World Heart Day from Goa

After day-long learning, a long walk around the hotel property, well after sunset. A relaxing bath. Some fruits, kichchdi for dinner (Sachin Tendulkar's favourite - all comparisons end there). 

Trying to take care of body (along with mind & spirit!)

After World Tourism day at Goa, it is Heart Day today.

Several reports in the media need to take care of health, as most of heart-related problems are caused by obesity, life-style, etc. Preventive measures such as regular health-check up, right diet, exercise, etc key to a healthy heart. 

Let us take care of physical heart.... and also, spiritual heart. I am personally focussing on both right now. 

All About Ads

WC T20 is boring. My take on some of the ads :

• Blue 'bled' at 1 for 1 !
• At Goa & watching i20 ad, on a beach-setting - highlighting the connection only.  
• Also, at a beach - liquor ad continue to be aired during world cup matches :(
• Pepsi ad different, as usual ! But suggest 'bio-breaks' :) Bhajake aana is cool ! But with politics in the cricket, we may get 'bajoed'.
• Ranbir 'on' air for Pepsi, the hero is now 'under water' for Hero Motors!
• Celebrity endorsements featuring Ranbir bordering over-exposure ? I guess, yes...
• Another liquor brand featuring SRK & Saif aired - I always wondered why do such big stars endorse liquor brands? And, how can those ads be aired during such hugely popular cricket telecast, target audience being entire family (sadly)? Can BCCI not avoid the the dollars through 'liquor-dollars'?  Can the media & media-related authorities take responsibility?
• Another real star, Yuvi, makes huge impact on the field. Great effort by him... Inspiring stuff. 
• Yuvi re-appearing on Birla Sun Life ad looks more acceptable now, after he started playing & getting back to his old self. (But the TVC aired during his treatment was in poor taste). ‘jab tak balla chal raha hai….’ Is pregnant with meaning!

Sadly, one of the best TVC's are not on Star Cricket: JOY OF GIVING (http://joyofgivingweek.ning.com/), with a beautiful sound-track! Reminds the melody of early 1980's, esp from greats like Ilayaraja. Needless to add, a wonderful cause. 

Kurien RIP

India lost one of the best ! A professional who opted to make a difference to the lives of villagers in Gujarat, led to India's milk revolution.

Kurien is next only to original Gopala, in Gujarat & India....

RIP !






Photo Courtesy The Week

World Tourism Day Greetings from Goa

Today is World Tourism Day!! And, I am at Goa, one of India’s best tourist spots. And, in my own, small way, I am trying to be a responsible tourist, as always, by avoiding wastage or water/power, sensitive to flora & fauna, minimise plastcis, etc. (afterall, 'boond, boond...')

Going up the corporate-ladder, very early in my carrier, I fancied my opportunity to get into a league where I could stay top 5 Star hotels. To enjoy the the basic facilities only, not to experience the luxury, often unnecessary freebies for a business traveler. But when I reached there, I was very conscious about environment & my responsibility, holistically. So, one of the things I looked forward at top hotels, bath-tubs, became a strict no-no :( But, not regrets at all. Afterall, it was a personal choice and felt good to be environmentally-sensitive. 

This morning, as I stepped out for my morning walk, I was surprised to observe no earthworm on the concrete path! I thought they had 'conspired' to prevent me the opportunity to save them J

As I went for a longer stretch, I reached the south-eastern corner of the property, where I found few on the road. But, that stretch was not concrete and less frequented, so less threatening to their lives.  Sadly I discovered I was actually hurting some earthworms while trying to save them :(

May be hotel should take up the project to save earth-worms, just as they manage the plants so well. 

Selfish at Goa

Wednesday - 26th Sept:

A good night’s sleep, now fully ‘acclimatized’ to Goa!

‘Is it Wednesday or Thursday’? That was one of the first questions to arise, very early in the morning. As though it had any relevance!

A new day…  to learn, un-learn, re-learn.

Morning walks have always been great. But in Goa, with all greenery around, it has been truly therapeutic. Different species of birds, flying around and making different sounds, add to the experience. No wonder Tansen got some initial ‘training’, imitating birds & animals in the forest, before a master picked him up.

Beach - early morning or late evening.. is a breath-taking sight. The vastness of the sea is mind blowing.

As I walked past ‘Jiva’, a girl picking up flowers into a basket hanging on her hand, was a different visual effect. As PG Wodehouse would put it, the girl went about her task of plucking flowers with total disregard to the world around.  

But the male staff I ran into gave me attention more than required. They were surprised to see me with a twig in my hand and bending several times during my  not so ‘brisk’ walk!

As I stepped out, on the concrete path, I found several earthworms in their ‘existential’ struggle. They were on concrete, which was alien territory. Ants were attacking them. Passing golf carts & Homo sapiens were crushing them! They were being picked up for breakfast by the numerous, colorful birds.

As I went about saving few earthworms, a crow came closer to observe me, surely not amused. ( chk out photo attached)

‘Take time to look around… it is too short a day to be selfish’ – Anonymous

I was not being selfless. I was being selfish. By saving few earthworms, I would have compensated a fraction of pollution I am adding to environment in this truly exotic Goa! I surely felt nice, saving few earthworms.

‘Make haste in doing good…’ Dhammapada ( Sacred Space/Speaking Tree – Today’s  Times of India)

A new, beautiful twist to this stay @ Goa J

BLISSFULLY!

Crow watcing!

HOTEL @ Goa

Long drive from airport to the hotel. Not much has changed at the airport or the landscape. Of course, most of the hoardings were of liquor brands !!

Delighted to be in Goa, so green and beautiful (not very clean, as it used to be!)

Checked in at hotel.

Times Supplement, Life, carried a brilliant article on SLOW LIFE. Appropriate article to set the tempo at Goa, over the next one week. 

As I walked around... saw a butterfly in distress, on the concrete path. Picked it up & put into the plants, with hope & prayer for recovery. 

'What caterpillar calls end of the day, Master calls a butterfly'

Random Notes from Goa

On Saturday,  22^nd Sept, my favorite  airline (at least it used to be) disappointed me once again.

Could not web check in, as their system did not support tele-check in on Safari.

Call Center would not help either, asked me to ‘go & try on Internet explorer’.

High time they adopted Safari-compatibility too.

At the check in counter, I was allotted middle-row, as “nothing else was available”!! They did a token effort to try to ‘request for change of seat at boarding’. 

Thankfully, I was glad a friend occupied my next seat!!

No surprisingly, most of the travellers were heading to Goa for their vacations.

Back at GOA after a gap of over 7 years. Not on work as before, but to learn!

Organic : TO BE or NOT TO BE

This is no longer a question, especially after Satyameva Jayate. That episode has managed to reach out to so many viewers & sensitise about the health-risk of our food items, with the extensive use of pesticides. I hope the new FDI norms will improve storage facilities so that we get fruits & veggies, fresher !

As such, at least in Indian context, it is a no-brainer. Just Go Organic.

Then comes the second resistance: ' it is too expensive'. Yes, if you compare based on identical weight. But then, same weight is no comparison. For organic food need not be taken in quantity as much as 'non-organic'. You will get all nutrients from a lesser quantity of organic food, without the pesticide-risk. Morevoer, all doctors will agree most of us are anyway over-eaters :)

So, just cut down quantity. Then it would make sense, economically. I would suggest just avoid non-organic as much as possible, rather than the risk of pesticide-exposed fruits/veggies. 

This is a choice we have to make, urgently. Also, to keep expenses at home within budgets. 

Healthy & economically-smart too...

Apple gets over 2 million orders for iPhone5 in just one day

AT & T has confirmed the demand for iPhone5 makes it the best-seller from Apple. 

France Telecom’s Orange has confirmed same too.

Most of the so-called tech-experts had given an average review, almost bordering ‘principle of charity’!!

Great job, Apple.