This valentine's....to all those Crushes!

 "Jidhar Apna Crush Hai, .... Udhar Pehle Se Hi Rush Hai" 

Everyone has that one person that they will always have something between but will never do anything about it.

Another walk down the memory lane... Oh! looks like I have done quite a bit of that of late!... Never mind heres another one for the Crush's sake.... Its Valentine season anyway!

(This is dedicated to all the women of my generation)

Yes, Valentines day is around the corner, its the season of love and expression of love. Let me just see where my love story started... or is it stories? Makes me think of all those men that I (women of my generation) desired, ... who meant the world to me (women of my generation)... yes I am talking about my crush(es)!

My first was AB... you are right Mr. Amitabh bachchan, I just loved watching him on screen, in fact saw a lot of his movies as my dad was a fan of his. I hated every woman who romanced him (onscreen)... including Rekha... big time! Even now I can't seem to like her any whatsoever way!! I was in the first grade then, there was a big competition for me from a classmate, who also happened to stay in the neighborhood. She'd say that she would get married to AB... you are right in guessing that I just couldn't stand that woman.... girl...(little girl) actually...we were 6 years old! Rightly so I haven't kept in touch with her!

When I was about 8, saw Elvis Presley on Doordarshan... he was oh ..so cool, that explained how hundreds of women would faint just looking at him perform on stage. I dreamt of meeting him one day! That day never saw the light....

This was the story for many years; then came "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak", I guess we were in the 8th grade then. Aamir Khan was the 'Mass crush'... by now we girls had learn to handle competition and were okay to share our 'crush'. You see we had a common interest/ topic to talk about.We used to have his pictures (post cards) in our books... would have his posters in our rooms. 

Tom Cruise was the next guy we all fell for...his posters adorned the walls as well. Loved him in 'Cocktails' and every other movie, everytime he wore the aviators, the heart would skip a beat. (yes Aamir was there on the background, like comfort food!) 

Richard Gere would always appear to be that suave, dependable guy... oh we simply loved him. George Clooney made us fall in love with the salt and pepper! These guys portrayed the men who we'd eventually marry..... sad that they themselves couldn't remain married!

Just then Ricky Martin, came on the scene with 'Un Dos Tres' and we gave Aamir and Tom a break. Ricky was the guy each one of us wanted to dance with. We watched the Miss Universe contest (Sushmita Sen won the crown that year) but we all have Ricky's performance etched in our memories... can't recollect the contest though! We girls loved Shah Rukh Khan in Fauji... he'll always remain Abhi... to us. Wasim Akram bowled us over, some preferred Imran Khan though! Steve Waugh was the cricketer I simply loved, yes got to see him too but the sad part is while I was working at a hotel... so no autographs or photographs with him. He certainly is photographed in the memory!

Michael Bolton mesmerised us with his voice and So did Roberto Baggio with his skills on the field, Ayrton Senna was the God on the formula one circuit. Rahul Dravid -the Wall was / is still the best guy ...we look upto, infact every mother loves him. I just couldn't believe the world of what they spoke about Hensie Cronje.... But crush is a crush and it remains so! Spectacles would never look better on any other man than Daniel Vettori and no can can be as gentleman as Pete Sampras. We loved those men.....

Chhota mota crushes don't deserve a mention they lasted anywhere from a few minutes to probably a couple of months. 

Then came a man who made up for all those crushes.... and made me take the 'saath phere' with him.. Is he a crush?... ofcourse Not, He is the world to me!... my valentine for life!

Did I miss Akshay Kumar, the Khiladi guy and Bryan Adams remain my all time 'Crush' just like AB, Lots of them came and went by and I evolved with these three.

Apologies if I have missed out a few others.... you know its the thing of the heart so no logic is used... hope you understand!

Wishing all these men and everyone else a Very Happy Valentine's Day! 

PS

I'll keep with my promise of writing about Abhilash Tomy in my posts till he is back from his historic voyage.

(Abhilash Tomy is attempting to be the first Indian on a solo non stop unassisted circumnavigation of the globe)

This gentleman is the 'toast' of the season for sure for more than one reason. He celebrated his birthday this month and so did the Mhadei his boat turning 34 and 4 respectively. They have been celebrating the special moments together. Spending their time in the lap of the mighty oceans and sighting some spectacular views... dolphins in their element being just one of them!

To know more about Lt. Cdr Tomy and his boat the Mhadei, follow the link below.

Check: www.sagarparikrama2.blogspot.com

            www.Facebook.com/www.mhadei.co.in

Do women get things easier?... just by being who they are!

Why can’t we take a woman seriously?.... why does she need to prove herself often  and scream every now and then to be heard.

I am certainly not a feminist and neither am I taking about gender bias here… its just a matter of fact observation that I have made over the years and wish to put it on paper today (post on my blog!). A walk down the memory lane....

We are three siblings, I have a younger brother and a sister, while growing up dad always treated us sisters like princesses, never scolded us even if we made a mistake. But he was pretty strict with our brother. Dad was extremely protective about us… he still is. I remember when we were in Kochi, we used get a medical team visiting all homes to collect blood samples from the family members to test for malaria and filaria. They would generally come after 9 pm. We, the sisters were scared of the pain .... dad would hide us somewhere in the house and not allow the med guys to even know that there were more people in the house.  Mom wouldn't approve of it... but dad was always with us!. 

Today when I look back, being a mother now, wouldn't do that with my kids... again my kids are both boys, would it have been different if they were girls? I guess it wouldn't be. But I certainly can't be sure.

In school during the primary years, the girls were the more studious types, I am not talking about intelligence here...Girls were more into giving time to their studies, paying attention in the class and participating in the Co curricular activities (they liked to be in the good books of their teachers) whereas boys were more into the playground, spending more of their time and energies there whenever they could manage a little beak. They would even have a match or two of football after school. Academically the girls might have done better but boys scored on the all round development.

During the secondary and high school days, things start to change, boys too get serious in the class room activities, I speak in a general term here, I mean the majority of them, some are serious right from the kindergarten! The results and ranking in the class start having more boys on the list. During the junior college years I guess the seriousness or maturity, (is about the same in both the genders), The results are also similar (if they matter!). At this stage the priority starts to change in both the genders. Boys might head for the technical streams like engineering, medicine etc whereas more girls would choose the humanities and similar as their field for higher education. Any professional college you visit, there will be more boys than the girls in every batch. In India, this is also a kind of 'the face' of the society where women don't get the opportunities to go for higher studies, reasons can be socio-economic or any other from the array of issues. Many drop out of undergrad programmes, as they choose to get married or are asked to settle down at the right time(!?).. This is more prevalent in the rural areas and smaller towns. Metropolitan cities more or less are out of this stereotype.

During my college days, the ratio of girls to boys in my class was 1:5 as it was a professional course and not many girls were there taking it up. The boys always felt that it was easier for the girls, what I feel today, looking back is, it wasn't easier at all, the girls had to face a lot of opposition and challenges to be where they were and doing what they were.... the time was different then. Hotel Management was meant to be a course for the cooks .... chefs weren't celebrities then. What people didn't know is that there were 10 subjects in the first year, 14 in the second year and 10 again in the third year, that the students had to learn. The subjects were chosen from the faculty of Science, Commerce and Humanities and Management. Scoring wasn't like making an omelette! It was tough... I graduated from the institute that was considered to be the numero uno in the country.  

During campus interviews would often hear the boys saying, "Oh you'll get through, just by being a girl, there are so few of you getting through won't be difficult at all, you just need to smile." Didn't like that at all, we girls were among the toppers in the batch, worked equally hard, slogged during our internship... this was the least that we expected to hear. No one made things easier for us at any stage but everyone felt it was easier for us, as we were girls....

During the initial years of her career  a woman has to work on the double to enjoy her 'space' of being a career woman and putting in best efforts... not denying the fact that the men do that too. 

Then comes the domesticity, you could be a career woman so what? that's your choice. Home and family is also yours. I am not complaining here, again something that I often hear from girl friends and women colleagues. For a woman its, being good, both at home and at the work place. The balance has to be perfect otherwise there are accusations from both the sides. Sometimes that can lead to a lot of stress... again she needs to manage that. Does she get anything easier... just by being a woman?

The other day I was talking to a friend about the women's world cup cricket thats being held in India this year. There was hardly anything in the media, there weren't many spectators on the stands either... pat came the reply from him, "Oh has to do with their uniform". I was aghast! Do they need to wear something else to pull crowds? Can't people come to watch a good game of cricket, does it make a difference that the players are women. C'mon!!.......Can we say that the cheerleaders get the crowds for the IPL matches!! Definitely Not....

Even for events like the prestigious Wimbledon, the women tennis players had to fight to get equal prize money. I guess they get the same amount since 2007. Now some argue that men should be paid more as they stay on the court longer and play more sets.

Men and women are physically different in terms of strength and so are they when it comes to endurance. That shouldn't be the comparison ever, other things being equal.

Theres a saying, 'Don't judge my path if you haven't walked my journey!' It applies to an individual and is not specific to a particular gender.It is certainly not fair to say that women get things easier..... but its for the individuals to decide.

PS

I'll keep with my promise of writing about Abhilash Tomy in my posts till he is back from his historic voyage.

(Abhilash Tomy is attempting to be the first Indian on a solo non stop unassisted circumnavigation of the globe)

I have been following his voyage and getting to know a more 'mature' him, 'an officer and a gentleman' through his updates on his page and reading his blog posts. Today he celebrates his birthday. He has the vast Atlantic and his favourite boat the Mhadei for company that is taking him closer to the Cape of Good Hope, thats the next major point on his voyage. 

Wishing the skipper a very happy birthday!

To know more about Lt. Cdr Tomy and his boat the Mhadei, follow the link below.

Check: www.sagarparikrama2.blogspot.com

            www.Facebook.com/www.mhadei.co.in

Kumbh Mela - Religion, Spirituality, Tourism and Revenue!

Kumh Mela  (adventures-india.com)

The other day I was talking to a group of youngsters (college students), the conversation turned to the Kumbh Mela, in due course. I asked them about the mass human gathering  that brings people together from all religions, caste and creed. It is important not only from the spiritual or religious point of view but also in terms of tourism and revenue that it brings to the home state. The reason for me asking the question was the second one of course! I had been following a parlicular TV channel that shows a 30 minutes programme on the Maha Kumbh at Allahabad this year. I watched a couple of episodes and it got me interested and curious to know more about it that I don't miss to catch the early morning segment. I am amazed at the lives and lifestyles of the sadhus particularly the Naga Sadhus. With this in the background I posed the question to the youngsters. I was surprised to know that not many knew what I was talking about. Yes of course they knew the Kumbh Mela as portrayed in the Hindi movies, it was a massive gathering of people where a family member would get lost in the crowd. The youngsters didn't really know anything much beyond. I am sure they learnt in their schools but somehow it isn't retained, the newspapers have write ups almost everyday and theres so much  information about the festival on the internet,  particularly the photographs, almost all top photo journalists from across the globe are there to cover the event. The pictures are a treasure in itself. The youngsters inspire me to write this post. This year the Maha Kumbh at Prayag, Allahabad is from 14th January to 10th March 2013 (Makar Sankranti to Shiv Ratri). The lives of the sadhus fascinate me and arouse curiosity to take a peek. Finally the post comes out of the draft stage where it remained for almost a fortnight.

Kumbh means pitcher or pot. Mela in hindi is festival or fair. So, the Kumbh Mela is the festival of the pot. It specifically relates to the pot of nectar in Hindu mythology.Legend has it that the gods once lost their strength. In order to regain it, they agreed with the demons to churn the primordial ocean of milk for 'Amrit' (the nectar of immortality). This was to be shared equally between them. However, a fight broke out, which went on for 12 human years. During the battle, the celestial bird, Garuda, flew away with the Kumbh that held the nectar. Drops of nectar are believed to have fallen in the places that the Kumbh Mela is now held Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain. Theres Maha Kumbh once in 12 years and the Ardh Kumb is held once in 6 years.

The various saint groups that visit the Kumbh are:
The Naga Sadhus, are identified by their ash smeared naked bodies and hair in deadlocks.
Urdhwavahurs, believe in putting the body through severe austerities.
Parivajakas, have taken a vow of silence and go about tinkling little bells to get people out of their way.
Shirshasins stand all 24 hours and meditate for hours standing on their heads.

Kalpvasis are people who spend the entire month of Kumbh on the banks of Ganges, meditating and  performing other religious rituals. They are supposed to have only one meal during the day. Even families perform this.

To know more about the mela you can follow the link. This is the official website of the Allahabad Kumbh Mela: http://kumbhmelaallahabad.gov.in/english/index.html

Some facts that I heard about the lives of the Naga Sadhus, 

• They were created as the Hindu army by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century BC.
• They are the devotees of Lord Shiva (Shree Digambars and Digambars)
• Most of them live in the caves in the Himalayas or the Akharas across different parts of the country.
• Most of the Akharas are owned by the Digambars but there are also Akharas of the Sikhs, Budhist monks and Sufi saints.
• The Sadhus generally live in the Akharas and come to civilization only for the Kumbh melas that are held alternatively at Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain
• People who renounce the world and join the Akhara get their degree or certificate of being a Naga Sadhu after a rigorous penance of at least 8- 10 years. Religious duties as well as yoga and martial arts, weapons are a part of the training.
• Among the sadhus are people who were once in the civil services, defence, artists, educationists, people who worked in the government or the private sector.
• To be inducted into the Akhara, the individual needs to give up all worldly pleasures, relations, kinship etc.
• They adorn ash all over bodies, the ash from the holy fire that they light They don't shave and wear their hear in deadlocks.
• In the Hindu culture a married woman does 'solah sringar' ( 16 adornments) but a Naga Sadhu does 'Satrah Sringar' (17 adornments) during the Kumbh Mela festivities.
• The Sadhus get to do the Shahi snaan (The Royal dip), the first bath of the day, it may begin as early as 3 am.
• They carry out impressive processions during the Kumbh  Mela, showcasing their weapons as well.

This once is 12 years event is certainly an event to behold not only from the religious or spiritual point of view but also from the revenue that it is likely to generate.
According to the Business Standard, the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Allahabad is projected to generate about Rs 12,000 crore of revenues and create over 6 lakh job opportunities. Airlines, hotels and tour operators are likely to witness a boom period in their economic activities due to the mela and contribute Rs 12,000 crore revenues to the state coffers in Uttar Pradesh. The report has projected that new employment opportunities would be created in airlines, airports, hotels, tour operators,infrasturctual development, medical and  Eco-tourism. The unorganised sectors would also gain.

Tourist arrival to the extent of 250 million, compared to 30 million in 2001, is expected to congregate for the holy dip. Besides, about a million foreign tourists are expected to visit India for site seeing, religious and Eco-tourism.

Kumbh Mela is one of the largest human congregations on earth, and a visit to the Kumbh is in the bucket list for sure! 

PS

I'll keep with my promise of writing about Abhilash Tomy in my posts till he is back from his historic voyage.

(Abhilash Tomy is attempting to be the first Indian on a solo non stop unassisted circumnavigation of the globe)

Kumbh Mela is a festival of the pitcher where the devotees take a dip in the Holy waters of the river Ganges and the Maha Kumb is considered to be very auspicious, here's an Aquarian  who is set out to be the first Indian to circumnavigate the world... crossing all its Oceans. 

He has his birthday this month (February), in fact in the coming week, this is what the astrologists say about the Zodiac sign, Aquarius is symbolized by the Water Bearer. In much the same way that the Water Bearer brings that precious liquid as a gift, Aquarians shower the world with their thoughts and new ideas. Luckily for Aquarians (and the rest of us), they are at a near-genius level, so their minds churn out some amazing things. Their thought process is also inventive and original. While Aquarians are happy to bestow these ideas as a gift with no strings attached, they are much happier when the rest of the world agrees with them. 

Here too, are a lot of people in 'agreement' can see that from his fan following.

 To know more about Lt. Cdr Tomy and his boat the Mhadei, follow the link below.

Check: www.sagarparikrama2.blogspot.com

            www.Facebook.com/www.mhadei.co.in

Pictures have been taken from google, if anyone has a problem with their use, they'd be promptly removed.

Republic Day with the Vrooooooooom gang!

Republic day - is the day on which the foundation of a republic is commemorated, Republic day of India marks two significant moments  in the history of our country,

• India became a republic on 26th January 1950.
• Constitution of India was officially brought into enforcement.

My son came back from school the other day and was trying to educate me on the significance of the Republic day and how it was one of our National festivals. Basically telling me all that his teacher shared with the class that day. He added that the main parade was held at the Rajpath in New Delhi, where the president took the salute from the different marching contingents. The defence forces, military and para military forces were represented and all of them showcased the 'new' that was brought in. There were also tableaus from the different states showcasing their historic, cultural or modern might. The school children also put up cultural programmes for the gathering. Important honours such as the Param vir Chakra, Vir Chakra etc are awarded to the winners and so are the brave children honoured during the parade. Celebrations are also held at the state level, in the state capital as well as across different educational and government set ups. Its a day of grandeur and celebration across the country. 

Of course I thanked my little boy for all the gyan he gave me and made me think about our republic and feel the pride of being an Indian living in todays times.

My brother in law, who is a biking enthusiast had been posting about the ride they were all going for on the 26th this year in Mumbai. The ride was to start at Bandra and they were to go all the way to Nariman Point. They were expecting 1000 bikers, the Royal Enfield guys!... but to their surprise more than 1600 bikers turned up on their Enfield Bullets. The Message that they wanted to convey on the Republic Day was 'Unite to end violence against women'. Sahil, my bro in law; knows how much I love this bike and wanted me to be a part of the group. Somehow I couldn't make it, motherly duties took over the adventurous girl in me... never mind would love to do it in future... theres always a second, third or a fourth time! isn't it? But I asked him to keep me posted on the happenings and get as many pics as possible which both my sister and he obliged happily. I was amazed at the pictures that I saw... Wow!... was the only thing that came to my mind.

Splendid indeed. There were Royal Enfields in their true element and so were the modified versions. There was an array of colours and stylish bikes. Riders were both men and women. Most of them had pillion riders. The pillion seats were occupied by the spouse, children, friends, relatives, young and old... sorry to use the word 'Old'. I correct that as 'young at heart', age is just a number... sometimes the number is quite Big! Some couples had their children as young as one year olds, kind of loved their spirits! A lady biker caught my attention, just loved her attitude not to forget the helmet that had a Mohawk on it, she looked a picture to behold in her aviators... I certainly will meet this biker over a cup of coffee for sure and also on the wish list is our Navi Mumbai biker Nigel who was the man behind this idea and.....what an idea Sirji! 

The fleet of riders was impressive, they were from all over Mumbai a good 1600 + gathered at Bandra to kick off the ride. The bikers couldn't locate even their own friends in the massive sea. Anyway everyone was a friend and everyone was united for the cause. The gang got enough eye balls all through the ride, the tricolour flying in the air. They had the support from Mumbai police, there were a couple of police bikes as well as police jeeps with them. They were given a bypass at ever traffic signal. A feat rarely given to anyone else apart from our VVIPs. The Bullets reached Nariman Point in true grandeur and conveyed their message loud and clear.

Bikers like up

The girl with the mohawk!

Riders at Haji Ali

Wow... thats the spirit!

PS

I'll keep with my promise of writing about Abhilash Tomy in my posts till he is back from his historic voyage.

(Abhilash Tomy is attempting to be the first Indian on a solo non stop unassisted circumnavigation of the globe)

There was one more place that had the tricolur unfurl.. This is what Tomy had to say about hoisting the flag,   "What is so special about this tricolor? It was the farthest flag to be unfurled this Republic Day...10,000 miles away on the other side of the globe, one mile south of Cape Horn, exactly at the confluence of the Atlantic and the Pacific, with albatross, cormorants and dolphins as witness".

 To know more about Lt. Cdr Tomy and his boat the Mhadei, follow the link below.

Check: www.sagarparikrama2.blogspot.com

            www.Facebook.com/www.mhadei.co.in