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Showing posts from October, 2013

Gender Obsession! Not mandatory.

As an observer I can distinguish a male worker from a female worker be it farm labour, a teacher, a lawyer, a journalist, a doctor or anybody performing a task that demands mental or physical focus. Without prejudice, one can notice that the male psyche is more egoistic than the female. Women are more often down-to-earth and realistic. Flights of fantasy occur only when they turn writers. Generally these flights are subjective for males but females analyse their surroundings in a more earthy manner and indulge in a trail of thought that fructify in words.  Not going into the nitty-gritty of 'writing' talent, as a teacher I have often tested students in framing better sentences by motivating their imagination.  Boys often tread on those paths which define topics that one can realistically imagine but girls do meander over places and talk about people who most often don't exist. Unfortunately  this does not apply to me as I am in public domain when I write for my blog. So

Onion no longer a culinary delight

Onions: Peeling onions for the Indian woman over the last week till date has been more than a tear-jerker. Navratras embody a fervent devotion to the Goddess by sacrificing food and the onion with its patent products. How much more can a woman sacrifice especially if the fasting period succeeds sacrificing money to buy onions. Tear ducts are meant to vent emotions, now emotions have become money-worthy so sob sob (not the abuse) Alas  where is the money that can fetch onions easily? A conjecture at this point: limit onion production (farming) only to Nashik is a sickly thought. Peels of onion instead of filling the garbage bin will now be strewn on the dining table to make food edible with aroma. Diwali gifts can be substituted with onion for'dry fruits'and 'sweets'. Marriage season can demand a ransom of onions for marriage feasts. Oh the 'stinking' onion was never revered so much. Slavery: Slavery was recently highlighted by a foreign (American) agenc

Prosaic, not boring - but a must read....both books

Meanwhile, I was in a place of clouds. Big, puffy, pink - white ones that showed up sharply against the deep blue sky.... -Proof of Heaven: Eben Alexander  The book has a very imaginative and realistic style. Well, how paradoxical if some phrases / sentences looked both imaginative and realistic. A real life story which is intense and engrossing.A neuro-surgeon's journey through near death and back to life. Right now, I am shuttling two between books, one mentioned above, the other Catcher in the Rye - by JDS.  Typically American where adventure is interspersed with reality. This is also a book with intense thoughts and  sails through the author's life. The beauty is that this is the author's only book and he won much acclaim late in life,more so through a film made on him recently. How JDS' life unfolds mysteriously for readers a complexity of emotions that left him a loner. My words do not intend even remotely offer PR for the authors. I am too mean a being

Kinshuk... help...Help ...help.

The need to call for help from Kinshuk does sound strange but I feel he is there to help all those who need it. See not the disallowed (banned or branded for Kinshuk) such was the advice given to most of my students. If there was a mouse hiding somewhere in the house, all that was needed was to call Kinshuk. The mouse could never get easy entry into my house and if it did, Kinshuk would chase it away in a bizarre manner. Many a time I have told my students who came home (for tuitions, yaar), to bear with my ire and exasperation on noticing a mouse.There goes a shrill call to Kinshuk and he rushes to help me find the mouse and chase it away. I hate traps as my heart misses a beat to see a trapped rat. Poison (venomous potion) is not the right way to ensnare a mouse but I am fond of 'Poison' (a pleasant perfume). Well, the highly enterprising Kinshuk 'not exactly a pied piper', but keeps whistling till he holds the mouse by the tail, then humming his favourite song,

An atom of of grace in Sachin's action.

The action cannot be linked with cricket here because I hardly follow the game.The batting genius dropped in at the studio to wish the veteran actor, Big B--yes the man(Amitabh) does work hard and in a disciplined manner at his age.This is a quality for all youngsters to admire and emulate.So Sachin has not achieved much according to me, he should now live as a vibrant example of courage and perseverance.The monetary donations and photo sessions will not yield acclaim till you learn to live for others. There are quite a few persons who live for others through their profession by linking with NGOs, most of the time they do not get noticed.Like when a shoal of fish gets tossed ashore each fish is desperate to live,but be like The Boy who throws each living fish back into the sea so that they can live (read this @ The Week).The 'giver' has to be gutsy and strive to succeed.The world is ruled by protectors and destroyers, every minute the tiniest creature strives to breathe.Surv

Time for Show Baazi

A fledgling party like AAP does not qualify for political discourse or debate as opined by a columnist.Hate to name him as that will barter mutual rage or insinuation. But he writes for a prominent paper. Probably he has read my blog as is evident.When I spoke of the 'Mango man' it referred to the kith of a prominent leader not Arvind Kejriwal.The 'halo' does not refer to the latter. Coming to the point the AAP has not evolved into a gargantuan size for the fact that they are being nudged and jostled by bigger parties to get noticed.Show Biz thrives in a city like Delhi.That reminds me of the recently released film 'Satyagraha' did not make a mark as expected because the director of this good film has a low profile in Delhi. I do remember his fledgling days in film making when he made documentary films for FD (Films Division).This body educates the audience about India and the world just before an entertaining film is shown.Today the FD is non-existent. Sho

Mango Man in a Banana Republic!

How can one connect rotation of the earth to a whirl of thoughts that influence human beings through the media. Almost a year ago, some disruptive, cognitive and benevolent elements of the society babbled about the common man....the momentum picked up - some lauding, some criticising (snooty ones), all because they stumbled upon the commonman - the aam aadmi . Gradually we re getting aware of the 'corrupt' virus stinging our lives. How our politicians can hear the cock crow about the 'sin' called corruption. Our polity is draped in this multi-layered garment of corruption. Even 'Duryodhan' may be harrowed with his job (with due reverence to Sr Krishna and the Pandavas).  I am wondering how much 'halo' (periphery) he (that man) would have acquired for calling the Aam Aadmi the Mango Man of a Banana Republic. Especially when a top politician is inclining towards pleasing the common man. 

Jai Nayak--an entire career which stilled his life with stills.

Travails of a photographer,cannot be undermined,he who puts his heart,soul and a pair of blessed eyes to slog day in and day out.His assignments ranged from humans to nature.He felt he was the chosen one for all our exhibitions which called for minute details about fabric,grace and the best faces.Recent news about him was the onset of glaucoma that struck Jay and has rendered him jobless and neglected.A benevolent businessman from Gujarat has offered him monetary help with an apprentice to wield his camera.Quite strange the sightless can usher in a career so late in life for a job that requires an eye for aesthtetics.Behold that eye which navigates on the spoken word from the mind's eye.I salute Jay.You are remembered always when I see model posing to be framed as the best face.