A visit to a popular mall with thousands of footfalls per day left me intrigued. None of the 12 washrooms had a toilet paper roll. I attributed this aberration to napping janitors & caretakers. But a recent report in a local daily led me to believe that disappearing toilet papers are not due to janitors & careless caretakers. It is one of the myriad ways adopted by many employers to cut costs.
Welcome to post economic tsunami washrooms!!
The economic meltdown is subtly yet surely affecting our mindset & hence our lifestyle. All of us are directly or indirectly affected by job retrenchment. If not our own selves, at least one or more of our colleagues, friends, relatives or acquaintances have lost their job or are on the chopping list. It is new age socialism where the head of the CEO is as likely to roll as that of the junior most executive. Such a scenario is causing us to crib less about our employers & bosses & we are just plain grateful to be on the payroll .Thereby, it is causing us to be more contented with our current jobs. In the wake of retrenchment by reputed employers like Lehmann Brothers, A-grade business school pass outs can no longer snigger at their less fortunate peers. It has also meant that many careers are abruptly on hold where parents have paid through their nose to enable their wards to pursue courses of their choice. Its again back to struggling & penny pinching lifestyle in many such families. So, if your parent paid an astronomical sum for that fancy degree, you will have to wait a while before you can buy them that vacation or small car as a mark of gratitude.
The underlying cause of this crisis is over- consumption , very high standard of living & a ‘give me more’ attitude. But this crisis has led to a general tightening of the purse, hence, under consumption & a lower standard of living in the past couple of months. Gone are the days of complimentary snacks, freebies, frequent flier privileges & off-site meetings at fancy locales. People are giving desserts a miss to cut down on their restaurant bill. It is no longer’ movie & candle lit dinner’ if you are in love. You might have to give either one of the two a miss!! And if you are used to being picked up by the luxury car that your company sends, do not be surprised if you see a chartered bus coming to pick you up.
The positive aspect of this economic meltdown is mostly felt by environmentalists & green brigadiers. To cut costs, employers are cutting down on refrigeration & air conditioning, thereby reducing the carbon footprint. So, if you were in the habit of sitting back for an hour in your air conditioned workstation in office chatting with your friends on the many social networking sites, you will have to just break that habit.
We are gravitating towards a vegetarian diet instead of high calorie non vegetarian meals. If this trend continues, it would imply a predominance of vegetation agriculture than livestock agriculture. Thereby, it will reduce our demand on soil, water & land resources. A pronounced shift towards vegetarianism, as it burns a smaller hole in your pocket, provides a faint ray of hope of reducing mortality due to ‘diseases of civilisation’ like cancer, diabetes, cardiac, etc.
Because of escalated prices of fossil fuels, we are opting for car pooling & public transportation leading to slightly less congested roads. Hopefully, now governments will pay more heed to developing non conventional sources of energy like, solar, wind, bio-fuels, geo thermal,etc.
Excess demand on the environment is also caused by overpopulation. News of couples postponing having babies, is trickling in from many European countries would It seems that the economic crisis will enable us to achieve what many population control programmes could not. This again implies a DINK-double income no kids-lifestyle. And if you wanted a small ‘Barbie like cute girl’ for your ‘whiz kid son’ to play with, even that has to be on hold for a while.
The crisis has caused a reduced dependence on crèches & day care facilities. So, nuclear families are going back to the old joint family system where children grew up listening to tales & fables narrated by their grand parents.
Two wrongs do not make a right. And neither can one hope to go back to old value systems by making forced personal compromises ,riding on the wave of the current economic scenario. But the crisis has taught us a lesson or two about life & counting our blessings for a change.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The Sailor
It was one click which came out just as I wished it to.It was a humid MAY DAY(not the 1st!) in Kolkata this summer.I & my parents along with my son had gone to spend a couple of hours at the Mangal Pandey Park in Barrackpore.The park is a photographer's delight-well kept grounds, towering trees, plus a view of the ghat...
I was busy capturing my son & parents in frame after frame , when all of a sudden, this man came in his small boat & tried to get ashore.As it was cloudy, the red shirt of his stood out amidst all the grey around us.And, I captured one of MY favourite memories...
I was busy capturing my son & parents in frame after frame , when all of a sudden, this man came in his small boat & tried to get ashore.As it was cloudy, the red shirt of his stood out amidst all the grey around us.And, I captured one of MY favourite memories...
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
A date with our galaxy
The over night study tour to a dark site for the night sky observation is a very important event in our school calendar. This year the excitement for the trip was at an all time high as the astronomy club membership is a whopping 63 comprising of 11 & 12 year old & their zest is far higher than the 16 or 17 year olds who take a casual interest in most things. So, it was quite a task to manage these young & eager kids during the full 14 -hour study tour.The site was a school in the small village called Jewar , which is around 100 kms from Noida. We took 2 1/2 hours to reach the site . As we stepped down from the warm comfort of the bus, we were greeted by a sharp nip in the air. After steaming cups of piping hot Chai, we started with our observations. The resource persons of S.P.A.C.E., who conduct these clubs in various schools, were all set with their powerful reflecting telescopes. The first study was of Venus & the craters of the moon. The image of the moon was so sharp that the bright speck was even visible when your eye is a foot away from the eyepiece. The image was so beautiful that I could not prevent myself from holding my cell-cam in front of the eyepiece to take a click. That is the image you see above this text. Beautiful!After a while we were treated to a tasty veggie dinner while the RPs(resource people) went about setting up their telescopes for the next round of observations. It was 9.30 pm & a sweater & jacket seemed inadequate for the falling Mercury. The children were now being taught how to use the latitude finder & planisphere( a chart that helps you get an idea of the night sky at a particular time of the day of the month/year). The senior kids, who are well versed in the usage of these devices were being shown deep sky objects-about him we read only in the science pages of the leading newspapers. Hold your breath!! The first objects that were focussed were star clusters located millions of light years away. Next on were the Nebulae(!!!!) Orion &Crab. It was a moment when we realised how miniscule we were in the larger scheme of things. While the kids were all excited at these sightings, my co-teacher & I were in deep discussion about how insignificant & small were we in this galaxy. As if these musings were not enough, the RP announced that he was ready with THE fuzzy object 0on this telescope. Can u guess what he focussed ? It was the ANDROMEDA galaxy, the farthest object visible to us, situated 2.5 million light years away & containing one trillion stars. So, on that cold December night of the year 2008, we were watching andromeda galaxy, the way it looked 2.5 million light years away!!! A humbling & spell binding experience.Meanwhile, the junior group were being taught to locate rare constellations like, Cassiopeia, Taurus, Aries, Cancer etc. Let me add, that in urban areas one can see only 30-40 stars with the naked eye. While, here, the sky was a black velvet banner with over 2000 twinkling stars!!The chill in the air was causing shivers , after all its not everyday that you are out I the open at 1 am in the night with the mercury 4 deg Celsius. The salvation was another round of a hot cuppa strong ginger tea. The students , meanwhile, were sketching their observations under torch light. I must mention that it was pitch dark(hence the name dark site) which made it impossible to see a person who is sitting 5 feet away, The second study session came to a close at about 2.45 am .
The students were free to take a nap or watch a documentary on the International Space Station. While some sought refuge under blankets , others watched the documentary.
Soon it was time to get up for the last & final session. This time it was the beautiful Saturn. I have no words to describe the 1 millimeter sized image of the planet along with its ring. As the students took turn to watch the most beautiful member( I would say) of the solar system, the care takers had laid out our breakfast of hot puris with mixed vegetables. It was something out of the ordinary to have one’s breakfast at 5 am in the morning, outdoors when the temperature is 7 deg Celsius.
It had started to sink in that our date with our galaxy was over & it was time to return to the dust & smog of Dilli.
Mama Mia- is ‘ABBA’ once more!!
For all those fans of ‘ABBA’ & ‘Mery Streep, out there, here is a movie that you just cannot miss!!
Mery Streep is Donna, a single parent with a 20 something daughter Sophie(Amanda Seyfried) who is to tie the knot very soon. But Amanda is determined to find her father before her big day. But, she has a problem. After reading her mother’s private diaries, she discovers that he may be one of her three past loves. So, she invites all the three of them to her little Greek island home. And what ensues is confusion, fun, & a heady dose of dancing & laughter to the greatest hits of the & 70s band, ABBA.
It is s a movie to watch with friends & family & sing along to the foot tapping numbers!! And not to forget, the spirited show by an all star cast comprising of Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Dominic Cooper and Julie Walters.
Mery Streep is Donna, a single parent with a 20 something daughter Sophie(Amanda Seyfried) who is to tie the knot very soon. But Amanda is determined to find her father before her big day. But, she has a problem. After reading her mother’s private diaries, she discovers that he may be one of her three past loves. So, she invites all the three of them to her little Greek island home. And what ensues is confusion, fun, & a heady dose of dancing & laughter to the greatest hits of the & 70s band, ABBA.
It is s a movie to watch with friends & family & sing along to the foot tapping numbers!! And not to forget, the spirited show by an all star cast comprising of Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Dominic Cooper and Julie Walters.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The economic wasteland?
I am less worried these days. The headlines are not screaming figures of pink slip issues in thousands. And, if the 'pink slip pandemonium' is not a front page story but is now occupying a 2x2 space somewhere inside, I am not complaining. For a person like me, who is working in a sector which is least likely to be affected by economic tsunamis, I can only imagine the plight of the employees who have been at the receiving end. I really do not understand the dynamics of 'systems & operations' & 'finance' of the corporate sector but I do wonder if sacking was/is the only solution.
My very very limited entrepreneurship sense says that a more moderate approach could have been adopted.Instead of laying off 2000 employees, perks of say 5000, employees could have been scrapped, threreby covering part of the loss & cost.One does wonder, if the employees who managed to save their necks , do not mind the extra work that has ended up on their laps.Even if they are complaining, they dare not be vocal about it.Maybe , there is a paragraph somewhere (in some page of a thick book on Corporate law& finance) about a lower scale being offered in exchange of retaining one's position in case of an economic crisis..I am just wondering.
With each one of us burdened with mortgages & instalments, I can only hope that our economic pundits come up, fast & quick, with some plans of economic salvation.
Who said life is difficult outside the Earth?!! It isn't easy here, either.
My very very limited entrepreneurship sense says that a more moderate approach could have been adopted.Instead of laying off 2000 employees, perks of say 5000, employees could have been scrapped, threreby covering part of the loss & cost.One does wonder, if the employees who managed to save their necks , do not mind the extra work that has ended up on their laps.Even if they are complaining, they dare not be vocal about it.Maybe , there is a paragraph somewhere (in some page of a thick book on Corporate law& finance) about a lower scale being offered in exchange of retaining one's position in case of an economic crisis..I am just wondering.
With each one of us burdened with mortgages & instalments, I can only hope that our economic pundits come up, fast & quick, with some plans of economic salvation.
Who said life is difficult outside the Earth?!! It isn't easy here, either.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Games Indians Play-A Book review
Games Indians Play, by V. Raghunathan ,explores the Indian mentality of being privately smart & collectively foolish.The author, a faculty at one of the IIMs, uses behavioural economics & game theory to explain why we do what we do & how acting in the common interest of everyone will do good to us in the long run.
The author uses prisoners' dilemma to explain why we Indians act selfish & go for short term gains. The book doesnt tell us anything new that we already dont know but the mode of putting across his point with a dash of humor ,makes it a very good read. I have never touched Economics even with a barge pole but his lucid explanation, with a good sprinkling of examples ,made the aforementioned theories qute simple to understand. Do grab a copy!!
The author uses prisoners' dilemma to explain why we Indians act selfish & go for short term gains. The book doesnt tell us anything new that we already dont know but the mode of putting across his point with a dash of humor ,makes it a very good read. I have never touched Economics even with a barge pole but his lucid explanation, with a good sprinkling of examples ,made the aforementioned theories qute simple to understand. Do grab a copy!!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Let Go !!!!!
How many times have we heard the phrase'learn to let go'?!!!!
recently learnt the phrase all over gain when I lost my cell phone.I still keep trying my old number to see if someone picks up.I still hope that some gentleman will return it!!
The world rides on hope!!!!
When I really think it over, we all are experts at letting go.
when we step into adolescence,we let go the age of innocence.when we step out from school into the gates of the college,we let go of the shelter that the school provides(though we mistake the shelter of school as college & the indifference of a college as independence)....
When we start looking for work,it is the security that our parents provide that we let go.when we get married , it is the 'I' that we let go.When we are blessed with our first child, we let go of our 'devil may care' attitude & start living for somebody else.
For each time we let go,we are blessed with something else.In adolescence, we are blessed with the first spring of youth.In college, we get the first whiff of independence. In our prfessional lives,we gain the 'justification of our faith in our abilities'.In our married life, we gain a 'we'.with our first child, we geta chance tio relive our childhood.
So, does every'letting go' herald the arrival of something better?
I will know when I replace the lost W700i phone with something else....
Thats the thrill....
recently learnt the phrase all over gain when I lost my cell phone.I still keep trying my old number to see if someone picks up.I still hope that some gentleman will return it!!
The world rides on hope!!!!
When I really think it over, we all are experts at letting go.
when we step into adolescence,we let go the age of innocence.when we step out from school into the gates of the college,we let go of the shelter that the school provides(though we mistake the shelter of school as college & the indifference of a college as independence)....
When we start looking for work,it is the security that our parents provide that we let go.when we get married , it is the 'I' that we let go.When we are blessed with our first child, we let go of our 'devil may care' attitude & start living for somebody else.
For each time we let go,we are blessed with something else.In adolescence, we are blessed with the first spring of youth.In college, we get the first whiff of independence. In our prfessional lives,we gain the 'justification of our faith in our abilities'.In our married life, we gain a 'we'.with our first child, we geta chance tio relive our childhood.
So, does every'letting go' herald the arrival of something better?
I will know when I replace the lost W700i phone with something else....
Thats the thrill....
I look forward to the few precious moments that I get to spend with you.When we are so caught up in the entries of the appointments in our diary, a few lines of snatched conversations here & there seem to be the highlight of the day.
In an era where everything is designed to make life simple for us, why a simple conversation with a loved one is so hard to manage? Why I cant just pick up the phone & talk to you ?Why I cant speak with you for three uninterrupted minutes? Why I need to cook up excuses to talk to you? Why cant you just speak a few more lines to me? Why cant you just talk to me?Or simply say that you want to talk to me? Why do I have to wait for something important to come up so that I can talk to you?
Why cant I just get to sit next to you for a few minutes & watch the crowd pass us by? Why are we like a crowd who are passing each other by in a busy subway? Why are we like the parallel tracks of a railway line which travel miles together but they meet only to go their separate ways? Why cant we just merge together so that you & I cant differentiate who is who? You say I understand whats in your mind. Then, why cant you understand whats in my mind?I want more of you, but if you cant give me, then let me have more of your time...
In an era where everything is designed to make life simple for us, why a simple conversation with a loved one is so hard to manage? Why I cant just pick up the phone & talk to you ?Why I cant speak with you for three uninterrupted minutes? Why I need to cook up excuses to talk to you? Why cant you just speak a few more lines to me? Why cant you just talk to me?Or simply say that you want to talk to me? Why do I have to wait for something important to come up so that I can talk to you?
Why cant I just get to sit next to you for a few minutes & watch the crowd pass us by? Why are we like a crowd who are passing each other by in a busy subway? Why are we like the parallel tracks of a railway line which travel miles together but they meet only to go their separate ways? Why cant we just merge together so that you & I cant differentiate who is who? You say I understand whats in your mind. Then, why cant you understand whats in my mind?I want more of you, but if you cant give me, then let me have more of your time...
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Precious Illusions
Its past midnight & I cannot sleep.
You are constantly on my mind.
I keep on wondering what you are doing
At this time of the day or night…
I wonder if you are having smooth ride…
I wonder if you are at peace,
As that’s how I want you to be..
I wonder if you need somebody to talk to
And I wish that it were me …
I know that you don’t belong to me
But I am happy that you are near me ..
Why I feel so warm when you talk to me?
Or I freeze when you simply ignore me?
I am wondering are you really so indifferent as you seem?
Or is there something more in your eyes
When I catch you glancing at me?
I feel there is something more in the way that you sometimes touch me…
Or when you could have but you don’t…
Perhaps its nothing more
Than my mind playing games with me…
Maybe these are precious illusions..But they are raising a storm inside me.
You are constantly on my mind.
I keep on wondering what you are doing
At this time of the day or night…
I wonder if you are having smooth ride…
I wonder if you are at peace,
As that’s how I want you to be..
I wonder if you need somebody to talk to
And I wish that it were me …
I know that you don’t belong to me
But I am happy that you are near me ..
Why I feel so warm when you talk to me?
Or I freeze when you simply ignore me?
I am wondering are you really so indifferent as you seem?
Or is there something more in your eyes
When I catch you glancing at me?
I feel there is something more in the way that you sometimes touch me…
Or when you could have but you don’t…
Perhaps its nothing more
Than my mind playing games with me…
Maybe these are precious illusions..But they are raising a storm inside me.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Movie Magic
Come friday & our eager eyes scan the entertainment section of our daily newspaper. And, dont they just light up when we see that a movie we would like to catch will see the light of the day!!!!!Thats movie magic for you.
In the hum drum of day to day activities, when reality is dead lines not met or the kiddo running a temperature or a stack of bills to be cleared, the dark theatre is our refuge from the storm we face every other day.Its bliss to be part of fantasylandwhere you meet the love of your life or make it big in the profession of your choice or you finally see good overcoming evil & good guys actually finishing first. You really believe that LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL & IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU.
Movies essentially lead to a catharsis of our pent up feeling, desires & emotions.They ,though make believe & sometimes a showcase of reality, instill in us the hope that things can be different if we want to make them so .Movies can change our attitude & perceptions about things that ought to matter.
A good movie is the simplest form of entertainment for the family & friends. Procuring a ticket & easy accessibilty make it something which an average family can catch any alternate weekend. And with the flood of themes that the movie makers are experimenting with, there is something or the other for you.You can take your pick from Hollywood or Bollywood, Romance or Action, Historical or Retro, Comedy or Tragedy.The movie - goer has never had anything going better than this.
Its Friday again!!!! I can already smell the popco
In the hum drum of day to day activities, when reality is dead lines not met or the kiddo running a temperature or a stack of bills to be cleared, the dark theatre is our refuge from the storm we face every other day.Its bliss to be part of fantasylandwhere you meet the love of your life or make it big in the profession of your choice or you finally see good overcoming evil & good guys actually finishing first. You really believe that LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL & IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU.
Movies essentially lead to a catharsis of our pent up feeling, desires & emotions.They ,though make believe & sometimes a showcase of reality, instill in us the hope that things can be different if we want to make them so .Movies can change our attitude & perceptions about things that ought to matter.
A good movie is the simplest form of entertainment for the family & friends. Procuring a ticket & easy accessibilty make it something which an average family can catch any alternate weekend. And with the flood of themes that the movie makers are experimenting with, there is something or the other for you.You can take your pick from Hollywood or Bollywood, Romance or Action, Historical or Retro, Comedy or Tragedy.The movie - goer has never had anything going better than this.
Its Friday again!!!! I can already smell the popco
A day with friends
am happy.I am eager. I am worried how I would look tomorrow.I am going out with friends , you see.
I am not a lonely island, swimming in the vast sea of loneliness. I am a busy body-trapped in the busy traffic of life, who is worried that the beautiful view outside the window is passing by & there is no way, I can park on the side & take in the sight.So, I look forward to every chance of fun , that comes my way,with child-like eagerness.I am going out tomorrow as part of a small group of six colleagues, who are on the verge of becoming friends .
We dont have anything earth -shattering in our plans. No lunch at a five star restaurant or no front rowseat at a sell-out theatre play.Neither its a long drive through scenic country side. We are just meeting at a nearby mall. We have no long shopping plans in our agenda.Whats in the agenda is lots of fun & laughter & teasing & noise & all of us trying to speak at the same time.I am not sure how long it will last but what I am sure of is that after I come home , I will still feel ,'arrey,yeh toh bataya hi nahi!!'
I feel good about myself that we are grounded enough to derive so much pleasure out of something simple like this.Or is it really so simple?Maybe not.If you or I read between the lines, there is so much at stake. Formation of new bonds, time well spent, a cure for loneliness, laughter with like- minded people.
I know that tomorrow,might, it just might , mark a beginning of a new way of moving through life -getting out of the car just to enjoy the view.
I am not a lonely island, swimming in the vast sea of loneliness. I am a busy body-trapped in the busy traffic of life, who is worried that the beautiful view outside the window is passing by & there is no way, I can park on the side & take in the sight.So, I look forward to every chance of fun , that comes my way,with child-like eagerness.I am going out tomorrow as part of a small group of six colleagues, who are on the verge of becoming friends .
We dont have anything earth -shattering in our plans. No lunch at a five star restaurant or no front rowseat at a sell-out theatre play.Neither its a long drive through scenic country side. We are just meeting at a nearby mall. We have no long shopping plans in our agenda.Whats in the agenda is lots of fun & laughter & teasing & noise & all of us trying to speak at the same time.I am not sure how long it will last but what I am sure of is that after I come home , I will still feel ,'arrey,yeh toh bataya hi nahi!!'
I feel good about myself that we are grounded enough to derive so much pleasure out of something simple like this.Or is it really so simple?Maybe not.If you or I read between the lines, there is so much at stake. Formation of new bonds, time well spent, a cure for loneliness, laughter with like- minded people.
I know that tomorrow,might, it just might , mark a beginning of a new way of moving through life -getting out of the car just to enjoy the view.
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