tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68468356159382738282024-03-05T10:40:47.300-08:00The World Beyond ColoursI am an Artist. I write, creative writing if I may call it. But there is a world beyond my colours and my poems that affects me. Incidents, people, places that make me think... Here I share all that with you.Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-14230211393806642052015-01-03T03:32:00.002-08:002015-01-03T03:32:49.854-08:00New Year Resolutions and much more...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy New Year to everyone! This blog was originally supposed to be called 'Year End Musings' and was to be published on 31st of December, however, couldn't even start typing it on it. Since I am writing this three days later, its the 'New Year Resolutions and much more'.<br />
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Resolution for this year aren't very different from last years, and I intend to follow through with them, unless the world comes to an end (which looks likely the way we are progressing). Career wise - its more company centric - turnover, expansion, new projects etc. Personally - Work life balance, to paint and write more, health and fitness, happiness, more travel is what I look for this year (Other micro stuff i did rather not mention). 2014 was an interesting year, managed to do stuff I hadn't thought I would, started something I thought I never could. Checked off a couple things off my bucket list, one of which is paragliding (what a wonderful experience) and the other is Shhh! from the secret bucket list ;).<br />
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One thing that I have noticed over time is how we all like to believe that we have evolved as a community/country, I believe we are still there. I am meaning to point at the very basic nature of being judgmental, I do that too sometimes. However, I try to, very consciously, not judge. We still judge, typecast, comment and basically dissect an individual and/or their act.<br />
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We keep thrashing the mindset of the older generation about how they judge us, how they judge what we do and what we say. But are we any different? Have we really progressed in our thoughts? Arent we still the same, maybe our playing field has changed. But we still stand there pointing fingers at anything that seems slightly any different from normal. I mention this as I read about the unfortunate suicide of a teen struggling with her identity, that of being a transgender. We judge people not only basis their sexual preference, we judge people on something as menial as taking an ice bucket challenge - 'She/he took the ice-bucket challenge, she/he is an attention whore.' We judge people on a whole plethora of stuff including religious beliefs.<br />
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As I always say, being modern isn't about wearing modern clothes or traveling the world, its about being more tolerant and open to people who are different from you. Who choose to do different things, express themselves differently. Modernization will truly happen when we open our arms and accept our differences, as people, as choices, as communities. The idea isn't to agree with someone or something, it is to accept to disagree and yet live in harmony. Well, the whole point of bringing this up in a post of New Year resolution, is to try and be less judgmental. Resolve to be tolerant. Resolve to be accepting.<br />
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Hoping for a brilliant year!! Wishing you all the best.<br />
<br /></div>
Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-91179041248063466412014-12-16T23:22:00.001-08:002014-12-16T23:22:37.736-08:00Innocence massacred!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday when I returned from work I was glued to the television set, watching the news of Taliban's' revenge against the Pak Army. It was a sight I never thought I would have witnessed, but I did, we all did. The mother in me cried watching the news, small innocent children were annihilated in the name of religion.<br />
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Which religion teaches you to kill unarmed innocent kids? None I believe. You want to fight for your religion? Fight with honour. Fight with equals. For centuries men have fought for they believe is righteous as taught to them through their culture and religion. But they have fought as equals. History tells us that the women, children, aged and unarmed were spared. They were allowed to live. What honour is it to kill people who can not even defend themselves.<br />
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That's what makes you terrorists, you are not fighting with honour, you are sneaking up behind the back of the most innocent people and murdering them. There is no honour, no respect in it. You are insulting your religion as well, although I haven't read it, but I am sure the Kuran doesn't tell you to slaughter children.<br />
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Many people believe what you sow is what you reap and since Pak is considered to be the terror hub of the world, they deserve what they got. But honestly did the children deserve it? The Pak Army fights for what their country and government believes in, they fought Taliban, but did their children deserve to die like this? Certainly not. The perpetrators of terror and terrorism deserve to die like this, but how many of those Army School students could be identified as one? None I believe.<br />
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My heart goes out to all those who lost their lives and all mothers who lost their children. No parent must be subjected to loosing their children like this. Although I am a patriot, but at this one time, I mourn the death of these innocent children who were targeted for religious extremism. I also mourn the death of innocence and childhood of all the children who are indoctrinated into religious extremism at a very early age. Inhuman. Irreligious. Evil.</div>
Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-42371513592706863172014-11-11T23:04:00.001-08:002014-11-11T23:04:22.533-08:00Why I dont wear the same clothes everyday yet make it simple!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ok so some of the most successful entrepreneurs/leaders wear the same clothes everyday. That is for two main reasons: One - cutting down on the time taken to decide what to wear and Two - creating a brand identity. I agree with both points and wish I wasn't conscious about clothes and shoes. (Not very 'fashion conscious' because I believe is wearing what is relevant and comfortable to what I do) Wearing the same clothes/style everyday for me would be pure blasphemy.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Women (and some men) would concur with me when I say it is a time taking and brain wracking decision to pick out what we have to wear everyday. So I have devised some simple rules to make the decision faster. Since I work in two distinct line of professions, I have style coded my clothes... For my business meets its formal wear (Western/Indian) and for art related events/meets its arty/boho chic (Western/Indian). For non work related days... its a jeans or shorts and a tee. Simple. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Further I have colour coded my days of the week, this reduces the choices I have and makes it easier to pick something to wear. How I arrived on the colours? My mom told me. Its also part of some ancient Hindu scripture and each colour has vibrations with each day that denotes a planet. Works as a great colour therapy as well.</span></span></span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mondays - White/cream</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Tuesdays - Red/Pink/Orange/magenta (That family and variations)</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Wednesdays - Green </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Thursdays - Yellow/Lemon</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fridays - Blue (works wonderfully as casual Friday and blue denims)</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Saturday - Black</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sunday - Whatever you want to wear man!!</span></span></span></li>
</ol>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For the footwear - if I have to walk a lot on that day, its flats and if the walking is lesser then heels. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(Disclaimer - I am no Fashion editor or stylist, just a style conscious working mother who doesn't have much time to select what to wear in the morning!)</span></span></span><br />
</div>
Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-24993823263416869872013-08-21T01:42:00.000-07:002013-08-21T01:44:54.819-07:00Women in India violated!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is this latest article by an American student doing the rounds, about how she felt violated and traumatized during her study tour in India and how she ended up with the PTSD. Refer article here: <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1023053">http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1023053</a><br />
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This post would seem like a continuation of my previous post about India. India is all about rich history, beautiful architecture (whatever is left of it), variety of cultures and all of that. I love this country no doubt, but the only way to be safe here is to rise above the 'common man' status. Which again would mean probably joining politics and other illegal means. Sigh. Coming back to what I really want to talk about here, women in India. Its not about having fair skin and coloured hair here. Its about every woman that gets out of the house. <br />
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I am born and brought up in India, with a fair share of exposure to foreign countries. I have been brought up in a fairly modern family in the armed forces. Majority of my childhood I lived in NOFRA, colaba, Mumbai. Very secured, very safe. And its nothing like the typical 'India' you experience outside. In my early teens, we had to move to this city of Indore, because dad had taken up a job there. Thats when the cultural difference gave me a heavy jolt. One incident where had worn shorts and went for a walk with my dad in the colony attracted eve teasers and hooting calls. My parents had restricted me from wearing shorts, spaghetti tops, short skirts, anything that was 'inappropriate' as per the culture there. That's when I began hating the place. Any place or culture that objectifies women, doesnt let them be, isnt worth liking anyways. There were many such incidents following this one that only increased my disdain for the place.<br />
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Cut-to youth. The Real world. Back in Bombay. Working. I was back in Bombay and working. But no more in the security of Colaba. I was traveling in trains and meeting new people. I was scouring the common man's markets looking for work related things. When I connected with my Bombay again. It had changed. Although it is miles ahead of the cultural shock that Indore was. It was still different. I didnt feel safe. I had hit men at station for trying to grope me. I was reporting men for eve teasing. I was being stared at. Not only stared, there is a very crass term that men use when they look at women, its called 'chakshu-chodan'. I am sure all women here would have experienced that. There were men looking at women and pleasuring themselves in full public view. All this without any apprehension or the slightest of worry of being inappropriate. Sadly, in India only women are inappropriate, not the men.<br />
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Walking around in India with the common public, women feel like fresh meat, amidst hungry dogs. unless you are traveling in an AC car, doing rounds of an upper crust mall, and going back home, you will be subjected to everything that the article above says the student went through.<br />
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Again, I am not generalizing 'all Indian men'. But c'mon whom are we kidding. How many of Indian men are gentlemen. A fraction few in India. A very small percentage. Those men that wont eve-tease, that wont comment, that wont stare, that wont lust when they look at women. Men who would step aside when a woman is passing by, and not try to stick their elbows out so that it brushes her breasts. How many? Not many Indian men I am afraid.<br />
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The student also mentions attempted rape, that I agree happens in other countries as well, and not only in India. But what happens post rape is another story here. The women are further victimized, they let the men get away with it.<br />
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I would think all Indian women should have PTSDs cause we go through this every day, every bloody day. But we have grown thick skins now. We have learnt to hold our bags to our chests and walk. We have learnt to keep our head down and stare at the road, We have learnt to wear headsets listen to music and not hear the lewd comments. We have learnt to compromise and learnt to be victimized. We get sexually harassed everyday and don't even realize it to that extent. The saddest part is that, this has become second nature to us. We are ok with it.<br />
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For women in India sexual harassment translates more into embarrassment, as we are made to believe time and again that its our fault and not the other way around.<br />
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I hope more mothers teach their sons to respect women. But then, will the labours, street and slum dwellers ever learn that? Maybe not. Maybe in some years the educated and learned people in India will stop existing and just move out. This co-existence is becoming more and more diificult.<br />
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Cheers to a new India. Sans the intellectual class. <br />
<br /></div>
Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-72082651758338688582013-08-15T06:50:00.000-07:002013-08-15T06:52:49.857-07:00No Kidding!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This article about the trend where couples choose to remain childless for various reasons, triggered this post. You can refer to the article here:<a href="http://in.lifestyle.yahoo.com/why-indian-couples-choosing-not-kids-043342528.html">Why Indian Couples are not Having Kids</a><br />
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I have a few friends who have chosen to be child-less, mostly for not wanting to take the responsibility that comes with bringing up a child. I dont judge them. If they think they are not ready for a child then they should not go for it.<br />
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Here's my story. I got married very early. One thing I was very sure of was not to have a child immediately. But I did want a family eventually. I always hoped that I was in the family way before I hit the 30 mark, and the 'un'planning made sure of it.<br />
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Parenting isn't a joke. It takes a lot of patience and understanding to raise a child. If you think you need an active social life and need vacations and want to buy all those glossy stuff in the market, and you are not ready to give up any of the above, then my friend, you are not a parent material. There are times when the kids just drive you up the wall and you wonder
why do people have progeny at all. But believe me, its worth it.<br />
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When you are vacationing in those snowy peaks, I am here changing diapers. When you are gyrating to the latest house number in the most hip-bar in town, I would be mostly cleaning sticky puke. And when you are ordering pizza after a hectic day at work, I am making garam garam phulkas and green veggies. I would happily give up all that you do to be with my child. Because that's how I think. One smile from him is worth giving up all of that. Its worth getting restricted to 'house parties' when you know the little one will doze off on your lap while you are discussing Indian Politics. Really, its worth it. You want to give the best and all that you can to your little one.<br />
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I lived the 20s the way I did. I have partied, watched movies, traveled to my hearts delight. Now is the time to make sure the kiddo gets the education he deserves, to make sure he is eating right and sleeping well. I have always wanted a family, and now that its there, my wish is fulfilled. I would gladly take the plunge and have a second one if I could afford to (time, attention and money).<br />
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Having said all of the above, and despite being a dotting parent, its essential that you balance your individual personality with that of being a parent. Because a happy parent, bring up a happy child and raises a happy individual. Also, being a parent needs a lot of commitment, take the plunge only if you know you can do it. <br />
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P.S. I used to role my eyes whenever a mother would say the sacrifices are worth it when the child smiles. If you are rolling your eyes right now, I will understand. I have been there. </div>
Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-92003813967561985672013-08-08T23:17:00.000-07:002013-08-08T23:17:52.805-07:00India and all that goes!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Its been a while that i wanted to blog about this brilliant country I live in. India. However, a discussion on the school friends whatsapp group really pushed me to writing it.<br />
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I am not unhappy personally. I love this country. I love that I come from a rich culture and strong heritage. I love the fact that my family and friends are here. I guess I wouldn't like to live in any other country apart from India. The sheer diversity and easy-going pace of the country attracts me and keeps me glued to it. Also, coming from a fauji background the inherent patriotism is another reason.<br />
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Having said all of the above, I have serious concerns about the country. My unhappiness, or dissatisfaction stems when I open my eyes and look beyond home. I have complaints as a citizen. The infrastructure sucks. its bad. Really really bad. Monsoons is a nightmare in Mumbai. There are potholes everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Even on the so-called newly constructed roads. There is lack of emergency services. After an accident u will die bleeding on the road but no one will come to your rescue. The authorities will argue and bicker about jurisdiction. Even of u get an ambulance, the sheer lack of civic sense and laws will make sure it wont reach the hospital on time. And we have all seen numerable incidents to corroborate these statements. I dont need to tell you how ambulances are treated on road in India.<br />
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Talking of Civic sense. I am ashamed of Indians in general. They liter. They spit. They break traffic rules. They are basically ill-mannered. Then again you would think, y should one blame the govt for this. Because of lack of education. Literacy is one thing. Education is another. We lack both of these in our country. We need better schools, better teachers, better curriculum, stricter adherence to schedules etc etc. We need responsible representatives that dont kill children with mid-day meals.<br />
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We need Population control. For my reasons and concerns regarding this, pls read the previous blog: <a href="http://worldbeyondcolours.blogspot.in/2013/05/idiocracy.html">http://worldbeyondcolours.blogspot.in/2013/05/idiocracy.html</a>.<br />
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Poverty is a concern yes. I can not say much about the rural sector, but in urban space it is more lack of will to rise than lack of opportunities. Having worked partially with NGOs as a volunteer I know how things move around. I realize I am not supposed to feel guilty to be privileged (thats what the 'well to do' are, right?). Infact, its our taxes that pay for a lot of these people. Not sure if that money is used correctly. There are more NGOs that are doing good work than, any govt. run/affiliated organization in the field of up-liftment of under-priviledged.<br />
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If you point at me saying what have I done as a citizen to bring forth change? Here's my list - I pay taxes, I don't litter, I don't riot, I use all govt provided (whatever minimal) amenities with care, I do community service, I am not party to Brain Drain. I don't have time to do much more cause the life here doesn't allow any more time. <br />
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Today what I am or what I have made is purely by sheer hard work. There is no govt. supported infrastructure or financial framework that helped me. I bust my ass everyday to make things work around. All I ask from the govt is better roads, 24hrs water, Safety & Security and better medical/emergency services. Rest we will manage. We have been managing for donkeys years.<br />
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But Alas! That's not to be. Everyday new scams, new controversies, debates on voting points. The citizen of the country gets lost in between all of this somewhere. <br />
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I have hope, still have hope, that maybe, just maybe, things may get better. <br />
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PS. My personal happiness quotient is very high, cause that does not include any govt provided things. It includes family and personal well being which is in optimum condition. (Again! all private players not govt. support there ;))<br />
<br /></div>
Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-75358423306458638972013-05-08T02:38:00.000-07:002013-05-08T02:38:03.417-07:00Idiocracy!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I watched this movie '<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/?ref_=sr_2">Idiocracy</a>' a 2006 Hollywood movie some days ago. The movie is stupid. Literally. But that's what its meant to be. From a movie stand-point not very interesting, and no surprise if it bombed at the box office. However, the movie stirred some thoughts in my mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am a strong believer in genetics. We know for a fact that certain traits, talents, personality types, phobias, manias, intelligence and stupidity are all carried in the genes, from parents to children. The movie takes this basic fact and builds the story from there. What they show in the movie, the seed of which is starting in the US, in five centuries the whole of US will be dominated by stupid people and intelligence will be long gone. India is well on its way to this prediction. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Couples in higher income groups, with higher education, better jobs, higher IQ are not having children. They either don't want any children or are delaying it to the point where nature may not support them anymore. On the other hand, couples in the lower income groups, when I say lower income here, I am referring to below poverty line, are having children till their women can bear them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The ratio of children with higher IQ is seriously dwindling as compared to lower IQ children. For a society, or country to run efficiently there has to be a balance of individuals, with whatever special skill sets they can offer. Even if everyone becomes a scholar then who would do the hard labour, or if no one is a scholar then who would lead/guide/manage/organize the labour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Just imagine, for each couple who can provide better education, better medical facilities, better lifestyle to their children who are not having kids: there are many couples who are having 4 kids each on an average. I believe if things continue the way they are, in another few decades the ratio of intelligent people in India versus the lower IQ will seriously dwindle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Infact to think from another point of view, the situation in India doesn't purely depend on the genetics issue (though its a major influence), it is also influenced by the lack of administration in terms of providing education opportunities and awareness to the public with limited means. Or maybe its a concoction of low IQ genes with lack of opportunities or will.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It scares me to think that people with low or no education will largely outnumber those with higher intelligence and proper education. And not to forget the issue of 'brain drain' that India faces. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Adding that to the situation of the quality of population that is increasing, I wonder where our country will head in the future. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: I do not support the Indian caste system, neither does this blog refer to India's caste system <span style="font-size: x-small;">in any way</span>. This is a note purely on what I feel about genetics<span style="font-size: x-small;"> and how it will influence the ratio of India's growing population</span>. Although the ancient Indian system of caste was largely based on genetics<span style="font-size: x-small;">, I <span style="font-size: x-small;">strongly </span>believe it</span> does not apply anymore. My thoughts on that are reserved for another time.</span></span></div>
Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-22116545564443416342013-05-02T22:56:00.001-07:002013-05-02T22:56:28.446-07:00Ego Trip!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Its amazing isn't it, that people with low or no credibility go on the longest and most expensive ego trips. I have had such several incidents around me recently where such individuals have amazed me, actually beyond amazed me. The recent one takes the cake.<br />
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So there is this gentlemen who has close to no knowledge of the subject in question and like one of those baffling unexplainable occurrences of the universe, has a rather commanding position without supervision. This individual goes on ego trips on an hourly basis, wanting people to 'recognize' his 'position'. Dude! If you are really worth the position or authority you command, you dont need to throw yourself around. Your knowledge, authority will command itself. But then, when you dont have it, you have to force people to think you do. And what best way to do it rather than go on a long and expensive ego trip.<br />
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Like they say in a Hindi Proverb 'Adh jal gagri chalkat jaye' literally meaning 'a half filled pot of water, splashes and spills the most'. Enough said!</div>
Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-44241598537229447842013-04-19T22:41:00.001-07:002013-04-19T22:41:25.034-07:00How safe are we?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A friend pointed out that we should not blame the law enforcement and the law makers for not doing their jobs. However I feel that they have failed miserably, and are to be blamed for the sorry state of safety for citizens. The whole objective here is to instill fear in perpetrators, so that they think a thousand times before harming anyone. The fact that there is no fear of punishment, crimes are being done fearlessly! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Our police force hasn't been sensitized towards sexual crimes; sexual crimes against children or women or men for that matter. They just don't know how to handle the victims or the families. The latest case is a live example of how casually such matters are handled and how they would rather push it under the carpet with no public attention to such a case. There is no SOP for tackling rape victims and even if there is one, it is not enforced within the police force. The wounds that such a crime inflicts on the victims are only deepened by the same people who are supposed to protect us. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Ofourse one's safety is in one's hand yet, what is the police force
for? How do we make sure our children are safe, they cant take care of
themselves. How do criminals understand that they just cant go around
harming children. There is no separate law in the country against
pedophiles. They should be butchered, stoned, hanged. There just isnt any forgiveness for violating children. Its a sickness of mind, which can only be treated with stopping such a mind from existing.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I am constantly on guard for my kid. I am scared as a parent. He goes to school, I am scared every moment when he isn't with me. I don't trust anyone with him. But that shouldn't be the case right. We should be able to enjoy our children's childhood. We should feel protected. We should feel safe. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div>
Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-39716683663199702522012-03-08T23:26:00.000-08:002012-03-08T23:26:35.913-08:00Stree 2012 5th Annual All India Women Artist Art Exhibition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCC6FQzW5ayDacKrmCARiqVohQL20qHc-adaYCVRqOqqLWgpcAADg91kEYdOcWHIBFNKG0rVryWYO3N6wUlD9FbjOzqOHpz0tvb6ZZO5RYBDMahJtZkMGCIPrX8tSMF2yIHfb3ywZ3mxo/s1600/image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCC6FQzW5ayDacKrmCARiqVohQL20qHc-adaYCVRqOqqLWgpcAADg91kEYdOcWHIBFNKG0rVryWYO3N6wUlD9FbjOzqOHpz0tvb6ZZO5RYBDMahJtZkMGCIPrX8tSMF2yIHfb3ywZ3mxo/s400/image001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'Stree-12' is the 5th Annual All India Women Artist Art Exhibition organized by Bhiku Ram Jain Foundation & Art Mall. The art exhibition will be inaugurated by some noted senior eminent artists, art critics, art historians and other celebrities, as has been done in previous years. Art works of women artists from all over India will be on display and sale till 20th March 12. In this art exhibition, artists will have an interaction with eminent artists which would develop a better and long term relations to benefit all. Art Mall and the Foundation are working endlessly for the benefaction of the upcoming artists in India and are providing them an unparallel platform to display their art works on a regular basis in the gallery. On this event an annual art catalogue having work images of the participating women artists will also be released on the same day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Georgia, serif; line-height: 1.6em; text-align: left; text-indent: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Georgia, serif; line-height: 1.6em; text-align: left; text-indent: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time : 10</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6em; text-align: left; text-indent: 20px;">th March : 6:00 pm - Opening</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11th to 20th March : 11:00 am - 8:00 pm - Exhibition on View</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Entry :</b> Free</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Place :</span> Art Mall, 5, Shivaji Marg, Moti Nagar, N. G. Road, New Delhi - 15</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Website :</span> <a href="http://www.artmallonline.com/">http://www.artmallonline.com/</a> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> | Nearest Metro Station(Green Line) - </span><a href="http://www.delhievents.com/2011/08/delhi-metro-rail-green-line-kirti-nagar.html" style="color: #7b7b7b; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">'Satguru Ramsingh Marg'</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> &</span><a href="http://www.delhievents.com/2010/12/delhi-metro-rail-line-5-inderlok-mundka.html" style="color: #7b7b7b; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">'Ashok Park'</a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my paintings will also be displayed at the exhibition. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So if you guys are in Delhi then please visit.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers!!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-6381792093671840712012-02-09T21:33:00.000-08:002012-02-09T21:33:34.407-08:00Money Management<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'Money Management' 'Household Budget' 'Expenses' 'Bills' 'Savings'... all these terms are troubling for me. I am not really the very 'spend your money carefully' kind of person. Until now, I and my husband would spend more and save almost nothing. It was just the two of us. We had already bought our house and that was the biggest saving that we did. Pretty much satisfied with it. I mean, who buys a house at 26 and that too in Bombay. How we bought it, makes a good story for another blog post, so more on that later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But now that I am a mother, I have an added sense of responsibility . I have to save for my child, to make sure he gets a secured future. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So to keep a track of our expenses and make sure we save something at the end of the month after investing, I came up with this excel sheet tracker. I intend to update it every week, so that would be about 4to5 times a month, which I think is fair. This will make my life so much easier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The intention of making this tracker is not only to track the expense but to identify any 'unnecessary' spend and try to curb it the next time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here is the tracker for you all. Use it if it suits your lifestyle, amend it. Also, if you have any suggestions for changes or additions, please let me know.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjfGqaNj_aLddDh0X0NOMWlMLXlwcUM4RFVaTnA4X1E#gid=0">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjfGqaNj_aLddDh0X0NOMWlMLXlwcUM4RFVaTnA4X1E#gid=0</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please note: there are four categories where we could specify the expense weekly as you scroll down and i have added a formula where the weekly expense will be added in the main table.</span></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-439213651355398832012-02-02T20:39:00.000-08:002012-02-02T20:47:43.670-08:00Perception<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have received the below mail many a times before as well, however, every time it makes me think. Are we really missing out on the beauty around us. The small moments that make life and fill us with Joy. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today we are being bombarded by Brands and Media (I am a victim myself), have we stopped realizing and paying attention to whats available at no cost around. Things to ponder...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP5l0qDgUcVBRdb8xDOluUByBahy2VngCf1bCDT-jtemWCVjlHWK_VNL639ZFevle8lqwVFlMGZlg7kQAmQjC_UEGFCH-KHr8ZK6OYeesvUCn3Ps7zmDvaV-m0QCJsicbWpd05QcNrm8/s1600/joshua-bell-metro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP5l0qDgUcVBRdb8xDOluUByBahy2VngCf1bCDT-jtemWCVjlHWK_VNL639ZFevle8lqwVFlMGZlg7kQAmQjC_UEGFCH-KHr8ZK6OYeesvUCn3Ps7zmDvaV-m0QCJsicbWpd05QcNrm8/s1600/joshua-bell-metro.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCrmaNnFBBflycN4ruUlotQA81Nr5G5__Rj3RY8-P6jNftM3p6VuxrIyfbsiM5MNl4FBFyQoiWQEL303lpSDeh1gqWdJOZ2kMpKpiOSqqBh5XIoPcSebAY54SZbv-9b6Q2TsW9c3pYU8/s1600/Violinist+in+subway+uncropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><b><i><span style="color: #4141ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Perception</span></i></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span> <b><span style="color: #4141ff;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> THE SITUATION</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #4141ff;"> </span><br />
<b><br />
In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4141ff;"><br />
About 4 minutes later</span>: </b><br />
<br />
<br />
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #4141ff;"><br />
At 6 minutes:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<br />
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #4141ff;"><br />
At 10 minutes:</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCrmaNnFBBflycN4ruUlotQA81Nr5G5__Rj3RY8-P6jNftM3p6VuxrIyfbsiM5MNl4FBFyQoiWQEL303lpSDeh1gqWdJOZ2kMpKpiOSqqBh5XIoPcSebAY54SZbv-9b6Q2TsW9c3pYU8/s1600/Violinist+in+subway+uncropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCrmaNnFBBflycN4ruUlotQA81Nr5G5__Rj3RY8-P6jNftM3p6VuxrIyfbsiM5MNl4FBFyQoiWQEL303lpSDeh1gqWdJOZ2kMpKpiOSqqBh5XIoPcSebAY54SZbv-9b6Q2TsW9c3pYU8/s320/Violinist+in+subway+uncropped.jpg" width="320" /></a> A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #4141ff;"><br />
At 45 minutes:</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.<br />
<b><span style="color: #4141ff;"><br />
After 1 hour:</span></b><span style="color: #4141ff;"> </span><br />
<br />
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all. <br />
<br />
<br />
No one knew this, but the violinist was <b>Joshua Bell</b>, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJLvSfnYs5EfMu0-SD3_TkIa7zkeHfV79_i0OEqys-jw0TgxFwWa5N6Ss4fncPyMnd9BtlTUwT_fdTREAvEu72LSlBTnhoJkB2i3zRakNz95M0am7SylUtDS0RciKHfCNNKsQ1UZVi-w/s1600/joshuabell1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJLvSfnYs5EfMu0-SD3_TkIa7zkeHfV79_i0OEqys-jw0TgxFwWa5N6Ss4fncPyMnd9BtlTUwT_fdTREAvEu72LSlBTnhoJkB2i3zRakNz95M0am7SylUtDS0RciKHfCNNKsQ1UZVi-w/s320/joshuabell1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about <b>perception, taste and people's priorities</b>. <br />
<b><span style="color: #4141ff;"><br />
This experiment raised several questions:</span></b><br />
<b><br />
*</b>In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? <br />
<b><br />
*</b>If so, do we stop to appreciate it? <br />
<b><br />
*</b>Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?<br />
<br />
<b><br />
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:</b><br />
<b><br />
If we do <u>not</u> have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . ..</b> <br />
<b><br />
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
</div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-29177442660034668912011-09-22T00:05:00.000-07:002011-09-22T00:05:52.343-07:00Akanksha Come Alive 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I will conduct a 2 hour art workshop with all the participants for Art. Below are the details of the event. Please join us and Come Alive!!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #595959; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;"><i></i></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Dear all,</i></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>It’s that time of the year when you can do the one thing you always wanted to do but never found the time, when you can connect with people you never thought you will meet, when you can set yourself free from the inhibitions you might have… It’s time to ‘Come Alive’ with Akanksha again!</i></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>The Akanksha Foundation invites you to kick start the ‘Joy of Giving Week’ with the annual event on Sunday, the 2<sup style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">nd</sup> of October 2011.</i></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>For details and to sign up please refer to the attached document.</i></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Looking forward to hearing from all of you.</i></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Thanks and Regards,</i></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Mansi Shah</i></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Manager – Social Leadership Programme</i></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>The Akanksha Foundation</i></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Email – <a href="mailto:mansi.shah@akanksha.org" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0099cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">mansi.shah@akanksha.org</a></i></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #595959; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;"><i><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Website – <a href="http://www.akanksha.org/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0099cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">www.akanksha.org</a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
</div></i></span></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-66952867494622184792011-06-28T01:49:00.000-07:002011-06-28T01:54:20.738-07:00Carryapoly Campaign<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I read an article about a cleanup drive in Mumbai yesterday that was reported by <a href="http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/2011062720110627034312351c3398486/Citys-biggest-cleanup-drive-and-you-can-be-a-part-of-it.html">Mumbai Mirror</a>. The article started with something, that I have experienced many a times.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I rarely travel by train. But when I do, I have seen educated well dressed women litter, and I am talking of first class compartment. So essentially I am referring to educated career women. I am not limiting this behavior to train commuters. The other day I was traveling with this rather well to do, career woman in her car. We stopped to take some take away from McDonalds, finished our meal in her car while we traveled. To my utter horror, she very conveniently rolled down her window and threw her wrapper and paper cup on the road. I didn’t even get time to react and she was done with the waste. I then told her she was wrong in doing so. She was indifferent. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ49lGj53gKmmRYhOI0UTAIJ609PzNpZNkyLYut8DKynH0RmQAc3cdHqV0jAvOpKC-1c1frbcfcqGExa1rlozRSJR815azhHBmMxr6dUvZR2v_jvvPt5dUEkzCeQ8I28vAVV9_LKJtrpc/s1600/plastic-bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ49lGj53gKmmRYhOI0UTAIJ609PzNpZNkyLYut8DKynH0RmQAc3cdHqV0jAvOpKC-1c1frbcfcqGExa1rlozRSJR815azhHBmMxr6dUvZR2v_jvvPt5dUEkzCeQ8I28vAVV9_LKJtrpc/s200/plastic-bag.jpg" width="190" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whenever such offenders are told that they shouldn’t litter or what they are doing is wrong, I get scorned at. Well, at the risk of getting into arguments I have time and again chided people (known and otherwise also) against littering.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I personally, always carry a polythene bag in my purse to collect any liter, wrappers, waste papers etc. Once at home or office I dispose off these in the dustbin. I then started offering to collect others liter in this polythene and keep in my bag so it could be disposed off in the trash can. That is the basic way of handling this. I have realized that people follow action more than words. So maybe we need to show them what to do and do it for them to begin with and then hope that they follow.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, here is my idea to start a campaign called #Carryapoly, where the participants can carry a polythene always, and when they see anyone about to litter, they may offer the same to collect such litter. Some of my friends suggested that we should use recyclable polythenes. That’s a good idea. We could do that. We can urge people to use and re-use the polythene bags that they get home for #carryapoly. We can use:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Smaller garbage bags</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Zip bags</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Branded shopping bags</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Recyclable white polythene bags</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lPLTDegyGhezLVn9DmuwapwZQDP1l_K8W9tf2yvokhW1VThXvq3POYopApK1eT7dqK3XoxAcqgfubM0kphOz9ksBp3PcI-vF0RPUni1aqXJo_HbLsqxTJO0aUoBRGHfqQqN5b_wBWXk/s1600/carryapoly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lPLTDegyGhezLVn9DmuwapwZQDP1l_K8W9tf2yvokhW1VThXvq3POYopApK1eT7dqK3XoxAcqgfubM0kphOz9ksBp3PcI-vF0RPUni1aqXJo_HbLsqxTJO0aUoBRGHfqQqN5b_wBWXk/s320/carryapoly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lets start small, then maybe this drive will grow big eventually and something may come out of it. Those who are interested in this campaign please use the #carryapoly hashtag in your tweets related to the campaign. Please give-in your suggestions. This is just a very nascent idea. We need to be together to make this work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ciao till the next update.</span></div></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-5200707347659555282011-05-10T23:14:00.000-07:002011-05-10T23:14:24.487-07:00Sustainable Hopes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="MsoIntenseReference"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Below is the critique of "Windmills of Hope" by Art critic - Johny ML</b> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two things cannot be missed out while watching the latest painting series by Srushti Mandar Rao; the vibrancy of lines that reminds anyone of the rhythmic fusion of body, movement, music and light created by a dancer and a heightened awareness of environmental issues. Srushti being a trained painter, dancer and a serious trekker, this pronounced fusion of concerns in her works comes quite naturally and the style that she has developed over a period of time has a characteristic of its own and has got strong art historical affinities with the American Optical Art experiments of 1960s. The new series titled, ‘Windmills of Hope’ brings forth the artist’s idea about a future, which should depend on sustainable development and environmental protection.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The distinct style of painting, which Srushti fondly qualifies as ‘Line-ism’ explores the possibilities of lines and their tonal gradations on a pictorial surface. The planar division of the surface through vertical, horizontal and zigzag lines, as well as through the specific distribution of tonal intensities generates at once the feel of a colorful spectrum and the illusion of a solid image. Srushti invests her energies in the creation of abstract values of colors and lines as a musician focuses on ragas. The works demand the viewer to make physical adjustments so that they could enjoy both the abstract and figurative elements embedded in them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The present series, ‘Windmills of Hope’ took shape when Srushti visited Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, where she witnessed a series of windmills erected for the generation of alternative power/energy. Windmills, despite their economic and investment values, within their physical appearance and purpose carry an aesthetical appeal (seeing them against the horizon or along the roads that you travel is a thought provoking as well as meditative experience) and a futuristic vision. As an alternative energy resource, windmills, to certain extent assure the preservation of environment in its actual state. Windmills, aesthetically speaking, represent an alternative icon of contemporary times. These icons of our times embody human dignity, mobility and freedom; one could feel it along with the artist.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Interestingly, Srushti in a very subconscious way connects her new series with the way the Impressionists of the late 19th century France had painted their surroundings. It is not just that the Impressionists had painted windmills and today Srushti does the same, but Srushti too like the Impressionists captures the mood of the windmills as per the change of light and time. Windmills are identical with one another. However, in Srushti’s works each one of them carries a distinct personality and a deeper look would reveal that Srushti gives attention in producing the effect the ‘time’ through the selection of particular lights of the day; for instance she sees them like persons walking towards you, or someone seen under moonlight or a cloudy sky. She captures the speed of the rotating blades the way a minimalist like Brancusi would produce the effect of movement in his sculptures.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rhythmic movements and changing moods of light and time are palpable in the works of Srushti. Though she does not attempt at the actual representation of the landscapes within which these windmills are distributed, through the creation of textural fields and suggestive minimal symbolism Srushti Mandar Rao vivifies not only the physical values of the windmills but also of the landscapes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoIntenseReference"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JohnyML<br />
art critic, writer, curator <br />
May 2011<br />
New Delhi</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoIntenseReference"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoe8xsCbBJjSeIBh0HDfJ9RA2xy5kmpTRx1IQs7GwOjUGPOwzdRdKtTnHExqyk3TVjbEpz9tJ-hcEfosK4xNr7hvAlqquXJ8BroOJ3Mr4l2C_XD6aQ9p8qKhvjxHe4YuMy0QmevGaMAw/s1600/Exhibition-Invite1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoe8xsCbBJjSeIBh0HDfJ9RA2xy5kmpTRx1IQs7GwOjUGPOwzdRdKtTnHExqyk3TVjbEpz9tJ-hcEfosK4xNr7hvAlqquXJ8BroOJ3Mr4l2C_XD6aQ9p8qKhvjxHe4YuMy0QmevGaMAw/s320/Exhibition-Invite1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoIntenseReference"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-60204720133175766182011-05-10T04:30:00.000-07:002011-05-10T04:30:38.944-07:00And the NGO is - Ishaan Foundation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a humongous task to identify and finalize the NGO that I would support from the sale of my paintings through the exhibition "Windmills of Hope". </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The idea was to have an NGO that works in the field of education for under-privileged children. Alongside me fire-fighting with preparation for my exhibition I was deliberating on which NGO to support. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had this huge support of Chandni Parekh (@Fundacause) for this task. She not only would answer all my annoying queries right from what should we do? to how can we finalize now? but also went through each and every application that we received for this and added her experienced comments to it. Chandni, a huge thanks to you for your support.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were essential 3 criteria that I used for selecting the NGO</span><br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The NGO shouldn't be a very big one - Larger organisations get a lot of support from corporates and other businesses, my minuscule contribution would not have made much difference to their existing revenues (although it might have added I am sure).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The NGO needs to be working in Children's education - You can read my reasons for this on my previous blog <a href="http://worldbeyondcolours.blogspot.com/2011/03/basic-education-for-all.html">here.</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The NGO needs to be in or around Malad - I wanted more involvement than just giving money one time. I wanted to be able to visit the place and have a more human involvement. It is not a short term relationship that I am looking at with the NGO. It shall be longer, i want to see what more I could do with the NGO and be involved in a deeper manner.</span></li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ecFi7Koz_NY0s1m-ZQl-fQOh4kVIgsbJ__doP4IGm72f0Xupm0EyhTWeXCAZi20skXNZ1qWJ6xy6NU72fS3mNwj2RcMqK7bdwA6rhGNIOPCMmD4rsXLbV2AOhdfpD5zuCIKd9nGsJAc/s1600/ishaan-Foundation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ecFi7Koz_NY0s1m-ZQl-fQOh4kVIgsbJ__doP4IGm72f0Xupm0EyhTWeXCAZi20skXNZ1qWJ6xy6NU72fS3mNwj2RcMqK7bdwA6rhGNIOPCMmD4rsXLbV2AOhdfpD5zuCIKd9nGsJAc/s200/ishaan-Foundation.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One NGO that fulfilled all these criteria is ISHAAN HOPE Foundation for Education & Training (Social benefit & non—profit organization). </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A little about their Project that I have decided to support - </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Educational help to <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1305019533_18">Orphanage</span>: I am in touch with Dr Hema Kulkarni of the Ishaan Hope Foundation who is looking after the project, an orphanage situated in Mudh Island which houses about 65 children varying from 3yrs to 17 yrs. This orphanage does not have government aid as it does not have enough space as well as other infrastructure. Last year 11 students were enrolled in a nearby school. From June 2011, 9 more will be enrolled. The annual fees per student is Rs, 7000/-. This does not include uniforms & textbooks. In fact, Mrs. Buthello (who runs this orphanage) wishes to send 10 more children to school. Although they were unable to undertake this responsibility because of lack of funds.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Until now the children were getting education through <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1305019533_0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; cursor: pointer;">National Open School system</span>. However there were no regular trained teachers to educate them. Dr Hema Kulkarni visted the orphanage in 2009 and suggested that it was better for these children to go to nearby regular school. This will not only help them get regular education & training, but also have an opportunity to meet & interact with children from society. This suggestion was accepted by the president of the orphanage. In June 2010 they enrolled 9 young students in Sir J. P. School, Malad (West) as the school principal insisted that the children should have proper documentation. Three other older students were enrolled on Holy Mother English School in Malawani as they did not insist on documentation. Annual fees per year per student is Rs. 7000/- (Seven thousand) which includes <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1305019533_1">bus fare</span>, but not uniforms & text books. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eight other students were sponsored by donors from the neighborhood, but they backed out after six months & the foundation had to support these eight students as well for last 6 months. The total expenditure last year on this project was 112000/- (One Lakh twelve thousand). From <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1305019533_2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; cursor: pointer;">June 2011</span>, the foundation has to support all 20 students & fees expenditure would be Rs. 140,000/- (One Lakh forty thousand). The principals of the schools have accepted our request that we will pay the fees on quarterly basis. There are more students in the orphanage who need to go to school but because of pausity of funds are unable to. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The foundation also wishes to help them by providing uniforms & text books but have not been able to do so till now. Mrs. Buthello who runs the orphanage has got permission to start pre-primary school. She wishes that the foundation help her establish this project too. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addtion to above, Mrs. Buthollo wishes that more than 10 students who have passed 10th std need to undergo vocational training so that they become financially independent & may be able to move out of the orphanage.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I do hope that I am able to pitch in a substantial amount to help this Orphanage.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also urge my readers to please see if some more funds can be collected for this orphanage. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My only endeavor is to make a small difference through my exhibition "Windmills of Hope" and give hope to these children by giving them the gift of education.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUA7TUV4fyCS9JDvzLXIWXxYtOz4HVgqpfVivf7Q68gbzwkYrM4VF4AUAP9G0SEz_woydCPGZsvANad23n9fHiLK48bzim5FScCAuEmFW0FJyqTS81wWAeXeNP1K9Lm9mz95S-1x0wm50/s1600/Exhibition-Invite1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUA7TUV4fyCS9JDvzLXIWXxYtOz4HVgqpfVivf7Q68gbzwkYrM4VF4AUAP9G0SEz_woydCPGZsvANad23n9fHiLK48bzim5FScCAuEmFW0FJyqTS81wWAeXeNP1K9Lm9mz95S-1x0wm50/s400/Exhibition-Invite1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invite to my Exhibition</td></tr>
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</span></div></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-38527211447640257832011-04-20T06:58:00.000-07:002011-04-20T06:58:44.931-07:00Help me find an NGO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Previously I had blogged about the new series of paintings that I am working on and how I would donate 20% of the sale proceeds to an NGO of my choice. You can read the blog <a href="http://worldbeyondcolours.blogspot.com/2011/03/basic-education-for-all.html">here</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There have been developments on that front, I have finally managed to get a gallery for the exhibition and I would have the exhibition in May. I will be exhibiting at the Bajaj Art Gallery at Nariman Point in Mumbai from 18th May to 24th May 2011. The exhibition will be called <b>"Windmills of Hope"</b> - an apt name for an exhibition that supports a cause of education for underprivileged children.</span></div><div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While most of my paintings are moving towards completion, one of the major things to be decided upon is selection of the NGO. I have taken help from my friend <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/FundACause">@fundacause</a> for this task. In response to an earlier post that she had written on her blog, I received many responses from NGOs. However, the task of selecting the appropriate NGO was easier said than done. After wracking my brains for some time on this, I request for help from all my readers. </span></div><div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Please help me select an NGO by reviewing requests that we have received for this cause on @fundacause's <a href="http://fundacause.posterous.com/read-a-few-ngo-funding-proposals-and-help-a-d">blog</a>.</span></div><div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Your comments and feedback will be appreciated. Looking forward to your support.</span></div><div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-47475846272824125502011-03-07T22:01:00.000-08:002011-03-07T22:01:57.510-08:00Happy Women's Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today is International Women’s Day. I wished my friends and acquaintances. Some replied back, some didn’t. Some men and women alike don’t even pay any heed to this day. They say it’s a farce. Well, to each his own.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, I would also like to put the record straight that Women’s Day isn’t a gimmick that’s started by some greeting card company to sell their cards. It’s real. It is acknowledgement and celebration of the Women who fought for their rights. Women were denied the basic right to vote. Some women had the courage to stand upto the self-righteous governors of this Patriarchal world. They won. Women could vote. We celebrate this day for their victory. For every battle that women have to fight daily to prove to be equals.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been blessed to be born in a family where the man and woman divide was not so pronounced. It was there nonetheless. Though I would not call it oppression. But I was always reminded that I was a ‘Girl’ and my brother was a ‘Boy’, and that’s why he could do some things and I couldn’t. Through the years the divide was narrowed. Today I and my brother are looked upon as individuals.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having said that, this gender inequality is prevalent in our society and country. It is not limited to India alone but also exists in other patriarchal societies. Having lived in Africa for a while, I have heard horror stories of the way women are treated. Women have been oppressed for centuries, world across. Not being treated as equals is one point, atrocities against this gender takes it to another level altogether. But why? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Women are a pillar of strength, but that doesn’t imply that we be barraged with abomination. The Hindu text gives Women a place as the extreme power (Shakti) and yet men suppress women. They want them to mould in punctilious roles with no individual identities.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I advocate Women’s rights. It’s not the right to wear what I want or drink what I want or go where I want to. It’s the right to ‘Be’. To be me, as I am.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Series by me</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am working on a new series of paintings. I have decided the donate 20% of the proceeds to an NGO of my choice. Currently, I am working on finding a way to make this auction viable online either host it on my website (which can be tedious task for a one time exercise), or make it available on my FB fan page (http://www.facebook.com/srushtimrao) or use a third party auctioning website for this particular exercise. There is so much push and pull to make this possible. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have always believed in giving back to the society in whatever way I can. I have associated with many NGOs intermittently, if not time, I have contributed money. I have also tried to be a good citizen by adhering to my basic civic duties. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Basic Education for all" is one of the issues that has been foremost in my mind. Although there are a myriad of issues within the society that can be addressed like atrocities towards women, children and animals etc. I believe that education will help solve a majority of these issues as most of the social issues arise from the lack of education. Literacy being a different expanse altogether. By basic education people are taught many things alongside reading and writing. One is taught self-respect, from that originates respect for others, starting from family and eventually extending to other elements like society, animals, country. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">People who are from privileged families take education for granted, including me (at times I feel appalled at people lacking basic civic sense). However, it is a constant battle for the underprivileged to get even basic education. Probably people who have grown up on the streets and are now adults are beyond any scope of persuasion; nonetheless, their children can be educated and can have a hope for a better life. This is the force that drives me to believe in educating children.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is my small drop in the large ocean that needs to be created to encompass the huge need of education system and organizations that can support the under-privileged for education. It will not only benefit the needy furthermore benefit every individual and the society as a whole. Lowering crime rate, increasing sanguine individuals. It will eventually impact the country’s many growth hurdles, will help out balance population, and help permeate positivity amongst people.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amen to the right of Basic Education for everyone!!!</span><br />
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</span></div></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-25707091494838173832011-02-24T02:45:00.000-08:002011-02-24T02:46:35.395-08:00Client Vs. Vendor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am a client now. Yes, for the last two years that I have been with this company my Job Profile conveniently puts me in the clients position. But my company is a vendor for its clients and that’s how my company makes money.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been in the Business Development profession prior to this, long enough to understand how it is to sell and not only sell but take rebuttal if the customer is not content. We are all customers and vendors at the same time in life. My clients may be the employees and the top management for whom I strive to deliver the best possible solution.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s despairing to see some people derive pleasure at oppressing vendors. They have pure disdain for them, for reasons best know to these ‘clients’. Yes, I as a client will appreciate timely and quality delivery. Yet, I would also appreciate genuine impediments. However, just delaying payments or refusing to acknowledge good work because someone is a ‘vendor’ is appalling. This only in-turn puts the vendors off such clients and they would never get a vendor who would work with them for the sheer pleasure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May such a ‘client’s’ soul rest in peace.</span><br />
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</span></div></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-61215751763289843192010-09-21T22:14:00.000-07:002010-09-22T00:04:04.095-07:00India - CWG Tragedy!!!<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Barcelona Olympics were held in Summer of 1992 and as a kid I always wondered when would such a spectacular event be held in my home country. When would India get the honour of hosting some International sports event where we could welcome foreign sports-persons, tourists and delegates. Show them our rich culture and heritage, our hospitality. As the years passed and I grew up the reality of India struck and any such thoughts were negated in the head itself.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Then came along a sweet surprise when I came to know the India is hosting the Common Wealth Games in 2010. Cool! Isn’t it. My country finally gets to host a major event. And then it happened… one by one news of corruption and incompetence started flowing in. A toilet paper roll for INR 4139??? You got to be nuts to sanction that, or you got to be neck deep in the corruption crap. And as all of us know that the later is true. Mr. Kalmadi (the great) had the nerve of saying that he doesn’t have to time to scrutinize such trivial matters and that he has people who do the scrutiny for him. Tell me Mr. Kalmadi, do you keep throwing your signatures around without looking at what you are signing? There was such a big hue and cry about the inappropriate expenditure for the inventory, despite which Mr Kalmadi and team were cleared by the Government. Hmmm. As citizens we couldn’t do much but look at the drama unfold from a distance.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Now we know that these hardcore thieves in bureaucratic positions earned money. By corruption and in appropriation of funds. Although in any other developed country these men would have been taken to the dogs; we left them to further complete the task in hand. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">News of incomplete projects started trickling in. I mean, guys u earned your loot, at least complete the work in hand. But no. None of the residential buildings are complete yet. Those which are complete are not in livable condition at all. The stadium bridges, sports facilities are not done completely. The emergency services are not in order. The security is in a pitiful condition as well. Citizens living in the city where the games will be held have not been given cultural sensitivity training or taught civic sense. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These activities that fall under various governmental organisations failed to perform as well.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">There are so many problems in the complete organization of the games, the way they have been handled and the way things look today. I wonder if India as a country was ready to take on the responsibility of hosting an event of this stature. I personally believe had the games been outsourced to some corporate group for execution, we would have done much better. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Politicians and bureaucrats never leave an opportunity to earn money in India. I wonder if greed is really so big that it makes you forget your core role and responsibility as a leader. Do Indians take things so very lightly. Can these men who are associated with so much corruption and inadequacy sleep at night.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">The whole CWG controversy has left a very bad name for our country on the global platform. Is our country so inept at organizing a sports event? We are aiming at competing with the world powers and becoming an Economic force to reckon with, but are our leaders doing justice to all hard work put in by us on individual levels as citizens. I am not happy the way my tax money is being stolen from right under my nose. The CWG is a classic example of it. I work long hours a day of hard labour to earn this money, and I give the government their piece from my cake. Forget basic amenities like roads, water and emergency services, these politicians screw my country’s name at a global platform as well. As an Indian I don’t know what to do. Should I too flee the country like most of my friends have done and settle abroad for a better quality of life and peace of mind. Or stay put and fight it through… But how?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">The only Common Wealth I see in this whole episode is that earned by Mr. Kalmadi, Delhi Government, Worthless politicians, Vendors and their associates...</span></span></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-7983850260095573602010-09-20T04:21:00.000-07:002010-09-22T20:50:01.558-07:00Indian Education Revolution...<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11Pck7WyGJBiEQ2eCBRTEHBkDVUmjlvNOFBCX4DQijv9Z6EioxK-EkYdqwYpyvBLLwMnV0zz6w8q2egt-JpGzEcs0FToxFuV2cPI6u5uPW1en6ZVi-sPGUdvcdolw4xo1VRnHweNgSZI/s1600/ttp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11Pck7WyGJBiEQ2eCBRTEHBkDVUmjlvNOFBCX4DQijv9Z6EioxK-EkYdqwYpyvBLLwMnV0zz6w8q2egt-JpGzEcs0FToxFuV2cPI6u5uPW1en6ZVi-sPGUdvcdolw4xo1VRnHweNgSZI/s320/ttp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some colleagues at work were discussing the new marks system in Indian schools. They were discussing how bad it has become and how poorly their kids would react to it. After digging in some more I realized that the new education system states that the kids would be evaluated on a 30-70 percent ratio. Here 30% marks will come from the terminal written examinations/tests and the remaining 70% will be given to comprehension, oral recitation, behavior, reaction, participation, co-curricular activities and sports combined.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">I personally felt that the Indian evaluation system in schools has finally come to terms with the changing environment and is engaging students in activities which would teach them about handling real life situations rather than making them book worms.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Having said that, coming back to this discussion that I was a mute participant in colleagues seemed to be very upset with this change in evaluation. Their main concern was. If they are not writing exams what are they learning at school… I was really surprised that these guys would be upset at such a positive change. I mean they were upset because now their children don’t have to mug up books and write them as it is… Oh! C’mon. Don’t you understand that Indian education is breaking the stereotype of letting only the children capable of photocopying books earn marks and giving the more intelligent yet not able to memorize and write students an opportunity to get more marks. Don’t these parents understand that just maybe their kids will be better equipped to face the world and tackle real life situations. They will not throw garbage on the road and will be more empathetic towards others. They may just be more eager to help and would be more law abiding rather than just knowing birth and death anniversaries of great heroes. I am not saying that learning all that is not important; however implication of this text book knowledge in day to day life barely matters.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">I think children need to have more developed civic sense, need to have more developed independent thinking, need to develop problem solving ability. Memorizing theorems will not help, using them in life is what is more important. I personally think that it is more important for children to write essays, to solve problems, to read books other than course material, to make projects, to express than just mug up what is written in a text book or giving to them as tuition hand-outs. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">I pity parents who think that only written tests are a good measure of the child’s intellectual capability. These colleagues of mine were discussing how ‘faltu’ the new structure is. That sports and co-curricular activities are unnecessarily included in the evaluation. And that these activities will no way help their children’s education. Wow! What world are these guys living in? For them movies like ‘taarein zameen pe’ and ‘3 Idiots’ are made. Do they just watch them as movies and come home and get back on the old track.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Give your child space. What the Indian education system is now heading for is a revolution. It will only make your child smarter and not some robot who can memorize a few lessons. Children who like course books will still like it none the less. But this new system will give opportunities to those who will be future scientists, researchers, writers, entrepreneurs, artists, painters, singers, dancers, sports-persons and the world. Let them experience a whole new world of opportunities. Let your kids look beyond lessons and chapters… let them experience.</span></span></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-19065653680062417772010-07-30T02:44:00.000-07:002010-07-30T02:54:42.717-07:00Religion? What’s that?<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">I was having a chat with one of my friends today and we somehow started talking of religion. I am a Hindu and he is a Syrian Orthodox (it is a sub-division within Christianity I believe). He was talking of following religion or whatever was taught to him by his parents/grandparents/forefathers/ancestors without questioning. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">I like to question and challenge religion. What IS religion? No, really. What do you mean by saying that you are Hindu/Muslim/Christian/Sikh etc etc. As per me, it only states what kind of rituals you follow. We have so many divisions within these divisions and somehow I have noticed that people are rather intolerant about other people who may belong to the same religion and caste but different region. So doesn’t that mean that religion alone does not define you? It is the sub division, the caste, the sub caste, the region, the language, and of course the economic strata. So what I understand that when religion was created, it was essentially created to give structure to the human life and way of life. Right?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Now because the environmental, political, spiritual, financial requirement of every region was different, religion was created to balance out all of these factors. Now just straying here a bit, one thing is very important for a human to survive (and this I say with personal experience) - Faith. So, there you go another ingredient there and that what is most important – Faith was added to religion.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">For getting people together and to tie them to one string of belief some rituals were added, which when followed through generations became traditions. And these became customs, and the rest is history as they say. People somehow believe that you need to follow all of these customs come what may else 1. Your ancestors will be annoyed and curse you 2. Your Gods will be offended and curse you 3. You will die a horrible death 4. You will go to hell 5. Blah blah blah All of this put together is what we call Religion.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Most of us just follow blindly without questioning the logic or origin or reason to the particular custom/ritual/tradition. We do not stop to think whether doing so and so is applicable in today’s world and times. In some religions questioning the customs or the institute is a ‘sin’. Bah! There you go. If religion is so pure and it has the truth of the world in it then why I as a follower or believer do not have a right to question it? Let me question religion and let religion prove that whatever it preaches is true and let me fall on my knees and beg forgiveness and become a follower again. But nah! That door is closed already. Do religions fear that if followers question it/them then it/they will be in a thick soup and wouldn’t know what to answer.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">But again we come to the same question, what is religion? And who are these people who govern religion? Who gives them the right to accept or banish people into or from it? </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">I am not a non-believer, I know there is some supreme power. I like some customs, they give a person/family pleasure. But I question. I question all that that does not make sense to me. I apply logic. I may have these massive arguments with most people around me who follow these customs blindly. But I have a brain, I have education, I can apply logic, so why not question and challenge something that as per humans is a rather large part of their being. Why not question why how what is done.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">I question and I am not afraid of questioning publicly. I may be called an atheist or anti God or ‘bad influence’. But I know as a human I have a right to question. To question the very core of what drives people today. To question the core of something that is responsible for war and destruction and death across the world. I will choose whether I believe or not. I will choose whether what has become of our religion today holds true or not… It is all so wrecked. I will follow what gives me pleasure and peace and binds me to my family and friends. Not what divides and fills me with hatred.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Our heaven and hell both are here. We have to experience it on earth while we breathe. I believe in good Karma and that I know what it is. I still don’t know what is Religion and who is God!!!!</span></span></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-70374031045499711322010-07-07T23:59:00.000-07:002010-07-08T00:02:45.205-07:00pari hoon<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Today, read about another rape and the victim is an American woman working and living in </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">India</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. It’s a regular news now to hear about foreign women being raped in </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">India</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Women, no matter from where they belong should not be violated. No matter how they dress, how they talk, what culture they belong to, when women say no they mean no, and that line should not be crossed… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: 25px;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">हाँ में परी हूँ <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">दूर देश से आई एक परी हूँ <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">थोड़ी सी अलग <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">थोड़ी सी बेखबर <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">थोड़ी अनजान <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">थोड़ी आजाद <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ख्याल है मेरे खुले खुले <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">रिश्ते यूँ ही बन भी जाते है <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">सम्बन्ध भी जुड़ जाते है <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">लेकिन है मेरी भी सीमाएं कई <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">उलंघन करके उनका <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">अनादर ना करो मेरा <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">बस कुच्छ क्षण के सहवास के लिए <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">न तोड़ो यूँ मेरी पवित्रता <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">मैं तोह सिर्फ एक परी हूँ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">दूर देश से आई हुई <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">तुम्हारा देश है प्यारा प्यारा <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">प्यारे रंगों से खिला खिला </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">लेकिन क्यूँ होता है हर बार मेरे साथ <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">क्या में थोड़ी अलग हूँ इसलिए </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">या मेरे यह विचार!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">लेकिन उनका उद्देश यह नहीं </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">क्षति न करो मेरी चेतना की </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">है मेरी भी कोई मरियादा <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">मेरे स्वभाव का नहीं यह अभिप्राय </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">की तुम भंग करो मेरा देह <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">मैं तो सिर्फ एक परी हूँ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">दूर देश से आई हुई </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">लौट जाने दो मुझे यूँ ही </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">कुच्छ मीठी यादें लेकर </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">मैं तोह सिर्फ एक परी हूँ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">दूर देश से आई हुई </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Haan main pari hoon<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Door desh se aai ek pari hoon<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thodi si alag<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thodi si bekhabar<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thodi anjaan<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thodi ajaad<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Khayal hai mere khule khule<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rishte yun hi ban bhi jaate hai<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sambandh Bhi jud jaate hai<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lekin hai meri bhi seemyein kai<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ulanghan karke unka<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Anaadar naa karo mera<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bas kucch kshan ke sehwaas ke liye<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Na todo yun meri pavitrata<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Main toh sirf ek pari hoon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Door desh se aayi hui<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tumhara desh hai pyara pyara<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pyare rangon se khila khila<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lekin kyun hota hai har baar mere saath<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Kya main thodi alag hoon isliye</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ya mere yeh vichaar!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lekin unka uddesh yeh nahi</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Kshati na karo meri chetna ki </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IT"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hai meri bhi koi mariyada<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mere swabhaav ka nahi yeh abhipraay</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="SV"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ki tum bhang karo mera deh<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Main toh sirf ek pari hoon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Door desh se aayi hui</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Laut jaane do mujhe yun hi</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Kucch mithi yaadein lekar</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Main toh sirf ek pari hoon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Door desh se aayi hui</span></div></span></div></span></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846835615938273828.post-67325930271707182142010-07-06T23:10:00.000-07:002010-07-06T23:10:02.875-07:00Why are we killing our girls?<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Just yesterday I was talking to my super boss from </span></span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Italy</span></span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"> about Female infanticide when I had to explain to him what the phenomenon is and why it happens in </span></span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">India</span></span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">. I was infact discussing the same thing with my mom also a couple of days ago.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">I want a girl, no really. I think they are cuter, you can dress them up, play with them and they care about their parents in a naturalistic maternal way eventually. However, I have come to realize that most Indians (even Chinese for that matter) do not concur with this idea. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">So the question is why do Indians kill their daughters the moment they are born or right in the womb when they know they are going to have a girl? The answer is simple… Dowry. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">What is dowry? Now, if you realize that till some years back a daughter did not have any legal right to their father’s property. Because this was prevalent even hundreds of years ago, parents gave their daughters’ ‘gifts’ in her marriage so that they can give her what they want as per their financial capability. It also meant that they keep giving their daughter ‘gifts’ on special occasions after her marriage because she had no claim/right in the property.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Now, the downside of this practice. Certain families who had/have sons thought/think they have a ‘right’ to ask for ‘gifts’ from the girls parents, during and post marriage. Girls are tortured, burnt and killed for dowry. Girls’ parents are pressurized to pay up for marrying their daughters off to these sons. Over the years and for centuries now this pure practice of ‘gifting’ has taken a hideous turn and has turned into a bane called ‘Dowry’ for the girl and her parents alike.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Keeping this in mind, many people think that they did rather not have a daughter at all than facing issues of Dowry, ransom, torture etc in the future.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">A couple of days ago when I was talking to mom (who is highly educated and has been a teacher) she said something like – I will have to give so and so to your mother-in-law for so and so occasion. Huh? Why? I mean if she wants to ‘gift’ me something or my husband something or my family members (in-laws) something it makes sense. But her stress on the words that she ‘will have to’ really annoyed me. She said that ‘the relationship demands so…’ Huh again!! Why? I mean my mother-in-law hasn’t done a miracle because I am married to her son. Or no mother in this world has done a miracle by giving birth to a son. And there is no reason why a daughter’s in-laws need to be treated differently from a son’s in-laws. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"> Why today someone like my mom also agrees that my in-laws need to be treated differently than my brother’s in-laws. The daughter’s in-laws demand higher respect? Why? Why should a girl be made to feel she is in some way inferior in a relationship? I mean, I just don’t get it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">I don’t believe that my in-laws can ‘demand’ anything materialistic from either me or my family, they also do not have a ‘right’ to any gifts my parents give me. My gifts are mine alone. This exchange or relationship is something that I will share with my parents for my lifetime. What I receive from them or give them is mine alone and no-one else’s to share or demand or ask.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">But this is something that the standard ‘Indian’ mentality does not understand. And majority of Parents who have sons think they have a right to what a girl brings in the house. They treat their sons as some commodity that the girl’s parents ‘need’ to buy at the terms and conditions of the boys parents and keep feeding that commodity for life as some recurring cost at no expectation of any returns really.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">India</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">! Wake-up! The world has changed. Daughters earn equally (even better in some cases) than sons. There is nothing like Dowry in Vedic Hindu culture. It is a farce created by some greedy worthless pile of jerks who thought they are Gods because they have sons. Why are you still following it? All relationships should be equal no-one superior or inferior. Stop killing your daughters; they might just look after you better in your old age. The ratios are already dwindling. Half of the Indian men will soon die bachelors because there will be no women to marry them off to.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Wake up </span></span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">India</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">! </span></span></div>Srushti Raohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631722147325153110noreply@blogger.com1