Disclaimer:
Gibberish ahead!
Note:
This post was in draft- written in 2017 – I guess… Posting it now…
It was written to boost the SEO of UC cricket I guess (I don’t remember)… Today, in 2022 , what I’m talking about is old technology already.
Kindergarten- Trivial?
PreKG?
It’s “just” kindergarten. What are they going to learn, anyways?
I’ve been listening to a lot of similar statements lately- every since my daughter started going to school!
Without criticising/ passing opinions on these statements made by both random strangers, and known friends& relatives, let’s try to understand why people believe in what they belive in…
As a society, we have been conditioned into thinking that a few things are more important /desirable than a few others.
However, what we miss observing is the “process” that leads us to that desired outcome.
For instance, in yoga, being able to bend into asanas without using props is considered more desirable than doing them using props. However, in order to achieve that outcome, it is recommended that we use those props for support.
If doing asanas in perfect form is considered as “graduation”, then the stages that involve the props are the levels that you need to cross at school- starting with PreKG!
So, to statements such as “It’s just kindergarten!”- well, it matters.
The foundation, and the little steps- definitely matter!
For a young child, learning to colour with a crayon is a big win!
Using the hands to make castles in mud/ to make shapes using clay is a great way to strengthen the limbs- all of which are considered major milestones.
So, next time we think about trivialising things, let’s pause.
Rethink…
And Revise that thought….
Until next time with another blog post (hopefully sooner)
Cheers!
The feeling of Light over Death- a story from past
According to oriental philosophy, death is not the end. It denotes freedom of the infinite from the clutches of bodily flesh. It is therefore said that the wise do not grieve over the materialistic end of life of their loved ones; it is, but another check against the list of karmic events to be completed during one’s time on earth.
I grew up listening to such philosophical conversations revolving around life and death; and yet, the significance of it never touched me until I saw the passing away of my grandfather, followed by the passing away of my grandmother (in the very next year)– both of whom were deeply involved in the intricacies of my own life.
In many ways, being able to overcome their loss with a deliberate effort has made me feel much more ‘improved’ as a person. This also meant letting go of my own ‘selfish desires’ to hold on to people who were ready to move to the next stages of their ‘soul-ly evolution’.
To lean on fellow travelers-such as parents, siblings, spouse, children, friends and so on- for comfort during the journey on earth is, but naturally human. And yet, like in all journeys, some people leave, and some others enter; as a traveler, you keep moving on until your stop arrives, enjoying the journey to the best that you can.
Time, the powerful healer would have done the job; and yet, I was impatient. The memories of the past- my time with my grandparents, albeit sweet- had to be forgotten.
Rather, they had to be remembered without my feeling a longing emotion for those experiences (to occur) all over again.
Why was this important to me?
When you spend too much time dwelling on what’s irreversible, you lose out on the charm of the moment.
I wanted to move on.
But before that, here’s a narrative that I would like to record for anybody who might want to read about the couple who set deep seated ideals for the family that they built .
My grandfather was a man of few words- a humble teacher, and a master story-teller, who was unfettered by the charms of the materialistic world. He was deeply content, and grateful to the divine for his existence. “Do thy duty; fruits are not thy concern”, he would quote the Bhagvad Gita to the 5 year old me- whenever I would crib about my lost dues to him.
A man who knew not to utter lies, he was innocent at heart, and kind in his deeds.
My grandmother was his perfect companion- a woman of steely grit, and smarts. She knew how to wade through the maze of worldly life to which my grandfather often showed a detached indifference. Like him, she too was content with whatever life provided her -with all its concomitant challenges, and worries.
With them around, there was hardly anything else that needed attention in my life- a habit that remained until their end.
In writing this brief note about them, I hope to clean away what remains in me as the residue of my infinite memories with people who meant the most to me. Those flashes of the charming home in which they lived their lives, the place that ‘homed’ our emotions while as children we grew up, the love that ‘templed’ its air, and the eyes of its people that always reassured us that “all was well”…
“Letting Go” of the past for the onward journey makes you feel lighter; it unbinds those departed souls from the pangs of their earthly bondage too. To some, this may seem like an insensitive act- “The souls need to be remembered, and their memories cherished forever”, they may say. Yet, the orient in me wishes to say a ‘goodbye’ with the same smile with which my grandparents would wave at us from the balcony of their house whenever we drove out.
That era has ended- only for a new one.
Quest for Purpose
We look far & beyond,
For a meaningful bond;
And yet, it lies right in our heart,
waiting to be explored- by part & art!
The further we look,
The entangled heart, begins to take the nook…
Why don’t we all seek within,
where the force & spirit always has been?
Explanation:
We look for peace, solace, enlightenment, and what not?
We go far and beyond seeking the truth of life;
And yet, the answer lies right within us- in our heart.
If we listened to it- REAL DEEP– we will find all our answers….
———————————
To the reader:
I encourage you to ruminate on this thought;
something that the ancient sages of India have always taught….
While I sign off until next time….
Cheers!
Genesis of Reservado
When we started Reservado, a B2B2C venue management platform, we did it for a reason. What is it? Read on to know our story!
[ This post is divided into 4 parts:
- The problem
- The solution
- How Reservado works
- What’s next…]
What’s the Problem?
Celebrations & events are as old as our civilization; so is the “process” of organizing one.
So, when we wanted to plan a party, we found that there was no easy way to get that done!
A lot of venues remained unknown, making it hard to find the best place,
And those that did have a digital footprint weren’t up-to the mark — either they were expensive, or lacked the right space…
So, we decided to do something about it,
and came up with an idea that might solve these problems- atleast by a bit.
What’s the Solution?
‘Reservado’ was thus born,
to technologically enable the process of booking venues online, and someday be the industry’s unicorn!!! (yes, we dream big and all, but, unicorn rhymes with ‘born’ no?)
How does this work?
We connect users with the venue managers directly;
with options to view policies, photos,availability, and even chat easily.
We don’t skip the personal touch,
nor do we eliminate the middlemen by much…
We merely un-layer the conversation, & negotiation process,
and enable our curated venues to have a greater visibility, and user access!
What’s next?
This is, but Reservado’s beginning,
We have exciting features and many more coming up next-in our next inning!
Watch out for more updates, and show Reservado all your love! Now in #Coimbatore!
Until then,
Cheers!
P.S: Post was originally published on Medium
Kabali- a novice’s review!
A lot of seasoned critics have passed their verdict on the much hyped Kabali; I am no expert critic, and I am 2 days late in putting up the review for this movie.
Nevertheless, here’s my short take on ‘Kabali’ the movie (all views are personal. No offense, defense or even sense to be taken, hence!).
Taming the Taxes
Kabali.
As a huge fan of the superstar, I didn’t want to miss out on watching the movie- First Day First Show (FDFS). As I nervously browsed through the various ticket booking sites trying to grab myself a seat, a chartered accountant friend of mine- Sheela- casually remarked:
“I wish people are half as worried about filing their taxes, as they are about watching the superstar!”
6⁰- Game of Blogs Book Review
I’ve often wondered what a crowd-sourced piece of work would sound like. How can disparate artists come together to create a quality product without having those creative differences and the artist’s ego? Would that even work?
Six degrees- Game of blogs: Blogadda’s edition of 3 different stories with similar characters, written by a team of writers dispels those notions about “being the creator or the artist”; more importantly, it shows how “team work” works!
Before we delve into the review, let’s take a look at the characters across these stories (all 3 stories have common characters).
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Hey There, You!
Inveterate notions surround our lives.
Think about this:
We believe in some things because our parents, their parents, their parent’s parents and so on believed in it.
While development in technology and social media has exposed us to different perspectives from around the world, we still continue to hold on to some of these beliefs- sometimes for sentimental reasons and sometimes, for convenience.
What if people could break out of that inertia and act differently for the better of the world? What if future generations could enjoy a life- free of gender discrimination, societal judgments, nit-picking and ego-triggered decisions?
Here are some 55 fictions- crisp stories that could show all men and women how normal the life of “equality by choice” can be.
These stories are applicable to all. While it may seem like there is a greater favor towards the women, remember this: “It is she who is fighting the harder battle against the society, and her own clan now”.
I hope you enjoy these stories while also relishing the subtle message hidden in these tales:
SHE
As a child growing up in the early 90s, I remember watching this movie star with awe; I was a huge fan and would watch all his movies with my mouth wide open!
In 2016, I still am a big fan, but, if I could go back in time to change that 1 thing about his movies, I would change those male dominated dialogues that featured in most of them. Not just his movies- umpteen others’ featured such dialogues. Situationally, those might have made an impact on screen, but, objectively, those dialogues were pertinent even to a man- a message seldom conveyed in those movies. This in turn, led to the penetration of ideas on ‘how women should be’, ‘what they should do’ and so on in some ways …
As Indians, we are immensely influenced by the movies that we watch; we idolize our stars who are nothing short of demigods for many of us. And, having grown up watching these male stars dominate their female leads -sometimes in an uncharacteristic and yet an imposing way, we are tuned to believing that that is how it should be.
APEIRON 