Tag: Personal Freedom

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Green Living


Climate change, global warming, carbon emissions, melting
ice caps are terms that suggest a looming apocalypse. Some time back, they just
sounded like gloomy predictions of some scholarly people but now such changes have
affected almost all of us. We all want to do something but many of us really do
not know what is to be practically done so we can make a difference. The
general advice is to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle with a low carbon foot
print. So how does one go about it?

Using public transport or carpooling, using bicycles, opting
for renewable energy sources (wind/solar), reducing electricity consumption,
recycling waste (dry and wet) are some options that most of us have taken up. This article recommends reducing our online activities to save electricity.
What about our food? It’s often packed in reams of
plastic which obviously does nothing to help our environment. It is transported
from the farms to markets afar in distant towns or even abroad. So that carries
a carbon footprint as well right?
Some experts suggest choosing local produce to reduce
this effect. It not only encourages local farmers but local foods are said to
afford health benefits for that particular climate. Buying fruits grown from
distant Australia in Mumbai probably doesn’t sound a good idea in this respect.
Several farmers do grow the ‘exotic’ varieties which can give us a taste of
those fruits and vegetables without a major ‘carbon footprint.’ I found this website that lists fruits and vegetables that are most and least likely to have
pesticide residues.

I guess it takes huge sacrifices and major changes to
lead a lifestyle with a minimal carbon footprint. However within the
constraints, it is possible to reduce it significantly. Any more ideas are
welcome!
Take care!
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Forty Degrees of Happiness


April is a month notorious for heat in Pune and some
parts of central India. It’s a dry dusty hot period with barely any breeze in
the day time as the day temperatures may reach or even cross 40 degrees Celcius.
For students, its exam time and constant studying (or reminders to do so by
overambitious mommas) must surely add to the heat!

Its also a month that offers several tremendous joy. The still-raw
mangoes (called kairi) on the trees irresistibly
attract kids to stones to try to get them to fall to the ground. No other
shop-bought, thoroughly cleaned kairi would taste half as divine as one such covered
a pinch of salt and chilli powder.
The tremendous heat is sapping and most homes have chilled ‘kairi panha’ ready to rehydrate and
refresh us. Drinking water is cooled in black earthen pots that contain ‘vala’. And to top it all the mogra trees bloom profusely and its intoxicating
fragrance will overpower one and all. Women string the flowers into ‘gajra’ and wear them in their hair. In
the good old days when air-conditioners were not heard of, people slept on
terraces at night, right under the stars during summers. Mattresses are laid
out, mosquito nets strung up and the entire family can sleep in the wonderfully
cool night that’s such a contrast from the raging heat of the day. Watching the
twinkling stars or the distant lights of some aircraft as it zoomed on
its journey is unforgettable.
These stand out from my memories of my childhood as the mercury relentlessly climbs to the Forty Degree Celcius mark and possibly higher, but I am not complaining…
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Ever Changing


Impermanence is the very essence of life, they say.
Change, constant change… Irrespective of whether we like it or not/ want it or
not/ have actively sought it or not…

Here are some changes I have noted over the years, not
necessarily in any order or their relation to technology/science… I have tried
to highlight instances where the change has reverted to its earlier status…
Cell phones were big heavy models when they were first
introduced. Over the years, their size reduced to a pretty small size and once
again we see bigger models. To see someone talking on the (massive) so called
“phablets” is quite a strange site!!
A long time ago (when plumbing or other urban water
distribution systems were not developed) we used buckets to carry water for
whatever or wherever it was needed. Then came the pipes and taps and the bucket
was relegated or even dispensed with. We have fancy faucets, high-tech showers,
non-corroding pipes, concealed plumbing and so on… However with looming water
shortage and the urgent call to conserve water, experts have again urged people
to use buckets….

In India, important documents (like land records, bank
accounts and so on) require a signature but illiterate individuals need to put
in a thumb impression. However it was noted that signatures can be forged or it
is difficult to process documents when a sick person is unable to sign or when
a person’s signature changes due to age … It was always known that each person
has a unique finger print. Suddenly taking finger prints has become popular and
often an important method of identifying the person. All that some official documents now need are finger prints irrespective of a person’s
educational or financial status- no signatures anywhere.
There may be many more such ‘changes’. Have you noted
any? Do share with us.
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Dare I?

It can be considered early days in this April 2013 A to Z Blogging Challenge. I had considerable hesitation before I joined up. Should I? Can I? Dare I?

Actually such doubts have plagued me at almost every important junction in my life especially once I entered my third decade. Should I? was my top question when I quit my job in a top orthopaedic hospital. I never did give myself time to fully answer it but went ahead and resigned. After a gap I began independent practise and that was when I was hit by the “Can I” blues… As it turned out they were quite unfounded as my patients progressed well. Still a few years later, I decided to stop my Physiotherapy practice which is when “Dare I” set in.


You see, that is what I have been trained for, so trying my luck in a totally new stream was something that scared me some what. What if I cannot succeed? What if I end up with a huge loan that I cannot repay? What if this, what if that… I was engulfed by doubts but somehow I shrugged them off.

I began writing and surprisingly I found some success. Ofcourse, my family’s support all through the period was a big boost. Looking back I can see that my doubts were unfounded.

The same ‘Dare I’ plagued me recently when entering this challenge. Travel, domestic commitments, infrastructure problems (we face electricity outages in our part of the world) and so on and so forth the biggest being lack of inspiration!! I initially planned to go a themes but did not. However you will find that many posts are related to plants which was the first theme that I thought of.

I planned the posts but was stumped by “D”.

D

(Btw, that’s the upper case D in the Edwardian Script font size 72 in my MS Word doc)

Yet here I am and hopefully will survive this challenge with some interesting posts!
Wish me luck!

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Control Z


For those using keyboard short cuts when on their PCs or
laptops will immediately recognise these words. “Control + Z” is the pair of
keys to be punched whenever you wish to “undo” some written text or erase the
latest action. (It may have more uses but I am not aware of those!), especially
great to save some arm movement!!   

I first learn’t to type on an iron and steel contraption
that occupied the better part of the study table. ‘qwerty’ on the top row to be
typed by the left hand and so on… I tried not to look down and type but it was terribly
difficult especially as there was no option to go back and correct a misspelt
word or rewrite a grammatically wrong sentence. Mistakes meant having to cover
them up with whiteners (ugly to look at and obviously revealing the cover-ups)
or simply throw the paper away. Those were not the days when we worried about
wasting paper and no one reminded us of how many trees were cut to make one
sheet of paper.
One really had to press the keys down firmly so as to get it to print on the paper. I had to learn the ‘art’ of properly rolling the paper and carbon so I could get copies.  

So I plodded on, eyes firmly locked on the paper to try
to perfect my typing. Afternoons found me clattering away on the machine, as I typed practically anything to master the keys- newspaper abstracts, model questions for my daughter or even got someone to give me a ‘dictation’… No no, I wasn’t training to be a secretary but I just could not give up now that I had begun. I can happily say I succeeded to some extent.
When I started using a computer, writing became a breeze
as I had the “Control + Z” option. I used one of the many ‘games’ to ‘learn’
typing and enjoyed ‘catching’ falling apples with alphabets more than finding
the right keys!! The “upper case A” to swat buzzing flies was not as easy as  “colon sign: ” to snag a flying beetle. The games were addictive as my ‘typing speed’ did not seem to improve but accuracy was
fairly high which I was happy with…

They say old habits die hard which is proved as I still
tend to pound the keys even if gentle touch would suffice. The alphabets printed on them get worn out pretty soon and the keyboards need to be ‘touched up’
just in case I do need to look down at the alphabets!! Oh well, I cant just throw it away as e-waste…

keyboards, computer, typing mistakes
Worn out alphabet markings refreshed with little paper cuttings

Now, we hardly ever see the old traditional typewriters, most probably have been recycled already. Any chance of using the “Control + Z”
command for to resurrect them??
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Bicycle


I grew up in Mumbai (then called Bombay) and a cycle was
never used to commute to school (as it was in Pune- then called Poona). So to
learn this particular vehicle one had to hire it for five rupees an hour,
ensure the tyres were properly inflated, try to learn your skill in those 60
minutes and then walk back home after you have returned the cycle… A couple of
grazed knees and a dented ego quite effectively and rapidly ended my cycle
learning attempts.

Years later, I realised that my limited efforts had imparted a certain
sense of balance and I actually took up cycling but as an exercise. Erratic
and heavy traffic is a huge deterrent but it’s been thoroughly enjoyable so
far. I am told Spinning is another option to exercising using a static cycle.
It allows the person to simulate going uphill, downhill, he can stand up on the
cycle and even move arms around without fear of being hit by a careless driver
or worrying about being chased by stray dogs. The psychedelic lights and
pulsating music only completes the sensory experience while exercising. Some clubs even offer a simulated program that imitates the Tour de France. Wow!


Its sole
drawback seems to be that that it’s done indoors which is a good thing during the monsoon. I might even give it a try this year…

You can read more about Spinning here and here. 

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Adi Parva

Adi Parva
Churning of the Ocean
by Amruta Patil

I have always found it
fascinating to read stories written from a different perspective. After
all the other view point may actually change the entire way we ‘see’
things.

Mahabharata is on our ancient texts and all of us have heard it in
bits and pieces in the form of different stories. Lord Krishna’s
dialogue with Arjun on the battlefield is commonly taught and explained
as a standalone piece. Every reader can find their own perspective.
Yet each character in this epic has his or her own story which is often
not told hence not commonly known. Adi Parva by Amruta Patil is a story
told by a woman narrator, the River Ganga. It presents the epic to us
from the viewpoint of the women therein.


Gandhari who blindfolded herself when she was married to the blind Prince Dhritarashtra who later became King of Hastinapur.
The unmarried Kunti (called Pritha in her childhood) who gives up her first born.

The
book is rich with colourful picture panels that powerfully express
the author’s thoughts. I must add that this is not a text heavy book
which makes totally unusual. I bought the book on Flipkart but it may be
available in the major bookstores as well. It takes time to digest the
conveyed ideas but well worth a reading.

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Butterflies

The following post won the second prize in the Women’s Web Celebrating Girls, Celebrating Women Contest

Children are our most treasured possessions especially daughters. The mother daughter bond is very very strong and never really seems to be broken whatever the age. I know my mother worries about me even now and would take every opportunity to look out for me though both of us have several decades to our credit.

This is my entry for the Women’s Web Celebrating Girls, Celebrating Women Contest. It is an introspective article I wrote long ago (31 Jan 2009 to be precise) and which was published online in a now-extinct e-zine called 4indianwoman. Its entitled “Butterflies”

Butterflies
I had watched her tentatively spread her
wings as she ventured into a hundred year old college. Frankly I was worried.
What if she could not find suitable friends? What if she was ragged? What if
she could not manage notorious Pune traffic on her brand new two-wheeler? What
if… the list was ever growing and I worked overtime to sort out any wrinkles in
picture developing on the canvas of her life.
I was roundly accused of pampering, a
charge I sometimes admit to… Had I forgotten I too had been to a college or my
first days there? Our parents were tougher I think, as we fended for ourselves
quite easily. There was not such a huballoo about ‘healthy interaction’ a
polite term for ragging- as mostly it stayed just that. Being in Bombay (as it
was called then) we all travelled by bus or train with no mobiles to stay
connected. Yet never once did we feel disconnected or unsafe. Actually parents
too never felt the need to constantly be in touch with us.

Then why was I different? I looked around;
all mothers like me seemed to be in the same boat and they too had an
upbringing similar to mine. We all were falling head over heels to do that
extra bit for our kids. Did somebody say children faced peer pressure? I seemed
to be falling prey to the same….
So here I was managing home and hearth and
career and now had pulled on this added responsibility. Tackling college
authorities for amenities was my pet peeve and one that had my blood pressure
going through the roof.
But getting back on track, she made her
first solo and slowly found a whole new world opening up. I saw the world
through her eyes all over again yet could never understand the joy of eating a
wada pav from the streetside vendor or endless texting on the cell phone or
watching movies from the first row!
Getting into a B-school was a natural
progression of her education but all my joy was offset by my worry receptors
again working overtime. So began yet another episode. Of course today’s hostels
are much different from my time, but I was not reassured.
The course was designed to sort out wheat
from chaff, never mind that these students had undergone a gruelling selection
process. Hearing her strenuous routine had me in shivers. But then companies
did not pay obscene salaries for nothing. They knew the product they recruit
has it in him/her to take on corporate battles. So I guess learning was
happening 24X7 for both of us. To be fair some of this ‘help’ was unasked for….
A sane voice inside reminded me everyone
has to put in such hours. I understood that she needed to go through the
process to emerge stronger. But understanding would not translate into actions…
I prayed that God give my strength to her, give me her fatigue and doubts so
she could soar higher. I did whatever I could to ease her burden!
That’s when I was told this story. A
butterfly emerges from a cocoon by pushing out through its enfolding layers.
Unable to bear its struggles, a child peeled off layers of the cocoon and
waited with baited breath for the colourful beauty to fly into his hand. But
that did not happen. It fell to the ground lay weakly flapping its wings…
Nature had deemed its struggle necessary. This was to force liquid from its
body to its tiny wings to make them powerful.
Some activities are necessary to gain
survival skills. That is the law of Nature. The modern urban jungle too has its
own laws to live by, its unique dangers that one has to learn to face and
conquer. I would be doing an injustice if I tore away the cocoon or worse
continued to reinforce it. Butterflies have to strengthen their own wings if
they want to come out of the closed confines of the cocoon however warm and
cosy it may be. And those around (namely me or other Moms like me) have to let
them learn and win! The earlier we do it the better!
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Ready To Learn


Its strange that since our work/data is now stored in a digital form, the importance of spring cleaning seems to have reduced. Here in India, other than spring, its the days leading up to Divali (a major festival usually at the start of winters) that sees all households in the throes of a major clean up. Wardrobes, shoe racks, store rooms, kitchen stores and so on all get a thorough make over often with a coat of paint as well. Tons of faded/torn/outdated/outgrown clothes are either given away to the needy or some are possibly recycled into mops/dusters. 

Yet I find that our digital ‘storage’ too must be cleaned occasionally. While it may not be necessary to ‘throw away’ things, data may need to be transferred into another format or some such ‘geeky’ treatment. 

Here is another post that has emerged out of my e-spring cleaning of the October 2007 vintage!

…..

This has been a difficult week for me.
Reason? I was finding it really difficult to procure a particular soap bar.
Elementary, you may as well say like the legendary Sherlock Holmes. But there
was a huge barrier.

Seeing the deteriorating state of my kadahis
my domestic help recommended a particular brand to get them to sparkle. “None of this
fancy stuff you bring is any good,” she said. However she did not know its
name. Seeing my confusion she helpfully described the product to me.
So I set off to the local shop confident of
making a purchase. What happened was totally surprising. The shopkeeper was
completely foxed by what I was asking for. Any fancy description seemed to draw
a blank.
Finally I began with the description I had
of the soap. I wanted a bar with a picture of a lemon on it! It had to have a
particular fragrance. It was specifically meant for aluminium vessels. This
brought strange looks from everyone on both sides of the store counter. I
seemed like an educated lady, had come out of a car and here I was describing a
brand like an illiterate person! I went from shop to shop with this description but
no one could provide me the ‘right’ stuff. I did not even know what right was
anymore. Did we really have such a large range of cleaning products? Then why
could I not find one for my kadahi?
Here I was a self-proclaimed celebrated
hostess, shopaholic, mall savvy and alert consumer who could not get one bar of
soap. My ego thoroughly deflated I picked up the first one I was offered at the
10th shop and returned home. 
‘This is not the one’ she pronounced.
I gave up. I told her to get a wrapper
from somewhere and I showed the shop keeper to give me the kadahi panacea. The joy I felt that day was something I
had not felt even when I had managed to pick up the rare kantha sari at
the monsoon sale!
The struggle was worth it because my
utensils are sparkling now! Lesson Learnt: Keep an open mind and learn from
everybody. There is no substitute for experience and recommendations from such
a person will invariably make a positive change.
Age should not be a barrier but mental
attitude can be. Overcome it and open your mind there is a wealth of learning
waiting for us!
NOTE:
Kadahi: Wok
Kantha: A type of embroidery from India’s West Bengal state 

Best!

Archana

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Khatta Meetha

Khatta Meetha or Sour Sweet is an unlikely flavour combination for some but one that many in India relish. Many of our foods (dals- lentil preparations, vegetables) all have both Khatta (Sour) and Meetha (Sweet) ingredients in just the right proportion that one is left wondering if the dish he/she just ate was sweet or sour!!

Lemon juice, Tamarind, Kokum, Amchur powder are usually added for the sour flavour and sweetness is afforded by sugar, jaggery etc. The sweetness kills the sharp tangy edge of the sour ingredient even as the same lemon makes a sweet dish wonderfully memorable.


Obviously our food habits mirror Life in general as if brings both sweet and sour moments. Moments that we cannot avoid moments that make life the beautiful journey that it is. This is aptly captured in an old Hindi movie called Khatta Meetha directed by Basu Chatterjee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khatta_Meetha_%281978_film%29). Do watch it if you get an opportunity to do so.

This is the essence of my blog, to capture both sweet and sour moments that happening around us! Then ofcourse there is Teekha (Spicy), moments that test our very patience and bring out the true nature of our character, that force us to sit up and think.. How can we ignore those?

Enjoy reading!
Archana

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