and renewal. In the past, Thai people would delicately sprinkle scented water from silver bowls or the hands of respected family members. They would also make pilgrimages to area temples and carefully bathe the Buddha images in a similar manner. Songkran is also a time when Thai people routinely do a thorough cleaning of their homes. Additionally, people make offerings to local temples and provide food and new robes for monks.
The Water Splashing Festival
 Traditional festival of Dai people of Xishuangbanna and other places; is also known as the Festival for bathing Lord Buddha. The festival is related to the Buddhist legend of dragon sprinkling fragrant showers on Lord Buddha at his birth. The Buddhist legend has gradually been mingled with the customs of the Dai people since their conversion to Buddhism.People take part in the rowing dragon-boat race, launching Gaosheng (a kind of mini rocket) and fire lamps. Water splashing is the most exciting of all. People splash water onto each other as a symbol of benediction.
So Happy April the 13th! Wherever you come from!
Economic behavior of Asia, US and Europe When I joined my team here in Hyderabad, I was introduced by my supervisor to the team in a monthly town hall meeting. When I told about my MBA exchange program from France, he asked me why did I choose France/ Europe and why not US. There I just replied that I always loved Europe and had been longing to go over there, so when opportunity came I grabbed it (which was the true reason!); but it sparked a query inside me. America, having its past as a slave country, one of the greatest revolution and Civil war, its meteoric rise as the worlds largest economy post WWI and so many embellishments, still did not appear an embellishment as good as Europe. So there HAS to be an explanation. So here is my explanation:
Now let’s see the reasons behind all this. Europe can be taken to be a land that cultivated the culture, the manners and protocols to much of its formal nature we have today. It started exploration of lands with purpose to exploit it for resources, for advancement and development. It was the region that gave the world the Industrial revolution and hence the base for the present. If you see them, you will see many innovations, advancements and explanations for supernatural. Europe has decent distribution of resources per capita. It gives every one the opportunity to sit, relax and ideate. The philosophy and the concept of gods in human form have made them go around the world and ‘enlighten’ the others. This makes them long for the ultimate truth, glory and prestige. So you will see many innovations that have been implemented, but still not commercially viable like Concorde, world’s fastest trains (TGV) etc. So I correlate Europe to Innovation and Art.
America on other hand has been the land of money, so all the people who migrated to US were having a commercial mindset. This made them to work had, use best of practices, keep cost lowest and earn more profit. Even a common man there thinks of the individual return and profitability. America, post American revolution, has been a land of green cash, opportunities, commerce, capitalism and growth. It has always promised that life of glitter, gold and glamour. If there has been an innovation worth its money, US has used it fully. If there is an optimization path available, they have achieved it. So I associate US to conceptual and commercial implementation.
Asian story is entirely different; it was more like a land with practical utility rather than concept innovation. If something doesn’t work then we have a way of making it work somehow, albeit for a shorter time, but saving us from throwing away the thing as useless anyhow. It had most fertile lands, climatic conditions for life to propagate in all seasons and high density of flora and fauna. All this resulted in high human density and hence higher fight for now limited resources. All this has resulted in Asians being street smart. We have a high degree of groupism, react more by emotions than plain commercial viability and the body language shouts much more than our words. This all makes us great at on the floor implementation. We excel in execution.
While my story is a plain fact here that am attracted to art, ideas and research; it also brings us to a great economic model. Wherein the innovative concept comes from Europe, US does the blueprint and develops a trimmed revenue and business model and Asia provides its high number labor available at low cost to attain a great immaculate product at attractive price. But ya, there is a lot of intricate details here which will change the dynamics; but then it’s the future concept we are listing here. Deadly daggers for any relation (Part1)Distrust
With the advent of western culture infidelity has become a normal word now. I don't say that it dint exist earlier , just that we talk openly about it and don't hide in our closets. And if we try to increase our focus from marital relations to normal friends; the situation just becomes a cliche. How many people can we actually find in whom we can bestow our trust!
 But then the coin has the another side also, what if you have found a person in whom you can bestow your trust, but you can't! Trust becomes a rather heavy word here. Being in a relation we expect to have trust in each other and anyway a relation is supposedly built primarily on trust itself. But then irony is if you can't trust the person, how can you have a healthy relation? Lets take the case of the Muslim community, if you can imagine how they would have felt in America post 9/11 then you got my point. Nobody likes being suspected and distrusted, especially if they have been true.
Distrust is the confident expectation that another individual's motives, intentions, and behaviors are sinister and harmful to one's own interests. In interdependent relationships, this often entails a sense of fear and anticipation of discomfort or danger. Distrust naturally prompts us to take steps that reduce our vulnerability in an attempt to protect our interests. Accordingly, our distrust of others is likely to evoke a competitive (as opposed to cooperative) orientation that stimulates and exacerbates conflict. 
 Once in place, distrust forms a powerful frame on subsequent events in the relationship, such that even good-faith efforts by the offender to restore the relationship are met with skepticism and suspicion. The result is a " self-fulfilling prophecy," where every move the other person makes is interpreted as additional evidence that justifies an initial decision to distrust him/her. This distrust not only inhibits cooperation in the relationship, but also may result in retaliation that causes the conflict to escalate. When the other person reciprocates this sentiment, there is mutual distrust that further fuels the escalation of conflict. Moral of the story: If you decide to form a relation, then develop trust first. Relation without trust is like ice on water, it can break anywhere and time and again. And if you have trust, then even in worst situations you shall only get closer and closer. So which side you are? "The Education of Fairies" makes point A day back I was watching a Spanish movie La Educación de las hadas (The Education of Fairies). Based on a french novel by Didier Van Cauwelaert it is a slow and absorbing story of the transformational power of a child-like imagination.Toy inventor Nicolas (Darin) meets widowed ornithologist Ingrid (Irene Jacob) and her son Raul (Victor Valdivia) on a plane. Nicolas turns on the charm, and, soon, Nicolas and Ingrid are married and living an idyllic existence in a beautiful old house in the Catalan countryside.Nicolas and Raul develop a sensitive relationship through conversations about the boy's father, a soldier who died in Iraq. The imaginative Nicolas tells the boy stories about fairies who make the world a better place and takes him to an old hut in the woods where he hung out as a child. Once they are sitting for a picnic on the soldier's grave, that Nicolas gives soldier a medal (a cola cap) for his being a great human; and the kid reacts by giving Nicolas a medal for being a great dad.
After a decade of beautiful relation, however, Ingrid surprises Nicolas suddenly one day by asking for a separation. She first says that he snores a lot and asks him to sleep in other room. The reactions of a steady relation are aptly showcased. Nicolas infact leaves a voice recorder on to argue with Ingrid so that he can be with her.
Meanwhile, Algerian checkout girl Sezar (singer Bebe, here making an effective debut) is being sexually harassed by her boss Matarredona (Jordi Bosch). One night, when Sezar is in a car with her boss, the car is attacked and Sezar is beaten up. Nicolas picks her up and takes her back to his hut in the woods, where Raul mistakes her for a fairy. Here is a big irony, Nicolas had told his son that one can be granted three wishes by fairies but added that problem is that most ladies don't know if they are fairies. On being asked that how to identify them, he says that they have marks on cheeks as they scratch them while thinking, which they do a lot. And over here, Sezar has marks on her cheeks coz back at home a guy had beaten her and raped her. I found this ironic contrast of mark made by scar quite moving.
Visuals are often sumptuous with the lighting bringing out the rich color of the beautiful rural scenery. Attention is also paid to details, such as the raindrops on an umbrella under which Nicolas and Ingrid kiss. The script is sufficiently grounded in emotional truth. All the characters are concealing past issues, and it takes the innocence of a child to confront these issues and bring them into the open. The appeal is lost in the end as the reasoning of leaving of Ingrid being having a cancer is insufficiently woven in. She tells Nicolas that she is seeing someone and how Nicolas reacts is emotional turmoil at the best. But as she comes again later, Nicolas rightly questions that if she talks the same talks of separation and questioning the integrity, then there is no point coming back. What I have realized by now in life is that the relationships need faith, love, time and passion to succeed. Compromise being an integral part of it, one adapts to other with time. But there is a limit of compromise and if the arguments are too often, maybe there is a time to check the chemistry. I get reminded time and again by a quote of my cousin, "What you think is the best for you may not actually be the best for you"; which brings in the need of arguments and listening to other people's justification. But then once you form a bond then one should realise that with the power of joy, we also give each other a power to hurt or demolish each other emotionally. So in fact, Ingrid's decay of life in arms of Nicolas would have been a better option than deserting Nicolas and kid. But then an opinion is an opinion and I know, when it comes to such matter we all have varying opinion and all are true! India Shimmering
Yesterday petroleum minister finally came out with the inevitable announcement of increasing petrol prices. It had been a long long time that oil barrel prices had been flirting with 90s, making the price rise just a matter of timing rather than a decision. But it was a sigh of disappointment to see BJP activists coming in the road to take out processions against the price rise. What makes the situation more ironical is that the price rise has been a lot less than the required. Indians enjoy a huge subsidy in kerosene and LPG which in turn results in higher auto fuel prices, as kerosene and LPG are identified as under basic living and are used by all masses.With petrol selling at 50+ and kerosene selling at <5>
India is today cruising at such a strategic juncture that whatever policies we choose, will impact the high speed development we are building upon. If there is an anomaly in the building blocks then what the hell are we constructing on it? Right now we need robust economic policies and a strategic vision keeping in mind the future turnings. With sound financial constructs like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister P Chidambram in driving seat I was sure that India Shining would keep glowing, but the arm twisting by Left and time to time opportunism by BJP has made it rather India Shimmering. Democracy gives one big advantage to scholars - the right to argue each and every thought; but the moment you give it to corrupt or fools, all you get is a chaotic indecision.
There has been a huge hue and cry on 1-2-3 agreement, but then how many knew about it at all? Center has been saying that they are open for discussion, but all the left and BJP has to say is that its a wrong decision. Million dollar question is WHY? If we are not ready to get US deal for our future power needs then there should be a second plan, where is the discussion for this? I really hate it when people say that don't ask me what is right but what you are doing is wrong! Left is still lost in the old ideas of socialism and firmly believes in shunning anything with capitalism label. We don't need to discuss what happens when you just close your eyes to the things you don't like and keep crying out your own song.
India is not free of evils, there are lot of problems and we have a huge repository of knowledge that has been accumulated over ages and is being lost or re-invented. The basic philosophies taught by Vedas and Hinduism need to be learned by young generations in constructive manner and the illiteracy needs to be eradicated. If the VHP and Shiv Sainiks launch a war for these motives we can put many small villages also on the track of development. But no we remain lost in our own small battles of dividing the state for satiating more ministers (Andhra), giving free Power to farmers even as state coffers are bled to bankruptcy (Punjab), selfishly spending tons and tons on own and threating to pull support if judiciary questions wealth (UP), making government a family legacy baton (Center, J&K, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, TN, Karnatka.... the list is a long one!
And Perth is ours!Did I hear another round of "Chakk de" chants? With a rather heavy Sydney on the back, Perth was always supposed to be India's tombstone. Nobody thought we could draw it, leave alone winning it, but then we did what we are best at - we love surprising statistics. It doesn't come as a shock that most of the records have India alongside, we have maximum records by us and against us.
As Reliance IPO made a world record by garnering highest ever moolah by IPO comes a mega bumper , Kumble's boys gave Australia what they gave them five years back, a halt to their world record campaign. India is home!  And I caught up with my dentistToday I finally went to a dentist. I have been trying from last one year to bring myself to have faith in a dentist in the place I live. Many times have I walked away from the clinics, telling myself I will find a better one or I will get myself checked once I go home. None came, staying home for more than fortnight was out of question given the schedule and finding a better dentist had the same faith issue.  My mother is from the medical background, and in childhood going to a doctor was a family affair. Dad would drive and mom would sit on the front seat. I would lie down on the back seat of our FIAT Premier Padmini (ya, I used to be kid in that era of that car). The staff would know mom as a norm rather than an exception, and my parents would enter the doctor's room once he was done with the current patient. My parents would sit on the cane chairs placed in front of doctor and I would sit on that revolving "Hey! patient here" chair of galvanized steel. A typical scene that you would see in a government hospital/dispensary. Doctor would know my medical, family and educational history. He would ask how many marks I got in last exams. There would be tea for my parents and juice for me! That was what it all used to be, all laced with care and affection I was laced with for being sick.  Staying outside, its very different. I am just another patient for the doctor, I get only few minutes to appraise him/her about the symptoms and I never found them really willing to check elaborately. A minute or two and they will pick pen and get busy on their pads. Best was when I got sick in Delhi with pain in quite low in back, which came out to be a kidney stone. Every doc was more than willing to operate, one won the 'contract'. After paying about INR 55,000 when I went back home; our doctor gave a wonderful news - the operation wasn't needed at all! And never again I visited a Delhi doctor for any major ailment. Finally I got the courage and went today, but it was quiet a silent affair. No tete-a-tete, no tea, no recognition, it was a plain commercial contract we performed. There was no one to ask me what he diagnosed or what all medicines he gave. Boy! Am a self supported adult now! (pun intended) He gave me a list having toothpaste, mouthwash and a gel to buy. On buying I couldn't help wondering at the coincidence - all were Dr Reddy's products! Am supposed to use them and come back two weeks later. Ah, and so I caught uo with my dentist. Photo Credits:
www.gii.in
www.seered.co.ukReligion or Fanaticism?Its 2:30AM over here right now, but that's not the thing that's troubling me. Few hours ago my idiot box started blazing with the news of assassination of Benazir Bhutto; that my patrons is the news which is circling in my head. What would you call this? Terrorism? Fanaticism? Islamic violence? I had gone through the net and these are the terms that are been linked with this news.
Gone are the days when a religion was needed to guide the people in life, to answer the inborn curiosity in a human about its own existence, about 'why' and 'why not'. The fear of unknown had called for the concept of god, to ascertain that there is a supreme being. This gave in to the urge to make others conform to one's own views and ideology. We have now come to a stage where we see the fanaticism on rise.
Few days back it was hindutva being a concern, after Modi's iconic rise. Today its Islamic fundamentalists, few years ago it was khalistan and there will be lot many. A closer look and you will realise that all these had a similar DNA, a common thought process. So much that the commonness is much more than the commonness of these people along with other religion mates. An observation decent enough to say that all these people are from same religion - fundamentalism. This religion is mostly followed by uneducated lot who like to take religion word by word and have no clue about the crux of their own religious text.
If you are another of my lot, then this 'fatwa' issuing trend must have got you by now. There are so many and some are incredible ones, that one wonders if they are against the 'sinner' or for the publicity of issuing authority. The latest fatwa I heard was a girl for talking to a guy not from family and that too on a phone! I really wonder if Koran really prescribes this. So in case the Islamic scholars haven't realised this, there needs to be a movement by learned to eradicate this self-interpretation; no one else can push the knowledge in the heads of these fundamentalists.
Lets turn ourselves to shiv saniks, I would really love to know what is the vision statement of this group. Every next day we hear about some destruction or other on name of religion, but then I again come to same question - was the religion teaching about destruction ANYWHERE? or did it talk about the construction? If you really want to do something then do the betterment of public in infrastructure, development or public well being. Open as many hospitals in name of Hindutva or Jehad and let people understand what better way of life does their religion preach. But the restraint, the compassion that is involved there is difficult to come by and cracking bones, killing people is easier. So I would believe here that majority of people who are fundamentalists are just chickens who chose the easier path in life where one is just required to mug up the teachings without knowing the real meaning. Its like being lost in a labyrinth and chanting a statement taught to you by your father, not knowing that the statement which one is chanting actually translates to "take the red door to walk free".
Would like to wrap up with a couplet that has really hit me inside -
Logon ko zindagi lag jaati hai ghar banane mein;
tumhein ek shikan na aayi bastiyan ujarne mein? Why is man a social animal I was in class second or third when I would have read this eternal line of insignificant significance at that time, "Man is a social animal". Since then we have read it on the walls of our schools, from our parents, in our sibling's books, on our bookmarks and god knows where all. But all that matters is that it got etched in our minds inseparable like our skin.It has been almost twenty years since then and I still am astounded at how deep is the meaning of this line. I don't question the statement but I question the very much need for the same. Why is man a social animal, why is it that we feel the primal need to socialize as we feel the need to feed. If it has brought happiness to mankind it surely has brought the curse of pain even more on us. Look at our relations, show me one relation which has not inflicted the pain on an individual. Irony is that generally its not that a person is wrong or has sinned that the pain comes, its just a conflict of two individuals trying to express their own set of beliefs and mind set. So that is the reason we see so many fights where both the sides are right in their own but still wrong or catastrophic or incorrigible in other sense.Let's take two scenarios, first one (the only one that I will discuss) where the person is having a stereotype in mind and hence that creates a prior barrier in communication, like Americans are money minded, Asians are secretive, North Indians are aggressive, Keralites are lecherous etc etc. These stereotypes pre-program the stimulus of an individual, unlike a fair ground where you try to understand a personality; but at the same time they are helpful many times in times of dangerous situations. But once we come to know each other then the stereotypes should pave the way for newly learned personality else it comes out as taunts and abusing.Coming back to our social selves, what comes out as the most complex part is that investment that an individual does in these social contacts. When you fall in love, you get a whole new social baggage from other side. Irony is that love is guided more by need to be loved, cared and security than a rational choice. So many may say that best part about friends is that you get to choose them yourselves, I don't agree. Love just happens.Most of relations will survive if distance is there, the yet another peculiar characteristic of us humans. The closer we get, the more negatives we find; the farther we go the more we remember of the good times. I guess the distance aggravates the emotional needs of above said love, care, affection and security; and the closeness brings in the personality specifics, the stereotypes. So I have come to a conclusion after trial and errors that one needs a personal space in every relation, be it your spouse, parents, siblings, friends or relatives. Inability to quantify these limits will always play a devil's advocate here. To wrap up these erratic musings, I present one more alibi for my question - Why is man a social animal - the pain. That is the biggest side effect of socializing. Irony is that the pain inflicted by these separations is not just limited to emotional but it oozes out to become physical. It's surprising to see in your early twenties that how these relations can make you a power house or a rotten silhouette of your normal past. The solitude, the fear and the glumness that creeps in is analogous to a death of near one, good enough to turn you to being a handicapped. Still as they say, the life goes on. So one should pick up one's emotional luggage and move on, keep walking. The billion dollar question then is, if one can?!And we come back to the square one, why is human a social animal? Wouldn't it have been lot more better had we been just animals?Fiction - Journal de tueur en série
(Fiction) Journal de tueur en série (diary of a serial killer)
Disclaimer - This may feel dark/gloomy so all happy go lucky are advised not to read further.
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