Onions and Tears – Double Trouble

“O my God” I said so loudly that others close by could hear the words. That was when I was in the vegetable market planning to buy my vegetables and return home so that my cooking could be finished on time to be served to the hungry tummy’s waiting to be filled.

I saw people in the market indulge in conversation and arguments about onions. The prices have gone up but why make such a noise. Instead it will be better if we can do with fewer onions, or, even without onions.

Garden and Care

Flowers from my garden

I’ve been nurturing the few trees that I have in my garden. Looking after one’s own garden is a great activity. This is also a good pastime and a chance to be with nature for some time of the day.

I feel looking after the trees, plants and shrubs in one’s own garden give many benefits to the concerned person. I love to talk with my plants and trees. It seems to me they look up to me to go to them every day. They love my touch and I also feel the same way. Watering them is like quenching their thirst. We all like to hand over a glass of water to anyone coming to our homes. Same way the plants also wait for that water they need for it is their staple food for their growth.

In Conversation with Summer – Part 2

In Conversation with Summer

Today is going to be Tough Talk with Summer.

Me: Why is the heat getting unbearable?

Summer: Put your hand on your chest and let me know if I am solely responsible for it.

Me: You make me think. I cannot blame you totally. We have made the mess…man-made it is to a large extent.

Summer: (smiles) why don’t you all make amends?

Not Strange…Simply simple

It has been days I wrote. Reason is simple; I’d been away from home. My little space in my home gives me the comfort to write and express my thoughts. I missed my favourite writing place, why writing alone it is the sitting space and my dearest computer that I missed. And above all I switch on the TV and let it do all the “bak bak”, I mean all the talking while I sit and write. Another bit about my TV, it never disturbs me instead gives me the time to look at it when I lose my expression.

This reminds me of those school days when the transistor would be singing the tunes of the songs while I studied. Talking about the transistor do the children of today know about it? No, they know LCD TV’s, Computers, Play Stations, and many things that I, why I it is we, didn’t know about.

Hah! Time has advanced so fast. And now we talk about finding water on the moon. And who knows where our Gen next, next, next, next, and how many next’s to add when they may find place and home on the moon.

No not a thought of fantasy I may say.

Agree or not it’s up to you.

Now I can think about winter and the cold days that I’ll enjoy. Lots of vegetables and fruits and of course I’ll have to add more flowers (flowering plants) in my little garden… all the colours in one place to make me happy.

Watch out for more colours next time, few pictures of course.

A Pre-Budget Thought

The first morning cup of tea invigorates the mind and body. But the saddest part is this morning cuppa has burdened the household by becoming costlier. It is all because of the rise in the price of petrol and diesel. Why has the government taken this decision in a hurry? This hurry raises the eyebrows of the millions in this country with a question that needs an answer. Why didn’t the government wait till the budget was placed before the nation by the Finance minister of this country?

The price of all commodities will rise further, leaving the home ministers of every household to re-write their monthly budget. In this whole process, many households will have to cut down on even some basic needs. With soaring prices it has become a tough job to shop for the monthly grocery and at the green grocer for fruits and vegetables.

It is time instead of making a hole in the pockets of the Aam Admi, the government should be looking into more serious matters relating to the people of this country. Startling revelations of adulterations have shocked and rocked the people. Apart from adulterated milk, recently it has been found how in the name of pure ghee adulterated ghee is entering the market. So also is the case with some of the powdered spices sold in the market. The fruits and vegetables are not safe to eat because they are injected with harmful substances which can cause fatal health problems. All this happening under the very nose of the government and if they say that can’t smell the rat, people will not believe them as confidence in the present government is losing grounds.

Just imagine the shocking revelation in Delhi of thousands of fake MCD employees. We, the tax payers of this country have every right to know where our hard earned money is going and how it is spent.

Most of the people must have seen on a news channel how a Lok Sabha MP is slapping a bank manager in public and thereby misusing his power. It shows those in power have got the right and guts to disrespect an individual publicly and go about unpunished. How can a party remain blind and deaf and let such people remain in their fold. Instead of discouraging with punishment it seems more of encouraging.

Another political controversy that has come up is of the misuse of political power and office. A minister in this ruling government had wanted to pressure a Madras High Court judge to grant anticipatory bail to a father-son duo arrested by CBI. Where are the rulers heading to?

The HRD minister comes up with the thought of doing away with the class X board exams. But he does not give a thought to the trauma the parents in a city go through in getting their child admitted in the entry level of a school. And what about the rising school fees? He should think of more vocational courses that will guarantee more jobs. A lot of homework needs to be done to bring about changes in the education and examination system of this country.

Global recession has hit the world job market not sparing the job market in this country either. At such a juncture more work needs to be done to stop people from flocking the cities and make them concentrate to earn their living out of agriculture in the villages. For that agriculture needs a boost. When people have food and earning at home why will they turn towards the unknown city which gives them a hard and difficult life, at times leaving them without food and a roof over their heads.

Water problem, electricity problem, terrorism, health-related problems, are among the many problems we all are facing in our everyday life. It is no doubt a hard uphill and challenging task for the government with so many problems but there has to be remedial measures. All that is expected from the government is good partnership, consideration and working towards getting the wrong mended so that common man’s life can thrive safely.