Happy Feminine Day

Very much agree with Sadhguru....
We should talk about human rights...
There was a time when and there are some societies still today, where women were/are denied basic human rights and then giving equal opportunity to women was/is a necessity. Hence women’s day was a way devised to emphasis on importance of feminine in humans.
Now at least in some part of the society, women have equal opportunity & rights to grow, to choose & to live as per their own wish. Men in our lives are ever supportive of this by sharing equal responsibilities at home & at work..
Women, who are privileged to have such background & such support system, should stop taking privileges & discounts for being a women. We should stop portraying ourselves as victims or the one who sacrifices.
So there’s need to have #Gender_Unbiased  Society. It’s our responsibility to give such society to our next generations.
Being feminine is loving, caring, being strong .... one who has a power to create....
So “#Happy_Feminine_Day” to all who have Feminine nature be it Men or Women....
Celebrate, Respect & Appreciate feminine nature not just today but every day.
#IWD2020
#EachForEqual

Sadhguru On IWD

Happy Women’s Day -Women in Materials Engineering

Even word ‘Female’ can’t be completed without “Fe”. So Materials Engineering World is incomplete without us... You are as strong as martensite and as soft as ferrite. Keep shining & be the hardest material like a Diamond 💎!!  Happy Women’s Day to all Fellow Women Materials Engineers!! We don’t need diamonds, we are diamonds 💎!!

Random Thoughts

So much of dependency on mobile phone.
थोडक्यात काय तर आपण आहारी गेलो आहोत smart phone च्या.
फोन असणं आपल्या जवळ हे गृहीत धरलय आपण.
American Visa च्या finger printing च्या que मध्ये वाट बघत असताना ह्या सगळ्याची प्रकर्षाने जाणीव होत आहे.
नशीब मी आज घड्याळ घालून आले आहे त्यामुळे वेळ कळत आहे.  पेन आणि नोटपॅड पण आणलं आहे बरोबर त्यामुळे मनात येणारे विचार लिहू शकत आहे. ह्या सगळ्या सवयी मोडल्याच आहेत आपल्या.  इतर वेळी 2 - 2 तास वेळ कसा जातो ते समजत नाही अजिबात अजिबात मोबाईल च्या नादात.  आता हातात मोबाईल नाहीये तेव्हा जाणीव होतीये कि आपण रोज किती वेळ वाया घालवतो ह्याच्या नादात.
मोबाईल नाहीये हातात तर किती गोष्टी सुचत आहेत ज्या ह्या दोन तासात करता येतील.
Atleast I can think of writing, putting my thoughts on paper. I can think of writing as im habituated to it for many many years even before mobiles or Laptops or computers came in existence. If given a choice to organize,  I still choose pen & paper over typing.
ह्या आजच्या पिढीला पेन आणि पेपर च महत्त्व कळण अवघड आहे. Hope they will understand one day.
Standing outside of finger printing office of US consulate for my visa,  I feel stranded,  like to be in Noman's land even if there are 100s of people around me,  like me.
I feel vulnerable, insecure.
प्रत्येक माणसाकडे बघून मला शंका येतीये की he/ she may harm me. Not abke to put that blind trust on people around me in my own country,  own state.  Why is so?
  बघता बघता मी दोन पानं लिहिली. माझ्या मनातले विचार,  भीती, दडपणं.....  विषय कुठूनही कुठेही बदलतोय पण मला माझ्या विचारांना थांबवायचं नाहीये. जसे उमटत आहेत तसेच वाहू द्यायचे आहेत. हे करताना छान वाटतंय.
आजूबाजूला एवढे लोक असताना अशी लिखाणाची समाधी पहिल्यांदाच लागतीये बहुतेक. नंतर वाचताना एखादवेळेस childish वाटेल पण आत्ता लिहिताना जे समाधान, आनंद, मिळतोय तो वेगळाच आहे. माझ्या ओठांवर एक मोठ्ठ स्मितहास्य येतंय जे मी लपवू शकत नाहीये अँड इच्छितही नाहीये.
आत्ता इथं एक छान कॉफी मिळाली तर फार मजा येईल. मुंबईत छान गार वारा सुटलाय, पाऊस नाहीये, उकडत नाहीये आणि मी रस्त्याच्या कडेला उभे राहून लिहीत सुटलीये. Neve imagined that iI would have been part of such situation.
काल रात्री "राझी " चित्रपट बघितला... आलिया भट्ट चा. तो चित्रपट, आलिया, तिचा नवरा ईक्बाल,  हे सगळं काही केल्या डोक्यातून जात नाहीये. राहून राहून त्या चित्रपटातली दृश्य मनात रुंजी घालताहेत. ईक्बालचं बायकोवरच प्रेम व्यक्त करणं, खूप छान चित्रीत केलंय.
खूप दिवसांनी किंवा वर्षांनी एखाद्या चित्रपटाचा माझ्या मनावर / विचारांवर असा परिणाम झालाय. ह्या आधी असा impact "इंग्लिश विंग्लिश" चित्रपटाचा झाला होता.

Paithan

Paithan la dileli bhet farach avismaraneey tharaliye....

The bazaar was full of people....I could see so many stories moving around me...and I felt my little camera and understanding were so miniscule to capture those moments...
So many people with different backgrounds were moving around...
It was altogether  different world in itself.
There were no stresses like what we gave on our day to day life....
I could sense there was immense trust in almighty....which I had never seen before..

I met these bunch of kids moving around on the banks of godavari offering Tika to devotees and expecting some money in return.... after putting Tika to Amod and getting money as expected the kid saw camera in my hand and immediately ordered me..." avo amacha photo kadha ki..."   and he was so thrilled that he called his friends as well to pose for the camera....
Their faces were so lively, so glowing & were so fresh in that all chaos....
I really felt who is living real life....is it me or they?

Decisions are emotional

Sharing an article review....and link to that article...
I would like to start with concept of emotional intelligence EQ...(emotional quotient) like IQ.... EQ  is being thought as more important in leading happy life than IQ....
Here is one article which explains how and why emotions play role in decision making
They say in this article that total decisions are based on emotions and not logic....
My take away from this article - in any negotiations be it with kids for making them study or with ur spouse ....it's important to make emotional appeal apart from logical.... if u are able to appeal considering the real issue which is more or less emotional the other party is more likely to come to agree to ur proposal ....

Link to article...
http://bigthink.com/experts-corner/decisions-are-emotional-not-logical-the-neuroscience-behind-decision-making

What's Really Wrong and Right?

Article I read-
"काय चूक काय बरोबर......?

काही दिवसांपूर्वी दोन मुलाखती वाचण्यात आल्या होत्या.
एक सौ.नीता अंबानी आणि दुसरी श्रीमती सुधा मूर्ती ह्यांची.

पहिली मुलाखत नीता अंबानी ह्यांची होती,ज्यात त्यांच्या श्रीमंती आवडीनिवडी सांगितल्या होत्या. उदाहरणार्थ - त्या तीन लाख किंमत असलेल्या कपातून चहा पितात.
लाखाच्या वरती ज्यांच्या किमती आहेत आणि ज्याच्यावर हिरे जडलेले असतात अशा पर्सेस त्या वापरतात,.
एकदा वापरलेली लाखांच्या घरात असलेली चप्पल त्या पुन्हा वापरत नाहीत आणि करोडोंमधे किंमत असलेली अगणित घड्याळांचा त्यांना शौक आहे आणि अजून बरच काही......

दुसरी मुलाखत होती इन्फोसिस च्या श्रीमती सुधा मूर्ती ह्यांची

मुलाखतीत त्यांना विचारण्यात आलं की तुम्ही करोडोंच्या मालकीण आहात, पण तो पैसा तुम्ही गरजू लोकांकडे वळवता... ....!
गेल्या पंधरा वर्षात स्वतःसाठी एकही नवीन वस्तू तुम्ही घेतली नाहीत.
तुम्ही एका साध्या घरात रहाता, प्रवासही नेहमी रेल्वेच्या जनरल बोगीतून करता तुम्हाला कधी श्रीमंत आयुष्याचा मोह नाही होत का ? एकीकडे लोक स्वतःची श्रीमंती दाखवण्यासाठी काय काय प्रकार करतात, मग तुम्ही इतकं साधं आयुष्य कस काय प्रिफर करता ? त्यावर त्यांनी अतिशय सुंदर उत्तर दिल ते अस :-
त्या म्हणाल्या,
समाजातील प्रत्येक व्यक्ती ही एक स्वतंत्र बेट असते आणि तुम्ही त्याच्याशी फक्त एकाच ब्रिजद्वारे रिलेट होऊ शकता तो ब्रिज म्हणजे त्यांच्याशी तुमचा भावनिक संवाद.......!

नातं निर्माण होण्यासाठी नेहमीच पैसा उपयोगी पडत नाही तर त्यासाठी गरज असते ती संवेदनशीलता आणि प्रेमळ शब्दांची.
पैशापेक्षा तुम्ही कुणाचं दुःख जेव्हा सहानुभूतीपूर्वक ऐकता तेव्हा ती गोष्ट त्यांच्यासाठी महत्वाची ठरते
मी एका उच्च शिक्षित पण मध्यमवर्गीय कुटुंबातून आले आणि नंतर समाज सेवेत रुजू झाले. मी समाजातील इतकी दुःख बघितली की माझी पैशा प्रतीची आसक्ती निघून गेली. मला माझ्या व्यक्तिगत आयुष्यात समाजसेवेतून समाधान मिळत. मला श्रीमंतीच प्रदर्शन करण्याची गरजच वाटत नाही. अशा प्रदर्शनातून काय दाखवायचं आणि कुणाला दाखवायचं आहे ? जीवनाकडे मृत्यूच्या नजरेतून बघितलं पाहिजे. आपल्या सांगितलं आहे की जग आणि जीव नश्वर आहेत. मग जे नश्वर आहे त्याचा मोह कशासाठी......!

एकीकडे देशातील सगळ्यात श्रीमंत व्यक्तीची पत्नी असणारी एक स्त्री जी त्या श्रीमंतीचं स्टॅंडर्ड मेंटेन करताना लाखोंचा चुराडा सहज करते.
एकदा घातलेली लाखोंची चप्पल ती पुन्हा वापरतही नाही. आणि दुसरीकडे काही हजारांसाठी देशातील गरीब शेतकरी आणि त्यांचं कुटुंबीय स्वतःच आयुष्य संपवतात.
एकीकडे एक वेळ जेवून उपासमार सहन करणारा समाज तर दुसरीकडे पैशाचा अक्षरशः अपव्यय करत जगणारी मंडळी.

माननीय श्रीमती सुधा मूर्ती ह्या खरोखरीच आदरणीय आहेत

कारण आज त्यांच्याकडे येणारा प्रत्येक पैसा त्यांची समाज हिताकडे वळवला आहे. त्यांच्यासारखी अनेक मंडळी आहेत जी साधी रहाणी आणि उच्च विचारसरणी आचरणात आणून जगत आहेत.. ....

आपल्याच देशात असलेल्या ह्या दोन परस्पर विरुद्ध विचारसरणीच्या स्त्रियांना वाचून मन विचारात पडलं..........!!
क्षणभर काय चूक काय बरोबर हा प्रश्न पडला........!
मग एकच मनात आलं की
माझं उर्वरित आयुष्य श्रीमती सुधा मूर्ती यांच्या सारख जगण्याची बुद्धि दे.
त्यांचे जीवन हे "चरित्र" आहे. ते पाठ्यपुस्तकात "धडा" रुपाने पुढील पिढीला "ज्ञात" होवो हिच अपेक्षा. 👍👌💐"

For non marathi readers brief summary of this article - this article talks about Mrs Neeta Ambani & Mrs Sudha Murthy who are billionaires and how each one of them prefers to spend their money. Neeta Ambani spends lakhs of Rupees on the materialistic pleasures & leads a lavish life where as Sudha Murthy diverts her money for the needy and for social cause and leads a very humble life.
At the end the writer preaches that he/she would pray to God to give him / her strength to lead a life like Mrs Sudha Murthy as that is the right thing to do and spending money on materialistic pleasures is very wrong way.

My Perspective-

I have a very different perspective about this write up
But before I put my thoughts I want you all know that - I have very high respect for Sudha Murthy and all the great work she has been doing and the life style she has preferred even being billionaire.....
What i felt is, in this article the writer has claimed that only Sudha Murthy is doing the right thing and her selfless work for society is just great.... yes it is.... no doubt about it.....
But what Neeta Ambani is doing is kind of Charity, as well, I feel. As billionaires like her are ready to spend lakhs of Rupees for a simple purse or a pair shoes or a fashionable dress or any luxury item, this leads to movement of money in the economy..... how? .. they are buying these expensive things & services....they pay for the same and there is someone at receiving end as well. So they end up giving a job to many people while they spend...
These billionaires like Mrs Ambani are helping many people to earn their bread by doing an ethical job....
And that is important in a populated country like India. In a way, they are creating jobs.
So I think we should respect both ladies....
One more point - we should come out of our traditional thinking of what is right or wrong.... there is no harm in being materialistic and aspiring for materialistic pleasures.
Just a thought- Why are we all earning money..?
And even there is no harm in being selfless also.
Finally it's your / our own choice.....what u / we want to do?
Let's stop being judgemental with our traditional thinking about what is right or wrong.

China Chronicle 2 - My Culinary Encounter

When I started writing these Chronicles, thought of putting them in day wise account of happenings during my travel. But now even if I still remember each n every moment spent, it feels childish to express my entire journey, my experiences in a day wise account. 
So here onwards, I'm going to take liberty of expressing my experiences & thoughts as they occurred to me, as I felt them.
The prospect of visiting China was actually had a dark lining of my fear about real Chinese food. This thought was haunting me day & night. Someone advised me carry a bag full of Maggie and someone shared some experience about finding "Monkey Eyes" in some supposed to be vegetarian dish. So in a nutshell I was damn scared. 

When the air hostess in my flight to Shanghai from Hong Kong handed me lunch.... I realised what it's going to be there in store for me.  I had asked for  Chicken meal..... I got what I asked for but it gave me enough evidence to boost my worst of fears. I just gulped what I got and decided will have good American style dinner (like some sandwiches) once I check in the hotel, after all its a star rated hotel.

But God has planned something different for me to experience. 

Directly from airport, a supplier visit was planned. After the visit at around 7 pm I was escorted to a restaurant for dinner, offer which I couldn't deny otherwise it would have been an insult of host. 

It was nice typical chinese style restaurant from outside. Couldn't read the name though. When entered,  on ground floor there were tables laid down as usual & I  could see families engrossed in dinner. Having seen this, I was relieved for an instance. But next I was being lead to next floor and on this floor there were rooms on either side of a curved passage way. In flash of second, 1000 thoughts must have crossed my mind but I relied on my instincts. Then followed was one of the most elaborate chinese dinner.

I was lead into a small circular room alongside of that curved passage. This room had a large circular table. As we were seated, one by one exotic Chinese menu started unfolding in front of me. Starting from fried & jaggery glazed peanuts, Fried whole Okra, seaweeds, to Jelly fish, boiled prawns(with black eyes still on), Salmon on ice with Soy-Mustard sauce as a dip, then various kinds of soups & varieties of Chinese Green tea. Except for beef & pork I could eat anything n everything and I relished it but still it was not Poli Bhaji....to which I'm used to ....and who eats dinner at 7 pm??? That's my snacking time......

And that was starting of my expedition in Real Chinese Cuisine and it is not Haka Noodles or American Chopsey or Schezwan Noodles.... as we know....
Since then over next week I was being served elaborate Chinese dishes for lunches & some dinners...and there was no looking back. I went on exploring Crabs, Various Fishes, Sea Shells, and high light was baby lobster.... my first lobster....but it was just heavenly.....

While out for lunch with one supplier, I was lead into a shop looking like an Aquarium, I was confused & curious ..... why Aquarium of all the places in town or is it so special that I had to have a visit here in the middle of the day? Until, I realised that it was a FISH MARKET....just outside a fancy restaurant.... whatever I choose from live fishes to worms to snails to crabs.....that will be cooked and served to me in the restaurant. 

During all this excursion, couple of times, I was served preparations of Giant Fish Heads ( I learnt that Fish Head is a special delicacy) ....one was a Soup with fish head & Sea Shells served in a bowl size of a bucket....and other was some dry Fish Head preparation with various peppers and size of this fish head was even  bigger than earlier one.

And mind well all the food I ate was extremely healthy....everything was boiled and seasoned with low calorie sauces.... no frying, no cheese, no sugar, no dairy, no mayo... (I think there lies one of the secretes why I didn't see any beefy Chinese person)

Even in desserts I was served boiled Pumpkin, decorated Water Melons, varities of Melons & other fruits and even boiled sweet corn, boiled peanuts and even boiled Chestnut  (guess whst...it's Shingada in marathi)

Alas... all good things has to end very soon... it seems that I was destined to get to taste very best & very worst of Chinese cuisines in my first visit itself... but I don't want to detail here what was the worst... I can just say that Rice & Dry Garlic Chutney (which I carried from India) was my saviour for next week. ...
Oh, I forgot to mention, I learned to pick up a single peanut using chopsticks....

We can learn many things from Chinese folks about dining or serving... they make all their dishes extremely good looking which makes them tempting..... even a bland boiled pumpkin can look like a pudding made with extreme efforts...

Overall I my Culinary Encounter with Chinese Cuisine had oohs & aahas at the same time I said ouch also...