Loose Change and CDM

We all undergo the situations where we stand in a Queue in ATM to collect money and our ears are well versed with  the vibrations of these well versed bad news about ATM machines.

I have seen people checking balance and taking printout; despite knowing there balance paisa to paisa. Some strange persons checking notes from the ATM for their originality and wasting others time. 

People who often put their card reverse and blame their card for being faulty. Like this ATM gives different experiences for everyone. 

Along with ATM issues; people often find it difficult to find the change and follow their own path and methods to get the change. Giving a hundred rupee note to a beggar and asking him to give 95 rupees back is the method some people follow in front of the popular temples to get change. 

People search for nearby petrol pumps or else a nearby counter shot bars to get change for a thousand rupees or a 500 rupee note. Some buy a pen or pencil and few purchase cigarette or any other commodity. I saw people investing on cigarette to get change of two rupees when its cost was 8 rupees to give it to the conductor of the bus to avoid losing 8 or more rupees that conductor writes behind the ticket. People often forget to collect them back to increase conductor’s income.  

I, too had a different experience that could connect both the issues "the ATM and change".

It was early in the morning at 6. I was on the way to electronic city from my home towards my office I joined recently. It was initial punctuality that all the employees maintain were in my mind; and, my goal was to reach electronic city by 8 though my office timing was from 8: 30. 

To reach the destination, it was mandatory for me to travel 30 kms by bus after  changing at least two buses. Travelling 30 kms in Bangalore are like travelling 150 kms on a highway.  

I started, and started walking like, I was in 30km walk in the olympics, where sports persons walk for their destiny. I was walking fast for my pride and I reach bust sop. Morning hours are busy hours for Bangalore compatriots and buses will not make us wait in the morning in Bangalore. 

I got a bus and when the conductor came asking me to take a ticket, I opened the purse, It was 1000 rupees Gandhi, which was stiff like a tetanus infected body; erected and brand new. 

Conductors pitch raged and started scolding “Who will give you change for a 1000 rupee note, that too, early in the morning?” He continued "For me account has not yet opened for the day, you people spoil our moods and our day too will end in misery. Can’t you check the money before getting into the bus", his list of rebukes  continued  and he made me get down at the next stop. 

I tried all the nearby shops and all possible ways to get the change for 1000 rupees. But the effort was un-successful.

Then I was in a situation of helplessness, but the ATM came to my help. I knew the kiosk or E-lobby of an SBI was nearby. This kiosk contains three kinds of machines, one is the usual automated teller machine, another one is a kiosk; where, we can take print-out of transactions, DD and so on, but the most important one was a CDM- cash deposit machine. 

My mind rarely works for the situations;but, fortunately the flash of neurons passed fiercely and the idea sparked. I opened my SBI debit card and went to the CDM. I deposited 1000 rupee note; and the message displayed the balance in my SBI account which was just above the minimum balance tariff. 

After depositing money at CDM ,I used my ATM card to open 100 rupees from ATM machine; and I got change.   It was easy for me to travel in a  bus after getting 100 rupee notes. I reached office after utilizing the facilities of banking and realized the fact “Banking is a fun” with the best invention like CDM. 

CDM could prevent you from standing in a long Queue to deposit money, You can avoid hard hitting cashiers rebukes for not signing or for not putting date or for some other reason.  This saves the time and saves you from the rebukes of the cashier. 

With everything getting automated, the number of internet banking user is ascending and the fun of banking is being increased day by day  as the burden getting decreasing. 

Kiss Of Green

It was feverish Cold, which made my teeth make tattering sound for the chill out situation probably at 5 am . The window of the bus completely masked by the effects of dusk in the dawn. The confuse with the bus I got was, whether the one I was traveling in was a bus or else a gushing snake. It was moving here and there left and right, suddenly straight again curving towards small excavation. The was full of uphill’s, curling’s. It was a pin drop silence in my fellow travelers, including me, the boulevard was having more curls and curvatures; probably, more curves than a beautiful woman .

On one side and the only side I can look into, was through my window, after swiping a bit of water droplets on the window pane. It was a dense forest; and, by the time my eyes were stuttering to close. I somehow managed to go through the time by having a look at romantic spot and listening to equally romantic (Only for Bachelors) “Who ladki hain kaha” from "Dil Chahata hain" which was playing in my fun-book. I played the same song repeatedly at-least for not less than 7-8 times with a maximum volume that a fun-book can produce in a headphone.

It was 6 am, the time for “Kiss of Love”. The clouds were all over the mountain and both cloud and mountain were trying to hug each other to hold the crumpet  like feeling. The feet of cloud were on mountains toes, as if a girls foot was  on a boys toes who  try to close their lips. When the scene of love was on my mind, there comes the villain, definitely not  the sun ,but the shade of green of forest  that are formed by mammoth trees kissing the sky and forming the canopy.

This shuns the main villain-Sun ; and even,  shun my view of the romantic event that would still continue to flutter in my thoughts. The vista of beauty was gravitating, crawling toward my oculars crumpled in a matter of seconds. In a few minutes the stuttering eyes close without my notice; despite, of the song that was  playing .

When I opened my eyes and landed my foot on the ground, It was like heaven to me. I was happy to great extent; probably, the happiness that Neil Armstrong would have felt when he landed his leg on the moon. The climate was like a ice chilled beer and I was in a forest, legs were on the leaves fallen from the trees.  The leaves were rotten by the hyphae of fungi, few bacteria and the lichens making love on this fertile jewel. Even the rotten smell of leaves giving a feel of smell of a purple stock flower.

After a few seconds, the show of mate of two natural beauties made my mind rejoice-full and scene came more nearer to my sight than I saw in the bus. The scene of the mate of mountains and clouds was nearer, my neck was in a raised position involuntarily. But this time again the view was crushed and the villain was rain . 

The view I was looking was missint, but what I got was “Kiss of green”. The First drop due of rain slipped from the youngest of the trees and the greenest part of it directly fall onto my smog glittered lip. I thought ,this is what everybody feels when we get a kiss from somebody whom we love and the Kiss of green stamped an evergreen memory in my cerebrum.

Strokes and Flukes

Vasu has done his engineering degree in a private college in Bangalore. He got a seat after passing entrance exams with difficulty. He got 40000 rank out 50000 rankings given by the entrance cell . But; anyhow , Indian system of reservation reserved him a seat of a prestigious institute; in-fact, one of the top in India . It was here the game of Stroke and Fluke was started to Vasu. 

Fluke for getting a seat in top college and stroke of  the pressure build on him to be  as a champion in a champion college. First semester; Vasu passed exam with first rank from last, next semester two of his 6 wickets down for a very little score of 55. It means he scored 55% out of  the subjects he passed. Like this, he entered his branch subjects in 3^rd semester.

Semester by semester, his agony continued; and, the list of his backlog subjects increased with prolonged time. By making chits and cheating, he passed a few subjects, but for his misfortune, he was caught and his pride was thrown in dust while studying his 4^th semester. 

His good times started when  he started hard and he passed all his backlogs to successfully complete his engineering degree.

After passing out from college, he attended several interviews, tried backdoor entries; but, it was not possible for Vasu to taste the success of the job. 

Vasu initially not even got the opportunity for clerk like jobs. Vasu blamed his fate for choosing engineering, for passing it with difficulty, he thought he would have got some small profile job for a lesser qualification .

Days passed and black marks started to surround his oculars, his hairs started falling and remaining hairs started turning white. His debts started inflating and Vasu’s devastating life was running in misery.

  

One day, he got a call while he was sleeping in the noon, he got irritated as he thought it was a call from mobile service provider.After 10 minutes  he again got the call  from the same number which was irritating to Vasu.  

Mr.Vasu got up and started thinking about the number. His cerebrum started thinking and he realized that customer care people will not call the same number for two times. He thought it was Job agents, but again he thought that job agents call very frequently until the call is attended. After giving a bit more work to his brain, he slept back. 

After the gap of 30 minutes he got call from the same number; but, this time Vasu picked the call.  It was fluke as the call was from the placement officer of his college.

After conversing a very few formal words, Vasu was told about the interview to be held in the college from the reputed MNC.

Vasu’s sleep ran-away like a leopard, He got up and washed his face and packed his bag to run to Bangalore to fight for the job. He took a few materials to study while traveling.  It was 5:30 am, the next day when he reached Bangalore. He went to his friend's room that was nearer to college. 

Vasu got ready, but in a hurry, he left taking print-outs of resume; and, there were no photo copies of his educational certificates. Vasu stuttered to begin the day that he thought  shall be the lucky day for him.

The interview was at 10, and the time was 9, Vasu luckily got a Xerox shop opened at 9.  He has given all his certificates to photocopy.

Shopkeeper kept his marks-card set on top of Xerox machine where machine automatically engulf the papers, take a scan of the document and give back the originals and photocopy in separate outlets.

But,Vasu's fate of tough luck was playing its game.  The un-expected stroke was pain-full for Vasu as the machine engulfed the marks-cards, but given back the folded damaged marks cards . Vasu shattered for machine spoiled his marks cards and his life indirectly.

Marks cards and other original educational documents are the only property of the Jobless graduates who are in search of jobs.  Vasu’s lonely properties are damaged in a matter of seconds and  he wept for his dream of a job  would remain a dream again. Thinking all the possible negative thoughts, Vasu  with no other option folded his mark sheets and kept them in pocket to face interview.

He cleared the aptitude test, then technical round. The problem arose when Vasu was selected for HR round. He entered the interview room with his empty hand. There was no file, documents, resume and nothing in hand. 

He entered the interview room like a brat entering exam hall without hall ticket. When Interviewer asked the marks cards. Vasu open the folded paper pieces from his pocket. The interviewer was shocked to see those pieces of paper and inquired Vasu about marks cards in a commanding louder voice.  

At last Vasu folded up his fears and braved his mind, he told the entire drama that took in xerox shop. This is where his fluke shocked the strokes, HR believed and given him the job. Now Vasu is working as a team leader in an MNC with well settled life with family. 

The game of stroke and fluke tumbles fumbles, gambles, but surely it will lead us to earn the pearl.

 

 

Ugadi-The start of a new era

According to the Gregorian calendar, the world celebrates the new year on January , but according to Hindu  lunisolar calendar, the new year falls in the month of March/April.  Ugadi/Yugadi -literally means;the start of a new era. It is derived from two Sanskrit words yuga means era and adi means the start.

The festival is celebrated throughout India from Vindhya parvata ( mountain)to the provisions of  Kaveri  river who follows the lunar calendar which is called as panchangam/panchanga. 

In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh festival is known as Ugadi, in Maharashtra it is known as Gudi Padwa, Thapna in Rajasthan, Baisakh in Punjab, Puthandu in Tamilnadu and so on.

The festival has got its own importance, because, it signifies the start of the spring season, it signifies the start of the new season with the month Chaitra initiates the start of growth of plants ; thereby, the celebration is worshiping of the nature, and praying mother earth to keep the earth greener and  help us live with prosperity.

As per mythology , the festival has got its meaning ;where, it’s a day on which the earth started, Lord Brahma, who is the creator of the universe has started the creation of the earth on the first day of the Chaitra month. Also, it is believed that this was the day Lord Rama came back to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile.

The festival starts early in the morning after the cleaning the house. Some families even paint the house with the festival few days away. After cleaning house, clean premises of the house are cleaned and sprinkled with clean water to avoid any dust, after cleaning process ladies execute their artistic culture and talent through beautiful and colorful Rangoli’s.

After all this, everyone in the house applies  their bodies with sesame or coconut oil and expose themselves to the sun . After sunbath a fresh hot water bath with neem and turmeric used as a soap to rejuvenate the body and help themselves to keep their mind calm.

Ladies prepare special dishes, sweets, but the specialty of the Ugadi is a kind of dish called as Bevu-which is a fixture of neem leaves, neem flowers, jaggery, un-ripened mango, tamarind juice to make it either a powder or juice .

This dish is a symbol of sweet and sour of life; hence, this dish is spread to all the neighbors, friends and relatives as a token of exchange of happiness and sorrow equally. 

Prayers, wishing , worshiping the sun, nature, cattle, farmland is a very common in all the festivals and Ugadi is not at all exclusive.

In some parts of India, people even play color to celebrate the joy of the new year.

Apart from dishes; Ugadi is a very auspicious occasion for Hindus, people buy the vehicle, gold and other bigger properties on this day. They start building houses, shops on this day, it’s a very big day on which people start their business. People keep up their pace in doing all the good things to keep the year a good and prosperous one.

Hindu New Year celebration is a very auspicious, ambitious, important festival celebration that prays for the welfare of all.

     

Problems are not Problems- A story promoting eye donation

 Problems are not Problems- A story promoting eye donation

I was standing at A B Vajapayee bus-stop at Jayanagar 9th block Bangalore; and, waiting for 60A bus to go to Vijaynagar. The time was 1 pm and astonishingly, it was a very hot day out in Bangalore, despite of heavy rains previous day. I was famished, devastated and was in a mood of depression as I failed in a job interview.

Two years passed after completing my post- graduation in microbiology. I failed in getting a job that would fetch me the life ,which was really a matter of worry for me. After waiting for 30 minutes, the bus came but unfortunately it was a Marco Polo AC bus. I was having 30 rupees in my pocket and my account was devoid of minimum balance.

The head was drilling in frustration, I went to the conductor and asked the fare to travel Vijaynagar on AC bus, and the lady conductor harshly answered, “Rs 25 to Vijaynagar TTMC”.  “The bus will not move an inch at-least for 20 minutes”. She came hardly at me like a wave of Tsunami came suddenly overnight on the shores of the Indian Ocean. 

I sat in front seat waiting for another bus to come for Vijaynagar . No other bus, not even to other places arrived at the bus stop which was rare as the BMTC buses doesn’t make the people wait for a longer period of time. 

After a heavy period of 20 minutes, driver and conductor came, and the bus was on the go. There were hardly 4- 5 passengers in the bus, and I was in the front seat which usually are reserved for ladies, but not in Marcopolo and Vajra BMTC buses. 

Exactly opposite to my seat there was an empty seat. As a boy of 25 I was waiting for that seat to be filled with a beautiful unmarried girl, to pass my time and to make my eyes cool. I imagined beautiful women sitting beside and opposite seat.

The next stop was Dairymilk double shots for me, half the bus filled and three beautiful girls among those who entered the bus, one beside my seat and two opposite to mine. 

All wearing tees and jeans, three of them fair enough to watch and rejoice. With a beautiful white skin and good physique they wake up any men’s feelings. I was a bit relieved, and my mood changed a bit. “Ahh,  finally something to rejoice” but still failure was crooking my encephalon, the negative thoughts were in momentum. Blaming my fate, with a five rupee coin in my pocket, I got frustrated as kings cigarette’s rate grown to 8 rupees. 

Stomach was squandering as if a rat is running vigorously than ever. Failed interview, thirty minutes of brain storming emptiness in bus, hot and humid climate, conductor’s harsh tone, and to make it worst the AC was off.

I felt I was squeezed again and again. I was in a veil of somber. I thought “Why God is giving me this much torture”? “Why I’m always a loser”?  Why, Why and Why’s? Continued hitting my brain, even the girl’s beauty forgotten by these idle thoughts in the brain.

The bus arrived in Jayanagar 4^th block bus stop, all three girls get down to end a slight rejoice. The place was filled by two more ladies ; whom I was watching keenly from the time they step into the bus, one a mammoth sized fat girl and other a blind. By the time I was watching both of them, my attention turned a bit on them.  

The bus left, and the conductor came to issue a ticket.  The blind girl took out a paper which was normal daily pass, the conductor’s voice raged at blind girl, she shouted “this is a normal bus pass and this will not run here “Take the ticket otherwise get down here, can’t you ask anybody before landing on the bus”. The conductor lost humanity for a second, but allowed her to travel to the next stop after commanding her in a big tone.

While these conversations taking place, fat lady beside the blind girl opened her purse and took two tickets saying one ticket is for the blind girl. The Conductor not objected, she issued two tickets to the lady.  The blind girl thanked her in a shy-full tone, but the fat lady resisted and said “Sorry for giving wrong information, It was me who made you land this bus”.

The blind girl replied “ No No , It was me who has asked you to show 60 number bus; but, I have not clarified you about the kind of bus, and it’s my mistake “and they continued resisting each other. I realized the blind girl wanted to travel in a normal 60 bus and asked the fat girl the bus number, but unfortunately she landed in an AC bus.

They continued each other’s conversation as they both were going to Vijaynagar TTMC. Fat girl promised her to drop the blind girl till her home. When all this conversations ended, I started thinking of my problems for a second and again turned my attention towards them.

Blind lady was telling to fat girl “  Problems are not the problems and the blind girl opened up my eyes with her words while conversing with that fat girl.

“Madam, I work as a teacher in a school and travel daily from Vijaynagar to Jayanagar . Today I took a leave for half day to attend a free eye testing camp held at rotary club".

 "Today I realized, the blindness in me to be remained forever, My eyes cannot be changed even if someone donates. My eyes are having problems beyond cornea, otherwise I would have a chance to see the colors of the world. There is no chance of getting eyes in any means”.

She wept a bit and continued

“Madam,I have not lost the battle, I see the colors of the world in my student's words, In my colleagues love, in the humanity the people show for me, I request you to donate your eyes ,so that the blind like me who just have corneal problems will get the new life; any how, I thank god for this beautiful life he has given to me ".

" Suppose If I was healthy like you, I would have not faced any problems with the bus, but other problems might have haunted. In-fact problems are not at all a problem, there will be a solution to every problem, today you were my solution, overcoming the problems is a solution to every problem,   blind are those people who get dumped in problems not me”.

Her words were like a preaching to me, all the negative thinking in me washed out. I realized the truth regarding problems, coming home, I opened the internet and searched for online eye donation and donated my eyes, read about eye donation and decided to promote the Eye donation and written this article. 

Hope this article will make you donate your eyes, even if you have already donated your eyes implement it, tell about eye donation to all your friends, relatives, colleagues. This article is a tribute to the blind teacher who eradicated my real blindness.

Sankranti- A meaning-full Festival

Sankranti- A meaning-full Festival

I remember the school days and the next day after Sankranti. We used to take sesame mixed with jaggery, roasted groundnut, dried Coconut kernel pieces, sugar and many more,  these all were mixed in a polythene bag.

It was a dish like preparation done by mother and give instruction all of us to give a bit to all the teachers and bow their feet to acquire their blessings, then distribute it to friends and wish them the best.

Sankranti is a unique and meaning-full festival celebrated in most of the parts of India, named as Lohri, Bhogi, Pongal, Sankranti, Sankramana etc. This festival is meaning-full and depicts the great culture of India. 

This festival exclaims the human relationship with nature and nurture human life as a part of nature itself.  This is truly proved in  festival celebrated in villages by farmers. They bow to nature and worship agricultural land; ornament their livestock, which helps in every part of their lives. 

Apart from traditional worshiping, this festival is the celebration of triumph of nature. Its time for green in India, all the crops will be at their peak; hence, the festival has got greater meaning. The day will be dedicated to animals; they are ornamented and amused with great food and sports.

Sankranti is a joy throughout the country, and it’s specially celebrated in pomp in North-Karnataka region in their own special  way. 

The houses in North-karnataka villages and towns worship land and animals like the rest of the Country; but,special thing I have to say about is the food they prepare for the day of Bhogi.

Jowar and Bajra blended with Sesame, and there will be a variety of traditional North- Karnatakan sweets, curries of Brinjal, a special curry  made of mixed vegetables; which, they call “Bartha”. Carrot, sweet potatoes, radish and many vegetables are used to prepare Bartha and, probably, this is the only day in the year people prepare this special curry because of availability of a variety of the vegetable in the season. 

Along with curries butter, Ghee, spicy Niger seed powder, Fenugreek leaf, raw Radish, Carrot, Boiled Sweet-Potatoes and the list goes on. The menu of food on the day of Sankranti is one of the biggest, richest and healthiest food will ever hear.

A plate of food is taken to friends and relative's houses,everyone relishes each other’s food with different tastes and varieties to impart happiness to everyone. 

In the evening people gather to amuse themselves by singing, dancing and doing various activities. People exchange sesame and jaggery as an indication of exchanging each other’s happiness and miseries. 

Sesame indicates sorrow for its sour taste, and jaggery indicates happiness.

Apart from the celebrations, the festival has got its scientific importance. The festival is to worship the sun-the energy source for all living beings on earth. It’s an astrological event where the sun enters Capricorn zodiac constellation on that day. 

Scientifically, this day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. In other words, Sankranti marks the end of the winter season and the beginning of a new harvest or spring season.

The period of Sankranti is a season when the skies filled with empty clouds the temperature will be cold for Indian sub-continent. It’s a time when farmers are at the edge of harvesters, forest blossom with green lush, and scientifically it’s a period in which human digestive power will be stronger than any other seasons in the year.  This is why all the food mentioned above is lipid containing items, and this also helps rejuvenate the skin, which has lost its moisture in the cold seasons.

Overall Sankranti is a festival that has got great significance and scientific bases.