Chain Snatching

Here is the picture of a design drawn for Monday.


Gold chain snatching has become a growing menace in Chennai. Rise in gold prices are also partly responsible for this.

Many women and men are continuing to lose their gold chains and other jewelery to daring daylight snatchers.

There are so many such cases reported each and every day. The common factor is women walking alone on deserted roads. Even if they were to be accompanied by their husbands, it does not deter these dare devils.
Men on bike watch women who wear gold chains and approach them as if to enquire about some vague address and commit this crime.

The trauma of such incident apart, many complaints to the police have not led to recovery of jewelery nor do the culprits get caught.

How can we stop this menace?

Only one solution can be there.

The women and men should cease to wear gold. There will be no gold to snatch so this crime will come down if all women unite in taking this precaution for their own safety.

How can the government or police help in protecting an individual's gold chains? Also how careful can anyone be all the time for their valuables. This will result in some kind of paranoia.

It is the individuals who can definitely rectify this situation.

Mahalakshmi.

The Sick And Nos(e)y Dog

A street dog on our very busy street is quite sick. His desperate need is to find some calm and shady place to rest.

He keeps shifting from this to that side of the road trying to avoid direct sunlight.

His senses have become sharper trying to find an open gate through which he could sneak into any of the numerous flats lining our busy street. Many a times he has surprised us with his presence under the staircase, in the backyard, near the motor room...

Ours is one of the widest with grill gates. Though we use only one entrance which has a bolt to keep unwanted visitors from coming in.

Whoever finds him tries to shoo him away but only for while until someone opens and just closes without bolting the gate. I wanted to know his modus operendi and watched him in action for a couple of days. He would sit at a distance, strategically across the road facing our gate. Whenever someone is at the gate, he watches and waits until they are gone. Then he slowly ambles his way to the gate and noses it open and lets himself in!
It was as if he was trying to punish anyone for being careless or lazy in not bolting the gate.

I found there was no use trying to chase the dog away, getting nervous about his presence. The only solution lay in educating people to latch the gate after them. Only that would deter the dog from entering our premises effectively. Alas we do not have a watchman to do it for us either.

Since I am off work for a couple of days, I took it upon myself to do something about it.

I have trained my ears to pick up the sound of opening of the gate and rush to our road-facing window through which I ask people to latch the gate after them so that the dog does not come in. This is my new job. Our complex has six flats and I have requested all members big and small besides regular visitors like the flower vendor, milkman, newspaper man, servants, salesmen, postman... who have all got to be reminded of this new activity. The dog knows that it is not welcome inside our premises, finding the gate closed, yet this one is a patient animal which keeps trying to get in!

Stray and irritable dogs are allowed to roam around freely on most streets. At times they chase cyclists who have to lift their legs high up to avoid getting bitten and yet have enough balance to cycle away fast from such a menace. At times you find a pack of them chasing innocent citizens. Their barks become unbearable at some times and you can deduce that some rag pickers are in the vicinity with their dirty sacks flung over their shoulders and a stick in hand to rummage the garbage.

Stray, sick and vicious dogs are a health hazard for us humans. They could harm unsuspecting people walking on roads. The municipality seems to be preoccupied with better jobs than these.

I feel bad for such dogs. I feel bad for all of us who could be their next target.

When someone rings up the Blue Cross for taking away such sick animals, they have always come up with a stock reply that they do not have enough space to take in additions right now.

It is indeed a sad plight for all us creatures.

Mahalakshmi.

Color of Skin

This incident took place some 30 years back when I was employed in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Part of my job involved receiving foreign scientists and taking them around our project areas.

A lady scientist (foreigner) was due to arrive, so I along with another lady colleague went to receive her at the airport. She arrived. The moment she got down we all introduced ourselves to her as was the customary thing to do.

In the car I had to sit next to her and I found her discomfiture in sitting with me! I could feel that somehow my tan skin was the cause against her white skin. She sat as much away from me as the car's small interior would permit.

Soon enough we reached our destination. I was relieved more than perhaps her that her ordeal was over.

She refreshed herself and came out to be taken around our projects. I was the one who would explain things to her. I acted as natural as possible and started explaining to her the solar distillation plants, the gobar gas plant, the low cost chulha, etc., etc. Time went by, she was asking me questions and I was clarifying her doubts. Soon we both had forgotten that our skins were of different colors or that we belonged to different countries or races! All that mattered was our sharing of interesting facts about appropriate technology and renewable sources of energy...

That day I realized something important. We may belong to different countries, races... but only until we start sharing our knowledge.

The false feeling of superiority vanishes the moment knowledge or lack of it, comes out into the open, be it in any field of work.

I deliberately kept away on the day she was to leave, but she came in search of me to bid farewell and after the 'see you soons' she lovingly slipped a wrapped gift into my hands. It was a big bar of the fruit and nuts chocolate which I loved and still do. Perhaps this was her way of saying, 'sorry, for hurting your feelings'.

I could only smile looking at the sweet parting!!

Mahalakshmi

Survival Instinct

We have often read and seen baby turtles hatch out of their eggs, struggle to walk those few hundred meters to the sea to get a life, literally. It's a question of life and death, so soon after they are born. It must be really tough to keep moving against all odds. The hunting birds, the stray animals on the beach, humans with criminal intent are all danger signs for these young animals.

A lot of awareness campaigns are taking place., We see a lot of youngsters wait patiently for many hours at the beach, until eggs are hatched and actually carry these creatures to the sea to see them off safely. Are we intervening nature or ensuring an animal's safety?

My kitchen wall is tiled. This morning, a baby lizard was trying to cross the tiles length from this end to that. He kept on slipping a little, only to pull himself up again and again. I stopped all work to see whether he could make it to his new home in a crevice in the corner-most tile far away. He took quite some time running that race. He did and I was so happy to see him succeed. I wish he has learnt never to creep on slippery surfaces but to choose walls. With some experience he will do well. We all love to see those who succeed.

All of us struggle for one thing or the other in life. The focus is to keep moving.

Cheers!

Mahalakshmi.

Appraisals

I hear a lot of this talked about in many contexts.

Every employee worth his two cents awaits eagerly for the results to come out!
Feels like each is sitting on the edge of the chair. Well it's a question of honor, status, performance or vice versa for all the three factors.

Since it's an annual feature around this time in most organizations, one can expect mixed reactions from members of staff.

Even if there are set standards and parameters in place to carry out these appraisals to look professional (read impartial), there will still be some disgruntled voices heard due to expectations not being met.

Such a tricky thing the human mind is. Till the last minute the mind hopes for the best. When the results are known, it becomes a Kurukshetra (the name of the battle ground where the Pandavas and the Kauravas fought - Epic Mahabharata) of emotions.

The resultant pay hike and/enhanced designation can be broadly classified as below:

1. Only nominal pay hike
2. Nominal pay hike but an enhanced designation
3. Good pay hike
4. Good pay with an enhanced designation
5. Fantastic pay hike with a prestigious designation to match

1. Only nominal pay hike -
Means you are where you were but some hike to factor in the rising cost of living has been put in place. Such guys will feverishly start looking for new openings and sound generally bitter about life until they find a better opportunity. They may not change their jobs due to reasons of continuing to work for a brand name in the same sector or due to a hassle-free transportation or due to matters of the heart or may be due to familiarity with surroundings/work schedules or plainly due to fear of the unknown.
There may be many more but these come to my mind as I key in.

2. Nominal pay hike but an enhanced designation -
Means you are ok. You can do better. So not much pay hike but an enhanced designation to boost up an otherwise sagging morale. If this guy is rich and lives by titles alone, he will be a happy soul, otherwise this one too will start searching for jobs sooner or later with the new designation prominently flashed on his CV! He feels better than Case No.1 until he gets out of the present organization, i.e.

3. Good pay hike -
Good going. Means your performance is appreciated by the management but you should improve further to go into the next slot.

4. Good pay with an enhanced designation -
Reminds me of the cat who just had cream! Lucky guy. You have got what any working individual always wants!! After all everyone works for the moolah and the mala (garland, not some girl by that name), anyday.

5. Fantastic pay hike with a prestigious designation to match

*This is the stuff dreams are made of.
*Mother's blessings.
*Fulfilling father's ambition.
*Grandma's topic forever.
*Spouse's pride until next appraisal time;
*Kids joy - dreaming of bigger pocket money and exotic holidays during vacations;
*The envy of some relatives.
*Envious colleagues (What has he got which I don't have; God is blind; Good people are never recognized for their good work; Wondered why butter was always in short supply)
But do you think this guy will stick to the same place? He will try his very best to be made the chief of all he surveys! After all he has tasted success and someone high up knows he's got what it takes. This is the motivation he has always needed to look for an even better and bigger slot.

It is common knowledge that there is an exodus from organizations after appraisals are made public through official channels.
Remember appraisals have meant movement for at least 5 to 10% of the employees. If movement is inter-city then there could be less issues. If it is inter-state or international then from one place to another for the working class could mean a different set of planning altogether - it usually throws the family life out of that big open window;
if his wife is willing and working/not working, she agrees to accompany him to his new place,
if they have school-going kids who are in a good school near their own little heaven, then there are two sets of expenses, besides those travel expenses to catch up with one another,to be contended with each month - one for the master and one for the dame who lives with the kids.

Some self-explaining combos for this word:
Raise
Up-rise-al
raise-(h)ell

The one who remains unaffected by any of the above and puts his heart and soul into work, leaving the fruits of his labour to the master above, in good faith and utmost trust, is indeed the true karma yogi. We have less of those!!

Cheers

Mahalakshmi

The Fight And The Main Issue

I have noticed this so often that it's second nature to know the result of a fight soon after one starts.

Scene 1
Civic Issues

The auto driver of Chennai never flags the meter 'on' but agrees to ferry a passenger for a fixed amount of say 100/- after coming down from his demand for 150, 130, 120, 110...
On the way the driver starts 'asking' the passenger which place he 'actually' wants to go and starts complaining that this was not the destination that he thought was agreed upon!
The passenger keeps on explaining and the driver keeps on complaining about how this distance is longer....
By the time the destination comes, the fight becomes unbearable. It's about who has stronger vocal chords and gets away with how much fare. If the passenger wins he pays only 100 despite the driver shouting and fighting. If the driver wins he extracts a bigger amount than 100!
Focus is to extract more but the fight is about, 'I told you.. No, you din't.. May the street smart person win.

Scene 2
Office politics.
There is a problem with some facility at office. The administrator takes no notice of it even though he may be very much aware of the problem which is 5 or 6 years old. Whenever new entrants 'discover' the problem they are referred to and complain about it to the admin who sweetly promises to 'look into it very soon' but never does anything about it, as usual.
There's an accident about to occur and the matter is brought to the notice of a higher up in the hope it may see daylight. The higher up responds to the issue with sincerity and promptness but copies the instructions on to the administrator whose domain it is anyways! Back to square one. The problem still exists but the new entrant gets enlightened about the 'proper' channels to go through for addressing them - he also gets to learn that he is a marked man from then on for by-passing the important chair of the administrator!
Here the faulty facility which could prove fatal to anyone is not the real issue. The real issue is with bloated ego, meaningless heirarchies, drawing up 'territories' where no one is allowed to question putting even our jungle lions or tigers to shame!


Family Issue:
Errant son.

A well wisher of a family may try to bring to the notice of parents matters regarding their errant son. Any parent will outright deny that any such thing exists, even though it may be common knowledge in the inner circle.
The parental instinct to protect the son is seen. The son gets 'aware' of this protective ring.
Then starts the emotional blackmailing by the son because he 'knows' his family knows, yet will never expose him for the sake of family honor. The charade goes on until a girl-friend or the newly wed wife of the son makes the same complaint, makes it heard and stands by it!!
Focus here is not to reform the erring son but to reform the informer into thinking that something is actually wrong with him/her.

That's life for us mere mortals.

Mahalakshmi.

Kolam - Creating A Design at your Doorstep

This is the one I drew for Monday.

This one I drew for today - Tuesday.

Kolam is a Tamil word for drawing a pleasing design in front of your doorstep. In the northern India it is called Rangoli in which color powder is used. In one of my older posts I had written why a kolam is drawn.

It gives me a lot of pleasure to draw a design every morning. Its a ritual among us to decorate our front yard through a kolam which is drawn with fine rice flour or lime powder or a chalk piece.

I asked a mason to fix a black granite slab at the doorstep just so that the kolam looks brighter than when drawn on a mosaic floor.

Early mornings are reserved for sweeping, mopping and creating an interesting design on the wet black granite slab with a wet chalk. This gives me a brighter result.

I don't plan any design. As I draw it takes shape. It is a free hand though designs which are traditional are repeated on certain days.
I go by the numbers or dieties attached with the navagrahas - the nine planets for each day of the week.

Sun - sun-like spikes design or a sunflower for Sundays.

Moon - on Mondays - usually a design based on the lotus or any beautiful flower or any beautiful pattern as moon is a personification of the goddess mother.

Mars - a personification of Lord Subramania-muruga-arumugam. I draw a six-sided pattern on Tuesdays. See the photo for today's kolam has a six-petalled design.

Mercury - Anything goes for Wednesday but as it is the planet which represents Lord Vishnu, whose consort is Maha lakshmi, it could be about flowers.

Jupiter or Guru for Thursday - Anything goes for this day so I give myself total freedom to draw any fancy design.

Venus on Friday. It's got to be very traditional like a lotus design or a square plus some curves on top to make it attractive.

Saturn on saturday - 8 is the number associated with saturn, my designs are basically ones in which 8 lines or dots predominates.

I have attached two pictures taken on Monday and Tuesday's patterns in this blog. Shall try to capture a picture each day and upload it for viewing. Though I am not an artist, I take pride in putting my best effort each day. It all depends on my mood that morning. And I just love the rural or rustic designs with simple lines and zig-zags with dots to highlight the pattern.


Cheers.

Mahalakshmi