Take care

Every home is lighted up with the happiness children bring to the entire family. Their energy, naughtiness, innocence and love integrate perfectly to be the bundle of joy in home. They provide hope to live and hope to grow. Their growth creates an atmosphere of growth for the home as well. All the parents would definitely agree to the fact that watching the kids grow is very enthralling and gratifying.

It’s exciting to see them take each step forward. And it’s the parental responsibility to provide the best education, culture and health conducive for their growth physically and mentally. While the children these days are feeling the heat to excel in academics to catch up with the competitive world, the nutritional support required should not be ignored by the parents. The key element to propel excellence in all the fields is a healthy diet and lifestyle. In the world we live in where our delicate children are exposed to more pollution, plenty of junk food and excessive stress level, parents need to handpick each activity for their children to lead life healthily.

Photo courtesy - Andrey_Kuzmin from www.depositphotos.com

Right from the fetal growth till children reach adulthood, parents need to take extra care in each step- vaccination, periodical checkup, child care policy, home medication, medical contacts, emergency caregivers and most importantly healthy food habits. Life of working parents has become too difficult to balance between work and family. Juggling between client appointments and quality family time, the modern parents usually get panic when the children get sick. But the right perspective can make a sea difference. Instead of seeing it as a problem, parents can look at it as an opportunity to re-bond and restart.

The house would seem to be in miserable condition lacking the usual laughter, naughtiness and bustle when the apple of your eye is sick. You have to reject the option of getting disheartened and do not make the other members of the family feel anxious or ignored. While the medication is going on for the sickness, extended story time coupled with snuggling could really have an impact. Prepare their favorite food to cheer up the mood while keeping in mind the health status could help as well.

As prevention is better than cure, it’s better to have an eye on your children’s diet. No matter how busy you are, take a moment to pay attention what nutrients are reaching or not reaching their body. Offer them a plethora of choices and make sure you prepare their favorite food with high nutritional value. Get a habit of knowing their activities that increase their stress level and plan out a break-free schedule to rejuvenate. They are not just the carriers of your family legacy; they are also the future of the nation. By taking care of their growth you take care of the nation’s growth.

To the loving parents, keep pampering your children but in the same time make sure they get the right amount of nutrition and immunity to fight back illness!

P.S. This blog post is written for Indiblogger’s Indi – Happy hours Campaign “A healthy child makes a healthy home” in association with Dabur Chyawanprash.

Kem chho…kemon aachen?

Let’s accept the fact – India is the world’s largest democracy and any change affecting Indians is equal to affecting one-fifth of the world’s population. As globalization has been the mantra for the past years, localization is the current buzz word. It’s not appalling at all when we hear news of farsighted companies changing their GTM (go-to-market) strategies to dive in and cater the needs of one out of every five people of our planet.

India is already becoming powerful in all sectors- be it the launch of Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission) or developing a nuclear missile (Agni VI) that can attack on US. Now India is also showing aggressive steps towards Pakistan for violating ceasefire across Line of Control and China’s territorial claim on Arunachal Pradesh. “No power on earth can take away even an inch from India”, said Narendra Modi addressing a rally.

Speaking of Modi, he was greeted by US president Barack Obama in Gujarati, “Kem chho?” (how are you?) at the White House. Prime Minister Narendra Modi indeed got a ‘rock’star’ treatment during his visit to the United States by 20,000 Indian-American people which reflects the deep cultural ties between the countries. Undoubtedly, the most powerful country – United States and the emerging world power – India, are strengthening the bilateral relationship.

India has just moved up to be the world’s third largest economy and Modi is a darling of big businesses. With more global CEOs see future production capacity moving and positive FDI reforms indeed are the indicators of India’s future growth. Not to forget the list of billionaires in Forbes list of top richest people.

While India’s political, economic and nuclear power is creating news, her rich traditional and cultural background has always been able to generate followers all around the world. The Indians residing in foreign countries celebrate the Indian festivals in all its grandeur as it’s celebrated in the land of festivals itself. The festive razzmatazz trickles down to different cultures and hence being celebrated globally. The land of many religions, innumerable languages, races, cuisines and life styles is actually a complex and diversified country. The tourists flock to India in search of spirituality, to see magnificent architecture, to broaden perspective by dealing with the cultural shock and other myriad reasons. The impact of this terrific land can be seen when Hollywood celebrities show enthusiasm in Indian fashion such as Indian saris, jewelries, mehendi, yoga (ancient physical, mental and spiritual practices or discipline to transform body and mind) and delicious Indian curries. Indian food in the UK was described as a great British industry by David Cameron while Indian cuisine got popularity in Masterchef (television competitive cooking show) as well. And not to mention the accolades received throughput the globe for Bollywood movies and Indian music.

The world is embracing Indianness encompassing the diversity; in near future we shall see companies catering to even smaller regional segments within the county unlocking opportunities that otherwise would go unnoticed. When markets mature and growth slows, to reignite and accelerate growth targeting developing nations would be a very wise approach – especially when there is a richly diverse market.

Do not get shocked when you are greeted in your regional language or served your regional food or listen to regional music when your travel abroad (while you would have expected just an Indian touch)!

P.S. This blog post is for the Indiblogger contest More Indian than you think in association with  Lufthansa. 

Har Har Mahadev – book review of the Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi

Though mythology is an important feature of every culture, its value from our generation is seen to be fading out mostly because of the conflict between the existence of the myths passed on to the generation and the rational thoughts. Added to the already existing confusion is the complexity of the mythology to some extent.

Amish Tripathi’s Shiva trilogy amalgamates mythology, history and fiction to make the whole story very believable and easy to be followed by all. The series makes you belief that the actions/deeds (karma) are the deciding factors in transforming a human to supreme unlike the fantasy stories (from Hindu mythology) that we heard while growing up from our parents/grandparents. The characterization of Shiva is very appealing and so is the climax and revelation of Neelkanth. The detailed description of other characters, places and situations actually helps the readers to proceed smoothly with the plot. The immortals of Meluha is a certain page-turner with an interesting take on Shiva. Integrating all the known details about the Indus Valley Civilization and giving own explanations for various concepts made the first book of the trilogy a brilliant piece of work.

It isn’t often one comes across a book by an Indian author, with a sequel. The Secret of the Nagas – second book of the trilogy is filled with secret, suspense and shock. While the protagonist Shiva- a tribal leader slowly rises to prominence as a powerful leader, the story managed to continue the mesmerized saga by weaving Shiva - Pasupathi, Parvathi - the Mother Goddess, Ram - the supreme Lord of the times, Ganesh - the elephant headed God , Parasurama and Kali - the black form of Parvati, the Naga Queen. The author managed to bring together timelines for a perfect mix and elaborate tale that takes a different kind of imagination.

The third and last book of the series – The Oath of the Vayuputras takes us on a beautiful visual journey with the powerful writing and narration style clubbed with amazing conceptualization. The classic good vs. evil tale includes emotion, drama, action and war. There are a lot of twists and turns each linked to each other in some way or another – but the author brings a closure to all the characters of the trilogy. The action-packed massive book provides a satisfying experience as the story progresses and ends.

The perfect fabrication of the very well conceptualized story with the history (Indus Valley Civilization), geography (North Indian plains above the Vindhays) and mythology of India is still a fantasy! The author often uses the story to put forth his opinion on many issues - like karma, ethics, consequentialism, existentialism and the balance of good and evil. Though it is clearly intended to make the readers think, sometimes it just feels irksome. It is understood that the author is trying to give the story a modern touch to connect with the general audience but usage of certain words/phrases is quite jarring given the era the trilogy is set in.  The language used throughout the trilogy is very simple – may be for beginners, for whom Amitav Ghosh’s brilliance may be too much to comprehend. Overall, I liked the concept of the trilogy, satisfied with the explanations through the research done by the author and would recommend to Indian readers who can co-relate the mythological stories with the facts described in the series.

Aroma from the snooty Ooty

They say the best trips are those which are spontaneous than the ones planned meticulously.

When my old friend pitched in the idea of a small get-together in the form of a travel trip, I nodded picturing loveliest beach, crystal-clear water, wisps of cloud touching the high mountains, a walk in a deep forest, basking in the afterglow, impressed by some majestic monument. But the suggestion was the queen of hill stations – Ooty.

The aesthetic feeling changed the definition of hectic fundamentally. The joy of meeting my old friends after a long time and the excitement on the start of the journey overshadowed all the trouble to rush back from  office on a traffic-jammed Friday evening to reach Bangalore (from Chennai) and catching a train to Mysore and hopping on a cab to reach the marvelous hill station. Yes, had to go through the Mysore route to enjoy the travel with my Bangalore friends instead of travelling alone via Coimbatore. I didn’t feel an iota of pain when I knew I would be welcomed with birds chirping around, soft breeze passing to leave the lingering scents from Nilgiris and a clear sky with the sun shining just mildly.

Located in one of the hottest states in India, Ooty is bestowed with an eternal Spring season. The exquisite view of the verdant tea and coffee plantations is beyond words could describe (they were spread beyond horizon!) I was intoxicated by the mesmerizing grandeur of the hill station amongst the Niligiri range. It is for a reason that Ooty is called as the queen of hill stations.

We didn’t mind searching for hotels to stay put (remember, it was not planned) as the lush and green picturesque scenario laid down never reduced their charm. Or there was some magic in the air – compelled to skip lunch, the incomplete tour of the royal Mysore palace, getting delayed due to block in road because somewhere on the way a truck was stuck and now unavailability of hotel rooms – nothing seemed to deter the state of peace. We concluded that Ooty is a provider of inner peace through its unique charm.

The visit to the exotic Rose garden was a feast to our eyes and pleased our noses with different fragrances – strong and faint with the sweetness in the air. The chilled breeze brushed pass our cheeks while on the boat in Ooty lake leaving the invigorating fragrance of Eucalyptus – the artificial lake is surrounded by groves of Eucalyptus trees. Those are tall and strong trees- exhibiting unlimited possibility by its delightful scent in the surrounding near and far. The refreshingly aromatic fragrance can attract you to enjoy a walk amongst the blue-green leaves – just to be conjured to forget all the fragrances you have ever smelt. The splendid waters and lush greens were a perfect recipe for tranquility.

Botanical Garden flaunted flourishing green well maintained lawns and immense variety of flora. I was greedily soaking peace in the pleasant weather escaping from the heat waves of Chennai. The slight smell of the bloom was a bonus to the ecstatic experience. I was literally on cloud nine when we reached Doddabetta Peak – the pinnacle of Ooty. At 8650 feet and 10 kilometers from Ooty, it provides a panoramic view from the telescope house.

The trip would have been incomplete without going to Coonoor. A drive to Coonoor from Ooty was about 18 km along a thin road along the mountain. As we drove through the clouds, I could smell a strong familiar fragrance from the previous day – incredible aroma from the tall and dense Eucalyptus trees on the way. The fragrance was the same – unchanged, like the mountain rain- fresh and pure just enough to appease your inner chaos.

We reached the Dolphin’s nose enjoying the enchanting view created by the blue haze and the sound of the passing streams of water. The Dolphin’s nose is a blessed site of Ooty that stimulates your senses. The view was indeed breathtaking by offering high density mountains, twisting streams and widespread tea gardens. As we left the most scenic view point, my olfactory system longed for the distinct and powerful fragrance on our way back. And when we reached the spot again, I wanted to take back the fragrance to Chennai from the nature’s symphony. So I drenched my soul with the fresh and clean scent from the magnificent Eucalyptus trees and etched my heart with the astounding views from the painter’s paradise.

I had remembered since last September the fragrance of tall Eucalyptus trees from Ooty and wondered what it would be like to add the fragrance for Godrej aer.

P.S. This blog post is for Indiblogger contest Inspire a fragrance.

Let’s get winning

“At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.” - Barbara Bush.

For all those men and women who are addicted to winning only in the professional front, take a break and look back to ponder if you are a winner at your own home too. We are so engrossed in pursuit of success that we leave out our near and dear ones (un)knowingly. And we forget for whom we are actually toiling so hard and what are we trying to prove.

Ever wondered a teacher’s child could fail an examination and a doctor’s kid could suffer from a deadly disease. In this case, the teacher could be successful in teaching as a profession and the doctor in curing diseases but they lose in the family affair. It’s not just sheer negligence; it’s the thirst for winning that becomes the only thing in the profession. To be successful in just one field is so easy by virtue of talent, to be successful in all fronts takes character. Optimism- shifts the outlook into mental wins. Pessimism and loss are wired for every act opposite to a calmer life. It all starts within you rather than in others.

To rewire from anxious to calm and adding chemicals and electricity for new paths to a calmer life, listed down are the perspectives for winning brainpower-

1. Invent one refreshing solution to replace a routine that leaves you bored or in a rut.
2. Uplift your work area with natural lighting.
3. Thank a cranky worker for even a small accomplishment.
4. Give an offender the gift of forgiveness, by letting go of a grudge.
5. Propose winning alternatives to an observed annoying habit.
6. Act as the person you want others to see in you, and that you'll become.
7. Vary your background sounds and add music for more motivating outlooks.
8. Stir curiosity and engage others by tapping into their interests.
9. Sleep well in order to perceive your world well.
10. Research and open mentally to new and different ideas daily.
11. Change on regular basis.
12. Diversify your talent development to engage new perspectives.
13. Create rather than criticize.

 P.S. This blog post is for Indiblogger contest WINNING.

A perfect partner

My day starts with snoozing the alarm five times before ‘actually’ waking up, reading mails and news before having a short breakfast, listening to music and getting ready for office. On the way to office read some articles, check some social media sites and reply to mail/messages while the entire day is jammed with meetings and writing notes or presenting. And doze off watching a series/movie or may be listening to soothing music.

Using a laptop would be cumbersome in the morning just after you wake up and hurry to go office. If I have a chance I could be easily using Yoga tablet in stand mode in kitchen while hurrying for breakfast before office. While stressing to read and reply to mails on the way to office, Yoga tablet in tilt mode could be more comfortable to work with.  I can use tilt mode while making notes or presentations in office and hold mode for reading or browsing. Back at home playing Real Racing game using tilt mode and stand mode to watch my favorite series or a movie in Yoga tablet, is a better way of course!

I would expect my ideal tablet to have a complete one day of  battery life- a solid 24 hours of usage on a single charge, that would help to use it a couple of days without hitting the charger. That’s when I can use it without hesitation while on a trip. Listening to music (stored or streaming from the cloud) from my ideal tablet would require stereo speakers with decent audio playback just enough to play my imaginary guitar. My ideal tablet needs a screen with retina-display technology making text crispy to larger extent (as reading is a common usage) eliminating eye strain. How about 256 GB of internal storage (of course, with memory card slot to add more when needed)? Although I would do my share of keeping things in the cloud, but I want the option of stashing lots of music and video. A decent 12MP rear camera and 5MP of front camera for video calling to send great video quality would definitely elate my callers on the other side. As life is moving in accelerating speed, so I do expect my ideal tablet to have high-speed data transfer with other devices using Thunderbolt or FireWire technology.

As my wish list continues for features to be added to my ideal tablet, how about making tablets compatible for coding as well? Already we see Microsoft office and Iwork in tablets working fine for business purpose.

I wish someone makes a tablet that provides intelligent help to perform my office and home work. And give a local search engine that scans across my apartment to locate the object I am looking for and I can save my precious time and effort. Perfect tablet would never be built that satisfies everyone, there would   always be a section of customers wanting more based on their whims!

(P.S. This blog post is for Indiblogger contest Better way.)

A healthy baby code

It’s true that the solution to adult problems tomorrow depends on large measure upon how our children grow up today. Maximum of the physical and mental health issues caused to people are somewhere related directly or indirectly to their childhood nutrition and habits.

Let’s time travel back to the point of time when the baby is in the mother’s womb. A healthy diet maintained by the mother helps the baby to grow healthy. Surveys have proven that the baby’s intelligence can be grown when it’s still in the womb by intake of food rich in Omega 3. The baby’s concentration power can be increased by listening to soothing music. A stressful mother is likely to affect her baby’s emotional development and IQ. It’s highly important not only to have knowledge of baby care after giving birth, but also during the pregnancy.

The fastest rate of learning is in infancy. It’s essential to understand what a child needs to develop into a healthy adult. Home environment and parenting influences a child’s health by shaping diet and physical behaviors. A child learns what he sees and hears during the formative years. If a child is brought up in a family with parental fights or divorce issues, he is going to face an emotional crisis or not having faith in relationships. In a happy family, a child learns about love, care, sacrifice, compromise, helping, etc. which helps later in his life. Kids, whose parents encourage exercising and eating healthily, are more likely to be active and healthy eaters in the future. Not providing access to fruits and vegetables or discouraging to play outside leads to obese and lethargic children. In order to promote healthy behaviors in children, parental role modeling and conducive environment is essential.

Apart from the haven of safety, a kid is also influenced by the external environment. It’s important on the part of adults in the kid’s life (relatives and teachers especially) to distinguish between media appropriate for kids and adults. Also as adults they should listen and respond to their concerns; wishes and needs, ensuring services remain focused on children. Engaging kids in games and activities that makes them use their brains in a smarter way is an effective way to increase their intelligence.

As children constitute a large proportion of the Indian population, they represent not just India’s future but are integral to securing India’s present. The Indian Government should form policies that make public institutions as a healthy environment for children to develop. ‘Being proactive’ and ‘solution oriented’ (both at home and Government level) can accelerate to provide a stronger, healthier, immune India – the kind that India requires at the earliest. 

(P.S. This blog post is an entry for Indiblogger contest- An Immune India from Dabur. )

Time to change!

          I love delicate things. I love candles, perfume and daisies, picnics and soft music. I love being a woman - I love being the softer and gentler species of mankind. A little effort given as an encouraging word, a smile or a pat on the back of those who need desperately makes me realize the power a woman has to put a smile on the face of many people. I enjoy knowing I have the power to change for the better.

        Change is good for us. Can you imagine having Christmas all year, or summer? It seems just about the time we get settled in to a season, another comes along. Maybe it is to remind us that life never stays the same. And I think it’s high time for change: change to make Earth a better place to live in.

         It hurts me to the core to see Mother Earth being squandered unlimitedly. It’s been several years that we have been deteriorating the health of our planet by changing the climatic conditions leading to global warming. We, the human beings sustain due to the presence of natural resources on earth. Due to rapid increase in the population and standard of living, we are faced with energy crisis. If we deplete it by industrial or human activities, we would not leave anything for our grandchildren to survive here.

            On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities have increased concentrations of greenhouse gases. The consequences of changing the natural atmospheric greenhouse are difficult to predict, but certain effects seem likely to devastate the total human race if drastic steps are not taken in the right time.

            In order to survive and let our future generation to survive and enjoy the resources, we need to take greener steps right now. Since conventional sources of energy are increasingly depleted. Hence, Non-conventional Energy Sources have emerged as potential source of energy in India and world at large. The demand for energy is increasing day by day. The ever increasing uses of modern means of transport, changing lifestyles and mechanization of labour have led to a sudden and very large spurt in energy requirement. There is still a considerable potential for alternative energy sources. Increased use of renewable energy sources for energy generation will not only meet the energy demand but also result in substantial environmental benefits.

            Some industries have already taken steps to use greener technologies, while some are on their way to be green. All companies should start a programme that helps the environment in some way or the other. If we are benefited by the environment by so many means, it’s our moral obligation to return something back to the environment. And what we can give back is: the normal climatic condition of environment for all to live healthily.

            

As a young leader who beliefs in being HUMAN (Helpful, Understanding, Mingle, Amuse, Nurture), I think I should encourage employees, clients, consumers within my network to think and work in a greener way and the products/services should be designed following a green technology. If every one of us thinks the same way then this will help making our planet green!! Besides, I would also like to suggest that if we consume the sources of energy more effectively from the first itself, we’ll need to put less effort to conserve the energy resources for the future. Prevention is better than cure, as we know it.

             “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”. I shall be doing my part for the Blue Planet. What about you? Your planet needs you. Just saving energy on the Earth Day would not make much difference for the past damage. Treat every day as Earth Day. Go green!

Green Economy: Does it include you?

         How to grow green? This is the question for which we are trying to figure out solutions. It’s a global issue! Recently, we have become more conscious about how to generate economic activity that preserves and enhances environmental quality while using natural resources more efficiently. Our concern has suddenly shifted to link the three E’s (environment, economy, and equity) of development. This happened as we have realised that we have been deteriorating the health of our planet by changing the climatic conditions leading to global warming. We, the citizens of our own world sustain due to the presence of natural resources on earth. Due to rapid increase in the population and standard of living, we are facing the energy crisis. If we deplete it by industrial or human activities, we would not leave anything for our grandchildren to survive here.

         Hence, emerged the concept of “green economy” several years back. A green economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. The green economy is the clean energy economy, consisting primarily of four sectors: renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal); green building and energy efficiency technology; energy-efficient infrastructure and transportation; and recycling and waste management.

         As citizens of the world, we have a moral responsibility to take green steps right now. We can halt and undo our prior environmental damage to survive and let our future generation survive and enjoy the resources. But, while taking mammoth steps to do this, we also have to figure out ways to benefit our economy, of which we are a part. So we need a “Green Economy”, which harnesses the productive potential of nature to increase Earth’s bio-capacity, and thus to ensure greater human well-being and its equitable distribution.

       Discussions on climate change must encompass not only “how much” we will reduce, but also “how” we will get there. By utilizing the solar, wind, water and other natural renewable sources for power we can protect the earth and its non-renewable resources such as oil and coal; and also stop chopping our rain forests. If employees, clients, consumers are encouraged to think and work in a greener way and our products/services be designed following a green technology, this will help to make our planet greener. The green economy is not just about the ability to produce clean energy, but also technologies that allow cleaner production processes, establishing growing market for products which consume less energy, from fluorescent light bulbs to organic and locally produced food.

        Green jobs also provide the opportunity in green growth by doing good while doing well. Green jobs are those positions in agriculture, manufacturing, research and development, administration, and the service sector that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. In the transition to a lower-carbon, green economy, the lines between environmental jobs and jobs in more traditional sectors is becoming increasingly blurred. Advancements in the green economy are closely tied to investments in green technologies: wind, solar, biofuels, and biomass and waste-to-energy.

  

         Technologies are available to go green. We have solutions to make the products eco-friendly, but how far will the industries implement them? Not all, only a few of the companies are adopting greener technologies. If some companies could forget their individual profits for a second and have the vision for profit that our generation next will gain, then we can imagine of a greener world, reaching the pinnacle of growth in green economy. Because “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

Love is a two way street: Love your hair and it loves you back!

Beauty is not just in the face, it also lies in hair. A woman loves everything about herself (no wonder, she does openly or secretly). Her family, her working place, her clothes, her hair---even her haircuts. No matter how silly the appreciation is for her hair: good hair, lovely hair, cool haircut, and pretty strands….women love hearing the praises about their hair. And surprisingly also look keenly the hair quality or haircut of other women.  

Every woman has her own hair journey starting from the time she is a young girl when her hair was taken care of by her mom. She loves her hair so much that most of the time of personal care is spent in managing and giving attention to hair. The more attention and care the hair gets, the more it shines and looks beautiful. Beautiful hair makes even the plainest woman instantly more attractive. She spends a huge chunk of money in a year on shampoos, conditioners, hair dyes, highlights, trims, perms and hair accessories for the pleasure it gives us to make a part of ourselves as beautiful as possible.

I am reminded of the video that touched the hearts of so many women who know what a big and well, hairy deal hair is: A muppet singing a relatively simple song that it loves her hair.

I am no exception either, I love my hair too. And the WOW hair moment for me is just after every haircut!! Because it makes me look and feel so new and different each time which I love and also the appreciations which come later.

We, the feminine group do love our hair and in turn, our hair loves us back by adding to our beauty.But according to a survey conducted, only 60% of women are happy with their hair. To them a suggestion: Just love what you've got on top, make the world aware that you love your hair and your hair will love you back. True beauty is not in the face; it is a light in the heart.

(P.S. Finally I am out of the writer’s block, thanks to the contest on Indiblogger. This blogpost is my entry as a Dove fan.)

Ubuntu 10.10: released on 10.10.10

                              

Canonical Ltd. announced the release of its latest Ubuntu 10.10 on 10th October, 2010 (apparently the most auspicious day of this century). Open source operating system Ubuntu 10.10 is available to download for desktop, notebook, and server editions. All the versions are emphasizing Canonical’s embracing of the cloud, whether in terms of a “personal cloud” for desktop and netbook users or the deployment in virtual environment of the server edition. The first visible change comes in the installer itself.

The Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook edition has come up with the all new “Unity” user interface. It is optimized for smaller netbook screens and mobile computing. The Unity UI offers limited support for touch. Canonical says that it lets you find and rediscover your preferred applications more easily whether they are on your netbook or on the web.

Ubuntu 10.10 untangles the complexities of cloud computing in a very efficient manner. Ubuntu One Basic offers users a personal cloud for sharing and synchronizing files, contacts, bookmarks and notes. It offers 2 GB of storage and access to music from the integrated store. The Ubuntu One Mobile service supports Android mobile devices and iPhones. This allows end users to stream music from their personal cloud to their various mobile devices and synchronize contacts. Ubuntu One Mobile costs $3.99 per month or $39.99 annually. Canonical claims its server edition to be “the default open-source choice for cloud computing.” Ubuntu also allows the creation and control of public cloud. Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) allows you to build on-demand virtual systems on almost any scale without investing in hardware.

Ubuntu 10.10 includes Mozilla Firefox for web browsing and can also support Google Chrome (I’m especially happy for it because I use Chrome).The software named OpenOffice.org is fully compatible with Microsoft Office and has everything to create professional documents, spreadsheets and presentations. In terms of software, Ubuntu is like the iPhone. The Ubuntu Software Centre gives instant access to thousands of open-source and carefully selected free applications. Ubuntu’s new Me Menu lets the users access their Facebook and Twitter accounts and allows them to connect to all the favorite chat channels and make updates through a single window.

Ubuntu 10.10 takes less than 10 seconds for booting (good news for computer geeks who hate slow computers).Canonical says that Ubuntu loads quickly on any computer, but it’s super-fast on newer machines. What will be next? Only a six months wait can reveal (Ubuntu 11.04 planned to release on April 28, 2011).

(P.S. Now this post may seem different from my previous posts, the only thing why I was drawn to write is I’d used Ubuntu(9.04), its latest version solves the complexities of CLOUD COMPUTING(my seminar topic!!) and most importantly its release date.)

Just a thought...

The world has become a pretty small place and most of us move around a lot. We move away for school or college (and after a few months for job), and most people have friends across the country and around the globe. But even with cell phones and instant messages, chatting, email, Facebook and Twitter, I find it difficult to maintain close friendships with people who live far away.

Whether we met in high school, college, or some other time in life – chances are high that distance will come between us and some of our closest and dearest friends. Why is it hard to maintain long-distance friendships? When friends staying so far meet after a long long time, I’m elated…we can talk about the big stuff, but there is a lot of pressure to get it all out before your time is up. So much of day to day life is in the small stuff, the things you’d never want to waste time with if you only had a few hours with someone. But the everyday details are what allow you for better understanding and bonding, to take the pressure off a rare visit and focus on the moment.

I should accept that friendships come and go. That’s not to say that people are expendable, just that as we move to new phases of our lives, some relationships naturally drift apart and others form. No matter whatever you try…and hold on; this just happens. The small-small things that we shared each day reduce to just sharing the major things in life.Each of these people represents a cherished part of my life. The precious moments (no matter how small, yet sweet) spent with the dearest ones will always be etched in my heart as they embellish my life.

As these friends move away, and the distance between us grows (blindingly obvious) it feels like I’m moving farther away from what those times in my life represented.Especially now, when my life is challenging and often seems out of control, I am nostalgic for times when the future seemed so bright and full of endless possibility.

(P.S. Friendship is measured by the heart…so no matter how many miles friends are away from us, they are never far apart.)

Shall WE change?

I came across something pretty obvious. It’s something we all know but something we do not really talk about. Well, it’s not like we haven’t been doing that for age; it’s a natural tendency to blame someone else for just about everything. At some point or other, you must have said to yourself, “How come that person be so rude?” or “Why don’t he/she understand my views?” or “How come they say such a thing?” or “Why I am the one who always gets hurt?” Even I have said things like that several times. We often react this way because our emotions are a part of most people’s innate thoughts & behaviours…we respond emotionally to emotional needs of our own, rather than in a logical, rational manner.

It’s ridiculous when people spend inordinate amounts of time and energy being upset, angry or frustrated by other people’s thoughts & behaviours. We don’t think pragmatically about it when we have an emotional reaction to someone else’s behaviour or words. Why should we (by default) believe we can change another person’s (an independent, thinking self just like us) behaviours and thoughts with just a few choice words? (If we think about it for a minute…it sounds kinda ludicrous)  One of life’s hardest lessons is just change yourself, if you can’t change the world.

So what exactly am I talking about? For those wondering if I am speaking sense at all or wondering if I’m sane…let me make this simple. We get up and wonder that something is wrong. Something is wrong with system…something is wrong with the people around us…something is wrong with the country…something is wrong with our lives…something is wrong with the world…basically most things don’t seem right and we just aren’t able to do anything about it. Pardon me if I seem pessimistic. It is we who are the problem. It is us where the issues begin. Each day it’s we who decide how things happen. The world would be a better place if WE decide to take action and change accordingly…we are the one who can change things.People looking for a solution must realize that the solution to all their problems lies in themselves.The moment we  discover that within ourselves, things will change.

If we can change about the way we live our life, then it’s very easy to deal with an external change. We can’t expect the whole world to change the way we want. We must be the change we want to see in the world. In simple words, all it takes is a bit of flexibility and a force to think or act differently. It’s always easier to change our own self-image, values and behaviour( rather than someone else’s). A change from within is the smoothest and most effective way for improving the way we perceive the eccentric world (because a person thinks that everyone except him is weird in one way or the other).

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. But now, I discovered the world would not change, my country  wont  change either. Neither I can change my family nor my friends. All I can  do  is  change  myself  first. I guess I’ve just realized something really important.  Realization is one thing, doing it is what actually matters…

(P.S. CHANGE is the word that I have been hearing these days from my colleagues. Yeah! Someone has already changed, someone is trying to change, someone is changing, someone wants to change, etc. And I thought, why not write something about this ‘change’.)

LIFE............as we know it

Well, the first thing which caught my attention when I thought of writing this blogpost is Mark Twain’s quote “Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.”  But hey! I am no philosopher or writer to write some great stuff about life…I just want to express what I feel regarding this small word LIFE (yet encompassing one’s whole lifetime) from my past experience of two decades (Oh yeah…it feels great to be in 20’s!!).

For many of us, life is not a fairy tale. You just can’t wait for a genie to fulfil all your wishes (ironically, my last Facebook status was that only). In reality, it takes a mammoth amount of efforts and perseverance to fructify just an iota of SUCCESS. All the hurdles faced in the lifetime is actually rewardful at the end because you would know the real taste of success only if you had suffered as a part of the quest. But remember success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles no matter how you have to endure hardships.

When something right or wrong happens to you, you blindly say its just DESTINY but never agree to the fact that what happened is just the consequences of your own actions. And if its destiny, then destiny too smiles on only those who’ve given ample dedication to their work. You simply can’t sit with your legs crossed and wait for golden eggs. Nothing comes so easy. The rate of achievement is directly proportional to the rate of efforts put in (This law does not exist in any subjects, I just think that way). But wait….I know many of you must be wondering about negligible yet significant factor called LUCK. When this factor is favourable, you get high rewards and when unfavourable, you fail……but I bet, you read “Fooled by Randomness” and you will be convinced that such a hypothetical factor does not exist. Without effort and preparation lucky coincidences don’t happen. All your results sheerly depend on your past actions.

Sometimes when life plays a prank on you and you are shattered by the failures, only a few people make an attempt to resurrect and fight back while most of the people are deemed to be doomed. But why don’t all understand that their chance of success lies in the trials only. Its only when the conditions seem worser, a strongly determined person’ll not quit because the HOPE (the last thing that dies in man) in him keeps him moving ahead to chase his dreams by overcoming all the failures. When the world says give up, hope whispers try it one more time.

Sometimes life gives a feeling like being in paradise (happy moments) and sometimes like being in hell (sad moments) and you say Life sucks!! Well, ups and downs make the road to the destination, we all know. In our whole lifetime what values most is the valuable time spent with others (parents, siblings, friends, relatives, etc.) and not being too selfish by cramming ‘I’, ‘me’,  ‘myself’, ‘mine’, etc. Life’s too short to live, your birth won’t make a slightest difference to the entire world (for some great personalities, it’s an exception) but you can make a difference for the people around you not for the sake of fame/recognition but just because you CARE. It would neither cost you a million bucks nor a lifetime….just simple gestures, kind words and a helping hand will work as MAGIC!!  And that’s the BEAUTY of life apart from feeling the ecstasy of spring, warmth of summer, chillness of rains, quite charm of autumn and calm of winter.

You can also leave a trail behind when you live in to an eternal hope, love and God and letting others live by your virtues. The true measure of life is not how long you live, but how well you live in peace and harmony….a life that’s short, simple and satisfied rather than an endless craving for money, fame, pleasure, pride (things that are ephemeral).

Realise the time value of life........Explore. Dream. Discover!!!

(P.S. LIFE and the related terms are defined and understood by different people differently. The above written stuff is my perspective.)

The Ayodhya Verdict : a test for Hindu-Muslim brotherhood

People are dying of hunger here, and all we want to do is to build mosques and temples, and for what reason? Not to offer prayer, not to read namaaz, but to prove some stupid claim over some stupid land(ironically, its not a mere property case), for which thousands of people have lost their lives and probably millions are on the verge of losing it, again.

At the time, when we are (supposedly) supposed to have been completely evolved as human beings, and accept each other as we are, spread not only the message but also peace to people of other religions and nationalities and build a system where no one dies of hunger, and for that matter sleep on streets, what we are doing is fighting over religions and an individual’s personally derived (twisted) meaning of PEACE. We, instead of building stone structures which we can call as “homes” and put the ones who are in desperate need of it, are fighting to build those stone structures which we fondly address as mosques and temples and place stone-carved statues and tombs in it.

Well,India rests uneasy ahead of the final crucial verdict on the decades-old title suits seeking ownership of the disputed Ayodhya site.The title suit pertaining to the 2.77 acres of land in Uttar Pradesh takes root in the Hindus' beliefs that Ayodhya is 'Ram Janmabhoomi', or the birthplace of Lord Ram, while Muslims seek to defend Babri Masjid, built by Moghul emperor Babur in 1528.The dispute that grew year after year on several campaigns from both the sides, took an ugly turn on Dec 6, 1992 when Babri Masjid was demolished during a political rally, followed by riots in which over 2000 were killed.

Where a section of this society of ours is desperately waiting to bring out their knives and swords and start wielding it on fellow human beings, another section of this same society of ours is trying to keep the ‘bond’ between humans intact.Around 15 Muslim families(in the Asharfi Bhawan area of Ayodhya)have been involved in making floral garlands and decorative offerings for Hindu devotees for the last several decades.Asked what they think about the much-awaited verdict in the long-pending title suit, Muslim artisans said irrespective of the outcome of the judgement they would continue with their business to help Hindus.“We just pray for peace and believe the judgement will not affect Hindu-Muslim brotherhood and unity,” Sartaj added.

Like you (who is reading this) I too, don’t know what the judgement will be, but whatever it may be, one thing is for sure. There’s going to be lots of smoke in the air. Now it is not inevitable, it can be stopped, but the question is who? when?................. You? Me?

Of course, WE, no one else, but WE!

Now it is up to us whether we get influenced and spread venom or inspire and transform lives, whether we become followers and tarnish the bond or lead and make it stronger, whether we become the swords and kill our brothers and sisters or resurrect pillars of support for those who are in desperate need of us.So it’s very important that we choose, but what’s more important is that we choose wisely.

Final dream of a dreamer

I don’t know why I was dragged away from brightness

Until a ray of hope dawned to me after being in darkness;

Safely kept the precious bits from the wreck

I’m tired and really need a break;

Till the river runs dry,I’ll sail my vessel

Facing each day as a constant battle;

Tranforming all my dreams & hopes is impossible

But I’d try to reach my destination and that’s possible…

--------(Composed by me a month back)

All my life, I was a dreamer (but people still thought I was pragmatic).But when I woke from a dream and looked around, I saw that the world had changed a lot since I last knew it. People had learnt how to hate, how to hurt, how to kill. I shrank from this sight with a palpitating heart…feeling like a newborn…confused on entering completely new surroundings, after the safety of mother’s womb (reality is always bitter than a dream).I saw, I heard, I felt. But I couldn’t comprehend what I saw, heard or felt. It was all so new, so unknown. I was missing the serenity and was perplexed, totally unprepared to face the pains & pangs of life. I retreated into myself, searching for the peaceful, loving world I’d always known, within the recesses of my own mind.

I got so caught up in this quest, that I hardly realized that the world was passing by me, time was flying, without so much as a second backward glance at me, standing as I was, motionless, waiting for things to make sense. The old, familiar faces had given way to cold, unfeeling strangers. Simplicity had given way to a complicated web of forced words, forced gestures, forced emotions. Then a face emerged – angelic in its very familiarity, warm in the very memories it invoked. My heart was gladdened to see something from the darkness, to have an assurance that the world I knew had not been a mere dream.

But before I could touch that well-loved face, it lost all its warmth and familiarity, and became the face of one of those cold, masked strangers, which was all I had seen around me. That’s when I fell into a perpetual darkness, knowing that all that had been mine, was gone, and all that was new and intimidating, would have to be accepted as my own. Soon…the dreamer had dreamt her final dream and now there would be no more retreats, no more dreams. Now, I had to forget and move on, catch the fleeting time and ride it into the last sunset…

(P.S. I was actually about to write a post on CWG or Kashmir Issue or Ayodhya verdict, but some random thoughts creeped into my mind while sitting alone at this time of a full moon night)

Think outside the shell...!!!

If you were to go to your window and throw a stone into the street, it would probably hit an engineer(no offence to engineers reading this,but this is the fact). The whole place is teeming with them...the engineering/medicine students in India outdo entire populations of certain European countries. The lure of sciences in our country is maddening to a certain extent. The various possible reasons for this mad rush can only be explained on the basis of a detailed social study.

The first and foremost incentive to medicine/engineering is the economic stability it provides. India is one of the fastest developing economies in the world and relies heavily on its IT sector. The western countries look upon India as the land which provides them with the largest pool of doctors and scientists. In the premier space research institution, NASA, 36% of the scientists are Indian. So even though the recession did make some hearts skip a beat, it’s needless to say that an engineer will never be out of a job(but job skips are rampant). In the same vein, it’s highly unlikely for a doctor to go jobless in India (a private clinic being a very viable venture). Another aspect to it is the obscene amounts of money that can be amassed in as little a time as say 10 years. The parental pressure angle can never be negated as many mediocre kids who don’t have the aptitude for science are pushed off the cliff into the scientific sea by their family.Its disheartening to see students who in their school days wanted to be nothing less than a movie star or the Prime Minister and ended up in lousy engineering or medical colleges and are now contemplating their futures through a dusty microscope.

This leads to a dearth of talented people in various other walks of life. How many great sportspersons or musicians can India boast of? The answer is just a fistful. There is a diversion from natural inclinations to forced identities which scars the human mind beyond repair. The suicide rates of potential engineers and doctors have sky-rocketed in the past few years in response to unreal expectations from family. Another flaw in the system is the mushrooming of coaching centers which promise entry into premier institutions provided you are ready to pay through your nose....the ironic part is that it’s failed professionals who teach in these centers.If they couldn’t get their lives straight, what makes you think they can set yours straight(a usual thought by students for inept Profs)? Year after year it is proven that it is the students who do not enroll in coaching centers that secure the top positions hence negating the role of coaching centers.

The best way to deal with this situation would be the introduction of multiple new subjects in the high school curriculum....subjects like mass communication would provide children with an opportunity to widen their interest zone and give them space to splash around while they’re still young. The popular perception of society needs a makeover and people need to accept the fact that there are extremely good prospects beyond the sphere of science.There is nothing wrong in choosing a career which is not usually heard from peers(rights and wrongs were not defined at the time of earth’s creation,right!).Let’s hope for not too distant a future in which people all around the globe look to India with respect for our legion of virtuosos and not merely (in their words) .............. “science nerds”.

Is religion a way to spirituality...?

''This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness”

– Dalai Lama

Call him Ram or call him Allah, it makes no difference. Erect a temple on every corner or hang a photo of him on every wall, it makes no difference. Until and unless we keep him in our heart and his teachings in our actions we won’t be able to discover the essence of our being. Being religious can be a way to being spiritual , if we are able to find what religion actually means. Religion is feeding the poor; it’s not fasting once in a week and doing evil the rest of the time. Religion is providing shelter to the homeless; it’s not making temples on every vacant space. We just have enough religion to make us hate but not enough to make us love.


Etymologically the word “Religion” is derived from the Latin word ligare meaning connect or bind. Logically then, Religion is means to connect to god. Sensible enough- except, I have to ask, how are we supposed to form a meaningful connection with the invisible, supernatural power? Rather than trying indistinctly trying to form connections with the uncaring blue sky, we have a better kind of religion down here on the earth. HUMANITY, which meaningfully unites us by teaching the astounding truth that we belong to the same mental tribe.


The religion of humanity does not makes us realize the ways ina which we are different but the similarities we share. It teaches us the truth that our similarities are so deep and so pervasive as to completely overwhelm the comparatively shallow things that divide us from each other. Since there is one world, there should be one true description of it. If the religious beliefs were based on this fact, then we might expect them to converge eventually; but this is not the case. Differences in caste and creed still rule us. We still feel apathy to be with a lower caste human being. Why this discrimination when we all belong to the same cosmos, we all experience the same emotions.


Who are they to differentiate between a Hindu and Muslim when there is Ram in “Ramzan” and Ali in “Diwali”. Humanity lies in the spiritual aspect of a person. The more we involve ourselves in reaching out to the needy, the more spiritual we become. Spirituality involves knowing the inner self. As Dalai Lama said, humanity should be our religion, and love, kindness, compassion our tools to achieve spiritualism… All we need is compassion. Empathy for each other. Peace within ourselves. Introspection is a great way to find the way to the inner self. Speak kindly. Care Deeply. Love generously. Humanity truly stands out to be the only religion of love, peace and kindness. So let’s embrace humanity and start a new way of life, a new vision, a new destiny for the generations to come.