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Soumi.

Role of Indian women in defending the culture

The discourse on the role of Indian women in defending the culture will take us into the distant past that states that women enjoyed rights sometime in the Vedic ages. Over time with constant invasion by foreign invaders this all the more detoriated.

The dying art of Bengal’s Kantha

That is correct the art of Bengal’s Kantha is dying at presently. Kantha, basically is an embroidery design which in today’s world can be called way to recycle worn out clothes! Yes it true that Kantha is made out of used rags, sarees, dhotis (traditionally) or cloth of any kind into beautifully designer blankets, covers, runners, wall hangings, protectors and many more.

What is the hype over Sustainable Daylighting Design for the Fulton Street Subway in New York City?

Sustainable Daylighting Design may not be that new a concept for some, yet it is something that people still now do not much about. Okay in simple words daylighting can be explained as a process that is used to light up rooms by conserving energy in the best possible ways. Not to mention that this is a healthy habit to start with save Mother Earth. The city of Manhattan has come up with new a glass building that has put this perception in effect. Read on to know more.

Ooty Summer Festival gives you a fresh start

That is correct the Ooty Summer Festival helps you rejuvenate in a unique way. Located amidst the beauty of the Nilgiri Hills, Ooty has multiple identities like Ootacamund, Udhagamandalam and Udhagai but the essence of the place remains to be the same in all these names. What this means is that the ‘Queen of Hill Stations’ is the right place for all those who try to escape into nature whenever possible to get away from their pent up city life.

Is it necessary?

Over the last few years I have noticed a steep rise in the crimes against women around the world. It would be unfair of me if I say that this has increased in my state only or my country because of the government and its lenient policies. It is very easy to blame others as we choose the government, then blame it for its failures or leave no scope to look for the loop holes in its governance. The point that I am trying to make is to try to put a stop against such crimes.

The art of Gifting

An honest confession, I have this habit of gifting people around. I don’t know why? Actually this runs n the family and I have this weird habit of buying gifts for people I like which could be friends, family or even an acquaintance! I fail to understand is this a good habit or a bad one.

Would you call it a Nightmare? (1st edition)

I and my mariner husband have decided to watch a late night movie every day. Now that he is on his sail for the past 2 months, it has become my sole responsibility to keep up with the habit. There is another side to it. I stay alone and I have observed that the days pass by easily as I keep myself preoccupied with my work and household alternatively. However the nights seem to be a big challenge because this is time when you feel lonely the most. There is no one to talk to if you are not feeling sleepy and you cannot control your thoughts!

Meet my unleashed neighbor

It is really very disheartening to disclose this very fact that I have been unable to follow one of the most important commandments of Christianity. This would be that of “Love thy neighbor” because of many reasons. I promise you this is not baseless and I am sure you all will agree with me, if you hear me out, the cause for not able to nurture a virtue like that. At times I feel is it me who has developed this problem of hating my neighbor or is it the person who has pushed me to that corner for such reciprocation. I wonder but if you are interested to know more here is the reason for all this.

Make a style statement with the new Palazzo Pants

Yes ladies Palazzo Pants are back in racks! Now for those who do not know what a Palazzo Pant is, they can browse the net to catch a glimpse of how they look. These created a phenomenal success in the 60’s and 70’s with actresses

The two most important people of my life whom I admire

The two most important people in my life who have made a difference in my life are my mother and my husband. That is correct one parent and the other one is my life more than a partner. These two have always been there whenever I have needed them the most. They have influenced my life in an optimistic way as their presence makes me feel comfortable and the positive vibes help me keep focused.

PIRACY IN SOMALIA

What is piracy and armed robbery in ocean waters? The answer to this question is rather not simple and yet not very complicated . Piracy is a term used to describe acts of armed robbery and other malicious acts against ships in international waters.They are carried out with the intent of stealing valuables on borad the ship/and or extorting money from shipowners or other third party interests by holding the ship or the crew for ransom . The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) defines piracy as the act of boarding a vessel with an intent to commit theft or any other crime, and with an intent or capacity to use forces in furtherence of the act. Since this defination reflects the popular understanding of the word piracy and furthermore piracy in Somalia and Gulf of Aden, so we will see some statistics down below to have a fair knowledge about this subject .

Armed attacks on merchant vessels transiting from Gulf of Aden, and other waters near Horn of Africa have increased considerably in the past few years. Such acts have usually been conducted with the use of threat of violence. This can be particularly traumatic for those directly involved in this actual scenario as well as the family members of these seafarers sitting miles away and praying for their loved ones.

A study has been  released  by a political and economic intelligence consultancy firm for the delegates ahead  of an International Piracy Conference that began in Dubai in mid of 2011 is one of the first efforts to chart the economics behind piracy. The figures revealed focus on the extent of the problems with the piracy attacks and hint at record level attacks and huge monetary compensations set to swell the rank of pirates by 2015. The efforts by vigilante Somali fishermen in the mid 1990s to protect the coastal waters around Somalia mainly by fishing have rapidly advanced to piracy and now outspreads to some 2.5 million square nautical miles off Somalia’s coastline. Somali piracy is valued at $238 million until 2010 and is now set to rise to $400 million by 2015. The cost of piracy prevention could essentially double in the same period from $8.3 billion in 2010 to about $15 billion in 2015. The sustained growth of piracy powered by organized and armed gangs using “motherships” to enable them to attack further afield, could see the number of pirates rising considerably around this region. The study predicts  that these piracy incidents will expand substantially beyond Somali waters  since they are a part of a complicated piracy value chain ranging from financial backers to accountants and arms dealers. A UN source concurred that research of this nature is vital and a comprehensive study is required so as to have a united approach to eradicate this issue  by the joint  patrolling authorities based on shared intelligence .

Special Note: Specially contributed by Mr. Souvik Chatterjee. The author is a Naval Officer in Merchant Navy who is serving this line of trade for the last 15 years.

Monsoon in Gokarna

Gokarna is a legendary town located in the district of Uttara Kannada in the state of Karnataka. It is popular destination for both tourists as well as for Hindu pilgrims. There are no doubts about the experience of Monsoon in Gokarna will kindle a different feeling in you once you are there.

History of Gokarna

Gokarna is a temple town that is located in the backwaters of Karnataka. The beauty of the place lies in its simplicity and serenity. The place derives its name from the Sanskrit phrase that when literally translated into English means “from the cow’s ear.” According to a legend Lord Shiva appeared from the ears of a cow on this very place and since then it was forenamed as Gokarna. In fact there are many more stories that you can lend an ear to once you are around the town.

Destination Gokarna

Gokarna is an ideal place for people planning a quiet trip. Now if you are planning a vacation to this tranquil town then you can be taking a bus, train, or a plane as well. The bus stand is the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the whole town is situated around this stand. There are many trains that pass through this town and the nearest airport would be that of Goa. You are free to make a choice of your own in this case.

The right time

Well to be honest you can always make a stopover a beach. However monsoons can be described as the best time to visit the place. That is correct monsoon in Gokharna can give you quite a delight in its own ways. There are a few reasons why this could be a good time to holiday at Gokarna. The first would be that is considered to be an off season in this part of the world. This gives you a chance to win discounted accommodation which already sounds appealing to you. Secondly the string of beaches that Gokarna is surrounded with look their best during this time. The freshly washed leaves of the coconut trees look greener and woods smell like heaven. This gives you a fair idea as to what a monsoon in Gokharna may actually be like!

The beaches and temples

Gokarna is full of exotic beaches that make your stay worth. You can take a walk along the beaches that have interesting nomenclatures like Half-Moon Beach, Om Beach, Kudlee Beach which is the largest beach, and Paradise Beach. As far as the temples are concerned you can pay your respects to Lord Shiva mainly and his shrine at Mahabaleshwara Temple. Apart from this the Uma Maheshwari Temple, the Bhadrakali Temple and the Maha Ganapathy Temple are few more that can be visited in a day.

The cool winds whispering into ears and caressing your face is a feeling that you need to undergo. Monsoon in Gokharna can give you the pleasure of a lifetime, if you really want to make it affair to remember!  

The plight of Indian Customers

There is not much to discuss about the plight of Indian customers for sure. We Indians live in such a country where we are thankful to get services and products by paying our own money. Little do we know about big concepts like that of customer service, customer delight and customer satisfaction. We simply derive our delight as customers from the simple fact that we finally succeed in getting a product intact without much of a difficulty!

The plight of Indian customers is such that we have stand in long queues to clear our bills. We are not at all bothered as we are grateful to get our products in one piece that we pay from our own pocket. There is no one to provide any kind of customer service to us in the true sense. But yes I have served in a few well known BPO’s where I have catered to queries by foreigners with different issues. Be it for Lipitor or for their checking account, I have done it all. Not only this, but I made sure that I have followed the principles of customer delight and customer satisfaction with a dash of my effective communication skills.

Then how come the same business houses shrug off their shoulders when they come to the Indian subcontinent? Here I wouldn’t dare talk about our own indigenous honchos who have always failed to do anything meaningful in regards to customer service. Again coming back to their overseas counterparts, what can be said is that they have double faced policies. Yes of course, one for developed countries like US, UK, and Australia and another for developing countries like India! I fail to understand this business policy as well as our typical Indian mentality that is happy to get products without any real value added service with it. Such is the plight of Indian customers today!

What are the ingredients of a successful marriage?

Have you ever wondered about what are the ingredients of a successful marriage? Well if you have not till now, would it too much to ask you to think about it? I don’t’ think there is any harm in discussing that as nowadays we are so much engrossed with stories of broken marriages that we would like to hear some positive features that can make a marriage tick. A few of us may want to know the secret recipe that can make a marriage survive all the ills of time that tests our stability.

This article revolves around the possibilities of how can you make a marriage in a creative way. In fact there is nothing called a secret ingredient that can make a marriage work. The ingredient rests in your own hands which is more about situation handling and moving on with your better half. Here are a few ways by which you can make the difference according to me. It is not important that you have to agree with me, but in my short span of 2 years of conjugal life I have learnt these few things that are discussed as follows.

For that the first thing you need to do is to put in all your efforts to make your partner believe in the bond that you two have made. Yes marriage is a bond between to individuals that should be well understood and then invested in with care. In order to make your partner believe in this, you need to have faith in more than anyone else. Remember this is a subtle fact that cannot be expressed through words but by behavior.

We have been taught that the institution of marriage is a social contract between two people. Have you ever thought about this discourse from any other perspective? Okay the truth I have and I found a meaning that is completely different from what we think of it. This social contract to me indicates a connection that can be termed as friendship. Now you may agree with me as this simplification can add a brand new definition to the institution of marriage. To make things simple I would like mention here that companionship should be base of marriage. This can solve many a problem if two people can understand each other like friends.

In relation to this it needs to be stated that you can communicate with your partner freely like a friend that can bring a change without any doubts. Treat your partner like a friend and things will become easier. Nevertheless do not forget that you need to know your boundaries while doing so. This means respect your spouse like a friend but maintain a line of respect as he or she is your better.

Setting these restrictions symbolize that you are ready to give them the required space as well. This is very important which comes next to communication. Both these aspects can come to you naturally if and only if you think your cohort to be a friend more than a life partner. Along with this a dash of love more than they need and a sprinkle of sex more than they can take can a super ingredient for a successful marriage for sure.

….And they lived happily ever after

All fairy tales end with this phrase “….and they lived happily ever after” which gets into the head of a young girl and she also wants her prince charming who she thinks will sweep her off the feet and take her away. Away from the world and where they will make a world of their own to “live happily ever after”. Yes we all grew up like that trust me. I also wanted my prince charming to find his way to me and save me from anything…er…at least I could have enacted like a damsel in distress. Thinking of such things, reading a lot of Jane Austen (we have nothing to do with the Duchess of Cambridge as of now) and those romantic stories we grow up from being little girls to ladies. The transition is remarkable but one thing that remains unchanged in all of us is the hunt for that prince charming.

What we do not realize is that the world is no place for a fairytale. It is a practical world where we have to fight it out every day and earn our living. The journey from a daddy’s girl to playing a mother to your own little angel actually starts to delete these fantasies one by one from our memories. Nonetheless call it irony of fate or whatever you like by the time you realize that these are just wild imaginations of the mind, you start narrating these stories to your little who again starts to believe it. Is this just a vicious cycle that we all tend to fall in?

Well it could be explained in this way that these tales are just a way to stimulate a desire in you. This desire will help you to achieve new heights that you could not have anticipated. For example I still want to build a house of sweets like the witch in Hansel and Gretel did! That is to say this will build a hope that will help you learn and grow. This will get you going in life. I am not asking everyone to agree with me, but that is how I have interpreted it. This is because I have a habit of detecting positives out of the worst things in life. Am not saying this is a bad idea, but am only trying to see through this tradition of carrying tales.

I have another premise which is completely different than this. That would be something like this that since the stories of Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty end on this note of “living happily ever after,” I in particular would like to know what happened to them after their marriage. They were busy running their household, went to grocery shopping, supervised their house staffs and fought with their husbands for insignificant things. This is what I have deduced that once the prince charming becomes the husband, he no longer remains to be the same. A time comes when we find that life itself has lost its charm again because something has changed. This can be elucidated like this that the meaning of life changes as time passes. Our needs get altered with time and so does our taste. Hence once when the likes of Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty fell into the same pit, am sure their stories were no more as captivating as their enchanted fables.

So it would have been boring for the little girl too as she would not be interested in such a story. If she were told about the reality of life at that tender age, then there are high chances that she would surely develop some kind of phobia and lose interest in it. This can further be explained like this that a doctor prescribes you a certain dosage of medication regularly to recover from an illness. It is like a procedure that gives you an inner strength to fight off the ills and get well soon. Similarly we need to understand the complications of life slowly and steadily. An overdose of it can be dangerous at the wrong time for sure. This is probably why it is better to know real things when you have attained the age to handle them to live “happily ever after.”

Everyone thinks that I am scared

Everyone thinks that I am scared. Some think I am scared of lizards, some say I am scared of heights and yet some think that I am scared of ghosts. However no one knows what I am exactly scared of! I think fear is an element that has found its permanent abode in our minds in one or the other form. Everyone is scared, yes that is correct and it may differ from person to person. It could be the fear of losing a job, heartbreak or even death. So it is evident that people are scared of something or the other and I am no exception to the rule.

Coming back to what I am scared of, I would say I am scared of loneliness. Yes that is what I am scared of in reality. I always have been lonely ever since my childhood days. I remember playing all alone on my own and longing for a sibling who could be a companion to me. My parents introduced my sister me when I was 8. It was too late by then as I was so much used to my loneliness that I started taking rejoice in my solitude.

In relation to this solitary state of my mind, I must add that due to my father’s transferable nature of job, I had to change my schools almost every year. I have read in some 13 educational institutions by now, which has never given me the opportunity to stick to one particular set of friends. Anyways most of classmates had their own sets of friends and they seldom liked talking to a newcomer. I was looked at like a foreigner who looked, dressed and spoke like them, but could never become one of them. It happened that I never knew what friendship meant, until I met this girl at my university. We had a special bond for 6 long years. Unfortunately for this friendship gave in to misunderstandings that still remain unresolved.

Misunderstanding is something I am truly scared of as it always has been an ominous contrivance of my life. Be it my father, a dear friend or even my boss at work all of them fail to understand what and why I say. They will shout out at me, hang up on me and leave me forever but will not try and see the reason through as for why I did something or in the very first place did I do that or not! Such is my fate and I am scared of this hideous monster that is like a true friend to me that I don’t want.

Another thing that I am scared of is someone breaking my trust. A lot have as they never thought of keeping it. I was naïve and did not see through their intention as I trust people easily. I believe that I will trust people as it is not my mistake of trusting the wrong kind, but it is them who are to be blamed for playing with others. People make mistakes and I have no complaints against those who have broken my trust and hurt me over and over.

I am scared of losing a loved one because I have lost many. I am scared of not being able to see them every day and miss them regularly. I cannot any more, I think I am tired and it would have been better to get rid of this fear. I know that I have to get over my fears and move on in life as it goes on and for the good of others I have to live it by making it worth.

How to get over a man each time a relationship failed?

Many of my friends ask me about how to get over a man each time a relationship failed? It is not the question of getting dumped or someone walking out on you, it is actually about hurting your self esteem. Well I am no relationship expert but yes I can come forward to help my friends and family. We all try that whenever there is a need for us to rise to the occasion we do it in our own humble ways. I am no exception to this rule.

In the very first place what I tell them is to take time and cleanse their system. That is to be on own as you are hurt and nothing interests you. Take your time to heal. However with the modern lifestyle and with women being upfront about their feelings and ambitions, more and more relationships break. It is a common scenario and there are no doubts about it that the time women started speaking their mind, they started to bear the grunt of broken relationships. If you say you do not want to have sex before marriage, then you are old fashioned and if do then you are a fallen woman. Talk about marriage with the same guy, quick is the response “heyi where did that come from? I thought we were just friends! ” Yeah friends have sex and then walk out on each other when you there is no room left for fun.

Now the question arises do you think such a man is worth your tears? Why do you want to miss him? Look back to your failed relations and you will get a weird answer. My friend Becky was dumped by her boyfriend of 5 years because she asked him to get a better job! Can you beat that? I told her where from the question comes of “how to get over this man?” He simple didn’t deserve her. Isn’t it evident?

Look you already have had a couple broken relationships. Hence chances are that you are a pro in handling such heartbreaks. I am just adding a few more tips as that is what I did whenever I had a break up. I would say go to a salon get a good hair cut or a makeover. Do something and pamper yourself. Get a new wardrobe and make it evident to him that you are not sad and you don’t miss him at all. Make him understand that fun’s really over honey for him not for you, so it’s time that I bid you farewell. So long pal.

Is it really true that one should not get married before 30?

I was going through a few articles as part of my daily research work when I came across this unusual topic. The topic was something very similar to my discussion right now- Is it really true that one should not get married before 30? The argument that was given in support of this is that at least you become matured by this age. In the 20’s people think that they are an object of desire for the whole world. Probably by 30’s that changes and people start thinking that they were wrong.

While these two facts are very true and have a strong point, I would like to add, that well maturity is something that comes with time. However different people grow differently as their distinctive experience teaches them. Some people learn fast and some are little slow. Nonetheless the argument tends to be right as maturity brings stability. This is another aspect that people in 20’s lack for sure. They think that they can keep hovering from one branch to another. They do not think of the consequences of this kind of a lifestyle.

There is no need to explain that this becomes tiring after a time and there comes a time when people do not like to perch on any branch. This is very true as people do not understand where it leads one to. Ultimately at the end of the day you see you are left out all alone in the middle of a busy world where your own people do not have time for you. Then how can you count on friends as they also have their own lives? It is very hard to deduce anything from here as it is the right thing to do, that is marry at a certain age when you think you are ready to comprise a lot out of love and take that responsibility!

Has the modern Father and Daughter relationship changed with time?

On the eve of Father’s Day, let us discuss something that can make fathers and daughters happy in a special way. Has the modern father and daughter relationship changed with time? This is a question that bothers a lot people these days as they blame the modern society and the changing role of women in it. Gone are the days when women were restricted to role of playing just a wife and a stay-at home-mom. The end of the World War II and the Great Depression that lulled the economic growth in between 20's and 30's started a trend of women coming out of their traditional home making task and take up real jobs. This is because the labor cost of women and children are always lower than that of a man. This was the same factor that caused the Industrial Revolution in Europe. So women started working and that has marked the beginning of what is called emancipation of women.

Have there been changes?

The relation between men and women has been changing ever since then. Be it a mother-son relation, husband-wife or even brother sister. Slowly and steadily the atmosphere in the home started becoming competitive. Women staring to take inspiration from their men, but the men of their houses began to feel insecured as women were replacing them at work.

In spite of all this chaos one relationship that remains undefered is that of a father-daughter. This is because daughters are always used to seeing their fathers work unlike a son who expects his mother to sit at home and take care of thing around. Fathers happen to be the pillar of strength that every daughter looks up to. A father in any household is supposed to be the tough shelter under who we all feel safe. In fact it has been observed that teenaged daughters will fight with their mothers more than their fathers. Fathers are supposed to be silent and more of listeners.

What remains unchanged?

The father and daughter relationship undergo a lot of changes with the growing of up the daughter. Well in many ways it is the father who is also growing with the daughter. That is because the father is also a human who is learning with the advent of time. Since he is matured and a grownup learns faster than his “little princess” while she takes her time to understand that she is learning.
The subtlety of the relationship remains to be the same. Fathers need to handle their carefully even if she becomes the CEO of a company. On the other hand daughters need to show the same respect irrespective of what she is today. She may married, mothered her own children or may have succeeded in her professional life, but the foundation of the relationship should be the same. In simple words this foundation is all about respecting each other in a relationship.

Modern father-daughter relationship

The modern father-daughter relationship has not changed from all this for sure. Of course there are some elements of changes like many daughters nowadays leave their houses and go over to a new place to study or pursue their careers. This again has a sociological reason behind it. This would be that of joint families being substituted by nuclear families. The father-daughter relationship gets the chance to breathe on its own. In general women have become career oriented for be it out of need to support their families or simply to earn that extra. So daughters are following either along their mothers’ lines or simply this trend. Nevertheless they never lose focus on this amazing relationship that has been bestowed on them by God.

Is it critical?

Yes modern lifestyle has become complicated with lack of time and busy lifestyles. Yet the complexities have not penetrated a father-daughter relationship. In a broader way another socio-economical observation reveals that even if daughters stay away from their families, most good and dutiful daughters would keep in touch with her folks. The complications of modern cannot encroach on these relations.

If truth be told then we have to face this harsh reality that no relation can suffer because of a hectic schedule. If you really love someone then it is not possible that you will not have the time for them. Not having sufficient time can be a lame excuse that you can only use as a weapon at work and not with your loved ones. For those who do that here is a question for them- why are working hard? What will you do with all the wealth and fame without anyone to turn for sharing all the success with? Is that what you want? You can look for the answers in themselves. Remember that questions are answers in them!

In the end it can be mentioned that modern father and daughter relationship still continues to be the same age old customary one even in the backdrop of space technology. This particular relation probably is meant never to change. This is because of a special bond that resides between the father and a daughter. A father may not have undergone labor pains or bore a child in his womb for nine months like a mother, but his contribution in raising the child and the sacrifices that he makes are no less than that of a mother. He is a parent who acts to be tough from outside as he knows that he is the man of the house and he cannot break. All this makes them to a different level and once the daughter starts comprehending this she stops cribbing like a child and prefers to become more of a “Daddy’s Girl” over a “Daddy’s Little Princess” for the rest of her life. Here is wishing all father and daughters a very happy Father’s Day.

P.S. - One of online editorials has turned it down saying the topic is irrelevant! Do you all think so? Please send me a message.