'Good Old Days'

I am sure growing old. The other day at home we started talking about those 'good old days' when we could buy a bus ticket for 50 paise and travel up to 5 Kms. 100 rupees was a huge amount and 1000Rs. notes were rare.

Today, the new five rupees coin looks a lot like the 50 paise coins. It's not as heavy as the earlier 5 Rs. coins. What with the rising inflation and essentials becoming dearer. I sometimes wish for the simpler days of the '80s.

Where There Is A Will....

Where there is a will.... there is a way.
Where there is a will... there are relatives.

Where Mothers Are Born

I read two related articles in the newspaper today. The topic is something that doesn't concern me now - childbirth.

One article said that in the U.S and U.K more women now want a choice of having their baby at their homes with the help of midwives and not at hospitals.
Whereas the other article on page 1 of the supplement carried the headline 'Where mothers are born'. It was about the new trend of super specialty hospitals in India that offer specialised pre and ante natal care. They are called 'The Nest' or something. They provide a five-star ambience and personalised care for the mother and the newborn, all of course at a steep price.

I wonder why having children is now made such a big deal? I mean earlier having children was a such a regular affair. It happened at homes with the help of midwives minus the hospital smell.
I remember my uncle (father's cousin) telling me that our ancestral house had a 'Bananthi koni' or 'room for the new mothers' and that almost always occupied. My paternal grandfather had 3 sisters and each of the sisters had about 10 children each. My paternal grandparents had 11 children.

The kids were so many and parents hardly gave them 'quality' time as the new age parenting requires, yet they all turned out to be fine.

Speaking of parenting advice, I remember reading a quote in the Readers Digest, that said, 'Don't worry that your children aren't listening to you. Worry that they are always watching you.'

My mother is the ideal parent then because she doesn't talk much or preach. 'Lead by Example' seems to be her motto.

Outsourcing Cricket

I don't care much for cricket except during World Cup and if India is playing and/or there are really cute guys on the field!!
With the IPL so much in the news, I thought let me see what it's all about.

I see that money is the only motivation as the players aren't there for the nation nor for their respective states. Sworn enemies are now playing in the same side. Players who had retired are now here for the big money.

Whoever thought of this idea has combined India's two major crazes- Bollywood and Cricket. Of course, the media is loving it. While the 20-20 format is great, I hope this IPL thing doesn't catch on.

I'd love to see more of Dhoni though :-)

Chanchalam he Manah Krishna

Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficult to control the mind than to control the wind.

~ Arjuna to Sri Krishna

What I am Reading

I am reading 'The Google Story' these days while commuting to work. It's an old book comparatively but it sure makes great reading. It's fascinating how unconventional these founder guys are and how equally successful their company is.

Installing.... Cancer (Click On The Picture Below)

Few things annoy me more than cigarette smoke. And few people more than unapologetic smokers. I wonder who is to blame for the huge loss in terms of money, health and man days that's caused by smoking and tobacco use.

I believe film actors are partly to blame for promoting a 'cool' image of smoking.

I remember reading on the Internet that companies lose huge amounts of money due to employees who smoke. The cumulative effect of time they take off for a puff and loss of man days due to ill health is humongous.

Ironically, some people smoke to beat stress....Well, it's surely a sign of distress ahead for them.

Thought for the Day

If you look at what you do not have in life, you don't have anything.

If you look at what you have in life, you have everything.

Summer Is Here!

The best part of summer is having lots of ice-cream, I think.
Starting last week we have been buying a family pack every day, the favorite flavor being Butterscotch. Mmm... Delicious! Wonder what makes it so tasty... perhaps some forbidden ingredient!!