You Be The Judge

It was a normal day as I accompanied a friend to the CA Institute-she had some work there and since I didn’t have any I went with her. As I entered, it struck me that the people out there must be thinking I’m a CA student too. Without even consciously realizing they must have taken it for granted that if she’s here she must be doing CA. This got me thinking. So often we judge things and people without giving it a second thought.

If someone’s rich and pretty, they must have attitude.

If someone’s with a member of the opposite sex, “Hmm, are they seeing each other?”

If she’s nice to her, she is a nice person overall.

He wears glasses and has oily hair; he must be the studious geeky type.

That senior ragged me, she’s a horrible person.

She failed in this subject, she’s dumb.

I could go on and on with the examples. We all are judgmental people. We can’t just see things as they are without forming an opinion. Does outer beauty mean lack of inner beauty? Why can’t there be a platonic relationship between a boy and a girl? Just because someone’s nice to one person doesn’t make her a good human being. A person can be shy and hence not speak and how does being simple in outlook mean being a geek? Ragging is a part of college life and a little bit helps in forming good relations with the seniors as well-that doesn’t necessarily make the senior a bad person. If a person fails in one subject, that doesn’t mean she’s dumb, maybe she has an aptitude for something else.

But no, we have to form an opinion.

More than ourselves, we think about others. Half of our time goes in wondering about other people and what they think of us. It’s so important to know every bit of gossip about everyone that sometimes we don’t know what our heart is saying. We bother too much about too many people and about too many things.

Don’t. Don’t judge other people, give everything and everyone a fair chance.

Don’t bother about what everyone’s saying or doing, follow your heart.

Spend so much time improving yourself, that there is no time left to criticize others.

You be The Judge. Not of others but of your own life.

Winter Air

There is something special about the winds blowing in winter. Something Romantic, relaxing, very ethereal. It somehow beautifies everything as I felt while crossing a bridge yesterday. A slight fog hung in the air making the view hazy and everything even more otherworldly. It didn’t seem like the view from the same bridge which I cross so frequently. Yes, the pollution was there. Yes, the slums nearby. But the river running by with the line of trees in the distant. The faint outline of a mosque. People selling hot corn on the roadside. As if everything and everyone had slowed down, enjoying the winter air, even the cars passing by had sort of a slackened pace. Everyone seemed to be absorbing the tranquil peace of the chilly evening. As the wind blew against my face, ruffling up my hair and I raised my hand to settle it back, I could almost touch the Winter Air. Almost. If only I had reached out and touched it, I could probably have broken a piece and kept it with me as a source of comfort in those trying times. It was almost tangible and I knew then that every single one of my dreams had the power to come true if only I’d reach out and have the courage to touch them. A man riding a cycle with his wife sitting coyly with him completed the picture…

Answer to last week's QOTB:Global warming is an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes).

It’s time to Go Green 2

In Our Home-Let us Reduce Toxicity

• Let’s eliminate mercury from our home by purchasing items without mercury, and dispose of items containing mercury at an appropriate drop-off facility when necessary(e.g. old thermometers)

• Let’s learn about alternatives to household cleaning items that do not use hazardous chemicals.

• Let’s buy optimum amount of paint for a painting job in home/office.

• When no good alternatives exist to a toxic item, let’s find the least amount required for an effective, sanitary result.

• If we live in an old building, let’s have the paint in our home tested for lead. If we have lead-based paint, let’s cover it with wallpaper or other material instead of sand papering it or burning it off.

• Let’s use traps instead of rat and mouse poisons and insect killers.

• Let’s use cedar chips or aromatic herbs instead of mothballs.

• Let’s use ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup.

In Our Garden

• Let’s leave grass clippings on the yard-they decompose and return nutrients to the soil.

• Let’s minimize pesticide use.

• Let’s create a wildlife habitat in your yard.

• Let’s water grass early in the morning.

• Let’s rent or borrow items like ladders, chain saws, party decorations and others that are seldom used.

• Let’s take actions that use non hazardous components(e.g. to ward off pests, plant marigolds in a garden instead of using pesticide).

• Let’s put leaves in a compost heap instead of burning them or throwing them away.

Courtesy: P.S. Group

Answer to the last QOTB: The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, December 7th to 18th.

QOTB: Do you know what is Global Warming?

It's time to Go Green

With the recent uncharacteristic rain in November, the Phyan scare or the 2012 prediction, everyone is talking about climate change. I too personally feel that each of us can make a difference if we try. For the next couple of blogs, I'll be putting up ways on how You can save the Environment in various ways. All of us are aware of these things but everyone needs a reminder once in a while...

In Our Home-Let us Conserve Energy

• Let's clean or replace air filters of our air comditioning unit atleast once a month.

• Let's lower the thermostat of our water heater to 120 degree celsius.Let's set our refrigerator temperature at 36 degree-38 degree and our freezer from 0 degree-5 degree.

• When using an oven, let's minimise door opening; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 degrees every time we open the door.

• Let's use a microwave whenever we can instead of a conventional oven or stove.

• Let's unplug seldom used appliances.

• Let's wash clothes with warm or cold instead of hot water.

• Let's turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.

• Let's purchase appliances and office equipments with the Energy Star Label; old refrigerators, for example, use upto 50% more electricity than newer models.

• Let’s use appliances only when we need them.

• Let’s use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.

• Let’s insulate our home as best as we can.

• Let’s plant trees to shade our home.

• Let’s shade outside air conditioning units by trees or by other means.

• Let’s replace old windows with energy efficient ones.

• Let’s connect our outdoor lights to a timer.

Let us pledge today to do our best to save the Environment.Sign the following petitions to show your support-

http://www.350.org/

http://hopenhagen.org

QOTB-Which major Climate Change conference is going to be held in December?

(Not a) Stranger

Have you ever had a feeling where you're say, for example walking on the street or sitting in a coffee shop, are perfectly at ease and whoosh! suddenly someone crosses you and you feel inclined to look back and see who it was??

You might not have ever seen the person but a strange feeling inside you makes you take a second look to make sure its not someone you know! I think its something like The World Universality game and all of us are truly connected some way or the other?!

Like last QOTB according to me we have to come to terms with the fact that experiencing life in its true sense is accepting it with all its ups and downs, I also think that everyone is totally connected?!

P.S. Well, from this time onwards, QOTB aint gonna come every blog but whenever I feel like it, Laugh Out Loud!

A Box of Crayons

The above image is of a crayon box. The bright colours and the messy yet fun look caught my eye so and made me wonder-isn't our life also just like a box of crayons filled with a mixture of varied colours,some dark and some bright? We all have heard at some point of time of the necessity of all sorts of experiences in our life-good as well as bad and a box of crayons reminded me just that. To complete life's picture we do need the yellows and pinks but at the same time don't we also need the blacks and the greys?? We sure as well do and we have to come to terms with that. QOTB-Don't you think life would seem easier that way?

P.S.The answer to last week's QOTB is different for everyone but mostly it would be No as people prefer saving their family's and friends' numbers for their speed dials but people do keep emergency numbers at hand too. Adios with this thought!

Fighting Back

So often we read reports on sexual violence against women:incest,rape,trafficking,harassment and the list sadly goes on.But then what do we do?Feel bad for a while and then move on with our life-who has the time to think about other people's lives when so much is going on in ours??

But at some point of life or the other every woman has been subject to some form of harassment be it molestation or eve teasing which is rampant in India-we have been taught that its best to ignore such men and move on-there is no need to create a scene.No need??Some horrid male chauvinist pig catcalls you, makes lewd gestures at you and there is no need to react??I ask you then what is the need for respect at all when one shouldn't bother fighting against it?More often than not, women are not strong or confident enough.Its time ladies to learn some self defense-kickboxing,karate,whatever.Its time we hold our heads up high and fight for our respect.Wear what we want to, wherever.Its not easy and I too am not very brave but after reading an article in a magazine encouraging women to be strong and fight back I felt the need to be strong as well. We HAVE to support each other. If anyone is being wronged and you are aware,please please do try and raise a voice.Remember if there are bad people out there there are some truly wonderful people out there too.Be strong.Be safe.Don't hesitate to fight back.

QOTB-Do you have emergency numbers like the local police station or hospital on your speed dial?

Last week's answer-The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.