A Housewife and her Kitty Party

She is a housewife, never did any job. Her husband is a government officer, a Class 1 Officer. She has two children and a house in Delhi. One child is away from home, studying abroad, and the younger one busy with her studies. Her husband is posted in another city and away from the family. So what does Mrs. S do in her free time?

Speaking to her the other day, S my friend spoke out her heart. I have known her for quite some time, yet don’t know her. I’m not a person who likes to peep into others lives. But some friends are close and speak out their mind frankly, discuss their problems and I too do the same with them

But S, she’s an introvert. Then how does she cope up with her Kitty Group.

...look around for answer...

Kitty Party has never been in my list for recreation. I hate these groups...my simple thought...I hate gossip and wasting my time into doing nothing but only loosening my purse for few hours of pleasure.

And S, she’s a member of a Kitty Party. Every fortnight the group comes together and have fun. But S again is not a fun-loving person. So how does she cope up with her group?

...scratch my head...

The other day she came up to me and spoke about her Kitty Party group. I came to know she has been with her Kitty group for the past six years. With her husband away and children busy with their studies, she has lots of spare time. So she liked the idea of joining a Kitty Party.

The regular get together was a way of spending her time to get rid of the boredom. But now she feels she is wasting her time in that group. New members have joined who are financially very sound and show off their clothes and jewellery. There’s a lot of gossiping, mostly back- biting, that’s what she told me.

Then, there was a time when she had liked all this. She had been so enthusiastic about her Kitty Party.

...why this sudden change?

I could read from her words that competition among each other has grown. Jealousy is another factor. Younger members, younger than her, have joined the group. Topics for discussion don’t match with each other. And gossip and back biting has topped the list.

At last she has realised she gains nothing out of her group, only return home with a headache and a mind full of ill thoughts.

Now, though she wants to stay away, she says, it’s not easy. But she can if she wants to, that’s what I told her.

And to add few more words about it I said, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”.

She gave me a hug and we went home. Hope she finds her way out.

Share your thought about Kitty Party.

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi 3-14 October...all for the love of Games and Sports

 Logo of the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games

Shera, official Mascot of CWG 2010

Opening Ceremony of Delhi 2010 CWG

Days before the Commonwealth Games 2010 started there was so much of hue and cry. But the whole heat drowned once The Games were declared Open. People looked forward to seeing and witnessing the different events of Games and Sports...either in the Stadium or sitting at home watching on their television sets.

The Games has reached its last leg now. Most of the events have been over and now I look forward for the Closing ceremony.

Speaking of the Closing Ceremony, it reminds me of the Opening Ceremony which was held in the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, and was indeed a great and magnificent extravaganza. Each and every Indian wanted The Games to be a great success. Who doesn’t like to write and read a success story of one’s own country?

All that had been said and heard earlier was lost as people got interested in seeing, hearing and knowing about the different games and sports events of their choice. Being a lover of sports and games and a sports person in my early days, I was happy to see the different events going on smoothly. It felt good when my fellow country sports persons won medals for the country. Not only was that a great moment in their life but it was also a proud moment for India and every Indian.

At first I was happy watching the different events on my TV. This was all because of the comfort of the home. Later on I thought of going to the stadium, by then I found the tickets had been sold out. No regrets for I was happy to follow The Games on my television set.

The Commonwealth Games 2010 has written success story for so many and they will go home feeling happy and making their country proud.

The athletes from the different countries are happy and satisfied...why not after all India is a lovely country and the people here are so good in taking care of their guests...after all we believe “atithi devo bhaba”...There has been grumbles, which is soft, and, lost.

Delhi looked so clean and decked up for the big happening. And the people of this wonderful city adjusted so well. Wish the city can be so good always...in all respects.

The Games came and will go but the good memories will remain...all for the love of sports and games. And then what follows...my mind tells me...just wait and watch...

Speaking of the Commonwealth Games 2010, it has been a great success and hope the participants will go home with good memories.

Common Wealth Games (CWG) 2010 of India and of Delhi

In the name of the Games (CWG) there are so many Hullabaloos at present. The noise is all about the common wealth that’s being squandered in the name of this Sporting Event.

Even before the track and field and the indoor events have started, it seems a special Relay race is going on. Allegations are running down from one to another. The first shot is fired with cases of bribery, and then it runs into faulty contracts with some contracts being made without written documents. The relay moves on next into unfinished stadiums where the leaky roofs give evidence of the type of finish the places are going to get. Then it heads towards those fitness equipments meant to be there on hire for India does not want to produce athletes in future as fitness equipments are going to go once the games are over.

Delhi looks more like a dug-up city with roads caving in here and there and no respite from traffic congestion. In giving a makeover to this city it has created more mess than anything worth looking at. Most believe Delhi was much better before, and, the changes have not brought about anything worth a word of praise. Money has been simply squandered in the name of the Games.

With the date of the Games coming closer the locals are not at all interested in going to watch the different events. Instead with the closure of the schools during that time many will prefer to stay away from this city for there will be lot of traffic problem.

With the work coming to an end very soon so many labourers will be left without any work. Where will they go and what will they do. The state government will try to evict the shanties of these labourers put up on the roadside. This is going to a huge problem soon after the Games are over. And then the government at the Centre and the State will play a blame game and leave the people to suffer silently.

But the rich and powerful will have a sound sleep in their luxurious rooms having power and some having made lots of money in the name of the Games.

If this topic starts burning, political heads will divulge into another topic to let this die a silent death and see no digging is done to find what lies deep down.

A new burning topic will come up and politics will play its own game but life of the AAM AADMI will move on.

World Cup Hockey 2010 – India Wins First Match

I sat watching on the television the two teams - India and Pakistan - lining up to start their first match. When the Indian National Anthem was played it brought tears to my eyes. These were not the tears of sadness but that of a sense of pleasure overcoming my emotions. The Anthem itself brings the sense of pride and love, and my sentiments ran wild and fast. Don’t know why? But there was that strong feeling for my country...of love and adoration and honour.

Soon the match started, arch rivals playing against one another, India vs Pakistan.

Why am I talking of all this...emotions, admiration, love, pride and...when I’ve dedicated this space for Hockey, that too the World Cup being played in the Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Delhi.

Till the day the World Cup Hockey tournament started there was little hope about the attention this event would get. For the third match of the opening day (February 28, 2010), I mean this India-Pakistan match, the stadium stands were mostly full. This shows the interest people still have for our National Game.

From the beginning Indian players were at their best. They managed with 4 goals having missed a very near 2 more. The players excelled in all areas.

For the Pakistanis, they struggled, missing their opportunities to convert the penalty corners to goals. At last they could hit the ball into the goal post for a lone goal.

For sure Indians across the country are happy with the performance of the players. Today (March 2, 2010) India takes on Australia. A win over them makes it easy for the Indian team to reach the semi-finals.

Fingers crossed I’ll watch today’s match and cheer from my drawing room sitting area for the players.

The Hockey players have shown their talent and skill on the field and with that people have also raised their interest bar in this game.

One more win today and I’ll shout, “Jai Ho Hockey our National Game”.

With this sweet note...

Terror Threat and the Sporting World

The Terror Threat alarm has already rung for the first ODI to be played between India and South Africa in Jaipur on Sunday (21 Feb. 2010).

Apart from this there has been report from Intelligence Agencies about terror strikes during various events to be held in India including the IPL matches, Hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth Games (CWG).

The government is making all efforts in giving assurance to the visiting countries of providing foolproof security for these upcoming events.

The whole picture that’s created due to the threat leaves a commoner’s mind to think how successful these sports will be when the dates are due. It also leaves behind the thought how many participating countries can make it for the events.

Delhi has made a huge facelift for the CWG and still more work has to be completed. But how successful will the Games be remains to be seen.

But for Delhites, no doubt this city is getting a better look day by day. At the end it is the people of Delhi who will enjoy every change even though they must have faced the huge trouble when the work was going on.

Keeping aside the terror threat the CWG is a big event of 2010 not only for the people of Delhi but for people across the globe.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed and pray everything runs off smoothly.

Delhi Rains Waterlogged Roads

At last when the rain god sent showers across Delhi, it had a story to tell. July 27 was late enough for the rains to come to this part of the country. The earth was already parched and the agricultural fields had gone hard and dry showing off cracks, revealing their real account of thirst. The heat and humidity had become unbearable. With no timely monsoon, people were left with no other alternative except pray for the dark clouds to come and open up. At last the rains came bringing with it a mixed bag effect on the lives of the people.

As the drops of rain began to fall there appeared smile on the faces of the people that was soon to vanish when the roads began to get waterlogged. The early and late evening traffic had to spend long hours on the roads due to heavy traffic jam. Traffic came to a halt on waterlogged stretches sending the signal of the callousness of the civic authorities of this city. The rain brought with it water logging, caving in of a road, traffic jam, vehicle breakdown and long hours spent on the road to reach home. The traffic signals stopped working causing chaos and in many areas water entered into the houses. It was a wet day at Delhi’s airport too. There was rain water flooding at the domestic arrival terminal causing inconvenience to passengers. Many flights were delayed and many ended up missing flights as they could not reach the airport on time.

The MCD’s tall claims that the city would not face water logging this year was simply like words from a fairy tale. With more rains life in this city could turn nightmarish and one may have to take the help of boats to move about.

All this leaves behind a question; “How come the MCD is not prepared to meet such challenges in the capital city of India?”

Food for thought: This is Delhi Meri Jaan.

Delhi Heat and Humidity

The first week of July has gone but for Delhi it is still the hot summer days the people of this city are facing. Reeling under heat and humidity, the city’s demand for electricity is demanding. The maximum temperature at this time is above 40 degrees and the minimum crossing the 30 plus mark. There was fluctuation in the humidity level, moving between 70% and 42%. The high humidity level is making life so difficult with a feeling that the temperature is more than recorded by the Met office.

The Met department does not stop with their babble of the monsoon. They make predictions about the coming rains but their words end up with a blank. People’s faith has now revolved on God to whom they pray if not openly but in their hearts for the rains to come and cool this burning earth.

Without the rains and the rising heat and humidity, Delhi’s electricity demand has gone up. If we are to go by information, electricity consumption in this city on Wednesday was 4,408MW, something that Delhi is seeing for the first time. And why not, the air conditioners are running round the clock as most households use AC’s to get respite from the heat. The air coolers are non-effective due to the humidity.

The worse part is some parts of the city is facing power cuts and anger rising. There is no fixed time for power cuts, it may just vanish at any time of the day or night leaving the consumers facing heat and sweat with anger.

Now the only thing that remains is a prayer to the rain God to come and bless all with His downpour.

Save Water with Rain Water Harvesting

This year the monsoon has been delayed although the Met Department had made early predictions of a not an average but a good Monsoon for this country. Although monsoon has reached some parts of the country, North India is still waiting for the rains to come. This has left the northern part of India with a drought threat.

Delayed rains no doubt have affected the water supply in many cities.
With the rivers and other water bodies drying up it is time for a serious thought about water management. One way of managing this is by Rain Water harvesting. With rising demand for water and the shrinking of the ground water level, rain water harvesting is a ray of hope to re-charge the ground water level to meet people’s demand.

Talking of rain water harvesting, this is not specified to one area like for Delhi or Mumbai only but this has to be a cause related topic for the whole of India.

Going by the meaning of Rain Water harvesting, the common meaning is the need to create methods to capture the rain water. For this it has to be the rainy days when the rain water can be collected by developed methods and can be used later.

With modernisation the faces of towns and cities have changed. Most areas are plastered with concrete leaving no space for the falling rain water to percolate into the soil thus leaving a shrinking ground water level. For this rising water problem, time is ripe enough to make sincere attempt to replenish the rain water in its modern form known as Rain Water Harvesting.

It is time to wake up before its too late and at the same time try to understand and implement this method for the benefit of all.