I love life... so I explore.

Unacceptable Horror

pr3rna — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:44:38 +0000

On 13th May, serial blasts rocked Jaipur. Sixty people were killed, and more than 150 injured. This hasn’t happened for the first time in India. Various cities have seen terrorist attacks over the years. The pain is the same, where ever it happens.The world expressed outrage and mourned with the victims. I will express my grief with these lines. I don’t remember the name of the poet-

Subh-dam yaro parho akhbar dil ko tham kar,

Surkhion men hai numayan khoon ki arzani bahut

(Every morning we read our newspapers with our hands on our heart,

the headlines are dripping with blood.)

Ab bue gul na baad e saba maangte hain log
Wo haps hai ki loo ki dua maangte hain log

(We no more pray for the scent of flowers or the morning breeze,
the stillness is so suffocating that a blast of summer’s heat will satisfy us)

I am not sure about the poet, It is either Faiz or Josh Malihabadi -

Tujh ko kitnon ka lahoo chahiye ae arz-i-watan

Jo tiray arz-i-berang ko gulnaar karein

Kitni aahon se kaleja tira thanda hoga

Kitne aansoo tiray sehraon ko gulzaar karein

(How many people need to give their blood to brighten your colourless earth, How many sighs will soothe your heart; How many tears will make your deserts bloom.)

Meme-Table Talk

pr3rna — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:16:56 +0000

Shefaly tagged me to continue this meme-

What’s your favourite table?

The table just outside my mothers kitchen where my dad and I sit and eat while she cooks and serves my favourite food. Last week when I visited her she made those wonderful stuffed paranthas with coriander and mint chutney and boondi raita. More than the food, I love to watch the satisfied look on her face when she watches me enjoy the food. That plain wooden table brings back innumerable memories from my childhood.

What would you have for your last supper?

Dahi vadas, Bedmi aloo, with suji halwa- My grandmother used to make all this for me, now that she is no more I will let my mother cook all this for me. I won’t mind eating all this high calorie food because It would be my last supper.

What’s your poison?

Tea, ice creams, Indian sweets and Dilli ki chaat.

Name your three desert island ingredients.

Water, potatoes and rice. On an island salt should not be a problem I guess.

What would you put in Room 101?

Too many things!

Which book gets you cooking?

I mostly cook from memory (whenever I cook, I don’t cook very often), and the way I saw my mother in law cook. I never bothered to enter the kitchen with my mother and grandmother around.

What’s your dream dinner party line-up?

Javed Akhtar, Former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Mark Tully, Nandita Das, Priya Dutt, Jaswant Singh, Sushmita Sen, Faroukh Sheikh, Sunil Gavaskar, Ghulam Ali, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Jagjit Singh- too many people , the list is endless.

What was your childhood teatime treat?

Cutlets, my mother used to make.

What was your most memorable meal?

Aloo paranthas my husband made for me when I was expecting.

What was your biggest food disaster?

The first dinner I had to cook all by myself after marriage. I messed up the whole thing. My father-in-law (he was the sweetest father-in-law possible) salvaged the food and the evening by cooking it nearly all over again. We were the only two people who knew about it.

What’s the worst meal you’ve ever had?

The pizza I had at a Bangladeshi restaurant on an island called Texel.

Who’s your food hero/food villain?

My food heroines are my grandmother and my mother-in-law. Both are no more but they cooked and served with great passion.

Food villain- anybody who cooks halfheartedly.

Nigella or Delia?

I don’t understand what that means.

Vegetarians: genius or madness?

I am a vegetarian by birth. I don’t know any other way. What has vegetarianism to do with genius or madness. It is an individual choice I believe.

Fast food or fresh food?

Some fast food is really good, like idli, pizza and of course chaat the way it is made in Delhi. Other than that not only fresh but different all the time. I love variety in food.

Who would you most like to cook for?

My husband, daughters and parents.

What would you cook to impress a date?

Cooking is the last thing I would like to do to impress my date.

Make a wish.

All yummy food was low calorie.

I tag :

Amit, Lubna, Ammar, Nita, Prax, Ankur, Lallopallo.

Funny,Not So Funny, Pleasant And Not So Pleasant Quotes About Mothers

pr3rna — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:15:34 +0000

Sunday was Mothers Day and there were many, many posts and articles about mothers. I am sharing some interesting excerpts-

Mothers - you are messed up without them and you are messed up with them as well!

Mother daughter tie is precarious and precious - religious admonitions and cultural teachings demand the utmost respect; while ground reality can have one tearing one’s hair. You are ‘supposed’ to be respectful all the time and yet… yet the nagging, the scolding, the million questions, and the countless I told you so’s. The result - gut-wrenching guilt with oodles of confusion thrown in.

A boy whose mother passed away several years ago, talks about the time he was constantly arguing with his mother about (what now seems) a trivial issue. In a fit of frustration she threw a hanger at him. After which they both started laughing. This moment remains etched in his memory, “I miss her, there is no one who now dares throw hangers at me.”

A group of men were asked-‘Who is the most important person in your life’. Majority of the men said it was their mother. However, getting anything out of the men about mothers was a Herculean task!

The thing about being a parent is that, no matter what philosophy or school of responsible parenting you follow, it always seems that your child - and yours alone - is the anomaly who refuses to respond to conventional wisdoms. In other words, you can follow Dr Spock or your nani, be new-age or old-fashioned, experimental or conservative … it really doesn’t matter, because as far as your child is concerned, you’ll end up having to make it up as you go along.

Yes, I am turning into my mother and the worst part is I can’t do anything about it. Or maybe that’s the best part…

Most females revealed that their relationship with their mother is exactly the same. It’s a mixture of love, hate, affection, need, expectation, and many, many moments of manic, screaming lunacy.

Emotional blackmail was invented by mothers. I guarantee you, no man — be he father, brother or significant other — can make you feel so small and so… worthless, as can that one look from the woman who carried you in her womb. Forget to offer a cup of tea while brewing some for yourself and you will never hear the end of it. She may not remember her own cell phone number, but she will never, ever, ever forget — or let you forget — what you said at X o’ clock one evening Y number of years ago when you were a Z year-old teenager with typical delusions of rebellion.

If you believe for one minute that the title ‘supermom’ aims to compliment your abilities as a care-giver, you are living in a fool’s paradise. The simple fact is that they have invented this niche for women who are expected to do everything in life and not demand any pampering in return.

Bhootnath!

pr3rna — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:11:06 +0000

Bhoothnath sings, dances, cleans house and arranges furniture. He is a friendly ghost played by Amitabh Bachchan. Little Banku and his family start living in his bungalow despite warnings from taxi drivers, neighbours and unknown people. Initially he tries to scare them away but later becomes friends with the naughty and fearless Banku. It’s silly but funny and lovable. Reminds me that innocence is still not lost. No problem so far. The problems start after the interval when the film goes the Baghban way. Why is Bhootnath a Bhoot? A neglectful son who was sent abroad to study, decided to stay there and didn’t return to his parents. Most Indian parents know this story by heart. For decades we have watched it happen. It is not as big a deal as it was made out to be. The only real villainous part was that he wanted to sell the house which he should not have against the wishes of his father. This track was melodramatic and boring. Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, play Banku’s parents in the film. In the end, Banku performs a puja and his best friend Bhootnath gets mukti. The kid however performs the puja without understanding the meaning of mukti. Kids will enjoy this film more than the parents. Rajpal Yadav and Satish Shah did well in their small roles. Priyanshu Chatterjee plays the role of the villainous son. Nothing much to write about. Shahrukh’s role was too small for him to leave a mark of any kind. Amitabh Bachchan and the child actor acted well. They pretty much carry the film by themselves. I really enjoyed the first half of the film.

These days more than promotions, controversies help raise the popularity of the films. The story with Bhootnath doesn’t seem to be different. A novelist Pankaj Rai has sent a legal notice to BR Films accusing Ravi Chopra and director Vivek Sharma of lifting the story idea from Ruskin Bond’s Ghost Trouble. Rai claims that the book’s film translation rights lie with him. He claims that his rights are registered with AMPTPP and he had announced his plans to make a movie on the book in 2003 and has even recorded a song for it. Let us see how much money Pankaj Rai can make out of this.

Asraar ul Haq Majaaz Honoured By People Who Don’T Know Him

pr3rna — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:05:22 +0000

Strange are the ways of the government departments. This is a stamp issued to honour the anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist Asraar ul Haq Majaaz with a mosque in the background. He was honoured, but did anybody in the Postal department know anything about the great rebel and poet. Majaaz was romantic and agnostic and had nothing to do with a mosque. For our pseudo seculars Urdu = Muslims = mosques. This approach is not only unfair to the Tamil, Malayali, Telugu, Konkani, Gujarati, Bengali and Muslims who speak other languages but also takes the credit away from the Hindu and Sikh writers who have chosen to write in Urdu. Prem Chand, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Upendra Nath Ashk, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Krishan Chander, and large number of Hindus who are fond of Urdu literature, fall in this category.

Let us view what the opinion of the well informed and knowleable people was about the great Majaaz.
Faiz Ahmed Faiz in the preface to Majaz’s Aahang said- Majaz never beat the drums of revolution, he hummed revolutions!.

Asar Lucknawi said- A Keats was born in Urdu poetry too, but he was devoured by the conservative wolves.

Sahir Ludhianvi wrote- Majaz had gone insane twice, he is drunk all the time and wanders aimlessly. Majaz responded-
Kuch To Hain Mohabbat Mein Junoon Ka Asar
Aur Kuch Log Bhi Deewana Bana Dete Hain!
Majaz rebelled against the customs and traditions and wrote-
Yeh Majboori Si Majboori, Yeh Laachari Si Laachari
Ki Uske Geet Bhi Jee Kholkar Main Gaa Na Saka
Hade Woh Kheech Rakhi Hain, Haram Ke Pasbaanone
Ki Bin Mujrim Bane Paigaam Bhi Pahuncha Na Saka
He sounds like Kabir in the following lines baring the Hindus and the Muslims in the same breath.-
Masjidon main maulvi khutbe sunate hi rahe,
Mandiron mein barhaman ashlok gatey hi rahey
Ik na ik dar par jabeen-i-shouq ghisti hi rahi
Aadamiyat zulm ki chakki mein pisti hi rahi
Rahbari jaari rahi, paighambari jaari rahi
Deen ke parde mein jang-i-zargari jaari rahi.
(The mullah and the pundit keep sermonizing. People keep bowing at their door.They claim to show the way and the great messiahs came claim divinity.Their religions plunder turn by turn.)
He dared the politicians by saying-
Bakhshi hain humko ishq ne wo jurratein Majaaz
Dartey nahi siysat-i-ahl-i-jahaan se hum.
He claimed to have received this strength from love. He deserved every bit of the honour bestowed on him but people in power should know who they are dealing with.

Think Of Bush Before You Eat…

pr3rna — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:29:44 +0000

A few years back I was watching an American TV serial in which a mother was scolding her child-don’t waste food, think of the poor starving children of India. Situation is changing fast. Rising prosperity of India’s huge middle class is sending shock waves in USA. President of the world’s richest country believes that India’s growing income is responsible for the increase in international food prices. I am not even sure that his statement deserves a reaction. Even by Bush’s standards it is insensitive and irresponsible. USA consumes more food and fuel per capita than any other nation. Increase in oil price are also being blamed on India and China. Compare the number of cars in USA and India. It would not be very difficult to decide who is responsible. President Bush’s has been ridiculed over and over again for his ignorance on most issues but he has crossed the limit this time.

The US President said: ”Just as an interesting thought for you, there are 350 million people in India who are classified as middle class. That’s bigger than America. Their middle class is larger than our entire population. When you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food, and so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up.”

Secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, first started this great theory. She said that the ‘apparent improvement’ in the diets of people in India and China and consequent food export caps is among the causes of the current global food crisis. Bush and Rice are not the only ones who believe that we are responsible for the plight of Americans-

Addressing a press conference in Washington, the House Minority Leader, John A Boehner, observed that people from India and China are demanding better food as their economy begin to grow. ”So when you begin to look at the demand coming from India and China and other developing countries for better diets at home, you can see that this world food shortage that we have is real.”

He believes that price increase is because we are eating more than ever. The US is the biggest consumer of grain, milk, vegetable oils, meat and, of course, fuel. Total foodgrain consumption by each US citizen is five times that of an Indian, twice that of the European Union and three times that of China. The size of the average portions of food in USA are a proof of that.

The question here is that millions of people in Africa are starving. When, and I sincerely hope so, conditions improve there and people start getting enough food, Americans will suffer again. They better work out a plan because at the moment Bush and associates are busy discovering WMDs in Iraq, supporting democracies in selected countries while promoting despots in other countries. Indians can’t do much to help them. What should the Indian middle class do? You can’t expect us to give up the prosperity and return back to the days when a large part of our population went hungry ( we still have starving people, only the numbers are less).
The other side of the story now- The Indians politicians have reacted sharply to these statements by Bush and company. However our own ministers share the same views. Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, recently pointed out that more families are eating at least one full meal a day and families that hitherto ate one meal are now eating two.
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has blamed wheat prices on changing dietary habits in the country, claiming that “south Indians eat more wheat now”.( South Indians be ready to hit back. The BCCI president is blaming you).

Whatever the reason, instead of blaming external reasons for increasing food prices( this is applicable to Indians as well as Americans) we have to find ways to increase the yield from our farms and stop wasting food. Living standards are going to improve and we all should wish that nobody sleeps hungry. As the consumption of food and buying capacity of people increases we should bother about producing more and not complain about people consuming more.

Hunooz Dilli Door Ast

pr3rna — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:12:32 +0000

I started my Sunday morning with a visit to the Tuglaqabad fort. It is hardly a 10 minutes drive from my place but I had never entered the fort until now. The fort is open to the public from 7.30 in the morning till late evening everyday. The department of ASI charges a princely sum of Rs 5 for visiting the fort, which Khushwant Singh considers is among the most beautiful ruins of the world. There are many wonderful stories associated with the fort.

Sultan Ghiasuddin was annoyed with a Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Auliya. During one of his expeditions he vowed that he would behead the saint in Delhi. The saint responded, “hunooz Dilli door ast”, which means ‘it’s a long way to Delhi’. (Centuries later, Subhash Chandra Bose used a different adaptation of these words, saying ‘ab Dilli door nahin’ during the struggle for independence). Ghiasuddin died on his way to Delhi, as a pavilion erected in his honour caved in and crushed the monarch. Nizamuddin Auliya lived and the king who swore to see him beheaded, perished instead. This is not the only reason why Ghiasuddin plays an important role in the history of Delhi. He built the strongest fort in Delhi at Tughlaqabad, which was completed within four years of his rule. It is surprising because the Fort is spread in the area of 6.5 square kilometers. Delhi is a combination of eight cities which existed from 900 BC to 1930 AD. Tuglaqabad was the fourth city of Delhi and was built in 1321 AD. It was deserted soon after the death of Ghiasuddin. According to a popular story, Nizamuddin Auliya had cursed the city and it could not prosper and flourish due to the curse. (However, this could also be attributed to the scarcity of water). The majestic 14th century Tuglaqabad Fort is connected to the mausoleum of Ghiyasuddin Tuglaq, by a causeway. Here are some photos of this beautiful fort: from my faithful Nokia N73.

The double storeyed Anarkali bazaar meant for the Begamat

‘Pani ki Bawaadi’ These water sources are common here in Delhi.

The mausoleum of Ghiasudin.

Tagged

pr3rna — Sat, 03 May 2008 09:48:45 +0000

Nita tagged me. I would like to tag Ammar, Lubz, lallopallo, Ankur and Prax. Most of the others have already been tagged.

1. Last movie you saw in a theater?
U me Aur Hum.

2. What book are you reading?
The Last Mughal by - William Dalrymple( My daughter gifted it to me)

3. Favorite board game?
I used to play Scrabble now I play Literrati on Yahoo.

4. Favorite magazine?
Readers Digest. I especially love the jokes. It is being repetitive now but still addicted to it.

5. Favorite smells?
Smell of wet earth (like Nita)People of North India can understand it. After the long,hot and dry Summer when the first drops of rain touch the ground the smell of the wet earth is heavenly.

6. Favorite sounds?
Innocent laughter

7. Worst feeling in the world?
I am enraged when I see women being ill treated and when I see parents (especially mothers) giving preference to a boy child over a girl.

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
My thyroid medicine

9. Favorite fast food place?
Haldiram

10. Future child’s name?
Don’t scare me !

11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….?
Don’t know how much is lot of money ! whatever I had I always found it enough.

12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
No! Not enough place on the bed.

13. Storms - cool or scary?
Storms make my dogs uncomfortable that is why don’t like them.I am not scared but the dust that storms bring with them upsets me.

14. Favorite drink?
Mango milk shake

15. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”?
Too much to do,I don’t think I would have enough time ever.

16. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
Yes, although I am not very fond of Broccoli or most green vegetables for that matter.

17. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
I don’t think I will dye my hair.

18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?
Delhi, Jaipur, Dehradun, Meerut, Nainital and short periods in Dubai and Cyprus. I have omitted the smaller cities that I have lived in.

19. Favorite sports to watch?
I love Cricket and sometimes Tennis. I was interested in Hockey till the decline in the Indian Hockey started.

20. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
Nita tagged me. She is a very intelligent and honest blogger. I always respect and value her opinion.

21. What’s under your bed?
Nothing.

22. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Yes, but with a few changes. I would like to be more focussed and hardworking.

23. Morning person, or night owl?
Definitely Night person. Rarely sleep before 2 at night.

24. Over easy, or sunny side up?
I didn’t understand this one.

25. Favorite place to relax?
In my den. It is equipped with everything I need. My computer, TV, music system,books,CDs, DVD player. Sometimes everything is switched on. I painted it myself with different colours and decorated with my childhood photographs,my husband and daughters photographs. My parents graduation photographs; more or less all that I love.

26. Favorite pie?
Apple

27. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Kulfi.

28. Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond first?
I don’t know!

Germ Alert!

pr3rna — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:02:14 +0000

A study conducted by Peter Wilson a microbiologist at University College London Hospital shows that office computer keyboards can harbour five times the amount of bacteria as toilet seats. According to a BBC report-Telephones, harbour up to 25,127 germs per square inch, keyboards 3,295 and computer mice 1,676. The report says -Microbiologist Dr Charles Gerba, of the University of Arizona, carried out a research. The study found that bacteria levels increased during the day. Food spills are one of the reasons because cleaning of keyboards and phones is not a priority. People eating at their desks and dropping crumbs are responsible for this contamination. Food particles lodge between keys and encourage the growth of millions of bacteria. Unclean hands are also responsible for keyboard germs. The surprising part of the study was that women were found to be carrying more germs than men. Women are known to be cleaner than men. The reason was that women keep food in their desks and that encouraged the growth of bacteria. The worst germ offender in the office was men’s wallets. Women fare better on this because they switch their purses regularly.

Prachanda Speaks

pr3rna — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:52:04 +0000

Nepal’s Maoist leader Prachanda, wants India-Nepal peace and friendship treaty scrapped and other pacts and agreements between the two countries reviewed. Sections of political opinion in Nepal have always viewed the India-Nepal friendship treaty with suspicion. Incidents like merger of Sikkim into the Indian Union in 1974 made the Nepalese uncomfortable but other than that and barring a few times there has been a smooth sailing. Nepal’s Maoist are looking at China for support at the cost of relationship with India but they should have a look at the happenings in Tibet before bending backwards for Chinese support.

This treaty allow Nepalis to freely travel, live, work and buy property in India. No other country enjoys the same benefit. Nepalis in India more or less enjoy same economic and educational opportunities as Indians. Nepali goods enjoy duty- and quota-free access to the Indian market. Scrapping of the friendship treaty and other pacts will lead to a renegotiation and Nepalese citizens may not enjoy the same benefits anymore.
The Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty of 1950 states that “neither government shall tolerate any threat to the security of the other by a foreign aggressor”. I don’t think this clause has helped the Indian interests much. There have been news about Nepal being used by the terrorists as a base against India . The hijacking of the Indian airlines plane from Kathmandu proved that. There are about 30,000 Nepalese Gorkhas in the Indian Army. Ban on recruitment of Gorkhas will lead to unemployment. Indian Companies have traditionally invested large sums in the Nepalese economy and Indian tourists are a major source of income for the Nepalese tourist industry. Change in rules might hurt that. Maoist leaders should thank the Indians and the Indian democracy. Many Maoists found shelter in India at the height of the insurgency. India assisted elections in Nepal. Prachanda himself enjoyed Indian hospitability( thanks to Sita Ram Yechury and company) during his struggling days. Many senior Maoist leaders have studied in India.

If the majority of Nepalese are in favour of revising the friendship treaty, New Delhi must renegotiate. Although Nepal gets more advantages from the treaty both sides need to think about the implications of going in for a renegotiation. Nepalese economy over the decades has been dependent on India and it won’t be easy to replace India with China. For India it would mean diminishing India’s influence but for Nepal it means a little more than that. Maoists’ have close ties with our Communist parties but it is clear now that their influence in Nepal is limited. Indians have traditionally backed the Nepali Congress and this may go against it. India and Nepal have strong cultural, economic and ethnic ties, no government Indian or Nepalese can ignore that. India’s importance to Nepal is much more than just political implications.