Lockdown Wonders

Nowadays, as lockdown has become a way of life, people have learned to kill time. In a fast city like Mumbai where time is money, killing something as precious as time was indeed similar to a crime, except on weekends of course. Now time is all that we have to kill, after doing the daily required tasks at home. When I feel too lazy to do something productive, my way of killing time is to scroll aimlessly on social media and before I know it, I feel guilty to have ‘murdered’ significant amount of time by poking my nose in matters of people which are too distant, almost invisible. Having said that, I am getting to know people better than before.

Lockdown has drastically changed our lives in a way that we never imagined before. It has also become a time to reveal the innate talents that people may have. In short, we get to see ‘India’s got talent’ on social media. These days whenever I open my ever-active platforms of social media, they are flooded with posts and stories of cooking attempts by many people. Most of them look delectable, whether that’s true magic of hands or of food filters, those dishes and their enjoyers know better. I believe that cooking and baking have gained popularity like never before during lockdown. Kitchens, though not of restaurants but of homes, have become busy laboratories of trying hands at delicacies and a ground for budding chefs. Surely, restaurants are in for a tough competition once they reopen, for there might be people who may have found their true passion in cooking and might find restaurant food insipid. I remember seeing one meme on social media, of a long queue of people waiting to be auditioned for MasterChef. Any art requires time and patience. With more free time now, it is great to see people getting back at art and reliving their younger selves and reviving the talent that may have got lost in the pre-corona humdrum of life. Be it art work or recipes made at home with love and hard work, it is good to see people make fruitful use of gift of time. For foodies like me, there is always a wave of nostalgia when we watch ‘restaurant-style’ or ‘street food’ recipes on pages like Gobble, Yum, Your Food Lab etc., if two months can be called long enough to title it as nostalgia! This pandemic has highlighted the importance of cleanliness and hygiene among all, so when things are back to normal and we crave for street food, we definitely should not turn a blind eye to hands of the bhaiyya who serves pani puri or chaat.

In absence of maids now, we have learned the meaning of household work anew. We have learned to pay attention better at home. Many celebrities post their pictures or videos of engaging in household chores in absence of house help. Corona has thus taught us to not be over- dependent. With the new ‘Work from Home’ culture, we have learned to do the balancing act and are proving to be better managers at home and at work. Manager is not simply a designation at office now, but also at home because we are learning to use the resources at home frugally and keeping the stocks of necessities in check. Many organizations which previously had qualms about employees working from home, have acclimatized to this culture and have realized that efficiency does not get hampered, thus learning that work can be done efficiently from any corner of the world. At my workplace, there are often encouraging and congratulatory mails for those who deliver their best while working from home. We also keep the flame of team spirit alive by playing virtual games and karaoke on Fridays, which help us stay connected and show our sportive and creative attitude. This pandemic has changed the outlook towards the way we work and has quashed the traditional belief that work is done better under the boss’s nose.

On social media, we also see celebrities working out at home and looking their natural selves with beauty salons being shut. Just like home offices, we now have home gyms and people diligently work out at home so as to not gain ‘lockdown weight’. Women who are particular about their looks have learned to live with their grown eyebrows, non-manicured and pedicured toes and nails and gray hair. It is time that we women accept our natural beauty and not depend on external and artificial beautifiers.  Though Covid-19 is a grave situation that the world is facing right now, thanks to social media, we still can have our moments of laughter in form of lockdown memes and videos. In these trying times, laughter is proving to be the best medicine to maintain our mental wellbeing. This spirit of tackling any challenge with a light-hearted sense of humour, is worth appreciating and we are grateful to such ‘memologists’.

For online streaming channels, it is business as usual or let’s say it is business more than usual. In a recent article that I read, Netflix has registered a surge in its number of users during Covid months. The show and movie releases are as per the dates scheduled and we see competition among all the channels to bring up good content and value-for-money entertainment to their subscribers. Recently released Bollywood and Oscar nominated movies are available on these platforms so that people can have a close-to-theatre experience. Surely the wait for some much-awaited Bollywood movies is going to be longer with theatres still being closed. Till then, Netflix, Prime and Hotstar are there to fulfil our entertainment needs and will still be there once normalcy is regained. Since the lockdown has started, I have turned from a normal binge-watcher to a voracious one. The shows and movies which were since eternity on my watchlist are now being ticked off rapidly, Money Heist being the first one on that list. Lockdown times are also taking us back to the simple old times. With shows like Ramayana and Mahabharat back on television and gaining that same old popularity, it is good to watch television again sans naagin and saas-bahus dramas. I often watch old episodes of Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai on Hotstar for my doses of laughter. Indoor games are also back with families planning game evenings or nights. I went back to my school days when I played scrabble with my sister and it gave me the same happiness building words on that board. Recently I also revisited my childhood memories by reorganizing my childhood pictures, which lay untouched and unattended in my set of drawers. As we grow up and become competitive to achieve our goals, we often forget the innocent children that once we were and how life seemed simple back then. What could be a nostalgia bigger than looking at physical photographs made out of Kodak rolls in an era of selfies and high camera resolutions present in our phones?

The year 2020 is not turning out the way we had expected. We miss our former ‘normal’. We miss visiting malls, eating out and watching movies in theatres. Video conference calls have become popular than ever and we see shared snapshots of these cherished conversations with friends and loved ones on social media. We don’t see our travel plans materializing this year, which we may have thoughtfully planned over years. But if we look at the silver lining, these tough times have taught us to be self-reliant and understand the value of freedom. ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ and in these Covid-19 times, we are inventing our newer personas, ideas and unleashing the potential within us. Life comes with its set of surprises and none of us expected a pandemic like this which could bring life to such a standstill. Yet, the world is now learning to deal with this challenge thrown to us by Nature. Pace of life has seemed to slow down, but as individuals at home, we are turning out to be more responsible consumers as well as healthy and creative minds. This lockdown has taught us that life cannot necessarily be under our control and that nothing but change, though not always as drastic as this one, is permanent.

From Pandemic to Pacific

Dystopia, Apocalypse- to me, these concepts were mere words which existed in dictionary. I believed that these words were just man’s imagination or a prediction which was far, far away in future. These topics have been favourite themes in our books, movies and series. Until 2020 no one could have imagined that dystopia was just around the corner, lurking in the dark. Today, Corona virus has brought the world to its knees. A pandemic that has shaken the world- the mighty and the weak alike. This virus unfortunately made its way to India as well. With India being densely populated, we stand at the brink of this danger which has wreaked havoc all over the world. However, our Government is trying its best to bring this infiltrator under control and keep people safe. I am confident that the world will overcome and overpower this demon called Corona because our mythological stories have time and again taught us that good wins over evil. On the other hand, I also believe that even in such testing times, we should look at the silver lining of this dark cloud that looms over the world.

We like to be surrounded by people, be one among the clique, be productive, meet different people, share ideas with fellow beings around and just spend time with people we like. Large human gatherings especially in countries like India, be it during festivals, protests or even local trains is something that is inevitable. In a city like Mumbai, everyone fights for a place and some space. With Corona necessitating social distancing, I think we have deserved our much-needed break to get away from the daily struggles of life, some toxic people as well and breathe freely. The biggest lesson or I would say ‘gift’ that Corona has given us is the gift of time. And this earned time can be invested in introspecting the way we lead our lives. Until Corona outbreak, some people never took washing hands, cleanliness and hygiene seriously. Today investing 20 seconds in washing hands is one of the ways to stay away from corona. This proves the saying ‘Adversity and loss make man wise’ true. It is today that people are showing godliness in form of cleanliness. Just like us, even Nature is basking in the sudden peace that the pandemic has brought. The skies are blue again, air and water are less polluted, normally bustling streets are quiet and we can finally lend our ears to the sweet sounds of birds around. These are simple joys of life, yet distant and lost amongst our daily routine.

People are working from home, commuting hours have come down to zero which means zero burden on resources. We are spending more time with our families, which I think is the biggest gift. We are having more meaningful conversations with our loved ones and are listening to each other, for which we hardly had time. We need to frugally use this gift of time by spending it on our well-being. We have earned time to worship our body by eating well, exercising and keeping it fit. With so much negativity around in form of melancholic news and depressing messages circulating on social media, we must still learn to look at the brighter side, the lessons that this crisis is teaching us. I think this optimistic approach will keep our sanity in check.

In such times, social media, modern means of communication and entertainment are keeping us connected to the world when we are quarantining ourselves. We can spend time pursuing our hobbies, which is one of the ways to be happy. Thankfully with online streaming services being seamless we can still binge watch shows and movies which are long pending in our watchlists. Personally, I would dedicate more time reading my collection of novels. At least they would take me to a Utopian world, till the crisis in real world subsides. Self-isolation according to me is proving to be self-cleansing for the body and the soul. Corona is also teaching us to be grateful. With so many cases of infection and deaths being reported daily, we must be grateful that we have not fallen prey to this pandemic and at the same time applaud for doctors, nurses, staff at hospitals and police force who are working selflessly and burning the midnight oil to keep us safe.

This pandemic has brought the world closer, taught us the meaning of humanity and solidarity. Almost every country in the world today is tackling the challenge, saving lives and is using technological expertise to defeat the crisis. Even economies and businesses are facing and fighting this crisis. Everyone is playing their role to keep the ball rolling. Yes, the growth trends and profitability look discouraging, yet we all are in it together. Together we will revive economies. This too shall pass. As it is rightly said, ‘After every dark night there’s a brighter dawn.’ Soon life will be back to normal. Streets, restaurants, shopping malls, theatres will be reverberating with people. Though all of us want that life back, we must never forget the lessons that Corona and in a way, Nature has taught us to not take resources for granted and find happiness even in little and simple moments of life.

In Other Words

I have always believed that relationships need to be nurtured like plants with love and affection. That is a key to build lasting relationships for life. I completed a decade of friendship with one such friend, who is not made of flesh and blood but certainly has a soul. The friend that I am talking about is one of the best things in my life: German language.

I wanted to learn a foreign language, but I was not sure which one. I had heard that foreign languages open doors to many good opportunities. As a 16-year-old then, I was clueless as to what that really meant. On reaching class 11, I had to choose a second language. My father, fascinated by German history, suggested that I choose German. I was convinced that I wanted to learn German, though I was not sure how difficult the language was. However, a backup plan always helped and hence French became my second preference. I remember that day of filling the college admission form when I had marked ‘1’ against German, ‘2’ against French and ‘3’ against Sanskrit, my ‘ancient’ friend from school. Like a typical student and a materialistic individual, I thought of German only as a means to score good marks. Back then, I never thought that this very language could turn out to be one of the greatest passions of my life.

My relationship with German started rather on a rough note. I could barely understand its grammar, the backbone to learn any language. I felt the articles ‘der’, ‘das’, ‘die’ for every noun play cruel games with me. My first German exam was a nightmare as I could not understand a majority of words. I felt like rephrasing the idiom ‘it’s all Greek and Latin to me’ to ‘it’s all German to me’! I could see my purpose of opting for German getting defeated as I was not scoring well in it. There came a time when I started pondering over my decision to learn German. I could imagine Sanskrit smirking at me with ‘I told you’ look as if it felt betrayed for not getting chosen in spite of a wonderful journey of 3 years in school. While Sanskrit tried to laugh at my misery, I thought of my initial days with Sanskrit, which were no less than tough. The struggle to learn Sanskrit transformed into a memorable friendship before I could realize. That’s the thing with languages. They need perseverance, patience and passion to learn. When you devote these three things to them, they become your friends like no other. That’s when it hit me like a Eureka moment. If I could befriend Sanskrit, then why not German? In fact, German could be my first international friend ever. For any relationship to work, you need to put in efforts. That’s what my relationship with German needed- sincere efforts from me. Maybe the language was standing with an extended hand of friendship, but it was I who refrained from shaking that hand.

With 12^th Board Exams approaching and with an aim of having an overall good score, I needed to score well in the ‘scoring subject’ German. That became my driving force to take German seriously and learn it at any cost to give justice to the purpose why I had chosen German in the first place. I was fortunate to get a good teacher who taught the language from its basics. I realized that the groundwork itself of my German building was weak and I needed to strengthen it to build a stronger structure. I devoted perseverance and patience to ‘study’ German like any other subject. Passion and German were still not ready to go hand-in-hand few years back. In the course of learning, I experienced that the language slowly stopped acting difficult and I could ‘tame the shrew’, like Shakespeare would say. Before the D-day of exams, I was convinced that I had established good acquaintance with the language. Thankfully my exam went as per my expectations and I was satisfied that I did a good job. When I got my results, I was happy to see that I had scored really well in German. The purpose was thus served. At the same time, I realized that I had started loving the language and considered spending more time understanding my new friend.

It was during my graduation years that I started learning German formally from Max Mueller Bhavan. Having strengthened the base of the language in college, I started with A2 level, i.e. the second of the beginners’ levels. That was the beginning of some of my golden years in life. ‘Deutsch lernen, Deutschland kennen lernen’, the motto of the institute, which means ‘Learn German, get to know Germany’ was fascinating enough to start learning the language with full vigour. German language became my window to understand Germany- its history, culture, literature, society and economy. Now German did not remain restricted to only textbooks and scoring marks. It got a wider and creative perspective, thanks to the fun ways in which we were taught the language at every level. At first, listening comprehension seemed like an impregnable fort as I had a difficult time understanding the accent of the Germans played on audio CDs. I still remember the times how dumbfounded and blank I used to be after listening to the German conversations. I found my comfort in writing the most because you get more time to articulate your thoughts into words and of course is a way to keep grammatical errors at bay to some extent. The writer in me thoroughly enjoyed writing German essays and letters. Speaking is spontaneous most of the times and therefore there are chances of committing grammatical errors because you haven’t really ‘owned’ the language yet to flaunt it effortlessly. Reading brings me joy and language is only a vehicle. In German, I found that rejuvenated joy. At times, it took me back to my childhood days as I read the German content meant for children in my initial years to build up my language. To improve your command over any language, you need to read more, listen more, write more and speak more. More the challenges I faced, therefore exciting became the German learning journey for me. I started watching German movies to get acquainted to German society and history. With every level came new set of vocabulary and grammar that simply added to the beauty of the language. I am fortunate to learn from some of the best teachers who taught not only the nuances of the language but also showed Germany to us from their eyes. While most people think that German is a commanding language given its history and the way it sounds, I found sweetness in it and the way it changed me as a person.

There comes a time when you part ways with your friends to pursue your dreams and goals. Yet, the times spent with them leave you with memories to last forever. Similarly, after two eventful years of learning German, I parted ways with it after completing B2, i.e. the intermediate level to pursue MBA. I completed MBA and then began corporate life. While most would think that the important mission of getting a job is accomplished after MBA, I felt that it was time to go back to my now distant friend. I had read that having some passion in life is necessary, it keeps you stress-free. I wanted that to be true for myself. With new energy and enthusiasm, I decided to complete the last legs of German levels, C1 and C2 after being away from it for three years. Being the last levels, the language had become complex as we were slowly heading towards mastering the language like a native speaker. Every German class was memorable with discussions on topics that left me with a new perspective every time. We discussed and read the trends in Germany and how different it is from India. Thus, my weekends were filled with positivity and lots of new ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed making PowerPoint presentations on various topics and share the knowledge with my fellow classmates. Though Germany is known for its crème de la creme technology and engineering, it has a gentle and rich side of literature as well, thanks to some of renowned classics by Wolfgang von Goethe, Grimm Brothers and others, which I read about briefly. Similar to human nature that has various emotions, languages too have different ways to express themselves. As a corporate professional I wanted to learn the language in business parlance and thus completed the last milestone of my journey in German learning.

German gifted me years of happiness and still continues doing so. I keep my camaraderie with the language alive by reading something daily. Though I haven’t really ventured into the world of German books and English continues to hold the numero uno position in this case, I am sure that one day German books will also make place in my bookshelf. As I write about my German learning journey in English, somewhere the language hopes that one day it will create a space of its own in form of a German blog. I admire the word for ‘vocabulary’ in German- it is called ‘Wortschatz’ which literally means treasure of words. I still consider myself a student of German and know that the language still has a lot to offer and to add to my treasure not only in form of words, phrases and expressions but also in form of new thoughts and ideas. I see myself getting richer with that every day because it is a precious gem that I will ever own.

During my course of learning I read the book by Pulitzer prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, ‘In Other Words’ in which she wrote her trysts with the Italian language and her desire to call it her own. The book was full of wonderful lines which made me fall in love with it. The lines which left an imprint on me the most: “What does a word mean? And a life? In the end, it seems to me, the same thing. Just as a word can have many dimensions, many nuances, great complexity, so, too, can a person, a life. Language is the mirror, the principal metaphor. Because ultimately the meaning of a word, like that of a person, is boundless, ineffable. Because in the end to learn a language, to feel connected to it, you have to have a dialogue, however childlike, however imperfect.” I grew up with Marathi, Hindi and English and became like a tightly knit family. German joined my family of languages when I was a grown-up and remains like the youngest child, pampered and loved. It will grow old with me like other languages and I can proudly call it as one of my own. My foreign friend with its proud uniqueness has created a special place of its own never to leave and continues to enrich me, improve me in some or the other way every day.

A Decade of Novelty

We are set to welcome 2020 soon with its set of surprises and challenges. As Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had envisaged, 2020 would be the year when India would emerge as a developed nation and one of the top four economic powers. Well, we still have a lot of work to do to transform this venerable personality’s dream into reality. It is said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” I think in one way or the other, we are taking steps to reach the summit of development, crossing the hurdles and challenges coming in the way.

While we busy set goals for the coming year, we cannot help but see what the past decade has given us and what we have achieved. The decade began with Indian Cricket Team winning the World Cup in 2011 and then giving their best in 2015 and 2019 as well, though they could not bring the World Cup home. 2013 saw the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar retiring from cricket, leaving us emotional. Indian Cricket team and its players is one of the best in the world, but no one can be best and grounded like Sachin. Not only restricting our achievements in cricket, this year we saw P V Sindhu win gold medal at the 2019 World Championships thus becoming first Indian to become the Badminton World Champion. Miss World Crown made its entry to India again after 17 years, with Manushi Chillar making the country proud. These are some of the few achievements where Indians have made a mark in the world.

As a 90s kid, I saw great revolution take place in technology in the past decade, especially in mobile phones to which we are greatly hooked to. I had my first smartphone in the year 2013 when Android had just begun to change the face of cellphones. I held a touch screen phone for the first time in 2013 as if it were some ethereal object. In the same year, the word ‘selfie’ was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, thanks to the popularity of front cameras and introduction of narcissism in the modern era. Over the years, Android came up with delicious versions (literally!) and newness just became a regular thing. From the time I started using a smartphone till date, cellphones have transformed greatly. The burgeoning number of users has boosted the telecom sector. With Jio, internet became seamless and affordable to many. The world is literally at our finger tips today with high speed internet.  Smartphones become smarter with every new version, making its creators, Human Beings, dependent (read: less smart) on them. Today there are Apps for everything and anything that you want. Thanks to these magical things, we can show a perfect life to the world with astounding camera resolutions and filters to express our moments of happiness.

It was predicted that the world would come to an end in 2012 and we saw the ghastly representation of the apocalypse in the movie of the same name. Though the world hasn’t exactly come to an end yet, we are slowly heading towards the end. It is evident from the climate changes every year, the natural calamities and anomalies that occur in various parts of the world which is alarming. Several species are vanishing, and others are facing the danger of extinction. Recently I read about the last white male rhino in the world which is now declared extinct. #HowDareYou is creating a stir on climate change. I imagine the Earth asking us the question, ‘How dare you?’ after taking her so much for granted. Climate change is the result of man’s undoing. The Earth will never be the same again.

2013 was also a year where entertainment got a new name: Netflix. I remember watching its first show ‘House of Cards’. Netflix established itself as an online streaming service for the classes and has become a rage in India today with its shows being hot topics of discussion. Netflix which restricted itself only to English content initially, has gained a worldwide popularity with introduction of content in several languages. Soon, other streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar joined the league and a series of unapologetic, uncensored web-shows depicting reality struck a chord with the youth. Television and daily soaps have become a passé and people have welcomed this new form of entertainment. The fight over remote is now replaced by fight among number of users on one Netflix account. ‘Binge watching’ is a popular term today and viewers devour an entire season overnight. To that extent, people nowadays look for partners who enjoy same shows as they. The perfect idea of a romantic date is to binge watch a show together and spending the weekend.  Before Netflix established its presence, our old HBO was ruling minds, bodies and souls of the entire world with none other than Game of Thrones, its ace card. 2011 was the year when Game of Thrones defined or rather redefined pop-culture. Spanning across 8 years, this show created a mark like no other. The rave discussions about this show after every episode and with the fear of not feeling left out, people watched the show, including me, ultimately getting hypnotized and awestruck by the magnitude of it. This year the show took its leave, leaving the fans heavy hearted. However, Netflix and other streaming channels soon filled that void. YouTube and online streaming services have redefined entertainment and given it a new perspective.

This decade also was the one where Bollywood movies no more restricted themselves only to entertainment, but also came up with several good social messages, celebrated our past achievements, highlighted epochs of history and won audience’s hearts in a newfound way. They became vocal about the issues which are considered taboo in Indian society.  Movies like Padman, Toilet- Ek Prem Katha, Parched, Masaan, Newton, Vicky Donor, Hindi Medium, Bala, Gully Boy etc. addressed issues of common people, thus proving that cinema is truly a medium for the masses, to which they can relate to. Bollywood has proved that it is beyond glitz, glamour, utopia and happy endings what previously it was thought it to be. This decade gave us stars like Ayushmann Khurana, Ranveer Singh and Vicky Kaushal, who have won laurels for their remarkable talent. Every year Bollywood comes up with promising movies, which makes viewers believe that they are worth spending money on. Another new trend that Bollywood has set in the past few years is recreation of 90s songs, which makes me feel old already and at the same time reminds me that 25 years is indeed a long time to remember and hum their tunes again. Some groovy music makes these 90s songs fun to listen to, while some make me say, “Original was much better!” thanks to the mindless raps forced in with the original lyrics. This trend is so rampant in almost every movie these days that I wonder whether the creativity to write original and meaningful songs is already lost among the quirky raps.

Social media grew stronger in the past decade, with people using it as a platform to express their opinions, criticize or simply vent out anger. Words like ‘hashtag’ or ‘trending’ no more remained ordinary, but they became a way to spark either some discussion or controversy. I remember so many people wanting to be heard with #MeToo when sexual harassment was a thing happening behind closed doors. That wave dug many buried skeletons and women felt confident to speak up. I think this should be the real might of social media where people discuss and come up with solutions for a better society and not instigate people to take adverse measures. But social media is not only a serious business but also a form of entertainment. With celebrities on social media, their fans can have a sneak peek into their ‘perfect’ lives. Kiki challenge, Bottlecap challenge, 10 Year challenge, Gonna tell my kids added to some fun and banter with people posting all about them.  Hashtags have literally become a way to express our moods in few words! Today social media and its influence are impossible to ignore and get away from.

On a personal front, this decade was a roller coaster ride for me, from a teenager to an adult. It was a decade of self-discovery and endurance where I realized my potential and capabilities. The journey from a student who was clueless at various points to a working professional today is like no other.  Wading through cut offs, fierce competitive exams, unnerving phase of admissions to colleges and later of finding a job, life taught me a lot. Struggles are inevitable in life and only hard work and strong will can help you achieve what you want. But this decade is not only of struggles and difficult moments. There were some pleasant discoveries too. Writing happened to me in this decade, in 2014. The ability of expressing myself in writing is my source of solace.  I discovered that I love reading and today I have lost count of the numerous books that I have read so far. Every book gifted me something, be it good vocabulary or stories that moved and shook me. The next best thing that happened to me was learning German. Learning this language changed my personality in some way. Today I am deeply fond of it and glad that I can apply the language in my present job. Until I tried my hand at these things, I never imagined that I could be a voracious reader, writer and passionate about a language. I learned the myriad nature of humans in my student and corporate life. I found some well-wishers who charged my life with positivity as well as some grey personalities who taught me that life is not always fair and there are ways to tackle such people and situations. I could define the word Wanderlust anew in this decade. I got the opportunity to travel to various beautiful places not only in India but also internationally. I discovered the world outside India for the first time in this decade, got acquainted to the culture and people, though this discovery has been limited to only three countries so far. There’s still a lot to learn, see and know about the world and traveling is a way to unravel mysteries of the world. When I look back at this decade, feeling thankful and rich with experiences, I am reminded of one of Paulo Coelho’s quotes from The Alchemist: “When you want something; all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

The coming years, decades and centuries will surely have a lot of new things in store, which will transform our lives in our own individual ways. Years pass by, giving us moments of hope, happiness and despair. These passing years should be a measure of our improvement- as individuals and as a nation. These years are not mere numbers which make us older. We should consider every passing year like steps to a mountain and us like mountaineers, for when we reach the peak of development in every aspect, hand in hand with the environment, we will truly cherish the view from above and appreciate the journey from where we were to where we are then.

Baby steps for a better tomorrow

In this year’s Independence Day speech, our honourable Prime Minister encouraged us to show patriotism in a different way. He highlighted the need for small families, with India facing the biggest concern of population explosion. We see him proudly addressing our nation as ‘savaso crore Bhartiya’, but little do we realize that new Bhartiyas are born in some or the other corner of the country every day and that savaso crore number will have to be revised with a higher one someday.

We are a country where Kama Sutra originated and our population is soon going to surpass China’s, yet we are tight-lipped when it comes to sex, family planning and birth control. After all, a child is God’s gift. How can we say ‘No’ to that? I remember an incident from one of my economics classes when we were studying about stages of population growth. India is on the second stage of demographic growth, where birth rate is high and death rate is low, which is a stage of population explosion. Developed countries generally have a low birth as well as death rate. While citing reasons for population explosion, we came across one point in the book: Sex is the only source of recreation. The student who was asked to read this point hesitated to say the three letter word. It’s apparently embarrassing to use that word in public or we don’t want to accept the grim reality of sex being recreational source for those who cannot afford books, television, Netflix or watching movies in theatres. Another fact that amazed me was that if people of my generation showed discomfort in saying the word sex, what about the previous generations who never even found it necessary to curb the ‘countless blessings’ they got from God? There are certain families who go on expanding their lineage till a son is born to light their funeral pyre, regardless of the kind of future the children will have in terms of education and health.

I remember an advertisement campaign of Idea 3G where the problem of population explosion was addressed in a light-hearted way. The punchline was “India 3G busy toh no abaadi”. It is the era of 4G today and we may expect 5G also soon, but the burgeoning population still remains a problem at large. UN’s projections that India’s population growth has stabilized and that in future the country’s population will start declining are reassuring to some extent. Till the time this decline is visible to the naked eye, the vicious circle of poverty and unemployment that follow population explosion will continue.

Welcoming a newborn is a joyous occasion for any family. As a nation, these ‘new additions’ mean expansion of existing facilities by exploiting more resources. This bustling new generation contributes to one of the factors of production i.e. labour to take the nation on the path of development. On the contrary, this ever expanding bunch also creates strain on other factor of production i.e. land, which is a limited resource and is not going expand itself to feed the ever growing hungry mouths. As this newborn grows up, he or she takes his or her first step in the world of fierce competition by getting into a school. Nowadays school fees have skyrocketed and are equivalent to salary packages of parents. But parents want best for their children, so they admit their child in a school where all-round development is promised. It has become a status symbol for parents to send their children in state-of-the-art schools. I have heard of some parents having sleepless nights over their children’s admission. These nights get worse once the child clears his or her board exams and has to dive in the cut-throat competition where even one percent more counts to push someone back and secure admission in desired college. There are competitive entrance exams ahead with lakhs of aspirants vying for IITs or IIMS or an institute of similar cadre. Same story goes for jobs where there are innumerable applicants for few openings. In such circumstances, most students pray for ‘mass recruiters’ who can hire them; whether the job matches skill set does not matter in desperate times. Job satisfaction looks like a distant dream, because money matters more than anything else, especially when you have a large family to look after. With the preponderant population, anyone is dispensable in the job and hence we may see that in some companies the employees are not valued much. This is roughly the life cycle of any Indian today caught in the web of competition, EMIs, crowded trains and most importantly, survival.

There is however a brighter side seen these days, if I may call it bright, optimistic that I am. With an increasing number of educated women, a trend is seen that they prefer career over children. Hence, like in developed countries, today Indian women, too, postpone marriage and pregnancies to do well in career first. I think these are the baby steps to bring population under control. With schooling becoming expensive every year, the slogan ‘Hum do, humare do’ also seems like an unaffordable plan in cities today as parents strive hard to look after their only child, given the time crunch and challenges at work. However, we still see some families turning a blind eye to curb population growth till the rightful heir is born. The still prevalent cases of female fetuses found in garbage dumps explains the poor sex ratio in India. In such places ‘Beti badhao, beti padhao’ seems like an apt message with a hope that these educated women in future contribute to keep population in check.

Population of a country forms its strength as human resources are valuable to bring about betterment in any form. Measures have to be taken that this strength does not become a weakness or burden on the economy in the long run. Maybe it’s time India adopted one child policy too, and hopefully every family thanks God for a single blessing in form of one child. India is a lucratively huge market, thanks to our very own population. Businesses thrive on the life cycle of Indians- be it schools, coaching classes, products and services or companies looking for affordable labour. If we just don’t insist on having children of our own ‘flesh and blood’ or desire to establish genetic dominance like in animal kingdom, and instead think of providing a better future to countless orphans who need love and support in form of education and good health, we will soon emerge as a superpower in terms of thinking. We will then be a nation of savaso crore happy, healthy and rational minds.

Fever of the Gentleman’s Game

Tuesday, 9^th July 2019, was like any other day for some, while an anxious one for many Indian cricket fans. Heartbeats were rapid with silent prayers and best wishes for the beloved Indian Cricket team to win the semi-final against New Zealand and reach the finals. After the magnificent World Cup win in 1983 and 2011 and outstanding performances of the team in this World Cup tournament, hopes were high to win the coveted World Cup trophy, only to be shattered into shards later. Though I am not an ardent follower of cricket and do not follow most of the cricket tournaments, the consistent wins by our team motivated me to catch this season of World Cup. For me it was like reading a book where the protagonist is winning laurels for his or her good work and all odds are always in the favour of that character. Such plots encourage me to read further and further.

This World Cup season not only showed me how strong and energetic our team is, but I also learned to see strengths of other teams and players, which I barely knew earlier. Cricket is the beloved and celebrated sport of India, thanks to the British influence and it has always been a symbol of sophistication and people have loved to associate themselves to this sport since decades. The promo of this season has itself been vibrant and highlighted the competitive spirit that cricket or any other sport displays. With England welcoming all the countries and everyone proudly dancing to “Tu khwaab dekhte reh jaa hum le jayenge” and racing for the trophy symbolized that cricket is a package of entertainment, team spirit, unity and patriotism. Isn’t it why it is said that, ‘cricket unites the nation’?

For sincere cricket fans, enjoying match in a stadium is the ultimate way of supporting the team. For me, that spirit and hope for victory was very much alive watching the match in the comfort of my home. We applauded whenever Rohit Sharma scored a century, or when our men in blue hit a four or six or took a challenging wicket of the opponents. I remember those moments when our batsmen hit the ball high in the air and we sat with hearts in our mouth praying it to be a six and not a wicket. It is so much fun to see the large blue ocean of Indian supporters with several faces painted in tricolor, cheering the team with all slogans and cheerful dances. It’s as though this positive energy is passed on to our team to do better in every game. Indian team reached the numero uno position with its wins in all matches except with England. While the perceived intimidating match with Australia resulted into our victory, the most nail-biting one was the match with Afghanistan. India faced toughest fight with them, but still managed to win the match by 11 runs. I was astonished by the spirit of Afghani players who did not give up till the last ball. That match earned my respect for Afghanistani cricket team too. Not having won a single match in the entire tournament, they surely strived to give their best, these lads as young as 18 and 19. When I read more about their team, I learned that the Afghani players imbibed the sport as refugees and their entry in the World Cup itself was a mark to show that they were capable to face the existing cricket champions.

We saw some once powerful teams take a blow of defeat, bidding the tournament goodbye. Each team has their own strengths and weaknesses and set of strong players which makes them a great one. What turning of tables really means, we got to see in this World Cup. On reaching the semi-finals, many of us were confident that India was surely to reach finals since the match with New Zealand was perceived to be a cakewalk. I remember that day when everyone including I had rejoiced over the so-called manageable target of 240 for the Indian Cricket team, a child’s play for the first rankers. But the forces of Nature had other plans and, in the end, it’s all in the destiny. We got massive blows one after the other when our best players were slain in merely few overs. The audience in the stadium too looked crestfallen, but still hope wasn’t lost. With Jadeja and Dhoni emerging as the last hopes, everyone sat with fingers crossed. I developed new found respect for Ravindra Jadeja who tried to save our sinking ship by scoring 77 runs in 59 balls. They gave their best to unlock the gates of Finals, but unfortunately their efforts were not enough to reach there. The dreams of bringing World Cup home ended there for the team as well as for millions of Indian fans, who had hoped to cheer our team in the finals. I learned from that match that even the best people get the taste of defeat when it’s most unexpected. Life is uncertain, and so is Cricket. Today’s winners might not necessarily be the winners at the end. Australia, ranked second, too met with the same fate against England. With the former winners out of World Cup 2019, a new way was paved for New Zealand and England, one of whom would create a history by becoming first time winners of the World Cup. The entire turn of events in this tournament reminded me of the hare and tortoise story, where the third and fourth rankers stole the show.

Cricket teaches us some great life lessons. We should never underestimate our competitors just because we are better than them and should learn to recognize and appreciate their strengths. Strategies can then be developed to get better of the opponents by identifying which can be their probable Achilles Heel. This holds true even in the business world, for you never know who might enter the market and conquer everything that you once owned. Similarly, not being on the top position also is not a matter to get disheartened. The sun shines brightly on some one day and shows the path to overcome the difficulties to emerge as tough. Cricket and business world are all about team work and team spirit. Identifying your team mates’ strengths and giving them the chance to display the best of their skills is a way of motivating them, for the success of any team and a company depends on its people. Even in life it is important to ensure that success does not get in the head. When that happens, you will lose the appetite for failure and it will also blur the ways to still get better in life.

The philosophies in sports, business or even in life go hand in hand, where today’s win is not guaranteed tomorrow unless perseverance is religiously abided by. Despite this, there is always a danger of failure, yet we must learn that we can always rise tomorrow with renewed vigour and better approach. Only when we learn to introspect and correct our mistakes and attitude, we come closer to success, although luck has a role in determining success too. Future can bring bright hopes or gloomy days, it’s how and whether we tackle it with grounded feet that matters in the end.

Gallivanting in Queen’s Land

It is said, that for any writer, mountains are the best places to come up with a good story or plot for a book, as they are havens for a peaceful mind and provide inspiration in nature’s proximity. This summer, as an escape from Mumbai’s scorching heat and hoping to get a thrust to write something better, I paid a visit to the Queen of Hills – Mussoorie, nestled in India’s Land of Gods i.e. ‘Devbhoomi’, Uttarakhand.

The journey from Dehradun Airport to Mussoorie was a starting point in Uttarakhand’s emerald green world. As we reached Mussoorie, the mountains seemed to welcome and embrace us in their wide arms. Our abode throughout the stay in Mussorie was Kasmanda Palace, a heritage hotel, which itself was an opportunity to live royally. It is situated on the busy Mall Road, where there is a plenitude of shops and mesmerizing view of mountains below. The palace is situated on top of a hill away from the hustle and bustle of the busy road. This more than a century old palace is like the one you would see in movies, where hunted animals are seen on the walls like trophies and steps are covered in royal red carpets. It is adorned by pictures of lineage of Kings who ruled the small kingdom of Kasmanda. The history of palace displayed is worth a read, as it explains how the palace has been through various avatars since its construction in 1836. It also mentions about the hunted animals seen in palace and how the kings, in order to protect their subjects, had killed these man-eater animals, thus not glorifying killing of animals. There was a cannibal tigress and a leopard kept in a glass cabinet, hunted between the years 1953 to 1958, who seemed life-like even today, with their belligerent eyes. Everything about the palace is regal, right from its rooms to the heritage items showcased in the property. The Her Royal Highness or H.R.H. point is a part of the palace where Queen Mary, wife of King George V had had tea and was thrilled to see the view of the mountains. It was indeed a scenic sight where you could get a panoramic view of humankind settled in the accommodating mountains. In the evening, the mountains and the settlements beyond them glittered like a Queen’s jewellery. The chilled evenings were a much-awaited respite from the beads of sweat experienced in Mumbai in the month of May.

The next morning, we headed out to explore the nature’s bounty. Our first stop was Yamuna Bridge, where we saw Yamuna, one of the holiest rivers of India running placidly with its pure waters. The river taught us to go with the flow of life with patience and calmness. As we were in the Land of Gods, taking their blessings was a must. We proceeded to visit Goddess Santura in her temple. It is believed that Santura Mata spared Mussoorie from a fierce earthquake in 1991. Therefore, this sacred place has profound significance among the people of Mussoorie. The story made me think of the strong divine impact on us and how God looks after His valuable creations, in times of calamity and prosperity as well. The temple is milky white in colour signifying its sanctity. The temple offers breathtaking view of green valleys below it, giving you much needed rejuvenation in untouched nature’s presence. We went ahead to meet another of God’s numerous forms, by visiting a Buddha Temple at Happy Valley. Surrounded by a meditative environment, this small temple offers peace of mind. Having sought an acquaintance with ranges of tall mountains now, it was time to explore the palette of colours on flowers at Company Garden, not far from Buddha Temple. The garden looks ebullient with a variety of flowers that it flaunts. Roses of different colours shine proudly in the gardens. A nursery within the garden is a place several multi-coloured flowers greet you and present a treat to your eyes. I remember a particular patch in that garden where flowers of all colours that you can imagine were present. It reminded me of my childhood colouring books in which I excitedly used all crayons of my box to colour a picture of garden! The evening slowly started turning into a cold one and we retired into the warmth of our palace hotel, like sincere subjects returning under their King’s protection.

The next day was a combination of visits to natural and man-made wonders and another rendezvous with God. We began our day by paying a visit to Naag Devta temple. Another refuge of solace, this temple is surrounded by soothing cool breeze and serenity. On its way, there are simple teachings for our day to day lives written on the walls, reading which, we ask ourselves whether we really lead our lives in these ideal ways. With a hope that we will engrave these thoughts in our minds, we headed for our next destination. We visited Mussoorie lake next, an artificial one, and it gives scope for other recreational activities and adventure sports around. The lake acts like a magnet, attracting many tourists to explore its various other offers. We were already in the mountains, but now it was time to visit a jewel originating from these mountains in form of a waterfall. We headed to Bhatta falls next, where we could hear the wild gushing of waters from a long distance. The force of this abundantly flowing milky white water was an exceptional sight to see. Freshly gifted by nature, the indispensable source of life looked pure and transparent. We drove to reach Dhanaulti next, where we went higher in the mountains, cutting across its series of zigzag, sharp turns. The air got cooler in the afternoon and the sight of green mountains and trees beautiful than ever. Our first stop in Dhanaulti - Surkanda Devi Temple, was an ultimate test of endurance, trekking and patience. This temple is situated at a highest point that you can imagine. The experience of climbing 8 to 9 kilometers of the mountain to reach the temple was exhausting as well as exhilarating. After taking frequent breaks and finally reaching the temple, beating all odds and levels of tiredness, we felt like victors who successfully passed a physical fitness test! We sought the Goddess’ blessings and thanked her implied way of teaching us that we can always overcome the difficult situations of life, if we have patience, courage and strong willpower. The view that we got from the top of the temple made us realize how far we had come climbing, motivating us to implement the same principle in our lives by progressing steadily. Exploring Dhanaulti further, we visited Eco Park – a vast expanse of 13 hectares covered in deodar and oak trees. The park looked like a typical picnic spot. The firmly standing tall trees seemed like disciplined people who followed a straightforward path of life. A tradition known as memory sapling plantation is followed in the park, as a part of which, one can plant a sapling in memory of their loved ones. What a beautiful way of remembering your loved ones than looking after and nurturing a new life with your own hands!

On our way back, we saw the King of Mountains gazing at us from a distance – the sacred Himalayas. So far in my life I had seen Himalayas only in pictures and had read about them; their significance in mythology and fascinating facts. But to see them with my own eyes was like a picture forever imprinted on my mind. These snowclad mountains were glittering in the sun, making evident to everyone who the real King was, among the numerous green mountains that we saw. The sight of Himalayas accompanied us till the long part of our drive, giving us enough opportunities to extol this distinct marvel of Nature, albeit from a far distance. To get a closer view of the magnificent Himalayas with the help of telescope, we visited Lal Tibba next, the second highest point in Mussoorie. On our way to Lal Tibba, we passed by the areas which were British establishments earlier. The surroundings still seem like pre-independent India, almost taking us back to British era. We saw Ruskin Bond’s home on our way. No wonder that the creatively conducive and pleasant climate of Mussoorie inspires him to come up with such good stories, revolving around the contentedness, innocence and simplicity of life in a hill station like this one. Having explored the lengths and breadths of Mussoorie, we called it a day, tired and satisfied at the same time.

The next day we headed out on foot to reach Gun Hill Point. A cable car ride is available to drop you there. We could see Himalayas even from there, wishing us a pleasant morning. Their sight again made our day. We walked around the Gun Hill Point enjoying the pleasant climate and gathering the marvelous view of mountains as much as possible, as it was our last day of stay in Mussoorie. The mountains also have their own way of telling how unique they are from each other. We went to Camel Back road next to see how these mountains took shape of a camel’s hump as if to distinguish themselves in some way.

Throughout our stay in Mussoorie, we relished the delicious and authentic North Indian delicacies and unleashed the foodies within us. Everything about the place was memorable- the untouched nature, kind people, the proudly standing temples and even the cycle rickshaws! Everything looked picturesque and like a description that you would read in stories. A vacation in a storyland like Mussoorie gave me a glimpse of utopian, fictional world that exists in stories where life is perfect and people are happy with whatever little they have. It was a lesson in appreciation of Nature which taught us to be humble and still be strong like the gargantuan mountains.