Taipei Marathon 2010

“Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle... when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.”



It’s my second half-marathon and third international running event (The first one was Tainan marathon 2009, in which I ran a 10K) in these two years. If someone might have asked me two years ago whether I will run a half-marathon, I might have laughed out loud and passed it on as a joke. But, somehow, an activity that just started as a way out to shed few extra pounds grew up to this level.

Each of these three events is quite unique. The first one, a 10K in Tainan came out as a test to see whether I can push myself to do something which I never tried before. It also helped me to boost my confidence and interest in keeping myself fit. It took me 1 hour and 6 minutes to finish the 10.4 Kilometers.

My next step was to increase the distance slowly while maintaining an average pace of 6minute/K. At the end of the year 2009, I signed up for the Taipei half- marathon (21.097 K). I did quite well and could finish the race distance in 2 hours and 3 minutes. I suffered a bit in the last 5K but felt very much satisfied that I could complete the race well within the cut-off time to get the finisher’s medal.



This year, I couldn’t participate in the Tainan marathon. I did run once a week (atleast most of the time) in a nice cycling path nearby my home where there is no hindrance. It’s really a very nice place to work out and also to relax. It’s also good that this route has distance markers every 0.5K so that I can keep track of the distance and time.

I signed up for the Taipei marathon again this year. The race day was on 19th of December. I woke up around 4:30 AM to get ready and had some breakfast to fuel up. I went to the race venue around 5:45 AM. Weather was around 15 degrees, much higher than last year (It was like 9 degrees last time). There were thousands of runners from 17 to 70+ getting ready for the challenge.



The race started exactly by 7 AM. Since I have run the same route last year, I pretty much know how it will be. The first kilometer mark came very fast and I was just running at a slower pace to warm up. There was not much difficulty till the 5K mark. It was less than 30 minutes when I reached the 5K mark, at a comfortable pace of ~6minute/K. But, somewhere around 6K, I felt some discomfort in my abdomen. I haven’t had this kind of problem during my practice runs. I tried to slow down a bit to see whether I can ease the pain. I couldn’t get rid of it and when I tried to run fast, it became worse.

The pain was not very severe but I had to move slowly to avoid it from becoming worse. I somehow reached the 10K mark and it was like 1 hour and 05 minutes (Last year, I was really doing well in the first half reaching my 10K in around 50 minutes). There was still 11K to go and I felt that I was getting drained both physically and mentally. At the 13K mark, I even thought that I can stop running and go back home. But, I also thought that even if I can’t run like last year, I should try to complete the race atleast.

I tried to focus and thought that there is only 7 more kilometers to run to finish the race. Also, the weather was not so good. Just by 8AM, the sun was on the head and scorching, humidity being an additional factor to aid dehydration. I had some water and sport drink to help me stay hydrated. But, around 17K, I started getting some cramps in my calf muscles. By then, the abdominal cramp eased out a bit. I saw the time and it was above 2 hours. I finally reached the “finish point” in 2 hours and 20 minutes.

I felt a bit upset that I couldn’t do better than last year. I wanted to finish before 2 hours but with the abdominal cramp, it was hard to push myself faster. On the other hand, I was quite happy that I could still complete the race even with all the difficulties.I still could get the completion medal this year as my finishing time was well within the cut-off time. I remember the quote,

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."

I think that the abdominal cramp and dehydration were due to some wrong food choices the previous night and before the race because even the week before the race, I could run really well without any difficulty. There are more races to come next year. I will surely try again and I am sure I can do better.







"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed."
- Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

Five Reasons to Be Vegetarian

I found this interesting article in PFA (People For Animals) website http://www.peopleforanimalsindia.org/5-reasons-to-be-vegetarian.html

1) The RELIGIOUS reason
Every religion from Hinduism and Buddhism to Islam and Christianity teaches compassion to all living beings. Animals were created for the same reason as humans, to live. Not to be killed and eaten. As Mahatma Gandhi said , "It ill becomes us to invoke in our daily prayers the blessings of a compassionate God if we in turn will not practice elementary compassion towards our fellow creatures".

2) The KARMIC reason
All our actions including our choice of food have karmic consequences. According to the law of karma, if we cause pain and suffering to other living beings, we must endure pain and suffering in return, both individually and collectively. We reap what we sow, in this life and the next, for nature has her own justice. By involving oneself in the cycle of inflicting injury, pain and death by eating other creatures, one will in the future, experience their suffering in equal measure.

3) The SPIRITUAL reason
Food is the source of the body's chemistry, and what we ingest affects our consciousness, emotions and experiential patterns. If one wants to live in higher consciousness, in peace and happiness and love, then one cannot eat meat, fish, fowl or eggs. The methods used in large modern farms to raise and kill animals causes them immense pain and terror. They are given hormones and antibiotics which biochemists have confirmed end up in and influence the body of those who consume meat. In a very real way, we are ingesting the powerful chemical components of fear, and rage. Absorbing these contributes to a violent mentality perpetuating the cycle of cruelty and confusion. If children are raised as vegetarians, every day they are exposed to non-injury as a principle of peace and compassion. Every day they are growing up, they are remembering and being reminded to not kill. When you won't kill another creature to feed yourself, you will be much less likely to injure anybody at all.

4) The HEALTH reason
Medical studies prove that a vegetarian diet is easier to digest, provides a wider range of nutrients and imposes fewer burdens and impurities on the body. Meat eating women have a 3.6 times higher risk of breast cancer while meat eating men have a 3.8 times higher risk of prostrate cancer. Vegetarians are less susceptible to all the major diseases that afflict contemporary humanity, and live longer, healthier, more productive lives. They have fewer physical complaints, less frequent visits to the doctor, fewer dental problems and smaller medical bills. Their immune system is stronger, their bodies are purer, more refined and their skin more beautiful.

5) The ECOLOGICAL reason
Planet earth is suffering. In large measure, the escalating loss of species, destruction of rain forests , loss of topsoil and the increase in water and air pollution have all been traced to the single fact of meat in the human diet. Meat is the single greatest reason for deforestation worldwide with 55sq ft of tropical rain forest consumed to produce every quarter-pounder hamburger. A major contributor to global warming is methane produced by animals multiplied for meat. With over 6 billion people grazing the earth today, the future of life on earth rests on our choice of food. No single decision that we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision to cut out meat. Many seeking to save the planet for future generations have made this decision for this reason and this reason alone. The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. Whatever happens to the earth will happen to the children of the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family.

11/10/2010

Its a very special day. The day I saw this world for the first time 27 years ago. Its always a special day for me. Well, this is my fifth birthday in Taiwan (Quite a long time huh?).

This year, I started getting wishes and gifts even a week before my birthday. It was so nice my friends and lab-mates Yii-lih and Chia-fen gave a post card made of wood in the shape of Taiwan Island marked with all the important tourist spots in Taiwan. On the back side, they wrote a sweet birthday wish in Chinese (Well... I could read a part of it but had to get Yii-lih's help to read the whole thing). When they went to Hualien few months ago, they specially requested the hotel they stayed to send it card for my birthday. Its a very special and unique gift which I will remember forever.

Also, My best buddy Nitin gave me a very special gift. A calender for the year 2011. What's so special in it? Every month of the year had a picture of mine with some quotes from famous personalities underneath. It is really a very creative and wonderful gift. Also, Nagaraj, my other good friend and house-mate ordered a special cake for my birthday party. Thanks a lot my friends!!!

Its not the gifts but their friendship and affection that counts. I also got a lot of phone calls, E-mails and Facebook messages from all friends in different parts of the globe. Vishnu, my friend and classmate during my bachelors' and masters' degree called me from Norway. His call was the one to wake me out of the bed on my birthday. Its been a long time we spoke to each other over the phone and it was really nice talking to him. Gayathri, my good friend and classmate from college, also called me. Her wishes are always special and close to my heart. One more friend and classmate, Rani sent her wishes through mail. She never forgets to wish me on my birthday and it continues even after these many years.

Wishes poured in from all my cousins and other family members. Neeju sent me a nice E-card and Poorni called me to pass on her wishes. Many of them sent nice E-mail wishes. Last but not the least, wishes from my dad, mom, sister and grand-mom came through Skype. Thanks to the advancement in technology!!!

As for the birthday party, I didn't have any proper plans till the day before, as ever. I just thought of buying some new clothes and then have a simple party with a couple of friends. As it was a Monday, I thought of going out to have some dinner rather than arranging a party at home. But, in the end, plans changed and we could get-together in a French Vegetarian Restaurant for dinner and there were about 12 people. Though the food was not of the choice of many, I believe that everyone enjoyed being together after quite some time. I cut the cake in the restaurant to end the birthday in a very nice way. Thanks to all my friends who came there amidst their busy schedules.


Its a custom to make three wishes before cutting the birthday cake, two of them revealed to the people around and the third one kept as a secret. Here goes my two wishes.

(1)Good health and wealth (wealth doesn't just mean money) are very important to have a happy life. More precisely, I wish a year which brings prosperity.

(2)Life is like a roller coaster ride. There are always ups and downs. I wish I have the maturity to handle everything and be happy always.



HAVE A GOOD DAY FOLKS!!!


With "Sweet" Sidhu



Group Pic

Trrrrrrrraffic Jam!!!

News (24/8/2010): Thousands of vehicles were bogged down in a more than 100-kilometre (62-mile) traffic jam leading to Beijing that has lasted ten days and highlights China's growing road congestion woes.


Flashback (24/8/2007): Me and my friend Leo started from Pingyao to Beijing. Pingyao is a small city in Shanxi province retaining its city layout from Ming and Qing dynasties, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beijing, about 700 Kms from Pingyao, was the final destination of our month long backpacking trip.



Old streets of Pingyao


We left the travelers' hostel around 2 PM and walked right away to the bus station.We didn't have a chance to have our lunch as we couldn't find any vegetarian restaurant nearby. There was a bus to Beijing around 3 PM. Each ticket cost 150 Yuan and we had money in Chinese Yuan just enough to buy our tickets. We looked around and found that there were no banks or ATMs in that small place. We could only buy two bottles of orange juice with the small change we had. The person who issued the tickets said that the bus will reach Beijing around 9 PM. So, we thought that we can have some dinner once we reach Beijing.

The bus started right on time. Everything went well till we were about 80 Kms from Beijing. Suddenly, the bus stopped and we just found that we are stuck in a traffic jam. There were a lot of vehicles ahead and in no time, there were a lot behind us too. We couldn't really see the starting point of the traffic jam and we didn't know the reason either. The only thing we knew is that we are stuck in the middle of nowhere.

There was no sign of vehicles moving for a long time. We just watched the movies played in the bus, listened to some songs in the MP3 and slept. It was already 9 PM and the bus didn't move an inch. With no money and in the middle of nowhere, we had no choice but to starve.

Finally after some 7 hours, the bus moved slowly. We found that there was a toll gate and of all the 8 lanes, only one lane was open and a guy issuing tickets to the vehicles passing through the only open gate. The bus reached a bus station around 3 AM next day. We jumped down the bus and found that the bus stopped in a bus station out of Beijing and the place was not even in the map. Having no money to hire a taxi, we had only one option - wait for the first bus by 5 AM.

It was my first and only experience until now to sleep in the street. We took the first bus and reached the city center. It took us some time to find the hostel we were planning to stay. It was good that the hostel accepted US Dollars. But, we still had to wait till 9 AM for the bank to open.



In the lobby of the hostel we stayed in Beijing

It took us time to take a shower and get ready. We walked through the streets near the hostel we stayed and the smell of the food from the street vendors attracted us. But, our pockets were empty and had to wait till we change our US Dollars to Chinese Yuan. We looked into the map and walked towards the nearest bank.

There was already a decent crowd when we reached the bank. We had to wait for an hour or so to get our job done. Oh, with the money in our hands, we wanted to find a decent vegetarian restaurant nearby. We found one in the map and it was not so far from where we were. So, we walked to the place. But, the shop was moved from that place. Too tired to walk around, we took a cab and went back towards the place we stayed. Finally, we found a restaurant across the hostel which served some vegetarian food (Though the restaurant was not completely vegetarian). We had some pasta and some other stuff to finish our one and a half day long starvation.

Altogether, it was a whole new experience and though it was tough that time, it now remains as a memorable experience.

NOTE: Just when I tried to write this down, I found that the date (24/8/2007) of this incident and the date (24/8/2010) the news about the recent traffic jam appeared in the newspaper which made me write this are the same.

Iru Vizhi Unadhu...

Some songs really sound good and will be in our play-list for some time and then another song ll replace it and so on. But, there will only one (or very few) songs that remain very close to our heart. One such song is "Iru Vizhi Unadhu" from the movie "Minnale". Its a short and sweet song composed by Harris Jeyaraj and sung by Devan.

The reason for this song being close to my heart is not just the music or lyrics. It was the time I joined college, this movie came out and this song became one among my favorites. Christmas was nearing and we had a game in our class, "The secret friend".

The idea of the game is that the names of all the classmates will be written in small sheets, rolled and put in a box and each person should pick one name from the box. The one who picked the name will remain as a "secret friend" of the person he/she picks. The secret friend will pass messages to the person through some classmates. Most messages/requests will be asking the person to perform something (Like singing, dancing, saying a joke etc) before the class. We can either accept or deny the request. This game will be played during lunch time and other breaks and after a month, the secret friend will reveal himself/herself to the other person and will give a gift.

One afternoon, after lunch, I received a small sheet with a request "Please sing a song" from my secret friend. I was a bit shy but my other classmates sitting near me encouraged me to sing some song, atleast for fun. Though I sing reasonably well, I was quite nervous to sing amidst my classmates. I didn't want to sing a lengthy song and so decided to sing this one, "Iru Vizhi Unadhu".

Well, I should say that It came out to be my best performance till date. Something very close to my heart. All my classmates appreciated me and I have sung that song atleast a few times for them. It really helped me to get some good friends in my class and later I sung the same song to get a chance to sing with the college band for our "Tech Day". I don't know whether singer Devan, who sung this song in the movie, attained some popularity by singing this song, but I got a lot of friends and much more.

Pedestrian power for a greener future

Any one point on a busy street can receive up to 50,000 steps a day, so imagine if you could take all that foot traffic and turn it into something useful – like energy! A new product developed in the UK by Pavegen systems can do just that. With a minuscule flex of 5mm, the energy generating pavement is able to absorb the kinetic energy produced by every footstep, creating 2.1 watts of electricity per hour.

Every time a rubber Pavegen stone is stepped on, it bends, producing kinetic energy that is either stored within lithium polymer batteries or distributed to nearby lights, information displays, and much more. Just five slabs spread over a lively sidewalk has the ability to generate enough energy to illuminate a bus stop throughout the night. But applications are not limited to the street. Extended into other public and private spaces the system has the potential to power lights, computers, automatic doors, ticket machines, refrigerators, shop signs, microwaves… Depending on the usage, the payback period could be as little as one year, and each Pavegen stone has an estimated system life of five years of use, or 20 million steps.

Constructed from marine grade stainless steel and recycled materials, the surface (which comes in a variety of choice colors) of each slab features the rubber from old tires, and the internal components are made from recycled aluminium. Whenever a slab is stepped on it emits a glow (which only uses 5% of the total energy produce – this not only informs the passerby of their contribution, but also reinforces a sustainable attitude and an increased awareness of the energy that is continually created and expended by each individual.


More information about this can be found here:
http://www.pavegensystems.com/about.php

"Thirukkural" about Vegetarianism

(Thiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu, South India)

When I was browsing some random stuff in the internet, I came across a "Thirukkural" (1330 rhyming couplets written in Tamil) which speaks about avoiding meat eating. When I searched more on it, I found that there is actually a complete chapter(Each chapter has 10 couplets) on this subject, [chapter 26, section 1], which I never knew before. Its really interesting to read them.

Here are those 10 poems and their English translations.

1. தன்னூன் பெருக்கற்குத் தான்பிறிது ஊனுண்பான்
எங்ஙனம் ஆளும் அருள்.

How can he be possessed of kindness, who to increase his own
flesh, eats the flesh of other creatures?.

2. பொருளாட்சி போற்றாதார்க்கு இல்லை அருளாட்சி
ஆங்கில்லை ஊன்தின் பவர்க்கு.

As those possess no property who do not take care of it,
so those possess no kindness who feed on flesh.

3. படைகொண்டார் நெஞ்சம்போல் நன்னூக்காது ஒன்றன்
உடல்சுவை உண்டார் மனம்.

Like the (murderous) mind of him who carries a weapon (in his hand),
the mind of him who feasts with pleasure on the body of another (creature),
has no regard for goodness.

4. அருளல்லது யாதெனின் கொல்லாமை கோறல்
பொருளல்லது அவ்வூன் தினல்.

If it be asked what is kindness and what its opposite,
the answer would be preservation and destruction of life;
and therefore it is not right to feed on the flesh
(obtained by taking away life).

5. உண்ணாமை உள்ளது உயிர்நிலை ஊனுண்ண
அண்ணாத்தல் செய்யாது அளறு.

Not to eat flesh contributes to the continuance of life;
therefore if a man eat flesh, hell will not open its mouth
(to let him escape out, after he has once fallen in).

6. தினற்பொருட்டால் கொல்லாது உலகெனின் யாரும்
விலைப்பொருட்டால் ஊன்றருவா ரில்.

If the world does not destroy life for the purpose of eating,
then no one would sell flesh for the sake of money.

7. உண்ணாமை வேண்டும் புலாஅல் பிறிதொன்றன்
புண்ணது உணர்வார்ப் பெறின்.

If men should come to know that flesh is nothing but the unclean
ulcer of a body, let them abstain from eating it.

8. செயிரின் தலைப்பிரிந்த காட்சியார் உண்ணார்
உயிரின் தலைப்பிரிந்த ஊன்.

The wise, who have freed themselves from mental delusion,
will not eat the flesh which has been severed from an animal.

9. அவிசொரிந் தாயிரம் வேட்டலின் ஒன்றன்
உயிர்செகுத் துண்ணாமை நன்று.

Not to kill and eat (the flesh of) an animal,
is better than the pouring forth of ghee etc., in a thousand sacrifices.

10. கொல்லான் புலாலை மறுத்தானைக் கைகூப்பி
எல்லா உயிருந் தொழும்.

All creatures will join their hands together,
and worship him who has never taken away life, nor eaten flesh.


"Thirukkural" translations are available in many languages like Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, Fijian, Finnish, French, German, Gujarathi, Hindi, Japanese, Kannada, Latin, Malay, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Polish, Rajasthani, Russian, Sanskrit, Saurashtra, Sinhala, Swedish, Telugu, Urdu.

A Fairy Tale-2

This incident happened few years ago. I was doing my masters' degree project in IGCAR, Kalpakkam. For my studies, I had to take some electron microscopy images. There were no SEMs available in IGCAR and I had to go to IIT-Chennai for that. My advisor asked me to look for a professor in IIT-Chennai who was in-charge of an SEM. He mentioned that the professor will help me out to obtain the images.

So, me and another student who was working in the same project went all the way to IIT-Chennai. We found the professor and he said that he was busy and there will be some assistants who can help us to get the images. He introduced us to the assistants and asked them to help us out and left.

We tried to explain our work to the assistants and mentioned them what we wanted. They told that its quite difficult for them since they were new and not having much expertise with the tool to look into the nanostructures we wanted. But, they told that they can give a try. We sat with them and even after a couple of hours scanning through the sample, we couldn't see anything.

We were about to give up. Suddenly, a person, may be in his late 50's came into the lab. The assistants knew him and he was a technical expert from the company that manufacture the SEM. He looked into what we were trying out and took control of the machine and within an hour, we had what we were looking for.

He mentioned that he didn't come to IIT-Chennai for any big purpose. Once the job was done, he just left. It was quite amazing and it looked as if he came there to help us out. Those images really helped to validate our studies.

Well... could be just a coincidence or...?

Letters...

Just in one week, I came across two different articles about writing letters. The current generation may not be even aware of what this is all about, but I am from a generation which saw the new technology taking over the old way. Now, our communications are all through internet and even E-mails are considered old-fashion (Don't u tweet?...Oh, Cmon...U r too old).

I still remember we had letter writing as a part of our exams and it normally carries the maximum score in the language second paper exam. Leave letters, job cover letters etc will be among the questions and we had to remember the format with which those letters should be written. Now, there is no such thing called "Format" even for official letters(E-mails). "Respected Sir/Madam" is no longer the starting line of a formal letter and if you still write this way, you are either in your 50+ years or you were out of this planet for a while.

I still have some of the letters and greeting cards from my family members and friends. When I take them out and read them, they surely give a great feeling which can't be explained by words. Such things will not happen with E-mails as they lose the personal touch. No questions about tweets and scraps as most of them don't mean anything even at the moment you read.

Greeting cards received during birthdays, anniversaries and festivals always gave an added pleasure and there were times when I spent few days thinking what I should write in a card. Now, we send E-cards (Most of us send the free cards) and I receive the same card from many people (Because, there are only few free cards and just one or two are appealing).

There are drawbacks with letters and in this fast moving world, it may not suit our needs. But, we still can sit back and write a letter or send a card to some friends or family members. It will surely give a great feeling for both the sender and the receiver. It will also help to gain more focus (Once we pen something, we can't get rid of it as we do with E-mails,tweets and scraps).

What are you waiting for?... Take a pen and write a letter to someone and see what happens.

Chinglish...

Chinese to English and English to Chinese translations can end up into weird meanings. Chinese language has many characters and each and every character has a meaning. There are more than 7000 characters and its quite a complex language.

Normally, Chinese people will have a name with 3 characters, one for the family name and the other two, the given name. But, when foreigners are given Chinese names, it is normally given based on sounds, choosing some characters that sound like your real name. For example, my name Sriram in Chinese is "Shi Li Nan". Each of them has a Chinese character and they have a meaning. Shi means History, Li means Sharp and Nan means South. Doesn't make any meaning right?

But, thanks to my Chinese teacher who translated my name, it atleast doesn't sound funny. Some funny ones are the famous Hollywood star Brad Pitt in Chinese is "Bù Lā Dé-Pí Tè". Julia Roberts becomes "Zhū Lì Yà - Luó Bó Cí", Tom Cruise "Tānɡ Mŭ-Kè Lŭ Sī". Sounds very funny huh?

It becomes even more funnier when people (who don't know any Chinese) get their name tattooed in Chinese and it ends up giving weird meanings. An NBA player Shawn Marion, wanted his nickname "The Matrix" tattooed in Chinese. The characters he got is a phonetic translation of the word "Matrix", but the characters giving a meaning "Demon Bird Moth Balls".



In another case, a UK teenager named Joanne Raine wanted to have her boyfriend's nickname "Roo" tattooed on her body and ended up getting something that actually meant "Supermarket".



There are many such funny stories. If you are interested in getting a Chinese character tattoo, better show it in paper to some people who know good Chinese and then get it done on your body. Because, once its done, its not so easy to get rid of it.

Just for Laughs...

Some pictures here are taken by me and I found some in the internet.

This picture was taken when I was on a trip to Hong Kong. As you can see, its a coffee shop.



A much closer view of the same neon-lit board.



Do you have a passport for your bike? If so, get it stamped here...Found it near the Love River, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Don't know what the Chinese characters mean.



Found this one near the Sun-Yat-Sen Memorial University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.



I found this in the internet. This seem to be the name of a restaurant. I think someone working with an online translator ended up getting this message "Translate Server Error" thought that its the translation for the Chinese characters.



Well, I took this from the internet. But, I found a similar one when I was in China. I stayed in a hotel where they had a sticker in the bathroom saying "CAREFULLY SLIP".



I am completely lost with this one.



No words to say...



and one more... Actually, before the Olympic Games, 2008 in China, the Chinese Authorities thought that English signboards are necessary to help foreigners visiting their country. They did everything in a short period of time and probably didn't get the right staff to handle it. Most things were direct translations from Chinese characters to English.



The last one... I found this picture posted by a friend in Facebook... Really hilarious!!!



Have fun!!!

Missing Links-2

Writing about paintings brought back memories of Narendran. When I was in grade 8th, he was my classmate. He hail from a middle-class family. Though he was a mediocre at studies, he was exceptional in drawing skills. He could draw a picture very close to its original. Moreover, he can also draw things with his own imagination. Whenever there is an inter-school drawing competition, he will be sent by the school and he will surely get a prize. There was only one person whom I knew from my school who could do better than him, his elder brother. Drawing was pretty much a hobby for me but it was his passion.

I should say that I was even a bit jealous that he could draw much better than me but it was really out of amazement than anything else. Since we both had similar interests, we eventually became close friends. We use to spend time together roaming around our school, buying eatables and discuss about drawings. We also found a place where we could buy all the necessary materials like canvas, oil paints, water colors, poster colors, brushes, pencils etc. Actually, he is the one who taught me some basic techniques to make a sketch look better. I can say that my interest towards drawing was at its peak during those 3 years.

Once there was an inter-school collage competition. Each team consist of two members and there were about 20 teams from different schools. We were given a common topic "Future India" and we were asked to make a collage within 2 hours. We won the first prize and the trophy is still sitting in my shelf. We also had chances to participate in many drawing events like the long banner with paintings insisting "World Peace" sent to the President of India.

10th grade board exams were there and we had to put all our focus into studies. Exams were over and summer vacations started. After the vacation, I came back to school to check for the board exam score. I searched for Narendran but couldn't see him there. I continued to study in the same school. I didn't see him after that.

He always mention that he wanted to go to Chennai to join the college of fine arts. Hope he achieved his goal. I also hope I will see him again one day.

Update (14th July 2016): Ha, after all these years (15 years after school), I could connect back with Narendran, thanks to the blog on "My memories from Suburban high school days" (http://ramvenkat-1983.blogspot.se/2016/07/my-memories-from-suburban-high-school.html). He is indeed an artist as I expected and wished and it was awesome to get back in touch with him through Facebook after many years. We will try to meet the next time I visit India.

Corrections: I have a poor memory, I thought he left Suburban after 10th, but indeed he was there until 12th grade and we never met after that. After talking to Naren, he refreshed me with the incidents and I am able to recall now. 

Pencil Sketch

My interest towards drawings started at a very early age. Our home being very far from the city and in a place where there were no other houses at that point of time (like 20 years ago), I pretty much grew up without any friends for quite a long time. This turned me towards activities like drawing, listening to music etc.

My mom used to have a lot of notebooks with embroidery designs. Those were on trace papers so as to help copying the design from paper to cloth. I use to keep a paper underneath and try to trace out all those designs. Later, I got some sketch books and tried drawing some stuff myself. During my teens, I was very much interested in drawing that I even thought that I can make a career in that. I tried some time with oil paints, water colors, poster paints etc.

When I was on a visit to an art museum, I met an artist named Rajagopal. I showed my drawings to him. He was quite impressed and he said that I possess the basic flow and if I undergo a proper training, I can become a good artist. But, that means a dedicated training for 3-4 years which will surely affect my regular education. I felt that it was not a wise option and decided to have it just as a hobby.

Some of my drawings were decorating our living room for a while. I also managed to get some prizes in competitions in my school. But, as I grew up, I couldn't spend much time for this hobby of mine. Nowadays, I really try it out very rarely and I find that I no longer have that patience to sit for many hours to finish a sketch.I also feel that I no longer have that fluency with my hands to create good sketches. But, I still have that basic interest in me to atleast appreciate a good sketch.

They slog and slave, yet get a pittance (From the Hindu Open Page 02/05/2010)

Article by Meera Ramesh

The housemaid brings comfort to four households and makes a qualitative difference to them. They are spick and span. They escape the drudgery of menial chores because of her.



We have a housemaid. She is less than 45 years of age. But she is already a grandmother. She would be barely reaching five feet at her highest and tipping the scale at maybe 50 kg. She lives in a single-room tenement on the fifth floor of one of the apartment complexes constructed by the previous governments with so much fanfare, but now sadly lacking in maintenance and is a source of worry for all the inhabitants as to when suddenly the whole structure might come down.Lifts are unheard of in tenements, so she has to climb up and down the five flights of stairs at least three or four times a day.

She was married once. But her husband turned out to be a great devotee of liquor shops, where he blew the family income. She left him. Her daughter and her granddaughter stay with her. Her son-in-law followed in his father-in-law's footsteps and turned out to be another ardent devotee of liquor.She rises at 4.30 in the morning so that she can supply milk sachets to about 30 households. This is an everyday chore whether it rains or shines or she feels sick. Excuses could mean her losing a client and income. She manages to earn about Rs 1,500 a month on this enterprise.

When she completes the delivery of milk, she will have some time to have her morning meal of rice soaked in water along with salt, chillies, onion and, maybe, coconut chutney. If she is lucky, she would have something a little more nutritious, depending on the generosity of the women in whose households she works.

She works in four households where she has to sweep and swab the floor, and wash dirty dishes and used clothes. In the mornings and quite often in the evenings too. It does not leave her with much time to eat in peace or rest. Or do any of her own chores. She manages to earn about Rs. 3,000 from these jobs as a maid. In the present day and age, a sum of Rs. 4,500 is not enough to make both ends meet. So irrespective of how tired she is, to supplement her income, she visits the wholesale market for flowers to supply households and make some extra cash.

She has no leave. No holidays. No medical benefits. No PF or gratuity. She ekes out a living as long as she has good health.But this woman brings comfort to four households and makes a qualitative difference to them. They are spick and span. They escape the drudgery of menial chores. They have time to do their own work. To be neat and tidy, and to enjoy themselves. All because of one overworked, underfed and underpaid woman!There are thousands and thousands of such persons bringing comfort and ease to millions of households.

In the evenings, I watch the IPL matches with my husband. It is a battle between the ball and the bat. The ball is a white, round leather object. And the bat is a piece of wood with a handle. The wielders of the bat and the ball are paid humungous amounts of money. For a pursuit, an exercise which in no way has any qualitative impact on the lives of me or the other millions of households. Apart from being a spectacle, it has no relevance to or impact on our day-to-day life.

My question is why a person like my maidservant, or an auto driver, a bus driver, conductor, and many others who bring comfort to us and make our lives so much easier get such meagre earnings. While a useless pursuit like throwing around a leather object or hitting the object with a wooden implement should be rewarded so exorbitantly. Mind you, if there is no IPL it would make no difference to our lives, But without the maid and the others I mentioned, life would be miserable.

Is this injustice god-made or man-made? If it is god-made, then god has a weird sense of justice. If man-made, then it is time something is done about it. Is it any wonder that radical philosophies have so many takers?

Missing Links...

When I finished my primary education, I had to move to a new school. The primary school I studied was very small with not more than 10 people in each class and the teacher giving individual attention to everyone. But, the new school I moved to had more than 40 people in each class. There were separate teachers for each and every subject. Everything was very new to me and it took me few days to get accustomed to the new environment.

The school was quite far away from my home that I had to take the public transportation everyday. It was really very irritating and the enormous crowd during the peak hours made me feel very uncomfortable. My previous school was very close to my home so that I can walk. The new environment, new faces, my shyness to mingle with people made me quite isolated. Everyday, I go to school and sit in a small stone in the corner of the playground and just be there till the bell rings. I will eat alone and go home as soon as the school is over. My dad bought a scooter after few months so that he can take me to school and back home after his work.

After some time, things got better and I started talking to some people in my class. That's when I got to know two guys named Amarnath and Ramasundaram. Both of them were like me, average in studies and hail from a similar family background. We started having lunch together and play together during lunch and breaks. Soon, we got to be quite close. Wrestling (WWF) was very famous that time. We guys were crazy collecting many stickers and post cards with those wrestling champions and spend a huge part of the pocket money for that. There was also a small canteen where they sell some flavored crushed ice and we use to buy some during snack breaks. Many teachers were very strict and we had good support from each other during tough times.

There may not be much interesting stuff to share with here but the thing is that we had to meet each other everyday and we just stayed close and shared all good and bad during the school time. Two years passed very fast. I was not so comfortable with the school and decided to switch to a new school. The other thing is that Amarnath's father who was a bank employee got a transfer to another city and he was also leaving. Ramasundaram was also thinking about moving to a new school. Even-though we had to separate, the circumstances made us feel good and we were looking for the change.

Final exams were over and we had the summer vacations. Amarnath gave me the address of his new place but the letters I sent him came back to me saying that the address is wrong. Eventhough, Ramasundaram was in the same city, we could not meet. After some time, I pretty much got accustomed again to the new school and had new friends and just think about my two good friends from time to time.

The never met Amarnath after that. But, Ramasundaram moved to a house not very far from mine after some 6 years. I met him once in the bus-stop and we had some chat. He even visited me and I visited him couple of times. But, I should say that we couldn't bring back the same intense relationship back. Probably, time changed our personality and way of thinking.

There were also few other people like Veena, Mubina, Balaji, Hema, Chand Mohammed, Marudhamuthu who had some impact in my life during those two years. I know nothing about all these people.

(G)Old(en) memories...Missing Links...

Vaisheshika Philosophy

Vaisheshika is among the six Astika School of Hindu philosophies (orthodox Vedic systems namely Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedhanta) of India. This system of thought is closely associated with the School of Logic or Nyaya. Vaisheshika adopts a form of atomism and contends that every object in the physical universe is reducible to a finite number of atoms. This school of thought was expounded by sage Kanada (or Kana-bhuk, literally meaning `atom-eater`).
From the 6th century B.C. Nyaya and Vaisheshika are considered sister philosophies. Both Nyaya and the Vaisheshika emphasise that a virtuous life guided by the principles of Dharma enables an individual to achieve a fulfilling life (Abhyudaya) which has the spirit of highest good or Liberation (Nishreyasa). The two systems of philosophy maintain a dualistic concept which encompasses God (Supreme Self) and Jiva (individual self). According to Kanada`s philosophy both the schools of thought that is Nyaya and the Vaisheshika were similar but in the later stages they differed from each other. Nyaya philosophy laid emphasis on all the four sources of knowledge but the Vaisheshika philosophy believed that only perception and inference are of prime importance.
Although not among original philosophies, later Vaisheshika atomism also differs from the atomic theory of modern science by claiming that the functioning of atoms was guided or directed by the will of the Supreme Being. This is thus a theistic form of atomism. Vaisheshika philosophers tried to develop a theory to explain the properties of materials as the interaction of different types of atoms that make up the material. The Vaisheshika system of Philosophy categorises all objects of valid knowledge or padartha into six.

According to the postulates of Vaisheshika Philosophy all things in the universe can be classified into padarthas or which may be termed as objects of experience. There are mainly six categories of the padarthas that exist in the universe. They are guna (quality), visesa (particularity), dravya (substance), karma (activity), samavaya (inherence) and samanya (generality). In the later stages the Vaisheshika philosophy added the category of non-existence or abhava within the realm of padartha. Among the six padarthas dravya, guna and karma are classified as arthas or the ones which have real objective existence. Wheras samanya, visesa and samavaya are known as products of intellectual harnessing and are therefore logical categories.

Dravya (substance):
Nine components form an integral part of the Darvya system. They are prithvi (earth), ap (water), tejas (fire), vayu (air), akasa (sky), kala (time), dik (space), atman (self) and manas (mind). The first five among the dravyas are known as bhutas because they can be perceived and felt with the external senses.

Guna (quality):
Seventeen gunas or qualities have been mentioned by the Vaisheshika Sutra and a group of seven more gunas were added by Prasastapada. Unlike dravya, a guna is not able to exist independently. The core seventeen gunas which existed according to the Vaisheshika Sutras were rasa (taste), parthaktva (inidividuality), vibhaga (disjunction), aparatva (posteriority), dvesa (aversion), rupa (colour), sparsa (touch), parimana (size), samyoga (conjunction), gandha (smell), prayatna (effort), iccha (desire), sukha (pleasure), paratva (priority), duhkha (pain), samkhya (number) and buddhi (knowledge).

Karma (activity):
The element Karma does not have a separate existence they are part of the darvyas or substances. But karma or action is ephemeral in nature unlike the gunas which are referred to as permanent characteristic of a substance. For instance dravyas like akasa (sky), kala (time), dik (space) and atman (self) lack the element of karma within them.

Samanya (generality):
According to the Vaisheshika School of Philosophy there exists plurality of substances and because there is plurality of substances it is obvious that there will be common features among various substances. When such a common property is found between many substances it is referred as samanya or generality.

Visesa (particularity):
The element of visesa is opposed to the element of samanya. It is with the help of visesa or particularity that one is able to distinguish things from one other. Rather it can be said that visesa refers to the particular features of a substance.

Samavya (inherence):
Samavya refers to the inseparable relation between substances. Kanada had said that samavaya is the relation between the cause and the effect. He had tried to say that within the cause is hidden the effect.

Prasastapada had defined the concept of Samavaya more intricately. He had said that the relationship that exists between substances cannot be separated according to Samavaya. He had elucidated his definition by saying that it is a relationship that exists between the container and the contained. It can thus be said that the relationship defined by Samavaya cannot be perceived but it is certainly inferable.

The Vaisheshika School of Philosophy states that even the smallest perceivable matter is composed of the finite structure atoms or paramanus. It emphasises on the fact that atoms are the indivisible and eternal reality of all substances. Moreover a unique feature of paramanus is that they can neither be created nor destroyed and each atom possesses an individuality or visesa.

Some of the ancient texts still exist with regard to the Vaisheshika School of Philosophy. The earliest of all is the Vaisheshika Sutra by Kanada or the Kanakbhasa. This Sutra of Kanada has been divided into ten parts. During the 4th century AD another important piece of text developed within the Vaisheshika literature. It was the "Padarthadharmasamgraha". Apart from these landmark texts there were some other important texts in the Vaisheshika literature which had developed in the consequent year.

Thus, it can be said that Vaisheshika School of Philosophy gives emphasis on the atomicity of elements. It also states that every particle has an individuality of its own.

For a simple understanding on various philosophies, take a look into http://indianphilosophy.50webs.com/index.htm

Happy Book Day!!!

April 23 - Today is World Book and Copyright Day organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and protection of intellectual property through copyright.
Every book is different and leaves an impression in your mind after reading. Books are very special and the impression they leave is stronger than watching a movie or a stage drama. In a movie, we see a third person’s (director) perception of a story. But, when we read a book, we have all the freedom to visualize the story and characters involved. The same book will leave different impression in different people (Well…so do movies or any other visual medium). In general, movies define boundaries for our imagination whereas books don’t.
This is very obvious when we watch a movie which is based on a story from a successful book. If we read the book first (Which normally happens) and watch the same story as a movie, we will feel that something is really missing there. Reading books before sleep also helps us to get peaceful sleep during the night (Especially, heavy subject books help very well in this). But, other visual media like the internet, TV etc disrupts good sleep. Books also are very good companions during travel.
If you are not a regular reader, try to make a habit to read atleast a couple of pages before sleep. If you are a parent, encourage your kids to read some books and get to know their views about the book. This will lead to a better interaction between you and the kids and will also help both to know more things.


Happy Reading…

Wish U A Happy Book Day!!!

Samaan Khareedo...Lottery Khelo!!! (Buy things...Play Lottery)

Sounds like a catchy advertisement huh?

Sales tax evasion is a major problem in many places and most of us never ask for a receipt for the things we buy,be it small or big. When it comes to big things, most people go for an agreement with the seller and get a reduction in price. When a purchase is not recorded, it doesnt come under account and thus is not taxable. So, the seller actually gives a small discount from the huge amount he saves. Every year, the government lose a lot of money in this way. Most of us do it even after knowing all these details.
Taiwan government is using a method to reduce tax evasion. This method is successful over a long period of time in this island.The title tell you what it is all about.The idea is that all the sellers should give the customers a "Receipt"(The size of the invoice, the details that should be mentioned are specified by the government). Well, but we normally never bother about the receipts. So, how can the government avoid tax evasion? Thats where lottery plays a role.
Each "Invoice" comes with an 8-digit number. This will be your lottery number. So, every time you get a receipt for a product you purchase, you automatically get a lottery. The draw is conducted every alternative month and the prices will be from 200 NT Dollars to 200000 NT Dollars (Approx US$8 to US$6500). If the last three numbers match the draw number, you get 200 NT Dollars and so on. If all the 8 numbers match you win the maximum amount. The advantage is that smaller amounts (Upto 1000 NT Dollars) can be used to buy things in convenient stores (Sure...you get a receipt for that also... Buy a lottery with a lottery...Nice huh).
Many people are not interested in these lotteries and its quite a tedious job to sit and check all the receipts you have over a period of two months. In that case, there is also a small box in front of all the stores (The boxes belong to some charity like World Vision) where people can drop the invoice.In this way, there is a chance to donate some money to such organizations (Provided the receipt you dropped wins some amount).

Note: This system may not be suitable for countries like India. Most of the retailers in Taiwan are chain stores like 7-11, Family mart etc. But, in a country like India, most stores are run by individuals and the net sales from a single store may not be very high. For expensive goods, people will still go for a discount from the seller than getting a lottery. A similar system was introduced in Argentina and was not a success.
But, the idea will surely create an awareness among people that every purchase should be billed and if such a system can bring that awareness, its already a success. Once we are adopted to a system,then we most likely will follow it and future generations will get used to it easily. After all, we cannot change things in a day.

A Fairy Tale...

When I was in senior high school, I was crazy collecting stamps and coins from different countries (I do collect coins and currencies now, but not very much into it as in the past)... Most collections are through exchanges with other friends who had similar interests... I used to go to some exhibitions and stalls where they display some rare coins, currencies and stamps and know more details.
This incident happened when I was probably in grade 8th or 9th.We use to finish our lunch very fast and spend rest of the time playing or going out of the school campus to buy some snack. It was summer time and my favorite Indian Gooseberries were sold around the school campus. In particular, an old lady will sell the berries with salt and chili powder sprinkled on it for 50 paise or one rupee in small paper cones (Mouthwatering!!!). We use to buy it from her and take it to the classroom and eat it during class time without the knowledge of the teacher.
One day, the lunch time was about to finish and I suddenly felt like buying a packet of gooseberries. I ran immediately outside to look for the old lady. There were few kids buying the stuff from her. When I gave her the money to get some berries, the bell rang. She gave me the berries and handed me the change. I didnt even look into how much she gave me back and ran back into the school. I went to the class and put the berries under the desk and looked into the coins she gave me. Thats when I noticed one of the coins she gave me was quite different. Since the class started, I couldnt put much attention on that. So, I slipped it into my purse in a separate pouch and listened to the teacher (Of course, I enjoyed the gooseberries in between).
I came back home and took out the coin from my purse. It was not any Indian coin for sure. It looked so different and I couldnt understand the things written on the coin. There was a picture of a person standing sideways on one side of the coin. On the other side, it was written "5" and some other things which I couldnt understand. Though I was little upset for getting some unknown coin from the old lady, I was quite happy to get some coin from some unknown place and was curious in knowing the details about it.
I tried to show it to some people whom I thought can give me some information about it. But, none of them could come with an answer. Some people told me that it could be a coin from Japan. Anyway, I kept the coin safe in my collection. Later, I collected many coins, but I always got it from people who were from those countries and so I also had the information about those coins. Among all the coins I had (Well, I still have all of them with me), that coin was special and its details unknown.
Many years passed. I finished my school, joined college and had no interest on those collections. They were sleeping safely on my wardrobe. I did my Masters' degree and by the end of the last semester, I was trying to apply for a PhD. I tried many countries and through many channels, but things were not working out.
I went to do my project in a research center. Thats when I came to know about a PhD program in Taiwan through my advisor. I also applied for it and got through the selection process.I was very happy and excited that my dream came true to go out of India to study. So, I made all the arrangements and with the help of many good people, I could do all the processing pretty much in a smooth manner.
The day came when I boarded the flight with all excitement. It was my first trip outside India and the excitement even suppressed the feeling of separation from the family. I reached Taiwan safely and was taken to the Institute. I forgot to change my money from USD to local currency (New Taiwan Dollars). Anyways, I managed to get some small money (300 NTD) from the administrative assistant of the institute as a loan with which I could manage a day or two.
With that money in hand and some small idea about where to get some food, I walked along the street near to my place. I went into a shop which looked like a small eatery and asked the person for some food (In English). But, the local people in Taiwan dont understand much English and speak only Chinese or Taiwanese. He replied me in Chinese and I couldnt understand anything. But, his actions said that the food was not ready yet. Also, the food didnt look Vegetarian and I didnt know how to ask.
Being tired from a long trip and confused with the language and the place, I walked slowly looking for some small shop. Then, I saw one which looked like a place selling some biscuits and drink. I went in and picked a packet of biscuits and a bottle of drink. There was an old lady (probably in her 70's)and I asked her the price for the stuff. She took a calculator and typed 30. I gave her a 100 NT Dollar bill I had and she gave me some change back. I looked into the coins she gave me back and counted it to see whether I had the right change. Thats when I noticed that one of the coins she gave me was something familiar. Yureka!!! I have the answer for a long time question. Yes, the coin I got from the old lady (who sold gooseberries to me) many years ago was a Five New Taiwan Dollar. There was no doubt about it and I realized it the moment I saw it.I cant explain the feeling I had at that moment. But, its really something amazing. It could be a mere co-incidence but still interesting. Right?
(Well, to still confirm, I took the coin out of the wardrobe when I went home after an year.And yes, its a 5 NTD)


Images showing the front and back side of a five New Taiwan Dollar

Well... Few questions linger in my mind regarding this...

1. A very old lady who may not have any idea about the existence of such a country got a coin from that place. How could that be?

2. There were many kids buying berries from her and the coin could have reached someone else's hands. It came to me, that too, when I was crazy collecting coins.Why?

3. I was trying out for a PhD in many countries. But, I got to get here. I just knew that there was a country named Taiwan but never had any idea that I will be in this country.

Well... There are many questions for which we can never get an answer...