A trip to Ponmudi..

Today we went to Ponmudi, which is a hill station nearby Trivandrum. The weather was extremely pleasant and the scenic beauty, soul touching. It was some two hour bus ride from Trivandrum. Throughout the way we, the Ganesh hotel gang of TCS, sang songs and had loads of fun. Actually we were trying to make the most of the last few days left in Trivandrum. The surroundings are green and filled with coconut trees and tea gardens. Added to that, the place is covered in mist and I had tough time differentiating the mist from clouds. I tried the Kerala special boiled rice for lunch. Its supposed to be very healthy, yet its very different from the normal cooked rice which I am used to in Andhra Pradesh. What can I say about the place? Its an ideal destination if you are looking for greenery, pleasant climate, and some solitude, as it fills your soul with love, you feel reconnected with the nature. To top off the day, we calmed ourselves over the nearby waterfalls. Its kind of difficult to explain where lies the magic. May be the pristine surrounding of the Ponmudi did the trick. In the end, its a lovely experience and my heart wanted more and more.

The Initial Leisure Period...

I am currently in Trivandrum undergoing the Initial Learning Programme (ILP) for the TCS employees. The training is for 32 days and Kerala is a lovely place to stay for that duration. The state of art training facilities they have at TCS are just fabulous. I am especially enjoying the life skills and Foreign Language classes. Ich lerne Deutsch these days! At times,It feels as if I am back to school and I have all the time to learn. I am enjoying the leisure and the serene surroundings. The backwaters of Kerala, the pristine surroundings, the beaches and the weather are so pleasant, they fill one with beauty and love. On the flip side, the city is too quiet and it closes by 9. So much of change from Pune where there is good deal of freedom. Still, I kind of enjoy my stay and the Initial Leisure Period here.

A trip to Kanya Kumari..

Thanks to TCS training programme in Trivandrum, I got to see the Kanya Kumari. We boarded the bus at 3 AM to catch the sunrise but as the weather is so gloomy, we missed it. The journey was quite eventful and the experience is beyond description. We went to see the Vivekananda Rock for which one has to board the steamer boat. There is Vivekananda Rock and just beneath it was a Dhyan Mandir where people can meditate if they wish. I sat inside the Dhyan Mandir and could feel the positive vibrations. Its was the best time which I ever had with myself. The mix of the light chanting, natural ventilation and the sea weather made me feel quite heady. There is also a Thiruvalluvar statue, a great Tamil poet, where a short summary of each of his 133 chapters were inscribed. I was quite delighted to read each of them, one of the best poetic expressions I have ever read. To top off the day, we relaxed at the Thipparappu Waterfalls. The scenic beauty was fabulous. It was one of the most beautiful days of my life.

A trip to Tirupati!

I can call my trip to Tirupati as a part pilgrimage activity. My family decided to pay respects to the richest God of India(World, maybe)Lord Venkateshwara. We wanted to climb the seven hills by walk and learnt few lessons on the way. For the first, its not easy to climb 3750 steps at one go and if you believe that you can do it fine, its over confidence! The second is never carry your footwear along, as after sometime, very likely that you want to pack it in bag or throw it overhill. Never carry any luggage and that includes your water bottles as there are enough to replentish you on the way. And the last and final is that even if you start the walk saying O God, its likely that you will end up saying Oh! God! so be prepared.

On a serious note, it took four hours to climb the stairs and four hours for the darshan as we have already taken slots for the darshan a month ahead. The darshan was rushed, but I could catch a glimpse of the Lord. It was a pleasant trip, I could test my stamina!

Intermediate Education

Today I went to one of the most reputed institutes in Andhra Pradesh for Intermediate Education, Sri Chaitanya to join my cousin there. I was astonished at the way they have provided the facilities for the students and wondered at the credibility of the name and fame they have amassed. They have two types of batches one called IC (Intensive Care) batch and the other one called the regular batch. Fees for the IC batch is 50 grand and the regular weighs 41 grand on your pocket. Though its costlier when compared to the standard of Andhra Pradesh, what surprised me is the stingy facilities they have provided. My cousin was offered a berth in a big room, which she has to share with 8 other girls. There is absolutely no privacy; neither there is a place to study in the room. They have kept a place separate for study.. Yes you can imagine, its just the same open place in front of the hostel. Well, I was reminded of the old stories of the great educationalists that studied under streetlights! But then they had no money to afford the luxuries. Well, I lamely enquired about the games and the entertainment activities. The coordinator gave me a queer look and informed me that they have Chinese-checkers and chess boards! Great!!! I can only pray for my cousin who want to be a Doctor as this seems the only way.. Oh! The plight of students!

Last day at IMDR as a student..

Don't even know what to write. There are still a few classmates around in the insti. Today seems like a normal day but I know its not the same. Today is my last day in IMDR as a student and I know I can never get back these days again. A phase of my life is ending and I am in a transition period. All I have is memories to fall back to. The days of Hip Hip Hurrays, those playful taunts, running for printouts, those naps in classes, that Time Pass in cases and those group arguments.. All and almost everything will make me miss IMDR more. I will miss all the IMDRites, those familiar faces who are friendly and trustworthy, those steps which seem inviting to spend hours together with lots of Gappa, the Bodhi tree which is the platform for all the gyan sessions.. But then, once an IMDRite, always an IMDRite and memories never die. The feeling of belongingness I have with the IMDR community will always stay afresh in my heart. Life goes on collecting memories and memoirs.. What say?

Chinchni Trip..

I went to visit the Pravin Chordia's Chinchni farms as a part of our Science, Techology and Ecology class. Pravin Chordia by sheer grit and dedication has taken up around 200 acres of barren land at Chinchni to turn it around to a fertile soil with the organic farming inspired by the ideas of Shripal Achyut Dabholkar.

The idea here is to do a multi-level farming by incorporating as much varieties of plant species as possible. It helps to enrich the soil, as different kinds of plants give and take different kinds of nutrients. The various levels are planted this way. Fruit trees and immobile plants are surrounded by movable vegetable plants which are further supported by the biomass plants. This creates a bio-diversity, which makes a forest-like ecosystem, thus there is a symbiotic growth of all plants. You can find an odd sunflower, rose, teak, spinach, tomatoes, papaya, mangoes, curry leaves, henna, and just about anything. Diverse needs of the people are also kept in mind, for example, Eucalyptus for bio-mass; or Teak, Sandalwood as cash crops, mangoes for economic returns and fruits to be self-sustaining.

The soil is made fertile by a process in which 9 alternating layers of ordinary soil and biomass are made. The biomass is covered by a soil heap and then diverse varieties of seeds are planted to regenerate the soil. After 21 days one-third of the plants are cut and kept in soil and this process is repeated thrice, which enriches the soil and makes it ready for farming.

The experiment has proven successfully that a 10Gunta or a one-fourth acre plot can support a whole family and also provide them with a decent living. Truly, we undermine the potential of the soil but it is a living soul which is like a mother to the mankind. The use of chemicals over the years has made the soil sterile, which could be enriched again only through Organic Farming, or farming which is compatable with nature. Man should realize that he is a child of the nature not the master. I hope its not too late before it dawns upon him.

Factory Visit to Pravin Masale

This weekend we went to visit the Pravin Masale factory, which is into a variety of products like turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chatpata masala, Biryani masala, chaat masala, etc. We saw the processing of base raw materials like turmeric, chilli and coriander. Each spice is processed in a separate division and each has its own set of workers, dressed in the corresponding coloured uniforms, Coriander ones wear green uniforms, Turmeric ones wear yellow and the Chilli ones wear Red.

The raw material is fed into machines and there are several steps where the dusty particles, stones and adulterants are filtered by the machines like pneumatic blowers,shakers, vibraters, sorters etc. Then the clean rawmaterial is roasted and grinded and then sent to packing. The printed flat plastic roll through the machine, making a cylindrical shape along the way, where it is filled by the required spice and sealed after specific intervals using form, fill and seal type of packaging.

And then moved to the quality control section. Here shelf life analysis, raw material testing and grading is done. The parameters for which the testing is done are: moisture content, flavor, ash content etc. The whole visit reminded me of my graduation days, and bought me back memories of our food technology labs..

Hiware Bazaar..

Hiware Bazaar is a village located in the drought prone district of Ahmednagar in Maharashtra State. The district receives little rainfall, approximately 250 mm per year ion the normal rainfall but since the past three years it has received very scanty rainfall as much as 50mm. The condition is worsened still by the perennially low water table in highly porous soils that hardly retains any moisture. Today, it not only serves its own needs of water but also provides drinking water to other neighboring villages. The villagers became self-reliant with their efforts under the able guidance of Mr. Popat Rao Pawar.

To deal with the water crisis, the watershed programme was planned and implemented. For soil and water conservation the villagers came together and offered voluntary labour to facilitate the implementation of the watershed programme. For this the near by hill is covered with CCT (continuous contour trenches), loose boulder structure, earthen bund, earthen nala bund and check dam. And all this reduce the speed of rain water and thus give it more time to seep down, and also checks soil erosion. The seeping of water helps in increasing the ground water table, thus making more water available for the people of Hiware bazaar.

Mr. Pawar said that Hiware bazaar is just like any other village – the only difference in the people of Hiware bazaar…and their values. With Mr. Pawar came the five principles that changed the game rules:
* Charai bandi (Ban on free grazing)
* Kurhad bandi (Ban on cutting trees)
* Nasha bandi (Ban on liquor)
* Family planning
* Shramadan (Voluntary labour)

The trip to Hiware bazaar is very inspiring and interesting. To listen to Potatrao pawar and see the work he has done is very memorable. I have seen some Development programmes, but Hiware Bazaar is the showcase for all the right and good things; a man of conviction can do. Changing the village with a bad reputation and with little resource into a self sustaining model of development is very big task. To educate and to empower so called villagers, by Popat pawar is hallmark of leadership. He comes across as a very well-informed person. His knowledge is much wider and deeper in scope. It was refreshing to listen to a man who is completely satisfied by the work he did and the life he has in contributing to the betterment of the people.

A visit to Dump yard..

Never did I ever thought of visiting a dump yard. Yes it do have my contribution, which I negligently throw away carefully, but its really the first time when we went to see the repercussions of the modern life. As a class studying Science, Technology and Ecology, we visited the Pune dump yard.

We checked the innumerable plastic and polythene lying on the soil. There is this huge landfill, which spanned around 20 acres. Its like a mountain of filth and garbage, our creative creation! The garbage is covered with glass, plastic, aluminum and other heavy metals, which are not degradable, by nature.

This garbage is located a little faraway from the city so that we don't have to look at our creation and bear its effects. Still its only 20 kms faraway. How much away can you get out of it? The garbage is not going to go anyway. Its takes around 25000 years for it to start degrading, till then the water which passes through it gets into the ground water and its finally going to get back to us only.

We have seen a huge pool of water just down the mountain of landfill where the water is so polluted that you won't even wish your enemy to die in it. The bougainvilleas that are growing by the side of garbage dump are very small plants with huge floweration. May be even the plant can't tolerate the unholy conditions that its going against the natural process to age fast, quickening the life cycle. It’s screaming to end its life!

Concept of Waste.. If we look at the nature, there is no thing called waste. Nothing goes as waste in nature. Waste word itself seems like a misnomer.. An end output of one process goes as an input for the other, what a beautiful balanced system nature is. We brag of beautifully designed industries but does that anyway come near to the natural Design? The waste each industry generates are so toxic and harmful, and the way we dispose off it with utter negligence as landfill is a shame. In school, I read about bioreactors, waste management.. I saw nothing in action. Seems as if there is no end to my ignorance.

There are many people who are working on the landfill, people who are manning the trucks and the cranes. Along the side are kids who are scavenging for the empty plastics and glass bottles, trying to make something worthwhile of the endless dump pit. Just thoughts, what kind of life are we gifting to these young kids who represent the future generations.

It is just mind-boggling if I try to check the repercussions on the people who are working there. They are working in unhygenic conditions, conditions that we couldn't even bear for 5 minutes. The psychological impact these kinds of conditions would have is even beyond my imagination. They must be having a very bad quality of life. Exposed to and tormented by these unruly conditions, they would get addicted to drugs and become prey to all kinds of diseases. Of all the ironies of life, these people do contribute to our GDP! What kind of life does the villagers, who had to live in nearby places of the dump?

Hurting the ecological balance.. Yup! That's what we do.. If we look at the landfill, the nature tries to solve the problem by using bandicoots and rats, which can use this waste. But then, there won't be any snakes to prey on them as snakes can't survive that environment. So we are increasing an effect, which cant, be curtailed by the complementary effect of the nature. Soon the landfill is populated by innumerable rats, of which a single infected one can cause a wildfire of plague, which can effectively eradicate hundreds of people. Yes! Its true, what you give is what begets you..

Modern Inventions: Plastics.. Never seen much of them in villages, but yes we are doing our best to modernize. I read a lot of articles on the immortal plastic, how its hurting the other animals who consume it.. But always a visual is more powerful. The whole road and the dump is filled with plastic. A huge part of land is covered with nothing other than plastic. Plastic being an inorganic substance is not degradable by nature, and also it’s suffocating the land buy covering it making it die little by little. If I look at my life, it seems as if its invaded by plastics.. Even the keyboard on which I am typing. The packaging industry, which is so complex, the Tetrapak packaging which is not bio-degradable anyways, it's supposed to be convenient, but does the convenience come at the cost of lives of others?

Solutions, Solutions.. The modern civilization has become so modernized.. We have excess of everything so we don’t even care less for the impact it has on others. As long as everything works for us, we are happy. No matter if our neighbors suffer. Doesn’t really bother if our future kids are hurt.. Am I really this selfish? Is really wealth means having everything in excess, or is it means being rich in true sense and having the ability to say enough? We devise centralized solutions for small problems, increasing the complexity.. Solutions which look like this garbage dump.. A little bit of commitment from everyone does help, is anyone game?

Makes me wonder, When are we going to stop treating the symptoms and addressing the core source of the problem (i.e., the way we live)?

What is peace?

I really don't know if peace for many means absence of conflict or bliss of pure joy and love. I can't really say if peace for somebody means absence of something or eternal happiness. For, I can't really know the value of peace without conflict, and for me peace is a state of mind and an attitude to don even in conflict.

If one has to have a simple cottage or to need a hilly region for a peaceful life,, I really doubt whether he can ever achieve it as he believe that peace exists as an external entity and its location goes on shifting as we go closer searching it.. All I can say is that a little bit of introspection and a little of awareness may give a different perspective in understanding what's PEACE for an individual.. An answer to be found within oneself.. A pursuit to be done alone into oneself...

Terminator Technology-A devious Invention..

I just read about the Terminator Technology, which is genetic seed sterilization technology, promoted and in process of patenting by Monsanto. As per this kind of technology, the genetically modified seed is made sterile if planted from the seed obtained from harvest. Well, if this kind of technology is accepted and sanctioned in the society, just imagine the kind of ramifications it has. Even the birds which carry seeds wont be of any help to the society...

How many farmers would be aware that the seeds they cultivated through harvesting are sterile? Monsanto is a global company and if it propagated these seeds, doesn't it result in famines and destruction of humanity? Well, does anyone know the after effects of Genetically Modified food? Its still a untested and developing technology whose side effects are not proven yet. What would happen to the people who are caught unawares of the kind of food that's going into their system?

Life recreates itself.. How indignant it would feel if the authority of ownership of its basic right is owned by some multinational giant? How would I feel if I have to pay some MNC to carry my own child??? Feeling repulsive and pensive about the deviousness of the whole issue and thought of origin of this entire technology.

As I read some where.. Good Design starts not with thinking of what I can do but questioning what I really want to do.

A Farewell to our Director..

we gave farewell to our Director of IMDR, Mr. A.P.Bhupatkar on the Saturday evening. Our Director is a magnificient personality whose association with IMDR It left me a little bit heavy. Though my interactions with him are few, his presence in the institute is imposing enough. He generates a feeling that he is always there for you. His simplicity, his stress on relationships, the way he carries himself often leaves me in awe. Everyone will truly miss him in the little corner of the IMDR Director room from where he used to guide us with his ideology and beliefs.

A writeup I loved reading!

SUNSCREEN- By Baz Luhrmann

“Words To Live By”-Tips From A Speech Never Given…

Ladies and Gentlemen: Wear a sunscreen. If I could offer only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The scientists have proved the long-term benefits of sunscreen; where as the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own wandering experience. I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you will look back at photos of yourself and recall how fabulous you really looked at the time. You are not as fat as you imagine. Don’t worry about your future or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as solving an algebra equation by a chewing gum. Real troubles are apt to hit you at 4 pm on an idle Tuesday. Do one thing that daily scares you. SING; don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours. FLOSS, remember compliments, forget insults, and keep the love letters. Throw away old bank statements. STRETCH; don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what to do with your life. Some of the most-interesting 40-year olds I know still don’t know what they want to do with theirs. Be kind to your knees. You will miss them once they are gone. May be you will marry, may be you won’t. May be you will have children, may be you won’t. May be you will divorce at 40, may be you will dance on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don’t congratulate or berate yourself too much, your choices are half chances like everybody else’s. DANCE; read the instructions, even if you don’t follow them. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents. You never know when they will be gone. Be wise to your siblings. They are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick to you. Understand that friends come and go, but with the precious few, you should hold on.

The older you get, the more you need people who know you when you are young. TRAVEL; accept certain truths. Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You too will get old. And then you will fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. May be you have a trust fund. May be you have a wealth spouse. But you never know when either one may run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you are 40, it will look 85. Be careful about whose advice you buy but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of retrieving the past from the dustbin, wiping it off and recycling for more than its worth.

The Day of the Jackal..

I was insisted by my friend to read, “The Day of the Jackal”, written by Frederick Forsyth. It tells about the story of hunting of an assassin code named Jackal, an Englishman who is hired by a secret para-military group OAS Chief, Marc to assassinate French President, General de Gaulle. The book is divided into three parts, the first describes the Summary of the Plot and selection of Jackal by Marc for the task, the second describes the laying of the Plot and the planning of the Jackal and the third describes the hunting down of Jackal by the French detective Lebel. The plot is quite interesting and description is immaculate and detailed. I find that the book has more attention to detail and a lot of description than dialogue. What engaged my interest in this incredible thriller is the convoluted and logical way in which the plot unfolds and the character of the Jackal who is described as an inhumanly methodical and deviously professional. Really enjoyed the foolproof planning that went into the design of the plot and the description of the terrorist activities. A book worth reading!

The Amul Story..

Just finished reading The Amul India Story by Ruth Herediya. The book traces the development of dairy movement in India, starting from a small place called kaira district, backed by the vision of Sardar Vallabhai Patel to build institutions like GCMMF and NDDB and the brand called Amul. The initiative and dynamism shown by Verghese Kurien-a professional manager, Tribhuvandas Patel-a visionary farmer,H.M.Dalaya- technologist to fight against all the odds is quite commendable. Book describes the toil and hardships faced by these committed individuals in shaping the co-operative movement in India through Kaira Co-operative. I was quite surprised to know that a lot of technology that involved spray drying and processing of buffalo milk was first developed in India and Amul dairy in Anand was the largest milk processing plant in Asia when it first got started. The amazing part of this co-operative is that it collects milk from direct village rimary co-operatives or the villages and does the value addition in the product and markets it. So the Villagers concentrate on producing more milk where as the GCMMF takes care of the sales and distribution part of it. This way, the rural India is enriched by the creation of micro-enterprises leading to the formation of self-sufficient and developing communities. Its truly delightful to see how a profitmaking enterprise aids in community enhancement leading to the fulfillment of the altruistic vision.Truly Amul is a dream realized through grit, passion and conviction of all the members! The triumph of rural India!!

Bonsai Kittens, A horrifying hoax site..

I was horrified this morning to watch BonsaiKitten.com, which promotes animal cruelty and claims using kittens to shape their body the way a bottle is by stuffing them in a bottle, as an artistic expression of an ancient art. The humane society of US says that this website is a hoax, developed by an MIT student as a joke. Still, I was disgusted at the cruelty of the thinking and design which went into this website. An idea like this may actually propel someone to put it into practice. What do people do under the name of freedom of speech? Each law should have a self-limiting principle. Though human being is the most evolved lot of the life forms, he should recognize the responsibility which comes with it humbly rather than devising mean means of controlling the other life forms. What irritates me the most is that the site is still active. If this is what an MIT student learns as a way to joke, where lies the future?

A lovely Evening and a bus ride!!!!

Yesterday I went out with two of my good pals for a dinner treat. Actually it so happened that they were treating me. I don't know the reason, but do you really need a reason for receiving a treat? We went to a good place and then later, being a little on the cranky side, we brought ice creams and watched the traffic on M.G.Road in Pune sitting on the steps of Canbank ATM. Later we hitched a ride from there to Deccan and it was absolute fun! Enjoying the bumpy ride always reminds me of my childhood where I had to travel a lot on bus to reach my Granny's place.. The evening went quite blissful!

Little games that I play....

Yes true to the cliche, life has become a play and I became an actor in true sense..

Never thought of life this way,
but thinking of it makes me say,
What kind of little games do I play?

These days I am truly lost in my own world, I often have to bang on my head to say Sowms wake up, this is another Day! What to say? One more for my play?

Baalu, A Telugu movie..

I just watched a Telugu movie called Baalu at INOX theatre Pune. Well, it’s always easy to be critical about anything, but somehow I feel that the recipe for success for any movie has become same these days.

The plot becomes so recognizable that you can actually predict what’s the next dialogue is going to be. It’s the story of an Orphan who grew up with a Mafia Don, and falls for a girl who loves him for his courage and turns against the Don. Well, as usual the big Dad gets angry and kills the girl, and the guy finally takes his revenge against the Don. To add masala, another girl was added to create romance and songs..
Quite a predictable tale, isn’t it? But then it was good to watch the movie as I felt home again under the comfort of watching a movie in my mother tongue. Apart from that, listening to people in the theatre who were speaking in Telugu offered a vague comfort. No reason for feelings, right?