Kerala Travelogue: Part II

With another Sunday on the horizon, we decided to go for a trip across Kochi. The day was 2nd August. Around 10 am, we boarded a public transport bus from Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus, Aluva to Fort Cochin. Each was charged Rs 17 which made us aware of the fact that the journey to Fort Cochin is definitely going to be long and arduous. The bus journey took more than an hour, however the journey was definitely a treat for the eyes as the bus snaked around the major landmarks like Marine Drive, Shipyard, Naval Base INS Dronacharya, Mattancherry before stopping at Fort Cochin Bus Stand.

Fort Cochin is a nice and tranquil place with the cool sea breeze constantly hitting our faces which swept away the tiredness and anxiety from our minds. The sentry which greets any visitor to that place is the Santa Cruz Basilica just adjacent to the Bus Stop. The nearby backwaters made for a perfect backdrop to the innumerable stories and legacy of this spot. Chinese Fishing Nets can be seen from a very close viewing distance and natives say that they were installed there in the 15th century itself. The sea looked very rough and ferries were plying all over it. We proceeded to the Beach area which was tiny. A large portion of the sea shore is rocky in nature. So tourists were frolicking in the limited available beach space. The beach was, nevertheless, littered with coconut fronds and maybe due to the offseason, wasn’t maintained properly. The distant horizon was marked with boats and ships of varying shapes and sizes. Marine Drive can be seen from Fort Cochin itself and the skyscrapers looked like tiny matchboxes. Our next stop was St. Francis Church. Excitement soon turned into despair as we found it locked as it was a Sunday and we were a tad late.

Nearby was Mattancherry, hardly 2.5 kms from Fort Cochin. The major landmark is the Mattancherry Palace built by the Dutch for the Varma royal family. It has now been converted to a museum with full grants from the Archaeological Survey of India. The halls were adorned with Ramayana Paintings which described the story of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya and his war with Ravana, the demon king of Ceylon. They were very vividly made and the figures looked life like. The next hall was filled with inscriptions and cartographic references describing the history of Kochi and how it was inhabited. The rich traditions of the Jews and the biblical references are also mentioned through pictorial representations. Further down, we can see the portraits of the Varma rulers and their descendants and ministers. The royal articles prevalent during those times have also been neatly preserved which gave an idea of life in Kerala during those times.

In Mattancherry itself, located in the midst of an idyllic Jew Town is the famous Jewish or Paradesi Synagogue, one of the oldest in South Asia. It is a Jewish place of worship and located a km away from the Palace Museum. This was my first visit to any Synagogue and I wondered about the similarities of religions all over the world and how their adherents worship their Gods in a similar manner. So different we look outwardly, but how strangely similar are human nature and ways of life I thought. The entire Jew Town is littered with antique shops where collectibles are found ranging from a few rupees to lakhs of rupees. They are worthy places of visit for those interested in taking back home some nice memorabilia from their Kochi trip.
The ferry services in Kochi are another notable attraction. Countless of them ply through the lakes and backwaters carrying daily commuters, vehicles and tourists. Kudos to the state govt. For maintaining the daily ferry services between the different islands which has eased congestion to a large extent. Also the low fare of 2 rupees is attractive and many people take advantage of the facilities. For that purpose, boat jetties are located along the islands’ coastlines. The most famous of them is located near Marine Drive which is an upmarket area of the city consisting of swanky shopping malls, showrooms and the like. Various delicacies can also be seen being offered here and there which adds to the charm of the place.

Visiting Kochi is a rewarding experience in terms of the beauty and tranquillity of the city and its environs. And especially during the monsoons, one shouldn’t miss the opportunity of being drenched by thundershowers while boating in the lagoons. Definitely on my recommended places to visit list.

Kerala Travelogue: Part I

With training rigour slightly easing itself from my neck, I decided to visit some nearby places in and around Federal Heights, Aluva to unwind myself. First on the list was a quaint locale called Cherai Beach. Around 20 kms from Aluva Bank Junction, it is a long stretch of verdant sandy beach in Vypin Island, Kochi. Regular buses ply onto Paravoor, a transit point towards our destination and onwards to Cherai. Our journey date was 26th July, a Sunday and we started our trip in the afternoon hoping to catch the dying glimpses of a setting sun in the sea waters. It took almost an hour to reach Cherai from Aluva and we proceeded the last few metres on foot as a bridge was under repair. Lovely backwaters and cool breeze emanating from them greeted us. The salty smell of the sea tinged my senses as it was almost a year since I visited the Marina Beach. Upon reaching the exact location, I was thrilled to find hordes of tourists already soaking themselves in the cool waters. It was simply gorgeous and simply unexplainable to describe the view which I enjoyed of the setting Sun although it was briefly obscured by a few clouds in the horizon. The water was however a little murky which can be explained by the intermittent showers happening around this region quite recently. I also got very involved with some mouth watering delights especially fried delicacies cooked at the beach huts. By the time I arrived in Aluva, it was already 8 pm and I was satisfied and relieved knowing fully well that there are lots of exciting places to visit in Kochi. Also I was a bit irritated knowing that I have to wait another week for those peek-a-boo opportunities of slipping away from Aluva.

The media is crass, isn’t it? Or is it?

The media is an information reporting medium which brings real time events to normal public. The medium might be in the form of print media like newspapers, magazines, online media or even the most popular one, the multimedia telecast by means of radio or TV. I feel nauseated by the deluge of senseless journalism prevalent in our country, in particular. So thought of letting vent to the feelings. I believe the media has a very responsible role of shaping our minds, especially the younger generation. With values and morals plummeting to an all time low and people mistaking tradition-stickling for out datedness, the situation is expected to get even worse in the near future. So along with the education system, the print media and the TV media have a very important duty to collectively shape the virgin young minds in the same manner a potter shapes his clay pots. Rudimentary, isn't it?

So continuing in the same vein, the media should be impartial in publishing news articles. So what is the progress so far? Channels like Aaj Tak have been reduced to the shadows of their former past. It has become a terrible blot in the history of impartial journalism in India. Instead of just presenting the news in a polite and unmodified manner, they force their anchors to modify it and present it as their opinionated mouthpiece. I feel very sad when I recollect those golden days when Aaj Tak was a news bulletin in DD Metro and it then garnered some of the highest ratings for any news programme in India. It had also won numerous awards. All changed in a moment when TV Today-a division of the India Today Group acquired the rights for it. Yes you got it right. This is the same group which banged itself in the wall by redesigning the legendary India Today and converting it into a piece of trash which it is today. Same is the case with some of the newer channels who want more TRP ratings instead of having a Quality Control system in place while delivering news. News of politics, entertainment, administration and sports are regularly delivered with their own “moral” admonishings and sermons as to what has been righted or wronged in the process. Who has asked for your opinions dear sirs/madams? We only want the news. Please we are intelligent enough to interpret it and form our own opinions.

We have to just look at channels like BBC or CNN to gauge the glaring differences in the presentation of objectively-filled content to present the true and accurate picture of an incident instead of the Indian disease of glamorising an incident by terming this as Exclusive and what not. True, we are not as developed as our counterparts in the other side of the globe, but the least we can do is being true to ourselves and not to produce a deceptive picture of an incident. The credibility and reliability of most of the TV channels are at stake. There is no external force behind their undoing. And what have they done to bring back the trust? A big zero. Absolutely nothing. Most of the channels have become mouthpieces of either political parties or large business houses parroting their diktats.

The print media has become even worse. Most of the front page news and editorial articles are nothing but copy-paste from their websites containing blogs by non-descript people,given a thumbs down rating previously by online readers. The same pathetic opinion pieces are regurgitated again and again till the normal reader cries out of fatigue. Large national newspapers' reporting has gone rock bottom with tepid reporting aimed at “I don’t know who.” Gross spelling mistakes give these so called “Largest Daily” papers, a pock marked look. This ruins the vocabulary of the ever growing youth. Either there is a problem with their spell checkers or there is gross carelessness on their part. Irrelevant news is highlighted unscrupulously to attract attention of the public who otherwise would have simply neglected it.

Another issue is the high decibel voice of the newscasters which would virtually make you deaf if you continue listening to their nonstop chatter at normal TV volume. You have to scale down the audio level of the device several notches down to be able to distinguish between noise and voice. I wonder where these people are being imparted training. Nasal grunts and hisses are too common in channels like Times Now where the anchors try to impress you with their unnecessary use of squeaks and squeals. This makes your news watching sessions a nightmare. TV news casting and anchoring is an art and the quality of art depends on the quality of the artists.

All in all, news and views in India has become all the more lethal agent, nowadays capable of rendering your skulls immobile by inflicting painful headaches.

Finally got rid of jobless tag!!!

After joining the Federal Bank Staff College on 19th July, it has been a really comfortable stay in the cool environs of Aluva,a suburb of Ernakulam. The Staff College is a 11 storey high rise called Federal Heights. It is located just yards away from the bank Headquarters,the Federal Towers. The roof top is a decorated rope garden and the night views are delightful. The people here are nice,simple and friendly. The food provided in the mess is simply awesome with fruits,chicken/mutton in nearly every meal with calorie rich delectables like ice creams, fried vegetables, pulaos and ethnic Malayali food being splattered here and there. The accomodations are in line with 3 star hotel facility with a room being shared by 2 officers. The lecture hall is fully air conditioned and has a gallery like seating system for the students. The faculties are vastly experienced and are mostly Fed Bank old-timers with their designations being either Chief Managers or Senior Managers. Class timings are from 9:30 am-5:00 pm. All our Amrita friends are here except Ajit and Manu who didn't join. We are having a jolly good time. On Sunday, we are planning on a reunion of our batch mates who are staying nearby.

The training period will end on 8th August after which we all will depart for our respective posting locations. I have got mine in Kolkata. Feeling a bit nostalgic since I was there for a month during my Summers in 2008. Our initial designations will be Probationary Officers and after confirmation will be Assistant Managers. That's it for now.

Where is India heading?

Well with the General Elections over last fortnight and the Congress govt. coming back to power, there were exclamations of huge relief all over the country,especially the media and the so called free lancers and free thinkers. The stock market rose expectedly by nearly 2000 points and analysts seemed happy that a stable govt. has been voted to power which bode well for the country during such a self created recession.

However several questions remained unanswered. What happened to the Mumbai attack victims and what happened to the very same people who had raised their voices against terrorism? Why is Indian law so snail paced and bureaucratic that it took more than 4 months to formally file criminal charges against the perpetrators?

What will happen to the Naxal infested places and what steps will the new Govt. take especially after a much weaker army of a neighbouring nation finished off the world’s supposedly deadliest guerrilla army and its leader in a matter of 3 years? Has the govt. thought of any agenda to solve this age old problem prevalent in Andhra, Jharkhand,West Orissa, Chhattisgarh and East Maharashtra? Whenever and wherever I have gone, people always comment about North East and Kashmir but not a single one cares to recognize this fundamental headache that is gradually eating away the integrity of this nation. What will the govt. do and how will it react if tomorrow’s youth across the length and breadth of the country take up arms and follow the Naxalites saying that politics is nonsense.

Why are the Indian people not far sighted especially when it comes to deciding their future and electing leaders who could have done better in tackling this country’s perennial problems? Only 58% of the electorate voted in this elections and in Mumbai-the centre of India’s deadliest attack just months ago, the turn out was around 44%. Or do us Indians are so selfish that we exclaim “What is there for me” at each and every instant? Is it a part of our inherent culture that we look for our own personal “faidas” and benefits rather than leaving a much stronger and prosperous country for our future generations? Ha it looks like we are so blinded by self glorification that we don’t even reason for a moment for what the future lies for our descendants?

Is merely writing in newspapers,blogs and giving speeches enough to provoke the gullible Indian public or is it a platform for us to prove our own opportunistic tendencies? See that. We have to look for the greater good at each and every step. I am not denying the fact that personal gratifications are important but we should also think of the future while taking a decision for our very own kith,kin and self.

A fundamental doubt I have which has been troubling me is why I can’t speak freely of my own religion? Is it banned in a “secular” country like India? If I am proud of my religion why can’t I proclaim myself as a proud Hindu? My being a Hindu has nothing to do with my political or professional ambitions or even presence or absence of any political or cultural affiliations. Although Hinduism as a religion constitute more than 80% in this country, why are we being loathed whenever we talk about our religion in open forums. Why are we bracketed as anti-secularists just because I am claiming to be a proud Hindu? In any case I am not belittling other religions or communities. So,why this hypocrisy and pseudo secularism? Can anyone please clear this point?

Oh and I almost forgot the main point and veered away from it too much. So how come more people participation be ensured in the democratic processes? Has the Govt. made any attempt to find out the several problems hindering non participation? The problems are manifold like sheer disillusionment with the system to inability to caste votes because of mismatch between enrolment place and work place. Or is the govt. happy that turn out is low so that it can maintain its power?

Now I ask a lot of questions,don’t I? What to do? None have been answered so far and going by the set patterns, there is extremely low probability that they will be answered in the next 5 years.

That's all for now. Will again come back.

The Earth Hour: When is the next hour?

And the lights went off and the planet was engulfed in darkness! Newspapers around the globe flashed the now monotonous pictures of great cities of the world switching off their mundane lights. Also particularly notable was the uniqueness of all these photographs. All the montages featured showed two pictures side by side. One was that of the area in an otherwise ordinary night and the other showed the very same carbon copy, the only difference being most of the office buildings and great monuments were devoid of lighting. The very next day, the Earth Hour was claimed as a great success as if the objective had been achieved in a single stroke of display of human concern for the environment which by the way has already passed the point of no return.

Now just to paint a grim picture of the very scenario in black and white mode, we take you to the Beijing Olympic Stadium in 2008. The fireworks and laser display enthralled the crowd and drew tremendous applause from them. I would have bowed down to the human race if they had displayed some common sense and had minimized that tremendous wastage of electricity and "what not" energy source on the days of the opening and closing ceremonies. I am sure some million electron volts could have been saved. What about the hugely insane amount of electricity being used to light up those neon signs in Miami and the casinos in Las Vegas? But of course, why would the Americans care? They would claim that all households in their country might have access to more than enough power (of course electric) to run all their electric appliances. Of course you should also take into concern that each household over there would contain electrical appliances found in sum total of minimum of 3-5 Indian households. So what they are using in those above mentioned tourist havens are just surplus power (not my theory). I certainly hope so and certainly envy them if that is the case.

But this is only the beginning of the problem. The Earth Hour, which was recently publicized to a frenzied extent, was observed by many nations. Whether that power saved was for the global human population or for their individual national public is a question which has confused me. Because here in India, I can tell you that negligible households would have turned off their power. Of course by "households” I mean low income and middle income households which constitute almost 90% of the total households in this country. I am talking about our own families and our neighbourhood Uncles and Aunties. How many of them would have switched off their lights? None. The reasons are manifold. As a payee of Electricity Bills, they will seldom waste Electricity in their homes so they don't need to perform short cut penances and indecent austerities (like the Earth Hour). Secondly leave the rural areas, even Tier 2 cities and Metros experience solid power cuts as a form of retribution from the Government. If you persuade these people to shut off their lights, the situation will be akin to a bull in a china shop. I am not taking that bullshit propaganda fed to us (in the form of ads and posters) by the media saying that WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) has started this initiative. If WWF wants to save this planet ask them to go to Brazil and stop those timber mafia and avoid denuding the Amazon rainforests which provide almost 15-20% of our planet's oxygen. Here we are in the peril of not getting enough pure oxygen to breathe into our already soot filled lungs and now these organizations are behind our butts to virtually force us to switch off the lights. They will be more than happy to show the figures they have achieved in persuading people to give up lights. That will make a crowning achievement indeed (sigh). Sorry I don't have innumerable PCs, Vacuum Cleaners, Dish Washers, Plasma TVs, Frost Free Refrigerators and so on. So I am not wasting any power on unnecessary indulgences of the body and mind.

So how many years before nobody will be there to celebrate this "auspicious" hour? Nobody knows this gem. Development and concern for nature can't go hand in hand. And no I can't see neither deteriorate. The temperatures will continue to rise and the polar ice caps will continue to melt leading to rise in sea levels worldwide. So humans of coastal areas beware. And yes humans will be the only species remaining after all the rest will be decimated. Last I heard there are only 1500 tigers in India from 8000 or so during Project Tiger initiation. Replicate this for each and every visible species and you get the answer. Ice or sand will conquer since desertification will occur. So no amount of making documentaries or talking green will save this planet. And no don’t get afraid I am no member of any Doomsday sect. It is still some hundred years away (I hope) before this happens. You know the Earth is a tough nut to crack and that sucker will not go down to us humans without a fight. Take my word on this.

Snapshots of Windows 7

As mentioned earlier, I have attached some screenshots of the Windows 7 Operating System. However it is still in Beta and a lot of the intended features might not be included in the final version. So enjoy these pictures with a grain of salt.