Life is a Marathon race,
Set the finishing point at hundred
The track to be run is full of stones and thorns,
Fate and fortune are equally to be challenged
Some leave it at the very starting point,
Some get tired and collapse in the middle
A few fortunate ones can reach the target,
One or two run beyond the finishing point
Fortune, forbearance, fettle and mettle are needed to complete the race.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Fire, Fire, Everywhere
I put down these fire incidents to bring it to your notice. I had noted down them as I got information from newspaper and TV. I knew it would happen. :-(
Fire incidents of January-2009—5 infants burned to death in incubator. Fuel tanker explosion kills over 100 in Kenya. Fire in Russia care home, 22 die. 15 dead in bar blaze in China. These incidents had occurred same day on 31-1-‘09
Fire in February—Fire at Juhu hotel. A fire broke out at the record room of the Regional Transport Office (RTO). Australia’s deadliest bushfire killed 76 people, as the inferno engulfed entire towns of Melbourne. Fire broke out in Bandra slums. Fire works set China hotel ablaze, 1 killed. Two days’ fire sweeps Gir forests. Fire broke out in chemical factory in Kolkata. Fire iin Marriot hotel in Islamabad. Bombay Talkies in Malad caught fire. Blast in crackers factory in Mathura.
Fire in March—Blaze in Bhiwandi godown
Fire in April—Fire broke out in slums. Fire broke out at toy factory in Gurgaon. Vagon caught fire in Eta—Kashiram Nagar. Fire broke out at American centre in Delhi. Crackers factory caught fire at Parola in Jalgaon, 50 people died.
Fire in May—2 workers killed in factory blaze in Thane. Santro car caught fire, 1 died. Two floors of Andhra Pradesh secretariat were gutted. Two killed, nine injured in blaze at Turbhe MIDC industrial zone—Navi Mumbai. 35 children killed in Mexico day care fire.
Fire in June—a fire broke out in Patna Sachchivalay. Mathura/Patna express tain caught fire. Bandra slum fire—Behrampada—biggest fire in 25 years—fire men say. 15,000 homes, workshops destroyed. Wild life sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh caught fire. Fire at go down in Gurgaon. A truck carrying chemical goods caught fire near Mumbra Retibunder road.
Fire in July—15 killed and 50 burnt as gas train derails in rural Italy. Fire at Sewri industrial estate. Plastic go down caught fire. A BEST King Kong bus caught fire on LBS marg. 5 die in cracker factory blast in Shivkashi. A forest fire rages outside Cueves Del Valle in the Spanish Province of Avila—Spain.
Fire in August—infernal blaze—some 5000 British Columbia residents were forced to flee their homes and more than 2000 others were put on alert as wildfires plagues the western Canadian Province. Fire in Angola crackers factory—2people died. Fire broke out at Chemical factory in Gudgaon. Two wildfires spread in California. A fire broke out at MTNL office. A car parked outside the Thane sessions court burst into flames. School bus caught fire in Navi Mumbai. As wildfires consume 150sqaure kilometer around the Greek capital, locals say that efforts by fire crew are not enough to battle the blaze.
Fire in September— A car caught fire at Sea-Link in Mumbai. Forest fire in New South Wales—Australia. Around 12 new born babies miraculously escaped a fire at the government general hospital at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. 38 die in fire at Kazakhstan hospital. Fire guts first floor of Electronic Niketan. A car caught fire on Peddar road. School bus catches fire in Kharegaon near Thane. Fire in building at Lower Parel in Mumbai.
Fire in October—Jet Airlines’ bus caught fire at Mumbai airport. Fire broke out at WCR mall in Ghaziabad. Forest fire in Australia. Six fire men trapped in lift died in Thane. Petrol pump caught fire. (Bus caught fire in Patna. Fire in a shop in Meerut. A car caught fire in Surat. Pooja pandal caught fire. Fire breaks out in Bandra slums)—these incidents occurred in the same day. Major fire at Indian Oil Depot terminal, four killed.
Fire in November—Goods train caught fire. Furniture shop caught fire. Fire in chemical factory in Meerut. A fire breaks out at mill at Byculla in Mumbai. Fire breaks out at Commercial Complex in Chembur. Fire breaks out in building at Chembur.
Fire in December—running CNG bus caught fire. 111 dead in Russia night club blaze. Fire in a bar in Indonesia. Fire in DTC bus. Another DTC bus caught fire. (A car caught fire. Fire at IPL chief Lalit Modi’s Juhu banglow. Fire at chemical factory in Taloja. A car caught fire at Peragari flyover. DTC bus caught fire)—these incidents were occurred in the same day. Another DTC bus caught fire. Fire in building at Andheri in Mumbai. A fire broke out at actor Pooja Bedi’s production house. Fire at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) lab kills 2 PhD students. Low floor bus caught fire in Delhi. Gas tanker caught fire in Kerala.
Many more fire incidents were reported.
Fire incidents of January-2009—5 infants burned to death in incubator. Fuel tanker explosion kills over 100 in Kenya. Fire in Russia care home, 22 die. 15 dead in bar blaze in China. These incidents had occurred same day on 31-1-‘09
Fire in February—Fire at Juhu hotel. A fire broke out at the record room of the Regional Transport Office (RTO). Australia’s deadliest bushfire killed 76 people, as the inferno engulfed entire towns of Melbourne. Fire broke out in Bandra slums. Fire works set China hotel ablaze, 1 killed. Two days’ fire sweeps Gir forests. Fire broke out in chemical factory in Kolkata. Fire iin Marriot hotel in Islamabad. Bombay Talkies in Malad caught fire. Blast in crackers factory in Mathura.
Fire in March—Blaze in Bhiwandi godown
Fire in April—Fire broke out in slums. Fire broke out at toy factory in Gurgaon. Vagon caught fire in Eta—Kashiram Nagar. Fire broke out at American centre in Delhi. Crackers factory caught fire at Parola in Jalgaon, 50 people died.
Fire in May—2 workers killed in factory blaze in Thane. Santro car caught fire, 1 died. Two floors of Andhra Pradesh secretariat were gutted. Two killed, nine injured in blaze at Turbhe MIDC industrial zone—Navi Mumbai. 35 children killed in Mexico day care fire.
Fire in June—a fire broke out in Patna Sachchivalay. Mathura/Patna express tain caught fire. Bandra slum fire—Behrampada—biggest fire in 25 years—fire men say. 15,000 homes, workshops destroyed. Wild life sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh caught fire. Fire at go down in Gurgaon. A truck carrying chemical goods caught fire near Mumbra Retibunder road.
Fire in July—15 killed and 50 burnt as gas train derails in rural Italy. Fire at Sewri industrial estate. Plastic go down caught fire. A BEST King Kong bus caught fire on LBS marg. 5 die in cracker factory blast in Shivkashi. A forest fire rages outside Cueves Del Valle in the Spanish Province of Avila—Spain.
Fire in August—infernal blaze—some 5000 British Columbia residents were forced to flee their homes and more than 2000 others were put on alert as wildfires plagues the western Canadian Province. Fire in Angola crackers factory—2people died. Fire broke out at Chemical factory in Gudgaon. Two wildfires spread in California. A fire broke out at MTNL office. A car parked outside the Thane sessions court burst into flames. School bus caught fire in Navi Mumbai. As wildfires consume 150sqaure kilometer around the Greek capital, locals say that efforts by fire crew are not enough to battle the blaze.
Fire in September— A car caught fire at Sea-Link in Mumbai. Forest fire in New South Wales—Australia. Around 12 new born babies miraculously escaped a fire at the government general hospital at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. 38 die in fire at Kazakhstan hospital. Fire guts first floor of Electronic Niketan. A car caught fire on Peddar road. School bus catches fire in Kharegaon near Thane. Fire in building at Lower Parel in Mumbai.
Fire in October—Jet Airlines’ bus caught fire at Mumbai airport. Fire broke out at WCR mall in Ghaziabad. Forest fire in Australia. Six fire men trapped in lift died in Thane. Petrol pump caught fire. (Bus caught fire in Patna. Fire in a shop in Meerut. A car caught fire in Surat. Pooja pandal caught fire. Fire breaks out in Bandra slums)—these incidents occurred in the same day. Major fire at Indian Oil Depot terminal, four killed.
Fire in November—Goods train caught fire. Furniture shop caught fire. Fire in chemical factory in Meerut. A fire breaks out at mill at Byculla in Mumbai. Fire breaks out at Commercial Complex in Chembur. Fire breaks out in building at Chembur.
Fire in December—running CNG bus caught fire. 111 dead in Russia night club blaze. Fire in a bar in Indonesia. Fire in DTC bus. Another DTC bus caught fire. (A car caught fire. Fire at IPL chief Lalit Modi’s Juhu banglow. Fire at chemical factory in Taloja. A car caught fire at Peragari flyover. DTC bus caught fire)—these incidents were occurred in the same day. Another DTC bus caught fire. Fire in building at Andheri in Mumbai. A fire broke out at actor Pooja Bedi’s production house. Fire at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) lab kills 2 PhD students. Low floor bus caught fire in Delhi. Gas tanker caught fire in Kerala.
Many more fire incidents were reported.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Prediction for 2010
Happy New Year
My prediction for last year (2009) proved right. I had put down my prediction on Amitabh ji’s blog.
My prediction was—“According to the Chinese Lunar calendar, 2009 is the Year of The Ox. Political situation will continue to be grim all over the world. There will be more fire related problems and explosions.”
2010 started in dark phase with a lunar eclipse and an overcast sky. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, 2010 is the year of the TIGER. Whether it is going to be a happy or sad year or will it be like the tiger, wild!?
Last year was an awakening year and full of calamities. The world saw more evil, heard evil, and said evil. The world didn’t follow the rules of Lord Buddha—see not evil, say not evil, hear not evil—that’s why. But Lord Buddha forgot to make a fourth monkey for ‘do not evil.’ Last year swine-flu scared the world. This year also an outbreak of diseases such as chicken-pox, measles and meningitis are possible. We can expect a moderate rain this year.
President Barack Obama will bask in the glory till 2012. Thereafter, he will struggle to complete the term. The souls of all those whom he got killed will be after him. He received the Nobel Peace Prize as a ‘war president’. Does he want to be titled as war president? Does he get peace after war? If so, he is a war and peace president.
PM Manmohan Singh will continue without trouble till 2012. Thereafter, hindrances will come on his way.
My prediction for last year (2009) proved right. I had put down my prediction on Amitabh ji’s blog.
My prediction was—“According to the Chinese Lunar calendar, 2009 is the Year of The Ox. Political situation will continue to be grim all over the world. There will be more fire related problems and explosions.”
2010 started in dark phase with a lunar eclipse and an overcast sky. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, 2010 is the year of the TIGER. Whether it is going to be a happy or sad year or will it be like the tiger, wild!?
Last year was an awakening year and full of calamities. The world saw more evil, heard evil, and said evil. The world didn’t follow the rules of Lord Buddha—see not evil, say not evil, hear not evil—that’s why. But Lord Buddha forgot to make a fourth monkey for ‘do not evil.’ Last year swine-flu scared the world. This year also an outbreak of diseases such as chicken-pox, measles and meningitis are possible. We can expect a moderate rain this year.
President Barack Obama will bask in the glory till 2012. Thereafter, he will struggle to complete the term. The souls of all those whom he got killed will be after him. He received the Nobel Peace Prize as a ‘war president’. Does he want to be titled as war president? Does he get peace after war? If so, he is a war and peace president.
PM Manmohan Singh will continue without trouble till 2012. Thereafter, hindrances will come on his way.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Emissions in Copenhagen
Leaders from across the countries gathered in Copenhagen and ignited the element, fire in them and caused emissions there. Did they come up with any solution? There will be different opinion on anything and everything. This Kyoto Protocol is quite mind-boggling. How would they cut emissions?
Our life-style and negative emotions are responsible. Actually we are born to live in the woods among animals. Instead we cut the food chain and make shelters to escape from carnivorous animals. We make shelters more and more comfortable and luxurious. But we don’t want to share our shelters with more members. Because of this attitude, ‘hum do hamaare do’ we multiply into nuclear families. Gone are the days of ‘hum do hamaare dus’ and many more living together under one roof. We are getting more and more selfish. So we have to build space-saving high-rises. Concrete buildings cover almost all the space. Soon the earth will become a concrete ball. When concrete buildings heat up in the Sun they generate more heat, whereas, soil heats up to a limit because soil has moisture. Human beings are land creatures but they want to fly in the air and float in the water. so we have made planes and ships to travel through air and water.
To cut greenhouse gas emissions we will have to give up everything we do now. Stop wearing clothes, stop using electric and electronic machines, stop electricity generation, close all mills and factories for ever, stop manufacturing vehicles and so on. Can we stop all these things? If we wear clothes the mills have to work with smoking chimneys and we need detergent to wash clothes, which needs a factory. All these things are interlinked. All works depend on electricity now. The only way to cut emissions completely is to wipe out the industries that provide a livelihood and go back to the Stone Age.
We will have to stop even eating. If we eat we will emit. All creatures on this earth eat and emit. It is natural. Nature can tolerate what is natural. What Nature cannot tolerate is man-made things. We need fuel and fire to cook food. Mumbaikars eat more junk foods—batata vada, vada pav and all that and emit more than others. No wonder if Mumbai’s atmosphere is remain smoggy. All those junk food produce emissions go into the air; the rest goes into the ocean—just kidding.
Don’t blame villagers, who live in a natural way, for global warming. Some city people think burning firewood is the reason for global warming. Emissions from burning firewood are a fraction of smoking chimneys of mills and factories. Actually city people are responsible. Mumbai’s temperature is always higher than that of interior Maharashtra. The reason is concrete buildings, vehicular traffic, excess usage of electricity and lack of greenery. Improving infrastructure means making the city a concrete desert. Temperature varies from place to place across the country also across the world. Then how can they reduce temperature rising to 2 degree. There is no concrete proof to what cause global warming. And there is no instant solution for the same. Nature itself causes disasters. Human beings make it more disastrous.
See, how greenery is helpful to us. Greenery absorbs the Sun light; absorbs the rain water; regulates the wind and help binding the soil. Thus it controls these four elements, fire, air, water and earth. We use these elements changing their particular course.
Our life-style and negative emotions are responsible. Actually we are born to live in the woods among animals. Instead we cut the food chain and make shelters to escape from carnivorous animals. We make shelters more and more comfortable and luxurious. But we don’t want to share our shelters with more members. Because of this attitude, ‘hum do hamaare do’ we multiply into nuclear families. Gone are the days of ‘hum do hamaare dus’ and many more living together under one roof. We are getting more and more selfish. So we have to build space-saving high-rises. Concrete buildings cover almost all the space. Soon the earth will become a concrete ball. When concrete buildings heat up in the Sun they generate more heat, whereas, soil heats up to a limit because soil has moisture. Human beings are land creatures but they want to fly in the air and float in the water. so we have made planes and ships to travel through air and water.
To cut greenhouse gas emissions we will have to give up everything we do now. Stop wearing clothes, stop using electric and electronic machines, stop electricity generation, close all mills and factories for ever, stop manufacturing vehicles and so on. Can we stop all these things? If we wear clothes the mills have to work with smoking chimneys and we need detergent to wash clothes, which needs a factory. All these things are interlinked. All works depend on electricity now. The only way to cut emissions completely is to wipe out the industries that provide a livelihood and go back to the Stone Age.
We will have to stop even eating. If we eat we will emit. All creatures on this earth eat and emit. It is natural. Nature can tolerate what is natural. What Nature cannot tolerate is man-made things. We need fuel and fire to cook food. Mumbaikars eat more junk foods—batata vada, vada pav and all that and emit more than others. No wonder if Mumbai’s atmosphere is remain smoggy. All those junk food produce emissions go into the air; the rest goes into the ocean—just kidding.
Don’t blame villagers, who live in a natural way, for global warming. Some city people think burning firewood is the reason for global warming. Emissions from burning firewood are a fraction of smoking chimneys of mills and factories. Actually city people are responsible. Mumbai’s temperature is always higher than that of interior Maharashtra. The reason is concrete buildings, vehicular traffic, excess usage of electricity and lack of greenery. Improving infrastructure means making the city a concrete desert. Temperature varies from place to place across the country also across the world. Then how can they reduce temperature rising to 2 degree. There is no concrete proof to what cause global warming. And there is no instant solution for the same. Nature itself causes disasters. Human beings make it more disastrous.
See, how greenery is helpful to us. Greenery absorbs the Sun light; absorbs the rain water; regulates the wind and help binding the soil. Thus it controls these four elements, fire, air, water and earth. We use these elements changing their particular course.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Village Life
Though village is a better place to live in environmentally, life is tough there. Daily household chores will drain your energy. There is no tap water, no gas for cooking. If you want to have three square meals a day you have to work hard. Drawing water from the well, cutting fire-wood, burning fire-wood to prepare food, grinding spices with grinding stones, washing utensils outside the house and washing clothes outside or in the pond are a tough task.
I am from a joint family. My grandfather had a large joint family where more than 20 members were living together. My grandfather had a farm, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo, moo instead of here a bow, there a bow. Cattle are needed for farming. There was only one female dog which lived for about 25 years. His joint family had vast acres of farm land and a house made from stone and mud and a large compound around it. Now I feel it was only a dream. Our family tree is uprooted by the bad weather of the household. The seeds are shattered here and there. It was not because of family feud. There was no one willing to continue the family profession. When educated generation migrated and settled elsewhere family members reduced to 3-4. When those few members, who came in a stage that they cannot manage the farming, sold the house and land property. There were many servants for farming and household chores. Servants were honest and dedicated then. Now we don’t get workers for farming. They also want to be educated or go for works that yield a better wage. It happens, when all want to be educated and a better life. Educated young generations don’t want to become farmers. Agriculture is not a cheap profession. Agriculture sense is needed, more than that is how lucky you are. There is no way to protect the open farm lands. Anyone can lay hands on them. Fortunately it didn’t happen to us. People were honest then. To protect the crops from pests, locusts, birds, rodents, cattle and bad weather is a tough task.
My grandmother had a separate house with a 50 cent plot where I spent my school days. I had to work hard. I had to make even cow-dung cakes. It was a boon that there were fruit bearing trees and plants in our house compound. And we grow vegetables. We would get the grains sufficient for a year from our farm. So we didn’t have to buy these things from outside. We had to buy only groceries. My mother would manage the household with an income of mere Rs.50 in the 60s and 70s. What will we do with 50Rs. now? I had to shuttle between my grandparents’ separate houses as a messenger almost all days. I missed the organic food ever since I left my native village to Mumbai. I would get to eat a lot of fruits—custard apple, guava, jack-fruit, goose berries and a variety of mangoes. I would eat even berries of neem tree. A dip in the pond at dawn would revive me. Only large houses like my grandfather’s were illuminated with electric bulbs. All other homes had dark nights. I had to study with a kerosene lamp. However, life was peaceful then.
A century old one or two storied mud houses withstand weather because we will not do any alterations once they are built. We don’t allow any activities on upper floors; don’t even let children play there. Upper floors are only to sleep. Houses are located at a distance because every house has at least a small piece of land around it. So what? You just sneeze, the entire village will hear. In other words, you cannot do anything without the consent of neighbours. They will stay ears pricked and eyes wide opened. Though houses had no proper bolts and locks we didn’t have to fear robbers. There were no daring robbers then. Now the situation has changed. Crimes started in villages too.
Early to bed and early to rise’ is the villagers’ habit that makes them healthy and wise. No one will dare to go out after nightfall. Dimly-lit lanes would remain isolated till dawn. Street lights that have 15 w. bulbs don’t make any difference in the pitch darkness and that too only for main lanes. The lamp posts stand on the lanes gloomy throughout the nights without seeing anyone. People return from movie will be the last ones to sleep. Most of them are workers. Though they don’t have three square meals a day they will spend money for film. Women from respected family might have seen a few selected films in their life time. There were make-shift sheds in a 5 mile radius as theatres. Some entertainment loving people would organize a stage show once a while. A few would gather to watch. Dimly-lit stage with gasoline lamps wouldn’t fascinate anybody much. Shops for essential things were a few but there will be country liquor shops everywhere. One thing good is there are no garbage hills or overflowing drains. Villagers have Nature sense. Though they are aware of the natural disasters deaths rarely occur by snake-bites or drowning. Villages are gradually developing. Because of the arrival of TV, computer, early to bed and early to rise is changed in to ‘late to bed and early to rise’ so wisdom also goes out of them. Village life totally depends on agriculture. Converting farm lands into residential plots is something inappropriate that they do. Since food is the main resource it should not be done. A dream house will give only day dream, not food. Development of villages means destroying landscape and greenery. Villages should be developed without spoiling its beauty. At least villages should remain as it is.
I am from a joint family. My grandfather had a large joint family where more than 20 members were living together. My grandfather had a farm, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo, moo instead of here a bow, there a bow. Cattle are needed for farming. There was only one female dog which lived for about 25 years. His joint family had vast acres of farm land and a house made from stone and mud and a large compound around it. Now I feel it was only a dream. Our family tree is uprooted by the bad weather of the household. The seeds are shattered here and there. It was not because of family feud. There was no one willing to continue the family profession. When educated generation migrated and settled elsewhere family members reduced to 3-4. When those few members, who came in a stage that they cannot manage the farming, sold the house and land property. There were many servants for farming and household chores. Servants were honest and dedicated then. Now we don’t get workers for farming. They also want to be educated or go for works that yield a better wage. It happens, when all want to be educated and a better life. Educated young generations don’t want to become farmers. Agriculture is not a cheap profession. Agriculture sense is needed, more than that is how lucky you are. There is no way to protect the open farm lands. Anyone can lay hands on them. Fortunately it didn’t happen to us. People were honest then. To protect the crops from pests, locusts, birds, rodents, cattle and bad weather is a tough task.
My grandmother had a separate house with a 50 cent plot where I spent my school days. I had to work hard. I had to make even cow-dung cakes. It was a boon that there were fruit bearing trees and plants in our house compound. And we grow vegetables. We would get the grains sufficient for a year from our farm. So we didn’t have to buy these things from outside. We had to buy only groceries. My mother would manage the household with an income of mere Rs.50 in the 60s and 70s. What will we do with 50Rs. now? I had to shuttle between my grandparents’ separate houses as a messenger almost all days. I missed the organic food ever since I left my native village to Mumbai. I would get to eat a lot of fruits—custard apple, guava, jack-fruit, goose berries and a variety of mangoes. I would eat even berries of neem tree. A dip in the pond at dawn would revive me. Only large houses like my grandfather’s were illuminated with electric bulbs. All other homes had dark nights. I had to study with a kerosene lamp. However, life was peaceful then.
A century old one or two storied mud houses withstand weather because we will not do any alterations once they are built. We don’t allow any activities on upper floors; don’t even let children play there. Upper floors are only to sleep. Houses are located at a distance because every house has at least a small piece of land around it. So what? You just sneeze, the entire village will hear. In other words, you cannot do anything without the consent of neighbours. They will stay ears pricked and eyes wide opened. Though houses had no proper bolts and locks we didn’t have to fear robbers. There were no daring robbers then. Now the situation has changed. Crimes started in villages too.
Early to bed and early to rise’ is the villagers’ habit that makes them healthy and wise. No one will dare to go out after nightfall. Dimly-lit lanes would remain isolated till dawn. Street lights that have 15 w. bulbs don’t make any difference in the pitch darkness and that too only for main lanes. The lamp posts stand on the lanes gloomy throughout the nights without seeing anyone. People return from movie will be the last ones to sleep. Most of them are workers. Though they don’t have three square meals a day they will spend money for film. Women from respected family might have seen a few selected films in their life time. There were make-shift sheds in a 5 mile radius as theatres. Some entertainment loving people would organize a stage show once a while. A few would gather to watch. Dimly-lit stage with gasoline lamps wouldn’t fascinate anybody much. Shops for essential things were a few but there will be country liquor shops everywhere. One thing good is there are no garbage hills or overflowing drains. Villagers have Nature sense. Though they are aware of the natural disasters deaths rarely occur by snake-bites or drowning. Villages are gradually developing. Because of the arrival of TV, computer, early to bed and early to rise is changed in to ‘late to bed and early to rise’ so wisdom also goes out of them. Village life totally depends on agriculture. Converting farm lands into residential plots is something inappropriate that they do. Since food is the main resource it should not be done. A dream house will give only day dream, not food. Development of villages means destroying landscape and greenery. Villages should be developed without spoiling its beauty. At least villages should remain as it is.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Beautiful Villages
A village is beautiful with greenery, ponds, farm lands, open houses and surrounded with dense forests and hills. Lush green paddy fields look like a green carpet spread across the village. Paddy fields dance to the whistle of the wind is something worth to watch. When the wind passes through the paddy grass blades it makes a melodious whistling sound. When open paddy fields cover with a thick fog from sunset to sunrise in winter we need a thick blanket to sleep. Village is calm and not crowded. The atmosphere will be filled with calls of birds and other creatures. Different kinds of birds will sing in different melodies. Since the houses are surrounded by trees and plants many species of birds can be seen around. So we don't have to go to any park for bird watching. Villagers don't wait and watch birds either. It is nothing new to them. Only I would get immersed in the calls of birds and other creatures. Crows will sing a classical note at times. They say it is for guests to come. Want to believe? Cocks around there will crow on time early morning in a gap of 5-10 minutes as if to wake up all. So there is no need of alarm cloak. Cattle grazing around will keep bellowing. When cicada creaks you will have to plug your ears. Comparing to Mumbai’s, dogs, cats, rats, bats and crows population is less.
When day creatures finish their activities by nightfall and rest at their shelter, night creatures start their activities. Owls, male and female will hoot responding each other. Foxes will howl in high pitch. Mass howling is really annoying. They come out to have a feast with crabs they get from the paddy fields. Night birds will sing at night. Fire-flies are like stars on the earth. But they can be seen only in a particular season. Toads, male and female croak responding each other is funny to hear. Jungle fowls will crow at night sometimes. The villagers are very superstitious about that bird. They say if it crows somebody will have to go. Its calls would take my breath away. When my grandfather was living, a jungle fowl came and landed on the roof of our house and started calling. Its calls can be heard from distance places, not to speak of if it is closer it will be loud. The calls have a peculiar vibration which is eerie. I was only a 3-4 year old. My grandfather got annoyed and tried to shoo it away by pelting a stone. Annoyed by the stone-pelting it flew down in a swift to peck him on the head. He ran into the house. If it touched somebody it should be considered as absolutely inauspicious. Thereafter my grand father was bed-ridden and he passed away when I was a 6 year old. You don’t have to believe in it. It must be a co-incidence. In the summer months dust devil can be seen in open places. The wind blows giving out a whistle like dog's howling. Once I was standing on the veranda of my house I saw the dust devil on the nearby lane. I told my grandmother, "See how it looks!" Suddenly it came with a force and lashed me and passed through the back window. Dust got into my eyes. Scared I stood there for a while. My grandmother started scolding me for calling the devil. People say, embers will break out suddenly on the way while walking in the darkness. Only men might have seen it. Women cannot go out at night. There are reptiles in the compound. Sometimes poisonous snakes will crawl into our house. I had to fear wicked human beings more than these things, still I fear them.
The greenery that looks beautiful in the day becomes fiery at night. The trees stand like monsters. Silhouettes of the tree would scare me in my childhood when looking at them constantly. I would watch the Moon playing hide and seek. In Moonless nights I would count the stars. I still like the toys we would make from palm leaves. A grass will not grow without my consent in our house compound. I like to see caravan steadily moving on the lanes. I prefer bullock carts to these life-taking vehicles. If all were born like me there would be only bullock-carts on the roads. I like village very much. But I cannot go back. My family took root deeply here in Mumbai. Now it is too old to transplant.
When day creatures finish their activities by nightfall and rest at their shelter, night creatures start their activities. Owls, male and female will hoot responding each other. Foxes will howl in high pitch. Mass howling is really annoying. They come out to have a feast with crabs they get from the paddy fields. Night birds will sing at night. Fire-flies are like stars on the earth. But they can be seen only in a particular season. Toads, male and female croak responding each other is funny to hear. Jungle fowls will crow at night sometimes. The villagers are very superstitious about that bird. They say if it crows somebody will have to go. Its calls would take my breath away. When my grandfather was living, a jungle fowl came and landed on the roof of our house and started calling. Its calls can be heard from distance places, not to speak of if it is closer it will be loud. The calls have a peculiar vibration which is eerie. I was only a 3-4 year old. My grandfather got annoyed and tried to shoo it away by pelting a stone. Annoyed by the stone-pelting it flew down in a swift to peck him on the head. He ran into the house. If it touched somebody it should be considered as absolutely inauspicious. Thereafter my grand father was bed-ridden and he passed away when I was a 6 year old. You don’t have to believe in it. It must be a co-incidence. In the summer months dust devil can be seen in open places. The wind blows giving out a whistle like dog's howling. Once I was standing on the veranda of my house I saw the dust devil on the nearby lane. I told my grandmother, "See how it looks!" Suddenly it came with a force and lashed me and passed through the back window. Dust got into my eyes. Scared I stood there for a while. My grandmother started scolding me for calling the devil. People say, embers will break out suddenly on the way while walking in the darkness. Only men might have seen it. Women cannot go out at night. There are reptiles in the compound. Sometimes poisonous snakes will crawl into our house. I had to fear wicked human beings more than these things, still I fear them.
The greenery that looks beautiful in the day becomes fiery at night. The trees stand like monsters. Silhouettes of the tree would scare me in my childhood when looking at them constantly. I would watch the Moon playing hide and seek. In Moonless nights I would count the stars. I still like the toys we would make from palm leaves. A grass will not grow without my consent in our house compound. I like to see caravan steadily moving on the lanes. I prefer bullock carts to these life-taking vehicles. If all were born like me there would be only bullock-carts on the roads. I like village very much. But I cannot go back. My family took root deeply here in Mumbai. Now it is too old to transplant.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thirst for Blood
Come winter and the mosquito population starts rising. Though they breed in water our houses and plants are their dwellings. There are mosquitoes as tiny as small black ants. Some mosquitoes breed on the plants. They make a cocoon out of leaves. It will look like lumps on the leaves. Once as I broke it open mosquitoes came out. Night is day and day is night for them. Mosquitoes may be blind as bats. I haven’t seen them get through a gap wide enough for them to enter.
They barge in by sunset and starts attacking. Their weapons are tubular needles attach to their heads. The virus applied needles are powerful to kill humans. These blood thirsty creatures will not let you keep quiet. They prick with the needles constantly and threaten in the ears, hmm, hmm, give us blood, or else we will not let you sleep. I say I will not give you a drop of blood; I am ready to fight. Swat and kill; it is the only way to get rid of them. Big mosquitoes are easy to swat. Small ones sting too much and are not visible. They make me do hip-hop. I get a rash all over when they bite. the needles can pierce through even thick clothes. I swat all mosquitoes that come closer to me with a cloth to avoid my hands get dirty and will not miss the target. I don’t want to become PETA’s pet. They might say trap the mosquitoes gently in a mosquito-trap and leave them outside. Mosquitoes like tea. When I make tea in the evening they will be ready in the kitchen hovering around the utensils. I bribe them with tea but they don’t seem pleased; will not leave me without getting a drop of blood.
A few years ago a man came with a device at the door and tried to convince me how effective the device is at the best of his communication skill. He had brought it a bag full to sell like kanta batata. I asked him how it works; he told me just plug it in and turn on the switch; mosquitoes will run away. I was impressed and bought two pieces in stead of one at a bargain. I bought it because I was desperately seeking a repellent. I plugged the device in seeking an auspicious time in the evening and waited for the result. As he said mosquitoes run away from the device but came towards me with a vengeance to sting more than before. I stopped using the device after two days. My money went into the pocket and he made me a fool. But I didn’t worry about the money I lost, instead I felt pity because these sales girls and boys have to roam around the entire city whether it rain or shine and climb up and down the stairs to earn a livelihood. It is a tiresome job and all they get is frustration. Residents will slam the door at their face.
All companies that making mosquito-repellent boast of the efficiency of their products. No repellent seems effective. Mosquitoes get immune to them in two days. Good knight doesn’t say good night; All-out doesn’t get them all out. Coil smoke will fill in the room and go into our lungs and irritate the throat. These power and money wasting devices are not only useless but also could kill us slowly due to inhaling the fume. Fumigation can kill other harmless creatures also it is harmful to us. Burn coils; burn everything; burn down your house if you want. Nothing will happen to mosquitoes. If you want to sleep well use net, or toss and turn all the night.
PS: Obama angers Peta: US President Barack Obama has apparently left People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) unhappy by killing a fly during a television interview, for the animal rights organization is now sending him a device that allows users to trap a house-fly and then release it outside—it is a stale news from TOI.
Isn’t it ridiculous? If we can’t kill a fly how can we live on this earth? And what is use of protecting a fly? It will go straight into other creature’s mouth. What they think about the animals which become prey to other animals? Why don’t they protect them?
They barge in by sunset and starts attacking. Their weapons are tubular needles attach to their heads. The virus applied needles are powerful to kill humans. These blood thirsty creatures will not let you keep quiet. They prick with the needles constantly and threaten in the ears, hmm, hmm, give us blood, or else we will not let you sleep. I say I will not give you a drop of blood; I am ready to fight. Swat and kill; it is the only way to get rid of them. Big mosquitoes are easy to swat. Small ones sting too much and are not visible. They make me do hip-hop. I get a rash all over when they bite. the needles can pierce through even thick clothes. I swat all mosquitoes that come closer to me with a cloth to avoid my hands get dirty and will not miss the target. I don’t want to become PETA’s pet. They might say trap the mosquitoes gently in a mosquito-trap and leave them outside. Mosquitoes like tea. When I make tea in the evening they will be ready in the kitchen hovering around the utensils. I bribe them with tea but they don’t seem pleased; will not leave me without getting a drop of blood.
A few years ago a man came with a device at the door and tried to convince me how effective the device is at the best of his communication skill. He had brought it a bag full to sell like kanta batata. I asked him how it works; he told me just plug it in and turn on the switch; mosquitoes will run away. I was impressed and bought two pieces in stead of one at a bargain. I bought it because I was desperately seeking a repellent. I plugged the device in seeking an auspicious time in the evening and waited for the result. As he said mosquitoes run away from the device but came towards me with a vengeance to sting more than before. I stopped using the device after two days. My money went into the pocket and he made me a fool. But I didn’t worry about the money I lost, instead I felt pity because these sales girls and boys have to roam around the entire city whether it rain or shine and climb up and down the stairs to earn a livelihood. It is a tiresome job and all they get is frustration. Residents will slam the door at their face.
All companies that making mosquito-repellent boast of the efficiency of their products. No repellent seems effective. Mosquitoes get immune to them in two days. Good knight doesn’t say good night; All-out doesn’t get them all out. Coil smoke will fill in the room and go into our lungs and irritate the throat. These power and money wasting devices are not only useless but also could kill us slowly due to inhaling the fume. Fumigation can kill other harmless creatures also it is harmful to us. Burn coils; burn everything; burn down your house if you want. Nothing will happen to mosquitoes. If you want to sleep well use net, or toss and turn all the night.
PS: Obama angers Peta: US President Barack Obama has apparently left People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) unhappy by killing a fly during a television interview, for the animal rights organization is now sending him a device that allows users to trap a house-fly and then release it outside—it is a stale news from TOI.
Isn’t it ridiculous? If we can’t kill a fly how can we live on this earth? And what is use of protecting a fly? It will go straight into other creature’s mouth. What they think about the animals which become prey to other animals? Why don’t they protect them?
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