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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Its Never too Late

Everyone says that this is an information age. All magazines and newspapers speak of advances in this field. Not to be left behind in this field, my husband, daughter and I too decided to invest in a Personal Computer ( P.C.) . We put in our precious savings into a 486 with a 1 GB HDD with 8 MB RAM and a SVGA colour monitor… Till that day, all these words meant next to nothing to us. But this acquisition propelled our family to the forefront of the information revolution. My husband had more ‘byte’ among his peers, my daughter boasted of painting in ‘Paint Brush’ in her school and I gained an upper hand in the Ladies club by dropping words like ‘word wrap’ and ‘screen savers’. We were eager learners. We grabbed all the Software like cones of ‘Softy’ ice-cream.

Time flies in the salubrious climate of Wellington. As fast as a Pentium 200 MHz machine. We had gained some proficiency and felt almost on top of the ‘PC World’. Our daughter was now quite adept at various programs. She had her own files and directories. My husband worked on his dissertation and presentations. I, too, was getting over my initial awe of the machine and was comfortable with Windows 95. Things like ‘ Viruses and Bugs’ seemed like aliens from a different world.

And then it happened! All of a sudden disaster struck! Our dear precious computer was infected with a ‘Virus’. At the flick of a button, the computer seemed to have lost its power of number crunching. The monitor showed unintelligent gibberish. It seemed as if an intelligent man had suddenly turned senile. The entire house was depressed. As if a close relative was diagnosed with a terminal disease. My husband stared at the screen for hours together. My daughter cried and cried. I said a special prayer that all would be well. But there seemed to be no remedy in sight.

We looked around for help. There were many ‘Doctors’ and some ‘Quacks’. Some had sympathy for our plight. Some had a sarcastic smile for our ignorance of anti virus software. Help came from unexpected quarters in the form of an anti virus programme. This programme cured the ‘infection’, again at the flick of a button! That is technology for us. Our PC was smiling and talking to us again. The ‘virus attack’ had strengthened the bond in the family. But, thereafter, we were spending more time with the PC than with each other. With the fear of a virus gone, we were freely experimenting with new software, interacting with more advanced programs and learning things faster than ever before. The horizons of the Computer world opened up for us only after the Virus attack.

A wise man has said that it is never too late to learn a new thing. I am sure he had a bug in his PC. And that bug taught him wisdom. The beauty of today’s technology is that it is user friendly. Our children learn faster because they have no inhibitions about spoiling the system. Let us all make the best use of science to broaden our horizons. It is never too late!

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Baked Beans

Last night there was an unexpected “ farmaish” of ‘baked beans’ for dinner. Living out of the environs of an Air Force (AF) Station for over 4 years now, this request brought memories of our life there tumbling out.

Dining in the Officers Mess was always an option for all of us whether it was for an impromptu party or Tuesday lunch to savour ‘chole bhature’ or when the lady of the house decided she simply did not want to cook. Officers Messes in some AF stations boasted of such high standards of food that families regularly dined there.

However, by and large everyone agreed that food all places tasted the same. It was always a mystery to me how the cooks managed this feat with the tea, custard or the curries. All the vegetables were uniformly tasteless and we ladies being very finicky invariably found faults with the ‘rotis’. I always ordered ‘parathas’ on ‘extra messing’ which never disappointed.

As far as the vegetables went, ordering a tin of ‘baked beans’ or egg bhurjee (spicy scrambled eggs) again on ‘extra messing’ usually took care of that aspect of the menu. These humble preparations saved many a meal. Families awaiting accommodation had to dine in the Mess and they never complained at the monotony of these ‘extra dishes’. There were complaints galore for the freshly cooked subjees served…. I freely admit that I too have indulged in these inexplicable complaining sessions!

At one of our postings in the East, the ladies took an initiative and decided to help out the cooks in an attempt to improve the taste of the meals. That was the time I got an “insight” into the workings of mess kitchens. We came up with innovative spice combinations using ration issued condiments to help the cooks to prepare delicious preparations. Every lady lent her own special touch bringing a different personality to every meal menu. The ironic part was that most of us had never bothered to use the same innovation at our own homes, preferring instead to disdainfully away give the ration stuff to the maid and use the readymade packaged stuff instead!!!!!

On civil street today the privilege of dining in the Officers Mess in not available to me. The experience in the East had shown me the difficulties faced by the cooks and mess committees in catering and these were by and large same in most AF stations. This probably explained the uniformity in the taste. I however look at this aspect as a boon. At every posting the process of settling down at the new place is a testing one for the entire family. The comforting familiarity of the food makes the process that bit easier!

We have had the privilege of living in all parts of the country, interacting with some of the best people, bringing up our children in vast open spaces where the air was pure and fresh. Of course life was not easy – frequent postings, schooling that may not always be the best, limited professional opportunities for ladies – just to name a few, but given a second chance, I would not choose any other.

As we finished up the last of the beans and poured over old albums I mentally saluted the ‘baked beans’ for making the mess dining experience a memorable one!

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Touch the Sky with Glory

8th October
Air Force Day
An important period for us a few years back as it meant weeks of hectic activities and preparations for this week that usually had several events.
The big one usually was the Officers Mess function. Ladies were kept busy preparing an entertainment program, decorations, food etc. All our postings were in far flung regions so outsourcing food to some hotel was never an option.
Its our cooks who did the honours and always came out shining. Ladies too put in their bit with special recipes or decor.
An important effort during the party was to look after ‘veterans’ who were invited to this annual do.

Today we are on the other side of the fence….
From my experience last year, this party is still carried out with the same zest as before only I looked at it from a different lens.
We had lived in dilapidated ‘bashas’, read freshly delivered 2-day old newspapers, stayed connected via trunk calls then STD PCOs, accepted snakes, leeches and scorpions….

We lived in clean fresh air, our kids had plenty of space to play… The friends we made are for life. The lessons we learnt still stand by us. The skills we gained come in handy even today in the urban jungle that is now our home.

All the very best to the Indian Air Force.
Happy Landings to all the men in blue.

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Second Innings!

Such a well known term particularly in cricket crazy India.
Yet it can take on a different meaning for some of us non-cricketers in real life too!


Looking back, its been a year that I started writing this blog. A year full of new learning’s in this field that I had so tentatively entered into….
A move away from Physiotherapy! It seemed the unthinkable, more so for others than me…
That was my first innings….
I can’t say that I scored a ton, but I did my bit. Working with special kids, seeing their progress and most of all, seeing the joy in their parents face is something that I can never forget.
Working with adults was just as rewarding.


Yet something drew me towards a change, try out something new.
Why not? Its the norm of the day is it not…
So that’s how I began writing and slowly it became more and more important.
The second innings…
Thanks to you all who have been reading my thoughts and mailing in your comments.


Robert Frost’s words come to my mind:


“Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.”

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Ganesha Hamesha


Every year, we look forward to the Ganapati festival. Ganesh mandals continue to proliferate at a rapid pace, I counted five in a space of 100 m in under the Paud phata flyover.

Each year, civic authorites urge people to immerse the idols in specially prepared ‘houd’ (tanks) so as not to pollute the river. This year I found volunteers of ‘Yugpath’ (a youth organisation) on hand to collect ‘Nirmalya’ and even kept satistics of the number of idols immersed in the tanks. (The photo above shows the tanks set up beside the river)
We did not really think what would happen to the idols thereafter. The ones made from ‘Shadu’ ( a type of river mud) were meant to dissolve yet a large number are also made of Plaster of Paris. They obviously would not dissolve. We left it to the God to fend for himself mainly from the Pune Muincipal Corporation it would seem.
According to reports in the Pune Mirror, the PMC is supposed to transfer the PoP idols to a quarry nearby (Pune Mirror did not find any evidence of that). They actually ended up throwing the idols back into the river which by the next day did not have much water. I shudder to think of the condition of the idols, which just a few hours prior we protected with our lives from any damage……
Other than environment issues, it raises some questions in my mind about our commitment to our ‘guest’ at home for ten days in the form of the idol. If we can behave in this manner towards Ganapati then other irresponsible human behaviour currently the norm is a forgone conclusion.
Ganesha is a ‘Vighnaharta’ ‘Sukhakarta’ ‘Dukkhaharta’. God does not expect anything in return yet we ply him with flowers, modak, silver and gold ornaments. Celebrations become grander and more opulent each passing year. Yet we do not think of the idol once the ‘uttar puja’ is done.
Surely there has to be some solution for the 21st century. Religious experts must offer some solution.
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Enough is enough

Nobody doubts that cleanliness in public areas in most Indian cities leaves much to be desired. Lets leave swanky south Mumbai or Lutyen’s Delhi out of this..

So while we spend hours cleaning our homes its all promptly dumped outside.
Now it seems the world has taken note of our habbits and joined the fray.

This news from Economic Times dated 08 Sep 2008 should serve as an eye opener. Of course UK councils have all the right to make their environs clean and green and in a cost effective way. But does it justify shipping their garbage to be dumped on Indian soil? And what are our local authorities doing in letting the muck accumulate here?

Sunita Narayan and her cronies should surely be raising a ‘stink’ on this issue but I have not yet heard anything.

Have we become so immune and thick skinned that hygiene matters so little? Has the perennial rat race for money and better living dulled our sensibilities of our earth?

We must change. Recycle, reuse is all fine but please do it sensibly. Remember the world is watching. We have only ourselves to blame if more such waste lands on our shores.
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Dragon Fruit

A few weeks back a Pune daily carried reports of the ‘Dragon’ fruit that farmers located on outskirts of Pune were growing for exports. What caught my eyes was the colour! The dark pink skin stood out against the grimy newsprint and I was keen to take a look.
Finally yesterday I found the Dragon at my fruit shop. At Rs 100 a kg I was a bit hesitant to try it. What if it had a peculiar taste or horrible smell? Seeing my hesitation the guy condescended to let me take one piece (that was 500 gms) and I came home with my trophy. The family was most suspicious to say the least of this new addition to the weekly shopping basket
I had detailed instructions on how to ‘slay’ the Dragon as it were! The dark pink armour had scales and seemed really tough so I got out my most evil looking knife. Yet to my surprise it cut through easily (almost like cutting a papaya) and no thanks to the knife mind you! The inside was pure white pulp with a speckling of black seeds like ‘black til’ or ‘kalonji’. The skin is not edible I was told!
I sliced it into rings like a pineapple and viola my family looked on with some trepidation at the unusual desert for that meal. The Dragon is almost devoid of odour and very tender. One bite and you get the impression of eating a crunchy ‘litchee’. The pulp is extremely watery and sweet.
On the whole, we managed to clean the plate without much trouble.
The fruit is from the Cactus family, my research shows. Click here for its nutritive value and here to know more about it.
I believe Pune farmers are exporting the Dragon fruit. I had read about and seen rose farms that were doing the same but this is a first for me.
All the best to our entrepreneurs!
Ciao!
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Marathi Bana- मराठी बाणा

After a long long wait we managed to attend the 655 th show of the hit Marathi musical ‘Marathi Bana’. We had been warned to take seats at the back of the theater and go armed with cotton ear plugs. That sort of had me a bit wary plus the huge dent the tickets made in my wallet.
I guess Marathi theatre is coming of age as Ashok Hande- the all in all of this extravaganza- has successfully wooed middle class marathi manoos to shell out big bucks for something that they already know but have forgotten.

But what show! Superb! The 120 artists sing dance jump their way into our hearts. The costumes, props, attention to detail is excellent. While 20 vehicles cannot manage to make their way straight on Pune roads without getting into a jam, the stage has over 30 men and women dancing in perfect sync with not a step out of place. Looking from a physio point of view, these young gals and guys are extremely fit and flexible. Energy levels remain high through each performance and the artists seem to enjoy every moment of it (except probably some of the lead female singers!- cant blame them it was past 10PM when the show began!) The ‘bharud’ and dance depicting the ‘Ambabai’ is par excellence. The tribal dance and the ‘lavani’ got a vociferous call for an ‘encore’. Lighting is used imaginatively and the musicians (about 15 of them) stayed on stage all throughout.

Does it seem like 10/10 for all departments…..?
Well the one that goes down is audio for the simple reason that it becomes deafening and can actually cause your heart to go thud thud at times… All parts of Maharashtra too did not seem to be represented.

Ashok Hande himself is the able ‘sutradhar’ and leads from the front.
Full marks to him for the concept and execution.

All in all, don’t miss it for the world.
Smiles!

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Indulge Yourself!

On one of my usual retail jaunts around the city, I discovered ‘The Body Shop‘. I had seen the stores in London but the little digits printed on the labels put me off! Multiplying by 83 at lightning speeds and trying to look unconcerned can be extremely trying, so I just gave up.
But not for long!
I discovered their shop at the SGS Mall, Pune and decided that they deserved a visit from me. Armed with my reading glasses and my credit card I happily left my shopping bags with the security guard and took a close look at what was on offer.
And what an extensive range it was… skin care, eye, make-up, eye, bath and body, fragrance and hair range ‘pour hommes et femmes’.
Phew, just the ‘Try me’ samples were enough to drain me out and leave me completely confused as to what to choose. Products containing the familiar Vitamin C, E, Almonds, Jojoba, honey and oats and unfamiliar seaweed, blue corn, tree tea oil all had me wondering which would be the winner to restore my skin to its youthful glory…
But choose I did, and a few days of use had me completely sold out!
I heavily recommend their repair products. Chapped lips, cracked heels all disappear like magic leaving you feeling pampered, indulged and like a Queen….
Does that sound exaggerated? The Body Shop website says, “We believe that every woman has the right to feel fabulous, so we put our all into finding the highest quality natural ingredients, ethically and responsibly grown and bought, and turning them into innovative products, honestly marketed, and priced so that everyone can afford them.”
Don’t take my word for it. Check it out yourself.
Give it a try, you owe it to yourself!

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Citizen Journalist’s Meet

Meri News.com in association with SIMC and Lokmat had organised a meeting of Citizen Journalists at Pune on 26 July aimed to take inputs from CJs to prepare a Citizen’s Manifesto 2067. The panelists included experts from diverse fields and some came forth with concrete points. Matthew Mattam a social activist and President CYDA put forth six interesting points for India in 2067 the important ones being, that candidates not be allowed to contest elections more than four times, there should be 50% reservation for women in the Parliament- and most of the representatives should be below 45 years. Prof Dhulia a senior official of IGNOU came up with an interesting suggestion that there should be a stress on informed citizenry and low cost media literacy courses should be available for people. This will help people ‘see through’ what ever is dished out to them via various media and understand what is really happening.
Prof Ujwal Chowdhary Director SIMC ably gave a direction to the proceedings, summing up and adding to various points. A major point he brought out was that politicians need to debate face to face in the public (like their US counterparts). Let there be a healthy exchange of ideas and not mere verbal bashing.
The General Manager of IBN could have spoken more giving an insight on what the industry has to say but he chose to transfer the job to his editor- I missed his talk due to time constraints.
The CEO of Meri News, Vipul Kant Upadhayay explained his idea behind the venture. An important point he made was the lack in quality and numbers of people choosing teaching and defence as a career.
Attendees then came up with their own points. A senior retired Naval officer rightly pointed out that it is important to visualise what India will be like in 2067, what will the population be and plan to deal with it. His emphasis was on infrastructure. A gentleman from the UK, raised the relevant point about protection for rights of Citizen Journalists especially if the points they raise are unpalatable.

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