Amamma and Email

The world was once divided as the Haves and the Have Nots .... but today it is divided as the digital haves and the digital have nots ..

Technology has only one simple aim - to enrich and simplify people's lives. Then why is it that so many people are intimidated by it ? In my opinion its the digital haves who snootily and jealously guard technology from the less informed.... it gives you that social edge in your family.. 
How many times have we seen this ...... proud middle class Indian parents gifting a PC to their child after scrimping and saving for it . The home maker mother religiously dusts it and cleans it each day .. this is the kaamputer that holds the key to her child's brilliant future. She wants to partake the wonders of this box , but is so afraid that she may spoil an expensive gadget ( it does not matter that she can run a mixer grinder, microwave, TV and home theatre with amazing dexterity!) ... 

The jargon is also what intimidates her .. email,sms,internet,google,blogging,facebook,orkut .. And so many times she longingly hovers over the shoulder of her computer erudite kids , when they are online not to pry upon them , but out of pure wonder and awe...When the kids do want to teach her ,some people leap at the opportunity, some retreat back to their comfortable cocoons if the initiation to the digital world is not too smooth.

It is our duty and responsibility to keep coaxing the interested ones to let go of their fears and use our pcs and laptops and palmtops ... so what if it crashes. they can always be mended ( for a reasonable cost ,... just remember to take backups of your important files,though!). ..

My 73 year old grandmother just sent out her first email yesterday ... ( she did everything on her own , from getting an e mail id to typing a mail out , slowly , one keystroke at a time, asking for help each time she was stuck ). She has sent out mails to all her grandchildren. Right now as we talk she is talking of setting up a Facebook account  :-).

For a forced college dropout( she got married, though she was excellent in studies way back then) and home maker,this is her ticket to staying tuned with the times.
Her  feeling of elation and achievement..... that's priceless!

For me, technology has truly achieved its purpose . 

Carbon Footprint... and ...singing in the shower

Just checked my Carbon Footprint by doing a lifestyle analysis on a popular website.

Its simple I thought ... I am a vegetarian,and I recycle,take care to conserve electricity, minimize my use of plastic, love to consume vegetables from the local bhaji wala bhaiya ..( the occasional broccoli is bought off the shelves from malls , so are bell peppers :-) ). I should be a very "Green" Person ..and my carbon footprint would be very small...

I was in for a rude shock ... I had a huge Footprint ... not something to smirk about . That is because I occasionally use my husband's car as a mode of transport while commuting to office .. I take rickshaws instead of buses... and I use the shower to bathe!!!!!

All I wanted to do was try and make a difference to the environment and bring down global warming. But now to do this , I must bathe using a bucket ,that means not use the shower, try and avoid using the flush ( !!!!!!!!!!!),walk down to office ( I could use that :-) ).. I am so confused ... I plan to try these life style amendments ...though not without protest .....( boo hoo hoo , as it is, I have an austere lifestyle.)

Do I go back to the Stone Age now ? Will ask Ravi to gather food by hiking down to Aarey Milk Colony ... I am blowing this way out of proportion ...Sigh....!

Well I do want to give this a fair chance as I want there to be a Planet Earth for my grandchildren (cheesy liner) ....No harm in trying ... but Singing in the Shower might never be the same again...

Go Green ,

Sravs

Kettuvallams ... Captain .. oh ...Captain

Kerala will be so incomplete without the Houseboat experience in the Kerala backwaters ... This post is an effort to chronicle the experience of six awestruck travelers for posterity.

After a long drive in the sweltering Kerala heat, we reached Allepey - Venice of the East , from Munnar. And then we embarked on the experience of a lifetime.

Houseboats in Kerala are called Kettuvalams ( In Malayalam , kettu - means tying and valam -means rustic boats). You are transported to the main Kettuvalam in small canoes .. yes the very canoes which are a primary source of transport in the backwaters. Well , the six of us sat in the canoes without as much daring to move a finger for fear of capsizing the canoe. We had heard enough stories of friends being dunked into the backwaters.

And then we saw our Kettuvalam , Mayoora tethered to a coconut tree. It was a 1BHK,stocked with a home theater and a library, with an unfurnished upper deck. That was all we could get on that day , considering we did not have any previous bookings and wanted a good deal for the money spent....(read something easy on our pockets...:-) )

After a traditional welcome by the staff, we set out on a magical cruise with a helper,cook and attendant in tow. As we were cruising along the waters - we came across many kettuvalams, rented by mostly foreign tourists. Some of thekettuvalams had upto 11 bedrooms and were huge.

As we went along, the waters suddenly opened out to the vast expanse of Lake Vembanad. For three magical hours , we were engulfed by the sounds of the screeching of sea gulls,the waves lapping against the boat and the dull drone of the engines.

We were served lunch cooked on board, sea food bought fresh from the banks of the backwaters. So after a sumptuous meal ,we settled down to watch the waters and the landscape glide by.

Sadly, we could not extend our cruise as the next occupants were a newly wed couple on their honeymoon.. the staff had started decorating Mayoora for them , much to our amusement.

I don't know ... but somehow that glide along the vast waters , put a lot of things into perspective for me.

The next time we are on a Kettuvalam, I want it to be on a moonlit night. Or at the time , monsoon announces its arrival in Kerala ,or gliding in the waters when there is a slight drizzle.

I have struck one thing off the Things to do before I die list ...

Happy Exploring ,

Sravs

Kathakali ... Kathakali

Kerala was an awesome experience ... an experience enriched all the more by having like minded friends travelling with you .. More on Kerala coming up , but I wanted to document our Kathakali experience before my mind slowly erases the details in its cycles.... memory retention gyan ... for the ill informed :-)

Whilst we were in Munnar ,after a refreshingly awesome Ayurvedic Massage , we were booked for a Kathakali show in the evening .. I mean come on , we' d been to God's Own Country and no SUPER KADHAKALI .. our driver Unni would have never forgiven us.

We set off in the twilight which faded away into the night and mist of Munnar ...breathtaking ! Six of us silently praying for our lives ... well with our soo...per Unni navigating us through the winding roads of the Munnar Valley ,with zero visibility and no fog lights .. you would be in a moment of redemption too ..

He took us then to this ramshackle barn and spoke in the unique concoction of Malayalam and English , said "Kadakali Performance here" .. The looks on Ravi,Mandy and Vijay's Faces were worth the trip. Once the performance started , we were hooked completely ..

Kathakali is a spectacular art of story telling with elaborate and colorful costumes ,delicate nuances and gestures and deft,crisp movements in tune to the percussion beats and playback music of the Sutradhar (anchor). The story being narrated that day was Narakasuravadhnam .. the slaying of the Demon King Narakasura by Satyabhama , the wife of Lord Krishna . The narration was in Manipravalam ( a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam). Well to be truthful ,it was all Greek and Latin and the music did not match my preconceived notions or knowledge of Narkasuravadhanam .And the female protagonist would turn into some witch and leap on the spectators in the front row .. I am sure a few people skipped some heart beats ... But nonetheless, it was a splendid experience.

Posting a few pics , do catch it the next time you are in Kerala , but would strongly recommend a translated copy of the story being enacted, else you will come away as confused as us .. Appreciative of the visual treat but feeling cheated of the essence .

Keep smiling ,

Recession wali Party !

We ve just had a major restructuring at office and two beloved bosses has been transferred to another department . These lovable 'bawa' and  intelligent "tambhram' are two golden bosses and have  golden hearts too. 

So we all want to throw them a 'rocking', 'smashing','memorable' farewell party..... and on any given day , people would have chipped in a cool thousand bucks ...... this year should have been no different .. if only it wasn't Recession !

Well with no bonuses, and no salary hikes, no promotions and job security being ZERO ,, ZILCH ,, we decided to throw our 'papa' a Recession wali party ... The usual Three Star Hotel  Hall is being replaced by a fantastic bungalow in the hills of a suburb....( not to mention , its one tenth the price ) .. The drinks are not a la carte',but each one is bringing something to the bar ... one guy  gets some whiskey , other guy some beer , all emptied from their cellars . 

We've chipped in a good , raring- to- prove- himself caterer who give a tooth and nail to cater to the largest pvt. bank in the country...

All this at half the price :-) .... Everyone's happy and believe me most people came up with amazing ideas when we brainstormed as to how to have this Recession wali Party!.. Everyone seems happy .... only we are still to finalize on a gift for papa...and appa:-)

Cheers to the most golden hearted boss ,and the most intelligent and sharp I ve ever had .... We ll miss you and We love you. 

Love,

Sravanthi

Babloo !

I have always been fond of reading .... sorry for the understatement , i have an insatiable apetite for books .
For ages, i ve devoured books bought cheaply off the streets ... believe me I am no proponent of piracy , but buying a good book these days off the shelf will burn a hole in anyone's pocket.
A walk down the lane at Fort area in Mumbai is paradise for any book lover and besides the famous travel agency office sits Babloo!!!

Well he is barely educated, makes a living selling books off the street, has his family back in Kolkata. He is among the scores of immigrants in this city called Mumbai .... 
But .....

Check out what sets Babloo apart..
* An English Proficiency and Diction which would put any one to shame .
*Amazing knowledge about books , he has an expert opinion about every possible book written in history ( I am not exagerrating !!!!, trust me !) . 
*Customer service par excellence .... he knows just what books you would like , takes care to source them for you and puts in an sms telling you that " i think you should read this book , its apt for the changing times " ,,,,, Wow! We don't get that at Crossword or Oxford, do we.

Its ironic why a talented person like babloo should still struggle to eke out a living , I think maybe like most of us , he has failed to bridge that essential gap between reading and executing !

Here's to you , Babloo,
I ll always remember you!

Sravs

Jai Ho !

Slumdog Millionaire just won " 8 Oscars ".... as I am writing this ... Awesome ! Milestone achievement for us Indians... The Mozart of  Madras is on a roll. 
Who knew that the squelch and squalor of Mumbai's slums would be heralded on the World's Best Cinema Pedestal. :-). Frankly, I was a little aghast at watching the movie. The Dirt,Slums , Urchins , Begging Cartels, Forcible Blinding disgusted me. I knew all of this existed but seeing it played out on screen , was like a punch in the tummy .
We Indians are such a decadent lot .What we take for granted and as a way of life ... sells so well on celluloid.... its something to ponder on . 
The book itself, Q & A , from which this is adapted failed to enrapture me or most people before the movie. Mediocore piece of writing !... But it took one movie to turn around its fortunes.

Learnings from the movie :
* We do have world class talent, only we need to believe in ourselves. 
* The Universal law of Attraction works here. 
* Lots to improve in our country . Just merely watching the movie and making India's condition  - animated teatime discussion will do zilch for the country , or for us .... Act people ,Act! 
* Last but not the least , common sense and street smartness are notches above mere bookish  knowledge . 

Till then ,
Jai Ho!