Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Leap of faith

It was horrific hearing and reading about the fire at an office building in Bengaluru (Bangalore) yesterday that claimed at least nine lives. But what was even more disturbing was finding out that five of those fatalities were people who jumped out of the inferno in the hope of escaping the flames and fumes.

Some newspaper reports claimed firemen encouraged the jumpers to take the leap after having hurriedly spread out some nets and padded them with clothes and mats. The padding was not nearly enough. Each one of the people who jumped died within seconds of taking that big leap of faith.

I am aware that rescuers at times ask people to jump out of burning buildings, but they are generally better prepared to catch the victims and save their lives. What happened in Bangalore's seven-storey Carlton Towers last evening was just appalling. If those people had hung on, they'd probably have had at least a slim chance of surviving.

Monday, February 15, 2010

3 Idiots lead the way to sanity

Rarely does a Hindi film come along and change the way people think. But Aamir Khan and Raju Hirani's 3 Idiots seems to have pulled it off. It has made a difference in the thinking and priorities of simple, middle class families that relentlessly pressure their kids on academics. This blog isn't based on hearsay. It's based on conversations I have had with other mothers of school-going children.

One lady, whose older daughter is now just a month away from the high-pressure 10th standard board exam, said her husband had made her back off from forcing their first-born into any academic stream after watching the film. Post-3 Idiots he apparently advocated that the daughter be allowed to do what she chooses and be happy.

A friend of mine in Powai said she'd heard something very similar from a mother in her kids' school. After watching the blockbuster movie this mother had backed off, stopped pushing her son on the academic front and also cut down on micro-managing his life.

3 Idiots is a laugh riot (I loved it). But the subliminal message - let kids and youngsters be; don't sacrifice their happiness on the altar of success - behind the jokes seems to be penetrating the middle class consciousness. The film harshly brings out just how heavy a toll academic pressure can take on some - one suicide and an attempted suicide by students at an engineering college. The book on which the film is loosely based, Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone, somehow doesn't manage to communicate the message as effectively.

No matter who the messenger, I'm just glad the message is finally getting across to some people. Indians as a people can be extremely demanding of their children. The cut-throat competition and unrelenting pressure in academics has led thousands of kids to take their own lives in the past few years, choosing death over humiliation from a poor result. A drastic change in mentality urgently needed. Kudos to 3 Idiots and all those behind it for nudging Indians in the right direction.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Confessions of a compulsive decorator!

Here's my confession - I am secretly addicted to looking up design and decorating sites, constantly seeking tips to make my home better! I just can't help myself. It's chronic. The Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) website is my design bible and I check it every single week. I also regularly visit House Beautiful and Elle Decor.

Every time my husband walks in on me browsing through these sites, he gets extremely nervous. I can see an alarmed "now what does she want to do?" running through his head. But to be fair to myself, I must point out that I never go for any elaborate, expensive changes. Just little things here and there that end up making a big difference.

The addiction began when we were waiting for the builder to hand over our Thane apartment. It was a very long, agonising wait. I spent all those months planning, researching and dredging the Net for ideas. And I think my hubby will be the first to admit that it paid off. When we finally moved in a year ago, it was to a home that we absolutely adored. The little touches made a huge difference. I owe BHG a lot. It showed me ways to make the ceilings appear higher and, consequently, the rooms larger. My kitchen was more organised. The best idea was the installation of an appliance garage close to an electrical point. It keeps the appliances handy, yet out of sight. BHG also taught me how to control clutter and plan closets. I can't say I've conquered clutter for good (that's an almost impossible task with two growing kids in the house), but things are much better than they were a couple of years ago.

And even though my home is complete, I still visit these sites. I can't get enough of tips on the use of colour and textures; ways to make cool rooms feel warm and welcoming; tricks to make a tiny room appear larger. One never knows when one might need them, right? ;)

Friday, February 12, 2010

Orchestrated?

This might make me the newest conspiracy theorist on the block, but something about the timing of the entire Shah Rukh Khan-Shiv Sena brouhaha leaves me deeply suspicious.

On the off chance the Shiv Sena wasn't in on the conspiracy (and deep down I don't believe that is the case), it has played right into a crafty Khan's hands by raising a stink over his willingness to include Pakistani players in his floundering cricket squad. All the resultant jingoistic chest-thumping from either side might just turn out to be the biggest boon for the actor's just-released My Name is Khan. It's been better publicity than Khan or Dharma Production's millions could ever buy. Suddenly SRK has been virtually elevated to sainthood and is being celebrated as patriotism's newest mascot.

By rising to the bait and pledging to disrupt the film's screening, the Shiv Sena has made millions overly keen to watch My Name is Khan. While those millions surely have a huge number of die-hard SRK fans, I'm sure they also include people who would otherwise probably have given the film a miss.

Now why would a political party do that? What has it gained except bad press? The Shiv Sena seems to be fast losing relevance in the political arena. It seems now to be concentrating on screaming itself hoarse over some regionally chauvinistic cause or the other, generally giving the PR advantage to the opposing side. It must be gaining from this somehow. Why else would it do this so consistently? What's in it for the party? Bears thinking, doesn't it?

Friday, February 5, 2010

Yeah, silence that annoying ring

I felt like doing a little jig this morning when my bleary eyes spotted a front page news brief saying the Maharashtra government was thinking of slapping an entertainment tax on downloaded mobile phone ring tones and caller tunes. I hope it's steep enough to pinch. Maybe that'll silence the excessively annoying and shrill blares of music that regularly penetrate the air in public places and even at private events.

I suspect I'm in a very, very small minority here, but I just can't stand it when musical ringtones keep interrupting conversations at lunches and dinners. Somehow it doesn't bother me as much if it sounds like a good old-fashined telephone ring. I mean here I am having a fairly impassioned argument about politics or whatever when suddenly my senses are mercilessly assaulted by a few bars of "Livin Da Vida Loca" or "Roop Tera Mastana" or "Majua Mauja".

The most bizarre ringtone I ever heard almost had me leap out of my skin. I was riding the elevator up to my apartment and the only other person with me was a man in his 30s. Suddenly I heard a child's shrill voice scream, "Papa, papa, mummy ka phone hai; Papa, papa, mummy ka phone hai; Papa, papa mummy ka phone hai"! For the first couple of seconds I couldn't figure out where the child's voice was coming from. And when I did, I was praying for it to stop screeching because my head was pounding. Unfortunately the father made a complete hash of his first attempt to answer the phone. (I don't think he was too happy about being shaken to his very core every time the wife called. His trembling fingers hit all the wrong buttons). So it happened all over again. All this took place in a matter of half a minute, but it seemed like the longest, most agonising half a minute of my entire life!

I'm not sure the proposed tax would cover wierd personalised ring tones like that one, but even if it manages to silence a few, I'll be thankful.