Tag: Personal Freedom

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Forty and Proud of it…

As you can see its been a while since my last post and I have a zillion reasons for it…

Advancing age doesn’t mean that work recedes – and I don’t mean ‘work’ as in professional work – rather the pile of ‘things’ to be done seems to increase without one even realising it. Whatever be its source, work must be done and done in its time for it to have any meaning….

Talking of advancing age reminds me of a post I had written earlier and published on a website called 4indianwoman in October 2008. Its not available online anymore hence I repost it here, celebrating the fourth decade!!

They say it’s not polite to ask a woman her
age. The answer you get may not necessarily be entirely correct! Some gallantly
say that no woman is older than 35. However much we may shy away, none of us
can halt the march of Time.

I did not really think much about crossing
the dreaded 40 milestone. I was too busy in my ‘sansar’. Each birthday
meant celebrations though I don’t remember having any parties when I was a kid
but more than made up while in the IAF.

So when did this begin to hurt or rather
matter?


The first brush was obviously with the
first appearance of silver (not white!) in my hair. That was promptly dealt
with Mehendi initially and later with more expensive (not necessarily)
better tubes! You wont find many women crediting their white hair for
experience- there isn’t any to! It would be more like the burgundy, black,
browns or now blond!!

I managed this hurdle pretty effectively I
thought. The next brush with my age came up when I went looking for a job in
Pune. While I did not have an issue with belonging to the baby boomer group
prospective employers certainly did as I got some really startling responses to
my searches. Most seemed sceptical about my commitment. The really frank ones
said what do you need to work for? This is not your age to work? Age to work?
Hey I was just touching 40! Usually the person giving me this advice was
someone touching 60!

Did I already have wrinkles and sagging
skin? These comments forced me to increase frequency of trips to the parlour
that lightened my wallet but did nothing much for my face. At least I thought
not.

Any way. I managed to get a job and began
working with someone slightly over half my age. It wasn’t so difficult actually
in fact I think our combination worked quite well. Anyway I was not willing to
get into a rat race and quit the job.

By now a couple more years had been added
to my account. I joined the gym, which did wonders for my ego that had been
bruised often in the age department. I found I could lift as much and more weights
as a 20 year old and was certainly more flexible. Looking around I realised
that most ladies of my ‘age group’ had this quality! Hooray! I guess that meant
I had future bone, joint and hopefully heart troubles under control!

That’s when another enemy struck and at the
weakest point! To be honest I am a firm believer in retail therapy and am an
avid fan of malls, organised retail, exhibitions, stores … Fancying myself an
‘informed’ customer I always made it a point to read ingredients, expiry dates and
of course MRP. Now this is where calamity struck. Silently my ocular lens and
muscles had weakened and slowly but surely I found myself holding the product
further and further away as I tried to read the figures and alphabets that
suddenly looked like tiny black dots. Now this was a definite handicap. In
crowded places besides fear of physical injury being displaced by other
enthusiastic shoppers there is a real danger of misreading the digits (end up
paying more) or buying expired stock (yes, I sadly discovered that glitzy shops
too stocked those!).

I rushed off to the ophthalmologist and
armed myself with a pair of spectacles. But that was not the end of my
troubles. You see, spectacles have to be carried along and worn to be of use!
Right from my childhood I had developed this concept that anyone wearing
vision-enhancing eyegear was a lesser mortal. Probably arose from a staple diet
of vernacular movies that showed that girls with less than ‘approved’ features
or with add-ons like spectacles did not stand a chance in the marriage market!

Help in the form of husband and daughter is
not always around and I gradually was forced to carry my new ‘eyes’ around. On
a sober note, it made me aware how much I took vision for granted.

Now I plan to keep a separate spectacles
pair in my purse and one at home.

I started writing and the Internet opened a
whole new world for me. I was discovering skills even I did not know I had. In
fact joy, sorrow, disappointment, success experienced over the years gave me a
new perspective. They say wine gets better with age…

It took me some time but I am now quite
comfortable and proud of my age. Next up on my list of to-do things is to join
a dance class- obviously inspired by Richard Gere in Shall We Dance!
Irrespective of external appearances, it is important to stay young and happy
at a mental level. Keep yourself busy and learn something new. Age becomes
irrelevant then…

I am proud to be over 40 and you should be
too…
 Ciao,
Archana
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Stay young at heart

Its that time of the year again, the summer is over and winter is just making its presence felt….
The slight nip in the early morning air (in Pune) is fast dispelled as the sun rises makes its way up over the horizon… The markets are blazing with colour – from flowers, lanterns (आकाश कंदील ), blinking coloured lights.. just to name a few.
Its Divali and time to feast and enjoy.


Take a break from your regular routine and indulge yourself in things you otherwise stay away from.. yes it includes gorging on sweets.. Thats the point of regular year round exercise…
🙂

And what is Divali without fireworks and Rangoli? While there are several very strong reasons not to almost literally ‘burn’ away money on firecrackers, some may like to enjoy a few phuljhadi’s…
What I am really trying to say is that its time to let your hair down, enjoy little pleasures …
Keep alive the child inside you..

Happy Divali!!
May the festival of lights bring another year of joy, fulfilled dreams, good health and success!!
Cheers!
Archana

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Eco Friendly Ganesh Idols

While there is general increase in ‘green’ activists their voices are most markedly heard prior to and during Ganesh Utsav- especially in Pune. The reason obviously is that the idols (usually made of ‘shadu‘ – river mud) and the nirmalya (flowers and other offerings made to the God) have to be immersed in water. Though Pune is proud to have not one but two rivers that flow through it, they have dams built upstream to provide water for the burgeoning city and irrigation. Hence the rivers usually are a little better than a trickle of murky stinking water or at times covered with Hyacinth. The authorities usually let off extra water into the river from the dam at the time of Ganesh Visarjan.

People are urged to avoid idols made of plaster of Paris, instead use idols made of shadu that are supposed to dissolve easily once immersed. There are workshops galore wherein people make and then worship  their own shadu idol. On Visarjan day, the authorities and activists urge people to immerse idols in specially erected ponds/tanks so as to protect the river.

Yet I am not sure that only using shadu idols is sufficient to overcome the challenges. Even if the idols do dissolve as they are meant to, who manages
the piles of shadu that now collect in these ponds and how?  Can our river take this additional load? The PMC is already struggling to deal with garbage generated by the city.
Is there any other
option?

This Times of India article mentions that 14516 idols were immersed in artificial ponds on the final day at 14 spots in Pune alone and the SWaCH has collected 90 tonnes of nirmalya.  I am not sure if these figures include immersions made on the prior days and those actually put into the river. Yet the figure seems miniscule considering Pune’s population of several lakhs. The nirmalya can be composted but what about the idols? This is an extremely disturbing article in the Pune Mirror that describes how idols were thrown into the river from the ponds under cover of darkness.

While the scriptures mandate an idol made out of mud, the current conditions force one to think. Is there any way in which individuals can take care of their idols from home itself after the Uttar Pooja instead of depending on the local authorities?

Pune, Ganapati immersion, Eco friendly Ganapati

Here are a few ideas and I have provided links to published articles where ever possible:

  • Immerse the shadu idol at home itself in a bucket. Once dissolved, the mud can be gradually added to plant pots at home.
  • Use an idol made of Alum that will purify the water as it dissolves. Mr Ramesh Kher from
    Pune thought about making an idol out of alum which was sculpted by artist Vinod Kamble. What a wonderful idea!! Read
    about it here – published in Jagran City Plus. 
  • Use an idol made out of metal (silver or panch-dhatu). A symbolic immersion can be done at home and the idol reused the next year. I am not sure if this is acceptable under the religious texts but some people are known to do so. 
  • Fashion an idol out of grains. They can possibly be later consumed as Prasad. Other food products can be used as well. Read this article in Times of India. It describes many other types of innovative Ganesh murti. One that struck me most was drawn on a wall and washed off with coconut water. 

Any more ideas?
Pessimists may well ask if one family (one idol) can make any difference at all. But surely every bit counts and the success of this effort can inspire others…
Think about it..
Archana

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Shrikhand or Mishti Doi: Who wins?


Dahi is an integral part of our Marathi diet. We eat it just by itself or with sugar added (dahi sakhar) or churned up into ‘taak‘ (buttermilk). To add value, it is drained of excess water and sweetened to make Shrikhand! The one and only supreme dish that is traditionally served as part of the meal but also lends itself to be served as a post-meal ‘desert’!

Shrikhand and dahi have a permanent irreplaceable place in the hearts of Maharashtrians.

There can be no better combination… which is what I thought till I ate Mishti Doi.


I first ate Mishti Doi on a train to Calcutta (as it was then called). The taste buds despite being trained to eating dahi sakhar, immediately recognised this as being something unique, something exquisite and worth investigating. We relished the real stuff when in East and the taste still lingers…  Mishti Doi is made from thickened sweetened milk that is set with a starter culture.The treacly sweet and caramel coloured final product easily dissolves in the mouth to transport you to foodie heaven…

Try as I did, I was unable to buy it in Pune and could not make it at home either. I am told that its rarely made at home in its home states (West Bengal and Orissa) as well. The authentic Mishti Doi needs to be set in mud tumblers. Stalls at the local Durga Pooja celebrations drew a blank in my search for this ‘cool’ dish. The umpteen tiny stalls offering ‘Bengali food’ offered that did not impress me at all.

Sourcing Mishti Doi in Pune had become an unfulfilled wish, till recently. I was pleasantly stunned to find Mishti Doi by Mother Dairy at Reliance Retail outlet in Shahakar Nagar. This may not taste exactly like the original stuff from Kolkata but for starved souls like us its a good replacement! Further, it was being sold at a promotional price that was half the printed MRP.

At 179 kcal per 100 gms (nutritional info from the ready to eat Mishti Doi with Calcium and Protein thrown in) this would not send me to Diabetic Hell either.

Naturally we bought all packs available there. I then began an unsuccessful search in other such ‘super markets’ only to be stumped.

Dahi – yes, Flavoured Yoghurt- Yes, Frozen Yoghurt- Yes, Various brands of Shrikhand- Yes but NO Mishti Doi.

Had I dreamt of my purchases? When pinching myself did not work, I revisited the above mentioned outlet and lo and behold. Standing on the fridge shelf were few bright red packs of Mother Dairy’s Mishti Doi both large and small sizes but alas no more promotional prices… Inquiries with the staff revealed that they received fresh supplies in the mornings and people usually waited for the fresh stock..

Does this mean Punekars have given up on Shrikhand?
Will Mishti Doi win hearts of the Marathi manooos?

Cheers!
Archana
PS: Update in August 2012: Also discovered Mother Dairy Mishti Doi at Dorabjees…

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What is it about Pune…

Pune. A city where the old and new, high and low tech coexist peacefully…
“Pune tithe kay une”
Roughly translated it means: Pune does not lack anything….
Be it culture, science, nature, music, sports and so on…

The city has some unique features that set it apart from any other city in the world.
Note: in the world!
Yes, Pune has that special something that stealthily sinks its claws into unsuspecting individuals so that somehow they are irrevocably attached to it. Ask any head hunter and they will attest to this fact— getting a candidate from Pune to relocate to a better job in another town is next to impossible. Look around and you will find several non-Maharashtrians have made Pune their home.

So what is it that so attractive about Pune?

  • Weather? Maybe… A few decades ago homes did not have fans, old timers claim. Difficult to believe now as every house boasts of atleast one AC or other cooling devices.
  • Water? Yes that may be a reason as i am told that may cities depend solely on borewells. We have the luxury of sweet treated water supply but that too is fast becoming a rarity with vast mini city developments around Pune.
  • Electricity? Yet another potential reason that may attract people from rural parts as I am told they face extensive power cuts particularly in summer.
  • Roads? While the city is small enough to technically allow travelling from one end to the other in half an hour, practically this is not the case. small roads, congested lanes, erratic public transport are a huge deterrant. The roads prove that Pune can be a strong competitor for the title of the city with maximum two wheelers!

Some Pune peculiarities:

  • Old-time shops shut every afternoon for a siesta
  • Industrial and Electricity holiday on Thursdays
  • A row of rickshas at a ricksha stand but none ready to ferry you to your destination
  •  Rude-sounding sign posts (for miscellaneous instructions) that have become legendary. Check out this site: http://www.busybeescorp.com/puneripatya/thumbnails.asp
  • A surfeit of ‘exotic’ trees
  • Extravagant Ganesh visarjan processions that continue long after the official religious ‘immersion’ time has ended
  • The one and only Tulshibag, where enthusiastic shoppers from near and far stand cheek by jowl to buy stuff that is apparently available only there… No signs of a recession in these parts or in the adjacent Laxmi Road as well.
  • Bohri Alee, the one stop source for hardware purchases at rock bottom prices.

The list can be endless. Do you have any suggestions? Do write in or comment…

Till then,
Take care.
Archana

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Arranged Marriages and Astrology

Recently I attended a very interesting lecture organised by a prominent Marriage Bureau that was meant to throw some light on ‘horoscope matching’ that is almost always done prior to arranged marriages. The auditorium was full– with people standing in the aisles and corridors outside to hear what the expert (a famous astrologer appearing on TV shows) had to say.
The aim was to get answers to some questions like:
What exactly is horoscope matching? Is simply counting the गूण (loosely translated as ‘points’) sufficient? Is it sufficient to match the moon sign, नकक्षत्र (nakshatra– constellation ) नाडी (nadi) ? What about the dreaded मंगळ (Manglik) or सगोत्र (sagotra- same gotra)?

The net take away for me was as follows:
  • First and foremost, people match horoscopes to eliminate ‘risks’. 
Does this mean those with perfectly matching horoscopes face zero troubles in life with smooth sailing all around? I have not got an answer to this question… Further, people with who do not believe in horoscopes or do not want to match them are suspected to have ‘something’ to hide! 
  • Verify if the horoscope has been ‘made’ correctly. Currently available computer-generated horoscopes are acceptable. For this one has to provide date, time and place of birth.
This raises some more doubts. Often people ‘manage’ horoscopes so that they match with the one of the desirable bride or groom. The expert at the above event said that it is possible to do so and very difficult to spot the ‘managed’ (hence fraud) horoscope. 
We depend on the hospital staff to tell us the time of birth. A doctor has told me that no staff in a delivery room has their eyes fixed on the clock at the critical period of the child’s birth. They obviously have better things to do… 
Hence what we consider as the precise time of birth, may be slightly different by a few minutes. Further what can be defined as the precise time: the time when the head is delivered or when the baby cries or when the umbilical cord is cut?
Often clashes between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can cause marriages to break. Then should their horoscopes be matched as well? 
The expert did not shed light on these vital points.
  • Parents (its usually them who insist on matching horoscopes) fall into three categories: 1) Do not believe in horoscopes hence do not match (very very few in number), 2) Get horoscopes matched from a astrologer and 3) those who do a जुजबी (loosely translated as cursory) matching. 
Its the third category that is most dangerous. Using a ready reckoner or simply focusing on a few elements to ‘decide’ weather or not to go ahead with a proposal is like losing out on a diamond!
Like most sciences, in astrology too, there are things beyond tallying points which only experienced experts can interpret. Even an unfavourable or less favourable position of a star or planet may be offset by other star/planet positions in that horoscope or in the one to be matched. There is nothing to fear in the मंगळ or other so called dreaded नाडी provided one ‘studies’ the horoscope in its totality and practically.
The expert gave practical explainations and solutions to some of these misconceptions.
  • Those who do wish to match horoscopes must consult an experienced astrologer for the same. Of course it means paying his/her fees which can be a barrier. To save this money, people resort to half-baked, self-taught, haphazard matching with insufficient knowledge that cause them to ‘miss’ out on a perfectly suitable groom or bride or worse still: end up overlooking some vital ‘mismatches’…
One of the speakers at the above lecture gave some very practical advice when seeking a bride or groom. Go ahead and match horoscopes if you believe in them but do consider the following:
Values, Lifestyles and Financial background of the two families and the children.
Its absolutely vital that these match or are compatible for a successful marriage. The young couple must have similar aspirations and values. As he said, being against corruption does not simply mean going on a candlelight march and then submitting a falsely inflated travel bill in the office!
Further, these days, parents are extra sensitive about their children (हळवे). Let us remember that if our upbringing has been correct, our children should be able to take decisions independently and take responsibility for their decisions.
There are several programs on TV or even print articles about matching horoscopes for marriage. In this case one size does not fit all. If horoscopes do match one cannot simply sit back and behave as one wills. The concerned couple and their families must understand that making their marriage succeed is an ongoing process that needs constant efforts.
In cases of so called ‘love’ marriages or intercaste, intercommunity marriages, parents do forgo matching horoscopes and yet we do find that these are happy successful families contributing to society and economy.
In these modern times, the final decision must be based on scientific and practical grounds and solutions found and acted upon accordingly. Laboratories like Golwilkar Metropolis in Pune offer Pre-Marital Blood tests (for HIV, Rh compatibility, Hepatitis, Thalassemia etc). Would this be a more scientific approach to pre-maritial screening? (I do not hold any stake in the mentioned Path lab. I just happened to see their brochure hence this mention. Others may offer the same as well!!)

This post will not change a person’s attitude, its not meant to. However if it can stimulate the reader to honestly assess their reasons to match horoscopes, I have succeeded!

Take care!
Archana
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Setting dahi in Fossil stone: Experiment 2

Continuing from an earlier post, here is an account of what happened when I subjected my glass made of fossil stone (from Jaisalmer) to some treatments!

Research showed that the porous stone may hold spore of bacteria that regrow under ideal conditions. So I put boiling water in the cup for about half an hour, changing the water when it cooled. Then washed the glass as usual. Thereafter I immersed the glass in butter milk for about four hours and again washed it clean.

The next day, I again poured about 50 ml of warm milk and waited for it to set. Though it took longer than usual, the milk did turn into curd and this time it tasted like our usual curd. Its texture, colour was normal.

Does this confirm claims that its fossil stone (from Jaisalmer) can curdle/set milk into dahi without a starter medium? These amateur trials at home certainly cannot prove anything but the fact remains that despite taking a longer time, my experiment did end with ‘dahi’ in the glass.

Dahi for thought?
Cheers!

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Embroidery: Then and Now

Its been ages since I picked up a needle and thread for something other than sewing buttons or repairing hemlines… With strong motivation to ‘personalise’ and ‘add value’ to a recently purchased kudta, I decided that it needed embroidering…

My tryst with embroidery goes back several decades to when I just about started secondary schooling. I still remember my once-a-week aftternoon class at Chembur. I was about the only young girl among my peer students who were mostly housewives— the word home maker had not been coined then…

We traced designs using a red carbon paper (yellow for dark fabrics) choosing from what seemed like thousands of them that lay strewn on our teachers dining table.. waiting to be traced onto table cloths, cushion covers, wall frames etc… The Jacobian designs were my favourite and still are…

She taught us the nuances of embroidery, what made a piece beautiful and noteworthy. Satin or Herringbone, the stitches had to be even and fine and regular not only on the right side but the wrong one as well. To this day, whenever presented with an embroidered piece (sari or anything else) I always turn it over. The wrong side must be as beautiful as the right side, with inconspicuous knots and minimal hanging threads. I may have achieved such proficiency for probably only one odd piece of work – that’s all.

Threads were always stored by cutting and stringing them on bangles number-wise and then braiding them into a plait. This way we could pull off the exact length. Some made elaborate ‘files’ out of satin with elastic holders for the threads. Bottom line, no dumping coloured skeins into one bag. Needles, scissors were  stored in empty boxes…

But lets come to the present… I was pleasantly surprised to find that most Anchor embroidery threads still had the same ‘numbers’. (All Anchor embroidery threads are number coded so 267 is a lovely moss green or pinks are in the 052 range…) I still had all my designs but tracing was more difficult. I used iron-on transfers which made life simpler…

Battling submission deadlines, my errant spectacles and truant maids I finally did complete my work. Its not one of my best, but I enjoyed a trip back to my childhood… Will I take up another piece? That’s a difficult one…

Cheers!

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Ganesha in our lives

2011 Ganesheshotsav in Pune was marked by heavy rains and a river in spate for over 3 days in a row. That is not something fresh in our memories. Inflation, security issues, poor roads not withstanding people celebrated with gusto either by bringing home the Ganesh idol or in a community celebration in their neighbourhood.

While the Mutha River is a trickle for the best part of the year, environmental activists cry themselves hoarse about pollution and disregard for whatever water does flow there. This reaches a cresendo in this festival as tradition requires the idol to be immersed. The debate begins right from the type of idol rather the material from which it is made- idols made from ‘shadu chi mati‘ (a type of river mud) are said to be the appropriate ones and they are supposed to dissolve easily when immersed. The other popular material is Plaster of Paris and idols made of this may not dissolve. This not only creates a religious issue of semi dissolved and water soaked idols that have to disposed off later but the water is said to get polluted. The ‘nirmalya‘ or floral offerings have to disposed off as well.
Most people have accepted the idea of recycling and do give the nirmalya at special collection boxes kept for the purpose. But idols is another story. We noticed an interesting phenomenon at one visarjan ghat today:
The approach to the river was lined on both sides with placard bearing activists: those on my right urged people to immerse idols in the specially built ‘howd‘ (water tanks) and those on the left urged immersion in the river. Personnel from the Fire Brigade were at hand to actually immerse the idols in water.
While official figures will be known later, for the half hour that we spent, most people chose to opt for the River. The two photos below speak for themselves.
Most immersions ther were of small idols (usually of individuals or families) or slightly bigger ones (probably a community celebration) and probably the situation may have been different later, we were there quite early at around 3PM.
I know of families who immerse the idol at home itself (the ones made of shadu chi mati). They claim it dissolves in a couple of hours and they use the water in their plants and for neighbourhood trees. The nirmalya is recycled at home itself.
Ganesha is the Sukhkarta, Dukhaharta,Vighnaharta .
After 11 days, we miss him at home.
Ganapati Bappa Moraya, Pudhachya varshi lavkar ya!
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Corruption in our daily lives…

Any newspaper, TV channel that we currently turn to is in an reporting -overdrive about Anna Hazare’s fast and the youth ‘involvement’ that is sweeping the country. I am not qualified to comment about the Jan Lokpal or its government version. However as an ordinary citizen I have faced situations that demanded ‘Laxmi darshan’ or similar to expedite any work I may have.

Let me elaborate.
The commonest one that each one of us probably is guilty of is ‘making deals with God’ when our wish is fulfilled. This may mean a visit to the particular place of worship, offerings (in the form of cash in the hundi/coconut etc), lighting candles/offering a ‘chadar’, some people walk (for several kilometers) to the temple and so on. The offerings vary subject to the ‘size’ of the wish granted and deep pockets of the recipient!
We had offered a pooja at small temple (the residing deity was claimed to fulfill devotees wishes) outside our base in Assam when we finally received our luggage after two months. The truck was delayed and its owner simply could not trace it. It had all our earthy possessions and their loss would have set us back by a princely sum. Besides spending huge amounts on STD (this was way before the current telecom revolution) we really could not do anything. More about that another time..
Coming back to my point, what are we to consider such offerings as? Or is this to be excused as its not made to a living person?
We often pay a few hundred rupees at government offices to ‘hasten’ our work. Pay a couple of hundred to avoid the ‘test’ prior to a learning (driving) license, add a few blue/green/ red notes to the designated amount to ‘facilitate’ easy registration of property, avoid paying a fine when driving through a red signal and so on… We justify these as saying that the agent makes some money and we are actually helping provide a livelihood to someone. Sounds a bit far fetched but yes, I have heard these arguments.
Come election day (either for state or central or local level) many people (this includes those other than in the ‘youth’ category) take off for a weekend break or holiday and do not vote. ‘What difference does it make?’, ‘Will my vote make any difference?’ are some reasons to justify this flight from exercising their duty. Some claim that we need electoral reforms. When a particular doctor’s treatment fails to provide relief to our complaints, we change the doctor. Politically, voting is one way to make a change.
Anna’s fast has driven India’s youth and middle class away from their AC offices/ homes furnished with newly gained affluence onto the street to raise a voice against the corruption menace. I hope it forces them to think and think hard about corruption. I would like to see this ‘josh’ sustained into the future, much after the current matter is resolved.
The new law (in whatever form) will work on larger issues but what about our daily lives. Are we ready to make sacrifices, face hardships just so we don’t pay anything under the table? Are we ready to pay the fine for our vehicle not having a valid PUC certificate? Are we ready to stand in queues for a domicile certificate and ready for it being rejected?
My apprehensions about corruption were totally unjustified when we re-entered civil life after our stint in the Services. We could get whatever licenses, agreements we needed without greasing any palms. Of course it meant repeated trips, standing in queues but we received our documents before our Patience snapped. That experience only restored my faith in the system.
Those following global developments will agree that foreign and western ‘rich’ nations face corruption as well (it may take different forms). While many readily point accusatory fingers at India and our systems, its for us, to repair any faults. If we don’t do so, who will?
Its when each one of us (ok let me not be ambitious- lets keep that most of us) vows not to grease palms, not to use money to expedite our work that Anna’s agitation will have long lasting meaning and make a fundamental change in our though processes.

Does this sound too simplistic? Probably yes. But small wins will add up to huge gains. Else it will be like having beautiful house thats being eaten up from inside by white ants. Or a lovely attractive physical body being eaten up by diabetes and heart disease.

Before I end, this is a good time to recap the inspiring timeless ad by Times of India:
Tum Chalo Toh Hindustan Chale. Watch it here (at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?)v=pFs5vWxW-vc
Jai Hind!
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