...and this is by Sang...the Cutest one.

This is written by my younger sister, Sangeeta. She is a great person, full of energy. Whenever I need advice, I go to both my sisters. I am lucky to have them in my life. Not surprised at all...after all that's what we have seen and learned from our parents ...can't count the innumerable people Dad and Mom have helped in their life time. From simple gestures of buying food and clothes for the rickshaw pullers to getting some poor man's daughter married!!Yes, there are so many such stories about our Mom and Dad, that if I start writing about I can actually fill pages after pages!! And they did all that not to get awarded or to get any kind of appreciation but they did it because that's what they thought was the right thing to do!!And yes, they were definitely right, because, it is them who not just provided the best of everything for us but the most important thing they gave us, in context to today’s world, is good human values!!I have to say though, that Dad has always been my Hero, but Big Bro you too are getting there!!!

Rita, my sister wrote this...

It's all about making someone happy... I didn't do anything great.

We can all do that...

This episode reminds me of another episode that happened a while back. We were visiting India and were enroute to Puri. You had come to drop us off at New Delhi Railway station. We were just about to enter the station when Tuhin saw a balloon wala standing near the entrance with lots of balloons and colorful toys. Though just five at the time, he knew well enough who to go to to get what he wanted. Tuhin was so happy to get not only what he wanted but few more things. Right when you had finished paying the balloon wala, this lady in a tattered and dirty sari holding a small baby in her arms approached you. The baby had no clothes on his body and was so dirty, flies were hovering all aroud him. The lady was begging for money to feed her baby who was too weak to even cry. He had a runny nose and dried up tear marks on his cheeks. The baby had the same look in his eyes when he saw the balloon wala which Tuhin had a few minutes back. Yes, you did give some money to the lady, but what touched my heart the most and made me feel special for being your sister was the fact that you took that bare bodied, "dirty" child from the lady, into your arms and asked him what he wanted from the balloon wala. With a shocked look on his face the baby pointed towards a balloon. When he got something which might have been a fortune for him there was that same sparkle in his eyes that was there in Tuhin's eyes. This time I saw a tear in the corner of your eyes too. Most kind hearted people including myself would have just given some money to the lady and would have moved ahead feeling good about helping a needy but what you did, by taking that baby in your arms showed that you not only have a heart you have a heart of gold.

Tuhin is my Nephew and Rita is my sister.

Small steps…

I just meet Kanchan on street few days back. She is a kid, hardly 10 year old. She approached me, “Uncle, she said”. I bend down to hear her; she had a paper in her hand. She said, could I help girls of her age to meet their study expenses. She said that her parents were very poor and can’t afford the expenses for their studies. What I gave, is not that important, but her intension was. She had a school bag on her back and a heavy one too. I didn’t think anything, but gave her some money, and she made me write the amount and sign the paper. She lives in Navy Nagar, and studies in Guru Nanak School at Colaba. The way she asked for the money, really touched me. But what I really felt bad was that she was looking for people, whom she could approach. I just thought, that can’t we come out with some concrete idea to help these kids. At least, it will not force them to go on street late in the evening and approach unknown people for money. I think if we curb our spending on unnecessary things, we can divert that money for a useful cause. It will be a little fraction of what most of us earn. Small steps taken, leads in accomplishing huge goals.

This is for my 'Ma'.

"Dreams are not the ones that you see when you are asleep; rather they are the one that do not let you sleep until they are achieved" We all dream. Some of us dream when we are asleep, and some of us dream with our eyes open. But there are dreams which do not let us sleep, they keep us awake. They make us restless, at times makes us confused. At times this confusion can be very irritating. But then it helps us to make plans, plans which are so important for our existence. I also dared to dream, in fact so many of them. At every stage of my life there was a dream. I don’t know if it is good, but what ever I am today, it is all because I dared to dream. There were times when I used to think that maybe I am insane. From a Soccer Player, Fighter Pilot, Singer, Tabla Player and God knows what. It is true that dreams changes with the circumstances of ones life. But still one should dream and dream big. I remember a teacher from my Art College, who ones said, ‘khudi ko karo buland itna ki har taqdeer se pehle, Khuda bande se puche, bata tera razaa kya hai’. I am one of the lucky few because there is someone who believes in my dream. It really drives you and gives an impetus to accomplish your dream. I am so lucky because there are so many people who have faith in my dreams. But the person whose name comes first in my mind is my Mom. She has faith in my dreams. She always encourages me. At times I have doubt in what I dream and I am really scared, but, she believes in me so much that I can’t let her down. I have joined the Film Direction Course, I am so excited about it, but am feeling bit apprehensive about it. Don’t know what is going to happen, but she told me that everything will be fine. Now I have the strength and the belief.

‘Sir, I am scared that others might laugh at my drawing’.

Prerna was in class 2nd, joined my weekend Drawing Classes. She was very shy and won't speak, that’s what I thought. Weeks passed, so did months, she didn’t even bother to take out pencil, eraser or colors from her bag. I saw a strange type of fear on her face, something which was very new to me. Never had a student like that. I thought that I won’t take fees for her. In fact I told her Mother about that, but she insisted that I take the fees. She said that she had seen changes in her after she joined the drawing classes. I observed her from day one; even I saw a change in her attentiveness in the class. Though she won’t do a thing or say a thing, but her eyes didn’t miss anything I did in the class. Everyday she would come in time and be very nice in her manners and would leave when her mother came. She started wishing me after about 11 classes. She said ‘Sir Bye’. Oh GOD, that was an day of acceptance. I loved it. I told her mother about that. She also felt elated. This was a very small thing, a thing which never gets noticed, but I knew that it was a big step taken by her. Time passed by, it was almost 3 and half months, since she had joined my classes. Durga Pujo was very approaching; there was a Pujo, Pujo smell in the air. Bengalis will understand the feel of this smell. The feeling is almost like, Christmas or New Year coming. People are in a festive mood. Everyone seems happy, and full of patience. Your wishes come true. It was Sunday, and all my students had gone for drawing competitions, which are organized by different Pujo organizers. I was relaxed, and was sitting in my drawing room, sipping a cup of tea with Sunday morning news paper in my hand. Just got up and was going to switch on the TV, to see the live news. Suddenly the calling bell rang, I opened the door, and guess whom I saw!? Well Prerna was there for the drawing class. It is strange, that a teacher doesn’t know what to do. I told her to come in and sit. She came and took a seat. Then I told her that no one was coming that day, as they had gone for the drawing competition. I thought that she would be confused, but I was surprised to see her reaction. I started to talk to her, which was the first day we spoke. It was so different than those usual Good morning and Bye. I asked her about her school and friends. Then after sometime, she asked me if she could draw something, it was such a pleasant surprise for me. I told her to draw anything she wanted. I was in for another surprise. She announced that she was going to draw the rainbow, which I taught the class about 3 and half month back. I said yes to her. She started the drawing and stopped me when I tried to help her. This was a difficult drawing, as kids had to remember the VIBGYOR, and the angle of the Sun and Rainbow. To my surprise, she drew everything to perfection. Her drawing was the best. I asked her if she wanted to colour it. Her answer was in affirmative. I asked her that if she remembered the sequence of the colour in a rainbow. She just said, ‘VIBGYOR’. I was feeling great. I was just watching her, and her involvement. She finished the drawing pretty fast and asked for my comment. I had to say that her drawing was the best in the class. Actually it was. Then I asked her, that if she drew so well then why she didn’t do it in the class? I told her that she was the best. She just said, ‘Sir, I am scared that others might laugh at my drawing’. She was in my class for about 3 years, and then her Dad was transferred to Cairo and they left. Before she left, she gifted me a painting, it was a still life done with pencil. Her mother told me that her academic performance improved after she joined the drawing classes. She is a case study for me. It showed what confidence or lack of it can do to a person. If we really want to help someone, then we should try sincerely to boost a person’s confidence. Rest we can be assured that the person will take care of himself.

The mural I designed...

This is the mural I designed for Blue Lotus Communications, in the year 2006. The concept is about sharing of knowledge. In life we need a teacher or an inspiration to get the Knowledge. Sun is the center of the solar system, and hence has been depicted as that specific moment, where an Idea clicks.

Wake up Indians

Posted in today's Pakistani newspaper where they are showing entire India as Pakistani country by 2012 & 2020.

These are the links:

By 2012

http://express.com.pk/epaper/PoPupwindow.aspx?newsID=1100533603&Issue=NP_LHE&Date=20081203

and by 2020

http://express.com.pk/epaper/PoPupwindow.aspx?newsID=1100533604&Issue=NP_LHE&Date=20081203

Lower back pain

Lower back pain

1. Standing hamstring stretch: Keep your leg on a table and hold the lower part of your leg and bend forwards.

2. Cat and camel: kneel on your knees and put your palms on the floor as a cat, then arch your back as a cat and then transition your back as a camel's.

3. Pelvic tilt: Keep the hands behind the head and lift your back from the floor hold for 2 seconds and then release.

4.Partial curl: Keep your hands behind the head and raise your upper body towards the opposite side and then lay back flat.

5: Extension Exercise: Rest on your abdomen and keep your elbows at right angles, then make your elbows straight and stretch your back.

6: Piriformis stretch: Rest on your back and lift both your legs, cross-legged and make them touch your abdomen.Some Other Exercises That Can Be Done to reduce Your Low Back Pain Low Back Pain Exercise Guide Regular exercises to restore the strength of your back and a gradual return to everyday activities are important for your full recovery. Your orthopaedic surgeon and physical therapist may recommend that you exercise 10 to 30 minutes a day one to three times a day during your early recovery. They may suggest some of the following exercises. This guide can help you better understand your exercise and activity program, supervised by your therapist and orthopaedic surgeon.

Looking for someone?

A co passenger, who used to travel with you in the morning or used to be there in the evening train with you, may be you will never see him again. Yes he was not that lucky on that ominous day. He was shot dead the other day, on 26th of November. Today I may remember the fight I had with him for a seat or may be he pushed me. All those thought comes back. The day I lost my cool, may be it was his fault, but I also lost my cool. It was a small issue, but today my eyes are wet. I realized that his presence is negligible for me or others but I miss him. Yes, we started as enemies without any cause, but slowly became friends. We started by a simple smile, maybe remembering the day when we fought for the first time. But that was past, very recently we started talking. We used to talk on variety of subjects, Cricket, Politics, Share, Films, Society and so on. I never asked him his name, neither did he? We even used to share the seat half way our journey. Today when I think of him, my eyes get wet. I am confused. Mind seems confused, a time comes when our thought process stops, hope comes to a halt, but we still look for an answer. What is his family doing may be he was the only bread earner for them? His parents, wife, kids and his friends, how are they coping with the loss? Just don’t understand why innocent people had to die and leave their loved ones missing them for ever. So many people from our forces gave their lives for us. Some of them were the brave officers from the department. They were just doing their duty. What is happening around us and why is all this happening!!! Logically the sentence should end with a question mark, but again logic doesn’t hold now. Why did they pay for someone else’s misdoing!? Yes we all want peace, want to live in a perfect society where no one will live in fear. We all want it. We all want to see our loved ones at the end of the day. Yes, we all want it. Why do people take revenge by killing innocent people, those who did nothing to them? Who created these situation, why is there so much of hatred. We all love someone or some cause, but do we need to kill for that? There is no end to the list, and it is growing day by day. The hatred is also growing with it. Now we are saying that politicians created the situations and we are paying for it. But then why did we follow those politicians when they tried to divide us. How can some force divide us on the basis of religion, caste and the place we are from? Are we still going to follow the people who try to divide us, or we are going to create a new society. When will we create a society where everyone lives with out fear, where everyone returns back home to his or her loved ones, where people will have compassion for everyone? It will be so nice when guns, bombs and other weapons of mass destruction will never be produced. We will be producing more food, clothes, houses, jobs. Everyone will smile and be happy. Birds won’t fly in despair by the sound of a gun fire. Is it that difficult to want a society like that? But then man kind is supposed to do difficult things. Aren’t we? Lets give it a honest try.

Dada, I will miss you…

Many will say that I love Sourav, because he is a Bengali. That is a perception which almost everyone has about any Bengali liking Sourav. We don’t need to give any clarification to that portion of the society. But yes, I like him because India has not produced a cricketer of his stature. May be he was not a Wall, or a Little Genius - who broke all the records, or a person who gave his best against Australian, or a Golden Boy- who gave India a World Cup in 20-20, but yes his contribution to Indian Cricket is Unparalleled by any standard. He gave our cricket a new look, gave confidence and self belief to the younger generation. He never tolerated any nonsense from any rival captain or player. He didn’t believe to stuff the National Team with players from his state or zone, which was actually the system before he took over the mantle of Indian Team. He is an Indian, who believed in the true sense of the word INDIAN and practiced it. Sehwag, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Irfan, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Nehra, Parthiv, Agarkar and many others were not from Bengal, but he believed in them. There was a time when Dravid was almost dropped from Indian One Day team, but he retained him, showed faith in him and made him play as a keeper, just because he was one of the best batsman. When people and press were after Sachin's life because he was going through a bad patch, he supported him and requested everyone to leave him alone. This was all done in the interested of the team.

There are many who believe that he can’t play fast bowling or the rising balls, yes may be he can’t, but then how can someone make 7212 runs, 42.17 average, 16 centuries, 35 fifties in 113 Tests and 11363 runs, 41.02 average, 22 centuries, 72 fifties in 311 One Day Internationals. I feel that somewhere in our system still we are suffering from the colonial mentality. Still we can’t believe that how can we keep a white captain waiting for toss, no matter if they keep us waiting, how can an Indian Captain take off his shirt in an English stadium, so what if an English player does the same in India. The problem with Dada was that he gave tit for tat. He gave the Indian team what they lacked the most, the Killer Instinct. He gave the younger ones the confidence so that they always played the game with head held high. He stood behind the players who gave their best. He brought the concept of TEAM INDIA. He brought the concept of HURDLE. He brought the concept of MIRROR in the Indian team (if you look nicely at it will see a nice face, but, if you look with an ugly face, then you will see the same reflection in the mirror).

To be continued…

Goddess Durga is a form of Shakti worshipped for her gracious as well as terrifying aspect. Mother of the Universe, she represents the infinite power of the universe and is a symbol of female dynamism.She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali. In the form of Parvati, she is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the mother of his two sons, Ganesha and Karttikeya, and daughter Jyoti. Destroyer of demons, she is worshiped during an annual festival called Durga puja, especially popular among Bengalis.She is usually pictured as having ten arms holding Sword, Conch, Discus, Rosary, Bell, Wine cup, Shield, Bow, Arrow, and Spear. She is most often shown riding a lion from which comes her august name, Simhavahini, "She who stands astride the king of beasts". She is gorgeously dressed in royal red cloth and has several ornaments decorating her personage. Her hair is dressed up in a crown (karandamukuta) which then flows out in long luxuriant tresses that are darkly luminous and soothing to the eye.She went to battle on her ferocious mount lion, armed with the weapons given to her by the other Gods. Durga is one of the angry and aggressive aspects of the goddess Shakti. In the battle, she fought and killed the evil Mahishasura, restored heaven to the Gods and the occasion is celebrated as victory over evil.In West Bengal, Durga Puja is five days of sheer festivity. It hinges around Mahalaya day, a week before the actual celebrations begin. It was on this day that Durga was assigned the task of eliminating evil. So the familiar pose of Durga unleashing her wrath on an outpowered asura (demon). Legend goes that Ram wanted to invoke the blessings of Durga before his great war with Ravan. He performed the Durga Puja despite the time of year not being right. That is why the puja is also known as Akal Bodhon, or untimely invocation. It is only from the day of Mahalaya that the preparations for the Durga Puja reach the final stage. The midnight chants of various hymns of ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ remind one of the beginnings of Durga Puja.The battle started on Shaptami and Ravana was killed at the Shandhikshan (in between) Ashtami and Navami; he was cremated on Dashami. Therefore the four days of the puja that we celebrate ends in the triumph of good over evil. Finally, on 'Dashami,' the tenth day from the new moon, the idol is immersed in the river.

Something else is more important than fear.

Yes when I look back, I see myself a transformed person. I never believed that I could do the things which I have done in the 20 odd months I’ve spent at Blue Lotus. It has been a terrific learning experience. Still a lot to do, because everyday is a learning experience. Yes, I do have a serious VERTIGO problem. There was a time when even looking down from 3rd floor made me dizzy. Once I had a spin on a giant wheel felt disoriented for three whole days. My friends had quite a few laughs at my expense. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. Life can teach us so many things and each day and moment is a new learning experience. We should be prepared to adjust to new conditions as and when required. We should give the seed of learning a chance to grow within us. It all started with the Rajmachi offsite. We trekked non-stop for two long, arduous days. The path traversed was along the Western Ghats; the ground was extremely slippery and the conditions unfavourable. All the while there was the danger of someone slipping down to a free fall of around 200 meters. People were made to live in tents, cook their own food, and dig toilet holes. In spite of the hard conditions, they just refused to give up. As if that was not enough, on the final day we had to climb to a height of 750 meters and then rappel down. This final trek to the bottom of the cliff was nerve wracking. There was a 250 meter drop on one side and towering range measuring 2000 m on the other side and we were walking along a path of about two feet width which at times reduced to a feet. The climb was steep and exhausting. But what came as a total shock to us was when we were told that we had to rappel down. I was horrified, made two false starts, fear holding me tight in her grip. My family, friends and all the loved ones came in my mind. But then I thought that let me go through the motion and I knew that I could do it. The feeling of being suspended at a height of 750 meters is frightening. But then as I have already mentioned, something is more important than fear. As I was rappelling down I felt the fear leaving me. It was a great feeling, a feeling of having overcome adversity. Great, isn’t it? In our just concluded offsite, we were out on all three days, totally soaked in the rains. It was a fantastic experience. We had events like a Tag Hunt, a Simulated War, and Climbing and Rappelling down in difficult conditions. And yes, my team and I did them all. It didn’t end there; yes, if I extend my learnings to daily life, the offsite has certainly helped. Monday morning it was raining heavily when I started from home, but I thought that getting wet is a state of mind. Yes, the rains can no longer stop me from doing things. I came to office almost soaked, but because of a fire burning within, I dried up equally fast.

Importance of Colour

Let's learn a little about the importance of colour and its power as a communication tool. Colour information via (the sense of ) sight influences our intention or decision making. Human beings have five senses: taste, smell, touch, sight, and hearing. Of these, the information we take in via our sense of sight accounts for about 87% of the total. And about 80% of the information we take in via our sense of sight is colour information. As these figures attest, the majority of the sensory stimulus we experience is in the form of colour information. In short, colour is a very important presence in our lives. Colour adds uniqueness and distinctiveness to your documents. With the proper use of colour, you can emphasise specific parts of your documents to draw attention to key points. Also, by using colour effectively, you can create unique and distinctive documents and leave the readers with a lasting impression. You can give your documents unity. You can create a sense of unity over multiple pages by using colour to consciously draw attention to common elements. You can clarify the structure of your documents, making them easier to read. Colour can be used to delineate different sections of a document. Also, by consistently using a special colour for certain items, you can make your documents easier to understand structurally. Another technique you can use is to employ colouring variations by using gradations, etc., to direct the eyes of the reader in the direction you desire. You can present images effectively. Colour is your most potent tool for presenting images. By making effective use of colour, you can give your images the attributes you want to convey through your document: power, warmth, trustworthiness, etc. You can direct the reader psychologically in the direction you wish. Different colours have varying psychological effects. By skilfully making use of effects you can lead the reader psychologically in the direction you desire. In conclusion, adding colour to your documents will allow you to be more persuasive and to communicate more effectively.

Yes, I am crazy about F1

Date: 5th April Place: Mumbai Time: 05:46 Mood: 8/10 Yes, I am crazy about F1 I have never seen a F1 race live, nor did I supported an Indian driver in F1. There was no one who represented India in this sport when I got hooked into it. I really don’t know how this happened, but I got attracted to this crazy sport where cars go round and round in a race track. I have always been a cautious driver myself, but I drive pretty fast, at times, especially if someone takes panga with me. I am typically a German, behavior wise. This is the reason I have always been a German fan, may it be their Soccer team, Tennis Stars or a F1 driver. I even read books on Hitler. This is where my fan following for Michele Schumacher started. I started following his race very closely. I liked his hunger to be on the podium, the killer instinct, strive for perfection and the way he used to acknowledge his supporters. He won the race which was a sad day for the sport as it lost one of the brilliant drivers who was a legend. Yes we lost Ayrton Senna. On May 1, 1994, he took part in his third race for the team, the San Marino Grand Prix at the Imola circuit. Although he would not finish it, Senna started his last race from pole position. It was ironical that end of a legend gave birth to another legend. This started Michael Schumacher era. Well my liking for this sport really went to such extent that lots of crazy things happened in my life. Once I had a small altercation with my Dad. He didn’t understand why I watched this sport, where same set of cars went round a circuit for close to 100 minutes. He wanted to see one of his favorite Bangla serial, and I wanted to watch F1. There was some emotional over spill. That was the first and last Shumi race I didn’t watch. He didn’t see the serial and I didn’t watch the race. On another occasion, I had a fight with one of my friend. He said that Michele Schumacher was a cheat. I didn’t argue with him but didn’t talk with him for about 4 months. He was a Mclaren fan and supported Hakinnen. To be continued…

1st Posting

Date: 2nd April
Place: Mumbai
Time: 11:45
Mood: 3/10


Well, this is the first posting, even the title suggest that. I have created a blog for the fist time and trying to write something for it. I will share my Experience, Creatives, Leanings etc. in this blog.

Something about my background:
I am working as a Creative Director with an Advertising Firm called "MUSTARD COMMUNICATION". A bunch of young professionals. More about it later.

Hobbies:
I love to Paint, Read Books, Travel, do Photography, Design Product, Talk, Teach Painting, Drive, Cook, Wear Denim and so on.

Experience:
Came from Delhi a year back, I have gone through lots of changes in my life. Mostly good ones. It has been a great learning experience for me. Creatives suffered a lot because of the struggle for survival. But it has been a creative experience with a difference. I was creating the system for making my day to day life smooth. Now things are more or less in place and I can consider on my core area again.
I am sure that in days to come, I would be in a position to share and learn a lot from this blog.
Till my next posting, BYE and take care.

Bishi