MY CHRISTMAS TIMES IN SCHOOL…..

25^th December… Christmas day…. This day has got immense memory in my life….. I still remember those school days. May be on 22^nd or 23^rd of December we used to have Christmas party in school. Small play of birth of Christ and Christmas carol competition were the highlights. I studied in a convent,,, Convent of Jesus and Mary’s Sarvajanik High School. So for the play almost every year I used to be shepherd. This was great experience. I also remember being Shepherd for play in Corlim church on Christmas night mass. I did the role of shepherd till I was in 7^th standard in Church for midnight mass.

Also had become one of the three kings for some years for the play organized by parish youth of Corlim

Being born as Hindu still had great Christian influence in my life… Most of my friends are Christians and of course apart from our holy books I have Bible with me… which I make a point to read sometimes …..

Now let us go back to school life… For Christmas we used to have crib and star competition. Crib competition would be class wise and star making competition would be individual wise. The fun which is unforgettable is the making of crib. We would go to the nearby jungles to cut bamboos. Some of them would go to cut the dry grass which is required to make crib while some make way to the paddy fields and collect marshy soil. The preparations start three days prior to the Christmas party. Always there would be small arguments among the classmates to implement the idea. The greatest part is that there is no religion difference. Students from all the religion equally took part in making the crib. Above all was the support of their parents. The parent, irrespective of the religion never said their children to stay away from such activities. This was a pure sign of communal harmony of Goa.

As we start making the crib we divide among groups each group having some responsibilities. One group would be responsible for decorating the classroom for Christmas party. The sweets were made by the students or their parents on behalf of students. The ingredients required were purchased by contributing some money among ourselves.

The idols required for the crib would be generously brought from home by any of our classmates. The passion to win the first prize unites us and work together. Each one of our classmates contributing for the cause.

Everyone used to come as early as possible on Christmas party day to inspect whether the crib was intact and whether the decoration of the classroom was good. At 8:00 am the assembly starts followed by Christmas carol competition class wise. Christmas carols like Silent night…. Joy to the world… Rudolf the red nosed reindeer and so on. Then there would be Christmas play where I would be shepherd. After that we return to our classroom for Christmas party and then follow the announcements of the result of crib competition. The result of hard work… as far as the 1^st place were concerned, we won it three times,       1^st when we were in std 4^th, second time when we were in std 7^th and third time when we were in std 10^th . In the std 8 – 10 category, always std 10^th won since after that we say bye to the school. The judges always gave std 10^th   the priority after which no one would be sure whether we meet again in the future.

On Christmas day I remember going to my friend’s house. Have the afternoon lunch there and remaining day enjoy playing…

I think I missed out various moments of the Christmas times at school….

goanz 

Tragedy......

Today early morning when I switched on TV saw the tragedy at AMRI hospital, Kolkatta. The scenes were heartbreaking. People screaming for help from broken windows…. Fumes seen all over the basement….. It was tragic. Where there was a hope that their lives could be saved ended up for few unlucky as death trap…..

In my earlier blog I had said how people forget their basic human value for making money… This is how it happens… for making more money safety is sidelined… how pathetic…for money we forget that the ones who came here were common people for treatment.

The other part is the role of media. Yes thanks to them for highlighting this incident.

Will the people responsible for this can lead a happy life? Will they be able to wipe out the tears of the people who lost their near and dear ones?

The latest news was that the six Directors of the hospital were arrested. But what is the guarantee that those responsible will be prosecuted. Power of money may help them to squeeze through free. Sufferers will be the one who may not get justice. May be many from the dead are the sole bread earner for the family… Their future would be now as if dark tunnel without torch and guide.

Open your eyes….. Create a heart so that such bad things don’t occur. Earn money sincerely….without costing life of others…….

I pray to god that one who lost life rest in peace…… I pray for the family who will be grieving at this time. May god give them the strength for accepting the fact and move on in the life…

goanz

Common Issues….

The love for money, and power is more than loving each other for mankind…

The modern world… we say more civilized world… has no respect for humankind… In a day we have 24 hrs… and in this 24 hrs atleast 8 hrs goes for sleeping and remaining hours are basically struggle for money and power..

People amassing money and wealth in all possible ways… they tend to forget to give time for family… children.. Lose the real meaning of life and complicates self for money… We do it to have a respect and status in the society…. But what is the use of money that is being earned through wrong means… We are not even afraid of god… Yes I believe in God.. He is the supreme of this universe… we feel that nothing happens to us if we cheat and earn money… Remember whatever good or bad we do we have to give the account in this earth only….. There is a spirit in us… which is very innocent at birth.. And we malign it with our dirty thought..

You may feel that I am talking rubbish… But it is a fact… a fact which we all are ignoring…

In this modern world when people have gone deeper into explaining through science… there are many things science cannot explain…For example.. Science can explain lot of things when it considers energy of sun as ray… where as to explain certain other aspects, science considers suns energy that we receive is in the form of quantum (Packets). Still no one knows exactly how the sun’s ray looks like…

Let us come back to our core discussion… One who has earned money through wrong means are destroying their own kids,,,,,, very simple… these are the kids we see who spend money on drugs… women… and do crimes… they have power of money which their parents have earned for him/her.. When parents work and do the maximum to earn money… they just cannot concentrate on children,,,, they need love at tender age… they don’t get it… and turn on to drugs and other bad habits… this itself shows that money earned in bad way does no good…

There are many poor people who don’t have one time food… The rich lead a lavish life… spends on costly food and clothing…. I am not saying they should not do it… they have their own right to do so… still if one could help the poor by keeping at  least 10% of their expenditure for them…. We never think that way…. When one spends money on others we think what benefit I will get from him??… Again business minded…money minded…

If we do help the needy (without expecting anything in return) then obviously we have some good feelings… which can be experienced only when you do so…

Mankind has become very selfish….. Grab the lands of the poor….. Suppress them with all their might…. For what they do this? Any one who raises his/her voice against the crime may not see the next rising sun….. Earlier it was a belief that god gives life and takes away as per his will…. But now… God gives life and man decides his/her destiny….

We see doctors as life saving person…… but nowadays they don’t see anything better than money…..All doctors may not be same… but many are there who give more importance to money than saving someone’s life… Have heard in papers doctors involved in kidney rackets….. Hospitals don’t treat people for they didn’t pay money…. Even the government doesn’t have control over the pricings…. In government hospitals you will not get good treatment though there is no fees… Many Govt. officials have tie up with private hospitals…. But what is the poor going to do…. Is being born as poor a curse??..... It is not he who has made himself poor… but it’s the situation which has made him poor…. For money… even doctors have lost their ethics…. In short… Money… Money…. And Money… For me… my family and my children… hell with society….what selfish is we becoming…..

We are agriculture based country… and in news papers we read about the suicides about farmers… farmers commit suicide for unable to repay his loan…..Famous people condemn…and say… “This should not happen…..” But never does anything in practical for them…… The main dealers and final retailers sell vegetables at very high price… while farmers sell this to main dealer at very low price… For e.g. I had been to a place known for agriculture… I happened to meet a farmer and asked him at what price he sells tomato… he replied I sell to the dealer at the rate of 2 -3 Rs per Kg… and this same tomatoes we are paying 20 – 30 Rs per Kg in our state…. The profit margin as it comes to the local people… is unbearable and we think farmers are culprit… Actually after hard work… end of the day they are losers… and gainers are all the middle man who doesn’t work hard on the field… These farmers are basically poor and dealers take them for a ride.. they are not bothered whether farmers are happy with what they get or no….

I don’t understand why Govt. is not encouraging farmers to sell their vegetables directly….It would have been beneficial to farmers as well as common people…

The increased rates in market due to mans greedy is making the life hell for common people…. The increase in money for essential commodity is a game to make money for many in between… while common and poor people suffer… They drench the money from poor and lead a life as if they are ruling us…Where are we common people heading to… Salary increases of common people once in a year….. And with that money its difficult to live on… Companies may have lot of money to bribe Govt. officials and politicians… but they are reluctant to distribute that money among workers and make them happy…..The rich and heartless people have great laugh when they see common people suffer their attitude looks to me like Kamsa from Mahabharata.

When we lead a normal life… there are people who dosent care how you live… never help them in the way they should do… and when he dies… everyone including relatives appear and make a sad face….. It is okay if you do not turn up for the final rituals… But it is life worthy if you had helped that person during his journey of life…

The other day there was a news where a building collapsed… The builders and constructors build poor quality houses… Their intention is just to make huge money…. In that process use all low quality materials and less cement….. After completion of building they take their money and disappear. Later on when building collapses.. the builder will not be seen anywhere while the people who may have struggled to buy one apartment or house dies….. Actually these people are murderers. Same thing apply when any projects of government comes up like bridges… tunnels, dams,,,, etc….

They just cheat on the money which we pay as tax.

The peace and calm will prevail on this earth only if we give up our tendency of greed for money and power…. If we concentrate only on money and power we are not able to appreciate the beauty of mother earth,,,,,, the beauty of God….. The more we enter in to the race of money and power the more we are away from god and end up saying I don’t believe him… God has given you what you want… but your greed for more blanks that vision…. We hardly take few minutes in day to pray…. And when we pray we just say.. Bless me and my family….. Very less people include others in their prayer…..

I pray that each human being on earth will be regaining his senses and lead a decent life in most sincere way…..

Goanz…

Sad demise of Dev Anand

Today morning (4th December 2011) got up at 8:00 am to hear the sad news of Dev Anand that he is no more....
Watching his films was a thrilling thing during our childhood.... Most of his movies were unforgettable like Guide...etc,,,,
It was the time where journey of his life ended and God recalled him back......

May his soul rest in peace......... My salute to you Dev Anandji..........

Goanz.....

IFFI GOA

1) The first snap is of Kala Academy, Campal - Panjim which hosted the closing ceremony of IFFI.

2) The Second snap is of main building for hosting IFFI... The building was illuminated superbly......

3) The decorated Panjim - Miramar road for IFFI....  

For those who parted ways with parents…….

We see lot of changes in the new generation. There is a big generation gap… Remember those old days during 60’s and 70’s… Respect for the elders were high…. Parents were looked upon well by their son and daughter in laws… though there were many conflicts still managed to live together… But the present generation doesn’t have time for all those things…

The problem starts when a man gets married.. The daughter in law doesn’t like the mother in law… or father in law ….may be because their style of living and habits doesn’t suits them,,,,, but at the same time have high regards for their own parents…

The conflicts slowly rises in such a way that daughter in law starts planning for a separate residence away from in laws….. If one studies carefully this trend is increasing…. Parents live a lonely life in their own way with a vacuum of happiness…

Here one needs to understand that when a child is small any wrong doing or wrong words are forgiven and we carry on… but during old times too human are like children….. They have delicate heart which we fail to understand… any mistake from their side is not forgiven… normal way to say “Oh you are old and experienced in life and shouldn’t be saying that…..

Here I believe that a son gets sandwiched between mother and wife…He may be loving his parents but has to maintain happy relationship with his life partner too… this leads to conflict… I don’t understand why the wife cannot love husband’s parents with transparency… in the same way as she loves her parents…. If a husband at any point of time says bad about his in laws then wife cannot bear it…. Harsh words start flowing from her… like why you said so about my parents and so on……

Yes husband should respect her parents the way he respects his parents similar way wife should respect husband’s parents the same way as she respects her parents….

In the old age the only happiness the parents have is being with their children and Grand children… and we deprive them of this life…..

I have seen many well to do families that send their parents to old age home… what’s happening to us… we don’t love our Parents any more????……

I will give an example of a lady known to me…. I happened to visit them and proudly she said this to me “We have sent Husband’s mother to old age home… I cannot take care of her….she speaks rubbish….” And when I asked about her parents she replied “ Oh they are not keeping well I do visit them often and have appointed some maid to take care of them… its old age you see….” But for her husband’s mother it was burden for her and did maximum she could do for her own parents……” I didn’t know whether to laugh at her or sympathize her for her folly…

When we send our parents to the old age home… we are teaching our children how to deal with old age….Somewhere deep in their brain it will be scripted that easy way to deal old age is to send them to old age home……

Why we forget that husband too has parents…. He too has deep feelings for them…. We all are living in this world because of our parents… the first step we took on this earth was with the help of our parents… can you imagine the day you were born?... Parents would have been the happiest couple on the earth to see their own child….. starts working more hard for the betterment of their children… Forgives their children for their wrong doings and tries to guide them properly…. They try to send their children to the best school affordable to them….. and always tells their children to study well… because they want their children to be better person than them… they want him to get a better job than their own and pray that their children live more easy life then them…

As life moves on children starts finding their own lifestyles… The life styles of their parents becomes inferior for them

Then one day he gets married….. May be arranged or love marriage…. Then suddenly his life changes in a vast way….

Living away for job is understandable…  In a small house… your parents had taken care of you as well as their parents but present generation feel that their house is too small to accommodate parents….. Whenever parents visit them son readily goes to railway station and books return ticket for them so that they return on time and don’t spend more time with them. Here children decide for how many days their parents should stay with them….

Very pathetic… 

I am not saying that all are like that… but would say most of them in these new generations are the way I just explained…

My parents live with me…. I feel many times… I am not able to give them their best though I am trying my best…. Thanks to my wife… she looks after my mother the way she looks after her own…. My father left us to abode… but cannot forget the struggle he took to make me what I am today… tears roll down my eyes when I remember the last journey of my father from our apartment to crematorium …….. But the thing I always cherish is that I never disowned my parents.

The best way to solve problems is to sit together whenever there is difference and sort out the matter. You explain them your difficulty and also listen to their problems and come to mutual conclusion beneficial to both you and your parents…. Many a time parents may have ego like a child… but we have to make them understand politely with examples so that they understand… remember what I said… their heart at the old age is like a child…

The only thing I would say is that whatever may be … parents are parents…. Their love is infinite and our love to them should be also infinite….. Love them… no one knows for how many days we will be on earth… we are all travelers in this life… Our Journey starts at Birth and ends at death… and in this journey try to do maximum good thing… One who cannot love parents cannot love any body even god disowns one who doesn’t love parents….

Goanz……

MY VIEWS....

Take time to enjoy the beauty of nature….. God’s creation….. . Let us begin with Space…. The beautiful stars… the ball of fires…. The planets… its satellites …. Comets … asteroids… and so on…… Our earth is just a small microscopic spot in the vast universe…. And we the humans live here….

We are so lucky that we are living in this beautiful earth. The nature so beautiful… Each species enjoying the beauty of earth….

But are we humans from heart preserving the beauty of earth???..... answer would be no… we are plundering the earth for various raw materials like mines… cutting down hills and trees to make houses and residential complexes… killing animals for ivory, skin, leather, meat and the list goes on….

We never take little time to think where we all are heading to… The way the earth is being looted from last 15 years… I don’t think that this much was not done in the history of earth for this specific period… Yes I agree the population is increasing… the demands are increasing….. But nature too has got its limit….. We just think about the present and about our life… we feel our life should be comfortable... and forget about the generations that would be born and living here on Earth…. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted presently is not proportionate to the number of trees that would consume it to give oxygen.

The result is seen like Ozone depletion, extreme climates…. Too much rains, increased cyclones, etc… The way we challenge the nature … nature challenges us with new diseases …. Which are resistant to various drugs developed…

How can we avoid destruction of earth??  I need not explain that in deep as we are all educated and very well know ones responsibility. Only thing is that we think why I should only think and act… why others cannot? If each one on the earth thinks this way then day is not far when this earth will not be fit to support any form of life.

We should preserve the nature as it was done by our ancestors…. Our ancestors lived longer than us and number of diseases was less. They never had drugs that are complicated as today’s yet lived happily.

When our ancestors used to grow trees they knew that they will not be able to enjoy the beauty of tree or may not be able to eat the fruit …. But still they grew it preserved it so that the new generations can enjoy…. They had sacrificed lot of things for the betterment of new generations….

It will be difficult for us to act as our ancestors but we can start educating and acting now so that earth can go on supporting life ………

goanz

Cold season

Hmm. The rains have said bye to Goa and the cool dry season has started... Its so beautiful... but still i rate rainy season as my favorite.
Winter season means beginning of all festive season. The Zatras, IFFI, Old Goa Feast, Feast of Panjim church and the list goes on. How ever the winter season isn't that cold as it had been during our childhood days... Still remember the cold breeze that used to blow early in the morning and the difficulty in getting up and going to school..
The beauty of Goan winter season is the dew.... Makes the grass and leaves wet with dew drops... The mango and Cashew flowers starts blooming..... Hoping that this year too the fruits will grow in abundance and lower the prices in the market....

Its very nice to enjoy the beach life during this season... The overall temperature being less. one can enjoy the beauty of sea breeze... the lashing waves.....

The life of common Goans moves on with mixture of entertainment and festive mood......

Goanz......... 

Relics of St. Francis Xavier at Basilica of Bom Jesus - Old Goa (GOA)

Old light house at Fort Aguada - (GOA)

Dona Paula--- During Rains....(GOA)

Crib made at Se cathedral - Old Goa ( GOA)

Kharagpur in West Bengal -- Worlds longest Railway Platform...

Typical Rangoli in Goa

Beautiful Rann of Kutch

Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa

Mangueshi Temple and pond

Rains

Vow rains in Goa... so beautiful...... This year too the rains were good in Goa... Goa looks so green... just like as if Goa has been enveloped with green carpet.........