I had to come back from my blogging break to write this post.

Day – 6th Nov 2008

Time 2:45 pm

I and my friend-colleague had left early for home as the next day was a holiday and there wasn’t much to do in department. The guard always keeps the road barrier open from afternoon till college hours end.

I thought – “The barrier must be open. Even if it is not, the guard must have seen me coming and opened the barrier.”

I didn’t stop to look in front of me. Instead I looked down to keep my bag alright on my scooty’s leg space. By the time I looked up, I saw the yellow and black barrier right in front of my eyes. I applied brakes but it was too late. The barrier rod hit me in the throat and I lost control and fell down with a cry.

Two guards and my friend rushed towards me. I got up quickly and checked my voice first by speaking. The guard was apologetic and said – “I was talking to this other guard and didn’t see Madam come. Madam also didn’t use the horn”. He also added “Madam, please show the doctor”.

I was able to drive back home. After reaching home, sister told me I was lucky that my speed was less. If speed was more, impact could have caused my larynx to be crushed leading to asphyxiation.

As of now, I have a bruised upper arm which is turning black and blue, sore and painful throat muscles and an abrasion on elbow.

Sigh!! That was the stupidest accident and action of my life ever! There were some students who witnessed their madam drive her scooty right into the closed barrier. Oh the horror of the story spreading like wildfire among students and faculties!! I am going to be the laughing stock of everyone on Monday!!

Just in my previous post I had found out that I am just 18.91% DUMB in the tag How Dumb Are You? Of course one has to ask the right questions to get the right answers! There was not a single question which asked – Do you stumble on things on a daily basis? or Did you use to get your knees scratched every time you went out to play? or Do you bump into everything “bumpable” around you? Because those questions would have got a YES from me. But then…..

“Half of being smart is knowing what you are dumb about.”~Solomon

This is the culprit and my accident site. A bit old snap so the guard box is not there.

Comments asking what were you thinking, where were you looking etc and similar jibes at me will be deleted!!

P.S. The cartoon is my first attempt at making one with the help of toondoo.com. Ok  now I go again on my blogging break. *Exit*

Harsh tagged me to answer some pretty revealing questions! Shilpa also tagged me to do the same tag but some of the questions were missing!! I guess as the tag changed bloggers, revealing questions got deleted or changed make it harmless

So here is the tag with my two cents :-

Asked someone to marry you? Innocent

Ever kissed someone of the same sex? Like on cheeks or lips? If lips – Innocent

Danced on a table in a bar? Innocent

Ever told a lie? Who on earth is innocent of doing that? Guilty

Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have back? Guilty

Kissed a picture? Guilty

Slept in until 5 PM? Once in lifetime. I was literally dog tired! Guilty

Fallen asleep at work/school? Innocent

Held a snake? Thankfully Innocent!!

Been suspended from school? Innocent

Worked at a fast food restaurant? What is there to be guilty about in doing that? “Worked as a stripper” would have been a better question! Anyway Innocent

Stolen from a store? Innocent

Been fired from a job? Innocent

Done something you regret? We all have!! Guilty

Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Innocent

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Innocent

Kissed in the rain? Sigh!! Sadly Innocent

Sat on a roof top? Guilty

Kissed someone you shouldn’t? Innocent

Sang in the shower? Guilty

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? Thankfully Innocent else I would have been GUILTY of murder.

Shaved your head? Innocent

Had a boxing membership? Innocent

Made a girlfriend cry? Girlfriend or Boyfriend? If girlfriend – Guilty

Been in a band? Innocent

Shot a gun? Innocent

Donated Blood? Innocent

Eaten alligator meat? Innocent

Eaten cheesecake? Guilty

Still love someone you shouldn’t? Innocent

Have/had a tattoo? Innocent

Liked someone, but will never tell who? Guilty

Been too honest? Guilty

Ruined a surprise? Innocent

Ate in a restaurant and got really bloated that you couldn’t walk afterwards? Innocent

Erased someone in your friends list? Guilty

Dressed in a woman’s clothes (if you’re a guy) or man’s clothes (if you’re a girl)? Errrr hello??? In which category does jeans fit? anyway Guilty

Joined a pageant? Innocent

Been told that you’re handsome or beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said? Guilty

Got totally drunk on the night before exam? Innocent

Got totally angry that you cried so hard? Guilty

I kill the tag here. Still if you want to do it, go on and do it.

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TAG 2 : How DUMB are you?

Shilpa tagged me to do this one.

The more [x]’ s the “dumber” you are.

[] Gum has fallen out of your mouth when you were talking
[] Gum has fallen out of your mouth when you were NOT talking
[] You have ran into a glass/screen door
[] You have jumped out of a moving vehicle
[x] You have thought of something funny while walking by yourself
[] Laughed, then watched people give you weird looks
[] You have run into a tree/bush.
[] You know that it IS possible to lick your elbow
[] You have tried to lick your elbow… a few times
[x] You never knew that the Alphabet and Twinkle Twinkle Little star have the same rhythm.
[x] You just tried to sing them.

[] You have tripped on your shoelace and fallen.
[] You have choked on your own spit .
[] You have seen the Matrix and still don’t get it.
[] You’ve never seen the Matrix.
[] You type only with two fingers.
[] You have accidentally caught something on fire.
[] You tried to drink out of a straw, but it went into your nose/eyes.
[x] You have caught yourself drooling.
[] You have fallen asleep in class and fell outta your chair

[] Sometimes you just stop thinking (most of the time I wont think about anything).
[] You are telling a story and forget what you were talking about.
[] People often shake their heads and walk away from you.
[] You are often told to use your “inside voice”.
[x] You use your fingers to do simple math.
[] You have eaten a bug.
[x] You are taking this test when you should be doing something more important.
[x] You have put your clothes on backwards or inside out, and didn’t realize it.
[] You’ve looked all over for something and realized it was in your hand.
[] You have ran around naked in your house.

[] You repost bulletins because you are scared that what they say will happen to you if you didn’t.
[] You break a lot of things.
[] Your friends know not to use big words around you.
[] You tilt your head when you’re confused.
[] You have fallen out of your chair before.
[] When you’re lying in bed, you try to find pictures in the texture of the ceiling or wall.
[] The word “ummmmm” is used many times a day.

TOTAL: 7

So I am (7/37)*100 = 18.91% DUMB ! Hmmm not that dumb after all!

I kill the tag here. Still if you want to do it, go on and do it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My M.E. 3rd sem exams are from 17 Nov. Thankfully there are only two papers in 3rd sem. Right now I am at the confusion stage of my academic life. I have to reach accomplishment before exams begin!! So I am going on a break from blogging, reading blogs and commenting till exams get over. Take care all of you and Be good! And of course you can catch me on Twitter!

A conversation between colleagues that I witnessed :-

Colleague (Male) say A :- Sir, you are a PhD. You must be tutoring your daughter at home and helping with her homework.

Senior Colleague (Male) say B :- Ahh! No. My wife doesn’t let me teach our daughter because she thinks I am not strict enough. See, my ideology is when she wants to study she will. But my wife is always making her study like when she wants to go out to play, when she is watching tv…

Senior Colleague (Female) say C :- Sir, which child “wants” to study? We have to make them study.

B :- Hmmm..Few days back my wife asked her to write few words in small, capital and cursive. She mixed up and my wife slapped her. But I feel it is unfair to expect a child of 5 yrs to write all that correctly.

C :- Sir, in today’s world of competition, we have to prepare them to fight. Otherwise they will end up as losers and will blame us only that why didn’t we make them study.

Another incident at a bookstore that I witnessed :-

A lady placed a very thin book on the counter and proceeded to pay for it. The book was – Unsolved C.B.S.E. Question Papers for Class 1.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The city I live in, is the education hub of my state. In its small area, coaching classes, schools and engineering colleges have cropped up like mushrooms. The attitude of parents is highly competitive and they aspire their child to become either a doctor or an engineer.There is too much hype of tuitions, question papers, crash courses and so on. This preliminary backdrop is required to understand my reactions.

# Previous years question papers for Class 1? Class 1? Are you kidding me? I know Education has got tougher and more competitive but this? Obviously that book is there because there is a demand for it. Why should a child of class 1 be made to feel that it is essential for him to solve question papers and that he would be under prepared otherwise? I have seen many parents run around to get notes, question papers etc which I think builds up more tension in the student’s mind and he feels less confident if he has left out even a single old paper unsolved.  The practice is good for higher classes but totally unnecessary for small kids. Her fear for her child is justified and maybe she just wanted to just see the pattern of question paper. I just hope that is the reason and that she is not pressurizing her child into believing that Class 1 exam is like going to war and he has to be armed to the teeth!!

# I think the acceptance of the occasional slap/beating parents give to their “disobedient” children in our society is wrong. Slapping or beating if a child did not write some words correctly is very very wrong. Kids do silly mistakes in maths or spelling mistakes in language but I am sure there are better ways to make them learn the correct things.

# See the stark difference in Indian and Western attitude towards studies

A quote goes -

पढ़ोगे लिखोगे बनोगे नवाब
खेलोगे कूदोगे होगे ख़राब

Studies will make your life, sports will mar it

A Bengali quote says -

পড়া শোনা করে যে
গাড়ি ঘড়া চড়ে শে

One who studies rides cars and horse i.e. becomes rich.

An English proverb says -

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

# Its true that few kids feel like studying on their own. But I feel a particular time duration must be set during which the kid has to complete homework and study. Before and after that he is free to pursue to games etc. In fact it must be encouraged because the games kids play nowadays are on computer!! I think many of them don’t know the games we used to play.

# Every parent’s fear is well founded but pressurizing the kid 24×7, making him think if he doesn’t “win” like come in rank, get into prestigious school/college/career then he is a loser; is entirely wrong.

# A child should be treated as a child and not as a warrior! Of course no gain without pain but still the pain should be tolerable!!

Let him responsibly enjoy the best time of his life before he becomes a rat in the rat race.

A blog is a type of website that is usually arranged in chronological order from the most recent ‘post’ (or entry) at the top of the main page to the older entries towards the bottom. ~Darren Rowse

Well that is a “traditional” and “literal” definition of blogging, isn’t it? My first impression of blog was a web-space where people wrote on various topics and everyone had their own web space to do it. So I guess this definition is better :-

A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list.

When I started blogging, the first thing I knew that I didn’t want to write the minute details of my daily life because I am a secretive person Also I was not aiming to change the world with my writings.

One critical consideration when launching a blog is what you are going to call it. ~ Chris Garrett

So, I had decided to write down the thoughts I kept getting in my head when something interesting happened around me. And thus the second thing I did was that I came up with lamest title for my blog. [I had thought of changing the name but then my readers voted against it so I decided to stick with "My Random Thoughts".] But my blogging frequency was negligible. After 3 months I decided to pursue blogging actively. I searched blogs on Google Blog search and started following a few Indian blogs. Soon I realised that :-

As I have repeatedly written in one form or other, blogging is not about writing posts. Heck, that’s the least of your challenges. No, blogging is about cultivating a mutually beneficial relationships with an ever-growing online readership, and that’s hard work. ~ Alister Cameron

Also I understood another important requirement for getting an online readership was linking and commenting. In fact that is the heart of blogging according to George Siemens. Soon my blogging journey gained speed and as of today these are my stats :-

163 readers who read my blog via Google Reader.

On my way I have even managed to inspire other people to start blogging! In his Blog Anniversary post, Kanagu wrote :-

Reema: One of the first few blogs, I have visited in blogosphere and I am still grateful of that. She has shown the way of what can be written in a blog. She had the command on whatever she was writing, which I have doubted whether I have at the start. But somehow I shrugged off that initial rustiness to write some meaningful posts. The first one in her blog that impressed me was this one.

Mahmud who calls me his Blogging Guru wrote in one of his comments at my blog :-

Reemapu, you might have marked that I had followed your blogging style madly as newbie… (pardon me for that please ) It’s because I was extremely impressed with your blogging style.(still I am, will be for sure… ). I started blogging with ‘Mistylook’ theme when you were using that one

Thank you so much dear Kanagu and Mahmud. You can’t imagine how happy you have made me with such words! This journey would have been impossible without YOU – my reader! As Deeps said in her post “I Am Because You Are”. And also the bloggers who made me blog in the first place. Taking the idea from Kanagu, I would like to mention some of the bloggers who have inspired me when I started my blogging journey.

# Suda -The first blogger I read and now a friend for life And the only blogger I have met in real life yet. He has bought a new laptop and blogging was his top priority but he is still invisible. Come Back Stupid!

# Amit, Ishmeet and Ashish – Again bloggers on hiatus. Their blog posts were wonderful, their gang was cool and I loved reading them. Ashish aka The Geek Wrestler or The Emperor has even deleted his blog And oh! Amit has got engaged! Congrats!

# Nikhil - Once upon a time he used to be the funniest blogger and a good friend. Sadly he talked of deleting his blog

# Sandeep – His blog header was and is the cutest one I have ever seen! Good blogger and awesome photographer! Status? again Dormant!

# Arvind – His blog was my inspiration for blog layout! He is facing a very long writer’s block but can be found on orkut.

# Poonam – Her blogging style and topics influenced me a lot.

# Nita – She needs no introduction When I saw her blog, I thought the quality of my posts must be as such that she starts to read my blog. I am honored that you read my blog and encourage me so much

# Sakhi – We started our blogging journey around the same time and she has has been a great support and friend throughout. LOL Dear!

# Nova – She used to have the most beautiful theme and lovely short posts.Thankfully she is back now in blogosphere.

# Vishesh – His commitment and passion for blogging had impressed me very much! 3.5 yrs and 770+ posts!! Blog On Dear!

# Vimal – Not only an awesome blogger but also an awesome friend. Happy Dumbo?

# Adarsh - One of the oldest bloggers on my roll. Sadly he is also dormant but still comments once in a while. You still read my blog – that makes me happy!

# Dev – Again one of the oldest bloggers and a nice friend. He has converted his blog into a film blog as he is an aspiring film maker.

I met more wonderful bloggers along the way. Destination Infinity had awarded me the Addicting Blog Award.

Thank you DI! I pass on this award to the following bloggers :-

Smita, Deeps , IHM, Vee, Prerna, Man of Roma, Dinu, Indyeah, Kiran, Scorpria, Mahak, Harsha, Rashmi, Prateek Gupta, Monika, Harsh

Blogging started as a curiosity, developed as an interesting hobby and now is something I am good at. It was never about the money for me and never will be. My blogging frequency has become less, but I hope it doesn’t end up like this even though I do tweet a lot!

Yes, blogging is entertainment. It is performance. Each blog post a show, sometimes an opera, sometimes a 30 second commercial. Like a show, it may start with a bang, lead you along from song to song, have a great climatic moment, then leave the audience wanting more.~ Lorelle Van Fossen

Posted in Blogging Tagged: Awards, Bloggers, Blogging, Cartoons, Friends ]]> http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/blogging-and-me/feed/ 64 Reema blog stats2 :P ;) award_addicting blog joke history76156 http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/city-of-nawabs-and-kebabs/ http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/city-of-nawabs-and-kebabs/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:51:49 +0000 Reema http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/?p=3840 ]]>

This year I and my parents spent the Diwali vacation with at a relatives place in a small town in Uttar Pradesh. The scenery of rural Uttar Pradesh is beautiful. One can see lush green and yellow fields, mango orchards, wells, cattle, eucalyptus tress and even peacocks roaming freely! But one can also see the lack of electric transmission towers, the darkness at most of the areas, the lack of any traffic rule and the density of population.

I didn’t get a chance to go out much in that town. We made plans of  a one day trip to Lucknow (the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India) to do some sightseeing, shopping and eating – my favorite combination So here is an account of that one day trip.

Located in what was historically known as the Awadh region, Lucknow has always been a multicultural city. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Persian-loving Shia Nawabs of the city are well known amongst Indians and students of South Asian culture and history. Lucknow is popularly known as the The City of Nawabs. It is also known as the Golden City of the East, Shiraz-i-Hind and The Constantinople of India.

We left for Lucknow early morning in a hired car. Because of the Golden Quadrilateral project, the highways of U.P. have become quite good. As we entered Lucknow from the west side, the first place we visited was the Hussainabad Imambara or the Chota Imambara.

The Hussainabad Imambara is a major tourist attraction of Lucknow. The monument was built by Muhammed Ali Shah in the year 1837 under ‘Food for Work’ program initiated by him to bring respite for the city populace when the region was hit by a famine.  The walls of the monument are decorated with Arabic verses that have been carved beautifully by efficient craftsmen. The structure has an imposing white colored dome and many pillars or minarets.  There are small miniatures of the Taj Mahal on either side of the monument.

This is the Chota Imambara

And these are the two Taj Replicas on either side of the Imambara

The tombs of Muhammad Ali Shah and his mother are inside the Imambara. Also a number of tazias ,mirrors with gold frames and beautiful chandeliers are kept in the hall. From there we went to see the Rumi Darwaza.

The Rumi Darwaza of Lucknow is one of the most impressive architectural structures in India. It was constructed in the year 1784 by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula. The Rumi Darwaza goes upto a height of 60 feet. The uppermost part of Rumi Darwaza comprises of an octagonal Chatri (Umbrella) carved beautifully that can be accessed by a staircase. On top of the Rumi Darwaza was kept a huge lantern that would light up the structure at night making it look absolutely fabulous. Little jets of water would rush out of the sides of the arch from beautifully carved flower buds thus making it look like a gateway to Paradise. The beautifully carved flowers and designs speak volumes about the unique architectural style and eye for detail.

This is the back side of Rumi Darwaza

Next to Rumi Darwaza is the Asafi Imambara or the Bada Imambara.

Bada Imambara complex was commissioned by the then Nawab of Awadh, Asaf -ud-Daula in the year 1784. The complex also includes the large Asfi mosque, the Bhul-Bhulayah (the labyrinth) and a summer palace with running water. Bada Imambara was also built under the ‘Food For Work’ program. The Bada Imambara is built at the end of a spectacular courtyard approached through two magnificent triple-arched gateways. The central hall of the Imambara is almost 50 metres long and 16 metres wide. The ceiling of this column-less hall is more than 15 metres high. The hall is one of the largest of its kind in the world without any external support of wood, iron, or stone beams. The roof has been put together with interlocking bricks without using a beam or a girder.

This is one of the gateways

And this is the Bada Imambara and the next image is the central hall.

But the monument is not well maintained. The elaborate chandeliers were dusty. Lighting was tacky. There were cobwebs, paint peeling off walls, names scratched on wall by people and above all the mark of U.P. – red paan stains.  In fact it was the only tourist place  of all the places I have ever visited where I saw a large steel dustbin totally red with paan stains!!Here is a sample of the wall.

Outside in the courtyard, there is a man who sits under an umbrella and sells tiny versions of  shoes worn by the Nawab and some Begum. There is no bargaining. But the shoes were so cute that I bought many of them. Thats what I call entrepreneurship.

From there we went to Aminabad, a quaint bazaar like Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, is situated in the heart of the city. It is a large shopping centre area that has all kinds of shops for all kinds of customers. Due to Diwali, there was too much congestion. Its better to leave the car in the parking area and shop while walking. First we had lunch in one of the restaurants. The service was slow but the food was tasty and reasonable priced. This is the non veg thali I had ordered.

After lunch we went for shopping. Take care of your purses, mobiles, sunglasses,jewelery and pockets while roaming in Lucknow markets!! A very suspicious looking and shabbily dressed man tried to sell a single Ray Ban goggles to me…evidently a stolen item. Shopping in Lucknow is incomplete without buying Lucknow Chikankari clothes.

Chikankari is actually a very complex and delicate form of embroidery that primarily uses muslin clothes. This kind of embroidery is only confined to the city of Lucknow. The design motifs in Chikankari are predominantly influenced by Mughal art. There are various stitches used in Chikankari. The most frequently used stitch is the satin stitch. Apart from that there are others like stem stitch and chain stitch etc. Chikan has very light, gossamer like quality that makes it fit for the extreme climate.

Needless to say Chikan material is costly too depending on the quality and quantity of embroidery done on the cloth. These are the two dress materials I bought.How could I resist?

After 3 hours of shopping, we went to eat Tunday’s Kebabs – a must-eat advised by many people on Twitter. Not a place for vegetarians of course. And if there are females in your group then its better to get them parceled and eat outside. The mutton kebabs were as delicious as I had been told.

After spending such a wonderful day at the city of Nawabs and Kebabs, we headed back home. Hopefully, I will get a chance to go there again someday to visit the rest of the tourist places and to explore the markets and restaurants fully

Posted in India, Photos, TOURISM Tagged: Aminabad, Bada Imambara, Chota Imambara, India, Lucknow, Lucknow Chikan, Photos, Rumi Darwaza, Tourist Places, Travel, Tundey Kebabs, Uttar Pradesh Tourism ]]> http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/city-of-nawabs-and-kebabs/feed/ 45 Reema DSC03077 DSC03094-horz DSC03122 DSC03147 DSC03153 DSC03177 DSC03188 DSC03192-vert Image0129 DSC03284 Image0131 http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/hot-as-hell/ http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/hot-as-hell/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:20:01 +0000 Reema http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/?p=3824 ]]>

AAACHHOOOOO!!!!

That morning sneeze…

That morning chill in the air….

That extra laziness to get out of bed…. [extra because I feel lazy to get out of bed daily! ]

That reluctance to wash one’s face with that cold water….

Even more reluctance to have a bath….Thank god for geyser!

Applying lots of moisturizer on dry skin and lip balm on dry lips….

Eating peas stuffed kachori, vegetable cutlets, carrots, spring onion (pyaj koli to be precise) sabzi ….

Smaller days and longer nights….

That bump in the elbow hurting real bad….

Sipping that warm coffee….

When I got up this morning, I found that winter is here already! In October!

But will it stay?

I am wondering this because the duration and the magnitude of Winter season has been decreasing every year in my town. It gets cold for two days and then again it is as hot as in summer. Last year it was proper Winter only for two weeks, that too in January. December was quite warm. All my sweaters including the Allen Solly ones which I had been waiting to show off didn’t get a chance to come out of the closet. Sigh!

Those who say global warming is a myth should come and stay in my town for a year. The temperature in summer reaches 46 deg C , the monsoon is erratic, no more 4-5 days of continuous heavy rain like we used to have many years ago, no more cold winter months and the pleasure of sleeping under quilts. And after the so called winter, its Summer again. There is no Spring practically!

I guess all of you had read several posts on October 15  about Global Warming as many bloggers had participated in Blog Action Day 2009. As I was on my Diwali vacation during that time and as I don’t think blogging about an issue should be restricted to just one day, I am blogging about it now. Moreover I have not added my blog to that website [as it asked for my password] but still I feel strongly about the issue. Today when I felt the first winter chill, I was happy!! But that happiness was short-lived as I remembered last year’s winter season and the change in my town’s climate over the past few years.

Trust me, no matter how much water is found on the Moon or how many missions are sent to Mars, this is the only planet that can sustain life.

So save it while you still can. Or it will be literally hot as hell on Earth. Here a few things you can do at your level to stop global warming :-

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Inflate Your Tires

Change Your Air Filter

Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full

Use Recycled Paper

Adjust Your Thermostat

Change the AC Filter

Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can

Buy fresh foods instead of frozen

Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases

Take a shower instead of a bath

Take Shorter Showers

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly

Buy Products Locally

Buy Minimally Packaged Goods

Cover your pots while cooking

Buy a Hybrid Car

Buy a Fuel Efficient Car

Carpool When You Can

Don’t Idle in Your Car

Reduce Garbage

Plant a Tree

Insulate Your Water Heater

Replace Old Appliances

Do not leave appliances on standby

Put on a Sweater

Insulate Your Home

Air Dry Your Clothes

Switch to a Tankless Water Heater

Switch to Double Pane Windows

Buy Organic Food

Bring Cloth Bags to the Market

Turn off Your Computer

Eat less meat

Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions

Ditch the Plastic

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On a lighter note, Global Warming may be helpful to some beings after all!!

Tips taken from StopGlobalWarming.Org

MY 200th POST

I had been actually looking forward to celebrate Durga Pooja this year since my sister, my brother in law and my sister’s in laws were at our home this time. Being a Bengali, Durga Pooja is the festival of the year. So here is a photo feature and an account of this year’s Durga Pooja.

MahaSaptami was a working day for me. Still I and my colleagues went to the pandal near my college to eat the tasty Bhog. Bhog is the sacred food offering to Maa Durga which mainly consists of Khichdi (a dish made of rice and pulses) along with Ghant (mixed vegetables) and sweet items. This bhog is served only after the daily Durga Pooja and during lunch for 3-4 days of the festival. Its distributed freely to anyone asking for it irrespective of class, region and caste. I took this pic with my mobile. It comprised of khichdi, sazi, sweet tomato chutney and rice kheer (payesh).

Next day on MahaAshtami, we went to the pandal in our locality to offer prayers during Pushpanjali. Traditionally the ritual consists of praising the Goddess with chants and offerings of flowers and fruits. Apparently the chants have changed over time. We were really peeved at chants like यश देहि, पुत्रम देहि etc etc (give fame, give son) It sounded like “give me this give me that”. And above all, “give son” really irked us.  Why can’t it be “संतान देहि” that is “give child”?

Also the prasad distribution was improper and we were really shocked at the way the public jumped and grabbed to get prasad. Ladies came dressed in gaudy sarees and jewelery and behaved worse than  “uncultured ill mannered poor” women. The public and the Puja committee are to be blamed for such behavior and mismanagement. Does this attitude stem from the feeling that “I have contributed Rs x, so let me get its worth back in any and every way possible?”

In the evening and on the next day i.e. on MahaNavami we went for pandal hopping. In my town there are around 20-25 Bengali pandals. Pandal hopping was real fun this year with so many people. The pandals this year had a look of advertising space.

At one pandal the sponsor was JCB so they had built the pandal as an apartment building.

But yes, like every year, the pandals were huge and nicely designed.

We also went to see the most famous Navratri pandal in our city. It was really awesome with the main idol surrounded by moving mythological characters depicting some part of Ramayana.

There is one pandal where they decorate the whole open ground on some theme every year. This year it was Andhra Pradesh Tourism! So they had some of the major things of A.P. like the Tirupati temple, Vizag docks etc. But they also had a display depicting the army and villagers looking for the Late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. :O How is that relevant to the theme and the festival?

Some of the places had similar idols but some had really different idols of the Goddess. In a Bengali pandal, we have an idol of Ma Durga with ten hands slaying the Mahishasura the demon, her daughters Goddess Laxmi and Saraswati and her sons Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya along with their mounts. This is the most common one :-

This one was different in the way that all the idols were shown riding a chariot.

Then there was another one with a weird dragon sort of creature along the Goddess’s mount, the lion; holding a human in its jaws!! Very strange!

At previous pandal I requested some Dhakis to play for us while we photographed. They were more than happy to comply. It was wonderful to see such people who are happy doing what they do and have not become grumpy and frustrated with poverty. Their jolly nature made me tip them.

The Statesman writes “Durga Puja does not assume the festive aura without the maddening beats of the dhak, the large drum that men hang around their necks and play with two thin sticks to infuse the frenzied rhythm into listeners. Those enchanting beats are enough to conjure up the sights and smells of Durga Puja.”  The art of playing the dhak is now being referred to as a dying profession.

On the next day, i.e. on Dusshera we went to see Ram Lila and fireworks show in the Dusshera Maidan near our home. All the local politicians who had come kept reminding me of the Ram Lila scene in Delhi 6 where the proceedings are interrupted by the arrival of a politician.

Also it was quite funny to see that the effigy of Ravan had only nine heads

Thats the Ram Lila or enactment of the Ramayana going on in the stage. Kids had a special place for them right in front of the stage.

The wonderful time spent during the last 3 days came to an end with the burning of effigies and the legendary victory of Good over Evil.

Posted in India, Photos Tagged: Durga Puja, Festivals, Navratri, Pandal, Photos ]]> http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/durga-puja-and-ram-lila/feed/ 59 Reema 31991080 P1030275 P1030306 puja pandals DSC028562 P1030245 DSC02826 DSC02893 P1030313 P1030290 DSC02928 P1030356 P1030362 P1030453 http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/incredible-india/ http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/incredible-india/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:35:09 +0000 Reema http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/?p=3760 ]]>

A prestigious school in my city is taking its middle and high school students on an Educational Tour to Europe. For this they are taking around 1 lakh rupees from the parents interested in sending their kids on that tour. And strangely people are giving it to the school administration willingly. I do not understand that why do the students need to go to Europe for learning? What sort of education does the school want to impart by taking them to Europe? Till class 10th all students study History under CBSE board and 80% of it comprises of Indian History. Rest is just World Wars, Dark Ages, Renaissance and Industrial Revolution as far as I recall.

Social Studies was one of my favorite subjects and I loved reading about the diverse cultures, traditions, tribes, dances and festivals of India in Geography. I also loved reading Indian History starting from Indus Valley Civilization of Mohenjodaro to Non Cooperation Movement. I used to sing along with public interest videos like Baje Sargam Har Taraf Se and Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, telecasted by Doordarshan even if it was shown 100th time. We had the Mahabharata and the Ramayan as supplementary readers in Hindi subject. I loved reading Amar Chitra Katha comics, Jataka Tales, Panchatantra and Hitopadesha.

I have serious doubts about students of this generation having any extra knowledge about Indian heritage or the the thirst of it other than that written in their textbooks and required to clear the exams. Knowing about the latest  gadget or website is being modern and tech savvy but knowing about a simple tradition and following it is so old fashioned. By touring Europe for education, Indian students may become able to answer questions on Greek mythology or French Revolution but remain ignorant of their own history, mythology and folklore.

I don’t need to describe the vastness and the diversity of India as I guess most of my readers are Indian. Be it geographical, cultural or cuisine diversity; I think it will take an entire lifetime for me to explore each and every aspect of India.

I guess, to be able to boast that “my son (I don’t think many parents will send their daughters to Europe by spending 1 lakh!) has gone on Europe tour” to relatives and neighbors is priceless. Telling friends and that kid on the block who studies in a less prestigious school that “I have seen the Eiffel Tower and the Colosseum” is such a boost to the ego and image! Because I guess touring India is not “cool” enough!!

This reminds me of the famous song from the Hindi movie Jagriti (1954) – Aao Bachchon Tumhe Dikhaye Jhanki Hindustan Ki. Here is the awesome song

आओ बच्चों तुम्हें दिखाए झाँकी हिन्दुस्तान की
इस मिट्टी से तिलक करो ये धरती है बलिदान की
वन्दे मातरम् वन्दे मातरम्

उत्तर में रखवाली करता पर्वतराज विराट है
दक्षिण में चरनो को धोता सागर का सम्राट है
जमुना जी के तट को देखो, गंगा का ये घाट है
बात बात पे हाट हाट में यहा निराला ठाट है
देखो ये तस्वीरें अपनी गौरव की अभिमान की
इस मिट्टी से तिलक करो ये धरती है बलिदान की
वन्दे मातरम् वन्दे मातरम्

ये है अपना राजपूताना, नाज़ इसे तलवारों पे
इसने सारा जीवन काटा बरच्ची तीर कटारो पे
ये प्रताप का वतन पला है, आज़ादी के नारो पे
कूद पड़ी थी यहा, हज़ारो पद्‍मिनिया अंगरों पे
बोल रही है कण कण से क़ुर्बानी राजस्थान की
इस मिट्टी से तिलक करो ये धरती है बलिदान की
वन्दे मातरम् वन्दे मातरम्

देखो मुल्क मराठाओं का ये, यहा शिवाजी डोला था
मुगलो की ताक़त को जिसने, तलवारों पे तोला था
हर पर्वत पे आग जली थी,हर पत्‍थर एक शोला था
बोली हर हर महादेव की, बच्चा बच्चा बोला था
शेर शिवाजी ने रखी थी, लाज हमारी शान की
इस मिट्टी से तिलक करो ये धरती है बलिदान की
वन्दे मातरम् वन्दे मातरम्

जाल्लियान वाला बाग ये देखो, यही चली थी गोलियाँ
ये मत पूछो किसने खेली, यहा खून की होलियाँ
एक तरफ बंदूके डन डन, एक तरफ थी टोलियाँ
मरने वाले बोल रहे थे, इंक़िलाब की बोलियाँ
यहा लगा दी बहनों ने भी, बाज़ी अपनी जान की
इस मिट्टी से तिलक करो ये धरती है बलिदान की
वन्दे मातरम् वन्दे मातरम्

ये देखो बंगाल यहा का, हर चप्पा हरियाला है
यहा का बच्चा बच्चा अपने देश पे मरने वाला है
ढाला है इसको बिजली ने, भूचालों ने पाला है
मुट्ठी में तूफान बँधा है, और प्राण में ज्वाला है
जन्मभूमि है यही हमारे वीर सुभाष महान की
इस मिट्टी से तिलक करो ये धरती है बलिदान की
वन्दे मातरम् वन्दे मातरम्

Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated on 17th Sept every year. Last year I had posted a photo and video feature on Vishwakarma Puja.

Vishwakarma is the Hindu presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects. He is the “Principal Universal Architect”, the architect who fabricated and designed the divine architecture of the Universe at the behest of Brahma, the Lord of Creation. He is regarded as the supreme worker, the very essence of excellence and quality in craftsmanship. Viswakarma is the divine architect of the whole universe. He has four hands, carrying a water-pot, a book, a noose and craftsman’s tools. Vishwakarma is also known as the divine engineer of world. As a mark of reverence he is not only worshiped by the engineering and architectural community but also by all professionals. It is customary for craftsmen to worship their tools in His name.

Being an engineering educational institution, it is celebrated in our college too but only in Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engg. As the event organizer of my department, I and my team of students organized a science exhibition on the occasion of Vishwakarma Puja this year along with the usual Puja. Here is a photo feature of the day :-

It is the rangoli made by girls at the entrance of our department

This is idol of Lord Vishwakarma surrounded by the Puja arrangements

This is the technical rangoli made by girls. You can see inductors, diodes, a transistor, capacitors and resistances in the rangoli.

This is a model made by students to decorate the hall where science exhibition was being held. Following collage is made up of snaps from science exhibition taken by students. Excuse them for poor quality shots

So how is/was Vishwakarma Puja celebrated in your college? Tell me in the comments section!!

Also I would like to convey my best wishes for Navratri to my readers and their families. Enjoy!

Posted in College, Photos Tagged: College, Engineering, Festivals, Lord Vishwakarma, Photos, Traditions, Vishwakarma Puja ]]> http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/vishwakarma-puja-2009/feed/ 46 Reema DSC02786 DSC02764 DSC02760 DSC02789 science exhibition navratri_comment_graphic_03 http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/engineers-day/ http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/engineers-day/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:45:39 +0000 Reema http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/?p=3724 ]]>

Engineering is not merely knowing and being knowledgeable, like a walking encyclopedia; engineering is not merely analysis; engineering is not merely the possession of the capacity to get elegant solutions to non-existent engineering problems; engineering is practicing the art of the organized forcing of technological change… Engineers operate at the interface between science and society… ~ Dean Gordon Brown

The Institution of Engineers (India) observes September 15 every year as the Engineers’ Day to commemorate the birthday of the legendary engineer Sir M. Visvesvaraya. In recognition of his monumental services towards national development and for the cause of engineering, Sir Visvesvaraya was honoured by the country’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in the year 1955. He served as the dewan of Mysore State and was considered to be the architect of the all-round development of Karnataka. Among his most successful projects are the design and construction of the K.R. Sagar dam and its adjoining Brindavan Gardens, turn-around of the Bhadravati Iron and Steel Works, setting up of the Mysore Sandalwood Oil Factory and the founding of the Bank of Mysore.

On this occasion I would like to share a poem on engineering graduates I came across in the Internet

I Am the Very Model of an Engineering Graduate

by Gary Friedman

I am the very model of an engineering graduate;
I work with systems and with problems both of nature delicate;
I’ve studied properties of things in motion for the hell of it,
Regurgitating answers to insure that my degree I’ll get;

I’ve studied chemistry and learned the formulas of saturate
Solutions in normality in labs that are immaculate,
And programmed huge machines with large routines I’ve written just so that
Infrequently will I encounter problems that I can’t attack;

I’m very good at systems both in digital and analogue;
Have studied great philosophers; can quote to you their dialogue;
I’ll work all day and never quit, that is if I can manage it;
I am the very model of an engineering graduate.

I use my Hewlett-Packard for the answers found in calculus,
And problems most encountered in numerical analysis;
It calculates proportions used in heart and lung dialysis;
Eventually I’ll work for them and move to where Corvallis is.

My interests are much greater than my friends and colleagues might believe;
I’ve worked with magic and performed illusions written to deceive;
In elementary schools I’ll work with children who do not receive
The help and dedication they require so they might achieve.

My years of work and study have allowed me to become involved
In engineering problems that have only partially been solved.
My grades, however, are the pits, and I don’t really give a s—,
That’s why I am the model of an engineering graduate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The engineer is the key figure in the material progress of the world. It is his engineering that makes a reality of the potential value of science by translating scientific knowledge into tools, resources, energy and labor to bring them into the service of man … To make contributions of this kind the engineer requires the imagination to visualize the needs of society and to appreciate what is possible as well as the technological and broad social age understanding to bring his vision to reality. ~ Sir Eric Ashby

Have you ever stopped to think what would be your life without engineers?

Life Without Aeronautical Engineers

Life Without Civil Engineers

Life Without Communications Engineers

Life Without Computer Engineers

Life Without Electronic Engineers

Life Without Mechanical Engineers

Life Without Electrical Engineers

Even though there was a cartoon image for this one too, I would like to tell what would be life without Electrical Engineers myself.

You would not be reading this post while sitting in an air conditioned room or under the ceiling fan with that light switched on. In fact you would not have known blogs, posts, Internet and computer/laptop without Electrical Engineers

Jab Bijli Gul Ho Tab Life Me Har Jagah Andhera Hi Hota Hai.

Happy Engineers Day to all my Engineer readers and lurkers.

P.S. Need I mention I am an Electrical Engineer?

Posted in HUMOUR Tagged: Cartoons, Engineering, Engineering Graduate, engineers, engineers day, funny images, Gary Friedman, Humor, M. Visvesvaraya, Poem ]]> http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/engineers-day/feed/ 52 Reema SirMV Aeronautical Engineers Civil Engineers Communication Engineers Computer Engineers Electronics Engineers Mechanical Engineers