Sunday 30 October 2011

Resilience

Old I may be, but still smile when some song in the background sounds like lines from my life. For sometime now, it has been UB40's lines "Every hour of every day I'm learning more, the more I learn, the less I know about before, the less I know, the more I want to look around, digging deep for clues on higher ground" ..... No, it has not been my kids teaching me valuable lessons (they do in every action of theirs), this time it is my gardening attempt!


I began early in September after shaking off a lot of "gardening baggage". Plants in 3 pots began from seeds and two were plants my dear parents sent from 350kms away. All seemed to be going good till some fauna discovered my flora .... They began with the coriander, onto the methi, my maharaja prasarini and now my tulsi (all four with great medicinal properties). All that remains in 4 pots are nice green stems and of course, healthy pigeons, squirrels and rats :(


Resilient are those who grow anything green. It's not as natural as it seems, I learnt! Resilient are those pigeons, squirrels and rats that get past physical barriers and brave life forms like my kids and I who are present a few feet away and nibble my greens. But I discovered - the most resilient of them all is this ficus on the edge of our balcony - it has been pulled out n number of times, it has been doused with neem oil, salt and no love - yet it grows back, stands there watching my antics. Ironic it is!! The only good out of this is my 5 year old seeing the connection between us, our plants and the animals - he knew a song about 'the connection', now he sees it too ....


I would not know which resilient I would want to be but I know this much, if you want to stand up and want to be counted, resilience is one quality you need - you just need to bounce back and try again - like I will ..... just like all the green thumbs, the fauna & flora surviving in the city with a special mention of the ficus.




Friday 2 September 2011

A beginning

The last post was anything but "making me count". So I thought to myself .... alright what can I do, where can I start? I needed to do something that was sustainable and mattered 'somewhere' other than a feel good factor for Joe. 


It really nips the list when I expect to undertake a project sitting at home. But decided to take a baby step and terrace garden. I can almost here someone laughing hysterically and some others sniggering. Maybe I should give a little history to explain my total lack of confidence. The daughter of parents who spend most of their day digging, planting, plucking, erecting supports and sunshades for creepers, you would expect a green thumb if not a whole green fist (by theories of genetics and evolution) but unfortunately whatever I touched - died :( ..... even a cactus :(. Looks like some genetic mutation handed me a 'brown' thumb.


I have decided to try again and this time post results, good or bad. I cleaned the empty pots on the balcony (they had remains of their previous tenants :( ). I just watered empty pots for a couple of days (well may as well get into the habit before I put plants in there!) and now I need to figure out what goes in there. I plan to enlist the support of my five year old, whatever the result maybe there will be some lesson learnt (for both of us). I am open to suggestions (considering it is a blank slate now any suggestion will be enthusiastically lapped up). I must add, I did visit a workshop - Oota from your thota - that promoted gardening in urban spaces, to take in as much as I could before my 'venture'. A friend who was a part of this programme had posted "stop making excuses" on her facebook. I realised that is what I needed to stop doing - stop procrastinating. 


Here I go. Watch out for updates. Keep those suggestions coming.



Monday 8 August 2011

Don't try to understand the city planners!


Be warned, excessive use of exclamation marks!! I am an advocate of citizen responsibility, I feel citizens need to fulfil their responsibilities and do more where they can. That being said, these planners do everything in their ability to breed citizen apathy and they just suck out my positiveness at times and I don't like it one bit!!

Don't try to understand the city planners!
The more you try the more unbelievable the state of the city seems! But I seemed to have deduced this much - each one (the bureaucrat and his sidekicks) when rotated to each department have a target amount to make and plans for the changes to the city accordingly. Why else in this city that overflows with experts in each field (water, town planning, garbage, traffic management, etc etc) do we have one big mess all the time? Deaf ears - whoever must have coined that phrase definitely had these characters in mind. 

Just do a Google on something like "pedestrian safety" ...... you will find articles from the 80s and 90s with the same issues, same suggestions .... the figures for pedestrian deaths are shameful for a city like ours - on an average 40% off all traffic related deaths in the past decade!!! Those who know me now know I have a good reason to be a terrified pedestrian!

Garbage!! call it what it is - why say solid waste management when all that is done is remove it from one persons doorstep and dump it on somebody elses'? This happened in this city even when I was a baby, I'm sure they even had "white paper" "road maps" "brainstorming" (wow! how advanced for government agencies to be doing something like this!!) even then to plan for the city's garbage!

Traffic and roads, I guess the lesser said the better! One day they build something that looks like stormwater drains, calls them "magic boxes", build huge road humps, calls them "flyovers", spends crores on them and now are breaking them down (in a span of a couple of years, if I may add) to build an "elevated highway" .... in the name of smooth traffic flow they make roads one-ways, cut trees to widen roads (which eventually end up as a bottle neck further ahead) and then go and allow parallel parking .... spend money on auto lanes, elevated pedestrian crossing and pelican lights, only to do a Houdini in a matter of months ... go on! do your things people, its not your money you are spending anyway!!! .... this is "lesser" said.

There have been a few agencies where good has been done. One day when I am feeling a little less catty and the claws are sheathed, I will definitely mention them (I also try to keep the blogs as short s possible :)). 

I am not too fond of these city planners (I know! it is so obvious), they make me spew venom because what good could have been done little by little for my Bangalore over the years has been made one big Everest in each sector of city management. More opportunities for the next set of you-know-whos to come and make "plans" and their buck of course. 

Looks like for the time being citizens sit back and watch. For those who believe prayers might work, lets begin with, "please give those planners some brains or even a hearing aid"!!!

Monday 27 June 2011

Shades of GREY

Shades of grey is what my husband referred to corruption as. It has, for a long time, been a topic that would be spoken about anytime of the day. Recently a columnist for who I have great respect said if anybody is corruption free he is a 'satya harishchandra'. I was a little disappointed with her but she just stated the truth. It was while I was narrating her article that 'shades of grey' happened.

Black - have I taken my wallet out and slipped anyone money to get work done my way illegally? No. Dark grey - yes - a constable asked me for 'entry' fee at the Karnataka/ Tamil Nadu check post, my boys were asleep in the car and there was no way I was going to ask "why?" or "receipt engey?". Now I can think of so many shades of grey I was a part of - the money we paid to the lawyer to get our home registered included some under-the-table-money, the money the apartment paid the plumber to get a water pipe connected included some under-the-table-money, the pendrive a constable 'requested' when he had to get our verification documents to the HO "floppy corrupt aguthey" .... The list may not be that long but yes I have been a part of some grey shade - and I must say it is just not a good feeling admitting that. And yup! Shades of grey are subjective to go easy on one's conscience (if there is such a thing), I'm sure all politicians think of corruption as light grey if not white - after all, it's for the country's 'development'.

My husband (and I and the family mentally) was recently acquitted in a false traffic offence case. All that because this cop wanted was 5000 Rs for *long story* and when he realised he was not getting a pie he went on to show us how deep the rot ran. It took us 5 years and many many court hearings to be grinning from ear to ear. I very much doubt if us going to court even tickled the cop (though the husband says the cops present at many hearings were pulled up severely by the judge) and no matter what anyone says "waste of time, money, blah blah", that feeling - one of not giving in and standing for what we believe tops everything and makes the whole exercise worthwhile (I speak for the husband also because at the end of the day - he did all the running around and was in the middle of it).

While I will not openly admit how hopeful I am that things will change someday, I am aware that if I accept things as they are and put myself in a shade of grey - that is what my kids are going to believe is a way of life. I hope I can choose to live a shade of grey closest to white if white is not possible, I'd choose that as a way of life.


Wednesday 8 June 2011

Did you know? Do you take a stand?


I try keeping abreast with current affairs (if it can be called that because most of the time it feels like stale beer with new packaging) and every time I read an article or watch the news (very rarely these days because they don’t report anymore they contort) a voice in my head has something to say. Always. It cannot be turned off but the good thing is that it has a mute button (I can almost hear my family and friends’ sigh of relief) and it is not always negative. The voice has a bunch of questions, some reasoning to stop those questions and in all likelihood forget the issue, especially if it is something as mundane as a new government reversing decisions made by the previous government. But this voice is not always for or against a topic. But if I take a stand, it will need some debate and persuasion of make me think otherwise. 

I have witnessed both extremes, not informed to taking a stand – people being totally unaware of something like a municipal election but groaning about the useless elected representatives versus some vitriolic letters to the editor / blogs when one takes an extreme stand. 

The reason I ask the question, did you know? do you take a stand? is because I feel even if it doesn’t change things, you are in some way involved in a process. Like (in a really small picture) being informed and having a point of view on day to day civic and environmental issues means you can be involved sometime or to get something done for yourself you don’t have to attract middlemen or be taken for a ride. Thought this might be something to think about ...

Friday 13 May 2011

Positive-ness



As I get a year older (hopefully wiser) I wish to leave behind some baggage. I hope I will be less judgemental of fellow human beings (our city planners do not fall in the human category), I hope to be more positive (sneak in only a little cynicism once in a while) and I do hope none of my negative views are brushed off onto my kids by the way I react to situations.


Actually it has been a good few weeks - we saw people from different walks of life shed some of their apathy and let their voices be heard. Tamil Nadu and W. Bengal had the highest voter turn outs ever! In the other states that went to polls, voter turn out was much much higher than the national average. Whether the smallest village or the largest city people came out, many against a lot of odds, and casted their votes. One that I have been following - a movement against corruption and millions of people demanding that those guilty of corruption be made accountable no matter what his or her position is. In another instance, a pandit woman was elected Sarpanch in a Muslim majority village in Kashmir. This is positive-ness.

Many do not see these developments that way, if one reads comments or letters to the editor you'd wonder 'why so much venom?'. True we don't know what the ruling parties will do in those states or we don't know how the government will kill the janlokpal bill (if it ever reaches there) - there are pros and cons to everything, but with many in the billion wanting a change lets increase the number of pros I say!! Who knows, maybe this many in the billion is the critical number I was talking about earlier!!

Thursday 21 April 2011

Iksha Foundation and Me

Over the past few days I have been tom-toming about Iksha, an NGO that I am a part of. An NGO that focuses on retinoblastoma, a curable eye cancer in children. Many who know me asked me point blank how an environment fanatic was involved with Iksha.

When my older son was about two and a half, a picture with a white eye reflex prompted someone to tell me he possibly had a tumor in his eye. Though the rest of the family phoo-phood the observation (for my sake), I was pretty scared. I mailed our dear 'kann doctor' friend the picture - I just needed to know he was ok. Our kann doctor, in a very calm reply asked me to take another picture with some specific instructions.



It was tough to get my son to stay still to click the picture but I must say I must have been the first person in the world who was so relieved to see a picture a with red eye! Kann doctor also told me he was 99.9% sure my boy was ok but if that 0.1% was keeping me awake I could see him when he was in town. And we did. And I did sleep much better!

It lasted a only few weeks only but it is a uneasy feeling I don't want to relive. Today I am a part of Iksha because I know many aspects of retinoblastoma closely. I know that if detected early it can be cured - we are not fighting a losing battle and a child may not lose sight. Many children come from families that cannot afford treatment and hence our efforts at fundraising.

We use the Bangalore 10k to create awareness about retinoblastoma and fundraise. Please read my appeal page and it would be great if you and your friends can make a contribution. http://bangalorecares.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89&Itemid=110&app=259

I am sure I have overdosed many of my friends and family with posts about Iksha and the Bangalore 10k, but please bear with me, I do it just once a year :). And by the way - I am still an environment fanatic.

I'll be back soon .... so much has happened in the past couple of week - I have to rant and rave!!!!!

Friday 1 April 2011

What is that CRITICAL number?


Today my 4 year old came back with a cloth bag that he said we should use while shopping. Yesterday he came back with a Gubbi Goodu (a sparrow house made of bamboo) that he instructed us to hang on our balcony. Their theme for the year was the environment and one of the first songs he sang was about water (oh yes! I was and still am mighty impressed!). While I’m in awe of what kindergartners are taught I can’t help but wonder about awareness levels in janatha. Not only about the environment but other issues that touch their day to day life.  Are they not aware or they choose not to do anything?

I am a firm believer in ‘every action counts’ but can’t help wondering, what is that critical number of do-ers needed for us to see some change? Change in the household, change in the apartment / on the street, in the locality, society ...... Maybe I need to do some research on success stories, across various issues, maybe things are not as bleak as they seem!! Maybe I should mail back people who begin signature campaigns and so on and ask them what happened (I get a few mails or requests every week and I sincerely click the button and put my name down – hey!! before you think I’m a loonie, it only takes a few minutes and if it helps why not?). I am definitely going to share my findings!! Let’s keep those fingers crossed and hope I have something positive to report. Help me out if you know / hear something!

I’m ending this note with a happy thought ...... imagine a whole bunch of chatty 3 feet somethings  going home to their parents with a gubbi goodu and a cloth bag!

Thursday 24 March 2011

Me, my family and friends, my city (Bangalore), my country and the earth

"Each day I live, I want to be, the day to give, the best of me ......". Parts of this song was my motivational hymn growing up, parts of it still is. So that should explain the title of my blog!

As for my post - believe it or not, these are thoughts that go through my head every moment! Thoughts that are part happy, part sad, anxious, frustrated .... you know what I mean. I'm sure this does sound like something inside your head. But being a civic / social / environmental conscious person I must say that of late my head has been telling me "and you thought things couldn't get worse!!". Whether it is happening in your lives or somebody else's (thanks to the 'great media' no details are spared), don't you feel humankind in general is going downhill, topspeed on something like a bicycle that doesn't have brakes? Whatever the issue maybe - social or political or environmental - there are many positive interventions by individuals and NGOs, but that is just not enough! Every individual has to contribute (twice as much for those who cannot - for those whose goal is to just survive the day), even if not to the society then just to ones self and ones household. We need to make a conscious effort not to add to the chaos, not to add to the corruption, not to add to the pollution ..... I am proud of who I am, proud of my city Bangalore, I am a proud Indian. I am trying to make me count - for the better.

I hope to use this platform to just rant (that's what it will be if there are no comments, feedback, discussions, 'beenthere-donethat-dothis' responses) about all that's close to my heart my family and friends, my Bangalore, my country and the earth.

I am blogging pretty late in the day but I'm sure my two cents worth is worth something somewhere.