Was talking to a friend who happened to be in a shop when I had called. He told the Shop keeper, "Give me one Good Life and one Pure Magic!" Coming to think of it, that is all what all of us want: A Good life and Pure Magic!
For those of you who are still wondering: Good Life is a brand of milk and Pure magic a brand of biscuits!
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Zehreeli Hawa!
Yes, we are on this new production now. Bhopal, an English play written Rahul Verma. There was also an adaptation in Hindi by the Late. Habib Tanvir. We Read through the script and it was really really powerful and I was so touched!
The Bhopal gas tragedy was one of the worst industrial disasters in the world. The 3rd of Dec, 1984 witnessed the most tragic Chemical Accidents that happened in the Indian Subcontinent. Union Carbide Pesticide in Bhopal Manufactures the Pesticide Carbaryl under the brand name Sevin. Sevin is a pesticide which kills the insects by attacking their central nervous system. Methyl Isothiocyanide is one of the intermediate products in the manufacturing process. On 3-Dec-2009, explosion occured in one of the tanks which stored 42 Tonnes of MIC due to excessive Temperature and pressure.
The most important question is that why is MIC used when there are other chemicals which are less toxic in nature. Even if it is used, Why should it be stored in such large containers? It is expected that MIC is to be maintained at a temperature of 4 Degree Celsius whereas it was stored at 20 degree Celsius. The company had compromised refrigeration an attempt to cut costs. Ridiculous! None of the Safety measures were in place!
The immediate death toll due to the Gas expulsion is 2000 plus. the next day it was around 3500. Finally, 25000 causalities are reported after the gas leak on the whole. It was a disaster comparable to the Hiroshima-Nagasaki. The victims of the disaster did not only bear the ill effects of the accident but also the after effects, which they, and their progeny are still suffering.
The story of Bhopal revolves around a few imaginary characters of the plot.
Izzat - a slum dweller as a represntative sample from the hundreds of affected villagers.
Soniya Labonte - A Canadian NGO doctor whose research brought to the light, the ill-effects Carbide International was injecting into the environment.
Devraj Sarthi - The CEO of Carbide in Bhopal.
Madiha Akram - The Personal Secretary of Sarthi
Jaganlal - The Cheif Minister
a very powerfully woven plot it is, touching in its own way, let me not divulge any more information, see for yourself!
The Bhopal gas tragedy was one of the worst industrial disasters in the world. The 3rd of Dec, 1984 witnessed the most tragic Chemical Accidents that happened in the Indian Subcontinent. Union Carbide Pesticide in Bhopal Manufactures the Pesticide Carbaryl under the brand name Sevin. Sevin is a pesticide which kills the insects by attacking their central nervous system. Methyl Isothiocyanide is one of the intermediate products in the manufacturing process. On 3-Dec-2009, explosion occured in one of the tanks which stored 42 Tonnes of MIC due to excessive Temperature and pressure.
The most important question is that why is MIC used when there are other chemicals which are less toxic in nature. Even if it is used, Why should it be stored in such large containers? It is expected that MIC is to be maintained at a temperature of 4 Degree Celsius whereas it was stored at 20 degree Celsius. The company had compromised refrigeration an attempt to cut costs. Ridiculous! None of the Safety measures were in place!
The immediate death toll due to the Gas expulsion is 2000 plus. the next day it was around 3500. Finally, 25000 causalities are reported after the gas leak on the whole. It was a disaster comparable to the Hiroshima-Nagasaki. The victims of the disaster did not only bear the ill effects of the accident but also the after effects, which they, and their progeny are still suffering.
The story of Bhopal revolves around a few imaginary characters of the plot.
Izzat - a slum dweller as a represntative sample from the hundreds of affected villagers.
Soniya Labonte - A Canadian NGO doctor whose research brought to the light, the ill-effects Carbide International was injecting into the environment.
Devraj Sarthi - The CEO of Carbide in Bhopal.
Madiha Akram - The Personal Secretary of Sarthi
Jaganlal - The Cheif Minister
a very powerfully woven plot it is, touching in its own way, let me not divulge any more information, see for yourself!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Four Phone calls!
Call Number 1
Of late, I do not pick up calls on my personal mobile at work. I really do not see the need for it. But sometimes, a few phone calls, from few numbers, compel me not to think but to pick. This was one such phone call.
"I really need a change. And, at this moment, I cant think of any better change than to get married!"
"What?!?!?!?!" that was the instantaneous reaction from my end. I could not think of anything else.
This was one of my best buddies in college. She really needed a change - yes, 3 years of work life forced to think that way. Some of the pointers to her next few years in life - H1 Visa, Onsite options etc etc., were not really making progress. Okay, after careful examination of the case, it was decided, may be marriage, is not, a bad option for her.
Call Number 2
2 months later..
A similar phone call, a much more frantic call from the other end, when I was enjoying my Head massage blissfully at one of my favorite parlors. It was her again. This time with a name and employee number.
"Horoscopes perfectly matched. I want some help with the Info about this guy. He works in our Chennai office."
The Name and the employee ID - Oh My God! This guy sits diagnally across my cubicle at work, an employee in my Unit! The information exchanges happen, and, the call, hung up!
Call Number 3
I am in a wedding reception in Madurai. Tring Tring on my mobile.
"I am very worried. Lot of tension at home. This guy is coming tomorrow to meet me. I met his family already. I liked them. But my dad is not very interested in it. Talk to amma." and lo she hands the phone over.
A little bit of information exchange. Some promises to have a open mind and meet this guy. Call hung up.
Call Number 4:
At office again. Yet another phone call, I could not resist picking up. Dont get me wrong! It was not because of the person making the call but the information I thought it carried.
"Hello?"
"Wedding is fixed. We would get married in December"
Inference :
1. Three hours of talk, life is decided!
2. It happens only in India and in arranged marriages!
3. The world is a very small Place!
4. Appearences do not matter!
5. It is the wedding season!
Of late, I do not pick up calls on my personal mobile at work. I really do not see the need for it. But sometimes, a few phone calls, from few numbers, compel me not to think but to pick. This was one such phone call.
"I really need a change. And, at this moment, I cant think of any better change than to get married!"
"What?!?!?!?!" that was the instantaneous reaction from my end. I could not think of anything else.
This was one of my best buddies in college. She really needed a change - yes, 3 years of work life forced to think that way. Some of the pointers to her next few years in life - H1 Visa, Onsite options etc etc., were not really making progress. Okay, after careful examination of the case, it was decided, may be marriage, is not, a bad option for her.
Call Number 2
2 months later..
A similar phone call, a much more frantic call from the other end, when I was enjoying my Head massage blissfully at one of my favorite parlors. It was her again. This time with a name and employee number.
"Horoscopes perfectly matched. I want some help with the Info about this guy. He works in our Chennai office."
The Name and the employee ID - Oh My God! This guy sits diagnally across my cubicle at work, an employee in my Unit! The information exchanges happen, and, the call, hung up!
Call Number 3
I am in a wedding reception in Madurai. Tring Tring on my mobile.
"I am very worried. Lot of tension at home. This guy is coming tomorrow to meet me. I met his family already. I liked them. But my dad is not very interested in it. Talk to amma." and lo she hands the phone over.
A little bit of information exchange. Some promises to have a open mind and meet this guy. Call hung up.
Call Number 4:
At office again. Yet another phone call, I could not resist picking up. Dont get me wrong! It was not because of the person making the call but the information I thought it carried.
"Hello?"
"Wedding is fixed. We would get married in December"
Inference :
1. Three hours of talk, life is decided!
2. It happens only in India and in arranged marriages!
3. The world is a very small Place!
4. Appearences do not matter!
5. It is the wedding season!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Shamelessness is not the word!
Converstation with Nassh
Where : On call
Time : 10 PM, today
Me: Where is my HRD Book?Nassh : You will get it tomorrow night at 8.45 PM.
Me : Does that mean that we are going out for dinner?
Nassh: hmmm.. We can. Lets go!
Me : Does that mean you are going to pay the bill?
Nassh: haan?
Me : Penalty for keeping my book for 4 months and not reading a single page from it?
Nassh : Ok OK. I will. I dont mind taking you out for Dinner.
Me : Good Boy. BTW, Benjie might also join us for dinner.
Nassh : Oh My God. Anything more?
Me : Are you not bringing me a bunch of roses?
Nassh : So far I ve not bought them for anyone other than...... But now that you ve asked for it, I will.
Me : Okay. Good!
Nassh : Is that all? Anything more?
Me : That will do for the moment!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Balancing Act!
Proud of being a Libran, I must talk about this - The Balancing Act!
We all know and acknowledge the fact that the Librans are naturally good at the balncing act. This story is also about a Libran and also about the balancing act - Benjie learning to ride a bike. And who is the instructor? Me, the great - another Libran!
One fine day, I and Benjie were going on our usual rounds around the Historic campus of Anna University and suddenly Benjie got soemthing like that of a pregnancy craving - She wanted to ride my Scooty!
Being a good pal, I thought I should fulfil this desire of hers. Trust me, I let her do so only after She convincing me that she actually knows how to balance - she knows to ride a cycle. Initially Benju baby underwent a short briefing about the nuances of riding a bike. Then comes the real test. I let her drive it, me sitting behind.
Benjie picked it quite well. I was very happy at someone following my instructions so meticulously. She was driving quite well on the straight road. Now I teach her how to turn. In the turnings, you must slow down the vehicle; you decelarate by appying brakes. Once you turn, you accelarate. She picked that up also quite well. Now, she becomes proud of her balancing act. She wants to show off and we turn the bike towards SAP - School of Architecture and Planning, our very own Benjie 's Dept. Now as soon as she takes the turn there, right in front of SAP, and lo, she went straight to hit onto the pavement.
This definitely drew the attention of all the people there, which was apparently her aim, but not this way! Benjie fell - Thud. I jumped out, luckily escape without any injuries! All of Benjie's juniors who were hanging around there came running to pick the bike up (Yes, yes, to pick up Benjie also!)
She and I gave oily grins to them saying thanks! I start the bike and silently drove it. Thus ended up the great balancing act of two librans - one performing and one directing!
We all know and acknowledge the fact that the Librans are naturally good at the balncing act. This story is also about a Libran and also about the balancing act - Benjie learning to ride a bike. And who is the instructor? Me, the great - another Libran!
One fine day, I and Benjie were going on our usual rounds around the Historic campus of Anna University and suddenly Benjie got soemthing like that of a pregnancy craving - She wanted to ride my Scooty!
Being a good pal, I thought I should fulfil this desire of hers. Trust me, I let her do so only after She convincing me that she actually knows how to balance - she knows to ride a cycle. Initially Benju baby underwent a short briefing about the nuances of riding a bike. Then comes the real test. I let her drive it, me sitting behind.
Benjie picked it quite well. I was very happy at someone following my instructions so meticulously. She was driving quite well on the straight road. Now I teach her how to turn. In the turnings, you must slow down the vehicle; you decelarate by appying brakes. Once you turn, you accelarate. She picked that up also quite well. Now, she becomes proud of her balancing act. She wants to show off and we turn the bike towards SAP - School of Architecture and Planning, our very own Benjie 's Dept. Now as soon as she takes the turn there, right in front of SAP, and lo, she went straight to hit onto the pavement.
This definitely drew the attention of all the people there, which was apparently her aim, but not this way! Benjie fell - Thud. I jumped out, luckily escape without any injuries! All of Benjie's juniors who were hanging around there came running to pick the bike up (Yes, yes, to pick up Benjie also!)
She and I gave oily grins to them saying thanks! I start the bike and silently drove it. Thus ended up the great balancing act of two librans - one performing and one directing!
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Generation Next!
It is really an interesting fact - The current generation of kids : The Generation Next!
Sometimes I really look at them with awe! Mutiple factors - The acumen, Smartness, Glib talking, shrewdness and the rationale they provide at times, the farsightedness that belies their age! But at times you also feel like bashing them up for all the big talk they do!
Sometimes it is also dreadful to imagine getting into an arguement, or, for that matter, even to strike a casual conversation with these wizards! The statements they throw at you, simply make you shut up and blink! Read on, and you will know why I say so..
I have a little cousin who was 5 years old when this happened:
I casually asked her "Who are your friends?"
She gave me a long list of names - Sushmitha, Neetha, Priya, Anamika, and the list went on and on with a long list of names of girls of her class.
"Oh, you dont have any boyfriends?" I causually threw this question thinking I was pulling her leg.
In turn it only made me realise that I was making a bulb of myself. "Ah! Boys are so boring" was her reply.
I really dint know what was in her head when she said this. What made her "feel" that boys are boring! I really dont know how many boys did she know and understand which made her categorize them as "boring"! Absolutely No comments!
Another incident which Benjie narrated:
She had been to her cousin's home for Vishu. It is general practice on Vishu, for elders in the family to give small sums of money to the children in the household, which is termed as "Vishukaineetam"! Being a responsible adult, she gives Vishukaineetam to her naughty niece.
Question to her "You have lots of money?" when she saw the Bill, which, obviously, appeared big to her, was extended to her to as a gift! Now Benjie is Dumbstruck - Should she say YES? Should she say NO? she pretty much understands, quite clearly, the complications behind giving either of the answers! It would only result in yet another bulb. As a result, her gaping mouth - zip sealed!
Our little sweetheart was then asked to touch Benjie's feet by her mother. Keeping up the tradition alive through times was the idea!
Reaction - She touched Benjie's feet with her feet. Smartness! Ah! Then the instructions were given to her with some more clarity - "Touch her feet with your hand". She puts her hand up in the air and instantaneously instructs Benjie - "You touch my hand with your feet" Oh my Gawd! These Kids have a way out of anything and everything I say.
I am sure each of you would have, definitely, come across similar encounters with the smart next Gen which would have made to wonder: Where the world is heading to? This generation is too fast to catch up with! Seriously!
Sometimes I really look at them with awe! Mutiple factors - The acumen, Smartness, Glib talking, shrewdness and the rationale they provide at times, the farsightedness that belies their age! But at times you also feel like bashing them up for all the big talk they do!
Sometimes it is also dreadful to imagine getting into an arguement, or, for that matter, even to strike a casual conversation with these wizards! The statements they throw at you, simply make you shut up and blink! Read on, and you will know why I say so..
I have a little cousin who was 5 years old when this happened:
I casually asked her "Who are your friends?"
She gave me a long list of names - Sushmitha, Neetha, Priya, Anamika, and the list went on and on with a long list of names of girls of her class.
"Oh, you dont have any boyfriends?" I causually threw this question thinking I was pulling her leg.
In turn it only made me realise that I was making a bulb of myself. "Ah! Boys are so boring" was her reply.
I really dint know what was in her head when she said this. What made her "feel" that boys are boring! I really dont know how many boys did she know and understand which made her categorize them as "boring"! Absolutely No comments!
Another incident which Benjie narrated:
She had been to her cousin's home for Vishu. It is general practice on Vishu, for elders in the family to give small sums of money to the children in the household, which is termed as "Vishukaineetam"! Being a responsible adult, she gives Vishukaineetam to her naughty niece.
Question to her "You have lots of money?" when she saw the Bill, which, obviously, appeared big to her, was extended to her to as a gift! Now Benjie is Dumbstruck - Should she say YES? Should she say NO? she pretty much understands, quite clearly, the complications behind giving either of the answers! It would only result in yet another bulb. As a result, her gaping mouth - zip sealed!
Our little sweetheart was then asked to touch Benjie's feet by her mother. Keeping up the tradition alive through times was the idea!
Reaction - She touched Benjie's feet with her feet. Smartness! Ah! Then the instructions were given to her with some more clarity - "Touch her feet with your hand". She puts her hand up in the air and instantaneously instructs Benjie - "You touch my hand with your feet" Oh my Gawd! These Kids have a way out of anything and everything I say.
I am sure each of you would have, definitely, come across similar encounters with the smart next Gen which would have made to wonder: Where the world is heading to? This generation is too fast to catch up with! Seriously!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Namma IIT Madras!
I visited the IIT Madras today. I really prefer to call namma ooru as Madras than Chennai. That is probably one of the reasons as to why I really like our IIT Madras. The pressure from different sources did not seem to matter and it is still called IIT Madras. :)
The Picture you find here is a picture of a Blackbuck on campus. Overall, there are only around 15 Blackbuck in the IITM campus. I found 5 of them at one shot. Perhaps, the male Blackbuck is one of the most elegant antelope I have seen.
Besides, Blackbuck I also found an Owl and sad that I could not click a pic of it!
There are huge number of Spotted deer which are common to all the Science institutes in and around Guindy - IITM, Anna Univ, Birla Planetarium, Guindy national Park and also the Raj Bhavan! If you go back to history, this is one of the non-native species which was introduced to these establishements int he 1940s.
When I got back home, I discovered that IITM houses a huge number of Fauna. There is a huge variety - Bats, Jackal, Anteater, Satrred Tortoise, varitey of snakes, Open billed storks, Water hen, Pond heron, kite, Teal, Egret, a variety of butterflies etc., Wow! Such rich Bio-diversity!
There is a foundation called Prakiti, a wild life club at IITM and you can find more information about the wide-variety of plants and animals found here.
http://hsb.iitm.ac.in/~prakriti/florafauna.html
I paid a visit to this scenic campus today for some reason. It is an humungous campus touching three different areas in Chennai. Yes, it has a Main gate which touches Adyar, two side gates - one at Velachery and one at Taramani. I drove until the Taramani gate and I spotted a Blackbuck, which is tagged as endangered! Apparently, I learnt, that this happens to be the area where the Blackbuck seem to have inhabited themselves.
The Picture you find here is a picture of a Blackbuck on campus. Overall, there are only around 15 Blackbuck in the IITM campus. I found 5 of them at one shot. Perhaps, the male Blackbuck is one of the most elegant antelope I have seen.
Besides, Blackbuck I also found an Owl and sad that I could not click a pic of it!
There are huge number of Spotted deer which are common to all the Science institutes in and around Guindy - IITM, Anna Univ, Birla Planetarium, Guindy national Park and also the Raj Bhavan! If you go back to history, this is one of the non-native species which was introduced to these establishements int he 1940s.
When I got back home, I discovered that IITM houses a huge number of Fauna. There is a huge variety - Bats, Jackal, Anteater, Satrred Tortoise, varitey of snakes, Open billed storks, Water hen, Pond heron, kite, Teal, Egret, a variety of butterflies etc., Wow! Such rich Bio-diversity!
There is a foundation called Prakiti, a wild life club at IITM and you can find more information about the wide-variety of plants and animals found here.
http://hsb.iitm.ac.in/~prakriti/florafauna.html
P.S. I had read this book sometime ago - "Catch Me a Colobus" where the author Durrel speaks of his experiences of maintaining the zoo and allso about his expeditions to the forests of Africa to gather some species to add in his zoo.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Back!!
Been ages since I posted. Back afresh from Dormancy. Life kept me busy in various modes with its own hues and colors. Whatever may be it, I am back in Style. Stay connected anticipating for some super interesting blogging action! Au Revoir!
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