Outsiders in Mumbai!!

The hot question in Mumbai these days is one posed by Raj Thackeray, “Why should outsiders be allowed in Mumbai?” It sounds foolish to common people, political to politicians, communal to liberals and what not. But if we try to remove Raj thackeray out of it and politics out of it and communalism out of it I think it is a very serious issue.

From Mumbaikars point of view the influx of outsiders is increasing congestion at all places be it traffic, schools, hospitals and not to forget the most important rail transport of Mumbai. Practically the whole of Mumbai thrives on this rail system. And what a pathetic scene it is to watch people getting in and out of the trains every day. (Some of my near and dear ones are among them.) Also the state is required to deal with providing basic facilities of health, education, employment, residence etc to the migrants. We should give some credit to the state that it isn’t an easy job. It can be too challenging for any administration.

From non-Mimbaikars point of view it is shameful that we are creating regionalism in a country whose lifeline is “Unity in Diversity”. It takes away one’s freedom to move freely in one’s own country. This regionalism can kill our spirit of patriotism to some extent and no doubt benefit our enemies, as history shows. It is humiliating to watch our very own countrymen being attacked, their houses being vandalised in Mumbai just because they are from other states. What is freedom if I don’t feel safe in my own country? Is it any better than being under foreign rule?

So, the big dilemma is should this question be raised or not?

I feel that the influx of people from villages and concentration of population in some selected cities is a serious cause of concern. Something must be done before the cities collapse due to overburdening and before the villages go barren with dying or fleeing farmers. I think we could start by considering it as a problem of the country and of big cities and not as a political or regional problem. Is it possible to make a change by distributing job opportunities all over the country? With increasing technology and shrinking world can we not give Mumbai a respite by taking off its financial pressure? Why do all industries… be it basic commodities, IT, telecom or finance need to be in and around Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune?

There could be many more questions like these. I am sure if a proper brainstorming is done loads and loads of ideas would come out. But it is heart-breaking that all our intelligentsia is a puppet at the hands of unconstitutional morons with vested interests.

Mona Lisa Smile!

I took some time off to watch this movie made in 2003. I seldom watch English movies but this one I picked because of Julia Roberts. I have watched some of her movies and I like watching them over and over again. I had hardly heard about this movie and the tagline "In a world that told them how to think, she showed them how to live" did offer some encouragement. Julia Roberts plays the Art History teacher Katherine Watson who thinks a bit differently and more advanced with respect to her times.

The movie is set in the times of early 1950s and is captivating. Especially for girls I guess it is a bit liberating. I liked the way the message is brought to fore. The conservative society of the Wellesley college encourages girls to get married even before they graduate. A married girl in class gets special treatment by the teachers and students alike. So even if the girls are intelligent and interested in Law and other subjects, but due to the orthodox environment they are forced to focus more on finding a life partner for themselves and less on finding a career for themselves.The teahcer Katherine Watson encourages girls to choose both--- a career and marriage for themselves. She is not against a particular set of traditions but she wants the girls to consider other options too.

In one particular high pitched emotional scene Katherine Watson shows the class a few slides of advertisements of their times and calls it contemporary art. The advertisements are all of women and their household appliances. She asks the class a question whether they would be liked to be studied by the future scholars of art like this or would they like to bring some change.

I was thinking that it is actually a very good way of putting a continuous check on ourselves....as individuals and as a society. The future generation will judge us on the basis of marks, remnants and fossils we leave behind us. Also, I believe that change cannot come overnight and it should not come overnight. The change that comes gradually is there to stay. Many a times after several attempts we feel that a particular effort is wasted just because we cannot see the results. Probably the change is happening after all. Putting in efforts for change are like trying to break a rock with a hammer. A single blow might not break it or even a 100. But the rock does break in the 1st blow after a 100. This means the first 100 blows did put a dent after all. So, when even we try to bring a change around us in terms of attitude or trends, it might take us a 100 blows before we succeed!

A must watch movie.

An eggless choclate cake

My friends have been asking for this eggless cake recipe. Eggless cakes don't come out as well as egg cakes. So don't expect too much out of it. Try and let me know the results;-)

Ingredients:
All-Purpose Flour - 1.5 cups
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 3 Tbsp,
sifted Baking Soda - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup
Oil - 5 Tbsp (butter especially for baking can also be used)
White Vinegar - 1 Tbsp
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Coke tin - 150 ml
baking powder - 1 tsp

Method:
Before getting started preheat the oven at 180 degree celsius. By the time you are ready with the batter, the oven is heated fully well.

1. In a mixing bowl sift flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Soda and soda bicarb 2-3 times. this makes the flour very light.Then to this sifted flour add Sugar. Mix well.
2. Add in Oil, Vinegar, Vanilla Extract and coke.
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together with a hand blender until there are no more lumps.
4. Pour batter into a greased 9 inch by 9 inch baking pan, two inches deep.
5. Bake at 180 degree celsius for 10 minutes then reduce the temp to 150 degree celsius. now bake for half an hour.Poke a toothpick or fork into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. Different ovens behave differently, so check nicely before taking out the cake. It is better not to open the oven frequently while the cake is getting baked.
6. Remove pan from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes before flipping it over onto a platter.
7. Cool completely if you want to apply frosting, else serve with a dollop of whipped cream or chocolate sauce.

“A young IT professional commits suicide in New Jersey”

While watching yesterday’s news, this very small news line flashed across the screen for a few seconds. I went through the whole news on the web and I was shocked to find that he had lost his mental balance after losing his job as an IT professional. He had become a loner homeless after losing his job. It set me thinking how much a job could matter to a person. What sort of people are we raising these days? No doubt people these days have vast amount of knowledge(read information), high paying jobs and a glamorous life. But what beyond that? What about moral values, family values, perseverance, tolerance and contentment? Can't we raise people who feel safe and secure with the thought of a family? Why did this person not feel safe and confident enough to go back to the family in times of distress?

Since I too am from the IT background I can very well understand the amount of stress this job involves. But this stress mostly leads to an unhealthy competition and extravagant ambitions. More than our own capabilities we are concerned about what ‘others’ are not so good at. More than what promotions and ‘hikes’ WE get, we are concerned about how much other person has got. Those great values of working hard and being content with what we are getting have long been lost. We get stressed with others’ achievements. It is always about others and never about us. Also, I used to see that come appraisal time and people are bothered about how others are being appraised and focussing less on our own shortcomings.

Not only in IT but in this whole mad world things are moving in this direction. Who has the latest mobiles and gadgets, who's spending more on lavishness, even if it is not required as an individual for the self , everything turns out to be a mad race. I for one as a housewife don’t need a mobile for more than making and receiving calls and maximum to set a wake-up alarm. But I have seen housewives going mad for the latest ‘Iphone’. And when we ourselves, as parents, are not content with our fate and running madly after materialism I don’t think our children are ever going to get even a glimpse of contentment. I strongly believe that happiness can come from only contentment. Being content does not mean that we stop striving for betterment. Man cannot progress without challenges and higher goals, but we have to be very careful whence it takes a toll on our lives too.

Rebirth of a night dress!

One day my son Vishnu (5) asked me, "Mum, what hapepns when a person dies?". I said, "he has a soul which goes to God and his dead body is burnt here on earth." He again asked me, "what happens to the soul and what is a soul?". I tried explaining to him in easiest words I could find, what is a soul. Then I said the soul again takes a body depending on its good or bad deeds and becomes a baby on earth. Then again that baby grows, becomes old and dies. He claimed that he understood it all.

After a few weeks, one night I asked him to change into his night suit. And as it is 100 on 100 times he wore a night suit which is of his sister's size who is 2 years old. I always ask him not to do that. But this particular night also he wore that same night dress. In a fit of anger I said,"next time if I see you wearing this night dress, I am going to burn it." He said, "ok fine. then it will become a small baby and start growing up."

It took me a while to connect both the incidents and understand his logic behind this. But when I did, I couldn't stop laughing. It's really wonderful how kids can apply logics to all situations.

माँ के घर से माँ बनने तक का सफर

While on vaccation we went to Oxford for a day. I stood in awe of the colleges there. Normally when I see any world famous colleges, the first thing I wish is to get a chance to study there. But seeing Oxford the first thing that came to my mind was I hope my children can some day study here. This thought made me think about the changes in me and inspired me to write this. I hope all can enjoy it;-)


आज तय कर आई हूँ वो एक लम्बा सा सफर,
जब मैं माँ बनी छोड़ अपनी माँ का घर.
मैया और बाबुल मानो जैसे गंगा नहाए,
कन्या का दान करके मुझे विदा कर आये.

पहले उड़ती फिरती थी तितली मैं नादान,
आज रखूँ पिया के कुल का मैं मान.

रीतियों को रुढ़ियां मैं कहती थी,
बागी हो आधुनिकता की धारा में बहती थी.
रुढ़िवादिता से अब आ गई मुझको रीतियाँ,
घर चलाने की मैं भी खूब सीख गयी नीतियाँ.

कन्या से कुमारी बनी, कुमारी से बनी ब्याहता,
सोचा, संसार पूरा कर दिया तूने विधाता.
विधाता की माया न कभी कोई जान पाया,
रोता बिलखता नन्हा एक मेरी आँखों का तारा आया.

माँ बनकर तो मेरी दुनिया ही जैसे बदल गयी,
होश गंवाकर कलह मचाकर फिर मैं संभल गयी.
समय ने एक माँ का कर्तव्य भी मुझे सिखा दिया,
मेरी माँ का तप और जप भी मुझे दिखा दिया.

पहले लगता था जैसे मुट्ठी में दुनिया हमारी थी,
अपना मुकाम, अपनी खुशियाँ ही बस हमको प्यारी थीं.
अब तो दुनिया, अब तो मंजिलें बस बच्चों की हो गयी हैं,
उनका चरित्र, उनकी खुशियाँ ही हमको प्यारी हो गयी हैं.

ऊंची शिक्षा, ज्ञान विज्ञान पहले खूब लुभाता था,
नयी खोज, नयी राह, नयी सोच से मन उकसाता था.
ऑक्सफोर्ड विश्व विद्यालय देख कर मन आनंद से भर आया,
बस बच्चे ऊंची शिक्षा प्राप्त करें, अब ये विचार घर आया.

प्रभु, अब तो चारित्र्यवान बच्चों से ही संसार मेरा महकता रहे,
उनकी प्रगति देखकर ही मन का पंछी चहकता रहे.

After a long gap I'm back!!

We went for a holiday tour of 4 days on the long weekend of Easter. Just a couple of days ago my both the kids were so sick that till the last moment we were double minded whether to go or cancel the trip. Finally we decided to go. I took along all the paediatric medicines I could. By God’s grace all went well. I didn’t require any medicines at all. Children enjoyed the trip too. We hired a car and my husband drove it. We were just the four of us. Initially we were a bit apprehensive on being alone with kids and that too in a foreign land. But as the trip progressed our fears also receded.

Throughout the trip my daughter aged two slept in the whole of car ride. During sight seeing she was full active and craving for attention. The museums seemed boring to her and so it was her right to not let anyone else see it. My son aged 5 was interested only in natural history museums where dinosaurs, reptiles and all the creepy creatures were ready to pounce upon us. I was interested more in art and history of that place. So all three of us had different tastes and priorities. My poor husband couldn’t even tell his priority as he was trying to create a balance between everyone’s needs.

For outdoor sight seeing the weather played a villain. It was too cold. My children were enjoying outdoors in spite of cold. That was the only place where they felt free.

In one particular palace called Royal Pavillion in Brighton, my little daughter Garima refused to acknowledge any restrictions. She strolled free out of her stroller and ventured into the castle.
There were these particular antiques of the 17th and 18th century just for looking and strictly not for touching. They had been protected by thick ropes so that visitors maintained a distance with them. Garima’s innocent mind would know no boundaries. She crossed the rope and in she went. Immediately alarms started sounding throughout the whole castle. Because of the hugeness and enormity of the building it reverberated loudly and immediately the walkie-talkies of all the security guards there, crackled with voices. We were so stunned by the spontaneity of the situation that for a few seconds we just stood and watched. Then it clicked us that we must get her out. My husband brought her out and tied her securely to the stroller, vowing never to release her in the confines of the building. We felt quite embarrassed and apologised to the security guards. One of them in particular said, “No problem, It keeps me awake!”.