This day 21st November 2011

One thing I have been doing all along is never worry about future and never feel happy or sad about the past. I always believed that better things are in store for the future. It is just the same when I thought I would start my practice. I believed everything around me is rosy and I could just rock on with it. It was in fact rosy I should say but things didn't work out as desired. Now few months into practice, I'm yet have one full fledged assignment, but still I'm upbeat about my prospects. But what has happened over this period is not what I planned or wished to. But eventually it has happened. As I never say NO to what I can possibly do, I'm where I'm today. It was these small YES for training programmes that began. I believed that I don't have it in me to make a great teacher or trainer. Teaching is such a noble profession. Though my mother is a teacher, I thought I never had qualities to be a great teacher. First of all I lack patience, which is greatest quality of a teacher. Then I thought I was too young to be able to teach and for people to appreciate what I convey. But over past few months, it was happening otherwise. There were quite a few opportunities on teaching front came up and I accepted it. To my dismay, all such programmes were reasonably appreciated.

Today it further proved me wrong. I felt little proud about teaching today. And I begin to embrace teaching to be essential part of my career today. The reason was my training programme at Ethiraj College for faculty members. I feel I graduated today as a speaker. I spoke on the topic given to me and at the end of 2 hours, it was immensely gratifying when one of the faculty members said, it was exactly matching their level of knowledge and it was additional learning that they could appreciate. Why it meant so much to me was, it was a group of teachers who are in the profession of teaching for years and when I get such feedback from them, it was definitely great for me. After the session, even before the feedback I received, I knew today will be a significant day. It was just that gut feeling. And today means a lot to me. But still I don't want to be a teacher. After all these session I feel that I'm well versed on my subject today (according to me) only because of the amount of teaching/training that has happened and I should be happy for that. Also there was one more lesson today - Your best is yet to come.

This Crackers Culture.. Damn it...

I have never had great fantasy for crackers. As a child, I was afraid of it even till I was in 6th Standard. Later when I started enjoying, my mom always had a budget within which I should buy crackers and the budget was sickening low and have never enjoyed a crackerful deepevali. Later when I was in Class XI, I attended this function called Anandha Deepavali organised by Udhavum Ullangal - it is a deepavali celebration for lesser fortunate children. That year again brought about a change in me towards crackers. This time it was not fear, it was out of responsibility (I'm proud to say so). I was amidst kids for whom celebration was once is a year, organised by a few noble people. For whom eating vegetable biryani and onion raitha was a heavenly meal (few ate just onion raitha). For whom singing and dancing was possible in spite of the state of their life. For whom everybody they meet are brothers sisters and well wishers. For whom life has never been kind, yet they faced it with grit and smile. For whom deepavali was just another until this Anandha Deepavali took its stage. Due to safety of children at the function, "vaana vedikai" was arranged rather than allowing these kids to fire crackers. At this moment on seeing the light on the faces of these children was lightening. I was struck. Yes, crackers bring light and life for these children. No joy could match it. Do I really need crackers for joy? Isn't there a joy for me on seeing those happy faces? Do I need more joy than that? Does it make sense to fire crackers and feel happy about it? Thankfully since it is an event organised a week before deepavali, I resolved no crackers from that year onwards.

Though initially it was on seeing these children who could not celebrate, I was exposed to further disgusting facts about crackers and its industry in sivakasi. I continued with my resolve of "No Crackers". When I was doing my artcicleship, I just happened to listen to Mr. Sankar Mahadevan, Founder Trustee of Udhavum Ullangal. He told about the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) in Sivakasi through which Udhavum Ullangal supports education of children who were subjected to child labour. He explained how early kids are getting into the habit of working and how difficult it is to convince their parents to allow them study. He told that there were parents who told that if someone gives them Rs. 200/- per month that the child earns, they would allow the child to study. Of all he spoke, this remained in my mind. It didn't stay still in my mind. It continued to grow and disturb me. I felt there is more reason for me to say "No Crackers". So for every moment of happiness here by firing crackers, there are tears of hundreds of people. It is not just tears of hundreds, its their blood, their future. You could question, by you saying "No to Crackers", have you stopped child labour and tears of those families? Well, I have done my bit to not encourage one more family/child to be forced to child labour. How? Its simple economics. My demand for crackers is zero, hence production for me is zero. Had my demand been there, to enable supply, there would have been production, which could have affected a child's future? And there are many like Udhavum Ullangal, who take efforts to stop child labour, so it is my bit towards that.

You could argue, its for the government and industry to mature and regulate itself, why should I bother? I pay legally and I enjoy. Alright. It is your right to enjoy, but as you grow its assumed that with physical growth, you also mature mentally. It is okay for a kid to celebrate by firing crackers. Yes, its essential that kids enjoy. You don't stop kids from celebrating. You facilitate for them. But you grow up donkeys and monkeys, please grow. Stop firing crackers for your joy. You have various means of pleasure. Don't enter into a kids terrain. And does your happiness come at the cost of only someone far off whose face you do not know? See the world just immediately around you. What is the disturbance you cause to them? You do not know who is there in what state in the next house. Imagine, if there were some heart patient or elderly people with some illness looking for peaceful sleep. Isn't there a moral responsibility on you on timing of firing crackers? What if you had one such patient in your house and your neighbour fires a 10000 wala at 4 AM in the morning? Can you even drop out and ask him a question? You mindless idiot did it without minding people around you, why should your neighbour be bothered at all now? You want others to understand you, but never think of others?? What health hazards are you bringing? Can you breathe at ease when you are going out on a diwali day? Doesn't it affect the environment? Trees, birds, your lovely pets.. And at the cost of all these, you feel proud to have fired crackers worth so much. 

As if these are not enough, I hear people saying that it is "SASTRAM" to fire crackers. My goodness, which SASTRA said so? It may have been your practice since ages, but that need not be the way around now. If you think of long back, yes, they would have fired crackers prepared in their own backyard just to inform the next village or any part of forest that there are people living out there and they are happy celebrating. But it is not  a SASTRA to fire one today. I'm not an atheist, but this SASTRA sans logic.

CELEBRATION SHOULD NOT BE DISTURBING OTHERS. MIND IT.

The Anna Hazare Movement

What an individual can do to a nation? How can an individual change the nation from its wrong deeds? How will it possible for a poor old man to convince a mighty government? Whether it is worth spending the time and resources? Why should one support Anna Hazare? Why are people attached to Anna Hazare call themselves Civil Society members? Does that mean that MPs and MLAs are separate being from civil society members? How can a set of individuals demand for a bill to be passed in parliament? Is this democracy mature enough to go through a larger public debate on this? What is lokpal Bill? What is Jan Lokpal Bill? How will it curb corruption when it has become part of life? Is there any society in the world that is corruption free, that could be taken as a model to replicate and study? Why is corruption happening? Why people don't mind paying bribes? Why people are never ashamed to demand/receive bribes? Can I be the change I want to see? Or will be just another person blaming the society that it is and live according to it? Why is there a group that mask behind Anna Hazare and engage in unsocial activities? How can we stop these individuals from rotting a noble movement? How can a guy threaten to commit suicide in support of Jan Lokpal by climbing a advertisement hoarding? Why does Government machinery respond to such frivolous threat? Why a police officer of rank of SI need to climb the hoarding to speak with? Is this life most important that 2 teams of fire rescue team, an ambulance and a team of police officers are attending to that person? Is it not better to shoot him down or let him do whatever he does? Why do people stand and watch this causing further disruption to a flowing traffic? Is this individual right in affecting these many people for a noble demand? Does Anna's movement give a signal that "threaten and you will get" movement? Why do people use this movement and involve in blocking roads drunken and chasing a journalist? Why do these guys carry national flag while doing all these? Should we allow such people to grow? How to curb such people? If a single old man can do so much to a nation, why not every individual become righteous? How many people know of the movement? How many people are less greedy to allow a corruption free country? How many people are really looking to be the change they want to see? How many people just feel that saying I support Anna is sufficient? What is the change that we are looking at? Can one ever feel it? 

These are questions that came to my mind on seeing a 'rogue student' holding our national flag on top of thiruvanmiyur railway station causing problems to common public. People should understand the movement. It is guided by an Old man who is doing what he could do without harming others. It is a humanitarian movement with mutual respect for all in the society. It is not the one to draw attention. It is not the one to disrupt public. It is not the one for unsocial elements. It is the one for change. It is the one to inspire a nation. It is one to give opportunity for the nation to correct itself. It is one for good future. Yes, when you have many positives, few negatives do erupt, but it is out duty to wipe these negatives off, rather than live with it.

Mobile phone companies mull at breakthrough technology

Inspired by the phrase that has proved successful in the Social Media, "What's on your mind?", large mobile phone makers are discussing possibility of linking person's mind to a mobile phone so that Facebook status's can get updated automatically. Speaking at a forum here in Mars, CEO of Yeskaise, Mapen Dalop said, "This is the next big thing. It is a breakthrough technology that will help users immensely. The value proposition is unimaginable. We are elated and are positive about it. We are expecting phones to be rolled out in 3 months time. It is undergoing testing with rats and we are receiving positive signals. It is significant development for the company". 

There are mixed responses for this idea from the civil society. Few feel it will kill social media by invading privacy. Few have expressed desire to have a debate in parliament to allow production of such mobile phones. Mr. Pashi Faroor, a popular politician user twitter said, this is an effort pitted against him and that his effort to bring politicians into social media will become a distant dream. There are others who feel that this is the only way corruption could be fought and justice be just in this century. Few even suggested to make usage of this phone mandatory for those in public service. However, Sakhi Drawant seemed to dislike this idea about usage for people in public service.

People close to developments feel that Dogle or Grapple would soon come up with their own versions earlier than proposed by Yeskaise due to advanced ability to prototyping of other technologies. However they fear Dumsung's ability to replicate technology better than theirs. As the competition is heating up, it must be delight for users and many people are raring to get one for their loved ones, definitely not for themselves. Few companies have opened their websites for advance orders for gifting. Yes, we are entering era of transparency.

Girls and food

This is most common partnership that you can associate with, in our day to day life (though lady would be more appropriate, here, girl includes a lady), yet this is a rare combination. Common because we associate HER to cooking as we grow up. Rare because SHE never is a good eater. The reason may be the consequences of eating her self-cooked food (ha ha just kidding). It is really strange why the one who is exerts so much care in cooking for others in the family, remains the Starved. Going further into the demographics of the Starved, it would be even more startling and worrying for youngsters like me (well, yeah still very young). Girls of our generation (that's the reason I didn't want the title to carry the word "lady") and the next are the most common under-eaten creatures. And this is a worry on two fronts. One - you don't have someone who has appetite for eating to cook various delicacies for you. Two - you have a weak person (spouse) to be taken care of at a young age leaving no peace in the family.

Why do Girls under-eat?

You can call it an illusionary dieting. Most girls think that eating less helps them to stay in shape. First of all they just do not know what is the right quantity. They don't reach the optimum level upto which they will still stay in shape. The obsession for shape will cost them dearly. All under-eating is foolishness. There are many others, particularly in chennai, who stay away from home, who are lazy to cook. Alright, you can be lazy to cook, but can't be foolish to skip a meal. Why not get into one of the hotels, mess and fuel the system? The system will not behave in the manner it is supposed to, unless you feed it with adequate fuel. All I can say of under eating girls is that they are building up a painful future. Health is wealth. Staying in shape now is not important. Staying for the larger part of life itself is important.

Anemia calling

When you don't eat enough and healthy, you succumb to various side effects. One such thing is Anemia. This is becoming one of the largest unnoticed disorders among adolescents. This is most common in girls. Recently read a UNICEF report that states more than 90% of adolescent girls in India suffer from anemia and more than 90% of it go unnoticed. Anemia is a condition where there are not enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells are the ones that supply oxygen to tissues. Oxygen flow keeps you fresh. That is why you feel good, when you go out early in the morning, than during a polluted evening. When oxygen is supplied short, what could happen? There may be various impacts falling out of this. One obvious fallout is tiredness, which leads to stress. And stress leads to umpteen number of other side effects. And you don't realise that's all because of food habits.

What can be done about it?

All that us required is make girls eat like guys!!! I really feel good when I see a girl who eats food in sufficient quantity (this is a rarity, yet have seen a few). Similarly, I hate people who do no eat properly (there are few guys as well). I only hope that they realise quantity also matters while eating. Just as they are associated with cooking, they should be interested in eating as well. For an alternative, do girls need guys to cook for them to eat well???

What is friendship???

Good friendship will make you a better person. But how does that friend make the difference? Its because you want to remain good or become good for that person to be your friend. You want to be their friend or retain their friendship very badly that you become better. Later you don't want to loose someone so you thrive to be the best. Its still not enough and you keep improving. By this time you are known to the world as a good human being. My God, its never for the good of all others, its only for a good friend that brought you all these. So a good friend is important. A good friend is not a person who remains with you always. That friend is not going to make a difference in your life. A good friend is the one who will move away from you for your wrongdoings, who will not tolerate wrong path tread by you, who will not forgive your blunders, who will never be the friend that was. It is this phobia that will make you better. The better human being. And another good friend.

TN Elections 2011 - Will this mark a new era of voter credibility??

Well, what an election results we have had. Jayalalitha sweeping Karunanidhi and his family off the state. It was expected there could be a negative wave against DMK and its allies but never would have imagined it to be of this magnitude. Whether its negative votes or trust entrusted on AIADMK and Jaya, this would definitely mark a new beginning. The beginning that could make politicians feel that they are to serve the people, the beginning that would make politicians feel that development is the only slogan, the beginning that would make politicians stop accumulating wealth, the beginning that would have evaluating systems for MLAs and ministers to continue with the job, the beginning that could see more educated people joining established political parties, the beginning that could see more people turning up to vote in future, the beginning that could transform the life of the last citizen in Tamil Nadu, the beginning that would root "corruption" out of the society, the beginning that would make the journey more interesting, the beginning that many other states would follow, the beginning that is inspired by Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, the beginning that generations before us never heard of, most importantly the beginning that would change you and me.

All these could just remain a dream. But I strongly feel that this magnitude of margin clearly vindicates the mood of the people and it would be foolish for the ruling party to play around with the electorates again. There will be increased pressure from the Janta. There will be increased awareness for the Janta. This will make the Janta more informative when it comes to choosing their leaders. And if at all that happens, electoral results can truly be predicted from an air-conditioned room, that would mean TN voters have become mature and are credible creatures who just don't wander over here and there.

No Title

I’m just about beginning to write this blog without any title. So the subject is not decided. Will try to have an appropriate title at the end when it is published.

How does it feel when you are neglected? It is an instant and everlasting pain I would say. It is like having a wound right on upper part of your wrist that you can neither ignore seeing it nor you can ignore the fact of having got the wound. The pain is so immersed that you never know there is pain at all. The devastation is so much that you possibly take weirdest of decisions that you can ever think of, with your own sweet will and conscience. The pleasure is that you are neglected by the one you love. Insanely this pleasure would continue  to override all those pains. 

Can you ever replace a person in life? My answer will, was and is always no. There are no humans alike. If you had come across a person in life, there can ever be one who could fit in as a perfect replacement. This is not a job market where you find people who would suit a particular role. Life is more personalized. There are no roles in it. It is human beings and their relations in it. It sans logic to think of replacement in human relationship. But still, there are always contrary views that exist and will continue to exist. 

The level of irritation is so high that you begin hating yourself and the environment for the reason that you do not want to hate the person. Particularly, when there are obvious new companies that have erupted to the person who has been close with you. There are questions that arise, “had this not happened or had that not happened?”, but the eventual truth is that all that has happened can never be taken back.

Again, when the person walks back into your life, will everything be fine and flashy as it used to be? Never and its never going to be. There are certain journeys that cannot be travelled back in time. The original personalty can never be placed.

Whatever be it, one is better off when not attached to emotions and there will be hardly any in this category. In fact there will be no one in this category. There may be persons, just like me who can hide emotions, but it is perilous than being emotional. You are caught on a trap which no one else could ever attempt to help. You are on a voyage that does not have any direction and you are not being yourself. But, as destiny would go, I will continue to be myself, get even more hardened, never respect or care about any single individual’s emotions.

And the title is “Foolishly confusing ME”

Sleep - perilously beautiful

Can you ever imagine a life without sleep? It is never a life then. Sleep is a heavenly state of mind while you live. Sleep energises you and the environment. It energises you, because you are doing nothing. It energises the environment, again because you do nothing. So sleep is a way to go green. While sleeping you live a life the way you want to. The world behaves the way you want it to. Because nobody gets to live the life they want to. If somebody feels that they have everything in life and they should have everything in life, always suffers from insomnia and they never can have everything in life. Finally, sleep is epitome of confidence for a man - yes, he is confident that he will wake up, but there is never a guarantee for it.