Examine what is said, not her who speaks

Today evening saw me meeting a delightful bunch of people from the creative community I've been associated with for sometime now.

It was a great surprise to find a creative community which met every month and encouraged new writers and poets, discussed things with an open heart and was open to new views and methods. In my city, it is a rarity indeed! I joined them while browsing the net and bumping on to a site called Caferati.

However I had been unable to attend the last three meetings due to one reason or the other. This month gave me a perfect opportunity to see what Caferati was all about.

Truthfully speaking, we are all a bunch of eccentrics in this city who have come up together to discuss our emotions and our thoughts. I liked each and every one I met today at this meeting.

Some are great thinkers, some who work on that thought, some who are motivators and some who are observers.

Short stories and poems that they read opened a window and gave me a glimpse of something of their life. Some of it was shockingly violent, some touching, some absolutely hilarious and some... beautiful. No body was discouraged for their efforts. They were all praised duly and given subtle hints on how they could alter their reading piece to make it a master piece.

I wish there were more of such communities who would work and encourage new talent in my city. Alas! Everyone seems to be buried under a pile of responsibilities and work and only some are able to get out of that rubble and free themselves.

A particular piece that was read by a lady at the end of the meet was the one I liked the best. If she permits me, I'll put it up here. I think it is a must read for all as it talks about hope, perseverance and our own blindness towards things so obvious to everyone else but ourselves. It talks about nurturing the power of love in the soil of our souls.

I shall catch up on other blog posts as soon as I've had a minute. The last few weeks have been really hectic but soon I shall be "writing assignments" phase of studies and take a break.

I look forward to the next weekend when hopefully, happiness shall embrace me and kiss me with the tenderness and affection I long for. Perhaps time to live in fear is fading as courage puts forward his hand for me to hold. Should I take his hand, I wonder... is it really there? Do I dare?

If the news here is to be believed, Germans spend the most among all of us to get a glass of water! :O I find it hard to believe. You?

The daily newspaper Die Welt reported an international study by NUS Consulting placed German water prices at the top of several countries – with a German paying nearly five times as much as an American for the most basic good there is.

Industrial customers in Germany pay on average €1.91 per cubic metre of water before taxes. The same amount costs €1.85 in Belgium, €1.27 in France and €1.05 in Australia – a country with chronic water shortages. The price in America is an unbeatable €.047 per cubic metre – and it would still be a bargain there taking into account the weak US dollar.

NUS Consulting said the main reason for Germany’s expensive water was not that there wasn’t enough of it or that it was expensive to treat, but rather that German municipalities were responsible for setting prices.
“Since water prices can set by the municipalities, the higher prices are used to subsidize local projects that would otherwise have to be paid for with tax money,” the survey said according to Die Welt.

Not that it’s much solace to know that you’re paying more than the rest of the world for that glass of water from the tap, but the consultants said they expected water prices in Germany were unlikely to rise much this year as they would in other countries.

Today is my mother's birthday. Words cannot but express how much I love her, cherish her.

I know I've been very lucky to get a mother as good as mine who's not just a mother but also a very good friend, a confidante, someone who gives me courage and stands by me when I need her.
I pray for my mum to be blessed, for her to stay in health and happiness, for her wishes to be fulfilled, but for ever more, I pray that she always stays with me. Love you ma.

I found this poem on mothers and I think it goes for all mothers out there. Thank you for being there in our lives.

You're My Hero Mum

Something’s I really don’t understand
Sometimes I get my self so lost I need a helping hand
My light seems to go ever so black
At the very end of everything I always seem to come back
At times I feel as if I’m going to fall
But my mum helps me stand so tall
Without her I wouldn’t know what to do
Mum I want you to know that I love you
Our lives now seem so much like a dream
The butterflies I have make me want to scream
No matter what mum you keep me so strong
Even if everything for us seems so wrong
You always seem to dry all my tears
You chased away all my fears
Mum you don’t know how great you really are I wish you could see
But then again you can’t see what I see because your not me
I love you with all my heart and more
We are going make it just fine I’m sure
Life might sometimes seem so bad
But mum I’m always here to make you happy when your sad
You’re my hero my everything if only you knew
I know I have said it before but mum I love and care the world about you

Chelsi Lewellyn

Not surprising since I've been seeing the changes. It just depresses me to see growth reduction which could have been avoided to a certain extent.

Sluggish days ahead for IT-BPO industry
By BPO Watch News Desk
Bangalore, Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008: Industry experts are painting a rather grim picture for the IT-BPO segment for the rest of fiscal 2008. They predict lower growth rates of between 21 to 24 per cent, lesser number of new deals, salary freeze, cut in increments, minimal hirings and some lay-offs too.

In the recent past we had about 400 employees at Convergys' Malad centre in Mumbai being asked to go following the decision to shut down the centre. There were also reports of Lehman Brothers letting about 25 per cnet of their staff at the captive centre in Mumbai go. Others like Patni Computers, 24/7 Customer, Keane India and Fidelity have already cut jobs.

Says Arun Jethmalani, CEO ValueNotes, “It’s a wake up call, for its clear the current business model cannot work with such high inflation rates. It will be tough to maintain growth and margins will be squeezed in the short term. What’s also worrying is that the number of new deals coming into India is one sixth of last year. Indeed, a lull in business acquisition and the downturn in the US economy is affecting us.”

But Sudhin Apte, Senior Analyst and Country Head-India, Forrester Research feels job cuts is not only because of these two reasons. “The industry is at a different level today compared to five years ago. Earlier recruitment was happening only from a few good colleges, now benches are being filled by candidates various institutions."

Some of them don’t match up in spite of training. It’s the under performers who are getting the pink slip. Most lay offs are among the bottom 5% of the appraisal list. Companies have realized they need to manage their bench better and cannot go on pampering their employees if they don’t perform, he feels.

As for the bottom line: The remaining seven months of 2008 are unlikely to show any improvement and we can expect to see more consolidation of staff. Good companies will use this time in training employees with new skills so that when the market looks better, they can get better value projects.

Nu uh. Not just that on this day, Olympics 2008 begin in Beijing but there's more to it if you haven't heard it on the telly yet. I was watching it today and I found out some interesting things.

It came as news to me that in all Asian cultures, the number eight is considered a lucky number for building wealth and affluence; hence, the Summer Olympics in Beijing opens on 8/8/08 at 8:08:08 pm.

Apparently, in Chinese language and dialects, the number eight sounds similar to words such as wealth and fortune.

I also read that on a numerological level, the number eight represents the evolution of life. The two perfect circles together are a symbol of learning the lessons of Earth before transcending to a higher spiritual dimension, therefore transforming the material pot of gold to spiritual prosperity. This signifies birth and death with a need of spiritual evolution and understanding to be able to acquire the riches of the Earthly existence.

So maybe if one wanted to get married to their soul mate, this should be the day which may fill your life with happiness and prosperity-hmmm? Not so.

According to Hindu astrology, there is no mahurtham (auspicious time for a wedding) on that date. And it falls in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the month of the Hungry Ghost when the gates of hell are said to be open.

Don't know how much of this can be believed (I'm sure there are many who do so too)but for me, tomorrow is just another day filled with ten different worries on my head. I may change my opinion if I win a jackpot tomorrow though.

Oh and I also read somewhere that India's population will reach 1,111,111,111 By 08-08-08. Lord help us!

Good night everyone!

PORAN POLI

This particular bread is sweet and comes from the State of Maharashtra (you'd know it better if I say Bombay is in Maharashtra. It is made mostly during the Ganpati puja as 'Naivedya'(food offered to God on holy festivals).

I make it when I feel like eating it. I love eating Poran all by itself too! Let me know if you make it.

Ingredients

For filling (Poran):
2 cups bengal gram dal,
2 cups grated jaggery, (take 2 1/4 cup if jaggery is less sweet)
crushed cardamons.

For dough:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or wheat flour)
a pinch of salt,
1/2 cup oil
water,
some wheat flour for rolling poran poli.

Method

1. Sieve all purpose flour and salt twice. Make a soft and pliable dough with water and some oil. Keep it under a wet cloth for an hour.

2. Boil bengal gram with plenty of water. Drain it while it is still hot. Use colander for this purpose.

3. Now add jaggery to this hot boiled bengal gram and cook over medium heat. Keep stirring constantly so that it will not burn or stick to the vessel. The exact consistency is reached when it leaves sides of the vessel and gets thicker. Remove from the heat now.

5. Allow it to cool and grate in a grinder. This helps remove the lumps. Then add crushed cardamons and mix. Your Poran is ready to be used as the filling.

6. Knead the dough with hands. Use oil as well as water for kneading.

7. Make round balls (about 2 inch. diameter) of this dough. Roll one ball a little bit and using the rolling pin, make a small flat disc. Place some poran (about twice the quantity of outer dough) in the center of this flat disc and seal it tightly.

8. Roll again with the rolling pin to make poran polis of 5-6 inches in diameter. Use wheat flour for smooth rolling and to avoid the poli from cracking.

9. Heat a flat griddle. On a medium flame, roast one side. Flip it and roast another side. Do not flip the sides over and over. Roast till golden brown.

10. Smear ghee on top and serve hot.

Tip: For poran, you may substitute jaggery with sugar.
Variation: Outer Dough: Use 1 cup all purpose flour + 1 cup wheat flour.
For filling: Use 2 cups jaggery + 1/2 cup sugar.
Dough should be soft & pliable.
Knead the dough gently before you start rolling poran polis.

Hope all is well in blog land fellas! I'm still to read all friends' posts but gimme time. I'll get on to it soon.

I came back yesterday- back to city life after finishing research work on my Thesis. Now all that remains on that side is editing. I will write about my daily travel and experiences from the next post on wards. It was certainly an enlightening journey.

Life is a chaos what with the call centre I'd mentioned in the earlier post still acting up. I have taken a solemn vow never to work with.

I should mention the terror that had struck my city, Ahmedabad just a little than a week ago where hundreds were injured and more than fifty killed. In the series of bomb blasts, Ahmedabad seems to have been placed with maximum bombs until now- 16 bombs at the last count. (one went off outside the hospital which killed and injured many). A day before it happened in my city, serial bomb blasts had been reported in Bangalore which had left several maimed and dead.

So many innocent lives wasted for naught but for the enjoyment of a killer group called 'Indian Mujahideen' who I think, are a menace to all and good to no body. No Indian worth his salt would ever hurt another like this. For that matter, they can't even be called Muslims! From what I know, Islam teaches peace and brotherhood and talks of forgiveness. Where do these guys read about terrorising people in Koran, killing people in the name of religion?

It's really tragic to see so many people becoming victims of Terrorism again in Ahmedabad. 8 years ago, there'd been riots in the name of religion where the entire State had been devastated badly, both financially and emotionally.

Time and again it is seen that our weak policies are responsible for terrorists raising their ugly heads again & again. I say,let there be strong laws to deal with them. Where are those People who talk about Secularism only to get their votes? Whenever injustice takes place against a community, the Human Rights Commission becomes concerned and their concerns are heard by the media/news or in higher courts.

Why is no one concerned any more about death of so many families? I say families because with each dying person, a family also dies. It has simply become a number of deaths- people, lives; don't they count any more?

*Tries to get a grip on herself*
We're on a status of High Alert all over the country until the 15th of August; our Independence Day. I just hope no other city goes through this again.

In other news, there's been some relief pouring in- in the form of rains. Farmers had started wearing long faces and frowns since it was declared that we were still wanting for a decent rainfall. I think farmers are going to be the happier lot in coming weeks.

Time for me to go and splash some raindrops on my face.