Reuse, Recycle, Resell!

It’s CSR week at Logica and we at the Writer’s Club are writing for any cause that is close to our hearts.
My contribution -

A friend wondered - Will our children ever know the connection between these two?

When I sent the first draft of this post to a friend to read, she said “there may be some who don’t know what a cassette is!!!”.
So for all ye from the iPOD generation, this is what we used to jam up our evenings, listening to music on Tape Recorders and Walkmans!

I get all nostalgic.
We were not allowed walkmans in school. But rules are for breaking, aren’t they? Sneaking up to the terrace with our walkmans, sharing the earphone with the less fortunate (?), listening to Wham (George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley), Bruce Springsteen and our favorite was Cyndi Lauper with Girls Just Want to Have Fun!! 

Remember those days when our favorite audio cassettes would get all tangled up and we would use our pencils so diligently to roll back the tape.

She doesn’t let me reminisce for long!
In line with her belief of reusing, she comes up with a brilliant idea! Let’s retain the connection and the memories with this wonderful pen/pencil stand. 

This is just one of her ideas. Just Google ‘Anokhi Planet’ and you will be amazed at some of her other innovative eco-friendly ideas!

The mantra is Reuse. Recycle. Resell. I have always encouraged the principles of reuse and recycle in my daily life so that I can reduce my contribution to the landfills. I believe that we shouldn’t just don’t throw out stuff that we don't need. If we think, we can reuse or recycle.  But in all honesty, I wasn’t so innovative with my reuse / recycle ideas. And resell didn’t exist - either Hoard or Throw!!!
Till I went to a flea market organized by a group – Second to None, Bangalore (can be found on Facebook). To quote the founders of that group- “Find a new lease of life for objects around you. Don't discard. Resell. Don't waste. Share. Before you buy new, discover the charm of the old."

The reuse ideas that I saw at that market left me flabbergasted. There were soooo creative. I agree that maybe we all are not that creative. But they also post many of these ideas on their Facebook page. We can even post some stuff there and ask for creative ideas for reuse and there will definitely be some responses. Reselling cannot get easier than on this site.

Reusing may be a bit tedious. But the satisfaction from converting a Kelloggs cornflakes carton to a gifting bag, a Pringles box to an earrings organizer, an old pair of jeans/ shorts to a toothpaste/brush holder cannot be described.

To REUSE Mahatama Gandhi’s famous quote – “Simple Ideas, Immense Satisfaction!”

MY RAINBOW RACE

One blue sky above us
One ocean lapping all our shore
One earth so green and round
Who could ask for more
And because I love you
I'll give it one more try
To show my rainbow race
It's too soon to die.
Some folks want to be like an ostrich,
Bury their heads in the sand.
Some hope that plastic dreams
Can unclench all those greedy hands.
Some hope to take the easy way:
Poisons, bombs. They think we need 'em.
Don't you know you can't kill all the unbelievers?
There's no shortcut to freedom.
Go tell, go tell all the little children.
Tell all the mothers and fathers too.
Now's our last chance to learn to share
What's been given to me and you.

Words and Music by Pete Seeger (1967)

We are like that only!

Every morning at least 8 to 10 people get off the bus at Nokia...Koreans, Chinese, Finns and some Indians...

Everyone walks on the pedestrian pathway…Oulu is known as one of the most friendly cities for cyclists and pedestrians.

Today, Suddenly I see this Indian, running across the road and the grass, cutting across from all corners to reach the office. The difference that this zig zagging made to the total distance is less than 10 steps!!!!

Pedestrian crossings exist at regular intervals on the street with several office buildings...Our man crosses the road bang in the middle of 2 pedestrian crossings!!!

Why are we like that only?

Snowmobiling in Rovaniemi!

Snowmobiling at night in search of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights…when I first read the brochure for Winter activities in Finland, I knew instantly that this was a must. But somehow couldn’t make the plan to do that in March when the chances of seeing the Northern Lights are more.

Long Easter weekend …finally I gathered the courage to try it out. The sky was clear when we started out at 7:00 PM but by the time we reached the forests there was just too much mist…not the perfect conditions to view Northern Lights!

The snowmobiling experience at night by itself was fantastic. Initially as we geared up in our thermal suits, helmets, goggles etc, I started getting apprehensive on whether I would be able to drive the snowmobile. Unfortunately, my team member too wasn't very confident. They advertise that there will be a short lesson…but that turned out to be just the guide telling us the very basics for 5 mins. When I enquired whether we get a trial lesson…he was like…no..WE JUST GO!!!!

There were 2 more snowmobiles in our safari, apart from the guide and they had all tried snowmobiling before. That kinda scared me even more.

Nervous as hell, we started out.  The snowmobile has skis, so if you don't maintain the right speed it tends to go haywire. Moreover, I somehow couldn't get the hang of the accelerator. I would speed up and let go and then we would slow down. It was some jhatka ride!!!

The guide had told us that the locals use snowmobiles here for transport and tend to be fast so we should remain on the right side of the track…not very easy for an Indian!!! No matter how hard I tried, it kept going to the left!!

After about 20 mins or so, I started getting a hang of it. Its not very easy as we need to hold the handle very hard to make sure we go straight, I could feel the strain in my upper arms.

Then came a snowmobile from front. Somehow managed to take the snowmobile to the right corner. The 2 snowmobiles behind me were not so successful…as in the local had to go a lil off the track to cross them. The guide now stopped for a sanity check and gave me a thumbs up…and a good job comment. Now my confidence started increasing. At that point there was also a change in drivers. My friend took over and we started off again.

Somehow she couldnt get the hang of it at all. She was like zig zagging all over the track…from one corner to the other. So we had to change again and I took over.

Confidence levels up, I started checking my speed…can I make it go a wee bit faster..a lil more…most of the times I was at about 24Km/hr…but vrooooooooooooooooooosh I did manage to touch 38km/hr sometimes. I immediately thought of my friend Poorvi… she would have freaked out and definitely touched 55km/hr at least.

Finally we reached the point which is considered to be the best for watching the Northern Lights. Till then I had been concentrating on driving that I didn't realise that there was so much mist around. So no Northern Lights :-(

But we stopped for a camp fire under a typical Finnish tent, where the guide brewed some kapi and made sausages and tikkis(for the veggies).

After about 30 mins it was time to return. My friend wanted to drive but the guide said, that while returning it is a little difficult for 10 mins and she could take over after that. Ab to I was flying in the air…I am toooo good I thought!

The so called difficult section was a steep downhill, but I managed that quite easily, so by now I thought I was a heroine.  Then my friend took over. But again she had problems and she took us over the side, from where we couldnt get the snowmobile back. The guide had to help us out!  So I had to take over again. Ab toh heroine was in fulltosh form.

There came a very steep turn to be taken under a bridge…the guide indicated that we should slow down…I did, but only a wee bit. You know what happens when you get overconfident and are too fast…YOU CRASH!!!

I could see the crash coming, but it didn't strike me to stop the accelerator or press the emergency button!!! And DHAM…we had turned over. I had nimbly jumped off and was on the side. But my friend lay on the snow. As I called out to her, she didn’t respond. I shook her and still NO RESPONSE.

My heart started beating really fast. It was maybe only 2 mins, but seemed like ages to me. The people at the back came over and one ran to call the guide. Everyone was looking so scared. Suddenly she raised her hand and said…’gimme a hand up’ oooooffffffffffffffffff…thank god.

We checked her up and she seemed ok…so we had to start out again. I thought I wouldn't be able to drive now and even  considered asking one of the people at the back to change places with me. But somehow, I felt that if after the crash I don't drive again, I would have a permanent fear…so I got on and we drove.

But yes, I couldnt speed. Went on the perfect 24km/hr and nearly stopped at all the turns. But reached back in one piece.

Politeness at a new level

Everyday when I return from work, near the bus stop that I get off there is this quaint little shop. It says 'Pioni Living'. I don’t know what Pioni really means, but the shop gave a feeling that it dealt with Christian Religious Stuff. Very pretty sculptures of Virgin Mary and angels adorn the show window. Last weekend I decided to visit it.

As I entered the shop I experienced politeness at a different level.

Generally when we are just window shopping or doing TP in a small or medium sized shop in India, the sales person will give you such a disgusted look. Or will fold all the stuff that you have opened to see even before you move away...

In some other places, they will ask with a polite smile – can I help you or the likes.

But here the lady gave her warm Finnish smile, asking if I speak English. As I nodded she asked me if I needed any help or was I just enjoying the shop.
I just smiled and said...I came to enjoy your shop. Her answer took me by surprise...take your time!

The Stones

I saw this play a couple of months back...started my blog on it but never got down to finishing it, till now.

It is inspired by a real life incident. In 1994 two Melbourne teenagers in a dangerous rush of teenage rebellion were kicking stones off a freeway overpass. One of the stones smashed the windshield of a passing car and killed the driver.

This play starts with the playful exuberance of the 2 kids aptly referred to as Yahoo and Shy boy. Yahoo, the leader of the two always eggs on his shy friend challenging him to do several tasks, which not always the shy one is confident of doing or wants to do, especially the climbing on the top of ladder. He is shown to be aggressive with a swagger, more like a street tough in the making. The Shy Boy is more of a childish prankster and a reluctant follower who always lets himself to be prodded on by Yahoo. It's he who is guilt-stricken after the crash and confesses to his mother who takes him to the police. A trial follows and the trauma the Shy Boy goes through was very well enacted.

It was a brilliant play which left one thinking for a long time. The best thing about the play was that after it finished the actors had a q&a/comments session with audience.

They asked their first question, would you give the 2 boys a guilty or not guilty and one could feel the dilemma that each one of us felt while answering that question.

There were several other best things about the play...

The sets were minimal, no elaborate props. There are only 2 artists who did a role play. They play the two boys and with a simple change of shirt by one and police cap by the other they change to the 2 detectives investigating the play. And this is done so well. They just walk backwards on the stage itself for a few steps and return as the new avatar.

They conjure everything out of thin air, with their guitars and bodies adding a range of witty sound effects, from the sound of the stones going smashing down on the freeway to the trailing echoes of a sewer.

As adult interrogators, the men are merciless but at the same time the one interrogating the Shy Boy also seems to want to help the boy. In one scene they are shown trying to empathize with the boys, asking the question – what if their own child was involved? They seem unsettled and confused in what they really think and want – guilty or not guilty?

The one question that was on everyone’s mind was what finally happened to the boys? Not surprisingly, they had a hung jury and then a second trial was held. At the end of the trial, all felt that the trauma faced by the children was punishment enough and they were acquitted. However, where the boys are now or what they are doing is not known. The names of the boys were kept hidden from the media and the theater group, in order to respect the privacy of the children. Which is where the media in India can learn a lot – respect what should be digged up and what should not be.

It seems that the wife of the driver who was killed was invited to watch the play. She came but left half way without any comments.

As is very rightly said - the play has no easy answers but it dares to ask some big questions.

Independence Day

From Calvin's prespective...

Voting in the Elections 2009

I am a disappointed person since yesterday. I couldn’t cast my vote in the General Elections. I did so want to ...in fact I was desperate, but it seems that my form was rejected and my name NOT included in the electoral rolls.
Some one commented..."even if you do get to vote, you have to vote for a buffoon!!!"
That’s not the point. If the politicians realize that it is going to be the urban educated population that goes out to vote they will rethink...they will know that they are going to be taken to task so they will do something for their constituencies.
Now they know, even if they do nothing for 5 years, just before the elections they can lure the unaware poor & uneducated voters by just distributing booze and one sari. They know that it’s not the aware that decide the winners, but the poor and they know how to get the votes from them.
We should not think that its only a single vote...coz if we all think like that, it would an important part of the vote bank that does not vote.
Every vote counts...and I believe (optimistic that I am) that we can bring about a change and that is why I ran with my friend in the blazing heat from one booth to the other to figure out where she can vote!
As Mahatma Gandhi once said "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history".

The Balance of Nature

I always feel that we humans take everything for granted, believe that we are so damn superior, and don’t respect the environment and nature...
Many a times I have wondered what must the wild animals think of us? Are they wild or are we wild???
I just love this one!

OPTIMISM!!!

OMG…Petrol prices are soaring…A hike of Rs 5 is difficult to digest…
Should I seriously look at the option to run my car on water…
But the pro of this hike is that …maybe …just maybe…it will discourage people from getting a car for each member of the family, they will seriously think of a ‘Car Pool’ …which means less traffic, less pollution, less road rage…
Now that’s OPTIMISM!!!

Doing our bit

Was going through some school snaps and 2 snaps bought back really fun memories…when school girls did their bit for the environment and society…

Dehra Dun and the hill station of Mussoorie were once abundant in lush green forests and gushing springs. However with so-called economic growth, lime stone mining and felling of trees became common. Limestone quarrying was a lucrative business and as usual in their greed they overdid it …destroying the natural limestone aquifers, causing soil erosion and environmental degradation

There was a court case by the people against the lime stone contractors, which led to closure of many of the mines but the damage had been done…

Every year Welhamites would go for tree plantation …I cant remember the figures of how many trees we planted… but I do remember it was loads…we would start off from school early in the morning with packed lunches and be back quite late…And in a place like Dehra Dun where it rains for 10 months in a year…we invariably got caught in showers…however that did not dampen our spirits …moreover if we reached a certain limit we would get 5 star chocolates (u can see Superna and Radhika waving their chocolates in the snap)…


In 1989 there were severe floods in India…causing loss of life and property…I remember the appeal by our principle Mrs Shanthi Varma. We needed to do something to help them …a decision that we would forego the curd from our lunch and pudding from dinner :-( for a week. The amount saved would be sent for relief operations…
But this did not seem enough…so we planned a sponsored walk… all the girls would get sponsorship @ 100 Rs/km and walk 12 kms from school through the city centre till Rajpur Road…
Since it was a hostel and we came from different parts of the world…it was not so simple…wherein we could just get our parents to sponsor us… we had to get in touch with the industrialists in Dehra Dun…I got my sponsorship from Toyota Cars…

Responsible Citizens???

A few days back I needed to avail the cab services provided by my company to go somewhere.

I found that the cab driver was driving really rash…at one point he jumped the manual signal …the traffic policeman is asking him to stop but he just ignored him blatantly…
Senior colleagues sitting in the cab saw this and had a good laugh…and started discussing how bus/cab drivers are rash and don’t care because they would be fined anyways…

Yours truly should have kept shut…but I just can’t tolerate this. I immediately took off saying that it was our duty as the cab users to insist that he drive carefully…after all if there is an accident we could also get hurt. Even if we report to the admin, it’s not going to work. It’s only the users of the cab that can stop this rash driving.

The looks I got said it all…Thank god this idiot is not a regular in our cab.

Educated people like us want the cab driver to be rash so that we can reach home 5 mins early…I am quite sure that is the maximum time difference this would make…

We all crib about the traffic situation in Bangalore…but where we can make a difference we don’t… so should we be complaining?