Kannada for anyone?

This is one of the most debated topics in my city, Bangalore. Bangalore is a cosmopolitan city. We have Tamilians, Gujrathis, Marwadis, Malyalis, Bengalis, Nepalese, Chinese, Africans etc, in the city, that too in large numbers. Many of these people are my close friends.

For a modern day city-born-and-brought-up person, language is not at all a barrier. Mostly everyone speaks in English these days. And Hindi is our national language. We are exposed to a lot of Hindi serials and movies and have lots of Hindi-speaking friends. So, most of us know Hindi. Some may not be excellent in conversing in Hindi, but almost everyone understands Hindi. Some can even speak in other regional languages.

Definitely good has come out of this. We are generally pleasant people. We are happy to join in all celebrations, Indian or Western, from Ugadi to Halloween. We are amicable and reply to a query in any language in the same language, if possible. If not, of course, we know English/Hindi. So, all happy?

But my concern is - is Kannada slowly becoming obsolete? Kannada definitely is endangered.

Some of my friends from other states or countries have practically lived all their life in Bangalore and have not learnt or even attempted to learn Kannada ever. Admittedly, some have picked it up excellently and speak as well as I do. The general contention ranges from "I need not bother. Almost everyone around me speaks in Hindi or English, which I know. So, why should I?" to "Will you try to learn language X if you stay in my city? Then why ask me!"

This holds true for the younger generation of Kannadigas too. Parents are teaching their kids English first so that they can survive and succeed anywhere in the world. Kids should know "nose," "ears," "eyes," "mummy", "daddy," etc, instead of moogu, kivi, kaNNu, amma, appa, etc, respectively, to get admission in pre-nursery. People avoid Kannada medium schools because the opportunities afterwards are limiting and the standard of a majority of teachers is not so great; they hardly deliver the goods (might need another post for this). The English medium schools insist upon students speaking in English, and Kannada is generally the 2nd or the 3rd language. This is the cause for the dilution of the language (I do not have a single BA/MA Kannada friend.) I wonder how many of us (my generation and further city breds) can read a Kannada newspaper as fluently as in English or write a grammatically error-free page in Kannada!

I remember being totally shocked when I changed school from an urban to a rural government school. My Kannada was considerably poor compared to the kids there. And my English being good made me a butt of lot of jokes! I had to take up Kannada as the 1st language as there were no other options available in the school. This is when I began appreciating Kannada, its literature, with all the subtle nuances. It is a beautiful, deep language. I did not pursue it later on, for I found it hard for scoring in exams.

As per my knowledge, a lot of Kannadigas are from the rural towns of Karnataka and are still learning in government schools and colleges. Science, Social Science, Maths and even English is taught in Kannada here. This is where the actual essence of Karnataka is. The culture, traditions and language are pretty well conserved in these parts. Their eloquence is something else. Many people from here are migrating to Bangalore and other cities in different states seeking higher education, jobs, etc. These people end up in the big crowd too. But, some people do not and are happy with the life that they know of. Bad of this is, living in a box. Of course, there are many families who are presently somewhere in between these 2 ends.

There are many Kannada fanatics, as is the case with any language. I have seen a few Kannadigas get aggressive when, especially, a North Indian, living in Bangalore for a long time, refuses to learn Kannada. I understand it can be a tad bit difficult to learn a new language. And, since bartering with a shop keeper or an auto driver can be done in Hindi/English, it might seem like taking up unnecessary trouble to learn another language.

Though I am well conversant in Kannada, I am guilty of not being to able to read it as fluently as English. As a result, I prefer an English newspaper, novel, study material, etc. There are many who love to watch Kannada movies (including my father and my younger brother), but I pass. I cannot relate to the modern slew of Kannada films (because of exposure to cosmopolitan culture?) I prefer some of the old Kannada movies.

As far as the question, whether I would try and learn a new language if I were in some other state, I love languages. So, I would definitely give it a try. I am regretful that I cannot speak many Indian languages. I can speak only for myself. I am in Malaysia since 4-5 months. I can count to ten in BM and understand a few words. I have a BM to English dictionary, mainly to read signs on the road, the post box, or on a shop and because learning a new language is interesting.

About the outsiders in Bangalore/Karnataka not learning Kannada, I can only say that each person has a freedom to live their life as they seem fit. But, I do admit I feel quite contrite at my maid, who is originally not from Bangalore, but has lived most of her adult life here (she is middle aged), converses with everybody (her family, friends, neighbors, and people for whom she works) in her mother tongue. I can hardly understand anything she says. Conversation with her is a mind-boggling, complex task. "Why should I?" she asks. This is business we are talking about. Isn't this annoying? I now have slowly begun to catch a few words she says! Is it that hard to learn? (Bad of you too Mr. Kannadiga living in Orissa for the last 20 years, if you are like this!)

Well, the least we can do is have our next generation of Kannadigas learn to love this beautiful language and to conserve it. I think this cause is as important as saving the Tigers. It tears my heart to think that our kids probably won't be able to see a live Tiger. So, does it tug at my heart for our kids to live life not knowing or caring to learn Kannada. It will just be another language lost. Kannada and Tigers are cool, you know?

for anyone?

Law of attraction

Sometimes,

It is hard not to stop worrying about things.
It is hard not to feel hopeless.
It is lonely.
It is just unbearable.
It feels like things will never get better.
It feels like there is no other solution.
It seems that the glass is always half empty.
It seems like there is never enough.
It seems no goal is reachable.
It feels like there are no goals.

Instead of feeling absolute despair, why not dearly wish (desire) for something better than wallow in negativity? According to the “Universal Law of Attraction”- like attracts like, what goes around comes around and positive thinking attracts positive things (and vice versa). Our desire attracts things to us. And supposedly our thoughts and feelings manifest into physical matter. Transformation of brain energy into any energy is possible.

And feelings have mass! Like, for example, you see the beautiful Lamborghini and desire it. You start making plans of buying it. You begin to see yourself driving it. And the thoughts bring you happiness. And the happiness makes you feel a deep sense of gratitude for receiving the car. All you have to do is just believe that you will get the car and you deserve it! Cool huh!

So, the more number of people feeling the same thoughts at a given time have higher probability of attracting the thing that they all desire in common!

Well, it is true. I have experienced this (not with a Lamborghini, of course!). I really wanted my dream job offer (and other things). That’s what I got, “ my dream job offer”. But, turns out, you have to be really specific in desiring.

I want my dream job offer and I should take it up!

Ironic eh?

Have you had any such experiences?

Yogasanas

I have already spoken about the benefits I saw with Yoga in my previous post. Yoga is an ancient form of exercise practiced by saints and commoners in ancient India. Yoga sutras were given by sage Patanjali. And Patanjali is regarded as the founder of the Yoga philosophy.

The Ashtanga Yoga is the practical Yoga taught today and is also based on the concepts from Patanjali’s philosophy.

Yoga is used to treat many illnesses and disorders to name a few like:

asthma, arthritis, back pain, constipation, diabetes, drug addiction, dysmenorrhoea, headache, heart diseases, hernia, hyperacidity, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, insomnia, memory, menstrual disorder, migraine, obesity, pile (haemorrhoids), slipped disc, sexual disorder, sinusitis, spondylitis, stress, tonsillitis, and varicose veins

.

Yoga can be practiced regularly with proper breathing (generally bending backwards requires one to inhale and bending forward, exhale) and correct postures (so as to avoid sprains, etc). As I have said earlier, the Yoga master’s/instuctor’s words are to be followed in case of Yoga for treatment for the above disorders. Also, some of these exercises should not be practiced during pregnancy. I would suggest it is better to go to a class the first few days to know the techniques. Later on, you can practice it at home safely.

What do you need to practice Yoga?

1. An area to practice, with open space, preferably outside the house, on the terrace, or even a room with doors and windows open for air circulation.
2. A Yoga mat or any mat, something that doesn’t slip on the floor.
3. Comfortably fitted clothes, which allows for stretching and should not come in the way (shorts and t-shirts are the best).
4. No shoes; its best done bare feet.

I do some stretches for warming up and loosening the body before I do any asanas (postures). My favorite asana is Surya Namaskara or the Sun Salutation. It is believed that 10 rounds of Surya Namaskaras a day are enough to keep you agile, relaxed and wanting for more. Of course, people who have been practicing Yoga for long, think that 10 is too less. It is best to increase the number gradually. This I can vouch for and I rarely attempt other asanas to avoid injury.

Surya Namaskara

This is the salutation to the sun, which is the source of vitality and energy. This involves practicing 12 postures (1 round) with alternate inhalation and exhalation in a fluid movement without jerking and over exerting. In each round, the first posture (Tadasana) is accompanied by chanting a mantra to invoke the Sun God’s blessing. This is best done early morning during sun rise or in the evening during sunset. But if that is not possible this can be done any time, when the stomach is not full. It is advised to face East or North (face the sun) when doing this. Follow the video.



There are many variations when it comes to this. I like this video, mainly for the soothing music. This video demonstrates the various postures, along with names of the postures.



Health benefits

From practicing Surya Namaskaras daily, we obtain a complete body work out. It works all the joints in the body. It regulates blood circulation, respiration, strengthens the wrists, elbows, spine and other joints, improves digestion, stimulates the nerves, relieves tensions in the neck and shoulders, and tones the abdomen, back, legs, arms and chest. It regulates the functioning of the various glands like- adrenal, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid,etc.

Yoga

I have always been quite lazy when it comes to exercises. I am still in the look out for the custom-made workout routine for me, something that doesn't bore me and something that I will look forward to doing every time rather than in spurts. I have tried different things that are light and engaging like in here

A friend of mine, kept reminding me of Yoga for feeling better and for weight loss. I was procrastinating. Many years ago, I had taken up Yoga classes. So, one day I was just like, why not try? I started doing some stretching and a few exercises again watching videos on the internet along with remembering things I had been taught. I am immediately re-addicted to it. It has so much goodness to it. I can't wait to get up to do it early morning everyday. Why did I ever stop in the first place?!


I used to go regularly at 5.30 in the morning everyday and do Pranayama (breathing exercises) and asanas (exercises and postures). I was always a believer in the positivity of Yoga, but I turned into a follower after attending these classes.

My yoga master would teach us so many things and talk about what health benefits can be obtained from each posture. It was light and also rigorous. It used to be slow and rhythmic. It was testing your capacity to literally stretch yourself! It was addictive and would give a heady rush of energy. In fact, it would keep me on my toes all day and I used to look forward to going to the classes again next day.

Some immediate improvements I noticed after a month or 2 (I continued for maybe another few months after this and stopped) of this routine were:

1. Mindful eating: It definitely made me think twice about stuffing my mouth with junk food. I would be mindful in a good way, not obsessed about food/diet, like noticing the "eating pause" and stopping, eating little mouthfuls, and always listening to my stomach, not brain.

2. Lightness: I know it is impossible to suddenly lose kilos of weight. No, this is the feeling of lightness. I was light on my feet (some said bouncy). My joints were much more flexible. I could bend in weird ways (truly)! It is a beautiful feeling.

3. Appetite: My appetite reduced a lot. As I said, I would think before eating, which is a good thing. I would prefer to eat light foods rather than fried, heavy ones and eating lots.

4. Energy: I had an increased level of energy. I would be willing to walk to places close by rather than take my bike. I would be mindful of sitting idle for too long. I would just bounce up and run chores and errands than sit in a place for too long.

5. Toning: Yes, I got a lot more toned. It looked like I had lost weight. The number on the scale did not show much difference immediately, but I could feel myself fitting better into clothes. And I could finally see that I had some muscle, not a lot though. (Weight loss occurred slowly after many months of stopping the exercises! )

Yoga is a superior form of exercise, which gives balance, fluidity and energizes the chakras in the body. It is extremely helpful for a peaceful and relaxed mind. It de-stresses the body and mind by releasing endorphins. It makes one mindful of their own body and take care of it. And the best part of it is you get toned, your stamina increases and affects your over all well being. It is a good and safe method to lose weight too for people with weight issues. But then weight is just an insignificant little detail when you see so many other positive benefits from yoga.

It is always best to follow the instructions of the Yoga master/instructor so as to avoid injuries and in case of other health problems.

Yoga definitely is a form worth trying.

Look out next for my few favorite exercises in yoga. Please bear in mind, I am a novice. Not at all an expert. I maybe wrong technically. I am just sharing my personal experience here.

Making things

I was always crafty from when I was a kid. I used to cut papers into shapes, make things out of clothes and newpaper, make tags, bows, wristbands, hair bands, etc. And I always used to be busy with these things for hours at a stretch. Not to mention painting, drawing and coloring stuff. So, I was mostly a non-sporty kid. I hated sports of any kind. Given a chance, I would probably sit and draw something quietly.

Recently, I was again taken by things I can do at home, like, pen/toothbrush stands, scrunchies, etc. I had another hobby; an alternative to buying expensive clothes was to make good out of old clothes. Well, what I did to mine would not be wearable! But here is someone so creative with these things. Do have a look at the video.




Are you a person prone to having bad skin? I have a lot of blackheads and whiteheads. Oily face to blame! Well, buying those pore strips can strip you off money too!! :D Here, is an alternative. Check this out.



So simple and easy eh?

I am so useless when it comes to hair styles. I don't ever try something new. I am petrified to let the saloon woman do something to my hair! But recently I tried the bangs. Yeah, I cut them myself and it wasn't so bad! But, well I have wavy hair... so it didn't look like I had bangs! (Yeah, you can roll your eyes!) But later on I found this video. Now, my hands are itching again. Haha..



These people have more than one interesting DIY (do it yourself) videos. It is nice to have hobbies to relax and have fun. The satisfaction of creating something cannot be explained, but felt. And like in the above videos, it is economical too!

The Occult

I have always been interested in the occult sciences. (Note: occult doesn’t mean voodoo or black magic and stuff. It just means mystic or mysterious sciences.) Being from the East, I have inadvertently on numerous occasions come across these various types of mystic sciences throughout my life in the conversations, discussions, ceremonies, festivities, etc. And on more than one occasions, we would have met a fortune teller sometime or the other in our life.

In our society, arranged marriages are still the norm of the day. And the natal charts are matched for the bride and groom before the big decision is made. There are people who do particular things on particular days because the “time” is auspicious. Many build houses according to the rules of Vaastu. I am sure there are so many more kinds of these mystic branches followed by people of other countries and regions.

The Astrology column in the newspapers or on the internet is perhaps the most read information daily. It is fun to read the daily horoscope and ponder over it if it is good. Don’t we all wonder if our horoscope suggests anything at all about our career, romance, result of an impending exam, a smooth board meeting, stock market results, etc? It is not unrealistic to say that many people begin their day by reading these daily horoscopes.

Needless to say Numerology also has many followers. People are changing their names, adding or deleting alphabets from their names and doing things on particular dates to ensure success in their lives. People also are wearing “birthstones” and other gems to rectify the negative energies surrounding them and to reach their full potential.

Another such field that got me interested was Palmistry. There is so much information on the internet about palmistry. The mounts, minor and major lines, type of hands, fingers, length of phalanges of the fingers, etc, all count in palm reading. The minor lines on the palm are supposedly dynamic. And all aspects of life can be read on the palms! Hmm.. I wonder if the lines on the feet mean anything.


The Chinese are very good at Face Reading. I found so many websites that promise to say more about a person by their facial features. Face reading is considered a complex science, taking the planes, vertices, dimensions of face, marks on the face, etc, into consideration. Supposedly, the moles on the body mean something too, based on their occurence and type and what not!

I was hooked on to all this material for days. I even tried to chart my horoscope by myself! Needless to say, I got it wrong (everything in a horoscope can’t go totally wrong!). I even kept looking for moles and their meanings. I was jubilant when it meant something good and pretty bogged down when it suggested anything negative! These topics have that effect on you, if you let them take over you. (Thankfully, I consider myself to be sane and rational and read all this for purely entertainment purpose.)

The West also has these divination studies such as the Tarot, Cleromancy, Crystal gazing, etc. The Oracles, seers, and the clairvoyants (people who can “see”) are always intimidating! Who knows what they might have gathered about us! The druids were the first people to use the crystal ball for scrying. And obviously being a Harry Potter fan, I was spell- bound by all the magic and the impressive branches of parapsychology (though mostly made up by the author) shown in the movies.

There is this debate from eons whether all this is actually science or superstition, science or magic, etc. Adding to the confusion are so many soothsayers, who are revered, whose predictions have astounded people. There are equal numbers of fake people, if not more, who portray themselves as otherwise to earn their daily bread. Whatever the end result of the debate, if Nostradamus can hold the world’s attention, this is worth giving a thought!

The guilty eater

Food is something that is very personal to each and every individual. People from coastal areas love fish. People in Asia love rice. Italians love bread. Americans love their fish and chips. Irish love their potatoes so much that during the Great Famine in Ireland, people just moved to USA to avoid starvation. These are all broad generalizations. But the point is we all are very particular about the food that we eat. Why not? It is our bodies we are feeding. So, it is only correct to be conscious of what we are eating.

There is a theory that says we are what we eat! It is interesting, but debatable. There are certain beliefs that eating meat will give us beastly qualities and eating plants will make us more humane. I am often switching from vegetarian to nonvegetarian and vice versa every few years. But I haven’t noticed any sort of drastic changes in my personality during the changing phases. But I won’t rule this theory out completely as I turn into a vegetarian every time I hear stories like how large number of chickens are cooped in a small place, which in turn stresses them out and they start getting violent. But to avoid them harming each other, there are machines called clippers. These machines are used to clip their beaks after which they cannot even feed!! *shudder* (But after a few months or years, the fried chicken smells so tasty again!)


Many of us have a very emotional relationship with food. People eat food not only when they are hungry, but also when they are bored, irritable, sad, tensed (yeah! Some have confessed to eating more out of tension too), coping with loss, or just for the love of food. Since a few years, changes in my life have made me more or less sedentary and food is always around! So, as can be expected, I am tipping scales towards the “plumper” side. And as usual, I have been blaming the weather, the work, the government, etc, for my situation. But, since I have had time to ponder I have come to realize that it was me all the while who was responsible. I hate any form of exercise and have been pushing it off for too long. And gym doesn’t seem that interesting to me. Food is too enticing!

So, I have been recently looking up the internet for weight loss, diet and exercise tips. These ones seemed more promising and achievable to me:

• Do not eat something which you will not feed your child.
• Drink upto 8 glasses (read 1 big jug) of water (tea and coffee don’t count, except green tea) every day for good skin and curbing appetite.
• Eat a carrot or an apple whenever you have the tendency to snack on cookies or chips.
• Eat consciously (meaning, judge if the portions on your plate are too big) even if you are watching TV or conversing with someone interesting.
• Instead of eating a dessert, eat a fruit.
• Eat lightly in the night.
• Take stairs instead of an elevator.
• Walk to the nearest grocery store. (If you are very free, go more than once!)
• Try to do some sort of an exercise (rope jumping, walking, swimming, jogging, dancing, yoga, etc) most of the days and add variety to the routine.
• If you are someone who likes to keep it simple, walking gives most of the benefits to all parts of the body.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself for not adhering to the above once in a while! ;)

These are the most practical tips I could find. I am trying to incorporate most of the above in my daily routine. But I do slip up on the diet during weekends and exercise during some days. And yeah, another way of being conscious of what you eat is the calorie counting method (eat lesser calories and burn more). It is a lot more tedious and a bit impractical when you have to count your portions or servings in terms of calories, instead of knowing if it is enough to fill your stomach or not. It is sad to me when instead of seeing a beautiful pizza slice you see only “calories”! It works pretty well for a few people, but not for me.


If you are the kind of person who values money a lot, then a good suggestion is to buy an expensive swimsuit, workout clothes or accessories. That way, the hole in your pocket will keep reminding you to put those to good use! ;)

But if along with fitness, weight is a problem then this tip from a friend might come in handy: buy a dress 1 size smaller and aim into fitting in it well. Practical and simple! This is taking control of the situation one step at a time.

Well, another tip is to get involved in some sport. Even better if there are people to play with you. Or join a dance or a karate class. I have also read that, on an average, if you take 10,000 steps a day, it will be about enough exercise to keep you fit! Hah! Talk about looking up for easy fixes! I think a pedometer (to count the steps) will be a good investment in this case. If you are like me, and find enough reasons (too hot, too windy, rainy, etc) to not go walking outside, then a treadmill is a good investment. Now, it is inside the house! (Making it harder to avoid is another way of forcing yourself off the couch.) But, a walk outside gives a lot more benefits.

I am right now aiming to getting fit, eating right and regaining my stamina, although I hope that weight loss will be a welcome accompaniment in the process. ;)

The best tip of all: keep yourself engaged enough to not worry about food, clothes, weight, etc, and you will not have time to think about what all I have said all this while!

Vanity insanity

Colors are very attractive. And so are colorful people. Appearance is everything (after character) and it does not make one shallow for wanting to look beautiful! The reference to appearance dates back to the ages when women were called the “fairer” sex. It is not wrong to say that we even feel through the visual sense. Aesthetics are appealing and do well belong to the eyes of the beholder.

Belonging to the female sex leaves one with a lot of options for playing with one’s looks. Women enjoy varieties of clothes, accessories, hair styles, makeup and, in total, fashion. They love to wear jewels, high heels, hand bags (vanity bags!), hair do’s and make up. The clothes are loosely termed western and eastern wear. From sarees to skirts, from dresses to shorts, from pants to salwars, etc, the options are just too many. There is something or the other to be done to each and every part of the face (and body?), once you step into the saloon.

And not wanting to be left behind, men are as eager to experiment these days. Trimming the ear hair does not belong to the aesthetics of the trade, but is a necessity. The burly eyebrow is being artfully shaped (does not look like a woman’s at all) to give more character to the face. Suits are well cut, and shirts are of all shades ranging from pastels to deep. Jeans are of different fits and designs. Accessories are diverse, ranging from bracelet to scarfs and from caps to shoes, but not as diverse as those of women.

And a wedding entitles one (not exclusively the bride and the groom) to indulge in beautification, without any thought for a beauty budget. From facials to waxing, there is at least a day required in the parlor. Indulgence in clothes is atrocious, but satisfying. Both men and women want to look and feel good.

Make up is an essential part of the personality, be it man or woman. A friend puts it as, “makeup enhances one’s beauty.” A woman is naturally more inclined to be colorful than a man (though newer fashion trends might prove me wrong). I say it is an art. Not all can do it tastefully. The face is a canvas, which requires careful observation and use of tricks and shades to not just hide imperfections, but enhance perfections also. With gradual learning, after an initial trepidation, eventually, it starts looking simple enough to handle.

I am not talking about the fashion world, but the ordinary people who can change their appearance as they wish and as often as they choose. The people are more aware of fashion than ever. A fashion faux pas is the worst thing that can happen here. Of course not everyone is a fashion “victim”. There are many who believe in being presentable without over indulgence.

From hair rollers to extensions, from blemish concealer to a face lift, from fake eyelashes to nails, from botox to bust enhancement, etc, the options are unlimited. A plastic surgeon is a God, who can work miracles, so is a beautician. How much is too much? Who is to say? I guess vanity is important and attractive when it is not bordering on insanity.