Go Veggie!

Nature had something in mind when it made us, We as a race of humans weren’t build to eat other animals, our lack of canines prove this fact & unlike other flesh eating species we have fingers with nails not claws meant to tear apart flesh, our sensitive digestive systems are another proof.

Another pro about being a veggie-eater is a lean body. Fewer vegetarians are obese as compared to the meat-eaters. Ask anyone with a well-toned body & there is a 80% chance he is a vegetarian. By well-toned I don’t mean those muscular Mr Universe types which are mostly by-products of steroids & protein-shakes.

I once tried a piece of fried chicken on the insistence of my companion, I could actually feel the chicken resisting (might be it was all in the head) the texture was rubbery & not an excellent gastronomic experience as described to me. Eating something which had life in it which moved & breathed like you & me, not a long while ago, something which thought, felt,……any one who has ever loved an animal will tell you what it is all about.

Most religions also promote vegetarianism some going to the extent of including micro-organisms as animals too. With many movie stars ,celebrities going veg it has become cooler to be a vegetarian.

The thought of eating another animal itself makes me feel squeamish, so whether it’s the protein, great taste or satisfaction nothing can draw me to it. The morality associated with vegetarianism is secondary.

Its easier to live & let live for your conscience & your general well-being.

So lets turn veggies for a healthy tomorrow & sustainable future!

If not convinced watch this video-

CAUTION –CONTAINS VISUALLY DISTURBING GRAPHICS

My motto elaborated

Few have been curious about the motto i have mentioned, so to elaborate- Let me tell you its origin, I bought these rubber chappals which nowadays i wear with anything & everything, it reads 'LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE' I can relate to this as thats how I live my life. Also I strive to follow this motto as a guiding principle of 4 L's:

Live: Being alive, keeping all your senses receptive to things happening all around. Doing something new & different from the mundane , I am all for it. Small little things, meeting friends for coffee, patting a stray dog, chatting with a random street kid, humming a favourite song, smiling at a friendly helpful stranger keep me alive & kicking.

Laugh: I sort of have this eye for humour, I find something amusing even when others seem all serious.eg;Laughing at your bosses colourful floral shirt when he is explaining some serious rule, seeing my toothless grandpa smile, I last had a hearty laugh few hours ago when my parents were having a cute argument as my dad felt my mum looked like the kid(Auro) in 'Paa' as she a bit tired entered the room with a hunch & her new pair of spectacles(she was livid at this accusation)...hahaha

Love: Spreading the love helps you feel loved. Holding small grudges never helps anyone so its better to forgive & forget. So love thy self & let the platonic love encompassing affection & compassion flow.

Learn: As I already enumerated earlier trying to pick a new skill, reading a book, keep questioning 'Why?', never losing that thirst for knowledge & understanding.

So let me know your views? As I sincerely try to follow it as a way of life. Guess what, an inspired friend has decided to etch the words on her nape in a crescent shape tatoo!!!

Eve-teasing

With my head held low in shame I have to admit that my country is filled with perverts, public places are thronging with them & eve-teasing is a common occurrence. The fairer sex has to bear the brunt .Though there is no justification, the skewed sex-ratio, the hush-hush attitude & hypocrisy of our society when it comes to sex-education, I believe may have led to the creation of these monsters. Since we celebrated International Womans Day this week, I thought this issue should be discussed.

Just yesterday walking on the street on my way to a school, asking for directions when a shady-looking man sharpening a knife on a machine, yells ‘janeman idhhar aao’(darling come here), that too on a busy street, I make a face & walk away.

The other day I was with a girl friend chatting & walking when a man zooms past us on a bike & pinches me & my friend, just like that, we couldn’t even see his bike’s number plate, we are too surprised even to react.

There are numerous instances when in a crowded bus we are helpless & have to stand in the narrow passage between seats & peverts around us take advantage of the situation, even if we raise an alarm, there are instances when the conductor is too occupied that it is useless creating a scene. It’s a blessing we have separate compartments in trains or else it would have been a horror to travel in them!

Then there was this instance when I along with my sister were returning from the local market when two-young boys bump into us purposely & use a couple of swear words, to which they are menacingly replied with abuses by us , their response to which is a freakish grin. Then the recent incident at the Bryan Adams concert( Refer to post titled ‘The Bryan Adams Concert’) also left this bad taste to what would have otherwise been a pleasant experience. Just imagine the wide-spread scale of this issue, when only a single female has faced so many instances of eve-teasing. Punishing these perpeterators is also next to impossible. Why are these perverts lurking at every corner? What is the solution? Carrying a pepper-spray can, rasing awareness...all needs to be done, as our fundamental right to freedom is getting impugned here.

" An Indian Education "

Remember those good old carefree days, when we with our oiled pig-tails & uniform with checks prints dragged ourselves, almost hunching due to the load on our tiny backs, grudgingly to our classrooms Right from a very young age we are burdened with heavy books in our schools. First we are taught the basics of communication, how to count things……then as we work our way up the ladder , more complex stuff is introduced.

My main question being ‘ How much of this do we apply in our real lives?’ Do we actually utilize any of the stuff we are taught painstakingly by our teachers? Does it help us in living our daily lives?

Just consider a hypothetical situation – You are lost in a very dense forest or marooned on an island. What will help you survive?

History – Who ruled which state? British colonization , Freedom struggle- Naah, I don’t think so.

Math - Area, theorems, Even the simplest geometrical shapes like a square, triangle etc are something you won’t find in a forest. We study everything after simplifying it to such an extent, that it becomes useless.- Naah

Geography- Again learning such a broad overview of different countries we are never even taught anything closer home. I don’t remember ever even studying the map of the city I live in, although I have mugged up the map of Australia for some precious marks.

Science- Ohkay , some of this is relevant & I think useful, but there is lot of redundant stuff as well.

None of the above will help you survive a stint in a forest. If there is a contest of survival between an Literate man v/s Illiterate man who do you think stands a better chance?? In short , in my opinion our compartmentalized education is not so relevant.

Of course it helps in the functioning of our economy, as you get degrees, work in those fancy offices , which make goods & services, you then consume those goods & services, the whole chain works.

Also now after accepting the education system for what it is , another issue I have is – Why should I pick between one group of subjects eg. Why I cant I learn some subjects of my Commerce( Finance) field & Photography or Biology & Analytics ,for instance? These are my areas of interest but our education system makes our mind so one track that someone with diverse interests is not only burdened with unnecessary stuff but also not allowed to pursue their interests. I realize the ‘job market’ is not ready to absorb such individuals as the more uniform these degrees are , the easier it is for them to pick & choose. But it is not that tough , eg – a person who has studied Pharmacy & Accouting, can work in the finance department of a Pharmaceutical Company, also he would be a real asset as he has a complete picture of things.

So I end this post with a hope in my heart that things will change for the next generation at least. Fingers crossed….

Slow down Mumbai

As I stand on the railway platform , I see along with trains passing by , the sea of people walking in one direction as if with a singular aim, the seem almost as if with a mission. They walk at a fast pace slowing down only to catch their breath or overcome an obstacle which is viewed with annoyance. It almost seems like a factory out of which mass-produced goods are manufactured , all homogenous in nature. Everyone is getting to some place or the other. They all have somewhere they have to be. Anyone(me) just strolling around, comes across as a odd one out. You have to have some destination you have to go to.

I have been to other cities & towns & this city is definitely the fastest .Anyone who is slower than the rest is looked upon as a slacker . Noone slow downs come what may.

There is a bombblast- next day people are back on the roads, locals as though it was just a minor setback.

There is mega flood- still as soon as the roads are cleared people are running. Nothing can stop them. One can call it the ‘never say die attitude’ but it is as though we are trained to run & nothing can put those brakes .

Personally I believe Mumbai needs to slowdown a bit, even at the risk of losing some of revenue, as it is affecting us mentally & physically. It is harmful in the long run.

Mentally- constant alertness is something which is needed when we are marching at such a fast pace. This leads to insomnia, loss of concentration, stress, feeling of restlessness during gaps between these activities. We stop noticing, feeling the little things as everything is a blur at that pace.

Physically- Obviously exhaustion is the foremost result as our bodies are not made for such a strain.

I have for long been trying to keep up with the pace of this city. I have been successful at it. But after slowing down & just opting out of the marathon for a bit , it certainly feels good, I have realized I have 5 senses, & become more sensitive to the little things. The blur has turned into a focused lens. I have been able to think clearer, since my mind is not fogged with where I have to be next. When I wake up in the morning there is no feeling of get-set-go ….So as my title suggest i just wish to say Slow down Mumbai before things go out of control.

Souls, mysticism & more

Lately I have discovered this mystic side of me which is curious about the inexact ‘sciences’ like astrology, numerology etc. Not that I rely on it ,or read & believe in those daily horoscopes. But I sort of have a feeling there is something in it & not totally gibberish.

I just read my Past life analysis , as re-birth is one of the concepts of Hinduism . It says Our soul remains the same but we obtain different life forms. Some questions which immediately crop up my mind are : What is intriguing is that since the population keeps increasing, & every being has a soul, so does that mean, the soul splits or new ones are generated. Splitting of souls sounds scary (even every Harry Potter fan will associate it with something heinous ) & if new souls are being generated then what is the source? Is there even a thing such a soul or is it only a creation of religious myth? Where does the soul of a living thing go after its physical form perishes? Does it go up flying somewhere in space as most of us picture in our heads? Then through some complicated process are we assigned new physical forms? What is the correlation between a soul & morality- does an immoral act diminish/corrupt the soul?hmmm.....

So anyway my past life analysis reads like this “You were probably born as a human who was a great teacher. You could well have been the person who imparted essential knowledge & wisdom to some of the most famous & legendary names we know today. Even today you are one of those persons who are intellectually superior to others. You are very interested in knowing & exploring new facts & In improving your overall knowledge”.

I can relate to the above analysis. It feels nice to even think of a possibility of having had such an interesting past life. Hope I can go one step higher in this life.

As per numerology my Birth Number is ‘1’ – The Innovator.

“It is associated with new beginnings. You are an original person. You constantly get ideas about doing something new. You are full of positive energy & very ambitious in life. You love to take initiatives & are most likely to assume leadership position. You prefer to be self-reliant & don’t take help of others.”

Again I can associate many of these things with how I go about my life.

But since we are all rational beings & who are thought at every stage of life to see things as black or white, we sometimes miss out on the grays & lighter shades of black. Also since these cannot be proved with evidences, so there will always be this undertone of suspicion.

Essence of niceness

I am feeling a bit all goody-goody today, so this post is by-product of that mood. Its all about the niceties of being nice.In my opinion being nice is not a virtue but just a way of life. But the nice guy is a rare breed nowadays. Genuineness has been lost admist wannabes, the need to impress others, the need to appear 'cool' in front of others. But even if you see in the celebrity space it’s the nice guy at the helm of things eg: in the sports world Roger Federer in Tennis, Sachin Tendulkar in Cricket to name a few. What comes across is their approach & attitude of just going about doing their business without getting overawed by laurels & praises following their achievements. After all the fact their good at what they do doesn’t necessarily put them above others. Its just that there was fair amount luck, efforts of people around them to get them to that stage not to in anyway to discount their talents.

‘The empty mind is a devils workshop’ is a very true proverb I draw this conclusion as i have seen many individuals who with not a lot going on in their lives stoop to spread unnecessary bad tidbits , do small mean petty things just for the heck of it, though they feel their reasons are justified . I know I am being vague but being more specific would call for more descriptions & might hurt few people which defies the intention of this post.

Of course I am not suggesting one be a saint & move around with a halo on their head, but just being able to answer your conscience without hesitation is something I feel one should strive for. There will be many people who will be suspicious of your intentions, what you really want, they will ask whats the need to be nice to some random old lady or waiter at a restaurant but one should ignore such immature comments & go about your life.As what goes around , comes around.

Life is much simpler when you are kind to all , genuinely caring for them , though it does raise expectations from people & its tough to live with that. But a sweet smile & genuine concern can go a long way.But I believe its better to leave your acquaintances & friends with that good feeling as it is not what you said or did but how you made them feel which remains with them.

The circus of forced matchmaking

Dear readers this post is a funny narration of my friends experiences in meeting up with guys for a potential ‘arranged marriage’ set-up by their over-enthusiastic parents.

1.This friend who has always been a homely sort loves cooking & is set up to meet this guy from her caste ( which is of prime importance for narrow-minded people even in this day & age) . She has to travel all the way to another city . The day finally arrives & much to her surprise the man instead of gifts has brought along all his well-meaning , curious grandparents, parents & brother. The conversation goes like this:

Girl: Hi

Boy: Hi

Boy : so what have you studied? From where?

Girl: I have graduated in Commerce frm xyz.

(Long pause)

Boy : Hmmm.

The END.

2.This another friends aunt is playing matchmaker, the girl is of shy , helpless nature & this very eligible guy with multiple degrees has been approached . Apparently he is quite a catch. The parents are quick to respond & after initial introduction among parents , the next step of exchange of photos takes place. Then there is a long silence between both parties. So the girls parents have given up. But then one day comes the news along with the reason for rejection . Hear this one its super-funny, the photos emailed to the wannabe grooms parents were zoomed 10000 times only to discover a minute zit on the forehead, hiding between strands of hair…..seriously….!!!

3.Another friend with a very bold personality who is quite outspoken sees this guy on the insistence of her parents whose profile has been selected from a well-known matrimonial site.This boy-man turns out to be not only half-bald (I personally don’t have prejudices against bald men, but half-bald is a no go as far as I am concerned) but also obese & speaks sorry mumbles words.She is aghast & angry after this whole episode.

Conclusion: Parents need to chill & realize marriage is not the only thing to do after one is finished with their formal education, there is a whole world out there waiting to be explored.

Indian Male-the life planner.

This post is my observation on how a middle-class well-educated Indian male specie has his whole life chalked out in his mind, might be even having a five-pont plan on ways to achieve all his goals. Me a perpetual confused soul envies this quality…

Talking to my acquaintances & friends this is how the plan goes:

Upto 25 years- get a market- friendly degree , might be a double degree in the field of your choice.

25-30 years – buy a house & car, look for a life partner , get hitched , go on a lovely honeymoon & ‘settle’ down in life( btw I have never understood that term as none of us our nomads & we are already as settled as we can be)

30-40 years – parent ‘chunnu’ & ‘munnu’ , two adorable but naughty children & gossip with your wife regarding your neighbours affairs.

40-60 years – watch chunnu & munnu growing, suffer from mid-life crisis, go on foreign trips with lovely family to bond with them.

60years & after- retire from active life, live on savings & annoy children & their spouses, give a lot of unsolicited advice.

This is their 5-point life plan ……..I am not poking fun but simply making a general observation.

I wish someone drew me one of those , as my constantly mind is always buzzing it has new desires, goals, ambitions, new things to learn which makes a simple plan un-chalkable…sigh….