MIXED BAG-3
Chapter 1 : From the Young Chapter 2 : From the Young at Heart
C T PUBLICATIONS Chennai
MIXED BAG - 3 February 2016 Compilers: M.L. Narasimham T. Vinod Ramprasad T.A. Prashanth Kumar Cover Illustration: Art Director Pani Published by: C T Publications S-5, Sterling Seethal 22/14 Palat Sankaran Street Mahalingapuram Chennai - 600 034. Price : Rs. 30/Online Edition : www.issuu.com Publisher : C.Tilak Chartered Accountant, Indore
Designer: G. Srinivas Supriya Graphics Chennai - 600 024. Printer: Ramesh Sai Prints Chennai - 600 026.
Our Motto:
From the young
The Chennai Adventure (a VIT-ian’s experience during the recent torrential rains in Chennai) DAY 1- 1/12/2015 Going back home after 5 months of studying at VIT university, Vellore, surely would leave anyone excited. You start counting down the hours and the thought of eating home cooked food entices you. As soon as my final exam got over at around 12.30, it started raining. I said my goodbyes to my friends and rushed back to my room to collect my baggage with wet clothes. Ours was a group of 6 people who were initially going to leave for the airport at around 3:00 pm. But we decided we needed to leave right now because of the rain. So we started at 2:00 pm quite confident that we would reach Chennai airport at around 5.30 pm in time for the departure of our flights. But as the vehicle got past Perambulam road, we knew this was no ordinary disaster. Cars were deep into water, the road was narrow, the traffic moved at a snail’s pace. Now we were worried. 3 of our friends had their flights scheduled at 7.30 pm. Myself along with 2 others were supposed to fly at 10.30 pm. But seeing the condition of the city, we wondered if at all we would reach Chennai airport let alone reach our homes tonight. We crawled and crawled through the traffic, through the broken trees, through the knee deep water and through the confines of our self-doubt. It was water water everywhere, not a drop to drink but a drop of disaster. The 4
frantic phone calls of our parents increased and we would give them the same information every time. We somehow made our way through and were about 2 kilometers from the airport at around 6.30 pm. What followed was the most frustrating wait as it took us 75 minutes or more to cover that distance. Low floor vehicles were sinking down in water and there was no indication of the rain relenting. Amidst this disaster there were the brave policemen still doing their job of guiding people to safety inspite of all that was happening. We finally reached the airport at 7.35 pm. We had never been so delighted to see an airport before. My 3 friends rushed out to catch their flights and they said us goodbye and left. As it turned out their flight had not yet taken off and they were lucky enough to catch it. I was pretty happy that we reached the airport. I was told that my flight had been delayed by 20 minutes at the counter but it didn’t really matter to me. What’s 20 minutes when you have hung on for 5 months. Me and 2 of my friends made our way through the check in and waited for our flights to take off. We were a bit circumspect due to the rain but we were looking forward to reaching our homes that night. But all that changed when we saw our 3 friends who had their flights at 7.30 pm came back. They told us that no flight is scheduled to leave until 12.30 am because the runaway was flooded. Sure enough we got the confirmation from the airport authorities and we were told that there would be an inspection at 12.30 am to check whether the flights can be operated or not. Now we were worried. My father passed on the information that had been circulating the news channels that the Chennai airport would be shut down that night and with the forecast of more rains for the next 3 days, we might have to wait for 3-4 days before we could make it home.Now we were worried. So we had no option but to spend the night at the airport along with around 500 other passengers. As the night passed on slowly we got the news that all flights have been cancelled and the airport would again be inspected 5
at 6.30 am but with the rain still pouring down heavily, we were quite skeptical. Spending the night at the airport was not that difficult as we had all the resources that we could get at one place but the thought of not reaching my home after waiting for 5 months was too heavy. Ironically it was not what’s 2-3 more days compared to 5 months now. DAY 2- 2/12/2015 As the sun shone on the Chennai airport we saw the magnitude of the devastation. The tyres of the planes were completely in water and the runaway was totally flooded. We got the news that the airport had been shut down for the next 2-3 days. That was the final nail in the coffin. We took stock of our options and after quite a few arguments decided to wait at the airport. We were listening into what others were saying about the situation and what they were thinking about the future course of action. Many were arguing with the airlines officials to carry them safely to the Bangalore airport. There were many differing opinions on the topic but the most common in them were the realisation that we had to get to the Bangalore airport in order to reach our homes. In the midst of all this, we found some fellow VIT-ians and they informed us that they had been in contact with some of the teachers at VIT and that they were sending us a bus to carry the students to VIT Chennai. The same bus would then carry us to the Bangalore airport. We were quite skeptical of this plan as leaving the airport meant leaving our priority status as the passengers at the airport receive the highest priority in cases of evacuation operations. We discussed the pros and cons of going to VIT Chennai and finally decided to go through with it even though many people at the airport were 6
against our decisions. Some students even stayed back. But with around 50-60 students we decided to leave the airport and go through with the plan. The time was 11.30 pm. Once we got out of the airport we saw that the road was completely flooded and it was quite difficult to walk through that. We saw the VIT bus standing outside the airport and were told that the second bus would arrive soon. Around 25 students along with their luggage occupied the first bus and drove away. We never knew ‘soon’ meant having to wait for 2 hours outside the airport sleep deprived in knee deep water but when a much smaller bus did arrive, we got onto that and made our way towards VIT Chennai. Surprisingly we found that the water had receded on the roads as it hadn’t rained that morning. But alas as soon as we said it, it started to rain again. We had to get down at one point from the bus because the road was broken but apart from that the ride towards VIT Chennai was event free. We reached there at around 3.30 pm and were provided rooms for us to rest. But we were far from resting. We were supposed to leave for Bangalore but that was shot down by the authorities there 7
as there were rumours circulating that all roads towards Bangalore had been flooded and there was no way to reach there. Quite obviously we felt angry and devastated. We spent the night deliberating our future course of action and decided to go to Bangalore the next morning no matter what happens. DAY 3- 3/12/2015 The next morning we were ready to go to Bangalore. Although the weather forecast for that day was supposed to be the worst of all the days, we were quite surprised to see the sun shine. But we wondered for how long? Soon news came in that the higher authorities had decided that they would be sending buses to take the students to Tambram where the air force were conducting rescue operations from its air strip, carrying passengers to Mumbai and Delhi. Since my home was in Delhi, I was quite excited to go to Tambram. But the problem was that Tambram was near the airport in Chennai which meant almost going back to the place where it all started. Also the air force would be conducting operations on priority basis and since we left the airport we were no longer the priority. So we decided to ditch that plan and go to Bangalore. Quite a few students were apprehensive of this as the VIT had planned them to take to Tambram and we were going against their plan. But the fact of the matter was that if we could just get out of Chennai in this weather, we would surely be able to make it to Bangalore without any fuss. So at around 1:00 pm 12 of us got into a bus and started our journey towards Bangalore or so we thought. The driver didn’t know Hindi or English and neither of us knew Tamil. He was waiting for his friend to come and drive the vehicle and we were telling him to go quickly but neither of us 8
understood each other. So finally at around 2.30 pm we were on our way towards Bangalore. The rest of the journey was just a way to relax and recount our adventures. Ironically, to reach Bangalore you need to Delhi Airport go through Vellore. So we found ourselves back to from where we all started our journey. Fortunately it didn’t rain that day and we were able to reach Bangalore by 9.30 pm. I booked a flight to Delhi at 6.30 the next evening along with 3 of my friends, said goodbye to my other friends and stayed the night at my relative’s house. It felt as if we were on our way home finally. DAY 4- 4/12/2015 The final day was literally full of sunshine in Bangalore. To be honest I had not seen so much sunshine in the past month. I was pretty happy with the weather and looked forward to meeting my parents in the night but I was not counting down the hours left as I had learned my lesson earlier. I left for the airport at 2.00 pm. The airport in Bangalore is 50 km from the main city so it took me about 2 hours to reach the airport. So I was 2 hours before my scheduled departure. 3 of my friends joined me and we cleared the check-in. As we waited for the plane to take off, we were told that there was a 40 minute delay and our minds quickly turned back to the previous 3 days. But the plane did take off and we reached Delhi at 10.00 pm. The sight of my home city after 5 months really left me speechless but it was not until I had seen my parents that I believed I had really come home. I had indeed survived the Chennai floods. - Aditya, NVS adityaa007@gmail.com 9
Child's 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
9 Commandments
My hands are small; please don't expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can catch up with you. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely. Don't restrict me unnecessarily. Housework will always be there. I'm little for only a short time - please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly. My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs. Don't nag me all day long. (You wouldn't want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness.) Treat me as you would like to be treated. I am a special gift from God; please treasure me as God intended you to do, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by and disciplining me in a loving manner. I need your encouragement to grow. Please go easy on the criticism; remember, you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I'll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires of me. Please don't do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn't quite measure up to your expectations. I know it's hard, but please don't try to compare me with my brothers and sisters. Please don't be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it's a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special. - Dr. Kevin Leman 10
Leh-Ladakh : My Story Disclaimer: The following story is the journey that I experienced when I visited Leh-Ladakh and every detail that has been mentioned below is to best of my knowledge and to what I was told. Prologue: I had only heard about this place but was never so keen in knowing what this was all about. One day my brother called me and said he was planning a road trip with friends in LehLadakh. I did not agree straight away but took my time in researching about a place before I could tell my decision. I had always wondered how the name of a destination fascinates so many people. Out of curiosity I decided to explore the place. I browsed through few beautiful images and I told myself that it could just be a skilled photography. I went through few blogs, the pictures they posted and I thought to myself that they were lucky to be at the right place at the right time. To my surprise again, amidst all the praises, I had not seen any disappointed traveler’s comment. I discussed with few people I knew and as soon as I mentioned the name of this place their face lit up, smiles blossomed and drew interest in what I was talking. I figured I can have more fun with some company so I checked with my brother and he said it was group of 10. I decided instantly to see the magic myself! What’s with this magical name and a magical destination.Leh! I could not wait anymore to see that place. I prepared to leave with a group of 10 in which I knew only two! Phew! I hoped it better be one hell of a trip. Day 1: Reaching Leh: I decided to fly from Bangalore to Srinagar as we all decided to assemble at Srinagar before we depart to Leh. My group, who 11
were mostly strangers then, arrived about the same time from various parts of the world. Singapore nationals, Chinese nationals and us. My brother was the one who piled this small group of 3 to 10 within no time! As soon as I arrived post noon, I switched my mobile on and I got a call from my brother asking me to board a taxi immediately to Harwan gardens. I did and my adventure started! Paragliding: The first stop was for paragliding. Srinagar tourism has this attraction in paragliding at a place called Harwan Dhara. It’s a small trek up to the gliding point and with help of a licensed tandem you are all set to glide across the scenic beauty of the place. The flight spans about 12 mins and it is worth an experience. En-route to Lamayaru: A Pleasant Interlude I started to Lamayaru straight from Harwan gardens so that I can reach Leh at sunrise. It was a late sunset, I remember because it was 8PM and there was a lot of natural light. The drive was through the cliffs of Kargil and Drass. You can get a glimpse of Amarnath temple on the way from a higher altitude, a bird’s eye view to be precise. It was a tough road and hence it took more time than expected. I had an opportunity to taste Kawah, a famous drink at their locality. I reached Lamayaru around midnight and that’s where I witnessed the first of the many blissful sights in this trip. It was pitch dark and we stopped at a place surrounded by huge mountains and a stream of water running by the side. We turned off the lights of the vehicle to embrace the moment amidst the light from the stars and Moon. Once my pupils got accustomed to the darkness I was able to 12
see the face of the people travelling with me through the moonlit light. It was glowing in silver like radium along with the sound of running water and I don’t think that I will ever be able to forget that sight. Day 2: En-Route to Leh: We took a night off at Lamayaru and witnessed the sunrise between the mountains next day, a classy one like the one we were trained to draw during our childhood days. A sun just between two mountains. Sounds familiar? Yes. Later I started to Leh. Now, this was one hell of a road! It was a neat road where I saw huge mountain on one side and big lake running on the other and the morning! The First challenge: On our way to Leh we stopped near a stream of running water for a break. We noticed that the water was crystal clear and we asked our guide about the stream. He said it was a stream of water flowing directly from glaciers! Our face lit and we stared at the stream. That’s when our guide challenged us that it would be so cold that you cannot get into that stream. We accepted the challenge with open arms. It was hot outside and we thought it would be relaxing to get into cold water. So we suited down and got into the water without expecting much. Just as we jumped it was cold and comforting. A few seconds later we realized we could not feel our legs or our hands! We were freezing! The water that was comforting a while ago was chasing us away to the land. Neither of us won the challenge but all of us had a great time at the stream. We kissed goodbye to the stream and continued our journey. 13
At Leh: Leh is a small city just like any other hill station in India except, I found that the people are honest, genuine and caring. The hospitality of the people at the hotel (Khanghri) where I stayed talks about the character of the whole clan.The first thing that we did there was hire bikes and go shopping. Leh was famous for Pashmira cloth material. Interesting fact about Pashmira is that this is similar to the wool but it is made from Sheep’s facial hair. Lot of souvenirs to grab and take back home. Food is little expensive comparatively because all their resources has to come from Srinagar on daily basis. Leh Palace: Leh palace is not the kind of place that you would expect to see in all preserved palaces of India. Unlike most of the historical palaces this palace was not maintained well by the government. There was no Archaeological wonders in this palace apart from it is a nine storied palace constructed on the top of a hill way back in the history (17thcentury: source wiki). Most of the floors are not accessible. The only commendable point of this palace is that it has got a great view of the city from the top. Dinner: You might be wondering what’s up with dinner! It was certainly one memorable dinner that I had at Leh. It’s a garden restaurant with great ambience during the night. Since I was with a huge gang they had arranged a private place for us. This place was dim lit with candle lights, enclosed with plants. This place did not have traditional tables and chairs. Instead it had floor height tables and bed. It was so comforting. The long table had two flavored hookah’s placed on them and several candles. The food served was 14
authentic and tasted sumptuous, especially the sizzlers. Themed restaurants with good food are hard to find. The only sad part was that I do not recollect the name of this restaurant! Day 3: Gurudwara: The first thing we did the morning was to get ready and hit the road. We went on a ride to a place named Gurudwara- A Sikh temple. It was in between Leh - Kargil highway, around 25kms. It was hot. Yes, Leh was hot as summer! The temple was built in the memory of the Sikh Guru – Guru Nanak Dev. They maintained a custom for all the devotees entering the temple. Every individual had to cover their head with a scarf or a piece of cloth. They provide them at the entrance. The temple was neat and clean and it had a great view of the River Indus. We reached there around noon and felt lucky as we were served langar(a snack). Interesting thing that I noticed there was all those who collected the langar in a plate and a glass washed them thoroughly and returned to the volunteers before they left. I did not understand if it was a custom or a respect to the religion, however I ended up doing the same even though nobody asked me to do. Rafting: Straight from Gurudwara up ahead was a rafting point. It was a river water rafting (Level 4 – considered as rafting on rough streams). They got us suited up and took us to alighting point 20kms away in a jeep. Then the rafting began. It was my first time on a stream so rough and I was a tad nervous. We had an amazing instructor and three lifeguards around our raft in kayaks. The streams were ferocious. We rafted for around 2 hours amidst those violent streams to reach our destination. It was 15
not just the raft that was memorable but through the course we were able to feel the calm valleys, listen to the sound of the wind and the scenic beauty of the place. It was tiring and it burnt all the calories we had built that day but it was certainly fun to play with nature as it is. I say this because I felt something. Just like a baby would trust his dad when he throws him up in the air and then catches him with cautious care, the river threw our raft up in the air multiple times and caught us just as safe as a father does. The point is trust and the fun is assured. It had removed a little fear that I had over rough waters. Of course we owed a big time to the instructor alias our raft captain! Magnetic hill: On the way back to Leh, we stopped at a point which was considered as point where the magnetic field passes through. We wanted to experience it so we halted, turned the ignition off and released the brakes. Our vehicle moved with a considerable speed on a perfectly flat road. We tried the same on a two wheeler but ironically it did not happen. We did not want to question the physics behind it rather we just experienced it back and forth, took a few snaps and left that place. Sangam of Rivers: We came across a point, Sangam. It was the point where the two rivers, Zanskar and Indus confluence. We got to see it only 16
from the top and the confluence was clearly visible. Two rivers from two different streams with two different colors. I was also told that the rivers appear in different color in different seasons. An unexpected adventure: All our earlier ventures were planned. But sometimes you have to accept the unexpected. Yes we had to visit the Leh hospital. Why? I will tell you. On our way back we were losing the daylight and one of our friends slipped on the highway while riding her two wheeler. How she slipped is a long story. Yes, we took her to the hospital and treated her. She fractured her arm. It was hairline and not major injury. I believe Leh hospital is maintained by our Army because the treatment which should have costed a bomb was almost free of cost for us! When the people at Leh were so friendly, imagine the doctors and nurses at the hospital? They made sure that our friend would be ready to continue her vacation without much loss of time.She was so ready the next day and everything post that went as per plan. Day 4: Enroute to Pangong: We started early as we had a long drive ahead of us. One car and few Enfields were our mode of commute. The roads were not expected to be friendly. We were given a heads up so we rode carefully with all the gears on as we were ascending to higher altitudes. Yes the roads were a challenge and lot of frequent land slides happen. If you are wondering why people have to adventure such risky roads, you got to be there to understand why. I do not think I can find words in our dictionary to explain that. Chang La Pass: I think we had to take a small detour from our 17
route to Pangong to reach Chang La pass. It is situated at over 17000 feet above sea level, second highest motorable road in the world. If you are wondering which is the highest motorable road in the world. Wait for the answer. If you are riding even with the gloves on, the hand freezes. It was extremely cold and we halted there to take a break and breathe some air after our tiring journey up. It took us a moment to realize that at such heights the oxygen availability would be less! Phew! However, we had Kahwa and some hot snack and left that place. Pangong: The route to Pangong from Chang La was a bliss. The bikes were descending on smooth roads. Mountains on either side, vast empty fields, people taking their yak for a walk, kids playing on the stream of running water, army camps and many more. No wonder why people would want a road trip on these roads. It was sunny but I did not feel the heat. I always wondered how it would be when a breeze of chill wind blows on your face the same time when the hot sun rays hits you. I experienced it! I was so done! It was another memorable moment that I would cherish for a long time. The Lake was huge! Ink blue in colour at some regions, green at some regions, indigo at some regions with a backdrop a mountain! We did not get into the river like we did earlier because we knew it was not a good idea to get into a freezing river at an altitude of 14000 feet above sea level. We knew we had to spend our night there. So we made necessary arrangements. We hired few tents. I would call it more of a sophisticated tent. It had a double bed with washroom attached! Yes it’s a tent! Then we bought a bat and a ball to kill our evening 18
with some fun. Moreover how many will get an opportunity to play cricket at such altitudes. We were desperately panting for breath yet we continued playing. Once our oxygen levels hit low we got back to our tents and restored some oxygen with help of oxygen tanks that we carried. We then visited a famous point called “The 3 idiots point”. Apparently the climax of the movie was shot there. From Pangong it was a very rough ride to reach that point. However, we did not find it amusing as it was not clean because of frequent visits of tourists who made the place dirtier. We returned back to our tents and it was late evening and we decided to start campfire and sit there for a while. A campfire by the side of a lake. Wow! What’s more in store? We had a great time there talking, gossiping, laughing, teasing, with dinner plates on our hands. I seriously do not remember what we ate on that evening. I did not concentrate on what I ate as I was occupied too much having fun with friends. It was getting colder and so we went back into our tents. We did not want to sleep. At least I did not want to sleep. So I called everybody into one tent and we continued from where we left off. Played, danced, disturbed the hell out of the other tourists and hit the bed at 3AM because we had to start early the next day. Day 5: Back to Leh: We had to go back to Leh to have a rest day because we had another tiring journey ahead of us the next day. So we went back on the same road but however this time we did not touch Chang La. We reached Leh at noon and we crashed in our rooms for the day. We needed this timeout as we were shedding the energy out of us without proper rest. I got up in the evening and found few were still refusing to relax. And we argued and they won. We agreed to visit some local tourist spot and started immediately. 19
Shanthi Stupa: Shanthi stupa was a Buddhist monastery built on top of the hill. None of us had energy to climb the hill on foot so we drove up. It was nothing short of a monument! History says it was a huge tomb built by the Japanese Buddhist. Nevertheless because it was built at such high altitude we got an epic view of Leh. So green, so deserted and so beautiful. Spent the rest of the evening shopping and spending some quality time back at the hotel over dinner. As we were a group of different racisms we were never short of topics to talk upon. Famous dish at Leh is called Thukpa. A dish made with noodles. Leh did not have any theaters! They did not have much knowledge about Indian Cinema. No wonder they are so happy. Day6: Buckle up to Nubra Valley: Our plan was to reach Nubra valley through Khardhung La pass. We started in the morning as we were expecting bad roads. We did not want to hurry either as we had to respect our body fitness. We did not want to sacrifice our spines to the road. So our ascending journey though the rocky roads started. Khardhung La Pass: It was the most famous pass in the world because it was the highest possible motorable road in the world! Situated at the altitude of over 18500 feet above sea level, reaching Khardung La is a notable accomplishment a biker can make. It is certainly an accomplishment as you are literally at the top of the world. 20
Covered in ice and dense air it was not advisable for tourists to stay for a long time here at this point. We came across a small restaurant there that served only snickers, tea and noodles! We never knew till that moment that our Maggie tasted so good. We were served hot Maggie straight from the burner and we shoved it in as if it was not hot at all. My tongue craved for more Maggie and I ended up having three! It was high time for us to bounce from that place as we were finding hard to breathe. Diskit Monastery: On our way down to Nubra valley, we took a detour to visit Diskit Monastery. It was another Buddhist monastery around Leh which was close to be called a monument. I am not going to go through the history that I learnt at this place but I wonder how we never read about places such as this!! This had 105 foot Statue of Maitreya Buddha facing down towards Pakistan built in the middle of a valley at such high altitude. Nubra Valley: We saw greenery around Leh town, then snow around Khardhung La, then came across huge streams of water at such high altitudes, a vast dry land and then now at Nubra we reached a Desert! Nubra is a desert near Leh which bears the sand dunes and double humped camels as its major attraction. Unlike other deserts, this place has water stream running around as well. 21
There aren’t many places in this world with the sand dunes and river combo. It is situated at an altitude of 10000 feet above sea level. We decided to hire tents again at a resort and to our surprise we found similar sophisticated tents like the ones we found at Pangong. Shooting Stars: There were not many tourists apart from us who halted at that place for the night so the resort typically became our adda (private area). We came out of the tents and it was dark and we just looked up to find lots of stars. We liked the view so we comforted ourselves at the garden and kept staring at the skies cooking stories about planets and aliens. To my surprise I saw something burning in the sky and it lasted only for a fraction of a second. Couple of my friends had seen the same and we could not identify what it was. We continued staring and after few seconds we saw a star burning and shooting! Everyone unanimously shouted “A shooting star�. We were so happy that we witnessed a shooting star in our lives, something we had seen only in the movies. Later as we were discussing the beauty of it, another shot burnt right across in the sky. We were bouncing in joys making wishes like kids! Then another one, another one a while later and more. We saw one every 5 minutes and we were all thrilled beyond limits. It burns and shoots straight for 5 to 6 seconds and then disappears. Some even for a lesser time. Scary Night: Then we collected our buffet dinner and we sat across the bonfire. The dinner was mouth wateringly sumptuous. We had a great fun time around the bonfire and since it was dark we decide to share few haunting stories that we 22
knew and after a while the ambience scared the crap out of us and we crashed into bed later. By ambience I meant it was at dawn, dark, fire burning out, few wild dogs approaching us howling in the dark and yes no shame in saying we were scared whatsoever. Day 7: Back to Srinagar: We almost lost count of the days we spent, however it was time to head back to Leh. After the blissful night we had we headed back through the same route to Leh. We reached Leh by noon and packed our stuff and kissed goodbye to Leh and started to Srinagar sooner as we had to reach Srinagar before the midnight. Kargil: On our way back we halted at Kargil war memorial. The soldiers told about all the history that we did not know and about all the history that were told otherwise. The soldiers who were stationed at the memorial were happy to serve the nation and they did not portray a glimpse of disappointment about missing their families. For them it was the nation that came first. On our exit I realized why. There was the answer for all our questions written on the memorial entrance, “When you go home, tell them of us and say that for your tomorrow we gave our today.� Day 8: Srinagar: The adventure at Leh may be over but it was still on at this place. We reached at midnight and rested at a hotel for the night. The next day morning we went to Dal Lake. We hired a boat 23
and went to visit the floating market. This is a market that is situated on the lake on several boat houses. We have to de board at every boat house, shop and then board again to go to the next shop. Sometimes shopkeepers rows smaller boats and comes to you to make a sale. The skipper who row the boat sang us Kashmiri songs on our way back to the dock. It was certainly a new experience for all of us. The Climax: We went back straight to the airport picking some souvenirs and most importantly the memories that we would cherish for years to come. When I started this journey I wanted to see why it was a magic. I had covered only one half of the beauty of Leh in the time that I had and from what I experienced I would say yes it was magical Indeed! - Vinod Thopalli tvinod.ramprasad@gmail.com
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Rearrange the Letters and be surprised DILIP VENGSARKAR When you rearrange the letters you get A SPARKLING DRIVE PRINCESS DIANA When you rearrange the letters END IS A CAR SPIN MONICA LEWINSKY When you rearrange the letters NICE SILKY WOMAN DORMITORY When you rearrange the letters: DIRTY ROOM ASTRONOMER When you rearrange the letters: MOON STARER DESPERATION When you rearrange the letters: A ROPE ENDS IT THE EYES When you rearrange THEY SEE And for the grand finale MOTHER-IN-LAW When you rearrange WOMAN HITLER... 25
Life in General Quips & Quotes •
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Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be; because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want in life. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time. Always put yourself in another's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably does hurt that person, too. A careless word may kindle strife; A cruel word may wreck a life; A timely word may level stress; A loving word may heal and bless. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way. Any man who is afraid of failure will never win! Any man who is afraid to die, will never really live!" -- General George Patton Your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you. Credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being. The people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon. Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. Learn to relax and give yourself ample quality time with someone special. Selected by : T. A. Prashanth Kumar nofearpras@gmail.com 26
From the young at heart
Life Skills Why even after we try we are not able to get what we want. What is that we are missing? Why do we give up or end up with accepting life as it is? Stand still. We have the skills and the power but we do not have the knowledge to apply it correctly. Just like driving, for example I know driving but I should know how to use my driving skill according to the situation. The car is in my control. My focus should be in my hand. If we give the control to the other drivers or situation we get into trouble. Control is internal, but we always blame external reasons. We are constantly dependant on outer environment. We are happy when someone else sees it or praises it. We depend on external reasons which also mean we do not want to work hard. We should think internally, how to change our way of finding resources to be happy. For this we do not need to work hard, instead we should work smart. This is our control to make us feel good (just like driving). Focus on ourselves. 100% concentration is required. That is the purpose of life. Feel good and feel happy. Thought Management: We need self esteem. The effect of mind on body and the effect of food on our body are very important issues. Keep practice of these skills. Then we can feel good and feel happy. - Durga Avari durgaavari@hotmail.com (Source : Brahmakumari Speeches) 27
The Teacher - Student Bonding The emotional bondage between Guru and Sishya is as strong and noble as the one between child and its mother. Mother is the first guru of any child and the teacher should become second mother of the child in guiding it and teaching it with utmost love and care. Just as the child learns the basics from the mothers touch, feel, mood and sound and grows up imitating the mother’s gestures, expressions and attitudes, the day it starts school the teacher becomes the centre of all the activities and thoughts of the child. We come into contact with many people from birth to adulthood. Some of them may have influence on our personality. But all these people cannot be called our teachers. Only those who make a lasting impression on the mind of learners may deserve to be called "Gurus". A Guru is not just an embodiment of knowledge but a great human being capable of bestowing love, affection, sympathy and understanding on the child. Here let us underline the word child, a real teacher always remembers his students not collectively as the taught but as children with individual identities. So while handling children a teacher can be stern when necessary but deal with them with great love and affection respecting their individual difficulties and capabilities. Remember, a wonderful pot of kindling material waiting to be kindled by that particular spark called 'Teacher'. It is the noble responsibility of all the teachers to be discharged with utmost devotion and commitment. 28
When such teacher enters the class room, the whole atmosphere is charged with electrifying expectations from the students. Their shining eyes and smiling faces and eager nods are the rewards reaped by the teachers. No amount of material wealth can replace this sincere and spontaneous response from the students. I am sure most of us used to be such students blessed to be taught by such great teachers. A real emotional bond between the learner and the teacher is possible only when the love and affection shown by the teacher is reciprocated by the taught. Students should have respect for the teachers and obey all the instructions and commands of the teacher with unflinching faith in the teacher. These days we find students behaving impertinently with the teacher finding the easy excuses of incompetence. It is actually the sacred trust in the teacher that brings blessings to the student community while the hurt feelings of the teachers obviously become hurdles to their progress. Just as student level of capabilities differ teachers are no exception to this malady. Both should not target and insult each other on this point. You only get what you give others. A student is blessed to have come under the wings of a good teacher. But a teacher is twice blessed to have had the opportunity to teach eager, enthusiastic and obedient students. Just as a teacher leaves indelible marks on the personality of students, many a student teaches his/her teachers on the finer aspects of human values. We are fortunate to have been born in the land of masters like Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Gautama Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and great disciples like Swami Vivekananda, Vinoba Bhave. Let us strive to perpetuate the mutually enriching tradition of Guru – sishya relationship. - T. Subbalakshmi (Retd. Headmistress, NKV Higher Secondary School, Rajahmundry) 29
Role of elders in the present day society (How society changed from elder enabled to elder disabled) With changing times, social living is undergoing rapid changes. Social, cultural and behavioural systems of the past that gave special identity of glory & pride to our living are fast changing without any stabilization. There is a glaring contrast from conventional systems that existed for long in the past to fastchanging happenings of present in every bit of our living. There is a phenomenal change in our living pattern after India became independent. Increase in population is causing threat to many of our social systems, beliefs, behaviours and practices. The cohesive structure of mankind starting from children to adults and finally to elders is no longer same. Every adult turns out be an elder in course of time. In the past joint family living was considered to be a boon to the society. All members of the family starting from great grandparents to children lived under one roof which might be consisting of a group of families. No member of these families felt either elders or others in the family as a threat for their living. Elder members were nurturing values and timely advices adhering to traditions as they grew old giving up their earning. Younger generation took up the responsibility of supporting families emulating values and respecting elders as well as heeding to their advices. 30
Elders spent their time with children of all families living under one shelter not only developed good habits by teaching values of life but also were loved, respected and cared. Good habits for healthy living got induced due to the involvement of elders. All family members stayed with strong family ties with mutual respect loving and caring for each other. The frequent need for doctors or hospitalization or constant medication was not felt required. The proverb of “Live and Let Live” was in perfect order where there is little scope for selfishness, greed or jealousy or non-tolerance. Elders used to practice their respective spiritual duties of faith as role models of society. There used to be minimum communal tensions and people of all faiths lived respecting each faith. Recently I had been to Punjab and to the borders of India &Pakistan. I was astonished to see how people from all faiths fought for independence and even sacrificed their lives. Great martyrs like Bhagat Singh shed their life at a prime age and many martyrs at Jalianwalabagh reflect how the society existed cohesively. People from all faiths in all age groups fought for freedom of India. Elders led the movement emulating the younger generation. Thus elders were the icons of every family reflecting respective virtues of families. Every elder was a role model to their family. That is why the society remembers the departed elders offering special prayers every year to remember their services and remind the younger generation to emulate their virtues and acknowledge. Broadly elders played crucial role such as: • Sustained and nurtured family values and customs • Guided families for virtuous living • Inculcated healthy/clean habits of living and respecting others • Rendered timely advices for all situations • Played a sheet anchor role in family issues 31
• • •
Encouraged living with contentment and satisfaction Loved and got loved by every family member and Families got due recognition from elders Today, unfortunately the social fabric of society changed beyond reason. No elder of the past, if they are alive would agree or appreciate with present day changes in our social system. The struggle for living better than others gave up joint family system. Nuclear families came up breaking away from joint families. Elders have been left to their fate.I know many cases where very well placed sons hesitated to perform last rites of their parents with reasonable dignity as per their faith while their parents struggled and sacrificed their life to provide quality education. One can imagine how their attitude influences their children in turn!!!! Struggle for survival made the adult couples took up jobs dreaming for better living of family and children. Children are sent to best possible schools with a sole aim of getting better careers mostly in foreign countries or in multinationals in spite of their limited earnings. Present day children are more intelligent than the past generation and so are able to get better careers. They in turn would look for working partners. Thus the purpose of value based old joint family system got reduced to nuclear materialistic value lost society undermining values or traditions. Today medical science advanced so much that there are multispeciality hospitals luring all not to fear for any disease. There are host of opportunities to meet any medical expense though it is impossible to get a crying shoulder from near or dear. Elders are becoming unwanted species in the society be it rural or urban. Rural living is getting tougher day by day as everything is non- remunerative right from agriculture to other careers. Although our happy living of past has been amended for secular living the caste based system is getting deep rooted for only living opportunities. The limited tenure of reservations for those 32
who were not a part of developed society got extended beyond reason to many. Economic status is no more a criteria. And the only objective today is to live earning money somehow at any cost. Obviously the value based living lost its place because of lop sided priorities. Living opportunities underwent such a transformation that value based living is least preferred since it does not ensure or enhance the materialistic aspects of livelihood. Today media, politics and exploitation are in driving seat. All are under severe stress with evolving hope of changes in future. Youth lost faith in the past system and are aimlessly looking for any opportunity seeking short pleasures or relief. Rapes, molestations and marital problems are in the increase. Youth of today are highly reactive, emotional and radicalised with no pro-activity or appreciation to past systems. Elders find themselves displaced from the system and many elders prefer old age homes than staying with children as their participation is not preferred. Families no longer enjoy the love or affection due to the struggle for survival. There is hardly any difference between right and wrong today. As an elder I feel uncomfortable to see such degradation in present values and lack of pride towards our cultural heritages in our society. Instead of supporting elders seeking their valuable guidance/blessings, every one prefers to visit temples doing business prayers offering money .Many temples are coming up to address materialistic gains than bring reformation in spiritual or cultural outlook. The need for elders is not felt with increase in temples, media channels, spiritual speakers, internet etc. Celebrating festivals is more for pomp or show for being recognized than for enhancing inner core values. There could be some exception in some parts of the country. It is a challenging task to take the system back to earlier values. But conscious elders should not lose hope or give up their responsibilities. Ups and downs in values should be objectively recognised. 33
Senior citizen forums need to be more active in society to bring back lost values find their due place with necessary improvements as per present conditions. Sometimes the so called secular living might dampen the efforts. Every one in the society should be encouraged to do an honest soul searching as to how much of materialistic living would assist over value based living. Elders should visit academic institutes to impress on students why values are needed and how value based living gives peace, mental satisfaction and assist for better health as compared to race for money to get short time physical pleasures and get in to long term health problems. Elders should impress on how value based living ensures compassion and kindness to all beings for peaceful living and in turn protect environment from degradation. Today there is a need to nurture harmony in the community finding simple solutions involving elders. I am an optimist to see good times to come soon. Involvement from all sections of society requires participation for a comprehensive analysis with workable solutions. - N.S.S. Prasad nssicrisatin@gmail.com
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A Nonagenraian Speaks Keep an open mind on any subject, be it society of which you are a part or the traditions and customs you are heir to or the persons you need to deal with from time to time: do not allow conclusions and convictions rule your view of life. Open mind which is ever ready to see that which it had not seen until then will make one happy. Let religious discourses as also Richard Dawkins be subjects of your reflections. Do not run away from Upanishads nor should you refuse to yield ground to basic biological facts. Both contain cores of irrefutable truth. DNA and its tyranny is not to be discounted even as you contemplate on the continuum of space outside and inside of your body. Once you see this confluence of facts, scientific and philosophical, I am sure you have the key to happiness. By happiness, I do not mean meeting the cravings of the body: I mean the happiness that comes from the knowledge that you are as much a part of the world as the world is part of yourself – the continuity of the interior and exterior. You are the cosmos organised from the chaos. You realise every other cosmic organisation, like yourself is born out of a chaos, which is the finality of all – only to re-emerge in another cosmic form. Every man, indeed everything in Nature, animate and inanimate, terrestrial and celestial - is part of a huge archipelago in the ocean of time. Every member of this archipelago is connected to every other member of the system: the sustenance and survival of each is dependent upon the sustenance and survival of every other unit in the archipelago. Viewed this way, 35
horology is an acceptable basis to explain the differences in the life-style of each one of us. These differences are determined at the cosmic as well as molecular levels. One speaks of planetary influence as well as of DNA while reviewing the way or course of life, - be it of man or of dog. Even a plant’s specificity in respect of where it grows is probably karmic. It is difficult to dismiss this view point as fanciful or wholly imaginary. The cause-effect relationship is part of horological relationship, i.e. it is also karmic. Am I being too reactionary, irrational? Perhaps. Why not? This archipelago hypothesis is further strengthened when we see connection between El Niùo and onset and magnitude of monsoon, an undersea volcanic eruption and tsunami and an Arabian dust storm and hazing of Mumbai sky. Surely, there are several more such connections, which look farfetched but which are indeed related to one another. So why discount predictions based upon horoscopes which speak of your birth and death through a stretch in the time-space continuum? Put all these together alongside the thermodynamic law of conservation of mass and energy, Punarjanma (rebirth) theory takes on a plausible hue. - Prof. K.N. Rao
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Happiness is What you are This story is about a beautiful, expensively dressed lady who complained to her psychiatrist that she felt that her whole life was empty, it had no meaning. So, the lady went to visit a counselor to seek out happiness. The counselor called over the old lady who cleaned the office floors. The counselor then said to the rich lady "I'm going to ask Mary here to tell you how she found happiness. All I want u to do is listen to her." So the old lady put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story: "Well, my husband died of malaria and three months later my only son was killed by a car. I had nobody. I had nothing left. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of taking my own life. Then one evening a little kitten followed me home from work. Somehow I felt sorry for that kitten. It was cold outside, so I decided to let the kitten in. I got some milk, and the kitten licked the plate clean. Then it purred and rubbed against my leg and, for the first time in months, I smiled. Then I stopped to think, if helping a little kitten could make me smile, may be doing something for people could make me happy. So, the next day I baked some biscuits and took them to a neighbor who was sick in bed. Every day I tried to do something nice for someone. It made me so happy to see them happy. Today, I don't know of anybody who sleeps and eats better than I do. I've found happiness, by giving it to others." 37
When she heard this, the rich lady cried. She had everything that money could buy, but she had lost the things which money cannot buy. "The beauty of life does not depend on how happy you are; but on how happy others can be because of you..." Happiness is not a destination, it's a journey. Happiness is not tomorrow, it is now. Happiness is not dependency, it is a decision. Happiness is what you are, not what you have.. Smiling face with smiling eyes It is such a beautiful message. So simple but such a meaningful solution to happiness in life. Smiling face with smiling eyes. HAVE YOU GOT SMILING EYES Smile. Your eyes sparkle when you do. - T.Anand Kumar kumar_ak90@yahoo.com
A thought provoking message The son decides to admit the father in an old age home. He brings his father in the car to an old age home. The receptionist gives different choices like TV, AC, Veg./Non-Veg, etc. Father says No TV, AC, etc. Son goes out to bring luggage from car. The wife calls up to check whether all fine. And, also insists that father need not come home even for festivals. The orphanage founder appears and talks to the old man. Son wonders and asks him whether he knows his father before; as they were talking as though they knew each other. The orphanage founder says...YES! “He came here 30 years back and took with him an orphan boy in adoption.� Son was stunned ...............flushed face! - TAK 38
Poetry :
Life is one, yet memories are many - Dr. Dhenuvakonda Srirama Murty While immersing the shroud in In river Krishna I hear the sound of body leaving All memories that my father had left Surround me at once A life without desires He never begged anyone Never cheated anyone Never surrendered to anyone A Life with sorrow He always sought painless death The death of a great sage My father Who turned my childhood’s tide Consciously or unconsciously At an unknown stage Made me aware Of a life that is meaningful When I began to know myself Mother was no more Crying alone My heart burnt With dreams of experience Ever in helpless sorrow‌ Life is one 39
Yet memories are many The time when body becomes bodiless My father’s funeral procession With a hope for resurrection I cry my heart out Nanna, Oh Nanna That‘s the last salutation! Life is one Yet memories are many. Translated from Telugu by: Prof(r.) R.S.G.Rao raorsg@gmail.com Dr Dhenuvakonda Srirama Murty by profession is an Ayurvedic Doctor, by inclination a Telugu litterateur. He writes poems, short stories and novels. As a poet he won international recognition and participated in Sahitya Akademi delegations where he read out some of his poems.
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Jokes
Medical History Joke
Due to a job transfer, Brian moved from his hometown to New York City. Being that he had a very comprehensive health history, he brought along all of his medical paperwork, when it came time for his first check up with his new Doctor. After browsing through the extensive medical history, the Doctor stared at Brian for a few moments and said, ” Well there’s one thing I can say for certain, you sure look better in person than you do on paper!”
Old Age Joke An Old man went to the doctor complaining of a terrible pain in his leg. “I am afraid it’s just old age”, replied the doctor, “there is nothing we can do about it.” “That can’t be” fumed the old man, “you don’t know what you are doing.” “How can you possibly know I am wrong?” countered the doctor. “Well it’s quite obvious,” the old man replied, “my other leg is fine, and it’s exactly of the same age!
High Blood Pressure When a physician remarked on a new patient’s extraordinarily ruddy complexion, he said, “High blood pressure, Doc. It comes from my family.” “Your mother’s side or your father’s?” I asked. 41
“Neither,” he replied. “It’s from my wife’s family.” “Oh, come now,” I said. “How could your wife’s family give you high blood pressure?” He sighed. “You must meet her sometime, Doc!”
How to Get Home An overweight Women consulted her doctor for advice. The doctor advised that she run ten miles a day for thirty days. This, he promised, would help her lose as many as twenty pounds. The women followed the doctor’s advice, and, after thirty days, she was pleased to find that she had indeed lost the pesky twenty pounds. She phoned the doctor and thanked him for the wonderful advice which produced such effective results. At the end of the conversation, however, she asked one last question: “How do I get home, since I am now 300 miles away?”
I Can cure that A man went to see his doctor because he was suffering from a miserable cold. His doctor prescribed some pills, but they didn’t help.On his next visit the doctor gave him a shot, but that didn’t do any good. On his third visit the doctor told the man to go home and take a hot bath. As soon as he was finished bathing he was to throw open all the windows and stand in the draft. ”But doc,” protested the patient, “if I do that, I’ll get pneumonia.””I know,” said his physician. “I can cure pneumonia.”
Kids Joke Did you hear about the two little kids in a hospital who were lying next to each other? The first kid leans over and asked, 42
"What are you in here for?" The second kid said," I'm in here to get my tonsils out and I'm a little nervous." The first kid said," You've got nothing to worry about, I had that done to me once. They put you to sleep and when you wake up they give you lots of Jell-O and ice cream. It's a piece of cake!" The second kid then asked, "What are you in here for?" The first kid responded, "Well, I'm here for a circumcision." The second kid said, "Whoa! I had that done when I was born. I couldn't walk for a year!"
26 or 62 ! A woman walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look," she said. "What's your secret for a long happy life?" "I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day," he said. "I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat fatty foods, and never exercise." "That's amazing," the woman said. "How old are you?" "Twenty-six," he said. - Cartoons: Ramki
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Role Model :
Vemparala Suryakantham Vemparala Sureedu Mammagaru – everybody in Chikkalavari Street in Kakinada call her that way affectionately. Her name brings back to my mind the short statured cheerful charming lady oozing love for the humanity as a whole. Instantly my heart swelled with pleasure as old world charm of pure, innocent love and affection engulfed me and overwhelmed me. I must take you on a virtual visit to her house to understand and appreciate my feelings. The other day, when my elder sister and cousin came to visit us in Rajahmundry, my sister suggested that we should visit mamma garu as she is getting to be 91 and has become too feeble to travel anymore. That sort of shocked me as I still remember her as an ever exuberant and bubbly old lady. We called her over phone to inform her that we would be visiting her. She received the call with great joy and invited us for lunch on a Saturday. When we reached her house, she was waiting at the gate to receive us with a huge smile, tightly holding the walking stick with one of her tenants standing behind her to offer support. We walked into her portion of the house. She has divided her tiled house into four portions, let out three and staying in one all alone. Her niece from Rajahmundry came to see her as mamma garu had a bout of viral fever. When we enquired about her health, mamma said that she is now quite alright and expressed her joy at our visit. Mamma garu scolded us for coming late. We said we visited the Shakthi peetham at Pithapuram on her way. 44
Her niece complainingly said that she was not allowed to cook the food for us as mamma garu likes to cook the meal and make the offering to the God before serving the guests. She appreciated her niece’s help in getting things ready for her to cook. “Don’t think I am all alone. I need not have to worry about anything. Though I cannot climb up and down the steps and go out of the house, I can manage very well sitting in the three rooms of the house. My tenants help me in getting whatever I need. Why, while cooking today for you, the gas was over and just a phone call and my former tenant brought one for me.” Such is the goodwill she has earned. Some of her tenants visit her regularly and have tea and snacks prepared by her. She proudly said how all her previous tenants moved to their own houses, their children became doctors and engineers etc. “I have a wonderful servant maid,” she said. The highlight of our visit was the big bash, the lunch. Mamma garu let her niece set the banana leaves on the floor and serve the food the traditional way. Then Mamma garu took over as she did not like her niece obliging us by serving small portions of the dishes. In spite of our horrified protests, mamma garu started dishing out the items with such loving care that we actually ended up eating double the quantity. And the menu – tamato dal, stuffed brinjal curry, mixed vegetable sambar, bajji, chutney, nimma karam, fried butter milk dipped red chillies, curd, sweet boondi, all her preparation. When it was time for us to leave she insisted that we stay back for some more time. Sensing that she needs rest but will not take that until we leave, we decided to bid good bye. She did not leave us till we took tea along with ginger pakodas and minapa sunni laddu, a sweet delicacy. It was a lesson in hospitality. Everything she served was not only made by her but also has an excellent accompaniment called love. After capturing her image in our smart phones and stuffing her memories in our mind we finally bid good bye. At 91, with strong will power to carry on all alone and with empathy towards fellow beings, Sureedu mamma garu is a fine example for ‘as you give you get’ and a role model. - N.S. Lakshmi 45
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Random Thoughts
I
have a friend, self made businessman. A successful one at that and when everything was going the right way, he fell into some kind of a booby trap laid by one of his ‘trusted’ employee. Since that person also helped the company grow the friend was more generous and doled out incentives. Nothing wrong but what went wrong was bestowing absolute control of the company to that person which resulted in other hard working and honest employees quitting, unable to tolerate the new undeclared ‘boss’s high handedness. The reason for that person to behave like that was insecurity. Initially that person was affable, friendly with everybody. The power brought in insecurity and hence the changed behaviour which resulted in many employees leave. For this and other reasons, the once flourished company is now in dole drums leaving the businessman friend in shambles. Now he has to start from the basics. We read in History lessons how and why great empires were ruined. We don’t learn lessons from them. We just read them as part of academic curriculum.
I
wonder why people are so greedy. No doubt, one should lead a comfortable life and earn the means for that. But beyond that point acquiring wealth seems meaningless. Some people are laudable as they utilize such wealth for the benefit of the society and the downtrodden. They are worthy citizens of the country and we salute them. Some despite being self sufficient and their children well settled in life still long to acquire more for them instead of being happy with what they have in their twilight years. They are among the greedy lot. In whatever profession they are in. We think we own the land we bought, as per the legal parameters created by us, yes it belongs to us on paper. But do we really own it. It is a kind of lease till 47
we last in this world and later on till our scions last as we ‘bequeath’ it to them. But do they own it? When our body itself is not ours, as finally it merges with the ‘panchabhuthas,’ the five elements or life forces of the universe, we own nothing, only our ‘karma.’ If this realisation dawns greed disappears.
L
ast week I was made to believe that I am living in primitive era. Not owning a smart phone and in what’s App group. I realised that I do not anymore belong to a set of my relatives and friends as I do not converse with them through that medium. For that matter I rarely visit the Face Book account which I have thanks to one of my nephew’s who created it as he felt I should not lag behind. Despite this I did lag behind as I did not have what’s app and am not a regular visitor to FB. I forgot to wish another nephew on his birthday which fell on Jan 4. Previously family members used to phone and say, ‘today is so and so’s birthday did you wish?’ Such reminders are very rare now, thanks to modern gadgets and technology. A week after I lazily browsed FB and found his birthday was celebrated. When I mentioned this to a cousin, all I got was, ‘ Oh you are not in what’s app. Buy a smart phone now and get connected.” Otherwise I will be left out of the census it seems! - M. L. Narasimham mlnarasimham1@gmail.com
Acknowledgement : Some time ago, my nephew Prabhu Patruni forwarded me an SMS received from his friend Sri Venkateswara Rao, Hyderabad which reads: “Mixed Bag recollects my childhood. It’s look alike of Chandamama (for the aged) and Malgudi Days. My special thanks to MLN and to those who supported him for publishing this book. Hope to be ‘big bang’ of future publications.” My thanks to him. I must thank senior consultant & interventional cardiologist Dr. A.L. Narayanan, M.D., D.M., Vijaya Hospital, Chennai for his appreciation of ‘Mixed Bag’ books. I am indebted to my boss Sri B. Viswanatha Reddi for helping me to shape up my journalistic career. - M.L. Narasimham 48
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