Horoscope

29^th October 2006.

My friend zpadre’s reference to horoscope while posting one of his many interesting blogs set me to think and prompted me to air my views on horoscope.

Horoscope plays an influential and a very significant role in the arranged marriage system in India. Based on the birth details, the horoscope of the person is cast and a statement is prepared by an astrologer who professes to foretell the person’s future events.

Before an alliance is ventured, the horoscopes of the bride and groom are matched, studied in depth and either or not recommended for matrimonial alliance. This is to say that the happening of an important event rests on the sole interpretations of the astrologer. More often than not many an alliance is disagreed based on this prediction. This, despite other qualities like qualifications, health, wealth of the boy and the girl, the respective family backgrounds are all compatible.

And two astrologers could differ. Then what?

I do not claim to be an authority on this subject. I believe in destiny. I for one direct the course of events if they are under my control; otherwise as the events happen, I react to them using my wisdom.

I am given to understand that the horoscope could be cast under different systems of Astrological belief. As the predictions are based on accurate mathematical calculations, any inaccuracy in the basic information-like time of birth, date of birth etc, and the predictions could go awry.

In the olden days, the birth of the baby used to take place in the home town of the mother, invariably in the house itself under the care of a midwife (Specialised in child births). I came into this beautiful world like this. The birth details are reported and registered at the local municipal office. But in the rural areas, some births go unregistered, and we often come across wrong reporting of the details. One can imagine what their predictions could be.

Yet there are people, educated and illiterate, who are obsessed with the readings of horoscopes, and decisions are taken on a superstitious level.

I can vouch there are number of prospective grooms spread across this country, across the continent, whose betrothal hinges on the compatibility of the horoscopes, and more often than not gets delayed.

The politicians, the businessmen, the bureaucrats, the students often go by astrological predictions while venturing into an event. Auspicious hours are fixed for a beginning to any auspicious event.

Certain inauspicious duration of time for the day is laid during which certain events are not undertaken. An interesting acronym- Mother Saw Father Wearing The Turban on Sunday- makes it easy to remember the days Monday, Saturday, Friday, Wednesday, Thursday, Tuesday, and Sunday corresponding to the inauspicious period of 90 minutes, beginning from 07:30AM in the morning to 06:00PM in the evening. (Example: The inauspicious period on Monday is between 07:30 to 09:00AM, and for Wednesday it is Noon to 01:30PM).

Well, nothing is wrong with these strong believes. But anything carried to disproportionate levels cause irksome.

So, Synchronization is important. And this calls for certain amount of mathematical intelligence. And Mathematics is a dreaded subject to many. This one subject haunts many a person from birth to death in any activity he or she undertakes! More often than not, many civic activities are entrusted to persons of average cerebral intelligence with improper communication and instructions yielding to unsatisfactory end results.

A combination of synchronization and auspicious hours for a beginning need to be considered. Whether erecting/changing traffic signals in Cedar Park in Austin; in Piccadilly Circus in London; or in Punjagutta Circle in Hyderabad, a certain community is always benefited by such steps. To overcome the problem of traffic congestion, flyovers or highways are being thought of, and of course the tolls follow, then the endless debates…

At the outset, if nothing works, blame the horoscopes and the wrong predictability.

Humour is a must in life.

Satisfaction.

15^th October 2006

There are so many little things/activities/incidents that keep happening to all of us which give mental satisfaction. These small pleasures often make us evince more interest in life.

Getting up early in the morning before sunrise.

Going for a walk. (Sadly I am not able to indulge in this due to motor neuron disease).

Having an early bath.

Having the morning Tea/Coffee.

Reading the daily Newspaper/magazines/good inspirational books.

Enjoying pleasant moments with family members.

Going on long drives.

Attending to the office work.

Gossiping with Friends, Nephews, Nieces, and other close relatives.

Cooking a meal

Watching some of the good shows and Sop operas on TV.

Having a good sleep.

Now, these and some others are all the activities we go through everyday in a routine manner, yet we are all subjected to tensions from Outside.

The political decisions, the inefficient working of the civic bodies, the decisions of the bosses, the insinuation remarks of colleagues, the prices of commodities, the rising cost of living Etc. All these issues influence and keep our minds constantly busy, drawing our involvement. Yet, it is better to be aware that as citizens we can express our opinions, suggestions through the media as we are all doing now, but let the issues NOT trouble us (the general populace) unduly and raise our blood pressure!!

Let not these issues prevent us from enjoying our pleasures that give us mental satisfaction and live with those wonderful lines- “These are a few of my favourite things”- ringing in the mind from the musical “ The Sound of Music”. Remember the Song?

Political Elections.

27^th October 2006.

Politics is an inflammatory topic. If religion is added, it becomes provocative and spicy. We all know that the combination is harmful. Yet, we taste them. We discuss about them, savor their flavour. Chew and gulp them. Sometimes spit them out and also spit at them.

Whether or not we like them, the politicians govern us, and in a democratic type of governance we elect them. They are one amongst us. Among that breed, there have been excellent leaders, who attained stature of a statesman, were inspirational to the masses. Some of them fell by the wayside, by their own mistakes, and others kept away by the system.

Be that as it may, the elections come periodically and enliven the atmosphere.

Let me digress a bit.

The public blogs are a wonderful thing to happen. It is a great platform to air individual views exercising decency and decorum, and not posting incriminating sentences. While this being so, it allows ordinary citizens to participate in the pre-election cacophony. What was once the prerogative of reporters/columnists to put them in print (edited version in line with the Newspaper’s policy), the bloggers are also contributing to the election gaiety. It is educative, informative and fun.

Any type of elections in a democracy evokes interest, not only in the place where it is held, but also elsewhere. The reason for its importance is the elected leaders acquire the powers to change the lifestyle of the governed. The promises which they make during their canvassing for votes are sky-high, which they find difficult to implement due to several constraints as the ball game in power is different.

It is often said that the voter should exercise his/her basic right to vote. Fine.

What if his/her name is not in the electoral list? Who is to be blamed? Many of them. The enumeration process of the Election machinery, the voter himself, the party, The Active workers of the party… The blame game starts, and sadly there is no conclusion.

Yet, the debate should continue for cleansing the system. After all, democracy is for the people, by the people and of the people.

In the end, we all know that “We get what we deserve”.

Yet, a wise judgment should be made about the candidate’s capabilities to solve an issue rather than his/her personality. And then cast the vote. If the hopes are belied, pray god.

Silence.

The power of silence is unique. I practice remaining silent for a day, and sometimes two days at a stretch as a means of meditation. I found this to be an exercise in self-control, self-directing my own senses and an act of self-discipline. This benefits me to perceive things with a cool mind without reacting. My family also gets benefited, as they do not have to hear my constant chatter and repartees! I keep a scribbling pad for written communication. It amuses when they too scribble messages to me out of impulse!! How infectious this habit is!

Addressing the crowd on the center court of a Tennis match at Wimbledon, the Umpire pleads “Quiet Please”. Like the Schoolboys, everybody is silent helping the players to concentrate and get along with the game. The power of silence helped the allies in the world war. It helps others to concentrate. It creates a peaceful atmosphere for a while.

Reminiscences-2.Train Journeys in India.

As I post this blog in this paper, I do wonder whether Austinites would be interested in this topic and would be of any use to them. I reasoned within myself that they would be, for the train journeys are all exciting and fascinating in any country.

I observed during my stay that the Inter city train travel in USA is not being undertaken with as much interest. There could be several reasons. May be it is not economical, may be the train scheduling is inconvenient, or it could be time-consuming. I did visit the Amtrak website, (www.amtrak.com) and its interesting to know its fares, schedules, routes etc. There is a train from Chicago to San Antonio via Austin. The journey time between Chicago and Austin is around 29 Hrs. (approx.), covering a distance of 1223 miles (1957 Kms) as per its Timetable.

In comparison, the train travel in India is very popular. Most of the cities are interconnected through extensive network, (www.indianrailways.gov.in/)and one comes across people belonging to different states as fellow passengers. By nature Indians are friendly, talkative, and it is pretty easy to get into conversations. One can get along speaking in English/Hindi/Or the state’s local language. You never feel lonely in Trains. You can also enjoy solitude. As a silent observer, one can indulge in the study of human behaviour. One can know plenty about India through train travel. Prestigious trains are fully air-conditioned, and the express trains are partially air-conditioned. The distance between New Delhi in North and Chennai in South is about 2200 Kms (1375 miles) and takes about 33 Hrs.

I love Train Travel. I traveled a great deal between cities in India, and each time was exciting. Taking an Auto-Rickshaw. (A three-wheeler) to and from the stations at the originating and at the destinations, engaging porters to carry heavy baggage to load and unload from your coaches, drinking cups of Tea/Coffee from the vendors, sometimes ordering snacks/ night meals, sometimes sharing it with fellow passengers, getting into discussions and arguments were all unforgettable. The intermediate stations en route have what you want- Bookstalls, Fruit Stalls, curio shops, food and tea vendors, cafeterias etc.

As these trains pass through fields, forests, tunnels, mountainous regions, through bridges over rivers and deep valleys, the beauty of nature unfolds. One can get lost in thoughts watching all these speeding by. I traveled alone; traveled with colleagues on official tours; traveled with friends, family, and relatives. The experience is Unmatched.

I fulfilled my desire of train travel in USA, as I went from NJ to New York and beyond.

It’s always thrilling to watch movies that show Trains and Train travel. Much can be said and written.

Old Is Gold

I was reading the blogs posted by the Austin Community, and some of them are informative, interesting, analytical, thought provoking, and humorous making me chuckle and laugh to my heart’s content. Blogging has certainly opened the doors widely to many of us to express ourselves to share the same platform as the journalists. Yet for a moment, I felt I was an Outsider. This word took me to one of my favourite songs sung by Cliff Richard, and my thoughts started churning in the direction of songs and music.

Anyone who has an ear for music would vouch the immense pleasure it gives and plays a role of a companion in moments of loneliness. The songs sung by Jim Reeves with his deep and resonance voice; those by Frank Sinatra; by Cliff Richard; by Julio Iglesias and host of others lift anyone into a different world.

The Western Classical with their Serenades; the Guitars, the saxophones, the pianos, the violins, and various other musical instruments sooth your ears. Though the rock and the pop make you gyrate your body with rhythm, the solo songs continue to pierce your heart. The age-old songs are immortal.

And that brings me to the Indian music world. The Classical, the instrumental and the vocal, have a great influence on the connoisseurs. Yet it is the Film songs that appeal to the masses. In this part of the world too, the old songs continue to be melodious and unforgettable. I derive pleasure in singing them.

And if this is true in the music world, so it is in the case of family values, in the characteristics of eminent personalities, and the selfless qualities of leaders who guided the masses during their period.

It is said Old is Gold. Could this maxim be true a decade hence?

REMINISCENCES- 1. Austin-Austin

At times, we all reminisce our pleasant moments, which rejuvenates us to enjoy life as we see them. The under mentioned experience is one of those good moments to happen to us which remains etched in our minds. I could not keep the narration short, as I wanted it to be an armchair travelogue.

Invitation:

My eldest daughter and son-in-law stay in Austin, TX. We (my wife and myself) received an invitation in early 2004 to visit them. This could be an act of gratitude towards us. Around that time my second daughter was pursuing her MS in the state of Oklahoma, who too insisted on our visit. The offer was tempting, and the desire to see them was strong. A few of my nephews and close relatives who live in other states of USA were also inviting us. There were calls, calls and calls. How could we refuse an invitation that was full of affection, regard and warmth? And above all, our expenses paid!!! We too were eager to make it. Of course, we felt sorry and sad that we were leaving behind our youngest daughter in the custody of my sister, albeit temporarily. Any which way, she could not have come for she was in the final year of her Information Technology degree.

Preparation:

The documentation work, issuance of visa, the travel arrangements, things to be carried were all done with meticulous planning. My wife’s eldest sister and her husband also planned to travel with us on the onward and return journeys of Hyderabad-Chicago- Hyderabad sectors. They were planning to be with their son and daughter-in-law in Milwaukee, WI. They were a great company.

As Excitement mounted, the air was reverberating with Austin-Austin. It was musical to the ears. I gathered much information about Austin through maps and the net. So, I had the topography of Austin in my mind.

Flight:

In the second week of July 2004, two years ago, we took the Air-India flight from Hyderabad in drizzling rain. One of my nephew and his family saw us off. As the first lap of flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai got delayed by two hours, our anxiety increased. The Mumbai airport staff, to make up for the delay, rose up to superb efficiency to put all the passengers on to the Mumbai- Frankfurt-Chicago flight, which took off smoothly on time. It was an enjoyable flight all through to Frankfurt for a stop over, and then on to O’Hare airport of Chicago, landing on its runway on time with precision around 4 PM. The flight duration was about 27 hrs. At O’Hare Airport, we were cleared by the Immigration in about 30 minutes, and picking up our baggage at the baggage claim took 45 minutes! We passed through customs, re-booked our baggage on to American Airlines. My relatives went out of the gate to meet their son, and we bid adieu to them as we left Terminal 5 by sky train to terminal 3 to board the AA for the last lap of our flight to Austin.

Austin:

Austin Bergstrom International Airport looked beautiful with lights on as the plane smoothly descended onto the tarmac around 09:35 PM. My first impression of the ABIA as we came out of the gate to the baggage claim was elation. It looked neat and vast to our eyes. We felt refreshed.

As we were picking our baggage, our daughter and son-in-law greeted us and it was an emotional moment. The twist to the moments was one of our baggage did not arrive. The executive at the AA counter assured us that it would be delivered the next day right at our doorstep, which promise they kept. Thanks AA!

We breathed the fresh air of Austin as we strolled across to the parking lot to get into two cars that were brought to accommodate our luggage. One each driven by daughter and son-in-law. I got into the car alongside my daughter. I felt proud seeing her drive. It took us about 45 minutes through 71 west-183 North- Burnet Road- Mopac North to get to their Amli Apartment at the Scofield Ridge Parkway. We gossiped over a cup of coffee and retired to bed.

My Impressions:

The next day morning, the landscape around unfolded, giving my eyes the visual pleasure of greenery, the gentle breeze tingling my body, the chirping of birds-musical to the ears- the vastness of space tempted us to enjoy. Amli, a company that believes in developing Apartment Communities, has provided a perfect ambience for a community living. After a couple of days, recovering from the Jet Lag, We took to morning walks on the Scofield ridge for a mile towards Howard Lane and back..

During the walks, one day I was surprised when I looked at a manhole cover on the footpath, that showed it was Made In India!! What an Indian Connection! Why in the world the manhole covers are imported? Puzzling! I took a snap of it the next time I sauntered across. The FedEx medium sized trucks whizzing past in the morning hours was another pleasant sight.

The Austinites designed their place to suit their style of living, which to me appeared a National Trait. I would say they strongly believe in “Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness”.

My second daughter joined us to spend her vacation for a month. It was enjoyable.

For the next two months, it was all visiting malls, Wal-Mart’s, H E B, the Borders, Barnes and Noble, driving through the neighboring suburbs towards north and south on Interstate 35, seeing the important landmarks in the downtown and suburbs. The Expressways, and the highways appeared as the Spinal Cords of the city, and the major boulevards-The Lamar, The Metric, The Research, The Airport, Martin Luther King to name a few; the Parmar, The Braker, The Anderson, Koenig Lanes etc were like sensory and motor nerves; The serpentine Colorado River with its natural flow demarcating the city into North and South; the Creeks, the parks and the Lakes giving the Austinites that lung space for picnic spots add to its charm keeping the city intact.

In Austin, we spent the time reading Newspapers, Magazines and browsing the net at home and at the Business Center of Amli. I regularly read the Austin American-Statesman, which impressed me with its reporting. That’s how I began posting blogs in it, which is my way of staying connected to the city. We also spent time at the Borders book shop on the Research Boulevard, browsing the interesting books, buying a few of them-courtesy- son-in-law!

Once we took Bus Route 242 of the capital metro at the Metric Boulevard, changed to Route 1 at the N.Lamar Transit Center, and alighted at 11^th at Congress. The imposing structure of Texas State Capitol with its sprawling landscape standing in all its majesty impressed us. The formation of Southern Confederacy of important States during the year 1861 is an important landmark in the history of USA. We were surprised that the Bus ride was free as that day was an Ozone Action day. I read recently that the Capital Metro is discontinuing the free rides.

Strolling on the sidewalks of Congress Avenue, stepping into The Starbucks, sipping coffee very slowly looking at the public through its windows is unforgettable. The people greeting us with a Hi! And a smile reflected their culture and friendliness that made us feel at home.

At home, using the excellent kitchen, I cooked variety of South Indian Vegetarian dishes, and also experimented new recipes from the cookbook. Visiting the Gym, splashing in the swimming pool, watching TV, helping in household chores, reading books and maps to know the culture kept us cheerful and enthusiastic.

During the period of two months stay, Keeping Austin as our Hub, we visited Houston, Galveston, San Antonio, Dallas, Tulsa (OK), Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, LA, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto and the Niagara, Atlantic City (NJ), and Washington DC. We touched the Gulf of Mexico, The Pacific, The Great Lakes, and The Atlantic. We shall ever be grateful to our relatives for hosting, showering their affection and showing us the places through advance planning. We took the flights where necessary, and also drove on the Turnpikes and Expressways, enjoying the scenic beauty of nature and the friendliness of Americans.

I maintained a logbook, a scrapbook, Personal Diary, and an impressions book recording my observations all through my stay, and sent my observations to my daughter and sister through mails.

At the outset, what appealed to us are the country’s systems, the discipline, the pride and preservation of historical happenings tempting the connoisseurs to visit America again. No wonder Sir Winston Churchill has aptly named it “The Great Republic” while narrating its History.

Postscript

Every country on this planet has created its own history through its people, chose through its constitution, a form of its governance in consonance with its abilities, with its geographical location and its environment. With that placed in order it is better to have an outlook of “Live and Let others live” through mutual help for maintaining universal peace.

I have narrated the scenario as I saw through my eyes in a limited period with certain constraints. Did I miss seeing anything?

Oh! Yeah! The cowboys on their horses, the huge ranches, the sleepy towns, etc. as I remember seeing them on the Westerns, vividly shown by the Hollywood through their movies-How the west was won; The good, the bad and the ugly: For a few dollars more; just to name a few. How can I forget-John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Burt Lancaster, and others with their portrayals in those films, which I saw during my student days.

Well, That’s another story!