I know many people might have already seen the movie....The Pursuit of Happyness.................in its own place it is an amazing movie..........will smith has acted very well, and it is also an inspiring movie in its own way. My friend and I who watched it were amazed at the depths and heights to which the character in the movie went. We who have learnt to do a lot with materialism and comfort as the base for our happiness would find it educative. We who have learnt to live with maids, and support systems and money in the bank would find a life where a man loses everything except his child and his will very very scary.
But that is not what got to me..................what amazed me was the fact that a politician wrote about the pursuit of happiness for his citizens , while our own politicians have not risen above the issue of roti, kapda air makan, for almost 60 years after independenc.
Given that and given the fact that our capital city boasts of one out of seven delhi-ites being depressive and suicidal....I wonder when we will ever have a country where the nitty gritties of life will be given over to finding a more sustainable and meaningful existence.
Perhaps not in my lifetime..............but then again since the partition much has changed. My grandfather came to this country with the clothes on his back, a wife and two small kids. My father learnt to fend for himself the hard way. My son goes to school in a chauffer driven car, and has holidays abroad.
Which gives me a sense of perspective.................our leaders might now know this, but we have learnt to be happy.............living in small towns, learning to ride crowded buses, living with less, or on inverters through long summers...we the Indian public have learnt the pursuit of happiness...........even if it is self-generated..........and a small drop of rain on a prched land in the middle of a searing hot day.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
Technological Inventions I would like to see!!!!!!!
Sigh!!!!!!!!!
Most people would call me a technologically challenged person, apart from a good friend, who belives that 'Burning' a CD means putting it afire!
But, even then while i struggle with jpegs, eps files, nokia phone transfers and scary microwave suggestions, i do dream of an ideal world where technology comes up with something a bit more useful than fuel guzzling cars and vibrating cell phones.
The first technological invention I would like to see is:
1. The Zapper: Zap from Kathmandu to Bangalore. Zap from crowded CP to Suraj Kund. Zap from board room to bedroom, seriously won't it be fun, cheap and easier? We could actually spend all that time we spend commuting on something more productive like blogging, flirting and sleeping.
2. Stun guns for noxious drivers: Yes, I know while they work on the Zapper transport system, I'd like a stun gun to shoot at all nasty drivers. Hopefully the stunner should have the facility to send them into space for a while.
3. Obnoxious People Dark Room: A scary room for all obnoxious people where the thing they fear the most is bigger and meaner then them. Perhaps lessons in humility will help them come a few notches down.
4. People identifier: A machine that puts a name to the face, a face to the name, and also gives you the person's medical, professional and personal history. Never blank out at a party again.
5. In Law chooser: Alter the gene code of future in-laws with this new cocktail spritzer! Its self-explanatory
6. The Robotic Boyfriend: He cooks, cleans, gives foot massages, makes love and reads poetry all at the same time. A must for the busy working married woman. Single women get the choice of Robotic Husband too!
7. Wardrobe in a Purse: No more harassed shopping. Download your new look while you wait in the line for the movie, or the elevator to work. No more bad hair days too!
8. The Miracle Thin Drug: Enter the miracle machine...lose weight in 30 minutes and get the same cloned figure that the rest of the world has. Look like Kate Moss anytime you feel like. Individual fetishes need to be requested in advance.
Most people would call me a technologically challenged person, apart from a good friend, who belives that 'Burning' a CD means putting it afire!
But, even then while i struggle with jpegs, eps files, nokia phone transfers and scary microwave suggestions, i do dream of an ideal world where technology comes up with something a bit more useful than fuel guzzling cars and vibrating cell phones.
The first technological invention I would like to see is:
1. The Zapper: Zap from Kathmandu to Bangalore. Zap from crowded CP to Suraj Kund. Zap from board room to bedroom, seriously won't it be fun, cheap and easier? We could actually spend all that time we spend commuting on something more productive like blogging, flirting and sleeping.
2. Stun guns for noxious drivers: Yes, I know while they work on the Zapper transport system, I'd like a stun gun to shoot at all nasty drivers. Hopefully the stunner should have the facility to send them into space for a while.
3. Obnoxious People Dark Room: A scary room for all obnoxious people where the thing they fear the most is bigger and meaner then them. Perhaps lessons in humility will help them come a few notches down.
4. People identifier: A machine that puts a name to the face, a face to the name, and also gives you the person's medical, professional and personal history. Never blank out at a party again.
5. In Law chooser: Alter the gene code of future in-laws with this new cocktail spritzer! Its self-explanatory
6. The Robotic Boyfriend: He cooks, cleans, gives foot massages, makes love and reads poetry all at the same time. A must for the busy working married woman. Single women get the choice of Robotic Husband too!
7. Wardrobe in a Purse: No more harassed shopping. Download your new look while you wait in the line for the movie, or the elevator to work. No more bad hair days too!
8. The Miracle Thin Drug: Enter the miracle machine...lose weight in 30 minutes and get the same cloned figure that the rest of the world has. Look like Kate Moss anytime you feel like. Individual fetishes need to be requested in advance.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Why are the women getting better?
Everywhere i go, whether it is in this city, beyond, or some other country also, I notice only one thing. The women are getting better!
Seriously, if you go to any party, event or even a small gathering you only notice one thing. The women are just getting better in every respect. They are smarter, better looking, more social, outgoing and enthusiastic about life in general. In most social gatherings they take the lead in new innovations and getting the group together.
Perhaps, this is just another step in human evolution. When civilisation progresses to a level where reproduction is controlled and the procurement of food and security no longer depends on the sword but on the click of a mouse, womne have better evolutionary skills to cope.
They are now in a Feminine Renneiscance, where everthing is in new bloom for them and they are getting into a space which they have hitherto never explored. Which makes them infinitely more interesting than men. Also, I think in the 150 odd years of the oddball feminism of our times, women have learned the most vital ingredient for progress- they have learnt to love themselves!
Which only brings me back to the men..........please evolve and soon, else the sperm banks are going to lead to an extinction of the species which would just be very very sad for us ladies!
Seriously, if you go to any party, event or even a small gathering you only notice one thing. The women are just getting better in every respect. They are smarter, better looking, more social, outgoing and enthusiastic about life in general. In most social gatherings they take the lead in new innovations and getting the group together.
Perhaps, this is just another step in human evolution. When civilisation progresses to a level where reproduction is controlled and the procurement of food and security no longer depends on the sword but on the click of a mouse, womne have better evolutionary skills to cope.
They are now in a Feminine Renneiscance, where everthing is in new bloom for them and they are getting into a space which they have hitherto never explored. Which makes them infinitely more interesting than men. Also, I think in the 150 odd years of the oddball feminism of our times, women have learned the most vital ingredient for progress- they have learnt to love themselves!
Which only brings me back to the men..........please evolve and soon, else the sperm banks are going to lead to an extinction of the species which would just be very very sad for us ladies!
Vignettes from Sri Lanka
Vignettes from Sri Lanka
Arrival……….
If the arrival lounge of an airport gives you a microcosmic glimpse into a country, then Sri Lanka’s airport is nice enough to make me want to cry. I know comparisons with my own country are unfair, but seriously, the carpets in the airport corridors at IGI airport look like someone shat on them. In contrast The Badranaike International airport smells good, looks squeaky clean and shiny new and makes you feel Ayubowan!
My traveling companion……….
My husband is the sleeping partner of this trip. No, it’s not a dirty weekend unfortunately, but a business trip for him and holiday for me, where he is absolutely busy with meetings, dinners and even a flying trip to the Maldives. My real traveling companion this trip has been my son, Aryaman who at five and half is like a small sponge soaking up the knowledge of the world. In some ways this trip opened vistas for me that went beyond visiting another country. They showed me how beautiful it is to bond so exclusively with another human being, in the guise of your little boy. We spent every minute of this holiday together, and he bravely accompanied me on snorkeling trips, shopping expeditions, a corporate dinner and even sat on the beach patiently waiting for his mad mother to come back from a dip in the ocean.
Hikkaduwa………
In non-chronological order, I need to begin with Hikkaduwa because that place has a piece of my heart. The Coral Garden’s Resort where I stayed on this pristine beach paradise is ostensibly the best hotel here, but please don’t go with visions of a luxurious resort. It’s basic! Front office managers speak barely passable English, and it took me close to an hour and lots of flashing of an Indian passport to check in. The rooms, service and quality of food is also basic, but then so is the price. Thankfully the five star loving husband was away in the Maldives and the pacifist Buddhist staff was spared an Indian volcanic explosion typical Delhi-ite style. It’s for old retired couples, large families, very serious honeymooners, or simply beach lovers like me. But, what they are really selling is that pristine bit of beach which you can see from your room. Sleeping to the pounding of the surf, and waking up to an awesome sunrise on the horizon was worth the lack of basic luxuries for me.
The beach is not just pristine; it is poetic, evocative of verse, clean, and absolutely safe. But, that’s not just what I went for. I went for PADI scuba diving courses and water sports facilities that litter every beach resort in Sri Lanka. This is wind surfing and scuba diving haven, albeit at cheaper rates than Phuket.
But, the diving instructor did not understand my impatience.
“I came from very far, only for this.”, I whine, pointing to the four hour scuba crash course that includes sessions in the swimming pool and two dives in the sea.
He shakes his head. Its not that he doesn’t want to make money, but the sea is too rough and I am a greenhorn at this sport.
As a palliative, he offers me a snorkeling session the next morning, asking me to pray for calmer sea.
“Maybe you won’t see too much…” he warns.
Reckless and impulsive I chance it and we start off the next day at 8: 00 am. My little son trails behind us, with the promise of the ride in a glass bottomed boat. My snorkeling guide (and I am always lucky with them) is a lean, mean product of the beach with sun bleached blonde hair, pure muscle and tattoos.
“Are you Sri Lankan?” I ask curiously.
“Yes, but nobody thinks so,” says the hero smugly.
(Warning to all hapless princesses surfing the high seas……our prince could be too in love with himself to help you when you get stuck on a coral bed or the piranhas come)
Visibility was poor, I scraped my knees on coal, and the damn guide disappeared on me. But the few brief minutes o swimming with school of fish almost tickling my belly, had me entranced in Paradise! Some things have their own rewards.
Luckily alcohol is dirt cheap all over Sri Lanka, and the currency conversion helps so it wasn’t altogether a bad end to a stressful morning. I ended up with an impromptu body surfing lesson from my cute instructor; the son got a great session in the kiddie pool, with some Gaulish children and life after a nice Sri Lankan style punch and devilled crab was decidedly good. The latter was served at a restaurant called ‘The Beach’ which has found itself in every travel guide for its fresh and exquisite seafood.
On the way back the shoreline plays hide and seek with us. Blue Ocean, small bays, atolls, and backwaters are fringed by palm trees. A grim reminder is broken down homes and mass graves are what remain of the Tsunami which gave this island country a taste of the wrath of the ocean.
Colombo………….
The Blue Elephant, at the Hilton, Colombo was shut, for security reasons. A brief foray into a casino called Bally’s with entry only for ‘foreigners’ was sweet but dimly lit and full of vague half breeds. A gossipy receptionist at the Hilton assured me that most nightclubs have gun toting young brats swaggering around and messing up the scene. The bars at the Hilton however were peaceful and happy. My husband’s Sri Lankan colleagues were a nice motley mix of men and women, all dusky, and beautiful and with mellifluous voices that make you forget what they say half the time.
Samanthi, my husband’s colleague is responsible for my travel plans and trip. She organizes a lovely dinner for all of us at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, on Mt Lavinia beach, about 30 minutes drive form the city. An old charming dowager of a hotel, the beach restaurant is five star version of a shack and offers grills in the shape of a fish market. Choose your own fish, crab or lobster. After some research Aryaman and I suspect that the crabs scuttling on the beach could possibly be the poor creatures ending up on our dining table.
Sri Lankan women………..and Sri Lankan men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To begin with as a race, they are much nicer than Indians. People are educated, polite and smile a lot. They are calm, take things easy like anyone living on an island paradise would, friendly and warm. Colombo reminds me of the Mumbai or Calcutta of the eighties. The staff at the private lounge where we have Breakfast everyday are inordinately curious about everything. Commenting on my sandals, a young woman assure me with stars in her eyes, “Indian is a big country. I believe you can really shop there. One day I will go to India to shop.”
While the women still see a little held back, it’s the men who have me goggle eyed. Whether it is at the parlour, on the beach, in the shops or in the hotel, they smile at you with dark eyes and long lashes. Dusky and pretty most of them seem polite. A lot of the younger lot have blonde hair and piercings which make them look like funky islanders anywhere in the world. They laugh a lot, chat with you like old buddies and make you feel so chilled, that you forget the North Indian paranoia that is second skin. In terms of feeling safe, secure, alone, and abashedly admired, in the nicest possible way, my vote goes to the Sri Lankan men.
Sight seeing and Shopping:
Any guide book will tell you hat there is loads to see in Sri Lanka and loads to buy. I didn’t go for either. To be honest the thrill to my nomadic bones as the fact that this country has mercantile holidays. I could see the sea wherever I went, and had a great gin at the old romantic Galle Face Hotel. I didn’t see too much, and I didn’t shop at all. My only commercial experience of this kind was at the M. Pierce salon, where I wanted a spray on tattoo and funky hair colour. I walked out half way when cock-eyed Mr. Pierce accosted me with mineral spirit to clean my face. But that is another story………………..
Arrival……….
If the arrival lounge of an airport gives you a microcosmic glimpse into a country, then Sri Lanka’s airport is nice enough to make me want to cry. I know comparisons with my own country are unfair, but seriously, the carpets in the airport corridors at IGI airport look like someone shat on them. In contrast The Badranaike International airport smells good, looks squeaky clean and shiny new and makes you feel Ayubowan!
My traveling companion……….
My husband is the sleeping partner of this trip. No, it’s not a dirty weekend unfortunately, but a business trip for him and holiday for me, where he is absolutely busy with meetings, dinners and even a flying trip to the Maldives. My real traveling companion this trip has been my son, Aryaman who at five and half is like a small sponge soaking up the knowledge of the world. In some ways this trip opened vistas for me that went beyond visiting another country. They showed me how beautiful it is to bond so exclusively with another human being, in the guise of your little boy. We spent every minute of this holiday together, and he bravely accompanied me on snorkeling trips, shopping expeditions, a corporate dinner and even sat on the beach patiently waiting for his mad mother to come back from a dip in the ocean.
Hikkaduwa………
In non-chronological order, I need to begin with Hikkaduwa because that place has a piece of my heart. The Coral Garden’s Resort where I stayed on this pristine beach paradise is ostensibly the best hotel here, but please don’t go with visions of a luxurious resort. It’s basic! Front office managers speak barely passable English, and it took me close to an hour and lots of flashing of an Indian passport to check in. The rooms, service and quality of food is also basic, but then so is the price. Thankfully the five star loving husband was away in the Maldives and the pacifist Buddhist staff was spared an Indian volcanic explosion typical Delhi-ite style. It’s for old retired couples, large families, very serious honeymooners, or simply beach lovers like me. But, what they are really selling is that pristine bit of beach which you can see from your room. Sleeping to the pounding of the surf, and waking up to an awesome sunrise on the horizon was worth the lack of basic luxuries for me.
The beach is not just pristine; it is poetic, evocative of verse, clean, and absolutely safe. But, that’s not just what I went for. I went for PADI scuba diving courses and water sports facilities that litter every beach resort in Sri Lanka. This is wind surfing and scuba diving haven, albeit at cheaper rates than Phuket.
But, the diving instructor did not understand my impatience.
“I came from very far, only for this.”, I whine, pointing to the four hour scuba crash course that includes sessions in the swimming pool and two dives in the sea.
He shakes his head. Its not that he doesn’t want to make money, but the sea is too rough and I am a greenhorn at this sport.
As a palliative, he offers me a snorkeling session the next morning, asking me to pray for calmer sea.
“Maybe you won’t see too much…” he warns.
Reckless and impulsive I chance it and we start off the next day at 8: 00 am. My little son trails behind us, with the promise of the ride in a glass bottomed boat. My snorkeling guide (and I am always lucky with them) is a lean, mean product of the beach with sun bleached blonde hair, pure muscle and tattoos.
“Are you Sri Lankan?” I ask curiously.
“Yes, but nobody thinks so,” says the hero smugly.
(Warning to all hapless princesses surfing the high seas……our prince could be too in love with himself to help you when you get stuck on a coral bed or the piranhas come)
Visibility was poor, I scraped my knees on coal, and the damn guide disappeared on me. But the few brief minutes o swimming with school of fish almost tickling my belly, had me entranced in Paradise! Some things have their own rewards.
Luckily alcohol is dirt cheap all over Sri Lanka, and the currency conversion helps so it wasn’t altogether a bad end to a stressful morning. I ended up with an impromptu body surfing lesson from my cute instructor; the son got a great session in the kiddie pool, with some Gaulish children and life after a nice Sri Lankan style punch and devilled crab was decidedly good. The latter was served at a restaurant called ‘The Beach’ which has found itself in every travel guide for its fresh and exquisite seafood.
On the way back the shoreline plays hide and seek with us. Blue Ocean, small bays, atolls, and backwaters are fringed by palm trees. A grim reminder is broken down homes and mass graves are what remain of the Tsunami which gave this island country a taste of the wrath of the ocean.
Colombo………….
The Blue Elephant, at the Hilton, Colombo was shut, for security reasons. A brief foray into a casino called Bally’s with entry only for ‘foreigners’ was sweet but dimly lit and full of vague half breeds. A gossipy receptionist at the Hilton assured me that most nightclubs have gun toting young brats swaggering around and messing up the scene. The bars at the Hilton however were peaceful and happy. My husband’s Sri Lankan colleagues were a nice motley mix of men and women, all dusky, and beautiful and with mellifluous voices that make you forget what they say half the time.
Samanthi, my husband’s colleague is responsible for my travel plans and trip. She organizes a lovely dinner for all of us at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, on Mt Lavinia beach, about 30 minutes drive form the city. An old charming dowager of a hotel, the beach restaurant is five star version of a shack and offers grills in the shape of a fish market. Choose your own fish, crab or lobster. After some research Aryaman and I suspect that the crabs scuttling on the beach could possibly be the poor creatures ending up on our dining table.
Sri Lankan women………..and Sri Lankan men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To begin with as a race, they are much nicer than Indians. People are educated, polite and smile a lot. They are calm, take things easy like anyone living on an island paradise would, friendly and warm. Colombo reminds me of the Mumbai or Calcutta of the eighties. The staff at the private lounge where we have Breakfast everyday are inordinately curious about everything. Commenting on my sandals, a young woman assure me with stars in her eyes, “Indian is a big country. I believe you can really shop there. One day I will go to India to shop.”
While the women still see a little held back, it’s the men who have me goggle eyed. Whether it is at the parlour, on the beach, in the shops or in the hotel, they smile at you with dark eyes and long lashes. Dusky and pretty most of them seem polite. A lot of the younger lot have blonde hair and piercings which make them look like funky islanders anywhere in the world. They laugh a lot, chat with you like old buddies and make you feel so chilled, that you forget the North Indian paranoia that is second skin. In terms of feeling safe, secure, alone, and abashedly admired, in the nicest possible way, my vote goes to the Sri Lankan men.
Sight seeing and Shopping:
Any guide book will tell you hat there is loads to see in Sri Lanka and loads to buy. I didn’t go for either. To be honest the thrill to my nomadic bones as the fact that this country has mercantile holidays. I could see the sea wherever I went, and had a great gin at the old romantic Galle Face Hotel. I didn’t see too much, and I didn’t shop at all. My only commercial experience of this kind was at the M. Pierce salon, where I wanted a spray on tattoo and funky hair colour. I walked out half way when cock-eyed Mr. Pierce accosted me with mineral spirit to clean my face. But that is another story………………..
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