Mosquitoes' Ghosts

There were several reports in the news papers about the new species of animals that found, this year. I also found a new species of insects on Sunday-25-10-2009. When I was sitting at the window I saw something flaky in mass in the air near the plants. I thought initially that it was the usual habit of people, who live in the upper floors, throwing something. After cleaning the rice or wheat they would throw the waste carelessly through the windows. Strands of fallen hair will come straight in to our room with the wind. I have to pick up their hair and throw it into our dustbin instead of throwing it outside. Old habits die hard.

When the flaky things didn’t settle to the ground even after a few minutes I took a closer look and realized it was some kinds of insects and seen flying up and down only in a vertical motion. It looked like our flaky dry skin that comes off in winter. I tried to catch them with a transparent plastic bag, but I couldn’t get a single one. Though tiny those are cunning to evade the trap and strong enough to withstand the wind. It is dangerous than mosquitoes or any other insects. They can enter straight into our nostrils, eyes or ears. The insects were flying there about two hours then disappeared. But I didn’t have time to chase them. I named it ‘mosquitoes’ ghosts.’ But these ghost mosquitoes appear in the morning, not at night. They might be appearing only in some particular season like winged ants on the onset of monsoon.

Why animal lovers worry about the extinction of some species. When one species becomes extinct another one emerges from the soil. The other day I saw a baby centipede about half inch length. I picked it up and thrown outside. If the baby is 6 inch in length what would be the length of adult centipede? I see centipedes of about 2-3 inches often. A large number of millipedes are seen crawling around the house. A few years ago they were only in black. Now it is seen in different pattern and colour—black and yellow like Mumbai’s taxis—yellow on top and black on the sides.

Soil is full of life, but only in the upper crust. I think there is no life in the deep soil. Because of the four elements the upper crust remains humid. Humidity is needed for life to take place.

PS: Today when I checked the plastic bag thoroughly I could get a fossil of the insect. But I don’t know whether it is the same thing I got. It is too tiny to distinguish.

Stressful Diwali

Diwali is over. We say Happy Diwali just for a formality. It is not going to be a Happy Diwali for everybody. What would be a Diwali for beggars or blind people who cannot see the light of the universe? You can see people (milkman, postman, sweeper) at your service will be suddenly turn nice towards you even if they will be nasty at other times. The reason—Baksheesh or what else? Gas cylinderwaalas would ask for baksheesh even after two months. You have to please them as you perform pujas to please Goddess Mahalakshmi. If you are reluctant to give anything, be ready to take gaaliyan. Diwala follows Diwali.

Every year I have to celebrate a tension-filled Diwali. Some problems would coincide to make it worse. See, how a rodent came in between us to spoil my diwali this year. I have grown a medicinal plant separately on the window-sill. My husband takes care of other plants. Two days before Diwali I found the plant’s one of the stem cut off. It was healthy with full of green leaves. I got annoyed and asked my husband about it. He behaved as if he was not even aware of it. That irked me even more. I claimed that only he would do it since there was nobody at home. I have reason to suspect him because the stem was missing without leaving a leaf behind and he would do something to irritate me often. He got angry and started fighting with me and went sulky for a day. The matter did not finish there. Next day in the morning we fought over it again. By the morning he was calmed down and said quietly that he had not done it. Yet I couldn’t trust him. I told him to say it before God to know whether it is a lie. He said it again calmly that he had not done it. Then we checked the plant together. The plant was found almost destroyed and the soil dug out. Soon I realized the culprit is rat. Who would think a rodent can do such a clueless theft? Rats were not a menace to me till then. I was not aware the rats eat such plants. It might have chewed on the plant when it didn’t get anything to eat, or does it need medicine for some ailment? I felt guilty of accusing my husband for no reason and apologized.

Last year also we fought on the day of amavaasya then the next day I saw a raw of light in my life in the morning and Goddess Mahalakshmi entered in to our home when I got a silver coin as a gift. Since this happens every year I have to believe in superstition. According to the lunar dates Hindu festivals have been celebrating. Most festivals fall on Amavaasya or Poornima or close to the days of it. Hence, festivals could be troublesome. I have noticed even animals and birds fight on those days. October is the worst month for my husband and the dark phase is not favourable for me too. That’s why we have fight on those days. And my relatives are not in a good mood this year. Only God knows whether it will be a Happy or stressful Diwali next year.

Wrong, Wrong, Quite Wrong

Candy-gobbling kids grow into violent adults—

London: Willy Wonka would be horrified. Children who eat too much candy may be more likely to be arrested for violent behavior as adults, new research suggests—this is a first paragraph of TOI report.

I don’t believe in these findings. Not all candy-gobbling kids will become goblins. If some adults are violent they might be violent in childhood too. All children are not innocent as they say. One’s personality development can be analyzed right in childhood. Such aggressive, manipulative children will get what they want by throwing tantrums. Often their parents have to fulfill their whims when it becomes unbearable.

I have a sweet tooth. I would go for the dinner when I was a child only with the intention to fill my stomach with lots of kheer. I would make a lot of sweet meat in my younger days. Still like to eat sweets. But I am not violent. I believe in non-violence. I am sweet as sugar. I was a quite, obedient child. But I have to fight with my husband. It is because he is too spicy. Sugar and spice combination is not good. Spices match with salt. Often spicy food eating people are seen more violent.

Actually sweets are beneficial for children, especially for the hyperactive ones. Since sugar is a natural sedative, it will lessen their hyperactivity as they get sleepy. At the same time it is not harmful to the brain as other sedatives. Chocolates may not be good because of the ingredients, colours and preservative that use to make them, but sugar is not harmful. Children should be allowed to eat chocolates only after a good meal. Eating chocolates before meals will spoil the appetite. Most children like to eat chocolates. It is a natural desire of the body system at the time of growth. Daily intake of sweets in small amount will not be harmful unless they are genetically diabetic. They will grow tall and strong like sugarcane. Home-made sweets are better for children. But they are reluctant to eat them because home-made sweets are not attractive. TV ads make them mad. They want try out every new brand available in the market.


Johnny, Johnny, Yes, papa
Eating sugar, no, papa
Telling lies, no, papa
Open your mouth, ha, ha, ha

Heart's Attack

My heart was not in the mood to celebrate World Heart Day. Instead it was celebrating Navratri so as to get blessings from gods and goddesses for its health and long life. I don’t know how long my heart will be loyal to me. My heart wants to attack me even if I don’t do anything and thrash me to the bed every now and then. But it compromise and tries to get along with this madcap, me. No wonder if heart goes erratic, it has been working constantly for 55 long years. Heart is a natural pump. Any other man-made water pump cannot work for so long. This nature-made pump also will get damaged like any other man-made pump. Some don’t get good heart at birth. Manufacturing defect is possible while making any machine. Nature also makes mistakes sometimes.

I have been living with arrhythmia for 10 years. It started all of a sudden as a twitching and getting severe with years. I know there is no cure and have learnt to live with it without any medical treatment or medicine. Any medicine I take for other ailments aggravate the problem. I can do at least some household chores now. If I go for treatment, I know I will become a vegetable.

My heart tells me,
Don’t say anything
Don’t see anything
Don’t hear anything
Don’t laugh, don’t cry
Don’t think about anything
Don’t do anything at all
Without me you are a dummy
Your life is in my hands
I cannot support you for ever
I am weak and old
If you don’t listen I will leave you forever
But I don’t pay heed.

The Power of Vani

A quote from Shri Buddha’s philosophy-
“O Atula! This is an old rule-not just the rule of today. They blame him who sits silent; they even blame him who speaks little. Atula, there is none in the world who is not blamed.
Fear of criticism is like a great divider. Those who have overcome it are the successful ones.

Why do we criticize? Is it an instinct? Doesn’t seem so. Does anybody have a right to criticize anybody? Anyone is not perfect to criticize others. It is a compulsive habit of humans. Animal don’t criticize each other. Why? They haven’t learnt to talk. The fault is that languages have been made for communication and our convenience. Otherwise, how would have we spoken—a, aa, e, ee, u, uoo? If we hadn’t learned to talk, when we lose temper, we would have fought like animals instead of waiting for a verbal fight.

Criticism comes out of hatred and jealousy. We criticize those whom we hate or those who hate us or it is just a time pass for some. Those who criticize others cannot take the bullet when it backfires. “I can criticize everybody, you cannot criticize me,” this is the common mentality of people. Such one way thinking creates all problems. Be good or bad, anyone will not escape criticism. Some are always a target of it. As long as your words and deeds are good you don't have to fear criticizm. Some harmless gossip is OK. My criticism is harmless, I think. I have this genetic mental disorder—making pun. I don’t find any cure for it, even for my arrhythmia. But I don’t make fun of anybody. Making fun and making pun is quite different.

Vani has a divine power since it is ruled by Vak devi. So we should not misuse the Vani. Words can unite, words can separate. Toh, jabaan sambhal ke……

Season for Butterflies

Butterflies are pretty things
Prettier than you or I
See the colours on its wings
Who would hurt a butterfly?

I don’t remember the poet who wrote this poem. The poet seems to be sympathetic towards butterflies. I think only poets and I can see their beauty. Others don’t seem to care about them. As the poet said, "who would hurt a butterfly," I haven't seen anybody, even birds and animals hurt butterflies. These multi-coloured winged creatures attract me. I waste my time to watch them. Butterflies come to the window-sill plants and lay eggs on them. So I can watch their metamorphosis. Farmers hate them because these winged creatures have the strength to destroy their crops. They will destroy them instead by spraying pesticides on plants. Farmers find their crops more beautiful than butterflies. How selfish human beings are! We, human take advantage of the earth maximum. Butterflies need food plants to lay their eggs. They lay the eggs under the leaves so as to protect them from weather and the leaves make food for the larvae. Their survival sense is surprisingly great. But only a few eggs hatch out of thousands of them. There are butterflies barely half inch in size. One could be mistaken them for moths. Moths are different in looks and habit. They are not attractive as butterflies. Butterflies are good to look at, not good to touch. the delicate wings will easily come off and the powdery substance on the wings will stick on the hands.
Autumn is the season for butterflies, also a season for all kinds and coloured flowers. That’s why people in Kerala make rangolis with different coloured flowers for the Onam festival. I sense the autumn dry weather pulling my skin. Fire-flies also appear in this season. With the onset of the autumn many different coloured butterflies that came out fresh from the cocoons can be seen flying around vigorously among the trees and plants. After a rain when it shine they come out looking for what, flowers or lovers? They enjoy their short life to the utmost. Their multi-coloured wings and patterns on them are attractive; represent modern art. Nature is a wonderful artist. But why does Nature give the beautiful things short life? I feel pity for them. How can we change the Nature’s ways? Though they have got a speedy short life-span they are inclined to do the duty of this world. They mate, reproduce before they shed their wings to keep the existence of their species which is the first and foremost duty of this world. Butterflies are really wonderful also Nature is wonderful.

Shani Ki Sade-sati

In Vedic Astrology Sade-Sati is mentioned as this—the period since the Saturn’s entering into the sign just beofre the natal Moon sign and in next few signs after that sign. I don’t believe in that Sade-Sati. My interpretation is different. During the Saturn’s journey through the 12 constellations, Saturn will come in conjunction, square or opposition to your natal Moon or natal Saturn in every 7-8 years and stay in those signs for about 2 ½ years. Actually this is to be considered as Sade-Sati. Those 2 ½ years which, Saturn stays in your Moon sign or Saturn sign will be troublesome. According to the Saturn’s position and other planetary aspects in your natal chart, the impact of the transit is. I always say that when one has fate, his/her brain will work accordingly.

That is what happened to Andhra CM Rajashekhar Reddy. He was under Saturn’s transit since 2008. It was about to end by the end of this year. Before he could escape the bad phase, the messenger of death intruded in to his life and took a flight along with him. If he had waited to get over the Saturn’s transit, perhaps, he could have escaped this fate. The planetary alignment in his natal chart is seen slightly complicated. When the Moon’s phases advance the weather condition will be extremely bad.
Like father like son—YSR’s son Jagan Mohan Reddy inherits almost similar planetary aspects of his father. So he too is going through a bad phase now. That’s why he couldn’t make up his mind, despite having too many supporters to pamper him. He doesn’t seem confident enough to become CM and that too in the period of mourning of his father’s death normally he will lose confidence.

Most people travel in the Saturn’s transit more than they usually do. Some purposely travel or unavoidable circumstances will make them travel. People have to travel because of the work. In the Saturn’s transit the messenger of death will follow you everywhere without your consent. If you are patient and be cautious you can escape the bad phase unscathed.