In The Middle Lane

Moving from D to C

2010-08-02T09:25:00.000+03:00

Expanding D to C : Doha to Coimbatore

As preparations to go to the home land for the anual two month vacation drew near, plans changed drastically and it became a shifting of the entire base operations permanently. And so, loading the plane with about 150 kgs of our belongings, we boarded without regret but only anticipation (except for the youngest member of the family who had many a question, also making it clear he would miss many people, places and things) And so, yet another phase of my life closes, only to begin in the land where I was born. The stint in the gulf ends. The IMAX view of the sky has been replaced with a 70mm one. There is no sea here and the various awe inspiring shades of blue and green that was visible from the terrace. The silence that was totally enveloping and round the clock only to be broken by our own activities; has been sacrificed for quiet only at night.

As I write, the background has a variety of sounds. For one, the discussion of some men painting in the neighbouring compound. The horns of all types of vehicles, especially the buses and their running engines come through to the house from the road which is 25feet from the house(luckily). Then there is this constant conversation going on which I am enjoying. It is in varied pitches. First of all I can hear a whistle like constant soft sound over which there are sudden bursts of a cough like noise. Before I carry on, I want to say that these sounds are the chattering of energetic, winged and feathered aves class of vertebrates from the tree whose leaves brush against our balcony. Now the deep and resonant call of the cuckoo on this Gulmohar travels a long way to be returned with a reply and soon the brown spotted male is joined by the black female . The crow which is also squatted on a branch gives his ‘caw , caw’ joining the Myna and the sparrow occasionally, although seated alone and at a distance from them. Today being cloudy and cool, all of these feathered friends seem to be enjoying themselves. I can now hear a scraping sound which I think is the squirrel which seems so busy scampering, pausing and running off. The pigeon which seems happy not to leave the corner of my bathroom window makes his characteristic booming noise.

New sights, sounds, smells will replace almost 4 and a half years in Doha. There will be fresh inspirations, beautiful experiences and challenging adjustments and here I am ready to gain new memories to go alongside the older ones.

I am 10 years old

2010-06-15T10:11:00.000+03:00

(A short story for kids)

My age has One and Zero in it. This year(2010) too. I feel they are the two most important numbers. I imagine the number One as straight and single. Single like the One Sun and the One Moon that our One Earth has. It is really unique. Now I’ll tell you what I feel about the Zero. Zero to me also stands for the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. You may wonder how they can be one and zero because zero means nothing. To me they are like the zero as they are all round, hugely round.

I love all the three Ones or Zeroes that I have mentioned. But it still puzzles me that in the vast sky, when the Sun appears, the Moon disappears. But I have seen the Sun and the Moon together sometimes, one to the left and one to the right. Is it like my Mom says, ‘I am the opposite of my brother’? Are they enemies most of the time, I wonder? In my home my one father and my one mother live along with me even though they are enemies sometimes. So I imagine the Sun as the father, Moon as the mother and the many, many stars, their children all sharing a same home which is the sky.

I have not yet spoken about another single, unique, round object. That is the Earth. The pictures taken by astronauts orbiting the earth are all blue with clouds but the globe on my desk shows me new things everyday. There is a big dent on my globe which has made the Americas go into the earth. This dent was caused when my brother and I fought over a football and the ball banged into earth just like a meteor

I ask myself whether I should make Sun and Moon my current heroes as I do not have anybody, although it may sound stupid to my friends. I think I should leave out Moon and only choose Sun, as I feel Moon cannot be trusted. On some nights she is perfectly round, which I love. Then it is like a half eaten biscuit and at other times like a lonely ‘smiley’ mouth. Oh, well! Then I shall make only the Sun my hero. I feel he rules the whole world, unlike the many Presidents and Prime ministers who head only a small part on earth. He is always bright and radiant. I’ll forgive his scorching habit as he is fierce only for two or three months in a year. The clouds, rain or dust sometimes try to overpower him but they fail to drive him away permanently. When he wakes up and passes his wand in all directions, we wake up and when he goes to sleep, in a few hours we also sleep. I have learnt that it is due to him that we have the chlorophyll filled greenery on the earth. As I heard someone say, he helps life to go on. Till I turn eleven next year the One(1), round(O) Sun is my hero, when somebody else may take his place.

Another weather report

2010-05-16T13:13:00.000+03:00

Hear I go again. Talking about the weather. Well since it is the most easiest to write on, to deabate, to quarrel over... . I AM turning into a weather reporter from Doha ;-)

Today morning started off with the 'beginnings of Summer' kind of weather which is going on for 10 days or so. Here in the desert, summer beginning means 30 deg inside the house sans AC. Outside it is 39 deg but feels 39 + 3or4 because of the added humidity. India this year, has been hitting the highs of the temperature chart and breaking records in the process. Relatively, spring has spread her umbrella longer than usual protecting against the harshness of the coming season.

Coming to the surprising element, there has been rain for 51/2 months here. Well ,(There are no wells here, dug ones) there is obviously no monsoon in Doha. It has surprised everyone here that it is raining a few days every month since december. There are clouds in the sky for days together. Sometimes I had this nostalgic feeling of being in Bangalore with these sudden showers, cool breeze and generally cloudy sky.

Today's thunder, lightening and the sudden darkness with the sharp showers again cleaned the fine desert dust on my windows. What is happening ? These days most of the answers are in two words whether people understand it or not. Global Warming. In Qatar though, it is not warming for sure. It is raining !

Questioning today’s MII trends

2010-04-16T13:39:00.000+03:00

The title ‘middle class trends’ came to mind but then saying middle class or lower class may get me into trouble just as the author of cattle class had to twitter-ly apologise, explain and ‘press’ his point. Using the word income seemed safer. So you have LII, MII and HII; lower income Indians, middle income Indians and higher income Indians(note the plural).
Just as India’s majority consists of MII, we have a large number of trendy topics to choose from, discuss and dissect.
Beginning with food….
The ubiquitous dhaba of North india have sprung up even in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There is also the culture of ‘food on wheels’ all over India dishing out regional and other common food. Will KFC promoting its nuggets nudge out these places which have only ‘word of mouth’ as their marketing strategy? Will MII prefer the sterile tables with uniformed men to a cluttered and careless atmosphere?
Next on the list are not very new brands. Nobody ever remembers this was originally an Italian dish. It has spawned desi versions but will MII still prefer Pizza Hut and Dominoes? Will their melt in the mouth ads encourage all to bite into something that every Indian pronounces differently, even on Diwali and Holi? The double z sure is confusing just a ‘zh’ as in Kozhikode is for a north Indian.
A bar of Chocolate was an item on the monthly grocers list about six or seven years ago before off the rack shopping became an in thing. Will MII fall for the promotion of our old friend ‘Cadburys’ to distribute exotic and elite chocolates on auspicious occasions? Will they replace Bharati pedas and burfis?
Liquids have had a troubled past, especially the controversial colas. They have dodged the likes of George Fernandes and cases for water depletion. Still they have our superstars drinking out of their hands. Will the aam aadmi still ignore an old ad about these being good toilet cleaners?
Are all of the above on a drive to compete with America whose statistics show 30-40% obese adults with the utmost cooperation of the MII population? Will MII succumb to the day in and day out fizz washing of their brains? Will threats that all the local stuff like ghee, coconut oil, samosas, parathas and the twisted jilebis are untouchable be taken seriously and surge imports of olive oil and oregano? Will pies and pastas replace dhoklas and dosas or will confused MII throw in the towel and head to the nearest joint, desi or otherwise ?
Be it LII,MII or HII, all have broken the night’s fast in the morning from time immemorial, many with idlis, dosas, some with rice and others with paranthas or delicious puris. Then comes along great inventions like Kellogg’s and other brands which teaches us that breakfast is a must with cornflakes, oats and drinking orange juice is the healthiest alternative. Every Indian with money to spare loves new things, beautifully packaged and with atrocious prices. In the long run, will the flaky corn rule over the tedious dosas?
The menu has many more items to choose from but, I’ll stop by saying that we have always prided ourselves on being a blend of cultures and so we have our local hotels serving pizza as well as bonda. One last question, will trendy MII prefer a branded lime juice to Amul’s buttermilk?

IPL once again

2010-03-03T09:30:00.000+03:00

I had written about this instant cricket a long time ago when this new concept came in with a bang showering money all around. It is getting time for the season 2010. But in 2008, the story went like this -

http://inthemiddle-lane.blogspot.com/search/label/cheerleaders

A SAINT

2010-03-03T09:10:00.002+03:00

While browsing the medley of channels on Indian television, I come to one in which a naked Saint is expounding what the footnote called, “bitter truths “.
Initial curiosity makes me pause. I then burst out laughing at the manner in which he suddenly shouts and with flailing arms repeats his sermon which he had softly said earlier.
The ‘world conditioned’ me finds that first of all ,he is not wearing clothes - how uncouth; he screams out now and then – how hilariously uncivilised and the negative list regarding this person includes some more points. Smirking, I change the channel and forget him.
After a few days, I happen to see the Saint again and thinking that a few laughs on his behalf will do me good, I do not change the channel. The row upon row of men and women listening to him does not make me change my mind. After forming an opinion once again that a person should have some sort of decorum, I switch.
Now, this becomes regular. I see him for a few minutes and then press the remote to move on. Slowly I start listening to him without judging him by his outward appearance. He was talking of the way a daughter-in-law and in general women have to be treated whether they are wives, mothers or any of the different roles they be in. He had caught my attention! I approved of his view and listened some more.
His topics were simple yet for a society riddled with confusion they were eye-openers. The Saint had this method of giving simple examples by playing and punning words. He brought the audience to laughter while conveying the deeper meaning. I too laughed this time –not at him but with the audience.
‘While buttoning a shirt , if you choose the wrong button hole, no matter what you do all the buttons will go into wrong holes’- This he said to explain of the consequences of taking a wrong decision in life. In a similar manner, he explains many truths which are visible to us but which we do not ‘SEE’. I realise wisdom need not have any clothes!
I realised then what an obnoxious snob I had been and that smirking should be at me. He may not be featured in any list of ’10 most influential people’ or get any award ‘For AWAKENING people’ or ’10 best dressed men’(with his sense of humour, I’m sure he won’t mind) but this person was a MAHATMA who was not aware of his own body but was bringing awareness into thousands of people.
Like some other Mahatma’s said, we people with our boundaries for civilised behaviour of humanity, forget that we have turned ourselves into educated illiterates. We see only the outer forgetting that just as in an ice-berg, more lies under the water than above.

cold, colder, coldest

2010-02-09T10:54:00.004+03:00

Today is cold. As we Doha'iites thought that this winter has gone into history, wind blows across chilling the city. Inside the house, it shows a not so impressive 20 deg when, pictures of life at a virtual standstill in many parts of the world especially the U.S are flashed on the tv.
A snow remover(whats the actual word ?)is partially being shown(is the cameraman shooting from inside this contraption?) behind which the whiteness of the Capitol Hill blends in with the accompanying scenery.
In Kashmir, India; snow piled 6m high on an army base camp causing death.
In the face of all this heavy precipitation, a middle east winter is not actually winter.But here I am with sweater & socks, feet tucked in a siddhasana position, typing with exposed, cold wrinkled,nervous hands.Why is it that some feel so cold at so little dip in temp.
I would wonder at the actresses with their bare bodies sitting through award nights as award ceremonies are usually held in the winter in India & elsewhere. Last winter, Bipasha Basu made an entry into Doha in January and walked about in bare back, leg exposed outfits. Are these damsels more thick skinned than me? May not be but they sure are hotter :)

2010-02-03T12:22:00.005+03:00

I saw a cute story for kids by jayamadhavan on her blog. Here is the link.Read it.

http://www.mediafire.com/?teu2yo1uzta

Aggressive journalism

2010-02-02T11:19:00.002+03:00

I have found that many have a new hobby these days. Journo bashing. It is also one of my faourite topic. Earlier, much earlier... we used to see only Khadi clad politicos (if I can call them that !) and so our ire was turned on them. Whether it be about 'what they said' or 'what they did', we had to comment & brand them all as hypocrites, etc etc . Now, we see less of them and more of a hound of superstars. None other than our T.V journos . So for the amount of limelight they are hogging & getting handsomely paid for it, it is only right that they have to come in the line of fire. Only that they are so bloated that the bullet will get lodged in their skin without affecting them. The more an anchor screams and out-shouts his interviewee, the more he feels proud. It does not matter that interviewers are supposed to do one thing properly and that is to Listen.
Journalists these days are a breed of egoistic, haughty ones who think they know everything and can shout down acheivers and doers in any field who they do not agree with. At least this is what we see on the T.V , the likes of Arnab.. of Times.
Headlines... have their own version in the form of Rahul something....
The trend setters of this 'drama on screen ' ;NDTV have ONLY such 'Experts' who nobody can argue with, whatever be the interviewees point of view !

They are the HE-MEN and SHE-WOMEN (?)of Indian news drama series being played out 24 hrs a day. They decide whom to support, who comes to power; which man to tear apart, which to project as a hero and so onnnn.
And we are either dumb struck audiences falling for all that they say or commentators sitting back and giving them a bashing(o.k, so what if it does'nt touch them)

Journalist with a difference

2010-02-02T10:55:00.007+03:00

When I am in Coimbatore, the newspaper Indian Express offers little or no temptation to be read. But there is a writer I look forward to in the sunday magazine section of this paper. A mention of sunday magazine, to those who know this paper will think that the scantily clad heroines and immature articles on the new found hot topic, gay "culture"(How can this be termed culture ,I fail to see) must interest me.

Well, there is a regular column which offers much more than sensual appeal. It is by Swahilya, a journalist with a difference. She has taken us through the paths of Himalayas through her small travelogue and in her main article, through insights into the Self. Currently, she is doing a Yoga series.

For a reader, these may be capsules of the secrets in our Shastras which can be explored through in depth reading and better still ;guidance from our ever willing Acharyas. Anyway such articles lift us from the profane to something meaningful and valuable.

Check out Very Smart Graphic Commercials

2010-01-21T11:45:00.001+03:00

creative commercials.

worth watching

enjoy

Funzug.com | Very Smart Graphic Commercials | Day, Joke,

silence

2010-01-12T11:09:00.005+03:00

Today I woke up at my usual 4.10 (weekdays). The temperate cold these days is enjoyable. It is dark for an hour more and so combined with the darkness, I just sat and absorbed the silence. A few years ago,as a new resident in Doha, the silence here was frightening and even claustrophobic. But now I value this.
Sounds and Noise has become part of our lives that we forget what silence is. This is one 'sense' that we can't cut off voluntarily. Plugging our ears hardly shuts off the sounds. So, we are exposed to them all the time. I am not aware of the efficiency of today's soundproof windows etc.
Yesterday I listened to a Swamiji's New Year talk on the 'Faculty of Silence'. This sure has made me more aware of the silence. I have to question 'what when I am always in a noisy place ?' Maybe I will have to search for the silence or quietude in noise. And make it mine.

2009-02-11T11:43:00.003+03:00

There was this interesting point an educational consultant made at a workshop. How is it that a teacher stumbles a little during her first few lecture sessions and then slowly she perfects that topic?
It is because she is repeating the same thing over and over again. The student in turn is still raw because he/she is only listening.

I have seen a lot many talkative people. Most are just blabber-mouths, shooting off on any topic without any knowledge of it.
There are others who end sentences of others and thus pretend they know more than the speaker.
Then there are those who repeat what someone else mentioned with such passion that people believe it was his/her own idea.

Come to think of it, the world is full of these 3 categories and a mild person who is not strong enough to communicate his view will be overridden by these types.

So, the lesson to learn is 'effective communication rules your world' Ha... Ha... as if you did'nt know !!

2009-01-28T09:12:00.005+03:00

A lot has happened in my placid life in these 6months
-visit to India for vacation in july and admission of my son into college
-Teaching that took up a lot of energy & my time at home
-Completion of typing & editing my fathers book
-taking care of my sick father for about 20 days
-the death of my beloved father

I remember the days when my parents used to visit me and stay on for a month or two. After they leave there used to be a pain, a void. The empty corner in the room marked by their suitcases would bring tears to my eyes. The absence of their daily disciplined routine would choke me. The children would be dull unable to explain their feelings but missing their love & warmth.

Now, the difference is that my Father has left us forever. As he would say when ill, it was his body that was going to depart and not his Atma. The pain and hollow feeling is obviously stronger. But he would be proud of us if we did'nt mourn him. He would not want us to think about death. He wanted us to think of the life and years for the children of India and the youth whose changing values troubled him in his last days.

It is tough to pick up these threads that he left behind. And now that we cannot catch his guiding hand, it is a daunting task. I truly pray that the project he left behind would be taken up and would do justice to his pure thought and intention.

in coimbatore

2008-08-06T16:45:00.002+03:00

It's been a while since I penned here. I am on vacation.As usual, the days spent here in India are so full and satisfactory. There are people everywhere. Just a smile in return for one, then maybe a greeting to another person, then again a few sentences to a closer friend all makes a day more enjoyable. Even small talk is possible at a visit to the nearby shop. Although I'm not an extrovert, I love the atmosphere here, the freedom.

haze

2008-06-22T21:06:00.002+03:00

Today the haze has settled down, here in Doha and I could feel the full force of the summer sun once again. Till yesterday, the blue sky over Doha which I had adored and which enchanted me from the moment I landed here, had become invisible. A dusty screen, miles long was the culprit. This dusty atmosphere has become a frequent phenomenon of late.
Even last year the desert wind would blow creating a temperory haze which would settle as instantly. So, what has changed now ?
The met office says that scanty i.e practically nil rain is resposible for this. Maybe ! I strongly feel that this is due to the gigantic scale and pace in which this sleepy country is turning into one of the most happening places in this part of the world. This was mentioned in the papers too & they have used the term 'urbanisation'. So, you can imagine what is exactly taking place here.

45 - 50 degrees

2008-05-30T12:49:00.004+03:00

Very little separates Spring & Summer in Doha. As the warmth increases after winter, it is pleasant for a few days. The lingering memory of the cold blends with the slightly warm sunshine. The petunias, marigolds and the other flowers that line the roads, thrive in this combination and the drive through the traffic becomes an enjoyable experience. The colour soothes.
Then suddenly we are taken by surprise at the strength of the desert sun. He bears down hard. Summer makes a hot entry. The flowers start to wilt and so do we. The sun is up at 4.30 and by 6.30 in the morn, it is like noon. The air conditioner softens the harsh effect. If you have to move about in the sun , then it is like being being in a sauna.
Teaching in these conditions is tough. The air conditioner is not strong enough for a motley class. Concentrating becomes tougher for the teacher as well as the students, in the afternoon. I too wait for the 1.30 bell.
Now, it is not the end. There is still the bus ride in the midst of high pitched crowd of about 50 children. They are now full of energy & talking non-stop. Sweat streams from their faces but it does not make them uncomfortable. I frown at the trickle running down my spine. The baked bus cannot be cooled enough for our comfort and so, the children put down the windows. A slight breeze now blows and it forms a refreshing cloak around me. But soon, it turns into hot air. I feel I am in a suffocating sauna. Luckily, I am one of the first to get off and I run to the comfort of home.

my new role

2008-05-08T11:20:00.002+03:00

I have donned a new role,that of a teacher in a school. Here is a place where patience is tried and vocal chords are tested . Unfortunately there are no management books on "How to Manage a class of 30 over-excited pre-teens". I'm sure it would benefit many a teacher.

I had this conversation with my 11 year old son :

me, " There are a few children in a class who are 3-4 years older than they should be for that level. It is very difficult to keep them attentive and control them ".

my son," adult education is indeed a tough job ".

link to timeline(india)

2008-05-08T11:06:00.003+03:00

Indian History & civilization is ancient. Sadly, we learnt only the Mughal dynasty in detail & a little about the other ancient rulers like Asoka, Maurya's etc. Here is India's Timeline which has been put in a simple ,yet effective manner . I found this easy to understand . To any enthusiast of India's history, here is the link -
http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/timeline/timeline.htm

Mumbai

2008-05-07T19:04:00.004+03:00

As a stay at home Mom, I have been lucky to have experienced many memorable moments.
We lived in many a home in different settings.
At my Mumbai home, the feeling was one of claustrophobia. It was a 1 bedroom apartment. To a girl brought up in a spacious home in a quiet Bangalore suburb of Jayanagar, Bombay was itself a culture shock. Apartments were unknown to me and the house on the 4th floor epitomised everything that I had heard Bombay(sorry..Mumbai) stood for. But I found the space that I missed. It was on the terrace of the building. After my work in the morning I would sun myself there. I enjoyed the moments as I looked out to see the grazing fields of the diary farm(Aarey milk colony) adjoining our residential complex. I had never before seen such large black buffaloes. The proximity to these bovine animals had a drawback; abundance of giant mosquitoes. We were saved from them by the light of day. I could even see the small hills surrounding this city on one side.
There was a small lane that would turn into our colony from the Western Express Highway. A few minutes down the lane and we would feel it become cooler and of course it was calm. Today, I know that this lane is no more and there is a four lane road passing through the same area. Maybe the view too has changed for anybone who has the time to go out onto the terrace like me !

2008-04-29T09:00:00.002+03:00

I have partially got the hang of blogging now. It is not very difficult even for a reticent person like me. I would love to add many more sections like music, travel etc. I have to still learn to get people into reading my blog,of course if they find it intersting :-) and then get their reactions.

So, anybody out there ? You are free to post your reactions

Yoga Year

2008-04-29T08:34:00.005+03:00

A few months ago, the Madhya Pradesh govt. introduced Yoga in the schools. I viewed this as a positive development. In these days of adult diseases among children like obesity, stress, diabetes etc. a healthy start to the day at least in schools was a great idea. Moreover, the whole world has adopted India's ancient way of healthy living. In fact I was surprised to see that America is celebrating 2008 as the "Yoga Year". In Doha, the education council has started a campaign to increase the questioning mentality of its population aptly named 'Ever Wondered'. And, Yoga was the first of its features.So, this form goes past the boundaries of strict religion.

What does India do at this announcement ? As everything today, it created a controversy. And soon this initiative was made optional. The various Chinese & Japanese forms like Karate & currently Tai Chi have been accepted readily in our soceity but something which is indigenous knowledge is being debated on whether all sections of people can practise yoga.

DAWN

2008-04-25T18:58:00.002+03:00

How do I select the best
Sunrise I have seen
Classify it in degrees
of pleasure given me ?
Or sing superlatives
new to every morn?

Enchanted I was, one dawn,
At the strips of orange
as coconut trunks and fronds
made him peep at me.

On another, I saw him plainly,
Over the city space
Another day to be,
up, alive and about.

Glowing and fresh he has been
after a twelve hour rest
hazy too sometimes
A night of sleep disturbed.

Perfect circle he is
a border well-defined
smudged face otherwise
fading into, behind.

To the critics-Not a perfect poem,
inconsistent syllables too,
But it is one from the heart
of a sun worshipper true.

cheer leaders expose culture dilemma

2008-04-25T10:30:00.006+03:00

The IPL cricket tournament is sure generating more HEAT in the Indian Summer in every sense of the term. Fireworks, Bombshells, International cricketeers and of course cricket itself.

Yesterday, the ministers in Mumbai at last had enough of the blatant body display and spoke their mind to the press. They want this to be stopped. Well, it was to be expected. I was wondering at the delay in this protest.

Even though an ordinary Indian is bombarded with lude and nude dances from films and albums. It must be a different matter for them to see these bosomy, white dancers in flesh !and so much of it ! At every venue,I'm sure the men must be rushing to catch the front row seats.

Can you blame them ? Even today most of India' women are clad from head to toe. Now the spectators can sing the popular song from Guru " Ek Lo , Ek Muft" , the English translation in this context being "Buy Ticket for Cricket and get a freeshow" , loudly.

Now what do our know it all newsreaders do? They are all excited. To them any dissent towards Art, Movies etc in the name of culture is like a personal barb. Yesterday, the NDTV newsreader made this statement after reading this particular news about the cheerleaders, he said "What is Indian Culture ?" in a most sarcastic tone & laugh.
Have these 30+ snobs been imported from some other country ?Why do they make a mockery of anything traditional or ancient or historical? Oh ! they are a global channel and I think the rules for broadcasting are that they have to denounce these and glorify everything modern. Is'nt there a middle path ?
India has gone this far today because of her traditional and cultural strength . I'm sure she will survive the current, brash set of news men/women who are and want to be Global Citizens rather than Indians and are trying to influence the youth in being the same.

2008-04-23T11:21:00.002+03:00

Continuing my topic on the construction going on here,
A few days ago,I was standing with my son in front of our building to see him off to school. In front, there is a smalll plot which looks to be the site of another building. Almost all the empty space in front is gone & in place stands blocks of apartments. I am sure a person in one can shake the hands of another through the window.
My son made these hypothecations. He said that if we were in India, the children could have got together to sign a letter to Dr. Abdul Kalam and if he were the president he would have surely responded by constructing parks everywhere for children !
India's former president sure has made an impact on children as a person who could get things done.

View

2008-04-23T11:15:00.002+03:00

The Corniche View from terrace

When I came here 2 yrs ago, a view from the terrace of our 5 storied building was a pleasing one. To the east, there were the beautiful villas spread out with lots of greenery in every compound. Looking even further, I could glimpse stretches of sand with dotted with desert plants.

Today, all this has been obscured by buildings. They are built in such a manner that the only open area is the entrance which also doubles up as the parking lot and that too only for a few cars(the rest have to be parked on the road).People cannot even take a walk around the building. Children ? Well, it does'nt matter to anyone that they have to be cooped up in the house all day. Maybe this is the case of developing cities everywhere.

Luckily, I still have my view to the North East spanning the Corniche`, and the changing colours of the water in the bay. This soothing experience may be taken away as I see a huge trench(for a foundation, obviously) being dug up nearby.

2008-04-22T20:54:00.004+03:00

Journeying through life, imagine you are at a traffic signal which has just turned red. You are sure it is not going to change for quite some time. you are waiting and waiting...
Do you sometimes switch off the engine or keep it running.
If you are in the middle lane. Then what ? when the light turns green, where will you be ? To the left , everyone will zip past. And to the right, they will go slowly but surely to their next stop. But where will your lane go ? Or where will you go ?

I feel I am in life's middle lane. As in age, direction and destination. Hence, the title to this blog.

websites for kids

2008-04-22T20:15:00.004+03:00

Here are 2 websites which I liked . There are crosswords and other activities for kids.

I had called over a few children from the neighboring buildings and engaged them in various activities during holidays.
I printed some of these pages and would give it to them. They loved the brain teasers ;more so because it was done in a group.

billybear4kids.com
apples4theteacher.com

A NEW FRIEND

2008-04-22T09:45:00.001+03:00

Here is a small story I wrote for kids

Madhur, an energetic 7 year old made his way through slush to the little patch of green. Having stamped this path often, he knew it was solid ground there. He had a long fishing pole in one hand and a small bucket of wriggly worms in the other. Madhur carefully tied one to the fishing rod. He wondered why his friends felt ‘Yucky’ at the sight of these cute creatures. Sitting on his haunches, he let down the rod ever so gently into the translucent water. He couldn’t see anything below but knew there was booty in colourful fishes there.

Madhur had never tasted fishes as his mother never cooked any. The fish which he would catch would go into his aquarium collection. As he was wondering what type of fish he would be lucky to get, he felt a little tug on the fishing line. At the same instance, he felt something soft land on his head.

He looked into the water and to his surprise; it was the weirdest green frog he had ever seen. Was it his imagination? Did it smile at him? He shook hard to dislodge it but the creature refused to move. Madhur almost jumped next when Greeny (the name seemed to suit him) dashed his tongue to catch a fly hovering around his head.

Tentatively, Madhur stretched his hand to touch Greeny. He expected it to vanish, but it stayed on. Madhur also liked the feel of Greeny’s soft legs on his head. He looked around and saw that it was twilight. He knew that it would become dark soon. He had to go home now. As if sensing this, Greeny darted away into a nearby bush. Loudly singing a happy song, Madhur gathered his things. He was not sorry for the lost catch; instead, he had made a friend. He knew Greeny would be at this same place on his next visit.

not updating changes&new posts

2008-04-22T09:38:00.003+03:00

yesterday, i did a lot of formatting & added new posts. now my blog is the same without any of the changes. it is really frustrating. i tried all the help tips. cleared my temp. internet files. looked up site in another browser. nothing mis working. help !!

SMELLS of the CITY

2008-04-21T10:07:00.001+03:00

I wrote this for a website which had given the title 'city smells'. Someone read it & told me they cldnt understand. So, good luck :-) Hope you do!

The sun is just warming up the neighbourhood. Soon, a glint through the leaves of the Neem tree catches my eye. This slowly turns into a mellow ray and, as I am about to glance away, I am bathed in a shower of sunlight. Rays of soothing heat lets off the bitter, medicinal aroma of the leaves.

A slightly cold breeze pushes at my skirt urging me to drift along. ‘I see a lot. Much more than anyone’, breeze tells me. “I am happy with what I can see”, I murmur under my breath. I do not want to go. I stamp my feet against the floor. I feel a shove. I am adrift. He is by my side but it is not reassuring enough.

We fly past the gate and encounter the rotten smell of the previous day strewn around by cats, dogs and bandicoots in search of waste to fill their stomachs. We crinkle our noses and drift some more.

Empty crates are stacked on the road-side. Packets of milk that were in the crates are gone. They were delivered at doors of many a house when still dark. Some leaky packets have left behind a puddle that sent milky ness wafting out to us. We find ourselves smiling for no particular reason. Suddenly, we are pushed by a great gust.

Turning a corner we see a ‘greens’ hawker filling large bags hanging on his bicycle. His mouth is shut but soon he would holler his arrival. The sound would pierce through walls and vibrate in everybody’s ears. We get a refreshing whiff of mint as he lifts a bundle.

Sun’s warmth is evaporating the remaining wetness on the road and we encounter dust coated moisture as it rises. ‘This smell is not unlike rain ‘, I think.

We are carried further in a strong draft of air. Morning is progressing and so also activities. The satisfying warmth in the air is turning into scorching heat. Buses are racing each other to get to the next stop first and hence more customers. Their horns are blaring. Fresh air is slowly giving way to burnt diesel. ‘These monsters can cut ether in two”, I think. Now, we hear brakes being applied and a bus stopping with reluctance. We move towards the stationary bus. Speed, bus, and brakes give a name to this smell which reaches us before we even see it ; that of fresh blood.

What had the monster trapped? As we brush past few witnesses, I see familiar clothes, body and lastly face. Mine. I look around. The fading breeze smiles and says again, “I see a lot more than you!”

Am ‘I’ the one who is taking in the sun-shower? Is the form flying around, me? Whose is the soulless body? I do not want the burden of these questions and I struggle to stop them. A nauseating smell of dried urine mixed with food being fried strikes me and quells the confusion. I open my eyes and as I get a view of the commotion in the bus-stand, I feel a crick in my neck. I have reached my destination but the questions remain.

today, yesterday

2008-04-20T14:30:00.000+03:00

In today's internet world, everyone wears their heart on their blogs. For some, just communicating so freely is unthinkable. For others it is still hard to let go in the World WILD Web! if you are from the old world, its a step at a time.

FORGET --
1. That you had to wait months to get a phone connection. You would get that prized black phone – only if you had good connections at the city telecom off.
As a newly married, it was worse. You had to plan the day & the time your parents would call you a week in advance. And remember that day! If you forgot, you would be left feeling guilty till the next call. All this would be done at the house of a friend since you would not have a connection, remember ?

2. Mobile was a term used as a prefix for libraries & hospitals. Not something you held in your hand.

3. That calling long distance (STD ... The people who coined this surely had a poor medical vocabulary :~) ) to say something urgent or important was at the mercy of the telephone lines. Your fingers would go weak from dialing. In case you were lucky to get through, you would have to be prepared for the asthmatic wheeze and cough making conversation difficult.

4. That if you had a mobile, you would not have told as many lies as people do today ; )
“ I’m almost there…”( when he is a mile away), I’m stuck at a traffic signal … (when he shut off his alarm & got up late), I am on my way to see you…. ( and he never turns up) …

5. You had to go to the library & sneeze your way to the information you wanted or just look longingly at the costly book in the bookshop.

Maybe there’s more to forget ,
Once you forget all these, then you are ready to click away without hesitation.

bridge

2007-10-02T09:40:00.001+03:00

Today in India the word ' bridge' only means 'sethusamudram' and as every colloquial name in India , you have a British one too. For this it is Adam's Bridge. This has fired up everyone's imagination. People are digging into history books to see if Ram existed. What do you do if it is NOT recorded in the language spoken by the most no. of people on this planet - English in India( a recent recorded survey says this) Do you just say "It is Grandma's Tales" (courtesy Barkha dutt of NDTV)
Our historains are a special lot. I think they just endorse what history was unearthed by our foreign rulers. To be fair to them they have brought in many a monument under the heritage list. But is that enough ? How do you explain history in thousands of years to our young generation. Why are we being short- sighted to the past ?
We are unlike America which has a very short history after blotting out that of the native Indians. But why are we hiding ours ? There are enough ancient texts which would surely bring a cohesiveness to the past.
But then we feel that we should not let that past see the light of today because it concerns one sect of people.
This is the sad phase of secularism.

Pink for the first time.

2007-09-30T10:43:00.001+03:00

I selected this pink template although I've never been a pink person. Lately, I somehow find my cupboard with 3 sets of awfully pink dresses. being a woman, should pink be an obvious choice. Looking around in fashionable stores today, it seems so. The slippers, shoes with all the baubles and the nauseatingly 'girlish' embellishments. On the pick -up bus at Dubai airport I saw this 7-8 year old all done up in shades of pink and to this was added a pink crown with 'sexy' written on it. Do the parents knowingly allow this, is this an o.k thing or am I the one living in another era ? I have been around quite a while and hence the title. I was different. Very. But not in today's terms where 'different ' means only one thing. That is sexual orientation.