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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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Turn green with…

Turning green with envy is something that all of us have faced at some point in our lives.
Yet turning to a green lifestyle is easier said than done.
I tried to do so and faced several difficulties.

This is a brief account of my efforts. Click here or copy paste the following in a new browser window:
http://readerspost.femina.in/expressions/my-green-path/

Have you adopted a green lifestyle? Was the move an easy one? Do share your experiences!
Archana 

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Words, words, words…

I still remember my English teacher in school who advised us to ‘read’ and learn meanings of five new words from the dictionary daily. I should have taken up her advice more seriously so I would have to ‘right click’ the mouse for synonyms less frequently!!

The Oxford Dictionary now includes Indian (Hindi or other languages) words. Other than those we also use many ‘new’ words whose use is often dictated by the very nature of our work. technology or products that we use. Let me explain:
1. Getting information on any topic under the sun is not a problem these days. We simply google it!
Did Google (the company) ever imagine when they launched their search engine that their name would turn into a household verb meaning to search for? Its not uncommon to google symptoms of a disease; side effects of drugs etc…

2. In 1979, there was only one shop in our suburb with a photocopying machine. Naturally getting copies of my SSC certificate meant long queues… Very soon this process was called Xeroxing. It was many years before I realised that Xerox is the name of a company that makes the photocopying machine!! Yet we always ask the office assistant to zerox a document for us…

I am sure you already knew about these two examples.

3. Look at this Deepika Padukone’s ad on You Tube. The cute cartoon asks “Kya aap Close Up karten hai?” Obviously the product name ‘Close Up’ is used to mean brushing teeth!!
What ever the source of this marketing/advertising/creative brainwave, it has successfully replaced teeth brushing with the word Close Up.
(Close up is a successful gel toothpaste by Unilever. The above question translated from Hindi means: ‘do you close up?’)

4. Every issue of the Business Today magazine has a small section called “Word smith’ that features new words. Here is a word I read therein:
Dilberted.
What does it mean? Rather than explain the meaning let me write its usage as I understand it: “A new management trainee must ensure the boss gets his morning cup of coffee or get dilberted throughout the day!”

5. Feeling run down? How about a spacation (spa focussed vacation)?

I am sure there are many more such words that we use knowingly or unknowingly.

Does it make the language less rich? Does it convey the right meaning? Just like global warming etc, is this the effect of modernisation and industrialisation on the English language?
Think about it.
Cheers!

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Silly Mistakes

Movies- we love them, hate them yet many find their way into our ‘must see’ list for each week or month. Often we depend on reviews to help decide if its worth spending over Rs 1500 for an evening doing something we don’t really enjoy…
Then begins the tearing apart. Actually we need not even bother to go to a theatre. Many of us can do so based on TV trailers, Web-based previews etc etc.
Such ‘tear downs’ are usually about acting, direction, editing and so on.

Do we ever pay attention to small things in the background of scenes in these movies?
Most likely not.

For those looking for more topics to criticise a movie watch a programme called ‘Silly Mistakes’ on Saam TV aired on Fridays at 5PM and 10PM (as of today). Saam is a relatively new Marathi channel.

The host is a chirpy youngster who systematically points out faults in ‘continuity’ of the movie- even huge Hollywood blockbusters have not escaped his minute scrutiny. For those who can’t catch on, he helpfully puts out arrows and circles to the ‘faults’!
So watch out for ‘action’ stunts wherein cars suddenly roar past with intact glasses being undoubtedly shattered in a previous shot.

When fed up of the usual soaps, surf across to Saam and have a good laugh.
Cheers!

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Hurray for retail!

I had ditched the local bania and unreservedly surrendered to the glitzy new retail outlet near my home. The orderly display and music, apparently huge discounts were infinitely a better atmosphere to shop in than the crowded stuffy shop next door. I was an ‘exclusive’ member of as many of retail clubs as the city had to offer. This made me privy to sale previews, encashable points on future purchases etc. None of the old style stores held my attraction or loyalty any more.

As I wandered through the store on my last visit commenting on a lack of sufficient variety in breakfast cereals, I accidentally dislodged two bottles of rose syrup jutting out of the shelf. The sound of breaking glass was drowned by my pounding heartbeats! I watched in horror as the red syrupy amoeba spread fast on the pristine white floor glaring accusingly at me. Some of my fellow shoppers stared at me with pity and others with condescension. I wished a hole would open up in the ground and swallow me up!

The store staff came around to clean the mess as I jabbered incoherently about paying for the damages. Of course I had had my share of broken bottles, glasses and cups but these were in the safety of my kingdom, namely my home. This was an entirely different cup of tea! I mentally began counting notes in my purse and began to rework my shopping list for the day in order to cater for this unexpected ‘purchase’. The plastic route was unavailable since I was awaiting a renewal of my credit card.

The area having been cleaned up I hurried through the rest of my purchases and landed up at the billing counter ready to pay for my deeds! I explained my predicament to the salesperson and hoped the matter would end there. It was not to be. I saw the manager approaching with a determined look and I feared the worst. Again I slipped into explanations of the accidental breakage and my willingness to pay for the same. The manager had a tough time to get a word into our largely one-sided conversation. As I finally stopped for breath, he grabbed the chance to say his bit!
It took a minute for my splintered brain to grasp what he had said. Seeing me gulping like a fish he gently repeated there was no need to pay- they would account for the bottle as a damaged piece. As the bit of information sank in I was overcome with contrition. I had been careless and this seemed to be the perfect way of ensuring I did not perform an encore! But there was more to come. The manager was profusely apologetic for providing only eight varieties of breakfast cereals and promised me the full range in a couple of day’s time. You see he had overheard my earlier comments.
I came away from the store thoroughly bewildered. The manager’s one sentence had ensured a permanent loyal consumer at his store. I now walk around the store with my hands crossed behind my back or safely folded in front. I have no wish to test if the store’s policies are unchanged!
Some of the big outlets offer exchange programs for old clothes, newspapers or even crockery! I hear foreign retail giants too are entering our markets. I was encouraged by my NRI relatives comments that the stores compared favourably with the ones abroad.
If the retail format gives me a comfortable shopping experience, with discounts, home delivery, gifts etc, what more do I need? Retail zindabad!
Hurray!
Happy Shopping!
First published here on MSN Contribute.

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Happy Cows

Today’s ‘Sakal’ (the indispensable Marathi daily for Punekars) has an interesting news titled translated as “cleaning machine for cows” (page 3 of the main paper). The cow’s expression of pure enjoyment is what caught my eye.

With some help from Google search (who else!) I located this Daily Mail article dated 22 July 2010 published online here (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1296609/The-cow-wash-How-automatic-brushing-machine-improve-milk-production.html).
The article describes how the cow wash designed by DeLaval helped improve milk production while obviously keeping cows happy!

Wow! This is truly spreading benefits of mechanisation to all!
Cheers!

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