New year's resolutions

 

 

Christmas will come and go in the blink of an eye. One minute you are putting up the tree, doing last minute shopping, getting a makeover in an attempt to look younger, decorating the house and planning your parties and the next you are putting away the dirty dishes, throwing away the accumulated garbage, labelling the packed decoration boxes and wondering why you feel bloated and exhausted.

Then there is the X’ Mas post mortem – how so and so’s cake tasted, the ill-fitting dress worn by a friend , the boring party , the small talk (read gossip), the boring sermon by an ill prepared priest , the overcrowded malls – the list goes on .

Santa goes back to wherever he is supposed to have come from, the reindeers are put out to pasture and sanity is restored once again.

Oh yes you also have gifts which you will probably recycle!

OMG where did the year go – the months really flew by !

And then everyone starts contemplating the New Year – fingers and toes crossed – hoping for good tidings.

Yippee it’s New Year’s resolution time. Research has shown that about half of all adults make New Year’s resolutions. However, fewer than 10% manage to keep them for more than a few months and that too is stretching it a bit!

 The origin of New Year’s resolutions is quite interesting. The ancient Babylonians made promises to their Gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts on time. The Romans began each year by making promises to the God Janus, for whom the month of January is named. Thereafter bedlam has reigned with the whole world jumping on the bandwagon  and continuing,  what has now become a  craze

New Year’s resolutions are quite a pain but “What’s your New year’s resolution”? Is a question on so many minds in January every year so everyone starts thinking in advance so as not to feel out of sync during upcoming conversations?

 We all know how easily people can fall into bad habits and why on trying to give up those habits it is easy to relapse.

 New Year’s Resolutions usually come in the form of lifestyle changes and changing behaviour that has become routine and habitual can be hard to do.

Google the term ‘NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS’ and there are umpteen pages on the same.

The most common resolutions made every year around the world are: losing weight, doing more exercise, quitting smoking and saving money. All undoubtedly look good and meaningful.

 Who doesn’t want to fit into clothes better  , drop a size or two, be able to run a mile without panting , feel healthier and have some sort of a healthy bank balance .

The main reason that people don’t stick to their resolutions is that they set too many or they’re unrealistic to achieve. They may also be victims of the “false hope syndrome”. False hope syndrome characterized by a person’s unrealistic expectations about the likely speed, amount, ease and consequences of changing their behaviour.

So here is my new year’s resolution- to try and be a better person that I was in 2018 – for myself and those around me.

Not a SMART target but ok for someone who can do without the jargon.

So what’s yours?  

New year's resolutions

 

 

Christmas will come and go in the blink of an eye. One minute you are putting up the tree, doing last minute shopping, getting a makeover in an attempt to look younger, decorating the house and planning your parties and the next you are putting away the dirty dishes, throwing away the accumulated garbage, labelling the packed decoration boxes and wondering why you feel bloated and exhausted.

Then there is the X’ Mas post mortem – how so and so’s cake tasted, the ill-fitting dress worn by a friend , the boring party , the small talk (read gossip), the boring sermon by an ill prepared priest , the overcrowded malls – the list goes on .

Santa goes back to wherever he is supposed to have come from, the reindeers are put out to pasture and sanity is restored once again.

Oh yes you also have gifts which you will probably recycle!

OMG where did the year go – the months really flew by !

And then everyone starts contemplating the New Year – fingers and toes crossed – hoping for good tidings.

Yippee it’s New Year’s resolution time. Research has shown that about half of all adults make New Year’s resolutions. However, fewer than 10% manage to keep them for more than a few months and that too is stretching it a bit!

 The origin of New Year’s resolutions is quite interesting. The ancient Babylonians made promises to their Gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts on time. The Romans began each year by making promises to the God Janus, for whom the month of January is named. Thereafter bedlam has reigned with the whole world jumping on the bandwagon  and continuing,  what has now become a  craze

New Year’s resolutions are quite a pain but “What’s your New year’s resolution”? Is a question on so many minds in January every year so everyone starts thinking in advance so as not to feel out of sync during upcoming conversations?

 We all know how easily people can fall into bad habits and why on trying to give up those habits it is easy to relapse.

 New Year’s Resolutions usually come in the form of lifestyle changes and changing behaviour that has become routine and habitual can be hard to do.

Google the term ‘NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS’ and there are umpteen pages on the same.

The most common resolutions made every year around the world are: losing weight, doing more exercise, quitting smoking and saving money. All undoubtedly look good and meaningful.

 Who doesn’t want to fit into clothes better  , drop a size or two, be able to run a mile without panting , feel healthier and have some sort of a healthy bank balance .

The main reason that people don’t stick to their resolutions is that they set too many or they’re unrealistic to achieve. They may also be victims of the “false hope syndrome”. False hope syndrome characterized by a person’s unrealistic expectations about the likely speed, amount, ease and consequences of changing their behaviour.

So here is my new year’s resolution- to try and be a better person that I was in 2018 – for myself and those around me.

Not a SMART target but ok for someone who can do without the jargon.

So what’s yours?  

Christmas is round the corner

So it’s the 16^th December 2018.

Nine days to go for Christmas and there is excitement in the air.

Thanks to Facebook , Messenger, WhatsApp and the like , many of us have been receiving our FIRST CHRISTMAS CARD , OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE , OUR FIRST SANTA , OUR FIRST SNOWMAN over and over again from the 1^stDecember onwards  . Not to mention being HIT by the FIRST VIRTUAL SNOW BALL .

 Nice – thank you - but a bit too much and over the top at times .

Cakes and cookies are being baked , Turkeys ordered and then there is that wild clamour to purchase gifts  in the malls . More often than not there are the usual end of year  sales where everyone ends up buying stuff they do not need in the first place .

Christmas Trees went up during the first week of December and those who could not find last year’s decorations, as they had been put away safely and now can’t be found , went out and bought new ones – only to find the old ones in perfectly good condition a few days later !

Then there are the curtains and the cushions- the new crockery and the crystal glasses kept for those special occasions .  

Not to forget  the urgent requirement for  new clothes and shoes which suddenly become a necessity despite the cupboard already being stocked with recent purchases   .

 If you are a lady , then this is a time consuming operation . Many shops are visited and bored, tired looking  salesmen can be seen putting back dozens of pairs of shoes , folding meters of  material and putting clothes back on hangers – obviously someone looked and walked on to the next shop where the same exercise was repeated .

 Most gentlemen are adept at quick shopping and are less fussy than their female counterparts  . They know what they want – go in and  get it and the job is over and done with before you can say Ho Ho Ho !

 Remember I said MOST . I know of many fusspots who spend ages and are somehow never satisfied with the goods on offer . These are the bespoke guys who take pride in giving measurements and going for umpteen trials- good for you .  

Schools are closed now and the children are suddenly in everyone’s way – wanting to eat meals at odd times  , itching to go out , asking for gifts ,  begging to be taken to the park .

All in all it’s a season of fun – friends to catch up with , time to travel if you so desire ,  great weather , plenty  to eat and not to forget – WEIGHT TO GAIN !

And by the way for those Christians like me – let’s not forget to keep the CHRIST in Christmas.

Be kind to one another !

Christmas is round the corner

So it’s the 16^th December 2018.

Nine days to go for Christmas and there is excitement in the air.

Thanks to Facebook , Messenger, WhatsApp and the like , many of us have been receiving our FIRST CHRISTMAS CARD , OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE , OUR FIRST SANTA , OUR FIRST SNOWMAN over and over again from the 1^st December onwards  . Not to mention being HIT by the FIRST VIRTUAL SNOW BALL .

 Nice – thank you - but a bit too much and over the top at times .

Cakes and cookies are being baked , Turkeys ordered and then there is that wild clamour to purchase gifts  in the malls . More often than not there are the usual end of year  sales where everyone ends up buying stuff they do not need in the first place .

Christmas Trees went up during the first week of December and those who could not find last year’s decorations, as they had been put away safely and now can’t be found , went out and bought new ones – only to find the old ones in perfectly good condition a few days later !

Then there are the curtains and the cushions- the new crockery and the crystal glasses kept for those special occasions .  

Not to forget  the urgent requirement for  new clothes and shoes which suddenly become a necessity despite the cupboard already being stocked with recent purchases   .

 If you are a lady , then this is a time consuming operation . Many shops are visited and bored, tired looking  salesmen can be seen putting back dozens of pairs of shoes , folding meters of  material and putting clothes back on hangers – obviously someone looked and walked on to the next shop where the same exercise was repeated .

 Most gentlemen are adept at quick shopping and are less fussy than their female counterparts  . They know what they want – go in and  get it and the job is over and done with before you can say Ho Ho Ho !

 Remember I said MOST . I know of many fusspots who spend ages and are somehow never satisfied with the goods on offer . These are the bespoke guys who take pride in giving measurements and going for umpteen trials- good for you .  

Schools are closed now and the children are suddenly in everyone’s way – wanting to eat meals at odd times  , itching to go out , asking for gifts ,  begging to be taken to the park .

All in all it’s a season of fun – friends to catch up with , time to travel if you so desire ,  great weather , plenty  to eat and not to forget – WEIGHT TO GAIN !

And by the way for those Christians like me – let’s not forget to keep the CHRIST in Christmas.

Be kind to one another !

Why A Thousand Oaks Cannot Stop a Single gun .

 We seem to be passing through  a dangerously critical time in History where insanity and madness seem to be the order of the day . Why else would we be reading of the things we do . Why else would there be so much senseless bloodshed .

Resigning ourselves to FATE is not the answer. More security is not the answer . Then what is ?

We need a new mindset and being in the Education field for the last 40 years I believe that Education is the answer .

At the present moment Education is the only thing that can set the wheels in motion .

We need people to think – think afresh and catch them young .

The menace of Guns is not going to go away anytime soon – its seen a slow build up and it will take time.

Will there be more violence? – Unfortunately the answer is YES

Will more innocent lives be lost? – Say what we will but that is going to happen .

So be prepared for more and start thinking .

The quicker – the better .

A few lines in contemplation ……

 

More senseless shooting.
More violence.
More deaths. 
Innocent people who needed to live for themselves and for their loved ones .

Candle light vigils

Bouquets and tears
Newspaper headlines
Television news.
Interviews and viewpoints 
Discussions and debates 
A call for peace 
A call to ban guns
The gun control debate rises again

The blame game begins .
They blame the Republicans 
They blame the Democrats  ?

They blame the President

They blame the youth 
They blame the wars 
They blame it on depression
They blame it on society 
They blame it on family upbringing 

It's tiring
It's depressing 
It's sad 
It fills the conman man with rage 
It makes him / her want to cry.
To ask WHY
But tears have never solved anything .
Never made a dead man come alive.
STOP .STOP .STOP

It's not needed.
It's not the answer .
There has to be another way 

I believe

That Education is that way

 

We need better schools & better  classrooms

We need better teachers & more awareness

Teach them now – Tell them how

Catch them young
It’s the  way to sanity 
It’s the way to peace 
It’s the way to love .

 

 

 

Why A Thousand Oaks Cannot Stop a Single gun .

 We seem to be passing through  a dangerously critical time in History where insanity and madness seem to be the order of the day . Why else would we be reading of the things we do . Why else would there be so much senseless bloodshed .

Resigning ourselves to FATE is not the answer. More security is not the answer . Then what is ?

We need a new mindset and being in the Education field for the last 40 years I believe that Education is the answer .

At the present moment Education is the only thing that can set the wheels in motion .

We need people to think – think afresh and catch them young .

The menace of Guns is not going to go away anytime soon – its seen a slow build up and it will take time.

Will there be more violence? – Unfortunately the answer is YES

Will more innocent lives be lost? – Say what we will but that is going to happen .

So be prepared for more and start thinking .

The quicker – the better .

A few lines in contemplation ……

 

More senseless shooting.
More violence.
More deaths. 
Innocent people who needed to live for themselves and for their loved ones .

Candle light vigils

Bouquets and tears
Newspaper headlines
Television news.
Interviews and viewpoints 
Discussions and debates 
A call for peace 
A call to ban guns
The gun control debate rises again

The blame game begins .
They blame the Republicans 
They blame the Democrats  ?

They blame the President

They blame the youth 
They blame the wars 
They blame it on depression
They blame it on society 
They blame it on family upbringing 

It's tiring
It's depressing 
It's sad 
It fills the conman man with rage 
It makes him / her want to cry.
To ask WHY
But tears have never solved anything .
Never made a dead man come alive.
STOP .STOP .STOP

It's not needed.
It's not the answer .
There has to be another way 

I believe

That Education is that way

 

We need better schools & better  classrooms

We need better teachers & more awareness

Teach them now – Tell them how

Catch them young
It’s the  way to sanity 
It’s the way to peace 
It’s the way to love .

 

 

 

Allahabad - Summer holidays were fun

Summer holidays as a young boy in Allahabad , Uttar Pradesh were fun times.

All schoolchildren awaited them anxiously and they were made use of, so to say, from the very first day.

I have fond memories of waking very early on day one of the vacation , making myself a cup of steaming hot  tea , picking up the newspapers which had been deftly thrown into the verandah ,   taking the transistor out into the compound and switching  on Radio Ceylon .

The next hour from 6 .00 to 7.00 am was then spent listening to ‘TOP OF THE POPS’ – a well-known and much loved programme . The Radio Jockeys – I guess they were just known as presenters or announcers way back then- played the best music the world had to offer and their speaking was kept to the minimum. I do not remember them giving away freebies or holding radio competitions either.

For a few years, I also remember going to Asansol to visit relatives and then on to   Calcutta, to visit cousins who stayed at the Titigarh paper mills a short distance away. However most summer vacations were spent in Allahabad itself.

As we stayed in the Railway colony, there were plenty of friends in and around the vicinity and hence we were never short of good company and things to keep ourselves occupied.

Caroms, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders , Chinese checkers , Chess , Monopoly, Marbles, seven tiles   and card games  took up large portions of the day   but cricket , football and ‘Gulli danda’   took center stage . Evenings were for Kick the can, Police, and thieves!

Be they the indoor games or the ones on the road outside, they were fiercely contested and no quarters were asked for or given. If you were not playing, you were either a vociferous spectator taking sides or a judge or umpire often being judge and jury.

Learning all about  Team spirit , Team building ,  Leadership, Respect , Standing up for oneself, Rules ,skills and expertise in games  and  above all - good health-  were what we gained  . 

Cuts, bruises, sprains and an occasional fractured arm were all part and parcel of the summer holidays. There were arguments and occasional fights and adults never entered the picture. No one thought of complaining to parents and if by chance one did so, they were ostracized and spent a few lonely days looking on from the sidelines and licking their wounds until such time all was forgiven – then they joined in even more enthusiastically – a lesson had been learnt and was seldom repeated.

Rain, hail, storm or sunshine, the fun and frolic continued. No one had heard of Sunscreen lotion or SPF and being sun tanned or to put it in simple language getting ‘sun burnt’ was expected. Colds , coughs and allergies came and went unnoticed and antibiotics were for critical illnesses only .

Yes, we occasionally suffered from heat exhaustion and a friend once had heat stroke but he was given umpteen cold baths and ‘mango panna’ to drink and he lived to tell the tale for the rest of the vacation. Food was wholesome and fresh air aplenty and everyone looked fresh and happy.

There were also chores to be done like cleaning the house, running simple errands, cycling to the market to purchase meat or to deliver a note to an adult. Even then, a few friends would cycle off together and that too would turn into a mini adventure – buying snacks along the way, breaking plumbs from some tree on the road or climbing into a compound to steal a few guavas from someone’s garden. It was all harmless fun and we had a blast.

Coming to think of it, fruit was high on our agenda. We knew in whose house there were fruit trees and where we could manage to steal some. Mind you - Mangoes, plumbs and guavas were available in plenty in the market and were quite affordable but the thrill of stealing them and not being caught was far too much to resist for a teenager. Being chased by the owner’s dogs, shouted at by the owner and even called thieves were all worth the effort.

I also remember cycling with a friend to our church at about two in the afternoon in the hot sun, jumping into the church compound , climbing a tree and filling a sack with raw mangoes ,then hauling it over the wall and cycling off.

Once the man who looked after the field of fruit trees spotted us and he yelled at us at the top of his voice. We were terrified lest he report us to the parish priest and we be hauled up the next day but all’s well that ends well and we escaped unscathed!

Coincidentally all us teens were very active in the church activities as well and had probably spotted the mangoes few days earlier and planned the heist methodically and to perfection.

Pocket money, if any, was meagre and was spent on marbles, paper sweets and a concoction called ‘Churan’.

Those were days of simple pleasures and simple times and I miss them.

Allahabad - Summer holidays were fun

Summer holidays as a young boy in Allahabad , Uttar Pradesh were fun times.

All schoolchildren awaited them anxiously and they were made use of, so to say, from the very first day.

I have fond memories of waking very early on day one of the vacation , making myself a cup of steaming hot  tea , picking up the newspapers which had been deftly thrown into the verandah ,   taking the transistor out into the compound and switching  on Radio Ceylon .

The next hour from 6 .00 to 7.00 am was then spent listening to ‘TOP OF THE POPS’ – a well-known and much loved programme . The Radio Jockeys – I guess they were just known as presenters or announcers way back then- played the best music the world had to offer and their speaking was kept to the minimum. I do not remember them giving away freebies or holding radio competitions either.

For a few years, I also remember going to Asansol to visit relatives and then on to   Calcutta, to visit cousins who stayed at the Titigarh paper mills a short distance away. However most summer vacations were spent in Allahabad itself.

As we stayed in the Railway colony, there were plenty of friends in and around the vicinity and hence we were never short of good company and things to keep ourselves occupied.

Caroms, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders , Chinese checkers , Chess , Monopoly, Marbles, seven tiles   and card games  took up large portions of the day   but cricket , football and ‘Gulli danda’   took center stage . Evenings were for Kick the can, Police, and thieves!

Be they the indoor games or the ones on the road outside, they were fiercely contested and no quarters were asked for or given. If you were not playing, you were either a vociferous spectator taking sides or a judge or umpire often being judge and jury.

Learning all about  Team spirit , Team building ,  Leadership, Respect , Standing up for oneself, Rules ,skills and expertise in games  and  above all - good health-  were what we gained  . 

Cuts, bruises, sprains and an occasional fractured arm were all part and parcel of the summer holidays. There were arguments and occasional fights and adults never entered the picture. No one thought of complaining to parents and if by chance one did so, they were ostracized and spent a few lonely days looking on from the sidelines and licking their wounds until such time all was forgiven – then they joined in even more enthusiastically – a lesson had been learnt and was seldom repeated.

Rain, hail, storm or sunshine, the fun and frolic continued. No one had heard of Sunscreen lotion or SPF and being sun tanned or to put it in simple language getting ‘sun burnt’ was expected. Colds , coughs and allergies came and went unnoticed and antibiotics were for critical illnesses only .

Yes, we occasionally suffered from heat exhaustion and a friend once had heat stroke but he was given umpteen cold baths and ‘mango panna’ to drink and he lived to tell the tale for the rest of the vacation. Food was wholesome and fresh air aplenty and everyone looked fresh and happy.

There were also chores to be done like cleaning the house, running simple errands, cycling to the market to purchase meat or to deliver a note to an adult. Even then, a few friends would cycle off together and that too would turn into a mini adventure – buying snacks along the way, breaking plumbs from some tree on the road or climbing into a compound to steal a few guavas from someone’s garden. It was all harmless fun and we had a blast.

Coming to think of it, fruit was high on our agenda. We knew in whose house there were fruit trees and where we could manage to steal some. Mind you - Mangoes, plumbs and guavas were available in plenty in the market and were quite affordable but the thrill of stealing them and not being caught was far too much to resist for a teenager. Being chased by the owner’s dogs, shouted at by the owner and even called thieves were all worth the effort.

I also remember cycling with a friend to our church at about two in the afternoon in the hot sun, jumping into the church compound , climbing a tree and filling a sack with raw mangoes ,then hauling it over the wall and cycling off.

Once the man who looked after the field of fruit trees spotted us and he yelled at us at the top of his voice. We were terrified lest he report us to the parish priest and we be hauled up the next day but all’s well that ends well and we escaped unscathed!

Coincidentally all us teens were very active in the church activities as well and had probably spotted the mangoes few days earlier and planned the heist methodically and to perfection.

Pocket money, if any, was meagre and was spent on marbles, paper sweets and a concoction called ‘Churan’.

Those were days of simple pleasures and simple times and I miss them.

Minister and the Jhelum Express

 

 

Minister And The Jhelum Express

 

 

Last week, a minister with time on his hands (as usual) and a burning desire to feel the pulse of the common men, decided to travel 2nd class from Pune to Delhi in India by the Jhelum Express. What better time to do this than the summer vacation when 75 percent of the Indian population is on the move – this was a swell idea indeed – a sweltering one to be precise!

 

 

Making a reservation wasn’t too bad. I took a little under two hours and what with the jostling crowd and the brusque lady at the reservation counter, things didn’t seem as bad as he’d heard. Little did he know that the fun was only just beginning.

 

 

A bombshell in the press a few days later roused the minister from his siesta. “Are you sure your railway reservation is genuine”? screamed the headlines. The article went on to give details about illegal reservations touts and black-marketing of tickets.  The minister was composure personified – his reservation was genuine and confirmed – or so he thought. D-day arrived and on making enquiries he was informed that the trained was ‘indefinitely late’ in railway parlance that could mean anything from 15 minutes to 15 hours

 

 

After what seemed like eternity in hell, the train finally arrived and in spite of being ‘free of all’ the Hon. Minister was shocked to see someone else occupying his berth. That’s not all, the other person’s reservation also showed him to be the rightful claimant to the berth! Accusations and abuses were freely traded with fellow passengers taking sides and giving suggestions, but before the acrimonious discussion could get worse, better sense prevailed. They both then decided to wait for the ticket collector to arrive and sort the matter out. This ‘God incarnate’ as usual arrived well after the official ‘lights out’ and make his presence felt with a lot of loud talk and boisterous laughter. Fellow passengers seemed to enjoy the banter and there was a general feeling of goodwill with a party atmosphere prevailing in the compartment well after 10:00pm.

 

 

Not recognizing the Hon. Minister, who was travelling incognito, the ticket collector glanced at his chart and ordered him to pick up his belongings and move elsewhere. Despite the fact that it was 10:30pm, who could dare argue, as two officious looking  Railway Policemen were accompanying the Ticket collector on his rounds and they sure made a fearsome trio.

 

 

At the new place, the window couldn’t be opened, the lights didn’t go off and the fan refused to work. Being the ingenious type, the  Hon. Minister took out his pocket comb and spun the fan into action. Then covering his face with a towel he tried to grab ‘forty winks’ amidst the hustle and bustle which continued unabated all night. Was this fun or what?

 

 

By 6’o’clock the next morning there was pandemonium let loose, with unauthorized travelers sprawled all over. Tradesmen plied their wares freely and the assortment of eatables and goodies available would have put a mini market to shame.

 

Our minister then completed an obstacle course and lined up near the toilet for his morning ablutions. The stench was unbearable and the water scarce. After struggling with jammed latches, broken taps and looking at his disheveled state in a cracked mirror, the minister was fuming. Things were really hotting up indeed!

 

 

At the next station he rushed out searching for the elusive tap and managed with difficulty to procure a mug full of ‘liquid gold’. Back inside and presto, his berth had been occupied by a lady with three children – all comfortable and smiling! Their luggage came in all shapes and sizes and among other things included a parrot in a cage, a sack full of wheat and a tricycle.

 

 

The happy family played ‘Arab and the Camel’ with the minister and soon occupied the full berth. The youngest knocked over the minister’s water and they all had a hearty laugh – the minister fumed once again and turned red under the collar. He was appalled at the chaos in a supposedly reserved compartment – the filth, the dust, the unauthorized passengers, the innumerable vendors – where was the ticket collector? The cleaner? The railway police? The water?

 

 

At the next stop the Hon. Minister could bear it no longer. He picked up his suitcase, got down and vanished – never to be seen again. Who can blame him? His disappearance remains a mystery forever.

Minister and the Jhelum Express

 

 

Minister And The Jhelum Express

 

 

Last week, a minister with time on his hands (as usual) and a burning desire to feel the pulse of the common men, decided to travel 2nd class from Pune to Delhi in India by the Jhelum Express. What better time to do this than the summer vacation when 75 percent of the Indian population is on the move – this was a swell idea indeed – a sweltering one to be precise!

 

 

Making a reservation wasn’t too bad. I took a little under two hours and what with the jostling crowd and the brusque lady at the reservation counter, things didn’t seem as bad as he’d heard. Little did he know that the fun was only just beginning.

 

 

A bombshell in the press a few days later roused the minister from his siesta. “Are you sure your railway reservation is genuine”? screamed the headlines. The article went on to give details about illegal reservations touts and black-marketing of tickets.  The minister was composure personified – his reservation was genuine and confirmed – or so he thought. D-day arrived and on making enquiries he was informed that the trained was ‘indefinitely late’ in railway parlance that could mean anything from 15 minutes to 15 hours

 

 

After what seemed like eternity in hell, the train finally arrived and in spite of being ‘free of all’ the Hon. Minister was shocked to see someone else occupying his berth. That’s not all, the other person’s reservation also showed him to be the rightful claimant to the berth! Accusations and abuses were freely traded with fellow passengers taking sides and giving suggestions, but before the acrimonious discussion could get worse, better sense prevailed. They both then decided to wait for the ticket collector to arrive and sort the matter out. This ‘God incarnate’ as usual arrived well after the official ‘lights out’ and make his presence felt with a lot of loud talk and boisterous laughter. Fellow passengers seemed to enjoy the banter and there was a general feeling of goodwill with a party atmosphere prevailing in the compartment well after 10:00pm.

 

 

Not recognizing the Hon. Minister, who was travelling incognito, the ticket collector glanced at his chart and ordered him to pick up his belongings and move elsewhere. Despite the fact that it was 10:30pm, who could dare argue, as two officious looking  Railway Policemen were accompanying the Ticket collector on his rounds and they sure made a fearsome trio.

 

 

At the new place, the window couldn’t be opened, the lights didn’t go off and the fan refused to work. Being the ingenious type, the  Hon. Minister took out his pocket comb and spun the fan into action. Then covering his face with a towel he tried to grab ‘forty winks’ amidst the hustle and bustle which continued unabated all night. Was this fun or what?

 

 

By 6’o’clock the next morning there was pandemonium let loose, with unauthorized travelers sprawled all over. Tradesmen plied their wares freely and the assortment of eatables and goodies available would have put a mini market to shame.

 

Our minister then completed an obstacle course and lined up near the toilet for his morning ablutions. The stench was unbearable and the water scarce. After struggling with jammed latches, broken taps and looking at his disheveled state in a cracked mirror, the minister was fuming. Things were really hotting up indeed!

 

 

At the next station he rushed out searching for the elusive tap and managed with difficulty to procure a mug full of ‘liquid gold’. Back inside and presto, his berth had been occupied by a lady with three children – all comfortable and smiling! Their luggage came in all shapes and sizes and among other things included a parrot in a cage, a sack full of wheat and a tricycle.

 

 

The happy family played ‘Arab and the Camel’ with the minister and soon occupied the full berth. The youngest knocked over the minister’s water and they all had a hearty laugh – the minister fumed once again and turned red under the collar. He was appalled at the chaos in a supposedly reserved compartment – the filth, the dust, the unauthorized passengers, the innumerable vendors – where was the ticket collector? The cleaner? The railway police? The water?

 

 

At the next stop the Hon. Minister could bear it no longer. He picked up his suitcase, got down and vanished – never to be seen again. Who can blame him? His disappearance remains a mystery forever.

Is writing vanishing ?

Was clearing out some old papers the other day and came across a bunch of cards- birthdays , Anniversary, Christmas, Easter , Get well Soon , Congratulations …….
They were from my mother who passed on 3 years ago . I went through the cards and began reminiscing – sure brought a tear to my eye and set me thinking . She loved sending cards and she made sure to write a few lines as well with news about herself and questions about us . Reading through those cards brought back wonderful memories . They gave me a warm fuzzy feeling – yes I felt good .
In this fast paced world that we live in today , life is always in “Fast Forward” and we have no time nor inclination to stand and stare .
It’s a waste of time to stop to smell the roses , to try the road not taken , to lie in bed and relax .
I remember as a young boy using post cards , inlands, aerograms & stamped envelopes to write to relatives and friends . The joys of putting pen to paper is a long lost art and something that the present and future generation will consider a waste of time .
Very few people including me , send card by the mail any more – not sure when was the last time I licked a stamp and stuck it on an envelope . Yes we licked the stamps ! Maybe yukky but it was done by almost everyone !.
The whole process of writing with your hands, folding, inserting, addressing the envelope, sticking postage stamps and finally posting the letter in a post office is very time consuming for the present generation and people are running out of time or so they feel.
However, with each day serving as a linguistic frenzy and a meaningless race against time , we find that words and sentences often aren’t used in the way we so desire.
Small talk with awkward coworkers, someone bragging about their cute , new born , 7 pound baby on Facebook or telling the world where they went for dinner and what they ate , group projects with dead weight members – it is all very transient and often, discouraging and totally uninspiring .
I, for one, have started to wonder when communication became so cold meaningless. When did conversation with another human being lose its entire sentiment? When did we start speaking in 140 characters or less?
You can’t possibly get to know the depths of another human like this, nor can you adequately express your feelings toward them. It’s often rude the way we try and abbreviate anything and everything
So there were job applications , greeting cards on occasions , friendly letters to family , letters to pen pals and love letters .
I have known of friends who wrote and received a letter every day for over a three year span to and from a to be spouse and they have been married for over 30 years !
Today a letter isn’t a fast enough way to communicate the changes in people lives. I guess that accounts for Instant nodles as well .
In this age of the internet and social media everything is instant – even things like Yahoo, Hotmail and Gmail are ancient now . It’s the age of WhatsApp & Messenger .
So you have to suffice with OMG, ROTFL, SCNR- and a hundred more . Some of these are so confusing that at my age I have to google to see what is being meant !
Just yesterday I was chatting with an old pupil of mine who is settled in Canada .
By the time he had finished I had learnt a thing or two – YMMD ( You made my day ) , FACK ( Fully acknowledge ) , IMHO ( In my humble opinion) , & TIA ( Thanks in advance ) . He sure was polite but definitely short of time !
Old fashioned letters and cards are irreplaceable – they act as a reminder to the recipient – a reminder that they are truly loved; that they are valued; that their relationship with you is still very much alive. You simply can’t put a price on that.

Is writing vanishing ?

Was clearing out some old papers the other day and came across a bunch of cards- birthdays , Anniversary, Christmas, Easter , Get well Soon , Congratulations …….
They were from my mother who passed on 3 years ago . I went through the cards and began reminiscing – sure brought a tear to my eye and set me thinking . She loved sending cards and she made sure to write a few lines as well with news about herself and questions about us . Reading through those cards brought back wonderful memories . They gave me a warm fuzzy feeling – yes I felt good .
In this fast paced world that we live in today , life is always in “Fast Forward” and we have no time nor inclination to stand and stare .
It’s a waste of time to stop to smell the roses , to try the road not taken , to lie in bed and relax .
I remember as a young boy using post cards , inlands, aerograms & stamped envelopes to write to relatives and friends . The joys of putting pen to paper is a long lost art and something that the present and future generation will consider a waste of time .
Very few people including me , send card by the mail any more – not sure when was the last time I licked a stamp and stuck it on an envelope . Yes we licked the stamps ! Maybe yukky but it was done by almost everyone !.
The whole process of writing with your hands, folding, inserting, addressing the envelope, sticking postage stamps and finally posting the letter in a post office is very time consuming for the present generation and people are running out of time or so they feel.
However, with each day serving as a linguistic frenzy and a meaningless race against time , we find that words and sentences often aren’t used in the way we so desire.
Small talk with awkward coworkers, someone bragging about their cute , new born , 7 pound baby on Facebook or telling the world where they went for dinner and what they ate , group projects with dead weight members – it is all very transient and often, discouraging and totally uninspiring .
I, for one, have started to wonder when communication became so cold meaningless. When did conversation with another human being lose its entire sentiment? When did we start speaking in 140 characters or less?
You can’t possibly get to know the depths of another human like this, nor can you adequately express your feelings toward them. It’s often rude the way we try and abbreviate anything and everything
So there were job applications , greeting cards on occasions , friendly letters to family , letters to pen pals and love letters .
I have known of friends who wrote and received a letter every day for over a three year span to and from a to be spouse and they have been married for over 30 years !
Today a letter isn’t a fast enough way to communicate the changes in people lives. I guess that accounts for Instant nodles as well .
In this age of the internet and social media everything is instant – even things like Yahoo, Hotmail and Gmail are ancient now . It’s the age of WhatsApp & Messenger .
So you have to suffice with OMG, ROTFL, SCNR- and a hundred more . Some of these are so confusing that at my age I have to google to see what is being meant !
Just yesterday I was chatting with an old pupil of mine who is settled in Canada .
By the time he had finished I had learnt a thing or two – YMMD ( You made my day ) , FACK ( Fully acknowledge ) , IMHO ( In my humble opinion) , & TIA ( Thanks in advance ) . He sure was polite but definitely short of time !
Old fashioned letters and cards are irreplaceable – they act as a reminder to the recipient – a reminder that they are truly loved; that they are valued; that their relationship with you is still very much alive. You simply can’t put a price on that.

I have a phobia-

I am claustrophobic and horribly so .  

It all started about 15 years ago when I stayed with relatives in India and woke in the middle of the night . The room was in the center of the house – Black floor – red walls and no windows .

I panicked and felt out of breath – rushed to find another room – the house was pitch black . Finally forced a window open . It was a still summer night in northern India and there was not a breath of air outside  .

I woke everyone in the house fearing I was having a heart attack – I had palpitations and cold sweats – we all sat around  till it was day break and then I  visited  to a doctor . He gave me a few pills to calm me down and I was thrilled I was not dying -  but that’s a different story .

Thereafter I have often woken , even at home, with similar feelings . Hotel stays are okay as long as it’s a big airy room . I did stay in a hotel in Prague last year and had to go down and sit in the foyer till the management were able to find a key for the window in the room and give it to me .

 Once I knew that I had the key I felt better . I know this sounds strange but it’s the truth . As long as I know that I can open a window or door and breathe I feel confident .

When I travel alone and suddenly wake feeling breathless , I switch on the lights , make myself a cup of tea , put on the TV and then calm down . You may be smiling and commenting on how silly this is but when you have a phobia – it’s something only you can comprehend

I was once asleep in the A 380  - comfortable and cool . I then woke with the same suffocating feeling . Feeling rather silly I walked to the Bar in the sky at 3 am – it is an open space compared to where I was sitting . I then felt better .

Meetings in a closed room see me sit as close to the door as possible . Movies and the opera are a big no and pubs and restaurants which have basement seating are avoided like the plague .

I have been advised to see a hypnotist , have acupuncture and what not . I guess it’s all in the mind .

To get over it I must . Any suggestions anyone ?

I have a phobia-

I am claustrophobic and horribly so .  

It all started about 15 years ago when I stayed with relatives in India and woke in the middle of the night . The room was in the center of the house – Black floor – red walls and no windows .

I panicked and felt out of breath – rushed to find another room – the house was pitch black . Finally forced a window open . It was a still summer night in northern India and there was not a breath of air outside  .

I woke everyone in the house fearing I was having a heart attack – I had palpitations and cold sweats – we all sat around  till it was day break and then I  visited  to a doctor . He gave me a few pills to calm me down and I was thrilled I was not dying -  but that’s a different story .

Thereafter I have often woken , even at home, with similar feelings . Hotel stays are okay as long as it’s a big airy room . I did stay in a hotel in Prague last year and had to go down and sit in the foyer till the management were able to find a key for the window in the room and give it to me .

 Once I knew that I had the key I felt better . I know this sounds strange but it’s the truth . As long as I know that I can open a window or door and breathe I feel confident .

When I travel alone and suddenly wake feeling breathless , I switch on the lights , make myself a cup of tea , put on the TV and then calm down . You may be smiling and commenting on how silly this is but when you have a phobia – it’s something only you can comprehend

I was once asleep in the A 380  - comfortable and cool . I then woke with the same suffocating feeling . Feeling rather silly I walked to the Bar in the sky at 3 am – it is an open space compared to where I was sitting . I then felt better .

Meetings in a closed room see me sit as close to the door as possible . Movies and the opera are a big no and pubs and restaurants which have basement seating are avoided like the plague .

I have been advised to see a hypnotist , have acupuncture and what not . I guess it’s all in the mind .

To get over it I must . Any suggestions anyone ?

On most evenings I walk to Zabeel park in Karama in an attempt to lose weight . Not there yet but well on the way . If you have visited this park you would  have  noticed that there are plenty of cats all around . Thin ones, fat ones , black ones , white ones , striped ones – have never seen a spotted one though . Now that would be something to write home about .

You would have also noticed that there are many good Samaritans  who go around the park feeding them . Not sure if this is against some rules or not  but the cats are happy . They seem to recognize the “regular feeders” and charge towards them as soon as they spot them . They are quite friendly and wait patiently till the food is put out – then they devour it and quickly look up for more morsels if any .

As a young lad I always had a dog and cats were anathema to me . However  all that changed one fine day after I came to Dubai.

 

" Can you hear someone in the hall room? " says the wife

 

" No I can't " , I replied - pulling the cover over my head and turning over . -

 

Wife " Sounds like there is a cat in the house - go and check "

 

Me'' Go check and  chase it out yourself - your fault for leaving the window open "

 

And then the fight almost started - but then I am the peaceful sort of guy .......!!

 

For goodness sake it was 11 pm and I had work the next day. However I got up - the "HE MAN" - ready to kill the cat - or to put it in the correct perspective- chase it out and get back to bed !

 

I walk towards the hall, conjuring up images of a large fierce cat with large glowing eyes - tail waving in anger- ready to pounce on me   .

 

" Be careful you don’t get scratched " says the voice from inside .

 

" Uff - let it be", I reply – half in fear and half in disgust .

 

I look around ........

 

There- beaming- stands my daughter , pointing to the sofa .

 

I rub my eyes- I can't see a thing amongst  the cream cushions and I had not put on my spectacles either  . There was  a pregnant silence .

 

Then I see it - a little ball of cream fluff - a kitten- it was snuggled up and staring at me - almost defiantly with its  little beady green eyes

 

Do I chase it out , do I scream , do I kill it ?. I had promised to do all this and more every time the topic had been broached in the past .

 

Now here I was and it was the  time of reckoning - We stared at each other ( the kitten and me )

 

Then I made a move - I went forward , picked it up and kissed it .

 

"Her name is Chanel  " Says my daughter

 

" What ?? " say I .

 

" No it's not - its Kitty - maybe let’s call it baby or munchkins, or Little one " Say I

 

Why was I even discussing a name when we were not keeping it in the first place? Silly me .

 

" There is the litter box- This is the  box  in which she will sleep - this is her food - her plate - her covering - she will sleep here " says my daughter .

“Who asked you to get a cat in the first place “ say I  

 

The wife enters the room . She smiles at the kitten and looks at me . “So” she says .  Obviously she had known about this and hidden it from me .

 

" Did I just see the kitten smile back at her  ?"

 

All three exchange knowing glances and I am the odd one out . My elder daughter had now joined in – “ so cute and cuddly “ says she .

 

" Don’t make any plans " I try and sound as aggressive as possible . “ I will get rid of her in the morning “ I left the room and went to bed .

 

There is a little whining ( from the cat ) . The wife and daughters whisper – there is laughter - then silence . All three were obviously happy I had left the scene

 

I wake early and go in search of the kitten .

 

She is awake and she looks imploringly at me, almost willing me to pick her up and hug her .

 

My heart melts . I do the unthinkable – I tickle her and pick her up . She seems to enjoy it .

I hurriedly put her down and plan my next move

 

She comes running to me - mewing .

 

" Come to dada " , I say and pick her up .

 

"Dada" ?? What the hell is wrong with me . I am supposed to be getting rid of this little creature . That was the plan . I am a no nonsense sort of guy. No cats in this house I say to myself

I put her down and give her some food and sit there while she first sniffs at it for a few moments and then begins eating . I will get her out of the house before the others wake – that’s final

 

More than a year has  gone by and she is  still with us – very much part of the family . With 2 daughters and a wife I now have three females to contend with.

 

I play with her daily- many times a day . She  likes me and crouches every time I look and try and scare her  . She enjoys rough play - nibbles on my fingers and toes and comes running to greet me  as I enter the door .

 

I say bye when leaving for work and she is the first thing I look for when I return .

 

Today I lay on the carpet and she  was all over me and we played and we had fun. I certainly did .

 

I feel relaxed and very amused .

 

While I key in these memories she is on my lap- cuddled up and fast asleep.

 

I guess we have a pet and YES we are going to keep her for as long as we can .