Imperfect Notions : Life, Culture, Current News and Opinions

Few years back there was a huge controversy when one of the political scions of India spoke about ‘poverty being a state of mind’. While poverty is very real and tangible for a segment of population which is below the poverty line and do not have access to a reasonable level of nutrition, health care, housing, clothing etc., for others it is just a matter of degree. It is a matter of degree, for example, as in what kind of medical facilities one has access to ranging from just about basic to ‘luxurious hospitalization’ with best facilities in foreign locations. The end point remains the same, to be cured of whatever was ailing us. Whether we talk of food, housing, clothing, transportation, etc. one can identify the extreme ends of this spectrum and beyond, as far our imagination and experiences take us. However, we as individuals always find it very difficult to identify the optimum point for ourselves. We always seem to be aspiring for the higher or a better level. However, is it po...

  Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainites, they say, as also the   ‘Gentleman’s Game’ or ‘Gentleperson’s Game’, in this age of being gender neutral. But, for the first time in international cricket, a player has been declared out (timed out) for not being able to take to the crease in time. Ergo, the gentleman, ergo the game. I mean, one did not allow the player to participate in the ‘game’, isn’t it? What the ‘phew’… Another rule that I find very funny in cricket is the requirement that if you hit the wickets and bails are off at the first hit, then to run out the player you have to pull out or dislodge the stumps. I mean with DRS and so many other technologies in place it can easily be determined whether the ball hit the stumps for the player to be declared run out. Where is the need to try and uproot the stumps! When we were young and used to discuss fast bowlers, one would claim that ‘Bro! So and so fast bowler starts his run up almost from the boundary’. I mean, i...

The history is written by the winners, it is said and if there are different winners at different points of time then there are different histories, and, then what is the history we are going to teach the kids in school, presently. Such, is the dilemma in which we find ourselves at this point of time. Times are changing fast and so is the technology. What do any of the religious texts, one believes in have to say for that… The use of mobiles/ laptops/ printers for example - Is it ‘haram’ for muslims, or a part of idol worship for Hindus or a copy of Guru Granth Sahib for Sikhs, for that matter. One can think of numerous examples, and, I will leave it to the readers’ imagination to think of so called ‘paradoxes’. The wearing of ‘hijab’ was dictated by the society at that time due to some social complexities. But, do all the muslims in all the countries of the world wear hijab; that is the larger question? The reason Hindus have 33 million Gods, is a case in the point. If one COULD NOT ...

Food and drinks have been a primordial habit with us? And, after we are weaned of ‘mothers’ milk, it is as ‘Sadguru’ would put it ‘What goes into us come from the mother earth (including the five basic elements – water, fire, air, aakash (ether) and will after a certain period of time return to earth.’ While the basic philosophy and dogmas related to it can be questioned and argued, the, basic question remains as to why some food🍲 is tastier than others. So, here I am going to argue purely from an operational point of view as to what are variables involved and how many different permutations are possible, and, is it possible to make the best (tastiest) food? Let us see (stereotypes) – Food made by mother always tastes best, Grandmas make the best savories, pickles, jams, marmalades; Wines think French, and, whiskeys, brandys from England etc. etc. Today I will take just one of these stereotypes and leave my readers to contribute the rest and maybe peace will prevail. So here we begin…...

'Culture' is something I've decided to write about in this post. The question of 'culture' has always intrigued me to no end. Especially, when you attend Cultural Fests or other such events which deem to propagate the 'culture'. Is it something static that has remained the same over the years, decades or centuries that you intend to propagate? Or, is it something dynamic that changes in response to the changing times, influence of other cultures, technology, or myriad other factors that affect daily lives? Do we think we can expect people to move about their daily lives in strange looking head-dresses, gowns, painted faces, garish costumes etc.? Do we expect people in such ensembles to work in say, computer labs, banks, schools, universities, companies, etc.? Do we expect our children to dress, behave, speak, dance, and, sing in the same way? If the answer to any of these questions is 'NO' then how can we expect to 'prop...

 I've decided to create a blog because of following reasons: 1. Writen word provides more flexibility as compared to other mediums viz. videos, pics, vlogs, microblogs etc. Here, the reader can read at his own speed without compromising on his/ her comprehension of content. 2. Sometimes, solutions to simple issues are difficult to access. Through this blog, I hope to provide solution, in my own way, to this seemingly simple issue. 3. The ideas expressed herein are of my own comprehension, understanding and prejudices. No such meaning should be ascribed to the ideas expressed herein. 4. Covid has provided resources in terms of time and space, which I hope I will be able to devote to commonplace issues.