Kuttanad, a weeping beauty

 

Kuttanad near Alleppey in Kerala is a fascinatingly beautiful area. It provides 40% of Kerala’s paddy production and has tremendous tourism potential that includes excellent cuisine....

Forced parenthoods

I was sitting on the stone bench outside the church. The church was overflowing due to the Holy Week service. Kids were playing around while the teens gossiped and young parents ran behind their tots. It was a jovial atmosphere notwithstanding the Stations of the Cross going on inside the church.

An elderly lady from Kerala was walking around and rocking a baby who looked a month or so old. Time and again she would peep into the church as though looking for someone. When the baby got restless, she went inside and came out with a young girl. The young girl went into a car and fed the baby and gave it back to the lady who I presume was her mother or mother-in-law. The baby got restless again. The lady peeped into the church apologetically, her face pleading with the girl inside. The girl walked outside in some annoyance and grabbed the baby and went to the car to feed the baby again. I heard the lady telling her to feed the baby well. In five minutes the young girl was out of the car again and after handing over the baby to the lady, she walked back to church to join her husband. The baby, mercifully fell asleep. I felt bad for the lady who seemed to be the only person who cared for the baby...more.

“Mukhtaran Mai Gang Rape Case” Verdict – The Pakistan Judiciary Makes A Mockery Of Itself

There is probably hardly any doubt that Mukhtaran Bibi will remember 21st April 2011 as a day equally “black” as the day on which she was gang raped by some beasts in the garb of human beings. On that fateful day she was raped by miscreants. And on the “Judgment Day” she found her hope for justice to be raped by the weak judiciary of her country. She had waited for 6 years to see those bastards finally getting punished for the heinous crime that they dared to commit. Instead, now she will have to bear the pain of watching them moving freely, an experience that will far aggravate the pain of bearing the memory of her harrowing experience. More

Back to nalukettus?

The revival of interest in the old Kerala style nalukettu houses (structure on all four sides around an open space called nadumuttam in the middle) is quite amazing. I had posted several articles and photos on the subject and they still draw many visitors. That must be so too for other bloggers who also handle the subject, and for architects.

GREAT AMERICAN BALD EAGLE

This is a story of a family of Bald Eagles. Magnificent and beautiful. I have embedded a Live video stream of this family and one can watch Mother, Father and the chicks 24X7. I hope you'll read, watch, learn and enjoy!

I deleted the previous post and reposted this story because I had new updates about this Eagle family. I have been unable to unglue myself from watching them Live on cam till late in the night, daily. At any time, there are between 30,000 to over 150,000 viewers viewing this family and my post has Live Eagle cam.

Clocks and Watches

The clock has always been a curious object wherever it is.  I grew up admiring a few of them at home as they ticked and showed time, effortlessly. I also used to wonder how they worked and what made them tick.  When I was old enough I discovered it when I laid my hands on them.

(Read more... in three parts/posts)

Vishu Greetings

A Trip Down Memory Lane

My life is a strange paradox. On the one hand, I am gloriously, happily busy, doing things that I love, but, on the other hand, my laziness and disorganization have reached record heights. Ideas for new posts are scribbled on bits of paper that vanish without a trace. What seemed like a brilliant idea while drifting off into dreamland feels tame and lame in the harsh light of day. An overflowing pile of unwashed clothes beckons, demanding action, as does an empty pantry. There is family to tend to, friends to catch up with. Spring - beguiling and fickle, garbed in bright, sun-splashed colors one day, in damp, sullen gray the next - is knocking at my window, urging me outdoors.

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Why the goodies? Do not demean Team India's feat

I wish to discuss how I resent the cartloads full of goodies that the government smothers the cricketers with at the slightest opportunity.

Talking about World Cup 2011. Team India did a brilliant job. Exactly. They were doing just that, their job.

We are happy and proud and we love the men in blue, but the God-like reverence seems inane. It seems very cheap and unfair to other worthy professional sectors of our country: farmers, army, navy, police, healthcare workers, teachers and so on that need immediate attention and bureaucratic commitment to meet decades-old demands for better working conditions, easy loans, higher pays. It seems a fickle government that loses hold of its stoic to announce cash awards to the tune of crores, plots in prime locations the country over and a dozen other such lavish goodies to the cricketers at the flimsiest of opportunity possible.


Read the complete post here

COLORFUL LEAVES

Photos

How to Avoid Sinus Pain and Congestion

Sinus pain is usually triggered by colds, flu, allergens, and pollutants. While some people suffer seasonal allergies others have a bad time throughout the year. Studies show that allergies top the list when it comes to listing the causes for sinus infections and congestion, closely followed by the common cold and flu.

Here are tips to avoid a sinus infection and the congestion it causes, or at the very least, keep an infection at bay.

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The secret to being more productive and happy

Relax.

One of my favorite words for the last two weeks has been “hectic”. Okay, I also like “leverage” and “relax”. When life seems like a bit of a tsunami sometimes, and you feel like you’re lagging behind, you know you are stressed – and that you have to relax.

There can be multiple daily stressors at work – maybe you were leaving for a meeting, dressed in a white shirt – and spilt coffee on it. Maybe you are trying to focus on some emergency work but can’t seem to hear yourself think over the noise of the kids yelling at each other. Maybe you’ve got to get somewhere real quick, and are stuck in a traffic jam.

If you go through these things they can be enough to make you feel you are ready to be certified. Here are some simple relaxation tips...

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