Save Energy, Secure Future

The other night we went over to a friend's place for dinner where I met a young lad studying in La Martiniere for Boys here in Kolkata. Extremely well behaved and reserved, Rohin stayed away from the raucous laughter we were generating and instead kept himself busy reading a book. After gorging unabashedly at the dinner table I went to wash my hands. After I was done I shut the light of the loo and walked out. Just then Rohin looked up from his book and thanked me for shutting the lights. Curious, I asked him why and he said it would help save energy. I cannot tell you how that gladdened my heart. I was finally reassured that the next gen was indeed becoming conscious about the need to conserve energy.

This incident assumes significance because I have been doing some freelance writing work for the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. Though the agency was set up way back in 2002, it is now in the limelight for all the right reasons. BEE is making every effort to promote energy efficiency in the country through different programs -- standards and labelling for common household electrical appliances and the Bachat Lamp Yojana (where CFLs will be exchanged for incandescent bulbs at a price of Rs 15. BEE has energy efficiency plans for industry (under the recently approved NMEEE), agriculture (Agri DSM) and real estate (green building codes). In fact, the BLY is the biggest CDM project in the world to get the UNFCCC nod. These many initiatives, if implemented in good earnest, will possibly go a long way in establishing India's energy security.

Each of us has to be conscious about saving energy. I realize that while a lot of us know about these green initiatives, there is precious little we actually do to make the change. Teaching children how to do things right is perhaps the right approach. Today Rohin is conscious, tomorrow my girls will be too. And that is the goal -- to make this world a better place so that our future generations stand to benefit. After all we don't inherit this world from our parents, we borrow it from our children.

What is bothering me?

It's been over two months... I have wanted to write but I completely lack perspective and more importantly inspiration. I get myself too tied up with the kids and the house to even allow any kind of creativity to seep in or flow out. On the brighter side, I am realising my mistakes/ shortcomings and making an effort to at least identify.

Identifying the issues of concern is the most difficult task as far as I am concerned. It is like admitting your most private mistakes on a public forum (which this is surely) after being in denial for years. It is not the most comforting of feelings. Anyway, here goes:

• I need to lose weight through diet and exercise for my health and marital bliss
• I need to drive and not be dependent on others to ferry me around town
• I need to earn more money so that I can get myself silly baubles or clothes without putting pressure on my husband

So where does one begin? I am 40 (which is the new 20 according to yours truly) and willing to experiment with the bizarre first. So I will learn to drive. I will enrol myself at the Pappu Master Driving School tucked away below a dilapidated building along the riverside. I will pay Rs 2770 and undergo trauma for the rest of life. I was waiting for my maid to come back before I could take up driving lessons. You see, for the past one month I have been held ransom by creepy crawlies that pass off as drivers in this city. And I will not take it anymore. Also, it was a bit humiliating when I had to cab it late in the evening to watch Aisha with some friends. You see, my husband refused to drive me and I was determined to go. So now I have to learn driving so that I can watch eminently forgettable Bollywood chickflicks whenever I want to. My mais back so I should not delay starting the classes. But can I put away my really nervous system somewhere? I am scared that I will run someone over while trying to change gear. I just cannot figure out these damn things.

Logically once I learn to drive I will be able to transport my corpulent self to the Geriatric Haven that passes off as Calcutta Club., where the gym is located. I will then have to work out really, really hard and try and shed some weight and then come back home, eat practically nothing, get a glowing complexion and become a wreck after the nervous breakdown that will surely ensue. That might of course put a spanner in the works. How many sane people will be willing to outsource work -- that too written work -- to a mental wreck?

May be I should remain fat, earn more and buy myself an automatic transmission car that requires minimal gear usage and be happy. And more importantly, sane. But I am sure life has different plans for me... Will update as I get on. Till then, adios.

Oriya rhymes from my grandmother's pen

My grandmother's rhymes in Oriya that I have sung as a child and now my girls sing them too:

Ania Sania dui ti bhai
Maacha mari gawley keuto sahi
dharile bhakura, khai munda
maa ku dele se nanguda khanda
maa kahila emiti maacha mu khaibi nahi
emiti pua mu bohibi nahi

**
kau kemiti benga nela
nela bele godo naadi dela
koiyan patara jhaadi dela
jhaadi dela lo jhaadi dela

***
Tuku musi tukei musi
dhana barana re khautha basi
tu tha mu jausi rusi
kaalia balada gaala re galaa re
handi kudu kudu kalaa

***
Iti kili miti kili
phutigala kaincha
tumara amara
naali paincha
naali pein pein bajoi hira
gotika upare gotika jeera

***

Aasa aasa paaraa dui ti
Mo pinda re basa
Khai baku debi tumaku
nadia ra rasa
Pee baku debi tumaku
benta pokari pani
soi baku debi tumaku
maali ghara khatuli
maali ghara khatuli re
baaunsa patiya
O mani ra paada re
suna ra jhuntia
suna ra jhuntia ku
baagha chori kala
janha mamu khanda dhari
khoji baharila
khoji khoji jai pahanche
agana agani baney
kau, koili raaba nahi
manisa nahi janey
bagha mari janha mamu
jhuntia aanila
mani paada re pindhei dei
baahaa kari dela
***

bai chadhei lo bai chadhei
to maa jaichi gai charei
kali gai tharu khira aniba
khiri kari tatey khuai daba
kolo re basei kariba gela
lagei daba se haladi tela
soi pada arey bai chadei
to maa jaichi gai charei
***

Kokkomina baya re
Mo bolo ti sunu
bila ka maacha
chila khaila
daudi gotiye bunu
to daudi mo daudi
piddha re pakei daba
aswini maasa madi ailey
nai re bhasei dabaa

Christening time must come and it has. After spending an hour in the middle of the night filling in profile details I thought it might seem appropriate to initiate this whole writing exercise. I am writing sans any agenda. Since everyone seems to be out there (or here, on the web) blogging away their opinions and what have you, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to write one myself. I am not here (or there or for that matter anywhere) to pass judgement. I will merely put down my observations on things in general. Sometimes I could get down to specifics too. I am not ruling out too much here. I think I am rambling... Just as I get overwhelmed trying to have a meaningful conversation with an answering machine, I am getting a sense of deja vu trying to write this blog... But I will leave a message: Catch u sooner than I think!