I’ve Got the Power says Nature

The evolution of Human Beings from Stone Age to the 21^st Century is nothing short of Phenomenal and Amazing.  We adapted ourselves to the dynamic and ever changing nature of our environment; we stood the test of time and have thrived on Mother Earth. And maybe because mankind was able to do so much and prospered through millenniums, I feel we have become complacent and the feeling of being invincible has begun to sink in. Might be true that we are living longer, making huge strides in the area of medicine, we are shooting for the stars and landing on mars, yet, somewhere in the midst of all this hoopla we tend to forget that we are a part of Nature, a very small part of Mother earth, and very tiny minuscule part of our Galaxy and in comparison with the universe… Let’s not get there.

Yes, we are the most intelligent living beings walking on the face of the earth. Yes, we know where we come from or to an extent how we landed here… But, that doesn’t in the slightest bit mean; we know everything about the Universe. The Universe is so so large that what we know constitutes just a microscopic fraction of things. Even so we behave to be the creator and the protector while we are exploiting all the resources like we own them and have a right to squander it all.

A few weeks ago there was what we call a moderately heavy rainfall which went on for hours. As a result, the “High Street” in front of my office was flooded and transformed into a two foot deep pool, added to which there was a choc-o-block traffic moving at sloth’s pace. People waded through water, rolled up their pants took off their shoes, jumped across puddles, and most of them were waiting for water to subside which took about a couple of hours. Two wheeler riders were praying that their engines don’t splutter and die. For cars to move from the corner of my left eye to the corner of my right, it was about 45 minutes. We “the powerful people”, “the assumptive rightful owners of Mother Earth” were at mercy of Mother Nature. And let me remind you, the rainfall was not very heavy and it was “just” a pre monsoon visit. I was standing on a high ground and when I panned my head across the street, one word described it all “Helplessness”.  When nature decides to show its power, we become mute spectators. Receiving whatever it has to give, helplessly.

Let us not behave like we own the planet. We are a part of this planet and an integral one too. We must act intelligent, just like we are born. Earth gives us everything we could ask for, but let us learn to use it judiciously. Never can anything be as powerful as Nature, and we have seen many instances where Nature has shown what it can do.

Respect Nature. Become one with Nature.

STREET CRICKET; AN ERA GONE BY

Out…Out…Out…Shouted the group, the ball hit the leg stump and the bails were dislodged, the young batsmen was however not in a mood to accede, he stood his ground claiming the ball was bowled too fast and that was unacceptable, an argument ensued, and the game stopped. It took a good 15 minutes for the group to come to a conclusion that one of the players in the other team gets an extra life. The game progressed.

Does this ring a bell? Bring back good old memories of having played on the street? With complicated rules like; “pitch catch out”, “Tree catch is out”, “If you hit it over to a house on either side you are out”.

What lovely days those were when we as children used to play every evening on the street, bringing life to an otherwise quiet neighborhood.

Growing up meant more noise, more rules and frequent visit to houses where we hit the ball. And every street we played on had a house where if the ball was hit, the owners would come out & shout at us, lecture about how playing is not good and how it disturbs the whole locality blah… blah… and finally would never return the ball back. Wonder what they did with all those they collected over the years. In such a situation, the game would stop abruptly and everybody went back.

We would play and play… if the ball went into a trench or a ditch... to retrieve it would in itself become a game, throw stones from the one end so that the ball would move a little forward and the guy at the other end could reach out with the bat and pull it toward him.

There were days when it used to get very crowded it got difficult to manage and play. There were days when we would have odd no. of people, during such instances one of them would be made a ‘Joker’, meaning he could bat and field for both the sides but was not allowed to bowl.

Now, I rarely see a bunch of kids playing on the street. With the advent of sophisticated gaming consoles and tablets, children are hooked to them and prefer playing on it than play outside. The parents also are OK with the idea because of the increased vehicular moment and various anti-social issues they hear and read about. But, this has also brought in a lot of complications in a child’s life. Be it with regard to health or otherwise.

For us, playing was not only to have fun. We learnt a lot more. It taught us to socialize, to talk to people, and make new friends. It taught us to negotiate and come to an understanding, a conclusion. It taught us Team building skills and how ones contribution could affect the team’s performance and most of all it built Character, and added to it kept us physically fit.

This is my two pence… Let the children go out and play whenever there is a chance, let them indulge, let them learn. Because childhood is one of the best years of life, better make it count.We played a lot… Lost many cricket balls… Had a lot of fights... But, grew up with tons of wonderful memories… GET OUT and PLAY.

THE DESI(ED) METROPOLITAN

I have been on a pretty long hiatus now.  I fell in Love with poetry and ditched the Prose. However, I have re-discovered my Love for prose and henceforth shall balance the scale for both.

On my way back home from my bread earning center (work), stuck in chock-a-block traffic, listening to the melodious honking of vehicles big and small, moving forward inch by inch, a thought struck my tiny little grey matter and the fodder was so much for my thinking organ, it was on an overdrive until I reached home and then I tried to banish the thought but in vain.

Now here I am, punching the keys, and trying to move the thought from “being opaque” to “becoming Translucent”, the thought in question “Is it possible to channel the uninhibited and unwieldy nature of an Indian city’s growth in a more structured way? Let me rephrase, Can we be more proactive in planning a city rather than being reactive? Can we prevent the ill effects of rapid development as against attempting to cure it after the development takes place? Let’s take an example; over the years the road infrastructure in Bengaluru (Bangalore) has vastly improved. Long timers have witnessed scores of flyovers, underpasses built to tame the ever increasing vehicular traffic but has met with limited success. For Bengaluru, a city Loved for its Weather, Restaurants, Watering Holes, Food and the list can go on and on… The rate of vehicles added to the road each year is way past the total kilometers of road added each year. Areas which were considered Outskirts a few years ago are now, very well under the preview of the City’s development body. Satellite towns are mushrooming around Bengaluru, and all this puts immense pressure on the current road infrastructure.  It is a common sight during rush hours to see long lines of Vehicles at the CBD and arterial roads. Commuters inevitably get stuck in these bottle necks and have to live with the fact. But, in some well-planned areas like Jayanagar or Sadashivnagar, the traffic woes are much less as opposed to other areas that were allowed to mushroom and grow without any checks. It only reinforces the fact that planning will go a long way in lessening the burden of traffic. But, the plan has to take into account a lot of factors like, the percentage increase in population, increase in vehicular traffic etc.

And… That’s about that. What do you think may be a better way to solve ‘the’ Traffic menace, please leave in your ideas, comments and opinions.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO POTHOLES

Every commuter in Bangalore has his fair share of experiences with potholes. Seeing no respite in sight from these road eating parasites, this is an attempt to look at the lighter side of travelling on a pothole ridden city.

Roads fulfill the basic purpose i.e.  people to commute and goods to move from one place to the other. Roads maybe ‘Kuccha’ or un-tarred which is gradually becoming a thing of the past. Well apparently on paper it is. Then there are the Pucca roads, which is what most of us commute on. Pucca is synonymous with good quality, but on second thoughts is it really so? A Bangalorean who commutes regularly using either his/her own vehicle or using public transport would have experienced at least one of the following;

i)                   Lifted off from the seat of one's two wheeler, while still holding the handle and no it’s not a stunt.

ii)                Shaken violently in all directions as if you are attached to an ‘out of control’ giant vibrating device, car owners experience this often irrespective of the car they drive.

iii)           The motorist or car in front of you suddenly severs to the right or left and, the next moment you have a ‘bone crushing’ experience.

iv)               You notice a small branch of a tree or a stick tied with a ragged red cloth sticking out of the road, to warn motorists of the impending danger.

v)          A huge stone is placed on the road, apparently to warn commuters of the pothole. (Whoever thought that the large rock is a harmless warning sign)

vi)            You drive down a road almost till the end, and notice that the road is completely dug up, with a sign, “Men at work please take diversion”. (and the only way is to go back)

These are just a few things that commuters often see and experience but, one may be exposed to various other experiences, some funny, others irritating and the rest completely insane. Let me introduce you to the very cause commuters learn a variety of skills which probably a stuntman executes in a circus, which is packed with audience cheering the stuntman. But in case of the commuter, he performs to save himself from a mishap, and the reason - Mr. Pothole. Mr. Pothole is a depression on a road surface formed by wear. With the number of vehicles plying on roads increasing meteorically over the years, one is not surprised to see a pothole on a road that was laid not very long ago. Potholes come in various sizes and each has a unique effect, The Thud Maker (makes a ‘thud’ sound when you go on it), The Chatter (makes your vehicle vibrate, especially the loose parts), the pace - breaker (you have no choice but to break and go slow over it), The jaw crusher (Looks harmless, but packs a punch), The Bone shatter (Don’t mess with it, it can break your bones.) The Razor (a large pot hole with undulations and stones pointing at odd angles.) As I mentioned earlier, each pothole has a unique way of troubling you and capable of causing damage at different magnitudes. And commuters are at war with these potholes on an everyday basis, many win and other fall victims to these potholes which are present all over, every Main Road, street, lane. They are even present on speed breakers, as if the unscientifically designed Speed breaker was not enough to cause bodily and vehicular damage.

Potholes are the result of many vehicles plying, coupled with rain and also not maintaining roads on a regular basis. This has given way to problems both for us and our beloved vehicles. Even when a pothole is repaired and patched, the patch is sort of a concave surface, and does not gel with rest of the road it again creates a very uneven surface to drive on. We as commuters are at the mercy of the roads, the pothole being the hunter and we its prey.

We can only hope that the Civic agency understands the seriousness of the situation and does something soon. Until then “Dream on and Swalpa adjust maadi”.

THE OMNIPRESENT MOBILE PHONE

In the period between the late 80’s and the early 90’s, if you had to make a certain long distance phone call, you’d probably have to go to a public calling office (popularly called PCO) and made a call. This would have not only included the calling charges but also the travelling time and the time spent waiting at the calling booth. This situation however does not apply to today’s context. Presently if you wish to make a call it is as simple as dialing the number on your ‘mobile phone’ and tapping the call button.

Mobile phones have become an integral part of our daily lives or rather an extension of us. Mobile telephony in today’s language is much more than making a phone call wirelessly. With the advent of a new niche of mobile phones i.e. “smart phones” people have access to much more than just sending an SMS or making a phone call. A mobile phone today is not plain vanilla; it becomes what it ought to be when you add to it, a black forest cake, Choco syrup and some nuts. This would imply clicking pictures through your mobile phone camera, listening to favorite songs, reading what’s happening around the world, updating your status, poking someone, Skyping with friends or book tickets in a multiplex to watch the latest movie. Looking back, a person living in the early 80’s couldn't have even dreamed of such conveniences.

Naturally, everyone who owns a Mobile phone carries it with him or her wherever they go. Our cellphones are quite adept at multitasking. We have become very dependent on them and keep it with us all through the day, well, almost. This has brought to light a new kind of development, ‘Invasion into personal space’. Our mobiles have become our new best friend, our companion, our partner. If you happen to observe, people keep using their phones irrespective of where they are and whom they are with. It might be a family outing or hanging out with friends, I often notice people look like they are more interested in what’s happening in their cellphones then what people around them are saying.

Agreed Mobile phones make our life a whole lot easier, but does a 6 inch piece of technology deserve so much attention and Importance over human relations? Have we taken relationships for granted? We don’t have time to talk to our own families, but we certainly do have time to look at our Facebook wall, or chat. Is this what mobile phones have made us? Mobile phones have surely climbed up the ladder in our list of priorities. But, let’s not be oblivious to the relationships we share with people. The very same people who have played an influential role, and made us what we are today. We ought to remember that “Technology can never replace Relationships”.

PET DOGS! GONE TO DOGS!!

Dogs they say are a Man’s best friend. You may have heard this phrase numerous times and I find no reason to deny it. But let’s just give this some thought. Can Man be a Dogs Best friend? From what I have noticed, the treatment that pet dogs these days receive from their masters questions the very morality and values of “MAN”.

Every day I see many pets, almost all of them dogs, taking a morning walk or an evening stroll with their masters, and trying to relieve themselves every time they pass by a tree, a pole or a Car and sometimes in the absence of all these, a bush. Most of them are chained and others are let go on their own with their masters walking beside them. They (Dogs) seem so contented and happy and stride along with all loyalty towards their owners. The owners too show the same kind of affection when they get the pup home and look after it as it grows. All is fine and well, until the dog ages, contracts some kind of disease. Finally the owners, who initially bring their pets’ home with overwhelming excitement and affection, suddenly begin to lose interest in them.

There are a number of household’s who have pets and have them chained to the gate, and keep them that way for almost the whole day. Was the Dog brought home to enhance the House’s aesthetic appeal? Or was it brought to scare away visitors? What was the point really? Added to this insensitivity, the length of the chain is hardly a meter. The dogs are not tended to; they are not even ensured basic care, let alone bathing and grooming them. Even then, the dog excitedly wags its tail and tries to run over to its master or owner when it sees them. That’s what I call unconditional Love.

Another inhuman thing that happens is, if the families find the dog aging and not being as active as it used to be or if the dog, for some unfortunate reason contracts a disease and has to be taken care of, the owners conveniently disown the pet. They drive away the dog from its only home and make alternate plans of buying a new pup. The poor dog the tries its best to look for food which it has never done before, if it’s lucky it survives, else, Heaven save the Dog.

It’s high time we realize Dogs are not just another object that enhances the looks or Image or status of a house. Dogs are one other beautiful creation of God and are adorable beings. They cannot under any circumstance be treated as things without feelings, pain or emotion. I’d like to remind everyone that we, human beings began to domesticate them centuries ago, because they helped us in finding food. And now, we use them to fulfill our desires of owning a Pet and when we have had enough, we ignore them or shoo them away. Is this the way we ought to treat another Living being that is so intelligent, beautiful and amazing?

It’s my sincere appeal to all, please do not buy a Pet if you cannot give the required time, resources and most important of all, affection. After you bring the pup home, treat it as a part of your family; fend to it as your own kid. Bring him as he’s one of yours. But, never ever ignore or disown you pet. We are Humans, let us exhibit traits that are worthy of us.

THE DEVIL MAY CARE TO GO GREEN

Save the environment, conserve electricity, fuel, save trees are some of the most commonly used words in the context of protecting the environment.

Right from schools to the corporate circles we hear these words almost everywhere, in books, lecture halls, seminars, newspapers and even in places where the situation is so contradicting to the words “GO GREEN”.  

When you halt at a traffic light, you see innumerable vehicles keeping their engines running, until the signal turns green i.e. at least for 60 sec during normal hours and 140 seconds during peak hours with the headlamps on, as if, they would experience an acute pain in their fingers and wrists to hold the key and turn it off and on back again when it’s time.

You might have even seen people throwing away plastic bags, packets and other stuff usually when people are travelling and throw stuff like these right out the window without any regard for the vehicle travelling behind them and then, roll up their windows and sit in a very contented fashion as if that was the best way to dispose it off.

It’s been almost a year since the use of plastic carry bags below 40 microns has been banned in Bangalore.  There’s been extensive promotion and enough advertisements on the same issue asking people to carry their own bags for doing their grocery or vegetable shopping and yet, people walk in to the store or supermarket buy everything they want and also pay extra for the plastic carry bag and bring 3-4 bags home which they then throw into the bin, which the maid servant throws into a larger bin on the road, which apparently is already overflowing with garbage and there’s garbage all over the place and finally You see a Cow coming to the bin(God knows why it’s so fascinated to see garbage) and ends up eating the carry bag and then it becomes history.

You also must have come across supermarkets and shopping malls brightly lit with innumerable lights in all directions wasting so much electricity, just to grab attention and persuade you to shop with them. Another intelligent way to waste electricity is to keep the street lights on even during the day. Many street lights are kept on through the day and nobody even cares to switch them off, and the funny part is, some areas don’t have street lights during the night.  The roads are so dark, the only source of light is from the vehicles passing by and if you are unlucky, you have to grope your way through.

We may talk and give great lectures and speeches on “going GREEN” but before we do that, let’s practice what we preach and do our bit to save the environment. Begin by switching off you engines at traffic lights, switch off all appliances before you leave your house, take your own bags for everyday shopping and avoid asking for bags at stores, don’t litter and treat the whole world as a giant garbage can, segregate waste and use proper methods of disposal. Of course we pride ourselves of being the most intelligent beings on the face of the earth, looking at the way things are, a fundamental question arises, Are we really INTELLIGENT?????