Homecoming

It took me more than 2.5 years, but come home I did. Finally! And it feels awesome! :)

I have been in California’s bay area for a while now, have a lot of friends there, and that feels almost like home too- the almost here, is important. Pune stirs in me something very raw, familiar and comfortable- feels like home. US has been great so far and I have had great experiences, but at the end of the day, with the visa and all, you are Uncle Sam’s guests, and every once in a while, you are reminded of it.

So what have I been upto?

After my masters, I landed a job in San Jose at a startup. Having interned there before, everything seemed familiar, and I pounced on the opportunity. By the time I was back in early 2012 though, things had begun to change. For one, the startup had been around for roughly 4 years already, and had had a couple of rounds of funding. Buoyed by their initial success, the company ramped up the number of employees- mainly sales and marketing people, since engineering was deemed to have sufficient folks. After the first couple of quarters of the product release though, sales were scarce, and the company did not get any market traction. The product itself wasn’t bad at all- it was just ahead of its time, and the market had not been correctly sized up by the powers that be. Things unraveled fast. VC (venture capitalist) culture is a bitch, and there are no second chances. By the end of the year, 1/3rd people were fired- mostly sales and marketing. The company tried a last ditch attempt at selling itself and having a respectful exit. The founders nearly pleaded with the employees to stay put for the acquisition to happen. And stay put I did. Yada yada yada.. acquisition didn’t go through- and I found myself a sitting duck, with all offers I had before declined optimistically by yours truly. :)

Thankfully one of the companies remade their offer- and my visa status was maintained. The new employer is a multinational Asian behemoth, selling some of the hottest consumer products in market today. Its top level management is completely Asian- and as such the work culture is- ahem, rigorous. My only hope is- I joined in at the wrong time, just when there was a impending product release, and the recent work hours were an exception rather than a rule. I don’t mean to complain, but my new boss is inexperienced, neurotic, forgetful and cracks his shit under pressure. As one team mate put it when we were bitching about work during lunch- he is like a 16 year old insecure girl (no offense to all the 16 year old girls :)). I really hope things change for the better.

On a personal front, things are going well. My family is in good health. The grandparents have become quite old now- and they were one of the reasons I was desperate to come home for a visit. Staying away from home makes you realize how important your family is. I am single, so.. Hello ladies- and how are you doing today? ;)

This trip is quite short, and I have done my best to meet all friends and family. Hopefully I will get to come home for a longer time within the next year. Till then, adios amigos. I leave Friday. Meanwhile I will try and write here more often from US. Promise! :)

The two sides of the coin

Hello people :)

Sorry, I haven’t posted for some time. When I got here, I had like 10 days before I got started with classes, and could have easily posted, but I was just trying to soak up the new experience. Not to forget get done with basic stuff like getting the phone, the laptop, the internet, opening the bank account etc. etc.
And then since classes have started, I have had hardly any time to look up from assignments. Last week was crazy and nearly ran me down, so I decided to take some time off and just relax a bit today.

So, USA…
Its a nice country. You don’t really feel anything different from India- maybe because Raleigh is like that. Most of the time. But the moment you start getting too comfortable about it, you somehow get reminded that you are in a foreign land. Lets start off from the beginning.

While leaving from home, I wasn’t really scared, excited, nervous. I had even chosen to fly all alone. No friends with me this time.
It was very gradual you know- Like a small kid who sits in the giant wheel at the fair, and slowly the wheel takes him up and away from the ground, where his people are, looking back up at him.

I got on the plane, flew directly from Mumbai- Newark, NJ. Hah, that’s when all the fun began. I got off the plane to find myself at a huge-ass airport that didn’t have all the helpful signs to show where to go next. Plus I had a 33kg bag, a 23kg bag, an 18kg bag and a small back-pack (don’t ask me what I was carrying in all that). And I was lugging it around in the wrong direction. They got multiple levels at the airport there, and everyone was crisscrossing, and somehow question I was asking officials weren’t being answered properly. Finally after about half an hour of lugging that stuff around, I got into the right queue. And then bless you Continental Airlines. You know what these people do? For security, which is a valid enough reason, they make you take off your shoes, belts, wallets AND all electronic items from your bag- that’s all fine and dandy, but right at that moment, I had already flown 18 hours, and I wasn’t really game for all that (having done it already at the Mumbai airport). Anyway, I just wanted to be done. Finally I got through all that, breathed a sigh of relief. Found the nearest information desk, figured out which gate my flight to Raleigh was leaving from (they don’t have that printed on your ticket if you are in transit).

I sat down somewhere, took out my cell phone- Cingular had taken over from my Indian Idea connection- put through two messages- reached Newark, waiting for the next flight. Somehow, Newark airport was weird. I didn’t like it at all. Finally I got talking to one Israeli guy, who happened to be a student at NC State too. Sometime later I got on my WWII Bombardier aircraft :P. I really really liked that ride. Flying just above the clouds, with a roaring sound of the engines. Occasionally just dipping down enough to catch a glimpse of the green countryside and the lakes.

Raleigh- the city of oaks. I’ve been here for some time now, and its a nice city. There are huge houses, loads of trees, nice broad roads. But there are no people. Or very few people. There are like 5 skyscrapers, even downtown. And it is the capital of North Carolina. There’s so much horizontal space, that they don’t make them vertical here. There are lots of squirrels (which are pretty big, but don’t have stripes like ones in India do), but few birds. How can there be lots of trees and few birds? I really don’t understand. But its a nice place. People are nice and polite ( I guess that’s the case everywhere in USA). Well most of the times. Got sworn at by a crazy eyed woman in a bus once, but it is okay. You brush such things aside. Everything here is far off from each other. You either take the bus, or take a long walk. The university? Well, its awesome. I’ve never seen anything like this before- all the super high tech stuff and super posh buildings, its all all right here. Its a nearly two months here now and I am used to the Walmarts, the Foodlions, and ordering stuff online. You order everything online here. It ships to your home, and they give refunds if you don’t want it – I’ve tried it. I am also used to getting hungry at 3 pm, realizing there is no lunch cooked- then realizing the utensils are unwashed- doing all that and then having lunch at 430. Well, one thing worth mentioning is- I LOVE COOKING. I really really enjoy it. I nearly look forward to it most of the days.

Fortunately, I have good roomies. That’s a really important thing you know- you don’t want to get back home after a long day to have a trip-wire atmosphere at home. So far, so good. The assignments are really kicking some butt right now, and they just keep them coming. At anytime, I’m always sitting on two deadlines at the minimum. Anyway, that’s part of grad life.

I am not home sick as such, and I am happy most of the time, but sometimes I really feel the distance, and don’t like it at all. One thing is for certain, I will put up with it, and bear it for as long as I need to, but I will never get used to it. No, I will never get used to staying away from people I love. What they say is wrong, you don’t get used to such things. “Savay hoil thodya divsanni?”  “Sorry, nahi honar.” But it is okay for the time being.

Leaving you with some pics, will try to write more regularly :). Adios !

The Memorial Bell Tower

A random building in North Campus

Trailwood Drive, just across my house

Mee Puneri

Pune. My home for 22 years.
Being a cousin of a city as overwhelming as Mumbai, it would have been easy to fall into the role of a poor relative. Any other city would have easily succumbed, but not Pune. Not my Pune.

Pune is careful to ensure that Mumbainess does not rub onto her carefully cultivated veneer. Pune was a seat of power and culture- the center of the Maratha kingdom under the Peshwas, when Mumbai was only a group of backward islands. Every Punekar is keenly aware of this. Not just aware, but will make it a point to remind others of its superiority at every single opportunity. We know our Shaniwarwadas, Lal Mahals and Vishrambaug Wadas. Our Parvatis and Manache Ganpatis.  We know, and we gloat.

Pune is young and vibrant. So young, that there are more two-wheelers than cars. So vibrant, that there are restaurants every 50 meters. Pune is supercilious, and haughty. Fortunately though, this supercilious attitude translates into action. Punekars think. They talk. Then unlike most, they act. Vinita Kamte, the wife of DCP Ashok Kamte who killed in the 26/11 attack embodies the spirit of Pune. One callous comment about her husband’s bravery provoked her to take on the powerful establishment. But once she got her message across, she retreated into the quiet of her city, to live undisturbed.

In other places, people form queues because that’s the fastest way to get things done. In Pune, they do it because that’s what a disciplined city should do. Discipline though, is only to be shown when on foot. When on wheels, Punekars make their own rules. They decide when they have waited long enough for a traffic light to turn green, and then make a decision themselves. It is a phenomenon worth watching. Ten vehicles jumping a signal together.

Punekars love their Chitale baker-wadis and amrakhanda’s. They also love their Vaishali.  But they embrace Hard Rock Cafe with equal enthusiasm. And education is the city’s pride. Yes, you have degree spewing colleges. But you also have NDA, BJ Medical, Ferguson. The list goes on. Pune is growing. IT hubs on the fringes bring in a new influx of people from all over the country. New folks and varied mindsets. They remain separate from the core of Pune though, like oil floating on water. Pune takes its time assimilating people. No, it doesn’t reject them outright. But you’ve got to stay in the city for atleast a generation before you can be called a Punekar (you might become a Puneite much sooner).

This is my last post from Pune. It might be quite some time, before I sit in the comfort of my home in Pune and write a post. My last 48 hours, for a long time.

But I am a Punekar. And once you are that, you will return to your city by choice.
When your job is done.
Return, to live and die here.

Wait

Guys,
Been some time since my last post. Last week was a blur. Had my submissions, and it got pretty hectic, because of my habit of keeping things incomplete till the last moment. My LAST submission. And- my last week of undergrad college. The weird part is, it went off just like that. Uncelebrated. Argh…

Lots of things happened though. Sunday evening was spent in front of the TV, watching Mumbai v/s Chennai. Cheering for Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Hell yeah, I was even wearing the MI jersey, though I was watching all by myself. But things were not to be. In crunch situations, there is no scope for human error. Ah, but human error is random, so nothing can be done or said about that.

Meanwhile, two birdies tweeted and tweeted, till our ears got sore, and then finally someone whacked them off- you must have heard the story- Tales of Lalit Tharoor and Shashi Modi. Morale of the story- look what happens when you bang on the keyboard without thinking. Precisely why I dislike twitter.

And well- the real news is, I’m done with the admissions season. Finally.
10 Universities- 6 Admits, 3 Rejects and last one is inconsequential.

Everyone hates the waiting game. And the wait was long, stretching over past 6 months. Full of anticipation, then the frustration- that comes from checking the application statuses too often, happiness and thankfully, not much disappointment. The great part is, the friends got into places they always wanted to be in. Me too – in that huge university in not-so-huge Raleigh, NC. :)

The Wolfline

Well, in general, as far as I am concerned, the results were much better than I expected. I’d applied to pretty competitive programs, and getting in was a great thing. The University of Pune isn’t like the most sought after universities in the world, despite what they claim. Well, that’s what I think anyway.

But some of my friends/ my brother etc. are of the opinion that I under-applied/ did not apply to the top 10 universities in US or whatever. For me though, the choice of places was quite simple- cost, coursework, location and lastly, reputation. In that order.
I had no economic issues, but just because I have the entire savings of my parent’s lifetime at my disposal, doesn’t mean I would want to spend all of that money. And then have the pressure of staying on- earning the treasure back etc. etc. Master’s applicants are supposed to be mature people who apply their heads, and I think I did just that. Still, maybe my opinion will change few years down the line- if it does, I’ll definitely point to this post.

These days, apart from studying for the upcoming exams, I am moderating a couple of forums. You know, every new thing that you take up, makes you discover new sides of yourself. I’ve realized that I’ve got a low tolerance to people asking the same questions again and again. My natural instincts make me want to jump at them and tick them off, but thankfully, sensibility has prevailed and my tendency has been curtailed to being slightly caustic and mostly polite…till now anyway! :D

If you doubted my Puneri credentials….

…doubt NO MORE !

I love dogs…no seriously, I do! They are better friends than men can be. But I don’t like their poop. I like others’ dogs’ poop even less. I mean, cummon- you would expect dog owners to have enough sensibility NOT to egg their dogs to poop in other people’s gates. But they do just that. Specially where I stay. After the third consecutive day of stepping out of the gate and soiling my footwear, I wrote that gem-of-a-notice myself.

BTW, to those who can’t read Marathi- it reads

“Do not let your dog dirty this place.”

To those of you who stay in Maharashtra, you must be well aware of ‘Puneri Patya’, or the rather cheeky notices that Punekars are famous for. Actually, I think there is a pretty good reason for it. Its just that other Punekars are asking for it.

Holidays going on these days. Having fun, and not feeling like writing a lot. I had mentioned in my previous post, that I wanted to get into Texas A&M, coz they have lemons in Texas. Well, my hopes are dashed. I might just have to carry a sack to survive, if I do get anywhere. Got a reject from Texas. But the good news is, got an admit in OHIO State University. It was my first admit, and came on special day  too. There are 8 more universities  in US to go, so waiting and watching.

You have fun :)

The Diwali that was..

So its Diwali. This post should probably have been up 2 days back, when Diwali started, but anyway. For starters- I’m finding this Diwali pretty much drab. Nothing much to do, except EATING sweets, and procrastinating about when to start off with STUDYING for the practical :P

But it wasn’t always like this. When I think of Diwali, the first image that comes to my mind is of my grandfather- Daddy, as everyone in the house calls him. As a kid, it used to be somewhat of a ritual- going with Daddy to the shop nearby to buy the all important firecracker gun, or the phatakyachi banduk as it is called in Marathi. Which Daddy used to buy with his trademark statement, “Look Sunny, the gun has been bought,” as if to put the act of buying the gun on stone and call upon the shopkeeper to bear witness. He even used to lend me his bottle of ‘Soldier Oil’, for keeping the gun in a working condition. :) This used to be like a week before the actual start of the festival…

And then my friends and I used to go all over the place, running behind each other with our guns going thak  thak thak. Sounds silly, does it? But it used to be real fun. Then just 2-3 days before Dhantrayodashi, the first day of Diwali, I used to drag Daddy along to buy me firecrackers – Sutali bomb, Chimni bomb, Panpatti, Lavangi- you name it, and I’ve burst it. So during the four days of Diwali, all the neighborhood kids used to gather on the street in the evening, pool up stuff and burst loads of firecrackers. At night, we used to set off rockets from my terrace, my place being one of the tallest.  Sometimes my grandmother, Aaji used to join in. Always the daredevil, her specialty was  to take a incense stick in one hand, a Lavangi Maal (firecrackers on a string) in another, and then she used to light it up and throw the Lavangi far off.

Ah- I’m getting nostalgic now. Life’s so serious these days. I mean, you can’t even think of such a simple thing as bursting firecrackers without thinking of the pollution it causes in the same breath. And then as a adult you have all these issues- professional, personal and what not, to worry about.

Sometimes, I wish I were a kid….

Astrology- Blame it on the Stars !

There was this article in the Newspapers the other day. Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti- an organization that fights superstitions in society, threw the gauntlet at the astrologers in Pune- predict the results of the assembly elections correctly and win Rs. 21 lakh. Given the beeline that politicians make for visiting astrologers during election time, must say- 21 lakh is no big deal ! And even if the astrologers lose the bet, I’m pretty sure that its not going to reduce their customers or anything.

I have always been intrigued by Astrology- or rather, by people’s belief in it. Nearly all people I know believe it at some level or other. Some perfectly sane people actually visit the astrologer ; while for some others, it may be restricted to reading the daily horoscope.

Human beings have always had an inherent curiosity about the future. For tens of thousands of years man has looked up at the night sky and asked himself, “What does it all mean?” Whenever someone is in difficulty ; he is curious to know when his miseries will end. Many answers have been suggested. One of the oldest is provided by astrology: the belief that the stars and planets have controlling influences on our lives. Sometimes, its not just stars and planets- it may be tarot cards ; or may take the form of palmistry; bone throwing, anyone ?

For me, there is something innately senseless that I find in astrology. For example, if you are talking about predictions based on stars – All astrologers say that there are 3 types of astrological signs for each person-
1) Your Sun Sign: Based on the position of the sun at the time of the year you were born in. Simply, the ‘daily horoscope’ in the newspapers. Astrologers claim that your Sun sign describes your basic ego.
2) Your Moon sign: Based on the phase of the moon at the time of your birth- takes into account the time, date and place you were born in- your Patrika. The Moon supposedly symbolizes your inner self, the part of you that responds from habit, feelings, and instinct. Your emotional inner self, known only to you, and your near- and-dear ones.
3) Your Ascendant/ Rising sign: It is literally the sign that was rising on the Eastern horizon of the sky in the place and at the moment of your birth. Now this one is supposed to describe the facade you show the rest of the world.

Given that all the above are true, how can the ‘Daily Horoscope’ guy tell me how my day is going to be, just looking at my sun sign ? Who is gonna consider my moon and ascendant sign ? When someone looks at my palm, and tells me how long I am going to live, more rational questions jump to my mind. Suppose that *God forbid* an earthquake occurs somewhere, and all people living in that area are killed. Then does it mean that at that instant, Death was written in everybody’s horoscope, or on each one’s palm ? It can’t get more ridiculous and far-fetched than this.

On a personal level, I do believe that certain things, which are not always in your control, influence your life. It may be the stars and planets, who knows ? But for one thing- I firmly believe that no person is smart enough to look at my horoscope or my palm or my signs and accurately tell me what is going to happen in the future. No way! One thing that I particularly dislike about astrology is- if you happen to read your horoscope or something, it starts playing on your mind. You start relating things that were supposed to happen and things that actually happened, and then make imaginary connections between them. A fool’s pursuit, if you ask me. And its rather convenient too- failed to do what you wanted to? Blame it on the Stars :-)

At any rate, the ‘Daily Horoscope’ column is a fun read- but just that !

Ganesh Atharvashirsha

Hey there…

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi; the first day of Ganesh Festival. Ganpati- the elephant God, needs no introduction. I shall try to explain to you the Ganpati Atharvashirsha. Shri Ganpati Atharvashirsha was written by Atharva Rishi, who is said to have had Ganpati Darshan. It is a late Upanishad, which celebrates Ganesha as the embodiment of the entire Brahman, or the universe. As it is originally in Sanskrit, and most people reading my blog can’t read Sanskrit, I shall be typing the words in English.

|| Shri Ganeshaya Namaha ||
Om bhadramkarne bishnunayama devaha
Bhadram pashyemak-shyabhirya jatrah
Sthirai rangai stuvasa stanumbihi
Vyashema devahitam yadayuh
Svastina indro vruddhashravah
Svastina pusha vishvavedaha
Svastinastakshyo arishta nemih
Svastino brihaspatir-dadhatu
Om shanti shanti shantihi |

Atha Ganesh Atharvashirsham vyakhya syamaha ||

Om Namste Ganpataye
Tvameva Pratyaksham Tatvamasi
Tvamev Kevalam Kartasi
Tvamev Kevalam Dhartasi
Tvamev Kevlam Hartasi
Tvamev Sarvam Khalvidam Bramhasi
Tvam Sakshadatmasi Nityam ||1||

Hritam Vachmi
Satyam Vachmi || 2 ||

Ava tvam Mam
Ava Vaktaram
Ava Shrotaram
Ava Dataram
Ava Dhataram
Avanuchanamava Shishyam
Ava Paschatat
Ava Purastat
Avo Uttaratat
Ava Dakshinatat
Ava Chordhvatat
Ava Dharatat
Sarvatomam Pahi Pahi Samantat || 3 ||

Tvam Vangmayastvam Chinmaya
Tvam Anandmayastvam Bramhamaya
Tvam Sachitananda Dvitiyosi
Tvam Pratyaksham Bramhasi
Tvam Jynanmayo Vijyanamayosi || 4 ||

Sarvam Jagadidam Tatvo Jayate
Sarvam Jagadidam Tatvastishtati
Sarvam Jagadidam Tvay Layameshyati
Sarvam Jagadidam Tvayi Pratyeti
Tvam Bhumi Rapo Nalo Nilo Nabha
Tvam Chatvarim Vak Padani || 5 ||

Tvam Gunatraya Atitaha
Tvam Dehatraya Atitaha
Tvam Kalatraya Atitaha
Tvam Muladharastitiyosi Nityam
Tvam Shaktitrayaat akaha
Tvam Yogino Dhayayanti Nityam
Tvam Bramhastvan, Vishnustvam,
Rudrastvam, Indrastvam Agnistvam,
Vayustvam, Suryastvam, Chandramastvam,
Bramhabhur Bhuvasvorom || 6 ||

Ganadim Purvamuccharaya Varnadim Tadanantaram
Anusvaaara Parataraha
Ardhendu Lasitam
Taaaren Hruddam
Etatva Manusva Rupam
Gakarah Purva Rupam
Akaro Madhyama Rupam
Anusvaras Chantya Rupam
Binduruttara Rupam
Nadah Sandhanam
Saishitaa Sandihi
Saisha Ganeshvidhya
Ganak Rishi;
Nichrud Gayatri chandah
Ganpatir devata
Om ‘GANG’ Ganpataye Namah || 7 ||

Ek Dantaya Vid Mahe
Vakratundaya Dhimahi
Tanno Danti Prachodayat || 8 ||

Ek Dantam Chatur Hastam
Pashmam Kusha Dharinam
Radanch Vardam Hastair
Bhibhraanum mushaka-dhvajam
Raktam Lambodaram Shoorpakarnakam
Rakta Vasasamam
Rakta Gandhanu Liptangam
Rakta Pushpaihi supujitam
Bhaktanu Kampinam Devam
Jagat Kaaarana machutam
Avir Bhutamcha Shrustyado,
Prakrute Purushatparam
Evam Dhayayati Yo Nityam,
Sa Yogi Yoginam Varah || 9 ||

Namo Vrat Pataye, Namo Ganapataye
Namah Pramatha patye,
Namste astulambodaraya Ekdantaaya
Vighna Nashine Shiv Sutaya
Shri Varad Murtiye Namah || 10 ||

Let us hear only good with our ears,
See only good with our eyes,
And with the help of these senses,
Spend our whole life serving you;
Lord Indra is our protector,
Lord Pusha (Sun) is our benefactor,
May Garuda be auspicious for us,
And may Devguru grant us success,
Let there be peace everywhere

Now I shall utter the Ganesh Atharvashirshya

Ganesha, the Lord of the Devaganas,
You are the first form of the Bramhatatva to arise
You have alone created this entire universe
You alone can sustain this universe
You alone can destroy this universe
You are the all conquering supreme Lord
Indeed, you are the “ATMA” || 1 ||

I take oath upon the three worlds,
That I speak only the Truth

Protect me
Protect the one who describes you
Protect all who hear about you
Protect the giver of this knowledge
Protect the one who receives it
Protect me & my disciples
Protect me from the obstacles
From the east
From the west,
From the north
From the south
Protect me from above & below
Protect me from all directions

You are the constituent of speech
You are Joy & Immortal Consciousness
You are Truth, Mind & Bliss, incomparable
You are none other than divinity
You are knowledge of all types || 4 ||

All the Universes manifest due to you
All the Universes are sustained by you
All the Universes get destroyed in you
All the Universes gets merged into you
You are Earth, Water, Fire, Air & Sky
You are the 4 types of speech & the root source of sound || 5 ||

You are beyond the 3 gunas;
Beyond the 3 bodies;
Beyond the 3 times
Beyond the 3 states of being
You always reside in the “Muladhara” Chakra
You are the trinity of Power
Sages always Meditate for you
You are the Creator, Sustainer, Destroyer,
The Lord of the 3 worlds, Fire, Air, Sun,
Moon, You are all inclusive & all Pervading

Atharva Rishi then gives us the sacred
Ganesh Vidya. The Letter “GA” is to be enunciated, followed by “NA”. This one word Mantra is then given power by saying “OM”. Knowledge in those days was transmitted orally, so to make it simpler, Atharva Rishi presents a simpler form : “GA” is the first part, “Na” is the middle one and “UM” with a ‘bindu’ is at the end. It is said that this Mantra if pronounced properly,
has the power of revealing Lord Ganesh. The sage who receives the Mantra is Ganaka & the Master is “NICHRUD GAYATRI”. The deity is Ganapati. Om ‘GANG’ Ganapati. ” My salutation to you.”

Pray to the single Tusked Lord,
with a bent Trunk
May He grant knowledge to us || 8 ||

The Lord with 1 tusk and 4 hands ;
Upper right hand carrying a binding rope;
Upper left hand holding goad;
Lower left one carrying a broken tusk
The lower right one to bless us,
The mouse on his banner is also his vehicle.
He is blood red in colour; Pot-Bellied;
He has elephant ears & wears red robes
He is smeared with red sandalwood
And is decorated with red flowers
He is eternally blessing his devotees
And has been existing before the Cosmos
He is beyond “PRAKRITI” & “PURUSHA”
One who prays to him, is a Supreme Yogi

Salutations to you Lord of all Deities, Ganas & all beings, the Pot-Bellied one with one tusk who destroys all obstacles, son of Shiva, the divine Lord who grants boons, we bow to you, taking your name ||10||

This is the Atharvashirsha. Actually, the above one is not complete, and the complete ‘Sartha’ Atharvashirsha goes on to describe why you should recite the mantra in the first place. Anyway, you can listen to it here or download it from here.

Have a happy and a safe Ganesh festival, cheers !

Making sense of T.V. Madness

Hey there! Haven’t posted for a while now. Tried to start off with a couple of posts through the week, but got bored eventually. Just that there are a many things about which I only want to say bits and pieces. So here goes:

1. I stay in Pune. Yes- SWINE FLU hot bed. But I think what they show on the news channels and write in the newspapers is beginning to freak out people. Swine flu is just that ; flu. The difference is, while the normal medicines work against the common cold, they don’t against swine flu. That doesn’t mean there is a reason to be shit scared. Human body has a basic amount of resistance which protects us from most diseases. So chill people…my parents are doctors, practicing right in the area with most cases. Everybody is fine as of now.
2. Just writing about her here makes me puke. Talking about Rakhi  Sawant. That gal’s got something that makes my insides say, ‘ YUCK’. As if Big Boss wasn’t enough; they brought out Rakhi Ka Swayamwar. Now, normally a dame like her should be a hot attraction for guys, right ? I mean….ahem, silicons and all ? You won’t believe this, but none of my male friends like her. Or so they say ;-)  On the contrary, a couple of my perfectly sane female friends watch the show. One of them said to me the other day, ” There is no entertainer like Rakhi .” …No comments.
3. I was seeing this dance show the other day. Happened to be a ‘Kids Special’ episode. There was an 8-9 year old girl gyrating her hips to ‘Tip tip barasa paani’, with enough zhatkas to make even Raveena Tandon blush. Actually, in my opinion, it looks pretty obscene. I mean, I could see her parents sitting in the audience and cheering her on; maybe I’m being too conservative, but seriously ; the so called cuteness is completely lost on me.

The Watch

Hey there…not posted for a while. Can’t say I was too busy, coz I wasn’t. Just didn’t feel like posting. :-)

Some months back, my parents had been to Singapore. With my shopping list. That long thing included ‘a digital watch’ in it. Well, when I say a watch- I mean something sober, unnoticeable but elegant, maybe with a leather or canvas belt…know what I mean ? Simple but chick. 

But that description was lost on my mom. What she got for me was a HUGE thingy. As big as a wrist watch can get. When I saw It for the first time, I was like, “Oh my God ! I’m supposed to wear this thing on the wrist ???? ” But well, I didn’t say so to mom. Just kept shut. As they say, If you got nothing good to say, don’t say nothing.

But I never wore it…after a month or so, everyone noticed that. Then one day, we were having one of those ” You always wear the same things and leave half your clothes unused” arguments, and it just came out. ” Yeah, you get me watches as big as a wall clock, and expect me to put that on my wrist ! “

A week back, I had a change of heart. Well – I just got bored of the watch I usually wear. So I started putting on the Singapore thing. Last Friday was my first day as a volunteer at Akanksha. Akanksha is a NGO that works with slum kids. It mainly provides English education to these kids. In Pune, they’ve got some 24 centers, where they bring the kids from their homes, and for 2.5 hours a day, teach them English with some innovative activities. You can check more about Akanksha here.

Anyway, back to my watch. So it being my first day, I really didn’t know what to expect. The center was basically a sufficiently large room, filled with a bunch of 40 odd noisy kids, right from the ages of 6-14. I was assigned to the youngest group. Its a gratifying feeling, you know – real tiny, sweet 7 year olds sitting on the floor, raising their hands and asking you things like, ” Bhaiyya, what is your full name ? What is your favorite fruit ? Dish? “  After the initial introductions, one ‘didi’ ( another volunteer ) told me to sit amongst the kids.

Now there was this tiny chap- Babu sitting right next to me. Once I was done with asking him his name, the first thing he noticed was the watch- yeah, the Singapore one. And then he was totally captivated. After he finished putting on  the backlight five times, I said to him, ” Babu, pay attention to what Didi is teaching. I’ll show you the watch at 4.30.” To no avail. He was totally distracted, and kept asking me questions about it. Who got it for you ? How much does it cost. Finally I took off the watch, and kept it in my bag. Told Babu that I’d show it to him at 4.30, provided he answered all questions right ( they were being taught names of insects- pictures,words match-the-following).

Time just flew by, and at 4.30, Babu came to me, ” Ata dakhwana bhaiyya ghadyal” ( Now show me the watch). I took it from my bag, and let him wear it. Which he did, bottom side up. Kept on turning his head to read the time. Smiled at me. ” Bhaiyya, I’ll give it to you next Friday.” I smiled back. Thought he was joking. But by the time I put on my shoes, Babu was gone ! Well, I wasn’t really worried about my watch. But didn’t want him to get in trouble with his dad or something. So I told the senior most ‘didi’ about it. Babu stayed just 2 houses far, so we went to his place. Thankfully, he was just outside, showing the watch off to his friends. “Bhaiyya has given it to me till next Friday” I heard him say. I went upto him and smiled, ” Can I have it back now, please ? “. He grinned and gave it back.

You know, its got me thinking these last two days. There’s this thing- this watch- that I’ve treated with disdain, coz I didn’t like it. But it meant so much to someone else…Babu, the small kid, who I hope, will one day, have a watch of his own like that. You never realize how privileged you are, till you some across someone who doesn’t have the things you do. It is then that you feel a bit ashamed – of wanting new things all the time, despite having loads of things that you never use.

I knew joining Akanksha was going to be a eye-opener in many ways. But so fast and so soon, I didn’t expect.