Yet another English gaffe

This was taken yesterday evening in Namma Bengaluru. This place is very close to our office.

It is a swanky outlet no doubt but the gaffe stood out like a sore thumb.

Yet another English gaffe

This is another gaffe that I have been noticing a lot but never blogged about it. How often do we hear the word DIAS being used instead of Dais when we want to mention about people on the stage? This evening I attended one of the financial budget discussions and all the people on the dais pronounced it as Dias. I always remember Mr. Nazareth of Nazareth Speakers’ Academy who had taught us “Dias is the name of my friend and the platform is to be referred as dais” Had registered very well in my mind then and even now I recall him when I hear this on TV or at events. Look up for Dias on Wikipedia and what it says is “You may be looking for the article on “dais,” a raised platform on which guest speakers, honoured guests or expert panels are seated, possibly on a throne or similar seat.” So it looks like it is world-wide phenomenon. Mr. Nazareth, you could have taught the world I guess. God bless you sir wherever you are.

The bane of headphones

At the very outset, I will admit I am no saint. It is not as if I have never committed any of these crimes that I am about to write about. I have been a party to it in the past and sometimes even in the present. Just that the increased levels of headphone usage worries me now more than ever.

In the good old days I used to go cycling with my Sony Walkman. Music blaring into my ears, I was oblivious to the world around me. In hindsight, you realise it was so stupid on my part. In those days traffic wasn’t so bad thankfully else I would have been a dead duck by now.

These days, with the music player being part of the phone, people have lost touch with each other. All I see is youngsters plugging in to their headphones as they walk, on the trains, metros, buses wherever and listening to music. I don’t know if the music they listen to is intended for their personal hearing or for the ones around them considering the loud volume levels being played. But well been there done that. When I am driving, I sometimes feel like stepping out and give two jhaapads (slaps) to the pedestrians who are so busy on their headphones that they do not even realise I am honking. The onus is on the driver to stop in time! Enough instances recently of teenagers being run over to death by trains as they crossed the tracks with their headphones blaring unaware of the fact that there was a train approaching.

Then we have these people who have the habit of reading mails / SMS (texts) and even replying to them when walking / driving. Been there done that but rarely. C’mon guys it is not the end of the world if you would reply to it after 30 minutes. And if you must talk when you are driving do pull over please. I don’t pull over but am normally barking into the phone “I am driving and will call back in X minutes” That clearly informs the other side (usually my better half) to hang up.

And the smarter these smart phones get, the dumber and more addicted we get. I was a user of speed dialing feature in Nokia and in Android you do not have that by default (not in my rooted Android using Miui) Thus I got rid of the habit. Else every morning on my way to office, I would talk to people on my speed dial whether important or not. Matter of routine. Now I listen to music. (We now have an all English Channel too so no reason to talk:-)

All in all we have to understand that the high volume on the headphone is only hastening us on our road to becoming deaf – stone deaf. Life hi nahin hogi then what is point of “If music be the food of life play on”?

India – A Maze of Indentification Numbers / Proofs!

Day before we had our civic elections. No I am going to discuss about the pathetic turnout and the apathy. What I was amazed is that we Indians have so many Identification numbers / proofs and managing these sure is a challenge for Indians individually and I am sure would be a night mare for the powers that be.

• Passport – The most needed document these days to travel. Must have this so no complaining.
• Driving Licence – Must have this as well to drive. Funnily each state issues its own licence and people driving in other states are often caught by cops and they make it sound like a heinous crime. Gimme a break! Am I not an Indian driving in India?
• PAN Card – Must have to file Income Tax Returns
• Senior Citizen’s card – Proof of age (so that you don’t have to carry your passport everywhere)
• MIN Number – This came up some years ago for investing in Mutual Funds and sank without a trace after a lot of us got the number already. What a waste of time, energy, paper and resources!!
• Aadhar Card – The latest fad which I thought made sense provided it could be used everywhere. Unfortunately it seems to be jinxed already in this ego clash of the babus and red tapism. I haven’t applied for it as I am sick and tired now of going through this same process every few years and being told that this would be THE mother of all proofs.
• Voter’s ID Card – This is for voting in elections. I don’t understand if I have a passport or some other proof which is equally acceptable what is the big deal in having a Voter’s ID? So much money wasted in making these ID cards and at the end of the day there has been a plethora of errors including wrong sex. My late Grandfather’s name is completely changed on my Dad’s voter ID card. My late grandmother is still being shown on electoral rolls despite she having moved on a decade ago. Shows that the municipal records on birth and death aren’t linked to the electoral roll.
• Then there is the ration card which used to entitle you to get subsidised grain of substandard quality. I don’t even know if we have a valid one as no one ever used it.

This list if definitely not exhaustive and I am sure there are a lot more sorts of proofs available but I am seriously fed up of these multiple identities. Maybe we Indians suffer from that syndrome what with these different proofs.

Kavya’s first Annual Day at Shishuvan

Thursday 9th February was the much awaited Annual Day at Shishuvan for Standard I. It was held at Mysore Association Hall on Bhaudaji Road. It started at 1530 and went on till about 1715 but it was fun to see ALL yes ALL the children perform on stage. The theme was about stories that they had read around the things they had learnt. Much of it was to do with animals. Kavya was the face of the elephant and 4 other children were with her as the body of the elephant. So far she had only danced on stage as part of the Shiamak Davar’s performances but this time she had to speak in front of a much smaller audience. And she spoke clearly and loudly. The story about the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse was enacted very well and the audience participation in that was good too which I am sure encouraged the children too.

My takeaway from the show was that since all the children were on stage, it was an equal chance given to one and all of them which was very nice. Every child is unique no doubt but when on stage they were all the same which was very nice. Last year she had cried when she was not selected for the Annual Day at DPYA and it had hurt us a lot then but life turns a full circle and she was on stage along with every one else and did well. Proud of you. Thank you Shishuvan.

Can’t keep weight off….

I am rotund and obese and I have no qualms about admitting that (not that if I don’t it will make me any thinner unless if the other person is completely blind). Have not really tried any weight loss tricks (despite being a practising dietitian and weight loss expert’s brother). Thanks to my sister who keeps lecturing me for hours from the other side of the world and my doctor, I exercise daily. Walking is what I do these days since it is cold (Yes we in Mumbai have cold weather too by our standards) and also do Iyengar yoga twice a week but Yoga is not for weight loss so let us set that aside. Once the weather warms up a bit, I will get back to swimming. I normally swim one kilometer every day in 45 to 48 minutes (breast stroke and not free style. My doctor is fine with any stroke so long as I swim on a regular basis). What do I do the rest of the time?  I lead a sedentary life style and indulge in my passion – FOOD. Yes I love binging on all the possible wrong things under the blue sky. Result no weight loss / decelerated rate of weight gain:-) That is me – shameless.

This morning I read an interesting blog from Anjali Mukherjee who is a celebrity in the weight loss field in India atleast. No I am not going there or any such thing but this blog which I am verbatim reproducing below, makes a lot of sense. Do read it. I have not yet deployed any of these things. (Come on I read it only 15 minutes ago and I am still on my chair in the same position so how do you expect me to get moving so quick?). Do share your experiences too (maybe my dear friend Hiten, my cousin Kashyap and me will start a support group for each other for losing weight, not for binging)

The link to the blog is http://eathealthybefit.com/blog/2012/01/cant-keep-the-weight-off-your-diet-and-lifestyle/

 You have dieted, exercised and slogged your way to the new you.

• You look better, feel better and glow as the compliments come your way.
• But your joy is short-lived.
• Within a few months, you see some of the weight slowly creeping back.
• You panic, feel frustrated and immediately put yourself on a crash diet.

Sounds familiar?

It’s a pattern numerous dieters readily identify with- to lose weight on a diet and then put it straight back on as soon as they return to their regular eating habits. Infact, many vouch that losing weight is not as difficult as keeping it off.

The key to maintaining your weight loss is to focus on permanent and realistic lifestyle changes. True, dieting may have helped you lose weight but you cannot follow a restrictive diet forever. It’s equally important that you do not resume the diet and lifestyle you had before your weight loss. For successful weight maintenance, you need to permanently embrace the principles that helped you lose weight - proper eating and regular exercising. For instance, when you were dieting, if you snacked on fruits when hungry, why have a bhelpuri now? Similarly, if you took the staircase to reach your home, don’t take the elevator now. Also, don’t ignore food portions, calorie counting etc once you stop dieting. But this does not mean that you have to deprive yourself of the foods you love-just make sure you have them in moderation. Remember, a realistic and flexible eating plan makes weight maintenance easier.

• The method that you have used for losing weight plays a major role in helping you maintain the lost weight. If you have corrected your metabolism by detoxification and subsequently nourished your body with vitamins, minerals, anti oxidants with the help of a health promoting food plan & exercise – you are more likely to maintain your lost weight as you have corrected your metabolism. However if you have crash dieted and eaten less you have more chances of putting weight back on.
• Your diet should include lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein such as chicken and fish. Also, fibre-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables, fruits, beans, bran and whole grains fill you up and keep your digestive system healthy. Minimize intake of red meat.
• Start your day with a healthy breakfast comprising foods such as high-fibre cereals, whole grain breads, eggs, vegetables juices.
• Minimize fat intake - it helps to keep your weight stable and reduces your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Opt for low-fat dairy products such as skimmed milk, low-fat yoghurt etc.
• Avoid fried, processed, and fast foods. Instead, bake, grill or steam food. Replace sugary and salty snacks with fruits or whole grain crackers etc. Avoid or limit alcohol and colas-both add unwanted calories.
• Marriages, parties etc. could tempt you to indulge. A good idea would be to eat a small, healthy meal before you reach the function and opt for the low-fat dips, toppings etc., once there. For dessert you could have fruit salad but without ice-cream.
• Exercise regularly. People who exercise find it easier to maintain their weight loss as compared to those who do not exercise. Being physically active helps you not only to burn calories, it also boosts your resting metabolic rate, which means your body is working even when you actually aren’t. Your level of activity also determines how many calories you need everyday-the more physically active you are, the more calories you need to maintain your body weight. Find an activity you enjoy so you will be more regular.

Fire – Made an eventful Sunday

It sure was an eventful Sunday. I walked to Siddhivinayak in the morning and after breakfast I was sleeping on the sofa itself (It was raining in Australia and so I thought the match would be washed out). I woke up as there was some commotion and I saw Santosh (our man Friday) rushing towards the loft with a vessel filled with water. He was barely 3 feet away when I saw the fire and asked him to stop and not throw any water. Rushed there and first switched off the electrical mains and then got a flower-pot and gave him handfuls of the soil and asked him to throw it there. The ladies were paranoid and shouting at me that throw water and I was like no way. I will get another plant but no one is throwing water. After a lot of such throwing we finally saw the end of the fire and thick black smoke enveloping the two of us. Called our electrical contractor and told him the story. The plug connecting the storage water heater probably gave way and that led to the short-circuit and fire. The PVC conduit portion was melting too. Thank Lord Siddhivinayak for giving me the presence of mind to stop Santosh from throwing water else God knows what would have happened. The loft wall is common to the kitchen and on the other side of the wall we have the piped gas connection. All in all tense 20 minutes or so after which 2 hours of living without electricity and now will have to get this sorted out starting tomorrow with the water heater fellows.

As an aside, please always remember never to throw water on an electrical fire. The first step would be to switch off the mains and after that only try to extinguish the fire. Our mains was in the passage with the loft head on one side and the main switch board on the other. In hindsight if I would not have been able to switch off the mains, I would have to get the building mains switched off which was a tall order I know but in the interest of all that would have to be done. Luckily it was not so big a fire and we could stop it almost immediately. The funny thing is that none of the MCBs or RCCBs tripped despite having planned so much in detail. Any pointers to that? Must consult my electrical friends for throwing some light on that.

Android rocks

I have been a big fan of Google and use Google Apps extensively be it for my office e mails (we have our mails hosted on Google as well), for sharing photographs, videos, contacts, google talk and so many other things. I sometimes wonder what I would be doing with Google’s search engine, Google Maps etc. My dependence on Google was the driving force in getting an Android phone (HTC Desire) sometime in July / August last year. And believe me there is no looking back. At first the memory management was a problem but thanks to Pranav and Bunty, the phone was rooted and now I use the MIUI Rom against the standard HTC one. Pranav sent a detailed set of instructions on how to partition the internal memory and thanks to Bhavesh, the memory problem was resolved and so I can now make the most of the 8GB Memory card I bought. The phone now is more like my lap top with e-mail access on the go, all my 3000+ contacts, the 5 MP camera which along with the mail system allows me to upload pictures and videos instantly. Besides that the phone is loaded with applications that synch with the data entered on the lap top and so I am always up to date with information. Besides that I now have a lot of games installed for Kavya like her favourite Word Search, Hangman etc. All in all the phone has become a life line for me. One may ask why not an iPhone or a Blackberry. Without any other excuses, the iPhone is prohibitively expensive in India and I have somehow never liked the look itself of the Blackberry (I think it looks very ugly). When travelling I can survive the day without the lap top as I am always accessible on e-mail and can reply too if need be. All in all a great investment in the OS. Just wish that the battery life would dramatically improve. Nokia scores on that front any day but no complaining as I now have a car charger too in case of an emergency. Those of you who are wondering whether to change your handset, let me assure you it beats Nokia hollow and is a lot cheaper than a top of the line iPhone (though the older versions of iPhone are now getting cheaper too). You sure can achieve a lot using Android as you OS.

Vadodara Express from Baroda to Mumbai – Avoidable

I returned this morning from Bharuch and Baroda after attending a marriage and to my misfortune we booked ourselves back by Vadodara (Baroda) Express. This train is the fastest train between the two cities no doubt and is the most popular amongst all trains between these cities but believe me the journey is a nightmare. The train starts off at 2240 from Baroda and at 0345 you are at Borivili. And after another 45 minutes at Dadar. Considering the hustle and bustle we Gujjus make when embarking or disembarking, sleep beyond 0330 is a dream and there after you are waiting for Dadar. All in all sleep is completely messed up like I am experiencing today. This is one of the worst journeys one can make seriously. Look for other options rather than falling for this train.

Why This Kolaveri Di?

No this post has got absolutely nothing to do with the hit song but the meaning of these words are “Why do you have this murderous rage against me?” I have in the past blogged about this Indian fetish for the male child so much so that they even want to abort a girl. What started me off today was this horrible news item on TV about a two-year old battling for life at AIIMS, New Delhi with human bite marks and severely beaten including head being smashed. No points for guessing that she is a girl child. Why this rage? All of us are born thanks to our mother so what sense does it make? And for all those male chauvinist pigs out there, please be reminded that your wife doesn’t have the Y chromosome needed to bring in a male child. It is YOU, the male. Then why blame the mother for a girl? Socially we need more education on this….

• Why do we always portray a villainous mother in law plotting against her daughter in law who is pregnant / has delivered a girl? (Ekta Kapoor and the ilk I hope you all are listening. Your TV soaps can help educate the masses).
• Why do we always say Beti to paraya dhan hoti hai? Why o why? Why can’t your daughter be the torch-bearer of your next generation? Why do you think that only a male child will grow the family tree? Would you disown your princess once she is married? She may or may not change her second name but does that stop her from being your daughter? Does that stop her children from being your grand children? And tell me and I am putting it in the crudest form – beta hoke bhi, kya ukhaad lega woh? Jo beti nahin ukhad sakti?
• Why do we see girls as a Boj (burden) on the parents? She is not. What is the guarantee that the boy will not be? Why do you want to avoid educating your girl? Just because of her being a girl? Shame on you. Of course those who are reading this are surely well-educated and I am sincerely hoping you are atleast not thinking like this.

Honestly too many questions come to mind but what hurts me the most is this 2-year-old girl who has battered and bruised by maybe her own parent/s who did not want a girl child? Who knows? My heart goes out to her and I just hope that the guilty are punished so that such instances never occur.

Proud Father of Kavya