The Great Indian Boards

With the board exams in full swing, one can see the students preparing for exams with great gusto. Be it Science, Commerce or Arts; students from all branches have to appear for boards. Indian students juggle between different subjects since childhood, but one has to choose one from the above mentioned three subjects after 10^th Standard. There has been a lot of criticism for the Indian education board about these exams which come twice in a student’s school life till he or she is 18; nonetheless I think they are necessary. 

If students plan a little ahead and take these exams in stride, they can actually learn a lot apart from their syllabus. You learn time management, determining the key points of any given matter, discipline and also competing. In a country like India with such a huge population, it is important to understand the theory of 'the survival of the fittest'. This doesn’t mean I think one should score great results in Boards. It is more important to see these two years as a very good demo version of what your professional life would be like.  Hence one should try and learn that from these instead of complaining about subjects they find difficult. Everyone has weak and strong points in life in general. It is important to determine those and work on the same smartly. That’s what the Boards teach you. Why not make the best out of the situation if you can’t get out of it?

While the Board system helps us churn out the best students, we lack in teaching a lot of other aspects of life in our education system. Thinking out of the box is something that is more important in life and also in all the professional fields. However, schools hardly ever teach that. Students are taught facts and imparted with knowledge, but they are not taught how to develop a “thought process.” While people may say it comes naturally, I say it can be developed. If students are given real life examples and some one on one discussion sessions with teachers, they would certainly start thinking on their own. Parents also play an important role in this. Along with helping them with homework, they should also communicate with them. Parents should not “baby talk” their children. “Oh lu lu lu” and "gee gee gaa gaa” will confuse your children. Moreover, it will feed their brains to act stupid exactly the way you do with them. Trust me it will hamper their thinking process. Do it, but maintain a proportion. By this I also don’t mean treat your kids like adults. Applying cosmetics on your children and dressing them like adults apart from fancy dress competitions and special occasions will confuse them further. In short, children should know what’s going on around them from an early age. They should have fun and enjoy their childhood to the fullest, but not while living in a fantasy world. Sports, puzzles, books and even video games to an extent are good for children.

Video game fascination takes an ugly turn at times. If one starts living in the virtual world and enjoys it more than the real one, their parents should immediately take precautions. I see so many teenagers wasting time due to these games. They are good if one plays them in a sensible proportion so as to develop a competitive spirit or even for a little relaxation. I wonder why we don’t have robots instead of the army? Why don’t we have a branch in education where people train robots to fight for the country instead of men? Artificial intelligence can’t always replace human intelligence, but I think we can put the gaming talent in good use. What say people? I know guys fantasize about fighting with a huge demon walking on the streets. Well, that’s really far-fetched, but they can definitely develop Science in some fun way which can also help their country while also fulfilling their crazy fantasy. Sounds crazy doesn't it? It won’t if someone makes it possible. I dream of a world like that.

Have you ever come across job postings that say they prefer candidates who can multitask? I am sure all of you have, as these days multitasking is the need of the hour in all professional fields. Then why do we have limits for which all subjects we can study? Why can’t we choose different subjects to study as we like? Studying two totally different subjects should be fun. Parents and teachers keep saying choose one subject and stick to it, but all subjects have been bifurcated from one big subject called “history”.  Ultimately everything is interrelated. You need to sort out what you like the most and stick to it eventually, but it’s OK to explore things before you come to it. Maybe you can don a lot of different hats...

Village life is beautiful. It is a great idea to take a road trip to the country side to rejuvenate and have a nice and quiet time. I did the same and went to Kutch last weekend.  The word Kutch means something that becomes wet and dry intermittently. Kutch is a district in Gujarat surrounded by the Gulf of Kutch in the south and the Arabian Sea in the west. Kutch is a wonderful amalgamation of the sea and the desert.  Gujarat has the longest coastline (1600km approx) in India contradictory to the general belief that it is a dry state (in terms of both heat and the liquor ban).

We were in Bhachau, one of the main towns in Kutch when we came across a tea stall while simply driving around and asked the man inside for tea. He replied that he doesn’t have milk and showed us the way to another place where we can have tea. This incident points towards their simple and uncompetitive way of life. This kind of an ambience most certainly relaxes you in an outlandish way; even if you don’t get your tea.

We saw a train of camels crossing the road and we had to wait till they crossed the road. Kutch is famous for these animals and their owners, called Maldharis. They are experts with their flocks and herds.  It is said a true Maldhari can call a cow that he wants from a big herd and make the cow walk out of the group towards him. They are very good trainers. They also tie different kinds of bells around the cow’s necks to determine the different phases of their lives. These regions are also famous for "Gudkhars", also called the Indian Wild Ass, which look like they are a cross between a donkey and a horse.

http://kavisuman.com/gallery/albums/ANIMALS/normal_DSC_9358lr.jpg

The Kutchi art work is very famous and the locals are very good at it. We passed through a village called Madhavpura, which is considered the richest village of India.

We also passed through a village called the “Vrajvani”. This village has a famous story about a dholi(a man who plays the dhol) who was a very popular man in the village. He used to play the dhol and the women would sing and dance. The men didn’t appreciate the fact that their women folk liked to dance to his tunes and they neglected their household duties. Hence they hanged him. Women committed suicides due to this, hence this story became famous as the “Vrajvani no dholi.”

 

We stayed at a resort called the Seven Sky, which has cottages that are typically found in almost all the resorts in Kutch. They have interestingly embroidered curtains and artwork inside it.

There was another beach resort which had a great beach where we spotted some seagulls, though I couldn’t capture them in my camera as I was bathing in the sea. I just love water and beaches! I myself look quite like a seagull when I am at a beach so here’s my picture waddling in the water.

   

                                                                               

We went to the famous White Rann of Kutch (the white desert) which is a semi arid desert which has salt deposits making it look white. It is believed the ocean moved away from this land making it a desert with parched land. It is believed this will become a desert with proper sand dunes after thousands of years.  

Mirage at the sunset

                                 

Semi arid white rann of Kutch

                                  

One can see the white salt deposits in the desert

                                                  

We took a camel ride and were taken inside the desert where there was an event organised. The famous artists of Kutch were performing in the desert. This set a surreal atmosphere.

 

Artists performing in the desert

The Indus Valley civilization is one of the most prominent archaeological sites found in Kutch. This site called the “Dholavira” is believed to have been inhabited around 2900 to 1900 BC. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutch_District

A Hindi movie is currently being shot at the Dholavira site. Some other famous movies like “Refugee” and “Lagaan” have also been shot in Kutch. Make sure you visit this wonderful town in Gujarat to experience its magic. 

Food for the soul

What is your ‘food for the soul’? Is it meditation? Or shopping or talking to a close friend or maybe even listening to your favorite music? Well, for some ‘food’ is the 'food for the soul'. Eating good food enriches not only your body but also your mind and soul. Natural food made with natural ingredients is the best way to cook your food. As they say, your body is like a temple. So eating good food will make it live longer and your thoughts and mind would also be positive as a result.

I really don’t like to cook so much; though I love food. Trying out different cuisines, cooked differently is one of my most favorite hobbies.  After a lot of criticism from my near and dear ones, I have started trying to prepare a dish or two. I must say it is a good experience; cooking is a form of art, just like writing or dancing. Hence I am going to write about what I cooked today. As I said I am not a fan of cooking, so I have started with simple, basic things. I like to cook at times, but I most certainly can’t do it every day.  I am a graceful person, but I don’t know why I transform into this clumsy person as soon as I step into the kitchen.  I hardly ever manage to prepare a dish successfully, but mostly manage to break a dish or a bowl. My mom gets very irritated due to this and I don’t blame her.

I have often heard that a good writer should be able to describe the dishes in his/ her stories very well, so that the people reading them actually start feeling hungry. So I thought let me improvise the famous US pizza salad bar today with the garlic bread minus the pizzas. I ended up making everything differently except for the “carrots and dried black raisin salad”. I was chopping vegetables for almost two hours before I started mixing them with dressings. Here’s my menu for the night...

1. Green salad

I prepared this with a green paste(made of coriander, mint and green chillies) and curd. I added boiled corn, sprouted beans, roasted and salted peanuts and green and red bell pepper to the paste. I squeezed a lemon on my salad and mixed it. I garnished with mint leaves after adding a little salt. 

   2. Potato and apple salad

This is an interesting mix of fruit and veggies. I made a paste of little mayonnaise and seasoning and threw in some chopped boiled potatoes and freshly sliced apples. I also added red cabbage, cucumber, grapes and bell pepper. I sprinkled oregano and chilli flakes. Added salt to taste. 

   3. Frozen boiled egg and fried egg plant(brinjal) salad

Yes, I really got the idea of mixing eggs and egg plant as they both have the word "egg" in them. I boiled three eggs and froze them and chopped one egg plant and deep fried it. I mixed the two and sprinkled little salt and pepper and voila, the salad was ready!

   4. Carrot and dried black raisin salad

I heated little milk and added sugar in it. I added grated carrot and the dried black grapes in it. Let the mixture cool and added a dash of mayo. 

   5. Spaghetti in red sauce

For this one I made tomato puree, also added onions to it. I dashed in some cinnamon powder and salt. I added boiled spaghetti into the paste and added seasoning. I garnished with lots of oregano and chilli flakes. 

   6. Garlic bread

I put little butter on the bread. I also put very thinly sliced ginger, chopped garlic, green chillies, boiled American corn, green bell pepper and onion on it. I sprinkled some grated Mozzarella and Amul Cheddar cheese and toasted the garlic bread in the oven. 

   7. Mango, orange and lemon mock-tail with sliced apples

This is a preparation of mixing Rasna Mango, Orange and Lemon flavors and adding some sliced apples. I served it chilled.

I love my food... 

But I realized, when you prepare dishes for your loved ones, you feel happier when they enjoy it. Your satisfaction comes from the fact that they liked the food you prepared. At some point, you don't bother about how much you enjoyed your food. 

Hence I say, cooking is an art. It satisfies your soul even when you cook; not just while eating it. 

Kudos to all of those who cook with love and care for their family everyday. All the dishes have a secret ingredient that is the most unique, the ingredient which is made of the love the person feels while cooking.