"A SMALL ENCOUNTER"

There are some things you just can't forget in life-be it good or bad..if u wanna remember then you gonna remember it..!glancing through the title..dont get it all wrong.(that is..if you thought i'm talking about the "police encounter" :P) Nah..im sure you wouldn't think that way..but even if you did..you will have to stop thinking it that way because what you are thinking is incorrect since I'm not actually narrating about what you are thinking so.......HUH!!OKAY NOW..I HAVE BEEN BLABBERING!!!I WONT WASTE ANY MORE OF YOUR TIME...
This encounter...rather encounters I'm mentioning are just the few interactions i had with some fellows...memorable..indeed...and the fellows i'm mentioning are actually animals :)
My native place-Manjeshwar is nothing less than a jungle..I mean there are humans residing ofcourse..but the place is just filled with more of animals than of human beings..!Now don't start wondering if my relatives are human beings... :O
This encounter was quite funny..My granny's house is filled with a large number of cats..and this black and white was really a sexy one!They ain't like the city cats who just run away if they notice you from a mile..they don't fear humans..!This 1 was really cool..I mean she supposedly was the 1 whoz responsible for the entire generation there.I went out into the compound and saw her in a cute pose and immediately wanted to take a pic of her!I took out my phone and she gave a "what the heck "grin..and simply shut her eyes in irritation..I can't explain it here but it was "insulting" x-( I mean that expression was indeed INSULTING!!!I dint bother though..just as i was about to click the "capture" option...I yelled like oooowwwwww....!!!!!I was bitten by a black ant..!!!! I had already seen the guy...but i dint bother because i presumed he'd be like any other hyderabadi black ant(who don't bite)..but he did..and it really hurt..i can still recollect the pain...I'm damn sure I yelled out loud but that dint disturb the chick a bit(chick here is the cat..don't get confused.. :P)She gave another disgusting look at me like.."what a stupid human" grin..and that was even more insulting..I mean any other cat would have run away thinking I yelled at her...but this one didn't ..as a matter of fact..my shriek didn't even disturb her..she had the same cold eyes which she had earlier..only that her look had got even more sarcastic than earlier and that look was definitely for me...!!!huh...anyway at the end,I successfully took her pic.I don't know how many people have been insulted by a cat like that.....and even if they have..would they realise??? :P think about it ;)
All of us know that the ants work together all the while..have you ever SEEN that??I DID... :D
I mean..there it was different..all of them-the cats,the dogs,the birds,the mongoose...every1 over there fought for food..but I was taken aback after witnessing these folks co-operating with each other amidst a bunch of such characters..!!A big chapati piece..on the ground..and the ant taking it along with him with great effort..(the chapati piece was big for HIM...don;t start imagining him to be a super-ant that he'd carry the full chapati).Another ant came from the opposite direction and now I was all excited and ready to watch an "ant-fight".Unfortunately for me..they spoke something for a while..don't think I'm mad..i watched them closely..i did see them talking..dint hear them obviously but i knew they were communicating..and then to my shock..both of them were now taking it together to the first guy's destination.!!Man..I was damn surprised and that was when I remembered that "working together" theory of theirs...after a few steps another guy came from their left side..all the 3 talked again and this guy joined them too..I couldn't watch any further coz they entered their destination-a pin sized hole..huh....Isn't it cute??ok..even if u dint find it cute..it was bcoz of my narration..watching it is really amazing..so the next time..make sure you don't miss an ant carrying something..even if there are no ants anywhere around him..1 will come from nowhere and help him... :P
If I have bored you with the earlier 2 encounters by any chance...I'm sorry.. :P by the way..it was you who came to read the blog..right??ok,no offence please..Im glad you came in to read my blog..Bet you..this last 1 won't bore you...
A country person might not find this interesting but a city dweller will..Tell me...have you stood atleast 2meters distance from a crow??...I actually sat beside a crow..as if both of us were watching a sunset together or having a romantic breakfast with each other...That's how these country crows are-bold,fearless,daring,so full of arrogance and attitude...I'm falling short of adjectives currently to describe them..but a better way to put all of their description is that they can be called-gangsters..!! :O I was sitting at the entrance of my grandma's kitchen and having my breakfast...you know..dosa..it was nice..I don't really like dosas..but that day it was good and I was accompanied by atleast 5 crows..The kitchen actually opened into a big green compound filled with trees and bird noises and cats and dogs...all the possible things you can find in a natural greenery...!While I was eating..I was feeding them too..you won't beleive..but they were standing near my feet..!When my grandma realised that all of us were feasting together instead of me alone..she was frustrated..scolded me and drove them away..However..they dint go very far..they were about 7 steps away from me now!!they tried coming near...but I drove them away...lest my granny screws me again..NOW THE HIGHLIGHT-remember..?i'm sitting at the entrance..half inside half outside..I just tore a piece from the dosa..and my grandma called from inside to ask if I'd have tea or coffee..mind it..the piece is still in my hand..I just peeped inside for a second to answer her and I felt a sudden jerk over my fingers...!!I was dumbstruck for a while..I dint realise what exactly happened..i was numb for atleast 10 seconds..and there I saw a crow eating a piece of dosa which looked exactly like the one I was holding..!!!I was like.."excuse me..what exactly happened??where did he get that piece from and why does it look like the one which I have in my....OH MY GOD!!!THE PIECE AIN'T THERE IN MY HAND!!!I was numb for a few more seconds and when I recovered...I suddenly remembered the jerk I had felt while I peeped inside..THAT CROW ACTUALLY SNATCHED IT FROM MY HAND..COZ HE WAS DRIVEN AWAY AND HE KNEW I WASN'T HELPING HIM WITH HIS BREAKFAST ANYMORE...SO "STEAL"!!Man..I tell you..it was shocking..I really was dumbstruck and in awe..Here I am..used to these city crows who fly off even if you are a couple of miles away from them and herez 1 who actually snatched a dosa piece from my hand??!!!When I thought about it later..I thought it was hilarious..and every1 whom I narrated it to..had a hearty laugh..My mother agreed about the crows..she told me she was once chased by atleast 20 crows and was being pecked...the reason?the earlier day she had picked up a baby crow which had fallen off it's nest and placed it back there..!So..you see they indeed are "gangsters"..atleast local gangsters.. :P This particular thing happened a couple of years ago..but even today when i recollect it..i find it funny and have a hearty laugh :)
So..there goes..there are many more..but these were worth mentioning..I really have a deep attachment towards animals and somehow I do get to interact with them.Be it with that cat..who insulted me or that kitten..who runs away from every1 and still is MY friend..or the furious mastiff and german shepherd dogs in my lane who bark at every1 except me..or the lovebirds who have built a nest in my house balcony..We all live in one world after all..and these funny or ridiculous "encounters" which I have with them..only makes me love them more and more and more......

A JoUrNeY in an RTC bus

Pushing n pulling,hell lot of crowd,fights over petty issues,footboarding n common man's cheapest means of transport is called R.T.C(Road transport corporation) BUS!A journey for a little while in this bus takes 1 to an ntirely difrnt world.I personally started travelling by RTC buses aftr joining GRIET..so,I hadnt really knwn wat r d ways to deal wid d crowd in d bus including d conductor n d bus-driver.The basic thing u need to hv in ur wallet b4 ntrng an RTC bus is rupee coins..dey maybe any but shud be enuf to buy d ticket to ur destination..if not..d conductors r pissed off to the maximum if u hand dem a 50 rupee note for a ticket which wud cost u smwer btwn 2-7 Rs..not they wudnt hv a change 4 d large sum..but dat dey thnk itz a rule n d least wich a citizen can do if he wants to travel by THIS bus.A short-tempered conductor wouldn't mind flying out abuses if u r female..n if u r a male..well..der is high probability dat he mite ask u to get off d bus :O.
After u enter d bus..d 1st thng ny passanger wud do is luk 4 a seat to sit down..no matter d distance..n most of d RTC buses r vry often crowded.So..u r actually considered "lucky" incase u get a seat.dat was wat 1 of my frnds had told me in d begng, which I dint really consider..but as days passsed by n i ws traveling more..i knew she ws ryt!Itz nt really a big deal to stand..but wats worse is dat dey get so crowded dat u wudnt evn have space to let ur feet support u.The ladies section is fine..but d men's section..well of course is in a way unimaginable n funny(i thot :P)Leave aside having place to stand..u find ppl foot-boarding n dat 2 nt an ordinary 1..ul find say atleast 8 ppl on a foot-board..wid 1 of deir feet on it while d oder dangling in air outta d bus!!I personally hadn't realsed until 1 day- d bus I gt into,wherein I cudnt find a seat n had to stand ws slowly collecting more n more ppl everytym it stopped.I also noticed dat d no. of ppl who got in were thrice d no. of ppl who got down!However..i hadnt realised abt d increasing crown until i ws sandwiched between 2 women..1 who ws really sweaty n stinking while d oder carrying a college bag n pressing it against y back.I ws so tight between dem dat even if I were in dat position widout d bus floor..i wud still be floating in air rather than d gravity pulling me down.It gets hell suffocating wid less oxygen ntrng in n more carbon-di-oxide filling d bus-environment..n sm1 hu really needs sympathy is d condcutor coz he has to push himself thro d crowd n give tickets..he wudnt evn be in a situation to place his hand inside his big old-fashioned bag which is a sort of purse but still isn't..which is y i thnk he has a genuine reason to get frustrated if u dnt gv him d xact money to buy d ticket.... :P There is more to this..as d men's side is gtn more n more crowded dey obviously tend to move towards d ladies' section...n dis is smthn which sm perverts take advantage of.My friend faced a bitter xperience with this 1.Der ws dis middle-aged man..who ws partly into d ladies' side..n my frnd in a standing posture..busy talkng to me..n d bus..wsnt so crowded either!pushing n pulling..2 common thngs happeng in a crowded place was an excuse n he ws pushing himself totally on my frnd..d 1st tym..my frnd turned angrily towards him n told him to push himself back.He did push back..but dat ws temporary.He started it agen aftr a couple of mins.My poor frnd dint hv d place to move ahead either.She simply stepped her feet over his n pressed it hard onto it with her sharp high-heel sandals :D..I guess dat was a gud n d only way to deal wid him..aftr dat he spontaneously moved behind!My friend of course,a gutsy 1 did it..but not all females would dare to.They'd rather accept it as a part of 1 of dose troubles v face while traveling in an RTC bus...
A really funny thing is..d crowded buses only get more n more crowded while d emptier ones merely move on happily.It's also a pity dat people don't really mind getting into d fully-packed buses n all it appears from outside is like-d diagram of "closely packed atoms in a solid substance"which v usually come across in school science text-books.The men's section only becomes more worse n a stage comes wherein d bus gets tilted to 1 side dat is d foot-boarding side..I apparently call such buses "TILTED BUS".The most hilarious thing for me personally-d cat fights!!Women really shout out abuses at each other..until now i havnt witnessed any frm d begng..so I dont really knw on wat,2 strangers wud fight 4 such a short period of tym...but they fight as though they're long time enemies!!ultimately..a patient bus-driver or d co-passangers r d only 1 who stop it all.
There's d gud side of traveling in dis bus 2 :).Since,I travel everyday..I get to meet d same set of ppl..n sm of dem have eventually become gud frnds .They tend to give u company in d bus n der r hell lot of things 2 strangers can discuss when compared to wat 2 frnds can..I really hated dis bus journey initially..but as time has passed on...I have learnt to get used to d rash n rough ways of journeying in dis bus.The worst possible case is wherein foot-boarding can be seen in ladies' section..n I personally have done so..hugging d rod wid 1 hand while d oder draped around anthr foot-boarding woman's shoulder;1 feet on d footboard while d oder dangling outta d bus.It was a worthwhile experience..atleast 4 ME.Also..I love people n deir crowd..so I hv learnt to love it..I find it adventorous..it indeed is!!!It sort of becomes like a family..wen u meet d same people everyday..d same conductor n d same bus-driver..starting off wid a smile n den common gossip..v tend to bond really well.
At last..all I'd suggest to those people who never have traveled by an RTC bus is to get a joy-ride in this big-large public vehicle.It can be tiring but is more of fun.I'm really glad i get to travel this way..where else..cud I meet so many people..so much crowd..witness so many cat-fights :P n also make such lovely friends.So,every1 of u out dere..do make an effort to travel by an RTC bus..atleast 1ce..I can bet u..itz worth a try..

A LETTER TO EVERY INDIAN-FROM APJ ABDUL KALAM

IF U R A TRUE N SINCERE INDIAN CITIZEN...MAKE THE EFFORT OF READING THIS...


A Letter to Every Indian - APJ

The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 's Speech in Hyderabad .

Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai . YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand ..
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr. Tinaikar, had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan.
Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.

When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too…. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us.

Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.

Thank you,

Dr. Abdul Kalam