Time is 9:46 PM

I am back to my seat and three guys come to announce the best live action award. The category doesn’t sound familiar, but sounds important. Whatever !

The Oscar award for the best live action short film goes to will tell you later.

By the way, did I tell you – Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire are tied at two awards each. Lets see who wins the battle of the Oscars. My heart goes for Slumdog Millionaire but my brain for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I hope my heart wins.

9:52 PM

Hugh Jackman is back and is busy talking of “Change That Has Come”…..He is talking of Mamma Miah and the musical. He is now singing, dancing live “Mariah….” from Mamma Miah…along with guess who – Beyonce Knowles!.

Oh My God!

This is the first time I am seeing him on stage and Hugh Jackman is phenomenal.

A Musical Oscars indeed. All the performers from Mamma Miah look so beautiful including Beyonce Knowles

Time is 9:59 – Time for a break and some grub – Salads, bread crumbs, light mayonnaise and lots of water. Not so spicy, right ? So uncommon for an Indian like me. Isn’t it ?..anyways, time to move on

Five actors including Cuba Gooding Jr. comes onto present the Best Supporting Actor.

The Oscar goes to the Late Heath Ledger for The Dark Night and the family (his mom,  dad and sister) came to receive the Oscars. All three of them spoke and accepts the award. An emotional moment, indeed. May his soul Rest In Peace

Who will win the Best Actor award ? – Mickey Rourke ? Wait for some more time and you will get to know that…

10:13 PM -

The best documentary award goes to James Marsh, Simon Chinn for Men On Wire. The winner shows some magic on stage. Very creative!

10:17 PM

The best Oscar for the small documentary short film goes to Megan Mylan for Smile Pinki – Another Indian film. Wow! This probably is the best year for Indian cinema at the Oscars for a long, long time to come. Hey, this is Icing On Cake!

Popularity: 33%

Nature gives us everything. But necessarily where we need it and when we need it. Maybe it was originally meant the other way round… we are supposed to be at the right place and the right time. Nothing complex to think – just look at water around you!

On one side there is water in plenty and the other there are people who have to walk miles for a potful. And we have leaders who dream of joining the mighty rivers and building dams to store more water. Perhaps what is really needed is to build a sense of responsibility in addition to all of these grand plans.

India receives fairly good rainfall in many places – but with a catch – It is usually unpredictable and the duration of the rain is short (and of course we have many extremes too). Most of this water runs into nullas and streams and ends up in the sea or in places where it is usually not required. If this water was to be harvested appropriately and used to recharge the ground water, it will severely reduce the stress on our resources.

The smallest good deed is greater than the grandest good intention.

While rules and ideas on water harvesting have been in existence, it would really make a difference if half of us practiced this in earnest. The cost is not really huge and the beneficiaries are locals. Some local government divisions and NGOs have created good awareness and have implemented this – but as a whole there is a lot that needs to be done.

You too can contribute in your own simple way. Turn down that tap in the wash basin the next time around. Don’t have leaky taps around. Educate folks around and spread the word. The time is now – And don’t worry if the saving is minimal – After all, every drop counts!

Image Credit: Randy Son Of Robert

Popularity: 11%

Never in the history of dogs have they become so popular.  Everyone wants to get a piece of the dog and eat it too.

Take the curious case of Danny Boyle – A British film director who left England to reach Mumbai in search of a dog story. And what he got is anybody’s guess. A multi million dollar saga on a dog…a.k.a Slumdog.

Coming to dogs, I’ve heard of “Insatiable Alsatians”,  every woman’s dream a.k.a  ”DoberMan” and Happy to Help sweet little Dr. Pug (or “Lolakutty!”) but not the new one called the Slumdog until a few days back

How often do you see a dog getting so much prominence, worldwide ?

Some people don’t like it when a dog is called a dog. Then there are those who think a man when called a dog will turn himself into a dog.  Especially when you categorise a whole community / habitants as a dog, then it gets worse.

Coming to the point, recently I read this Corporator from Mumbai – Nicholas Almeida made a statement.

“We request that please change the name of the film to Slum dash Millionaire or Slum dash Crorepati. Dog is a bad word”

I ask Nicholas since when is dog a bad word ? The last I know of dogs are that it is a man’s best friend. Dogs are the most loyal animal. So how is it that a dog is a bad word ?

And why pick on one movie which has suddenly become a worldwide hit. What were you doing when the movie itself was being made ? May be Mr.Nicholas doesn’t have a day job. No wonder he is a Corporator from Mumbai!

Yeah right – When you have a Corporator like him and a few like the Rajs of the world and the Senas, then Mumbai is sure to go places.

Going by the same tone, isn’t the film Kaalia a racist title ? Isn’t Agnipath, the national award winning film starring Amitabh Bachhan, insulting fire- supposedly another God ? Then how about Sholay which also means fire ? And “Fire” itself (starring Shabana & Nandita) where  lesbianism is portrayed which is still considered a social taboo ?

I think people like Nicholas just need a reason to fight …and unfortunately in India, more often than not we fight for the wrong social reasons.

How often do you see someone fight for minimum standard of living for the slum dwellers, a hygienic environment to survive, drinkable water, food, housing, shelter etc for those who below poverty line ?

Nicholas Almeida and his pseudo protests, if directed, in the right direction can yield results that will be appreciated by many rather than trying these cheap stunts of publicity.

Corporator(s) in India – better find some good alternative issues and leave the dogs to their own destiny. If not, it is certain that every dog will have his day ! J

Image Credit: Mr.Kumm

Popularity: 13%

We can achieve a lot when we look at our faces on the mirror and put sincere efforts to achieve better. My sincere personal views are as below:

1. Rural Education

Literacy level needs to be improved in the villages. People from the urban areas should do it willingly.

2.  Communication

Communication across the country needs to be improved for clear thinking and understanding. It is better now, compared to 10 years back, but to be improved further and extended to the villages.

3. Agriculture

We are not utilizing the lands to the maximum possible ways. Water is necessary for irrigation, which most of the time, we are expecting the RAIN. Our existing great plan of joining GANGA – KAVERI should happen for Agriculture developments across the country.

4.  Treating Neighbors’ as Customers

Customer satisfaction is not only present in Business, but also in our day to day life. Empathy (putting ourselves into others shoes) is to be practiced well, and then only other’s difficulties are well realized.

5. Corruption

It started with gratitude for getting the things done; now it has taken the shape as “demand”. In this process, it has become “without this it is next to impossible to do anything”. If this continues further, the growth of our country is at stake. Steps are to be taken at the highest level to erradicate curruption.

6. Lead India / Leadership

Young and educated people are to be encouraged and inducted in the Indian Politics. Active participation of the dedicated, likeminded people only can build India well and stable.

7. Right things to do

Most of us are doing the things right. We often fail to understand ” Are we doing the Right things?” We need to ask such questions ourselves, before taking some important decisions.

8. Social Freedom

All are important under the sun. Freedom is essential for all for not only living, but also for shouldering responsibilities.

I am sure year 2020 is going to be a Milestone for us, all Indians. I am proud to be an Indian, so as other Indians.

Popularity: 26%

Global Warming, Climate Change, Going Green – Aaah! Fancy terms!

Whenever I think of these terms, it always makes me think- Are Indians not a party to it ? How many people have you heard speak of such fancy terms in India ? And how many would even understand its global impact?

With a lot of difficulty, may be just a handful – Right?

Wrong!

To the villagers in India, “Going Green” is a thing of the past. They have already Gone Green many centuries ago.

Take a look at the list below and you’ll know exactly what I am talking about.

1. Gobar Gas

Hundreds of millions of cubic feet of methane-sometimes called “swamp” or bio-gas – are generated every year by the de- composition of organic material. It’s a near-twin of the natural gas that big utility companies pump out of the ground and which so many of us use for heating our homes and for cooking.

We, in India, call this phenomenon as “Gobar” Gas or “Cow Dung” Gas.

Cow dung gas is 55-65% methane, 30-35% carbon di- oxide, with some hydrogen, nitrogen and other traces. This is beyond me. So read more here

Now, let me know of one village in India which has not Gone Green

2. Hand to Mouth

Indians, the world over, is known to eat with their hands. An American asked me a couple of years ago.. “Yo! Why do you eat with your hands, when we have forks and knives available- Yo ?!”.

My answer was “My friend God has given us two hands. If we don’t use it for the right reason, then God will be unhappy. I can’t take that risk..Now you understand, Yo ?!”

And I left him at that…

A few days back, the same American came back to me and said “You know what – We should actually stop using those plastic forks and knives at McDonalds, KFCs and other restaurants…So unhealthy…You get what I mean ?”

I said ” It took centuries for you to realize this. Look at us, Indians – We always are Hand to Mouth”

Gotcha ?

3. My Sun

It’s been quite some time that I moved out of India. I miss my country – for its affinity to nature, for its lesser dependence on technology, for its non-mechanization of life etc..

While I am away, one thing that caught my attention was the way in which people in the western world waste their energy, power, money etc. With little choice, I am also a part of them though.

Here is one straight example

I pay almost $ 2 for every 5-6 pair of clothes that I wash in the Laundromat. After it is washed I pay another $2 for drying – whether hot or cold. Added to that the heat generated, the energy wasted etc.

The no. of households using dryers – Millions. Most definitely bad for the environment we live in today.

Roll over to India – Green grass, Blue sky and the lovely Sun. Most Indians do not use a dryer to dry their clothes after washing. In fact I hardly know anyone who uses that.

You could see clothes getting dried on the balconies, verandahs, lawns, backyard etc. with exposure to the Sun. That is India’s way of going green – and that is how we contribute to this world.

Is it not a matter of pride that we use nature to our advantage ?

4. Turning over a new leaf

Heard about leaves being used as plates ? Those who come from villages in India, you will know what I am talking about. In India until about a decade ago, most of the villagers ate food in plates that were made of leaves – typically plantains. But yes, the western way of doing things caught our attention and some of us switched to steel and ceramic plates. Not that they are bad, but I think there is some science behind why leaf plates made sense. This has been a practice for centuries. Even today, in traditional functions, food is served in a plantain leaf (for that matter – any leaf).

Indians have set examples. Why can’t the world turn over a new leaf ?

5. Getting Ayurvedic

Ayurveda is a system of traditional medicine native to India and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine.

As per Wikipedia

“Ayurveda believes in ‘five great elements’ (or called Panchatatva i.e. earth, water, fire, air and space) forming the universe, including the human body. Blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow, chyle, and semen are believed to be the seven primary constituent elements of the body. Ayurveda stresses a balance of three substances: wind/spirit/air, phlegm, and bile, each representing divine forces”

If this is not going green, what else is.

Popularity: 15%

“Yet again the communal clashes in the city has left the streets  burning with the flames of hatred killing thousands of people all over “.

This is Naina Sahay reporting live from Mumbai, Kal Tak. 

Naina was a young, flamboyant journalist who had earned herself a lot of accolades for her brave reporting and blunt comments that supported the truth. Her parents passed away when she was barely the age of 12 in an accident leaving behind a lot of responsibilities and a younger brother to take care of.

As she grew up she started working at a very young age in order to give her brother the best of life she could. She gave him love of a mother, father as well as sister. And in the process earned a living through whatever jobs she could lay her hands on. Naina got introduced to the field of journalism through a friend and since then there was no looking back. 

Naina just kept on climbing the success ladder to earn herself a life she truly deserved. From scratch, today she owns a good house, car and everything. But what Naina truly cared for was Armaan, her younger brother. She could never live without him. A slight fever and the girl who could report under waist deep water during Mumbai floods would go paranoid.

A small wound on Armaan would make her go berserk  and a drop of tear from Armaan’s eyes would just make Naina depressed. Probably that’s the reason why Naina was unmarried because she could not live without her brother and would want to give him her undivided attention.

But then one incident shattered her life.

In the year 1993 communal riots broke out in Mumbai .People were behind each other’s lives. Dead bodies were lying on the roads. Injured unattended and bloody and gory sight’s everywhere. People were scared to get out of their houses yet Naina risked her life to deliver news to people.  So many times the bullets must have just missed her but even through such tensed situation she would remain calm and help the injured on the streets. While doing her duty her finger constantly clicked Armaan’s number at the interval of every half an hour to ensure his safety.  

Suddenly one day Naina heard a cry of help. On drawing closer to the sound she realized there was a man badly injured and was probably taking his last breadth. The man in a hushed voice called Naina closer. Naina hesitantly went closer. The man revealed a sensational news that would rock the nation and he also had photo evidence to back his story. Naina was shocked at the evidence. Before Naina could ask him any questions the man closed his eyes forever.

The man said that the current Chief Minister was involved in the clashes of Hindu and Muslim communities and he had started communal rights in order to degrade his political rivalry. Naina had a very important evidence and also the power to stop the future bombings that were planned to kill the leader of the opposition party which would leave the entire city burning and spoil the situation even more.

Naina hurried to her house and kept the photograph with Armaan. She went to her Head Office to make arrangement for her breaking news. But what Naina wasn’t aware of was the man who followed her to her house.

While Naina was in the office preparing for the prime event the man entered her house. Armaan heard the noise and went in the front room. The man attacked Armaan, Armaan resisted and tried to fight back but the man just removed a gun and shot down six bullets into Armaan. Armaan’s knees gave away, he fell down and instantly his life was snatched by the cruelty of the world. The man ransacked the entire house and found the photograph and ran away with it.

Naina with her boss returned to her house. Her feet trembled, beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, she collapsed the darkness was’nt only for the moment but for the rest of her life.  Seeing the pool of blood which Armaan was in, disturbed the mental state of Naina.

The news was’nt deliverd but the death of Armaan resulted in the suicide of the courageous self of what Naina used to be. Yet again the politics of our country silenced the truth. She lost her mental balance, she lost her voice and what was left was a silent suicide which was never recorded..

Statistics have shown thousands of people suicide due to different reasons but have we ever thought of the loss of individuality that people suffer at the hands of our ignorance…It is high time we follow the philosophy of LIVE AND LET LIVE… It is high time we understand that we are not divided on the basis of religion, caste, creed or sex but we all belong to a much higher sect that is Humanity.

We all have 2 eyes 2 hands 1 nose 2 feet, so why the heck are we fighting for our so called differences. Let’s all join in this human chain of understanding and love so that we make India, a better place to live in.

Popularity: 31%

It will slow down the digestion. Once this ’sludge’ reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

Common Symptoms Of Heart Attack

A serious note about heart attacks – One should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jawline.

You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack.

Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep, do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let’s be careful and be aware.

The more we know, the better chance we can survive.

Popularity: 15%