Friends and nothing else!

     Friends, yes the show that entertained young and old alike  in the 90's is probably the only show I watch today( apart from a couple of mythological shows). Well, I never got the chance to watch Friends during the 90s as then there was no cable network available and it was either Doordarshan or DD Metro. However if I recall those days I'd still say that the quality of content  on DD was much better than the utter crap shown on all cable network channels these days. 

    Shows like Zaban Sambhal Ke, Dekh bhai Dekh, Nukkad had a certain charm about them  and were wonderful because of their simplicity. However today, you'd find that TV shows are like the letter S. Draw the letter S and draw another one without lifting your hand, you'd be surprised that you can go on and on on a never ending spree. Such is the quality of Indian shows. Barring a few shows like 'Sumit Sambhal Lega' - the Indian version of 'Everybody loves Raymond' I think I have not enjoyed watching anything else in the past few months.

     Ohh yes I like watching mythological shows but even those are getting dragged unnecessarily.Take for instance: Siya Ke Ram, nice concept, Ramayan from Sita's perspective but God ! what's with the snail like pace of the show? For example in one of the episodes, Kaikeyi summons Ram to her palace to inform him that he has to go to vanvas.What do we see in that entire episode? Rams journey from the Raj Mahal to Kaikeyis place which actually is but a few metres away. I was wondering if Ram was circumnavigating the earth that it took him so long to reach his destination. One full episode???The next day was entirely dedicated to his return journey. I mean come on, show some progress, why drag so much. Think of how you can educate the younger generation through examples from our rich mythology rather than show 360 degree camera movement.

     Such shows because of their pace and the remaining ones because of the nonsense ( I literally say they make no sense) are enough to put me off and you would definitely agree with me on this. It's like my irritation level rises the moment I take the remote in my hand. There are times when I have felt I should lift the television and throw it down the window. Don't worry haven't done that yet as thankfully other things (reading, writing,cooking, coding) have occupied my schedule.Hence these days  it's very less TV ( I myself am surprised at this because I remember what a couch potato I was when I was in school/college. My dad, a strict dad that he's been never allowed me to watch a lot of TV but I'd always be a rebel and would want to watch more ,sometimes even sneaking into neighbours house to do so but today I do I understand what he meant then, too much TV is simply a waste of time.You know there's this saying, when your hair starts turning grey, you realise and understand your parents words but till then any amount of advice is just on deaf ears.In this case its something like that only).

     To conclude Friends is the only show I enjoy watching just because it's as fresh as a newly blossomed flower and will never ever cease to make the audience laugh. Plus one has to agree, after a day's hard work if one has to relax what better way than to laugh your lungs out? Isn't it? So Friends and Friends alone.

P.S. - Again I am finding time to write this as I have unplugged the TV cable for the entire day, not a waste of time penning my thoughts, is it? ;)

Will subscription fee driven Netflix work in a country like India?

                  Netflix -The global provider that started off as an American DVD by-mail service in 1998 is out to attract customers around the world. It is a subscription based film and television program rental service that offers media to subscribers via Internet streaming thus making it possible to watch movies and TV shows on a number of devices ranging from smart phones to smart TV. Apart from TV shows and movies, it is also known to stream a lot of original content in high resolution HD. 

      Netflix reached India in early 2016. The question looming large is ‘Will a subscription based service like Netflix survive in India when video downloads is freely available via torrents, youtube and other video streaming services? The subscription fee for Netflix in India is   500/ month, (not very cheap though), how many of us would be ready to shell out the amount when the ‘free download system’ exists in our veins. 

        Again pricing is not the only concern. Internet speeds also matter. Currently Netflix gives the following usage statistics: 

• Low (0.3 GB per hour)

• Medium (SD: 0.7 GB per hour)

• High (Best video quality, up to 3 GB per hour for HD and 7 GB per hour for Ultra HD)

• Auto (Adjusts automatically to deliver the highest possible quality, based on your current Internet connection speed)

One would definitely agree, that high speed internet connection is a must for video streaming and that is still a fancy dream in many Indian cities. The average data plans available by telecom providers do support streaming of video content at high speed but almost always at the cost of higher prices. This might be another obstacle in Netflix’s reach to a larger Indian audience.

Also to have Netflix it is necessary to have a credit card or ‘International Banking Activated’ debit card. This would further mean divulging of personal information and only time can tell how many would be interested in doing so just to watch shows as against free availability through other means. 

             Additionally the Netflix catalogue caters to a global audience providing very few Indian content based shows. Hence if it has to have a upper hand in the Indian market, it needs to capture the native audience in the real sense by offering more local content.

   To conclude, in the present scenario , Netflix might work if and only if torrents are completely banned , if the subscription fees are toned down to double digits and with an option of more local shows. However considering that India is growing and that a ‘not seen before’ 3G connection is fast gaining popularity even in the smallest towns, who knows Netflix might be able to gain its hold on the Indian market  : this however, still remains to be seen.

           

The world of possibilities

          

       

       'When one door closes,another one opens but we often  look so long and regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us' ~Alexander Graham Bell

        Being unemployed or on a break for more than a few months can lead to depression.It can severely affect one's self-confidence.Some people become more pessimistic and that takes a toll on their health.They develop a rigid outlook towards life and a drastic change is seen in their behaviour and their interactions with others.Slowly and eventually they develop a wall around themselves and are cocooned within it.

    Though  the above are some of the acute symptoms of depression unemployment is not the end of life. Every dark cloud has a silver lining and a break at work usually means a thousand opportunities . I personally believe that being jobless opens up a world of possibilities.Imagine getting up everyday to think that there is something new and exciting to learn today,rather than get doomed by the thought of "Oh I have nothing to do!.Knowing that the day has something innovative to provide you itself is a great feeling isn't it?

         In today's world of Internet and Technology where everything is available at a mere click of a button,I just wonder the immense opportunities that one can avail of when on a break or on the lookout for a new job.New skills,new hobbies,good books,voluntary activities,meditation are just some ways of keeping the mind motivated.The internet has paved way for building new connections. Today,unlike the yesteryears, one can take up courses online and learn new skills, learn a new instrument,take up creative writing. Reading books allows one to be in touch with one's self,induces radical thoughts and sometimes invades the boundaries of imagination.Where is the time to get depressed then,when there is so much to do?

        I was reading this book on Steve Jobs by Walter Issaacson and was quite struck by a phenomenon mentioned in the book. It is called 'The Reality Distortion Field'. It was a phrase mentioned in the Star Trek series that related to the creation of a new world by aliens due to sheer mental force.Something which mean't that if one thinks something as possible it indeed becomes possible. When you think of something as possible,the whole universe conspires to make that thing possible for you.

     I personally have come to believe that a simple positive thought that I can do it,all things are possible for me, can change one's outlook towards life.There have been times when I have felt low,felt like giving up ,however negativity simply breeds more negativity and so is it true vice versa.The days when I have woken up thinking I will do my  best to learn something new today are the days which have been my happiest and most fulfilling.As Rhonda Byrne mentions in her book The Secret 'You become what you think about most.But you also attract what you think about most'.Thanks to the Internet,some really great books and many positive people around me today,I can confidently say 'I am standing at the door to the World of Possibilities'

         Last but not the least ,Mahatma Gandhi too has quoted "Man often becomes what he believes himself to be.If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing,it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it.On the contrary,if I have the belied that I can do it,I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning"

       

   

The Inner Voice Speaks!

I asked myself once
Who am I?
The rich or poor?
I heard someone say no
The dumb or the smart one?
No the voice said again
The awkward or the beauty?
The obscure or the famous?
The generous or the miserly
The voice: No neither these too
Am I the fair one or the dark complexioned?
The lean or the obese
Do these define me,I kept asking
The voice: No they do not define you
Who is this replying to my queries? I thought
Here and there I searched everywhere but to no avail
Days passed, time flew
Still I couldn't recognize who had spoken
While sitting silently one day however
I heard a firm yet silent voice ,my inner voice,say
None of the above are you
You are the soul,the eternal essence
The self that transmigrates through everyone
The only existing entity
The ultimate Truth!!

‪#‎InspiredbyTheBhagavadGita‬

Gita Saar

Mahabharata has always been a source of inspiration for me,especially its essence in the form of the divine song Gita sung by the Lord himself.While Gita has been interpreted and understood in thousands of languages national and international,its mini version in Marathi written by 

G.D Madgulkar and sung by Sudhir Phadke always tends to leave me with a message when I am in need of that inner peace of mind.I have tried to interpret its meaning,however I am sure the essence is much deeper than that.Everytime I listen to the song I gain some sort of strength enough to look at life with a different lens.Here is how it goes!

विमोह त्यागून कर्मफलांचा सिद्ध होई पार्था

कर्तव्याने घडतो माणूस जाणून पुरुषार्था

(Oh Partha,renounce all the desire for the fruits of your karma and get ready

Cause Only through duty does a man evolve,know this eternal truth)

शस्त्र त्याग तव शत्रू पुढती नच शोभे तुजला

कातर होसी समरी मग तू विरोत्तम कसला 

घे शस्त्र ते सुधीर होऊन रक्षाया धर्मार्था

(It does not do good to you to give up your weapons and your confidence in front of your enemies,

Hold the weapons without fear for you have a duty to protect righteousness on this earth)

कर्तव्याच्या पुण्य पथावर मोहांच्या फूलबागा

मोही फसता मुकशील वीरा मुक्तीच्या मार्गा

इह परलोकी अशांतीने तव विक्रम झुकवील माथा

(On the way of duty,you will come across gardens of delusion,if you fall prey to these,you shall lose the way to your redemption,in this and after world you will lose peace of mind)

कुणी आप्त ना कुणी सखा ना जगती जीवांचा

क्षणभंगूर ही संसृती आहे खेळ ईश्वराचा

भाग्य चालते कर्मपदांनी जाण खऱ्या वेदार्था

(There is none who is a friend,nor is anyone a relative in this material world,this world and its actions are nothing but a divine play,only ones karma leads the way to the ultimate truth)

रंगहीन मी या विश्वाच्या रंगाने रंगलो

कौरवात मी पांडवात मी अणुरेणूत भरलो

मीच घडवीतो मीच मोडीतो उमज आता परमार्था

(I am unmanifest and formless,yet I manifest in different forms,I am present in the Kauravas as well as the Pandavas,I am omnipresent.I make and I alone can break ,know this ultimate truth)

कर्मफुलाते अर्पून मजला सोड अहंता वृथा

सर्व धर्म परी त्यजून येई शरण मला भारता

कर्तव्याची साद तुझ्या तुज सिद्ध करी धर्मार्था

(Leave your ego,surrender yourself and the fruits of your actions to Me,Just do your duty and prove that righteousness and only righteousness rules)

There is definitely a lot more to these thoughts and a lot of reading and re-reading the Gita will help internalise the deeper truth.

Try

What way to make it go away

The conflict that lies within

This is good,that isn't much,don't do it

Making life all the more confusing

Thoughts of self doubt creep in

Whither way should I go

A step ahead brings fear

Moving back is not what I know

One says think well when you are alone

Speak well when in a crowd

The mind ceases to listen

Opposite is what it does

Frustration brings words out like a piercing knife

Hurts self more than others

Regret is the only remnant

That shakes the roots of trust

Get control get control

Is what I keep saying to myself

All I know is that's achieved

By putting ones mind to rest

Will I ,won't I?

I do not know you see

One thing for sure I know is

I need to try and try

Science Is Fun

Science is fun.You must be wondering what makes me say this suddenly? 
I attended a 2-day workshop by Think Labs where I had  fun working on activities that somehow shook my thinking.
Well even if I had not revealed the true reason isn't it just obvious that Science is fun.Then why aren't many people not so keen on taking up Science as their future career, why are there people who dread the subject, why is it just considered a combination of theories and postulates that are made to seem horrible.
When I think of it I see that our system has made the subject look so. In these two days as I was being a part of activities conducted in the workshop, my opinion  has changed to an extent that it has made me think how every single thing around us is a beautiful aspect of Science.
We as a part of the education system need to realize that our students are a resource of questions, they come up with these out of the box questions that sometimes have us tongue-tied.We as teachers a lot of times suppress their questions out of the fear that we may not know their answers.However if we were ever to look into the ancient educational system, it revolved around questions, didn't it? There were questions and there were attempts to answer those questions. None may have succeeded answering those in the first go, but failures were the best way to learn.From a failed theory evolved a new concept. Each time there was failure there was something new to think about.
Today I felt like a student going back to the classroom. I felt I had so much more to learn, to absorb. I realized that our human brain should be like a sponge that can absorb information and knowledge from all possible sources and then utilize it to think. I was so overwhelmed seeing that materials from day to day life can be used to explain concepts of why valves in our heart work in a particular fashion. I was thrilled to see how balloons can be used to understand the concept of a helicopter's working.
Our students come up with such crazy ideas at times that they indeed marvel us.Instead of tapping those we end up making them bookworms.Our system of testing kids saddens me to the point that a certain kid who has an ability to build a gadget is failed just because he is not able to put the theory in words on the paper.Why is our education system out to create a bunch of kids who are going to learn to read,write but will never know how to think? They will never be a part of something innovative, they will never wonder about why things are the way they are? How many of us have wondered why there have never been new theories discovered in the recent years, why do we see students keen on taking up hardware jobs end up being in the service sector just because our country has hardly encouraged innovation or there are few avenues that harness the talent of invention and discovery.It is a major loophole that our system is taking away the curiosity, the creativity,the ability to discover something new. It is a major concern for us educators to think about this and its almost time we do it.
I would really like to thank the Think Labs team for conducting workshops in our school. It definitely made us look at the subject of Science differently. Now I know that a certain Siddhant ,Ronit ,Rohan ,Ritika, Vipul ,Abhishek who may have been at the bottom crux of my class purely for the ability to not write effectively on paper,will be able to think, to ask,to discover, to explore the world of SCIENCE.