Just Like That!

World Cup 2011: Framing the moment!

2011-04-04T21:17:00.011+10:00

Ooh, I don't remember feeling such a high in a very long time. And, I think, it will be so for a while. When I went to bed on 2nd April (actually 3rd here in Australia) at 5 am, I found it hard to fall asleep. In fact, as it happens after any important exam, I kept getting dreams where 4 runs of 1 ball were required & oh, I would wake up only to realise that the reality is sweeter than dreams. India has won the World Cup!

Now, that I love ~~cricket~~ Sachin is no secret. But then, doesn't Sachin equal cricket? Anyway, so this World Cup was a very important one for me. His last WC and all...I was hoping that India win it, of course and that Sachin get a 'Man of the Series' and 'Man of the Match in the final'. One of the three wishes came true. But, thankfully it was the right one.

Due to the time difference, we only watched the first innings of all the matches. And, very early in the tournament I realised that if we continue to ball and field the way we were, we don't stand a chance! Now, I don't know much about bowling (having concentrated on watching ~~batting~~ Sachin through out my life). But, this inference was not difficult even for me. Anyway, India did very well in Quarter and Semi Finals.

And then the finals on 2nd April 2011- Saturday, which suited us perfectly well as we had Sunday to catch up on sleep. After the toss goof up, when Sri Lanka chose to bat, I thought if India have to be World Champion , they must earn it against all odds. So, the outcome of toss should not matter. And then, after the first five overs, I said to Ritesh, "I think its going to be one-sided match, look at the way we are bowling, Zaheer Khan-3 maidens, and bowling is not even our strength". But, it seemed, Jayawardene (and to some extent Sreesanth too :)) played to prove me wrong. Ritesh went to work on his assignment and I started following the game through my mobile on cricinfo. After making all the Indian bowlers completely ineffective, Sri Lanka made 274. Again, some drama- India had bowled very slowly and as a result there would be a very short break. When Harsha Bhogle said that Sehwag and Tendulkar might have to miss supper and come out to bat, I was tensed. That's when Ritesh asked me if I wanted chocolate milk :) Now, the match was being telecast here from 11.45 pm which was precisely the start of Indian batting. So, no more streaming was required.

Ok, as the openers walk to the field, I say to Ritesh, I want Sehwag to be there at least for 15 overs. I don't want all the pressure on Sachin. As if I had jinxed it, Sehwag gets out on the second ball. And then, soon Sachin gets OUT. Needless to say, then all the pressure was on me! Ritesh said, "Ya, this is going to be one-sided, but in favour of SL". I called mom and started ranting- "He deserves this cup, he has been playing for 21 years, this is just NOT FAIR". Mom said, "Beta, abhi baaki log hai na, woh khelenge, jeet jayenge beta:)". Though, she confessed that she is also watching some movie on the side so that her blood pressure doesn't rise. Talk about cricket crazy people. My yet to be 6 year old nephew, Arjun has been hearing about World Cup through out the month and how Indians might get it and had a genuine query about the distribution of one cup to so many Indians.

Just when I was about to give up hope, Gambhir and Kohli showed promise. Ritesh temporarily abandoned his assignment and joined me. And when our heart-beats were getting normal, Kohli was caught and bowled by Dilshan. That got Ritesh & I into discussing some finesse of cricket like what would happen if a batsman hits a ball towards the other batsman and he hits it as well. And we kept building on that hypothesis as to if that ball crosses the boundary, who gets runs for that and similarly, if some fielder catches it, who's out? We would have continued but, then Dhoni got to bat. And then, there was no looking back. We WON!!! With a SIX!!! And that's when they stopped the telecast. We quickly started to stream to be part of the celebrations and the presentation-ceremony. Oh, it was amazing! Excitedly, phone calls were made and received. "Alright, now I'm happy, Sachin can retire whenever he wants to and even I'll retire from watching cricket then", said I. But wait, let that 100th century come along & did I hear that Indian team is visiting Australia this summer. Well then, I'm not retiring just yet!

Roti Making made easy...

2011-03-16T20:59:00.001+11:00

In her pursuit to make our lives easy, (without any domestic help available here), my mum sent us Roti Maker a few months back. And my, it has really changed our lives. For all those who ask whether 'roti' really puffs? does it come out soft? Here's the proof. Check the video we shot yesterday while making rotis after coming back from office...

Out in Kangaroo Valley

2011-03-13T16:29:00.060+11:00

We decided to make the most of 'Canberra Day' long weekend. The plan was to go out somewhere near by for a couple of days, so that we could be back by Sunday, just relax at home on Monday and be ready for office (which basically is loading the freezer for the week days).

We started at about 1.30 in the afternoon on Friday from office directly, filled Petrol, bought some chips and 'Up & Go' and hit the Federal highway. We were going to Kangaroo Valley which is a small town, 200 km east of Canberra. It was overcast in Canberra since morning and we expected the weather to be same in Kangaroo Valley too, given its vicinity to rain forest. Its approach has about 20 km of very winding road. We didn't want to drive through it on wet road in the dark and hence, left early. The drive was pretty smooth, in fact uneventful till just before those hairpin turns, I started having a mild headache. I've learned through years of experience (!) that the best way to avoid motion sickness in such conditions is to drive myself. So, I took over the wheels and we proceeded.

We crossed the Hampden Bridge (which was build in 1898 and is the oldest surviving suspension bridge of Australia) and entered Kangaroo Valley.

We had booked at a place owned by an old couple. They lived on the ground floor and a 'studio' on the first floor was rented out. The wife is a painter herself and some of her paintings adorned the walls of the studio.

Book shelf in the studio.

The kitchen window overlooking the church below-

Between Ritesh & I, we had carried 5 books. Our plan was catching up with reading and sleeping a lot. But, on seeing the cupboard full of books, we

decided to check those books out. I chose one of an Australian Writer- Emma Robertson (in fact, she lives just outside Canberra) Wits' end before breakfast- Confessions of a working mum. It was a fun read, have read about three quarters of it in our one and half day stay there. I plan to check the local library to get a copy and finish reading the rest of it. Ritesh picked one on United Nations, published in 1963, to see how things were then. We had dinner and retired early that day.

Next day, we set out to go from one gallery to another. 'Kangaroo Valley' has a population of 350 people. In that there are 14 artists. No wonder, this town has a character. There are lots of paintings of various artists, wood-work, metal sculptures, glass work, pottery in various art galleries located on a single street. We started with the wood gallery.

Loved these rocking horses, wanted to buy one of these for Arjun. But, remembered that these can't gallop all the way to India on their own.

Wooden cookware and some birds carved out...

After this, the next gallery had glass wares. While I drooled over the totally unaffordable and very beautiful vases, Ritesh busied himself admiring the metal artifacts. Have a look...

A diver ready for the act-

Below: An astronomer using his telescope...

We then visited a shop which sold artefacts made in India and Bali. We absolutely loved a mirror with its carved frame, which was made in Bali. It reminded me of Rajasthani Jharokha. Having decided to buy it on our way back, we went to a nursery near by. It was a very hot day and being amidst plants helped. Actually, Kangaroo Valley is surrounded by a lot of greenary. And the best thing about being there was we could see works of art everywhere. See the statue we saw in the garden of the studio we were staying...

Very simple, yet so powerful.

Lovers' embrace...

Tired of walking all afternoon and that heat, we came back to our room just in time to escape the pouring which began soon after. Lightening struck left, right and centre. I was quite scared to be surrounded by all the trees and living in a wooden cabin. Anyway, it subsided and by the time we could go out again, all the galleries were closed. We went out for dinner and then tried to follow the India- South Africa World cup match on Ritesh's mobile. For some time, we wished we could have watched the match live. However, after Sachin's dismissal, it certainly was not worth it. Early in the morning, Ritesh checked the score and news and told me the outcome. I was happy to have missed watching such a disappointing match. Anyway, I had decided that I would not let bad weather (or poor performance) spoil my mood. So, I got up, packed the bags and we went out for breakfast. Poached eggs, mushrooms and baked beans on toast with a cup of tea helped me keep my promise towards self. We then went to pick up the goodies we had selected (and could afford) from various galleries (actually just two) the previous day.

Ritesh secured the mirror at the back seat and put the seat-belt around it. We were then, ready to go. I again took the driver's seat. Ritesh asked me thrice if I really wanted to drive. First time I considered it as a husband's concern for his beloved wife, second time, I thought it might be his concern towards himself. But, then finally when he asked a third time I realised that the real reason was the fun of driving on that twisty, turny road. I explained him that my getting sick would ultimately prove a mis-adventure for both of us and he understood. Our next stop was Fitzroy falls.

On our way to Fitzroy Falls...

The Falls...

We took a walk in the forest (actually there are walking paths, so it's not really in the forest) to go to another lookout.

On our way, we observed a woman, touching the lizards which were wandering and her kids getting very excited. I looked at Ritesh and said, "I think we are pseudo nature lovers", if there is such a term.

Fitzroy Falls from another point.

On our way back, we spotted remains of a Banksia Tree. Ritesh of course, could not resist a toilet joke!

Doesn't this tree look like it is straight out of a fairy-tale?

That was all the sight seeing we did. We came back home feeling very refreshed. Ok, we were tired physically, but what I meant was we had a good break. And, now the mirror we bought-

This is a rectangular piece, the angle at which I clicked photo makes it look trapezoidal.

Here, with the windows closed :)

The Grand Plan!

2011-01-19T00:01:00.009+11:00

There was a time while evaluating my life, I asked myself, “Am I enjoying the work? Where am I heading to in my career?” The answer to the first question was a definite YES and to the second one was Hmm..NO IDEA. That’s when I decided to sit back and analyse all the options I had. Taking GMAT, doing all the research required for admissions, meanwhile getting another year of experience and then applying to some good B-schools was my plan.

That was precisely the time when he came in my life. We started exchanging e-mails and then phone calls. I was very reluctant to commit to anything first as I thought it might divert my focus from the exam I had planned to take. But, we kept talking anyway and don’t know exactly when I let my guards off. I remember ditching my friends mid way while shopping to be able to be at home and have a good, long chat with him. I became aware of his sensitive side, his witty side and his ability to look at the funny aspect of a serious situation.

My exam was done and our phone bills kept soaring up. I started thinking of ‘our relationship’. I waited for a few weeks, but he seemed to be in no hurry. So, I decided to stir up his emotions, and in our next conversation, I told him that I was working on the list of B-schools I want to apply to. I said I plan to hurry up the process and asked if he had any schools in mind. He very coolly said that I should apply to ‘Harvard’ with my such a good score. And, he went on about how I should work on my application. Normally, I would be happy to hear it from someone, especially if that someone was the one I liked…but, not on that day. Logic was beyond me then, Yes, I was smitten!

After hanging up the phone, I kept thinking that why couldn't he say Melbourne Business School or any other school for that matter, closer to where he was? I thought either guys really don’t understand any hints or he is completely fine with my going to the other side of the world. Well, I was sad and annoyed at the same time. But, my thought process was interrupted by his call. As soon as I picked up the phone, he asked if I planned to start my MBA that year itself. I said, “Yes, why do you ask?” “Because,” he said, “I have a different plan…”

Well, today we enter the fourth year of that plan.

Happy Anniversary, Ritesh!

Water Water everywhere...

2011-01-14T18:55:00.008+11:00

It has been disheartening these past few days with the floods in Queensland- also called 'Sunshine State' otherwise. 'Flash flooding' as occurred here is a kind of inland Tsunami. Water comes gushing in within a matter of a few hours and sometimes just a few minutes. When it began in South East Queensland, people were taken in by surprise, vehicles and houses washed away. In other places, people were prepared and evacuated in time, but when we are talking of water levels of 10s of meters, it is not possible to save the buildings or the belongings. I was in Gold-Coast, Queensland last month. The numerous waterways within the city can be viewed from the plane. The sight is beautiful. And then, there were these gorgeous villas on the banks of the river, with boats and ramps going into the river. I thought, they were ideal holiday homes as Australians love water so very much. I dare not think of what has become of those houses now.

Crisis situations like these, make heroes out of ordinary men. We hear stories of people bravely saving trapped neighbours, elderly, kids on radio all the time. And, I must say the media here is doing a good work. Sensationalizing tragedies for their benefit is so common these days that if a TV channel doesn't do it, I am surprised, even find it extraordinary. Here, whenever I switch on the TV, of course I see the unbelievable scenes of properties, roads drawn under water, but also tales of how the Queenslanders are helping each other in the mammoth cleaning process and how willing Australians across the states are to help the affected with food and essentials. And I must say, that not only the channels like ABC and SBS, but all the local channels too are spreading this positivity. I am happy to see that the media has not completely lost its conscience. They say Queenslanders are bred tough. Yes, their resilience reminds me of 'Spirit of Mumbai'.

Also, I have started admiring Anna Bligh, (the Queensland Premier), more with her every speech. If true leaders are not born in a crisis, they are certainly identified in one.

Changed times...

2010-07-25T20:10:00.004+10:00

Not long ago, we talked about 'glass-ceiling' for women. The challenges faced by women in both professional and personal life made good interview questions for female candidates... I myself have dealt with many such questions during job and MBA entrance interviews.

What made me write this article is the current campaign, with the Australian National election just round the corner. The opposition leader- Tony Abbot is infamous among women due to his chauvinism and arrogance. With the election so close by, which leader would want to anger half of the electorate? So, he has decided to talk about women in his life- his wife, his mum, his sisters, his deputy & so on at every given chance to appease women (voters) who can change his life...

The best bit I found so far was he urging the voters (in the closing statement of today's leader's debate- with PM Julia Gillard) to cast their votes based on 'capability' and 'policies' of the leader, not the 'gender'! Whoa...Look, things have turned 180 degrees.

The East-West Divide

2010-07-04T21:20:00.003+10:00

Australia...in spite of being so much to the east in the world, is called a Western country. Well, culturally it might be.

But, this FIFA world-cup, I do declare that it is a very eastern country...And that is why we are very much ahead of the world (in terms of sun time!). All the matches, telecasted live are shown late in the night. And, 4.30 am is late night for me, not early morning.

Missed the quarter finals... SOB :(

You know...

2010-06-24T10:23:00.003+10:00

You have put on extra flab...
When in a perfectly romantic moment, hubby dear holds your waist & says…

Hey, look at this…I like your love handles!

Complexion complex!

2009-07-12T13:04:00.003+10:00

I remember the time when fairness cremes started advertising full on in India. I was in my early teens then.
Once, my cousin and I bought one of those 'pink and white' tubes of promised fairness & loveliness. My mom was quite disapponted and angry on seeing that. Disappointed -because she thought I am kind of losing my innocence (and focus towards studies :)) by getting influenced by such adds and angry- because she knew the potential harm such cremes can cause, both to the skin and confidence. She explained that it may disturb the balance of melanine in the skin and one may end up with white spots!
With more and more cosmetic products flooding the Indian markets, I found that the 'fairness formula' was extended to moisturizers, hair-removing cremes and what not. I always tried to avoid such products.

Years later, in Australia when I went to buy a body-lotion for winters, I observed a reverse trend... Most of the facial & body lotions say- "Use regularly and enjoy a natural tan in days".
Oops, isn't it equally sad?

Last Weekend

2009-01-30T10:08:00.012+11:00

...was a long one for us here too. 26th January is celebrated as Australia Day, hence a National holiday. This day is to commemorate the arrival of the 'first fleet' from England to Australia.

We went in the evening to attend the celebration near the 'Lake Burley Griffin'. There were some boat-races, surfing, rowing, some army-men landing on the lake...Here are some of the pics taken by a friend from his Nikon D50.

All this while music was going on. We sat just beside the lake on the lawn, munching on chips and sipping tea, enjoying the evening. The highlights were spectacular fire-works after dark. Some more pics...

A drive down memory lane

2009-01-06T15:43:00.034+11:00

...we decided to take on accepting the invitation from Ritesh's friend, Nikhil in Adelaide.

Ritesh had a complete 8 day shutdown (from 25th Dec to 1st Jan) in his office and we were planning our vacations when his friend called. Adelaide anyway, is very close to Ritesh's heart as he has spent his initial years after coming to Australia for doing his Masters there. Made great friends out of complete strangers, who studied together, struggled together and had fun together.
Air-tickets at this time of the year are extremely costly, moreover we had a lot of time to spare and hence decided to drive all the way to Adelaide. It takes about 15 hours and 1200 km to reach there.

Ritesh, being a very methodical person (unlike me, that's why we make a good couple ;)), searched on net, discussed with his colleagues and came up with the best possible route to take.
2 days journey with a night halt in between was the plan.

We left Canberra on Christmas day at around 11 in the morning and half of our luggage was food. We were adviced to carry lots with us as we were travelling on Christmas and Boxing day when not only the food-joints but many fuel-stations too remain closed which we observed was right. It was a clear, sunny day and our spirits were high, thanks to the methi parathas, cookies, chips, fruit-juice, museli bars etc we carried with us. After a couple of hours, the sun was so bright that I was sitting in the car with my hat and summer coat on, and of-course had applied sunscreen generously.

We forced ourselves to eat a peach & a banana each (to minimise wastage) before entering a 'fruit-free' region. The idea is to save the crops from fruit-flies; nobody is allowed to bring fruits and tomatoes in that region. There are bins kept specially for this purpose. We emptied whatever little amount of fruits left with us. We disposed off the tomatoes, we carried for making veg-sandwitches and were ready to go when we noticed a board with a warning saying- Maximum penalty can be upto Aud 11,000. Oops! We threw our cucumber too (just in case..)

I saw what Australian Outback is like. We were going on a road in between plain grounds with absolutely no surprises...the kind which makes you want to believe that the earth is flat! Have a look...

There was no vehicle in view for more than 1.5 hours, no village, no town, no trace of any living-being(except ofcourse the two of us).

The wait seems longer if you are in urgent need after having consumed a couple of litres of liquids.
Wondering, what we did then...Well, some things are better kept secret!

We finally reached 'Hay', our destination for that day. Had cup-o-noodles for dinner & retired early.

We started at about 8 the next morning and kept taking short breaks after a couple of hours to relax, refill or exchange seats. We entered Adelaide at about 5 in the evening. We were welcomed at Nikhil-Mohini's place with hot poha & tea. I must admit that we were sufficiently refreshed before we planned to visit Glenelg Beach.

Us on the jetty...

Do we look tired here?

The beach

Among several locations for British settlements in 'South Australia', Adelaide was chosen by Governor Hindmarsh in 1836.

The Britishers came on Glenelg Beach, the anchor used then is also preserved here.

(Just observed while writing this post that Glenelg is a Palindrome.)

We waited till the sunset

and it was certainly worth it!

Couldn't stop from clicking this where kids were having a gala-time with small fountains of water randomly coming out of floor...

We spent a day catching up with friends and shopping with a 36 hours sale going on. It starts after the boxing day and the shops remain open continuosly for 36 hours. That was one day when I wondered whether really Australia is the least populous continent on this earth.

Next day we went to the hills surrounding Adelaide. There is a beautiful town, Handorf which was settled by Germans in the early nineteenth century. There were lots of handicraft shops, old cafes on the main-street. We then went to strawberry farm.

I couldn't start collecting strawberries till I had completely filled myself with those fresh, delicious, red and juicy things.

After filling ourselves here, we went for wine tasting! And later in the evening, after missing a couple of EXITs, reached Mt. Lofty-the place which gives a complete view of Adelaide. There we decided to be a bit adventurous and went on a discovery trail, in between the forest.

With Nikhil & Mohini

(Clicked by hubby dear, in auto mode)

Next day,with others working, Ritesh and I drove through Adelaide, saw his university, his old apartment, the shop where he worked, all the places which were part of his life then. I was excited to get a peep into his student life. On the way, Ritesh told me about various 'heritage buildings' of Adelaide and how the owners are not allowed to change the exterior of those, no matter how modern they convert the interior into, to preserve the feel of 'that age'!

And yes, ofcourse we visited this!

That day, being our last in Adelaide, we all were awake till 2 in the morning. Then, we slept not because we had finished chatting but because those poor fellows had to go to work the next day. We woke up late, readied ourselves and all of us were out at 10am- they for office & we for Canberra.

On our way back, we were pleased that it wasn't a bright scorching sunny morning ...

But, rather a rainy & foggy one!

Only to realise that driving in such a weather was more difficult due to fast winds. And when the rain subsided, we were faced with dust storms... I am sure all this was just to make our drive back exciting.

On the next day, I missed a left turn while driving on a highway with speed limit of 110 kmph. Having soon realised my mistake, I stopped outside the left boundary of the road inorder to take a u-turn. Another car had stopped behind me, as I saw in the rear-view mirror. The thought that somebody else has done a similar mistake, lifted my spirits, but only for a few seconds. I saw a police-man coming out of that car towards us and gestured us to wait. Now, I was nervous...would be an understatement. I don't have an Australian license till date. I am legally allowed to drive on my Indian license but for some specified time and within that time it is required for me to procure the Australian license. How much that specified time is, I have no idea...

Standing practically outside a road and taking a u-turn is actually no offence. But, what if that officer was for random check or for some reason asked for my license. It was too late to exchange seat with Ritesh. So, all we could do was wait patiently. He told us that it was a high accident zone and lot of vehicles meet their fatal end by getting crushed. Oops, a very sad start. I was speechless. He then explained the right way to take a u-turn on such high speed zone roads. We thanked him and he went his way... A really nice man.

Praying for no more surprises we continued our journey, again passed through Narrandera, a place near which vast spans of plain lands are streched and nothing else. There's an Australian saying- 'One who passes through Narrandera is a man'! We stopped there to have a look at the World's largest playable guitar...

(Dimensions- 5.82m X 2.019 m)

And, finally we were back in Canberra on the eve of New year. After a great vacation, we decided to spend the first day of the year just relaxing and being together at home.

2009 : Setting the priorities right

2009-01-02T15:49:00.002+11:00

As the year on the calender changes, I would not ask for a job, or a career, or better salary, or better opportunity or for that matter some property. All I want and hope for is health and happiness of my loved ones. Because other things come into existence only when this primary is fulfilled.

Year 2008 has changed my life forever. No matter how much I try I can never be that carefree, talkative lil girl of the family again. What troubles me is the fact that I was not able to tell my dad enough about how much I adored and admired him.

I have been reminded of the impermanent nature of our life on earth and hence I have resolved that from now on I will explicitly make my feelings known towards all those who matter to me - my dear family and friends, thank them to be part of my life... so that when I leave they would know that I loved them very much!

Happy New Year All!

Socha hai... Kya ye kabhie?

2008-12-22T14:12:00.003+11:00

With time, I have realized, that the world is not as simple as I thought it to be. In my attempt to understand it, I kept asking myself a lot of questions...some trivial, some grave, some serious, some funny. Sharing some of them...

Why is the thought spoken less important than the language in which it is spoken?

Why is somebody else's admiration more important than our own satisfaction?

Why in India, an unreasonable bias towards a religion which is in minority is considered secular while speaking for the one followed by a majority brands you as an extremist?

Why does a successful person gets the right to preach others about anything under the sun?

Why do we fight most with the person we love the most?

Why is it that irrespective of how much (or less) we study, we are always short of a few hours for a perfect preparation for any exam?

Why in a restaurant do the dishes ordered on the table next seem more delicious than ours?

Why do we experience the calmest and sweetest sleep when the alarm has just 10 minutes to go?

Why are whats more important than whys and whens more important than hows? (Now, this can be confusing :))

Any answers to these? or more questions? Please do write in...

I love cricket ... Do I?

2008-12-15T09:35:00.004+11:00

Yes. Absolutely...would be my answer till about a few days back.

Ritesh and I had discussed cricket twice...no, thrice in the six months of our courtship. Ritesh says he was fairly impressed by my knowledge on the subject, though I had made it pretty clear that my interest in cricket starts and ends at Sachin Tendulkar.

Yesterday, when we came back from shopping for our home, Ritesh naturally first checked the 'cricinfo' site on his laptop to get the score of the ongoing India-England test-match. I have never entertained myself on something so dull. I mean reading every few seconds updates like- Flintoff to Gambhir (from South end): Played in the off-side, no run. No offence to the web-site. The amount of detail it updates about every single ball played in the game is certainly impressive!

Anyway, we went in the kitchen and our conversation breezing through various subjects moved towards my favourite and we (or I?) started talking about the decor we would have if and when we move to a bigger, better house. About half an hour later, I noticed Ritesh's pensive mood. Has he come up with some big idea? Curious to know his thoughts, I suggested that we sit comfortably in the living room and talk. Very gently, I asked him,"What are you thinking about, dear?" He replies,"Sometimes, I wonder that are all the cricket matches fixed? How come after having completely dominated England in the One day series, we are having such a tough time in the Test-match?"

Ahem, was he thinking about it all this while? Off go my coffee-table, flowers and lamps...

And, do I love cricket? Well, huh, it depends...I am not sure!

Getting up after a long-long time...

2008-12-03T13:06:00.009+11:00

It has been a week to Mumbai attacks. Though I was sitting with my laptop all this while, reading news and hoping everytime I logged in that it would be over, I hadn't written anything about it. I couldn't. I was enraged at the whole thing. How can someone enter our country and attack us so brutully? Ofcourse, they are the terrorists and they are supposed to do so. But, our leaders? How can they be so insensitive? Why couldn't the Patils react responsibly? Why wasn't our Prime Minister strong and convincing enough?

Are we, the citizens of India responsible for this situation? I have recently read Dr. Narendra Kohli's 'Yudhh', based on Ram-Katha, which describes the famous Ram-Ravan war. Towards the end, when it became evident that Ravan would be defeated in a matter of few days, a group of common man 'Aam Janta' from Lanka comes to visit Ram. Their leader tells Ram that they are innocent people who are not involved in politics and so it does not matter to them whether their ruler is Ram or Ravan. All they want is peace and the assurance that they wouldn't be harmed or robbed when Ram wins and Lanka's current king is overthrown.

Now, my favourite part is Ram's reply. Very patiently, he tells them that his army is people's army and a disciplined one. So, even after the victory, it would not indulge in looting and troubling people. "But, it is not a matter of pride at all to say that you are not involved or interested in politics. If you cannot differentiate between Ram & Ravan, it is not due to your peacefulness, but due to your cowardice and selfishness".

I feel it is very true and relevant even in today's scenario.

How many times sitting comfortably in our living rooms, have we discussed that we don't care about who is elected as long as our life continues the way it is?

How many times instead of going to cast our vote, we have elected to go for picnic to make use of that holiday?

Who has given these leaders the guts to behave so irresponsibly in a crisis situation like this?

Who has given them the freedom to show inactivity & take our security so lighly?

I believe this attack by Pakistan supported terrorists in the heart of our country's commercial capital was a wake up call for all of us. Even if the international community is showing concern and support, the truth is that all the countries have their own interests and priorities.
This becomes clearer if we analyze the dynamics of our position on the global platform from our independence till date.
Its time we realize that our nation's security is not only our responsibility but our right too. I wish our leaders could take a strong stand in a grave situation like this. What angers me is the urgency with which our PM had assured Pak that we would not attack it. Yes, we wouldn't but why open all our cards? I think we could have used this situation and have opted 'give and take' policy by saying that our decision would depend on the keen-ness (real) Pakistan shows in helping India solve this case.

Having said all this, I know that the time for inactivity is gone. We have to constantly keep our politicians on their toes and make them do some REAL work.

PS: I write this on December 3, the day on which 24 years back, Bhopal Gas Tragedy took place, killing thousands of people and affecting many others due to exposure to toxic gases.

This was the result of the use of poor maintenance and insufficient safety equipments/techniques in the Indian subsidiary of Union Carbide (a US based pesticide company) unlike its plants in the USA.The then chairman and CEO of UC- Warren Anderson was declared fugitive from justice by Indian Courts in 1992 and attempts for his extradition from US have not yet strongly made by our government.

O Lord Ganesha...

2008-09-09T16:55:00.007+10:00

Give me the happiness and Auspiciousness...Take the sorrows away!

These were verses we all were singing on this Sunday(7th Sept.) during Ganpati Visarjan.

We were quite excited when we came to know that we could get (had to book it beforehand) 'ganapati's idol, made of clay' from a temple near by and so we could celebrate 'Ganesh Chaturthi' here in Canberra as well.

There's a big enough Hindu community and Ganesh festival is being celebrated since 1995 here. Special permission is granted for Visarjan in a lake on the Sunday after 'Ganesh Chaturthi' every year.

About 50 people had gathered for the pooja and bhojan prasadam. As it was a multi-linguistic, multi-cultural crowd, bhajans were sung in various languages like Marathi, Kannada, Hindi, English etc. There were devotees who had settled in Australia from all parts of India. The lunch was pooled by all of us and was really an eclectic collection of Indian cuisines - from sambar rice to aloo-chhole(chick-peas), from payasam to halwa-barfi.

We were just a bunch of Indians collected to give a warm farewell to Ganapati.

Isn't it an irony that we have to move out of our country's border to come to think of it as a nation without internal boundaries?

So, after lunch, we all started for the lake. The Ganesha's idols in a ute, with a few people in it chanting 'Ganapati Bappa Morya' and about 25 cars following it. Oh, it was fun. We all were driving at a speed of 20 kmph in a 80 kmph zone, ofcourse we all stuck to the leftmost lane, letting the other vehicles pass by.

At the lake, a wooden half-bridge kind of structure let us to the middle of the water-body. Our excited chantings of 'Ganapati bappa Morya, Mangal Murti Morya' had attracted some Aussies, they even called their kids to see the colourful procession :)

As Ritesh stretched his arm to let go the Ganesh-statue in water, I noticed the change of his expression and felt a lump in my throat too.

On our drive back home, we discussed the significance of 'Ganesh -Visarjan', have found this piece on net which explains it pretty well.

What does little Birdie say?

2008-08-28T16:30:00.017+10:00

One of these days, while going for an afternoon walk (instead of morning walk, due to the cold weather), I passed through a stadium in our locality and came across a family playing a ballgame.

It was a wonderful sight. A young couple and their two kids (a son and a daughter) happily playing, playfully arguing. 'Picture Perfect' family in today's busy lifestyle. I wondered how come the parents are not at work on a Monday afternoon...

And then I remembered an incident of my childhood, when I was 5 year old and my elder brother and I commuted to school by bus. Our school was quite far off and my very responsible brother took care of me on our bus ride back and the walk from the bus-stop to our home.

After the school bell rang, we went in a queue to our respective buses, helped by a maid. One of my friends who lived near by was picked up by her mother, who stayed at home. I loved to see their union after school.

So, after a couple of days I went back home and asked my parents to come and pick me up from school , the next day. I also asked them to lift me up while I walk towards the bus. Everything planned, yes! My brother, more mature for the age he was, thought that it was an unreasonable demand as both of my parents were working and it was practically not possible for them to be present in the school at 1.30 in the afternoon.

But, I walked towards the bus next day, confident that I would not need to enter it. And I was right!

'They lift me from the queue, hug me tight and kisses shower.' Whoa... Just as I had imagined! My Mom had taken a day off from her college and my dad too had taken a half day leave from his bank. So, my brother and I didn't go by bus that day. Infact, we did not go home directly. We had lunch at our favourite restaurant, visited the toy shop, played in the park till the sunset. One of the most memorable days in my life till date :)

Years later, when I asked my mom that why did she take my silly demand so seriously, she replied that she wanted me to know that I could always count on her. She also explained that it is very important for a kid to know that her parents always have time for her, no matter how busy they are with the jobs. This assurance is required for a child's overall development. Great thinking , more so keeping in account the fact that they didn't have an easy access to child psychology books and internet then.

...I kept standing on a corner of the playground for, no idea how long, floating along the memories close to my heart, suddenly coming back to the present when I realised that it had started raining. Yes, I saw a drop on the ground. I looked up to see that the sun was shining brightly and there was no cloud in the sky.

I started walking homewards, feeling grateful towards my parents for making me what I am today - independent, confident, honest and brave...

The verses of a poem I had read in class I, and which was my mom's favourite of the lot then, come to my mind...

What does little Birdie say,
In her nest, at peep of day?
"Let me fly", says little Birdie,
"Mother, let me fly away";

"Birdie, rest a little longer",
"Till the wings are little stronger",
So, she rests a little longer,
Then, she flies away.

Perturbed...

2008-08-27T15:32:00.007+10:00

I am not able to concentrate on the work at hand from the time I have read - 'The Kite runner'.

Well, I have not finished reading it. I could not read past 70 something page. And, it is a 300+ page book. I am worried what lies ahead.

It is not that I have never read a book describing the bad deeds/tortures of a part of human race over other. Though, such thoughts have always made me sad, this one was different , had a worse effect.

The story is set in the 'pre-war' Afghanistan, that is before the U.S.S.R invasion. Even then, the split in the society on the basis of sects was very pronounced.

What disturbed me was the fact that a 10-11 year old kid with his two friends was able to mercilessly beat and torture another kid belonging to the other sect. What made the child filled with hatred to this extent towards a fellow human? The society? Yes, I think so. The schools confirmed (according to the book) the upper-hand of one sect over other and the older members of the society easily ignored serious offences committed by the kids of the so called better sect as playful tricks.

I am forced to think that where was this society anyway headed to?

No, this does not justify the erstwhile USSR invasion or the more recent US attacks. But, I am just trying to picture this- With the deep rooted hatred and violence and the very narrow mindset, minus the invasions... was it possible for Afghanistan to have started moving on the path of progress?

On the other side of the counter...

2008-08-15T16:11:00.017+10:00

With lot of free time at hand, I decided to be a bit adventurous in my job hunt. I thought, let me do something I have never done before but I think will be fun doing.

Shopping has always been a stress-buster for me and apparels -my passion. So, I went to an Australian fashion store to enquire about job opportunities there. I was selected after a couple of interviews as 'consultant' and was required to work for that brand in one of the biggest department stores. It all sounded quite exciting, that is untill I actually started working.

As I started my first day at work, I soon realised that it wasn't as creative as I thought it to be. My work basically was of selling clothes. And that required me to keep standing all day.

Though, I am an ardent shopper myself, I found it difficult to talk people into buying things that they didn't intend to. I soon realized that this isn't the kind of job I would love to do. And, if I continue, I wouldn't do justice to my work.

So, I quit just after 5 days of my employment.

But, in those 5 days I got a chance to know a few local people. One young girl, for whom I had developed liking, had passed her school and moved to Canberra from a small town and joined work here. She told that she too wished to go to the university some day like me but, she had not yet decided what subject she wanted to study and so was doing this job to earn a living.

Then, I met a Chinese woman who loved her job and was very enthusiastic to serve the customers. Though, her English wasn't fluent, she successfully managed to convey her message and was instantly liked by all for her friendliness.

During my short stint at work, I was able to understand the Aussie accent and even picked up a few one liners which obviously would come handy to me. Like , I now ask - "How are you going" when I meet someone instead of -How are you doing? That reminds me of an incident Ritesh told me about. His friend had joined a new job and his boss asked how was he going, to which the simple guy replied -By bus!!! Not his fault...

Bye-byes are difficult for me even if the acquaintance is as short as 5 days. It was over-whelming to see how my co-workers came over and spoke to me when they realised that I had planned not to continue the job. Some of them who knew about my background commented that they had expected it as I was too good for the job.

But, believe me, I left the job, not because I considered it lowly. Infact, I appreciate the way people work there, their enthusiasm and hard-work. But, I was not fit there, it was difficult to connect to that job and I think that it is important to be honest in what we do, to be able to do it properly.

On my way back from work on the last day, sitting in the bus, lost in contemplation, I was going over the conversation which I had with my colleagues again and again. I even started doubting my decision.

When I sighted Ritesh on the bus-stop, waiting to pick me up, I was delighted having realised for the first time that day that I don't need to go back to that work any more.

As I sat in the car , I knew that my decision was right... If I'm so glad at the thought of quitting the job, how can I be happy in continuing it?

From Bangalore to Canberra ...and beyond

2008-07-30T16:26:00.004+10:00

While I was doing my engineering, I always wanted to go , work in Bangalore (India).Whenever my friends asked the reason for this desire, I replied that I feel like going there.I wasn't ever sure of the reason myself.Though, I had read an article about Bangalore which said that it's the most romantic place in the country and a survey said that there were more hunks than beauties there and I think that the above facts certainly played a role.Afterall, when you are young, don't you live in your own fantasy world?Like a child walking on a sea-shore, without knowing which pebble she'll pick to add to her treasure.

Well, so I went to bangalore.Though, I had a better reason to justify my going there.I got a job with Wipro Technologies during campus recruitment, Bangalore being its headquartes had a lot of opportunities and so I went there to be in the midst of activity. On landing there, I instantly fell in love with the city.The weather was amazing. I often say it has natual air-conditioning, temperature is just right all through the year.

The work kept me busy but I never complained.Infact, I enjoyed every bit of it. The team was cohesive and the boss-dependable.On weekends, I with my friends usually ate out, shopped at Forum Mall,went for a movie in Inox at Garuda Mall and walked down the very busy lanes of Brigade and MG Road.Often my friends and I wondered where have all the hunks disappeared :)
In the due course of two and a half years, which I spent there, I came to know a lot of locals.I was impressed with their simplicity and sincerity.I completely felt at-ease with them.
Sometime, in future if Ritesh and I decide to go back to India for good, Bangalore will top the list of cities to live in.

But, at the same time, one of my closest friends who was stuck in a project with unrealistic deadlines and an unreasonable manager, is unable to appreciate the city.So, while I am all praise for it , she hardly has anything good to say about it.

Now, that forces me to think that we make our impression about things and even people (if we extrapolate the observation) mainly on the basis of how they have been to us. A place is neither good nor bad. It is our experience with it which makes it so.

Hmm...having realised that, I have decided to stop whining about the slowness and lack of opportunities in Canberra which made me live at home without job for more than four months now.These four months weren't as fruitless as I made them sound at times.Like I tried out my hand at cooking , took care of our home, got lot of time to read and was able to give my undivided attention to my dear husband.Yup, it is a bliss :)

And, as far as Canberra is concerned, what all has it got to offer...time will show.

Just like that...started

2008-07-27T19:27:00.005+10:00

I was thinking about writing down my thoughts from quite some time.Ritesh wanted it too.
Partly, because he realized that I had never sat at home for so long and kept suggesting things I could do without feeling bored , and partly because he expected that would prevent me from pouring my anger (against the state of economy, choice of industry) on him.

On a Sunday evening, after a busy day of dusting, cleaning and washing, Ritesh suggests to cook the dinner all by himself.
I sit with the laptop, watching him cook, smiling and finally start writing...