Monday, May 21, 2018

Too close for comfort-Bombaying Bengaluru?





Image result for small pretty dream homes
(If you are wondering, why this image? its my dream, well sort of and it doesn't exist in reality, at least not in the current "Grab every inch of earth and destroy it for i want my money" type of scenario.)

As we complete almost a decade in our first home, I long and fidjet to move out our current home into a new place. Ofcourse I haven't found my dream place as of yet. Mostly because i know nothing of that sort exists anymore. You either like what you get, or you get what you want. The later being more difficult, as it involves, searching for what you want, narrowing down on the place, doing research on neighborhood, and a whole lot of things.

Any visit to a newly launched complex in Bangalore throws you out of balance. Atleast thats the case with me, as I am what you call an old Bangalorean and am more use to a low rise life style with a minimal respectful space of bedrooms and kitchen and bathroom spaces. We grew up witnessing, big spaces, large verandahs, warm halls, decent enough for bed and study type bedrooms and still had space for a small garden and two coconut trees.

Image result for apartmentsIt comes as a shock to me, when I walk into these larger than life building complexes and hear these trained men and women speak about ameneties first before anything else, because I guess thats the only thing attractive about these "Zombie" zones.  With many a promised grounds and playgrounds, these massive projects plan to revive the play zones and have cricket, football or basket ground places. But I doubt their intentions as so much of what they plan to offer is a compromise of sorts. They also charge you for a view. Yes! You heard that right, i was shocked to know, they charge for something they did not build or create. there is the sky and the trees which many of them they uprooted, so if you want a particular view there is a price on it.

Some of the rooms do not even have windows, if you select a particular size, suppose that is what you can afford, so if you select the minimum square foot home, you will miss out of many windows. My question is how much profits do these people want to make, and why? View charge- Oh really? "Ridiculous"

So now I pay to view the sky, which is basically a stupid sur charge on nature. And what is with the size of the rooms and kitchens, everything is shrunk and made to model houses in Bombay. Never did Bangalore witness such small bathrooms. Its clearly a compromised way of life. And the neighbors are always too close for comfort. I just feel even in plots, these days, people refuse to let go of an inch of land and construct on every inch, the concept of leaving space for a garden is long forgotten. Who has the time to maintain one. I will have the prettiest house only to show it to maximum number of people, that this is my Tajmahal.

I am all for change and progress folks, do not get me wrong, but this business of cutting corners and shrinking the size of every inch of what use to be a home, now a compromise just doesn't go down well with me. I am unable to cope with this rapid "Bombaying" of my city.

Just the other day, i spoke to someone who lives on a farm of 3 acres. I was thrilled to get to meet someone who lives on farm in Bangalore in todays time, so i asked her, how wonderful it must be. She said, yes, it use to be, but now, the city has come closer and it no more is an area which is cut off from the hustle. I was disappointed again. Another day, i met a cousins friend who had a farm in the outskirts where they would throw new years party for close ones. She also sighed and said, its no more a farm land and that, they are under constant threat to shut shop and sell the green patch with 100 year old trees. As the concrete wants to take over, in short real estate wants to engulf every inch of the living mother earth and we cant do a thing. We cannot do anything about it. We can wail, we can complain, we can go on and on about the ills, but no, i realised we cant stop this plunder.

Once upon a time, foreigners  invaded our land and history talks about loots and decoys and destruction of land and property by these foreigners. Its the same today, but a little different, in the sense people looting are apparently rich real estate sahabs who are hungrily looking at the next forest to take down, or the next lake to destroy, to sell us another dream, to put a charge on what view we have, i wonder where the world is going, and then, i am called a cynic.
Is it my fault?

Couldn't they let this land just be!

Friday, May 04, 2018

Work! - Womens Web

http://www.womensweb.in/2014/05/why-every-woman-needs-work/a

Please click on this link to read this article. I am posting it here, cause it has the most number of clicks as an article online, for me, till now..



Wednesday, May 02, 2018

The purpose's? The WHY's



WHY



They say that, in life even if you do not know the answers, if you know the right questions, you might be on your way to the path you have been searching for.

I had written a blog here, "for what purpose", about a few years back. Today i am re-visiting, the same dialogue, conversation, and thought. How many of us give a thought to an action before it is done. I am afraid not many of you? if you do, then, so good for you, but if you are like me and the majority of us, its most likely that you do the action and then give it a thought, why am I doing this, or why did I do this. Many may not even have an after thought, of their action.

In my last blog about purpose, I had mentioned a lady who asked me, for what purpose do you learn vocal-music, and I had a vague response to it, and I was also surprisingly, egoistically, angry with the lady and her question. Its as if, how dare she not understand my vagueness and ask me this. Of course i am the most philosophical person on earth and "she" should know that, music is learnt just for music itself.
Ugh! how vague is that!

Today, as I sit with my new found love which is, the guitar, I wonder, why am I learning this. Only this time, i have a more specific reason. I want to be my own musician because in the past i have faced lot of trouble, engaging instrumentalists to accompany my song practices. So much so that I have annoyed quite a few with my constant need to lean on them for my own practice. So here goes, yes i have a specific purpose and i can proudly declare it to the world too. I am no more vague about it.

When i posted my blog in 2006/7 with my "Tanpura" looking all divine, it was great, but then, i had no purpose and the lady who asked me this, was right. She asked me the right question, purpose is indeed everything. Without a specific goal in mind, without a destination in sight, without a purpose set to achieve, I lost track of the "WHY" and the WHY is everything. Why am I doing this,  why am i venturing out on this new mission, why am i marrying this person (Btw, most important question of your life, the rest of your life, will be decided by the outcome of this one question, believe me). These why's will make your life easier as they will give you constant clarity. This clarity leads to peace and peace leads to better results, which is what most of us look for.

Today, I am looking for an answer as to "Why" I seek out classical music so much and then do not end up doing justice to my hours of learning, searching, commuting to teachers, finding them, paying for my classes. WHY do I, or why did I do all this for so many years? While its useless to search for questions in past I want to know.

Why now?
One of my first Gurujees, teachers, passed away yesterday. I had no idea how much it could hurt. As I went to see him one last time, I saw him lay there like an angel, taking rest. He looked peaceful and blissful. He was at ease. There was no turmoil on his face. He had 4 daughters whom he had married and seen all his grandchildren. He spent his lifetime worshiping music and in 'Sadhana'. His daughter told me that he was up and about till the last day getting the children ice cream and cakes, I think this is the kind of exit any human may want, without suffering, without the pain of illness etc. I have seen many people go away. But Gurujee looked beautiful in his sleep, like an angel and messenger of music and love.

So, my only message is, ask yourself, WHY! Today, before embarking on my next class, i am seriously going to find the answer to why I want to learn further. Find the why, seek it, it will give you what you are looking for.


Capernaum