Thursday, April 03, 2014
Eclectic Rant: Short Story : Alamu's journey into the Ramayana world - Part 1
Alamu's Journey into the Ramayana World - Part 1
by Vatsala Dorairajan
That gentle cool breeze wafting just around her face while the sunshine warmed her feet made it feel all the more comfortable and cozy for Alamu to keep her eyes closed in sleep for some more time. It was a few minutes later, that it struck her that she had gone to sleep on the cold damp grass under her favourite mango tree in her garden and it was winter when she slept. But this felt warm and pleasant and cool, all at the same time.
So what was this place? And where was it? Intrigued to know where the sleep fairy, Nidra Devi, had brought her today, she gently opened her eyes, sat up and looked around to see if she could identify anything or anyone around her. Before she could make any sense of the surroundings , “I wonder what Rishi Valmiki taught the brothers today”, squeaked a voice above her. “I just cannot wait to lay my hands on the nuts that are going to fall off their bags as they trundle along this path”, squeaked yet another voice. The conversation and the voices, both were very amusing to Alamu. A quick glance upwards the tree that she sat under, revealed that the owners of the squeaky voices were two squirrels, intently gazing at the row of huts just a little ahead along the mud path beside the tree that Alamu was sitting under.
Eclectic Rant: Short Story : Alamu's journey into the Ramayana world - Part 1: a
by Vatsala Dorairajan
That gentle cool breeze wafting just around her face while the sunshine warmed her feet made it feel all the more comfortable and cozy for Alamu to keep her eyes closed in sleep for some more time. It was a few minutes later, that it struck her that she had gone to sleep on the cold damp grass under her favourite mango tree in her garden and it was winter when she slept. But this felt warm and pleasant and cool, all at the same time.
So what was this place? And where was it? Intrigued to know where the sleep fairy, Nidra Devi, had brought her today, she gently opened her eyes, sat up and looked around to see if she could identify anything or anyone around her. Before she could make any sense of the surroundings , “I wonder what Rishi Valmiki taught the brothers today”, squeaked a voice above her. “I just cannot wait to lay my hands on the nuts that are going to fall off their bags as they trundle along this path”, squeaked yet another voice. The conversation and the voices, both were very amusing to Alamu. A quick glance upwards the tree that she sat under, revealed that the owners of the squeaky voices were two squirrels, intently gazing at the row of huts just a little ahead along the mud path beside the tree that Alamu was sitting under.
Eclectic Rant: Short Story : Alamu's journey into the Ramayana world - Part 1: a
Thursday, March 06, 2014
Siberian huskies in Bangalore
High-maintenance dogs like the husky should not be bred or kept by anyone as they require a huge amount of time, space, work and company to keep them happy and non-destructive (cancellation of morning runs will reflect on the state of the furniture).
Since I have a husky, I just wanted to put down a few thoughts on him......
See I never wanted a husky in the first-place, because apart from my pregnancy I knew its a very bad idea to keep a working-dog (with that much amount of pent-up energy) as a pet/house dog. Now having a working-dog, only reaffirms my belief that housing a Siberian husky is like housing a racehorse or keeping the proverbial "White Elephant" - as normal middle-class people do not live in Ooty or Darjeeling or have large tracts of land for the husky to run his many miles a day.
I will not breed the husky because
a) Huskies love to run, run and run. Balto and Toga - the most famous of their breed averaged nearly 92 kms a day on the Nome-serum run. Even a 2-5 km walk (which is beyond most normal couch-potato humans) is a tame affair by their standards
b) Huskies have no road sense. Once off their leash they can be miles away before they realise their owner is missing. An under-exercised husky off the leash could actually mean a dead husky on the highway.
c) Huskies can rip the house apart when bored. The furniture, cushions, gadgets - everything can be used to play tag - with an under-exercised husky. Their destructive behaviour can get them dumped at shelters when handled by inexperienced owners.
d) Huskies are houdini artists. They can scale 6-7 foot high fences and if fail they can always dig under the fence
e) Apparently huskies in Siberia shed only twice a year. In India, they shed all-year round. And if a cocker spaniel's fur shedding can be likened to a snowball, huskies' shed like an avalanche. I have seen some people banning huskies to kennels only because of the fur-problem
f) Huskies are not people-pleasers like cocker-spaniels, labs, goldies and GSDs. They are highly-intelligent dogs that are not inclined to obey commands just because they understand them. My husky will obey only if he feels like it or there's a treat in sight.
g) Huskies need large spaces. They are unhappy when kept cooped-up. They are also gregarious souls and working dogs. They (being bred as working team dogs) are friendly to all, including burglars. They have no territorial/gaurding instinct and I have seen some huskies getting dumped only because people deem them "useless."
Labels: Siberian husky, working dog breeds
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Of dog care & shelters
My own (highly subjective) opinion is that if you need to get help for a dog in Bangalore - then I would suggest you to approach Cessna Lifeline or your local vet.
I recently had a very disastrous experience when I sought the help of Nanny Woof and Animal Aid Alliance in Bangalore - because of the misrepresentations of a social welfare worker named Anoopa Anand. I initially shyed away from making my experience public as I could see this person loves dogs and is passionate about her work. And from what I've seen she is also scrupulously honest with regard to financial matters.
But then misrepresenting - when you are in social welfare - can cost others a lot as dogs, in particular, are an emotional investment more than anything. Some people, despite their good intentions, can still cause a whole lot of havoc because of their short-temper, carelessness, ineptitude, shoddy homework, dogmatic views and lack of foresight.
I had contacted Nanny Woof on October 24, 2013. I told her I lived in a rented apartment and was finding it difficult to have a husky and a cocker spaniel with me - given that my house owner and neighbours were objecting.
I told her that I needed to put them up for boarding - till I find better accommodation and my life stabilizes a little. I told her that roughly the period might be anywhere from a month to as long as 6 months. She offered my dogs a place in a shelter AAA was constructing at Devanahalli.
I called her again mid-November and she told me they still haven't finished construction. I called her again in December and she told me the kennels were still not ready and that she will get back to me. So far in all my interactions with her she was friendly, helpful and non-critical.
On January 4, 2014 - out of the blue - I got a call from her in which she asked me when I am putting up my dogs for boarding. I said I couldn't tell her immediately - I will call and let her know by end of day. To my utmost surprise, she angrily suddenly started off on this long rant - "Do you know how many dogs everyday are sick, injured, dying? This precious space at the shelter! There are so many needy dogs that I have turned away because I am keeping this huge kennel for Husky & Maximus. Do you know how big the kennel is? Have you taken the effort to come and see it?"
I was a little stunned and repeated that I will let her know by end of day - and I did - I told her I'll drop them off that very Saturday.
Disconnect - she acted like she had called me 5 times and I'd had kept delaying her and kept her on the hook - and she had to turn away dogs that needed help because of my inaction. When in truth it was the first time she called and I acted very promptly.
I just thought she had a bad day and dismissed it....
Worse was to follow.....
To be continued....
(PERTINENT FACT: The shelter we are talking about opened in January 2014 and now within the first week of March is in the process of shutting down)
Labels: animal shelter Bangalore, animal welfare Bangalore, Cessna Lifeline, CUPA
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Eclectic Rant: Why a nameplate does not make a brand
One of the Reuters' brand mottos is that "People make the difference." That I feel is so true. At the end of the day - its the people in the company, the people who go the extra mile; the people who show a little kindness; the people who remember to put themselves in the other person's (client/colleague) shoes who make the difference.
The fact of the matter is that for a brand to give that feeling to you, there needs to be a synchronized commitment by the people(who form the organization) towards the customer - Right from the door man standing at the gate of the showroom, to the store manager, to the regional sales head, to whatever designation the big boss of the company holds. Because the spirit of the brand starts in the heart of the people working there, and then reaches the customer only through them. What name plate you hang in front of your store matters much less. An Audi board with heartless behaviour is worth nothing whereas some random "Batliwalla & Sons" with high customer orientation is a multicrore business proposition.
Eclectic Rant: Why a nameplate does not make a brand
The fact of the matter is that for a brand to give that feeling to you, there needs to be a synchronized commitment by the people(who form the organization) towards the customer - Right from the door man standing at the gate of the showroom, to the store manager, to the regional sales head, to whatever designation the big boss of the company holds. Because the spirit of the brand starts in the heart of the people working there, and then reaches the customer only through them. What name plate you hang in front of your store matters much less. An Audi board with heartless behaviour is worth nothing whereas some random "Batliwalla & Sons" with high customer orientation is a multicrore business proposition.
Eclectic Rant: Why a nameplate does not make a brand
Monday, October 23, 2006
Gothic remnants
Rachel Chitra, IInd year M.A. Communication student, and of course from the one and only Madras Chrisitian College
