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.

This is written by Siddarth Dutta, my nephew. I am proud to be his Bishibabai.

I write on this blog, my feelings, my observation, my experience and it truely reflects me. Today I am posting an essay, written by my Nephew and I am proud to be his mama.

PERSONAL ESSAY How it is that one can be influenced by somebody so much, despite the fact that they barely get to see or speak with each other? Is it possible to have someone across the world, someone you don’t see on a daily basis, be your source of inspiration? Yes, it most certainly is possible. My grandfather, Birendra Nath Das is easily one of my greatest influences in life. He has a demeanor that shows off his determination, integrity, and persistence in his every action. I can never get past the fact that at the age he is now, he is still charismatic and omniscient as ever. He has gone through many hardships in his life, and though that may be a very cliché statement, it has much more ground than normal because of the fact that my grandfather was born and brought up in the toughest times of India’s early independence. Though I do not get to see him often, I still feel that he has had the greatest impact on my life, and me as a person. My grandfather’s childhood was not one filled with easy successes or support. He struggled hard to achieve what he wanted, and he had to do it without much parental support. From childhood till today, I have always been showered with support from my family, especially my parents. Every task I partake in, my parents urge me to put in my best effort and they are always behind me. They support any decision I make and guide me when they feel that the decision is not in my best interest. My grandfather did not have that luxury. When he was growing up, despite the fact that he was a good student and wanted to become a doctor, his family thought that it would be better for him as well as the family if he joined the family business. He wanted to pursue a higher education, as I do now, so he could become a very successful man in the future; one who would be able to support his family with ease with a college education. Though his intentions were honorable and justified, his parents did not support their son’s decision to “abandon” the family to pursue his dream. He loved his family and did what they wanted him to do at a tender age of fourteen. However, that did not deter him from his goal. Though he had to stop going to school and could not pursue an education to become a doctor, with the support he got from his friends, along with his unyielding determination, he was able to keep learning from them and eventually he established a very successful business. This aspect of my grandfather’s life really influenced the way I look at life. I realized that if my grandfather, with no support from his family, could be such a success story, I can do wonders and maybe live my grandfather’s dream of becoming a doctor by doing what my grandfather did, hard work, being persistent, and being determined. I keep that in mind whatever I do in life. There was one time in my junior year, when I was participating in an USTA tennis tournament. It was the semi-finals, and I was facing the number two seed. Being an unranked player in that specific tournament, I knew that my odds of winning were not in my favor. However, before I realized it, I was the unlikely winner of the first set, 6-4. With that safely under my belt and a new surge of confidence, I started giving everything that I had. Unfortunately, the fact that my opponent was a more experienced and technically skilled player finally kicked in, and he was up in the second set, 5-1. He just needed another game to take the set. He would not win the match though, as he needed another set to put me away, but I knew that I would be too stressed and pressurized to play well in the third set. During the water break I just closed my eyes and my grandfather’s face flashed in front of me. At that moment, I remembered how, even in the face of hardship, he triumphed. Suddenly my new goal wasn’t “play not to lose,” but “play to win.” I fought back with everything I had. I hit careful shots, power shots, and even was able to throw in a couple of fancy shots. In the end, I had the number two seed frustrated beyond belief. After an extra 45 minutes, I was able to prevail. I mounted on my comeback, and I won the second set at 7-5. I would not have been able to achieve what I did that day if I hadn’t remembered my grandfather, and his never-ending determination in life. Everyone has their own personal and moral values. My grandfather has always valued honesty, integrity and trust. By profession my grandfather is a jeweler. In his profession, it is very easy to manipulate consumers by charging them too much for inferior quality products, as it is very difficult to make out any difference between good and bad quality jewelry unless a person has some knowledge about precious metals, gems and stones. It is very common amongst jewelers to make quick money by exploiting their customers who put their trust in the jewelers’ hands. My grandfather’s business was not like those other businesses. Though he was aware that he could make tons of money by taking advantage of the ignorance and trust of his customers, his integrity and moral values prevented him from doing so. He wanted to earn an honest living. His aim was not to earn quick money but to earn goodwill. He felt that cheating his customers for his own personal betterment would not help his mental state; he knew that he would forever be living in guilt if he had done so. The thing I respect about my grandfather is that his honesty and truthfulness was not just limited to his job; throughout his life, and even today, my grandfather still retains that mindset. He still practices that integrity, in every aspect of his life. I hope I can live up to the expectation that my grandfather has on me when it comes to honesty and integrity. I try very hard to walk on his path and have realized in my short journey of life that it is not an easy task to be truthful and honest in all spheres of life. Very recently, I was on the verge of losing a friendship with one of my close friends, whom I had known for ten years, because I chose to stand up to her and tell her that she was wrong in accusing another friend of doing something that he didn’t do. All my friends were surprised at my stand and told me not to bother because they felt that it was not worth to lose a friendship so strong over something negligible, but at the time I felt that someone had to make her realize the mistake that she was making. I felt that I had lost one of my best friends after the confrontation, but I was wrong. She apologized and thanked me for being a real friend who helped her do the right thing by accepting her mistake. Five years ago, my family went through a very frightening period of time. I was visiting my grandparents in India along with my parents. One day I woke up in the morning and was shocked to hear that my grandfather had a massive stroke and was admitted to the hospital and was supposed to have a triple bypass surgery. The fact that my grandfather, my invincible grandfather, was lying helpless in the hospital was impossible to accept. Being at the age that he was, I was scared for his life. But I was shocked to see his mental strength. Never once did his fortitude waver during that long illness. Though he was in pain, my grandfather never lost focus of what he needed to do to recover; he stayed strong throughout the ordeal, for himself, and for his family. This show of courage, not bravado, shot up my respect for my grandfather. Upon his recovery from his surgery, which left his leg heavily scarred and weak, he was not able to walk without some sort of support. Because of that, he would not really have much choice but to lay in bed for most of the day; that never stopped him from trying to recover faster, though. Every day, my grandfather would try to walk around the house, slowly, but surely. If he felt any pain while walking, he would not show it; he would just keep going until he reached his destination, and back again. My grandfather taught me another reality of life. One should not let hardships in life push you down. Only tackling the problem head-on, with ongoing persistence, will help you recover and go beyond. After witnessing my grandfather’s painful experience, I looked within myself and wondered if I had the mental toughness to experience something as intense as he did without any complains and had the determination to beat the odds. Sure enough, God gave me a chance to figure that out. I was in my freshman year in high school. During spring break, halfway through my tennis season, I was playing basketball at my house with a bunch of friends. We were all having a good time, when all of a sudden, I twisted my ankle. I was in immense pain. I was rushed to the emergency room and the doctor told me that I had a severe sprain and that the ligament was badly torn. I was told that I wouldn’t be able to play tennis for the next five to six months. I was devastated. Being one of the top players in my school team, I worried for my team. But then, I remembered my grandfather, and how he dealt with his surgery. I told myself that even though I could not play, I will not let the sprain get the best of me. Even with my large foot cast, I was never absent from the tennis practices and matches. Though I couldn’t play any games, I would stand on the side, and practice my serves, to the best of my ability, and helped my other teammates with their game. I was persistent in my actions, and I would not let an injury slow me down. Because of this, my coaches used me as an example; the player who could not play, but would practice consistently as if he could. My grandfather, though he lives so far away, has significantly affected me. His undying integrity, determination, and persistence, which helped him live a successful life, has influenced me to live my life in a similar fashion and that is how I want to see myself when I reach his age.

Facts about F1

This will help to know the sport better. Aerodynamics: The study of airflow over and around an object and an intrinsic part of Formula One car design. Apex: The middle point of the inside line around a corner at which drivers aim their cars. Appeal: An action that a team takes on its drivers' behalf if it feels that they have been unfairly penalised by the race officials. Ballast: Weights fixed around the car to maximise its balance and bring it up to the minimum weight limit. Bargeboard: The piece of bodywork mounted vertically between the front wheels and the start of the sidepods to help smooth theairflow around the sides of the car. Blistering: The consequence of a tyre, or part of a tyre, overheating. Excess heat can cause rubber to soften and break awayin chunks from the body of the tyre. Blistering can be caused by the selection of an inappropriate tyre compound(for example, one that is too soft for circuit conditions), too high tyre pressure, or an improperly set up car. Bodywork: The carbon fibre sections fitted onto the monocoque before the cars leave the pits, such as the engine cover,the cockpit top and the nosecone. Bottoming: When a car's chassis hits the track surface as it runs through a sharp compression and reaches the bottom of itssuspension travel. Brake balance: A switch in the cockpit to alter the split of the car's braking power between the front and the rear wheels accordingto a driver's wishes. Chassis: The main part of a racing car to which the engine and suspension are attached Chicane: A tight sequence of corners in alternate directions. Usually inserted into a circuit to slow the cars, often just beforewhat had been a high-speed corner. Clean air: Air that isn't turbulent, and thus offers optimum aerodynamic conditions, as experienced by a car at the head of the field. Cockpit: The section of the chassis in which the driver sits. Compound: Tread compound is the part of any tyre in contact with the road and therefore one of the major factors in decidingtyre performance. The ideal compound is one with maximum grip but which still maintains durability and heatresistance. A typical Formula One race compound will have more than ten ingredients such as rubbers, polymers,sulphur, carbon black, oil and other curatives. Each of these includes a vast number of derivatives any of whichcan be used to a greater or lesser degree. Very small changes to the mix can change compound performance. Diffuser: The rear section of the car's floor or undertray where the air flowing under the car exits. The design of the diffuser is crucial as it controls the speed at which the air exits. The faster its exit, the lower the air pressure beneath the car, and hence the more downforce the car generates. Downforce: The aerodynamic force that is applied in a downwards direction as a car travels forwards. This is harnessed to improve a car's traction and its handling through corners. Drag: The aerodynamic resistance experienced as a car travels forwards Drive-through penalty: One of two penalties that can be handed out at the discretion of the Stewards whilst the race is still running. Drivers must enter the pit lane, drive through it complying with the speed limit, and re-join the race without stopping. Flat spot: The term given to the area of a tyre that is worn heavily on one spot after a moment of extreme braking or in the course of a spin. This ruins its handling, often causing severe vibration, and may force a driver to pit for a replacement set of tyres. Formation lap: The lap before the start of the race when the cars are driven round from the grid to form up on the grid again for the start of the race. G-force: A physical force equivalent to one unit of gravity that is multiplied during rapid changes of direction or velocity. Drivers experience severe G-forces as they corner, accelerate and brake. Gravel trap: A bed of gravel on the outside of corners designed with the aim of bringing cars that fall off the circuit to a halt. Grip: The amount of traction a car has at any given point, affecting how easy it is for the driver to keep control through corners. Installation lap: A lap done on arrival at a circuit, testing functions such as throttle, brakes and steering before heading back to the pits without crossing the finish line. Intermediate tyre: A tyre that has more grooves and a more treaded pattern than the dry weather tyre, but fewer than a full wet-weather tyre, and is used in mixed conditions. Jump start: When a driver moves off his grid position before the five red lights have been switched off to signal the start. Sensors detect premature movement and a jump start earns a driver a penalty. Left-foot braking: A style of braking made popular in the 1990s following the arrival of hand clutches so that drivers could keep their right foot on the throttle and dedicate their left to braking. Lollipop: The sign on a stick held in front of the car during a pit stop to inform the driver to apply the brakes and then to engage first gear prior to the car being lowered from its jacks. Marshal: A course official who oversees the safe running of the race. Marshals have several roles to fill, including observing the spectators to ensure they do not endanger themselves or the competitors, acting as fire wardens, helping to remove stranded cars/drivers from the track and using waving flags to signal the condition of the track to drivers. Monocoque: The single-piece tub in which the cockpit is located, with the engine fixed behind it and the front suspension on either side at the front. Oversteer: When a car's rear end doesn't want to go around a corner and tries to overtake the front end as the driver turns in towards the apex. This often requires opposite-lock to correct, whereby the driver turns the front wheels into the skid. Paddles: Levers on either side of the back of a steering wheel with which a driver changes up and down the gearbox. Paddock: An enclosed area behind the pits in which the teams keep their transporters and motor homes. There is no admission to the public. Parc ferme: A fenced-off area into which cars are driven after qualifying and the race, where no team members are allowed to touch them except under the strict supervision of race stewards. Pit board: A board held out on the pit wall to inform a driver of his race position, the time interval to the car ahead or the one behind, plus the number of laps of the race remaining. Pit wall: Where the team owner, managers and engineers spend the race, usually under an awning to keep sun and rain off their monitors. Pits: An area of track separated from the start/finish straight by a wall, where the cars are brought for new tyres and fuel during the race, or for set-up changes in practice, each stopping at their respective pit garages. Plank: A hard wooden strip (also known as a skid block) that is fitted front-to-back down the middle of the underside of all cars to check that they are not being run too close to the track surface, something that is apparent if the wood is excessively worn. Pole position: The first place on the starting grid, as awarded to the driver who recorded the fastest lap time in qualifying. Practice: The periods on Friday and Saturday mornings at a Grand Prix meeting when the drivers are out on the track working on the set-up of their cars in preparation for qualifying and the race. Protest: An action lodged by a team when it considers that another team or competitor has transgressed the rules. Qualifying: The knock-out session on Saturday in which the drivers compete to set the best time they can in order to determine the starting grid for the race. Reconnaissance lap: A lap completed when drivers leave the pits to assemble on the grid for the start. If a driver decides to do several, they must divert through the pit lane as the grid will be crowded with team personnel. Retirement: When a car has to drop out of the race because of an accident or mechanical failure. Ride height: The height between the track's surface and the floor of the car. Safety Car: The course vehicle that is called from the pits to run in front of the leading car in the race in the event of a problem that requires the cars to be slowed. Scrutineering: The technical checking of cars by the officials to ensure that none are outside the regulations. Shakedown: A brief test when a team is trying a different car part for the first time before going back out to drive at 100% to set a fast time. Sidepod: The part of the car that flanks the sides of the monocoque alongside the driver and runs back to the rear wing, housing the radiators. Slipstreaming: A driving tactic when a driver is able to catch the car ahead and duck in behind its rear wing to benefit from a reduction in drag over its body and hopefully be able to achieve a superior maximum speed to slingshot past before the next corner. Spare car: Each team brings an extra car to races, or sometimes two, in case of damage to the cars they intended to race. Also called a T-car. 'Splash and dash': A pit stop in the closing laps of the race when a driver calls in for just a few litres of fuel to be sure of making it to the finish. Steward: One of three high-ranking officials at each Grand Prix appointed to make decisions. Stop-go penalty: A penalty given that involves the driver calling at his pit and stopping for 10 seconds - with no refuelling or tyre-changing allowed. Tear-off strips: See-through plastic strips that drivers fit to their helmet's visor before the start of the race and then remove as they become dirty. Telemetry: A system that beams data related to the engine and chassis to computers in the pit garage so that engineers can monitor that car's behaviour. Traction: The degree to which a car is able to transfer its power onto the track surface for forward progress. Traction control: A computerised system that detects if either of a car's driven (rear) wheels is losing traction - ie spinning - and transfers more drive to the wheel with more traction, thus using its more power efficiently. Turbulence: The result of the disruption of airflow caused by an interruption to its passage, such as when it hits a rear wing and its horizontal flow is spoiled. Tyre compound: The type of rubber mix used in the construction of a tyre, ranging from soft through medium to hard, with each offering a different performance and wear characteristic. Tyre warmer: An electric blanket that is wrapped around the tyres before they are fitted to the car so that they will start closer to their optimum operating temperature. Understeer: Where the front end of the car doesn't want to turn into a corner and slides wide as the driver tries to turn in towards the apex. Undertray: A separate floor to the car that is bolted onto the underside of the monocoque.

...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