Category: All

I have been receiving enquirers regarding posting / commenting in some of the popular Indian languages. Earlier I had spoken about Baraha – A great tool for blogging in Indian Languages. However this requires you to open the “Baraha Application” .. type your posts.. and then copy-special & Paste the content in blogger posts / blogger comments.

All these navigating between windows … starts getting on your nerves after a few posts / comments. Wouldn’t we all love it if only we could post / comment in the language of our choice in the text boxes directly. At a time like this Baraha direct came to my aid. You may have to initially download and install Baraha from here.Installing brahara will also get you baraha Direct Once you run your Baraha Direct (START -PROGRMAMS – BARAHA – BARAHA DIRECT) .. it just sits there in the system tray as shown in the picture.

Default language is english. Now if you wish to type in any of the 11 languages listed there.. all you need to do is Right click – select language – select unicode…. Voila.. now you can type in english… and the corresponding regional language text is displayed. You can also use Baraha direct to type word documents / notepad / wordpad etc etc in regional languages.For effective use of Braha direct .. its advisable that you glance through their help for “Transliteration Rules” to display Vowels and consonants, special characters etc.. it will hardly take 10 min.

If you are a very occasional user who writes in regional languages.. and does not wish to “install” a new software in your system.. then lets try for some online translitators.

Help me update this this.. if you are aware of other translitators

So happy commenting in Indian languages. do let me know..if you can help me add – edit the information provided here

It has been unwritten rule that food time is family time. But for the past few decades.. food time has merged into our television time. We no longer watch TV while having food.. instead we eat while watching TV. So, your faculties are not paying due attention to what you are eating and how you are eating. ( Ever noticed.. that we no longer chew our food .. as they should be)… Eating has ceased to be a ritual and has become a routine. …. ie.. Ritual is done with the awareness of doing.. while Routine is doing just as being done.

As I said earlier in Part1 and Part2 … lets not dwell in the mistakes of the past and wake ourselves upto the present . What I am going to say might sound silly… but take it from me.. its difficult… yes very difficult. Try to switch off your Phone and TV while having food( just 30 min.. till u finish your plate). It doesn’t matter if you are dining alone or accompanied by your family. Sounds silly isn’t it.. well try it and tell me how silly it was doing it.

The hard part here is to find a slot amongst the TV programs , which you are willing to sacrifice for the sake of eating-without-tv ( See how much our daily routine involves around TV programs.. news – sports – Sensex – sitcoms). Here is where all theory is suspended and practical session begins… If you skip these.. then few years down the lane I see you lamenting “I always wanted to spend more time with my kids and family but the work got to me.. I virtually had no time”

It may appear a lot weird in the beginning.. if you can overcome the initial glitch for that usually lasts for a week ( mark my words… just 7 days only)… then I can vouch that you will be enjoying your daily breakfast / meal / dinner / snacks.. It could be a cup of cereal – bread toast – or a full 5 course meal. Don’t tell your family to “Do this.. do that”.. lead by example. You follow this routine for a week… your family will join you one by one. its more productive this way.

…Now its upto you to continue…

When I began with My Photoblog.. little did i realize the “features” I will be needing to make my Photoblog stand out and not be a regular blog with lots of pictures..Thanks to priya..I was able to over ride blogger’s default behavior of opening the pictures (actual size) ..in new window.. by using the Lightbox code.

But..I was not sure how many would return to my Photoblog as new posts were made only when I could find some really interesting pics ..(read irregular updates). So I was looking for some kind of application that would display the thumbnail image preview of my Photoblog posts.. so that I can integrate it as a widget in other blogs.( just as feedburner’s buzz boost will display the post title ..Post titles of my other blogs as shown in the Left-side-Bar).
Feedburner’s feed gave me the option of displaying either the entire post ( large pic + description) or display only the post title… Tell me.. what good is a photo feed (ie.. feed of a Photoblog) if it cannot show the preview of the image.. Interacting at the feedburner’s forum left me no wiser. Aimlessly googling one day I landed on a site called widgetbox.com, and I am glad I landed there.. Now I have a widget in my sidebar that displayes the image preview of the pictures when I make a post at my Photoblog

Would you like to have a similar one for your Photoblog (or any Photoblog that might interest you) the click here for instructions. .

Remember the Elaborate luncheons I spoke in my previous post,.. whrein the idea was to bring the family and the extended family together and have everyone involved into everyone else’s lives.. both good and bad timeIt is usually said that “Family that eats together .. stays together”, Its a nice thought and we all love our families. No one wants to be away from family intentionally. But we need to remind ourselves of the time when this phrase was coined and passed on from generations to generations. The family (read wife, daughter, pre-teenage son) used to wait for the father ( and sometimes perhaps the grown-ablebodied-son-assisting-father ) to comeback home from work..after all they were the earning-members of the family, while the womenfolk managed to run the family with their earning.

How much can we stretch ourselves today to stick to the above phrase. With the double income family being a necessity ( read not a luxury) in present days, thanks the rising inflation rates…. count your stars and consider yourself lucky to be in the presence of your family everyday…

I am very much for the opinion that mealtime is family time… and entire household must gather together for at least one meal a day… I honestly do.. But am I ( or rather are we) able to accomplish this feat.. The only time of the day you get to see each other is at night… coz.. every morning.. Its every one getting into everyone-else’s way. Lucky ones get back home at the earliest by 7.30pm ( which is invariably the females) by when the kids would have had their first pangs of hunger.. I am sure all of you out there, have a very understanding and comforting parents-in-laws. they shoulder a great part of our household duties. We must not forget,.. they are at the fag end of the wheel… and the strain of “taking care of house and kids while you are out working”.. is beginning to show in their health too… After 60… even though they have minimal needs.. its our responsibility not to overwork their already wearied out bones.. And the father cant get come before 10.00 pm.. but.. by then the kids are fast asleep and you might be almost half asleep on the couch

I am not trying to accumulate sympathy votes for the working mothers today.. but people.. sit back and take a look at the picture.. there is after all 24 hrs in a day.. out of which every individual needs 6-8 hrs of decent sleep to keep the machinery working…No one is having a gala-time at the office.. we all slog for at least 8-10-12 hrs a day, depending on the position on the corporate ladder… Its practically getting impossible on weekdays to get together at the dinner table and share a joke…The more i think about it.. the more depressed I get.totally agreeing with Nandita… Many of my working sisters don’t actually have the choice to stay at home. They are keen to get to work day after day.. coz they all love their family and want to provide for things that are beyond bread and butter.

So, perhaps that’s why ( As Shiva rightfully points out)… the families are spending the weekend in the “live to eat” mode.. Parents are not happy about leaving their kids at daycare and putting them to several private classes every evening… (something to occupy the kids while they ( or one of them) can hurry back home). They have their share of guilt too… but then.. who is watching… So compensate for the lost time during weekdays.. the family opts to dine out on weekends…do you think food plays a vital role in this weekend activity… naah.. ! I don’t think so..

I know its not polite to eavesdrop.. but still.. try paying a little attention ( without turning your head) to the family at the table behind you.. and watch how the conversation flows… All the food-related talk you would gather will be ,,, “could you pass me this – this is my fav.. I want a bigger piece – I want this for dessert”… rest of the conversation would invariably revolve around… “Dad…my science teacher.. my math project.. school has a talent hunt.. Mom…how about my birthday dress…help me with my craft tonight.. will you … .. .. … … .. trails off .. .. .. ..

Food.. (read elaborate luncheons) brought the families (read extended families involving 3rd and 4th generation cousins) together a couple of decades back.. It is indeed Food (read Roadside dhaba / 3-5 star restaurant) that brings THE FAMILY (You -Me – and Our kids) together today.

…Part-3

How often we would have heard the phrase ” Eat to live.. but do not live to eat”.. Honestly.. all of us follow this phrase true to the word.. We just grab a bite on our way to work, Only time we do make plans to eat something is during the times we dine out with family / friends .. But then again.. we go to the same restraint where we have been going for the past 5 yrs. Very rarely.. say 1 in 5 times we brave ourselves to try out the new eatery.

Gone are the days ( Roughly 20-25 yrs back) when elaborate luncheons and dinners are planned at home.. the family sits around and decides on the list of items on the menu ( after all everyone want their favorite on the plate).. the fun does not end here.. each one is allotted a duty to contribute towards the event……Young members of the family ( around the age of 20-29) get busy listing out the return gifts they plan to give and scurry to the gift store ( read the best store that is at least 8 kms from home) accompanied by a responsible male to handle the finance and keep these young minds focused… Middle aged party of 3 go to the market to get the vegetables and other requirements accompanied by a couple of teenagers to help them carry to goods from the marketplace to the vehicle… Remaining party of adults… supervised by the senor most grandma ( fondly called as the Mother Superior of the House ) get busy in the process of exhibiting their culinary skills… And yes.. the Adolescents ( who cannot be treated as adult or as child) get busy with babysitting. and in the process to keep the toddlers out of the way.. they get creative and plan the decorations..

But then… two income family was a luxury.. Now its a necessity. So I don’t think its rightful to blame the families for not planning and executing such elaborate affairs in the recent times.. Previously the focus was mainly towards..”A reason to get together”…. and the only manner to include the entire family (read female members) was to plan and provide for everyone’s gastric needs.

We too plan parties and dinners.. the difference is.. we give our menu to the caters and enjoy the food while chit-chatting and trying to catch up on the things we have missed on each others lives. After all the deadlines we face week-after-week… isn’t it only natural to think… “Parties are for fun and enjoyment.. what is the fun I am going to have ..If all i get to do is going to the market and slogging in the kitchen”.. Accept and Acknowledge that present youth have lot more to think and worry about other than culinary skills and kitchen escapades

I am not trying to say that the former was better or the latter is worse.. the point is.. times are changing… and we are a part of the change…So lets not crib and make ourselves feel miserable ( for the thing we dont – cannot do at present conditions)… instead.. why not acknowledge our part in the change and get into the spirit of change. This will surely add spring to our steps and zest in our otherwise home-work-home mundane life . The only sunshine in this every day home-work-home routine is when there are kids at home.. No doubt they come bundled with joy and temper tantrums.. at least.. you have something else to think about other than projects and deadline and files and vouchers

Not all of us are lucky to have a perfect 9-5 job , commuting to-and-from the workplace in 10 min ,perhaps drop back home for lunch…..seems so bizarre isn’t it (..which century did this happen…get to the workplace in 10 min.. 😛 ), We compromise on our time with little sleep and a quick snack on the move.. be it McDonad’s burger or the local Bambay burger (..our very own vada-paav)…And try to stuff few bites of banana now-and-then… just too remind ourselves that we need to eat healthy and be quick at it.

I have seen working-professionals grab a bite or two from their tiffen-box (apart from lunch box they also carry a tiffen-box… infact is more appropriate to say breakfast box) when they halt at the traffic signal… they dont ‘waste time’.. instead its breakfast on the move. How healthy is this.. I don’t think i have to elaborate… but definitely its healthier than skipping breakfast all together

So its after all true that “We eat to live..But.. Not live to eat”

…Part 2 (Food and Family)

Do you have a pre-schooler /primary-schooler at home.. then perhaps you would be familiar with the “My teaceher is so great..she knows so much..she can do so many different things.. she knows the answeres to all qustions..she is always correct..she never makes any mistakes…My teacher this..My teacher that…and so on..and on ..and on.

With all the love and affection and care and attention you give them.. all they have to talk about and feel awe is their teacher. You might have even faced your little one’s wrath (read tantrum )..if you have ever tried to disprove whatever the teacher has uttered… and I am sure when the the child is fast asleep.. you think of their words and you cannot miss the smile appears at the corner of your lips… after all here is where the “Idol-worship” starts…. how about a little flashback on your armchair…looking into the evening sky…with the pre-monsoon winds caressing your hair softly….( perfect ambience for a flash back.. isn’t it…)

You may not exactly remember the chronology of events in your pre-schooling years.. but I am sure your parents .. or that distant aunt ( who always embarrasses you by pinching your cheeks crimson).. who keep narrating those events at every family gathering.. I was told that.. I would be the first to raise my hand in the class.. be that for a pop quiz.. or to take part in some competion.. or anything else which my teacher speaks about…so as to impress my teacher (my perfect idol)…

This admiration for the teacher continues as we outgrow our school and step into the college. Its undeniable that every college will have a “handful” of professors who are greatly respected by the student (It is a misconception that ‘college-students’ have no respect for their faculties and are always looking for new ideas fun and frolicking.) A student can recognize a “good” teacher.. who not only teaches them .. but also teaches them the “art of learning”…hence inspiring the tendency for “self-learning”.

Coming out of school… I hope you will be having a more vivid memory of your college teachers. The classes that most students don’t attend are invariably taken by professors.. who have been giving the same “notes” for the past 5 yrs and when a question in relation to the recent development in the subject is raised.. the only answer that you get to hear is ..”Oh!.. that’s not in your syllabus.. so we will talk about this later “… and “later” never comes. Experience would reveal. if you still persist with those professors.. then be sure to have some shocking revelations in your internals or Lab records.

However, a student is shrewd enough to recognize the talent in a professor ..who keeps himself abreast of the recent developments in the field.. and does not hesitate to get involved in an intelligent conversation.. without making the student feel small about the things he does not know… after all students come to learn. Such a professor is a rare find… and no doubt his classes are packed to full house. So never undermine the judgment of a student. They are more smart than you think they are.

With such experiences.. we develop an ideal idol in our thoughts and thrive to be more like “them”. May be idol worshipping is not that bad after all..(assuming the right-kind-of-personality is being chosen for idolizing) if it is bringing out the best in us… and makes us aware of the our shortcomings ..so that we can rectify them. A teenager who looks up to SaniaMirza as his/her idol will hesitate twice before napping again on a Saturday morning… Sania inspires the teenager to get out of bed ( and feel great about it too) .. to reach the tennis court for practice. Young minds who look up to KalpanaChavla and SunitaWillams … take effort to understand science beyond their text books and exam notes.

Who knows someone might be looking up to you as a perfect idol.. So beware and be aware of what you say and do.. inadvertently you would be influencing someone… so why not influence for better… after all… change for better is something we all aspire for.. isn’t it ?.