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. Enjoying the middle ages!
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Vitamin M

Folic Acid is at times referred to as Vitamin M.
But this post is not health related. Its about yet another vital nutrient necessary for wellness.
Vitamin M with M for Money….

Having sufficient funds for all our needs and wants is what will give us mental peace. A good high paying job or successful business usually is an abundant source of Vitamin M. That will take care of EMI for a swanky flat, an enviable car, admission to the ivy league schools for your kids, designer everything and so on…
Life’s cup may seem to brim over with plenty.

Is it? Really?

Vitamin M is extremely expensive. Getting such doses of Vitamin M (for above mentioned benefits) necessitates a high price namely long hours of work, stress, irregular meals, no exercise, tons of coffee cups and often improper nutrition. I don’t have to tell you what this combination brings on…
We always crib about what we don’t have (a bigger house, another car, more jewellery etc). Do remember to rejoice some important things that you don’t have such as:
Diabetes
High Cholesterol
Heart disease
Backache

High Vitamin M levels do not necessarily translate to physical wellness.

My favourite question to patients- Do you slog 24X7 only to give away a considerable part of what you earn to the medical fraternity? Just as we pray to God to give us lots of Vitamin M, so does the doctor!!
😉

In our race to achieve all that “I want” we often overlook or sacrifice basic things in life. Good health, hobbies, relaxation time to name just a few.
When you make your wish list each year do remember to add these things.

This does not mean we can do without Vitamin M. One has to find a golden midpoint and strike a WORK-LIFE balance.
Think about it!
Stay well!

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Football Fever

For the present month, many of us have turned couch potatoes and no one’s complaining.
Reason:
Of course is the ongoing FIFA world cup matches.

We can safely watch these matches since India is not participating- safely because we need not fear spikes of blood pressure or irregular heart rhythms commonly experienced when watching the Indian team play cricket. A sore throat is a possible hazard for those watching at home as we join the thousands in the stadia in South Africa to cheer Messi or Ronaldo as they surge ahead towards the goal. Initially I was foxed with the persistent hum only to realise it was from the vuvuzela. This article and this one helpfully suggest ways to protect our ears from losing their powers…

The surprising factor is that women have sacrificed their usual serials in favour of these matches. Its not surprising to hear an over sixty-year old grandma discuss her favourite football star with her twenty something granddaughter!! Several ads now cast their product on a football background hoping to leverage this fever and boost sales. Does it work? Don’t know- you have to ask the marketing wizards for an answer…

Personally I love the ‘break-free’ 45-minute adrenalin-charged session as the footballers magically move the ball around the field. While many are extremely dexterous in gaining possession of the ball others often push, shove, pull, kick the opponent player in an at-times no-holds barred play. The referee runs in promptly to take care of any such incident flashing the yellow or dreaded red card. Each referee in the current event seems an extremely tough guy and able to see through if the player apparently writhing in pain is really hurt or not… Their gestures to get him back on his feet brook no argument.

I was surprised to see them pencil in punishments awarded in a small notebook. No fancy hand held gizmos Thank You! Obviously in such a fast paced game the human eye may not be able to keep with the motion which can create controversy if a goal was indeed a goal or not. FIFA is said to be averse to using technology saying ‘‘Errors should be a part of the game.’’

Read this article about a new high tech football that can actually sense if it has crossed into the goal!! Wow!

This has been a longer than usual post and I must stop lest your attention wanders. We have two more weeks of Football Fever to contend with so the dialogue can continue.
Cheers!

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Coffee:Boiled or Filtered?

Here in Maharashtra, many people prefer to drink their coffee boiled. Personally I have never liked this version as it leaves a grainy taste and somehow does not give the ‘nervous stimulus’ that one seeks in a cup of coffee particularly when fighting to stay awake- that’s my opinion.

There are times when I have opted for tea if the usual filtered (nothing to beat this version) or the instant version is not available.

However this study shows that boiled coffee may actually be beneficial for women. (Click here or copy paste the following in your browser:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100615151255.htm)

Research by Lena Nilsson and associates at Umeå University showed that women who drink Scandinavian boiled coffee, (chemically similar to French press and Turkish/Greek coffee) over four times everyday run a lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who drink coffee less than once per day. For the the first time experts could show that different brewing techniques can lead to different risk patterns for cancer.

I hope you have read the above research.
In a broader perspective, it is sensible to focus on proper cooking techniques and not only ingredients as the wrong method contribute to ill health.
Food for thought?
I wonder….

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Its raining!

Finally the rains are here- not withstanding global warming, any stray cyclones and predictions of the met department.
Rains invoke different feelings in every one of us- happiness, revulsion (those having walked in the muddy rain water will agree), awe, helplessness (inability to move out due to flooded roads or inch ahead in bumper-to-bumper traffic is an immense test of patience).

Rains also elicit some strange behaviour. Here are some examples:

  • Hurrying guests to eat proffered biscuits or crisps (even at the risk of sounding rude). Keeping them exposed in this highly humid air does make them soggy. In these days of zooming food inflation one just cant afford to keep throwing away the stuff.
  • Dump starched sarees in favour of synthetics.
  • Skip exercise sessions and not feel guilty – the rain and slush and muddy roads (and the tekdis) will deter the most determined exerciser…
  • Use your oldest usable foot wear ones that you would otherwise not be want to be seen in. Guess this is will translate to ‘use and throw’
  • Find unusual uses for your umbrella- keep open sideways in the rickshaws to avoid getting sprayed by mud from parallel traffic, keep open over your plants (mainly bonsai) cant have them water logged…

Look around and we will find many more…
Enjoy the rains and stay healthy!
Cheers!

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The Necklace

Finally I got the Necklace!
There were quite a few anxious moments when I thought it was truly beyond my reach.
However having crossed the 20K barrier I decided to go ahead…

As you rightly guessed, this is not about glittering rocks to be worn around the neck. I refer to the Necklace- in Pune cyclists’ parlance this is the circular route around the famous Pune tekdis’. It is a continuous left hand turn (or right hand depending on which direction you start) from Law College Road- SB Road-University Circle-NCL Road- DRDO-Bavdhan-Chandani Chowk-Paud Road-SNDT-Law College Road. One has to go up two hillocks- the Symbiosis tekdi and then way up to Chandani Chowk.

Why necklace? Probably because of DRDO’s lovely Necklace garden that one crosses en route.

Despite severe daytime heat, the cool morning air was condusive to my first attempt. We set off at a steady pace competing with no one but ourselves. A short water break beyond the Necklace garden and I was set for the final assault. To my mind the ride up to Chandani Chowk would be the most difficult part. I was determined not to walk up and cycle all the way up. I conserved every bit of energy, checked that the cycle gears were in top shape and cycled up one pedal at a time. Steadily I made it to the top… totally out of breath but victorious. Yeah!!

I was told that the downhill ride from any slope is a ‘prize’ to relish, a soothing balm for burning muscles as the wind rips across your face cooling you off. I had experienced this feeling on other downhill rides in Pune and looked forward to this one as well.

Yet things were different. Drastically different.

Congratulating myself I started towards Paud Road but was hit by the scariest feelings in my limited cycling experience. The road inclines downwards about 45degrees and is packed with trucks peeling from the Bangalore bypass. I felt the kinetic energy build up as my bike gathered speed, careening madly downwards with me precariously holding on to the handles for dear life. I did the very thing I had resolved not to.
I managed to brake and got off.
I walked the cycle downhill.
🙁

I guess a roller coaster ride would have been more benign at least one does not have to deal with murderous vehicles or maintain balance or ensure one does not veer from the asphalt into the stony berm.
My ego could take this fall not my bones or teeth!I had no wish to check healing powers of my bones.

The rest of the ride passed uneventfully.

Having said this, the ride was wonderful, something any cyclist must attempt. (Do so in the mornings when weather is cool and roads relatively free of vehicles.)
Cycling is a wonderful way to really ‘see’ the city up close.
Try it.
Cheers!

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Akshya Tritiya

Newspapers and TV channels are flooded with ads coaxing you to invest in gold coins on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. Banks too are selling gold coins. Now everyone wants to take advantage of this day and many people do so with an eye on the future- invest in gold for a child’s marriage, for personal future needs, as an alternative to stocks/FDs etc.
This necessarily means we may want to sell the gold coins at a later date when the need arises.

So we can just walk back to the bank and sell back the gold coin for money. Right?
Wrong!!

This article in Hindu Business Line (click here ) dated 14 May 2010 tells us about the pitfalls of buying such coins. When buying a gold coin from a bank, one has to pay a higher price than the market rate and at times a service charge as well. Apparently a bank may not buy them back or accept as collateral for a loan. Not all jewellers will pay you cash for it either- you may have to buy jewellery instead. Read the above article for more details.

So do your homework before investing in gold coins.
Happiness Always…

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What’s in a word?

English is now an ubiquitous language in India and almost a must-know to get a ‘decent’ job. This may be the reason why spoken English classes flourish in many cities.

This post is prompted by a genuine query by my colleague: ‘What is the difference if any between chemist/pharmacist/druggist’. I am not an English teacher nor was English my major for graduation. Yet I admit many of us use these words interchangeably.

A little research showed that a chemist is one who excels in chemistry
Pharmacist is one who has studied pharmacy and dispenses medicines, Some ‘mix’ medicines as per a doctor’s prescription.
A druggist is a person trained to prepare and dispense drugs.

This suggests that pharmacist and druggist may be used interchangeably yet we almost always visit a ‘chemist’ to buy our medicines.
Do we ‘speak to’ a person or ‘speak with’ a person?
There is a difference in US or UK English usage for many words as well.

English teachers and purists rue modern English saying it is a poor abbreviated version of the language thanks to texting and other such avenues of ‘brief’ communication.

Does it really matter which words we use/how we spell as long as the meaning is correct?

As someone said, a few years later, the maximum number of people speaking English in the world may decide which words are used and how. That’s some food for thought for powerful developed nations!
What do you think?

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New Kid on the Block


Puneites now have another choice for their dahi (curd) needs with Danone launching its Dahi in Pune. Now making (setting) dahi at home is something innate to every Maharashtrian household. Buying it was never an option other then when returning from a journey or due to sudden guests.
Yet come the retail revolution we are spoilt for choice. Danone’s dahi in Pune has illustrious company : dahi by Amul (Masti brand), Nestle, Britannia, Gowardhan (Go) in addition to local biggie Chitale Dairy. Of course one can buy dahi loose from the local mithai store but that is often extremely sour.

For those of you keen to know the hard money facts behind this dahi/doodh market, click here and here.

Here is a homemakers perspective on the brands mentioned above. I have not mentioned costs and they usually vary by a couple of rupees. For me the deciding factors are taste, texture and ofcourse if it can be ‘reused’ or not (to set another bowl at home..)

  • Amul Masti: neighbourhood kirana stores usually stock this brand instead of Nestle. The dahi is often sour and most importantly does not work as a starter to set your own dahi at home. Texture is good.

I was told that dahi is prepared commercially using ‘designer’ bacteria. These become inactive once the milk is set into curds hence useless as starters. This is also the reason why the dahi does not turn sour.

  • Nestle: has many options and all have ‘live’ culture. This means a spoonful of this dahi can be used to set a delicious bowl at home. All varieties including NesVita are firm in texture and almost always sweet, but not often stocked by kirana stores. It also offers a range of flavoured yoghurts that are from all accounts excellent.

Don’t know if its because of margins or distributor incentives or customer preferences…

  • Britannia: again with ‘live’ culture and usually sweet to taste. Not available freely. Texture and taste are good.
  • Go: a recent entrant but does not have a ‘live’ culture. Texture needs improvement as does taste. Freely available at kirana stores.
  • Danone: the new ‘kid’ on the block in Pune is actually an European dairy major. I am not an authority to predict its success in this market segment but I do know this dahi is a good product. It did not seem to have ‘live’ culture (I did put on my glasses to read the fine print the packaging but could not figure out!). Taste and texture were good. I have not seen many ads other than huge hoardings and posters at the point of purchase.

As for me, my vote goes to Nestle- any variant. Danone is a close second choice provided its freely available!!
Disclosures: other than hopes of my kirana stocking this brand, I have no interests in the company!!! This would save me the journey to a supermarket and parking hassles!!
Cheers!

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Women

Here are some links to interesting news about women. Click to read the stories in detail.

  • This is a story about Chhavi Rajawat who is an MBA and now sarpanch of a village in Rajasthan.
  • Kathryn Bigelow becomes first woman director wins an Oscar.
  • Air India operates all woman crew to New York.

On the down side:

  • No women fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force: says the Air Chief.
  • This is an article in ‘Time’ magazine about Holly Graf – a Captain in the US Navy who was relieved of her command of a vessel because an investigation report found among other things that she violated regulations “by demeaning, humiliating, publicly belittling and verbally assaulting … subordinates while in command of Cowpens.”U.S.S. Cowpens is a guided missile cruiser.

Have a good day!

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Magnetic Tales

Like all tourists, I too love to pick up small souvenirs – preferably magnets with pictures depicting the place that I can stick on my fridge. On a recent visit to Goa, I spied a wonderful magnet with a cartoon by Mario Miranda (it was autographed as well!). The small ceramic circle had a white background and carved figures were raised giving it a 3D effect.

This was at Dona Paula and as usual we got into a spate of haggling but the vendor would not budge. Take it or leave it he said. I was quite surprised as usually these chaps are keen to make a sale. Any way we moved on thinking we could pick it up elsewhere.

The rest of my wonderful stay was marred by only one cloud- I could not locate the same magnet at any other outlet. Naturally I blamed hubby for giving up this purchase. On the last day we made a final bid to locate this elusive memento. I found ceramic plates, cups, drawings by Mario Miranda but no magnet. There were many other designs mind you but not THAT one. To complicate matters, being a Sunday, most shops were closed which did little to improve my mood.

At long last I spotted an open shop and best of all, it stocked the elusive magnet- droves of them actually, in all designs. We picked the one we liked- quite meekly I might add without any bargaining. Thereafter I did see them at another store as well. We tried to locate the same product but priced lower, even a rupee less would do…. Our efforts had to be cut short as it was time for our return journey but I doubt if we would have succeeded.

Here’s why…
While prices of all other curios varied across shops and the final price paid was fully subject to the buyer’s skills in persuading a price cut, this one was uniformly priced at Rs 180- irrespective of the shop. The smaller ones were cost a bit less.

All in all this was the prized trophy of the journey a proud member of my small and growing collection.
Once back home I turned to the Internet (where else?) and found this article in Bangalore Mirror that described making of these magnets. It was also featured in the souvenir section of the December 2006 edition of Outlook Traveller.

Next time in addition to feni, cashews, spices and kokum, do pick up this magnet from Goa.
Cheers!

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