Sunday, July 22, 2012

BNHS Weekend Programs

Want to go in the 'lovely, dark, deep' woods on the weekend? Check out BNHS programs at http://bnhs.org/nature-trails-a-camps/one-day-programmes-july-aug-2012.html

For whom the bell tolls......

We had almost reached the end of the trail at Maharashtra Nature Park, Dharavi. Just then I noticed three monuments constructed in memory of one Major and two Lieutenants of Indian Armed Forces.




Maharashtra Nature Park

I had wanted to visit Maharashtra Nature Park at Dharavi since a long time. Finally, managed to go there a few weeks back. The entry fee is ridiculously low - Rs 5/per person. If you are going by car, please note that there is no parking area inside. You will have to park your vehicle on the road outside.

I didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised to find well-maintained lush green woods - with not a soul in sight :-) Don't believe me? Take a look.....












Tuesday, July 17, 2012


This one came in an SMS:

One day a man asked God 'What is the difference between your love and my love?'

God smiled and said 'A bird in the sky is my love. A bird in the cage is yours'

Do you begin your day wondering what to have for breakfast? I do. 5 days of Muesli in a row and I am ready to skip breakfast. There is no time to make parathas and God knows that even if I had time I won't make them as I don't like them. As luck would have it, all the fruits that I like – strawberry, custard apple, lychee, mango – are seasonal. And I cannot stand the sight of the fruits that are available all throughout the year – banana, apple, orange etc. So what to do?

That's why I read the article "Heat-proof your breakfast" with interest. True, I don't think a paratha made of sattu will be very tasty but I can surely give it a try. And that cucumber sandwich sounds tempting too :-)

And so the gutka is banned in the state of Maharashtra. What good will it do? No one knows. But then no one cares either. Everyone except the people who are consumers of this product know how dangerous they can be. So the solution would have been to raise the level of awareness. Of course, that is very difficult. Hence, this step of banning the product altogether. Then the government can always say that they have done their bit.

All said and done, it's the cat that no one wants to bell.

I am not quite sure why people think that India-Pakistan cricket matches generate a lot of goodwill. It could probably be so for those who are going to mint money from the upcoming series but for most of the common people on both sides of the border, it is nothing short of another war. And whichever team ends up losing, the its countrymen feel let down.

In my humble opinion, it is much better to go the cultural way – arrange screenings of the movies on both sides of the border, organize food festivals & music concerts, set up special travel packages to major tourist attractions.

But of course, they won't generate so much of money and hype, will they?