the Thinker

People who are atheists might laugh at this particular post considering it to be a sham but since, I am not one therefore this question has intrigued me over many years now. I remember when I was young, or for that matter, why me, when all of us are young, sometime or the other you might have heard from your parents, that God answers our prayers, if its done with full devotion.

I must agree till date God has answered most of my prayers in a fruitful manner. The thing that intrigued me, and does so till now is a question. My question might sound funny...but then it is thought provoking, at least according to me. I certainly knew when for the first time I prayed, that I am not the only one praying at that minute, millions of people all over the world must be offering their prayers.

Some might be thanking Him for his kindness, whereas the majority might be complaining about their shortages or maybe, asking for some wish fulfillment. No offence meant. I too, generally fall in the category that stands in the queue for wish fulfillment. So with such a long queue of wishes, how does He decide which one to grant and which one to deny, how to fulfill it, and most importantly how does he manage to hear all those prayers.

There are people who believe that He is present within all of us, so when we pray he listens to all the individual prayers from within our souls. Well, maybe a plausible theory, but then isn't it too much of pressure. A mass of people praying together, It's silly to think like that but doesn't it cause confusion!

"Come on! HE is God after all, no mortal," that's the answer I am bound to get from my grandparents. So how does the entire system of divine telecommunication work? I know I am thinking on extremely materialistic terms, but then it bewilders me. Well, on normal days its still ok, but imagine the kind of overload that HE must be facing on days when religious festivals are held! India is the finest example any day; you have large number of Hindu festivals each dedicated to a certain deity. People pray more rigorously on those days. So I wonder what must God be doing on such days. However, non-idol worshippers will definitely differ in their views.

I have a funny feeling that most of the communities who adhere to idol worship, believe that each idol is a representative of God in miniature and in their house it is responsible for bringing happiness and peace. So, in shortcut, it is a designation of duties, is it?

Recently I saw this movie (though in parts) called 'Bruce Almighty,' where Jim Carrey takes over as God and receives all the prayers through a laptop! A whiz kid God I must say.

What about those who want their wishes to fulfill quickly than others? Have you heard people in temples saying, "Please get my husband promoted to the post of General Manager in the company, I will offer 10 coconuts at your feet, Oh Lord!" Hmm! 'Bribing All Mighty?'

Go back several years down the memory lane, when you did not know how to blog, or to write mails…when you did not even know how to speak. Can you recall those initial years of your lives? When, you were laid in a pram, and through your little eyes you watched and wondered, what those little colourful balls (maybe, balloons) were, tied at the head of your pram.

Now it might be difficult to recall that phase of our lives, but little did we wonder that we ruminated as deeply about things then, as we do now, having gained full consciousness? Most psychiatrists, biologists and doctors claim that babies, (below one year of age) cannot think…or rather do not have the power to do so, on its own.

In fact, I had read in one of my school textbooks, that babies essentially cry for everything they need. That is the only mode of communication they have. The reason why they recognize their mother before anyone else is that most of the time when they cry, their mothers look to their needs.

However, the other day I saw this programme on Discovery channel, which in a way amazed me to a certain extent. Some Researchers and biologists claimed that babies below one year of age are perfectly capable of recognizing different people. Not only that they have the memory to identify a person whom they have seen before.

In order to prove their claim, they showed this baby about 5-6 months in age. Its mother took it to some super market where they met with some old acquaintance of theirs. All of a sudden, the man saw the baby, and made a face to it by sticking out his tongue playfully.

The kid appeared amused and observed carefully when the man did so. Next time when the mother took her baby to the same place and met up with the same acquaintance, this man stuck out his tongue again at the babe.

Surprise! After a short pause, the kid too showed him its tongue, an indicating that it recognizes the man. Apart from this, if I use my personal experience from my childhood, I have often heard my mother saying that "you ate bitter gourd merrily when you were a baby, I do not understand why do you avoid it now?" I guess even in my early formative years, when I did not know that 2 and 2 add up to four, I could clearly differentiate between what I liked and what I disliked eating.

This was definitely not to illustrate how intelligent I was as a baby, but to establish that babies aren't mere dummies and that they can 'think'! I wonder whether this explains why some of them cry when strangers (who at that point could be your uncle, aunt, or someone whom you might not have seen as frequently as your mom or dad) lift them from them from their parents' lap.

I am sure many of you will have different opinions to offer in this respect. Those who are already parents, or parents 'to be,' any revelations?

smiling babe 

Ok folks at first I was taking this easy...but now I am completely confused. This might sound funny to some of you but I am finding it difficult to post pictures along a certain post. The thing is that I do not want to post a solo pic, but I want it along with a certain post, at specific areas of the post. I downloaded 'Hello Bloggerbot' but it is not posting pics along with a particular post, rather it publishes the pictures as a separate post. I am at my wits end. Fellow bloggers proficient in posting pics along your posts, kindly HELP!!

I remember, last week when my mother was starting from Kolkata to Chennai, she asked me on phone, “Do you want me to get something for you and your friends?” I did not have any personal choices of my own, since the joy of returning home was itself too comforting, greater than anything else.

I therefore looked at my friends and asked them if they would like to have something from Kolkata. They turned at me delighted and said in one voice, “Can she get Rasgullas?” Mom heard it on phone and started laughing.

When she came to Chennai, as per my friends’ requests she brought a small tin can with the label of ‘K.C. Das’s Rasgullas’ on it. You guys must be wondering whether this is another one of retrospective speeches…all those weepy and ‘senti’ things about how I felt for home etc.

Wait, Wait…it is not about all that. Well, I must give credits for this post to one of my fellow-bloggers – Saranyan. His interest in Rasgullas aroused me as well, to write on K.C Das’s Rasgullas.

For those of you who are unaware, what is a Rasgulla , I am providing a definition which I found basic, as well as, interesting in a site – “Cheese Balls in Sugar Syrup!” “This is a classic and very popular Indian sweet from Bengal made for special occasions and usually served cold. This is a very sweet dessert.”

Those who are wondering how it looks, well, it is a sugary-white, soft and sweet, syrupy ball, that slowly breaks into your mouth and releases all the sweet fluids within it. It is a traditional Bengali delicacy loved not only in Bengal but in other parts of India as well.

K.C Das and Sons were the first makers of this sweet, and it is to their credit that Rasgullas today are popular in Calcutta and in other parts of the country. Recently I heard that they patented their Rasgullas. Considering that they were the first to discover this delicacy, I wonder whether that could be contended.

For people who want to know more about K.C Das and the story of Rasgulla, I hope this link proves useful - http://www.bengalonthenet.com/puja/php/display.php?sec_id=10&sub_sec=8

I cannot give you the exact recipe, according to which K.C Das and Co. follow. But I found this recipe in the net – http://www.cuisinecuisine.com/Rasgulla.htm
Try it out and then let me know how the Rasgullas are. If they taste good, don’t forget to invite me.

Ps. I remember Saranyan asked me to load pics as well, problem is I don’t know how to…anyone to guide me?

The plane was about to land. We were instructed by the pilot to tighten our seat belts. I was waiting desperately for the plane to land. It has been ten months since I left my home and had gone to Chennai to study.

It would be however wrong to say that I did not get a vacation in between. I had come home for a short while in December, but then there was this feeling that I will have to go back again. This time too, I have come for a short while, as very soon I will be leaving for Mumbai. Moreover, this time I do not know the date when I shall return. Because this time I have got a job in Mumbai.

I looked out of the window as the plane gradually slided down to land in the city of joy, Kolkata. It was seven in the evening, and the city from several feets above the earth looked like a star-spangled sky. Some of these stars were twinkling as well.

Suddenly something knocked me inside my head and said, " Wake up! You are not dreaming, this ain't no universe, no star-spangled sky or anything. Those are lights in the buildings, which you consider as stars from the plane. And those twinkling ones are headlights of some car…so stop romanticizing!"

"Okay, Okay." I told myself. My practical side had already started to caution me. As I finally came out of the airport and started back the journey to my home, several thoughts crossed my head. I have repeated this several times, but I am doing so once again. Its comparatively easier, for a person who has stayed all his life away from home, to give in to his practical self.

However, this was the first time when I had moved out of home to Chennai. Therefore, the nostalgia takes over me. It seems as if yesterday I had gone to Chennai to do a ten-month course in journalism. Today I am back home. Soon I would be working as a professional in a firm, being paid for the assignments I would do (something unprecedented).

As I stepped into my sweet little home after ten months, I started praying instantly that this period should never end, that each day extends to 48 hours, that the days should become longer than summer months…so that I get more time to spend in this space, with my loved ones, my family.

Do I sound too senti? can't help…My eyes are actually filled with tears. Just the day before,i.e. was my second last day in Chennai, we had this nasty fight with one of those roguish rick-drivers. The fight had summoned a crowd around us and it was a humiliating experience overall. For a moment I felt sick of Chennai at that point (Sorry, Chennai lovers, but it is not any personal feelings against your city, its just the treatment an outsider gets at times, that stings..).

So today I feel like I have left all that behind, all those horrible experiences seem to be a thing of past. The very air around my house soothed my senses and whispered to them, "its ok, you are home now, you are home now…."
I can already imagine the pain that would take over as soon as I move to Mumbai again. This time there is no fixed date of return to home. Still, I feel like living all my life within this brief span of time..I feel like living an eternity in this few weeks at home.

Okay so enough of whining, now time for some good things to come. I am sorry for making another reference to my illness, but can you guys name one thing whichyou all missed whenever you have fallen ill? For me it is food, the food that I love.

If you hear my list of favorites you shall frown saying, "thats junk!" (Well, atleast those of you who are health conscious). But, I got reminded of those warm cheesy pizzas at Spencers, and that nice chocolate plugged Cornetto in the stores.

Bengalis have this lust for fishes like 'Hilsa', 'Rohu' and 'Chingri' (prawns). When cooked with mustard paste and spices it tastes like heaven on earth. Besides there are other favorites of mine as well, pomfret covered dipped in egg paste and finely covered bread crumbs- fried, yumm!!

Guess what? I think I am feeling homesick. My mom cooks all this stuff too well. So I am just waiting to reach home. And yes, I miss her palak paneer as well, the thick rich luscious green gravy with white and fresh pieces of paneer which melts into your mouth, as soon as, you eat it.

In case you guys are wondering I am a glutton..well, let me tell you that staying away from home-made food for ten months would make one out of anyone. We have this 'Bong' pattern of eating ... hot steamy rice with a spoon of white mustard paste and a little bit of oil in it...tastes yum!

Then ofcourse when my mom cooks that mutton curry of hers, red and thick in colour with a spell-binding aroma, I simply feel tempted. All this and more...I am already missing Kolkata.

Finally I am back, our site is ready and goes up on Monday. I am feeling much more relaxed today. But before I move on to the nicer things in life there one thing about which I would like to dedicate this post on - The apathy among administrative authorities in Chennai, and maybe elsewhere in the world.

I know, to most of you this topic about government and stuff might sound boring, but then this is one sector which crosses all our lives everyday.I realised the fact when I began to work with Anu on our investigative project (ip), which was based on libraries in Chennai.

Now before you start thinking that I have started whining a lot after my sickness, let me assure you I won't take long. But, yes I was not too well during the course of the IP and we had to go out in the sun everyday. On top of it, when people refuse to give information or show disinterest in the topic, you feel defeated.

I would give one example - we surveyed the Corporation school libraries in Chennai. In one of the schools where we went, the headmistress appeared to be some kind of prehistoric entity, in her most inert and lethargic state.

When we asked her whether her school had a library, she first frowned and looked at us as if she has heard the word for the first time in her life. Later, when she finally realised what we meant, she told us that they have a cupboard of books for a library. Very soon she got tired of our questions and called in the incharge of the 'cupboard of books' to speak to us.

The man does not know what to answer. So he restricted his answers to 'yes' and 'no'. For instance if asked..

Q-"sir, do you plan to expand your library?"
A -"Er..Yes, I guess so."
Q-"So, have you sent a proposal to the corporation for the expansion?"
A-"Yes,...er..wait..(asks the headmistress)yes, I guess we have."

The Corporation fellows are worse. Whenever you go to them for some information, they would look at you so suspiciously, as if your face resembles some criminal who is missing and whose posters are out there on street.

Or, they would simply direct you the person who is seated in the adjacent desk. This is nothing. The biggest turmoil for them is when you ask them about the funds invested behind the school libraries.One corporation guy who consented to speak to us asked us hundreds of questions before he finally answered our questions.

"Where are you from?" he asked.We handed him our letter from the college authorities which assured them that we are college students who just need some information for a college project. The man read the letter again and again,I don't know how many times, as if it were some secret encoded document, with a code which he is trying to reveal.

Finally he spoke, on a lot of requests (you cannot insist them unless you already have a job in a local daily) he divulged a minuscule bit about funds.

I hope I am not speculating, but it seems to a typical attitute with the government authorities in Tamil Nadu. The Jayalalitha effect - is it?