Author: Archana

Once a Physiotherapist now a Wordsmith. Field Botanist. Bonsai. Proud Indian. Fauji Wife. Doting Mother and Mother-in-law. Devoted Grandmother. Reluctant Cook. Happiest on a road less travelled. 60s are the new 40s ;-)
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Are you fully Empowered?

What does womens empowerment really mean? Is it restricted to access to education, financial independence, taking control of one’s relationships, jobs and so on?
Probably many women particularly in urban India may have these choices- what they choose to do is of course their prerogative.

Yet, I find that when in a crisis, we tend show symptoms of the what I call ‘damsel in distress’ syndrome!
Put simply it means we just throw up our hands and expect someone else to sort out the problem for us.
Example: car battery suddenly discharging (of course she forgot to turn of the lights when parking!), a flat car tyre, computer glitches, inflated utility or other bills particularly when the husband is away or gadgets going unserviceable -they always seem to do so when I am around 🙁

Sounds familiar?

While it is always helpful to have get someone else to de-tangle such knotty issues, its important that we know whats to be done…
Here’s what I suggest:

  • Update your contacts list be it on your cell phone or the ubiquitous diary with names and latest phone numbers of providers like emergency car recovery garages, hardware repairmen (taps, electric switches uncannily know when you are alone), helpline numbers of your bank, telephone and Internet providers etc
  • Keep these in an easily accessible place.
  • Learn some basic ‘fault finding’ in gadgets you use. Dont throw away booklets provided with your gadgets. Refer to them when some equipment goes unservicable, you may be able to fix a minor problem yourself.
  • Learn how to change a flat tyre. Besides refuelling your vehicle, check tyre pressure, PUC and insurance validity.
  • Exercise regularly and stay fit so unexpectedly having to carry some weight or walking two kms is not an issue
  • Make sure you follow traffic rules particularly when with your kids-you will set a poor example for them… In keeping with the topic of this post, arguing with the traffic cop, paying a fine or worse finding that your vehicle PUC is out of date is a more than uncomfortable situation…

Learning and doing these basic jobs in no way takes away from our ‘femininity’!
Then our empowerment will be truly complete.
Cheers!

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The Short List

They say a soul chooses its parents (which family it is born into).. So unknown to us, someone somewhere is ticking off prospective couples for suitability to being parents. The important factor is ‘unknown’. Each one of us must have had made this choice and will be subjected to one or more later. Its only later in life that we may remember the choices made or are subjected to.

These days kids learn of the ‘short list’ quite early in life- starting from her admission to pre-school though the barely three year old may not know much about eligibility of her candidature… (I refer to both boys and girls, the word used is ‘she’ solely for ease of writing!!)

Yet the kids brave on from class to class, exam to exam till they leave their schools behind and are set for several more rounds of short listing for many more academic laurels. Mind you, their actual merits will now pale before several ‘worldly’ factors like connections to important and influential people, performances beyond studies, a glib tongue (very useful in group discussions and interviews) and financial strength. For some being ‘under served’ may be an advantage but who is decide on what qualifies as underserved?

So the young adults, armed with degrees from self styled ‘top’ colleges enter the bad bad world, all keen to make it to the top of the corporate ladders. There are more shortlists- to chose life partners, the dream home, car, jewelery, invites to page 3 events etc etc

By now they have been shortlisted for cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease just to name a few, which just sends them to the top of the short list to exiting their careers for health reasons. Suddenly being on a shortlist does not seem at all attractive.

What happened?

Should we only live to be chosen for something or take life head on do our bit and leave the rest to the Final Authority? All this sounds good and noble but is not easy to implement.
As my friend said, when difficulties arise do not say ‘Why me’ instead say ‘Try Me’!
That will put the ‘short list’ in its correct place and not give it an undue importance.
Think about it…

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A divine experience

Overcoming considerable hesitation I went for the first day of the 58th Sawai Gandharwa Festival being held at New English School, Raman Bag Pune. Obviously reached late but enjoyed every second of what was in store for me and thousands others. I am sure you will find many articles that will analyse fine musical aspects of every artist’s performance, this post is anything but that…

The Kabir Nirguni bhajan by Bhuvanesh Komkali pierced the deepest layer of my soul – mind you normally I would never go to such superlatives but his performance demands it. This is the link to the original rendition by Kumar Gandharva: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Vlsdv_z0s

Many of us (self included) may be puzzled by the magic of Lord Krishna’s flute. Can breathing into a hollow wood pipe really create such power over people’s emotions? My doubts were fully eliminated with Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia’s performance yesterday. I have heard his music before but mostly on a CD or the television. Age has not curbed his creativity as the melodious and powerful strains subtly calmed the several thousand strong crowd. No one spoke as one and all surrendered to Panditji’s magic.

By now it was about 945PM and Pune Police are quite strict about the 10PM deadline for public concerts. It was difficult to decide who was more disappointed- Begum Parveen Sultana or all of us as she was given less than an hour to perform. But this very constraint seemed to bring out the best in the Begum as she captured and held the audience enthralled right from her opening notes. That is what mastery over a skill is all about.

I hope artists’ on subsequent days can live up to the high bar set on Day one.
I hope in future the organisers learn to manage time better and ensure that all artists particularly senior ones get sufficient time to present their art.

This year the event organisers have installed a new type of music system. To get feedback about it the ‘sutradhar‘ shared his cell number and then as expected was inundated with a barrage of text messages asking to switch off fans, requests for songs, sound issues etc…

As usual there was a veritable feast for foodies as the line up included modak, puran poli, thaleepeth, karanjee just to name a few…
Here is a photo of the event..

This is the link to the Mahotsav website: http://www.sawaigandharvasangeetmahotsav.com/
Don’t be satisfied reading this post. Go out and experience this one of a kind event.
Cheers!

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 1

Am I the right person to write about Harry Potter?
I have read all the books as avidly as any other tween right from about 2001 when we first encountered this bespectacled wizard in far away Chabua. This boy hero endeared himself to readers across India and was variously called Hari Puttar, Hari Pitre etc as the book was translated into local languages I am told, self included.

The shock of losing Sirius Black or the death of Dumbledore among other events in previous books was an intense piece of writing hence I was keen to see how such written imagery is actually brought to life on screen. It could be that I am biased but the written work generates profound emotions and images that can hold the reader spell bound and gets him/her back for more.

Ask any Potter fan about the number of times they have re-read any particular book. The answer is quite likely to be in mid single digits!! So to answer the first question, yes I have read the entire series and watched movies till date so surely qualify to write…

The recently released movie is part one of the final book. After a long long time I went to the theatre on the first day. I was a bit apprehensive thinking I would be sorely out of place amongst a roomful of kids but was pleasantly surprised to find that I was not the only baby boomer there. And the others were not escorting their young ‘uns either. In fact there were hardly any school goers at all, most being in their early twenties. There was not much fan fare (Friday fever) that is the norm these days at a movie launch. The tickets were not exorbitant either which made the time out easier on the pocket.
The movie does justice to the book, the cast keeps up with the demands of the characters and keeps the audience engaged throughout.
Would I see the movie again – probably not but would I read the book again- yes certainly!
🙂

Here are some links to reports of the movie. Use them as a guide but if you are afflicted by Pottermania then you will watch the movie any way…
Enjoy!

http://business-standard.com/india/news/latest-harry-potter-movie-casts-24-mn-midnight-spell/415621/

http://business-standard.com/india/news/harry-potter-pips-guzaarish-in-weekend-collections/415844/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11817593

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Balaji Temple

The Balaji temple near Ketkavale village (turn left at Kapurhol when travelling from Pune on the Pune-Satara expressway) is a beautiful destination that one must visit- either as a standalone trip or whenever one is travelling on Pune-Satara NH 4… Built by the Venky’s group the temple is a striking shape amid farms and Venky’s factories. The best way to get there is in your own vehicle as I did not spot dedicated public transport. I did see some ST buses so that may be an option to reach the main gate.

One cannot miss the turning as there are several hoardings depicting the approaching turnoff the highway. There is plentiful vehicle parking space but is at some distance and the ground is in a bad state- one can almost hear the vehicle tyres crying out loud as one lurches over pointy stones and ditches… You may want to leave your foot wear in the car itself but know that one has to walk quite some distance till the covered temple area that is designated for the official entrance queue. There are titled pathways till this spot, but walking on them anytime after 10am can serve as hot tile therapy for city-bred pedicured feet! We have always gone at the crack of dawn so hot stones were not much of an issue. There is a stall where one can deposit footwear but you cannot avoid the ‘hot’ walk…

Cell phones and cameras are not allowed inside temple premises and can be deposited at the security station. If you can bear to be disconnected from the world, its better to leave them in your vehicle itself for some quality time with God and yourself…

Men and women stand in separate queues and bags are checked. The stairs at the temple’s threshold have jets of cool water that are a wonderful balm to your feet. There are small statues of different gods placed in alcoves at the entrance and around the temple walls. These are adorned in wonderful jewellery and zari bordered colourful silk vastra.

One gets a darshan of the standing Lord in full splendour right at the entrance but one has to follow the queue for a closer view. If the crowd is not excessive, the pujaris offer teertha and place the ‘crown’ on your head as a blessing. There is not much scope to spend a few minutes to admire the jewellery or even restate your requests at God’s doorstep so make sure to do that from afar.

The pradakshana involves walking around the temple courtyard (in a covered veranda) that has smaller idols of other Gods. At the end, devotees get a handful of rose petals and tulsi and the local version of the famous Tirupati Balaji laddo and another food item subject to the time of the day and availability. We have always received lovely warm curd rice as prasad that is a joy to eat sitting in the courtyard outside.

At certain times of the day, temple authorities offer coupons for food- mahaprasad for which one has to walk some more to another huge hall. At a recent visit, we were pleasantly surprised to be the couple honoured to eat the first meal with the day’s prasad, other devotees had to wait till we started eating. The simple meal of rice, sambhar, chutney and sheera plus laddoo and a fruit were the most satisfying meal in a long long time. To top it all, the staff made sure to ask us for a refill and even gave us something to carry the prasad back home…

Presently the temple is under extensive renovations hence the serene atmosphere is rudely disturbed by violent sounds of stone cutting, crane engines and the like. They drowned out the aarti or bhajans or stotra that were played on the public announcement system. The usually pervading smell of burning camphor is hence overtaken by many others that I could not identify and wished to… I guess this is just a matter of time and an unavoidable part of temple improvements.

The temple interiors’ were being painted – the ceiling of the veranda had different coloured regular stencil motifs. The columns and walls are getting a paint makeover as well. I was struck by the paintings on the ceiling of the main temple not as much for their artistry (that was excellent of course) but for the physical difficulties the painters must have had to paint them. Yet not one was distorted.

Here are a couple of photos of the prasad laddoos that are about the size of a red leather cricket ball.

Don’t drool, drive out to the temple this weekend! Its only about45 minutes drive from Pune.
Cheers!

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Are we changing?

In two words – probably yes!
I am not talking about dissolving geographic boundaries or embracing cross cultural habits but about the human body…

Before you get me wrong,we have not yet
– sprouted antennae (though its quite likely considering the humongous amount of all kinds of radiation around us- mobile phones, wireless landlines, wi-fi networks, radio/television waves, ham radios etc)
– developed an extra membrane/tissue in our nose (to filter the highly polluted air we breathe)
– grown an extra appendage to handle the ubiquitous mobile electronic devices that none of us seem to be able to do without at any time

Last known we still have 206 bones, 32 teeth with XY/XX chromosomes to distinguish males and females. So physically at least we still look the same as our great grand parents (or even older forefathers)…

Now to the topic on hand…

As a result of improved nutrition, environmental factors etc there is a gradual change in our bodies- at a fundamental level…

  • Dentists’ say children now have larger teeth (size of each tooth is bigger as compared to five-six decades ago), wisdom teeth do not erupt in some people at all.
  • Pathologists say the so-called ‘normal’ levels of different body parameters like blood sugar levels, Thyroid hormone levels, HDL levels etc are updated by WHO and other health authorities from time to time. Hence you may find that an HDL level of 54 would be within a normal range in 2006 but marginally found wanting in 2010.
  • Gynaecologists often report early menarche in young girls or changing timeframes for menopause.
  • Greying hair is a now a common feature in late twenties itself- I still remember my grandmother with jet black hair till she left us…
  • Average height is increasing as is average lifespan

We have learnt about how Man evolved from more primitive creatures and obviously the changes took place over several hundred. Are the changes I mentioned (there may be many more occurring at microscopic levels as well) a part of a further evolution of our species? Is Homo sapiens the pinnacle of life of earth or will another ‘creature’ evolve from us?
We will never know…
Regards
Archana

These are just a few examples that I have mentioned based on my experiences and reports and observations of people in India. I would not like to extrapolate the same to other regions as they may/may not not hold true…

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A Divali Gift to yourself

Happy Divali!
This is a time for feasting, spending time with friends and family.
Its a time when all of us invest in something for our homes, get gifts for near and dear ones…
All of us buy something for ourselves… new clothes, jewellery, electronics to name just a few…

Yet we often overlook an important aspect…
Our health!
No, this is not another post about healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle.
I am talking about health insurance.

Being self employed has several advantages but it also means having to pay your own bills for health care.
In India, we hesitate to visit the government hospitals in case of any problems, except politicos and top babus of course.
For the rest of us, private care is the care of choice.
But it means hefty bills.
In case of an emergency most private hospitals demand a cash advance of thousands of rupees before the patient is admitted.

This can be create extremely tense moments for the caretakers and patient as well.
Having valid health insurance can help tide over such an emergency. There are several types of health insurance but in my experience, the cashless variety is the best. In case of an emergency, one has to approach the empaneled hospitals and there are no worries about paying bills. In such policies, usually the bill is settled directly by the insurer.
The patient can simply focus all energies on regaining health.

What’s more, premium paid for health insurance gives us tax breaks and successive renewals after a ‘no-claim’ period may offer a premium rebate as well!

Has this motivated you to buy a health insurance policy? Here are a few tips:
Do a thorough market survey for products by different insurance firms. For baby-boomers, some medical tests may be required before buying the policy- the cost may be covered by the insurer. Its important to know that a new policy may not cover existing medical conditions.

In case you use the services of an insurance agent, you must ask pointed questions if the policy being sold to you meets your needs. Often agents mis-sell policies or one lands up holding holding one that does not cover your requirements. Find out the procedure to be followed in case of an emergency and make sure everyone at home knows it. If any documents (or copies thereof) are to be produced in case of an emergency, keep them in a separate clearly marked envelope in an easily accessible place. Regularly check with the insurer about list of empaneled hospitals- it may change subject to company or hospital policies.

Those who do not have health insurance or did not bother to renew it, consider gifting yourself a policy this Divali.
Its worth it!

Have a healthy prosperous year ahead!
Rgds
Archana

Disclaimer: I am not an insurance agent nor do I work for any insurance firm!

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For Netizens in Pune

The city is reeling from a battering by sudden stormy rain just as we start preparations for Divali. ‘Buccha’ (Milingtonia hortensis) trees are suddenly devoid of their blossoms, the flowers being prematurely driven to the ground by strong winds and rain.
Evening or night rain seems to be an almost daily feature. If you are stuck at home, are not interested in television soaps then what better escape than the Internet?
Here are some interesting Pune based organisations whose services you can avail without stepping out of your front door.

Let me clarify at the outset that I do not have any financial interest in any of these.

  • Feeling hungry? Order meals from a restaurant of your choice for home delivery at Tasty Khana (http://tastykhana.in/). The site facilitates restaurant bookings, has hotel reviews to help your choice. Visit the FAQ page for all your queries. TK does not prepare the meals themselves but arranges to delivery food to your home.
  • Want to assemble a salad? Order it at Green Tokri (http://greentokri.com/Home/tabid/37/Default.aspx). Register for SMS alerts to order your selection of fresh and tasty herbs and lettuce to be delivered at your home.
  • Want to read but too lazy to go to a library? No problem? Join the library at Tender Leaves (http://tenderleaves.com/) and get books delivered at home.
  • For those reluctant to drive their own vehicle and cant find a rickshaw, contact Wings Radio Cab. (http://www.wingsradiocabs.com/). They offer cab hire service for house holds and individuals in addition to several other options- listing them is beyond the scope of this post. Do visit the above link for more details.

On a recent visit, I found that almost all establishments in London had a web presence, their websites featured their menu (along with prices), working hours, took bookings as well. While Pune has a long way to reach that stage, I guess our entrepreneurs are taking their initial steps. Its for us netizens to make best use of the e-space to enrich our real lives.

If you come across any other such useful sites, do share them for our readers.
Cheers!

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The talking newspaper ad…

We consumers are by now quite used to getting free samples of shampoos, tea, sugar-free sweeteners in the newspaper. Yet this morning’s edition took the cake…
I opened the paper and was caught unawares by a strange sound.
It was from a small square box that was stuck on the last page.
It was an ad for the new Volkswagen sedan- the Vento.

The black box continued to ‘talk’ till it was covered. I did not test its battery life as I had more important things to catch up with.

I am sure sales of the newspaper must have benefited in this campaign as well!! To top it all, the ad (hence the product) will remain in the spot light for some time to come- obviously continuing to advertise the product long after the newspapers are sold to the kabadiwala…
If it makes to a case study the ad will get immortalised!

Read about the ad in the ET here (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/advertising/Volkswagen-pushes-new-Vento-with-talking-print-advertisement/articleshow/6600104.cms)
You can also watch it on You Tube here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOw-SWlL2ZE)

Long live the consumer!
Archana

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Modak

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi. The day next few days Pune city will wear a totally festive look, when swine flu, corruption in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth games, rising prices, low rain fall, all fade in the background.

A must-prepare dish for this festival is Modak– the favourite dish of Ganesh. For the non-Maharashtrian, Modak can be crudely compared to a momo with a sweet coconut stuffing. But that’s where the comparison ends [before I get lambasted for comparing this ‘sugran‘ (marathi word for masterchef) item to a momo…]

Only the best quality rice is used to prepare the flour for the covering. Of course its available ready made but a true sugran will make it herself. The coconut stuffing can be sweetened with jaggery or sugar. The creative part is in moulding the modak so its delicate pleats are visible even after steaming. Modak is best enjoyed with a generous helping of ‘toop‘ (ghee/clarified butter).

Catering to the need of innovation, sweet shops in Pune now offer kajoo modak (cashew), amba modak (mango), khava modak, chocolate modak (may be full chocolate or with a coconut centre) just to name a few. Chitale Bandhu is the shop for these but others offer these varieties as well.


Ganapati Bappa Moraya!

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