We, in the name of modern lives are actually disconnecting the loop in the natural ecosystem in the name of scientific innovations. The biggest sufferer in this is our mother nature and very less people are aware that it’s going to hit back - if not us, our children. A very tiny thing we do towards protecting our soil makes a huge impact.
I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Srinivasan, popularly known as Vellore Srinivasan. This man is working on waste management for over 2 decades. Most of us living in Chennai would know the vehicle with red and green colour coming to our homes to collect the waste twice a day. Very few of us know what happens to that waste once it’s taken from us.
Step 1: It has to be put in an earthen pot separately instead of the regular dustbin where waste like plastic covers and other non – biodegradable waste are collected.
Step 2: Keep putting the kitchen waste into the pot. Spray some mix of cow dung with water on top of every filling. And cover it with a piece of jute material once the pot is full.
Step 3: Relax. In 45 days time, the whole thing becomes 1/3rd in size. The filled stuff gets converted to compost which is rich nutrition for the plants. That’s it. The kitchen waste is treated. This process is called composting.
It’s an ecosystem. What comes from the plants goes back to the plants. It’s simple. All we need to have are few plants around our home. They give us fresh air, flowers and a fresh feel to us all the time. If you don’t have plants in your homes, try to have few. Even if you don’t have the flair for plants there are people to buy the compost from you. Yeah, what you think as waste is actually a resource.Few may think that the waste stinks, but its really not. It stinks only if the compost is too wet. And stirring the compost can overcome this issue.
For more information on Waste Management and composting please browse through http://www.zerowastemanagement.org/ and http://dailydump.org/home_composting and of course Gooooogle. Let’s do our bit now to help ourselves in future.
It’s a Saturday and I am up early in the morning. Early means early! It is 6 AM now. 6 AM is not early on a weekday. It is normal. But considering a weekend, a Saturday; a fact that I don’t live with my parents and also taking in the fact that I have slept just 4 hours back, makes this 6 AM early.
I woke up not to blog at this time. I was forced to wake up within from my sleep. Something flashed in my mind and suddenly I woke up seeing the main door of my home being open slightly. Got up to close it and couldn’t find the key anywhere. And that was the time I realized something is wrong! Searching for the key I found my mobile missing. Holy cows! I just got it recently and this is the first time I went on to buy an expensive one and I loved it. It did everything for me. Best was its touch screen, songs and camera! Somebody has flicked it from inside my home. Still searching for the key, I found it to be near the window outside the house. First thing I did was getting in and lock the door as I had a rush for morning duty. Refreshing myself, another flash in my mind rushed me to room where I had kept my wallet. That’s a brand new wallet too and I liked it very much. The last couple of currency notes for the month summing to around 500-600 rupees was there. Weekends are the times money is more required for me.
Alas! I could see the wallet in its place. Nothing to wonder! I always keep it in a shelf which is one room in. I sleep in the hall. So, whoever comes in to flick, has to pass me to locate this shelf where my wallet has been kept. I wanted to have a feel of the wallet now. Suddenly I felt attached to it. It appeared and I felt it thin like a person affected with dengue or malaria – and I am a stupid! The wallet is there but the entire money inside is looted.
Opening the door to get in, I had forgotten to remove the key from outside lock and had missed to lock the previous night. It was just closed but not locked. I have a bad memory and absence of mind, both together! For any thief, it would be tempting to open a house which has the key right in front of his eyes, making way for him to open, take stock and flick things. And I have been sleeping deep. Thankfully all other items are safe. This is my home and when I say it’s a home, it’s a home. Not a house or a room. I have been so stupid to lose things I love. The laptop is there intact and my heart still pumps!
It’s a weekend, Saturday morning and the earlier night I thought I will sleep till whatever time I can. I love my home, mobile and of course the hard earned money also. I had left them all vulnerable!
I have been a stupid.
Here comes another day of the year, a very bonding day - Mother’s day! With no doubt, everyday is mother’s day as they are loved by their daughters and sons. Still, one day dedicated for mothers is definitely necessary in this fast paced world. This current world we live has lots of invisible problems and issues in it. It’s actually a corrupted one. When it comes to personal lives, almost 8 out of every 10 people’s lives are screwed up. Not that the other 2 have no problems, but it’s that they realize and confront it together.
In this type of world we are living in, this one dedicated day meant to remember the selflessness and unconditional love of an individual is not at all enough. Both these qualities are on top of everything as they are the toughest of toughest. A mother does it every day and every minute to her children however old they have grown up. I know my mom and my friends’ too have come through the very hard way to raise us. There is a lady in Mumbai who is somewhere around 45 years old and runs house to house everyday to do domestic work – cooking, cleaning vessels, cleaning the house and washing clothes. I used to think this lady is greedier on money as she works for 5-6 houses per day and her monthly salary would be around 20k per month with no tax applicable. One day she never turned up for work followed by 15-20 days. Those days me and my friends were doing all these work on rounds. We realized what amount of energy is required to work like that and the money she earns is worth it. Suddenly, one day she came in and I had just asked what had happened. She broke to tears and started narrating her story. She has 4 daughters and a son. 2 of them had got married and the third one for whom she had been looking for a groom eloped with a boy from their neighborhood. I felt shocked to hear it and felt very bad for her. She was crying for over an hour. Her eyes showed the sorrow and the anger she had on her girl as she had eloped with the money and jewels including which was saved for the other daughter's marriage and the son's studies out of her hard work all through the years. 5-6 months later the girl came back but without any money or jewel in hand.
Mothers are like this – this lady started doing extra work everyday to earn more money for the 3 of them. She is not greedy here. She is selfless.
This mother’s day I dedicate it to all the mothers with more focus on the new mothers and to be mothers. You girls are the real stars of future. Nothing in this world without you! A very special wish to all my amazing set of female friends out there who have recently delivered baby, few who are expecting and to those who are getting married too. You are the parent of the next generation and there is a responsibility on you people. Not to forget, your partners are always there besides you in every step of yours to support and share everything equally. Altogether, you girls rock! Lots of love to you all...Happy mothers day!
Everyone in this world has at least a little worried thinking about what’s there next in life. It has to be and its part of human nature particularly when you have a responsibility on something or someone. We keep thinking at least for others if not for ourselves out of those responsibilities we shoulder on.
On the other hand, if there are no responsibilities, nothing dependent on you, what then? Still I see people around hiding in their cocoon and afraid to come out. We tend to expect things all right in the platter before consuming it or else we blame and cry on it. We possess this fear upon failures / uncertainty of success, the lack of taking risks in life.
The above quote tells it all. I don’t know how many have tasted what it means. We need to take risks in life, be it small or BIG. They pave at least a rough way for us where there is no trail. When death is certain some day, the whole life is at risk. Yet we live it and have we pondered why!?
We got to do those; else we never grow out of our cocoon. If you are not satisfied with your job when the market is dull, take the risk of quitting and searching a new one. When you are hungry and have only few hundred rupees as the last balance in your account, risk it. It doesn’t matter whether it is small or big. But do include it in your daily routine. Recently few friends took a huge risk by eating the food I cooked…Huge risk right!!! LOL! I attempt it daily and yeah there is some learning in progress. How could we do it when there is no attempt made? On the same line of thinking, we should never live for we are going to die someday. A ship is safe in the harbour, but that’s not ships are made for.
My friends gave me feedback though it was #@#!#@! In other words, they actually supported me. If you have someone to support you on anything you do, well, what more do you need! If there is no one, do not feel bad and if there are people to bring you down…ah…! – that’s the best part I like. I think that they really don’t understand what I am trying to do and I will go strong doing it my way. Opposition should not always be seen as opposition. Sometimes they are the driving force behind.
My mind could not think what’s next but is ready to take a plunge on the unknown in front of me and it’s vague. I know I would fail and I am ready to accept the failure for at least, I shall have failures with me.
Nowadays I am completely into social media alone as I have nothing else to do. LOL! Pritish Nandy tweets “Love comes from unexpected quarters…. Animals, trees, flowers, internet…” Even trees have nice names like Neem Tree, Coconut tree, Chickoo and so on like animals (dog, cat…) and flowers (rose, lilly…) and why is that we want to put a mask to our own names! Think about it. Meanwhile, I shall imagine what if Rahman really posts me a message.
(Note: I know you are intelligent but pls dont question me what is this tripleR)
I remember my old days where our team tried to bring out such innovations especially in Nano technology and Bio metrics. The event was conceived to showcase these kinds of innovations to the corporate world in the budding stage itself which would help our country and the individuals as well in their early stages with proper support. We couldn’t execute what we dreamt for the only reason that we were students at that time.
The point here is there are so many Shivaraman’s and Gopalakrishnan’s out there spread all over. Who is going to recognize them, nurture them with the necessary support and make our country grow healthy??
I was watching the movie Couples Retreat (music by ARR). 4 couples: One thinks that they make things work together but actually taking each other for granted: one close to get their divorce after several attempts to conceive; one living a dissatisfied and lost love life and another fresh couple wherein the guy had got his new girlfriend after a break up.
They all end up in a vacation spot requested and suggested by their friend couple who are close to get divorce. What they dislike to hear is the fact that relationship can be worked out types as they all have their own notions and conclusions in their relationships.
The movie is scripted in a funny and absolutely practical way. The vacation island offers them a stage to reclaim their lost life that at the end of the vacation they all unite together with their loved ones. It’s a good watch.
There is no magic performed in the process of uniting the couples in the movie. Nothing can be performed in real life too! “There is not one problem in life. There are millions of problems and everyone has problems” goes a dialogue in the movie. Very true! Lives are with adjustments and compromises. But it matters for why and mostly for whom we compromise. Life is just once.
May be all the divorce applicants should be given an exclusive access in a private hall to this kinda movie and make it a law that they should have spent subsequent time on vacations or any such things which offers exclusive time for themselves before they apply for divorce. Courts have to do it practically. How long will they keep talking!? Any couple would have come for divorce after failed talks only. Talking more and more complicates and the courts got to deal with a practical approach.
Otherwise, get to watch this movie which has a very good feel; music by ARR including a song in Tamil and that goes as my favorite as well.
We got s*** scared! With nothing to think and in a jiffy, we started sliding down the hill which was more of bushes and rocks and few thorns as well. Could never forget the way the tree caught fire and it was the first time I saw a forest fire and its might up so close live. Suddenly there was orange light coming out of the flames around us. Coming down, we did want to go to the top and managed to hire a guide who took us to the top in an alternate route. Climbing up the hill in the moonlight was to get a glimpse of the sunrise from top next day and it was a wonderful spectacle to see the Sun rising early morning in red, pink, orange and finally the bright white showing its might.
To read the post, please install a bar code reader in your mobile from I-Nigma or QuickMark or Nokia (QM is better than I-Nigma and Nokia) and just point your mobile camera towards the code and it shall give you whats hidden. These kind of codes store and take you to a website or a video clip or carry contact information and whatever is coded by the provider. Soon, the local newspapers shall start using the technology as its almost nil cost. Whats more, you can write encoded love letters to your boyfriends and girlfriends.
Yet that incident in the movie remained in my mind…An ex-colleague of mine, a popular radio jockey and a playback singer was on her way and fell victim to the “Manja”. I was shocked to hear the news from my friends! She was admitted in the ICU for 2 days and has had around 20 stitches. Now that she is improving and all our wishes are there for her speedy recovery.
The movie started with few lines meaning “You will all be fine till it happens to you”. I remembered it suddenly after hearing about the friend. It was only once I have used “Manja” as it gave a cut to my hand and used to smell “s***”. I think of those times when I used to chase kites running in the streets. Running across streets looking up the sky, navigating for a descending kite has more to it than you think. You got to indulge in it or atleast fly kites but do not use “Manja” and beware whenever you pass through those areas. Take care.
Needless to say, many review written about the book worldwide and millions of fans for the author. It was a good read where time got passed. But I felt the reading as a passing cloud. All through the read, my mind was searching for something which could stay on firm and alas there was the end. This is a symbolic book telling about Omens and the universe conspiring when you set to chase your dream. Not really acceptable, it’s a symbolic book. Guess the expectations around the book made me look for something great or flip around. Huh!!
Now been over a week I read it, nothing other than that single line remains in my mind and that line appears like a statement like air. You cannot catch air. The only satisfaction I have is that I got this book from a roadside vendor and the money I paid would really help him. A similar way, I got God of small things from a boy who was selling books in traffic signal and the book was all agony that I dropped it.
5th year of blogging. Its good to look back which has both joys and sorrows. Life teaches a lesson and lets us gain from every pain. Lots of changes in the blog, my writing.
One change which I had made from there and which I would recommend you all to follow is on the blog title - "live life day by day". No explanations required, however it is try and put in your best to follow it. We miss it at times (I did too...), but still remember it and reclaim it for the life is yours.
Basic human psychology and philosophy says when we have bad times and stressful thoughts engulf us we got to think on the good times to overcome them. They not only relieve us out of stress but they also give us confidence about future. And also our human mind always tends to think of the tough situations alone. We have to look back the good times. One such is the Coorg trip which happened in December 2009. Almost everyone in the picture has their own issues, problems and stress to relate with. Though it was perfectly planned, everything was miserable as we went there but still it was enjoyable and will stay in our memory. Bottoms Up:- Narayanan, Lordsun, Selva Kumar, Vijay Sekar, Prakash, Ramesh, Vijay Ramani, Kalyan, Senthil J, Siva Kumar, Senthil M and me.
I am glad and good that I along with Narayanan organized this trip but it was never easy to manage this bunch especially with the distinct characters of each. I call it 12 monkeys with myself one of them as well.
