Saturday, December 17, 2011

THE BOON OF LAZINESS


Is it the last day to pay the bills!! It is already midnight and tomorrow is final submission of assignment! You want me to go to the flour mill! But there’s lot of wheat flour with us to manage for another three days, let’s finish it first! Getting up early! What does that mean?  I am already late for work, but just one more work remaining to be done. And the most usual phrase- It has 2 bars left! Let me use my mobile for some time more before I plug it for charging.
         Such people are usually termed as LAZY! But according to me it’s a very biased way of analysing the trait of character of a person. I, who have shown such traits right from my childhood and continue to do so, have some points in favour of our flock.
        First point I put forward is that we are not lazy, but we like to get fullest of everything! We like to exploit the resources, squeeze it as much as we can. We anyways have to charge the mobile, why not use it till it’s nearly discharged and charge it at once altogether. If this is followed daily, you have to get parted from your cell for lesser time than in the earlier case. Postponing a job is not cancelling it altogether. It’s just like keeping the ice cream aside till you finish off your pudding. This time which you get can be utilized in doing some other work.
        Secondly, in this world full of monotonous unadventurous activities, it adds a thrill to our life. You have to do a job, you accomplish it-It’s over. Nothing’s left. But if you keep the same task till the deadline, it adds thrill to your life. Standing in the line to pay the bill with 10 people in front before half an hour of its closure is not a child’s play. Completing the assignment just minutes before submission gives the much needed adrenaline flow, adding adventure to your life.
        Third point is that when a job is done at the eleventh hour, it takes far lesser time than in usual routine. It can be said (even statistically proven by our cult) that the nearer we are to the deadline, more is the efficiency and time taken is less. In the nick of time, our mind is vigilant, muscles are agile and we are ready to complete the task whatever it might take.
Fourth and the most important point- It takes guts to be lazy! It tests the risk taking ability of a person. An ordinary person can’t handle the pressure surmounted while performing a job at the last moment. But we, the so called lazy people are well adept at handling it due to the armour of complacence with our maximum efficiency at critical conditions. As I mentioned earlier we want to get the fullest of everything, how can it be any different when it comes to dealing with ourselves … what you think!! J
S. RITIKA

Friday, December 16, 2011

WIRED MESS!!

    

Wires are everywhere-from the tail of our e-mouse to the umbilical power cord. Few years ago, it was the sky which was dressed up in wires. Be it electric lines, telephone or cable connection- there were lines all over our head obscuring the sky. Gradually there were technological advancements and the term wireless got more significance than just another TV remote control. God's own devices appeared in the form of Mobile phones and laptops giving unimaginable power to common man. They could do wonders. But these great gadgets were followed by some eternal connections -charger, head phone, USB, HDMI etc. If they seem a manageable handful, think again my friend! There’s an exclusive set of these for each gadget we are so accustomed to use! Packing them is yet another meticulous job. While travelling, I have a bag inside my luggage exclusively for these wires which contains individual pouches for each gadget of mine. 

           Why can't the head phone just be as it should be! No matter how hard I try, keeping it tidily, it’s a mess when taken out the next time. Half of my energy, time and good mood get wasted in unraveling the mess. You have to carefully find the knot, force the bulky ear bob into the loop loosened beforehand to ease the procedure. One mistake and you are doomed. If it gets entangled even more it will mean more perspiration.  
Knot by knot you untangle it and at last the feat is
 accomplished and you think that it's done! But no nono no-no no! You suddenly realize that one of the ear bob’s cover has been lost in this fiercely battle. You mourn on its demise, plug it into your mobile and you are all ears but again a technical difficulty arises. Having lived in India for so long (and due to your negligence to the ‘Handle with care’ sign), it needs some adjustments. Adjusting the pin, rotating it in all the directions, forcing it out halfway, all in an attempt to get that perfect alignment which will fill your ears with the rhythm-And the struggle pays.  You are successful. For hours you wander in your own world till the row of battery stripes get near extinct and you have to rush in emergency to find the savior for your dying pal. The charger! It's the thing most sought after in the modern world. One wonders the places it wanders to. From top of fridge to below the bed, be it alone contemplating in a cupboard or just hanging out in some forlorn switch board! It just ends up in a place where one doesn't search for it. And one wonders how it can keep exploring new places.
Fed up of all these wiry menaces my mom designated a box to shelter these poor homeless creatures. One whole day the dwellers inside and outside the box were in peace. But it's the law that disorderliness increases. Now one can often find them peeping out of the box, basking over a table top or even lying unnoticed on the floor. As wireless technology is advancing, newer gadgets are being marketed and each brings home more wires, hence more menace……....... 
Life is not that easy in a wireless world of wires…...just think about it.


S. RITIKA


 

Saturday, September 17, 2011

FUELED CAR'S TALK!!



While on my night walk, I came across a weird and interesting conversation going on. Even though I knew its bad manners, I eventually couldn't resist overhearing it. On a straight lane, there were numerous four wheelers parked on both the sides. A group of 'middle class cars' was discussing about food inflation (Petrol price hike) .They were cursing petroleum minister for deregulation of petroleum sector. It was 'Pet Pe Laat' on common cars.
    


Mr. Alto mourned, "My owner always gives snacks to me and drives me till I am nearly starved! God punish that engineer who discovered Fuel level indicator!"
"After so much hard work in the scorching sun, if I over eat a bit, they yell mileage is less!! They take me to the mech-doctor and he screws me. It's so pathetic!"  Everyone gave an approving nod.
                Mr. Wagon. R. said, "I don’t know what's happening! May be due to the 'square meal' we are having these days, we resemble a cube!!"
                Tata N. 'Anna'.O  declared."Really, government should do something about the population rise. The food scarcity is on its all-time high. There is such a big line at food shops; we don’t even have fare price shops like our owners to get benefitted from. We should get 'reservation'. Those privileged diesel cars get high calorie food, are powerful and mighty, thus get adopted so easily. Let's raise our horns for it! We can go on an aamran anshan!'(Anyways we are starving!) Murmuring started as he had touched everyone's nerves.



To this Ritz added."Yaad aaya! Did you hear about Mr. Om N.I ! It is doing illegal dhanda! He has switched to LPG fuel as government subsidizes it. I can't imagine how people keep explosives inside their house. There's a constant danger of raids as well as explosions. Some even use kerosene adulterated fuels. O Lord! Save them!"
Sant R O preached, "It is all moh maya! Switch to jadi booti! Use bio-fuels like Jathropa etc. That will lead to salvation."
M. Swift blurted, "If only China produced petrol also! The cheap fuel would have been like a medicine on our wounds".
                         




From the backdrop, a car voiced,'' I don’t know what our Car rights commission is doing. Every person on earth gets a day off in a week.
 Few blessed ones even get twice. But we are overburdened round the clock each day. Why can't our owners stop churning our wheels at least for a day and go green by using some eco-friendly options!
 Why can't they, for a day, burn their calories using cycles instead of burning the precious fuel."
                           








  I was full of retrospection hearing the cry of the cars…The next moment, I got my cycle out of the garage and pledged to cycle to ease my pocket, body and most importantly: my soul.
Go Green……..Published in the interest of common man by the association of cars J



Tuesday, September 13, 2011

IT'S YOUR LIFE!!





Let your life decide your duty,                                            
And not duties rule your life,
However it may be: placid or strife
Keep on relishing its flawless beauty.
Unruffled by the chaos in mind,
Go wherever your heart drives,
As this is the day, this is the moment
Live it as you want
Without any external pressure
As once gone, you can always repent,
But once enliven, can become a memory unforgettable.
So live life the way you want
As
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara........


S. RITIKA

Saturday, July 30, 2011

THIS DIS-BELIEF!!


                    Don't talk to strangers! Don't take anything from them! Be aware! The whole world is in a quest to cheat! Help others! But beware of rogue wearing the mask of humility! Friends can't be trusted. In today's time, even relations are not to be relied on! How can you trust your partner after watching 'emotional atyachaar'! World wants to take advantage. Always see to it that you are the one to snatch everything before others get the chance. No one can be trusted in this world full of crime, news flashes of forgery, betrayal, and conspiracy. In a nutshell, a world which we perceive is full of disbelief!                              
                But is our world such bad!
 Has gentleman become extinct in our so-called 21st century??
 Every grey cloud has a silver lining.
I came across few silver linings in my life these days.
              


How many times it happens in our life that somebody does good to us and instead of thanking him, we keep wondering what personal gain he might get from it!! Recently I got a call from an unknown number inquiring about my father who was his neighbor when he was a kid. Talking after gap of years, as they both were refreshing their childhood memories, my mother commented, "Suddenly after so many years!...Jaroor kuch kaam hoga papa se! " She didn't have any personal grudges with that neighbor. But it was a natural thought for an inhabitant of this untrustworthy world. When the telephonic conversation ended, my dad revealed that his friend had gone through various directories, mutual friends and internet to get this number (My dad has a transferable job, adding to the complexities) and had just called to inquire about the well-being of his pal.
            








   I had to take an auto to get back home from college. With the general public view about meter tapering, charging extra money etc. , I and my friend went up to the auto stand clumsily thinking the ways not to get cheated by the shrewd auto drivers. We got to one auto and started enquiring about availability and tariff.  At the backdrop, we could hear people shouting, "Ma'am, auto. yahaan….ma'am!" I was getting irritated. Suddenly, one of the person from the background stood in front of us, and instructed, 'Come to that auto!' I was angry and was going to blast on him for so much persuasion just to gain profit when he smiled at my friend and asked 'Pehachaana nahi kya mujhe? '. She stared at him for a second or two, and then smiled back and exclaimed, 'Oh aap!'Actually that driver used to drop her to the school regularly from 5-7 class. I asked the driver how he could recognize after so many years when her face and personality had changed so much! To this he smiled and answered, 'Humaari bachi hai ye….aise kaise bhool jaayenge ise!' When we finally reached our stop, he was not even ready to take money from us saying,' how can I take money from you'. We had to force money into his hands. It filled me with remorse; the person I supposed was money-mined was so good at heart.
I agree that media is doing a very good job of making people aware of the deplorable happenings, but there should be mention of such silver linings also to instill hope, positivity and enthusiasm in people for a better tomorrow.








S.RITIKA
All pictures and thoughts are out of the Author's creative mind.. Copying without due credit to the author will add to the disbelief prevalent in this world. Serve humanity. :)

Monday, July 25, 2011

POSTING EMOTIONS...



As per my daily schedule, I went to my verandah to fetch newspaper. As I gave a cursory glance at the paper, I caught a glimpse of the cover page of the weekly magazine 'Twinkle' of 'The Hitvada'. It was titled, 'Where were postcards invented.'. I could not get my eyes off it. It was not at all something magnificent or out of the world. But, suddenly there was a feeling of Nostalgia.  Images from the past started playing in front of me.
Don't you all remember the days when we used to write on postcards. The 'trin trin' of the bell of the cycle was the most awaited thing because it was of postman chacha. As soon as the sound used to fall onto our ears, we all raced towards the gate as we had a message from our dear ones. The post man was a part of the family as he was always there with us; whether it was the news of family wedding or wishes of diwali, new year, whether it was a Rakhi from a brother to his beloved sister or the promotion of a near friend, it was postman chacha who maintained the strings of bonding. He consoled on the demise of a kin, gave us strength during friend's illness: He always bridged the gap and 'connected people' irrespective of the geographical boundaries.
And there were times when everyone stepped outside to buy beautiful greetings to send their regards to their near and dears. Every card was meticulously chosen after scrutinizing the wordings inside and finding the best cover picture. Messages were written to add more warmth; kindergarten students were encouraged to scribble massages, kids even used to make cards themselves to give it a personal touch. We were instructed in schools to write letters to our relatives every month. Enthusiastically we followed the advice with a strong support from our family. Cards were posted well in advance with address over them. It was so different from cc, bcc, forward to all messages we do these days. Even though it saves a lot of time in today's fast moving world,it doesn't have the love, warmth, intimacy the former has.
                And how can I forget those lovely rectangular pieces stuck over the cards: the stamps. Being a philatelist who found peace in collecting different stamps, I was amazed as it had so much and even when you thought you had enough of them, new and better stamps always caught your eyes. In today's age of dwindling letters collecting stamps has become a herculean task.  Now, the collection has become a legacy that shall be passed to future netizens who might never get a glimpse of them except in the google images.
In this world of bullet trains, emails and facebook where people may be a touch away, they surely miss the touch of human emotions, affection and intimacy. While connecting the distant people, it has distanced their hearts and today's relations are so conveniently made and broken just by clicking friend/unfriend…..




                                                          

                When I got a letter from my grandfather just few days back, the feeling I had can't be emulated by thousands of forwards, poke, and tags.
                                                                                                      
          

                                                                                      

Sunday, July 10, 2011

NEW (MOMENTS OF AN) YEAR:

 It was really cold that morning. She took her daily route through the college. Chill breeze was flowing incessantly. While driving her two wheeler rashly, she suddenly realized that it was spring already..one whole year had gone with the wind…all the small, precious moments of her life, just like the tiny granules of sand of an hour glass, were gone, were lumped up in a glass chamber from where they could not return. As life progressed, more and more sand got heaped up and the memory of the past got obscured. Only few granules were fortunate enough to trickle down the heap to a place from where it could always be viewed through the transparent glass however old one may grow. They are the memories one always remembers as if they just took place yesterday. One whole semester was over and she thought she wasted it. Then she closed her eyes for a fraction of second and glimpses of her past appeared. Even though she had not utilized every moment to the fullest, hadn't outperformed in anything, but she realized that she actually enjoyed doing nothing. Night outs with friends, class bunks, 11th hour group studies; painting, making nail arts, reading novels during lecture; dandiya, garbha, singing  in the weirdest tones ; remembering all these things, a smile automatically lit up her face. She felt light. It is said that when you are happy, the whole world appears beautiful. She started to notice minute things around her. Golden Leaves were swirling down to her. As she sped forward, leaves scattered on the road, dispersed, apparently looking as if they had paved way for her. All the trees seemed to rhythmically sway from one side to another. Even the cold breeze was nice. She realized that she had a whole year to look forward to, rather than thinking what she had lost.
S. RITIKA
(Written on 1.01.11 but didnt reach the blog...posting it today.......)

Saturday, July 9, 2011

ENG-ioscope

Look around you and you will find numerous institutes guaranteeing admissions in IITs, innumerable tiny faces on banners with praise and laurels of that coaching class (which is a temple of knowledge where monetary donations surpass the recently found treasure of Satya Sai trust or Padmanabhaswamy temple). Each middle class teenaged citizen of India of the age group 15-19 enters one of these temples (sometimes even two or three of them to please all the deities) with only one wish which he/she (or their mummy, papa, chachi, dada, uncle… ) want fulfilled: To be an IITian. They immolate their 2-4 years to intensive learning (kind of Vishvamitra's vrat devoid of any worldly pleasure, emotions  full of hurdles in the form of test series to be solved). Immured in a room full of formulae and equations, they are cut off from the world outside.
                                                After persevering for an aim, with undeterred will to crack the most difficult paper of India, they enter the exam hall on the D-day. These 6 hours would decide their future. Anxious faces enter the hall and when they return the anxiousness gets tenfold. They have marked their fate. It has become 'read only' with no edit option. There's a sigh of relief. Then a tempest comes which takes away the short lived tranquility. An un-ending list of exams to appear for, forms of various colleges to be filled come into picture: Hullabaloo. The worst part of the chaos comes when the results are displayed. The shrewd college authorities display the result one by one adding to the confusion and tension just to pocket more money (students). Everyone gets busy in surfing best colleges, ringing 'padosi ki friend ki beti' who is doing engineering, long discussions as to what will be best for Bunty and Pinky. Poor Bunty or Pinky due to peer or dear ones or just by following the latest trend enroll in a college(as expect few, others don’t exactly know their aim in life. Engineering is synonymous to secure future to them).
                                                A new chapter opens as they enter their respective colleges. Once the senior most adolescents, they are now toddlers in the world of adults. Contented of being a would-be engineer they enjoy the new phase in their life. It's a whole new experience for them. New friends, Hostel dormitories and the new environment of the campus is relished by them. In college a whole new dimension of everything unveils. There is always so much 'happening' in the campus. They participate in each and everything just for the sake of fun and experience. They expose themselves to the vast possibilities. Campus is a mini-world. It is full of people having different tastes and while interacting with everyone they learn. And in these friendly informal interactions they shape up their future. They develop various facets and get to know where exactly their interest lies. At every step, let it be semester exams or event management or internships or just painting or writing. 1 year passes at light's pace which is full of unforgettable memories. 2nd year comes with regrets of wasting a year unfruitful, and worries as to what they will do in their future. But they still have the hangover of  1st yr's masti.  3rd and final years again set out on a journey to build their career. This time its different from the previous quest, as they know what they want to do, or will soon get to know as the cycles will repeat unfolding many latent talents,  giving direction to their life with greater exposure. As life herself is a teacher mightier than all. (Good judgment comes from bad experience which itself is an outcome of bad judgments.) At the end (when they become toddlers of professional world) they get what they want, or more appropriately what they need as they have well developed various traits of personality. In a nutshell, engineering teaches us many things other than the information in class room lectures. 

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Utilization of India's treasure:


 India has recently rediscovered its age old wealth in the Padmanabswamy temple in Kerala. Amidst the bustle regarding the source of the treasure being tax, wealth of the king or common man's 'dana', another important question has come into picture regarding its usage.  Being worth 1 lakh crore, it can improve the condition of Kerala as well as our nation. It can be auctioned off providing many times more money than accounted. It can be preserved in a museum as a national heritage.
                Whatever decision is taken by SC and temple trust, it should be considered that it's a heritage that has been preserved by the trust and travancore kings for more than 150 years and should be kept so for generations to come. Moreover it has been found in temple, thus increasing its sacred value.
                Instead of auctioning the priceless treasure, money equivalent to the evaluated worth of the treasure should be printed by RBI and this money should be invested in improving infrastructure, providing aids to farmers and thus for the betterment of society.The growth and development thus caused can be offered to the God to show gratitude. The treasure should be kept in a museum so that India can preserve as well as patronize its heritage.
 Considering the religious ethics, all religions support dana for those in need.  The wealth can be considered as a gift from God almighty to the nation suffering from deficits, inflation and lack of funds. Thus it should be used for the betterment of the nation in a way that our heritage is preserved. Even God almighty and benevolent souls of travancore kings will fell happy to find the wealth accumulated for the betterment of praja is utilized for the people's development.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

songs_of_life: STRINGS OF BONDING......

songs_of_life: STRINGS OF BONDING......: "Every human relation: be it affectionate mom and her child, or intimate pals, or even comrades who seldom interact; share a bond; the bond m..."

STRINGS OF BONDING......

Every human relation: be it affectionate mom and her child, or intimate pals, or even comrades who seldom interact; share a bond; the bond may have been strengthened by several strands of love, affection, trust and understanding or may have been a single stranded thread of acquaintance...
                        Every human being is entangled by such numerous threads. Many a times it happens that while trying to hold a particular thread tight, others might slag. If one continues to concentrate on maintaining the tension of just that thread, it might happen that even though he can hear whispers through that thread, even the wave of cry may die and be lost unheard from other threads. And when one realizes this, the friction curbs the restoration of those....

       So, make sure that you keep a balance between all the strings in your life,as, just like a musical instrument, life needs proper tension to have perfect harmony. And always look around to find if something special has been lost while making your way ahead in life.....as sadly....life has no UNDO button..........

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

songs_of_life: CHANGE

songs_of_life: CHANGE: "Today, we live in a world where people continue to follow a never ending, vicious, monotonous routine, inhaling polluted air, choking their..."

songs_of_life: CHANGE

songs_of_life: CHANGE: "Today, we live in a world where people continue to follow a never ending, vicious, monotonous routine, inhaling polluted air, choking their..."

CHANGE


Today, we live in a world where people continue to follow a never ending, vicious, monotonous routine, inhaling polluted air, choking their hearts to such an extent that no human emotions can penetrate into them; engulfing themselves in the viscous self centric fluid which always opposes humanity, creates friction so intense that love cannot thrive. We live in a place where drops of friendliness are so scanty that even the closest people have a rift separating them. We have tainted our land to such an extent that the relation of humans with mother earth has gone astray. Our mind is full of non bio degradable vengeance and negativity which can neither be disposed nor recycled to make it useful. The bad habits, wrong attitude are getting immune to any type of pesticide used against them. People have so much green money that they don’t care about the greenery of their surroundings. Whatever environmental effects must have caused global warming but according to me, it’s the animosity, retribution, repugnance etc etc(the list of words will never end) which pollutes the human minds and makes the situation sweltering.
Thus, in addition to conserving our ecosystem, we should also give impetus to purifying our minds because it is rightly said” bura jo dekhan mai chalaa, bura na miliya koi. Jo dil dhoonda aapna , mujhse bura na koi”.  


S. RITIKA 

Thursday, February 17, 2011

FLAME OF A LAMP


My eyes and my mind were wandering about in a quest for a topic to write on when they got a glimpse of a photo of a lamp in a calendar hanging on my room’s wall. I gazed it for a minute or so and words started pouring into my mind. But the thoughts were curbed for a jiffy because it was an object on which most of the people had already written. But there is always a new dimension to look at everything. In this article, I will try to do the same.
                                                As I am looking at the picture, I observe that the flame of the lamp is flamboyant. But this reminds me that that ironically, the word flamboyant gets its meaning from the flame. It is full of life. It can be pleasant when it is cold, violent when set free to destroy; it can illuminate as well as obliterate. It is considered constituent of all the life forms present and at the same time, it is the culprit that sublimes life into ashes and sets the soul free.
                                    Flame is full of irony. It is blistering hot at its kernel, which ironically has blue color that symbolizes tranquility. But to some extent it’s the most suited color also. As when wind flows and tries to smother the flame even though the outer part quivers, the core is placid. It burns itself and illuminates the whole world. It attracts the insects towards it assuring a place void of light, but cause their intense death.
                                    And when the fuel ends, the flame gets dim, and finally dies…

Exams- Those were the days when we opened textbooks