HAIRY tales

I have a cool hairstyle (see my pic on this page – yes, thats me:) ). But not all are as lucky, like for example YOU. Ever seen yourself in the mirror? It will tell horror stories of enduring you..

Hairstyles are of many types. Some can be changed, some you have to live with. Laloo`s hairstyle for example

I have another friend who is my badminton doubles partner – his hair doesn’t tire standing all year long , defying gravity!!

For some people (especially ladies), having waist-length, thick straight hair and an oval face is not enough. They want to know if curling their hair (and some exactly the opposite – straightening the curly hair) would suit their oval face! Try changing the shape of the face once, dear ladies…

For some people, change is automatic. Their hairstyles change automatically…simple - they start losing their hair.

There was this friend of mine who would ask me: “I have started losing hair in the front. It’s not receding, but thinning. You know anything I can do?”

“Big deal,” I said.

But he would not buy my argument….he insisted that it was a major concern and was even affecting his professional life. When asked how, he would say: “Earlier, when I would make a point, my lady boss used to listen attentively, now she just dismisses my view point as OUTDATED ”.

Another automatic change is from dry hair-to-oily hair. A neighbor once asked my mother: “When I shampoo, my hair become dry.”

“Obviously,” said my mom.

The neighbor would not let go…”But after four days time, my hair becomes oily again. I don`t apply oil at all.”

I wanted to barge in and suggest that she probably had an oil well in her head(tell this to Reliance – and they will drill a hole into her head and extract the oil) – something she could exploit for commercial gains, but I held myself back.

My mother replied: “Change your shampoo. Maybe it takes away all the oil your scalp produces. Start using a conditioner to keep your hair moist.” It was quite a profound answer.

The surprising thing is…the older you get the more concerned you are about your hair. And we thought…it was being Indian to give up all worldly possessions as you age. How many times, we have seen people whom we know are all grey…decked up as Dev Anands, thanks to Godrej hair dye?

There are some who completely transform from NO hair to ALL hair. Rajnikant is one great exponent of this art. He does look GOOD in his wigs and actually makes him the superstar that he is.He also has the guts to come out open in the public with a bald plate,that talks of his unassuming nature.

Talking of wigs, I dearly wish to see how the great Amitabh would actually look without his trademark wig(some people still don’t believe he wears one – poor souls).

Hair raising tales of different nature next time – hair on the ears..ugghhh…

My Sona's birthday - poem dedicated...

To my dearest wife SONA

This is my way of thanking YOU,

A woman who I think I always KNEW,

What a big difference you have made to my LIFE

I am proud to say that you are my WIFE

You take care of everything without feeling any PAIN

I feel so happy to see you make others happy and dance in RAIN

What more can I ask from GOD

To give you as my wife,I can only thank the LORD

Today is my Sona’s BIRTHDAY

“I love you” are the only three words I can SAY

                                                                        Your Loving Husband

                                                                                    Krishna/Kittu

Why do people fast ?

The types of fasts that I am aware of are mentioned below -

Health Fasts- With health fasts, one usually has intakes of fresh juice, fruits for a period of time to cleanse the body from all the toxins that had built up in it. This is a way of giving some “time-out” to our internal digestive organs which are really over-worked with the junk food, odd hours of eating, stress  that we usually have.

Then, there  are  people(from the entertainment/fashion world) who stretch this beyond limits.

Prime examples of this are actresses/models/wags(Kareena / Victoria Beckham to name a few) who are or have been  obsessed with “size-zero”. Anorexic and weak looking – are the side-effects…

Spiritual Fasts – Almost all the religions in this world have given significance to spiritual fasts –the Navratri fast, Ramazan fast,the Lent fast and so on.

For the spiritual fasts, it is a path to control the senses, desires and provide you an opportunity to connect to God. In a spiritual fast, you have a “time-out” from the strong desire of eating rich and tasty food. It is a matter of controlling   that desire and channelize your thoughts towards “food for the soul”.

 It helps in establishing a harmonious relationship between the body and the soul. This is thought to be imperative for the well- being of a human being as it nourishes both his/her physical and spiritual demands.

Fasting is not only a part of worship, but a great instrument for self-discipline too. It is a training of the mind and the body to endure and harden up against all hardships, to persevere under difficulties and not give up

Again, keeping spiritual fasts is not about only eating simple food throughout the day, it is also about the way you think, conduct and act. It is the time to introspect and search for the right path towards attaining spiritual balance that the mind and the soul desires.

A Non-Violent Protest

From a matter of dietary control, fasting has come to be a handy tool of societal control. It is a non-violent form of protest. A hunger strike can draw attention to a grievance and can bring about an emendation or redress. It is interesting to note that it was Mahatma Gandhi who used fasting to capture people's attention.

Mahatma Gandhi then and Anna Hazare now have also used the process of fasting as a medium to highlight their concern/viewpoint to the public in general.This is a way to bring in awareness on an issue that needs immediate attention of the administration and the public. People who have dedicated their lives to the cause of building a strong nation,improving  people’s quality of life and society in general have used fasting as a means to give impetus to such movements.

Fellow-Feeling

Finally, the pangs of hunger that one experiences during fasting make one think and extend one's sympathy towards the destitute who often go without food. In this context, fasting functions as a societal gain wherein people share with each other a fellow feeling. Fasting provides an opportunity for the privileged to give food-grains to the less privileged and alleviate their distress, at least for the moment.

My views – Fasts are something that a man has created for himself because he has not been successful in managing his health – physical and spiritual.

My question is - Can we lead the life of a person who has no desires and is content with what he has? Who is that person? That person according to me is called – A Happy Person!!

Its human nature to desire more, acquire more, spend more, then worry more and then again desire more, acquire more…this is a vicious cycle that weakens your health. This cycle needs to be broken. Who will break it? It is we who   have to identify this cycle within ourselves and then get enough courage, strength and the will to break this cycle.

Then, will we still require to fast?? I don’t think the answer is YES..

Bharat Ratna – the first sportsman to get - WHO???

I was following with great interest the  recent clamour that the rules for awarding Bharat Ratna be modified to include sportspersons too so that our batting sensation Sachin Tendulkar can be awarded the nation’s highest civilian award.

Who gets Bharat Ratna?

This is the highest civilian award in India, awarded for the highest degree of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service” of the highest order. I will just reproduce(source – Wikepedia) some of the luminaries who have got this award -

·       Mother Teresa, C.V.Raman, S.Radhakrishnan, Amartya Sen, Bismilla Khan, M.S.Subbalakshmi, Bhimsen Joshi just to name a few…

·       Nelson Mandela – only foreign recipient

·       Some undeserving according to me – obviously politicians – MGR(I was surprised that he got it),Rajiv Gandhi,Indira Gandhi…

Now coming back to sportsmen getting this award and the hoopla surrounding Sachin being the first recipient, I have my views on this.

I too am a fan of Sachin ,who has provided joy to millions of Indians, indeed the world, with his sublime batting. More than that, I admire at the manner in which he has handled himself in this immense public scrutiny that the Indian press and viewers subjected him to. No reports or allegations on his personal and professional behaviour in his twenty odd years of international cricket have emerged(in public domain)...

However, despite all these great things attributed to Sachin, I am still unconvinced that if indeed the rules of the game are changed to include sportspersons, Sachin should be the first in the line to get the award.

The one name that comes to mind immediately is that of our hockey great Major Dhyan Chand.  Whether you are a hockey lover or not, anyone who claims to be a sports lover would, or should, know about Dhyan Chand. He was instrumental in the country winning three successive Olympic Gold medals in hockey - 1928, Amsterdam; 1932, Los Angeles and 1936, Berlin. Such was his mastery when the sport was indeed India’s national game, that there are tales of people travelling from different countries to just watch him play a game of 70 minutes.

And while there are many fans who travel to see Sachin’s batting, Dhyan Chand’s accomplishments and stories are already part of the sporting folklore. Consider the following:-

• The most celebrated story of how Hitler, after watching his stupendous performance at Berlin Olympics, offered him the German citizenship and also a promotion in the German army. Of course, Dhyan Chand refused.
• He was called the Hockey Wizard as the ball literally stuck to his stick and used to run circles around the defenders
• I have seen video footages of him playing international matches with bare feet!!!

The points in favour of Dhyan Chand

1)     Dhyan Chand played an Olympic sport and Sachin plays a sport that is hardly played by ten countries

2)     Dhyan Chand is unparalleled in his field (that cut across the countries)while Sachin has a few contemporaries(Brian Lara,Ricky Ponting,Rahul Dravid,Sunil Gavaskar to name a few) who were as good if not better.(not to mention Don Bradman – who many believe is the greatest cricketer ever)

3)     In Dhyan Chand’s case, however, there was no one who came close. In terms of stickwork at least, there have been the likes of our own Mohd. Shahid,the mercurial Dhanraj Pillay or the Pakistani duo of Hassan Sardar and later Shahbaz, but absolutely none had such a magical influence over the game as Dhyan Chand.

So, back to the debate on whether Sachin should get the Bharat Ratna or not? Yes, most certainly. As I said, he merits it ahead of a lot of others who keep getting national awards these days. But should he be the first one? I most certainly think not. Dhyan Chand it should be,FINAL DECISION,LOCK KIYA JAAY ?? :)

Missing my mobile phone

My Mobile fell down (I am not to be blamed, all because of my slippery hands) damaging the display and the internal parts and thus started my Mobile tragedy week. I went to the nearest Nokia service center where the technician gave a serious look at me post the inspection(why cant this guy well buy a new phone??) and then announced – “This can be repaired but will take a week’s time”

Mobile Tragedy Week - It's been a week since my phone is hospitalized and now I just can not imagine how I lived before owning a mobile. Just can not live without it. I realize that my phone was something more than a phone for me... or the fact is that it never served the purpose of a phone, as I usually don't get or make many calls other than the ones from/to my near and dear ones.

1)    I lost all my contact numbers from the phone memory and can't recall any of the numbers other than my home and wife’s.

2)    My ears are so used to listening to reminders at least one in a day. The reminders alert me on a lot of events ranging from - the calls to my wife(post lunch at office),birthdays, anniversaries, meetings in office, paying bills online, my insurance premiums, the list is endless (and my family/close friends think I have a sharp memory).Without my mobile, I have already missed paying my credit card bill(a loss of memory leading to loss of money ,had to pay late fee too).

3)    I have lost all contact with my near and dear ones. My landline at home is suddenly happy as it is getting my attention now for making calls. I don’t even know how to open the STD lock on that landline(apart from it, the stupid wire gets so entangled that it is sickening to laboriously unwind and then again see it entangled in the next five minutes!!!)

4)     Have lost the pleasure of playing my favourite games in the morning (of course  in the loo)

5)    Missing the loving calls from my wife, at least four in a day... (to check if I reached office, had lunch, left office, what are you doing...etc)

6)    Narcissist that I am, miss taking my own snaps using the front camera and adoring the pics.

7)    I miss my Face book every minute(that’s the frequency I browse my face book)

8)    My car dashboard is missing my mobile(that’s where it rests while I am driving)

9)    My favourite songs that I repeatedly listen to, I miss them

10)  All the funny forwards that my friends send and receive is on HOLD and

last but not the least

Nothing in my hands to fall down:)

-Yes I drop my mobile from my hand very often and I blame that its covering is too smooth for gripping.

Marriage – A Necessary Evil??

Let me challenge the status quo and come up with a post on how “blissful” this institution of marriage can be…

The humour angle –

In the last twelve years (I think we got married on April 28, 1999!) I have learnt that one needs two things to succeed in marriage: Sense of humor and a very, very short memory (Not like Aamir Khan in Ghajini, of course!).

If you are a married male, you probably know that there are only two reasons for your wife to fight with you – you and your family members. If you are a married lady…you don`t need to be told the two reasons why your husband fights with you – his wife and her family.

While my better half and I are still figuring out how we can start loving each other…we have found a solution to love each other`s family members. For example, she loves my mother-in-law…and I adore her mother-in-law. Now, that`s a beginning. What say?

Marriage is a necessary evil.

Necessity because

a)      It gives you food, clean clothes and comfort (all this if you are a man)

b)      It gives you money to shop, a fool to listen to your blabber and handle an emotionally warped guy(all this if you are a woman)

Evil because

a)      You  become a domestic animal(if you are a man)

b)      You become a domestic servant to your husband(if you are a woman)

The serious angle –

Now, if you discount my humor in the above paragraph, then I firmly believe that Marriage is  nothing but a partnership between two human beings to meet the challenges of life.

Our examples are not far way as they lie in our respective parents.

Their bondage  got stronger with every passing year,They have seen all the hardships and supported each other in the toughest of times.This is possible only if there is a strong companionship and a spirit of "Oneness" which ofcourse is an important bye-product of marriage.

Marriage lends stability,responsibility and a purpose to our lives.We then start thinking of “WE” and not “I/Me”.

So,in my view, guys , Marriage is  necessary for all the angels and an evil for all the devils!!!

Indians - Another view

We're Indians. We don't kiss in public domain. Kissing is what people outside India do. We just smile shyly at the people we love (many of us are shy even to hold our spouse’s hand while walking – I am discounting the current GenX). Watch our many movies for proof.

We love cricket. It's because we're so good at it. It's because we feel we have in it us to beat the world. Kapil and his devils gave us that belief first. Dhoni and his team cemented that belief. Other sports are not worthy of our attention. Other sportsmen do not pour their hearts out into their games. Other sportsmen are not worthy of endorsing our brands of footwear, aerated drinks or car batteries. Our cricketers alone deserve our adoration. Because they just play cricket and don’t while away their time partying in the nights.

Our cricketers and our movie stars, that is. Our movie stars are intelligent. They study all scripts carefully and are always unwilling to go for stereotypes. Our movie stars go for the scripts that stretch the envelope and give a social message that helps the cause of our country.

We are a patient, tolerant people. We accept all religions and tolerate all kinds of behaviours. We never riot. Politicians in India are a responsible lot. They don’t manipulate issues,poor people or misuse public money.Rioting, too, happens only outside our borders. We keep the peace at all hours. We tolerate all religions and dont provoke sentiments.

All Indians are our brothers and sisters. This is why we respect all women. This is why women in our major cities can do as they like and travel, unaccompanied, at all hours. This is why our policemen are highly respected, for the protection they offer to all women. We like women to have minds of their own. We do not brand them as objects of lust. Look at our many female film stars for proof. We respect them all. The ones who choose to do as they like on screen, as well as the ones who do not.

Bold women are never a threat to us. The idea of female sexuality is welcomed and holds no threat for our calm countrymen. We do not ask women to wear clothes we choose for them. We respect them irrespective of whether they're dressed in nine-yard saris or nine-inch mini-skirts.

Education is important for us. We respect our teachers. We encourage our sons and daughters to take up teaching as a profession. We pay our teachers well. We pay our teachers on time. We teach our sons that teaching is not just a JOB.It is a noble profession. We respect our system of education. We encourage our sons and daughters to get an education here, not abroad, because we believe in the system. The few who graduate abroad are encouraged to come back here, to make life even better than it already is for themselves and their countrymen.

The other noble profession is of a Doctor.In India, every doctor sees the treatment of poor and underprivileged ,in villages as his responsibility .They don’t cheat on the patients by giving loads of prescription just to please the pharma companies.They don’t see this as an opportunity to make money out of unsuspecting patients.The doctors are honest and give the correct diagnosis and treatment.

We are proud of our culture. We uphold it every week. Our heritage is precious. This is why we protect it well. Our monuments are well cared for. Our museums are well funded. Our curators are literate and well paid. We do not allow people to encroach on sites like the Taj Mahal or the Qutub Minar. We don’t allow any kind of scribbling on the walls of these monuments..

We treat our sons and daughters equally. We allow our daughters to marry when they wish to. We allow our daughters to pick the men they want to spend  their lives with. We encourage our daughters to think for themselves. We believe they have the intelligence to make wise decisions. This is also why we encourage them to study further.

We love our country. We don't want to live anywhere else. We don't work towards the idea of leaving it and never coming back.

Because we're Indians. Hypocrites, all(that includes ME,ouch!!)