These are a few of my favourite things...

It’s About The Ability, Not The Age

About one and a half months ago, it was a week of the not-so-young Indian players. Leander Paes won the doubles title at the US Open. And, the next day Sachin Tendulkar scored his 44th century, in one day internationals, clinching the Man of the Match and Man of the Series awards as well! Don’t forget, Paes and his partner Clara Black were runners up at the US Open.

Yeh hai yougistan meri jaan! That’s what a television commercial says! Not so long ago, all ‘self proclaimed’ cricket pundits were harping on how the game has changed with respect to the people playing it. How the Indian cricket team desperately needed fresh legs and youthful exuberance. Even idols like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were completely written off. But Tendulkar, being the genius he is, managed to shut the so called youth of the Indian cricket with his super performance when his country and team needed it the most.

Leander Paes is almost synonymous with Indian tennis. He had put India on the world tennis map at a time when facilities pertaining to the sport in the country could not even be called decent. Even with all the improvement in tennis facilities across India, availability and affordability of foreign coaches and technological support for the game, India hasn’t been able to produce a sportsman of comparable caliber. Thus India still depends on a 36 year ‘old’ to win Grand Slams.

Till a couple of years ago, I quite strongly believed that one cannot do anything new after the age of 30. Well, I felt that way because my mind was very strongly influenced with all that I heard while growing up, also by many people I associated with. Looking back, in the past four or five years, I have met three people who made me realize that age is just a number. They said or did nothing extra to make me change my mind. It’s just by the way they live their lives, and the way they look and talk and behave, I got to realize that being in your 30’s is not bad at all. In fact, it is better in many ways. Well, I am not getting into writing about that aspect now!

Looking at Bollywood, the leading, successful actors are all over 40 years old; take Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Shahrukh Khan. There are scores of younger actors who are trying to make it big in the industry. So, clearly there is no significant barrier to entry in the industry. Even if ability is disregarded, the older guys are still the audience’s preference.

On the other side of the world, Susan Boyle is a sensation in the world of music, and she is 47 years old. Don’t know how many people watched her on her first day at Britain’s Got Talent. She was laughed and mocked at by the audience and the judges, the audience and the judges who appeared apprehensive and judgmental of her unpolished appearance. Though it’s a fact that will never be admitted, her detractors didn’t take an instant liking to her because of her age. Then she started singing and left everyone spellbound. Those who made faces at her looked like fools! There are so many surviving artists from the 70’s and 80’s who are still filling out large arenas and embarking on one world tour after the other.

It is not about the age. It is about the ability. I agree, with age, the body and the mind become slower for most people, but that cannot be the rule! I read in an article that former US president George Bush Sr did a parachute jump from a height of 13,000 feet to celebrate his 80th birthday, while astronaut John Glenn became the oldest man to fly in space at the age of 77.

Though biological age cannot be arrested or reversed, the mind-set and attitude can definitely remain positive irrespective of one’s age. While the youth is definitely the torchbearer of tomorrow, we cannot and should not undermine the contribution and untapped potential of the ‘not so young’.

‘’Twenty four and he believes for sure he’s got it made

Fame is here for good and looks will never fade, he doesn’t know

The game is never over till the cards have all been played

Eighty three and still he feels his best is yet to come

He believes that youth is wasted on the young, he’s alone

The only dream he ever has is being with someone’’ – from Silent Scream by Richard Marx

My Diwali My Way!

The past 8-9 years, Diwali has just been a day when everyone celebrated and I stayed at home. The reason, there were just too many! But this year, it was different, though nothing was planned. Also, this was my first Diwali after shifting to Mumbai.

The whole day Joy and I lazed around at home. Late in the afternoon, Joy went to his office as there was a Puja happening there. While I was at home alone, I quickly packed the diyas, candles and chocolates that I bought for my parents and my sister. I am a recycle freak! People just might start hating me for reusing wrapping paper, ribbons, ornamentations, but I don't care! I am a firm believer of recycling everything that can be recycled.

I took out a rather new looking old basket, and some zari strips, and decorated the basket. It looked nice, at least I found it nice. That's what matters at the end of the day, isn't it? Joy returned around 7 in the evening. Then we lit the candles at home, and a little later, we went to my parent's place.

Since I am so used to doing nothing on Diwali for many years, I really didn't know what to do after some time. My sister is a religious person and visits temples very regularly to offer her prayers. And, she was going to a temple in Juhu that evening too. I had a plan, a plan that has been on my mind for many years. We decided that while she goes inside the temple and offers her prayers, I'll go around the street and distribute some food to the poor.

I found 11 men and women and gave them food packets. I also met one fairly young man who lost both his legs and was seated on a cycle. It was obvious that he needed some money too. In a country where fit educated people don't have jobs, what would a poor, uneducated, handicapped guy do? Does he have a choice but wait for people to come and help? I didn't get a chance to talk to him and find out if there was something I could do to help, but I intend to do that in a couple of weeks. I just gave him some money. Guess the joy of giving is a feeling that cannot always be expressed in words. I just know that when I was coming out of that street I was a happy woman!

After returning home we burst some crackers, me the least! I am just scared of crackers. After many years I had a lovely time with my family, and also celebrated Diwali my way! A little giving, a little sharing goes a long way....

Teach India Part 3

I received an email from Ms. Anjali Hari from Katalyst to send her my profile so that she could get started working with me, and I could become a mentor. We exchanged a few emails and spoke a few times after which she sent me a profile.The profile looked interesting. It was of a 19 year old girl, who faced many challenges along with her family in the struggle of life, and yet did not give up. She is a student of Engineering in a college in Malad.

I had heard of people finding a way to face the world and achieve things in life, but she was the first person I met, who so gracefully accepted the challenges, and is working towards making a difference in life.

I am happy to be associated with Katalyst in my little way. I hope I will be able to do more in the future, and help some more youngsters shape a life for themselves.

Teach India Part 2

I went to a school at Veera Desai Road for the orientation program of Teach India. When I reached the classroom where the volunteers were sitting I was shocked. I had no idea that so many people would actually come. It was overwhelming to see people from different age groups and background all gathered together to make this world a better place. My interest to be a part of this movement got strenghthened.

We waited for a little while before the representatives from the different NGOs started making presentations about their organisation. In fact, there were 3. After the presentations were made I chose to meet Ms. Anjali Hari from Katalyst as I found their requirement for volunteers was matching with my skill set.

There was a huge queue of excited youngsters to be part of her NGO, therefore, I had to wait for more than half an hour to have a word with her. People pushed me from one side to another, just to have a word with her, and I was testing my own patience while waiting to talk to her. I did manage to speak with her and briefly mentioned to her about the kind of training I do. She made a note of my contact details and said that she would get back to me.

That's how the day ended. On my way back, I thought that there should be more and more initiatives like this to spread education and reiterate the importance of teachers in our lives. Though I am a corporate trainer by profession, which is my source of livelihood, the pleasure and satisfaction that I will gain from being associated with Teach India will be immeasurable.

Teach India Part 1

I have always believed in doing a little extra to help people in need. I also firmly believe that it is very important to give back to life a little in return to all that it has given me. From my childhood I loved the idea of being a teacher. And I ended up being one as I grew up, though today, I am a trainer working in the corporate world. The good thing is that I still teach!

For the past 3 to 4 years I have had a strong desire to reach out to the underprivileged strata of the society and teach. I identified an opportunity to make my contribution when last year I saw the Times of India Teach India hoarding while driving. At that moment I couldn’t really figure what it was. After a couple of days I watched the television commercial which featured Bollywood star Aamir Khan. The commercial went like this, some kids came to him to learn something and he was in a dilemma whether he was capable of teaching. While he was thinking, one of the kids pronounced a word incorrectly and he immediately corrected the kid. While doing so he said to himself that even he, as a kid, used to make the same mistake, and how his teacher corrected him every time he went wrong. This commercial further strengthened my conviction about remaining a teacher at heart.

I realised that I could be a part of the Teach India initiative. Teach India is a social initiative from the Times of India that brings together children in need of education and people who can contribute a little time towards teaching them. I felt it was a movement to bring about a change in the way India lives. However, my excitement about joining this mission got completely shattered because I was told that by my Manager that I had to go to another city on a deputation and my working hours would be a little erratic. I was very upset but couldn’t do much as the job was also very important.

At that time I just hoped that this initiative continues and I could be a part of the same the following year. And yes, it did continue! Just a week and a half ago I was chatting with one of my colleagues when she mentioned that she enrolled to teach in the Teach India initiative and asked me if I would be interested. I immediately went through the site and registered, and this Saturday I am going for the induction. At the induction I would meet the volunteers from different NGOs who will assign me to a particular location and get details about the students and the subjects that I would be teaching. I am very excited and anxious to get started.

To Life!

It's been 2 months since I joined this new company. In this period, besides attending five days of training and two days of induction, I have done nothing. When I say nothing I mean that I did do not do anything to add to the company's productivity. In other words, I am benched. Feels great, as being benched is no more about techies only; communication trainers like me are also benched!

I ask for work but there is no work. I see my colleagues (only women) spending all their time chatting on facebook, calling up their boyfriends and discussing facebook, what life! I am an Orkut loyalist, so I check my scrapbook a couple of times in the day and wonder what else can I do on a social networking site! I may have more things to do if I were on facebook, but no, I cannot indulge so much into such a mindless activity.

So what do I do the whole day sitting in office? Well, besides spending about five minutes on Orkut I read books that I download from the internet. I don't particularly like to read books on the computer, but I do not have too many options otherwise. I am still very old fashioned and I will remain this way forever I guess. I solve online crossword puzzles, read news hightlights, play online word games, and sometimes write on my blogs. That's exactly what I am doing right now!

Should I be happy or should I be sad? I don't have any work to do, yet I am getting paid. Guess I should not crib too much as it's said that by cribbing, the luck may run out soon!

The noble profession is not so noble!

It’s sad to know there aren’t too many competent and dedicated doctors in India anymore. I am not sure how many were actually there earlier but I know for a fact that I don’t have much faith in the Indian doctors for innumerable reasons. I have seen my grandmother suffering till her death because of many doctors’ callousness and over confidence. I suffer from acute body pain from the age of 19. In spite of visiting a dozen doctors in Kolkata and Hyderabad my pain hasn’t reduced in 15 years!

My father-in-law went to a Diabetologist recently as he is diabetic and is suffering from a kind of nervous disorder. The moment he walked to the doctor’s cabin the first thing she told my father-in-law that the small lump on his nose can be dangerous and cancerous. Now, how the hell did she know what the lump was all about, without even conducting any test! That was not all. She reassured my father-in-law that cancer can be treated if detected at the early stage, and she went on to getting him an appointment with one of her colleagues who specialized in such type of cancer… what type??? This Diabetologist works in a renowned hospital in Kolkata.

Now coming to my terrible experience, a family friend who is a doctor (read quack) saw thick hair on my chin. I didn’t get time to go to a parlour for threading. He said that I probably had Polycystic Ovary (PCO). He immediately got the blood tests done, and according to him I did have PCO.

He prescribed me to take Glyciphage and Crimson 35 everyday for four months. Glyciphage is a tablet used to treat diabetes, and Crimson 35 is used as a birth control pill. These two tablets are also used for women suffering from PCO.

Those four months were nothing but the most horrific time of my life. Within a month I broke into rashes on my arms. I went to a couple of skin specialists, they gave me some anti fungal cream; they were no good. One day I just decided to stop taking Crimson 35 as I wasn’t sure whether I should take birth control pills, and the rashes disappeared!

That’s not all. During this period I also suffered from acute stomach disorder. Now that was embarrassing! I would have to run to the toilet at any odd moment, and that was so difficult, especially while I was training. I kept on thinking whether it was because of my bad food habit or something else that I was suffering. When the problem continued for four months I decided to consult a doctor. I spoke to our family doctor about this but he could not figure out anything.


The other doctor I went to suggested a few tests and a few medicines for a week. After a week he couldn't figure out what was wrong and suggested that I go to a specialist. The specialist also suggested a few more tests and a tablet called Metrogyl, thrice a day, for twenty days. At the end of the twenty days I was left with a metallic tongue, lost my sense of taste, the doctor said that nothing was wrong with me, and the problem persisted. I can’t express how frustrating it was to be in situation like that!

It was on one of the days during a very hectic work schedule that I realized that I had exhausted the Glyciphage tablets. I thought of taking a break from the tablet for a couple of days, out of sheer laziness. After two days I suddenly realised that in the past two days I did not feel any discomfort and did not have to rush to the toilet while at work. I stopped taking the tablet and realized I was fine, the four months of suffering was all gone!

I called the family doctor to tell him what happened, but he did not take any responsibility for his ignorance. I later visited a few sites on Google and found that there are women who suffer for taking Glyciphage.

What I have been talking about till now are all common things that happen in our day to day lives, and no one talks about them. Life is bad enough already and enough number of bad things will anyway happen along the way. I don’t know whether there is a way to handle these situations. The least we can do is talk to people and spread the word around, rather than hiding things because of silly shyness; we Indians are great at that! At least by this way many people can be saved from unnecessary suffering. I am doing my little bit by posting my experiences through this channel.

Chocolate for thought!

Someone who loves food is called a foodie, similarly someone who loves chocolate should be called chocolatie! Nice chocolate (food) for thought, isn't it!

I am a chocoholic! I may crib and cry and sulk looking at my bloated self in the mirror, but my craving for chocolate never seems to die!

I have tasted quite a large variety of chocolates from different parts of the world. Of all the kinds I have tasted there's one kind that was just extraordinary, not only for the taste, but also for the pricing. Godiva chocolates are a kind and class of its own.

When I went to Brussels, an acquaintance told me about Godiva chocolates. I ensured that going to the Godiva shop was part of the itinerary even in the really little time we were given to see around. It was quite a small shop with a wide variety of chocolates, situated at the Grote Markt square. I wanted to try some before buying a box. So, I ordered a small quantity of dark chocolates. Each of those roughly 20 gm truffles cost about a euro! In my currency it comes to 65 rupees per piece!

Though very steep in price, it was worth tasting one of world's finest chocolates!

Lonavala

Joy and I wanted to take a quick break from the mundane Hyderabad life. The idea was to go somewhere and rest rather than going on a sight seeing tour. So we chose to go to Lonavala and Khandala.

We took a shared cab from Pune and reached Lonavala in the evening. We had a couple of names of hotels on our minds, so we started looking out for them. We checked into one, with the help of an auto rickshaw guy who took us around to find hotels.

The next afternoon the driver took us to Karla Caves, which was about 9 kms from where we were staying. These caves are the largest Chaitya caves in the country. We took the uphill, a little steep, road to reach the Karla Caves. When we reached there the driver told us that we needed to climb about 300 stairs to get there. For a moment it seemed like a monstrous task, almost impossible to achieve, but I am not the one to give up too easily. Joy was quite unsure whether I would be able to make it.

I did make it to the top, but to be very honest, it was not worth the effort. It was extremely hot, didn't expect that kind of heat in January; very unkempt entrance. Nothing looked nice! At the entrance of the caves there were three broken pillars with lions; the stairs to the caves were so dark that I chose not to climb anymore.

The driver was very surprised too see us back so early. He said, normally people take about one and a half hours to get there and come back, and we took about 45 minutes only!

Then we went back to where we came from, that is, back to the city of Lonavala, to go to Ryewood Park. I had heard about this park earlier, so I was quite excited about going to the park and sitting there for some time. As we reached there we figured it was just another park, and it was extremely hot to even step out of the car. We drove past that place with the quaint hope that we may take a stroll down the road and sit at the park on a pleasant monsoon evening.

The next place we passed was the Lonavala Lake. We didn't get off because it was absolutely dry. The city pamflets boast of this place as a replica of Chowpati, there was not a single soul around!

At this point we were rather disappointed with our plan to do a sight seeing tour. Therefore, we weren't even interested to see anything anymore. We reached Bhushi Dam. The place did not seem remotely interesting from the outside. As we went inside we realised that the place wasn't all that uninteresting. It was quite cool. So we decided to sit on the rocks, and we sat there for more than half an hour. Joy even had some tea.

After this, we set for the most awaited part of our day trip, Khandala. I just have one thing to say, this place is hyped beyond any limit. If anyone is planning a getaway from the maddening city life, it is good to check into one of the resorts and rest. There is nothing else to see.

A Wonder Called YouTube!

YouTube is a fantastic technological feat which among other things has brought the world of music as close as it can get to music lovers. In other words, it is a wonder!

I was working at the computer when all of a sudden I remembered Danny Kaye's Popo The Puppet, a song I last heard 22 years ago. I typed 'Danny Kaye Popo The Puppet' on YouTube and there it was, the song I heard as a little girl! I have such wonderful memories of this song as we had performed this in one of our school annual functions; I did the little talking in between.

I don't know how many people today know about Danny Kaye; I really don't care. If people haven't heard enough music while growing up it is their loss! But for those who cherish music from the past and, especially their childhood, here is the song!

Enjoy! :)