Bhavana penned

ದಿನದಿನವು ಕುಸಿದು ಕಟ್ಟಿಸಿಕೊಳುವ ಗುಡಿ ವಿಶ್ವ ಜನರೆಲ್ಲರಾಗುಡಿಯ ಕೆಲಸದಾಳುಗಳು ಮನೆಯೇನು? ನಾಡೇನು? ಕುಲವೇನು? ಮಠವೇನು? ಎಣಿಸೆಲ್ಲವದೆಯೆಂದು, ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ. --ಡಿ. ವಿ. ಜಿ. Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. -Charles Dickens Happy New Year!! Cheers... :) Bhavana.... Photography: Kiran The Chestnut leaves and the ripples on the water surface.

Yipee, this is my 50th post.. :) In India, in some traditional-conservative house holds, using of eggs is a taboo. I feel food is something which we adopt as per the ingredients we get locally and geographically. In Europe they eat lots of meat because it’s the only staple food. Unlike in India, where we get loads and loads of fresh greens and vegetables, here in Europe they have to depend on the meat and milk products for food. To most Indians, beef and pork are serious taboo, but here in Europe pork and beef meat are necessary and essential to keep them warm during winter times along with drinks such as beer and wine. I feel its time for conservative Indians to look beyond their dining tables and try to understand that no food is a taboo. We don’t have to eat what they eat, but at least we should respect for what they have adapted here in this extreme weather conditions to eat and  we as Indians should not undermine it as “dirty” . I am still vegetarian b...

I and Kiran visited the Christmas market in the centre of Brno called Freedom Square (Namesti Svobody). I had to buy some gift as “Secret Santa” which was organized by my colleagues in the office. So what better place there could be to buy a gift for Christmas than a Christmas market? It was freezing -9 degrees outside and we met after work in the square. The smell of the market in that freezing temperature was very inviting indeed. There were smell of hot wine, burning wood to prepare snacks, sweets, sausages and etc. Children were all over the place shouting with excitement. It was a typical festival market scene. There was also this huge screen which was showing some local cartoons for the toddlers. We had our share of hot honey wine (yummy it was), potato pancakes and some sweets. And then my attention fell on the Christmas tree and all of a sudden a question popped into my head. “If Christianity was born in Jerusalem, a place where no coniferous trees grows anywhere nea...

I know there were several kinds’ phobias but I wasn’t sure if I had any of them. I used to get scared of wooden bridges especially during the bicycles rides and feel giddy when I used to look down from a several storied balcony. I also sometimes get nightmares of falling down from a staircase and then I would wake up with a start. Even then I did not get a clue. But then there is this one incidence (2 years ago) which made me decide that I am true acrophobic. We have this habit of hiking anywhere and everywhere its inviting. Once we went hiking on a Moravian (South part of Czech Republic) mountain. We hiked to the top most part of the mountain and heard from a local that there is this tower about 30 meters high which we can climb and behold breathtaking views. We were excited by this offer and followed the direction to find this tower. We had to climb the mountain a little bit to reach this. We atlast reached this tower and Kiran was all excited. But I could not believe a ...

Then there is-- Baby-Care reality show called “Take home Nanny” There’s this nanny who visits families (those who wish to be on television and therefore wants to become “famous”) with babies and kids who apparently are “troubling and pestering” the parents and to find out why children are misbehaving as such. The family undergoes video shoots almost entire day or two (or that’s what the nanny says) and the baby seems not at all disturbed by these intruders (camera men I mean). Nanny observes the family and their everyday routine for one day or that’s what they make it look like- I mean if there is/are new guest/s at home any toddler wants to get to know them and they would be very enthusiastic. But in this program, the toddler does not seem to be bothered by the nanny at all. Rather it looks like the toddlers have not at all noticed nanny. This is very strange. I feel this is not a job of one day but several days. Nanny should have been visiting them quite oft...

Fortunately or unfortunately I am missing the “opportunity” of watching the reality shows on Indian television (goodness there are so many channels!!). But I am not able to avoid it on the television here in Czech Republic. We have a cable connection to watch all the American and UK channels along with Czech channels. Four out of five programs on US channels are reality shows especially on channels such as “travel and Living (I am wondering where we Indians got the inspiration from?? :)) There are few such programs which are about families and how they lead their lives in their home and their behaviour when they go are out. Let me now write about family reality shows: Scene: Family goes to a park. Then husband or wife tells the camera (in order to make it look like they are telling it to the audience) that “we are in a park!!!” hah! What an intelligent statement! Then they discuss about how their children misbehaved in the park (what else do you expect from a ki...