auto publié: Tryst with Anna
Good write up! Although I have my reservations against the team Anna bill, I won't call it a 'joke' either. You're being overtly cynical. No doubt TV channels had a ball around these news yet I see it more than just a media sham.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
I was bullied in school
School was not my best time! I was a shy, timid boy in a school of only boys. Trouble?
I was in the second standard when I had started to complain at home about school. My parents took their own time but it finally emerged that some other things other than studies or the teachers were boggling me down. Yes! The class bullies. They would say mean things and do mean things to me.
Back then my bench mates were the ‘good kids’. They always scored well; they had good ranks. They did their home-works well. They were from rich families. They were the exact antagonism of ‘bullies’. However, I was constantly ridiculed by all the three of them. They would hide my stuffs. They chopped off my erasers. They would break my pencil leads. They drew mean sketches in my books and note-books. One time they decided to pick their noses and stick up the pages of my book with the mucus! I was scared to go to school. I would make up excuses not to go to school- toothache, headache, stomach ache and the works. The ghastly images of those days will be indelibly imprinted in my head.
Always at the receiving end, I was never able to give them back. So much that at one point my parents sent my cousins (who were at the same school) to ‘help’ me out. They did come to the class. They were seniors and themselves bullies. Rather than helping me, they provoked the bullies and left me stranded among them! Talk about reconciliation!
Every day we would have one bench to clean the entire class. This would mean to broom the floor and dusting the teacher’s desk and chair. This was standard 5th. I went to the storeroom to get the broomstick. As I was inside the dark, unventilated room, they closed the door behind my back. I shouted and cried for help but nobody listened. I must have been inside for several minutes. When the door finally opened I was welcomed in the open with loud jeers!
As we grew up (or did we?), the intensity and context of the bullying increased. I was in 6th standard. I was urinating when a bunch of seniors came and turned me around thus, flashing me to everybody present. I was utterly embarrassed and tried to cover up the act by fastening the zip as hurriedly as possible; but the harm was already done. I felt ‘exposed’. I shivered at the harrowing idea of this ‘story’ being circulated around. Boy! Am I glad that back then school kids didn’t use video phones?
I remember always feeling like an alien in the class. As a result of all these mocking and bullying, my self confidence sunk low. I went from being a quiet child to an introvert. Teachers hardly knew my name. I was never into anything other than the books and exams. Come to think of it now, I was majorly spared from two things- name calling and physical abuse. I can’t even start to think how that would have gone.
It is important for a kid to make friends in school. The psyche of a kid is influenced a lot by anything which takes place in his early life. Childhood can indeed be marred with many a not so great experiences. Intervention by the parents and teachers would be the ideal thing to help any kid who is being bullied. Luckily I turned out just fine with my friends or my grades. It went on to improve once school got over. I miss school for few of my teachers and friends albeit I would still choose to hate my school days!
I was in the second standard when I had started to complain at home about school. My parents took their own time but it finally emerged that some other things other than studies or the teachers were boggling me down. Yes! The class bullies. They would say mean things and do mean things to me.
Back then my bench mates were the ‘good kids’. They always scored well; they had good ranks. They did their home-works well. They were from rich families. They were the exact antagonism of ‘bullies’. However, I was constantly ridiculed by all the three of them. They would hide my stuffs. They chopped off my erasers. They would break my pencil leads. They drew mean sketches in my books and note-books. One time they decided to pick their noses and stick up the pages of my book with the mucus! I was scared to go to school. I would make up excuses not to go to school- toothache, headache, stomach ache and the works. The ghastly images of those days will be indelibly imprinted in my head.
Always at the receiving end, I was never able to give them back. So much that at one point my parents sent my cousins (who were at the same school) to ‘help’ me out. They did come to the class. They were seniors and themselves bullies. Rather than helping me, they provoked the bullies and left me stranded among them! Talk about reconciliation!
Every day we would have one bench to clean the entire class. This would mean to broom the floor and dusting the teacher’s desk and chair. This was standard 5th. I went to the storeroom to get the broomstick. As I was inside the dark, unventilated room, they closed the door behind my back. I shouted and cried for help but nobody listened. I must have been inside for several minutes. When the door finally opened I was welcomed in the open with loud jeers!
As we grew up (or did we?), the intensity and context of the bullying increased. I was in 6th standard. I was urinating when a bunch of seniors came and turned me around thus, flashing me to everybody present. I was utterly embarrassed and tried to cover up the act by fastening the zip as hurriedly as possible; but the harm was already done. I felt ‘exposed’. I shivered at the harrowing idea of this ‘story’ being circulated around. Boy! Am I glad that back then school kids didn’t use video phones?
I remember always feeling like an alien in the class. As a result of all these mocking and bullying, my self confidence sunk low. I went from being a quiet child to an introvert. Teachers hardly knew my name. I was never into anything other than the books and exams. Come to think of it now, I was majorly spared from two things- name calling and physical abuse. I can’t even start to think how that would have gone.
It is important for a kid to make friends in school. The psyche of a kid is influenced a lot by anything which takes place in his early life. Childhood can indeed be marred with many a not so great experiences. Intervention by the parents and teachers would be the ideal thing to help any kid who is being bullied. Luckily I turned out just fine with my friends or my grades. It went on to improve once school got over. I miss school for few of my teachers and friends albeit I would still choose to hate my school days!
The Joy of reading self-help books
“Light a candle by your side as you read something in the evening. This will have a serene effect on you”, says Robin Sharma in his book ‘Megaliving’. Although I never really tried to do this, the very idea of it spellbinds you. After a long day at work, it would indeed be rejuvenating.
It is but most appropriately told- ‘Books are men’s best friend’. There is so much to learn from them; more so from self-help books. The term ‘self-help’ must not be seen in a derogatory sense. It wouldn’t dare to mean that you do ‘need help’. It would just be a book where the writer shares his experiences in life or the experiences of people he have come across (and maybe even helped). My tryst with self-help books began with Robin Sharma’s ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’. This book can also be seen as a philosophical allegory. It had a profound influence in my life. I took to reading more and understanding life better. In the process, I learnt yoga and got into the world of meditation. As a corollary I discovered myself. I always felt like an agnostic; this made me feel very guilty. Why can’t I be religious like other people? Now I know where I was headed to- spirituality! Turns out I am spiritual. The book indeed helped me open up myself to a whole new side of me. I re-affirmed my faith!
What is a self-help book? What does it deal with? Well, the definition is vast, in fact endless, according to me. I not only see personality development as ‘self-help’ but every other book can be seen as one. If you get to learn something from a book, it is self-help to me. Learning yoga, cooking or creative writing; these are few of the examples where people read, get the ‘gyan’ and probably apply it for their own good. Auto-biographies are also an imperial way to treat yourself. It helps a lot to read about famous men who have walked the planet. This, to me, is the beauty of books. Please help yourself. Grab a good book today!
There might be 101 suggestions given in a book. It doesn’t mean you take to all of them. Take 5 great ones among them and we are good to go. In fact, I don’t think any writer would even be so naïve to assume every reader would blindly follow him. When in doubt, always take to your own instincts. The thing to be noted here is this. In a world where we get really lesser and lesser to look up to, these books might just be the thing you needed. I don’t intend to get anyone into a bubble and start showing the world as all ideal and ever perfect. No, but there are certain things we gain from reading them. First, we get to a lost art called ‘reading’. It inculcates a habit which will not only utilize your free time usefully but will also be productive. This will be different from reading just a Chetan Bhagat or a Shidney Sheldon. Secondly, you will be surprised to know how much positivity these books emanate. They are a store house of wisdom and well crafted strategies to live life more successfully. And most importantly, they tell the stories of ordinary people like you and I who are striving towards stoicism. These are the stories of people who have refused to give up. It can’t harm you to share a few of them!
A word of caution can be given at this point. There is a flood of ‘self-help’ books in the market today. The only mantra here will be self-attestation. Use your taste to sort out the better ones from the not so good ones. Undergo homework before venturing out to buy one. Your online community or your book club will most certainly be glad to help you find a good self-help book. And most importantly, word of mouth advice from your friends. Let’s say the worst has happened! You landed up buying a book which turns out to be a total sham. Never mind! Here is what Robin Sharma says about a book you don’t like- “It’s OK not to finish a book if you don’t like it”!
It is but most appropriately told- ‘Books are men’s best friend’. There is so much to learn from them; more so from self-help books. The term ‘self-help’ must not be seen in a derogatory sense. It wouldn’t dare to mean that you do ‘need help’. It would just be a book where the writer shares his experiences in life or the experiences of people he have come across (and maybe even helped). My tryst with self-help books began with Robin Sharma’s ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’. This book can also be seen as a philosophical allegory. It had a profound influence in my life. I took to reading more and understanding life better. In the process, I learnt yoga and got into the world of meditation. As a corollary I discovered myself. I always felt like an agnostic; this made me feel very guilty. Why can’t I be religious like other people? Now I know where I was headed to- spirituality! Turns out I am spiritual. The book indeed helped me open up myself to a whole new side of me. I re-affirmed my faith!
What is a self-help book? What does it deal with? Well, the definition is vast, in fact endless, according to me. I not only see personality development as ‘self-help’ but every other book can be seen as one. If you get to learn something from a book, it is self-help to me. Learning yoga, cooking or creative writing; these are few of the examples where people read, get the ‘gyan’ and probably apply it for their own good. Auto-biographies are also an imperial way to treat yourself. It helps a lot to read about famous men who have walked the planet. This, to me, is the beauty of books. Please help yourself. Grab a good book today!
There might be 101 suggestions given in a book. It doesn’t mean you take to all of them. Take 5 great ones among them and we are good to go. In fact, I don’t think any writer would even be so naïve to assume every reader would blindly follow him. When in doubt, always take to your own instincts. The thing to be noted here is this. In a world where we get really lesser and lesser to look up to, these books might just be the thing you needed. I don’t intend to get anyone into a bubble and start showing the world as all ideal and ever perfect. No, but there are certain things we gain from reading them. First, we get to a lost art called ‘reading’. It inculcates a habit which will not only utilize your free time usefully but will also be productive. This will be different from reading just a Chetan Bhagat or a Shidney Sheldon. Secondly, you will be surprised to know how much positivity these books emanate. They are a store house of wisdom and well crafted strategies to live life more successfully. And most importantly, they tell the stories of ordinary people like you and I who are striving towards stoicism. These are the stories of people who have refused to give up. It can’t harm you to share a few of them!
A word of caution can be given at this point. There is a flood of ‘self-help’ books in the market today. The only mantra here will be self-attestation. Use your taste to sort out the better ones from the not so good ones. Undergo homework before venturing out to buy one. Your online community or your book club will most certainly be glad to help you find a good self-help book. And most importantly, word of mouth advice from your friends. Let’s say the worst has happened! You landed up buying a book which turns out to be a total sham. Never mind! Here is what Robin Sharma says about a book you don’t like- “It’s OK not to finish a book if you don’t like it”!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Big Boss (Season 5)
There was a time and a world which didn’t survive on reality TV. I wonder how that went!
I was never into ‘reality shows’. Although a long time fan of chat/interview shows, I started getting struck by the reality power when I started watching ‘MTV roadies’. Almost against my will, I was then watching ‘Emotional Athyachar’. I had almost lost my faith in humanity (and its relationships) when ‘big boss’ (season 5) happened to me.
Honestly I never knew much about this one till season 5. Although I had a vague idea about Shilpa Shetty being discriminated and hence voted to winning in ‘Big brother’, abroad. My initial reactions were naiveté. Who are these so called (self-proclaimed) ‘celebs’? And what are they trying to do? I would but get my answers too soon. Redemption!
First things first, who doesn’t want to watch a Salman on TV? The guy has some track record but hey all is forgiven for he is ever so lovely. And then there is his partner in crime, Mr. Sanjay Dutt. Who wouldn’t blush at the idea of him flirting with Laxmi (the eunuch celeb)?
Usually I hold on to a book and try to get some (early to bed) sleep by 11. At times I don’t even have the patience to read; just the bed. Now I stay awake at least till 11:30. Big boss plays 10:30 to 11:30. Yes! P.M. I was under the impression that the so called ‘celebs’ are the really famous types and the viewers hang on to their Idiot boxes just to watch them. This was again proven wrong. Among the so called ‘celebs’ from season 5, I hardly knew 2-3 of them. Until I googled them! They needn’t be famous, they will be made famous! So it’s just not the celebrity (call it demi-star) status then. There is something about these familiar faces being stashed together in a house. Throw in the household works and the budget for the week and then the celebrity (profanities ridden) face-offs and there’s your reality show. I am addicted to it by now. I crave for it. The cat fights, the tear works, the bitching and back biting, I love them all. Oh! The sweet world of ‘celeb’ politics! Should I dare miss one of its episodes (it plays 7 days a week so excuse the patron who misses on ONE of them), I take refuge in youtube. I was so ill-informed to even think that the TV channel ‘colors’ rose to crescendo just so. Duh! It’s shows like big boss (season) and viewers like me who fuel their TRPs.
God bless the show producers and the great minds behind this modern work of art for their twists too. Who enters as a guest? Swami agnivesh! And what happens to the ladies? ‘Swamiji, OMG! Just can’t believe you are 73’. Ace VJ flirts with Swamiji/civil-society-member? Slurp! There is then Siddharth who has taken to obnoxious flirting with Shonali, the only beauty (queen) in the house. There’s the videshi gal Vida, VJ Pooja Bedi. There is also actor Mehek who is always ‘exploited’. There are the dudes too in the house- Akashdeep (SKY) and goody-goody Amar. And THEN there is Pooja Mishra, the ‘Joker’ in the house. I swear on god, she is THE show. The day she is sent off, I’m sure I’ll cry myself to sleep and never switch on my TV again. Well, except to watch other shows.
Just when I was hardly done conjuring when reality became TV, I was taken in for a ride. I am loving every bit of every moment of it. Who knows? I might as well fall in love with other soaps and serials (let’s not exclude the in-famous Bhartiya saas-bahu ones here). Only time will tell!
I was never into ‘reality shows’. Although a long time fan of chat/interview shows, I started getting struck by the reality power when I started watching ‘MTV roadies’. Almost against my will, I was then watching ‘Emotional Athyachar’. I had almost lost my faith in humanity (and its relationships) when ‘big boss’ (season 5) happened to me.
Honestly I never knew much about this one till season 5. Although I had a vague idea about Shilpa Shetty being discriminated and hence voted to winning in ‘Big brother’, abroad. My initial reactions were naiveté. Who are these so called (self-proclaimed) ‘celebs’? And what are they trying to do? I would but get my answers too soon. Redemption!
First things first, who doesn’t want to watch a Salman on TV? The guy has some track record but hey all is forgiven for he is ever so lovely. And then there is his partner in crime, Mr. Sanjay Dutt. Who wouldn’t blush at the idea of him flirting with Laxmi (the eunuch celeb)?
Usually I hold on to a book and try to get some (early to bed) sleep by 11. At times I don’t even have the patience to read; just the bed. Now I stay awake at least till 11:30. Big boss plays 10:30 to 11:30. Yes! P.M. I was under the impression that the so called ‘celebs’ are the really famous types and the viewers hang on to their Idiot boxes just to watch them. This was again proven wrong. Among the so called ‘celebs’ from season 5, I hardly knew 2-3 of them. Until I googled them! They needn’t be famous, they will be made famous! So it’s just not the celebrity (call it demi-star) status then. There is something about these familiar faces being stashed together in a house. Throw in the household works and the budget for the week and then the celebrity (profanities ridden) face-offs and there’s your reality show. I am addicted to it by now. I crave for it. The cat fights, the tear works, the bitching and back biting, I love them all. Oh! The sweet world of ‘celeb’ politics! Should I dare miss one of its episodes (it plays 7 days a week so excuse the patron who misses on ONE of them), I take refuge in youtube. I was so ill-informed to even think that the TV channel ‘colors’ rose to crescendo just so. Duh! It’s shows like big boss (season) and viewers like me who fuel their TRPs.
God bless the show producers and the great minds behind this modern work of art for their twists too. Who enters as a guest? Swami agnivesh! And what happens to the ladies? ‘Swamiji, OMG! Just can’t believe you are 73’. Ace VJ flirts with Swamiji/civil-society-member? Slurp! There is then Siddharth who has taken to obnoxious flirting with Shonali, the only beauty (queen) in the house. There’s the videshi gal Vida, VJ Pooja Bedi. There is also actor Mehek who is always ‘exploited’. There are the dudes too in the house- Akashdeep (SKY) and goody-goody Amar. And THEN there is Pooja Mishra, the ‘Joker’ in the house. I swear on god, she is THE show. The day she is sent off, I’m sure I’ll cry myself to sleep and never switch on my TV again. Well, except to watch other shows.
Just when I was hardly done conjuring when reality became TV, I was taken in for a ride. I am loving every bit of every moment of it. Who knows? I might as well fall in love with other soaps and serials (let’s not exclude the in-famous Bhartiya saas-bahu ones here). Only time will tell!
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Emperor of all maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Siddhartha Mukherjee has to be the best chronicler of our times. The poignancy and the precision with which he tells this incredible ‘biography’ of cancer is something to die for. The only alter ego of cancer was verily seen to be only death. Either people died of the disease or its cure! Cancer made both doctors and patients lose their patience. This book is a silent tribute to all the people who have contributed their share (and in some cases their lives) in the human race’s fight against cancer. Cytologists, epidemiologists, oncologists, scientists, philanthropists, anthropologists, lobbyists, socialites et al.
Cancer is a vague term given to contain a disease which has manifested itself in innumerable facets. There are hardly any organs or parts of the human body which remain not at risk of cancer. It is but pathological mitosis. A mutated cell (and hence abnormal) giving rise to a volley of other mutated cells which gives rise to more mutated cells ad infinitum. Is it some virus? Is it some external chemical? Or is it some agent in the cell? These might turn out to be mere descriptions given by scientists from a long time. Blinded by incomplete knowledge, they were trying to describe the same elephant! And boy did it take time to understand the true chemical and genetic nature of cancer.
Cancer has come a long way. From a disease which was not at all known to humankind to the most dreaded malaise. Cancer is, in no simpler terms to describe, the emperor of all maladies. Great philanthropists and lobbyists have time and again set a crusade against it, taking the governments and the medicine world by storm. The amount of work and frustration which social workers and lobbyists had to go thru just to gather the right amount of money and support to spread awareness against cancer and start a crusade against it is humongous.
I am reminded of the first attempts where awareness ads against breast cancer were turned down as they could not print both the words ‘breast’ and ‘cancer’. Radical Mastectomy or the surgical removal of breasts (and indeed the lymph nodes till the rib cage as was earlier done) was the sole desperate attempt to eliminate breast cancer initially. Not to mention, after a century of this ‘treatment’, the medical world finally concluded that radical mastectomy was but futile! Exasperation at its best!
Talking about exasperation, we still have carcinogens so easily accessible that it’s not surprising if we still hear of lung cancer- Cigarettes and their nicotine! There was a time when an average American person (irrespective of gender) smoked up to 12 cigarettes a day. Thanks to cigarette barons trying to flood the psyche of the public with ads of smoking and hence making it a part of the milieu. The consumers just couldn’t see how smoking, which was so much a part of their lives, could be a stealthy cause to a life taking condition. What was a pass time or a habit was going to turn around as a vice, right under their noses. It took a mammoth task for social workers and litigators to finally get a hold on the cigarette ads and bring down the consumption of the most fashionable carcinogen in the history of the world.
At the start, research wise, cancer was seen as a manifestation of ‘black bile’. Then came a time when scientists and doctors started to ‘backtrack’ starting from the cancer to its possible cause and as a corollary to the remote probability of a cure. After a century of maneuvering thru dark alleys which offered very few possibilities, light was seen at the end of the tunnel. Central dogma of molecular biology!
The biography of cancer is incomplete without a mention of chemotherapy! The first chemicals which were used in medical experiments were but dyes. It took many a failed experiments and a sea of serendipities for dyes to be recognized and used as drugs in treatment for diseases. With the possibility of a drug (or a concoction of several of them) being used as a sure cure for cancer, several patients were used as guinea pigs for a hosts of drugs. I can’t forget the vivid images of patients who, under the adverse effects of the experimental drugs, walked the corridors of the hospitals as zombies at night. Radiotherapy came to be used with or without chemotherapy too. It is to be remembered here that X-rays themselves are carcinogenic. Madam Curie who discovered Radium, herself, died of leukemia! So even if cancer didn’t kill you, the ‘treatment’ might as well. In all these uncertainty, there came (and very aptly) the need of a place for the terminally ill. A hospice where the condition of the patients are respected and they are provided palliative treatment and care.
The crusade against cancer is incomplete without a mention of its victims! These are also the people who have lent their support in the many formal and informal studies and experiments conducted by scientists and doctors under tremendous pressure. Indeed, here is a story of people and their families and loved ones; their resilience, perseverance and the human will to survive.
Cancer is a vague term given to contain a disease which has manifested itself in innumerable facets. There are hardly any organs or parts of the human body which remain not at risk of cancer. It is but pathological mitosis. A mutated cell (and hence abnormal) giving rise to a volley of other mutated cells which gives rise to more mutated cells ad infinitum. Is it some virus? Is it some external chemical? Or is it some agent in the cell? These might turn out to be mere descriptions given by scientists from a long time. Blinded by incomplete knowledge, they were trying to describe the same elephant! And boy did it take time to understand the true chemical and genetic nature of cancer.
Cancer has come a long way. From a disease which was not at all known to humankind to the most dreaded malaise. Cancer is, in no simpler terms to describe, the emperor of all maladies. Great philanthropists and lobbyists have time and again set a crusade against it, taking the governments and the medicine world by storm. The amount of work and frustration which social workers and lobbyists had to go thru just to gather the right amount of money and support to spread awareness against cancer and start a crusade against it is humongous.
I am reminded of the first attempts where awareness ads against breast cancer were turned down as they could not print both the words ‘breast’ and ‘cancer’. Radical Mastectomy or the surgical removal of breasts (and indeed the lymph nodes till the rib cage as was earlier done) was the sole desperate attempt to eliminate breast cancer initially. Not to mention, after a century of this ‘treatment’, the medical world finally concluded that radical mastectomy was but futile! Exasperation at its best!
Talking about exasperation, we still have carcinogens so easily accessible that it’s not surprising if we still hear of lung cancer- Cigarettes and their nicotine! There was a time when an average American person (irrespective of gender) smoked up to 12 cigarettes a day. Thanks to cigarette barons trying to flood the psyche of the public with ads of smoking and hence making it a part of the milieu. The consumers just couldn’t see how smoking, which was so much a part of their lives, could be a stealthy cause to a life taking condition. What was a pass time or a habit was going to turn around as a vice, right under their noses. It took a mammoth task for social workers and litigators to finally get a hold on the cigarette ads and bring down the consumption of the most fashionable carcinogen in the history of the world.
At the start, research wise, cancer was seen as a manifestation of ‘black bile’. Then came a time when scientists and doctors started to ‘backtrack’ starting from the cancer to its possible cause and as a corollary to the remote probability of a cure. After a century of maneuvering thru dark alleys which offered very few possibilities, light was seen at the end of the tunnel. Central dogma of molecular biology!
The biography of cancer is incomplete without a mention of chemotherapy! The first chemicals which were used in medical experiments were but dyes. It took many a failed experiments and a sea of serendipities for dyes to be recognized and used as drugs in treatment for diseases. With the possibility of a drug (or a concoction of several of them) being used as a sure cure for cancer, several patients were used as guinea pigs for a hosts of drugs. I can’t forget the vivid images of patients who, under the adverse effects of the experimental drugs, walked the corridors of the hospitals as zombies at night. Radiotherapy came to be used with or without chemotherapy too. It is to be remembered here that X-rays themselves are carcinogenic. Madam Curie who discovered Radium, herself, died of leukemia! So even if cancer didn’t kill you, the ‘treatment’ might as well. In all these uncertainty, there came (and very aptly) the need of a place for the terminally ill. A hospice where the condition of the patients are respected and they are provided palliative treatment and care.
The crusade against cancer is incomplete without a mention of its victims! These are also the people who have lent their support in the many formal and informal studies and experiments conducted by scientists and doctors under tremendous pressure. Indeed, here is a story of people and their families and loved ones; their resilience, perseverance and the human will to survive.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
