mera jahan is indeed my world-or do u feel otherwise!!!

Write to me:

This blog i am writing is really for the first time an inquiry into my writing style and who am I exactly. I have been reading a lot and of course blogging more regularly than before.
                                                  A dear friend the other day mentioned to me, that what i think and what i write are very different. She went on to explain, that who I am as a person and what i write are quite contradictory. I took her note seriously because i have always felt i express my views, my thoughts in Mera Jahan, and it is indeed ME here.
I took her note seriously for one more reason, i may be doing this while communicating to people also, i maybe saying things which i don't really mean.

So i went back and had a closer look at some of the things i have penned here. I couldn't get any single line which i didn't mean. But since my friend knows me pretty well, i decided to further ponder upon this and get views from more friends and people whom i follow too.

So people who know me, if you do happen to be reading this, please feel free to write in. Is there a contradiction, is there something i am missing, what more would you like me to write about..

It could be one line, one word, one para.. anything you feel, and if you dont think anything too, its good to hear from you anytime.

So.. you can tell me...

Nothing will happen, its ok, kuch nai hoga, yenu agalla, bidu..

All is not well...Sid(we) really needs to wake up!!

The Carlton tower episode has once again brought to the front of our callous and non-committal attitude. Safety norms were flouted big time this time and every time. How many more lives? how many more tragedies, how many more attacks? how many more accidents will it take for us to really wake up?

What happened yesterday at Carlton will certainly not shake us up, as i say this in a most pessimistic tone i know this for sure that, life will resume to normalcy very soon, papers and channels will also forget about carrying anything or any story pertaining this mishap or disaster and some overtly optimistic people will rave about the spirit of the city that got back to normal so soon. While i wonder if we should really rave about the spirits of our cities as dead or the great lively city that never sleeps or whatever.

There will be thousands of theories on what went wrong, what could have been done, fire personnels didnt even have the basic equipment and they were literally jumping into fire without specific gears to handle the fire.  There will be politicians visiting the deceased, with their false sympathies, giving them compensations and jhooti dilasa. There will be talks about some brave souls who didnt care for their own lives and jumped into the ill-fated building to save the choking and jumping people.

It is almost so sad and disheartening to see that nothing serious is ever done in our country, no steps are taken, to see to it that there are rules, there are norms, there are regulations and there is enforcement. I see, you see, we all see, various people voicing their concerns over blogs, letters to the editors, and media and wherever possible. After sometime all this dies down and we are left with a few grieving families who sooner or later dry up their tears, accept the happening as fate and say, "Uska utna hi likha tha" "Ashte bardiradu" and move on.

I ask, Really, really kya uska utna hi likha tha?, what nonsense, is all i can say!!

What really can be done and should be done now:

1) Make very strict laws and enforcements on building and constructions.
2)  Make fire drills mandatory for every  organisation. (each individual should know what to do, how to use equipment lying to save themselves)
3) I heard a fire personnel say, People should have crawled, this avoids choking, the wind was blowing towards east/west/north or some direction and that people should have gone to the opposite side and broken windows, - Hello, did you train people in this, did you spread awareness about all this? They should have done this and that and what not, it DOES NOT MATTER NOW, they are dead now. SOme are in ICU some are battling for life and death, a few lucky ones are out to tell first hand experiences. But bottom line is after it happens, they should have done this or that!!????
4) The most important thing, the blue collared laborer also needs to be trained. i have observed over the years that, this work force really needs to be trained in lot of areas other than what they do. We need them to clean and keep our offices sparkling, we need them to get Chai, to maintain the diesel for our gen sets, tons of diesel was stored on the roof of the carlton towers, what were the diesel doing there, it could have blown up the whole place in a more devastating manner, we were lucky again..
We need them, but at what cost? They cannot be there doing just the mundane work without knowing ABC's of safety, or a sound working knowledge of which doors to lock and the common knowlegde which is required in the running of a building. How can emergency exits be locked, bolted and latched?? Who is accountable for this, dont managements have a system in place to check all this?

Many a times, we hear people telling us, "Its ok, nothing will happen, you use this bindaas". How can you be so sure, Like the Kerla boat tragedy where again, many tourists sank along with our Mini-Titanic. Again i am sure, that "nothing will happen" attitude that we show comes into limelight.
How the hell do you know nothing will happen, what if it does, so you bloody well, take all the precautions needed. You better have ten life gaurds, you better have emergency boats, i am sure the owners were thinking, KUCH NAHI HOGA YAAR..which cost these holidayers their lives.

Everybody is screaming out there, in India, lives are cheap, sasta, abroad every life is precious and they will guard it, come what may. Accidents, mishaps happen, but again and again and again.. Uphar tragedy happened 13 years back and the justice still awaits, will it take the burning down of a major political establishment for us to wake up and take steps required?

The time is NOW, take action NOW, everyone is talking about this NOW, but our government seems to be asleep. A recent photo of one of our state's MLA dancing in full "Beedi jalyilee style" along with bar girls to entertain other MLA's made me think, what am i doing, what are we doing, what is Indias educated brigade doing? Apart from actively blogging and commenting on each others blogs with fiery statements? my heart bleeds to see such things, i mean, these are the bloody goons in power, country makers, Visionaries(god knows if he has any other visions than a semi clad or nude woman in his dreams) in power.

Coming back to the tragedy in Namma Bengaluru, wake up sid, wake up every one. We can do a lot in changing our attitudes, taking things seriously first, its really not ok, and all is not well, if we keep going like this, if we dont do anything about our "Sab chalta hai attitude".

pool sham- builders lure wanna be swimmers

So, you look at the brochures online, you go do the personal site visit, you have seen every nook and corner of the property, there is enough sunlight, there is enough air, and to top it all, it has a Swimmmmmmming pool. That is so more than enough for an average wannabe house owner to fall for the trap.

I fell for it. I had just learnt swimming, the beautiful apartment complex we were considering owning a flat in was inviting enough for us to just go for it now. In a months time, we bought the good landscaped, swimming pool with all amenities wala flat.
We had seen many but this one also came with a ready to occupy tag, and that was more than enough to really finalize on it. So there we were in A month doing the necessary and booking it and then registering it, doing the house warming pooja. Along with all this came the next hunt, our hunt for a good sasta and tikaoo interior guy. Found one got the interiors done. Still whenever i would visit my would be flat, i would look at the pool with a huge sigh. I would wonder and imagine myself jumping into the beautiful blue water in the summer and being all toned for the year's parties.

Little did i realise that the pool was actually a far dream and not anywhere close to reality. It was literally for the kids and the elders didnt stand a chance. Either they were too busy or if they werent, they would become the centre of attraction if they did get into the pool.

Our swimming pool actually lies in the centre of all the four building blocks of our complex. Little did i realise that it would take ages for the completion of each flats wood work and that the pool would not be used at all by us.

SO now many of us water lovers stand in our balconies and look at the blue waters with a huge sigh and hope for the workers of all the flats to finish woodwork soon and bugger off so we can use the pool. But that seems to be a distant dream as there are 120 flats in the complex and i wonder when each and every flat will get ready we will have a new set of workers who will be more than willing to ogle and make the women feel uncomfortable.  (not that the men will be spared too)

(this is the sad story of most of our apartment complexes, so next time a builder claims "all amenities with the all ELUSIVE SWIMMING POOL, be cautious, tread very carefully, only if the pool is tucked away behind the complex or is covered in the side fall for it. Otherwise say, I have more choice, there is no dearth of flats. Dont fall for the pool MIRAGE:)

My name is NUTS!

Whats wrong with every channel on indian television. right now i am seeing reporters actually following the story so seriously and saying that serious discussions are happening whether or not the multiplex owners will screen MY name is KHAN'..

Lets accept it, any publicity is good, so be a scandal or rumor or blames.. Ultimately stars and the movie makers and the business thrives.. and the Janta gets a good masala for days on news channels. We actually go about following the story like it is the only real thing happening anywhere and the big story this hour is... blah blah blah.... 

i really dunno if Sharukh should have said what he said, or what the jobless marathi manus propogandists are right in their way, but all said and done, we the people are surely getting a good live reality show, and this time run by none other than TV Channels. 

Aman ki Asha on one side, Pakistani artistes performing in India, our selfish politicians making divisive politics, and ruining the countries peace by dividing it further on the name of states and languages. What kind of hypocracy is this, on one side peace ki asha, or rather Aman and on the other side, attack your own people, on the basis of what someone said or did .. like hanging on to words, like you say something and i am going to ' SULI PE CHADA DOONGA' 

Is this democracy.. sadly .. its a mockery of one.. but what more can an educated person like me sit and do but blog.. will i go join politics tomorrow to fight for a more national cause, will we MNC job crazy people leave our plush jobs at AC offices and struggle for the nation. I guess, no, but i really hope more more of us atleast think of doing such things. 

As ForMy name is Khan, the movie is already a semi hit.. sleep well, SRK, Kjo and others,, keep tweeting.. or blogging.. aam janta cant get enough of house politics or national politics.. BRING IT ON... we are waiting for more reality NATAK..

Kid's dilemma or more so a parents dilemma

What is the fuss about

The fuss todays young parents create about their little ones in amazing to watch. I understand that we as adults must give a choice to our children and all that new age  mumbo jumbo.. but i was just wondering otherwise. Its a simple thing, if we dont give our kid the exposure it needs at a young age, if we start helping them form judgements and opinions in a young age as young as THREE.. god knows how judgmental and closed this person is going to grow up and be. And dont mind me saying this, our society doesnt have any dearth of opinionated and judgmental people that we want another generation to grow up like that.

Why it should bother us:
 Certainly there are going to be lot of arguements on this, and one i did have myself with a friend. This friend belives that a child should not be forced about things like, attending a concert/ weather or not it wants to be a part of a particular party/ weather or not he wants to go to somebodies house or not. Its a three year old child, let him/her expereince things, dont give in to everything every tantrum of his.

Wat am i saying: arent we restricting him from having a wholesome experience of life.. he likes it or not comes at a latter stage.
I am not one for imposing things on anybody, but all i am saying is give him the exposure, so that he is not too quick in making judgements about situations and events.

Remebering how we grew up:
I remember having attended lot of functions, lot of getogethers, family, friends, movies, playing with other kids, being tagged along for surfing expeditions of elder cousins while the kids played in shallow with woofy(pet), we saw it all.. we were every where, doing lot of things, ofcourse we didnt decide weather we liked a place or not, but we just went with the flow.
With the ourburst of new parenting rules and this whole theories of choice and let them be, let them do what they like, i wont force him, is fine,, but somewhere i think it is robing children of that innocence. By not taking him to a concert because he got bored in a previous one is like saying, i wont sing again, because i lost in that particular music concert.

Giving them a choice but with the right exposure:

I believe that children need to experience a lot, our over protecting them and fussing over them only makes them even fussier individuals. Take them along with you, let them enjoy, not like it once/ twice.. explain to them, that give it a shot, see if you like it, dont make your child a restless human, who cant sit in one place for even a minute.

Let him be a wholesome individual who has seen the world and then makes his own choices about what he likes and what he doesnt. As far as adult hood is concerened there is a lot of time for opinions and judgements, let him see, experience, dont force but dont make him a fuss too.. If you can get him along to a friends house even when he doesnt like it that much then i am sure you are keeping him away from concerts other places only because its convenient to you.

Lastly, i do beleive in freedom of choice, and i am  no dictator, but i also firmly think that as a child you ought to experience so much and be a whole rounded personality who is game for everything in life and such kids certainly do grow up to be enthusiastic about life. Others who are left to choice, i feel are big fusses in life.

So take your child out, enjoy with him/her, show them your world, make them a part of your life too, maybe when they grow up they will be more accepting and enthusiastic and not judge situations or people.

ITS NOT THAT BAD..

IT REALLY AINT THAT BAD

Why do women try to become thin after all, why arent we ever happy with the way we look, why do we have to look so good all the time, what is with us and the weighty issue. I would like to ponder over all this today..

Now why do i say, that its not that bad is because any situation in our lives, cannot be that bad after all. Really, you realize this only after a  lot of thinking, a lot of experience and pondering over your own experiences. Today i am going to write about the age old problem of weight loss. Really what is with women and weight, i never got to understand this, but as they say you are either slim and fit or you are not. If you are, then either you have a thin gene or you excersice regularly, if you don't then maybe, you haven't taken care of that body or your gene is just a fat one. Without getting too philosophical about the fat problem i am going to impart very simple and easy pointer which can be followed to beneficial results.

1) Sorry to break the bad news- Some people have the tendency to put on weight and you will put on weight even if you believe that you are starving youself.

2) No amount of starving will make you thin.

3) TO loose those pounds, EAT!

4) Start by simply getting active around the house, cut the maid some slack and move your butt to do mundane things like, giving the plate you eat in a wash, run down the stairs to keep the trash, and climb back too, do the dusting yourself, make your own bed every day, (its quite tiring to pin up all the four sides), cook- it takes lot of energy to cook, the cutting/chopping/bending for vessels/ the whole routine can be surprisingly fulfilling and help you burn important calories.

5) Take up gardening, do it yourself.

6) Infact, DIY in all situations and see the results.

7) Fill your kitchen and fridge with - Fruits, Nuts, greens, vegetables and whenever you are hungry, try to eat a fruit salad or just munch on the apple,, instead of lays and aliva and all the junk you get today.

8) Try lemon shots after lunch and dinner, cuts the carb and removes toxins from the body.

9) Eat dinner before 8 pm, that will give you some time to digest the food and also have a fruit 2 hrs after the meal if you want.

10) Raise early, go for a walk, start with stretching and some yoga. Do what makes you happy. If it is dance, then take up that dance class you have ben thinking of all your life. Just shake up, and wake up.

11) You have to have atleast one activity in a day, yoga, walking, swimming, aerobics, pilates, whatever works for you. Belive me, you are never too busyfor you health.

12) Lastly, each persons system is different, your body works differently, just accept it. Be consistent in whatever exercise routine you have.

13, Lastly lastly, you just have to, have to put in effort, no miracles will happen, you are the miracle to make it happen. So, just go for it.

(Early risers are a little ahead of people who sleep till late, its simple, they get up early and get to plan their day, its tough, but its not impossible. Push yourself and tell your body, once you have seen the benefits of waking up early belive a me, you wont love your bed as much as you do now)

Bai bye bye- will we ever say this?

Why is an Indian household incomplete without a bai? many of us have pondered over this thought and still hired one. Let me explain the concept of the bai to people who may not know her too well. A bai is a house maid, she is a helping hand in the never ending house chores in Indian homes.

She will do as much as you pay her, they come in all kinds, they are part time ones, then you have the full time ones, there are the in house maids too. But they all have their own conditions and no two 'bai's have the same process of work.

In our diverse land you will find that almost everyone who can afford has to have a Bai. Be it towns or cities, villages or taluks, the rich and the famous and the not so rich and the famous, every body needs her. In some HIndi movies the eternal Ramu kaka tried to replace the Shanta bai, but alas, kaka had to give up to make room for the fairer sex.

Now, the more you pay her the more comfort she gives you. NRI's miss this comfort and so hire one and also pay for her ticket when they take her abroad. SInce Indians are not the best at DYI situations, they think it is really best to take one from here to give the memsahib some relief from the house work.

I always thought that we  have one simply because we can afford her and because mummy cant do everything on her own and i didnt want to do the work either. Only after all these years of home makergiri have i really understood why maids are so important.

Its all because the Of the MEN! yes its them, now dont get me wrong, its not some men like Shiney Ahuja i am talking about who need bai's for other reasons, i am talking about men in general, like my husband, ur husband, her brother, her father.. MEN as a race..

They dont want to help around the home at all. its like i get the bread, so you do everything, even if the woman does get the share of the bread, still she is expected to balance things and strike a balance between work and homework. A man doesnt want to get up from his sofa and even arrange the dinner table, nor does he think drying the clothes for a change would be quite a help to the poor wife, or take the kids out for a change, or for that matter, give the dhobi clothes for ironing, damn they dont even know, where the clothes are.

And all this, thanks to mommys.. Mommys are always pampering the sons which makes them the king who shouldnt do anything at home. He is ghar ka beta, or man of the house, and he shouldnt be asked to clean even his stinking bathroom and toilet. Gosh, can you beat that, men in our country and maybe others too, i havent seen much families outside.. generally, men are lords..

and so, alaas, the BAI rules.

The bai gives us trouble, takes huge amounts as salary and doesnt show up just when the 'bartan' have over flowed  from the sink. Just when you are going to have 10 people for lunch, just when you had that very important class to attend.. In short we are at the mercy of this all doer woman, who is so capable in what she does tat she can finish the entire household work in an hours time and you thought it would take the entire day.

That is why we pay them so much. That is the reason, Indian Bai is indispensible..