Paint Brush the New Way!!

I've recently found a new hobby..... using paint brush the new way...... Indeed, you'd find me doodling on paint brush once a while...but I've put my hobby to a good use! So, here are some portraits of my friends and celebrities.. that I've tried.... I'm still trying to perfect the art, but couldn't wait to share these.... so cheers!

Pure Bliss

Pure Bliss. The words echoed within me and my mind!

It was 6am and I woke after only couple of hours of restless sleep. The train was over crowed, dirty, noisy and the mosquitoes kept humming; not to mention the hard berth that can give you neither comfort nor sleep.

As I climbed down, from my berth the first thing that struck me was a fresh cool breeze, so pure so clean that in spite of the sleepless night I was suddenly refresh. And then I couldn’t wait to reach home. It was months after I was going back home to meet my family, definitely an occasion to look forward to after all the hard work I had put in I totally deserved this break. As the train approached my destination, my impatience to alight from the train grew.

The moment I stepped, on to Ahmedabad station, I forgot it all, the pain, the stress, frustration and the hardships that had gripped me for several months. This was nothing but a happy occasion. On way home, I realized the air was so clean and pure, totally pollution-free. The cool breeze was nice not chilling, not cold, just perfect. It posted a smile on my face, a smile I felt to the heart. As the streets whooshed by I reminisced all the wonderful times I had spent them. Mind travels faster then light, and I was suddenly amongst all the crowds at the street hawkers, experiencing all the good old times when me and my friends, had been to these places, street side hawkers jogging and hogging in the early morning hours.

This is what I always wanted and need nothing more. This was better than any vacation anywhere on planet earth. The smiling faces of my parents and family and the love in their eyes as the hugged and welcomed me to the warmth of our home, was the perfect setting for holidays. After all what better gift can one ask for Christmas? Yes I got my Christmas gift, way before Christmas. And yes, this ecstatic feeling of homecoming is nothing but pure Bliss…in fact better than the joy of heaven!

Quality Vs. Quantiy

Recently, lots of people have been asking me why I’ve suddenly stopped blogging. I’ve just had one answer to those several dozens of people… “I’m not inspired enough!”

Inspired writing I believe creates Qualitative writings. Hence, I write in what I truly believe, something that inspires me and comes directly from my heart and soul. Sounds melodramatic? Well it isn’t…it’s just the truth once again coming directly from my ‘heart and soul’.

So what’s the big deal about Qualitative and Quantitative writings? Nothing! It’s up to the person who writes and to people who read those blogs. At times I think Quantitative blogs can be termed “Spamming”.

Well, I could always blog about my day to day events like other bloggers, but I won’t because I believe blogging is about sharing something unique and special with the world, not just day to day events that almost each of us encounter. So, I feel it’s about Quality not Quantity. And as I write this post I reminiscence a movie “Music and Lyrics” and I’m going to borrow heavily from it.

Well to quote something from the famous movie “I write dinner not breakfast!” (or at least I attempt to)and with that I don’t need to say anything more!

And as for when you’ll see my next post….here are few more lines from a very soul touching song from the same movie that will answer your question:

“I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine

I've been searching but I just don't see the signs

I know that it's out there

There's got to be something for my soul somewhere

.. .. .. ..

.. .... ..

.. .. .. ..

There are moments when I don’t know if it’s real

Or if anybody feels the way I feel

I need inspiration

Not just another negotiation”

So while you wait for my next post… do make a point to listen to this song….!

Ahh...well, I suppose, at least that inspired me enough to post this blog!

So Cheers!!

Virtual Reality

Most of us feel that video games/computer games are such a waste of time or intellect! Well maybe, but at times when boredom grips you, and you have nothing better to do, these provide some entertainment too!!

What’s new is that the virtual world collides with our real world to provide a virtual reality real time games! Sounds techie isn’t it?! And I warn you these games are highly addictive too!!

I’ve been up to playing one such computer game recently. Although, I’m not too good at computer games, this one particularly caught my attention coz of many reason, two main being, its easy and user-friendly and secondly it’s real-time. So this game called “Virtual Villagers” is absolutely incredible.

The game kicks off as a bunch of villagers land on an uninhabited island ‘Isola’. The villagers need to complete a list of tasks to uncover the ‘Mystery of Isola’ and complete the game. Each villager can master a skill like building, research, healing, farming, etc.

This game continues real time, meaning it keeps going even when you close the game and switch off your computer. If you assign a task to a villager, and switch off your computer the villager completes the task for you. Interesting eh? Well it doesn’t even begin yet. Villagers have their own set of likes and dislikes and even more....’brains’! Sounds funny... isn’t it! A villager can be stubborn enough to do what he or she likes no matter what you try to make them do.

Well, of course there are awards for special achievements, and finding rare collectibles results in extra points and level increases.

Finally over time, you manage to uncover all the secrets and complete all the puzzles and Voila the game is completed!!

Absolutely a five starer and completely gluey (addictive) game!! Enjoy!

P.S: A few interesting screen shots and presentation that I created from the game.

A small presentation:-

The Unequal Music

Recently, while I accompanied my friend to the dentist I engrossed my self in one of the magazines on the coffee table. There was an article about the ‘Girl child’. Well, it’s a topic that’s neglected talking about, reading about and speaking about! But here I am, doing just the opposite.

Living in the city, being independent, going to work, being on my own, and shouldering the responsibilities I always felt that India had overcome the problem of girl child eons ago. Unfortunately I’m proved wrong after a bit of researching and googling. After some brooding though I’ve realized that the luxurious world I live in I’ve come to overlook or ignore these social problems. But I think its time for all of us snoozing out there to wake up and face the reality checks!

India is growing dynamically in every field. Today, the innovative technologies and improved infrastructure has become nation’s pride. The country has witnessed advancements in all fields but the shocking fact is the bias against a girl child that is still prevailing in the country.

Haryana for instance is among the Indian states where girl child related issues like female foeticide, infanticide, early child marriage, dignity need to be addressed to with urgency.

It sounds unbelievable that in this age and era, girls are still classified as the ‘unwanted objects’.

This social evil is deep rooted in Indian ethos and the most shocking fact is that the innovative and hard high end technologies are brutally killing the Indian girl child. Innovative techniques, like biopsy, ultrasound, scan tests and amniocentesis, devised to detect genetic abnormalities, are highly misused by number of families to detect gender of the unborn child. These clinical tests are highly contributing to the rise in genocide of the unborn girl child.

In some parts of India the percentage difference of females over males is as high as 15.71%. National female to male ratio is a pathetic 933:1000. It sounds shocking but, the fact is that 1 out of every 6 girls does not live to see her 15th birthday. One third of these deaths take place at birth. Every sixth girl child's death is due to gender discrimination. Female mortality exceeds male mortality in 224 out of 402 districts in India. Condition of majority of those who survive is no good, as 22 million girls below the age of 18 years are forced into marriage against their wishes many a times to males twice their age. Not just in villages but even in cities there are families who want a son not a daughter. Educating a daughter might seem as an added useless expense to some.

It’s simply not fair!

Female feticide and infanticide is not the only issues with a girl child in India. At every stage of life she is discriminated and neglected for basic nutrition, education and living standard. First when she was in the womb, then she was forced to miss the moment when she was supposed to enter the world. At the time of birth her relatives pulled her back and wrung her neck.

After killing her she was thrown into a trash can. It sounds melodramatic but the unfortunate part is that it’s a verity!

During childhood, her brother was loaded with new shoes, dresses and books to learn while she was gifted a broom, a wiper and lots of tears. In her teenage, she missed tasty delicious food to eat and got only the crumbs. During her college days, she was forced to get married, a stage where illiteracy, lack of education where her constant companions. Again if this female gives birth to a girl child, the journey begins once again. She missed all roses of life and was finally fitted to a graveyard. That’s where she got peace of mind. Is this equality?

The nation of mothers still follows a culture where people idolizes son and mourns daughters. UN figures out that about 750,000 girls are aborted every year in India. Abortion rates are increasing in almost 80% of the India states. The numbers are infuriating. If the practice continues, then no longer a day will come when Mother India will have no mothers, potentially, no life.

The need of hour is to realize our responsibilities and give a halt to this evil crime. What can we do to curb the brutal and undesirable practice of mass killing girls? A determined drive can initiate a spark to light the lamp and show the world that we all are part of the great Mother India and also the world.

As I researched further for more information on the topic, I’ve come to realize that this problem exists in other countries too, including a few very developed countries but in smaller scale of course. Though, the reality is shocking, it has to be faced!

Would writing blogs or articles about this really help? It might or might not. It depends on how you make use of it. The criticality of the situation compels us to try and help families by making them aware of this.

Time has arrived when we need to realize our responsibilities and give a halt to this evil crime. What can we do to curb the brutal and undesirable practice of mass killing girls? A determined drive can initiate a spark to light the lamp that will compel the darkness away!

This is how I’ve decided to begin, visit the nearby slums and provide education and awareness to girls. It’s not an easy job but it has to be done. There are foundations that focusing on welfare and empowerment of girl.

We as a nation seem quite content to accept and even promote violation of constitutional rights of girl child. But it is time to stop accepting!

Towards the end of this blog, it dawned to me that when every I've visited the orphanages, majority of the kids there were girls. Why is that so? Is it because people want to adopt boys and get rid of girls?? The question remains unanswered!

It is time to wake up and bring justice to the source that gave us a chance to see this beautiful life… it is time to make to make the unequal music a melodious one…!