बड़ी मुद्दत के बाद पोहचे है यहाँ...लेकिन तेरा साथ नहीं तो ये मंजिल क्या है। जहा भी देखू , ख़ुशी का आलम है...लेकिन जिस मे तू नहीं वो मेहफिल क्या है। पाया हमने बोहुत इस जहान में...लेकिन तुझे जो खोया तो किया हासिल क्या है। सांस तो लेते है लेने के लिए अब हम...लेकिन जिस मे तू नहीं, वो ज़िन्दगी क्या है। | Badi muddat ke baad pohache hai yaha...lekin Ab tera saath nahin, to yeh manzil kya hai. Jaha bhi dekhu, khushi ka aalam hai...lekin Jis me TU nahin, woh mehfil kya hai. Paya humne bohot is jahan mein...lekin Tujhe jo khoya, to kiya haasil kya hai. Saans to lete hai lene ke liye ab hum...lekin Jis me tu nahin, who zindagi kya hai. |
Friday, September 24, 2010
लेकिन...(Lekin...)
Friday, July 23, 2010
New York --> Naya Ghad
It’s interesting to see let’s-change-the-name-of-an-Indian-city craze which is going on for years now. Be it Madras to Chennai, Bombay to Mumbai, Calcutta to Kolkotta, and recently Bangalore to Bengaluru. I also wonder why some politician hasn’t yet suggested changing Delhi to Indraprasth or go even further and changing India to Hindusthan [nah!! That will not get him so called minority votes then, will it? ;)].
Anyways, while thinking about this, I had this crazy thought. What if NRIs/OCIs living overseas had a similar urge to change the name of the suburb, city, state or country they live in to something more Indian? What they would be called? Let’s see some example:
New York = Naya Ghad (we already have Junaghad, don't we :-p)
Valley View = V V Puram
Washington = Dhobi Ghat [Courtesy: MBCA :)]
Sydney = Sitapore
Maribyrnong = Mylapur
Adelaide = Anand Nagar
Port Adelaide = Anand Bandar :) or Anandapatanam
Brisbane = Bana(na)ras
Gold Coast = Sonpuri
Kensington Garden = Kishan Bagh
Now let's see what can we change London, California etc into. Go ahead and go wild with your imagination.
Anyways, while thinking about this, I had this crazy thought. What if NRIs/OCIs living overseas had a similar urge to change the name of the suburb, city, state or country they live in to something more Indian? What they would be called? Let’s see some example:
New York = Naya Ghad (we already have Junaghad, don't we :-p)
Valley View = V V Puram
Washington = Dhobi Ghat [Courtesy: MBCA :)]
Sydney = Sitapore
Maribyrnong = Mylapur
Adelaide = Anand Nagar
Port Adelaide = Anand Bandar :) or Anandapatanam
Brisbane = Bana(na)ras
Gold Coast = Sonpuri
Kensington Garden = Kishan Bagh
Now let's see what can we change London, California etc into. Go ahead and go wild with your imagination.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Sewing Machine
I have always been fascinated by machines and technology। For me the main fascination is "How does that thing work?”, or even better “Can I contribute in creating one of them?". As a kid, I always wondered seeing a person riding a bicycle, "How does he stay upright and not fall?" or "How do they make that thing?”. So from very early I was thinking like an engineer. :) And even though I never consciously pursued to be an engineer, all stars aligned during my schooling years and helped me purse a career which I never knew I was made for. And today, even though I’m not the best engineer going around, I love what I do and that’s got be priceless.
Anyways, another machine which always caught my fancy was good old sewing machine. We used to have one of these (see below) in our house and as a kid, I used to watch - wide eyed - the ladies at home mending torn clothes or tailors on the ground floor shop stitching shirts and pants for their customers. Among lot of others things, I wanted to be that tailor and create that amazing shirt out of a piece of cloth. Even though I did get a chance to play with a sewing machine at home a bit here and there, like replacing the main spindle of thread or bobbin or operate the pedal under supervision, but never was allowed to operate it independently.
 |  |
Now cut to recent past, i.e. last week, I saw and touched that sewing machine again. Even though this machine was not the same as one pictured above but it still very much behaved like one. These machines have gone through tremendous transformation from being all mechanical to one where now they use electricity and are so much easier to operate.
The place where I come from, one of the stereotypes is that man of the house never operates sewing machine. It’s women’s job, even though majority of tailors in India were/are men. So when we borrowed the machine from a friend of ours on Monday last week, my wife promptly assumed the responsibility of operating it. The other reasons behind it were that she had taken a quick “how to operate this beast” lesson before getting it and also she knew the nitty gritty of sewing from her mother during her teenage years. We both got to work immediately and sew caftan for Samyak and I on the same night. I hovered around helping her with the measurements, cutting etc. Seeing how natural she was with sewing and also machine being on loan, I did not want to take the reins and ruin it by not operating it properly.
After couple of days, I went to Spotlight to source a material for Aarnav’s caftan. Once done, we would all be set to present ourselves as Africans in a much anticipated dress-up birthday party. Next day was Saturday and Jyo was busy with Aarnav and some mundane household work. The cloth and sewing machine was on the table and I could not resist any further, I had to do it and yes, I did it. I sewed a cloth and created that shirt I always wanted to create and all my childhood memories associated with this machine came rushing back to me. Sure it was not perfect but hey, who cares, it’s the process of creation which I enjoyed.
Yes! It took me nearly 20yrs but I have lived one of my childhood dreams. What’s next?? Of course will buy a sewing machine very soon and create and pass some happy memories to my kids.
PS: Samyak was itching to get his hands on the sewing machine too.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Karmic Footprint
Yesterday, I was discussing a graphically disturbing email in an email group and I couldn't get that out of my head the whole day. And during one of those thinking phase, a phrase came to me. That phrase was 'Karmic Footprint' which is similar to 'Carbon Footprint' in concept. By reducing our carbon footprint, we can help our earth to cope up with this huge population/pollution explosion. Similarly we should concentrate on our Karmic footprint i.e., reducing our bad karma. Smaller your karmic footprint, closer you are to attaining "Moksha"...makes sense?
Anyways, then I went googling the newly coined phrase to see if anybody has already come up this concept of 'Karmic Footprint' and voila! No surprise there I guess. But what was more surprising was that I found an article (2nd link from the search) which echoed similar sentiments and thoughts as mine. It also takes it further and connects both carbon and karmic footprint and what it means to be a true JAIN.
The article is called "Karmic Footprints: The Ecological Consciousness of the Jains". It's a very nice article...some of the excerpts below:
Jainism means the religion (or way) of the conquerors and the true Jain is one who has conquered him- or her- self. This conquest is identical with realising the true self, which is free from attachment and so has true power, rather than delusional trappings. The starting point of Jainism is the individual. Each life is considered to be unique; this does not just mean human life, but every life form including the supposedly most elementary living systems –which we now know to be at least as complex and intricate as our own, and often indispensable to our survival.
.....
Jains also reject the idea of formal priesthood. Their ascetic men and women set an example of the ideal way of life, and dramatise Jain principles by taking them to their logical conclusion. But they cannot compel conformity and obedience. As Kanti Mardia, a Jain scientist, has suggested, each Jain is his or her own guru, and the spiritual quest is akin to the processes undertaken by the researcher in a laboratory.
.....
The basis of Mahavira’s teaching is ‘Parasparopagraho Jivanam’ : ‘All Life is Interconnected’. It follows that ‘Non-violence and kindness to all living beings is kindness to oneself’,and conversely that ‘You are that which you intend to hit, injure, insult, torment, persecute, torture, enslave or kill.
.....
The principle of interconnection informs the Five Vows (‘Vratas’) undertaken by Jains. These are adhered to by ascetics in a literal way, as the ‘Mahavratas’,or Greater Vows, whereas lay men and women observe them as ‘Anuvratas’(Lesser Vows) and use them as guidelines on which to base their lives. There are references to the Vows in many Jain texts, but are explored in particular detail in the Acaranga Sutra, or ‘Book of Good Conduct’ (3).The Acaranga is the oldest Jain document, probably composed in the 4th century BCE, and it sets out clearly the philosophy of non-violent living associated with the Jain dharma. The Vows are as follows:
Jain dharma extends the concept of society to include fellow creatures, plants and the various ecosystems of the planet that support life. What better starting point is there for those of us – of all faiths or none –who seek a more balanced relationship between the rest of nature and humankind?
Anyways, then I went googling the newly coined phrase to see if anybody has already come up this concept of 'Karmic Footprint' and voila! No surprise there I guess. But what was more surprising was that I found an article (2nd link from the search) which echoed similar sentiments and thoughts as mine. It also takes it further and connects both carbon and karmic footprint and what it means to be a true JAIN.
The article is called "Karmic Footprints: The Ecological Consciousness of the Jains". It's a very nice article...some of the excerpts below:
Jainism means the religion (or way) of the conquerors and the true Jain is one who has conquered him- or her- self. This conquest is identical with realising the true self, which is free from attachment and so has true power, rather than delusional trappings. The starting point of Jainism is the individual. Each life is considered to be unique; this does not just mean human life, but every life form including the supposedly most elementary living systems –which we now know to be at least as complex and intricate as our own, and often indispensable to our survival.
.....
Jains also reject the idea of formal priesthood. Their ascetic men and women set an example of the ideal way of life, and dramatise Jain principles by taking them to their logical conclusion. But they cannot compel conformity and obedience. As Kanti Mardia, a Jain scientist, has suggested, each Jain is his or her own guru, and the spiritual quest is akin to the processes undertaken by the researcher in a laboratory.
.....
The basis of Mahavira’s teaching is ‘Parasparopagraho Jivanam’ : ‘All Life is Interconnected’. It follows that ‘Non-violence and kindness to all living beings is kindness to oneself’,and conversely that ‘You are that which you intend to hit, injure, insult, torment, persecute, torture, enslave or kill.
.....
The principle of interconnection informs the Five Vows (‘Vratas’) undertaken by Jains. These are adhered to by ascetics in a literal way, as the ‘Mahavratas’,or Greater Vows, whereas lay men and women observe them as ‘Anuvratas’(Lesser Vows) and use them as guidelines on which to base their lives. There are references to the Vows in many Jain texts, but are explored in particular detail in the Acaranga Sutra, or ‘Book of Good Conduct’ (3).The Acaranga is the oldest Jain document, probably composed in the 4th century BCE, and it sets out clearly the philosophy of non-violent living associated with the Jain dharma. The Vows are as follows:
- ‘Ahimsa’: Non-violence; abstention or minimisation of anything that causes injury to life, human or non-human;
- ‘Asteya’: Abstention from theft; avoidance of exploitative relationships of all kinds;
- ‘Satya’: Truth; the understanding of what is real, as opposed to illusory attachment;
- ‘Brahmacharya’: Chastity; avoidance of promiscuity, sexual exploitation and the ‘objectification’ of fellow-humans (male or female);
- ‘Aparigraha’: non-possessiveness; reduction of consumption; reduction of ‘carbon footprint’.
Jain dharma extends the concept of society to include fellow creatures, plants and the various ecosystems of the planet that support life. What better starting point is there for those of us – of all faiths or none –who seek a more balanced relationship between the rest of nature and humankind?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
eggless
A friend of mine sent a link to a blog and I cannot believe it has happened – at last.
Yeap, a first ever eggless dessert place has opened in Adelaide. The place is called, you guessed it right…eggless (simple but effectively targets it's market). Being a vegetarian*, I have always craved for eggless desserts and now I can find one closer to home. Friends and family have tried to take care of my cravings many a time but it's good to have a place I can go to for our birthday cake orders or just to fulfil those sudden after-dinner cravings.
I’m yet to try this place, but if the ambience is anything to go by, I’m sure it’s heart is at the right place and they have got it just right. *AMEN*. I wish them a very good luck and hope they are here for long haul.
More after I try it out…can‘t wait.
Website: http://eggless.com.au/
*No meat, seafood or egg.
Yeap, a first ever eggless dessert place has opened in Adelaide. The place is called, you guessed it right…eggless (simple but effectively targets it's market). Being a vegetarian*, I have always craved for eggless desserts and now I can find one closer to home. Friends and family have tried to take care of my cravings many a time but it's good to have a place I can go to for our birthday cake orders or just to fulfil those sudden after-dinner cravings.
I’m yet to try this place, but if the ambience is anything to go by, I’m sure it’s heart is at the right place and they have got it just right. *AMEN*. I wish them a very good luck and hope they are here for long haul.
More after I try it out…can‘t wait.
Website: http://eggless.com.au/
*No meat, seafood or egg.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Gandhi, Google & Me.
2nd Oct 2009 - The day started as any other normal working day apart from that it was a Friday. And not any TGIF. It was the day after when my bro-in-law had arrived in Adelaide. It was the day before the long weekend - a labour day long weekend - which meant 3 continuous days of celebration and seeing beautiful places in and around Adelaide.
With that anticipation, I got up at my usual time, got ready and just before heading off to work, I opened my macbook and fired off firefox to check the performance of one DOW Jones from last night. And BANG!! there in the middle of google page - my home page - appeared none other than our own Baapu or Gandhi ji or Mahatma. (and/or all of the above). Google had put this doodle on their front page.
Now, catching the bus has many benefits but I love the time it gives me to self-reflect. Today I had Gandhiji with me. While waiting for the bus, I quickly opened my mobile to check gmail and there he appeared again. One of my friends had emailed me the link to google page with subject - "Google Today" and I knew exactly what he was talking about. Bus came, I validated my ticket and took a cozy comfortable seat at the back. And then it started.
I started reminiscing about good old days of public holiday during school. I thought to myself what it would be like in India today. Mahatma's b'day will not go unnoticed if I were to be in India right now. There would be at least one channel - may be Doordarshan - showing THE movie or who knows the competition for the TRP means e'body is showing the same movie at the same time :-). One thought led to another and finally I asked myself, "If there was ever a song which explains Gandhi to my generation or today's generation for that matter, what would it be?". I started jogging my memory (I did miss my iPod then) but nothing came to forefront. I know many patriotic songs but none on Gandhi? May be there are not many/any. Obviously, there are songs like "Vaishnav Jana To.." and other usual fair but nothing which connects Gen-Y or Gen-X to him? C'mon there's got to be some song.
Then right before I got down from the bus (an easy half an hour journey) it came to me and I thought to myself - GENIUS. Nope, I'm not talking about me but the lyricist of the song - Swanand Kirkire. Obviously, the music by Shantanu Moitra is great and the rendition by Sonu is perfect but hats off to the one penned it all.
And the song I'm referring to is Bande Me Tha Dum from LRMB. What a movie but what a song I must say. I quickly logged into my computer and I had to google the song :). As I was at work, I didn't want to listen to the song online, so I thought let me check out the lyrics. And man, they are one hell of a lyrics. I was glad I did not hear but read the lyrics. After couple of repeates, there was too much of emotion building up in me - it's not funny. Now, I'm not sure if the emotion was patriotic type but who cares. I had to release this emotion otherwise I would be a mess at work. As there is no compatriot around at work to talk to, I quickly composed an email and sent the lyrics to almost e'body I know with subject line, "Mahatma - Bande Me Tha Dum". Having shared my thoughts with the people I know and I care made it lot easier and I could now concentrate on SSDD routine.
So here how I spent my 2nd Oct 2009 remembering one of the greatest man to have ever lived and thanks to Google for starting it all.
Side Note: I knew the lyrics made impact on at least one other person when I got a unexpected reply to my email from a family friend of ours. It was her first ever communication on email to me and it said, "Thanks Praveen, It is very nice. Sandhya". Thanks Sandhya ji for replying.
With that anticipation, I got up at my usual time, got ready and just before heading off to work, I opened my macbook and fired off firefox to check the performance of one DOW Jones from last night. And BANG!! there in the middle of google page - my home page - appeared none other than our own Baapu or Gandhi ji or Mahatma. (and/or all of the above). Google had put this doodle on their front page.
 | And first thing came to my mind was WOW!! that's very creative, imaginative, thoughtful and lot more. Specially, I loved the face of Gandhi - the way it's suppose to represent letter G. Then it hit me, "oh! yeah today is 2nd Oct - Gandhi Jayanthi". I quickly posted the google page link on FB and left home to catch a bus to work. |
Now, catching the bus has many benefits but I love the time it gives me to self-reflect. Today I had Gandhiji with me. While waiting for the bus, I quickly opened my mobile to check gmail and there he appeared again. One of my friends had emailed me the link to google page with subject - "Google Today" and I knew exactly what he was talking about. Bus came, I validated my ticket and took a cozy comfortable seat at the back. And then it started.
I started reminiscing about good old days of public holiday during school. I thought to myself what it would be like in India today. Mahatma's b'day will not go unnoticed if I were to be in India right now. There would be at least one channel - may be Doordarshan - showing THE movie or who knows the competition for the TRP means e'body is showing the same movie at the same time :-). One thought led to another and finally I asked myself, "If there was ever a song which explains Gandhi to my generation or today's generation for that matter, what would it be?". I started jogging my memory (I did miss my iPod then) but nothing came to forefront. I know many patriotic songs but none on Gandhi? May be there are not many/any. Obviously, there are songs like "Vaishnav Jana To.." and other usual fair but nothing which connects Gen-Y or Gen-X to him? C'mon there's got to be some song.
Then right before I got down from the bus (an easy half an hour journey) it came to me and I thought to myself - GENIUS. Nope, I'm not talking about me but the lyricist of the song - Swanand Kirkire. Obviously, the music by Shantanu Moitra is great and the rendition by Sonu is perfect but hats off to the one penned it all.
And the song I'm referring to is Bande Me Tha Dum from LRMB. What a movie but what a song I must say. I quickly logged into my computer and I had to google the song :). As I was at work, I didn't want to listen to the song online, so I thought let me check out the lyrics. And man, they are one hell of a lyrics. I was glad I did not hear but read the lyrics. After couple of repeates, there was too much of emotion building up in me - it's not funny. Now, I'm not sure if the emotion was patriotic type but who cares. I had to release this emotion otherwise I would be a mess at work. As there is no compatriot around at work to talk to, I quickly composed an email and sent the lyrics to almost e'body I know with subject line, "Mahatma - Bande Me Tha Dum". Having shared my thoughts with the people I know and I care made it lot easier and I could now concentrate on SSDD routine.
So here how I spent my 2nd Oct 2009 remembering one of the greatest man to have ever lived and thanks to Google for starting it all.
Side Note: I knew the lyrics made impact on at least one other person when I got a unexpected reply to my email from a family friend of ours. It was her first ever communication on email to me and it said, "Thanks Praveen, It is very nice. Sandhya". Thanks Sandhya ji for replying.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Hello Stranger
Yeap, "Hello Stranger" is what my blog is telling me. OK, so I get the message, hang my head in shame and accept this sarcastic but apt remark from my dear blog. I'll take it a like a hmmmmm...a true blogger. I'm sure lot of you would have heard this from your own blog so you know what I'm talking about.
It's been over 7 months since I wrote any thing here, Actually to tell you the truth it's been almost same time since my last visit here :(. I know i know...I am nasty. Heard that before a plenty, tell me something new. So, what happened? Follows here in this posting is an attempt to justify my absence here so that we - my bog and I - can make peace and start over. If this doesn't interest you any more, pls come back later for some juicy blog entries. And if you do want to read further, beware I did warn you :-D
So here I go....
My Dear Blog,
Initially it started with a writer's/blogger's block. You know what that is, right? Good. I thought, "ah! don't worry, it will come to you...chill pal" but a week turned into couple and then a month . Around this time I started taking Facebook bit seriously. Facebook gave me a new avenue to express myself by it's status update feature. So whenever I had something to say -but not more than a line - I started using that feature. Also, a google group I created to keep in touch with my near and dear ones in Adelaide was taking it's shape and gave me another avenue to share news which excited me or express myself. I also got a new job contract and became very busy at work. And then, I bought the best thing ever, Ok...Ok...2nd best thing..otherwise the laptop i'm typing this on will start to throw tantrum]. 2nd best thing I was talking about is my DSLR cam which gave me another avenue to express myself. And before I know it was August already and....
Oh, wait...got to go...Aarnav is crying, missus is calling.
[An hour later, I'm back after failing miserably at my fatherly duty and handing back the crying baby to his mother.]
ok so where was I?? ...hmmm...yeap and then August came and you know what happened in August, don't you? No, not 15th Aug - India's independence day celebration. I mean after that. What, you don't, how come? Oh!! crap...how will you...I didn't post any pic or didn't write anything about it here. Now I know why you are so upset.
Anyways, you must be thinking how come I'm back? Why now? What changed? None of the above things have changed much. I'm still short of time and yes, I still love posting on FB, my DSLR, my email groups but somehow I miss you. I have lot many things to say to the world through you. So without further adieu pls forgive me and I'm sure I'll keep in touch with you regularly [but just don't act like a pesky little jealous girl friend...I didn't say that, did I? But I'm sure the thought came to me so had to write.]
Cheers,
Your Creator
It's been over 7 months since I wrote any thing here, Actually to tell you the truth it's been almost same time since my last visit here :(. I know i know...I am nasty. Heard that before a plenty, tell me something new. So, what happened? Follows here in this posting is an attempt to justify my absence here so that we - my bog and I - can make peace and start over. If this doesn't interest you any more, pls come back later for some juicy blog entries. And if you do want to read further, beware I did warn you :-D
So here I go....
My Dear Blog,
Initially it started with a writer's/blogger's block. You know what that is, right? Good. I thought, "ah! don't worry, it will come to you...chill pal" but a week turned into couple and then a month . Around this time I started taking Facebook bit seriously. Facebook gave me a new avenue to express myself by it's status update feature. So whenever I had something to say -but not more than a line - I started using that feature. Also, a google group I created to keep in touch with my near and dear ones in Adelaide was taking it's shape and gave me another avenue to share news which excited me or express myself. I also got a new job contract and became very busy at work. And then, I bought the best thing ever, Ok...Ok...2nd best thing..otherwise the laptop i'm typing this on will start to throw tantrum]. 2nd best thing I was talking about is my DSLR cam which gave me another avenue to express myself. And before I know it was August already and....
Oh, wait...got to go...Aarnav is crying, missus is calling.
[An hour later, I'm back after failing miserably at my fatherly duty and handing back the crying baby to his mother.]
ok so where was I?? ...hmmm...yeap and then August came and you know what happened in August, don't you? No, not 15th Aug - India's independence day celebration. I mean after that. What, you don't, how come? Oh!! crap...how will you...I didn't post any pic or didn't write anything about it here. Now I know why you are so upset.
Anyways, you must be thinking how come I'm back? Why now? What changed? None of the above things have changed much. I'm still short of time and yes, I still love posting on FB, my DSLR, my email groups but somehow I miss you. I have lot many things to say to the world through you. So without further adieu pls forgive me and I'm sure I'll keep in touch with you regularly [but just don't act like a pesky little jealous girl friend...I didn't say that, did I? But I'm sure the thought came to me so had to write.]
Cheers,
Your Creator
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