Way out of Depression !

In the last blog post I had enumerated the general causes of Depression. Consequently this one deals with simple yet effective approach to tackle depression which is unusual sadness in our day to day lives. The basic approach here to have is to keep a lot of patience and to understand the fact that what comes slowly in our lives will also take some time to leave. Like Economic Depression, 'Depression' will take a multi-pronged approach  for the whole system to get working back to the 'normal' again !

While it will be too repetitive to write things which are already there on the internet, I would like to keep things absolutely simple here . There are three things which need to be worked on i.e MIND BODY AND SOUL . Here are some practical solutions which I see that are very effective in tackling Depression. Very 'normal' if you look at it but it is because of lack of this normalcy that things get mixed up and end up in depression. Getting back to normal is all about getting disciplined and being very particular and practical about things.

THINGS TO DO
1- Get up early in the morning,drink lots of water( warm if you want to lose belly fat) and clean your room daily (essential). A dirty room is very depressing and the hardship in finding your stuff daily is irritating and time consuming. This makes you organised and disciplined ! Also eat dry fruits and fruits before working out in the morning.

2- WORKOUT even if it has to be a 20 min workout !

3- Never skip healthy breakfast at any cost!!  Not only does it help you get fit and lose weight but it gives you maximum energy at the start of the day. You need good food after not eating overnight.

4- Dress well when you go to your office/college or wherever. Know your wardrobe. You are what you wear. And yeah don't be late. Be very punctual. Smell good too. Bathing daily is necessary !

5- Have a home cooked meal for lunch if it is possible. If at office eat healthy. Eat lots of salads and drink water 10 mins before lunch.

6- Take a power nap after lunch for not more than 30 mins. This gives you energy to survive the office for the next few hrs.

7- Avoid working after office hours. For more info read what Mr Murthy had to say about this stuff.

8- Workout strictly and rigorously for a min 20 and a max 1hr . The endorphin's generated have a huge impact on your mental setup !

9-  Have an early simple dinner at home. Home cooked food beats all the food that is out there . It is less costly and most healthy and nutritious .

10- Sleep for 8hrs. Read a good book on your favorite subject. Write daily. Talk to your parents daily. Children are the best anti-depressant out there ! On weekends eat out or cook your favorite meal (again cheap)

11- Have a passion for something and dedicate at least 30 mins daily to it. Passion feeds the SOUL . Show your work to friends for reviews. Have few friends but good ones. Drink occasionally. Don't smoke weed and cigarettes.

12- Travel on weekends locally and there should be a long trip once or twice every year of your life.

As you can see I ultimately did just write about things that you already know or are there on the internet. But the point that I wanted to make is that when you are  down you overthink and overthink and overthink on things that are not there but they still make you feel sad. And you end up mixing the above things that are the routine practices for a fulfilling and balanced lifestyle. These are basic and very simple aspects of life which one forgets when one is depressed . Depression is nothing but life going out of balance and it is in doing these same daily chores day in and day out which gives us the consistent and healthy frame of mind and brings life back on track. There is nothing wrong in using social media and watching TV series. But everything has to be balanced out according to your priorities and goals. Anything in excess is bad. Don't live too much in the past and too much in the future. Live life on a daily basis . Have control on your life and it is only YOU that can control your own lifestyle and no one else !

Depression : Let's Talk

Channa mereya mereya
Channa mereya mereya
Channa mereya mereya beliya
O piya...

Well, Arjit Singh's songs can get you into depression if you listen to it on a loop !
Probably there was never a time in human histroy where there are record number of people who are depressed ! Today, 7th April is World Health Day. Honestly I got to know about it only this morning while watching news. But nevertheless, what triggered me to write a blog on it was the theme on which UN has dedicated this year to, 'Depression : Let's talk'. I am an active advocate of having a 'Happy' lifestyle. Looking at a number of people I know personally who are a bit depressed, I thought I could write a few things which may be of some help (provided they read it haha) !

What is 'Depression' ?
Depression is a very difficult term to define and there are various medical definitions on the internet which you could just google. As far as I understand it, it is a prolonged feeling of sadness and lack of interest in doing general things which we do on a daily basis. It is not about being lazy on a Sunday morning but it is about being lazy almost daily in whatever activities we do. A lot more could be said but I guess people who are down may get what I am trying to talk about !

Depression : Causes 

1- Failing to Move on !
While it is very difficult to pin-point the exact causes of depression, but since it is about being very down for a prolonged period of time, the reason can be because of some problem in professional/personal life which has extended beyond a normal phase. Like if breakups or failures happens, people do get over it after a certain normal period of time. BUT, it is when you overthink on that particular situation over a long time and fail to move on ahead in life is when Depression happens. It is like 'Economic Depression' which happens due to repeated consecutive 'Economic Recession'. A recession is a temporary slowdown in economic activity and just when it is prolonged for a number of years is when it is termed as 'Economic Depression'. Similarly ,it is the temporary failures or heartbreaks which have been not gotten over  for a prolonged period of time that causes depression. Depression is basically extended feeling of extreme sadness !

2- Communication Gap
At no point in human history has technology made people so accessible to each other. But the irony is that at no point in human history has the communication gap been so high ever between us and our loved ones. It is when an issue that has been lying inside us for a very long time had not been communicated to our loved ones is when the problem gets accentuated !

3- Lifestyle 
It is very rare for someone my age group who are disciplined with their lifestyle. No fixed timing to eat, sleep, work and exercise ! No wonder we are also becoming the diabetes capital of the world ! We are cluttered with many things at the same moment of time socializing when we are working and working when we are socializing ! Watching television series and playing games till early morning and getting up sleep deprived to work in our silly cubicle ! Lack of a disciplined and regular lifestyle is what is making people depressed !
4- Food & Nutrition 
I don't see many people who are aware about the nutrition or diet that they are following (if it exists in the first place) . No fresh fruits, dry fruits and simple healthy meals ! Also due to work and stuff their timings have been irregular. And I feel water is totally not part of diet among our generation ! Irregular and unhealthy diet also may lead to depression !

5- Social Media and Internet !
The world is probably suffering from too much social media I suppose ! It is actively playing a very dangerous role in our subconscious minds by putting things in front of the that are totally unnecessary or irrelevant to us ! There are media channels I know with social media managers who are playing with minds of people by deliberating putting in content which are very crazy and depressing. Such pages sometimes I think are celebrating and accentuating the problem of  'Depression' instead of solving it ! Day in day out we are bombarded with paid blogs telling us  '10 things to do to make our life happy' and blah blah blah blog posts which are utter bullshit and primarily very superficial ! The problem with social media  is that the unnecessary content overwhelms the necessary stuff ! Free/cheap internet  when not used judiciously becomes an addiction leading to attention problems !


Above here I tried to jot down some very general aspects about the emotional, social and physical factors that could lead to Depression. The solution to 'Depression' is a very complex subject . That will require another blog post which I will write very shortly ! Hope this helped at least to detect the fundamental causes that lead to depression. View are entirely personal !

NMDC Apollo Central Hospital - A Doctor's Day Special !

             In case you did not know, like me, 1st July is celebrated as Doctor's Day. It is only a few days back that I had an opportunity to come across a Public Health facility in the remote and sensitive district of Dantewada, Chattisgarh while shooting for a documentary movie. And on account of personally experiencing the facilities and the commitment of the doctors & nurses there I was very inspired to write a blog post on it . Such great work done by these noble persons need to be spread I feel personally .
           
              But first let me be the 'Swamy' and do a little bashing of the facilities provided by the government .Public health facilities provided by the government is often inadequate in India especially in rural and remote areas.The rural medical infrastructure is not up to the mark in most of the areas.There is a serious shortfall of doctors who want to cater to the rural needs . Some even prefer to pay a high amount of money to the government in order to skip their rural duties. Now days there is serious question on the professionalism of doctors and ethics in medical practices with doctors resorting to unrequired surgeries and prescribing unnecessary antibiotics . The successive governments ever since independence have failed to create an effective Public Healthcare system especially for the poor and needy.  The laxity of government has been the gain of the private medical firms which are restricted to the 'commercial' areas only. All in all , the hardest hit has been taken by the rural villagers who have no access to cheap/free public health facilities and have to take expensive trips to the cities. Domestic Medical Tourism in itself is a very huge market in India ! It is a saying that at government hospitals that if you are admitted in one and if you see a doctor, you saw God !
       
                 This was the status of the government facilities . But now there is this facility by  NMDC  Apollo Central Hospital at a remote village called Bacheli in Dantewada district , Chattisgarh that provides as a unique public healthcare model for us to study. Bacheli is located near a Mining location rich in iro ore mineral. It is mostly(90%) inhabited by Gond and Halbi tribes. Financed by the National Mineral Development Corporation ( NMDC ) and managed by leading private healthcare firm Apollo Hospitals this was one place where the image of doctors as god is really visible. While I was really not soo keen on visiting the hospital as I don't like it but I was glad that I went in and had an opportunity to personally meet the CMO .

                  Sitting in his cabin he was monitoring the whole facility through CCTV's fitted at every nook and corner of the hospital . He described the life of tribals living there as very tough . Anemia was rampant and cases where hemoglobin levels were 6 were quite common even in pregnant woman which is unthinkable ! Normal levels range above 15 units. Some, he said had even 1 which is absolutely crazy as its impossible to survive in that condition. But still he said that somehow they survive. With the advent of monsoons he said that there will be problem of malaria and cases of snake bites. Also drinking water is not clean as the mining there has lead to mixing of ore in water bodies. Then there are cases of cirrhosis and liver related issues on account of culture of drinking local alcohol there. Also there were sanitation issues on account of open defecation.

                    The challenges he said were many but the administration at the hospital was well equipped to provide free services to the tribals there. They had treated 80k villagers at the hospital since 2009 when the facility started and this year the numbers are going to reach more than 1.8 lakhs ! Now while briefing us on all the facilities he literally demonstrated to us that the patients there are taken excellent care of by point us on the screen at his table. The poor patients were fed properly and even water was provided to them at their beds ! Now that is one sight you normally don't come across anywhere especially in free facilities ! It was astonishing to see such empathetic approach to public service at this remote village in Chattisgarh ! But wait, here is not where the story ends. There was a Telemedicine facility as well with huge screens for direct consultation with doctors at Hyderabad ! One really gets bowled over by entering at the room !

       
                   Other great facility was the blood testing infrastructure they had. The CMO told that they can provide the blood group results for 250 people in an hour from this facility ! That is such a number that beats some of the private medical facilities in cities as well !

There were plans to introduce an E-ICU in consultation with doctors in Hyderabad in the near future.
The doctors we permanently available and were not just visiting doctors.  Overall at the look of it , everyone was doing their own work sincerely which is very uncommon for a public health facility . Also he told that the life support systems which costs upwards of 40k per day were also provided to the poor tribals free of cost . Now tell me where do you get such excellent facilities anywhere around even in cities !

               The empathetic approach to the work added with the world class facilities at this remote center with noble ideas in the pipeline for the future made me think that gods really do exist ! The CMO in this case along with the nurses and other doctors and ward boys really were  living gods for me ! Only if we could replicate this great sustainable financing model along with partnership with private firms that could bring great cost free services to the poor and needy in the whole country. The ethical practices and the professionalism exhibited was one of a kind to be emulated by their greedy peers in the cities .A thorough study for the same should be made and practiced ! Happy Doctor's Day !

                                          The CMO  @ Telemedicine Facility                                          

Securing our 'Immediate Surroundings'

• I HAVE 3 QUESTIONS ON MY MIND TODAY :

1. While we are easily affected by things happening around the world do we tend to ignore or oversee the things happening right behind our backyard ?
2. Also sometimes question arises whether to really be a good Samaritan and help people out in immediate need or just ignore and move on ?
3. What role people could play to safeguard the city and at least secure their 'immediate' surroundings given that the Policing Infrastructure sometimes inadequate ?

The events from last evening encountered by my Dentist Jiju Amit Rajgadkar​ made me think about these questions . While it was a usual day in the clinic at around 7:30PM in all the hustle and bustle around the busy area of Nandanvan where the clinic is, 3 youths, one being a minor, in inebriated state riding tipsy on a motorcycle rammed into an elderly couple injuring the duo. And instead of apologizing the trio entered into a heated argument creating a Tamasha on the roads. Out of curiosity my Jiju went to have a look at what was happening around . He tried to cool down the situation as an elderly couple was involved but that is when being a good Samaritan backfired . The verbal altercation between the drunk youths and my Jiju turned ugly into a fist fight .
After some good people intervened the fight stopped for a while and my Jiju went back inside his clinic to attend to a couple of bruises which could have been fatal . The 3 drunk youths still wouldn't go away and were should abuses from outside the clinic. So my Jiju appropriately dialed 100 and called up the Nandanvan Police . Kudos to the Nagpur Police​ they did a commendable job of reaching there within 10 mins of the call with sufficient backup getting holed of one of them while the other two ran away on their motorcycle. An FIR was lodged under the relevant sections of IPC and was locked up.  The police really were prompt and strict in their approach.

Lately, in Nagpur the crime scene has increased a lot with daylight abductions, murders and rampant cases of Road Rage . While the Police Infrastructure which is good already but can sometimes be inadequate to deal with such situations, what can we as citizens do to really feel 'secure' . What can we as 'Responsible' citizens of India do as part of our 'Fundamental Duty' of safeguarding Public Property and to abjure violence if not around the city but at least in our immediate vicinity . What can we as a 'responsible' citizen do to increase the awareness and importance of creating a 'safe environment' which is essential to growth and development to make this city a Smart City do ?

I propose a few solutions which I think is the responsibility of each and every individual for securing their 'Immediate Surrounding' . By 'Immediate surrounding' I imply however much an individual can see and hear . In this internet age it would mean however much your range of wi-fi is . This would be meaningful and possible and if everyone takes it as a task upon themselves it would not only help in securing their areas from unwanted elements but also help in governance and community living .

1. Training in Self Defense.

2. Formation of 'micro groups' to secure their areas of business and be connected using 'Whatsapp'

3. Immediately Reporting police of any mischievous activities in the area and follow up of what is being done to contain the irritant.

4. Regular meetings with the Nagar Sevak regarding law and order situation.
 
5. Using Social Media Groups to remain in touch and express their grievances.

These points being very basic but are in my opinion very important for creation of a safe environment. On account of the ever increasing population of the city because of Urbanization and Migration of people from different states in the city with different cultures and behaviors  it is essential to be an aware citizen to absorb the changes safely . If we take care of ourselves and be vigilant we probably won't need guns and bullets to secure our areas like in the US. Please be safe and secured and contribute in securing your 'Immediate Surrounding' . A note from a Responsible Citizen .  

Travel Dairies : Rishikesh Rafting Trip

                                           6 yrs back @WakiTrip
It had been a long time since we last had such a great time together enjoying the crazy company of each other . I never knew that our friendship which started off somewhere in the first year of engineering would develop into a deep bond over a period nearing a decade now. Be it the short unforgettable trips and the last but not the least 'Sher-ePunjab' dhaba party, we bonded well over travel and some great cheap roadside dhaba food . Nothing has really changed since then it seems . This photograph taken back in 2009 during our Waki Lake  'Biking and Swimming' trip  I think that triggered the idea for a meetup again and we chose Rishikesh as our destination to travel and do some adventure sports as well .

I created a whatsapp group about 3 weeks before our trip was to begin which acted as a medium for communication and planning . Since I was too lazy to do the bookings and stuff , Kiran did the whole research and planning and also the bookings as well . Me and Akash , well what we did was just to final in on the destination where we were heading . The group created a lot of anxiety and excitement and a countdown was already set 15 days in advance ! That distracted us a lot because of our habit of cooking up too much 'Khayali Pulao' thoughout the day . The pulao consisted of an overnight biking trip to Rishikesh and stuff like that . But since the bike trip was supposed to be through UP , wisdom took over us and we said that too much adventure, an overnight bike ride through UP,  could be very fatal . Also we were a little confused over our travel destination between a  biking trip to Kasol  or a bus trip to Rishikesh . But finally we zeroed in on Rishikesh for some Rafting and cliff jumping . All the flight, bus and hotel booking set ,courtesy Kiran, our journey was finally planned well in advance .

For all the booking trouble he took for us  , here is a small thanksgiving for my friend Kiran who was quite excited as I was when we met at the Airport where I was to receive him . Khushi toh dekho ladke ke chehre par :P

Kiran was the first to arrive from Bengaluru on 1st october. Akash was to join us in the evening from Pune . But it took a horribly long time in picking up and then back to the room , since it was Delhi and not a small city like Nagpur. So Akash didn't get the priveledge of a grand swagat as kiran did :P

 Kiran brought me some muffins from Bengaluru . I was hell bent on these friends of mine to bring me some stuff to eat from their current place of residence. Me and Kiran here enjoying some muffins at Rajeev Chowk and also indulged in some flavored milk at Caventers @CP . After a lazy afternoon at my room we went for some shopping at Palika Bazar @4PM which is an underground shopping place for some cheap clothes for our trip . Also bough some cheap sunglasses exclusively to just show off some swag pictures and a small travel bag as well .

Akash was to arrive at NDLS metro station from the airport as it was too cumbersome to go back again to the Airport . After a little bit of confusion and some lost time, we were finally together and it seems the travel and food time began right from that very moment we had met. We headed straight to Karim's near Karol Bagh metro station .

Karim's though was a BIG disappointment ! Quite expensive and very average taste . Seeekh Kabab and Chicken Changezi were a huge disappointment . Maybe the place was too neat and tidy for our personal rustic tastes of Sher-e-Punjab type Dhabas . But even then the place was not worth the money and taste. But then Akash and Kiran insisted on having dinner at that over hyped place . We were short of options as well as time since we had an overnight bus to catch from a metro station which was a bit far away from the place we were .


BUS RIDE !!!

There could be nothing as worse as the back seats of a non-volvo type bus ! Sitting on the second last row , that was the most horrible ride we had ever sat on with absolutely no suspensions . The only reason why we booked the same bus seats on both the ways was because redbus- an online bus booking platform, indicated that our back seats was occupied by 5 girls ! :P With a heavy discount and the anticipation of having some very good company though out the journey on both the ways , this plan misfired very badly . The company ways like OK and the bus was way too bouncy to handle through out the night . To add to it further, there was this girl sitting in front of us who was constantly blabbering in English ! Some people I think suffer from a bad oral diarrhea !! I think its better to hire a taxi or some car-pooling service to travel to Rishikesh as the roads seemed not that good after all those bouncy times. We hardly slept for not more than 2-3 hrs thought the night on both the ways .

@RISHIKESH
The only good thing about the bus was that it was pretty punctual in its timing . After reaching , the first thing we did was to freshen up at this public toilet facility which was pretty cheap and decently clean with all the facilities .We anyways don't care much about the level of hygiene and stuff like that . We reported at the office of  Ganga Valley Adventure company which organised the activities and also our forest stays.  There are lots of 'forest camps' around in the radius of about 15 kms from the city which serves as a peaceful stay for tourists . While there is no problem in staying in Rishikesh which might also be cheaper , but I think it would be a bit chaotic and non-peaceful to stay there as it gets a bit too congested there .

Our reporting time at the forest camp was at around 11 Am . So we had enough time after freshening up and we decided to hire a bicycle to travel to our forest camp. We thought it would be very adventurous and also cheap to travel on a bicycle there but our dreams were cut short as there were not enough well maintained bicycles to hire . Two wheelers are amply available but then it was not worth the money since the route is not that scenic . Also loacl taxies and autos(tuk-tuk) are cheaply available depending on your bargaining skills . The taxis available with the travel companies there are quite costly , so you could independently approach taxi-walas and get it done at half the price. Also local buses run there but your have to be pretty specific about the place you have to go . Well anyways , our biking trip was cut short and we hired a local bus to a place which was nearby to our forest stay . Somehow we managed to get a taxi with the help of a really swag police officer midway. Due to some miscommunication we reached to a wrong destination but made our way back again somehow on another taxi . We sure did waste a lot of time there . Better to book a taxi from the city itself .

Also after we got fresh we took a long walk along the Ganga river where the aarti takes place every evening . Although it was quite bright during the morning sunshine the cool winds and the blue waters were very soothing to the eyes and the soul.  A sense of peace and calm prevailed through the air along as we walked . Had a decently good breakfast at Chatiwala along the river with some great view.

                                         A walk along the river . Soothing experience !
                                       

@FOREST CAMP

After all the lost ways and the hitchhiking attempts we finally managed to reach at our forest camp at around 2 PM where our lunch was waiting for us . Sadly it was all vegetarian affair there but the idea of a non-veg dinner was very encouraging news for us . Located along  a small tributary (if I may correct on using the technical term for it) it was a very peacefully located space definitely worth the money . Called Shivashish Camp, it was 14kms from Rishikesh .

Little did we know that there was a range of activities to enjoy there . Table tennis ,which we happened to play a lot back in the engineering days , was available there in a decently playable state . We thoroughly enjoyed playing there and ended up playing almost for 3 hrs continuously ! It was a very great feeling as we got to enjoy one of our common interests in the middle of some forest besides the Himalayas  ! We were overjoyed !

The camping tent was actually quite hot to have a good afternoon nap , but we were quite comfortable in playing in the small tt facility there . That's relativity for you. :D After we played our lives out we decided to get a quick bath in the water stream next to our camp. The water behaved in both a hot and cold way . Colder along the main stream and hotter in some still water, but who doesn't love getting wet other than Akash . He was worried about what to wear for the next day . Bad for him . Kiran obliged after a lot of motivation . Took some really cool snaps there . The water has this energy which takes out all the pain out of your body . Very difficult to explain . Some things you understand only when you actually experience it ! There were this two newly wed couples who asked Akash to click some really cozy pictures . Both me and Kiran were enjoying the look on Akash's face who was a bit embarrassed and confused . Gosh, sometimes I feel , how great a honeymoon could be . But then , let's stop this khayali pulao and concentrate on the chicken that was waiting to be eaten there tonight . :D

                             Kiran and me with those glasses I bought from CP just to give a sexy look ! :P
                    Trust me , we men also work a lot on our looks :P

After the swim in the river and a little photo session of ours and the couple as well , we headed back to our camping tents which by now had cooled off a little . We took a bath again in the tent itself which was a bit weird as one could listen to what the other was singing in the tent next to us . We ddn't really care much though .

The weather up in the mountains changes pretty fast , and it is that time of the year where there is a lot of variation in the day and the night temperatures . After the sunset it got pretty cool down there . A pretty competitive game of volleyball started in the evening with Kiran trying his best to get involved in an all north Indian group it seemed . But that dddn't last longer . :P

The number of times I indulged in getting myself clicked in some swag shots is uncountable :P

As the day ended with sun escaping behind the mountains, out came the bottles of whiskey and wines around the whole camp setup with bonfires around the place . We preferred to stay back inside the tents out of exhaustion and were really lazing around the comfortable bed and blankets . There were also some starters/chakna readily served but since we were not drinking so we were not really interested in making an effort to eat them . Also we wanted to keep some space for the chicken that we were going to have later that night .

A had some great conversations while inside the tents where everyone was warming out on how life is going on . This was not under the influence of alcohol, so some serious philosophical and 'life' stuff was going on . That was one of the great conversations and quality time we spent there after a really tiring day physically !

                    The amount of seriousness of the conversations could be seen on the face of Akash :P

We pushed ourselves out of the bed to have some good dinner with and retired again in the cozy blankets which seemed the best place to be in in the cold weather there . But then Akash insisted on sharing one's spooky experiences in life and we really had a funny time reliving the scary moments from our childhood . We also talked about the pros and cons of having a girlfriend and stuff like that . We , I think, enjoy this really simple and child like times over having a drink I guess . One doesn't really need to drink to do some emotional and straight from the heart talking . Once you have a great friendship bond over a long period of time , you could share these happy and maybe some difficult moments from your lives . Drinking although might be a complimentary thing . But nonetheless we enjoyed a happy time over a high time and slept peacefully after that .


RAFTING DAY FINALLY !
The next day we were to go for rafting in the ganga river for a distance of about 16kms . We all were excited and got up a bit early to enjoy some fine sun and guess what a little more of TT ,football and badminton . We were really having a great time there more than what we could have asked for .

After a long drive to the Rafting office and back to where we were actually were supposed to raft , finally it was time for real adventure sports ! The rafting experience was really really thrilling and the guides guided us pretty well to tackle and ride the Rapids there . One really has to go there and experience the thrill beacause it is something that I cannot explain it here . You have to go out and do that stuff there . Floating on the river and some cliff jumping was one of a kind of experience . A small accident though left me with lost glasses and a bleeding nose , but I don't really care about such small events . It was one heck of an experience !

All smiles even with the broken nose :P

I had anticipated that something like this would happen and I would be needing another set of glasses . So I carried and extra pair although now I feel I can see enough to do it without glasses itself . Maybe next time .

                                                After we almost ended with the rafting .

After it ended we got back to the office to collect our luggage and change our wet clothes . That evening we walked though the city a little like typical tourists exploring the city . We had a late lunch at a hotel where we were lured of getting a free Wi-Fi . But it seems we were duped a little because the internet was not really working . The chinese food there was although very very tasty and satisfying .


Later,we walked towards the river front again where we witnessed the evening 'zoomed in' aarti :P across the other side of the river .

                                       The Zoomed-in Aarti along the ganga ghats :P hehe The 20X zoomed worked good :D

                                                        The actual aarti going on

It was a very different experience this time in the evening where one could see the ghats as well as the temples . It was different to see so many spiritual people around and the shraddha people have for gods . We sat there again having  good conversations over spirits and stuff like that . Kiran and Akash were very informative on the different concepts of life and death and also spirituality and of human thoughts ! We talked about meditation and mind power which was feeling very unreal but great in the spiritual atmosphere around the place. It is quite difficult to express the feeling but it was great !

As it was getting darker and the insects started bothering us , so we headed out for early dinner as we had to catch a bus at 9:30 and no one was really in a mood to puke inside the back seat of that horrible bus ! Well we thought we would be having a lite dinner and we did have one consisting of just a veg pulao . But not until we stumbled upon some roadside Paneer sandwich stall and some tasty icecream and kaju shake stall ! We were really high on food and wanted something more out of this place . Now let me tell you one thing , if you come to Rishikesh and areas like this, you get some really really tasty and fresh paneer and other dairy products like makkhan . So as we were walking across the road to catch the bus , we saw a dairy shop where a fine white makkhan really caught our attention ! Now figuring out what to eat it with , we bought some toast and really had this satisfying desert of toast with makkhan over it beside the road in front of a Gurudwara . The cream roll was also pretty heavenly .

                    The heavenly paneer sandwich in the making ! A must have when you go to Rishikesh . It is a short walk from the Gurudwara .


So we had filled our tanks with lots of food and we ddn't really cared about the food overload before we were to board the bus . We knew that the bus would be a rough ride again with hardly any sleep , so the food thing before the start of the journey helped a little . The same 5 girls sat behind and it was nice to share a smile with those 'kids' , little did they know that we already knew they were going to see us again :P But anyways , this is all about our trip to Rishikesh .

I think you make one of the best friends during school and college and it was really special and great to have old friends back together . Priorities might change over time but people don't really change much and in this era of connected world , a short trip always helps to bond more than a virtual connection over whatsapp group or facebook . Go out and meet your good friends and travel together whether you are young or old . Time is pretty less so enjoy as much as you can . Respect the individual and their thoughts and be ok with their differences . Speak your heart out with your special friends and talk about stuff you can't really express in public or over facebook . It helps a lot personally .

I want to thank Kiran and Akash for making this possible and hope we do more such trips together somewhere in some corner of the world . It is surprising to me how I remember each and every moment from the trip and I tried a little to write it in the form of a lazy blog :P There are lots of places to explore and a lot of fun waiting for us in the future . Enjoy and I love you guys !

SMS & The Indian Economy

       Recently , we have witnessed the Indian Economy touching 57Rs/$  levels which are at 10 year low level. These were on account of the global economic scenario , the lack of positive investor sentiments and lack of Reforms within the country which led FII investors to take out their money invested . The lack of reforms were attributed to the lack of a clear leadership at the CENTER . Manmohan Singh was criticized for lack of leadership and was said to be just an ACTING Prime Minister under the leadership of Ms .Sonia Gandhi .
       Now today i.e 30/6/2012 the sensex zooms by 439 points and Rupee gainig 119 paise logged its second biggest gain in nearly a decade . These were on account of robust capital inflows amid clarity on tax-avoidance rules of the country [GAAR] and unexpected steps unveiled by the EU to support the region's financial system . Also recently , the Economic BOOSTER by the government in which central bank announced a $ 5-billion increase in the limit on foreign investment in government bonds, raising the cap to $ 20 billion, and a $10-billion increase in the external commercial borrowing limit for new projects. RBI also announced a few other minor steps, while the finance ministry said that the liberalized withholding tax provisions on overseas borrowings would be notified soon which they did yesterday .
        So now you all must be confused as to why this blog's Headline says SMS & The Indian Economy . This blog is to highlight the efforts by our respected Prime Minister Sardar Manmohan Singh's to revive the Indian Economy especially the arrest of the sliding Rupee .
         Recently , Manmohan Singh as the PM had gone to the G-8 summit where there was a serious debate on the Euro-Zone crisis . Manmohan Singh was first of all criticized very harshly for missing an important session in the parliament and going out on ' Tour' for G-8 summit . And the media and politicians went berserk when he pledged 10 Billion US $ for the Euro-zone crisis when there was already a crisis like situation in our country . But I must tell you this was a very smart move by our PM . The help provided to the Euro-zone crisis by our PM lead the European Union in return to support and take unexpected and surprising steps towards helping our economy revive .
         Secondly , as soon as SMS took the charge of  The Finance Ministry in wake of Pranbda's presidential dreams .. he cleared the confusion over GAAR and cleared the governments stand on it . Thereby , there was more clarity on the reforms of the government and the investor sentiments were revived . Market confidence is great now and that's why the zoom in the sensex . The problem of lack of reforms is not there now . There is clarity of leadership as we can all see as to WHO is doing the JOB for the Country . Business Confidence improves after PM takes charge of the FinMin according to a survey with more than 80% CEOs polled felt that the PM with the Finance Ministry under his charge will now act without further loss of time , as he realizes that the economy cannot afford any more indecisiveness .
          My point is , its because of the foresightedness of our PM & the acting FM now that Rupee is recovering and due credit goes to this highly experienced Man Sardar Manmohan Singh who has previously handled this Portfolio in 1991 and did the BEST job possible . He is the supreme leader and he is very smart ! :)

Money & Parental Love

         Two Persons killed in an accident involving a Honda City driven recklessly by  UNDER AGED RICH CHILDREN  . Teenager Boy held for Mangalsutra theft , coming from a WELL-EDUCATED family Background . Nowadays SUCH crimes by juveniles coming from a GOOD FAMILY BACKGROUND are on the increase . It is said in India that your Behavior reflects the family background one is coming from . But then , when Parents are well Educated ,why are children committing such crimes ? ! This poses some serious questions on issues relating to Responsible Parenting , our Social Circle INFLUENCE and a few more issues.
         
1} RESPONSIBLE PARENTING : LOVE VS MONEY
     Now days Parents are spending a whole lot of money on Performance Enhancing Products [PEP] for increasing the performance of their wards in Exams .These products ensure best performance in exams * . They Include
- Blackberry Phones with that monthly pack of unlimited services . SO that they can talk to friends on phone all night to socialise.
- Apple [ An Apple is the need of the day   ] , Ok Next best is Dell or the least bargain is HP . Acer , Toshiba ..huh .. Do they even manufacture laptops ?!!
-  Motorcycle R15 , CBR 250R , Ninja 250 R , CBR 150 R [ Latest ] , KTM Duke 200 ..its amazing though ! :P Otherwise no one settles for less than a 150 cc bike .
- List goes on which include Petrol , weekend eat outs , Club , New year party , Valentines day , Monthly recharge .

           Then there are coaching classes which charge upwards of 20 K for competitive exams . Can go upto 1.5 lacs ! With the new scheme of exams the coaching classes would not make any sense . But who cares , who'll go for the 2nd Best .
             Some parents spent it because they CAN & think that these will Really help in enhancing their wards performance in results . Some are reluctant to do but are forced to because of EMOTIONAL ATTYACHAR by children . So here are two cases i would like to enlighten on .

[COST OF PEP's turns out to be more than 1 Lac !!!!!!!!!]

 a]- Parents who can Afford - Common ..we all know these PEP's don't help at all BUT they act just the opposite to the MAIN CAUSE . These are not at all required . Whilst buying a laptop a few days back for a friend i was stunned to see a 10th std guy with his Dad asking the showroom manager to show a Laptop with 1 gb Graphic card  . We all know what he is buying it for . His Dad was OK to buy one for him . Did not seem to be with soo much spare money . SAD :(

b]- EMOTIONAL ATTYACHAR - We will not study unless we get this or unless we get that . Such are the outcomes of EXCESSIVE LOVE showered by parents compromising on Discipline . Parents just bow down to such STUPID requests by their wards no matter what. But this problem of EA will worsen with time . They are not making them aware of the ground realities . Such UPBRINGING is asking for trouble in future . Parents should realize that all this will affect the personalities , children don't learn to be self dependent and then LACK courage to FACE life .


2} SOCIAL CIRCLE PRESSURES :
     A friend buys a cell phone , a bike or some shit . But whatever the COSTS involved are and whatever the  SPENDING POWER  of parents , wards just want that thing no matter what . They just do the Ctrl C Ctrl V thing without putting their own common sense in mind . I think everything should arise from a NEED . There should be a basic need for that thing . But OUR need is something which wards never think of whilst buying these days . One should know what one needs , at least when they are dependent on their parents . Children are committing crimes to finance their stupid needs .

LAST WORD :
 I am not saying that one should not have a BB phone of an apple pc , its just that one should realize their genuine NEEDS .If one can afford it , they certainly should . Parents need to inculcate in their wards the costs involved in their needs . Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad is recommended to parents and also to their wards . There is a need of Financial Literacy among students and their parents . Decisions should not be made out of emotion , be it happy or sad . There should not be any EMOTIONAL ATTYACHAR , that is Bad and is very SAD . There should be a clear dialogue between parents and their wards on their spending powers   /capacity .  Overspending on children can be FATAL and more importantly their ATTITUDE towards life goes wrong because of Excessive Love . There is lots more i can add here but i think one gets the message here . Financial costs of raising you ward for a successful career is HIGH . One just needs to manage it and cut down on PEP's as much as possible .


     The Author here has committed some of the mistakes above[ not the crimes though ] :D and he realizes a need to share this knowledge with parents and their wards . :)