Learning Quest

TAB is the Word

2011-08-12T00:23:00.000-07:00

The only tablet I knew of a few years ago was the roundish, or ovalish white colored medicine that one would pop when sick or unwell. Technology definitely has brought about a revolution not only in the way we live today, but also in the way we address and name things and gadgets. Samsung's GALAXY TAB 10.1 is one such addition to the gadget fraternity. This sure is one tablet that I would love to pop in and out of my pocket, unlike the tablet that I have described earlier.

The look itself of Samsung TAB 10.1 is so inviting that you want to keep staring at it unabashedly without any shame. I just love it's vibrant colors, thin screen and the dapper design that just so well fits in with the space needs of our every shrinking environment.

When you do get enough of the handsome and smart look of the TAB, the next feature that spell bounds you is the multi-tasking facility offered by it's mini applications. I love the fact that all these applications are available as pop-ups on full screen.

Being a faculty by profession, it is a blessing to be able to browse for content and websites on the Galaxy TAB and use it in the class, thus making the whole process much smoother and faster. Not to forget the impression that you form on the students' minds for being so tech savvy and updated. That is the added bonus!

For a person like me who loves reading, Samsung TAB's Readers Hub feature is an excellent feature that would make reading all the more fun, easy and light for voracious readers like me. No more struggling to fit in bulky books in your travel bags or luggage, and then displaying the contents of your bag in front of everyone, rummaging through it to find where you put the book you want to read. Phew! That's really not cool; in fact pretty embarrassing.

The fact that I can create, edit, and view documents, is amazing. No more haggling after your laptop or the desktop, first creating space to keep them on the desk and then settling properly in a comfortable seat to do office work is passe` now. Work is going to be so exciting, and quick.

Communication with people is going to be so much easy and fast with Social Hub feature of the TAB. I just love the sleek and stylish Keyboard case and the desktop dock that give such a no-nonsense and a professional look to the TAB.

'If music be the food of life, play on';
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.

was said by Duke Orsino in the play The Twelfth Night. I can say the same, looking at Samsung Galaxy TAB's Music Hub feature. It is a beautiful feature that would make our lives melodious and full of exhilarating musical notes and tones.

All in all, the Samsung Galaxy TAB promises to be a bonanza of useful and effective features and capabilities. As I said in the beginning, this is one tablet I am not scared of flashing around with pride and happiness.

GIVE ME ONE, PLEASE!

I, Me, My Gadgets!

2011-07-07T00:49:00.000-07:00

For a person who has always been a manual worker (not by choice, of course) throughout the growing up years, the influx of innumerable gadgets in the market, competing with their arch-rivals vis-a-vis other brands, vying for the consumer's attention 24x7, has been like a 'hurrah' moment for me.

Looking at my lazy ways as a child and a teenager, mom always used to scold me in her typical style, "I wonder what you would do when you get married. Change your ways or you will be in big trouble."

Well thanks to the gadgets in my life, I was saved of the fury of that 'big trouble'. It is funny yet true that today you don't realize when your gadget starts ruling your life and you and the gadget become one entity. You and the gadget become inseperable, your mood and behaviour gets affected by the presence or the absence of that gadget and your whole work mechanism seems to be crippled without the gadget.

Even till my entry into adulthood, I wasn't a proud owner of any such gadget that I could relate to, or flaunt around in my friend circle, or say that it completes me. But as a working mother today, I can say with hundred percent certainity that there are certain gadgets that complete me in the present scenario. I simply cannot imagine my life without them, and this change has been a life-saver!

In the mornings and evenings, it's my Godrej Microwave and my Bajaj food processor that truly and completely call the shots. Within minutes, I am able to transform into the best of the chefs for my family and this is SO MUCH ME! Just the way I want my work to flow smoothly, quickly and tastefully, my these two gadgets operate the same way. They surely are two smooth operators, without much fuss and with much expertise and panache, they make me the queen of my house. I just love the way they turn me into a diva for my husband and my son.

Not to miss my IFB washing machine, the mean machine that just like me without making much noise cleans all the dirty linen (not in public) within minutes and again just like me doesn't discriminate between white, black or grey. It takes all the dirt, and grime and sweat without a complain on its lips, and gives me the clean and spotless clothes, just the way I like them. Sometimes I think how much I am like my washing machine- taking all the thoughts (good, bad, or ugly) in my mind, pondering and thinking, going up and down, left and right, thinking, thinking........thinking, and coming out with some sound, clean and usually good decisions.

I cannot resist mentioning my Motorola mobile phone that remains with my throughout the day and even in night (before you get some weird ideas, I mean on the table). My mobile is not my best buddy, but it does reflect the social side of my personality. I like to strike a balance and it gives me a choice to talk or not talk to people. More than anything else, it's so dependable and a smart worker....just like me.....makes it's presence felt and makes people depend upon it without making any efforts or boasting about it.

Last but not the least, it would be unfair if I don't mention my HP laptop that is my buddy, really. I just love to sit with it on my lap for hours altogether, doing stuff that I love to do, surfing! Not only do I get to connect to people all over the globe, I also get to unwind myself from a day's work. The best thing about it is that I can be myself- relaxed, casual, and honest- when I am with it. Exactly the way you would be with your best buddy. It's large-hearted just like me, has a lot to offer and has a never die spirit- so much like me.

But all said and done, I do sometimes think that would life really have been unthinkable or unlivable without all these gadgets that I have mentioned? I don't know the answer to this question, but I know one thing for sure, that after all these gadgets came in my life, I can safely say- CHANGE REALLY IS EASY!

http://bitly.com/inspiron

Real Beauty is in Your Thoughts

2011-06-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day! A beautiful picture! A beautiful thought! A beautiful memory! A beautiful emotion! A beautiful concept!.....well my list is exuastive as far the word 'Real Beauty' is concerned. Don't you think the term is relative? What is beautiful for me may be not so for somebody else. I don't see beautiful only in the physical sense, for me the words beautiful and beauty transend the physical barriers and become more like a shapelss entity that is simply felt or experienced.

I remember looking at a distorted painting made by my seven year old son, and yelling with excitement "what a beautiful painting that is dear! Because for me what was beautiful was not the end result, but the endeavor and the enthusiasm with which my son painted away to his heart's glory. Now, that was a really beautiful thing for me. I also remember my childhood days when in summer vacations I would visit my grandmother's house in a small town and how she would cook paranthas with home made white butter melting on top and a cup of hot milk tea, right in the morning even before brushing my teeth, sitting on the kitchen floor and savoring the paranthas. Every one of the bites was a real beauty in inteslf- something that lingers on in your mind forever, never to be forgotten or erased from memory.

For me, real beauty is not a face that you see in fashion magazines, or movies or in advertisements. That is created beauty, not real beauty. I find real beauty in everyday, mundane things, people, and thoughts! Because they are real, something you can relate to, something you can experience firsthand, something that makes your day, something that brings a smile on your face, something that makes you happy. That's the word- real beauty will make you really happy. Beautiful is the work done by someone that benefits others, beautiful is the story written by anyone that becomes an inspiration or lesson for others, beautiful is the instrument or equipment created by you or me that helps others, beautiful is the lie spoken by someone that saves somebody's life.

In today's fast and furious world of temporary gratification and quick fix formulas for becoming beautiful, where tummy tucks and cosmetic surgeries, claim to be your gateway to 'real beauty', we have forgotten and started misunderstanding the real meaning of 'real beauty.' And this mindless competition- whether it is men or women- to outdo each other in acquiring artificial beauty by going under the knife or swallowing and gulping umpteen number of fancy potions and capsules, is making us all the more ugly rather than beautiful.

My only wish and hope is that instead of running after an image of so called perfect beauty, which is all in your mind, we should make our thoughts and emotions beautiful, because in a healthy mind resides a healthy body and a beautiful mind reflects a beautiful face. When you think good, and do good, you automatically become beautiful to millions of people. Real Beauty lies not in a beautiful face and a body, but in your thinking and the way you look at the world. Remember the saying, "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder"? So you the beholder can make all the difference and add a whole new dimension to what "real beauty" means to you.

Economy Class Redefined

2009-09-21T02:24:00.000-07:00

Mr. Shashi Tharoor definitely has some sense of humour. But he didn't realize when he twittered merrily telling his friends and foes(if he has any) what he thinks about the cattle, oops, I mean, economy class travel, that he was actually redefining the travel terminology. Thanks to him, now 'cattle class' adds as another synonym for economy class in the English lexicon.
Not bad at all. What an interesting way of expanding the repertoire of language by using such innovative comparisons between two things and that too so casually and 'jokingly.' Who says Indians don't have a good sense of humour. This is creativity at its best. I am sure Mr. Tharoor is loving this media attention and popularity all of a sudden. The newspapers, T.V channels, radio channels, are all after him-clicking, quoting, or doing a historical background kind of research and study on him. At least now the whole nation knows who Mr. Shashi Tharoor is.

The only problem is that the attention span of a human being is pretty limited. People forget everything very soon, no matter how sensational, funny, or exciting a story may be. Well, no problem is too big to be surmounted. How about Mr. Tharoor getting the term 'Cattle Class' patented in his name, in this era of patenting everything right from Tirupathi Ladoos to Benarasi silk. What say, Mr. Tharoor?

Gay Ho!!!

2009-08-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

Finally the gay community can come out of their shadowy existence and declare to the world that they exist, thanks to the supreme court ruling of considering them and their sexual preferences as human and normal.

Change has always been resisted by people, in the name of preserving old cultural values, beliefs, and rituals, more so in a country like India where culture and life are spoken of in the same breath.

Whether for good or for bad, SC ruling has given the gays a chance to breathe out in the open without fear and stigmatic feelings, and feelings of guilt. At least, people have now started debating on the whole issue instead of shirking it or imagining that it doesn't exist. A healthy debate and discussion never harms. Give everyone an opportunity to say and express what they think and feel about gays.

Indians has been known for giving selfless love the top priority in their lives, even at the cost of their careers and life. Love is what many of our religions teach and preach, and now we cannot back out when love is what some people are craving for.

An adult should have the right to decide whom he or she wants to love and live with in a democracy and nobody else should have the power to decide this for anyone. By questioning the decision of the Supreme Court, are we questioning the wisdom and fairness of our very own judicial system?

Shahrukh Ruk

2009-08-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ruk jaa O Jaane waale Ruk jaa...................seems to be what the American Embassy Immigration officials were saying to Shahrukh when he landed at the U.S airport. But it was not taken in the right spirit by many indians. Surprisingly, according to a poll conducted by a prominent Indian news channel on the question whether Indians are overreacting to Shahrukh's detainment, 76% said yes.

The whole episode has given a lot of publicity to the already public Shahrukh, so now many more know who he is. Good. As if it matters to the aam aadmi. Maybe it does. After all, Bollywood is second religion for the Indians after Cricket. When you can temples made in honor of actors and actresses in our country, it shows how revered these people are in India.

But the question that arises here is that do we need to spend so much time pondering over whether Shahrukh should have been detained or not?

Chalo at least we got to talk about something else besides Swine Flu. Good riddance from over talk about the H1N1 virus. And this talk is much glamorous and better than the other one. Thanks to Shahrukh for sparing us the torture of reading about only how many died and how many confirmed cases of the SWINE flu in the papers.

A Swine Called H1N1 Virus

2009-08-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

What's happening to the world? First it was global warming and now it is the global pandemic called Swine Flu. As if people dying of hunger and poverty was not enough, now we have this deadly flu that is taking lives like anything. Ten people already dead and confirmed flu cases nearing the 1000 mark in the country according to the latest news on Yahoo appaled me.

Are we moving towards the next century or going back in primitive times with pademics, and epidemics becoming common words? The worst part is that the flu originated somewhere else and the whole world is paying the price for it. And the irony is that the country where it originated is capable of tackling it, but many countries where it has spread by now are not so well prepared or capable of handling it.

First it was the heat that was keeping us locked inside our homes, and now it is the fear of contracting the H1N1 virus that keeps us holed inside our homes like criminals hiding from the police. Who says we need to be scared of terrorist attacks? The newest kid on the block is the swine flu that is grabbing all attention and Taliban now has stiff competition from their deadly sibling that has rocked the world and taken the universe by storm.

I Don’t Want to Be a beggar, Ma

2009-07-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

Looking at your child growing up is a different experience altogether. The kind of happiness and satisfaction it gives to a parent, especially a mother, is more valuable than winning a jackpot in a lottery. Every day is full of surprises, new stories, exciting and innocent puzzles of life to be solved by you for your little one. And sometimes shocks, too. It’s like growing up with your kid. As a mother, I love each and every moment of this as I get to witness something new every single day of my life. I learnt so many new things and I also unlearnt many things.

That day was like any other day. I had come back home from work totally exhausted, as usual. I opened the lock on the main door, gave a missed call to the day care lady so that she could send my five year old son back. In the meantime, I made a cup of milk tea for myself and changed into a pair of slacks and a worn out T-shirt. I was about to take my first sip of tea, when the door bell rang. I rushed to the door as the ringing became incessant. There I saw my son standing with his bag slung back, water bottle around his neck, and shoes full of mud. I smiled at him, but he didn’t respond, unlike his usual self. I brought him inside, freed his back from the burden of the bag, removed his dirty shoes, and took him up in my arms.

“How was your day, baby?’’, I asked him, kissing on his cheeks. He smiled weakly, not saying anything. He wriggled and broke free from my arms and quietly went into the washroom to clean his hands and feet. I was a little puzzled and concerned with his behaviour; nevertheless, I made a glass of cold milk and popcorns in the microwave. He came out of the washroom, took up his dirty shoes and kept them on the shoe rack and wore his slippers.

I placed the glass of milk and bowl of popcorns on the table next to the T.V, as he likes to have his milk watching BenTen (a cartoon character) on Pogo. I didn’t say anything, but decided to watch him silently to figure out what was wrong. To my shock, instead of switching on the T.V, he opened his school bag and took out his notebook and started doing his homework. This was really unexpected because usually I have to cajole, threaten, fight, shout, and do everything possible on this earth to make him sit and study. But here what do I see- a five year old behaving himself so well, not watching his favourite program on T.V., not looking at the popcorn bowl, and totally immersed in finishing his homework. This was too much for me to bear.

I prepared myself and went inside the room. He didn’t bother to look up. I sat next to him and tried to start a conversation.

“So this is what teacher has asked to do today?” No response, except a short ‘Hmm’ sound.

“Hey, why don’t you first have your milk, popcorns, and then do your homework? Wouldn’t you miss your favorite Benten on Pogo?” I tried again, without sounding too instructional or commanding.

“But if I don’t finish my homework and do not study, God will make me a beggar, isn’t it mummy?” came his quick, innocent and sad reply.
“Who said that to you?” I asked shocked.
“You only told me the other day mummy, that kids who don’t study and finish their homework are turned into beggars by God because He is angry with such kids. And I don’t want to be a beggar. I saw a beggar today. He was so dirty and he didn’t have any food to eat. His clothes were torn and he had no slippers to wear. People were shouting at him and he was crying.” My son’s face had turned pale by this time and he was almost on the verge of tears.

“Tell me, mummy, now that I am studying, Will God be happy with me? I don’t want to become a beggar”.

I was so taken aback that for a moment I didn’t know what to say. I just clasped my son so tightly that he had to juggle out of my grasp for want of breath. I hugged him and with a bright smile told him that he was a very good boy and God will never be angry with him, whatsoever. This revelation brought a flicker of smile on his face. But he still seemed a little flustered and doubtful.

“Well, what mummy meant was that you should not spend all your time playing and watching T.V. If you do not study for some time, you will not learn anything”, I replied meekly. I didn’t know what else to say. He seemed relaxed at that.

“Does that mean, I can watch Pogo now and study after that, and God will be okay with that?”, he asked in his usual chirpy and exuberant style. I heaved a sigh of relief. Thank God, he was his usual self, after all.

“Yes, it means that you can play, and watch T.V, have your milk and popcorns, and then study.”In his happiness, he kissed me and started dancing on the bed.

The whole incident shook me and I realized what impact all that we say to kids in our anger, desperation, happiness or excitement, has on their little minds. I couldn’t bear to see his sad and concerned face, as if the whole world is coming to an end. As a mother, I cringed at the very thought of my son like a beggar, a sight very common on Indian streets and roads, the country I belong to. But what I learnt from the whole experience was to tread with caution while saying anything to the child because you never know how he/she is going to take what you say. As a mother, I will never forget this otherwise not so important incident, as this helped me develop a healthier bond with my son, and also gave me a peek sneak into his tiny mind.

Yeh Tera Ghar, Yeh Mera Ghar

2009-07-03T06:22:00.000-07:00

"Do Deewane Ek Shahar mein, Ashiana Dhoondte Hein...". I cannot help humming this song these days, hunting for a house on rent. It's like finding a good job or a good spouse or a good......... the list is endless.

The quest for a decent house led to the realisation that finding a house on rent is serious business. Shortlisting a house that suits all your requirements and when you get to know the rent, the same house turns into an ugly hole, with all possible excuses one can think of for not taking it on rent. How imaginative and creative we all become justifying and explaining to others why we didn't finalize the deal, just because we don't want to say, it's the RENT that led to the RANT.

The story doesn't end here. You have the dealers in between who try to convince you that the shack they are showing,in the name of a house, is a bangalow and paint a picture rosier than the rouge that women apply on their cheeks to look pretty. When the meeting is fixed between the landowner and the beggars....oops the would-be tenants, the landowner stares, glares, gazes, and peers at the interested party shamelessly, trying to figure out anything crooked or vicious in the by-now exhausted, overstressed minds of the poor house hounters. Then starts the trauma, torture, torment, whatever you choose to call it, of listening to the landlord's tales of how he was duped, made a fool of, by the previous tenants who broke God knows what not in his Pyaara Ghar. When that ordeal is over, the deal is finally struck, hands are shaken, the booty is given in the form of a cheque, one to the Big Don (the landlord) and one to the petty thieves (the dealers).

At last the tenant can muster some courage of calling the house his own. Not really, but the feeling is no less than that. Ghar Ek Sapna, turns into, Ghar Ek Apna. The shifting begins with great enthusiasm and little money. Once you are settled in, and start feeling at home, make friends and aquaintances with neighbours, the landlord starts smelling a rat. "These people are getting too comfortable here...what if they don't leave the house.........". Bas, the summons come via the same crooked, slimy dealer (sorry for my language, but only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches) to vacate the house within a month, starting from that day itself, with immediate effect.

The singing starts again..."Do Deewane Ek Shahar mein.....ashiana dhoodte hein,". Like nomads, the search begins, but unlike nomads you cannot settle anywhere you want without paying hefty rents. Lucky nomads.

So all you aspiring house hunters, and the seasoned ones, like me, keep the spirits high. Looking for a house on rent is an expedition and an experience in itself. A piece of advice from a person from the same fraternity- enjoy hunting for a house, cherish the moments to mull over in your old age, when you'll have nothing else to do but become nostalgic at anything or everything under the sun, and when you'll own a house of your OWN and maybe rent it out to other poor souls.

Babu Moshai Bid Karo

2009-07-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

Remember that superbly melodious song, with soul stirring lyrics, of black and White era of Indian cinema,"Babuji dheere chalnaa, pyaar mein zaraa sambhalna......".

Well, the song came to my mind instantly when I read in the newspaper today that the babus in Ghaziabad municipal offices will now have to bid for the posting in a particular tax zone area of their choice. Wonderful...that's all I can say.

No more of missing deadlines and not meeting targets. It's a fair deal. You want a plum place of posting, you bid and declare how well you can work in that particular area and you get the place. Your perfomances doesn't match with the bid you made, you are back to where you started from.

We need more such innovative reforms in our country as far as the government sector is concerned, so that nobody passes the buck on to the other in case of a failure or lapse in the system or the workings. There should be no excuse for laziness, inactivity, idleness, apathy, sluggishness, indolence- all these are synonyms for the government babus. I didn't say anything, people say this. This is a known fact and not a myth from our folklore.

So, all the babus in our country, beware. Buckle up your shoes, pull up your socks. Ghaziabad is just the beginning.......there are more milestones to be achieved.

"Babuji Dheere Chalnaa, naukri mein zaraa sambhalnaa."

M For Mayawati and M for Memorial

2009-06-30T03:44:00.000-07:00

With the news channels and the papers flashing news of 'Behenji's', (as Madam Mayawati is popularly addressed or known in Uttar Pradesh), unabashedly spending public money on the revamp work of the memorial in honour of dalit leaders in Lucknow, I just think of the majority of Indian population living below the poverty line in our country.

My question to Madame Mayawati is that will erecting and installing larger than life images of the dalit leaders, with the best of sand stone, provide three meals a day to the large multitude of starving population of India or for that matter Uttar Pradesh? If the answer is yes, then I have no problems with her fanatical fantasy for fanciful images of the dalit leaders.

Building memorials is a very good thing, provided you have looked after the basic 'roti, kapdaa, and makaan' needs of the citizens of a country who pay their taxes for the same. It is shocking that a person who is so well versed with the condition of the poor in her own state can be so apathetic and turn a blind eye to all this.

My only suggestion to 'Behenji', that is if she wants one, is that the very people who have put all their faith and trust in you, because they thought you can do something for them, will not bat an eyelid and send you back where you came from the day they decide to do so.

Build schools, build homes, build a better future for the people of your country. They will not only bless you, but worship you as their God. Do your Karma, work for the benefit of the people, and let people decide whether you are worthy of a memorial of not. Stop beating your own trumpet, especially when the trumpet has nothing in it.

Testing Times For Education System

2009-06-29T03:45:00.000-07:00

With Mr. Kapil Sibal's announcement a few days ago showing his keenness to introduce a 'One nation, One Board' system for the school students in India, it seems the gates of an old, dilapidated building, called education in India, have been opened. And the people from every walk of life in India want to say something or else on it. Thanks to the idiot box and the print media. The impatience and excitement of people to express their views on the same is not a surprise at all. After a long time, a healthy discussion and open forum kind of an environment has been created-knowingly or unknowingly.

Whether the 'One Nation, One Board' model of education is put into practice or not, any healthy discussion and efforts put into, at least giving the whole concept of education a new direction are welcome. There are two schools of thought in this debate also, but it's a thought provoking one. For once, the debate is for the betterment of the indian student, or so it looks, provided no religious or political coloring is given to it.

Education system in our country, sadly but surely is rotting and something needs to be done pretty fast to stop the rotting any further. The educational institutions need to be more oriented towards the students' needs, interests, and most importantly, trigger the creative juices in them, instead of putting a mixture of bookish ideas in their heads, tightly shut, with no air of fresh and innovative ideas going in.

Thanks Mr. Sibal for giving the academicians, educators, and everybody or anybody related to education to come out and debate on the need for a newer, better, more robust, and effective education system. We need a complete overhaul in the education system, in content, delivery, as well as testing/evaluating. It's some food for thought for all concerned. What say?

The Indian

A request letter to the Monsoons

2009-06-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Monsoon:
Enough of playing hide and seek with us mere mortals. We know that you are somewhere neaby, but just trying to act pricey, showing us your importance. Everyday we wake up with the hope that you'll show up, but you dash all our hopes by being elusive. Don't be so proud of yourself. We love you and miss you. But that doesn't mean you will play with our emotions and feelings.

Have mercy and give us relief from this sweltering heat. You know we are waiting for you with bated breaths. People are offering prayers and doing puja to appease you. Farmers' eyes are glued to the skies, with sweat of concern dripping from their sun baked faces. Cities are parched and villages are engulfed in the dark without you. Animals have gone limp and plants lifeless waiting for you. Every year, in the monsoon season, we make preparations to welcome you. For us, your arrival also brings good news that summers are coming to an end.

How can you be so cruel and heartless. Listen to our hearts and come soon. Give us some respite from the heat wave which is killing people. We will bless you and our blessings will keep you in good health. Are you angry with us? What have we done to earn your wrath like this? Forgive us for all our sins and activities that have angered you or hurt your feelings. Be kind and give us a chance to improve. We assure you that we will mend our ways. I know, we became selfish and ignored your warnings in the past. We have done a lot of harm to our own very environment and nature. Your anger is justified. But we have learnt our lesson.

We implore, plead, and request you with folded hands and bowed heads to break this fast of yours and pour yourself with full force, quenching our thirst and over heated souls and bodies.

Waiting for an earnest reply,

Yours Humbly,
A Mere Mortal

Rickshaw Rocks

2009-06-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

Rickshaw Rocks A news article in the paper today brought a broad smile on my face. Well, the news has nothing to do with me, but my country, and that's reason enough to smile. The news article talks about how two students from Holland, on a tour to India, fell in love with, guess what, our very own desi RICKSHAW! They feel that rickshaw is a wonderful eco-friendly mode of transport and so smitten are they with this three wheeled wonder that they have decided to take it to their country to be used as a means of transport to university. WOW!!! The news article attracted my attention because it made me realize that we have alternatives around us, in our own country, but still we remain blind to suit our purposes. In our madness to make life comfortable and luxurious, we have conveniently played havoc with nature and environment and the result is for all to see. Being a teacher, when I chance to overhear the students in college corridors, to my disappointment, I hear talks only about the latest cars, gadgets, electronic items, and a sort of maniac desire in students to possess the latest and most sought after cars or wheels. Gone are the days, when students used to enjoy a bicycle ride to school, college or university. Today you'll find the kids whizzing past you in the flashiest and trendiest of four wheelers and this gives them happiness and satisfaction. The bicycle competitions have cleared the way for motor-bike and speeding car competitions now. And anyone riding a bicycle to school or college is laughed upon, considered not so 'cool', and sometimes jeered at. But the news of these two Dutch students came as whiff of fresh air. It brought about hope and positivity that all is not lost as yet. It also reminded me of a very well known proverb in Hindi, "Ghar kee murgi daal baraabar."(we don't value things in our own home). How surprising that people from other countries are appreciating something that has been a part of Indian culture and transport from times immemorial, but our own people seem to ignore it. Wake up and take notice, all you students in India. It's time to do your bit for reducing the carbon footprint on earth.

The Curious Case of Back Benchers

2009-06-21T01:57:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of this wonderful category of homosapiens? Well, these are the amazing creatures who populate the last benches of a class or lecture. I have been a proud member of this category when in school, college, and university. That's why I'm heaping the choicest of adjectives on them.

But now that I'm a member of the teaching fraternity, shifting loyalties is mandatory. These once upon a time wonderful back benchers had turned into dreaded monsters for me when I started my teaching career. For the first time I sympathized and empathized with the courageous teachers who have to brave the onslaught of the naughtiest of the back benchers.

But having seen the best and worst of both the worlds, I was able to handle the situation pretty well. My student days as a back bencher gave me insight into their psyche and mind set, and my teaching training taught me how to work with different types of students- back benchers being one of them.

As a teacher, I learnt that teaching can be fun if a teacher enters the class without any preconceived ideas about the students, even the back benchers. I wish when I was a student, teachers didn't assume that since I am a back bencher, I have to be bad or not worth paying attention to. Whereas they got the shock of their lives, when the same back bencher (that is me) topped the English paper, and to their utter disbelief, stood third in English Honors at university level, while in graduation, thus earning a good name for the college.

When I am in the class, I try not to repeat the same mistake that my teachers made-knowingly or unknowingly. In my classes, the back benchers bring a twinkle in my eyes. My instinct tells me that some day, one or more of these earthlings are going to make many people proud with their achievements. So, instead of loathing them or avoiding them or being indifferent to them-something that I had personally experienced as a student-I try to engage and involve them into the lesson (by hook or by crook). The response I get from them is the same as when two strangers respond to each other after becoming good friends. They begin by being hesitant, doubtful, even indifferent at times, and then gradually open up, show interest, participate, and start enjoying the constant give and take interaction with me and the other students.

I Love You Daddy

2009-06-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

I Love You Daddy (A Daughter's Tribute to her Father)

Father's day is round the corner. Not that I remember my father on this special day alone, but having a day in honor of fathers is a wonderful concept and brings back to mind all those memories of growing up with the one man who has been my role model.

Going out for morning walks and discussing about life and its challenges, getting scolded for not sitting in the right posture while studying, learning to buy vegetables in the supermarket smelling and feeling the ripeness by squeezing them lightly, thinking of thousands of ways to be allowed for a late night party, requesting mummy to get the report card signed from daddy when not getting good grades in a subject........the memories are endless.

What I learnt from my father-through silent observation or from his direct teaching-is priceless and profound. I don't think those valuable lessons of life could have been learnt in any other way so well as I did from my father. The sharing of thoughts, arguments, debates, conflict of ideas and opinions prepared me for the life to come. My constant disagreeing and arguing with him on so many issues brought out the debater and speaker hidden in me. Observing him deal with people-his patients and colleagues as well as friends-taught me how to deal with people in life. His dedication to his profession and punctuality helped hone my professional skills. His practical sense and wisdom prepared the ground for me to act wisely and take decisions practically. His ability to remain happy and positive in the grimmest of the situations brought me out of so many depressing moments. His philosophy of always treading the middle path helped me learn not to be an extremist.

Reflecting on all that I have learnt and acquired from my father, he is a living institution for me and my heart swells with pride when relatives or family friends appreciate something in me and say, "Well, after all she is Dr. Goel's daughter......the achievements are but obvious."

Thank You Daddy for everything. I wish and pray that your life remains as rocking and happy as it has been till now.

Sontaneous Overflow of Emotions

2009-06-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

Indians are emotional people. I am an Indian. So, I'm emotional.
The two statements lead to a logical conclusion.

Whatever I do in life, I do with full emotions. When I got married, I didn't feel like crying at the time of leaving my parents' house, but I reminded myself, "You are an Indian, and you are emotional", tears came naturally after that.

And when my sister got married, I cried more than the normal parameters prescribed by society and my sister had to nudge my elbow to whisper in my ear, "Don't cry so much, remember I am the bride."

But I am no comparison in front of the seasoned practitioners of emotions. Don't believe me that such a breed exists? No problem, next time when you visit a relative whom you hate and who hates you with double the force than you, just observe the emotional welcome you get and the emotions reach their zenith when you are about to leave. (God knows whether the overflow of emotion is the happiness because you leaving the house or sadness because you are leaving them.) Keep guessing!!! As long as emotions are visible, it's okay.

I wish the teachers and students become even half as emotional as on funerals or weddings when it comes to learning. In fact, we need an overflow of emotions in indian schools, colleges and universities so that the world is left with no option but to say "JAI HO INDIA".

Once a Learner, Always a Learner

2009-06-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

Old habits die hard. I think they never die. I remember how restless I was as a child and wanted to learn so many things at one go. I wanted to learn Kathak (a form of Indian classical dance), be a writer, be a swimmer, a lawn tennis player, and last but not the least, be a doctor ( this was obvious as dad is a doctor).

Come to the present. I am still as restless as ever. I want to be a good trainer, a great cook, a writer, etc., etc.......Old habits die hard.

No wonder, I kept studying and learning throughout as the thirst and hunger for more and more knowledge was unquenchable. I acquired certifications and degrees online and through distance learning while doing jobs. And let me share this with you, I wasn't disappointed. The learning was satisfying and worth the effort, time and money I had invested.

Thanks to advancement in technology, especially the era of e-learning and online training, restless souls like me needn't worry. I know even after a passage of another decade or so, I will be the same restless creature, wandering about in the pursuit and search of something more. Well, I can't help it. I warned you in the begining - old habits die hard.

Becoming a Qunitessential Learner

2009-06-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

As a child and a student, I always aspired to be a perfect learner. I think everybody tries to be one. I kept the pursuit of being an exemplary and model learner fervently, trying my best to match my teachers' motto "Learning Knows No Boundaries." My intentions were innocent- I wanted to remain the apple of my teachers' eyes by showing them that they could not or would not find a role model learner better than me. I would research for hours in the school library whatever was taught in the class, just to present something new or interesting the next day, related to the previous class topic. So it wasn't a surprise or shock to me when the Opthamologist told me that I had been straining my eyes too much and now I would have to wear numbered spectacles.

What a spectacular view I got after wearing them. But only for a brief period of time. After a year of fidgeting with my glasses, the romance was over and the harsh reality of being 'half blind' without the spectacles (in front of the good looking dudes) struck me like lightening from the skies as happens in hindi movies. It was like a moment of truth revelation for me. How I wish today that Online Learning was easily available at that time as it is today. I would not have been deprived of admiring and appreciating beauty (vice-versa) around me with my naked eyes.