IS SHE NOT BEAUTIFUL?

                                          

       

“Is she not beautiful?” I asked my friends who were spread out in the front hall of my house. I was holding the photo of the girl in my hand. My friends had come to my house with their families for a get together.

“She is beautiful” replied Ram. “ She is one of the most beautiful women in the world” I added with a smile . Ram replied “ I don’t think so. There are so many other women looking better”.

At this moment my wife entered the dialogue and said “ You know Ram why he is saying so? It is because she is a Russian”. Ram looked at me and I smiled.

Sujan Chandy who was sitting next to Ram added “Now I know Mr. Lenin why you like her. Guys, as far I remember our friend has been a great fan of anything that is Russian”.

I corrected him “She is a soviet girl and we all grew in an era wherein India was the closest ally of the Soviet Union. I still remember the years in early eighties when we used to get very good quality USSR books at very less expensive prices. We have grown up reading those books ”.

I got a call on my mobile and went out and attended the call. Once the call was over, I leaned on the wall of the house and started thinking.

When we were kids we used to listen to BBC and Radio Moscow in our huge radio sets. There were no television sets in our houses. The friendship was deep and Soviets loved our film legends like Raj Kapoor very much. Our first and only cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma went to space from Baikanur Cosmodrome on 2^nd of April 1984.Our factories had huge Russian boilers and equipments which were sturdy and rugged. The administrative buildings in most of our Public Sector Units and other important places had a startling similarity to Soviet buildings.

 The iron wall no more exists and Soviet Union is a matter of the past.Germans from the Eastern and Western parts  have come together and have built a very impressive united and  strong Germany. The Berlin wall is in  museums and in the houses of people as souvenirs. The Baltic states are free and so are the central Asian countries belonging to Kazakhs and Uzbeks.

  50 % of Indian population are below 25 years of age and 65 % of the population are below 35 years of age. Effectively 50 % of Indian population were born after the dismantling of Soviet Union and 65 % of the population have nothing to remember about it. 25 years have passed and there is such a huge shift in way Indians look at the world. We are now more tilted towards the west as east effectively does not exist as a formidable bloc anymore. The USA is a very important partner of ours though Russia remains one of our close friends. We have become important in Asia Pacific region and have strong ties with far east also.

“Hey man, come inside” Ram shouted. I smiled and went into the hall and sat on the chair.

“We have been going to many places in India together but this time shall we go to some good foreign destination for holidays?” Ram’s wife asked.

Sujan Chandy adjusted his position on the chair and leaning forward commented “ I think we should go to a very beautiful foreign city with exotic and historic locations. How about visiting Moscow and taking a tour of the Kremlin? We shall take a train to St. Petersburg and see one of  the most beautiful places on earth”.

I jumped from my chair. I was thrilled and immediately looked at my wife and said “ I have been telling you. One should not miss a destination like Moscow. Imagine we walking in the Red Square together. We shall see St. basil’s cathedral, Kazan cathedral, the Kremlin wall, Lenin mausoleum, the statue of Minin and Pozharsky and lot more. We shall visit St. Petersburg which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world”.

Sujan laughed and looked amused. He added “ My friend I was joking. I wanted to see your spontaneous reaction to my suggestion. I can now declare to the gang that our friend who was once Mr. Lenin  will always remain Mr. Lenin”.

WHO ? ME , UNCLE. NO WAY ?

"Sir you skipped the gym yesterday" said Ram Kumar , fondly called as RK , the gym instructor. "Yes, but I had to go to a far away client’s place and so started early from home" I said and walked into the gym area after completing the palm access.

I was greeted with a warm smile by David , a banker who happens to be my good friend in the gym. He was cycling and I got on to the cycle to his right and started doing my initial 20 minutes of cycling.As responsible male citizens we both discussed about the political scenario, weather and finally about plans for chill outs on Saturday evening.

While we were discussing , our attention was diverted by the entry of a very beautiful girl. 
"Is she not beautiful ?" I told David.

He replied with a naughty smile "Boss, she is almost half your age" . I gave him a stern stare and neglected his comment.

She then sat on the cycle to my right and started her cycling. After about 5 minutes I asked her  "New to this Gym?". 
"Yes  of course" She replied.

 That was just a reason and soon we started talking to one another. I do not remember when David finished his cycling and went away. After 20 minutes I got off  the cycle,  looking at her  said " My workout on the cycle is over for today.May I know your name please"

 "Divya" she replied.

 I smiled back and said  "Bye Divya"

she replied  "Bye uncle"’

I  reacted

 "Who ? Me , Uncle ? No way".

The people around looked at me and some ladies of almost my age gave me  naughty smiles.

Depressed I walked out of the gym area and came straight to the front office. RK was sitting in the reception.

I  told him that I wanted to develop 6 packs.

 "6 packs?"  RK was taken aback

He said "sir, first let us work towards reducing the family pack around your tummy and later you think of 6 packs".

"I am serious RK. I want to take up personal training sessions.Please start them from tomorrow" I said.
 "In that case you take up diet planning also.Wait sir  we shall meet the dietician’ he said.

I was sitting in front of the dietician Ratna Kumari. RK was sitting next to me. There was one more guy who was already discussing with her. Looking at his tummy I felt that Divya would call him grandpa .Ratna told me that she had to fill a form and for that I had to give her some details about the kind of food I was taking and the eating pattern.

"Veg or non veg?" she asked me . "I am a pure vegetarian but sometimes I take eggs" I said.The guy next to me commented " I am not-veg" .

 "It is non-veg" I corrected him..

He shook his head and told " I do not take veg. I take only non-veg.So, I am a not-vegetarian. I am a pure carnivorous person.ha ha ha".

I looked at RK and said "very funny".

 Ratna told me that she would like to know if I take some high calorie food any time in the week. I shook my head and told her that I eat the right food always. "Biryani( a high calorie rice delicacy) ?" she questioned
"Maybe once or twice a week " I said.

"That is too much calories sir" RK commented.

"Drinks?" was the next question from Ratna.  "you mean Coke?" I replied back.

"Sir no jokes please. she is asking about scotch" RK added.

"Maybe one or two pegs a week" I replied.

" It would be  better  if you give it up totally" she said.

"Doctors advice two pegs every evening for a healthy life" I reminded her. "Doctors advice many other things also, do you follow them?" she said with a smile on her face.

After about 15 minutes of question and answer session, Ratna asked me to step on the weighing machine. Reluctantly I stepped on it.

 " Oh My God ! you are weighing #@ kilograms. Sir start your workout regularly and stick to the diet plan I have given you. I bet you will lose 10 kilograms in 3 months without any doubt" she said.

I started going to the gym very regularly and stuck to almost 60 % of the diet plan given by Ratna . Weeks passed by and it was  3 months from the time I started my diet plan with personal training.

I was feeling far better as I had lost close to 8 kilograms during that time.

It was a Sunday and I went to the gym though generally I would not make it to the gym on Sundays . I sat on the cycle and was doing my 20 minutes workout.

"Hi" a sweet voice was heard. I looked back .It was Divya.

She give me a  huge smile and sat on the cycle to my right. We started talking. "Where were you Divya ? Could not see for almost 3 months. I thought you got married"  I joked.

"Marriage is not very far away. I was in the US on an overseas project" she said. We then spoke of many things like proper diet and importance of exercise in ones life.

She complemented me telling that I had lost considerable amount of weight and I looked much fitter now. I acknowledged the same with a  smile.

Once my workout was over, I got up from the cycle and said "Bye Divya " and started walking away.

"Bye Uncle  take care" she said.

I was annoyed and felt  frustrated. My efforts for 3 months down the drain.

I closed my eyes and remembered what the Guru told me during meditation sessions.

 "What others say is not in our control but how we react or respond to it is in our control".

 I opened my eyes and with a big smile on my  face walked up to her and said

 "Bye child,  take care".

Children’s Competitions – 1981 &2014, a contrast.

Children’s Competitions – 1981 &2014 … A contrast…

Children’s day was celebrated all over India on 14^th of November.

I became nostalgic when I saw the photo above…it was exactly 33 years ago that I won my first inter-school English debate competition..It was held on 14^th of November 1981….

Many thoughts have come to me since I saw the photo again…

First and foremost I recollected the day the event happened.It was a Saturday and I came back from my school and told my father that there was a competition and I wanted to attend. The topic was “Pandit Nehru and children”. My father who was a school teacher then dictated few lines and I went through those lines once or twice. Little did I knew about my ability to speak on a podium .I just wanted to go and participate. There was no one motivating me to go and I took the decision myself to represent my school. Of course my father was solid behind me giving  the required notes for the event.

 I then got ready wearing my school uniform and got on to my Hero cycle and went straight to the missionary school where the event was being held. I could find about two dozen students from various schools , few of them from very reputed convents. My co-school mate who joined me shook his head in disbelief and told me that we from a Govt school stood no chance. I cared a least about it. When my turn came I walked to the podium and spoke with full confidence. I not only won the event but the judges  praised me too. One of them even asked me how I could speak such good English…

If we look back during those years , we had limited scope and  exposure. We did not have the TVs, internet , phones and of course no Google. We read books to gain knowledge and many a times did not have a mike on the podium as in the case of the photo above. Yet we could manage and participate in events like debates the way children do today. I recollect during many debates which I took part and won subsequently, I would come back from school, play in the huge open ground opposite my house, do my homework and prepare for the event.

 

Unknowingly we were balancing our day schedule very well. We used to read , eat and play to the required extent. We used to eat most of the times in our homes or the home made food we would carry to the school. Of course there were no good food outlets at that time in the  towns we lived in. So, there were very rare cases of childhood obesity or problems related to it.

On the contrary, if we look at our  lifestyle today, it is a huge change from the one we had when we were kids.

I would not like to dwell much upon the change in lifestyle but yes, I would like to discuss about the way our kid’s lives have changed.

Couple of days ago ( on a Sunday to be precise) there was a spell bee competition being conducted by a local TV channel for primary school kids. 

My son was representing his school in the 3^rd standard segment. A book containing many difficult words in English was given to the kids. For about 15 days my son was going through the book. More than him my wife was involved with the book. Now a days any curricular or extra-curricular activity of the kid is not for the kid alone. But it is more for the parents. They have to understand the curriculum and prepare the kid for the same.

 I took my son in the car to the school where the written test was being held. The event was supposed to be held from 12.30 to 13.00 hrs.I reached there by about 11.30 AM thinking that I would be one of  the first few. To my surprise found a long queue of cars being parked on the road near the school for about half a kilometer. With lot of difficulty I could find a place to park my car.

I took my son to the school and as we entered the hall where the kids were asked to sit, I was surprised to find parents outnumbering  the kids. Many parents had tension looming large on their faces with an expression of a serious test being conducted for their abilities. Few were telling the kids to do well as it was very important to know spelling of English words.After about 5 minutes couple of lady teachers came and took all the kids to class rooms where they were supposed to take the test. Few parents followed them anxiously only  to be politely told by the teachers to stay back in the hall.

Once the kids went out, I could observe a very contrasting behavior amongst the parents.

Almost all of them took their smart phones out of pockets and started using them. I looked around . There were about 100 plus people and not many were speaking to one another.They were busy with their phones.

With lot of difficulty I could start speaking to a lady who was not so bent upon using her smart phone. She told me that her son was participating and it was very important to develop the habit of participating and winning in kids. I corrected her saying that I was happy if my son participated and not very particular about winning. I told her that if  kids kept meeting other kids and participated in competitions, it would result in a good personality growth. She gave me a strange smile and told me that she wanted her son to win this time and every time. I wished her good luck .

BY 13 hrs the competition was over and I picked my son from the class room and started driving back home.

Then I realized that though today’s kids have all the tools like TV, internet , good books and of course their never tiring parents who want them to be the best, they are not living their lives like we did as kids.

We used to go to schools, play in open grounds, walk back or cycle back home and used to eat what was given by parents.Our parents seldom used to worry about competitions and extra curricular activities.

However this does not take away the huge advantage today’s kids have over our childhood. They have access to the best of education, tools and of course never tiring anxious parents !!!