~The home ground advantage~

Having established a perceptible title, it is not cricket that I would like to write about  , But I do intend to draw a few comparisons here and there :)

So is cricket the only thing that benefits from the " home ground advantage" ??

Looking @ it closely, I came to a conclusion very recently , it is not just cricket but something as "everyday " as cooking , enjoys the " home ground" advantage :)

There is comfort and familiarity of the " known kitchen ". I know what my right hand stretches to and what my left hand can grab .  There is impeccable clarity to the where the saucepan, spoons, dishes, lids,pulses, spices,grains, jars, plates and all the kitchen accessories are stored.There is no need to search for anything as the blueprint of my kitchen is etched clearly in the back of my mind leaving me with more time and space to focus on " creating the dish", much like the advantage and  the comfort of playing cricket in the home pitch where the entire team is familiar with the nature of  the pitch , the weather conditions that could aid in the game and off course above all the sense of power and authority over the opponent in knowing the geographical dynamics of the home ground :)

So does it allow us to justify poor performances in an " unfamiliar kitchen"?

The comfort of my kitchen does come to my advantage, which am sure most of you would agree with me, but at the same time is this all about it ? Cooking to me is an act of love , an act of showing your care and affection. There is no joy compared to feeding and creating a " happy stomach ".It is truly a complete feeling.
So shouldn't all this matter more than the comfort of cooking ?
" knowing" makes it easier but definitely it is not all you need. End of the day the discomfort of an unfamiliar terrain can hold you back only to a small extent. What if you are not comfortable with the mixer? or you miss the familiar slice of your knife or the smooth finish of your peeler, what matters is that , the food comes from the bottom of your heart and not from the familiar advantage of your kitchen. It does not matter if you are not standing on your favorite mat and cooking with your favorite pan , the magic created indeed is going to taste and feel the same :)

Just like how an overseas win creates immense joy and celebration, let us celebrate the "spirit of cooking " over the qualms of an unfamiliar kitchen :)

Cheers,
Sandy :)

When the smart phone got smarter :/

"your password is incorrect"!!

This was the 6th time this message flashed across my mobile screen. And with every attempt I was pushed to regret my decision of buying a smart phone! If having a smart phone was an amazing experience ,then , dealing with the security policies of a high end mobile phone is a completely different story.

A smart phone indeed changed my perception of what a moblie phone could do. It virtually brought every possible technology within the accessibility of a mobile phone :) But sadly the smart technology comes with a heavy price of dealing with the repercussions of complex security policies.

Each and every feature is password protected and comes with a lot of additional security layers to protect both the users and the data from hackers.

Gone are the days when hacking was specific to a website or a portal. These days private accounts like gmail and facebook pose a greater threat to being hacked. Hacking of such private accounts might not pose a national level security breach ,but , it indeed opens up the vulnerability and the ease of breaking into one's private account. 

I suppose half of our life span is spent in trying to remember the countless user id s and password :/  starting from email login to bank transactions to every little feature that  is locked with a password.And trust me, the last thing i can remember in this world is the " security question"! * sigh*.

 I miss the days when communication was simple and easy when compared to the rather complicated nature of the mobile phones these days. 

Today if i miss or lose my phone , my life is pretty much a hazed blur till i find a replacement! We have complicated our lives so much that living without a mobile phone even for a single day is pretty much a nightmare :/

With the current rate of technological advancement ,"saturation" is not far behind. The gap between the fantasy world of gizmos and gadgets is fast shrinking.

I didn't need Facebook to remind me of my friend's birthdays, I didn't need whatsapp to stay connected, and above all my mobile phone was just a communicating device and not a high tech monster gadget which took care of all my needs.

So as we continue to battle the tech game day in and day out here is wishing all of us a hassle free gadget times :)


cheers,
Sandy :)

The Science behind the myth :) :) :)

Just like all the religions in the world, the Hindu religion is robust in its offering to its followers. Rich in its cultural heritage and religious intricacies there is a lot more to Hinduism than its widespread beliefs.

In this post I decided to write about one such fact I recently read.

Temples are an integral part of the Hindu religion. And each temple is an architectural marvel. Erected centuries ago by the kings and emperors of earlier eras, they still stand testimony to the lavish architectural extravaganza.

So, if you look @ the architecture of  any temple, the dome or the "kumbh" forms the central piece. The entire temple and the sanctum is built with the dome in the center.

The "Kumbhmela" or the "kumbhabshishekam" is an event which is celebrated every 12 years.

Prayers are offered and the kumbh is sprinkled with holy water and other holy substances.The "kumbhabshishekam" has more of a festive spirit attached to it than a religious proceeding. It is often accompanied by cultural programs like music,dance and discourse.
   But, over  the years the actual reason behind celebrating the "kumbhabshishekam" has long been forgotten.

The science :)

As it is with most of our beliefs, there is a far more logical and practical reason behind celebrating the "kumbhabshishekam" .

 The "Kumbh"  or the inner dome is replaced every 12 years with grains, pulses and other essential seeds. In olden times, the temple was the center of every village or town. Upon the outbreak of a natural disaster or a calamity people often took shelter in the temple. The temple had the infrastructure and the space to hold all the people during such times. It takes weeks and sometimes even months for the people and the town to recover from a calamity of a large scale.If a huge calamity were to take down the town, it would wash away the agricultural lands leaving the town with nothing.
Agriculture is the backbone of our country and it takes a heavy toll to reclaim the washed lands and start cultivation all over. And during such times the "Kumbh" serves as a deposit of seeds and other valuable items that acts as a reserve for them. And the "kumbh" also acts as a "lightening arrester" safeguarding the town and its people from lightening strikes :)

So in the pretext of celebrating the "kumbhabshishekam", the kumbh is replenished every 12 years ( "12 years" ,because the lifespan of the seeds and grains is roughly about 12 years)with such substances safeguarding the residents of the town or  the village from a natural calamity :)

I was quite spellbound when I first learnt about this. It gave me a sense of pride knowing that the "kumbhabshishekam" was not just a cultural extravaganza, but rather, a well thought, and a  well planned idea to prepare ourselves for an uncertain future :)

In the end of the day what the "kumbhabshishekam" teaches us is that,it is always better to be prepared to tackle an unforeseen future. And it teaches us to save for tomorrow ,save for troubled times that might befall us. In the end, it all boils down to simple logic.

Simple logic, which has been the binding force of our cultural heritage :)

Cheers,
Sandy :)

Who will bell the cat ?? :) :)

One fine morning the city woke up to the news that " Auto meters" are making a comeback.Speculations went rife over the comeback.

Chennai city which has long been deprived of the "auto meter" system woke up on the 16th of September 2013 to a new dawn ,it is the day the government decided to "bell the auto drivers".

The rule was passed, deadlines were given, then extended and then once again finally given the nod, the new rules and regulations were flashed across all news channels and dailies. So, basically the news went viral. Special teams were formed and sent to monitor the implementation of the new rule.

 Every step was taken to make sure that no loop hole could override the rule  :)

A week later...............

I waved my hand to stop a running auto, the auto stopped,
" olympia techpark "?
 "OK".
"how much ??"
"80"
" 80 ???? where is your meter ??
" I don't use meter "
"it's the government rule to use meter"
" I don't follow any rules "
"I don't want to ride in your auto then"
Saying so I walked away, and waited for the next auto.
The same routine followed with 4 more auto drivers. Just when I was losing my patience, I decided to give one more try.And finally the 6th auto driver who came by had a meter in place,and ,upon reaching my destination I paid Rs.35/-.

For over a year, I have been paying Rs.80 for the 10 minute ride from Ashok Pillar to Olympia, which is almost twice the actual amount.The despicable behaviour of the auto drivers is not new to us, but for over a decade we have been putting up with this menace and the outrageous amounts they quote for the nearest of near places. And even after so much law enforcement in place there is little being done in practise.

The auto drivers have a well rehearsed arrogance which they often unleash on the poor public. It is sad to say that easily 9 out of 10 drivers have no regard for any form of rule or regulation Such nasty behaviour on their end has created a dislike among the people when it comes to using auto as a means of transportation. I think this is one of the direct reasons for the call taxi industry thriving in our city.Very rarely do you come across an honest auto driver who does not demand more than the actual cost.

Among the various outrageous experiences I have had with the auto drivers one of the most daunting experience was once when I had to pay Rs.500/- for a ride from Velacherry to Ashok Pillar. So, I was one among the happy folks when the government decided to tighten the ropes around the auto drivers.

But when the reality comes back hitting us hard on the face there is little we can do.Then again we should not succumb so easily.We have to fight back and make sure the system is in place. The government and the law system have done their part. Now we have to take it froward from here. We have to take a vow not to step into an auto which does not have a meter no matter what. It might take a while for the auto drivers to understand that we will no longer allow them to take us for granted. We have to fight and defend the system.
 It is time we stood up for ourselves. It is time we fought back and dispel the stigma the auto drivers have created in our city :) so lets join hands and "bell the cat".

Cheers,
Sandy :) :) 

“Shhhh, can you keep a secret “??

How many times have we done justice to this statement??

Apart from the million other things which the mankind will never understand about the womankind, what intrigues me the most is why women find it so hard to keep a secret?

Is it a blind inability or is there a more scientific explanation to it ??  Whatever be it, on a personal research, at least 95% of the things that come under “please don’t tell it to anyone” will have to be shared with that ONE TRUSTED FRIEND, from whom you simply cannot keep things away. We all have such friends don’t we ??  

And off course there is this 5% of deadly secret that does not reach the trusted friend either, coz they are “top secret “and remain deeply buried, sealed with double locks and iron gates, so that even the keeper of the secret visits it occasionally and so rarely and at such quick instances that it will not become a matter to ponder over, thereby reducing the risks of letting it out even in a casual conversation :/

Women love secrets, we thrive over the excitement of being a part of a secret. Be it the one who shares it or the recipient J there is joy in being both J And, if you are the receiver, the moment you hear the words “ I have something to tell you “ , you start speculating over the numerous possibilities, will it be this, will it be that ?? and more than half the secrets end with the classical “ I knew it!!! I knew it was about this “.

I don’t think I can vouch for this with any logical theory,  I guess women are simply made this way. It is not that they are insensitive to others feelings, it is just that women always live in company; we always have someone to share our things with. Be it our friends, parents, siblings or colleagues, there is always one person who knows everything about us and it is simply difficult to keep things away from that person J  Whatever be it, the earth shattering secret has to be shared with that one special person J  Even before the secret is shared with you, you know that one person who will definitely see the light of this J

So, to all the men folks, I have let a really huge cat out of the bag and now please don’t get judgemental about your women, we don’t mean any harm or we don’t mean to be numb to your feelings, it is just the intrinsic quality of every women J So the next time you say the golden words “please don’t tell it to anyone” to a women, remember that the promise is a promise but that never includes her BEST FRIEND J J

Cheers,

Sandy J J

PS: The joy of sharing the “forbidden” with a best friend is something a man will never understand J

All along :) :) :) :)......

Sitting around a pile of books, propped in my hand was an old copy of chetan bhagat's ," 2 states".My mind instantly raced back a few years ago.I was in my 5th semester in my college when this book was launched. I remember reading a lot about the upcoming book and was very keen on buying a copy of it :) And like all good things I received one copy of that book for my birthday as a gift :) :) Needless to say I was swelling with happyness :) And then, began my rendezvous with the book...

A sneeze from the dust gathered around the pile of books around me brought me back to reality.

I was rearranging the books in my new house :) Amidst all the papering and arranging, the book, temporarily took me on a little trip down the memory lane :)

My love for books and bookshelves date back right to my school days :) I grew up with fancy and trendy bookshelves in my room. My mom had a canny ability to pick bookshelves which would always standout distinctly , so , it was only natural that I  grew up to be like her :)

In every house we lived so far, in every room I shared with my sister, we always had a book shelf :) Many a times it was not a book shelf as such, it was a slab or a makeshift shelf, or a cozy little corner which doubled as a bookshelf :)

Papering the bookshelf , dusting the book cover, lining them on the shelf are some of the little things which always gave me big happyness :) :) 

Every book is a lovely piece of memory. As I take and place them on the rack, I can't help reminiscing the special bond I shared with that book.Some of them could be gifts, some could be special editions, some might have been passed down in the family and some like my beloved harry potter series were brought by standing endlessly in the bookstore queue.

Looking @ the book, the characters come racing back into my mind, reminding me of the endless nights I lost sleep over speculating and connecting the plot in the book ,wondering what would happen to the characters in the book long after having read the last chapter, and creating my own sequences with the plot beyond the pages of the book was one of my favorite pastime :) It takes crazy book lovers to re live the book just by looking @ the cover :) and trust me, if you are one such, then, you will definitely understand what I am taking about :)

It is surprising how book memories can be so strong and powerful. Years later when you open your once favourite book, turn the yellowed pages of the book, when an old greeting card or a  note slips from the book reminding you of something so special and near to you, are those little instances that makes life so precious and worth living :)

Its time I get back to my papering and arranging :) :) And next week I have a carton full of books from my husbands collection arriving home :) :)

Cheers,

Sandy :) 

Mid Day Mayhem

If you thought “well begun is half done", then, think again.

Going by the current rate of incidents, the old quote no longer holds good. 

The mid day meal scheme which started out as a strong policy to provide healthy food and  draw more children into the school has lost its way over the years.

Most of the children belonging to the struggling families of the society prefer work over education.Their justification being, that a child going to work brought more money to the family enabling them to meet their food demands.

 Their justification is fair in their own way. For people who struggle for one square meal a day, education is never a preferred choice.

Started with a good intention, the mid day meal scheme ensured good food for all the students attending school.

If not an appropriate means to sow the roots of education and its importance, this scheme ,at least saw more children from the lesser fortunate people making their way into school.

 It was a win win situation for the people and the policy makers.

But over the years, what once began as a goodwill scheme is now lost in its implementation. The recent revelation about the  poor quality and unhygienic means of preparing the mid day meal has sent shock waves across the country.

It is appalling to see the level of carelessness meted out @ every level. It is not enough to just provide food.Good , healthy, nutritious food has to be provided. 

It does put us to shame when one of the longest policies of our country is being taken with such little regard.

We need to ensure  appropriate end to end implementation of every policy. A minimum level of basic hygiene and standard has to be maintained. We need to guarantee a basic level of consistency. 

The world is facing severe food scarcity. There are over 1000’s of people dying every year due to acute food shortage. Hence it is highly unfair to waste food @ any level.

It is not only about implementing the policy accurately, @ a grass root level every person should be conscious about wasting food. Food simply cannot be wasted. Right amounts of food must be cooked, food stocked in the store rooms and refrigerators should be preserved properly, excess of food should not be binned, a moral feeling of giving it away to the needy or creative methods of re using the dish has to be practiced in  every household. 

"Food, shelter, clothing..".. goes the list of basic requirements of mankind, Food being the top of the chart, each and every one of us should go any length to ensure a future abundant in food.

Cheers,
sandy :) 

PS : " A  picture is worth a thousand words", so,before you throw away your last piece of food , or before you plate your food with more than what you can eat and mindlessly throw away the excess , please remember the following images.