You won't understand the heading unless you are a Maharashtrian or have stayed in Maharashtra for some time. :-)
The whole of Maharashtra is busy welcoming Lord Ganesha on earth. He will be with families in private homes and also grace the public pandals decorated innovatively. This festival is to Maharashtra what Durga Puja is to West Bengal. So we will pamper him with food, decorations, offerings and also request him to fulfill our most ardent wish. :-)
What's going to be my wish? Maybe the Twenty20 world cup for India. "Ganesha will tell you to ask for something easier to give" jokes my brother. Well, we will see. If He wishes it, He will grant my wish. Won't you Ganapati Bappa? :-))
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Angels and demons
I am almost ashamed to admit that it took me 2 weeks to finish "Atlantis Found" - almost twice the normal time. NUMA's artificial intelligence system MAX sounded a bit too advanced for my taste but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book.....
Now I am onto Dan Brown's "Angels and demons".....just loved his Da Vinci Code. :-)
Now I am onto Dan Brown's "Angels and demons".....just loved his Da Vinci Code. :-)
What makes a nation?
Couldn't help think about this as I watched the Twenty20 between Aussies and Zimbabwe. My heart bled for the Zimbabwe team as they sat through the final over waiting tensely about the fate of the match. But a four was hit on the last but one ball and I jumped for joy along with the Zimbabwe team. :-) It felt good to watch them run with their flag and I thought again 'Amazing isnt it what a piece of cloth does for a nation"......
So what makes a nation? What makes India?
Is it people who look similar to you in their skin color, height and facial features? In India, the people from the North East look different than the rest. There is also difference between the south and the north.
Is it the rivers and the lakes and the mountains? A common weather? In India climate changes a lot - from the deserts in Rajasthan to the fertile land of Punjab to the rain soaked forests of the North East.
Surely it is the food. In India, the North eats lot of butter, fish is the staple diet in West Bengal while the south can't do without rice.
How about traditions and culture? Punjab dances when its baisakhi time, state of Maharashtra goes festive during Ganesh chaturthi, Gujarat swings to the beat of the garba during dussehra, for the Bengalis its DurgaPuja, the south celebrates Onam and pongal......
The language then. I know which major languages are spoken in India but I confess I wont be able to name the countless dialects that are spoken.
What makes a country then? All this and much much more. And the flag of the country symbolises it.
That's because I know that when a flag containing the tricolors of saffron, white and green with a blue wheel in between flutters against the sky I miss a heart beat. As I watch it being carried all across the country in Rehman's "Maa tuze salaam" video it brings a lump to my throat. And this flag is what binds each of my countrymen to each other despite our squabbles over caste, creed and religion. I know we will rise over them one day.
I think the same is true for all nations on the face of this planet.
So what makes a nation? What makes India?
Is it people who look similar to you in their skin color, height and facial features? In India, the people from the North East look different than the rest. There is also difference between the south and the north.
Is it the rivers and the lakes and the mountains? A common weather? In India climate changes a lot - from the deserts in Rajasthan to the fertile land of Punjab to the rain soaked forests of the North East.
Surely it is the food. In India, the North eats lot of butter, fish is the staple diet in West Bengal while the south can't do without rice.
How about traditions and culture? Punjab dances when its baisakhi time, state of Maharashtra goes festive during Ganesh chaturthi, Gujarat swings to the beat of the garba during dussehra, for the Bengalis its DurgaPuja, the south celebrates Onam and pongal......
The language then. I know which major languages are spoken in India but I confess I wont be able to name the countless dialects that are spoken.
What makes a country then? All this and much much more. And the flag of the country symbolises it.
That's because I know that when a flag containing the tricolors of saffron, white and green with a blue wheel in between flutters against the sky I miss a heart beat. As I watch it being carried all across the country in Rehman's "Maa tuze salaam" video it brings a lump to my throat. And this flag is what binds each of my countrymen to each other despite our squabbles over caste, creed and religion. I know we will rise over them one day.
I think the same is true for all nations on the face of this planet.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Ethiopia rolled into 2000 7 years after the rest of the world did
Pretty interesting, isnt it? They follow a calendar of 13 months. And so ushered in their new millenium on 11th September, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Dirk Pitt again
I have found another Clive Cussler novel at the library and this time it is "Atlantis Found"! Every night I have to tear myself away from the book to go to bed and it is killing me :-((
Thought for food or Food for thought????
It is said that there are 2 categories of people - those who eat to live and those who live to eat. I fall in the second group. However, I am not very adventureous when it comes to eating exotic food.
So when I watched Globe Trekker episode on New Zealand I was taken aback with the steamed fish eye balls, duck tongue, fried sheep testicles and finally raw sheep testicles....definitely not the "Food for thought" for me. :-)
So when I watched Globe Trekker episode on New Zealand I was taken aback with the steamed fish eye balls, duck tongue, fried sheep testicles and finally raw sheep testicles....definitely not the "Food for thought" for me. :-)
Chak de India
I am posting this message despite the fact that India lost against England in the 7th and decisive Natwest ODI. That's because this message is about the 6th ODI.
I was of course overjoyed that India really "Snatched victory from the jaws of defeat" as the newspapers so often put it. They dont do that often. I didnt see Robin Utthapa playing the last ball but I was there in time to see the expression on England captain Collingwood's face. Boy! Did that warm my heart :-)
And then Yuvraj came running on the ground. That was followed by what can only be termed as the mix of bhangada and kathakali :-) Ganguli and Zahir also ran on the ground and it was so heartening to see the spontaneous celebration of the team which is plagued by internal politics.
So at the cost of sounding melodramatic I will use the phrase that is being used so often these days.....Chak De INDIA!
I was of course overjoyed that India really "Snatched victory from the jaws of defeat" as the newspapers so often put it. They dont do that often. I didnt see Robin Utthapa playing the last ball but I was there in time to see the expression on England captain Collingwood's face. Boy! Did that warm my heart :-)
And then Yuvraj came running on the ground. That was followed by what can only be termed as the mix of bhangada and kathakali :-) Ganguli and Zahir also ran on the ground and it was so heartening to see the spontaneous celebration of the team which is plagued by internal politics.
So at the cost of sounding melodramatic I will use the phrase that is being used so often these days.....Chak De INDIA!
Friendly neighbourhood pilot
"Very true" I said as I read the beginning of the news item in yesterday's economic times. It said how most people "hear" rather than "see" their flight's pilot.
I can understand his welcoming us on board (sometimes even that is done by one of the crew members on the captain's behalf), saying goodbye at the end of the journey....even telling us what altitude we are flying at. But I havent still fathomed why he has to tell us what the current outside temperature is. It sends a shiver down my spine every time he mentions it. Visions of an aircraft torn at the back and people holding on to things for dear life!
But I digressed....
This news item told about a friendly United Airlines pilot who invites children to cockpit, takes photos of their pets, ensures that unaccompanied minors get window seats and when the flight gets delayed the snacks are on him. And all this post 9/11.
Talk about the passengers being in 7th heaven!!
I can understand his welcoming us on board (sometimes even that is done by one of the crew members on the captain's behalf), saying goodbye at the end of the journey....even telling us what altitude we are flying at. But I havent still fathomed why he has to tell us what the current outside temperature is. It sends a shiver down my spine every time he mentions it. Visions of an aircraft torn at the back and people holding on to things for dear life!
But I digressed....
This news item told about a friendly United Airlines pilot who invites children to cockpit, takes photos of their pets, ensures that unaccompanied minors get window seats and when the flight gets delayed the snacks are on him. And all this post 9/11.
Talk about the passengers being in 7th heaven!!
How partition affected Indian companies
I read an interesting article about how partition affected Indian companies. It menioned that Wipro's Mr. Azim Premji's dad was offered a ministerial position in Pakistan if he moved there. He declined. Pakistan's loss, India's gain!
There was also a mention of one Mr. Ghulam Mohammad who set up Mahindra and Mohammad with the Mahindra brothers. He went to become finance minister of Pakistan. The company was then re-named Mahindra and Mahindra.
It was interesting to read that at that time some people thought that they could stay in India and do business in India as well as Pakistan. They didnt realize to what extent the partition would affect both countries.
One more tidbit - in 1966, Mrs. Indira Gandhi's socialistic views and failing monsoon both were sufficient to convince some people that Pakistan is a much better place to do business in than India!
The article mentioned the book that was used as source - The Oxford History of Indian Business by Dwijendra Tripathi.
There was also a mention of one Mr. Ghulam Mohammad who set up Mahindra and Mohammad with the Mahindra brothers. He went to become finance minister of Pakistan. The company was then re-named Mahindra and Mahindra.
It was interesting to read that at that time some people thought that they could stay in India and do business in India as well as Pakistan. They didnt realize to what extent the partition would affect both countries.
One more tidbit - in 1966, Mrs. Indira Gandhi's socialistic views and failing monsoon both were sufficient to convince some people that Pakistan is a much better place to do business in than India!
The article mentioned the book that was used as source - The Oxford History of Indian Business by Dwijendra Tripathi.
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