The growth that India is seeing…

A Mercedes Benz is parked in front of a garbage pond.
And this (luxury car and/or the smelly heap) is one of the many you could see around anywhere in the city. Take a small tour – and you got it.

Has life in India improved?
Yes, there’s the Mercedes. But, No, there’s still garbage all around.
Maybe (a work-in-progress…)?

It’s not an easy question to answer – given the many dimensions.

From childbirth to romance – life in the nation has changed. And so have employment opportunities of the young to the medical facilities for the aged.
This has transformed not just the poor, but also the rich. And mind you, their definitions are different now.

I love driving my own car early on in my career – something my father managed to realize for himself only near to his retirement. My wife enjoys painting herself with Revlon; while my tiny daughter is busy munching on the caramel-rich Lindt.

Okay, I belong to the humble middle class of my country. And yeah, that Mercedes Benz is surely a dream for us.

Now, coming back to the garbage, it’s still a part of the everyday mundane lives today, as it was yesterday. Not sure about tomorrow, though. Hope not.

With India’s economy opening-up some 20 years back – meaning foreign organizations allowed to set-up shop – lot of money has poured in since. It has been a win-win run for both; the salesman from abroad together with the customer back home.
And in this rush to relish the fruits of money, something has gone amiss.

While life has improved exponentially at an individual level, it has significantly lagged behind for the broad public – something which we all also belong to.

Most of the advanced countries today have been through this phase in their past, sometime or the other. Guess, they didn’t borrow God’s magic wand to take that leap to the next level!

Probably, we are yet to start thinking about how it would feel to be an Indian standing before the whole world?
How to distinguish ourselves from among the multiple nation states on this earth?
Meaning, like the Americans are known for their entrepreneurship (they don’t fear risking), the British for their authority – having ruled the world for centuries, the Chinese for their labor and perseverance, the Japanese for their ‘robotic’ inclination towards cutting-edge technology, the French for their expression of Love, ..
What is our identity among the humanity?
Is it that something which will bind us together as an Indian?

Probably, the next few years will see the Indian heart-and-mind opening-up to the world at large.
And I guess to begin with, the international events organized on home soil, be it Formula 1, Cricket World Cup, Commonwealth Games – recent ones to name a few, would help shape that.

We have a lot to learn to grow.

I know I sound a bit preachy here, but just think about it.
Do you want to improve the lives of fellow countrymen (and women, for that matter) together with yourself?
How to do it beyond our self with compassion?
Will it ever happen?

Let’s find those answers. But more importantly, execute them beginning from the individual-level.
Hope to see that Mercedes Benz minus the garbage in our home soon.

Romance

Romance is not something I identify myself easily with.
If it sounds like I’m killing all the fun; well, then let me explain.

They say Romance is a manifestation of Love.
It is Love that makes a boy gift a moist-petalled red rose to his girl while on his knees. Or, for that matter, a box of Rocher Ferrero; or even an Archies... to make her exclaim with joy.

I find it silly.
Probably, coz I belong to the more serious breed of humans.

I find myself very practical and realistic in matters of ‘Love’.

I believe Love is more about care. It’s not about the momentarily pleasant surprises; but, the happiness that lasts.

My girl would truly be happy when I share her load in the kitchen and household works; take our little kid to play in the park giving her some very valuable free time; let her decide on the travel itinerary we both long for; and above all, support in her shoppings.

Girls on their part have limited activity associated with Romance. On such occasions, they tend to talk their hearts out; which, I must confess, happens even otherwise!

Oh' I also gift her a bar of Lindt; help decide on her dress for the outing; pamper her with loads of garments (that were on sale); send SMS with my quirky ‘shayari’…; all this, but only once in a while.

Sometimes I feel I’m no different.
To realize, Romance is really one of the means of expressing Love. Just like taking care is.

I love the popular number from the Hindi movie ‘Sarfarosh’; sung by the legendary Jagjit Singh –
“Hoshwalon ko khabar kya, bekhudi kya cheez hai.
Ishq kije fir samajhiye, zindagi kya cheez hai..”

It is from the depths of the heart that passion emanates. And the mind, for all its varied realistic confinements, just plays along and conforms.
Be it in executing the most trivial activities pre-marriage; or, the more responsible sounding ones after.

I know I Love her deep inside.

Staying Alone

I feel Happy to be free.
This is something which I had been yearning for quite some time.
For a change, I feel un-shackled. Though temporarily!

About an year ago, I was delighted on being congratulated for becoming a father. That day, when I first saw my newborn daughter, I felt surprised! Unlike the Bollywood teachings, she didn’t cry when I held her in my arms. In fact, her eyes were rolling and exploring the ‘new’ world around her. When inside her mother’s womb, I suspect all her eyes would have seen were a closed factory of organs. Outside, in the open world, she must have felt surprised (before I did) when suddenly the world around her lit-up.

But she did cry. Later. And she cried a lot.
She’d cry when hungry. Also when surrounded by my friends and relatives eager to catch another glimpse of her. And also, otherwise.

Little did we realize that for her, crying was talking.
This was her way of communicating with her mother and the rest.

My world changed as well.
In her initial days, she was content suckling her mother and dozing-off when her tummy was full. I had limited role except to keep my wife comfortable. To ensure that she took proper diet and that our infant’s routine requirements were regularly procured from the market and readily available in the house.

Slowly, the demands grew.
Firstly, my daughter started seeking more of both our attention. She’d need a 24-hour escort right by her side for her varied necessities – feeding, cleaning, playing, photographing, phoning parents for advice, … and all.
Secondly, as we all know, in a nuclear family the Home Minister looks after the HRD department as well. And an increase in headcount did lead to the shrinking of her free time.

To help maintain the balance, I started participating more in the homely duties.

As it turns out, there are a 100-things to be done at home, daily.
And the list only grows everyday.

Working in a private organization also does have its commitments. And at times, it simply overwhelms the schedule.

Luckily, we found a dependable housemaid. This did help offload some pressure from the extended household chores.

Today, my wife, with our little daughter, has gone to visit her far-away native. And for me, being alone at home is bliss.
After a long time, I found myself humming a song to me!

Mixed in this happiness is the un-mistakable longing for my family. Have I started missing them already?

Finnish mosquitoes

by Jenni Liikanen
[She is a student in Keuruu, Finland]

FOOD

Karjalanpiirakka (Karelian pasty)
These are a traditional Easters' speciality but nowadays they are served at many hotel breakfast buffets. They are made of rye dough n filled with rice porridge or potato. They are normally heated and served with chopped eggs and butter.

Mustamakkara
This food is related to a similar kind of pudding served in England and Ireland. It´s colour results from the blood that´s it´s main ingredient. It´s especially popular in Finland´s third biggest town, Tampere, where people buy it from kiosks at market places and eat it with their fingers!

Mämmi
This food looks perhaps the strangest and most off-putting to foreigners. It´s made from rye flour, malt and water, seasoned with orange peel n baked in the oven. It resembles porridge or pudding. It tastes sweet, but some people put sugar on it before eating it with cream.

CUSTOMS
Here v have the custom to put our utensils at four o´clock on our plate when we are done. If we put them on each side of plate that usually means we want more food. When we go to visit some friend´s house we take our shoes off when we entering the house.

SANTA CLAUS
Lives in finnish Lapland near to Rovaniemi.

FORESTS
About 35% of all the EU´s forest areas are in Finland. The forests are a great natural resource and are used for commercial purposes like making paper, but protecting the environment is also an important question in the use of the forests. The finnish state owns large areas of forest and many of them are nature conservation areas.

SAUNA
Almost every Finn has a sauna about once a week and families go there together. First the sauna stones are heated and then water is thrown on them to create steam. The traditional Finnish sauna was in a small wooden building, close to a lake. The bathers first took a steam bath and then dived into the cool water of the lake or in winyer, rolled in the snow. Nowadays many homes have an electric sauna with a shower room for washing.

FINNISH WIVES & MOSQUITOES
There have also been world championships in mosquito killing in Pyhätunturi. The official world record from 1995 stands at 21 mosquitoes in 5 minutes. The very first games, if we can call that a game, were held in 1993. In the year 1996 it was impossible to hold the championships ´cos of the lack of mosquitoes!

Sonkajärvi has become well-known all over the world as the avenue of The Wife Carrying World Championships. The wacky idea is Sonkajärvi´s very own. The length of the course is 253.5 meters and it includes a number of dry and wet obstacles. The current record stands at 1 min 4.5 sec. The winning style was to carry the wife on one´s shoulders like a sack of rye. The winning couple won a stack of prizes including a mobile phone, a heap of rye bread and-most importantly-the wife´s weight in beer!!

Freedom as seen in America

I was there (US of A) for my Masters' recently upon completion of my Bachelors' from IIT.

The initial reaction upon entering the country was truly mesmerizing; it being my first ever ride outside India. Huge airports, tall buildings, wider roads, big houses and cars, and the list goes on.. It seemed as if the entire world around me had got magnified, to at least twice its usual size!

In America, one gets 24-hour water supply, with both hot and cold option, everywhere. The same is true for electricity as well. Medical emergency service is available at the press of a button. Basic amenities are all practically guaranteed by the government to everybody.

One more thing I noticed to my delight was the cleanliness all around. Boy! they do keep themselves and their surroundings neat and tidy.

Frankly, it was a new world for me altogether. With so many amenities at one's disposal, who wouldn't feel free? Freedom from the daily "Indian" routine of travelling in over-crowded shuttle bus/trains, hurrying to get the household chores done lest the power would go off, waiting for the water supply to take bath...

This freedom also manifests in their culture.
There is freedom of opportunity in getting admission to a school/college or getting a job. No discrimination (neither reservation) based on sex, caste, religion, etc exists. Every teenager gets on the bread-earning wagon as soon as he reaches 15; thereby becoming self-dependent. American girls drive buses and trucks, play soccer alongside guys, practically do everything that boys do!

However, not everything there is all-good.
Else, the country would become the mythical heaven!

There is the "other side" to this freedom as well.

As the children get on their own early, they never have the "Indian" attachment towards their parents and/or relatives. People have a hard life, particularly in their old age, when they need their near-and-dear-ones alongside.

For girls, sex is just an "experience"; something they want to experiment with different people, in different forms, throughout their life.

Marriage has become practically a "joke" there. People divorce and remarry for petty things. The culture of single-parents has crept in steadily and comprehensively.

The freedom of opportunity that non-Americans "enjoy" there is equally stark. With the economy down, American companies don't even allow foreign students to seek employment with them. The primary targets of layoffs from American companies are foreigners. Getting the Green card and/or citizenship of the country has become next to impossible!

All said-and-done, I returned back to my country for good.

Though America might be good for earning some quick-bucks and enjoying the "good" side of freedom for a while, its not so when it comes to settling down for life.

Piece of My Heart

by Harsha Anand
[Harsha is working with Patni Computer Systems, Mumbai, India. He loves to write Shayari during leisure.]

Zindagi mein kabhi to Humein yaad karoge,
Mehfil mein nahi, Tanhai mein fariyaad karoge,
Humsa na mila, na Milega koi,
Kabhi to apni qismat par Naaz karoge.

Yun duur rehkar duriyon ko badaya nahi karte,
Apne deewano ko sataya nahi karte,
Har waqt bas jise tumhara khyal ho,
Usey apni awaaz ke liye tadpaya nahi karte.

Hume Hasne-Hasane ki aadat hai,
Nazron se Nazar Milane ki aadat hai,
Par hamari to nazar unse hai ja mili,
Jinhe nazar Jhukake Sharmane ki aadat hai.

Yaad karne ke liye koi cheez chahiye,
Aap nahi to aapki taswir chahiye,
per taswir aapki hamaara dil behla na sakegi,
Kyonki yeh aapki tarah muskura na sakegi.

Wafa Main Ab Ye Hunar Ikhtiar Karna Hai,
Woh Sach Kahe Na Kahe Aitebar Karna Hai.
Yeh TujhKo Jagte Rehne Ka Shauk KabSe Hua Jalim,
Mujhe To Khair Tera Intezaar Karna Hai.

Hum apni wafawon ka sila kis se mangtay,
Hum hi be-wafa the, toh wafa kis say mangte.

Khud hee to kee thi hum ne apnay Rab say baghawat,
Phir hum jo duwa mangtay, to kis se mangte.

Jo they Kareeb Dil ke wo bhi dushman-e-jaan they,
Is Dil ki duwa mangtay, to kis se mangte.

Mahboob jo tha wo bhi to naraz tha hum se,
koi shokh ada mangtay, to kis se mangte.

Jo waqt guzar jayee woh wapis nahi aata,
Woh gujra waqt mangte, toh kis se mangte.

hum us kee justajoo main hue khud se be-gaane,
Hum ghar ka pata mangtay, to kis say mangtay.

Prosaic

A middle-aged Chinese peasant has been riding his sluggish bullock-cart since dawn. He hopes to make it to the neighbouring Bai Jia Po village, less than 20 miles away, before dusk. Unmindful of the scorching sun, right overhead now, he is delectably busy humming the local folk song. The bulls, on their part, respond to the tune with a saltating tail & matching gait.

Graduation Ceremony today marks a pleasant culmination of the hard work put in by the Canadian student at Texas A&M University, USA. As soon as the Convocation gets over in the morning, he plans to leave for Montreal with his girlfriend in their high-speed Italian car. Taking turns at driving, they plan to comfortably make it home, traveling over 2000 miles, by late next day.

A French traveller is standing, marvelling, at the breath-taking view of The Millau Bridge, the Highest Bridge in the World. The deck of the bridge is mostly invisible to the eye (unless looked closer); being concealed by the thick clouds most of the time. The newly constructed bridge means a significant reduction in travel time between Paris and the Mediterranean for the travellers. Though for him, like most other people, the unique on the clouds road travel is an experience to cherish lifelong.

I am with my parents (who are settled in a cosmopolitan city in Eastern India) over a weekend. My mother's face lights up with a pleasant smile as our conversation drifts to a talk on telephones, and their introduction into the Indian markets roughly a decade or so ago. She excitedly recalls how during her first few experiences with the new device, the wiggling voice would tickle in her ears. It was a time when some would even hesitate to get near the ghostly (speaking) device!

Taking cue, I mention the special Thursday afternoons in High School, when our Teacher would take us to the Computer Lab for Practicals. Like visiting a temple, we would be asked to remove our shoes before entering the lab (to keep the dust away). For me then, the mere sight of a computer was like a divine blessing! Though I'm with the software industry now, I still remember the unique feeling of excitement when for the first time I successfully copied a file in MS DOS.

While we are talking, my little sister is busy downloading MP3 music from the internet on her personal computer at home.

Life of people can be so different from one place to another on the same planet. Also, life changes so much even within the same generation of a family.

Now, lets take a look at this difference in life from a different perspective.

Talking holistically, one could consider human life to be a collection of contrasting experiences coming up at alternating periodicity. Put in simple words, it means humans experience feelings of happiness & distress, love & hatred, hope & despair, gratitude & selfishness, ... alternately throughout their life. Though the events (or the lack of them) yielding these feelings may vary per person; in essence, the feelings are felt the same way.

Consider a boy staring at the elfin beauty sitting at the farther end of the table in a restaurant. He feels shy and looks away the moment her limpid eyes meet his. A few days later, when they meet again at a friend's place, he finally musters enough courage to go and talk to her. Though hesitant initially, the girl also begins to like him. Imagine their feeling on the first kiss..

The fictionality of the above scene is trivialized by the fact that in reality this titillating feeling is independent of geography. I mean, here, an American heart would lovingly palpitate the same way as a Chinese one would.

Take a group of common people, from teenagers to senior citizens, gathered near a ground station to witness the launch of a satellite into orbit in-person. The receding countdown, with every single passing second, has a contagious effect of amplifying the heartbeat of every soul present. As the rockets blast and take-off, the thundering ground-impact followed by a deafening sound makes the crowd tremble over miles. The designated trajectory traversed by the rocket is traced equally by the viewer's eyes (including those feeble ones) as well, until it fades away.

Is the human exhilaration at Sriharikota, India different from that at Kourou, French Guiana? On a scale of 1 to 10, whose ebullience would you rate higher?

I am watching a program on BBC World channel on TV showing a lady trying to teach her teenage daughter how to drive a car. The young girl, though keen to learn, is impatient at the same time. In her excitement to learn quickly, she would frequently miss her mother's counselling on speed, stop signs, and changing lanes. Finally, after some determined practise for a while, she finally gets it right. Her eyes full of elation remind me of the moment when my little sister first learnt to balance her bicycle and reached my arms, while I was standing a little distance away to the front.

It is not difficult to recognize that intermittently periodic events that generate feelings of distress, hatred, despair, et. al. are also independant of geography and time. Losing of a beloved family member, non-fulfilment of dreams/ambitions, ... are spatially generic events since the long past.

Over space and time, the crafts of life have changed. Their meaning, however, has remained the same.

Welcome to the prosaic human life on earth.

[Please send in your comments to from_subbu@yahoo.com]