Right to Education Act 2009 Taking Wings

                                                

It took more than a 100 years for the government to come up with a policy of free education for the children, especially those who are underprivileged and belong to the economically weaker sections where parents can not afford to pay the fees.

The government has come up with this in the wake of realization that the private schools are doing better than the government schools. On the other hand, the main focus of this act is very interesting, worth though seems simple as all these days these simple reasons were a great hindrance for a child to start schooling, thereby prevent the child even to make an entry into the school. The act stresses on the following points:

• No child is required to get an identity proof of age to enter the school
• No child is required is required to have the background verification done
• No child will be deprived to take in the admission even after the academic year begins
• Schools controlled by government or local authority to provide free and compulsory elementary education to all children
• Schools cannot collect nay donation or payment other than the fees notified
• Atleast 25% of the total strength to be from weaker section of the society

As of now 13,761 schools have registered themselves with the RTE Act 2009 online but there is no definite numbers that define the number of schools registered as the offline registration is uncounted. Further stressing on the 25% reservation to the weaker section of the society in private schools is a wonderful concepts but the government is yet to come up with the circulars notifying the schools in regards with this issue and thus, it has put on pressure to distribute the regular administration of the schools as few schools find it difficult to maintain the administrative cost because they are short of admission and it’s difficult for such schools to reserve the seats. Government just by setting up an Act and neatly transferring the responsibility to the private schools is very much visible instead they should also support the private schools with the facilities or grants required for the students who are admitted under reservation, it’s not about transferring the responsibility it’s about sharing the responsibility and helping people lead a better life.

Further the instructions says that it will include only the children from 6 to 14 age which is not acceptable as the children in the age group of 4 to 6 and 14 to 17 will be ignored which also forms the important part of education in a child’s life. Further there are discussions on the redefinition of the neighborhood schools as at present the definition constitute based on the wards and the wards range from 30–40kms. The schools registered till date have been asked for details to be submitted to the government in the prescribed format by march 2013 regarding the students who fall under the reserved category.

More clarity and aid required from government end in wake of RTE Act and thanks a million that at least of 100 years they are at least trying to implement to provide the basic education as a human right which has been accepted globally that a citizen of a nation would demand for. So, now it’s also up to the private schools co operation in making this law successfully and making available the basic education for the weaker section and change the lives of hundreds if not millions. It’s a call for Corporate Social Responsibility for the private schools which would best describe their support in the RTE Act 2009.

Flying high in the sky... No wings attached...

On the event of the wedding of two of my best friends on consecutive days, one at Bangalore and the other at Hubli, I had to take a flight. Flying is a wonderful experience and I just thought I should pen down these thoughts.

This was not the first time. On a previous occasion, I had taken a flight to Mumbai from Hubli. I had planned to write my experiences then but missed out. I had a wish of travelling through air. I put a word to my dad and he immediately arranged it. My mother and I were supposed to leave to Mumbai and and it was converted from a road journey to an air journey. The funny part of the first journey was the moment the flight took off my ears turned numb and I could hardly hear anything. I began to fuss saying, "I’m turning deaf" and she was scared and clueless. Soon, we felt that plane is stuck as we were unable to observe any movement. Our non sense discussions began with plans on what to do next, how to come out of it, etc. But then, the people around us were reading the safety instructions manual calmly. We understood that we had panicked and surprisingly, we both laughed it out.

Most often, when we face a situation, we react rather than respond. Responding is wise. Reacting is otherwise. A little bit of research before taking up a new adventure helps a lot. Flying is a wonderful experience and I feel, it's one of the best inventions by man. The volume of intelligence, effort and sacrifice that goes in to build these flying machines is incredible. It’s serene to fly amid the clouds, the world beneath you and the soothing sky around you. The greatest advantage, of course, is the huge amount of time that is saved. As you take off, you feel you are getting out of the world to enter into a new world without any boundaries, limitless beauty and endless peace. Another thing that I observed is air traffic. Now, this is for real. I could see at least 5 aircraft around and I thought, "Gosh, traffic everywhere". Air traffic is definitely a big thing to manage though there are no roads on the endless space. I feel lucky and happy that I could get these opportunities to fly. I wholeheartedly thank the Wright brothers for this wonderful innovation that has made life easier and to the many airlines that have made it more affordable than it used to be.

In ancient times, people often covered long distances on foot and then, the wheel was invented. We can say that it is the invention that has had the single largest impact on the entire transportation industry we see now. The idea of a bullock cart, horse carriages, bicycles, etc. continued to advance the race of movement. Iris Murdoch said, "The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart."

Though 21st century is supposed to be an era of technology where everything happens on a right click and a left click, there is a great backlog. A large proportion of our population have not even seen any of these technologies. To my surprise, I saw a large group of people coming in and requesting to have a look at the Airplane but then they were chased away for security reasons. Technology is great. It becomes greater when its reach improves.

Ever since my school days, I have been reading about the cons of a common man in India, the poverty, the unemployment, the lack of basic facilities and the fight for a square meal a day. Its been 2 decades since I am seeing this and I see no major change in the situation. The same syllabus continues in the books as the same situation continues in the nation. In fact, the difference have been widening with each year that goes by. The economy is now dominated by the ones who are educated and command a position for themselves while the uneducated, for no mistake of theirs, continue to fall everyday. I say no mistake because they had no money to join a school in those days and even if they could, there were no proper schools those days. Today, the scenario, on the education front, has changed drastically. Education has got importance like never before. Perhaps, going forward, we might see a better India. However, the basic fact remains that its the reach of technology that can bring about changes. Transportation has evidently helped grow so many businesses due to its reach.

Any improvement in the transportation system indicates the economic growth and improvement in living of the people is what economics says. However, affordability is another key factor. There are people who struggle to even pay the bus or train fare and try to pass it. Its a known fact that a good number of people travelling in the general compartments of train do not carry a ticket though the train prices in India are among the lowest in the world. A large number of facilities are not maintained well and this adds up more pain. A good transportation system can ensure prosperity of the region/nation by connecting people and businesses. In certain nations, the metro rail and the trams have made movement so easy and convenient. In certain nations, air travel is the preferred mode of transportation  As a nation advances, we see the next level of facilities coming in. In India too, we have the local train facilities in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Metro rail in Delhi and now Bangalore, Trams in Kolkata. A better public transportation facility not only ensures convenience for public but a huge saving of fuel, a tremendous reduction in pollution and also saving of time. Erol Ozan says, "You can't understand a city without using its public transportation system". So true

My flight landed at Bangalore. Soon, I had to experience all that I had been thinking. It took me one hour to travel from Hubli to Bangalore, about 450kms. Then, it took me about 2 hours to travel from the airport to my home at Whitefield.

Transportation facilities have expanded our horizons tremendously and grossly improved accessibility. Today, our reach has gone beyond the cities or states or nations. We travel across continents, something that would have been unrealistic some decades ago. It has made life easier and brought many things in our reach. St Augustine said, "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page". An ancient Chinese proverb goes, "Walking ten thousand miles of the world is better than reading ten thousand scrolls"

Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey - Babs Hoffman

Happy Journey...!!!

Sainik... Tujhe Salaam...

The Indian Army after capturing Tololing Hills

"Sainik", the word on listening to which one can feel a change in the speed at which blood flows in their bodies. When we talk of a soldier, all that comes to our minds is Discipline, Abide by rules, Dedication, Sacrifice, Strong, Hardwork, Risk taking, Honesty and many other positive energies of life

While he stands across the border to safeguard us, we live here with all the comfort, happiness and safety. There's no denying that safety is the greatest comfort one can ever have in life. Without feeling safe, life will come to a standstill.

A Sainik’s life is full of struggles & sacrifice. An individual who is focussed to join the Armed Forces since childhood could join school like Sainik School, Military School, etc. where they get trained on numerous skills that make them leaders to serve the nation. For the ones who get on to this dream on a later stage of life, there is the NDA, IMA and other premier Armed Forces Training academies which conduct an entrance exam (UPSC) and an interview (SSB) for everyone aspiring to be an officer in the Armed Forces. I happened to read this very nice write up about an experience at SSB, Bhopal by Puneetkumar Pattar @ http://puneet3210.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-first-and-final-shot-at-ssb-for.html). On getting into the services, one gets into a life where he has to on his toes at all times.

Getting up early, the daily chores, exercises, reaching office on time, keep your family happy by spending time with them and now a days, the most important part of life 'The Weekends' scheduled prior and go out with friends & family to malls to spend time having look at the fancy, dashy & flashy things displayed around, shopping to falunt a credit card bill, ensuring that you eat the best food, etc. These are just a few issues that we all see in out lives every day and tell ourselves how overworked we are and how many problems we face. The only problems that a Sainik would ever think of is the national security, defending the nation from external aggression and threats, maintaining peace and security within the borders as well at times, and in the process, ensure that our weekend parties, the boozes, the dances and the fun keeps going on. Some may call this as the duty of the Sainik and that's it. But then, if everyone did their duties, the world would have no issues and no one would have to stand at the borders. Moreover, every duty can be performed in numeorus ways. You get results only when it is done in the right way with the right spirit.

We normal citizens have a completely different role to play in like an ‘Indoor Player’ who is incharge of the developing the country in terms of building the society, economy and polity which will meet the basic needs of the people so that they are not driven by poverty, inequality, unemployment, on the one hand, or by a desire to compete for resources and power either internally or in the international system, the culture, technology, building strong relationship with other nation and help build citizens their trust on the nation. The Sainik is an ‘Outdoor Player’ who takes care of the enemy around who intend to cause harm to the nation, even one such harm can waive off the success achieved in by the ‘Indoor Player’ in decades. One important point to aprpeciate is that the families associated with the Sainik also sacrifice most worldly pleasures being amid a world that is running behind these materialistic pleasures. Of course, every family sacrifices something for the welfare of a family member but the scale of measurement is different. Any family would think twice before getting their daughter married to a Sainik for known reasons. The isolation from the family, the tough lifestyle, the stress involved and the requirement to stay in difficult areas are just a few reasons to quote. Of course, above all, the safety of life. The world might not have noticed but I guess, more number of people die every year due to road accidents than the soldiers (in non-war years). So, uncertainty of life should not be a strong reason but it is one.

Our nation has many efforts in this direction like establishing the army schools, providing scholarships, etc. to drive the youth to the most strong and respected job in the nation. There is, perhaps, no shortage of patriotism in the nation but today’s youth are technology driven & need the mobility in the career in the urge of earning superior salary.

Its very important to note that the Schools established to train children for the Armed Forces are doing an incredible job. Not only do they produce excellent officers, they also produce great leaders. I have been blessed to be a part of one such great institution and I feel surprised, happy and charged everytime I hear about the stories of people from there. Above everything, these institutions mould people become better human beings. Everything else takes care of itself. Being physically fit, mentally tough and emotionally balanced is the need of the day in every sphere of life. Anyone who walks on the path of truth and honesty is a great success. Another important observation is that there is an amazing bonding between these people. It is a different family, a giant one. 

I guess I have deviated enough from the topic. To practically look at it, there is nothing charming to write about a Sainik's life. It is a difficult story filled with selfless sacrifices to help the nation be a better place to live in. Our country doesn't even correctly realize or recognize a martyr's loss like we recognize the loss of a filmstar, cricketer or a politicians. We are such cheap xxxxxxs that we even made money on their coffins, on the bofors and on everything. We don't even realize the amount of effort that had gone into producing a soldier like him. This is perhaps the greatest distractor for today's youth from joining the Armed Forces.

Only the supreme personalities ever get a chance to serve the motherland. They are the greatest human beings. Forbes does not take their stories in the 100 Most Influential people in the world. If they did, they would have closed their magazine as they could never be able to put a number to the rank these heroes. It is only possible for these men to say, "Its ok. Let's keep going", when they know everything is in a mess. It is only these heroes who hide every problem as it nothing ever existed, perhaps because they never took their work as a duty but a pleasure to serve the nation, and say, "Live Life King Size"

My Salutes...!!! Jai Hind...!!!

The following information is taken from different sources on the internet

His Last Letter to his parents

Moments before the final assault Capt. Vijyant Thapar (Robin) left this letter at the war front base, to be handed over to his family.

AND AFTER THAT

HE CAME BACK HOME WITH TRI COLOR DRAPED

JUST A COMMON SOLDIER

(A Soldier Died Today)

by A. Lawrence Vaincourt

He was getting  old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one.

And tho' sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.

He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.
Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,
And the world won't note his passing, though a soldier died today .

He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles that some people start.

If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say,
Our Country is in mourning,for a soldier died today.

A day in the life of an employee

A title like this suits almost everyone who reads this blog post. Giggles may not stop as you try to look into you lives being an employee and perhaps, there is no employee who has not yet thought of getting out of work, start some business/anything of his own and get out of this crowd as well as the 9 to 6 lock up of life.

Welcome. You are just another me, just like him or her.

Around 48.7 million graduates out of the population of 1.21 billion in India are in this race of being an employee. Latest records indicate that employment to population ratio at 57.7%. Now I realize the voluminous numbers and the reason behind such a big queue at every interview. Cut throat competition almost literally means it these days.

Of course, everyone has a different life though everyone in the role. The responsibilities, options, perks, efforts, time, etc. vary due to numerous factors like the rules of the company, the nature of the Industry, the work involved, etc. The core, however, is to ensure that the 9+ hours of office hours help the company earn more than what it pays you for those hours.

Work has become the most essential part of life. Every morning, human species wake up to deadlines, to projects, to targets, to meetings, to discussions, to worries, to promotions, to hikes, to incentives and so on. Most occassions like a birthday, anniversary are easily forgotten in this mess. Earning for survival makes life miserable. Each of us have our own reasons to not to be an employee or to be an employee, in certain cases.

Monotony of life

What's common to almost all the jobs across the world is the monotony that it gives. Seldom do people really get something to learn or value add to life. Perhaps, after a few years, a very few people think about growth, progress and values. In fact, once a person has a family and children, the spirit further reduces. However, we ought not to crib on this issue as it is this exactly that a company/industry needs. Consistently making effort in the same direction makes you an expert and thereafter, we start feeling comfortable. Further, when we are asked to go to some other process and do some other job, we may even say no to it and prefer the existing monotony. Here is a lesson for the employers. Before the employee sticks his *** to the seat, ensure that you put him in some other seat. Its the same employee was asking for challenges earlier and now prefering to stay on

Peers

Peer group is a very important aspect of our lives as we spend almost 40% of our day (in fact, 60% of the time we are awake) at work. But then, over a period of time, we tend to start developing issues with the peers. In most cases, the employees don't like their TLs, TLs don't like their managers, managers do not like the senior managers and so on. Its almost a ritual and no one can escape it, no matter how good/right or bad/wrong the person is in any aspect. Bashing seniors is a part of every junior's life and it is done more to releive the stress than anything else. Every individual is different and thus you have a set of peers who are good/bad, jolly/serious, adamant/adjustable, etc. A good peer group of like minded people can help in having a peaceful atmosphere.

Supervisors

They say, 'If you are born lucky, you’ll are blessed with two most valuable things in life. A good wife and a good boss'. Its a very well known fact having no honestly debatable points that everything at work life depends on what your boss wants. Employees who can give that get good returns and those who don't will continue to struggle and suffer. It is a common scenario at every workplace to see people not doing well are moving up and people doing well are not. Such scenarios are the most disgusting moments when the affected employee starts getting the thoughts of moving out of the organization. In the earlier years, HR policies were based on fixed increment in line with company's performance. I feel this would be a better way to handle things that to assess the performance of an individual because, it is impossible, no matter how advanced the technology heads, to measure a human's performance and quantify it. Further, these performance rating sessions are also done by humans and thus, heavily subject to bias which can not be ruled out even in case of the most unbiased person. Rather, if it is declared that everyone gets the same hike depending on company's performance, more number of employees would start working for the company rather than working to impress the managers. Of course, no one can deny that a good boss can be a great motivational factor for any employee's life and will take a person to places and heights which he might not have even thought about.

Job Nature

In most jobs, specially in the financial industry and in that especially the insurance industry, employees get stressed and frustrated with the unrealistic targets that the bosses set for them. Most employees in this field hunt for jobs more than they hunt for customers. Exactly opposite are certain jobs in the public sector where employees get bored of doing nothing. In a way, they also start disliking their jobs. More so, when after 3-5 years of not doing anything, you are asked to do something. The sick PSUs are a lively example for this. The hottest jobs on earth, Software Engineers, have another story to tell. Fears of recession is the most consideration in the lives of IT/ITeS employees

                                                                                               

Facilities

Facilities are a boosting factor for any employee. In a nation like India where people are obsessed with maintaining a face before people, it becomes very necessary to have certain points that can be boasted off whenever the discussions come. It may be the ambiance, the cab facilities, the coffee vending machine, the health insurance for family, the laptop or even the Sodexo passes. Factors like this, which did not have any role to play in the earlier years, play a significant role in times when an employee is considering to leave an organization, more than when he is planning to join.

The 21st Century's Maslow’s Theory

The phase of life has taken a new cycle from being a child till we grow old now what matters is what our position at work, bank balance and the life style. On a flip side, all the management concepts should rather be applied to our personal lives than to professional and perhaps, there will be a marked difference in our performances due to active minds willing to take up responsibilities. A peaceful mind can work wonders as it helps in taking sensible decisions. We ought to note that we will come across the same issues everywhere in life. Be it a new company or a new business, it all ultimately boils down to how ready is your brain ready to deal with the people. Open up and life will be good

So, is it going to be a new day at work... Or yet another day... All the Best...!!!

PS: Title courtesy- Shara. Thanks for providing me a subject to write

An insight in to the modern life

While sitting idle on some day, I had an insight in to the numerous changes in the human life style- the way we sit, stand, speak, our food habits, the way of living, the quantum of work, the purpose for which we work, the way we spend, the way we prioritize our daily chores and most importantly, the very purpose behind the journey of living. Every nation carries the face of the citizens. Their way of living is attributed to the values and practices that they follow which is indirectly the result of what the society has been passing on since ages

Everyone has this question running on the mind at some point of time in life, "What is all this struggle called life? What is the purpose behind living this journey? What exactly is the reason we have been brought into this world?" And suddenly, it becomes difficult to even accept the life that we are leading. Who owns us? Who do we own? The endless questions make this whole meaningless in one go. The only satisfactory answer that one may get is a compromise on not knowing the answer, "Life is just a journey and we need to keep moving. We would know the truth only after completing the journey. Or we may never”

In this journey, we plan so many goals and dream so much on our future while most do not get lucky. There has been a drastic change in our lives, our lifestyles, over the years. Though everything is evident and visible, I would still like to make a note

In the primitive days, all we needed was RKM (Roti Kapada Makaan), i.e., Food, Clothing and Shelter. Anything additional would solely depend on the affordability levels of the family, specially the assets, and the earnings of the head of the family. In those days, there was no concept of multiple people working. Making women work in order to earn money was perhaps considered not less than a sin, unlike today's necessity. Having 5-10 children was not a great burden, unlike today where costing is done even before going for a 2nd child (I guess, the cost sheet is now a days being prepared for the first child also)

Certain key principles of life from these days that have been passed on to us

• Being humble
• Help others, selflessly. Even now, we help. But in most cases, not selflessly
• Respect and obedience towards elders, whether right or wrong. In fact, thinking whether an elder is right or wrong was itself wrong. Now, we judge people and then, take a decision
• Men work to earn bread and butter. Women work to take care of the man and the children. Now, women go to work and the children go for a toss
• Having an unmarried girl child at 18 (or perhaps 16 or 14 or whatever age depending on respective society) would be troublesome for parents. Now, the age has slowly gone up to 25 and parents still take it. Education effect
• Boys would go to the farms, later to school, later the 10th standard became a mandate and now, graduation is a compulsion. In fact, even post graduation has almost become mandate to earn a sustainable living
• Everything earned is given to the father. Slowly, everything after expenses. And now, we only pay for expenses. Slowly, we would pay only for certain expenses
• An individual was happy and content with a square meal a day. Chappatis, Rotis, a vegetable dish, rice and dal would be the staple as well as special food. Today, we have numerous choices and in the process, we have stopped eating the staple food. In fact, the staple food itself becomes special food for us when we visit our natives
• 2-3 pairs of clothes would sustain for a lifetime in those years. On a birthday, we get 4-5 pairs these days. Aspirations have gone up. Affordability too has kept the track

In a nutshell, man in those days was a happy go lucky guy. These days, we make every effort to become so and fail each time. There was a time when we had limited resources and unlimited natural resources. Today, the scene is just the opposite

Now, lets have a deeper look into today's man, the dynamic, intelligent, superhero and the great innovation of the 21st century's 'The Mechanical Man'

Family for him means he and himself. Seldom do parents form a part of it. However, in the longer run, the wife and children get to become a part of it. The same is true for the 21st century's woman. Blame on the corporate. They hardly give us any time to think

There is no definition of responsibilities at home. It is defined at work only. Life just moves on a take as it comes basis. We have the independence of choice. We wear what we want, eat what we like, go wherever we wish, come back whenever we want, study whatever, love whoever and work on whatever we like to

We find fancy in everything. Even in food. We like to eat stuff that may or may not suffice our stomach but appears awesome. Pizzas, Burgers, Sandwiches, Wine, Smoke. Everything has become a part of the system. No questions asked. No logic understood

On a flip side, there has been tremendous progress in the world. Life has advanced. Information Technology, Communications, Medicine, etc. have made life easier and better. You have more opportunity than what your parents had. However, very soon, opportunities convert into different trends. For example, being an engineer was an opportunity is early 2000s and now, its a trend. When trends begin, opportunity dies. Very soon, the trends turn into hopeless pressurized situations for the next set of people

The race of life, the purpose of living has been changed to what position one has reached in life in the career and not how good the person is or what done good deeds has he done, how much one earns and not how much one shares with the family, how many assets one possesses and not how helping those assets are

In the process, the society has changed. So have its citizens. And so has the nation's image from a dull 3rd world country to a vibrant, emerging and developing economy

However, in the end, it’s very important to be what you are and experience the essence of life in collaboration with values, culture and pride associated with it

Someone has truly said, "Do little things now... So shall big things come to thee by"

What we call little things are merely the causes of great things. They are the beginning. The small daily differences, over a period of time, add up to big and thus, every individual with his values and practices will build the nation

Patriotism, though seems to be at an all time low, still flows in out blood... Jai Hind...!!!

PS: In these topics, there is nothing right or nothing wrong. A lot depends on one's own perception of life, its meaning and various other factors.

A Sizzling Weekend with Sizzlers & Shopping

Shwetha and I have been having a big shopping list to exhaust. Over the past several weekends, this plan had been slipping off and finally, we got on to it. It was around 3pm and we were almost stepping. It started raining. But then, Shwetha, the shopping freak, got the spirit back and told me that there is so much to do and there is nothing much to think. We starting going. While the clouds were busy deciding whether to drizzle or rain, we enjoyed the experience and before this cloud confusion ends, we drove into the lanes of commercial street, the weekend adda of all women shoppers in Bangalore

On reaching, there was a lot of confusion in the air. We did not know what and where to start with. We somehow started moving. We went into each shop, one by one, finding out if there is something that is a part of our list. The list soon getting exhausted. We even started adding new items to the list and some items directly entered our kitty without even entering the list. Now, this defined us perfectly as a Shopaholic

The funny part shopping at commercial street is that every time we step ahead, we find a new lane. With each lane you cross, the stronger becomes your feeling that you are lost. In the process of discovering our way out, we almost hit every route and thus, every shop that forms a part of this area. We were happy that we could pick up the best of the things. Saturday, thus, came to an end

Sunday was a sizzling day. For the 1st time, I had Sizzlers and it was an amazing experience. We had been to bowling at Fun World in the evening. After that, we visited this lovely place called Element Eatery and had some delicious sizzlers. It was a great experience for me. The ambiance was so chilled and lively. It was a different experience for me as I was seeing it for the first time, food being served pan hot along with the wooden container that held the hot metal plate that had the food. I just loved it and can't stop describing the experience. The food too was tasty. The way the food was served made me feel like we are back to the old ages of Raja Maharajas and I am a princess being served the food, red hot, with numerous cutlery, exquisite royalty and utmost care. The accompanying Coconut Coolers and Cottage Cheese Fingers were adding the perfectly delightful experience. Well, the main course that we were having was Hawaiian Veg Steak served with pineapple and sweet n sour sauce

Yummm... I'm still loving it...!!!

These small activities add so much value to life. Specially when you are leading a workaholic life, such weekends help release all the stress accumulated through the week. I'm glad, these days were fruitful

My 25th Birthday... Some of the loveliest celebrations...

I realized that I completed 25 years of life on earth. A life glowed with multiple blessings. Blessing of the Almighty. Blessings of my lovely, caring and supportive mom & dad. Blessings of the beautiful family i got from them. Blessings of being a person capable of facing the world with normality. Blessings for having been able to have a square meal, a place to live and basic amenities to live a life

I just had a look at what I have been doing in such a long tenure on the earth. Mind you, 25 years is like 9125 days inclusive of 2600 weekend days. Its been a average to above average life considering the sphere of life under analysis. Having had a decent education along with a post graduation in line with today's demands and a decent job living a decent life makes me one among the millions of those decently aspiring Indians

Life has been tough. At times, it has been easy too. Suddenly, I notice that a major part of my growing life is over. In general, we grow till the age of 30. And then, we start evolving. The quicker one gets into the stage of evolution, the better would have been his/her growth and thus, the higher would be his/her possibilities to, what we say, make it big in life

I wish, like everyone, I should have been a kid and remained a kid all life. A life without tension, fear, ego, negativity  struggles accompanied with love from everyone surrounding you and an assurance that all your wishes will be granted. But then, life has its own cycles. We have to grow up, work, perform our duties, live up with responsibilities, act sensibly and mature calling ourselves as adults. However, on a honest note, I have been living an extended kid's life. I would not be wrong if I say that the kid's life is on even as I write this. Life appears so short. That's perhaps the reason why I do not think so much about the future. This is another reason why I have a tagline, "Just Embrace the Present" on my blog

On a serious note, I feel I’m in a stage of life wherein I've to be more responsible & have a different approach towards life as it’s the need of hour. I could even feel the essence of my childhood on this day, the days wherein I was just bothered about my school, studies, lawn tennis, on stage almost every time from the beginning of my school days. I just love the tenure of my childhood days which was so beautiful. I even saw a pic of my childhood & the present pic & couldn't stop myself from laughing at myself seeing how funny I was to look at. I practically thanked God for I am not a kid looking so ugly. But then, my mom says I was prettier as a child. Perhaps, photography itself was awkward in those days. I remember the fights with my brother with sticks, tennis racquets and if nothing else gets on to hand, the broom sticks. Complaining to parents every moment that you love him more than me. All that appears so silly now but were so important when you were really a kid. There's no logic. Just express whatever comes on your mind. One ought to continue the child-like character in him (being truth, expressing everything clearly, having no ill thoughts, etc) but get ride of childish character (complaining, cribbing, crying, etc) as we grow

My family has been a great support to me all life. They have been a source of tremendous support to whatever I have wished to do in life. I also feel blessed considering that I got a friend at every phase of life and today, these people who have been with from long years have added more value to my life that I, perhaps, did. Jyoti is my pet friend I remember from my childhood. Unfortunately, she is no more in this world & I miss her a lot. From my school days, I have Veena & Ramya, Moiza from college days. Very recently, my colleagues Rashmi (from ING Vysya Bank days), Florine & Rincy (from SSgA) have been with me almost all the day. After ING, I have lost touch with Rashmi, not to hide there was some bitterness too, and today, I have decided to let go the bitterness and added her on Facebook. Hope I will reach her soon. Shanta from my Indiranagar PG and Shweta from the current PG have been my best buddies. I cherish these people, these relationships and the value they have been adding to my life

On the B'day this year, I cut 3 cakes starting with one at Pizza Hut, the next with college friends and the one at my PG. One of the most surprising part of the celebration was receiving 25 gifts from one of my friends. It was an out of the world experience and I had flown beyond all the skies in the universe. I also got a beautiful watch and bag from another friend and it came to me a couple of days before the B'day as she wanted me to wear it on my day. That was so nice of her. I'm not showing my craze for these, though I am, but writing these as these mean a lot to me

A surprise treat was planned on Sunday, the 1st of July (a day ahead of my birthday which happened to fall on a Monday this year) by Shwetha, Florine & Rincy. Out of the blues, Shweta asked me to drive her to Brigade Road to buy something. I was hesitant solely because I was not keeping well. After a lot of yes-no, Florine called and said that there is an urgency and I can not say no. I was surprised that someone who doesn't come out of the house on any weekend is asking me to go out and thus, I concluded, 'Daal mein kuch kaala hai'. Impatient, I was. A celebration, I did smell. A treat, I had no genuine reason to rule out. I said, "I am not coming till I know the truth". On knowing the truth, I jumped out of bed and said, "It’s an honor for me because it’s for the first time in my lifetime that my friends have planned for a treat & taking me out". It was good that I got to know as I could dress up accordingly to the occasion and carry 'Cherpy', that’s my Nikon L120 camera, along with. On reaching Brigade Road and mainly on entering Pizza Hut, I started remembering my last year's birthday which was also celebrated at a Pizza Hut. I just love the Birthday song at this place. The birthday cake read, "Happy Birthday Ooolala Bubbly”. I was tears. Tears of happiness. Thank you so much gals. You made my day so beautiful

On my birthday, I fulfilled my wish of offering my prayers at ISKCON. It was heavenly. The evening experience on the topmost hotel of Bangalore was an experience that I have no words to express. Another gift from Shanta was waiting for me as I reached home. The celebrations continued even the following day with a cake cutting at my PG. The magical candles had no intention of being blown off despite my best efforts. It was lovely. Facebook was loaded with good wishes. These were some of the best hours of my life that I will remember for many years to come. I was feeling, I'm in fact even now, like a princess. Every time its your birthday, you feel it. The world makes it your day

A very special day of my life was made more special by the most special people in my life and so, here's a special thanks to each one of you for making it special

Thank You...!!!

And on behalf of everyone, I take the leverage of wishing me once again, "Happy Birthday...!!!"

Celebrating Friends' Birthdays

A moment to celebrate with your family, friends & loved ones. Everyone wishes to celebrate their birthdays and have fun with surprises & wishes

A day when you actually lose one precious year of your life and grow old and yet the joy of celebrating the day with the thought of having made an entry into the world waives away every other thought

A day which is day meant to celebrate for having done things worthwhile in life

A day which gave birth to many relationships & blessed to be a brother, sister, father, mother, friends & all the relationships one can pen down

A day which the almighty sends us in to play our role to make a difference to this world

A day where in the loved ones make all the efforts to make the B’day baby happy & surprise with unexpected things because it’s your day – B’day baby!!!

Well, celebrating birthdays too have advanced in the age of celebrations. A decade or two ago birthdays were celebrated by parents buying new clothes, prayers at temple followed by neighbors who would be invited for a cake cutting or aarti. Friends would add modernity to life by  getting gifts & cakes. On these lines, we tried to surprise 2 of our friends who had their birthdays on June 9 & February 5 respectively. I personally consider it horrendous to postpone or advance a birthday celebration than on the actual day. However, due to all the complexities that the advanced world has ushered us, here we are, celebrating a birthday after 5-6 months. A sad fact

Not much was being planned. As usual, I get reminded of Pizza Hut as soon as we speak about a birthday celebration. It is one of the best places for such occasions. However, this guy insisted on something else. With all the indecisiveness, we gathered at Brigade Junction and zeroed in on Ballal Residency. A beautiful new experience that I loved, to say the least. In line with the IST, Indian Standard Time, I was late, like usual and gave genuine reasons of picking up gifts/cake on the way which were labelled unacceptable. The celebrations began with a cake cutting followed by food in which I scored a century. The food was really gorgeous

The most exciting part of the day that motivated me to write this were the awesome events at Garuda Mall after the food. I had been longing to play on a Sony PlayStation or a Microsoft Xbox and the day came. We went to FunMax and played some games. I started with Charger, a game where you sit on a bull & ride through a jungle. Awesome fun. I enjoyed playing Lawn Tennis on the screen for the 1st time. I have only been playing on the ground all these years. As usual, he tried his best to cheat and win but, as usual, he lost. It was a typical experience to play Bowling on the screen. Now again, all this is made possible due to the technology of motion sensors. Now I know Jackie Chan & James Bond do a lot of things that we feel impossible do in a real life

The 5D movie experience at FunMax was simply stunning & an out of the world experience. For the first time in my life, like everyone else along with me, I visited a theater which has 5D technology. It makes you feel as if you are really in the movie or the movie is going on in your life. While audio and video are the 2 dimensions of a movie, a 3D movie adds a 3rd dimension where objects come so close to your eyes and make you feel as if things are not on the screen but just around you. 3D movies with real life effects like a chair swinging around in line with the situation (vibration, sway, tilt, drop, wave motion, leg & back ticklers) adds up to the 4th dimension of the experience. The 5th dimension is perhaps the smoke, rain, lightning, air bubbles, water sprays, wind blow and special smells making things so real. There is no definition for a 5D experience yet and each company markets it on their own opinion. It was a beautiful experience that amazed me so much

In line with the standards, every outing comes to end with some quality shopping. Coincidentally, Fastrack was running a 50% discount weekend sale and how could I disappoint them. It took an hour to decide but I had one finally across my wrist by the time we leave the mall. This was yet another lovely day filled with lot of fun & enjoyment. Now a days, people are more worried about weekends rather than weekdays. Weekends have become very important as there are a lot of things that remain pending all through the week when you don't get even a minute and all these piled up things have to be sorted out in the weekends. A good weekend also ensures a good week ahead

I wish you both a very happy birthday...!!!

The Adventures of the Dashing Dazzlers...!!!

This tour is dedicated to my friends: Sneezy (Rincy Varghese), Lady Gaga (Florine Lasrado), Shikhari Shambhu (Swetha Nagaraje). I never had such great fun ever in my life. I have no words to describe the moments and time that this tour has added to my life. Memorable, all tours are but something like this don't even need a memory. They keep running in the background cache. I'm Ooh La La Logi, Priyanka Bhille, and this is my story. Remember Kal Ho Na Ho's Naina Catherina Kapur

I had been planning to celebrate my dad's birthday on 27 May 2012 but the kind of life we lead in this city, our time has been purchased by our companies and we get a bit of it after haggling with them sufficiently. Further, the TCS World 10K marathon was also scheduled on this day and I did not make too much effort to take a leave. I decided to go to Hubballi on the following week. I spoke to my friends and they were more than willing to accompany me. This, we thought would be a stress buster but such an amazing stress buster, we never thought

After working hours on Friday, the 1st of June 2012, we started in an auto that promised to take us to the VRL bus stop at Anand Rao Circle on time. Promise because we were running short of time. VRL, headquartered in Hubli, is one of the most successful business house in India and our family has been using their services from a decade or more. We somehow feel comfortable in this bus which may be because we know the owner since long. We had taken away some food from McDonalds, our regular hangout at RMZ Infinity. On the way, in the auto, there was some other guy in some other auto who we were teasing and Sneezy was the victim for it. All excited, we reached the bus stand on time. On boarding the bus, we kept laughing for no real reasons. We talked, talked, talked and talked. The roof perhaps started melting and we cooled ourselves down with the Coke, the finger chips and the delicious burgers. This one company has successfully influenced our food habits. Generally, Indians do not eat pizza/burgers but McD Pizza Hut deserve a pat for doing so much in so less time in India. High level committee discussions began. All Talk, No Result. I don't know when I slept but I can remember Sneezy never gave a break to her throat

I remember someone quoting, "Sleep in Bangalore... Wake up in Hubli...". What a lovely moment. Each time you step in your hometown, your energy doubles as you start recollecting all the moments spent as a child and more. It’s an awesome feeling. The plan was to go and get some sleep as we entered home. But then, everyone got so busy getting introduced to my mom & dad and further to the large list of pets at my home, we forgot our sleep. We have 5 dogs and a numerous pigeons at home. My mom had the breakfast ready. Everyone loved it while Lady Gaga was bowled over. My mom suggested numerous places to visit in Hubli and we began with visit to our other home where my Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle & Aunt stay. They were very excited to see us. It was after a very long time that I was meeting them. I was so happy to see my Ajja & Ajji. My home is quite close to Moorusaaviramth, a place of historical importance built in the 12th century consisting of “Samadhi” of Shri Gurusiddeshwar Swamy. In the 12th century, during the period of Kalyan, Sri Channabasavanna stepped over this place accompanied with 3000 (Three Thousand meaning Mooru Saavira in Kannada language) saints and went to “Ulavi” asking the saints, to spread the universal Gospel. Thus the name originated as "Moorusaavira Math”. The antique collections were really soothing to eyes compared to the modern day's technology driven things where everything has a rule, procedure and process. Changes in art, craft, culture, technology over a period of time causes exhaustion of the older things. Museums are really helpful when we want to learn something about the past

In Hubli, we run a small business of selling sweets, confectioneries and other food items. Though a small business, the brand "Bhille Sweets" has stood by the for a long time due to the quality commitment. My friends have been hearing and tasting our shop products for a while now and they were quite interested in having a look at how exactly the work progresses. Like any other person seeing it for the first time, they could not believe their eyes that showed them people queuing up even before the doors of the outlet were opened. I told them that 'My Dad is the best businessman'. He definitely is

Soon, it was lunch time. We had already placed our orders and my mom was working on them since morning. Cooking is really a tough job. It gets tougher when you have to cook something that you have to cook out of the regular menu. We could see the dining table with Chicken Fry, Chicken Biryani, Chicken Curry, Mango Cream, Godi Huggi (Wheat Payasam), Chapattis, Raw Banana Fry, Zeera Rice, Pappu, Dal Fry & Bengali Sweets. Yes, all this was prepared by my lovely mom. I was so happy to learn that she is so happy to see us. By the time we finish lunch, we were drowsing and soon, everyone was asleep

Late evening, after we got back to alertness, we were quite dull and not willing to step out of the bed. But someone uttered the word 'shopping' and that is it. Girls after all. In no time, we were roaming the Durgad Bail streets, Koppikar Road (now renamed Dr Rajkumar Road for no reason) and other places. It went on for a long time. As a memoir, we all bought 1 set of a same pattern dress along with many other purchases. For dinner, we had plans to hit Durgad Bail's Food Street. This is one lane where a lot of food sellers stand with their food carts selling gorgeous food items like Kachori, Paani Puri, Bhel Puri, Sev Puri, Idli, Vada, Dosa, Dhabeli, Dhokla, Girmitt, Aulakki, Poori, Bhaji, Mirchi, Bonda, Cutlet, Soda, Ice Cream, Samosa, etc. I chewed some Rajasthani Paani Puri, Gujarati Dhokla, Maharashtrian Dhabeli, Mumbai's Vada Pav, Chennai's Idli & the most special North Karnataka's Bhaji and Hubli's Girmitt. South Karnataka, especially Bangalore, makes life so tough with no availability of such awesome food and people feel we have everything in Bangalore. After so much of batting, we had to go in for an ice cream to cool down and a soda to rejuvenate. After returning home, our regular business of talking continued. At some point of time, there was so much talk happening between my parents and friends that I started feeling like a guest (read, an outsider). Soon, we dozed off

A lot of plans ran on the mind as we woke up on Sunday. Considering that we had to be in office on Monday, sadly, we had to shortlist a few places only. The BMW (Bhille Motor Waahan aka Tata Nano) was waiting to pick us up as we had planned to visit Mundgod's Drepung Loseling monastery, a little Tibet. After close to 50km of driving, we landed in this beautiful repository of Tibetan life and culture that showcases the life style and ambitions of the Tibetan refugees and reflects the gradual transformation of a traditional society into modernity. Girls again, we, went on a shopping spree here too. This was the most unexpected thing to happen here. Shopping, I feel, makes a trip complete. The memories of the mind erode over time. However, some physical element can keep the memories entangling our brain cells and not let them slip away so easily. I should make a point here that we bought some very good products here at amazingly low prices. There was no compromise in quality at all

On reaching home, we found fish curry & fish fry awaiting to welcome us. We were feeling nothing less than princesses. After an afternoon nap, we went to Cotton County Club for Trekking & Go-Carting. The Go-Carting experience was amazing. After that, we went to the tailor to give the dress material, that we all took, for stitching

It was time to pack up and like everyone, none of us wanted to do it. If life is so beautiful, why would we need to live a slurry life that only looks good. But then, may be, it is that slurry life which makes us enjoy this life. Even a queen feels bored at her place. The kind of comfort my mom, dad and brother provided us every time, I just can not express my gratitude to them. It seems so unusual for me when I think on why do I live a different city with so much stress when there is so much love here. I am yet to discover a satisfactory answer. LCD displays. The dinner was quite silent. The pain was evident. The speed at which these couple of days went, I am sure, we never felt them go. It was certain that the journey back to Bangalore would be longer than these 2 days. Thank yous, Hugs, Kisses, Snaps, Sorry, Smiles, Tears, Blessings. These farewell times, I tell you. Bidding adieu to the city, the regular VRL bus too seemed to be sad seeing us go. Perhaps, we were sad and that's how the world appeared to us. The roof didn't melt anymore. We didn't laugh for no reasons anymore. We just laid down at our respective seats. While some in memories, some in tears, some in joy, some in thoughts and some in the sad fact, Bangalore was Calling

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born

Such days are short, always. Time with family has become a rarity, these days. We don't seem to value things that we can treasure all life. Not because we have become wrong or selfish. The world has made us so. Mechanical, Technical, Material. Amid whatever time life gives, we ought to make the best of it. Just Embrace The Present

An Amazing TCS World 10K Bangalore Experience

Wow...!!! An expression that I carried over all the day. I never even thought Bengaluru is so beautiful. The climate, the excitement, the energy, the mass of people, the spirit was all an icing on the cake.

Yes, I did run the TCS World 10K, here in Namma Bengaluru...!!!

An Event for Corporate
One can describe this event in part as a Corporate get together where companies take time to support the world indirectly by offering support to the NGOs and other oganizations that work for the society. Organizations that work to make the world a better place to live in by enabling weaker sections of the society to live up. I guess, I don't need to say that the people in suit are contributing far more to nation building than the dhotiwalas who have been filling their coffins with papers printed with a MK Gandhi's photo. Corporate Social Responsibilty activities have, perhaps, done more for the nation in the last decade than the committees, offices, departments, etc. that were set up to do this in the last 65 years. Companies do have considerable power through the employees and can make change happen. They control a lot of assets, and may have billions in cash at their disposal for socially conscious investments and programs. If this CSR is taken to a next level there will be desirable growth in the society we are into & make a huge difference. Each such event is a wake up call for a Corporate who has not begun CSR.

An Event for the NGOs
It was a major event for many NGOs & other work group people who were supported with the funds collected through this event and thus, add a positive difference in their mission. Thanks to these organizations who have directed their efforts in supporting the needy, in grooming them & adding value to their lives. The volume of effort & commitment to build and sustain such organizations is enormously high specially considering the kind of lives we lead today. Considering that this work doesn't need technology, process or for that matter, nothing can speed up this. All it needs is time. Time, something that everyone is falling short of. It sends shiverrs across me when I see that this is a direct human to human responsibility and there is neither a margin for error nor a second chance. Salutes Unlimited.

An Event for the Participants
The participants of the event are the ones who made the most of the event. It was one of the most happening weekend for many who met their colleagues after a long time away from the office premises. In most cases, the boss-subordinate relationship was turned into a friend-friend one while in a few cases, specially where the boss is apprehensive, there were attempts to sustain supremacy. There was no end to the smiles, shouts, screams all over the city. Everyone seemed to have a party more than a 10K run. The funniest part was that the participants had ensured that they dressed themselves with the perfect attire & ensured they look good with all possible accessories like earphones, ipods, goggles, sport shoes, shorts, t-shirts, caps of the best brands possible. After all, what do you expect from people sitting in front of computers for a life and getting out of it on a blue moon day. Of course, there was a visible crowd that was doing it to update their facebook status as well.

An Event for Businesses
Events like this that call for mass participation create opportunities for companies, specially start-ups, to showcase their products and talent. The event too gets value addition due to the extended support the business participants add. I could see that a lot of these firms were helping participants with utilities/necessities for the event like ointments, tablets, energy drink & other stuff. In many cases, these were given to the participants as goodies/samples.

And An Event for Me
For me, this was an opportunity to be a part of this great cause for which my company supported for. We supported two organizations, namely 'Association for Persons with Disability' & 'Dream A Dream'. Dream A Dream works to educate/support children who cannot afford to go to school.

When I went to collect the registration related stuff to Kanteerva Stadium before the D-Day, I enjoyed the DJ by iRave Band. It was a great experience

On the D-Day, my scare of whether I could finish the 10K had resurfaced. Health issues have been a part of my life ever since birth and I keep getting ill often. So, I did give a second thought to the event. But then, after resolving that I will be going ahead, my belief worked and I completed the race in 1:39:14, a couple of minutes ahead of the race time stipulated (1 hour 45 minutes). Not a very impressive time, I know, but it does impress me.

The event added many a happy moments and I felt a high on many occassions. The first was when I saw Powerstar Puneeth Rajkumar, my favorite actor, with my own eyes, live. He is the brand ambassador of the event. Perhaps, his sight added some energy to me and I ran the first couple of miles with a lot of enthusiasm. Further, I could see that some groups/companies have set up the floor just to cheer us with the lovely music & many other people residing/working in the locality cheering us with various banners & jingles to keep us going. One quote that hit me the most, "Pain is temporary... Victory is permanent..."
My brain cells were blowed as these words kept echoing in them till I finished the 10K. This was one of the greatest lesson, best learnt

The event was aesthetically organized from the time of registration till the time we reached the destination and even beyond. The follow up after the event also deserves a pat. For eg, one can know their timings by keying in their BIB no.at http://www.timingindia.com/results_page.php. Even the photos of the event are available at http://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts/home.py. This event is a perfect example of how teams/groups of people working together can weave success

CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility, is a wonderful concept. An action which has the capacity to positively impact lives of individuals who are in need of some courage & support to move up with their life. More than anything, its an option for the people to give back to the society. After all, we are all what we are today because it has been given to us by the society and blessed on us by the Almighty

Kadam Kadam Badhaye Jaa... Khushi Ke Geet Gaye Jaa...
Yeh Jindagi Hai Kaaum Ki... Tu Kaaum Pe Lutaye Jaa...