Diwali: A New Beginning

I am part of a transnational team at work. With each member belonging to different countries, we all have learnt a lot about different time zones and more importantly, about different holidays.  

Since Diwali is round the corner, my team knows that a multi-day holiday on my calendar is coming soon. However, the length of the holiday is not fixed across different parts of the country and it may vary from 1 day to 7 days (plus or minus vacation days that people often club along with the festival).

In many conversations lately, my international colleagues have mentioned interesting tit-bits of what they associate this 'Indian' festival with:

• Lights, candles, diyas and lanterns
  
• Sweets and food
• Family time

All of these are true and the popular parts of this festival. But these things, in variations, form part of most festivals across the world. I have been thinking a lot about Diwali and what each day of the festival means (to me):

• Dhanteras: the day when people traditionally buy jewelry, kitchen items and clothes, and nowadays electronics as well. Basically spending/investing money.
• Chhoti Diwali: the day before Diwali. The final day of house-cleaning (which starts weeks or months in advance before the D-day). Also the day when sweets and snacks are prepared.
• Diwali: the day when the Lord, his wife and his brother, returned to their kingdom. Their homecoming was celebrated by lighting 'deeps' or 'diyas' or lamps. Also by making-merry. Many other noteworthy decorations are- floral arrangements including garlands, colored patterns on floors called "Rangoli" and stickers- often religious. The day of prayers and partying alike. 
• Govardhan Puja: the day after Diwali. Celebrating another God, who in his childhood saved an entire village by lifting a mighty mountain on his tiny fingers. In my home, we celebrate by eating maybe "what God ate that day"- Radish (a scrumptious 'Mooli Parantha' breakfast) and Punjabi Kadhi (my favorite 'Kadhi-Chawal' lunch). Also, this day marks the Gujarati New Year ('Bestu Varas').
• Bhai Dooj: the day of Brothers and Sisters (with the word 'Bhai' literally meaning brothers). Sisters basically put an auspicious colored mark ("tilak") on brothers' foreheads and everyone eats sweets. 
• Labh Pancham: the fifth day after Diwali. From Diwali till this day, Gujarati businesses and offices are closed and people are vacationing. On this day, businesses open up, counting it as the day 1 in their Account Ledgers. 

Apart of these days that I know of, there are other days in between, each celebrated as a festival, in different parts of the country. But a major theme is of new beginnings and prosperity- be it the new purchases, house cleaning- to the point that it looks as good as new, and the New year itself. I think, this year more than ever, we all await a new beginning...  

Ambition: yay or nay?

"Why do you go home so often? Yes it's nearby, but why do you go all the time?"
"Whenever there's a holiday, you head to your uncle's place."
"You read gossip and fashion magazines?! MBA students have time to read these things too?"
"Are you not participating in any case study? Job kab milegi?"
"Students are into start-ups? Kuch entrepreneurship tu bhi kar.. Any business plan?"
- things I'm accused of and questioned about. Sometimes I wonder am I the right kind of MBA grad student? I do participate in some competitions and try to know the world. But what I can't do is give up my day and night and food and ethics. I try to contain my ambition. Aim high but not too far away in the sky. Is that wrong?

I am twenty two. Most of my friends are working. Some of my friends are pursuing higher education: a few technically inclined ones are doing M.Tech, Science and/or foreign university- enthusiasts are abroad for M.S. and many are pursuing MBA like I am.
All of them are smart. Most of them funny. Many are intelligent. Some talented. A few brave about life choices.
Everyone is deceptive. Not all have much figured out, but all are confident. There are those who are not only sure of themselves, but also make sure others aren't. And then some are too cool to think too much. They just save their charm for the right moment and remain passive and "chilled out" for rest of the time.
Five years ago, I was in class XII and that in India means Board Exams followed by Entrance Exams. I knew I'm good at academics but I knew I can't slog. I ate, slept and watched a lot of TV- which helped me remain sane. I appeared for two exams- didn't clear one of them and did well in the other. In the hindsight, limited ambition helped me enjoy the toughest year in a student's life. College? I went to an NIT. Pretty neat!
Two years ago I was in the final year of engineering and decided to give CAT a shot. Herd mentality? Maybe. I did appear for oncampus placements for a few days, because normally I'm a risk averse person. But somewhere in between,I decided to focus only on belling this cat and not suiting up for the interviews. Risk taken. Return? I got a decent score, call from some decent institutes and finally admit into a good college. That right there was pretty ambitious, I believe.
Last year during internship program, till I didn't get an offer, I had a fractured toe and a bruised ego. One day, I decided to just take a break and spend the night at my cousin's place. The next morning I got my plaster off and following that I got an interview call. It wasn't a company in my dream league. It wasn't a company I knew much about either. After seeing many rejects, ambition had taken a backseat. Regrown toe did the job of  injecting happiness. So I gave an interview sans ambition and voila- I cracked it. The company? It is top in its industry and gave me paycheck for having fun for two months.
It is true hard work pays off. Risks precede returns. Being fit and at peace can help win the game. What remains unclear is ambition: yay or nay?

This Monday to Friday

This is my first attempt at writing a little something on the various things that happened during Monday to Friday. Being a student, and a higher education aspirant, people have always advised me to keep abreast with the latest events across the globe. Admittedly, I may have missed many events that took place this past week. But with a keenness, which I hope would only increase by the day, I write about this week as I see it. Suggestions and corrections are most welcome. 

What the Amul ads say
January 13:

The popular milk brand Amul draws attention to the plight of roads of Mumbai- the Business and Bollywood capital. A play on lyrics of famous Hindi song "Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan" very accurately depicts the sad state of affairs. This situation is also prevalent in many other parts of the country, leading to many unfortunate accidents and disruption in transportation of goods, among many other problems. "Kachchi sadak" is not just an issue in the rural areas.

January 14:

India experiences cold weather and Amul captures the chill with its famous ad campaign.

With regard to cold and the poor, one of the commendable actions of New Delhi's new government is use of un-usable buses as "Raen-Basera" or night shelters for those on the streets. This seems to be an excellent use of vandalised property and goes on to show the emphatic side of the newest political party in the country. This also encourages all of us to find solutions by thinking out-of-box. Hopefully many such innovative ideas will be brought forth to tackle various issues of the aam admi. 

January 15: 

This Uttarayan saw the bonding of Gujarat's CM Mr. Modi and Bollywood star Mr. Salman Khan. Alongwith the nation celebrating the fun-filled festival in various forms: Lohri/Sankranti/Pongal/Bihu to name a few, these two also flew kites and enjoyed the Uttarayan delicacy Undhiyu. The actor called Modi a "good man" and said that every one should vote for the man they think is best. This, I think, is what the focus of this story should be on- the right to vote-it's importance and implications. 

Indian Politics

1.  "No file moves without Jayanthi Tax in Environment Ministry"

"Jayanthi Tax"- a bribery allegation by Mr. Modi against the former Union Minister of MoEF. Responding to this, Jayanthi Natarajan said that it was a canard and a personal attack on her as she had opposed to some major projects in Gujarat. These projects, she states, were in major green violations. A lot of talks are going on about her resignation, which some see as a fig leaf.

Meanwhile, an interesting article on her stint as the Union Minister of MoEF by Economic Times. 

 2. "Modi Can't be a PM, We Can set up a tea stall for him"

Mr. Mani Shanker Aiyar made this statement, attacking the opposition BJP's PM candidate Mr. Narendra Modi. Modi's opponents have many a times made similar jibes against him, while he and his proponents have used this fact to project him as a simple man rising from a humble background. In an attempt to touch the common man's pulse, this projection seems to have worked favorably. My personal opinion is that there is no good for Modi's opponents to make remarks against this fact because this does seem a creditable feat-a true and inspiring rags-to-riches story. There can be other issues that might help these opponents in their campaign. 

Here's what Omar Abdullah has to say on this-Outlook India

Obituary

January 17:  Suchitra Sen- the legendary Bengali actress.

Sports:

India Beat Olympic Champ Germany 5-4 in World Hockey League- Outlook India

The National Sport records another happy and a rather sensational win in the Hero World League Round 2- Men. Congratulations to the team and best wishes. Such feats must always be celebrated and not just in movies. Also,there is no wrong in practising "cricket as a religion", because every sport must be played like a war, with any achievement in any tournament adding to the nation's pride. Only important thing is to nurture each sport in spirit and support.

Tech News

1. Google's smart contact lens prototype that tracks glucose for diabetics-story by Washington Post.

My take: It is exciting to see the internet giant foraying into such fields. With the big brand name and a trust well established, Google can very easily derive capital for such experiments and innovations. Also, it attracts many intelligent minds, who come together and put the combined expertise and efforts that could result into many inventions making the world a happier and healthier place. Also, it is clearly a good business venture as with the success of such projects, the company too stands to increase its clout outside the search engines' and apps' markets. 

2. "MTV Twister- a speaker for those who like it loud". Review by the Indian Express

To me, MTV means non-stop hits, the Coke Studio, uber-cool veejays and the fun animations. Roadies for some. "Bakra" for many. Here comes an interesting Bluetooth speaker by MTV and Soundlogic, that promises to cater to those who host "wild" parties. A fun new gadget for the youth, a potential industry to bank upon for the music channel.

Winter Woes World Wodehouse

‘Life-Threatening Wind Chill’ 

'America hasn't been this cold in 20 years. Record breaking 'polar vortex' sweeps the nation with temps that can freeze skin in just 10 minutes.'

A glumness had set in, an air of chilly despondence would slap hard, now and then, and the more I held onto my seat belt of assuring delusions, the colder and darker the road of reality got. Sometimes, you drive into a one-way lane with no exits visible. The best way is to change the gears and keep listening to the radio.

As the season of dormancy has arrived, I have decided to apply the reverse gear and put my hibernation drive to the neutral.

For every winter brings in, along with the numbing chill, the lights and merry and a hope of Happy New somethings. (strictly in reference to the Northern Hemisphere).  

      Aam janata joins Aam Aadmi Party. 

Arvind Kejriwal-  the Man Du Jour
picture courtesy: Amul on Facebook

As the hearth of Indian politics fires up, I find a change in thermodynamics: The mercury takes a dip outdoors, while the drawing room discussions heat up. After I finish understanding Swaraj -as Delhi's incumbent CM sees it , I would like to read Wodehouse, my new something for Two O One Four.

All-in-all, the West goes skiing and many-fold layers, our East wants a new timeline : Assam's New Year Wish and we, with snow-less, "sweaters-on, ceiling fans-off" winters, contend ourselves with kites and oondhiyo-jalebi.

Empty symbolism: When Rahul Gandhi paid Rs 1000 for a newspaper - Firstpost

 " Rs 1000 note for a newspaper becomes unwittingly symbolic of the leader who can offer no change."

Eleven-year-old Kaushal Shakya knocked on the right car window to peddle his newspapers – Rahul Gandhi’s. It happened when Rahul’s motorcade was stopped at a traffic light in Bhopal (Really? The Rahul motorcade stops for lights? And a newspaper vendor is allowed to get that close to the crown prince?)

read more...

“Mango People in Banana Republic”

Credit: Priya Gupta
A friend who wasn't in the mood to design this
and came up with this spectacular picture!!

#My entry for a local competition :)

“Mango People in Banana Republic”

This statement by the ruling party’s son-in-law is a foot-in-mouth act.

Meanwhile, his current enemy (considered a stooge of the opposition) is all smiles.

People with power usually have good oratory skills. They can motivate the masses and build a strong nation.

Sadly, these “apples”-of-the-eye of high and mighty indulge in senseless war of words.

Nonetheless, the Mango People fight for vegetable prices, flaunt their “BlackBerries” ,check out movie reviews on “Rotten Tomatoes “and work hard to keep the country intact.

The general verdict of these mangoes:

“Good and progressive governance seems like sour grapes.”

By-Vinti Dhawan

A school for all seasons - Indian Express

A school for all seasons - Indian Express:

A school with no bell, no designated periods, no specific curriculum and open all 365 days. A government primary school at Kardelwadi village in Shirur taluka of Pune district stands out for its unique model. Kardelwadi has a population of 1,200 and is around 50 km away from Pune. Teachers Dattatrey Sakat and his wife Bebinanda, who run this four-room school with 95 students, travel five km every day to reach the school from Shirur to be with their “children”. For the past 11 years, the school has stayed open every single day, and at least one of them has been present.

“We have never gone on leave together. Even if one of us has some work, the other remains at school. And if I have to go out, I go late in the evening only to be back the next day,” says Dattatrey. And fortunately, they didn’t even have to take long leaves for ailments all these years. “We wanted to bring about change by being part of the system”, says Dattatrey about their initiative. Dattatrey teaches English and other subjects, while Bebinanda teaches Math. Between them, they manage all the subjects.

The beginning was tough. The Sakats had to start from scratch when they shifted here from another government school in 2001. “This was a dilapidated place with rats, no blackboards, no benches and no toilets,” says Bebinanda. The entire place had to be done up for which they got some money from the village committee. They also used a part of their savings. “It is like our own house—painting walls, cleaning up, cooking for the kids and teaching them,” says Dattatrey, who realised that the children could complete their primary education only if both of them put in a lot of extra effort. That’s when they decided to work round the week. “Our efforts got us a good response from the villagers who then entrusted their children to us,” he says. They also put their own son in this school.

The school opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. The children who come in early in the morning clean the rooms and water the plants before attending their classes. “We do not have any planned periods. We also decide the subjects ourselves. We use audio-visual aids too,” says Bebinanda. During the lunch break, children play and help fellow students with lessons. However, it’s not all work and no play all 365 days. Though the school observes the customary state holidays and summer and Diwali vacations, the children come to school during holidays too for extra-curricular activities like singing, dancing, theatre and elocution. The Sakats say their aim is not merely to teach but also develop the children’s personalities.

When the children started excelling in exams, this unique experiment got noticed and brought in various awards for the Sakats, including the state Quality Improvement Award in 2010. The school then caught the attention of neighbouring villages. Soon, parents from other villages started sending their children to the school. Baban Shelke even shifted to Kardelwadi so that his son could study here. Balasaheb Nanoor took his son out of a private school to put him into this school. Dr Sharad Thombe, a doctor who practices at Shirur, enrolled his daughter, Gauri, here. “Today Gauri, who is in the fourth class, manages her studies and extra-curricular activities very well and has won laurels for her school in dance competitions,” Thombe says.

Various welfare organisations have donated audio-visual aids to the school. Local MLA Ashok Pawar too has donated generously. The school today, has a television with cable connection, an LCD monitor and computers. “Whether it is simple multiplication, division or even saying the numbers backwards, the children are adept at it. We run slide shows on the LCD monitor almost the entire day which helps students learn the concepts better,” Bebinanda says. “And until the entire class has learnt a concept, we do not proceed further.” The Sakats believe that good education doesn’t really come from grand infrastructure but from teachers who are willing to go that extra mile.

Gauri Thombe, who has excelled in both dance and studies, enjoys coming to school all year round. “It’s more like my second home. We are taught a whole lot of subjects and the teachers simplify them for us,” she says. All the children have excellent handwriting. Teachers from more than 7,000 schools in the state have visited the school to witness this unique experiment. Even the British Council has an annual exchange programme with the school. The Sakats also prepare mid-day meals for the children, to ensure they get the right diet. Six-year-old Sachin, who was earlier diagnosed as malnourished, is now a healthy child, thanks to the meals at school.

Since the school is under great pressure to take in more children, the Sakats are now looking for land for expansion. Students of their first batch are now in college and often come back to meet them. They also offer their services to help the school develop further. “We just want to continue our work, and we would be happy to have more teachers help us in our work,” the Sakats say.

Zila Parishad education officer Dattarey Sendkar says that for 80 students they have an allotment of two permanent teachers. “Now that the number has increased, we have put up a proposal for a total of three teachers. It should happen soon,” he says. Zila Parishad CEO Anil Kawade says the school has shown that state government-run schools can also excel, and students have proved this with their results. And setting an example for others is what motivates the Sakats.

Vacation Ends

PROLOGUE  page2

Her summer break started. The exams had ended and now it was time to have full on fun for coming 3 months. 
Itinerary for this journey had been prepared in her mind the moment the last exam ended.

The first stop of her fun ride was at the TV Tower she used to look up to while 
waiting for the movie to start at the open theatre Drive-In Cinema.
Ride itself was on BRTS , the cool bus service that made her city less congested . 

Next stop was in another city, where her cousin was getting engaged . This meant meeting the near and distant relations , beer, biryani, gossip and gala. 
Now the joy train headed towards Mumbai . Shopping and sea-link at Worli . Back to home.
Watching TV became her 9-5 job .

Next week was a road trip to the city where her elder brother used to go to kindergarten as a toddler. This place had changed from what mummy remembered it to be. Of course, she wasn't there in the picture then.
Seeng dana, "Sachin" mangoes and the smell of  fish filled this city.

Her tour now took her to a food mela. Here, there were fruits day, veggies day, dairy day and at the end, a feast .

A little break was needed to fuel up the tank for the rest of the journey.  Also, the wait for rains wasn't over yet.  Neighbourhood quarrels, community bhajans and a few daily sitcoms later, she is again raring to go. After-all , nothing on her itinerary has been covered as yet. And, 3 months are now over. 
So what, a new plan can be chalked out, a new train can be boarded....
Waise bhi, college itself is another vacation , whatsay?

With love, from heavens above

We Indians have a great culture of celebrating and thanking heavens for our every new step, venture, pursuit or purchase.
 A new car, television, home, utensils, baby, computer, job, birthday, our favorite cricketer/movie star's birthday, his/her baby's birthday, passing matriculation, passing 12 years of education, a new juicer-mixer-grinder or anything that brings about a new something in our lives. Remembering God and merry making is what we love to do. Like Hobbits who love to eat and party all the time.
These are events in one's "timeline" -a la Facebook- that mark achievement, enhance one's happiness quotient and form fond memories. 
"Every man's memories are his private literature."
Indians love to keep memories, photo albums, old letters, we could run our own museums ...
Its nothing to do with being religious or being bound by customs and compulsions, we find a solace in this way of life. There's a feeling  that a higher power or a supreme being or the ultimate is looking after us and our new decision is a good one and will bring us lots of good. 
This is essential for human resource development . 
Its interesting that we are such a diverse nation , having as many ways of paying our gratitude to our as many Gods for as many reasons. Decorations and ceremonies involved our often fun-filled and enrich our moral science. These bring us together, like a close knit family. 
And there's nothing wrong in attributing our all to God. It isn't that hard-work and perseverance aren't  the reasons for one's success. The idea is that hard-work and perseverance are infused into us by God or let me call it "faith". 
Faith in oneself or one's parents or mentor too is equivalent to faith in holy father up above, that's a different discussion altogether...
My personal belief is that this "thanking God for the world so sweet" is a sweet way of showing humility, being happy and looking forward to better things out of life.

Khalbali

Even our Director agrees : "aap logon ne khalbali macha di!! "
Enter  Rajasthan folk dancing gals of first year (the winning team) with "ara ra ra ra".
 "Sanskari laundez mundez" of final year ask Kasturba Bhavan & Mother Teresa Bhavan inmates to gear up for swayamwar and do special gigs on "Washing Powder Nirma" and "Saundarya Sabun Nirma" .
Audience enjoy SVNIT's very own Pyar Ka Punchnama , while Sallu bhai's fans do "Dhinka Chika".
My personal favorite is "Expressionless 2.0".
Sad there won't be further editions of that one. 
While Mech Dept dedicate yet another dance performance to the "gals of SVNIT" , final year guys(gals) dedicate "athran (18) baras ki kunwari kali thi" to all guys of SVNIT.
Duets are all like an artist's masterpieces, tough to judge.
My friend Shatabdi , along with 2nd year's GG (Garvit) win our hearts and the trophy. 
Many more performances thrill but will require an entire website , but for now signing off .

the Great Indian gupSHUP

well every Indian gharana has its set of gupshup that's a permanent fixture. Of course there are different topics for different set of people: family , friends, neighbors,  co-workers; all these are privileged to different kinds of talks.
Like whenever Dad's one of the colleagues (with whose family we shared a house when in Assam) comes at our place, he always discusses about how crafty another of their co- worker is. Always narrating those same  tales of his wily , manipulative actions of impressing the Boss.
And when his wife comes along with him ,Auntie fondly remembers how my elder brother used to love ONLY Rajma-Chawal when I was a toddler . And my mother in return always remarks how Auntie's own kids would fight and her daughter would accuse her son of all the mischief  done.
Then there is this first cousin of my mom who recollects about an operation one of my aunt underwent almost everytime we meet! And then starts many emotional scenes when tears pour down as this operation~illness discussion comes to its finale.


But my favorite gupshup is that between my parents and a couple who live in just the next lane and work with my Dad. Well we had a common cook..... she is an old Gujarati lady who was tall and quite healthy! :)


And she was nick-named Chachi 420 by this couple. hahaha :D . Very apt!!


now.. every time they would come or if by chance mom-dad would go to their place or more than often during morning walks or evening strolls..... their only topic of discussion would be SHE SHE and SHE!
Agreed she is a cartoon character and many a times she even bored and irritated with her endless and indulging chatter..... she was the know all.... would be like Chinese whispers and our own local radio. That lady also minted money by taking orders of snacks or sweets from all the other homes and then orders of stitching and knitting etc etc. Enterprising woman, really. 


The lady is a good heart.... showed us a school of  some physically impaired kids where we went and gave them food. It felt so sweet and closer to God. 
Many such sweet things she has to her credit. 

And many lunatic acts too. All this gets discussed again and again in my house everytime this interesting couple comes our place... and hey, they come very often! (like right now....while I'm typing this) And so this tape plays over and over again.....:D

book review : The White Tiger

I have always wanted to pen down a book review. Its something that has always been on my to-do list , but either I laze or I don't feel like imposing my ideas on others . I would rather others read themselves, whichever book they want to and form their own ideas. I never recommend too.

Now, before reading this Man Booker lauded author's novel, I made up my mind to draft a review after all.

Having finished it only a few minutes ago, I don't think I have words for this. No! 

Its a story that we all know, have heard and seen. The back cover is full of reviews of newspapers and magazines describing it as dark, humorous and real. It is. 

So, having no particular favorite genre, I read it. You may read it as well . 
Yes, I loved it. ( as I'm supposed to voice an opinion in a review, that's all I've got to say)

There's one section of book report that I like- that describes the literary figures used .

In The White Tiger, format is of a letter written to an unknown, a famous somebody. I love this style! It brings that anecdote sense and shows the human nature of feeling home with someone you look up to. Cool!
In-fact I've seen this movie Bandslam, in which the hero mails his favorite band's lead star about his everyday encounters!

Second thing, the protagonist in the novel mentions many a times that he used a certain sentence ,he had learnt from his ex employer's wife, whenever he heard certain things. When, in the middle of the story, he actually reveals the sentence he had learnt and used now and then, it made me go back all the way to page 1 and other pages and re-read what "certain" things he had heard when he uses that sentence. Now that's beauty!


Lastly, I always wonder why books have more than one covers? I mean like these two for the same novel......

this cover really fascinated my room-mate

  

while this is the one on the copy I've

its raining cats and dogs...

Ahmedabad has never felt so cool..... seriously.... blanket hugging weather... ideal to laze... !!
Been off the grid since last 3 weeks....
now the home.... sweet home!

Gave interview for the HMC... my hostel committee.... lets see....

Rains mean mamma will give me onion bhajiyas.... yummy!


will post later.... enjoying home rite now...:)