Living it down-under

Apropos to the events unfolding in Australia, one wonders with awe the atrocities meted out to foreign students. In times when globalization speak for unification of different people, cultures and countries all over, these events come as a serious surprise to every rational being. What happened to Sharvan Kumar, or Sourabh Sharma and couple of other students evident the loop holes still widely prevalent in the so called multi-cultural, multi-ethnic world? But isn’t the hypothesis of calling these events racist too early a conclusion? Or is it pure stupor that India attaches to such events on foreign soil? Well, the answer lays in the future course of action and framework definition to protect the interests of foreign students and workers.

Before one can jump on to any conclusion that could be highly detrimental, one needs to weigh in all the reasons that caused all this to happen. Looking tangentially, I wonder if international cricket and specifically the rivalry between Indian and Australian cricket time resulted into this foray. With high decibel sledging by Australian cricketers ‘down-under’, and an un-equivocal status of BCCI in world cricket, the game between two sides give an impression of battle on the turf. Harbhajan Singh episode with Andrew Symonds in recent past has only proliferated tensions between the two countries. The correlation between sports world, specifically cricket and the social life is derived from the sentiments the sport drive on crazy spectators and game lovers. And that too in both the counties. We might not get to see an Australian beaten-up in Indian subcontinent, but can we really be optimistic about the same happening down-under? Or can we really forget what Indians have also done to foreign tourists in the past, even when they were not remotely connected to the world of cricket? Well, both the answers are right in front of all of us. Infact, Harbhajan singh’s cousin’s son, Utpal Singh also lost his life in Australia in one of those similar attacks.

Racism would set in when one enters into an elite territory, a superior state from a beleaguered or less prosperous one. But that case doesn’t fit for countries like Australia. Australia is first of all no one-culture nation, rather it has always been supportive of different people thronging from different countries all over the world. This country have had a tough past as migrants (Aborigines), one could not rebuke this country for few events which are unwanted. It has been for years that Indian students go for higher studies like hotel management hospitality industry to Australia in addition to a number of Bollywood movies being shot and screened there. So, in a nut shell, racism is uncalled for, but if indeed this evil is the grim reality, then one could only feel sorry for a foreign country like Australia who belied what they stood for.

At micro-level, an inspection would be highly full-filling. For we need to connect what was common amongst all the accidents no matter where they happened. Was it a clear demand of moolah (Australian dollars) by Australian students/ nationals which invigorated them to take such harsh steps? Or was it a personal vendetta or enmity of past? I strongly support the fact that culprits should be brought to book and framework needs to be defined which could help cultivate the on-going relationship between not just our two countries but also all over the world.

Wishing a speedy recovery to all the students/ nationals, and message from the heart of every Indian, ‘take care!!!’

Nurturing a new-born baby

The topic may seem out of place on this blog but surely a right guide for young mothers, for it would certainly help them relinquish few myths & strategies that need to be implemented when it comes to baby care. I’m not a father, but by nurturing my niece, or by taking care of her, I certainly have learnt a lot about children especially the newly born ones. And since I’ve seen the bud up-and-coming, I would certainly like to share my experience in form of few suggestions and advices.

Please do not consider any of these suggestions as the gospel’s truth, as they are entirely personal and just a ray of light to siphon-off perils of darkness for young mothers. Hope they come handy and feel free to reject any of them if not found suitable.

a)  First of all, the most important thing is to remember that the baby’s bones are highly fragile and should not ever be pulled or pushed too hard ever. They would generally take a long duration to develop and grow strong. Try taking care of them like a tender flower waiting to blossom.

b) A 5 month baby asks not just for attention, but also for toys or things that it can grab or hold. It would try clasping your fingers if offered, a small soft toys etc/ So kindly give due attention to babies during this stage so that they feel important and loved. They would not ask, but would give signals like:-

a. A yell would mean a sense of appreciation and enjoyment.

b. Constant or recurring yells would mean the wanting sign of attention needed to play

c. Open arms or trying to extend arms towards you would mean want of mother’s lap.

d. After playing for some time, a gentle cry would mean the time for a meal like milk/ceralac etc.

c)  A baby (my niece) would feel the most comfortable when kept in hand-driven prams (push-car) and taken for a light & gentle stroll. This generally makes them feel sleepy and go into a long slumber.

d) Never push the baby to drink the entire milk, but rather play with it to divert his/her mind so that it enjoys drinking the milk (for a baby of 4 to 5 months). Always use the right temperature for milk to be served and give adequate breaks to baby to have it drunk completely. Mantra would be: Slow and steady wins the race. Try not to rotate the milk bottle when in baby’s mouth, for rotation would only cause the uneven rate of milk flow into mouth and build up unnecessary pressure for baby to make larger gulps.

e)  Babies most often would respond to sounds like hand’s twitching, clapping and they find it a fun when done on recurrent basis.

f)  Please avoid showing babies mirrors to see themselves as I believe it only creates confusion and chaos in a small mind. May be a bit absurd thought but would still suggest avoidance of mirrors.

g)  A one to two month baby when crying feels most relaxed in somebody’s lap with a gentle care. Try giving soothing swings with care, without making them very shaky or vibrant but rather smooth and relaxing. This makes them go into a sleep.

   Please note the views are entirely my personal experience and expressed here. Please use all the logic, rationale and common sense in this world while taking care of your baby and above all, look at every perspective while taking care with love and emotions in your heart for the small stars. All the best!!!

 

A balancing Act

19th May, 2008: for the past one week, there has been no respite from scorching heat in Delhi. One wonder if this marks the peak of summers, or June has more sweltering blaze waiting to be gushed out? There is no denying the fact that as the time progresses the ecological system moves towards a more unstable state, the one with colder winters and hotter summers. Do two negatives make a positive? Well think twice when it comes to instability in weather. With more heat and intense cold, the equation isn’t a balancing one, but definitely the one which has its variables moving away from the state of equilibrium.

How an individual feel relieved from the inferno outside his/her home or working place? By using an air conditioned mode of transportation, or by drinking loads of drinks and juices, or by other means which can provide an easy respite. But are all these measures sustainable or are they really affordable by majority of the individuals on the run for major proportion of the day? The answer is a clear no. So what exactly are the sustainable measures that need to be taken care of?

One must realize that higher temperatures are a global issue and it can only be tackled if every individual understands the gravity of the problems it would result in near future. There would be 100’s of articles available explaining various methods of combating with scorching heat and keeping it cool, I would only like to enumerate the measures that would result in a balanced ecosystem & hence eliminate alternative ways to beat the heat.

a)     The most important task would be to plant as many trees as possible, or if possible, to plant one tree for every tree cut. For majority of us, as citizens of society, this is a long run practical approach concurred by most but rarely implemented by one. One needs to understand how important is afforestation/ reforestation and how important are trees in lowering the rising temperatures. It is evident from the scenario in villages (which also in fact are getting industrialized in today’s times) where lanes of trees provide a soothing touch of cool air just like an air-conditioner. Planting of trees has a multiplier effect. And not only does it result in stabilizing weather, it also result in creating jobs and improving work efficiencies and productivity. Planting more trees would result in preserving our ecological system. It would also help in lowering temperatures and hence more outdoor activities like going to work, undertaking field tasks etc would become easier. This would improve employee efficiency and organization’s productivity. Trees also provide natural home to diverse bird species & animals. Trees also help in preventing soil erosion and hence prevent floods from occurring. In a nut shell, one tree can solve multitude of our problems, think about having as many as possible? Wouldn’t that change the face of the earth and reduce the amount spent on developing alternative sources of energy to balance eco-system.

b)     Make use of car pools is another important measure that needs to be taken on a broader scale. Wisdom not lies in driving the most efficient (on mileage) car single handedly, but rather using any vehicle as a group most efficiently. With ‘nano’ stars waiting to be sparkled across every street and corner of the country, it is highly advisable to make use of each unit to its fullest capacity if possible. People staying in one colony should develop a car pool for to & fro journeys between the place of work and home. This would drastically reduce the fuel consumption and hence quash the ever growing constant demand on conventional sources of energy.

c)     Traffic signals provide an effective mechanism for conserving the limited fuel in each vehicle. Had there been no traffic signals, it would have only resulted in creating chaos on roads and increasing cases of accidents due to high speeds in addition to pollution burden. And high speed results in more fuel consumption, and hence more pollution. An individual should switch off the vehicle when the wait time period is at least 30 seconds. If all vehicles preserve fuel by above step, it would only result in saving up to tones of fuel on monthly basis. Hence increasing the supply, lowering the demand and hence prices.

d)    Make use of Metro trains as & when possible. Not only metro trains’ help in covering far reaches of a place, but they also provide a rather comforting journey at the most competitive prices. So shouldn’t the Metro trains be made use of if the distance to be covered is long enough to walk down?

Would come up with more sustainable measures which are present right in front of us, one just need the vision to make use of!!!

Till then take care and enjoy summer with cool drinks and loads of water….