Refractive Thoughts

Mysuru - City of Palaces, a road-trip on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway brings fond memories! A perfect getaway anytime from the hubbub of high-decibel Bengaluru, the true motivation has been its pristine beauty, uncorrupted residents, a clean environment, delightful eateries, to name a few.  The true excuse though being a ‘thavaru mane (home-sweet-home)’ for my better half. Unfortunately, not anymore after the demise of both her parents; her mother passed away 6 months ago, a tragic statistic to the dreaded virus. On the highway, road-dividers are new inventions now.  Then a challenge, being at one’s own risk to maneuver the oncoming traffic on two narrow lanes.  A mayhem of sorts that brought the traffic to a stand-still.  A familiar face in the other bus in the opposite direction, an extended breezy handshake were energy-filled sights.  Upon a quick exchange of pleasantries, passengers contributed – “right-right…a little to the left and holdane…very close!” with a ...

Relevant to this write-up, an apt saying from a well-known philosopher “A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles.”   A new era…it is the ‘politically correct’ era or so the ‘intelligentsia’ claims.  Our sensitivity quotient should not be measured by the western-influenced ‘politically correct’ statements.  More people today are globe-trotters gaining abundant grey matter and being sensitized to the dynamics of a westernized society.   Politically correct statements are more outward in nature, while what matters the most are those genuine statements - who we really are, what drives our intent, and what intent shaped our statements and subsequent actions. Politicians as well as page-3 persona are dissected for their faux pas, an increased number of occurrences in the recent days, advertently or otherwise.  It is no longer palatable to say physically handicapped, instead the right reference is PWD – Person with ...

Proverbial knowledge via proverbs like ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ holds the test of times in almost all walks of life and around the globe, unless of course you are an Indian!  The phrase essentially means an extensive knowledge or close continuous association with someone or something can slowly trigger a loss of respect for them or it.  We Indians dare to be different and in our context this phrase has a unique connotation.  Let me explain a few scenarios… At noon on a weekday, my friend wanted to venture into his friend’s office.  ‘You should meet this character at his office’ - he told me.  I immediately countered ‘wait at work we mustn’t disturb him.’  My friend had cast a magic spell around his friend’s life or so it seemed - ‘don’t you worry; if he is in a meeting he better step out.  After all I’m his childhood friend.’  In essence, my friend felt an adrenaline rush to capitalize on his familiarity!  While my friend’s friend probab...

World today is more digital than ever before, a ‘x-times’ factor exaggerated by the pandemic.  The universe of typos and auto-corrects and the ensuing embarrassment must be borne with our heads held high, but then with our tails between our legs!  Political gaffes are dime a dozen, and the media feasts on them.   English for many of the non-English speaking countries is an official language, including here in India.   “Engleesh is a punny language; I can talk engleesh, I can walk engleesh” is AB’s famous dialogue from the movie Namak Halaal delivered in his own inimitable style, sums up the scenario. IT companies have invested heavily in training their employees.   Soft skills training is perched at the top of the corporate training list as a much sought-after initiative.   The emphasis in this area was the consequence of a rude awakening that jolted this industry which predominantly had focused on technical coding skills.   Many a new entity mushr...

Walk and the world walks with you; sleep and you sleep alone. Somnambulism or sleepwalking is a sleep disorder and mandates medical evaluation.  It integrates the sleeping and walking activities into one thread.  Time to celebrate walking and sleeping as two distinct streams of activities. Man is a social animal termed the great philosopher Aristotle.   During the waking state, man when into the act of walking aspires to be in the company of fellow walkers to build a conversation.  One may concur to have healthy discussion on a multitude of topics or lose the plot to gravitate into an argumentative mode at decibel levels scorned by neighbours and fellow walkers. In the other (non)activity - an afternoon siesta, or the retirement at the end-of-day, termed sleep where one further slip into a dream state, gets rid of all entanglements to slip into a deep slumber.  Peaceful for the one asleep or soundful with accompanied roars for the partner (sometimes even t...

“God only made a few perfect heads, and the rest covered with hair” – Anonymous quote An ordinary hair-cutting experience morphs into a hair-raising experience and a natural way to mitigate this risk is to orchestrate a fall with a grand entry into the bald club.   The world has only two types of people: one who are bald and the other who are not!   Many from the former strive for an entry into the latter via a wig here and a toupee there, and modern clinical interventions.   Receding hairline has known benefits - time & money saved; vis-à-vis the clan members who enjoy or suffer a copious full-head of hair - extravagantly spend on a multitude of products such as hair gel, oil, combs, curlers, colors, shampoo, not to mention the high-spend on styling options like the now ubiquitous mohawk cut. Who said the hot chair is a politician’s prerogative?!   There is indeed a hot chair in a barber’s shop.   One enters the shop with a head held high but once sea...

  “Gurubrahma…guruvishnu” and “Acharya devobhava” – are engraved values with high reverence in our dharma for our gurus right from our student days.   Several instances stand as a testament to the ‘marked respect’ – an inoculation by Indian birth.   Are there situations, as students where we disrespect our teachers to the extent, we annoy them? Many like me hesitate to pass a judgement about our teacher who stands in front of a classroom to impart knowledge, leave alone annoy but well circumstances can be different!  Propensity to exploit the inadequacies of some who pose they have abundant subject knowledge or who do not show empathy towards their students or do not fit a ‘teacher’ stereotype, is but natural.  Lack of grip on subject matter and inability to answer precocious students’ questions is a common ‘root cause’ for many a pandemonium in the classroom!  A mishmash of a few anecdotal incidents but from my student days… Idiosyncrasy was a stand-ou...

“Neighbour’s Envy, Owner’s Pride” was Onida TV’s tagline which enraptured the hearts of Indian families around mid-80s.   Onida’s green devil sported horns with a ludicrous laugh, frightful fingernails, and a threatening tail that vaulted into our houses through their brand of TV set.   This unconventional ad campaign catapulted the sales of our own Indian product, backed by quality and snazzy looks.   It was an instant hit with school kids, much to the chagrin of their parents, who dressed-up unabashedly as the devil in their school fancy-dress competitions.   The devil indeed ruled the roost! Thirty-five years on, the modern-day city life has triggered a twist to the above tagline.   My parents own an independent house and prided on the ample parking in front of their house.   Our city grew the residential area activities as well, any lung space on our roads indeed a rarity.   Space to park a two-wheeler are magically converted into a four-wheeler pa...

Ever a futile attempt to do a logical search to find a rationale for our BandH! Today it is the pro-outfits and tomorrow it is the anti-outfits. Politically motivated or otherwise, the common man goes through a host of inconveniences. Another Bharat BandH is in the offing tomorrow (Tuesday – 08-Dec-2020) called for by the farmers. A quick rewind to 2016 – the Cauvery river-water dispute escalated into a spate of BandHs in Bangalore. A relatively large-scale damage was inflicted which dented the pride of this city. A BandH forces people to be confined within the four walls, either out of compulsion or fear. We have experienced an overdose of homestay in this pandemic-inflicted lockdown. Even now, high on my priority list is to spend quality time with family. This enforcement though is an opportunity to forge connect time through recreation activities and indoor games. As our family sifted through Netflix, etc. and various TV channels for content to keep us entertained, we dab...

  My dear father Sri. H. G Somasekhara Rao passed away on Tuesday 03-Nov-2020….. Did you all hear a lion roar on Tuesday 3 rd November, a deep one as it slowly started to fade away from the face of this earth?   20,220 nights in my life, I always knew dear pappa as I fondly addressed him, was physically present somewhere to bestow his blessings on me and our family members; deep down his strong prayers and willpower to invoke a full and not a share of the full for each member.   Tuesday was the first night he was physically not present but blessing the entire family in his celestial journey. His colleagues and friends, a vast circle and unending, knew him outside our home.   His zeal and zest for life was infectious, and modern science failed to discover an antidote to tackle his positive energy.   We concur that he was more colourful than the rainbow, sweeter than the best honey, a roar louder than the king of the jungle, but a heart that melted away so fu...

A 3-year journey, expected to end on a high note in October 2020, by quirk of fate was cut short exactly 24-days prior to the logical end.   November 2017 is when I embarked on a new regimen, committed to a 100% adherence every single day no matter what – rain or shine, to improve my fitness with a commitment to maintain good health.   The daily goal read 15,000 steps, and 120 minutes, and 600 kcals burn, and a distance coverage of 12 kilometres.   Oh, I love my WALKING! Walking has been a blissful experience where every step has helped me to connect with my inner self.   The birth of many a new idea, taking shape to mark a logical boundary, filling up of the parts within that boundary for perfect synergy, and the plausible next steps to implement the idea poured out as I varied the pace and intensity of steps.   As I huffed and puffed to climb the gradient to challenge the heart to its medical limits, and as I raced down the gradient I could sense my ideas go...

In a corporate world most have known MoM as Minutes-Of the-Meeting, whereas my in-laws debut experience to watch one of their favourite kannada movie at the multiplex theatre was not in any way inferior since it entails a narration in its minutest detail! Narration here is 8-10 years old during the early days of Online booking on PVR’s website to watch a favourite movie at a nearby Multiplex.   My better-half and I were committed to offer our in-laws the entire nine-yard knowledge – the stereophonic acoustics, an out-of-the-world experience with most comfortable seats, and a sense of satiated feel with a tub-popcorn and a large-drink.   This is quite an indulgence marked with an ensemble of a meal at our favorite restaurant, followed by the movie magic, topped with a cone ice-cream during our drive back home. Our in-laws visited us often and the plan was for them to have a movie experience at the Forum Mall in Koramangala in Bangalore.   The lead up to the event was ...

  An accidental encounter with a quote, motivated me to write this piece – a profound one from Eli Khamarov, a famous writer from England “the best things in life are unexpected, because there were no expectations.” Serendipity, if you will, from my childhood days - the close encounters that I experienced, through this write-up is my effort to relive those unexpected moments.   If I caught their shadow, a brief one notwithstanding should sprinkle a little intelligence and value into my life.   These legends are a household name in Karnataka and their works have defined milestones in Kannada literary world.   DVG – D V Gundappa a stalwart among Kannada writers, produced the most notable work titled Mankuthimmana Kagga; he lived in Basavanagudi and the street where he lived was named after him.   My childhood formative years around 1970-75 were in this neighbourhood – a stone’s throw was my grandmother’s place on East Anjaneya Temple road where I returned from...

 " Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” – Mark Twain, author “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln, US president Popular reference as ‘Born Day’ is in vogue.   Delve into the matters, and you will find people attach great significance for two dates in their life - the Birthday and the New Year’s Eve.   It is as if a Call-from-Above on these two days that people issue a manifesto, like a politician just before the elections, with a corpus of resolutions to discharge an enhanced and purposeful life; among other things, to eat healthy and exercise better that mandates a highly regimented life.   No great test to the grey matter to measure the validity and sustenance, as resolutions fade into oblivion very soon. Age is just a number and it is all in the mind, is a strong belief of the Twain’s clan (mind the above quote).   Fair logic, there is no need ...

Often, I remember the days when as kids we played a game called ‘statue.’   Between two friends, the first one to say ‘statue’ to the second transformed the latter to freeze in that moment, and it lasted into eternity.   Unfreeze was only after the first friend allowed a break!   Modern times present a variation where waiting lines freeze in an eternal state like a mass spell of magic!   Admission lines to schools, counselling for professional courses, marriage hall formalities, and a few more test one’s patience, on the flip side though.   On the positive side, it offers an opportunity to be human once again and a quick chance for collaboration! Marriage halls create a waiting atmosphere and are a natural abode for gossip.   Eavesdropping is then akin to a rush of adrenaline.   Like it matters - “Do you know if this is arranged or love marriage?” to “How did the groom’s father manage this ostentatious wedding with his paltry government salary, did h...

A person’s fascination for 2-wheelers can remain dormant but can never fade away.   In my case, I can be ensconced in a technology-laden luxury 4-wheeler, but my eyes instinctively tracks a new 2-wheeler that whizzes past to drool at its looks and marvel at its design!   The day had arrived in my life to buy a new scooter for my daughter.   At the dealership as I researched a surfeit of choices, I drifted into a stupor… TVS-50 moped with its stunning looks was first introduced onto the Indian roads around 1980.   A narrow menu of scooter and moped choices had made teenagers yearn for more, but our succour resorted to posters and images in auto-magazines.   Mopeds Suvega and Luna ruled the roads though limited in number; the launch of TVS-50 created waves.   Novel technical design aspects in this moped – start clutch, choke, an off button, a new seat-design and a few more - made it attractive for the young generation. We friends had stepped into ou...

A katte in the front porch was the first to take shape before even our home was designed!  Katte is a word in Kannada language.  In its slang avatar, it’s reference is to an elevated platform like a bench from olden days built in front of the houses so that family and friends sat down together to chat; while in a more formal avatar, it refers to a platform or a stage to launch activities, also built as barrier walls to rivers and ponds.  In villages the panchayat - a village council, sat down to discuss politics and triage local disputes towards final settlement with its reference as katte.  In the 1970s our grandparents lived with us.  My grandfather had fought for our freedom struggle, was in his 80s and sat down with friends at a large katte in the evening hours for extended discussion on all topics under the sun – from the esoteric like Vedanta philosophy to the mundane ones like politics.  Others too had participated actively or indirectly in fre...