The Journey Continues

Hello World!

2012-01-21T22:49:00.005+05:30

After a 'brief' period of hibernation, I am back to the world of writing. It feels great!!!

Had another tryst with the MBA entrances, was successful in conquering some of them and humbly defeated by the rest. CAT is a Rat race in which 'Rats' are supposed to chase CAT. How IRONICAL!!

I was one of the many Rats and you know what happens when a Rat chases a CAT, CAT takes a U-turn and eats away the Rat. Ha Ha! Whenever I experience failure in life, I console myself with the adage that, 'What doesn't kill you, makes you only stronger'. Trust me these words are magical, for your failures are nothing but another of those opportunities to learn. Grab it and move on.

and so with this little piece of 'learning', I sign off.

Another day, another scam!

2011-09-08T20:46:00.000+05:30

When the politicians are exposed greasing their palm,
We the naive taxpayers are asked to maintain our calm.
Headlines read: Another day, another scam
And Netas keep shouting that the reports are a sham.

Yesterday morning, Delhi was rocked by a blast.
Innocent people killed, while many left aghast.
The Home Minster like always came with a cliché that the perpetrator wouldn’t last,
Conveniently forgetting our tumultuous past,
When promised action wasn’t taken fast.

Important thing to remember is that these politicians are one of us,
So it doesn’t make sense for us to crib and fuss.
Time has come for us to be precise
And tell our politicians that Hey! Get your act together and act wise.
Otherwise be prepared to repent for all your vice.

We the people have a voting right,
And have immense power to make our future bright.
If one Anna can make you weak in knees,
A country full of Anna’s can break your knees.

Anarchy being replaced by Monarchy.

2011-08-07T16:08:00.005+05:30

Imagine a situation where there is total chaos all around, where the ‘elected’ government is doing everything apart from giving governance and there are scams coming out of the closet every now and then. Media playing the role of a Judge, Government a mute spectator and the common man staring at the shocking developments (read: mockery of the nation) in utter disbelief. Tired of the prevailing anarchy and realizing the gravity of the situation, suppose you decide to go on an indefinite fast unto death asking for a particular law to be passed and threatening the Government that if your demands are not met with, you’ll sacrifice your life for the nation.

Welcome to the current state of ‘saddyinnings’ of our country where monarchy is being proposed as an alternative to anarchy. Anna and team are going to sit on an indefinite fast unto death from this 16^th demanding a speedy implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill, a supposed ‘elixir’ to all the prevailing corrupt practices. Without getting into the details of the bill I would like to draw your attention to another significant development (read: disturbing) that has come out of the proposed ‘fast’. The civil society is using pressure tactics... no chuck euphemism... it is hell bent on blackmailing a democratically elected government by coercion. The Government has been left with options – Do or let us die.

I see a situation of monarchy in development. Isn’t it ironical that on one hand you take pride in the glorious democracy of our country, and on the other hand you yourself are actually challenging the very basis of our democracy? It was envisioned by our great Constitution makers that the Laws would be made by the members of the Parliament duly elected by the citizens of the country but the social activists seem to have forgotten that?!

Agreed that the situation is very troublesome and worrying, but there are other ways of overcoming them. I for one support Anna’s intention, but I vehemently oppose his ways of protest. Fasting is meant to be done for body purification and not as a blackmail tactic. The ideal way to go about things is by either getting inside the system, stand for elections, give good governance, and ensure more transparency or make more and more people aware about their biggest power, the RIGHT TO VOTE. It is not that all the politicians are corrupt, but just that good and honest people are seldom voted to power.

Talk to youth, inspire them, give them a hope for a better Government and make voting 100% compulsory and you’ll see the wind of change blowing in the right direction.

Also remember to intake your meals because with an empty stomach you’ll probably lack the energy to fight for the cause.

love,

Siddharth

PS. all said and done, I do not doubt Anna's intention, just don't agree to his methods : )

A tale of Unconventional Companions!

2011-06-12T12:59:00.007+05:30

When Baba Ramdev decided to go on a fast-unto-death against the corrupt government earlier this month, he was seen as another Anna in the making with colour ‘saffron’ being the only differentiating factor between them. Initially media ignored him, pseudo-leftist-intellectuals dubbed him as an RSS stooge and the upper middle class were least bothered.

But things took a dramatic turn on the midnight of the 4^th of April, when the entire state-machinery on Sonia Gandhi’s behest was unleashed to forcefully evict Baba from the Ramlila Grounds. Stage set on fire, supporters beaten up, teargas fired, and the Leader arrested – this was how the drama unfolded on the venue which was later aptly christened as the ‘Ravanlila’ ground.

There were two implications of the brutal crackdown – Baba had become a hero of the masses, and the Govt. was seen as a dictatorship regime. With the soaring popularity and support of the civil society, Baba had the power of dictating his ‘own’ terms and conditions but he happened to majorly blew it up.

the visuals speak for themselves!

Pushed on the back-foot, the Government did what it does best – asked the IT, ED and the other agencies to start probing Baba’s assets, Media houses were told to assassinate his character and the PR agencies (Congress Managers) to link him to the ‘communal’ Sangh Parivar.

Cornered by all round criticism, Baba reacted by threatening to train his volunteers in the use of arms in self-defense. If some congressman (Digvijay Singh/Kapil Sibal types) had fallen prey to arrogance, Baba had been momentarily enslaved by anger and dangerous myopia. He forgot that a true Yogi and a Satyagrahi remains calm and unfazed even when wronged and provoked, and lets the strength of his calm firmness transform the wrongdoer. Although Baba has subsequently withdrawn his threat, he has already damaged his own reputation and his cause.

Neither Hindu Naxalism nor the idea of fasting unto death is the answer to the Congress party’s authoritarianism. Few days back, on being asked whether fasting is a good tactic to make your demands met, Sri Sri Ravishankar (Guruji) remarked, “Fasting is good for personal purification, but it should not be used as a blackmail tactic.” He was of the view that the Govt. has become so insensitive and arrogant that it would be least bothered if something were to happen to the Yoga Guru while fasting unto death. It would have even spared the Govt. of devising new tactics to get rid of Baba, as he would have killed himself on his own while fasting. I second that. News has just come in that Baba has broken his fast on Sri Sri’s and the other Guru’s insistence as his condition was deteriorating day by day. The Govt. as expected did nothing to intervene to put an end to Baba’s fast.

Since the government has been elected (and not appointed) it would take much more than fasts and a self-appointed army of activists to overthrow it, so how do we do it is a big question!

What do you think?

PS. On a lighter vein, Sri Sri said that Baba needs lot of energy to carry forward the movement that he has started and that cannot be done with an empty stomach!

Micro-finance Under Fire!

2011-03-23T07:55:00.003+05:30

At Fixes, our focus is typically on implementing new or underutilized ideas to help those in need. But sometimes it’s just as important to protect institutions that are already working well. Which is why I’m writing today about the Grameen Bank, the Bangladeshi organization that won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, along with its founder Muhammad Yunus, for its work extending microloans to some of the world’s poorest, and has been crucial in global efforts to lift millions of people out of poverty.

Both the bank and Yunus, have come under attack by the government of Bangladesh and its prime minister, Sheikh Hasina Wazed. It has taken 35 years of painstaking effort to build Grameen into a world-class institution that serves millions of poor people. That progress could be lost if the country’s leaders fail to appreciate what makes the Grameen Bank work.

Anyone who cares about international development, microfinance or social entrepreneurship should pay attention. The Grameen Bank is not just the largest microlender in the world, with 8.4 million borrowers (most of them women villagers) who received more than $1 billion in loans last year, it is the flagship enterprise in an industry that, in 2009, served 128 million of the world’s poorest families. It is also a leading example and inspiration for millions of citizen-led organizations that have been established in recent decades to address social problems that governments have failed to solve.

Yunus, the founder of the bank, is an entrepreneurial figure cut from the same cloth as Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple. He has devoted himself since the 1970s to demonstrating, institutionalizing and spreading microfinance. Recently, the government issued ordersthat Yunus is to be removed from his post as managing director of the bank. Yunus has taken the case to Bangladesh’s Supreme Court.

Government officials initially seized on a Norwegian documentary that accused Yunus of improperly diverting funds in 1996 that had been donated by the country’s aid agency. The Norwegian government investigated and found that, while funds were transferred internally from one Grameen-owned affiliate to another, there was no indication that the funds were misused. Since then, government officials have engaged in attacks against Yunus and challenged the work of all microlenders in Bangladesh.

Legally, the government owns 25 percent of Grameen and has the right to appoint a quarter of its board members, including its chairperson. In practical terms, however, the government has little justification to intercede in the bank’s operations. Today, of the Grameen Bank’s paid-up share capital, only 3.5 percent comes from the Bangladeshi government. It is the bank’s borrowers who are its majority owners. They control 75 percent of the board seats and they have supplied 96.5 percent of the paid up share capital. And it’s the savings of villagers — about $1.5 billion — that now finances the bank’s activities and growth.

Nevertheless, the government is proceeding to remove Yunus against the objections of its majority owners and will probably succeed. The stated reason is hollow: Yunus, who is 70, is over the mandatory retirement age in government banks.

What’s the real reason behind the government’s attacks on Yunus? The most likely explanation is that Yunus is being punished for criticizing the government and making a bid to start a political party in 2007.

This is a threat to be taken seriously — not because the bank will collapse without Yunus. The Grameen Bank is a strong, well-managed institution with 25,000 employees. It could probably withstand his departure. Indeed, given Yunus’s age, it’s critical to pave the way for a successor. But if he is replaced in a manner that diminishes confidence, the bank could face problems.
When an organization has a founder who is intimately associated with it (as Jobs is at Apple), the leadership transition needs to be handled with great care. This is particularly important because the Grameen Bank depends on unusually high levels of motivation among its staff and high levels of trust among its borrowers. A forced removal of Yunus that is seen as illegitimate, politically-motivated, or vindictive could alienate thousands of employees and trigger a run on savings or loan defaults.

Even the perception that it has come under the influence of the governing party, the Awami League, could cause damage. Bangladesh has a long history of banks and cooperatives being used as political instruments. The state-owned banks have regularly extended loans to elite borrowers (who default at high rates) as a form of patronage. Unlike Grameen, which is financially self-sufficient, the state banks are perpetually in need of cash infusions from the government.

Here’s an example of what could happen: The Prime Minister has made it clear that she believes the interest rates are too high. Her concerns for the poor may be well-intentioned. But historically, subsidized loans have been seen as goodies — and have gone to the most powerful, not to those they were intended for: the poor. Grameen’s rates are, in fact, considered low among microlenders, whose administrative costs are far higher than that of traditional banks. However, if a politically-minded managing director decided to cut the interest rate, it could jeopardize the bank’s solvency.

Similarly, if the government installed a bureaucratic manager who failed to appreciate the bank’s entrepreneurial culture, it could suck the life out of the bank. Managing a bank that actually works with poor women in villages means, above all, recruiting people who care about the poor and training them in creative ways. Before Grameen Bank workers get hired, for example, they spend close to a year demonstrating their interest in serving the poor. They have to do things like write detailed case studies about the lives of village women to show that they genuinely care about, and understand, their clients. Managing this workforce is nothing like managing a run-of-the-mill bank.

In an institution like this, the management needs to be perceived as honest, responsive and open. If corruption, politicization or bureaucratic torpor began to infect it, the disease would be irreversible.

The government has tried to maintain the appearance that its attacks are merely about following the law. That is hard to believe. Over the past few months, officials have sought to damage Yunus’s reputation, claiming without evidence that he has enriched himself at the expense of the poor, intentionally harmed borrowers, and engaged in fraud. The prime minister has called microlenders loan sharks “sucking the blood of the poor.” Her son circulated a letterwhich contained a litany of unfounded accusations against Yunus — the most outrageous being that the government created the Grameen Bank, not Yunus.

It’s not as if Bangladesh is lacking real problems that require government attention. There can be no sense in destabilizing the leading institution in an industry that provides financing to more than half of the households in the country. In fact, the field of micro-finance needs solid, innovative leadership today more than ever. There remain questions about its effectiveness in alleviating poverty. It’s crucial for lenders to make honest appraisals of their impact and experiment with other services to determine how it can be made to work better.

In Bangladesh, there is also a potentially serious problem of villagers taking loans from multiple lenders and getting overly indebted. For these and other reasons, it is unwise for the government to try to tarnish or marginalize Yunus, whose experience, global recognition and inventiveness are valuable assets for the whole field.

On March 15, the Bangladeshi Supreme Court postponed ruling on Yunus’s case for two weeks. Hopefully, common sense will win the day and a solution will be reached so that this vital institution — and the millions of villagers who depend upon it for their livelihoods — are not jeopardized. Given that Yunus understands Grameen’s culture better than anyone, he should have a key say in any leadership change.

Source : David Bornstein, New York Times

The Impact!

2011-03-22T00:06:00.002+05:30

A 1GB memory card costs around 100-200 bucks. But today when I went to buy one, I had to shell out around 300 bucks for the same. The shopkeeper says that the prices of other electronics are also shooting up! The reason being – Earthquake followed by Tsunami in Japan. Now that is how globalization affects you. This is the impact at a very micro level.

On the macro level the crisis in Japan has sent ripples across the global economy, from Sendai on the battered Japanese coast, to Paris to Jaipur, India.

Effect on the Prices of Oil - The price of oil has come below 100 dollars a barrel. This can be understood because Japan is one of the biggest importers of oil, and as a result of the calamity many of the local production units have been temporarily shut down. But in the future, the prices are expected to soar as the Japanese would look for alternatives to the Nuclear Energy!

Effect on USA – Only weeks ago, many economists foresaw a quickening of the recovery of the American economy, but now it seems that they have awaken to a harsh reality. Tsunamis, radioactive plumes, Middle East Revolutions, a new round of the European Debt Crisis and a still weakened US economy would derail a tenuous bounce back. In the long term if the Japanese companies and investors retrench, selling some Treasuries and investing fewer Yen overseas, the pain would grow.

Automobile Sector - General Motors last week announced that it would suspend product at its 923-employee factory in Shreveport, La., which manufactures Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon models, because it has already run short of Japanese made parts. Volvo, the Swedish automaker, is the most reliant of the European car companies on Japanese parts — seven of its suppliers are based in the region ravaged by the earthquake and tsunami, including one on the cusp of the radiation zone. Volvo managers are trying to determine how many parts already were loaded on ships.

Manufacturers from Semiconductors to Steel have temporarily shut down operations in parts of Japan. That has disrupted the flow of the goods around the world. Japan’s semiconductors are used in Apple Computer products and South Korean consumer electronics. Shipbuilders in South Korea count on steel from Japan.

Insurance Firms - The cost to insurers well may rival the record $62 billion that followed Hurricane Katrina. Shares of Hartford Financial Group, which derives about 15 percent of its revenue from Japan, fell about 2.8 percent. It is doubtful that the crisis will bring down an insurance company. But the losses could lead to higher insurance rates for customers around the world. And as insurance company raise cash to pay off claims, but may be forced to sell assets, thereby hurting the values of seemingly unrelated equities around the world. While the scale of such forced selling relative to the size of global markets won’t be huge, it could still be a factor for investors to consider.

Impact on India – The world’s largest Nuclear Power Project coming at Jaitapur, Maharasthra might come to a halt because of the risk associated with the project. Especially after the Nuclear Disaster in Japan following the Tsunami, the local population has taken their protests to the streets. "My house is two-and-a-half km from the project. I'm worried about the future of my children. I have been watching on TV what's happening in Japan," said Raju Wadekar, a fisherman. The Wadekar family in Jaitapur is glued to the TV set ever since the earthquake caused a nuclear meltdown in Japan. It is natural that the local population fear for their safety. Also, as far as the IT Sector is concerned, the Indian IT giants like the Infosys and the Wipro fearing for their employee’s safety in Japan have called them back.

In the longer run, even though prices of oil might fluctuate but overall things would be restored back to normalcy.

Everything said, there is not an iota of doubt that the Japanese won’t be able to bounce back. It is just a matter of time when the Yen comes into the picture again.

Smoked Cheese Risotto

2011-03-21T22:01:00.004+05:30

It was around 6:30 P.M. and my mom asked me as to what I would like to have for dinner? Yeah, it is usually mom who cooks the food as cooking is considered a female’s forte. I so wish I could exchange my role with mom; send her for MBA and indulge myself in cooking day and night!

But then again I believe cooking would have lost its charm then. So every now and then I open the web world, look for some interesting recipe and try it out! Luckily, all the dishes have turned out to be really amazing so i keep experimenting.

Now before I start off let me first clarify the dish is strictly Italian, so please don’t garnish it with the traditional Indian spices as it destroys the flavor and the Italian charm!

Source : Bawa's Blog.

Well it is called ‘Smoked Cheese Risotto’

2 cups of rice washed and soaked for about an hour

Parsley dried leaves

4 stands of green garlic finely chopped

2 carrots, mushrooms, a small broccoli, onions, tomatoes and whatever veggies you want to add!

A big piece of smoked cheese grated

Olive oil and a small piece of Butter

2-3 tablespoons of basil or tomato pesto

Put some olive oil and the butter in a cooker, and heat until the butter melts. Add the garlic and 1 dried red chilly and cook until slightly brown, add parsley. Then add all the veggies and cook for a few minutes. Add the pesto.

Remove the red chilly.

Add the rice and salt to taste. Add water to cover the mixture by about an inch.

Add the grated cheese.

Pressure cook for 3 whistles. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Wait until the cooker has cooled down enough to open it, about 15 minutes or so.

Serve piping hot. It’s really tasty!

btw i did click a picture this time, but the memory card was hit by a virus and so no original picture :( Anyways savour the dish :)

Kaaley Chaney Key Kabab!

2011-02-26T09:49:00.002+05:30

A recipe after a long time!

An extremely simple, very tasty Indian dish. Had it for breakfast today, and trust me it was a fantastic gastric delight.

Things you need :

1 cup kala chana, soaked overnight

1 medium onion chopped

3 to 4 green chillies, chopped

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste (I used an Italian Paste which I picked from Moshe's in Mumbai)

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1 teaspoon chat masala

Salt to taste

Oil for frying (Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Gives it an Italian taste)

Now what?

1. Grind the soaked kala chana into a coarse paste. Pour the paste into a bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients. Make circular patties from this mix.

2. Shallow fry the kabab patties in a non-stick pan.

Serve hot with Green Chutney.

Remember to serve it in your own unique style and have a band aid handy in case someone ends up hurting their fingers while licking! :-)

Btw couldn't click a picture because it was finished the moment it was taken out from the Pan. :-)

Quota cannot be the Answer.

2011-02-25T10:29:00.010+05:30

With Jamia Milia Islamia getting the 'minority' tag through the quasi-judicial body NCMEI, Muslims across the nation are jubiliant, as they think they have won a big legal war. But quotas based on religion are unconstitutional. If at all reservations are to be there, these must go to the category of have-nots, no matter what their religion. Also in news recently was the Congress General-Sec's remark about asking for reservations for the 'minority' community in states like Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

This statement coming from the ruling party not only defies logic, but is also paving way for Muslims to be alienated further from the mainstream. There is a potential threat that even the historic Jamia might fall into the clutches of fundamentalists. Merit will take a back seat as well. If the parties go on politically appeasing each and every section of the population based on caste, creed, and religion, India will be a divided house.

It is a pity that the majority community, which after 22% SC/ST reservation, 27.9% OBC reservation, Kashimiri Migrant reservation, and now 50% Jamia-like reservation, has actually become the victimised 'minority' instead of the 'majority'.

If reservation at all has to be implemented, why not have it at the school level instead of having them at a higher level. Lets take an example of a poor Muslim family of four in some interior not so developed part of Uttar Pradesh. FYI the Govt. has decided to give CBSE status to Madarsaa's. Now when the time comes for kids to go to school, their parents are obviously going to send them to these Madarsaa's where the stress is given more on religious education rather than the modern education. This is the first stage where a Muslim child is discriminated against. After he/she gets done with the schooling, there's reservation again in college for them. This further alienates them from the mainstream.

The discrimination continues, and the political parties continue to reap benefits out of it. In the private sector its only hard work and merit which pays off in the long run and not reservations. So if a person gets a job just because he is a Muslim/Hindu then in the longer run there's a very low probability of that person's growth. Left unsatisfied, and dejected - the only way would be resorting to violence.

Reservation is a word misused by one political party or the other to cajole and fool Muslims. It should end. In fact, it is time Muslims are dissuaded from reservation and persuaded to launch themselves into the mainstream by hard work.

Now suppose the Govt. does decide to implement reservation at school level, it won't only give a chance for Muslim kids to grow up and study with kids of other castes/religions but also make them come into the mainstream arena. Given the same education in the school - a Muslim kid and a Hindu kid would stand equal and then merit can be the basis for further education/employment.

Those who are really interested in the uplift of Muslims should vigorously support the inbuilt social reform current growing in the community, promote literacy and education campaigns, insist on gender equality in family and inheritance laws, educate the girl child and create opportunities for the hapless Muslims so that they empower themselves through education and the acquisition of new skills and not through the "Reservations".

I am a Jain and even I belong to the minority community - but I don't want any reservation.

Ain’t going Anywhere.

2011-02-24T10:11:00.008+05:30

I just read an article in the ET talking about the declining popularity of blogs in the recent years. Ever since facebook and twitter stormed the market, the popularity of blogs has indeed seen a downward spiral.

I personally do feel that posting something on facebook does manage to catch more eye balls than the same being posted on a blog. As a matter of fact, sometime back when I re-posted a poem written long time back by me on the facebook, it got more hits compared to the blog. A recent data indicates that a number of teenage bloggers have switched over to mediums like the facebook and the twitter because of their growing popularity whereas adults in the range of 30-40 years have continued staying on their respective blogs.

I am 22 right now, and wondering as to whether to stay or migrate away to a world of more exciting comments and hits.

Hmm…

Well for the time being I have decided to retain my citizenship of the blogger-world and stay for some good time.

And yeah, I have been shortlisted for some GD/PI’s for Management Entrances this season and so have been reading a lot of stuff on the current happenings all over the world. In the coming days, the blog is going to be flooded with some well researched articles on economy, politics and the current affairs with some being directly taken from the media (newspapers, magazines etc.) and the others having my own views.

So stays hooked, and keep commenting!

Bathroom Secret!

2011-02-13T11:29:00.002+05:30

After filling the bucket y'day, I realized that there was a lot of mud and dirt in the water. After a lot of deliberation as to what can be done, I decided to have a bath some other time. Today when I checked the bucket again, I saw that the dirt had settled down , and the water at the surface level was crystal clear.

I decided to throw away the water.

Sounds like a lame situation. Right?

Not really. Lets apply the same situation to life. Many a times there are certain unfavourable instances in our lives that leads to formation of negative toxins or the so called 'Stress'

On the surface level maybe we express happiness or act happy, but somewhere inside we feel that there's some contraction and the feeling of "Not so right!"

The muddy water can be thrown out, but what about the negative emotions which gets stored inside the body? How do we flush them out?

Here comes the power of awareness and the act of breathing through which not only can we get rid of these negative emotions, but also instead of acting happy - can be actually happy!

Waiting eagerly for my Guru to conduct the Live Sudarshan Kriya here in Jaipur on the 2nd of March.

Be there if you have done the Art of Living Course. For more details please leave a comment : - )

Preach what you practice!

2011-01-14T13:06:00.006+05:30

I personally feel that stories are the best way to convey the important lessons in life. Guruji loves to impart knowledge through stories, and i am simply very fond of them! They not only catch hold of my attention but also end up subconsciously saving the message.

All of us are quite fond of the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. There's so much of knowledge in those epics, and also we never get bored of hearing the same story again and again ,but would we have enjoyed them if they were devoid of the heroes and the villains? Of course not! We have gained so much from them because they were told in a story form and not like a lecture.

Once a mother brought her young son to Mahatama Gandhi. She begged, "Please, Mahatama. Tell my son to stop eating sugar."

Gandhi paused, hen said, "Bring your son back in two weeks." Puzzled, the woman thanked him and said that she would do as asked.

Two weeks later, she returned with her son. Gandhi looked the youngster in the eye and said, "Stop eating sugar."

Grateful but bewildered, the woman asked, "Why did you tell me to bring him back in two weeks? You could have told him the same thing then."

Gandhi replied, "Two weeks ago, I was eating sugar."
Point to remember : "Embody what you teach, and teach only what you have embodied."

love,
Siddharth

The Maxim of the Crow and the Coconut

2011-01-13T22:09:00.004+05:30

This story has been well-known in India for thousands of years. It is the story of a crow landing on a branch of a palm-fruit (coconut) tree. At just the instant the crow lands, in a very unexpected and accidental occurrence, a ripe fruit falls from above the branch and lands upon the head of the crow, killing it.

In India, the mention of the crow and the coconut denotes any very unexpected, coincidental occurrence, whether it be positive or negative; welcome or unwelcome.

I know this is a very short story - but it has a much profound meaning. Most of us tend to see events with a cause and effect angle. This thing happened in our lives because this thing preceded it or maybe this thing is going to happen because so or so event happened. We attach the event with a cause and its mostly unintentional.

Like for example, I meet Guruji on the day before my CAT exam. Feeling high and blessed I take the exam and score exceptionally high - my mind starts the journey. Because I met Guruji, I did well in CAT and if I hadn't I wouldn't have fared well. The mind just wants to find a cause and attach the event to it. It just does not want to see the two events independently. Now this is ironical?! On one hand people say that its all Guru's grace, and on the other hand the Scripture says that God helps only those who help themselves.

So is it you helping yourself or the God helping you? Are events independent of each other or are they influenced by the circumstances around?

As Guruji says, "See the past as your destiny and future as your free-will." Now just because Paul the Octopus predicted that so and so team would win the match during the FIFA World Cup, it was not necessary at all that it would be true. Much depended on the team's hard-work and dedication and a little on the fate? Or maybe vice-versa. Who knows?

I think, no... I believe that life can be enjoyed the most when we just flow with the flow! We keep doing our best, and leave the results at rest.

love,

Siddharth

Mushroom Pate

2011-01-05T08:47:00.007+05:30

What all do you need?

1 packet of mushrooms washed and roughly cut into chunky pieces.

1 big carrot peeled and grated

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

2-3 dried red chillies (optional)

A small quantity of any left over veggie you want to add. I added onions, but you can try anything else!

2 tablespoons full cream

Olive oil, Salt, pepper, Chilly Flakes, Oregano and Mustard. Or a substitute can be Maggie Magic Masala.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat some (3-5 tablespoons) of olive oil and add the garlic and stir it around till it browns slightly. If you want it to be spicy, you could add 2-3 dried red chillies and cook for a bit. Remove them from the oil before going to the next step. Add the grated carrot and cook for 2 minutes. Then add your (left over) veggie(s) and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the seasoning and cook until tender, another 4-5 minutes. Stir in the cream and remove from heat.

Blend with a hand grinder or in a mixie. Don’t add water, it needs to be nice and thick.

Toast some bread and spread the pate on it. Or spread the pate on a some slices of bread, sprinkle some grated cheese and grill till the cheese melts. Or simply dip your finger into the pate and lick!

Ok this is important - Mushrooms are a fungus, they are high in fiber and proteins and are utterly vegetarian. They are supposed to be a bit Tamasic and may hinder meditation, but even that can be circumvented by soaking them in warm milk for 15 minutes or so before cooking them.

Happy cooking.

Love,

Siddharth

Ps. Source : Bawa's blog : )

Great Technologies that are now failures!

2010-12-22T23:57:00.006+05:30

The Landline Telephone - Why do we need it? To keep MTNL in business.

The Point and Shoot Camera - Its what your mobile does.

The iPod Dock - The iPod is a personal music player. PERSONAL!!!

Hotmail - Working with this e-mail service? How old are you? 80?

Windows - 7,8 OR 10. They all suck. Always.

PC Gaming - The debate ended with the PS3 Move and Xbox.

The Television - There is a reason it is called Idiot Box. If you disagree, go and watch Big Boss.

Walkman - what is that?

love,
Siddharth

PS. You can add to this list.

The Third Sex - Part 2

2010-12-06T22:08:00.013+05:30

Well continuing from where I left, as the saying goes "Awareness burns ignorance"

My few first hand experiences didn't do much to change that. But it was only when I stumbled on an article on the Eunuchs in the Tehelka Magazine. It not only broke all my pre-conceived notions, but also made me realize that how stupid I was to make fun of them.

Read this for yourself : The Civil laws of our country deprive them of several rights such as the right to own property, right to marry, right to identity through passport, ration card, driver's license, education, employment and health.

Thanks to the ambiguity of gender, hijras are denied basic citizens' rights like a ration card, a driving license and passport by the government. In terms of employment, jobs are nil, as organizations do not employ them. "We have just four options-begging, sex work, cooking or being a fortune teller in a temple,'' says Famila. Most hijras prefer sex work as it does not require any special skill, she says. Hijra in Arabic means holy, and could have been derived from the Urdu word "Ezra" meaning a wanderer or nomad, says a study conducted by The People's Union for Civil Liberties. Hijras claim a sacred place due to their third gender status. Most hijras in India live in groups that are organized into seven gharanas or houses in Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

And all these years when i used to see Eunuchs asking and pestering people for money, I used to think that they are simply "lazy" and looking for a quick source of income. Never did it struck to me that its not out of choice but by compulsion that they have to indulge in such kind of acts. Come to think of it, they don't even have the voting rights?! Why would any political party give a damn about them?

We are also to be blamed. Most of us have sometimes in our life been insensitive towards them, not because we wanted to but we weren't aware of the hardships faced by them.

Few years back, there were elections for the post of Mayor of some City in Madhya Pradesh. A Eunuch contested for the same on woman quota. "She" did win the elections and was appointed as the Mayor of the city. But her victory wasn't going to last long as in a shocking ruling a District Court ruled that since Eunuchs are not females (read they are just Eunuchs in the eyes of the law) the appointment was invalid and against the Constitution of the country. In no time, she was asked to step down.

There's more. Just do a Google search and you would come across to a plethora of atrocities against them. But are we still in a slumber?

Apparently not. The good news is that Indians are finally awakening to this reality. The other day I had a discussion with a friend of mine. Her name is Arya and she's in the process of becoming a lawyer.

Here's her take on the Eunuchs and their rights :

I read the article, it was really sad, but I wasn't surprised. Can you even imagine what you would do in their position? We, whose fragile egos and lives are hurt by 'problems' like exams, parents shouting, girlfriend/boyfriend problems, academics, 'what will happen in my future' issues... enough to make us sad, angry and send us into depression - what we do if we were people who were chronically unemployed, physically, mentally and sexually harassed, thrown into the outskirts of society? I've always strongly believed in their rights.

I'll tell you an incident in a train. Now, I go camping quite frequently, which means long journeys in the sleeper class sections of trains. The trains are a place where you get to see all the suffering and misery of our country that people go through, day in and day out. From diseased people, to those with amputated limbs, young children and old people living in abject poverty, trudging through the filth and grime each day. And of course, the eunuchs. Now, I'm travelling with about 30 people, almost all of whom find eunuchs funny, and enjoy heaping ridicule on them. I'm aware that these kids aren't really bad people, they just don't know better. Like you said - "my lack of awareness"

So they continued cracking jokes and mocking them for most of the journey. When I thought it was getting too much, I told them them to stop doing it, and that they were human beings too. After some time, a couple of eunuchs came in, asking for money. Not asking, actually, but demanding. Here I stood my ground. They cannot coerce me or demand money from me - it's not a right of theirs. Anyway, one of them abused me and told me that she'd curse me and I'd have to join them one day (rolls eyes). After they left, everyone else looked at me, and someone said - "Do you still believe in their rights, then?"

And yes, of course I do. I do not wish to be chased by a transgender (I do not wish to be chased by anybody, so they're obviously included). :P What we need is a systematic, complete change in the way they're treated by society. I'd done legal research for transgenders once, when I was working with a gay rights NGO. And there are places where change is taking place, like Tamil Nadu -

http://indiaunheard.videovolunteers.org/mani/transgenders-in-tamilneed-jobs/

They even have three options to tick in the form for a ration card, M, F, and T, I believe. :)

Although you know, in some places of India, transgenders are recognized as legitimate people of society. Yes, they live a very different life, but they're often called to dance at wedding, at the birth of a child (a male child, specifically. :/ )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia)

Are transgenders even given a choice as to what they can do to earn a living? Do they know any other way apart from intimidating people? Apart from a few exceptions, that's the plight of most.

http://www.globalpolitician.com/24711-india-transgender

Its great seeing the wind of change blowing.
So next time if a Eunuch approaches you, just smile and do the needful. Do it till the time they are given the basic Fundamental Rights which are quite conveniently enjoyed by us.

Hope the ignorance has been burnt by the awareness.

Love,
Siddharth

P.S. I have used the word "she" to denote the Transgenders in the article, because its their singular demand - the status of a woman.
P.P.S. If you have had any experiences, please do share them.

The Third Sex - Part 1

2010-11-23T22:45:00.005+05:30

This is right. This is wrong.

1+1 = 2 & after A comes B.

This is precisely the way a child is fed with facts. He/She is taught to accept certain things as they are thereby suppressing their inquisitiveness. I clearly remember that when I used to ask the elders at home as to why the Eunuchs are different from us (males and females) they used to give a very cliched reply, "Maybe they had offended the God in their previous birth and that is why they have been made like this" Period.

Getting the same answers from everyone more or less satisfied me (the herd mentality) and I started to treat the Eunuchs differently with a biased attitude. Their sightings not only roused laughter but also a fear of being robbed of money. In school the word Eunuch had become a kind of an abuse and kids (read us) used to hurl it at other kids who we wanted to ridicule. The other way of poking fun was that while filling forms where the word Sex was written with two boxes Male and Female, the pusillanimous were asked to make a third box with Neutral written on it and tick it. This was the 'fun factor' that we associated with the Third Gender.

During weddings and other ceremonies when the Eunuchs used to pay a visit and asked for specific sum of money to be given to them, I used to feel really angry and threaten them of dire consequences ( reporting it to the cops, albeit i was only 14-15 years old) That's a different matter that I used to think all this in my mind, and the elders always complied with their terms. There have also been days wherein i have been chased by them on refusing to empty my wallet and give them their "unjustified" share of money. This was the 'fear factor' associated with them.

But there's a saying that awareness burns ignorance.

More on it in the next post.

Love,
Siddharth

Hearing Problem

2010-11-01T20:40:00.005+05:30

Ok so this joke made me laugh real hard, and i simply couldn't resist putting it up here :)

A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family Doctor to discuss the problem.

The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.

Here's what you do," said the Doctor, "stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response."

That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away,let's see what happens."

Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?"

No response.

So the husband moves to closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Still no response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, Honey, what's for dinner?"

Again he gets no response so;

He walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Again there is no response.

So he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for dinner?"

...

......

"James, for the FIFTH time I've said, Fried Rice!"

love,

Siddharth

PS. The coming week would see quite a few articles being put up on the blog. Keep checking this space.

V for Vendetta!

2010-10-02T20:46:00.006+05:30

Off late i have been feeling that after seeing so many english movies, reading umpteenth novels, I have develop an impregnable lexicon (flaunting eh!). But after hearing these lines, I chortled for i now know that there's just no point in our life when we can put a stop to learning.

Frankly, I can't understand a thing about these lines. I had to consult the dictionary, Pause the movie, consult the dictionary and so on - more of a GP (Geometric Series) series!

Have a confusing read : )

Evey: Who are you?

V: Who? Who is but the form following the function of "what", and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey: Well I can see that.

V: Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation, I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
Evey: Oh...right.

V: But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis personÃ¦.

V: VoilÃ ! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you, and you may call me V.

Evey: Are you like.. a crazy person?

These lines have been taken from the movie V for Vendetta.

Seems as if the protagonist has literally used all the words starting from the alphabet 'V' in the dictionary.

Keep Breathing.

Siddharth : )

Mandir and Masjid - Ayodhya

2010-09-23T08:28:00.004+05:30

The much awaited Ram Mandir - Babri Masjid verdict from the Allahbad High Court is going to be announced on the 24th of this month. Apprehending the possibility of riots after the verdict, literally every one's appealing for peace. Statements from Mr. P Chidambaram and Narendra Modi reflects the mood of the two principal parties of the country. Both want peace. And, peace is something that the entire Nation wants too.

Some pseudo secularists say that the today's generation wants development and not a temple because it is the economic, and the social development which is going to take the country ahead. True, it is the road to development which is essential for the country. But in lieu of development the country's age old tradition, religious beliefs can't be compromised upon. In economics we say that we need development in totality and not just limited to GDP. It is inclusive of other things as well. As an educated Indian, i would love to see the development of the nation as a whole.

It is not the issue of a Temple or a Mosque. It's a issue of birth place of Lord Ram and 1.2. billion Hindu's faith on it. It is so obvious that the birth place of Jesus can't be other than Jerusalem or for that matter Prophet Mohammad's other than Mecca. So why is it that we start talking about secularism whenever Hindus are concerned? No Government, or court can deny the fact that Lord Ram existed and Ayodhya was His birth place.

The verdict gives both the communities an amazing opportunity to display unity. The Muslim community should itself volunteer to build a temple on the site, which is nothing less than a Mecca for the Hindus. On the other hand, the Hindu community should also offer to build a mosque nearby the temple or elsewhere.

Both the communities should give away the rigidness in their stance and shouldn't let a court or a Government decide as to what is the right thing to do. In 2003, the Prayag Peeth Shankaracharya had agreed to the building of a temple and a mosque within the area in question in Ayodhya. Even Guruji (Sri Sri Ravishankar) had suggested a similar thing. But only if this suggestion had been acted upon, we would have been spared of a further strife in the name of the religion and the long court case.

Parties like the BJP and the Congress (and all the other regional parties) may never want the problem to be solved. They like to be a part of the problem and not the solution. So expecting them to do something in this regard would be disastrous. We need leaders like Sri Sri and APJ Abdul Kalam to supervise the ecumenical committee consisting of people from all walks of life.

Shanti Shanti Shanti.

Siddharth

PS. I happened to read a very interesting article on the same by Firoz Bakht Ahmed in today's DNA newspaper. Quite a few lines have been directly lifted from the article. If you get hold of the article then do read it.

Bon Voyage

2010-09-03T21:27:00.003+05:30

Train journey has always been synonymous to fun for me. Lots of conversations, beautiful panorama, long journey hours and an interesting book to read is something that I really look forward to. The way Indian trains have undergone a change in the recent years has been something that is truly remarkable. I remember the last time I had travelled by train it was so filthy that I had second thoughts about keeping my luggage on the floor. There were no charging points and if your phone/laptop went dead, you were left on your own! The walls were painted with spitted beetle leaves, and with constant intrusion of vendors there was just no privacy.

But now things have changed, and for the good! I am travelling from Bombay to Jaipur, and am truly delighted at the sight of the interiors of the train. The floor is so bloody clean that I don’t even mind sleeping on it (hyperbole?), there are nice beautiful curtains, vendors are not intruding my privacy that much and yeah there are a couple of charging points which are facilitating this writing.

We end up meeting so many people on board that it feels as if we have come out for socializing. Some tell selected stories, and some just bombard you with the entire story of their life. I happened to be a victim of the latter one. It didn’t matter to the guy sitting next to me whether I was interested in his stories or not. But he just kept on going. I know so much about him now that I can write his biography. He is with the police department and so had couple of interesting stories to share, but then after a point of time it became too much. So to avoid him, I plucked in my earphones and switched over to writing.
That’s it for now.
Keep exercising your lung!

I am now...

2010-08-26T02:58:00.000+05:30

There’s an absolutely brilliant line in the movie Kung-Fu-Panda :
Past is a history,
Future is a mystery,
But this moment is a gift, and that is why it is called the Present Moment!

Off late, I have been observing a particular tendency of my mind. It is again & again dwelling on the thoughts of the past and the future. Whenever I am free (read most of the time) it goes back to the good times that I had during my graduation days. Other times, it starts worrying about whatever the future has in store for me. Because of this oscillating tendency of my mind I am missing out on this moment, i.e. the present.

While I was in Delhi, I used to regret about all the times that I wasted during my school days, brood over the fact that I didn’t participate much in the extra-curricular activities. Now when I came to Mumbai, I started brooding again, this time about the fact that I didn’t work hard for CAT and the other MBA entrances. Oh yes, this is not the end of the story. Thoughts about the future have been making me all anxious! Low graduation and CAT score were enough to scare the shit out of me about my future.

It might sound ironical, but my mind has been creating havoc in my mind. I have had enough of it. Period.

Many philosophical books, management Gurus and experts talk about the importance of establishing the mind in the present moment. But very few actually give us a method to do it. Knowledge is not what is required but it is the wisdom that is essential. Few minutes of Meditation and Kriya makes one experience the present. Though it has been a challenge for me to get my mind back to the present again and again, but it’s something that I am striving for.

Guruji says that see the past as your destiny, and future as your free-will. But most of us do the exact opposite thing. We see all the past actions or events as our free will and future as our destiny. There is a need for shift in the stance. Getting the mind back to the present again and again is the key to break this tendency.

We have to mind the mind!

An insight…

2010-07-24T18:17:00.003+05:30

Often we Indians go to an astrologer, or a palmist to find out what the future has in store for us. We are termed as superstitious for doing so. But when the Western society believes in an animal having one beak, three hearts and eight arms, nobody points a finger at them. It doesn’t require any rocket science to guess as to which being I am referring to here. Paul the Octopus predicted the outcome of Germany’s seven matches and Spain’s triumph in the FIFA 2010 final. He chose before the matches from two transparent containers lowered into his tank. Each contained mussels and was adorned with the national flag of one side. Which team’s food he devoured first would win.

Astonishing eh!

When we come to think of it rationally we find that it is a simple case of probability. So what if Paul correctly predicted the outcome 8 times? There was this nonsense correlation prevailing in America long time back that said the candidate with the longer name never lost the race for the U.S. presidency. That worked from 1932, when Roosevelt beat Hoover, to 1960, when Kennedy beat Nixon, but came apart when Goldwater lost to Johnson in 1964. That’s eight elections, of course, exactly the number of matches Paul predicted. Paul always had to decide between 2 teams, and so it can be sheer luck factor that he was right every time, but out of 100 times he can’t be right more than 90 times. That’s what the law of probability states. There’s also a possibility that whenever Paul predicted the outcome of any particular match, the side which he favoured got a psychological advantage over the other. It boosted the morale of the pre-decided winners.

Anyways, it was a great World Cup. The best team won. Without eating mussels, quite a few people predicted a Spanish victory at the outset before having a German wobble caused by emotion to which octopi are immune. Speaking of emotions, after Paul predicted Germany’s semi final loss many people wanted him to be roasted as if it was because of his predictions that they actually lost. Grow up people. Let rationality and not emotions be the basis of judging a person (in this case an animal)

True to His nature, Guruji comes with a beautiful and such a life-changing statement. It goes like:

See the past as your destiny and future as your free-will.Though the past karma’s would play a significant role in shaping up the future, but through deep meditations, Kriya and grace we can rid ourselves of past impressions.

That is why being on the spiritual path is so much important. A Guru is a garbage collector, surrender all the shit going inside your mind, and you would then realize what capabilities, talents and skills would flourish in your lives… I am experiencing that.

Aho!

Salad - Indian Style !!

2010-06-24T14:30:00.002+05:30

An extremely simple, super tasty salad. Also called 'Kachumer' in hindi :)

Ingredients for 2:
2 Onions
1 Green Chilly
1 Raw Mango
and 2 tomatoes

also add a small piece of ginger and lots & lots of coriander/mint leaves.(I prefer coriander leaves)

Put all the above ingredients together and blend them! Add salt,red chilli powder and chaat masala to taste.

That's it you're done... :)

Combat yourself against the charm to consume it all. Remember the doctrine of sharing. Serve Chilled.

....
love,
Siddharth

What's happening inside...

2010-05-29T12:34:00.006+05:30

Life is like a cycle, it has to be balanced well otherwise we would fall. We all have certain commitments to our family, especially parents and siblings which we have to fulfill. No doubt that these committments cannot be ignored but then our entire lifetime cannot be just devoted to fulfilling them. For our spiritual growth we have to be little self centered.

Ever since I came back to Jaipur, I have been thinking about this and praying to Guruji to give me some clarity. I am a good son, a good brother, a good grandson, and all those goody goody stuff. But I want to move beyond, by doing something for my self. Sacrificing nature is a virtue, but too much of it can lead to suffocation. One should never compromise on the stuff that he/she really wants to do in their life, because life is the most unpredictable thing in the entire universe and we don’t know even know whether we would be born a human again. Like if I am born a donkey in my next life, i cannot cook, i cannot serve others but i can only sing and that too but like a donkey!

I am not running away from my duties/obligations/commitments but I just want to balance it out with my own dreams. Only my Guru can provide me with the skills that are required to do it.

Now the next step that I need to take is to identify what I really really want to do in my life?

an Art of Living instructor and want to work with youngsters as well as in rural areas to empower the villagers spiritually and improve their quality of life. It is a tough job, but I would be ready to take it up in the next 4 years. I would strive to balance it out with my family commitments with Guru’s grace and blessings. Also as a hobby I want to master the art of cooking (i.e. serving others with super delicious food) and singing.

Writing down all these things gives me immense peace and courage to lead the life I want to and not what an xyz person wants me to.

I might fall while cycling, but I would continue to learn and not give up.

love,
Siddharth

Naxalism - - the biggest threat.

2010-05-18T10:38:00.005+05:30

We all know about the Dhantewada massacre carried out by Naxals. Yesterday's attack is a clear indication of the fact that Naxals are no longer at loggerheads with the State but the civilians as well. Today, Chattisgarh has become the most unsafe place to reside in, and the BJP Government there looks hapless. G.K.Pillai, the Home Secretary said, "The Naxals have challenged the very basis of Indian democracy and if they are not stopped, they would take over the country by 2020"
I literally had goosebumps on hearing this. Ever since I have been wondering as to how can we tackle the Naxal menace..

We all know that the long term solution would be to develop infrastructure in rural areas : more schools, hospitals, roads, etc.. Inclusive growth is the hour of the need. Also, the Art of Living's YLTP (Youth Leadership Training Programme) would help a great deal in empowering the local youths. All these are an ongoing process, but the real question is what should be the short term solution? Should the state declare a war against Naxals, or should it go for talks? According to the Home Minister, Maoists have out rightly rejected the idea of talks and have just one clear motive in their mind and that is to overthrow the entire idea of Indian democracy. Also, there are several reports doing rounds about atrocities committed by the Army and Special Police forces (SPF's) on the local villagers. The ground reality is something which I assume we all are unaware of.

here are my suggestions for the Home Minister :

-> Work on greater State-Centre coordination. It was heartening to see the BJP High Command praising Chidambaram's work. We need both the Congress and the BJP to be on the same side of the coin i.e. a strong common policy against the Naxals. All the states have to work together to ensure that Naxals do not benefit out of petty politics.

-> Win local's support by immediately starting infrastructural development and giving more power to local bodies. Together with the NGO's, the State Government can ensure that the villagers have the basic amenities at their disposal, and that inclusive growth takes place benefiting all the sections of the society.

-> Work more on intelligence data and equipping the army and the local cops with the latest technology. AK-47 cannot be fought with a Pistol. For AK-47, you need an AK-47 and nothing less.

Some might argue that how can talking about Naxalism on a blog can solve the actual problem?
or can the t.v debates and newspaper editorials help the cause?

Eventually, the war against Maoists must be won in the villages of Chattisgarh, not in t.v. studios or Internet blogs.

Shanti Shanti Shanti.

love,
Siddharth

Joke time

2010-04-30T21:56:00.004+05:30

I was thinking that the name of the blog is Sounds Funny, yet it lacks funny stuff.

Ironical eh! Serious issues being discussed under the umbrella of Sounds Funny. Laugh Out Loud
So keeping up with the spirit of the blog,
its high time for some rib tickling jokes :-)

The Best Brothers!

A man walks into a bar in London and ordered 3-glasses of beer and sits in the backyard of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn.

When he finishes, he comes back to the bar counter and orders 3 more. The bartender asks him, “You know, beer goes flat after I fill it in the glass; it would taste better if you buy one at a time.” The man replies, “Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in Dubai, the other in Canada and I’m here in London. When they left home, we promised that we’ll drink this way to remember the days when we drank together.”

The bartender admits that this is a nice custom and leaves it there. The man became a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way. He order 3-Beers and drinks them in turn. One day, he came in and ordered only 2-Beers All the other regulars notice and fall silent.

When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, “I don’t want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my sincere condolences on your great loss.”

The man looked confused for a moment, then he laughs…. “Oh, no,” he, said, “Everyone’s fine - both my brothers are alive”. The only thing is I just quit drinking…!!!

love,
Sid

P.S. More to follow
P.P.S Aah.. more important for you to follow :-)

Ministers at work!

2010-04-05T10:36:00.005+05:30

After reading my last post, people are bound to think that I am anti-UPA. Though its true, there are certain Ministers in the present Government who I think are doing a commendable job, and so they deserve to be praised.

Here's the list :)

1. Jairam Ramesh

The Honorable Environment and Forests Minster is not only a staunch environmentalist but also someone who doesn't bow to any political pressures in implementing policies that are aimed at preserving the Environment. His stand on GM food was commendable. Not many times have we seen a public hearing on a new reform or policy but Jairam ensured that public opinion is considered before introducing the harmful(why?! do some research) genetically modified Brinjal and other crops in the country. There might be a possibility that the public might have a wrong opinion, but the fact that he considered it important to talk to public and NGO's is itself laudable.

I also liked his stand on the "Convocation Gown" which he called as "barbaric colonial relics". It is true that the wearing of a Convocation Gown is a Western culture, which we Indians blindly accepted. Instead we could just wear something lighter and simpler considering the hot Indian summers. Wonder why the Christian community is objecting to it? Why can't we follow our own tradition -- the Indian tradition, and not simply ape the West?

Jairam made a statement after taking over the Ministry, a statement which speaks a lot about him and his policies.

"India has not caused the problem of Global Warming. But will try and make sure that India is part of the solution. Be constructive, be proactive"

love,
Siddharth

PS. not many people know that Jairam Ramesh is a founder member of the prestigious Indian School of Business, Hyderabad (ISB)

PPS. More to follow in the coming week :)

what I feel...

2010-04-03T10:23:00.008+05:30

Minority appeasement is what the Government is doing,
so what if the majority is suffering?
Vote is what they need,
and in this greed
they simply forget the hour of the need...

Bt.Brinjal is what the Government wants us to eat,
simply ignoring the public heat...
and why we ask standing on our feet,
that the government is so adamant to make us eat?
Then I realize that they are
being paid for that
because they simply occupy that seat.

M.F.Hussain is considered an asset to the country,
because he makes nude paintings offending the majority community.
Creativity, artistic freedom is being talked about,
because Hindus have a less clout.

Inflation is high,
and the Government says with a sigh
that the only thing they could do is sympathise,
with the poor for the rising price...

Corruption at its peak,
making the future of our country bleak...
with crores stashed up in the Swiss Bank
of politicians, and people of higher rank.

Money which could have been used for the development of our country,
is lying in those banks without any entry.

These are the issues that makes me speak,
against the Government that i consider meek.

End of rant.

what has been up!

2010-02-07T21:44:00.006+05:30

a perfect night for a perfect post :) A cup of tea (since i don't savour coffee much) and nice hot Pakodas would have added flavour to the post :) Anyways, did 'few' interesting and 'few' not so interesting things over the weekend.

Read a book called "Have a little faith" by Mitch Albom, gifted to me by my Bhabhi. Here's a quickie review : It all starts with an unusual request from a 82 year old Rabbi from Albom's hometown asking him to deliver his Eulogy.

Feeling unworthy, Mitch insists on knowing the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he'd left years ago. The interaction with Rabbi not only reinstates Mitch's faith in God but also inspires him to be a better human being. There were some beautiful stories/messages in the book, which were very invigorating.

The book is not very thick, so can be easily finished over a week! Read it when you're feeling low :) A really nice book!

Hmm.. since any weekend for me is incomplete without a movie, i happened to see "Man from Earth"
Mindblowing, yeah it literally did that! 7 characters, 1 room, a guy proclaiming to be a caveman (few thousand years old!), 90 minutes -- trust me it will blow your mind too!
In a line : Superb movie, perhaps one of the most interesting movie i have ever seen.

Now time to talk about the not so interesting things that i did :( Went for a show called "We, the people" and trust me i didn't enjoy being one of them (pun intended). The discussion was on the much-hyped issue "Racism is Australia". Barkha Dutt was the host, and the Australian High Commissioner, Peter Warghese was the guest for the show. He spoke well, but the entire discussion was highly boring. Barkha was usual!
Will put up the link whenever it is telecasted.
I guess this was the only not so interesting thing that i did! Ha ha :)

Plan to do some serious cooking this week :)

love,
Siddharth

PS. I still have to write on Global Warming. But on a lighter note, i guess i am liking it - break from chilly dilli winters! :)

Auto Mafia - A report from the Indian Express.

2010-01-30T12:01:00.003+05:30

Ever wondered as to why the Dilli autowallah's overcharge so much? I happen to stumble on this article in the Indian Express which explores the existence of auto-mafia in Delhi.

Its an eye-opener.

THE Centre's Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) wants the Supreme Court to lift its 12-year-old freeze on granting fresh permits to auto-rickshaws.

The EPCA believes this ban has `pushed' the public transport system into the hands of the financier mafia.

On September 16, 1997, the Supreme Court had ordered that only 55,000 autos could run on Delhi's roads. A new vehicle could only be introduced as a replacement. In such cases, the permit passes on from the old to the new.

Since permits are so much in demand, original permit holders have begun to sell them to financiers and middlemen.These men,who have formed a cartel and dominate the auto market,sell the vehicle and the accompanying permit for a premium. While the showroom price of an auto is Rs 1.25 lakh, the financiers charge Rs 4.5 lakh.

The vicious cycle continues.

The owner rents out the auto at a high price to the driver, who then ends up overcharging customers. The EPCA -set up in 1998 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to monitor pollution levels -made its observations on the auto scenario in its 34th report, presented on Friday before the apex court's Special Bench of three judges, headed by Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan.

The EPCA stated: "Removal of the cap will help eliminate the dominating hold of the `financier mafia' who are exploiting not only the auto drivers but also the general public by pushing up artificially the capital cost of three wheelers, and hence the operational cost." If more autos are allowed to ply, an owner can bypass financiers and directly approach the government for a permit. "The financiers buy the TSRs (autos) and farm them out. There is no information as to the owner or the driver," senior advocate and amicus curiae Harish Salve, who presented the report before the court, said on Friday.

The committee's findings were arrived at after a series of consultations with the Delhi government's Transport department, the Delhi Police, associations and manufacturers of three-wheelers, the Delhi government's Weights and Measures department, the Delhi Finance Corporation and the representatives of private financiers and the Automobile Research Association of India (ARAI).

The EPCA explained how the mafia-controlled TSR transport mechanism has led to an increase in pollution levels too. "A bulk of the vehicles (TSRs)onroad are owned by a limited number of people who rent these to drivers on a charge of around Rs 250 to Rs 300for a night-hourshift.The driver pays for the CNG fuel and minor repairs, which adds to the tendency to cut costs," the committee said.

The EPCA report also mentions how growing traffic congestion eats into the daily bread of drivers, who are forced to lose their chance to drive the vehicle the next day if they do not earn a substantial daily amount.

The EPCA has also said that the `smart card' system -- a smart card would have replaced the permit and carried detailed information on the owner and driver of an auto - has failed to takeoff.Repeated ads and public announcements elicit no response, the EPCA states.

"In spite of all the efforts of the Transport department to improve the registration database,the system is in bad shape.The addresses of(both owners and drivers)are not clear;ownership information is difficult to transcribe.It is alleged the ownership is concentrated in the hands of the financier mafia," the committee said.

The EPCA recommended the cap on autos be removed so that the government can develop TSRs as "intermediate public transport vehicles" meant to provide "last-mile connectivity" to commuters in the city.

love,

Siddharth

PS. If you have a link on any interesting article, let me know. Will be glad to post it on the blog.

Osama going Green!

2010-01-29T21:01:00.003+05:30

Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden has called in a new audiotape for the world to boycott American goods and the US dollar, blaming the United States and other industrialized countries for global warming.

In the tape, Bin Laden warns of the dangers of Climate change and says that the way to it is to bring "the wheels of the American economy" to a halt.

Wow! So now the "World's Most Wanted" man is also talking about Global Warming - now that sounds interestingly ironical to me. He is the same person who masterminded the 9/11 attacks, killing around 3000 people!! He has also been linked with numerous terrorist activities across the world. So is it right on his part to talk about Global Warming?

Showing concern for the future generations after all the atrocities that he has committed in the past... talk about hypocrisy...

Everything said, i am quite excited about doing an intensive research on global warming in quest for its authenticity. Expect a post on it latest by Monday.

love,
Siddharth

birth-day :)

2010-01-18T21:43:00.005+05:30

Had a great b'day :)

Got many surprises and many gifts :) Am utterly grateful to everyone who wished me today :) But a poem written by Arnav, a dear friend of mine stands out :)

My poem is about Siddharth....
What a sad start to this ode!!
Siddharth is....I'm mad
I'm taking the wrong road!!

I scratch my head and rack my brains
as I look to start this complimenting
but the right words just don't come out
now... Oh! that's the perfect starting

Words are less to describe this man
who downloads many a movie, makes many a plan.
He's devoted to AOL, smart on the street
enjoys blogging as well as many a tweet

His ambitions are unknown, but weaknesses are
His success could be rare, but knowledge spread far
messages are sweet & salty, SJ's are a pain
So he does to irritate, or for other's gain

Great is character, soft at heart
His friends are near but wide and far apart
The smile might not look good at all
But he's worthy to be friends with and give a call

On the day of birthday No. 21
I'd want him to enjoy, have loads of fun
No matter what he might do today
No one forgets the "Siddharth Jain" way

love,
Siddharth

A childhood obsession...

2010-01-15T21:06:00.006+05:30

Its been long time since i blogged! As a matter of fact its been 2 months, but anyways feels great to start it all over again :)

Yesterday i.e. 14th January was Makar-Sakranti, the festival of kites. This was one day that I always looked forward to, even more than my birthday! I used to start flying kites from November onwards, i was that obsessed by it. On the D-day, I used to get up at 5:00 a.m. in the morning, was on top of my roof by 5:30 a.m with 'yellow' colour kites (only they are visible in dark) and 'charkhi'... Aah i can't forget those days... From morning till late evening i just used to fly kites and nothing else.. Every other thing took a backseat on that very special day. Me being the only kite-flyer in the house used to get around 100 kites! I was actually quite famous in my colony for my skills in cutting other's kites..The entire sky looked so colourful that day, kites of different shapes, sizes and colours used to brighten up the sky :)

But ever since i came to Delhi, this day has taken a backseat in my life. There are so many other things which keep me occupied, to name a few -- exams, exams and more of them!! The situation was so bad this year, that my mom actually had to remind me that it was Sakranti on that particular day.. There was not even a bird flying in the sky, leave alone kites! People here observe the Kite festival on 15th August though not as passionately as the people of the Pink-City. Delhites actually are too busy to fly kites, they are themselves flying half the time (bad one!).

So, I see as i am growing up my definition of 'pleasurable' activities is also changing. From GI-Joe's to kites to video games to comics to cricket to girls to movies to some xyz thing, they have constantly been evolving. So now if i get hold of a comic will I be able to enjoy it the same way as I used to when I was 6-7 years old, i guess the answer is no.. Am wondering why?

love,
Siddharth

The sperm story :-)

2009-11-15T10:33:00.004+05:30

Shit! I am a loser

I am so unlucky

Nothing works in my favour...

I am depressed, dejected, demoralized, dispirited blah blah..

All these thoughts bombard us at some point of time in our life... and it takes quite sometime to get over it. Some take days, weeks, months or even years to get over it.

But some (read wise people) take just seconds to get over it.

Now of course everyone wants to be the latter one. But how?

At that point of time we just have to remember the "Sperm Story" by Bawa :-)

How can you ever think that you are a loser? Your very existence proves that you have perhaps won one of the toughest battle on this planet. Think of it this way - There are more than 300 million sperm cells but only one lucky sperm finds its way to the egg. And you are that lucky one! There were 300 million more fighting for that position but YOU -- YES YOU made it!! Now this is more competitive than CAT/GMAT/ any other RAT RACE you can possibly think of!

You are Michael Phelps. You have won :-)

*Give a pat on your back*

love,

Siddharth

The Illusionist

2009-10-31T20:48:00.007+05:30

Hello everyone : )

Sorry for not writing all these days... Am quite busy with CAT as its just a month away (consider it as an excuse not for writing)

Have also seen some amazingly fantastic movies recommended by Rajesh Bhaiya off late. Just saw one right now, but am hungry for more... :)

Source : Rajesh Jagasia's blog

The movie curls around you like a snake and powerfully and mysteriously allures you into its grip and releases you into a world full of illusions which only enhances its enticement. Edward Norton is a magician illusionist who has given his best performance here, his eye contacts with the camera, his composure and his moves are magical and magnificent. His lady love, the Duchess Sophie has been separated from him since 15 years and he is back as a master magician. His powers become a peril for the Crown prince and his to-be held engagement to the beautiful Dutchess.

The Dutchess gets murdered and Inspector Uhl whose work is honed by easiness and intelligence, investigates into the powers and intentions of the magician. The illusion is a parable about what you see and what is really happening. The end is mesmerizing and is left for the audience to conclude whether the magician was an illusionist or a man possessed by darker forces. A Must Watch.

love,

Siddharth

PS : More movies later :)

Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T20:05:00.004+05:30

Too early, too soon - - - Barack Obama has won the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

The Norwegian committee says US President Barack Obama has been honoured because of "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

In my viewpoint he has been given this "award" only for his proposals (regarding Arab-Israel conflict) and not for some real hardcore work/result. This is simply ridiculous. Agreed that his intentions are good, but the real question is are they producing results?

I know of one man, who not only has good intentions but is also producing some fantastic results. His intentions are being transformed into actions and has changed millions of lives all across the globe. His name is Sri Sri Ravishankar, the founder of the Art of Living Foundation. Obama envisions Palestinians and Israeli's to come together, but Sri Sri has already done it :) For the first time in history Arabs and the Israeli's meditated together in Bangalore under the aegis of Sri Sri. Isn't this simply amazing :) Please click to read the enormous service activities that the organization has undertaken. It is magnanimous.

Hope the Norwegian committee realizes this sooner or later that good intentions are just not enough, concrete work is what the need of the hour is.

My aim was not to draw a parallelism between Sri Sri and Obama(i am a big fan of him too) , but to stress on the fact that it is high time that work being done by Spiritual leaders like Sri Sri be recognized and given due credit :)

love,

Siddharth

PS : Here are some very interesting facts about the Nobel Peace Prize. Enjoy :)

* The 2009 winner was selected from a record 205 nominees.

* The 2009 prize was awarded to US President Barack Obama for his efforts "to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".
* Mother Teresa refused to attend a Nobel dinner in Oslo when she went to collect her prize in 1979, saying the money would be better spent on the poor. The banquet was cancelled.
* The International Committee of the Red Cross is the most successful winner, with prizes in 1917, 1944 and 1963. Red Cross founder Henri Dunant of Switzerland shared the first award in 1901.
* Protesters threw snowballs at the US ambassador in Oslo when he arrived to collect the 1973 prize on behalf of Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for brokering an unsuccessful deal to end the Vietnam war. North Vietnamese negotiator Le Duc Tho turned down the joint award, the most controversial in the prize's history.
* Past nominees have included Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and Soviet dictator Josef Stalin .
* Hitler banned Germans from accepting Nobel prizes in disgust after the 1935 award went to pacifist anti-Nazi writer Carl von Ossietzky. The ruling affected three German scientists awarded prizes for chemistry and medicine in the late 1930s.
* The 2008 prize was won by Martti Ahtisaari, the former Finnish president, for his efforts on several continents and over more than three decades to resolve international conflicts.
* The 2007 prize was won by former US Vice-President Al Gore and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for raising awareness of the risks of global warming.
* The 2006 Peace Prize was won by Bangladeshi economist Mohammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank he founded for their work to help millions out of poverty by granting tiny loans, pioneering a global movement known as microcredit.

The You that You want to change - Part 4

2009-09-27T21:59:00.005+05:30

Sri Sri talks beautifully about enthusiasm :)

How would you like to see yourself - happy and bubbling with enthusiasm or dull and difficult to please?

Sometimes you like to be pleased, appeased and cajoled, so you put on a tough, troubled fact and act difficult to please. It is so tiring for a person to appease and please ten people all the time. People who keep long faces and expect others to cajole and appease them, drive others away. Lovers often do this. They expend a lot of energy cajoling, reducing the joy and celebration of the moment.

It is all right to occasionally show how upset you are, but doing it repeatedly is taxing for you as well as the people you love.

If you feel down, appease and please yourself - do not expect others to do it. Your need to be appeased by someone else is a sign of grossness. This is the root of ignorance. If you want attention, all you get is tension.

It is not possible to attain divine love with a complaining face. The complaining face is a sign of an unaware mind. If you ever wan to complain - complain to God or your Guru because both have their ears covered!

Become one whose enthusiasm never dies, come what may :)

keep breathing,

Siddharth

PS : With this post i honoured my committment of sharing some wonderful pearls of knowledge with all of you :)

Asset declaration

2009-09-25T21:40:00.002+05:30

Couldn't help posting this here... It made me laugh out really really loud : )

love,

Siddharth

The You that You want to change - Part 3

2009-09-20T22:55:00.004+05:30

Happy Navratri to all :)

Nav means nine and also means new, ratri is night, the time for rest and rejuvenation. So, nine days and nights to relax and become New :)

keeping the spirit of Navratri alive, and keeping my committment of sharing some wonderful pearls of knowledge by Gurudev I am posting Part-3 of the series :)

Whenever there is a problem, we either deny it saying there is no problem, or we sit down to solve the problem and make it a big issue. Neither of these help. A problem does not disappear when we deny it and it does not get solved when we sit down to solve it.

So what to do with it?

--> Admit it exists.

--> See it as a small problem and do not say it is big.

-->If it concerns people, keep in touch with them instead of avoiding them.

-->Talk less and give them a chance.

-->Get together and celebrate. When you celebrate and put the problem on back burner, you will see that the problem gets solved in no time.

So it is wise not to sit down to solve a problem. Many of the meetings to solve a problem ends up in a disaster. If you do not want to have any problems, you will create problems or you will become a problem yourself! If you have a small problem in your pocket to solve it will give focus to your mind.

It is better to have a problem than to be a problem.

So just breathe in, and let go....

Jai Gurudeva! :)

Siddharth

You just can't beat the Japanese

2009-09-20T13:21:00.005+05:30

Just when you thought you had it all...

love,

Siddharth

A quickie...

2009-09-19T14:18:00.004+05:30

What to do when there is a confusion?

If you notice confusion is never between a good and a bad thing. If this had been the case, then there would have been no confusion! But the irony is that confusion is always between two equally good/important things. For example : A person has to choose between a Nokia and a Motorola cell phone. Both have same advantages/disadvantages and both are priced same. Assuming everything else (looks, style, applications, durability etc..) is also the same, he can choose either of them. Now, the confusion lies here :)

What to do now?

Just toss a coin. If head comes, buy Nokia otherwise settle for Motorola.

Isn't it simple? Of course had he to choose between Nokia and LG there would have never been any confusion :)

So there are two options when a confusion arises :

1. Toss a coin (only once, not best of three :)

2. Take a pillow and go off to sleep (Decide on anything when you wake up)

I personally prefer the first way.

love,

Siddharth

Plight of Kashmiri Pandits

2009-09-14T13:01:00.005+05:30

Today is the 20th year of the plight of the Hindu Kashmiri Pandits, and not a single media is covering it. Not a single politician sympathizes with them, and why because they don't form a vote bank. It is shocking that they don't even have basic voting rights. Weren't they a minority in Kashmir, just like Muslims were in Gujarat.

Channels like NDTV & CNN-IBN and magazines like "Tehelka" are still not tired of criticizing the horrific Godhra riots. I have just one question for them : Why not display the same passion for these destitute Kashmiri's? Are they less Indians?

Or the other option : Ignore all sort of riots in our country. Don't cover them at all. Atleast scores of every community on who these atrocities are committed would be settled then.

The Government is doing whatever it can to provide education to the Muslim minorities. That's a really commendable thing. But opening special Universities just for their sake with more than 50% reservation, giving them Haj subsidies. Oh! when was the last time they did something for the other communities? The Government should know that they won't survive for long if they just keep appeasing the so-called "minorities" all the time.

Here's a link where His Holiness Sri Sri Ravishankar talks about it. It is really moving.

I pray for them, because that is what i can do at the moment.

End of rant.

The You that You want to change - Part 2

2009-09-13T00:05:00.004+05:30

How do we react when someone is rude to us?

--Get upset.

--Respond rudely.

--Become frustrated.

--Run away from the person or avoid the situation in the future.

--Blame the person.

--Preach to the person.

Most of us tend to do the above "un-intelligent" things.

Q. If not these then what? Are we supposed to love that person? Are we supposed to be calm? What? What? What?

He comes to the rescue again :)

and says : None of these will strengthen you in any way. What are the options? See someone's rude behaviour in this light :

-->Rudeness indicates the intensity of their committment.

-->It indicates their level of stress and insensitivity.

-->It attests to the upbringing of the person.

-->It indicates a persistent behavioral pattern.

-->It shows lack of knowledge.

-->It shows a lack of insight into their own mind and its sensations.

-->It shows you behaviour to avoid.

-->It is an opportunity for you to welcome and absorb the rudeness.

-->It strengthens your mind.

-->It renders unconditional the love that you are.

The next time someone is rude to you, make sure you do not get upset. Just return a broad smile. If you can digest rudeness, nothing whatsoever can shake you.

Wow : ) So many options!

It would make no-sense if this is just read. But if implemented is bound to change our quality of life.

Have a happy-go-lucky Sunday :)

Love,

Siddharth

PS : Read Part-1 of the series again to brush-up your knowledge :)

The You that You want to change - Part 1

2009-09-06T20:56:00.003+05:30

Well off late, i have been quite anguished with my bad habits. As if nobody is! Hmph... Now i am not going to discuss the problem, but would like to go for the solution. Usually what we do is that we focus more on the problem rather than on the solution, even i used to do that. But not anymore.

Opened "Celebrating Silence" and got my answer. And yeah since our true nature is to share, i am going to do that :)

Guruji says : You want to get rid of bad habits because they give you pain and restrict you. Habits clog you when there is no liveliness or juice in life. The nature of habits is to bother you, or bind you, and wanting to be free is the nature of life. Life wants to be free and when a soul does not know how to be free, it wanders through lifetimes desiring freedom.

The way to break bad habits is through vows, or samyama. Everyone is endowed with a little samyama. When your life force has a direction, you can rise above bad habits through samyama.

When the mind dwells on the useless thoughts of bad habits, two things can happen. First, all your old patterns arise and you feel discouraged by them. You blame yourself and feel that you have made no progress.

Second, you see the habits as opportunities for samyama, and feel happy. Without samyama, life will not be happy and disease-free. You know you should not eat three servings of ice-cream because it will make you sick. It is samyama that prevents such indulgence.

A vow should be time bound, and the time and place for making the vow should be considered. Suppose someone has a habit of smoking cigarettes and says, "I will quit smoking," but cannot do it. He can take a time bound vow for 90 days. If you have a habit of cursing and swearing, take a vow not to use foul language for 10 days. Do not take a vow for a lifetime ; you will break it immediately. If you happen to break it before the time has elapsed, do not worry. Just begin again. Slowly increase the duration until it becomes your nature.

All those habits that bother you, that bring you pain - bind them in vows, in samyama.

What I say : So, the remote control of our life is in our hands. Just recharge the battery and tune in to some really nice channels :)

Love,

Siddharth

PS : For the next "four" Sunday's, i am going to write some beautiful knowledge by Guruji. Don't miss it :)

PPS : If you really understood this post, then comment on as to why have i written "four" in italics?

The will-do list!

2009-09-02T16:46:00.006+05:30

Sheryl Crow has a cool song called My Favourite Mistake -- believe it or not, its about her brief affair with Eric Clapton. Well, my favourite mistake has always been procrastination -- why do today when you can put off till tomorrow?

If i look back in time, then this habit of mine would get all the credit for me under performing in various spheres of life. I love making "To-Do" lists, am really really fond of them. Whenever things were not clicking in my life, the first thing that i used to do was to make a to-do list-- "when i do so-and-so, and when i get up at this and that time, and when i complete so-and-so much of a course, everything will be perfect and i won't feel guilty anymore" and so on....

But lately, i have started realizing that i am just making lists and doing nothing concrete about them. Its high time that i do things instead of just writing them. Vikram bhaiya spoke beautifully about it. He said that "Its actually the to-do list that keeps you where you are..." He was so right.

Also a person who really inspires me in this regard is Shreya, a good friend. She's a person who lives her life on committment and not on convenience. That is exactly what i am striving for.

Have to stop this procrastination immediately and how? By acting now and not tomorrow.

Time for to-do list to be converted into "its-done-lists"

Siddharth

Auto-experience...

2009-08-28T20:29:00.008+05:30

Any mention about Delhi is incomplete without mentioning the Auto's, Blue line's and the Metro which are the lifeline of the city! I always prefer travelling by auto(as metro is still under construction in South Delhi),it not only saves time, but is also quite cheap :) Yeah one caveat though,the auto drivers hardly run by meter and tend to overcharge also at times!

Yesterday, while getting back from the domestic airport i met this Auto-driver who not only ran by meter but also had some interesting displays inside and outside the auto :) See it for yourself...

It felt really good travelling with this guy. He had just one line for whatever i was asking him "NO problem" and this is what i loved about him! He has decided to abide by his principles no matter what comes, and that iteslf inspires a lot....

When i offered to give him a tip, he simply refused because he said he never accepts tips from a student! This all might sound very logical but here in Delhi, it is a rare thing...

In my excitement i forgot to click his picture... But this memory is always going to stay with me :) After all it is a feel good memory...

Keep smiling and breathing,

Siddharth

Express yourself!

2009-08-21T21:33:00.003+05:30

Hello everyone!

Been a long time since i posted something new on the blog, something different, something interesting! Actually have been thinking about this for quite sometime, but things/ideas were refusing to come :) But now i realize, that when i totally gave up thinking as to what to write (read surrendered) a thought finally came...

It is not that without trying i surrendered, but i gave my 100% in thinking as to what to write, also experimented few things on the blog and when i still couldn't come up with something new... i surrendered! And lo! I am posting something interesting today :) That's the strength of surrendering :)

Surrender simply means getting rid of feverishness (but still continuing to give our 100%) and having this faith that "Thy will be done". This one thought would give you such a peace of mind!! But this requires skills, which we keep on learning in the Art of Living :)

Try the following creative and whimsical activity because creativity not only relaxes our mind but would also lift our spirit :) The following link allows you, for a few minutes to become a creative painter! Trust me if did 100% you are surely going to love this ...

At the link below, each time you click your mouse you'll paint a different colour. After you finish your creative session, notice how your busy, discursive mind is immersed in the present moment! No pass and no fail. Just do it your way...

I just want to share something worthwhile and fun with all of you :)

Enjoy!

Express yourself

love

Siddharth

PS. Your creation might be a visual image of your current emotions!

The secret is out

2009-08-15T16:37:00.006+05:30

I want to write a riveting post for the blog. For some peculiar reason, I want to think out of the box today.

Think about this: Why are some people always nagging for small petty things and some are just ecstatic with joy?

Why are some people appalled of things going wrong? And some have that confidence that nothing can go wrong?Why is that so that some of us are always jittery before an exam and the others (read exceptional cases) have that care-free attitude?

What distinguishes these people of the first and the second categories?

The sole reason which discriminates them is that the latter know that Secret of life which the former don’t!

The Secret is that there’s something called the Law of Attraction which determines all the actions happening in the Universe. I am not making a naïve statement, but a statement which can change your life. Have you ever wondered that why do bad things happen to you even if you consider yourself to be far better than others? I will tell you something shocking, the remote control of your life is in your hands. You can either exacerbate a situation or turn the tide in favour of you. Bottom-line being whatever manifests in your life is always and always without an exception attracted by you. That's why the saying, "Be positive"

Hitherto whatever has happened in your life makes perfect sense now. Giving credence to all this theory of The Law of Attraction, Bawa once said that if you want rains to come wish for rains and not for “sun to not come out”. The reason being Universe doesn’t understand positive or negative. It takes everything as positive J

Love

Jai Gurudeva

Siddharth

PS : Wish for success and success would dawn in your life. Wish for failure not to happen to which the Universe would say, your wish is my command. And Lo! You know the answer.....

PPS : Catch hold of this book, "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne.

Winner or a loser?

2009-08-12T19:53:00.004+05:30

Hurdles, obstacles, obstructions, mood swings, ego and what not comes on our way whenever we want to do something. Especially it is said that whenever we want to do something good, nature would keep on testing our committment towards our goal. If we give up, we are called a loser and if we move through it, then we become a winner :)

Today i was really bothered by some events, and was wondering that why were these "weird" things happening to me ?! Then this one thought that : "Question marks (?) are like a hook, they hook on to the past" changed my entire viewpoint about the events happening. I realized that these things are happening to me because my committment is being tested. Aho! I smiled, and i moved on :)

Now even after giving my 100% if i lose, then i won't be a loser but a winner. So there's no choice but to smile, smile and smile : ) :)

Love,

Siddharth

The secret of being happy...

2009-08-07T22:05:00.008+05:30

I found this on net (Courtesy : Rashmin bhaiya's blog) Couldn't resist putting it over here. It is worth seeing again and again.

When we see our life in the context of space and time all the tiny little botherations just fall of.

Just have a look at this

That's a huge planet we live in right?

Oops not that big!

THIS IS A HUBBLE TELESCOPE ULTRA DEEP FIELD INFRARED VIEW OF COUNTLESS

ENTIRE GALAXIES BILLIONS OF LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.

Now just have a look at that one thought that has been bothering you. How big is that? How big is our life? and How big is our God?

Keep life in perspective... Be happy! Guruji says take that as an order as well as a blessing : )

Love

Siddharth

How to conquer Jealousy?!

2009-08-03T20:34:00.005+05:30

Our true nature is sheer happiness, joy and total bliss :) Felt nice to know that?!

Its only on the surface level that we experience negative emotions like jealousy, hatred, anger, guilt, and lust. So the question ringing in your mind would be how to dig deeper and how to get free of all these not so feel good emotions!

Let us talk about one emotion at a time :)

Hmm...How many of us feel that emotion called 'jealousy' on seeing our competitors doing really well in their respective fields? How many of us after seeing a movie are really jealous of the main protagonist in the movie? Let me make an honest confession, i am! And how do i feel when i am jealous, bad really bad! I just want to get rid of it immediately, and here comes Sri Sri's knowledge to the rescue :)

He gives the following means to conquer it :

Know that person of whom you are jealous has done some good deeds in the past and is now reaping the fruit.

See jealousy as an inspiration to gain merit for yourself.

Create a sense of belongingness with those of whom you are envious. See them as a part of you.

Think of all you have that they do not have and feel grateful.

Simply observe the sensations (You get some tingling sensations on your navel region)

Join hands and form a team with them (Ha! you will also come in the limelight)

Realize that in the current of moving time all will perish - your envy along with who you envy! :)

Jai Gurudev!

Siddharth

ps Guys, good ideas are just not to be heard/read but they are to be IMPLEMENTED!

A beautiful line...

2009-08-01T19:11:00.007+05:30

Heard this line in an amazingly fantastic movie called the Kung-Fu panda! It is a must watch :)

You are too concerned with what was and what is going to be.

Yesterday was a history, tomorrow is a mystery,

but today is a GIFT! That is why it is called PRESENT! :)

This line makes so much sense. All our life we either keep regretting the past or are anxious about the future... We miss out on the present moment then... Its like if you are in a beautiful garden, amidst beautiful flowers with butterflies all over the place and if your mind is not there then do you think you would be able to appreciate this heavenly scene? Do you think that if your mind is caught up in the past happenings you can experience the beautiful moment which is now? It really saddens me, when i see people complaining, regretting, or grudging all the time. Why don't they see that Present moment is but inevitable?!

Why are we slaves of our feelings? Why is our life governed by our emotions and not committments? Why do we fear so much? Why why why??

The only answer is that we are not in touch with ourselves, our true nature! And to experience that what you need to do would be the next post... I am not procastinating this because i am being lazy, all i want you to do is to develop patience :)

Keep breathing :)

Jai Gurudev

A day at Shavina di's place!

2009-07-28T18:59:00.004+05:30

A proper YES!+ hangout today!

After a long time, i had a great time...

Did masti, sang bhajans

and had some super super fun :)

Shavina Di (our rockstar YES!+ teacher) cooked a scrumptious meal followed by a heavenly dessert : ) Here's a picture i took of the Mango ice-cream before all of us pounced on it and treated ourselves with huge chunks of it!!!

Jai Gurudev

Siddharth

A failed experiment!

2009-07-27T20:35:00.009+05:30

It was raining cats and dogs today evening in Delhi, so obviously the tiffin guy had a genuine reason to come late! I decided to make something light, appetizer sort of stuff. Here's the failed recipe :)

A packet of salted haldiram peanuts(Its horrible, don't even think of buying it...unless you are a big SALT lover)

Pudhina powder(tastes yuuuuum)

Chopped onions

Coriander leaves

And yes, a Papad(must for any Rajasthani)

Firstly you need to prepare Pudhina Chutney, by mixing pudhina powder with water. It tastes heaven! In a bowl, empty the horrible peanuts and mix Pudhina Chutney with it. Add chopped onions to it. Decorate it with coriander leaves, its like trying to cover up your guilt!! :)

Serve it with a hot roasted Papad!

Caution : You might want to kill me after eating this, so please don't INDULGE!

What makes me happy?

2009-07-25T19:38:00.002+05:30

Is it the name or the fame or just the recognition that I seek?

Whatever it is, it all makes me so weak!

All this stardom, all this glory may look so exciting,

But the truth is there is so much of in-fighting!

And then I wonder, will this make me happy?

I run after dollars,

By acting like a sycophant to the white-collars.

I want to possess dollars more and more,

This after knowing that one day I will die,

Without taking even a penny up above so high!

And then I wonder, will this make me happy?

Girls, they are simply charming creatures!

Words simply fail to come, when one looks at their amazing features!

But then how long can I keep seeing them?

How long can I keep thinking of them?

And then I wonder, will this make me happy?

Sex is so much fun,

But it gives only a momentary pleasure,

Whereas the mind wants an unlimited treasure!

And then I wonder, will this make me happy?

Eating pizza and eating ham-burgers,

And the added fat which gives shivers.

Drinking Pepsi and drinking Coke,

Gives pleasure to the thirsty throat!

But what about the pesticides, are they a joke?

And then I wonder, will this make me happy?

Then I see this child wearing just a nappy,

And still looking so gay and happy!

The twinkle in his eyes,

The frequency with which it cries,

The way he laughs.

Even after seeing a couple of calves!

All this makes him so natural and cheerful,

With the world so problem-full!

And then I wonder, will this make me happy?

My heart couldn’t agree more.

And I realized that though I am grown-up man,

Being and living like a child,

Is my secret plan!

An interview with Bawa : )

2009-07-24T09:38:00.002+05:30

I never knew working with The Viewspaper could be so exciting. One of the last assignments that i got was to interview a person. I had already thought over it beforehand. I was going to interview Bawa (interviewing Guruji is a dream though)!

SO i mailed Bawa, told him that i wanted to interview him. But Bawa is Bawa, he simply makes things complicated (read interesting) :) He told me that i needed to either come to Bangalore for an Advance Course or come to Pune where he was at that time. But both were simply impossible for me, so i asked him that is there any other way out?! He replied saying that i should call him, and take his interview then...WOW! Bawa wants me to call him and take his interview, what else could i have asked for! I was simply ecstatic thinking about the entire thing. Though I had to give several calls, and whole loads of explanations to find out his number...But it was all worth it!!

Here's the interview for all of you to read :)

Me: So you teach the Art of Living courses, what exactly is it?

Khurshed Batliwala: It is a program that powerfully addresses key issues relevant to the youth of today, and brings about a profound change in their attitude towards life. Confidence, clarity of mind, focus and heightened energy levels become natural to the youth after going through this training. It results in academic excellence, ability to lead and strong interpersonal skills. Regular practice of the techniques and knowledge of this course ensures a strong healthy body and a relaxed stress free mind.

Me: How did your family react to your decision of becoming an Art of Living teacher? Didn’t they object?

Khurshed Batliwala: Very favorably. They were proud that their son is doing something meaningful in his life.

Me: You have interacted with millions of youth across the globe. What is your vision for today’s youth? Isn’t it sad that most of the youth these days are devouring drugs, alcohol, and so on?

Khurshed Batliwala: No, most of the youth have not done that. My vision for today’s youth is that they live on to the vision that they have for themselves.

Me: Why is violence increasing in the world?

Khurshed Batliwala: This is because non-violent people are not doing enough about it.

Me: What are your other interests apart from the Art of Living?

Khurshed Batliwala: Life, Western classical music, playing the piano, cooking, reading, walking, nature and environment!

Me: Mr. Batliwala I have also heard that you are a great cook. Can you give us one of your favourite recipes?

Khurshed Batliwala: You need to work a bit to satisfy your appetite! (Laughs) Check out my blog, http://bawandinesh.name/. All the recipes there are my favourites.

Me: Is there any message that you would like to give to our readers?

Khurshed Batliwala: Yes. Do yourself a favour and do the YES!+.

Suicide - worst crime!

2009-07-19T22:01:00.004+05:30

Bill Maher once said: Suicide is a man’s way of telling God, “You can’t fire me - I quit”

Everyone in life, some or the other time think of committing suicide in their life. Blame it on the circumstances, low self-esteem or whatever but committing suicide is the worst spiritual crime that one can do to oneself. One with a body can shout, scream, cry or do whatever to vent out those negative feelings. But, killing oneself won’t be solving any problems if one really thinks so. It will just aggravate these problems because without your body you even lose the opportunity to express yourself and let your emotions out.

Suicide is an extreme form of depression which comes up when we keep on asking “What about me?” That’s why people who work for a social cause never get such kind of tendencies inside them. Feeling suicidal just indicates the low energy level, low self esteem and lack of wisdom.

Restricting it to India, out of every three cases of suicide reported every fifteen minutes, one is committed by youth in the age group 15-29. This is quite baffling, as one when hears about India, the first thing that comes in their mind is that it is a spiritual country. How can spiritual people commit suicide? But the point they are missing out is that India is rapidly developing with which stress level is also increasing proportionately.

It is widely believed that illiteracy is one of the key reasons for the higher suicide cases, but in case of India it is so not true. Talking about the trends, Kerala, the country’s first fully literate state has recorded the highest number of suicide cases. Therefore illiteracy as one of the causes can be ruled out. Lack of job opportunities is the main factor at work there.

The Government has to be more effective in implementing its flagship programmes like the NREGA (national rural employment guarantee act) which will help in creating more of employment opportunities. In the Northern region of the country, students are often found to have committed suicide because their performance in the competitive exams was not upto the mark. Family conflicts and unfulfilled romantic ideals are the other reasons. Here the role of parents and peers becomes very vital, as they are the ones who can either be a support for the child or end up aggravating the child’s situation further. The communication gap between the parents and the children has to be narrowed down in order to tackle this problem. In the Vidharbha region of Maharashtra there was a large number of farmer suicides because of the failure of crops, huge debt burdens, growing cost of cultivation and shrinking yield. So we see that the causes for suicidal tendencies vary from region to region highlighting the need to address the respective concerns.

Talking about Euthanasia, one should remember that the hue and cry about legaliazing it is not the right solution. The terminally ill should be helped to an easeful death, if they ask for it. But there is too great a danger that if those who are not terminally ill are allowed an easy way out, greedy relations will put pressure on the elderly to choose to die. Such people should, be therefore denied the right - however unkind that may seem. The terminally ill however, should be offered the help they seek. To deny it to them is to add cruelty to misfortune.

A scene from Munnabhai M.B.B.S, a Bollywood flick starring Sanjay Dutt seems to be very apt while addressing this issue. Munna shouts at a young guy in the Hospital who attempted suicide 3rd time over failed love, that ” For a girl you met 90 days back, you are going to kill yourself…Can’t you live for your Mother who has loved you for 19 years?” It couldn't have been truer, how can one be so selfish? How can one not think about their loved ones, their parents, and their family before committing such a heinous crime? Khurshed Batliwala rightly said- Death is the ultimate adventure, but like all good things you have to wait for it otherwise it becomes a tragedy and a calamity. Now I leave you to ponder…

Present Moment...

2009-07-17T21:40:00.005+05:30

It is all about living now,

right now and right now!

Enough of regretting past,

it simply leaves you aghast!

Remember past is past,

so what if it was a big blast!

Enough of getting anxious about the future,

as if its some sort of pleasure!

Things would happen in tune with your destination,

so is it sane to worry about the situation?

Present moment is inevitable,

and trust me it is so pleasurable!

There are no worries and no anxieties,

a person can enjoy even if he's in nineties!

But this realization dawns only when

you have become stable...

and without any label!

and as the saying goes...

It is all about living now,

right now and right now!

Jai Gurudeva!

Siddharth...

A few Updates

2009-07-15T18:27:00.005+05:30

I had to write 12 articles for the Viewspaper, the youth magazine for a writing internship that i did with them. Before the internship started i was very apprehensive about my writing skills...and considered writing the articles an impossible and an uphill task. But once i started writing, i learned that i could write on a varied range of topics pretty well! :) They haven't published my article on sports, politics and the poem that i wrote... if they don't i will put it up on the blog for all of you to read. Here is the the list of the published articles (there are 5 stars at the end of every article, click on the 5th star for excellent), read and comment on(you guys need to leave comments on that site too)

The young and the mobile

Jaipur-an oasis in a desert!

Autobiography of a Yogi

The Bharti-MTN deal

Also i start with my college tomorrow! Quite excited about that (yes, results are also coming very soon!) Have joined Live on Campus, an e-paper! All that you wanted to know about the latest happenings in delhi university are there on their site!

Hopefully would have a more productive year ahead as this time i have many things lined up! More about that soon :)

ps wanted to end on a funnier note :)

warning : promises fail

pps a clarification ~ I love Obama :)

Jai Gurudeva

Siddharth!

Sorry! : )

2009-07-14T21:08:00.003+05:30

Lately i had been wanting to put some really nice stuff on the blog! Just waiting for ideas to come : )

I want you guys to suggest some topics on which I can write.

Here are few options

1. Jokes

2. Some really scrumptious recipes with pictures ofcourse!

3. Knowledge! Yes yes, i can talk about it too :)

4. Just something about something!

Please let me know! I promise to be prompt in responding.

Jai Gurudeva

Gay or happy?! They go together these days!

2009-07-09T10:58:00.006+05:30

Earlier people were happy and gay, but now they are gay and happy! : )

I personally think that what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom is nobody's business. Our Constitution says that everyone has the right to freedom! Let them do whatever they want to. If people get gay/lesbian tendencies then they shouldn't be guilty of that fact. It is quite but natural! Ramdev Baba could have been more sensitive while accusing homosexuals of being mentally sick!

Somebody asked Sri Sri that is homosexuality an abnormal thing?

Sri Sri : As far as ancient scriptures are concerned, there is neither mention, nor prohibition of it. One thing the ancient scriptures say, as far as I know, is that every human being is made up of both Mother and Father - half-female, half-male. The male tendency may be dominant; sometimes the female tendency may be dominant. It is a biological phenomenon. So if people are bound to have such tendencies, they should just acknowledge it.

Even people, who brand themselves as gay, suddenly find themselves being attracted to the opposite sex...and it creates confusion. This is why i say that you should not label yourself (as homosexuals or straight) He goes on to say that you are much more than your tendencies. You are the beautiful spirit, and if that is also a label, it is better to have this label, than any other.

Isn't that beautiful?!

Jai Gurudeva

love

Siddharth

Guru Poornima....

2009-07-07T10:34:00.003+05:30

Happy Guru Poornima to everyone : ) We are really really fortunate to have Him in our lives... A beautiful message by Guruji on Guru Poornima! : )

Yes, today you all can have one wish…whatever wish you want to have…just before going to bed make a wish in your mind, our intentions are powerful and they manifest in the right congenial time, at right place with right attitude, they just click.

All blessings are there for everybody… lots of blessings

Universe is showering blessing. You only have to catch it. Open to it

You know in Sanskrit Guru means ‘heavy’ which is weighty, Guruji is light but words of Guru is weighty and Gravitational force is called Gurutva in Sanskrit.

So many meanings…

Hmmmmmm

You know our 5 fingers , all the 5 planets are there. Thumb indicates – victory (u win) right!! Who wins? One who fights… who fights? Commander in chief military (this is Mars)

2nd Finger (index finger) is Jupiter is Guru…..its the indicator…when you want to show the way its like this… Throughout the world this is how the way is shown… This is Jupiter…..what do u do with this? Pointer indicates. What does Guru do? He indicates/ points out. So that is Jupiter.

Saturn, one of the farthest planet is Saturn, the biggest, tall, Saturn is servant. You know servant has to good and well built, if the servant is weaker then master then how can he carry the luggage. Servant have to carry the luggage of the Master, king or anybody for which he has to be strong. Tall servant.

Then the king…where do u put your ring? jewels, that is ring finger (this is sun) nobody puts ring here to the thumb, but where do they put the ring? In the ring finger…in fact we call it ring finger. King cannot stay alone but he needs servant along with him. So this is sun cannot stand alone.

The little one is the business one, its mercury. on one side of the Sun stands Mercury- business man and on the other side is Saturn- servant.

And Jupiter. So all the planets are in the hand, its indicated when Jupiter and Mars are together meaning the power is together with wisdom in the commander in chief that is called chin mudra.

And when all the king, servant, business man all together its chinmay mudra its higher consciousness in society, cause when wisdom dominates its higher consciousness. And there is beauty, love and abundance.

So whole story is in the fingers.

And children when they are born they put on this mudra, all the babies sleeps in chin mudra , they are so wise. Chinmay mudra. Carefree mind. Joyful mind is chinmay mudra, baby sleeps on that and when they start walking. They suck the thumb u know…is means …now no more in 4 legs….its now 2 legs and 2 arms….so the nature teaches us the whole yoga. Its very good…very good…

See the guru principal is prevalent in all the culture of the society of the world. Even here in America you can’t play soccer without a coach or mentor. You need a guide, even when you need to write P.hd, no body will give you doctorate when you don’t have u guide. Am I correct…? You have to work under some guide.

And word guide comes from the original Sanskrit word Guru. Sanskrit its Guru and in English it becomes guide, so in every field you need a mentor and in a field which is so abstract and subtle like spirituality, consciousness then definitely needs a mentor and that is a Satguru!

Mother is a first guru for everybody and each one of you should play the role of Guru for at least some people in your life. When you want nothing from them other then their own happiness their own progress. Can you be guru like that for some people? Like you become father or mother to somebody you should also be Guru to someone. Don’t have to tell them “I am your Guru”. Now you have to play the role of the Guru. Never, assert that u are a Guru. Be light like a flower that is Art of Living. Do u see what I am saying?

Play the role of the guru in the sense you are caring for them unconditionally. You care for them without expecting what they are going to do for you and what the result is going to be. Unconditional care for someone. Start with few and it can spread to many…that you all can do…isn’t it?

Can everybody be?

In fact Guru Tatva it is principal light within us, the light in our heart, the light in our life. Hmmm… Viveka….wisdom that tatva also dawns …ok….

So….when you come here in this path, in this Knowledge you will never go empty handed. Just ask, there is proverb its “Ask and it shall be given!”….that is what Guru Poornima all about…

Source : Bawa's blog : )

Article 377? The answer..

2009-07-06T08:27:00.009+05:30

Shreya wrote this for the blog :)

The 'L' word...

There was a stunned silence in the room. Shonal’s parents were shocked. Why did it have to happen to their daughter? Why did they have to have such a disgrace right in front of their eyes? Her father looked at her angrily over his newspaper and said, ‘You need to know that its not going to be accepted in this house. Do you realize the repercussions of what you’re saying? What will people think of our family, of us in society, and what about you?’ he barked and slammed his fist hard on the table.

‘We’ve always given you the independence and it seems to have gone to your head, you ungrateful girl,’ said her mother, slapping her hard on her face and storming out of the room, followed shortly by her father with his newspaper, but not before he shot her an icy stare that made her go cold with fear.

Shonal sat transfixed at the table, tears streaming down her cheeks. After social ostracism at school, it was the turn of her parents to isolate her when she needed them the most. And her only fault was her frankness about her sexual orientation. She had admitted to her loved ones that she was a lesbian, and instead of getting support, she received flak from all corners and was left in isolation, as if suffering from some contagious disease. As she slept that night, she pondered over how unfair the world was. She hated everyone for their sneers, their indifference, their lack of empathy and most of all for their bigotry…

The next morning, as she was getting ready for school, her mother came into her room and said,’ You’re not going to school.’

‘Why not?,’ demanded Shonal, who loved school and would not miss it for anything, though the past few days had made school a living hell for her.

‘Because we think a little social ostracism may force you to introspect a little on what you told us yesterday,’ said her mother, as she left for work, shutting the door behind her. Shonal was sure she heard the door lock as her mother’s footsteps faded away.

It had been three days since Shonal had eaten. She had survived on water. She was being kept away from her beloved books, the computer and any form of human contact. She felt dead by now and her only source of entertainment at present was her diary.

In the afternoon, she fastened the bolt to the door of her room and made sure it was in order. There was nothing much left to do as her room was bereft of all her possessions. Once she was done, she looked skyward and prayed to God, one last time…

Shonal’s mother knocked on the door but got no response. She tried to open it but it had been fastened from inside.

‘This girl must have gone off to sleep again, she hasn’t eaten anything, did we do something wrong by not talking to her?,’ said her mother guiltily to her father, as he was trying to unlock the door.

‘We need to talk to her now, I dread to think what her state will be. I hope she hasn’t fainted,’ her father said, his brows frowning with concentration and worry, finally managing to unfasten the door.

They entered the room and looked around, only to scream their lungs out for the rest of their lives…

***********************************************************

Guys, post in your comments as to what you think about repealing Article 377? I am going to post my views very soon!

love

Siddharth

New York - review?

2009-07-03T19:27:00.004+05:30

Read this in Tehelka...couldn't help posting it : )

Enjoy!

I had what you might call a surround sound experience. Somebody kept letting off a rather musical yawn while another produced a rich volcanic burp at crucial moments. I heard strange sucking noises when Mere Sang began to play, and i looked around to find some so-far sedate and middle-aged couple smooching furiously - Kaif obviously is some kind of tonic, and we never knew. The gay blades who came along sat slumped in their seats till John Abraham appeared - whereupon they perked up and announced, amid crackles, that he and Mukesh 'had chemistry'. When the movie ended, they were the only people cheering. Because the pasta-hating Irrfan Khan and Mukesh were now 'together', because there were so many butt-shots, and because somebody had finally thought of their needs while making a film.

Nothing like a different perspective sometimes.

I got published!

2009-07-03T16:22:00.004+05:30

The Viewspaper is an online youth newspaper where you will find articles on various topics...I recently wrote a book review and a business article and they published it!

Click to read Autobiography of a Yogi.

Also, The Bharti-MTN deal

Please read, leave comments, rate etc :)

love

Siddharth

Surya Namaskars!

2009-07-02T08:52:00.012+05:30

So are you all ready to sweat it out?!

Surya Namaskar is a panacea for those living in cities and who don't get an opportunity to exercise adequately or the 'lazybums'! In just ten minutes, your body gets a comprehensive and systematic workout. No other exercise routine can surpass it. Sun Salutation makes the body strong, supple and flexible and tones every part of the body.

Here in Delhi i have got this habit of getting up late :( So Surya Namaskars is the best way to keep myself fit! The excuse is I don't have time to go to the park, and sweat it out by running, walking etc etc. Thankfully the weather God has finally shown some mercy, so now will hopefully start getting up early from tomorrow! : )

The Twelve Positions of Surya Namaskar

One complete round consist of twenty four positions. To complete the second half of Surya Namaskar, the same twelve positions are repeated

with opposite leg.

1.Pranam asana (prayer pose)

Stand straight with feet together, bring the palms together in the prayer position.

2. Hasta Utthan asana (raised arms pose)

Breathing in, bring the arms forward and up,stretching as high as possible.

Gently arch the back by pushing the arms back and the pelvis out in front.

The elbows and knees are straight, and the head is in between the arms,chin pointing to the ceiling.

3. Padahastasana (hand to foot pose)

Breathing out, bend forwards.

Place the hands on the floor. Bend the knees.

With the hands on the floor straighten the knees.

4.Ashwa Sanchalanasana (equestrian pose)

Push the right leg as far back as possible; right

knee on the floor, sole facing the ceiling. Look up.

5. Danda asana (stick pose)

Holding the breath, push the left leg back and bring the body

into a straight line,keeping knees straight.

6. a. Shishu Asana (child pose)

Breathe out and pull back, taking hips to heels and forehead

towards the knees, hands firmly on the ground in front. Stretch.

6. b. Ashtanga Namaskara

(salute with eight parts or points)

Move forwards, keeping the chin close to the ground.

Your chin, chest,palms of your hand (on either side of the chest),

knees, and toes touch the floor.

Raise your posterior.

7.Bhujang Asana (cobra pose)

Breathing in, go into the Cobra position: hands under the shoulders,elbows close to the body,heels together, press the pelvis to the ground and lift up – focus on the bending at upper back.

8.Parvat Asana (mountain pose)

Breathing out, come up on hands and feet in an inverted ‘V’ position.

Push back with arms and hips; try to get heels on the ground.

9.Ashwa Sanchalan Asana (equestrian pose)

Breathing in, bring the right foot forward; looking up, keep left knee on the ground and left foot facing the ceiling.

10. Padahast asana (hand to foot pose)

Breathing out, bring the left foot alongside the right.

11. Hasta Utthan asana (raised arms pose)

Breathing in, come up to standing position, stretching the arms straight up and back, push the pelvis out to the front.

12. Tadasana

Breathe out, and bring the arms back down to the sides.

Feel the difference between the two sides of the body.

Jai Gurudeva!

love

Siddharth

Mango shake...

2009-06-29T10:22:00.004+05:30

In 6 simple steps!

1.5-6 Golden ripe Alphonso Mangoes (ha! In Delhi you get 1 kg for 550 bucks!) kept in the freezer for an hour or so.

2.One litre cold full cream milk (then you don't need to add ice, which completely destroys the taste)

3. Till the time mangoes and milk are cooling down, cool yourself too with some yoga asanas.It compensates for the mango fat(?). Atleast 10 Surya Namaskars preferably!! For those who don't know what Surya Namaskar is, check out the blog on Thursday : )

4. Now cut mangoes up into big chunks and keep 20ish chunks aside.

5. Add the full cream milk to it, grind it in a mixer. You get a ice cold gooey milk shake : )

6. Pour into a glass, add some chunks and voila!!

It simply tastes phenomenal, and yes you might just feel grateful to me for the amazing recipe! Don't hesitate to give me a call then, i would come and finish the leftover(?)

Jai Gurudeva!

love

Siddharth

PS I would be making one very soon. Would click a pic for the blog!

A new practice....

2009-06-28T11:15:00.004+05:30

I promise that every Monday and Saturday morning you will have a fresh new lovely article to read! And yes, if by chance you find blog updated on some other day then consider it as a bonus post : )

See you tomorrow morning.

Love,

Siddharth

P.S. A clarification. Many people have been asking me that why has the blog been named "Sounds Funny". Albeit there are quite a few serious articles, but there are funny articles as well. Sounds Serious would have shooed away the readers, so the name Sounds Funny.

Cute little hearts : )

2009-06-25T22:51:00.007+05:30

and then was born, another cute little one,

Ratik :-)

Stress-busters! : )

2009-06-16T23:37:00.006+05:30

It is said that "Chocolates" work as amazing stress busters, but since excess of it results in cavities, an intelligent(?) person would look for something else! Something more profound...

The solution is amazingly very simple!

'Smokers and dopers' just need to undergo an Art of Living programme. They just need to learn how to de-stress themselves, and then they will find that this habit leaves them in no time. They need to learn some breathing techniques and should also learn meditation.

What about those who are reluctant to do the course, even after you have spoken about the benefits that the course has to offer?

You can take them to the nearest Archie's and ask them to choose a condolence card, the one which would be send to their family members! This won't only wake them up, but also shake them up!

And for the rest, who just smoke for sheer pleasure and who are indulged in this plain vanilla stupidity...Bawa has shared an awesome joke on his blog which goes like :

There was a conference where someone was presenting on habits to promote longevity and said if you want to live to be 90, you need to follow this lifestyle… someone in the audience shouted “who wants to be 90 anyways?!” the presenter promptly replied, someone who is 89!!

Love,

Siddharth

PS : Here is another brilliant comment by Shreyans bhaiya

Knowing something is not really understanding it. An immature mind lacks foresightedness, awareness and sensitivity. Even if a smoker knows the harmful effects of smoking he doesn't really understand it. 'Smoking is bad' is not his experience, for him smoking is joyful (but only seemingly) and by the time he really begins to see the damage done by smoking, he is probably addicted and has lost the sensitivity for a feeling of well being and health. No matter how much awareness about harmful effects of smoking is created, smokers will continue smoking. So what can be done? Well telling somebody not to smoke is of no use. Smokers should somehow be made to experience the joys of a healthy lifestyle which is instantly gratifying, something like Sudarshan Kriya. And a taste of health is enough for smokers to give up smoking, provided a little sensitivity is still left in 'em.

Series 1 of Inconvenient Questions

2009-06-14T11:52:00.001+05:30

Smoke if you can't cope!

Yes, this is the latest mantra for all those depressed people out there. They blame it on the high stress level, peer pressure, competition, and lately recession too! There are other reasons also as to why one takes up smoking. One of them is, most of the teenagers have started thinking that smoking is a social status and it makes them look like a Dude/Dudette. I have seen this for myself. Make a trip to Satya Niketan or North Campus, Delhi University and you will know as to what i am talking about...its simply stupid and ridiculous. I also know 2-3 of my friends who started smoking, just because the other group members were doing this unintelligent thing! There are some others too who do it just for the heck of it. Google will tell you all the other reasons that you want to know!

I can't wait to write as to why smoking is bad! This is a cut-copy paste thing...But please take the pains of reading it and realize as to what heinous crime you are doing to yourself as well as others(if you're smoking in public)

Why is cigarette smoking bad for me?

Everyone knows that smoking can cause cancer when you get older, but did you know that it also has bad effects on your body right now? A cigarette contains about 4000 chemicals, many of which are poisonous. Some of the worst ones are:

Nicotine: a deadly poison

Arsenic: used in rat poison

Methane: a component of rocket fuel

Ammonia: found in floor cleaner

Cadmium: used in batteries

Carbon Monoxide: part of car exhaust

Formaldehyde: used to preserve body tissue

Butane: lighter fluid

Hydrogen Cyanide: the poison used in gas chambers

Every time you inhale smoke from a cigarette, small amounts of these chemicals get into your blood through your lungs. They travel to all the parts of your body and cause harm.

What do all these chemicals do to my body?

As you might imagine, even small amounts of the poisonous chemicals in cigarettes can do bad things to your body. Here are some facts about what smoking cigarettes does to you:

Smoking makes you smell bad, gives you wrinkles, stains your teeth, and gives you bad breath.

Smokers get 3 times more cavities than non-smokers.

Smoking lowers your hormone levels.

When smokers catch a cold, they are more likely than non-smokers to have a cough that lasts a long time. They are also more likely than non-smokers to get bronchitis and pneumonia.

Teen smokers have smaller lungs and a weaker heart than teen non-smokers. They also get sick more often than teens who don't smoke.

Sadly, the smokers and dopers know all these stuff, and yes they still continue to smoke! They continue to smoke in the public, without even realizing that this habit is not only ruining their own lives but as well as the people around them. Its just that high feeling that one gets after smoking right? But don't they see to it that they will be horizontally beneath the earth very very soon if they keep doing it! Are they insensitive towards the state of their parents and loved ones when they'll see their beloved's lamentable state if they get that terrible thing called the 'Lung Cancer'?

So, what is the solution to it? Can this addiction be really cured?

Check out the blog on Tuesday, for the answers!

Love,

Siddharth

The mystery!

2009-06-11T20:44:00.003+05:30

Here is another gem from Shreya : ) you can write to her at shreya.crazy@gmail.com and tell her to write more!

Enjoy!!

Betty or Veronica - Archie's dilemma!

Archie fans world over have mixed reactions over his impending marriage with Veronica. If opinions are taken on a gender basis, then there is a clear split in the opinion of the boys and the girls. The boys think that Archie's choice of Veronica is right because she embodies a combination of beauty and money - a real asset in these times of recession. It has been seen, as a practical decision on Archie's part. The girls beg to differ though. Most of them have been rooting for Betty as she represents the independent and intellectual woman of today, who at the same time have all the qualities of a simple and sweet girl who would be the ideal daughter in law.

What came to my mind when i first read about Archie's decision is that it brings all the old debates about decisions back to the forefront-should a person choose beauty or brains? Money or character? Marrying Veronica is more like a temporary bailout for Archie, who is probably in desperate need for money and security these days. But will he be able to handle the varied tantrums of Miss Lodge day in and day out? He also has the uphill task of changing her father's impression of him.

Poor Betty...She seems to have got a raw deal, despite her years of doing Archie's homework for him and being there for him during his bad times. You can't but feel sorry for her. But she needs to convince herself that there are guys who will value her for what she is and not for her money or looks. And lets face it, there are so many better guys than our 'cute' Archiekins.

As we all wait eagerly for the big proposal and wedding in August, I leave you to ponder over the statement that 'Money can't buy me love'! How true is it in the case of our friend Archie? We'll just have to wait and find out...

A day with someone very Special : )

2009-06-11T16:35:00.002+05:30

Guruji's visit to New Delhi :

I had a wonderful experience today and also learned a very important lesson.

It all started after i did my Advance course with Rishi Nityapragya few days back. I was mesmerized my the kind of knowledge that he imparted, especially OFS. It made a direct connection with the Guru : ) And then i was also a part of the Rishi Ji's 4 day event called the Gyan Ganga. Hmm.. So now the interesting part, Guruji just landed in Delhi today at 1:30 P.M. I stay little far from the place where He was going to stay, and so doubts about the distance that i have to travel started coming up in my mind. Also, i had my MBA classes from 3, so was feeling a little apprehensive about missing that. While all these 'kuturka' thoughts were going in my mind, i suddenly became aware, and surrendered these thoughts to Guruji. Once Bawa had said, that if you choose Guruji over anything else then everything will fall into place automatically. I decided to pay heed to that advice and left : )

So now i reached Vasant Vihar, and it was really hot. There were few hundred people inside the house, and i was happy to see the less crowd! But lo! After a short while the number just increased and increased. We were all busy doing satsang, and then the lights went off. The temperature seemed to have increased further. People started praying to Guruji for a nice weather and the thing that i am going to tell you guys is simply unbelieveable. Just before Guruji was stated to come the weather suddenly changed, and it started drizzling. Clouds seem to have covered us as an answer to our prayer and the entire weather had changed. Things were fine, but as soon as Guruji entered there was total chaos. I was standing outside the room and was not at all feverish to meet Him. I had decided to give Him total freedom today, to meet whoever He wants to.

SO i din't mind when He din't look at me when i was standing at the entrance when He arrived. I was patient yet firm in my mind, that He will definitely meet me, IF he wants to. Guruji entered the room where 50 or so devotees were seated. The room was very small, and there was no light : ) But outside it was raining heavily, and the rain Gods of Delhi, were all welcoming Him : ) With a longing in my heart to meet me, and yes no feverishness i also entered the room. Soon hundreds of people stormed that small room, and people were falling on top of each other. I also happened to step on few people, and the situation was really bad. I totally surrendered that situation to Guruji as well.

Few minutes later after total chaos i suddenly find myself in front of the Master. he was meeting people personally. I was completely awed by His presence, had no words to tell Him.

The only word that i could utter, was "Thanks", to which He sweetly said "Jai Gurudeva" and handed me a box of prasad.

I was shocked to see the contents of the prasad, it had proper lunch and amazingly i was thinking of skipping my lunch as i was going to meet Him. He took care of it. And yes, talking about my MBA classes our Angel made sure that i reach the classes on time. Inspite of so much chaos, heavy rains i was able to make it to my MBA class at 3! All His grace.

Just have an intention to meet Him, and you will definitely. There's really no one between you and Him except your ego and small mind : )

For OFS please visit, http://knowledgesheet.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html

A beautiful knowledge by Rishi Ji.

Bawa - a true inspiration...

2009-06-07T13:51:00.002+05:30

With a post graduate in Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Khurshed Batliwala, or “Bawa” as he is fondly known (a nick name that has stuck from his IIT days) is an extraordinary personality.

In his own words, he decided “it was better to teach people meditation and make them happy rather than teach them mathematics and make them miserable” and thus chose the unconventional and challenging career path as a faculty member of the Art of Living, sharing the vision of it’s founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, which is to see a smile on every face on the planet.

Under the guidance of Sri Sri, he and dinesh designed the YES!+ series of courses (Youth Empowerment and Skills). He inspires young people the world over to realize their self identified aspirations… empowering them to lead the lives they want to lead rather than getting stuck with the lives they have to lead!

Along with Dinesh he is the director of WAYE (World Alliance for Youth Empowerment) an NGO which addresses and provides sustainable workable solutions for the contemporary issues faced by young people of our times.

A myriad personality, Bawa is committed to utilizing every moment of his time in enriching the lives of people around. A day spent with him could make you have a taste of the most amazing meals (that he has cooked in a jiffy), to listening to beautiful western classical music pieces (that he picks up effortlessly on his piano), to playing the most interesting board games (which he picks up from various parts of the world during his travel) to even discovering the magic of mathematics that you perhaps never knew existed. He enjoys movies with happy endings and is partial to theatre, comedies and musicals being his favourites.

Unlike most of us, Bawa is never satisfied by mere learning and mastering of a skill, he does not rest till he has taught others to master it too. Sometimes you will be laughing uncontrollably at his jokes and wit, othertimes just wondering at his practical wisdom and knowledge.

Apart from conducting youth workshops as an Art of Living senior faculty member, Bawa also conducts interesting workshops such as the Mathemagic, which makes maths fun and interesting, the financial literacy workshop, a seminar on unconventional concepts on money management and wealth generation, and an introductory workshop on western classical music appreciation. He has recently even put together a workshop to teach people how to cook and enjoy the experience!

He is a complete technology geek, and he brings to the table a smooth blend of cutting edge technology and deep knowledge of Indian spirituality and traditions. His passions include computer games, long walks, good food and caring about the environment and animals.

He loves reading and writing, and to everybody’s delight his love for writing has translated to blogging through which it has become easy for all his fans to be updated with the latest in his (and Dinesh’s) life, not to mention, have glimpses of his amazing sense of humour, get to learn beautiful interpretations of mythological stories from different religions (He is a Parsi and his blog includes some beautiful insights into his religion), recreate his recipes, and read wonderful stories, jokes and anecdotes.

It has been said that as a child we are born innocent but in the process of growing up somewhere we lose our naturalness and innocence at the cost of becoming intelligent. In Bawa you find a unique coexistence of both, a sharp intellect and a heady sense of fun with a child’s innocence and warmth.

Veggie toast...

2009-06-07T11:00:00.001+05:30

For all those people with Satva tendencies, this is not for you : )

Ingredients :

2 medium sized onions finely chopped

4 slices of bread

Butter

Sliced cheese

tomato sauce

A small quantity of any veggie you want to add

Salt, pepper, mustard to taste

On 2 slices of bread, spread some butter.Now spread the veggie mixture of onions and other vegetables on the bread and add some salt/pepper/herbs to taste.Cover it up with the sliced cheese. One sliced cheese is sufficient for 2 slices of bread. I use maggie sweet and sour to decorate the bread. Put the other slice of bread on top of it, and heat it in the oven for about 5 minutes or so at 200 deg. until the cheese on the top has melted and turned a yummy golden brown.It should be golden gooey brown on the top and soft thick moist whiteness below with crunchy bits of veggies…

Serve immediately.

Indulge. Simply indulge : )

The suspense (?)

2009-05-27T11:28:00.000+05:30

Am off to do something very very interesting for the next three days : )

please keep reading the blog for more details : )

love,
siddharth

P.S. it's got to do with my nose : )

A touching moment...

2009-05-25T11:03:00.000+05:30

source : vinay's weblog (http://vinaybsubrahmanya.wordpress.com/2009/05/21/a-very-touching-moment/)

A funny take on Horoscopes by Shreya :)

2009-05-24T10:22:00.001+05:30

ARIES:

The stars predict a very tumultuous period for you as far as your academic performance is concerned, primarily triggered off by sleeping off while giving your examinations or doodling aimlessly on your answer sheet, thanks to lack of basic knowledge of what the paper is about. Ganesha also predicts the onset of financial woes, which will prevail till the end of the year, when things might start looking up due to the emergence of your long lost godfather.

Lucky Object: Memory enhancers (to beat the exams, you dimwit!)

TAURUS:

The ascent of Mars in the second house calls for unexpected tiffs with your girlfriend/boyfriend and best friend, which will result in the former leaving you for your best friend. Then again, this might be a blessing in disguise because of the reduction in the strain on your pocket, which can now be used to buy that PS-3 she wouldn’t gift you. The music society in your college will notice you, and you will be singing along with Bappi Lahiri at his next concert.

Lucky Object: A personalized gold chain and a pair of gold shoes to match.

GEMINI:

Family time means a lot to you, especially in these times of financial crisis which requires you to humour your parents so as to retain your status in your friends’ circle. The descent of Saturn in the fourth house calls for renewed vigour to rejuvenate your stagnant academic life, which is reeling from the losses suffered due to the lack of attendance in tests and practicals. You might get lucky and go abroad for a job as a cleaner in a world class restaurant.

Lucky Object: ‘The Inscrutable Americans’ by Anurag Mathur.

CANCER:

Bad times, bad times…you will fail all your exams, repeat a year, get dumped by your girlfriend/boyfriend or will be ignored by the opposite sex completely. That dream job continues to elude you, and you can do nothing but mutter to yourself in the bathroom, worrying your parents about your sanity.

Lucky Object: Sorry my friend, your luck’s run out this year!

LEO:

The stars are shining down on you, for they predict a turnaround in your fortunes. You will be noticed for your tomfoolery in classes and offered the role of an extra in an upcoming Hindi flick. The Dramatics Society in your college will regret not noticing you earlier and will make you their mascot…but beware the tomatoes that might fall on your head at college festivals, as a punishment for not learning your dialogues.

Lucky Object: A shield and loads of Clinic All Clear.

VIRGO:

Girls are expected to hoard the beauty parlours as the college prom night comes closer, so the guys can avoid feeling left out by using the fairness creams specially made for them, which will start flooding the market at rapid rates. Your pocket will bear the burden of an increase in prices in your McDonald’s burger, which will make the canteen menu dearer to you, so what if its infested with rats?

Lucky Object: Red nailpolish on the right hand and white on the left.

LIBRA:

Pluto is in the fourth house and this spells mixed fortunes for you. You will be noticed for your inspiring oratory(when convincing your classmates to bunk a lecture) and will be made to stand for college elections. This may have the adverse effect of irregularity in submission of pending assignments, he buildup of which will result in notices being sent to your home and your parents interfering with your jaunts to the nearest multiplex.

Lucky Object: A fluorescent green cap (to save your head from the barrage of mockery).

SCORPIO:

A run in with the Head of Department will result in frequent trips to the Principal’s office, which will ultimately result in your expulsion and migration into another university and another course. This may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, due to the sudden increase in the number of dating options and proximity of your new college to the swanky new theatre which offers you a discount on all movie tickets.

Lucky Object: Green hair colour and your credit card.

SAGITTARIUS:

Jupiter is pleased with all your efforts, and you will shine in your academic performance and be made the President of the Dramatics Society, which will result in you being noticed and picked to play the co-star in a Hindi flick starring Himesh Reshammiya. Girls had better watch out, as their boyfriends will be moody with India’s losses in the cricket series with Australia, which will spell doom for their love life.

Lucky Object: A silver ring on each finger.

CAPRICORN:

Ganesha advises you to exercise caution this year, as you will be subject to frequent accidents which will land you in hospital for a month, as a result of which you will lose a year. Your lack of interest in the enhancement of the college magazine will result in your removal as the Editor of the magazine and your adversary taking up the same, which will result in a broken heart.

Lucky Object: ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’

AQUARIUS:

Neptune smiles kindly down on you, and you will taste success in all fields, which will make you a favourite with your teachers, friends and parents. Beware the sudden increase in hot headedness, which might lead to a nervous breakdown at the end of the year.

Lucky Object: A sponge on your forehead.

PISCES:

You really are hard pressed for luck in your romantic life, as you will be caught cheating on your partner which will lead to a dip in your social life. Nothing will seem in place and this will affect your performance in all other fields, leading to social ostracism.

Lucky Object: Blue lipstick

Source: www.thecheezeway.com

time for something funny now...

2009-05-23T23:04:00.001+05:30

An Old Story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and

laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the

summer away.

Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or

shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Indian Version:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and

laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the

summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and

demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed

while others are cold and starving.

NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper

next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled

with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor

Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.

Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that

Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter .

Mayawati states this as `injustice' done on Minorities.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for

not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the

Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt

support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for 'Bengal Bandh' in

West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.

CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard

in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and

Grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway

Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention of Terrorism

Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the

winter.

Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational

Institutions & in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left

to pay his retroactive taxes,it's home is confiscated by the Government

and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it ' A Triumph of Justice'.

Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.

CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden '

Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later....

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar

company in Silicon Valley,

100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere

in India,

......AND

As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the

grasshoppers,

India is still a developing country…

source:http://sainikapils.blogspot.com/

The last lecture

2009-05-23T18:16:00.001+05:30

"The last lecture" is a superb heart touching book written by Randy Pausch,a married father of three who is dying from pancreatic cancer. I am quite impressed by the amazing undying enthusiasm that Randy had!

In September 2007, Randy gave a final lecture to his students at Carnegie Mellon University. A video of the original lecture quickly spread across the internet and has been view over a million times.You can check out the video at www.thelastlecture.com

Some excerpts from this book :

'We cannot change the cards we are dealt,just how we play the hand'

The brick walls are there for a reason. They are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.

Phrase whatever you could in a positive light. When the professor asked, "How long before i die" the doctor answered,"You probably have three to six month of good health."

Luck is indeed where preparation meets opportunity.

Its not hard you hit. Its how hard you get it...and keep moving forward.

take out some time, go to crosswords and buy this FANTASTIC book :)The trouble with books, especially good books, is that they take so long to write and just a few hours to read…

Happy Reading!

Love,

Siddharth

Time matters...

2009-05-23T12:39:00.002+05:30

Time must be explicitly managed,like money : Don't invest time in irrelevant details.

You can always change your plan, but only if you have one.

Ask yourself : Are you spending your time on the right things? You may have causes, goal,interests. Ask yourself are they even worth pursuing?

Develop a good filing system. "Filing things in alphabetical order is better than running around and saying, 'I know it was blue and I know i was eating something when i had it.'"

Rethink the telephone : Develop your own techniques!

Courtesy:The Last Lecture :)

Corruption - An insidious menace

2009-05-22T13:05:00.001+05:30

Here's an article which i wrote for the Viewspaper,an online youth magazine.

The dictionary meaning of corruption is lack of integrity or honesty, but for a layman it simply means bribing the government officers to get their work done. It is a rampant issue in India and it is not only confined to politicians and bureaucrats alone but it is very much prevalent in all the levels of the society.

There is massive amount of corruption in India. According to Comptroller and Auditor Generals report, an official government agency, For the year 2007-08 , the Union Government made a provision for transfer of central plan assistance of Rs 51259.85 crore directly to state/district level autonomous bodies, authorities societies etc for implementation of centrally sponsored schemes. These have not been spent fully by the implementing agencies and lie unspent in their accounts. Since India is one the most corrupt countries of the world (It was ranked 74th on the corruption index) it goes on to say that the Indians are dishonest, the degree of which varies from individual to individual. Most of them are involved in corrupt practices in one way or the other, either due to greed or so-called compulsion.

I have no guilt in admitting the fact that once I had to bribe the public officer. I had no choice but to bribe him, in order to get my work done. But later I realized that I always blame the government machinery for the ever-growing corruption in our country, but have never even bothered to ponder upon the fact that it is I who is encouraging corruption in our country. Because people like me easily give in to the demands of the public officers, to get the work done that our country is still one of the most corrupt countries. Agreed that corruption exists because of lack of accountability, transparency and also because of several loopholes in our judicial system but the role of a common citizen can’t be neglected in order to tackle this menace. The Government of our country should take a cue from China, where a Government servant was given a death sentence because he was found to indulge in corruption. Also the role of The Right to Information Act is very much essential in making the Government officers more accountable.

We have a long way to go to make our nation a corruption free country! :)

Hi!

2009-05-16T22:34:00.001+05:30

Hello everyone!

Jai Gurudeva :)

Lets do the Sri ganesha of this blog :)

This is my first post,and yes you have guessed it right, since the name of the blog is "Sounds Funny" it will be full of light hearted articles basically anything that catches my fancy and i want to share with you. I will be as regular as possible...or rather a promise that the blog will be updated thrice a week...!

Today was a very important day for all of us, the day when BJP lost miserably. I learnt a very important lesson...

"Put in your 100%, and then if still something goes wrong, then its the God's will!"

Leftists have performed miserably, and that's a great news! Congress with Manmohan Singh and P.Chidambaram(Also called 'chiddu' by a good friend of mine) formidable partners have enormous responsibilty to help to country to fight recession. Also i hope that the Samajwadi Party is kept out from any of the ministeries to be decided by our real Prime Minister a.k.a Sonia Gandhi lol ;)

Jai Hind :)