Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Virtual Yug

Today this obvious struck me, probably my subconscious compartment in brain notices this everyday but today my brain cells took a special note of this obvious. You must be wondering, what this obvious is? Wherever I am, on business, travelling, leisure, all people around me are buried in their fancy gadget called smart phone - all heads down! On train, heads down in this so called smart phones made by smart human. Once upon a time, honest confession that the time without a smart phone was so 'my time'! I enjoyed being where I am absorbing everything around me and living in the present moment, I appreciated sudden weather changes that taught me to accept any change, I never wanted to update and declare to friends and acquaintances about my whereabouts, I never clicked atrocious selfies as my idea of fun wasn't about making silly faces. In short I enjoyed my company if alone or enjoyed being with family and friends.

We all accept that life has changed with technology but technology at disposal and so easily accessible is drawing us apart from being human. We unfortunately need social networking to prove that we are social animals. I again bring an issue of living in a first world country, life is moving with the help of technology but are we being enslaved by it? Are we getting addicted to it? These are some questions to ask. Everyday I walk passing Starbucks, people in there buy those status defining mugs of hot drinks, take their seat and are immersed in their robotic devices, I don't understand this at all. For me a cup of tea is unwinding, its a bonus if I have people around to chat with that cuppa, I am yet very Indian. On serious note, this head down position might get you in trouble named Spondylitis.

Has anybody thought that these man made electronic gadgets are controlling us! We need a smiley to convey our emotions, we need social networking to express our feelings - in a minute we may feel blessed or happy or determined or hungry! Common you don't need Internet to make you realise that you are hungry, it is pure biology. Your stomach and brain coordinate and then you realise about your hunger. Well I am no exception, as I keep on declaring about books I read and movies I watch but never would I update about feeling hungry or thirsty or blah blah blah.

What am I trying to emphasize on?- smart phones? Internet?  Gadgets? Not really, this is all about living in a virtual world. Bhagvad Gita mentions about Satyug and Kalyug but never about Virtual Yug, needs to be deeply thought. Let's make a resolution that we use technology for good,  for convenience. Today, where world is one place and people are hopping around the globe, technology connects us in the form of whatsapp, FB, Twitter, Gmail through these gadgets but trust me the warmth of a hug, happiness when laughter shared, sorrow fades on crying together is much effective than living in a virtual world.

There is a debate if Einstein ever said this but nonetheless, it perfectly defines Virtual Yug.

The current scenario, each family member has his own gadget - this stops you from understanding the concept of sharing, withdraws you from others, forces you to live in your own virtual bubble. I wonder at times, will our next generation ever realise the importance of meeting people/friends/family in flesh and blood!? Or will they prefer doing this virtually? Not to forget, we can talk, dance, sing and do every possible thing that defines that human are social animals, if we stop doing this then soon we would be creating mini robots, with no feelings and emotions but only virtual love and life.

Hold your head up, high and straight,
Let your eyes see the world around,
Let your senses be in your control,
Be ready to explore the world,
With yourself and not with your phone! 

Monday, June 15, 2015

Bye bye Maggi..

Brace yourself for this little nostalgic ride. Those school days and especially Sundays that usually was an official television day. As much as those cartoons were an indispensable part of Sundays, advertisements played a crucial fun role. Not only me but all of us, children of 80's used to sing in chorus very happily. I still remember that Sunflower oil advertisement - The healthy oil, the healthy people and that rolling big Puri with big gulabjamuns in the background. Do you remember that cute little girl saying, I love you Rasna?! I loved her as much as I loved Rasna. But the most catchy song was 'School se aate Dhoom machate...maggi noodles'. I was jealous of that boy in that jingle happily sitting with a bowl of pipping hot maggi noodles and bending a little, starts sucking up that flavourful delicious string of soft, silky noodle with lips pouted, stomach pulled in. This was so inviting and left me imagine that why my mother never made maggi for us when we came home hungry as dogs from school? Girls with curly hair often got their curls compared to Maggi, some were even nicknamed as Maggi. Maggi became a figure of speech and a proper noun! Such has been the influence and unconditional love for it.

Today, with this life threatening Maggi controversy happening I should thank my mother for not inculcating such habits of indulging in junk food but then at that age my brain wasn't aware of MSG and other preservatives involved in imparting taste and flavour, the harm they were to cause my growing body. Whenever my brother and I went to buy that little something from a nearby kiosk at least I was tempted to buy a pack maggi wrapped in that yellow poly bag, it always lured me. When my friends chatted about gulping down a bowl of maggi, I was jealous but whatever happened to me, my mother was undeterred from her decision of not buying such nonsense with loads of preservatives, instead she emphasised on making home made vermicelli upma and I equally loved that. I confess to have forgotten the lead laden, MSG rich maggi while gulping down that bowl of upma loaded with nutrition, free from preservatives and garnished with Mom's love. Okay, believe it or not I didn't taste maggi until I was 18! Shocked!Me too, when the whole nation and our generation was deeply in love with this little wonder that was damn easy to cook, I was unaware of its taste.

Taste bhi, Health bhi(??) and Lead (Pb) bhi!!!

(Pic from Google images)


It was only when I left home for my higher studies, that I started buying this 2 minute wonder and I was deeply in love with it. Hostel life - midnight hunger pangs - roommates - maggi and coffee, what a life - perfect!!! Then being a science graduate, I read the content but conveniently ignored MSG, probably I was trying to compensate my maggi less childhood. The idea of cooking something in 2 minutes was eloquent enough to bring it in our houses.

Now that the number of working Mums have increased by folds, life is getting busier as ever, the departmental stores are stuffed and overflowing with instant noodles, pot lunches, breakfasts conveniently sidelining home made nutritious snacks. Mornings start with cornflakes packed in boxes but thanks to those numerous dabbawala's for delivering fresh food tiffins. Find a suitable tiffin for your taste buds and you are sorted. To maggi, losing market in India definitely is a substantial loss but if they come up with a remodelled Maggi without preservatives in a biodegradable packing then they will be welcomed open heartedly.

Something irreleavently relevant is not to forget to thank our Indian Moms fully loaded with Indian sentiments, where they believe that cooking and feeding their families is a prime responsibility, she isn't selfish at all and this keeps us going. Well if she isn't able to put up a meal due to her job/career then why can't we expect this from the man of the house? A family that cooks together, eats together is a healthy and happy family.

So now, try cutting on food stuff containing preservatives. The longer shelf life means more preservatives! Indulge into fruits, home cooked foods. An apple enlightened Adam and let this 2 minute maggi enlighten us about good and bad food habits.

Happy and healthy eating to you all :-) 

Monday, June 1, 2015

Gulmohar and drizzles - Life's philosophy

Monsoon has just about entered and a few showers is what would wash away the heat, cool the hot soil and add a little respite to everyone. Bangalore, the city of trees and especially Gulmohar are now eagerly waiting for those cool drops of pearls to fall on them. Not only plants but this summer has been very harsh on Amrita, fondly known as Ammu. She is heart broken and her dreams of living with Shekhar have been completely burnt to ashes. She is waiting for monsoon, monsoon that will lead to streams and puddles outside her apartment in which she could sail her boats with Shekhar's memories, let go his promises, those dreams that never made way to reality, she was eagerly waiting and was proud of being guileless and loyal to her ownself by loving him unconditionally.

Ammu and Shekhar knew it from day one that their relationship won't survive, they were a very modern couple wanting their own space, living their own dreams and more than love and compassion they were together to test if they could withstand each other. For they always knew that there can't be two swords in one sheath.

Albeit this was expected it was hard, it is indeed tough to separate than being together. Shekhar wasn't ready to take a plunge into marriage and Ammu couldn't be persuaded anymore to be in a live in relationship. This was an impasse, both strong believers but of different traits. Without uttering a single word they let go each other, no arguments, no quarrels and no compromises, this is how two strong people dwell in a relationship expecting the expected to happen one day, leaving a void very silently.

Today, Ammu is alone in her posh flat, she was low yet unbroken, firm on her decision. She always believed that the beauty of a rose lies in its thorns and her principles were just like thorns safely guarding her beauty, her soul is beautiful, her love was sacred and her intentions were divine.

Lost deeply in her thoughts, probably figuring what to do next, to do or not to?! What a perplexed state she was in, she has lost her way out of this emotional mesh. The door bell rings and she is jolted back to reality. It is her maid Chaya.

Chaya knows about Shekhar and she always warned Ammu but Love is blind they say and Ammu was completely drenched in his love, she could only see love, sense love and love was what Shekhar meant for her.

Ammu pretends to be normal and asks Chaya, ' Have you lost something valuable Chaya, anytime in your life?'

Chaya exactly is aware of the context and decides to answer. She gazes out of the window and says, ' I lost my mother after a few hours of being born. My father blamed me for her death and never treated me well. My brother, a chauvinist found the same reason and disowned me. Later, as a compromise and no where to go I lived with my father and one fine morning I found myself alone in our house, for me it was never a home. From that day I am all alone and having lost all my relations but decided to live without any guilt or sorrow. Life taught me that you are left with what you are supposed to own and then I realised that I never owned my mother, father and brother.'

Ammu was stunned and speechless, she didn't want to look into Chaya's eyes. For the first time Ammu met someone stronger than her ownself. Ammu exactly knew what she had to do now, she doesn't have Shekhar as she never owned him.

Ammu stood besides Chaya, folding her hands they both stood gazing out of the window, it had started drizzling, aroma of wet soil was mesmerizing, a little birdie shedding off beautiful pearls off its body, dancing rain drops compelled the soil to give away heat, showers had washed away dust layered on leaves of Gulmohar, completely metamorphised it from dull to shiny and glossy new leaf. Gulmohar looked beautiful as never before, clean and ready to breathe fresh, ready to dream and ready to LIVE.....