Did you know?

Interesting facts about George Bernard Shaw

• George Bernard Shaw was a vegetarian yet a staunch vivisectionist [using animals for research purposes]
• Shaw is perhaps the only recipient of both the Nobel Prize and the Academy Award.
• He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925.
• Shaw won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Pygmalion [Screen Name of film – My Fair Lady] in the year 1938.
• Shaw was very fond of riding motorcycles
• Shaw‘s prefaces to his plays were extremely lengthy, where he expounded his political views. At times the preface was much longer than the play itself.
• Shaw’s picture appeared on the cover of the Beatles’ Album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
• Shaw was active till the end and died at the age of 94 due to injuries he sustained after falling off a ladder in his garden.
• Shaw was not buried but cremated and his ashes scattered all over his estate.
  

Dressing Sensibly

A chance conversation with a good friend set me thinking on this very sensitive issue that most certainly creates a divide between the current teenagers and their previous generations. As far as their dressing sense is concerned youngsters today - by which i mean those in the age group of 16 to 25 yrs - seem to be going by the dictates of the western world rather than what is ideally suited to their physique and their surroundings. By this i do not mean to sound like an old hag who despises anything western for the sake of it. I for one find a pair of jeans the most comfortable attire for work and while travelling on work. Lets take the positives and adapt it to our culture and people is all am saying.

Girls think its 'cool' to be seen going around in figure hugging dresses that hardly leave anything to imagination and look totally gross bordering on vulgarity, inviting uncalled for attention. Factors such as body structure, suitability, occasion etc seldom seem to be considered while choosing attire. If something is considered fashionable or the 'in' thing, they get on to the band wagon and take off. Sad to see them giving up on their individuality, giving in to peer pressure- just for the heck of keeping abreast of times.

The worst part is they are unable to handle trouble when they are walking advertisements inviting it from all quarters. A cheesy remark or an obscene gesture thrown at them sees them raise a hue and cry about being teased and harassed. If you dare to wear it have the guts to face what it brings along too!!

And sadly this trend is encouraged by some parents - especially mothers - who instill a wrong sense of independence in their wards by equating being 'Mod' to being empowered.

Boys are not far behind...it is sickening to see some of them wearing their jean at unbelievably low level of their anatomy that makes you fear for them - that it may fall off any moment...i for one am tempted to pull it down myself on most occasions!!! And the concept of body piercing has taken grotesque dimensions - belly button, eyebrows, chin - nothing is spared! But then they don’t have to worry much because girls have much more at stake in terms of safety by improper dressing than boys.

An individual's dressing, to me, is a reflection of their character and speaks volumes of the type of person he or she is...plus dressing is for comfort too.... i wonder at times if this generation even knows what that is?

Its okay to be scantily dressed in western countries where their culture is such that this is commonplace for them. Even then I would say that one has to wear what suits them best. We are a very populated country where the majority is sadly lacking in education or manners and sexual crime rates are high. Keeping these in mind is it too much to ask them to apply a little thought in making them pleasant and presentable and not be blindly following a trend?

CHASE YOUR DREAMS…I meant go for them !

I recently read a small piece by Sri.Tejomaya Tarun and was really impressed by it….i had to share it ! This was in the context of long-term success and short-term success. Citing an incident from the Ramayana he refers to the ignoble act of Ravana kidnapping Sita and how valiantly Jatayu tried to stave him off .As we all know Ravana chopped off Jatayu’s wings and took Sita away.
The point here is that Ravana succeeded in his efforts at kidnapping Sita. And Jatayu failed in his efforts at trying to save Sita. So Jatayu was a failure and Ravana was successful. What does this show?
That failing in our attempts to do something good is far better than succeeding in doing an ignoble act. In the end it was Jatayu who became a role model and not Ravana.

The point here is that in any action there is an immediate objective and ultimate objective. Ravana’s immediate objective was to kidnap Sita and he succeeded in it. His ultimate objective was to marry Sita but he did not succeed in that. In the case of Jatayu his immediate objective was to save Sita in which he failed, but prevailed in his ultimate objective of saving Sita’s chastity.

Guess we need to look at success and victory in a deeper perspective and not superficially. More often than not small, temporary setbacks block our vision preventing us from looking further. As someone said a situation is never good or bad – it is how one reacts to it that makes it good or bad!

‘ EVERY WORTHWHILE ACCOMPLISHMENT, BIG OR LITTLE, HAS ITS STAGES OF DRUDGERY AND TRIUMPH; A BEGINNING, A STRUGGLE AND A VICTORY’ - ANONYMOUS

Many of us refuse to begin. Those that do leave half way through not willing to go through the struggle. How then can you savor victory? Go behind your dreams like one possessed and victory shall possess you!

Remember…' Mushrooms attain their full power in a night; oaks require decades…!'

Hair Raising Experience…


Well…..I bet most of you [at least the older ones] would have gone through this traumatic experience at some point of time or the other… after all aren’t we all a little careless..! Is this what ‘ a close shave’ is all about?

Its true all of us go through a ‘bad patch’ and we all hate to talk about it… but its better if you do…because you could get a lot of tips on how to come out of a worrying situation. Of course the experience varies from person to person…but isn’t the basic issue the same… your HAIR!

Hehe…some of you are confused aren’t you? What do you think am talking about? Of course am talking about your crowning glory.

Sudden loss of hair could get you worried to the extremes, making you do a quick P.hd on the history of baldness in your ancestry. Not to mention how some people hit the panic button on the double, when they discover that first strand of grey hair! Needless to say all hell breaks loose…this is exactly what happened to a close friend of mine!

“ I am only in my forties and how could I start greying. I am going to look old”, she screeched one day. No amount of reasoning [that it was perfectly normal to start greying in your forties; it all depends on your genes; these days even those in their twenties were having grey hair] could convince her and she had already decided that she had become a useless old hag! Her husband even tried telling her that the little grey tinge at the temples, only made her look more beautiful and appealing! But to no avail!

Then started the endless rounds of treatment when her Head became a flame less cooking range where every possible edible item was powdered, mixed, beaten, churned and poured …and left to soak! Right from curd, egg, methi, besan, lime juice, tea, coconut milk, oil [of all kinds and colour] …not to mention Brandy! And the non- edible stuff like henna, hibiscus leaves, herbs and what have you!


She would appear like an alien every other day with some concoction or the other on her head and finally went in and got the inevitable done - dyed her hair black! She not only lost more hair going through all this but is now worrying about when she would have to go for her next sitting at the parlor! Because she knows that the black dye wouldn’t last forever!


I can understand people getting worried about falling hair …but not greying hair! Grow up people. Greying hair no way indicates that you have become an old useless hawk. In that case every other youngster in his/her twenties is good enough to be termed as old – because these days most of them start greying young! You can ONLY be as old as you think you are!

BURDEN OF EDUCATION

If there is anything that needs to be drastically reformed in our country, apart from our politicians, it is our educational system. True education is that which leads human souls to what is best and also brings out the best in them. Not the present system, that emphasizes more on bookish knowledge, compromising and stifling the growth of a child, as an individual in his own distinct way.

The experience (of education) once considered as “Ennobling and Enlightening” has become more of an ordeal now. This ordeal begins as early as the age of three, when parents go through the elaborate process of admission including interviews, both for the child and the parent. What purpose these interviews serve is something that remains an enigma to this day because the child is too young to be judged by his intelligence and it is only obvious that parents put forth their best on such occasions. So why this fracas?

From here in starts the drilling of the child. Young and supple fingers are made to hold pencils double their size and practice pages of writing, the reasoning being ‘we have to catch them young’. Any child that refuses to go along with this regime is considered slow, making agitated parents to further pressurize the child in being part of the herd.

With slightly older children, the sight of those young shoulders being burdened by kilos of books is heart breaking. Apart from the tedious hours at school, the child has the Herculean task of tackling homework, not to mention the endless rounds of tuition classes. In yesteryears tuition classes were recommended for naughty kids who paid less attention in class or for those slow learners, needing the extra bit of coaching. Not anymore!

Tuition classes are the order of the day for all and sundry, not because the children are dull but more because the teaching is. Weekends are of course the only time the children get to indulge in sporting or cultural activities of their (is it really theirs?) choice. As a result we have a generation of drained out kids thrust with too much too early.

Education should be knowledge – based, being instrumental in stimulating and nurturing individual talents and liking. Exams these days are no more a yardstick to evaluate one’s intelligent quotient but the capacity to memorize and reproduce, giving no scope to imagination or understanding. Children are made to cram in totally uninteresting topics, which would serve them no purpose in practical life.

Parents and society are partly to be blamed for this depressing scenario. Society considers a person educated only if he or she completes a certain amount of education within a stipulated time, immaterial of his aptitude or suitability. Parents succumb to this pressure and feel ashamed if their child does not conform to these dictates. With the result that a child with exceptional talent in a different field is curbed totally to live up to societal expectations.

The formative years of every child is literally butchered due to these pre-conceived notions. The present system hardly leaves them any time to explore other avenues, allowing restlessness and boredom to creep in.

Formal education is no doubt, absolutely essential. But if the education a child gets does not help him progress in life, both personally and professionally, its purpose is totally defeated. We are thus left with a generation of frustrated and depressed youngsters, simply because they are unable to put their education to effective use.

Revamping our education system should be given top priority by the Govt., simply because the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow who will be the driving force behind the country’s progress. [ Guess this has been said 'n ' number of times before....even i feel sick as i write! ] If they have a happy and healthy childhood their contribution would certainly be all the better because learning in one’s youth is like engraving on a stone.

IDIOT = COFFEE

I seem to make friends in the strangest of situations. This happened in the recent past during a visit to the airport. I don’t know the reason but I particularly love the time spent on railway stations or airports when you hang around waiting to receive someone. You have all the time to observe the people around you and the way each reacts to any given situation.

This was one of those days when you start early from the house to reach the airport on time, anticipating heavy traffic en route, and to your surprise are blessed with an easy uneventful drive. And the worse part was that the flight was delayed by a good one hour!

And while I was waiting I had a call from a dear good friend who had had a bad day and decided to pour it all out to me. In the course of our conversation, I tried to put some sense into making him realize how he had messed up his day by being stupid and hasty. In the process I kept repeating,"Subbu, don’t be an idiot!”

Perfectly aware of the surrounding I was in, I had kept my voice pretty low…or so I thought!

But it seemed to have been clearly audible to a gentleman standing in close proximity…

After I finished my conversation he smiled at me and I smiled at him…I thought that it was one of those smiles that says,"Yeah I know how bugging it is to wait outside like this!"

But I was taken aback when, out of the blue, he said," I thought I wasn’t one …but you seem to be pretty sure that I am one. Now am having my own doubts"…and gave me one big smile!

For a moment I wasn’t sure what he was talking about! He then held out his hand and said," Hi. I am Subbu. Nice meeting you…..except that you seem to think I am an idiot"

Hahahahaha…in a flash it all came to light! His sense of humor really rocked and I couldn’t help laughing. And to my utter embarrassment he happened to hold one of the top portfolios with one of the IT giants in Chennai.

We got talking and the gentleman was kind enough to offer to buy me coffee while we waited.
And I jokingly told him that perhaps I was the first person to be treated to a hot cup of coffee for having called someone an idiot.

Strange are the ways of life… and how you meet people …or how you make friends with them! I may never meet this person again in my life but there was something very pleasant about the incident, which still brings a smile to my face!

Moral of the story: Never call any one by their name and scold them in public!

A FEW TIPS ....FOR WEDDED BLISS !!!!!!!!!!!!! PART -2





Since the would - be grooms were up in arms, i need to pour my thoughts out to would - be brides too!!!





Rule.No.1: Never start of on the offensive or defensive. Start with a clear state of mind when you enter your in-laws' house! Never ever keep in mind bad experiences that other people have had in their lives! If you are positive you can generate a lot of love in the new family!



Rule.No.2: Don't expect your husband to abandon his family in your favour from the word go! Actually i would say never ever expect that of him...because if ever he does that to a family that has been his whole world this far, he could surely do that to you later too! Respect his love for his family and reciprocate if you can !



Rule.No.3: Don't spend sleepless nights if he is a mamma's boy! Give him time to change...you are sure to realise the wonderful bond when you become one your self!



Rule.No.4: I know this will not go down well with most brides but please put away all this talk of equality and women's lib! Agreed that you can do all that he does - go out take on the world/ earn in lakhs/ climb the corporate ladder - may be even better than him! But realise that there are certain other things that only you can do ...like bringing up children! Don't confuse this pleasant task with the word 'Sacrifice' and make life hell for you and all those around!

Rule.No.5: Learn to take an interest in his interests - be it sports/music/friends/what ever..... Or deem it your luck that he has other distractions! Believe me .....You can use that time to catch with your interests...enjoy your own space instead of someone breathing down your neck all the time!